A melded expression of sorrow and peace filled the young Water Princess's face, observing as the tyrannical walls of water began to recede back from whence they came. All around her, the ruler's aqueous subjects cheered and celebrated, watching the darkened skies clear at a pace too rapid for natural explanation. WP brought her hands to her chest and closed her eyes, using the crumbling water bonds to search Ooo for her brother's essence.

She found nothing.

Amid the dissipating chaos however, she sensed the distinct pattern of more positive traits. Peace, happiness, a sense of closure and conclusion, among several other forces present in the ebb and flow of the water, changed the water elemental's brokenhearted perception. She recognized many of those who held these traits; friends she had only met mere hours ago. Yet there they were, somewhere in the vastness of Ooo, celebrating.

The princess could only smile, letting a tear fall from her eye, forged from a mixture of sadness and joy.

"Goodbye, brother."

At long last, the blades of greenery enveloping the grasslands came back into view. In the distance, the assembly could just make out a fountain's worth of water gushing from Finn's treehouse. Further back, they spotted the ruins of the candy castle, valiantly holding a single surviving tower. Behind them all, the sun was setting amid the crown of mountain ranges, signaling the impending darkness of night.

As sprinkles of stars eagerly awaited on the horizon, Kami No Ai knew it was time to perform one last task. The ancient dragon lowered himself nearly to the ground, where the Ooocians were all readapting to solid earth. The being's approach drew the local hero's attention.

"Finn," the serpentine figure began.

Both the young man and his companions listened to the ancient's words, his head bowed in penitence.

"I played a great role in your suffering, for you, those you love, and the entire land as a whole. In my infinite displeasure, I don't even have time to pay for my wrongdoing."

He gazed upon his extensive body, seeing it flicker slightly as if he were a ghost. The rest noticed it soon after. No Ai continued.

"My power is fading rapidly now. I'll soon join my brothers and sisters."

He looked to Finn with a glimmer of hope.

"If I am to finally leave this world however, I wish to use the last of my strength on the bond you share with your dearest."

Finn and FP eyed one another, wondering what the dragon meant. They joined hands instinctually, only to release when the human grunted quietly. He tightened his fist, frustrated that his now singed fingers could do no better. No Ai reached out with one claw, holding it above the couple.

"This is all I can give, but I pray in time it will lessen the pain I caused."

He slowly drew a yin-yang symbol in the air, speaking as he did so.

"Twice a year, as the equinox glow rises, the reflections of your space shall fall away, leaving only entwined time in its place."

The dragon finished his scribble in sync with his incantation, allowing the mysterious symbol to glow brightly, showering Finn and Flame princess with a peculiar flurry of sparks and rays. After a moment, the entire display faded, leaving no noticeable difference. No Ai backed away, rejoining his sibling as he watched the pair examine each other in confusion.

"I- I don't understand," FP replied for both of them.

Kami No Shi motioned to them with a bow.

"My brother has bestowed the last of his equinox energies to the two of you."

As the gathered individuals gasped in astonishment, the dragoness went on to translate her kin's spellbind.

"On the dawn of each equinox, the power infused within your hearts shall blossom, dissolving the bindings between you and temporarily striping away all sense of difference."

FP frowned.

"What do you mean?"

No Shi allowed a chuckle to escape her maw, before waving her tail over the couple.

"Allow me to give you a demonstration."

Another wave of strange sparks and rays fell upon the duo, only this time, their skin began to glow and their clothes began shifting colors. A bizarre sensation deterred them from moving a muscle, simply waiting for the arcane power to perform its task. To the others however, it was a spectacle of chromatic clarity. As the energies finally left their hold, the two were left staring at one another, surprised at how little had actually changed, yet still baffled at the effects.

Flame Princess's dress was entirely void of distinctive color, a veil of utter black covering her person. The once fiery hair on the elemental's head was now gently settled upon her shoulders and down her back, retaining its crimson hue, yet completely still. Her skin pigment remained true as well, only losing the soft glow cast by its combustive origin.

Inversely, Finn's attire had been bleached to a brilliant white, nearly inheriting the shine his counterpart had lost. His peach skin seemed to have been left unchanged, but closer inspection revealed there was no longer any ridges or textures, save for his fingerprints, leaving his exposed flesh as a blank canvas. Strangest of all, to the young man at least, he felt no heat whatsoever radiating from the girl in front of him. Worried he may have been rendered numb of all sensation, he experimentally raised his hand to FP's cheek, slowly resting it against her soft skin.

Lightly gasping, Finn's action and accompanying reaction caused FP to perform the same move. Unlike the hero though, she contained her astonishment to a simple expression of disbelief, as her hand rested harmlessly against the side of her companion's face. Two pairs of eyes now stared, trembling, back at one another, still unable to grasp the magnitude of their interaction. From nearby, Kami No Shi gave a light chuckle.

"If there's something you wish to do, this will only last a moment longer."

After a second of contemplation, the heart-locked pair instantly clung to one another, fiercely joining their lips together as the non-lethal embrace they shared enclosed them in a world all their own. The warm rays of the sun, having ushered away the majority of the storm clouds, beamed down upon the couple as if idolizing them, painting a picture that brought some to tears, including Jake, who was forced to shape his hand into a hanky and blow his nose. PB kept a better composure, but couldn't help wiping away a stray drop gathering in her eye, all while he lips were held tightly in a smile of emotional marvel.

Huntress, on the other hand, just groaned and rolled her eyes, continuing to empty water from one of her boots.

Finn and Flame Princess made no further movement, up until the point that they sensed the minimal equinox energies beginning to be rejected from their bodies. Choosing to enjoy it while it lasted, the two ignored both the fire elemental's rising temperature and the human's reawakening nervous system, holding the kiss as long as possible. Only when Finn's lips began to feel the pricks of nature putting its foot down did they finally separate, opening their eyes to gaze at each other's returning features.

As FP's hair flared up and Finn let go of her, Jake at last broke down, covering his eyes with his arm as he sobbed out his heart.

"This much pumps and bumps… it's just, it's just like when my kids were born! Waaaaa!"

Beside the dog, Peebles put her hands in her pockets and gave a small sigh, a grin plastered on her face as she shook her head.

"Nothing like that for an old mad scientist like me," she mused.

Finn smirked as her held his stare at the fiery ruler.

"Two days out of the year. It's a start, right?"

Flame Princess giggled, smiling back.

"Yeah, it is."

A pulsating light finally broke the joyous atmosphere, drawing attention one last time to the twin dragons nearby. No Ai was nearly gone, barely visible. FP turned to the great beast and clasped her hands together in front of her.

"Thank you, thank you so much."

The dragon seemed surprised by her gratitude, still accounting for his destructive actions. He responded by clasping his forward claws together in return.

"I hope your lives will find happiness with this final gift."

After the couple nodded to the ancient, No Shi waved her tail once more, only this time, carving a rift back to the realm of limbo, where she and her brother would soon depart for. The beautiful serpent motioned for her sibling to go first, to which he accepted, flying over towards the portal. With one final look at the Oooicans below, Kami No Ai disappeared from the world of the living, still ridden with guilt, but at peace with how he'd left those his actions affected.

Kami No Shi faced her mortal companions as well, giving a final farewell. FP extended her gratitude to the gentle female as well.

"And thank you too, No Shi. For saving me, helping Pyris…"

She glanced at Finn.

"And that."

Although it was difficult to tell, the dragoness smiled, bowing as her form slithered through the rift.

"May your quest for a permanent bond find success, young ones."

Her last words spoken, the yin-yang dragon of death disappeared, her connection between worlds vanishing in a beam of light.

Huntress Wizard shook off the last drips of water from her hair before replacing her hood, irritated but seemingly glad the whole ordeal was done with. The arcane archer took one last look at the normalized landscape before turning to Princess Bubblegum.

"Well, this has been one gigantic waste of time," she huffed.

"Next time, remind me to say 'no' to any request you give me, or any royal for that matter."

PB shrugged indifferently.

"If you say so."

Huntress pointed a finger in the monarch's face.

"And remember, one sight of that icy loon, and its roasted candy princess."

Peebles sighed.

"Yes, I remember…"

The wizard gave a firm nod, then finally turned to leave. As she did, Finn walked up beside his friend, watching their temporary ally trek out of sight over a hill. The human grinned mischievously at the pink ruler.

"You uninstalled the flamethrowers, didn't you?"

PB smirked back with the same expression.

"Yep."

Sharing a laugh, the two then turned to rejoin the others. Jake had finished drying his eyes, while FP chuckled at how much of a softy the magical canine was. Interrupting the group's respite, a powerful squawk filled the air, drawing all eyes to the sky. Diving in a swift and elegant spiral, the platinum falcon homed in on Finn, who prepared for the bird of prey's descent by holding up his arm. Flapping hard to decelerate, the aerial hunter accepted the young man's perch, nearly weighing down his limb.

The human rubbed the back of his head.

"Sorry about plucking your feather earlier."

The falcon seemed to contemplate the hero's words for a minute, before dipping its beak down and giving him a single peck on the head. Although it hurt, Finn could tell it was a message of 'no hard feelings'. Laughing, he examined the proud bird's stature, as it apparently waited for him to act. Confused, Finn tilted his head.

"Um, shouldn't you be getting back to your mountain or whatever? You have to lead all those other birds, right?"

The falcon shook his head, then extended a wing, pointing in the direction that Huntress Wizard had departed. It then motioned to itself, then finally spread out both wings and screeched. Amazed, the hero could only smile.

"I get it. You want to grow stronger first, and prove yourself."

The falcon nodded in response, tucking his wings back in. Finn tapped his chin, thinking. He noticed a sheet of reflected light coming off the bird's right wing, shining straight into his unshielded eyes, causing him to squint.

"Hmm…. I've got it!"

He raised his perch arm slightly.

"I'll call you Glint."

The predator squawked in approval, giving yet another playful peck on the head. Finn pumped his fist in the air upon recovering.

"Next time you cross paths with Huntress, you'll slash her little arrows to pieces; I guarantee it!"

Once everyone was done welcoming the new addition to their group, PB looked back over to her castle's ruins. Huffing, she straightened out her dress and walked off from the assembly, turning to Finn and Jake as she did.

"Well, the Vernal equinox isn't for a few more months, so until then why don't the two of you occupy yourselves and help rebuild the castle."

The brothers' jaws dropped as the candy monarch grinned amusedly.

"Wh-what!? Why us?" the magical dog exclaimed in disbelief.

PB raised a finger matter-of-factly.

"Because it's your duty as both heroes to help and as residents of the grasslands, which are within my jurisdiction, to assist in maintaining the Candy Kingdom's various facilities and residences."

She waved them off as she turned and cupped her hands around her mouth, letting out a piercing screech. Upon the arrival of the Morrow a moment later, Peebles hopped onto her loyal avian and gave the brothers one last smirk.

"I'll omit your taxes for the time being, you know, just to show I'm not completely heartless."

With a wink, she flew off, eager to hold a tally of the damages and displacement of all her citizens back home. Jake, in the meantime, placed his hands on his hips, frowning.

"Hmph, I knew I should've gotten that zoning review."

He then proceeded to pull out his cellphone and search through the listings.

"Let's see, where's Kim Kil Whan's number? I'm sure he can act as my attorney…"

As the frustrated dog wandered off in the direction of the treehouse, Finn and Flame Princess faced one another, knowing it was time to depart to their respective homes. Night had fallen, with only a hint of purple and violet sky peeking over the mountain ranges. The stars had fully besieged the celestial sphere, dazzling viewers with constellations and various other artistries of the cosmos.

"You know, we still have to go free all of those creatures that are no longer ascensions."

Finn, who'd completely forgotten, face-palmed.

"Aw crud, that's right!"

He shook off the embarrassment and smiled to his lady.

"First thing tomorrow morning?"

Flame Princess gave a teasing grin.

"You'll have to go on without me; royal duties and all that."

The hero groaned as he tried to decide if she was messing with him. Giggling, FP leaned in and planted a quick peck on the young man's check, then whispered in his ear.

"I'll meet you in the desert."

Before Finn could reply, or break out of his shock, the fiery girl launched herself skyward, zooming away into the night while leaving behind a firework-like trail, briefly lighting up the darkened Ooo. After seeing his companion stuck in a daze watching his love disappear over the horizon, Glint, who had migrated to Finn's shoulder, proceeded to peck him to his senses.

"Oh, right, sorry. Hey, Jake, wait up!"

As night fully enveloped the land, the newly empowered human ran to catch up with his brother.

Exposed to the classical ringing of an alarm clock, Finn's instinctual response was to punch the mechanical time keeper into the nearest wall, silencing it and resuming his luxurious sleep, which he definitely needed thanks to the daily construction he and Jake were assisting with over at the Candy Kingdom. However, the ringing originated from BMO, who, by request of Finn himself, was to wake the hero up at just before the crack of dawn.

Noticing the noise still blaring in his ears, the human managed to sit up and search out the source, still half awake. Instead, BMO jumped down from its perch on the high shelf, standing on Finn's lap.

"Finn! It's your big day! Get up, sleepyhead."

Desperately trying to shake off the dizziness of sudden consciousness, the young man struggled out of bed, striding over to the calendar to see what the big deal was. Once his eyes managed to stay consistently open, even Jake, possibly the heaviest sleeper in Ooo, was jolted awake by his little bro's shout.

"It's finally time, dude!"

Seeing his sibling jumping up and down, the grumbling Jake managed to smile as he rubbed his sleepy eyes.

"That's great, man. Go on, you've waited long enough."

Initially about to tear out of the room, Finn found himself frowning.

"Oh, wait, but we've got to put in the roof on PB's place today. She wanted it done by the end of the week."

Jake perked up, stretching his hands into two mallets and scrunching the top of his head into a hardhat shape.

"Don't you worry about that, homie. I'll pull double-time. Now go to your lady!"

After giving his best friend a hug, Finn changed in a heartbeat and made a mad dash for the window, fearlessly bursting through it and landing all the way on the ground with a few summersaults. As he ran at full speed towards the Fire Kingdom, Jake called after him.

"You're fixing that one though!"

Running through the deteriorating night, Finn could swear he already felt the same strange effect from months earlier. The equinox energies were awakening, as No Ai had said, ensuring one very special day for the human and his beloved fire elemental. As an orange lining ringed the sky, the hero cleared one of the last few hills between himself and his goal.

His smile of excitement only widened as he noticed a distinctive glow on the horizon, signaling the approach of his lady. Flame Princess's shape was defined, proving that instead of slithering across the plains as a flame, she'd opted to run in humanoid form to meet with the one she loved. As the distance closed, the sun managed to tag the both of them with its light.

The two slowed their runs as they ascended the final hill, destined to meet at the crest, where the light would be strongest. At last stepping to the plain's high point, the pair was doused in the rays of the morning sun, announcing the arrival of dawn. Containing themselves, Finn and FP watched one another's transformation, as No Ai's last power began stripping away the confines of nature's incompatible designs. The fiery ruler's sleek black dress flowed in the morning breeze, while Finn's saintly white image stood dazzlingly among the dawn sky's palette of warm colors.

Freed from their physiological mirror, neither human nor elemental, the couple finally joined, embracing tightly at the peak of the grasslands, visible for miles around by any passerby. The crisp morning air wafted past, granting a true sense of rebirth between the two, who retained their hold for an uncertain amount of time, simply letting the minutes pass by while they grew accustomed to such a foreign sensation.

The moment was finally broken when a screech filled the air, gathering attention to the skies. Finn and FP smiled upon spotting Glint, who was circling overhead. The platinum falcon eventually nose-dived, pulling up just in time to land on Finn's shoulder. Flame Princess gave the bird of prey an affectionate pet on the head, while Finn patted the hunter's sharp and durable feathers, which had been tempered by the bird's rigorous self-training and occasional sword spars with Finn.

"Nice to see you too, buddy," the hero said as Glint pecked his head in traditional manner.

"But don't you have your own lady to get to?"

The falcon squawked in reply, extending his wings and taking off, heading out in the direction of a distant mountain. Once their friend was out of sight, the couple returned attention to each other, eyes beaming.

"Did you ever think we'd get here?" FP asked curiously.

Finn just smiled, then chuckled while placing a hand on his love's cheek.

"Sure I did. After all, crazier things have happened."

Amused by the hero's bravado, Flame Princess just shook her head and allowed herself to be pulled into a kiss, one she'd been anticipating for months. Only this time, they could make it last as long as they needed, as the sun graciously provided them with a full arc across the sky.

And there it is, a story finally finished! Although, hehe, this isn't the first full-length story I've finished on this site...

While you're soaking that in, let me take the opportunity to thank each and every one of you for supporting me and these chapters since the very beginning or whenever you hopped aboard. It's been a long 25 updates, but you all gave me great feedback, thoughts, suggestions, and other valuable bits. So again, thank you, so very much!

Attackme: Luckily, that rarely happens.

nrbuer: Indeed it is. I honestly was losing hope I'd ever get one.

Don'tMessWithFire: They sure are. I've always had a lot of respect and admiration for their culture.

TheMentalAdventurer: It does seem rather short, lengthened only by the mass spacing of updates, but at least I gave you guys something to read. Thanks.

Holahello: Thanks for all that. It's been a great journey.

Awolfx9: That feedback was very motivational. I hope I in turn provided a good ending.

Neo Deadmau5: New, huh? Sounds awesome.

Hope you enjoyed and thanks for any comments/reviews!