Adventure Time: The Quest for Freedom

Chapter 19

"Fi we've come back for you."

Fionna stood in shock at the vampire boy floating above her.

When he tried to get closer, her head suddenly started pounding aggressively. Fionna backed away from him to stop the pain and fear she felt.

"Fionna, why are you backing away from me?" He asked confused.

"You!" Fionna shouted from a distance. "Y-you're that vampire that tried to attack the castle with an evil shape-shifting cat the night of the Gumball ball. Prince Gumball s-said you tried to suck out my blood until he fought you off."

"Gumbutt? Fight me off! That's rich," he said laughing. "And for the record, me and Cake did not come to the ball that night to attack you. We came to get you back or at least apologize for our fight."

"What fight?" Fionna asked confused.

"You really don't remember me," Marshall confirmed. "What did he do to you Fi? Do you remember?Does it have something to do with these funky goggles? What are these anyway?"

But before Fionna could say anything, Cake the Cat suddenly busted in after knocking out a guard.

"Fionna! Marshall! We need to leave! Now!" She exclaimed.

"Calm down cat," Marshall said ironically trying to soothe her but failing.

"Gumball's on his way with more Banana guards in tow," she explained. "We need to get as far away from this kingdom as possible!"
***
"Leave the Candy Kingdom!" Fionna cried. "I'm not going anywhere with you fools! Why would I want to go out into that dangerous world when I can be safe to experience it here with these virtual reality goggles? My place is to be with Gumball."

"No it's not!" Marshall shouted angrily. " I know you don't remember Fi, but you hate this place. You hate Gumball. The real Gumball. The one who's so possessive of you to not let you have any freedom to go where you please or give you a real honeymoon. That's why you ran away before the ball and met us."

Y-you're lying," Fionna said crying. "I believe Prince Gumball. He's never lied to me."

"I once thought that about Gumball too. That I could trust him to never turn his back on me. But it's betrayal from those we love that hurts us the most," he said sadly. "I learned that a long time ago when he chose this kingdom and his precious subjects over me.  I don't want history to repeat itself with you. Leave with us Fi. We can start a new life far away from this prison."

Fionna's head hurt but a past memory came through of her and Marshall Lee.

"Prisoner?" Fionna had said confused."Prisoners are locked away behind bars against their will or if they've done something bad. I'm not Gumball's prisoner. I mean he lets me go outside."

"Um yeah," Marshall had said,"If by outside, you mean within the Candy Kingdom walls where Gumbutt can keep a close eye on you. But until now, has he ever let you wander outside his precious kingdom?"

"Well no," Fionna had said sadly realizing what he said was true. "But he's just worried about my safety. Although I'm sure Gumball will let me leave the kingdom more once he learns I can protect myself."

"You're actually willing to go back?" Marshall said surprised.

"Yes Marshall," she said. "Gumball's done a lot for me and I owe him an explanation of where I went if I'm caught."

"You do realize if you go back he'll never let you leave right Fi?" Marshall said.

"I'm not his prisoner!" Fionna shouted.

"He's treating you like one!" Marshall shouted back.

"I'll have you know I had my own room in his castle and the maids brought me breakfast in bed," Fionna said annoyed.

"That's exactly what I'm talking about!" Marshall Lee pointed out. "You may not be in a physical prison with bars on the windows and doors, but it's a metaphorical prison. You've been trapped in it so long, you feel obligated to go back because you don't know anything else!"

"I do now because this have been the most radical week of my life!" Fionna shouted. "In fact, I've never felt so alive! I'm relieved to finally be free of all those sweet people who never get angry or yell at each other until their heads explode, living in their sweet little town, in Gumball's sweet little kingdom with all that pink. Oh Glob, all that pink!"

"If you hate it so much why are you going back?" Marshall asked angrily.

"Because I love Gumball," Fionna shouted. Then they both fell silent.

"You know what Fionna? Leave," Marshall finally said.

"What?" She said confused.

"Leave," Marshall said nonchalantly. "I'm done helping you."

"Why?" Fionna asked feeling her heart break.

"I just can't believe you want to go back," Marshall said incredulous. "You were miserable there and you couldn't even see it until a few days ago. That's why you ran away. And then you met us. You looked genuinely happy for once, and I really thought that-"

"Thought what?" She asked.

"Forget it," Marshall said. "You'll probably forget me, I mean us by the time you go back. You'll probably look into Gumbutt's dreamy eyes and never want to leave. So go."

"Marshall Lee-" Fionna said shocked.

"GET OUT FIONNA!" Marshall said with his eyes turning red. "I NEVER SHOULD'VE SAVED YOU. I PROBABLY SHOULD'VE LET THOSE VAMPIRES KILL YOU!"

"You're Marshall Lee!" Fionna finally realized. "The one LSP was talking about!"

"I can't hold them back much longer," Cake said blocking the door.

Where do you think you're going with my fiancee?"Gumball said angrily behind the slightly cracked door.

"So what do you say Fionna? Will you come along with me?" Marshall asked.