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It was a pleasant morning, as it often was in the Candy Kingdom. Princess Bonnibel Bubblegum had recently installed weather control devices in the Gumball Guardians. They were finicky, sure, and burnt out often, but they helped prevent knives from raining down and causing property damage. That sort of bonkers weather would cause a whole lot of boring, repetitive paperwork that she frankly did not want to deal with.
Bonnibel took a sip of tea and slipped on her usual attire. She hummed as she looked in the mirror, electing to wear her hair short today, and headed out, tea still in hand.
She was barely two steps out of her room when two Banana Guards came running down the hall, making loud siren noises and flailing their arms.
Oh boy, it was gonna be a long day, she could tell.
“Princess, Princess! It's a demon! A little demon is terrorizing the town,” one Banana Guard explained, pointing in seemingly random directions as he spoke.
“No, not a demon, Princess, a nymph! A little evil nymph who's sucking power from us and is going to destroy us all.”
“That's not what nymphs do.”
“Yes it is, I saw it.”
“No it's not.”
Bonnibel sighed, “Alright, alright, both of you, calm down. I'll check it out.”
Bonnibel allowed the Banana Guards to escort her back to their surveillance room. She was perfectly capable of getting there herself, of course, but the Banana Guards felt important when they escorted her places. She downed the rest of the tea as she entered to room and scanned the various monitors.
She saw what the must be talking about almost immediately, “That one?”
The two Banana Guards were still huddled in the doorway, looking frightened, but both managed a nod.
She sighed, “Alright, I'll be back.”
“Wait, Princess, be careful. It looks dangerous.”
Bonnibel rolled her eyes, “Yeah, I wouldn't worry about it.”
She made her way down several flights of stairs, taking the steps two at a time. A few housekeepers offered her assistance along the way, and she dismissed them quickly, if not a little impolitely.
When she opened one of the secret passages along the side of the castle, she found herself face-to-face with the source of her troubles.
He stared at her, wide eyed and obviously startled by her sudden appearance. He was more disheveled than the last time she'd seen him. He'd grown some, and now stood at a remarkable four feet. His signature bear hat was torn in several places, he was missing several teeth, and his face, arms, and legs were covered with bandages as well as fresh scrapes.
“And what are you doing this time, Finn?”
Finn flashed her a wide, lopsided grin as he pumped his fists in the air, one of the clutching what appeared to be a wooden sword, “Training!”
Bonnibel sighed, crouching down so that she was at his level, “What cha' trainin' for, little dude?”
That caused Finn to pause. He let his arms drop to his side, the wooden sword making a loud clunk sound as it hit the candy-coated pavement, “Well,” he began, “mom and dad always say they won't be around forever, so I figured I gotta get strong like them.”
Bonnibel nodded, “I getcha dude, but listen, you're freaking my peeps out. Candy people are a bit sensitive, so when run around swinging a sword, they're gonna get upset, which isn't good for me.”
Finn deflated visibly, “Oh. I'm sorry, Princess.”
“It's all good. Now, where are mom and dad this time?”
Finn avoided eye contact, focusing instead on drawing invisible designs on the ground with his feet, “They went off on a mission.”
“What about Jermaine?”
“He's at work.”
Bonnibel groaned, “Jake?”
Finn's eyes had become teary at this point, “He was supposed to be watching me, but he went out. He told me not to get into trouble and I did.”
Bonnibel rested a gentle hand on the young boy's shoulder, “Hey, hey, it's okay. Chillax, bud. C'mon, you can come hang out with me until someone comes 'round. How's that sound?”
Finn's face immediately lit up, “In the castle? Can I bring my sword?”
Bonnibel laughed, “As long as you promise not to swing it at any candy people, alright?”
“You got it, PB!”
Bonnibel led the young boy inside, his free hand gripped firmly in hers as they navigated the labyrinth-like hallways that she'd become so accustomed to. The entire way, Finn was buzzing with questions and comments on seemingly every room, nook, and cranny. She answered as best as she could before he inevitably skipped on to the next question at a breakneck pace.
Eventually, after much stopping to explain various inconsequential things, they arrived at Bonnibel's intended destination- the library. Finn wrinkled his nose as they entered, “Jake always says that books are for nerds and losers.”
“Jake also lands himself in jail once per week,” Bonnibel muttered under her breath. Then, louder, she said, “Well, books can be cool. C'mon, I think I have some you might like. Lots of pictures.”
Finn nodded, “I like pictures.”
“C'mon then, kiddo, I got some chairs in the back.”
Finn nodded, hand still meekly clutching hers. Bonnibel sat back in one of the large, soft armchairs, allowing Finn to arrange himself on her lap.
“Alright Finn, have you heard of knights?”
“Like, the time where you go to sleep?”
“Uh, well, if you say it out loud yes, but uh, well okay, so the kind I'm talking about are these folks,” she pointed to an illustration, perhaps a bit over the top, of a man in thick, black armor. In one hand, he held a sword almost as tall as he was. In the other, the head of a dragon.
Okay, maybe more than a little over the top.
Regardless, Finn's eyes widened in awe, “Can I get armor like that? And a sword?”
“Maybe not that, but you know, I think you got the guts to be like them.”
Finn furrowed his brow, “What do ya' mean?”
Bonnibel smiled, “Finn, if you work hard, and be the best person you can be, one day I'm sure you'll make a fine knight for the Candy Kingdom.”
Finn smiled ear-to-ear, “That'd be totally kick-butt.”
Before Bonnibel could reply, Peppermint Butler peeked around the corner, “Princess, the boy's brother has arrived.”
Finn's smile grew even wider than she thought possible, “Jake!” he shrieked, waddling out of the room as fast a his tiny legs would take him.
Bonnibel walked at a more reasonable pace behind him. At the door, Jake was smiling sheepishly, clearly aware that Bonnibel knew just what he and his crew got up to. Finn pulled his brother into a massive bear hug, then, before Jake could properly respond, let go and ran off in the opposite direction.
“So, uh, sorry about him.”
“It's alright,” Bonnibel said evenly.
“So, uh,” Jake said, shuffling his feet.
“I know what you've been up to. I'm not gonna mess with you right now. Finn needs you.”
Jake laughed awkwardly, “Yeah, he's a bit of a troublemaker himself, isn't he?”
As Bonnibel watched the young boy run around the palace courtyard, waving his sword and leaping through the air, she couldn't help but smile, “Maybe, but I think he's gonna be great.”