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The flight to Jake’s resting place was a rather silent one. Lady Rainicorn isn’t wearing one of her translators, but even if she was, Lady isn’t interested in talking to her passengers regardless. Out of respect for the love of Jake’s life, Finn stayed silent during the trip. Huntress wouldn’t have started a conversation either way.
When they arrive, they look upon the statue of the transforming dog. Finn has visited it a few times in the years since, Lady visits it every month, but this is the first time since the funeral Huntress is here. Her eyes drift away as though she’s in shame of that fact.
Lady is the first one to talk to Jake’s grave. She keeps her voice quiet, and with Finn and Huntress keeping a distance they are unable to hear what Lady is telling Jake. That is a secret to be kept between the two lovers. She starts crying openly at one point, her tears landing in the dirt.
When she leaves, it’s Finn’s turn to speak to his brother. He looks at the epitaph on the tombstone for a moment, silently reading the words one-by-one.
Jacob the Dog, Sr.
Father, Brother, Hero
A beloved figure throughout Ooo,
he is survived by his brothers, girlfriend, and
their five children
May you reach the 50th Dead World
Part of him wishes Jeramaine was here as well, but he puts the feeling aside for now. Kneeling in front of the grave, Finn holds his breath for a moment before speaking. “Hey, Jake. I know it’s been a while since I’ve stopped by. Sorry about that but… I really donked up.”
He pinches at the bridge of his nose with his left hand. “After you died, I became so worked up in burying my feelings I wasn’t taking the greatest care of keeping myself safe. In some ways, I knew the risk I was putting myself in, but I thought doing so I would reunite with you sooner.”
“I wasn’t just putting myself at risk either. Sometimes, I was using your pups as a replacement for you. Bronwynn and T.V. were the most common. One time, I dragged Simon along, trying to get his mind off of Betty. I took him to a place known as the Heart of the Forest.”
Finn briefly glances at Huntress meditating behind him. “H.W. told me about it, though she said not to go there. I didn’t care. Me and Simon were attacked by this giant green bear. Simon got hurt pretty bad. I thought I killed the bear, but I got scratched pretty bad by the Heart.”
“Turns out, the Heart poisoned me. And that the bear was a green wizard like Huntress. Huntress tried to use the Heart to cure me, though it ended up escaping from the forest and the green wizards lost their magic. She vanished from Ooo for a while, leaving me in PB’s care.”
“She, Marceline, and Simon were trying all they could to cure me. Medically, magically. They invited all the Princesses we know to attempt a ‘True Love’s Kiss’ to revive me. Even Phoebe tried, though it didn’t work. Simon tried the Wishing Eye, that backfired and made it worse.”
“I wasn’t awake for any of this, though. Had to be caught up.” Finn reaches his hand towards the scar on his back. “I was in a really bad dream the whole time. Constantly fighting, constantly dying. I can only remember parts of it, Huntress says that’s a good thing.”
“She had to witness them herself. Had to stop the Cosmic Owl from giving me a croak dream with a hot version of me and, get this, Fionna and Cake. Yeah, Ice King’s old fanfictions are apparently real in another world. Huntress got sent there after the incident with the green wizards.”
“She didn’t give me all the details, but she did tell me Fionna tried to keep me from dying in my dream. Fionna and Cake were trying for a while to get H.W. back to Ooo via their world’s Heart. It took a while, but they did find it. Traveled to some freaky place called the Undergrowth.”
“Back in Ooo, Simon, PB, and Marceline tried finding the Heart of the Forest after its escape from the wizards. Turns out whatever those wizards did to it left it with barely any life left in it. PB had to put it out of its misery. That ended up causing problems for Huntress trying to get back, though.”
“Without any other options, PB and Mom were planning on uploading me to this robot body. They even crushed me with the machine, though I was saved by Huntress. Turns out, she got this mad power boost by regrowing herself from the remnants of the Heart of the Forest in my wound.”
“Huntress managed to heal me from all the messed up stuff that happened to my bod, but I still wasn’t all right in the head yet.” Finn lays his hand on the grave. “I didn’t believe I deserved it. Not with you gone. I still didn’t believe Huntress actually loved me for being a big, dumb babyman.”
“Huntress sent Fionna into my mind to get me to wake up. It was after talking with her that I finally did. The first thing I saw was Huntress. I asked her about the roses in her hair. She just kissed me. Everyone who came to see me was cheering at the sight. So even without words, I got to know how Huntress truly feels.”
“We’ve finally made it official. I’ve moved into Huntress’ place. I’m planning on dragging in a mattress, but it still feels good having somewhere stationary to live in again. Just relaxing on a cliff under a tree. Guess tree houses are something I can’t avoid.” Finn gives a small chuckle to the grave.
“H.W.’s teaching people how to use green magic by properly connecting with nature and not exploiting it. Even the Witch Wizard that attacked me and Simon is there. This is probably the most open she’s ever been with other people since she became a green wizard. She’s getting along with NEPTR pretty well.”
Finn looks at the stone again before sighing. “I think I’ve finally begun accepting you being gone, Jake. There’s part of me that’ll always wait for us to reunite, but I’m no longer planning on rushing it. Hope you’re willing to wait a while.” He brushes his left hand on the stone. “I love you, bro.”
Huntress walks up to Jake’s grave, holding something wrapped in fabric. “Finn already told you most of it, so… here.” Unwrapping the fabric reveals a wood carving of a viola, which she leaves on the stone. She looks around the grave at the flowers, the Forget-Me-Nots all limp. “The flowers here are wilted.”
Extending her roots out of her fingertips, she sticks them in the ground. The flowers in her hair and on her antlers begin glowing with magic. Slowly, the flowers start straightening back up from Huntress’ effort. Turning back to the grave, a tear of sap rolls down Huntress’ face. “Sorry for not visiting sooner.”
Finn laces his fingers with Huntress’ as he stands. “I think he’d understand.” The two of them, hands still interlaced, walk up to Lady Rainicorn as she lays down some distance away. “Hey, Lady. I hope you’re doing better. Sorry I wasn’t there more when Jake died. Definitely wasn’t cool of me.”
Lady points to Finn’s bag. Reaching in, he pulls out a translator and tosses it to her. Now wearing it, she starts talking. “We all mourn at our own pace.” Her eyes glance away from Finn. “I don’t blame you, Finn. It hurts, but what happened isn’t your fault. It’s-” She stops herself from talking as tears start flowing again.
Any plans to leave are put on hold as Finn and Huntress comfort Lady for a while.