Chapter Text
Cool, sweet-scented air wafted through the Candy Kingdom graveyard. The moon shone a pale light on Princess Bubblegum and Finn who stood at a large flat coffin, experimenting with liquid chemicals.
“If my decorpsinator serum works, then all the dead candy people will look as young and healthy as you do,” Bubblegum remarked, filled with anticipation. If this experiment was a success, she would never have to worry about death in her kingdom again. Her beloved people would become immortal like her. With Finn by her side, she administered a full syringe of decorpsinator serum onto a platter containing the decaying remains of Mr. Cream Puff. The body began to twitch as it pulled its full weight onto two trembling, unsteady legs. Sickly green fluids oozed from its mouth, a raspy groan escaping its lips.
“Algebraic!” Exclaimed Finn.
“Wait, something’s wrong.”
Without warning, the creature lunged for one of Bubblegum’s large chemical flasks and dived down inside, pushing it onto its side and splattering its contents all over the graveyard. The liquid seeped deep down into the ground, infecting the surrounding graves. Shock swept over Bubblegum and Finn’s faces as they witnessed dozens of twitching, bony hands emerge from the soil.
“Quickly! To the kingdom!” the princess cried.
With Finn following close behind, Bubblegum ran towards her castle, almost tripping over the long skirt of her dress. I can fix this. I’m going to fix this. My calculations must have had a mistake somewhere…
Bubblegum stopped at the entrance of the palace and turned to face her hero. “Finn. Listen to me very carefully. I’m going up to my lab to perfect the formula. I need you to stay here and fight off the zombies. Destroy them if you have to. Once I perfect my serum we’ll fix everyone. Keep things quiet—most of the candy people are already asleep. I can’t have them knowing about the outbreak.” She had a feeling there were far too many zombies for Finn to slay, but she hoped he could at least keep them away from the candy people’s homes–long enough for her to perfect the serum. Finn would be fine. He always was.
“Of course, Princess.”
“Keep my people safe. I’ll be back.”
Bubblegum turned and ran as quickly as she could up the winding steps of the palace. When she finally reached her lab, she slammed the door shut behind her. She practically threw herself at her lab table, maniacally sorting through notes and pushing her chair over in the process. Where is it? Where is it?! Papers flew off the table left and right. Her eyes widened when she finally spotted it. Neatly printed on the front of a pink notebook were the words, “The Decorpsification of Sentient Life Forms.” She had been researching this topic for longer than Finn had been alive, searching for a way to eternalize her kingdom. Sifting through the pages of the notebook, she scanned for any possible mistakes she may have made in her calculations. Nothing. She flipped back to the beginning again and looked through it again, this time slowly checking each and every tiny detail. No mistakes. None at all. Her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. She flipped through the notebook over and over for hours, her mind ripping apart each sentence, each equation, not understanding where she went wrong.
Until…
Groannnn… Thud.. Thud..
The faint moans of the undead and the sounds of their inconsistent footsteps shuffling up the castle staircase quietly echoed in PB’s ears. Oh no… Finn…
She was running out of time. Dread settled in the depths of her soul as she realized what she had to do.
Her kingdom would be destroyed because of her.
And the only thing she could do now was run.