Chapter Text
It was Finn’s 17th birthday, and PB wanted to throw it big for him. After all, he’d saved her and been there for her through so much, and so many people were showing up - she wanted to impress him and all his friends. However, the kingdom was also on lockdown due to PB’s uncle, cousin, and aunt being on the loose. This prevented some less close friends of Finn’s from coming, but Finn didn’t most - all his close friends were there, and he was mad exited.
“Happy Birthday Finn!” PB smiled “I’m sorry you weren’t able to invite more people. I just can’t risk any changes of my uncle Gumbald invading the kingdom.” PB did feel sorry, but there wasn’t truly anything’s he could do. He was too dangerous, especially since he wasn’t just a risk to her, but also Finn and her other friends.
“Hey, don’t sweat it PB! You didn’t have to even do this! And I’m happy to be here” Finn smiled reassuringly “Now that I’m seventeen I feel like I’m ready for anything! I’m finally hitting my stride”
PB chucked softly, Marceline speaking up a moment after “Hey Finn, I got you a gift! It’s a harmonica” handing it over to Finn. Before Finn could say much else than “thank you!”, BMO showed Finn the gift he got him aswell. “I designed a new game for you Finn! It’s called ‘Birthday Boy Fighter!’”
Finn knelt down and looked at the games icon. “Seems like it’s gonna be a new hit!” Huntress Wizard stepped forward, holding a gift box in her hands. “Here Finn, I got you a gift too. It has emotional and metaphorical significance”
“Wow, it’s beautifully wrapped! I wonder what it is” Finn examined the box and looked back up at Huntress Wizard. “It’s an elk heart” She explained, Finn looking back at the box. “Oh cool! I don’t have one of those”
Suddenly, the sound of a horse running began to grow louder and louder as the group went up to the door to find out what it was. The door burst open, throwing everyone who was against it backward. “Woah, you’re green!” Finn pointed out, looking up at the green figure up top the horse who stood in front of him.
“I am the green knight. And before you ask, yes, I have brought a gift for you” The Green Knight Held forward a green axe. “It’s a battle axe”. Finn’s eyes lit up “Woah, sick axe! I always thought of myself as more of a sword guy though..” Finn contemplated, looking up as the Green Knight spoke again;
“There’s a catch, you must beat me at a game to obtain the axe.” The Green Knight got off the horse, stepping closer to Finn. PB felt something in her gut twist with uneasiness, but she couldn’t quite place what it was, or why it was there.
Finn didn’t seem to worry though, joyfully asking what the game was. “The game is called.. all you have to do is strike me with it and it is yours”. Tension filled the room as everyone began to question and grow suspicious of the green figure before them.
“PB something definitely isn’t right here..” Marcy spoke gently to the candy girl. PB sighed, “trust me, I don’t like this either. I know something is up here. Something mad suspicious..”
“Eh, I dunno. I can’t axe some stranger” Finn paused, looking around the room. “Wait a second.. where’s Jake.. I know what’s going on!” PB stepped in, speaking up “No, I don’t think you do..” But Finn didn’t listen. “Ah don’t worry! Jake loves to play birthday pranks on me!”
The Green Knight gave Finn the axe. He brought it down onto the knights neck, and just after, Jake walked in. Finn’s eyes widened, before looking back at the knight and back to jake.
“What?? Jake?? Whose head did I.. are you planking me?” The knights head flew back on and PB knew something was off banana guards!” They went up to the knight, but he flung them all into the walls. “My guards!!” PB exclaimed, Marcy and the others going to attack the green figure.
“It’s an invisible shield” Huntress Wizard looked back at the group. “What do you want? Why are you playing this weird game with Finn?” PB asked, having a gut feeling this was more than just some random enemy. The Green Knight didn’t answer, just laughing.
“Hey! What about a game? If I beat you 2/3, you answer our questions” The others vocalized their worry and told Finn it was a bad idea, but the knight agreed, creating a new invisible shield between Finn and the others. They tried to get in and shout at him, but the wall was too strong for noise to get through.
As the knight won the first game, Marcy and PB pointed out how it seemed fake. Huntress confirmed their suspicions, but there was nothing they could do about it. They were trapped behind the invisible wall, unable to communicate with Finn whatsoever.
Suddenly, the realization hit PB like a slap to the face. “Gumbald..” She muttered to herself, before turning to Marceline. “It’s GUMBALD. It.. it has to be him!” Her breathing and heart rate spiked a bit, knowing this couldn’t turn out well for Finn or her.
“Woah, Bonnie, are you sure? That doesn’t look like it could be him in that armor” Marcy reached out and grabbed PB’s hand, gently stroking it to call her down. She knew how much this was affecting PB, even if the girl refused to show it.
“Not in the armor. In the horse.” She pointed at the green horse that stood by the doorway. “Look. It’s.. it’s shiny. No horse shines like a brick of metal. It has tbe him in there! Huntress, do you see what I’m talking about?” She asked, internally panicking.
Huntress’ eyes narrowed as she stared for a moment at the alleged horse. “She’s right” Huntress said, standing back up from her crouching position. “There’s welding marks under the horses ears. That’s made of metal. And.. it doesn’t even look alive..”
“Shit, shit, this isn’t good Bonnie..” Marcy’s ears lowered, realizing Finn was trapped in an invisible cage with PB’s mortal enemy and a mystery figure who held a battle axe to its side. “We- we’ve got to save him!”
PB couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t move. Her grip on Marcy’s hand tightened. “Bonnie? Hey- Bonnie!” Marcy saw right through PB’s cold exterior, seeing the internal panic and conflict in her eyes. “Hey, it’s gonna be okay! We’ll find a way to save Finn”
PB gulped, letting out a soft shaky breath. “That’s not what I’m worried about. Finn isn’t what he’s after..” Her grip tightened, her gut telling her that Gumbald wasn’t here to attack Finn. It was a warning. A warning meant for her.
Finn, after losing the first game and winning the last one, offered to let the knight pick the last game. Immediately everybody knew it was a horrible idea, especially knowing now that it was likely a trick set up by Gumbald. However, since Finn couldn’t hear, the knight picked a good ol fashioned arm wrestling match.
“No, Finn!!..” PB muttered in frustration, knowing this was going to be the turning point. As the match went on, Finn got thrown across the room and nearly sliced by the axe before Gumbald revealed himself - alongside Aunt Lolli and Cousin Chicle.
“G-Gumbald??” PB froze, eyes widening in shock and fear* “How are you back??” She knew deep down they were back, that they’d been back, but seeing her suspicions, her fears confirmed a sharp 7 feet away from her face was horrifying.
“Here’s a hint; ‘Oh my glob!!’” PB bit her lip, thinking back to when ooo had been transformed into chaos, and when LSP had reverted everything back to normal. “…Lumpy Space Princess.. when she reset ooo.. she reset.. you..”
“For 800 years you kept us trapped, imprisoned, Prinzessin” Gumbald was about to continue, but PB cut him off. “NO! You were happier as candy people.” PB felt her stomach twist with uncertainty and fear. “We thought we were. But don’t worry!” Gumbald pulled out an oddly shaped gun from inside the metal horses body. “It’s your turn to be happy now”
Gumbald pointed the weapon just an inch from Bonnie’s face. She didn’t move. She didn’t flinch. She stood there, shaking, staring. Just as he was about to pull the trigger, just as PB braced for the worst, Marcy thrashed Gumbald into the wall with a growl-hiss.
“Stay AWAY from her, you psychopath!” Gumbald’s weapon had broken. Maybe if it hadn’t, he would have kept trying. “Very well then. You’ve witnessed our superior technology, and watched your champion crushed. We’ll go, for now.” Gumbald left, leaving PB not even having fully processed what just happened.
“Bonnie?” Marcy shook PB gently. “Huh?” PB woke back to reality, looking over to Marcy who seemed worried. “What happened? You just stood there, Bonnie! He almost killed you!”
“I-I..” PB shook her head, bringing herself back to the present. She was still trembling, the sounds around her making her feel like she couldn’t move. All until Marcy scooped her up and brought her to a closet, away from the noise, a place she could get Bonnibel to talk.
“Bonnie, you’re okay” Marcy attempted to comfort her, but she was never all that good at it. “It’s alright. Just.. what happened out there? Why’d you freeze up out there?”
Bonnie opened her mouth to speak, having calmed down a bit, but nothing came out. She looked down for a moment, taking another breath to calm herself down - enough to speak. “I-I don’t know.. I just.. I felt like I couldn’t move. That- that never happens! I’ve never..” Bonnie didn’t understand why she’d frozen up when she’d never frozen up before in the face of danger. She’d always used logic or her strength to maneuver her way out, but just then she didn’t.
“Hey, hey it’s okay.. You were scared, I’m just happy you weren’t alone when..” Marcy didn’t want to even say it. She couldn’t think about Bonnie being in danger and her not being able to protect her.
“I-it’s fine.. I.. I just wanna finish up this party and go to bed..” Bonnie got up, the vampire following, as they finished up the party. But the entire night, Bonnie couldn’t stop thinking about how she froze up, about how if Marcy wasn’t there to protect her she would’ve been toast.
*Whatever*, she thought. *Tomorrow is another day*.