The Land of Ooo was never quiet, but tonight it smelled like burnt marshmallows and impending doom.
I stood on the balcony of the Candy Kingdom, the cool night air prickling my skin. To anyone else, it was just a breeze. To me, it was a conversation. Ever since I was "reborn" into this world—found as a toddler clutching a baby Finn in the middle of a forest—I've felt the world differently. The air told me a storm was coming; the ground told me it was nervous.
"Kael! Stop brooding and come help us with the decorations!"
I turned to see my little brother, Finn, vibrating with his usual 12-year-old energy. Beside him, Jake was stretching his ears into giant trampolines.
"I'm not brooding, Finn," I said, ruffling his blonde hair as I walked over. "I'm just making sure Princess Bubblegum's 'science experiment' isn't about to blow us all to the Nightosphere."
"Psh! PB knows what she's doing," Finn said, though he glanced nervously at the giant vat of glowing green Decorpsinator serum.
The Gift of Understanding
I watched the Princess work. My Accelerated Learning wasn't just about books; it was about patterns. I could see the way she mixed the chemicals, the slight tremor in her hand, the way the magical energy in the room was reacting to the serum.
"Princess," I called out, my Elemental Attunement spiking. "The sugar-to-serum ratio is vibrating at a frequency that feels... aggressive."
"Not now, Kael! Science is happening!" she chirped.
Then, it happened. A drop of the serum hit a dead candy citizen. Instead of coming back to life for a nice chat, the corpse turned into a shrieking, sugar-craving zombie. Within minutes, the graveyard was a sea of the undead.
"Mathematical!" Finn yelled, drawing his gold sword. "Zombies!"
"Wait, Finn!" I grabbed his shoulder. "PB just told us—if the candy people get scared, they'll explode. We have to keep this a secret."
"A secret slumber party?" Jake grinned. "I'm down for some Truth or Dare."
Princess Bubblegum ushered the living candy citizens into the main hall, leaving Finn, Jake, and me to guard the perimeter. While Finn used his "Royal Promise" to keep everyone distracted with games, I stayed by the window, watching the horde.
A stray bolt of Guardian fire splashed against the window near me. Finn flinched, but I didn't move. My Elemental Resistance meant the heat felt like a lukewarm bath. I stepped outside into the courtyard to buy them time.
"Kael, get back here!" Finn hissed from the doorway. "You're gonna get candy-fied!"
"I've got this, little brother. Just keep them dancing."
The Battle of the Balcony
Five zombies lunged at once. They were fast, but my mind worked faster. I could see the trajectory of their jumps before they even left the ground.
I didn't have a sword like Finn. I didn't need one. I centered myself, feeling the Natural Magic of Ooo flowing through the soles of my feet. I swept my leg out, the air pressure alone knocking three zombies back. When one tried to bite my arm, its teeth skidded off my skin like it was biting a stone.
"Sorry, Mr. Cupcake," I muttered, tossing him back into the fountain. "You're a bit too sweet for me today."
Inside the hall, I could hear Finn frantically playing "Seven Minutes in Heaven" to keep the citizens distracted. It was ridiculous, it was chaotic, and it was exactly what I had died and come back for.
By the time the sun began to peek over the horizon and PB figured out the real formula (thanks to Finn's unintentional "2+2" genius), the zombies were cured and the kingdom was safe.
We sat on the edge of the palace roof, legs dangling over the side. Finn was exhausted, his hat slightly lopsided.
"You were awesome out there, Kael," Finn said, bumping his shoulder against mine. "You didn't even look scared when that fire hit you. How do you do that?"
I looked at my hands. I was an anomaly in this world a human who knew too much and felt too much. But looking at Finn's wide, trusting eyes, I knew why I was here.
"I'm the big brother, Finn," I said, giving him a half-smile. "It's my job to be the shield so you can be the sword. Besides... I had a feeling it would all work out."
Jake stretched his head up between us, grinning. "Yeah, yeah, sentimental stuff. Now, who wants to go home and eat an entire tray of meatman sandwiches?"
"Me!" Finn shouted.
As we headed back to the Tree House, I felt the wind whisper something about a 'Lich' and an 'Ice King,' but for now, the sun was warm, and my brother was safe. That was enough.