Prologue.
Princess Bubblegum stared up at the monitors, her eyes wandering over the many scenes playing out before her as her mind wandered back to the Flame Kingdom.
“You’re cold P.B.” Flame Princess had said, “And it’s not because you’re a scientist or a leader, it’s because you are a bad person.”
It hadn’t been the first time her morality had been brought to question, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last.
P.B. clenched the wires that connected the cameras monitors to their relay stations.
“I can change,” the princess thought to herself, closing her eyes as her grip tightened around the wires. “I can change.”
“We were going to war!” a voice yelled out through one of the monitors.
The princess’s eyes suddenly shot open and she released her grip on the wires.
“I can change, and I will change. But not yet.” Her eyes scrolled over the various screens of her subjects as they frolicked about their careless lives. “I’m still needed just the way I am,” she thought as her eyes stopped on her Banana Guard cam, where which it would seem the entire regimen were gathered around Starchy. They were trying to remove a bottle that he’d somehow gotten stuck on his head/upper body.
The princess sighed before heading toward the door, stopping only for a moment as she looked back to the Flame Kingdom’s monitor.
“You are a bad person,” PB heard again.
“After a few thousand years under her belt, maybe she’ll understand what it takes to run a Kingdom,” she thought before finally exiting the room.
Within the darkest depths of the candy castle, through the twisted cobble stone catacombs, sporadic bursts of light shone bright through the foot of a closed door. Behind the door stood a large assortment of bubbling beakers and monitors printing out layers upon layers of data.
At the very end of the room a single light shone bright over an autopsy table. It held a strange figure covered with a white sheet, and was strapped down with leather belts. Standing over the figure was the monarch of the Candy Kingdom, Princess Bubblegum, and her faithful servant, Peppermint Butler, both of whom were covered head to toe with surgical attire.
“Alright. It’s time,” PB said as she out stretched a gloved hand to her candy servant.
Peppermint Butler nodded and pulled out a large syringe, containing a bubbling pink liquid. “Are you sure about this, your majesty?”
Bubblegum either didn’t hear him or was simply ignoring him, for as soon as the instrument was in her grasp, deep into the hidden entity it went. Sweat dripping from her brow, she gave a deep breath as she pushed the plunger down, forcing the liquid out of the barrel, through the needle, and into the patient.
Retracting the syringe once the liquid was forced into the patient, the two stepped back and waited.
“Come on, come oooonn,” Bubblegum pleaded as she stared in anticipation.
Suddenly, the mechanisms surrounding the three beings seemed to come alive with loud consistent beeping as the figure began violently convulsing on the table, causing the straps holding it to strain against the force.
“Glob dang it, we’re losing her!” Bubble Gum shouted, rushing over to the table. She quickly grabbed another syringe and plunged it deep into the entity’s flesh.
Its convulsions slowly came to a halt as the monitors sang out a solid and unwavering ‘beep’.
“Glob it, Glob it, Glob it!” Bubblegum shouted furiously, turning away from the table, and knocking over a tower of technical equipment with a roar of frustration. Reaching inside her lab coat she pulled out a tape recorder and pressed the red button.
“Subject #20-A, terminated at 1:12 am. Possible as a result of an allergic reaction to the antibodies. Further testing will be-”
“Princess, listen!”
“Peppermint, darn it, you know you can’t talk while I-”
‘beep…beep…beep’
Turning back to the monitor, her eyes stared in astonishment as her grip loosened on the tape recorder, the device slid from her hand to the ground without even the faintest care on her face.
She slowly turned back to the table. As she did her entire body began to shake with excitement as the sheet was slowly moving up and down.
Silently walking over to the table, she gently placed a hand over the form and ran it along the being’s length.
“Welcome to the land of the living, my little pony.”
Finn and Jake walked along the path of the Candy Kingdom on this warm afternoon. The hustle and bustle of the citizens was well underway. Street vendors dotted the sidewalks and the laughter of candy children filled the air as the younglings ran through the streets.
“So, what do you think Princess Bubblegum wants?” Finn asked.
“I don’t know man,” Jake said, turning to Finn. “But she seemed pretty excited about it on the phone, said it was a huge breakthrough in science and junk.”
“Oh, well what do you think it is then?”
“No clue, but if it’s anything like her so called ‘time travel’ bubble, I’m not gonna hold my breath...”
“Aw, come on man, you have to admit it was kind of cool.”
“I’m not saying it wasn’t cool.” The two stopped as they reached the castle entrance. “I just don’t think it was time travel,” Jake said. The two nodded as they passed a pair of banana guards, who waved in return, and proceeded through the doors and into the castle.
“Sooooo what do you think it could be?”
“Glob darn it Finn I do- MMMPH!” Jake murmured as a mysterious black figure emerged from a trap door and slid a white handkerchief over his mouth.
“Jake, JAKE!” Finn screamed as he saw his brother being abducted, moments before a second black figure came from behind and placed a white cloth over his mouth as well.
As the figure removed the cloth from Finn’s mouth, the young boy dropped to the ground, his eyes becoming heavier and heavier before everything sank into deep and complete darkness.
“Finn…Finn…Finn, come on bro, wake up.”
Finn groggily opened his eyes to the sight of Jake standing over him.
“Ugh, where are we?” Finn asked as he rose from his side, placing his hand upon his throbbing head.
“Sorry about the cloak and dagger stuff, guys,” a familiar said from the shadows. “But I had to make sure you weren’t followed.”
Turning to the source of the voice, the two heroes were set slightly at ease as they saw Princess Bubblegum standing before them. She donned a white lab coat that stretched to the floor, glasses sat upon her face, covering tired and dreary eyes. Her hair was firmly tied back into a ponytail and stretched down the length of her back.
“What the funk girl, you nearly gave me a heart attack!” Jake shouted.
“Yeah PB, seriously what’s your deal?!” Finn said.
“Whoa, take it easy there guys” Bubblegum said putting her hands up in front of her. “It was just a little chloroform. Besides, I had to make sure you weren't followed.” She approached Finn with her hand outstretched. “I’ve been working on some mondo important stuff, and once you see it, you’ll understand why this needs to stay a secret. For now at least.”
Grabbing her hand, Finn pulled himself to his feet. “Ok, but no more chloroform! That was..weird, like, bad bad, weird.”
Bubblegum giggled “Alright fine, now, follow me and I’ll explain everything,” she said as she slowly made her way down the dimly lit catacombs. “Ever since I perfected the art of creating candy life, there has always been something inside me that craved…more.”
“Like vegetable life?” Finn asked, looking behind the princess to Jake, hoping that he had any clue as to the Princesses meaning. Only to be met with a confused look and shrugged shoulders. “Cause a tomato person might be kind of cool to hang out with.”
“Well, not quite,” she said, turning to Finn. “Think along the lines of flesh and blood.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up there sister!” Jake said, stretching his upper body in front of the princess while his lower half ceased its stride. “And just what do you mean by ‘flesh and blood’? Cause if it’s what I think you mean, then we got a problem.”
“I mean exactly what I said,” Bubblegum said, stopping in her tracks. “And I don’t see what the big deal is. Instead of sugar and corn syrup I used muscles and tendons,” she said as she brushed past Jake. “It’s still life, just different ingredients.”
“Grr, that’s bunk and you know it, PB,” Jake said, stomping his foot before catching up with the other two. “Finn, come on brother, help me out.”
“Well,” Finn said, shrugging his shoulders and averting his gaze from Jake. “She does kinda have a point man.”
“What?!” Jake exclaimed, flailing his arms.
“I mean, she’s already made like, the entire candy kingdom and everyone in it, so what’s so wrong with making something like you and me?”
“Thank you, Finn.” Bubblegum said, flashing him a smile.
“What’s so wrong?!” Jake shouted. “Brother, you must have a screw loose or somthin’, because-”
“Jake,” Bubblegum said turning around once more, a look of annoyance prominent on her face. “I didn’t ask you guys two here to question my morality, I brought you here to see what very well may be the future of not only the Candy Kingdom, but the entirety of Ooo itself.”
The two heroes turned to each other with with a shared look of concern and bewilderment.
“Alright, fine,” Jake said, crossing his arms. “I’ll be quiet, but this ain’t over, sister.”
Bubblegum nodded and grabbed the handle of a wooden door.
“Are you guys ready to meet her?” she asked with a smile.
“Her?” the boys echoed.
As she opened the door the two heros gasped at what they saw on the other side of.
In the center of the room, surrounded by dozens of devices blinking and flashing devices, was a glowing green tube, filled with an unknown liquid emitting an eerie green glow. Inside said tube was a creature, equine in appearance. It’s body was covered in a fur of the purest white, from its forehead sprouted a single spiraling horn, and on its back was a set of two feathery wings that were folded across the sides of its body. But by far the creature’s most defining features were its main and tail. Made up of four differing colors, it glistened under the eerie light of the tube, and danced in the liquid, swaying to and fro.
“Finn, Jake,” the Princess said, a weary smile upon her face. “I want to formally introduce you to the future heir to the Candy Kingdom: Subject # 20-A, Princess Celestia ‘Bonnibel’ Bubblegum.”
