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Chapter Text

In the tallest tower of the palace of the Candy Kingdom, in a laboratory provided by Princess Bubblegum, Summer O’Moa watched a small holo-screen intently.
In this laboratory, the bright lights reflect off of the smooth green copper walls, floor, and lofty ceiling. The rooms are full of dozens of test tubes, simulations, and machines most people couldn't have begun to comprehend.
On this day in question, only one simulation was running. A fighting simulation no less.
Summer watched carefully as Finn battled simulated monsters. It all appeared very real to him, of course.
She watched him slice through the last monster, then ended the simulation, logging his result.
“Well done,” she commented as he walked over, “That's your fastest yet.”
“It could always be faster.” Finn said with a shrug.
“True enough. But I think you've done enough for today. Jake will be worrying about you.” Summer said mildly.
“Oh, right. Well, I'll see you tomorrow.” Finn said, waving goodbye.
“I'm sure you will.” Summer said evenly.
Once he was gone, Summer put her head in her hands.
“Stop it, stop it. He doesn't love you. He’ll never love you.” She whispered to herself.
But that didn't stop her from watching him leave through the window.
She sighed and turned away, but still thought of him. She always thought of him, worried about him, wondered about him…
She'd loved him since they met at age twelve, but she'd never been good enough for him. She thought she could ignore it, but he was still the first thing she thought of in the morning and the last thing at night, because she loved him.
Of course she loved him, his good heart and wonderfully complicated brain. But there were two glaring facts in her way. First, she was a scientist, and in her world, love had no place among test tubes and controlled variables. And for another, she didn't deserve his love. She hadn't earned it, and would never, never be worthy of it.
So why, then, did she keep risking her life on his reckless missions? Why did she ache for his smile, or linger in his orbit like a moth to a flame? Well, there was only one reason. Because we will do anything for those we love as truly and deeply as Summer did Finn.
Not that he knew it. Of course he didn't. She'd learned to tamp down every emotion, downsize every sentence, so that in those moments she did lose her cool, surprise flickered across her friend's faces.
Sometimes she wondered if they thought she was just a wall.
But she had very real feelings. And everytime Finn broke up with someone, the feelings washed over her again.
She wanted to get rid of these feelings. That's what science should be for, right? A way for her to solve problems?
But it didn't work that way. Messing with people's heads, even her own, was a tricky business…after all, That's what got her exiled.
“That's enough self pity,” She told herself, “You have a job to do.”
She sat down in front of a large stack of calculations, and began to double-check them.
But soon, she found herself growing tired, her eyes wandering around the room. The lights seem too bright, right in her eyes. So she closes them and…
Falls into a dream.

•••

Summer’s dreams were never hard to understand. She dreamed of her past, or she dreamed of Finn.
Tonight however, was different.
She dreamed of a world of black and white that she wandered unseen in color.
And she hated it. Hated it because if no one heard you, and no one saw you, did you even exist?
She felt her sense of self slipping away every minute she was stuck here.
But she couldn't wake up no matter how hard she tried.
Suddenly, she saw colorful light in the distance. She rushed towards it, but as she got closer, the colors became clearer, four hues forming a symbol she knew quite well. She stumbled back and was falling, falling through Darkness.

Chapter Text

Summer shot up at her desk.
“Bleh, what was that?!”
She knew exactly what it was. Exactly who it was.
I left you behind. She thinks as venomously as she can. All of you.
She didn't want to be here, alone with her thoughts. Perhaps she would go see Finn.

•••

Of course he's here.. She thinks, looking at the angry expression on Jake's face.
She decides to open with a calm “Hello.”
Jake just glares. “What are you doing here?”
“Seeing Finn. Is he busy?” She asks.
“Now wait just a minute-”
“Is. He. Here?”
“I'm not done talking to you!”
“Get a life…”
This is how Finn finds them, glaring at each other, tension so thick you could cut it with a knife.
“Um. Hey Summer.” Finn says awkwardly.
“Hey Finn.” She sighs.
“Jake, go inside.”
Jake leaves with a fair amount of grumbling.
“Can't you guys just get along?” Finn pleads.
“No.”
Summer and Jake's hatred of each other has been mutual and instantaneous from the moment they had met. He didn't trust her, and didn't think she was worthy of Finn’s friendship.
And she hated that he could never seem to take things seriously, and didn't seem to care about the danger he put Finn in.
“Why are you here again?” Finn asked.
“Oh. I have a day off. Will you hang out with me?”
Finn smiled, “Of course.”
The first place Summer and Finn went was the markets.
“Where else would you get picnic food?” Finn had asked.
“Somewhere that doesn't sell the weirdest foods imaginable.” Summer had responded.
He had laughed at that. Why did it feel like such a victory to make him laugh, or even smile?
So here they were, at the markets, trying to find something decent to eat.
“Definitely not.” Summer had commented on a pint of cheeseburger flavored ice cream.
“This is supposed to be fun!” Finn had practically shouted when she suggested salad.
It was fun to debate with him, even just about food. He was smarter than most people thought. Perhaps that's why she hadn't told him yet. Smart people are more capable of using your emotions against you. Sometimes people could be cruel.
But she'd never once thought Finn could be one of those people…until the day she'd tried to talk to him about his mental state.
She'd run countless mental tests on Finn, and was alarmed by what she saw. Countless past lives he didn't seem aware of, memories locked away, buried under layers of fear.
And the most concerning thing she'd seen was his sense of self. He'd always been so confident, but it was truly fragile. He feared that he was a bad person.
They had argued- about the capacity he had for evil, which he refused to acknowledge, about how afraid he seemed of himself, about how dangerous he was, because people trusted him, and if he really wanted to be bad, who could ever, ever stop him.
But it hadn't got really bad until she'd got right up in front of him and demanded: “What are you so afraid of?!”
He had shoved her. Hard. And maybe there was magic behind it, because she hit the wall.
The rest of that conversation was burned into her brain.
“I…didn't mean to.” He had said.
And she had responded: “Imagine what you could do if you actually meant to.”
His face had gone cold and hard. “What about you, Summer? Do you mean to?”
She had stared at him in bewilderment.
“What happens when you want to hurt people?” He'd repeated.
“People get hurt. You get hurt.”
He'd left after that. But the question haunted her…because she did nothing but hurt people when she wasn't careful. It was the cruelest thing he'd ever done.
Summer shook her head to clear the memory.
“Really Summer? No to sandwiches?!” Finn asked.
“Oh, no, sandwiches are fine. Just had a thought.” She said hurriedly.
So they each bought one, and went to eat in a spot they'd found years ago, a clearing in the woods. It reminded her of home. Home home, not the Candy Kingdom.
Perhaps I should explain something. Summer, while having every characteristic of a human, was not one.
Summer was a color. A race, that for their first ten years, was for all intents and purposes, human.
When they turned ten, they were assigned a color by the gods, and a power to go along with it.
All except the color green, who did not get magic. Green got science. And Summer got green.
Now most greens accept their lack of magic, but Summer could not let it go. She kept doing more and more experiments until the colors exiled her.
Summer and Finn kept chatting, about anything and everything. But they never talked about that day, when everything had changed with those words.
And still they spend the day together, and enjoy it. There are moments where Summer looks at the bionics set in her hands and thinks of the other colors, times when Finn looks at the sky and she knows he's thinking of his father.
But they enjoy their day together, each of them making the sadness easier to bear.
And when she walks him home at the end of the day, she doesn't even think twice about kissing him on the cheek, but immediately regrets it as he stands. And stares. And blushes. She knows her cheeks are red too.
“Well. Bye.” She says. And runs. The tears come, and she lets them. Running and crying, knowing that she's ruined things. But she can't be sorry. Because it's what she wanted.

•••

Finn stands, stunned, for a few minutes that feel like hours before walking inside.
“Hey,” Jake says, “I saw the whole thing. Do you wanna talk about it?”
“No.” Finn murmurs, heading up to his bed.
Summer?! He thinks, mind buzzing. Summer.

Chapter Text

It had been three days. Three days since she'd last seen him. She'd thought he'd come visit. But he hadn't.
She was worried about him.
She was always worried about him.
But this was different and deeper. And had something to do with how unsettling her dreams had become.
So on the morning of the fourth day, she went to see him.
Jake answered the door.
“I don't have time for you,” She said hurriedly.
Jake tackled her, pinning her against the wall. “Where is he?!” He yelled.
“Who?” Summer asked.
“Finn!” Jake exclaimed, “I know you have him.”
“I don't! I haven't seen him since…” She trailed off.
“He left the morning after and hasn't been home since.” Jake said.
Summer froze. “What..?”
Summer spotted something carved into the wall. A small symbol.
“I have to go.” She rushed out the front door before Jake could stop her.
She didn't stop running until she reached a clearing. In the center, on top of a rock, she placed a small sphere of green copper and sat down to wait.
A small rustle in the bushes, a few footsteps. Her spear burst into full form immediately and in one fluid motion she had her assailant pinned against a tree. A quick glance at her short, spiky purple hair revealed it to be…
“Dream. Nice to see you.” Summer said dryly.
“Hellooo S.” Dream said in her sleepy, lilting voice.
“The others?” Summer demanded.
“Right here.” Mind’s clear voice rang out as Summer turned to face them.
“Mind, Soul, Heart.” She dipped her head to each of them in turn.
“S.” Soul nodded her head in return.
“Hey.” Heart said as he saluted her.
“Release Dream.” Mind ordered.
“Not until you tell me what you want.” Summer challenged.
“Same as we wanted all those years ago.” Soul says smoothly.
“I already told you I won't let you hurt people. Won't help you hurt people.” Summer spat.
“Last time, we thought you'd want to help us…” Heart said sadly.
“This time, we’re making sure.” Dream grins.
Mind reveals a small blue holding sphere with Finn inside.
“No. Whatever quarrel we have together is between us!” Summer said desperately.
“Either you do what we need of you, or we kill him. Or worse.” Mind says calmly. They've always been infuriatingly calm.
“Let me talk to him. Privately.” They released him and she rushed over. They melt into the trees, vanishing without a word. “Show offs…” She murmurs.
“What is going on?!” Finn asks, “Who are those guys?”
“Wizards..Old friends of mine.”
“I thought you didn't like wizards.” Finn said, puzzled.
“These ones were my friends. They needed me. Their elements are…unfixed. They need a focuser for more powerful spells. That was what I was for.”
“How long…?” Finn trailed off.
“Months. Maybe a year. I lost track of time.”
“Lost track of time?”
Summer shivers. “A lot of spells. It almost killed me. The magic hurt, but it made me stronger.”
Finn looked worried.
“Anyway, they wanted to do a spell that was going to…hurt a lot of people. I backed out.”
“What do they need you to do now?”
“There are these…stones.” Summer drew a diamond, and then a circle inside that, a star inside that, and a spiral inside that in the dirt.
“One for each element,” She continued, “And they need to get all four. Need me to get all four.”
“You can't Summer. People will get hurt.” Finn pleaded.
“You've already been hurt!” She burst.
“Am I the only person you care about?!” He demanded.
Summer flushed. “Of course not.”
“Then help me escape!” Finn begged.
“No, Finn. These aren't the type of people you can fight. They can control you, wipe your memories, make you go mad, corrupt you. They might even make you fight me. And then I'd kill you and that would kill me too.”
Finn looked shocked.
Summer turned away from him and back towards the wizards, who had returned.
“I'll do it.” She said.
Mind drew a spell of silence, binding Summer to secrecy.
Summer sighed and looked at Finn one last time before he disappeared.
The look on his face almost broke her heart. He looked…betrayed.

Chapter Text

Summer sighed. It’s just dimensional travel. Just ripping a portal through lightyears of space.
She’d never studied dimensional travel…but she could get close. With Jake’s help. He doesn't have to know everything.
So here she was. At Jake’s doorstep for the second time today.
“I thought you didn’t have time for me?” He snapped.
“I still don’t. But this isn’t about me, or you. This is about Finn.”
Jake’s eyes widened. “Tell me.”
“I can’t.”
“What do you need?”
“I need to see Prismo. The wish master. I know you have a way to get to him!” She challenged.
“Why should I help you?”
“Finn will die unless I see Prismo.”
It took a bit more convincing, but Jake finally agreed. He took her inside and grabbed her hand as he touched Prismo’s signature on a note. It glowed pink and reality rearranged itself until they were in the Time Room.
“Hello.” Prismo said, his form nothing but an odd pink shadow on the yellow walls.
“I have a wish.” Summer said.
“You can wish to save Finn!” Jake said.
But Summer was already speaking.
“I need an interdimensional travel device.”
“Granted.” Prismo said, as a small metal sphere with a keypad and flashing lights appeared in Summer’s hand.
“That’s not what you said!” Jake yelled, lunging at her.
Summer sidestepped. “I’m trying to help.”
“I DON’T BELIEVE YOU!” Jake yelled. “I think you’re trying to kill me! What did you do with Finn? I won’t let you hurt him!”
“Do you think you could actually stop me if I was trying to kill you?!”
That had been the wrong thing to say. Jake charged at her again.
“Don’t make me hurt you!” Summer yelled, dodging.
“Why won’t you fight me?!”
“BECAUSE FINN CARES ABOUT YOU!”
Jake stopped. “What?”
“Everything I do, I do it for Finn. And I’m going to save him.” She punched in buttons and turned the ringed sections of the sphere…And vanished.
When she opened her eyes, she was somewhere entirely new. She looked over the black hills and valleys, riddled with cracks shining with blue lava. Despite the heat, she shivered. I don’t belong here..

Chapter Text

Summer hesitated. She had to find the stone. She just had to. The alternative was too horrible to bear.
So she slowly and carefully made her way across the lava-covered plains. It was going great. Until someone ran into her.
“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!” The someone scrambles back.
Summer drew her spear and whirled around, but realized her attacker was a girl no more than twelve or thirteen years old with a jagged haircut. But the man behind her looks dangerous.
“Oh, it’s okay. You’re a bit young for dimension-hopping however.”
“We need to move now unless you want to be caught too.” The man says, stepping in front of the girl as if to shield her. Ha. That’s funny. If I wanted her dead she’d be dead. Summer thinks.
“You’re criminals?” She eyes the girl skeptically.
“Not exactly.” The man says.
“You just stole those parts.” The girl says.
“For the portal-” The man starts. “You know what that’s not important, what’s important is that we need to leave now.”
“Hang on…you’re both human, aren’t you. What dimension are you from? I thought humans were extinct, or nearly extinct anyway. Also how are you able to travel dimensions?”
“We’re from dimension 46’\, I’ve been dimension hopping for over 30 years. You don’t have random portals in the dimensions you travel to.” The man says.
“Huh. You’ll need to be careful. You know you can’t just leave these open, right? They can track your portal signature. Don’t you know how to close them?” She directs this question at the man, she sees him as a fellow scientist.
“No, I do not, I’m wanted in like 80 different dimensions.” he says.
“YOU’RE WHAT?!” The girl yells, before the man clamps a hand over her mouth.
“Do you think you could get us out of here?” He asks.
“Listen, go to a different dimension, I’ll close your portal and you can get away.” Summer gestures to the distance. “Oh. My name is Summer. I’m not human and I won’t turn you in.”
“Alright Summer, I can agree to that deal. But can we please get moving?!” He asks.
She takes out her dimensional transporter. “Please work..”
A portal opens in the distance.
“Get going.” She says.
As they run away the girl calls “Wait! I’m Mabel and this is Stanford, thanks for your help!” And then they’re gone.
After they left, Summer turned to the portal they had entered through and, punching buttons on her machine, closed it. Then she closed the one they had left through. I hope they're alright. The girl has potential to do something great or something horrible one day, but I suppose everyone does. She thinks to herself. "Dimension 46’\?" She mutters. She types it into her computer and sees a world not unlike Ooo. "Earth..." She whispers. "Perhaps I'll go visit someday.”
But not today. Today, she’s on a mission.
A mission to save her old friends…but she’s glad she made new ones.

Chapter Text

After her encounter, she continued on her way for some time, until the five moons of this planet rose, and she made camp on a relatively lava-free bluff and cooked some food. She sat there, sipping sparingly from her water (She hadn’t found any on this planet) and eating the bread she’d packed. 

She felt something familiar. The feeling of being completely and totally alone. She had no one here. She hadn’t felt like this since the night she’d been exiled. 

 That night, she’d been alone, and scared. With nothing but her spear and a single journal of research, she’d been cast out. 

 She’d been angry, but not at herself. The self-loathing hadn’t been so entrenched yet.

 She’d stumbled through the woods for hours in the dark until she’d collapsed against a tree and cried herself to sleep. And she’d stayed that way. For days. She didn’t eat, didn’t move. She would have died there if the wizards hadn’t found her and brought her to their home. It had been so kind of them, of course she’d agreed to help them. She’d channeled their magic, allowed it to pass through her, helped them cast spells and in exchange she got a home, a place to research what she chose. 

 And maybe part of her had died that day, the part that cared about other people, about right and wrong. Even though she’d tried to bring it back, she was never the same again. She’d often wondered what she’d be without Finn.

 If she hadn’t met him, if he hadn’t made her good, she would have gone back to the wizards and helped them destroy a world that didn’t care about her. 

 She would have hurt people so that they couldn’t hurt her. All the good in her would have been gone, buried under hatred, fear, and self-loathing. 

 And maybe that’s why she loved him. Because he saved her.

Summer touched her cheeks. They were wet. She was crying. So she wiped her tears and stared up at the star-filled sky. And dimensions, worlds, universes away, Finn did the same.

Chapter Text

Today, Summer found what she was looking for. The temple of mind. According to the legends, if she passed the temple's tests and faced her greatest fear, she’d earn the stone.

 What did she fear? Her mind jumped from thing to thing, but none of them seemed right. 

 She headed up to the doors of the temple. A message appeared on them. 

 Voice a simple honesty, if you wish to enter me. 

 Huh. Honesty. She’d never had much use for that.

 Are you a good person?

 Was she? She wasn’t sure. Then that was her answer.

“I'm not sure…” She added one final word. “Yet.””

 The doors creaked open to reveal a pleasantly cool interior lit by torches that gave off no heat. She stood on a walkway surrounded by a large pool of dark water. Her footsteps echoed through the silent hall. 

 It was peaceful, it was beautiful, and Summer absolutely hated it. It reminded her of Mind’s calm tranquility. Besides, Summer didn’t like the quiet. 

 She got into the next hall without much trouble, she just dismantled a poison trap in the doorknob. What is this, amateur hour?

 The next room contained a set of gears that should theoretically open the next door. But it seemed to be broken. “Oh, lovely.” Summer grumbled. 

 “Should still work if I…” She fiddled with the gears. 

 “Slot that into place…turn that…twist this…” 

 Soon she had the gears in working order. She pulled the lever and watched with a grin as it opened.

 “Who’s clever now?”

•••

 Suffice to say, there were several challenges that we have no time to speak of. It was not always easy and she was not always clever. 

 So when she finally reached the final door, she was both relieved and scared. 

 What could it possibly be?

 She opened the door…

 And came face to face with herself.

 It was her. And it was not. 

 It was a shade, made of darkness, with two glowing spots for eyes.

 It held a spear like hers, but made of shadow.

 And it was coming to kill her.

 She barely raised her spear in time. The clash of metal filled the air as their weapons clashed again and again.

 They were perfectly matched. The battle had an art to it that nothing she’d ever done before or after ever compared to.

 It knows exactly what I’m thinking.

 So what if I don’t?

 She stopped trying to calculate the best move and simply attacked.

 The shade fell in seconds, leaving behind nothing but a stone. The stone.

 The blue diamond carved into the stone pulsed with light.

 Summer slipped it into her bag.

 One down.

•••

Summer refilled her water in one of the pools of the temple and left quickly. She looked up at the sky.

I’ll see you soon. I promise.

She pulled out her transportation device and typed in the next planet’s coordinates. I’m ready… She thought as she was whisked away.

Chapter Text

Summer looked around her new surroundings. Trees in every shade of blue and purple mixed in with the green, trunks of the same hues.

Vines of plants she doesn't recognize, but some she does.

Wisteria vines wrapped around tree trunks.

A pond full of lotus flower.

Millions of flowers growing like a carpet over the forest floor. It's beautiful.

Which is why she moves warily. It could be a trick. But this is the planet of heart. Could it truly be a lie?

Of course it could. Get the stone, get out.

So she keeps walking. Until something flies into her face. 

A blur of purple with wings. 

“A fae?” She says, shocked.

The fae, for that's what it is, squeaks at her in a language she can't understand, gesturing to a basket of jewel-blue fruits that look like star fruit.

“You want me to carry those?” 

The fae nods.

So Summer lifts up the basket and follows the fae, paying such close attention that she misses the first few houses.

They're small and woven out of leaves, hanging from trees. 

There's a market and what looks like communal areas in the center of a clearing, and next to a pond there's a tiny beach.

From an ancient oak hangs the largest tree house. It looks like a palace. Set into the wood of the oak is the stone, the circle carved in it glowing bright pink.

“Huh.” She sets down the fruits in a hollowed out tree used for storage. 

A pink fae in large stately robes walks up with two guards flanking him with tooth-pick sized spears.

“Hello? You’re the leader, right?” Summer asks.

The leader nods. 

“Do you mind if I stay here? I promise to help you out.” She says. And steal your most treasured possession. 

The leader nods again and flies away.

Their most treasured possession…because that's what it is, isn't it? Because that gem seemed to be powering the whole village.

She sighs, but she doesn't get to dwell on it for long before fae are fluttering around her, squeaking for help with their tasks. 

She's kept busy all day, helping them carry things, tend to fields, pick fruit, and gather drinking water.

When she sits down to rest that night, the fae that first brought her here flies up and hands her an apple.

Jewel-red, perfect, practically glowing. The sight of it breaks her. A small act of kindness these fae give to one who's going to rob them.

Summer sighs, holding the perfect apple in her hands for a moment before finally succumbing to hunger.

She eats it, and it's delicious. Another debt I can't repay.

She closes her eyes.

And dreams.

•••

Finn closes his eyes, trying to block out the blinding blue light that's all he can see. 

He hasn't eaten.

So he sleeps.

And dreams of Summer.

She's sitting next to him on a tree branch that's purple for whatever reason.

She looks shocked to see him.

“Huh. Hi.” He says.

“You’re…really here. In my dream?” Summer asks. “You can astral project?” 

“I guess so.” He's beginning to realize this isn't a normal dream.

“What were you dreaming about?” He asks.

She flushes. “You.” She whispers.

“So are we going to talk about it?” Finn asks.

“I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have-” 

“Stop.”

“You aren't mad?” She seems puzzled.

“I'm not mad. I'm not much of anything. I'm too scared of the wizards to think about it.”

“Oh.” She starts.

“I'm close to getting you home. I already have one stone. I just need to steal the next one…” She says instead.

“Steal?! No way.” Finn says.

“I have to. What other option is there?”

“Ask.” He says simply.

“I can't do that…I'm not a hero. no one wants to help me.”

“Tell me about what's happened so far.” 

So she spins a tale of fae and good acts.

“Sounds like you already are their hero.” He says.

“I never thought about it that way.” She says.

She opens her mouth, but Finn never finds out what she says before everything fades away and he's staring at blinding blue again.

Chapter Text

Her brief chat with Finn had left her feeling isolated, even as fae crowded around her.

Stay away. She wanted to scream. I'll hurt you. 

Just like everyone she tried to help.

But she still spent the day helping them.

It has to be tonight.

It has to be.

She knew in her heart it was true. She couldn't let the wizards hurt Finn.

Someone will get hurt anyway.

She steeled her resolve.

Tonight.

When the sun went down, she snuck up to the tree and…

Two guards flew into her face, stabbing at her with their spears.

“Ouch!”

“Why are you trying to steal the stone?” A male voice asked. It was the king, speaking in perfect English.

She got over her surprise quickly. “I have to. The life of the one I love depends on whether or not I get this stone.”

“Our survival depends on it too.”

“I know.”

“And yet, still you steal.”

The words hit her like a punch to the ribs.

“There is no other choice.” She said calmly.

“There's always a choice.”

A thought came to Summer. She took out an empty potion bottle and used the bionics in her hands to fill it with lightning and charged electricity.

“This will power your people for centuries.” She said, offering it to him.

“You would give this to us?” The leader asked cautiously.

“Yes. I'll give anything for the stone.”

“Then you may take it.”

He handed her the stone. The rush of magic inside it greeted her as she grasped it and slid it into her bag. 

“Thank you.”

He dipped his head to her.

•••

She left the village the next morning with a full heart. And a broken one.

And that was okay.

She had learned and she had seen.

And she was better off for it.

She typed the coordinates to the next pla

net into her machine.

Halfway there…

Chapter Text

Heat.

Incessant, endless, scorching heat that doesn't end.

A baking desert.

She'd only been here one day and didn't know how she could last another.

I hate this planet.

And she meant it. There was nothing but desert for miles around. 

She'd collapse from exhaustion or dehydration soon.

She'd…

She'd…

She'd……

She collapsed and knew no more.

•••

When Summer awoke she was sure she was still dreaming. Her surroundings were much nicer than what she was used to.

A large cistern filled the center of the room. A large white-wood wardrobe sat against one wall, and against another was the large white canopy bed she'd woken up in.

Everything was either white or gold in the room.

One wall was open-air and looked over a sandy city. Vine curtains covered the balcony from the interior and the cistern kept the room pleasantly cool.

Taking all this in, she almost didn't notice the girl sitting on the end of her bed.

She had flame-red hair and eyes like sunshine on copper. They twinkled in her smiling face.

“Hello. I'm Sunstone.” She had a voice like fire.

“I'm Summer.” Summer said. Was it the heat exposure or was she blushing?

“Well Summer, I suppose a thank you is in order on your part, considering I saved you from a gruesome desert death like being boiled in your own blood or oooh…having every part of you melt away!” Sunstone said delightedly.

Unsettling…

“Well, thank you for the rescue.” She said.

“You're welcome! I couldn't just leave a half-dead, cute, mysterious girl out in the desert.” Sunstone said cheerfully.

“What did you just call me?”

“Mysterious?”

“No, before that.”

“Half-dead.”

“Did you call me cute?”

“I don't think so. If I had, that would have been very forward of me.”

This girl…

“So, where am I?” Summer asks.

“You’re in the palace of the dragon kingdom. You can leave once you're healed.”

“And if I wanted to stay?”

“Well, you could. Or you could try to get a request granted. But that only happens if you win some of the king’s arena battles.”

A wish? The king must have the stone…

“I want to fight.” She said.

“Oh no, I'd hate it if the only interesting conversationalist in the palace died.”

“I must fight.”

“Why?”

“There's something here I need.”

“Ooo a quest!”

“No. That makes me sound like a great hero. I'm not.”

“You don't have to be!” Sunstone laughed. “Who said you did?”

“No one, I guess.” A new thought occured to Summer. “What are you?”

“I'm a dragon.”

“No way.”

“I'd rather not go full dragon in front of you, but I swear it's true.” Sunstone holds out her hand and with an odd shifting a dragon talon is in its place.

Summer scrambles back. “Oh wow.”

They aren't able to talk anymore, for at that moment a large man with ginger hair and a matching beard walks in. 

He wears large stately red robes and a golden crown. Hanging on a delicate chain from his neck is the stone, a yellow star glowing in the center.

The king…

“So this is our guest!” He says in a booming voice.

Sunstone leaves the room quietly.

Summer is disappointed. She wasn't bad company.

Summer bows. “My name is Summer O'Moa.”

“Welcome Summer. Are you human?”

“I am a color.” 

“Ah. Wouldn't have guessed. So, do you wish to leave?”

“I wish to fight. How many battles for that stone?”

“Haha! My greatest treasure?! Five battles.”

“I'll do it.” 

The king seemed shocked.

“Okay then. Your first battle is later today.”

•••

I didn't think this through.

She was standing on the arena sands surrounded by cheering dragons and dragon-people.

She didn't even have her spear.

They had asked what weapon she wanted and given her an ordinary spear. It was heavier than hers.

But she still had the bionics. A little electricity could help.

But all her careful plans left her head as her opponent, a giant deadly grub with a mouth full of sharp teeth.

It charges towards her. Her mind goes blank.  

She springs up into the air, landing on its back. 

It's slippery and she nearly falls.

The grub is trying to tunnel down.

No no no.

She stabs her spear into its head, holding on tightly even as blood sprayed from the wound.

Then the grub stops moving.

Summer jumps off.

It's dead.

And everyone is cheering for her.

The king looks pleased.

And then she sees something that warms her up inside. Sunstone looks impressed.

Summer grins.

One step closer.

Chapter Text

Summer couldn't sleep.

Sunstone had sat with her earlier.

They had talked about anything and everything.

She sighed.

Something odd was happening to her.

She was thinking about Finn less and less now. She was still worried about him, but he took up less headspace.

She had to get back. She had to save him.

At the cost of everything else?

She sighed.

There was another piece of furniture in the room.

A gorgeous white-wood piano and a matching bench.

This is where Summer sat.

And began to play.

A simple wordless melody.

It calmed her.

And in this way she passed the time until morning.

•••

Two more fights the next day, one in the morning, one in the evening.

Pretty standard fights.

One against a group of goblins.

Stab, slice, five dead goblins.

Another against a slime monster.

Zap. One pile of melted slime.

The king seemed annoyed.

•••

Another fight today. Against an ogre.

It had been harder.

He'd almost crushed her.

She'd sidestepped at the last minute and drove her spear into his chest.

He died.

More blood on my hands.

•••

Her last fight is tomorrow.

But she's not worried about that right now.

Sunstone is here.

“You can really fight.” Sunstone says.

“I've had to learn. The world's a dangerous place.” Summer said quietly.

“I suppose.” Sunstone said. 

“What happened to you?” She asks.

“What?!” Summer said.

“Whenever you talk about your past it's like…You're scared or something.”

“I am scared. I've lost every home I've ever known. And I might lose another soon.”

“I get that.” Unexpectedly, Sunstone takes her hand and gives it a comforting squeeze.

The touch is unexpected and gentle. Summer pulls away out of habit, but regrets it when she sees the wounded look on Sunstone’s face.

“Sorry.” Summer whispers.

“It’s okay. I know you're not used to being safe and cared for.”

Sunstone gives her a sad smile and leaves the room.

Summer curls up on her bed and falls asleep.

She does not dream.

•••

Her final fight on these arena sands. 

The crowd is cheering for her, she'd given them good entertainment.

But this time, her opponent is a huge navy-and-pale-blue dragon three times her size. A dragon who’s shooting blue flames at her face.

She ducks and jabs at the dragon's side. It barely does anything.

I'm like an ant to this thing…

The king's face is smug. He doesn't expect her to win.

That's his plan…that cheater…

Well Summer's not going down without a fight.

She circles, stabbing when she has an opening.

Electricity arcs around her, helping her avoid attacks.

The king's face begins to fall.

Didn't expect this, did you?

As the dragon charged at her she slid low to the ground, slicing through the creature's belly.

It falls over.

Dead.

But Summer's triumph is fleeting.

“GUARDS!” The king screamed.

“No! You promised me the stone!”

“You have no right to it.”

“I WON YOUR GAME YOU BIGOTED IDIOT.” She screams.

“For that, you will be executed.” The king said mildly.

Guards, in full dragon form, charge toward her.

I'm dead.

At least she'd go out fighting.

She grabbed her broken spear.

I failed them all…

Suddenly, a blur of coppery orange and red landed between her and the guards, growing as it did.

Sunstone…

I had almost forgotten…she's a dragon…

“Go!” She roared.

“I can't-”

“Dragons don't kill their own. I'll be fine.”

So Summer ran over to the king and grabbed the stone from his neck.

“I'm keeping this.” She smiled at him.

As she typed the coordinates into her machine she locked eyes with Sunstone.

I'll come back for you…

Chapter Text

Summer looked around at a star-filled sky. She stood on a high purple mountaintop, the wind whipping around her.

The planet of dreams…

She already felt tired.

Gotta stay awake.

She began walking, and walked until she reached the edge of a cliff.

There was nothing else. No other mountains than this. Just clouds below her that fell to who-knows-where.

Couldn't hurt to sit down for just a few minutes…

•••

A nightmare.

A cliff, washed pale in the moonlight.

Hundreds of people, all with horrible glowing eyes milled about below the cliff, waiting for her to come down.

“What?” She whispered.

“Aren't you going to go down?” A familiar voice asked. Finn. “Join your friends in the conquering party?”

“What are you talking about?” She turned to face him.

“You helped the wizards do this. This is your fault.” 

“I didn't…”

“Didn't you?” He was staring at her with such hatred.

“I tried to save you…we can save everyone.”

“No.” He stepped closer. “We can't.”

And he pushed her off the cliff.

And she fell.

•••

She jolted awake. 

“Nightmares.” She shuddered.

This place was getting to her.

Finn wouldn't do that…

Wouldn't he?

Those aren't my thoughts.

He would. Do you think he cares about you? That he wouldn't sacrifice you if he had to? That he'll forgive you?

The thoughts had a point.

I'm so close…

But will there be anything left?

Summer lay down, gazing at the stars.

After all, I'm only one person in a wide universe.

She imagined she could see home.

She imagined she was safe.

She imagined a lot of things before her eyes slowly closed again.

•••

Summer woke up in her lab. 

Huh?!

She emerged out into her garden. 

There, sitting on a bench, was Finn.

He smiled when he saw her. “Well done! You saved everyone.”

“I haven't…yet…have I?”

“Of course you did.” Sunstone said.

“You can't be here…”

BMO ran up and gave her leg a hug.

Summer shook them off.

“No…this isn't right…”

“Of course it's right…you've done so well.” A warm voice said.

That voice…

“Juniper?” Her old mentor.

Summer drew her spear.

“Juniper is dead. She's been dead for years.”

Everything faded away, leaving just Finn in a black void.

“Summer,” He said.

“Don't.”

“I love you.”

Summer clasped the hand of the Finn-that-wasn’t-hers.

“No, you don't. You don't love me. And that hurts. It hurts a lot. But at least it's real.”

Summer stepped past him, out of the dream.

A dark blob writhed in front of her, changing shape.

Finn.

Sunstone.

It finally settled on Juniper.

“You’re impossible. Who gives that up?”

“I do. I have a mission.”

“The stone’s not here. It's never been here.”

“Never been here?” Summer cast a glance to the clouds below the cliff.

“Don't, you'll die an idiot.” But the voice sounded panicked.

Summer started running toward the edge of the cliff, fear pulsing through her.

“Step boldly!” She yelled, and leapt.

•••

Falling. 

I'm an idiot.

She was going to die here.

Falling.

•••

Summer's next surprise:

She woke up. People who are dead don't generally do that.

She was surrounded by the misty ruins of a circle of carved stone pillars.

An old woman was stirring a large cooking pot in the center.

“Ah, finally awake. Fought a dream demon, did we?”

“No.” Summer croaked. “Jumped.”

“Perhaps not a total idiot after all.”

“Listen I need-” 

“I know.” The woman opened her palm to reveal the stone, a glowing purple swirl clearly visible.

“How can I earn it?”

The women smiled. “You already did.” She presses the stone into Summer's hand.

Summer slipped the stone into her bag.

Finally.

Summer grabs her dimensional transporter.

“Thank you.”

And then she's finally, finally heading home.

Chapter Text

Summer appeared in a moonlit clearing.

“I have them.” She calls.

The wizards appear instantly, along with Finn, being released from the orb of blue light and slumping on the ground.

Summer rushes to him and hands him a piece of bread and a healing potion, which he drinks. 

She then discreetly passes him a neutralizing potion.

“You'll need this.” She whispered.

Summer turned to the wizards.

“Let's begin.”

•••

The wizards arrange themselves in a circle with their stones, Summer in the center.

Beams of light shoot from each of them, towards Summer, arms raised.

The magic ebbs and flows around her and…the spell finishes.

All across the world, everyone fell under the wizard’s command.

Summer was immune, the only person of non-magical nature in the world.

Magic simply didn't work on her. 

Sometimes being ordinary is being special.

The wizards immediately fly away, leaving her and Finn alone.

“I feel weird.” Finn said.

“You'd feel a lot worse without that potion. You'd be under the spell too.”

“Wow. Thanks.”

“Finn.” She grabs his shoulders. “You have to stay away from everyone. You have to stay away from Jake.”

“I promise.”

“Good. If there's any solution…it'll be…in the tower.”

“The tower?”

“The wizards’ tower…my old home.”

•••

So.

Here she stood.

In front of a home that had never really been one.

But if she focused on it she could imagine her life here.

A warm kitchen.

A library.

A lab of her own.

Stargazing on the rooftop.

All that was gone now. It would never happen again. She'd have to stop the wizards. 

Maybe I can come back someday.

She pushed open the door softly, Finn following closely behind.behind. She walked into the dusty kitchen.

Dried herbs still hung in bunches from the ceiling.

Summer marched right through, barely glancing at the living room as the house took her back to a different time.

She took the steps two at a time until she reached her lab door.

She ran her hand over the green-painted wood for a moment before going in.

 The room was a mess, a riot of paper and machinery, test tubes and books. The bed was pushed against one wall, as if sleeping was an afterthought A half-finished chess game she and Mind had been playing before she left still sat on a table, and a mug of tea, ice-cold, tea bag still in, sat on the small table next to a lectern, on which a book about poisons and magical herbs sat open. 

From the layer of dust, it was clear no one had entered since she’d left.

Summer inhaled through her nose.

It still smelled like parchment.

“So this is where you lived?” Finn asked.

Summer started. She had forgotten he was there. “Yes.”

“It must be weird being back here. I bet you missed it.”

Finn could be surprisingly insightful. She sometimes forgot they were both the same age, only fifteen. She felt so much older. And he still seemed so…childish, sometimes.

“We have to find my research. It’s titled ‘A Study On Unattached Elements.’” She told him.

They began rifling through papers and books.

An hour later they were no closer.

Summer gave Finn another neutralizing potion.

Only one left…

She couldn’t fail.

She picked up a photo on the floor.

Her and the wizards.

Heart was sticking out his tongue at the camera.

Dream looked like she had just woken up.

Mind and Soul were arguing.

And in the middle of it all, Summer was laughing so hard tears were forming in the corners of her eyes.

How did it all go so wrong?

She stuck the photo into her bag.

“Is this it?” Finn handed her a book.

The title in her own handwriting leapt out at her. “Yes!”

She began flipping through.

“Focusers…

Power sources…

Elemental construction…

How to stop spells!”

She began reading the section.

“Needlessly complicated.”

Finn had gone quiet.

“Finn?”

A sword, barely avoided. Those awful glowing eyes.

She hadn’t kept track of time.

She blocked his strike.

“Finn!”

She couldn’t fight him.

And this is why you failed everyone.

Why you always fail.

This is why this is why this is why.

And then something hit her in the back of the head.

And Summer knew no more.

Chapter Text

Summer was really sick of spending time unconscious.

 She woke up in a chair, sitting before the wizards.

 “Wow, Summer. I knew you’d suffer without us, but I didn’t think your mental features would atrophy so quickly.” Mind said smugly, holding Summer’s book.

 “And bringing this idiot along?” Soul gestured to Finn, who sat limply like a rag doll in a chair. “When we could control him the second the potion ran out?”

 “I just don’t get it. Why would you choose these people?” Heart asked.

“Luckily,” Dream grinned, “We have them all here.”

Out steps Jake, BMO, Marceline, The Ice King, and Princess Bubblegum, all under the spell.

They sit in the chairs next to Finn and slump down like puppets whose strings had been cut.

“No…” Summer whispers.

“There. Now we have all your old friends…and your new ones.” Soul says.

“Now, maybe you'll come back to us.” Heart says pleasantly.

“Never.” Summer says.

“What?” Mind asks.

“Never. I will never join you. I will never come back to you. I will never stop fighting you. Never.”

“If you want to fight us so bad, maybe instead you should fight them.” Dream twitches her hands, and all at once, her friends snap up, ready for battle, charging at her.

Summer freezes.

No…

Summer dodges Marceline and Bubblegum, who knock into each other and faint.

She knocks her spear into Ice King’s head, knocking him out.

She hits Jake with a sleeping potion.

And then Finn is pointing his sword at her, backing her up against the wall, pinning her there.

“Come here.” Mind commands Finn.

Finn walks over to her and kneels.

“Maybe if we kill him it'll break you.” She muses.

“NO!” She screeches.

As the wizards cast a spell that could end his life, Summer grabbed the last neutralizing potion from her bag. Freeing herself from the sword, she ran towards the wizards, throwing the potion as the spell arcs towards Finn. It explodes, catching her full in the blast.

But this time, she doesn't black out.

This time she glows.

Everything feels heightened, something warm filling her up.

She's different and she's the same.

She's ordinary and special.

She's magic.

She steps toward the wizards, and flowers bloom where her feet touch the ground.

“Wait- we can make a deal- we'll free you’re friends-” Heart says, scrambling back.

All of them are scrambling back.

“No. You don't get another chance. You haven't earned it.” Summer says, her voice echoing with power.

“Please…” Dream whispers.

“It's not up to me to choose your fate. That's up to Princess Bubblegum.”

She lifts her hand and glowing ropes bind them, dispelling their magic.

Her friends look around, bewildered.

“Summer?” Jake asked.

Summer puts her hands to her chest, drawing the magic out into a small multicolored glowing orb.

“What are you doing?!” Finn asked. “That's magic. That's what you've always wanted!”

“I don't need it anymore.” Summer said, releasing it into the air as it floats away. “I never needed it.”

Bubblegum walks up and clasps Summer's hand.

“You've grown up.” She says, squeezing her hand.

“I think I have.”

Chapter Text

Summer looks over the top of the wizards’ tower.

Your tower. Your home. She corrects herself.

It still feels odd.

It's about sunset. Finn said he'd be here by now.

It's been a month since the wizards were arrested.

A month since Summer moved into the tower.

A month since the stones had been hidden away.

A month since a weight had been lifted off of Summer.

“Hey.” Finn comes and sits next to her.

“I'm finally ready to talk to you.” She whispers.

“Summer…I don't love you like that…I wish I could tell you otherwise.” Finn says sadly.

“I know.” Summer murmurs. “I know.”

“I'm sorry-”

“It's okay.” And she meant it. It hurt, but she understood. She always knew it would be like this. 

Now she could be good, truly good, because she wasn't doing it for Finn. She was doing it for her.

I think I'll always be a little evil, a little afraid, a little angry. But… That's only natural, right?

Summer had faced a part of her past.

She'd gotten rid of some of the darkness.

And because of that, the future seemed a little brighter.