“All right,” Gumball said. “We’ll challenge you, too.”
“No, I’m bored now.” Marshall yawned. He waved a hand, and a swathe of bright blue energy wrapped around Fionna’s abdomen, squeezing the air from her lungs. She couldn’t move. Marshall smiled at her as he levitated her up off the deck and swept her over the side of the ship. For one terrifying moment, she thought he was planning to dump her into the ocean, then she plopped back into the lifeboat. Fionna lay in the bottom of the boat and gasped for breath. Before she’d had a chance to recover, the single slim rope connecting the lifeboat to the Marshall Lee slithered back up the hull and disappeared over the railings, along with both of the lifeboat’s oars.
“Bye, Fionna!” Marshall Lee called. He held Cake out over the railings, hugging her against his chest.
“Caaaaaake!” Fionna cried, leaping to her feet.
“Fionna!”
The Vampire’s black-and-red eyes flashed with power, and the lifeboat shot away from the Marshall Lee. The ship disappeared almost instantly into the darkness.
Fionna collapsed onto one of the benches and gripped the sides of the craft with trembling fingers. She was out in the ocean. Alone.
Chapter 7
Fionna kicked the side of the boat in frustration and collapsed on the rower’s bench. Her anger had, at least for the moment, squashed her fear flat. She dropped her head into her hands and squeezed her eyes shut. What was she supposed to do? Marshall had taken the oars, she didn’t have anything she could use as a makeshift paddle or sail, and the current was carrying her away from the Marshall Lee at a pretty good clip.
An image flashed through her mind, of Cake trapped in Marshall’s arms, crying her name. She had to think of some way to get back.
And then we’ve still got to rescue all of Gumball’s guests, she thought. Glob, I never should have gone to that party, I should have stayed home . . .
Cake would still have gone, though, and the guests would still need rescuing.
Fionna heaved a sigh. The important thing was to stay calm. She needed to think clearly. Taking a deep breath, she stood in the gently rocking craft. Maybe she could take the shirt she’d gotten from Marshall, and jury-rig some kind of a sail . . .
As she pushed her hair back, the wind died. Slowly, the waves melted into nothing, leaving the ocean’s surface mirror-flat. Groaning, Fionna flopped back onto the seat.
It was a cloudless night. Every square inch of sky glittered with stars. Exhaustion washed over her. Maybe it would be best to sleep while she could. At least for the moment, she had no choice but to wait and see where the current took her. Making herself as comfortable as she could, Fionna closed her eyes.
Almost immediately, she began to dream, a jumble of terrifying images and scenes: Marshall Lee’s red-and-black eyes; ocean waves as tall as trees; she climbed a net that extended straight up into the sky, and knew with the dead certainty of dream logic that she was going to have to catch a seagull once she reached the top, but no matter how long she climbed, the top never drew any closer. The scene switched, and Cake and Gumball were back in the lifeboat with her, and she was so glad to see the two of them. She laughed and hugged Cake—
She woke with a start. Something tapped against the side of the boat. As she sat up, the tapping increased in intensity. Fionna glanced over the side.
Hundreds—no, thousands—of creatures, each about the size of her hand, surrounded the boat. Each of the creatures cast a bright, yellowish-green glow that filled the water column with light. They crowded against the side of the boat, beating their heads against the hull. As she watched, a pair of the creatures hit the boards hard enough to create a pinprick leak, and a narrow stream of water arced into the boat.
Fionna gasped and slapped her hand against the leak, then tore off a scrap of cloth from her skirt and stuffed that into the hole. She leaned over the boat and slapped her hands against the water, trying to drive them away.
“Knock it off!” she shouted.
One of the creatures lifted its head from the water and stared right at her. It had huge, luminous green eyes with enormous black pupils. “Help!” it squeaked. “Help us!”
“You’re gonna sink my boat!”
A huge shadow, twice the length of her boat, swept through the water beneath the creatures. Deep, primal fear shot up Fionna’s spine.
“Help! Help!” the creatures squeaked in unison.
Heroes never get a break, Fionna thought.
“Hurry, get in!” She knelt in the boat and scooped handfuls of the creatures up out of the water. As the first few dropped into the bottom of the boat, the others followed, leaping out of the water and over the side, filling the boat so thickly that Fionna worried their weight would swamp the vessel.
The shadow grew larger as it rose toward the surface. Fionna scowled and curled her hands into fists. She planted her feet as firmly as she could, careful not to step on any of the keening, chittering creatures. An eyestalk poked out of the water and swiveled toward her. Without a moment’s hesitation, Fionna slapped her hand across it.
A huge silver fish reared up out of the water and towered over her. Its sleek body, except for its fins, were covered in eyestalks. Every single one of its eyes pointed directly at Fionna. Scarlet flashed across the fish’s skin and it opened its huge maw, revealing transparent teeth that were each as long as her arm.
“Help! Help!” The terrified creatures in the boat grabbed onto Fionna’s skirt with tiny pincers.
“Let go!” Fionna staggered as she tried to brush them off. “You’re gonna knock me down!”
The giant fish lunged at her. She leaped back, landing on the rear seat to avoid stepping on anyone. The fish’s jaws snapped shut right over where she’d been standing.
“Back off, you bug-eyed freak,” Fionna said. Instead, the fish made another try for her. Fionna punched it, striking several of its eyes, which squished unpleasantly. The fish squawked and slipped back beneath the surface, leaving nothing more sinister than ripples to betray its presence.
“Oh, thank you!” the creatures squeaked in unison. “You saved us!”
Fionna collapsed onto the seat. “Don’t worry about it.”
Something struck the bottom of the boat with so much force that the craft hopped out of the water. Fionna sprawled across the seat.
That fish!
The creatures in the boat began to keen and hop up and down in the air.
Fionna pulled herself to her feet. “Stay calm!” To her relief, the creatures listened, huddling into a pile at the stern.
This time, when the fish poked its head above water, Fionna was ready for it. She leaped onto its head and punched a cluster of its eyestalks. “Learn to take a hint!” she shouted. The fish screamed and flailed.
Too late, Fionna noticed just how long and flexible its fins were. One snaked around her waist and the fish threw her back into the boat. Fionna landed near one of the creatures, which flashed in alarm. The fish’s nearest eyestalks flinched away from the light.
Fionna scrambled to her feet. “Flash!” she told the creatures. “As bright as you can, all together!”
For one horrible moment she was afraid the creatures wouldn’t understand. Then they drew more closely together and a brilliant burst of green light exploded across her retinas, blinding her. She rubbed her eyes, blinked until the spots cleared from her vision, and saw the fish flailing back and forth, every single eyestalk pulled into its body and covered with a protective scale.
Fionna took her chance and kicked the fish in the mouth as hard as she could. Three of its teeth broke off and splashed into the water. The fish shrieked and, once again, disappeared.
“There.” Fionna planted her fists on her hips. “I bet that thing’s going to stay gone this time.”
“Thank you!” The creatures crowded around her feet. One, slightly la
rger than the others, with a yellow stripe down its abdomen, hopped onto her shoulder and rubbed itself against her cheek. “You saved us!”
Squealing, they splashed back into the water, circled the boat three times, and disappeared.
“So brave,” the yellow-striped one squeaked, before it joined the others.
Fionna heaved a sigh and sank back onto the seat. As exciting as all that had been, it hadn’t changed her situation. She sighed again. Maybe she should start paddling. She doubted she’d be able to get any more sleep. The thought of sticking her hands in the water bothered her less than it would have before she’d kicked that sea-monster’s scaly butt.
The tapping started again.
“I’m going to rip that thing’s eyes off this time,” she muttered. However, as soon as she looked into the water, the tapping stopped. The group of creatures gathered into a tight mass, their lights strobing gently.
“Hero!” Yellow-stripe held something in its pincers. Fionna reached out and took it. It was one of the fish’s teeth, long and slender as a fencing foil. Three of the creatures packed mud into the hole they’d made, forcing out her makeshift patch. Once they’d finished, yellow-stripe pressed its abdomen against the mud. Light flashed, and when yellow-stripe pulled away, the mud was as firm and shiny as freshly glazed ceramic. Astonished, Fionna tapped her finger against the plug. It felt like stone. Fionna grinned. “Wow, thanks.”
“Never forget you,” yellow-stripe purred.
“No, never!” the others agreed. With a final flash of light, they disappeared again.
Chapter 8
After an hour of using her hands to paddle, Fionna gave up. All her effort was getting her nowhere fast. She was hot, tired, and thirsty, and her skin itched from the saltwater. She’d have to think of something else. She picked up the giant tooth and turned it over and over, watching it gleam in the gathering dawn. At least she’d gotten something cool out of this whole mess. She couldn’t wait to show it to Cake. They’d hang it on the wall in their tree house, right across from the couch.
A breath of wind slipped across her cheeks. Fionna lifted her head, scratching absently at the salt dried onto her neck. Clouds were massing on the eastern horizon. The sun rose a few fingers above the water before the clouds blotted it out. Fionna shivered and rubbed her arms as the breeze grew stronger, teasing wavelets from the ocean’s surface, and pushing the cloud bank toward her. Gray streamers of rain, like smudges of charcoal, darkened the air beneath the clouds. Lightning flickered deep within the clouds, and Fionna counted the seconds until the peal of thunder reached her ears.
Not just clouds.
An entire swarm of flying jellyfish, each at least as big as a truck, floated toward her, their scalloped, deceptively delicate-looking tendrils trailing inches from the water’s surface. Fionna’s stomach roiled. The last thing she needed was to get caught in an electrical storm full of poisonous jellyfish. Quickly, she unlaced her skirt and stepped out of it, grateful for the giant pair of bloomers she’d decided to wear. She tore the skirt down the middle, tied a corner to each of her ankles, and knotted the other two corners around her wrists. Facing into the wind, she spread her arms and legs. Her heart pounded as she waited to see if her idea would work.
At first almost nothing happened. Wind filled the makeshift sail, and Fionna could feel the fabric strain against her limbs. She held her breath. Then, slowly, the boat picked up speed. She let out a delighted whoop as she skimmed across the waves. Now she was getting somewhere. She’d head for shore, get someone to help her track down Cake and Gumball, and then they’d rescue the hostages. If she could just stay ahead of the storm—
The boat coasted to a stop. Fionna froze, dumbfounded. The wind was steady, her sail billowed around her—what was the problem? Brown kelp floated in the water, but the mats certainly didn’t appear thick enough to block her boat.
Something slapped against the stern, and Fionna whirled toward it. A leaf. A flat tan kelp leaf slipped over the boat’s side. It slithered across the bottom, moving toward her. Several more followed, dragging their long stems behind them.
“Oh great!” Fionna snatched up the fish tooth and hopped up onto the seat, away from the kelp.
The mass of kelp gathered together, stalks and leaves and translucent floats writhing and twisting. It took on a vaguely humanoid shape. A mouth opened in the lumpy, misshapen head. A horrible rotten fish smell washed over her. “Stay with us,” the thing said, in a voice like leaves rustling.
She growled in frustration. She didn’t have time to dance around with a flipping kelp monster.
She speared one of the floats and it sprayed green liquid across her. The stems were knotty and fibrous, much tougher than their translucent appearance had led her to expect.
More and more stalks whipped over the sides of the boat. Fionna slashed at them with the fish tooth. Sticky gold sap splashed across her face each time she cut through one of the stalks. A cold, wet leaf slapped itself around her ankle. It burned—she cried out and ripped it off.
“Quit being a creeper!” Fionna snapped. “Glob, you make the Ice Queen look well-adjusted.”
“We’re hungry and lonely,” the kelp person rustled. “Mostly hungry.”
“That is so it!” Fionna kicked the kelp person in the head. “This ocean is totally the worst place ever! When I get back on dry land, I’m going to kick Gumball’s butt for inviting me to his stupid lousy party in the first place.” She rained blows on the kelp, driving it back. Tattered leaves fluttered through the air. “Go find someone else to eat and get off my boat!”
“I’m a prince. You be my princess. I promise not to eat you for at least a week. No matter how much I want to.”
“How desperate do you think I am? Not even if you weren’t the creepiest, grossest, burniest plant monster in all of Ooo.”
“So mean,” it moaned. “So lonely . . . so hungry.”
Fionna set her jaw and kicked it in the chest as hard as she could. It flew backward and landed in the water with a huge splash. “That’s not my problem.” Panting, she waited until the water smoothed and she was sure the kelp monster wasn’t coming back. Finally, she risked a glance over her shoulder. The storm and the jellyfish were so close she could make out the fringe of pink frills on each dangling tentacle.
Her skirt-sail was covered with sap. Useless. Disgusted, she tugged it off, wadded it into a ball, and threw it into the bottom of the boat. Lightning flashed again. A few raindrops splashed against her cheeks. Just as the first deafening peal of thunder hit, the sky opened. Rain pounded into the water in thick sheets, slashing her visibility down to nothing. The wind howled and whipped at her clothing, driving the rain against her. The waves surged and knocked her off her feet. She clung to the side of the boat as waves slapped against the craft, hitting it broadside. Water poured over the sides and pooled around her legs.
A jellyfish tendril swung at her out of the chaos. Fionna cried out and jerked away from it just as another huge wave crashed into her chest and knocked her out of the boat. Limbs windmilling, she hit the surface. Waves closed over her head. The fish tooth slipped from her fingers as she fought her way back to the surface. Waves slapped against her face, driving water up her nose. She choked, coughed, and paddled frantically at the water. Lightning strikes flashed all around her, searing her retinas. Streamers of kelp slipped past her, and Fionna snatched at them as she struggled to keep her head above water. She couldn’t grab a stalk, and her fingers tore through the leaves. Another wave washed across the top of her head, driving her down into the water. Heart pounding, she kicked frantically for the surface. Her eyes stung and the bitter tang of salt filled her mouth as she choked and gasped.
One of the jellyfish floated directly overhead, its bell so huge it blocked her entire field of vision. Fionna screamed as the tentacles surrounded her, tangling around her limbs. She reared back, trying to break free
. More tentacles surrounded her, pulling her up out of the water.
And nothing was hurting her. The realization struck her so sharply that she froze, shocked into immobility. The tentacles weren’t stinging her. And the cold—she was completely soaked, she should have been freezing, but she wasn’t. She felt fine. Her left arm was free, and she brought it up close to her face. Her skin gleamed, but not with water. The sap—it hadn’t washed off of her and it coated her like a second skin.
It was insulating her!
Without questioning her good luck, Fionna wrapped the tentacle around her left leg, locking it beneath her feet. She climbed, hand over hand, pushing herself up. The tentacles thickened the closer she climbed to the jellyfish’s bell, offering her protection from the wind. The jellyfish’s dome glowed ever so slightly with a pale pink light. Lightning flashes illuminated the creature, and Fionna could see dark objects swimming lazily through the stomach pouch. She lifted a hand, pressing it against the underside of the dome. The jellyfish’s skin felt as stretchy and pliable as a balloon. One of the dark objects seemed to take notice of her—it slowed and drifted toward her. Fionna licked her lips, tasting salt. Every muscle in her body tense and trembling, she waited to see what would happen.
The dark object pressed closer, becoming clearer as the jellyfish’s skin thinned around it. An eye the size of a basketball stared down at her. It had a slit pupil and a deep crimson iris. Fionna stared back at it. For some reason she didn’t feel afraid. Slowly, the eye drew back. The jellyfish’s skin welled around Fionna’s hand, pushing down around her arm. It felt warm and somehow comforting. She squeezed her eyes shut, held her breath, and stayed perfectly still as it surrounded her head.
Chapter 9
It was utterly silent inside the bell. Carefully, Fionna cracked open her eyelids. Six inky-black fishlike things with long, delicately fringed feathers and huge unblinking eyes floated languidly around her. None of them took the slightest interest in her. One bumped lightly into the side of her head, before it bounced off and continued on its way.
Epic Tales from Adventure Time Page 4