When Fire Melts Ice - (Fionna/FP) One Shot

He was running.

He heard her scream.

Not just any scream.

The scream of Fionna.

At that very moment he realized that he had never heard her scream before. She yelled at him, called to him, talked with him in long conversations. She shouted in victory after taking out an enemy. She argued with Cake over meaningless topics. But she had never screamed. Not like this.

This scream cut through the air like razor blades, straight into his ears. It tore at his heart and made his blood boil. It was a scream of despair. Never in their long friendship had Flame Prince heard Fionna scream in despair. But somehow, someway, he knew it was her.

It could only be her.

When he woke up this morning thinking it was going to be a normal day. Fionna had been adventuring with Cake, so she had been gone for a few days. The Prince simply HAD to see her, he’d thought. It had been far too long since they spent some quality time together.

He never grew tired just laying in the grass with Fionna and hearing her tales of the foes she’s defeated and the colossal monsters she’s slain. Of her picking at the grass near him that was singed and crisp. Of the wind blowing through the air, making her golden hair billow in the breeze. But there was no time to linger in the past. He had to get to Fionna.

He knew of only one person in the land of Aaa that was heartless and cruel enough to make his fair Fionna screech in terror. That was none other than the Ice Queen.

The bitter old lady with a heart of stone, whose gruesome looks and ear splintering voice was enough to make the bravest of knights cower in the snow drifts. Whose freezing cold lair was enough to make the warmest of days seem as if it was a white blizzard.

The Flame Prince had heard many tales of the wicked old lady kidnapping countless princes from around Aaa. Fionna told him countless stories of her valiantly rescuing them from the Ice Queen’s evil clutches. Especially the wretched Prince Gumball…. oh how he loathed him. But, there was no time to dwell on petty jealousies. Right now his only focus was Fionna.

But, why would the Ice Queen capture Fionna? Why not himself? Or maybe another son of royalty? He had never seen the Ice Queen capture anyone other than royalty. Fionna was the hero, not the damsel in distress! Flame Prince doubted in all of Fionna’s existence had she ever been in distress. Or a damsel…

She was wise and cunning. Smarter than her enemy. She was strong too. She was the perfect hero. What could the Ice Queen have done to break her? He thought.

He trekked through the cold and bitter kingdom, following the screams of his dearest Fionna. He ran all the way up to the Ice Queen’s palace, which sat atop its perch on the mountain. The snow around his footprints immediately sizzled and melted, and the icicles he passed cracked and crashed to the ground. But what he noticed that he hadn’t before, was that all the landscape that he melted, came right back into place. More icicles formed, more snow was falling. Not even Flame Prince’s immense heat could break the bitter cold of the Ice Kingdom. The magic was so powerful; his own being of flame couldn’t even melt snow there. It was a scary place for Flame Prince.

He finally crashed through the doorway of the Ice Queen’s palace. She was growling at a fading Fionna clutched in her boney fingers. “Oh little Fionna… I finally have you…. Now you can never stand between me and my princes…” Her voice made a cold shiver run through him.

“ICE QUEEN!” He yelled. “Let her go!”

“Oh!” She turned, looking mildly interested. “Well if it isn’t the Flame Prince? Honey, I am sorry, but don’t you know that we can’t be together? We are polar opposites!” She chuckled while waving a hand at him. “But if you don’t mind, you could go fetch me a prince as dashing as yourself that will be more compatible with me.”

“Enough Ice Queen! Let go of Fionna now, before I unleash the power of the Fire Kingdom upon your castle!”

“Oh, you are oh so intimidating, Flamey. But I am afraid you’re too late for your dearest Fionna. I’m afraid she’s almost gone.” She said with fake empathy, drawing her gaze to the nearly limp Fionna in her arm.

“Fionna!” He shouted, despair rising in his throat. “Can you still hear me?”

“No… Flame…” She mumbled, almost incoherently. “It’s not worth it. Leave… She’ll get you…”

“I’m not gonna leave you!” But she couldn’t hear him, she had already gone limp, all fight and determination left her. “What did you do to her?” Flame Prince prompted the Ice Queen, pointing a flame engulfed hand at her, poised to strike.

“Well, just a little bit of Ice Kingdom handiwork. Great handiwork, if I do say so myself.” She said, tossing Fionna to the ground like a sack of potatoes. As she fell, a strange clattering resounded through the castle. Flame Prince looked around the Ice Queen’s large figure to peer at the crumpled Fionna. Dangling from her neck was a beautiful crystal on a silver chain. It had clattered on the floor as she fell, while staying around her neck.

“What is that?” He barked at the Ice Queen.

“Well, let’s just say, I told your precious bunny girl a few white lies,” She purred, her voice like icicles stabbing into his heart. She spoke very clearly, enunciating each word carefully as Flame Prince stared daggers at her. “I think I told her that crystal necklace would grant her powers of the Ice Kingdom.

Powers to be immune to your burning touch.

Powers that allow you to be close to her.

Touch her without hurting her.

Because that is what she want’s most, correct?” She grinned evilly as Flame Prince’s fiery body burned hotter and brighter with each word.

“But, sadly, it seems that is not what the necklace does…” The Ice Queen continued. “It seems to be working quite well though. The spell I have installed in this necklace is the power to freeze. It will freeze little Fionna from the inside until she is long gone. Then I will have free reign of Aaa.” She started to cackle with delight, as dread pierced the Price’s heart. Fionna was dying.

… Flame Prince felt like a train was plowing into his chest repeatedly.

Flame Prince’s rage took over, as if he was on auto pilot. Red clouded his vision and he couldn’t see anything but the Queen’s horribly smug grin. “ICE QUEEN!” He bellowed, not much unlike the way Fionna does when she comes to rescue her friends. He broke into a run towards the Ice Queen, his flame burning more with every second he thought about what was happening to Fionna.

“Come get me little flame boy!” Ice Queen shouted with wickedness. He raised his arms while running, and let loose large balls of fire, hurtling at the Ice Queen. She laughed as she shot icy cold power at them, which encased them in ice, and they fell to the ground to shatter.

The Flame Price grimaced at his own uselessness. “RrrrAGH!” He growled, clenching his fists. His flame cracked and sizzled, almost reaching the roof now. Wait… The roof.

He looked up and saw all the long icicles on the ceiling. The roof of the castle… The Prince thought, mischievously. A grin passed his face and he thrust his hands upwards, balls of flame shot towards the ceiling.

The Ice Queen threw her head back and cackled. “You missed, you little hot-head!” She laughed, aiming for the Flame Prince. “Hehehe!”

Then, the ceiling made a tiny Crrrack! noise. One lone icicle fell and impaled the ground in front of the Queen. She looked at it and smiled, brainstorming how to use it as a weapon. But before she had the chance, the castle shook and shuddered. Ear splitting noises erupted from the ceiling! The Ice Queen looked up just in time to see dozens of huge icicles fall from her own ceiling, forming a circle around her.

She gasped, “Wha-? I-I…” She was shocked, her icicle cage reaching far taller than her, and the bars were much too thick for her to break. The Flame Prince smiled at her. He strode over to her cage, and made a soft flame in his hand. He took the flame and quickly melded all the bars together.

“You look a little frozen solid, milady…” The Prince said, satisfied with his joke.

“Excuse me! I command you to let me out this instant! Or I will blow the roof of this castle!” Her face grew red.

“Sorry, can’t do that. But you know what? This is great handiwork.” He paused, before quoting the Ice Queen’s very own words. “If I do say so myself.”

Her face contorted to insane rage. She howled and screeched, banging on the strong icicles. Right before the Prince melded the last gap; he reached in and lit the Queens hair on fire. Then he turned immediately away from her outrage, with no time to pat himself on the back, he ran straight for Fionna.

“Fionna!” He gasped, collapsing to his knees beside her. He gazed at her form, her entire body had lost its color, and he wasn’t even sure if she was still alive. He wasn’t sure what to do.

“Fionna?” He said weakly to her sad form, cold and blue-ish. His stomach twisted with worry and despair. I can’t burn her, he thought. But how can I fix this? I am the Flame Prince. The Ice Queen’s power is weak compared to the Fire Kingdom, fire melts ice, he thought victoriously. But Fionna is not made of ice.

He turned his head, and leaned close to Fionna’s chest. He couldn’t hear her breathing. He watched with anxious eyes and never saw her chest rise. The tightness in his stomach escalated. But as silence fell upon the castle, he heard Fionna’s faint heartbeat. Faint, and slow… But a heartbeat none the less.

She was alive! He knew his Fionna was stronger than the Ice Queen!

Out of pure hope, he went to grab Fionna’s shoulder, to move her onto his lap. But he quickly caught himself and jerked away, sure he had just burned an already hurt Fionna. But to his surprise, the spot in which he touched wasn’t burned. In fact, life came back to it. A small patch on Fionna’s arm and shoulder had color returning to it.

Flame Prince began to laugh. “That crazy old woman! The crystal isn’t only bad.” I just touched Fionna and she didn’t burn, the Prince thought excitedly.

He wrapped his arms around the beautiful blonde girl, and pulled her into his lap, swathing her in warmth. Without any hesitation, he pressed his lips to hers, knowing he would warm her half frozen body. He reveled in how soft and delicate they were. He had always wondered what it would be like; kissing Fionna. He held her freezing cold body to his, breathing his warm breath into her urgently, trying to fill her with life. And slowly, Fionna returned to her normal flesh colored self. Flame Prince pulled away, after many anxious moments, and looked hopefully at the girl in his arms.

His heart thumped hard in his chest, for many silent seconds. Then Fionna’s chest convulsed and she gasped for air. “Fionna!” The Prince exclaimed, holding her head to his chest.

“F-f-Flame?” She panted, breathing heavily.

“Shhh… shhh.” He ran his hand through Fionna’s hair comfortingly. “Just breathe, Fi…. Just breathe.”

She took several deep breaths before looking up at him. “I….I’m so c-cold, Flame.” She said weakly, and pulled herself closer to him and clutching at his shirt. He wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace. “It’s okay, your better now…” Flame Prince said confidently before explaining his whole story to Fionna, while she cuddled in his arms. Then upon realizing that she was indeed touching the Flame Prince, her eyes widened.

“I’m so stupid, Flame,” Fionna said sadly. “I finally fell for the Ice Queen’s stupid trap.”

“I wouldn’t say stupid,” The Prince looked at her through half-lidded eyes, “I would have done the same for you. No matter the risks.”

Her cheeks flushed red, and she looked at him longingly before putting on her usual bravado. “You know… My lips are still really cold…” She looked away, mischievously.

“Are they?” The Prince said with concerned masked sarcasm. He took her chin gently in his hand and raised her face to his. “Well, I think I’ll have to fix that.”