One morning, after a few lazy days around the treehouse, Finn was itching for adventure.
"Yo, Jake!" Finn called, kicking off his blanket and jumping out of bed. "We need to find something epic to do today. I'm getting too restless."
Jake, who was lounging in his hammock, yawned. "Dude, you say that every morning. I'm cool with chilling today."
Xander, who had been meditating by the window, opened his eyes and glanced at Finn. "If you're looking for action, I heard there's a hidden cavern in the Grasslands. It's said to hold some rare treasure."
Finn's eyes lit up. "A hidden cavern?! Dude, that sounds perfect! Let's go find it!"
Before Jake could protest, there was a knock on the door. The trio exchanged curious looks.
"I'll get it," Finn said, dashing to the door. When he opened it, he was greeted by Flame Princess, her fiery glow illuminating the doorway.
"Flame Princess!" Finn exclaimed, a smile spreading across his face. "What's up?"
Flame Princess smiled softly. "I'm here because I need your help. There's a situation in the Fire Kingdom, and I thought of you guys."
Jake, now fully awake, floated over. "Situation? You need us to bust some heads?"
She shook her head. "Not exactly. It's more of a diplomatic issue. Some of my advisors aren't too happy with the way I've been running things lately. They think I should be ruling with more… fire."
Finn frowned. "That sounds rough. What do you want us to do?"
Flame Princess looked at the group, her gaze lingering a moment on Xander, who stood quietly in the background. "I could use someone strong to back me up in case things go south. Finn, Jake, you're always reliable, but I'm guessing your new friend here"—she gestured to Xander—"might come in handy too."
Xander stepped forward, giving her a respectful nod. "I'd be honored to help."
Finn, now energized by the idea of helping Flame Princess, quickly gathered his things. "Alright! Let's head to the Fire Kingdom. Xander, you'll get to see what ruling with 'fire' really means!"
The journey to the Fire Kingdom didn't take long. As they approached the molten landscape, the air grew hotter, and the ground shimmered with waves of heat. Xander, though unfamiliar with this kind of terrain, seemed unfazed by the extreme temperatures.
When they arrived at Flame Princess's palace, they were greeted by a group of her advisors, their fiery forms flickering with discontent. Flame Princess led Finn, Jake, and Xander into the main hall where the meeting was to be held.
"Stay close," she whispered to them. "I don't want this to get out of control."
The meeting started out civil enough, with her advisors voicing their concerns about the kingdom's policies. They believed that Flame Princess had grown too lenient since aligning with Finn and the outside world. They wanted her to rule with an iron fist—or, rather, with more fire and destruction.
"I believe in ruling with balance," Flame Princess said calmly, standing her ground. "There's no need for unnecessary violence. We can protect the kingdom without burning everything in sight."
One of the older advisors slammed his fist on the table. "You're weakening the Fire Kingdom! We were once feared across Ooo! Now, you want us to be… what? Diplomats? Friends with the weaker kingdoms?"
Finn, feeling the tension in the room rise, instinctively moved closer to Flame Princess. Xander stood beside him, his expression unreadable but his glowing tattoos subtly pulsing with energy.
Xander spoke up, his voice calm but authoritative. "Strength doesn't come from fear alone. You can protect your people without being a tyrant."
The room fell silent, all eyes on Xander. His calm presence seemed to disarm the tension, even though the advisors still glared at him.
Flame Princess nodded in agreement. "He's right. Ruling with fire doesn't mean ruling through fear. We can be strong without burning down the world."
The advisor who had slammed the table narrowed his eyes at Xander. "And who is this outsider, to speak of how we should rule?"
Xander met his gaze, unflinching. "Someone who's seen kingdoms rise and fall. Someone who knows that fear can only carry you so far before it destroys you."
Before the advisor could respond, the ground trembled beneath them. A loud rumbling echoed through the palace, and Flame Princess's eyes widened. "What's happening?!"
Suddenly, the walls of the palace burst open as a massive magma golem crashed through, its molten body burning everything in its path.
"Great, just what we needed," Jake muttered, transforming into a giant hammer. "Time to smash!"
"Stay behind me," Flame Princess ordered, her hands glowing with fiery energy. "I'll handle this."
But Xander stepped forward before she could attack. His tattoos flared to life, and in a swift motion, he summoned his glowing sword, slicing through the air with precision. With one powerful strike, he severed the golem's arm, causing it to stumble backward.
Finn rushed forward, using his sword to strike the golem's molten core, while Jake bounced around, dodging its flaming attacks. Xander moved gracefully, his sword cutting through the creature's fiery limbs as if it were made of air.
Within moments, the golem was defeated, crumbling into a pool of harmless lava.
The advisors, who had been watching in stunned silence, now looked at Xander with a mix of awe and fear. Flame Princess, impressed but unfazed, approached Xander. "Thank you. You saved us a lot of damage."
Xander nodded, sheathing his sword as his tattoos dimmed. "I'm glad I could help."
Finn and Jake joined them, Finn giving Xander a thumbs-up. "Man, you totally crushed it!"
Jake, shifting back to his normal form, grinned. "Yeah, dude, you're like a lava-slaying machine."
Flame Princess turned to her advisors, her expression firm. "This is what true strength looks like. Protecting our people, not destroying everything in sight."
The advisors, still shaken by the events, nodded in agreement, unable to argue with what they had just witnessed.
After the situation was resolved, Flame Princess invited them to stay a bit longer in the palace. As the sun set over the Fire Kingdom, casting a red glow over the molten landscape, Finn, Jake, and Xander sat with Flame Princess on the palace balcony.
"You were amazing back there," Finn said to Xander. "I don't think we could've handled that golem without you."
Xander shrugged modestly. "It was a team effort."
Flame Princess smiled softly, her fiery glow dimming as the night cooled the air. "You're not just powerful, Xander. You have a sense of calm and control that's rare. You'd make a great ruler yourself."
Xander looked out over the Fire Kingdom, the flickering flames reflecting in his eyes. "I've seen enough of ruling to know that it's not for me. I prefer to help in other ways."
Finn stretched out, feeling the warmth of the evening air. "Well, whatever you choose, we're glad to have you around."
As the night wore on, the group sat together, the heat of the Fire Kingdom's flames mixing with the comfort of newfound friendship. And though Xander's past remained a mystery, in moments like these, he felt more at home than ever before.