Chapter One

Finn nocked an arrow to the bow and, with a sigh, prepared to try again. The wooden target set up across the field might as well have been on Mars for all his ability to hit it. He was uncomfortably aware of Huntress Wizard sitting on the grass just a few feet away, hands folded beneath her chin. She said nothing, but Finn could feel the weight of her attention, hyper-focused on his every mistake.

He tried to clear his mind. The first step of archery was to clear one's mind. He drew the bowstring, closed one eye, clumsily tapped the arrow back against the arrow rest. He sighted down the shaft of an arrow, took a breath, held it. He loosed the arrow, and it swerved uselessly into the dirt. The string, meanwhile, struck painfully against his non-cybernetic arm.

"Gah! Ballzacks!" Finn cried.

He rubbed the inner side of meat arm, now covered in bruises.

"You're still holding it wrong," said Huntress Wizard.

She stood up in one fluid motion and moved closer. She stood behind Finn and guided his arms into the correct position.

"You have to bend your elbow a little bit, like this."

Her voice was completely monotone, as usual. If she felt any frustration or impatience, she didn't show it. Finn was grateful for that, at least. She levitated the fallen arrow out of the ground and back into Finn's hand. She stepped back.

"I gotta hand it to you, Huntress Wizard, this is a lot harder than you make it look. How long did it take you to learn this?" said Finn.

"I dunno. I've had a bow in my hand since I was five…"

She looked away, as if lost in thought. Then she shrugged, and smiled.

"Thanks for coming to hang out with me, though. I know you've been really busy with work, lately."

"Tell me about it," said Finn.

The past three weeks had a been a blur of activity. There was no shortage of things to rebuild, or rubble to clear away, or opportunistic criminals and monsters to track down. The Gum War, the battle with Golb, being fitted with yet another new arm; just thinking about it was enough to make him tired.

The setting sun didn't help, either. Finn yawned and stretched.

"You know, as much as I love hanging out with you, I also like getting good at stuff. I'd like to be able to practice my bow-game on my own time," he said.

"Hmm, we'll have to get you your own bow. I don't want to lose track of that one," she said.

"Do you even need it, though? You're magic!"

"True," she said, as she levitated the bow and arrow back to her own hands, "but a normal bow is great when you need to save spells. That and, well...this one belonged to my mother."

Finn could sense painful memories, so he did not ask her to elaborate.

"Well, it's getting late. I should get going."

"You're welcome to stay the night," said Huntress Wizard.

Her voice contained a barely perceptible note of pleading. Finn grimaced.

"I dunno, H-Dubs. Lady Rainicorn's making meatloaf tonight, and uh, no offence, but your pad is a little...rustic."

"I understand."

She moved closer and they embraced.

"I should fix this old place up, now that I'm dating a normie," she muttered.

They kissed, and she stood back.

"Hey, if you want to get a bow, some of the other hunters are having an archery tournament next weekend," she said.

"An archery tournament? Aw, crabapples, no way I'll be good enough for that by then."

"No, I mean, there'll be guys selling bows there. You know, hunters buying bows for their kids, and stuff. I could take you."

"Rad! I'll see you then, I guess. Later, Huntress Wizard!" Finn said, as he turned and began to walk away.

"Good night, Finn! Try not to get eaten by a grue!" Huntress Wizard called after him.

"Ha ha! No promises!"

With that, he moved from the clearing to the trail that led through the woods.

A week came and went, and on Saturday morning Huntress Wizard arrived at Lady Rainicorn's house. He bid farewell to Jake and Lady, and they set off to the archery tournament.

They walked in silence. Huntress Wizard seemed strangely moody, as if something was bothering her. Finn wanted to ask her if something was wrong, but hesitated. Finn wondered if he might have done or said something to annoy her. That, and Huntress Wizard was pretty reserved in general. Perhaps it was nothing. Thus they walked the whole way, Finn carefully sifting through his memories of the past week.

The archery tournament took place in a clearing at the edge of the forest, a short walk south of the village of green mutants. There were two long rows of pavillion tents down either side of the fairgrounds. At the very end, wooden stands had been erected in the shade of the trees. Amid those stands were the rows of targets, and the boxes from which the competitors fired at them.

Already the tournament was underway. The fairgrounds were bustling with people, most of them green or blue-skinned mutants, though some skeletons, goblins, robots, and other, rarer kinds. Most seemed to be hunters themselves, given their sturdy, earth-toned clothing and bows and arrows. Others wore more vibrant colors and elaborate costumes: minstrels, entertainers, and merchants who had assembled to hawk their wares. The air was filled with music, chatter, and occasional raucous cheering.

"Mathematical!" Finn said, looking about in approval, "Look at all these hunters! I didn't know you guys knew how to party!"

Huntress Wizard, however, seemed gloomier than ever. She walked with a hunch to her shoulders and her hood pulled far forward, casting her face in shadow.

"Whatever. Let's just get what we came for and leave," she said, indicating the merchants' row.

Finn touched Huntress Wizard lightly on the arm.

"Are you okay? You seem kind of...down," said Finn.

She smiled, and held his hand.

"It's nothing, Finn. I just don't like crowds very much. Come on, let's get you a bow."

A large pavilion tent had been designated for merchants' stalls, and they entered. Amid the colorful displays were racks upon racks of bows, crossbows, spears, traps, camouflage outdoor gear, and more. Finn saw one merchant in particular he recognized, and approached him.

"Oh hey, Choose Goose! Good day to sell some bows, right?" said Finn.

"That's right, Finn! As you can see, I've everything you need for archery! Aha ha ha!"

Choose Goose sat on the counter of his stall, gesturing at the surrounding racks of bows and quivers.

"This is kind of a weird place for a goose," Huntress Wizard muttered.

"Oh, no one would dare shoot at me! I'm protected, by a 'shooting-back' guarantee!"

At that, Choose Goose pulled a loaded crossbow from beneath the counter and waved it in the air, accompanied by his signature guffaw.

"So which bow should I get, H-Dubs?" said Finn.

Huntress Wizard scanned the rack of weapons for a moment before taking one down and handing it to Finn.

"Forty-pound draw weight ought to do it. That's what my bow is," she said.

"Try it out, before you buy! The practice targets are right outside!" said Choose Goose.

"Rad, let's go! Thanks, Choose Goose!" said Finn.

"Don't run off without paying, first! Or else you'll suffer a deadly curse! Aha ha ha!"

A row of targets had been set up just beside the tent. Other customers, most of them experienced hunters by the look of it, were testing out an assortment of weapons. Some would fire a few shots and talk excitedly about technical aspects of the new weapons. A few others were picking out weapons with their young children.

Though he felt a little self-conscious amid such seasoned professionals, Finn stepped up to a shooting box and tried out the bow. His shot went wide, as per usual.

"Hmm, this bow seems, I dunno, stiffer than yours, somehow. What do you think?"

He turned back to Huntress Wizard to find her glancing around nervously. She spoke in a frantic whisper.

"Oh, um, sorry Finn. I have to go real quick," she said.

"Go? Go where?" said Finn.

"I'll be back in a minute!" she said over her shoulder as she hurried away.

Finn watched her go until she vanished into the crowd. She had been acting weird all day, and it was really beginning to worry him. Though he was tempted badly to run after her and ask her what was wrong, it was clear she needed to be alone. He tried to put it out of his mind. As she had said many times, archery demanded a clear mind.

He attempted a few more clumsy shots, drawing the occasional concerned glance from a veteran. This was becoming embarrassing. He wished Huntress Wizard were there. Why had she run off? His inner monologue only made his archery worse.

Finally, the thing he had most feared occurred. He heard a chuckle from behind.

"You alright there, buddy? You look like you're having some trouble with that bow."

Finn looked back to see a young man, maybe late teens or early twenties, with a short mop of curly golden hair and blue-green skin. He wore a leather doublet, a blue cape, and a suede cap with an exaggerated triangular bill and a small golden feather in the band. A lyre hung from a fob on his belt. Finn would have recognized him as a hunter even if he weren't carrying a shortbow of beautifully carven dark wood on his back.

Right now this hunter was looking down at him with a somewhat self-satisfied grin. Finn blushed.

"Whatever, man! I'm just trying to get good at archery to impress a girl I like!" he blurted out.

The hunter's eyebrows shot up in possibly mock surprise.

"Oh! Is that so? A noble calling, indeed. Well, as a connoisseur of female attention, I salute you, sir!"

He doffed his cap and extended a hand.

"The name's Pablo. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

Still annoyed at this stranger's intrusion, Finn begrudgingly extended his own hand and shook.

"Finn the Human. Likewise."

"Aha! I thought I recognized you! Dude, you're practically a celebrity!" said Pablo, "You know, I'm a celebrity of sorts myself, around these parts. Reigning champ of the archery tournament, six years running. I once shot a snake from a distance of 250 yards."

He extended his foot as he said this, displaying a pair of ostentatious snake-skin boots.

"Kind of a big deal. I could give you a few pointers on archery, if you want. You'd be learning from the very best! It would be an honor to help such a famous hero as yourself," said Pablo.

"Uh-huh, that's pretty math, and all, but no thanks. I already have a teacher. She should be around here, somewhere," said Finn.

"'She?' Is she also the girl you're trying to impress?"

"Well, kind of impress. We're already dating."

"What's her name? Between you and me," said Pablo, with a rakish grin, "I know just about every dame here. Maybe I could help."

"Huntress Wizard," said Finn.

The light fled from Pablo's face, replaced with disdain.

"Huntress Wizard," he said flatly, "You're dating Huntress Wizard? Really?"

"As a matter of fact, I am," said Finn.

Smug as Pablo had been just a moment ago, Finn excused himself for rubbing it in just a little.

"She's totally crushing on me, too. Saying what great hair I have, and junk. She fought in a war for me, you know," said Finn.

"You're joking!" Pablo snarled, "That can't be true. Why would a magnificent specimen like Huntress Wizard date a runt like you?"

"A runt? Hey! I'm no runt! I'm scrappy! About a month ago, I got swallowed whole by the God of Chaos. I lived!"

Finn realized he'd been shouting. Like some dumb kid, he'd let Pablo make him angry. A circle of other hunters had gathered around to gawk and point. Most of them were looking at him, and not with approval.

Pablo, however, seemed to be nervous himself. He regained his composure somewhat and tugged smartly on the bill of his cap.

"Pardon me, good sir, but you must excuse me."

He stalked off into the crowd. The circle of hunters continued staring at Finn for just a moment, before turning away. Finn turned back into the archery booth, in part to hide his blushing face.

The day was ruined, clearly. What was Pablo to Huntress Wizard? And what to do about it? Finn took the shortbow he had been testing back to Choose Goose, stammered something about "sleeping on it," and hurried out into the crowd to find Huntress Wizard.

Meanwhile, by the beverage tent, Huntress Wizard stood alone, half-heartedly nursing an ale. Her back was turned to the main crowd, so as to hide her face.

She felt horrible about abandoning Finn. Coming to the archery tournament was a stupid idea. Of course he would be here. No doubt there were dozens of people here she didn't want to recognize her.

She wondered if it was ever this hard for Finn. He had so many friends, some of them were his own exes. Huntress Wizard looked death in the face every day, and never blinked, yet despite all her supposed bravery, she had run away. She cursed herself for a coward.

Her senses alerted her to footsteps approaching from behind. She considered turning into a tree, but in a crowd of normies that would only be more conspicuous. And undignified. She braced herself.

"Heather, is that really you? I haven't seen you in ages!" said Pablo.

Without turning around, she replied.

"Do I know you, sir?"

"Heather, please, don't be like that. Of course you know me. You know everyone here. And we all know you, despite that silly mask you wear. Won't you turn and face me?"

She turned, and there he was: a little taller and broader than she remembered, but it was the same old Pablo. Same mile-wide grin on his handsome face. Same tasteless snakeskin boots, same dark wood bow.

"You called me 'Heather.' You know that's not my name, anymore," She scowled openly at him. "What do you want, Pablo?"

"To let you know that I've never stopped thinking about you. You are the most beautiful girl in all of Ooo. My only equal," he said.

"Give me a break," she said, looking away.

"How have you been? I haven't seen you since...well. Maybe we could catch up?"

"Why would I want to 'catch up' with a donk like you?"

Pablo's smile faltered, if only for a moment.

"You're not still mad at me, are you? Heather, that was years ago! We were kids! Why don't we just let sleeping dragons lie, and go get some lunch?"

"I'm seeing someone else, Pablo."

"You mean, Finn the Human?"

"What?! How did you- What did you say to him?" she said, alarmed.

"Then it's true."

He removed his cap, looking comically mournful for a brief moment, then replaced it. He grinned again.

"Come now, darling. Why would you want to date a little shrimp like Finn when you could have a handsome hunk-a-hunter like me?"

Huntress Wizard was shaking, and clenching her fists. She knew what he was about to say.

"Besides," he said, gripping the brim of his cap, "Everybody knows it is I who is best at archery, m'lady."

And that was the last straw. She dropped her ale and threw her hands in the air.

"Oh, why don't you go drown, Pablo?"

At once, all the patrons in the beverage tent fell silent. She was screaming, now. Pablo's smile vanished.

"I'm not your girlfriend, you tranch! I'm a tree! When I feel like it!"

At that moment, Finn ran in to the tent. He followed the other patrons' gaze and recognized Huntress Wizard. And recognized Pablo. He scowled.

Everyone was looking at her in shock. Huntress Wizard looked around and recognized a few faces: distant relatives, her mother's old friends. She blushed furiously and tugged her hood as far down as it would go. She hurried to the exit.

"Come on, Finn, let's go," she said.

Finn faced down Pablo and pointed a finger.

"What did you say to her, ya freak?" said Finn.

"Mind your business, Finn," Pablo sighed.

"I said come on, Finn, let's go!" Huntress Wizard cried.

Finn threw Pablo one last glare. Pablo just looked disgusted. Finally, Finn turned and followed Huntress Wizard out of the fairgrounds.

Author's Notes

And so it begins! My own little take on an origin story for Huntress Wizard. I've been obsessing over Adventure Time since it ended, and Huntress Wizard in particular, since she's a really cool character and I feel like she wasn't adequately explored, especially in her relationship with Finn. But then, I think part of the reason I like her so much is because her story is open-ended, with more room for imagination. Compare that to Princess Bubblegum, for example, who has a pretty much complete backstory and character arc throughout the series.

Anyway, writing this was pretty cathartic. I hope you enjoy.

Also, the "village of green-skinned mutants" refers to the unnamed village depicted in S1E25 "His Hero," hereafter referred to as "Greenville."