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Chapter Text

"Such a handsome little soldier boy."

Dark Enchantress Cookie's voice was nothing like the tales foretold. It was worse than the simple imagination can manifest. Cold and deadly like an ice shard shooting from her throat and piercing the heart of another. 

Her touch was just as cruel. Leathery gaunt fingers with long sharp nails protruding from the tips. She lightly grazed a nail down her prisoner's cheek, leaving behind a trail of red irritated dough. 

Madeleine shuddered. 

"Piss off." he spat. 

Dark Enchantress smiled, earning more wrinkles around her lips. 

"Such a vulgar mouth. Perhaps you won't be useless after all."

Madeleine scowled. He struggled against his restraints, but the Cookie behind him had a vice-grip on his torn shirt collar. His wrists were bound together with splintered rope that tore through his dough as he moved. It was pointless to struggle. Still, if he could get at least one good headbutt to that wench's smirk, he'd die happy. 

The knight Commander scoffed. 

"Whatever you're planning, it won't work. I have the power of the Divine Light on my side. And it's definitely stronger than any of your Dark Magic, wench."

The dark queen's crimson eyes perked as if she found a genuine interest in his brave words. 

"I see. So that's what they teach. Giving children false hope so they won't fear the inevitable."

A trail of fresh Jam trickled down the pale blonde's cheek and onto the Enchantress's thumb.

Madeleine's face reddened and his eyebrows narrowed. He growled through gnashed teeth.

"Clearly, YOU'VE never been taught anything! I wouldn't even imagine any Cookie teaching their children to take the lives of the innocent for their own personal gain."

The Cookie behind Madeleine tightened his grip on his shirt, pressing slightly against his throat like a noose. The Cookie's hand was trembling. Madeleine could feel something sharp jab at the nape of his neck. 

Dark Enchantress shifted her gaze from Madeleine to the Cookie. The trembling stopped, and the knight could breathe again. 

Madeleine saw two crimson pools staring at him as the grip on his jaw tightened.

"And what of the lives  you've  taken?" Dark Enchantress Cookie asked.

Madeleine stopped. He wasn't sure what to make of that. Lives? What lives?

"...What are you on about? I've only taken the lives of dragons and beasts!"

The air fell dead silent. 

Dark Enchantress's gaze never left Madeleine's. She scanned his stern and serious expression. 

"Hm. Typical," she scoffed, aloof.

Dark Enchantress Cookie ripped her grip off his jaw, leaving behind a few fresh claw marks on his dough. Madeleine inhaled sharply through grit teeth. 

"Take him."

Without another beat, Madeleine's shirt collar yanked against his throat as the rearing Cookie dragged him out of the chamber. 

"Oh, and Red Velvet Cookie?"

Madeleine was suddenly stopped mid-doorway. 

Dark Enchantress Cookie smiled. 

"Play nice."

---

Madeleine grunted in pain Red Velvet dragged him against the hard floor to gods know where. He struggled to break loose from his grip and make his way back to Dark Enchantress Cookie, but he was already in a weakened state. It hurt even to lift a finger. 

"Unhand me at once, fiend! Release me...o-or I'll cut your arm off!"

Red Velvet's iron grip tightened as his razor-sharp teeth gnashed. So badly he wanted to snap back, but his duty as a stoic commander got the better of him. Only until they reached it. Only then. 

Just a little further.

And they were there. 

Before Velvet was a tall iron door, guarded by two Werehound Brutes, who opened it for the young Commander and followed him inside the dungeon. 

It was a cold and nasty place. It reeked of rat urine and old vomit, and all sorts of vile things that any newcomer would be overwhelmed by the stench. It was dimly lit by two torches mounted on either side of a pair of rusty shackles chained to the stone wall. 

Red Velvet practically threw Madeleine to the wall and stood by as the two Cake Brutes took the knight Commander. One held him down as the other unbound him and clasped the shackles around his injured wrists. They stood back to admire their work. Madeleine was now sitting on his knees, his arms spread apart tighter than necessary. 

Red Velvet dismissed the Brutes and he was left alone with his new prisoner. 

"Comfortable?" he said as coldly as the air. 

Madeleine's wrists ached as the cold metal bit his rope wounds. He so desperately wanted to beat the shit out of Velvet, but given his poor condition at the moment, he would have to wait until he'd heal up. If it would be able to, that is.

"I've had worse." he shrugged. 

That was definitely a lie. Sure, there were moments where he found himself locked in a dungeon and restrained, but never like this. Still, he kept a brave face. He wanted to show the army General that he could never break down a soldier of the Divine Light so easily. 

"So, what's your plan with me, Commander? Are you going to kill me? Heh. It would take quite a lot of effort to kill one knight. I don't believe your arm can handle that kind of activity."

He knew it was dangerous for him to act all cocky in front of the son of the Enchantress, but it was better than keeping silent and looking weak to him. 

Red Velvet's scowl tightened, but his voice was kept still.

"You don't get to rush this, boy."

A little demeaning as Madeleine was clearly a bit older than him.

Velvet flexed his Cake claws as he glared down at the knight. 

"For now, we're just going to talk. Commander to commander." 

Madeleine let out a hearty chuckle.

"Ha! Well, if I am a boy in your eyes, then to me you are nothing more than a mere infant! If it's a chat we're going to have, you'll have to start talking in complete sentences rather than incoherent babbling."

Red Velvet remained unfazed by the scorn, although he wanted to rip Madeleine's throat out with his Cake claws and feed it to his Hounds while they hollowed what's left of his body. Happy thoughts. 

"You may think of me as an infant, but at least I have an inkling of how the world works. You still live in a fantasy picture book."

A fantasy picture book? How interesting of Velvet to say such a thing. Madeleine's life was certainly no fantasy, it was very real. He rolled his eyes and clicked his tongue, still keeping his cocky act. 

"Is that so? Then your leader clearly has never let you outside before. There is more to life than murder and threats, you know."

Velvet's mismatched eyes widened a bit as if he actually believed something the knight said as truth. 

"You're right. In your world, murder and threats are only acceptable when  you  do it. Those who create false gods in their name of "goodness" so they can justify their actions. Tell me, what do you really know about the Cake..."Monsters"?" 

That word practically had to crawl its way through tar to reach his throat. 

Madeleine raised a brow.

"Painting me as the hypocrite, eh? How childish." 

Though if Madeleine was being honest with himself, Red Velvet did bring up a good point. As a knight, one cannot avoid taking lives to protect their kingdom. But...he's only had to slay dragons and monsters...

Right?

He dismissed his self-questioning thoughts and decided to answer the question. 

"Well, Cake Monsters are hellish beasts who rise up from the Realm of Fallen Desserts to torment innocent Cookies. And it is my duty to protect them from such beasts."

Madeleine glanced down at the general's Cake arm before he continued. 

"If I were you, I'd stop interacting with such creatures. ...Unless, you're willing to get betrayed by your own so-called "army" in the end, that is."

Red Velvet Cookie scoffed sharply, baring his dingy fangs. 

He rolled up his sleeve to further reveal his Cake arm. The crimson frosting melted into what little remained of his dough shoulder. 

"You think the Cakes did this to me?! It was your precious Witches!"

He towered over Madeleine with glaring mismatched eyes. 

"I was but a child when it happened. But did those wenches care? No! I was nothing but sustenance to them. I was lost and afraid. But...I was found my Dark Enchantress Cookie."

He stroked his arm graciously.

"She helped me find my courage again. She showed me a new world. A better world, where all creatures can coexist. But your kind deemed them as "monsters", simply because they don't appeal to your typical standards of beauty. You know how intelligent they are. Did you even once consider talking to one of them as if they were equal? Or did you just want to fulfill some kind of twisted fantasy that you were the savior?"

Madeleine narrowed his brows. 

"Hmph! What nonsense are you on about?! Merely talking to a Cake Monster only earns you a death wish! Have you not picked up a history book? There were Cookies who tried making peace with the Cake Monsters years ago. That only got them killed with only a few survivors remaining. They've even killed children for Witches' sake! That is why they must be stopped. That is why I must protect my kingdom from them! Surely, as a Cookie, you would understand that." 

Once again, he glanced at the wicked Cake arm and scoffed.

"Besides, I highly doubt the Witches would ever rip off a Cookie's arm and leave them for dead, let alone a child. Are you quite sure Dark Enchantress Cookie didn't put you under some spell to make you think that the Witches were that cruel?"

At that point, Red Velvet lost his patience. With his gloved Cookie hand, he grabbed Madeleine by the front of his shirt, hoisting him up so their noses press against each other. His eyes burned with rage. His Cake claw jabbed at Madeleine's throat. 

"Are you calling me a liar?!" A growl rung deep in Velvet's throat. 

After a moment, he huffed and dropped the knight. 

"Typical fantasies. Who do you suppose wrote the history books? Cakes? How they admit their defeat to the stronger Cookies? No. History is written by the victors, as they say. And the losing side is always the wrong one. Well, I say "No more"! You claim to fight for peace, but the truth is that no one really wants that. How dreadfully boring. Your kind makes "villains" so the "heroes" have something to be praised for. That kind of black and white perspective is what gets Cookies killed. Every lost life you claim to avenge is nothing more than a statistic to the so-called "heroes". That is your true purpose, knight."

Madeleine coughed and sputtered from Velvet's sudden grip on his neck a moment ago. His words began to anger him, Why, he was practically telling him his life was a lie. That the cause he fought for was a lie.

"Y-you're words are simply untrue! I did not train to become a knight all my life just to hear some troubled soul that my mentors have been filling my head with lies! No Cookie can lie to their children for that long! It is physically impossible! If my entire purpose has been a lie, don't you think those who have trained me would've slipped up at some point? No Cookie can lie foever! And I can clearly tell you are spouting nonsense, my friend! Stop trying to fill my head with your nonsensical idea of logic!"

He tried to lunge at him to attack, briefly forgetting about his restraints. This only led to the shackles tightening around his wrists. Grunting in pain, he flopped back down to the ground, catching his breath once more.

Velvet watched in slight amusement as the knight struggled. He shook his head. He honestly didn't know what he was expecting, yet Madeleine still managed to disappoint him. 

"Such arrogance." he scoffed.

"I grow tired of this. You will understand the truth on your own in due time. But for now..."

Velvet grabbed a fistful of Madeleine's hair, hoisted him up slightly off the ground, and rammed an armored knee to the knight's stomach so hard that Velvet was sure it almost dented the stone wall before him. Madeleine's eyes widened in agony as he heard a sickening crack from below his chest. 

Red Velvet dropped him like a sack of bricks. Dark Enchantress Cookie did say to play nice. 

"Let's have some fun." the young general cracked his knuckles.

Madeleine coughed and wheezed as he tried to wrangle his breath. 

A twinge of fear filled the knight's very core, but he dared not to let it show. A Cookie like Red Velvet did not deserve to witness the fear of a knight. And so, he looked him dead in the eyes with bravery and anger. 

"Do your worst."

The corner of Red Velvet's lip curled in a smirk of twisted pleasure. Oh, he liked it when they were brave. 

"I'm going to enjoy every moment of this."

With his Cake hand, Velvet sunk his claws through Madeleine's shirt and into his chest as easily as wet bread. With a vice grip, he slammed Madeleine against the stone wall and rammed a fist into his cheek. A sickening crack followed. He landed another blow. And another. 

Red Velvet was barely getting warmed up.

Madeleine hadn't gotten a chance to properly catch his breath after each blow he took. He underestimated how hard Velvet could punch, even with the advantage of a Cake arm. At one point, he wanted to retaliate against him, forgetting once more about his restraints. 

"Hnghh! Nghh..!" 

What was meant to be him fighting back was actually him struggling weakly as he could now feel a bit of his own Jam slightly oozing from his damaged cheek. Unironically, he was only making the pain worse for himself by trying and failing to retaliate. 

Red Velvet ripped his claws from Madeleine's chest, dropping him at the same time. He briefly shook off his hands, splattering fresh Jam onto the floor. He grimaced. If there's anything worse than dealing with fiendish Cookies, it's getting their filthy Jam on his hands. 

Another twisted idea sparked in his head.

"You know, I think I'd like to meet that "Divine" of yours."

Madeleine spat out something small and hard onto the murky floor, leaving behind tiny splotches of red as it bounced. He glared at Velvet through narrowed brows. 

"Why don't you call it for me?" said Red Velvet. 

"The pained grunts and moans do well and all. But I'm afraid your "Divine" can't hear you like that."

Velvet grabbed a fistful of Madeleine's bangs and threw his head back. He dug a crimson claw below Madeleine's ear and began to slowly and painfully slit the knight's neck towards his shoulder. 

"You have to scream."

Madeleine's eyes bulged and he trembled under the sudden pain. His mouth hung agape as his throat clenched a silent scream. 

"GNGH!"

Had Red Velvet no shame? Tormenting another Cookie in such a way...It was inhumane. It was...vile. It was monsterous. 

"Gnn--agh! Nnghhh!"

No matter how painful it was, he did his best to hold back his screams. He wasn't going to let Velvet have his twisted satisfaction. The pain only grew stronger, yet he would not allow himself to scream.

A long thick trail of crimson flowed down the side of Madeleine's neck, staining his shirt, and his hair stuck to the fresh wound like glue.

Velvet didn't stop there. He poked and prodded the wound with his claws, twisting it deeper inch by inch. He pinched a piece of dangling flesh and slowly skinned it off, practically flaying the wound. 

Madeleine felt like acid was being poured over his wound as Velvet twisted his claws deeper into his dough, causing him to groan much louder. But nothing could top the sheer agony that was a loose piece of his dough being ripped off as slowly and painfully as possible.

"Hn--Augh! Ahhh! G-get away from me!" 

Internally crying to himself, he lifted one of his legs and kicked the sadistic Cookie in the stomach with all his might.

Red Velvet grunted as he fell onto his back, nearly knocking the wind out of him. He growled back at Madeleine with bore fangs before hopping back to his feet. 

His scowl morphed into a sharp smile.

Velvet flicked the piece of Jelly-like dough from his claw, and it found its way to Madeleine's shirt. 

The general's eyes caught sight of Madeleine's golden hair. It stuck out even under the dim torches. He stood back and scanned the knight. Even when he's covered in his own Jam and cracked dough, he's still the beautiful hero he was praised for. 

Another idea.

"If I can't get you to scream, I can at least remind you of what you're not. Guards!"

The two Brutes from before entered with haste. 

Red Velvet smirked.

"Cut his hair." 

Madeleine breathed heavily as he stared back up at Velvet, then at the Brutes. Despite the immense pain, he couldn't help but chuckle.

"You honestly think a mere haircut is going to kill me? Need I remind you who you're dealing with? Once I get out of these chains, I will drag you back to my kingdom and make sure you face the guillotine for your crimes."

Red Velvet Cookie scoffed.

"Is that feigned attempt at a threat supposed to make me shake in my boots? You still have no inkling of what you truly are. Allow me to help you with that."

He nodded to the guards. 

One Brute held Madeleine steady by his shoulders, while the other took out a rusty jagged dagger that glistened in the torchlight. Velvet watched as the Brute grabbed a lock of hair that typically hung off Madeleine's shoulder, tugging it to get a better grip and to further the knight's pain, and hacked it off. Locks fell to the filthy floor like a golden flag falling onto a crumbled battlefield. With cruel delight, the Brute grabbed more hair and hacked, hacked, hacked. The other Brute shared a mean chuckle. Velvet watched in growing pleasure. When the Brutes were finished, they stood back. 

The beautiful knight commander's hair was cut to his ears. He looked smaller, like a shaved lion. Red Velvet instantly noticed the difference. 

"You see, behind that armor and brave smile, you're nothing more than a scared little boy pretending to be a hero." 

Madeleine shivered slightly as the cold air quickly reached his bare neck. It still stung from how hard the Brutes had tugged on his hair. Admittedly, he was definitely scared. He's been fearing for his life the whole time. And yet...he still tried to be brave, despite the pain and humiliation. 

"Ngh...y-you know nothing about me...you may have your fun now...but I swear on my life,y-you will regret this until the end of your days!"

"We shall see." 

A metallic creak echoed through the dungeon. Red Velvet and the Brutes turned and quickly straightened their posture when they saw her.

Dark Enchantress Cookie was standing in the doorway. Accompanying her were Pomegranate Cookie and Licorice Cookie, the latter was struggling to hold the massive door open for his queen. 

The Brutes kneeled in respect. Red Velvet bowed at the hip and cleared his throat. 

"Dark Enchantress Cookie, I've restrained the prisoner as you ordered." 

Dark Enchantress smiled ever so fondly.

"Efficient as always, my dear." 

She gave the young general a smile of approval before catching sight of Madeleine. For a moment, she looked a bit confused before realizing the loose strands of gold scattered at the knight's knees Her smile widened as she chuckled.

"I almost didn't recognize him."

Seeing that damned Enchantress smirking at him...Oh, how it sparked a raging fire in him. The one who had ordered Velvet to humiliate him in such a way was now right in front of him in this state. 

"Yyyyou...YOU WENCH!" 

Forgetting about his bounds for the third time, he sprung up to charge. Not only did the shackles merely tighten, but the gashes on his neck and shoulder burned like fire.

"NGH! Augh!!"

He stumbled back to the ground, writhing in pain and agony. Tears were threatening to pour down his cheeks, but he dared not to let them show. This caused his radiant blue eyes to glisten dimly in the light as he scowled at the Enchantress. 

"I'll...I'll kill you! I'LL KILL ALL OF YOU FOR THIS!" 

Dark Enchantress Cookie's smile hadn't faltered, only grew. The walls echoed her laughter. 

This is what she wanted.

"Small dogs shouldn't bark so loud. Is this what passes for a knight these days? Pathetic."

Oh, how that insult irked him. She's done nothing but insult him during his capture in her hellish headquarters. He still kept his cocky act to stay strong, despite his voice now becoming more warbly and weak from all the pain. 

"Oh, a-as if an old hag s-such as yourself would be any stronger on the b-battlefield!"

Rather than following up with a retort, Dark Enchantress decided not. She glanced at Velvet before returning her attention to Madeleine. She mockingly crouched forward just enough to where Madeleine couldn't charge again but understand just how much she towered him. 

"Tell me, boy. What have you learned?" she asked.

Gods, he hated the way she knelt in front of him as if he were a small feeble child. How dare she mock him in such a way? He looked over at Red Velvet. 

"Well! Clearly, I've learned that sadistic loon over there can't decide whether he wants to be a Cake of a Cookie, and is willing to torture others for the sake of his own pleasure!"

He knew it was practically a death wish to anger Velvet further at this point. But he no longer cared. That Cookie deserved to be insulted after the hell he put him through.

Dark Enchantress scanned his wounds and turned her smile at Red Velvet. She knew exactly what he said, and she was proud. 

"I'm surprised you were this nice with him."

The general smirked.

"I told him the truth about his world. About how Cookie "heroes" created "villains" to make themselves more adored. He did not believe me." 

Dark Enchantress Cookie nodded.

"Your efforts were not in vain, my dear. Some indoctrinated minds are not so easily cleansed. That just means he's ready." 

Indoctrinated? Cleansed?! What was it with the Enchantress and Velvet and his way of life?!

"R-ready for what, exactly?" 

He honestly did not want to find out. But...there was a reason Velvet had tortured him. Surely he had to find out one way or another. 

"To find out the truth, of course." The Enchantress spoke so matter-of-factly about it. As if what she was about to do wasn't going to be cruel.

"Pomegranate Cookie, if you may?"

"Of course, my Master."

Pomegranate Cookie emerged from the darkness of the cell and stood before Madeleine. 

With a wave of her scarlet sleeve, she cast the spell. 

"Behold, the truth of your world."

An agonizing headache befell Madeleine as his vision began to blue into a deep hellish red. 

"Gah! W-what on Earthbread is this sorcery?! Unhand me from your spell at once, harlot!"

A sinister voice echoed through the crimson abyss. 

"Tell me, child. Do you know the reason why we, Cookies, were created?" 

Madeleine scanned through the world of crimson in search of the voice. Still, he could see nothing but bloody clouds and mist. 

"Ngh...what kind of dumb question is that?! We were created by the Witches to live in unity. To grow and thrive as a population. Why else would we have been created?!"

He was now starting to worry about what he was getting at. Sure, he had given her the same answer his father had given him when he was younger. But even still...he supposed he didn't truly know the real reason why they were created. Was there a much bigger purpose for the Cookies?

As Dark Enchantress spoke, her voice was combined with another until the evil queen was no longer heard. This new voice was gentle and soft, like a delicate flower floating on a cool spring breeze.

"I must ask them why we Cookies were created. The Witches..."

The abyss swirled and morphed before Madeleine's eyes. A clear vision of a bubbling cauldron came into view. Followed by wicked laughter. 

"Huh--what?! What on Earthbread--"

He noticed another Cookie with a beautiful white lily staff and matching braided hair. He felt a little calmer to see her at first. 

"Ah--pardon me, my lady. Do you happen to know where we are?" 

The Cookie did not answer. When Madeleine reached out to her, his hand phased through her. 

He then heard the sound of wicked laughter, nearly flinching at how loud it was. He slowly turned his head up to see who stood over the cauldron and the mysterious Cookie.

"Wh--c-can it be..? The...Witches?" 

He remembered the Book of the Divine Light said that the Withes were mystical graceful beings with slightly oversized crowns and silver wands. They were depicted as almost seem motherly with gentle smiles and little glimmers in their eyes. 

The supposed Witches he saw, however...were hunched over, old, and had menacing looks in their eyes. Not to mention, their laughter sounded...intimidating and mischievous. 

"Wait...this...can't be right...these Witches...they look...different..."

The withes cackled with malicious delight as they gathered around a wooden table.

"Eheheheheee! Look at this one I made!"

Another witch leaned in.

"Ohohoho! That one looks--!"

The witch was cut off when a crunch was heard. A crumb fell at her feet.

"You old hag! That one was mine!"

More crunching.

"So yummy!"

Another crunch. Another crumb.

Madeleine could not believe what he was seeing. These witches...they were...eating Cookies?!

"W-what-"

He watched in horror as a smaller Cookie...one who looked to be a child, was flailing helplessly in one of the Witches's hands.

"Wh--What are you doing?! Th--these are CHILDREN!!" 

He could hear the child screaming and crying as his arm was being ripped off. Was that...?

"St-stop! Stop it! Unhand him, you fiends!"

He desperately tried to break free of his shackles, ignoring the pain in hopes to help the child. In the midst of his struggle, he looked over at the mysterious Cookie, who shared the same look of horror as he had. 

"Run away, miss! Run before they catch you!"

The Cookie was frozen in her place.

"No...this...this isn't right..! The Witches...our creators...I can't accept this fate!"

Madeleine watched in horror as the Cookie jumped into the cauldron. 

"W-wait! Don't--!"

Before he could say anything else, he witnessed the mysterious Cookie, or rather Dark Enchantress Cookie had emerged from the bubbling cauldron. Scarlet flames surrounded her as she laughed maniacally. 

"W--What?! No, that--that's impossible!" Madeleine yelled.

The flames swallowed his vision, returning to the shimmering crimson abyss once more. 

"There's...there's no way what I saw was true! Th-the Witches--they would never--! Father told me--!"

He began to shake as questioning thoughts began to fill his mind. And yet...he tried his best to shake them off. The tears he held back for so long had finally poured down his face as he tried to deny the horrible vision.

"I-I won't believe it... I refuse to believe...it's not true...I-it can't be true..."

He heard Dark Enchantress Cookie's voice again.

"Oh my, do we finally see the truth? But there's one more lie that lingers to your very core. The biggest lie."

The crimson abyss shifted again, swirling around Madeleine's visions as vibrant colors came into view. 

They subsided to show an image of Madeleine. He was younger and kneeling before a sword tapping his shoulders.

"Madeleine Cookie, do you swear to honor the Knight's Code, and to serve and protect your fellow Cookies to your last crumb?"

"By the Witches and the Divine, I do swear it."

"Rise, Sir Madeleine Cookie, Knight of the Divine Light."

A thunderous applause echoes and quickly died down when Dark Enchantress spoke.

"You swore to honor the Order, the Witches, and your Divine. You even sought to retrieve the Soul Jam to grant Cookies eternal life. But what is it you truly desire? Remember, this is your mind. You cannot lie here." 

Madeleine began to shiver. What should've been a happy memory now felt like something taunting him. Mocking him. 

"W-what do you mean? W-why am I here?!"

"Oh my. The lie runs so deep, that you've forgotten the truth. Tell me, why is it you wish to grant Cookies eternal life? And, after you've just witnessed, do you still want to?"

"I...I..."

Madeleine couldn't help but tremble at her words. Just what exactly was she implying?

"I...I have seen too many soldiers die on the battlefield. Some were even my closest friends...m-my father too..."

He paused as he cleared his throat. The thought of his father dying on the battlefield while he tried his best to save him was almost too much to bear. 

"I...don't want other Cookies to face the pain of losing their families and comrades as I have. That is why I wish to grant them eternal life." 

Dark Enchantress's voice hummed.

"Interesting. But the Soul Jam only grants eternal life to the Cookie who wields it. What would you do with it then? Or was that another lie you told yourself? Perhaps you don't want everyone you love to suffer the pain of losing you, but you are willing to suffer the pain of losing them."

"Wh-I...what are you saying?"

That was...ridiculous. Does she think he was willing to suffer as he watched his father die?! Surely he wouldn't be selfish enough to wield the Soul Jam for his own personal gain!

...

...Right?

Another image came into view. It was Madeleine standing alone atop a mountain of corpses of his men.

"All this time, you've been sending Cookies to their doom. And for what? Gluttonous Witches, who don't think of them as any more than food? Such a waste. 

The mountain grew, this time the faces were more recognizable. 

"And you will continue to waste lives." 

Madeleine's eyes widened as he saw the faces who served under his command. First were his father's soldiers. Next, came his own. From acquaintances to close comrades to even his father. He saw all of it. 

"N-no..."

It was all coming together now. The Witches. His Kingdom. The Divine Light. His moral code. Everything his father taught him. Every life that was lost. 

"No... no... this is... all wrong..."

All the efforts of his bloodline. All of his own efforts.

"Oh heavens, no..."

It was all for nothing. 

The ache in his head suddenly grew stronger. It became overbearing as the pain spread to his entire body. And at the moment, as the bitter truth finally hit him, all of the screams he had held back up to now merged into one. 

His widened eyes, for a brief moment, had a hellish red glow as hot tears poured out. And as that happened, the brave knight of the Divine Light, Madeleine Cookie, let out the most painful, ear-piercing, agonizing scream that would've been music to Red Velvet's ears had he let it out earlier. 

The enchantress sighed. 

"It's such a cruel, unfortunate reality."

The crimson spell melted away. 

Dark Enchantress's voice was less sinister and more warm and soft. One might even call it motherly. 

"But...it doesn't have to be that way."

She placed a gentle hand on his cheek as if she were nursing an injured bird. 

"We've all had to face the harsh truth. But it's better than living a sweet lie. We want to create a world where Cookies can live in peace without care or fear of the Witches. Where all creatures can exist in harmony. We can be the true heroes the Cookies deserve. They won't listen to us...but, they trust you."

With the wave of her finger, Madeleine's shackles were gone. Another hand wave and a circlet appeared in her palm. It was similar to the brass one Madeleine wore with his matching armor, but it was dark with solid chocolate armor, horns on the temples similar to Dark Enchantress', and a crimson crest in the center. 

"Help me create a new world for all. What say you?"

Madeleine stared down at the object the Enchantress held before him. He certainly knew this would go against the Order, the Knight's Code, the Divine Light, and...the words of his father. 

But...maybe this was what his father had searched for all along. Maybe this was what all Cookies had been searching for, yet never realized it. 

Maybe...he could finally fulfill his purpose. He could finally help all Cookies and Cake Monsters stand as one and rebel against the Witches. Make them pay for their sins against all Cookiekind.

He would never lose another friend to the jaws of death ever again.

"I..."

He thought about how his current friends from the Parfaedian Institute would feel. Maybe if they learned of this without the context, they would certainly be mortified. Especially Espresso...but...he knew deep down...that they would understand...and maybe...they would eventually join him as allies in his new crusade. 

"...I accept."

A grin of pride crawled on Dark Enchantress Cookie's face. She placed the circlet on his bowing head. As her lean figure towered over him once more, she held out her arms. 

"Rise...my Crimson Knight." 

Chapter Text

The town of Parfaedia was a quiet place. The type of town where the most interesting thing to happen in a week is someone getting an extra scone for breakfast. But it was a pleasant town, perfect for finding a quiet cafe to read.

This time, however, the air was still and cold. Everyone was on edge with worry in their eyes. How could they not be? When the famed knight Commander Madeleine Cookie had been missing for two weeks?

The citizens tried to remain calm upon hearing the news of his vanishing, but their nerves got the better of them. Most would stay in their homes for days on end. What if there was an attack? Even though Parfaedia had top-of-the-line magical defenses and trained some of the best wizards in all of Earthbread, without the famed hero, the light of hope seemed to have disappeared with him. 

The Parfaedian Institute wasn't much better off.

Classes had been canceled for a week since Madeleine was reported missing, giving the teachers extra time to search for the knight. Almond Cookie was leading the investigation, and if anyone knew the detective well, they knew he wouldn't rest or eat until the knight was found.

He gathered the other teachers in the Great Hall. Eclair was frantically taking notes as if his life depended on it. Espresso was sitting ever so calmly, sipping a fresh cup of coffee, although it wasn't helping his ill-hidden anxiety, listening intently as Almond spoke. 

Almond cleared his throat as he stood amongst his friends. He watched as Eclair took frantic notes, Espresso sipping his coffee, and Latte nervously stirring her own drink for what seemed like the hundredth time. He was ready to discuss whatever leads his friends may or may not have found on Madeleine's whereabouts, because heaven knows he hadn't gotten any so far. It was almost as if Madeleine had literally vanished into thin air. Even if that were the case and the work of some spell, there would always, always be a magical trace behind. 

He held a coffee of his own in his slightly shaky hand as he could feel bags forming under his eyes. His stomach pained as it growled. If this wasn't happening, he would be tucking in his daughter to bed and kissing her on the forehead goodnight at this time. He had hired a babysitter to take care of her as he searched for his friend. He hated not being able to spend quality time with his daughter, but duty calls. 

"Alright, everyone." he started.

"I know you were all hoping I'd have a lead by now...but, sadly, I don't. I had asked around ten villages today and even searched through the Tainted Forest. Only one of the barkeeps in the towns and a few others had seen him, but they all claim to have seen him drunkenly but safely returning to his cottage at night."

He heaved a sigh as he took a sip of his coffee. Gods, he hated admitting that he wasn't even close to finding Madeleine. 

"I...had searched said cottage, but I found nothing. I had asked if anyone had seen him leave, but they haven't. Now I'm beginning to suspect that he either left that village early in the morning or...he had been kidnapped. Frankly, I'm hoping it's the first option. However, unfortunately, all evidence leads to the latter."

Latte shivered in her seat as her hands trembled. The thought of one of her dear friends being kidnapped terrified her to her core.

Almond cleared his throat. "I plan to continue the investigation tonight, but before I do, I must ask...Have any of you received any leads?"

Latte hesitated before shaking her head and clearing her throat. 

"I wish I could say so. I've been asking around a few villages myself...but none of them have seen him. I do apologize, Almond."

It took a moment for Eclair to realize it was his turn for his input. When he finally put his quill down, a thin trail of friction smoke was still emerging from the tip. 

"I had been in my office the whole time until I'd heard about his disappearance, so I haven't seen him prior. I asked Tea Knight Cookie since they shared a knight kinship, and even with his great tracking skills, we still couldn't find any leads. I'm very sorry I couldn't be of much help." 

Espresso took a long sip before setting his cup down on the matching saucer. He spoke with usual poise as if he were merely discussing the weather. 

"Sparkling has the first one I asked. He said he had seen Madeleine a few days prior to his disappearance, but that nothing had seemed out of the ordinary. I doubt that information is helpful."

Almond sighed. This was going to be the longest search he had ever been in. 

"It's alright. I appreciate you all trying your best. I will continue the search in any other forests he might have gone to. He couldn't have gotten far...I hope."

Another sip before he continued. 

"I want you all to get some rest now. I'll update you on the situation tomorrow as soon as I find any leads." 

Latte looked up at Almond with concern. She knew how seriously he took his job as a detective, but she feared this would take a toll on his mental and physical health if he kept going for days without food or sleep. 

"...What about you? Don't you think you should get some rest, too? You look really tired..."

"I appreciate your concern, Latte. But I'll be fine. Our friend is out there somewhere, and I won't stop for anything until he's found."

As if on cue, the door suddenly burst open, nearly denting the wall behind it. A younger Cookie in a school uniform stood at the doorway, huffing and sweating as if he'd run a marathon. 

"I...so sorry for...the interruption..! B-but...it's..."

The teachers leaped from their seats as they listened intently. 

"He...he's back..." the child panted. "Sir Madeleine Cookie. He's...he's back!" 

Without hesitation or question, the adults made haste and followed the student, who'd somehow been able to run ahead of them despite his tired condition. 

They eventually stopped at the school infirmary.

The young student stopped to catch his breath. 

"He...he arrived at the gates before falling off his horse from exhaustion. We...didn't recognize him at first."

The young Cookie sniffled as if he were choking back a sob.

Latte kneeled to the Cookie's eye level and placed a hand over his shoulder as he continued to sniffle. 

"It's okay. Thank you for telling us. We greatly appreciate your help."

Almond nodded his head. He then spotted the boy's parents not too far away, hugging each other and exchanging worried glances. 

"Go be with your parents now, kid. We'll take it from here." the detective said softly. 

The young Cookie nodded and ran off to his parent's loving embrace. 

Espresso found himself near the lit gap of the doorway. He internally debated on whether he should go in himself, or follow someone else. Before he realized it, his trembling fingertips grazed the wood, yet he couldn't find it in him to push it open further. Too afraid of what he might see. 

Almond noticed his usually calm friend shakingly standing before the door. Out of the four of them, Espresso was probably the closest to Madeleine. He felt terrible for him, even if the stubborn professor kept his calm demeanor. 

Almond placed a hand over Espresso's trembling shoulder and gave him a soft smile.  

"Hey, it's alright. We'll all go in together." 

As if on cue, Latte and Eclair followed suit and placed their hands on the door as well. After a brief moment, the four pushed the door open. 

No amount of information could've prepared them for what they saw. 

Madeleine Cookie, the shining hero admired by all, was lying on the infirmary bed. He was bruised and cracked. His wrists were raw from rope and metal bindings. He was bandaged on his neck, forehead, and chest. He laid on his back, despite having several lashes peeking from his shoulders, but the wounds on his chest were more severe and in need of more care. Above all that, the most noticeable difference was his hair. Once long and majestic as a stallion's mane, now soiled to a pale grayish tint. He looked smaller and frailer than he ever looked in his life. 

Latte couldn't help but let out an airy gasp as her knees almost gave out. The very sight of her wounded friend shook her to her very core. 

"O-oh heavens..!"

A few hitched breaths escaped her throat as she inched closer to the unconscious figure. He looked so badly hurt. So beaten. 

"Dear gods..." Almond breathed. 

He had moved next to Latte and laid a hand on her shoulder as she trembled. He then looked down at the bandaged wounds around Madeleine's body and flinched once he saw the bruises around his wrists. Being on the job for as long as Almond had, he had gotten used to seeing harsh injuries and brutalities. Yet, even he couldn't help but wince. 

Someone had deliberately tortured Madeleine. 

"Who...who could've done this?" Almond asked himself.

Espresso was frozen in the doorway. He couldn't even think about moving an inch or breathing. 

He'd seen Madeleine return with nothing more than dirt on his cape, and the knight would make a big fuss over it, how it "soils his debonair looks". But this...this was torture, plain and simple. Heinous and cruel. He couldn't imagine how Madeleine had handled it, but there was no doubt he kept a confident and cocky act. Such was the bravest oaf Espresso had ever met. 

He finally found himself trudging inside between Latte and Almond. 

Eclair stayed by the door. He felt a bit out of place as he wasn't as close with Madeleine as the others, but still shared their concern and thought it rude to just leave. 

"I...I don't know anyone who would do such a terrible thing." Latte said in response to Almond's question. 

"E-especially to Madeleine..." She covered her eyes and shivered, not wanting to look at him anymore. 

Almond clenched his fists at his sides for a brief moment. His stomach felt like a boiling cauldron. 

"Whoever did this...is a monster. A downright demented psychopath of a Cookie."

Latte looked over to Almond in surprise and confusion. 

"What makes you think a Cookie would do such a thing?"

"Believe it or not, I've faced many cases similar to this years before I came here. Would you assume that some beast would cut his hair as it would tear him up? If this were some creature, most of Madeleine would be in the stomach of one, let alone still having a recognizable face." 

Espresso's stomach lurched at the sound of that. To think a Cookie would be capable of such atrocities. Though he supposed it wasn't too far-fetched. With dark magic, come dark wielders. 

His fists clenched as well as his jaw, nails eating at his palms. His eyes burned like fire, and he was almost certain they were glowing.

He found his breathing and cooled down a bit before he could lose control of his magic. Not the place and time. 

"I'll kill them." his dark thoughts had found their way through his mouth.

Almond glanced over at the professor with a look of empathy. While he too wanted to strangle whoever had done this, he knew it wasn't morally right. He gently nudged Espresso.

"Let's not think like that right now. Let's just be glad he's returned."

Espresso stopped trembling upon the gentle fatherly gesture, and his eyes returned to normal. The thought of unleashing the worst of dark magic upon whoever did this to Madeleine was still fresh in his mind. But Almond was right. He had to remain calm and collected. For Madeleine. 

"Right, of course. My apologies." 

The four friends stood in the room in silence as they looked down at their unconscious friend. It was now just a little past the time when they were supposed to head home, but they didn't notice, nor care. It wasn't until a nurse walked in to tell them that visiting hours were over that they were forced to leave. 

Eclair was the first to exit, nodding and thanking the nurse before returning to his chambers. He figured the three needed more time. 

Espresso almost didn't hear the nurse but knew it was time to leave when he saw his colleagues drift passed him and felt Latte's hand on his shoulder. He didn't want to leave. He wanted to stay in case Madeleine woke up terrified in a new location. But he also knew Almond wouldn't allow it, so he followed them out, taking in one last glance at the bed over his shoulder. 

Whoever did this would certainly pay.

---

As the night went on into the very early hours of the morning, Madeleine had finally awoken. 

He awoke with a shudder and a small glimmer of hope in his eyes that everything that happened that night was just a nightmare. But, upon looking down at his bandaged wounds, he sighed. It was all very much real. And...he had no idea how he should feel about it. 

He could see the sun rising beyond the hills. He used to love the sunrise as he prepped to greet another beautiful day. But now, he felt hollow. Was the sunrise a lie too? What even was the truth in his beautiful life of lies anymore?

Madeleine flinches as the door opened with a creak. A woman in a nurse's outfit had walked in. Madeleine recognized the outfit as a Parfaedian Institute infirmary nurse. 

She paused when she saw him.

"Oh! Sir Madeleine Cookie! Thank goodness you're awake!"

Madeleine rubbed his groggy eyes before looking at her once more. Sir Madeleine Cookie. It didn't feel as glorious of a title anymore. 

"Erm...hello miss..." he groaned with a forced smile. 

"Oh, wait right here. Lemme fetch the doctor for you."

Madeleine watched as she rushed out the door. He released a sigh and stared down at his wrists. They still ached...but it wasn't as bad as before. 

---

Espresso didn't realize how early it became. Time changes as one gets older, but to Espresso, it always came at a crawling rate. Sleep was never on his schedule as it was always a distraction from his work. He wasn't sure if he could sleep even if he wanted to. 

Flashes of Madeleine's frail form danced in his head. He recalled the bandages, the bruises, the hair. But it's his face he remembered the most. Madeleine always had such a handsome face, and a confident smile to match it. To see him look so small and helpless...

Espresso wanted nothing more than to find whoever did this and burn them. Slowly. 

A sudden knock from his office door jolted him back to reality. Eclair stood at the doorway.

"I apologize for the intrusion, Espresso Cookie,"

---

"Walnut, honey, breakfast is ready!"

Walnut excitedly rushed down the stairs, along with the family cat Constable Whiskers in her arms. The delightful scent of pancakes filled her nose as her stomach grumbled. 

"Woohoo! Pancakes!" she cheered.

Almond couldn't help but chuckle at his daughter's enthusiasm. He remembered he shared the same excitement when his grandmother would make pancakes when he was her age. He wished he could feel truly relaxed, but the vision of Madeleine's nonconscious form would remind him that he'd never truly be at ease. But in this moment, he was spending time with his daughter again. That was all he could ever ask for. 

As he slid the pancakes from the pan to a paper plate, Walnut hopped up to him excitedly and showed off a few sheets of paper. 

"I drew these for Sir Madeleine Cookie. Do you think he'll like them when he wakes up?"

Almond examined each drawing with a warm smile on his face. He did feel a little bad about keeping the severity of the situation vague from Walnut, but she was just a child and he didn't want to scare the poor thing. After he looked at all the drawings, he tussled her hair playfully as she giggled. 

"I'm sure he'll love them." 

As the family of two chatted about light-hearted things and set the table, there came a knock at the door.

"I'll get it!" 

Walnut skipped to the front door and opened it. Her smile grew when Latte stood before her. 

"Hiya, Miss Latte!"

Latte chuckled. "Hello, dear! Is your father home?"

As if on cue, Almond made his way to greet the wizard. 

"Morning, Latte. How'd you sleep?"

"Ah, not too well I'm afraid. You?"

"Eh, same here."

The two exchanged worried glances before Latte found her smile and chipper voice again. 

"But I have good news! I just got a call from Espresso,"

---

Soon the four adults found each other in the hallway to the infirmary again. The air seemed lighter than the day before. 

Almond cleared his throat. 

"Alright, let's all remain collected. We don't know what he's been through the past couple of weeks, so it's important we don't accidentally say anything that might upset him."

The others nodded.

"I suggest we all go in one by one. We don't wanna overwhelm him." Almond said. 

After a few hesitant seconds, Almond decided to go in first. Walnut happily followed, ready to show off her new drawings to Madeleine. Behind her was Latte, who was praying in her mind that the knight wouldn't be too afraid. 

Eclair looked over at Espresso, waiting for him to follow, only for the professor to let him go in front of him instead. 

Madeleine could hear the door opening, his adrenaline now on high alert. He found himself to be slightly relieved upon seeing Almond. 

"Good morning, Madeleine. It's good to see you back and awake."

Madeleine smiled. 

"Ah, good morning to you as well, Detective. It's...good to be back." 

Madeleine was almost caught off guard to see a child dashing in, only to realize it was only Almond's daughter Walnut. Walnut was a little surprised to see his hair cut so short, but she decided not to say anything so as not to unintentionally embarrass him. 

"Sir Madeleine Cookie! I heard you weren't feeling well, so I drew these for you!"

She handed him the pictures to the bedridden knight. The drawings were of him, either fighting off some dragons and beasts, or others of him posing dramatically. They were surprisingly decent-looking for a young Cookie her age. Above them were messages like, "Get well soon," and "Hope you feel better Sir Madalin," (he found it adorable how she misspelled his name. 

But one message stood out the most. "May the Divine Light be with you!"

The Divine Light...

This poor child...she truly didn't know...

His stomach churned at the damned name being written so innocently, but he masked his uncertainty with a hearty smile.

"These are absolutely magnificent, little one! I shall take them where ever I go!" 

Walnut felt proud of herself, and her smile grew.

"Hehe, thank you! I'm glad you like them!"

Latte walked in shortly after and gave Madeleine a smile as tears rolled down her cheeks. 

"Oh, Madeleine. Thank the Witches you're okay!" she exclaimed. 

The Witches...Latte didn't know either...

Madeleine chuckled.

"Of course I am! These are mere scratches." 

He flexed his arms as he said that, only to wince and reel them back.

"Ngh...drat!"

"Oh, dear..! Please, relax. You mustn't strain yourself." Latte said.

"Heh. It's alright. Nothing I can't handle." Madeleine reassured. 

Eclair ambled in next. Once again, he felt out of place among the others but found himself smiling when he saw Madeleine's heroic look. The historian removed his and gave a little bow. 

"Sir Madeleine Cookie, my name is Sir Eclair Cookie. I know we haven't been well acquainted, and I do apologize for not meeting under better circumstances. But it is good to see you in such high spirits."

Madeleine was delighted to see the historian, despite their faint knowledge of each other. That just meant he at least cared enough to support his friends if they needed it. 

"No need, Sir Eclair. My good friend Espresso Cookie has told me a lot about you. I hear you have a knack for historical artifacts. You must show me your collection when you get the chance!" 

Eclair's cheeks flared as he smiled bashfully. His eyes gleamed with pride. It was rare that someone showed him a genuine interest in his collection.

"H-he has? Last we spoke, he'd forgotten who I was. I suppose he really does care."

The historian tucked a strand of hair from his face behind his ear. He cleared his throat as he returned to a much more professional demeanor. 

"Yes, I have quite a collection in my office alone, if I do say so myself. There should be plenty that would pique your interest. I've many from the history of your Republic's Knight's Order. It's really quite inspiring..!"

He stopped himself before he could ramble on about his collection.

Madeleine swallowed. "Ah, from my Knight's Order you say? Please, do tell me more."

He was a bit scared to hear what relics were a part of Eclair's collection, but he had to hide his worries. He had to hide the truth. For now...

As the conversations went on, Latte looked over at Espresso, who was still standing outside the room. She politely excused herself before making her way toward him. 

"Espresso, it's okay. You can come in. Madeleine's okay now."

Espresso's shoulder jolted back as Latte's hand grazed it. 

"Don't talk to me as if I were some scared child," he grumbled. 

"I was just...catching my breath after running over here." 

He hated feeling this way. Feeling so scared. Scared of what he'd see; scared of what he'd say. After dismissing Madeleine constantly and just overall acting like a bitter colleague, would Madeleine even want to see him?

Latte could read him like a book. She could sense his uncertainty. 

"Espresso, you don't have to be afraid. Madeleine would be overjoyed to see you. I'm sure of it."

Espresso heaved a heavy sigh. Of course, it was pointless to lie to Latte. 

"I...I know he would. That oaf never did have any common sense."

After another calming breath, Espresso finally entered.

He internally clenched his stomach when he saw Madeleine's face. A cold sweat began to brew. 

As expected, Madeleine beamed when he saw Espresso. Despite how nervous about everything he was, it seemed to wash away at that moment. 

"Ah! There you are, Espresso! I was worried you were still locked in your office grading papers! Haha!"

Despite how bittersweet the entire situation was, he still decided to tease Espresso a little bit. After everything he went through, he needed a good laugh. It would be worth it to see the annoyed scowl on his face and hear his sassy remarks towards his teasing. 

Espresso hesitated. Witchdammit, it hurt to see that stupid grin again. Especially towards him. Espresso hated how it hurt him. What right did he have to feel that way? He wasn't the one covered in wounds. Madeleine was, and yet he made an effort to smile, and act like everything is okay. Like he wasn't missing for weeks, worrying everyone sick. Worrying Espresso sick. All while whoever did this was out there somewhere, cheering how they broke the great Madeleine Cookie. The least Espresso could do was give his friend a smile. 

Friend? No. Espresso didn't deserve to call him his friend. After treating him like something he scraped off his shoe, and for what? Over a bitter rivalry with Light Magic? Over past social class differences? As if the Cookie chooses either. 

Everyone was watching. Espresso had to say something. Might as well give them what they expect from him. 

He mustered up the best-annoyed look he could before speaking in his ever-so annoyed tone. 

"Yes, well, I got a break."

Madeleine could tell Espresso felt a little bit of melancholy. He couldn't blame him. He was gone for quite some time. Not to mention he had a new quest on his hands. One from his "captors". But...he wasn't going to worry about that now. All of his friends were together, and that was enough for him. He decided to tease Espresso a little bit more in an attempt to make him feel better. 

"Ha! Professor Espresso Cookie and breaks?! Now that's something I've not heard before!" 

A small smirk found itself on Espresso's face. He hated himself for it, but he kinda missed that.

Eclair gave a reassuring smile to Espresso. It was rare to see the bitter teacher show some inkling of gratefulness about another's wellbeing. Especially Madeleine's. He would have to remind himself to document it later. 

Madeleine was glad to finally get Espresso to smirk a little. A small victory for him. His heart felt like a cup of milk tea. 

"So, Madeleine," Almond started. "How...how are you feeling right now?"

Madeleine turned his gaze to Almond when he asked. Oh gods, he didn't want to answer that question. He was feeling terrified. Nervous. Upset. Angry. About everything. He felt hollow. Like everything that he believed in with all his heart just burned away. He also felt tired. So, so tired. Tired of acting like everything was fine. Tired of all the lies. 

"Eh, can't complain now that you're all here. Though I must admit, it is a tad embarrassing to be in your presence now that I have quite a shabby haircut."

Madeleine chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head.

Almond couldn't help but feel bad for him. He could tell in the knight's eyes that something was troubling him deeply. That he was still hurting inside. But...he let it slide just this once. He had been through hell, after all. 

Latte laid a gentle hand on Madeleine's uninjured shoulder, her smile was just as warm. 

"Aw, don't worry about it. It always grows back. Besides, you make short hair look good!" 

Espresso felt a fire in his soul. Whoever kidnapped him not only tortured him physically, but they cut his hair to humiliate him. And by the looks of the jaggedness, they didn't use shears. The thought of Madeleine in chains fighting for his dignity while those brutes dampen his pride strand by strand sent embers through his body. 

Whoever did this would pay.

Espresso found his composure once again. He cleared his throat and donned a teasing smile.

"Yes, and you won't have to spend an hour in the washroom grooming it."

Madeleine let out a hearty laugh as everyone else joined in. It was so good to see his friends in such high spirits again, even if he was just putting on a show. 

"I suppose you have a point! I won't have to keep getting it stuck in the door either!" 

More laughter. More smiles. Madeleine wanted this moment to last forever. 

The merry moments went on as if nothing was out of the ordinary, no violence occurred, in that moment they were just friends. 

All good things must eventually come to an end when a nurse came in, telling them that it was time for Madeleine to take his medication and rest. The four adults and Walnut all exchanged farewells to Madeleine, and they were gone. 

Alone once again. 

His friends had left. The nurse gave him his medication and left. Now, here he was. Bedridden and alone. Alone with his thoughts.

Normally, he didn't mind having a bit of alone time. He'd often use that time reading a good book. Or taking a brisk nature walk. Or polishing his armor. Or...or...

Praying to the Divine...

He used to love praying. He'd pray for hours before he went to bed and before he got out. But now...he felt if he uttered a single prayer to himself, it'd bring him nothing but misery. 

He decided to sleep off his negative thoughts. If there was anything he loved about sleeping, it was his dreams. They always ended with him victorious. This one, however...

"Let's have some fun."

Visions of Red Velvet taunted his brain. The way he sunk his claws into his chest. The way he ripped a chunk of his neck and shoulder off. The way he watched as the Brutes cut his hair, and the satisfied look afterward. All these visions kept spiraling in his brain. For an hour. Until he woke up drenched. 

He frantically looked around, hoping that he was just back home. Hoping it was all just a bad dream. Hoping that--

He felt the bandages. 

Reality...cruel reality. 

Another thing lurked in his mind. 

A mission. 

Dark Enchantress Cookie gave him a mission. One that would surely make him look bad at first glance. But...for the good of all Cookies, it has to be done. 

"Once you recover, your first task is to venture out to the Vanilla Kingdom, steal Pure Vanilla Cookie's Soul Jam, and return it to me. Then, I will give you your next task."

"But...how should I retrieve it? W-with all due respect, I don't think he'd just give it to me willingly."

"If you wish, you can try diplomacy first. But, if that fails..."

If that fails...he knew all too well what she had meant without her even saying the words. 

He curled up in his bed alone, his aching body racked with sobs. 

The beloved heroic knight was about to become a murderer. 

---

Espresso was no stranger to late nights. In fact, he much preferred them. Staying up with his studies and a cup of coffee was his version of relaxing without the burden of sleep.

This time was different. 

The idea of destroying whoever hurt Madeleine was still molded into his brain. Who? How? Why? Madeleine was a famed hero, sure, but to go so far as to kidnap and torture him? What could they gain from that? Information? Revenge? Twisted pleasure? All possibilities crowded Espresso's head so much that it caused him to accidentally summon a gust of black magic from his palm, knocking over an old stack of parchment. 

"Oh great." Espresso heaved an exasperated sigh. Now he had cleaning up to worry about. 

Shifting over the piles, he noticed something peculiar: An old tome. It looked like it would be something of Eclair's, but the sigils and inscription clearly originated from the Coffee Tribe. Espresso suddenly began to recall:

"Grimoire of the Dark Brew"

It was an ancient kin heirloom that holds old knowledge of Dark Coffee Magic. Some say it contained deep magic that dated back before the Witches. Others believed it to hold the power to reverse death. To Espresso, it was a paperweight. He'd been too focused on his modern magic teachings for years, it seemed pointless to teach old writings. Leave that to Eclair. 

Still, he supposed it wouldn't hurt to check it out.

Chapter Text

Almond sat in his bedroom wide awake as Constable Whiskers slept next to him. He gently stroked the cat's soft fur as the events of today played in his mind. The memory of Madeleine's condition still stuck in his mind, making him shiver. But the thing that he thought about most...was what Espresso had said the night before.

"I'll kill them..."

He felt empathy for his friend. Almond would be lying to himself if he said he didn't want to get to the bottom of this and kill whoever tortured Madeleine. But, he didn't like to see his friend so angry. To see such raw anger on his face. 

He spotted the phone on his desk. Maybe he should give Espresso a call and check in on him, make sure he didn't go out looking for trouble. Not that he figured the calm and collected Espresso Cookie would do something so reckless, but emotions often drive one to do many things. Almond knew that like the back of his eyelids. 

Putting his cat aside, Almond dialed the number. 

---

The rotary phone was muted and vibrated underneath the new pile of parchment, causing it to fall over and the ringing blared. It rang for a while before a slack ebony hand grabbed it. Espresso's voice was calm but groggy like he was speaking through molasses. 

"Hello..?"

No answer. 

Espresso realized he was holding the phone upside down, and repositioned it, clearing his throat. 

"Hello?"

Almond couldn't help but chuckle. Poor Espresso, holding the phone upside down again.

"Evening, Espresso. Staying up late again?"

Espresso took a sip straight from a fresh coffee pot. 

"You could say that." Espresso heard another chuckle.

"Hey, no shame in that. I'm a bit of a night owl myself."

Almond fidgeted with the phone cord. He could tell Espresso was up to something based on the tone of his voice. 

Looks like he'll have to play dad again. 

"So...how are you holding up after today?"

Espresso took a quick glance around his office. 

A sea of parchment flooded the floors that it was almost impossible for one to walk without stepping on one. The only part of the wooded floor that was exposed was covered in sigils etched in chalk. Espresso was trying to recreate the same symbols multiple times. He had to memorize them and get them just right. The Grimoire lay in the center of a magic circle. He had apparently run out of chalk at some point because the circle was etched in ground coffee. Scorch marks stained the area around the circle from previous failed attempts. It was exhausting work but he had to get it right. For Madeleine. 

Espresso realized he was still on the phone with Almond. 

"Oh, you know me. I always let these things go."

"Hmm...I see..."

Almond knew that was a blatant lie. If his hesitation wasn't a big enough hint, it was definitely the tone. Any Cookie would find that hard to pick up on, but Almond's experience as a detective has taught him to pay attention to even the most subtle hints. 

"What are you up to right now? Anything interesting?"

"Ha. Even if I did explain it, I doubt you'd understand."

Espresso mentally kicked himself as he just remembered Almond's profession. Not only was he a famed detective, but he specialized in Magical Emergency Handling. Of course, he'd be knowledgeable about magical properties, especially if they're forbidden. 

"Uh, that is, since Madeleine has returned, classes are going to be starting again soon. So, we've plenty to catch up on." 

Ah. A sudden change in tone. Espresso was definitely about to do something brash.  

"Listen, Espresso. Whatever you're doing, just don't do it. I want whoever hurt Madeleine to be brought to justice just as much as you do, but I know you're about to do something reckless. As your friend, I want you to stop what you're doing and go get some rest. Madeleine wouldn't want you to stay up all night like this." 

Espresso should've known lying to a detective was pointless, even if he thinned the truth out. 

Still, maybe Almond was right. Maybe this was too brash. Maybe he should stop, and just leave it to the professionals. He could spend that entire time keeping Madeleine company, the way he never did before. Say all the things he never got to say. That was starting to sound a lot better than what he was planning to do. 

What was he thinking? He wasn't a vigilante, he was a teacher. A friend. And Madeleine needed one more than ever. If he can still call himself that. 

Espresso heaved a heavy sigh. 

"O-of...course, Almond. I apologize. I got carried away in my anger. It was...very unprofessional of me."

Almond also shared a sigh as he fidgeted with the cord some more.

"Hey, it's okay. Happens to the best of us. The important thing is that Madeleine is back safely." 

The detective sat up on his bed before continuing. 

"If it makes you feel better, I'll start investigating tomorrow and see if I can find any information on his captor. Once I find them, I'll personally throw them in jail. Heh. I may even let you come down and give them a talking to afterward. How's that sound?"

Espresso found his smile again. His face felt warm and comforting. 

"Heh. Sounds like a plan."

He sunk into his sofa. It felt nice to relax his knees after sitting on them for so long. 

"...Thank you, Almond. For...everything." 

Almond felt a warm smile creep on his face as well. Espresso's words sounded sincere this time. 

"Anytime, pal. That's what friends are for, right?"

Espresso chuckled. "Right. Anyhow, as much as I'd love to keep this sentimental moment going, I'd better turn in for the night. Heh. Never thought I'd utter those words in a million years."

"Alright, I'll leave you to it. Goodnight, Espresso."

"Goodnight, Detective."

After hanging up the phone, Espresso couldn't help but feel lighter. As if a massive weight was removed from his shoulders. 

He hesitantly looked around his office. This was going to take hours to clean up even with magic. Maybe he could clean it up tomorrow? It's not like anyone would walk in on his office this late. Even so, he supposed it would be unorthodox to leave his office messy.

Espresso felt a faint rumbling in his stomach. Maybe he should get something to eat first. Can't work on an empty stomach. The cafeteria was closed this late, but maybe there was still a scone leftover in the kitchen, or he could whip up a sandwich. He was beginning to have an odd craving for marshmallow fluff. His stomach growled louder. 

Locking his door, Espresso made his way down the hall. 

Shortly after, he spotted Madeleine's door ahead. Even in his state, it wouldn't be unusual for the knight to be awake at this hour. Perhaps he'd like something from the kitchen that wasn't absolute slop for once.

Before Espresso could go any further, he froze when he heard something.

Talking? No. Crying. Someone was crying. It was coming from Madeleine's room. Espresso peeked through the door gap.

Madeleine was crying. Curled up in a fetal position, his back facing the door. He reminded Espresso of a scared child who'd woken up from a nightmare. Only Madeleine's nightmare was real. 

Espresso got a better look at Madeleine's back from underneath the pale moonlight. 

Scars. Long, jagged scars crept from underneath the bandages. They were definitely not from the claws of any beast. But it looked crueler than a whip. Espresso's nails dug into the wooden door, leaving behind dents. Something wet crawled down his face. 

Suddenly losing his appetite, Espresso retreated back to his office. 

If he explained everything to Almond, surely he'd understand. 

Everyone would understand the truth. 

---

After he hung up, Almond released a sigh of relief he was holding on to. He felt good to know that Espresso was starting to feel better. He then thought about giving Latte and Eclair a call, but given how late it was, he figured they were likely asleep by now. He then thought about getting to bed himself, only to notice how dry his throat was. A glass of water should help.

Making his way down the stairs and into the kitchen, he was surprised to see Walnut at the table. She was scribbling something down on a sheet of loose-leaf paper. 

"Walnut?" 

Walnut jumped, nearly dropping her pencil. 

"Gah! Oh, uh...hiya, Dad!"

"Honey, what are you still doing up? I thought I tucked you in a while ago."

Walnut glanced down at her paper, then back at her father. She was a little embarrassed about getting caught, but her dad was a detective after all. 

"W-well...I kept thinking about how hurt Sir Madeleine Cookie looked, s-so...I wanted to do some brainstorming...for what might've attacked him..."

Almond couldn't help but feel a little bad. He hadn't told his daughter that there was a huge chance that the "what" that attacked Madeleine was actually a "who". 

"Aw, honey. I appreciate what you're doing here, but it's very late right now. You should go back to bed. It is a school night after all."

"B-but I wanna help Sir Madeleine, too! Maybe if I just brainstorm a little bit more--"

She was interrupted when her father placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, giving her a small sad smile. 

"I know you wanna help, and it's sweet of you to think about Madeleine. But his case is a bit more like...grown-up stuff, if you will."

"I can handle grown-up stuff!" Walnut piped in.

"You're eight years old, hun. You're still a kid."

"But I'm more grown-up than before! I'm not seven anymore!"

Almond chuckled.

"Haha, true. But still, I'd rather you not get involved in a case like this. It's a bit scarier than you think."

"B-but..."

"Know what? I'll make you a deal." Almond kneeled to her eye level.

"After I solve this case, I promise you you can help with the next one. How's that sound?"

Walnut pondered for a bit then nodded her head excitedly. 

"Okay! But you better keep that promise."

Walnut playfully punched Almond on the shoulder. He chuckled as he rubbed the "sore spot". 

"Haha! Don't worry, I will."

He then gave her a small kiss goodnight on her forehead. With a smile, she hugged him back. 

"Get some sleep now, honey," Almond said. "I'll wake you up in the morning."

"Okay. Goodnight, Dad!"

"Heh. Night, Walnut."

As Walnut made her way back upstairs to her room, Almond looked down at what she had been brainstorming about on her loose-leaf paper. There were typical beast theories, such as bears, dragons, wolves, and even Cake Monsters. But something at the bottom of her list caught his eye.

• "Cookie with a scary claw"

A Cookie with a scary claw? That's...strange. Where had Walnut gotten that idea?

Oh well. It was too late in the night to ask her about it now. And so, he had gotten himself a glass of water and walked back to his room with the list of Walnut's "suspects" with him.

"Cookie with a scary claw"

Interesting...where can he find a Cookie like that? 

A prideful smile gleamed over Almond's face.

"Hmm. Looks like you might be onto something, kiddo." 

---

Espresso's eyes snapped open. He didn't know how long he'd been asleep, but judging by the sunlight peeking through the curtains and nearly reaching the other side of the room, he figured it must be the 7th hour of the day. How irresponsible of him to fall asleep. 

As his head jerked up from his desk, a sudden wave of pain rushed through his temples. That research must've taken a lot out of him. He didn't realize how much he was drooling either as he pried a piece of parchment from his cheek. Looking at the pool in disgust, he cleaned it off with a simple spell. 

Now, the rest of his office to go. 

With the snap of his fingers, dozens of magical brooms began sweeping up the mess, setting everything back in its proper place. 

Espresso finally noticed the magic circle. After a long night, he finally did it. He finally discovered a spell that could help Madeleine. With the spell, he could see into Madeleine's mind and possibly see who hurt him. All he needed was something of Madeleine. A piece of fabric? Although it has to be something he wore during his capture, his soiled clothes had been thrown away when he was checked into the infirmary. A strand of hair was more practical. However, given how short it is now, it'd be tricky to get one that easily fell out. Perhaps...a drop of his Jam? No. Espresso knew very well the dangers of combining Jam with Dark Magic. This was going to be harder than he thought. 

After the rest of his office was clean enough, he hid the circle under a rug, hastily shoved the Grimoire in a drawer under his desk, and made his way out of his office. 

He didn't know how, but he'd do whatever it takes to help Madeleine. 

Latte roamed through the hallways on her way to the infirmary. She was carrying a basket of blueberry muffins for Madeleine. He figured he could use a sweet treat after everything that's happened. Besides, hospital food wasn't necessarily...palatable to say the least. She hoped he was feeling a bit better today.

As she was on her way, she spotted Espresso walking out of his office. She smiled and waved at him. 

"Good morning, Espresso! Are you going to see Madeleine too?"

Upon hearing Latte's cheerful voice, the pain in Espresso's head grew worse. 

"Ugh...Morning, Latte." He groaned, rubbing his temple.

"And yes, I suppose."

"Oh, wonderful! Let's go together!" 

Without waiting for Espresso's response, Latte pulled him by the hand and practically began dragging him to Madeleine's room. 

"So, did you get any sleep last night?" Latte asked.

Espresso thought of his research. The book. The sigils. The circle. His discovery. 

"You could say that. As short as it was. Can't say it was pleasant either." 

Latte shared a sympathetic look. She wouldn't have expected him to sleep pleasantly, if at all. She wondered if anyone else had the same trouble. 

"Ah, same here, unfortunately. I did try my best, but I just...couldn't."

She looked down at the ground as she said this. Sure, she did fall asleep during a few spurts of the night, but she kept jolting awake after a few hellish nightmares about Madeleine's injuries. The main thing that scared her about those nightmares, however...

Was that the Cookie torturing Madeleine also resembled him...only the other Madeleine had hellish red eyes instead of the beautiful royal blue. 

It took a moment for Latte to realize she was tearing up. Quickly wiping her eyes, she did her best to resume her optimistic tone.

"But! Today's a new day! Let's not spend it dwelling on the night before!"

Espresso rolled his eyes at her child-friendly optimism, but he supposed she had a point. Although it was difficult for him not to dwell on the night of his endless studies. He needed answers. He knew what he needed to get that and he was ready to accept whatever comes his way. Whatever it takes. For Madeleine. 

---

Madeleine examined his face in the mirror across from his bed. Gods, he looked absolutely terrible. As if the bandages around his forehead and his shabby haircut weren't bad enough, the bags under his eyes and the dried tear streaks on his cheeks amplified how awful he looked. He barely slept at all last night. He just couldn't stop thinking about the pain. About Velvet. About Dark Enchantress...

About his mission...about Pure Vanilla Cookie's Soul Jam...

He flinches as he heard a knock on the door, followed by a familiar feminine voice calling out to him. Quickly wiping his face, and adjusting his slouched posture, he merrily addressed to the door. 

"Ah--yes? Come in!"

The door opened as Latte poked her head in. She smiled and walked toward his bedside with her basket. 

"Good morning, Madeleine! I hope you don't mind us dropping by real quick."

Madeleine's muscles eased upon seeing his two close friends. Anyone but doctors and nurses were just fine with him.

"Good morning to you both as well! And I don't mind at all! You can come here as much as you like!"

He then looked over at his end table where a cup of half-eaten pudding was sitting. He decided he wanted to be funny once more, to lighten the somber atmosphere he created around him. So, he grabbed the pudding cup and held it as if he were shielding it from harm, and using the plastic spoon like a sword.

 "Just don't touch my pudding and we're cool."

Latte giggled and decided to tease him as well.

"Oh, well then I suppose you won't be needed these muffins then!"

Madeleine's cheeks pinked and his eyes lit up.

"Well! In that case, take my pudding! I don't need it!" 

They both shared a laugh as Madeleine selected a cranberry muffin from the basket. For a brief moment, he almost forgot all about the stress, pain, and guilt. Almost.

Espresso found himself smiling as his friends joked. Visions of Madeleine crying the night before flashed in his mind, and his smile faded. He wasn't allowed to smile. Not now. 

He had to remember his mission. Something of Madeleine that he had during his capture. But what?

"Well, I suppose it was the will of the Divine that we arrived when we did." he said as if he one hundred percent believed in his words. 

He never thought he'd be the one talking about ethereal beings, but Madeleine always loved it when the Divine was mentioned. 

Madeleine frowned.

The Divine...

Dear heavens...he hated keeping this dreaded secret from his friends for so long...that the Divine wasn't real...that his efforts in the name were in vain...

He didn't let it show, but he was screaming inside.

"Haha! I suppose it was, wasn't it?"

The thing that caught him off guard was that it was Espresso of all Cookies mentioning the Divine in a positive way...

How pathetically ironic this situation turned out to be...Madeleine's faith in the Divine had faltered like a withered rose while apparently Espresso's had grown like a dandelion.

 Espresso noticed the enthusiasm he expected was severely lacking. He remembered Madeleine crying again. Of course, it'd be hard for him. Madeleine probably prayed to the Divine during his endless torment, but no miracle arrived. He had to escape by himself. Although, Espresso supposed that itself was a miracle. Maybe he just needed to remind Madeleine of that.

"Your Divine works in mysterious ways, I suppose. The fact that you're alive and still yourself is proof of miracles."

Gods...again with the Divine?! Was...was Espresso feeling okay? Did he hit his head on the way here?

"Ah...I appreciate your words, my friend. But...it was more so luck than a miracle that I escaped, to put it realistically..."

Latte's brows shot up to the ceiling. To hear Madeleine of all Cookies disagrees with the idea of miracles. Why, that was practically the majority of his beliefs, that miracles do indeed happen. 

"Well...It certainly was a miracle to us at least. We were worried sick, you know?" she said softly.

Madeleine began to nervously pick at the bandages over his neck without realizing it. He hated how tense the atmosphere became once the forsaking Divine was mentioned. 

"I...I realize that...and...I truly am sorry for worrying you all. I...I hope you can forgive me..."

That last sentence was meant to be said in his mind, but it found its way through his throat. 

"Oh, Madeleine..." Latte cooed.

"You have nothing to apologize for. You've done nothing wrong." 

Espresso's brows furrowed. Whoever hurt Madeleine really did a number on his faith. That's what was most unforgivable.

"Indeed. If anyone is to blame, it's the brutes who harmed you."

Maybe if he could get Madeleine to describe his captors, it could save him from using the spell. Besides, what if Madeleine was blindfolded? Then the spell would be pointless. 

"You...wouldn't happen to know that much, would you?"

Espresso continued to surprise Madeleine today. Not only did he mention the Divine twice, but now he's asking a question that Almond would probably ask him. And he didn't really want to answer. He would have been happy to if the situation was different, but...

Considering that he was now working for his captors, and the added bonus of fearing the very Cookies who tortured him...he didn't want to risk it. Besides, if he ever let the smallest detail slip, he would fear for his friends' lives if Red Velvet or Dark Enchantress Cookie decided to do anything to them...

"Ah, um...I-I'm afraid not...my apologies..."

Latte noticed the subtle change in Madeleine's averted eyes. He was definitely lying...but why?

"Madeleine...it's okay." She took his hand in her gentle fingers. 

"You don't have to be scared. We're your friends. You can tell us anything."

"I...Latte, really. I truly don't know. I-I'm sorry..."

Now the look in his eyes became more obvious. Any Cookie would be able to point out that Madeleine was lying. That he did indeed know what his captors looked like. That he knew where he was held captive. But there was a reason he didn't want to answer truthfully. He looked scared. Not just scared, he looked like he was about to cry. As if the very room would crumble if he let the tiniest detail slip.  

Madeleine wasn't just scared, he was terrified.

Espresso internally kicked himself repeatedly. Of course, that was too direct! What was he thinking?!

"Ah, no. I'm the one who should apologize. That was personal, and I'm not owed any information regarding your business. I'm sorry, Madeleine. I truly am."

Espresso bowed at his hips, and Latte soon followed.

"I'm very sorry too...I shouldn't have put pressure on you. You don't have to tell us anything you're not comfortable with."

Gods, now Madeleine felt bad. He knew they were just trying to help. He would've been more willing to tell them...but...he just couldn't.

They can't know.

No one must ever know.

"N-no need to apologize...I just...Don't want you to get hurt."

Another sentence that was meant for his mind, only to slip out. Dammit, when will he learn to keep his mouth shut?

The two looked up in surprise. Hurt? What did he mean by that?

"With all due respect, it's you who needs healing, not us," said Espresso.

"Ah...right." Madeleine stammered. 

"I-I suppose you have a point..."

Latte noticed Madeleine tearing up and went to wipe his face.

"Aw, Madeleine. It's oka--"

But as soon as she placed her hand over his cheek, he suddenly smacked it away. When Latte gasped and took a step back, Madeleine realized what he did.

"Oh, oh heavens! Latte, I-I'm so sorry! I-I don't know what came over me!"

"I-it's alright..." Latte mewed.

"I shouldn't have startled you like that."

It pained Espresso to see the fearless hero cower from mere contact like a scared child. It only ignited the flame in his belly hotter.

For the time being, he suppressed his anger.

"It's alright, Madeleine. We're here, and you're home now. You're not going anywhere." 

Madeleine knew for a fact that Espresso was wrong. But...his words still comforted him. Espresso had spoken to him in a gentle tone he never thought he'd hear from him.

"I...Thank you. Both of you..."

Espresso smiled, clearing his throat. Perhaps it's time for a change in subject.

"So, I suppose we should talk about what we should do once you recover. There's a new cafe that's open late. I've never tried it, but I heard it serves great pastries. If that's not of interest, Eclair's been dying to show someone his new relic collection from the Republic." 

Both those options sounded nice to Madeleine. Despite having to carry on a dreadful mission after recovery, Dark Enchantress Cookie never specified he needed to do it immediately after that. Anything that dreadful could always wait until after he'd spent some extra time with his friends. 

"That sounds quite nice, actually. I'd love that."

Despite everything, he had found his smile again. 

The pleasant conversations lasted for another hour until a nurse interrupted and politely told Espresso and Latte to leave for Madeleine to take his afternoon dose and rest. The three exchanged farewells. 

Madeleine gave the nurse the trash and leftover food to throw away. When he handed her his empty pudding cup, he hardly noticed the spoon was missing. 

Chapter Text

Almond had quite an eventful morning. Not only did he have to drop his daughter off at school, but he received many calls from fellow officers about Cookies performing illegal magic. A typical day in the life of the detective. Oh well. It was better than spending days trying to find Madeleine without any leads, worrying about his safety. He could almost hear Latte lecturing him in his mind now.

"You shouldn't be working so much after handling one big case after another! You need to rest too, you know!"

She had said to him this morning. While she was right, he was too stubborn to listen. "A detective never rests", he would often say. Although, he was hoping to make time in his busy schedule to visit Madeleine. Unfortunately, once he finally made a phone call to the infirmary, it was afternoon and visiting hours were closed until the evening. 

So far, he didn't receive any more calls, and he was thankful for that.

He thought about what he could do during his downtime before hopefully visiting Madeleine in the evening. Perhaps a brisk nature walk through the woods? He could use a bit of fresh air.

He then remembered the list of "suspects" Walnut made last night and looked at it a bit more. He couldn't get the final suspect out of his head even if he tried. 

'If I here a Cookie with a scary claw, where would I be? More importantly, who exactly would I be?'

He remembered Walnut briefly mentioning that she sometimes passed the peculiar Cookie by in the woods while riding bikes with her friends. Almond was planning on taking a walk anyway...

However, he needed more information. Maybe there was a village of Cookies with supposedly scary claws that he didn't know about? Maybe there was a history of clawed Cookies?

He knew only one Cookie who'd be knowledgable on the subject.

---

The Parfaedian Museum was no stranger to quiet days. Most who attend the facility either have a mild interest in history or are just browsing out of boredom. None were as enthusiastic about it as the curator.

Eclair was humming a merry tune to himself as he dusted off one relic after another ever so delicately when he heard the front doorbell ring open. The curator donned on his signature friendly smile and went to greet the new incomer.

"Welcome to the Parfeadian Museum! Home of the finest--Oh!"

His smile never faltered upon seeing the detective.

"Hello, Detective Almond Cookie. How are you today?"

Almond couldn't help but allow a smile to etch unto his face as well. 

"Good afternoon, Eclair. Not too bad, I suppose. You?"

Eclair straightened his hat as he made his way around the curator desk to meet with Almond. 

"Oh, you know. Can hardly tell the time of day, they go by so fast." Eclair placed the feather duster in a drawer behind the front desk.

"So, what brings you here? How's Madeleine, by the way?"

Almond took another sip of his coffee. He still felt bad that he wasn't able to see the knight this morning, but it wasn't like he wouldn't be able to see him in the evening. 

"Ah, I'm honestly not sure. I didn't get the chance to visit him yet. I plan to once visit hours open back up though. And...as for why I'm here..."

He pulled out a sheet of paper and pointed to the bottom. 

"I know this may just look like imaginative ideas of a child, but my daughter had written down something interesting here...she was theorizing last night about who took Madeleine."

He pondered a bit before he continued. Witchdammit, he hoped he didn't look ridiculous right now.

"Now, I realize this could just be her imagination, but it seems oddly specific to be just a mere fictional being. I've never seen any Cookies with claws around here, but I figured...perhaps you might know something about it. So...tell me. Do you know anything about a clawed Cookie? Perhaps a population of clawed Cookies somewhere?"

Eclair pondered for a moment. Usually, he's prepared to answer any question on the spot, but this was one of those rare times he was stumped.

"Clawed Cookie, you say? Can't say that sounds familiar. Oh!"

An idea sparked in his mind. He rushed to a nearby shelf and scanned the spines for a moment before finally finding what he was looking for: An old but clean book with a fierce beast head on the cover, reading  "Fantastical Creatures And Where To Find Them From The Comfort Of Your Own Museum". 

"Perhaps you're referring to Lycans or werewolves? Although, I doubt it. It's a rare occurrence, and werewolves don't typically capture their prey, let alone torture them." 

Eclair went pale just thinking about Madeleine's state. Clearing his throat, he continued on. 

"The only other beasts known for having claws are Cake Monsters. Unless we're dealing with a brand new evolution of Cookies with developed claws..."

Excitedly, Eclair pulled out a scroll and quill from his hat and scribbled down notes. 

At first glance, the possibility of Lycans or werewolves made sense. But just like Eclair said, they just kill and eat their prey. Cake Monsters, however...that theory seemed more plausible. Then again, the "Cookie with a scary claw" was written separately from "Cake Monsters" on the list.

"Hmm...Cookies developing claws..." Almond repeated to himself.

He then thought up a theory. One that didn't necessarily make sense to him, but theories often started off that way.

"Eclair, this may sound a bit far-fetched question, but is it possible for Cookies to have Cake Monster limbs?"

Eclair looked up from his scroll.

"Hmm...I'm not exactly a baking expert, but I suppose it's possible. Though I'd hate to see anyone try and mix their dough with that wicked filth. Only the Witches know what kind of horrid madness brews with such a concoction." 

Eclair grew pale again, just shuddering at the thought.

Still, the idea of a Cookie with a claw. He was starting to find some familiarity with that. But where?

"Ah. I do apologize I couldn't be of much help to your investigation, Detective."

"Eh, it's alright. I figured that was going to be a difficult question anyway."

He then pondered some more, remembering the brief description Walnut gave him.

"Walnut did say she passed by a clawed Cookie in the woods once. She also said they had red dough and mismatched eyes..."

Almond realized he was thinking out loud and sought another opportunity to ask another question. Maybe he could get a better lead if Eclair knew the dough and eye color.

"I apologize for all these questions. I promise this is the last one. Does a Cookie with red dough and mismatched eyes sound familiar to you?"

Eclair rubbed his chin.

"Hmmm...Well, I can't say I've personally seen such an oddly mixed Cooke. But..."

His curious eyes wandered to the back room behind his desk. 

"Now that you mention it--"

Ding dong! Bing bong!

Eclair's attention snapped back toward the chiming grandfather clock. 2 o'clock.

"Oh dear, is it that time already? I'm terribly sorry for this, Almond. I truly am. I'd almost completely forgotten it was Field Trip Day. But I promise I will look deeper into the matter at a later date, and I will let you know if I find anything."

Almond did feel a bit disappointed. He was so close to getting some sort of answer. But he understood Eclair had other matters to attend to.

"It's quite alright. I appreciate you taking the time to try and help me."

Eclair gave him a sympathetic smile as he sheepishly fidgeted with his hair. Oh, how he hated leaving a mystery unsolved.

"Anytime, my friend."

He showed Almond out with a polite farewell. And he was left alone in his museum.

'Cookie with a strange claw'

This unsolved mystery was certainly going to be on his mind all day, even with thousands of distractions surrounding him. Perhaps some dusting would help him take his mind off it until the classes arrive.

'Cookie with a strange claw'

This was going to be a long day.

...

Almond examined the list once more. It did seem like Eclair had some familiarity with a Cookie with red dough and mismatched eyes. So Walnut's idea began to sound much more legit.

'Well...into the woods, I go.'  he thought.

Of course, he had no idea if this mysterious Cookie was even going to be in the woods at this moment. But still, it was worth a shot.

There's a slim chance this particular Cookie was Madeleine's captor, but maybe they had some useful information for the detective.

---

Nighttime couldn't come sooner. 

Espresso locked himself in his office, nothing unusual for the professor. He liked his privacy when he was pulling another all-nighter with his studies. This time, however, was different. 

And much more illegal.

He placed the plastic spoon in the center of the coffee circle. Everything was ready.

Could he really do this? This is a dark forbidden spell he was dealing with. He could lose his job or get arrested or banished forever. That is, if anyone found out. Even if he told Almond, it wouldn't matter. His evidence was attained by achieving an unlawful act, so his evidence would just become void and all his hard work would've been for nothing. He can't possibly do this.

But if he didn't, Madeleine would never have peace of mind again until his captors faced justice. Even Almond doesn't have a lead as far as he knew. This was his best chance.

Taking a deep breath, Espresso pressed his hands against the circle and began to chant.

Stacks of papers rattled, and curtains waved as a breeze wafted around the office. The breeze quickly became a maelstrom as a crimson glow illuminated the circle and sigils etched on the floor. As Espresso finished the chant, a beam of red light shot from the center of the circle and into his forehead. He grunted in pain as his eyes glowed the same color. 

Blurred visions danced before his eyes, and he heard muffled voices, distorted as if they were all speaking at once. He wasn't sure if they were coming from his office or the vision. It pained his head to focus on them but he fought through it. For Madeleine. 

"Come one...focus...!" he grunted.

"...ets...av...sm...fn..."

Before Espresso could decipher that muffled voice, he felt a sudden pain in his chest and gasped. It felt as if he'd been struck with several meat hooks, and lifted off his feet. Pain erupted from his cheek. Several times. 

He wanted to cry, to writhe until the pain goes away, but he can't. He needed to fight through it and focus on the figure. The pain ceased, allowing Espresso to catch his breath, only to feel something sharp press against his neck. It then slowly dragged down to his shoulder. 

The maelstrom carried his screams around the room.

Red-hot tears poured down his face. 

He has to stop. Now. 

It hurts! 

It hurts so much! 

No! 

He was close. 

The figure, the Cookie before him. It was starting to clear up. He just needed to focus. He just needed to--

He felt something on his face. Not just in the vision, but there in his office. It slipped between his lips. Jam. His nose was leaking Jam. His head was spinning. His stomach lurched and emptied the contents of his stomach onto the wooden floor. He felt worse now but the figure was getting clearer. He couldn't stop. For Madeleine.

Almost there...

Just a little--

His vision blackened, and his body slumped over his own vomit, like a marionette with its strings cut. 

Before darkness took over, Espresso unconsciously gripped a piece of parchment. In his dazed state, he'd drawn the last figure he saw in his own Jam. 

A silhouette of a Cookie with a peculiar claw.

Chapter Text

Luck was not on Almond's side. 

Not only was he unable to find a trace of the mysterious clawed Cookie, but he was too busy to visit Madeleine that evening. Shortly after he picked up his daughter from school, he once again received one call too many about illegal magic activities. A wave of guilt washed over him, but Madeleine would understand the detective's duties. Besides, he was supposed to be released from the infirmary tomorrow morning. 

He didn't get back home until very late, for the babysitter had already gotten Walnut to sleep. Shortly after he paid the sitter and made sure they got to their car safely, he collapsed onto the couch, too tired to change out of his work clothes and into his striped pajamas. 

Almond was surprised to be awoken by Walnut, who was already dressed for school and nibbling on a slice of toast she made herself. After he hurriedly dropped her off at school, he received a call from Latte, asking if he'd like to take a break from his work and go to the new cafe with Espresso, Eclair, and Madeleine to celebrate his recovery.

"Hm...I could definitely use a break...but there's still one mystery I've yet to solve..."

"Oh come on, Almond! You have to learn to take it easy once in a while. Treat yourself! Relax with us! Whatever mystery you have to solve, it can wait. It's bad enough you're graying at your age."

Almond chuckled. 

"Haha! I was hoping you wouldn't notice. Alright, alright. You've convinced me."

"Great! Meet us at the infirmary, okay?"

"Roger that."

After getting the okay from his superiors to take a break, Almond made his way to the Institute infirmary, where he saw a familiar figure waiting by the doorway. It was Eclair. 

He was holding an old scroll in his hands as if he were guarding it with his life, anxiously fidgeting with the ribbon that bound it. He shouldn't be so nervous. Today was about celebrating Madeleine's recovery. He should be trembling with excitement, but upon reading what he learned...

He jumped when Almond entered his peripheral vision, and donned his best faux grin. 

"Ah! Detective Almond, so good to see you! H-how has your morning been?" 

"Good to see ya too, Eclair. It's pretty good so far. You?"

Almond glanced down at Eclair's hands then back up. There was definitely a look in his eyes that didn't match his face. It didn't take a detective to see he was disturbed.

Before Almond could ask about the scroll, Latte practically burst through the door with an excited look on her face, Madeleine in tow.

"Guess who's free from the hospital!"

Madeleine's face flushed at Latte's singsong voice and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Haha! N-no need to get too excited. I've only been in there for a few days."

Almond turned to Madeleine and smiled. Madeleine returned the look.

"Hey, we're just happy that you're finally in good shape. I missed seeing you stop by the office."

Wiping his brow, Eclair quietly slipped the scroll under his hat. 

"Good morning, Professor Latte. And to you, Sir Madeleine. It's good to see you in such good health."

Despite worrying about his mission and how his body still ached, Madeleine couldn't help but feel lighter knowing he'd at least get to spend a day with his friends.

"Ah, thank you all. It's...it's good to finally start to moving my legs."

"Speaking of moving legs, are we all ready to go?" Latte asked.

"Heh, I suppose. Though, we should probably wait for Espresso to get here," said Almond.

"Oh yeah! Now that you mention it, I didn't see him at all this morning. Wonder where he is..."

Madeleine realized Espresso's disappearance as well. It probably wouldn't have felt so weird if Espresso had the habit of running late. But...he's always the first one to arrive at a meet-up. Especially since he was the first one who mentioned meeting at the new cafe.

"Gods, I hope he's not drowning in grading papers. He's working way too much if that's the case!" Madeleine laughed.

"Hm...that's strange. If he was busy working, you'd think he'd give us a call..." Almond rubbed his stubble. 

"Perhaps he overslept?" said Latte.

Madeline let out a wholehearted chortle.

"Hahaha! Espresso and oversleeping? That's quite the rarity!"

The thought was amusing to Almond too. But...he didn't know why...he just couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. And his intuitions were almost never wrong. 

"Maybe we should check his office."

Nodding, the four walked down a few doors until they reached their destination. Latte was the first to knock.

No answer.

Madeleine then decided to make his presence known.

No answer.

Eclair hesitantly pressed down on the bar knob. It stopped midway with a metallic click. Locked.

"Maybe he went somewhere?" Eclair asked.

"Without telling us or leaving a note?" retorted Almond, and Eclair's fingers recoiled to his palms.

Just like the rest of his friends, Almond was growing worried. He really hoped that Espresso was probably at home catching up on some sleep. But this was Espresso they were talking about, and he practically never sleeps even if he was begged to do so. 

Almond recalled the phone call he had with the professor and searched his pockets until he finally pulled out a lockpick. Certainly not a key, but it helped for events when he accidentally locked himself out of his house. Or in some other cases, where he would be tracking down a criminal.

"Espresso, are you in there?"

No answer. Just what he thought.

The detective proceeded to pick the lock, everyone else watching on edge. Once he heard the satisfying click, he slowly opened the door. 

The door was blocked by what felt like a fallen shelf. With a few good rams from Almond and Madeleine, they finally made room to squeeze in. The stench of burnt coffee and old vomit struck their faces.

The office was more of a mess than it ever was as seen by other eyes. It looked as if a twister had run through. Ink vials were shattered and splattered all over the walls and ceiling. Framed portraits and papers littered the floor. The curtains were shredded and crooked and barely hanging onto the mount. Furniture was flipped upside down and scattered. 

In the center of the mess, a figure draped in black lay at the edge of piles of coffee grounds that vaguely resembled a magic circle, facedown and centimeters away from a lump of dried vomit.

"E-Espresso!"

Madeleine was the first to rush towards the unconscious body, followed by Latte. He knelt beside the professor, cradling him in his arms and gently shaking his shoulder.

"Espresso, are you alright?! Speak to me!"

"Oh, Witches! Espresso, can you hear us?!" Latte cried.

Almond was frozen. What on Earthbread happened?!

He gathered with the other two around Espresso and pressed his fingers against his neck. 

"Okay...he's still breathing and his pulse is normal. I reckon he should be awake soon."

The knight, wizard, and the historian released a collective sigh of relief. 

"What...what do you think happened here?" Madeleine asked.

"Oh heavens...he wasn't attacked, was he?" said Latte.

Almond examined Espresso carefully. His nostrils were caked in dried Jam, but there were no signs of bruising or injuries anywhere.

"Doesn't look like it. Though...judging by the patterns of these scorched coffee grounds on the floor, some sort of magical activity had taken place..."

Almond dug into his back pocket and slipped on a pair of latex gloves. He inched closer to what remained of the circle, examining the symbols carefully. Although they weren't easily decipherable, they were quite fishy. He then noticed the Grimoire laying near it, and flipped through it. His fears had been confirmed as he spotted the symbols that matched the floor.

"...Illegal magical activity." he finished.

Both Latte and Madeleine were in shock. That...that couldn't be right. Espresso knew better...didn't he?

"Ugh...you are a fool, Espresso..." Almond grumbled. 

---

Espresso had known darkness. He was practically baked from it. Bitter, but mysterious and unlimited. 

He hadn't known darkness quite like this. Cold, hollow, numb, like time just froze around him. All that was left of him, floating in an empty void. No light. No sound. Just him. Was this the darkness of the world Cookies feared? Not the darkness he saw? The darkness he taught to harness? True darkness?

He couldn't move. He couldn't see anything. He wasn't even sure if he was there. If he was merely existing in a blank plane of existence. If one could call it that. Was this death? How did he get here? Why couldn't he move? See? Where were the lights?

A voice.

Something flashed. A light?

Another voice, another flash.

He wanted to call out. To let whoever spoke know he wasn't alone. His voice muted. 

Another flash but no voice.

Another voice but no flash.

He watched helplessly as the light faded, and faded...until...

His eyes fluttered open.

He felt warm. He saw light. Two figured. Madeleine.

"...Mad...el...eine...?"

Everything came back like he was struck by a speeding train.

Tears began to string his bloodshot eyes.

His hand weakly reached up to Madeleine's shoulder, pulling himself closer to his bulky chest, and cried.

"I...I'm so...sorry..."

For once, Espresso finally understood Madeleine.

---

Madeleine and Latte watched in awe as Espresso's eyes fluttered open. Madeleine's face lit up with joy and relief.

"Espresso..! Are you alright?"

"Ah, thank heavens you're awake!" 

Madeleine was suddenly taken back by Espresso pulling him closer and crying. He even apologized, but for what?

"Woah, hey. It's alright. Everything's okay now. We're right here."

Latte smiled warmly as Madeleine comforted Espresso. It then faded once she realized the situation. She looked up at Almond with pleading eyes, only for the detective to give her a reassuring half-smile. 

"Hey, bud. How're you feeling? Any pain?" Almond asked softly.

Espresso realized he was asked a question and did his best to stifle his sobbing. Eclair handed him a spare handkerchief, which Espresso graciously accepted. 

"No..." he spoke weakly, "Not anymore..."

His stomach still ached, but he hid it. It paled in comparison to what Madeleine went through.

Espresso tried to speak with the same poise tone he was known for, but the shock was still fresh in his mind.

He noticed his balled fist that he held to his chest. A wad of paper.

Almond released a sigh of relief. He moved closer to Espresso, keeping a gentle sympathetic look on his face. It really pained him to see his friends struggling. First Madeleine, now Espresso. Maybe Eclair too, considering how nervous he seemed earlier. But that can wait. Right now, he needed to ask Espresso.

"So, do you remember anything that happened?"

Espresso was fit enough to sit on his own, but he leaned on Madeleine's chest anyway. It felt warm and comforting. Had it always been like that?

He pondered back to the spell. All the pain. The torment. And Espresso wasn't even physically there. He passed out over all that. But...Madeleine didn't. He truly was stronger than Espresso gave him credit for.

He clenched his fist. He can't tell them. Not yet.

"I...don't...Everything was blurry. It was all too much."

A cannonball dropped on Madeleine's stomach. He wasn't exactly sure what Espresso had gone through with this supposed spell, but he could sense that it scared him. His arms tightened around him, despite how sore he still felt. 

Latte looked at Espresso, matching the look of hurt in his eyes and she gently patted him on the back. 

Almond felt a little guilty for asking such a direct question. His friend was still in shock. What right did he have to play detective with his own colleague?

Almond nodded, then caught a glimpse of something that Espresso was clutching tightly in his hand. It looked to have been a scrap of parchment. Naturally, he was curious about it but decided to take a more gentle approach by asking about it. And if Espresso wasn't comfortable with sharing, that would be fine. It could wait another time if it must.

"Is...is it okay if I take a look at that?"

Espresso tensed, clenching the paper tighter.

He can't show him. Yes, it contains valuable evidence on Madeleine's captor, but it's just that: A piece of paper with evidence. There's more he could find. And even if he wanted to show him, it wouldn't count for anything because Espresso obtained it through illegal activity. Even if Almond just lets him off with a warning, it'd be void. 

Could he obtain more evidence? Go through more pain? Of course, he would, but at what cost? Almond would be kind enough to let him off with a warning the first time, but what of other times? He can't just take advantage of the detective's kindness. Not only could Espresso lose his job, but so could Almond, and then the captor would never be found. Madeleine would never have peace of mind again. 

He had to keep it. No, he needed to keep it. Until he can get more evidence. He'd do it all again. For Madeleine.

Before he realized it, Almond slowly took the paper as Espresso handed it to him. 

If Almond was being honest with himself, he was a little nervous about what was going to be on the paper. A secret message? A code? Whatever it was, he hoped it would be helpful for his investigation. Madeleine and Latte leaned in.

At first, Almond couldn't tell what he was looking at. There was clearly Jam on the paper, most likely from Espresso's nose. After examining it more thoroughly, it became more clear. 

It wasn't a message or a code, but a silhouette. 

It resembled a Cookie...

With a scary claw.

"Hmm..."

"What is it, Almond?" Latte asked.

Almond looked over at Madeleine with a glimmer of determination in his eyes.

"Madeleine, tell me. Does this figure look familiar to you?"

As the parchment was turned to face Madeleine, he squinted at the figure before his face paled, and he let out a deep gasp.

"I'll take that as a yes."

"I-w-what no! I-I've never seen that Cookie before!" Madeleine stammered.

"But you know it's a Cookie."

Beads poured down Madeleine's face as his eyes shifted around as if the answer was written somewhere. 

"Madeleine, please. I know you're scared, and I know you've been through a lot. But I need to know who this is and where to find them."

"N-no! If I tell you, you'll get hurt!"

Everyone was surprised to hear those words escape Madeleine's lips. Latte looked over at him with sympathy and curiosity.

Almond had an idea as to what he meant. That clawed bastard most likely threatened him into silence. They must have told him that if he let any information out, one of his friends would get killed. Or worse.

"But if you don't tell me, that Cookie might try to hurt someone else and get away with it. Or...they might go after you again to finish the job. I can't let that happen again. If you tell me, I'll find and arrest them. And I'll make sure they can't hurt you or anyone ever again."

Madeleine felt touched by his words. His reasons for needing to know the kidnapper's identity were noble. But...he just couldn't...he knew that Velvet was capable of much worse atrocities.

"I...I'm sorry, Almond. B-but I just...can't tell you. I'm...I'm sorry."

The room fell silent. The air was heavy as if Madeleine's words weighed down on the atmosphere.

Eclair's face paled a hue he never knew his dough could make. That figure. The Cookie with a claw.

He sheepishly cleared his throat. 

"Erm...Almond? There's...there's something I..."

He struggled to find the words as he slowly pulled the scroll from under his hat.

Almond quickly turned over to Eclair, his determination coming back to him. 

"Yes? What is it, Eclair?"

Eclair opened his mouth but quickly snapped shut. Not here. Not with others. Especially, Madeleine.

"I...may I speak to you in private?"

Almond looked over at Latte, Madeleine, and Espresso, then back to Eclair. 

"Yes, you may. Erm...if you three would..?"

He felt a little bad asking them to leave, especially Espresso since this was his office. But Madeleine and Latte nodded and walked out, with Madeleine carrying Espresso in his arms.

When all became still and quiet, Eclair took a breath.

"I was hoping to catch a private chat with you earlier before we all went out, but..."

He slowly and carefully opened the scroll as if opening it quickly would burn his hands.

"Anyway, firstly, I suppose your suspicions about the clawed Cookie have been confirmed, yes?"

Almond nodded, along with Eclair.

"Right. Well, I did some research and I couldn't find anything. Nothing, not even fairytales about a Cookie with a claw. Until I found this."

He opened the scroll and laid it before Almond.

" Secrets of the St. Pastry Order " Eclair read aloud. "The writer, Pastry Cookie, was a loyal student of the Holy Pastry Order. She wrote about suspicions of the Order after her encounter with someone: A Cookie with a Cake Claw. She said he was called Red Velvet Cookie, Commander of the Cake Army."

"Red Velvet Cookie, eh? Interesting name..." Almond said.

He pondered about the off title that this Red Velvet Cookie was acquainted with. "Commander of the Cake Army" certainly didn't sound like a title to be proud of.

"Her encounter with him...was she also captured by him?"

The thought of not knowing of a Cookie getting away with something like this before made him shudder. How many innocent lives did this Cookie torment? How many Cookies were permanently scarred by their encounters with him?

Eclair also shuddered but shook his head.

"No. (At least, I hope not). She said he offered her to join him. Of course, she refused, and they fought. He was quickly outmatched by her Holy Fork."

That certain statement had played in Almond's mind repeatedly.  "He offered her to join him..."

"You don't think..."

He slowly glanced over at the door to where Madeleine was outside with Latte and Espresso.

"I suppose that would explain why he didn't want to tell anything about him...but still.."

He really couldn't see Madeleine accepting an offer as horrendous as that...unless he was forced to. He supposed that also explained why he was tortured...but surely one Cookie alone wouldn't be able to convince someone to change their attitude even after torture...right?

"You say she outmatched him with her Holy Fork, right?"

Maybe...maybe if he possessed such a weapon, it would be of great service to him if Red Velvet Cookie ever came back.

"Where do you think I can find this Pastry Cookie? Perhaps she can lend me her Fork in case things get violent..."

Eclair sighed.

"That's just it. She can't be found. Apparently, she was too disturbed by what her enemies had revealed to her. But it doesn't look like she was about to write what she saw." 

Eclair gulped his dry throat and shifted his monocle to its proper place. A bead of sweat slipped from his loose bang.

"But that isn't all. The Cookie with a claw, Red Velvet, he...he works for..."

Eclair peeked over his shoulder and leaned in as if fearing the one he was speaking of could teleport to the room by saying the name aloud. 

"...Dark Enchantress Cookie." 

Almond flinched at the name. No wonder Madeleine was so shaken up.

"As if hurting our friend wasn't bad enough..."

That didn't stop him from wanting to solve the case. It only made him want to make his way over there and beat the shit out of Red Velvet. His knuckles paled.

"Thank you for the information, Eclair," Almond said calmly. "I'll be sure to set out tonight and find him."

Eclair nodded and returned to his feet.

He pondered another thought.

"Almond? You don't suppose that..."

He quickly brushed aside his question with a light chuckle.

"Nevermind. I was just going to ask if you think Madeleine actually met Dark Enchantress Cookie herself. But that's ridiculous, of course. I mean, he wouldn't be alive if he did. Sleepless night got the best of me."

"Heh. Yeah, it would be unlikely....unless..."

He had thought about Pastry's writing about Red Velvet offering her to join him. If he works for Dark Enchantress Cookie, and if Madeleine met her during his captivity...

 "...Nevermind. I'll make sure Red Velvet Cookie is brought to justice. Mind if I hang onto that scroll?"

"Ah, yes. Of course."

If Eclair was truthful with himself, he felt a little hesitant to let such a valuable scroll out of his possession. But Almond would have much more use out of it than just letting it sit forever on a shelf.

The two left the room to be met with Madeleine, Latte, and Espresso.

"I'm terribly sorry to have to use your office, Espresso. How are you feeling?"

Espresso rubbed his temple. 

"Ugh...Better, I suppose. I..."

He stared down at the floor, a disheartened look on his face.

"I...regret all of you having to see me in such an undignified manner."

Madeleine shared a look with Espresso. Whatever he was doing, he clearly had good intentions. It wasn't like he plotted to murder someone.

"Nonsense! We're your friends, Espresso! We've all walked in on each other in undignified moments at some point."

Latte nodded. She really hated seeing her colleague so down in the dumps.

"There's nothing to be ashamed of at all. You didn't do anything wro--"

She quickly stopped herself. No...he clearly did do something wrong. Even if his heart was in the right place.

"I-I mean...a-as long as you had good intentions, you should be fine..."

 She nervously glanced over at Almond, to which he reassured her with a nod.

"I won't deny this. What you did was stupid. And highly illegal. Not only did you perform a forbidden spell, but you got yourself hurt in the process."

He cleared his throat.

"However. I understand you had Madeleine in mind. And you just wanted his captor to be brought to justice. So...I'm just going to let you off with a warning. Just as long as you promise me you won't try something like that again. Is that clear?"

Espresso pondered for a moment. Did he really have only Madeleine in mind? It's true he wanted to help him in any way possible. But some part of Espresso believed he just wanted to get revenge just to satisfy himself.

'Stupid, stupid, stupid..."

He couldn't believe he could be so selfish. No, actually he could. Even using Madeleine as a cover to justify his selfishness. Sounded just like the bitter teacher Espresso Cookie.

He heaved a heavy sigh in defeat.

"I...I promise."

Madeleine couldn't help but feel a little guilty. Not only did his friend risk landing himself in jeopardy for him, but he knew Espresso's sympathy for him would be for nothing. Especially for the mission.

The one thing that really scared him, however...was that Almond might set out to find Red Velvet. If only the detective had truly known what that Cookie was capable of. What if Red Velvet fought back while Almond would try to arrest him? What if he tortured Almond as he did to him? Or worse? What if Red Velvet would go after the rest of his friends next?

Gods, he can't let any of his friends get hurt, but he can't allow Velvet to be arrested either. No one realized that despite his sore condition, he could overhear Almond and Eclair, no matter how quiet they were being. Almond was planning to seek Red Velvet out tonight. He would have to make sure that he could leave before then to warn his commander, maybe even put up defenses around Her Darkness's tower. Whatever it takes to get Almond to give up the search and head home...

Whatever it takes...

Espresso still wasn't well enough to go out. So, Eclair offered to let him rest on his office couch while they cleaned Espresso's office.

When they were finished, they decided going to the cafe wouldn't be a good idea. It seemed insensitive without Espresso no matter how many times he insisted.

Besides, the skies told them it would rain.

---

As the hours went on, Almond could hear the faint growling of thunder and felt the light drizzle as he had gone from case to case, stopping many Cookies from performing any illegal magic activity in fear of them ending up like Espresso; weakened and lying on a couch.

Once he had a short break from work, he picked up Walnut from school. He decided to call it a day and made it extra clear to his coworkers that he would not be taking any more cases. He not only needed the extra time to himself, but he wanted to spend some with his daughter to make up for the lost time the night before. After a few hours spent helping her with her homework, playing board games, having dinner, and watching TV, the clock now struck 9:30 pm. The usual babysitter couldn't make it to stay in the house while Walnut slept, so Latte had stopped over instead. And once he thanked Latte, he hugged Walnut before heading out the door, only for her to tug his pant leg.

"How come I can't help you solve this case? I've been practicing."

"Haha. Sorry, kiddo. As I said, this case is for grown-ups only. I wouldn't want you to get hurt. Besides, it's bedtime for you."

"But, what about you? I don't want you to get hurt either..."

"Hey, I'll be fine. I promise I'll be back to wake you up in the morning, okay?"

"Aw...okay. Just be careful out there!"

"I will, sweetheart. Don't worry."

After his goodnight to Walnut and Latte, he set foot out of his house and into town.

No one is ever going to lay a single claw on Madeleine or anyone else ever again. 

He still felt the light drizzle as he continued walking, but he ignored it. Rain wasn't important at the moment.

Midway through his journey, he spotted a familiar silhouette exiting their own house. He had to squint to get a good look at them. But he could see the pale, short hair...that looked to have been forcefully cut...

...

'Madeleine?'

---

Red Velvet hated the rain. It made his Cookie half soggy, and his Cake half soft. Two things a hardened commander can never be.

Worse than that, he hated waiting.

Chiffon whimpered and shivered, burying his face against Velvet's leg.

"Shh...there, there, Chiffon." Red Velvet cooed. "We won't be here long."

The red Cookie sheltered the Cake Hound underneath his thick cape. He looked up at the sky in disgust as if it were raining mud.

A rustling from the bushes behind him. He sniffed the air, his scowl returned to his face.

"Well...it's about time you showed up."

Red Velvet turned to face Madeleine and crossed his arms.

"If I knew how slowly you healed, I wouldn't have volunteered to extend your wounds." 

Madeleine's head immediately began to ache upon hearing the Commander's voice. Gods, he so desperately wanted to retort back with a snarky quip of his own. Annoy him with the same cocky act he used before. But...he learned his lesson. Who knows what Red Velvet would do to him if he so much as glared at him.

Instead, he kept a calm composure, despite his growing fear of his new yet-to-be comrade.

"My apologies for keeping you waiting. It's...been a rough couple of days..."

He glanced over at his sore shoulder before making eye contact with him once more.

"Alright, listen. This is... probably the last thing you want to hear at the moment, but...there's...something I must warn you about."

Red Velvet clearly didn't like the sound of that.

"Make it quick. Dark Enchantress Cookie doesn't like to be kept waiting."

He peeled his eyes suspiciously at Madeleine's every moment.

He sniffed the air again.

"You weren't followed, were you? My sense of smell is fuzzy in this weather. I only picked up you because your fear has a stronger scent than your rotten musk."

Such an animalistic Cookie...Gods, he was so dead if Velvet could smell his fear so strongly.

"Well...no? A-at least, I hope not..."

He resisted the urge to look over his shoulder. 

"B-but I have a bad feeling that a Cookie...o-one of my friends is going to try and look for you at some point tonight. I-if they find you, they'll arrest you. I don't know how, but they have information on you. I-I suggest we make haste now and report back to Dark Enchantress Cookie. I'll set up defense mechanisms around the tower--I-I'll do anything. Anything to get them to give up on this damned case..."

Red Velvet eyed Madeleine for any signs of deceit. His trust for him was still debatable, but his Dark Enchantress still believed in him. That he was on their side now. 

He scoffed.

"I can take care of myself and Her Darkness, Crimson."

Upon saying that, Red Velvet quickly noticed something else.

"And why aren't you wearing your armor? It's bad enough I have to meet you in the rain, but to see you in such an undignified form as if I were one of your Cookie "friends". I am your Commander, knight."

That voice grated. How dare this young man talk down to a knight in such a way? A knight commander, no less! If anything, Madeleine should be Red Velvet's commander after the shit he put him through!

And yet...he couldn't help but agree. While he hated to admit it, the Cake Commander was much stronger than he, even without using his Cake arm. He had proven so during Madeleine's "captivity", as his friends called it...

And Red Velvet was right. He clearly wasn't his friend. This was a strictly professional acquaintanceship. That's all. He would never gave greeted his previous commanders years ago in his casual attire. So what made Red Velvet any different?

"Ah...forgive me, Re--C-Commander."

---

Almond finally found a hiding place in the woods. He was still a good distance away from Madeleine, but he could still listen to the apparent conversation he was having with Red Velvet. That sight definitely surprised him. Why would Madeleine want to meet up with his captor in the woods?

He froze once he heard Madeleine speaking about "reporting back to Dark Enchantress Cookie". But...that...can't be right. Madeleine would be dead if he met her, right?

...He remembered Pastry Cookie's journal entry. How Red Velvet asked her to join him.

Did...did Red Velvet Cookie actually manage to convince Madeleine to join his side?

If that was the case, it was certainly manipulation of some sort. Poor Madeleine. He truly was broken down by this demented bastard. Almond has to help his friend somehow.

He began to slowly and silently advance towards Red Velvet and Madeleine, examining the silhouette just to make sure this was indeed the right Cookie--

"I can take care of myself and Her Darkness, Crimson."

Crimson? Why did he call him--

Before Almond could finish that thought, a glowing red flashed before his eyes, and a circle formed around Madeleine. Almond thought about intervening right then and there, only to notice that Madeleine didn't seem frightened or in pain. A flash of crimson nearly blinded him. As the bright light dimmed down, Madeleine almost looked like a completely different Cookie. His hair was now the same length as it once was, only it was pale white and much silkier than before. His armor was as black as the midnight sky and his cape was a hellish Jam red. His sword matched the armor, and there appeared to be some sort of...horned circlet upon his head.

The one thing that jarred him...was Madeleine's eyes. Once prideful royal blue was replaced with an alluring lavender with a red tint. 

What on Earthbread was going on?!

---

Red Velvet made no positive expression when Madeleine transformed into his Crimson armor. He almost looked bored.

"Good. Now, I can look you in the eyes."

He reached into his cape and took out a wrinkled old piece of folded parchment.

"Now, as I was saying. Here's a map to the Vanilla Kingdom. There's a pathway marked that we take to avoid...unnecessary blockage."

The map showed a pathway etched in red ink that trailed through dark forests and away from villages.

"The creatures of the forest won't harm you so long as you wear that armor. But if any "heroes" try to get in your way, destroy them."

The stench of fear grew stronger.

Red Velvet's eyes stuck to Madeleine's with intense seriousness.

"That's very important. It's us or them. But if we fall, the truth dies with us, and there will never be peace on Earthbread. Dark Enchantress Cookie trusts you with this mission. I'd give my right arm to be blessed with a task like that. So don't insult her trust with your incompetence."

Chiffon growled. Red Velvet glanced down to find the Cake Hound wasn't looking at Madeleine. Instead, his attention was focused on a nearby bush.

Red Velvet sharply gazed back to Madeleine, his eyes burning.

"And you've allowed yourself to be followed."

"W-what?!" Madeleine squeaked.

Almond tensed. Dammit! He should've been more mindful. Of course, he'd bring a Cake with him. Of fudging course!

Well...there was no use in staying hidden anymore, that damned Cake Hound gave away his position. He slowly rose from the bushes ignoring the growling that got louder.

"Hmph...I suppose I should've picked a better hiding spot." 

"A-Almond?! How did--when--I--w-what are you doing here?!"

Almond glanced over at Madeleine without a hint of resentment, before snapping his fierce gaze back to Red Velvet as he advanced.

"I came to pay our clawed Cookie friend a visit."

"Almond, wait! I can explain!"

"No need. I've heard enough, and I'm gonna help you out of this."

Once he was closer to Red Velvet, his hand slowly crept to his holster.

"So, you're the commander of the Cake Army, I take it? Hmm...you look more like some self-righteous punk than a Commander. A punk who'd fit nicely behind bars."

Red Velvet watched as the detective pulled out his handcuffs. Almond ignored the growling Hound once more.

"Commander Red Velvet Cookie, you're under arrest for kidnapping and assault. If I were you, I'd put my hands in the air. Unless you'd rather we do things the hard way."

Despite being physically and verbally threatened, Red Velvet remained unmoved as if Almond were nothing more than an actor. Was this really the Cookie that Crimson warned him about? He gazed passed the cuffs and into Almond's eyes.

Chiffon growled and prepared to jump when his owner patted his armored thigh, silently commanding the Cake Hound to ease. Chiffon's strawberry ears remained flattened, but he recoiled against the Commander's leg.

"So, you know my name. Then we can skip the introductions."

His eyes hadn't left Almond's but he began to address Madeleine.

"You've told him that much, but I doubt you told him everything. Otherwise, we wouldn't still be here in this city. We do provide accommodations for potential soldiers in Dark Enchantress Cookie's forces, so it's best if he hears this now. I think he'll listen best if it came from you, Crimson. Go on, tell him everything."

Madeleine shivered as he looked at Almond. The detective spared a glance in confusion once he heard the name "Crimson" again. After a moment of hesitation and fear, Madeleine finally opened his mouth.

"A-Almond...I...I've learned something terrible while I was away...something you probably won't like to hear. But...it's the truth. I...I would never lie about this..."

Almond's eyes were fixed on Red Velvet, but he listened on.

"There's...a reason why we were created. I'm not sure what you've been told as a child, but...this is far from what I've seen...it's rather sickening, to say the least."

"Madeleine, you're making me nervous. Just get on with it. What are you trying to tell me?"

Madeleine...that name. It suddenly didn't feel right to be called that. He didn't feel worthy of having such a graceful name. But...he ignored it.

"We...we were created by the Witches...just so they can...have something to feast upon..."

"...What...what are you saying?"

"You...truly don't understand? Almond, take a good look at yourself! Why do you think your dough is so crispy? Why do you think your facial features are made up of icing?! Highly sugary icing!"

"Okay, you're seriously not making any--"

"Why do you think when we're injured, bits of our dough crumble off?! It's so we look appetizing to those monsters above us! It's so that we taste delicious to these...these inconsiderable wenches!"

Almond almost took offense by what came out of Madeleine's mouth. Red Velvet Cookie...really did a damper on his faith.

"Madeleine, you need to calm down. What you're saying is irrational--"

"I-IRRATIONAL?! Almond, I have SEEN it happen! I've seen it before my very eyes! They eat CHILDREN, Almond! CHILDREN!"

"Madeli--"

"No one else knows this! No one else but us! I-I was too scared to tell you all at first, but you deserve to know. Our efforts...everything we do...even the small things...our beliefs...they're all meaningless! The Divine Light is a lie! The Order is a joke! Everything here on Earthbread is all a sham! It's all pointless if innocent Cookies just continue to die in the stomachs of our creators! That's...that's why..."

He stopped to catch his breath. Gods, he didn't realize how many emotions he kept holding back for days.

"That's why...I'm working with Dark Enchantress Cookie. That's why I'm working with Commander Red Velvet Cookie. We want to create a world where no Cookie will be eaten ever again. A world where Cookies and Cakes can live as one. It's going to be a peaceful world, where we can all live eternally. We just need to come together and put an end to the Witches' tyranny."

He knew Almond was stuck in a stunned state, shocked by his words. But..that was to be expected.

"I..I realize it's a lot to take in, but I promise you it's all going to be okay in the end. Perhaps with you as an addition, we can convince more Cookies to help us fight. You are one of the smartest, bravest Cookies I know. So...please. Put your cuffs away and join us. Let's create a better world together."

For a moment, it was pure silence. Just the sound of drizzling in the trees and one tiny bark of approval from Chiffon. Almond just stood there, frozen...until he forcefully yanked Red Velvet by the shirt collar and pinned him against a tree, glaring at him with fire in his eyes.

"What nonsense have you been filling my friend's head with, huh?!"

Again, Red Velvet remained unfazed, even after he was pushed. 

He let out a small sigh. He knew what he was expecting, yet he managed to become disappointed. 

"Don't fret, Crimson. You've done well. I must admit, I couldn't have said it better myself."

His brows arched against his searing eyes as he bore his sharp teeth at Almond.

"But I'm afraid this one is too lost in the lies. Chiffon."

The Cake Hound lunged from Velvet's cape and an aggressive bark, latching his teeth into Almond's calf. The detective reared back in surprise and pain.

The brief distraction bought Velvet enough time to knock the cuffs from Almond's hand, sending them across the clearing. 

Almond quickly fought back with a punch that landed directly on Red Velvet's cheek, nearly knocking out one of his sharp teeth. He threw another one but Red Velvet blocked with his Cookie arm. He then wrapped it around Almond's, locking it underneath Velvet's armpit. With his Cake fist, Red Velvet punched Almond square in the stomach. He punched again, and Almond's knees buckled. Velvet then grabbed Almond by the throat and pinned him against a tree, his feet off the ground.

Red Velvet spat a drop of Jam.

"You don't crumble easily, do you? You'd make a fine addition to our cause. Shame you didn't take our offer."

Almond gagged as Red Velvet's grip tightened. The pain in his abdomen still seared, but he did his best to ignore it. His hand slipped back to his rear pocket.

"Ngh...I'd rather go to Hell than take any offer from the likes of you..!"

Without warning, he brought a taser to Red Velvet's arm, sending shocks through his dough, and causing the commander to release him as he stumbled and fell, howling in pain. Almond quickly retrieved his trusty handcuffs from the ground and towered over Red Velvet.

"You should know, assaulting an officer is also a serious offense. I suggest we discuss your charges over at the station rather than continue this fight. Wouldn't want this situation to get any worse."

"Almond, WAIT!"

Before Almond knew it, something rammed into his side, slamming him against a tree, causing him to lose his cuffs and taser in the process. Madeleine pinned him tightly. 

"What the hell do you think you're doing?! I'm trying to help you!"

"I-I don't need help! I'm fine! I just can't let you hurt my Commander!"

'Dear gods...har far did he go inside your head?! As if torturing you wasn't bad enough, he had to brainwash you too?!'

Almond pushed Madeleine off with a kick to the gut as he glared with just a small hint of concern in his eyes.

"This is a matter between me and that criminal only. I don't know what he did to get you to defend him, but I want you to go home now and get some rest. You just got out of recovery. Let me finish this."

"I...I'm sorry." Madeleine coughed. "But I can't let you take another step towards him!"

"Madeleine, please. I don't want to fight you."

"I don't want to fight you either! But...I can't let you take him away! He's been fighting for this cause his whole life! I can't just let his plans for the future go to waste!"

"That's it! I've had enough of this! Move aside, now!"

Madeleine held his arms out, unmoving and fully committed to protecting his commander.

Like all good knights do...

Almond huffed.

"Guess we're doing this the hard way..." 

Madeleine wasn't sure how long he and Almond had been fighting, but it involved quite a lot of trying to pin the other to the ground, only for the other to slip out. Eventually, Almond managed to clock Madeleine right in the nose. As he stepped back, holding his nose, he noticed Almond rushing for his taser on the ground. 

Oh shit...oh fuck! What should he do? What should he do?!

Madeleine wasn't sure if he made the choice or if the choice made him. He swiftly unsheathed his sword and swung at the back of Almond's ankles. He winced as he watched his friend let out a Jam-curdling scream and collapse onto the wet grass. Almond cast a brief look of betrayal Madeleine's way, before returning his glare at Red Velvet.

Chiffon whimpered as he uselessly licked Red Velvet's injured arm. The commander patted his head, reassuring him that it helped. At least, a little.

He looked up in awe as Madeleine fought the detective. Maybe he had more potential for their cause than he thought. Dark Enchantress Cookie was right to trust him. Red Velvet internally kicked himself for ever allowing a shred of doubt enter his mind.

He spotted something on the ground: the Cookie's weapon! He inched to grab it, but pain rushed back in his arm and he grimaced. Still, he continued to crawl. He was too slow, the detective Cookie's hand was inches away from grabbing it.

As quick as a rabbit, Chiffon lunged and grabbed the weapon between his jaws. He returned to Red Velvet proudly as if he caught fresh prey. Velvet took the weapon and patted Chiffon on the head.

"Good work, Chiffon."

The Cake Hound barked proudly. 

Red Velvet slowly and painfully returned to his feet. 

"And good work to you as well, Crimson. It seems I was wrong to doubt your loyalty."

He glanced at the taser in his Cake hand and back to Almond, lying uselessly on the ground. They shared a glare.

"The weapons you Cookies produce are pitiful." Red Velvet spat.

 "You can't even kill anyone with this."

With that, he crushed the taser as if it were made of glass, letting the bits fall on Almond.

Velvet gazed at Madeleine.

"You saved me twice now. I won't dare tarnish your victory. This kill belongs to you."

Both Almond and Madeleine mentally flinched at the word. Kill?!

Shit. Madeleine really didn't mean to slice at Almond's ankles. If he was calmer, he probably would've weakened him in a less violent way. And now Red Velvet expects him to kill his own friend? If Almond was just a stranger, maybe he could do it...but he's known Almond for quite some time. Just this morning, he was looking forward to hanging out with him and the rest of his friends at the new cafe. Now...

Almond glanced over at Madeleine. He could tell Almond was pleading with him not to do it. He really didn't want to do it either...

But...orders were orders. He had already impressed his Commander. He can't ruin that now.

Before Almond knew it, Madeleine had slowly flipped him over to where he was now helplessly lying on his back pinned with a heavy boot to his stomach. Madeleine then raised his sword, the tip aimed at Almond's chest. There was no turning back now. Whether he liked it or not, Madeleine had to--

"Madeleine, wait!"

For some reason, Madeleine paused. He knew that was only going to make his Commander more impatient with him, but he can't just kill Almond. Not yet. Not until he hears what he has to say.

"You...you remember Walnut Cookie, right? She came with me to visit you. She...she drew those pictures for you. Remember?"

Waves of guilt crashed over Madeleine. Gods, he had a child. An eight-year-old girl. How cruel would he be to take a father's life? How cruel would he be to make a child an orphan?

"...Y-yes...I remember..."

Almond now had a tiny glimmer of hope in his eyes. He can snap his friend out of this. They can apprehend Red Velvet and put this all behind him. He just had to reach for him.

"Please, Madeleine. Don't do this. I promised her I'd wake her up in the morning. I have to take her to school tomorrow. Please...put your sword away. Walnut...still needs someone to look after her."

Dammit, dammit, DAMMIT! Why of all his friends did Almond have to show up?! The one friend with a child?! Walnut looks up to her father! She wants to be just like him! He'd be shattering a little girl's dreams if he took her father away from her! Madeleine's hands began to tremble as the sword remained high above his head.

Dammit...what was he supposed to do? Isn't there another way?

Espresso, Latte, and Eclair would grieve for days if he killed Almond...

Does he...have to do this?

"C-Commander...I'm sorry. I don't know if I can do this..." he whimpered.

To Madeleine's surprise, Red Velvet nodded without a shred of anger or disappointment, but in understanding.

"I understand it's a difficult thing to do."

A glare returned to his face when he eyed Almond.

"But we offered him a chance to join us, and he refused. Perhaps he should've thought about his daughter before he decided that. He knew what he was risking, now he must pay the consequences. It's his own fault that his daughter becomes an orphan."

He looked back at Madeleine. His expression became almost brotherly.

"Remember, it's us or them. But if we fall, the truth dies with us and there will never be peace again. How many orphans will be made during that time?"

Almond looked over at Red Velvet and glared daggers as he struggled to get up.

"Th-there will never be peace as long as you live!"

He felt weaker as his struggle against Madeleine ceased. He looked back up, eyes pleading with the knight once more.

"Madeleine...please..."

'If we fall the truth dies with us and there will never be peace again.'

Those words flooded Madeleine's brain as he stared down at his old friend. He didn't want to kill Almond. But if he didn't...he's going to tell everyone about this. Not only would Red Velvet get arrested, but so would he. He can't let that happen. They had an important mission. He can't abandon it now.

"...Forgive me...my friend..."

"Madel--!"

And with that, the sword plunged into Almond's chest. Madeleine felt like crying as a pained gasp emerged from the detective's throat. Almond shook and writhed, struggling in agony. The sword was now halfway through him once he weakly placed a hand over Madeleine's wrist.

"Mm...Madel...eine...hhh..."

Madeleine...that name again.

"I'm sorry..."

The sword dug deeper into Almond's chest as he was now barely clinging to his life. Hot tears poured down his cheeks as his life flashed before his eyes.

"It's Crimson Knight now."

With that, he plunged the sword deeper until the hilt stopped at Almond's chest. The detective was now almost completely still as he gurgled and tightened his grip on the knight's wrist.

"Ww...Wal...nut...Coo...kie..."

A tear rolled down to Almond's ear.

As the rain poured down his cheeks, Crimson swiftly yanked the sword out of the body, Jam and tiny chunks coating the blade. And with that, Detective Almond Cookie knew no more.

His friend was no more. 

Madele--Crimson...had killed his own friend.

He finally dropped his sword as he stared a the dull lifeless eyes of Almond. He uselessly checked for a pulse.

His worst fears were confirmed.

Almond Cookie was dead.

And Crimson's tears poured faster down his cheeks, burning his eyes as he covered his mouth to prevent the contents of his stomach and any more pathetic sobs to escape.

Red Velvet didn't smile as the light left the Cookie's eyes. Instead, he gazed sympathetically at Crimson, who was pouring tears of sorrow for his friend.

Madeleine's tears. A knight who served Her Darkness doesn't have tears to shed for fallen foes.

Velvet stood by and allowed Crimson to wash away the last remains of Madeleine Cookie within him.

He then placed his injured Cake hand on the knight's shoulder. It didn't feel hardened or sharp as before, but gentle and soft.

"Welcome, Crimson Knight. My Brother."

Chapter Text

Latte slowly opened her eyes to the sound of rain pouring down on the roof and thunder clapping as she stretched herself out on the couch. She let out a yawn and looked out the window. It was quite dark, but she could tell it was morning since the sky was a murky grey rather than pitch black. It was raining much harder today than yesterday. She realized she must've fallen asleep last night while waiting for Almond to return home.

Wait a second...

Was Almond back?

He said he would be back before morning. Perhaps, he fell asleep in his bed?

'Oh, Latte. Stop worrying so much.'  she thought to herself.  'I'm sure he's returned safely, he's probably going to wake Walnut up at any minute now--'

She checked the clock. 9:30 am. Way past the time for Walnut to start waking up for school.

She assumed Almond may have overslept. It was probably a long night for him after all. It must have taken him ages to track down the clawed Cookie and apprehend them. She quietly walked up the stairs to his room.

The door was wide open, allowing her to peek inside.

No one was there...maybe Walnut just felt sick and Almond's in her room taking care of her? That has to be it. There's no way he's still out there.

She gently opened the door to Walnut's room, only to see the little girl all snuggled up in her bed with Constable Whiskers right beside her. 

But no Almond. 

Latte was almost taken aback as Walnut stretched her arms and let out a yawn as she opened her eyes.

"Hmm...morning, Miss Latte." the girl chimed groggily. "How's ya sleep?"

Latte quickly collected herself. 

"Ah--g-good morning, Walnut! Not too bad I suppose. Erm...wasn't your father supposed to wake you?"

Walnut groggily wiped her eyes and let out a giggle.

"Hehe. He must've fallen asleep on the couch again."

"Th-that's the thing. I was asleep on the couch. I didn't see him in the living room or his bedroom."

"Oh...well, he's back home though, right?"

Latte didn't answer. Walnut sat up on her bed.

"M-miss Latte? He's...back home, right?"

"I...I don't know..."

The two Cookies and the cat spent the next thirty minutes searching around the house, increasingly growing worried after each failed attempt. It had gotten to a point where Walnut began to cry, clearly scared that her father had disappeared. Panic filled Latte's mind as she did her best to calm the girl and the cat down while dialing Eclair's number on the house phone. She figured Madeleine would still be resting after getting out of recovery and Espresso would still be asleep after what he went through yesterday, so she figured Eclair would be their best bet. She hoped and prayed to the Witches that he had seen Almond at some point.

---

A blaring ringing jolted Eclair from sleep. He groaned as he rubbed his sore neck. He hadn't realized he's been sleeping over his desk all night.

He reached over to his phone, clearing his throat before answering in a professional manner.

"Professor Eclair Cookie."

"Good morning, Eclair. It's Latte."

She would normally sound much more cheerful when calling her friends over the phone, but this was a rather serious matter. She cleared her throat nervously before she continued. 

"Um...have you run into Almond at all by chance? Walnut and I have been looking around the house but...h-he doesn't seem to be here..."

Eclair blinked in surprise at Latte's worried tone. He fixed his monocle over his eye.

"Erm...N-no. I'm afraid I haven't. I haven't seen him since yesterday."

He glanced over to Espresso, who was still asleep on the couch. He definitely couldn't be asked. 

"Oh...oh dear..."

Latte shivered as she fidgeted with the phone cord. Walnut heard Eclair's response and hugged Whiskers tightly. 

"I'm assuming Espresso's still with you then? He hasn't seen him either I take it?"

Gods, where could her friend be?

"Ah...s-sorry for bothering you then. I just...have a terrible feeling something's happened. He said he should be back before morning...and well, morning is here and there's no sign of him in the house. I...I guess I could try asking Madeleine? Though he could've already been getting his rest by the time Almond left. Would you happen to know what Madeleine is up to at the moment?"

She could practically hear Eclair shaking his head.

"No, I thought you would. I haven't seen Madeleine since yesterday either, and he was with you last."

Now, Eclair was beginning to feel a bit worried too. He coiled his finger around the phone cord. He remembered what he and Almond discussed last.

"D-didn't he say he was going to go look for someone?"

'Oh, oh gods, no..!'

He hoped, he prayed that Almond was okay. That he didn't try to do anything drastic.

"Ah--yes! I recall him saying he was going to look for some sort of...clawed Cookie last night? He told me to watch over Walnut while he was away..."

Latte tried to take a few deep breaths as she tried to calm herself down. She can't have another one of her friends go missing. Not again.

"Okay--I'm gonna do my best not to jump to conclusions." Latte stated. "He's probably in his office looking over the case files...o-or maybe he's found the Cookie and is interrogating them at the station! Eclair, if you have the time, would you be able to check and see if Almond's in his office? I'm going to check in with Madeleine real quick."

Eclair's heart jolted at the sound of the "clawed Cookie". Still, he tried not to let anything slip. He was failing.

"Yes, of course! I'll go down there as soon as right now. I'll call you back when I have an answer."

After quickly exchanging goodbyes, Eclair hung up. 

'Okay, just relax. No need to panic."  Eclair thought.  "Almond went looking but who's to say he actually found him? Finding a Cookie with a Cake arm who's also the Cake Army Commander in the forest nearby? How slim was that? Almond probably buried himself in work at his office. Almond was never one to give up on a search. Especially if it's as personal as taking a friend. Yeah, that's it. That has to be it."

He started to relax a bit and took his office keys from his desk. He looked back at Espresso, who had turned over in his sleep. He'll probably be asleep for a while.

Eclair then quietly left his office, locking the door behind him.

---

After hanging up the phone, Latte looked over at Walnut, who was desperately trying to wipe away her own tears. She gently placed a hand over the girl's shoulder. 

"Don't worry, dear. We'll find him. I'm sure of it."

Walnut nodded, trying to put on a brave face. Latte gave her a warm smile as she turned to dial Madeleine's number.

No answer.

She tried again.

No answer.

After a couple more tries, the phone suddenly rang.

"Ah, Madeleine! Good morning!"

"Erm...actually, this is Principal Florentine Cookie. Is Almond Cookie there?"

Latte quickly recomposed herself, a feeling of disappointment shrouded over her.

"Oh! N-no, my apologies. But this is his friend Latte Cookie speaking. He asked me to watch his daughter for a bit."

"I see. Alright then. I just want to check-in to see if Walnut will be coming to school today. I know it's around 10 at the moment, but I do want to make sure that even if she isn't coming, she'll have someone to pick up her assignments for her."

"Oh right! Oh, I'm so sorry Miss Florentine." Latte exclaimed. "It's...been a rather eventful morning. Almond was actually going to solve a case last night, but he hasn't returned."

"Oh, dear! I'm so sorry to hear that. If it's that serious, Walnut doesn't have to come to school if she doesn't want to. Family matters seem more important after all."

"Aw, I appreciate that. Let me check with Walnut first to see what she prefers."

Latte looked over at Walnut, who apparently heard everything. She desperately wanted to investigate her father's disappearance.

But...she could hear his voice in the back of her head. 

'Keeping good attendance is very important. Otherwise, you'll miss very important information you may need to know later on when a quiz comes up.'

Her father would want her to go to school, whether she wanted to or not. He did say he didn't want her to get hurt. That the case he was going to solve was for grown-ups only.

"It's okay. I'll go to school..."

"Are you sure, dear? I wouldn't want you to put more strain on yourself."

"I'll be fine. Dad would want me to go to school anyway."

"Alright then."

Latte went back to her phone conversation, explaining that Walnut was coming and that she'll drop her off as soon as she can. They both exchanged goodbyes, along with well-wishes from Florentine that Almond would be found safe, then hung up. 

Soon enough, Latte and Walnut were out the door, flying to their destination on the magic spoon. She brought Whiskers along, for she didn't feel comfortable leaving the cat alone in the house while being unsure of his owner's whereabouts. 

After dropping Walnut off, she set out back to the neighborhood, planning to stop by Madeleine's house.

When she arrived, she was surprised to see Eclair already there. Judging by his long unraveled ponytail, and his hands were bare of a scroll, he had rushed over.

"Hello, Professor Latte." he tried his best to mask his nervousness.

"H-hello Eclair! Are you here to check on Madeleine too?"

That was painfully obvious. Why else would Eclair be at Madeleine's doorstep? Well...whatever. She hoped to the Witches that Madeleine has at least seen Almond.

"I...I'm assuming Almond wasn't in his office then?" She asked sheepishly.

Eclair fumbled with his monocle beads.

"Ah, no. I'm afraid not. I asked everyone around and they all said they haven't seen him lately. Espresso is still asleep in my office, so I know he couldn't have seen him. Madeleine is probably resting but I figured he's the only one who'd know."

Latte had a more worried look on her face as he said this. She really hoped that Almond was okay. But...perhaps Madeleine had a good idea as to where Almond could be.

"I suppose that would make sense. Maybe Almond went to check on him before he left?"

They both looked over at the front door, feeling a bit nervous if they were to accidentally wake Madeleine up. But...this was important. Almond was missing.

Before she knew it, she was standing right in front of the door, just inches away from the doorknob. After composing herself, she gently knocked on the door. 

No answer.

She knocked a bit louder. Still no answer. 

"M-Madeleine? It's Latte and Eclair. Are you in there?"

Eclair twiddled his thumbs, waiting for a response. 

None.

Before he realized it, he stepped forward, prepared to knock when he heard a crumbling sound from underneath his boot. He looked down to find a sheet of paper. Judging by the tear at the top, it had fallen from a nail on the door. Eclair picked it up and looked over it with Latte.

She recognized Madeleine's handwriting--he always wrote in messy cursive, yet it was still readable. 

To my dear friends,

My apologies if this is a bit sudden, but I have been doing a bit of overthinking overnight and I decided that I need to rekindle my connection to the Divine Light as soon as possible. Ever since I was away, my connection has faltered greatly. So I will be traveling to the Vanilla Kingdom for some time, for it is a place I once called home as a child. I believe once I get there, I will be able to hear the Divine as I pray in the temple. I am unsure how long I will be away, for fellow knights with dwindling faith have taken as long as 21 days of prayer and cleansing until they feel the Light within themselves once more. I know you'd all be concerned for my well-being, considering I just got out of recovery, but I believe I shall return soon. I promise you all I shall bring back souvenirs from the kingdom!

Farewell for now,

Madeleine Cookie

P.S. Let me know if that new cafe is any good! I've heard rumors that is has the most exquisite scones!'

A wave of relief washed over Eclair.

"Well, if he's going to the Vanilla Kingdom, surely he'd be safe there."

"Ah, yes. I suppose he would be safe there...I just hope his journey to the kingdom isn't too much trouble."

Latte did understand Madeleine's reason for leaving early to go to the Vanilla Kingdom. His connection with the Divine Light is important to him after all. But knowing about him traveling shortly after he had been kidnapped was still worrisome for her. She clicked her tongue as she looked back up at Madeleine's door.

'Oh, I sincerely hope you come back soon, my friend.'

Just then, Constable Whisker's nose twitched as he could finally sense something amidst the rain.

He could sense...Almond Cookie! His presence was nearby! But where?

Latte noticed the cat swiftly examining his surroundings as if he was about to find something.

"What is it, Whiskers? Are you looking for something?"

Just as she asked, Whiskers swiftly pointed his nose straight towards the woods. It was quite a bit of walking distance, but nothing too terrible.

Just before Latte or Eclair could say anything, the cat suddenly took off as fast as a rabbit.

"Ah! Whiskers, wait!" Latte yelled as she dashed after him.

"Oh heavens..!" Eclair exclaimed, holding up his long tunic by the front and sprinting off in pursuit.

They reached the forest before they reached Whiskers. Even after a short spring, Eclair was already out of breath. He took shelter underneath a large oak tree, wringing his soaked hat.

"Did you see where he went, Latte?"

Latte was just a few inches in front of Eclair, also catching her breath. Witchdammit, she really should start getting more exercise.

"I...I'm not sure. He couldn't have gone far, right?"

She proceeded to wring out a bit of soaked fabric on her dress before starting to run in search of the cat again.

"Whiskers? Oh, Whiskers! Where'd you run off to?"

She almost couldn't hear Eclair yelling for her to wait for him, but finding Whiskers was her priority at the moment. Even with Almond missing, he wouldn't want his cat to run away on Latte's watch. She has to find the cat first. Then she'll begin the search for Almond--

"MROWW!!"

She heard the cat's loud shriek over to the far left of the straight and narrow path. 

"Whiskers, hang on! I'm coming!" 

Her legs ached after running so much, but she couldn't stop. She needed to get to Whiskers. By the sound of his shriek, the poor thing was terrified. The thunder was getting louder, maybe he was scared of that? Or perhaps he got himself stuck up a tree?

'Hehe. Typical cats.'  Latte joked to herself.

She could now see Whiskers from afar, looking down at something and frantically meowing.

"Oh, you poor thing! Don't be scared, I'm coming!"

As she got closer, she couldn't help but wonder whatever Whiskers was looking at scared him so much. She finally reached his location, pushing away a few bushes covering her view.

"It's okay, Whiskers. I'm here--"

...

Nothing. 

Absolutely nothing could have prepared her for what she would see. She, of course, saw Whiskers, cowering in fear and letting out panicked meowing. But then...she saw...

A Cookie. Only this wasn't just any Cookie...

It was Almond.

Whiskers had found his owner...laying limp on the ground in a rather uncomfortable position. With bits of his dough softened and crumbling off of him from the rain. With dried jam trickling out of his mouth...a puddle of jam underneath his ankles, soaking his white socks, tinting them pink.

...And a massive, oval-shaped hole in his chest, with rivers of jam still seeping out of the gaping wound.

It took Latte a moment to realize she had been screaming. Very loudly. She then screamed even louder as she felt hot tears pouring down her cheeks, mixing with the raindrops on her face.

---

Espresso crawled back from unconsciousness slowly and painfully. His head was throbbing, and his back ached. Taking in the unfamiliar room, he suddenly remembered where he fell asleep. The couch in Eclair's office. That's right. Eclair allowed him to rest there after Espresso fell weakened from...He didn't want to think about that damned spell. His head hurt to think about it.

Espresso groaned as he slowly sat up. Eclair's couch wasn't exactly made for sleeping, but it was better than the floor. He'd have to remember to thank Eclair for the kind gesture later. Come to think of it, where was Eclair?

Espresso looked around to find himself completely alone. The rain hadn't stopped at all last night as it was the only thing killing the silence. 

"Might as well go find everyone."

Donning his cape, he exited the office.

Almond wasn't in his school office. Latte wasn't in hers. Where was everyone? 

He then remembered they were last with Madeleine. Could he even face him again after what he saw? After seeing a fraction of what Madeleine went through? He finally understood him. Why was facing him again so difficult?

Cloaking his head from the rain, Espresso made his way over to Madeleine's townhouse.

When he reached the house, he noticed something near the woods. Several police carriages with magical lights flashing blue and red. Espresso was about to obey his first impulse and ignore it when he noticed a familiar figure: Latte.

She didn't look her usual cheery self. She seemed despondent. Her eyes were red and puffy, and there were still enough tears in her body to shed. She was also hugging a cat, but she didn't seem to be aware of him or anything. Like her soul had left her body.

Near her was Eclair. He was crouched over against a tree, expelling the contents of his stomach onto the wet grass as Tea Knight Cookie rubbed his back. Eclair was sobbing uncontrollably, his face was drenched in a sloppy combination of tears, rain, and vomit. Tea Knight could do nothing but hold his hair back. It was clear that comforting words could not reach the historian's ears.

None of them seemed to notice Espresso right before them.

"...what...happ...ened..?"

Latte finally snapped out of her phased-out trance and looked up at Espresso. Upon seeing him, she burst into tears, rushed over, and hugged him, forgetting how much his body ached. 

"Oh, Espresso! I--I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Oh, dear gods! It's horrible! It's just so horrible!"

Latte really tried to explain to Espresso what happened, but what came out of her next was incoherent sobbing. The cat she was carrying whimpered as he rubbed his head against her arm in an attempt to comfort her.

No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't get the words out. She just kept sobbing into Espresso's chest, until she finally managed to get one more statement out through violent sobs.

"Gods--what am I gonna tell Walnut?! What am I gonna tell her?! She's just a little girl! What do I say to her?! Oh, go-ho-ho-ds!"

Espresso blinked.

Walnut? As in Almond's daughter? What was Latte stressing out about her? And tell her what? Wouldn't it be Almond's job to tell her anything?

Come to think of it, where was Almond? Just about every officer in Parfaedia was here. But no sign of the famed detective.

Espresso couldn't leave even if he wanted to. Latte latched into him so tight. And leaving her like this didn't seem right. She was definitely very upset by whatever all this was.

Then it was like fate decided to answer his questions.

Two paramedics walked out of the forest, rolling a stretcher with them. A long white sheet draped over a figure that undoubtedly resembled a Cookie. A patch of crimson stained the center of the fabric.

Most noticeable of all, a limp hand stuck out from underneath the sheet, with a familiar wristwatch. It reminded Espresso of a birthday present from Walnut...

"...no..."

For Almond.

Espresso fell to his knees with a wet thud. Latte clung to him tighter. The rain poured down Espresso's face. It felt hot.

"NOOO!!!"

---

Walnut Cookie stared outside the classroom window as the rain continued to pour down. It was currently 1:30 pm. Free period. School ended at 2:30. Witches, she just wanted to get out soon so that she could look for her dad. She hoped to all that was holy that her dad was okay. What if he fell in a hole and got trapped? What if he got lost? What if someone kidnapped him?! What if...what if...--

"Hey, Walnut Cookie!"

Walnut snapped out of her trance and looked over at her fellow classmate Pancake Cookie. He was followed by the rest of the class who all looked at her with sympathy.

"Uh...y-you guys need something?" Walnut asked.

Pancake's head turned like a curious animal. 

"Um...Miss Florentine told us that you were looking for your dad this morning. So...we all thought it could help if we made posters. M-maybe once recess starts, we can all hand them to people! J-just so that it would be easier to find him with more Cookies looking, y'know?"

Walnut couldn't believe it. All her classmates...really wanted to help her?

"R-really? You guys...want to help me?"

Gumball Cookie wrapped an arm around her shoulders. 

"Yeah! With us on your side, you'll find him faster than my gumball cannon fires!"

The rest of her classmates agreed and gave reassuring words to her. She couldn't help but tear up.

Onion Cookie began to panic.

"Oh no! She's crying! W-we're sorry, Walnut! We didn't mean to make you cry! N-now I'm gonna cry!"

Before Onion could let the tears flow, Walnut enveloped her in a reassuring hug.

"N-no, it's okay! I'm just...I'm just so happy you guys wanna help!"

Cherry Cookie hugged Walnut tightly as well.

"Aw, gee! Anything for our buddy!"

The rest of Walnut's classmates joined in on the group hug as the bell began to ring. The teacher walked in after getting copies she had printed out from the computer lab. She couldn't help but smile at the scene before her.

"Okay, class! It's time for recess! I'll help you all hand out these posters, okay?"

---

The two paramedics remained silent as they wheeled the famed and beloved detective away from the woods. Even before checking for a pulse, they knew for a fact that Almond had been dead for quite a while now. They both flinched as they heard Parfaedia's museum curator throwing up and sobbing, the wizard with latte magic crying her own tears, and the professor with dark coffee magic shouting in grief and denial. A group of fellow officers eventually noticed the two and silently made way for them. As the paramedics walked past each other, most of the officers removed their hats and bowed in respect for their fallen comrade. Some who were closer to Almond turned their heads away, feeling too upset to look at the scene before them. Some even repeatedly asked the paramedics if they checked for a pulse for if there was any way to revive him. But eventually, the rest of the officers bowed their heads as well, mentally flinching as the only sounds that were made were the booming thunder, and the crying and shouting from Almond's closest friends. One officer eventually got hold of a few items Almond had in his possession that could be crucial evidence:

An old scroll, a piece of leaf-loose paper with childish handwriting, and a scrap of parchment with a figure drawn in red.

Chapter Text

The rain only got worse as the day went on.

All three teachers were gathered in the lobby, trying to warm up in front of a large fireplace. Their looks haven't changed. They were all wrapped in security blankets with a cup of calming tea in their hands. Only, their lips haven't touched the cup.

They were all questioned by a police officer, but only Latte could respond. Eclair was staring down at his tea as Tea Knight sat beside him a comfortable distance away. Espresso stared into the red flames with a growing grimace. It reminded him of that damned spell.

The officer could feel the negative energy within the room. He felt bad for them all, for they were very close friends with the detective. He had to ask the basic questions; like where they were on the night in question, what they were doing, when they last saw Almond, etc. He only got the answers from Latte but got the occasional nods from Espresso and Eclair to confirm. 

"Alright, we're almost done." The officer said. "I am just going to show you a few things that were found at the crime scene to see if anything looks familiar to you, okay?"

"A-alright, then..." Latte spoke softly.

She held Constable Whiskers tightly to her chest. The poor thing fell fast asleep after all the stress he went through. She wondered what the officer was going to show them. Perhaps a murder weapon? A piece of fabric or hair the killer left behind?

To her surprise, it was none of those things. The officer was pulling three items out of his handbag and laid them on the table for the three to see.

"We found these folded up inside Detective Almond Cookie's coat pockets. If I'm not mistaken, I believe these could lead to the very reason why the detective was in the woods. I just need to know...do any of these look familiar to any of you?"

Latte glanced over the first item to her left: a slip of loose-leaf paper with childish handwriting. She didn't remember Almond showing her this paper, but it could possibly be Walnut's handwriting. She noticed that Eclair's attention was caught by the paper for a brief moment, only for him to look over at the middle and immediately start to sweat. The middle item was an old scroll. She didn't remember Almond showing her a scroll either. But then...there was the item on the right...

A figure of a clawed Cookie, drawn in jam.

Latte didn't want to talk about the third item. If she did, she would be getting Espresso into trouble with how he obtained it. The officer noticed how badly she was shaking and gently placed a hand over her shoulder.

"I understand if you feel uncomfortable by all this." The officer said delicately. "But I really do need all the information I can get...perhaps your friends can offer some insight?"

A drop fell into Eclair's tea. Whether it came from his forehead or eye, no one was certain. He stared at the scroll, the last thing he showed Almond before...

His stomach lurched, but there was nothing left to expel. Guilt weighed down on his stomach as if he'd swallowed a brick of lead.

With a heavy heart, Eclair finally spoke.

"That scroll...is mine..."

The officer and Latte looked to Eclair. Not surprising as he owns a plethora of scrolls. But curious as to how such a thing fell into Almond's hands.

Eclair began to tremble again and sniffled. He felt Tea Knight's hand on his. Eclair continued with a calm sigh.

"I...Almond asked me to look up information on a possible suspect that kidnapped Madeleine. He...said it was a Cookie with a strange claw."

His words felt heavy to describe the monster.

"So, I did some research, and I found this old journal entry from a Pastry Cookie, who wrote about encouraging a Cookie with the same description as Almond's suspect list...He asked if he could borrow it for his investigation."

The officer nodded. He then looked over at the slip of loose-leaf paper that Eclair referred to as a suspect list.

"And this list...did Detective Almond Cookie write this? Or was this also given to him?"

Latte broke her attention away from the scroll and then back at the list. She was certain Almond hadn't really shown her this list. 

"Um...judging by the handwriting...I doubt he wrote this himself. Perhaps his daughter wrote it?"

She then glanced over at Eclair, who was still sweating bullets.

"E-Eclair? Did Almond say anything about Walnut making this list?"

Eclair glanced up at the list and pondered a bit. Trying to remember times with Almond was beyond painful. Especially since his scroll was found on his body. But for the importance of finding the suspect, he nodded.

"Yes. He did mention that to me. He said that his daughter wanted to help him find the kidnapper, but I suppose he wanted to leave her out of it. Frankly, I don't blame him."

The officer chuckled sadly. "Heh. That definitely sounds like his daughter alright." 

He glanced down at the paper once more. His expression remained calm, but Latte could tell there was a hint of melancholy in his eyes and he examined the list. She could've sworn he mumbled, "poor kid".

The officer then looked over at the last item and held it up, causing the three friends to shudder.

"And I think it's safe to assume that this silhouette matches the description on the list and scroll, right?"

Latte nodded her head. She hoped that was the last question. It wasn't.

"Okay then. And judging by the looks of it, this figure seems to have been drawn in jam. Many Cookies tend to write or draw what they see after performing an illegal spell. I highly doubt Almond would do something like that. He's very strict when it comes to certain magical spells. Still, it's strange that he didn't report this to anyone else at the station. So...tell me, do you know where Almond could've found this?"

The room fell silent. No one glanced. No one spoke. No one even seemed to breathe. 

One Cookie stood up. 

"It's mine."

All eyes were on Espresso. All were shocked for many reasons.

"I...I wanted to know who captured Madeleine. Who tortured him. I knew I couldn't get a straight answer from him, so...I resorted to Dark Magic. Forbidden Dark Magic. I stumbled across a Grimoire that possessed such knowledge and found a recipe for a spell that, with the essence of Madeleine, would allow me to see into his recent past. That also meant I would be able to feel everything Madeleine went through. My nose leaked with jam under the pain and pressure, and I drew the last thing I saw before blacking out. A Cookie with a strange claw."

Espresso heaved a heavy sigh of sorrow and regret.

"Almond told me not to do anything brash, but I didn't listen. He even let me off with a warning because I was doing it for Madeleine. But...I didn't even do it for him either. I only did it to make myself feel better. I abused my knowledge of Dark Magic for selfish purposes. I broke the first code I swore to this school. And, because of that, I've got a dear friend of yours killed. Not only do I deserve to be reprimanded for my crime, but I demand to have my magic completely stripped from my body."

Latte looked over at Espresso in shock. Did he just...turn himself in?! Just like that?!

"Espresso, no! Almond gave you a warning, remember?!"

The officer was stunned by Espresso's words. He felt a little bad for the professor. And Latte was right. Almond did indeed let him off with a warning--but...would that really be the right thing to do? Who knows if he'll just try to do it again!

"I--Are you sure about this? That...that means you will never be able to use magic for the rest of your life...A--are you absolutely certain you want that?"

Espresso could only nod at him. The officer was at a loss for words. Gods, he hated to have to revoke a Cookie of their magic rights, especially since his friend initially gave him a warning. Just then, he thought of an idea.

"Well...I'm not really sure I can decide that myself...but I can help you schedule a meeting with the judges of the Parfaedian Council for something like this. I...I believe it would be best it I left that decision in their hands instead."

Latte nervously glanced back at Espresso. She knew how ruthless the judges could be--she's seen it! There's...there's no way he could go through with something like that!

Espresso nodded. His voice became more firm as he spoke, but he couldn't help but let a melancholic tone slip.

"It isn't a matter of wanting. It's a matter of justice. Yes, Almond graciously gave me a warning, but now he's dead. And my evidence lead him to his investigation, where he was then murdered. His jam is on my hands. I will gladly face trial for my actions, but I will never know the peace of mind again knowing I'm still physically able of committing such atrocities again."

"Oh, Espresso..." Latte cooed.

She went to put her hand over his shoulder, only for him to slightly inch away from her. She understood and looked back down at the sleeping Whiskers. 

The officer felt a bit surprised seeing a Cookie so willing to face justice, but he understood Espresso's reason for doing so. 

"Look...don't beat yourself up over this. Yes, what you did was quite irrational. And...illegal, yes. But whatever your reasoning was, whether it was for your friend or not, you clearly had him on your mind at some point. And besides, you didn't know Almond was going to be murdered. Nobody did. It wasn't any of your fault this happened. I...can't really say for certain that you won't face any consequences when meeting with the judges. But I'm pretty sure the worst they can do is suspend you from your magic for a month or two. But...I'm sure they would understand the situation."

Latte wanted to say something. She wanted to tell him that the judges can do much worse. But...Espresso was already going through enough in his mind. He shouldn't have to beat her chirping in his ear. She knew how annoyed he would get around her sometimes, so there was no need to make things worse. It wasn't the right place or time to protest his wishes.

Eclair wanted to stand up also, and demand that he himself should face harsh punishment for his scroll leading to Almond's death. But he knew better that his evidence wasn't obtained illegally like Espresso's was. Still, he couldn't stand watching his friend beat himself up over something like this. 

He lifted a finger in the air as opposed to raising his hand. 

"If I may, I was wondering...if I could join Espresso's defense team?"

The officer's brows shot up. 

"Ah, well--"

At that moment, Latte stood up with determination in her tear-filled eyes, nearly waking up the cat.

"I would like to join his defense team as well!"

The officer was surprised by the sudden rising in Latte's voice. Even if what Espresso had done was illegal, she didn't think it was right for him to go through such a tough process. The officer released a deep breath and pondered for a moment. 

"Well...I suppose it would be a good idea for him to have a support team. However, he would also need an actual lawyer or someone who has studied law at least. Are either of you experienced in that field?"

Latte began to sweat through a smile.

"Well...no. But I don't need some silly law degree to help my friend!"

Eclair sighed with a smile. Such the optimist.

The thought did strike his mind. It would help to have a lawyer in this situation, but he knew no lawyer who'd defend illegal magic use. Even if it's a respected professor.

Espresso was gonna need all the help he can get, regardless if he felt he deserved it.

Espresso looked up at Latte, his expression hadn't changed.

"You two don't have to do this."

Latte looked over at Espresso with sympathy. She really hated to see him so hard on himself for something out of his control.

"Espresso, you're our friend. We'll do whatever we can to help you get through this. We're not going to stand by and watch you go through this alone. We...we won't let them take your magic away, whether you like it or not!"

Espresso looked between his two friends, their eyes so full of hope. There's no doubt in their words. They truly believed he deserved help even though he was guilty. He supposed he had no choice but to accept their help.

"Very well. I'll...consider your assistance."

He heaved a heavy sigh.

"However, my mind remains unchanged, regarding my sentence."

Latte looked back at him with determination in her eyes. Despite the somber atmosphere, she still wanted to try her best to lift up her friend's spirits a little.

"Well...regardless of what happens, we'll stay by your side no matter what!"

The officer felt touched by the scene before him. This Professor Latte was just like Detective Almond Cookie, only more optimistic. He adjusted his hat before he spoke up once more.

"Very well then! I'll mark down both of your names as Espresso Cookie's defense team. I won't discuss scheduling time today though. It's...been quite a tragic day for all of us..."

He let a single tear flow down his face and wiped it away before continuing.

"Espresso, we can discuss when to schedule your trial next week. I...believe that is all I will be discussing with you all today. Before I let you all go, would anyone happen to know where Sir Madeleine Cookie and Walnut Cookie may be? I know Sir Madeleine was also very close with Detective Almond Cookie, so I'm sure he deserves to know. And...Walnut is Almond's daughter after all..." 

Latte perked as she just remembered something.

"Oh! Madeleine left a note by his door. He said he was traveling to the Vanilla Kingdom to rekindle his faith in the Divine Light. And Walnut...is...at school..."

She froze up in fear and grief, a sudden realization hit her.

"Oh...oh Witches...we...we have to write to Madeleine about what happened. A-and..."

She began to tear up as she looked down at the sad, sleeping cat.

"I-I have to tell Walnut..."

Eclair and Espresso lowered their heads. 

Eclair rubbed the rim of his cup with his finger as he gazed into his tea. He felt Tea Knight lay a massive but comforting hand on his. The historian took a relaxed breath.

"In that case, you can leave the letter to me. I'll try to write it as delicately as I can, and then I'll have it sent by bluebird."

Espresso looked up to meet Latte's sad eyes.

"I...can go with you," he said softly. "If you'd like. Almond's death was my responsibility. It's only right to accompany you."

Latte wiped away her tears as best as she could. She wanted to tell Espresso not to blame himself, but she knew her words would fall on deaf ears.

"I...th-thank you...I suppose I'd feel more comfortable with somebody next to me rather than telling her alone..."

She then shifted her gaze to Eclair and gave him a sad smile.

"And thank you, Eclair. I really appreciate it."

Eclair returned a smile with a nod.

As the Cookies departed, they left with a sliver of lightness in their spirits.

Eclair left with Tea Knight to his office, and Espresso left with Latte after discussing trial dates with the officer. But details would have to wait for another time. They had a funeral to arrange.

Espresso walked with Latte to the front of the school with Whiskers in her arms looking just as nervous as she was.

Espresso glanced at her as she was fighting back tears. She always seemed braver than him. That's what he admired about her. He wished he had the words.

Without realizing it, he had taken Latte's hand.

Latte could feel Espresso giving her hand a gentle squeeze as she waited for the final bell to ring. She felt a little better knowing she had someone next to her at the moment. She tightened her grip around his hand.

The final bell has rung. Latte could feel her heart drop as a sea of young Cookies dashed out the doors and into the arms of their own parents. It didn't take long to find Walnut in the crowd, walking and talking with one of her friends. Once the two friends said their farewells, Walnut looked around until she finally saw Latte, Whiskers, and Espresso. She looked a little disappointed to find out her day wasn't there, but quickly brushed it off as she dashed up to them with a smile. Perhaps her father was found and just got home resting. 

"Hiya, guys!"

She gave both the professors a group hug, not realizing their somber looks. Latte had hugged her back much tighter and then gave her a small smile when the girl pulled away.

"Hello dear. How was school?"

"Eh, pretty boring. But I can't complain."

Walnut immediately noticed Latte's lack of cheerfulness. It didn't take a detective to see she was forcing it. Well...she wasn't exactly cheerful this morning either, but she just seemed much...sadder than in the morning. Just as Walnut was about to ask Latte why she looked so sad, Whiskers had immediately hopped out of Latte's arms and cuddled up to Walnut's leg.

"Aww, hehe! Hiya, Whiskers! You didn't give Miss Latte too much trouble, did ya?"

She heard the cat whimpering.

"Aw...hey, come on buddy. I was just kidding. Why...why do you look so sad?"

She then looked up at the two professors before her. Espresso took his glance away while Latte looked as if she was barely keeping it together.

"H-hey...what's wrong, guys?" Walnut asked softly.

After a few seconds of silence, Latte finally cleared her throat and knelt down to Walnut's eye level. She gently placed a hand over her shoulder with a sad look.

"Walnut, honey...there's...there's something I have to tell you...It's...it's about your father..."

Espresso took everything he had in himself to hold it together. Although he was breaking, he had to keep up his spirits. For Walnut.

Forcing a gentle smile, he knelt down beside Latte.

"Hey, why don't we go back to the house and have some milk? I'm sure Constable Whiskers misses his bed."

In hindsight, talking about this sensitive topic in a place that had too many memories of Almond probably isn't the best solution. But it was the only place he could think to talk in private, and where Walnut was most comfortable.

Latte felt grateful for Espresso's suggestion. She didn't really feel too comfortable about telling Walnut literally outside the school anyway. 

"Ah...yes. That would be much better than standing out in the rain."

Walnut blinked in confusion, both at Latte and at Espresso. What on Earthbread was Latte going to say about her dad? Did he get hurt? Break his leg? Is he in the hospital? And doesn't Espresso hate milk?

But...she decided to let it slide for now. Even if she didn't fully understand what was going on at the moment, she could tell the two had a rough day. She supposed they could use a bit of cheering up back at her house. Maybe she can show them a few pictures she drew!

"Haha, yeah! Wouldn't want our dough to get all soggy! C'mon Whiskers!"

Whiskers could only shudder. Even he was anticipating the heartbreak she was going to endure in a moment.

"Aw, poor fella. You must really hate the rain, huh?"

---

As they entered the house, Walnut rushed in excitedly hanging up her raincoat on the rack and tossed her backpack on the couch. Latte and Espresso removed their muddy shoes and left them by the door.

Latte joined Walnut as the child showed her what she did in school. The professor strained to put on a smile for her, even though she was genuinely interested in her drawings. She'd inevitably have to deliver the worse news of her life.

Espresso was in the kitchen, searching each cabinet for the glassware until he finally found them. There weren't many glasses but that was to be expected when there were only two people in the house and not a lot of guests show up. As he reached for the three small glasses and a saucer, Espresso noticed a mug in the corner reading,  "Number one Dad" . His heart twinged. That mug would forever be bare of sweet morning coffee. All because of him. 

Espresso grabbed the milk from the fridge and poured all three glasses full and a saucer for Whiskers. Espresso couldn't find it in himself to wince at the sight of milk. It looked rather sweet.

By the time he turned around, Latte and Walnut were already sitting at the table. With bated breath, Espresso joined them. Handing everyone a glass, he exchanged a look with Latte. It was time. 

Latte tensed up as she looked over at Walnut once more. The little Cookie had thanked Espresso for the milk before happily sipping her glass. Latte couldn't bring herself to drink any at the moment, even if she craved the milk's cool and refreshing taste.

"Um...Walnut. There's...something you should know."

Walnut stopped sipping as she wiped away the milk mustache off her face. A faint memory of when she was younger played in her mind where her father had giggled upon seeing her milk mustache and gently wiping it off. That's right! Latte was going to talk about her dad!

"Oh yeah! You said it was about dad, right?"

Latte cleared her throat. Gods, why must she tell her something so terrible?! How can she word it as delicately as possible?!

"Y-yes...it is..."

Walnut patiently waited for her to continue, even though the suspense was killing her.

"So...um...Whiskers ran into the woods and...f-found your father--"

"HE DID?!"

Latte felt a piece of her soul leaving her body as Walnut looked over at Whiskers and gave him praising pats on the head.

"Good job, Whiskers! I knew there was a little detective in ya!"

Latte's throat tightened.

"Ah...W-Walnut, I-I...didn't exactly finish..."

Walnut looked back at her confused. Why did...she sound so scared if they found her dad? Come to think of it...where was he?

"Oh, honey...y-your father...he..."

"M-Miss Latte, what is it..?"

"H-he..."

It was so hard for her to hold back tears any longer. Walnut could only look at her with concern as the tears left the wizard's eyes.

"He...he was on the ground...h-he was bleeding..."

"Bleeding?! Oh no! Is he in the hospital?! M-maybe we should go check on him! Poor Dad...he must really be scared--"

"N-no, honey..."

Walnut felt Latte grab her arm, preventing her from fetching her raincoat again.

"He...he's not in the hospital..."

"He's not? Well, if he's not there, where is he?"

Latte couldn't find it in herself to keep her emotions in any longer. She put her arms and head down on the table and cried. 

"Ah--Miss Latte! What's wrong?!"

Walnut then looked up at Espresso, whose hands were slightly shaking. 

"Did...did something happen to him?"

Espresso's glass trembled between his hands and he fought back tears of his own. 

Witchdammit! If it was hard enough for Latte, what made him think he could do it?! It'd his fault Almond isn't here, and he couldn't even fight back his own tears! Walnut is fatherless because of him!

He stopped himself before he could crush the glass in his hand. If there's anything he needed to see last, it was more spilled jam.

With a heavy breath, Espresso gently took Walnut's tiny hand. His eye glistened behind his glasses.

"...Your father died."

...

For a moment, it was silent. Pure silence from Walnut. She didn't speak. She didn't yell. At first...all she did was stare up at Espresso's tear-filled eyes to see if he was being sincere.

"...How...how do you know that...?"

Latte finally picked up her head and gently placed a hand over Walnut's shoulder.

"Oh Walnut. I-I'm so sorry--"

"N-no! Don't say that! H-how do you guys know he's dead?! D-did you even CHECK for a pulse before deciding that?!"

"Walnut--"

"You guys aren't even detectives! So how could you know if someone's dead or not?! Maybe he just passed out! Didn't you think of that?!"

"Walnut, please! Just...look at me."

Walnut finally met her gaze as tears threatened to escape her eyes. There's no way her father was dead! He can't be dead..right?!

"I-I know it's hard to take in...b-but it's the truth. Your Father...he didn't make it. And I'm so sorry..."

"W-w-why? Why do you keep apologizing?! He...he's not dead! He's a tough Cookie! It...it takes a lot to knock down a detective! H-he said so himself! He wouldn't just...die out of the blue! He's not dead! I-I can prove it! I'll go find him now!"

"Walnut--!"

Almost at the speed of light, the little girl dashed out the door without grabbing her coat. Latte, Espresso, and Whiskers all sprinted after her.

Walnut kept running away from the house as she kept calling for her dad. Maybe if she shouted for him loud enough, he could hear her.

Latte called out for Walnut as the two sprinted out the door. For a small girl, she sure could run fast. They lost sight of her as soon as they stepped out into the rain.

Latte was beginning to panic, so Espresso spoke softly but firm enough to get his message across.

"Latte, take to the skies and see if you can spot her! Whiskers and I will track her on foot!"

Latte nodded as she hopped onto her magic spoon, flying up to the sky faster than the speed of light, ignoring the rain hitting her in the face. She looked down below for any signs of Walnut.

'Please be okay! Please be okay!'

After a few minutes, she eventually spotted the girl running through the double doors of a local hospital. 

The hospital? Why would she--

...

"No..."

She can't let her see. She can never let her see! She's just a little girl!

With a sudden rush of adrenaline, she swooped down in hopes of reaching Walnut before she could see...

After what felt like forever, Espresso followed Whiskers to the hospital. He didn't need to speculate why Walnut would wind up here.

Rushing through the doors, he slammed his hands on the front desk, startling the receptionist, and asked if she saw a little girl. Still shaking, she pointed to a hall on the right. Without hesitation or quickening a "thank you", Espresso sprinted down the direction of Walnut.

He eventually ran into Latte, who'd apparently entered another way.

"Please tell me you found her. I've lost sigh of Whiskers, too." he panted.

Latte took a moment to catch her breath before she could answer.

"I...I'm afraid not...not yet at least..."

As if fate decided to lend a helping hand, Whiskers slowly inched out of one of the rooms with a sad look on his face. They were both relieved to see the cat, only for their relief to be replaced with horror as they realized the room he walked out of. And by the time they rushed into the room, it was too late.

Walnut Cookie was already standing over the dead body of her father. She slowly looked up at them, tears already pouring down her eyes.

"They...they can still revive him...r-right?"

No matter how badly Espresso wanted to look away, his eyes stayed glued on the body of Almond Cookie. He'd never actually seen the body like Latte. He's never seen a body at all. Almond looked as if he were just sleeping. Like he didn't recently suffer from a deep chest wound. Like he wasn't murdered by a Cookie with a strange claw. His dough was grey as if he were underbaked. Espresso had no doubt he'd feel cold to the touch.

The reality of it all suddenly dawned on Espresso. Almond was dead. He was really dead. And it was all his fault.

He fell to his knees with a thud, wrapping his arms tightly around Walnut as he cried.

"I'm...sorry...I'm so sorry..!"

At first, Walnut couldn't say anything. Even when Espresso hugged her. Even when Latte joined in. She was at a loss for words. 

Then...it dawned on her.

Her father was dead. He was really dead. All because of...

That list.

That stupid list!

She remembered her father saying he'd take it with him, that it would help with his investigation. But it didn't help him at all! It...it just got him killed!

"I...I'm the one who should apologize..."

Latte and Espresso looked at her sad and confused. What could a small child have to apologize for?

"Oh, Walnut. You have nothing to apologize for--" Latte cooed.

"Y-yes I do! B-because it's my fault!"

"Don't say that! It's not your fault at all!"

"Yes, it is! If I didn't make up that list, none of this would've happened! I...I got him killed..."

At first, Espresso was too stunned to speak. How on Earthbread could Walnut think herself responsible for Almond's death? Sure, her list pointed toward the direction of the clawed Cookie, but she's a child who made a random suspect. Besides, it was his illegal spell that confirmed the suspect. he was the reason Almond ended up in those woods, not Walnut.

Espresso's words only came out in incoherent sobbing but were just barely audible as he held her tighter.

"N-no, Walnut..! It...'s not your...I...The circle...Almond...He just...I'm so sorry..!"

Before Latte could add any more input, Walnut had suddenly pulled away from the hug, trying to catch her breath through her sobbing.

"S-stop apologizing to me, okay?! You weren't the one staying up past your bedtime thinking you can be this awesome detective like your dad is and come up with some stupid theories in the middle of the night! You weren't the one putting ideas in your dad's dead about a clawed Cookie!"

"P-please don't beat yourself up like this!" Latte squeaked. "You're just a child! You did nothing wro--"

"You're right! I am just a child! And me wanting to prove I was more than that got my dad killed!"

After her outburst, Walnut ran over to her father's bedside and hugged his body tightly.

"Oh, Dad! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to get you killed! Please come back! I-I'll make it up to you! Just please come back! Wake up, Daddy! Wake up!"

Latte could only wrap her arms around the girl and try her best to convince her that none of it was her fault. But no words came out. She lost the energy to speak as more hot tears ran down her cheeks. All she could do was hope that her silent gesture of comfort was reaching her.

Espresso's words were caught in his throat, useless. All he could do was sit on his knees and let the tears flow down his face.

It only took a moment before a few nurses were called to gently escort the three out of the room. All of them were too emotionally exhausted to refuse.

They all sat outside in the hospital garden in a gazebo. On any other day, the rainy scenery along with the glistening plethora of colorful flowers would be considered beautiful and relaxing. But it only seemed to dampen the mood further. Walnut sat between Latte and Espresso with Whiskers on her lap. The two adults could only hold her in silence.

Chapter Text

Tea Knight Cookie watched as Eclair was frantically writing on another fresh scroll, a massive pile of discarded ones behind the historian's chair. He had offered countless times to help him with the letter, but every time he would, Eclair would just brush him aside. Tea Knight was always one to respect others' wishes, but this has been going on for far too long.

The kettle let out a gust of steam, signifying the tea was ready. The knight had poured it into two teacups, one for Eclair and the other for himself. He then put a small spoonful of honey in Eclair's tea. He knew the historian always preferred a little bit of sweetness to his tea.

As Eclair stared down at what he had written and crumpled up the note in frustration, Tea Knight inched closer to his desk and slowly slid the cup of freshly brewed tea with honey in front of him.

"Eclair...you need to rest."

Eclair didn't seem to see the fresh cup being handed to him. His forehead rested on his hand as he focused on the blank parchment. He fought as his heavy eyelids dared to drop. He couldn't fall asleep now. He just couldn't.

"In a moment, Tea Knight. I just need to get this right."

The historian had smudged ink on the side of his writing hand. He usually did a good job to keep them and his sleeves clean, even when he took frantic notes.

He took his quill and began to write with blotchy handwriting.

'Dearest Madeleine Cookie,

It is with great sorrow...'

'Dearest Madeleine,

It is with heavy regard that...'

"Dash it all!" 

Eclair crumbled up the paper and carelessly tossed it over his shoulder.

His quill was beginning to feel heavy.

Tea Knight could feel his heart cracking in two as he watched his friend struggle with the letter. He felt it was unfair for Cookies to have to write to faraway friends about the death of someone so close to them. While he himself didn't know Almond Cookie too well, he knew Eclair was quite close with him, considering the detective also worked in the Parfaedian Institute. He couldn't imagine how much heartache the historian was going through at the moment. 

"You've been at this for too long. You clearly need to rest."

Eclair gripped his quill tighter.

"I appreciate your concern, Tea. But I'm fine."

He wrote imaginary words across the parchment, trying to figure out what to say. As every writer knew, the best way to start writing is to start writing. Only Eclair was at a complete loss for words. How could he write something so delicate? Something that was...

"This letter has to reach Madeleine as soon as possible. It's important. If I could just get the bloody words right..!"

Tea Knight put a hand over Eclair's shoulder in an attempt to calm him down. He could tell Eclair's body was demanding rest, but it was his mind preventing him from doing so. 

"It will reach Sir Madeleine Cookie soon. But that doesn't mean you have to rush the writing process."

As Eclair practically ignored Tea Knight's words and reached for the ink vial, the knight pushed it over to the furthest corner of the desk where Eclair couldn't reach it.

"The best way to get something done is to walk away from it for a moment. Just until your head is clear. All I'm asking is for you to take a break. It doesn't have to be long, just step back from your desk a moment. I...I don't believe Detective Almond Cookie would want you to break your back over this letter..."

"And what do you know? You never knew him!" Eclair snapped.

He reached for the vial, but it was shielded by Tea Knight's meaty hand.

Eclair huffed in frustration.

"Tea Knight, get out of the way. I need to write this..!"

Eclair didn't usually like to be firm, but he was getting antsy.

"No!" Tea Knight bellowed. "What you need is a moment's rest!"

He realized his voice was an octave louder than it needed to be and quickly resumed his more gentle tone.

"I...I'm sorry, Eclair. But...I really hate to see you like this. You look like you're going to collapse at any moment!"

"I don't care!" 

Eclair's slim fingers tried to pry Tea's massive ones apart but to no avail.

"I don't care if I collapse!"

His voice became a desperate shrilly yell as he spoke.

"I don't care if you say I need to rest! I! Am! Fine! Now move your damn hand!"

Something splashed on the desk.

Eclair's breathing hitched with stifled sobs, his teeth grinding.

"I...have to write this...! It's for Almond...! I have to do this...for him...! Because..."

His shoulders slumped and his hands went limp over Tea's hands as he completely broke down.

"...it's my fault..."

At first, Tea Knight didn't know what to say. He felt Eclair's shaking hands in his own as his grip tightened. He wasn't sure if whatever he wanted to say would make the situation better or worse. Eventually, he pulled the crying Eclair into a hug.

"It's not your fault...none of it is."

Eclair buried his face in Tea's soft chest.

"Yes, it is..!" He hiccuped as he sobbed. "If...if I...! If I hadn't shown him...that stupid scroll...! If I'd just stayed out of it..!"

"Eclair, look at me!"

Tea Knight almost surprised himself by the rising in his voice once more, but he just couldn't take seeing his friend blame himself for something out of his control.

"Don't look at the ground. Look at me."

Eclair had struggled for a bit to look up at him, for his tears kept blurring his vision. But...he eventually raised his head up slightly to meet his gentle gaze. Tea Knight then gently placed his hands over Eclair's cheeks and tried to wipe away his tears the best he could.

"Listen to me. You had no idea your friend would be murdered. Nobody did. It's no one's fault but the killer's that he met his demise. I need you to understand that. It's not your fault."

Eclair said nothing. Instead, he buried his face in Tea's chest and cried, clenching his shirt.

They sat on the couch as Eclair wept his pain out, Tea Knight stroking his back gently.

"I...I just..." Eclair sniffled. "I just wished...things were different."

"I know..." Tea Knight cooed softly. "I know."

He proceeded to rub circles into Eclair's back as the historian continued to sniffle and hiccup. 

"Sometimes...life is just cruel. Unpredictable. And unfair..." the knight said.

He couldn't help but feel reminded of how much he cried many years ago. Over all of his fallen brothers in arms. His closest friends. He remembered how much he hated himself. How much he wished he would've died in the jaws of a dragon, along with his friends. 

It took him so long to snap himself out of that awful cycle of intrusive thoughts. He didn't want Eclair to go through the same pain.

He might as well at least give Eclair someone to talk to. Something he himself was never given all those years ago...

"But...the best thing we can do... is to take our time to catch our breaths. Take a moment to process everything. Take a few deep breaths, and keep moving forward. I know it's a hard thing to do. But...it's all we can do for now..."

Eclair softly cried in Tea's burly but soft arms until he fell asleep. Tea Knight gently laid him on the couch and covered him with a blanket before planting a gentle kiss on his forehead.

When Eclair woke up, he didn't feel any better about Almond's death and still clung to the feeling that he was partially responsible, but his heart did feel lighter. Light enough to get himself to write again.

He sat back down on his writing chair, and when he went to pick up his quill, he spotted a cup of steaming tea near the ink vial. There was a note attached.

'Never forget who you are.'

Eclair was about to dismiss the message but pondered for a moment. It was a nice message, but what did Tea Knight mean when he wrote that? Did he..?

Eclair shrugged it off and took a sip of the tea. It tasted sweeter than usual. He decided to take his time savoring every drop. 

When his cup was empty, his heart felt warm like a hug. And he smiled.

"Thank you, Tea Knight."

Picking up his quill, he began to write.

---

Everything was quiet back at the fortress. Mainly because the Crimson Knight was in the armory alone, preparing for the mission. Normally, Madeleine would be too antsy in a quiet room and be the one to start up some banter with the soldiers. 

But Crimson didn't mind the silence. He needed it after the events that took place last night.

Last night...

He couldn't stop thinking about it. About Almond...

"Mm...Madel...leine...hhh..."

Gods...he couldn't stop thinking about the way his friend looked at him as he struggled under his blade. It was a look of hurt. Of betrayal.

For a knight...whether a part of the order or not...that was the worst kind of dishonor to bring upon oneself. He could feel his stomach lurching and a bitter taste in his mouth as he began to sharpen his sword.

The sword that was once covered in his friend's jam...that thought really sickened him.

No matter how hard he tried last night to sleep it off, he just couldn't. He couldn't help but lie awake, thinking about how heartbroken his other friends would be. How heartbroken little Walnut would be. Despite everything, he still kept the pictures she drew for him inside his pocket underneath his armor. He couldn't find it in his heart to leave them behind, even if they were depictions of Madeleine. Not Crimson.

"Ww...Waln...nut...Coo...kie..."

His daughter's name. That was the last thing Almond ever said before he drew his last breath/ Even after all the pain he was in, he never said, "why me", or "have mercy". Even as death was lifting his soul out of his body, he was never thinking of himself. Only Walnut.

Crimson could feel the tears threatening to escape his eyes once more. The little traces of Madeleine trying to come back out. No matter how much he wanted to let out all the ugly sobs in the world that he's been holding back, he had to prevent them from escaping. He can't let his commander see him cry again.

He can't let Her Darkness see him cry again.

Speak of the devil.

Dark Enchantress Cookie entered the empty armory as the door was opened for her.

She sauntered over to Crimson by the balcony, a gentle smile on her face.

"Well, I must say, Red Velvet has never been this enthusiastic about a Cookie soldier. He usually keeps to his Cakes. That's quite a feat. Although he never told me what exactly you did to earn his respect. He figured he didn't want to tarnish your victory by leaving out details."

Crimson glanced over at his Enchantress, then back down at his sword. He figured that was his cue to explain what had happened that night...dammit. He really didn't want to talk about it. But, he supposed he could humor her for a bit. He just had to figure out how he was going to word it...

"There...there was a detective from the city. He was trying to arrest my commander...so I tried to tell him about our cause. I figured if I could get him to join, it would benefit us in the long run..."

Crimson cleared his throat before continuing, his gaze never leaving his sword.

"Unfortunately, he didn't accept the offer. Commander Red Velvet Cookie had attacked him first, but the detective managed to injure his arm...so I fought him."

He figured he didn't have to explain it to her anymore. She was smart enough to figure out where the fight led to. He uttered one last phrase on the matter in the same calm, almost monotone voice. Only there was a subtle hint of melancholy to it.

"I only did what I had to do..."

Dark Enchantress Cookie frowned, and nodded.

"You did what you had to do." She reassured, as she gently laid a hand on his shoulder.

"In our past lives, we've all had someone we were close to. Friends, family, all good Cookies who refused to join. And...we had to let them go. It's a difficult thing, and my heart weeps for those who couldn't see what we're trying to accomplish."

She looked up at the scarlet sky around the fortress. To softer Cookies, it may be described as an evil red like Strawberry Jam. But to her, it was like staring at a field of poppies.

"We can't do anything but move forward. There will be more times when we'll have to kill those who stand in our way who are too blinded by the light as you were. But their sacrifices won't be in vain. When we create our new world, they will be honored as stepping stones to peace."

Crimson listened carefully to her words. To other Cookies, they may sound conflicting and off coming. But to him, her words almost sounded just like something his own mother would say. They were almost...warm. Comforting. If Almond wasn't a close friend of his, he probably would've immediately felt better by her words. Not that he didn't feel slightly better, but his heart still ached for Almond.

"...do you still think about the Cookies you...had to let go?" 

He almost regretted asking such a personal question. But his Enchantress didn't scorn him. Instead, her smile fell, almost to a sad expression one wouldn't know she could make.

She placed her hand over her heart. It used to be warm and full of life, love, and hope. Now, it felt cold and still like ice. No amount of magic could return it to the feeling she once loved. But it was a necessary sacrifice in the end. If it means her children could feel that feeling forever.

"Yes...I do."

Her scarlet eyes met with Crimson's.

"Two, actually. One was a past fragrance of myself that was stolen by the Witches. And the other...was a very close friend."

Her head burned with memories of the blinding light she once called beautiful. But she didn't let the pain show. 

"I used to think he'd follow me to the ends of Earthbread. But...he turned to the light and cast a shadow upon me."

Those words struck a chord with Crimson. Her friend was blinded by the light and left her in the shadows. If he were to come across his friends again like...this, would they all cast shadows upon him? Would they all hate him until the end of his days? Would they all rejoice if he had died a cruel, slow, and painful death?

"Rejoice! For the traitor of Parfaedia is no more!"

That's what he imagined the Cookies would say if they were all too blind to listen to him.

What if he had to leave all his friends behind? What if he had to force himself to forget about them?

What if...what if he had to force himself to kill them?

To kill Espresso?

His heart pounded against his chest as he thought of the same look of betrayal from Almond in Espresso's eyes. Out of all his friends, he seemed to have thought about Espresso the most. The one he felt closest to...

"I...I'm sorry you had to go through that..."

He felt terrible knowing what his Enchantress possibly went through to get to where she was. And to think his old self called her an "old hag" and a "wench".

"Did you have to...you know..."

He broke his gaze from Her Darkness and I stared back down at his sword, hinting at what he meant.

"...do what had to be done?"

Dark Enchantress stared down at her thin, bony fingers and long sharp nails. Despite their frightening look, they never bore Jam of her past allies.

She took a breath.

"No. He struck me down."

It took a few moments, but her soft prideful smile returned to her face as she turned to Crimson.

"In face, you're going to meet him soon."

Crimson was almost surprised to hear her say that. So King Pure Vanilla Cookie himself used to be close friends with his Enchantress. But what surprised him more, was knowing that Vanilla struck her down. It was rather...odd to hear, considering his father always told him how kind-hearted and merciful Pure Vanilla Cookie was. Maybe that was a lie his father believed as well...

"Well...since the ruler of the Vanilla Kingdom himself used to be close to you, I shall do my best to be as diplomatic as possible."

Of course, he knew she instructed him to kill him if diplomacy failed, but he felt that she would feel a little better if he manages to convince Vanilla to hand over his Soul Jam without any violence. Besides...he's already gotten Jam on his sword the night before. He didn't want to cover it in more.

Dark Enchantress Cookie smiled, but she couldn't help but let it slip.

"It's important to our cause that we provide accommodations to show newcomers that we can be negotiable."

She heaved a heavy sigh, her expression growing full of seriousness and a hint of regret.

"But...we're not recruiting Pure Vanilla," she said delicately. "He won't give away his Soul Jam easily. None of the Royals will. You can only be diplomatic with him for so long before he sees an opening and strikes. So, you will only give him one chance to hand over his Soul Jam. Just one. And if he refuses, then you strike."

Crimson feared she would say something like that. He really hated the idea of murdering anyone, let alone a Royal. But...he had already killed one of his best friends after he refused to join. All he can do is hope that Vanilla would be easier to negotiate with.

"...Understood. I shall do whatever you command of me," he said with a bow.

Dark Enchantress Cookie gently cupped her gaunt, leathery hand against his young, soft cheek. To the smaller minds, her smile would be seen as malicious and twisted who enjoys watching the suffering of her prey. But to Crimson, it was kind and motherly. And to think he used to want to squirm away from her touch. He was suddenly reminded of the white-haired Cookie from the vision.

"I know you will," she said gingerly. "You're turning out to be a great soldier, my Crimson Knight. Is there anything else burdening your heart?"

Crimson felt warm inside. Even though he will never truly forgive himself for what he had to do to Almond, he couldn't help but feel more comfortable around Her Darkness. He felt at home. He looked away, feeling flustered.

"Ah, it's nothing else that's serious. It's just that..."

He looked up at her, her scarlet eyes suddenly appearing warm and gentle to him like fresh strawberries. 

"You remind me of my mother."

Her Darkness's eyes shimmered as she chuckled. The sound was pleasant and soft like a warm spring breeze wafting through a bed of orchids. 

After planting a kiss on his forehead, she turned to exit the room.

Travel safe, and when you return home, I'll be sure to prepare a glorious feast for your victory." 

Crimson felt a little warm and bashful after the motherly gesture. He had almost forgotten what it felt like to have a mother figure in his life. Perhaps...it was a sign from his birth mother's spirit. That everything was going to turn out okay in the end. 

"Heh. I will. Thank you." he replied. 

After she left, he looked back down at his sword. It was sharpened enough to his liking. He thought of Almond once more, however, he didn't feel as melancholy as he did before.

'Do not fret, my friend,'  Crimson said internally.  'Your efforts were never in vain. I will bring peace to Earthbread, and I will make sure your daughter never grows old.' 

Chapter Text

Parfaedia chose a bleak day for a funeral. There was no sign of life in the streets of Magic City, not even a rat's whisker. Every window was covered in black curtains to mirror the mood, and every business was barren.

Every citizen, teacher, and child alike, gathered in the Parfaedian cemetery, sharing their grief for the famed Detective Almond Cookie. His closest friends, colleagues, and dear daughter were standing in front of the crowd. Before them was a large oak casket, propped before an appropriate-sized burial. It was surrounded by the most beautiful variety of flowers anyone in the city has ever seen, despite the unfortunate circumstances of their first viewing. 

Latte looked over at Walnut, who was holding her hand tightly. She could tell the little one's tears were threatening to escape her eyes, but she wasn't allowing them to. She could tell Walnut was doing her best to be strong for her father. And Latte was doing her best to be strong for her.

She looked back down at the casket that was in front of them. If she were being honest with herself, she was grateful that the casket was closed. She didn't want Walnut to see her father's body twice. And she certainly didn't want to look at his pale, cold face a third time.

She then looked around the sea of Parfaedian citizens, all gathered here just for Almond. Even if a good amount of Cookies didn't know him too well. While a part of her felt slightly overwhelmed with how many people came, she also felt warm inside. Almond had touched the hearts of so many lives without realizing it.

He was a good man.

Eclair wore his hair in a long braid today. He stood by Tea Knight underneath a black umbrella that wasn't big enough for the knight's burly figure, but he didn't care as long as Eclair didn't get soaked. Eclair didn't feel as guilty as he was before, but the mood of the funeral was starting to get to him. He rested his head against Tea's shoulder.

Espresso was shrouded in misery. His wardrobe was darker than before as he wore a plain black cloak. His bangs draped limply over his right eye as messy strands coated the other. There were also more noticeable grey strands that he didn't care enough to dye. He didn't care about the cold rain showering over him, despite knowing Latte's umbrella was big enough for all three of them. He didn't care about anything but the coffin before him. How dare he feel this way. He didn't deserve to be here. To grief for someone he practically got killed. At least Almond could rest easy knowing Espresso would soon never be able to use his powers again. 

When the minister was finished with his opening sermon, it was someone's turn to take the stage. Latte decided to go first.

As she began her speech dedicated to Almond, Walnut couldn't help but look around for a bit. While she felt bad for not paying attention to what Latte had to say, she couldn't bear hearing any stories about her day. That was when she spotted a girl not too far from her. A girl with white hair and a magic wand. That's when she remembered...her father had told her about this girl before.

She was surprised none of the other adults that stood with her batted an eye as she left them to go talk to the girl. They figured she had to cope somehow anyway. Once she finally made it, she did her best to wipe away her own tears.

"Hey. You're...Cream Puff Cookie, right?" Walnut whispered.

The girl looked up at her, almost startled by her presence. She then wiped her eyes as Walnut gave her a sad smile.

"Um...I'm Walnut Cookie, Detective Almond Cookie's daughter. It's nice to meet you..."

Cream Puff beamed when she heard that name. She returned the sad smile as she balled her wet handkerchief in her hands.

"Y-yes. I...I've heard about you." she sniffled, tucking her handkerchief in her cloak pocket.

"Mister Almon...your dad told me about you. I'm...very sorry we had to meet like this."

Walnut couldn't help but let a few tears slip out. Oh, how she wished she could've met Cream Puff in a much happier setting. With her father by her side...

"It's okay. I'm...I'm at least grateful we finally did meet." Walnut reassured.

Cream Puff nodded as she turned her attention back to the casket. Walnut did the same as they both watched Latte give her speech for a bit. Walnut eventually decided to break the silence.

"So...um...you met my dad near a library, right?"

Cream Puff smiled at the memory. It hadn't been long since her great adventure with Latte and Almond. Given the circumstances, the memories only brought deep sorrow. Although she knew Almond wouldn't want her to be saddened by the memory. 

"Y-yes. There was a strange magic incident that made the books come alive. That's when I met Professor Latte. She de-animated the books like it was nothing." 

She stopped herself from blabbering on about how much she admired Latte and remembered who she was supposed to be talking about.

"After she left, your dad showed up. He suspected that Latte was responsible for the magic incident, but I can tell he means well."

Walnut couldn't help but chuckle a bit. Even when he had good intentions, he would always get a little too over suspicious about certain Cookies upon meeting them the first time.

"Haha. Yeah, that sounds like my dad..."

She paused for a moment as memories of her father kept playing in her mind. Ones that were once joyful, are now bittersweet and melancholy. 

"Um...what other mysteries did you and my dad come across?"

Cream Puff beamed with excitement when she thought about her greatest adventure ever. She made sure to keep her voice down so as not to disturb the others. 

"Oh, did he tell you about the Beacon? That's the best one. It's how I became a wizard. I was in the forest practicing magic with Miss Latte when suddenly this rift opened in the sky. Everyone in the Council thought I did it, but not Latte. When the rift got worse, I suggested venturing out to seek the legendary Beacon. Latte, of course, joined me but so did your day. He volunteered to protect us. During a blizzard, I accidentally lost the bag of food. I felt really bad about it, I thought I doomed us. But your dad didn't blame me. In fact, he said he would've done the same. He said..."

As Walnut listened to the story, she felt warm inside knowing that her father even had a positive influence on another girl her age.

"Aw. I'm glad he was able to help you along the way. That...sounds like a great adventure."

She looked down at her feet for a moment, thinking about the last thing her father ever said to her.

"Hey, I'll be fine. I promise I'll be back to wake you up in the morning, okay?"

"Aw...okay. Just be careful out there!"

"I will, sweetheart. Don't worry."

She tried her best to drown out that sad memory of false hope with something Almond mentioned to her. Something about...oh that's right!

"O-oh..! He told me you, Miss Latte, and he was facing a dragon? How'd you guys do it?"

Cream Puff chuckled, her cheeks a pale pink.

"That's my favorite part! When we reached the Beacon, a giant red dragon flew out of the rift and blocked our path. Professor and the Detective were able to distract it while I fired my magic. But it was weak and it noticed me, knocking Latte and Almond off the wall, and I was all alone. I've never been more scared in my life. Then I remembered their words of encouragement, and they came back to help me. I fired my spell, and blasted the dragon back into the rift." 

"Wow, that's awesome!" Walnut exclaimed in hushed excitement. "Man, I wish I could do cool magic like that."

Her father...really did help this girl a lot, huh? Perhaps, if it was summer and he was still alive, maybe he would have introduced Cream Puff to her at some point. 

"I'm...I'm really glad you guys had an awesome adventure together. That...that makes me happy..."

But...now he can't introduce her to this Cookie. He can't go on any more adventures with her. He can't teach this Cookie the same lessons he always taught her. 

All because of that list...

It took Walnut a moment to realize more tears had poured down her face as she sniffled. Before Cream Puff could say anything else, Walnut enveloped her in a tight hug as she continued to cry.

"I...I'm so sorry..! It's..It's my fault you can't go on any more adventures with him! I-it's my fault he's gone! I-I understand if you're mad at me! I-I'm just...so sorry!"

At first, Cream Puff was too stunned by the sudden action to speak. Then, when Walnut started apologizing and sobbing profusely, a cold chill ran down her spine. Walnut's voice was so raw and shrill that it struck Cream Puff's heart like an icy arrow. What could Walnut be talking about? Her fault about what?

Without thinking, Cream Puff wrapped her arms around her.

"Walnut, what are you--?"

It was then that she realized many eyes were staring at them.

Once Latte had finished her eulogy, she could hear someone crying. A child crying. Walnut.

As she moved away from the casket, she quickly made her way towards Walnut and Cream Puff, shooting a glare at the Cookies who were staring at the crying child. Once the Cookies got the hint and adverted their eyes, she finally made it towards the two girls and hugged them both tightly.

"M-miss Latte?" Walnut sniffled.

Latte gently pulled away from the hug and shared a sympathetic look with her.

"Remember what I told you, dear," Latte whispered. "This wasn't your fault. None of us knew this would happen. Your...your father wouldn't want you to blame yourself for something you had no control over."

Walnut could only sniffle and softly cry as Latte hugged her once more. She then looked over at Cream Puff and gave her a sad smile.

"I really appreciate you coming, Cream Puff. It...it means a lot to me."

Cream Puff could only blink back a few tears of her own and nod. And just when the young wizard was about to ask what exactly Walnut was talking about, Latte put a hand on her shoulder, signifying that they would talk about it later.

Once everyone who volunteered had said their peace, it was time to bury the casket and lay Almond to rest. Only his closest friends and family stayed for the burial.

The grave was a perfect fit for a great man. An orchestra of colorful flowers, letters, and "thank you" drawings from children decorated the freshly piled earth. The sugar gravestone was carved, "DET ALMOND COOKIE, LOVING FATHER, A GOOD FRIEND, HERO TO MANY", with the M.E.H. police badge etched at the top. He was buried next to his wife. 

Gods...the burial was just too hard to watch.

Latte could only glance up at the morticians lowering the casket further into the ground every few seconds. She would keep glancing up until her tears blurred her vision, causing her to look away. 

Never in her life did she ever think that she would have to watch one of her closest friends be buried. Never in her life did she ever think she would be the first to discover a friend's dead body.

Her friend...her poor friend. He didn't deserve whatever pain his killer put him through.

The thing that made it harder to watch the burial...was when the first scoop of dirt descended down on top of the casket. That was when Walnut couldn't take it anymore. 

"S-stop..."

At first, only Latte could hear her.

"Oh, honey--"

"I-I said STOP!" Walnut snapped. "What do you think you're doing?!"

Of course, everyone heard her this time. Cream Puff could only tear up as she heard the detective's daughter yell at the undertakers. Eclair visibly shuddered at the volume of the little girl's voice as Tea Knight glanced over at her with sympathy. Espresso was the only one who didn't look over at Walnut. He couldn't bear seeing a child cry.

Before Latte could say anything else, Walnut rushed up to one of the morticians and helplessly tugged on his jacket to get him to stop. He could only briefly look at her with sympathy before returning to his job. 

Both Latte and Tea Knight were the first to approach Walnut. Tea Knight placed a gentle hand over her shoulder in an attempt to stop and comfort her.

"It's alright, little one..."

"N-NO! It's not alright! He--he's gotta wake up early tomorrow!" Walnut cried. "H-he had to take me to school tomorrow! Why can't you understand that?! I--I have to make it up to him! I-I-I have to tell him I'm sorry!! I HAVE TO TELL HIM I LOVE HIM!!!"

Latte couldn't stand hearing her cry so much for her father. And so, both she and Tea Knight enveloped her in a hug. 

"Walnut...it'll be okay. It's all going to be okay..." Latte cooed.

"N-no--DADDY! DADDY COME BACK! PLEASE COME BACK! COME BACK!!!"

Latte could only stroke her back as she shed tears of her own. 

"Shh, shh...it's alright. He...won't be in pain anymore. He's at peace now..." she said softly.

"H-how can he be at peace?! He--he won't be able to talk to anyone ever again! How is that peaceful?!"

"I know it's hard. And I'm sorry. I'm so sorry you have to go through this...y-you're...you're too young to go through something like this!"

Walnut could only continue to yell, scream, and wail for her father as Latte could only whisper words of comfort to her while Tea Knight could only hug the crying child in silence.

As Latte, Tea Knight, and Cream Puff took Walnut back to the Institute, Eclair stood next to Espresso, who hadn't moved an inch the whole ceremony. He wanted to say something encouraging, something to show Espresso they shared a similar pain in their grief. That it wasn't his fault. That he doesn't deserve to feel like he should lose his magic forever. But he knew all too well his words would just fall on deaf ears. Espresso just needs to grieve alone. Oh, how he wished Madeleine was here to help his friend. 

That's right! His letter should've returned by now. Taking one last saddened glance at Espresso, Eclair silently dismissed himself and followed the others. 

Espresso stood along in the rain, staring at the fresh grave. His eyes traced the engraved letters until he reached the word "friend". Almond was a friend to many, even to Espresso, although they weren't particularly close like Latte. Still, he was a good man. He risked his life to protect the city every day. To protect his loved ones, even Cookies he was hardly acquainted with like Cream Puff. And just not long ago, he was murdered by a clawed Cookie. A Cookie that he never would've unfortunately met if it weren't for Espresso. Almond wouldn't be laying six feet underground. Walnut wouldn't be an orphan. It was Espresso's fault. It was all his fault. All he had to do was follow Almond's orders. If he had just...

Espresso noticed he was crying again. What right does he have to cry? Is he really crying over the loss of Almond? Or is he just crying for himself? Is Espresso knew himself well, it was undoubtedly the latter. He wanted to wipe his unworthy tears, but it would also be disrespecting Almond's grave. Would Almond want Espresso's filthy tears staining the soil of his grave? The grave he wouldn't be in if it weren't for his stupid magic? Witchdammit, he hated that word! His gift became a curse. A curse that got a good man killed!

After catching a breath he'd been holding in, Espresso forced himself to glance at the grave. That's right, his magic.

"Don't worry, Alm...Detective..."

He didn't deserve to call him by his name as if they were friends.

"I'll...I'll see to it that I pay for this. You can count on Latte to look after your daughter. After today, you can rest easy knowing that I can never use my magic to harm anyone ever again."

Bowing his head in respect, Espresso turned in the direction of the school. He stared down at his hands, gazing at the dark crimson veins that scarred his arms from that damned Circle. The last bit of magic he'd ever use. For the rest of his days, it would serve as a reminder of his biggest mistake.

---

The rain mercilessly poured down as Crimson walked down the long path the map had depicted. How he managed to keep it dry without an umbrella for so long is a mystery even to him. Though, perhaps the dark hooded cloak he wore helped a little.

As he walked by, he passed by a little patch of daisies.

Almond's favorite.

He quickly went back to the patch and plucked a few from the ground. Perhaps after his mission, Her Darkness would grant him permission to visit Almond's grave. Tucking away the daisies in his cloak pocket, he turned back to the trail he was going--

"Oof!"

As if he ran into a brick wall, Crimson collided with an unknown force and stumbled backward a bit. He would've fallen to the ground and crushed his flowers if the stranger hadn't caught him in time. 

"Are you alright?" The voice was low and raspy.

Crimson looked up at the stranger as he finally caught his balance. This Cookie appeared to have one ruby red eye as the other was sealed by a scar, short raven hair with two white streaks that looked like it was forced cut, and a dark cloak with hefty spaulders. The hair was what really grabbed his attention. 

Was...was he taught a lesson about their world as well?

"H-huh? Oh, um...yes!" Crimson stammered. "M-my apologies! I wasn't paying attention to where I was going, heh."

The stranger nodded.

"It's fine."

Well...this stranger wasn't much of a talker, was he? Oh well, at least he doesn't appear to want to stop him in his tracks, so he prepared to bid him a good day and continue on his way. But just before he could say anything...

"Your sword looks quite sharp."

Crimson was taken aback. 

"Hm? Oh, yes. I just sharpened it--"

"Where did you get it?"

"Uhm..."

Oh gods, he really spoke too soon on this one. This Cookie doesn't even have to say much and he's already taking up his time with this awkward small talk. 

"...It was a gift."

"From who?"

"...F-from my--"

"Enchantress?"

Crimson's eyes shot up. How on Earthbread--?!

"I...I should get going."

He walked around the stranger and carried on, only for his arm to be grabbed tightly. Crimson reached for the hilt of his sword.

"Do not avoid this conversation." The stranger's tone was calm but commanding, almost regal. "I know you work for her. That sword you carry isn't something you'd normally buy from a blacksmith." 

"...I suggest you let go of my arm, sir."

"...She had Pomegranate Cookie use her magic on you too, didn't she?"

Crimson was growing tired of this interaction. And so, he unsheathed his sword and pointed it at the stranger's eye threateningly. The Cookie didn't even flinch. 

"I said. Let. Go. Of my arm." Crimson snarled. "Or I will be forced to pluck out that eye of yours."

Silence filled the forest until the stranger huffed.

"...Very well."

He released Crimson's arm, but he didn't let him leave just yet.

"If I were you, I'd leave your Enchantress and return home immediately."

"And why would you DARE suggest a thing?!"

"I know from experience. You may think you're doing the right thing now, but all you're doing is playing puppet to her mind games."

Crimson's stomach burned with a fiery passion.

"How...how DARE you slander Her Darkness in such a manner!"

"You may call it slander if you wish. I speak the truth."

The stranger proceeded to turn the other way, but not before uttering one final statement. 

"I will not stop you if this is what your heart wishes. But believe me when I say...you're making a big mistake."

And just like that, he had taken his leave.

Crimson was at a loss for words. How could any Cookie say that about his Enchantress?! Especially if he claimed to have worked for her! The nerve of that man!

But...no matter. He had a mission to get to. As he took a few more steps, he realized he was already standing just a few miles away from the Vanilla Kingdom.

Chapter Text

The time was now.

Espresso stood before a pair of towering doors, as he stood between two towering guards. By the looks of their stern faces, they weren't planning on acting friendly towards him. Maybe they were friends with Almond. In that case, Espresso couldn't blame them for hating his guts. Even if they don't have the full story yet, news of Professor Espresso Cookie using forbidden magic, followed by the sudden death of Detective Almond Cookie spread like wildfire. It's too much of a coincidence. That's why Espresso didn't flinch when one guard squeezed his arm a bit too hard as he was escorted to the courtroom. He didn't blame them at all.

Almond was dead. Because of him. 

The doors opened to reveal a massive courtroom surrounded by Cookies. It was as if Espresso was walking into a colosseum, and the crowd looked to be rooting for him to get eaten by a hungry beast. Espresso himself wished that was the case.

He was escorted to a podium in the center of a circle. Ironic. Towering over him were two podiums where two wizards were stationed. One was a capricious black cat with a large pointy hat that almost covered his eyes. The other looked to be an older strict professor. A chill ran down Espresso's spine. Most students believed she could turn others into stone if one were to glance into her eyes. Espresso, of course, didn't believe such rumors. Still, even he couldn't help but pretend to look the other way when he'd pass her in the school hall. She stared him down like a vulture. 

A shrill meow silenced the room.

"Espresso Cookie, Professor of Coffee Magic and the Dark Arts. You stand before the Council accused of unlawful practice of grim magic. How do you plead?"

Espresso swallowed a lump in his throat. 

"Guilty."

A murmur from the crowd.

"Guilty, by his own tongue." the Strict Professor called out. "Explain yourself."

Espresso took a breath. No turning back now. 

"I...wanted to see who captured Madeleine Cookie. So, I found this Grimoire in my office and found a forbidden spell that would allow me to see through his eyes during his capture. I was only able to make out a silhouette of a Cookie....with a strange claw."

One wizard levitated the piece of jam-stained paper, as well as the Grimoire, for all the Council to see. Espresso's testimony checked out, it did look to be a clawed Cookie.

"Meow! The Council recognizes this spell as it not only allows one to see into another's recent past, but they'd also feel whatever they felt. It was commonly used for interrogation and torture, hence why it's forbidden. It's also incredibly difficult to cast without one losing their mind. The face that Espresso remains sane now is by the Witches' grace."

The Strict Professor scoffed, impatiently tapping her quill against her parchment. 

"Even so, this matter cannot be taken lightly. Professor Espresso has broken the first code he took to this school and this Council. He disrespected his teachings and abused his knowledge with selfish intent. Do you deny these claims, Espresso Cookie?"

Espresso winced. He was cold but beads of sweat rolled down his brow. 

"No. I...I do not. I fully intended to misuse my abilities and I've no excuse for these heinous crimes. That's why I'd wish for the Council to revoke my teaching license...and completely strip my body of my magic."

Espresso bowed his head. 

"Please. I will never have peace of mind again knowing I have the capability of harming another soul."

The Capricious Wizard flicked an ear. Both wizards eyeing Espresso curiously and menacingly. 

"Meow? And what soul have you harmed?"

Espresso heaved a breath.

"Detective Almond Cookie. He warned not to use the spell or do anything brash. I...ignored him. Even after my body suffered from the spell, he still gave me a warning because he believed I did it for Madeleine's sake. But...the Detective was murdered...with my illegal evidence in his hand."

A boisterous roar erupted from the courtroom. Until a fierce yowl quieted the noise enough to be heard.

"Reow! So you're saying you are partially responsible for the Detective's death?!" 

"Even if you're not the prime suspect, these are serious charges!" said the Strict Professor. "Your illegal actions leading to the murder of another Cookie...Not only would that result in your termination from the school, but the punishment for this treachery is execution!"

Another thunderous roar from the courtroom. The two wizards exchanged a look of stunned confusion.

Latte couldn't believe what she heard. Execution?! When on Earthbread was that punishment for Cookies using illegal magic?! She would understand if Espresso had directly murdered Almond himself with illegal magic, but Espresso was only trying to see who hurt Madeleine! How dare these inconsiderate whelps to say such a thing!

She had to speak up. But before she could let a word out, Walnut Cookie had slammed both her hands on the table she was at, earning the attention of everyone in the courtroom. 

"If that's gonna be the punishment, you'll have to execute me instead!" 

Everyone in the audience let out a stunned gasp in unison. Latte looked over at Walnut, tears threatening to escape her eyes.

No child should have to demand to be executed!

"Walnut! Why would you say--"

The girl didn't listen to her. Instead, she stomped closer to the Council, keeping a brave look on her face. A brave look even Crea Puff wouldn't dare to make when addressing the judges.

"Sure, Mr. Espresso did use illegal magic to find out who hurt Sir Madeleine Cookie, but I was the one who gave my dad the idea of a clawed Cookie may have done it in the first place!"

The judges looked down at her stunned. Latte ran up to Walnut and tried to get her back to her seat.

"Walnut, that's enough! You shouldn't be facing the Council in such a way--"

Before Latte could finish, Walnut had pulled out the list she had made. Latte figured she must've swiped it from one of the bailiffs.

"I...I wanted to help my dad figure out who captured Sir Madeleine...S-so I stayed up past my bedtime to make this list. I-I was theorizing who or what could've attacked him when I remembered that one time I passed by a clawed Cookie in the woods. Th-they had a claw. S-so I added them to my list b-because they looked pretty dangerous with a claw like that..."

Walnut wiped away her tears and continued as Latte stared at her in stunned silence.

"M-my dad looked at it and asked me where I saw such a Cookie...s-so I told him...a-and he said that m-my list--"

She suddenly choked out a sob before clearing her throat to continue.

"M-my list...w-would help him with the case. S-so if I never made up this list, m-my dad would've never gone out finding information on the clawed Cookie, to begin with! It's--it's my fault my dad is dead, not Mr. Espresso's! So I'm the one who should be punished!"

"Oh, Walnut! Please, don't--"

"I-if that's how I gotta make it up to my dad, then that's fine! So go ahead Do whatever you want with me! I don't care if it hurts!"

Espresso's eyes were glued to Walnut. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. This couldn't happen. Walnut can't possibly suggest this! This is his burden, not hers!

The sound of a wooden staff pounding on the tall podium cracked through the shouts of the room.

"Order! Order, I say!"

Once the room was quiet enough, the Strict Professor cleared her throat before with her calm but firm tone.

"Walnut Cookie, is it? You're not the one on trial today. By this evidence, it can be said that you're merely a child who made a simple guess suspecting a scary-looking Cookie. It cannot be taken into account. I understand you feel guilt, but your father's death is not a burden on your conscience."

The Capricious Wizard meowed in agreement.

"We only just discovered the link between Espresso's treachery and Almond Cookie's murder. His evidence was forged from illegal magic. It could be cursed for all we know! A child's list is hardly evidence that requires attention, let alone a murder charge. Why, I'd hardly put it on my fridge. Meow!" 

"Regardless, you have no responsibility for this case."

Walnut felt the tears creep back up as they deemed her evidence not deserving of a charge.

"You're merely a child who made a simple guess suspecting a scary-looking Cookie."

They were right. She was just a child. And wanting to prove she was more than that got her father killed...

"B-but...but..."

Walnut felt a hand on her shoulder. Latte looked at her with glimmering eyes. 

"Walnut, it's okay. Let's get you back to your seat now."

"B-but you can't execute Mr. Espresso! It wasn't his fault at all!"

Latte simply picked Walnut up and carried her back to her seat as the girl yelled words of protest to the judges. Latte brought her voice to a whisper so that the judges wouldn't hear.

"I know, honey. It's not fair for those...ruthless Cookies to claim such a punishment for Espresso. But don't worry. I'll talk to them, okay?"

"O-okay..."

Latte gave her a small smile, before returning back to the judges with a stern look on her face. She walked closer to them, albeit much more calm than Walnut, but rage and pure hatred for them burning in her eyes."

"Walnut Cookie is right about one thing! You absolutely CAN NOT execute a Cookie over a crime he did not commit! Yes, he had used illegal magic despite Almond's warning! There is no denying that! But his reasoning for doing so could not have been selfish! He wanted that clawed Cookie to be brought to justice just as much as Almond did! He only attempted this spell so that Madeleine wouldn't have to be afraid of something like this happening again! So how dare you say that he abused his knowledge for 'selfish intent'! I know Espresso better than anyone! Even if he may present himself in a cold demeanor, he would never attempt to do anything for his own gain!"

She glanced back at Espresso, who simply looked back at her in disbelief.

"Even if he thinks he deserves such a punishment, to merely even suggest that a Cookie who had not caused the Detective's death should be put to death is unjust and cruel! If there's any Cookie who should be punished in such a way, it should be the clawed killer! Not a Cookie who only wanted to bring said Cookie to justice for what they had done to Sir Madeleine Cookie!"

She wiped away a few tears of sorrow and rage before she continued.

"And if I know Detective Almond Cookie better than anyone...He would never wish for any Cookie, whether they be a friend or not to be put to death for a murder they didn't commit! Just by suggesting that, you have disrespected my friend's wishes, Professor!" 

For once, the room fell silent. No one blinked, no one even seemed to breathe. The only audible thing was Latte huffing angrily to catch her breath.

The two wizards ducked their heads, whispering to each other before returning to their original positions.

"It seems we're at an impasse." said the Strict Professor. "Professor Espresso is guilty of using illegal magic, that much is certain as he has confessed. Regardless of intent, he still broke the code. The boy must be punished."  

"Perhaps we could just grant him his request and strip him of his license and magic. Maybe exile as well?"

The crowd murmured in agreement. 

"Yes, but...Professor Latte has a point." the Strict Professor added. "The Cookie who deserves the harsher punishment is this "clawed Cookie". But we've no idea where or how to find them."

"Hey! There wouldn't happen to be a clawed Cookie among the crowd, would there?" Capricious Wizard called out.

The Council murmured in cluttered arguments.

A voice peeped.

"Uh...excuse me? If I may?" Eclair raised a finger.

With permission from the Professor, Eclair timidly approached the well near Espresso.

"Yes? And you are?" asked the Strict Professor. 

"Professor Eclair Cookie. I teach history and museum curator. I'd just like to add something."

He roughly cleared his throat before continuing. 

"Before we found...the Detective, Latte and I were looking for Madeleine, but all we found was a note on his door. He said that he was going to the Vanilla Kingdom to rekindle his connection to the Divine. I sent him a letter just before the funeral, but the bird I sent came back with the letter just later that day. Bluebirds can find anyone even if they're inside somewhere, but for it to return with the original letter...it couldn't find Madeleine."

The Strict Professor glared impatiently at Eclair.

"Your point?"

"Well, think about it. We've gotten valid evidence pointing to a clawed Cookie as a suspect as Madeleine's captor. Madeleine would never go anywhere without alerting his friends in person first, especially not since he was missing for weeks before. And on top of that, the Detective ends up dead in the forest. I theorize that this clawed Cookie must've taken Madeleine back and killed Almond when he tried to save him! Possibly even using the letter as a front!"

A large collection of gasps filled the room.

Latte blinked in surprise and looked over at Eclair. Her mind had gone back to the note that Madeleine had supposedly left on his door. She supposed it was a little odd for him to just simply hang a note on his door and leave in hopes of his friends finding it, but still...she could've sworn it was written in his handwriting...Unless the captor forged it or forced him to write it. Or perhaps Madeleine felt too guilty admitting upfront to his friends about his dwindling faith, so he figured he'd write it instead.

"You...you really think they've captured him again?"

Latte felt a twinge of fear once Eclair nodded. She could see Walnut shiver at the very thought of Madeleine being captured again.

"I-if this is the case, then we must act upon it immediately! If we waste another moment in here wrongfully scorning a Cookie with no murderous intent, then something even worse might happen to Sir Madeleine! We..we could have another funeral on our hands if we're not quick enough! We...we have to rescue Madeleine and find his captor so we can bring the right Cookie to justice!"

Another wooden stomp silenced the ensemble.

"That's just another mindless theory." the Strict Professor scoffed. "But...I suppose the Council cannot accept Espresso's punishment without all the facts. Madeleine Cookie is to be returned, and this "Clawed Cookie" is to be apprehended and brought back to answer a lesser sentence. But if you don't return with them, the Council will grant Espresso's request. That is our only offer."

"It's not like we were actually considering executing Professor Espresso anyway." The cat wizard's tail flicked. Some say he does that when he lies.

Espresso's head fell. He felt no relief upon hearing he'd miss the death penalty. He supposed it was too good for him anyway. 

Latte was a little surprised, to say the least. This was...honestly the first time the Council has been mildly negotiable.

"Very well then. We shall take our leave and retrieve Madeleine and the clawed Cookie in no time. You have my word on that."

...

Espresso was the last to leave. He figured if he stayed longer, they'd change their mind about his lesser sentence. No such miracle occurred. He was escorted out by the same guards and met with his friends. Their newly lifted spirits dichotomized his melancholic expression.

Latte noticed something was still bothering Espresso as she held Walnut's hand as they left the courtroom. She had Eclair walk with her for a bit as she moved back to talk to Espresso.

"Hey, how are you holding up?"

 Espresso didn't answer her. He still kept that same melancholic look on his face. A part of her figured it was grief for Almond, which was understandable. But the other part of her couldn't help but feel like there was something else there...

"Look...I don't want you to worry. We're all gonna work together to rescue Madeleine and throw that clawed Cookie in jail. And maybe you won't have to lose your magic after all!"

Still no answer. Maybe she was overdoing it?

"I...I know things are bleak. But...I know things will turn out okay in the end. I promise you, they will."

Espresso stayed silent for a while, much to Latte's growing worry.

When he spoke again, his words were as heavy as boulders.

"...I wanted to be executed."

Latte's sympathetic smile morphed into a look of horror as he uttered those words. How on Earthbread could he say something like that?!

"Wh--Espresso, why would you--Y-you do realize even though your spell was illegal, execution is an unfair punishment! Especially, if it's over a different crime you hadn't committed!"

Espresso did his best to ignore her, but Latte continued to chirp in his ear.

"I-I just don't understand...why on Earthbread would you think you of all Cookies deserve something as cruel as execution? I keep telling you it isn't your fault at all! It's nobody's fault but the killer's! And we are going to find him and everything will be okay again! You...you shouldn't want a fate like that. No Cookie should."

Espresso glanced at Latte. There was so much passion in her voice, it usually was enough to lighten his heart when he heard it even if she wasn't talking to him. But now, it just fazed through him. 

What a selfish Cookie Espresso was. Latte was trying her best to cheer him up, and he couldn't even buck up just a little. He didn't even deserve to have such a king a gentle soul to be near him. Yet, here she was. He couldn't even be grateful. He was so selfish. Perhaps death really was too good for him.

Espresso walked past Latte, and the bitter aura around him grew stronger.

"...Let's go."

At first, Latte just stood there frozen in place. She was trying to find out how she could respond to him. She was trying to figure out how to make him see it wasn't his fault, how to return the life back into his eyes, just--something!

But...nothing came out of her mouth. She so desperately wanted to speak to him more. But...she figured it was best if she stayed silent for a bit. She figured Espresso wanted some quiet. So that he won't have to listen to her voice.

She finally began to take a few steps, now slowly following behind him. She then placed a gentle hand over his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. Whether it worked or not, it wasn't worth dwelling over at the moment. 

She just hoped to the Witches that they rescue Madeleine in time. Before anything else happens...

'Oh, Madeleine...wherever you are, I hope you're okay...'

---

The sky suddenly seemed much brighter than before. Not a cloud in sight, yet it still rained like in Parfaedia. A bright and beautiful rainbow stood over the majestic castle before the townsfolk. To Madeleine, it would instantly calm his nerves and feel more confident about what was ahead of him.

To Crimson, it was a painful reminder of the beautiful lies surrounding the world around him. The disappearance of the childlike innocence he once had.

He was finally at the gates of the Vanilla Kingdom.

'Do whatever you have to do...'  he thought.

He inched closer towards the gate, only for two Vanillian guards to block his way and stare down at him in suspicion. That was to be expected. Kingdoms are highly protective of their kings and queens after all.

"Greetings, gentlemen," he said with the utmost charisma. "I have come with a message for His Majesty. May I have your permission to pass through?"

The guards eyed the suspicious stranger. Clearly, not many Cookies like this one passed through often. They clenched their waffle spears tightly in their armored hands. 

"State your name and business." said the first guard.

Gods, the guard's voice wanted to make Crimson shiver. How can a Cookie have a voice so low and quiet yet intimidating?

Well...whatever. He asked him a question. Might as well answer.

"I am Sir Crimson Knight Cookie of the Cacao Kingdom. My king had sent me to deliver a message to his dear friend, King Pure Vanilla Cookie. I have been informed it is a rather urgent message."

Crimson felt his hand brush against the pocket of his cloak to feel the letter that was still there. It was a good thing he had prepared one in advance, just in case they asked to see the message.

The guards glanced at each other. The other guards held out a hand.

"May we see some identification?"

Without hesitation, Crimson had taken the letter out of his pocket and handed it to the guard. It was a good thing his father taught him about the five great ancient kingdoms, including the Cacao Kingdom. The wax seal he produced was a perfect replica of the Cacao crest. He made sure of that.

The two guards looked over the seal and the envelope, front, and back. The paper was also made from the black pines of dark, frozen areas. There was no doubt. 

The gates opened.

"You may enter." said the first guard.

"Enjoy your stay. Just follow the signs to get to the King's throne room." said the second.

Crimson bowed to both guards respectfully as he passed them.

"Thank you, gentlemen. Good day to you."

He was now officially in the Vanilla Kingdom. There were beautiful houses made of vanilla sugar cubes and waffle cones as well as different outdoor markets with big domed umbrella shades protecting their items from the rain. He passed by many villagers wearing the traditional Vanilla Kingdom attire, a few were a little off guard seeing his dark cloak for a moment, then brushing it off and assuming he was a foreigner. Admittedly, he felt a little out of place in the kingdom, even if he once called it home as a child. He eventually passed by a familiar-looking bakery, where he and his father used to buy the finest banana bread. Pleasant memories.

Pleasant lies...

He ignored his sentimental thoughts as he continues passing by each house and market.

And sure enough, he was now at the castle entrance. Just a few more steps, and he'll finally meet His Majesty in the throne room.

'Just one chance. And if he refuses...'

"...that is when you strike."

Pure Vanilla hummed a merry tune as he watered his plants. The throne room was filled wall to wall with fine assortments of orchids and lilies. An idea he had not too long ago. For every freshly-baked Cookie, a new flower is grown in the throne room. He wanted his palace to feel like another welcoming home for newcomers, rather than a place where a fierce king lives. It's mostly why he's adored in his kingdom. Hardly any crime on the streets. Just a cozy village and a merciful king. Although he felt as if he didn't fit the title. He was reminded of that when he treated his lilies. 

Shaking off the thought, he turned in the direction of the large doorway. They're usually closed to keep the king's privacy, but Pure Vanilla always likes his doors open. It's more welcoming that way. Complete with a warm smile and a soft voice.

"Be welcome, friend. Please, make yourself at home."

Crimson looked around in awe as he saw the walls covered in orchids and lilies. A lovely aromatic scent from the flowers filled the room as he got older. And once the king smiled and welcomed him, he couldn't help but feel the need to bow down in front of him. In the new world of peace, there wouldn't be a need to bow, but he'll make an exception for each Royal. It would be the least he could do for what was going to happen next after all.

"It is a pleasure to finally be speaking with you, Your Majesty."

Pure Vanilla smiled warmly. A nice gesture from a stranger, but unnecessary. 

"The pleasure's all mine. And please, there's no need to bow. I don't bite." 

His chuckle sounded like it was woven from sugary silk and dipped in a sweet aroma of warm milk tea. 

"What brings you to this place of healing, my friend? Would you like some vanilla tea? I just made a fresh pot this morning."

Crimson felt his heart slowly sink to the floor at Vanilla's kind offer. Gods, he hated to be the one to kill the positive mood within the room. But he had no choice. This was an important mission. And if things go smoothly, he wouldn't have to harm the gentle king and leave him be. He just hoped that he would be negotiable. Or at least...more negotiable than Almond was...

"Ah. I appreciate the offer. But I just had my fair share of tea back home."

His old self never thought he would be calling the place all Cookies dreaded his home...

He nervously glanced down at the pristine floor, then back up at the king. Here goes nothing...

"My king...I...th-there's a rather urgent matter I must discuss with you..."

Although he could read the stranger's somber tone, Pure Vanilla's gentle expression didn't falter. He tilted his head slightly in interest and curiosity. 

"Oh? What troubles you, my friend?"

Dammit! Why on Earthbread was he being so nice to him?! Crimson swallowed a guilty lump in his throat as he looked into Vanilla's eyes.

"I...I am on a mission...to bring eternal peace to Earthbread. To protect all Cookies from the tyranny of the Witches. And...I require something from you in order to move forward with my mission." 

Now, this was getting interesting. Vanilla never lost eye contact with the stranger, only seeming more intrigued. Although something bugged him.

"Tyranny of the Witches? What do you mean?"

Not even the king of the Vanilla Kingdom himself knew.

Just how deep did the lies go in this world? Who even started it?

"I...I know this may be hard for you to process...but...I have learned something terrible about the Witches. Something sinister..."

He could tell Vanilla was confused by his words, yet he had his full attention. Perhaps he will be easier to negotiate with after all. Crimson had cleared his throat as Vanilla patiently waited for him to continue.

"M-my king...we were created by the Witches...to be eaten..."

A dreadful silence fell. Cold, dark air flooded the room. Pure Vanilla noticed something at his feet. A single white lily petal with a brown spot.

There was only one Cookie he knew who spoke the same thing.

The dead silence was then broken when Pure Vanilla chuckled wholeheartedly.

"Well, this certainly is a new one. Strangers like you often have the most unique jokes. That's why I enjoy their company." 

Oh, how Crimson wished he could just play it off as a joke and leave right then and there. How was this royal fellow so godsdamned nice?! So innocent?! So...blind?

"I...I am truly sorry...but this isn't a joke..."

Crimson could feel a few tears trickle down his chin. Oh, dear gods. If there was one thing he learned from his father, it was to never cry in front of royalty.

Then again, his father believed in the same lies he once believed in. So why must he worry about what his father's spirit would think now?

"I...I saw it with my own eyes. They...they even eat children..! Oh, gods--there were countless children! O-one child had his arm ripped off because of them! It...it was horrible!"

Vanilla could only look back at him in stunned silence. Crimson felt even more tears pour down his cheeks as he thought of a young Red Velvet screaming and crying in a Witch's grasp.

"Oh Your Majesty, please! You must believe me! I-I know what I saw! Please believe me!"

Pure Vanilla was beginning to worry, but he can't let it show. That would only confirm his worry. And prove to himself that... she  wasn't deranged. He had to remain the beacon of hope for all Cookies.

He approached the stranger with fatherly care.

"Why don't you come with me and sit down for a moment? You don't look well. My bed is made from the softest cotton candy wool, you'll drift off to a pleasant sleep in no time. I'll even prepare some nice vanilla milk tea to help you relax."

When he placed a gentle healing hand on the stranger's, his face fell dark as the sugary snow.

He sensed a great darkness clouding the stranger's soul. A force forged from something much more powerful than any deep Dark Magic in the ancient tomes: Fear. It gripped over the stranger, glaring at Pure Vanilla with eyes as red as Strawberry Jam.

He prayed he'd never let another Cookie suffer this darkness.

With a gasp, Pure Vanilla stepped back, all previous obliviousness was gone in a flash. He stared at Crimson with wide mismatched eyes. Clearly, this was beyond tea and healing sleep.

"I...what..." 

Beyond words. 

Crimson looked back up at the king after his royal hand was jerked away from his shoulder. Admittedly, a part of him wanted his hand to stay on his shoulder. His gentle touch almost felt exactly like his father's whenever he would comfort him all those years ago.

"You...understand the truth now?" Crimson asked.

He did his best to wipe away his tears as he cleared his throat from the guilt welling up inside it.

"I know it's a horrible truth to face. But...that is why I am on this mission. I plan to end the Witches once and for all, so that...no child will ever have to die in their ferocious grasp ever again. But...my brothers-in-arms and I cannot fight them through brute force alone. That's why..." 

He paused for a moment as he took a deep breath. He was about to ask for the Soul Jam. He just hoped Vanilla would be understanding and lend it to him. 

"That's why...I need the power of your Soul Jam. I-I know it seems rather sudden for me to ask this of you, but I promise you, it's for the good of Earthbread. Please, if you could lend me your Soul Jam, I will take my leave and you won't have to see me ever again!"

He then held out his hand as he patiently waited for the king to decide.

"Please, Your Majesty. This is my one and only request. I-I promise you, this will be for the good of Earthbread. So...please. Lend me your Soul Jam, so that we can create a better world of eternal life."

Pure Vanilla snapped out of his trance. As soon as the stranger mentioned Soul Jam, ti hit him like a speeding train.

Even as he spoke calmly again, he couldn't help but feel a bit shaken up himself.

"You...you're with Dark Enchantress Cookie, are you?"

There's no doubt. Only a Cookie under her influence could produce such darkness within themselves. Such an unfortunate fate.

But if there's one thing Pure Vanilla Cookie didn't believe in, it's a hopeless Cookie. With a swish of his hand, a small crystal vial appeared in his palm. It glowed a heavenly light one may call "divine".

"Take this. It's water from the purest healing fountains. It has the ability to heal any wound. Maybe if you drink it, it'll help heal the wounds within yourself. It's a far more difficult process than physical wounds, but you are strong and I believe there is no wound that can't be healed."

Before Crimson knew it, the heavenly-looking vial was now in his hands. Admittedly, the king's offer for him to drink it was tempting. He felt like he would be rude if he didn't drink it. But...he shouldn't But perhaps it could be useful should he find himself or his commander in a deadly fight.

"With all due respect, I am not the one that needs to be healed. It is the Cookies who have been blinded by the lies that we call The Light that must be healed."

He slipped the vial into his pocket as he looked back up at the king once more.

"I understand that you and my Enchantress do not have the best of relationships, but I know you two were once good friends. Please, if you find it in your heart to put aside your differences with her, then surely you will understand that something has to be done against the Witches." 

Vanilla remained silent, diminishing any sort of confidence left in Crimson that he would be someone to negotiate with. So, it was time to give him his warning.

"Your Majesty...I will not ask you again. Please, lend me your Soul Jam. That is all I ask." 

Pure Vanilla heaved a heavy sigh. He placed a hand over the gem over his chest that contained his Soul Jam. It pulsed with ethereal energy and beamed with blue light.

His face fell to a deep pity. 

"I don't know what she told you, but she doesn't wish for peace on Earthbread. All she wants is revenge, power, and war, and it never ends in peace. Only in pieces. It doesn't decide who's right, but who's left. Every death if an unnecessary loss. I've seen it many years ago. I've tried to reason with her, but she wouldn't listen. I had no choice but to..."

He stifled a sob that threatened to crawl up his throat.

"Even if I give you my Soul Jam, it won't bring peace. Not with her wielding it." 

Crimson looked down at the ground for a moment. He was clearly hearing some different sides of the story. He made Her Darkness sound like some kind of warlord. Clearly, someone as naive as him must have misunderstood the situation.

"Just one chance. And if he refuses...that is when you strike." 

Those words repeated over and over in his head. He really didn't want to have to do this, especially to someone so kind. So gentle. So...fatherly.

But..orders were orders. He has to do what must be done. He has to do everything he can to get his hands on that Soul Jam.

"So...you are refusing?"

He felt his heart grow heavy once he saw Vanilla slowly shake his head. Crimson released a sigh of disappointment before he unveiled his armor, his dark cloak now on the ground covering a patch of orchids and lilies. He then unsheathed his deadly sword as he stared at the king with a piercing gaze.

"Then I have no choice but to take it by force."

Vanilla didn't flinch when he saw the sword. It gleamed evilly with a cold pale light and a crimson tint at the point. Even Vanilla's reflection was clouded by the dark hellish material. 

With another heavy sigh, Vanilla spoke.

"I know.."

With a wave of his arms, Pure Vanilla's orchid stave appeared in his hands, its heavenly glow contrasted with Crimson's cold gleam.

Pure Vanilla's eyes didn't look determined or threatening, but sad.

"I don't want to fight you. But...I can't let Dark Enchantress Cookie win."

Crimson didn't want to fight him either. But...that wouldn't stop him, would it? He didn't want to fight Almond either. Look where that got him.

"Hmph...then any Cookie who poses as a threat to Her Darkness shall face the consequences." 

This was it. He was really doing this.

Almond would be so disappointed.

His father would be so disappointed.

But Her Darkness would be proud.

With one final gaze into the soft eyes of the king, he clutched the hilt tighter than ever. And with that, he charged toward Vanilla as he gripped his blade threateningly, a look of determination burning within his eyes. 

Chapter Text

"Face it, Latte. We're lost."

Espresso picked a sticky leaf from his hair as he trudged through a pair of thorny bushes beneath a giant oak tree shaped like a pine cone. The same oak tree they passed three times already.

Latte let out a sigh. He wasn't wrong, but she didn't want to give up. Not yet. They have to rescue Madeleine before anything bad happens. It's what Almond would do, after all...

"Espresso, can you just--try to have a little faith? We're fine. There's no way we could get lost so easily!"

She hated that Espresso still had his bitter attitude, but she also understood. They just had their friend's funeral, and the council barely gave them enough time off to grieve for their fallen friend.

Oh well. At least Walnut and Constable Whiskers can have a moment to breathe back home. She had gotten the usual babysitter Almond always hired to take care of her while she was away. 

Espresso's words repeated over and over again in her head as she leaned against a tree to catch her breath.

"Eclair...do you...have any idea where we are now?" Latte panted.

Eclair fumbled with the map, turning it upside down and sideways, and yet it didn't change anything. He wiped a nervous brow before clearing his throat. His last refreshing cup of tea seemed like ages ago.

"I'm a historian, not a cartographer." he pointed out.

Eclair had gotten this map from one of his finest collections. A map of the magnificent Vanilla Kingdom was certainly a rare find. Even the ink looked pristine and new.

"Don't worry. I'm certain we're going the right way now."

Espresso scoffed, picking another thorn from his sleeve.

"And what exactly makes you so sure this time?" 

"Well...I may have been holding the map upside down for the past couple of hours"

Eclair tugged at his collar with a chuckle. Espresso glared arrows.

"Don't blame me!" the historian squeaked. "These routes all look the same no matter how I hold it! It's easy for anyone to get lost. But, just up ahead, there should be a brown sugar brick bridge that leads to a straight shot to the Vanilla Kingdom. Come on!"

Eclair led on as the two trudged along.

They eventually found their way out of the woods and in the direction of the bridge. But what they came across instead was an endless wheat field. There was no bridge and certainly no road to the Vanilla Kingdom anywhere.

Eclair scanned through the map again in disbelief.

"I...I don't understand. There should be a bridge. And where's the Vanilla Kingdom? We followed all the routes. Pine Hill, Shimmerdust Trail, Puddington Road..."

As Eclair named off the trails, Espresso's ears perked up. He huffed as to catch his breath, but also in a bit of anger.

"Eclair? How old is that map?" 

Eclair glanced at Espresso before returning to the map.

"Hm? Oh! It was from one of my collections. Old maps are a great history, after all. But to answer your question, I'd say it's about 300 years old."

Espresso didn't like the sound of that.

"Pine Hill, Shimmerdust, Puddington, those roads don't exist anymore! The forest was destroyed by a dragon battle after the Great Flour War and rebuilt with different routes! That map is outdated! For a historian, that was irresponsibly foolish!"

Latte could feel her stomach twitching as she heard that.

"Th-three...huuuundred...?"

She took a moment to take a deep breath before continuing.

"Oooookay, nobody panic. I-it's fine! I-I'm sure we can't be too far off. Besides, just because there's no bridge doesn't mean we're not close! W-we all just gotta...have a little faith, that's all!"

Both of her colleagues could tell that she was reaching her limit after everything they went through today. But she kept a smile on her face, albeit crooked and nervous. 

"Alright, Alright. Maybe following Eclair's 300-year-old map wasn't the best idea. B-but maybe I can fly up and look for the Kingdom above ground!"

Latte then realized Espresso was giving her a  "You didn't think of that earlier?!"  look. 

"Espresso, it's been a long day for all of us, alright?" Latte huffed.

As she prepared to mount her magic spoon to fly, she suddenly noticed Eclair's bag...shifting a little?

"Um...Eclair? I think your bag is...moving?"

Eclair looked a bit panicked but quickly chuckled.

"D-don't be ridiculous, Latte! Bags don't move unless there's something alive inside!" 

Espresso rolled his eyes and shot an annoyed glare at him. 

"You sure you didn't accidentally pack a live Jelly?" he said ironically. 

Eclair's face flared pink. 

Latte looked a bit panicked herself once Espresso mentioned that.

"O-oh goodness! Live Jellies? Eclair--do you have Jellyworms in your bag? W-we need to get them out right away!"

Before Eclair could respond, Latte had snatched the bag with catlike reflexes. She braced herself for whatever impact the Jellyworms would make. But right before she opened the bag...

"Whiskers, hold still! You'll get us in trouble!"

That wasn't...what she thought she heard...was it?

Latte quickly opened the bag...only instead of Jellyworms like expected, a little girl and a cat rolled out. 

"Wha-Walnut Cookie?!"

Walnut looked up at Latte embarrassed as Whiskers quickly hid in her arms, feeling her shame.

"Uh...hehe...H-hi Miss Latte..."

Latte's confused look morphed into a look of frustration as she looked back up to Eclair. 

"Eclair. Explain." she said calmly but firm.

Eclair's face paled pink. He was ready to pretend that he didn't know how she got there, but his conscience got the better of him.

"Hehe...Well, she wanted to come, and well, how could I say no to that face?"

Walnut gazed up at Latte with puppy dog eyes as Eclair gestured to her. Latte did not look pleased in the slightest.

"Eclair--She is a CHILD! If we're tracking down a clawed murderer and Madeleine, it's bound to get dangerous! She could get hurt if we're not careful!"

She then looked down at Walnut mildly annoyed, planting her hands on her hips.

"And as for you, young lady! You know better than to sneak out like that. Where's your babysitter?"

Whiskers shivered at Latte's tone as Walnut gently patted his head.

"Uh...at home...sleeping..." the girl admitted sheepishly.

"I--you mean to tell me...they don't KNOW you're not in bed?! Walnut--do you have ANY idea how dangerous this mission will be? We might go up against your father's mur--!"

Latte covered her mouth to prevent her from finishing that horrid word. This was a child she was talking to. And she was lecturing her like she was her mother...like she was her father...

To make matters worse, Walnut looked like she was about to tear up.

"Oh no...W-Walnut, I'm sorry for raising my voice at you...I-I just don't want you to get hurt. You're only eight years old, after all..."

The girl only wiped her tears away as a scowl now formed on her face, her doughy cheeks puffed out.

"Why do you even care? You're not my dad..."

Latte felt her stomach lurch.

"Y-you're right...I'm not..."

She then knelt and placed a hand over her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her.

"But...I am his friend. And as his friend, I want to make sure that you stay safe. He...he would want you to be safe..."

Walnut looked down at her feet for a moment, then back to Latte.

"I...I know...I just...I...wanna make it up to him..."

Latte wanted to reassure her that it wasn't her fault for the umpteenth time. That she should stop blaming herself for her father's death. But...she knew her words would just fall on deaf ears at this point. Maybe...letting her come along would make her feel better?

"I'll tell you what..." Latte started with a smile. "I'll let you come with us. But...if things get dangerous, I'll be taking you back home. How does that sound?"

Walnut tapped her chin with her finger.

"Hmm...okay! But only if Whiskers can come too!"

Latte giggled as Whiskers perked up and gave her the same puppy dog eyes Walnut used earlier. 

"Alright, alright. Whiskers can come too."

Eclair smiled and cleared his throat.

"I should also inform you all that I fully intended to stay with her at the Vanilla Kingdom, and escorted home if Madeleine Cookie wasn't there."

Espresso shot him another annoyed glare.

"Regardless of Eclair's brilliant decision-making skills, that still doesn't change the fact that we're lost and losing daylight."

Latte released a disappointed sigh at Espresso's quip.

"Ah...right. Well still...there's no need to shift the blame on Eclair. He's only trying to help us, after all. Besides, I'm sure not a lot of Cookies knew that the bridge doesn't exist anymore."

Eclair smiled, blushing a little to himself. Her voice was always so reassuring.

Espresso scoffed. 

"Hmph. If we needed help getting lost, I'd say he's done a marvelous job."

Espresso couldn't help but tense up when Latte shot a disapproving look. He'd hate to be one of her bad students. 

Clearing his throat, he continued. 

"What I mean to say is that we're trapped in the middle of the forest, and now we have a small child to worry about."

Latte sighed. She was honestly surprised herself that she was able to have so much patience with Espresso for so long.

"Espresso, listen. I understand you're frustrated, but now isn't the time to stand here and argue about it. Let's just focus on finding the Vanilla Kingdom. Now, if you'll excuse me--"

Latte was about to mount her spoon when Whiskers was suddenly glaring straight ahead of them and growling at some rustling in the bushes.

"What is it, Whiskers?" Walnut asked, crouching down. "What's wrong?"

Every Cookie looked over to the sound of the rustling now, preparing to attack whatever beast was lurking in the bushes. Everyone remained tense until all they saw emerging from the bushes was a Cookie with short raven hair and a red eye, as the other one was sealed behind a scar. He was holding a few fresh berries in his meaty palm.

Upon seeing the Cookie, Latte accidentally let a spark of magic fly right past him, almost grazing the stranger's cheek in the process. He didn't even flinch. 

"You won't find any beasts roaming in these woods if that's what you're worried about." said the stranger.

Eclair's legs wobbled as he slowly returned to his feet His nerves were still dancing by the sudden blast of magic.

Espresso took a brief moment to recompose himself by the stranger's nonchalant tone after being attacked, but he still kept his guard. 

Upon second glance at the stranger, his short jagged hair reminded him of Madeleine.

"Yes, and you are?" Espresso asked. 

The Cookie looked rather melancholy for a brief moment upon hearing the question. He turned away from them and looked up at the sky. He didn't know whether or not a word of his past and what he had done spread to all of Earthbread. He wouldn't be surprised if it did, for it had been quite some time since that...that fateful day.

"My name...is a heavy burden. For upon mentioning it disgusts other Cookies."

Walnut looked up at Latte confused, silently asking her if she had any idea what he meant. Latte could only give her a sad smile before approaching the tall, gruff Cookie.

"Hey, it's okay. We promise we won't be offended by your name if that's what you're wondering."

The Cookie only glanced at her, then returned his gaze above, as if he was pondering about it for a moment.

"Ah, I-I owe you an apology as well." Latte stammered. "Forgive me for nearly blasting you with my magic. I-I thought you were--"

"Dark Choco Cookie."

There was a sense of familiarity upon hearing that name, but where on Earthbread did Latte know that name from?

"Pardon?"

"That is my name. You wanted to know, didn't you?"

Eclair perked up as he stared up at the Cookie in awe. He fixed his monocle over his right eye, trying to look more presentable.

"Dark Choco Cookie? As in, the fabled prince of the Cacao Kingdom?! But they said he died in battle ages ago!"

He glanced at the Cookie's raven hair, the twin white streaks matched that of the Dark King Cacao.

Eclair's eyes sparkled in amazement as a smile bloomed on his face.

"It IS you!"

Choco was nearly taken aback by the positive reaction from the historian Cookie. Though, he supposed he wasn't surprised upon knowing that every Cookie in this part of the town thought he was dead. And he wasn't sure whether he should be relieved or slightly offended by the fact that either a misinformed messenger or his father had spread that rumor.

Gods, he wished his tale had ended with him dying in battle. Then he wouldn't have gone on such a dark path for so long.

Then again, dying heroically in battle didn't suit the fallen prince. He didn't deserve such an ending. 

"I wouldn't get too excited. I'm no one special."

Walnut let out an offended gasp as the fabled dead prince before her made such a remark about himself.

"Are you kidding?! You're a PRINCE! Not to mention one of the greatest warriors in all of Earthbread! You're--you're a HERO!" she squealed.

Choco had slightly flinched at the little girl's words. Oh, how it pained him to see such naive Cookies greet him with such positivity.

"...I am so sorry, little one. But I am not the Cookie you think I am..."

Eclair hardly heard anything as he stood there in stunned silence, his excitement still etched on his face. 

Espresso also couldn't believe they had run into a fabled prince, but still, it didn't change their situation. Madeleine was out there somewhere and they needed to act fast.

"Yes, yes, we can deal with formalities later. Would you be able to direct us to the Vanilla Kingdom?"

Latte almost wanted to snap at Espresso for abruptly asking him a question he probably wouldn't know. But...the situation was serious. 

"Are you...quite certain you'd want to be traveling with me?" Choco asked.

Latte tilted her head.

"Of course, we would! Ah--u-unless you don't know where it is..."

"My father used to take me there when I was small. I know a few ways around it."

"O-oh wonderful!" Latte cheered. "Um...if it isn't too much trouble, would you be able to guide us there, Your Highness?"

Choco thought about it for a moment. He didn't have anything else to do. He was just about done with picking ration berries for tomorrow anyway.

"Very well then. Follow me." 

The group of Cookies traveled behind Choco as he proceeded to take them the correct way to the Vanilla Kingdom, which was the complete opposite direction of where Eclair's map was taking them.

"If I may ask...what made you want to go to the Vanilla Kingdom?" Choco asked.

"Our frien--" Espresso paused. Did he deserve to call Madeleine that? After everything that happened? Being distant with him all this time? And indirectly causing Almond's death?

He heaved a pained sigh.

"Our colleague supposedly left to go there. We just want to make sure he is."

Espresso left out the part about the clawed Cookie. He wasn't sure how much information to give this new Cookie, even if he is a prince. For all he knew, he could've been banished from his kingdom. Still, he was their best chance.

"You...wouldn't happen to have come across anyone going that direction, would you?"

Choco felt a little uneasy when asked this. He remembered that hooded Cookie with a sword. They wouldn't be friends with that Cookie, would they? The timing was almost perfect. Were they recruit of Dark Enchantress Cookie?! Are they just finding a better spot to kill him?!

"I...did see a knight near the area."

Latte perked up. Looks like there was hope after all.

"Ooh! Maybe that's him! What did he look like?"

Choco pondered for a bit before speaking again. Oh well. If they end up killing him, let them. He could care less. One less burden for his father to worry about...

"...His hair was a bit on the longer side. And his eyes looked to be lavender. Would...that be your friend?"

Latte released a defeated sigh. Not him.

"Ah...I'm afraid not. But thank you for telling us anyway."

Espresso huffed in disappointment. Of course, it was too good to be true. Lots of Cookies probably travel through these parts of the woods. Still, a knight with long hair and lavender eyes. Traveling alone with no horse and going to the Vanilla Kingdom.

A long-haired figure flashed in Espresso's mind. He let out a grunt of pain as his head burned. He remembered.

Recomposing himself, he asked. "This Cookie...wouldn't happen to have...a claw, would they?"

Choco flinched. The only Cookie he knew that had a claw...

"There was no claw. He did have a sword. ...Though, I wouldn't be surprised if he was working with him..."

That last part was meant to be said in his head but it found its way through his mouth. Looks of shock were directed at him.

"Do...do you know a Cookie with a claw?" Latte asked.

Dammit. Choco really didn't want to answer that. The historian and the child already spoke so highly of him. Who would he be to damper their faith in such a way?

"...Tell me. Does this clawed Cookie go by the name of Red Velvet?" he asked cautiously.

Latte and Walnut pondered for a moment unsure if they heard the name of that Cookie.

"Eh, I dunno," Walnut said. "I do know he had red dough."

"I'm not too sure what his name was either..." Latte admitted. 

She then remembered something.

"Ah, Eclair! Did your scroll say anything about the name of the clawed Cookie?"

Eclair stared agape as he broke into a cold sweat. The last time he spoke the same was when...Almond was alive. Too many painful memories came flooding back.

He swallowed his dry throat and spoke solemnly.

"Yes. Red Velvet Cookie. He's the Commander of the Cakes. And he works for...Dark Enchantress Cookie." 

Two names he practically had to drag from his throat. Eclair felt a dreadful weight in his stomach.

Choco sighed as he heard those names. Those cursed names.

"...I want you all to listen to me very carefully."

He stopped in his tracks as the rest of the group paused as well, patiently waiting for him to continue.

"...If you run into that knight I saw earlier, walk past him. If he notices you, be on your guard, in case he strikes. If I know anything about him already, is that he's very quick to draw his sword."

The group seemed to understand, for all they collectively nodded. Choco then continued walking, everyone else following.

"And I assume you already know to be on your guard should you encounter Red Velvet Cookie or Dark Enchantress Cookie. Both are equally dangerous. They will not hesitate to execute anyone who stands in their way...not even children."

Walnut shuddered and clutched onto Whiskers tighter than ever. Latte protectively placed a hand on her shoulder with a concerned look. 

"Well...we'll do our best to be careful..." Latte said softly. "You...you certainly know your facts on these types of Cookies..."

"Y-yeah!" Walnut agreed. "How do you know so much, Your Highness? You must've studied a lot, huh!"

Choco paused once more as he visibly flinched. Latte could feel the Cookie was harboring a secret...but what?

"...We'll discuss that later," Choco stated. "We're almost there."

---

Pure Vanilla's chest was like lead. Something broken inside jabbed his lungs when he breathed, and the pain worsened if he didn't breathe at all. Fresh jam decorated the pristine floor. He swore it never would. Not since...her.

He didn't put up much of a fight, only healing himself and dodging attacks. He taught himself that if he dodged long enough to make his opponent tired, he could subdue the, by knocking them out with a charm or giving his friends the upper hand. 

But his friends weren't there. And no guards could hear him. His staff paid a few feet away from him, broken in half and wilted. He was all alone.

He pushed his head up to look at his attacker, but as he did he felt another wave of pain in his chest, only this time was different. It felt like something was leaving his body, and it only took a moment to recognize the feeling. His radiant Soul Jam was extracted from its broken vessel. Pure Vanilla only felt weaker as his life source was drained from him. The blue light shined mockingly at him.

A tear fell down his cheek.

"I...I'm s...so...s...o...rr...y..." 

It was all he could think to say.

The Soul Jam glistened like a beautiful diamond in the night as Crimson looked down at it. Once he held it, all the aches and pains in his body seemed to be muted in a sense. 

He then looked down at the gentle king below him, feeling a little sorry for the old fool. Judging by the way he used his 'battle tactics", it was clear to him that the king was not a fierce fighter.

Gods, he looked like he was in so much pain...did he really strike him that hard?

He was still alive. That much was certain. 

Crimson looked down at his sword, now laced with even more jam than before. 

He could sense that his Enchantress would be somewhat satisfied if he were to kill Vanilla. He could easily do it. Just one jab through the heart and the king's suffering would be no more...

...

...no.

He couldn't do it. Not after that, he had sone to his friend last night, he just couldn't bring himself to kill again.

But...he couldn't just leave him here...he would surely send forced after him.

An idea popped into his head. One he did not was to pursue, but it was the only option to him that seemed less monstrous.

Before Vanilla could utter another word, Crimson knelt, inching closer to him as he put his sword back in his scabbard. 

"Please...forgive me, Your Majesty...for what I have done here. And...for what I'm about to do. I...I hope you understand..."

And with that, he lifted the king with ease and threw him over his shoulder. He then rummaged through his pockets until he pulled out a red pomegranate seed. A teleportation spell. He would've traveled back to the lair on foot, but surely he'd look suspicious if he were caught carrying the king like a hunted deer by the townsfolk. 

With a quick breath, he threw the seed across the floor, creating a jam-red portal.

By the time he could finally hear a few armored boots drumming down the hall, he vanished along with the Soul Jam and the king.

Chapter Text

"Dooh! What's taking him so long?! He should've been here an hour ago!" Licorice Cookie exclaimed as he stomped his foot. He clenched his scythe tightly in his gloved hands.

Pomegranate couldn't help but agree. 

"Indeed. Perhaps this mission was too much for our new colleague. I'd even say that he probably turned as soon as he reached the Vanilla gates."

Red Velvet slammed the hilt of his knife against the scarlet marble tiles with a snarl.

"Enough, both of you..!" he growled. "Crimson Knight has proven to be a loyal and strong ally. He would never swerve from our Darkness's path. He'll be here."

Pomegranate peered at the red Cookie. 

"Oh? You seem to have grown a liking to Crimson. Have you found yourself a great company amongst your Cookie brethren?"

Red Velvet glared as his lip curled, sharp fangs glistening in the torchlights.

"Curb your tongue! I'm loyal to the Cakes, forever and always. Crimson is a fellow knight in my court. As Commander, it is my duty not to doubt my soldier's abilities, and allow them to persevere."

Pomegranate stared observantly, clearly searching for any hint of betrayal in Red Velvet's eyes. Then turned away. 

"Hm. Just don't forget the hearts of Cookies can easily be persuaded. And don't forget it wasn't you who broke him."

Red Velvet snarled, his Cake claws unsheathed. His pupils shrank when he heard the voice.

"Enough!"

All four Cookies snapped their attention to their queen as she spoke.

"Patience, my dears." she cooed. "Do you recall when you yourselves have every chance to turn from our path? And did you swerve?"

The Cookies pondered in silence, occasionally glancing at each other to show they all had the same answer.

"No, you didn't." the dark queen continued. "Crimson is no different. He's already proven his worth by eliminating one of his Cookie allies. He's going through a hard time, as we all have. If I had any doubt about his capabilities, I wouldn't have sent him on this mission. Do you doubt my judgment, Pomegranate Cookie?"

The scarlet-clad Cookie's breathing hitched. She immediately dropped so low her nose pressed against the floor.

"Of-of course not, My Enchantress..!" She pleaded softly. "I am your loyal servant. I'd crumble to dust before I let a sliver of doubt enter my mind. Punish me if it please, Your Darkness."

Dark Enchantress Cookie eyed the bowing subject before her, scanning the figure with piercing scarlet pools. A satisfied smile crept on her face.

"Of course, you are." She reassured. "Rise, Pomegranate Cookie. I know where your loyalty--"

She was interrupted when a crimson portal emerged from the center of the room. All Cookies turned their attention, drawing their weapons until they recognized the spell and saw Crimson Knight leap out. With an unexpected cargo.

Crimson landed on his knees as he frantically looked back to the portal. He released a sigh of relief once it had closed before any guards showed up. 

Poison Mushroom Cookie beamed once they saw the knight and ran up to him, ignoring the Cookie that was slumped over his shoulder.

"Ooh! He's back! He's back guys!" The child cheered.

Crimson couldn't help but smile at the young Cookie as he was pulled into a hug.

"We were all really worried! You feeling okay? Need any Shroomies to make you feel better?"

"Ah, I'm alright, little one. Thank you." Crimson said as he ruffled Mushroom's curly hair.

Once Mushroom had pulled away, Crimson released an exhausted sigh as he finally let the unconscious king flop on the floor. 

"I...apologize for the delay," he said. "I had run into...a peculiar fellow on my way. A-and Pure Vanilla Cookie..."

Crimson looked down at the battered Vanilla and returned his gaze to his colleagues. He was surely going to have to explain why he hadn't slain the king. Sure, he wasn't directly asked to do so, but he could feel that a part of them was expecting it. 

"He...wasn't as negotiable. So...we fought."

He then quickly reached into his cloak and pulled out the Soul Jam, now in his hands rather than the king's chest.

"But I...I have retrieved the Soul Jam as you asked."

The four dark Cookies looked up in awe at the blue hard candy crystal. Its pure light stung their sinful eyes but it was too mesmerizing to look away. Dark Enchantress Cookie's long dark robes relieved them as she approached the knight.

Her smile was warm and motherly, and her eyes were thin with composure but full of pride. The pure blue light couldn't even reflect from her wicked jam-red eyes.

"I never doubted you for a second, my Knight. Well done. Truly, well done."

Her gaunt hand gently cupped his youthful cheek, magically erasing any minor injuries he may have endured. 

"I hope the journey wasn't too much trouble."

She wasn't bothered asking about the stranger he came across. If Crimson was here successfully, he most likely killed them. She was sure he wasn't prepared to talk about it, given he had already slain his former comrade.

Crimson felt a bit more at ease at the motherly gesture. He felt somewhat...happy knowing she was pleased.

"Oh, it was no trouble at all. For the most part, it was relatively simple following the map."

His mind flashed back to that mysterious Cookie with a scar but quickly disregarded it. Her Darkness was already pleased with him. There was no sense in offending her by bringing up the slanderous things the stranger said about her. He then looked down at the unconscious Vanilla, now feeling slightly embarrassed that he brought him here alive.

"So...erm...what shall I do with him, My Enchantress?"

Dark Enchantress glanced down at the white figure as if noticing him for the first time. Despite the various lethal wounds, the shallow rise and fall assured her that he wasn't dead. 

"You brought him back alive...Even though I told you to kill him if he refused to surrender..."

It was said as a matter of observation rather than disappointment as one would assume from her intimidating appearance.

Pomegranate Cookie smirked behind her long sleeve.

Dark Enchantress Cookie pondered. Anyone else would've killed him, and left his corpse rotting in his palace to be discovered by his heartbroken subjects. She ordered Crimson to kill him if he wouldn't comply, which he most likely would have. Why would he bring him back to her alive?

Unless...

Her wicked smirk grew like a rose. Perhaps there was more to this knight than she expected.

"...So that he could witness our new world that he couldn't create."

She combed her fingers through his silky hair. 

"Brilliant boy. I'm so proud of you." She praised.

A feeling of warmth had emerged within Crimson's heart as he heard those sweet words. It truly did feel like his mother was in the room with him.

"Ah--thank you, My Enchantress! Your kind words mean a lot to me."

"Ooh! Tiny flowers!" 

In a moment of confusion, Crimson looked down at Mushroom, quickly realizing that the little Cookie had noticed the daisies in his pocket.

The daisies he picked...for Almond...

"Oh, right. About those..."

He took them out and looked up at his queen. He was nervous about asking such a question after he heard how worried all his new colleagues were. But, it was better to ask rather than go on his own without anyone's knowledge.

"My Enchantress...may I have your permission to take a trip down the cemetery of my old home? I...assume the folks buried my old friend by now, and these flowers reminded me of him. I...I know this probably won't please you...but I figured I'd ask. So...may I? Just for a moment?"

He could feel a twinge in his gut as he thought about Almond. Gods, when is he going to get over this?! He has to get over it soon--for his Commander. For his Enchantress...

The towering dark queen's smile dropped, donning a neutral expression.

The other Cookies mirrored the same look, some more disapproving than others, but waited for their queen's response.

"Mourning the loss of a friend is expected, but it also stands as a reminder of your former life." Dark Enchantress explained. "It's best for our cause to keep moving forward, and keep the dead in the past."

After watching his expression fall on the flowers, her smile returned.

"But since you asked, I will allow this. Consider it a final resting place for your past life."

Crimson felt relieved, yet slightly guilty even after her approval. He knew for a fact Licorice may or may not doubt him once more, Pomegranate would want to have his head on a silver platter if she could sense he missed Almond once more, and Mushroom...well...he probably wouldn't care much. Despite the slight guilt he felt, he was still grateful knowing that his Enchantress permitted him.

"Thank you very much for your approval, My Enchantress. I promise I will return shortly." 

The dark queen gave a satisfactory nod. "Good."

She turned away before her eyes caught the figure beneath her, where he belonged. Her fangs glistened like daggers.

"Oh, before you go, why don't you and Red Velvet show our new guest to his chambers."

Crimson glanced down at Vanilla, still feeling a bit of pity for him. But...he was just glad he hadn't killed him. Not yet at least...

"Of course. It shall be done."

And with that, Crimson had lifted the fallen king over his shoulder once more, Velvet following. 

As they walked, Crimson wasn't sure whether to break the silence between them or not. The atmosphere around the two of them was much more awkward than before. He was very curious as to what his Commander was thinking, now that Her Darkness had permitted him to visit Almond's grave. Was he confused? Disappointed? Furious? Dammit! What if he already broke their trust?!

No...he can't get in over his head now. Right now, they had to take Vanilla to where he would be staying for a long while...

He felt a slight chill up his spine once he finally saw the iron doors. Yes...it was necessary for him to learn the truth that way...but that didn't mean he stopped feeling intimidated by that room.

Before Red Velvet could order the door to be open, he glanced at Pure Vanilla's beaten form. Then peered at Crimson.

"So, why did you leave him alive?"

As ever the stoic leader, he kept his tone clear and controlled with a twinge of stern seriousness.

"Really. The rest of us would've done it," he added.

Crimson could feel beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He didn't know what to say. He could've killed him. It would've been easy. He was already in such a weakened state. Why didn't he kill him?! How would he be expected to kill immediately after the death of his friend?!

"...I...I'll be honest with you. I'm not entirely sure myself."

He cleared his throat as he tried to search for an answer in his head. Was the thought of Almond the only reason he kept Vanilla alive?

He then remembered that Vanilla and his Enchantress were once friends. Was...that the reason?

"Heh. It's rather odd of me, isn't it? I'm willing to kill a friend of my own, yet when it comes to a king, I hesitate."

Crimson looked down at the ground once more. It was clear he was disappointed in himself, but what was his Commander thinking? He desperately wanted to know.

"I suppose one answer could be that I was still haunted by the events from that night...therefore I was too much of a coward to kill again. Another answer would be..."

He paused for a moment. He felt like both of his reasons were cowardly. But...he had to be honest with his Commander. And if he were to be punished by him, then so be it.

"I...I remembered Her Darkness telling me that this king was once an old friend of hers. I... they aren't on good terms now, but...a part of me just...felt wrong to kill someone she was once close to, even if she would've been satisfied if I had done so..."

He let out a sigh as Velvet remained silent. Perhaps his Commander had sensed he still had more to say and was patiently waiting for him to continue.

"I...I suppose I wouldn't want anyone but myself to kill someone who was once close to me. You had every opportunity to kill my old friend...and yet you allowed me to have it. So...wouldn't it be fair if I gave Her Darkness the chance to kill Pure Vanilla Cookie? To let all her frustrations out on him? To grant her the wish to prolong his suffering if she desired?"

He still wasn't sure what his Commander was thinking yet. Was that the right way to say his answer? Gods, he just wasn't sure...

"...My apologies, Commander. I know you were expecting me to have another triumphant kill, and I let you down. If you wish, please punish me for my cowardice."

If looks could kill...

"You don't have the authority to choose who you kill or not. When Her Darkness gives you an order, it's treason to refuse!" 

Red Velvet paused to catch his breath and recompose himself.

"However...if it worked out for Dark Enchantress Cookie, I suppose it wasn't too much."

The iron doors opened and the two walked inside. Red Velvet still donned a disapproving grimace. 

As Crimson carefully pulled Pure Vanilla off his shoulder, Red Velvet forcefully grabbed the king by the arm, snatching him from Crimson's grasp. The Commander then roughly tossed Vanilla against the stone wall the same way he did to Madeleine and proceeded to shackle his wrists, carelessly ripping off the Vanillian long silky sleeves that got in the way. 

"Our enemies know no mercy, Crimson. Especially, old friends." Red Velvet growled. "Fortune may be on your side today, but if you betray our trust and take so much as a crumb out of line..."

He jabbed a claw at Crimson's chiseled jawline, dangerously close to the scar under his ear. 

"...I will finish what I started. Is that understood?"

Crimson nearly flinched at the way Velvet grabbed his jaw. Yep. He was disappointed. It honestly amazed him how quickly he was able to earn his trust and how quickly he was able to break it.

"Understood, Commander. I shall not disappoint you again."

He can't disappoint him again. He must never let himself go soft like that again. Sure, he was still shaken up from that night. And yes, Her Darkness did indeed used to be close with Vanilla. But that was no excuse for his cowardice.

"I swear to you and Her Darkness, from now on--anyone who stands in my way...anyone who refuses to negotiate..."

A coldness had formed into Crimson's eyes, the tint of red against the lavender subtly burning brighter. His voice was now as serious as ever. 

"I will make sure they fall...with the end of my blade through their chests."

This time, he promised himself that no matter how he felt...he will kill the rest of the Royals if they failed to negotiate.

He will kill anyone.

And if he had to kill his friends should he run into them along the way...

If he had to kill Espresso...

Then so be it.

Red Velvet eyed Crimson for any hint of deception but gave a satisfied grunt.

They both stared down at the now chained king. Even in the murky torchlight, he still gave off a radiant glow. That would have to be fixed. But Her Darkness hadn't permitted him to do that...yet. He should be awake anyway.

"You brought him here, so you wake him up." Red Velvet gestured. 

With that, he stepped back, crossing his arms, and watched with anticipation.

Crimson stared down at the king before him. That soft-hearted bastard...

He was the one who made him feel pity for him. He was the one who made him think of his fallen friend. He was the one who acted all nice, even as they fought. He was the one who hurt his Enchantress. His mother...

He had come to realize now...that he hated Pure Vanilla Cookie. Absolutely HATED him. 

With all the rage and hatred building up in his veins, his eyes looked to have turned a full shade of jam-red for a moment as he finally delivered a swift punch to the king's gut. The cracking of dough was heard, followed by a pained wheeze and a few frantic gasps for air. 

If he wasn't able to wake up before, he definitely was awake now.

Vanilla was jolted by a harsh pain in his stomach, and the taste of jam. How long had it been since he tasted that? Since he could feel the pain that severe, let alone at all? Without his Soul Jam, he was just another mortal Cookie.

Red splotches decorated the grimy stone floor and stained his white robes. He tried to move but quickly realized his wrists were cold and hanging above him. Another wet coughing fit, more splotches, and more pain. He could only let out a small pained whimper like a malnourished newborn kitten.

He noticed the dark boots before him and looked up at his captors. Two of which he recognized, but one who caught his eye.

"Ugh...Y...you...?" 

There was a new feeling brewing inside of Crimson's black heart now. It wasn't just hatred...but satisfaction? Was he...satisfied by Vanilla's reaction? Whatever it was, he didn't let it show. Whatever look of pity he had shown him earlier, it was gone.

No more mister nice guy.

"Hm...it didn't take much to wake you at all. I'm impressed." 

He took a few steps back to allow Vanilla a moment to examine his surroundings. He felt a sense of...familiarity as he looked down at his captive. Why...he looked exactly like his old self. Radiant. Beautiful. Angelic.

If there's anyone he hated more than Vanilla...was his weak, softhearted old self.

"I assume I don't have to explain to you why you're here unless you're too thick-headed to figure it out yourself."

Red Velvet smiles, sharing the same feeling of satisfaction as Crimson but also a twinge of pride.

Pure Vanilla wanted to cry but it already took everything in him to breathe. Something inside jabbed at his chest and stomach with each labored breath. Coughing only made it worse. Had he always been this weak? Of course, he has.

The stranger he met in his palace was different now. He didn't seem hesitant or doubtful of his cruel actions. He knew that feeling all too well. A vision of a red-speckled lily flashed in his mind.

"...Lily..." he wheezed.

It was all he could think to say, regardless if it passed as a valid answer or not.

Crimson was bewildered by his answer for a moment, then quickly brushed it aside. He did just wake up after all.

"Hmph. Typical." he scoffed.

He noticed the weak, trembling look in Vanilla's eyes. He was tempted to smack that look off his face, but his Enchantress hadn't ordered him to harm him further. Not yet at least.

"Amusing, isn't it?" Crimson said. "Here you are, looking at me like a feeble child about to run away from danger. And you call yourself a king. Pathetic."

He wondered if he would still have a shred of pity left for the foolish king if Red Velvet hadn't given him that wake-up call. Would he still be just as weak and soft-hearted as the sorry excuse of a Royal beneath him? 

"Well then. If you're just going to keep staring at me like a vegetable, I suppose I should dumb this down for you." 

He paused for a moment before he continued. He was...actually starting to enjoy this, being the bigger man. Talking down to his captive while he does nothing but struggle weakly in his chains. No wonder Red Velvet had his fun when Madeleine was once in Vanilla's place. Again, he didn't let his satisfaction show.

"Long story short, Her Darkness has been planning to gather all the power and armies she needs to be able to bring down the Witches for their sins against Cookiekind and bring peace to all of Earthbread. Something I tried explaining to you earlier." 

His expression grew even colder now, staring down at Vanilla with nothing but hatred in his eyes.

"I figured since you were once a comrade of our Enchantress, you would easily understand what I had told you and hand over your Soul Jam without hesitation. However, you had chosen not to be negotiable and slandered her good name right in front of me. I would have killed you, you had me in a vulnerable state. So, yes. Out of pity, I have spared you, and now here you are."

Gods, he desperately wanted to strangle Vanilla. He kept giving him that sad little look like a puppy dog begging for a morsel of food.

"If you honestly think that sorry look in your eyes is going to make me any more merciful than I already have been, you're sorely mistaken."

Vanilla looked to have been taken aback by the sudden coldness in his voice. Good. He needed to learn his place as a good prisoner should.

"In choosing not to kill you, Her Darkness had concluded that you are to stay here and watch us create the world that you and your pathetic friends were too stupid to create yourselves. But now that just because your life is spared now, it doesn't mean that we will hesitate to teach you a lesson if we wish." 

Vanilla know exactly what he meant as Crimson placed his hand over his sword.

"Consider yourself lucky I hadn't cut you down when I had the chance. As for your friends, however..."

There was a sugar stone on the ground near him as it caught his eye. With a newfound sadistic pleasure, he picked it up and crushed it with brute force. Something his old self would've never been able to do...

"I won't be as merciful."

Crimson unclenched his fist, and the fine sugary powder that was once a stone poured out before Vanilla. 

Vanilla's pitiful expression shifted into one of pity. Not to himself, but his captor. Despite everything, he still felt sorry for the knight. With what little ethereal magic his body possessed, he could still feel something clouding his soul. Vanilla recalled how its searing red eyes glared at him. Crimson.

"I...I'm sorry...Crim--No, whatever your name really is. I'm...truly sorry..."

He collected his calm breaths through his heavy chest before continuing. 

"I'm sorry you were never rescued. I'm sorry you got caught in her web of deception. I'm sorry that I was so much of a coward that I couldn't bring myself to finish her all those centuries ago. It only caused more chaos and grief. But...I still hold onto the hope that a good friend is in there somewhere. And I believe that you, the true you, are still in there, even if I don't know you. But I'd like to. I know you know what's truly right."

A scowl deepened onto Crimson's face at those words. How dare he talk to him in such a manner?! How dare he keep up his king and fatherly act?! With a newfound rage, Crimson roughly grabbed Vanilla by the collar and leaned closer to him. The crimson tint in his lavender eyes burned brighter and overpower the softer color.

"You do not get to speak to me with those sweet words of yours, boy. I do not need your worthless pity."

He had thrown the same demeaning insult that his Commander had once thrown at him. His hand had now moved from Vanilla's collar to his throat, threatening to crush it the same way he crushed the stone.

"And you dare call Her Darkness your 'friend' after all this time. After all the pain you caused her with your betrayal. You sicken me. You've not only managed to make me despise you even more, but you've only made me regret my initial decision on sparing your life in the first place."

He then unsheathed his sword and brought it to the king's neck in a threatening manner, the blade now being dangerously close to piercing the royal's dough.

"If you dare speak to me like I'm some child ever again, I will finish what I started."

The jam-red tint in his eyes had fully covered the lavender once more, feeling the twisted satisfaction of his gaze putting fear in the so-called "king's" eyes.

"Is that understood?"

Pure Vanilla's face was beginning to turn blue as he struggled for air. Was he actually scared for his life? By a mortal Cookie? How pathetic.

Both Cookies froze when another voice emerged from the doorway.

"He's awake, I take it?"

No one had realized it but Red Velvet had spirited away to fetch Her Enchantress. He stood beside her at the doorway, a look of twisted pride etched on his face.

As expected, the dark queen was followed by three other Cookies, who all peeked over the Enchantress to get a look at the fallen king.

At the sound of Her Darkness's silvery voice, Crimson had let go of Vanilla's neck and returned his sword to its scabbard. Turning to face her, he bowed ever so knightly. 

"My Enchantress, the old fool has done nothing but spout nonsense and slander on your good name. What would you like me to do with him?"

Dark Enchantress Cookie smiled warmly at Crimson. It made Vanilla's spine go cold. 

"You've done enough, my dear." She said gingerly. "Unfortunately, resistance is to be expected of their kind. Especially this hypocrite king."

She advanced toward the chained king, allowing her following Cookies to enter the cell.

"Not much of a king, if you ask me." Licorice Cookie chuckled as he looked up to his queen for approval. She responded with a cruel chuckle, much to Licorice's delight.

Pure Vanilla gazed into her jam-red eyes. He remembered they used to be a softer shade, like fresh raspberries that awoke from their snowy slumber. Her tiny white pupils burned into him, and he could feel a pang in his head. The memory was too painful. But it didn't matter. It only meant Lily was trying to reach him from the Enchantress's gaze.

Dark Enchantress Cookie smiled.

"You believe that horrid fragrant of my past is still within me?" She raised a brow. "Well, you'd be right. It's here. And it's suffering. Clawing to get out and save you. It must have a liking for you. Unfortunately, it won't be enough." 

With the wave of her hand, a familiar blue object appeared.

"And with your Soul Jams, you and it will finally see the words you couldn't create."

Pure Vanilla looked away from the Soul Jam he failed to protect. Again.

"It won't work," he said. "Your way will only bring chaos and destruction."

"And what about you? Every war, every battle, every jam-shed, all in the name of the Royals. None of it would happen if you just listened to my cause. But you didn't, and all those crumbs lay at your feet with their jam on your hands. And there will only be more bodies. And it. Is all. Your. Fault."

She made sure to put extra drops of poison into those last words so that they sink deep into the king's heart.

Crimson could only look up at his Enchantress in wonder as she talked down to her former friend. She had such a way with words. If only he could exert that much confidence. 

Mushroom stood behind Licorice and Pomegranate, curiously peeking over to look at Vanilla. Once they made eye contact with the king for a brief moment, they quickly averted their eyes and cowered behind Licorice. They were worried that the king would start yelling at them if he were to stare for too long.

It was why they stayed far away from the room when Madeleine was once yelling at Red Velvet and Her Darkness.

"S-scary..." they whispered.

Pure Vanilla's face fell. Even he couldn't deny it, it'd be insulting to do so. It wasn't just the power in her words, he always knew it. Everything was his fault. The war, the fallen, Lily, everything. Because he was weak. Because he was useless. Because he was Pure Vanilla Cookie. No matter how hard he tried to fix his own mistakes, he only broke them further.

The dark queen smiled.

"Crimson Knight, go on and complete your work. Then quickly make your way to your next target. I believe you shall be facing...Dark Cacao Cookie."

She beamed when Vanilla's mismatched eyes widened in alarm as he gasped.

"He won't be as weak as this one, so you'll need your strength." Dark Enchantress continued. "This time, show him the same mercy he showed us...and those before."

Licorice Cookie clenched his scythe in his hands, his grimace darkened under his thick hood.

Crimson nodded as he returned from his kneeling position. He glanced back at Licorice, assuring him that Dark Cacao will face his wrath.

"Understood, My Enchantress. I shall take my leave immediately."

He shot a stern glance down at Vanilla before exiting the room. He threw on his dark cloak, both to prepare for the chilly air of the cemetery and the sheer cold once he would reach the Dark Cacao Kingdom.

He was much more confident in this new mission this time. Much more prepared.

He could not wait to see his blade pierce the stone heart of King Dark Cacao Cookie.

Chapter Text

Eclair couldn't help but gasp in delight when they reached the massive Waffle gates of the Vanilla Kingdom.

"I cannot believe I'm actually standing before the great Vanilla Kingdom! Remarkable! Simply remarkable!"

He reached under his hat for a blank scroll and plucked the quill from his hat, and began scribbling away his notes.

Espresso was also in awe at the great gates, but he didn't let it get to him. The sooner they could find Madeleine, the better.

"You can sightsee when all of this is done." Espresso chided. "It shouldn't be too hard to get in to meet the king."

Both Latte and Walnut stared up at the gates in awe as they got closer. Whiskers let out a little meow in wonder upon seeing them.

Choco barely reacted. The thought of that knight and Red Velvet popped into his head. He could see the usual guards standing by the gate. However, they looked to be a bit more frantic. He brushed it aside and approached the gates.

"Good day, soldiers." He greeted. "These Cookies would like to pass through the gates. They are in search of their friend, and they believe His Majesty might be able to help them."

The guards exchanged worried glances.

"Sorry, nobody gets in or out of the kingdom!" Said the first guard.

The more frantic guard beside him was shaking in his armored boots.

"Due to...um...unforeseen circumstances. But definitely not involving the king!" stammered the second one. 

The first guard glared at his partner. The second guard squeaked.

"Y-y'know because if something  were  to happen to the king, we wouldn't be very good guards, would we?"

The first guard facepalmed.

Both Choco and Latte exchanged a worried look upon hearing the guards' dilemma. Had...something happened?

"Oh dear...what's happened to His Majesty Is he alright?"

Choco stewed in his own thoughts for a moment. Something did indeed happen to Pure Vanilla Cookie. That much was certain. But what?

Could it be...?

"Did...did anyone suspicious pass through here? Like...a knight?"

The guards' expressions widened. 

"How do you--?"

The second guard pointed his Waffle spear at Choco and squealed in a frightened and angered tone.

"D-DID YOU KIDNAP THE KING?!"

The first guard slapped his partner in the face, knocking the spear from his grasp. The second guard cupped his red cheek in pain.

"You idiot! What if they're working for them?!" shouted the first in a harsh whisper.

The group of Cookies stared back in shock. The king...he's been kidnapped?!

Choco couldn't bring himself to say anything else. Did that mysterious knight really...?

Dear gods...why didn't he stop him?!

"D-dear heavens!" Latte cried. "I assure you, we had nothing to do with the disappearance of your king! We only came to seek his aid, for we fear a good friend of ours has been abducted as well!"

"Y-yeah! W-we gotta find Sir Madeleine Cookie before he gets hurt again!"

"Well, no Cookie by that name has passed these gates." informed the first guard. "So you'd better run along before we take you in."

"Yeah!" the second one chimed in, his cheek still pink. "The only Cookie we saw recently was a red-armored knight from the Cacao Kingdom, who arrived coincidentally moments before His Majesty was reported missing! I sure hope he's looking for him."

The first guard peered at his partner, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Sweet Cream Cookie, why the fudge did I have to get scheduled with you?"

A bead of sweat trickled from Choco's brow.

"A...red armored knight?"

In the midst of the other Cookies' disappointment over the fact that Madeleine hadn't reached the Vanilla Kingdom at all, confusion and panic had filled Choco to his very core.

"But...that can't be right. None of my father's soldiers donned red armor..." He murmured.

The mysterious knight popped back into his mind, taunting him with his guilt and regret. He then suddenly got closer to the second guard and grabbed his shoulders, more so as an act of panic and desperation rather than malice and anger one would expect from the dark prince.

"Tell me! How long was his hair? What color were his eyes? Where is he now?!"

The others were taken aback by the silent and stoic Cookie's sudden outburst.

The guards were also taken off guard by this.

"As we said, we haven't seen him since he arrived..!" the first guard shouted. "That's why no one is allowed in or out of the Kingdom until His Majesty has been found!"

"B-but he did have long pale hair, and lavender eyes. And the strangest scar below his ear." the second guard shuttered before continuing. "Dreadful thing. Like someone had dragged a hook down his neck."

Latte also shuddered at the sound of not only the same description of the Cookie Choco claimed to run into, but the sound of the scar the Cookie had.

It reminded her of the scar Madeleine had...

Did this Cookie go through the same pain he went through?

No...that can't be it. A clawed Cookie, or, well...Red Velvet Cookie had tortured Madeleine. So it wouldn't have been the same case for the mysterious red-armored knight. So maybe it really was a hook rather than a claw. But who would use a hook in such a way? Pirates? Whale hunters?

"...He took him."

The other Cookies looked over at Choco in surprise. None of them expected him to go from quiet and stern to loud and panicky to quiet and stern again in a short amount of time.

"W-what was that?" Latte asked.

Even though she heard him, she didn't want to believe it. She didn't want to believe someone would actually kidnap a king as kind-hearted as Pure Vanilla Cookie.

"That knight. He took him."

 Choco looked back at the guards with serious guilt in his eye. 

"I have memorized the faces of every soldier in my father's court. I've never seen that knight in my life."

He took a breath before continuing. He didn't want to believe the conclusion he came to, but it made the most sense.

"That knight had a sword...one that looked to be made with the Jam of other Cookies."

Latte gasped. She knew what he was getting at.

"So...so you're saying..."

"There isn't a doubt in my mind. That knight...works for Dark Enchantress Cookie."

All Cookies fell dead silent.

Eclair looked downcast at his feet, fidgeting with his frilly cuffs.

A bead of sweat rolled down Espresso's paled face, as pale as his dark pigment would allow.

"D...do you think...they took Madeleine?" he stammered.

Choco sighed as he turned his gaze to Espresso.

"If he was heading to the Vanilla Kingdom before that knight was...then most likely. Though, these two did say they didn't see him pass through..."

He pondered in thought some more, remembering Espresso asking about the knight.

"You asked if the Cookie had a claw earlier, didn't you?"

Once Espresso nodded, Choco heaved a sigh.

"Then perhaps Red Velvet Cookie had taken him before he could reach the kingdom. And I'm assuming he ordered that knight to pass through the gates and capture Pure Vanilla Cookie."

He mentally kicked himself after he said this.

"What a fool I was...I knew something was off about that Cookie. I should've kept an eye on him..."

Espresso's legs gave out beneath him, falling to his knees.

Madeleine was captured. Again.

He couldn't believe it. Madeleine was captured again. No, he couldn't believe it. He won't!

"Maybe...maybe he's still in the forest. Maybe he got lost. We don't...we don't know he was captured..!" Even Espresso didn't believe his own words.

Eclair clenched his stomach, putting a hand to his mouth. His eyes widened.

"What if...what if that's how Almond died...?"

Latte covered her mouth in shock as tears began to pour out of her eyes. True, she did remember what Eclair said in the courtroom. He did bring up that same theory, but she thought it was just to buy them time to hopefully find Madeleine in the Vanilla Kingdom, and then track down Red Velvet Cookie.

She didn't want to believe it. She didn't want to believe Almond died trying to save Madeleine...

She saw Walnut crash on her knees, clutching Whiskers tightly.

"Oh, Walnut. I'm so sorry, honey..."

"...I'll kill him..."

Latte was a little caught off guard by the darkness in the little girl's voice. Such a young Cookie. She shouldn't have to think about something like that...

"I...I know, dear. But we'll let the Council think about that once we find him."

As she hugged Walnut, she noticed something dark clouding her view. It was coming from Espresso.

"Espresso..? What is--?"

Black mist emerged from Espresso's body He dragged his nails against the ground, leaving long thin claw marks in the solid, sugary bricks. Every panted breath grew hotter and hotter.

Suddenly, Espresso became completely engulfed in dark flames, yet he remained unharmed. His eyes grew a hellish red and glowed like fire. His slit pupils thinned like a feral cat. Pink tears flew up toward the black flames, evaporating in thin air. He looked like a demon.

The guards aimed their shaking spears at Espresso, but that didn't faze him.

When he spoke, his voice was dark and discordant, like a gothic choir of devils. 

"W̸̢̛̻̯͖̃͋̍H̵̼͇͓̾̌̓͂̽E̶̛̛̹̟̱̓̍̅R̷̥͔̻͊E̴͂͜ͅ.̸̼͈̈̚.̶̨̺̂̈́̿.̵͉̰͚͚̊͆̒̕Ḭ̷̡͓̀̈́̚S̸̳͖̠͂̆̏.̶͉̈́̇.̷̢̛̞͍̩̊̃̆.̶͉͉̚͝Ḧ̵̘̥͎́̽̕Ḙ̶̊̆͋̄͋?̵̘̈́́̈́̊̆!̸̲͚̯͛͜"

All wide eyes were on Espresso. Latte quickly shielded Walnut's gaze while the child covered Whisker's eyes. Choco could only stare back at the dark figure of the professor in shock. The only time he'd ever seen such a display of power...

Was Pomegranate Cookie.

"Calm yourself, my friend." Choco eased. "This kind of reaction is exactly what Dark Enchantress Cookie would want from you. It's best if you don't give in to your vulnerability."

He then slowly approached the demonic-looking Espresso, brushing aside his fear as Pomegranate's figure latched onto his mind, the Cookie he once considered a comrade. He then laid a hand on Espresso's shoulder and spoke in a more soft and gentle tone.

"I know it's hard. You lost someone close to you, and now you fear the same fate may happen to another good friend. But you must remain in control of yourself. You...you might do things you'll end up regretting if you lose that control..."

His voice was suddenly somber when he spoke the last phrase. But he quickly recomposed himself.

"...If you like...I can lead you to Dark Enchantress Cookie's fortress. That is where Red Velvet Cookie spends most of his time. We'll find your friend and Pure Vanilla Cookie."

A few moments of silence, aside from the roaring flames, before the magic eventually died down and Espresso was back to his normal form. Tears stained his face. Latte and Walnut rushed to wrap him in their arms.

"I...I'm sorry..." he whispered.

The guards lowered their spears. The first guard looked at Choco, eyes glistening with hope.

"You mean...you can return our king?" asked the first guard.

Choco looked back at the hopeful guard. He wanted to say yes without hesitation, but Dark Enchantress Cookie could be unpredictable.

"I will try, if he's alive by the time we get there. He and my father are quite close after all..."

He paused for a moment as he remembered the pleasant times he spend in the Vanilla Kingdom when he was a child. When he, his father and Pure Vanilla used to walk through the street markets, looking at all the different items being sold. When Vanilla would play board games with him...

In a way, Vanilla was like a second father.

...He can't let him die. He won't.

"But...I know His Majesty is strong." Choco added more promising. "I will do my best to make sure he returns safe and sound."

He then looked back at the other Cookies, mainly Espresso, and gave them a reassuring nod. 

"And I will make sure your friend returns home safely as well."

Espresso returned to his feet, his despondent expression still stained his face. He didn't even notice Latte around him.

Eclair straightened his hat as he slowly approached Choco. He feigned clearing his throat to break the awkward silence.

"Ahem. So, how does one get to...this place?"

Choco was a bit hesitant at first. Surely the Cookies would be suspicious of his in-depth knowledge of Dark Enchantress Cookie's lair as if they weren't suspicious of him already. But, whatever. He was honest with them so far. No shame in keeping the location of the Enchantress' lair to himself.

"It has been a while since I've been to...that place...I should have a good idea of how to get there. But I do have a map with me in case I need to refresh my memory."

He then revealed a rolled-up parchment scroll that almost looked to have been dyed with other Cookie's jam. Definitely not something one would find in a library. Once he unraveled the scroll, it did indeed reveal a map. A much longer map than that of the one to the Vanilla Kingdom, but it should be easy to follow. 

"Woah...where'd ya find a map like this, Your Highness?" Walnut asked.

"Yes, you seem quite knowledgeable, I must say." Latte chimed in before realizing something. "O-oh goodness...you weren't...tortured by her and Red Velvet Cookie as well, were you?"

Choco didn't really want to answer those questions. He was the only one out of them all with the map to that twisted wench's lair...Oh well. If they realize they don't trust him, they can just take his map and run as far away from him as they want.

"...I wasn't captured or tortured by her..." he reassured. " I...I used to work for her."

Both Latte and Walnut were too stunned to speak. He decided to break the silence for the moment. 

"...And...I'd rather you not call me "Your Highness". I am no longer worthy of such a title. The jam on my hands, while I was under her service, has stained that glorious title."

The guards seemed a bit on edge after learning of the dark prince's origin, but if he's the only one who can return their king safely, they had to learn to trust him.

Eclair also seemed uneasy but brushed it off.

Espresso couldn't care less about anything but getting Madeleine back and capturing the clawed Cookie.

Eclair looked at the old map with intense observance. The red splotches made his stomach churn.

"I've never seen a map like this before. It must be one of its kind."

If it weren't for the obvious jam stains, he'd ask if he could keep it for his museum.

His fascinated smile slowly fell as he remembered something else. 

"Before that, however, I'm...afraid I won't be joining you all." he sighed. "I promised myself when we reached the Vanilla Kingdom, I would take Walnut back home."

"Wh-WHAT?! NO WAY!" Walnut cried.

Latte gave Walnut a sad look as the little girl protested. She knew how badly she wanted to stay with them, but she was just a little girl. It would be Latte's fault if anything bad were to happen to her should she let her tag along.

"It's for the best, honey." Latte soothed. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"B-but I don't wanna go back home! I wanna go with you guys! Whiskers wants to come to!"

The cat gave a meow in agreement, much to Latte's growing guilt in her stomach.

"I know you do. But you have to go back home. This mission is for Espresso and me only. Dark Choco Cookie will be able to guide us, so you don't need to worry--"

"W-well then what about Mr. Eclair?! Why can't he go with you?!"

"Well, we wouldn't want him to get hurt either--"

"Why?! He's an adult too! He knows magic like you!"

"Walnut, please--"

"What's the difference?! All three of you are professors--not warriors! So by your logic, you shouldn't be going on this mission either!"

"Walnut, I am not going to have this argument with you in front of a prince and two royal guards..!"

"You can't make me go home! Eclair, please! Don't take me back there!"

Latte was starting to lose her patience now. She didn't want to raise her voice at Walnut, but she needed to be reasoned with.

"Why are you so insistent on not going home, huh?! That's where you'll be safe--!"

"BECAUSE EVERYTHING ABOUT HOME'S JUST GONNA REMIND ME OF DAD, OKAY?!"

Latte was about to retort but stopped herself. 

Walnut was right. Everything about home would just remind her of Almond. Latte felt a wave of guilt crash over her as Walnut's eyes began to well up.

"Walnut..."

"Y-you...you guys are the only people other than him that I considered family..." Walnut sniffled. "I...I don't wanna be left at home and not be able to do anything while you guys go out looking for a killer..."

Walnut was crying into Whiskers' fur now, the cat giving her a sad look and licking a tear off her cheek. While Choco felt a little awkward about the scene that just unfolded, he gently place a hand on her shoulder. Latte couldn't help but feel warm inside as Choco looked down at the girl with sympathy. If this man once worked for Dark Enchantress Cookie, then he's surely found redemption in some way. She knelt down and hugged Walnut tightly as the girl's body racked with sobs. 

'Oh, Almond...'  Latte thought.  '...what should I do?'

Eclair rubbed the back of his neck. What must he do? What must he say?

He knelt down beside Walnut and gingerly placed a hand on her head. She hardly looked at him as she cried into Latte's shoulder.

"Your father wouldn't want you to get hurt, dear." Eclair didn't know if he made the words, or if the words made him. With a heavy sigh, he added,

"But...he wouldn't want you to feel sad by your own home." 

Espresso finally lifted his head after seemingly spacing out for so long. His disheartened tone switched back to bitterness.

"You're joking...! Are you really suggesting we take a child to Dark Enchantress Cookie's lair?! Is that hat on too tight?!"

Eclair sheepishly turned to Espresso, startled by his sudden tonal shift.

"B-but we can't just let her go home either...! She'll be miserable!"

"Miserable?!" Espresso shouted. "You want us to take her to the lair of the evilest Cookie to ever be baked, and you're worried she'll be MISERABLE?! You really think those monsters are going to spare her because she's a child?!"

"We have Prince Choco!" Eclair pointed out. "He knows the lair. Perhaps he knows where we can sneak around without being noticed."

Eclair then turned to Choco in hopes to confirm his assumption.

Choco felt a bit taken aback by all these eyes suddenly on him now. Hell, he was still in shock that these Cookies STILL wanted to stick with him, even after learning the truth of his past.

He remembered the times when he pissed Red Velvet Cookie off. If any Cookie manages to piss off the Cake Commander, he would be hellbent on ripping them apart with his ferocious claw until he calmed down somehow. Choco remembered all the nooks and crannies he squeezed his large figure into just to hide from him, with the help of Mushroom Cookie. He even remembered the elixir the child gave him to mask his scent from Red Velvet's powerful nose. 

Like a fucking coward...

He rummaged through his pockets until he pulled out a vial of some of the elixir he saved for masking his scent from predators. 

"I know my ways around the place. It shouldn't be too hard to hide the little one." Choco explained. "I'm sure she can fit into smaller spaces. Unfortunately, Red Velvet Cookie has a strong sense of smell, almost as well as a Cake Hound. I've found out that this elixir is beneficial for numbing any beasts' senses. I...I'm not sure if this will be enough for everyone, but once we get there, it's best if we apply some to the girl first."

Walnut sniffled and looked up at the vial, a small glimmer of hope now shining within her eyes atop the tears. 

Latte pondered for a moment. True, it would be easier to hide Walnut if there are enough small spaces for her to crawl into. And with the advantage of the elixir, there shouldn't be too much to worry about. But...there will still be that afterthought. What if they did everything right, and she still ends up being found? What then?

Although, she supposed there was no point in arguing with Walnut now, for not only was she and Whiskers staring up at her with a glint of hope in their eyes, but so was Eclair.

"...Very well then, Choco," Latte said. "If it's easy enough to keep Walnut safe through this, then I trust you."

Espresso huffed and turned away.

"I can't believe this..!" he grumbled.

It's bad enough to lose Almond, but now they're putting his daughter at risk.

Eclair sighed in relief, although a deep feeling of dread still clung to his stomach like an anchor. They were really going to the fortress of Dark Enchantress Cookie. 

He laid a gentle hand on Walnut's shoulder with a reassuring smile, as forced as it was.

"Don't worry, my dear. I'll be right beside you. Always."

And he really meant it. For Almond.

Walnut could feel a slight warmth inside as Eclair comforted her. For a moment, he almost sounded exactly like her father.

Latte smiled at Eclair before returning back to Walnut. 

"As will the rest of us." She soothed.

"Aw, gee...Thanks, guys." Walnut sniffled with a smile.

Choco couldn't help but give a slight smile as he watched the scene before him. His focus then turned to Espresso whose back was turned from the others and walked over to him. He could tell Espresso was fuming quite a bit. Understandably so. 

He placed a comforting gloved hand on the professor's shoulder.

"As long as we're with her at all costs, she will be safe. I...I promise you, I won't let any harm come to her."

Espresso didn't look at the prince. Nor did he lighten the mood. Instead, he shook Choco's hand off him.

"So will I." He snapped. "Though, I'm not sure what good it'll do."

That last part snuck out from his mind and out his mouth.

Espresso glared down at his own hands.

"As soon as all of this is done, I'll be glad to rid myself of this burden."

Latte could only look over at Espresso with a hint of melancholy as she heard his words. She knew what he meant by that, and she so desperately wanted to remind him that nothing about this was his fault. But...no matter how many times she would say it, he'd ignore her. And with the current mood that he was in now, she'd dare not anger him further.

Choco could only glance at him with sympathy, before looking back at the map and turning his attention to the mission at hand.

"We must make haste then. If we want to be sure His Majesty and your friend are safe, we will have to take our leave immediately."

He then looked over at the two guards. True, they were a little dim-witted, but their information about Vanilla's captor was still useful nonetheless.

"I am truly grateful for the information, gentlemen. I promise you, we shall rescue your king and make sure he's unharmed." Choco swore.

"We shall await your victorious return." said the first guard.

"Please...bring back our king." the second guard sniffled. "I can't bear to imagine him in the clutches of that monster."

The first guard enveloped his partner in a tight embrace.

Choco glanced down at his map once more. If he was being honest with himself, looking down at it made him feel sick to his stomach. But he had to figure out what route would be the closest if they wanted to save Vanilla and Madeleine in time.  

Northeast it was.

Eclair's nerves hadn't stopped shaking since they turned their backs to the Vanillian gates. But he held a brave face as he took Walnut's hand. The hardest part about any dangerous journey was taking the first step.

...

Espresso took the rear of the group, staring at his feet. The longer they traveled, the further he inched away from everyone.

When they eventually stopped for a quick breather, he was the only one standing as he stared off at the peaceful valley over the cliff side. His eyes scanned over the mountains as if he was looking for something.

Latte noticed him and got up from the campsite, making her way over to him. She donned a gentle smile, though she wasn't sure if it was good enough.

"Lovely view, isn't it?"

Espresso's concentrated gaze never left the valley. He hummed in response.

"Just trying to find a well-enough spot to stay once I'm exiled."

His eyes caught a small clearing that looks to have been previously used as it's still littered with rubbish. Or perhaps that one next to a river. Catching fish couldn't be that hard. But one he had been eying for a while was a small cave by a mountainside. Perhaps some wild beasts would be interested in his bitter dough.

Latte frowned. First, there's talk about being executed. Now, he's talking about being exiled. A less cruel punishment, sure, but one she didn't want her friend to falsely face nonetheless.

"Well...Eclair and I will do all we can to make sure you won't leave Parfaedia. Once we find Madeleine and Red Velvet Cookie, you won't have to face punishment in that clawed Cookie's stead."

She put a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. Just something. Anything.

"Besides, I have faith we can do this. I have faith we can save Madeleine. And once this is all finally over, we'll all go to that new cafe and everything will be okay again. Madeleine did say he heard they had good scones!"

Espresso's dull eyes finally met with Latte's glimmering ones.

"I...suppose that makes sense."  

Once again, he glared at his hands. A stifled sob was starting to crawl from his throat.

"If I really don't face any punishment...then there's no justice without Almond."

Frustration. That feeling was finally starting to grow within her as she listened to her friend beat himself up for what seemed to be the millionth time. She tried her best to be patient with him. She really did. But she couldn't help but let her voice go from gentle to firm.

"Espresso, look at me."

At first, Espresso didn't listen. He just continued to stare down at his hands like he was some sinner in church. She could feel herself clench his shoulders, though it was more of an assertive grip rather than a gentle one.

"Please, Espresso. For once, just listen to me. Please."

Once she finally saw him looking up at her, she took a calm breath and continued.

"Beating yourself up like this is not going to help us find Madeleine. And it certainly won't help us bring that clawed bastard to justice."

She could see a stunned expression on Espresso's face. Rightfully so. He had never heard her curse like that before.

"Pardon my language, please." She added. "I know you're grieving. I'm grieving too. We all are."

She could now feel her firm tone waver a little as she could feel the tears welling up in her eyes once more.

"I-I know it shouldn't be my place to try to get you to stop feeling so guilty...I-I suppose...I would never be able to help you that it isn't your fault...I...I understand you'd feel that way regardless of what I say..."

More tears began to flow down her cheeks as her shaky grip tightened on Espresso's shoulders as if she was clinging to him for dear life.

"But please...please just...stop punishing yourself like this! I...I can't stand seeing any of my friends feel this way! I...I've already had to watch our good friend be buried...I can't lose you too...I don't want to lose any of you..."

She finally let herself envelop her friend in a tight hug, nearly catching him off guard.

"Please, Espresso. Just...just stay alive. That's all I ask..."

At first, Espresso didn't know what to think. What to say. Any other time, he'd be pushing away from Latte's loving embrace. But he didn't. Every warmth felt sincere and almost comforting. Her words were like honey. Espresso never cared for sweet things, but he found himself enjoying the company. He placed his hands faintly over her back, his fingers sliding through her long silky hair. Before he knew it, he held her tighter and tighter as hot tears poured down his face. 

"I'm...sorry..."

He broke down and sobbed into Latte's shoulder. 

"I'm so sorry...!"

So many apologies carrying several different meanings, but Latte didn't care.

"I just want him back!" he cried.

The two stayed that way for a few moments longer, hugging each other and letting their tears flow out.

"I...I know...I want him back too..." Latte soothed.

Latte then gently pulled away from her friend and look at him once more, wiping his tears with her thumbs.

"But...I know that we'll get through this. We'll pull through together. E-even if it hurts a little..."

She blinked back a few more tears and gave him a sad smile.

"As long as we stick together, we'll be okay. I...I know we will."

Espresso harshly wiped his face with his sleeve.

"How...?"

Anyone else would've speculated that Espresso meant, "How can we be okay?", but he continued with a broken tone.

"How can you be so calm about all this? I'm supposed to be the one who's calm and collected in the face of difficulty. But back at the Vanilla Kingdom, I let my rage manifest with my magic. I...I scared Walnut. I'm just so tired. Since Madeleine went missing, it's just been one bad thing after another, and I don't know if I can take anymore. Even Madeleine kept a smile on his bruised face. I...I'm just not strong enough."

Latte gave him a sympathetic look as she shifted her gaze for a moment.

"I'll be honest...I'm...not calm." She admitted. "At all. I...I'm honestly scared out of my mind right now. I-I'm worried about Walnut, about Eclair and you, a-and Madeleine...I'm...I'm worried about everybody..."

She let out a sigh before clearing her throat and continuing.

"But you know what keeps me going? It's you guys. Honestly, I was considering taking on this mission alone so that none of you would get hurt... but...I'm just kind of glad you're here now. I...I don't think I would be as put together right now. It...it just feels good to have some company, no matter the circumstances..."

As Latte cupped Espresso's wet cheek, he nuzzled against her silky palm and heaved a heavy sigh.

He thought about how often he spent his time alone. All alone in his office studying and experimenting magic, going days and weeks without sleep. He always preferred it that way. No company meant no distractions. Now, however, he wanted to be alone. He thought he wanted that, but why doesn't he leave the group and find Madeleine himself? Why does Latte's words suddenly mean something to him Why doesn't he want to leave?

It hit him.

Espresso found himself squeezing Latte's hand.

"I...I don't want to end up alone. But it's the thing I know best."

Latte have him a sad smile and gripped his hand tighter.

"You won't be alone. Not while we're still here. I promise."

Espresso stood there in her warm embrace longer than he needed to. Embers ignited brightly in his belly and spread through his body as he exhaled every deep breath. Is this what Latte Magic felt like?

The moment was interrupted when Eclair's voice chimed in.

"What are you two doing out in the cold?"

Eclair was settled with Walnut and Choco around a campfire. Choco was sharpening his sword with a flat stone. Walnut was snuggled in the prince's thick cape and guzzled down a cup of calming tea that Eclair had packed. 

"Come sit by the fire. You'll catch your death out there."

Espresso glanced over at the three, and then to Latte. She gave him a reassuring smile and nodded before taking his hand in her soft fingers.

As he followed her, he allowed a smile to cross his face.

Chapter Text

The Parfaedian cemetery was now in view as Crimson continued down the path. A part of him felt uneasy as he held the now half-wilted daisies in his palm, but he did his best to push that feeling aside. He can't allow himself to think about his friend anymore...

Friend? No. Almond was no longer his friend. How could he still deem the one he so viciously murdered his friend? Gods, was he really that selfish?

He hated just how blind he used to be. How boastful, weak, and childish.

It took him a moment to realize he was now finally in the cemetery. And it didn't take him too long to figure out which grave was Almond's.

The gravestone was much more pristine than the others, with newly planted flowers surrounding it. If the etching of Almond's name on the stone wasn't obvious enough, there were children's drawings and "thank you" letters scattered about as well.

Did he really kill such a beloved man? Did he ruthlessly take the life of one that was touched by so many lives?

Well, no matter. What's done is done. There was nothing else he could do about it.

Crimson took a deep breath and slowly approached the grave, his heart beating faster as he could almost feel Almond's spiritual presence.

As he finally got closer, he suddenly noticed what appeared to be a small child standing by the grave. Oh gods, he desperately hoped that it wasn't the famed detective's daughter.

'Just...ignore her.'  he thought.  'Pretend you don't see her. Pretend she isn't there...'

The child turned her gaze behind her when she heard approaching footsteps. Her wide, puffy eyes relaxed, but curiosity clung to her mind at the stranger's foreign appearance.

"H-hello." she greeted softly.

She wiped her eyes with her blue cloak, her cheeks flushed pink.

"A-are you here to visit Mr. Almond? Sorry, I was just about to leave."

Crimson shuddered as the child looked at him, but relaxed a little. This girl wasn't Walnut at all, thank the gods.

"...I won't be too long. It's just a quick visit." he explained.

He knelt next to the grave and carefully placed the daisies in the center of the fresh pile of soil. For a moment, the daisies looked as if they were no longer wilted as if they were just freshly picked.

What kind of sickening power of light surrounded this grave?!

"Shouldn't you be at home with your parents, little one? Children aren't meant to be out and about at this hour."

The girl's gentle smile wilted, her eyes downcast.

"I...I don't have parents."

Through blurred vision, she returned her gaze to Almond's gaze as a single tear flowed down her cheek.

"He and Professor Latte were the closest I had."

Crimson couldn't help but feel a heavy weight of guilt sink deeper into his heart. He knew he shouldn't be feeling this way, but this girl was so young. Regardless of whether she is related to Almond or not, no child should have to suffer under any circumstance.

"I...I am truly sorry to hear that...It really is a shame."

A part of him desperately wanted to admit to her that it was his fault that Almond was dead. That it was his blade that caused his demise. But...he couldn't She would most likely report him, and the law would be on his ass for sure. And the gods only know he couldn't imagine seeing his Enchantress be disappointed in him.

"What a cruel world we live in." he continued. "One moment everything goes wrong and somehow children have to suffer for it."

He shifted his gaze from Almond's grave to the girl. A look of pity formed on his face as he reached his hand out to gently wipe the tears away from her cheeks.