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Chapter Text

A shadow had been cast over the world. 

Dark Enchantress's plan had worked-- who was surprised? Giving the Beasts their own solid forms was disastrous in itself. The ancients being... well... ancient didn't help either; they could hardly keep up with the Beasts. The new heroes of the generation had tried their best. Pure Vanilla cookie could be nothing but proud of them. It just hadn't been enough. Nothing would ever be enough.

His own attempt at stopping this inevitable end had been somewhat futile as well. Despite his pure and honest confession of similarity to Shadow Milk Cookie, there was still a linger fear behind the beast's eyes that Pure Vanilla could only see through their connection. A glimmer of uncertainty and lack of trust, for who could truly understand everything he went through?

Watching Shadow Milk now raised over the entirety of Crispia, grinning with only sinister intention, Pure Vanilla could only wear a frown on his face. Had he been... wrong? That trace of familiar longing he felt within Shadow Milk's Soul Jam-- was that just another illusion? Another lie? He had felt so relieved and empathetic that someone out there so similar to himself felt the same way he did. In that moment, he realized that their fates had been intertwined since the beginning, and that only he had the power to make Shadow Milk Cookie see that as well. 

Yet, it hadn't worked. Was it something he said? What could he have done differently to convince Shadow Milk Cookie there was no longer a reason for him to be afraid? Pure Vanilla had no intentions of ever leaving him if only that is what Shadow Milk wanted. 

But the pull of his beastly attributes drew him towards the chaos and calamity of deceit. Pure Vanilla couldn't break through the wall surrounding the true Shadow Milk Cookie he knew was deep inside there somewhere. His Soul Jam had been stolen. Corrupted. The beast side of him has consumed him entirely and there was no way of changing or getting rid of that. It was a part of him and forever would be.

Pure Vanilla thought, though, if he could get Shadow Milk Cookie to let him in on his own, they would be able to push the beast to the back of Shadow Milk's mind. They could subdue it and give Shadow Milk Cookie his true soul back. 

That... must've been wrong. The shadows began to crawl across the cobbled road, swallowing houses and cookies whole. All around, the world was slowly falling into darkness. As the shadows raced each other to reach Pure Vanilla, he could only think to himself the tragedy of the situation. The beast had won. There was nothing that could be done.

Pure Vanilla wondered, as the shadows devoured him, what he could have done differently...

...

"..."

"...cookie..."

"...Lily Cookie!!"

"White Lily Cookie!!"

Even with his eyes shut, Pure Vanilla squinted, furrowing his brows. A familiar voice was calling out to someone beside him, but... that couldn't be right. The shadows of deceit had consumed him completely and everything else around him. He shouldn't be able to hear anything. There shouldn't be anyone left...

Precariously, Pure Vanilla cracked his eye lids open, blinding light making it hard to see. But, once again, that couldn't be right. The shadows, the deceit?! Was this a game of Shadow Milk's? That would explain the oddity of the circumstances, but Shadow Milk Cookie would never use so much light. 

His eyes started to become adjusted to the change in luminosity. The shadowy figures around him turned into blurs before he could make out his ragtag team of young hero cookies-- Gingerbrave, Wizard Cookie, and Strawberry Cookie. They were surrounded around a chamber, or more so a bed. Pure Vanilla blinked a few times, letting his eyes wander around.

From the head of the bed rose a tall, sturdy tree whose branches fell over top of them. Surrounding the almost coffin-shaped bed were purple and pink flowers, beautiful signs of life that Pure Vanilla couldn't help but feel were familiar. It wasn't until Pure Vanilla's eyes landed on a certain cookie that they widened in shock.

Elder Faerie Cookie...

Then, he glanced down into the bed to see White Lily Cookie, peacefully fast asleep. Pure Vanilla felt his breath get caught. This was... when they reawakened White Lily Cookie to help reseal the Beasts inside the Silver Tree! But, why is he being shown this memory? Was this what the afterlife was like? A collection of memories?

"...Pure Vanilla Cookie?" 

His eyes snapped upward to see Strawberry Cookie looking at him with an expression of concern. Her call raised the awareness of the other cookies, the whole lot of them now turned to stare at Pure Vanilla who still had yet to reply. Did he have to? If this was a memory, shouldn't he not need to speak? And yet, they continued to stare at him, patiently waiting with worry for his reply.

"I-" Pure Vanilla watched their bodies slightly un-tense at the sound of his voice, "I'm okay... Just... thinking."

"It's going to be alright Pure Vanilla!" Gingerbrave reassured, "If we keep calling to White Lily Cookie, I'm sure she'll wake up! White Lily Cookie, we need you!"

This was no memory. He was actually here, back at the Silver Tree. Before the world collapsed, before the Beasts were set free, before... everything. In a moment, they would fail to reseal the tree, setting Shadow Milk Cookie free from his restraints. There was still the possibility of this being one of Shadow Milk's games, but it just didn't make sense. He wouldn't be so foolish as to send Pure Vanilla into the past.

He's in the past... Before everything went wrong. He had the chance to fix everything-- stop the Beasts from spreading their chaos and destruction. Stop his friends from suffering. But, most importantly, he had the chance to speak to Shadow Milk again and understand him better-- to convince him that they truly were one in the same.

It was a second chance.

Pure Vanilla's eyes narrowed back into the scene before him. Right, White Lily Cookie. The seal on the tree must be slipping right now and White Lily needs to wake up in order to fix it, which could only be done through the use of someone's life powder. Elder Faerie Cookie would then sacrifice himself and...

Wait. If Elder Faerie uses his life powder, then inevitably, down the road, he will be too weak to fight against Shadow Milk and crumble. If this is a second chance, didn't Pure Vanilla have to opportunity to save Elder Faerie? Not waking White Lily would result in Shadow Milk being set free, but isn't that what Pure Vanilla wanted? He could, in theory, speed up the process without the sacrifice of Elder Faerie that way. 

But what about the other Beasts? Wouldn't they all emerge out of the Silver Tree then too? The power of all five Beasts would be unleashed upon the world at the same time-- would Pure Vanilla even have the chance to speak to Shadow Milk? Not to mention, he'd only be talking to the presence of Shadow Milk, not his actual self. Dark Enchantress Cookie has yet to make him a body and--

"We need a powerful life force..." Elder Faerie had been explaining to the group, "As much of it as any cookie holds..."

Would it be worth it? There were so many risks on the line... Too many. 

"Bring forth the shards of the Light of Freedom," Elder Faerie decided, "Silverbell Cookie, begin the Witches' Ritual of Life."

"Woah, hold on!" Gingerbrave cut in, "You're not suggesting... you..."

"You can't!" Strawberry Cookie added.

"I must," Elder Faerie replied, solemn yet convicted, "If we do not wake White Lily Cookie, the fates of all cookies combined are at stake. That is too great of a risk to take."

Right. 

"But we need you!" Gingerbrave continued, "The cookies of the Silver Kingdom need you!" 

"Elder Faerie Cookie..." Pure Vanilla begun, drawing the attention of everyone. He paused for a moment, hand placed over his chest as he gave it one more thought over. "Your sacrifice will not be in vain. Us cookies will do everything in our power to make sure you do no get crumbled in your weaken state." 

"H-HUH?!" Gingerbrave gaped, "Pure Vanilla Cookie, you're agreeing with this decision?"

"Much how Elder Faerie Cookie explained, I'm afraid it is the only way at keeping the peace."

Even if Elder Faerie loses his life force, Pure Vanilla will not let him fall. He knew everything that would happen. He knew how to stop Elder Faerie's death. This time around, they were all going to make it out of Shadow Milk Cookie's grasp. 

Gingerbrave continued to stutter out his attempts at persuasion along with the other young cookies, but Elder Faerie had already long since decided his course of action. Silverbell took a step forward.

As Pure Vanilla handed them the shards of the Light of Freedom, he promised to himself, to Elder Faerie Cookie, and all other cookies who relied on the old and wise cookie's guidance, he would not let the past repeat itself. Not when he was this close to being able to change it. 

==========

"Pure Vanilla Cookie, are you okay?" 

The cookie in question's gaze slowly lifted upwards to look at White Lily Cookie, her face riddled with worry. He must've been letting his troubled mind show. Though, who could blame him? After all, they were rapidly approaching the Silver Tree and Pure Vanilla has still yet to think of what he is going to say to Shadow Milk. This had all happened so long ago, Pure Vanilla could hardly remember what was going to happen next. That was supposed to be his advantage and yet his mind was like an unfinished puzzle with random pieces of his memory scattered here and there. 

For starters, he was going to tell Shadow Milk his plan. Telling the truth is always the best solution in these types of situations. Pure Vanilla needs to be open and honest with Shadow Milk if he wants to gain his trust. Shadow Milk believing the truth is a problem in itself, but not something Pure Vanilla was too focused on. It takes time to let somebody in, especially in the state Shadow Milk will be in.

Which leads him to his second point: he's going to apologize. For everything. Even if Shadow Milk won't understand why, a part of Pure Vanilla feels it's only right to say sorry. Everything that happened to Shadow Milk-- someone needed to apologize to him for it and, considering he was the one to receive Shadow Milk's Soul Jam, he only feels it's right that he be the one to do so. 

But, as for the rest of the piles of things Pure Vanilla wanted to tell Shadow Milk, he didn't know if now would be the appropriate time. Which is where knowing what comes next would be helpful. They try and fail to reseal the tree, Shadow Milk escapes, Elder Faerie crumbles... but what happens in between those points? Where would be the best opportunity for him to bring Shadow Milk off his vengeful, murderous high? Laying all his cards out at the beginning would not be the ideal move at this point. All it would bring is confusion and, most likely, it will anger Shadow Milk even more.

When Shadow Milk emerges, he will be outraged and try to take it out on anything that moves. He'll be in such a deliriously angered state there's no way Pure Vanilla could convince him of anything. All he needs to be focused on now is convincing Shadow Milk to not crumble Elder Faerie Cookie and, if that doesn't work, he needs to focus on protecting Elder Faerie at all costs. 

That's the "plan"-- if you could even call it that.

"Forgive me," Pure Vanilla apologized, "I was simply thinking, that's all. I'm doing just fine, but thank you for being concerned about me nonetheless."

White Lily stared back at Pure Vanilla for a little while longer, letting her eyes trail over every one of his features before she finally responded.

"Don't worry. I'm sure everything will work out in the end."

Pure Vanilla could only smile back and nod his head. Did he truly believe that? He wasn't sure. The closer they drew to the tree, the more nervous Pure Vanilla could feel himself getting. By the time the Silver Tree had entered their view, Pure Vanilla could feel his hands shaking and he gripped onto his staff. This would be his first and most important attempt at changing the past. Getting things wrong here could lead to tragedies potentially even worse than they were before. He had to choose his words very carefully...

"EUAAGH! The seal... THE SEAL...!"

It was starting; Pure Vanilla trembled.

Silverbell Cookie rapidly approached them, face riddled with panic.

"Everyone...! It's a disaster...!" He frantically tried to explain, "The rift in the Silver Tree...!"

"I thought White Lily Cookie's revival was supposed to mend her spell?!" Wizard Cookie said in disbelief. 

"Whether His Majesty Elder Faerie's power has diminished, or the rift has grown too wide... We cannot tell," Mercurial Knight Cookie added, having joined the group, "But we must seal the crack immediately!" 

Pure Vanilla hands were wrapped around his staff on top of one another. This shouldn't have him shaking as badly as he was. It was merely the first step-- there was much more he had to do down the road that would have him even more nervous. This was nothing! And yet, it was an opportunity he never imagined being possible. 

Not to mention, back when this event first happened, Pure Vanilla remembered being scared. Fearful of the beast that stood over them. The unknown of what a Master of Deceit could do to Crispia made his breaths quicken. Now that he knew what Shadow Milk was capable of, the horrors his powers could unleash, of course he was nervous. 

But cowering away in fear now wasn't an option. No one else had the power he held in his hands. Only he could talk to-- could understand Shadow Milk. He just... needed to rip the bandage off. Pure Vanilla bit his lip out of indecision one last time before looking up at the rest of the group.

"Then there's no time to waste," he decidedly announced. Then, he turned to stare at White Lily. "White Lily Cookie, I'd like you to join us."

She was startled by Pure Vanilla's sudden ambition. Her eyes widened for a split second before narrowing with conviction as she nodded. "Okay. Let's fight together... To defeat the part of me I can only regret."

Pure Vanilla nodded back, gave the other cookies a quick glance over-- each of them wore their own confident face-- before he took the lead, racing towards the Silver Tree. It wasn't too far away and, despite Pure Vanilla feeling his feet trying to glue themselves to the ground, he kept pushing forward until they were watching the vines wrapped around the base of the tree be snapped away by glowing, stretching arms of varying blue hues. One by one, eyes popped out to stare the group down.

"Well, well!" A jeering voice echoed around, "I see those pesky little vine shackles that held up captive for oh so, so long are GONE!" 

A maniacal stream of laughter followed; too did a streak of terror shutter throughout Pure Vanilla's dough. Yet, he still held his chest up high, putting on an act of confidence-- something Shadow Milk would almost be proud of, he was sure. 

"...Whoah, that was deeply unpleasant!" Wizard Cookie remarked.

Before anybody else could make a comment on the situation, Pure Vanilla's mouth moved on its own accord, as if trying to talk through the crawling wash of dread.

"Everybody, lend your strength to the battle!" he called, "We must do everything we can to stop h- them!"

"Knights of the Silver Tree, ATTACK!!" Mercurial Knight Cookie roared, raising his spear high as he charged forward. The other Silver Tree Knights followed close in pursuit behind, quickly rushing head first into the battle.

The arms poking out of the tree swung wildly, knocking the faeries out of the air mid fight. Pure Vanilla watched it all, occasionally throwing in his own handful of attacks. He knew it was all pointless, seeing how the faces of the other cookies lit up in shock when their attempts landed futilely and an additional pair of hands went to push the crack in the seal wider.

"The rift in the tree has gotten wider?!" Gingerbrave exclaimed.

Silverbell Cookie frantically turned this way and that before flailing over to White Lily Cookie.

"White Lily Cookie," he desperately pleaded, "Use your sealing magic! Just like you did back then..."

"It's... too... late..." White Lily dreadfully replied.

Their conversation had left all the other cookies to stop their helpless attacks and stand back to watch in impending horror as the shadows of the opening formed into one solid being. Two mismatched eyes blinked and a grin that stretched from one side of the rift to the other faded in from thin air. A round, blue head squeezed its way through the crack in the tree till an oh so familiar cookie was towering over them.

"Ahhhhhh!" Shadow Milk Cookie stretched, dramatic flair put into every action of his, "Doesn't this fresh air just feel divine?" 

His attention shifted back down to them, as though he were just now noticing their presence. 

"Oh, I see I have quite an audience here! I am SO terribly sorry to have kept you waiting!!!" He teasingly apologized, "But now, your favorite trickster is here."

Pure Vanilla's eyes slipped shut. His grip on his staff never faltered, nor did his uneven breathing patterns smooth out. The entirety of his body tense in anxious preparation. All the other cookies around-- he knew they were all focused on Shadow Milk's introduction. If they were to notice his oddly out-of-character movements, they were sure to start suspecting something. But this was their first time meeting the beast cookie. They were all shaking for their own reasons; Pure Vanilla would most likely go unnoticed by every cookie.

Except one.

"Shadow Milk Cookie!!" 

The exclamation ended right as Pure Vanilla felt the cold of the dark swallow him whole. Since Shadow Milk Cookie's first emergence, he's felt this feeling so many times-- too many times-- and with each situation having terribly distressing events connected to them. Memories he'd longed to forget came re-surging in an instance, having Pure Vanilla close his eyes even tighter, as though that would push the weight of the darkness away.

"The dark side of the moon", as Shadow Milk would like to call it, wasn't a place any cookie could venture. Its capabilities were endless; the games it played on one's mind were brutal. 

Had he been scared of messing up the past again? Or had the fear he felt been from the thought of reliving the trauma inflicted onto him? All the regrets and wrong choices he had made-- the possibility of a do-over had made him feel so hopeful. Yet, there were months of suffering that came with every course of action that Pure Vanilla's mind breezed over when considering the possibilities of his situation. 

This place... he never wanted to step foot here again. Lies and deceit bloomed in this world of endless, chilling darkness. Here, he couldn't tell what was the truth-- his powers were rendered useless. There was no light to guide him, no glass to help him see with. It was a place of solidarity that could break a cookies mind into a million crumbs, leaving a heaping pile of disorganized emotions he couldn't even believe were his. 

Past his closed lids, he knew there were dozens of blue eyes eerily staring him down, squinting at him in silent taunts. They would never stop staring. Staring and judging who ever was under their gaze, so long as the darkness carried on. Pure Vanilla could never tell who they belonged to-- if anybody-- but that didn't stop his mind from assuming-- making up undoubted lies that the cookies he had once let be harmed were there, silently critiquing the way Pure Vanilla cowardly stood there.

There wasn't a part of him that wished to open his eyes, to see and be reminded of more scarring memories, but he knew there was no other way to not let this opportunity slip past him in vain.

So he opened them. Ever so precariously. 

"Pure Vanilla Cookie..." A distant voice echoed, one he no longer trusted, "Pure Vanilla Cookie...!" 

The Light of Truth-- no, that wasn't right. An act of Shadow Milk's to get inside Pure Vanilla's head. The first time around, it had worked. Shadow Milk had used the truth Pure Vanilla trust to crack open his skull and dig his strings straight into Pure Vanilla's mind. But he had already been inside of him once and Pure Vanilla had done the same to Shadow Milk soon after.

This time, he would do it first.

"The Light of Truth..." Pure Vanilla pretended to call out, "Or rather, should I say, Shadow Milk Cookie..."

"Well, aren't you just a smart little cookie?"

All at once, the eyes floating around shifted to stare at the space before Pure Vanilla. From the shadows came crawling arms of black that squirmed and swirled around until they were drowned out by shades of blue that made up Shadow Milk Cookie's form. He stood in his usual, twisted stance with his arms behind his back and head tilted sideways. The grin from before was kept plastered on his face as he gave Pure Vanilla a quick glance over.

"Though, I suppose that much is a given, considering what lies in that jam of yours."

"Of course it's you," Pure Vanilla started, slowly as he thought out each word, "Who else has the power to enter my mind but the holder of my other half himself?"

Shadow Milk's smile grew wider-- his eyes narrower. "Oh? Full of surprises, are we? Well, I'm glad you know who I am. It saves me having to give a long and downright unsettling performance of your bitterly fruitless existence. 

"You see," he continued, "The power you mistake for that of truth is but a meaningless droplet in my ocean of knowledge. All the strength you carry and claim as yours is nothing but the basis of the lie that is your life."

"Naturally," Pure Vanilla replied, "What's mine is yours."

Shadow Milk paused. His expression changed as he glared at Pure Vanilla with suspicion. 

"I believe you mean what's mine is mine," he corrected, "Nothing belongs to you."

"I beg to differ. Although I cannot say that there are no similarities between deceit and the truth, they are not identical to one another either."

"Ah, you see, that is where you are wrong," Shadow Milk quickly stepped in, "Truth and deceit are two sides of the same coin and therefore-"

"And yet they are two separate sides," Pure Vanilla cut in. His upright posture had found itself once more. The cold still nipped at his dough, yet the overwhelming determination that boiled inside him had him focused on nothing more than the cookie in front of him. 

"If truth does not exist," he continued, "then there can be no lies. The same can be said about the truth. The power of knowledge branches from the understanding of that principle. Splitting your original Soul Jam has led you to believe both must exist as one, which, while it is no lie, that idea is hardly the truth."

Shadow Milk stared at Pure Vanilla longer than he had most likely intended to, before erupting in a cascade of laughter. Doubling over, clutching at his sides, he was wiping tears at his eyes as though he had been told the most hilarious joke in the world. Which couldn't have been right. Pure Vanilla had never been known to be a good jokester. 

Pure Vanilla could only observe Shadow Milk as he kept laughing for a good long while, only stopping to grit his teeth and narrow his eyes with what Pure Vanilla assumed to be distrusting resentment.

"What utter nonsense..." he muttered.

The image of his appearance stretched and morphed with the space around him as the other dimension warped in and out, spitting Pure Vanilla violently back into the real world with a grateful huff that escaped his lips. His feet touched back to tangible ground below and his eyes quickly adjusted to being back in the comfort and security of the light. With a hissing pull back, the remaining sliver of shadows hastily slipped away from his body, leaving him to lean against his staff for support.

Within seconds of his arrival back, he was surround by his companions, each worriedly looking over him.

"Pure Vanilla Cookie!" Gingerbrave called out, placing a hand on Pure Vanilla's shoulder, "Are you awake?!" 

From behind him, he could hear Wizard Cookie viciously shouting up towards the beast. "What have you done to Pure Vanilla Cookie?!"

But an answer hadn't followed. At least, not immediately. This caught Pure Vanilla's attention, drawing his eyes upwards to gaze upon the cacophony of mangled shadows that retracted back to settle behind the beast. In the middle of it all, Shadow Milk Cookie hovered, squinting dangerously down directly at Pure Vanilla. His silence was almost as though he were... thinking. But, what was there to be thought about?

In the original version of this scene, and almost every other instance the two found themselves talking, Shadow Milk seemed to always understand the aspect of their connection. He was always the first to make it known they are much closer than the two of them realize and had most likely figured that out long before the creation of Pure Vanilla was even a thought. It was the whole reason Pure Vanilla lost his mind in the Spire of Deceit-- it was everything Shadow Milk argued.

What could he be confused about?

Not that Pure Vanilla was complaining. If anything, he was almost internally celebrating. Pushing the truth Shadow Milk believed in out of the way and enlightening him on what their connection truthfully meant was the only way Pure Vanilla knew to make any progress with him. After all, at this point, his past self hadn't awakened-- he was essentially blind. For the holder of the Light of Truth, that was odd. It could be said he has come a long way since then. If there was any hope to change Shadow Milk, he felt it resonating within him even more so now than he did before.

But, a few minutes of back-and-forth banter wasn't going to cut it. Shadow Milk finally twitched, making a slight adjustment in the way he tilted his head before opening his mouth to speak.

"What a silly... silly cookie you are," he poked, but not in his normal tone. His voice was rather bland compared to his other teases and ploys. "You know, in my endless years of banishment behind your eyes, I've played this glorious scenario out in my head nearly a thousand times. And yet, there wasn't one where I thought you would say such..."

Shadow Milk tried to find the word.

"Such...

"Foolishness!"

A string of laughter broke out again as Shadow Milk's face twisted with malicious delight. "I have to hand it to ya, 'Nilly, you do know how to get this cookie laughing!"

"Pure Vanilla Cookie," White Lily Cookie started, having made her way to his side, "What is he talking about...?"

"Oh, nothing much," Shadow Milk relied for him, placing a hand on his own cheek, "I merely wanted to catch up with the other half of my beloved Soul Jam. And boy am I glad I did! Centuries of waiting to be greeted with this spectacular performance? What have I done to deserve such an honor?"

"I am merely speaking the truth," Pure Vanilla stated, the other cookies around him all backing up and he pushed himself off of his staff. "And I will continue to preach it until you learn to see it too."

Shadow Milk blinked. 

"Uh, former Fount of Knowledge here," he pointed to himself, "And original owner of that Soul Jam," he pointed at Pure Vanilla, "Your entire being? There's nothing you could possibly know that I do not. You are simply too blinded by that disgustingly bright truth you believe in that you fail to see the lie that swallows you whole!"

"Shadow Milk Cookie," Pure Vanilla stared into his eyes-- his eyes, not the ones behind him, "I promise that feeling will no longer linger deep within you. I can help you understand-- I will help you see the truth with your own eyes. Hopefully, from there, you will learn to put your trust in it."

One of his eyes twitched; Pure Vanilla saw it just barely. If he hadn't been gazing at him so intently, he wouldn't have picked up on it. But he saw it. The dramatic act of crazed laughter and excitement that followed couldn't deceive or distract him from that subtle second of break. 

"Sure, sure," Shadow Milk jeered, "No, no really! Go on! It's always such a delight to watch cookies fall into the crushing hands of deceit-- brings me utter joy!" 

Pure Vanilla pursed his lips. This was definitely not going to be something one conversation would fix. Of course, he had known that. There was a very, very microscopic part of him that hoped the change would happen faster, though.

"Buttttt...!" Shadow Milk continued before Pure Vanilla could speak again, "I believe I have some more greetings to make first!

"Let's see..." From thin air, a length piece of paper spawned and unrolled itself-- another one of Shadow Milk's theatrics. "I said hello to the..." He side-eyed Pure Vanilla, "...fool. That's one. A few faeries... two. Some teeny-tiny cookies... three. What number's next? Five?"

The scroll poofed away into little puffy clouds as Shadow Milk clasped his hands together. "Oh! I do believe there is someone important missing!"

Shadow Milk looked this way and that, squinting his eyes as he scoured the masses for a particular cookie. "Where could he be... Where could he be?"

All of a sudden, he stopped, snapping back upright. "Don't tell me-- he didn't crumble away from old age already, did he? Hmm, what a disappointment. Right when I was about to have some more fun."

"There is no need to be disappointed."

Pure Vanilla instantly perked upright, turning around to hazily search for the owner of that voice. Behind him, Elder Faerie Cookie stood with one hand around his stomach, already seeming as though he were about to crumble.

"For I will devote the rest of my life to casting you back to your prison!"

"OoOoOo, how scary~," Shadow Milk playfully cowered, "Though, I have to ask: have you done something different with your dough recently? I do say you're looking a bit... crumbly!" 

Pure Vanilla was already widening his eyes in distress the second the faerie had started speaking. Elder Faerie was supposed to stay clear of the fight! What was he doing here?! It is White Lily Cookie who will be the one to reseal the Beasts within the tree, not him. They couldn't afford for him to risk his life being here right now.

"Elder Faerie Cookie, you-!" Pure Vanilla tried to say, only to be cut off.

"Pure Vanilla Cookie, I appreciate your concern, but I will be alright," Elder Faerie reassured.

"Far from!" Shadow Milk barked out a laugh, "A slight gust of wind could turn you into a heap of crumbs right now!" 

"Shadow Milk Cookie!" Pure Vanilla called out, trying to draw Shadow Milk's attention, "Your battle is with me. Leave Elder Faerie Cookie out of this!" 

Only Shadow Milk's eyes moved to look at Pure Vanilla, staring daggers down into the cookie. 

"I believe we ended our conversation with a few misconceptions," he started, "You are insignificant to me. Honestly, the only thing worth keeping you around for is my beautiful, shininnggg Soul Jam nestled on your chest and, to be quite frank with you, you're not that difficult of a cookie to find. I can come collect what's mine at any time.

"That being said..." 

There was a snap and, before he could even realize it, Pure Vanilla's mouth had been magically glued shut. No matter how hard he attempted to pull his jaws apart, they wouldn't budge. All the words he tried to say turned into muffled hums-- nothing coherent at all.

"I believe more important matters lay right before me."

Shadow Milk floated down, drawing closer to Elder Faerie with his shadows creeping in around him. "I will say, I'm almost a bit hurt. To think you believe sacrificing your pathetic life will be enough to stop me-- You thought so little of me all this time, huh? Tsk, tsk, tsk. That won't do at all, oh no.

"Look at me, Your Majesty! And see a force beyond your ken!"

Pure Vanilla observed in a forced-silent horror as the once pure and blossoming castle churned and warped from a wash of shadow that waved over it. What was left afterward was a realm touched by deceit filled chaos to each of its corners. The once sing-songy, cheerful faerie cookies all now had fraud smiles painted onto their faces with clown makeup. All the magnificent symbols of light, freedom, and hope were drowned in a dreary black and blue sludge that dripped from pillars and tree branches. 

The other cookies all gaped and gasped as they saw their beloved friends be consumed by deceit. All the while, Shadow Milk stood above it all, grinning in pure, sinister delight. His reign over the Silver Kingdom had started, and yet, even with his skin crawling with panic and fear, Pure Vanilla knew deep down that it was going to be short lived. 

Chapter Text

It was all too similar.

Traversing the halls of the now deceit-stained castle, Pure Vanilla grew worried with each performance Shadow Milk put on. His cardboard puppets acted out his version of the sealing of the Beasts just as they had done back then-- the dialogue even bringing a sense of deja vu to Pure Vanilla. Though he couldn't recall his memories word for word, he felt that everything happening was almost, if not exactly, identical to how it had happened the first time around. Which could only make Pure Vanilla lower his brows.

Their interaction had certainly been different. Pure Vanilla didn't know if his words had any effect on Shadow Milk yet, but he was content with what he'd said. Shadow Milk definitely seemed to take the information better than he had expected him to; he honestly thought the beast would rearrange his limbs out of spite. The fact he merely carried on with his usual "I hate and despise you" act and his demeaning insults was, ironically, a relief. It was progress, even if it weren't obvious at the time.

So, if that part of the past had changed, why wasn't this somewhat different as well? The butterfly effect could start simply by Pure Vanilla taking a step left rather than right. A change as monumental as that surely would've affected the course of actions in some way. With nothing happening, Pure Vanilla's concern came slithering right back into his mind, dragging the fear of possibility right along with it. 

There wasn't much he could do for the time being either. Despite his multiple, multiple attempts to unseal his lips, they were completely stuck together and not planning on budging anytime soon. He could only move through every level of the castle and sit through each history performance, watching as the cookies fell for the misinformation Shadow Milk was spreading. 

Though, seeing these shows again with the knowledge he has now provided a different angle of insight on Shadow Milk's ability that he'd never realized was as prominent as it was. Shadow Milk technically mentioned it once or twice before during his time at the Spire of Deceit, but it really wasn't that noticeable till now. 

The way he formed his lies-- the reason his deceit was so convincing was because he entangled the truth within them. He made the lines between the two so indefinably unapparent that it was easy to mistake one for the other. No wonder so many cookies fell for his antics. Clever. Adept. Somewhat beautifully remarkable. It seemed to come to him so easily, the stories rolling off his tongue as though it had been baked into his dough. In a twisted, charming way, it fascinated Pure Vanilla. That such dark powers could be used so perfectly.

But, it was still harmful. It brought chaos upon innocent cookies and was done with purely evil intentions. Though, Pure Vanilla would be lying if he said he didn't yearn to see that power used for good. 

No matter the case, it had the young hero cookies wrapped around its finger. The most tiring part was that Pure Vanilla couldn't even warn them to break free of its grasp. He could only stand there, silent, observing their faces as they took in the onslaught of misinformation with wondrously terrified eyes. Shadow Milk's puppets danced around the truth as they told of Dark Enchantress Cookie's wicked plans and the fate that would inevitably fall before them if Pure Vanilla didn't step in and do something. 

"My dearest audience!" Shadow Milk announced, taking a dramatic stance at the front of the stage, "Are you ready for the next act...?"

"We don't want to hear anymore!" Gingerbrave shouted, "Stop hiding behind these lies and face us head on!!" 

Shadow Milk became silent, staring down at the little cookie with bitter eyes. 

"Could it be..." he started after a while, "...that you're just crumbling to see the scene where I finally make my appearance?"

Wizard Cookie let out an exasperated huff. "Stop twisting our words!"

"The star of the show always appears at the climax!" Shadow Milk exclaimed with a flourish of his hands, "Ah, make yourselves comfortable!" 

With a wave of his cane, the stage beneath him evaporated into glittering blue and silver sparkles that slowly fluttered out of existence. Fixating his cane back in front of him, he nonchalantly floated up backwards, lounging as though this was the perfect time to lean back and take a nap.

"The highlight of this marvelous performance is... coming up!" In a sudden burst of enthusiasm, he popped forward, moving himself closer to the horrified faces before him, "It'll be worth it! I promise..."

Shadow Milk vanished, poofing out of sight as the floating sparkles finished falling. The rest of the cookies, who had all taken a handful of steps backwards and out of Shadow Milk's way, now glanced wearily at one another. 

"He disappeared again...!" Strawberry Cookie squeaked out.

"Let's follow him," White Lily Cookie decided, now taking the spot at the head of the group, "Quickly!"

Reluctantly, Pure Vanilla followed, wanting to have a say in the matter. A common flaw of the group was their inability to make decisions before acting up on them. If he could speak, he would've attempted to deter the group away from the root of their problems and come up with a plan first. With the little bit of knowledge he had on Shadow Milk, and the combined efforts of all their brainstorming, they might've been able to find a solution around facing Shadow Milk head on. It would've certainly saved them all a lot of trouble. 

Still, his mouth was sealed and most likely not becoming unsealed any time soon. Inevitably, they would have to meet with Shadow Milk once more just for that purpose alone. Maybe it's for the best that this was their choice of current action...

Past another similarly decorated hall filled with monsters, the group was abruptly greeted with another stage set before them. This time, the cardboard cutouts used were the poorly drawn versions of Elder Faerie Cookie and the split-in-half Silver Tree. Undoubtedly, the next scene would contain some rendition of their current situation, likely narcissistically centered around Shadow Milk. 

And when the performance begun to be acted out, Pure Vanilla almost laughed to himself when Shadow Milk's own, considerately detailed cutout appeared with a slew of self-directed compliments. At this point, almost everything he did had become predictable. Not even because he's already lived through this all, but because Pure Vanilla had come to learn everything he could about Shadow Milk. He felt his repertoire of knowledge on Shadow Milk had capped and that, from now on, there wouldn't be much more to figure out. 

Could that be proved wrong? Of course. It was Shadow Milk and, once again, Pure Vanilla knew everything about him, including his inability to stay consistent. He did as he pleased and never stuck to a charted course. Another factor Pure Vanilla would need to take account of when steering the direction of their fate. 

At the end of the performance, when the stage was whisked away into the unknown, the group of cookies were surrounded by darkness yet again as the lines between their world and Shadow Milk's other realm were blurred. It was hard to tell where theirs started and his ended, neither one overpowering the other. Perhaps there was a limit to Shadow Milk's abilities... Though, Pure Vanilla was smarter than to think there was something Shadow Milk was incapable of. 

"Shadow Milk Cookie versus the Fool-King!!" Shadow Milk announced through an echo across the space, still yet to appear before them in his true form, "The awakening of our great hero brings us to the grand finale!

"What brings us the long-awaited payoff? Ooh, I see. The audience grows impatient! How about a teeny-tiny sneak peak? Well, don't expect the foolish king to win!" Distant laughter rang around, despite nothing about the situation being funny.

"No way!" Gingerbrave chimed in, "Surely the Fool-King is going to win!" 

Strawberry Cookie glance at Gingerbrave wearily. "It's... Elder Faerie Cookie, Gingerbrave..."

"OH!" Gingerbrave exclaimed, crossing his arms while looking sour, "Shadow Milk Cookie, you almost got me...!"

"Do not listen to the words tarred by deceit, Gingerbrave," Elder Faerie stepped forward to speak. Pure Vanilla wanted to say something to usher him out of the way-- ideally, he would drag Elder Faerie all the way out of the Faerie Kingdom-- yet he couldn't, and any sudden movement of panic or concern may distract them and leave an opening for Shadow Milk to attack. In the end, Pure Vanilla settled on subtly placing himself in front of Elder Faerie to act as a shield, if that would even help any against Shadow Milk.

"His lies are much more powerful than I thought..." Wizard Cookie complained, mostly to himself. 

There was a whooshing sound before the world around them changed once more. The shadows of the other realm were sunken back to the walls of the hall and out of the way, leaving room for the glory of what light remained in the castle to illuminate the building once more. In front of them, they were greeted by a stage much larger than the past handful had been. Though, it was more of a sectioned off part of the room than a stage. Pure Vanilla supposed Shadow Milk was making do with what he had to work with. 

In the background, miscellaneous set pieces were haphazardly arranged in no particular order, making for a confusing setting. But it truly didn't matter, as four, thin white strings brought down a large, undoubtedly handcrafted through the use of magic, puppet of Shadow Milk. 

That's when everything started coming back to Pure Vanilla. His memories of this fight returned, as though a part of brain fog had been blown away. The doll must've triggered the memories' revival, as harrowing reenactments of the upcoming scenes began to flow across his mind.

During the entirety of their battle, Pure Vanilla had been practically... useless. Occasionally, a cookie would call out to him, signaling for him to give the group a bit of a healing boost. But, in regards to actually defeating Shadow Milk's puppet, Pure Vanilla couldn't recall getting a single hit in against it. For the most part, the young hero cookies had done the fighting, leaving little room for Pure Vanilla to be worried about failure. And then, when things were looking worse and worse for them, Elder Faerie had been the one to step up, sacrificing his life for the sliver of time he would buy them against Shadow Milk. 

That could not happen again. That would not happen again. Pure Vanilla wasn't here to be a background character. He was the only one that could save Elder Faerie-- no, all of them from Shadow Milk. From this point forward, there was no room for him to hesitate or stand back, or observe, waiting for the right moment to make his move. Any and all decisions had to be made instantaneously, otherwise, there would be no chance of changing the past.

"Ah! There you are! The star of the day!" Shadow Milk exclaimed, finally making his appearance when he hovered down above the group of cookies. Admirably, he paid no attention to them at all, choosing to instead ogle over his own craftsmanship. "Everyone give a warm round of applause!"

"I will not show a shred of mercy to you," Elder Faerie warned, "I shall use every bit of strength I have left to drive you back into the depths, you spawn of evil!!"

"OooOOoO!! You wish to join me on the stage?!" Shadow Milk jeered, "I should give you a most cordial welcome!"

No... No. Elder Faerie couldn't fight him. Pure Vanilla wouldn't allow it! He shook his head; Elder Faerie will crumble! What to do... How was he supposed to get Elder Faerie out of there? More so, how was he supposed to convince the stubborn cookie, in all of his conviction, to leave mid-battle? He couldn't give him any warnings or advice. Was he really supposed to stand there and watch Elder Faerie's tragic fate play out in front of him once more?

But then, for only a split second, Pure Vanilla's eyes met Shadow Milk's.

"Hmmm? What's this?" Shadow Milk asked, "Does fool number two have something to say?"

Pure Vanilla's attention shifted back upwards almost instantly. An opening. Eagerly, Pure Vanilla nodded once more, looking almost pleadingly into Shadow Milk's eyes.

"Fine then. I shall grant you the freedom of speech once more! Go on, entertain us with your ridiculous words."

With a wave of his cane, Pure Vanilla felt no change to his form, at first. But when he went to open his mouth, an action that had become so futilely unsuccessful, Pure Vanilla's eyes widened when his two jaws were able to separate from one another once more, allowing him to finally say something.

Immediately, he snapped his head to face Elder Faerie. "Elder Faerie Cookie, you cannot fight Shadow Milk Cookie."

"Woah woah woah!!!" Shadow Milk rushed in, scrambling downwards to close some space between him and them, "I gave you your voice back to spout foolish nonsense, not ruin the show! Telling the main role of the loser to leave? Tsk, oh silly 'Nilly! That just won't do!" 

Pure Vanilla only spared him a side glance, keeping his focus on Elder Faerie.

"I know this seems odd, and I do not mean to undermine your abilities in any way," Pure Vanilla tried to explain, "but only tragedy will come if you choose to fight against Shadow Milk Cookie. Please, leave the battle to us. We can handle it."

"Uhmm, hellooo??" Shadow Milk called out, trying to regain Pure Vanilla's attention, "Were your ears not fully baked? Did you not hear me just say that isn't happening?"

A short growl was heard when Pure Vanilla still ignored Shadow Milk, continuing to bargain with Elder Faerie instead.

"Put your trust in us..."

"Pure Vanilla Cookie," Elder Faerie started after a short pause, most likely out of shock, "I do apologize, but I'm afraid that is something I cannot do."

Pure Vanilla's face immediately dropped. 

"It is my duty to save all of cookie kind by keeping the Beasts sealed. I have already begun to fail and, if I do not stop Shadow Milk Cookie here and now, not only will I continue to fail, but the entire fate of all cookies will be put in immediate danger."

"But I'm sure we can handle this..." Pure Vanilla still attempted to plead, only to receive a simple shake of Elder Faerie's head.

"If I am to crumble during this battle, I will take Shadow Milk Cookie with me. If that is the only way to fix things, then so be it."

His sword was pulled out in front of him as he took a few prepared steps forward, no longer giving Pure Vanilla any of his attention. Hopelessly, Pure Vanilla's shoulders slumped, his eyes frazzled as his mind scrambled to find any other words to say that might convince Elder Faerie otherwise in even the tiniest of way. In the end, there was nothing, and a part of him kind of knew that from the beginning.

Elder Faerie was devoted to the Faerie Kingdom. A fine leader who would do anything to protect his cookies. He was an exceptional warrior and, to Pure Vanilla's dismay, overly confident, on occasion, and devoted to his core. Swaying him was almost as impossible as it would be to persuade Shadow Milk not to fight them. From the moment Pure Vanilla decided to let Elder Faerie give White Lily part of his life, he was sealing his fate in stone.

But... that was impossible. Pure Vanilla had been sent to the past to have the chance to fix these mistakes. Even with a few actions being the same, he should still have the ability to make something change. This was the moment that was supposed to happen. Why wasn't anything changing?!

Shadow Milk laughed, long and hard. 

"Finally!!" he celebrated, "Let's get this show on the-"

"Hold on!"

Elder Faerie was caught mid-step, approaching Shadow Milk feverishly only to be stopped by Pure Vanilla running in front of him. He held his arms out at his sides, putting himself between the two to act as a barrier. If nothing was working when he was acting how he normally would behave, then maybe it was time to do something... abnormal.

Desperately, he looked up at Shadow Milk. "You... can't... shouldn't..."

Or... he could have no plan and be stuck between a rock and a hard place now.

"What are you doing..." Shadow Milk deadpanned, "Seriously. You think this is gonna stop us? Face it, 'Nilly, we're gonna fight! It's our destiny."

Pure Vanilla could feel himself tensing, yet he didn't back down.

"None of the answers you seek will be found by you and Elder Faerie Cookie fighting," Pure Vanilla stated.

"Ohhhh! Seems we have a little know it all here," Shadow Milk teased, lowering himself to Pure Vanilla's eye-level, "Tell me, Mr. Smarty Pants, how do you know what the outcome of this fight will be? In fact, how do you know I'm looking for anything at all?"

"I-" Pure Vanilla tried to start, but was cut off.

"Looking for something? Hah! Please," Shadow Milk scoffed, "I was the humble Fount of Knowledge-- a fact you seem to keep forgetting. There are no 'answers' I would need to look for when every itsy-bitsy piece of information is right up here!"

He pointed to his head, then look back down at Pure Vanilla, more menacingly than before. The tone of his voice had dropped significantly; he was getting fed up.

"You are nothing more than a blithering idiot. You know simply NOTHING about me. Oh, high and mighty 'know-it-all', I believe it's time for you to stop sticking your nose where it doesn't belong!"

A forceful whip of his cane and Pure Vanilla was sent flying across the stage, tumbling and rolling across the ground until he was too far to do or say anything more. One of his hands reached out towards nothing but air as the fight a hundred yards away had already begun. Frantically, he tried to scramble up and off the ground, but the second he was perpendicular to the earth, a sharp pain in his side had him hunched over, and then eventually back on the floor. He tightly gripped his side, which throbbed in pain, as the nails of his other hand were trying to dig into something other than the tiles below him. 

No, no no no no-- his mind was swimming in a heated frenzy. Hardly could he see the distant fight to begin with and now, with his clouded mind corrupting his vision, the figures ahead had been reduced to simple blue and silver blobs clashing against one another. In any case, sight of the fight or not, he knew he needed to stop them, fast. There was barely a few minutes left before he'd truly be too late.

The hand around his side glowed as he healed the pain away. What had even happened-- agh, that didn't matter! Shadow Milk had to stop! Or, he had to get Elder Faerie away! Or- or- 

Pure Vanilla was sprinting back to the fight before he even realized he was moving. Whatever he would do, he'd decide it in the moment. The first course of action, of course, was to pry the two apart from one another-- if that was even possible. Though, getting a hold of Elder Faerie may lead to Shadow Milk taking the chance to get a hit in on him while he was stopped-- a risk Pure Vanilla couldn't afford. Which meant the only option left was to somehow get Shadow Milk to stop.

Impossible. But, Pure Vanilla had to try it. This was his last chance to fix things. With almost nothing else to say, he only had one thing left to try.

"I'm sorry!"

The Shadow Milk puppet froze, its conductor, who had been merrily grinning high above them, stopped mid-string pull. Ever so slowly, he glared downwards at Pure Vanilla. Out of breath and clutching his chest, Pure Vanilla shouted up towards Shadow Milk again.

"I'm sorry you were sealed away," he blindly apologized, "I-I'm sorry you had to deal with that! Beast or not, you didn't deserve it!"

Everything, everyone had fallen silent. They all stared at Pure Vanilla, shocked and unable to process what exactly was going on that fast. It was... surprising. Unexpected, especially of Pure Vanilla, to act so boldly when they were in the midst of the fight that could lead to the defeat of the beast. And, to think he was apologizing to him for something Pure Vanilla had no control over. They must've thought he was out of his mind.

Yet, he knew exactly what he was doing. And Shadow Milk did as well.

From the walls and ceiling above, the shadows dripped to snake around him like pythons slithering towards their prey. An eerily dark and uncanny expression washed over Shadow Milk's face as nothing but the silhouette of his eyes glowed. Down he descended, gaze kept locked onto Pure Vanilla the entire time. 

"Pure Vanilla Cookie..." He muttered, deep and low.

Never once did Pure Vanilla's own gaze falter, sticking to Shadow Milk's like magnets being drawn to one another. The closer Shadow Milk drew, the stiffer Pure Vanilla's body became as he gripped onto his staff, trying to stand fully with what little confidence in this plan he had left.

"That's what you truly think, huh?" Shadow Milk asked, voice still twisted, "That after eons of idly lingering in pitch-black darkness I would finally make my escape and come here for your sorry excuse of an apology?"

"...You... deserve it," Pure Vanilla quietly and solemnly replied, "At the very least."

"At the very least..." Shadow Milk echoed, "At the very least, he says..."

It started with a short "hah", then a louder "haha", and on and on, and louder and louder the laughter became until Shadow Milk was full on cackling, his voice distorted and broken with high and low voices intertwining with one another. He turned this way and that, floating back into the air as he continued to boisterously giggle. One of his hands snapped crookedly on his side and the puppet next to them twitched in place. In one swift motion, most of the shadows floating around him disappeared into the surrounding space from the force of him flying forward, putting him only a handful of feet above Pure Vanilla. 

"I don't CAREEE that you COWARDLY cookies decided to lock us Beasts away!!" He roared, "And I surely don't need you of ALL cookies to be the one to 'apologize'." 

Another snap of Shadow Milk's hand and Pure Vanilla felt something crawl up and around his body, sharply tightening the second all his limbs were secured. Instantly, he fell down to his knees, head craning upwards to watch Shadow Milk.

"Ohhh, but you know what would be absolutely lovely?" He started, voice having turned into something bitterly sweet, "Something that would heal my little 'broken heart'?"

The hand with the strings attached to it rose, bringing the Shadow Milk puppet up into a straight position. As it rose, it's appearance shifted, normality being exchanged for something more frightening. Like receiving a boost of power, the puppet became enhanced, growing bigger and looking grimmer as it was turned into a glooming weapon of utter despair. 

"Seeing the widely honored, renowned savior of the faerie cookies, and supposed Guardian of the Seal fall!!"

"Wai-" Pure Vanilla tried one last time, only for his mouth to immediately be sealed together again the second he tried to say anything.

"And this time, no annoying little pest will try to stop me."

Shadow Milk's wrist flicked forward, sending the puppet hurdling straight towards Elder Faerie Cookie. There was little time to react before the malicious, curling shadows around the puppet were dangling dangerously over top of him. They seared and burned, and, as Elder Faerie attempted to raise his own sword, the puppet wildly slashed its arm out, slicing a clean, deep cut against Elder Faerie's stomach. 

A pit opened within Pure Vanilla. He desperately struggled against his restraints, to no avail. 

Elder Faerie took a few trembling steps backwards, groaning in pain as his arm clutched his abdomen. Wasting only a second to gasp, White Lily Cookie was already stepping in between Elder Faerie and the puppet, prepared and ready to block off any additional incoming attacks. 

"YOUR MAJESTY!!" Faithful faeries called from behind, all hesitant on whether they were to join in protecting their guardian or to stay out of harm's way.

"I'll block the attacks!" White Lily shouted, "It's time for the final blow!" 

Jam was smeared across his whole front half, rapidly oozing out even more when the arm which'd been covering the wound moved to help raise his sword high into the air. With the blade shaking, Elder Faerie pointed it directly towards the pair of Shadow Milks, charging up his final attack.

"I must... fulfill... my duty," he hissed, "And I... am taking you with me!" 

A searing, hot light cut straight through all of Shadow Milk's darkness, sending him forcefully backwards. In a final attempt, he tried to push back against it, soaring forward or sideways, or anywhere that wasn't into the radiant, burning brightness, yet there was nowhere left to run. Shadow Milk covered his face with two arms, growling angry as he shouted and yelled.

"YOU- YOU... YOU LITTLE- PATHETIC... ANNOYING-!"

Elder Faerie put the little strength he had left into pushing the blade even further, sending a final, deafening blow towards Shadow Milk. The light that swallowed the room whole faded just as quickly as it came, leaving the hall to silently settle. All of a sudden, Pure Vanilla flopped forward, face hitting the ground square-on. The strings keeping him in place had vanish and the squeezing force on his jaw was gone. Even though he attempted to staggeringly push himself off the ground with his elbows, he didn't need to look up to confirm anything. 

Shadow Milk had been resealed in the tree, and Elder Faerie no longer had any life force within him.

Pure Vanilla could hear the voices of all the cookies around vocalizing their concerns, a stampede of footsteps following as they all were undoubtedly flocking to their Majesty's side. And yet, he couldn't make out any of the words being said. They were all probably calls and pleas for Elder Faerie to stay with them and persevere, yet, no matter how hard Pure Vanilla tried, he couldn't focus on what anybody was saying. The floor beneath him was spinning and his head felt as though it were submerged under water. Tears were on the brink of falling-- something he hardly ever let happen.

Was it true? After everything he tried, had none of it truly worked? He clenched his fists. This had been his chance. He was supposed to save everybody. He knew everything. All the cookies-- they were supposed to rely on him to fix things and create the happy ending they deserved. To create a peaceful place where they could all live in harmony with no fears or worries. He was blessed by whatever force was out there to come back and fix all the wrongs he did, yet... he failed.

He failed himself. He failed Shadow Milk Cookie. He failed Elder Faerie Cookie.

He failed everybody.

Did he not have the power he originally thought he did? Was this whole "second chance" thing all... a lie? A horrible, twisted game that involved Pure Vanilla reliving the most tragic, regretful moments of his past? If that were true, then why had he been so close... So close to breaking Shadow Milk Cookie? He thought he could make Shadow Milk listen. He thought they could reach an mutual understanding between them. Why had he felt so hopeful during so many moments for it to all be a bit of cruel trickery? 

Draggingly slow, Pure Vanilla raised his glance to see Elder Faerie within White Lily's grasp, the two connected between the bond of Elder Faerie's remaining bit of power being passed to White Lily. Pure Vanilla was... glad. That's one good thing-- and most likely the only good thing-- about this situation. Thank the witches that hadn't been rewritten. 

But, which other moments would change for the worse? How many more harrowing tragedies would he have to bear witness to again, unable to alter them for the better? How many cookies would he have crumbling right between his fingertips? Would he be able to do anything about it or would he have to silently watch as they all begged to be saved?

Is this supposed to be a punishment for him? What... What did he do to deserve this? What did the other cookies do to deserve this? Why was he given a faulty power that was bound to never work? Why couldn't he do... anything? 

Was there even an answer awaiting him?

A single tear painfully rolled down Pure Vanilla's cheek as he closed his eyes.

"Elder Faerie Cookie..." he muttered, "I'm... so sorry..."

Chapter Text

Pure Vanilla was tired. For a lot of reasons.

Being tired was an odd feeling. His entire body didn't feel right, almost as if he were a walking husk of what he used to be, his mind roaming far off and away from his body. Sleep never came easily anymore. He'd lie in bed, tossing and turning trying to get comfortable for hours. And when he did finally drift off, he'd be sitting upright in his bed again moments later, out of breath with his eyes blown open from the nightmarish images he'd been shown. 

Nothing was going to plan; Pure Vanilla didn't even think he had a plan anymore. Months have passed since this whole ordeal first started and all that was left of the joyous hope he'd originally felt was a sliver of light twinkling in the back of his mind. All the glorious ideas he had thought of-- everything he realized he could've stopped from happening... What a fool he had been. Pure Vanilla could almost laugh at how ambitious he'd been. 

Everything was exactly the same, give or take the order of events being shifted here and there. The end result had been unfavorably predictable. Pure Vanilla stood at the end of it all, having relived everything. The days passed by like a mindless cycle of continuously draining disappointment and anguish. Each note that flew onto his desk brought more pain to his heart and a heavier burden to his mind. Mystic Flour in Dark Cacao's kingdom... The disease that plagued so many cookies... Golden Cheese and the suffering Burning Spice brought upon her... 

He should've stopped it. But he didn't. There was always something that would come up at the worst time, occupying his availability while holding him back from being able to visit anywhere besides the Vanilla Kingdom. One instance had almost broke Pure Vanilla. When Burning Spice Cookie invaded the Golden Cheese Kingdom and challenged Golden Cheese herself head on, Pure Vanilla wanted nothing more than to be there. How he'd stop Burning Spice... he wasn't too sure. But, considering he hadn't been there in the original flavor, his appearance would've made something different happen, right?

Yet, to no one's surprise, there'd been an outbreak of red mold within the Vanilla Kingdom's walls. At first, Pure Vanilla merely shrugged off the issue, giving his subordinates direction on how to deal with it themselves before continuing to pack his bags. But when it worsened-- spreading from the cookies to the cake hounds and cream sheep, eventually proving fatal to those infected-- and White Lily Cookie appeared at the castle's doorstep, Pure Vanilla let out a long, frustrated groan when he was finally alone again in his room. 

That's when he noticed it. Change, but not the kind he had hoped for. Throughout the entirety of handling the red mold outbreak, Pure Vanilla's mind was not his own. Or, at least, that's what it had felt like. The things he thought... the awful, horrible ideas of abandoning his cookies, leaving them to fend for themselves... Whenever a healer cookie messed up or brought him the wrong thing whenever he called for something, there would be a flash of intrusive thoughts crossing across his mind, making him want to push all of them out of the castle and away from him. 

It scared him. Who was this controlling his thoughts? Certainly not him-- no. He was Pure Vanilla Cookie. Pure Vanilla Cookie. A soul who only wished to protect and save any cookie he could. It couldn't possibly be him thinking these nasty things. 

Which is why he's come to the conclusion that it isn't him. After almost snapping, turning around and opening his mouth to say something to a smiling, apologetic, and innocent-looking cookie, he just barely stopped himself, took a deep breath in, and then excused himself from the room. A long, thoughtless walk around the castle had him reflecting on just how far he was letting himself slip away. It wasn't like him at all, which is why he began to think of who could possibly be to blame.

Then, he remembered. Back when Pure Vanilla and White Lily had first begun their search for information on the beast-binding ritual, there had been moments where memories and dreams of his past had come flashing back, but altered with lies and tricks. It had been the first step in Pure Vanilla's downward spiral-- what led him to become Truthless Recluse.

Thus, his conclusion had been made: this was a part of Truthless Recluse's mind bleeding into his own. Shadow Milk must've planted a seed during the their previous interaction, giving lead way into Pure Vanilla's mind. He was trying to convert him to the side of deceit. Unfortunately for Shadow Milk, Pure Vanilla had already broken free from his grasp once before. He knew how to avoid getting absorbed in Shadow Milk's mind games.

But Pure Vanilla would be lying if he didn't say it was troublesome. Having been unable to stop the misfortune the Beasts spread to his friends, almost everyday day that followed exhausted him further. Mentally, physically, exhausted. All trivial affairs, paperwork and documents that had to be looked over, proofread, and signed-- they brought dread to him every time another stack was placed on top his desk. Most days, he wanted nothing more than to lie in his bed from one sunrise to the other, sleeping through all his duties and everlasting problems.

So, when they had cleared up the red mold and White Lily had approached him with a lead on a where they could find the Beast-binding ritual, Pure Vanilla was reluctant, at first. He hadn't given her an immediate answer, opting to mull the idea over for a few days instead. It was a trap; a filthy lie that would lead them straight into the den of the beast. But, there was a single reason that Pure Vanilla would even consider putting up with the idea.

That single, sliver of light in the back of his mind. The last thing left that had the possibility to be changed.

Shadow Milk Cookie. 

The last time he offered friendship to the Beast, it hadn't exactly gone... smoothly. That was to be expected. Who was Shadow Milk to trust Pure Vanilla when Pure Vanilla had been one of the many reasons he'd chosen to spread chaos and destruction in the first place? Something told Pure Vanilla that, even though it hadn't been his greatest attempt at friendship, it would go differently this time. A lingering thought deep within his mind. It might be fleeting-- only a hopeful wish and not a premonition. Yet, something about their last interaction, something about the way Shadow Milk reacted to his words-- it had him wondering if that is the moment that would be the one to change.

He hoped it was. Badly. 

If there was a moment to be different, that would be it. It was the turning point in Shadow Milk's attitude, the situation that pushed him to egress into the rest of Crispia-- to bring misfortune to any and all cookies. The biggest, most regretful failure of Pure Vanilla's entire career. 

Which is why he agreed to go. It would be risky. Extremely risky. He wasn't in the right mind to fight against the deceit. There was a very good possibility of Truthless Recluse making an appearance again. Despite Pure Vanilla telling himself he wouldn't let that happen, the probability was always still there. There were many possibilities still hanging around the air, threatening to come true. Most of them involved the fall of the cookie of truth in some way, shape, or form.

So, of course, Pure Vanilla would be nervous. Of course he would be hesitant. Except, he wasn't. If anything, he was convicted. Tired. Fed up. Desperate for change. For answers. Something that reassured him this wasn't all a game to make him crumble. Shadow Milk being the key was the only option left. Pure Vanilla prayed to the witches his predictions were right. Going on the long and arduous journey to reach Shadow Milk was only a step forward towards getting him to change. 

But he had forgotten how awful the trek had been, especially on his already deteriorating mind.

"Pure Vanilla Cookie," he heard White Lily Cookie call from behind him. The library was cold and dark, having been abandoned for months-- almost years. Each book he picked up needed a thorough blow over to get the thick layer of dust off of it. Cobwebs adorned the walls and corners, and almost every tile they’d walked over was cracked and broken. 

In his hand, he held a particularly worn book, the spine far beyond cracked in. With every page he had to flip, he was careful not to rip it entirely out as each was on its last thread. Though he knew there was no point to actually searching— it would only take a few seconds for him to go and immediately find the right book— he still acted as though he were genuinely trying. Play the role as best he could, he supposed. After all, the last thing he’d want would be to have to explain his situation to anyone. 

After pretending to look over the current page for a little longer, Pure Vanilla gently hummed, partially glancing over the back of his shoulder towards White Lily. 

“Are you unwell?" White Lily worried, as always. 

"I'm fine, thank you," Pure Vanilla quietly replied with an unnoticeable huff, "I must have gotten lost in thought for a moment."

Lost in thought... Having his memories twisted into some delusional, corrupted version which squeezed Pure Vanilla's heart with guilt. Same thing. 

"It's getting quite late," she added, "Why don't we continue tomorrow?"

That thought was... nice. Definitely considerable. Pure Vanilla borderline agreed to it at some point. Alas, he knew the story would not progress any further if they did not continue. One way or the other, this all was inevitable. Pure Vanilla didn't know if it made him happy to think about the thought of a break, or even more miserable.

"No. Unfortunately, we cannot afford to rest," Pure Vanilla explained, despite sounding exhausted, "We must find the Beast-binding ritual..."

Although speaking this to White Lily, a part of his words were a reminder to himself. He needed to keep his eyes on the end goal.

After a brief pause-- a moment where Pure Vanilla knew White Lily was shooting an anxiously concerned glance his way-- White Lily replied. "...Yes, you're right. There has to be a trace of the Witches' magic tucked away within one of these scrolls."

There was shuffling of feet and Pure Vanilla assumed she had resumed her search, he too closing the book in his hands to pick up the next one. Only after a few steps, though, did the noise stop. 

"But... are you truly alright? You look... concerned."

This time, Pure Vanilla slightly turned his gaze to take in White Lily's questioning expression. He briefly hesitated in replying and, when he finally opened his mouth to speak, White Lily beat him to it. 

"Actually," she started, "You've looked this way for a while now. Ever since the Beasts were set free, you've seemed... off. I don't mean to sound rude or anything, you just haven't exactly been acting yourself as of late. If there's something weighing on your mind, you know I will always be here to listen to you." 

Pure Vanilla closed his mouth, pursing his lips ever so slightly. Observant as ever, White Lily Cookie. Nothing could slip past her eyes. And, as much as Pure Vanilla appreciated his friend's kind proposition, there was a slight flaw in her words. If Pure Vanilla truly told her everything, would she actually listen to him? Most likely not. Or, at least, she would, but she wouldn't understand it. Pure Vanilla didn't even understand it fully-- practically at all. 

White Lily has always been a great companion-- someone Pure Vanilla could trust wholeheartedly, yet she was a cookie of many secrets. She was also very hard to read. One thing he knew about her, though, was her undeterrable mindset. When she believed in something, she would believe in it a hundred and ten percent. Pure Vanilla had reason to assume, with how she vivaciously spent the last hour scouring the shelves of the library, not resealing the Beasts wasn't an option on her platter of ideals. If Pure Vanilla were to tell her of his plans, she may just laugh in his face. 

Though, the gesture had been kind and touched Pure Vanilla's heart. He consolingly placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you, White Lily," Pure Vanilla said, "But I do assure you there is nothing more on my mind than finding this spell right now."

White Lily's eyes wavered slightly.

"I just..." She replied, raising a hand to place over top of Pure Vanilla's, "I know you have a closer connection to Shadow Milk Cookie due to you and him sharing a Soul Jam. I feel there is a lot between you two no one else could ever begin to comprehend. As we grow closer to meeting with him once more-- I only hope there are no lingering effects of that connect that will begin to consume your mind." 

As vigilant as ever-- frighteningly so. Still, she's not yet able to understand.

"There is..." Pure Vanilla started. Although, he guessed the least he could do for her being caring and compassionate would be to not leave her completely uninformed. "A lot between us. Though, I couldn't exactly tell you what that connection is. I fear it's something beyond my own understanding. But, you can trust me when I say I will not let Shadow Milk Cookie invade my mind. The Light of Truth glows as brightly as ever and I will do everything in my power to keep his deceit from dimming it."

That seemed to be enough for her, as she gave him a final glance over before softly smiling. 

"Okay," she said in response, "I trust you. You are more powerful than I could ever come to know. There's no part of me that doubts your ability."

"Thank you, White Lily," Pure Vanilla smiled warmly back. 

Only when their hands slowly slipped from one another's grasp did Pure Vanilla realize they had been connected the whole time. It was easy to lose sight of minute physical details when engaging in conversation with her. Not that it mattered; he appreciated her touch when it would appear. Though, it would always leave the spot of contact on his body cold afterwards. 

Pure Vanilla drifted away from White Lily to continue his "search" elsewhere. His mind had been railed back on track to finding the spell-- moving forward-- and he made the decision that they'd spent enough time in the library. Anymore and Pure Vanilla wasn't too sure if he'd be able to keep the rest of his memories from becoming rewritten. With that in mind, he pretended to scan over shelves and titles, running a hand through piles of scrolls here and there until he heard the satisfying click, unlock, and opening of the library's hidden chamber.

Within seconds of the secret passage being opened, White Lily had ushered her way over to stand behind Pure Vanilla, gaping wondrously at the previously-sealed room. No words were passed between the two, merely hushed gasps of shocked surprise coming from mostly White Lily. Pure Vanilla stepped into the room first; White Lily trailed closely behind. 

The walls and floors were littered with even more books and scrolls dating further back than anything they had been reading. This was the ancient history-- some of the items coming from days where he first walked Earthbread. Pure Vanilla wouldn't be surprised if some of them even came from a time before his baking. Most of the scrolls had been reduced to half a sheet of paper; some were a little more than a corner of a sheet.

As White Lily wandered about the space behind him, Pure Vanilla moved towards the left-most side, opting to search the top of a small writing desk. As expected, sitting perfectly intact smack dab in the middle of the desktop was the scroll, its letters written in a shimmering blue font. Looking at it now, Pure Vanilla let out a small laugh to himself-- quiet so White Lily couldn't hear. How had he fallen for this obvious piece of trickery? Just how desperate to seal the Beasts had he had been? 

"White Lily Cookie!" Pure Vanilla exclaimed, almost a little too excitedly. Dial it back, Pure Vanilla. "I think this is it."

White Lily moved to Pure Vanilla's side, taking the scroll he extended towards her. She read it over, face lightening the further down she went. But then, when she reached the end, her brows furrowed and she looked up at Pure Vanilla, questioningly worrisome. 

"The master of the Spire..." She started. 

"It's talking about Shadow Milk Cookie, without a doubt," Pure Vanilla answered.

"He could be waiting there for us... For you," White Lily said, solicitous, "Having gained a physical form, he will be more powerful than ever before."

"That is a risk we must take, I'm afraid," Pure Vanilla sighed, "Our encounter with him is inevitable." 

Once again: was he truly speaking this to White Lily Cookie or himself? 

White Lily studied his face, then went to roll the scroll back up.

"I suppose finding the Spire of All Knowledge is our current objective now, then."

"We should gather the others-- Gingerbrave, Strawberry Cookie, and Wizard Cookie, I mean." 

White Lily paused, raising an eyebrow. "To take them with us to the Spire? To meet Shadow Milk Cookie?"

"Yes," Pure Vanilla replied, then added, "Do you not think that's a good idea?"

"I don't know..." she said, hesitantly, "I have no doubt in our friends' abilities, but... it's Shadow Milk Cookie. They were quick to get enticed by his lies last time we met. I have a sinking feeling bringing them along would be dangerous for them." 

That was true; they had yet to build up a will strong enough to deflect Shadow Milk's attempts at entrancing them into his grasp. Pure Vanilla truly wished no harm to come to his friends-- that would be the last thing he'd want. But, he had faith that Shadow Milk was not interested in any of them. The owner of the other half of his Soul Jam would be standing right in front of them. He wouldn't waste his time with such "feeble little cookies". 

The main reason Pure Vanilla wanted them there was because he was afraid. White Lily would still most likely leave at the bottom of the Spire's front steps, leaving him to face Shadow Milk alone. That thought brought a tremble back to his hands. If he were unable to fight against Shadow Milk's deceit like he had in the past, there was the same possibility he'd be unable to fight against it again this time, especially since Shadow Milk's torment had already begun. It had been with the help of his friends that Pure Vanilla was able to resist fully submitting. Not inviting them would be a invitation for Shadow Milk to have his way with Pure Vanilla. 

He'd continue telling himself over and over again, no matter how many times he needed to: he will not fall into the hands of deceit again.

"There is a chance they may be corrupted," Pure Vanilla said, "But, I feel it will be beneficial to have them there. Almost for a sense of... 'moral support', if you could call it that. Besides, I trust in their strength. They may be helpful if we are to engage in battle with him."

"True..." 

Pure Vanilla watched White Lily's eyes trail over him one last time. By now, she's most likely figured out most if not all of Pure Vanilla's deeper reasons for wanting the young cookies around. That was evident when she gave an affirmative nod before shifting her gaze to the opening they entered from.

"If that is what we've decided, then it's best we get them sooner rather than later."

===========

Gingerbrave and his crew agreed with no questions asked. As expected. Unhesitant eagerness for adventure. It reminded Pure Vanilla of his own youth-- when he had always been quick to join in on any project that involved the bettering of cookiekind. He'd like to consider himself more mature in that aspect now, planning things thoroughly out beforehand. They never had to be elaborate, drawn-out explanations, but having a set of steps to do follow was nice.

Which is why this entire situation was very ironic. Pure Vanilla truly wasn't himself anymore. 

The plan was... well, there wasn't one. Nothing worth considering calling a plan. It was more like a collection of "need-to-do"'s that kept repeating through a cycle across Pure Vanilla's mind. Find the Spire, talk to Shadow Milk, befriend him. Find the Spire, talk to Shadow Milk, befriend him. And somehow, through all of that, not become Truthless Recluse.

For having such a strong resentment against turning into his counterpart, his past self, Pure Vanilla didn't hate that side of himself as much as he made it seem. Yes, the journey and experiences he went through as Truthless Recluse had been pure forms of suffering. Yet he, himself, and his reasons for becoming such were actually, in Pure Vanilla's opinion, quite prosperous. In fact, there were a few moments where Pure Vanilla reminisced Truthless Recluse and felt proud of himself. 

Although turning into Truthless Recluse had been a result of Shadow Milk's constant mental and physical torture, it had been Pure Vanilla's decision entirely. Had he been misled and guided down a path of lies? Yes. Did he have the willpower to break free on his own at anytime? Also yes. It had been a perfectly executed play on Pure Vanilla's part-- a resourceful use of his downfall to trick Shadow Milk into letting him inside his head. Though, that's what it had been. A trick. A dirty trick against someone he wanted to help. 

Maybe that was the reason that plan failed. It was certainly something to remember not to do this time. 

Right, the plan-- the loose ideas. His end goal was, of course, to befriend Shadow Milk, but before that he needed to get answers. Somehow, someway, he needed Shadow Milk to trust him enough for him to sneak back into his mind once more. If he could do that, he may be able to thoroughly search it this time-- not get stuck at the feelings of longing and not look any deeper. There had to be more to his misery than that. Loneliness alone surely wasn't enough to get him to destroy all of Earthbread. 

He would need to find-- or create-- an opening without the use of trickery. A borderline impossible feat, now that he was audibly saying it in his head. He had faith he could do it, eventually, and that was all he needed.

Their journey to the Spire of "All Knowledge" was already underway. In fact, a good chunk of their walking had already been done. Pure Vanilla, thinking back on the experience, was trying to remember exactly what would happen next when a sweet, young voice called out to the group from behind them.

"Wait for me!"

Oh. Oh no. 

Pure Vanilla stopped in his tracks, turning precariously around to see the green-haired faerie running as fast as she could towards them. Another mistake in judgement Pure Vanilla had made: blindly trusting anything in Shadow Milk's realm. During the trek to the Spire, there will be multiple, vicious attempts to break Pure Vanilla. This was the first of many. Pure Vanilla knew he could not trust any of them. 

"Huh? Are you one of the faerie cookies?" Gingerbrave asked, "Have you followed us all the way from the Faerie Kingdom?"

"Phew... I... My name is Apple Faerie Cookie!" the little "faerie" greeted with a smile.

A lie. An obvious, bold-faced lie.

"I heard you're on your way to the Spire of All Knowledge. Please, let me come with you!" 

Gingerbrave's eyes lit up. "You want to join us?!"

"Your bravery saved our kingdom, and I wanted to repay this debt," Apple Faerie Cookie explained, still a bit out of breath, "I... I've traveled to many places. I've been to the Spire! It's a place unlike any other! A magnificent, yet dreadful place. I can help you, you'll see!"

The other cookies marveled at this. In their eyes, it was an incredible, once in a lifetime offer. Surely, they couldn't pass it up. Gingerbrave made a move as though he were about to invite her along, but Pure Vanilla quickly stepped in before he could.

"We kindly appreciate the offer," Pure Vanilla started, acting as though he truly were sorry, "But there are no debts to be paid to us. Additionally, there's no telling what could lie ahead of us. I'd hate for you to get hurt as a result of our carelessness. So, thank you for the offer, but I think we'll politely decline."

The rest of the group's heads all turned to bewilderingly stare at Pure Vanilla.

"We'll what?!" Gingebrave exclaimed.

"But," Apple Faerie Cookie tried to reason, "I have a lot of knowledge about the Spire. There is no threat that will put me in danger, I promise! My presence will only be for the benefit of all of you." 

"We really can't afford-" Pure Vanilla started to decline again, before White Lily cut him off.

"Pure Vanilla Cookie," she called, drawing his attention immediately, "We don't exactly know where we are going and, if she is telling the truth, she can save us the trouble of potentially getting lost. We are rapidly approaching Shadow Milk Cookie's territory-- we may even be in it now. Any choice that will protect us from his deceit the longest is the choice to be made. I believe Apple Faerie Cookie's words."

Of course she does. He did too at some point. Which is why it was up to him now to help them see through her lies. They could not risk having one of Shadow Milk's followers so closely knit with their group. 

"But..." Pure Vanilla glanced back over at Apple Faerie Cookie. Though he couldn't see them, he could feel the pleading stares of his friends searing into his dough. 

Well, when he thought about it, she truly didn't do anything wrong to them. All she did was help get them to the Spire faster. Isn't that what they wanted? The worst of her lies this time around would be her appearance. Did that truly mean they shouldn't take her along?

Perhaps it would be for the better...

Pure Vanilla's shoulders slumped. "Alright. Apple Faerie Cookie, you may join us."

All the eyes that had been staring at him lit up as the cookies cheered and celebrated, and rushed to crowd around Apple Faerie Cookie, pinning her down with all of their questions at once. Pure Vanilla merely let out a huffed sigh to himself, turning to continue moving forward. This... wouldn't come back to bite him, right? There wasn't anything she did that he had forgotten... hopefully.

As he moved forward, he still felt the gaze of a cookie on his back and almost dared to turn around and meet White Lily Cookie's gaze-- ask her what had her eyes lingering on him for so long-- but he felt he could take a wild guess at that and be correct. The Pure Vanilla she knew would never turn down the offer of a sweet, innocent-looking cookie. That was the reason she continued to stare-- the Pure Vanilla accompanying her was not the same one she had come to learn so much about. He hoped things would clear up for her answer-seeking mind soon. 

He also hoped that they wouldn't run into any of the original tricks that stood in the way of their path. But, based on what's happened so far, this cruel joke being played on him would never allow for things to be that simple. No, he had to experience everything again, even the smallest, most minor events. So, he wasn't exactly too surprised when he noticed the cookie ahead of them on the ground, hunched over with their arm wrapped around their midsection. 

"AHHH! HELP! I DON'T WANT TO CRUMBLE!!"

The second the cookie cried for help, the others were huddling around them, worrying with blown-open eyes.

"Oh no!" Gingerbrave shouted, "What happened to you?!"

"How unfortunate!" Apple Faerie Cookie noted, "There are crumbs everywhere!"

The cookie coughed and hacked, really playing the role up until he laid eyes on Pure Vanilla, reaching a hand desperately out towards him. "A... healer?" Please, help me..."

A few feet away, Pure Vanilla watched the scene with a hand on his chin. The only reason he had been the slightest bit surprised was due to the time at which this was happening. If he was remembering correctly, hadn't this happened after they went to that inn? Wasn't there another cookie before this too? A little shepard boy, if he wasn't mistaken. 

"Pure Vanilla Cookie!" Strawberry Cookie called, "You have to save him!"

This had changed, did it not? Pure Vanilla could've sworn it happened later on.

"Pure Vanilla Cookie, don't just stand there. You have to do something!" Wizard Cookie too called out.

What had caused the switch? What did he do to make this change? Is this... a sign that other things can change too? Or is this so trivial that it doesn't matter where nor when it happens so long as it happens?

"Pure Vanilla Cookie," White Lily said lastly. Her voice is what finally brought Pure Vanilla to look up at all their panicked frenzied expressions and finally lock eyes with the cookie on the ground.

They were all expecting him to heal them, weren't they? A cookie beyond repair; he was supposed to magically fix their crumbling dough. That was a funny thought. No wonder Pure Vanilla had been so distraught the first time this happened. It was just like what had happened at the Pilgrim's Path. Cookies expecting impossible feats from him and then expecting him to lie his way past his inability to do so. 

A very laughable idea; Pure Vanilla was losing his mind. 

He walked towards the cookie, no haste to his step as the others shuffled out of his way, giving him enough space to stop a few safe steps away from them. Pure Vanilla examined him for a moment, gave him a glance up and down, observing the craftsmanship. It was convincing; Pure Vanilla could give him credit for that. Once again, it had him fooled the first time around and all the other cookies fooled both times. Unfortunately, he was able to see the smoking shadows of deceit crawling around each crack in the cookies dough. These tricks no longer worked on him so easily. 

"Please... tell me," the cookie desperately asked, "Will I live? Tell me... the truth."

It really was a convincing display. For a moment, the way its words cracked with every weak whimper it let out, Pure Vanilla almost let himself feel pity towards it. But then he reminded himself the "cookie" before him was nothing more than a wolf in sheep's clothing-- a lie. A big lie, like everything else in this area. 

"No." 

"...w-what?"

"I'm afraid there is nothing left for me to do," Pure Vanilla explained, trying to sound apologetic, "I'm sorry, but this is the end for you." 

"WHAT?!!" The other cookies all let out gasps of shock. 

"What do you... mean...?" The cookie sobbed, "I have to... They're waiting for me..."

Pure Vanilla said nothing more, merely shaking his head as a response. The cookie on the ground sobbed harder, becoming desperately hysterical as it begged and pleaded for Pure Vanilla to save him. 

This was just a beast... There was nothing to save... It's all a lie...

"Pure Vanilla!" Gingerbrave yelled, a tone of frustration in his voice. He huffed, running past the healer to kneel next to the crumbling cookie. 

"It'll be alright, hang in there!" he tried to reassure the cookie. But the latter had fixated their gaze on the ground, muffled cries shaking their body. Gingerbrave's eyes softened at this, his hand reaching out to touch their shoulder. Right before his touched reach the cookie, a small, strangled noise came from them. Among the sniffles they made, it stood out-- had Gingerbrave retracting his hand, furrowing his brows. Again and again the noise was made until it registered within the group's mind: the cookie was laughing.

From the ground, the cookie rose, morphing into its true, beast form. The laughter turned into hissing and all the cookies, including Gingerbrave, stumbled backwards. It had fooled them all.

But, as quickly as it came, two slashes had the beast turning to smoke. Apple Faerie Cookie gave a simple shrug, rolling her eyes as she muttered to herself.

"Pheh... weak."

Then, she whipped around to observe the terrified faces surrounding her.

"Pure Vanilla Cookie! Gingerbrave! Are you both unscathed?" she asked, pretending to seem worried.

"I'm alright," Pure Vanilla blankly replied.

"Woah!" Gingerbrave blurted, "That cookie was secretly a monster! Good save, Apple Faerie Cookie! I almost got crumbled."

"This place is riddled with phantoms..." White Lily warned, too off set by the trickery, "It was a trap."

"And there will be many more," Pure Vanilla added, eyes fixated on the place which the cookie had been sitting.

"Pure Vanilla Cookie," Gingerbrave started, turning to face him, "Did you know that cookie was secretly a phantom?"

"Yes," Wizard Cookie joined in, "Your behavior did seem rather... odd."

"I..." Pure Vanilla stopped himself.

He couldn't tell them he knew; they'd become suspicious as to why. That would dig him into a long and lengthy, lied filled conversation he didn't have the strength to keep his answers consistent through. Saying anything else would lead to a long, lengthy, and lied filled conversation as well, though. He really wished his friends weren't as questioning as they were.

"I did not," he decided to tell them, "I merely told the cookie the truth."

"Yeah, but..." Strawberry Cookie asked softly, "Wasn't the truth a bit... harsh?" 

"It felt a little odd hearing something so brutally honest come out of your mouth..." Gingerbrave added, to which the other cookies hummed in agreement.

"I'm sure you're just a bit tired, Pure Vanilla," White Lily tried to defend him, "You've certainly looked that way since we first started this journey."

"I..." Pure Vanilla stopped himself again. He was tired. Very, very tired. That wasn't the reason for his honesty, but... Oh, what wouldn't he do for a break right about now...

"Maybe we should take a rest," Apple Faerie chimed in, "There's an inn nearby. It's the perfect place for a cookie to rest their weary dough on a long journey. We can stop by for a bit before continuing on our trip."

Perhaps she was not as bad as Pure Vanilla originally plagued her to be. 

"That sounds... pretty pleasant," Wizard Cookie said.

"Agreed," White Lily Cookie nodded before she made her way over to Pure Vanilla, wrapping a caring arm half-around his shoulder, "Does that sound alright? We will be on the road soon after. I'm just... I don't want you to continue on without a break if Shadow Milk Cookie's domain is already affecting you this badly."

A break... what a soothing idea.

"It would be nice..." Pure Vanilla mumbled, a bit dazed. 

"It's decided then," Gingerbrave marched forward, "Apple Faerie Cookie, lead the way!"

===========

Pure Vanilla couldn't quite remember what happens here. Not like he could even try to. His mind was slowly becoming a pot of mush that would get stirred every so often whenever he was asked a question. For the entirety of the walk to get there, Pure Vanilla was relying on his staff as a walking stick, his pace trailing farther behind with every step, to the point where he often found himself falling a few feet behind the others. Of course, White Lily would then stop, making sure Pure Vanilla caught up with them before continuing forward.

She was always so considerate, even when she shouldn't be. 

Even entering the inn, she gently guided him through the door and past the groups of people. The place was packed, much to Pure Vanilla's dismay. All the noise did nothing to sooth his already jumbled mind, but he supposed when they eventually headed upstairs, he'd be greeted with some long awaited undisturbance. How he dreamed about the feeling of finally getting a moment of peace while the innkeeper warmly greeted them.

"Oh dear me!" She exclaimed, "More travelers! And we're fully packed tonight! Let me see..."

She glanced around the room, searching for a spot to place them when her eyes lit up. "Aha! We'll get you seated with that lonesome gentle-cookie!"

Grateful, they all made their way over to the table, each excitedly taking a chair as they relished in being able to sit down and rest their feet. Pure Vanilla reached for his own, distantly wondering who the mystery cookie they had been sat with was. He took a glance upward. A quick, not even observant glance, only to freeze in place, eyes opening wide as his gaze crawled back upwards.

A cloaked figure sat across from him, only the whites of his eyes visible as he stared straight into Pure Vanilla's. In his hands, a deck of large cards was idly being shuffled, mixed in no particular order. Pure Vanilla flinched, rapidly blinking. He'd forgotten. Shadow Milk's realm was a place where the past, present, and future all blended into one confusing mess.

This was no strange traveler cookie. In fact, if his memory served him right-- finally-- this was no strange cookie at all. It was Pure Vanilla at his lowest point: Truthless Recluse. 

Without saying a word, Truthless Recluse gave the cards one last shuffle before correcting them straight in his hand. Stiffly, he pulled a single card out from somewhere in the middle, bringing it to the open space. It slid across the wood, dangerously slow before Truthless Recluse turned it over in one swift motion. The front of the card depicted a knight wearing the Vanilla Kingdom's colors riding a horse with a sword in its hand. It shined with valor and glory. Pure Vanilla thought it would be even grander, if the card hadn't been turned upside down. 

Another card was pulled from the deck, moving to the left of the other card just as slow as the first one had been until it too was brutishly flipped. This one had seven cups, each adorned with different colored jewels. There was a pink cup, a blue one, purple, orange, green, and so forth-- colors which each represented a different part of Crispia. Much like the last, Pure Vanilla thought it would be easier to make out which cup belonged to which area, if only the card wasn't also upside down.

The third, final card came sliding across the table, pausing right before it was expected to be flipped over. Pure Vanilla had been so focused on the card, he barely saw Truthless Recluse glance upwards at him from the corner of his eye before the card was flipped. This one had Pure Vanilla let out a short gasp. The border of the card was Gingerbrave and the other companions traveling with him, each taking to one of the corners of the card. Smack dab it the middle, surrounded by all of them, stood a drawing of Pure Vanilla, his entire figure surrounded by a black haze that wrapped around his body.

Ah yes, the fortune telling that had earned Truthless Recluse his original alias. These cards laid before him-- these tarot cards laid before him would soon be told to show a misfortune looming in Pure Vanilla's future. They would be told to go back, leave the area, and get as far from Shadow Milk Cookie as they could. A grand suggestion, one they probably should've listened to. Unfortunately, like last time, no matter what horrors Truthless Recluse would inform them about, Pure Vanilla already knew they were heavy drops in the bucket that they would have to ignore. 

But these cards... They weren't familiar. Pure Vanilla felt this had been such a monumental moment-- a memorable and unique scene that he'd surely find some familiarity within these cards. Yet this is the first time Pure Vanilla has seen such cards. His memory has not been functioning so smoothly as of late, but there hadn't been a card with him on it the last time, had there? If this was the same moment as the one that had happened before, why were these-

Mid-thought, the world around Pure Vanilla started to spin. The conversations of the cookies around him had long since faded away-- really from the first glance Pure Vanilla made towards Truthless Recluse. Had they even been paying the cloaked figure any mind? Had they been watching the reading before him unfold as well? Pure Vanilla hadn't noticed. Now, he couldn't notice even if he tried. All his friends had become blurred images moving in slow-motion, their colors spiraling around as a wave of darkness crept across his vision from the outside inwards. 

With Truthless Recluse being the only thing left in focus, Pure Vanilla directed his gaze back towards him. The shadows that took over the space surrounding them seeped their way towards Truthless Recluse's face, diving under the hem of his hood.

"Pure Vanilla Cookie..." he called as the shadows pushed past his face, past those searing eyes, until they were pushing back the hood from around Truthless Recluse's face, leaving Pure Vanilla to gasp in disbelief.

The cloaked figure was not Truthless Recluse, as Pure Vanilla had originally thought. No, they were still a version of him, but not the deceit cookie that had done the fortune telling the first time. As though he were looking into a mirror, Pure Vanilla blinked his widening eyes at the almost identical version of himself, trying to process what-- no, who he was looking at. 

Down to almost a tee, the Pure Vanilla before him was identical to him in every way. The only thing that had Pure Vanilla convinced he were not being shown a reflection, was the white threads wound tightly around this Pure Vanilla's hands and the heavy dark circles he wore under his eyes. Frozen in place-- quite literally as he struggled to move his limbs against an invisible force-- Pure Vanilla could only watch as the alternate Pure Vanilla's stare bore into his own eyes. 

"You are wrong," the other Pure Vanilla spoke, voice devoid of any emotions, "Everything you believe to be the truth is wrong. The path you are taking right now is being led by the woven tales you have forced yourself to trust in. Continuing forward is impossible if you do not realize your mistakes. 

"Turn back," he warned, raising his bound hands as if to show them off, "turn back before you let the hands of deceit consume you whole. Turn back before you have to give everything up in order to fix what you have mistaken." 

"What..." Pure Vanilla aimlessly called, not knowing what exactly he was asking to be explained. A bit of everything, he supposed. What did this mean? What was he supposed to do? What kind of fortune... What...

"Turn back, Pure Vanilla Cookie."

He couldn't.

"Pure Vanilla Cookie, turn back."

Not now-- no. 

"Pure Vanilla Cookie."

He had to get to him.

"Pure Vanilla Cookie!"

He had to reach him.

"...Pure Vanilla Cookie?"

Pure Vanilla blinked. White Lily Cookie was glancing at him with a brow raised as she gently tugged on his sleeve. The other cookies sitting at the table all shared the same concerned look. Pure Vanilla merely blinked back at them.

Then, he noticed the empty chair before him.

"The... tarot cards," he mumbled, looking around at his friends before speaking louder, "The lonesome gentle-cookie...?"

Their expressions all changed the longer Pure Vanilla talked. They looked at him as though he were crazy. 

"What are you going on about?" Wizard Cookie asked.

"The..." Pure Vanilla weakly pointed to the empty chair, "The cookie who sat with us..."

Their worry grew the more he talked.

"What cookie, Pure Vanilla?" White Lily questioned, honestly, "That chair has been empty the entire time we've been here..."

Maybe he was crazy.

Pure Vanilla slumped back in his seat, continuing to blindly blink. He hadn't been dreaming; he knew that. There had been another version of him sitting there, clear as day. The cards on the table had been real as ever. There was no way that hadn't...

His head fell into his hands. He'd do anything to get that peace and quiet now... please.

Chapter Text

Pure Vanilla forgot sleeping never helped. 

His dreams were filled of endless voids, littered with those eyes... He'd run as far and as fast as he could, yet he could never escape the eyes. And then, when he'd run so far his legs gave out and his breath would never slow, a cage would fall from above, trapping him with metal bars he couldn't slip past. Then the bars would tip over, taking Pure Vanilla down with them, and they pressed against his body so tightly he felt as though he were suffocating.

When the morning sun was shining on his face, Pure Vanilla was sitting upright in his bed, grasping onto the clothes near his chest as he desperately tried to catch his breath. What awful nightmares. Would he ever get his sugary dreams of cream sheep and waffle cones back again?

Downstairs, the rest of the group was already waiting for him, smiling and milling about as Apple Faerie told them stories of the Spire and all its glory. Right. They were going to the Spire today. Which meant he'd have to see Shadow Milk Cookie...

Something strummed, softly thumping in his chest-- or, near his chest. Pure Vanilla instinctively moved to run his fingers across the surface of his Soul Jam. The feeling was long gone, yet he couldn't help but wonder what it had been. Anxiousness? Worry? Or maybe it was hope and gratefulness, for, if Pure Vanilla did things right, all the despair and dread he's felt since returning to the past would disappear. 

It would take a miracle for that to be right, though. In fact, the further they walked, the more a certain idea filled Pure Vanilla's mind. What if they just... returned to the Vanilla Kingdom? Shadow Milk was merely spreading rumors-- that's all they were. Rumors. Rumors Pure Vanilla, with his status, could easily dispute. And, even if Shadow Milk ended up attacking them, that would be a later problem. He wouldn't have to deal with him now.

No. That wouldn't work, unfortunately. Putting off this big of an issue till later? What was he thinking? They were almost to the gates of the Spire and here he was, wanting to run away. Pure Vanilla swore the closer he drew to Shadow Milk, the greater his influence became. It had Pure Vanilla quietly laughing to himself. Even with this being a different version of the past, he was still one and the same with Shadow Milk, wasn't he?

"Oh yes!" Apple Faerie Cookie exclaimed, running ahead of the group, "The very place you've all been waiting for! The famous Spire of All Knowledge!" 

Pure Vanilla's trail slowed. Up his gaze rose and the sight almost had him take a step backwards. The Spire. It shimmered in all its glory-- its pearl white and blueberry blue paint reflecting brightly in the sun. At least this time around, the Spire was much less worn down and broken.

"Wowww!" Gingerbrave ooed.

"It's in much better condition than I thought it would be," Strawberry Cookie remarked.

"Young seekers of wisdom! Welcome to the gleaming vault of knowledge abound!"

Their attention was drawn to the top of the Spire's leading entrance stairs. There, an old figure stood awaiting them, a half-lit smile on his face.

"Who are you?" Gingerbrave asked.

Another lie. A disguise for Shadow Milk's deceit.

"A custodian," the man replied, "I open the door to those who possess the right to enter."

"What must we do to earn that right?" White Lily wondered out loud.

"'Tis simple!" The man announced, "All you must do is solve my riddle."

"Riddle?" Wizard Cookie huffed, "Bring it on!"

"Very well... Let's see," the Towerkeeper Cookie thought to himself for a second before his eyes lit up, "Ah, right...!

"Once upon a time," he began, "lived a king in a golden crown who knew not the day he was born. The king was kind and benevolent, but lonely, for such was his role."

"Whoah, a golden crown!" GingerBrave interjected, eyes shining at the thought.

The Towerkeeper Cookie smiled and continued. "The other one had eyes of a calm sea but a barren heart. Those silvery eyes always yearned for a distant light."

"Calm sea? Barren heart?!" GingerBrave interrupted again, earning a slight huff before the Towerkeeper continued his riddle. Pure Vanilla hadn't noticed the annoyance his first time, but now it was clear this "actor" wasn't keen on GingerBrave's constant additions to his performance.

"Then one day, the whole world turned dark, and all that was left was a gleaming shadow." 

"What? What happened?!" Gingerbrave asked, astonished at the sudden twist of events.

The Towerkeeper gave a kind smile that Pure Vanilla noted did not meet his eyes, before finishing the riddle with his true question: "What did the two say to each other?"

"...Huh?" Wizard Cookie looked confused, "That's the riddle?"

"I didn't understand a thing..." Strawberry Cookie added.

"You are free to use as much time as you require," the Towerkeeper Cookie stated, "Come back when you are ready to answer."

Without a moment to waste, Pure Vanilla was stepping forward, past the stuck stumped cookies, to open his mouth to speak.

"The answer is..." he paused, "'Now, farewell. We must part ways...'"

"'Until we meet again, my friend.'"

On the last line, Pure Vanilla could hear White Lily's soft voice join him from behind. Regrettably, he turned to gaze at her with an expression of sorrow. Out of all of them, he wanted her to leave his side the least. Doing this alone-- dealing with Shadow Milk Cookie... He felt she understood how troubled his mind has been. Compared to the rest, she would be the best at keeping him from being swallowed by deceit.

Alas, Pure Vanilla remembered this scene all too well. He knew White Lily all too well. This was not her problem to be involved in. Pure Vanilla wouldn't ask her to stay for that reason alone; he needed to do this himself. Besides, this wasn't her destiny. It wasn't her past to fix. She has her own beliefs and paths to follow. Who was Pure Vanilla to stop her?

"The friends in the riddle..." She begun, giving Pure Vanilla the same solemn glance back, "They part ways with the promise of meeting again one day."

"White Lily Cookie," Pure Vanilla started, against his own will, "I do not wish to hold you back."

His words had White Lily stop for a moment, partially taken aback. As she were unable to be read, Pure Vanilla could only continue to stare at her, waiting for her to shift her weight and reply.

"How long have you known?" She eventually asked, "That I would, at some point, leave you again?"

Pure Vanilla mulled his next words over carefully, trying to sift through and find the best reply to give her. The least revealing reply.

"The riddle..." he chose, "It made me think about the choices that have brought us here and the conversations we have had in the past. Your ideas and mine do not exactly line up; our goals for the present are each their own. Unfortunately, though I wish we had more time, this is where we must split to continue chasing those dreams."

White Lily remained silent. There was much on her mind, no doubt. Pure Vanilla's honesty... His accuracy... 

"I... agree," she said after a moment of thought. Taking a few light steps forward, she closed some space between her and Pure Vanilla, offering a hand out towards the latter. Graciously, he took it.

"Just promise me one thing," she started, looking up into his eyes, "No matter what, do not lose faith in yourself for even a second. You are strong... Much stronger than I think you believe you are. Let the Light of Truth guide you and never go back on what you stand for."

She knew more than she let on to as well.

"I promise," Pure Vanilla smiled, gently, "And I wish you well on your discoveries. May you find what you are looking for."

As White Lily nodded, a gasp was heard from beside them.

"Wait!" GingerBrave blurted, "Are you leaving, White Lily Cookie?"

She turned to face them, carrying the same apologetic gaze.

"Yes. I'm sorry for the sudden notice, but there is still much to figure out about the guardians power. We must split, for the time being."

"Awww," GingerBrave sulked, "Well, we sure will miss you!"

"I will miss all of you as well."

She gave one final glance towards Pure Vanilla.

"Farewell, Pure Vanilla Cookie."

Away from the group she walked and away from the group left Pure Vanilla's grounding. She had been the last thing keeping Pure Vanilla's sanity still somewhat in check. Now that she was gone, the lingering feeling of anxiety came rushing back over him, causing him to take his time with turning back around to face the Towerkeeper Cookie. 

Pure Vanilla gripped his staff tightly; the Spire loomed ahead, awaiting their entrance. 

There was no time like the present. Pure Vanilla led the group up the staircase to the front entrance, trying to quell his exponential fears with the reassuring thought that Shadow Milk wouldn't be waiting for them the second he flung the door open. Which, when he did so and found nothing but the same Spire he remembered being in, Pure Vanilla could be nothing short of grateful. A deep sigh of relief escaped from his lips. 

Each footstep they took across the tiled floor echoed around the spacious area. To his surprise, the Spire was definitely a lot more... pleasant than he remembered it being-- if a place that resonated so violently within him could ever be considered to be pleasant. It certainly felt more akin to a home rather than a stage, the props scattered around accenting one another more cohesively than before. 

That settled Pure Vanilla's beating heart quite a bit. Part of his worries came from reliving more trauma, especially what events will conspire during the upcoming moments. Though, with the change of scenery bringing a slight sense of peace, Pure Vanilla became a bit more confident in himself.

A little-- very tiny bit more.

Upon entering the Spire, Gingerbrave had surged forward, eager as always to progress along an adventure. He'd been the one to lead them onward, to the right then the left and around numerous halls until they came across a row of bookshelves. If they were to find an inkling of insight on the so-called "Beast-binding ritual", books would be a good place to begin their hunt. 

Each of them chose their own shelf, attentively scanning across titles and spines for anything of relevant information. Of course, being the "Spire of All Knowledge", there was plenty of information to shift through. All of which had the rest of the group gawking at, wondering why certain description were worded so weirdly. That was, of course, due to the Spire actually being the Spire of Deceit. Though, they had not found that out yet, so they were left to become befuddled, wondering what exactly it was they were reading.

When one room of shelves had been thoroughly searched, they moved on to the next, and the next, and the next, until the young cookies were wiping at their eyes and yawning every other minute.

"Wheww..." Gingerbrave exhausted, "All this reading is making me sleepy!"

"My eyes feel fuzzy..." Strawberry Cookie mumbled. 

"Ugh," Wizard Cookie groaned, rolling his head back as he sat on the floor with a stack of books piled in front of him, "I don't know how much more of this I can take."

Pure Vanilla, who had been idly zoning out as he fake-read, snapped the book in his hands closed, delighted to hear to worries and woes of the cookies behind him. The book was placed back into its spot on the shelf before he flipped around, taking a swooping gaze over the worn-out lot. 

"Why don't we take a rest here, then?" he suggested, "We've been searching long enough."

"Good idea!" Gingerbrave marveled.

"A great thought, but what about the Beast-binding spell?" Wizard Cookie pondered, "Shouldn't we make haste in finding it?"

"There's no need to rush," Pure Vanilla replied, gracefully slipping downwards until he was on the ground, resting his back against a shelf, "For the time being, there is no dire emergency caused by the Beasts which has a fire lit beneath us. A little bit of rest would help, not harm, us right now."

Wizard Cookie humphed, closing his own book shut. "I suppose so."

Gingerbrave cheered and took to the floor as well, along with the two other cookies who were standing up. A quaint silence fell over them; the conditions became perfect for a quick nap. But, Pure Vanilla knew he could not rest-- more so, he did not want to. Undoubtedly, if he were, the horrible nightmares he'd previously experienced would come back, especially being so close to Shadow Milk Cookie. So, it was a good thing Pure Vanilla had no desire to sleep, anyways.

The true reason he wanted to have this break was so he could figure out a game plan. He's still yet to think about what it is he wants to say to Shadow Milk. Although, for starters, he knew he wanted to start things off different. Before, he'd given his proposition of friendship far too early. Too early-- too soon after having tricked Shadow Milk. Yet again, he wouldn't be tricking Shadow Milk this time around since he wouldn't be turning into Truthless Recluse-- there wasn't a need to, having gained the will to embrace all truths through his awakening.

What he wanted was answers. What he wouldn't get easily was those answers. But he knew it all started with Shadow Milk. Pure Vanilla needed to figure out what had to be said to him. What piece of his complex puzzle was he missing? The answer to finding that question, ironically, was simple: interact with Shadow Milk. Not that Pure Vanilla had any hope it would be an easy feat; it was necessary. Waiting for Shadow Milk to be open and honest with him by his own free will would be like waiting for the day the sun stops rising. 

In a sort of way, Pure Vanilla would need to still be cunning and clever. After all, tricking him had worked in the past. But, as he said before, he lie his way to victory again. He didn't want to add insult to injury and hurt him further. He would just be... selective and crafty in what he asks him. Indirectly digging for information. Once he figured out what he was missing, everything would be smooth sailing from there. 

Another short hum ran through what Pure Vanilla could only assume was his Soul Jam. He took the odd feeling as a sign his thought process was correct and closed his eyes. That was reassuring. All he had to do now was dance around angering Shadow Milk and somehow keep him cool enough to have a normal conversation. 

...Highly unlikely. 

Scattered thoughts filled Pure Vanilla's mind as he imagined different scenarios in his head, what he would say in certain situation-- acting out a play by play of what problems he may run into. He'd gotten so stuck on going through every possible option that he hadn't even noticed when his thoughts trailed off, his body becoming slack as he fell asleep.

"Pure Vanilla Cookie... Pure Vanilla Cookie...!" 

The voice was so recognizable, Pure Vanilla instinctively called out into the darkness the second he heard it.

"The Light of Truth...?"

Only after he'd spoken did he catch himself, remembering what happened the last time he interacted with the Light of Truth.

"...or not?" He hesitantly added, searching the area around him. He was back in Shadow Milk's other realm-- the place which had taken his dreams and swallowed them whole. "No, this is... the dark side of the moon. Another dream..."

"You think you are dreaming?" the voice echoed.

"Of course I am," Pure Vanilla bleakly replied, "I must've fallen asleep against the bookshelf..."

"So quick to jump to conclusions... But do you really believe this and the previous 'dreams' of yours are truly mere dreams?" 

"Yes," Pure Vanilla said, immediately, "Undoubtedly. As my guiding light, you should know this."

"Of course, I am your guiding light, after all. But have you considered that there's a deeper meaning behind my presence?"

"Oh?" Pure Vanilla remarked, adding a tone of surprise to his voice, "And what, pray tell, might that be?"

"As your guiding light, it is my duty to lead you in the correct direction... and inform you when you have been mistaken."

"That's a given," Pure Vanilla brought himself to the ground, resting on his knees so he could focus on his words better, "Is there something I have mistaken to be the truth?"

"Very much so. I am the Light of Truth... and, the truth is... Your dreadful adversary and I-- we might not be much different after all."

Pure Vanilla hummed. Of course it was Shadow Milk. During the entirety of Pure Vanilla's time spent under Shadow Milk's reign, the Light of Truth had been nothing but a fraud-- a facade made to corrupt Pure Vanilla by reflecting Shadow Milk's thoughts onto him. Which, in this case, was a miracle in disguise. 

"How so?" Pure Vanilla asked, squinting his eyes and raising a brow.

"Have you never thought about how similar the truth can be to a lie? How a lie can hold so much truth and vice versa? Is there not a comparison to be made between the two?"

"And how have you been brought to this conclusion?"

"How have you not? It's clear as day to see."

"Maybe..." Pure Vanilla observed how the void of black before him slowly started to take on specks of dark blue, "Tell me then: if Shadow Milk Cookie and I are alike, then does he have his own version of you to guide him?"

"Perhaps... Perhaps not."

"I wonder if he has come to this conclusion as well. And, if so, what are his thoughts on it? I always wondered what made him turn to deceit... Could it be... that he couldn't handle understanding that truths and lies are one in the same?"

The voice disappeared for a moment, almost as if it were taken aback by the question.

"I am merely your Light of Truth," it returned, "I cannot answer any and all of your questions. You must figure those out for yourself." 

"But you are to guide me in the right direction. So, tell me, what is the truth I should follow?"

"Isn't that obvious?"

Before him, the blue specks that progressively filled the void now conjoined into one large mass. They separated, forming the outline of an eye which opened and blinked at him.

"Truth and deceit are one and the same..."

Pure Vanilla had been so entranced on the spectacle in front of him that he'd been caught completely off guard when a force grabbed at his sides, pulling and stretching his dough so far apart, he feared it might rip. In agony, he yelled, teeth gritting as the eye before him approached closer and closer, and closer...

In an instant, Pure Vanilla snapped upright, eyes blown wide open. His breathing was ragged as he grasped at his chest. Then, his fingers lingered upwards to gingerly touch the edges of his Soul Jam.

There was a tug-- a pull that had him standing upright, gazing down the hallway to his left. Something was telling him to move-- to follow whatever it was pulling him that way. Despite having yet to calm his beating heart, Pure Vanilla took a step forward.

"Yawnnnn... Pure Vanilla Cookie?" 

Pure Vanilla froze, glancing over his should to see Gingerbrave stirring. 

"Where are you going?"

He swallowed hard, feeling his body tense. Where was he going?

"I..." Pure Vanilla started, "feel like I need to walk around to clear my head. Please, go back to sleep."

Gingerbrave groggily stared at him, blinked a few times, then rubbed his eyes as he laid back down.

"Mmm, alright..."

As quick as Gingerbrave had woken up, he was softly falling asleep once more. Pure Vanilla let out a deep sigh, internally apologizing to his friend for waking him up. But, another tug was made at Pure Vanilla's Soul Jam, prompting him to focus back on the hallway. What could be beckoning him further? What had his feet shuffling blindly down this hallway? 

Pure Vanilla didn't know-- not that he could even begin to ponder the thought; his mind was far too blank to draw any conclusions. Could it be the work of Shadow Milk Cookie? Another hum; it most likely was. This was his area-- his home. Pure Vanilla was playing with fire being here with such a weak soul. 

He really should've waited.

After minutes of aimlessly wandering-- the soft, background humming of his Soul Jam guiding him along through it's wavering strength-- Pure Vanilla stopped in his tracks when he reached the edge of a pond. A pond? In a place like this? He looked down, observing his reflection on the surface of the pristine milk. It warped within the ripples caused by his disruptive steps. Yet, Pure Vanilla never stopped staring at it.

...What was he doing anymore?

All of this had been to change the past and prevent the end of the world, yet Pure Vanilla hasn't changed anything. If anything, he's only made the probability of the past commencing once more higher than it had been originally. Were they all doomed? Was there seriously nothing left for him to do?

No, Shadow Milk was here. Shadow Milk was the key. He had to talk to him-- understand him. But, he has talked to him and nothing's changed. His ideals are still the same. Pure Vanilla's argument hasn't changed. There's no new information for him to debate, nothing to use in his favor. What was he missing? What big idea has he yet to see? There had to be something causing Shadow Milk to dig his heels, to turn away from Pure Vanilla, and to eventually be the one to erase all of cookiekind.

Pure Vanilla's reflection wavered stronger, short hills of milk distorting the image as blues began to replace his own yellows. Soon, his reflection had been replaced with the Beast's, his mouth twistedly smiling up at him. Pure Vanilla frowned.

All he ever wanted was the happiness of all cookies. Even before he had awakened, that is what he wanted. Shadow Milk was included in that. Despite being a Beast, Pure Vanilla believed he too could find happiness. That longing he had felt when his Soul Jam became engulfed in deceit-- Pure Vanilla thought, if he were to express how right Shadow Milk was about them being similar-- if he were to openly invite Shadow Milk to become friends-- he would find that happiness.

Yet, he was wrong. He'd always been wrong about everything regarding Shadow Milk.

"You feel it too..." The "Light of Truth"'s voice had returned, echoing over the open space once more, "Within the other half of my Soul Jam. You and I are bound."

Yes, they were. Undeniably. Why did that matter so much to Shadow Milk, though? If him yearning for someone wasn't his reason for his corruption, why was this all he talked to Pure Vanilla about?

"Indeed we are," Pure Vanilla muttered in response, eyes unfocusing on Shadow Milk's reflection.

"So why do you still fight it? Why cower away from the fate that's so undeniably written within your soul? Truth and deceit are one in the same-- you've confirmed this yourself. So let yourself go. Let the power you know to be your truth consume you."

He couldn't. Pure Vanilla couldn't go through this again. Truthless Recluse was not making his reappearance this time. No matter how convincing it sounded each time Shadow Milk offered it, Pure Vanilla would never...

A hand reached through the surface of the milk, beckoning him. 

"Allow the two halves of one whole to be rejoined yet again. You can feel it; that's what you want. To be complete..."

Pure Vanilla's own hand raised hesitantly outward. He couldn't take Shadow Milk's. He couldn't... could he?

The tips of his fingers barely grazed Shadow Milk's palm, but, in a flash, the latter reacted, firmly grasping Pure Vanilla's wrist before sharply pulling him downward. Pure Vanilla gasped, taking and holding a sharp breath as he fell face first into the pool of milk. On his hands and knees, Pure Vanilla flailed, scrambling to pull himself above the milk's surface. He rapidly breathed in and out, sputtering and coughing as he tried to get the milk that was forced down his lungs out. 

With his hat having fallen off, Pure Vanilla pushing his soaked through bangs out of his face, trying to blink through the droplets of milk in his eyes and observe the milk's surface below him. The reflection that had previously been Shadow Milk was now replaced with his own once more. He stared into his own reflections eyes, hard, for a long time. Yet, it was still him who he was looking at.

...Was that seriously the only answer?

The walk back to the others had been quiet.

"Pure Vanilla Cookie!" Gingerbrave greeted, he and the other cookies all awake and standing up near one another. He originally had been smiling, but when his gaze trailed over Pure Vanilla, up and down, it dissolved into a confused frown, "Why are you soaking wet?"

"Good, you all are awake," Pure Vanilla sighed, ignoring Gingerbrave's inquiry, "We need to head to the top of the Spire."

"Huh?" Wizard Cookie perked a brow, "What brought this on all of a sudden?"

"He has a point," Apple Faerie joined in, agreeing with Pure Vanilla, "Think about it: where would the most valuable information be stored? Certainly not down here with all this other common knowledge. That's what you're thinking, right?"

Pure Vanilla merely nodded.

"That's a valid point..." Wizard Cookie said.

"True..." Gingerbrave added, then faced Pure Vanilla again, "But seriously, why are you wet? What happened?" 

"He must've been sleepwalking and accidentally tripped over a potted plant, or something," Apple Faerie smiled towards Pure Vanilla. He glared at her in response. 

"Ohh yeah!" Gingerbrave remembered, "I woke up and you were leaving-- that makes total sense now! Man, Pure Vanilla Cookie, you really should be more careful about walking around in the dark!"

Pure Vanilla nodded once, then parted the group to lead them the way of the stairs. At that point, he didn't care if they became suspicious of his knowledge of the tower; he could make up some excuse about the muted humming still residing within his Soul Jam dragging him along. Up and up the stairs they climbed, Pure Vanilla mindlessly leading them on through each level of the Spire. Any questions he was asked went ignored or got a simple hum in reply.

Shadow Milk was near; Pure Vanilla could feel it.

Literally as, the closer he drew, the more he could feel his Soul Jam buzzing. 

At the top of the Spire, they'd burst through the room's door only for the cookies to look around, smiles fading fast.

"Wh... This place..." Gingerbrave started, unable to find the right words.

"It's empty!" Wizard Cookie finished for him. 

"Of course it is...." Pure Vanilla mumbled, only speaking loud for the second half of his sentence, "That's because this is no Spire of All Knowledge, is it?"

Pure Vanilla turned to face "Apple Faerie Cookie", giving her a hard stare. At this, she burst into an array of laughter, snickering as the rest of the group backed away from her, worried, confused, and all scared.

"KYA HAHAHA," she laughed, "Ahhhh, yessss, he was right! Yes, he's never wrong about such things. When he said you were knowledgeable, I didn't think he meant like this!"

"Apple Faerie Cookie??" Strawberry Cookie worried, "What are you saying?"

"Followed me like silly little ducklings! Oh, don't look at me like that!" She snarkily added upon seeing their looks of shock. "Has no one ever told you not to trust strangers? Too bad. It's too late now! KYA HA HA HA!!!"

'Who... are you?" GingerBrave muttered. 

In a once solid, swooping motion, Apple Faerie revealed her true identity, with her entire appearance changing to an array of reds to fit her true name.

"She's... Transformed!" Strawberry Cookie stated, though this revelation didn't seem to reach Pure Vanilla's still hard stare.

"Ah, welcome! Welcome to Master Shadow Milk Cookie's Spire of Deceit!" 

"Spire of.. Deceit?" GingerBrave asked, dumbfounded. "You've deceit-ed us?!"

"No no, it wasn't my idea to bring you here," Candy Apple explained, "My creator, Shadow Milk Cookie, desired to see you in his home! Or should I say, more specifically, him."

Everyone's attention was moved to Pure Vanilla when Candy Apple's arm sweeped outward in his direction. He was turned away from them, honestly paying the little cookie no mind. In fact, he probably couldn't recall what words were just exchanged. His mind was elsewhere, focused on something much more important.

Shadow Milk was very near. 

Pure Vanilla's eyes darted around the space, searching every dimly lit corner. One of the shadows-- he had to be in one of the shadows. Which one, though? Which one would he pop out of? Where would he come from? Would he even appear? Would it be another act-- him all dressed up and disguised to try and throw them off again? What was going to happen?

"Master Shadow Milk Cookie told us you were a cookie worth observing. As right as always is my master! You are veryyy interesttinngg~!"

"Of course he is, he's the all-knowing Beast of Deceit, after all."

A new pair of steps appeared, approaching the group. Pure Vanilla diverted his gaze, shifted his attention for just a moment to look at the new cookie standing behind Candy Apple.

"Black Sapphire Cookie!" She exclaimed, giddily pattering over to his side, "How nice of you to join us!" 

"I merely heard a commotion and decided to check it out," Black Sapphire shrugged, "I didn't know we had guests on the premises, let alone the king of the Vanilla Kingdom himself."

Black Sapphire bowed, "It's an honor, Your Majesty."

Pure Vanilla rolled his eyes. He was about to go back to his searching, not finding them worth the time to spare-- Black Sapphire Cookie being here didn't change anything-- but he was stopped mid-thought, frozen in place, when a voice above the rest echoed over them.

"Ahhhh, yes! The king has arrived, hasn't he? Shall we all take our bows then?"

Wildly, Pure Vanilla whipped his head around, eyes frantically searching the entire space, trying to find where that voice had come from. When they drew upwards, they narrowed dangerously on the blue figure bowing down towards him from the railing of the balcony above. 

Shadow Milk gracefully pulled up from the bow, meeting gazes with Pure Vanilla, the most joyously sinister grin on his face.

"Please give a round of applause for my wonderful entourage and their spectacular performance! Brilliant, truly brilliant! You little cookies fell so easily into their trap, I almost felt sorry for you!" 

"Shadow Milk Cookie?!?!" They all freaked out, not knowing whether or not they should run from the scene or stay. 

"Master Shadow Milk Cookie!!" Black Sapphire and Candy Apple Cookie both sung.

"Yes, yes! It is I, the marvelous, cunning, and, oh-so handsome, Beast of Deceit, Shadow Milk Cookie!! Did ya miss me? It's been soooooo long since I've seen your delightedly horrified faces!"

"This was all a trap...?" Wizard Cookie mumbled to himself, still in disbelief.

"Shadow Milk Cookie!" Gingerbrave shouted, "You trickster! Why did you want to bring us here?!"

Shadow Milk placed a hand on his chin, as though he were lost in thought.

"Hmm..." he hummed, taking a few daring steps across the dangerously thin railing, "Let me think... I believe the answer you're looking for starts with a 'my' and rhymes with 'coal ham'!!" 

Gingerbrave blinked, then looked to his comrades. "Uh... what's a coal ham?"

"That doesn't matter!" Wizard Cookie huffed, "He's after Pure Vanilla's Soul Jam!"

"MY Soul Jam, thank you," Shadow Milk Cookie corrected. 

From the ledge of the balcony, Shadow Milk gave the group a quick smirk before he turned around stepped a foot out backwards, falling off the railing and straight for the floor. As gasps rang out, Shadow Milk caught himself mid air, hovering upside down as he stared towards Pure Vanilla, two fingers curled so their tips touched and created a ring he held around his eye. He eyed Pure Vanilla as though the ancient were a fascinating new specimen or a delicious piece of candy-- something he wanted. Something he unfortunately was going to do anything to get.

"My my, I must say 'Nilly," Shadow Milk remarked, "Only a short amount of time has passed since I've last seen you this close, yet you look like an entirely new cookie!"

Shadow Milk floated closer to Pure Vanilla, twisting mid air so his stomach was properly aligned with the world. 

"What happened in my absence to have you looking sooo... miserable! I'm almost a bit disappointed it wasn't I who made you this way.

"I wonder who the culprit could be," Shadow Milk pondered out loud, "If it wasn't the crafty Beast of Deceit himself, then could it have been a different Beast? Or perhaps... you did this to yourself...? 

"Maybe," Shadow Milk dropped to the ground, letting his feet touch the floor. His face darkened, muddling into a blur of maniacal hysteria as his voice lowered, speaking menacingly threatening towards Pure Vanilla, "It's the fact you've come to realize you and I are no more different than jam and jelly!"

Pure Vanilla didn't let Shadow Milk's words, appearance, nor demeanor tremble him. This moment-- he had been anticipating it for so long, he no longer feared anything Shadow Milk could do to him in the present. All he was worried about was making sure what happened would have effects on the past. 

"I know we are the same," Pure Vanilla bleakly replied, "I've known we are the same for quite some time. As you've said: it is hard to deny the truth."

"Oh?" Shadow Milk perked a brow, "Have you now? But tell me, have your little friends been informed of your fate?"

Pure Vanilla's eyes slightly widened as he glanced fondly over the back of his shoulder, observing the utterly lost faces of his friends.

"By the looks of it, they're even more confused now than they ever had been before! My, my, to think you had fooled them so magnificently."

Pure Vanilla's eyes widened further. No...

"You've lied to them this whole time about the knowledge you contain. They've known you to be clueless about everything, yet, as you've just said, you've had this allll planned out for quite some time now." 

"I..."

He caught himself. No. This was another trap of Shadow Milk's: to get him to convince himself he's done things wrong. Pure Vanilla knows better. All the choices he made in regards to his friends had been the correct ones. The truths he hid were never truly hidden. He had been, for the most part, openly honest with them about everything.

So, Pure Vanilla narrowed his eyes. This would not be where he faltered. He still needed to figure out a way to get into Shadow Milk's head. As the latter continued his act, Pure Vanilla was granted with a few solitary mental moments to map out what he could about this situation.

One: Shadow Milk Cookie craved attention. That much was obvious, but it was a deeper kind of attention that he truly yearned for-- the kind that had even Pure Vanilla feeling lonely. Two: Pure Vanilla was here and willing to open his arms for Shadow Milk. If that could cure the longing, Pure Vanilla would keep his arms outstretched till the end of time. Three: that mean't nothing when Shadow Milk would never willingly accept Pure Vanilla's display of affection. 

Which meant only one option, something Pure Vanilla still didn't know if he was totally on board with. 

"Why fight it any longer?"

Something gently tickled Pure Vanilla's fingers before he felt a more forceful tug, looking down only to be frozen once more by the sight of the white threads now wrapped around his hands.

"Join me, Pure Vanilla Cookie," Shadow Milk commanded, "You have no where else you belong more than within my grasp."

For a while, Pure Vanilla simply stood there, hands starting to shake as the threads around them tightened. His eyes, which had been blown wide open for minutes now, wearily glanced upwards towards the rest of the group, giving them an almost apologetic look. After all, it didn't take long for Pure Vanilla to make his decision. 

"Gladly."

The second the words left his mouth, Pure Vanilla's arms were sharply tugged upwards, pulling him so high up his feet almost left the ground. He gasped as his body moved against his own will, being pulled left and right, and spun around, and tugged until he were brought only a few inches away from Shadow Milk. The Beast held his hands outward, fingers bent as he was the one pulling the strings. Horrifically and terrifyingly, Shadow Milk smiled.

"Really?" He asked, sincerely, "Are my ears failing me, or did I seriously just hear you correctly?"

"...It's true," Pure Vanilla replied, trying to pull himself just the slightest bit away from Shadow Milk, "I do not wish to fight you. You're right: we belong together."

There was a pause, a brief moment where the two were merely staring at one another, awaiting the other to speak first. Yet, where Pure Vanilla had expected a warm response, he was greeted by being forcefully dragged even closer to Shadow Milk, one hand clasped by one of Shadow Milk's while the other was left to be dragged upwards onto his shoulder.

In a crude attempt at a dance, Shadow Milk took the lead, pulling the struggling Pure Vanilla along with every rough, jagged motion he threw. 

"Oh 'Nilly! I didn't think it would be this easy!" Shadow Milk exclaimed, using the strings to spin Pure Vanilla around, "You've crumbled into my hands so easily! I thought I would at least need the night to mold your dough into the perfect puppet!" 

Shadow Milk shot his arm outward, Pure Vanilla slinging in that direction before being twirled back up to Shadow Milk.

"But now...!"

Before he could even process what was happening, Shadow Milk had placed his free hand on Pure Vanilla's waist, using his body weight to push him backwards into a unbalanced dip. Faces inches apart, Shadow Milk's mischievous-washed expression returned as his slew of ominous words continued.

"You're mine." 

The world behind Shadow Milk was being consumed by the darkness.

"And no lie is ever going to change that."

Then, Pure Vanilla was falling.

Falling backwards into an endless abyss. His head was swimming, splashing, and drowning in a sea of drowsiness he couldn't identify. All around him, it seemed as though the room they had been in turned to mush, creating a pool of textured blue and black sludge that ate everything in view. Words were being said-- maybe. The noise was garbled chatter Pure Vanilla couldn't distinguish whether they were simply strings of dialogue or high-pitches chitters of insults and snickers. 

Below him, the world had turned cold and dark. As he fell, Pure Vanilla feared the deeper he went, the emptier he would become. As though the space around him was consuming every last drop of anything and everything that had been baked within Pure Vanilla's dough. Everything was numb, everything was blinding dark, and yet, something felt warm.

Something residing near his heart. Something that pounded so strongly and burned so harshly it almost seared into Pure Vanilla's dough. But, being scorched somehow felt amazing. Beautiful. Complete. Like something that had been missing for so long had just been found. It pressed further into him, blending into his own being like two pieces of jampie being squished into one blob of sugary goodness. 

It felt sweet. It felt pure. But it also felt... different. Unfamiliar. A topic Pure Vanilla couldn't understand-- hasn't been able to understand. There was confusion and anger, and regret, and all the bitter and sour things that tore at the back of a cookie's mind. It made Pure Vanilla almost nauseous. Such bad tasting feelings being served to his pallet all at once; the information overload fizzled Pure Vanilla's mind.

But the pull of the void below him grew stronger, tugging him away from that sultry warmth until his side hit something, hard. The shadows were left to consume him, chowing down on each bit of hope, each star of a dream, and every bit of comfort that Pure Vanilla so dearly clung to. He had, in a way, been stripped completely bare, exposed and raw for the eyes surrounding him to stare and gawk, and judge.

Except, there was only one eye this time. A single eye that trembled just as greatly as Pure Vanilla did. But, with his head turned to soup, Pure Vanilla couldn't focus on the oddly familiar behavior. Instead, he chose to close his own eyes tightly, arms reaching upwards to wrap around his head-- like that would stop the cold from nipping. 

Shielded away, he could make out the voices among the strange noises easier. More so, he could make out the one voice that rang out, sing-songingly as ever.

"And then..." Shadow Milk's voice faded in and out of the static, "...we... before it..."

The warmth he craved moved further and further away from him. Soon, he'd be left in the shadows, letting them wrap their tentacle-like spindles around his limbs. They squeezed and squeezed until the jam that had rushed to Pure Vanilla's head had to rush downwards to fill the rest of the body. Pure Vanilla squirmed, trying to break free of their grasp, yet they held onto him tightly.

Was it wrong of him, to find it almost... comforting? To possibly dread the thought of them letting him go?

A moment of writhing more and Pure Vanilla almost felt used to it. His cheeks were growing colder as his tears made his face wet. The shadows wrapped around him had become so chilling, they almost started to feel warm-- something Pure Vanilla borderline felt himself enjoying. Up his body the shadows made their way, swallowing Pure Vanilla entirely as they raced to reach his face. Inches away, Pure Vanilla let his eyes close and his body relax. 

Maybe this had been the answer all along...

"And then, we'll live as the two cookies of deceit, on and on, until the end of our destined future together!"

The future...

Pure Vanilla's eyes snapped open.

The future.

This whole time, he's been so focused on fixing the past, he hadn't stopped to realize:

This isn't the past. Is it?

He couldn't change anything because there was nothing to change. Everything that was happening were moments to build and create a future. A new future. A future where all cookies were happy, Beasts alike. Where no one had to live in fear or hide or be untrusting, or scared, or hurt, or sad, or lonely--

That was his truth; he was here to make his future-- their future-- what they'd always imagined it to be. It wasn't his second chance to fix things; it was his second chance to make things happen! How could he have been so blind? How could he not see it before? 

No wonder he hadn't understood Shadow Milk. Pure Vanilla had been so focused on what he knew and creating the world he wanted, he failed to see that there was a whole other one within Shadow Milk's own mind, tucked hidden and out of sight. That world was a part of their future. It was the other half to the whole of their universe.

If Pure Vanilla had the power to create the future, then Shadow Milk had equal the same. If they put their halves together, everything would fall into place, wouldn't it?

Light filled the space. Hissing, screeching, and echoes of pain darted across the realm as the shadows were shot back. From the tundra of the darkness rose Pure Vanilla, the light forming limbs of its own to wrap gently around him. The light was warm, welcoming, and much more appealing to Pure Vanilla than the shadows had been. They kissed over his oven-baked body before transforming, morphing into shapes and pieces that were woven to cover his exposed dough.

Cloths of silky material formed him a new outfit, one that merged the one he had worn previously and the one he had once he'd awakened. The first layer stayed a dark blue bodysuit, now paired with detached sleeves reaching all the way to the base of his tall fingers. His hat and cape kept a waffle cone trim while the bottom of the cape resembled something closer to his second look. The design stayed simple and pure, yet was now intertwined with a mixture of all versions of himself-- all of the truths he had come to accept.

For the finishing piece, the white before him made way for twinkles of yellow sparkles to dazzle and shine, spinning wildly around one another until they combined to form the long, stretching handle of Pure Vanilla's staff. With one gentle hand, he took a hold of the vine-wrapped pole, bringing it close to his side as the familiar flower petal eye blinked into existence. As caringly as he had grabbed it, Pure Vanilla let the key-shaped base rest against the ground.

One final puff of light and Pure Vanilla took a deep breath in. 

Oh, how good it did feel to finally be found.

But there was something-- someone that needed to feel that way too. 

The light parted and exposed what little of the darkness remained. Shadow Milk's other realm had been nearly consumed entirely by the light-- he'd have to apologize for that later. For the time being, though, he retracted some of the crisp white, allowing for the two to mingle as one. Shadow Milk emptily stood amongst the void, body limp and idle. 

There was a stillness between them. Not a word spoken nor motion made. It was a battle of observation-- who could read the other first. Yet, neither was playing that game. Instead, his gaze softened, making Shadow Milk's entire body go rigid.

Pure Vanilla took a step forward. 

"Shadow Milk Cookie," he called, softly open. Not asking anything nor telling nothing. Simply him letting the name roll of his tongue.

The second time he said it, his expression has turned solemn. "Shadow Milk..."

Another step.

Resting against his chest, Pure Vanilla's Soul Jam continued to hum as it has been. His right hand reached upward, gingerly tracing the outermost edges of it. Every step Pure Vanilla took, the warmer the Soul Jam became and the louder it buzzed.

"I feel it," Pure Vanilla started, taking yet another step, "The connection between us allows me to feel it. So many complex emotions I cannot begin to understand at first glance. So much trauma that's been inflicted upon you, I cannot tell what your true feelings are and which ones are lies you've made up."

They were close now-- so close, Pure Vanilla almost felt as though a magnetic pull had been activated, coaxing Pure Vanilla to draw even nearer. The hand on his own Soul Jam shifted, moving outwards to ever so cautiously, gentle, and placidly grace over Shadow Milk's.

"I'm sure you can feel it too," Pure Vanilla claimed, "The feelings of my own I keep hidden away. But, for right now, those are not important."

He trailed his eyes upwards to gaze into Shadow Milk's. The latter had yet to move, or adjust, or say anything-- merely watching as the events before him played out, eyes widened out of shock.

"You were hurt," Pure Vanilla's eyebrows sunk, "So many people hurt you; of course you can no longer find the room in your heart to trust."

Slipping off the edge of Shadow Milk's Soul Jam, Pure Vanilla raised his hand upward this time, ever-so carefully, lovingly, and understandingly cupping that hand around Shadow Milk's cheek.

"But," he started in a hushed voice, "I wish for you to trust me. If not anyone else, put your faith in me. I want to understand what you're feeling. I want to know what troubles your mind. I want to know what drives you forward.

"Please, Shadow Milk," he quietly pleaded, "Come back to the Vanilla Kingdom with me. Let's be together-- complete-- as a whole, once more."

A beat of silence. A beat of gut wrenching silence, filled with nothing except authentic yearning. As Pure Vanilla's eyes bore into Shadow Milk's, he could've sworn he saw the flash of something-- something promising behind them.

Yet, much to Pure Vanilla's dismay, the hand he had against Shadow Milk's cheek was violently grasped at the wrist, being yanked uncomfortably away.

"heh... Hehehahaha!... HAHAHAHA!!!!" Shadow Milk erupted into laughter, bending Pure Vanilla's arm back further.

"You want to understand me?" He mimicked, "You want me to return to your filth-of-a-village kingdom so you can get to know me better?!"

Shadow Milk began walking forward, Pure Vanilla matching each step he took with two of his own backwards. Shadow Milk's grip of his wrist kept him out of control, now only able to stumble over his own feet out of slight fear. As Shadow Milk continued to laugh, the once brightly lit space had once more been consumed by shadows, the darkness spreading to the area behind Pure Vanilla just in time so that when he finally tripped and fell backwards, Shadow Milk gave him an extra push to send him past the parting sea of black and onto the polished tiles of the Spire floor.

Pure Vanilla splatted across the tiles with a loud slap, his staff falling with him down to his side. 

"You think you just know everythiinngg, don't you?" Shadow Milk said, taking a few steps of his own outside of his other realm, "You think by forcing my to live in your crummy castle, you can figure out everything you need to know in order to tame the beast and be the hero, hm? Is that it?"

"Of course n-"

"OF COURSE IT IS!!" Shadow Milk roared, seething. With his voice came a burst of Dark Moon Magic, sending shudders of terror over each of the cookies' bodies.

"You alwaysss have to be the hero," he continued, "You always have to be the best! I don't blame you, really. That trait runs through your soul. Although, I'm the only one who gets to claim it. Meaning, I should obviously do something about that theft! 

"Alas," he sighed, "All that disgustingly bright magic of yours has made me quite tired! That was quite rude of you, by the way. Storming into my world with your 'majestic' and MURDEROUS light."

"I'm sorry, I-"

"Ah, ah, ah!" Shadow Milk interrupted, "You have done enough talking for the day and I am due for some long-awaited sleep."

The gate to the other realm had long since closed, but a new portal was opening a ways behind Shadow Milk. From the sidelines, both Candy Apple and Black Sapphire Cookie kept their eyes attentively on the scene, noticing the rift and their master's fatigue before making their way hastily over to the opening of the portal.

"That being said, I'm afraid this is the end of the show, folks!" Shadow Milk used his remaining bit of strength to make grand gestures towards the cookies now hovering concerning close over Pure Vanilla, "On the next episode, the Beast of Deceit shall put an end to the reign of the tyrant, selfish hero."

With flare, he turned to leave, trying his best not to hobble the entire way over to the portal. Before he stepped a foot through, he stopped to turn around and face Pure Vanilla one last time.

"Mark my words, Pure Vanilla Cookie," he warned, "One way or another, you will learn to regret your words. They will become the biggest mistake you have ever made."

And, as suddenly as he had appeared, Shadow Milk was gone, taking his two minions along with him. 

On the floor, Pure Vanilla's eyes remained trained on the spot where the portal had been. He sat there, silently and still as he observed, watched, and pondered. The other cookies had all rushed to be by Pure Vanilla's side, giving him a quick glance over for injuries before asking for details about what had happened.

Pure Vanilla's barely listened to them, though.

That had been... new. This had all been... different. Pure Vanilla had no clue what was coming next-- what events awaited their inevitable arrival. He....

...was so unbelievably excited. 

It was new! Ignoring the fact he had reawakened for a second time and had come to realize his mistakes, Pure Vanilla's interaction with Shadow Milk, Shadow Milk's reaction-- it was somewhat the same, but, for the most part, it was completely different. Which meant that conversation would be the first step towards the creation of the new future.

Pure Vanilla was beyond excited.

Multiple hands and arms wrapped around his body helped hoist him off the tile, giving his soft-- extremely soft and breathable, and comfortable-- new robes a good dusting. But, before he could get a chance to adjust to the orientation, he was being bombarded by more of the same questions. A barely audible sigh left his lips which were already cracking to form smile. Ever so curiously concerned cookies...

As he started to briefly explain to them the course of their actions, the reality of the situation dawned on Pure Vanilla. This was his real second chance. To actually get things right this time. Now, he knew what was considered to be right could be determined by his own hands. This was his chance to see Shadow Milk for all he's worth and not what he saw on the outside.

There was much to learn about him. Pure Vanilla knew it would be a daunting feat. Yet, somehow, he was more than willing to give Shadow Milk his all. 

Chapter Text

The excitement was short-lived.

After returning back to the Vanilla Kingdom, Pure Vanilla was immediately bombarded with diplomatic and internal issues in the form of numerous stacks of the paperwork he oh-so loved to do. What was he to expect after being gone for nearly a week? Honestly, though, when he was first informed of everything he had missed during a very long and draining 6-hour meeting, he was a lot more upbeat than he thought he would be.

Paperwork? Okay, sure. Bring it on!

That's how it started, at least.

But then it was week after week of being holed up in the castle, doomed to sign and draft laws and agreements with little to no saving grace. The work came in waves as well. Rather than be spread out gradually overtime-- a novel idea, why hadn't anybody else at the castle thought of it?-- Pure Vanilla would finish reading and writing his way through a stack, completing it with a relieved sigh only for another one to be slammed down right in front of him moments later.

At that point, he was pretty sure his dark circles had dark circles. From the moment Pure Vanilla was awake, he was already wishing to be asleep once more. His tranquil dreams of cream sheep and waffle cones had returned and beckoned him tauntingly whenever he looked towards a clock for the time. Once, he had been so tired, one of the poor palace servants had found him falling halfway out of his seat, unable to be shaken awake.

That had almost been his last straw. 

But, instead of taking the stack of papers and throwing it out of the window, he started pacing himself. Sure, papers ended up getting sent out late, earning a few angrily scribbled replies, but Pure Vanilla would be lying if he said he hadn't fallen in love with the short walks he found himself taking around the castle. In the gardens, around the halls-- wherever Pure Vanilla pleased to walk that day, peacefully alone with only the tap of his staff against the ground. They wouldn't last long, only a few minutes, yet it was the part of Pure Vanilla's daily routine he looked forward to the most.

It was a moment for recollection. He could let his mind roam about something other than work, which, normally, would make the opportunity even more wonderful as he could reminisce good thoughts and nostalgic memories.

Except, there was only one thing on his mind beside work, and that wasn't a thought that particularly brought him joy. 

At first, he had been so happy for things to have gone differently with Shadow Milk Cookie. His soul had been refilled with hope and, for a long time after leaving the Spire, Pure Vanilla found himself waking up every morning to take a quick search around the castle's perimeter, expecting to find a trace of the Beast's presence. Yet, there was nothing, and there would be nothing for a long time.

That is why he no longer felt all that joyous.

What was he to do, though? The paperwork had to be completed, and he's done all he can in regards to Shadow Milk. Time could only convince him to come here now. So, Pure Vanilla continued his walks around the castle, idly glancing over the numerous paintings lingering on the walls, with no particular thoughts on his mind. Just the aft thoughts of looming treaties that needed his name on them. To say he was caught off guard when one of the sweet, Gummy sisters came running up to him, looking distraught and out of breath, would be an understatement.

"Pure Vanilla Cookie!" Lemon Gummy Cookie cried, "Your majesty! You... YOU MUST COME QUICK!!!" 

Pure Vanilla immediately stopped in his tracks, matching her anxious energy.

"What's going on?" Pure Vanilla worried following Lemon Gummy close behind as she hastily turned on her heels, using her little legs to run as fast as she could.

"There's an intruder in the castle!!!" Lemon Gummy explained, "You have to get them out! They're tearing the place to shreds!!"

Pure Vanilla walked a bit faster. "An intruder? How did they get past the gates?"

"I don't know," Lemon Gummy Cookie whined, growing more stressed, "We just have to get them OUT!!!"

As they traversed down the halls, passing through each divided archway, Pure Vanilla was starting to see why Lemon Gummy was freaking out as much as she was. Paintings from the walls were now lopsided, barely staying put as they swayed back and forth. The crafted portraits artistically depicted on each were now defaced, covered with scribbles of black ink that gave White Lily Cookie a mustache and Dark Cacao comedically large eyelashes. 

The curtains were scratched and stained with splotches of blue that seeped into the pristine, white satin and dripped into pools on the floor. Down the hall, as they progressed, a noise joined the calamity, having Pure Vanilla surge forward even faster. When the two came around a bend, they were greeted with a display to gawk at: three other Gummy sisters, two huddled on the floor while the other stood protectively around them.

Pure Vanilla approached them with caution, moving to hold onto his staff with two hands in order to calm his nerves.

"What happened here...?" he wondered out loud, as if he hadn't already put two and two together.

Watermelon Gummy Cookie, who had been guarding the other two, faced Pure Vanilla with a huff, cheeks puffing out of anger. 

"There's a crazy cookie running amok the castle!" She distressed, "They've been terrorizing all of us poor cookies while trashing the place! And then, when I tried to shoo them out, they just stared at me before saying 'Is this how you cookies treat your humble guests?' and then they flew off!!"

Humble guests...? Flew off... Pure Vanilla raised a brow before his expression returned to concern. He knelt to the ground, glancing over the two small and frail cookies huddled together.

"Cherry Gummy Cookie, Pineapple Gummy Cookie-- are you two alright?" 

Pineapple Gummy merely nodded while Cherry Gummy spoke for the both of them.

"Fortunately, yes," she stated, "But, please Pure Vanilla Cookie, before the rest of the castle is turned upside down. You have to get them out of here!"

"I understand," Pure Vanilla rose, gaze shifting to ominously dark hallway before him, "Do you know which way they went?"

"They had been down there," Watermelon Gummy pointed, her finger directed at a dimly lit hallway the oozed an ominous aura, "But they're moving fast. I couldn't even get a good look at them before they were zooming off in a different direction!" 

"Alright," Pure Vanilla nodded, "I'll take care of them. You all can take the rest of the day off. Return to your rooms and out of harms way, for now. I'll inform you when the situation has been dealt with."

"Thank you, Pure Vanilla Cookie!" the sisters all cheered, flashing him toothy grins. He tiredly smiled back at them, before focusing his attention back on the hallway. 

Anxious wasn't the word to describe how he was feeling, but the further down the hall he made it, the more this strange feeling overtook him. Anticipation was closer, yet still not quite it. There was a vague, distant fear that this mystery cookie could be an actual threat, something Pure Vanilla should be more worried about. But, if his racing heart was anything worth mentioning, this "intruder" may be someone worth quickening his pace for.

Around another bend and through an archway was when Pure Vanilla felt it once again. A humming within his Soul Jam that egged him on further, had him walking faster and faster, thoughts in his mind racing until he curved around another bend and stopped dead in his tracks.

His Soul Jam went still as well as his breathing. Shadow Milk Cookie idly floated before him, hands relaxing placed behind his head as he studied a painting with a bored expression.

Pure Vanilla's eyes went wide. Soon, they were met with Shadow Milk's, which partially rolled.

"I gotta say 'Nilly," Shadow Milk stared, lazily drifting closer to him, "You have such a bland taste. I mean, this place is just white on white on cream on white. I know you're partially blind, but that doesn't mean you're colorblind as well."

Pure Vanilla blinked. "You're...here."

"Well, duh!" Shadow Milk said, "You practically gave me a free ticket into the home of my Soul Jam without any sort of entry fee necessary. What kind of fool would I be to not accept that offer?"

Pure Vanilla blinked again. He was actually here...

Scratch everything he said before. His body was overflowing with excitement. Pure Vanilla gave Shadow Milk a large and warm smile, gracefully bowing his head.

"Well then, I welcome you to the Vanilla Castle. I'm sorry I was not there for your initial arrival."

"Oh, don't worry about that," Shadow Milk waved his hand dismissively, "Those little palace maids of yours did plenty in terms of a welcoming party. They're quite cute, I must say. They know how to scream and run in terror perfectly."

Pure Vanilla's smile bent, turning a fraction of a way downwards, "Shadow Milk Cookie, I do not mind if you choose to stay here. In fact, I'd be more than delighted to have your company. But, there are a few things I wish for you to-"

"Blah, blah!" Shadow Milk cut him off, "Rule this, rule that-- you invited me here, did you not?"

"Yes, but-"

"And you gave me no parameters then, which means I am free to do as I wish now."

Shadow Milk turned around to give the hallway a good glance, stroking his chin as he debated his options.

"Hmmm," he hummed, "What to do first? Redecorating certainly would be a good place to start..."

His feet planted to the ground before the hand holding his cane was thrown outwards, sending a whoosh of magic over the entirety of the hall. Before Pure Vanilla could finish a single blink, the entire hallway had been converted to one that more closely resembled a place Shadow Milk would find appealing. The walls had been painted a new, dull grey with more splotches of miscellaneous blues. Holes had been bored into the sides of the room, giving way for the tentacle shadows to crawl out, oozing and sliding around as their black sludge dripped onto the tile below. 

Pure Vanilla didn't know whether to be happy for his arrival, or be upset with the destruction he was causing. He chose to be both.

"Shadow Milk, please listen-" he tried to ask one last time, only for Shadow Milk to cut him off once more, gleaming back at him over his shoulder.

"Much better, don't ya think?" 

The mess of a hallway left Pure Vanilla at a lost for words. Rather than thinking of a response, he was much more focused on his present thoughts about how he were to go about cleaning all this up. Surely, simply asking Shadow Milk to revert all his "hard work" would come to be a tedious and inevitably large waste of time-- the Beast would never settle.

"Now," Shadow Milk floated off the floor again, starting to drift off down the hall, "I wonder how that squishy, little orange clad would like having their limbs rearranged..."

In an instant, Shadow Milk was off again, sparing not a second for Pure Vanilla to react to his pondering. Before he could even begin to raise his hand in an attempt to stop him, Pure Vanilla was standing alone in the middle of the chaos around him, left by himself to realize the slop pouring from the ceiling was now getting concerningly close to him. 

Although he wanted to chase after Shadow Milk, he couldn't leave all of this here, could he? What if the other workers in the castle became tied up in it? That would be quite the situation to get them out of. On the other hand, if he didn't stop Shadow Milk now, an endless cycle of him cleaning these disasters up would start a go, which he certainly didn't have the time for. Not to mention, it was Shadow Milk: he'd continue that game until Pure Vanilla was sprawled out among the sludge, completely wiped out.

Down the hall he went, taking long strides as he thoroughly checked each and every turn and bend in the halls, opening and searching through every door and room in sight. After a while of search, to no avail, he thought back on Shadow Milk's words. Clearly, he were referencing Orange Gummy Cookie, but that girl was constantly springing around from chore to chore, working herself tirelessly to her gelatin. Finding her would take a miracle...

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!"

Or not. 

Pure Vanilla sprinted off in the direction of the scream, speeding up as Orange Gummy Cookie appeared in his line of view. She was unfortunately-- yet, thankfully-- alone, hands covering her face as she stumbled around the hallway, bumping into the walls with her screams muffled by her hands.

"Orange Gummy Cookie! What-" 

As Pure Vanilla called her name, she turned in his direction, causing Pure Vanilla to stop in his tracks and tense up. All the icing on her face had been mixed around, placing an eye where her mouth went, her nose where an eye went, and her mouth on the side of her cheek.

"Oh goodness."

"Pure Vanilla Coookkiiiieee!!!" Orange Gummy Cookie whined, getting closer to Pure Vanilla as though she were showing off her newly designed appearance, "Helpp meee!!" 

"I..." Pure Vanilla cupped her dainty cheeks, being mindful of where the new locations of every part was, "I can't exactly..."

"I know, I know!" Orange Gummy groaned, throwing Pure Vanilla's hands off her face, "You can't do anything directly, but you can capture the culprit who did this and set things right that way!"

"...Of course," Pure Vanilla nodded, "Will you be alright here by yourself? What if he returns?"

"If he returns," Orange Gummy cracked her knuckles, "He won't be fast enough to get away anymore! Besides, I think I can manage just fine. If I tilt my head downwards like this, I can still see perfectly fine! So I can continue doing this laundry, no problem!"

Orange Gummy demonstrated the uncomfortable looking position she had to bend into in order to see, yet Pure Vanilla was sighing at her ever-ambitious display of service to the castle.

"Do not overwork yourself again," Pure Vanilla warned, "If you need to take the day off, I've already told-"

"Day off?" Orange Gummy scoffed, "Please, Pure Vanilla. What kind of cookie do you take me for? A slacker?"

"The kind that I'm grateful for," Pure Vanilla placed a warm hand on her shoulder, "Yet am also worried for in regards to her work habits..."

"I'll be fine," she yet again shrugged off his touch, "Just go catch that intruder already! I'm sure he's already made a mess of another part of the castle..."

Right, Shadow Milk Cookie.

A final farewell later and Pure Vanilla was off once more, scouring the halls in search of the blue-hued cookie. After searching for quite a while, Pure Vanilla was beginning to think this was going to be a long afternoon-- one in which none of the work awaiting him back in his room got completed. That was, until, Pure Vanilla had barely glanced over a side hallway, borderline walking straight past it, before he double-took back to check it again.

Awaiting him at the other end of the hall with his hands folded behind his back was Shadow Milk, a playful grin upon his face. Without hesitation, Pure Vanilla was marching his way over, glad to have finally caught up with the other cookie, when he was stopped by the raise of one of Shadow Milk's hands.

"Ah, ah!" Shadow Milk warned, "I wouldn't take another step forward if I were you, 'Nilly!" 

Pure Vanilla perked a brow, only a tad bit willing to play into Shadow Milk's games. "Oh? How come?"

"Who knows!" Shadow Milk shrugged, "But, seriously, I wouldn't do it."

"Shadow Milk," Pure Vanilla started, voice becoming more stern, "I'd like to-"

Subconsciously or not, Pure Vanilla had taken the slightest bit of a step forward, only moving towards Shadow Milk barely an inch. Yet, that was all it took for the trap the mischievous cookie had placed to be set off. In an instant, the invisible trip wire Pure Vanilla's foot had caught sent a winding strand of rope surging outward. From where? Who knows. Still, it quickly entangled itself around Pure Vanilla's body, starting at his ankle and wrapping around until Pure Vanilla was tightly bound.

Then, he was being pulled by his leg until he was dangling from the ceiling, completely stuck and unable to move. The second he was swaying back and forth upside down, Pure Vanilla struggled against his restraints, but he was unable to free himself, hands and legs so tightly wound up they were practically glued to one another.

From across the hall, Pure Vanilla could hear Shadow Milk laughing and dared to glance over to him, watching as he dramatically wiped away nonexistent tears from his eyes.

"Oh, 'Nilly!!" Shadow Milk exclaimed, "I did warn you not to take a step closer, didn't I? Honestly, I'm a bit hurt... Do you not trust me that much?"

"I-" Pure Vanilla tried to respond, grunting mid-sentence as he continued to attempt to free himself, "I do-"

"How utterly rude!" Shadow Milk scoffed, "Invite me to your castle, frown upon my ways of finding comfort in this blank-space prison, then show you have little to no faith in my words? I gotta say, you're not exactly the nicest of hosts!"

"Shadow Milk," Pure Vanilla pleaded, "I wish to talk to you and explain myself, but please let me down-"

"Uhm, yeah, not happening," Shadow Milk flicked the hair resting on his shoulder back before spinning around, taking a large step in the opposite direction, "There's still much work to do on this horrendously designed place of yours, I can hardly catch a break! Soon, though, this once bleak and bland castle will be brimming with decor so grand you'll wish you had me around to fix things sooner! So, bye for now, silly 'Nilly!"

Shadow Milk gave a wave goodbye, looking back over his shoulder, "Have fun with those... restraints of yours. And maybe next time, consider putting a bit more trust in your dear guests." 

A useless call left Pure Vanilla's lips as Shadow Milk disappeared from his sight yet again. Alone he was left to helplessly swing from the ceiling, trying to break himself free one last fruitless time. He heavily sighed, starting to feel his head spin from the jam rushing to his brain.

This was definitely going to be a stubbornly long day.

================

It only took the help of half the Gummy sisters to get him down, the small cookies attempting to cut him loose as safely as possible. He only fell a few feet, landing unsightly face-first onto the ground with a loud thump and huff. Of course, as nice as ever, the Gummy sisters made no remarks on this, merely helping Pure Vanilla upright as best as they could with their heights. Though, despite their lack of commentary, Pure Vanilla was thoroughly embarrassed and flushed by the whole ordeal, abruptly shooing the little cookies away the second he was finished straightening himself out. 

They had seen one too many things happen within the castle; this was another tick mark to add to Pure Vanilla's slowly fading self-esteem.

The time spent idly waiting for help to arrival had been useful, though. It gave Pure Vanilla the opportunity to formulate an idea, which allowed him to immediately begin setting his plans into action once he had broken free. Unfortunately, his idea did involve one of the poor Gummy sisters, which prompted Pure Vanilla to make a mental note to treat them to a nice array of desserts and day off from working when things were settled down. 

Thankfully, the always ambitious cookie was eager to agree to Pure Vanilla's wild idea, taking her place in the middle of the hallway, dutifully dusting off one of the yet-to-be-"fixed" framed photo on the wall. Awaiting around the corner was Pure Vanilla, silently hidden from view as he waited for Shadow Milk to take the bait.

"Hmm? What do we have here?"

Which he knew wouldn't take long at all.

Orange Gummy Cookie jumped as Shadow Milk suddenly appeared behind her, staring dangerously down at her with one of his signature smiles. Dropping the feather duster, Orange Gummy smiled back, fretfully, as she borderline stuttered out her reply.

"Just a bit of housekeeping," she laughed, frightened, "Would hate to see how dirty this place becomes if it were to be left uncleaned..."

"Oh, really?" Shadow Milk tilted his head, "Housekeeping, hm? Here I thought you were looking to have your face rearranged again..."

"NOPE!!" Orange Gummy grinned, "Not at all! Did not enjoy that!"

She had revealed in the fact her face had randomly popped back to place out of nowhere and she only just recently remembered how to function normal again as such. 

"That's a shame," Shadow Milk pouted, then quickly lit back up again, "I guess we'll just have to rearrange your limbs instead...!"

"Shadow Milk Cookie."

The Beast stopped his hand from reaching Orange Gummy, pulling it back to his side as he let out a deep groan. On the opposite end of the hall, Pure Vanilla was now rapidly approaching, coming to stand only a few feet away from Shadow Milk. During that time, Orange Gummy managed to, side-step by side-step, slip away from the two, sprinting as fast and as far as she could the second she was out of arms-length.

"You've lived on this miserable planet for so long-- haven't you learned to read a room by now?" Shadow Milk crossed his arms, turning to face Pure Vanilla head on, "Couldn't you see I was in the middle of something."

"I don't appreciate you tormenting my staff for fun," Pure Vanilla informed.

"And I told you I don't care-"

"Then I must ask you to leave," Pure Vanilla firmly stated, raising a halting hand, "And before you say anything: I know I invited you here, but there are still rules that must be followed. If you cannot adhere to them, then I politely ask you to leave at once."

Shadow Milk let out a single laugh, staring incredulously back at Pure Vanilla. 

"Then leave I shall." 

From the floor, he floated upwards, drifting backwards as though he were getting prepared to take off, "What other interest do I have staying here if you've taken all the fun away already?"

"Before you go," Pure Vanilla reached a hand outward-- an attempt to grab a hold of Shadow Milk's arm, yet he was quick to float out of the way and curl a lip at the action, "I'd like to ask you something."

Shadow Milk gave Pure Vanilla a glance over before rolling his eyes. "Of course you do; when do you not have something to ask me?"

Pure Vanilla's lip slightly curved upward before he continued, "What made you decide to come here in the first place?"

Another eye roll and Shadow Milk was lounging back in the air, hands resting behind his head as he made himself comfortable. "Hadn't I already told you? This was a free ticket into your home and the home of my Soul Jam."

"There wasn't another reason?"

"Why would there be?"

Shadow Milk raised a brow towards Pure Vanilla who stared at him back, patiently waiting for Shadow Milk to grumble and continue speaking.

"You know too much."

It was Pure Vanilla's turn to look confused now.

"Excuse me?"

"You." Shadow Milk inched closer to Pure Vanilla's face, "Know. Too. Much. Farrrr too much for a simple-minded cookie such as yourself. Which can only make a great philosophical thinker such as I wonder: how much do you truly know...?"

"I'm confused..." Pure Vanilla mumbled, tilting his head.

"Clearly."

"I know too much about what, exactly?"

Shadow Milk became quiet, only letting his nonchalant gaze linger on Pure Vanilla's face for a minute more before he was back to drifting about the space before him again. 

"A bit of this, a bit of that," he replied, casually, "Though, you should know how much you know, should you not?"

Pure Vanilla's eyes narrowed. "I... guess..."

"Does any of that truly matter, though?" Shadow Milk threw his arms out, straightening himself as he got situated to leave once more, "You've already kicked me out, so what's the point in me explaining myself? I'd have better chances of a wall finding that information useful than you-- who clearly wants nothing more to do with me. Tragic! But, I will take my unjust leave now-"

"Wait," Pure Vanilla cut in, trying to stop Shadow Milk with his hand once more-- the outcome the same as well, "What if we were to make a deal?"

Shadow Milk's face glimmered with intrigue. "Oh? And what kind of deal could you possibly make that I would find any sort of interest in?" 

"A consensus kind," Pure Vanilla explained, "An eye for an eye, as you may call it.

Before Pure Vanilla could even continue, Shadow Milk was sitting upright in the air, legs crossed as he eagerly awaited Pure Vanilla's next words.

"Alright, sure," he waved, "Go on-- tell me what this so-called equal and fair deal you've concocted entails."

From below Pure Vanilla merely smiled up at Shadow Milk. "If you choose to continue to stay here, you no longer will cause any harm-- emotionally nor physically-- to the Gummy bear sister or any other cookie, for that matter of fact."

There was a brief pause, Shadow Milk expectantly raising a brow with a bored expression on his face. "Is that it? Where's the part where I benefit from this deal?"

"In exchange for your compliance," Pure Vanilla continued, "For each day that passes with no trouble, I will answer three questions of yours with one-hundred percent pure honesty."

For a moment, Shadow Milk thought to himself before questioning Pure Vanilla further.

"And how will I know you answer my questions truthfully? You're as prone to lying as any other cookie is, oh-so-high-and-mighty King of Truth."

"Shadow Milk," Pure Vanilla's free hand moved to rest over his own Soul Jam, "Like you've mentioned before, we are connected. For every word I say, you have my complete permission to look within my Soul Jam and see the truth for yourself."

Shadow Milk scoffed, "And what's stopping me from grabbing a hold of my Soul Jam and finding out all of your truth right here and now?"

"What makes you think I'd let you do that?" 

There was a tug at Pure Vanilla's lips when Shadow Milk's head flipped to wildly stare at Pure Vanilla. In full honestly, he'd be lying if talking-- teasing-- Shadow Milk wasn't enjoyable. Perhaps there was a way Shadow Milk could find enjoyment in the constant harassment of the innocent-- not that Pure Vanilla would actively seek out pleasure through those means. 

Shadow Milk's eyes narrowed. "What makes you think I couldn't do that without your permission?"

"Is it a deal, then?" 

Pure Vanilla raised his hand outwards towards Shadow Milk once more, this time, expecting it to be shaken in return. Yet, Shadow Milk still sat there, curiously staring at that open palm as though he were being offered the most strangest bargain he'd ever received in his life. It wasn't until his gaze darted between Pure Vanilla's face, hand, the wall beside them, and then the ceiling before Shadow Milk was running a hand over his face, revealing a twisted grin now plastered across it once his hand lowered. 

Whatever idea had hatched within his brain was more than enough for him, Pure Vanilla supposed, as he was unfolding his legs to lower himself and shake Pure Vanilla's hand with enthusiasm. Surprisingly, Pure Vanilla wasn't moved by this in the slightest; it was second nature to assume Shadow Milk would twist his words around one way or another. Hence the reason he could feel little to no fear, only satisfied joy when the Beast's hand became clasped within his own.

"Deal."

From together, their hands inevitably slipped apart, leaving Pure Vanilla gracefully extended his arm outward, leaving way for Shadow Milk to be guided down the hall.

"Now," Pure Vanilla started, beaming, "Would you care for a tour?" 

Chapter Text

Pure Vanilla knew too much. 

Curiosity killed the cat, you could say. How or why Shadow Milk came to the conclusion to drag himself all the way to the Vanilla Castle was a question he thinks even the Witches couldn't answer. Yet, he was unfortunately here now and, with that deal Pure Vanilla mostly likely prided himself in, he was unfortunately going to be stuck here. For a bit, at least.

Truly a misfortune unlike any other. 

But, he wanted answers-- no, needed answers. From the start, Shadow Milk found Pure Vanilla to be... odd. Very peculiar. Since they met for what Shadow Milk had thought to be the first time at the Silver Tree, Pure Vanilla seemed to say a little too much. Too many words that resonated a little too much within Shadow Milk. For most of the endless nights he spent awaiting Dark Enchantress Cookie to reconnect his soul to a body, the everlasting thought drifted back and forth across his mind.

How could Pure Vanilla know?

How was he able to see through almost all of Shadow Milk's displays with such direct clarity? What was his secret? What was he hiding?

And his little "awakening"-- oh, how that made Shadow Milk's jam boil. Pure Vanilla waltzed into his Spire, his home, his carefully, meticulously, and perfectly crafted plan only to mutter some nonsense about "the past" before blinding Shadow Milk practically out of the one place he felt safe in, offer him a hand, and smile at him as if nothing was wrong with anything that had happened.

Was Shadow Milk the only one who thought that was insane?

Yes, because he is the apparent fool here.

After that, he felt not a shred of remorse for almost razing the Spire to the ground, turning the entire place upside during a day-long fit of rage before he stormed out, leaving everything behind as it shook and swayed, threatening to topple over. Where he went after that? It didn't matter. Far away, somewhere no one who could peel open his mind could reach him. Somewhere quiet where he could be left alone...

Wherever he went clearly wasn't solitary nor quiet enough. Or perhaps it had been too much of both. Whichever way the case went, it had led Shadow Milk to think about the situation too much, giving too much leeway for his mind to obsess over Pure Vanilla's actions. It was when he was about to go deforest a random area because he couldn't wrack his brain around any of it that Shadow Milk realized he'd been given a golden ticket.

Why spend hours of his time boring away over an answer he didn't have when he could go find it out from the source of all his misery directly? Surely, that would be much more convenient than spending hours rotting away in his other realm, searching for something he didn't have.

Another reason for his arrival at the Vanilla Castle: Shadow Milk didn't like not knowing things. Well, more so, he knew everything the world had to offer, yet this was something he-- shockingly-- had no clue about. That fact didn't settle right within him to the point that he decided to act upon it and clear things up for himself. He wouldn't let any other cookie walk around knowing something he didn't-- especially not a thieving, goody two shoes like Pure Vanilla.

Which all could be possible reasons for why he ended up here, why he agreed to Pure Vanilla undeniably skewed against him deal, and why he now sat atop one of the guest bedrooms of the Vanilla Castle. It was all a bunch of nonsense. The Beast of Deceit: manipulated into submission. How far he has fallen...

At least the room wasn't all that bad. Simple, sure. Missing a bit of grandeur, of course. Nothing he couldn't add some flair to. The comfort of the space would work just fine, though only after he would disassemble the dresser to use its wood as a cover for the disgustingly large window in the room. For as long as he will be staying here, he'd be getting enough of the light from the repugnant, luminous cookie he would have the misfortune of seeing everyday. This room would, from that point forward, be a light-free zone.

Much better.

Now, the only problem Shadow Milk has since run into with this deal, and the plan he's made thereafter, was the painstakingly long time it would take for his questions to be answered. He'd only get to ask three after a boringly prolonged day of a whole lotta nothing-- unfavorable at best. But, Shadow Milk knew Pure Vanilla would uphold his end of the deal; he'd make him uphold it and punish him if he so much as twists his words even the slightest bit. So, at least there was promise his efforts would go unwasted. 

What was he to do though? Sit around this dump, waiting for each day to endlessly pass? No, that just wouldn't do! He's spent half his age-old life sitting around waiting. With the chance to be up and about, why not make use of this opportunity. After all, there was another way Shadow Milk could dig up intel. A bit of snooping around or, as he would rather call it, investigating. 

A few warding spells on the door later-- he wouldn't want any busybody cookies trying to gather information on him, only he was allowed to do that-- and Shadow Milk was out and about the halls, flying through corridor after corridor in search of anything interesting. The process took quite a while as anytime one of the pestering castle servants passed, he would have to slip among the shadows and wait till they were out of sight.

Of course, the only exception had been when the little lemon cookie had been daintily wandering about. He made sure to give her a good spook by spinning the hallway around, taking her bouncing around the walls with it. 

Unfortunately, though, the rooms which he entered were little to no use. Board room, meeting room, bedroom, repeat, repeat-- it was a tiring cycle of searching through monotonous rooms one after the other until he was grumbling in frustration. There was one place he knew had to have something of value... But he wasn't quite sure if he was committed to delving that far into his probing yet. 

It was becoming a strong debated option in his mind and, when he was about to begin his search for the room, he just so happened to slink past a couple of maids dusting various relics and overhear their conversation.

"What more is there left to do?" One asked, worn out.

"Not much," another replied, "Just this room, the west wing, and then Pure Vanilla's study."

Shadow Milk stopped halfway across the ceiling. He had a study? Carefully, as to not draw any attention, he slipped down the corners of the room, making his way to the shadows underneath one of the display tables they were working on. 

"Why hadn't we done that when we were near that side of the castle?" A third maid chimed in.

The one who had talked second huffed, taking a pause in her work to put her hands on her hips, "Becauseeee Pure Vanilla had been working in there. We wouldn't want to disrupt him, especially since he's been through enough today. That crazed intruder must have taken a lot of energy to get rid of."

Shadow Milk held himself back from laughing. He just loved how naive all the cookies around here were.

"True," the original maid agreed, "I guess we'll get it on our way back to our quarters."

Much to Shadow Milk's dismay, the cookies all returned back to dutifully working, not sparing another word about the subject. Annoying. They'd hardly given him any clues as to where this "study" is. In fact, all they did was turn him away from the idea. Wherever Pure Vanilla was, Shadow Milk didn't want to be anywhere near. 

Alas, it was the most promising place of interesting besides Pure Vanilla's own chambers and even if Pure Vanilla was in fact still there, Shadow Milk could simply slip under the crack of the door, check and see his glowing excellency, and quickly leave before Pure Vanilla's inutile eyesight could catch a glimpse of him. Not that Pure Vanilla would even tell the shadows were him; his disguise was flawlessly adept.

From what he gathered, the study lied somewhere on the other side of the castle, near the servant's quarters. Helpful. Reallly narrowed it down. Only left, what, about 50 rooms to search instead of a hundred? 

So that was a bit of exaggeration, but it still took Shadow Milk another painstakingly long hour to finally stumble upon a place that looked promising: a large wooden door adorned in a golden frame. It was larger than the rest had been and stood out like a sore thumb. A bit over-the-top for a study, but Shadow Milk supposed it was Pure Vanilla-- his priorities were all over the place. 

Under the door, Shadow Milk slipped into the room, sticking near the entrance as he observed its contents. It sure was a study, with books and papers scattered haphazardly all over the place. Originally, Shadow Milk hadn't plagued Pure Vanilla to be the scatter brained type; he expected his work habits to be more consistent. Interesting, but not exactly the information he wanted.

Another thing to note was the absence of Pure Vanilla himself-- a thing Shadow Milk felt so relieved about, he unmerged himself from the shadows, reverting back to his original form. His investigation would go much smoother if he had usable hands. Where Pure Vanilla had run off too-- who cares! The study was clear free of any trouble, making way for Shadow Milk's digging to begin.

Where to start was the better question to be asking. He supposed the most recent items on the desk would be a strong start. At least, it promised modern information where the shelves hinted at more generic records. The pile of studies on the desk itself took that strong start back a few notches as an eternity passed before Shadow Milk made any leeway on what to search through first. Minutes passed before he finally came across a logbook of the week's events and upcoming affairs-- jackpot. 

Any opportunity Shadow Milk would have to interfere with the Vanilla Kingdom affairs would be the perfect recipe for this nightmare of an agreement to somehow benefit him. Knowing what would happen before hand would give him time to plan out a meticulously and dastardly crafty path for his deceit to make its way back into Pure Vanilla's life. The greater the effect he has on Pure Vanilla, the easier it will be to take back his Soul Jam.

But once Shadow Milk started reading through the pages, passing by note after note of the painfully dull arrangements that already occurred earlier in the week, Shadow Milk became giddy as he reached the current day's page only to stop short when the text that had been written had been erased. Shadow Milk squinted at the page, trying to make out the faded letter when a voice behind him caught him completely off guard.

"Looking for something?"

The book was snapped shut in an instant, hastily tucked away into Shadow Milk's other realm-- a slight of the hand to make it disappear without the portal being noticed. He swiveled around, eyes landing on the small little cookie standing in the doorway with her arms folded. The anxiousness of the surprise was immediately washed away by this revelation, Shadow Milk's body untensing as he tilted his head innocently.

"Not at all," Shadow Milk replied, inadvertently, "I'm simply familiarizing myself with the place. If I'm to be staying here, I might as well know my way around, don't ya think? Now, I'd like to get back to it, alone, so why don't you run along back to your corner of the castle, little maid."

Shadow Milk had floated closer to the cookie, shooing her off with a wave of his hand. Unbothered, the green themed cookie merely stared back up at him, ever so slightly rolling her eyes with an inward grumble.

"My name is Sour Apple Gummy Cookie," she huffed, "And I don't think 'familiarizing' yourself with the castle involves snooping through Pure Vanilla's private study."

"Private study?" Shadow Milk gaped, pretending to act clueless, "Ah, but, Pure Vanilla said I was free to explore any room as I pleased. I hadn't known this was not included in that statement..."

"Please, I'm not stupid," Sour Apple Gummy said in response, "My sisters may be fooled by you, but I know what you are. You're a Beast-- more specifically, the Beast of Deceit. Plenty a reason not to trust anything you say."

Shadow Milks plastered smile faded fast, feet dropping to the floor as he inched over the smaller, weaker cookie. 

"Is that so? What a smart little cookie you are," he remarked, "So then tell me: are you going to go run off and tattle on me to Pure Vanilla Cookie?"

"Maybe," she shrugged, "He already doesn't trust you, though, so I don't know if it will really do me any good."

Shadow Milk let out a short laugh at this, leaning back to cross his arms over his chest. "I take back my statement from before-- you're nothing but another mindlessly blind idiot. I hate to break it to you, but I have Pure Vanilla wrapped tightly around my finger. He has nothing but trust in me."

"Psh," Sour Apple Gummy laughed back, "You seriously think that?"

"I know that."

"So, you also know then that Pure Vanilla Cookie told us to keep your presence here a secret?"

Shadow Milk paused. "...Excuse me?"

"Once you were done getting a tour of the place, Pure Vanilla came to the maid's quarters to tell all of us servants to not tell a soul you were a guest here. Sounds like blatant distrust if you ask me. Though, why he wants to keep you here yet not tell anyone is beside me..."

There was a twitch at the back of Shadow Milk's mind. Something that almost had the corners of his mouth pulling downward. Yet, he kept his expression still, stare still boring into the cookie below him.

"Pure Vanilla's trying to keep me a secret, huh?" he repeated. 

"I'd consider returning to your room and to stop sniffing around if I were you," Sour Apple Gummy warned, turning to leave.

"Is that a threat?" Shadow Milk matched the step she took out the door.

"No, it's a wise suggestion. Once again, I don't know why Pure Vanilla doesn't want people to know about you, but it doesn't take a genius to realize nothing good would come out of people knowing you're staying here."

Sour Apple Gummy gave Shadow Milk one last look over, glancing past him and at the stack of shuffled through papers on the desk.

"Oh and, if you decide to stay here anyways, make sure to put everything back to the way it was. Pure Vanilla doesn't like when his stuff is messed with."

The... audacity. To, not only claim she knew who he was, but then proceed to threaten him? She had a death wish-- the only probable solution. It was still his first day in the castle, yet all the little Gummy cookies knew their places. How come she thought she were an exception? He could crumble her in seconds! 

Whatever. He'd deal with her later. 

This study had proven worthless, besides the logbook, which he had possession of, so there was no need to stick around any longer. Shadow Milk was one foot out the door, though, when he looked back at the semi-tidy desk. 

It took only the twist of his cane to flip the entire piece upside down, sending papers flying into the air everywhere. 

Where was he off to next? Well, there really was only one spot left to search. In all honesty, the thought of searching around it brought Shadow Milk heinous joy. Who else would get such an opportunity? To see inside the king's own private chambers. What secrets could possibly be inside? What did the perfect, truthful, and honest ruler who sat so high and mighty on his throne keep lurking around out of view?

With all the other lackluster rooms around, it better be something worthwhile.

When it came to finding it, Shadow Milk began relapsing his investigation. All the doors looked the same. Every single one. Brown door, brown door, brown door, ooo a yellow one, brown door-- wait. Shadow Milk hovered back a few feet, stopping dead in front of it. Promising. Hmm...

He gently turned the handle, carefully pushing the door open until he realized he was no longer disguised. If Pure Vanilla was inside... 

Shadow Milk burst into the room, opening his mouth to announce his entrance when he noticed the absence of a certain cookie. He scanned over the room, taking in his surroundings. It was so... boring! Just as boring as the rest of the place. Blank walls, neat bookshelves, a clear desk-- where were the points of interest?

A point of interest... how about the lump of blond hair piled in a mess of sheets on the bed? Shadow Milk approached its edge, standing over Pure Vanilla, who slept as though he had just fought a thousand year long war. His arm was thrown over his head haphazardly and all the blankets layered over top of him were scrunched up. And that hair... Shadow Milk almost laughed out loud.

What a sight. Well worth the investigating.

"Vanilllyyy..." Shadow Milk cooed, leaning over top Pure Vanilla's face, "Wakey wakey..."

He gave his cheek a poke, earning a disgruntled groan as Pure Vanilla turned his face the other way. What a sight indeed...

"Wake up!" Shadow Milk threw an arm out, sending the mass of blankets flying off of Pure Vanilla to be strewn across the room. Yet, the sleeping cookie remained undisturbed, laying just as still as he'd been.

Shadow Milk moved to throw something else, pull him onto the floor or some other form of harassment when Pure Vanilla shifted, wiped at his eyes, and turned back to face Shadow Milk before yawning.

"Hello, Shadow Milk Cookie," Pure Vanilla greeted with a smile. 

"You're so old now you need afternoon naps?" Shadow Milk teased.

Pure Vanilla hummed, pulling himself upright. "Not every day. But, recently, I've found myself to be quite tired."

"So you thought leaving me alone in your castle with no supervision to take a nap was a good idea?"

"Did you do anything while I was asleep?"

"Oh, I did sooo much," Shadow Milk remarked, "After all, there's much to fix. Have you noticed how lackluster your abode is? If people knew how uneventful this place is, they wouldn't think so highly of it anymore."

"What exactly did you do?" Pure Vanilla asked with his head tilted.

"You know," Shadow Milk shrugged, sitting down on the edge of the bed with his legs crossed, "A bit of refurbishing here, some light reading there, nothing worth worrying over."

"That's alri-"

"Oh, but there was that one thing..." Shadow Milk squinted off in the distance, "Who knows where that went. Oh well! I'm sure you'll find it someday."

Pure Vanilla frowned, raising a brow. "What will I find?"

"Ah, don't worry about it."

There was a beat of silence before Pure Vanilla laid back down with a smile, "I guess I'll find it someday..."

One of Shadow Milk's eyes twitched. "Are you seriously going back to sleep?"

"Maybe," Pure Vanilla shrugged, "It is getting late and I already finished all my work."

Against the mattress, Shadow Milk rolled his fingers, partially gritting his teeth. "Really? There isn't something you might be forgetting...?"

Pure Vanilla thought to himself for a second before shaking his head. "I don't think so."

"Are you surreee?" Shadow Milk leaned over Pure Vanilla, batting his eyes.

Another second of thinking. "Yep."

Shadow Milk's lip curled as he rolled his eyes. He should just snatch Pure Vanilla's Soul Jam here and now rather than deal with his annoying stubbornness cause if this little act of his continues, Shadow Milk won't feel bad if he ends up taking over the castle and kicking Pure Vanilla to the streets.

He didn't say anything more, sitting there with his arms folded. With no response, Pure Vanilla continued to lay there, eyes shut. They sat there, neither saying a word, until Shadow Milk could've sworn he heard a snore and snapped.

"The questions!?" he growled, "Helllooo? The whole reason I'm still here in this miserable place?!"

From his place on the bed, Pure Vanilla turned his head to the side, responding as plain and simple as he could. "The questions? We'll start those tomorrow."

"Excuse me," Shadow Milk deadpanned.

"I can't count today; you've already caused problems with the Gummy sisters earlier. So, if you don't do anything troublesome tomorrow, I'll answer your three questions over dinner."

Shadow Milk blinked. And he was supposed to be the cookie of deceit...

He scoffed, shooting himself upright off the bed. "How wonderful! Just great. Thank you for telling me I've wasted my time here. I'll be taking my leave now."

Pure Vanilla finally sat up, "You're leaving?"

"Why should I stay if I am to be played with? Some measly questions aren't worth my time at that point."

"I'll answer them," Pure Vanilla rushed to persuade, scooting to the edge of the bed as Shadow Milk got closer to the door, "I promise I will. That is the deal we made."

"Please," Shadow Milk replied, "If you're going to twist your words, don't expect me to stick around."

"I'm sorry," Pure Vanilla apologized, "But the deal was-"

"I know what the deal is," Shadow Milk cut off, "And I know my value as someone who doesn't deal with annoying pests such as yourself. You can keep your silly answers. I'll figure them out without the help of a hollow agreement."

"Don't leave," Pure Vanilla pleaded, "I promise I'll answer them. All of them, everyday."

Shadow Milk glared back at the cookie over his shoulder. He sure was cute when he was desperate. Too bad Shadow Milk hadn't the patience to deal with his staunch authority. 

"Sure you will," he muttered, swinging the door open, "If I'm here tomorrow, so be it. But don't expect me to stay here any longer than I need to."

Out the door he left before he could even get a reply from Pure Vanilla. Let him go back to his little nap. It's clearly more important than his guest who was visibly losing his patience. But Shadow Milk thought, even if he may end up snapping Pure Vanilla in half by the end of this, digging around by himself would be also if not more frustratingly tiring than dealing with Pure Vanilla's ridiculous standards. 

At the end of the day, he could always just float about his other realm until the time comes for his questions to be answered. But there was so much potential waiting for him within this opportunity. Why would he waste his days when there was more investigating to be done? 

Of course, there was a hiccup in that idea: he couldn't do much himself due to the deal. That limited him in where he could go, what he could do, and basically trapped him in the castle. On his walk back to his room, he thought on this conflict deeply. There had to be a plot hole, a sliver of an idea that may prove to be worthwhile. Something that will enable him to behave while still carrying on with his normal antics.

An idea struck him. Cold, plain, and simple. Yet, it was such a strong idea Shadow Milk knew had no flaws to it, he wondered how he hadn't thought of it sooner. 

From his pocket, he pulled out a small, drawstring bag, no bigger than an orange. After undoing its ties, he flipped the bag over, giving it a quick shake for the two clear bouncy balls inside to fall out with a handful of playing jacks. They bounced across the ground, threatening to hop, skip, and jump away. Tossing the bag behind him, Shadow Milk dropped to the ground, catching the two balls before they had the chance to roll down the hall.

Jacks. A simple game in premise. Bounce the ball, pick up jacks. A child could play it with precision and accuracy. Throwing the ball with a purple streak across it, Shadow Milk would bounce the ball, grab a handful of jacks, and continue until all the jacks were picked up. Then, with a careless toss, the ball was thrown a few feet in front of him, bouncing twice before turning into a glowing orb which morphed and stretched until one of his loyal minions was standing before him in a deep bow.

"Master Shadow Milk Cookie," Black Sapphire greeted, "I am at your service."

Shadow Milk merely grinned, returning the jacks back to the ground as he played the game once more with the other ball, sending it flying the few feet ahead for it too to have a magical transformation. Out of the glowing form appeared Candy Apple Cookie, who, upon blinking her eyes open to see her master, shrieked merrily.

"Master Shadow Milk Cookie~!!" She shrilled, giddily bringing her closed fist up near her face.

Shadow Milk rose from the ground, the jacks being tossed in the air till they poofed out of existence. "Hello, my faithful servants."

"What are your commands, Master?" Black Sapphire asked, now standing upright.

"Whatever deceitful trickery you have conjured, we will gladly execute your plans, Master~!" 

As Candy Apple spoke, Black Sapphire took the time to take in their surroundings, brow perking when he realized where they were.

"Is this the Vanilla Castle?" he wondered out loud, not exactly expecting an answer.

"It is," Shadow Milk confirmed, "And, unfortunately, I cannot leave for the time being."

"What?!" Candy Apple exclaimed, eyes going wide, "You can leave any where whenever you want!"

"Don't get it twisted," Shadow Milk quickly snapped, "This is by choice. I'm in the process of performing my greatest act yet. But, I'm currently confined to the castle's walls. Which is why I need you two to go out and find some information for me."

"Whatever you need us to do, Master," Candy Apple eagerly replied. 

"Put on disguises," Shadow Milk commanded, "New ones. Ones Pure Vanilla Cookie wont recognize. Head out into the city and search around for anything useful. Rumors, history-- anything worth noting and everything about Pure Vanilla. Report it all back to me."

"Yes, Master," both cookies replied.

Shadow Milk dutifully nodded, waving a hand in their direction. "Off now. The sooner I find what I'm looking for, the sooner I can leave this torturous place."

"Yes, Master!" 

As quick as they came, the two were gone, off to make their new disguises. He had faith in them. As much time as he spent loathing their persistent servitude-- well, it was really just Candy Apple over enthusiasm that made him roll his eyes-- his followers were competent. After all, he wouldn't keep them around if they weren't. They'd get the job done without being discovered. All he had to do now was wait.

Wait. Sit in his bleached guest room and wait. Staring mindlessly at the white ceiling above him and the white bed drapes, and the cream comforter beneath him, and the white walls surrounding him...

A blast, an explosion, simple and controlled, covered the room in blue and black, and cold, dark shadows.

Much better. 

Chapter Text

Sleeping was annoying, which is why Shadow Milk opted to not do it.

Sure, it was the easiest way to spend 24 hours in a place he could have no fun, but most of the time it ended with him sleeping for too long or too little. It was uncontrollable; Shadow Milk didn't like not having control over something. 

So, rather than that, he rested on his redone guest bed for a few hours-- until nighttime-- before he reluctantly slipped away into his other realm. Time seemed to move faster there. He could spend what felt like a half hour only for half a day to have passed in the real world. Not to mention, devoid of any light, Shadow Milk found great comfort within it. Why spend his time in that stuffy castle when this paradise was so easily accessible and ready for him?

Of course, the time would've passed by much, much easier if, stately put, he wasn't so impatient. Never in his life has he ever worked on another person's time. If he wanted something, he simply got it himself, no matter how challenging it was. Waiting around for someone to come around-- obeying someone else's command-- it went against every principle he based himself upon.

It was all for Pure Vanilla as well. How disgusting. 

When mid-afternoon came about, Shadow Milk finally caved. Idly floating about the dark, as pleasing as it was, became just as boring as everything else. After giving up on the whole "wait it out" plan, he was thinking about what else he could do to pass the time when he remembered the item he had picked up the day prior.

The logbook. 

Shadow Milk drifted across his other realm until he floated upon the book, snatching it from mid-air. He quickly flipped through the pages, returning to the page he left off. Today. Or, well, yesterday. The words that had been erased were so faint, Shadow Milk was squinting to try and make out what they said, holding the page up, turning it this way and that to try and see what it was Pure Vanilla could've possibly erased. Yet, it had been so thoroughly discarded of, Shadow Milk couldn't tell what a single word was.

The oddest part about the book, though, was the fact that it wasn't just that one day which had been erased. The days following too had faded letters, this pattern continuing for a week until it stopped. The rest of the days had nothing there to begin with. It was all just a bit too strange to ignore. Even though Shadow Milk tossed it back into the void, he would keep the thought around in the back of his mind. Evidence of Pure Vanilla's abnormal behavior. It would probably be useful at some point, especially considering the text was only erased for days following his arrival.

With that having proved to do nothing in regard to killing time, Shadow Milk supposed his next best form of entertainment would be finding Pure Vanilla. There may be a chance he's able to convince him to answer the questions earlier than dinner-- a promising option when compared to floating around for another couple hours. Candy Apple and Black Sapphire-- his other current available topic of interest-- have yet to return, giving him practically nothing else to focus on.

The one problem with that plan-- where exactly was Pure Vanilla? As he learned yesterday, the castle was a mess of similarity that was such a pain to navigate through, he'd rather call Pure Vanilla's name out until the cookie came to him instead. That wouldn't need to happen, though. A perk of Shadow Milk's masterly crafted plan for the cookie of truth that he's tirelessly been working on since the dawn of time was that lovely trick up his sleeve to locate Pure Vanilla easily. 

That was, of course, if he had his staff with him, but when didn't that blind fool not have his walking cane?

A quick glance through the eye took Shadow Milk outside of the castle, past the palace grounds, and to a small farm, not too far away. Hardly a difficult trip, taking Shadow Milk all but a second to hop from one place to another, putting himself an inch away from the side of Pure Vanilla's face.

"Whatcha up to?"

Pure Vanilla startled, pulling away from him for only a split second before reverting back to his original position with a greeting smile.

"Good morning, Shadow Milk," he replied, "How did you sleep?"

"Morning?" Shadow Milk perked a brow, "It's the middle of the day."

"But you just woke up, did you not?" Pure Vanilla raised an eyebrow back.

Shadow Milk huffed, "Please. Sleep? Here? I'm not as naive as you think I am."

Pure Vanilla slightly frowned. "Are you not comfortable?"

"Why would I ever find comfort in this horribly bright place?"

Pure Vanilla frowned even more. "I'd hope for the duration of your stay you treat the Vanilla Castle as your own home. Is there anything I can do to make you feel more at peace here?"

Shadow Milk hummed, drifting around till he was face Pure Vanilla head on. "Like I've said before, there is much room for improvement in regard to your sense of interior design. Unfortunately, it would take far too long to fix everything wrong with the place."

"Well," Pure Vanilla started, "If there's anything you wish to do that does not do too much permanent damage... I'm fine with how you choose to adjust yourself. What's mine is yours, after all."

An eerie wash of potential mischief came across Shadow Milk's face. "Watch what you say. You may end up regretting your words down the road."

"I stand by what I say."

Shadow Milk humphed, crossing his arms as he finally took in the scene around them. That's when the stench of the area wafted over him and he heard the jangle of multiple bells approaching. 

"Baaaah!"

Down his eyes diverted to find a flock of cream sheep trotting their way over, huddling beneath Shadow Milk, who tightly pulled his knees to his chest. Ugh. The cream sheep.

"Hello, my dears," Pure Vanilla greeted, kneeling down as the sheep surrounded him. Each beckoned Pure Vanilla to scratch their heads, toppling over one another just to reach the cookie, "Yes, yes. It's good to see you all as well."

Shadow Milk groaned, distancing himself from the herd. This was by far the worst hobby of Pure Vanilla's. He couldn't understand how a cookie could be so infatuated by such mindless, stinky creatures. What benefits were there to keeping them alive? All they did was waste supplies and take up valuable farmland. Not to mention, Pure Vanilla wouldn't just tend to them-- no. He would spend hours at a time in the field, running amok rain or shine.

He'd just about had it with the smell, turning to leave Pure Vanilla to his useless little sheep when there was a bleat from directly below.

"Looks like you have a friend."

The only sheep not rushing to Pure Vanilla's side stood underneath Shadow Milk, looking innocently upward with expectancy riddled in its eyes. Instinctively, Shadow Milk recoiled, curling his lip in disgust.

"No thanks," he snarled, pulling further away from the sheep.

"Why not?" Pure Vanilla tilted his head, "Lala is a great companion. She's very sweet and she already seems to have a liking for you."

"And never be able to wash the stench of cattle off of me again? Yeah, no. Thanks."

Though, no matter how much distance Shadow Milk put between himself and Lala, the sheep was quick to fill the gap, chasing Shadow Milk around as they looped in circles. A grumble escaped the Beast's throat when he heard Pure Vanilla chuckle, and he considered turning the little lamb into a nice roast to see how funny Pure Vanilla found that. He supposed, though, that would not favor the deal kindly, so instead he gave up, choosing to float directly above Pure Vanilla instead. 

"How much longer are you going to wallow in their filth?" He asked, dangling his head upside down in order to look at Pure Vanilla.

"Why do you ask? Is there something you need me for?"

Shadow Milk paused, mouth partially agape. Why had he been looking for him, again?

"My answers," Shadow Milk replied, simply put, "The sooner I get them, the better things are for both of us."

"I believe I already told you you'd get them during dinner, though?" 

Snarky. How irritable. One of these days he's going to put that cookie in his place.

"Why not have dinner early, then?" Shadow Milk suggested, "You're feeling a bit famished by now, aren't you?"

"Not really."

That day would be today.

Shadow Milk moved to snap back, retort with his own annoying remark, yet Pure Vanilla continued.

"But, since you're wanting to my attention," Pure Vanilla rose off the ground, wiping strands of grass of his robe, "There is something you can help me with."

Shadow Milk huffed out a laugh, giving Pure Vanilla space. "And why would I help you with anything?"

"Because you have nothing better to do."

Definitely today.

Yet, he wasn't exactly far from the truth. And anything would certainly be better than being around these filthy cretins for a minute longer. So, Shadow Milk merely poked his chin out, reluctantly following Pure Vanilla as they made their way back up to the castle.

Amidst their walk, Shadow Milk suggest he simply open a portal to wherever it is there are going, but Pure Vanilla shook his head. Apparently, Pure Vanilla no longer-- probably never-- feels fondly towards entering any form of Shadow Milk's magic. A tragedy, at best, as now they had to travel all the way into the castle and through the corridors together on foot. 

Well, Shadow Milk was flying the whole time, but the point still stands.

Ironically enough, the further along they went, the larger the sense of Deja Vu grew within Shadow Milk. Although the halls were all the same and an absolute disaster to navigate, these white and cream walls were looking a little too familiar and when Pure Vanilla was opening the grand, gold framed door, Shadow Milk was internally grumbling to himself.

Of course he'd end back up at the study.

"The study...?" he instinctively asked out loud. 

"It seems you've already been here," Pure Vanilla replied, holding the door open for Shadow Milk to float through.

"I've already been everywhere," Shadow Milk retorted, "And I've already seen this mess of a room more than I'd like to."

Pure Vanilla walked over to the desk, starting to idly shuffle and move around some of the books. Turns out he's already come in here and fixed the storm of papers Shadow Milk threw everywhere-- unfortunate-- having stacked them all back up a little more neatly than they had been originally. 

"You're more than welcome to leave, then," Pure Vanilla stated, "But I'd like to do some spring cleaning in here today."

Shadow Milk audibly groaned, rolling his eyes. "You dragged me here to clean? Spring has hardly begun."

"Once again, you may leave if you'd like."

A pause, Shadow Milk drifting lazily in the air.

"And leave you alone?" He finally replied, "Where's the fun in that? You're the only form of entertainment left for me around here."

Though turned away, Shadow Milk could sense the trace of a smile cracking on Pure Vanilla's lips. Annoying, but Shadow Milk really couldn't leave, not with Pure Vanilla up and about. Besides, where else was there to go? Back to his dungeon? He was a free spirit who couldn't be contained-- free to move about as he pleased. No half-blind fool was going to deter him from getting answers. And who knows? Maybe the more time he spends around Pure Vanilla, the more the cookie will naturally open up about facts and information. 

Or, in other words, Shadow Milk will slowly crack Pure Vanilla apart until he's confessing to things without even knowing. What a masterly deceitful plan.

A troubled hum came from Pure Vanilla, prompting Shadow Milk's attention to return to him.

"I could've sworn I put it here..." he mumbled just loud enough for Shadow Milk to hear.

"What are you looking..." Shadow Milk began to curiously ask only for his voice to trail off in subtle realization. 

Oh, the logbook. He hadn't return that yet, had he?

"My calendar," Pure Vanilla meagerly replied, still trying to search through the stacks, "I couldn't find it when I came in here earlier and it's still missing. Though, I remember placing it here..."

Shadow Milk bit his lip. Distract him. Distract him enough so he forgets it even existed.

"Knowing you," Shadow Milk quipped, "You probably lost it in the same place you lost your mind. Now, come on. I'm not offering my services all day long, so if you want my help, then let's get to it already."

Pure Vanilla perked. Seems to have worked.

"You'll really help?" he asked, head swiveling around to face Shadow Milk. The latter replied by looking in the opposite direction, waving his hand dismissively. 

"Yes, yes. But don't expect me to agree to your every beck and command. It just so happens my previous arrangements were cancelled and I truly have nothing better to do."

"I don't expect you to."

Of course, he wasn't actually going to help. In fact, his plans were quite the opposite. Every chance he gets to somehow make Pure Vanilla life that more miserable, he'll take. He's come close to breaking him once before, he can surely do it for real this time. After all, his options were limitless in the home of the cookie. Tilting paintings slightly askew, moving back clocks to read the wrong time-- he'd make Pure Vanilla regret ever inviting him here in the first place. 

When Pure Vanilla began his cleaning, sorting, and organization, Shadow Milk was oh-so eager to help. And help he did! By keeping close watch to make sure none of the books "accidentally" fell onto his head. A noble job for a heroic cookie! It was a matter of pure coincidence that every time a book did fall onto Pure Vanilla, Shadow Milk just so happened to be turned the other way. 

Shadow Milk helped in other ways too. Once Pure Vanilla would reshelve one part of the bookcase, Shadow Milk made sure to correct any errors Pure Vanilla made, switching Willow to come before Wallow and Bell to follow Burrow. Whenever Pure Vanilla would tuck a book too tightly into its spot, Shadow Milk was there to loosen it, making it stick out over the edge it was resting on. 

How considerate of him! Though, it was all in a day's work of being Pure Vanilla's biggest regret.

Rudely enough, Pure Vanilla never thanked him once for his efforts. In fact, he never even acknowledged Shadow Milk help at all, merely continuing about with his work until he was onto one of the last bookshelves. Although, he did maintain a constant stream of conversation that picked up when Shadow Milk had idly read a title out loud, "A History Unlike any Other: The Dark Flour War"-- a subject he's yet to hear word of.

It seems when you're sealed away in a tree for hundreds upon hundreds of years, you miss out on thrilling, age-old wars against the people you wish had never been baked to begin with. 

But Pure Vanilla graciously told him every detail of the battle and the events that occurred thereafter, turning their spring-cleaning event into something more resembling of a history lesson. Not that Shadow Milk was complaining; he was the first person ever-so kind enough to fill him in on the millennia of lore no one else cared to mention. 

Upon reminding Pure Vanilla of his lack of knowledge on such things, the cookie proceeded to continue with his pity-shedding act that sickened Shadow Milk. So he was sealed away against his own will. Big deal-- old news! Move on and stop giving him that look every time he complained; it took the fun out of whining. 

"I'm sorry you had to go through that," he would say, earning an overly dramatic sigh from Shadow Milk.

"Enough with that already," he said, "I already told you I don't need pity-- certainly not from you."

"I cannot help but feel remorseful, though," Pure Vanilla replied, holding the book in his hands tightly. Beside him, now only a few feet away, Shadow Milk rolled his eyes. Here they go again...

"That never should've happened. No one, not even a Beast, deserves such treatment."

A Beast, hm? 

"You deserve better-"

"That's enough," Shadow Milk stopped him, bitterly, "I don't care about what you think to be right and I certainly don't care about anything you, a cookie with no grounds to stand on, feel."

"But, Shadow Milk," Pure Vanilla started, "I felt it. All that pain and suffering-- I felt it. If anyone can speak on your behalf..."

A hand Shadow Milk hadn't seen reached out and, when he did notice it approaching, it was too little too late. Pure Vanilla's fingertips were grazing across the surface of Shadow Milk's Soul Jam once again. Before he could do anything about it, the onset of sparks came shooting across Shadow Milk's dough. Everything became warm-- so disgustingly warm that Shadow Milk twitched, gritting his teeth as he snatched a hold of Pure Vanilla's wrist, bending it so far back he hoped it would snap.

"You know absolutely nothing," Shadow Milk spat out, "So quit acting like you do. You felt nothing. You are nothing. Know your place."

In the blink of an eye, Shadow Milk was outside of the room, having left it with one final, Earthbread-shaking surge of magic which most certainly has left Pure Vanilla's precious little study in utter disarray. Perhaps that might finally get it into Pure Vanilla's head that he doesn't know as much as he thinks. Knowing him, though, he'll be back at it tomorrow with that stupid grin of his.

The next time Pure Vanilla pulls this stunt again, Shadow Milk swore to himself he would leave the castle for good. It made him furious. Enraged. How could he even begin to know what years of suffering felt like? Mindless, empty, numbing, unexplained solitude away from everything and everyone you thought respected and cherished you.

He couldn't understand. He'd never understand. 

Shadow Milk should just take his Soul Jam and leave. Forget Pure Vanilla and his strange abundance of knowledge. Forget all of it! Forget this castle, forget the Gummy sisters, forget knowledge, and forget Pure Vanilla and his stupid, stupid smile! 

On the edge of a random balcony, Shadow Milk was about to take off, fly away to who knows where and pretend like none of this ever happened when he stopped himself. Oh, the drive of curiosity, how deep you plunge your stake. Opportunity outshone his anger; it wasn't before long that Shadow Milk was back inside the palace, soaring about once more-- this time on a mission.

Surely, he reassured himself, it would be a waste to leave now. Besides, a few more scares and Pure Vanilla will be trembling to even speak his name. He simply needs to be reminded who it is he's dealing with.

A Beast, as he said himself. A horrifying Beast.

With Pure Vanilla in the study, this was an ample chance for Shadow Milk to resume his solo investigation. Upon approaching the room, Shadow Milk barging into Pure Vanilla's private chambers without a second of hesitation, immediately beginning his search--

Ah, but of course, after he barricaded the door with a dresser he personified with arms and legs-- A loyal guard dog that would never betray him. He wouldn't want any pesky cookies to interrupt him again, after all.

Turning to face the room, he started at the nightstand. If Pure Vanilla were to keep secrets, why not keep them close when at his most vulnerable moment? Yet, even after checking underneath the drawers, running his hand across every surface inside, his search came up dry. No boxes, no hidden compartments...

He moved on to the next set of drawers, dug through there-- nothing. Hm. Next drawers... nothing... all the papers on his desk, under the bed, in the closet... By the end of all his digging, Shadow Milk found himself surrounded by stacks of books he pulled off a shelf, not a single one containing anything of interest. After what had felt like hours passing, he was becoming increasingly frustrated, wondering how such a peculiar cookie could have no secrets. 

"If you tell me what you're looking for, I can help you find it."

Shadow Milk hadn't even heard the door open, being startled by the sudden appearance of Pure Vanilla standing before him. Which was strange considering his pet should've been keeping watch... Looking past him, the dresser was compliantly moved to the side, sitting subdued back in its original place. Pure Vanilla must've taken notice to Shadow Milk's distraught look of betrayal as he started to explain.

"I only asked it to move and it did. Nothing else."

Stupid mutt. Shadow Milk snapped, stripping it of its cookie qualities before stripping it bare of its stain. 

"What are you looking for?" Pure Vanilla asked again, an innocent tilt in his head. He was visibly trying his best to not pay attention to the inanimate murder that just happened behind him. Shadow Milk wouldn't be surprised if he had already become fond of the thing.

"None of your business," Shadow Milk grumbled, pulling himself up off the ground. Like he would let Pure Vanilla tower over him. Out of annoyance, or just sheer theatrics, Shadow Milk trudged his way over to Pure Vanilla's bed. Flopping down, he sprawled his arms and legs out starfish-style, making sure that there was no room for Pure Vanilla. That's when he noticed something.

Shadow Milk gasped with a tone of exaggerated disbelief, "How dare you keep the comfiest bed all to yourself? Your guests are sleeping on bricks while you're over here resting on a cloud!"

"Apologies," Shadow Milk heard Pure Vanilla shifting, clothes rustling, "I didn't know the guests' beds were that uncomfortable. You're more than welcome to sleep here from now on, if you'd prefer."

"And where will you go...?" Shadow Milk asked, turning his head to find Pure Vanilla now standing near the edge of the bed, outer layer of clothes being stripped off, leaving him in only a plain white robe.

"Well, I don't particularly enjoy sleeping in a bed that's not my own," Pure Vanilla replied, "So, may you please scoot over just a bit?"

Shadow Milk laughed once, shifting his face back into the pillows, "Hah! You wish..."

Despite saying that, Pure Vanilla was insistent on getting into bed, sitting in the crammed open space left between Shadow Milk's extended limbs. That action alone was enough to have Shadow Milk rolling over, huddling off on one side of the bed with his arms crossed. Too close. Yuck.

"Thank you," Pure Vanilla softly mumbled, getting himself situated under the covers.

Was it even that late? It could hardly be anything past dusk, the light having only set not too long ago. Yet again, who knows how long Shadow Milk had been frantically scouring the place. If you asked him, it had been well over a day's worth of work. Even if it were early still, it wasn't exactly too shocking to see Pure Vanilla calling it a day already, now that Shadow Milk thought about it. He's been seemingly exhausted, having noticeable under eye bags-- not to mention his sluggish comportment. 

Something he's noticed about Pure Vanilla: the cookie can't keep up with himself to save his life. Overworked and worn out is all Shadow Milk sees in him now, a stark contrast from his vivacious attitude Shadow Milk observed of him in the past. Interesting. 

"Are you going to ask?"

Shadow Milk flipped his head to face Pure Vanilla, raising a brow. "Ask what?"

"Your questions," Pure Vanilla replied, blankly.

How funny. Shadow Milk scoffed, rolling his eyes. Now he was eager to answer them?

"I thought you said I would get them at dinner," Shadow Milk said, snarky, "Considering you, I assumed I had to be present in order to receive them."

"It would've been nice to share a meal with you," Pure Vanilla stated, "But I am the one to blame for your absence. Though, even if I wasn't, I'd still answer your questions. Dinner was not explicitly part of the deal."

Well, at least he was honest in acknowledging his carelessness.

Shadow Milk lingered on the thought, looking up towards the ceiling as the words mulled over his tongue. 

"You'll answer anything?"

"Anything."

Right. That's why he was still here: this deal is too good to be true. Which is why Shadow Milk has to think about what it is he asks carefully. If he's not specific enough, Pure Vanilla would be able to twist his words and not give the answer he's looking for. He also has to be careful about what information he lets on to knowing. After all, if he were to ask something too specific right off the bat, Pure Vanilla would become suspicious of his motives. That would not be ideal.

Of course, he should be suspicious of Shadow Milk's appearance in the first place, but who cares. Pure Vanilla's so blinded by the light of friendship, or glory, or whatever the reason for inviting Shadow Milk over is to see anything besides cordial compliance. 

There was a lot of room to slip up. He would have to play it safe, at least, for the first couple of rounds. 

"What would it take for you to hand the Vanilla Kingdom over to me?" Shadow Milk eventually asked. Simple. Straight forward.

A small huff came from beside him. "That will never happen. Although I don't think you would be a particularly bad ruler, the Vanilla Kingdom is very dear to me. I enjoy my role in keeping after it."

Shadow Milk peered at Pure Vanilla out of the corner of his eye, "So you'd give it to me if it weren't so precious to you? Are you not terrified of what I would do?"

"No, not really."

"You should be," Shadow Milk narrowed his eyes, "I would make all your silly civilians' lives a living nightmare."

"I'm sure you would," Pure Vanilla said, "Now, for your final question?"

Shadow Milk sat up, staring down at Pure Vanilla. "Final question? Don't tell me you're seriously counting my previous statement as a question."

"Technically, you've asked 3 so far, but I'll count two of them as one."

That... little..

Shadow Milk knew Pure Vanilla would do this. How could he ever trust the other cookie of deceit? It was in his nature to lie-- Shadow Milk saw it coming from a mile away.

With a growl, Shadow Milk fell back down, wanting nothing more than to push Pure Vanilla off the bed and tell him to take his answers and get lost. Yet, he complied. If this is how Pure Vanilla was going to be, then let the foul play begin. Though, concocting a plan brilliant enough to make Pure Vanilla regret his actions in a single night would take some thinking. Shadow Milk would have to let the cookie's crooked actions slip by for the time being.

A moment of silence passed as Shadow Milk took some time to consider his final question. There was an abundance of things he wanted to ask, all racing about his mind, but all of them became hushed in an instant when a yawn came from Pure Vanilla. 

"Why are you so tired all the time?" Shadow Milk asked, "Is your old age seriously catching up with you?"

In reply, Pure Vanilla quietly laughed, turning on his side as he tucked himself deeper under the sheets. 

"You know, you're older than I am, right?" He said.

"And yet my dough looks as though it were just pulled out of the oven," Shadow Milk said with a shine.

Pure Vanilla smiled, taking in the way Shadow Milk ran a hand over his cheek as to show off his flawless complexion. 

"As for your first question," Pure Vanilla continued, "I've just been busy these past couple of weeks. Having left to go to Beast-Yeast for so long, I came back to find quite a bit has happened in my absence. Sleep has been a luxury, at best."

"Wow, 'Nilly," Shadow Milk remarked, "I think a newbaked cookie could take better care of itself than you. Let me guess: you also never eat, never bathe, never relax-- you're a king! Make those pesty little Gummy cookies do your biddings for you." 

"You're right-- I could be taking better care of myself. There just simply isn't any time."

"Clearly, there is, since your calendar seems to be empty..."

Shadow Milk mumbled the last part, half-realizing what he was saying only after he was sounding the words out. Immediately, Pure Vanilla replied, interest piqued. 

"You found it?"

"I did," Shadow Milk lied, "And it seems like for the next week you'll have plenty of time to yourself."

"You mean, time to myself... and you," Pure Vanilla corrected.

"Yeah, yeah," Shadow Milk said, twisting his wrist around, "I'm sure I can spare you a few hours for an afternoon nap here and there, though."

Pure Vanilla chuckled again, now shifting about the bed. There was a click and the lamp on the nightstand was turned off, making the entire room seep into darkness. 

"Good night, Shadow Milk," Pure Vanilla said as he re-tucked himself back into bed, stilling after a handful more shuffles.

When the room became silent, the crawling realization dawned upon Shadow Milk. Why exactly was he still laying here...? He didn't need to sleep-- nor did he want to, especially not with Pure Vanilla of all people. There was plenty more for him to be investigating, more rooms to mindlessly, tiringly, boringly sift through for hours upon hours upon...

Well, the bed was comfortable; he hadn't been lying about that comparison. It made his already plush guest bed seem like he was laying on hay. Surprisingly, it was also pitch black in the room. He assumed there would at least be a bit of light left, yet he was almost satisfied with the levels of luminosity. And, of course, there was the fact getting up would involve moving. He was already lying down. It would be a shame to drag himself all the way back to his hole-in-the-wall dungeon now...

What drove the stake home, though, was how warm everything felt, and the distant, quelling hum of his Soul Jam. 

Chapter Text

Useless. Everybody around him were all useless.

Shadow Milk supposed it was to be expected, though. In regards to what he could manage, no one held a candle close to his abilities. Yet, somehow, he thought that out of all cookies his proteges would prove to be some kind of useful, but they too turned out to just as unreliable when they returned to the castle for a check-in empty handed. 

Shadow Milk didn't believe them, shooing them away with a disappointed dismissal. Throughout the entire Vanilla Kingdom, there wasn't a single piece of gossip worth noting? It wasn't just unbelievable-- it was impossible. Out of everywhere in Crispia, the most bustling, cookie-filled city was dull and lifeless? Shadow Milk would have to see it to believe it. 

But, right as he was halfway out of the castle, a certain cookie's words came flashing through his mind.

"So, you also know then that Pure Vanilla Cookie told us to keep your presence here a secret?"

Had that little Gummy thing been telling the truth? Shadow Milk took a few steps back inside. Most likely. She was a servant under Pure Vanilla, after all. They probably had to swear to the truth before being hired. Though, it was a bit far fetch for Shadow Milk to believe it wholeheartedly.

Nonetheless, it wouldn't be easy to sneak around in his normal form and, as useful as it was to envelope himself within the shadows, it would be difficult to get close enough to anyone to hear anything with how brightly the sun shone in the town. Not to mention, if he were to work some magic, play a few tricks here and there, Pure Vanilla wouldn't think too fondly of his spectacles. The last thing he'd want is to delay his plan any further. They were already a day behind thanks to Pure Vanilla's little sneaky ploy. 

Thankfully, Shadow Milk had a solution for a problem such as this. As the Master of Deceit, of course he'd have a few disguises at the ready in case covert operations came up. 

Back in his own chambers-- boarded back up in his own chambers-- Shadow Milk put himself to work, using simple magic to turn the back of his closet door into a full-length mirror. Now, the only issue with this plan was the fact that the last time Shadow Milk had used this disguise had been a thousand years; fashion norms have changed drastically since then. Without changing yet, he could already tell he'd stick out like a sore thumb if he kept the original design. 

Bustles were not cute. 

With a twirl of his cane, layers of clothing were draped over his body which too transformed to take on an appearance of a woman. A fair lady who talks sweet, yet always has sour undertones lying behind every compliment she dishes. Long, creamy blue hair that reaches her lower back, the perfect shade of blue lipstick-- a normal city girl with no further objectives besides picking up some fresh produce from the markets.

That's the role he'll be playing today: Blueberry Yogurt Cookie.

An old name, one used far too much for his liking. But he hadn't the time nor energy to spend meticulous hours planning out a new, fitting one. It would have to work, for now. Wrapped around his arm, he held a currently empty basket. Perhaps, while out and about, he should actually get some things to eat. For free, of course. Blueberry Yogurt Cookie was too kind of a soul to have to pay for anything. Shadow Milk only considered this since last time he peaked at what food was accessible in the kitchen, he was thoroughly disappointed in the lack of anything appetizing. 

Pure Vanilla would, undoubtedly, be forcing him to delve into some form of a meal at some point. He might as well make sure the kitchen staff have decent ingredients to work with. 

After dutifully sentencing his worthless minions to reflect, locked away in one of the thousands of copy-paste rooms of the castle, Shadow Milk-- Blueberry Yogurt Cookie was off. 

Wanting to blend in as naturally as possible, she took the smarter route of entering the market square through a side street rather than the main road that led to the castle. She wouldn't want cookies figuring out her status as a guest of Pure Vanilla just yet, would she? As though it were another normal day, Blueberry Yogurt easily slipped in among the crowd, moving along with the flow of traffic until she reached the middle of the square.

Where to go? What to do first? She supposed it would take a bit of wandering to find something worthwhile, so she began to linger about, just starting to idly scan fruit stands when her ears picked up on some distant voices.

"Why can't you get it through your head-- I've already told you a thousand times, you're wrong!" 

Jackpot.

With a slight tilt, Blueberry Yogurt did her best to stay inconspicuous, glancing in the direction of the bickering through her bangs. It only took a single quick gaze to notice an enraged looking customer in a shop, fists clenched on the counter as they shouted at the worker behind it. She made sure to finish giving the stand before her a proper farewell scan over to avoid raising any suspicion before heading over to the shop, passing through the open door hesitantly.

"Sir, I understand but-" the worker tried to say only to get cut off.

"No you don't!" the angry customer argued back, "If you did, you'd remember that I had order a raspberry pie, not a blackberry one!"

"But we don't have anymore-" the worker once again tried to speak, the customer having no part of that.

"Then make more! I want what I ordered!"

"Boys, boys! Please, what's all this fuss about?"

Blueberry Yogurt Cookie stepped forward, putting herself next to the customer. She wore a concerned expression matched with a smile so sweet, the other two cookies immediately became choked up on their words by the sight of her innocence.

"Oh, uh, sorry ma'am," the customer started, scratching his neck, "I didn't mean to cause you any disturbance. I just wanted to get the correct food that I ordered."

He would bite out a word here and there, throwing daggers with his eyes towards the employee. On the other side of the counter, the worker merely looked apologetically towards Blueberry Yogurt, trying his best to ignore his twitching eye.

"I apologize too, ma'am. If you're looking to order something, I'll be more than happy to help-"

"Excuse me," the customer interrupted, "You haven't finished taking care of the customer right in front of you yet. Why don't you focus on me since I've already been here for almost twenty minutes now?"

"Sir, there's nothing I can do..."

The customer slammed his hands against the counter again, throwing them up in anguish afterwards. "Unbelievable!" 

"Are you sure you're out of raspberry pie?" Blueberry Yogurt questioned with a perked brow.

"Unfortunately, we ran out of it an hour ago."

"How interesting..." Blueberry Yogurt hummed, "So the pie in the case right there isn't raspberry flavored?"

Noticing his confusion, Blueberry Yogurt pointed a finger downward, the worker's eyes following it until they grew wide at the sight of a reddish-berry slice of pie resting in the case. A beginner transfiguration spell, one a child could do. Yet, it seemed to get the job done perfectly as the worker now faced an even more ticked off customer.

"THAT WAS THERE THE WHOLE TIMEE??!!" He roared.

Panicked, the worker scrambled to calm the customer down, mouth opening to speak. He was shortly spoken over, not given the chance to get a full sentence out when the customer shushed him, waving his hand dismissively. 

"No, no. Just give me the pie."

The worker nodded solemnly, moving to get the pie for the customer. But Blueberry Yogurt had something else to say! After all that fussing, there was surely more compensation to be served, wasn't there?

"That's it?" She interjected, "So much trouble for such little reward... Certainly you don't expect to cause that big of a scene and leave your other poor customers who had to sit through that empty handed?"

"Er, well..." the worker looked nervously around at the other patrons who, by then, were all staring back at him, "I suppose I could... give out some free samples..."

Every cookie's face changed from sour to joyous in an instant. They all began rushing out of their seats, crowding around the counter as the worker became swamped with requests for this flavor or that one. To herself, Blueberry Yogurt smiled, watching the chaos unfold before her. As she moved to leave, job thoroughly completed, the original customer stopped her.

"Ma'am!" He called, gaining part of her attention, "Are you not going to get something for yourself?"

Blueberry Yogurt paused, then laughed. The customer looked at her with a brow perked and when she finally settled down, he listened to her explain.

"From this place?" She asked, voice bitter, "Please, I would be asking to get some sort of disease if I did that. Have you heard what people have said about their kitchen? Hardly passable by food code standards. The offer was sweet, though."

The room drew quiet as every heard what she had said. Slowly, they turned their attentions from her back to the worker, face contorting into anger, distraught, and disgust once more. Before glass could be thrown, Blueberry Yogurt slipped out of the store, a symphony of charming uproar left in her stead.

What a delightful choice of activity for the day. It was surely more interesting than anything the castle had to offer. Now, where was she off to next...

How about the baker's corner where she turned an incident with stale bread into a mold-filled, fearful disaster? Or how about the pet store? Where a cage accidentally became undone, unleashing a variety of poisonous gummy snakes and chocolate spiders free into the wild? Oh, how much fun there was to be had in this paltry town! 

All the while, word of a lovely lady in azure was starting to spread about. Not a soul had one bad word to say about her. After all, who could think poorly of such a kind little lady who greeted everyone with her pretty smile? In fact, news apparently spread like wildfire-- a given considering how many people resided in the town-- as it wasn't before long that Blueberry Yogurt walked up to a stall only to be immediately met with a casual welcome.

"Ah, my dear, are you the young lady whose become the talk of the town today?" 

Blueberry Yogurt, who had been mindlessly browsing the stand as she thought about where else needed some liveliness, raised her gaze up to the elderly sales worker before her. Flashing her signature smile, Blueberry Yogurt spoke sweeter than a ripe berry.

"Why yes I am," she confirmed, "I must say, it seems everybody here already seems to know me!"

"How could we not," the elderly lady said, "You've made quite the name for yourself."

"Have I?" Blueberry Yogurt distantly replied, already bored with their interaction and returning back to her brainstorming.

"Yes! It's not everyday we get a lady as fair as you around here and it's certainly a very rare sight to see her dough such a lustrous blue color!" The lady leaned forward, "You must live quite far away. Tell me, dear, what hails you to the Vanilla Kingdom?"

"Oh, you know..." Blueberry Yogurt started, "All the tales of this grand ol' kingdom peaked my attention. Can you blame a girl for wanting to explore when stories of such a wonderful city grace her ears?"

"I see..." The old lady hummed, "So nothing in particular?"

"Not exactly..." Blueberry Yogurt then snapped her gaze back upwards, narrowing her eyes, "Why do you ask?"

"Well, there's been word of some new travelers entering the city. I was wondering if you were one of them, but I see you're not..."

Oh...? 

"New travelers?" Blueberry Yogurt questioned.

"Yes," the lady nodded, "A group of cookies from a distant land has been seen lurking about. I haven't yet figured out if they're here for good or bad reasons... I was hoping you were one of them since you're so sweet, but it seems that's not the case."

A distant land? Parfaedia? The Crème Republic? Certainly a group to keep an eye out for and something to do some digging on later. She'd have to ask around for more information. For now, though, standing at this stall for so long has a certain set of apples catching her eye. In one hand, she picks one up, observing its dark-reddish hue before she responded.

"How interesting... Say, were these apples hand picked?"

"Of course! All of our produce is locally grown."

"How recently?" Blueberry Yogurt interrogated.

"Couldn't have been more than a week ago," the elderly lady thought to herself, "I don't think it's been long at all, actually."

"I hope not. After all, there was an outbreak of chewy apple maggots recently. They couldn't be killed by pesticides and infected any fruit they came into contact with. Are you sure none of this has been contaminated? These could be poisoning all of your customers!"

"Oh my!" The lady became distressed, "I hadn't heard about that! I don't know if any of this had been touched. I would hope not, but-"

"They were spreading so quickly across farms, too!" Blueberry Yogurt continued, "Almost every piece of land east of here had been infested. If what you're saying is correct, I'm worried all of this produce needs to be thrown out immediately."

"Oh... Oh dear! I didn't- I-"

"It's a good thing the chewy apple maggot infestation was cleared up about two weeks ago, then."

A hand reached for one of the apples, startling Blueberry Yogurt for the slightest second as she didn't notice the person approach her side. When she turned to face them, their appearance went from startling her to having her entire body sink. Pure Vanilla held the apple in his hand, taking a small bite out of it. After a few decisive chews, he greeted the elderly lady with a warm smile.

"Tastes perfectly fine to me," he remarked. 

"Pure Vanilla Cookie?!" The lady gasped, "What a surprise it is to see you!"

A surprise it was indeed. Blueberry Yogurt couldn't take her eyes off of him. Why was he here? Had he already caught onto her disguise that quickly? Better yet, out of everywhere in the entire kingdom, how did he manage to end up at the same shop as her? 

"It's good to see you as well," Pure Vanilla replied, his free hand moving to dig for something out of his pocket, "How have you been, Granny Smith Cookie?"

"Just fine, dear, just fine. The better question is how have you been? I hardly see you anymore."

"I am well," Pure Vanilla said, "And forgive me for not visiting more often. I've been tied up with some very important things lately."

Him. He's been tied up with him. His blank schedule only confirms that. 

Out from his pocket he drew a silver coin, handing it graciously over to the lady. "For the apple, and hers as well."

"Oh, please, no need to pay me," she tried to refuse, yet Pure Vanilla insisted.

"Please, take it. I insist. At least, to pay for hers..."

Pure Vanilla shifted to face Blueberry Yogurt head on, eyes cracking open to meet hers. That's when she realized she had been staring at him the whole time and thus flipped her head to lay her eyes on the apple in her hands instead.

"It's not often I see a cookie as blue as you in the Vanilla Kingdom," he commented.

"That's what I said!" Granny Smith chirped.

"May I ask for your name?"

Blueberry Yogurt hesitated, turning the apple over a few times in her hand. There were many thought racing through her mind. Did he know? Did he not? Was he mad? Was he surprised? What was the point of asking his name if he knew? Though, Blueberry Yogurt, the sweet cookie she is, pushed past her panic, plastered that fake smile across her face, and met Pure Vanilla's gaze once more. 

Even if he didn't know, there was no way for her to confirm that. She would just have to go with plan B and hope for the best. After all, with him around now, there was much more fun to be had. He was the easiest to tease and certainly brought the most joy on Blueberry Yogurt's face whenever something out of his control happened.

"Blueberry Yogurt Cookie," she replied, "Though, I don't know why you are asking, considering I'm staying at your palace as a guest of yours."

A slight crack, a waver of Pure Vanilla's smile as his eyes were now completely open. Oh how ridiculously easy it is to break him. If he didn't know Blueberry Yogurt's true identity before, he certainly did now as he shifted his weight awkwardly.

"A guest of Pure Vanilla's?!" Granny Smith gaped, "You hadn't mentioned that!"

"Of course not," Blueberry Yogurt huffed, "Pure Vanilla has been keeping my stay here on the down low. No clue why, but I suppose the cat's out of the bag now!"

She took note of how Pure Vanilla swallowed, looking nervously back over at Granny Smith who could only keep her eyebrows raised.

"I didn't mean for it to become a secret," Pure Vanilla tried to reason, "I hadn't known you wanted your arrival to be announced."

"Please, you know me," Blueberry Yogurt said, placing the apple in her hand back down, "Considering how close we've become..."

Playfully, Granny Smith looked back and forth between the two. 

"Pure Vanilla Cookie," she teased, "Found a suitor, have you?"

"No, no," Pure Vanilla rushed to say, "Nothing like that. She's only a guest-"

Loud and sharply, Blueberry Yogurt gasped, hand across her chest as she looked at Pure Vanilla, bewildered. In response to her sudden reaction, Pure Vanilla's head wildly flipped to look at her with concerned eyes, most likely worried he had said something wrong. From his hands, Blueberry Yogurt snatched the apple he had bitten.

"Only a guest?" She asked, as though Pure Vanilla were crazy to even think such a thing, "I am hardly a mere guest to you."

Pure Vanilla looked as though he wanted to say something, words trying to find their way out of his mouth. Blueberry Yogurt relished in the way the dough of his face began to partially flush with embarrassment and she could only smirk up at him from over the top of the apple as she brought it up to her lips.

"I certainly wasn't one when we were sharing a bed together last night, was I?" 

Where Pure Vanilla had bit the apple, Blueberry Yogurt ran her tongue against the mark before taking a bite out of it herself. Chewing it a bit before swallowing, she placed the apple back into Pure Vanilla's open hand as the latter was frozen in place. 

"Oh my...!" Granny Smith Cookie quietly gasped, hand moving to cover her mouth.

Satisfied, Blueberry Yogurt made her leave, trailing her hand across Pure Vanilla's shoulders as one final blow.

"See you later, doll face."

As she walked away, the smirk on her face grew when she heard a thud from something hitting the ground. Wayyy too easy. She'd like to see how he got out of that one. Though, she's sure she'll hear about it eventually through the grapevine. Cookies were always enthralled to catch wind of any tea related to Pure Vanilla. Sooner or later she'd have cookies flocking to her for a first hand account and boy would she have stories to tell them.

If she weren't bound to the ground, she would be spinning about the air right now. How thrilling this all was-- finally she found something to sate her ever growing boredom. She wondered how much this would escalate. For all she hopes, this would continue on for a while, giving her ample opportunity to stay entertained preferably until she got what she came here for. 

That would be ideal. Unlikely, but ideal. With the help of those two, she might just be able to pull it off. The thought made her giddy as she almost started skipping a long the cobbled path. For now, though, the sun was starting to set on a long day. Before heading back to the castle, she supposed she might as well put the previous idea into action and pick out some produce to take back. The food options really were lacking. 

Who knew the Vanilla Kingdom would find a way to please a Beast?

===============

To say the Gummy sisters and kitchen staff weren't happy would be a bit of an understatement. Orange Gummy Cookie, the unfortunately soul who Shadow Milk sprung onto upon entering the kitchen initially refused to even touch his basket of goodies. Maybe it was the fact he blatantly told her he "got them for free", but it was probably because he was the one handing it to her. It wasn't until after he practically forced her to take it that she reluctantly began taking the basket apart with extreme caution. 

After that, Shadow Milk found purchase on top of Pure Vanilla's bed. A strange sight to say the least, but he had his reasons. The first was to keep the rumors spreading. It made sense: if he wasn't actively staying on top of them, he'd be lying if he were to continue with the "sleeping together" act. And he didn't lie-- not at all! He merely took the truth and twisted it-- an entirely different premise. 

The second reason was the genuine comfort of the bed. He had been 100% transparent when he said Pure Vanilla's bed was softer than his own and, if he were being completely honest, Shadow Milk was a bit surprised when he had awaken that morning, well rested. For the first time in a long time, he hadn't waken up feeling worse than before falling asleep. Shocking, yet also intriguing enough to bring him resting upon the mattress once more. 

Another thing to note was the fact that when Pure Vanilla returned Shadow Milk would already be in the location he would most likely find the cookie. It saved him having to chase him around, bringing Pure Vanilla straight to him without him having to lift a finger. He would get his questions answered in break-neck speed before falling peacefully asleep. 

There was a fourth reason for Shadow Milk wanting to sleep in Pure Vanilla's bed, but he'd be burnt in an oven before ever openly discussing it. The reason was frivolous-- a laughable cause he had no explanation for. So, there was no need to even mention it. 

Time ticked away as night fell, the moon high above in the sky when Shadow Milk began to grow puzzled. Pure Vanilla had a punctual bedtime-- never did he stay up. But, the longer Shadow Milk laid with his arms folded on the bed alone, the more he wondered where the cookie could be. Was he staying somewhere else for the night? Should Shadow Milk call in quits, kill the light, and hit the hay without him? There was still the questions, but he supposed they could always be answered tomorrow...

The door to the bedroom flung open, startling Shadow Milk upright. Pure Vanilla must've not noticed him as he closed the door before placing his hat on its hook, hands moving to strip him of his upper layer of clothing.

"Putting on a show just for me, huh?"

Pure Vanilla jumped, immediately pausing his actions to look back at Shadow Milk. The second he laid eyes with him, the features of his face softened, all the previous tension and exhaustion being washed away instantly.

"Shadow Milk Cookie, forgive me," he started, "I hadn't noticed you lying there."

"Where've ya been 'Nilly?" Shadow Milk asked, laying back down with his hands behind his head, "You've had me waiting here for so long, I thought I'd turn to crumbs before you'd arrive!"

"Sorry, sorry," Pure Vanilla continued to apologize, trying his best to be as modest as possible when removing his clothes, "There were many things among the city to clear up. It seems like you had quite the day in town."

"Who, me?" Shadow Milk said with a hand on his chest, "'Nilly, I think you're confusing me with someone else. I haven't left this castle at all."

Pure Vanilla huffed as a smile grew on his lips. Wearing the same plain white rob as the night prior, Pure Vanilla made his way over to the bed, joining alongside Shadow Milk.

"Right," he corrected, "I meant: Blueberry Yogurt Cookie had quite the day in town."

"Blueberry Yogurt..." Shadow Milk pretend to think, "Doesn't ring a bell. Who is this mysterious fellow? Certainly no one more handsome than I."

Softly, Pure Vanilla laughed, turning on his side to face Shadow Milk, "She is a traveller from afar and I believe, in relation to you, she fairs equally in looks."

Shadow Milk hummed, tapping his feet against one another. "I'd have to see her to be the judge of that, though I'm sure she's as close to perfection as you can get."

"Certainly."

A beat of silence. Then, Shadow Milk enthusiastically flipped onto his own side, staring Pure Vanilla back into his eyes.

"Sooo..." He batted his eyelashes, "As for my questions tonight, I-"

"Questions?"

Oh Witches. Here they went again. 

"Don't 'questions?' me," Shadow Milk snapped, "You know what I'm talking about."

"And you know what you did today wasn't exactly well-behaved, right?"

His sass would be the death of him, Shadow Milk swore. Everyday is one day Pure Vanilla steps closer to his demise. 

"Please, it was hardly anything," Shadow Milk scoffed.

"Almost putting a cafe out of business, bringing back the red-mold scare, setting twenty-seven poisonous animals free to roam about the city-- you claim all of that was 'hardly anything'?"

Arms folded back on his chest, Shadow Milk chose to ignore Pure Vanilla. He would never learn to lighten up, live a little, and have fun for once in his life. Forever would Pure Vanilla stay a plain, dull cookie living a sad, boring life. Shadow Milk almost pitied him.

Almost.

"Thankfully," Pure Vanilla continued, "I was able to fix most of it."

Shadow Milk whipped his head towards Pure Vanilla. "What."

Pure Vanilla paused. "What 'what'?"

"You fixed it?"

"Naturally. You didn't think I'd let it stay like that, did you?"

Shadow Milk barked out a laugh, settling back down against the bed. All of that had been for nothing-- well! Pure Vanilla might've stopped things this time, but next time Shadow Milk is out and about, he'd make sure to spread the worst, nastiest, most jaw-dropping, eye-opening-

Shadow Milk perked back up. "Is that so? Well, I'm sure you'll have a fun time getting out of what I told that old hoot! By now, she's probably told the entire city their precious, innocent king is secretly-"

"I cleared that up as well."

Shadow Milk was going to strangle him and his stupid smile.

"How." Shadow Milk gritted his teeth.

"I simply told her the truth. You were a guest visiting from out of town who I let sleep beside me. Nothing more."

"I highly doubt she believed that's all that is happening."

"I think she does. Even if she didn't, Granny Smith Cookie isn't the type to go around sharing news like that."

Infuriating. Beyond infuriating.

With a frustrated grumble, Shadow Milk plopped back down, choosing to ignore the eyes that bore into him by facing the other way.

"No questions then? Fine, have it your way," he bit out, "But remember that the caged Beast will always learn how to bare its fangs someday."

"Shadow Milk Cookie," Pure Vanilla called, only to be thoroughly ignored.

"Shadow Milk...?" He called again, now placing a hand on Shadow Milk's shoulder. The latter went to shove it off, snap at it, snap it off, but Pure Vanilla spoke before he could get the chance.

"I didn't say I wouldn't give you your answers."

Shadow Milk remained still, gave Pure Vanilla a moment more to regret his choices, before inevitably flipped back around, expression devoid of amusement.

"Finally come to your senses?" he asked.

"I still stand by my statement," Pure Vanilla claimed, "If you act how you did again today, I will refuse to answer any questions. I'm glad you had fun, but having fun at the expense of others misfortune isn't something I can turn a blind eye to."

"Lecturing me now, hm?" Shadow Milk's eye twitched, "I just loveeee how you think you have any sort of control over me here."

"I don't. I know I don't," Pure Vanilla sighed, "But I'd like for this arrangement to work out. All it needs is your cooperation."

Shadow Milk didn't reply. Anything he wanted to say would likely result in an argument breaking out and, quite frankly, Shadow Milk was becoming tired of speaking with the cookie. He was almost to the point of forgetting the questions to fall asleep. Alas, that would involve surrendering to Pure Vanilla's will. Why would he ever do something like that?

"What you did today was troublesome, yes, but I suppose it wasn't too terrible," Pure Vanilla thought out loud, "And you didn't cause any harm to the Gummy sisters, which I count as a step forward, so I will answer a question, but only one."

Absent-mindlessly, Shadow Milk blinked. He hadn't even the willpower to curse Pure Vanilla out in his mind anymore. With a sigh, he rolled back onto his back, staring up at the ceiling as he tried to think of what to ask.

Every time they got to this point, Shadow Milk would always forget to plan out his questions before hand. A bad habit of his-- he may admit-- one he certainly needed to fix sooner rather than later. Would it even matter though if Pure Vanilla keeps pulling the same stunt night after night? It may prove to be more beneficial to think of ways to get back at him than think of questions to ask.

One had been stuck in the back of his mind all day, though, tearing away at Shadow Milk with curious wonder. Although it wouldn't do too much for Shadow Milk in the long run-- in relation to his plans, of course-- it will still provide unknown knowledge about Pure Vanilla, which would always prove to be useful at some point.

"Where do you go during the day?" he asked, peering at Pure Vanilla from the corners of his eyes. 

"It depends," Pure Vanilla replied without any hesitation, "Some days, I'm tending to the sheep. Other days, I'm checking in with staff around the castle grounds."

"What about today?" Shadow Milk questioned further.

"Today I visited the town to check up on things there," Pure Vanilla explained, "If I don't make frequent appearances, cookies tend to worry about my well-being, so I make sure to make trips to the market as often as I can."

"Your people are too needy," Shadow Milk commented, "Can't go a day without worrying if their king is alive or not? How pathetic."

"Did your people not worry about you?"

Shadow Milk stared, hard, at Pure Vanilla. In a low voice, he replied, "I'm the one who asks the questions. Not. You."

"Forgive me if that was too personal. I just wish-"

"Donnn'ttt care," Shadow Milk interrupted. With a flick of his wrist, the lamp beside Pure Vanilla flickered off, sinking them into pitch-black darkness.

"It's far past your bedtime," Shadow Milk stated, "Go to sleep before your under-eye bags are no longer stowaways." 

Having been dismissed, Pure Vanilla's eyes lingered on Shadow Milk for a minute more before he tucked himself away under the sheets. Above them, he left one arm out, keeping it rested nearby. 

Shadow Milk let his eyes close, trying to turn off his mind and settle. Having once been a period of time spent pondering for hours upon hours, Shadow Milk found it challenging to simply "fall asleep". In the back of his mind, he envied those who could lay down and pass out. Sometimes, he wondered if they had been baked with a special dough since there's no possible way that was feasible in any universe. 

On the cusp of feeling himself being whisked away into the dreamscape, Shadow Milk felt the beating warmth within his Soul Jam return. Among the quiet stillness of the room, he felt as though he could even hear it hum, buzzing ever so slightly against his chest. Fixated on this, the warmth enveloped him perfectly, like a quilted blanket made to fend off a blizzard. That warmth ran deep and started growing stronger and stronger...

"What do you think you're doing?"

Shadow Milk's eyes snapped open, not even wanting to look down at what he could only assume was Pure Vanilla's hand resting a top his Soul Jam.

"Sorry," said Pure Vanilla as a hushed apology, "Would you like for me to move it?"

"I'd like for you to answer my question," Shadow Milk replied.

Pure Vanilla drew quiet, thinking to himself with his hand still planted on Shadow Milk's Soul Jam.

"My Soul Jam," he finally started, "hums when you're near. I always wondered if it were the same for you..."

"Well, you have your answer. Are you going to remove your hand now?"

"I'd rather not..."

Pure Vanilla mumbled his response just loud enough for Shadow Milk to hear. Quite frankly, Shadow Milk no longer had the energy to deal with it, to shove him off nor tease or insult him. In all honesty, the warmth from Pure Vanilla's hand, the way the constant cacophony that constantly raged inside him quelled, was enough to keep him silent. He even started to fall asleep once more, but was stopped by Pure Vanilla's voice.

"I forgot to tell you," he continued to speak in a barely audible voice, "I'm hosting a party in the castle tomorrow evening."

"A party?" Shadow Milk half-whispered back. He could hear Pure Vanilla's head shift against the sheets as he presumably nodded. 

"Do you remember the other cookies that joined me in your spire?"

Shadow Milk recalled the feeble, young cookies. The overly ambitious, tiresome, and conclusively headache-inducing cookies.

He groaned. "Unfortunately."

"I've invited them over to thank them for their troubles.

"So," Shadow Milk stated, blankly, "You invited them over to celebrate not getting crumbled by me?"

"Of course not," Pure Vanilla said, "You simply are a lot for cookies like them to deal with. I only wish to thank them for their help with getting me to you safely."

"Whatever," Shadow Milk mumbled, "Thanks for telling me. I'll make sure to be out your way before then."

"Well, actually, I'd like for you to attend."

That finally got Shadow Milk to turn his head, barely being able to see Pure Vanilla's eyes staring back at him in the dark. 

"You wish for the person your celebrating victory from to attend?" he asked, amazed Pure Vanilla even thought that was a good idea.

"Of course," Pure Vanilla replied, casually, "You're my guest. Why would I kick you out for something you should enjoy as well? I understand if you are not comfortable around them, though, and wish to leave."

Shadow Milk exhaled. He always knew how to get under his skin-- challenging him any chance he got. Yet, Shadow Milk always found a way to bite back.

"I thought his majesty doesn't want anyone to know of the Beast living amongst his castle?" Shadow Milk jabbed, bitter as ever.

Pure Vanilla raised an eyebrow. "When did I say that?" 

"Oh, silly 'Nilly-- don't you know! Gossip travels fast across your palace. Those little peasants of yours already told me allll about your wishes to keep me a secret."

There was a pause where Shadow Milk could hear Pure Vanilla inhale, preparing his response.

"I only worry about what my old friends will think," he started to explain, talking about the other ancients "They are not too keen on keeping you nor your friends around, which is why I'd like for you to become adjusted to the Vanilla Kingdom before we make any public announcements."

In other words-- since Pure Vanilla so nicely sugar coated his words with a sweet little lie-- Pure Vanilla wanted Shadow Milk to reform himself, change into a perfectly little vanillian angel, and alter his entire identity until he was a completely different cookie since Shadow Milk's current state was so frightful, so terrifying, all the citizen of the Vanilla Kingdom would leave out of fear if they knew. 

Splendid. He felt soooo welcomed here.

"I don't want to keep you a secret-- I'm not ashamed of having you here. I am simply afraid," Pure Vanilla reassured him, gently gliding his thumb over the surface of Shadow Milk's Soul Jam.

Somehow, the motion, small as it was, was enough to stop Shadow Milk from clapping back with a backhanded remark of his own. He didn't even roll his eyes as he instead chose to let out a short sigh, unknitting his brows.

"I'll see how I feel tomorrow," he dismissed, wanting nothing more but to ignore this entire conversation and continue his slumber.

"Alright."

Pure Vanilla settled in deeper, scootching a tad bit closer to Shadow Milk. Seems as though he were chasing the warmth as well. If Shadow Milk weren't about to pass out-- or if he didn't loathe the cookie-- he would've experimented with Pure Vanilla's own Soul Jam-- give him the satisfaction and completion Shadow Milk felt. But that would be too kind of him. Greedily, Shadow Milk wanted to keep the feeling all to himself. 

It was odd. Them. This. Everything. Constantly, Shadow Milk found himself wondering how he ended up here. Why he was so convicted with getting the other half of his Soul Jam back. Why he let Pure Vanilla do some of the things he did. Why he didn't just take the Soul Jam and leave. Was it for entertainment? To feel the same excitement he felt when Pure Vanilla had so willingly agreed to succumb to his deceit? Truly, Shadow Milk wondered if it all was for fun and games, or something else entirely.

Between his distant pondering and falling soundly asleep, Shadow Milk didn't even notice his hand had found its way on top of Pure Vanilla's.

Chapter Text

Shadow Milk woke up cold, dreadfully so. 

And Pure Vanilla was nowhere to be found.

He figured this out when he woke up, a daze, hand subconsciously moving to feel about the mattress only to find not enough a speck of warmth from the other remaining. 

At first, Shadow Milk became disgruntled, tossing over with a fist full of blankets as he tried to recreate the enveloping comfort that had previously been surrounding him. By that point, though, he was already awake and once awake, sleep never returned. His mind was already a race, eyes peering open to scan wearily across the room. 

Past the curtains for the balcony came pouring in a light that Shadow Milk wished to hiss at-- to enshrouded with his darkness until it never shined on his face again. Pure Vanilla wouldn't care for that, though. He did love his light... 

Speaking of which, where had that cookie run off to? It couldn't be anytime past dawn-- there was still traces of morning dew on the windows. Didn't he know how to sleep in for once? Does Shadow Milk need to latch onto him so he stops running away? 

Unable to settle, Shadow Milk groaned as his arms fell off the side of the bed. His head soon followed, his hair cascading down till it touched the floor. It was a tangled mess from all the tossing and turning he had done. So much so that it practically fell down as one solid mass. If he cared enough, Shadow Milk would've tried to comb his fingers through the knots. He wouldn't want anyone to see him in such array, especially since it was a result of actually sleeping for once. 

When was the last time he slept so soundly? When was the last time he hadn't woken up in a horrified frenzy, screaming in fear and terror just to find himself in complete, isolated silence? Beasts didn't need sleep. They didn't need anything besides control and power. Nobody could ever know he succumbed to the frivolous nonsense that is-

The door slid open. Through parts in his hair, Shadow Milk glared upwards, trying to make out who it was now rummaging through the drawers of the dresser. It wasn't Pure Vanilla-- he could tell that much from multiple things: their rate at which they dug, the reddish hue of their appearance, the way the wafting smell of vanilla didn't immediately flood Shadow Milk's nose the second they entered the room...

With his hand, Shadow Milk lifted his hair out of his face, allowing him to catch a better glance at the cookie. They were short and red, wearing a maid outfit which led to Shadow Milk presumably guessing meant she were another one of the little Gummy things that practically ran the place. Just how many were there? And what was she doing going through Pure Vanilla's things?

The ruffling of Shadow Milk's shifting must've caught the cookie's attention as she stopped rummaging, peering ever so slightly behind her shoulder.

"Oh?" She asked out loud once she realized she was being watched, "Finally awake, are you?"

Now faced towards Shadow Milk, the Gummy cookie held her hands on her hips, giving Shadow Milk a good look over. What a sight he was sure he was. He didn't have a care about what she thought of him, though, merely grunting in reply as he slipped further off the bed.

"It's late into the morning already," the Gummy sister commented, "Up now! Time to get ready!"

Shadow Milk was expecting her to wait for him to move, to answer to her command as though he were a child of hers. Of course, he would remain draped over the side of the bed, unwilling to obey her beckoning. What he hadn't expected was for her to sharply take a hold of his hand, pulling him entirely onto the ground with one effortless tug.

In an instant, Shadow Milk was up, floating dangerous above the Gummy sister, inches away from bringing her harm.

"Who do you think you are to touch me, pest?" He gritted out, allowing the shadows around him to stretch across the room. Perhaps that would scare her back into place.

Yet, she stood there wearing her placid expression before once again touching Shadow Milk, taking a hold of his hand to shake it. As soon as she made contact, Shadow Milk was snatching it away in absolute disbelief.

"Cherry Gummy Cookie," she greeted, "Pure Vanilla's personal attendant. It's my duty to make sure he is up and functioning properly everyday."

"So why-" Shadow Milk tried to interject, only to be cut off.

"Since you are staying here, in Pure Vanilla's own bed, nonetheless, I have taken it upon myself to see to it that you are also up and functioning." 

Shadow Milk's eye twitched. He laughed, short and bitter.

"I don't need somebody to wake me up, thanks," he bit out.

"If I were you, I would take advantage of my services," Cherry Gummy explained, "After all, you certainly look like you need some care." 

Growling, Shadow Milk flipped a hand through his hair, instantly smoothing it down to perfection. Anything astray or askew with his appearance was immediately corrected, bringing him back to his usual glory. 

Snapping back, he corrected her, "I don't need anything besides my peace and quiet back. Now, get lost."

"Stubborn much?" she said, then chuckled, "Reminds me of someone else..." 

As though nothing was wrong, Cherry Gummy returned to the drawers, taking a folded article of clothing out before neatly packing everything back in. Shadow Milk could only silently watch her, amazed by her lack of care. Never has he been in a place where so many cookies had no form of respect for his authority. It was as though they wanted him to crumble them. By all means, he'd gladly do so. 

"Regardless," she continued on, heading for the door to leave, "Pure Vanilla has been waiting for you to awaken. Will you at least come see him?"

Shadow Milk rolled his eyes. Of course Pure Vanilla wanted to see him-- who wouldn't? 

"Who knows?" he started, laying back as he too drifted his way over to the door, "See him, not see him-- do you think he deserves my presence?"

"I do," she stated, walking out of the room, "He's certainly done a lot more than you today."

Gasping, Shadow Milk sped through the air till he was in front of the smaller cookie. Though she ignored him and continue walking, Shadow Milk stayed a couple feet ahead of her as they moved-- enough to make eye contact.

"And how do you know what I've done today?" he quipped, "For all you know, I could've been up allll night working."

"For some reason, I highly doubt that," Cherry Gummy stated factually, "And, since I know what Pure Vanilla's done, even if you had been up, he's truly been hard at work all morning. He even had me wake him up an hour earlier than usual." 

Shadow Milk almost paused mid-air. He wasn't too thrilled to hear that there's cookies roaming close by as he's sleeping. That would need to be addressed later with Pure Vanilla. After all, Pure Vanilla himself should consider himself lucky that Shadow Milk even allows him to be that close.

Wait. Why does he even sleep with Pure Vanilla? When did that become a norm? 

Ah, forget it. There were more important things to stress over happening firsthand. Like the fact this cookie is still talking down to him as though he were inferior to Pure Vanilla. 

"Right," Shadow Milk rolled his eyes, "I'm sure that's the case..."

Yet, he almost had to bite his tongue when he began to take in his surroundings. The further away from the room they went, the more the halls were decorated, adorned with more exquisite curtain ribbons and balloons. The whole castle also appeared to be cleaner-- as though the entire staff had spent numerous hours deep-cleaning its entirety. What a pain that must've been...

Cherry Gummy didn't even need to respond, having seen Shadow Milk's face as he observed what all has been done in preparation for the party. 

Oh. Right. The party. 

Shadow Milk had forgotten about that. To be fair, it was mentioned to him less than a day ago as a side comment during a moment where he was not exactly cognitive enough to register what had been said. Now that he has remembered, though, he'd need to think of something else to do to pass the time. 

That would be later's problem, he decided upon entire one of the castle's main halls to find Pure Vanilla watching over a group of servants as they heaved their way through carrying a table into the next room over. 

"Pure Vanilla Cookie!" Cherry Gummy hollered, dutifully planting herself besides him. She extending the piece of clothing she retrieved from his room out towards him. "A clean cloak, as you have request."

"Thank you," Pure Vanilla said with a nod, taking the clothing from her hands. In doing so, his body was turned just far enough to notice Shadow Milk hovering nearby, a warm, large smile spreading across his face as soon as he did. 

"Good morning, Shadow Milk," he greeted, taking a few steps towards him. 

Remaining still, Shadow Milk ignored Pure Vanilla, continuing on with observing the room. It must've taken eons to do the amount of decorating they did, especially considering the only servants to have made their appearance were the same five over and over again. And it was still so early in the morning-- had they really been up all night? For some... party?

Finally glancing over at Pure Vanilla, he noticed a giant red stain covering the right side of his cloak. No wonder Cherry Gummy had to fetch another one-- it was gigantuous and downright hideous. How ever could someone make such a mess on them self?

"Tsk, how clumsy of you, 'Nilly!" Shadow Milk teased. He moved to hold up the cape, getting a better look at just how far the stain spreads. 

Pure Vanilla merely laughed at his antics, undoing the clasp of his cloak to remove it. 

"And here I thought you were supposed to be a high and mighty noble man," Shadow Milk rested back again, watching Pure Vanilla from above with narrow eyes.

"A pitcher of punch was accidentally knocked over," Pure Vanilla explained as he exchanged the soiled cloak for the clean one.

"Aw, shame," Shadow Milk said, "I was almost convinced I might've appeared in the midst of an assassination attempt. How disappointing..."

Pure Vanilla partially glared up at Shadow Milk, slightly concerned. "Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you-"

"I'm sure you are," Shadow Milk rolled his eyes, "You're always sorry about this and that. But honestly! This is no way to treat a guest of yours. Even your staff is out of line..."

As he said that, his eyes trailed over to the-- still dutifully standing nearby, ready and waiting for her next orders with the soaping wet cloak in her hands-- maid who simply ignored Shadow Milk's remark. In response, Pure Vanilla tracked his gaze, now too looking at Cherry Gummy Cookie. Yet, unlike Shadow Milk, he didn't snarl or curl his lip towards her. Rather, he smiled, placidly folding his hands over top of one another. 

"Thank you, once again, Cherry Gummy Cookie," he thanked, "If you don't mind, might I ask you help the other cookies with the platters in the kitchen after you drop that off at the laundry?" 

"Of course!" She chirped happily, "Is there anything else you need?"

"Not for the time being," Pure Vanilla replied, feeling the heavy, glaring stare being bored into his dough.

"I'll get to it then."

Leaving the two without a second glance at Shadow Milk, Cherry Gummy marched her way out of the room, off to take care of her assigned duties. For a split second, Shadow Milk wanted to have the part of the cloak which loosely draped near the ground "accidentally" trip her up, sending her flying into one of the displays, knocking over row after row of valuable vases and ornaments, before she rolled away, out of the castle, out of Crispia--

But nooooo! Pure Vanilla wouldn't like that! The king would not be pleased. Shadow Milk would just hate to go another night bearing the strife of what happens when he goes against his royal highness' harsh, grueling conditions. He had to behave here. He had to obey here. 

He was going to leave here any day now.

And yet, every time he convinced himself he would leave-- walk straight out the front door without a single goodbye because he was Shadow Milk Cookie, Beast of Deceit, the cookie who came and went as he pleased-- Pure Vanilla would always be there, turning and smiling at him as though nothing out of the ordinary was going on. As though he weren't...

"What." Shadow Milk bit out when Pure Vanilla continued to silently keep his gaze resting calmly on him.

"Have you made a decision yet?" Pure Vanilla asked, tilting his head. 

Shadow Milk groaned, not exactly knowing what he was groaning for, but, when it came to anything related to Pure Vanilla, he would always end up needing the response anyways. 

"About what," Shadow Milk mumbled.

"Attending the party."

Shadow Milk laughed, sneering down at Pure Vanilla. "Why would the answer be anything other than no? I mean, you really thought I'd want to be around those annoying, bland little gnats?"

"I guess that's to be expected..." Pure Vanilla shrugged, "I thought there was a slight chance you'd want to learn more about them. They're sweet, really. You may find a common ground of interest with them."

"Never," Shadow Milk replied, "Unless you'd like for that common interest to be converting them to the glorious world of deceit...?"

Pure Vanilla sighed, partially shaking his head, "What are your plans for the day, then?"

"Who knows!" Shadow Milk lolled in the air, considering the options in his head, "There's much I still need to do. After all, there's some corrections I must make back in town..."

Relishing in the way Pure Vanilla's eyes immediately snapped open, staring Shadow Milk dangerously down, Shadow Milk grinned, floating out of reach in case Pure Vanilla decided to shock them all once more and put his hands on him. He was starting to become unpredictable; it almost excited Shadow Milk. 

"Don't cause problems..." Pure Vanilla ended up saying-- a mumbled line that just barely caught Shadow Milk's attention as he was beginning to leave the room.

"Of courseeee!" Shadow Milk said, "I'm sure you would hurt me so, so bad if I were to do anything against your wishes." 

Before Pure Vanilla could deny the response, Shadow Milk was already gone. To where? He'd yet to figure that out. So long as it was somewhere far, far away, he'd be content. 

Out of the castle he flew, not moving particularly fast as he zoned out, passing over top the palace gardens, the main entrance path-- distantly drifting around, trying to decide on what would bring him the most joy.

As much as he wanted-- truly wanted-- to go back to the town and replant rumors in every nook and cranny of the place, too many nights have passed where he's received no answers. Too many nights have gone wasted. As absolutely thrilling as it was to have such an easy and accessible way to torment the most feeble cookie he's ever met, the boredom that came with behaving was far too overpowering.

Beasts can not be caged. Not anymore.

His plan needed to be set in action soon. His questions needed to be answered first, though, unfortunately. 

That left him with little options of what to do. There wasn't any snooping left to be done in the castle-- not that he wanted to be inside with the, ugh, critters that were roaming about. They can stay there and have their pity party a hundred miles away from him, thanks. The nerve of Pure Vanilla to even suggest such a spine-shuddering idea. Be friendly to the cookies who tried to crumble him? Hah! He was lucky Shadow Milk was tolerating him as much as he is. 

For a party, too. Parties were far too childish for him. He prefers the term celebration. Its more appropriate, fitting for multiple occasions, and straight to the point. Whatever the name, though, he had no time for such frolic. Celebrations were just excuses to gorge on food and slack off. Shadow Milk found it idiotic to devote a event to doing such things. Simply do them. 

Now that he's thinking about it, the last time he's even been to a celebration hasn't been since...

Well...

It hasn't been since he lost the Light of Knowledge.

To say it's been a while would be an understatement. That was centuries ago; he couldn't even remember a specific celebration off the top of his head, just that there had to have been one. After all, times were different then. Much different. In fact, you could almost compare them to the days of the ancients. 

All five of them hung out often. They were all close, spending weeks worth of time together, doing every activity under the sun. Sometimes-- most days, actually, they would even be content with simply each others' presences alone. Afternoon naps, deep discussions and debates on topics of interests, daily letters sent back and forth updating one another on current events...

...

Gone with it all! Those brutish cookies were just as bothersome as the rest. Throughout the silence and darkness of being sealed within the tree-- where had they been? Where had they been when he called out for them, begging for a shred of warmth-- the touch of a hand... They ignored him as though he didn't exist. They heard his pleas, they saw him trapped, alone, and they did nothing. NOTHING!

All because he cared...

All because... he...

Eugh. Shadow Milk recoiled, grimacing as a wafting stench breached his nose. It was pungent and had him scanning the area, trying to find its source. That's when he looked down, noticing where he had drifted off to. 

Yuck. The cream sheep.

When his gaze shifted downward, all of the sheep looked up. In a similar manner, they all scrammed, scattering about and away from Shadow Milk, preferably out of sight from his piercing stare. Disgusted and already not in the greatest of moods, Shadow Milk attempted to leave, wanting nothing to do with the future meals, only to be stopped by the sound of a bleat-- one that stayed consistent in volume despite him moving farther and farther away.

With a sharp, sudden turn around, Shadow Milk faced the pasture once more. In the distance, cream sheep were spreading out across the land, facing in every direction but Shadow Milk's. Nothing out of the ordinary-- a natural submission by beings weaker than him. Yet, unlike the others, one little sheep came trotting up, catching up to where Shadow Milk was hovering. 

It baaah-ed at him, tilting its head upwards to give Shadow Milk an innocent, unknowing look. It must've been the runt-- a mistake since birth. No way could it have a brain and still be putting itself forward like this. 

Shadow Milk's first instinct was to kill it. Plain and simple. A single snap would blink it out of existence, leaving not a single drop of blood. After having his claws tied behind his own back for so long, it would thoroughly sooth the wall of self-control that threatened to crumble within Shadow Milk. He may just be able to hold off on doing the same to Pure Vanilla for a little while longer.

But then, a different idea came to mind-- a feeling that, in simplest terms, told him that was wrong to think about doing. The poor thing can't help being born stupid. Did it truly deserve to die over an error made by the cruel creators of their world? Was his anger and frustration that came from Pure Vanilla something it deserved to bear the burden of?

Shadow Milk was frozen where he hovered, the cream sheep continuing to merrily sing at him. 

To not kill. To not overpower. To see something he could so easily destroy as an equal... The feeling was strange and overwhelmingly uncomfortable.

What was wrong with him?

From in the air he sunk downwards, all the way down until he flopped knees first onto the ground. Pattering up to him, the cream sheep now stood inches away, patiently resting its eyes on him as though it were waiting for something. 

It stunk. It was stupid. It was annoying. It was better off dead.

It wasn't running away.

It wasn't cowering in fear. It wasn't looking the opposite direction. 

It wanted to be here.

Shadow Milk raised a hand, tentatively hovering above the cream sheep's head for a slight pause of hesitation before gingerly closing the gap. Content, the sheep raised its head, moving into the touch. Silent, Shadow Milk watched it, marveling in its obliviousness.

"I could eat you alive..." he muttered, getting only a short, borderline cheeky noise from the sheep in reply. 

Pure Vanilla referred to it as... was it... Lala? Yes, Lala. The cream sheep. The cream sheep who was almost as absurdly blind as Pure Vanilla. Shadow Milk scoffed. She was like Pure Vanilla-- scarily so. Perhaps Lala was Pure Vanilla incarnate. A truly terrifying thought as he was now getting more audacious with his petting, now using two hands to scratch around the edges of her face.

How silly this was. Sitting among a field of filth while petting at an even filthier creature like a kid in a zoo. What a joke.

An even bigger joke was the reason he were out here. What were the words Pure Vanilla used? His absence was "to be expected"? 

"Oh Lala," Shadow Milk sighed, dramatically, as his simple scratches turned into long, over-the-top strokes, "That Shepard of yours... what ever shall I do with him? He's far too loose-lipped for his own good..."

"Baaah!" 

"Agreed," Shadow Milk nodded, "He should be trembling in fear whenever I'm nearby and yet he chooses to instead be constantly stripping his clothes before vulnerably falling asleep beside me. Foolish, is it not?"

"Bah, bah." 

"Well said," Shadow Milk remarked, "Honestly, if i didn't know any better, I'd say he's doing it on purpose! Seriously-- there's no way he's that empty-headed." 

The cream sheep became a bit too absorbed in the petting to respond, plopping its behind down on the ground as it continued to push its head against Shadow Milk's hands. 

"And what? Does he think I'm not bold enough to show my face around some thin-baked cookies? Hardlllyyy!! I'm merely saving them from the overpowering amount of grandeur I would bring. With their pitiful ideals, they'd crumble the second they catch glimpse of my dashingly-good looking face! I feel as though some thanks should be said for that alone, hm?"

"Bah."

Shadow Milk hummed, idly tracing over the cream sheep's complexion as he pondered. At least one cookie should have arrived by now; it was late enough in the day for that. With a bit of thinking, it wouldn't take a genius to assume when the peak of their little party would be. They would be lost in the assortment of food, the thrill of the exuberance, they would be unsuspecting...

Well, Pure Vanilla haddd invited him. It would be a shame to waste such a potential-filled occasion. Shadow Milk was known for bringing the fun to parties too and would a celebration truly be fun without a little... mischief?

====================

The plan was simple. So simple, Shadow Milk had it all written out of a chalkboard he conveniently spawned out of thin air. 

Step 1: sneak into the party undetected. As much as the thought of scaring the sugar right out of them by showing his face from the start, it wouldn't be easy to keep the rest of the plan hidden from Pure Vanilla if he knew he was there. Not to mention, there was still a part of Shadow Milk that agreed with Pure Vanilla's decision to keep him a secret. Build the suspense, he wrote it off.

Step 2: study the scene. Deceit came best when crafted thoroughly. Jumping into things never worked out well, so he'd need to take note and conjure some ideas on site before making any performances.

Step 3: turn the party from a sad, disappointingly boring excuse of an event into the most extraordinary, breathtaking, applaud-worthy, jaw dropping, show stopping celebration Shadow Milk has ever had the honor of hosting! Bye bye to the tragically dull host of the past and hellooo to the great and honorable master of celebrations, Shadow Milk Cookie!! He would be the backbone of the entire arrangement. He'd bring life back to the cookies through knitted brows, teeth chatters, and worried frowns. 

All the while, he'd stay undetected, which meant anything that could possibly go wrong with this phenomenal plan would ultimately be labeled as Pure Vanilla's fault.

Please, please! Hold the applause till the end. After all, the night is still young and there's much to do!

With a nod, Shadow Milk darted out of his long-forgotten room, away from the chalkboard, and all the way to the main entrance of the palace. Two rooms away, he could hear the distant chatter, the occasional uproar of laughter, and the dying down of noise which perpetuated through a cycle. So unknowing. So dreadfully bored-sounding. Thankfully, Shadow Milk would be there soon and all will be fixed. 

Like second nature, Shadow Milk slipped into the shadows of the dimly lit room, slinking his way across its edges and corners to pass through the conjoining hallway. The sun was starting to partially set, creating just the right amount of lighting in the room for Shadow Milk to have no troubles entering the dining hall. As quickly as possible, he zipped up the walls, heading straight for the chandelier danging above the long, stretching table below. With the light shining downwards, the perfect nest of shadows remained near the chandelier's base which Shadow Milk settled himself within.

Perched above the scene, he could make everything out clearly. The handful of tables lining the outskirts of the room with platters of food and assortments of drinks, the decoration littered here and there, and, most importantly, the group of cookies all sitting about the table in the center of the room, cheerfully chatting and conversing with one another. 

How sickening! How tiringly mundane. It was clear within the first minute of being there that they needed his help desperately. Now, what to do first...

"And then I lunged at it!" Gingerbrave exclaimed during his very exciting retelling of their recent adventure.

"No, then Caramel Arrow shot it and saved us Gingerbrave..." Wizard Cookie shook his head.

"Hm, that's definitely not how I remember that happening Wizard Cookie," Gingerbrave argued back.

"L-let's just agree to disagree!" Strawberry Cookie injected, bringing an end to their banter.

When the conversation died down, it was Pure Vanilla who brought life back into the room.

"Shall we indulge ourselves in some food and beverages?" he suggested, "The kitchen staff has prepared many delicious looking items."

"Yeah!" Gingerbrave exclaimed, "I'm starving!"

"I suppose I could use a drink as well," Wizard Cookie started, "What options are there?"

"All the drinks are over on that table," Pure Vanilla pointed, direction the group as they began shifting about, moving to the tables, "You all may help yourselves to as much of everything as you'd like."

Trailing towards the back, the ever so generous Pure Vanilla let the others fill their own plates first, watching and observing as they all chatted about, picking up this and that from here and there. He must've noticed the way Black Raisin Cookie took no interest in any of the drinks-- rather scanning the selection before also tailing back near Pure Vanilla-- since he was quick to ask her if anything was wrong. 

"Of course not," she reassured him, "this all looks wonderful, but... well..."

Black Raisin trailed off, giving the drink display another glance.

"Well...?" Pure Vanilla raised a brow, "Is there something not here you'd like me to get you?"

"Well, it's been a while since we've seen each other," she commented, "Wouldn't you like to get loose and really have some fun? Just like old times." 

"Oh, Black Raisin Cookie," Pure Vanilla replied, picking up on her hints, "I don't know..."

"Come on, Pure Vanilla," she gave him a nudge, "You only have to throw one back-- for old time's sake."

Hmmm? Suggesting Pure Vanilla drink? Now that's something Shadow Milk wants to see. He's sure the cookie can hardly hold his liquor-- what a fool he'd make of himself! Shadow Milk scooted as far to the edge of the chandelier as he could, attempting to hear the conversation more clearly. 

"Perhaps... later..." Pure Vanilla said, the uncomfortable uncertain of his previous sentence now having been replaced with... a twinge of excitement? Ohhoho! Shadow Milk must stay around for this.

"Alright," Black Raisin settled, giving Pure Vanilla shoulder a slight squeeze, "Just don't flake out on me. You deserve to relax a little. I know you've been overworking yourself like always."

Pure Vanilla sighed, "Nothing slips past your eyes..."

"I did live with you for years," she pointed her thumb towards the table, "Food?"

"Sure," Pure Vanilla smiled softly, allowing himself to be tugged over to the array of food. 

There'd be a pause to that suggestion. Unfortunate, but there were other things to do in the meantime. For example, the trays of food laying out, looking perfectly squared and centered. That would be quite a problem. Who wants their food that well organized? That good looking? A probable reason for Shadow Milk to zip across the ceiling, taking the corners down before using every piece of furniture as a hiding spot as he crossed the room.

The journey to the leg of one of the food tables took long enough that most of the guests were already making their ways back to their seats. Splendid news for Shadow Milk. That meant he'd be able to make any alters he'd like without worrying about being caught. Up to the top he sneaked, finding shelter in the shadows of cups and bowls. This part of the room was already hardly lit at all; Shadow Milk could honestly move across its surface entirely without even needing to hid behind anything. Yet, he stayed hidden, mostly for security.

If he wasn't mistaken, he should be approaching a tray of macaroons. It would truly be unfortunate if they grew legs and started running about! Though, from his angle being flat on the table, it was hard to make out exactly what he was nearby. The addition of the tall pitchers and deep bowls didn't help in aiding visibility either. Which could be to say he didn't notice anything out of the ordinary until he heard a voice from above him.

"Change your mind, hm?" 

Shadow Milk hadn't noticed anybody approach and was quick to dart out of sight behind an almost empty tray. Instincts had made him move, but it wasn't before long that he realized the cookie speaking to him was Pure Vanilla-- no one to be worried about; only a minor set back in his plan.

Exiting his hiding spot, Shadow Milk allowed his two eyes and mouth to appear out of the shadows. That way, he was able to rolls his eyes over how hard Pure Vanilla was staring at him.

"Please, like I want to eat any of this rubbish," Shadow Milk replied, "Look! There's worms squirming out of those muffins, for Witches' sake!"

Pure Vanilla's eyes peered over to where Shadow Milk was looking. He almost grimaced when he saw the baby jelly worms that were now trying to eat their way out of a tray of spooky muffins. Though, he chose, in the end, to ignore them, still more entranced by Shadow Milk's appearance.

"I didn't know you could turn yourself into a shadow," he remarked, leaning in a bit closer to get a better view. 

"How could you not?" Shadow Milk asked, "It's in the name. Now, if you don't mind, I am quite the busy cookie right now, so if you could-"

"Why won't you join us?" Pure Vanilla cut him off to ask, a slight frown on his face, "I really think you'll get along with everybody."

Shadow Milk blinked, wanting to laugh.

"I think I'll pass."

He tried to leave again, only to be stopped by Pure Vanilla's arm resting in front of him.

"At least try," Pure Vanilla persisted, "Please...?" 

Stubborn-- a very prominent trait of Pure Vanilla's that Shadow Milk wanted to wring out of him more and more every day. Out of everything he could be, the worst would have to be stubborn. Thankfully, Shadow Milk has figured out ways to work around this stubbornness. Looking behind Pure Vanilla, he noticed the group of cookies now merrily eating and drinking themselves full. His gaze trailing forward, he also took a better look at the arm blocking his path, putting two and two together as a marvelous plan began swirling about his mind. 

"How about this," Shadow Milk proposed, perking Pure Vanilla's attention immediately, "You get me over to that table and I'll see what I can do. Sounds good?"

Puzzled, Pure Vanilla perked an eyebrow.

"How am I supposed to-?"

He was shortly cut off by Shadow Milk suddenly soaring forward, traveling into Pure Vanilla's draping sleeve. Shadow Milk shifted about for a moment, making himself comfortable on Pure Vanilla's wrist as the latter raised his arm upward to see what Shadow Milk was up to without casting away any of his shadows.

"I see..." he mumbled, eyes still wide as he found the whole situation incredulous.

"Quit gawking," Shadow Milk hissed, "You'll draw their attention! Now, don't reveal me on your own. I'll make my appearance when I'm ready."

"Alright," Pure Vanilla said, letting his wrist hesitantly fall. He was scared to move about-- that much was obvious when they started making their way back to the table and all his movements were stiffer than a board. It made Shadow Milk crack a smile. That caring tendency of his would be the easiest way for Shadow Milk to crumble him later on. 

For now, Shadow Milk needed to focus. This would be risky; the chandelier's lights shining directly onto the table would leave little room for error. Every move of his would have to be on point. But, so long as Pure Vanilla doesn't screw things up for him, going undetected should be a breeze. 

The second Pure Vanilla sat back down, all eyes were glued to him. Seems like everybody had been chomping at the bit for him to return as they all immediately dragged him into their conversation. 

"Say, Pure Vanilla Cookie," Gingerbrave started to ask, "Black Raisin Cookie said you two used go hunting together. Is that true?" 

"It is," Pure Vanilla nodded, "Though, I was never any good at it. Most of the time, I would just be there for moral support."

"C'mon, Pure Vanilla," Black Raisin inputted, "Give yourself some credit. I have good memories of you holding a bow like you knew what you were doing."

"Really?!" Gingerbrave asked, starstruck.

"Well..."

Useless storytelling. Nothing that could soil Pure Vanilla's name in the streets. Shadow Milk couldn't stand to listen to anymore, opting to finally make his move out of Pure Vanilla's sleeve. The second he past its limp hem, he felt eyes on him-- Pure Vanilla's, to be exact. No doubt he was wondering what Shadow Milk was up to. He was probably feeling a bit excited even, thinking Shadow Milk was going to actually converse with the rest of them. 

Maybe in a different timeline. Not this one.

Instead, he had his eyes locked onto the lone cup sitting nearby, tauntingly waiting for a sudden bump of the table to knock it over. That's what they'd think could've happened: someone simply bumped the table. Couldn't possibly be a Beast slipping underneath its bottom to push it till tips. 

When Shadow Milk was lined up and ready to start the flood, he couldn't help himself, mischievously glancing back in Pure Vanilla's direction to take in the way his hands were nervously being held together or the way his eyes kept darting back and forth between Shadow Milk and the rest of the group. The other cookies didn't pick up on this-- a relief considering it could've ruined everything Shadow Milk has been working towards. Thankfully, they were unsuspecting of anything, which made their reactions when the glass flopped over out of nowhere, soaking the tablecloth with ice cold water, all that more enjoyable.

"aCK!" Wizard Cookie yelped, sharply jumping out of his chair as the freezing water had poured all over him. "What the-!!"

"Wizard Cookie!" Strawberry Cookie exclaimed, too hopping out of her chair at the sudden outburst.

"Oh goodness," Pure Vanilla rushed upwards as well, hastily grabbing a fist full of napkin to try and wipe the spill up.

"What happened??!" Gingerbrave asked from the other end of the table.

"A glass tipped over, that's all," Pure Vanilla tried to reassure them, but, as he went to grab more napkins, he noticed the Shadow Milk's black figure circling a cup on the opposite side of the table.

Shadow Milk could've sworn the look he gave him was filled with anger-- a shocking revelation if true-- but he was too focused with knocking over the second glass to really tell.

At that point, everybody was standing up, all rushing to help keep the icy water from completely soaking the entire table cloth.

"This one just fell over too!" Gingerbrave cried out, traces of fear starting to linger in his voice. 

"Sorry!" Strawberry Cookie squeaked, "I think I bumped the table a bit..."

Such simple minded cookies. Shadow Milk just loved to tease them, reaching for a spoon dug into the pile of mashed potatoes on Black Raisin's plate. In an instant, it was flung across the room, sending potato everywhere. There was no denying the presence of an unknown force now.

"AHH!" Strawberry Cookie shrieked, huddling herself up and out of the way of the projectile hurdling straight towards her.

"What is going on?!" Black Raisin asked, trying to make sense of the situation, just like everybody else was.

Amidst the panic, confusion, and hands all scrambling around the table to clean everything up, Shadow Milk did his best to hide away. Every now and then, the object he chose to hide behind would be picked up, exposing him for the second before he was hidden underneath something else. The chaos of the room allowed for him to still remain concealed despite multiple close calls. He was almost back safely on the other side of the table when a pair of hands came slamming down onto of him.

Curse himself for making his body tangible in this form. 

The moment he was being shoved back inside that sleeve, he knew it was Pure Vanilla who had finally caught him. Way to ruin his fun.

Having been so abruptly forced into his robes, and being cut off from all sources of light, as well, Shadow Milk couldn't make out where exactly he was. He thinks he's too far in to still be in Pure Vanilla's sleeve, but... 

Shadow Milk started moving, crawling about as he tried to find an opening.

"Is there... a ghost here?" Strawberry Cookie fretfully worried.

"Don't be ridiculous," Wizard Cookie huffed, "There's no such thing as ghosts... is there?"

"Uh, Pure Vanilla Cookie," Black Raisin's voice added to the mix, "Are you okay?"

With no sense of direction Shadow Milk was roaming about Pure Vanilla's body, desperately trying to find a way out. Beneath him, he felt Pure Vanilla ever so slightly squirming, making his escape even harder. When he was resting upon what he could only presume was Pure Vanilla's stomach, a hand latched onto him once more through the fabric, Pure Vanilla abruptly slamming his free hand onto the table.

The room stilled. Shadow Milk stilled-- not by choice.

"Please excuse me for a moment..." Pure Vanilla struggled to speak, "I'll be... right back..." 

Then, they were on the move. To where? Shadow Milk knew as well as the cookies Pure Vanilla left behind. All he had to go off was the short duration of their walk. 

In less than a minute-- Pure Vanilla must've been walking fast-- the hand holding Shadow Milk down was removed, leaving him to internally let out a sigh of relief. But the moment he was comfortably trying to move again, a hot, searing light thoroughly blinded him out of his shadowy form and rolling down Pure Vanilla's sleeve until he tumbled across tiled flooring.

Groaning, Shadow Milk pulled himself, up, trying to blink his way through his starred vision. They were in... a bathroom? He thinks?

"Are you trying to kill me?!" he seethed, wiping at his eyes, "That light is-"

"I have had it with you tonight."

Shadow Milk froze. "...Excuse me-?"

"I've had it!" Pure Vanilla shouted, causing Shadow Milk to take a step back. He's never seen Pure Vanilla mad before, barely making out the cookie's furrowed brows. Shadow Milk didn't even know Pure Vanilla could get mad.

"I tried to be civil with you," he continued, "I tried to make things nice and give you a chance to prove you're not here for evil, but every chance I've given you, you have used them to cause problems for innocent people."

"I am here for-"

"I don't mind you staying here," Pure Vanilla spoke over Shadow Milk, "I enjoy the days and nights we have spent together. But I won't stand for you harming the lives of those who have done nothing to you."

Baffled? Bewildered? Was there even a word to describe how Shadow Milk was feeling? Whatever it was, it had him standing there, silenced. 

"I gave you as little restrictions as I could. I want you to be happy during your stay here. Though, the rules I gave will never change. As I've said before, you will either uphold the few there are, or get out."

Shadow Milk can't say he likes upset Pure Vanilla. He's even more stuck-up than normal. It is a delight to see, though. In other circumstances, Shadow Milk would be thriving with joy right about now.

Other circumstances. Not now. He himself was fuming just as much as Pure Vanilla.

A short laugh-- bitter beyond belief.

"If you wanted me gone so badly, you should've just said so," Shadow Milk said.

"The king has finally given up on taming the Beast! What shock!" he continued, keeping up with his casual theatrics as every motion was excessively overdone, "Except, not. The audience saw this coming a mile away. After all, no cookie could ever tolerate such a ghastly, depraved individual."

"Shadow Milk, that's not what I-"

"I'm surprised it took you this long to finally speak up. But it is you, after all. You love proving to the world that you can make any cookie fall to their knees in submission."

Pure Vanilla gritted his teeth, "I don't-"

"Leave I shall!" Shadow Milk said, spinning around to fling the door to the room open, "I'd hate to go against the king's command. That is the point of this whole discussion, right?"

"Shadow Milk, please wai-"

He slammed the door shut on Pure Vanilla. 

Never before has he ever flown as fast as he did through the castle's halls. Straight out of the nearest window, the cool, night air hit his flushed face like a wall, pricking tears at the corners of his eyes. Traveling as quickly as he was only made the wind even chillier. He could hardly see where he was going-- not exactly knowing where he was going in the first place. 

His mind was a mess-- even more than it had been before. The bile of anger and frustration that rose within him scorched him from the inside out-- a hot and feverish feeling that turn his everything upside down. Such a familiar feeling he's longed to hate. One of the numerous feelings that taunted and tormented him as he was helplessly trapped. 

But this kind of rage was different. In the past, Shadow Milk was aware of his abilities. He had enough patience to know his revelation would come one day and then he would be able to unleash his fury on those who wronged him. This time, he didn't even know where to begin to think. In the hands of Pure Vanilla, Shadow Milk almost feared he had met his match-- the first cookie to personally cleanse his mind thoroughly. 

At some point, Shadow Milk started to question if his thoughts were even his own. To consider writing off this incident, pretending it never happened-- who was the cookie rewriting his entire being? And when every hand would point towards Pure Vanilla for each question he asked, Shadow Milk couldn't find himself to point his own finger. 

So badly did he want to crumble Pure Vanilla. So badly did he want to take back his Soul Jam before leveling off the entire city.

So badly did he not want to do those things. 

Which is the whole reason he's truly mad in the first place. Pure Vanilla wants to snap at him and order him around? Oh well! Who cares. But, as Pure Vanilla was spitting out his whole little spiel, Shadow Milk's only thought wasn't to crumble Pure Vanilla, but instead a wish to see more sides of his coin.

For as long as Shadow Milk has been with him, watching and observing his every move, he's never seen Pure Vanilla so upset. His Soul Jam had been burning throughout the entirety of their interaction for reasons Shadow Milk didn't want to address. Such caring thoughts about a cookie he so deeply despised-- how ridiculous. He'd never admit to them.

But they were there. And they hurt. Because Shadow Milk didn't understand them. 

Vision a bit blurry, he didn't notice he was hurdling himself straight towards a neighboring forest until it was too late. Tree branches scratched and tugged at his clothes, restraining him back from flying any further forward. Panicked-- and a bit hysterical-- Shadow Milk struggled against the pokey twigs, unable to get the one stuck in the ruffles on his neck free. Feeling strangled, Shadow Milk snapped himself free by poofing the excess ruffles of his costume out of existence. With nothing left to keep him up, though, Shadow Milk and his Soul Jam fell to the ground, landing with a discomforted humph.

He laid there for a moment, letting the humility of the situation sink in. What a joke he was...

Before him, his Soul Jam glowed against the forest floor, ever so subtly pulsating. Pulling himself up excruciatingly slow, Shadow Milk reached for it, taking the brooch into his hands carefully. 

This little thing-- Shadow Milk could almost wrap his hands completely around it. All of this indignity had been for something so small, so insignificant. A last era problem that's long since passed. It had been stolen from him, yes. It was the root of all his misfortune, yes. But Shadow Milk was beginning to question the bigger picture.

Would it even matter if it no longer belonged to him? 

=================

After his tumble in the forest, Shadow Milk became dismally tired of the dirty ground. So he took to the skies instead, enjoying the way that same cool air which had previously pricked needles on his skin now soothed his melting dough. Looking over the town at night also did wonders to get rid of those nasty, disgraceful thoughts he'd been having-- truly a miracle. 

So high up in the sky, he could hardly make out anything going on below, but the combination of the scattered lights and ant-sized cookies wandering about was a sight to watch. An event-less sight which took no thinking to comprehend. He should do this more often.

Though, as much as he tried to keep his thoughts away from a certain topic, he knew he'd need to make a choice. 

Stay or go.

With how lengthy the pros and cons were to each, he'd rather not think about it. He'd rather just pack his bags and call it quits. As easy as it would be to leave-- there was nothing left behind he couldn't replace-- he remembered a reason to return, even if it would be for a moment. 

Those worthless little worms he locked away after they proved their incapability. 

And he would've portaled to their room-- if he remembered which room he threw them in. Which meant he'd have to be in there a lot longer than he'd like. 

Whatever. At least he was already nearby.

He remembered putting them somewhat near Pure Vanilla's room, which would mean the easiest way to get in and out would be through his room's balcony. That would also make navigating the halls simpler as well since he's got that portion of the castle practically memorized already. Though, just when Shadow Milk was beginning to think it would be a quick, short trip, as he was nearing the side of the castle with the balcony, he was shortly stopped mid-air, audibly grumbling.

Of course Pure Vanilla was standing there, hands on the rail as the wind gently breezed through his hair and night robe.

What was he doing? He didn't even have his staff-- there's no way he could see anything out there. Enjoying the night air? Enjoying his freedom now that Shadow Milk was gone?

Unfortunately, Shadow Milk had been staring long enough for Pure Vanilla to notice him. Ugh, now he had to go talk to him. 

Begrudgingly, Shadow Milk dragged himself over to where Pure Vanilla stood, floating in the space before him with a bored expression while Pure Vanilla's eyes were blown wide open to stare at him. Silently, Shadow Milk waiting for him to speak first.

"You came back..." Pure Vanilla remarked, softly.

"Not by choice," Shadow Milk scoffed, "I merely forgot a few things I need to collect."

"Are you going to leave again?"

"What do you think? After such a kind sendoff, why would I ever-"

"I'm sorry," Pure Vanilla rushed to say, voice cracking a bit. Was he really about to cry? "I- I didn't mean to throw you out. I want... I want you to stay..." 

The last line that came out of his mouth was mumbled and slurred, Pure Vanilla mindlessly wiping at his face. The action drew Shadow Milk's attention to Pure Vanilla's bright red cheeks. That's when it all clicked into place.

"You're drunk," Shadow Milk stated blankly.

Pure Vanilla hummed in response, swaying in place. 

"Ridiculously so," Shadow Milk continued, lowering himself down to sit on the balcony's railing. 

Pure Vanilla hummed again, continuing to wipe at his eyes. "Don't leave..."

"Does it look like I'm going anywhere?" Shadow Milk said, motioning towards his relaxed stature, "Why would I even want to leave when your like this?"

"Good..." Pure Vanilla mumbled, "Never leave again..." 

His hands finally stopped rubbing away his tears, choosing to instead flop helplessly at Pure Vanilla's side. His entire posture was bent-- very unlike normal Pure Vanilla. Shadow Milk was glad he was able to witness this. It truly was a sight indeed.

"How much did you even drink?" Shadow Milk teased, tilting his head, "I bet you won't even remember this conversation come tomorrow morning."

Pure Vanilla remained silent, eyes half-lidded as he let Shadow Milk talk away.

"Have that many regrets, hm? Has living with me been that hard on you that you need to drink yourself silly?

"And what's that look for-"

The second Shadow Milk noticed Pure Vanilla moving towards his face, he turned his head to the side, causing Pure Vanilla's lips, which were undoubtedly aimed towards Shadow Milk's, to miss, grazing his cheek instead. Mumbling incoherent slurs of noises, Pure Vanilla's face moved to rest against Shadow Milk's neck, his hands finding purchase on the latter's hips.

Throughout his shock, Shadow Milk felt Pure Vanilla's body go limp on him, Shadow Milk having to hold Pure Vanilla's arms up for support so they wouldn't go tumbling off the balcony. He didn't even know how to react to the way Pure Vanilla continued to nuzzle into him, embracing him tighter.

"Don't go..." he whined, or, at least, that's what Shadow Milk thought he said, since the words were barely able to be made out between his mouth being pressed against Shadow Milk's dough and his more than a few drinks slurring everything he said into one mess. 

After a moment of trying to process the situation, the confusion and borderline disgust adding to the overwhelming amount of things weighing on Shadow Milk's mind today, he ended up letting out a long, deep sigh in reply, tugging Pure Vanilla up and off his body so he could hop off the railing.

"Alright," he started, dragging Pure Vanilla inside, "That's enough for today. Let's get you to bed."

"Mmmmkayy..." Pure Vanilla replied, allowing himself to be pulled all the way over to the bed. 

He flopped down face first, lower half of his body pulling him downward off the side of the mattress. With a groan, Shadow Milk grabbed a hold of his legs, hoisting him up and into a normal sleeping position on the bed. Pure Vanilla must've been content as he cuddle up against the sheets, hair an absolute mess while he hummed once more. 

A smile cracked at Shadow Milk's lips. It really was a sight to see. He'd never let Pure Vanilla hear the end of this. 

Wait. Wasn't he leaving? Hadn't he just sworn to himself he'd never come back?

A wasted Pure Vanilla wouldn't be what stops him. No longer would he be caged in the Vanilla Kingdom. He was a free spirit, born to do as he pleases!

When he turned to leave, though, he was stopped by Pure Vanilla latching onto his wrist.

"Wait," he said, "You're not sleeping here tonight?"

Shadow Milk huffed out a laugh, "I don't need to sleep. I certainly don't need to with you-"

He tried to tug his arm free, but Pure Vanilla now held his grip tightly with two hands, one placed dangerously far up, allowing Pure Vanilla to rest his face against his forearm.

"I need you," Pure Vanilla stated, quietly, "Please don't go..."

Oh if he could take a picture right now. Capture the pitiful essence of this cookie begging him to stay. Pure Vanilla was surely want to die if he knew how he was behaving. 

Shadow Milk was stuck in a hard place now, though. His resolve was strong, but was it really that strong? 

No, he decided. Not tonight.

After everything, the thought of shutting his mind completely off and passing out sounded heavenly.

Reluctantly, Shadow Milk himself down besides Pure Vanilla. Instantly, Pure Vanilla was wrapping his arm around Shadow Milk's chest, once again cuddling his face into his blue dough. Once again, Shadow Milk was sighing, letting his eyes slip shut. Every time he laid in this bed, he found himself losing all of his energy, not having the strength to have a care about this display of over affection. 

In the end, Shadow Milk supposed he could manage his way through one more night. Another night of questions going unanswered, mind you-- since there's no way on Earthbread Pure Vanilla would be cognitive enough to give decent replies. Still, something was telling Shadow Milk to hold out. That lingering curiosity-- the whole reason he's here in the first place. Ah, it would surely be the death of him.

Only a few minutes had passed, yet Shadow Milk could hear the faintest snore come from Pure Vanilla. Poor thing must've been exhausted. No doubt he had worried himself sick over Shadow Milk's farewell. 

Shadow Milk let his instincts take over, fingers drawing upward to run through Pure Vanilla's long, soft hair. He never understood how Pure Vanilla managed to keep it well-maintained with its length. A part of him always wanted to touch it every time they slept together like this. There was a question to be asked, though: why? Why did he yearn for this? Why was he so at peace whenever they slept in the same bed? Why was he even doing all this?

Because he didn't care anymore. Really. He didn't.

After all, Pure Vanilla wouldn't even remember any of it anyways.