Chapter Text
“Let me be your…friend.”
The words echoed in Shadow Milk’s ears as he stumbled back, the familiar hush of the portal signaling its closure. He vaguely felt someone grab his arm.
“Master Shadow Milk?” Black Sapphire was practically holding him up, anxiously scanning his face.
Candy Apple had ceased her usual boisterous behavior, fretting over him. “Master? Master! Can you hear me?” She cried out, grabbing at his sleeves.
He shoved off Candy Apple and Black Sapphire, trying to stand on his own and straighten himself, collecting his remaining scraps of dignity. He managed to support himself, brushing off his outfit, only for his hand to slide over something sickeningly sticky.
He raised his hand, inspecting it.
Jam.
He was bleeding. A lot.
Well, that explained the senseless worried rambling of Candy Apple and Black Sapphire’s annoying attempt to help him stand.
He collapsed back down to his knees, a violent fit of coughing wracking his body.
“Ah…Black Sapphire, my staff?” He grit his teeth, using it to help him stand as Black Sapphire dutifully handed it to him.
There was something pressed into Shadow Milk’s palm, digging into his dough.
He unfisted his hand, examining the small golden device there. It was shaped almost like a button, the size of a grape. Small glowing letters were etched into the metal.
“This device contacts me and me only if you press the button. Do with it what you wish, and know I’m always here.”
Ah. Yes. How could he forget? Pure Vanilla had managed to give him this before he’d teleported away.
He growled, tossing the ridiculous little trinket aside in the grass. How pathetic. As if he’d ever want to see that thief’s face again! Not Shadow Milk, no. He was perfectly fine without that- that persistently annoying and-
He snatched the object back up, shoving it into a quick portal.
There. Out of sight, out of mind. And maybe he could use it for nefarious purposes later.
The most important thing right now was getting somewhere safe and dealing with his injuries.
He scanned the area, a random clearing somewhere in Beast Yeast. The Spire was gone, his other realm crumbled by none other than Pure Vanilla. Years upon years of hard work destroyed in an instant by that insolent cookie.
Things had been so perfect too. He’d had Truthless Recluse right where he wanted, unmistakably his. He’d embraced deceit better than expected, his so-called ‘Light of Truth’ dimming into a delicious apathy.
They’d been unstoppable together; two of the most powerful beings in all of cookiekind united as one.
Shadow Milk didn’t understand where it had gone wrong.
One moment everything had been fine, and then the next, Pure Vanilla had been forcing his way into his other realm, blinding golden light flooding all of his senses, shattering the elaborate layers of shadows and dark magic woven into his realm, and by extension, the Spire of Deceit.
He could still hear the awful groaning of the stone as the Spire crumbled right before his eyes, the cries of Candy Apple and Black Sapphire as their world crashed down around them.
He would make Pure Vanilla pay. If he wouldn’t follow him, then he’d die. There was no question in it.
Shadow Milk was done playing games.
He narrowed his eyes, pulling on the reserves of his magic, ignoring the jolt of white hot pain it shot through his injuries, creating a temporary little illusion of the Spire.
It was sloppier than intended, but it’d work for now as a safe haven. He’d tried to replicate the layout as best he could from memory.
He watched Candy Apple ooh and ahh at the faux Spire, immediately running inside and rushing to her room. Black Sapphire trailed behind with his signature smirk, watching her squeal.
There. That was taken care of.
Now only to attend to his wounds, which regrettably, wouldn’t be an easy task. His magic was ill suited for healing dough, made for destruction and torment. Nonetheless, he was THE Shadow Milk Cookie. Surely he could figure it out.
He took a deep breath, trying to focus his magic on healing his wounds. His shadows swirled around the areas, as if unsure how to help. He felt his dough try to knit back together, only to reopen, as if-
There was light magic in his injuries, forcing back the shadows, making it impossible to mend them with his own.
”OH MY WITCHES! YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS!” He shouted in frustration, fisting his claws in his hair. Of course Pure Vanilla would’ve done this. Was he trying to kill him slowly? That didn’t seem very Light of Truthy of him.
He could feel his Soul Jam pulse with a soft blue glow, reacting to his anger. He hastily tapped his claw against it, trying to get it to stop. “Quit, quit, quit!” He hissed in alarm, injuries forgotten. He didn’t know if it was connected to Pure Vanilla now. Probably. The other cookie had said he’d felt his heightened emotions before. Stupid connection. Stupid Pure Vanilla.
—
The rest of the week is spent in an agonizingly slow recovery, consisting of Shadow Milk trying to properly rebuild the Spire and failing, and many, many crash outs.
Candy Apple and Black Sapphire had made themselves scarce, sensible enough to recognize when he was in one of his moods. Still, their laughter would occasionally echo throughout the Spire, the sound once fond, turned irritating with how carefree it sounded.
They’d recovered quickly from the ordeal, Black Sapphire starting his radio talk show back up and Candy Apple resuming her visits to the Faerie Kingdom disguised as Apple Faerie Cookie.
He couldn’t get Pure Vanilla out of his head. Why had the other cookie suddenly switched up on him? Hadn’t he been happy? He was finally where he belonged, embracing deceit and deception with Shadow Milk. Sure, he’d been a bit dull, but that was better than his incessant kindness.
Had Shadow Milk said something? Done something to tip him into awakening?
He couldn’t wrap his head around why Pure Vanilla had left him. As Truthless Recluse, he had been free of heroic expectations and the burden of forcing kindness all the time. And yet, he’d chosen to go back.
And then he’d offered Shadow Milk friendship.
After everything he’d done, he’d held out his hand, an olive branch. A promise of companionship and understanding.
Why?
It was a question that always seemed to be in the back of his mind, coming forefront in the quiet solitude of the late hours of night.
He’d catch himself summoning the little golden communication device, staring at it for what felt like hours before tossing it back into the portal in inevitable annoyance.
Which is what he was doing now, tracing his claws over the etched words idly, staring at nothing in particular.
He wanted to destroy it. He wanted to throw it away and forget it ever existed.
He wanted to press it.
Part of him wanted to just see what would happen if he did. Out of sheer curiosity perhaps. Nothing more. He didn’t need an explanation, and didn’t want one either.
What would pressing it even entail? Pure Vanilla suddenly appearing, pristine robes flowing, his ever present smile plastered on his face, ready to whisk Shadow Milk away, to redeem him? It was a hilarious thought. Shadow Milk didn’t need fixing, nor did he take kindly to the idea he did.
He was feared across Earthbread, revered as a powerful villain, as he should be. Parents whispered his name to young children as a means to scare them into behaving, drunkards in taverns boasting about having met him and lived to tell the tale. His very name was only spoken in hushed tones, rumors and tales of his wrath and cruelty a quiet murmur. He’d even had a cultish following at some point, worshipping his image and sacrificing animals in hopes of gaining his favor.
He couldn’t just throw that all away! Centuries of building up a glorious reputation, a title that alone instilled terror into Crispia, all because some delusional light cookie that aimed to replace him thought he was misguided.
He’d be mocked, the talk of the town! Yours truly, THE Shadow Milk Cookie, reduced to nothing but gossip fodder.
He could see it now;
“Have you heard?” Cookies would whisper. “The great Master of Deceit has been placated by Pure Vanilla! How pathetic!”
Not to mention what the other Beasts would think. How disappointed they’d be that their friend, the one that had once been the strongest of them all, had fallen so easily to a few false promises.
“Poor darling…” Eternal Sugar would sigh, closing her eyes. “Tempted so easily by pretty lies!”
”He would rather choose a boring existence than to spread chaos and destruction?” Burning Spice would snarl, slamming his fiery battle axe down. “He doesn’t even deserve to be called a Beast!”
And Mystic Flour and Silent Salt would be quiet as ever, disappointment evident in their gazes.
He shook his head, a futile attempt to clear his mind. He didn’t need to be entertaining a scenario that would never even happen. He stood up, raising his arms above his head and stretching.
He tossed Pure Vanilla’s communication device into a quickly conjured portal, deciding to go visit Black Sapphire and Candy Apple.
He found them in the kitchen, bickering as expected.
”Give it back!!!” Candy Apple howled, throwing herself onto the floor right as he walked in, too busy throwing a fit to notice his arrival. Black Sapphire looked extremely exasperated, holding a chocolate covered whisk. He glanced to Shadow Milk, as if he expected him to help.
Shadow Milk shook his head, an amused grin gracing his features. He was on his own.
”Candy Apple, you’ve already eaten all of the batter. You can’t possibly need more.” Black Sapphire deadpanned, holding the whisk above his head, where the shorter cookie couldn’t reach. Candy Apple let out a shrill screech at that, getting up and jumping to try and grab it from him.
Black Sapphire flared his bat like wings for balance as she attempted to climb him, pulling at his tailored black suit.
“Give it, give it, GIVE IT!” She shouted, unable to grab it from the taller cookie.
Shadow Milk could feel a headache coming on. This hadn’t been the relaxing experience he’d wanted. He chose to just teleport away, leaving them to deal with it.
He needed to get out of his endless spiral, away from the Spire, away from it all. He needed somewhere to clear his thoughts.
Somewhere slow and easy, where he wasn’t constantly looking over his shoulder.
And what better place than Eternal Sugar’s paradise?