Chapter Text
“O Flower of Volition, I beg you! I come from the Spice Temple, p-please! You must heal my son! You can heal him, can’t you?!”
“Pure Salt Cookie! Stop this! You must snap out of this at once!”
“Why must cookies suffer?”
“I’m sorry Pure Milk Cookie, but this is the only way…I must protect our cookies and their dreams with my life. If that is against the interests of the Witches, then…they are our enemy.”
“Your veraciousness, it’s…it’s the Flower of Volition. She’s…disappeared.”
The towering hallways of the Spire were filled only with the sound of frantic footsteps and the ragged breath of a single scribe cookie. Her destination felt so much farther than it had the countless other times she’d traveled to it. What was once a casual 10 minute stroll suddenly felt like a thousand mile dash across an entire continent. The crumbling of her very dough did not help, though the fear filled her with enough adrenaline to keep going. She had to find him.
She had to find the Fount of Knowledge.
Every step of the way, she called out his name in hopes that by some miracle he was headed in her direction, or perhaps somewhere along the way to the library rather than within it. Alas, she was forced to make the entire trip in full. She burst through the doors of the palace library, crying out in desperation.
“Fount of Knowledge! Fount of Knowledge, come qui—!!”
She was interrupted as she faceplanted into the tile floor, her leg having succumbed to the disintegration process. The lens of her glasses cracked loudly upon impact. The Sage heard her cry and subsequent tumble, and turned his head, crying out in shock and disbelief upon seeing her condition. He rushed to her side immediately, sitting her up in his lap as she crumbled away before his very eyes. She had no visible wounds to speak of, but it was as if her entire being was shriveling away all at once.
“C-Cereal Cookie! Speak to me, who did this to you?!” he urged.
The scribe could just barely muster the strength to speak all of the sudden. She felt so weak.
“A...a B-beast! A Beast d-draped in white! She's...she's caused the others to...c-crumble! M-my dough is...i-is...—!” she gawked in horror as her very hands were now turning to dust.
“A Beast draped in white…? P-pure Sugar Cookie?!”
The scribe winced and shook her head, staring up at the Fount of Knowledge with…pity? “Sh-she calls herself—”
“COOKIES OF THE SPIRE KINGDOM!”
The Sage’s eyes widened in recognition. It was much more confident and boisterous than usual, but…that voice. He knew that voice. And for but a moment, he felt a sense of relief. But it was all dashed away when she bellowed her next words.
“YOUR SAVIOR, MYSTIC FLOUR COOKIE, HAS ARRIVED! Rest now, children, and let all your woes be carried away to the flour from which you came!”
The color nearly drained from his face in that moment. No…no, not her too. She was all he had left! How could this be happening again? It took him a moment to recollect himself, remembering there was a dying cookie who needed him. “C…Cereal Cookie, what—?” The words died on his lips the moment he looked down. There was nothing left in his lap nor his hands. Nothing but grains of flour and crumbled dough. He couldn’t suppress the look of horror on his face. Yet another innocent cookie slipped through the cracks, and he failed them.
“N...no…” he nearly sobbed, flicking the remains from his hands in a knee-jerk reaction and jumping back from the rest that covered the floor of his library. He glanced out the window, trying to steady his breathing as best he could. He grabbed his staff, rushing outside as fast as he could. The absence of his cookies within the Spire walls only served to exacerbate his fears. Where were they all? They couldn’t all have been…gone? He received his cruel answer after only making it halfway down the steps from the front entrance.
Flour, dust, crumbled dough, it was all over the palace grounds. Some small trinkets and accessories left behind tattered, but still intact were the only indicators as to who the ashes used to be. And much to his horror, he recognized quite a few. He couldn’t help but cover his mouth with his free hand, resisting the urge to throw up at the sight. There was only one living cookie among the carnage, and she slowly floated down to the ground, settling at the bottom of the steps.
A Beast draped in white, just as his scribe had foretold. But it was not his former friend who previously held the Soul Jam of Happiness as he’d naively assumed. No, this Cookie wore a much longer dress, and bore a headdress that buried her face in shadow. He recognized the garments she wore as it was, but the mysterious Cookie gave him no room for speculation as she lifted her head to reveal her face. Every hope he had left to be wrong died when he met the ebony eyes of the last Cookie he’d once called friend.
Pure Flour Cookie, the keeper of the Soul Jam of Volition. The last of his friends that had been left that hadn’t lost their minds and given in to the raw power at their disposal. It felt like it was only a week ago he had seen her last, she wasn’t her usual self then either, but it was a far cry from this…thing that occupied her place. The look in her eyes was pure, unadulterated madness. But she wasn’t smiling. She looked so…apathetic, to the death and destruction that surrounded her. He felt like he was looking at a complete stranger.
“Pure Milk Cookie, just the cookie I was hoping to see.”
“P...Pure Flour Cookie, what...what have you done?!”
She shook her head, slowly beginning her ascent up the staircase to meet him halfway. Sweat began to bead down the Sage’s forehead, as he tried to stand his ground. “I am Pure Flour no longer, my friend. I have found the solution to the suffering that plagues our people,” she boldly claimed. He wished he could believe her, that this was simply all a misunderstanding. But the mounds of flour and dust surrounding them made that impossible. She continued, “All baking leads back to the crumbling of our dough. If that is the ultimate, immutable fate of us all, then it is quite simple…”
The conclusion she wanted him to reach was obvious, but he wouldn’t give that to her. He took a step back, steeling his nerves and tightening his grip on his staff. Surely he could get through to her? She was the most compassionate of them all. Her spirits may have been broken, but, perhaps he had a chance of talking her down. “Y-you...d-don't you see what you're doing?! You're...you're no better than Pure Salt Cookie, or Pure Spice Cookie!” he argued, falling back on logic in hopes it would get through to her. She paused in her ascent, staring through his very soul for just a moment.
Then, she laughed.
He’d heard her laugh before. But it was never this cruel, uncaring cackle she uttered. The grin that stretched across her face struck fear into his heart. “Ohhh, you poor, simple fool,” she taunted. In what appeared to be an instant, she was suddenly just mere inches from his face. He couldn’t react fast enough before she hooked her hands onto his staff, preventing him from moving. He wouldn’t surrender it to her, and shakily tried to yank it from her grasp. When had she become so…strong?! Her cold, callous eyes stared into him yet again, as she continued to jeer at him.
“Do you still live in the delusion that they are still the same cookies we once knew? I knew Eternal Sugar Cookie was beyond hope after secluding herself in her garden, but I had higher expectations of you,” she mocked.
He winced, tightening his grip and refusing to back down even as he felt his guilt begin to rise. “I...I will return them to their senses. All of them! Things are bad now, but...but we don't have to succumb to the pressure we’re suffering from!” he desperately urged. “We can still save them! Just, please, stop this! This isn’t what I wanted!” Her grin faltered a tad, seeming to grow impatient with his resistance. “You still cling to your pitiful purpose...despite failing to adequately answer my plight,” she hissed.
The reminder of their last conversation just the week prior was not a welcome thought. Over and over he’d replayed it in his head. Wondered if he should have done more to help her. If he should have broken his promise to her and told Pure Sugar Cookie what she had done to herself. Maybe then they could’ve all still been together. Perhaps they could’ve even managed to get through to Spice and Salt. Surely they would have been swayed to know what their actions had done to their friend? He had no idea now, and he would probably never know.
He grimaced at the memory, gazing upon his friend with pity. “M...Mystic Flour Cookie, I am...I am sorry that I failed you, as a friend and as a wielder of the Soul Jam. But it doesn't have to be like this!” he insisted. Suddenly, and without warning, Mystic Flour Cookie shoved him backwards, releasing the staff and causing him to land uncomfortably on the steps. She towered over him now, not an ounce of remorse or sympathy behind her eyes. “Come now, Pure Milk Cookie…” she mused, tilting her head at him with a disappointed gaze.
“Surely by now you have grasped the reality of it all. Burning Spice Cookie succumbed to his power and destroyed his own kingdom...then Silent Salt Cookie became a monster in turn and slaughtered thousands...even Eternal Sugar Cookie imprisoned what cookies remained from their carnage in her garden…”
“So...your solution is to just kill everyone? We can...make Earthbread a better place to live! We just need to get through to our friends!”
“There is no getting through to them.”
The cruel shock of truth nearly made him tear up. He didn’t, couldn’t believe something like that. And yet… “Just join me, Pure Milk Cookie,” she said, offering him a hand in kind the way she had a handful of times in the past. “Abandon this silly notion of redemption.” He stared at her hand for a long moment. He hated himself for daring to ponder it. He shook his head, rising to his feet and keeping his staff clutched close to himself. “No. There has to be some other way! I know things have been hard on you, but if you do this, you’ll be just like them!” he yelled.
“Why do you continue to shy away from reality?”
He flinched, a light gasp escaping him.
“Does the truth not also encompass pain? As a Sage of Truth, you ought to know better. I didn't take you for such a hypocrite…”
Her words cut deeper than her very betrayal, and it made him feel sick. He couldn’t control the quickening of his breaths. Everything was falling apart around him. His friends, everyone, they had all been taken. He was alone. He took a couple of hesitant steps back, shaking his head and barely suppressing his sorrowful tears. In the end, he couldn’t bring himself to hurt her. His staff hit the steps with a loud clang as he turned tail and fled. The only sound that followed was her haunting laughter that grew ever-distant as he sought refuge within his Spire.
He didn’t stop until he reached his private study at the highest tower in his palace. He slammed the door shut behind him, hyperventilating as he leaned his back up against it. He couldn’t focus, he could hardly breathe. Everything had all gone so wrong so fast. Was it truly only a few months ago now that Pure Spice Cookie had become Burning Spice Cookie and began the slippery slope of insanity that claimed each and every one of their friends? The last of them had succumbed to the despair of it all at long last, and he hadn’t even the courage to avenge his cookies.
“No...no no no no no...it...it can't be true, it...it can't.”
He ran a hand over his face, pushing back the single strand of hair that stuck out like a sore thumb from under his hat. It just as easily curled back into place when he pulled his hand back. Tears began to finally break through his walls and dribble down his face. “Why...? Why is this happening...?” he murmured in despair and disbelief. Slowly, he peeled himself off of the door as he took slow methodical footsteps further into the room. He stopped in the middle, staring at a tapestry on the wall that depicted their birth at the hands of the Witches.
Just mere days ago, he had learned the truth about their creation. He tried, oh he tried to preach it to his followers, but they would not listen. They were all in denial. He had poured every inch of himself into trying to figure out how to convince everyone of what he had seen, what he had heard. He could not even seek comfort from Elder Faerie. How could he possibly understand? He was not raised by them the wielders of the Soul Jam were. But he’d never have even resorted to violating his mothers’ most sacred law, if not for his former sister in Soul Jam.
He once again repeated the question Mystic Flour Cookie had posed to him just a week ago.
“...Why must cookies suffer?”
That burning question that haunted every waking moment of his day and followed him even into his dreams. He hadn’t a shred of peace since she spoke it to him. What was it about that simple question? Was it the way she tried to hide her face beneath her headdress? Or the way she fidgeted with her sleeves in an attempt to hide her scars? Perhaps it was the broken tone it had been spoken with. Whatever it was, it replayed like a worn out tape for 7 days straight in his mind. He searched and scoured his library endlessly for an answer to that question.
“Is the answer...even worth searching for...?” he wondered aloud for the first time since he began his search. Slowly, his eyes looked upon his own empty hands, stained with his mascara that had been smeared by his tears. She was right. The truth had indeed always encompassed pain. Why now, did that frighten him? “Is it...is it really true that I can't save them?” he said, his voice quivering as he brought his hands up to his mouth once more. “Mystic Flour Cookie...I-I…” he was on the verge of sobbing again, looking upwards at the vanity directly in front of him.
He suddenly became transfixed with his reflection. The way his mascara dripped down his azure cheeks, his now disheveled appearance. The way the pure whites of his hair began to bleed black. The eyes that began to form within his own locks. Slowly, he walked towards it, continuously staring at himself. It almost felt involuntary, the way his lips began to twitch into a smile. Then, as if suddenly being tickled by another cookie that he could not break free of, he began to laugh uncontrollably. It turned to madness in the blink of an eye, as the truth finally settled in.
Burning Spice Cookie, Silent Salt Cookie, Eternal Sugar Cookie, and even Mystic Flour Cookie, there was no hope for any of them. They were not his friends anymore. Just wild Beasts.
And the simpletons who attended his lectures; they disregarded his knowledge, his truth. The truth about their own creators. Even the truth of the situation at hand when it came to those Beasts who had once sworn to protect and nurture all of cookiekind. The impudent fools would rather live in delusion, in denial, than accept the harsh reality of the world they were born into. So then, why should he bother preaching such nonsense? Why not simply give the cookies what they want? What good did the truth ever do him anyway?
The truth he had held in such high regard, had preached the importance of, and whose very idea was etched into his Soul Jam, he now hated with every bone in his body. And he wished he could just do away with it all. He began to stumble back from the vanity as he continued to laugh, tears streaming down his face. From madness or sorrow, however, it was now impossible for even him to tell. “I-it's...it's all...a lie. All one big...j-joke.” His laughter raised in pitch somehow, becoming so loud it practically echoed through the hallways just outside the door.
“YES! LIES, EVERYTHING IS LIES! The Witches...our Soul Jams...our purpose, it's allll just a big performance!”
Slowly, his laughter began to calm, and he focused on his reflection yet again. The last remaining bit of his true self, though dwindling, caused him the slightest pause when he saw the disturbing grin on his face. And…he could’ve sworn his eyes had changed, too. But before he could snap out of it, he realized he finally had his answer. It filled him with as much bitterness as it did satisfaction. Performance. Yes, the world was a stage. All cookies, even he and his friends, were mere puppets that danced upon it for the Witches’ amusement.
“She's wrong...there is a reason cookies suffer,” he growled, his fingers curling into fists as they rested on the desk.
“Hehe...it's so obvious, isn't it? Tragedy and comedy...they go together like peanut butter and jelly,” he compared with such juvenile thinking. “It's all just an act.”
The last piece of the Found of Knowledge died within him. He had reached a resolve, but not the one that his former friend may have hoped to instill within him.
“Well...if the Witches want a show...I'll give them one.”
For the first time since the days of the Dark Flour War, the four friends had gathered in the castle of their mutual companion: Pure Vanilla Cookie. Things between everyone were still tense, to say the least. Especially given the letter White Lily sent to each of her former friends just a week prior, detailing her side of the story. But with the defeat of the Beasts finally being achieved, perhaps now the healing process could begin. White Lily Cookie purposefully seated herself as close to Pure Vanilla’s end of the table as possible, away from her former friends.
She couldn’t bare to look a single one of them in the eye after all she’d done to them, least of all Golden Cheese Cookie.
Each ruler had their most trusted attendants beside them, though all were silent and stood away from the table. Mercurial Knight Cookie, Wildberry Cookie, Crunchy Chip Cookie, and Smoked Cheese Cookie all stood in attention. Each of them knew that this meeting could grow volatile at any second, and were prepared to defend their respective superiors with their lives. Though all hoped it would not come to such desperate measures. The air was still somewhat awkward, even between them. Save for Wildberry and Crunchy Chip, who continuously passed quiet glances at one another.
Hollyberry and Dark Cacao were somewhat less cold towards White Lily, now knowing what had befallen their friend so many eons ago. But they could not blame Golden Cheese Cookie for her anger in the least bit. Finally, there was Pure Vanilla Cookie, who stood at the other end of the table from his comrades. The pressure was mounted upon him, and though he long since reconciled with Dark Cacao and Hollyberry, he knew Golden Cheese Cookie may very well be cross with him. He still stood by and forgave White Lily, after all.
And though a thousand forgivenesses she may eventually bestow upon him, it was possible he would carry a guilt with him for the rest of his days, much like White Lily Cookie. The only silver lining was that they could in some facets at least understand and lean on each other in mutual guilt and regret. He looked around the table in silence for a moment. The others speculated that perhaps he was simply reminiscing, they too could not help but recall the old days. He took a deep breath, and spoke his first words very carefully.
“I thank you all for coming on such short notice. And I doubly thank you for even entertaining my invitation at all…I owe everyone in this room a thousand apologies. I know not a single one will ever make up for it, but if there is anything I could do that might at least provide a salve to the pain I have caused…I will gladly do so.”
White Lily Cookie gave him a look of pity. She should have been saying these things. It wasn’t his fault that she betrayed everyone the way she did. He was simply left with the unenviable task of delivering the wretched news to their friends. Dark Cacao was the first to respond, standing up from his seat to address Pure Vanilla directly. “I do not speak for everyone in this room, but…I have given it a lot of thought since then. I do not hold you accountable for the actions of others, and, furthermore, if I may suggest this to everyone else…” he said.
“Many a time I practiced imagining myself in White Lily’s shoes. I have seen many horrors on the field of battle…but the things she claims to have witnessed that day...” he hesitated. “I…I struggle to imagine being able to keep my composure.”
Hollyberry Cookie winced. She too, had juggled such ideas in her mind. If it were herself, would she truly have been strong enough to accept such a harsh reality? She couldn’t in good confidence pretend that she would’ve been. Golden Cheese Cookie seemed to avert her gaze in shame at the suggestion. White Lily could not stand the silence that followed, and stood up from her seat as well. “I…I know I have no right to address anyone in this room. Not after all I have done,” she spoke up, garnering all their attention.
“But I implore you…do not be angry with Pure Vanilla. I am the one who…wh-who destroyed all of our lives. A-and because of what? S-some…stupid insistence to sate my curiosity. He doesn’t deserve your ire. I do.”
“W-White Lily Cookie…I-I told you, you don’t have to—”
“It’s ok, Vanilla,” she smiled sincerely at him. “I have to accept the consequences, whether I like them or not. I…I am offering an olive branch of my own. Any punishment any of you see fit to inflict upon me, I will accept with no resistance. This…this will be my penitence."
Hollyberry Cookie stood up next, “I do not claim to speak for the table myself, but you best hold your tongue White Lily Cookie. There is nothing that any punishment upon you will accomplish. If you ask me, there has been enough pain and anguish. Entering some pointless cycle of revenge will only serve to drive a wedge between us all. Or worse…we risk becoming no better than those Beasts.”
Golden Cheese Cookie remained silent. Something that did not go unnoticed by the others. Hollyberry and Dark Cacao sat back down in their seats, and White Lily responded in kind after much thought. “I appreciate the sentiment, but you are right that you do not speak for this table. And I assure you, it is easier to forgive me when you did not suffer as many unforeseen consequences as some others at this table,” she sternly reminded on Golden Cheese Cookie’s behalf. Everyone seemed surprised by this answer, and Pure Vanilla once again took the reins of the conversation.
“I know…I know that I would like nothing more than for it to be as simple as a group hug so we could return to normalcy. But that is not up to me, or White Lily. It is up to you three.”
“Is that the only reason you called us here?” Golden Cheese Cookie inquired. “I do not wish to be rude, old friend, but I do believe all of this was quite obvious already.”
He shook his head, “No, actually. I have called you all here because White Lily and I have a proposal of sorts. And I know I will be asking a lot of you, especially after all that you have been through in Beast Yeast.”
“Well, I too do not speak for everyone here, but, I hardly think anything could possibly be worse than my experience in the Spice Lands. Besides, I received quite the beautiful set of wings in return for my hardships~” she boasted proudly.
“That certainly fills me with joy to hear, Golden Cheese Cookie. But to get to my point…we all know about our counterparts, the Beasts. And, furthermore…we know that in many ways, we have replaced them, as they were once the holders of our very Soul Jams.”
White Lily nodded, “Yes…in fact, if I remember correct, they used to be friends with each other just like we a—” She stopped, correcting herself accordingly. “W…were.”
“Indeed, you are correct. I assure you all that I have read your letters accounting your journeys to Beast Yeast, and I certainly do not dismiss the hardships you went through,” he assured them. “But, if I may share my own experience for a moment…when I managed to overpower Shadowmilk Cookie, I did so by essentially becoming one with him for just the briefest of moments.” His comrades eyes widened with shock and intrigue. “Became one with him?” Golden Cheese repeated. “Like, some manner of fusion?”
“Not exactly…it’s a tad hard to explain. But, for just those fleeting moments, I could see the world through his eyes. Feel his feelings. I even caught a glimpse of some of his memories. In that moment, I understood him on a level I never thought possible…a-and I realized, he and I, we are not so different. Though our ideals are opposing…truth cannot exist without the presence of lies. That is something I learned from him.”
“Just what are you trying to imply? You cannot be suggesting that they are some manner of necessary evil. They’ve caused the deaths of thousands!” Golden Cheese objected.
“I understand your reservations, but please, allow me to make my case.”
She huffed, “Very well…continue.”
“As I was saying: I knew then that he wasn’t beyond saving. He was a wounded Cakehound. Alone. Scared. In his own twisted way, he simply longed for my companionship. I’ve had some time to think since then, and…” He paused, taking a deep breath. “The fact of the matter is, once upon a time, they were just like us. And while we did not succumb to the temptations of power and madness, we are just as capable of it as any one of them.” He let that thought marinate for a moment before topping it off with his ultimate conclusion.
“So then, my friends, I ask you…does the same not apply to them? I think it’s possible for us to get through to them. We may not be able to restore them to the Cookies they once were, but…we could offer them an opportunity to change and perhaps they could even be of help in our fight against Dark Enchantress Cookie. I believe whole-heartedly in second chances…” He did not hide his glance towards White Lily as he said this. “And I think they deserve one as well.”
Silence dominated the room. Hollyberry Cookie blinked blankly, seeming in awe, but not angry or offended. Dark Cacao’s face was scrunched into a conflicted expression. He clearly wasn’t entirely sold on the idea, but it was obvious he wanted to trust Pure Vanilla’s judgement. Golden Cheese Cookie was easily the least amused by this proposal. But Vanilla had somewhat expected this, given all he’d heard about what happened in the Spice Lands. Nearly all the attendants were silent, but stewing with shot nerves at such a suggestion.
Hollyberry’s face contorted between all manner of expressions, as she seemed to think it over in real time in her head. She was the first to give a response to the idea, sensing the overwhelming tension in the room. “Well, I suppose I can’t say I find Eternal Sugar Cookie beyond help. Her ideals seemed to at least be once rooted in something resembling good intentions, despite her backwards thinking and controlling tendencies,” she admitted. “But what makes you think they’d even agree to such an arrangement?”
Pure Vanilla smiled, “A valid question, my dear friend.”
The former King cleared his throat, glancing towards White Lily. She nodded in understanding, standing up from her seat once more and raising her voice. “You may join us now,” she called. After a moment of silence, the doors behind Pure Vanilla Cookie swung open, and in stepped a cookie draped in black armor and bearing a sword. The unmistakable incomplete half of what was clearly Lily’s Soul Jam was embedded in his abdomen. It was none other than Silent Salt Cookie. The arrival of a Beast caused instant mixed reactions.
Dark Cacao and Golden Cheese instantly drew their weapons and pointed them towards the iron-clad Cookie, their attendants following suit. Even Wildberry Cookie became on his guard, ready to protect his Queen. Hollyberry Cookie stood up, holding her arm out to prevent them from making hasty moves. “Calm down, the both of you! We know Pure Vanilla would never invite a Beast here if it wasn’t safe!” she tried to reason. “Assuming that he did not feed him sweet words to convince him to lure us into some kind of trap!” Smoked Cheese Cookie accused.
“E-everyone! Please! Calm down!” White Lily urged. “Silent Salt Cookie is no threat! H-he has already agreed to join our cause!”
“He…h-has?” Hollyberry asked, a bit taken aback to hear this.
White Lily turned her head to look at him, urging him to approach her and speak his piece. He nodded, going the extra mile to lay his sword on the ground to disarm himself before approaching the table. “Greetings, and my apologies. It was not my intent to frighten or ensnare you,” he said in a tone so polite it caught even Dark Cacao off guard. “What your comrades say is true…I wish to repent for the atrocities I have committed and…” He paused. “I-if…you will allow me, I’d like to aid your efforts to defeat Dark Enchantress Cookie.”
Now nearly all Cookies in the room were taken aback, utterly shocked to hear such words coming from a Beast Cookie. But still, they decided to hear him out. “And…furthermore, though I too have my reservations, I believe I can…convince my former comrades to try this Rehabilitation program White Lily and Pure Vanilla have proposed.” Dark Cacao and Golden Cheese had yet to relax their stances, though Dark Cacao seemed intrigued by this. “Even Mystic Flour Cookie and Burning Spice Cookie? They were easily the most destructive of you lot…I find it hard to believe they’ll buy into this.”
“Indeed…how exactly do you plan to convince them to go along with this plan?” Wildberry Cookie asked.
“Because I know of the very ritual that sealed them away to begin with. It was by my hand they were imprisoned, and I shant hesitate to do so a second time should they refuse to cooperate.”
This revelation shocked them as they stared at the Beast in pure awe. “You? You sealed them away? I thought that was the Witches’ doing,” Golden Cheese Cookie pointed out. Silent Salt shook his head, “No…the Witches abandoned us long before that. Twas I and Elder Faerie who put a stop to their vile misdeeds.” White Lily nodded, “It’s the truth…I witnessed it with my own eyes in the Catacombs of Silence. He seeks to repent, as I do…so I think…I think perhaps the other Beasts might yet be reached.” Pure Vanilla nodded in agreement.
“It’s not a perfect plan by any means. And obviously they won’t be fully cooperative from the start. But…I-I think we can do it. Still, there is no pressure to participate. I understand that you may all still be traumatized and shaken by your experiences in Beast Yeast. I certainly am. But I think—”
“I accept this responsibility.”
All eyes turned to Hollyberry Cookie, who had a glint in her eye. “You two shouldn’t be the only ones taking on this burden. I will escort Eternal Sugar Cookie to the Hollyberry Kingdom with me, and convince her to join our cause!” she accepted. Dark Cacao blinked. He was still and silent for a few moments longer, before he put down his sword and gave his answer as well. “I accept your proposal. I am sure you know what you’re doing, Pure Vanilla Cookie.” All eyes were now on Golden Cheese Cookie, who still seemed incredibly hesitant.
“You lot may trust your counterparts…but I am not so convinced Burning Spice will be worth the trouble,” she reiterated her concerns.
“If you are not comfortable with this, Golden Cheese Cookie…then you don’t have to—”
“I wasn’t finished.”
“Ah, um, s-sorry…go ahead.”
“Surely you don’t intend to go through with this without some assurance around to keep them in check? As you say, they will obviously be out to push as many boundaries as possible from the beginning. And forgive me, but I find it hard to trust the fanciful vows of a Beast.”
She did not dare say the quiet part out loud: That being her mutual distrust of White Lily Cookie. Regardless, Pure Vanilla Cookie nodded in acknowledgement of her concerns, hovering a hand over his Soul Jam. “These…will be the assurance,” he stated. His comrades blinked at him in pure confusion. “We all already have the power within us to drive them back. We did it in Beast Yeast, and we can certainly do it again if we must. While it’s not my ideal vision…I cannot ignore that it is a risk.”
“I suppose he has a point…didn’t you upkeep and maintain an entire virtual city’s worth of cookies with your own Soul Jam, Golden Cheese Cookie?” Hollyberry reminded her. “Surely this power you’ve called from within must be ten times greater than that!” Golden Cheese ruminated on this logic, it was sound. Enough to put her mind somewhat at ease, and she finally lowered her spear. “Very well. I accept. But I reserve the full right to obliterate that brute if he dares damage even one of my treasures.” Pure Vanilla Cookie nodded.
“It is only fair that you be allowed to protect yourself and that which is most precious to you.”
“So, we are all in agreement, then?” White Lily asked.
“So it would seem! When can we escort these rascals back to our homes?” Hollyberry exclaimed excitedly.
“I will travel back to Beast Yeast post-haste to confront them. I shall write to you all whence I have convinced them to leave their hiding places and accompany you to Earthbread,” Silent Salt informed them. White Lily nodded, “Pure Vanilla and I will also go to ensure everything goes to plan. Thank you all for your time and consideration, and may your journeys home be safe.” The five heroes all bowed to each other as they bid their farewells. While some were more confident than others, all were on their guard as they took on this hefty task.
They could only hope their comrades knew what they were doing.