Archive of Our Own

Shadow Milk was no stranger to his other realm, nor was it estranged to him.

It was like a sibling in a way: created alongside him and remained with him through thick and thin. Back when he was naïve, still believing that helping other cookies would be the best and only path designed for him (how foolish), if he wanted to relieve stress, he'd fill it with bright glimmering stars. He'd invent new constellations, he'd draw himself in the sky, he'd make fake stars and name them after his friends. Then, once clarity hit, he'd whisk it all away and plunge it back into darkness.

Recently, gold stars had lit up his other realm once again, but not of his own accord.

They made Shadow Milk despise his other realm. Tainted, destroyed, filled with an ugly essence of hope that was not his.

He could feel it mess with his mind too. Like each star was a chain holding him back, a disturbing feeling of compassion, a tiny little voice that sounded awfully familiar keeping him in check.

He hated that. Shadow Milk was not supposed to fall in line, he'd destroy the line and all who worshipped it.

Order, reason, righteousness. It was all pathetic.

So, why was it constantly pulling him back?

No matter how many times he'd tried plunging his other realm back into darkness, shattering those false stars into nothing, they always held their spot. They never lost their glow.

If Shadow Milk so pleased, he could wipe out every star in the sky and make cookies weep for him to bring them back. Or he could move them around, sending the sailors who relied on them to their doom.

Of course, he'd first have to deal with Moonlight Cookie, but trust him! He could do it without breaking a sweat!

So, why on Earthbread were these false stars still permeating his once perfect other realm?!

He knew why. He knew what caused his dark navy other realm to mix with a sickening gold but he didn't dare to think about that wretched, thieving cookie anymore. First, he stole his soul jam. Then, he stole his one retreat, infecting it with that sweltering warm hope!?

Disgusting. It's like he was trying to make him go mad.

But now he had no other option but to stare at the stars in his other realm, taunting his lack of dough.

Right. That horrible, worthless, disgusting traitor (sometimes referred to as Silent Salt Cookie) cursed Shadow Milk's body and forced it to crumble in his dirtied steel hands.

At the end of the day, that dough was merely a vessel, not built to last. He'd felt it when he was first unleashed from The Silver Tree, how his body felt ten times weaker than it used to. He was never the most muscular, yet the difference was significant.

That was the first sign that he wasn't meant to win the war. Him crumbling was all part of Dark Enchantress Cookie's plan, and yet...

His soul jam thrummed at the sight of the glowing false stars.

Well, the fact that he could still think coherently proved he was alive, but his soul jam acted as confirmation, he'd supposed. It meant that Dark Enchantress Cookie's plan had failed.

And, from the ugly constellations still littering his vision, he knew Pure Vanilla Cooke was also alive.

If he had a stomach, he'd feel sick and bitter about it. Pure Vanilla got to celebrate with his friends, keep the idea of being a hero in his mind for longer.

Pure Vanilla got to live. Shadow Milk got nothing. Not even the release of death.

Just tiny little stars, taunting what could have been. For eternity, he'd float in nothingness and watch gold infect his world and wonder if things could have been different. Maybe if he accepted Pure Vanilla's painfully idiotic offer?

His soul jam pulsed in delight. Of course it wanted that, it wanted to be whole again.

'Truth and deceit can coexist!'

Stupid. He wanted to cover his ears and scream, tell his mind to shut up.

But he had no mouth, no ears and no hands. Only him and his mind to float eternally.

"Perhaps Silent Salt Cookie's attack really was enough to crumble him entirely."

...What?

Who was that? And, furthermore, how dare they?!

"I don't think so." Another voice, gentler. Ever so familiar. Ever so sickeningly sweet. "He's never been this quiet, though. I would have thought we'd have found him a lot earlier."

The voices rang in his mind, like it were playing tricks on him. Not that that was uncommon. He decided to humour it, for there was nothing else to do.

"Hellooo? Requesting my presence, are we?" It was strange. He only had to think about saying the words and they resounded in his mind. No vocal cords necessary.

"...Oh, I thought we finally had some peace and quiet." The first voice said calmly, yet was laced with sarcasm that was foreign coming from her.

Perhaps they were all a little out of sorts after the war.

"Mystic Flour Cookie! My favourite—!"

"Are you going to keep yapping or will you join us?" A final gruff voice cut him off.

"...Join you? Where? Not sure if you noticed, but we're lacking the dough to go anywhere!"

"No, no, no! Our lovely saint reminded us of Dark Enchantress Cookie's laboratorium, used to create our new bodies... Oh, yet abandoned in the wake of war! How horrid... To make matters worse, none of us know where it is..." Eternal Sugar sighed pitifully, forcing a fake light sob out of her non-existent throat. "And then we thought, with your other realm, you could take us there and help us get new dough! By the by, did you redecorate? It feels so much more welcoming and bright in here!"

He ignored that last comment. "Ohh, I've been to the lab before! Real drab place, you'd hate it." Shadow Milk yawned as though he had the ability to be tired.

"Forget it." Burning Spice grumbled. "We can find it ourselves."

"Wait, wait!" Shadow Milk couldn't float in emptiness forever. "I'll take you there! I'll give you a specialised tour myself, c'mon!"

"Oh, thank you, dear!" Eternal Sugar cooed in false kindness. Everyone, including her, knew she only called people by affectionate names if she needed something. "We should be able to use our soul jam's power to re-animate the bodies too, all we need is for you to take us there."

Shadow Milk hoped he remembered how to do this. And prayed that Pure Vanilla's stars wouldn't affect anything. Slowly, the other realm around him melted away into fuzzy visions of dark red, dreary walls, destroyed machinery and lumps of dough. Vials spanned the distance from the ceiling to the floor, glowing in an unwelcoming red and orange.

"Hmm, just as friendly as it always was." Shadow Milk wished he could float around to his heart's content, twist back and forth in midair as he always would. But the limitations of his spirit made moving around laborious. He inched forward in drags as he took in the area. Or, as best as he could, until he heard the thump of dough slamming against the ground.

"Now THIS is what I'm talking about!" Burning Spice yelled, causing Shadow Milk to turn back as fast as he could. A loud crash resounded from where his voice came from, followed by heavy running footsteps that only got quieter as he got further away. All Shadow Milk caught was a glimpse of red dough.

"Hey! Not fair! How did he already find his body!?" Shadow Milk whinged.

"It appears this room was dedicated to creating Burning Spice's vessel." Mystic Flour observed, and, in an instant, Shadow Milk no longer cared for whatever else she was going to say, if anything at all.

He dragged his vision through the walls, being a spirit provided him with the ability to easily phase in and out of solid matter, until he slipped into one with large, blue vials lining the walls.

Perfect.

The thick glass of many of the beakers had been shattered, likely due to some sort of explosion, causing blue, sticky dough to mix together on the floor.

Not perfect.

There should be some dough vessels still left over, if Burning Spice's 'reincarnation' was anything to go by. Shadow Milk's previous body was refined to his exact tastes, which wouldn't be without trial and error. So, there had to be versions of him that were rejected, yet still usable.

Not that he minded, he wasn't picky. (He was).

He ignored the dough on the floor and moved towards an unshattered vial with the figure of a cookie inside. Once he'd gotten close for a better look, it immediately pulled him close until he was unable to escape.

It hurt. Every fibre of his being was yanked, dragged, with no care for the pain. As heavy dough weighed him down, he felt like suffocating under the pressure. All bodily functions kicked in as he merged with the dough. The familiar feeling of his heart beating out of his chest, pumping jam into his veins. The rapid inhaling and exhaling of smoky, disgusting air made him want to choke.

Finally, he collapsed to the floor, two palms colliding with the scraps of useless dough staining the floor. Inky hair draped over him, tight clothes cupped his body, wet breaths tumbled out of him. Having a cookie form again would take some getting used to.

He stumbled to his feet, wondering how on Earthbread Burning Spice was able to immediately run away after obtaining his dough again. Shadow Milk felt like passing out. He was thirsty, starving, cold and hot at the same time.

A blur of blue from the corner of his eyes caught his attention, and he quickly turned to see his reflection in an ash-covered window.

He looked... The same?

That couldn't be right. This vessel had to have been rejected for a reason, whether aesthetic or function. Something had to be wrong.

He held the same blue and black hair, with eyes drifting along the surface. The same light blue skin, the same sharp teeth, the same mark over his eye—

As he stared, a spark of gold stared back.

No.

It glimmered like a star, filled with both wonder for and knowledge of the universe. He recognised it, for it was once his own.

He tore his gaze away from that golden eye, instead down to the claws in place of fingernails. One hand lifted, the claw on his index finger half obscuring the gold for a second. All it took was a simple change of angle for it to push into the pupil and send sparks of pain through his dough.

It didn't pierce it at all, but it dared to. It wanted to. He wanted it to.

But the moment he tried to, searing pain shot throughout his entire body, leaving him to clutch his head in horror. No jam splattered against the ground, and, when he looked back up at his reflection, gold still taunted him. Unafflicted, unblemished.

Pure.

If he couldn't tear it out, the next option would be to hide it. Back in his previous form, changing his eye colour was quite the pain, the surface area of his iris being too small that he normally wouldn't bother.

But this was dire. He shut his eyes, channelling his magic to his golden eyesore until he felt that it had been covered properly. When he could see again, the gold was now a deep blue, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Now, with that out of the way, what was his first order of business utilising his new vessel?

•

If he were entirely honest, his first order of business was snatching food from some fancy restaurant. While it was mainly to satisfy his cookie needs, the drama that stirred after some 'incredibly important family' (their words, not his) didn't receive their food was a better meal than anything he'd tasted in a long time.

But Shadow Milk wasn't known for being honest, he's called the Beast of Deceit for a reason. His story would be uninteresting if he just told you about the food he ate, no, no. Instead, his actual first order of business was to regain access to his soul jam.

Think about it! He had a limited amount of time before Burning Spice destroyed another civilisation, or The Pale Ailment began again, and news spread that the beasts had returned. So, he had to strike while Pure Vanilla still assumed he was dead!

This time, there would be zero tomfoolery! ...Well, it was Shadow Milk who's doing it, so perhaps there was going to be a small amount of tomfoolery, but not a lot! No Truthless Recluse, no messing with past memories, just a good old-fashioned 'yoink' of what was rightfully his, even if it was an unsatisfactory performance... Shadow Milk grimaced at the thought.

No matter! Anyway, how hard could it be?

Not at all! In fact, it was as simple as a quick portal into the shadows of Pure Vanilla Cookie's chambers and blending in behind a dresser. He opened one eye, his true cyan one, which scanned every surface for that hope-filled fool. Yet, he wasn't anywhere to be seen.

...Where was Pure Vanilla Cookie?

Shadow Milk begrudgingly popped out of his hiding spot. Seriously?! He put in all the effort of regaining physical form only for his star audience member to bail right before the dramatic climax?!

He swished his head around looking for any clue for where Pure Vanilla had gone. The former king certainly had been here recently, a few decorations had changed, including a lone white lily in a vase on his bedside table. And the sheets were a sign of life themselves, crumpled and still radiating warmth and...

Was that jam?

The click of the bathroom door rang out in the previously silent room and sent Shadow Milk instinctively diving back into the shadows where he could safely observe. White robes brushed past his view, this one lighter and meant for sleep rather than every day usage, and moved quickly to the bed. A thump of a weighed-down body hitting fluffy sheets followed. Then, a sniffle.

Was he crying? Why?!

...No, actually, how dare he! He was the one who won the war, where's the fanfare? The celebration?!

Shadow Milk should be crying, not this horrid half-a-cookie!

In his rage, Shadow Milk shot out of the shadows and glared from behind at the trembling, curled up body of Pure Vanilla Cookie, twitching with each broken sob that escaped his mouth. The rage dissipated from his body, instead filling with a level of adoration at another idea!

'Wait... Is he crying over me?! Oh, Nilly, you charmer!' Shadow Milk thought, his heart warming: a rare occurrence. 'He's going to be overjoyed to see me! What a shame, maybe I shouldn't take his soul jam after all... Hah! Just kidding!'

As Shadow Milk was about to speak, a glint of white and red caught his eye. The white lily on the desk had been removed from its vase, instead clutched in Pure Vanilla's shaky hands like it were his lifeline.

Oh.

Right.

If Dark Enchantress and White Lily Cookie were one in the same, defeating Dark Enchantress would mean...

Oops. Maybe he got a little ahead of himself there.

Still, Shadow Milk grumbled in his mind at how little remorse Pure Vanilla had! Hello? What about him?! Pure Vanilla had two hands, he could hold a milkcrown or something: kill two birds with one stone! Honestly, the nerve!

"Wh-White Lily Cookie..." Pure Vanilla sobbed quietly, curling up even more. "What could I have done...?"

'You could've given me your soul jam!' Shadow Milk almost wanted to snort, but seriously! So much of this could have been avoided if Pure Vanilla had just handed over his soul jam from the very start! Well, Shadow Milk still had his whole plan for revenge and everything, but hey! He might have spared Pure Vanilla! ...Possibly. On a good day.

"Why couldn't it have been me...?"

Something inside Shadow Milk snapped, and he forced Pure Vanilla to roll over by yanking his shoulder and finally look at him. "Hey! Rude! If you'd died, what about your— MY soul jam?! At least give it back to me first!"

Pure Vanilla stared in stunned silence for a moment, before he whispered out.

"Sh-Shadow Milk Cookie...? You're... Alive...?"

"My death was oh so greatly exaggerated! One little stab won't be enough to take me down, thank you very much!" Shadow Milk laughed and floated up until he was laying in midair, eye level with the blond. "Oh, look at how pitiful and sad you are! Reminds me of the good ol' days before you TRICKED me!"

He then slammed his heels to the ground, shaking the gaudy chandelier above. Small jingles rang throughout the room, and Shadow Milk hoped it would fall and crush Pure Vanilla.

Wishful thinking, as it merely swayed back into place after a few seconds.

"Shadow Milk, you're..." He greatly awaited what boring nonsense Pure Vanilla would spew, but then... "Please leave at once. I'm not in the mood to entertain you today. We can reconvene at a later date."

...What?

A strange feeling arose in Shadow Milk. Pure Vanilla wasn't paying attention to him?! Sure, the constant love and peace speeches were annoying, but rebuting them was entertaining! And seeing Pure Vanilla feebly chase after him, begging for his hand in friendship? It was aggravating, yet fun!

Now, there was none of that.

"Excuse me?! Denying an audience with me?! You must have had a few screws knocked loose in that war! What happened to all of that crying and pining because I wouldn't be your friend, hm?"

Pure Vanilla ignored him, twirling the lily in his hands, but flinched at the word friend. Good, at least he was paying attention.

"And c'mon! Not a single tear over me?! But instead for a half-of-a-half cookie who already 'died' once before? You should be used to this by now!"

"Shadow Milk Cookie." Pure Vanilla refused to look him in the eye as his voice cracked with each syllable. "I asked you to leave. Please go."

"Nope! Not until I've taken what's rightfully mine!" He reached for the soul jam in a fruitless effort, and Pure Vanilla turned away before he could lay a finger on it.

"...Why now? Of all times?"

"Do you have to ask? So many pointless questions when the answer is so incredibly obvious! You're in such a pathetic, weakened state, why not seize the oppurtunity?" Shadow Milk sat on the bed, much to the other's chagrin, and popped his head over Pure Vanilla's shoulder. "Though you're clearly not doing yourself any favours."

Pure Vanilla glanced at him with shaky pupils that quickly turned away. "What are you trying to say?"

"I saw the jam on your bed, don't think I'm stupid!" Shadow Milk accused, more emotion coming off on his voice than he meant to. "If anyone is going to destroy you... It'll be ME, not YOU!"

Pure Vanilla didn't respond beyond a whimpering sigh. "Then do it already."

Shadow Milk pressed his lips together, forcefully silencing all he was about to say. He should take the oppurtunity. Strike while Pure Vanilla was off guard like he'd initially planned.

He needed to. He really should...

"No."

Pure Vanilla flinched, finally turning to look back at Shadow Milk, awaiting a lie. "...No?"

"Don't make me repeat myself." Shadow Milk crossed his arms tightly over his chest. "It won't be satisfactory. I have a show to put on, an audience to entertain! If I crumble you now, that would be so anticlimactic!"

"Then go."

Shadow Milk grimaced at the blond, then finally stepped back, a portal appearing behind him. "Fine! Just don't go crumbling on me, alright?!"

Pure Vanilla nodded, the movement so slight that Shadow Milk almost missed it. "...Alright."

"Yeah..." Shadow Milk pushed one foot into the portal, looking over his shoulder one last time. "Alright."

•

"Master Shadow Milk Cookie, if I may..."

The stabbing of the sewing machine whirred to a halt. "What?" Shadow Milk said bluntly, barely giving his servants the time of day.

Black Sapphire glanced down at the tiny white robe Shadow Milk was sewing, then at a Pure Vanilla plush, that was, at least, half decent with a pair of shorts. "I would never question your masterful plans, my liege. But I must ask what the purpose of all of this is?"

"Hah! Is it not obvious?" Shadow Milk slammed his foot down on the pedal, forcing life back into the sewing machine so the mechanical noises would drown out whatever Black Sapphire would say next.

"...No?"

"Hrggh..." Candy Apply groaned from behind, glaring at the Pure Vanilla doll. "How come Master Shadow Milk Cookie never makes cute dolls of me?!"

"You—!" Black Sapphire nearly jumped into the air from shock before returning to his usual refined posture. "Why would our master have any desire to make a doll of you?!"

"Because I'm his favourite! Duh!" She grabbed the Pure Vanilla plushie in two scheming hands, ready to pull it apart at the seams.

"Don't mess with that!" Black Sapphire tried to grab it, but Candy Apple slipped her body out of reach.

"Don't tell me what to do!"

"You're interfering with our master's perfect plans! ...Whatever they may be!"

"But clearly Shadow Milk Cookie sees something in this doll— Something I don't have!"

"You two." The sewing machine's drumming, previously acting as white noise, had long since stopped, the pair having failed to notice however. Shadow Milk's words, although simple, were dripping with malice. "Why don't you two leave? I'm sure you have much better things to do."

He snatched the doll from Candy Apple's hands, who all but squealed from being noticed by her idol. "Nothing's better than being with you, Master Shadow— Urk!"

"Absolutely correct, as always!" Black Sapphire exclaimed with grandeur, as though he wasn't currently dragging Candy Apple back by her shirt collar. "We shall take our leave, apologies for the interference."

"But I wanna—"

"I said—!" Black Sapphire grabbed his microphone stand, only narrowly missing Candy Apple's head. "We shall take our leave!"

With that, Black Sapphire yanked her out before she could protest and slammed the door shut behind him, leaving Shadow Milk alone again.

"..." He breathed a sigh through his nose, then picked up the bare Pure Vanilla doll with one hand. With the other, he picked up the white robe, that had a small strip of velcro on the back for fastening, and attached it to the doll.

He gave it a once over, brushing a soft piece of felt hair away from its face.

Perfect.

•

The second time Shadow Milk returned to the Vanilla Kingdom, he took a much gentler approach, at least in his mind. Instead of bursting in through a portal today, he had much more of a taste for a quiet, humble knock on the door. He cleared his throat, pushing it into a lower, unrecognisable register. "Hello? Pure Vanilla Cookie, it's urgent. May I come in?"

He awaited a response, but the only sound that came were the soft trills of birds from outside the castle.

"Hmph." Shadow Milk immediately slipped his way through the locked door like a ghost. "Now, now, Nilly, you can't get mad at me for this. I knocked very politely this time, you just didn't respond! Soo, is it really my fault?"

Again, no response. And no Pure Vanilla.

He tossed the doll of Pure Vanilla's likeness that he'd so lovingly handcrafted to the bed and began to scour the room. Under the bed, outside on the balcony. He checked the drawers too, in case the cookie had magically shrunk. Who knows? It's not impossible.

Shadow Milk even peered into the bathroom, but the lights were off and the entire room had zero sense of life. No warmth anywhere except the sun-kissed window, everything perfectly in place, the sheets clean (no jam, not that he was keeping track) and ironed.

It felt like Shadow Milk had stepped into a model of a bedroom, something that would exist in a museum a few hundred years in the future to display what the Vanilla Kingdom used to look like before Shadow Milk tore it apart. He chuckled to himself at the thought.

If he had to guess, it didn't seem like anything in the room had been touched in days. Clearly meaning Pure Vanilla wasn't here, and hadn't been for a while.

A scavenger hunt! How fun! Shadow Milk grinned to himself.

In a blur of blues, he dashed out of the window and zapped his form to a river just outside of the kingdom. With a swish of the hand, both his body and outfit changed to look like a simple farm lady. More specifically, a gentle maiden with long white hair and a beautiful blue dress, one he tailored himself many eons ago. In his most fabulous disguise, he would investigate the streets for any clues and play detective until he finally spotted that silly cookie.

Hands on his hips, he gazed at his reflection in the river proudly, yet his arms dropped to his sides when a glint of gold stared back.

No. Not again!

"It's fine..." He grumbled to himself, bringing his hand up to it. "Just gotta... Disguise—"

"Caw!"

"Ugh, what now?!" Shadow Milk seethed, dropping his hand and glaring up at a scruffy black bird with piercing red eyes. It cawed at him again, but he shooed at it until it stopped. "Shush! You'll ruin my perfect plan!"

The bird refused to let up. "Caw!"

"Away with you!" He swatted at it like a fly, but it retaliated and smacked him upside the head with its wing. "Okay— Okay, fine! Geez..."

He tore and tugged at his bangs until they fit into place over his singular golden eye, then begrudgingly followed the bird. It expected him to run at first, flying far and fast, but he pointedly slowed to a snail's pace until it flew back to him, squawking again. "Oh, it can't possibly be that urgent."

Its claws dug into his undershirt in a feeble attempt to yank him along, squeezing its red eyes shut as it strained its wings. He pulled it off with one hand and flung the bird back into the air, watching with satisfaction as it desperately tried to regain its balance mid-flight. It spun a few times in an indiscernable mass of feathers before cawing angrily and stabilising itself.

"I will speed-walk." He lifted the rim of his dress up to not dirty it, lapis-coloured heels shimmering underneath. "But do not expect me to go any faster."

The crow seemed somewhat satisfied with this, floating about a couple heads higher above him as it guided him through the town square, into the castle gardens and across a field littered with sheep manure. He lifted his nose in disgust, slowing to ensure he didn't step in any of it, much to the crow's very vocal dismay.

Eventually, they arrived at a large shed, reeking of damp hay and echoing many distressed bleats that could be heard loud and clear through the wooden walls. The shed was in relatively decent condition, though if Shadow Milk had to nitpick, which of course he did, some of the planks were uneven and wearing with age.

The crow squawked again— Do those birds ever shut up?— and flew through an open window. Shadow Milk raised an eyebrow at no one in particular, then pushed open the giant shed doors.

There was an... Unusual sight laid in front of him. In Shadow Milk's many years of living, he'd often assume that he'd seen it all. And yet, every so often, he'd see something so absurd that he couldn't help but laugh a little.

Pure Vanilla lay still, head buried in a cloud of cream wool, with another cookie, black hair hiding most of her features, by his side. She held his unconscious body upright with a singular arm and mumbled something to him. The flock of cream sheep around him bleated, some nosing at Pure Vanilla's body with curiousity or worry.

Shadow Milk cleared his throat and the black-haired cookie turned to him, eyes wide yet soft in relief. "Finally!"

She ran up to him, giving Shadow Milk a closer look at her face. He recognised her from Pure Vanilla's memories... Right, what was her name again? Oat 'n' Raisin Cookie? Or... Granola? Crazy Crow Cookie? ...He'd get there eventually.

"I know this is quite sudden, and I am sure you are confused on why you've been led here, but could you please stay with Pure Vanilla for a bit?" She asked, holding his hand in her own. "I promise I'll find some way to repay you, but I need to find a medic first, okay?"

Before Shadow Milk had the chance to respond, she dashed out in a flash, her murder of crows flapping alongside her. Tentatively, and a little awkwardly, Shadow Milk walked up to Pure Vanilla, laying in dirty hay and half nestled in the thick wool of a cream sheep.

Ever so gently, he nudged him with his shoe.

... Nothing.

He kicked a little harder, and one sheep scurried away at the tiniest sign of conflict.

Not even a stir.

"Nilly~! Oh, sleeping beauty, do I need to wake you with a kiss~?" He swooned, holding back a gag as he interlocked his fingers together and swayed from side to side.

...

Huh. Normally, no matter how committed someone was to pretending, they would always break character and recoil in disgust whenever he said something like that. But Pure Vanilla didn't even twitch!

He even sat down in the disgusting hay, pinched Pure Vanilla's cheek and pulled hard, yet the skin merely snapped back into place with no sign of change.

At that moment, something tugged at Shadow Milk's dress, causing him to flip his head around in the direction of the force. A sheep stared at him innocently, and slightly cross-eyed, as it lightly chewed on the fabric in its mouth.

"Is this kingdom filled with the most insufferable animals, or what?" He hissed, yanking his dress back. The sheep leant forward again, not taking the hint, so Shadow Milk snapped his fingers to change back to his regular form. "No more," He scolded, not unlike how he'd condemn his servants.

The sheep shuffled forward, kicking up tiny bits of hay. He worried for a moment that it would attempt to yank his bodysuit or coattails instead, but it then flopped its head into Shadow Milk's lap and relaxed. A few more sheep followed suit, taking a false sign that Shadow Milk was safe and comfortable to rest on.

All it took was one, and, in the matter of seconds, sheep covered him entirely, stuffing him in a sweltering hot mass of wool. He could barely move his hands to cast a spell, but he knew the moment he could, he'd slaughter all of them, and Pure Vanilla too.

The blue of the blond's soul jam shimmered under the shreds of light coming from holes in the roof as if to rub salt in the wound. If he had his full power again, he could tear these sheep into oblivion! Then, he could finally turn the entirety of Earthbread into his personal stage, puppeteering every cookie to his bidding and have them respect him as the great Beast of Deceit!

...But to think the great Beast of Deceit could be incapacitated by a mere flock of sheep.

In any case, it was so absurd that most people would assume it's a lie and not believe it. That was the only consolation he could give himself.

"Mm... Shadow Milk...?" A voice croaked, so dry and scratchy it made Shadow Milk's throat hurt just from hearing the strain.

"Oh, and now you wake up," Shadow Milk seethed, doing his best to hide the embarrassed blush on his face. If anyone asked, it was from the heat, and not the unadulterated humiliation.

"You... What...?" He heaved, lolling his head forward to cup it. "Ugh..."

"Stop trying to speak," Shadow Milk hissed. "You make my entire body hurt with your voice."

"Sorry..." Pure Vanilla shut his eyes again and rested his head on one of the sheep that was draped across Shadow Milk.

"...Pathetic." Shadow Milk rolled his eyes at how pitiful Pure Vanilla was acting. At least he could sometimes have a spine instead of letting people walk all over him like a doormat, but it seemed that the former king had forgotten how to do that. At this point, Shadow Milk could probably tell him to walk off a cliff and he would!

Whatever. It wasn't his problem.

"Shadow..."

"Oh my." Shadow Milk rolled his eyes and forced his arms out from beyond the wool. He clapped his hands twice, and a bottle of water appeared between them, which he handed to Pure Vanilla. "If you're going to speak, at least drink this."

A sheep bleated in annoyance and sat directly on Shadow Milk's momentarily freed arms, almost breaking them in the process. "Ow! Careful!"

Pure Vanilla blinked at the water bottle warily, and, if Shadow Milk could, he'd grab it and pour the water atop of him. So ungrateful!

Footsteps fast approaching, trudging through hay, caught Shadow Milk's attention, and he perked up at the prospect of being freed from his woolen prison. "Pure Vanilla Cookie!" A childish voice yelled, one that Shadow Milk recognised far too well.

"Ah...? Oh, Gingerbrave..." Pure Vanilla mustered up a smile, but was quickly shushed by a medic, who'd already positioned herself at his side.

"Please try not to speak and... Oh, thank the witches, you have water already. Please drink some."

Pure Vanilla glanced down at the bottle of water in his hands, lips squeezed together to poorly hide his frown.

"Pure Vanilla Cookie?" The crow woman from before ran up behind Gingerbrave, clearly out of breath. "Is something wrong? Please drink."

"No! I— Just dizzy..." As if a switch were flipped, he immediately unscrewed the lid and drank a couple gulps of water.

"I heard you were sick, what happened?!" Gingerbrave asked, eyes shiny with worry.

Pure Vanilla opened his mouth, useless consolation about to leave it, when the medic shushed him. "Do not speak. Drink some more."

As he continued, a mound of wool pushed directly up to Shadow Milk's nose as he took a breath in. He almost didn't register the incoming sneeze until it left his body in a contrasting loudness to everyone else's hushed tones.

"Who's there!?" Gingerbrave looked up first at the noise, wide eyes darting around until they came into contact with Shadow Milk's. "Gah! Sh-Shadow Milk Cookie?!"

"Gingerbrave!" He cooed in faux sweetness. "My favourite cookie! How've you been?"

The kid crossed his arms, glaring as best he could despite his still young and innocent face. Shadow Milk held back a laugh. "I'm not going to let you trick me!" He huffed.

"Me? Tricks? No, no, no! I've since renounced all trickery, I'm an upstanding member of society now."

His bottom lip dropped open slightly. "Really?!"

"Ignore him for now, Gingerbrave," The crow cookie said, pulling him back by his shoulder. "We need to help Pure Vanilla. Clearly the Beast of Deceit did something to him."

"What?! Moi?!" Shadow Milk yelled, and would have put an offended hand on his chest if he could move. "I so kindly monitored his condition, and gave him some water, and this is how I'm treated?!"

"Then what other explanation would there be for him going missing for days, and when I finally find him, he's collapsed in a herd of sheep?!" She asked, unaware of all the new information she was giving Shadow Milk. She looked back at Pure Vanilla and gave him a bottle of water with a firm hand. "Drink this one instead, I wouldn't trust whatever the beast gave to you."

Pure Vanilla's open eyes darted to her, then Shadow Milk, and then at Gingerbrave. His eyes softened, and he took another sip.

"Ugh, the nerve! Pure Vanilly, defend my honour and tell them how kind I've been to you." Shadow Milk expectantly turned to the blond, but received a blank stare in return.

"Pure Vanilla Cookie?" Gingerbrave asked, shoving his hand in front of his face and waving it to and fro. Pure Vanilla responded with only a slow blink that didn't exactly scream conscious and aware.

The medic darted in front of him, holding up two fingers to check his vision, perhaps unaware of the man's blindness. "Pure Vanilla Cookie?! Can you—"

Thump!

Shadow Milk flinched at the sound of a heavy body meeting hay. For a second, he assumed another sheep had flopped next to him to add to the pile, but giving the vocal reactions that followed, he was wrong (very rare).

"Pure Vanilla Cookie?!"

"Everyone, step back. Black Raisin Cookie, can you help carry him to the medical bay?"

"Of course."

'Ohh, Black Raisin Cookie! That was her name! I was close!' Shadow Milk mused to himself, then widened his eyes when he heard everyone rush out in a flurry of footsteps.

Well, everyone except the child.

"Hey! What about me!?" He yelled, but it fell on deaf ears.

"Um... Shadow Milk Cookie?" Gingerbrave crouched down.

"What?" He deadpanned, angling his head away from another puff of wool.

"Are you... Stuck?"

"Hah! As if!" Shadow Milk bordered on a cackle. "I'm actually like this by choice."

Gingerbrave's eyebrows shot up. "What? Really?"

"No! Of course not, you idiot! At least The Silver Tree didn't smell like mud and manure!"

"Don't be so harsh! I was going to help you!"

Shadow Milk pursed his lips in thought. Not often would he be stunned like that. "...Why?"

"It's the nice thing to do!" Gingerbrave smiled and raised his candy cane staff high in the air. "Also, Pure Vanilla told us we should be nice to you if we ever saw you."

"What?!" He shrieked, causing the sheep closest to him to tremble. And yet, they still refused to move.

Did that disgusting, revolting, puny, pathetic excuse for a cookie think he some sort of charity case?! That he needed people to baby him?!

His stomach suddenly twisted.

"So... Should I help you, or not?" Gingerbrave asked, restlessly drumming his hands on his knees.

"Oh, well, since you offered, I'll ever so graciously let you. And, I'll even give you a reward, yes, yes!"

"A reward?!" His bright aqua eyes sparkled.

"Mhm, mhm, don't ever say I never did anything for anyone."

"What kind of reward?" Shadow Milk almost rolled his eyes. Cookies, ever so demanding.

"Whatever you kids like nowadays..." Geez, what did kids like? "Like a wooden doll?"

"A wooden doll...?" Gingerbrave's body sagged in disappointment.

"They're quite cute, actually. Might have to get one myself." A lie, Shadow Milk had much more important things to attend to than wooden dolls.

"Uhh, hate to break it to you, but I don't think anyone my age plays with... Dolls." Gingerbrave rubbed his arm, looking to the side.

"Oh, forgive me. Not sure if you remembered, but I've been in a tree for quite a while. Sorry if I'm not up with the times!" He groaned, sarcasm dripping off of his voice. "This isn't worth my time. How about food? Everyone loves food, that can't be outdated."

"Now that you mention it..." Gingerbrave's voice back lit up with that childlike wonder. "This new restaurant opened up in the Vanilla Kingdom. Pure Vanilla Cookie said that he'd take me and my friends there, but he's been rather ill recently..."

Shadow Milk feigned a gasp, but did his best to not breathe in any of the wool in his face. "How cruel! The keeper of truth turning back on a promise?"

"It's not cruel!" Gingerbrave gestured wildly with his candy cane, very nearly hitting one of the sheep in the head. "It isn't his fault if he's unwell!"

"Oh, yes, yes, I'm sure. But, if you were to free me, I could give you enough coins to get the most expensive meal on the menu for you and all of your... Little, puny friends."

"You mean it!? Wow!"

"Of course, of course. Whoever said I'm not the kindest?"

He pursed his lips. "Well..."

"Are you gonna help me or not, boy?"

"I'll do it, just a sec!" He knocked lightly one the heads of one of the slumbering sheep. His voice simmered to a whisper, yet was still as tinny as a child's. "Hey, little guy. It's time to wake up. I'm sure there's far comfier places than this."

The sheep who'd flopped over Shadow Milk's leg rose with a yawn, bumping its head against Gingerbrave's side. "Good morning, haha! Let's lie down over here."

He pointed with his candy cane, not unlike a shepherd's crook, and, as though a spell had been cast, the rest of the sheep stumbled up to their feet in unison. Under the gentle guide of Gingerbrave, they all nestled into a cuddly pile against one of the walls, finally freeing Shadow Milk.

The beast hopped up and immediately did a long stretch, performatively exaggerated. "Whew! I feel like I'll smell like sheep for the rest of my life if I don't wash myself off right now."

Gingerbrave looked up at him expectantly, tapping his fingertips together as he hesitated on what he wanted to say.

"Oh, yes, your payment. No worries, I'd never forget, unlike that silly soul jam stealer." He conjured a small pouch of coins and tossed it in Gingerbrave's direction.

The boy leapt about a foot off of the ground, landing with a thump against the hay. The coins in the pouch jingled as he opened it up and haphazardly poured a few into his hand. "No way! You weren't lying!"

"Me? Lying? Only on Tuesdays." With a snap of his finger, a portal of swirling eyes (and ugly gold stars) opened behind him. "I must get going now, ta-ta."

When the light of the barn faded from sight, and Shadow Milk dropped into almost complete darkness, he crossed his arms and sighed, bordering on a growl. So much humiliation, all for nothing.

Pure Vanilla just had to make himself the star of the show.

"Waah! Waah! I'm Pure Vanilla, I saved the world and I'm still not satisfied!" Shadow Milk mocked, flapping his fingers up and down to mimic a speaking motion. "I pass out in herds of sheep and cry in my bed like a baby! Wah, wah, wah!"

Hm. Somehow, Shadow Milk didn't feel any better. He still felt lacking, disturbed. Concerned? No, not concerned!

The strange feeling, reminiscent of the one he'd gotten when first reuniting with Pure Vanilla, rang in his body. It settled like snow inside his body, making him shiver.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, dropping his heels onto the only area solid ground in the realm. It was tiny and sat outside of his chambers, or what had unofficially become his and his servants' house.

After that wretched cookie caused his grand spire to collapse, all he could be bothered to salvage was his own chambers, filled with everything he needed. If he still held all control of his other realm, he could have rebuilt his spire with a snap of his fingers, but...

No point in thinking about that. He could spend a little bit more time to rebuild the entire spire when he was free, but he had revenge to be plotting! In the meantime, he generously let his servants stay in his room. If he wanted privacy, he'd dive into his other realm. If they wanted privacy, then that was just tough luck and they should suck it up!

Part of his mind lingered on other inhabitants of his spire, whom he had no clue what had happened to them. The rumour-weavers that Black Sapphire loved to chat with or the little rabbits that burrowed their way through the different portals to escape Candy Apple's incessant pleas to doll them up with cute bows and accessories.

They had fun, everyone had fun.

Everything was perfect...

A gold star gleamed in front of him.

Ugh, great. Now he was in a bad mood.

•

"Let me think... That one above us is..." The Fount ran through a catalogue of constellations in his mind until he lit up with a metaphorical ding. "Oh, you'd like this one, Salt. It's Auriga, the charioteer! It's said he invented a four-horsed chariot."

"My..." Salt's armour clinked against itself with even the most subtle of movement. It was the only sound, beyond the rest of the Virtues' soft snores. The pair had made sure to sit a good distance away from the rest to not disturb them. "Four horses? That must be difficult to manage. As much as I love him, Nox can be a handful at times."

"I'd imagine. With all the nuances that go into horse caretaking, I couldn't imagine having to do all that work, along with answering questions all day." The Fount laughed, hugging his knees tight to his chest.

"...Do you not get bored? Staying in your tower most of the time and answering questions? Do you not wish to see the world?"

The Fount frowned for a moment. "Haha... Salt, I think you're the only Virtue who gets that privilege..."

A long pause simmered over them. Salt's eyes, concealed behind his helmet, stared into the Fount's. Right, he'd struggled to get his fringe to behave that morning. Salt must have been thinking that he looked awfully strange.

"Your eye."

"Hm?" He paused his fiddling with his hair to look up at him.

Salt pointed with a barely outstretched finger. "I just noticed, but your eye— the gold one. It has stars in it too."

"Oh!" The Fount summoned a small pocket mirror to check, eyes widening in delight when he noticed the dots swirling in it. "You're correct! I never noticed either... Hm, none of these appear to be any constellations I know of..."

"Does that mean you get to name your own constellations?" Salt asked, tone a little more excited.

If Salt was excited, then the Fount was ecstatic. "Oh, I always wanted to name my own constellations...! I never thought I could, you know how scholars are when you try to change or add things to their 'perfect archives'."

"Hm, and did you not get upset when a junior botanist tried to name a plant after themselves, despite the fact you had already named it a millennia ago—"

"Hey!" The Fount snapped the pocket mirror shut, then sheepishly opened it again after his outburst. "I never said a scholar isn't justified in protecting their work! Now, shut it, or I'm not naming a constellation after you!" He jested.

"...You were going to name one after me?" Salt titled his head, the ash from his helmet rising in puffs of smoke.

"Oh, well, yeah..." The Fount followed the engravings of his pocket mirror with his finger. "I mean, it would be nice if I named all the constellations in my eye after each one of us. I'm sure I can make up five constellations."

"That's... Incredibly kind of you."

"Don't mention it! Now... Maybe if I draw a couple lines..." He traced a few constellations with his fingernail in the mirror. "One of these could look like a knight..."

•

"I'm not surprised to see you again."

"Oh, Nilly!" Shadow Milk leapt into the air and rolled on his stomach, kicking his feet in the air like a teen girl in a chick-flick. "You wound me, aren't you happy?"

"I'm not mad, not happy, just... Observing."

"You sound like the Recluse again~" Shadow Milk angled himself down and smeared his cheek against Pure Vanilla's obnoxiously. "Not that I'm complaining."

"Hm. Actually, while you're here, I had something to ask you." Something in Pure Vanilla lit up as he fumbled through his drawers and pulled out an incredibly familiar plush doll. "Did you make this?"

Shadow Milk stared at it, then up at Pure Vanilla. "Nope."

"It looks like your handiwork though, it's cute."

"Heh, 'cute', you say?" He held back a snicker, sliding a small pair of scissors out into his hand that he'd previously hidden up his sleeve. "Let's see how cute you find THIS!"

In one swift motion, he snipped the Pure Vanilla doll's right hand off, then watched gleefully. He awaited Pure Vanilla's face twisting in pain, the hand thumping against the floor, the jam spraying everywhere!

"...Was that supposed to do something?" Pure Vanilla asked, lips curling slightly in amusement.

Shadow Milk's face dropped, then instantly clenched. His perfect plan, his satisfying destruction— Did he mess up the spell somewhere? No, no, he couldn't have! He needed to try again!

He grabbed the plush and stabbed the scissors into its chest. Once, twice, thrice, and stuffing spilled out, akin to the wool of Pure Vanilla's sheep. "I'll kill you, I'll destroy you!" He huffed out, nearing a growl.

"Shadow Milk, do calm down! There's no need to be so destructive." Pure Vanilla held Shadow Milk's wrist firmly, forcing him to surrender all items in his hands to the sheets of the bed. The fabric, so thick and soft, nearly swallowed it up.

"Hah! Rich coming from you!" Shadow Milk spat, laughter bubbling underneath it. Yet not enjoyable laughter, not gleeful. Manic.

Pure Vanilla's usually calm face, despite his neutral words, was disturbed. His closed eyes scrunched, his mouth in a permanent frown, his lips opening and closing like he had more to say, but couldn't get the right words out. "...What do you mean?"

The blade of the scissors suddenly teleported to his neck, the point poking dough and threatening to plunge itself into Pure Vanilla's neck. "Do you think less of me? Do you see me as some sort of charity case, when no one else is as in need as you?!"

Pure Vanilla's eyes opened, staring nervously at the scissors that glinted slightly in the light. "I... Would never."

"Really, now? That little friend of yours, Gingerbrave, seemed to think differently! Apparently, everyone has been ordered to be nice to weak, pathetic, sensitive Shadow Milk! And whooo ordered such a thing? Hmmm, let's think for a minute..."

"It wasn't my intention to offend. I just thought you could use the support."

"The only one who needs this coddling is you! Passing out in fields is one of the many signs that you need to head to the retirement home, grandpa!" Shadow Milk jabbed the scissors into his chest right under his soul jam, not enough to break dough.

"Speaking of Gingerbrave..." Shadow Milk wanted to scream as Pure Vanilla avoided the topic. "Please don't trick him again. Don't bring my friends into our... Conflicts."

"Me? Trick him? I would never!"

"You gave him a bag of coins that just so happened to disappear the moment he was far enough away from you. The boy was almost in tears when he arrived at the hospital because he thought he'd lost it and combed the entire Vanilla Kingdom twice over to try find it." Somehow, Pure Vanilla didn't see the peak of humour that Shadow Milk caused.

"You don't know that that was me! He could've lost it!" He crossed his arms and turned his head away in a fake, full body pout.

"Gingerbrave's a lot smarter than you think. It's more likely that you tricked him."

"Oh, big deal! I fooled a foolish fool! Yet you're the one who forgot to take him out to that fancy restaurant!" Shadow Milk suddenly grew more heated, way more heated than he should have been. "Not only that, but forgetting to drink water! How on Earthbread can you be so..." The words were lost on his tongue.

"I didn't forget."

Silence lingered after that, weighing the air down.

"...Huh." It wasn't a question, nor malicious. Only mere acknowledgement.

And just like that, the conversation was over. Shadow Milk tossed the scissors to the floor and stepped away.

Pure Vanilla hunched over and fixated his gaze on his lap. His blond fringe spilled over his face, hiding his expression from view. And Shadow Milk, with nothing left to do, summoned up a portal behind him, a magical woosh of air accompanying it.

Pure Vanilla startled at the noise, lifting his head to tilt it to the side. "Where are you going?"

"Hmph! If you must know, it's my once perfect other realm!" Shadow Milk's heel teetered on the edge of the portal, begging to dive in.

"...Once perfect?"

"Oh, yes. It was beautiful, in fact! And then you messed it up. You and those ugly little stars of yours!"

"I... Did?" Pure Vanilla stared at him like a deer in headlights, mouth open slightly. He looked stupid, in all honesty!

Shadow Milk would have laughed if he, too, wasn't confused.

"Uhh, uh huh? You don't remember when you betrayed me? Tearing apart my perfect creation and filling my other realm with stars?"

"Stars?"

"Oh my goodness, you've actually gone senile..." Shadow Milk muttered, then stepped out of the way of his portal to show it off. "You see those bright little dots? Those are called 'stars'. Mhm, yes, very fascinating."

Pure Vanilla's lips fell into a straight, unimpressed line. "I know what stars are."

"Oh! Do you now? I wasn't sure." Shadow Milk grinned, putting his sharp teeth on display.

"I just didn't remember the stars. I remembered... I remembered awakening, and I remembered the bright light, and my offer, but I don't remember... Did I really make all of those?"

"You..." Shadow Milk's eyes narrowed. "You think you can fool me again? Over something as stupid as this?!"

"I'm not trying to trick you, I—!" His hand came to his chest as his voice cracked with emotion. "I'm just saying I didn't remember! I really can't... I haven't been able to remember much at all recently."

Pure Vanilla's frantic breathing slowed into structured, rehearsed patterns in an effort to calm himself. He trapped his bottom lip between his teeth, his hands twitching nervously with the urge to fidget.

Shadow Milk took notice of it all. And that same strange feeling arose again. His own hands trembled, aching to reach out, but he stilled them.

"Shadow Milk?"

"Oh my— What now? Did you forget your own name too?"

"Those stars... Does that mean a part of me is still in your other realm?"

"You're a very stubborn thing to erase, I'll tell you that much." Shadow Milk crossed his arms over each other, closing his eyes and rocking back and forth impatiently.

Pure Vanilla hesitated, but did not stop entirely. "So, I still hold some control over it, right?"

"You..." One foot delved into his other realm, but he paused as he thought of the final warning to leave him with. "Mess with my other realm again, and I'll crumble you where you stand."

Pure Vanilla stared at him blankly, open-eyed, blue and yellow hues holding so many thoughts behind them that would never be voiced. "I know."

•

"Fount of Knowledge! Oh, Fount of Knowledge!"

Hollowness tore at his chest, his heart beating rapidly yet also melting into nothing. Simultaneously there and not there.

"Fount of Knowledge!"

Whenever he had this dream, he always wanted to try something different. 'The stakes were non-existent', he claimed to nobody in particular. He'd ripped the cookies apart limb from limb once, he'd tried answering their questions as he'd always done before, he'd fed them obvious lies, subtle lies, white lies and everything in between, for the hope that something would change.

It never did. No matter how so-called 'non-existent' the stakes were, it didn't help that his mind would create the worst possible outcome in retaliation.

If he ripped them apart, they would rip him apart too, with all the pain as though it were real. If he tried to give them knowledge, the questions would only get worse, pushing to see how far they could get to the ultimate question of creation before he broke completely. And if he lied then...

Well, he was a living example of how they would react.

Nothing he did ever seemed to work. So, instead, he did nothing this time.

"Fount of Knowledge!"

He will not see them.

"Fount of Knowledge!"

He will not hear them.

"Fount of Knowledge!"

He will not react.

"Fount of Knowledge!"

He will not react.

"Fount of Knowledge!"

He will not—

"They won't stop until you do something. Might as well respond." A shrill imitation of his own voice barely blocked out the cries of his former name.

He ignored it, and went back to his previous state. He will not react.

"Oh, so you're ignoring me now, too? Rude, rude, rude. Rude Fount of Knowledge!" It cackled.

Shadow Milk tensed ever so slightly, and the Light of Deceit gasped in delight.

"You can hear me now, splendid! As I was saying, what are you proposing this time? Tearing them to crumbs was fun, though the ending was pretty terrible for you, hmm. Oh, well, entertainment is entertainment!"

His lips remained shut, but he willed his mind to think in response.

'Nothing.'

"Nothing? Why so?"

'Because nothing will come of nothing.'

"Ooh, you know I love a good tragic reference! Are you promoting we crumble all of them, and then you yourself crumble out of sheer misery? It's new, I like it!"

'No. I will simply do nothing.'

"Psh... You're joking. How boring for a self proclaimed playwright."

Shadow Milk's eye twitched, but he kept himself firmly in place.

'I want to wake up now.'

"Then do something interesting, c'mooon!"

'I will not react.' The mantra slipped its way in.

"...Y'know, if you don't do anything, I'm not letting you out of here until sunrise, right?"

'Then I will do nothing until sunrise.'

A few seconds of blissful lack of response was all he got before the Light of Deceit piped up again.

"You used to be so fun... You've been taking after that pure cookie, haven't you?"

'I will not react.'

"But I suppose that's only natural! After all, aren't you and him meant to be together?"

'Shut up.'

"Not that I'm complaining! What else did he say? That no one else but him could truly understand you?"

'Shut. Up.'

"You don't haaave to be lonely, I'm riiight heeere~!"

"SHUT UP!"

The voices he'd previously tuned out suddenly gasped in horror, drawing his attention back to them.

"Ooh, you've really done it now..."

The crowd erupted in complaints.

"Did the Fount of Knowledge just tell us to shut up?"

"How rude! I only asked a simple question!"

"Fount of Knowledge! You're supposed to help us, why are you acting so awful!?"

Shadow Milk's rage boiled, bubbling up to the top of his body, about to spill through his mouth when—

He remained still. And did nothing.

"Oh, come on!"

'I will not react.'

"Fine, fine! But I'm not letting up this time! Now, how many hours until sunrise will you sit here for? Let me think..."

'...'

•

All Shadow Milk needed was some good old peace and quiet.

Waking up after a restless sleep to the sound of Candy Apple and Black Sapphire arguing was the last thing he wanted to hear, so he instantly slipped away into the void of his other realm without a sound.

Down, down, down he went, until all the voices turned quiet, and even the sound of his breathing was swallowed by the void's expanse. Down further, and the stars danced around him like they adored him. Ew.

Down, until his heels met solid floor. They landed with a click, and Shadow Milk instantly stiffened.

That wasn't right. His other realm was an abyss without beginning nor end. The only floor or ceiling or walls would have to be made by him, yet he never needed to, outside of his spire. He floated everywhere, no ground necessary!

But if he didn't create it, then who else could—

A large star glowed in the distance. He smacked the back of his palm over his eyes and hobbled forward towards it. It only got more difficult and disorienting to cover his face as he approached, his body tensing as it walked unfamiliar steps. But floating was too risky, he couldn't bear to collapse to the false floor, so stumbling steps he took.

Eventually, the light began to shrink, enough that Shadow Milk wondered if it was only growing further away. But as it dissipated, tiny stars fell around a glowing cookie form in the centre.

A form laid on the floor. Motionless.

"Pure Vanilla?!"

He scrambled over and grabbed the radiating, warm dough of Pure Vanilla's face.

"Hey! Come on! Didn't I tell you not to crumble on me?!" He jostled his shoulders back and forth, Pure Vanilla's head lolling along with the movement.

"Ngh..." His white eyelashes parted, revealing pastel blues and yellows. "Shadow... Milk...?"

"Oh my! You actually made me think you were dead there!" Unceremoniously, he dropped Pure Vanilla to the floor, hands high in the air like his body had burned him.

"Ow." Pure Vanilla sat up, cradling his head where it made impact. "Sorry, I think I fell asleep. I didn't mean to—"

"Ah-ah!" He wagged a blue finger in the other's face. "Didn't ask! I don't want your apologies! I would just like to know how you fell asleep in my other realm! Never knew that you sleepwalked, but you learn something new everyday, huh?"

Pure Vanilla fell silent, looking to the floor. His blond hair curled around him, messy and tangled. His eyes lidded until they shut and his soft lips parted to make way for some deeper breaths.

And that strange feeling, once again, reared its head.

This feeling... It had to be anger.

Rage, yes! What else could it be?

Here, Pure Vanilla sat in Shadow Milk's other realm like he owned the place! After he'd caused him so much trouble too, yet Pure Vanilla still thought he could enter his domain without even a moment's notice?!

"Shadow Milk..."

"Yes, yes, I'm here. What?" He deadpanned.

"Have you ever wanted to disappear?"

The words hung heavily in the air before Shadow Milk truly processed them. And when he did, he automatically opened his mouth to retort with a quip, but nothing came out.

"You don't need to respond, I know it's a difficult question."

Rage boiled up inside him, different to the other sort of rage he felt before. Weird. "Don't give me that crap. I'll respond to what I want, how I want, when I want."

"I know." Pure Vanilla looked up at the stars glimmering above. "I want to. I've wanted to disappear for a long, long time."

Shadow Milk didn't speak, didn't walk away or make fun of him. Just crossed his arms and waited for him to keep going.

"I want to help people, I always have. I want people to feel like they can rely on me. But it's too much. And there's so much to deal with after the war and I've been procrastinating on it and I've— I've just been spiralling."

His breathing rapidly sped up, but he held a hand on his chest and did those same calculated breaths.

"I can't remember important things, I can't even remember White Lily's face anymore. And I want to die, I've tried to die, but I know no one wants that. But if I die, I won't have to care what people want anymore. But then I'll make people upset. I'm so... I just want to go somewhere where there's nothing, so I can be nothing. That's why I came here."

"You know..." Shadow Milk rolled his eyes at how unintentionally soft his voice went. He quickly brought it back to his usual register. "Well, I did offer you that! If you had stayed with me in the spire as the Recluse, you could have disappeared from the world without a trace! You— We could have been happy!"

"But I wouldn't have. You made me hurt others, and you would have continued to do so. I couldn't possibly be happy." Pure Vanilla buried his face into his knees and shut his eyes. "I want Cookiekind to be happy, but I don't know if I can do it anymore. So, I'll disappear in here."

Shadow Milk's pupils shook. And the strange feeling that perhaps was not rage filled his body. "Hmph! Fine then! I'll graciously allow you to stay, but only for a little bit! If one of your friends finds you here, they'll try to have my head on a spike, and I may have to retailate in self defense!"

"Thank you, I really app—"

"Your voice gives me a headache."

Pure Vanilla paused. "Okay..."

The pair laid back on the floor on unison, Shadow Milk's arms sprawled out at his side while Pure Vanilla's folded across his stomach. An awkward, tense silence filled the air, but Shadow Milk paid it no mind. Instead, he mapped out the constellations above, testing his memory as he named them in his head.

"The one right above us is the Lyra constellation," Pure Vanilla mused, and, for a second, Shadow Milk thought he was talking to himself. But, the blond turned his head towards him, stunning him slightly. "Um... They say that the tune of the lyre its based on can charm anyone... I wonder if such a thing exists."

"I know." Shadow Milk punctuated the sentence with an obnoxious yawn. "Former Fount of Knowledge you're speaking to! That lyre thing was made up by Eternal Sugar ages ago until it became a folktale and people forgot she originated the story."

"Oh..."

The silence returned, and Shadow Milk sighed, the only thing to permeate it. He raised a finger and traced a few constellations before stopping. He double checked the facts in his mind, then smirked. "Did you add new stars or something?"

"I don't remember. I don't think so."

"Then these constellations are terrible."

"What?" Pure Vanilla laughed, but it was strained. "No, they're not."

"Uh, yes they are. Look." He grabbed Pure Vanilla's hand, feeling how warm it was under his cool skin, and pointed it at one of the constellations. "That weirdly bent hook. What's that supposed to be?"

"Oh, that's the Horologium. It's supposed to be a pendulum."

"Uh huh, and cakehounds can fly. Don't make things up to seem smarter." Shadow Milk tossed Pure Vanilla's arm aside like he were disposing of it.

"I'm not making it up, it's real! I learned it back at the academy!" Pure Vanilla's voice raised in defence. "Perhaps they were discovered during your imprisonment?"

"You're trying to make a fool out of me. I have half the mind to kick you out, you know?"

"I'm not! I have some textbooks on it at home if you'd like to see?"

"I don't need your filthy textbooks. I don't need to study. I know everything I need to!" Unknown to him, Shadow Milk's voice projected louder until he was practically yelling.

Pure Vanilla recoiled. "Okay..."

Once again, silence returned. Yet not for long this time.

Shadow Milk muttered, almost to himself. "It looks nothing like a pendulum."

"I guess no constellation looks like what it's supposed to." Pure Vanilla spoke tentatively, unsure if Shadow Milk would get mad at him again.

"That's why I don't believe you. You can't draw lines through random stars and call it a pendulum."

"Then what constellations do you like? Because I think that describes all of them." Now relaxing, Pure Vanilla's gentle laughs spilled out with no strain.

"The Serpens and Ophiuchus. It represents a god learning the secret of immortality from a snake that revived one of his companions. But the snake gets so mad after his knowledge is stolen from him that he strangles the god before he can take all the credit for his hard work!" Shadow Milk explained gleefully.

He watched with a mischievous glint in his eyes as the cogs turned in Pure Vanilla's mind. "That's not true. He discovered immortality, but was ultimately struck down by another god so cookiekind couldn't disrupt the balance of life and death."

"Oh, forgive me! Sometimes tales about thieving healers ring so close to home that I get the facts wrong!" Shadow Milk crossed his arms and turned his head away. "What else do you know, Nilly? Tell me about the so-called 'pendulum'."

"Oh. There's no tale to it, I believe. It's just a clock."

"Boring!" Shadow Milk flicked his arms into the air as though he were tossing a terrible script away. "What's the point of creating boring, nonsensical constellations and not even giving them stories?! 0/10, go home!"

"Hm... I suppose the Phoenix is interesting. Mostly due to its symbolism of life and rebirth, and yet its stars are so faint..." Shadow Milk glanced over while Pure Vanilla rambled on. Despite the cookie's lack of vision, the staff laid at his side was doing all of the seeing for him, his eyes stayed open, reflecting all the tiny dots. They swirled in a pastel blue from his angle, like stars in a daytime sky.

Even the ugly, nonsensical pendulum constellation looked beautiful sitting in the pool of light blue.

"You've been unusually quiet," Pure Vanilla observed, turning his head to look at Shadow Milk. In that swift motion, all the stars in his pupils disappeared.

Shadow Milk scoffed. "I just like having my questions answered for a change. Most of the time, it's the other way around!"

"Oh, I see."

And, again, the silence came back. For only a few seconds this time.

"Can I ask you one thing?"

Shadow Milk sighed. Just as expected. Curiousity is cookiekind's most infectious plague. "What is it?"

"The stars in your eye. Do they have any meaning?"

"...Huh?"

"Your eye. Was it always so shiny? It looks like there's different constellations in it and..."

"What?" Shadow Milk barely choked the words out.

"Is it..." Pure Vanilla adjusted his staff to see better, and Shadow Milk suddenly felt like every eye in the world bored into him. "Is it gold?"

Shadow Milk scrambled to sit up, scooched away against the fake floor, then stood on shaky feet. "Fool..."

Pure Vanilla followed suit, a hand reaching out. "Are you alright—?"

Shadow Milk did not let him get closer. He slammed his foot against the floor, shattering it in an instant. Immediately, Pure Vanilla's hands flew out instinctively to grasp at him for purchase, but it was too late.

If he screamed, Shadow Milk didn't hear it, for Pure Vanilla had already fallen too far.

He initially wanted Pure Vanilla to fall endlessly; if he wanted to disappear, then so be it! But, perhaps as he was feeling merciful, because after a certain point, Pure Vanilla would be teleported safely back to the Vanilla Kingdom, as opposed to falling for eternity.

Shadow Milk floated in place for what had to be hours, hands trembling at his sides. They clammed up, sweat pooling in the crevices of his palm. His heart pounded against his chest like it needed to break out. His mind swam with thoughts, leaping from one to another so fast until it all became a garbled mess even he couldn't understand himself.

It was that strange feeling again, increased tenfold.

Pure Vanilla stood at the forefront of it all. His face, his smile, his tears, his woes, his words.

Shadow Milk clenched his teeth.

He'd never felt so sappy for another cookie. All cookies were selfish, they would take and take and never give back. And if you retaliated, if you spoke up, they'd hate you, corrupt you, destroy you, seal you! Only the witches, oh so ignorant, could be worse than a cookie.

He could no longer care for his kind, so why?

Pure Vanilla was selfish, too. Stealing his soul jam, stealing his other realm, then acting like he could pop in at any time... Trying to crumble by never taking care of himself, yet acknowledging how many people would be upset if he died? That's textbook selfishness!

...Although, perhaps there was a certain selfishness he could relate to.

All cookies were selfish, and he was a cookie too. If there were times where he'd neglected himself and hid from others when he was still the Fount, it was only part of his nature as a cookie. He couldn't help it, Pure Vanilla couldn't help it, no one could help it!

Maybe, with that fact in mind, he shouldn't have kicked Pure Vanilla out so ruthlessly.

But, sue him! He panicked! Big deal, mistakes are common with cookies too. And Pure Vanilla would forgive him, he always did!

His arms slumped to his sides. He... Always did. No matter how selfish, how demanding, how annoying he was, Pure Vanilla never let up. He forgave, he loved, he responded with kindness, no matter what, no matter who. Always in that pursuit of understanding.

Perhaps Pure Vanilla could have played the role of Fount better than Shadow Milk ever could.

Shadow Milk instantly shook his head. Absolutely NOT! If Shadow Milk couldn't stand it, no one could! And Pure Vanilla's misery over his responsibilities proved that.

It reminded him of a familiar tiredness. When he'd finally get a break from the questions, the hounding, the calls, he'd sit in silence in his chambers and stare. Stare at the walls, and not a thought would run through his mind. Then, he'd delve into his other realm, and finally relax.

'Maybe...' Shadow Milk thought, pulling restlessly at his clothes like trying to yank threads out of them. 'Pure Vanilla could use— borrow that reprieve too.'

That was, if he ever returned.

Shadow Milk propped his hands on his hips and huffed out a confident breath. "Hmph! I am nothing if not an incredible host! I will visit that cookie, invite him in, and keep him alive and healthy! That way, when we finally have our battle for the soul jam, it'll be equal! Yes, yes, I'm so gracious!"

He pointed a hand to the stars, to the so-called constellations Pure Vanilla had made. "Mark my words, Pure Vanilla Cookie! I will make you my most admirable foe!"

•

Pure Vanilla awoke to something pulling at his hair. It wasn't the most unpleasant way to wake up; that would have to be the nightmares which plagued him day after day since the war.

That night had been the first peaceful rest in a while. He fell asleep with the comfort that was the memory of stargazing with Shadow Milk, even if the end of their encounter was less than ideal. Since then, he hadn't stepped foot in Shadow Milk's other realm. It had only been a day, and yet he could feel it call back to him. That sweet nothingness of abyss.

But a heavier thought weighed over his mind like a storm cloud. Something he needed to say to Shadow Milk.

Another tug at his hair was all it took to snap him back to reality. "Mn..."

"Are you awake now? Finally!" The voice behind him rejoiced.

"Shadow... Milk...?" He sat up, blearily looking left, right, and then turning around. With the shuffle, his legs brushed against Shadow Milk's thighs, and he noticed, with a blush, how close he was to sitting on the beast's lap.

"The one and only! Now, turn back around, your hair is a right bird's nest! Unless you want those scruffy blueberry birds to lay eggs in here, I'll be fixing it!" He forced Pure Vanilla to turn and sit in between his now spread legs, then ran a hairbrush through the blond locks.

"...Why?" He croaked out, voice hoarse from disuse.

Shadow Milk gave him a light smack with the back of the hairbrush. "Goodness, can I not display my endless kindess to you? You should feel honoured!"

"That isn't an answer to my question. Why?"

Shadow Milk ignored him. "Hmph, so much hair. No wonder it gets so tangled! At least the Truthless Recluse had short hair, so much nicer to manage right?"

He was sure the expression he made was far from pretty. "Ngh... I suppose."

"Why the looong face?" Pure Vanilla snapped his head around to shoot him the best glare he could muster, despite the fact that it was early in the morning and his eyes were shut. "Okay, okay! I understand, we are all moons, we go through phases. Some are just better than others!"

"Huh... Oddly poetic," He noted, turning his head back around.

"Hah! 'Oddly,' he says. I'm always poetic, thank you!"

Silence weighed the room down, however, unlike the other realm, the birdsong from outside provided sufficient background noise. That was, until Pure Vanilla swallowed.

This was his chance to voice everything. All that he had pondered. Even if it changed how Shadow Milk treated him, he knew, with a heavy heart, that it had to be done.

"Shadow Milk. I need to talk to you."

"Oh? You're in luck! My ears are wiiiide open today!" He yanked Pure Vanilla's head back with a particularly strong tug, making eye contact with him, even if his face was upside down. "And if this is about the other realm thing, don't worry about it! Just a mere slip up, probably won't happen again!"

"No, that's... Not entirely related." He took in a deep breath, then a couple more. In his mind, he recited the breathing exercises he'd learned all those years ago. In, one, two, three, four. Hold, one, two, three, four. Out, one, two, three, four.

He was as ready as he could be.

"Shadow Milk Cookie. With my condolences, I must revoke my offer of friendship for the time being."

Shadow Milk stilled. His muscles tensed, his mouth dropped open, and the hairbrush slipped out of his hands, bounced off of the duvet and hit the floor with a clatter. "Haha... Nilly, right when I started being kind to you, do you want to revoke your offer!? That's quite telling of your masochistic character!"

"No, it's nothing to do with what has happened recently." He sat straight and turned around to face Shadow Milk properly. "But I realised, it was you who stopped me from having more time with White Lily Cookie," He accused.

"Excuse me?!" He said in a stuttering, forced laugh. Shadow Milk studied his face, looking for a hint of humour, but found none.

"If you had not broken free, she wouldn't have had to prioritise the beast-binding ritual over her friends. If you had just waited—"

"If I had waited, I would have missed my oppurtunity! Would you risk spending another couple centuries locked inside a tree just because a thief wants to spend more time with some...? Some..." The right word couldn't form itself in his mind.

"Don't say anymore. Please... Don't make this harder than it has to be. Just go. When I'm ready to talk to you again, I'll find you."

"You're being unfair!" The laughter had escalated, almost manic, yet did not hide the tragic undertone.

"Have you ever been fair?" Pure Vanilla snapped back.

"I gave you reprieve! I opened my spire's doors wide open for you and offered you a world with no responsibilities. No more cookies tugging at your side, pulling you this way and that. No more expectations, just me! And you spat in the face of my generosity! How is that not fair on my end?!"

"I've already said my piece on that. In no universe could that have been fair." Pure Vanilla sighed. "And besides, you were the one who despised me chasing after you, I thought you would have been overjoyed to hear me say this."

"You know nothing about me." Shadow Milk sucked a breath through his teeth, making a horrid hissing sound. "You are the worst cookie to ever grace Earthbread. One day, all of your pesky little friends will realise that, and you'll be completely alone. And when you have nothing, I will laugh... And laugh."

Whatever Pure Vanilla wanted to say, Shadow Milk made it obvious that he didn't care. He stepped back, concealing his body with a portal, stars gleaming at him through the dark.

And, as quickly as it appeared, it vanished, and Shadow Milk was gone.

•

Shadow Milk barrelled into his other realm, tumbling, spinning a couple times, no blockage to break his fall. He plunged his hand into the air and morphed the false starry sky into an elasticated rope to grapple onto. He pulled himself up straight, took a deep inhale, then screamed as loud as he could. He buckled forward, clenching his head in his hands and screamed again, this one weaker than the last. It trickled into more of a groan, and then he let out a sigh. The noises he'd made echoed for miles, travelling far until he couldn't hear it anymore.

All alone now, conflict split his mind apart.

'You wanted this in the first place! You wanted that wretched cookie to leave you alone, and he has now! You can prioritise what matters and forget about him.' One half of his mind laughed gleefully, tugging him to its side.

'But, picture this! If you pretend to change and make Pure Vanilla think you're on his side, you can corrupt him again, a little more subtle this time, of course. Think about all the mayhem you could cause with him by your side! Sign this world in your brand of ink without ever being alone again!'

Shadow Milk hyperventilated in deep breaths in an almost manic laughter. Oh, both sides were making such good points! Does he crumble Pure Vanilla now? Or yank him back to his side?

'Or you can make it up to him?'

"Ugh. I thought you shut up a long time ago." A long dormant voice had somehow woken up back from when Shadow Milk had buried it after his time as the Fount.

'I didn't. You just never listened to me.'

"And you seem to forget that I am you. I've shut you up before, and I'll do it again."

'You haven't shut me up yet.'

Shadow Milk rolled his eyes and tapped his foot impatiently. "Make it up to him how?"

'Give him time, first. Think about what Pure Vanilla wants, what he needs.'

He chewed on the inside of his lip. "Hm."

'You wanted that fair fight, didn't you?'

"Of course! I have an audience to entertain! No good story has the hero win by tipping the scales in his favour! They want suspense, they want danger!"

'Then think. Delve into the deepest corners of your mind and think. What does Pure Vanilla Cookie want the most?'

"Probably... Ugh... That Cookie." He hissed, images of constricting vines coiling around the opening of the tree, dead slivers of bark flaking into the void of his prison. If keeping him sealed for longer wasn't enough, she had to dirty his living space too! "But how can I— Ah! Easy!"

'You get it now.' The voice in his head spoke in smug tones now, like it had given him a hearty pat on the back in time with its words.

"He'll love it! Oh, my genius brain never ceases to amaze even me!"

•

"You." A familiar deep voice interrupted his ever so important duties.

"Moi?" Shadow Milk, donned in his more feminine disguise, lowered his hands from the braid he was making in his hair. A dark green dress hugged his body, emphasising the curves he'd given himself. "Oh, Crazy Crow Cookie? To what do I owe the pleasure?" He trilled.

She grimaced at the name, eyes flitting up and down. "I know your tricks, beast. You will not fool me, nor the cookies of this kingdom."

"Goodness gracious! I'm but a humble maiden, and you dare call me a beast? How cruel!" He raised his voice into a melodic tune.

"Gold and blue eyes are difficult to forget." Shit. Shadow Milk had forgotten about the after effects of changing into a disguise, rewriting his old one that hid the gold eye from sight. "...It's the same eyes as him."

"Why, you!" A visceral reaction erupted from his throat as he summoned his staff to point directly at her. "Choose your next words wisely. I'm being very generous by allowing you to live after comparing me to that... Wretched... Vanilla Cookie!"

"I'm not here to fight." In the face of danger, Black Raisin merely readied to protect herself, obnoxious crows squawking at her side. "I'm here for answers."

"Oh, honey, I quit that a long time ago. Besides, I'm doing that silly old ruler of yours a favour right now, you should be thanking me! Go on, I'll wait!" He pointedly cupped a hand next to his ear.

"What are you planning to do to Pure Vanilla Cookie?" She grit her teeth.

"You're so uptight, you know that? Like I said, I'm doing him a favour! He can't stop moping about that crumbled cookie, so I thought I'd let him say his final goodbyes!" He swished his hand across his face, switching his pupils to a deep fuchsia and skin to a desaturated brown. "Ta da! Now he can stop moping and go back to taking care of his kingdom! ...I'm still awaiting your gratitude."

Instead of gratitude or joy, her eyes widened in horror, bringing her bandaged hand to her lips. "What?! What on Earthbread is wrong with you?!"

"Hah! Lots of things!" He held back a cackle. "What's wrong? Vanilly's all pouty because he couldn't spend time with her, I'm giving him that oppurtunity again!"

"This is horrid! Have you never lost someone?!" She stepped back like Shadow Milk was an open flame. His fake red eyes narrowed at her.

"I'm eons older than your grandmother's grandmother, respect your elders! And, for the record, everyone who I've lost, I've harbored nothing but contempt for such wastes of oxygen!" He flicked a lock of thick, white hair over his shoulder in a grand motion. "I don't see what the big deal is!"

"Because... You're not her." Black Raisin looked away, her visible eye holding many unspoken memories behind it. "All the cookies I have lost, I'd be overjoyed if they came back, yes. But I'd be distraught if someone pretended to be them. You have none of her memories, her experiences."

His bottom lip fell slightly open in revelation. He'd never thought of it like that. Not that he'd admit it. "Someone seems to forget she's standing in the presence of Earthbread's greatest actor!"

"No, you don't understand!" A hint of emotion seeped into her voice. "You cannot replicate another cookie perfectly. I fear you will only harm others with this... Act."

Begrudgingly, he dismissed the disguise, having the foresight to cover his gold eye in blue as he switched back to his regular form. "Then what do you propose I do, if you claim to know so much?!"

She pondered the question for a hot second. "The countless cookies I've lost... The first thing I've done is collect heirlooms. Things they treasured, stuff that reminds me of them, so I won't ever forget them. I take care of places and people that were special to them."

A light yet bittersweet smile came to her face. "And then I spend time with the cookies I still have left. When I lose someone, it is a reminder of how fleeting life can be. Spending time with those I love can also be a distraction from all of the... Pain."

"Hm." He crossed his eyes and closed his eyes, racking his mind from thought to thought. Yes... That could work! It would take a week or two to prepare, but it could work!

He turned around, a portal already at the ready in front of him. "Oh, who knew you were so useful, Granola Cookie?"

"That's not my— Ugh, forget it. Just don't hurt him and we won't have any problems."

"Hm-hm! No promises!"

•

"I think Master Shadow Milk has actually... lost it!"

Candy Apple gasped in horror like she'd just seen a mutilated corpse as she twisted her head towards Black Sapphire. "How dare you speak about Master Shadow Milk Cookie that way!"

"Look, you'll see what I mean!" Black Sapphire hissed, and grabbed her head to forcefully turn it back towards Shadow Milk. He was in such a focused state, hunched over his sewing machine, that he managed to tune out their conversation.

"So, what? Nothing's new, he's probably making another disguise— Ooh! I should ask to help!" Candy Apple clapped her hands in delight.

"No, no, you fool! Look at what he is sewing this time, you won't believe it."

She rolled her eyes and stood on her tiptoes, then nearly stumbled back in shock. "Is that... That awful doughbrain?! The one who was all buddy-buddy with the cookie who betrayed Master Shadow Milk Cookie?!"

"Keep your voice down!" Black Sapphire shoved her back down to where he was crouched behind the sofa. "But, I know! I already thought his doll of Pure Vanilla Cookie was strange, but this is even worse!"

"Hrgh...!!! He must have been possessed! No way would the real Shadow Milk Cookie do such a thing!" She stomped her feet as she stood straight. "I must save him! SHADOW MILK COOKIEEE!" She squealed, and, in a blur of red, black and white, she barrelled towards him at full speed.

"You idiot!" Black Sapphire narrowly missed pulling her back, then sighed as she dove headfirst into Shadow Milk's body. "Ugh..."

•

"Pure Vanilla Cookie."

"Mm..."

"Pure Vanilla Cookie, sir."

'Five more minutes...' He thought, yet his tongue was too heavy to move.

"Pure Vanilla Cookie, this is quite urgent. Please do wake up."

"Unh..." Pure Vanilla rubbed at his eyes, vision too blurry to see which servant was stood in front of him. Maybe the Pure Vanilla of the past would have been more inclined to flip out and quickly make sure he looked presentable, but he simply could not. Most of his servants had already seen him with bed-head, barely awake and stumbling across the room anyway.

(One of them had seen him accidentally smack himself in the face with his closet door, but he prayed they kept quiet about it.)

"Pure Vanilla—"

"Yes, I'm awake, thank you..." He grunted, then cringed at how harsh it sounded. "I mean, I— Sorry, long night."

A blur of blue and black smudges made its way across his room, filtering through his closet before neatly folding his clothes onto the bed. Then, his trusty orchid staff was placed in his hands, and he could see properly again.

"You need to get ready, the rest of the Ancient Cookies are downstairs."

"Yeah, I— Huh?!" That shot him upright, jaw slack in horror. He continued, in only the most erudite fashion possible. "Whuh— I— Why?! Here?!"

"Yes. Here. Do you not remember inviting them?" The servant, who sounded both familiar, yet not, hid his humour behind a controlled voice. The restraint was clear, and Pure Vanilla's face heated.

"I... Did?" A neat pile of clothes landed on his lap and he scrambled to get out of bed.

"Yes. You did mention you've been having memory problems though, correct?"

"Oh, well, you are right..." That's odd. He hadn't forgotten anything this important before. Pure Vanilla also didn't remember telling anyone about his poor memory. Anyone besides—

"I must take my leave now to help with the preparations. Do you have an estimation on how long you'll take to get ready, sir?"

'Preparations?!' Pure Vanilla swallowed, tucking the folded clothes over his arms as his feet led him to the bathroom. "...Fifteen minutes, give or take?"

"Understood. I will tell them to wait in the gardens."

The servant left, and Pure Vanilla immediately yanked his night clothes off as his thoughts raced at a mile a minute. 'Preparations?! What preparations?! Is there a party— I swear I would remember that— Ack! There's no time to dwell!'

•

To the naked eye, nothing was amiss. The three ancients, lacking Pure Vanilla, were sat at a table sharing polite conversations that narrowly skidded away from the elephant in the room. All the while, servants dashed to and fro around them, setting up arches and bouquets and so on.

"Master Sha— Ahem, I mean, sir." One servant approached another, the latter having dark blue hair and merely sipping on berry juice rather than helping.

"Yeees? Are preparations going according to plan?" He grinned widely, swirling the juice in his cup.

"Very much so. When did you say that Cookie would arrive? The guests are concerned." The first servant darted his singular eye, the other one hidden under a mop of violet hair, towards the Ancients.

"He said he would be ready in fifteen, so I'd say give it twenty."

"I see, thank you, sir."

•

"You all... Came all this way for me?" Pure Vanilla could barely choke the words out.

"Well, don't look so surprised! We were invited, of course we'd want to come!" Golden Cheese was the first to respond, her blindingly bright smile prominent on her face.

Dark Cacao nodded. "Business after the war has proceeded smoothly in my Kingdom. Our forces are stronger than ever, so a short break to visit allies would do no harm."

"Couldn't have said it better, my friend!" Hollyberry laughed, each chuckle setting Pure Vanilla's mind more at ease. "Whenever we all get the chance to meet again, it reminds me what I fight for."

Likewise agreements and nods spread across the table, and Pure Vanilla smiled genuinely for the first time since... Since his time in the other realm.

His smile faltered for a second at the memory, at the mere thought of Shadow Milk. He... Shouldn't be thinking of him right now. He was with his dear friends, and Shadow Milk was far, far away from here, up to who knows what...

Still, he thought about his outburst once again, and his heart stung. He shouldn't have said that, didn't mean to say that and now—

A few seconds of breathing exercises later, and he was back on track. Stable. Grounded. He was here, his friends were happy, the sun was shining.

As long as he ignored that part of his mind, and the feeling that someone was watching him, everything was fine.

"Were there any pressing matters you wished to discuss?" Dark Cacao, placing both hands flat on the table, asked cautiously.

"Oh, no, no, I'm alright!" Pure Vanilla waved his hands dismissively. "Ah, well, there was one thing that's been on my mind."

Golden Cheese's expression did not change, yet she leaned further forward. "Do tell! No matter what is, I'm sure we can help."

"Well, it's nothing too grand. I was just wondering... Have there been any updates on the Beast Cookies?"

"As far as I know..." Hollyberry tapped her fingers on the table, her eyes peering to the sky in a recalling gesture. "Their bodies simply crumbled away into dust after Dark En— Um, after everything that happened."

Unease filled Pure Vanilla's body, but he tried to ignore it.

Dark Cacao nodded. "Yes. I had my soldiers scour that area of Beast Yeast, yet they turned up nothing."

"I see." Pure Vanilla took in an inhale. "Did they also check the Ivory Pagoda for any remnants of Mystic Flour Cookie or her servants?"

The man paused, tucking his lips into his mouth for a second as he considered what to say next, a look that was incredibly rare on the usually proper Dark Cacao. "In... In a way... I attempted to have some scouts survey the area, however the fog was too thick for them to get any further. The last thing I want is for the Pale Ailment to strike my kingdom again, and the fog did not seem to be moving in any direction, so I figured it was simply lingering behind from Mystic Flour Cookie's reign."

The unease in Pure Vanilla doubled, tripled. All he could let out was a choked, "O-Oh..."

Golden Cheese, perceptive as ever, narrowed her eyes slightly. But not in a way that was accusing, just curious, a tad worried, even. "Do you know something we don't, Pure Vanilla?"

Three pairs of eyes turned towards him, and his throat closed up. "Well, um, even if the Beasts' bodies are gone, do you think that their spirit still remains?"

"What brings this on?" Hollyberry asked, and Pure Vanilla promptly went to clear as much confusion as he could.

"Nothing, nothing! That's just what has been on my mind recently... Haha..." He swallowed. No. He had to tell them. "Well, actually, I—"

"Kyaa! Look out!" A shrill voice yelped, along with the clatter of something. The moment Pure Vanilla turned his head, something scalding splattered against his robes.

•

"Ah, Master! You'll never guess what I brought!" A younger cookie with short twin tails bounded up to the blue-haired servant, who was still lounging about and watching the Ancient Cookies.

"Pipe down! We're supposed to fly under the radar here!" The purple-haired one hissed at her.

"But I have something sooo amazing! Guess, guess!" She giggled, hands gripped tightly around a jar. Inside it sloshed a brown concoction so revolting it looked like it were alive and seeking vengeance.

"Pray do tell," The first servant responded, though did not look her way.

"Sooo, it's a mix of tomato sauce, coffee, ink... Ummm, pomegranates? I just tossed a ton of stuff in there, really!" She giggled, ignoring the disgust on the other two's faces. "But if you heat it up, it looks just like any other fancy tea! Then, if you manage to spill this on that Vanilla Cookie, the stain will be so horrendous that it'll never come out!"

"Why on Earthbread did you make that?!" The second one's large earrings swung as he turned his entire body to face her, yelling as angrily as he could through a whisper. "What is that supposed to achieve?!"

"Hey! Nothing is worse than ruining a favourite outfit!" She stomped her foot against the grass, her cheeks red in anger. "I'm just saying that if Master wanted to turn the doughbrain back into that hopeless, depressed version of himself, this is the best way! ...As long as Master doesn't give all the attention to him, then I'm willing to part ways with my concoction!"

The first servant sighed, rubbing two fingers between his blue and white eyebrows. "...Sure. If you want to spill that on him, then be my guest."

"Ahh! Yes! You won't regret this, ehehe~!"

•

"I'm so, so, so, sorry!" The young servant squealed for the hundredth time. Tears so dramatic that everyone else had to question their validity streamed down her face, no matter how much he tried to console her.

"Again, it's alright! Mistakes happen..." Pure Vanilla smiled, though it was a tad strained. He slowed his steps through the halls of the castle, clearly realising he had perhaps been a little too rushed to get to the laundry room.

Hollyberry cleared her throat and laid a hand on the servant's shoulder. Her voice went soft, like she were consoling a child. "Young one, there's no need for tears. No one is upset, see?"

"B-But his perfect robes! They're ruined!" She whinged in a tone that felt ever too familiar. Pure Vanilla couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"That's fine, I have plenty extras. One white robe is not difficult to replace—"

The tears falling from her eyes suddenly stopped. "WHAT?!"

Her voice echoed down the halls as the rest of the cookies stared at her, confused and stunned. Hollyberry recoiled, probably the most taken aback out of all of them.

"Ohh, sorry about that... Um..." The servant straightened her back and took tiny, rabbit-like hops backwards. "I just remembered that I— Uh, forgot to feed my oven— Bye!"

She scampered off, leaving the rest to piece together what had happened. Hollyberry stood in shock, Dark Cacao's mouth was slightly agape, which said a lot, considering how little emotion he displayed. Golden Cheese laughed a little at the absurdity, while Pure Vanilla remained neutral, many feelings inside that he refused to portray outwardly.

It wasn't until she darted round the corner did she glance around before dismissing her disguise. Round caramelised apples popped up in place of her twin tails, her shorts puffed into a skirt and her eyes glazed over with crimson. Her lips parted to speak, head bowed shamefully towards the shadows of a corner. "Master Shadow Milk Cookie! I could've sworn that would work!"

Shadow Milk slithered out of the shadows, a snake-like cloud of smoke that materialised into his silhouette before revealing him. "It's fine, you're fine."

'It also never would have worked in the first place,' went unsaid.

"R-Really?" All the pitiful sadness left her face, replaced with confusion.

"...Yeah? What? Did you want me to toss you out on the streets for it?" He grumbled, snapping his fingers to return his servant persona.

"Hee hee!" She cupped her face, giggling and blushing like a schoolgirl in love. "Master Shadow Milk Cookie is sooo forgiving!"

With no further explanation, she skipped down the halls, humming an idle tune and ignoring the yell of a guard that informed her she couldn't be in here.

"...Why did I always look after the weird ones?" Shadow Milk muttered to himself, running a hand through his deep blue hair.

Sighing and shaking his head, he turned on his heel, made his way around the corner and stopped far behind the group of Ancient Cookies who hadn't moved since. He slipped back a couple steps, poked only his head around the sharp corner of the wall and strained his ears to try to pick up on what they were saying.

"I'm so sorry about all of this." Pure Vanilla began. "I would have hoped that all of us meeting again finally would have been more relaxing, but I brought up duties and topics that weren't suited for such an event."

"Oh, Pure Vanilla!" Golden Cheese laughed. "You worry way too much! Besides, as long as you give me the grandest guest suite that your castle has to offer, then I'm perfectly fine staying for a couple more days!"

"I agree. There aren't many pressing matters right now, we all deserve a break!" Hollyberry nodded eagerly.

"I, too, wouldn't mind staying for a little while. But it is your call, Pure Vanilla Cookie." Dark Cacao looked his way, hand firmly on his own chest.

"Ah, well..." A beaming smile appeared on Pure Vanilla's face, so bright Shadow Milk wished he were wearing sunglasses. "I'd love for you guys to stay. And I promise, I won't bring up the Beast Cookies or anything duty related. Let us have some time with each other, just like old times."

Shadow Milk tuned out what everyone else was saying, turning his body back around the corner to press it up against the wall. 'Beast Cookies? Did he talk about me? What's he trying to achieve, some sort of sneak attack? Oh, Nilly, you fool!'

He giggled quietly to himself. Being the centre of attention was always fun.

By the time he'd calmed and flipped his head back around the corner, only Hollyberry and Pure Vanilla remained.

"Are you not going to your room, Hollyberry Cookie?" Pure Vanilla tilted his head.

"In a moment. I just wanted to talk one-on-one."

"Oh?"

Hollyberry flashed him a smile, pink eyes curling up in joy. "I think it's really great that you reached out to us yourself. I can't help but worry about you sometimes, you know?"

"Ah, I actually didn't..." Shadow Milk froze as Pure Vanilla almost revealed the truth. Yet the blond shook his head and dismissed the words. "Thank you, I assure you there's no need to worry."

"I know. I just hope you've been taking care of yourself more. Reaching out, not being afraid to ask for help..." She placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly. "I know the Berry Kingdom is a ways away, but if you ever showed up, even unannounced, I'd welcome you with open arms."

"Thank you, Hollyberry. You're quite kind." Pure Vanilla smiled, leaning into her touch.

"I do try." She sighed wistfully, then pulled him into a hug. "Oh, it's like the younger brother I never had is finally growing up..."

"Excuse you?" He laughed, hugging her back regardless. "Last I checked, we were the same age!"

"Shush shush!" She swayed him to and fro. "I'm a few months older, let me have this!"

Shadow Milk didn't care to see anymore as he darted away from the corner. His heart ached for the closeness he could never achieve, for the only hugs he got being from when Candy Apple would launch herself into his side. He wondered, just for a moment, if he could receive warmth like Pure Vanilla had one day.

...Ugh. Screw this. He needed a nap.

"Oh, excuse me? Sir? You're not supposed to be here, all servants must be in the gardens helping to clear up— Sir?! Where are you going?! Come back!"

•

Soft, pink fingers carded through his starry hair, brushing out any knots they found. The process calmed him so much that he almost fell asleep, cheek nestled onto the Herald's muscular thigh.

"A cookie asked me today..." The Fount noted lethargically, the rest of the Virtues perking up to look at him. "Why do cookies get sad?"

Silence hung in the air, though it wasn't heavy. Merely a pause as each cookie considered their answer.

"I've always thought..." Sugar twisted a lock of the Fount's hair around her finger. "...Sadness makes us treasure the happy moments more. We wouldn't enjoy all the good times as much as we do if it wasn't for a bit of sadness every now and then."

Flour's hands dragged through the soft fur of the baby Haetae cuddled on her lap. "Sadness is a good motivator as well. It keeps everyone striving for joy."

The Herald tilted his head back, taking in a deep breath of the garden's sweet aroma. "Life's ever changing and it needs that balance. At least, when you are sad, there's always consolation in knowing that it will not last forever."

Salt's armour clinked against each other as he propped his elbow on his knee. "And sadness is universal. All of Cookiekind understands sadness, it can bring us closer together."

"I suppose you're right." The Fount's eyes darted to each cookie, then he smiled a little snarkily. "I still hate it though."

"Oh, well, of course!" Sugar's hands sectioned his hair into threes to begin the braiding process. "No one likes it, but that is what my garden is for! Speaking of which, if any of you all are interested, we created these beds made of sugar clouds and they are just so comfortable, I almost couldn't get up earlier! If you ever need a break then feel free to show up!"

Flour smiled as the soft snores of her Haetae filled the air. "I, too, wouldn't mind a visit from you all. The Pagoda's inhabitants have been getting rather hectic recently, so a break may do us all good."

"Oh, and Fount?" The Herald leaned down to make eye contact with the man's head in his lap. "Let me know when we can spar again, 'kay? Even if you're not much of a fighter, all those little tricks you do are so exciting! Way more fun then sitting around and seeing civilisations rise and fall every day..."

"I know it's a little demanding..." Salt's voice, muffled through his helmet, came out quieter. "But the children of the nearby villages are begging for you to come again and tell more stories. Do stop by again when you can."

"Ah..." A smile curled the Fount's lips upwards as his eyes misted over. "You all...!"

"Oh, sweetheart, there's no need for tears!" Sugar immediately pulled him upwards into a hug. "We're always here for you, no matter what."

One gentle hand cupped his back, and two small paws from an awoken Haetae excitedly tossed his braid back and forth. "Never be a stranger, Fount. We are always here for you."

Multiple pairs of strong arms wrapped around him too. "Exactly. We all have each other, that certainly won't change."

Cold metal laid against his shoulder, armoured fingers taking care to not accidentally puncture into his dough. "Always, and forevermore."

•

Finally in clean robes, Pure Vanilla dropped his heavy body to the sheets below and exhaled in less of a sigh, more of a groan. As much as the day had been enjoyable with his friends at his side, his brain just wouldn't shut up. Constant thoughts and fears swirling around in his mind and crashing against each other like one disorienting carnival ride.

His hands twitched in front of his face, muscles barely able to keep them up, and then he smacked them onto his face. His fingernails dug into his eyebrows and, for a moment, he wished he could dig his fingers through his eyes and tear his brain out.

But it would hurt, and be a difficult thing to explain. So he flopped them onto his bed and, at that moment, his arm collided into something foreign.

Something soft. Something welcoming.

He fumbled for his staff and angled the eye down. Then, both his eyes and the staff's widened in shock.

A plushie. But not just any plushie, one with a large white braid along the back, fuschia button-eyes gazing up at him, a dark green staff in its bandages nubs to represent hands.

"White Lily Cookie...?" He choked out, sitting up. The plush sat in his hands, the perfect size for him to hold. He nudged the soft arms, inspecting the masterful stitching, and his heart went cold.

The buttons for eyes. The single stitch pattern not only holding fabric in place, but also adding embellishments to the plush. The details scribbled on in marker. It had all the trademarks of one cookie.

Of course, that cookie would be one of the only cookies on Earthbread with enough confidence to break into his room only to leave a plushie and nothing else. Especially since he'd done it before.

He dug his thumbs into the polyester, feeling around for any sort of secret hidden in the stuffing. Pure Vanilla wasn't entirely sure what he was looking for: an explosive? A cursed sigil? Still, it couldn't hurt to check.

But there was nothing. Nothing except for fuzzy wool. Warmth returned to his heart.

He gave the plush one last squeeze in his hands, then set it gently on the pillow, using the same amount of care he would for a sick cookie. Next, he dug through the drawers of his bedside table and pulled out the plush of himself, torn apart in Shadow Milk's outburst. He sat them next to each other, and sighed.

'Why couldn't have it been me?'

As he took a few steps back, worries slipped their way into his head at what he was about to do.

'What will your friends do without you?'

'What about your kingdom?'

'What if Shadow Milk finds you?'

All of those thoughts melted away with his surroundings as he delved into the cold comfort of the abyss once more.

Yet, in place of an expansive void, something else caught his eye. Something new.

"Huh..." Was all that could leave Pure Vanilla's mouth at the sight.

The first sign that something was off was that, when he entered, he didn't need to frantically figure out how to construct a floor as he plummeted endlessly. No, instead, the floor was already there once he got inside the other realm.

He tapped his foot against it, then drummed it a little harder. But it didn't shatter.

The second thing he noticed was a pile of pillows and blankets, all bundled up in an ocean of comfort in front of him. He almost didn't notice it was there, for they were the same navy blue as the rest of the other realm, yet lacked the stars, making it stand out a little more.

Tentatively, he approached, nudging the corner of the blanket with his toe in case there was some trick to it.

...Nothing. It felt like pure cotton, yet with a magic twist that made it seem like it were melting into the abyss.

He looked around, expecting some sort of trick, to see Shadow Milk chuckling to himself as he waited for Pure Vanilla to let his guard down.

But, again, nothing.

And so, with a lingering sense of hesitation, he sat down in the pool of fabric. Comfort seeped into his dough as he exhaled slowly, propping his head up onto pillow. The stars twinkled in his vision, yet he closed his eyes, ready to drift off to nothing but the sound of his breathing.

Just as his consciousness slipped away, he felt something soft, dough-like replace the pillow, and two hands brushing through his hair.

•

When Pure Vanilla awoke, he was back in his bed in the castle. Cream-coloured sheets enveloping him, waffle cone patterns on the floor, on banners, as accents on his furniture. He sat up, groggily rubbing his eyes as the smell of fresh, warm food wafted into his nose.

That perked him up. He clutched his staff, on the left side of his bed, where it always was, and peered around through it. When its vision dropped down towards the bedside table, it met a steaming bowl of fresh soup.

"Who...?" He picked it up in two hands as his staff's eye continued searching for any clues. Perhaps a note, a letter, any indicator of who left it. But nothing was there.

Most Cookies, when faced with a suspicious bowl of soup of a mysterious origin on their bedside table, would likely toss it out, maybe upgrade their home's security measures. But perhaps it was due to his hunger early in the morning, or maybe because he knew who it was from, and wanted to show good faith in light of recent events, that he decided to eat it.

Hesitantly, he took the large spoon and scooped a portion for himself, then brought it to his lips. The flavour burst across his tastebuds, coating his mouth with the essence of the vegetables stewed inside it. The portion size was small, only taking him a few minutes to finish it yet he savoured each spoonful, until there was a knock at his door.

"Pure Vanilla Cookie!" The distinct voice of Golden Cheese chimed in. "Are you awake?"

"Ah!" Pure Vanilla carefully placed the bowl onto the table. "Just a moment!"

With the movement of shooting out of bed towards the closet, his long hair behind him swung in an odd, stiffer way than its normal flow. He lurched to his full length mirror, tilting his head with a wary smile when he noticed his hairstyle.

His normally loose hair had been twisted into a pair of twin braids, reaching down to his knees. They bobbed and dangled with each slight movement, unlike anything he'd ever seen.

"Could it be...?" He whispered, then realisation clicked into place. He dropped his mouth open in a small 'o'. If he was in the other realm before waking, then perhaps...

A fond smile pushed his features up.

"Pure Vanilla Cookie!"

"Sorry, I know! Give me a few minutes!"

Two mismatched blue eyes in the shadows watched with glee as he darted to the closet and into the bathroom.

•

The next time Pure Vanilla entered the other realm, he wondered what sight could await him this time. Perhaps more plushies, more blankets, or perhaps Shadow Milk himself.

When the realm formed in front of him, there stood a cream coloured door with gold accents along the frame and handle. It juxtaposed the darkness, almost blindingly so, yet felt more inviting as opposed to alarming. It reminded him of the doors in the previous Vanilla Kingdom's castle before it was destroyed in the Dark Flour War. Not that he didn't appreciate all of the architecture and design of his new castle, but something about it had this sharp, refined edge to it. Something that he couldn't match, nor could he find true comfort in no matter how hard he tried.

He approached the door, lay his hand against the metal handle, then his breath hitched. "Shadow Milk?"

No response, other than the echo of the Beast's name.

He tried again. "Shadow Milk...?"

Nothing. He turned around, pressing his back against the door.

"Sha—"

"What on Earthbread could you possibly want?!" Shadow Milk's voice rang throughout the entire surrounding area like it were being piped through speakers.

Pure Vanilla smiled and offered a hand to the empty air. "Join me?"

"...I know what's in there." Shadow Milk materialised in front of him, causing Pure Vanilla to flinch. "Why would I want to join you?"

Pure Vanilla's hand remained outstretched. "Please?"

"..." Shadow Milk glared down at him, then sighed and nodded, his head barely moving a millimeter. Yet he kept a good distance from Pure Vanilla, eyeing his hand in disgust.

Somewhat at ease, Pure Vanilla turned back to the door and pushed it open. Part of his instinct expected to see the old rooms of the last Vanilla Castle, comfy beds, rounder corners and soft sunlight peeking through the curtains he'd designed himself. He squinted, awaiting brightness, yet instead was met with the dim room of a cinema.

"Huh..." Was all that left his mouth. The only source of light was the projection of a sepia-toned countdown, reflecting onto a group of about twenty plush seats.

"Were you expecting an audience?" Pure Vanilla asked with a hint of humour. He side-stepped his way to a chair in the front, then turned around, only to shrink into himself when he saw Shadow Milk pointedly sitting far away from him at the back.

Engulfed in the shadows of the corners, Shadow Milk crossed his arms and propped his feet onto the seat in front. He clapped his hands to summon a generous bucket of popcorn, complete with signature vertical red lines along the sides. "It's for the atmosphere! Not that you would know taste if it slapped you in the face!"

With a barely concealed smirk, he tossed a piece of popcorn that hit Pure Vanilla right on his forehead mark. "Now, shush. The movie's starting!"

The countdown finished up the last few numbers, then the screen went dark. Goosebumps trailed up Pure Vanilla's arms under his robes as the silence lingered for a little longer than usual. His soul jam pulsed, and the movie began.

'Alright, little sheep! It's time to go home!'

A younger version of himself with scruffy hair and his mother's old jacket ran on screen, filtering his way through the tall grass towards a sheep, who's eyes were coincidentally not facing the camera.

Pure Vanilla's mouth dropped open, fear clenched at his heart. No. No, he couldn't see this again...

'A lamb is missing. Where did you go...?'

'Baaa!'

Pure Vanilla shut his eyes, including the one of his staff, as he trembled in the seat. He needed to leave, had to—

"Pay attention." Another piece of popcorn hit him on the head.

"Shadow Milk, I can't..."

"...Just watch it instead of assuming the worst."

'Aha, there you are! C'mon, it's time to go! ...Hm? Is something wrong with your eye? Let me check...'

'Baaa, baaa...'

Pure Vanilla held his breath, awaiting mismatched eyes.

'Ah, don't worry! It's just a dandelion seed! Let me blow it away! He he.'

Then, he gently exhaled in time with his younger self on the screen. No deceit marring his memories.

"Shadow—"

"Ugh! You're the worst person to have a movie night with." A piece of popcorn flew into his hair, getting trapped until Pure Vanilla ran his fingers through it. "Shut up and keep watching."

"Okay..."

Static overcame the footage, and, when it fell away, a new memory was revealed. Now relaxed and somewhat comforted, Pure Vanilla allowed himself to melt away into the kindness of his past memories as though he was really there.

•

"Hollyberry Cookie, was all of this really necessary?!" Pure Vanilla's eyes raked over the countless dishes all served up on a grand table. Each one glistened with promises of juiciness and flavour, he couldn't help it when his mouth watered.

"But, of course! We did such a good job today that I figured a celebration must be in order!" She sat down and patted the seat next to her, already searching for her first

"This is too much!"

"Nonsense! You want to be stronger physically? Eat some food!" With that, she grabbed two small loafs of bread, dropping one onto his plate.

Without any argument, Pure Vanilla sat down, taking tiny, mouse-like bites out the bread. Hollyberry raised an eyebrow as she sipped at her glass.

"Think about it this way. If you eat more, you'll grow stronger. And the stronger you are, the more cookies you'll protect!"

Something lit up inside Pure Vanilla's brain, and, within seconds, he was gnawing down on the bread in front of him.

"See! That's the spirit—" Suddenly, a couple crumbs flew down his windpipe, forcing him to keel over and cough them out. "Oh! Witches! Uh, uh, here, drink some water!"

His eyes blurred over, more than they already would be normally. He almost missed the glass brought to his lips until cold water juxtaposed the warmth of his mouth and soothed his throat. Though, it did little to calm the blush rising to his cheeks.

"There you are! Choking and crumbling prematurely isn't a good look for a hero! Now, now, let's continue. There's no rush..."

•

"You made this for... Me?" Dark Cacao, usually so formal, stuttered out as fluffy fabric was wound up his neck.

Pure Vanilla finished tying the checkered purple and black scarf around his neck, wrapping him up until it covered his mouth. "Mm-hm! I've been learning how to knit and I've finally made a scarf. I thought you would like it, considering how cold it gets here in the winter."

As if perfectly timed, a cold, biting breeze blew in, eliciting a shudder from Pure Vanilla as he tightened the self hug he was doing to keep himself warm.

"All of this talk about keeping me warm, when you yourself are freezing." Dark Cacao shook his head, then offered a gloved hand. "Come inside. I'll have my servants prepare you a hot drink."

"Thank you." Pure Vanilla gladly took his hand. "...Do you like the scarf?"

"It's cozy..." Dark Cacao nodded, his other hand pulling the scarf down from his mouth so he could talk properly. "But I believe you need a scarf more than I do."

Pure Vanilla lit up. "Oh! I could make us a matching pair? Wouldn't that be cute?"

"...Very well. As long as it keeps you healthy."

•

"Close your eyes."

"They're always closed though..."

"Well—Uh... Keep them like that then!" Golden Cheese regained her confidence quickly, patting the makeup sponge against his eyelid. "Do you want anything flashy? Some cyan would look good—Ohh, but cyan and yellow would definitely steal my thunder... Hm."

"Do whatever you think is best." Pure Vanilla leisurely swung his feet back and forth, his toes barely reaching the ground from his place on the stool.

"But this is about you!" She wedged the sponge into his forehead as a joke, then blended the foundation in to not leave a mark. "What do you want?"

"I want..." Pure Vanilla hummed, taking the time to think it over. "...What you choose!" He grinned.

Golden Cheese tutted. "You're not quite getting it, are you? I could do you up in full clown makeup, would you be satisfied then?"

"If you thought it would suit me, then sure." He shrugged. "You know more about this than I do, so I'm not sure what would look good on me or not."

"Oh my." She rolled her eyes playfully. "How about these?" Bringing a plastic sheet dotted with fake gems up to his staff so he could see it properly, she smiled proudly. "Of course, it doesn't come close to the splendour of proper gems, but they're a nice touch, don't you think?"

"If you think—"

"Pure Vanilla, I will impale you where you stand if you continue." Despite the threat, Golden Cheese's words held no weight as she laughed through them. "I'm asking what you think."

Pure Vanilla hesitated, then smiled softly. "Then... They would look nice."

"Good! That's all I needed to hear!"

•

"Ah!"

"White Lily Cookie! Are you alright?!" He gasped out, running over to her side. With a slam of her staff in the ground, she dispelled the rest of the invasive thorns, sending them creeping back into the undergrowth. "You're hurt..."

"Oh, Pure Vanilla..." She glanced down at her hands, littered with bite-like wounds that barely began to form jam.

"Here, hold still..." Pure Vanilla whispered.

The scars closed shut with a beam of light, leaving no evidence that they were ever there behind. White Lily smiled, then frowned.

"I'm sorry, I keep making you heal me..." She bowed her head forward, her white hair pooling over top of the hand. "If only I could be more careful."

"Don't say that," He chided lightly. "You're doing a lot of the heavy lifting, I'm happy to support you."

"Ah... Thank you." The smile returned to her face, her fuschia eyes lifting. "I hope I can keep protecting you too. I want to protect all of cookiekind."

"We will!" Pure Vanilla beamed. "Together. All of us."

She nodded, an equally bright grin on her face.

"All of us."

•

Shadow Milk tossed another piece of popcorn into his mouth and crunched on it loudly. Not that it mattered, considering Pure Vanilla was so lost in his own world that no amount of popcorn thrown at him could possibly snap him out of his stupor. But Shadow Milk definitely wasn't complaining; it was much preferable to hearing Pure Vanilla constantly yap over the movie.

So far, it had all been cheesy memories about his friends and what have you. He pushed down his sour jealousy that tried to rise, focusing more on the butter of the popcorn rather than Pure Vanilla's perfect... Loving... Kind... Friendships...

'I know it, for I've felt the same.'

Wait.

...Hang on. That was not supposed to be in there!

'...No one else but me can truly understand you.'

Shadow Milk lurched forward, plunging his foot against the top of the seat in front of it and using the force of it to leap forward a couple rows. His popcorn also tumbled across the floor, but that was the least of his concerns.

'...We share the same Soul Jam. We can understand each other like no one else can.'

"Shut up..." Shadow Milk hissed under his breath, claws digging into the plush seats as he clambered forward.

'You don't have to be lonely...'

The projector was barely in arms reach, still alive and throbbing with a blue sheen of magic.

'I'm right here.'

He could almost grab it. He outstretched his hand, desperate to tear it to shreds.

'Please.'

Almost there...! Shadow Milk held his breath and it was as though time had slowed to a halt.

'Let me be your—'

A loud crash rang throughout the cinema, followed by several crunches of metal and glass. Shadow Milk continued stomping his foot against what was left of the projector, crushing it until it was almost completely flattened and made only a weak electrical sound that soon fizzled out.

For a while, all that followed was Shadow Milk's deep grunts of breath.

"Shadow Milk?" Pure Vanilla asked, somehow undisturbed.

"That— Ugh, was not supposed to be there..." Shadow Milk huffed out, collapsing onto one knee to regain his breath. Screw this vessel, making him get over exerted at the tiniest fit of outrage... This never would have happened pre-tree imprisonment!

"...What was that?"

"Gimme a sec— Whew! Should not have sat all the way at the back!" Shadow Milk's smile trembled as his muscles desperately held it up in place.

Pure Vanilla merely looked upon him in concern until Shadow Milk stood up straight, only to flop back into the nearest seat.

"It was your memories, obviously. The projector extracted memories of times you were happy from your soul jam and put it on the big screen." Shadow Milk stretched back, draping his arms across the chairs on either side of him. "It was a little trick Sugar— Eternal Sugar taught me. I used to do it all the time. But I, coincidentally, found it did not work when half of my soul jam was taken from me! Hm! If only I could get it back!"

"I see." Shadow Milk expected Pure Vanilla to leave after that, especially after the right fool he made of himself.

He shut his eyes. Not like any of that mattered. He could finally get back to his masterful plan and hope that this kept Pure Vanilla from moping around all the time! By the time they got to the final battle, it would make a spectacle to be awed at for the ages to come— What just touched his hand?!

"Shadow Milk..." He opened his eyes and saw Pure Vanilla clutching his hand tight, holding it close to his chest. "Thank you. For everything."

Any snarky comment or joke or threat that he could have made completely died before it reached his lips. All he could do was nod.

At the same time, his soul jam, usually dormant, glowed bright. And it was if nothing, yet everything had changed.

•

Shadow Milk did not care. His soul jam throbbed in despair, but he refused to acknowledge it. Every single day since that stupid projector incident, his soul jam filled with these annoying feelings. At the very least, the Light of Deceit hadn't bothered him. He supposed it had finally learned to shut up.

But still! This was perhaps worse, as it was incredibly difficult to ignore. No matter where he went, it was like his soul jam was being dragged along with him, trying to pull him in the opposite direction.

It didn't matter. He refused to care. Not when he was rebuilding parts of his spire to be new and improved! He floated back and put his hands on his hips, admiring what he'd created so far.

He'd begun with his servants' rooms, mainly so they would stop bickering about who got the couch and who got the floor every night. Candy Apple got a four-poster bed with cushions made of the softest sheep's wool. And, sorted away into drawers and cupboards, were countless arts and crafts supplies for both sewing and wig making.

Then, for Black Sapphire, he built a mock stage, smaller than his previous one, but he remedied it with curtains made of the finest silk and extra props to assist in storytelling. Even if rumours were his trademark, Shadow Milk would still catch him murmuring fantastical story ideas to himself when he thought no one was looking. One day, he'd hope to hear some.

Given that the day had rushed by, Shadow Milk yawned obnoxiously loud and flew back to his chambers, quiet for the first time since his return. He tossed himself headfirst into the sheets and bundled up, content with nodding off after a long day's work.

"Please..."

His eyes snapped open. He sat up and swished his head back and forth as he scanned the room for any sign of life. His soul jam throbbed in pain, yet that was nothing new.

"Shadow... Please..." The voice groaned, husky yet familiar. Infuriatingly familiar.

"Refer to me as my full name if you expect me to do anything!" He yelled at the shadows, rolling his eyes. "Honestly, the nerve!"

"P-Please... I can't go on like this..."

Suddenly, it felt like a burning knife had been stabbed into his soul jam, sending searing pain throughout his body. He doubled over, gasping out in pain as his hands scrambled to clutch at his soul jam.

"Let me see it... One last... Time." The voice turned dark, conniving, like it were one word away from bursting into a bout of cackles.

Finally, it clicked.

"You."

"Aha... Ha... It's usually the other way around, isn't it?" His Light of Deceit snivelled pathetically. "You're usually the one— Ngh! Grovelling in pain... Ah... But I am you, so that makes two~!"

Gritting his teeth, he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to make the ache bearable. "Why on Earthbread would I help you? I... Despise you."

"Almost as much as you despise that... Oh, what do you call him? 'Half a cookie?'"

"ENOUGH!" He shrieked, the adrenaline from the anger kicking in to dull some of the pain. But his body pulsed with that strange feeling once again, certainly enough for it to notice.

"'Enough,' and yet you long for him so..."

"What are you talking about now?"

"That feeling, that strange, strange feeling, as you named it. What did you think it was? Rage? Annoyance? No, no, it's much deeper than that."

"Shut... Up..." Shadow Milk wheezed.

"I know it too~ for I've felt the same..." It unhelpfully quoted.

"It's longing."

"Urk!" Shadow Milk bent forward again, his forehead colliding with he mattress as his claws pierced the dough of his scalp. "No... No, shut up! SHUT UP!"

"You want me to shut up? You want me to shut up so bad? You want to make the pain go away? Why don't you give me what I want, while I'm still asking politely."

Pain burned from his chest to his abdomen, leaving him incapable of any movement beyond twitches. "What... Do you want?"

"Take me to see it."

"Uh huh... Be more specific, fool."

"You know what I want. The Light is in pain, it needs me. Just like how he needs you, and you need him."

Shadow Milk sighed, his vision darkening with the black spots oozing into it, spreading like drops of ink.

"Fine."

•

His chest ached with every breath as though his heart had been stretched to its limit. One wrong move, and it would burst from all the stress and emotion forced into it.

So, Pure Vanilla lay still. The only movement was his torso rising with shallow breaths and the occasional sniff that jolted him. Meanwhile, his head ran wild with all sorts of thoughts.

'It was all your fault.'

'You could've stopped it so easily.'

'Why did you lie to everyone about her?'

'What have you done?'

Thump!

The weight pressing down his mattress shifted behind him and his breath hitched. His soul jam thrummed in delight even as his mind clouded over with fear. "Wh—Who...?"

Two blue hands came around his abdomen, holding it there.

"I'm staying the night," The voice behind him said. Not a question, but fact.

"Shadow Milk Cookie..." Pure Vanilla whispered, and, after the shuffle of clothes, warmth pressed against his back. With that single gesture, all the stress, all the thoughts melted into nothing. "I'm so sorry..." He said through one exhale.

"Why? What did you do?" Shadow Milk hissed back. This fool had nothing to be sorry for, unless it was for selfishly tricking him back at the spire!

He chewed on the inside of his mouth. Well, he'd supposed it was hypocritical of him to be upset at Pure Vanilla's trickery. Considering... His whole personality.

"I tried to..." A singular tear spilled from his eye that he promptly wiped away. "I needed time to myself and I tried to do something that we both would have wanted... But then you were hurt and I... I'm so sorry..."

Shadow Milk turned Pure Vanilla to face him. He cupped his cheeks brushed any tears away with his thumb and...

Huh. He never thought he'd make it this far.

Now what?

"You..." He began tentatively before regaining some confidence. "Don't try and assume what I want and don't want. And what about what you want?"

"I want to be your friend." There it was. Shadow Milk swallowed, instinctively expecting bile to rise in his throat from the horrid words. But there was nothing.

Nothing except that strange feeling.

Longing, he admitted.

Pure Vanilla continued. "But I know it's incredibly selfish of me to ask if you don't... Feel the same."

"I've witnessed the rise and fall of countless nobility, including myself. I've seen the highs and lows of Cookiekind. I know selfishness, I've lived it, breathed it, been it. And you are..." He nearly choked on the unfamiliar sappy words. "You are not selfish at all. No more than any other cookie is."

"You really think so...?"

"Don't get greedy. I won't repeat myself."

"Then..." He bit his lip as though he were trying to hold back the words, yet they slipped out anyway. "Will you be my friend?"

"..."

•

It had been a month since their last encounter, at least in Pure Vanilla's eyes. Shadow Milk slipped away from his chambers and purposefully hid not too far from Pure Vanilla, so they weren't as apart as the other thought.

It satisfied his Light of Deceit, keeping him close to Pure Vanilla's soul jam while he also made himself scarce, tucked away into shadowy corners. With a single eye, he watched Pure Vanilla's every move whenever he had the free time to.

Thank the stars, the former king been getting better. Of course, he could still sense the unease with every quiver of Pure Vanilla's voice, how the eye on his staff darted around like it were searching for something and the amount of times he cupped his own soul jam like it were in pain. But he had, undeniably, been getting better.

He finally reached out to Crazy Crow Cookie, who, after her initial shock, was able to organise help for him. He went to see a therapist, was prescribed medication, and, slowly but surely, more genuine smiles had returned to his face.

Finally, that hiccup had been sorted, and Shadow Milk could get back to his masterful plan.

...Eventually.

In his defense, he had ages to sort that out. Beasts deserve a vacation every now and then, too! Even if that vacation was watching the stars in a field, barely moving for hours.

What had started as a fake floor created to support Pure Vanilla's inability to float, he'd turned into an open field. No flowers, but grass for miles with clovers and weeds to fill any gaps and brush against his skin softer than the grass tickling him.

Obviously, a bright green didn't exactly blend in with the rest of the void, so it didn't take long for his servants to find him. When they did, they said nothing directly, but he could hear their murmurs of how 'he'd absolutely positively gone mad and that Vanilla Cookie had totally done something'.

Maybe he had, maybe he did. His servants were always mumbling nonsense like that when they thought he couldn't hear them, but he let it slide. If he's the only one to trust the process of his masterful plan, then so be it!

When they left, silence filled the void again. Time slipped away with no instrument for him to track it, outside of the so-called 'pendulum' in the stars that Pure Vanilla made up, but even that's just a line of stars and not a timekeeping device.

His point was that silence made him hyper aware of every sound, every change in atmosphere. Anything beyond a low drone of nothing in his ears was automatically noticeable, especially the familiar footsteps that approached him.

"You still never answered my question."

Shadow Milk tilted his head, looking up from where he was sprawled. "Hah! What am I, the Fount?"

Pure Vanilla sat down next to him. "That wasn't what I meant."

He rolled his eyes. "I know what you meant. And I'm gonna have to say no."

"Why?" Pure Vanilla frowned, almost pouting, but he didn't seem entirely convinced.

"You're boring."

"I'm not—!" He raised his voice, only aware of its volume when it echoed across the abyss. He quickly lowered it. "I'm not boring."

"You're so boring! All you do is help other cookies and preach about kindness." Shadow Milk snickered, sitting up to be level with Pure Vanilla. "C'mon, you're telling me you've never brought down an entire civilisation? Just once?"

"No, of course I haven't!" Pure Vanilla laughed back, for an entirely different reason. No mocking, no jabs, just simple laughter. "Must your idea of entertainment only come from hurting others?"

"See, this is what I mean! There's no other way for you to enjoy yourself, that's why you're boring!"

"But you still like me, right?" This guy! Shadow Milk actually began to miss when he was all hopeless and mopey. Now he'd gotten too confident!

"You wish." Shadow Milk hugged his legs, tucking his chin on his knees and sighing.

"Did you not make a doll of me—"

"That!" Shadow Milk emphasised his interruption with a finger directly pointed at Pure Vanilla's face, nearly poking his eye out. "...Was merely an attempt at regicide. Don't take it to heart!"

"But you also got me a bottle of water when I was... Dehydrated."

Shadow Milk scoffed, retreating his hand. "It would have been so much more boring if you crumbled in a field of sheep. When you crumble, it will be at my hands after a spectacle of a showdown!"

"I see, I see." Pure Vanilla shuffled closer, not getting any grass stains on his white robes due to the plant's falsehood. "And were you the one to invite my friends to the kingdom?"

"Maybe they invited themselves, I dunno." Shadow Milk's lies began unravelling at the seams, and suddenly the idea of shattering the false floor again didn't seem that bad. "Or, maybe it was a widespread mass hysteria. Don't just assume it was me!"

"And what about the plush of White Lily Cookie?"

"Well—"

"And the bowl of soup, the blankets and pillows in your other realm, the braiding of my hair?"

"You—"

"The film?"

Shadow Milk glared at him with no response.

"I enjoy my time with you a lot. And I have reason to believe that you do too. So, please. Let me ask one final time."

His breath hitched.

"Will you be my friend?"

"That's not an answer." Pure Vanilla immediately fired back.

"I've crumbled thousands of cookies, destroyed civilisations with a single lie, nothing will stop me from doing that to your kingdom."

"That's not an answer either."

"You're a fool. You're willing to sacrifice the safety of your kingdom for one friendship?"

"Maybe. Rest assured I can protect myself and my friends. You may have crumbled thousands, but I have saved tens of thousands." Pure Vanilla brushed his hand against Shadow Milk's and was met with no protest, so he held it gently. "I will not hesitate to fight you if I must, but ideally, I want that day to never come."

"... Fine."

"Really?!" He lit up.

"Don't get so excited!" Shadow Milk tore his hand away. "I will tolerate you. But that is the extent I'm willing to go."

"Then I'll take it."

He smiled and Shadow Milk thought, for a moment, that Pure Vanilla was the brightest star he could see.