Chapter Text
The long table was set and perfect. There were plenty of seats, enough food to go around, and a
LOT
of juice (to Wildberry Cookie’s annoyance).
Already, everything was in chaos. But it was a good type of chaos. A homely type. Wizard Cookie was arguing with GingerBright over the moral correctness of keeping stale Cookie bodies in jars (Pure Vanilla looked at them both in utter disbelief and worry), Strawberry Cookie attempting to keep GingerDozer awake enough to eat, Hollyberry was downing glasses of berry juice with Golden Cheese Cookie and GingerBrave cheering her on (with Wildberry
trying
to make her stop), and just so much more.
Vinegar Chip Cookie found it…warm? They didn’t know exactly what the feeling was, but it felt…right. They glanced to the side at Silent Salt Cookie. He had the smallest of smiles on his face. “
He must feel the same warmth…
” the sour-salty Cookie thought. They hadn’t seen their boss even the slightest bit happy in eons.
Clotted Cream Cookie glanced over at the ex-Beast with a mix of calculation and confusion. Something… didn’t add up. How come he chose the good side now? Does he have a reason? Is it a bad one? The Consul had many questions.
“...You are aware that the more you stare at me, the less I’ll feel inclined to answer your questions, correct?” Silent Salt said nonchalantly. The younger jolted from his thoughts and ever-so-slightly blushed. The others glanced over in curiosity.
“Ah, yes, my bad…It’s just that…”, the Consul started, and tilted his head ever so slightly. GingerBrave recognized that tilt. It was the same one he gave before he threw Pure Vanilla Cookie under the bus about White Lily Cookie being Dark Enchantress Cookie. Brave furrowed his brow at the memory of that. Pure Vanilla looked so…distraught.
“I was just thinking… maybe you had some…ulterior motives?”
That made GingerBrave recoil a little bit. Clotted Cream still didn’t trust Silent Salt? But he hasn’t done ANYTHING suspicious!
The ex-Beast tilted his head back at the Consul, his stare almost identical. After a few tense moments, he finally spoke. “I guess…you could say that…”
A beat.
Then chaos.
He got weapons pointed at him. Dark Cacao’s greatsword, Golden Cheese’s spear, Financier’s sword, and a few more. The Faes, Hollyberry, and Pure Vanilla looked at him in shock. Wizard Cookie flinched and gripped his Candy Wand. GingerBright’s smile faltered. Brave was about to yell out when–
“W-W-WAIT!!!!”, Strawberry Cookie yelped, face flushed.
Everyone turned to her.
She gulped and looked away. “
Maybe that was a bad idea…
” she thought to herself. She was about to double back, but then, maybe from sheer instinct, she glanced at GingerBrave.
He had that look in his eyes. That Hopeful, trusting look. The one he always had whenever he told her “It’s okay to talk out your thoughts, no matter how silly you think they are!”
Strawberry took a breath. She could do this.
“He might have more t-to say! We should, uhm… hear him out!”, she said finally.
The Cookies at the table looked at her. Then Silent Salt Cookie. Then back again. Vinegar Chip Cookie held their breath.
Slowly, weapons were lowered.
“Speak.” Dark Cacao barked at the ex-Beast, who had not blinked an eye during all of the sudden commotion.
“Thank you, Strawberry Cookie,” he said to her with soft eyes. “Anyways, as I was saying before I was interrupted… Yes, I do have other motives. But they aren’t wicked, not at all. I actually… want to save someone… and I feel that you all could help.”
Something in his tone and posture made everyone soften slightly. It looked genuine…but they all knew by now that looks can be deceiving.
But, GingerBrave…
Something in his heart told him to trust him.
When every-Cookie walked out of that banquet hall, they all had around the same emotion range. Anger to disgust. The information dished out by Silent Salt Cookie was… disturbing, to say the least. The farmed Life Energy… the plan for the Beast Cookies to give up their Soul Jam to make a killing machine, the Ultimate Cookie.
Or, it was
supposed
to be a killing machine.
Silent Salt also talked about hearing it wail and cry. It didn’t seem to even want to be fed all that Life Energy. It was hurting. That’s why he wanted to save it and free it from its pain.
They’d definitely have to go over this in the Council, Pure Vanilla Cookie knew it.
“Hey! Where’s our camp equipment?!” Crunchy Chip Cookie yelled, looking around quickly.
“Oh! Don’tcha worry about that, the Sugar Gnomes have probably already set it up in the safe zone~” Bright said merrily, still smiling even after what they’ve all been told.
“Safe zone?” Caramel Arrow Cookie asked.
“Yup! I guess I’ll explain a little since the others look slightly traumatized~!” Bright chirped in that ever-so-slightly unsettling way.
“It has to do with the plan we’re going to discuss tomorrow at the Council. For now though, we’ve decided to pretty much evacuate the whole kingdom to a ‘safe zone’, which’ll be like our base camp! The Sugar Gnomes work fast, so it’s probably all up and ready!” Bright rambled. “C’mon, I’ll lead us all to it!” she yelled, and then scurried off into a direction.
“
Right,
” Pure Vanilla thought. “
The plan…
”
It was risky. Maybe there was a better way… they didn’t have to do this…
But they could change it at the Council. Find maybe a safer way!
…right?
The camp was already busy. Storing items, portioning rations, opening the magic freezer–Wizard ran right to it since he was starting to melt a little–but, overall, a lot of hustle and bustle. At least the housing tents were up, GingerBrave’s head was pounding again.
“Alright, uh…I’m gonna hit the hay…early! Yeah! Anywho, see ya–”, he said and dashed off into the housing tent with his name on the list. Wizard Cookie was just walking back from his nice jump in the freezer.
“...Something’s wrong with him.” he muttered. Strawberry nodded.
“Yeah! Yeah! Bravey’s acting weird!” Dozer squeaked and nodded his head as seriously as he could. He then sneezed and sniffled.
“He’s speaking weird too. He only does that “Pause! Um! Pause! Uh!” thingy when he’s trying to hide something…”, Bright muttered with a slight tilt in her head.
“And the weirdest part…” Wizard started. “Was that he didn’t ki–I MEAN, he didn’t say goodnight! Yeah!”
The other three simply stared at him with various states of amusement. They clearly knew what he was originally going to say. Wizard tilted his hat so they couldn’t see his blush.
Meanwhile, a few meters away, Pure Vanilla Cookie stood, his brow furrowed. He had noticed that GingerBrave had been acting…strange, ever since their encounter with
him
. Brave was more…withdrawn, thoughtful. And he seemed to look almost…afraid, at times.
It was quite peculiar. The boy was always optimistic, more courageous than the healer had ever been (as much as he hated to admit to himself).
“Ah, Pure Vanilla Cookie!” Hollyberry Cookie hollered to him. She was sitting around the bonfire with Dark Cacao Cookie, Golden Cheese Cookie, Clotted Cream Cookie…and White Lily Cookie and Silent Salt Cookie? “Come, come, sit with us!” The Queen Mother beckoned. Pure Vanilla was going to rest his head for tomorrow’s Council, but curiosity got the better of him, so he walked over and sat down.
They quickly briefed him on what they were talking about. Their experiences with the Beasts, the similarities and differences in behavior, and whatever Silent Salt could tell them about Dark Enchantress Cookie’s plan. It was all great info to make a better, more strategic plan.
“So, Pure Vanilla Cookie…” Dark Cacao inquired.
“How did your interaction with Shadow Milk Cookie proceed?”
Ah… How could he even put it so he wouldn’t worry the others. Well, it was already worrying…
Let’s see…he got shoved into challenges that tested his Truth, he “embraced” Deceit, and the children got tortured along with him…
Yes…
The children…
He should’ve found a way to send them home earlier. They shouldn’t have been there… GingerBrave and Wizard wouldn’t have gotten hurt.
They wouldn’t have had to face Shadow Milk.
They wouldn’t have gotten shoved off that tower…
They would have been
safe
.
“Well…it’s a very long, and horrible story…”
Finally…
GingerBrave had gotten away from the group and found his cot in the corner. Some of his stuff was already there. His favorite baseball, his casual sneakers, his jackets, jeans…
Ah-ha, there it is!
The big photo album.
He picked it up and placed it on his cot, then sat down and rolled up one of his jean legs. The scar from his crack was still there, slightly covered by a band-aid Dozer put on it. It still slightly throbbed for some reason. Maybe from all the stress he kept putting on it, still running about despite Pure Vanilla having told him to rest it for a bit.
Brave turned to the photo album and opened to the first page. It had pictures from their adventures. Little Big Dreams, Dragon Hill, everywhere! He remembered when he was just an 11-year-old with his chipped toothcing…
When he wasn’t…
as
afraid.
He only really realized, in the Spire…that he
was
afraid. He
did
feel the weight of all the things he’d gone through. It all crashed down in waves. Dozer getting kidnapped in the Castle, learning the Witches ATE Cookies, fighting Matilda, helping Dark Enchantress escape…
And
all
the battles…
He started to feel dizzy again, head thumping harder. “Mmmgh… gotta sleep…yeah, sleep it off…”, he murmured to himself.
He stumbled up and pulled the privacy curtains in with a quick
Shhff!
Then he wobbled back into his cot, the album laid forgotten next to him.
Sleep. He needed it now more than ever. He shifted positions for a bit before finally settling and closing his eyes…
He hoped he didn’t have another nightmare…
Darkness, once again…
Brave felt like he was being hanged by the arms and torso. He heard cackles. Sounded like the Witches… Dark Enchantress Cookie… Shadow Milk Cookie and his minions… and more unrecognizable ones.
He blinked…and then was met with a horrific sight.
Strawberry Cookie, stabbed through the chest with a thorn-like tentacle. GingerBright and GingerDozer, seemingly punched until their dough cracked. One of Dozer’s legs looked like it turned to flour. Jam splattered the floor.
And Wizard Cookie.
Hung by the neck with puppet strings. His hands were sliced up, like he was trying to pull the metal cords away. His ice cream fillings slowly dripped from his mouth.
It was sickening. GingerBrave knew it was a dream, he knew it wasn’t true. But he still lashed in his restraints, screaming with tears in his eyes.
“NO! NO! WHY! WHY DO YOU KEEP DOING THIS!”
A figure slowly appeared. Their hair was red icing, made in floating strings, much like GingerBrave’s. Their hair, however, was more unkempt and wild.
Their eyes were a hollow black, with jam trickling down like tears. Their dough was littered with cracks that bled too. Their top half was covered in jammed bandages, while their bottom half looked like they were wearing a potato sack as pants.
They smiled at Brave, and yes, it did look cruel, but it also looked like…they didn’t want to do this. “GingerBrave…” they croaked in their raspy voice as they glided over to him. He tried to kick them, but his foot just went through. The mysterious figure smiled even wider at his pathetic attempt.
“You know what’s going to happen soon. You’re going to fight Dark Enchantress Cookie, her minions, the Beasts, and this…’Ultimate Cookie’. That’s much more fighting in one go than you’ve ever done before…” they trailed off.
“But, I’ve got my friends! My siblings! We’ve all been training and training so hard! We’ve gotten stronger! And I think–no–KNOW we’re going to come out on top–”
“But you aren’t even sure of that yourself.”
GingerBrave paused at that.
“O-of course I’m sure! I have hope–”
“But that hope is dimming each day.”
“W-what?! No, it’s n-not!”
“Stop lying to yourself. You know you’re afraid. Don’t you feel…
despair
~?” the figure cooed, mockingly booping where GingerBrave’s nose would be. Brave recoiled in shock and disgust.
“NO! You’re trying to get into my head again! Just like you did for the nightmare last night! And the night before, and before!”
“Oh, no no no, Gingie~! I’m not getting into your head, I’m just feeding what’s already in your head! You know, you’re so gullible, it’s been easy! After all, it’s like you wear your emotions on your bicep…oh wait, you
do
.”
Right. The little bandana strip he was given by the other four for his 16th birthday… it kept writing out his internal thoughts onto it, so it made it easy to know how he was feeling…
But wait…
He never wore it in his dreams. It never showed up…
“How did–”, he started.
“Oh, you’ll find out soon~ But for now…” The figure summoned an axe. It was red, and the blade looked like fire.
“Time for you to
wake up
.”
Brave screamed as he was struck by the weapon, and woke in a cold sweat with a strong jolt. He nearly headbutted a very worried Pure Vanilla Cookie with his head’s quick ascent.
He slowly came to the realization that he was surrounded by almost everyone joining the Council, all sharing the same look of worry.
Wizard had only one question to ask his boyfriend
“What the hell were you dreaming about…?”