Chapter Text
“Blue Bird?” White Lily said.
“Yes,” I answered. “To acclimate him to his ‘role,’ I brought him to a park where we fed some birds. He wasn’t very good at it, at first, but he turned around in the end. One of the birds, Blue, was very friendly with him. So I decided, since he calls me ‘Silly-Vanilly,’ I would call him Blue Bird!”
“I see…” White Lily stated, frowning. She looked out at the setting sun. There was no moon tonight. “Pure Vanilla?”
“Yes, White Lily?” I responded.
“When Pavlova Cookie said your heart was torn between two…” White Lily started. “Is… Shadow Milk one of them…?”
I looked at her, slightly shocked. I hadn’t expected this moment to come so soon, but now it seems it hadn’t been “soon” at all.
“Yes,” I answered. “He is.”
Her frown deepened. She seemed torn. I approached her, and took her hands in mine.
“And the other is you, White Lily Cookie.”
She was surprised, and seemed happier, but soon that was replaced by discouragement.
“So…” she started. “Which of us will you choose…?”
I frowned. “I don’t want to choose. In fact, I don’t think I can choose. I wish to be with both of you. You both bring happiness to my life, and I can’t imagine losing either of you.”
She looked down for a moment. I wondered if those weren’t the words she wanted to hear. But when she looked back up at me, she was smiling.
“If it makes you happy…” she started. “I… I can try. But I’m not sure how Silent Salt will feel about it.”
I tilted my head, confused. “Silent Salt?”
She nodded. “He’s… agreed to be the anchor for the second seal. He was… also good friends with Elder Faerie Cookie.”
And that’s when it hit me.
“Oh,” I muttered. “I… I see. That will make this… complicated.”
White Lily nodded. “I can try and convince him. He… doesn’t believe all that much in redemption for the Beasts, but if he learns of your own redemption… Perhaps he will change his mind.”
I nodded. “But what about…”
“I can see to that, if I must,” she stated. “But I will need your help.”
I smiled. “Thank you for doing this. I know this isn’t easy for you, either.”
“It’s not, but…” she said. “I only want you to be happy. And if this is what makes you happy… I’ll have to try.”
I smiled, and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “Thank you.”
x x x
I entered my room and immediately got to work…
… Except I don’t know what I was working on.
You see, the only thing I had to go off of was “Cobalt,” and that was only one kid. It was also evident he was a faerie cookie, but something told me that he didn’t live among the faeries anymore. It would take FOREVER to find them! Not to mention they might not even remember me, or hate me for abandoning them.
Still, something stirred in me that told me I needed to make amends.
I remembered the Book of Knowledge on the nighstand. I didn’t want to look in it for too long. Knowledge could be maddening. I mean, take a look at me!
I had made a promise to myself that I would only use it as a last resort in every case that it could be needed. It was dangerous. In fact, I probably shouldn’t leave it out where anyone could find it.
As I grabbed it to put it in the high shelf of one of the cupboards, I felt the overwhelming urge to open it. Who knows what could be held in here? It could have the secret we need for the seal! And it would make finding my kids so much easier! Why go through all the trouble when it was all right here at your fingertips?
I shook my head and quickly put it away. It was there with Echo guarding it for a reason. The Fount of Knowledge is in the past. Besides, if I’m gonna learn something, then I’m gonna learn it myself, dangit!
I sighed, thinking of ways to find my kids. Well, I don’t think I can go everywhere on Earthbread looking for them. That would take wayyyyy too long. And there’s no place where records on every living cookie existed. And no one knew everyone…
… But there were people who knew a lot of them.
x x x
“Heyyyyy, GingerBrave!” I heard behind me. I turned around to see Shadow Milk, or now Blueberry Milk, waving at me. I quickly threw on my happy mask and turned fully to face him. Guess I’ll have to wait a little longer to get home…
“Heya there, Blueberry Milk Cookie!” I practically cheered. “Whaddaya need?”
“Would you happen to know anyone named Cobalt Faerie Cookie?” he asked.
I searched my brain, but it was hard at the moment. I was tired, and I just wanted to get home and let myself breathe for a moment. “I dunno about a Cobalt Faerie Cookie, but I do remember hearing about a Cobalt Cookie. I’m pretty sure he lives on a different continent, though.”
“Which one?”
“Well, he comes from where Golden Osmanthus Cookie comes from, but I think Wizard Cookie knows more about that than me.”
“Alright, I’ll go find him. Thanks!” And he disappeared without a trace.
As I finally stepped into the doorway of my home, I sighed, closing the door behind me.
“Another rough day, huh?” GingerSnap teased me, floating around to the kitchen.
“Oh shut up,” I said, walking over to grab a jelly from the fridge. “Don’t act like you pity me.”
“Just because I gain power from your Despair doesn’t mean I can’t pity you,” he said matter-of-factually. “Besides, if you hate it, I get more Despair when I do.”
I rolled my eyes as I took a bite of the sour jellies. Despite what I told everyone, I preferred sour over sweet. I didn’t hate sweet food, it just wasn’t my favorite.
“You know, we might meet in person soon,” GingerSnap stated. “So, remember to act surprised, or your friends will know about the… Y’know,” he pointed to his arm, where a deep indigo Soul Jam resembling a four-point star sat embedded in his dough.
A while ago, back when we had first escaped the witches, I found a weird gemstone in the ground. I didn’t know what it was until I met Pure Vanilla Cookie. Before that, I just… held onto it. It felt… important.
I remember the first time I saw GingerSnap. We had just released Dark Enchantress Cookie from her prison, and it was our first bit of rest since then. I had been putting on the brave and Hopeful act for a while, and it was the first bit of time I had to myself for a while.
“So, you're my other half, aren’t you?”
I remember I had swung my candy cane right to him…
Only for it to pass right through.
“Wow,” he had said. “That hurts. I've done nothing to you..”
He explained that he was known as the “Ultimate Cookie,” how he had gotten there, and how I could see him. I was Hope, and he was Despair. Since then, he’s been the only one I could really talk to… sort of.
“Yo, Beast to Main Character?” GingerSnap said, waving his hand in my face. I pushed it away. “You’re really out of it today, aren’t you? You should probably just head to sleep after that.”
“No, I promised I’d hang out with Strawberry today…”
“Okay, fudge her,” he said.
“Watch yourself, Snap…” I warned.
“Okay, whatever, but seriously. Can’t you just think of yourself first, for once? I promise you, it’s so much easier.”
“But I’m not considered a nice person then.”
“Okay, but are you really nice? Like, the real you?”
I’m not. I knew I wasn’t. But I didn’t want to be rude. I was Hope, after all. I was GingerBrave.
“Look, I can’t force you. Sadly, I don’t have Shadow Milk’s cool possession abilities, especially not now. But, you might wanna try saying ‘no’ a bit more, m’kay?”
I paused, swallowing another mouthful of sour jelly. I was crying, but I didn’t know if it was the jellies or something else. “M’kay.”
And then I heard a knock on the door. GingerSnap had disappeared. I sighed.
I put my mask back on and opened the door. “Hey, Strawberry Cookie! Ready to go?”