Chapter Text
"Good morning, lovely cookies." Reverend Mother Cookie stood in front of the crowd of cookies. It was time for morning prayer, before getting the day started.
"Before we pray, I have an announcement to make." The other cookies all watched intently, carefully. "I have talked with the other elders and have prayed to the Gods about this, and we've decided something. In a week from today, we are going to storm the Tower of Sweet Chaos. We are going to put an end to the corruption that is taking place on the sacred grounds."
There was murmuring amongst the large group of nuns. "We will prepare all week for the battle. Let us pray for our inevitable victory." She continued. "May the Gods let us shine brightly in our battle." Reverend Mother, with her usual smile, knelt down and put her hands together. "Let us continue our morning prayer, sisters." She cupped her hands together, the rest of the nuns following suit.
-
Pastry didn't know how to feel about this plan. She feared a chance of failure, afraid of crumbling inside the intense heat of the tower. Would it be righteous to have the sacred grounds of the oven to be tainted by warfare?
When she had time to, in between chores and tasks, she went up to Reverend Mother Cookie. "Excuse me, Reverend Mother."
Reverend Mother, a smile on her face, cheerfully greeted her. "Ah, Pastry Cookie! Is there something you need?"
"I wanted to.. talk to you about the attack on the tower." She said, clasping her hands together.
"Do you doubt our decision, Pastry, child?"
"N..No, Reverend Mother. I just.." she paused. Yes, she was having doubts. She knelt down. "I apologize, Mother. I suppose I do have doubts about this idea." She bowed down, hoping for forgiveness from the Godly.
"Child, stand up, would you?" Reverend Mother asked kindly. She obeyed. "I understand you have recently had a traumatizing experience in that tower, but rest assured, nothing bad will happen." She lay a hand on Pastry's shoulder.
"But.. wouldn't it be unholy to have warfare take place on those sacred grounds?"
"Child," Reverend Mother's voice softened, she knelt down to be face to face with Pastry. "Sometimes, we must do a wrong to create a right." Pastry nodded. Just like a multiplication equation. "I have prayed to the Gods, and they have allowed us permission to drive the evil out of the tower. Rest assured, Pastry. We are doing the right thing."
Pastry nodded. "Yes, Mother. I understand."
"Good child." She smiled. "Now, go have some dinner. You must be feeling pretty hungry after the hard work you put in today." She giggled.
"Thank you, Reverend Mother. I have faith in you and the Gods." She walked towards the dining hall.
A sisterly figure entered as Pastry filtered out. She shook her head. "She keeps doubting, Mother. Remember, if she needs to be silenced-"
"I know, dear sister. Do not fret. She will learn to defy the darkness that has snuck into her mind." She walked out of the room, Shadow Sister following behind.
-
"Pastry Cookie. You must lure that general out of his tower."
"What, why me, Mother?"
"Since you've had a previous encounter with that foul beast, he will already know you, and may approach you."
"..."
"Do not worry, my child. Nothing will harm you."
"..Yes.. Mother. I trust you."
She was more worried about the general than herself.
Pastry looked down as she walked ahead, up the path towards the front of the tower. The other nuns, somehow, quietly watched her from the bushes, waiting to see if the crimson general would show himself.
Pastry, her crossbow and arrows equipped, she looked up at the dauntingly tall tower. She huffed, making it all the way up to the tower's gates, taking a step onto the sacred, red carpet. "Forgive me for trespassing these grounds, Gods." She murmured in a prayer.
She started walking down the red, velvet carpet. Ironic, the name of the general, the same color and type of carpet on the very floor.
Suddenly, multiple cake hounds and a big, white werehound brute stood in front of her. Behind those monsters was the Cake Cookie general, himself. He stepped in between the brute and one of the hounds. "Ah, back so soon?" He said, almost disgusted. "I thought you wouldn't want to return after your whole world got flipped upside down."
That had happened three weeks ago. "I do not believe the lies of your evil, sinful priestess. She is a disgrace to cookies, almost as much as you are."
Red Velvet's eyebrows furrowed in a frown. He put his cake hand onto the brute. The brute looked down at him. He nodded. "Spare no mercy, hounds." He said calmly to his small group. "I will fight with you."
An arrow flew, followed by two, ten arrows. Red Velvet watched the arrows soar over the gates of the tower's entrance. He yelped, hiding behind the brute. The brute took the brunt of the damage for his general, falling onto its knees. The other few cake hounds he had were all killed from the random fire.
The general grunted, Pastry started to charge. Soon, all the nuns came flooding through the gates. Red Velvet started to retreat into the heart of the tower, where the furnace burned brightly, signalling more cake hounds being created. "I am sorry, brothers!" He apologized to the fallen hounds. "Hounds, now is your time!" He shouted, running past his army as he scaled the tower. "Unleash hell upon them! No mercy!"
A chorus of growls and howls seared out, as rumbling from inside the tower began. Soon, hounds of all different shapes and sizes stormed out of the tower, barking and roaring at the army of nuns. Battle ensued.
Red Velvet breathed heavily, running up each floor as fast as he could. He had to tell Pomegranate Cookie.
He finally reached the point in the tower where Pomegranate Cookie stood, seemingly awaiting his presence. "Ah, so the general finally shows up. Your hounds are causing a very annoying disturbance, you know."
"Spare me the antics right now, Pomegranate. We have a problem. You need to get everyone out of this tower."
"Whatever do you mean, Red Velvet?" Pomegranate asked with a disappointed look.
"There is a massive attack on the tower." He breathed heavily. "In the case my hounds and I do not win, you need to get everyone out. Licorice, Dark Choco, Poison Mushroom.." he gasped for breath. "Dark Enchantress Cookie."
Pomegranate Cookie held her mirror tightly. "Very well." She stated, calmly. "Do not fail in your mission, Red Velvet Cookie."
Red Velvet sighed, looking down the stairs he had climbed. " I will not."
Pomegranate nodded, an amused smile on her face. "Good." She started to scale the tower again to inform the others.
Red Velvet, with a burst of anger, ran back down the stairs, his shining saw blade in his hand.
-
The hounds seemed to come endlessly, charging at the large group of nuns. Somehow, they kept up, despite being outnumbered 1 to 1000. They avoided boomerangs, shot out the hounds, and stamped out the smallest ones. Cake pieces scattered everywhere.
Pastry Cookie shot another and another hound, making sure to not let herself, or her sisters get hurt.
Suddenly, an unsuspecting Pastry was hit by a boomerang, unknowing that it had flown at her. She yelped, falling down. Some hounds charged at the vulnerable cookie. She tried to regain herself, but she fumbled with her crossbow, and missed her shot. Her eyes widened, watching the hounds quickly close the gap.
Just before they got there, a stab from a fork blade cut through the hounds that had charged her.
She looked up at who had saved her. Reverend Mother Cookie smiled at her. "Get up, child. Find the crimson general. We will take care of things here."
Pastry, now saved, was thankful, but dreaded having to find Red Velvet. By the Gods, why always me? She thought to herself. She would not dare defy Reverenced Mother, though, so she forced herself through the crowd, shooting any and all hounds that she could, whether they tried to stop her, or if they were fighting someone else.
She charged up the tower, shooting any lingering cake hounds she found.
-
Red Velvet could see a figure running up the stairs, killing his precious brethren. He snarled. He recognized the veil, the sickeningly disgusting gown and crossbow. It was that stupid gnat, again. Why was she so persistent?
Red Velvet growled, stopping at a resting point in the stairwell, where a door was. The oven lay in this room, it's charcoals burning bright as ever, the heat drowning out the noises below him. He ran into the room, knowing he couldn't win a one on one fight with that woman.
Her crossbow.. it was powerful. He couldn't fight her with just a sword. He opened up the oven, newly formed cake hounds of different shapes and sizes appearing. Five of the ten that had been made were alive. Two were small, measly little cake hounds, two were adult hounds, and one wielded a boomerang.
Red Velvet's shadow towered across the floor, out the doors of the room. Pastry Cookie felt herself break a sweat, knowing he was in the super heated room. She let herself step in front of the door, facing him, his long hair touching the floor.
They both stared at each other, weapons drawn on both ends. Red Velvet scowled in anger. "You dare show yourself?!" He shouted with rage. "You call yourselves righteous," he growled. "Yet you commit genocide on these sentient beings, just like you or I!"
"We do what we must to retain order, to bring holiness to the world!" She shouted back.
Red Velvet growled, loudly. Like a wild cake hound, he scowled with pointy, sharp teeth. "I'll rip you to pieces!" He cried, charging with his small group of hounds.
She quickly made work of the two small cake hounds, them whimpering when she had shot. She grunted, looking at their feeble bodies, limp on the floor.
He came with the two grown up cake hounds, slashing at her with his crimson gemmed sword. She avoided, charging at the boomerang wielding hound in the back.
"No!" Red Velvet desperately, angrily cried.
She shot the thing dead in one shot, turning back to face him. His scowl grew deeper, his rage burning as bright and hot as the oven in the room they stood in. Her shadow covered his face, she swore his black, infected eye was glowing. His mouth frothed from the rage. He really was a monster. A beast, just like the abominations he created.
He's not a cookie, Pastry. He's a monster.
Red Velvet charged, ever so faster. "I will not let you get away with this unscathed!"
His slashing attempts became desperate, mindless. His brain was engulfed with the rage he had for her, her entire cult. That's what it was. A cult.
Pastry kept backing up, avoiding his constant slashing. His normal eye glared at her with so much hatred, it's light blue color barely visible with how hard he squinted at her. His cake eye seemed stimulated. He looked insane as he kept on the constant pressure. She shot an arrow at him, him slashing the arrow down with his sword in his fit of rage.
Soon, she backed up next to the open, burning oven. She gasped for air.
Red Velvet ceased his rampant slashing to take a breath, deep heavy ones that showed his anger. His cake arm's claws seemed sharper now. His eyes seemed bloodshot, now. "You.. filthy.." his words seethed venom. "I will never forgive you for this! And to your so-called 'Gods,'" he paused, taking an enraged breath. "I hope they suffer the same fate as you do today!"
He charged at her again, his hounds following suit beside him.
She grunted, firing an arrow. She didn't know who to shoot for, she just let the arrow fly. It hit Red Velvet's cake arm, right at the elbow of it. He shouted in pain. The hounds kept forth at her, jumping at her. She quickly fired another arrow, killing one of the hounds.
The other hound chomped at her left arm. She felt the teeth pierce her dough, already knowing that fresh red jam would bleed through soon. She growled loudly, somehow flinging it off her, and shooting it.
She turned to look at Red Velvet, who had taken the arrow out of his cake arm. His eyes twitched, looking at her.
All of his kind, dead to this woman's hand. He wanted nothing but to kill her. To kill everyone and everything he saw that weren't his precious hounds.
Pastry repositioned herself away from the coal burning oven, to give her a more advantageous position. "You.. monster!" He shouted at her.
She aimed the crossbow bolt at him. "Ironic coming from you, demon."
He couldn't understand this cult, and he didn't want to. He wished, longingly, that everyone in that group was dead.
She shot an arrow. He moved out of the way, and caught the arrow with his oversized arm. He crushed the middle of it, leaving the arrow in two.
Pastry was unmoved by his gesture. He let out a war cry, running at her. He made progress towards her, avoiding her arrows, destroying them. She seemed to be in a panic as his eyes, filled with rage, seemed to paralyze her. As she loaded another bolt, and as Velvet lunged at her to stab her through her heart, a shrill, high pitched bark sounded through the oven room.
Red Velvet's eyes darted towards the sound. He knew the sound of that hound, as he'd memorized every single hound he'd created. Chiffon. He was alive, amongst the chaos. His eyes widened in joy, knowing his friend was still kicking.
His eyes widened more when an arrow struck his torso. In a sudden burst of pain, he dropped his weapon, falling to the velvet carpet. Velvet used his cake arm to try and remove the bolt that was stuck in his stomach.
His cake arm immediately got shot down, an arrow piercing the palm, piercing the carpet, pinning his infected arm to the floor. He grunted and gasped, trying to pull the arrow out of his stomach with his normal hand. Pastry cookie, huffing, walked up to him. "Here we are again, commander."
"I will.. Grah..!" He ripped the arrow out of his stomach. "Never be at the mercy of.." he grunted and groaned. "A maniac.." he grunted again, struggling to get his cake arm free. "Like you..!"
She held the bolt up to his head. He glared at her, not afraid. A deafening silence hung over the two, Red Velvet making no more attempts to free himself.
"Shoot me." He said, quietly, still angered. Chiffon whimpered from the door. He cursed himself, saying that in front of his dear pal Chiffon.
She looked at the little cake hound, who cowered in fear at the bolt being aimed at it. She pointed it back down at Velvet. "Hesitant, yet again, are you?" Red Velvet sighed.
"I'm just.. giving you a chance."
"Mercy to your sworn enemy? You're as idiotic as you are psychotic." He groaned at the pain in his stomach, a small pool of jam starting to form on the floor. It reminded Pastry Cookie of her bloodied arm, staining her clean gown. She growled.
"You are lucky I am impure. If the Gods were to choose your fate, you'd be dead in an instant."
Red Velvet laughed a little. "To think I might've thought you would've had a change of heart. After seeing the truth the last time we'd met." He shook his head. "Foolish. Truly foolish."
Pastry Cookie held her bow tighter. "Like I said, demon, I don't believe the lies and mirages that your priestess made for me that day."
Red Velvet stared at her eyes, her bow, the arrow for a couple of moments. "If you won't pull the trigger," he looked up at Chiffon. "I will force your hand." He smiled at his companion. "Chiffon, boy, come! Come help me defeat this.. Cookie."
Chiffon growled and barked, but before it could start making progress, a sharp, three pronged fork blade violently pierced the hound in its place, the hound whimpering, dead on impact.
Red Velvet's eyes widened. His eyes shook, his whole body started to shake. "No.." he muttered.
Pastry Cookie watched another Cookie step into the room. "Ahhh, Pastry Cookie!" Her smile beamed brighter than ever, a proud expression on her face. "I see you've done wonders taking down the cake general. Red Velvet, was it?" Reverend Mother Cookie asked.
Red Velvet was too busy staring at the corpse of his beloved friend on the floor. His whole body shook, paralyzed. This couldn't be real. He'd wake up soon, screaming, crying, and Chiffon would be there to lick him, tell him everything was okay.
His breathing became erratic, deep, heavy breathing. His vision became blurred with tears.
"Hm." Reverend Mother Cookie shook off his silence. "Not much of a talker, are you 'great commander.'" She mocked him. She put a hand onto Pastry Cookie's shoulder. "Good job on eradicating the ungodly creatures that resided in this sacred ground, Pastry Cookie. Now finish the job." She smiled sweetly.
Pastry looked at Reverend Mother, then back at Red Velvet. She saw the heartbrokenness in his eyes. His breathing was irrational, jumpy. He looked her in the eyes. His eyes scared her.
They didn't intimidate her, far from it. His eyes.. she had never seen him so terrified, even back when she'd first met him, almost killing him.
Her hands and arms shook as she held the bow up to his face. She hesitated. Reverend Mother Cookie seemed to frown, but smiled again. "Don't worry, dear. Remember, he is just a beast. A cake."
A cake cookie.
She couldn't bring herself to do it. "Mother.." She looked up at Reverend Mother. "May we keep him as a prisoner at the monastery? I feel like keeping him alive would be beneficial."
Reverend Mother raised a brow. "How so, child?"
"He could provide us more information on the other cookies of dark, and what they plan to do."
She looked at Pastry Cookie, then down at Red Velvet's shaking, broken body. "Very well. But I will not tolerate cakes, dear Pastry Cookie." She looked down at Red Velvet, fork blade in hand. "I will have to do this, in order to absolve this cookie's sins."
She thrusted the blade into his pinned down arm, snapping the arm off his cookie body.
Red Velvet shrieked loudly, the pain in his voice was one Pastry Cookie had never heard before. Just when she thought it couldn't get worse, though, as Red Velvet groaned in pain at his lost arm, Reverend Mother softly stepped onto his forehead, keeping his head down. The fork blade slowly traveled to his face, just under his cake-infected eye.
Pastry already knew what was going to happen. She held back a silent gasp, as Reverend Mother Cookie yanked at the underneath part of his eyes, tearing it out instantly. The eye flew away, Red Velvet crying in pain.
Just like that, the last pieces of cake kin had been exterminated.
-
The nuns and Reverend Mother Cookie trudged back to the monastery, an unconscious, bleeding Red Velvet Cookie thrown over one of the nun's shoulders. Pastry Cookie looked at all the corpses of the hounds they'd slain. She noticed at least a dozen cookies that had been crumbled. Some of them she was friends with. She cried at the sight of their corpse's. Reverend Mother Cookie comforted her. "Do not fret, dear Pastry Cookie. The Gods must have been angered with them. By crumbling, they are forgiven and are saved."
Pastry Cookie only nodded, still mourning the losses.
-
Red Velvet slowly, groggily felt himself awake. His heart felt overjoyed. He was waking up, just like he'd expected to from that horrible nightmare. Although he felt sore, he used his arms to push himself to sit up, but when he did, only one arm responded. He shakily sat up with only one arm to support himself. He opened his eyes, only being able to see the left one. And his surroundings were not of his home.
Reality settled in, Red Velvet's supporting arm shaking, then letting him collapse. His heart felt empty. What had happened was real. His arm.. his eye.. his hounds.. He even noticed that they'd cut his hair, reminiscent of his younger self, all those years ago. He lay in silence in the cell they'd given him. His eyes darted around the floor, wondering why? Why did this have to happen?
His eye was bandaged up, as well as his right shoulder and stomach. He felt so empty. He felt cold, sore, in pain, hungry, exhausted. He wanted nothing more but to die right then.
He heard the cell door opening. He didn't bother seeing who came in. He didn't care.
Loud, echoing, yet soft footsteps made their way to his weak body. That damned nun. Maybe he did care who it was after all. Pastry Cookie looked down on him with a neutral expression. Indifference. After all that transpired. Truly psychotic.
He stared at her, his eyebrow furrowing lightly. "What.. nngh.." he took breaths for air. "Do you want..? You animal.." he said weakly, raspily.
She had a bowl of food in her hands. "I've come to give you some dinner."
He laughed weakly, grimacing. "I'd rather die." His expression then turned to sorrow. "You took everything." He muttered.
She set down the bowl beside him, anyway. She looked down upon him, watching what he'd do.
"You took.." he slowly, shaking, sat himself up, his arm taking a hold of her shoulder, trying to take her down with him. "Everything from me.." he glared at her with the eye he had left. Pastry just watched him as he struggled to do anything. "My eye.." he said, raspy. "My arm. My hounds. My.." he couldn't bring himself to utter the dog's name anymore. He clung onto Pastry's shoulder, desperately trying to tug her down.
His arm faltered, and he fell to the floor again. Pastry was not intimidated by the form of him now. He was too weakened to do anything. "You need to calm down and rest, Red Velvet."
"Don't.. even say.." he took multiple deep breaths, panting for air. "My name.."
She shushed him. "I advise you to rest. Please willingly follow this idea. For your sake."
"I don't.. care anymore!" He wanted to shout, tears forming in his eye. "Everything I held dear to me is gone! My life is basically nothing!" He shouted desperately.
He was truly a cookie with nothing to lose. Pastry took pity on him.
"Just kill me. Kill me. Kill me.." he didn't even want to say this nuns name. He remembered her name from how that one cookie addressed her. "Pastry.." he limply fell flat. "I can even.. rest if I wanted to. This cold.. hard ass.. floor." He panted for breath again.
"I will give you something more comfortable to lay on. Please be patient. May the gods forgive your soul." She said to him, before walking out. Damn God talk. When will she learn she's being lied to. Everyone here is.
He stared at the ceiling, desperately wishing none of this was real.
-
Even after she'd given him a mattress to lay on, he refused to eat. Pastry told Reverend Mother about his refusal. She told Pastry to spoon feed him, force him to eat. They couldn't get info from him if he didn't eat.
So, she returned back to his cell, he was laying on the mattress, unmoving. His eye was closed. He seemed visibly annoyed when she opened the door and stepped in. "I'm not gonna eat.. your damned food." He took deep breaths.
"You must, Red Velvet." She said softly, taking the bowl of stew in her hand. It had grown to be warm, instead of fresh and hot. She took a small bit of stew out with the spoon it had. She held it out in front of Red Velvet, who awkwardly had his arm crossed over his shoulder.
"Might as well take away my right leg while you're at it.." he grumbled.
"Open your mouth, please." She asked politely. "Please. For both of our sakes."
"How would it.. benefit you? How would it benefit.. me?" He asked, opening his eye to look at her.
Using this opportunity, she shoved the little bit of stew into his mouth. He choked on it, heading into a coughing fit. He struggled to breath as he sat up. "Apologies, Red Velvet."
One deep, desperate breath. Two. Three. Then his breathing slowly turned back to normal. "You have.. no sympathy! No.." he coughed a bit. "Respect. How could you even call yourself holy like those damned witches? Oh, it's because you're just as bad as they are!" Pastry was impressed he managed to say that without having to pause.
"I'm sorry things ended up this way, Red Velvet." She sighed. "I've been dealing with loss, too."
Now she was trying to sympathize with him, to soften him up. He got onto his weak, feeble knees. He looked at her, leaned against her, holding her shoulder with his arm. "You dare.. compare what has happened to you.. to what happened to me? You. Are. Sick." Venom poisoned his words. "Did you lose everything you had, murderer?" He laughed a little, then coughing. She didn't respond. "Did you..?!"
They stared at each other in the eyes.
He backed down, laying on the mattress again. "You didn't even spare one of them.. so I could at least have company in here." He said quietly, looking away from her.
"Sparing one would be too dangerous.*
He looked at her and laughed. "They wouldn't hurt a fly if they didn't have to!" He breathed a couple of times. "They only attack when they have to. They're sweeter than any cookie I've ever met."
Pastry Cookie looked down, feeling pity for him. "Apologies, Red Velvet Cookie. I will take care of you so that you may be ready to repent for your sins, and to right the wrongs you've done, by giving us info on the cookies of darkness."
"You're like a robot." He said. "You show less emotion than in our battle." He looked down, ashamed. If he had just won.. killed her..
"I must keep indifference to remain strong for the Gods."
Red Velvet growled. "Quit.. rngh.." he sat up again. "Talking about your 'Gods.' You've learned nothing. Do you not remember what you saw?"
"I remember what I saw." Pastry's eyebrows furrowed, and she frowned. "And for the last time, I won't believe the disgusting imagery that was crafted to break my faith. Reverend Mother told me that-"
"Your Reverend Mother is crazy! She is lying to you!" He coughed, laying back down. "Y'know what, fine. Keep believing that bastards lies. Keep following this.. cult." He crossed his arm. "I don't even care how shit your life is, anyway." He muttered, turning his body to face away from her.
She looked at his battered, bandaged up body. She was annoyed with him. "Never talk about Reverend Mother in such an unholy way again." She started to walk away, shutting the door. "Eat, Red Velvet." She said, slightly softer.
He wished he could've said "Fuck you." Straight to her face.
-
There had been multiple attempts at interrogating Red Velvet Cookie, by multiple nuns. He didn't budge to any of them. He refused to talk to any of them, only spewing venomous words to dishearten them so that they'd leave him alone. And it worked.
None of the nuns that had talked with him stayed for more than a few minutes, they didn't want to deal with his stubbornness.
Reverend Mother Cookie watched as another nun walked out. "He's hopeless." The nun told her. "He's so evil it sickens me to be in the same room with him. Sorry for disappointing, Reverend Mother Cookie."
She patted the nun's head. "Do not worry, child. It is okay." She smiled sweetly, as if to comfort her.
As the nun walked off, Reverend Mother Cookie looked at Shadow Sister. "Shadow Sister, fetch Sister Pastry Cookie for me."
"Yes, Mother."
She didn't want to have to resort to Pastry Cookie, but she seemed to be the only one he would even talk to at all, even if it was trying to waver her beliefs away from the Gods. Reverend Mother Cookie shook her head. She didn't know what Pastry Cookie saw in the man.
-
Pastry Cookie stepped up to Reverend Mother Cookie. "You wished to see me, Mother?"
She nodded with a smile. "Yes, dear Pastry Cookie. I have asked a lot of our sisters to try and get information out of this cookie. He hasn't done anything but spread sin and lies." She took a breath. "But he seems to have a special kind of connection with you, so perhaps he'd spill something to you."
Pastry Cookie nodded. "I understand, Mother. I won't disappoint you."
Reverend Mother Cookie put a hand on her shoulder. "Do not let him waver your faith and path, dear Pastry Cookie. Don't let his dark heart infect yours."
Pastry stared at her for a few seconds. She nodded, not another word said.
The door opened. Velvet didn't bother to look at the nun who entered the room. It didn't matter who they sent in. He wasn't gonna give them any info on the cookies of dark. They couldn't do anything to force it out of him, either.
"Red Velvet Cookie." Red Velvet groaned audibly. He recognized that voice, wishing he didn't know who it was. "Reverend Mother Cookie has told me about how you are reluctant to share with us."
Red Velvet sat up. "Gee, I wonder why." He snarkily replied. "It's not like I lost literally everything." He said loudly, almost laughing.
"Please, do not speak so loudly, or you'll hurt yourself."
Red Velvet groaned loudly. His voice seemed to be back to normal. "You act so self righteous." His voice boomed in the cell. "You act like you're above me, above everyone. It's sickening. Sick." He glared at her from his mattress.
Pastry Cookie noticed a light red tint on the mattress. "I am merely doing my job."
"If you want to do your job, stop being so obnoxious. Talk to me like a normal cookie." He turned away from her. "It's the least amount of respect you can give me for taking away everything else I have." He said softly.
She sighed. "Fine. Red Velvet, what do the Cookies of Darkness plan to do?"
"Fuck you." He muttered. "I still hate you and everything you stand for."
Red Velvet looked at the air, where his cake arm should be. He felt like it was still there, even if it wasn't.
"I think you should be grateful, Velvet Cookie. I did spare you."
He scowled, standing up. He slowly stepped towards her. She remained unfazed. "You should've just crumbled me." He glared into her heart. "I want nothing more than to kill you, Pastry Cookie." He said her name with hatred seeping in every single letter and syllable. He grabbed her shoulder with his arm.
He was a good few inches above her height. She looked up at him, seeing what he'd do. She sternly glared back at him. He slammed his fist down onto her shoulder. "Mmh." Pastry Cookie took the hit, it felt like a simple thud on her shoulder.
Red Velvet Cookie breathed slowly. "You're lucky." He backed down, walking back to his mattress. He quickly crumbled onto the bed, clearly very tired, still. He grunted when he fell on the mat, letting himself roll over, facing away from Pastry Cookie.
Pastry Cookie sighed. He was a work in progress, that was for sure. Maybe getting some food for him would lighten him up. He still hadn't eaten out of the bowl she'd given him earlier. "What did cake hounds eat again?" She muttered to herself, thinking.
She exited the cell. She'd have to ask someone about it.
-
Some time passed. Red Velvet sat in his own silence, feeling shame. He couldn't save them. He was the only one who knew how to make cakes. Anyone else that knew wouldn't want to do it.
He took a breath, sadness in it. He curled up a little, despite the slight pain it caused in his stomach. He was gonna rot in this damn cell. All because of her and this stupid St. Pastry Order. Even the name of the group had her name on it. He despised all of it. He gripped the side of the mattress hard.
The cell door swung open again. Pastry Cookie came back with a small plate that held two candy canes.
He sighed to himself. "What are you doing?" He asked coldly.
"I heard cakes like candy canes. So I brought you some." She said, sitting on his mattress. He wasn't fond of that.
Red Velvet's eyebrow furrowed. "I wasn't born a cake, you idiot."
Pastry shook her head. "I could only assume with your monstrous arm and eye."
"Don't you remember? You saw me. When I was a child. Dark Enchantress Cookie gave me that arm." He looked at her, as if she was the dumbest thing alive. "I wasn't born with it."
"Just like your eye?"
Red Velvet glared at her. "Yeah." He quietly admitted.
"Whatever happened to your arm and eye?"
He pushed her, trying to push her off the mat. "Not your business. I wouldn't share anything like that with a cookie like you. Now leave me alone." He turned away from her again.
Both the candy canes and the stew lay idle, next to the mattress. "Will you at least eat, Red Velvet?"
He turned to look at the two plates of food. "Wake me up when you can get real food to eat." He said bitterly.
Pastry sighed. She'd have to keep knocking on his door, slowly but surely. "Please, at least eat a little. You need energy for tonight to heal your wounds."
"And for what?" He said softly. "So I can live in this hell for longer?"
Pastry didn't know how to convince him. Sighing, she closed the door, leaving him alone.
Red Velvet longed for things to be normal. For him to wake up from this nightmare. He still had more things he wanted to do in this life. But, it probably would never be the same again.
-
Red Velvet's whole body shook as he sat up. Soreness. A sign his body was healing itself. He didn't know if he wanted to be relieved or upset. A groan exceeded him. He looked down at his bandages. The one on his stomach was red with jam. Same went with his eye bandage. He could feel the dampness on his face.
He went to touch it with his right arm.. except it wasn't there. He shook his head, a little dazed. "Nn.. right." He touched the bandage on his face with his left arm, feeling it's dampness. He looked at his hand, a bit of red staining him. He brushes it off onto the bed.
His arm bandage was no different. He didn't know when or how they'd attached the bandages to him. He had quickly gone unconscious due to jam loss after losing his arm and eye.
It also felt weird to have his hair so short. These cookies made him a whole new man. He hated it.
It reminded him of when he was a child. Alone, afraid, stuck in that cell of an oven, without an arm. If only he had Dark Enchantress Cookie to save him again. Replace his arm and eye. Make him normal again.
He could go back to making cakes again. It wouldn't feel the same without Chiffon and his original hounds, but.. he could make new companions. He looked out the small window he had in the cell. All he could do was hope.
He'd begun to feel lonely, already. Nobody to talk to, nothing to do. He wished he had at least one hound to keep him company. He'd do anything.
He walked up to the window, putting his hand on the window's edge, looking outside. There was green grass, a beautiful dark shade of green. Small spotlights of light peeked through the trees, morning dew reflecting the light into his eyes.
He grunted as he stopped looking through. The cell door openers startling him. Pastry Cookie stood at the door. "Oh.." he mumbled.
She had another plate of food in her hands, as well as something else. He didn't care what it was. He crashed onto his mattress, faced away from her.
Pastry Cookie walked up to him, calmly. She sat next to him on the mattress. He didn't say anything.
"Red Velvet," She said softly.
"Go away." He said quietly, stopping her before she could start.
"Let me replace your bandages, please." She put a hand on him.
"Whatever. Who cares about that, anyway." All the venom in his voice from yesterday was replaced by sadness. "Just leave me alone."
Even if he was lonely, he didn't want solace from her. She sensed the sadness in him. She wasn't gonna lie, it started to seep onto her. "Red Velvet, I understand you're upset. But please, let me fix you up." She put a hand on his side, starting to slowly rub it.
He stayed facing away from her, thinking about what to say. "I just want to lie down and die."
Pastry felt saddened by his statement. "Please don't say that, Red Velvet Cookie."
He said nothing, laying still as she continued to rub him. He looked at his missing arm. It reminded him of the candy canes Pastry brought to him. The canes then reminded him of his hounds. How he missed them dearly.
Slowly he sniffled, then a small sob came out. He curled in on himself further, groaning at the pain in his stomach.
More sobs came out. They weren't loud, and they came out slowly, each of them. Pastry watched him curl in on himself as he cried, a somber look on her face.
His life, his family, his body.. all gone. In the span of a day his whole world changed. He would never see the daylight again, he'd die alone, without his hounds to keep him company. The cookies of darkness probably abandoned him, left him for dead because of his failure. He wished he had his cake arm back.
Pastry stopped rubbing him. She needed to leave before she started crying, too.
"P-Pastry.." his voice was shaky, and barely audible.
She looked at him, his body still facing away from her. "Yes.. Velvet..?"
"C-..Come here.. please." He said desperately.
She slowly walked up to his mattress, and slowly sat herself down on it. Once Red Velvet felt the pressure on the mattress, he slowly, shakily forced himself to sit up and look at her. "Do you need something?" She asked him, looking into his eye.
Red Velvet, not caring that she was Pastry, wrapped his arm around her, holding onto her tightly. He started to weep, his head resting on the back of her shoulder. Pastry silently gasped. His choked sobs came out, slowly but painfully. His hold on her was a bit of an awkward one, only one hand gripping onto her back. But he held on tight, not wanting to let go.
He coughed a few times, the sobs coming out a bit more frequent. She didn't know what to do. But his sadness being so close to her.. his pain so apparent and genuine.. she wrapped her arms around him and rubbed his back, letting a few stray tears come down. She felt a strong emotion hit her as the seconds ticked by, his grip not loosening on her.
Remorse.
Some time passed, the two were still hugging one another. "They're all gone, P-Pastry.."
"I'm sorry, Velvet." She truly was. If only she could've stopped the assault that Reverend Mother had planned. Red Velvet would be okay, she would be okay. Everything would've been normal. She pat his back a few times, softly.
"Oakley.. Finn.. Hunter.." he missed those hounds so much. "Benji.. Archie.. Jackson.." his voice barely could speak the last hound he mentioned. "Chiff-..on.." he held her tighter, somehow.
"I'm sorry, Velvet." She repeated. "I'm.. sorry."
His voice quivered. His grip loosened on her. He let himself fall limp, Pastry gently grabbing his back and setting him down onto the mattress.
She stared at him and he stared at her. "I'll.. I'll replace your bandages."
He nodded softly. He didn't care. He just missed his hounds, his family.
Pastry, with the med kit she brought into the room with her, unwrapped the soggy bandage around his eye, first. When she finished fully unwrapping it a hollow shell stared back at her, where his eye previously used to be. He seemed to look through her face, at the ceiling.
She took out a soft cloth and put it over his eye. Then, carefully lifting his head, started to wrap circles around his head, first diagonally, then wrapping horizontally, covering his forehead. He looked the same as he did when she saw him in that vision.. when he was a child.
She felt disheartened by that. She tossed the old bandage to the side, then started working on his stomach. She unwrapped the very damp bandage and started wrapping another one onto it, putting the soft cloth on first, of course. He obediently didn't object, didn't fight back. He let her hold his stomach up, so she could delicately finish wrapping it around him.
Then came the arm. He lay still and silent, holding back sobs as she cleaned off the bandage and added a new one. It felt nice having new sets of bandages. "Thank.. you." He said quietly.
"Of course.. Velvet." She smiled a little. She stood up, to throw the bandages away.
But his voice stopped her. "No." He said quietly. "Please stay with me.."
Pastry looked at the door, then back at him. "Only if you promise to eat." She asked softly.
He nodded slowly.
She might regret this later, but.. she softly walked over to him, with welcome arms.
-
He talked with her for what seemed like hours. He told her stories about his companions, the fun memories he'd made, the names of his hounds and the ones he'd kept alive the longest. He would occasionally start crying again, to which Pastry Cookie would comfort him through a hug and whispering to him that it was okay.
He had eaten the breakfast she'd brought him. Then he stomached the stew. He even munched on a candy cane, although didn't fully eat it. His teeth weren't strong like a cake's were.
Finally, Pastry said, "I'd love to stay and talk with you for longer, Velvet, but I really do need to go." He nodded, sadly. He lay down on the mattress again, instead this time, he faced her as she stood up.
She opened the cell door and looked back at him, before quietly closing the door and returning to her daily tasks.
On her way, she was stopped by Reverend Mother Cookie. "Oh, child, there you are." She smiled at her. "Nobody has seen or heard from you for hours. Where have you been, child?"
"Forgive me, Reverend Mother Cookie. I got tied up with the cake commander, and it took me a while to finally leave."
She touched Pastry's cheek. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"
"No, Mother. He didn't."
She looked down at Pastry's gown. "But you've got light jam stains on your gown, dear."
"I replaced his bandages. That is how they got there."
Reverend Mother Cookie sighed. "Go wash up, child. We can't have you walking around this holy place with that on your gown."
She nodded. "Understood, Mother. May the gods smile upon you."
"May they smile upon you too, child."
Pastry Cookie walked off to get her gown washed.
"Something feels fishy about her, doesn't it, Reverend Mother Cookie?"
"Yes.. I will keep a close eye on her."
-
It had been a little over a week since that day. Pastry visited his cell everyday, and they talked. He told her more stories, and she comforted him. She gave him food, he was thankful for it. He seemed to be coming into acceptance.
It warmed her heart to know he was feeling better. His movements, while still a little injured, were slowly becoming better, and he was getting more and more used to his one arm.
One time, before Pastry had to leave, she asked..
"Hey, Velvet?" She preferred to call him that. She started calling him Velv a few days after this conversation.
"Hm?" He looked at her, curiously.
She felt a twinge of guilt. "Do you.. still feel like you've lost everything?"
He thought about it for a moment, his arm touching his chin. "Yeah.." he says casually. "I still lost everything." He looked up at her, a slow smile crept up on his face. "But I gained another thing in return."
Pastry couldn't help but blush at his compliment. "Do you think it was a good trade off?"
He sighed. "Unfortunately, I can't say, yet. Sometimes it feels that way, other times it doesn't." He looked down, his elbow resting on his knee. "I just have to live with what I have, whether I like it or not."
She hugged him from behind, wrapping her arms around his neck. He chuckled a little.
"Thank you for being my friend, Pastry."
Pastry smiled at the memory.
Now here she was, in his arm again. She cuddled up to his chest, sighing happily inside the cell together. His hand held her waist and he looked at her hair. She took off the veil, allowing him to see her face clearly. And by god, was she beautiful.
It was only yesterday that the two had confronted their love for each other. Pastry had entered to give him his dinner for the night.
Red Velvet sat on his mattress, looking out the window. The sun was starting to set, a few bars of light seeping through the small window. She stared at him. He looked majestic. He looked at her, his arm supporting him. "Hey, Pastry." He greeted her with a small smile.
She shut the cell door. "Hey.. Velv." She giggled nervously.
Red Velvet smiled at her, noticing her flush. "Well look who decided to shine their beautiful smile today." He smirked, inviting her to sit with him.
She sat next to him, setting the dinner plate down. Steam came off of it. "Thanks for the food, Pastry." He thanked.
"Of course, Velv." She watched him. He stared at the food, then back at her. He didn't pick up the food, instead, he crawled behind her and wrapped his one arm around her, then took her down with him, letting her lay on his chest.
"H-Hey, Velvvvv." She stammered, complaining. "What are you doingggg?"
He placed a kiss onto her forehead. "Just showing that I love you." He knew how she felt about him, too. She'd never told him, but he knew. He had 100% confidence she'd feel the same.
"Velv.." she looked up at him, her face flushed fully red. She softly touched his chin and cheek. "I love you too." She took his chin down to her face, connecting their lips.
A second or so passed, then Pastry repositioned her body to be more comfortable while they kissed. Funny, two weeks ago they would've been at each other's throats. Now they were so in love they couldn't help it.
Pastry started leaning into the kiss more, toppling over Red Velvet on the mattress. This didn't deter them. As soon as their lips parted, they were back together once more, both enjoying this first kiss together the best they could.
Pastry bent over Red Velvet's body as she kissed him. Soon, she let herself fall onto the mattress with him, letting them kiss on an even level, side by side.
Red Velvet accidentally went too hard and bit her lower lip, causing her to whimper. He parted from her. "Ah, I'm sorry, Pastry." He said with a worried and sorrowful tone.
Pastry Cookie laughed, giving him a smile. "Don't worry." She gave him another quick peck on the lips. "It didn't-"
Red Velvet interrupted her, making out with her again. Between breaths he'd said, "You can't just give me a kiss like that and expect me not to pull you in."
Here they were again, all lovey dovey together on the mattress. She kissed his neck. He took a whiff of her hair. She wrapped her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arm around her waist. Constant "I love you's" were said between the two of them.
"Pastry."
"Velvet." They said each other's names with happiness.
Finally, Pastry removed herself from his chest, then gave him a kiss on the lips, their eyes closing. Red Velvet had his arm in his lap as Pastry had her hands on his face, making sure their lips stayed connected.
A moment passed and Pastry separated, still holding onto his face. They both looked at each other, happily. "I love you Pastry." He muttered.
With a smile, she replied, "I love you too, Velv." She slowly rubbed his cheek, before standing up. "I'm sorry, I have to go, Velvet."
"I understand, Pastry." He said, standing up. "Enjoy the rest of your day." He waved at her as she shut the door, locking it behind her. She sighed happily as she turned a corner.
Reverend Mother happened to be on the other side of the corner she'd turned from. She watched Pastry walk off to do her tasks, with a slight kick of energy to her pace.
"Do you think the crimson general is turning her away from us?"
"That is a possibility, Shadow Sister."
"Would you like for me to deal with him?"
"Yes, Sister. Tonight, at Midnight."
-
Shadow Sister Cookie held a crossbow. She slowly trudged through the halls, towards the cake commander's cell, careful to not wake anyone up.
She got to be cell door. She took out her keys and twisted it inside the keyhole. She tugged at the door. It was locked.
"Hm.. How strange." She muttered. The door was already unlocked. Did he escape, somehow?
She twisted the keys in again, unlocking the door. She opened the door to see..
Pastry Cookie was sleeping with the cake general, her veil-less head snuggled in between his shoulder and arm. Red Velvet Cookie was asleep, laying on his back. They both had small smiles on their faces, but both were still asleep.
Shadow Sister growled. Filthy. She was right in doubting Pastry Cookie. She raised her crossbow, aiming an arrow to pierce both of them.
…
A few days had passed. Nobody checked on the cell. In it, the cell still contained the two corpses, both still smiling as they both lay there, silently. A singular arrow pierced both of their hearts, connecting them together. Where they'd be forever.