Chapter Text
The chalk screeched lightly across the board. The tall, blond professor scribbled out words as the children watched and quickly took notes. Finishing his sentence with a period, he turned to the children with a warm smile.
“Healing is a helpful skill to know, and will always be stronger than strength,” Pure Vanilla said kindly. “It can take merely seconds to hurt something, but it takes concentration to heal something. We’ll start our lesson today by learning healing for basic wounds, such as scratches or minor cracks in the dough.”
The Raisin Children shook in their seats in excitement, but just as Pure Vanilla was about to begin, the door opened. Looking up, they saw Black Raisin standing at the door with Gingerbrave jumping up behind her.
“Ah, is now not a good time?” Black Raisin asked.
He shook his head. “I was just about to begin class, what’s up?”
Gingerbrave, still jumping to see over the tall cookie blocking his way, exclaimed, “Did you forget what day is today?”
Pure Vanilla frowned, trying to remember what exactly he had planned for that day. But merely seconds later, his face turned into one of happiness. “That’s right! They’ll be back today! Ah, but my class…”
“Don’t worry about it, Professor Vanilla!” one of the Raisin Children said.
“Yeah, we can pick up this lesson another time!”
He smiled warmly to his class. “Thanks all of you. I’ll make it up sometime, I promise! Class dismissed!” Grabbing his staff from behind his desk, he ran off, following Black Raisin and Gingerbrave.
“Sorry you guys,” he apologized as they walked through the school corridors. “It totally blew my mind. I guess being so excited the entire week made me forget it the day of.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Gingerbrave reassured him. “No one has arrived yet, we were just grabbing you to make sure some final preparations were done.”
“Right,” he said, nodding his head. “So what do we have?”
“First off, how many people are we expecting?” Black Raisin asked. “I know we have plenty of land cleared for campsites, but I want to know exactly what groups of cookies are coming so we can separate it evenly.”
“Well, the Hollyberry, Golden Cheese, and Dark Cacao kingdoms for sure,” he replied. “And I got the impression that your friend, Pastry, was going to return with some members from her Order. Gingerbrave, you did say it was going to take longer for your Kingdom’s members to arrive?”
“Yep! Our Kingdom is significantly further away from the rest of them, so it was going to take longer for us to get there, rally some cookies who were interested in fighting with us, and then return. I stayed back so if they didn’t make it on time, one of us could much more easily relay information to one another,” he said proudly. “Though I think on their way, they stopped at places such as the Pilgrim’s Village and the Pomegranate Village to invite them to join in on the council meeting, just like you had asked.”
“Right. So I believe five major sections of campground can be made, and then our remaining guests can either stay at the Crow’s Nest Inn or in a guest room in my castle. If the Pomegranate Priestesses we met could possibly show up and possibly explain more of the bad things Pomegranate has done, that would be amazing.”
“Yeah, though they are the Priestesses,” Black Raisin muttered. “Asking them to leave their village while it’s still recovering might not prove useful.”
“Yeah, but look on the bright side!” Gingerbrave exclaimed. “They might send Dark Choco. From what I’ve seen, he’s witnessed a lot of her horrors.”
Pure Vanilla nodded. “That is right. I never thought about it that way. Good idea Gingerbrave.”
His face flushed an embarrassed red. “Ah, don’t worry about it. It wasn’t that good of an idea.”
Black Raisin nodded. “Ok, so we got the camping situation finalized. Food has all been figured out, and I believe ground rules for discussion were set at the last small meeting we had, correct?”
“Right. No mention that White Lily is Dark Enchantress, my soul jam has been taken, or that Dark Cacao’s cursed,” Pure Vanilla listed aloud. “Is there much else to discuss, or do we now just wait around for our friends to arrive?”
“Not that I can think of,” Black Raisin said. “I’ll leave the two of you while I go map out the areas.”
“Bye!” Gingerbrave said, waving as she ran off. Turning to Pure Vanilla, he asked, “Are you excited?”
Pure Vanilla smiled. “Yes and no. I’m excited to see my friends again, but I only wish it could be on better terms. How I wish it could be the five of us simply talking as friends once again.”
Gingerbrave sighed. “Yeah, I guess I understand how you feel. I don’t know if I could stay as composed as you if one of my friends betrayed me. But when I met White Lily, she was such a kind soul. I just wish none of it had happened.”
“White Lily is a kind soul. I’ve spent the past few years wondering, why did she betray us? Pastry claims that she saw the transformation, but even she does not know the true motive behind the transformation. I just… wish I could talk to her. Convince her this is not the true way,” Pure Vanilla said, twiddling his fingers. He hung his head low, partially lost in thought and partially ashamed that he knew not how to help his friend.
“When you meet her again, I’m sure we’ll find out,” Gingerbrave comforted. “I’m sure White Lily misses you guys as much as all of you miss her.”
Pure Vanilla laughed weakly. “I’m sure you’re right. I guess it’s a good thing I have one friend here to talk to, though you are much… much younger than me.”
“Hey, don’t judge a cookie by how old he is!” Gingerbrave said indignantly, laughing to show it was a joke.
“Haha, I guess you’re right,” Pure Vanilla replied, laughing along. Ruffling the hair on Gingerbrave’s head, he said, “You have a spirit that warms everyone around you, so don’t you ever give up, okay?”
He smiled, then nodded. “Right!”
Pure Vanilla opened his mouth to reply, but then a booming voice cut him off. “Well if it isn’t Pure Vanilla himself?!”
The two of them turned around to see Hollyberry approaching. Right behind her, a tall pink-haired soldier followed.
“Hollyberry! Welcome back!” he exclaimed. Without warning, she scooped him up in a hug, holding him tightly. “It’s, oomph, nice to see you too!”
She laughed, then put him down. “Has anyone else arrived yet, or?”
Gingerbrave shook his head. “Nope! You’re the first group!”
“He’s right. Who’s this with you Hollyberry?” Pure Vanilla asked, pointing his head towards the armored cookie behind her.
“I am Wildberry Cookie,” he said gruffly, introducing himself. “A knight from the Hollyberrian Kingdom.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Pure Vanilla smiled. “Hollyberry, I can take you and your people to where you will be staying. Gingerbrave, can you go check in with the Raisin Children at the Crow’s Nest Inn to make sure we have enough room for all our unexpected visitors?”
Gingerbrave nodded, then ran off. Pure Vanilla turned the other way, beckoning them to follow him. As he led the way, Hollyberry came up behind him, joining him by his side. “Do you know who’ll be here next?”
He shook his head. “Your guess is as good as mine. I know Gingerbrave’s group will take a bit longer, but it is a toss-up between Golden Cheese and Dark Cacao on who gets here first. I mean, we only know where Golden Cheese’s Kingdom is because of an adventurer from Gingerbrave’s Kingdom.”
Hollyberry smiled slyly. “I bet you hope it’s Dark Cacao,” she smugly said, elbowing him.
“Hey!” he exclaimed, laughing. “I hope they both get here soon!”
“Yeah, but you two are closer, if you know what I mean.”
He laughed. “We are, but we must keep this meeting as serious as possible. There’s time for casual talk after we bring White Lily back.”
She nodded. “Right.”
The two of them finished their walk, ending up at the area set up for the campsite. Pure Vanilla smiled, seeing that Black Raisin had set up flags corresponding with each Kingdom. She’s so helpful. We’re lucky to have a cookie like her.
“Right over there is where you’ll stay,” he said, gesturing. “If you would prefer to stay in the same guest room as last time, Hollyberry, you can. I just do not have enough room for everyone in my castle.”
She shook her head. “This will be great, Pure Vanilla! Thank you!”
The two of them exchanged goodbyes, then Pure Vanilla walked away. As he walked about the perimeters of the castle yard, he began to see plenty of visitors. Pilgrims from a village that Gingerbrave had been talking about marveled in the beauty of such a place. He smiled, watching them make their way around the castle. But soon, his eyes were shrouded by darkness.
“Guess who?!” the voice exclaimed.
Pure Vanilla laughed. “Well, based on your voice and small, calloused hands, I’d have to say it was none other than Golden Cheese Cookie!” He pulled her hands down and turned around, smiling to see he was correct. “Welcome back to the Kingdom.”
Golden Cheese snickered, then landed on the ground. Looking up at Pure Vanilla, she asked, “So where am I supposed to lead my people?”
“I can take you to the campground where you guys will be staying. Black Raisin split it among all the Kingdoms that we planned on having, and Hollyberry Cookie is already there.”
“Great! Lead the way then!”
The two of them walked side by side, though Pure Vanilla was surprised to see Golden Cheese walking rather than flying. She likes flying a lot better. Is something wrong with her wings? She was flying when she came up behind me, so her wings must be alright.
“Is something wrong with your wings?” he blurted out, letting his curiosity get the better of him.
“Hm?” she replied, cocking her head. “Why would something be wrong?”
“You just usually fly everywhere, but you’re walking right now. I’m only looking out for your well-being.”
Golden Cheese paused, then laughed. “Wow Pure Vanilla! You really do notice everything, do you? Nothing to worry about, I simply hit it on a rock on the way here. Nothing too major, just a bit sore.”
“Here, show me,” he said, stopping.
“It’s not that big of a deal,” she replied, trying to continue on.
“Exactly, which is why we should treat it. So your body is more prepared to take on larger wounds,” he insisted.
Golden Cheese sighed, then extended her right wing. “Right about here,” she muttered, waving her hand around the very end area of her wing.
Pure Vanilla tentatively took the end of her wing, and in a moment, it was healed. Golden Cheese stretched her wing, then smiled. “Thanks!”
“No problem,” he replied. “Please, if you ever have troubles like this again, just let me know and I’ll fix them for you.”
The two of them continued on their way, and eventually, he left her at the campsite. As Hollyberry ran up to her and gave her a big squeeze, Pure Vanilla laughed. That makes three more groups to go. Gingerbrave’s, Pastry’s, and Dark Cacao’s.
Golden Cheese, turning her attention to Pure Vanilla, asked, “When do we plan on starting the council meeting? It’s not quite noon, but who knows when the other kingdoms will be here.”
“I don’t think we’ll have a meeting today,” Pure Vanilla said, shaking his head. “Like you said, who knows when everyone will get here, and what we need to discuss may take longer than what we expect. If we meet around 10 or 11ish tomorrow, we’ll have not only enough time to discuss everything we need to, but then we can start training our troops together right away.”
“Right. The quicker they learn to work together, the better,” Hollyberry agreed. Then, a mischievous grin crossed her face. “Then tonight, we can relax as friends!”
“Hollyberry Cookie,” Wildberry quickly said, approaching from behind her. “Remember, Queen Jungleberry sent me to make sure you don’t drink too much berry juice. Whether that’s what you have planned tonight or not, I must remind you, we are here for important matters.”
“Oh loosen up, Wildberry!” she exclaimed, turning towards him and ruffling the hair on top of his head. “We might as well relax before we have to get serious!”
As Hollyberry and Wildberry began their bickering, Pure Vanilla and Golden Cheese laughed. This. Pure Vanilla thought. This is how it should be.
“Ah, I hope we’re not late.”
Turning around, Dark Cacao stood in front of the dark clothed warriors, smiling slightly. Pure Vanilla, beaming from ear to ear, lunged towards him, pulling him in for a hug. “Dark Cacao!”
“Haha, it’s nice to see you again too,” he said in response, returning the hug. Leaning over, he lightly kissed Pure Vanilla’s head, his lips brushing against the rough star-shaped scar on his forehead. Pulling away, he cleared his throat and motioned to Pure Vanilla, “Soldiers, this… um,” he looked flustered, stumbling over his words. “This is Pure Vanilla, the one I was…”
“Yes, yes, we know,” Caramel Arrow said, laughing. “You already told us all, so don’t sweat it.”
Dark Cacao stared at the ground in embarrassment as the rest of his friends laughed, and Pure Vanilla put a hand on his shoulder, giggling, “So you’ve already told them about me, eh?”
Clearing his throat, he shook his head to rid himself of his embarrassment. “That doesn’t matter right now. When do we plan on discussing everything together? I can see that it’s only our Kingdoms, so we’re missing Gingerbrave’s group and Pastry.”
“We were thinking about tomorrow,” Pure Vanilla explained. “That will give everyone here time to get ready and for the rest of the groups to arrive, and then we don’t have to worry about needing to split it into two days or hurry.”
“Yes, that should work,” Dark Cacao agreed, nodding his head. Turning to his soldiers, he said, “Alright soldiers, let’s set up our tents. As soon as you’re done, begin your regular warm-ups.”
As his soldiers turned to Hollyberry, who led them to their camping area, Pure Vanilla grabbed Dark Cacao’s shoulder. “Hey, let’s go on a walk, okay? I want to talk to you.”
“But, I need to set up my tent,” he muttered softly, smiling down at Pure Vanilla. “When am I supposed to do that if I’m out walking with you?”
Hollyberry laughed, exclaiming, “Don’t worry about it Dark Cacao, I’ll get it set up for you!” And before he could protest, she ran off, leading the Dark Cacaoian soldiers off.
Smiling, Pure Vanilla grabbed his hand and said, “C’mon, let’s go to the garden, I want to talk about a few private matters.”
And without another word, he let himself be led to the garden. Not a far walk from the campsite, they strolled around the stone path with beautiful flowers flourishing from all around. Stopping by the pond, Pure Vanilla hoisted himself up onto the low hanging tree branch, and motioned Dark Cacao to do the same. But he politely shook his head, remaining standing.
“What did you want to talk about, Pure Vanilla?” he asked, cocking his head. “I assume it’s to do with one of the rules we set last time, considering you didn’t want to talk in front of my soldiers.”
Pure Vanilla nodded. “That’s right. I was wondering if you had any problems with your phantom from when we last saw each other.”
Dark Cacao shook his head. “It didn’t resurface at all while I was back in my own Kingdom. I had isolated myself as much as possible, because I feared the stress of this all would cause a breakdown, but not even a fog trail came up.”
“That’s strange,” Pure Vanilla remarked. “After it came up so much the week prior, not a single sign of it back at your kingdom?”
“I was thinking that as well. My theory is, there’s something here that triggers it in a sense,” he muttered, looking off in the distance.
“This takes us to what I wanted to discuss,” Pure Vanilla said, folding his hands together and laying them on his lap. “While she went about it in the wrong way, Pastry may have been onto something last week.”
Dark Cacao raised an eyebrow. “Elaborate?”
“Turning you into a weapon.” Immediately, Pure Vanilla knew he had said it wrong, and waved his arms. “I don’t fully agree with that, of course! Making you use something that you don’t even want to tell your soldiers about is horrible, and that’s not what I’m saying. What I’m saying is… I want to conduct an experiment.”
“What kind of experiment?”
“Nothing painful! But I want to see what triggers your transformations, and if there’s a way for you to get full control over what happens. Though I’ve never seen it, you’ve told me that you’ve had a hybrid form before, right?”
He nodded. “Yes, when Pomegranate first took you, I, for some reason, didn’t fully transform. It was only my arms at that time, but the problem is, I didn’t have control then either. The only time I’ve managed to keep this form under control was when I had rescued you-”
“That’s what I’m curious about!” he exclaimed. “You have the ability to control it, so what needs to happen for you to keep control? How can you maintain the hybrid form? And why? We know it’s Pomegranate’s spell that cursed you in a sense, but why had it cursed you? Dark Choco has been under one of her spells, so why did you turn in a phantom while he didn’t? There has to be a reason!”
Dark Cacao sighed. “So what you’re saying is you want to find all the answers to these questions, but how?”
“That’s the simple part,” he said. “Everyday, at some point, we’ll say you and another one of the people who know are going to do one-on-one training, and you’ll go to a private place. There, we’re going to try to purposely call it out, to see if you can maintain control. But if you can’t, I’ll be there to stop you.”
Dark Cacao shook his head. “No, no, that’s not good. Last time you tried to stop me, you got hurt. Then, you had a soul jam. Now, you have abilities nothing better than the average cookie. Look, you still have a scar on your throat! I…” he paused, and noticed his hands were shaking. He was scared, scared of what he could do. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Oh Dark Cacao,” Pure Vanilla muttered, leaping down from the tree. Brushing his hand against his cheek, he looked up at him. “I know you’re scared. If I was you, I would be scared as well. But I trust you, and I trust myself as well. If I didn’t trust you, I would’ve never brought this up.”
Staring down at his feet, Dark Cacao took a deep breath. Be strong, Dark Cacao. Be strong for your Kingdom, for everyone here, for him. “I’ll- I’ll do it. But the moment I hurt someone, I’m done, alright? I will not tolerate someone hurting their own team, even if that someone is me.”
Pure Vanilla smiled, and nodded. “Understood. We’ll begin right after tomorrow’s meeting, alright?”