Chapter Text
The sound of battle roared in Smoked Cheese’s ears as he raced through the ruined streets of the Kingdom. He dodged around monsters and fallen Cookies alike, scanning the battlefield, heart hammering in his chest.
Agony lanced through his heart when he saw the familiar shape of Basque Cheese on the ground. The gatekeeper had been the first to fall when the monsters descended upon the Kingdom. Fighting to the end for the Kingdom, just as Smoked Cheese knew he always would. His injured jackals, loyal despite their master’s demise, stood by his side and protected what was left of his body.
A familiar flash of gold and blue out of the corner of his eye tore Smoked Cheese’s gaze away from the body of his brother. His breath caught in his throat as he recognized the armor as Vanillian in origin. He knew immediately who this knight was, recognizing the distinct pattern of her dough.
Smoked Cheese rushed to assist her as her sword sliced through the surrounding monsters. A weight slammed into him before he could reach her, throwing him to the ground. He barely registered the pain as claws sank into his side, panic seizing him as he watched the knight get swarmed. Desperate, ignoring the wound in his side, he tried to pull himself back up. The monster grabbed at his clothes, ripping him back to the ground before he could even rise to his feet.
“No, no, no, no! ” Smoked Cheese screamed in a mixture of frustration and anguish, unable to move as the monsters tore into the knight, overwhelming her with their numbers. She faced them without fear. Though she certainly wasn’t going down without a fight, there were simply too many for her.
One monster managed to get its fangs around her leg, yanking it out from under her and sending her crashing to the ground. Her sword clattered out of her hand and across the golden stones. It all happened so fast, she wasn’t able to react in time before another monster’s fangs are at her throat.
Helpless, still fighting to free himself from the monster holding him down, Smoked Cheese can only watch as the life drained out of her, the light fading from her mismatched eyes.
“Half Moon!”
Smoked Cheese jolted awake. He gasped for breath, gaze frantically searching the room. After a few heartbeats, he groaned and buried his face in his pillow. A shaky sigh escaped him, eyes hot. He furiously blinked until the blurriness of his vision faded.
Every night, it seemed, this dream plagued him. Half Moon had not even been there in the real attack on the Golden Cheese Kingdom. But ever since he had learned that the Vanilla Kingdom had also fallen in the war, his dreams had twisted the events, putting her into his homeland. And every time Smoked Cheese failed to save her.
Sometimes she would die in his arms, bleeding out from wounds too deep to heal. Other times, he watched her get ripped apart. At least on one occasion, he himself had been the direct cause of her death. Despite the way it happened differing each time, the outcome was always the same. For one reason or another, he could never save her.
It was ridiculous, really. Despite his affection for her, the two were never anything more than allies. They never could be more. They were both bound to their duties to their Kingdoms. Half Moon was a knight, sworn to defend the Vanilla Kingdom until her dying breath. Smoked Cheese was a guard of sorts himself, defending the Golden Cheese Kingdom from the monsters that wandered in. They had been too far apart in physical distance, and too devoted to their Kingdoms to leave them.
Still, even if he had never told her, Smoked Cheese couldn’t deny his feelings for her. He loved her devotion to her Kingdom, loved how she could stare a monster in the eye and remain unshakable, loved how she wasn’t afraid to challenge and tease him.
Now, he was left with nothing but a hollow regret. Wondering what might have been, if he had stopped biting his tongue and spoke freely about what he felt for her.
He tried to shove those thoughts from his mind. He prayed she had lived on, had a happy life despite it all. But deep down, he knew that was impossible. She was a knight through and through. She would have never fled her Kingdom while it was still under attack. She would have fought to the death to protect it.
Regardless, there was no point in dwelling on the past. To time or war, she was gone by now. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed within this virtual reality. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know.
Trying to push aside the pain in his heart, Smoked Cheese finally pulled himself out of bed. He was thankful for the makeup that hid the dark circles under his eyes. He lacked the energy to explain his exhaustion to anyone. While he was certain Mozzarella could tell, he ignored her questions and stares whenever she tried to bring it up.
There was no point in dwelling in the past, he told himself again. All that waited for him in his memories was more pain, more regret, more longing for a life he could never have.
He slowly made his way across the room, gazing out across the bright lights of the Golden Cheese Kingdom. The city always felt far more alive during the night. The noise and lights were almost too much for Smoked Cheese most of the time, but it was welcome tonight. It distracted him from his thoughts, allowing him a brief moment of peace.
He took a deep breath, his eyes closing as he let the sounds of the digital city wash over him. The noise soon faded into the background as his exhaustion settled back over his shoulders. He stayed there by the window for a few minutes longer, the dull chatter of the Cookies outside bringing comfort in reminding him that he still lived.
He opened his eyes and gazed out at the waxing half-moon as it sank below the horizon. His efforts at convincing himself that he moved on failed once again.
Smoked Cheese pulled the curtains shut with a wobbling, aborted snarl. He returned to his bed, planning to sleep until the sun rose and the moon could no longer haunt him.