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Everything was dark.
The usual carnival-like, deceitful, and delusional light that always shone in the Spire of Deceit disappeard, Pure vanilla had awakened, even if his dough was brittle and his light of Truth almost faded away, he survived luckily, and knocked some sense into Shadow milk.. And heck..
...he even asked him to he his friend.
It brought a tear to Shadow milk's eye, of amusement of course, such a doughbrain.. he thought again and again, or even.. a hollow-head, a cookie so stupid to attempt to befriend a Beast, Pure vanilla had betrayed him, a all-for-nothing liar who lied to the Beast of Deceit, ironic isnt it? he told him they would be the same cookie if he gave him his souljam, but it was all a lie.
Shadow milk found himself walking throughout the endless halls of his Kingdom, well, more limping from how bad he gotten deafeated by Pure vanilla, his eyes in his hair narrowed and winced, same to the pair on his face.
he did noticed something, the moon.. the moon was unusually bright, as if it stole the very deceitful light of the Spire, or even his powers, he felt weak, very weak, so close to his knees buckling before him.
Shadow milk gave attention to the moon again, it was never this bright, he thought, pausing in his wobbly movement, was this his imagination? the remainings of his Souljam playing tricks on him?
he felt like a moth attracted to a lamp, the moon was so bright, he almost wanted to pause his life of delusions and lies, the miserable beast he was, who was just defeated by a bunch of doughbrains, he wanted.. to reach out.. take the moon in his hands.. let the moonlight swirl around his fingers like a loose snake.. perhaps.. be apart of the moon.. the moon.. so beautiful and bright.. almost reminded him of...
"Isnt the moon breathtaking.. this fateful night..?"
Shadow milk froze completely, as if his every nerve in his body had been electrified, a cold numbing feeling crept up his back.. Who was this voice who had spoken, it wasnt real.. but it felt real.. was this Pure vanilla? Or Candy apple or Black sapphire playing tricks on him..? The shattered remainings of his Souljam making him go crazy..?
With a shrudder breath, he slowly turned to face the voice that had spoken next to him..
Silent salt.
They were standing there, hands on their sword, not ready to attack, their cape blowing in the shivering wind like a calm candle flame..
"..I-i..y-you..What..?!" Shadow milk stammered with genuine shock and fear in his voice, this was a trick, he thought, no way on Earthbread they could be standing here.. 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 didnt have enough dough to make 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘴.. how-
Silent salt took one tentative step towards Shadow milk, as if approaching a frightened animal, making him gasp and tremble almost, but he didnt dare move.
"..H-how.." Shadow milk managed to hold his voice so it would shake as much.
They didnt respond, obviously, they took another step towards him.
Until Silent salt was only a few centimeters away from Shadow milk, it wasnt in a dominant, terrifying way.. Shadow milk had always found them to be terrifying ever since they fallen- it was more.. approachable, calming perhaps.
Shadow milk's knees buckled suddenly, making him fall to the ground, it surprise Silent salt for a brief second, worry and concern flashed on their hidden face as they knelt infront of him, their cold armored hands finding his warmer delicate ones, squeezing them reassuringly, they felt real, a cookie.. not only a soul.
"..Your real.. Silent salt." Shadow milk muttered under his breath, his eyes faltering to his clasped hands, a tint of blue blush appearing at his cheeks, he tried shaking it away.
Silent salt leaned down to press a small kiss on Shadow milks hand, with felt more of a gentle press from their helmet, but afterwards, they retreated their hands away from his, a pang of worry and panic flashing through Shadow milk's face, he looked up at them, his eyes widening once more as he saw their hands on their helmet, removing the armor that had always concealed their face from cookiekind.
A face so beautiful, deep purple eyes, long, everlasting purple hair, dark silvery dough, yet marred, a long, scar across their face, splitting their face in half, just like what they did to the moon eons ago, those eyes.. looked down at Shadow milk with such tenderness and gentlesness he had deeply yearned for so long.
Silent salt placed down the helmet beside them, they took his hands again, now pressing a real kiss to them, it was long, Shadow milk's heart fluttered like a caged butterfly in his chest. he wanted to loose himself in the moment, with his beloved moon.
Silent salt pulled away after a moment, Shadow reached out with shaky hands to their shoulders, slowly but desperately running them down to their arms.
"..I.. dont know what to say.." He breathed out, his eyes fixed by the Souljam of Silence on Silent salt's chestplate,he paused his hand mouvement.. it seemed to beat with a light of its own.. he was capivated..
He felt their hands on his cheeks, he immediately focused back on their deep eyes, melting into the touch, a shruddering, yearning sigh escaping his lips as his own hands came to covere their own.
"..Im.. tired.. Salt.." he amitted out loud, his closed eyes pricking with unshed tears, "Im tired.. i tried everything, but those.. cookies.. escaped.. with my souljam.. my power..I-.."
"...Tired you say..? Perhaps a visit to my paradise will ease your pain.."
Shadow milks eyes and body shot up immediately from the new voice behind Silent salt, the voice came with a melodious sound playing from a harp, almost making Shadow milk sleepy, his body slumping a little against Silent salt's. His hooded eyes looked up at the cookie, Eternal sugar stood gracefully next to Silent salt's kneeling form, her wings fluttering slightly.
"...Eternal sugar.." Shadow milk muttered in a whisper, "..How.. how are you guys here..? I thought.."
"..It took awhile," Eternal sugar spoke softly, slowly making herself go onto her knees as well, brushing a strand of hair from Shadow milk's face that was still being held by Silent salt's careful hands, to tuck the strand behind his ear. "But eventually, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 made us a body, we were free from our seal, and Silent salt had a feeling that there was something happening in your kingdom.."
Silent salt glanced at Eternal sugar, agreeing with a quiet grunt, before looking back into Shadow milk's eyes again.
"What happened to you..?" She asked with a mix of concern to her voice, a lullaby to Shadow milk. "You seem drained from your usual sarcastic and energetic personality.."
Shadow milk didn't speak, keeping his eyes closed, a small tear rolled down his cheek, stopping at Silent salt's palm, they rubbed the remainings of the tear away with their thumb.
"...Do not speak, Shadow milk.." Eternal sugar sighed, her hand reaching out to brush through Shadow milk's hair, making him lean into her hand and Silent salt's hands more, making him shiver slightly from the sudden warmth displayed on his cold, alone form. "I understand what you've been through. I promise that once those pesky cookies come wandering in my paradise.. ill teach them a lesson from shattering your heart, leaving you powerless and alone.."
Silent salt nodded, rubbing Shadow milk's cheeks with their thumbs reassuringly, in this moment, after what Shadow milk had been through, he felt true happiness, true comfort, things that he yearned for so long.. it was finally granted by the two cookies in front of him..
And they stayed there for a while.. the moonlight casted around them, making Shadow milk have a ethereal glow to him..
He wished he could stay like this, but he couldn't, he had to find the hollow-brains who left with his powers, he'll rave and destroy everything to find those cookies, taking back the power he sought for eons, so he could destroy the rest of the Ancients with the power of the other Beasts, ruling Earthbread once and for all.