Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The winds howled around them, the crackle of lightning a symphony with the cackles of Dark Enchantress Cookie, reddish black electricity sparking, destroying the walls of the fortress they were in. High above a storm brewed, the eye of the storm a hellish sight. Hovering beside her Burning Spice licked his lips as he flicked jam off of his axe. Mystic Flour hovered beside him, eyes partially open showing the utter apathetic void as she stared down. Eternal Sugar Cookie and Silent Salt were the quietest of the four Beasts floating beside the witch that freed them, staring down at the Heroes and their friends.

Pure Vanilla Cookie's fist clenched around his staff, the glow from the star casting a healing aura, the best he could, over his friends. Golden Cheese staggered to her feet as her wing repaired itself, Hollyberry helping her stand. Dark Cacao and White Lily stood on either side of them, Gingerbrave and his friends between them all, having been caught in the cross fire and surprise attack.

They were no match for Dark Enchantress, the Beasts and their armies, their own forces locked in battle all around them, a mimicry of the Dark Flour War of so long ago.

Dark Enchantress smirked, pointing her staff at them to unleash her attack, not even giving them a chance. Pure Vanilla's eyes widened as he prepared his spell, his friends gasping as they recognized the same one he cast on them at the cost of his life.

But he was too slow, the attack would hit.

'No!' Turning rapidly he gathered the children close, intending to use his body as a shield.

BOOM 

The room shook as the attack hit...but not its intended target.

The fuming shrieks of Dark Enchantress drowned out the calls of the four Beasts, shocked and enraged but couldn't drown out the gasps of his friends.

Feeling no pain where he was certain there should be Pure Vanilla pulled back, spotting a strange blue shield all around them all, eyes staring at the ground. Hope building in his chest he turned, spotting the back of a familiar jester.

Shadow Milk had his hand held up, eyes blazing as the shield slowly began to lower. "You once offered me your friendship...you told the Truth. And I was too scared to see it."

He turned to glance over his shoulder, taking in the group behind. Pure Vanilla's eyes were wide, filled with surprise, hope and a budding joy and relief. The children in his arms, he didn't recall their names, were looking at him much the same way. Further behind the other Heroes had a mix of disbelief and something he'd later learn was gratitude.

The Beast of Deceit grunted, turning around when he had to raise another shield from the enraged Dark Enchantress Cookie's attacks, using the chaos as a shield himself. "Such rudeness, interrupting the star of the show."

"HOW DARE YOU SHADOWMILK COOKIE! Do you have any idea what you're doing?!" The dark cookie near snarled as she readied another attack, the Beasts floating behind her watching impassively though curiously.

The Jester hovered before the Ancient Heroes and the children, glaring up at the group before him, the other Beasts, his former friends. "Atoning." He smirked as Dark Enchantress Cookie spluttered in disbelief, raising a hand. "I've seen the Truth."

Snap 

A shockwave of blue and white light burst out from Shadow Milk swallowing the darker forces and teleporting them away in tarot cards to the far corners of Beast-Yeast, the sounds of battle fading away to an oppressive silence. "And that ladies and gentlemen is how the star steals the show."

Shadow Milk lowered down to the ground, wobbly from essentially having teleported hundreds of Cookies at once before deciding 'screw it' and going down to his knees for a respite, a few tears beading up but refusing to fall at what he had just done.

He just denounced his former comrades, his friends Cookies that had once long ago been family He didn't know how long his sealing spell would last on the other Beasts or Dark Enchantress, but hopefully it would be for some time sti-

"Shadow Milk Cookie?"

The healer's soft voice caused him to flinch, looking over his shoulder. Pure Vanilla was closer than before, the children barely seen past his robes. "Are you well?"

"Oh peachy keen. Not every day you mass teleport beings on your power scale, plus hundreds of warriors, in one fell swoop while basically declaring yourself a traitor."

Dark Cacao opened his mouth to demand answers, only for Hollyberry to slap her hand over his mouth, shaking her head no, to let their leader handle it.

"You saved us Shadow Milk...thank you." Pure Vanilla's staff began to glow, halting a little. "What you said before-"

"Heat of the moment you know? Drama, intrigue, blah blah blah." Shadow Milk began to try to stand up, shaking from the effort 'Damn it took more out of me than I thought' "Just forget I said anything."

"What if I don't want to?" The smile on Pure Vanilla's face didn't leave as he walked closer, Shadow Milk half turned to the other as he held out his hand, a mirror of something that happened so long ago. "I told the Truth back then, I tell it now. I want to be your friend Shadow Milk...will you be mine?"

The tears that had began to bead up in the Jester's eyes started to fall, a hand shaking as it reached out to the pale gold one before him. Halting for a moment, fingers curling as if to withdraw, before he resting his hand on the others, Pure Vanilla curling his fingers around with a beaming smile, glowing brightly in his joy. Unable to help himself he pulled the Cookie of Deceit into his embrace, touch gentle even as Shadow Milk froze in shock, arms almost robotic as they returned the gesture before something seemed to break in the other, clutching at him tightly, afraid to let go.

Pure Vanilla hugged the other closer, enough to be felt and secure, but never restricting.

He remembered how the other felt, trapped in the tree with the chains, how terrified how they hated that feeling.

But he still wanted Shadow Milk to know he was there for him, more so when he felt a damp spot begin to form in his robes where the Jester hid his face.

Feeling him shaking Pure Vanilla began to glow softly, his light searching for anything he could help heal, and just to provide another additional comfort.

A few minutes passed before the healer heard the soft shuffling of steps, one of the children judging by how light they were. The eyes in his cloak shifted to look over, spotting GingerBrave beside them, the child uncharacteristically unsure, nervous.

"S-Shadow Milk Cookie?" The Beast flinched harshly at that before hesitantly peeking to the side where Gingerbrave stood close by, withdrawing from the hug almost before the child continued, doing something that shocked the Beast of Deceit.

'What is he-he's hugging me?!' 

Gingerbrave slotted himself close to their sides, arms encircling under Pure Vanilla's own, one warm between their bodies. "Thank you for protecting us and saving us Shadow Milk Cookie."

A lot of Cookies would believe that he never thought things through, that he wasn't observant and just charged forward with his friends.

But they would be lying.

Gingerbrave observed a lot. And while he didn't understand some, he understood enough.

He saw how stiff Shadow Milk was before near collapsing into the touch.

He saw how Pure Vanilla held the other, giving every opportunity for him to pull back. To not hold him 'captive'.

He understood what it was like to feel trapped the oven doors wouldn't open he could hear cackling letthemout! and never wanted another to feel that way. Not even a Beast Cookie.

"I can not imagine what you are feeling right now, but I wanted you to know, I'm thankful you're here Shadow Milk Cookie." Pure Vanilla murmured, hugging the other tighter for a moment before slowly releasing his hold, the other wiggling a bit.

Shadow Milk just huffed, shifting in the other's arms. "Yeah well....that's what friends do isn't it? And well you were right, before-do not make me say it Vanilly." Pure Vanilla couldn't help the slight chuckle that escaped at the embarrassed hiss, knowing what the other was referring to him seeing how alone he was. Shadow Milk sighed, pulling back further from Pure Vanilla's arms, ignoring the ones from Gingerbrave for the moment. "Look. Look. What I did, to you and the squirts, was wrong. I know that. I just-I wanted-"

"Someone that could understand you. Someone that wouldn't leave you"

Shadow Milk didn't say anything for a long moment, blue bi-colored gaze flicking up to the healer, nodding. He steadfastly ignored the other Heroes in the background. "I'm a Beast Cookie, Pure Vanilla. The Beast of Deceit. I screwed up ages ago."

"And in my eyes, you paid for that already. And you redeemed yourself by saving me, my other friends and the children. You saved all of us Shadow Milk Cookie." Pulling back Pure Vanilla placed a hand over his Soul Jam, smiling. "I truly hope you know I'm speaking the Truth when I say how grateful I, we, all are for you right now." The Jester's lips twitched a little, mirroring the motion over his own half of the Soul Jam that was beginning to glow softly as he nodded.

Pure Vanilla gave one more smile, nodding before pulling back, turning to answer his friend's questions.

He was grateful to Hollyberry for holding back Dark Cacao, and was surprised that Golden Cheese had refrained as well. Shadow Milk jumped a little when he felt another set of arms, then another, carefully hugging him. Gingerbrave had moved to his front, while Strawberry and Wizard joined their brother in hugging him as well.

They trusted Gingerbrave and Pure Vanilla. And if they believed in Shadow Milk? Then they did as well. "Shadow Milk C-Cookie? Um, I'm glad you're here t-too." Ever blushing and shy Strawberry's voice was hairbreadth above a whisper.

Wizard nodded, looking up at the other in a mix of awe, disbelief and something barely restrained (Shadow Milk would later learn it was the lad's unending questions he would be bombarded with). "This is one of the weirdest moments of my life, but I'd be a fool not to try to help you with Gingerbrave and Strawberry. And well, you're not half bad."

Gingerbrave snorted, a playful look aimed at his brother, "You just want to ask him about all the magic he showed at his Spire." The teasing look grew, as did duo snickers, at the blush on Wizard Cookie's face as he spluttered.

The trio froze when a new chuckle sounded out, nothing like the sinister tones from before, but one more lighthearted. Shadow Milk's eyes were kind, even surprised, as he looked down at the other, "Well I'd be a clown indeed if I didn't nurture that line of thinking and truly never worthy of my trait indeed." At their confusion his smile turned playful. "Did you three forget?"

Pure Vanilla, finally done with the explanation to his friends, turned with a smile at the children around Shadow Milk, bi colored eyes widening in surprise as he sensed a growing magic from the Soul Jam. "I was once the Fount of Knowledge."

"Once? My dear Cookie. While you lost your way, the Truth set you back on your path." 

Shadow Milk froze at the voice from his Soul Jam, his form glowing with golden light.

A sight that surprised the three children around him, especially when the inverted gem on his chest began to glow with a warm light that spread to fully envelop the jester's form, almost blinding in its intensity, and making the children involuntarily let go of him as they shielded their eyes and took a brief step back, unsure of what was happening.

But both Pure Vanilla and Shadow Milk could feel it, resonating in their shared Soul Jam, though mostly focused on Shadow Milk's glowing form, the silhouette shifting in place, until the glow faded, showing a slightly different outfit, still majorly in his blue tones, but with beautiful accents of gleaming gold, surprising all the cookies currently watching.

Gone was the jester aesthetic though they could see some hints remaining, in it's place was a grand outfit of light gold, white and blue. Instead of the jester hat-like hair, he was sporting a soft wavy blueish galaxy that trailed behind over the long tail coats. Patting over himself frantic in shock, looking at his changed form Shadow Milk looked up at the others, everyone gasping in shock at his eyes.

A near mirror image of Pure Vanilla's own, a soft gold and deep blue gazed at them.

"I-what happened to me-I haven't-a mirror please? D-does anyone-" Shadow Milk's tone spurred Golden Cheese into action, the Light of Abundance glowing as she created a golden mirror for the other to see himself.

The gasp that escaped was near a sob as he stepped closer, touching his own reflection. "I...I haven't seen this in...in so long. I had forgotten what I looked like."

From behind him, he saw the children staring in shock and awe, before, as per his name, Gingerbrave stepped forward, only to stop beside Shadow Milk, staring between the mirror and the cookie himself, as he spoke in a voice full of awe "Is this what you looked like? Back when your trait was Knowledge?"

Lips twitching at that, staring at the reflection of Gingerbrave. His voice was steadier now, kinder almost. A very far cry from the tones of the Cookie of Deceit. Wiser instead of spiteful, softer instead of hurtful. "Yes child...this is what I looked like back-" The taller swallowed roughly, watching as the others got a little closer, looking at him.

"'Back'?" Hollyberry prompted, not unkindly.

"Back then. Back when I was the Holder of Knowledge. When I wanted to spread that to the world, to see it grow, to see eyes shine with wonder as they understood what was before them. When I was known also as the Scholar of Knowledge, teaching others, helping them find the answers, guiding minds to the truth of what they sought. When I...when my name was..." The hand on the mirror shook a little, unsure if he could say it.

He jumped when Pure Vanilla placed a warm hand over his own, giving the Scholar a soft, understanding smile.

The gentle touch, the understanding smile, the awe in the children's faces, and the comforting, gentle warmth radiating from his own Soul Jam, all together worked to bring a trembling smile to his face, and silent tears running down his cheeks as he spoke in a hesitant but relieved tone "When my name was Blueberry Milk Cookie."

"Blueberry Milk Cookie...a pleasure to meet you." Pure Vanilla Cookie smiled, glowing in his joy for the other.

"Wait! Wait wait wait!" Wizard Cookie crossed his arms repeatedly, eyes wide as he pointed. "Blueberry Milk Cookie? The founder of the Blueberry Yogurt Academy, THE most prestigious magical academy in all of Earthbread?"

Shad-no, Blueberry Milk blinked at the abrupt change of topics and tone, Wizard Cookie having stars in his eyes as he gazed up at him. "Yes? I founded it many, many years ago, to encourage those that sought knowledge in all areas, not just magical though that was one of my specialties."

"By the Oven...it's you." White Lily Cookie placed a hand over her mouth, sharing a shocked look with Pure Vanilla as he realized it too. "I-we, when Pure Vanilla and I were at the Academy, we'd look to your portrait for inspiration in our studies, we wanted to be just like you. The amazing Headmaster and Founder, who had gone missing."

"But his love of Knowledge, of nurturing it, infused into the very halls he brought forth into creation." Pure Vanilla's awe was easy to see, eyes wide in joy and surprise as his flower glowed. "It really is you."

Between the awed gazes of two of the Ancient Heroes and the sparkling eyes of Wizard Cookie, Blueberry Milk felt out of place, turning from the mirror at them, slightly amused and calmer, "While I'm thrilled that my Academy still stands to this day you uh...don't need to say such things? I don't des-"

"I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS!"

Everyone jumped at Wizard Cookie's outburst, his siblings face palming as their brother began firing off question after question, more advanced than the last, at the Scholar.

Dark Cacao humphed, hand resting on his sword as he spoke to his friends, "While this is...touching...are we sure that he is on our side? Shadow Milk is the Beast of Deceit after all."

"Aw c'mon you old sourpuss," Hollyberry thumped the other on his armored back, the dark cookie grunting. "After that little light show? I'd say its the real deal."

Golden Cheese's wings fluttered, the monarch letting her mirror fade, "After what he did for us, and he did save us Dark Cacao, we owe him at least the benefit of the doubt."

"Thank you Golden Cheese." Pure Vanilla's tone eased the trio, their healer gesturing for them to come closer. "He speaks the Truth. I heard the Light of Knowledge speak to him, and that is something no one could fake. My Soul Jam resonated with it. Blueberry Milk has reformed."

"-and does the position of starlight affect the strength of these spells or is it truly just based on the phase of the moon? Because I hypothesize that both play an aspect due to celestial bodies influence and while the moon is much closer the stars are more numerous"

'By the Witches did the poor child even breathe?' "Both actually, you are correct." Wizard Cookie near vibrated in excitement at the statement from the Scholar. "The stars positioning and thus, your location on Earthbread, does affect those spells and others like them because you see different constellations depending on where you are on the world."

Rolling their eyes fondly at their excited sibling, both GingerBrave and Strawberry nudged Wizard cookie, the sister being the one to speak to her scholarly sibling "Come on Wizard, s-slow down a little. I know y-you're excited, but you'll have time to ask all the questions you want, a-after we return to the Kingdom for resupplying. Everyone needs a m-moment to rest and recover, B-Blueberry Milk Cookie most of all." Then she glanced at the Scholar of Knowledge, and then back at her sibling with a slight crinkle to her eyes that revealed the smile hidden by her hood "And maybe later, you c-could show him the Gnome Laboratory, or the Magic Laboratory?"

Blueberry Milk did not near collapse at the relief but gave a little nod and smile at the excited Cookie child, inwardly sighing in gratitude at the other's intervention. "I'd love to see those if possible, but young Strawberry Cookie is right. Despite Pure Vanilla's healing, capable as it is, everyone very much should rest after what you've gone through."

"We've gone through? Blueberry Milk you single-handedly saved us all!" Gingerbrave moved over to the other, worried now as he took in the duller glow of the reformed Beast. "If anyone needs rest it's you."

The smile given was shaky at best, the adrenaline from everything, both the battle and what just happened to him, was wearing off, the Scholar wobbling a little only to find himself leaning against Pure Vanilla, the healer having spotted the exhaustion beginning to creep up.

Or perhaps it was their connection through their shared Soul Jam, feeling how bone tired the other actually was now.

"I'm fine, I'll be fine-"

"You will be yes, once we get some berry juice in you! C'mon you Cookies it's time for celebrating! Once we get back to the Cookie Kingdom drinks are on me!" Hollyberry laughed uproariously, clapping her hands as she began leading the group away.

A scattered cheer was heard throughout the group as they began following her, with Golden Cheese pushing Dark Cacao from behind to urge him to move and stop glaring at the smaller group, White Lily also urging him onwards with a gentle smile, Strawberry taking Wizard's hand and tugging him after the group, and away from the reformed Beast Cookie, ensuring he'd be spared from her brother's curious chatter, trusting in Pure Vanilla and her other brother to help the Knowledge bearer.

Which Pure Vanilla did by wrapping an arm around Blueberry Milk's waist, and letting him lean his weight on him, while GingerBrave supported him on the other side, giving him a bright smile as they began to follow after the group at a more sedate pace, letting Blueberry Milk relax a little, away from the scrutiny of everyone else.

A little unsure in movements Blueberry Milk adjusted his arm to drape over Pure Vanilla's shoulders, the other squeezing Gingerbrave's own in gratitude. "Thank you both...for everything."

The Vanilla King just gave a warm chuckle, "I believe, my friend," And didn't that make Blueberry Milk's Soul Jam glow a little, "That we should, and will continue to, thank you. We wouldn't be here if not for you."

"It was so cool what you did! But aren't you tired? I know when Wizard Cookie does big spells too quick he has to nap for a while."

Blueberry Milk just chuckled, glancing down at the child, "Young Gingerbrave, if it wasn't for you and Pure Vanilla, I wouldn't be standing right now. Even now my legs feel like jelly, and I would dearly love a long nap. But there is work to be done."

"Yes, work to be done, that can wait at least a few hours." Pure Vanilla's tone brokered no argument on this though nearer the end his tone turned teasing. "I can sense how exhausted you are, drained from everything. And I would be a poor friend indeed if I let you run yourself ragged now wouldn't I?"

Though a little part of him bristled at the thought of resting when there was still so much to be done, even he couldn't bring himself to lie, and say that he didn't want to accept the offer being held out to him. And if he was being truthful with himself... "Yes, I suppose you would." Closing his eyes, and leaning his head against his own shoulder that rested over Pure Vanilla's, he allowed himself a small tired smile as he murmured "I guess a couple hours of rest are warranted. Otherwise me telling everyone else to rest would probably be a little hypocritical, wouldn't it?"

"Yup! And don’t you worry Blueberry Milk! We got the best beds in the Cookie Run Kingdom! You'll get grade A rest for sure." Gingerbrave's enthusiasm was infectious, all the adult cookies chuckling, lighthearted now as the children began to chatter to them.

"My goodness where does that energy go?" Pure Vanilla muttered, fond as could be as he watched 'his' children. He glanced when Blueberry Milk snickered, "Even as the Scholar of Knowledge that's one answer I could never find. Trust me I looked. Such bright minds asking endless questions, only matched by their good hearts, these children. Even before this,  I could see that."

"Is that why you-" Pure Vanilla hesitated a little in asking, his curiosity evident especially to Blueberry Milk, the elder nodding for him to go ahead and ask. "In your Spire, you never targeted the children. Not really."

Blueberry Milk gave a hum at that, acknowledging the question or what it was. The group ahead slowed down a bit, quieting as they wanted to hear this as well. He couldn't blame them, he would be curious to. "I'll admit that you were foremost my target. I wanted the other half of my Soul Jam, and wrongfully believed you had stolen it, not wanting nor was able to believe that I had lost the right to it. But even in my insanity, I never wanted to harm children. But neither could I just let them get away, not when they are so important."

"Black Sapphire Cookie." If there could have been a lightbulb would have appeared over Gingerbrave's head. "He said that he was ordered to keep watch over us, to make sure we weren't hurt before, when we were stuck in those cards. That was your doing."

Tired pride shown in Blueberry Milk's gaze as he ruffled the child's hair, "Black Sapphire is...or possibly was now...very loyal to me. I knew he'd follow my order to the letter and make sure you were safe."

"Safer than we were with Candy Apple that's for sure." Wizard grumbled, shuddering at the memory of the cookie.

Even Blueberry Milk gave a shudder, "Yes she is er...fanatic is a light way of putting it."

Reaching the edge of the Vanilla Kingdom the Heroes paused here, not wanting to seperate but needing to check on their forces and Kingdoms. Pure Vanilla just nodded, "Go my friends. Check on your people and lands. I will be staying with Gingerbrave and his friends for a little while, we will meet up in his Kingdom."

"We will bring supplies, what we can. And met you in a few days Pure Vanilla." Dark gaze flicking to the children, to the tired former Beast, and to his oldest friend. His arms twitched a little as he stood up straighter. "Be well, and do not hesitate to contact us should you require it."

The Vanilla King just let out a soft chuckle and, after making sure that Blueberry Milk would be alright, let him be supported by the three siblings while he moved forward to give his friend a hug.

Something that was quickly followed by the other three Heroes surrounding him, all giving slight shudders of relief.

They had been terrified before, when they saw was Pure Vanilla was about to do. The memory of him performing that same spell in the Dark Flour War, that cost him his life...all four of them had been convinced that they would lose their friend again.

And they wouldn't be so lucky with another chance.

Though Dark Cacao Cookie was skeptical, even he could admit he owed a deep debt to the other for not only saving them all, but preventing that fatal spell.

An echo of something deep in Blueberry Milk had him place his hand over his Soul Jam momentarily before stumbling a bit, the children catching him as they eased him onto a fallen pillar to rest. "Whoa! Are you alright Blueberry Milk Cookie?"

"Obviously not Gingerbrave, he needs to rest!" Thumping his brother with his staff Wizard Cookie glanced at the other leaning on Strawberry Cookie. "Though with how far we are from the Kingdom it'll be a bit before you can rest."

Inhaling slowly, shoving down the dizziness Blueberry Milk just huffed a laugh, wanting to ease their worry, "See this is why my Spire was superior, could make it appear wherever I wanted."

"I'm certain it was Blueberry Milk." Pure Vanilla's approach had the quartet looking up, Blueberry Milk more slowly than the children. "Perhaps one day we could get a tour of it but for now, I believe a short cut is in order for us."

Stepping closer he gave his staff to Gingerbrave, helping Blueberry Milk to stand up, before turning around and lowering himself to one knee, his back to Blueberry Milk, and a slight smile on his face as he spoke "Alright, hop on, you're in no state to walk, Blueberry Milk."

The children all had to quickly hide their snickers, Wizard Cookie by tugging his hat down, Strawberry via her hood and Gingerbrave, brave little Gingerbrave, was turning blue in the face.

The reason?

The absolutely flabbergasted look on Blueberry Milk's face, followed by a faint blush and widening of eyes at the slight smile (noticing it grew with an intrigued look from the other), to the spluttering that followed, "I-you-Pure Vanilla I'll have you know I'm more than-I can walk!" The last word was squeaked out as the Scholar moved to wobbly stand, cheeks turning a darker blue.

Lifting a single eyebrow in a show of silent amused judgement, Pure Vanilla let the other grumble, before he spoke in the same gentle tone, though it held the tiniest hint of hope "You're shaking like a leaf and can barely stand on your own two legs. I am simply offering to give you a piggyback ride so you can conserve your remaining strength instead of forcing yourself to walk. This way we can get there faster." And sensing that the other was still hesitant, he allowed himself to pursue the fleeting silly thought, and turned his head to 'look' back at the flustered cookie with a half amused smile that almost resembled a faint smirk "Unless you prefer a princess carry? That works too."

Jaw dropping so far that it dislodged the monocle that he wore, Blueberry Milk's face turned an even deeper blue, not hearing Gingerbrave wheezing slightly as his brother and sister turned fully around, shaking in silent laughter.

The term 'Bluescreened' was invented this day.

'What the heck, is THIS how he really is? That whole 'serene healer' thing just a forward for people he's unsure of?' Blueberry Milk's thoughts whirled at a rapid pace, spouting the first thing that came to mind. "There's no way you're strong enough for that?"

At the questioning remark, the healer's face shifted to an expression that was an even mix of a smile and a serene challenge "Much as I may have recently come to embrace the need for the occasional lie or trick, do you really think I'd deceive you in this? Especially in regards to your safety?" though even in his flustered state, Blueberry Milk could still understand the hidden meaning behind the other's gentle challenge 'Do you think I'd offer you something I didn't think I could follow through with?'

Pure Vanilla watched intrigued as the blush returned, bi-colored eyes looking away momentarily as Blueberry Milk muttered something that had Gingerbrave snicker before coughing, whistling innocently while the elder looked everywhere but at Pure Vanilla. "I know...that you wouldn't. It just-surprised me is all, that you are that strong." The Scholar swallowed, fists clenching his robe briefly. "I trust you to tell me the truth...but I am fine."

No he was very much not pouting at that, flustered.

"Five jellies they make it to the end of the week."

"Five that it's the month."

"Fifteen it's end of the day."

"Bet." The trio whispered together, shaking hands for it.

Dutifully ignoring the children's whispers (and suppressing a faint flush of his own at the implications of their betting), the Healer straightened his back, and twisted his torso so that his face fully faced the scholar, his expression one of determination, and a hint of what the children came to know as the no-nonsense parental tone that brooked no arguments "You are tired, stressed, and from my observations, you'd make it for maybe fifteen minutes of walking, before your legs finally failed you fully. And I will not have you hurting yourself on my watch. So choose: piggyback, or princess carry? Because if you don't, I'll choose for you."

"I'd listen to him if I were you. Pure Vanilla doesn't take one's health lightly." Wizard Cookie spoke up, his sister nodding along. "He can and will pull through with those threats."

"Plus he gives the best piggy back rides!" Gingerbrave beamed, bouncing in place. "When we were going through Beast-Yeast for information I hurt my leg, he swooped me onto his back to carry me as healing magic wouldn't really work on that type of injury. His robes are so soft you'll love them!"

'I'm a bit afraid of that, child.' Blueberry Milk sighed though his eyes had a glint reminiscent of Shadow Milk Cookie's, playful and interested at the challenge. "You try to princess carry me and I'll make my Spire's maze look like child's play."

The threat only made Pure Vanilla let out a soft laugh, before he turned back around, so he was facing away from Blueberry Milk, his expression far more relieved at the implied acceptance "Then you better get on my back, the sooner we get going, the sooner we can get you settled in a nice room so you can rest properly. A soft mattress with a fluffy pillow, and warm blankets to huddle under and forget the world's worries for a while. Doesn't that sound enticing after the last few days we've all had?"

"Witches, yes it does." Groaning at the mere thought of finally being able to rest spurred Blueberry Milk into action. The former Beast cookie stood up once more, shaking worse before near collapsing on Pure Vanilla's back, arms automatically wrapping around the Soul Jam, his own nestled between his chest and and the others back.

'Oh...he was right. This is more comfortable than I thought.'

"Good, then let's get going." And after placing his arms under the other's thighs to ensure the his weight was properly supported and he wouldn’t fall off, he rose to his feet, and turned to the kids "Come closer children, I'll take us back to your Kingdom."

'He's stronger than he looks!' "Oh good I was worried you were going to try to walk there and had forgotten were up in the sky." Now that he didn't have to worry about holding himself up and the exhaustion eating at him Blueberry Milk's speech was a little slurred, slumping more.

The quip only pulled a soft chuckle from the Healer, as the children gathered close to him, Wizard extending his flower-shaped staff to him so he could touch it with his arm and direct his magic through it without having to let go of Blueberry Milk "Oh hush you, I haven't forgotten in whose Kingdom we're in." Closing his eyes, he envisioned the forest that surrounded the prosperous Kingdom that GingerBrave and his siblings lived in the Kingdom that had so quickly become a second home to him, and with a flash of light they were gone from the Vanilla Kingdom, and standing in the middle of a wide road surrounded on both sides by a forest of vibrant green trees, the path to the Kingdom itself, though still about twenty minutes away from reaching the gates.

A safety measure to ensure that no one, be it friend or foe, would be able to teleport directly into the safe haven that the kids had built with the help of the Sugar Gnomes.

And after a brief moment to reorient themselves, the group set off at a brisk walk towards the Kingdom, so they could recuperate a little after the day's efforts.

The road, well maintained and traveled, was empty at this time of day. The sunshine bright and warm on their backs peeking through the shadow of the trees around them, leaves blowing in the wind.

The children laughed and began a happy conversation, relief at being so close to him evidence as Pure Vanilla followed behind, smiling at the trio. Blueberry Milk's eyes roamed over everything he could, not having ever been to this area of the continent or outside of Beast Yeast the damned tree so everything was brand new to him. The air was clean, the sky a vibrant blue with tufts of clouds here or there that looked like cotton candy. Resting his head between Pure Vanilla's shoulder blades he smiled, eyes slipping shut as he listened to the children's laughter and Pure Vanilla's own when prompted, otherwise the healer simply hummed low, the vibrations soothing.

With the warmth of the sun over his back, the sounds of the children's gentle laughter and happy conversations, the reassuring strength of Pure Vanilla holding him up, and the soothing hum of his voice surrounding him, Blueberry Milk eventually found himself lulled into a state of calm and relaxation that he was pretty sure he'd never really experienced before, even prior to his fall from grace. A state that, despite its novelty, he found himself not minding all that much, especially when he felt his Soul Jam resonating with the very same contentment he himself felt, his half asleep state not letting him realize that the pulse was not coming from the Light of Knowledge, but resonating from Pure Vanilla Cookie himself.

And it was in this state of happiness and contentment that Pure Vanilla and the children finally reached the Kingdom's gates, the children rushing ahead in excitement, and leaving Pure Vanilla to follow at a more sedate pace, not wanting to jostle his friend.  

Gingerbrave and his siblings raced off to prepare a place for Pure Vanilla and Blueberry Milk to stay, wanting to let them have the choice.

While the castle was more than able to house them both Wizard Cookie pointed out that Blueberry Milk might not want the chaos of the castle life as many cookies come and go all the time and possibly would want one of the smaller homes they usually had those injured or needing calmness would stay for peace and quiet.

With this in mind Strawberry headed to prep a room in the castle while her brothers raced for one of the homes to freshen it up for their guest. And if that home happened to be a bit more secluded, with two rooms and two large beds, enough for two cookies?

Well Pure Vanilla didn't have to know their little plot now did he? Meanwhile the Vanilla King continued on a sedate pace, nodding with a smile to those that waved at him but not pausing to stop and chat, unwilling to risk Blueberry Milk walking up and trying to walk.

And despite the slightly odd sight of Pure Vanilla carrying a fully grown unfamiliar cookie on his back, the inhabitants of the Kingdom knew better than to pry into someone's business unprompted, especially considering how many of them were refugees that had found a safe haven in this place. And with the kind but determined look on his face as he walked, they wisely decided not to get in his way, choosing to simply wave hello and let him be on his way to wherever he needed to be, much to his relief.

And so he went, passing through the gates, and walking through the emptier streets of the Kingdom, choosing to take a more scenic route for the sake of staying away from big noisy crowds, heading towards the temporary clinic he'd set up for any cookies that needed healing, knowing that it would be the first place the kids would search for him at, after they were done doing whatever they ran ahead to do.

Though he never really got the chance to get there, as the three siblings in question met him only a few buildings away from the clinic, with bright smiles on their faces.

"Pure Vanilla!" Gingerbrave called out, softer than he normally would have, "We found you a place to rest and a bed for Blueberry Milk, but we were going to let you decide where to go." And taking turns the trio explained how hey fixed up his own room and a room beside that for Blueberry Milk in the castle or they had the option of a small cabana house that is used for those who need to be away from larger crowds.

"W-we know that you like it in the castle, to be closer to u-the others. But we didn't think that Blueberry Milk would like that, so we wanted to give options." Strawberry Cookie stuttered in the middle, switching up what she was going to say with a blush, her brothers copying her.

The news that they'd gone ahead to help prepare not just one, but two places for Blueberry Milk to rest in, had Pure Vanilla's eyes widening in surprise, and then softening along with his smile, as he nodded in acknowledgement, feeling so very proud of them for being so considerate, even tired as they surely were.

When he spoke, he did so with a fond smile, and a quiet but no less proud tone of voice "And I truly do appreciate that you went through all that trouble, despite it being easier to just do one. And you're right, I do think he'd prefer a place further away from the hustle and bustle of the castle, at least until he finds his footing, in this new form of his. But if he decides otherwise when he's awake again, it'll be easy enough to move to the castle. Would you be so kind as to lead the way for me?"

Relieved and shy, preening under the praise they trio nodded, turning around and walking towards the path on the right, leading away from the main shopping centers and craftsmen area. The path was lined with beautiful trees and little lights that when he had found out where actual stars from Stardust Cookie and Moonlight Cookie, a way to ensure a peaceful area, had Pure Vanilla so thankful and proud of his the children, for being so resourceful of tracking down the Legendary Cookie for their aid as well as her brother.

The green gave shifted to a soft blue, little rivers lining it of deep navy water flecked with stardust that surrounded little 'islands' for lack of a better word for each house, providing a modicum of privacy and solitude, even if there were no barriers of any sort preventing neighbors from seeing.

Gingerbrave led the way, Strawberry and Wizard choosing to sit down under a tree to rest and wait for their brother. The furthest house from the chaos of the Kingdom was ready and waiting, the door open a jar and light inside. All of the houses were roughly the same in looks and style with the only difference some being one bedroom or more. The outside being a powder blue with dark brown wood trim with dark blue stone accents, the roof resembling a night sky with golden stars. The side had a small greenhouse area for any needs either recreational or medicinal as some residents needed certain teas or such to sleep or relax and thus were always stocked and cared for by either the tenant or Golden Osmanthus Cookie.

Inside was much the same with just a small living room/dining room/kitchen combination taking up the main area, the kitchen opening to the green house. In the back was the master bedroom and bathroom.

Holding the door open for him Gingerbrave let Pure Vanilla go through before shutting the door, the scene of lavender soft in the air. "We tried to prepare everything for him but we may have missed something, I'm sorry about that."

Walking through the house, and seeing the care that went into creating such an inviting atmosphere, Pure Vanilla's gave a tiny chuckle and shook his head "There's no need to apologize, this is already far more than could be expected, especially with how little time you had to spruce it up. Plus, even if he does find that he needs something that isn't here and that he can't make for himself, he can always just tell one of us. You've done very well, and you can be proud of your work, for it is earned. Now, lets get this sleepyhead to bed, so he can rest properly, shall we?"

And so GingerBrave opened the bedroom door for him, followed by pulling back the sheets of the bed, so that Pure Vanilla could set Blueberry Milk down on it, being very careful not to jostle him too much even as he carefully pulled the other's arms from around his neck, to rest comfortably at his sides as he laid on the almost sinfully soft cotton candy wool mattress.

The duo froze when Blueberry Milk muttered in his sleep, shifting around with one hand across the soft sheets. Pure Vanilla's lips twitched, getting an idea, reminiscent of his time in the Spire as Truthless Recluse. Tapping his staff once on the ground a tiny orb of light appeared, forming into something to settle beside Blueberry Milk. His lips twitched again when the other grabbed onto the object and held it close.

One eye blearily opened, glazed from exhaustion. The healer just smiled softly glowing to comfort the other as well as inducing a light sleeping spell. Carefully he took off the monocle while Gingerbrave removed his hat, the objects set on the table right near the bed. "Rest now my friend. We shall see you when you wake."

The spell, or perhaps the comforting words, did the trick and the Scholar fell back to sleep, breathing deeply and evenly. Gingerbrave watched as light enveloped the sleeping Cookie briefly before fading, Pure Vanilla whispering he was checking for any possible wounds before the two left the bedroom, closing the door behind them. "What will you do now Pure Vanilla? Stay here?"

At the question, Pure Vanilla seemed to pause for a moment, as if to consider it, before nodding "I think I'll make a little meal and some tea for myself, plus a little extra for later, in case he wakes up, and then I think I might take a brief nap myself. Much as I know there are things to be done, I too am feeling a little fatigued, so I think I should rest for a bit, before I head out to see if anyone else needs healing or tending to. Unless you and your siblings have need of me still?"

Gingerbrave hesitated here, something that Pure Vanilla could plainly 'see', the child shifting his weight from one side to the next while moving to hold his arm with a little blush.

The healer smiled softly, guessing correctly, and opened up his arm walking to the the other, wrapping him close.

Immediately the young Cookie hugged back, borderline crushing Pure Vanilla, little hiccups escaping. "I was so scared Pure Vanilla Cookie. Before Shadow Milk appeared, I-I really thought-"

"Shh child it's alright. I was scared too." Pure Vanilla held his the child close, cradling the back of his head as he felt a wet spot form in his robes for the second time that day. "I was terrified I'd lose not only my friends, but you, Wizard Cookie and Strawberry Cookie too. I was begging the Witches for a miracle."

Gingerbrave let out a weak chuckle at that, "I think they came through big time..."

Running a hand gently over GingerBrave's head, Pure Vanilla smiled warmly, his body glowing with a faint, soothing light "Yes, they truly, truly did, and I will be forever thankful for it. I did not wish to lose any of you, if I could help it. And I am immensely glad I didn't have to. It would have wounded me deeply." Leaning his head down, he rested his cheek gently on the child's head, and gave him a gentle squeeze "But that fate didn't happen. And not only did it not happen, it turned itself around, and brought us new hope, in the form of a new friend. That in itself is a reason to be thankful."

Gingerbrave nodded into the robes, slowly calming down. "Yeah. And Blueberry Milk is really nice! Wizard Cookie is really excited to get to talk to him more, when we were cleaning up he wouldn't stop going on about questions he wanted to ask and what books the other might like to read. I think he was going to raid the castle library for them and bring them here."

"Well excuse me for wanting to ensure he has some quality reading material." Teasing and 'snobbish' as the words sounded the tone was watery. Pure Vanilla looked up to the doorway, spotting the other two children peeking in, shuffling just like their brother had done.

Once more he lifted his arm with a kind smile, and once more he had the children in his arms, seeking comfort from the scare earlier.

Comfort that he was quick to give, gathering them into his arms and holding them close to his body, the softness of his robes and the strength of his arms helping soothe away the fears just as much as his soft assurances did, soothing their frayed nerves now that the biggest scare had passed. Sure, the actual battle hadn't been won, merely delayed until later, but he would take the small victories where he could get them. Especially in such uncertain times as these.

When the trio finally pulled back Pure Vanilla Cookie was pleased and relieved to see them far more relaxed, though half asleep on their feet now that their fears were quieted. Taking his siblings hands, squeezing them, Gingerbrave spoke for them all, "We're going to go back to our rooms in the castle, I filled in Chili Pepper Cookie on a basic version of what happened though...I didn't tell her about Shadow Milk. I just said that a new ally appeared and helped us. Is-is that ok?" The child looked unsure of his decision, worried about not telling the full truth.

The knowledge of the Beast Cookies were only known to the Ancient Heroes, the Faerie Kingdom and themselves after all.

Kneeling on one knee to be more eye level with the kids, Pure Vanilla smiled and lifted a hand to gently pat GingerBrave's head "Yes, it's okay. As I'm sure you remember from our time in the Spire, much as telling the full truth may be a noble action, sometimes an omission of the hardest details can be more beneficial in the long run. Especially when it concerns a friend's safety or well-being, like right now." Smile softening, he swept his 'gaze' over all three of them as he spoke, trying to reassure them of their worries "As long as you don't make a habit of deliberately hiding behind lies of omission when they're not wholly necessary, you'll be just fine, I promise."

"W-we don't want Blueberry Milk Cookie to get hurt." Hiding in her hood more Strawberry gave a helpless look to her brothers, Wizard reaching over to hold her hand and squeeze it, grounding her.

A little relieved at Pure Vanilla's words Gingerbrave gave a shaky smile, "We're worried that if the others know who he once was, without the full story he'd...we don't want him hurt. This is a new beginning for him, right? We want to make sure it's the best one we can help for him. And we don't want a stigma to hurt his chances of making more friends."

The smile Pure Vanilla directed at them at them just then, was bright and full of pride, his eyes reflecting the same, and his voice carrying a warmth that dispelled all their worries, as he spoke "And in this stance, you are correct. The truth will come out eventually, but there's no harm in pushing it back a bit now, especially when he has yet to find who he wants to be, now that he has changed so starkly from the Beast Cookie he was until we came along. He deserves the chance to be known for who he wants to be from now on, instead of who he was back then. And you wanting to give him just that? Is a sign that you three have kind and compassionate hearts, just like me. But then again, that has always been the case, and every time you show me as much, I can't help but be proud of your continued strength and resolve."

Seeing their shiny eyes, he moved to gently wrap his arms around them again, willing the conviction in his words to reach them "You're really good kids, and I'm very glad I get to count you among my friends and family."

Once more Pure Vanilla found his arms full of children, hugging him tightly. All three tried to fight the burning tears, not wanting to make his robes even more soaked than they already were.

A fight that they were quickly losing.

"Thank you Pure Vanilla." The trio murmured, voices thick with emotion, trying to express what his words meant and thought they were failing.

But when Pure Vanilla just hugged them closer, glowing softly, they thought that maybe, just maybe.

He knew.

His own answering murmur, soft as it may have been, was full of warm fondness and he hugged them just a little tighter "I am always here should you need me. Never forget that, little ones."

The siblings froze briefly in surprise, Pure Vanilla worried he had overstepped and was about to apologize, when he felt all three of them leaning further into his hold, hiding their faces in his soft robes.

The muffled sniffling accompanied by the the way they seemed to be trying to hide in his robes while clutching tightly at the fabric, answered his questions just as easily as if they'd spoken their feelings aloud, and in the silence that followed, he found his smile shifting into something impossibly fond, as he used his staff to more easily hold them close, his body glowing faintly with the intensity of his happiness as he held onto them just as strongly as they did him, letting them take comfort from his presence and cry as much as they needed.

These bright, courageous children that went through so much on their own, whose pure-hearted determination helped spark and fuel his own, back on that tiny, desolate village where he'd been living as a Healer cookie for so long. A tiny spark of determination that had since grown into a warm bonfire within him, warm and ever glowing, to lend strength to those that required it, for as long as he was capable of sharing said warmth with the world.

A role that he intended to keep fulfilling no matter what, especially when he looked within him, and saw the truth of his own feelings. The truth of just how deeply the three kids had managed to burrow themselves into his heart, in the time they'd spent together. Of just how much he'd grown to care for them, and worry about their safety and comfort.

"I'm really happy that we got to know you Pure Vanilla." Gingerbrave's voice was muffled but heard. "When we set out to find the Vanilla Kingdom and we heard all these amazing stories of the Heroes from the ancient past...we never imagined we'd meet you."

"You've been amazing Pure Vanilla." Not the most empathetic of the trio, Wizard stumbled a little over his feelings. "Very um, kind to us and we er-"

"W-what Wizard wants to say is we appreciate you, and are thankful y-you're here." Strawberry, ever the protector, came to her brother's rescue, the magic cookie giving a thankful though embarrassed chuckle.

"Odd how the world works, isn't it children? Some would say coincidence, other's fate, of special beings meeting one another and forming lasting bonds. But I will say this, however it happened, I'm beyond thankful I know you three brave, amazing young cookies before me. I'm grateful to get the chance to know you and watch you three grow into the Cookies I know you're destined to be." Fond and warm, he brushed his hands over their heads, smiling. "You three saved me in more ways than one. You helped me regain my memories, and you helped me regain myself."

Leaning into the touch, all three kids seemed to relax just then, before Strawberry was speaking once more, in a soft but heartfelt murmur "We're glad you're still with us."

And the soft chuckle that followed was full of fondness, as Pure Vanilla replied "I'm glad I'm still here too." giving them one more gentle squeeze, he then loosened the hold of his arms, and smiled down at them, his eyes half open in a serene smile aimed at them "But enough about that, now it is time for all of us to rest. It has been a long, tiring day, and though it's technically still afternoon, we've more than earned a few hours of uninterrupted sleep."

"Here here...c'mon Strawberry, Gingerbrave I wanna nap." No he did not sound petulant, he just let his siblings chuckle at him while his sister dragged him out of the house, the remaining brother hesitating a moment. "Do you think he'll be ok? That...that he'll wanna stay here?"

Closing his eyes with a serene smile, he nodded "Once he gets a chance to adjust and see the Kingdom and its people for himself? Yes, I think he will. And even if he struggles, we'll be there to help him, just like we've done with so many others before him. Things will work out somehow, I'm sure of it." reaching out, he gave the child's head a gentle rub, before he pulled it back once more "Now off you go, your bed is waiting patiently for your return."

Gingerbrave's eyes closed, savoring the gentle touch. The lull of Pure Vanilla's warmth and touch, the exhaustion of the day, had him speaking before thinking, "Ok Dad."

When the hand on his head froze in shock the child's eyes flew open, realizing what he said. Jam rushed to his cheeks in a fierce blush, a tiny 'eep' escaping the young cookie. The normally brave lad fled then, his blush taking over his full head as Pure Vanilla heard a barely there 'I can't believe I just said that!' before the door shut quietly behind him, the frantic footsteps fading away.

And in the silence that was left in the wake of that tiny but monumental revelation, Pure Vanilla found his mind reeling with the echo of the word, his heterochromatic eyes 'staring' at the door where GingerBrave had left from, the many eyes in the inner side of his cloak doing much the same in his shock, and his cheeks subconsciously flaring with a blush of his own, though his was in response to the wave of unbridled fondness that washed over him when the meaning fully sank in, pulling a lighthearted, genuine chuckle from him, heart feeling as light as a feather at the realization that he wasn't the only one to form a clear familiar bond between them.

Truly, he was one of the luckiest cookies alive, to have a group of such sweet, adorable children caring for him so deeply. He'd have to tell them as much, the next time they met. But until then, he'd give them space, and let them come to him, so that they wouldn't feel pressured.

Chapter Text

"Well that was adorable, I feel like I got a cavity from that sweetness."

Pure Vanilla jumped a bit, turning around and spotted Blueberry Milk leaning in the doorway of the bedroom with a soft smirk, fixing his hat.

Several minutes prior 

Blueberry Milk's face screwed up in a tiny frown, hugging something soft closer to him before snapping awake, clutching the thing close as he gathered his bearings. The panic that would have built due to the unknown area faded when he heard Pure Vanilla and the children on the other side of the door. Taking a moment to look around he sat up, a strand of his galaxy hair falling over his shoulder onto the thing he held. Looking down he froze in surprise, seeing he was clutching a little plushie of Pure Vanilla, very reminiscent of the one he gave him in his Spire.

Lips twitching at that he moved to stand up, guessing by the light through the window he hadn't been asleep for long and though very tempted to rest longer he wanted to check on his...friend.

Grabbing his monocle and hat he went to open the door, pausing as he heard the private words between the King and child, smiling softly at that as he placed the plush in a hiding spot, adjusting his hat as he did. Soundlessly he opened the door right at the confession and fleeing of Gingerbrave, making his presence known and startling the healer.

Hand resting just below his Soul Jam, Pure Vanilla took a deep breath in, and let it out in a sigh, before looking at the other with a smile "Goodness me, you gave me a fright." Then realizing why the other may be up, his smile fell in favor of worry "Are you alright? You barely slept an hour, and that's including the trip here. Did we wake you from your sleep?"

Blueberry Milk hesitated here, a lie in the tip of his tongue before shrugging, "It's alright, I wanted to check on you all anyway, just did a bit earlier than we both realized." The tired though warm smile eased Pyre Vanilla's worry a bit. "It's clear though why those kids braved my Spire for you. I had suspicions."

At the mention of what just transpired, Pure Vanilla found a small smile tugging at his lips, even as he relaxed his shoulders, and turned around to head to the cooking station that was just a few cookie lengths away from the door, still close enough for them to talk without Blueberry Milk having to leave the doorway "Yes, I suppose that looking back in hindsight, it is rather obvious, but I hadn't quite realized it myself back then. At least, not on their side of things." as he set about grabbing star jellies and some other things to bring to the counter, he continued talking in a soft tone, slowly preparing a simple meal for them both, along with a kettle of boiling water to make them some tea "Though I suppose a small part of me did see it coming, even if it was hesitant to truly believe it."

The Bearer of Knowledge just hummed, watching the Light of Compassion holder work about the kitchen, the scent of tea beginning to fill the air while finishing the simple dough jelly sandwiches for them both. "It'll be new for me. Needing to eat." Adding the last bit on for clarification. "Being lock-where is was before, we were in a stasis of sorts. Plus we were spirits, no need to eat. And after that I only had a physical form in my Spire and other reality."

The admission caused Pure Vanilla to momentarily pause in his work, before resuming with a smile "Then I suppose we'll just have to keep reminding you of it with invitations to joint meals, so you can start forming a routine of sorts, and getting reacquainted with your new, crispier form. After all, it's much nicer to eat with friends, than to eat alone."

Blueberry Milk, quiet and thoughtful, an unreadable look on his face as he watched the healer go about, setting the platter of sandwiches on the table before moving back to work on the tea.

Carefully, using the door, then a side table, before reaching out for the back of one of the chairs, the former Beast made his way to the table, sitting down heavily with a sigh, leaning his head back with his hair waving behind bar the strand, hat shifting a bit where a tiny gold foot could be seen.

And after a few minutes, Pure Vanilla was setting a plate with three thick sandwiches plus a cup of tea in front of Blueberry Milk with a soft smile "Here you go, it's not much, but I figured something easy to eat like this would be better for you and me, since it doesn't really require any pomp nor finesse." he finished with a quiet little chuckle, as he placed a similar plate on the seat across from the scholar, before sitting down. Only to then pause in surprise, finally registering the tiny fabric foot sticking out of the edge of Blueberry Milk's hat.

Blueberry Milk paid no attention to the pause from the healer, more focused on the meal in front of him. Simple as though they may be they did look delicious, though he was unsure if this body required sustenance to survive, but it wouldn't hurt to try.

(Plus he didn't want to hurt the other's feelings...a new sensation for him to care about another's feelings like that)

"!!" The widened eyes at the burst of flavor across his tongue had his hair flair brightly for a moment before calming down, eyes closed as he savored his first bite of food in eons. Even if he didn't need food per say, he could quickly find himself enjoying a meal regardless.

And, as Pure Vanilla mentioned before, having a meal with a friend was nice.

The scholar's pleased reaction to the food successfully pulled Pure Vanilla's attention away from what he was pretty sure was the plushie he'd made for him hidden under the blue-gold hat, and made the Healer relax slightly, having momentarily worried about whether his friend would like the sandwiches or not. And seeing evidence of yes, he smiled softly, pleased to see the other enjoying the food, and began to eat his own sandwiches, enjoying the sweetness of the jelly paired with the slight bite of the herbs he'd added to his own food, the silence surrounding them creating a peaceful atmosphere.

Finishing the first Blueberry Milk turned to the tea, pouring himself a cup and holding it, just letting the warmth infuse into his hands, a peaceful sigh escaping. "While I don't remember the last meal I had, truth be told I more often than not was far more focused on spreading Knowledge and the Academy, I did enjoy a good cup of tea often."

Swallowing his food, the other nodded “Yes, a warm cup of tea can do wonders for one's nerves, especially when it's a fragrant or flavorful type of tea. This one in particular is a blend of camomile and hibiscus, since I figured a calming tea would help us relax and sleep better after a brief meal.“

"Ah I see, I thought I recognized it. Granted not one of my favorite teas, though I'm certain that my favorite one is long gone extinct by now. The con of being so old." Blueberry Milk gave a wry, tired smile at that as he sipped his tea between bites of his next sandwich. "The world has vastly changed from my...imprisonment. I got to see snippets through your eyes but even then, it is very new." At the reminder the smile faded a little, growing sad. "I haven't apologized for that, have I? For all that I put you through."

The question, unexpected as it was, caused the blond cookie to pause once more, not having expected such a topic to be brought up so soon. Though he guessed it was bound to come up eventually. Shaking his head minutely, he gave the other a gentle smile "Not verbally, no, but then again, even when I had to face the harsh truths you showed me, and even amidst your taunts as Shadow Milk, most of your actions towards me spoke of different intentions than those you outwardly stated, so I've learned to somewhat 'read between the lines', as it were. It became a little easier the more we interacted."

Dough hands clenched at the cup, threatening to crack before Blueberry Milk sighed, letting it go, "Regardless...it was not right. I see that now, even if I did not see it before. As Shadow Milk Cookie...you were right. I was alone, and wanted someone that understood me. And in seeing you, someone so alike myself before my corruption I had thought 'Finally' with such relief that it actually startled me though I had to hide it from Black Sapphire and Candy Apple, though I suspect Black Sapphire Cookie suspected something, I wouldn't have put it past him to somewhat see through me even if he didn't understand the why of my decisions. I had to keep you, I had to make you like me. Hence all that I put you through, you and the children."

The Scholar swallowed roughly, voice thick, refusing to look up from the dark tea. "I truthfully didn't want to harm the children, but they are incredibly persistent, brave and wise. They managed to reach you, when I believed I had you. Heh...you out deceived the Cookie of Deceit, no one else alive can say such a thing. Not even the other Beast Cookies can claim such a thing."

Closing his eyes, even the ones on his cloak and staff, Pure Vanilla took a slow breath in and out, before a tiny smile tugged at his lips "I won't claim that it was easy or pleasant to watch things play out as they did, especially having to try and ignore the children when they called out to me, but..." giving a small sigh, he shook his head with a rueful little smile "In a way, I also feel like it had to play out as it did, for things to turn out how they should."

Reopening his eyes, he gazed at the other with a more serene smile "If not for you pushing me to confront the truths I didn't want to think too hard about, I would still be running away. Running from my past, my mistakes, my destiny, and my own sense of self. If not for you, I wouldn't have awoken to the reality of my half of our Soul Jam. I wouldn't be at peace with myself and my choices."

Tilting his head a bit, he allowed the gratefulness he felt within him to show in his expression, his smile warm and open "Sure, the circumstances could have been a little better, but even then, I wouldn't change any of it. Because it led to me finding myself, led me to understand you in a level I'd never have been able to do otherwise, and most important of all?"

Reaching out slowly, to give the other plenty of time to pull away, he set his hand atop of Blueberry Milk's wrist, in a gesture meant to comfort and soothe "It allowed me to get past the walls of lies you weaved around yourself for your own protection, to glimpse the core of your true hopes, and in turn, offer you a helping hand when I felt you most needed it." at that his smile grew a little wider, a faint glow emanating from his body in response to his relief "A hand that you accepted eventually, even if it wasn't exactly at the moment said offer was made. And for that, I am truly, wholeheartedly grateful. Not just because you decided to put your trust in me, but also because you stood up for what you believed was right, even when the alternative was easier to follow. It allowed me to help you, even if only a little bit."

Blueberry listened to the other's wisdom and thoughts of the events in the Spire. He almost flinched when the other touched his wrist, nearly withdrawing before he relaxed, watching the limb "I didn't want to believe you, I wasn't able to. I thought you were trying to trick me. Because if you had managed to trick me before so thoroughly and shake my hold on my dimension, how could I believe what you were saying then? You honestly, truly, shook my entire world view and I didn't know how to handle that. And I was scared beyond you trying to trick me that it was a lie in a different way, that you were only trying to get me to lower my guard again to s-put me away."

One hand let go of the tea cup to place it over his own Soul Jam, the glow there but dim, a mirror of his emotional state. "I was the Beast of Deceit, the ultimate liar, corrupted half of the Soul Jam of Knowledge...how could you possible mean what you said, that you were willing to be my friend after all that I had put you through? The mental and emotional torture you were subjected to, how I tried to break you and oh, did I want to, to make you like I was. Someone just like me...and that would have been the worst mistake I could have ever have done, and I would have never seen it."

Smile falling at that, Pure Vanilla closed his eyes and took a moment of silence, before he reopened them to gaze at the other "Perhaps in a different life, you would have succeeded, and I would have joined your side fully, reduced to a mere hollow-eyed puppet moving according to your whims. Perhaps in a different life, you would have remained as you were, unwilling to even give the thought of my words a passing glance." giving the wrist under his hand a gentle pat, he pulled his hand back to himself, and smiled weakly. 

"But the fact remains that in this life, you decided to change your viewpoint. You decided to come help us, despite the warnings that your self preservation instincts were surely giving you to the contrary. You decided to accept me, even after I had deceived you. And even now, you stand before me, apologizing for the pain you caused in your attempts to fill the void in your being. And despite everything that happened... I cannot fault you for that."

Resting his own hand over his Soul Jam, he spoke in a softer tone, a hint of understanding in his tone "Because if I had lost as much as you did throughout your Cookie and Beast life? I think I'd probably have gone a little mad too."

'Why do you forgive so easily? Is it your Light of Compassion?' Blueberry Milk clenched his eyes shut, hand mimicking the motion over his Soul Jam, heart aching for a reason he couldn't explain. "I truly was and still am the Fool Jester that I was turned into...I'm so sorry Pure Vanilla." His other hand rose up, dislodging his monocle as he placed it over his eyes in a vain attempt to stop his tears. "I tortured you and the children, I near destroyed you utterly, corrupted your Soul Jam, for a selfish reason, I'm so sorry."

Rising from his chair, Pure Vanilla stepped around the table and stopped at the other's side, resting one of his hands over his shoulder, and pitching his voice into a softer, more comforting register “You only wanted to stop feeling alone, and though the way you went about it was less than ideal, it was the only path you could see ahead of you at the time. You couldn't bring yourself to envision any other option, because to do so would mean you had to put your trust in a world that had betrayed you before.“ ever so carefully, as if afraid to break him or push too far into this brief moment of trust between them, he placed his other hand on the other's shoulder, and gave both of Blueberry Milk's shoulders a light squeeze

“You had to build walls around your heart and mind to protect yourself from getting taken advantage of. You found it easier to hide behind lies and tricks to protect your softer edges from scrutiny and mockery, rather than risk letting your true wants be seen by others. in fear of being taken advantage of. Being vulnerable with others always carries the risk of being hurt by them, should they not see things as you do. And in that front, you were just trying to get ahead of that pain before it could touch you again. Save yourself the heartache.“

Giving a slight chuckle, the Healer spoke in a soft tone, his own eyes half closed “After all, you can't get hurt by others if you never let them in, in the first place. Deflection and redirection are far easier than full-on confrontation. I would know, I spent a great deal of my own life subconsciously doing just that.“

Lowering his hand from his face Blueberry Milk listened to Pure Vanilla attempt to understand from his point of view, and some he was right. But....

Looking down at the table, the remaining sandwich taunting him, stomach rolling in unease. His voice had gone quiet, resigned almost. "Your words have merit, thank you. I think I'll go finish my nap now, if that's alright."

Expression softening, the Healer nodded, and gave the other's shoulders another squeeze, as he spoke “Of course it's alright, you barely rested at all.“ and before the other could reply, he removed his hands from Blueberry Milk's shoulders, to instead pull his chair backwards a bit so it'd be easier to reach him, and promptly but carefully swept him into his arms in a bridal carry, to then start taking him back to his room, pretending not to notice the half formed protests as he spoke in a soft, careful tone, keeping his gaze focused forward “For what it's worth though? You don't have to worry about my side of things. I forgave you the moment I extended that offer of friendship to you. And even now, nothing about that has changed.“

As he carefully laid the other in bed, he gave him a small, serene smile “If anything, I'm more certain of that choice now than ever before. You're trying to do better, and let others be there for you. That's all the confirmation I could ever need that I made the right choice.“

Pure Vanilla felt the other stiffen in his arms, the protests and wiggles to try to get down ceased. Hands gripped at the other's robes, hiding his face as Blueberry Milk's body began to shake from sobs he was barely containing. 'He forgave me...he forgave me!' When the other just scooted closer, wrapping him in his arms the dam broke.

The next few minutes were spent in silence, the only noise being Blueberry Milk's quiet sobs, and Pure Vanilla's own relaxed breaths as he held the other in a loose hug, letting him hide his face in his robes and cry for as long as he needed, with no judgement nor attempts at shushing him. Just an arm around his back, and another around his shoulders, with a hand cradling the back of the scholar's head in a gesture of comfort.

He'd become a pillar of support for the other to lean on, until he could put himself together once more. Until then, the world outside could wait for a while.

"I-I'm so sorry! P-Pure Vanilla I'm sorry!" Blueberry Milk couldn't stop the flood of sobbing words and tears if he wanted to. Eyes burning with hot tears, frame shaking from his cries and trying to breathe he clutched at the other, terrified. "I-I just wanted som-someone there again. Th-they all left me. I was-was the only one left! And n-nothing I did or k-kn-knew could help them or me!"

Slowly the story was yelled out between gasping sobs, of how the other Cookies, his friends and family, who he had been baked alongside, their Virtues twisted one by one until Knowledge was left and in his pain, desperation he turned from the Truth of everything, preferring the sweet lies of Deceit. Of how the Witches, their creators, sealed them in the dark void of the Silver Tree, of how the ages passed with them only able to barely interact with the outside world, their anger festering and building in their insanity and corruption.

When they felt their corrupted Soul Jams be split and Truth was given to him of how it angered him because that was the final straw, that even that last bit was taken from him and he was left alone with just the twisted Voice of Deceit whispering to him.

Through it all Pure Vanilla held the other close, letting him cry and rant and rave, apology after apology. For twisting his memories, for the trauma he induced, for the 'games' he forced him to play, for the danger he put the children through.

A tale of horrors and fear, of a loneliness and sadness so profound, that it was nearly maddening. A story of betrayal and anger, hiding a deep yearning for the lost connections of the past. A desire for retribution towards a being undeserving of the power gifted to him by the hands of the Witches.

A being who, despite all harm done to him and his loved ones, kept his compassionate heart, even when his fortitude was tested and pushed to the limit. The very same compassion that showed itself in the actions of the healer towards his crying, apologetic companion. Arms wrapped around the crying cookie, rubbing soothing circles over his back, while soft murmurs reaffirmed the truths that the other needed to hear: “I forgive you, and I will remain by your side should you want me to. Back at the Spire, I promised you that you wouldn't have to face your problems alone, and I meant it. I still mean it, even now. You don't deserve to feel alone and abandoned, and you won't be, if I have anything to say about it.“

It took several long moments after hearing those words for Blueberry Milk to even think of attempting to calm down, crying out all his pain, sadness and fear, clutching with all his might at the other.

Might that was quickly waning in his exhaustion from all the magic he had done, the transformation and emotional upheaval. Sobs reduced to cries eventually to sniffles, a migraine beating in time with his heart at the racing heart slowed along with his heaving breaths, no longer gasping.

As his breathing slowed to a more normal rhythm and he began to return to his senses, he registered the sound of soft humming above his head, and the feeling of a gentle warmth seeping in from the back of his head, through the sides of his head, and all the way to the space behind his puffy eyes, slowly but surely soothing his pounding migraine to a dull throb, and further still, until even the memory of the ache had been replaced by a strange sense of calm, and an overwhelming feeling of exhaustion that asked him to simply close his eyes, and give in to the call of sleep.

Followed soon after by the ceasing of the hum, in favor of softly murmured words above the crown of his head, his hat having fallen off sometime on the way from the table to the bed where they were now “Close your eyes and sleep, you've had a very trying day, and it's time for you to rest. Preferably for more than an hour.“

Exhaustion bone deep in his dough Blueberry Milk just nodded, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply, the warm smell of vanilla was the last thing he registered, exhaling with a full body shudder as sleep took him.

Pure Vanilla watched, relieved as the chaotic galaxy hair smoothed out finally, dulling in the other's unconscious state, pulsing very softly in time with his breaths.

For almost five full minutes, Pure Vanilla didn't dare move, in fear of waking his sleeping companion, but once he was sure the other was deeply asleep, he began to carefully loosen his own hold on him, in favor of gently setting him on the soft mattress so he could properly stretch out his body, instead of remaining curled up as he'd been, when held in Pure Vanilla's arms. And once the other was laying face up on the bed, pure Vanilla began to try and slowly extricate himself from the other's arms, hoping to go back to the kitchen to finish the rest of his own meal, as well as cleaning the plates and putting away the remnants of his friend's food away for later, before he took his own nap.

Which, after a few minutes of careful maneuvering, he managed to achieve, without waking the other. And so he returned to the dining room, only to find the fallen hat and the plushy still halfway hidden within it just outside the doorway, both of which he picked up, before returning to the room, setting the hat back on the bedside table, and tucking his mini self into Blueberry Milk's arms, watching in fond amusement as the other curled his arms around the plush toy and pulled it close to him, breathing in deeply and relaxing once more, apparently content with the substitute.

Which soothed away the last of Pure Vanilla's worry, and allowed him to return to the kitchen to finish his sandwiches, plus the one that Blueberry Milk hadn't touched, washing it all down with the now cold tea in his cup, and throwing away the remaining sip on the other's cup, before cleaning both plates and cups, and putting the half full kettle away once more. Only to pause as he let out a yawn, followed by a soft chuckle to himself, as he murmured “And now, time for my own nap. But first, one last checkup on him, just to make sure he's actually resting.“

Creeping into the bedroom Pure Vanilla smiled softly, spotting the other in deep sleep curled around the plushie, still having a soft smile. His own smile faded a little seeing the dried tear marks on the other's flushed cheeks. Going to the side bathroom, happy to see it fully stocked the healer grabbed a soft cloth, running it under water briefly before ringing it out, returning to wipe at the other's face.

Taking great care to not wake him Pure Vanilla cleaned off the dried marks, knowing from experience how uncomfortable that could be, before setting the cloth to the side. Humming quietly he moved to the windows, drawing the blinds to hopefully entice the other to stay asleep for as long as possible.

And just as he was about to turn around, he heard a quiet mumble from the sleeping cookie, too quiet for him to understand, which prompted him to come closer to the bed, and lean over the other, seeing the smile falling into a frown, followed by a muffled murmur of “Nnnn, dn'leev. Dun leev'me.“ that made Pure Vanilla's own smile fall, and a conflicted expression settle on his face.

On the one hand, he didn't want to intrude on the other's space. But on the other, the idea of leaving him alone after that pleading mumble felt like a betrayal. So after a brief moment of contemplation, he let out a sigh, and circled around the foot of the bed to sit himself on the other side of the spacious bed, upper back resting against the headboard, and the second pillow nestled behind his lower back, propping him up.

And after settling himself down with his legs stretched out in front of him, he turned his face to gaze at the other, before bringing one of his hands to the dull sparkly hair, and resting it there, fingers idly scratching at the other's scalp, and making the scholar's frown dissipate, replaced once more by the soft smile, a sight that soothed the uneasy feeling in Pure Vanilla's own chest, allowing him to close his eyes, and begin to hum a slow melody to himself.

Staying for a few more minutes wouldn't hurt, if it meant the other would have a peaceful sleep.

Though unfortunately for him, the reality was that his body had other plans, and only a few minutes after he'd sat down, he was asleep, still propped up against the headboard, with his limp hand resting on Blueberry Milk's head.

Not that he'd really notice until several hours later, when he eventually began to wake.

"Do you think they're still sleeping?"

"M-maybe? Blueberry Milk w-was really tired earlier."

"C'mon guys it's been four hours already, it's almost time for dinner!"

Three whispered voices, their owners creeping into the home via the front door, went unheard of at first by the tenants. Gingerbrave led his siblings inside, all three looking refreshed and much better, Strawberry Cookie holding a little bouquet of blue and yellow roses, having picked them for their new guest.

But at the sight of the darkened, quiet living room they all hushed, tip-toeing to the guest room, finding it empty.

Sharing a wide eye look, Wizard having to muffle his giggles the trio carefully made their way to the master bedroom, the door ajar enough to be pushed without a sound.

They all had to muffle each other to keep from cooing.

At some point during their nap Blueberry Milk had turned around, plushie at his back, with his arms wrapped around Pure Vanilla's waist. The healer's head was tilted to the side, closer to the other to listen to him even in sleep, one hand on top of the other's head as if he was mid stroke through his hair.

An adorable sight, especially when looking at the soft smile in Blueberry Milk's face, and the peaceful expression on Pure Vanilla's, despite the awkward position his neck was in, due to him being essentially asleep while seated. Still, he seemed content, and in the face of such a peaceful moment, the children hesitated, not wanting to wake them, but also knowing they probably should, so they could all have dinner together.

Fortunately for them, they didn't have to choose, because almost as if he'd sensed the children's presence, Pure Vanilla's eyes began to move behind his eyelids, and soon, the white eyes on the inside of his robes began to open one by one, before closing once more as he blinked his real eyes open, and yawned wide, wincing slightly at the ache on his neck, and bringing a hand to lightly rub the area with his palm, still not quite awake enough to notice the children looking in from the creak in the door.

The giggle then 'eep' from Strawberry had him waking up faster, looking over at the children with a soft smile that grew seeing how relaxed and happy they all looked, all signs of exhaustion gone.

"Hey Pure Vanilla, you doin' ok?"

"We came to let you both know that dinner was soon." The brothers spoke up one after another before urging Strawberry forward, the female cookie blushing. "Strawberry had a gift for Blueberry Milk as well."

"I'm doing much better now that I've rested a bit, yes. Thank you for coming to check on us." Then turning to Strawberry, and seeing the bouquet of blue and yellow roses in her arms, he gave her a serene smile as he murmured "You picked those for him?" at her shy nod, he smiled warmly "They're lovely, I'm sure he'll love them." As he said it, he turned to look at the cookie in question, only for his eyes to widen when he realized the position the other was in, the weight of the other's arms around his waist not really having registered in his mind, until just then, when he actively looked at him.

The children watched with a bit of bemusement as a faint dusting of dark tan colored Pure Vanilla's cheeks, his eyes widening a fraction as he spoke quietly "Goodness, that's... New." blinking, he pulled his hand from the other's hair, to instead rest it on his shoulder, though his words were clearly directed at the children "He was hugging the plushie when I sat down beside him, he must have shifted sometime during his sleep." as he said it, he began to gently try to remove one of the arms wrapped around him, only to purse his lips (to keep in the tiny smile that tried to form on his lips from showing) when the action only managed to make him hold on tighter with a quiet grumble of discontent.

'Ngn...m'comfy...whats movin...' Blueberry Milk shifted more, nuzzling the soft, warm fabric he clung tp, something niggling at the edge of his awareness about it.

As he slowly woke he heard very soft murmurs before the sound of equally quiet steps faded, a door closing before something settled in the other room.

Inhaling deeply to chase away sleep the Scholar slowly opened his eyes, blinking away tears and sleep from the force of his yawn.

Only for his ears to perk upon hearing a soft chuckle from above him, revealed to be coming from Pure Vanilla when he turned to look, seeing the cookie in question looking down at him with a soft smile on his face, and a faint tinge of dark tan on his cheeks as he greeted him "Hello, good to see you awake. Did you rest well?"

One second.

Blinking, taking in their position.

Two seconds.

Then a deep blue flush spreading across his face.

 "Oh my Witches I'm so sorry!" Faster than a sugar rush Custard Cookie III a tarot card engulfed Blueberry Milk, a matching one appearing vertically as the other stumbled out, still spewing apologies as he got his bearings.

'What happened I can't believe I was doing that how long were we-' "I have no idea what happened!"

Hiding his smile behind a hand, heterochromatic eyes slightly crinkled, Pure Vanilla swung his legs aside to get off the bed, stretching his back with a satisfied groan, before smiling warmly at him "It's alright, there's no need to apologize. I was admittedly a little worried about how you'd react if you woke up all alone, so I ended up sitting beside you in the first place instead of going to the other room, and I suppose I must have ended up falling asleep in the process. Sorry about that, and for the embarrassment it has caused you."

Managing to find the chair and sitting down (Not letting the other know the rapid perception change got him dizzy) Blueberry Milk hid his face for a bit, listening to Pure Vanilla. When the other explained the why he had stayed the scholar pulled his hands away to stare at the healer, bi-colored eyes wide with a tiny blush. "Oh..thank you. That was incredibly kind....I don't know how I would have reacted either, most likely thinking all of this is some sort of cruel dream from Eternal Sugar Cookie."

Expression softening, the Healer gave the scholar a soft smile, grabbing his flower staff from where he'd set it beside the table, as he walked over to the other, and bent himself at the waist to be more eye level with him “Well, even though the wake up was a little unorthodox on your side, I'm still glad I was here to greet you when you woke up, if only so you could know for sure that this isn't an illusion nor a dream. Did you at least have a somewhat restful sleep?“

Matching the smile Blueberry Milk nodded, "Very much so. Certainly the most restful I've had since before my sealing." Looking around he spotted his hat on the table furthest from him. Raising his hand, snapping the hat vanished before appearing back on his head along with his monocle. "Ah much better. Now then, I could have sworn I heard something before I woke up, were you speaking to your staff again?"

Muffling a quiet chuckle, Pure Vanilla straightened himself up and shook his head, his smile warm and eyes closed in an almost playful way “No, my dear kids came to check on us since it's almost dinner time, and they accidentally woke me up. And apparently Strawberry even brought you a welcoming present, the sweetheart that she is. Do you feel up to greeting the three of them?“

The former Beast's lips twitched at the unintentional slip from the other but didn't draw attention, instead turning to the question. "Oh? Well that certainly is kind of her. I'd be a terrible guest indeed if I didn't greet my hosts and hostess when they calm calling." Standing up with a sweeping bow he nodded for the other to lead the way, the plushie from before vanishing in some blue sparkles.

Smiling warmly, Pure Vanilla turned to the other, a few of the eyes in his cloak gazing at the scholar, looking for any trace of struggling “Are your legs feeling stronger now, or do you still require some extra support? I don't mind helping you walk if you're not fully confident in your body's current strength. And I promise no shenanigans this time.“ he added with a little hint of playfulness, though his half open eyes were honest.  

Rolling his own eyes, his own coat tail eyes matching, Blueberry Milk shook his head, "No thank you. As I said some food and rest and I would be better. Though I won't be fully recovered until tomorrow most likely." At the slight pout from the other something stirred in Blueberry Milk's Soul Jam. "Although perhaps being safe this one time is better than being sorry."

Pout forgotten in the face of the other's tentative agreement, Pure Vanilla smiled warmly, and stepped forward, placing one of his hands gently over Blueberry Milk's back, before curling his forearm around it, in something like a side hug, but not quite as close "A compromise then. You support yourself partly with your staff, and I support you partly from behind like this, just in case you stumble. Deal?"

"My staff? Oh my staff!" Turning to his free side Blueberry Milk held out his hand, a card floating there before floating up a bit, flipping to face down before his staff reverse melted out of it. Catching it deftly he twirled it once for show before setting it down for stability. "Thank you for reminding me Pure Vanilla."

"Always happy to help. Now lets go say hi to my kids, so they don't have to keep accidentally eavesdropping, shall we?" and with that he began to walk alongside Blueberry Milk, opening the door and stepping through, seeing all the kids standing near the table with faint blushes on their faces and slightly sheepish looks, Strawberry outright hiding most of her face behind the bouquet of blue and yellow roses.

Blueberry Milk's gaze flicked to Pure Vanilla, widening only a fraction before he schooled himself, turning to the trio with a smile. "Hello children, you all look far more rested, that is a relief. I wanted to thank you for these accommodations, the home is lovely."

"N-no problem Blueberry Milk! We're glad you like it." Stuttering at the start Gingerbrave, ever his namesake, went first with his blush fading. "We wanted to do our best to help you out, though we weren't sure if you'd like some solitude for a bit or not. If you don't wanna stay here you're more than welcome to come to the castle with us and the others, we all got rooms there."

The Bearer of Knowledge hummed a little as he and Pure Vanilla walking over to them, "Honestly I am not sure at the moment what I'd like, but I would not say no to a tour of your castle and Kingdom. I can sense the powerful magics running through the land and if this home is any indication of the rest of the Kingdom it will be a lovely sight indeed." Turning to Strawberry, the girl still trying to hide behind the bouquet Blueberry stepped away from beside the healer, kneeling down on one leg in front of her with a soft look. "Are those for me little one?"

As Pure Vanilla walked over to GingerBrave and reached out to pat his head with a soft, proud smile on his face, Strawberry pulled her head from behind the bouquet, revealing that her face was almost as pink as the hood covering her head, but her eyes were bright as she nodded, and shyly pushed the bouquet forward, closer to Blueberry Milk's reach, her voice soft but hopeful "We w-wanted to give y-you a welcome gift, a-and I thought these would look n-nice, especially with your c-current outfit. D-do you like them?"

Taking the bouquet from the young cookie carefully, as if it were a priceless treasure (to him it was) Blueberry Milk's smile grew. "I love them, they are beautiful colors, and so thoughtful of you to match my colors." Looking to the left he freed a hand, a flurry of cards flying from his sleeve, forming a little tornado before vanishing in sapphire and gold sparkles leaving a matching vase floating in its wake already filled with water. "There we go, a vase befitting your gift." Standing up he set the flowers in the vase before moving it over to the table, one of the gold roses slipping out of the arrangement. Catching it and feeling a little playful for the children he placed it under his hat on the right side right at his 'ear' level.

"Hey uh..Pure Vanilla? Can I talk to you outside for a second?" Gingerbrave asked the King, nodding to the front door.

Agreeing with a nod of his head, Pure Vanilla followed the child out the door, a hint of worry forming in his chest as he thought of what the conversation might be about. Was he alright? Had something happened? Was something wrong? The questions kept mounting, and once they were outside and the door was closed, he stepped closer to GingerBrave, and set his staff on the crook of his elbow, so he could set his hands gently on GingerBrave's cheeks, and turn his head so he was facing him, his expression betraying his worry "Is everything alright? Did something happen GingerBrave?"

'C'mon you can do this, you need to do this.' "I wanted to apologize for before." Whatever Pure Vanilla had been expecting him to say was certainly not that. Blue eyes met gold and sky blue ones, endless worry and concern in their depths. 'C'mon Gingerbrave, where's that bravery of yours!' "I-for what I said before. I'm sorry. I really hope I didn't make you uncomfortable Pure Vanilla."

Realizing what the problem was about, Pure Vanilla felt his worries melt away, and a fond smile tug at his lips, as he lowered himself to one knee on the grass, and moved his hands from GingerBrave's cheeks to his shoulders, giving them a gentle squeeze "Is that what was on your mind? Goodness, and here I was worrying about whether someone had been hurt, or whether some other unforeseen issue had happened while I was asleep. GingerBrave, there's no need to apologize for earlier, you didn't make me uncomfortable in the slightest."

Running his hands down the boy's arms, he took both the child's hands in his and gave them a tiny squeeze, his smile nothing short of fond and loving, his half-open eyes reflecting those very same emotions as well "If anything, I should be thanking you for taking away the last of my doubts in regards to you and your siblings, regardless of whether you did it on purpose or not. I'd been keeping myself from actively voicing my feelings, but your words changed my perception of things, and helped me feel more confident in accepting the path I'd been denying myself."

Letting his shoulders fall slightly, his smile diminished a bit, thumbs rubbing tiny circles over the backs of GingerBrave's hands even as he pitched his voice into a softer register "Unless I misread your slip up, and you didn't actually mean it like that? If that's the case, I'll respect it, even if a small part of me is sad that I won't be allowed to keep calling and thinking of you and your siblings as my children."

Ever since he and his siblings had escaped the Witches they had been on their own. And when they eventually made friends with the Gnomes, and Custard and Chili Pepper, and all the others, it was still just them in the world all alone. The concept of a 'parent' hadn't existed for them until they started meeting new Cookies, realizing what they didn't have. When they had met Healer Cookie, how kind and caring he was, how he looked out for them and never raised his voice, they had already gotten attached.

And that only grew when his identity and memories returned and all their adventures together their admiration and adoration of Pure Vanilla had grown. Between them they had considered him family, a parent, and in secret had referred to him as such. But never had told him out of fear. And when, in his exhaustion, Gingerbrave had called him 'Dad' he had fled to his siblings, hiding in their room as he whispered what he had said.

It was Strawberry that held onto the hope that maybe, just maybe, the other cared for them like that as well (Wizard had been spiraling into the worst case scenario as he was want to do).

And to find that his fears had been unfounded?

Well Gingerbrave wasn't going to let that line of thinking continue.

Pure Vanilla was rocked back slightly by the force of the tackle hug from the child, arms wrapping tightly around his neck as Gingerbrave buried his face in his neck.

And as GingerBrave squeezed Pure Vanilla in his hug, hiding his teary face in the other's soft robes, the older cookie chuckled warmly and set his staff down on the floor, to instead wrap his arms around the young cookie in a hug that was just as solid and heartfelt as his own, body glowing softly with his happiness and contentment.

While inside, both Wizard and Strawberry stared in awe at the pretty vase, and then smiled upon seeing the rose nestled on the Sage’s head, the gold rose matching wonderfully with his own gold eye, and making both pop against his pale blue skin and the vibrant blues of his hat and cosmic hair.

"Now then, I feel like we should give those two a moment. Are you both well?" Still kneeling Blueberry Milk looked over the two children, a slight frown on his features. "You rested, have you eaten? Were there any wounds that need be attended to? Pure Vanilla is the best healer of course, but I know my fair share of spells." Realizing that they may not want him to do magic on them he tried to backtrack. "B-but of course we can wait a moment or two for Pure Vanilla, or another healer should you prefer."

Strawberry nodded, while Wizard smiled as he held his candy staff beside him, replying to the question for his sister's sake "Yeah, we're alright, and yes, we did eat a few snacks before our naps, but beyond that no, we haven't eaten yet, since dinner is just about done. As for wounds, we only had a few bruises and sore feet, but Custard the Third helped us take care of most of those." Looking at the scholar's staff with sparkly eyes, the studious youth turned back to him with a wide smile "But we wouldn't say no to some help from you regardless, just in case. You're one of the smartest scholars in all of Earthbread after all."

Hesitating for a moment, wanting to make sure that they were truly ok with it, Blueberry Milk smiled as his staff began to glow a soft golden light very much like Pure Vanilla's would causing Strawberry and Wizard to glow as well, any aches or pains that they had vanishing in a soothing warm. "There we go." Task done the scholar stood up, placing a hand over his soul jam as an unfamiliar but warm feeling engulfed it, originating from outside. Having a suspicion he nodded to the door, urging the children forward. "I believe that there's something you'll want to see little ones."

Curious as to what it could be, but suddenly remembering their brother's desire to apologize, the two siblings turned to glance at one another, before nodding, and opening the door to peek outside, their nervous expressions shifting to surprise, and then glee, as they took in the scene in front of their eyes, and what it meant for the four of them. Briefly they shared another look, and after only a moment's hesitation, they were were rushing out the door, and towards the two cookies hugging, pausing a couple paces away from the two, as if hesitant.

Only for Pure Vanilla to turn his face to them, and smile widely, before removing one of his arms from around GingerBrave, and hold it out in an open gesture, inviting them to join their sibling in the hug.

Gingerbrave gave a watery giggle when he felt his siblings join in, squished together in Pure Vanilla's arms. All of them hugged tighter when the elder whispered 'I'm here my children' feeling a missing piece slot into place.

From the doorway Blueberry Milk watched this with a fond smile on his face, the little family finding one another. 'He truly is the best successor for my Soul Jam and worth of being the Light of Compassion now.' Letting them have their moment in privacy the scholar began looking around, observing what he could of the Kingdom built from the ground up.

In the relative center of the Kingdom, the castle sat, towers rising far above any other buildings, immediately catching the attention of anyone that looked out at the Kingdom, but also serving as a central landmark for the buildings surrounding it, everything from berry farms and sugarcube mines, to workshops and houses, all separated by paths leading to other areas hidden behind said buildings, cookies going back and forth between locations even now, just shortly after the sun set. And on this side of the realm, sat several cabins, each set on their own individual islands, set in the midst of the glittering star-speckled water, with a bridge connecting it to the main land, creating a small sense of privacy that seemed to serve the cookies living here well.

Chapter Text

His observations were interrupted by a small tug on his sleeve, revealing it to be Wizard looking up at him with a smile, as he gestured to the Kingdom at large with a movement of his candy staff "Everyone's worked together to build it all from the ground up."

Behind the child, GingerBrave and strawberry were smiling as well, while Pure Vanilla, now holding his staff once more, was walking over to him with a smile, clearly far more at ease now that everything between him and the children had been laid out in the open and settled at last.

"It's incredible Wizard. From the ground up you said?" Turning from the sight Blueberry Milk looked at the children, curious.

Gingerbrave beamed, proud of their Kingdom. "You betcha! All that was here before was ruins and weeds and stuff, but we all worked together to get it cleaned up!"

"W-we got visitors that helped too. The t-trading post doc, the train station..." Strawberry listed off the various aspects as they all walked down the path to the Castle, taking their time so they could show it off for their guest.

Pure Vanilla's smile grew when he felt a soft dough slipped into his own, Strawberry blushing more. Her brother matched her when Gingerbrave, on the healer's other side, held onto his sleeve. Wizard was between Strawberry and Blueberry, eagerly explaining about the Sugar Gnome Laboratory, the scholar asking about the magical technology there with the younger magician happily explaining about it.

From the isolated cabin all the way to the castle, the children explained how the Kingdom had grown, from the early days of gathering materials on their own, to now, that they could gather most of what they needed in the farms and buildings that the Sugar Gnomes had worked hard to build. And as they reached the topic of the the Sugar Gnome Laboratory, Wizard spent several long minutes explaining all about the many upgrades and technology that were being discovered everyday at the building in question, everything from ways of increasing production, to improvements to the structures of the Kingdom, and much more, the child clearly very passionate about all the discoveries being made there.

It was clear to see that all three of them were extremely proud of all the work everyone had put into building the Kingdom into the bustling city it was now, even if they all focused on different aspects of their home.

And both of the older cookies found themselves smiling at that knowledge, happy to see the children so energetic.

"It's incredibly impressive what they've done isn't it? Reminds me when I started the Vanilla Kingdom ages ago."

"Indeed." The same prideful smile on Pure Vanilla's face was on Blueberry Milk's. "You all should be incredibly proud of what you've accomplished, and in such a short time! It's very clear that this is a close knit Kingdom, ones that watch each other's back. It's resourceful and the very air here is imbued with Light magic, it's wonderful to feel."

The children all seemed to preen under the praise, Wizard most of all, especially due to his admiration of all the Scholar's accomplishments.

Though in the silence that followed, Pure Vanilla turned his face to Blueberry Milk, and smiled serenely, eyes half closed as he spoke, though he too had a glint of admiration in his gaze "Perhaps tomorrow you should go take a look, and see if there's anything you can spot that needs improvement in their magic buildings? After all, you are in a class all of your own, in what concerns Knowledge of all kinds. Maybe they could learn a few things from you."

The suggestion had Wizard's eyes widening, and then practically sparkling as he turned to the blue Scholar with a look that was between hero worship and puppy dog eyes "Oh, would you like to?? I'm sure everyone would love to have you there, especially the people that attended the Academy! It'd be an honor to have your input, even if it's only small things!"

A surprised blush appeared on blue cheeks, looking between the two, hand clenching unconsciously over his staff in his shock. "Oh er-I suppose? But I'm positive that that is not needed-you wouldn't want me to look over them-" 'Why would they want me of all beings to look over their magical buildings? Or attempt to teach them?' 

"You are the Safe of Knowledge, Blueberry Milk Cookie' 

'Just because I hold your Light once more, doesn't mean I feel wholly  worthy of it, after falling from grace.'

Closing his eyes Pure Vanilla gave the other a reassuring smile "While us past students of the academy would all love it if you could give some input, you don't have to do so if you don't want to. It's merely an offer, not an obligation, we promise." Then turning forward once more, he nodded "Regardless, we have finally arrived at the castle. Let's go get ourselves some dinner, shall we?"

GingerBrave and Strawberry cheered and began happily tugging him forward by his hand and sleeve, much to his amusement, as he allowed himself to be led by them, patient as always in the face of their excitement.

Wizard stayed back a little while his siblings took Pure Vanilla, "He's right you know. We'd love if you gave some input, but you don't have to do anything. You're our guest here, and we want to make you feel welcome."

"I appreciate that young one," Blueberry Milk gave a little shaky smile down at the magician. "I just...I don't feel as if I should be near your machines and magic and such, after-"

"After what Shadow Milk Cookie did?" Ever blunt Wizard Cookie gave a little smirk behind his collar, holding his own staff to carefully bonk the scholar's shoulder. "While we don't know the story, nor do we need to, we trust you. You saved our lives. Pure Vanilla trusts you, and that's good enough for us to trust you too."

The show of trust behind such a seemingly simple statement, even with everything that he'd done to the children back at the Spire, hit Blueberry Milk right in the heart all over again, all the more so when he didn't find any trace of resentment or deceit in the child's face nor eyes, hidden or otherwise. Wizard truly meant what he was saying, and the knowledge of it, impossible though it seemed in his eyes, still made something deep within the scholar's chest fill with warmth, just like it did when Pure Vanilla had assured him that he'd forgiven him. There were still fears in the back of his mind, but he could feel a few of them slowly but steadily falling silent with each reassurance that this group, so brave and kindhearted, truly did seem willing to give him another chance.

Reaching out, ruffling the lad's hat Blueberry Milk hoped that his voice was more steady than his current emotional state, "Perhaps after breakfast."

"Breakfast?" Wizard repeated, confused, before his visible eye widened in joy as he realized what the other meant, practically beginning to skip to his siblings and father.

'Have more faith in yourself' 

'Why bother, when these amazing children and Pure Vanilla have more than enough for me?' Placing a hand over his Soul Jam, Blueberry Milk caught up with the group.

And thus together, the group made their way to the mess hall, the kids telling Pure Vanilla and Blueberry Milk what the options for today's dinner were, as well as asking if any of them had preferences for flavors or textures, engaging them in conversation and successfully lightening the mood around them all.

When they finally did sit down to eat with trays of food in front of them all, the meal was delicious, and the kids couldn't help but giggle at the expressions of barely disguised surprise and awe in Blueberry Milk's face, taking turns explaining what the foods and flavors were for his sake.

"Fascinating...this is so different compared to what it was like when I was first baked." Picking up a piece of jelly roast, examining it before savoring the bite. "I'll need to see if any of the herbs and spices from my era are still around somehow, I wish to treat you all if possible to a meal from back then."

Wizard Cookie's eyes widened, his siblings mock groaned as they saw stars begin to form in his gaze, "You mean to tell me that one day we may be treated to a meal by the Sage of Knowledge? One from an ancient bygone era?! Oh my Oven, am I dreaming? Gingerbrave am I dreaming?"

As his siblings reassured him that no he wasn't dreaming Blueberry Milk turned to Pure Vanilla, only to blink at the near mirror hopeful look on the King's face, causing the scholar to chuckle "Oh dear, you too?"

Muffling a laugh behind a hand, Pure Vanilla shrugged with a faint hint of dark tan blush on his cheeks, eyes closed "What can I say, both me and White Lily looked up to you a lot throughout our years in the Academy. And I'd be lying, if I said that part of that admiration doesn't still linger in me even now, so many years after my student days. Can't exactly help it, even if I am trying not to let it affect the way I treat you." returning to his food, he smiled down at it "Plus, even without that as an incentive to be excited, anyone adventurous enough would be curious about the meals of a different time, especially if prepared by someone who actually knows what they're doing. So to be given the chance, even if only in a technically hypothetical scenario? It's nice."

"You flatter me Pure Vanilla, truly. And I am glad to have been an inspiration to you and White Lily during your Academy days, truly. If both of your skill sets are any indication then the Academy has done what it was set out to do, inspire young Cookies to test their own boundaries of magic and be innovative." No Pure Vanilla didn't blush at the praise. The giggles from the children were pure coincidence. "And if what I still need actually exists I'd be overjoyed to create a feast for you."

"Then I guess we'll need to go searching later on." Pure Vanilla said with a smile, before his face shifted to a pondering expression "I do wonder if any of the plants we used to grow in the Academy still live. It would be nice if some had survived in the aftermath of everything. I didn't exactly have the time to go searching when we passed through it, especially with how hectic things have been lately."

Tentative future plans were made to return to the Academy, something that Blueberry Milk was unsure of how he felt of such a thing, as the meal passed by in light chatter, everyone just enjoying the company and moment of peace for them.

And once everyone had eaten their fill and put away the empty trays once more, the group left the mess hall, in favor of giving Blueberry Milk an early evening tour of the castle, from the public-accessible areas, to the section of the castle with the actual rooms where people rested, their tour ending with the children showing the scholar where their rooms were, leaving Pure Vanilla's room and the new room beside it (that they'd set up for Blueberry Milk) for last.

Blueberry Milk looked around in awe at the Castle, a mix of types and styles from all over Crispia and beyond. There was no one set theme, but many jumbled together in a beautiful chaotic symphony that he adored. "My word this is incredible! I've never seen such diverse architecture!" The scholar looked at the children, Soul Jam glowing a little. "It's very clear that there is no one set inspiration for this Kingdom, and that makes it truly beautiful. You've gathered bits and pieces from every corner and made it your own together, the Knowledge of what would work best, what includes everyone, is so wonderful to see."

The smiles he got in response were bright and proud, the children blushing with happiness under the compliments, as they explained that they tried to incorporate pieces of everyone's realms or prior homes, so that no matter where they looked in the castle, they could see a familiar piece of home. And while it didn't always look right the first time, everyone worked together to help make it cohesive and nice.

The only exception were the actual rooms where people slept in, that were done with neutral colored walls and floors, so that each occupant could better personalize their own room to fit.

And in example, Wizard showed them his room, which, beyond the bed, bedside table, and other simple furniture, was also furnished with several bookshelves full of all kinds of tomes and scrolls, his desk littered with notes.

Strawberry's room was much the same, though she had added some pink trim, a little work area to maintain her lollipop hammer, and a few dolls that she had gotten from the Hollyberry Kingdom.

Gingerbrave's was a darker cream full of pictures and knick knacks from his travels all over Earthbread, with a couple of journals that he said were his thoughts that he put down. "Pure Vanilla recommended it actually, when I had nightmares. And they've really helped." The admission was met with a side hug from the healer, happy that his advice was being taken. The younger child had suffered some truly horrendous nightmares for a long time before they had met and he had suggested that writing them down to sort thoughts might help and if necessary he could help as well by helping come up with solutions.

"I see, that is a good idea. And the ability to personalize one's room is a nice idea, a way to truly make it 'theirs'." Blueberry Milk turned to the healer. "I surmise yours is much like your room in the Vanilla Kingdom?"

"You mean the one in your Spire? Yes." Pure Vanilla gave a little smirk, teasing at that while the other coughed, looking away before he opened the door. And indeed it was a near mirror image of his room in his palace, though this one had more pictures of the children on the walls, dresser and a group image on the nightstand. And on the other side room sitting on an arm chair...

Was a familiar little plushie.

Which, when he spotted it, Blueberry Milk found himself flushing a bit at, in an equal mix of surprise and a subconscious sense of happiness, not having expected Pure Vanilla to have taken the tiny plush with him after he and the children left the Spire. Walking further into the room, Pure Vanilla gestured to the walls with a smile "I've kept it mostly the same for the sake of my own comfort, but with a few changes here and there, mostly reminders of important moments in my life. Such as the pictures that GingerBrave took of some of our adventures, a few potted flowers on my window sill from the different Kingdoms we visited..."

Walking over to the armchair, he smiled as he brushed a finger gently against the face of the small Shadow Milk plushie sitting on the cushion, while turning his own head to give the group a little playful smile "And of course, a reminder of the cookie that, unintentionally or not, allowed me to find myself and connect with the Light of Truth."

Blueberry Milk didn't realize he had walked in until he was beside Pure Vanilla, staring down at the plush version of his corrupted self, an unreadable look in his gaze as a hand reached up to his Soul Jam briefly, holding onto it. "I...hadn't realize that you had taken it. Or that you'd even want a reminder of your time in my Spire, regardless of it being good or bad."

The children followed in, glancing between one another before the bravest took another step, "While it was really scary at times, and pretty stressful...your Spire was actually pretty neat Blueberry Milk."

These children continued to surprise him, the scholar not expecting that description to ever come from Gingerbrave.

Seeing that he didn't seem to have taken it badly, Wizard spoke up with a smile, though his eyebrows were lightly furrowed "I mean, some of the areas made absolutely no sense, and nearly caused us a few headaches as we tried to understand them, but... Others were pretty interesting, even confusing as they were. Made us have to think on how we looked at the world around us, both inside and outside the Spire."

Beside him Strawberry spoke up with nod and a hesitant smile "In a different c-context, it would have m-made a pretty fun playground, f-for other cookies to run around in."

As if to add to the children's remarks, Pure Vanilla smiled warmly as he turned to Blueberry Milk "For all the contradictions and frustrations it held, if built up to slightly different standards, it would have made for an interesting house of challenges, for cookies to test their skills and knowledge in a practical setting." the next bit, however, he said with a playful half smile "Though perhaps without the monster attacks."

Blueberry Milk laughed at that, the tension that had been building evaporating, "True those might be a bit more of an unneeded challenge after all...though I am pleased that, despite it's own corruption, my Spire's objection still shown through. It's to aid in applying problem solving applications while also showing that even if you think you know the world around you, it can still surprise you. Sometimes you need to think outside of the box as it were." The Sage of Knowledge turned to the children, ruffling Gingerbrave's hair a little. "You all did very well overcoming the challenges it posed as well as my own. Even though I never said it, I was both impressed and pleased. As well as a little bit scared."

"Scared? You?"

It was impossible who sounded more shocked from the children, the two adult Cookies laughing at their expressions as Blueberry Milk nodded, "Yes I was. For if you all could surpass the Jester of Deceit's chaos and twist his own world on its rules, then there is nothing you can not do."

Settling his own hand on Wizard's shoulder, Pure Vanilla nodded "To be able to overcome the challenges of a cookie in the place where they have the biggest advantage? It is a noteworthy feat in an of itself, especially if said cookie is used to always winning any confrontation they face. You should be proud of all you have accomplished. I know I am."

"Too right on that." The former Beast laughed, "I had never lost one of my games before especially on those kind of stakes, to have you all repeatedly best me? I was more than intrigued. The skill and knowledge you all showed was incredible if not infuriating at the time, so well done on that." His laugh tapered to a chuckle seeing how red the children were before he turned back to the plush version of himself once more, deep in thought. Carefully he picked it up, looking over it, his own cocky smirk aimed back up at him as his own smile fell. "You did so...incredibly well against the Beast of Deceit. Someone who could have destroyed you so utterly not even your name would have been remembered even if he had decided to have been kind enough to not twist your story full of lies."

Removing his hand from Wizard's shoulder, Pure Vanilla gently nudged Blueberry Milk with his elbow, a soft smile on his face "You could have destroyed us once you had us in your grasp. You could have taken my Soul Jam by force and disposed of me after you got it. You could have done a million and one things, but... You didn't, now did you?" gently poking the plushie's chest, he added "For all that you claimed to be a beast of incredible power and strength, deep down, you couldn't really bring yourself to end us, even though you had the power to do so. Deep down your heart wasn't in it. And isn't that what matters most?"  

'Only because I was toying with you. Only because I was trying to break you, to make you like myself. Only because I never once considered you deceiving me, besting me' The words were thought bitterly as he continued to stare down at himself, the plushie's face almost mocking him. 'If I had known what the outcome of that day would have been...I don't know what I would have done. And that scares me.' He forced himself to not stare at the children, 'I could have hurt them...I could have hurt you.' 

The children looked between one another, unsure and worried. They wanted to help, but they didn't know how. It was clear the other still blamed himself for his actions before.

Sensing the faint roiling emotions from the connection between their Soul Jams, Pure Vanilla seemed to consider something, before slowly, ever so gently, wrapping his free arm around the other's back in a half hug, his voice soft and soothing "Regardless of whether it's because you were bored, because you wanted to see what would happen if you pushed us around a bit, or because of simple curiosity in regards to what we would do while in your domain... You can bring up a myriad of reasons as to the reason why, but in the end, it all leads to the same conclusion. You didn't crumble us, even though you could have."

Body glowing faintly, the Healer gave the scholar a gentle squeeze "And even after my deception and your escape, you still found reason within yourself to return to our side and help us. You had no obligation to do so, no reason to side with us, and yet, you did. Does that not matter in your eyes? Because in mine, it makes all the difference in the world."

"I hadn't considered that..." Running his fingers over the plush Blueberry Milk mulled this over. "I had received the call from Dark Enchantress Cookie of some sort of invasion she was doing and summoning the Beasts. I had scoffed at it, ignoring it, for who did she think to control us? I didn't pay attention to the summons in the entirety, only knowing that the other Beasts did. After a bit on a whim I had decided to check on you as I was want to do, you held 'my' Soul Jam after all and I liked to keep tabs on you. I can't describe the...emotions I felt, seeing what had happened around you, the children, your other friends. When I saw you preparing that spell I acted without thinking, I just had to get to you."

 "You were scared for your friend." Gingerbrave's voice was soft, but sure. "It's a natural reaction, when you see a friend in trouble. You wanna help them."

Lips twitching at that Blueberry Milk nodded, "I suppose so. I didn't care what it would appear like, I didn't care what the other Beasts would think, or what Dark Enchantress would do or say or think...I just had to get to you and the children."

Waving his hand the plush levitated before himself, a magical image of Shadow Milk copied his movements, the contemplative frown matching his own. "I didn't care what would happen to me right then. If you and the others were safe, if I could buy you time, that was enough in my eyes for the price I'd pay."

The words made all four cookies smile slightly, though Pure Vanilla was the one to actually voice their thoughts aloud "Compassion and courage to stand and fight for those that need help. Using your strength to protect those you can, even knowing there will be no big reward for it. To put yourself at risk, just for the sake of ensuring they have a better chance of success, be it in winning, or in escaping." Smiling a little wider now, he gestured to the image with his staff, though his face and half open eyes were focused on Blueberry Milk "Is that not the very essence of what being a hero is all about?"

Blueberry Milk snorted a little, turning to the other with a raised brow, the children giggled when the image copied him just like a mirror, "'Hero'? Silly Vanilly, if anyone is a hero it is you and these three amazing children currently giggling. I am no hero. I'm merely someone trying to atone for many lifetimes of mistakes and bad choices."

Smile softening at the silly nickname (that even back when he was still Shadow Milk, still had a distinct note of fondness beneath the mockery), Pure Vanilla just shrugged with a soft smile "I won't deny that, because it's true that the children are heroes to many that they have crossed paths with, me included. But what you did for us was still heroic, even if you did it out of a desire to atone for past deeds. You were our savior just then, and though you may not think yourself worthy of praise for your action, it doesn't change our, or rather my, view of things."

Leaning his staff against his shoulder, he used his newly freed hand to boop the tip of the Blueberry Milk illusion’s nose "You're a hero in the making, you just have to stop thinking so negatively of yourself. Have a little more trust in your current self, and in your own current choices." Letting out a huff of a laugh, he pulled his hand away, leaving only the one around Blueberry Milk's back "After all, you're not on your own anymore. We're here to help you forge your new path, and ensure you get a chance to grow into yourself without fear. So don't overthink it so much."

Both Milks blinked at the boop, having the exact same expression of 'did he just seriously boop me?' before rolling his eyes a little gesturing to himself, "I am many things. A scholar, a sage, a magician, a former Virtue Holder," gesturing to his Shadow Milk self, "A corrupt cookie, a jester, a Beast...a hero is not one of them."

"So? Even if you don't call yourself a hero, we see you as one." Gingerbrave, ever the optimist, just smiled. "Yeah, you made some mistakes. But you paid for those already, enough if you ask me. And we don't always have the best of beginnings, but we can't let that define us Blueberry Milk, we just have to keep moving forward. And that's best done with friends by our sides."

Blueberry Milk let out a little chuckle, colors brightening from the dark muted ones they had been, "Such wise words...perhaps I should pass the Light of Knowledge to you, no? You'd certainly be a worthy holder of it, any of you would."

The words had all three children's eyes widening, and red blushes rising to their faces, even as they began to giggle, Wizard speaking for them with a happy smile "Much as any of us would be honored, we like who we are now. Besides, we still have a lot to learn to be at your level in terms of life experience."

At Blueberry Milk's side, Pure Vanilla smiled warmly at the scholar "Just as you too still have much to teach us about life in general. And in turn, we can teach you what we know, so you can keep adding to your repository of Knowledge. After all, one never stops learning for as long as they live, right Blue?"

"Any who say different are a bigger fool than I ever was." The tone was dry but amused, nodding to Shadow Milk "And I played the Jester."

"Um may I ask w-why you um..."

Strawberry trailed off even as Blueberry Milk knelt before her, eyes kind "Why a jester? Besides the amount of deceit and misdirection they can cause, of which I was embodying then, jesters were actually valued for their intelligence and knowledge of the world and court around them in times long past. Plus," Here he grinned gesturing to the image first then himself, "I quite like their fashion sense."

The answer had the desired effect of pulling a giggle from his companions, even as the children seemed to ponder the idea of jesters having to work around a court's machinations, and the people that were part of said court. They would come to learn more about the topic in due time, but for the moment, they set the thought aside, and looked back at him, GingerBrave taking the lead for his siblings once more "Well, that aside, there's still one more room we have yet to see. Wanna go check it out?" the offer was said with a hopeful smile and eager eyes, a look that was mirrored by his siblings, all of them hoping he would say yes.

And in the face of such a sight, how could he say anything other than yes?

Which had the children cheering happily, and taking both his hands to pull him up off the ground, and towards the door, leading him to the room just beside Pure Vanilla's, the healer following after them with a soft smile on his face, just as curious to see what the room Strawberry prepared for Blueberry Milk looked like.

As the group left the room none saw the image of Shadow Milk smile softly with a nod before vanishing, the plushie being lowered back to its spot on the chair.

Chapter Text

Blueberry Milk just chuckled, the children's mood infectious as they urged him to open the door. He wasn't expecting much given the short time the children had had, though he knew he'd like the room because they tried for him-

"Oh my goodness."

He didn't like the room, he loved it.

While still the same soft cream color and basic layout it was clear hard work had gone into the room to make it 'his'. Across the back of the chair mirroring Pure Vanilla was a throw blanket, a deep blue with constellations on it. The table had a bowl full of jellies for a snack along with another vase of roses that matched the one he had been given. And on his bed was a little pillow in the shape of a familiar cone, clearly handmade but wonderfully so.

Little touches of care that were clearly well thought through in the time he spent asleep, making a soft awed smile tug at his lips as he walked further into the room, taking in the simple but fully functional furniture, running his fingers lightly over the soft blanket, brushing the back of his knuckles over the soft petals of the beautiful roses, and chuckling as he paused beside the bed, hand resting on the vanilla wafer cone pillow before pushing down on it a little to feel what he believed would have been a ridged texture on the fabric.

Only to be caught off guard by the smooth texture of the patterned fabric beneath his palm, and the soft give of the stuffing under the fabric, surprisingly malleable. And then he caught the faintest whiff of vanilla in the air, and laughed with a faint flush to his cheeks “Whose idea was this particular piece? Because I admit, it's very well made.“

To his and Pure Vanilla's surprise Gingerbrave blushed, looking away while his siblings urged him forward. Taking pity on his brother Wizard turned to the Soul Jam holders. "I created the blanket, Strawberry handled the flowers but Gingerbrave made the pillow."

"He's r-really good at sewing and crafts, just doesn't have a lot of free time for it. But he wanted to do something for you."

Gingerbrave blushed brighter at his sister's teasing, looking up when Blueberry Milk walked over to him, kneeling down before very carefully reaching out, keeping his touch light as he hugged the younger, giving him plenty of time to pull away. "Thank you for these wonderful gifts."

Touched beyond words the sage could only hope his meaning passed over, hugging Gingerbrave while looking at Wizard and Strawberry, gratitude shining in gold and blue eyes.  

After just a moment of hesitation, the child lifted his own arms up to hug him back, leaning into him with a happy smile, murmuring a soft “You're welcome.” before the other two joined in to hug him as well, echoing their brother's words and pleased smile as they did so, and making Pure Vanilla's expression change to one of warm pride, all the more so upon seeing the way Blueberry Milk seemed to melt a little at their group hug.

And then the blond was turning his face away, so as to let them have a moment of privacy, moving to gently brush his fingers against one of the blue roses in the bouquet with a soft smile. Truly, his kids were the absolute sweetest.

Blueberry Milk allowed himself a moment longer to soak up the hug before pulling back, not wanting to make them uncomfortable. "Truly thank you for this." Standing back up he looking around "So is this where I shall stay as your guest for a little while?"

Letting go of him, the children nodded, GingerBrave patting his forearm with a smile “If you want to yes, but it's up to you! You can stay here, in the cabin from earlier, or you can switch between them if you want. We wanted to make sure you had a choice of both, so you can be comfortable while you stay with us. And if you want to add more personal touches to either of your rooms, you can! Your room is supposed to be a safe space for you after all. Like ours are for us.“

Blueberry Milk nodded before looking out the window, seeing the sun had already set. "Hmm given that it's so late I believe I will try out my new room you all worked so hard on." Looking back he and Pure Vanilla chuckled at seeing the children swaying on their feet.

Now that the excitement of the new room had passed, the full bellies and remaining exhaustion it was clear they were tired. "I think it's time for all young cookies to get some well deserved sleep."

Pulling away from the flowers, Pure Vanilla walked over to set a hand on Strawberry's shoulder, guiding her closer to him and helping support her body as she leaned into him tiredly “Yes, the day has been long, and you've all done a lot of work today, both before we engaged with the Beasts, and after we arrived at the Kingdom. So now, let's get you all to bed, so you can rest properly and regain your strength, shall we? You have more than earned a full night of sleep, and your nice, warm beds are waiting eagerly for you to return to them.“

With yawns and sleepy nods, the children shuffled over to him, and he set his staff beside the door, before beginning to urge the children forward with a gentle arm around two of them, Strawberry on his right and GingerBrave on his left, Blueberry Milk somewhat hesitantly doing the same with a sleepy Wizard, the child leaning against him with a tiny smile and a murmur of thanks as they all left the room to return to the children's rooms, Pure Vanilla navigating the path with a practiced routine (and maybe a little help from the many eyes hidden within the blue inner expanse of his cloak. After all, they had become another part of him, when he awakened to his true potential) and setting them each to bed with a soft murmur of goodnight, and a gentle kiss to their foreheads, something that each child giggled tiredly at, before relaxing fully and surrendering to the call of sleep, letting the two older cookies exit the rooms in silence and leave them to their rest. Only to then silently make their way back to Blueberry Milk's room, so that Pure Vanilla could retrieve his staff, most of the eyes in his cloak closing once more, now that he didn't have to actively guide anyone beyond himself.  

"May they have sweet dreams tonight, they've certainly earned it." Once back in the safety and quiet of his room Blueberry Milk sighed out, speaking finally. He chuckled as he moved over to his bed, running a finger down the hand made pillow once more. "All the hard work they've done...I'm truly touched they've gone to such lengths and effort for me."

Pausing just inside the entrance to the room, and grabbing the staff that he'd left by the doorway, Pure Vanilla smiled with his eyes closed as he nodded "They're genuinely some of the sweetest cookies I've ever gotten the pleasure to meet, and it warms my heart to see them extend their help to others out there. Meeting the kiddos is one of the greatest things that has ever happened to most of us living in this Kingdom, and their kindness has helped many of us find a new strength to keep going forward. And now, they've extended that very same kindness to you as well."

Leaning briefly against the wall beside the door, the healer smiled a little wider, his expression one of faint awe, even with his eyes closed "It's a wonderful feeling, isn't it? To know that such bright, talented children see something good in you, something worth believing in?"

"I know what you're attempting to do Pure Vanilla." Blueberry Milk sighed but have the other a small smile. "Children are incredible, their capacity for forgiveness knows no bounds. And these children? Are more special than you can possibly imagine." The scholar turned, sitting down on his bed, nodding in the general direction of the bed or chair for the other to sit should he wish. "They have the power to change the world, and I don't mean that in the sense of someone proud of them or hopeful for their future. There's something about those three that can change the tide of everything."

Stepping away from the wall, Pure Vanilla closed the door, and made his way to the plush armchair, sitting down with a quiet sigh and a tiny smile "So you noticed something too, didn't you?" leaning back against the plush back of the chair, he relaxed slightly in place "I don't know exactly what it is, whether it's something in their dough, jam, souls, or something more grand, like interference from the Witches, or the machinations of fate itself at play, but..." Smile falling, he opened his eyes halfway, a few of the eyes on his cloak doing the same "You're right, they have a way of turning situations in their favor, that would have been borderline unsettling, if not for the fact that it works in our favor. It's as baffling as it is unconventional."

"It's not just that Pure Vanilla. I could see it clearly as a Beast. And I know the others can sense it too. And...Dark Enchantress Cookie wants them." His own eyes were trained on the healer, a few on his coat tail cloak opening up as well. "I have no answer as well as to what is so special about those children. Perhaps it is just 'them', though I do know they were the last ones to have been baked by a Witch. Perhaps that right there, is part of what makes them so special. Maybe the Witch did something, who knows. But I know Dark Enchantress Cookie wants them. The other Beasts are curious about them, I just happened to be the one that you ran into."  

The news, said with such solemn certainty, caused Pure Vanilla to purse his lips, mind churning with thoughts and possibilities, none of which he wanted to voice. And yet, he still did, closing his heterochromatic eyes with a sigh "If they truly do have the power to change the tides of the confrontation, it makes sense that Dark Enchantress Cookie would want to get to them. Stacking the deck further in her favor, as if she needed any further advantages in the path of her plans." setting his staff against the arm of his chair, he brought both hands to his face, fingers moving to his temples and rubbing small circles there, as he sighed unhappily "I don't like it one bit, but I've learned that if they get it into their heads that they need to help, there's nothing that can really be done to stop them, aside from potentially physically restraining them. And even then, I doubt it'd stop them for very long. They're too determined for their own good."

"Either getting them on her side...or getting them out of the way. It doesn't matter to her, that is how sure she is not only of her own power, but the threat they pose. But if I may?" Blueberry Milk queried, the other gesturing for him to continue, "Restraining them or keeping them here won't do you any good. They're too determined to aid others, explore and such. However, I would inform them of the possible danger, as well as a request that they inform you, or those you trust, their whereabouts. I also know that they usually travel with companions no? You could ensure those companions are strong warriors and mages that could protect and help them." His own eyes went half lidded as he gave what he hoped was an encouraging smile, "However I believe those little cookies will surprise you, if you asked them to stay in the Kingdom for a time, they would. Simply because it would help you. But I do promise you this Pure Vanilla Cookie, as long as I am here I will protect those children with all that I am able to do."

The promise had Pure Vanilla reopening his eyes and gazing in the direction of Blueberry Milk, the eyes on his cloak staring at the scholar with slight surprise, before the pupils seemed to dilate a little, and a soft smile settled itself on the healer's face, his hand coming to rest over his Soul Jam as he murmured in a soft, almost fond tone "You really would, wouldn't you?" letting out the softest laugh, he closed his eyes, while the eyes on his cloak curved slightly up, round pupils still trained on the other even as he spoke

"I don't think such measures will be necessary as of now, but I do deeply appreciate your commitment. That said, I do think I'll follow your counsel, and ask the kiddos to let me know where they're planning to go, should they feel the need to head out for any reason. If only for my own peace of mind."  

Blueberry Milk gave a small cough, a light blush on his cheeks as he looked away. His own cloak eyes upturned a little as well, hazy in the pupils. "It's the least I can offer for you and them after the kindness you all have shown me after everything." His own hand raised up to his Soul Jam in a matching pose as the healer.

And as they both sat, they took a moment to relish in the gentle warmth radiating from their own half of the Soul Jam, not needing any words just then, to know just how much the other appreciated their respective decisions. The comfortable silence remained for a few more moments, only to then be broken by the Healer bringing his other hand up to his mouth, just in time to politely muffle the big yawn that nearly made his jaw unhinge, a hint of moisture gathering under his blonde lashes at the force of the gesture, his cloak eyes blinking in apparent surprise, before he let out a soft sheepish chuckle to himself, the sound muffled by his hand, before he lowered it to his lap, along with the hand over his Soul Jam.

"Oh goodness. My apologies for that, it appears that my body too, is demanding some more rest from me as well. Would you mind it too much if we left any further planning and conversation for tomorrow morning? The four hours or so of rest that we got earlier were nice for a general energy boost, but I think we'd still benefit from a full night's rest regardless. At the very least I know I would."

Feeling tired himself Bluberry Milk nodded, standing up and holding out a hand to assist the other, "But of course. Everything can wait till the morning we have time. What I did should last for a least some while yet, keeping them all trapped in their sectors on Beast Yeast, though I am unsure where Dark Enchantress ended up I know she isn't on Crispia at the moment."

Taking the hand and getting up off the armchair, Pure Vanilla sighed “That's a relief, even if only a temporary one.“ then stepping forward, he gave the hand in his a squeeze, before wrapping his other arm around Blueberry Milk in a hug, holding him gently “Once again, thank you for all you've done for us.“ pulling back just enough to gaze at the other's face, he smiled warmly “I hope you have a restful sleep, and should you need anything at anytime, my door is always open to you.“

Slight flush returning Bluberry Milk nodded, returning the smile, "And you as well. Should you ever desire it my counsel and skill set is yours. May you rest well."

Nodding in acknowledgement, Pure Vanilla let go of his companion, and turned around to grab his staff, before exiting the room and closing the door behind himself, heading back to his room to change out of his robes, and to a more comfortable sleeping outfit, before settling into bed with a sigh, and letting sleep claim him once more.

Shutting his own door Blueberry Milk leaned against it, sighing as his colors dulled. Staring up at the ceiling for a moment lost in thought. 'At least I hope that what I did holds out...a problem for tomorrow' Finally moving he trudged over to his bed, taking off his hat and monocle to set on the table, smiling at the pillow once more. Sitting down he reached over to pick it up, running his fingers over it 'They're truly kind, I still can't believe that they just, forgive me like that. Do they not realize how foolish that can be?' 

Sighing once more, this time more fond he gave the pillow a little smile, "I need to protect that in them, to keep that light and goodness so they can keep that burning bright."

Setting the pillow once more down the scholar stood up, removing his cloak and shoes, humming in thought before snapping his fingers, enveloping himself in a pair of soft pajamas in gold and blue with moons and suns on them before crawling back into the bed. The last thing he did before falling asleep was summoning his Pure Vanilla plush to set beside his hat, hugging the cone close and setting off to sleep.

With the exhaustion of the day weighing him down and the soothing scent of vanilla enveloping him as he hugged the pillow, Blueberry Milk fell asleep with a faint smile on his face, content for the moment.

When he next woke, the sun was already shining brightly outside his window, casting the room in a comfortable warm light, and allowing him to wake peacefully, his body feeling light and refreshed, no trace of yesterday's exhaustion to be found.

A little surprised he slept so late, being an early riser and all that, Blueberry Milk decided to savor the rare lazy morning, sitting up slowly with a stretch that had him almost groan out in relief.

Twisting back and forth he decided to see if this room had a bathroom (he was sure there was but he had forgotten to check last night.

To his delight there was a full one with both a sunken bathtub and a separate area for a shower. And though he was tempted by a hot bath he was unsure of how long he actually had.

Plus relaxing in a steaming shower was also a good idea in his books.

And that's exactly what he did, letting the heat take away any remnants of tension and dust from the day before, leaving him feeling clean and refreshed, his pale blue dough looking healthier than before, with an almost faint sheen of silver to it. And once he came out of the bathroom, dressed in a fresh outfit, he was met with the sight of a tray on top of one of the tables, laden with a plate of fluffy jellyberry pancakes, a jar of jellybean jam, and a few slices of ginkgo foccacia bread, all of them still steaming faintly, and smelling absolutely delectable to his empty stomach.

His empty stomach that rumbled smelling the delicious food though when he looked around he didn't see anyone in the room, nor had he heard anyone coming in or his door opening, still shut from the night before.

Here he was torn a little, on the one hand the food smelled heavenly and he was hungry...

On the other hand what Pure Vanilla said earlier rang through his head, that meals were better with friends around.

'I wonder if any of them are awake...but wouldn't it be rude to not eat what was prepared for me? Or would it be more rude to eat without my hosts around?' The sage crossed his arms in deep thought.

He hadn't had to care about such a thing for so long he had forgotten what he would do in this situation. Back at the Academy he had been so busy that he'd normally take his meals alone between bouts of paperwork. On the rare chances he had guests, or was away, he took his meals with the other Virtue Holders.

Raising a hand to his Soul Jam at the brief ping of pain from that thought Blueberry Milk just sighed before sitting down, smiling a little at the meal. He'd have to track down who made this meal and properly thank them.

And it truly was as delicious as it smelled, filling him up wonderfully and making him feel more energized, especially with each sip from the mug with the dark brown liquid, his mind feeling sharper and more alert. Something he appreciated, as he finished the rest of his food and sighed appreciatively, content. The silence, however, didn't last long, broken soon after by a light knock at his door.

Standing up he grabbed his monocle and hat, placing them on as he opened the door.

"Morning Blueberry Milk!" Gingerbrave beamed up at the elder, full of energy while Pure Vanilla just chuckled.

"Well good morning to you as well Gingerbrave. Do I have you to thank for that wonderful breakfast waiting for me?" Stepping out of the room Blueberry Milk gave his praises "It was delicious and a wonderful way to start the morning. Though I'm curious what was the brown drink?"

Happy at the older's words, GingerBrave nodded "Yeah, me and Strawberry wanted to make sure you and Pure Vanilla had food waiting for you when you woke up, so we brought you breakfast! And Latte helped us with the morning coffee, though I think she made yours a little darker than usual, since we told her you might need the extra energy. Was it too bitter?" he asked with a tilted head and a slightly worried expression.

"'Coffee'" Trying the unfamiliar word out the sage assuaged the worries of the child. "I've not heard of such a drink how exciting but no it wasn't, it went perfect with the sweetness of the pancakes and jam. And you seem to have quite the boundless energy, are you ready for the day then?"

The grin he got in response was bright and happy "Yep, we woke up full of energy, and since Wizard was so excited about today's plans, he went ahead to check out a few books to bring you, while Strawberry and I decided we'd bring you and dad some breakfast after we ate. She went to wake him up while I checked in on you, but I heard the shower running, so I just left the food there so that I didn't disrupt your moment of calm. Are you up for a tour of the Kingdom and its facilities? Cuz I don't think I can convince Wizard to not drag you to the Laboratories." the child finished with a sheepish giggle, envisioning his brother's excited ramblings already.

Both immortal cookies smiled at that for different reasons. Pure Vanilla began to glow brightly, half lidded eyes opening up wider mimicking his inner robe ones as he reached over to ruffle Gingerbrave's hair. Blueberry Milk chuckled, "Ah the energy of youth. But yes I am, I did promise after all to take a look at them."

As Strawberry took hold of her brother's hand, Gingerbrave grabbed onto Blueberry Milk's free hand, and began to tug them both after him with a smile "Then lets go, he's probably waiting by the Library by now."

And so the group went, GingerBrave in the front, holding onto Strawberry's and Blueberry Milk's hands, with Pure Vanilla following beside the scholar, easily keeping pace with the children's faster walk, as they made their way out of the castle and towards the Library, finding Wizard waiting for them with a satchel hanging from his shoulder, clearly carrying at least one somewhat heavy book, if not more.

Though he didn't seem to mind, as he cheerfully waved in their direction and quickly scurried towards them, before giving them a bright "Good morning!" greeting, and turning excited eyes to the scholar, practically vibrating in place "Did you rest well? Are you ready to see the marvels of magic that are being developed in our Kingdom? We've got so much to show you!"  

Adjusting his hat the scholar gave a chuckle, mood lifting by the moment thanks to the children. "Yes indeed, the bed was very comfortable you all did wonderfully in preparing my room. And but of course! I look forward to seeing all the hard work you've accomplished, it's quite the feat already."

"It's b-been hard to start, but everyone pitches in." Strawberry, a little winded from her brother's antics, giggled. "But it's been amazing." Turning to Wizard seeing him with the heavy satchel she frowned, "Oh Wizard, do you want me to take that? It looks heavy."

Blueberry Milk glanced over and the poor satchel did look to be near bursting with the weight. Feeling a little playful he tapped his staff once on the ground and underneath where the satchel hung a large tarot card featuring the Magician rose up, lifting the satchel onto itself bearing the full weight so Wizard Cookie didn't have to.

The wide eyed gaze of wonder from the studious child (and in a smaller scale, his two siblings too) very nearly made him laugh, though he settled for a tiny smirk as he gestured forward with a sweeping flourish of his staff "Well, now that your burdens have been lightened, by all means, lead the way."

Which, after an elbow nudge from his brother that snapped him out of his awed staring, Wizard did, leading them through the streets towards the Magic Laboratory set just a few blocks away from the Gnome Laboratory up in the hill, but not without launching into a few questions about how the cards worked, whether they were spells or a manifestation of Blueberry Milk's powers, his siblings rolling their eyes at him fondly, while Pure Vanilla just snickered to himself, holding onto Strawberry's hand as she walked beside him, both of them content to just listen as they walked.

"Aspects of my magic. While most everyone, with enough training, dedication and aptitude, can use magic you will find that some magic types just come easier than others. Pure Vanilla for example," Gesturing to the Vanilla King, "Specializes in healing magics and as far as I am aware is one of the most powerful ones ever. Though that isn't to say he isn't skilled in another areas, just that in healing he truly shines" Only Strawberry Cookie saw the blush from the praise, the jester continuing. "Myself for example, I specialize in types of offensive magic and misdirection, though pretty much any magic comes easy to me. One of the reasons I was able to start my Academy after all."

"Oh yeah that's right! Wizard said that you were the founder of the Blueberry Yogurt Academy!" Gingerbrave recalled the conversation from the previous day. "The same place that White Lily and Dad studied at when they were younger."

Blueberry Milk nodded as they went up the stairs to the Magic Laboratory, "Indeed. At first I was the only instructor for my Academy, and eventually students that I taught were able to teach others themselves, expanding the school. I took on a more 'headmaster' role but I was always available should a student have had need of me."

"A status that remained even after his disappearance." Pure Vanilla added with a soft smile "Both in terms of the academic ladder, with students becoming professors as time went on, but also the broadening of the various types of studies in the pursuit of more knowledge. From the original focus on magic and spells, the crystallization of magic arrays, the study of physical enhancement magic and the intricacies of elemental magic, to more mundane studies, such as how to grow the best potion ingredients, how to care for magical creatures and familiars, how to combine ingredients to make potions, how to make a particularly nutritious meal for long nights of studying, and so on."

Recalling the memories of his potions professor teaching them how to make a damn good jellyberry and herb stew during a class that was supposed to be about potions, he snickered "The Academy may have been a challenging place, both in terms of getting in, as well as in finding a way to thrive in such a competitive environment, and it may have involved many an odd incident for its student population, but there's no denying that it was an invaluably enriching experience for all that attended it."  

The children listened in awe at the two discussing the Academy, Blueberry Milk glowing a little, proud before turning to Strawberry's question of what exactly Pure Vanilla meant. "While I encouraged, and still do, any and every types of learning, when it comes to magics and especially advanced magics, it can be somewhat dangerous if one can't control their power or try something they shouldn't. Or worse still, sabotage another student though thankfully during my time those incidents were few and far between. And we could only take on as many students as we had professors available or things could get out of hand."

Wincing lightly, Pure Vanilla nodded "Yeah, it could be... Complicated, at times." seeing the curious looks of the children directed at him, he allowed himself a soft smile, as he began to tell them how classes worked in his time as a student, with classes of no more than ten students for each professor or area of study, since that was the maximum one teacher could handle while still giving each student an adequate amount of support and instruction.

To illustrate the need for why that was, he described a time when a particularly ambitious professor had tried putting twenty magic students in a classroom for a practical study of magic, where students could practice basic spells against one another, and give each other pointers... Which after two students misfired their spells and accidentally started a retaliatory fight, all ended up with several students needing to take a few days off school to recover, some from the magical exhaustion, and others from the injuries they got from being caught in the magical crossfire.

"They all made a full recovery after a liberal application of healing magic, courtesy of the academy as an apology for things getting so out of hand, and they didn't really suffer with any lasting issues from the incident, but that professor was swiftly demoted for putting the students in such a position, and nearly stripped of his teaching license for his hubris. It became a cautionary tale between both students and teachers alike, one that even the wilder, more volatile students always kept in mind."

Frowning deeply, eyes on his cloak matching, Blueberry Milk's voice was as angry as they had heard it since his transformation, sounding more akin to Shadow Milk, "If such a thing had happened during my time that professor would have lost his license for such a stunt. I've seen what misfiring or mismatching spells can do, that class is extremely lucky that what happened to them was easily recovered from." Strawberry slid a bit closer to Pure Vanilla at the tone, even though it wasn't directed at her.

"What do you mean Blueberry Milk?" Gingerbrave asked with a frown of his own.

But it was his brother who answered him, "There are different types of magic Gingerbrave and while some can go really good together, the opposite is also true. And if you clash two opposing types of magic who knows what could happen! There could be an explosion, a new magic created, the sky's the limit!"

Frown fading Blueberry Milk patted the other on his shoulder "Very good, that is exactly what could have happened. Which is why it's so important for the professor to be able to not only pay attention to their students but be able to control a rowdy classroom." Wizard preened at the praise, eyes almost watery especially when Pure Vanilla added his own as well, an arm around Strawberry.

Closing his heterochromatic eyes, Pure Vanilla continued with a smile, his tone lightening up as he delved into a bit of an explanation for the sake of Strawberry's and GingerBrave's understanding, as well as distracting them from Blueberry Milk's little outburst "Most cookies tend to specialize in one particular type of magic, or a particular element. For example, I'm especially proficient in magic of the Light element, with most of my focus going for the Healing branches of magic, even though I can also use it offensively, just not to as great of an extent. In contrast, Golden Cheese is exceptional in her mastery over Earth magic, and she mostly uses it for combat offensive purposes."

Subconsciously gesturing a bit with his staff as he spoke, seeing as his other hand was still held in Strawberry's grasp, he continued to explain with a clear passion in his words, the eyes in his cloak all having a bit of a sparkle to them "Then there are cookies like Dark Cacao, with a natural affinity for two types of magic, in his case, Darkness and Electricity, though of course, those types of cookies are somewhat more rare to find. And from what I've observed, most cookies that do have an affinity for more than one type of magic, usually choose to focus on one or the other, rather than train both, since that takes significantly more concentration, focus, and diligent training, something that not everyone is willing to pursue."

Opening his eyes halfway once more, he shrugged "Of course, not every cookie is interested in the use of magic. Some don't know how to access their inner power, others don't really have an affinity for any specific element, and take a more neutral stance on the topic, choosing instead to devote themselves to improving their existing traits like Muscle Cookie or Ninja Cookie. Others prefer building upon their hobbies or interests like Herb Cookie or Golden Osmanthus Cookie, and others still choose to develop or deepen the bonds they share with the creatures living side by side with them, such as Black Raisin Cookie and her crows or Crunchy Chip Cookie and his cream wolves."

Gesturing once more with his staff, he grinned, the eyes in his cloak curling upwards as well "And while a great deal of the Academy's curriculum back in my student days was about helping cookies develop their magic and/or elemental skills into something usable or useful for each cookie's chosen path in life, there were many more generalized paths that cookies could take, if they just wanted to know more about a different path of work, or were curious about how certain types of forces of the world worked."

"All knowledge is good knowledge, and all is worth studying if it is your passion." Blueberry Milk's tone was more subdued, his colors matching as his 'eyes' were downcast. "Be it for hobbies or teachings, nature or mechanical, magic or mundane, I firmly believe that everything is worthwhile to study and learn and grow from. Our experiences and our knowledge can change us, we grow wiser, though not necessarily smarter in my case."

Slowly as to not further startle the children he knelt down before them, "I want to apologize for my outburst just now, I didn't mean nor want to frighten you. I just have little patience for those that risk others in a teaching setting, especially those that don't know better. Children are precious and need to be nurtured, that's a fact. To see a child's eyes light up with understanding, to see their inquisitive nature, to see how good they can be, is something that inspires me, and I never want to be one to damper that."

In response the kids seemed to share a brief look, before they stepped forward and placed their hands on his shoulders or arms, their smiles a little more genuine than they'd been before, GingerBrave being the one to speak that time “It's okay, you were just worried, and we get that. You just surprised us a little, but with the topic it was, it's not a surprise that you'd be upset. We probably would be too, in your place.“

At his side, Wizard huffed, raising his hands in exasperation “Would? No, I am upset. What kind of moron puts twenty inexperienced students against one another and doesn't make fallback plans in case things go wrong?! I mean I know I'm a bit impulsive at times, but even I know not to mix and match magic in a contained environment with unprotected allies in crossfire range!“ turning to Pure Vanilla, the scholarly youth glared with a skeptic expression “Are you sure he was a qualified professor?“

To which the Vanilla King hid his amused smile behind his hand “You know, with all the points you're both raising, I'm starting to question that myself.“  

Seeing that the children were trying, that they weren't afraid of him please don't let them fear me please don't leave me alone and that they were trying to comfort him took the wind out of Blueberry Milk's sails as the saying goes.

Giving them a shaky smile he stood up once more, hands resting behind his back, colors a little brighter but still muted, more withdrawn, "Well then, I believe we were on a tour, no?"

Chapter Text

Taking the redirection offered, Wizard huffed and let go of his annoyance at the professor of the distant past, so that he could focus instead on the Laboratory ahead. And after a moment of consideration, he reached out with his hands to tug twice on one of Blueberry Milk's arms, not hard enough to dislodge it, but certainly giving that impression, something that momentarily surprised the older cookie, and made him look at the child with a faint hint of curiosity, before he gave in, and removed that arm from behind himself, curious as to what the child wanted.

Only to be surprised once again when Wizard took his hand in his and began to speed up his pace a bit, lightly tugging him forward while beginning to spout facts about how the Laboratory had been built, how the materials gathered were being used to help fuel the ongoing research, and so on. All while his two siblings and father figure watched on from a couple paces behind with soft smiles on their faces, all three of them knowing exactly what Wizard was trying to do, and being both very fond and proud of him for it.

'What in the world is this little child doing?' Blueberry Milk listened as he was pulled along by the excited magician, how they were continually upgrading the research in the Laboratory and how their findings help improve the resource buildings outside.

At first the questions asked by the scholar were soft, hesitant and carefully thought out and measured, not wanting to accidentally set off one of the children or Pure Vanilla by sounding too much like his old self. He is quickly coming to realize certain emotions will shift his vocal pitch. But as the tour continued he found himself very much enjoying the time spent with them, relaxing a bit, something that Pure Vanilla was pleased to see.

And as they passed through one of the research rooms in the Laboratory proper, Pure Vanilla began to comment on a few of the projects currently set up, comparing the information to what he remembered from books he read back at the academy, and asking Blueberry Milk what he thought of a particular array in one of the boards, an array that even the former student could tell wasn't quite as optimized as it could be, but not-so-secretly hoping that the former Sage would agree to give more than a cursory opinion on the topic, his own Soul Jam flaring with a bit of hope, as he pointed out one of the weaker areas in the design.

The distraction worked with Blueberry Milk looking more closely, eyes narrowed in thought as he adjusted his monocle, "Hmm indeed, it's a little weak compared to the rest of array which would cause it strain as it tried to compensate. While you could easily just adjust it here and here," Pointing to the weak areas with suggestions on what could be improved, he had his fingertip glow and began writing something new in midair.

Everyone moved closer as the Sage of Knowledge worked on a new array, explaining what each section did and why and how it worked with the next set, building on itself without a negative feedback. Pure Vanilla and Wizard were especially interested but with how he was explaining it even Strawberry and Gingerbrave, both very much not magic users, were able to understand what was going on.

And even the Sugar Gnomes themselves scrambled to grab some paper and take notes, just as invested in the impromptu lesson as the cookies themselves were, talking in hushed whispers between themselves as they copied the array with quick but precise strokes, beady eyes eagerly taking in the knowledge being offered, along wit the reasons why things worked as they did.

When Blueberry Milk finally deemed it finished, he turned back to the group, only to see four Cookies and three Sugar Gnomes looking at the extensive array in awe (mostly in the part of Strawberry and GingerBrave) and glee (with Wizard and Pure Vanilla's eyes almost glittering, though the gazes of the three Gnomes weren't very far off either).

Though a little embarrassed by the expressions he easily fell into his old role of a teacher, smiling at them all, "Something like this would work I think for what you need without interfering with anything else you have going. Without looking at each array you have I don't want to be too clever. Increasing the output of one array without the others will eventually cause a failure of sorts."

In response, one of the Gnomes perked up, his mustache wiggling wildly with the smile hidden beneath it "Oh, this is already leagues above what we had before! Even the way of arranging things is new, but there's no arguing with the logic behind it!"

Beside it, a second Gnome turned to him with sparkly eyes "Would you let us implement some of these changes in existing projects? This organization of elements will help clear up some of the redundancies in other projects that we've been struggling with, and make it easier to streamline a few of the processes."

The third, clearly just as eager, nodded along "Plus, despite being complex, the actual design is much less cluttered than our other attempts, so it'll also take up less visual space as well. And don't worry, we'll make sure to credit your work too, like we did with Gerald's and Jerry's discoveries! We believe in giving credit to where it's due!"

"Oh no no that's alright, I don't need credit. And you should ask Gingerbrave and his siblings, they're the ones in charge here." Holding up his hands Blueberry Milk gestured to the children. "They founded this Kingdom, I merely wanted to give my thoughts when asked."

"These are incredible Blueberry Milk!" Wizard's eyes were sparkling as he tried to get closer to the magical image, "And you said this is 'simple'?" Gingerbrave patted his brother on his back laughing, "It's probably simple to him bro but it's still incredible, even I understood it! Whenever Wizard tries to explain magic stuff to me it usually goes way over my head."  

"Well, excuse me for wanting to use the proper terms for the work I do. I don't know how to explain it better." the Wizard said with a pout, making both his siblings giggle, and Pure Vanilla smile at the interaction.

And at that, the second gnome took his fellow Gnomes' notes, and turned to GingerBrave with a salute, already knowing the procedure the children had settled on, back when the Gnome Laboratory had first been constructed "I'm going to go give these to Maestro Sugar Gnome for review, and he'll begin implementing them, as per usual."

To which the child nodded and gave him a wave goodbye, while the other two Gnomes turned back to the blue Scholar, one of them speaking in a relieved tone "The input you've given in just this one project has been immensely valuable, and we deeply appreciate your help."

While the other seemed to wring his hands for a moment before speaking up in a more hesitant tone, but with a gleaming look of hope in his eyes "Could we ask if you'd be interested in looking at a few more projects and give us your thoughts some other time? It doesn't have to be now, but we'd be most grateful for any further insights you may be willing to share."

"Only if that is alright with the children. I am merely their guest for the time being. Though if they say it's ok, then I am more than happy to take a look at some things." Blueberry Milk looked over at his hosts, "For having no formal training the progress you've all done is incredible, and I can tell it was done safely."

The trio flushed, happy and proud of their work and that of the Sugar Gnomes, "Thank you Blueberry Milk, and we'd really appreciate if you could look over things and give your input."

"We're proud of what we've accomplished but we're also not too prideful to know that things could be more efficient or better."  

The praise and agreement to look over some more projects made both the children and Gnomes grin, before Wizard excitedly took his hand once more, and bean almost skipping as he led him towards a different room of the Laboratory, chattering happily about the intricacies of the array, while the rest of the group followed after him, the Gnomes grabbing more paper and promptly following, as the tour-and-brainstorming session resumed, ending almost an hour later, with Wizard, Pure Vanilla and the Gnomes outright giddy at the immense progress that would soon be achieved, while GingerBrave and Strawberry were just happy to see both their family and friends so engaged in conversation.

Blueberry Milk's Soul Jam was glowing brightly, eyes glittering as he watched them all eagerly talk about what they were shown and learned. When he felt a little tug from Strawberry, the female cookie curious why his Soul Jam was doing that. Sitting down on a little stool to be more eye level with her he took her hand to gently place it over the relic, "It glows because I am very happy as well as I am spreading knowledge, watching all of your gazes light up as you understand and see something now, how you discuss it and finding new ways to do things. That is my Virtue, what once gave me purpose and drive." He gestured to the others who were still in deep conversation. "That right there? Brings me endless joy and satisfaction. To be able to help, to clarify, to help you find answers to things you didn't even know there were questions to."

Strawberry blinked at that, absorbing the information and reasoning before her eyes upturned in a smile, "W-we're glad we can do that for you as well."

Expression brightening, he allowed himself a soft smile as he brought a hand up to her head, giving her a couple pats "I'm glad too. I haven't felt this content in... Far, far too long. Thank you, for giving me some of that long-forgotten joy back." Turning back to look at the happy group, his smile softened "I can never thank any of you enough for that."

"That's what friends do. Help each other."

Blueberry Milk's lips twitched, smile widening a bit as the Sugar Gnome finished writing down whatever Pure Vanilla had said before walking off, the trio walking over to them, "What you, your brothers and Pure Vanilla have done for me? I can't repay,

"As long as you're h-happy and comfortable, t-that's enough for us."

Just then the group stopped at their side, GingerBrave taking the lead, unknowingly cutting in before Blueberry Milk could answer "Well, with all of that, they'll be busy for several days, which means we can take you to the rest of the facilities! And on the way, we can tell you about how things were set up!"

Behind them, Pure Vanilla smiled as he added "And on the way, we can grab supplies or snacks, if needed. The Bear Jelly Burgers are quite good, in my humble opinion."

"Hm Jelly burgers, I'm unfamiliar with that." Standing up he was dragged by an excited Strawberry and Wizard as they began telling him what a 'burger' was and how it was sort of similar to a sandwich the main difference was the bun, while Gingerbrave and Pure Vanilla trailed behind.

The healer was following along, eyes in his robe open while his own were closed enjoying the sunshine and listening to the others when he felt a warm hand slip into his own. "He seems a little happier, doesn't he?" Gingerbrave asked softly, not wanting to draw attention.

Smile growing slightly, the Healer nodded as he gave the smaller hand in his own a squeeze, his own voice just as soft "Yes, yes he does. And I for one, am glad to see it. It does him good, to be appreciated." Turning his head to face GingerBrave, he smiled warmly "And it's nice for us too, to learn more about him and what he has to share. Both in regards to his past accomplishments, and his current, unsure self. We can help him find his own path, just as you once helped me find mine." Giving the hand in his another squeeze, he leaned down to place a kiss atop the boy's head "Thank you, for helping us both. We wouldn't be here, if not for your courage."

Blushing bright at the parental touch Gingerbrave just beamed, "I hope he can find who he wants to be, but is it selfish that I hope his path stays near us? I really like him, he's kind and super smart. Wizard hasn't been this excited since we went to the Vanilla Kingdom the first time and the City of the Moon, and Strawberry has been more outgoing! Even though our start was rocky before and scary, he really doesn't seem like that...now." The smile on the child's face fell a little as he recalled when the other was upset earlier over the bad professor. "Pure Vanilla? Is...when Blueberry Milk upset before..."

"No, it is not selfish to want a new friend to stay close." smile falling slightly, he turned his face forward, thumb rubbing gentle, soothing circles over the back of the child's hand "As for his anger before, you're not wrong. He did very much sound like his Beast form for a brief instant. But, that does not mean he was returning to that state, nor does it mean that his current form is unstable."

Turning his face back to the child, he gave him a soothing smile "It only means that he still has the same body, just as I did when I became the Truthless Recluse. It was still my voice, just far more emotionless. And yet, you all still called out to and believed in me, despite all evidence telling you that it was probably a hopeless case."

Gesturing with his head towards the group a few paces away, he continued softly "It's not much different now. The only difference, is that he's the one that needs our support as he finds his footing in this new second chance. He's afraid that, if he shows any sign of those so called 'bad' emotions or makes a wrong move, we'll turn around in fear and abandon him." Pausing on his walk, he crouched, and set his staff on the crook of his elbow, so he could take the child's other hand in his, giving both of them a comforting squeeze "And I don't blame any of you for being nervous, it's a natural reaction, considering all that you went through. And much as your moniker may imply it, you don't have to be strong and fearless all the time."

Smile warming, he brought the child's hand up to his Soul Jam, letting them rest over the blue crystalline surface "Just as long as you remember that sometimes, a new friend needs us to be patient, and let them come out of their shell on their own time. That sometimes even a prickly plant can have sweet berries to share, if you are careful of its thorns. He needs a friend to be there, and be there I shall. Because friendship is a give and take, an exchange of support and compassion, even when things seem hard. You three were the ones who reminded me of that, and I'll keep putting those lessons to use, even when he's upset. Especially then, because every cookie deserves to be comforted when they're upset, and he is no different."

Gingerbrave listened to Pure Vanilla, gaze thoughtful as we ran his fingers lightly over the Soul Jam, the shade of blue always bring him comfort when he caught a glimpse of it.

A shade that was shared on Blueberry Milk's own Soul Jam bar the slit design in the middle. "He's still him, just like you were you...and we can’t help how we change when feeling strongly about something." Pure Vanilla smiled as the child spoke out loud, his thoughts forming and understanding what he was saying. He was a little surprised at a question "How do you know he's scared of that? Of his own emotions?"

Heterochromatic eyes opening halfway, the healer regarded the child with a soft smile, and a look of both softness and a faint sheepishness “In truth, it's a mix of reasons. The first one, is that the connection between our Soul Jams spiked with fear and regret the moment he noticed his own outburst. The second?“ turning to 'glance' at where the other three had paused (about two buildings away, after noticing the two of them had lagged behind), he smiled back at them reassuringly, before turning back to GingerBrave, and speaking in a murmur. 

“The second is simpler, because through my staff and Eyes of Truth, I could see it in his face and his stance. The way he shrunk into himself after his realization, the way he drew his limbs closer to ensure he appeared as nonthreatening as possible, the way he looked away from us for a moment, as if ashamed of having accidentally frightened you. It wasn't hard to deduce, especially since I know just how badly loneliness has weighed him down throughout his existence.“

Letting go of one of GingerBrave's hands, he rested his own hand over his Soul Jam “It was, after all, what originally led me to connecting with him as Truthless Recluse and awaken to be who I am now. He only wanted someone to understand him and be there for him. So of course he'd be terrified of losing it, so soon after getting to experience true unconditional friendship, all because of a single accidental outburst.“

Gingerbrave looked back at the others further down the path. Wizard Cookie seemed to have talked Blueberry Milk into showing off some magic because he could see two tall cards of sorts that he was walking back and forth through like a doorway, even though the doorways were about 10 feet apartment. Though he couldn't hear him he could tell his brother was very animated just by how he was moving. Strawberry was creeping towards the doorway, poking her hand through and was amazed at when she saw her hand out the other side.

"Truthless Recluse is a part of you...just like Shadow Milk is a part of him. But that isn't bad, it's just part of who we are. Like he said before our experiences shape us." Gingerbrave turned back to Pure Vanilla, a determined glint in his gaze, "I-I won't say we won't have some trouble, if something happens...but we won't let that affect how we see him. Even if he sounded like before, we know he cares, we've seen it. And we can't help how we sound when we get upset. So we're gonna try, because he's trying, and we don't want him to try to put up a front just to make sure we like him. Friends like friends, good and bad parts included. Right?"

The child's words brought a wide, proud smile to the healer's face, almost like the sunlight peeking through from behind a cloud, as he nodded, eyes crinkled with his joy “Exactly. A true, good friend will accept you, with both virtues and flaws, and do their best to understand you, even if you do have the occasional disagreement. And there will always be disagreements and mistakes made between friends, no matter what. But what matters in the end, is that you manage to come to a compromise about what caused the issue in the first place. Be it you seeing things from their side, them seeing yours, both of you seeing a valid point in both perspectives, or even just choosing to agree on disagreeing, and then moving past the issue. What matters is that you don't let mistakes or hurt feelings get in the way of a warranted apology, or of being kind to one another.“ leaning forward, he whispered with a little playful smile “Even if said apology or understanding takes a few days, weeks, or in the case of White Lily and Golden Cheese, several years. Every friendship, past or future, is different. And as such, requires a different approach.“

Gingerbrave gave a little snicker at that, knowing that the healer was exactly right. His laughter slowed though, thoughtful as he gazed back at the other before turning to Pure Vanilla, "But what about when a friend tries to hide, like what he did, cause he was scared of himself? How do we help him overcome that?"

Smile falling, Pure Vanilla seemed to ponder the question in silence for a moment, before he spoke in a subdued tone “It depends. On the friend's personality, on how much trust there is in the bond between you both, on the gravity of what made them try to hide in the first place, and so on. But the two things that are necessary in all situations? Patience and kindness. Some fears are tied to how a friend sees themselves and their past, and some hurts are deeply rooted into their sense of self, that they won't go away with just a few interactions, much as we sometimes may wish they did. Sometimes all you can do is give your friend time to think things through, and be patient as they work things out in their own heads and hearts. Sometimes, you have to distract them with something that will take their attention away from the sadness, and redirect that energy to something else, preferably an interest of theirs.“

Carefully, he brought a hand to GingerBrave's chest, right below the first button of his body design, and rested his palm there, as he smiled softly “And sometimes, you have to confront their views of themselves, and reassure them directly that they're still important, and that they still matter to you a lot, even with any potential flaws they see in themselves. Sometimes you have to turn to them, to him, and remind him that even if he makes a mistake or scares you by accident, you still want to be by his side. That even if he can be scary at times, you still want to be there for him.“ turning to gaze at the Sage with his real eyes and the eyes in his inner cloak, his expression softened, the pupils in his cloak eyes enlarging just a bit with fondness. 

“That even if he somehow goes back to his old Beast Form, or keeps mannerisms from it, you're still going to be there at his side, because you've seen the amazing cookie he can be beneath the theatrics and scary facade of before. Reassure him that you're not afraid of him, even if the world tells you you should be. And most of all? Make sure he knows that, when you promise him that even if the entire world turns their back on him, he'll still have you to rely on, you mean it with your entire being. Because even just one kind voice can sometimes make all the difference between the worst day of your life, and any other average day.“

The two started walking back to the group, watching Wizard walk through one of the cards waving at himself and excitedly jabbering, the words lost the but tone was there. "I think, even if he looked like Shadow Milk again, he'd still be our friend. And that's all I need to know. And no matter what I never turn my back on my friends! Especially when they're sad or scared, it wouldn't be right." Gingerbrave leaned into Pure Vanilla's side, the arm around his shoulders tightening a little, "Thanks Dad, this helped a lot. I'll talk to Strawberry and Wizard too."

Chapter Text

Blueberry Milk looked up with a grin, waving when they got closer, "Hello you two, everything alright?"

"Dad! Gingerbrave! You gotta try this!" Wizard Cookie was zooming through the portals, laughing as he appeared in multiple places at once. "They're like doors in a third dimensional space! I could put my feet on my head!"

"W-Wizard has been having fun, Blueberry Milk has been showing us his cards." Strawberry was breathless having tried to chase her brother through the portals in a game of tag that he won. "It's been fun!"  

Gazing fondly at his children, Pure Vanilla aimed his words at Blueberry Milk “Yes, everything's fine, we just needed to discuss something important for a moment. But we're all settled now, so don't worry. Now, what's this about three-dimensional paths in space?“

And so he and GingerBrave got to experience the absurdity of card portals that didn't respect the normal rules of space, letting them do weird things like look at the back of their own head, or have different body parts in different areas at once.

Blueberry Milk laughed at their expressions, just knowing that Pure Vanilla was bursting with questions on how it was done. "My card magics can do many things, from offense to defense to travel to basically anything I wish. Sleight of hand and all that. They can be razor sharp or the best shields, I've found nothing that can penetrate them."

The children awed at the comment before Strawberry perked up before hesitating, unsure if she should speak up, "O-oh um.."

Seeing the girl's hesitance, Pure Vanilla gently nudged her with a smile “Go ahead, say your piece sweetheart.“

Grinning softly, the Sage nodded “As I used to tell my students back in the day, there's no such thing as a stupid question, merely a search for answers!“

Strawberry blushed at the encouragement looking between the two before down at her fingers, twiddling with them, "Um y-you said before t-that you didn't want to hu-hurt us Blueberry Milk, when we were in your S-Spire. And we were in those cards for a bit and y-you just said right now that they're indestructible..."

Guessing what she was asking Blueberry Milk's grin softened, "You're a smart Cookie aren't you. As I've told Pure Vanilla, I never wanted to harm you children. However at the time given my Spire's chaotic nature, the fact that I wasn't entirely sure what to do with you kids with how you were and er...Candy Apple's um..."

"Tenacity?"

"We'll go with that one, thank you Wizard. Tenacity, even as Shadow Milk I was concerned she might try something. So, into the cards I put you and given under Black Sapphire's watch and protection." The smile faded a little, unsure. "I...I hope that answers your question young Strawberry to your satisfaction?"

After a brief moment of thought, she nodded with slightly crinkled eyes and a pink flush to her cheeks “Yes, it does. Y-you were trying to protect us, a-and that means a lot. Thank you, B-Blueberry Milk.“

The elder relaxed, un-hunching his shoulders as he stood up, patting her head, "I'm pleased then. And dear child, never feel scared to ask me anything, ok? Even if you think the topic will upset me, I'd rather you ask so you can have peace of mind on whatever the topic is. And that goes for you both as well." Turning to the two brothers his kept that same smile, "No matter what the topic is, feel free to ask me. I'll do my best to answer, even if that answer is 'I don't know the answer.'" His smile turned to a wry grin, hoping to make them laugh a little. It worked to his relief, the children giggling at that.  

And with that, the slightly tense atmosphere was dispelled, in favor of softer smiles, before they collectively decided to keep going towards the workshops, resuming their tour and telling the Sage all about the different facilities, grabbing a couple berries and jellies from the farms for him to try, and even giving him a spoonful of each respective jam to try upon visiting the jammery.

Each building was more amazing than the last, the children taking turns explaining what each building did and the system they had for resources to go from one to the next, wherever they were needed. Blueberry Milk thoroughly enjoyed the tour, humming in thought when Gingerbrave had admitted, somewhat sheepishly, that they're not as efficient as they could be and sometimes resource production came to a standstill because one building couldn't upkeep or would take too long to do.

Something that the gnomes were working on fixing, especially now that Blueberry Milk had helped with the “speeding up production” aspect of things. And even with the limitations, they made do with what they had, even if it wasn't ideal.

And onwards they went, eventually finishing their tour at the Jampie Diner, and sitting down together on the grass to enjoy their meals, of Hot Jelly Stew, Bear Jelly Burger, Candy Pasta, Fluffy Omurice, and two large slices of Jelly Deluxe Pizza, all the food smelling absolutely delectable.

Together the small group dug in, all the walking having worked up the appetite for them all and Blueberry Milk was eager to try all of the new dishes, haven't heard of any of them besides the omurice. "I've repeatedly said this, but it is incredible how far you've all come in this Kingdom, you should be very proud. And the diversity! From every corner of Crispia and beyond I see bits and pieces." Blueberry Milk's praise had all of them blushing, Strawberry hiding in her hoodie while Wizard tugged his hat down.

It was Gingerbrave that answered, "Thanks! We've worked hard on it, but as you saw we're looking to improve all the time to make it easier for everyone. And even the little bit you did before will help tons!"

Beside Blueberry Milk, Pure Vanilla nodded as he finished the last bite of his burger and wiped his mouth with a napkin "Indeed. The help you gave at the Laboratory will help speed up a lot of things here once the arrays are implemented, and it'll ensure we can keep taking care of our people, as well as hopefully have extra supplies to keep trading with other Kingdoms. It'll be good for the future of everyone that lives here, you now included."

Whatever Blueberry Milk was about to say was cut short, choking on his food at the last bit as heterochromatic eyes were wide with shock and a barely concealed hope. "I-I-live here? I can stay?"

The four looks he got in response to his question were all a variant of incredulous (with a bit of fondness from Pure Vanilla), the kids looking between themselves for a moment, before they all giggled, Gingerbrave grinning at the scholar "Of course. Did you think we prepared those rooms for you just for a temporary stay?"

The silence from the other was loud, Blueberry Milk looking down at his hands as he nodded. He hadn't considered being able to stay permanently and that eventually he'd have to leave for one reason or the other. He had planned on summoning his Spire on the outskirts of the Kingdom so he wouldn't be a bother and be able to keep an eye on things as a defense.

The dragging silence and Blueberry Milk's subdued nod had the smiles on all four cookies dropping in an instant, expressions shifting to surprise, and then sadness, before GingerBrave was rising from his place to settle himself beside the scholar, and give him a tight hug, his voice soft "We've been having a lot of fun with you, and we'd really like you to stay, if you're willing."

As if to further emphasize their brother's words, the other children ignored the rest of their own meals, in favor of joining in on the reassuring hug, Strawberry moving to hug him from behind, and Wizard hugging him from his other side, all of them giving him a reassuring squeeze, but choosing not to speak, letting the overwhelmed cookie process their brother's words on his own time.

The warmth from the three sides of himself nearly match that of the warmth spreading through his Soul Jam battling the chill of his own doubt and fears. The sage looked up at Pure Vanilla, eyes wide and tearful, confused on what to do and knowing hoping the other could help him.

The gaze looking back at him was full of warmth and fondness, the upturned eyes in the inside of the other's flowing robes staring at him with dilated pupils, before the healer's warm hand was reaching out to take his own, squeezing it in a comforting gesture, his own voice a soft murmur, and his own Soul Jam glowing softly with a faint hope of his own "We would all like it very much if you'd agree to stay with us, but the final decision is still and always will be, yours and yours alone. We cannot make the choice for you. After all, this life is yours to live, and we can only present you with our offers of friendship and support, with the hope that you will accept them, if you're so inclined."  

Squeezing back an almost desperate feel to the touch Blueberry Milk nodded, swallowing through his tears that were falling down in a slow river over his cheeks. "I'd very much like that." Voice soft, unsure, shaky but hopeful. "If it's truly ok, I-I don't want to be alone anymore. And you're all so nice, and this area is beautiful and full of Light and joy. You all saved me, I want to do something for you."

The replies he got were wordless, but carried all the answers he needed, as three pairs of smaller arms squeezed his torso, faces nuzzling gently against his body, while the hand in his gave a squeeze of its own, thumb rubbing soothingly over the back of his hand, and body glowing with a soft golden glow that radiated contentment, both their blue Soul Jams shimmering with a light of their own, as if responding to his honest feelings.

And sitting there, body and soul surrounded by the warmth of such kindhearted cookies, he felt his chest swell with a feeling of comfort and reassurance so great, that he couldn't help but wrap his free arm around the children, holding them close as he wept from joy, overwhelmed in the best way possible.

Giving a little shudder, doing his best to reign in his emotions as he soaked up the care and friendship from the children and the stronger, unknown emotion emitting from Pure Vanilla though he wasn't able to pin point it. It was similar to caring but different. More.

He made a mental note to ask the healer later. "Thank you children, Pure Vanilla. Thank you so much...and I'd love to stay here, should you truly have me. I promise to do all I can for this Kingdom and for you to the best of my ability."

Letting themselves hug him for a little while longer, the children smiled as they hid their faces in the scholar's white and gold clothing, Strawberry's voice betraying her hidden smile "We're glad to have you here."

Then Gingerbrave let go of him and pulled his body back to look at Blueberry milk with a grin "Now, no more doubting your place here, okay? You have two awesome rooms that you can decorate however you want, several places to share your knowledge with cookies should you want to do so, and us nearby if you need to ask for any supplies or have questions about the Kingdom."

"We also promise to answer any questions you have, the best we can." Wizard added with a self assured nod as he pulled back as well, glad to see the scholar a little more reassured of his doubts.

Eyes soft as they all pulled back to return to their meal Blueberry Milk gave a small laugh, "Is that not my duty young one? To help and aid and find answers to whatever may plague you? My skills are at your disposal young rulers."

Giggling, Strawberry settled herself back in her seat "Yes, but even you don't know ev-verything. You can learn about our h-home from us, and in return, you teach us ab-bout your own eventually! An even trade!"

Letting go of Shadow Milk's hand now that he seemed more relaxed, Pure Vanilla grabbed the remainder of his meal as he closed his eyes once more in a smile "There will be time to give more of your attention to the happenings of the Kingdom and what you want your role to be within it later. For now, you have a meal to finish, and then, we can go and check the Harbor to see if there's anything in there that you want to get for your chambers."

Blueberry Milk smiled as well, not saying that his home was the Academy or the Spire as they already knew that. "I look forward to that then and visiting the Harbor. It's good to see seaside trading still goes strong, it had just begun in my time and I had surmised it would be a thriving commerce. What goods do you usually get into port?"

As the children took turns excitedly telling their guest all about what the ships have brought in, from exotic food goods to supplies to rarer materials the Gnomes had fun working with the sage and healer listened with smiles, asking questions here or there but content to let them take the lead.

Unbeknownst to the elder two cookies, Gingerbrave and his siblings had a scheme going on. Slowly, carefully as they could they kept nudging the two to stand closer or walk side by side while they were up front. They'd get them to engage in talking about the Academy or talking about magics, the two more often than not ending in a small debate or conversation about them, the children forgotten much to their amusement and enjoyment, determination in their gazes.

They had seen signs from Pure Vanilla and Blueberry Milk (at least they hoped so) and were hopeful to see something grow.  

Which they weren't entirely wrong about. There was indeed a burgeoning warmth forming between the two adults, a sense of growing camaraderie and ease settling between them with each topic discussed or debate started. A metaphorical light shining behind each of their expressions as they talked animatedly. Even when they disagreed on a topic, they listened to each other's points and debated their own, while also occasionally conceding from time to time, knowing when they had been beaten by logic. And while it was still too tenuous to be called love, the children knew it had definitely shifted to a warm fondness, at least on their father's side of things. They could see it in the way his face softened, when he looked at the Sage doing something he loved, be it debating the pursuits of knowledge, or inspecting the goods in the Harbor with intense curiosity, as they checked the various open stalls in the seaside market.

Chapter Text

GingerBrave and his siblings had every intention on being the ones to treat Blueberry Milk and purchase whatever he wanted for his rooms but Pure Vanilla stepped forward, not relenting in that he would pay.

And while the children argued that Blueberry Milk and Pure Vanilla were guests and thus should be treated like such the healer argued that he was a King and thus should be treating them all to whatever they wanted.

Meanwhile Blueberry Milk was standing next to the stall owner, a little amused and honestly touched that they were 'arguing' over being able to buy him things. "They do know that I have gold coins of my own, right?" Turning to the other who just shrugged in turn "Lad that's what others do when they care fer ya, wanna spoil ya. Though I think King Pure Vanilla Cookie may be winning this round with them"  

Flushing slightly, Blueberry turned to look, and indeed, the children were staring with halfhearted glares at a smiling Pure Vanilla that looked back at them with a hand set on his hip, gently but teasingly reminding them that they'd accepted his parental role in their dynamic, and that this was part of it, letting him get them things they wanted if he so chose. "You wouldn't deny me this one joy of fatherly pride, would you little ones?"

And in the face of that unfairly low blow, they all sighed with put-upon exasperation, even as their faces were tinged with pink at the knowledge that he was doing it out of genuine care.

Blueberry Milk just chuckled softly at that, smiling "Silly Vanilly, what happens when the children want to spoil you hmm?~"

Turning to the scholar, the healer smiled warmly as he replied good-naturedly, clearly indulging in his own streak of playfulness "They can give me affection, help me with things, or even buy me things in secret if they feel they must. After all, what they do outside my presence is out of my control, but while they're near me? I am fully within my right as their father figure to spoil them as I want. Those are the unofficial rules of parenthood."

"Hmm is that so? What if I wish to spoil them?" Walking over, the sage and healer missed the owners looking at the children and mouthing something, all three of them shrugging with smiles. "And what is this nonsense of 'father figure?' Such a silly and unnecessary word to your title." Monocle glinting as he leaned close, smirk in place as he poked the other on the nose. "You're their father, pure and simple Truth."

Blinking his eyes open at the poke, and the playful smirk aimed at him, Pure Vanilla's smile froze for a moment as he processed the situation, before leaning his head back slightly as he laughed with genuine warmth, half-open eyes crinkled with the width of his smile as he let his laugh devolve into chuckles, and looked back at the Scholar with unmistakable fondness "If you wish to spoil my children, you can do so on your own time Blue. Right now it's my turn to spoil you four." As he continued, his voice softened, and took on a more genuine quality, as he offered a compromise "Let me do this for you all, and I promise, I'll let you pay for all your purchases next time we go shopping, without making a fuss."

At the mention of being spoiled the scholar had a little blush appear, even more at the nickname. Clearing his throat he leaned back "Er well then I suppose that is a good compromise. Hard to argue with a King after all. Children what do you think about your father's statement?"

"Good for us." "We're getting it next time." "Hmffh" Strawberry's words were muffled by her hoodie, the girl having near squealed at the two just now. The Fount of Knowledge asked with a tilt "Oh dear is she alright?"

"Oh she's just fine." GingerBrave's nonchalantness put both adults at ease while Wizard took care of his sister. "She agrees though that Dad can spoil us. But uhh...should we get going?"

The odd group as they were had drawn a lot of attention. It wad normal to see the kiddos out and about, and while not common it wasn't unusual to see the Vanillian King around. And though rarer still it wasn't unusual to see a new Cookie around the docks.

But all at once? And-

"Father? Did he say father figure?" "I heard GingerBrave call King Pure Vanilla Cookie 'dad'!' "Who is that Cookie to just poke a king like that?"

The whispers all around them from bystanders, not even being subtle as they watched the small group with unbridled curiosity.

Having all the attention on them, him, had Blueberry Milk shrink in on himself, looking around with slowly widening eyes as he tried not to freak out.

As Shadow Milk he loved attention, usually in the form of lies and rumors to cause untold chaos. He loved being the star of the show, the 'main character' as it were, but this?

Was too much.

Noticing that they'd attracted more attention than was due, Pure Vanilla's smile faltered a bit, then fell entirely at the questions being aimed at them, especially with such undisguised scrutiny. And thus, after only a second of thought, the Vanilla King drew himself up to his full height, straightening his stance, and sweeping his 'gaze' deliberately over the gathered crowd, pitching his voice just a little louder than it strictly needed to be, in a gesture that would have been pointedly reproachful, had it not been said with a calm tone and faux disappointed tone "It's a shame that I can't apparently enjoy a nice stroll through the markets with a friend and my children without being so openly stared at, but I suppose it was inevitable. Perhaps we can try again some other day, then. For now let us be off, I don't fancy being gawked any more than strictly necessary."

And with that he was gently ushering the children back to the entrance of the markets with his free hand, the one holding his staff shifting to rest behind Blueberry's back, also gently urging him forward as he lowered his voice to a murmur "Come on Blueberry Milk, let's get you out of here. Focus on me, not the meddlesome crowd."

Blueberry Milk said nothing at first, head down and gaze lowered, hiding his shaking hands by holding his own staff in a death grip.

"Geeze...I'm sorry Dad, Blueberry Milk. I wasn't expecting that." Gingerbrave looked over at the elder while the group made their way along the back streets of the Kingdom, thankfully more empty than the main shopping district.

Wizard snorted, "Honestly we should have...Dad is a King. THE Pure Vanilla Kingdom King! Any situation involving him is bound to turn some heads and get attention it's how royalty is."

"Yeah, it's one thing cause it's us and this is our Kingdom, he's seen with us all the time but we've never called you that before in front of other people." The child sighed, a thoughtful frown in place.

A deeper sigh had them turn to Blueberry Milk "I apologize for that...I shouldn't have been so forward when I'm still an unknown around here. You are a King Pure Vanilla don't try to argue that, there's rules about this sort of thing with your standing." The scholar freed a hand to hold onto his arm in a self comfort, "I apologize as well for my reaction...I froze."

"C-can we ask why? You don't need to answer..."

The sage tried to give Strawberry a smile but it fell short "Before, both in terms of before my transformation and especially after, I loved attention on me. Star of the show and all that. But with so many watching like that all I could think of was someone recognizing me and..."

Now that they were further away from the crowds, and in relatively more privacy, Pure Vanilla let his tense stance soften, and he turned to the other, his half-open eyes fixed on Blueberry Milk, his tone gentle but firm as he set a hand over his forearm in a grounding gesture for the other "You shush, I will not have you apologize for something I fully agreed with you doing. Had I been bothered, I would have told you so, or retreated from your hand before you could touch me. Much as I may be a King, I am also a living, breathing cookie just like anyone else." Turning to gaze at his children, he let his expression and tone soften, though he didn't remove his hand from Blueberry Milk, sensing the other still needed the comfort "As important as others may see me and my standing as, at the end of the day, I am still just Pure Vanilla Cookie. I have a need for companionship just like everyone else, and I should not have to pretend otherwise for the sake of whatever noble propriety others expect me to have."

Shaking his head, he continued in a soft tone "I was not born a royal, nor did I seek out such a life of my own volition. I only ever strove to do the right thing, and be there for others. Even when I was crowned King, I never thought myself to be above any other cookie in terms of importance, even though in other people's eyes I was. And even during my rule, I made it a point to visit the villages of my Kingdom and commune with the average citizen, to let them know that no matter my standing, my people came before my throne, always. This has not changed, even now. King and Hero I may be, but I am not without flaw. And I refuse to forget my roots, or deny myself the simple joys of enjoying my time with friend and family alike, when I am afforded such a luxury."

Looking at the four of them, he gave them a weak smile, his own hands shaking the tiniest bit "Please, do not ask me to put up a front when I am with you. These moments with you all are dearly precious to me, and I do not want them tainted by falsehoods or a need to hide my care for you, if it is not strictly necessary."

Blueberry Milk had to catch Pure Vanilla's staff when the children rushed at the golden cookie, hugging him tightly "We don't want you to Dad. We just don't want things to be hard on you."

The sage, calmer now, watched the little family with watery eyes, so happy to see them. The children near vanished in the golden robes of the other, holding him as tightly as he was them. "If I may be so bold, I may have a solution to at least this predicament."

Still holding his children close, letting his heart and nerves be soothed by their care, Pure Vanilla tilted his head up towards the other, the eyes in the blue inner lining of his cloak staring up at Blueberry Milk, curious about his solution. And hoping against everything he held dear, that the other would not suggest they keep themselves distanced from him to hopefully reduce the rumors. He just might clobber him with his staff if he did.

"Adopt them."

Blueberry Milk's laughter was loud and infectious, free just like as a jester he still was at the look on Pure Vanilla's face, just knowing the other didn't expect that statement. "Oh my Oven that is hilarious! Your face! Oh Pure Vanilla I wish I could capture your expression just now, a cross between 'What the' and 'I didn't expect that'." It took a moment for him to calm, wiping at his eyes under his monocle.

When he finally did he just smiled encouragingly. "But you should truly. Formally I mean in front of your Kingdom. A ceremony to quell any rumors that will most likely come out today. No one would think twice of your children calling you their parent, nor your affection to them in public, or anything of the sort. And while yes it could and would out a target on them it'll also offer them the full protection of the Vanilla Kingdom and her allies. The Four Kingdoms you and the Heroes hold are the strongest in Crispia. Any who dare even try attacking them is a bigger Fool than I ever could play as."

The option truly hadn't occurred to him, but the more the other spoke, the more the idea cemented itself in the healer's head. After all, even throughout their previous journeys, he'd never made it secret that he cared deeply for the children, even before the previous day's realizations, so all this would really change, was make it so that his care for them would be recognized, and that the extent of the protection he enjoyed as ruler would naturally extend to them as well.

The only real caveat, would be that by adopting them, they too would be put into social scrutiny and have to bear it just as he was.

So, in the end, he pulled back a bit, so he could gaze at his three children with his weak eyes, wanting them to see they had his attention and sincerity "I would love nothing more than to do just that, but if we do, you would be subject to the very same scrutiny I am. As my children, you may even be asked if you plan on taking over for me, but that's something I would never place upon you, even if people make you believe that is what must be done. I refuse to burden you with the responsibilities that are mine to bear, and I refuse to encroach on nor impede your freedom as cookies. All I ask, is for what you've already so willingly given me. Your love and support are all I'll ever ask of you, no matter how much time passes. This will never change."

"I mean is it really so different than what we go through here? I mean we are the founders of the Cookie Run Kingdom." Ever blunt and to the point Wizard Cookie looked at his siblings. "We don't call ourselves royalty but isn't t-that what those who found a Kingdom are?"

GingerBrave hugged his siblings before beaming up at Pure Vanilla. "So that settles it! Besides being tied to another Kingdom more closely nothing changes responsibility wise after all."

Laughing quietly, the man nodded, and gathered them close once more into another tight hug "Then that is what we'll do. The only thing left is deciding when to go through with it, and whether we want to have a second ceremony here purely just for the sake of letting this kingdom's people witness it too, not just my own."

Laughing as well his children returned the hug tightly before pulling back, moving to pick up the bags that they had dropped in their haste. "That can be decided some other day. We got all this stuff for Blueberry Milk, let's go help him decorate!"

"An excellent idea Wizard. I don't know about you all but I think I've had enough excitement for one day." Now the stress from earlier had passed Blueberry Milk found himself a little worn out, ready for some peace and quiet.

"Yes, that sounds like a great idea." Straightening back up, Pure Vanilla turned to Blueberry Milk with a smile "So, shall we head to the castle, or the cabin? You have a room in each of them after all."

"Am I keeping the cabin?" Blueberry Milk looked down at GingerBrave, "I was under the impression that the cabins were more of a temporary fixture for Cookies who need that type of environment."

The little leader gave a nod and shrug, "Well yeah norm but that's not the rule. If you want to stay there permanent then that's your house! Simple as that."

Stretching his neck to the side with a pop, Pure Vanilla gave a relieved sigh as he spoke "As nice as the Castle rooms are, sometimes a place away from the hustle and bustle is nice too. Plus, having some privacy from time to time is good."

The only female looked up at her father, twiddling her hands "Oh d-did you want a room too Dad? We didn't realize, we can m-make one up for you too." Her brothers echoed that sentiment, feeling guilty that they hadn't caught onto the King's desire for solitude now and then

Expression softening, the man gently set a hand on her head, patting it gently "No, I don't need another room, mine suits me just fine, thank you. Plus, you and the other cookies are all pretty good at respecting my wants when I place the sign for no disturbances on the handle, so I have no complaints there either. And when I do need a moment alone away from the castle, I can always retreat to some of the far gardens, since they're usually empty anyways. What I said was merely an idle comment, I promise."

Mollified for now they continued their walk when the silence was broken by Blueberry Milk "Forgive me if this is rude, but do you stay here often? I would have thought you reside in the Vanilla Empire, overseeing everything there?"

Turning his face to his friend, but keeping his eyes closed, the King nodded "Since I gave up my life as Healer Cookie and returned to being myself, I've been accompanying the kids in their travels, not only to rediscover what happened to the lands, but also to make sure they'd be safe. And after we found out about the looping magic and dispelled it along with driving Dark Enchantress Cookie out, I ended up essentially abdicating the throne, in favor of following my duty as a hero. And while technically I am still considered the monarch, it's mostly in a figurehead position now. The ones actively rebuilding the kingdom are the ones with real power, but all they wanted was a safe space to care for their people, so I welcomed them in to do as they wished. This way they can build up the kingdom up to their needs without my meddling, and technically still take advantage of my reputation to remain safe as they rebuild."

Blueberry Milk hummed in deep thought at that, a slight frown in place, but chose to not comment further out of respect.

It wasn't his place after all.

"Let us go to the small home first, it's slightly closer I believe?"

And so they began heading in the direction of the cabin, the kids trying to figure out what Blueberry Milk would want to add to the room first, while Pure Vanilla just walked beside him in calm silence.

And in a moment when the kids were distracted with guessing, Pure Vanilla set a hand gently on Blueberry Milk's arm, and murmured “Are you alright? Do you need a moment to yourself?”

"Hm, what? Oh." Drawn out of his thoughts Blueberry Milk turned to the other, giving a smile that was more of a twitch of the lips. "Yes I'm well, just thinking."

"What about if I may ask? Though you don't owe me any explanations, alright?" His free hand went to rest near the elbow of the arm that held the staff. "I am merely here should you need me."

"It's just...permission to speak freely, about something?"

Sensing the other's seriousness, Pure Vanilla nodded, eyes opening halfway to show the other he was paying attention, the eyes in his cloak doing much the same "Of course. You never even have to ask, I will always listen to you, no matter if you think I won't like what I hear."

Letting out a breath, anxiety fading a little, Blueberry Milk gave a grateful smile, "Thank you Pure Vanilla...it has to do with what you spoke up before, about your Kingdom. You know I was able to spy on you from my realm on the dark side of the moon, I did so for a very long time. So I know how valuable your Kingdom truly is. How prosperous it was. Yes yours was the most peaceful and that enabled your Kingdom to ascend, literally and figuratively. You have the most advanced technology in all of Earthbread by far, bar the Creme Republic and even theirs is a far cry from what your Kingdom has despite being newer. The resources that lie in your area are innumerable...and this is why I think you abdicating the throne wasn't the best move." He held up a hand to stall the other, "A moment please, let me explain, please?"

Pursing his lips lightly, Pure Vanilla nodded, gesturing with a hand for him to resume, wanting to hear his point.

Smile trembling a little in relief that the other was willing to hear him out he let out a shaky sigh, "Thank you...I do have my reasons I promise. The main one is while you may not have been born royal, you still built the Kingdom from the ground up. You were fantastic at ruling. You didn't rule with power or force, but kindness, understanding, and your people loved you for it. You saw their issues from their level, not the level of a monarch. I am not saying that King Dark Cacao or Queens Golden Cheese and Hollyberry are unjust rulers, they rule with their own forms of kindness as well. But you were on another level...but on a more practical point? There is no ruling power in the Vanilla Kingdom anymore. A Kingdom with advanced technology, abundant resources, a floating Kingdom essentially untouchable...do you see where I am going?"

Turning to look into the gold and blue eyes, a mirror of his own. "Anyone with either a claim to your throne, such as those of the Creme Republic as they are Vanillian descendants, or someone powerful enough, could try to lay a claim to the throne, the Kingdom and all the bounties it comes with. Without the rightful ruler or heir there, it's a possibility. Even though you wanted to give it to the people and by all rights, that is in your nature and I am not faulting you for that, far from it. But they're also people who have no idea how to truly run a Kingdom, the politics involved, the technology that's there, or anything."

The scholar let the healer mull his words over a moment as they continued walking, "I will respect your decision Pure Vanilla, no matter what. I just wished to bring these to light, though I'm sure you've already considered these, haven't you. Forgive me."

The silence remained for almost ten full seconds after that, before Pure Vanilla sighed and let his shoulders drop, eyes closing once more "I did consider it. And in truth, I am still conflicted even now." turning his head forward, he pursed his lips, the hand over his staff tightening its hold on it as he continued "You are right, in that the treasures of my Kingdom, both monetary and cultural alike, are very valuable, and worth protecting. And you are also right, in the sense that should anyone come for them without me there to intercept or intervene, there would be very little stopping anyone from taking them." bringing his staff to his front, he let go of Blueberry's arm, to instead grasp his staff with both hands in a self-soothing manner.

"But on the other hand, those that once upheld those treasures at my side, be it the original founders or their eventual replacements... They are long gone. Shepherds, farmers, teachers, scholars, wizards, sages... They are gone. Even my trusty advisors, those I divided the tasks with, so that our Kingdom could run smoothly... They're all gone." biting his lower lip, the King hunched his shoulders, feeling the weight of his words as he continued "And though King I may be, I am still only one cookie. Even with the Kingdom reduced to a mere fraction of its size as it is now, I... I do not know if I can rule it by myself."

And within his own Soul Jam, Blueberry Milk could almost swear he felt a pang of fear, and a desire for help. A wordless feeling of 'if only' that was barely there at the edges of his awareness.

He'd be damned to the Tree again if he let that call go unanswered.

Stopping them both Blueberry Milk turned Pure Vanilla to him, staring into his eyes for a moment before drawing the other into a hug, the other enveloped in his cool embrace. "You are not alone. The children, while young, are wise, brave and resourceful. I'm certain they could ask a few favors. Golden Cheese, Hollyberry and Dark Cacao especially, would undoubtedly send aid to you in a heartbeat. And...you have me, should you desire it."

A hand rose up to thread itself in the light golden hair, wanting to bring the same comfort the other recently brought him. "While I was never 'royalty', despite my self proclaimed wearing the crown of deceit and lies, I was still the Headmaster of a founding academy of magic as well as the Fount of Knowledge. I know my way around politics and having to keep track of an area far larger than just myself."

Pulling back he gave the Vanillian a kind look, reassuring and knowing, "While the people you once knew are gone, and I know that pain well, their legacy lives on in you and those Villagers doing their best in a brand new world to them. Do they not deserve to be remembered, with you teaching those Villagers the same way you taught their forebearers so long ago? Those seeds and their trees may be chopped down and burned through time, but the land is still there. You can still start anew. It won't be the same, but perhaps one day, it could be better."

The hug, the words, and the genuine promise of help and support (the feeling of truthfulness echoing through his Soul Jam as he heard the words being said to him), had Pure Vanilla's eyes watering, and a lump forming on his throat, before he let his staff fall from his front to his side, in favor of carefully grabbing hold of one of the sleeves of Blueberry Milk's uniform with his free hand, and leaning forward to rest his forehead on the scholar's clavicle as he let out a trembling exhale, before he leaned his face further into his shoulder, and tightened his hold on the edge of the white and gold sleeve, as if wanting to pull him closer, but also not wanting to cause another scene like before. Though he didn't have to fear or worry, because the next moment, arms were wrapping around him again and holding him close, letting him silently weep into the Sage's shoulder for a few minutes, the relief and gratitude he was feeling rendering him momentarily unable to speak past the lump in his throat.

Threading the fingers of one hand through his hair, the other wrapping securely around his friend, Blueberry Milk just let himself be a pillar for the other, knowing how much this was needed the echoes of pain through his Soul Jam were telling enough, and made a silent vow to always be there for the other.

Something he would have done regardless.

"I understand, being locked out of time, and then thrust back into it when the world is so changed. I understand having everything you knew be so different. Like struggling to get to the surface of a raging river. And...I'm sorry for my part in this on you...It certainly didn't help your struggles when I essentially tossed your memories around and attempted to destroy your sense of self." The Sage hugged the other closer, voice soft, pained but caring. "I promise this, even if nothing else, then you shall have me by your side, helping how I can."

How could he have truly once thought this Cookie capable of stealing a bite of a dessert, let alone stealing his Soul Jam from him? Truly he was the Insane Jester he portrayed himself. Pure Vanilla would give another the robes off his back, his staff to walk, and still think he didn't do enough. "You're incredible, you know? The amount that you do, for others. Friends and strangers, allies and enemies. I know that King Dark Cacao and Queen Golden Cheese would never have extended a hand of friendship to Mystic Flour and Burning Spice. And I know they would have never accepted anyway. But you? You, who were put through torment, torture, mind games, reality warping hallucinations, threats to yourself, your children and your world...and you still extended a hand to your bitterest enemy who had wanted nothing more than to destroy you. How can you be so good to-" Blueberry Milk faltered a little, "to everyone? And then not expect that same care, devotion and love returned should you need it? Silly Vanilly~"

Wrapping his own arms around Blueberry Milk, Pure Vanilla tightened his hold, and pressed his face hard into the white and gold fabric, though when he spoke, his trembling voice held a hint of a tiny smile "Because I've always strived to help those I can. And because even as the insufferable little jester you presented yourself as, with your tricks, misdirection and mind games..." smiling where he hid his face, he squeezed the other's body with his arms "Something about you drew my attention, though for the life of me, I still can't tell exactly what it was even now." sniffing a little, he let out a quiet huff of a laugh, stance relaxing from its previously tense state "But I am glad for whatever it was nonetheless. I'll never regret reaching out to you, this I know for absolute Truth."

Blueberry Milk's Soul Jam glowed a little with his happiness, even as a tiny blush grew. He cleared his throat, mock pouting, "'Little jester?' I will have you know I was THE Jester! And as for what drew me to you? Why my adoring charm, quick wit, finesse and unbeatable showmanship. As I said before," Here he smirked, playful once more, "I was the main character after all at the time."

Chuckling quietly under his breath, Pure Vanilla allowed himself one single nuzzle of his cheek against the other's shoulder, before he lowered his arms and pulled back with a soft, fond smile on his face, wiping his tears with the sleeve of his robes, uncaring for the fact that it was an improper gesture. "Yes, I suppose you do have your charms, even now. And I am currently very grateful for that. Thank you, Blue, I needed to hear that more than I ever knew."

Blueberry Milk, with a little roll of his eyes, pulled out a handkerchief from his puffy sleeve, handing it to him, "Oh stop that, you're going to ruin your nice robes. And after what you pulled off to get them in beating me? No you do not get to put snot on them I will not allow it."

Taking the offered fabric, the Healer let out a little laugh, full of fondness and relief, before he dutifully began to dry his face with the handkerchief, seeming much more relaxed and happy than before, as if a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders, and he could finally breathe freely again.

"There we go, now then, let's catch up the children who have been oh so patiently waiting for their father," Gesturing with a slight tilt of the head to the children waiting further down, giving them privacy, "Unpack some of these things, and go from there, ok?"

With another soft laugh, and a close-eyed smile the healer nodded "Yes, let's go. And thank you, again. I feel better now."

Rejoining the children quickly they hovered close by Pure Vanilla, not wanting to pry but wanting to offer what comfort they could. Blueberry Milk moved to the side a little, letting the small family have their moment as he hummed softly, enjoying the sunshine on his chilled skin and the breeze moving his cosmic hair around. Novelties that he wouldn't take for granted again.

Resolutely not following that chain of thought he lead the little group to his home, opening the door for them and relaxing fully once it was close, smiling when he spotted the bouquet still on the table. "Ok then, let's get started with some personal touches here, then the castle, then I think it'll be a good stopping point for a very light dessert and tea don't you all?"

The agreement from the children was instantaneous, and in a moment, they were unpacking things from the bags so that Blueberry Milk could start choosing what he wanted to put here and which he wanted to use for his castle room, Pure Vanilla helping as well, even if a little more slowly, mostly just content to watch the decorative pieces be set here and there across the cabin's space, giving it a more homely feel.

A lot of it was celestial feel, suiting the Sage. Little knickknacks of suns, moons and stars were scattered about, a tiny planetarium was set in the middle of the table beside the vase and a star map, one of two, was put in the bedroom.  More decorations would be added over time, most often gifts from those that cared about him. But for now? This was a start.

"Ok I think I'm happy with that." Pulling back from pinning the map he turned, giving everyone a little playful smirk, "Would you like to travel like I do? It's a little disorienting at first, but perfectly safe I assure you. Or we could enjoy a walk to the castle."

The unanimous consensus was to travel as he did, all four of them being curious about how different it may be to what they had already experienced or seen, and wanting to know how it compared.

Chapter Text

A hand over his Soul Jam as he smiled, taking a step closer and, feeling playful once more, gave a sweeping bow, taking off his hat as he did so. "Lady and gentlecookies, please keep your arms and legs inside the ride at all times. We shall arrive at our destination momentarily!" And with a snap of his fingers the five of them vanished in a cloud of glitter and confetti.

The children all gasped, excited as they looked around the area they were in, even Pure Vanilla was giddy, eyes wide open in all area he could to take it all in.

It looked like the Spire of Deceit, with the twisting hallways, staircases that seemingly lead no where and everywhere and the feeling that gravity was a suggestion, not a rule. But this area was far more inviting with touches of gold on railings, archways or paintings of various scenes that they would one day learn were aspects of reality that he watched over, windows in time and space. The very air here felt lighter, like the oppressive atmosphere of fear, tension and anxiety were gone.

Blueberry Milk rocked on his heels a little, happy to see them liking it so far, "Welcome to my Spire of Knowledge. At least a portion of it."

Awe was clear to see in everyone's faces, the children looking all around as if they couldn't decide where to focus on, while Pure Vanilla's robes seemed to flutter in a non-existing wind, the eyes within the blue inner expanse wide open and gazing all around with an even mix off faint recognition and wonder, one of the man's hands moving to brush against a nearby banister in a curious gesture.

And a few feet away, the children, but more specifically Wizard, launched into an array of questions, from simple “Is this like the cards you showed us before?” and “Is that staircase even real?”, to questions about whether time also moved here, if he could travel wherever he wanted, and if the distances here were shorter than those outside.

Chuckling at that the Sage gestured for them to follow him, walking at a leisurely pace so they could take it all in and explore, "In order, yes in a way though far more. This place is a reflection of myself, hence the new coloring. And everything here is as real as you and I, they do lead somewhere. Sometimes it's to a place and other times, it's where the Spire believes you need to be. And time is relative, after all time was invented by us."

"What do you m-mean Blueberry Milk?" Strawberry stuck near her brothers but was in just as much awe as them.

"Hmm well do you believe the birds have to worry about getting somewhere in a few minutes? Or that cake cerberus ever consider being late to something? Time is an abstract concept created by us. But to answer your question directly, it can, or it can't. Depending on my will. In theory I could keep time frozen in here for us to spend as long as we want, and to the outside world only a second would pass. And the final questions yes distance is shorter as I can open a door to a place much like my cards can and if there isn't something keeping me out, yes I can." Here he gave a little self deprecating smile, "How do you think I traveled so fast and far throughout the Faerie Kingdom?"

With a small grin, GingerBrave replied "I don't know, I figured maybe actual teleportation? Or doing the floaty thing you do with your body, either seemed equally as likely, honestly."

"B-but wouldn't that tire him out r-really fast?" the girl asked with a tilted head, curious.

"Not really. I get near infinite energy and power from my half of the Soul Jam." Placing a hand on it he gave a little snicker "Though even without it I'd have near infinite energy, normally anyway. Due to circumstances I can still get tired or drained, it just takes a lot for me to get to that point."

"Oh like the other day, when you sent everyone away? The sheer scope of that magical wave near knocked me off my feet!" Wizard recalled the force of energy that bombarded them, like a powerful hurricane force wind even though the storm was from Shadow Milk himself.

Muffling a quiet chuckle, Pure Vanilla nodded at Wizard "It was indeed quite the spectacle. It was quite literally like a miracle come true. It's no wonder it tired Blue out so much."

Blueberry Milk looked at the other a little surprised before giving a shy smile, "Well I am the Leader of the Beasts, makes sense that I had a trick or two up my sleeves to handle everything."

"Wait wait," Holding up his arms in an X Wizard Cookie turned around, eye wide, "You were the leader of the Beast Cookies?"

"Oh like how Pure Vanilla is the leader of the Ancient Heroes?"

Both adults gave a light chuckle at Gingerbrave's remark, "Yes child I was. It's another way we're very alike isn't it? But I was their leader as the Fount of Knowledge long ago, and I am their leader as the Beast of Deceit, or rather I was."

This seemed to surprise the four, realizing just how powerful the other really was. I mean that they knew he was strong, they had multiple first hand encounters of the power Blueberry Milk held. It was another to hear him so casually say he was their leader in two different ways, as the Virtue and the Beast.

"So if you're not the one in charge anymore, who is?"

"I'd guess it would naturally fall to Dark Enchantress Cookie, unless one of the others challenge either her or each other for the position." The Sage answered the young magician. "I never had a second in command as it were, so it could go to any of them. Each one of them is extremely powerful, one of the reasons they-we-were sealed in the S-Silver Tree." Blueberry Milk was a little proud of himself for only stuttering only at the end, managing to get the name out of the prison he had been sealed in for so long. "And while all of our power is only half of what it once was, we are regaining it every day."

The words left his companions silent for one long, contemplative moment, before Wizard spoke up with a hint of skeptical curiosity in his tone "Beyond Dark Enchantress, who do you think would vie for the leader position? Because I frankly can't really see Eternal Sugar doing it."

In response, his sister seemed to think about it before nodding her head "I mean, I agree, b-but I don't think Silent Salt w-would do it either."

"They're the more.....calm of my former 'siblings'." Blueberry Milk's voice lowered as they continued on their path to the archway ahead, a 'mirror' showing his room in the Castle that they walked through feeling like a breeze. "Their Virtues were Happiness and Solidarity respectively. Now is Sloth and Silence. Their goals, much like with all the Beasts, were were to spread their Soul Jam influence everywhere. Mine if you remember was spreading Lies and Deceit across the world, where Truth had no meaning and nothing made sense." Sighing he moved to sit down on the bed, staring at his hands for a moment, jumping slightly when a tan one held both of his.

Looking up, he found Pure Vanilla looking at him with a small smile "You did what you could. And though your past isn't great, you have us and our support to look forward to in your future. Remember that, whenever you begin to doubt things too much."

Blueberry Milk gave the King a smile, nodding, "I know, or rather I'm beginning to believe that. I just can't believe my past actions, or the fact you all forgave me for what I did, it just boggles my mind. Heh, congratulations, you four have managed to stump the Fount of Knowledge in something." The snort that escaped had all of them laughing, the mood lightening considerably as they began to work about the room. "To answer your question before, I imagine that it would be Burning Spice to try for beginning the Leader of the Beasts, he certainly challenged me enough for it. Though I don't believe he'll be satisfied with only fighting the other three for it, or even Dark Enchantress."

Trying and failing to muffle his snickers, Gingerbrave grinned “Yeah, I can see that happening." Then he grabbed his cane, and pretended to hoist it like a big axe as he attempted to growl through his muffled giggles "Fight meee! Why don't you give me a good fight? Challenge me you weaklings!"

His siblings howled with laughter, Strawberry hiding in her hood while Wizard rolled onto the bed, clutching at his sides. Even Pure Vanilla let out a hearty chuckle while the Sage snickered, "You have him down pat Gingerbrave. Why I couldn't tell the difference!" Which of course only set them all off even more.

After several minutes of laughter and cleaning up later the bedroom was now 'done', or as done as it could be. There of course was room for more personal touches down the line. "Alrighty then! Now I believe we were going to have some dessert and tea were we not?"

The sound of two growling stomachs broke the silence, after the question, making Strawberry and Wizard giggle at GingerBrave and Pure Vanilla, the child giving a sheepish smile as he placed a hand over his belly, and the healer merely hiding a smile behind a hand as he nodded “That sounds lovely. Should we head to the mess hall for a snack, or go visit one of the locations our friends have opened for their edible wares?”

After a brief discussion they decided to go to the smaller, informal dining hall where there was a 24 hour buffet of sorts, none of the group really wanting to go out again after the incident from earlier and let the situation calm.

Half an hour later the small group, taking their well earned tray of snacks, drinks and tea, decided to go out to one of the smaller balcony's to enjoy the day, letting Blueberry Milk get the full view of the Kingdom for the first time. "Oh my, would you look at that. So much diversity coming together in a chaotic harmony."

"Yeah!" Gingerbrave waved a cupcake, gesturing to everything, "We all worked super hard on it and it's turned this place into a home."

The Scholar and Healer listened as the children told them both about the first few weeks of starting up their Kingdom, the hard work that everyone did. When Pure Vanilla remarked that the start of his Kingdom was much the same Blueberry Milk glanced over "Hm speaking of your Kingdom, we should figure out how to address that."

"Address w-what?" Strawberry looked between the two adults, her brothers sharing the look. "Is everything ok?"

Pure Vanilla hesitated a little at answering them, not wanting them to worry. Blueberry Milk, seeing this, placed a hand on his shoulder "It's bound to come up, and it'll affect them as well. Plus remember what I said before? It'll be alright Pure Vanilla." When the other still hesitated the sage gave a little smirk, eyes glinting behind his monocle, "C'mon, don't be a Recluse on us."

Sighing quietly with tiny amused smile on his face, Pure Vanilla rolled his eyes under closed eyelids, and then began to explain the issue of the Vanilla Kingdom's situation, it's structural and historic value, and the potential issues of letting others get their hands on said treasured information, followed by his admittance that he was worried about how to fix the situation, and his fear that he wouldn't be able to accomplish it on his own, seeing as how, even back during the first rise of the Kingdom, he'd always had several people following him willing to aid him in everything from construction, to management and even farming.

And now, out of the original teams/sets, he had only himself.

After the explanation was done the children all glanced at one another before looking back at Pure Vanilla with matching grins, "Is that it? We can help with that! Blackberry Cookie can help out with keeping stuff orderly in the Vanilla Castle, she's really good at that and I bet she knows lots of others that can help."

Strawberry nodded at Gingerbrave, putting in her two cents, "I-I know she travels a lot, but Princess Cookie would help with politic stuff. And Knight Cookie, he's always with her."

"And let's not forget Hollyberry Cookie and Dark Cacao, I can write them both a letter!" Wizard pulled a scroll out from under his hat, "I bet they'd send some help for you Dad, maybe Caramel Arrow Cookie or Wildberry Cookie, maybe even both! They could help start training troops to help protect the lands."

"Oh oh oh, Eclair Cookie! I know he's been bored organizing stuff here, I bet he and Blueberry Pie Cookie would like a challenge in helping out organizing the castle library there. And they both take super good notes so they could help you keep track of new laws and rules and stuff."

"Oh G-Gingerbrave we should ask Almond Cookie, see if he could help concerning keeping a track on stuff."

One by one each child began listing off various Cookies, friend and ally alike, all of whom either owed the trio a favor or would be happy to help out for the challenge.

Pure Vanilla could only watch shocked as letters and scrolls were being written and sent off with summoned birds from his magician child. A few zoomed off towards other areas of the Cookie Run Castle while the rest flew off to deliver their missives across the lands. The healer jumped a little when a cool hand patted his shoulder, the Sage beaming, "Told you so. And remember, you have us as well."

The healer seemed to freeze for a moment at the words, as if thinking them through, and then the next thing he knew, tears were rolling down his cheeks and he was covering his mouth with the sleeve of his robe, but the soft, shaky laughter that slipped unbidden by his lips, and the way his half open eyes crinkled with the force of his smile, both betrayed the immense sense of relief and gratitude that settled warmly in his chest, as he replied in a serene tone “Yes, yes you did, and yet, I was caught off guard all the same.”

The sage just seemed to grin a little more smugly at that “You know, for all that you help the people around you with their issues, you truly do seem to forget that you are just as worthy of getting help as everyone else, silly Vanilly.”

That seemed to catch the blond off guard again, but only for a moment, before he was lowering his head with an out right giggle that made him seem decades younger “You know, a small part of me wants to refute that, but the rest of me knows I genuinely can't, because you're right, I do tend to forget that I deserve help too.”

"You're an amazing Cookie Pure Vanilla, and you deserve far more than you think. Oven, you sacrificed yourself in the Dark Flour War. If that doesn't mean you're owed more than just a few favors I don't know what does." Rolling his eyes Blueberry Milk pulled out another handkerchief, "And would you stop using your robe to wipe at your tears. I told you, after all you did and beating me to earn those I will not allow you to soil them so easily."

Taking the offered handkerchief, Pure Vanilla wiped at his cheeks, even as he smiled softly “They would be cleaned up later anyways, but thank you for your worry regardless.” then he was turning to the kids, intent on thanking them, only to see all three already staring at him and Blueberry with warm smiles aimed at both of them, making him flush lightly with dark tan jam (he hadn't realized they'd been waiting for him), before he decided to move on “Thank you my dears, I truly can't thank you enough for your help. I don't know what I'd have done without you all.”

"Panic." "Find a way to do it." "Get Dark Cacao to deal with it."

Blueberry Milk snorted in his tea at the answers the children all gave, knowing each one was pretty accurate all things considered. "You heard them. Besides I've always said that young minds are keys to the future. Best listen to them Pure Vanilla."

The children's answers, said so immediately and without a moment of thought, pulled an outright laugh out of the normally serene healer, a sound and sight that made the kids grin proudly, always loving to see Pure Vanilla laugh so genuinely at something they said. While the man in question just hid his face in the handkerchief, shoulders shaking with his giggles.

Blueberry Milk's smirk softened, watching the interaction with the children and their father, something fluttering in his chest at seeing him laugh like so. Having spent so long watching the other he knew how rare it was to see him truly let go and just feel without having to put up some sort of front.

While he did have another question, rather an important one, he was content to wait and let the quartet banter back and forth, feeling privileged to being able to witness it.

It took a couple more minutes of giggling, before Pure Vanilla could compose himself once more, his cheeks flushed a dark tan from how he'd been laughing, lifting his face from the handkerchief and using it to wipe at his eyes and cheeks, much calmer now, even if his chest was still full to bursting with gratitude for his kids' kindness and Blueberry's reassuring words. When he spoke, it was with a soft smile and tone, voice carrying his gratefulness "Thank you, my dears. I feel much less worried now."

Chapter Text

"Good." Simple, to the point and accompanied by his children all moving to hug him, the healers soft robes folding around the trio as he hugged them back. One of their favorite things about his new outfit was that they could easily hide in them anytime they wanted. When Pure Vanilla looked up he saw Blueberry Milk sipping his tea, a smirk somehow in place as he did so.

And after a moment, he rolled his eyes fondly, and turned back to the children, pressing a kiss to each of their heads and giving the group one more squeeze, before he let go "Alright, now I believe we were in the middle of eating when the topic of my Kingdom came up. Can we all finish eating before we return to any further discussions? The food is getting cold."

"Yes Dad." "Whatever you say Vanilly." The group returned to their meal, chatter much lighter than before as they talked about upcoming weather and how it would be for the crops. The Sage promised to look into that, which spiraled into an in-depth discussion on some arrays he knew that could help crops from health to harvesting and much more, something that all of them were highly interested in.

And so they ate and talked, making plans for the future, before Blueberry, after their current topic came to an end, asked to speak, an opportunity that he was granted immediately, four smiles directed at him as they waited to hear him.

Pouring himself another cup of tea Blueberry Milk sighed a little, not wanting to bring the happy atmosphere down but some topics needed to be addressed, sooner than later, "Thank you. As loathe as I am to bring down the room, so to speak, we must discuss some important things. Firstly, you Pure Vanilla, I assume you've come to your final decision regarding everything? I want all of us to be on the same page."

Smile falling a bit, Pure Vanilla nodded "Yes. Much as I have enjoyed staying here and accompanying my kids on their adventures, I have to go back to my Kingdom, and begin helping to put it back together once more, hopefully with everyone else's help."

Seeing the children's own smiles fall Blueberry gave a thoughtful hum, leaning back in deep thought, "I do not believe that you will need to stop doing this. Entirely I mean. Or at the least you won't have to suffer a long gap of seeing one another, I can help with that." Four hopeful looks, more if one counted the eyes hidden in Pure Vanilla's robes opening up, the Sage gave a little smile, "The point of the children and you asking for help and favors is that you don't have to run everything entirely on your own. Yes the final and big decisions will be up to you. Yes you do have to oversee a lot, but that doesn't mean you only have to do it, nor does it mean you'll be stuck only doing that forever. There are ways around to make things work for you Pure Vanilla Cookie."

After a moment of silence, the vanillian smiled "I suppose you do have a point. Once things are more organized in place, they can then be delegated to suitably competent hands as needed."

"See Dad? It'll be ok." Wizard nodded to himself, as if any other solution was inconceivable and not even worth considering. "Though uh, I am curious. How do you plan on helping with that Blueberry Milk?" The eager tone in trying to be played off as not interested did not work, his siblings snickering at him had the child blushing in his cloak.

Blueberry Milk laughed before holding out his hand, clenching it briefly for a flash of light to appear and fade, before opening it up revealing two little crystals on thin chains. "With these. They can act as a type of long range visual communication...think of it like you're both on opposite sides of a window speaking to one another, the crystals are the window. You can see, hear and speak, but can't touch. And with Pure Vanilla's permission and yours of course, I can see about making a doorway for you all between your Castles for emergencies...will that help with your anxiety?" The question was mostly addressed to Pure Vanilla but also to the children, the sage knowing that they didn't want to part from the other anymore than he wanted to from them.

After a moment to really take in what they were being offered, the kids seemed to tear up slightly, while Pure Vanilla’s expression softened with relief, and then joy as he nodded “Yes, yes it would. It’d be a huge relief, to have a way to check on each other without having to rely on written letters delivered by bird.”

A sentiment that was clearly shared by the children, as they smiled brightly, their voices only a little bit shaky “Yeah, that’d be a great help.”

“That way we don’t have to worry about dad overworking himself too much.”

“We could j-just remind him to take a b-break, even when we’re n-not there.”

Offering the first one to GingerBrave and the second to Pure Vanilla he taught them how to use them, which was basically just saying their name with intent to speak to them to have the crystal activate while he made two more for the other two children. "There we go. We can figure out the specifics of the doorway later should you wish for it." Proud of his work Blueberry Milk chuckled, "I imagine the spell for this has either gone out of fashion or has been lost to time, I'll have to work on that. Now then that that is taken care of, I surmise that you will want everything handled soon then? Also were you going to have a meeting with the other Ancient Heroes concerning the matters at hand?"

The vanilian smiled as he slipped the little crystal under his robes, before replying “Yes, we’d all planned to meet here in a few days, after the others finished checking on their Kingdoms and could make the journey here. Though I admit, getting some help setting things up also wouldn't hurt." at that he seemed to pause, before tilting his head slightly with a smile "Though perhaps we ought to ask the residents if they'd be willing to help prepare a greeting party for our friends. I'm sure they'd be open to it, considering their admiration for the heroes of old. And that way, we don't have to do as much work ourselves." 'And it'd be fitting, for the stress they put us all through earlier at the Harbor.'

"Oh we can handle that! Strawberry would you-"

"O-On it GingerBrave!"

Giggling the girl raced out to begin the preparations and getting the needed Cookies in on the know to prep.

The brothers laughed while Wizard, seeing the puzzled yet surprised expression, helped fill in the gap, "Strawberry's super shy most of the time, but as long as she's not the one in the spot light she loves planning celebrations. She'll get the ball rolling."

"I see, well then that's one less thing to worry about is it not? And with them all coming here that will also handle setting up a meeting to discuss any-"

Knock knock knock 

The Cookies froze, wondering who that could be before GingerBrave went over to the side door, the one that Strawberry had raced out of still open leading out to their personal hallways while the other door was the more 'public' one. Opening the door the child beamed seeing the pale jade robes and long wispy hair of the historian. "Eclair Cookie! This is a surprise we weren't expecting a reply so quick."

The elder cookie laughed, adjusting his hat, "I'm sorry to arrive unannounced as such but when I got your letter and read its contents well, excitement just overtook me! I wanted to reply in person that I would be delighted to be of assistance."

The clear excitement in the historian’s voice had Pure Vanilla’s mouth falling open a little in surprise, the eyes on his cloak opening up a little as well, not having expected such an immediate response. IT had barely even been thirty minutes and yet, there was already a response, and an enthusiastic one at that!

Something that surprised him, though it probably shouldn’t have, considering the vast history of his Kingdom would normally have made any historian or librarian salivate at the prospect of being ale to study and/or preserve said history in person. Goodness, sometimes he really did forget how old he technically was. Shaking his head fondly at his own silly thoughts, he smiled warmly up at the door “Thank you for the prompt response, it is a great relief to know that there are cookies so eager to help me restore my Kingdom to a semblance of its former glory. We don’t yet know when we’ll make our way there, but when we do, we’ll let you know in advance, so that we can all travel together.”

"Of course King Pure Vanilla!" Eclair Cookie gave a bow, almost hopping in place. "When I got the missive stating that help was needed for their dear companion and family how could I refuse? Though I'll admit I didn't register that it was to help you and your Kingdom at first, that is just a pleasant bonus."

GingerBrave smiled at his friend, patting their shoulder, "Eclair is one of the best when it comes to anything history related, they can help organize the library there and even help find old or new laws that everyone can go over."

With a soft chuckle, Pure Vanilla gave a brief nod of understanding “That would indeed be a huge help, especially in what concerns adjusting old laws to these newer times. And cataloging what is still in good condition will also take time and effort, especially since I believe some of the books and scrolls may have been damaged by the passage of time, despite the magical measures taken to prevent such a thing. We’ll have to see when we return there.”

With a promise to gather more supplies and meeting up in a few days for them to go to the Vanilla Kingdom Eclair took his leave, the door shutting behind him. As soon as he did Blueberry Milk couldn't help his chuckle, "Well then, does that ease your worries Pure Vanilla? Or do you insist on being Silly Nilly some more?"

Giving a quiet sigh, Pure Vanilla couldn’t help but smile softly at the question, waving a hand dismissively in Blueberry Milk’s general direction, in a clearly playful gesture “Yes, yes, it does indeed help. I’ve learned my lesson, no need to insist, I promise.”

"Ah but Pure Vanilla, that's my job! I teach others and inspire them to seek Knowledge!" Giving a dramatic bow for him and the children, GingerBrave and Wizard laughing at his theatrics.

When they finally calmed down Wizard Cookie was the one who broke the silence, "Speaking of teaching, do you plan on reopening the Blueberry Yogurt Academy? It's been closed down for ages now."

"Hmm..." Blueberry Milk paused at that, considering it. "Possibly, in the future. Right now there's too much going on for me to even consider reopening the Academy, plus I will need to scour it top to bottom to find all the leaks from the other dimension that White Lily opened up."

"Speaking of White Lily and the others, they're coming in a few days right? Should we send out messages for the Legendary Cookies to come as well?" The brave child looked at the two adults "Or should we wait?"

"Hmm on the one hand having them here enables all of us to talk things over and prepare, on the other hand such a movement would catch a lot of attention." The Sage hummed, weighing the options with the knowledge he had. "I would suggest holding off on that for now. Let's have the Ancient Heroes gather, we settle the formal adoption, Pure Vanilla taking the throne and go from there."

From the side, Pure Vanilla nodded “While I agree that reopening the academy would be an exciting venture, there will be time to do so later on, when things aren’t quite as hectic as they are now. Let’s deal with the more immediate problems and issues first, before we move on to future projects like that one. I’d like to at least have my Kingdom established, and some of the old institutes hopefully running at a basic level, before then.”

Elsewhere 

Strawberry Cookie giggled at the excited looks from the others, Chili Pepper Cookie and Custard Cookie racing off to spread the word for her, excited to plan a welcome party for everyone (though she suspected that Chili Pepper was more excited at the chance to steal something). She was lucky she had run into them out in the shopping district as she didn't know their schedules for the day.

Humming to herself she pondered what to do next, if she should track down one of the others when a commotion had her pause, turning only to freeze in place. Racing down the cobbled hill towards her was a huge cart full of goods, Cookies racing out of the way, yelling and screaming as boxes were crashed into, debris flying everywhere. The pink Cookie was frozen in shock watching as the cart was flying closer and closer-

"Woah there!"

The wind was knocked out of her when someone tackled into her, the two fo them flying to the side as the cart raced past slamming into a choco brick wall, stuff flying everywhere. Cookies were running about, picking up items, checking on each other and trying to figure out what happened (she'd later learn the wheel didn't lock correctly causing it to roll). Shaking like a leaf she pulled back to thank her rescuer. "T-t-thank you." Clutching at her hoodie she stared up, the taller male Cookie smiling kindly at her, purple eyes hidden behind gold tinted glasses under wavy purple hair. The other wore a type suit, lilac and white with gold accents with a matching staff. Familiar eye markings trailed behind on his cloak. "I haven't s-seen you around before. I'm Strawberry Cookie."

"Moon Drop Cookie at your service." Giving a sweeping bow to make her giggle, all the more when he fluttered up a few inches before settling back down, "I'm glad I was in the area, trying to find my companion when I saw you there-" He was cut off from saying anything more when a familiar giggle sounded out, freezing Strawberry in place in fear.

Back elsewhere 

Blueberry Milk suddenly stiffened, eyes widening, standing up in a rush before summoning a card portal and racing through it, startling the other three Cookies.

On the other side the Sage acted quickly, standing in front of Strawberry Cookie, hand out in front of her protectively as he stared down the two newcomers.

Two oddly familiar newcomers, even if their appearances were different from what was expected. Something that Pure Vanilla also noticed when he and the other two kids passed through the card portal, his own voice a quiet murmur almost to himself, not accusatory nor suspicious, mostly just mildly surprised "Well, I didn't expect to see Black Sapphire and Candy Apple here, but I suppose it's to be expected that they'd find a way to come back to their boss..." pointing with his glowing staff at the two disguised cookies, he frowned lightly as he raised his voice just enough for both of them to hear "If you're here to cause trouble, we may have to ask you to leave. If you're here just to report to your superior, then come along quietly, the street is no place for such discussions."

Candy Apple, or in her disguise form Green Apple Faerie Cookie, opened her mouth to reply before the other placed his hand over her, silencing her. "Green Apple we aren't here to start anything and are on our best behavior." Frowning down at the girl the other gave a smile, "My apologies for her. I go by Moon Drop Cookie, a pleasure."

"D-dad he saved me." Strawberry murmured as she was tugged by her brothera, Blueberry Milk moving to stand in front of them all. "He pulled me out of the way of the cart over there."

"What in Earthbread are you both doing here-No Green Apple do not call me by that name." Blueberry Milk hissed out when the girl, freeing herself, had keyed up to squeal. All of them saw his eyes glow and flicker colors. "I am not him anymore."

"King Pure Vanilla, I apologize for the...suddenness of our arrival. We truly mean no harm, as hard as it is to believe us." Moon Drop spoke up once more, looking at them all before settling on his former Master. "You gave us a choice before."

"Yes I did." Blueberry Milk focused on the other, staring him down before waving his hand, a huge card swallowing them all up into what was the throne room of the Castle, having three small ornate chairs for the children on a dais. It was where whenever they had to hold official ceremonies, this is where they did it.

Blueberry Milk and Pure Vanilla ushered the children up the dais while their father stood beside them and the Sage stood at the bottom of the steps, arms crossed as he waited.

And as the room was sealed off from outside influence by a flash of white magic at the door and windows, Pure Vanilla set a hand on Strawberry's shoulder, but kept his gaze on the two 'new' cookies "The room has been sealed from prying ears, you can speak freely." Then turning to his kids, he nodded at them "Ask whatever questions you feel are pertinent. Me and Blueberry Milk will support whatever decisions you end up making."

"There is no need for that Pure Vanilla." Holding up his hand Blueberry Milk lowered the limb, crossing it with the other behind his back. He almost looked like a professor about to give a lecture. The two Cookies before him immediately snapped at attention. "I distinctly believe, at our last encounter, I gave you both a choice. I told you that I was going to go against the Beasts, to help Pure Vanilla and his friends. I told you both 'Flee or follow I don't care', and you both did not follow."

"No Master S-Blueberry Milk." Both stuttered a little over the new name but intoned at once.

"I did not blame either of you. What I was doing was going against the very nature of how I created you. You're both Cookies of Deceit, as am I. I didn't blame you for turning against the others, against me. So why do you appear now, in this safe haven of these children that they had built and graciously allowed me of all beings to inhabit? Because if I do not like your answer, I will not hesitate to strike you both down."

"I'd also like to ask how they did it. Because the enchantments innate around this place should have kept them out." Wizard Cookie huffed out, shifting in place when attention was on him. "Er, after your question is answered Blueberry Milk."

The duo gulped a little at the power beginning to roll off of Blueberry Milk, protective. "We sealed off our sector of Beast-Yeast for you."

"Yeah! No nobody but us and you can get in! It's a secret heehee."

"Come again?" Blueberry Milk lessened his power output, curious what the two were talking about. He nodded at Moon Drop to speak when the other made the familiar gesture in request to do so.
The group all listened intently as the two took turns, Moon Drop more than Green Apple, of how the two, discussing what Shadow Milk had offered, had decided to stay by their Master's side. It was Candy Apple that had suggested keeping their area of Beast-Yeast secure, to keep Dark Enchantress and the others from going on, a 'home base' as it were if needed.

It was to both of their shocks when their forms changed to what they were now, guessing that something incredible had to have happened to their Master to warrant a physical change to them both.

After doing some spying in the various Kingdoms they figured out that he had come here with the others. "And that is it truly. We walked through the Gates along with others, simple as that. We got separated and as I was trying to find Green Apple I saw that young miss there about to be run over by that cart." Moon Drop finished his story, standing at attention still. Green Apple was currently skipping around in a circle tossing glitter on herself. "We belong at our Master's side, no matter which side he is on, we will follow."

In the charged silence that followed, the kids looked between themselves, as if trying to figure out if it was true or not... Only to then turn to Pure Vanilla when he let out a muffled noise, his hand covering his mouth. And as they watched him, they saw the way his eyes crinkled slightly, and his staff seemed to glow a little brighter, before he lowered his hand to reveal a soft smile "Well, it's good to see that at least in this, there are no lies nor tricks, not even the whisper of a thread of a rumor. A new experience in regards to dealing with the both of you, but a welcome one regardless."

"Told you Moon Drop Cookie! Told ya they'd believe us!"

"Green Apple Faerie please, for the love of Oven, calm down. There was excellent reason for them to not trust us at all so forgive me for preparing for the worst." Sighing but thankful Moon Drop gave a bow to the group, "We thank you all for this chance."

"Yes, be incredibly thankful. I know I am." Stepping forward Blueberry Milk gazed over the two, frown shifting to a soft smile, "It's good to see you both, even though the forms are new...you said this happened relatively quickly after I left?"

"Yes Master, I could not name the time frame but it was very quick."

And in the moments after the exchange, the two newcomers noticed their master exchange a brief look with Pure Vanilla, before the two older cookies were looking back at them once more, Pure Vanilla smiling "Well, it seems that your connection to your master may have allowed some of his own changes to flow back into you both then."

Blueberry Milk's lips twitched, amused at seeing the two look surprised, "This form isn't a disguise. I'm still not entirely sure how, but I've reverted to how I was long ago." Gesturing to himself, "This is my Sage of Truth form, I'm known as Blueberry Milk Cookie once more. And since you both were created by me in a way, changes on me seem to reflect on you. I...apologize if this caused issues for either of you."

"No Master it hasn't."

"It's fun being Green Apple Faerie again! Heehee." The excited girl twirled around, giggling to herself.

Moon Drop just sighed at his companion. "Must you have so much energy?"

In response the little faerie just stuck her tongue out at him, before giggling "It's all part of my adorable, cute charm, haven't you noticed?" she added with an exaggerated batting of her lashes to further 'convey' the cuteness.

The deadpan glare that Moon Drop gave her in return, only made the three other children struggle to keep their composure, and both Pure Vanilla and Blueberry Milk purse their lips to keep from accidentally smiling at the silly sibling-like bickering the two were engaged on.

"Regardless," Giving in and smiling at the familiar banter, much less annoying than when he was Shadow Milk he turned more serious, "It isn't my decision if you both stay here. I'm a guest as well. It's up to those four if you both stay or not."

Standing straighter the two Cookies stood side by side, staring up at the trio and Pure Vanilla standing at their side, Blueberry Milk half turning to look at them as well. He wasn't going to ask, it wasn't his place.  And if they were denied living there then he would ensure his Spire would accept them so they would be safe. "The decision is yours GingerBrave, Strawberry, Wizard and Pure Vanilla."

Staring between themselves, the children discussed the situation in hushed whispers for a bit, trading impressions for a while, before they turned back to the duo with pensive expressions. Gingerbrave was the first one to speak "We do try to be welcoming to cookies of all kinds and from different backgrounds. That is actually the base of what this entire Kingdom was built around."

At his side, his scholarly brother straightened his stance, pointing his staff towards the two not in a menacing way, but with a hint of authority, as if trying to impart into them just how serious his following words were "We do not stifle creativity or freedom of choice, but we do have rules that we all live by, that even the most chaotic of cookies have to respect, if they want to be allowed to stay in any capacity beyond that of a visitor or merchant. These rules are meant to ensure everyone's safety, as well as provide a good environment for everyone living here, on top of reducing unexpected incidents as much as possible."

From Gingerbrave's other side, Strawberry joined her hands over her lap and spoke, her eyes darting a bit between both winged cookies in clear nervousness, but also a will to make sure the other two understood her stance aligned with her two brothers "You have to abide by t-these rules to the best of your ab-bility, and do your best n-not to break them if p-possible. We do allow f-for second and third chanc-ces, but there's only s-so much even we will let slide, bef-fore we can't justifiably do so anym-more."

As she seemed to shrink a bit into herself, she felt Pure Vanilla's hand settle on her shoulder and squeeze lightly, the man giving her a warm smile and a proud nod, before he turned to Green Apple Faerie and Moon Drop, his smile fading in favor of a serious expression, his eyes half open and staff glowing faintly "The rules are relatively simple, but they are not up for discussion or negotiation. While you live in this Kingdom, you will do your best to be courteous to other cookies around you, and keep any prejudices or negative opinions to a minimum. If you have issues with a particular cookie that you wish to resolve, we have training grounds and a battle arena for the express purpose of letting off steam, or to provide the cookies with more... Destructive tendencies, to have a safe outlet to discharge said traits in a way that won't endanger innocent lives or the structural integrity of the Kingdom's infrastructure."

Tapping his staff on the floor, he straightened his stance as well, taking on a more royal air as he spoke "On that note, while we don't mind pranks, or the occasional cookie expressing their creativity and passion for art by painting the sides of buildings or other such avenues of expression, there are several buildings and areas that are off-limits to such actions. And while we understand that sometimes accidents happen, any deliberate attempt at damaging or destroying any buildings beyond the training areas and the arena, especially production buildings such as the farms, workshops or eateries, will be seen as a purposeful disregard of the rules, which means we'll be within our rights to either give the offending party a warning, a strike, or we'll outright assign a punishment to be served in penance for the rule-breaking. If the rule breaking happens more than a handful of times, we may revoke your right to citizenship, and actively ban you from returning to the Kingdom. We do not like to resort to such methods, but we will if we must."

Taking a breath in, he let it out in a sigh, and closed his eyes as he let his tense shoulders relax a little "I understand that chaos and mischief was a great part of your life until now. And while we will not ask you to completely give up your hobbies, we do request that if you do want to cause a little mischief, you either keep it to a controlled chaos, or ensure that it doesn't actively harm the people living around you. Can you abide by this?"

Moon Drop was the first to move, giving a half bow, "I understand and accept these terms. I swear on all that I am, that nothing with negative intent will be purposely done by me. And if by some chance something happens and I am at fault, I will take full responsibility for my actions."

"Chaos is such fun! But only fun when others can enjoy it too." Though her tone was light Green Apple still did a respectful curtsey to them. "Though does that mean I can't annoy Moon Drop Cookie anymore? That's the best part of the day."

The children's lips twitched at the girl's pout, moreso when Moon Drop shot her a warning look. "Be good Green Apple, we are here by their terms and rules. Do you want to get in trouble already? And in front of Master Blueberry Milk Cookie?"

The girl 'eeped' at that, shutting her mouth with her hands and looking wide eyed at the scholar who was staring them both down.

"I am under these same rules as well, even more so considering what I am." Blueberry Milk stood straighter before his former subordinates. "GingerBrave and his siblings, as well as King Pure Vanilla, are being exceedingly generous in allowing us three even in this Castle, let alone the Kingdom they've built from the ground up. The fact they're letting the Beast of Deceit, who caused them so much pain and strife, in their home speaks volumes of their compassion and generosity, and I for one will NOT be taking that lightly."

The room seemed to darken, faint 'eyes' growing on the walls as Blueberry Milk took a step forward, power building up to show his stance. His voice was more akin to Shadow Milk's when he next spoke "Their punishments will be paltry compared to what I will do should I find out you have done anything with malicious intent and harmed a single bit of frosting on any Cookie. Do I make myself crystal clear you two?"

"Yes Master Blueberry Milk!" Standing straight at attention, serious as they ever were, the Sage pulled back with a nod, the oppressive atmosphere fading.

"Good. Now then, to the general populace the knowledge of the Beast Cookies is not known. We are giving a rare chance of anonymity, no one knows who I am, was-" Pure Vanilla gave a frown at the stutter the other had before he continued, "-let alone who you both were. However, should the need ever arise for you to defend yourselves, you are given permission to do so and protect other Cookies that need it. Be it from an outside force, or a Cookie picking a fight. But make sure they are the ones that start it and you are merely defending yourselves and abiding by King Pure Vanilla's rules as well as the children. They are the ultimate authority here."

The two nods he received were surprisingly solemn, and as they turned back to the three kids and King, they found the siblings had risen from their seats and were now holding hands, Gingerbrave and Wizard both holding one of Strawberry's hands, while Pure Vanilla's previously serious expression was now set in a smile, as he wrapped a comforting arm around the group, body glowing faintly and hand rubbing gentle circles over the children's backs as he spoke to the two fruit-based cookies "If you understand and promise to abide by these rules, then we see no issue with letting you stay. We do, after all, aim to give everyone in need of a friend or a place to belong, the chance to find such. Everyone deserves a chance to be happy, and sometimes, that starts by offering others a helping hand, or a word of support. You three are no different. Now, do you both have any preference for accommodations or level of social interaction in your dwellings? Because we have both communal housing, and private cabins, should you prefer one of the other."

After briefly speaking amongst each other they decided they'd rather stay together and requested lodging as such for now before the two turned back to Blueberry Milk. The blue cookie's serious expression faded, a smile growing as he mock shooed them away, "Well? What are you both waiting for. There's an entire Kingdom to explore, it's quite beautiful in it's own chaotic way."

With a high pitched squeal Green Apple raced off, Moon Drop giving one more bow before vanishing in purple sparkles, presumably to race off after the excited girl before she could get into trouble.

Sighing in relief Blueberry Milk turned to the quartet, surprising them by giving his own deep bow, "Thank you so much for giving them a chance. That couldn't have been easy."

Stepping forward, Gingerbrave reached out with his free hand, and took one of Blueberry's own in his with a small smile "We admit, we were a little nervous, but if Pure Vanilla says they were telling the truth, then we believe him."

From Strawberry's other side, still holding her hand, Wizard gestured lightly with his staff, his own voice a somewhat playful huff "Besides, much as I may not want to admit it, if they passed through the barrier around the kingdom, then it means they truly didn't have any ill intent to anyone in here. And that's enough for me to give them the benefit of the doubt."

While the pink-clad girl herself let out a slow exhale, and smiled nervously "I'm still a l-little freaked out by Ca-Green Apple F-Faerie's giggling, but I c-can learn to deal w-with that. L-like Pure Vanilla said, everyone des-serves a chance to be happy."

"Trust me dear girl, we all are." Blueberry Milk sighed dramatically, eyes rolling comically, "I can't tell you how many times I sealed her in a card because Candy Apple's enthusiastic giggling got on my nerves. It's also why I never punished Black Sapphire for his tormenting her, honestly she deserved it. And yes you're right Wizard Cookie, after all I wasn't able to break in before."

Chapter Text

At the trio's wide eye looks he began to snicker, eyes sad, "Did you three truly think I wouldn't have tried to get a hold of Pure Vanilla before here, far from the other Heroes and his Kingdom? Believe me I tried several times before you all finally went to Beast-Yeast to track down information. I was never able to teleport in any way here, not even to start a rumor via a piece of paper. Whatever your protections are they're powerful, at least to my weakened self. I won't attempt to but I am fairly certain I could break through them now should I intently try."

At that the children's brows furrowed, and Wizard began to outright pout, while Pure Vanilla let out a tiny huff of a laugh, before he composed himself "Perhaps you would, but yes, we'd rather you didn't. That said, maybe one day you can take a peek at the arrays and see what you think of them, who knows." shaking his head, he patted the children's shoulders "For now, this was all quite a bit stressful, so how about we take a break from big decisions, and go do something lighter? Perhaps a bit of reading, or tinkering with your respective projects to unwind from the last few minutes?"

"That sounds good." "Oh I can finally read that book I got from Dark Cacao!" "I need to check my garden." Eager for a chance to take a break from bigger decisions the children began to head off to their respective areas.

Blueberry Milk shifted a bit, glancing away, "I believe I'll go stay in my Spire for a little bit...I feel I've overstepped. Please give my apologies to the children." Before lifting his hand to snap and vanish in a blue flash of light.

And just as he lifted his hand and snapped, he caught the brief glimpse of Pure Vanilla’s hand reaching out as if to rest on his shoulder, before it was gone, and he was back in his room at the spire, the lingering image of yellow and sky blue eyes staring at him with something like sadness haunting his mind.

While back at the castle, Pure Vanilla stood in place, hand still raised where it had been ready to rest upon the other’s shoulder to offer a comforting squeeze, mouth still open to utter a reassurance that the scholar would not hear, now that the he had fled. The man stood there for a couple seconds in silence, before he puled his hand back to his chest and let his shoulders slump, biting at his lower lip and drawing his staff closer to his front, before turning around, and beginning to make his own way to his room, the faint glow of his body considerably dimmer than before.

Hand falling down to his side Blueberry Milk stood in the middle of his room for a long moment, the usually vibrant colors darkened. Sighing deeply he looked down at his hand, shaking his head before turning to go read when something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye from one of the many reflective surfaces.

Ice in his veins he turned back to the image, seeing only himself staring back at him looking like he saw a ghost.

Shaking thoroughly he looked away, stumbling slightly as he raced to his library, trying to collect himself.

He chose to not think too deeply on the glimpse of blue-black-eyes that he saw in the corner of his eyes, choosing instead to focus on searching for books in regards to magic and defensive spells, something that he could use later, or try to teach to the young spellcaster. Perhaps he'd take to them well, considering his talent for magic.

With that in mind, steadfastly focusing on his self appointed task he let the hours go by, calming himself and trying to think of what he could take to young GingerBrave and Strawberry to make it up to them for his previous actions.

Hours later, GingerBrave stretched, spine popping from where he had been bent over the puzzle that occupied him, looking up. Wizard Cookie was still reading away and after having tended to her flowers Strawberry had decided to take a short nap before dinner. Wizard looked up at the noise, hmphing, "Must you make that noise? You're going to break your back one of these days."

To which the brave cookie just grinned with a shrug "At least I'm not the on already going fully white in his youth."

Gasping Wizard Cookie grabbed the nearest pillow, chucking it at his brother, only for Gingerbrave to nab it out of mid air and toss it right back.

What ensued next was truly an epic battle of pillows and cushions flying everywhere, Strawberry waking up to their laughter and making a 'fortress' of the couch cushions to protect herself.

This was the scene that Pure Vanilla walked in on.

Frozen in the doorway to the room, with his eyes closed, the eyes on his cloak seemed to blink in confusion in response to the frozen fight scene in front of him, the two boys looking back at him with slowly growing looks of sheepishness as they slowly lowered their pillows.

It was then that he shook his head lightly, and allowed himself a small smile as he asked “Do I even want to ask what started the battle?”

"GingerBrave called me old!" "I did not!"

Strawberry giggled at her brothers, moving out of the renewed 'war' going on to hug Pure Vanilla, "Hi Dad, how are you?"

Hugging her back with the arm not holding his staff, the adult smiled softly “Better now that I’ve had a chance to relax a bit with a tiny friend for company. How is your garden? Are the plants taking well to the soil?

"Yes! T-they're looking really good and the colors are really pretty." Eyes upturned due to her smile she tilted her head, curious, "What t-tiny friend?"

In reply her father just chuckled and patted her head "The only one I have in my room, of course."

All three children were confused at that, sharing a look wondering what their father was talking about before shrugging, just chalking it up to a quirk of it. "Ok Dad. Are you ready to go to dinner? I wonder what Cook Cookie made today?"

"Whatever it is I know it'll be delicious." Wizard and GingerBrave began making their way out, Strawberry staying by Pure Vanilla's side holding onto his hand.

And so he followed after the two boys, with his hand in Strawberry’s own and a small smile on his face "Yes, I'm sure it will be. No matter the ingredients, the food is always top notch. Though I think I might indulge in something on the sweeter side today."

The girl nodded, swinging their hands back and forth lightly before she looked up, "Will Blueberry Milk be there?"

At the question, she saw her father’s steps falter and his smile fall for a brief moment, before he smiled weakly, and squeezed her hand, even as his voice lowered to a quieter tone “I... I’m not sure. I hope he will, but I can’t say for sure.”

"Well that is a new thing, being missed." The meek voice had both of them jump, turning around to see Blueberry Milk several feet away, hands folded before him. The other looked exhausted, eyes having dark circles behind his monocle despite his soft smile in place. "Good evening Strawberry Cookie, King Vanilla Cookie. I hope I am not intruding? I can leave if you'd prefer."

The moment he recognized it was Blueberry Milk, Pure Vanilla's dull glow strengthened a bit, and the weak smile on his face bloomed into a genuine smile of happiness as he spoke "No, of course you're not intruding, you're always welcome to join us, be it for a meal or just a chat. Would you be willing to accompany us to the mess hall so we can all have dinner? We'd like for you to be there."

Hunched shoulders retreated a little at him not being turned away immediately Blueberry Milk's smile grew a little. He glanced down at Strawberry Cookie, his smile flickering a little before he looked down, getting something from a satchel he wore. The duo saw him retrieve a small green book before taking a step forward, offering it, "I noticed that you seem to like flowers, I want you to have this, as an apology for my...behavior earlier. It's about plants from my time, I doubt many of these are around anymore but it's still interesting, at least I find it to be." Holding it out he looked down, "I will do my best to not lose myself like before child."

Letting go of her father's hand, the girl reached out to take the book, flipping the pages open briefly to look inside, before closing it and holding it to her chest as she looked up at Blueberry Milk for a long, silent moment... And then she was walking forward and wrapping her arms around him, her voice quiet but surprisingly serene, and free of a stutter for once "It's okay. You were just scared. We don't blame you, for being scared." Burying her face in his shirt, her voice could still be heard even as she squeezed his waist lightly "We would be scared of losing our home too. It's okay."

Indigo and gold eyes were wide, light glinting on the monocle as he looked up for help at Pure Vanilla, scared of doing something wrong. When the other, amused but soft smile in place, mimed hugging her back, smile widening when Blueberry Milk hesitantly, very loosely, hugged her back, voice soft. "I still apologize, it won't happen again."

Pure Vanilla hid a frown at the hesitancy in the other's voice and touch, trying to think of how to fix this. But he had a feeling it wouldn't be so easily fixed.

In reply, the girl squeezed him once more, before lifting her head up to look at him, cheeks faintly pink, but eyes slightly upturned "You don't have to apologize, b-but we forgive you anyway." Pulling back a bit, her eyes upturned a little further, and the tiniest hint of the corners of her lips could be seen peeking up from the edge of her hood "Ev-ven if you go all scary like that again, we kn-know now that it's j-just because you're t-trying to protect what you h-have. And that makes it e-easier to understand you. We c-can all work tog-gether, to get us m-more used to it. Gingerb-brave suggested it might h-help us all not be as n-nervous."

"Oh child..." Kneeling down to be eye level with her Blueberry Milk held both her hands in his own, touch as light as he would hold a butterfly. "I...Your words mean a lot to me, truly...but I don't want you to have to get used to it, to me being a Beast like that. It's... I know it's what I am, what I will always be, but I want to be better for you and your brothers. You're so kind to me." Bi-colored eyes closed briefly, a flash of something behind his eyelids before he opened them up again, attempting a smile for her. "I want to be a Cookie for you."

At that she seemed to regard him for a moment, before she nodded, cheeks still faintly pink "And you can be." Squeezing his hands lightly in hers, she continued in a softer tone, as if wanting to impart the same wisdom her brother had given to her "But that d-doesn't mean we c-can't learn to accept y-your beastly traits too. L-life isn't just black and w-white, or good and e-evil. And neither are y-you just cookie or B-Beast. You're both. And t-that's okay." Rubbing her thumbs in little circles just as Pure Vanilla normally did to calm her, she looked into the gold and indigo eyes staring back at her, and repeated softly, as if hoping that he'd listen "That's okay. Y-you don't have to b-be just one."

Blueberry Milk stared into the young eyes before him, the world just the two of them at the moment. A little smile grew on his face, fondness in his gaze. "Are you certain you and your brothers don't want Knowledge? You three certainly exhibit wisdom in spades." Inhaling deeply, exhaling just as slow he reopened his eyes, the action having closed them to center himself. "I'll...I can't make that promise Strawberry Cookie...I can only try. For you, GingerBrave and Wizard."

In reply the girl giggled quietly and nodded, squeezing his hands once more "And t-that's all we ask. That y-you try. We can h-help you find a m-middle ground someday. I'm s-sure of it."

The sage could only squeeze her hands in thanks before standing up, keeping his thoughts private on the subject. He couldn't believe that there was a middle ground, not for him. Looking up to Pure Vanilla the other urged the girl to race off before them to let the others know to set a new plate at their table. When she was gone, only then did the scholar speak, "I want to apologize to you as well."

Opening his eyes a little in surprise, Pure Vanilla stared for a moment, before he let himself smile softly, eyes closing once more, even as the ones on his cloak opened "Why do you think you need to apologize to me? You know I'm not scared of your Beastly form nor traits. If I were, I wouldn't have lasted as Truthless Recluse, would I?" he added with a hint of playfulness, clearly trying to get him to crack a little smile and lighten up a bit.

The Sage looked away at the reminder of what he had done, sighing, "I still left, rather rudely. Not very good in the presence of royalty no? I also made your children uneasy in a place that is meant to be safe for them, a far worse crime in your eyes and in mine. For these, I apologize Pure Vanilla."

Rolling his eyes under his lids, Pure Vanilla huffed quietly "Oh please, we both know I don't care about royal protocol when I'm with friends. And you are my friend, or at the very least, I've grown to consider you as such during our many conversations so far. So that point of so called rudeness? Is completely and utterly moot in my eyes." sighing quietly, he allowed himself a smile "As for scaring the children... You didn't mean to, and as Strawberry so clearly pointed it out, you were just trying to protect what you have grown to care for, from an unknown variable. You just wanted to ensure that your happiness couldn't be taken away by forces outside of your control. And I can't possibly blame you for that." Reaching out with his hand, he hesitated for a moment, before setting a hand over one of Blueberry's forearms, and squeezing it gently in reassurance "I don't blame you for any of it. But it it helps you to hear it, I forgive you. And I don't hold any ill will towards you. I haven't, ever since the Spire."

A cool blue hand rested lightly over the gold after a moment, "I...don't do well when my control is taken from me. It hasn't ended well in my rather long lifetime...let's leave it at that." Sighing once more he met the other's closed gaze, a melancholic smile in place, "You truly are one of a kind, forgiving such transgressions against you."

The smile he got in return was soft and somewhat fond, the healer's closed eyes opening halfway to gaze at him with a strange softness to them that could almost be heard in his tone "It comes easy to me, and even more so, when I can feel for myself the sincerity of people's remorse. And yours?" Squeezing the forearm once again, he smiled warmly "Yours is as genuine as they come. I can't be upset at you when you're already so upset at yourself. Can't bring myself to do so, even if I wanted to, which I don't."

Huffing a little at that, "I don't think anyone can hate me more than I do myself Pure Vanilla for all my failures in my long lifetime." Looking down the hallway, spotting the cracked open door that Strawberry had gone through, the glow of firelight peeking down the darkened way he turned, offering his arm, "I believe we should go join them no? Lest a food fight or some such thing happens without you being there to curb it."

Wanting to refute it, but knowing it'd be futile to try, Pure Vanilla simply made a promise to himself to one day try and help the other heal from his emotional scars, and then placed his hand on the crook of Blueberry Milk's elbow with a chuckle "Yes, probably for the best that we head in. The children may start to get worried about us otherwise."

Together they walked down the corridor, both their hearts a little lighter than before. Making soft chatter they briefly nodded to Blackberry Cookie, the maid finishing up her round in that area before continuing on, not spotting her freezing a little, jaw dropped and eyes wide as she took in how the two were walking before they vanished through the doorway.

"Dad! There you are-Blueberry Milk's here!" GingerBrave leapt up from his chair racing towards them, excited, "We didn't know if you'd join us but then Strawberry said you were here and then Wizard pointed out if you hadn't shown up we don't know how to get a hold of you-" The tirade was halted by Pure Vanilla's laughter at his eldest child.

Gently nudging the child with his staff, Pure Vanilla motioned towards the table with his head, as he spoke between chuckles "Slow down Gingerbrave, let's sit down first, and then you can keep asking your questions, okay?" as the child nodded, the three made their way to the table, Gingerbrave back to his seat, and the two adults taking the seats across from the three children, the smiles on their faces soft and amused "Now, can one of you please tell us what today's dinner is? Because I still don't have a clue, and I'm quite hungry."

While the children took turns filling them in on the jelly steaks, fresh salads and fruit parfait for dessert Blueberry Milk reached into his satchel and after creating some floating card platforms, placed two books on them to float them over to GingerBrave and Wizard, "Here children, I wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier."

Much like Strawberry, the children paused to grab the books and briefly look through them, before both smiled widely, Wizard’s eyes practically sparkling as he looked at Blueberry Milk “I can really borrow this? Really?”

Relieved that his choice of intermediate magical theory offense and defensive spells seemed to be a good choice, Blueberry Milk smiled warmly "Borrow? Young mage, it's yours to keep."

His words seemed to make the child freeze, sparkling eyes widening almost comically, and mouth flapping open and closed without a sound, as Wizard struggled to comprehend the situation (not quite daring to believe it yet), much to his siblings' giggles, Gingerbrave teasing him about his stunned silence, before turning to Blueberry Milk and thanking him for the book about sewing tips and tricks, which would help the brave child get better at his little sewing hobby.

Chuckling himself Blueberry Milk leaned back, "Once everything is a little calmer I'll need to show you my library-" "LIBRARY?!"

All of them jumped at the excited shriek, shushing the excited magician, "W-Wizard! Don't yell like that it's already late." "But Strawberry, I was just offered to see the Headmaster of the Blueberry Yogurt's Academy personal library! How could I not be excited!"

"My word, what would happen if I offered to show him my personal study during a tour?" Blueberry Milk murmured to the King beside him, the man highly amused at his son.

The whispered comment from the healer was tinged with fondness and amusement in equal measure "More than likely you'd face a barrage of questions about what subjects or categories there are, how they're organized, how old the tomes are, and probably an excited rant or two thrown into the mix."

Blueberry Milk snorted "Old? Pure Vanilla 'old' is subjective to me. But the potential excitement of a child for lost magics is always worthwhile...though I surmise that you yourself would be interested?" Taking a sip of his drink he smirked into the cup, the other chuckling a little at the correct insinuation.

Cheeks flushing slightly with a dark tan color, the Healer turned his face away from the scholar, and lifted a hand up to his face to hide his smile, though it was obvious he wasn't trying very hard as he let out a huff of a laugh "Well, I certainly wouldn't say no to an evening spent reading interesting tomes together. After all, I quite enjoyed our debates, both yesterday and today. So having an excuse to indulge a little more would be nice indeed." Turning his face slightly back to Blueberry Milk, he opened his blue eye halfway, and 'peered' at him from the corner of his eye, a few of the eyes on his robes doing the same as he shrugged with an easygoing, serene smile "But I suppose it's up to you, really. After all, they are your books."

"I'd be a poor Virtue Holder indeed if I didn't encourage those seeking knowledge and offering what aid I could." Smiling wider he turned to the children to offer them the same only to pause, head tilting as they all whispered, giggling to one another. "What is so funny? Do I have something on my face?"

The children just grinned back at him, Gingerbrave waving a hand dismissively "Oh, nothing, we were just discussing some upcoming jelly exchanges, nothing much. So, how does your dinner compare to the food of ye olden times? Is it better or worse?"

Blueberry Milk puffed up, trying to do an affronted look but failing entirely, his smile and mirthful gaze giving him away. "I'll have you know young GingerBrave that we did have this back in my day. The nerve why I never."

Wizard and Strawberry burst out into snickers at the over played acting the other was doing, full on theatrical.

Seeing the mischief in the sage's performance, Gingerbrave seemed to consider something for a bit, pursing his lips for a moment as he glanced at Pure Vanilla for a moment, before grinning and tilting his head a bit as he said "I dunno, with how ancient you are, I couldn't be sure."

"Excusez-moi?" Hand over his heart the former jester pouted before pointing at Pure Vanilla, "If anyone is ancient it's him! I mean he is an Ancient Hero, it's even in his name!"

In reply, Pure Vanilla seemed to pause, looking between the grinning child and the pouting sage, before he chuckled and speared a piece of Jelly Steak with his fork "I may technically be an Ancient, but I'll have you know, I have the soul of a young, bright eyed cookie still."

"Plus you were sealed away for those thousand whatever number years unconscious. So technically doesn't count." Eye upturned Wizard Cookie just beamed over his cloak, cheeky as could be at the Sage.

Blueberry Milk couldn't believe it. Attacked from all sides like this! He turned to Strawberry, pleading. "If there's one here on my side..."

For a long, silent moment, the two stared at each other, before Strawberry's eyes crinkled a bit, and she spoke with a hint of playful tone "I mean, you exist-ted before dad was even b-born, right?"

"Betrayed. Bamboozled." Flopping backwards into his chair dramatically Blueberry Milk began to wax poetic over the fate that had befallen him, even making a spotlight shine down with sad music coming from no where.

GingerBrave and Strawberry were wheezing at the show, while Pure Vanilla and Wizard were in awe at the ease the other did magic before them.

It truly never did get old for either of them, seeing the way Blueberry Milk weaved magic around himself and his surroundings, as if it was as natural as breathing.

And it was in this state of playfulness and awe that the group, after calming down a bit, resumed their meal, the children still trading playful jabs with Blueberry Milk, and the man responding with put-upon theatrics solely for the sake of making the children giggle more, a sound that he was sure he'd never get tired of hearing. And if he was truly honest with himself... Hearing Pure Vanilla occasionally smother a laugh, or hide his smile behind a hand, was an added bonus to his good mood.

Much happier than when they first sat down to eat, the meal passed by with laughter and warmth. Blueberry Milk eventually just showing off what he considered parlor tricks for entertainment though from how the other two mages reacted it may have been a bit more than he intended.

Eventually though, as all things do, the fun came to an end with yawning children finishing their meal and then being ushered to their rooms by their father. The Sage watched with a soft look as he hugged each one in turn, kissing their foreheads and wishing them a good night and sweet dreams.

And once the last of them had been put to bed with a smile, the father was stepping out of their rooms, and walking through the hall beside Blueberry Milk, the silence around the two surprisingly comfortable as they walked past the first two kids' rooms to get to their own.

Once they were safely past the rooms without threat of disturbing the children, Blueberry Milk gave a little smile "This was the first dinner I can remember that I've had with friends in a very, very long time. Thank you Pure Vanilla Cookie for this treat."

In reply, the Healer just turned to face him with a soft smile, the upturned eyes on his cloak staring at Blueberry Milk with round, slightly widened pupils as Pure Vanilla spoke "No, thank you for agreeing to join us." at that his smile fell, and he seemed to hesitate, before reaching out to set a hand over Blueberry's forearm, and squeezing once, his tone hesitant even as his touch remained "When you retreated for your Spire, I wasn't sure if you'd return, or if you'd even want to be disturbed at all. Much as I may have wanted to chase after you, I figured that it wasn't really my place to intrude on your space when you were searching for solitude to gather your thoughts in peace, so I tried to occupy myself with something else."

Squeezing the forearm a bit more strongly, the Healer's gentle smile returned, this one a bit warmer and more genuine "But should you ever need some company, be it to talk to, or just to stand with you in silence, so that the space around you doesn't feel as overwhelmingly looming with dread as it does when you're alone, then I am here. I promise you, it is no bother whatsoever to me."

Steps slowing to a stop Blueberry Milk just sighed, "I...needed to gather myself is all. I felt that, what I spoke so candidly before severely upset the children and I should retreat for their peace of mind." He gave a sad smile to the other, "Thank you for your offer though...I appreciate it. I will try to remember that, I just have difficulty remembering that I'm not alone anymore."

Smiling back at him, Pure Vanilla nodded "That is all I ask, that you try." Pulling his hand back, he gave the sage a smile "Well, I wish you a good night, and sweet dreams Blue. May your sleep be restful and serene."

"And you as well," a little playful Blueberry took a step back before taking off his hat in a sweeping bow, "Your Majesty."

Rolling his eyes playfully, Pure Vanilla turned around to head to his room, the smile on his face clearly audible “I'll see you tomorrow morning, you silly man.” and before the other could reply, he was entering his bedroom and closing the door behind him, leaving the sage standing on the hallway alone.

A little flush at the new nickname had Blueberry Milk turn on his heel with a pep in his step, smiling to himself as he went to his room, using magic to change himself into nightwear before settling into the bed. With a wave of his hand the candles went out, letting the moonlight stream in through the tall windows

A serene moment of silence that surrounded him, before sleep claimed him, and he knew nothing of the waking world any more.

Chapter Text

When the morning dawned, it did so with the sound of birdsong outside his window, and the brightness of the early morning sun streaming in through the sugar-spun glass, casting colorful patterns on the floor of his room.

'My what an unusual sight.' Very lazily Blueberry Milk took his time, watching the light and listening to the birds outside for a long moment before moving to get ready for the day, trying out the shower this time and having some fun looking st all the various bathroom liquids he had available, so many new scents to try! Finally settling on a soft vanilla one he went about his cleaning towel drying his cosmic hair before summoning his outfit once more. Humming lightly he began to brush through it wondering if he should braid it today or not.

Eventually deciding that yes, he would, if only to change things up a bit. So he partitioned his hair into three parts, and began slowly working on braiding them together, the repetitive motion working to lull him into a calm state of ease and putting a soft smile on his face as he worked, until he reached the end, at which point he tied the loose ends of his braid with a cream colored bow, happy with how neat his long braid had ended up looking.

Leaving it over his shoulder he grabbed his hat and after checking everything was in order decided to set out for the say, wondering what in store.

He didn't expect to see his friends this early, surely they had duties they had to fulfill? The other Heroes were supposed to arrive, what was it, tomorrow or the say after? Humming an old tune in thought he made his way to the dining hall, curious if there was anyone there.

There were several cookies already in the room, many of them already eating or engaged in conversations with each other, paying no attention to him as he entered and looked around.

The sage froze, looking around at all the unfamiliar Cookies there, slowly backing up to avoid awkward questions he didn't know how to answer when a warm hand brushed against his own causing him to jump.

And as he turned, he found Gingerbrave looking at him with a sheepish smile, even as the child gave a tiny wave with the hand that hadn't tried to grab onto his "Sorry Blueberry, didn't mean to surprise you! You just looked a little unsure, so I figured I'd come and give you a helping hand!" then his eyes widened, and he muffled a giggle as he shook his head "Okay, the pun was unintentional, I swear!"

Relaxing fully in company of the child Blueberry Milk smiled, "Good morning GingerBrave. And it's quite alright."

Grinning brightly, the child reached out and held out his hand, at the same time that he gestured to the kitchen with the other "Wanna come with me and check out what today's breakfast is? I haven't gone looking either, and I'm curious as to what's been made. Whatever it is, it smells good though!"

Following the child's lead, inwardly sighing in relief that there was someone he knew here, the sage allowed himself to be tugged along, watching as GingerBrave greeted everyone by name and with a smile, the greetings returned in kind by several Cookies as he was introduced to them, far too many to remember this early in the morning.

Breakfast, it turned out, was sausage jellies with buttery toast and fresh juice to go with it. Though for himself he got some more of the beverage from the day before, coffee, finding a liking of the slightly bitter drink with the sweetness of their shared meal.

Something that the child noted to himself, and decided to start including more in the other's meals later, knowing firsthand how much other scholars and hard-working cookies came to rely on the drink for an extra boost of energy in the morning. Plus, if it was something that made his new friend smile, then it was worth the effort.

And so the two ate and talked, the child letting the scholar know that he and his siblings had plans to visit some of the production buildings and check on the state of things, as well as pay a visit to some cookie friends hey hadn't seen in a little while. "But Pure Vanilla should be free today, I think he had plans to visit one of the greenhouses, to collect more ingredients for his medicine satchel. Maybe you can look and see if you recognize any from your old days? Can't hurt to check, right?"

"Hmm actually that sounds like a wonderful idea GingerBrave." The chance to see what still remained from his time versus what was new was a delightful prospect and the chance to spend more time with the other, nodding, "I'm most curious what knowledge of herbs has survived so long. It would be quite funny if an important herb for medicine was considered a weed to you all. Perhaps later on if we get done early enough I could take another look at your arrays for you and your siblings?" The offer, hesitant, was a little hopeful, a chance to help his hosts.

In reply, the child beamed, nodding enthusiastically "Of course! I know the Gnomes and Wizard would be elated at getting your help again!" Tilting his head, he giggled "Actually, dad might be too, considering he his studies of magic. I'm still surprised at all the observations he made when we were giving you a tour of the Gnome Laboratory. I hadn't known he had that much passion for the topic."

"Oh yes," The scholar smiled at the child, "Your father was quite the studious Cookie back at the Academy. While he specialized in Healing and Light magic he practically devoured any type of tome on magic he could get his hands on between helping White Lily Cookie with her project. The two were prodigies in their own fields. Though after his crowning he didn't have time for personal projects like that, running his Kingdom and everything that came with it."

The child seemed to ponder on that for a bit, before his blue eyes lit up with glee, and he grinned "Then maybe you could set up a schedule with him? Once a week, you both take a day off to spend together and discuss magic and so on?"

Sipping at his drink Blueberry leaned back, considering the idea and the pros and cons of the other's schedule, not seeing the little plotting look in the child's gaze. "You know that would not be such a bad idea, though with the meeting coming up and your father's ascension back to his throne it'll be a little chaotic. But I did promise him my help however I could with his Kingdom and I plan to keep that promise. So we'll at least be in proximity of one another."

Tilting his head to the side, Gingerbrave put on a concerned face, even as he internally cheered to himself "If you're both gonna be so busy, isn't that all the more reason to take a day's break? Get your minds away from the stress, and just have fun discussing a topic you both have in common? At least during our travels, Dad was always telling us to pace ourselves, and take things slow if we needed to."

"Well I'd be a poor Sage indeed if I didn't follow such wise words young GingerBrave." Blueberry Milk chuckled, nodding at the child. "Very well, I shall endeavor to make sure both King Pure Vanilla and I take a day off to relax from the future stress."

The smile he got back was pleased and smug "Good. Dad needs a break, and you're one of the few people that he'd probably take that break for, if you asked for some time together."

That had the former Beast looking over, pausing in refilling his cup. "Why would you say that GingerBrave? Surely I'm not that important in his eyes. He'd be more likely to rest with you and your siblings, or one of his old friends."

At that the child rolled his eyes, and grabbed his own cup of juice to take a sip before speaking "If one of the other heroes were here, then yeah, maybe. But they're not right now. And while my siblings and I could get him to sit with us and rest his body with no issue..." At that the child looked right at his eyes, with a hint of sadness in his blue ones "I'm sure you know as well as I do that we can't do the same for his mind. Sure, with us he'd be resting physically, but his mind would still be worrying in the background." as be continued, his smile widened a bit and turned more genuine "But with you, it's different. He can't be distracted by his worries, cuz he has to focus so he can answer back at your questions properly. We can't do that for him as well as you can."

"Oh...huh." That had the elder slump backwards, staring into his cup. "Truly? But we've only really spoken just for a few days, and before that? Well all of our relationships weren't the greatest after all. How could he be so invested in spending time with me? Though if it's keeping his mind busy with discussions I can do that. Ohh do you know if he likes debating topics? I love debates, no take backsies!" The Sage giggled a little, mood lightening up from his own worries as he moved to console the eldest child. "I'll do my best by him, you have my word."

The child simply giggled, and shrugged "I don't know if he does, but you can always ask next time you see him. After all, isn't asking questions your entire life's work?" the last was asked with a raised brow and a barely muffled laugh, blue eyes glittering with playfulness and faint relief that he'd accepted the request.

Waving a good morning to a drowsy Wizard and Strawberry, the two children sitting next to their awake brother as they began to work on getting something to eat, Blueberry Milk turned his attention back on the third child, "More spreading Knowledge child. Watching the world learn and helping them do it, helping them find the answers to questions they didn't even know they should ask."

The look Gingerbrave leveled at him then was the epitome of a sarcastic eyebrow raise, his tone not far off despite the clear glee behind his eyes and smile "And I'm pretty sure that, to gain and spread Knowledge, you need to ask questions first, no? So what I said still applies. Your life's work is all about asking questions, and sometimes even answering them."

"I can always find an answer. Even if that means 'No answer'." Lips twitching, highly amused at the child. "After all if I never had answers to questions how would I find the Truth? The arts, academia, technology, magic... Truth exists everywhere young GingerBrave. It's just a matter of finding it, which I happen to used to be pretty good at."

The voice that answered him wasn't Gingerbrave's, but Wizard's grumpy mumble of "Does that truth include the reason why eight full hours of sleep sometimes still leaves you as tired as before you slept in the first place? Because I'd like an answer for that one."

"Actually yes...though judging by your current state you don't want the scientific answer." Smile softening in sympathy he got some juice for the two. "However I happen to know of several different teas that aid in a restful, deep sleep. Even if the length of time is lessened you feel more restful. I was suggested to spend some time with Pure Vanilla in his greenhouse later on, I can see if any herbs or tea leaves that I know of still exist in this time and begin preparing them for you to try."

"That sounds r-really good Blueberry Milk. Thank you." Stuttering though more so from her yawn than nerves, Strawberry gave him a grateful look. "We don't always g-get good sleep."

"With everything you went through, it's no wonder."

The sage's words pulled a tired laugh out of Wizard as he began to cut his sausage jellies "You can say that again." Popping the bite in his mouth, the scholarly child sighed in relief "At least breakfast always lifts our mood, so there's that. Blessed be tasty breakfast foods."

"Hear hear." "Agreed." were his siblings’ replies as they too dug into their food, Gingerbrave mostly finishing his, and Strawberry starting on hers.

Blueberry Milk just snickered softly, letting the time idle by as he kept company with the children, switching to sipping some hot tea as GingerBrave had warned that too much coffee could send him into jitters. Looking up when he heard the familiar steps of the Vanillian King he smiled, only to near choke in shock at the sight. 'Thank Oven I wasn't drinking tea' 

Instead of the usual, regal robes he always wore he was wearing a loose sleeve white cardigan, jeans and black shoes, a robe of sorts over his shoulder pinned with his Soul Jam. Even his hair was different, done up in a messy bun with some pastel blue streaks done in, a partial crown finishing the look. Even his staff was far more mundane, just a simple hollow golden flower with a blue, eye slitted gem inside.

An eye gem that strangely resembled the look of Shadow Milk's jester staff, even though it acted different, as seen by the rotating metal shutters that slid into place to cover and uncover it in what was clearly a blinking motion, similar to a refocusing camera, before the eye swiveled around and locked onto the group, causing Pure Vanilla's serene face to light up in a happy smile, and his steps to rush as made his way over to their table, waving hello with the hand not holding his staff "Good morning everyone! Apologies for the wait, I wanted to change things up a bit today, and it took me a little longer to get ready because of that."

"Dad!" Getting up the children raced over to their father, greeting him with hugs and complimenting him on his outfit choice. While rare it wasn't unusual to see him in a more casual sense when he didn't have anything pressing to do that day. All of them shared secretive smirks when the adults were distracted, having seen Blueberry Milk's reaction. "G-good morning Pure Vanilla, you look good! I must say I don't think I've ever seen you wear pants before-THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT TO SAY!"

Mortified now the other used his hat to hide his blushing face, debating on having the earth swallow him up.

The remark had Pure Vanilla's closed eyes opening halfway in surprise, the nearly invisible white eyes hidden amidst the cream fibers of his cloak widening as well, and his cheeks flushing lightly with dark tan jam, before he quickly brought his free hand to cover his mouth to try and attempt to muffle his laughter, though his shaking shoulders still let anyone watching them see that he was laughing. And upon seeing the way Blueberry Milk was trying to shrink into his seat, Pure Vanilla forced his laughter down to mere giggles as he sat down beside him "Oh goodness, I'm sorry for laughing Blue, I promise I'm not making fun of you, your remark just genuinely caught me off guard."

Letting out a few more giggles, he wiped a tear from his left eye with a finger and smiled brightly at him "Don't worry, I know you what you meant, and you're right, it is not often that I wear something other than my outer robes out in public. It's understandable that you'd be caught off guard as well. I just figured that, since I have quite a few articles of clothing that I've been given by friends throughout the years, but never had a reason to wear, today was as good a time as any to take some of them from storage and give them a try. This was the best looking combination I could put together with the pieces I had. Or at least in my opinion it was."

Taking a moment to try to fight the bright blush on his face Blueberry Milk readjusted his hat, gaze flicking to the other with a soft smile, "It suits you, the outfit I mean. And the softer look, the blues look very nice."

'Oh my Oven he's so awkward he's precious.' The children, having a uniform thought between them, had to muffle their snickers, letting them be for now. The poor Sage was embarrassed enough as is.

"I can appreciate having a change of clothing, though I don't anything of the sort." Gesturing to his own clothing. "Just this and my-well-just this."

The smile that had settled on Pure Vanilla's face at the compliment fell at the last remark, replaced by worry as he set his free hand on Blueberry Milk's forearm "Oh goodness, I'm so sorry, I didn't even think of that! Have you been wearing the same outfit this entire time? We'll need to go get you a few changes of clothes as soon as possible then, what a terrible oversight!"

"Well not the same outfit, just multiple copies of it. It was what I wore long ago when I had my dealings at the Academy and other duties." Patting the other's hand he gave a little smile, "No worries. Besides I wouldn't know the first place to begin! It was not something high up on my list of important necessities at the time."

Pursing his lips in worry, Pure Vanilla seemed to mull over it before nodding to himself "Then we'll go searching for a few new outfits for you after we eat, and if you still don't find anything you like by the end of it all, then maybe I can show you some of the other pieces I have in storage? As I said, I have a lot of them from over the years, and if you'd make better use of them, then that's better than them gathering dust in my closet."

Nodding as he finished up his meal, taking the empty plates to be washed later by the castle staff at Strawberry's instructions, "That sounds good, I have no plans for today. Oh though I would like to take a look at your garden, see if there's anything for sleeping teas for the children."

Staff blinking at that, Pure Vanilla took a moment to register that, before he smiled softly "Oh, of course! I'm sure a few of the plants with calming or anesthetic properties could be of use in that. Or maybe you'll think of different combinations than the ones I know, I suppose we'll only know when we get there. But first, shopping." Turning to face the kids, he smiled "You had those check-ins to do today, right? Good luck then, and I suppose we'll meet again here at lunchtime then?"

"Yep, we'll see you then dad!"

After bidding their goodbyes to the children the two set off, relaxed and enjoying the crisp morning. It was still early enough that only the early risers were out and about, the day beautiful with a nice breeze blowing strands of hair about.

Without his royal regalia no one bothered them, not recognizing Pure Vanilla at first, merely just a familiar cookie. Without the eyes on them both Blueberry Milk was far more relaxed, chatting lightly with his companion, pointing at various buildings or wares, asking about the origins of them that Pure Vanilla knew before offering his thoughts on them.

And so they went, trading opinions and information back and forth, while Pure Vanilla guided them to the scattered few boutiques in the Kingdom, from the smaller, relatively unknown ones, to Sugar Coat Cookie's salon in the Town Square, wanting Blueberry Milk to have the chance to look around and choose for himself what he may want, in terms of outfits.

They spent quite some time in the boutique, Blueberry Milk taking the time to check out the various new fashions in this era, amazed at the materials, colors and styles. "My word there's a lot here isn't there? I'm honestly a little overwhelmed." Turning to Pure Vanilla who seemed right at home in the store with his current outfit it struck Blueberry right then how much he stuck out with his dated outfit.

"Indeed, the selection of colors and styles nowadays is leagues above what it was when I was a little kid. It overwhelmed me too, the first time I was led into one of these stores by my friends. Especially when they asked me to pick and match outfits." shaking his head with a fond chuckle, Pure Vanilla reached out for a black shirt with accents of gold, and brushed a finger over the gold embroidery as he spoke with a smile "Frankly, I was terrible at it back then, especially considering that most of my usual clothes were made of similar materials and design, so I had no reason to want to deviate. Plus, most of the time I'd be wearing my robes over the outfit regardless, so I didn't see much point to getting a whole new wardrobe just to sit idle most days. So in the end, me and my friends came to the agreement that, if they found something that they thought would suit me well, they would buy it, and gift it to me the next time they saw me. It's part of why I have so many unused pieces in storage."

Walking over to the the black and gold shirt, eyeing it interested, "That color is quite nice. It reminds me of...well it's nice." Leaning back to look around the store once more, walking over to the pant section, "These are like yours, no? This strange material, it seems sturdy."

Turning his staff to look, Pure Vanilla grinned as he made his way over "Yes! Apparently they're made of a fabric called denim, that was originally created a few centuries ago, and it's quite sturdy, but can also be quite flexible depending on the type of denim and the intended use. And although most cookies and stylists apparently use it for pants specifically, there's some that also use it for jackets, vests, and even accessories! It's apparently quite versatile."

"Hmm I quite like yours..." Muttering softly to himself Blueberry picked out a pair that he liked that looked roughly his size he glanced at the other with a smile, "I'm going to try these ones. But I'm not sure of a shirt, can you find me one?"

In reply the healer nodded with a warm smile "Of course! Do you have any preference for colors beyond blue? That way I can try to find hues that you'd like."

"I like that black and gold you showed earlier, so something similar if possible." Tossing over his shoulder as he went into the dressing room, vanishing his clothing. Studious not looking in the mirror behind him the Sage began changing, happy to note he had guessed correctly on the size.

Making note of the preference, Pure Vanilla went about the boutique, searching for black and gold shirts or top pieces in a size below his own, having noticed that Blueberry Milk's frame was slightly smaller than his, and as such, might need a different size from him. And once he'd had his four picks, he draped them over his arm, and walked back to the dressing room area, speaking up to let his friend know he was here "I've found two long-sleeved shirts that are mostly black with golden accents and embroidery, one of which has golden-yellow decals of the sun; a sleeveless vest with golden swirls like a fern, and finally, a tank top with a pile of coins stamped on the bottom. It's a little silly, but it looked a little fun."

'Odd choices but if he thinks they're ok...' "I'll give them a try. Are there any sweaters or something to wear over them? I get cold easily sometimes so I like layers to combat that." Taking the clothing he began trying them on one at a time, humming softly to himself as he tried them out, getting a feel for the materials, etc, etc.

“I'll go look.” and with that the healer was off, searching for sweaters and hoodies in black or gold, but also grabbing a few dark blue and black ones that he found as well, bringing them for his companion to try.

It was quite fun to try out the newer era styles. While some he didn't care for there were a few he did end up getting (Pure Vanilla sneakily paying of course). Settling on a dark blue long sleeve shirt with a light blue sweater to wear over that along with the jeans he left the fitting room, vanishing his old clothes he stepped out. "Well? What do you think?"

Both the eye in the staff and the Eyes hidden in his cloak blinked at the question, taking in the outfit for a couple long seconds, before the latter ones became upturned as Pure Vanilla smiled warmly “You look comfortable and at ease, it looks great on you Blue!”

"Really?" Hopeful and pleaded Blueberry Milk moved his braid behind him. "It's so different, but extremely comfortable I will admit. This was fun!" Walking up the sage smiled before pouting when the Cookie told him the other had already paid, the King smirking. "Pure Vanilla!"

Turning his face to his companion, Pure Vanilla opened his blue eye and peered at his companion with an innocent expression, despite the faint amusement in his smile “What is it? Did something else catch your eye?”

Eye twitching Blueberry considered throwing a fuss....but didn't.

The thought of not accepting the other taking care of him in this small way upset him. Oh how he'd learn the hard way in the future. 

His own decision surprised him a little but outwardly showed no sign, shrugging with a dramatic sigh "Just a sheep in wolf's clothing. But c’mon was there anything else you feel I'm required to have?"

Tilting his head, the healer seemed to consider it, before shrugging “Maybe some shoes or jackets as well if you want any? I think it's good to have a variety of things to choose from, in case you want to try a new combination another day, but it's up to you, really. Regardless of your choice, we can always come back another day to browse more in-depth if you'd like? After all, fashion is an ever-changing tide that waits for no one.” he finished with a quiet chuckle, remembering the words from one of his old vanillian tailors who was particularly passionate about his craft.

Chuckling at that Blueberry agreed on putting it off for another day to browse some more, done with clothing shopping for a bit. Together they decided to go to a café Pure Vanilla liked to frequent to people watch a little before heading to his personal greenhouse.

At his recommendation Blueberry Milk got a 'chai' drink of sorts, unflavored so he could get a base to work off of while the King got a strawberry chai drink, letting the other sip to taste it. They spent an hour just relaxing, watching the streets fill out with passersby, Pure Vanilla murmuring the names of who he knew, what they did to the best of his knowledge that way the sage could try to start putting names to faces.

After some time, drinks long finished, they took Blueberry's shortcut back to the castle as the streets were packed in the mid morning rush, both sighing in relief at the calmness of the Castle. "My word, this truly is a bustling Kingdom!"

Something that the healer chuckled at, nodding as they walked calmly beside one another “Indeed, and it's only getting more lively as cookies settle into their day to day lives, as traders come and go, and as progress is established. It's a lovely sight for sure, but sometimes it can get a tad bit overwhelming.”

Having only had the Academy, which limited Cookies even allowed in, to then being sealed stuck with only four others for ages, to only having Black Sapphire and Candy Apple, the other nodded empathetically, "I agree on that. I hope I get used to it, otherwise I'll be finding a nice quiet tower to overlook everything in peace and quiet."

Smile softening, the healer turned his head to him "And if you don't get used to it, you could always recreate your Spire outside the bounds of the Kingdom, or within a protective dome of your own here. That way you'll always have a completely private space to retreat to, should you need it."

"I've seen some magnificent structures floating around, so I considered it...but would the children truly allow it? Or you even? After what you four went through I was honestly amazed you'd even want to step foot in my Spire again." With Pure Vanilla leading the way the duo took a leisurely walk to the greenhouses. "It's quite a lot to handle, and asking that of you is a lot. I can just keep it as is, a doorway so no one has to see it that would make them uncomfortable."

Humming quietly, the healer just shrugged "Like we said yesterday, in a different context, your spire would have made a great challenge for cookies looking to challenge themselves. Personally I think it wouldn't be a bad idea to maybe try something like that, but I suppose we can always ask the children later and see what they think."

Chapter Text

Blinking as something occurred to him just then, Pure Vanilla turned to the scholar "Speaking of your Spire, I was just reminded of something I meant to ask you before. I remember you summoning some kind of starry portal in the air and taking something from within. Was that something innate to your powers, the Spire, or your other-realm?"

"Hm oh that. A bit of all three actually. The Spire is tied basically to my other-realm and I as well. In there I can feasibly do whatever I want, whenever I want...which was why it was such a terrible shock when you took control of it." Giving a wry smile to show no harm done.

At that Pure Vanilla seemed to nod, a pensive expression on his face as the grip on his staff tightened imperceptibly, the eyes on his cloak seeming to narrow a bit in thought, and the eye on his staff going still as it stared ahead, unfocused while the healer thought.

The two had stopped in one of the side hallways, empty but for them. Blueberry Milk frowned in worry, reaching out, pausing before setting a hand on the shoulder. "Are you well Pure Vanilla? We can rest a moment."

All the eyes blinked at the touch, the eye staff and a few of the ones on his cloak refocusing and shifting to gaze at the scholar, as Pure Vanilla nodded "Yes, I'm alright, just... Curious about something, but I'm unsure of whether I should ask or leave my curiosity as just that. I don't want to seem impolite, considering how interconnected the topic is with your sense of self. The last thing I want is to cross any of your comfort boundaries with my idle thoughts."

"You'll never know the answer if you don't ask the question Pure Vanilla." The Sage of Truth smiled, eyes kind. "If we only asked questions on things that wouldn't harm us, then we'd only be led to Deceit. Please ask away. If it's truly uncomfortable for me I'll just say so and not answer, no harm done I promise."

The permission given had Pure Vanilla chewing on his lower lip for a few seconds, debating with himself, before he gave a sheepish look and pulled his staff a bit closer to himself in a nervous gesture, his cheeks slightly tinged with dark tan jam "Would it be too presumptuous or forward of me, to ask if you'd be willing to teach me how to access and control, the piece of the other-realm that I took over when I deceived you and ascended? I admit I've been terribly curious about since I realized it was still there at the edge of my perception, but I wasn't entirely sure how to do so. And with you here, I just..." As he continued, his tone lowered and his shoulders rose a bit with nervousness, as he drew his staff a bit more in front of him, as if trying to hide behind it "Figured it'd be easier to ask you, since it was originally yours in the first place? You don't have to of course! I wouldn't want to impose on you!"

"Is that why you haven't touched it? Because you don't know how? I thought-" Blueberry Milk cut himself off, looking away, gaze lowered and form hunching a little. "I-I had thought..." Shaking himself a little he turned back to the other, smile back in place but Pure Vanilla could see hints of cracking. "I'd be honored to teach you how to access it. It's quite simple, once you get the learning curve of it."

The acceptance caused Pure Vanilla's shoulders and whole form to relax in relief, the eyes on his cloak going half closed as he smiled in relief "Yes, in a way. I wanted to try and tap into it, maybe even peer through it to check on how you were faring, like I saw you do back when I was still living in the Spire of Deceit as Truthless Recluse, but even though I can sense it at the edge of my perception, and sometimes it feels like it's right within my grasp, I can never really seem to hold on to it properly." Letting out a sigh, he gave the scholar a sheepish smile tinged with a hint of exasperation, his free hand rolling in the air in a little helpless gesture "I can't quite seem to figure it out, even though it feels like I should be able to. It's been a bit frustrating, if I'm honest."

Indigo and gold eyes widened, jaw dropping slightly, hand grasping at nothing before the other collected himself. "I see...erm yes. I see how. You were attempting to use your magic of sorts yes? That won't work besides letting you sense it. It requires your will, molding it to your liking. It is a part of you after all now, therefore you shape it."

Walking closer he moved behind the other, moving his arm alongside the others before raising it up. Head close to the other's Blueberry adopted his 'Sage' tone in teaching, kind yet firm, expecting one to find the answer but being there to help. "You aren't commanding something into being. You are willing a part of yourself to do something, to appear where you want it. It's there, you just need to open it, like so."

Placing his palm over the back of the other's hand, overlapping their fingers Blueberry Milk tugged with his will onto the other half of the other-realm that had been dormant, coaxing the other to follow along. Together they watched a swirling mass of dark blue and deep gold open before them. "See...there we go. You feel that? The part connected to you? Shaped and done and commanded by our willpower, for it is that drive we use to determine what is Truth and Deceit."

The sudden closeness and careful but purposeful touches to guide him along had Pure Vanilla's eyes opening halfway in surprise, cheeks going a little darker in the process, before his attention was pulled away by the feeling of something at the edge of his perception shifting, something within himself shifting and sliding into place with an odd sense of new awareness (just like the Eyes in his cloak that he'd now grown used to), bringing with it a feeling of warmth, that soon manifested itself into awe as that awareness spread to the space above their hands, coalescing into gold swirls that mixed with the deep, midnight blue of Blueberry's own other-realm.

And where the two colors swirled together, Pure Vanilla could vaguely sense something new, an exchange of two opposing sensations. The first, a gentle warmth like that of sunlight over his dough, a feeling that he was pretty sure came from his own golden swirls, familiar like the pull of his Light magic. And on the other side of his awareness? A soothing chill, like that of a cool autumn night, or a chill breeze in a warm spring day. A feeling that a small part of him wanted to bury itself in, and immerse itself fully within, never to come out.

And the next moment he was being pulled back from his thoughts by Blueberry Milk's voice beside his head, forcing him to focus back on the present. Swallowing to wet his throat, he nodded, as he let his gaze, from his yellow and sky blue eyes as well as the ones on his cloak and staff too, focus on the swirling colors merging together in a mesmerizing pattern "It feels... Different from before. Not bad, just... New. I think it'll take me a little bit to adjust, but I see what you mean by it being different than normal magic... Feels almost as strange as when I was trying to get the hang of the Eyes of Truth in my cloak."

"It's a part of you now. It feels most odd because it's both of us together. I am going to pull back now, I want you to try to stabilize it yourself. Don't get discouraged if you can't get it the first time alright?" Blueberry Milk before before withdrawing from the warmth of the other, the deep blue fading away as well.

As Blueberry Milk pulled back and let his own will over the other-realm fade away, Pure Vanilla felt a pang of something form in his chest, a feeling he didn’t know how to name, but that he didn’t get the chance to dwell on, as his attention was pulled back to the feeling of awareness above his palm. He focused on it, tried to will it to remain as he allowed himself to take it in, and though it wavered a bit unsteadily at first, the gold swirls seeming to go transparent in some places, it soon settled into a stable surface, rippling with deep gold and cream swirls, and tiny sky blue sparkles glittering within.

His Soul Jam glowing brightly, just as much as his own smile Blueberry Milk took a step forward, "Well done Pure Vanilla! Your skill as a mage is evident, you did it! I'm so proud of you." Inspecting it, monocle glinting in the gold light he turned, eyes wide and beaming. "Would you like to go in?"

Caught off guard by the question, Pure Vanilla blinked in surprise, before shrugging with a sheepish smile “Ah, yes I suppose? Do I need to will the entrance to grow bigger? I'm not fully sure how to do this I admit. You made it look so effortless.”

The Sage chuckled softly at the look. His enthusiasm lessened a bit, eyes understanding even if the other didn't get why at first "We don't have to go in. The fact you did this is remarkable in itself. We can stop. It's entirely at your pace Pure Vanilla."

Pausing, Pure Vanilla looked at the swirling golds for a moment, before turning back to the other with a sheepish smile “Okay, I do want to go in, I'm mostly just worried that I may lose control over it and trap us inside accidentally.” looking once more between the mini portal and Blueberry, he smiled hopefully “Would you be willing to supervise and give me some more pointers just in case? You have more experience with this than I do, and I'd feel more reassured that way.”

Blueberry Milk moved to say something, to refute something said, before he hesitated, changing at the last moment. "Of course, I was going to go with you regardless. While we enter through your half that you er...won, it is still connected to mine when some of it returned to me. And you don't need to make it bigger, we just step through together."

Nodding, Pure Vanilla focused back on the portal, and after enlarging it just a tiny bit (his mind demanding it of him) he placed his hand on the crook of Blueberry Milk's arm, and smiled "So we just... Step through?"

Curling his elbow more to tuck it closer, his other hand resting over it Blueberry nodded, "Just like walking through a doorway."

With a nod and a breath in for confidence, Pure Vanilla stepped through, Blueberry Milk right at his side.

And upon passing through the warm surface of the portal, they found themselves standing in the shores of a great golden lake made of the same swirls as the portal itself, with trees and fields stretching out beyond the edges of the water, in an idyllic portrayal of the rural countryside.

An intrigued noise escaped Blueberry Milk as he looked around in awe. "How beautiful...the fields when you were young I think? Incredibly beautiful." When asked about the comment he answered only half paying attention to his words "Oh I wasn't able to come here to look, it's your area and was locked to me."

The smile on Pure Vanilla's face froze and fell then, as his eyes widened, while the hand on Blueberry Milk's arm went lax, the healer's voice a quiet, weak thing "I locked you out?"

Blueberry Milk froze, brain catching up with what he just said in his moment of lapse before he sighed, looking away before nodding. "I...You took the other-realm Pure Vanilla, remember? For that time it was yours, all of it."

At his admittance, Blueberry Milk felt the hand on his elbow fall away and heard a hitch of breath from his companion, as Pure Vanilla brought his free hand to his mouth and his staff closer to his torso, his voice tinged with horror "I thought I'd only taken a part of it, I didn't know I'd-" pressing his hand harder against his mouth, he took a step back, his heterochromatic eyes staring at Blueberry Milk's dejected stance with a growing prickle of heat, not even noticing the way the pale gold sky above them and the fields surrounding them were losing their hues and turning darker, from gold to silver and then grey, his muffled voice reflecting his aching heart "Oh Witches, no wonder you were so angry at me! I deceived you, took over one of your remaining safe spaces, and then locked you out of it unknowingly... By the Oven, you must have thought me a cruel monster hiding behind a fake smile."

The glow of the world around him had Blueberry Milk looking up in shock before at Pure Vanilla, eyes wide in shock, "Vanilla...Pure Vanilla!" The healer, despondent as he was, didn't hear the other's calls. The world grew colorless around them, clouds rolling in with the howling winds, the world echoing the pain in Pure Vanilla's heart, unconsciously calling out. "Pure Vanilla!"

The healer was shocked when the other pulled him into his arms, moving his face to hide in his shoulder. "Pure Vanilla you must calm down, please! It's...it's ok. It'll be ok." The winds roared around them, the tall grass in the fields waving like a roaring ocean. Blueberry Milk looked around, the wind whipping his own tears away before placing a hand on the other's head, holding him close and shielding him. "It...I won't lie. I was hurt. I was scared, and hurt, and so angry at everything. And I was just so close to giving up on everything and just ending it all. I had nothing else, I felt like I had nothing left. When I thought I had finally gained someone that understood me and everything I had, little as it was, was ripped from me." The gale around them forced them to their knees, Pure Vanilla crying in his arms. 

He sighed softly, feeling the debris around them, voice somehow heard over the storm. "You...you really didn't know...did you." The Sage hugged the other closer, murmuring into the golden hair. "Yes...you did. You have no idea just how powerful you truly are now, do you? I may have more knowledge on magics and spells and ancient knowledge, but you surpass me leagues in raw power. You beat me at my own game, you gained control of my own other-realm entirely, and in doing so locked me out of my home...I thought you were mocking me and I couldn't believe how cruel you were, doing what you did in front of everyone, just rubbing salt in my wounds to break me like I had you. And then when I tried to go back to heal, I couldn't. It was locked to me and I had thought-thought that your offer was a trap, you meant to trap me in my own other realm under your control. I didn't want to believe you were like them but-"

Hugging the other tighter he shook his head, hair wild and messy in the braid blowing all over the place. "I managed to get a portion back through sheer will power, and there I rested, healed, watching you. I thought you were taunting me more, when you never touched upon the other-realm you controlled, locking it down. It never occurred to me that you just didn't know how, I wasn't able to see past my own anger. But the more I watched you the more I came to see you in a new light. How kind, thoughtful and generous you truly were. And I had thought more on that day, analyzing your words, actions and more, comparing them to how you were with literally anyone else. And do you know what I saw?" Pulling the other back gently to stare into those glassy eyes Blueberry managed a small smile, "No difference. You treated stranger and friend, ally and enemy, the same way. Stars above you're even trying to find a way to safely stop Dark Enchantress, to turn her back to White Lily to merge with the remnants of her here. Your heart is so full of compassion Pure Vanilla, so I had thought 'Maybe, he meant what he said'. And that thought is what cemented my decision to help you."

Dull yellow and sky blue eyes stared back at Blueberry Milk full of regret and pain, tears falling down pale tan cheeks, his horror, regret, heartache revulsion 'how could you hurt him like that' sapping the color from his cheeks and leaving him looking like he'd seen a ghost. For several long moments, the healer didn't move, as if frozen in time, but then slowly, the vicious winds around them slowed, and the rippling water beside them stilled, though the colors didn't return even as tan hands rose to rest over sweater covered shoulders, resting there for a moment, before they tightened a bit, and a quiet pleading murmur slipped past his pale lips. "Is there a way I... That I can give it back to you? Or is the damage I did irreversible?"

Indigo and gold eyes softened at that, his own tears falling slowly. Two hands rose up to clasp at the other's own, bringing them down, holding them between his own. "Unfortunately...no. It's a part of you now, just as it is me. You are the stronger of the two of us so it's bonded to you more. Your half of our Soul Jam, Pure Vanilla. And this place was created via it's power. However, should you will it you can give me half of it. That'll be all it'll allow I think. But...the fact you want to at all, means a great deal to me. I'd...I'd very much appreciate it if you did...and if possible...would you allow me to visit your half? It was quite beautiful and peaceful." The last bit was said in a hopeful tone, looking around as little spots of color began to bleed through, turning back to the King. "You truly didn't know...I see that now. I'm not angry Pure Vanilla. You didn't know, it wasn't your fault, not entirely. It's ok."

Swallowing harshly to keep the sob that threatened to rise from his throat down, Pure Vanilla nodded and lifted Blueberry's hands up closer to his face while lowering his head to press his forehead to their clasped hands, his voice a weak, tremulous thing "I want to, yes. Please, Blueberry Milk... Please, tell me how. I don't-" unable to stop it, he let out a single sob, as he pressed their hands further into his forehead and brows half hiding his face in his own wrists as he pleaded "Tell me how to will it back to you. I don't know how."

A brush of something against his forehead had him pause a little, Blueberry Milk lowering their hands between them, clasping them together with a faint little blush on his cheeks, smile growing.

"You already are...look." Nodding to the distance the two could see a divide in the sky growing in an arch almost coming towards them. The grey scale eaten away by rich hued blues and whites, closed and some open eyes blinking about and drifting like clouds. Tall, impossible towers and stair cases, archways and tunnels began growing, weaving across, brightening the area with light and color. It stopped after a bit, still a ways away from them but taking up all of the distance that they could see left and right. "This place is controlled by our will, you did that Pure Vanilla, all on your own." Turning back the Sage of Truth met a watery gaze, hopeful and relieved. "See? I knew you could do it, you're a natural."

Seeing the Spire's features bleeding into the scenery, taking over entire fields and shifting the grey skies into deep midnight blue and white, Pure Vanilla felt the ache around his heart slowly easing, and a weak smile tug at his lips as he watched it finally settle. And though there was still a bit too much of his own side still in view, he supposed there would be time to coax more of it to change later. For now, it was a good start in apologizing for his mistakes. Closing his eyes, Pure Vanilla leaned forward to rest his forehead on Blueberry Milk's shoulder, and took a shaky breath in, before letting it out in a sigh, voice still weak “I am still terribly sorry for the pain inflicted upon you Blueberry Milk.” squeezing the hands in his, he closed his eyes tight, while the water beyond them slowly but surely began to regain its golden hues “I promise, I will do better by you from now on, and work to gain your forgiveness.”

"That's impossible because I've already forgiven you Pure Vanilla." Relaxing now that the other was calming down he smiled at the blonde head, squeezing back. "I've forgiven you, please forgive yourself for an accident out of your control ok? You didn't know, and I was too angry to see the Truth. But it's ok now." Coaxing the other to turn his head from his shoulder to see he pointed once more. An orb of magic floated there, an even mix of bright auric and deep sapphire, swirling where they met. "This is a representation of the other realm. It was like this moments ago." A matching though very different orb appeared, the gold dwarfing the blue easily before it vanished, leaving the first for them to watch.

Staring at the orb with perfectly even, opposing colors swirling together, Pure Vanilla felt his unease slowly diminishing, and his heart settling into a calmer rhythm, shoulders slumping with relief “Thank goodness. I don't know what I'd have done, had it remained as it was. Probably spiral further.” letting go of one of Blueberry's hands, Pure Vanilla reached into an inner pocket of his cloak, and pulled out a familiar handkerchief to dry his cheeks and eyes, emotions settling back into a more neutral space, thankfully. Still nowhere close to the easy atmosphere they'd started off as when they first stepped in, but less heavy than a few minutes prior.

"I didn't mean to have you this upset Pure Vanilla. For that you have my apology." The two of them were sitting down now fully, looking over the brightening fields. Blueberry Milk's gaze was away, looking over everything as the orb faded from view. "Did you still want to continue learning, or would you rather stop for now?"

Tears wiped away and heart a little lighter, Pure Vanilla took a deep, calming breath in, and let it out in a sigh, before turning back to Blueberry Milk with a frown “Don't apologize for telling me the truth. I'd much rather find out now and deal with the heartache and regret, than let the misunderstanding remain and fester between us.” sighing, he looked down at the hand he still held in his, and gave it a hesitant squeeze “I don't know if there's other moments in which I may have hurt you or made you feel somehow lesser, but if I did, I want to apologize for them too. You've already gone through so much strife, and the last thing I want to do is add even more emotional scars and trauma to what you're already carrying. I don't want my ignorance to become one more invisible shackle on you.” Rubbing a thumb lightly over the back of the cool hand in his, Pure Vanilla's tone softened “You deserve to have a good support network, people who'll be there to lift you up and support you when you can't do it yourself. And I want to be part of that network if I'm allowed to be, but to do so, I can't live in ignorance of the weights I have placed on you, intentionally or not.”

A wry smile grew on the blue face near him, looking back at Pure Vanilla "You're one of the first to ever tell me they'd rather have a bitter Truth than a sweet Lie....thank you."

Seeing the smile aimed at him, Pure Vanilla felt his own lips curl slightly in response, his tone softening “Of course. I meant it, when I said I wanted to help you, to be there for you. I don't want to have any further hurtful misunderstandings between us if I can help it.”

"Thank you Pure Vanilla. And I forgive you, for all of it. And please don't blame yourself, while the actions were in a way from you, it needed to be done. I had to be stopped, and you were just protecting yourself, your children and all of Earthbread from a very real, very dangerous threat. You not only stopped that, but gained power for yourself to do that in the process, giving you and the others a better chance. I was your enemy, it's alright." The Sage's eyes were soft, understanding, vulnerable in a way. "Its...nice. That this is how it is, a way for me to see I'm not alone here, now that you know you can access it. Do you feel alright? No backlash?" Cool hands took the other's face, overlooking it to ensure he wasn't ill or any after effects. The chill felt amazing to Pure Vanilla, especially after his crying, the cold chasing away the puffiness.

Closing his eyes and leaning his face into the cool palms (the same soothing coolness that he'd felt when the other had shown him how to connect to his other-realm a coolness that he'd come to associate with the Sage), Pure Vanilla sighed and smiled softly "No, no pain nor any discomfort from this. Only the remnants of worry from before, but even those will pass as well, now that I see your side returning. It's a big relief, knowing I haven't ruined this place for you. Knowing I can make up for my mistake."

"Pure Vanilla, it wasn't a mistake." Taking the other's chin to ensure he was paying attention he continued, "I. Had. To. Be. Stopped. It was necessary for many reasons. And while the aftermath of that wasn't something I ever expected, nor wanted due to things, it still led us here and now, myself returned to the Sage of Truth. Things are getting better. I'm more or less healed from that incident, and it will be better that I have more of my other-realm and thus, more of myself returned to me. It's quite alright."

Half open eyes, yellow and sky blue, stared back into gold and indigo, both of them frozen for one long moment of silence, before Pure Vanilla sighed and smiled with a nod "Very well, then I'll try not to apologize for this again." pulling his face back, he grabbed onto the sage's hand with his, and gave it a squeeze, before he looked at him, smile gone "But should something like this happen again? Should I somehow hurt you without knowing, please, tell me as much. Don't let me believe all is well when you're hurting because of me. Can you promise me this much at least?"

The Scholar looked down at their hands, giving a slow nod. "I'll...do my best to inform you, if something happens in the future. I can make that promise at least." 'Because sometimes, it's just easier to lie.' He looked up giving a little smile, eyes amused, "Though I doubt something will happen on this scale again, I wouldn't be as much of a threat to you as I am now and how you are now currently."

Smiling slightly back, Pure Vanilla's shoulders relaxed "You may not pose a threat to me any longer, but I still do not wish to hurt you, even accidentally. And while I don't know what the future will hold, it's still entirely possible that in trying to help you, I might unintentionally hurt you without realizing it. And if I do, I'd rather know, so I can apologize and make amends."

Rolling his eyes the blue Cookie just shook his head, "You really don't know how powerful you are right now, do you. Though you're accurate in the 'threat' statement."

Pausing at the words, Pure Vanilla pulled back, letting Blueberry Milk's hand go in favor of grabbing the blue eye staff he'd dropped on the ground earlier, his yellow and sky blue eyes half closed and staring in confusion "What do you mean?"

"Hmm...how to describe this...the Virtues, myself and my siblings, we were the strongest on Earthbread long ago. We had unlimited power, only being bested by the Witches, our creators." A brief history lesson then to start off with, Blueberry Milk creating little puppets to go along with the story, showing the tale as it was told. "They had given us power to reshape the world into a paradise which we did for thousands of years...until our fall. As Beasts our power grew to untold heights, because we had no morality to limit ourselves. The world was our plaything to do with what we wished, we had never been denied before. Then the Witches sealed-" His voice broke on the word, "-us into the Silver Tree, stealing the Virtues from us and breaking them in half, the Ancient Heroes, you and your friends at some point later, getting half of the purified power of the Soul Jams, while we retained the corrupted half. This you know. But when you bested me in my Spire, when you 'awakened' essentially, you surpassed your limitations that you had had. You combined Truth and Deceit into one, Knowledge, once more, with you as the primary Holder of it. You are on par with us in our prime eons ago."

Gasping in surprise, Pure Vanilla lifted a hand up to his face, gaze worried and fearful, but not for himself "I did what?? Oh stars, I'm sorry Blue! I didn't mean to do so, I promise!" lowering his hand to rest over one of the scholar's forearms, he gazed at him with worry "I swear, I thought I'd only awakened to the Truth I'd been searching for, not that I'd somehow overtaken your role! Oh goodness, is there a way I can change it? Or help you regain it as well like I did with the other-realm?"

"Pure Vanilla! Goodness Cookie, if I had known that just stressing you out would defeat you utterly I would have sent you paperwork or something as Shadow Milk." Huffing a little the Sage took the other's hand, squeezing it. "I know you didn't mean to, it's alright. You were able to do what I never could, thus, you're more worthy of the full power of the Soul Jam. Simple as that."

Pursing his lips in a frown, not satisfied with the logic but not knowing how to fix it, Pure Vanilla sighed deeply and squeezed the hand in his, brows furrowing as he nodded to himself "It's not alright, but since I don't know how to fix it, I suppose I'll just have to keep searching for an answer as we help each other along. I promise you, I will find a solution one day."

Blueberry Milk frowned back, "What for? It is not hurting you is it? It should not be."

"No, but I do not like knowing I have unintentionally stolen even more from you. I'll find a way to make it right eventually, even if it takes some work." Standing from his sitting position, he helped Blueberry Milk up to his feet as well with a smile "But nevermind that, I believe we had a realm to see before we got distracted by these revelations, didn't we?"

Chapter Text

Wanting to lighten the atmosphere Blueberry Milk leaned back dramatically, a card rising up for him to lean on, putting a hand to his forehead like a damsel, "Oh woe is me if you had but said such a thing when we were in the Spire, admitting you stole my precious Soul Jam."

Seeing the dramatic gesture Pure Vanilla paused, tilting his head for a moment in thought, before giving a small playful smile and making a dismissive circle with the hand not holding his staff as he replied "Yes, yes, you would have fallen at my feet in shock and awe, I am well aware of it."

A jaw dropping and Blueberry Milk bursting out laughing, holding his side and would have fallen if not for his card catching him, the sage not expecting that in the slightest. The absolute snark! "Oh stars alive! That was incredible hahaha we truly are two halves of the same coin to have that sort of humor! Oh my goodness I love you." Laughing out, near wheezing the Sage had to wipe at his eyes, taking off his monocle.

Seeing the Sage burst into such free, unburdened laughter made something within Pure Vanilla soften and preen with pride, only for his eyes to then widen at the last remark, not having expected such a thing out of the scholar either. Though after a moment to collect himself, watching the Sage put his monocle back on, his smile softened, and he allowed himself a tiny chuckle, shoulders relaxing from the momentary surprise "I do have a sense of humor, you know? You just didn't strike the right chords as Shadow Milk, is all." lifting his hand to his face to hide his smile, his mismatched eyes crinkled a bit (the ones hidden in his cloak doing the same) as he added in a casual manner "Not my fault you were a bit too focused on throwing passive-aggressive remarks at me, rather than finding what type of jokes truly made me laugh. That was a you problem, not mine dear Blueberry Milk."

Standing up straight one more, the Sage chuckled, "Hmm too right. Then again I was the star of the show. Main character as I put it-oh dear." Having been working on fixing his shirt he realized the state of it, covered in stains from flying grass, mud and some dirt from the storm that happened, shielding Pure Vanilla from the brunt of it. In realizing that he pouted, "Darn, brand new too. I'll need to wash this later..." Removing the outer shirt he made it vanish, leaving him in only the long sleeve one he had. "Ugh my hair!" Pouting even more at the absolute mess his hair was, "Drat it all I look like a typhoon went through my glorious locks."

Smile falling a bit at seeing the other upset, Pure Vanilla took his hand from his face and brought it up to the cosmic hair at the top, trying to smooth out the cowlicks with his fingers, and upon realizing that it wasn't exactly working, he pursed his lips before his expression turned to one of determination, and he set his hand on Blueberry Milk's forearm “Hmm, come with me, let's go fix you up.” and with that he took the sage's hand in his and turned around, intending on focusing his effort to open another golden portal, only to find one already waiting, much to his internal glee.

With a smile he passed through, coming out onto his castle room, and leading the scholar to the vanity off to the side, before using his staff to gesture to the chair in front of the mirror “Take a seat, I'll fix your hair in a moment, promise.”

"See? Your will, it'll get easier in time...but um what are we doing back? I was just going to put it into a bun until I could take care of it later. You wanted to see the other-realm." A little bemused Blueberry Milk did as told, moving to sit in front of the vanity taking a look over what was there. A variety of brushes, lotions and a few makeup products were organized in various spots, the former jester recalling that sometimes Pure Vanilla liked to add a little glitter to himself for fun. "It is alright, you don't need to go through the trouble."

Setting his staff against the wall beside the mirror, Pure Vanilla chuckled and stepped behind the scholar with a smile, setting his hands on the other's shoulders "Oh hush, you're in this state because of my lack of control, so please, at least let me try to fix the mess I made. And if by the time I'm done you don't like the end result, we can undo it all and I'll let you put it in a bun as you planned without a complaint. Please? It's been a while since I could do someone else's hair other than my own, especially one as long and silky-looking as yours."

"You hush, Silly Vanilla." Meeting eyes several shades lighter than his own Blueberry raised a hand up to put over the other. "The fault is mine, for not only 'info dumping' as it were on you, but also not telling you that our emotions are tied to that place, though given time you'll be able to filter it so it's not quite so violent. I should not have done that in such a way, I should have eased you into it." Wanting to try to get the other to smile a little he teased, "And I believe you're the one now with long and silky hair, goodness surprised me when you suddenly grew it like that along with your wardrobe change. I was quite jealous you know!"

Chuckling, the healer nodded, and removed his hands from Blueberry's shoulders, to instead carefully start picking any stray bits of leaves from the sage's braided hair, his voice soft and amused "Yes, I believe the kiddos likened it to a 'magical girl transformation' of sorts? From what I understand, that term refers to a specific genre of magical fiction stories, though I haven't gotten to check any such series for myself yet." shaking his head, he began to carefully undo the braid bit by bit as he spoke "Regardless, the change was a surprise for me too, though not a wholly unwelcome one. I do quite like the long hair look, even though it takes a bit more maintenance than before. Thankfully my hair is naturally straight, so it doesn't give me as much trouble as curly or wavy hair would. Thank goodness for small mercies."

"It looks very good on you...and I will need to investigate this 'magical girl transformation' the children spoke of, it sounds interesting." Eyes fluttering closed as Pure Vanilla worked methodically through his hair the two fell into a quiet rhythm, enjoying the quality, peaceful moment between the two.

Absurd to think about who he used to be. He wondered if, had Pure Vanilla offered to do this as Shadow Milk, would he have taken the offer? He did love his hair being played with, the very few times it happened.

For several minutes, Pure Vanilla worked in silence, and once the braid was undone and the hair was free, the healer grabbed a cushioned hair brush, and began to brush the cosmic hair from the bottom up, until he'd combed out all the knots and bits of debris, and could run his fingers smoothly from scalp to ends with no snags. Only then did he set the brush down, in favor of grabbing a few of the claw hair clips set on a bowl to the side of the vanity, and setting them nearby for easier access, while he worked on the hair in front of him, taking a few pieces of the hair at Blueberry Milk's temples, and beginning to carefully braid them, slowly adding a bit more hair from the center of the head each time as he made his way to the back of the scholar's head, slowly but surely working on forming a half crown braid hairstyle on one side, before repeating the same on the other, until both braids met at the back of the sage's head.

At which point Pure Vanilla used one of the claw hair clips to hold them in place while he grabbed a few bobby pins to start pinning the two braids together, to form a neat crown around the scholar's head, while leaving the rest of his hair free to hang down his back, the soft waves from the previous big braid adding a bit of extra volume to his loose hair. And upon seeing the final result through his staff and the eyes on his cloak, Pure Vanilla nodded "It's a shame that I don't have any fresh flowers or decorative pins to add in between the links of the braids, but I still think it looks nice even without decorations. What do you think Blue? Worth the time spent on it?"

It took a moment for Blueberry Milk to respond, having been lulled to a dreamlike dozing state in front of the mirror. When he finally came to with a soft 'hmm?' his gaze caught his reflection, eyes wide open. "Oh my..." Carefully turning his head side to side, touching the braid with the care one would a glass figurine he began to smile. "I've never had such a beautiful style before! My goodness that looks incredible, and it's so soft too...doesn't pull or anything." Twisting his head more to test the give, finding it secure without hurting him he beamed up at the healer, colors brightening up, "Thank you Pure Vanilla! It's a beautiful hair style, and very relaxing to get as well."

In response, the healer nodded as he put away the clips and remaining bobby pins with a warm smile on his face, his voice pleased "It's a style that is more easily done unto others than oneself, considering the back of the head, but it's quite pretty for how relatively simple it is. And I figured it'd look nice on you, especially considering the sparkly nature of your locks, so I wanted to try my hand at it, and see if I was right. I was a bit nervous about whether you'd be okay with such a style or not, since it's a bit more on the delicate, pretty side of things, but I'm relieved to know that you like it."

Checking the time, he smiled and turned back to Blueberry Milk as he grabbed his staff once more "Well, we still have about an hour and a half until lunchtime, so let me just grab you a sweatshirt to put on over that one so you don't get cold, and we can return to the other-realm to resume our exploration. Is that okay with you?"

"Oh I don't have a problem with pretty stuff-" The rest of the sentence was cut off by a cough, a slight blush appearing before Blueberry turned his head, a trick of the light. "And yes I would much appreciate something to go over, I tend to get very cold easily...a quirk of how I was baked."

"Then give me a moment." And with that, Pure Vanilla was walking over to his dresser, and crouching down to open the second drawer from the bottom, before pulling out a folded pale gold sweater, and closing the drawer once more. Only to then pause, seemingly thinking of something, before opening the lowest drawer, and pulling out another folded piece of pale gold clothing, just a shade or two darker than the sweater itself. And with that, he closed the drawer and rose up with the clothing held under an arm, a smile on his face as he walked over to give the other cookie the items in question "If you get cold easily, then jeans aren't a great choice, since they don't retain heat all that well. Try these ones instead, they're not as sturdy, but they should be a lot warmer and softer. Plus, they match the sweater too."

Taking the offered clothing Blueberry Milk felt the material pinching through his fingers, finding them extremely plush and soft. "Oh these are different, a moment please." Looking around he found the bathroom to the side and, after ensuring it was ok, slipped in to go change. Deciding to leave the shirt on and just put the sweater over he vanished his jeans, slipping the pants up and on...

Only to find a problem.

"Oh dear...Pure Vanilla do you have a sash or belt or something? These pants are a little long." Calling out through the door he fastened them as best he could, finding that thankfully they wouldn't fall off his hips but he definitely would need to roll them once. The sweater meanwhile kept slipping off his shoulder one way or the other, otherwise was extremely soft and comfortable as he thought.

Walking out of the room he tried to adjust it once more, muttering to himself, only to look up when he didn't hear anything for a long moment. "Pure Vanilla?"

Only to find the healer frozen in place with a brown chocolate belt in his hands, his expression one of frozen surprise, even the man's breathing seeming to have slowed to a crawl.

On the healer's side, Pure Vanilla had watched the other slip into the bathroom with a smile, and upon hearing the request for a belt, he'd gone to fetch one, and had just turned around when Blueberry Milk came out of the bathroom, fiddling with the waist of the pants, and giving the blond a chance to look at him.

The sweater, already a little bit long and loose on the healer himself, looked much bigger on the scholar's thinner frame, nearly falling off of his shoulders, and the sleeves bunched up at the wrists, giving Pure Vanilla the sense that they'd cover the sage's hands entirely, if they were straightened out. While the pants themselves seemed to drag a bit on the ground at Blueberry Milk's feet, the waistband held up mostly by the other's fiddling hands, considering his more slender waist wasn't quite wide enough to hold them properly.

And in the wake of these observations, Pure Vanilla found himself thinking 'Hmm, they're definitely a bit big on him, but the whole look gives him an air of softness too. Heh, he looks so much smaller wearing my clothes, it's such an adorably cute look on hi-' only to freeze in place at the sudden, unexpected revelation, caught completely off guard by the direction of his own thoughts, and feeling his cheeks flush lightly in response.

A flush that only darkened further when he heard his name being called out, and he realized he'd been actively staring at the other in silence for a while, as seen by the confused expression on Blueberry Milk's face. Floundering a bit with his hands, he breathed in quickly (not having noticed he'd even stopped) and answered with his cheeks still flushed in embarrassment "S-sorry, didn't mean to leave you without an answer! Uh, belt, right, here it is! Sorry, I got a bit lost in my thoughts, my apologies." he said as he lifted the belt up and held it out to the other with his gaze averted to the side and cheeks colored with the dark tan of the life jam infused in his dough and rushing slightly in his ears with the frantic, nervous beat of his heart.

"Are you alright? Your face is flushed, did you get sick somehow?" A cool hand caught the other off guard, Blueberry having snuck up on him, checking his temperature. The sweater continued to be lopsided one way or the other but the pants had stopped falling at least. "Perhaps we could get you some water before going? Or maybe traveling there got you sick...oh dear that never happened to me before so I hadn't thought it would you But I did create it with dark moon magic..." Mumbling to himself he continued to check the healer, his hands cool against forehead and flushed cheeks, pale eyes wide in surprise.

Setting his staff in the crook of his elbow, Pure Vanilla took a breath in and lifted his hand to grab onto one of Blueberry Milk's wrists, stilling his hand and sighing with a small embarrassed smile on his face "No Blue, I'm not sick, I'd know if I was. I merely got lost in my thoughts, and one of them caught me by surprise, but it's nothing I can't handle, it just left me feeling a bit embarrassed, that's all. I promise you, I'm perfectly fine and healthy."

'That isn't fair' Were the thoughts from the King when the other tilted his head, concern marring the features, though with the larger his clothing the gesture looked cuter than it should have been. "Hmm alright though what has you so embarrassed in your own thoughts?"

Letting go of the thin blue wrist he'd been holding onto, Pure Vanilla set his hand on the other's shoulder, and gave a small squeeze as he took a step back, giving a soft chuckle "Just an unexpected observation about myself that I hadn't been expecting." Pushing past his own embarrassment he raised a brow, and tilted his own head to one side "Now, do you want to keep interrogating me, or can we focus on rolling up the bottom of your pants so you can walk properly? Unless you'd rather stumble around? Or I suppose you could always float off the ground."

Distraction working Blueberry Milk just reclined in mid air, stretching out as if he were on a couch. "Oh ha ha. Perhaps I will, leaving the walking to you. Dreadfully boring and all that." With a snap of his fingers the hem of the pants rolled up, tightening around so they wouldn't come undone. "There we go, now then. You truly want to go back? Then open it on your own, I know you can do it." The smirk was challenging as it was encouraging, knowing what the outcome would be.

Laughing quietly, shoulders relaxing, Pure Vanilla nodded and focused for a couple seconds, before a golden portal formed in front of him, making him smile happily and gesture to it "Shall we then?"

A glint of pride shone in the eyes before Blueberry Milk landed back on his feet, the pair walking through together.

The lands were rich gold and soft blue once more, the grass swaying via a pleasant breeze. The sky overhead had a few white eyes peeking open, pupils oddly shaped before closing slowly only to repeat. "Well then, as you know this place is a reflection of ourselves and shaped as such. You are a serene soul Pure Vanilla, bar external influence."

Tilting his head up and feeling the wind brush against his face, carrying the scent of flowers and freshly fallen rain, Pure Vanilla's entire stance seemed to relax into serenity once more, his smile incredibly soft "Yes, I suppose I do tend to be a little calmer when by myself, most of the time."

"Indeed. Now tell me what do you feel while here? You should feel something, you spoke of it before." Ever the teacher Blueberry was curious what the other was learning while here.

Humming in thought, the healer seemed to take a moment to consider, before smiling, and beginning to walk through the field they were in "Strangely enough, more at ease now that your colors and presence are more prominent in the landscape. It’s almost like..." Pursing his lips, he tilted his head "As if something had been very subtly off with our surroundings before, but has now been set to rights. I don't know if it's real, or just a manifestation of my previous worries having been mostly dispelled, but whatever it was, the atmosphere feels... Gentler, somehow. More... Fulfilled? Complete? Not entirely sure how to describe it."

"Hmm....I believe you were feeling me at that point. I apologize." Giving a little wince at that Blueberry rubbed the back of his head. "It was hard...to come here for me, to see my other-realm not as mine anymore, before we cleared the air. I believe you were just feeling fragments of my emotions. But now? It's much nicer being here."

Lifting his free hand, Pure Vanilla lightly bumped his fist to his companion's shoulder, and smiled "Well, whatever it was, it's gone now, and left peace and contentment in its absence, so that's all that matters in my eyes."

The scholar smiled, nudging the other. "Well then, now that we have that taken care of, let's teach you to start summoning things and willing them into being shall we?"

And for the next few hours that's what they did, Blueberry Milk helping Pure Vanilla tap into the other-realm at will, the very fabric of reality bending to their whims. He had a good laugh at seeing the other realize that the laws of reality did not apply to this place as it did to Earthbread when, in his excitement at summoning a 'cream sheep' he accidently grew several stories tall, stumbling at his massive size and only calming when a hysterically laughing Sage appeared next to him matching his size. If it wasn't for the fact of the tiny land below him Pure Vanilla would have thought them both normal size.

From this massive height he was able to see far more than before, the rolling golden hills of his half and the labyrinthian-like structure of gleaming white and glowing blues of the other a stark contrast of both of them.

And yet, for all the stark differences between both areas, the sight brought the healer a strange sense of comfort instead of the uncertainty that one might expect, given their joint past. A comfort that made him smile and consider maybe bringing his kiddos t- "Oven damn me, the kids!” snapped out of his comfortable musings, Pure Vanilla turned to Blueberry Milk with wide, panicked eyes “We had lunch plans with the kiddos, oh stars, how long have we been here? What time is it, can we still make it? Oh, I'm going to have to apologize so much to them for being late!” and with that he was shrinking back to his normal size, about to summon a portal and run off, before he was being scooped up and laid down on his back over a huge, cool palm, with a pointer finger pressing lightly against his chest, keeping him from sitting up.

"Pure Vanilla, calm yourself, breathe." Highly amused he very gently pinned the other, "Now, remember how I said that this place is controlled by will? And remember how I said that in my Spire, time moves differently?" He waited patiently for the other to think on what he said, waiting to see if he could connect the dots. 'He's so small like this, so cut-' A light flush blossomed across the giant cheeks.

Caught off guard by the finger pinning him in place, and resolutely ignoring the odd feeling in his mind at the sight, Pure Vanilla focused on the words, and upon being so clearly prompted, he realized “Oh, time doesn't necessarily move the same here either. Ok, that does make me feel more at ease, thank you.”

"Well done." Beaming down at him he nuzzled him with the finger briefly before carefully setting him back down, vanishing and reappearing right beside him at normal height. "I allowed time to pass at first but once we got closer to lunch I slowed it down. We still have about about 15 minutes before we need to meet them. I wasn't going to let you miss time with your children."

“Thank you, I appreciate that more than you know.” the healer said with a thankful smile, before lifting a hand to rest over Blueberry Milk's forearm “I may have to learn how to modify the passage of time too, for future reference. I had fun, and it'd be nice to do this again with you some other time.”

Blueberry Milk smiled, touched and a little overwhelmed. "Of course, it's rather easy here. And anything that I can do for you and the children I will. Ensuring that you don't miss a meal with them is included in that. So come on then let's get you back."

“Thank you, again.” giving one more squeeze to the other's forearm, Pure Vanilla removed his hand, and summoned another golden portal to his room, gesturing to it “Now let's go, the kids are going to be waiting for us.” and thus the two stepped through it into the vanillian's room, and then out of his bedroom door to the hallways of the castle, to make their way to the mess hall together, walking side by side.

When they got to the mess hall the children were already there, chatting lightly together, turning to greet them with wide eyes, shock growing. Blueberry Milk stopped in the doorway giving a smile to them and a nod to Pure Vanilla, "I hope you have an enjoyable lunch, I think I'll go try to find Moon Drop and Green Apple, see how they are settling in." A wry smile grew here, chuckling, "When it's silent and those two are around, chaos is brewing."

Smile falling a bit, Pure Vanilla turned to him, his voice a little softer “Oh, you're not... You're not joining us? I thought-” cutting himself off, the grip on his staff tightening a bit, he let out a huff of air and smiled warmly “Well, I suppose it's understandable that you'd be worried about your own young ones, so I guess I shouldn't stop you from checking up on them.” hesitantly, he rested his hand on Blueberry's forearm again with a hopeful smile “Are we still on for visiting the greenhouses after lunch at least? I was rather looking forward to that, if I'm honest.”

Frowning now the sage turned more to the other, "I-oh I was-I had thought you'd want to enjoy some time alone with your children without me in the way." His smile did grow a little, frown faded as he placed a hand over the one on his forearm, "And of course, I'd still love to visit your greenhouses with you. I have to keep my promise to Wizard Cookie and Strawberry Cookie after all as well, and it sounds like a wonderful time with you."

Shoulders relaxing and smile becoming more genuine, Pure Vanilla's entire stance seemed to brighten considerably as he replied "Oh goodness, was that what I made it seem like? I'm sorry, I didn't know. Well, I suppose I'll clear that up now, so you don't have to wonder in the future. Blueberry Milk, no matter who I may be with, you're always welcome to join me, unless I specifically ask you not to, okay? You don't have to worry about intruding on my time. And the kids seem to enjoy your company too, so I'm sure they wouldn't mind you joining in either. But if you're still unsure, you can always approach and just ask. It's not that big of a deal, I promise."

A little unsure still but relaxing at the words 'He wants me around all the time?' Blueberry Milk stepped in time with the King smiling widely, "That's incredibly kind of you Pure Vanilla and thank you for the standing offer, though I still don't think I'll have anything to eat, I'm not hungry currently. Plus," Here a playful smirk grew, "I really should check on my two gremlins and ensure they're on their best behavior for the Kingdom." The sage backed up and gave a sweeping bow to them all before vanishing in a flurry of cards, popping into bubbles.

And as the bubbles faded, Pure Vanilla let out a quiet sigh with a soft smile still on his face, before he turned and made his way back to the kids, the trio sharing little looks and whispers, all of them smiling before getting up out of their chairs to hug Pure Vanilla, soaking in his warmth.

All three of them didn't think they'd ever get tired of this. While before he had never seemed to mind, they hadn't wanted to intrude on Pure Vanilla's space, so the healer's hugs were always treasured, having given the best ones. Warm and soft, a touch on the tighter side of protective.

Now when they didn't have to hesitate? They took ever opportunity to go into his arms.

And he gladly welcomed them with a careful squeeze and a warm smile on his face "Hello my dear children." Sparing a moment to press a kiss to each of their heads, he pulled back and led them back to the table "How was your morning? And do you know what today's lunch is?"

Chapter Text

They trio took turns chatting about their morning, of the various improvements already churning out amazing results from the little that Bluberry Milk had had done, the Gnomes eager to have him return.

"Today I believe is going to be soups and sandwiches, cheese ones I think?" GingerBrave answered as they all sat down, juice and tea being poured for everyone. "A big shipment just arrived from the Golden Cheese Kingdom so the chefs were eager to try out what they could for us to review, then they were going to spread those out to the Kingdom."

Taking his cup, watching their father prepare to sip Wizard glanced over "So how was your date with Blueberry Milk?"

The scholarly child's patience and timing was adequately rewarded, by the sight of Pure Vanilla sputtering into his cup and promptly beginning to cough after he accidentally inhaled tea in his shock, his normally closed eyes wide in surprise, and cheeks flushed a faint dark tan, though whether from exertion or embarrassment, it wasn't clear.

And as Strawberry reached out to smack her sibling with a chastising look, Pure Vanilla had tilted his torso and head to the side, so that he wouldn't be coughing into his food or the table, thumping his chest in an effort to clear his airways. Which he only managed after a minute, his voice raspy from coughing as he looked back at the kids with wide eyes and still flushed cheeks "It wasn't a date! We just went shopping! It was an outing to get him more necessities! He needed extra outfits for more casual days like today, so we went and got him a few.”

Clearing his throat one last time, he continued as he rubbed at the front of his throat, his gaze diverted to his food “He chose jeans and a blue sweatshirt, and then after I paid and we left the store, we took a break for a drink at my favorite caf- oh." Just then he cut himself off, as something in his mind finally clicked. Within his mind, a realization began to take shape, as his thoughts began to race 'A pause for drinks at my favorite café. I gave him a sip of my drink to try, and when he commented on it being good, I felt happy about it. Then in the other-realm, he helped me calm down, protecting me from the worst of the winds without regard for his appearance. And I thanked him by doing his hair and giving him my clothes to wear in replacement for the ones that got dirtied. And I thought he looked cute in them. Oh no. Oh stars, since when did I-' 

As his thoughts had spiraled, his eyes had gone wider than ever, and the hand on his throat had come up to cover his mouth, his cheeks darkening to the point that half his face was dark tan, with even his ears also colored the same, and, much to their amusement, the kids could almost swear they saw the faintest wisps of water vapor coming off of his head, from how fierce his blush was.

The trio giggled, Strawberry patting her father's back now that he had calmed down, GingerBrave patting his arm while mock glaring at his brother and Wizard Cookie sipping at his tea like he hadn't dropped a crisis. "Wizard...."

"Yes GingerBrave?"

"I know we were gonna ask, but did you have to do it that way?"

The mage just smirked over his cup, tipping his hat to his brother, "Could have been worse." A shit eating grin grew, "I could have asked him about why he was wearing Dad's clothes when we know they went clothes shopping. I guess they decided to go into his bedroom."

Their father had left his staff leaning on the edge of the table, while resting his elbows on the wooden surface and burying his face in his palms, but at Wizard's remark, he lifted his head up to stare at the child with a look that was between embarrassment and a halfhearted glare, the effect ruined by the dark tan color still spread over his face from ear to ear "That's because when we visited the other-realm, I got upset at something and unintentionally caused a storm, which ruined his blue outfit with grass stains and mud. I wanted to apologize for unintentionally ruining his outfit, so I brought him to my room to clean his hair, and give him replacement clothes."

Sighing, he looked down at the table, and ran his hand over his blue-tinged bangs with a small frown, his voice lowering to a quieter but still audible tone "He said he gets cold easily, and those were some of the warmest clothes I had that I could lend him. The ones he bought were mostly jeans and simple shirts, they were not exactly the warmest thing of all. I didn't want him to be cold just because he ruined his clothes helping me calm down."

"Oh he protected you?" "You gave him your clothes, some of your favorite ones!" "He l-looked so cute in them didn't h-he Wizard?" "Yes Strawberry he did heehee."

"Are you ok Dad?"

The duo stopped at GingerBrave's question, the child looking over their father with worry. "You said you got upset, are you ok?"

Hearing his eldest's worry, Pure Vanilla paused momentarily, before a tiny genuine smile tugged at his lips as he lifted his gaze to GingerBrave, giving a nod and lowering his voice to a murmur so that only the four of them would hear his words “Yes, I am. Apparently when I deceived Shadow Milk and took control away from him prior to my ascension, I stole most of his other-realm away from him and locked him out of it in the process. He only managed to hold on to a tiny part of it, the part he used to escape. Apparently I unintentionally locked him out of one of his very few remaining safe spaces after the Spire of Deceit collapsed, and when Blueberry Milk let that information slip earlier, I... Didn't exactly take that realization all that well. I felt guilty beyond belief and apparently the other-realm responded accordingly to my turbulent emotional state.”

Shaking his head fondly, he ran his fingers through his bangs again as he continued “He decided to protect me from the worst of the winds while trying to calm me down, and in the process got his clothes dirty with grass and mud, and his hair and braid were turned into a mess. After I calmed down, restored half of the other-realm back to him, and we were done discussing the past, I felt bad for his unkempt state since it was my fault, and wanted to make it up to him. Both the hair fixing and the clothes really were supposed to be a genuine gesture of apology, but I failed to notice the underlying connotations until just now, when Wizard asked me about him.”

Wizard, guilty, apologized softly to his father while Strawberry cooed, hugging him from one side, "I'm sorry Dad...I didn't know about that. We're glad you're ok now."

"Is Blueberry Milk ok?" Strawberry looked at Pure Vanilla, eyes frowned in worry for the other. "He didn't stay with us for lunch."

Cheeks having returned to a more normal tan color with the change of topic, Pure Vanilla waved his hand in a dismissive way, as if shooing away a fly “It's alright, I'm not mad, nor even disappointed, just a little embarrassed is all. As for Blue, I think he's alright. He somehow thought he wasn't invited to lunch, but I corrected that when I turned back to him at the entrance over there, that's what we were talking about. He said he needed to check on Moon Drop and Green Apple to ensure they weren't causing mischief, but he also said that he wasn't hungry, and with the breakfast we had with you, plus the drink and pastry he and I had at the café, I figured that his lack of hunger was understandable, so I decided not to push him too much about it. And he did promise to join me after lunch for the greenhouse visit, so I'm not too worried, even though I do wish he'd have stayed.”

At that he paused, glancing at Wizard for a moment, before his cooling cheeks flushed a little once more, and he gave a quiet little chuckle “Actually, considering what just went down with your teasing, maybe it's for the best that he wasn't here this time. I don't know how he'd have reacted to the question you asked me or my unintentional response to it, and I'm a little afraid of finding out, honestly.”

"Oh?? So you're worried what he'd think if you both were on a date?" Now that the worry was over about their father Wizard latched onto the subject again, wagging his eyebrows. "Though I wouldn't have said anything in front of him."

"Heehee I think D-dad is more thinking of if he t-thought they were on a date too." Strawberry giggled, going back to her meal. "He did l-look cute in Dad's clothing, they're so big on him!"

GingerBrave smirked then, the brave child looking positively gleeful, "Also Dad didn't say it wasn't a date!~" The three of them laughed at Pure Vanilla's blush intensifying again, spluttering about it. "Dad! It's ok we're just teasing you. You looked really happy when you both came in, Blueberry Milk did too."

"Yeah and the other day you hadn't been that relaxed in ages!"

Covering part of his right cheek with his right hand, Pure Vanilla sighed, his voice quiet "I did say it wasn't a date, because frankly, I didn't see it as one earlier, I just wanted to take him to my favorite café so he could try something new. But... You're not entirely wrong, in the fact that I've been feeling more... Content and relaxed, with him near me." Closing his eyes, he shifted his hand to cover his mouth and nose, though they could still tell he was smiling weakly behind it "I thought it was just me being happy that he was opening up and letting me help him adjust, but I suppose there may be more beneath it, now that I look back on it with a new perspective."

Lifting his other hand up, he buried it in his bangs, and sighed, cheeks flushing a little further, dark tan spreading over his cheekbones and the bridge of his nose, his voice a quiet, muffled murmur, as if he didn't quite want to admit the truth aloud to the three of them "I wasn't expecting him to look quite that cute when wearing my clothes, no. That was a surprise for me too, frankly."

The children giggled at him, "It's ok Dad. From what we've seen, that is how this sort of thing happens. But we won't tease you...too hard."

"And we won't tell Blueberry Milk outright if you don't want us too." GingerBrave elbowed his brother, looking over at the King. "Although...given what we know about him, little as it is?"

"He m-may like you too Dad." Strawberry whispered, giggling again. "After a-all, he's shared a lot with you, and usually stays near you."

The information made the blond pause, hesitating for a moment, before sighing with a tiny smile, removing his hand from his hair, and shifting the one over his mouth to rest under his chin, so he could lean into it with a weak smile "He has opened up a lot in the short time he's been with us, but I'm not wholly sure if it's just because if I'm the one he knows the best out of us all, or if it's because he feels something more beneath it all. Regardless, I'd prefer if you didn't press him about it." Smile falling, he closed his eyes and sighed "I may be questioning myself about him and about what I feel in regards to everything, yes, but I'm... Not quite ready to put a name too it yet, nor am I ready to confront him about it."

Groaning quietly, he turned his head to half hide his mouth on his palm "Heck, I literally just made the connection that throughout the morning I've been unintentionally doing things that have a romantic subtext. I haven't had nearly enough time to properly think on it all, or much less figure out exactly what or how I really feel about it all. The last thing I want to do is rush into something as delicate as this with half-formed opinions or feelings. I want to have a concrete idea of what I feel, before I decide how to approach the situation. Better to wait and be sure, than risk hurting either one of us somehow. Especially with how new everything still is."

All three promised not to tell him as well as promising to drop it with their father. While they wanted to tease him and help him out, they didn't want to upset him, "Even if stuff doesn't happen that way, you're good for him Dad." GingerBrave, finishing his cheese sandwich and moved onto the soup still steaming before him, flecks of seasonings floating in the top. "He's...well he's really new to everything. It's easy to tell that. He doesn't get a lot of social cues or subtexts."

"Probably because of his past, er pasts? Is it past or pasts." Wizard scratched at his head over his hat. "Regardless we'll help you both out, and stop teasing."

Chuckling quietly, Pure Vanilla tilted his head fully down, resting his closed eyes on his palm, but letting his mouth be uncovered, showing the faint amused smile on his lips "Yes, I suppose he is a bit blind to context cues." sensing the curious eyes on him, he pursed his lips momentarily, before speaking with the same soft, embarrassed smile of before "When I couldn't cover my surprised reaction to seeing him in that outfit quickly enough, he noticed I apparently looked flushed, and you know what his first thought was? Asking me if I got sick." laughing quietly at the memory, he shook his head lightly where it still rested on his palm "Disregarding the fact that cookies don't start looking feverish out of nowhere like I apparently did, it seems he didn't even consider the fact that I might be embarrassed until I outright told him I was. So you're not wrong, in that he might be a bit oblivious to social clues. Perhaps because his mind is more in tune with the logical side of the mind, rather than the social, empathetic one, I'm not sure."

"I mean he was super busy as the Fount of Knowledge right? Then the Academy and the...the thing." Wizard hesitated over mentioning the sealing in the tree. "Plus what happened after?"

"He's never had someone like that before ya think?" Gingerbrave looked surprised but thoughtful. "Mmm maybe?"

"O-oh this will be fun."

"Strawberry!" Her brothers shouts had the girl into giggling hysterics, almost hiccuping. Pure Vanilla was chuckling himself, and had opened his eyes to get some more tea, when something dropped on his head, wiggling around. Surprised noises from the children had him turning, seeing adorable little dark blue cake wolves wagging their tails on their heads, the movement hinting that there was one on his own head.

The creatures suddenly bounded off, racing in mid-air, leaping through the chandelier overhead before combining together in a bright flash of blue light.

"Tadah! Lunch and a show!"

Blinking in surprise, and realizing what it was, Pure Vanilla laughed softly, even as his heart gave a single erratic beat, worried about whether the scholar may have heard their topic. Though he'd wager not, seeing as how the other wasn't asking questions yet as he lowered himself to hover beside their table with a grin and a bow towards the clapping, grinning children.

Though the blond did laugh a little more when Gingerbrave got up to hug Blueberry Milk tightly at the waist, his grin bright and happy "Blueberry Milk! You're back!"

Getting over his surprise quick enough the scholar returned the hug after a few seconds, "I'd figure by now you were nearly down. It took far less time than I had thought to track down my 'minions', both are behaving. Green Apple has taken a shine to young... Custard I believe his name is? And Moon Drop has found a new friend in, er, what is her name? One of the coffee mages, has the large hat?"

"Latte Cookie?"

Blueberry Milk smiled taking a seat beside Pure Vanilla while GingerBrave sat on the other side of his brother. "That's the one. I saw them both in deep discussion about something or other, so I figured I’d surprise you four. What were you talking about that had you all laughing so hard? I only caught that bit."

For a moment the kids glanced between each other and their father, seeing the man's shoulders relaxing a bit in relief (relief that the other hadn't heard what the topic was), before Gingerbrave smiled warmly "Oh, we were talking to Dad about a bet we have going on, and how Strawberry already lost her side cuz her bet was of one day, and the day has already passed. And me and Wizard were bickering about which of us will probably win, since one of us bet on it being a week, and the other bet on it being a month. The situation behind the bet changed, and we're feeling much more confident about our chances now!" At Blueberry's side, Pure Vanilla covered his flushed face with a hand, though his voice carried a hint of a bemused smile "It's a silly bet and they are silly children, is what they are. Be glad that your own children aren't nearly as eager as mine are about making bets in regards to your life's daily happenings."

"You underestimate their capacity in that regard my friend." Dry as ever Blueberry Milk looked around, seeing the room was empty bar from them now before continuing, "A pass time of theirs was betting on outcomes of rumors I started, or Black Sapphire betting Candy Apple something along the lines of getting my attention, usually in the form of some sort of mischief and entertainment for himself. Green Apple is still upset she lost the bet with Moon Drop over you in the Spire, she had thought you would sink in the river, he won and thus she was to clean the place though she is thankful that your actions caused her to not have to do that so...mixed results?"

Laughing quietly at that, the healer lifted his face from his hand, and regarded Blueberry milk with a fond look "Well, I suppose sparing her some work isn't a terrible outcome. Maybe that'll earn me some brownie points in the future, when we all eventually start getting more acquainted with them and who they want to be, now that their previous missions are no longer viable."

Shaking his head, he turned back to his food to resume eating "Now, my children were telling me earlier about their morning, but you weren't here to hear, so perhaps you should ask them for information? I'm sure they'd love to bring you up to speed about their shenanigans, especially the invitation from the Gnomes."

"Invitation?" The query and attention from Blueberry Milk had the children gushing over one another, eager to tell and fill in the sage. Overwhelmed and amused the scholar burst out laughing, little cards hovering over their mouths. "Goodness children one at a time please, I can't understand what you all just said."

Sheepishly they nodded, taking turns repeating what they told their father earlier about the Gnomes and production increasing dramatically with the little he had done.

Information that surprised but also quietly pleased the scholar, internally very glad to know that the knowledge he gave was being used to improve cookie's lives so soon after.

For several minutes, that was how they stayed, the kids filling him in on everything, while Pure Vanilla silently ate his interrupted meal, content with just listening and watching for the moment, his chest filling with warmth and pride at seeing the happiness in the other four cookies' faces. And especially when Blueberry, despite his flushed cheeks, replied affirmatively with a happy smile, to the idea of visiting the Gnome Laboratory and continuing to help with the research there.

It wasn't until almost fifteen minutes after Blueberry's return, that they all finished their meals (with the children having brought the scholar a cup of herbal tea to enjoy, after a brief prompt from their father), and moved to put away their empty trays "So yeah, we still have a few more things to check out, and Dad said you promised to go with him to visit the greenhouses in the afternoon, so you'll be doing that now, right?"

"Yes, I'm most curious what flora is around and if there's anything from my era left that can also aid your sleeping issues. I...imagine you four have had nightmares." The admission pained Blueberry, looking down at his cup.

At the mention, the children's smiles fell, and they once again glanced between themselves, before turning to him with nods, Wizard speaking up in a neutral tone "Yeah, but most of the time, they're about the things we've seen before we got to Beast Yeast."

At his side, his braver brother seemed to shudder, as he quietly admitted "Like getting chased by a pack of hungry, adult cake hounds that never get tired. Or getting hit by an enemy's weapon, be it a sharp sword, or a barbed arrow."

At his side, Strawberry hugged her brother to her side as she nodded, holding tighter onto her sibling "Being un-nable to block a h-hit in time. S-seeing a flash of b-brown being th-thrown back w-with a c-crack."

Joining in on Strawberry's other side, Wizard gave his own piece, tone subdued as he hugged his sister securely "Missing an attack, and either failing to stun an enemy, or accidentally hitting an ally and stunning them instead."

And in the next moment, they were all being enveloped into their father's warm embrace, his arms pulling them into a tight hug, giving them his silent support.

Blueberry Milk's gaze was sad, quiet as he waited for them to gather themselves. He knew very well their signs, one of the reasons he was so adamant about trying to find the herbs he needed.

One for a soothing, restful and peaceful sleep, keeping bad dreams and nightmares away and one that could be taken nightly without fear of backlash.

When they finally pulled back he spoke, tone soft and soothing much like their Father's. "You three have gone through so much in such a short time, more than anyone can ask or expect of you. And though we wish it weren't the case you'll be needed again. But know this, you will not be alone. I will do everything in my power to ensure your safety, regardless of where or what the threat may be."

For a moment, none of the kids said anything, but the next, they were looking up at him with glistening eyes, and lifting their arms up in a silent request, hoping he would heed it.

And he did, because the next moment he was kneeling to their level and opening his arms, letting them hug him and hide their faces in his gold sweater, their arms wrapping around him in a tight embrace that he returned, somehow understanding that they needed this as much as they'd needed their father's embrace. Though why he was so certain of this, he didn't know.

It didn't matter though, just knowing it was enough. He hugged them all close, feeling them hide and tug his sweater, their hands hidden in his hair. "Be it a physical threat I can shield you from, or attacks from your own mind, I'll be there. I'll do all I can to make you children feel and be as safe as I can manage. I promise."

In response the kids hugged him a little tighter, and muttered quiet, trembling 'thank you's that would have been lost in the folds of his clothing, had he not been holding them so close to himself, their small frames so close to his making something in his chest unfurl with warmth that spread through him, and made a soft smile tug at his lips, as he caressed their backs in the same way he'd witnessed Pure Vanilla do before.

All while the blond watched on from the side with an unbearably fond look on his face, one that thankfully went unnoticed by any of the four as they finally pulled away, the kids wiping their tears with their hands, before Blueberry Milk was tutting quietly, and producing three handkerchiefs of different colors with a flourish of his hand, his tone a little playful "By the Witches, your father is passing on his bad habits onto you three I see. Wiping your tears with your hands and sleeves, tsk tsk."

"Hey, I resent that statement." the healer said with a pretend frown, though the trembling corners of his lips betrayed his effort not to smile.

"You mean represent." Glancing over Strawberry's head Blueberry raised a brow, "How many times did you use your robes, your nice new robes that you got besting me hmm? I refuse to allow bad habits to dirty them. And you three, taking after your father is his habits," Tone softening considerably from the teasing, dry tone he used with the other he began listing them off, "Using your hands or sleeves for tears, endlessly compassionate, brave to a fault, wise beyond your years...dear me I have my work cut out for me breaking the first one. I think the rest can stay."

Done cleaning their faces, the children smiling up at him, setting something deep in him at ease, he stood up once more. "Well then, I believe there was a tour of a greenhouse to do, then perhaps, given enough time in the day, we can go visit your Gnome friends?"

The children, especially Wizard, lit up at that. The magician spouting out something rapid fire before sprinting out of the room, Blueberry Milk taken aback by the exuberance, "Uh...something I said apparently?"

"He's probably gonna go tell Jerry, Gerald and Bob that you might drop by later today or tomorrow." Gingerbrave said with a snicker, as he watched his brother go with a little grin, then turning to the two adults "Well, we have things to do, and you two have a greenhouse to visit, so off you go, shoo!" and with that he began pushing his father from the back towards Blueberry Milk, making the blonde laugh and step aside so as not to bump into the other.

"Alright, alright, we're going, geez!" shaking his head, Pure Vanilla began making his way towards the entrance with a smile on his face, not wanting to tempt fate in what regarded his kid's determination.

"They're in a very joyful mood today." Blueberry Milk smiled, the children's own happiness infectious. "That's good, they deserve that."

Chapter Text

The two made small talk on the way to the greenhouses near the back of the castle, each one grand and thriving. The ones closest to the castle were where local vegetables and fruits were gathered for meals. Beyond those were a few smaller ones for herbs for cooking of medicines, a few medic cookies waved to the duo as they made their way to Pure Vanilla's personal greenhouse, a gift from the children when he had begun staying with them more and more.

The King, overjoyed at the gift, had brought and gathered countless flowers and plants from every corner of Crispia he could, magical arrays making the environments safe for them to grow and thrive.

And oh, how vibrant the various plants were, once the two cookies entered through the large doors, heading towards the different paths in between the various grow beds, hanging pots and shelves full of plants, both big and small.

Some plants purely decorative, some purely medicinal, and some, kept because of special properties, but all clearly very tenderly cared for, regardless of use.

"I remember watching you a lot in your garden." The sage smiled at the surprised look on the other, chuckling. "I watched you a lot, whenever I could anyway. Mostly to spy on you to find your weakness, but I did it because I was curious about you. Whenever you weren't with the children, or meeting with the Ancient Heroes, you were in a garden of some sort."

Smiling softly at the scent of flowers and damp earth within the greenhouse, Pure Vanilla stepped further in, with Blueberry Milk at his side "I've always liked nature and life in general, so creating gardens of my own became a small joy for me to indulge in, when I couldn't actively go out for whatever reason. Not to mention how soothing it can be to tend to the plants as they grow, and watch them thrive as the years pass. One of my proudest achievements, beyond my old Seeing-Eye Orchid, was my patch of Moonflowers, back during my Academy days."

It took a moment for Blueberry to recall that, 'aahh'ing when he remember. "Those were beautiful flowers indeed. And yes your Seeing Eye Orchid is one of your greatest creations, proof that even a disability can't hold anyone back. I mean look at you! Despite that and being mainly a healer you have some of the most powerful magic I have ever seen. It's no wonder you are the leader of the Ancient Heroes. Even Dark Cacao defers to you."

Laughing quietly, the healer just shook his head "I don't know if that's exactly the reason why, but I suppose one potential reason may be because a good healer who knows what they're doing, can keep an adventuring party going for longer than they otherwise would." pausing then, he snickered a bit to himself "Though as some old apprentices of mine used to say, 'your healer is the one person you don't want to cross, because they can refuse to save your behind when you most need it.'" Shaking his head, he reached out a hand to remove a dead leaf from one of his plants as he spoke with a bit of bemusement "Although I personally don't agree with the mindset, I suppose it may work for other group dynamics."

The sage snorted at that, covering his mouth as he chortled turning away, missing the fond look the healer shot him. "Oh my hahaha that is a Truth if I ever heard it!" Wiping at his eyes with a handkerchief he turned back, "I thought I was the Clown."

In reply the healer just gave him a soft smile and a faintly raised brow "Just because you had a long monopoly doesn't mean others aren't allowed to also have a bit of a sense of humor dear Blue. You can't hoard all the fun for yourself." Turning back to the path they were on, he walked forward, towards the back of the greenhouse "If you do, how will us common folk cookies be able to live on, without a single bit of fun to bring light to our day-to-day lives?"

And so for the next three hours, they looked through the huge greenhouse, letting Blueberry Milk inspect the plants to see if he recognized any, and while there were a couple that he did recognize, unfortunately they were not the ones he was looking for. There were other plants with similar properties, but none quite as effective as those he'd once known.

Upon sensing his companion's plummeting mood, Pure Vanilla took them to the very back of the greenhouse, where he kept his oldest specimens, and set the hand not holding his staff over Blue's forearm again, giving it a small squeeze "I may not have the plants you seek here, but if you come with me to the other-realm so you can show me what they looked like, maybe I can keep an eye out for them next time I go out into the continent? It can't hurt to know what to look for, right?"

Seeing the logic in that the Scholar nodded, waving a hand and creating a portal with the ease of having done it thousands of times before, he nodded towards it with a little smile, the two walking through and ending up in a pale blue garden, a white starlight river running by them. Looking around all he could see was Blueberry Milk's half of the other-realm, not a speck of his gold in sight.

Kneeling down onto the grass Blueberry Milk pressed a hand down, eyes closed before slowing bringing his hand up. Before Pure Vanilla's eyes a flower grew, its leaves an almost metallic gold while the petals were a bright silver in sheen. "This is a Golden Leaf plant, the leaves are excellent for teas and when brewed correctly, can ensure a wonderful, dreamless sleep, where no horrors of the mind can touch you." He sighed, ears lowering a little, "I had hoped to find this plant in your greenhouse, if it was anywhere it would be there, you couldn't miss it. It was everywhere during my era, entire fields. It would glow so beautiful in the setting sun..."

Lifting a hand to delicately trace a fingertip over one of the golden leaves, Pure Vanilla smiled with awe "You're right, it is a beautiful specimen. Such vibrancy of colors, such a sheen to the leaves..." setting his hand gently under the flower, almost cupping it in his palm, he traced a thumb gently over one of the silver petals, his smile diminishing a bit, but remaining no less enthralled "It's a shame that things created in this realm can't be taken outside it for too long, isn't it? It would have been lovely to be able to set up a separate area in my greenhouse to plant seedlings of the plants you knew in the past."

Blue mouth opening to concur in agreement froze partway, the former Beast still as a statue, eyes wide as he looked down at the other, the flower, back to Pure Vanilla before leaning over suddenly, grasping the other in a tight hug.

The healer didn't notice the surprised shock at first, busy as he'd been inspecting the tiny plant, but then his expression turned contemplative and he tilted his head "Hmm, I wonder if bringing outside plants in and trying to graft one into the other would work to bypass that limitation? Or maybe crossbree-" only to be interrupted by the feeling of the other's arms around him, his eyes widening a bit in surprise, and cheeks flushing slightly as he turned to look at him with a surprised expression "Wha- are you alright Blue? What happened?"

"You...you..." Shaking slightly Blueberry Milk just tightened his arms, "You truly are the Fount of Knowledge now, Pure Vanilla Cookie." How could he describe what the other just gave him? He had resigned himself to having lost every bit of his former time, his home, anything and everything he had cared about, the only remainders being memories, or corrupted. He had had the slim hope that some remnant had remained, and if it had there been anything it would be in Pure Vanilla's garden, the Cookie having been everywhere and obsessed with gardening surely he would have had something, but as they walked and he didn't see anything of what he wanted nor needed, he had grown despondent.

And yet here, with such a simple solution, one right in his face yet he had never considered, Pure Vanilla gave him normalcy back. A piece of his old home and life.

Utterly confused now, the healer carefully wrapped his arms around the other, his bafflement helping reduce the heat in his cheeks as he tilted his head "Where did that come from? Did I do something? I admit, I'm a little confused about what you mean, can you please explain?"

The other pulled back, huffing out a laugh, eyes bright and wet, close to crying "You. You're a genius Vanilla. Bringing them created from here to Crispia. That can be done, and I never would have thought to do it. You-You wonderful, amazing Cookie. I can remake these plants, I can bring back some of my time."

The compliments caused Pure Vanilla's cheeks to darken slightly, but upon hearing the last bit of information, his faint embarrassment was forgotten in favor of surprise, and then outright glee as he smiled with hope "Really? It's possible? Oh that is wonderful news!" Laughing quietly, he gave the sage one single squeeze, before loosening his hold and pulling back a bit, even as he began to ask questions, his smile bright and eager, as he asked question after question "Oh, how many plants do you intend to recreate? Should we make a little garden plot in here, or do you think it's better to do it in my greenhouse? Do the plants require any specific conditions to thrive? Soil conditions, humidity, temperature, light level?"

Excitement for his little plant hobby in full swing, he didn't even notice the slight overwhelmed look in the other's face as he pulled back and began to gesture with his hands and staff slightly "Oh, I'm going to have to grab more pots and probably different types of soil, maybe even different types of fertilizer too. Do you know if the plants take to normal soda water, or do they need different liquid mediums?"

Overwhelmed by the rapid fire questions the Sage of Truth couldn't help but laugh at the other's excitement, "I can create any of them I wish. We can transfer them to your greenhouse though some we may need a brand new one, do to the medicines they can create. I can handle their conditions with the arrays that I know just like the ones you did." His smile dimmed, something much softer in his gaze before he tugged the other back into his arms, hiding his face, "Thank you Pure Vanilla...you have no idea what you've given back to me in thinking of this."

Brought out of his excitement spiral by the new hug and the shift in tone from the sage, Pure Vanilla seemed to hesitate for a moment in surprise, before his expression softened, and he wrapped his arms around the other in a gentle but firm hug, the arm with his staff settling over Blueberry's back, and his free hand resting over the scholar's shoulders, holding him close and letting him hide his face in Pure Vanilla's soft white shirt as needed "I'm just glad I could help you somehow. You deserve to have a piece of your old home returned to you, and even if it isn't much right now, we can still start working together from now on to keep adding to it in the future. I'll help you however I can, I promise."

He felt Blueberry Milk move to say something but hesitate, a smile instead forming, "I know my home and everyone is gone...but even this small bit means the world to me, and helps me in my new home," Glancing down at the flower, the light reflecting in his eyes making them look almost ethereal. "And this flower will help the children, and you Pure Vanilla." Glancing back at the other he gave a sad smile, "I know you were having nightmares as well, tea from the leaves of this flower will help."

At that, the blond's expression shifted to surprise, and then briefly to understanding, before settling into a soft smile "Well, then I suppose we ought to get started on replanting then, shouldn't we? The sooner we finish, the sooner we can encourage future growth, and subsequent harvests."

Nodding, taking a deep steadying breath, Blueberry Milk stood back up, offering his hand to the healer, "You have room in the back right? How many plants do you think it can hold?"

Taking the offered hand and rising to his own feet, Pure Vanilla tilted his head "Depends on the size of the plants, since planning for a single big tree is very different from planning for several smaller bushes and so on. If we're talking waist-high and equally wide bushes, I think the available space can fit about... Thirty or so plants, depending on spacing? More if the plants are smaller, or slightly less if they grow any bigger than that."

Humming to himself, he seemed to ponder something before replying "But I do agree with your earlier point, in that making a separate building for them might be best, especially, if we're gonna have scholars looking into them and their potential as medicine."

"Thirty plants...alright that is easy enough." Nodding to himself Blueberry Milk turned and, deciding he wanted to show off a little for the other took a step forward. Pure Vanilla opened his eyes wide when he felt the build up of magic, watching as the other clapped his hands before suddenly crouching down, slamming one hand onto the ground. A shockwave of blue magic burst forth in a circle around them, the ground erupting with the same beautiful Golden Leaf flowers as the first, the area glowing almost from all the plants and he began to smell a soothing aroma from all the flowers around him. "There we go, plenty to go around and a good start for your greenhouse, no?"

Pure Vanilla's yellow and sky blue eyes widened in surprise and glee, the white eyes in the healer's cloak doing much the same and a few even upturning with his glee as he turned in place to look at all the new flowers, careful not to step on any "Oh, this is more than enough to start a full plot for extended production! And if they truly are as versatile as you've made them seem, I'm sure we can put them to use for the rest of the kingdom soon enough! Though with this many plants, it's going to take me a little while to transplant them all, since I only have two hands, but I already know it's going to be worth it!" Stabbing his staff on the ground to free his hands, he knelt on the ground and opened a small golden portal from which he pulled out several plant pots and a garden trowel to start transferring the flowers to, his Soul Jam glowing softly in response to his glee as he bean to work, uncaring of the way he was getting dirt on his knees and under his nails, his happiness clear for the Sage to see.

Though Blueberry Milk was soon caught off guard by the second pair of white, glowing hands that appeared beside Pure Vanilla, also carrying a glowing trowel of their own and helping dig up a second plant, though Pure Vanilla didn't seem entirely aware of them as he worked. Nor of the third, or the fourth pair that also began to work alongside him, subconsciously following his will.

Dual colored eyes widened in surprise at that before a faint smirk took over, Blueberry Milk leaning against a card wall for show. "You know I was going to offer to help, but I don't think you need a hand." His smirk grew when the other looked up with a frown, about to ask why he wouldn't want help, when one of the glowing hands floated before his vision with a full flower pot, going through the portal, another set taking it's place.

Only for the healer to jump slightly, the other six floating hands around him doing much the same and dropping their trowels and empty pots, as if they too had been startled. Something that made the sage laugh, and Pure Vanilla turn to look at him briefly, before he decided to ignore his friend's bemusement at him, in favor of setting down his trowel, and reaching out one of his hands to one of the glowing ones, curious. And to his surprise, the floating limb moved closer and let him take it in his hands as he examined it, feeling that it was indeed solid, despite having the same temperature as the surrounding air. And oddly enough, now that he had it in hand, he noticed it felt familiar, making his eyes widen as he murmured "Feels like my magic, but I- How did- I didn't even try to-!"

"Our will manifests here in strange ways Pure Vanilla, especially yours as the dominant power." Smiling he reached out to poke one of the hands floating nearby "You made a remark of only having two hands to do all this work, the other-realm did the rest. They're both as real as your own and completely fake at the same time, able to help you however your normal hands would...think of them like the Eyes in your robes. You can see through them no? Just like I can see through mine, yet they aren't real 'eyes'."

Opening his mouth as if to speak, Pure Vanilla found that words wouldn't come, the explanation making a lot of sense despite the lack of conscious intent from his side. Then again, even the Eyes on his cloak had some independence from his will, so he supposed it was to be expected that hands might too. Shaking his head, he let go of the white hand and smiled "Well, I suppose you're not wrong on that. And the extra help is deeply appreciated, so I won't think too much on it." Grabbing his trowel, he turned to the hands and nodded to himself "Well, with eight hands we'll be done in a few minutes tops!" And as if in agreement, the hands grabbed the pots and trowels, and resumed work alongside him, the healer humming happily as he worked.

Blueberry Milk smiled at the other, eyes soft as he watched the King on his hands and knees, digging through dirt to dig up flowers, flowers that he had created and the other wanted to bring back to make the other place feel like home.

Pure Vanilla looked up when the other knelt down beside him, rolling up his sleeves as best he could before working on scooping up the dirt around the plants to transport them.

Together in silence the two worked as a team, easy smiles on their faces as their movements synchronized almost, the work getting done in what happened to be the blink of an eye.

And once the flowers were collected and the ground began to fill itself in as they rose to their feet, Pure Vanilla smiled warmly, and took one of Blueberry Milk's hands into his, as he took a step closer to the still open golden portal "Want to help me decide where to plant them on the greenhouse? And if we're going to harvest some for the kids, I could use some pointers on which parts of the plants to use, since these are entirely new to me."

Squeezing the hand holding his Blueberry Milk smiled, uncaring of the dirt on them both. "Of course, and anywhere is good. I'll show you how to do the array, it works with any plant as it creates the perfect environment for them."

For the next hour they worked, the Sage showing the King how to replant the flowers with enough space to grow and thrive before teaching him the agricultural array he used in his personal gardens long ago. Of how it created the perfect environment in every way for the plants, completely self sufficient, even working with Pure Vanilla on using it on his own plants, watching proudly as by the last half dozen the healer was doing it all on his own without input.

When that was done he had him come over, a small basket in his hands, "All parts of this plant are useful in some way or the other, but for today we're going to focus on the leaves. You can either pinch them off with your nails or use clippers, clipping at an angle. One or two is enough from each flower, we don't need anymore than 6 for what we're needing, that'll be enough for a good pot of tea." Showing him how to do it he helped guide the other's hands, gathering the metallic gold colored leaves. "If it were just yourself, one or two leaves would be enough, but for so many, six will do. Now then all that's left for us to do, besides clean up some, is to put these in a pot of water and let them boil and set. Your dinner is in about 20 minutes correct?"

Smile widening, Pure Vanilla nodded "Closer to thirty, but yes, which should give us a bit of time to clean ourselves up and get some things ready." Looking down at himself, and noticing the dirt stains on his knees and on the cuffs of his shirt, he tilted his head, before sighing with a sheepish smile "Ah, now that I look at myself, I made quite a mess of my clothes, didn't I?" Tilting his head back to a straight position, he chuckled "Hmm, normally I'd consider changing, but frankly, considering the time of day, I don't really feel like changing into a completely new outfit just to go eat dinner and then retreat back to my room. So I reckon I'll just hold my cloak closer to me, and leave it at that."

Washing his hands in the little sink provided in the greenhouse, waiting for Pure Vanilla to do the same Blueberry Milk looked at the stains on the other plus his own, "Hmmm I can handle that." Before snapping his fingers, sparkles appearing over the stained areas on the two of them, the discolorations vanishing, "A minor illusion to at least get through dinner, the clothing is still dirty."

Blinking in surprise, Pure Vanilla stared at himself, before huffing out a quiet laugh "Right, I keep forgetting that the illusion and misdirection branches of magic are a thing, since I don't tend to rely on them much. Thank you, this helps immensely."

"I live to serve," Giving a sweeping bow, chuckling at the look from the other they began making their way to the dining hall from the night before, Blueberry Milk telling the other about some of the flowers that he will make for the greenhouses and asking his opinion on which to do first.

The dining hall was empty when they got there, giving the Sage time to begin brewing the tea. By the time dinner was done the tea would be ready, and by the time they were done eating the effects would begin to kick in for his new friends.

And that was the sight that the children were greeted with, when they entered the dining hall: their father and Blueberry Milk sitting alone at a six-cookie table and seemingly chatting animatedly, with a tray beside them that held a kettle, five porcelain cups, and two containers of sweeteners (one of honey, and one of loose sugar), the two having apparently decided to wait for them to arrive so they could all grab food, instead of grabbing themselves any food.

And once the eyes in each of their clothing spotted them (admittedly only about a minute or so after their arrival), the two turned to them and waved with bright smiles, gesturing for them to join them.

Smiling brightly at seeing the two together like that the trio raced to their father, the Cookie laughing as he gathered them in a hug, "Dad! Did you guys have fun in the greenhouses?" GingerBrave asked after they pulled back, moving over to give Blueberry a calmer but no less warm of a hug in greeting, surprising the other.

As Blueberry Milk hesitantly wrapped his arms around the child, Pure Vanilla smiled happily "Yes actually. Most of the plants beyond fruit trees were unknown to Blue, and of the few he did recognize, none were what he was looking for, but we figured out that creating plants in the other-realm and bringing them over here was a viable choice, so now even if we can't find any specimens out there in the Continent at large, Blue can still have a selection of the plants he once knew to keep for himself, later. We'll probably have to either construct another greenhouse for his plants, or add more space to mine instead, but regardless, that plan for ancient meals that we discussed before? May not be as far as we first believed it to, which is very exciting!"

Gasping the children excitedly began to chatter about the meal, ushering the adults to sit back down together, the scholar laughing as he began pouring their tea out. "It'll take sometime of course but yes, it's a possibility. In the mean time here, the tea I promised. It's been steeping this whole time and should be max effectiveness and will kick in roughly half an hour when drunk."

Making appropriately awed sounds, the children brought their cups closer to sniff at, and smiled, complimenting the soothing smell and taking a brief sip each when they noticed their father take a big gulp of his own cup, draining almost a third at once, before he rose to go get them food, so that they could eat and discuss things between bites.

"Nothing really for me Pure Vanilla! I'm not very hungry." Calling after the other he turned back to the children, "If you want it a little sweeter there is some honey and sugar, just a little though." A chuckle followed "a sugar rush defeats the purpose no?"

The children giggled at that, Strawberry adding a little honey to hers, while they all continued to sip, waiting for the healer to return.

When he returned, it was with a tray on his hands, and three more floating after him, held by disembodied white hands, all of which he set in front of the kids, before taking his own seat, his tray carrying two plates, one full with jelly sausages, mashed sweet root paste, and savory sauce, while the other plate had a two smaller slices of pizza, which he placed in front of Blueberry Milk with a kind smile “There you go Blue, try to eat at least one of those if you don't mind, okay? We can't have you fainting from malnourishment because you didn't eat enough, can we now?”

"Pure Vanilla..." The other sighed, giving him a wry look, the children digging in to their meals, "I told you I'm just not very hungry right now, but thank you for your kindness." Sipping at his tea he smiled when Wizard began to bombard his father about the floating hands, the other two poking at them curiously before laughing when they patted their heads.

Turning his face away from Wizard for a moment, Pure Vanilla opened his eyes halfway, along with a few on his cloak, and gazed at the scholar in silence for several seconds, his expression one of neutral contemplation, before he raised a hand up to rest on Blueberry's shoulder and give a squeeze, his eyes turning slightly pleading “Even if you're not hungry, could you still try to eat at least one for me? I'm a little worried about your health if you keep skipping meals like this, and I'd feel far more reassured to know you at least got some food into you, even if not much. Please? Can you do this much for me?”

Blueberry Milk went to deny the other again but stopped, something preventing him from saying no to the other. Sighing deeply he picked up the smaller of the two slices and began to nibble at it.

The sight pulled a pleased, relieved smile from the healer, and earned the sage a squeeze to the shoulder, along with a grateful “Thank you, I appreciate that more than you know Blue.” before the healer was taking his hand away and turning back to the kids to finally start answering questions, not noticing the brief flush of blue on Blueberry Milk's cheeks, nor the brief shared glance the kids gave one another as they collectively decided not to call attention to the brief, vulnerable moment they witnessed.

Blueberry took anther small nibble before setting the slice down, picking up his tea and sipping it in deep thought, listening with half an ear to the explanations about the hands and flowers.

It was sometime later he was drawn out of his musings by a massive yawn from Wizard, the child rubbing at his eye, "And there it is. Come now, let's get you three into bed before we all fall asleep here in the dining hall."

With tired giggles from the kids, and a sweeping gesture from the healer, Pure Vanilla lifted Strawberry and GingerBrave onto both his hips, using the hands to further help stabilize them in his hold, with Blueberry Milk doing the same for Wizard, before the two adults began to make his way towards their rooms, a pair of white hands working on taking the trays away (and saving the slice and a half of uneaten pizza for later), intent on putting the kids to bed properly.

The children were out like lights by the time they were changed and tucked into bed, Pure Vanilla giving them kisses on their brow for each one. When the final door closed he let out a long yawn as well, the Sage snickering, "And bedtime for you as well. C'mon then let's get you in before I have to carry you myself, and unfortunately I'm not as strong as you."

Smiling softly at the other's snickering, Pure Vanilla just waved his free hand dismissively “Oh hush, I'm still perfectly capable of making my way to my room under my own power, thank you very much.”

Chuckling warmly the sage still followed the other to his room, ensuring he made it in. "Then I bid you goodnight Pure Vanilla." Giving a sweeping bow before be moved to go to his own room.

"Goodnight Blue, sweet dreams." And with that, the healer was entering his room and closing the door behind him, before leaning his back against it, and covering his face with his hands, a quiet groan leaving his lips as he finally allowed himself to think back on the events of the day, and all the revelations therein.

He was in so much trouble.

Dragging his hands down his face, and steadfastly refusing to think any further on the matter, Pure Vanilla removed his casual clothes, and set them on the hamper to wash later, before making his way to the bathroom attached to his room, to wash up for the night and change into bed clothes to rest.

Tomorrow he'd have to get started on that greenhouse expansion, and getting things ready to greet his friends the day after.

There would be much to do and plan, in the coming days.

Blueberry Milk was in a much less stressed state, humming softly as he himself cleaned up, changing into soft pajamas to rest for the night, having a feeling that the next day was going to be a busy one.

With that in mind he turned out the lights with a wave of his hand, letting the effects of the tea sweep him away to sleep.

Soft birdsong woke him, refreshed and relaxed, as always after having a cup of Goldenleaf Tea. Getting a head start of the day sounded like a good idea, summoning new clothing consisting of a goofy white shirt and a set of pants that went from black to deep blue at the ends before going to shower, sending a little card to Moon Drop, alerting him and Apple Faerie to be good today and stay out of the way of the arrivals due to come. He wasn't sure when they were, but knowing a few he anticipated some quicker than others, and didn't want a fuss created before things were fully explained.

Receiving an affirmative reply from the other, Blue got ready, and was soon on the way to the dining hall, being met halfway by the kids, who wished him a good morning and thanked him for the tea, before the group of four made their way to the dining hall, soon seeing the familiar figure of Pure Vanilla sitting an their table, wearing an outfit that was somehow even more casual than the one of the day before, this time wearing a waffle-patterned half-sleeved shirt, a pair of skinny caramel colored pants, comfortable looking chocolate brown boots, and his long hair tied up in a high ponytail that draped down his back, his staff back to the familiar Seeing-Eye orchid, though it was closed for the moment, as he sat and waited for the others to arrive.

Blueberry chuckled as the kids raced off, their energy even more evident after the wonderful sleep they had. "Good morning Pure Vanilla. You look as rested as the children today."

Hugging his children closely and kissing their heads, wishing them good morning, the healer then turned to Blueberry as the scholar settled himself beside him, his smile warm and happy "I did sleep far better than I have in weeks, so yes, I do feel very well rested, and excited for the day. According to my observations, we still have the entire morning and a good part of the afternoon, before Dark Cacao's group will be arriving here, so I was thinking of spending today mostly working on my greenhouse. I think my friends would benefit just as much from the sort of mental ease I'm feeling right now thanks to your tea, so I want to work on that before their arrival, so I can give them a nice welcome. Plus, I have to check if it's more viable to expand my current greenhouse, or build a new one instead for the rest of the plants that you want to keep, so I'll have to see later."

After some discussion between the the children it was decided that a new, larger one would be made to house all of the new plants, Wizard Cookie sending off a letter to the Gnomes with the request to be hurried, knowing they wouldn't mind once they found out whom it was for.

"That is easy enough. I can make more plants for your friends though if they want the array done you'll need to be the one to do it. I....don't think they would be very fond of me arriving in their Kingdoms." Blueberry Milk shrugged, going back to sipping his coffee, deciding to try some hazelnut sweetener this time to see how he liked it. "They're hardy plants, and the leaves can be stored far longer than one would imagine them to."

The healer seemed to consider this for a moment, before his eyes upturned, and he lifted his cup to hide the tiny smirk pulling at his lips "Hmm, no. No, I don't think I will. If they find the tea and its effects to their taste, they can simply import the dried leaves from here as needed. Much as I adore and respect them, this is a resource whose production I think should stay within the Kingdom." Sparing a glance to Blueberry, he gave a tiny huff of a laugh, and then looked away to the side with a hint of dark tan on his cheeks "After all, this is the first thing from your time that you've brought over, and gave to m-us. I think it deserves a bit more care, rather than just being given away like some common utility. If it is to be traded at all, I think it should be as a premium product, or a rarity for only select few people at first."

"I think that's a good idea. A way to benefit the Kingdom as a whole as well, a unique trade for you all. Oh I'll need to make more for you then Pure Vanilla," Muttering to himself Blueberry Milk missed the looks shared between the children and their snorting at their father, the Cookie blushing a bit more, mock glaring at his children. The effect ruined by the little smile on his face as he gazed at the scholar.

Rolling his eyes at his mischievous children just a bit, Pure Vanilla turned back to Blueberry Milk with the same soft smile “The ones you’ve given me are more than enough for the moment. If you’re going to focus on plants, I’d rather you focus on growing new ones that I don't yet have, be it for food or medicine. Hopefully ones that can be used for those meals you teased us poor cookies with?"

Giving a little eye roll at the teasing and then pleading looks of the children he raised his hands, acquiescing to their cheering, "Alright alright! My word, if I knew I’d get this kind of look from you all, I would have promised a feast before." Tapping his lip thoughtfully, "Hmmm I believe I know what I'll make, quite simple to yet very filling. Do you know if King Dark Cacao and his people like vegetable dishes?"

"I know they don't like anything sweet for sure," GingerBrave snickered, remembering when the King had had a sweet before and the face he made.

Beside him, Wizard nodded "Yeah, though his people don't seem quite as averse to it, even though they too prefer less sweet foods overall. I guess it must be a quirk of living on a kingdom where most foods are lacking in sweetness and abundant with more bitter tastes."

From the other side of the table, Pure Vanilla snickered "Yes, Dark Cacao has always preferred the more bitter flavors of food, even on things like snacks. So if you know of a recipe that is mostly devoid of sweetness, or is more on the savory side, I think he and his people would appreciate that a little more."

"I know just the one then, and luckily I saw some of the ingredients in your gardens so I won't have to do everything from scratch-no no you'll find out later. I want it to be a surprise." The former Beast smiled mischief in his gaze. "I'm certain you'll love it however."

In reply the kids began to pout playfully, exclaiming how it wasn't fair, and only succeeding in making the scholar's smile widen, before he was outright snickering alongside Pure Vanilla, the two feeling very amused at the children's antics.

And so it was with a lighthearted atmosphere that the group finished their meal, before they decided to go their separate ways, the kids to check up on the preparations for their friends' housing area and the greeting party, and the two adults to head back to the greenhouses so that Pure Vanilla could harvest more leaves from his new flowers, as well as prepare planters and pots for the veggies that Blueberry would be creating for them.

Chapter Text

The Gnomes, true to Wizard's word, had finished a greenhouse beside Pure Vanilla's, completely empty bar the necessities to begin filling it up. "Ok, why don't you go ahead and start harvesting leaves, remember what I told you, and I will start over here. Join me when you're done?" The question had a hopeful lilt to it, Blueberry rolling up he sleeves and making a gardening apron appear. He didn't want to dirty his new clothing just yet and figured this would help more.

In reply, the healer grabbed a small pair of garden clippers from a golden portal, and smiled warmly at him "Of course, I wouldn't miss out on helping you with this, you know that. I'll be with you in fifteen minutes tops, I promise." And with a wave, he was entering his greenhouse to go collect some more leaves, a few to use at dinner, and most of the others to eventually dry out for using another day.

A little blush at the statement, Blueberry Milk giving a shy smile before nodding, making his way to the new greenhouse. Laid out pretty much the same as Pure Vanilla's personal one, just larger he hummed, wondering how to start and deciding to work from the back forward with the lesser used vegetables or herbs and going up from there.

With that in mind strolling to the back where a portal opened at his whim. Eager to share some of his favorite teas and foods from his time (and absolutely touched the others wanted to experience it so much) he began. Just like the day prior he pressed his hand down to the ground of his side of the other-realm, concentrating on growing roughly 10 plants of each species he would need, puppet strings moving tools, pots and the like with each grouping he made before walking back through to personally oversee it and created the needed spell array.

And just as promised, he was soon joined by a smiling Pure Vanilla holding tools at the ready, three pairs of white hands following after him with tools of their own, ready to help plant and set up things on the new greenhouse.

For several hours the two worked in tandem, not even needing to speak to know what was needed next. Pure Vanilla took over organizing the greenhouse, taking the plants floating through on strings with his own magical constructs floating about, himself making signs of what each was according to what Blueberry said. Quite a few he recognized from history books of species long gone extinct and was excited to try whatever it was that Blueberry Milk had planned for dinner.

And by the time lunch rolled around, they had filled two thirds of the greenhouse up with over two dozen different plants, both of the beyond pleased wit the morning's work, as they decided to take a break for having lunch with the kids once more.

"You go on ahead, I'm going to clean up a little then find my gremlins." Waving the other off, dabbing at his forehead with a wet cloth he gave a smile, "I'll join you later, oh could you have some mint tea waiting for me if it's not too much trouble? Something refreshing and cool sounds Ovenly right now."

Cleaning up his own hands Pure Vanilla peered at his companion through the Eyes floating around his back, keeping his expression turned away from the other for a moment, before nodding and giving him a smile "Of course. I'll even ask them to chill it for you if you'd like?"

Smiling Blueberry Milk nodded, "That sounds wonderful! Thank you so much Pure Vanilla. Oh it's been an age since I've had chilled tea I look forward to that very much." With a little pep in his step he moved forward, hugging the other close from behind before pulling back, vanishing with a little pop of glitter and a "I'll see you soon!"

The sudden hug from behind had Pure Vanilla freezing in surprise, not even being able to react or respond before the other was gone, leaving him wide eyed in shock, before his cheeks flushed lightly, and he was turning around and leaving towards the castle, his free hand over the bottom half of his face as he walked. Thankfully, by the time he got to the Castle, his cheeks had returned to their normal color, and he could make his way to the table where he'd promised to meet the kiddos at, greeting them briefly, before he went to get his food and ask for some Mint tea to be made and chilled, just as he'd promised the other earlier.

In his Spire Blueberry Milk had a hand over his mouth in a near mirror image of the other unknowingly, blushing as well, eyes wide with the thought of 'I can't believe I hugged him like that' and 'That felt so nice.' 

Shaking his head and taking a deep breath he walked over to one of his viewing mirrors, taking a peek on Apple Faerie first. The little Cookie's giggle echoed around the room, the girl racing as Custard chased after her, both their cheeks flushed with laughter at their playing. They were in some sort of play area outside from what he could tell, a park maybe?

Zooming out of the image he spotted Moon Drop sitting under the shade of a tree, a book in his lap forgotten as he watched the children play. He stiffened in surprise before looking up at the sky where the scholar was watching with a smile, nodding pleased that they were behaving.

Ending his scrying he closed his eyes, relaxing that his charges were safe and seemed to be enjoying themselves.

With his food in hand, Pure Vanilla sat with the kids, and began to speak with them about their respective mornings, listening to them tell him about theirs, before he gave his own tale, excluding the hug. He didn't want to deal with their teasing right now.

"Dad? Are you ok? You're kinda quiet." Gingerbrave finally asked after a little while. "Did you and Blueberry Milk have a fight?"

Blinking out of his thoughts, Pure Vanilla looked up at them with his staff and the floating Eyes over his back, before sighing and giving a weak smile “No, we didn't fight, I'm just... Worried about him, is all.” seeing the curious looks, he sighed, and swallowed his bite of food “I fear he may be skipping meals or not eating enough, and I'm not entirely sure how to get him to do so.”

"I mean...if he's hungry he'll get a snack." Wizard said, unsure as he looked to his siblings, confused as he was. What was the big deal? "Sometimes Cookies just aren't hungry Dad."

Pursing his lips, Pure Vanilla closed his eyes and brought a hand to his face, murmuring "I'm not sure if he would." Remembering how light the scholar had felt that day as he carried him on his back and into the Kingdom, how small his body felt in his arms as he'd carried him to bed at the cabin and held him as he cried. How thin his torso and abdomen both looked, even for a slender cookie like him... And the realization that for the past three or four meals, he'd barely seen the other touch his food, mostly just sticking to drinks, and even then, just a few glasses or cups per meal. It was seriously beginning to worry him, and he didn't know what to do, nor how to convince the other to eat more, and take better care of himself.

The children all looked between one another, worried and concerned because Pure Vanilla was worried and concerned. They didn't understand why though.

They had seen the other eat sometimes, and they've seen their friends skip a meal they didn't want, most often it was lunch such as it was now.

"Maybe...he just doesn't want to eat with us?" GingerBrave suggested softly, looking down at his plate. His sister put her hand over his, shaking her head no.

Hearing the uncertainty in Gingerbrave's words, Pure Vanilla looked up with wide eyes, before taking his hand off his face to gently set it atop of the child's own "No, he was quite happy to be included last time, so I'm sure it's not that. Maybe he really is just busy, and I'm worrying too much about things." Giving them a smile, he gestured to himself "You three know how I tend to be with my friends' health. Remember the berry incident from a few months back? When Gingerbrave ate that bad berry and got a bit sick to the stomach? It turned out not to be a big deal in the end, but you remember how I reacted at first, don't you?"

That all all three children giggling, remembering how frantic the healer was during that incident. You'd have thought GingerBrave had an incurable disease! When in reality, he just had to rest for the afternoon.

"Y-you're silly Dad." Strawberry giggled as Wizard began to tease their brother, the brave child huffing and poking at the mage. She leaned closer to the King, whispering, "B-but if you're that worried...maybe if you both ate together, alone? M-maybe he's self-c-conscious, or nervous?"

Blinking at that option, Pure Vanilla seemed to consider it seriously for several moments, before nodding "Perhaps he is, I hadn't considered that, honestly. You might be right, I'll have to check with him later, maybe for an afternoon snack or something, since I don't really want to give up on having my meals with you three either."

Strawberry Cookie's eyes upturned at her smile, leaning into her father's side before moving back to work on her meal and laugh at her brothers who were poking one another repeatedly.

"You both utterly remind me of Moon Drop and Apple Faerie, moreso the latter. She loves to poke people."

Stepping out of a fold in reality, like walking out of a mirror Blueberry Milk smiled at everyone, turning to Pure Vanilla. "You'll be pleased to note that currently, young Custard and his new best friend are in a rigorous game of tag under the watchful eye of Moon Drop, some sort of play area I think? It was a large, grassy looking area, a lot of Cookies were relaxing."

Hearing and seeing Blueberry arrive, Pure Vanilla felt some of the anxiety in his chest drain away, and a relieved smile tug at his lips, even as the kids beamed at the scholar and rose up to hug him hello. And as they did, Pure Vanilla smiled as he recognized the area in question that the other was talking about "Ah, the verdant park gardens, yes, it tends to be a nice spot for cookies to rest in and just enjoy the day. And since it has plenty of space, the more rambunctious kiddos have plenty of space to run around and play without worry of bumping into anyone."

"I see, it seems to be a favorite spot as I saw them in the same, if not similar, location the other day. It's odd to see someone able to keep up with Apple Faerie." Blueberry Milk hugged the children close, smiling softly at their greetings before looking back up, "Usually it was all me and Moon Drop could do to keep her contained for any length of time before she was bouncing around the Spire."

As the kids giggled and sat down again, Pure Vanilla spoke up with a slightly teasing smile "Then it seems you didn't have enough engagement for her. A few of the children in this kingdom are like that, full of endless energy, and needing to constantly be challenged, be it physically or mentally. Boredom is the mother of trouble, as some old friends used to claim, and there's no better remedy for it than finding another person with equal amounts of energy to spend it with. Preferably with topics interesting enough to challenge the mind too."

That seemed to stump the other, sitting back roughly in deep, surprised thought, "Is that it? Is that the answer? She just needed an energetic playmate??" Groaning the sage leaned back, a hand over his eyes at all the headaches, chaos and more that Candy Apple had caused, "Oven darn it...Moon Drop is going to laugh at me."

As if to cement that every idea, the four cookies around him began to snicker and laugh too, not having expected such a simple, obvious solution to have eluded the self-proclaimed master entertainer.

The Sage of Truth just pouted at them all, arms crossed under his Soul Jam for added effect. He brightened up though when Pure Vanilla handed him a pitcher of cooled mint tea and a cup for it, "Oh! They were able to do it? Fantastic, thank you so much Nilla!" Eager he poured himself a cup full, sipping at it relieved, "Oh that hits the spot...cool and refreshing."

Expression softening at the smile and heart warming slightly at the nickname, he murmured "Happy to help." Before he was turning back to his food, eating a few ore bites and keeping a few Eyes on the other as the scholar visibly relaxed with his drink, clearly pleased.

And it was with that sight, that Pure Vanilla turned back to him, his expression soft and open, his yellow and sky blue eyes gazing at the other with a question in their depths "Are drinks easier?"

A little frown, confused, appeared as Blueberry looked over, lowering his cup, "I beg your pardon? Easier? I mean they're liquid, they normally go down easier?"

The absolute confusion in the other's gaze normally would have made the children chuckle, but they kept quiet, slowly beginning to sneak out while the two were busy.

They had a feeling this conversation was going to be a private one, and they didn't want the other to be embarrassed by their presence.

Keeping his gaze on Blueberry Milk, Pure Vanilla sparing the retreating children a glance with the Eyes on his cloak, before he returned his full attention to the sage, his tone questioning but quiet, as if trying not to spook a skittish animal "Are drinks or liquid food easier for your body to keep down? Is that why you seem to prefer drinking more than eating?"

"What in Earthbread are you talking about?" Frowning even more, confused and starting to grow wary over the strange questioning.

Taking a deep breath in, and letting it out in a sigh, Pure Vanilla set his cutlery down, and turned to the Sage with a worried expression "For the last two days, you've barely eaten anything at breakfast, lunch, or dinner. You weigh less than the kids do, and even when food is offered and you eat, it's barely enough to be considered snacking, much less having a proper meal." lifting his hand, he reached out to the other's arm as if to rest over his forearm, before he stopped himself, and instead pulled his hands closer to his chest, resting over his heart, below his Soul Jam as he lowered his tone, voice betraying his worries "Is it because the foods here don't suit you? Do they make you sick? Or is it the textures?" wringing his hands over the fabric of his shirt, he lowered his gaze to his plate "Or maybe it's the other cookies making you nervous? Does eating with us here make you uncomfortable?"

The hand resting on the table flinched, stiffening before being forced to relax. Blueberry Milk's gaze darkened, shuttering before he glanced down, "...I told you, I just haven't been hungry is all. It's nothing you need concern yourself with. I can eat, you saw me do it. And I enjoy spending the meal times with you, though if my not eating disturbs you and the children I can stop if you'd prefer."

His words were met with a quick, worried "No!" that despite being said at his normal volume of talking, seemed to linger in the space between them, a tan hand having reached out immediately to rest over his forearm, as if instinctively trying to keep him from fleeing.

And the next moment Pure Vanilla seemed to realize what he'd done, and dropped his mouth open in surprise at himself, before reluctantly pulling his hand back, and lowering his gaze along with his tone "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to invade your space like that. I just-" letting out a sigh, he let his shoulders droop "I'm just worried about your health, and whether you're eating enough to sustain yourself properly."

Reaching out a hand, he hesitated on reaching for the forearm, before settling on grabbing at the edge of the sage's shirt, his cheeks dusted with dark tan, even as his voice became tinged with sadness "You've become such a source of joy for me these past few days that you've spent with me and the kids, and I... I suppose I'm just scared of losing that, I guess."

Pursing his lips, he swallowed, before letting his shoulders drop, his tone turning pleading "I won't bring it up again, so please, don't... Don't stop joining us for meals. I'd miss your company too much."

Blueberry's arm twitched, freezing, but before Pure Vanilla could pull away, a cool hand was resting on his own latched onto the shirt, holding onto it. Looking back up at the worried, scared gaze of the other his own eyes grew sad, heart breaking at the look directed at him. He searched his gaze, for what the healer couldn't say. "I'm scared, Pure Vanilla." The admittance was quiet, shaky at best, speaking such a thing, the blue hand shaking the slightest bit, a tremor over the warm one under his. "I'm scared...that all of this is still a dream-no worse...I'm scared of ending up back there.” 

The sheer terror in the whispered words could freeze the jam of any who heard them. "I wasn't asleep during it...a punishment I suppose. I felt the hunger pains for so long, the years stretched on because of them, before they finally stopped. Probably when the physical body I had finally just...gave up. My spirit forever trapped, tortured, in the sil-in there." Lost, haunting eyes locked onto horrified eyes. "Do you know what it's like...for an immortal to starve? I couldn't even eat dirt to fill my stomach, I just felt every bit of me slowly crumble as my form started to devour itself, desperate to fill that gaping void inside of me, and I couldn't stop it. And when the pains finally stopped...I wept from the relief. I wasn't hungry anymore, the pain was gone. One less, torturous thing, for me to deal with."

A shudder ran through the Sage of Truth, hunching in on himself. "I didn't feel hungry after being brought back, I was a spirit at first, until Dark Enchantress created bodies for us. And then, I was so focused on you, I didn't notice if I did or didn't need to eat, I didn't care. My Soul Jam sustained me enough, my fury, my plans, spreading Deceit. And..and then I ate here, with you all."

The words, the sheer unbridled horror contained in that whispered confession, the echo of pain he swore he could feel in his own soul jam, the tension in the other's frame as he spoke...

Pure Vanilla was acting before he had a chance to think.

Warm, tanned arms wrapped themselves around Blueberry Milk's frame and pulled him tightly against Pure Vanilla's chest, at the same time that gold was enveloping their forms and taking the two of them away, away from the noisy dining room, and into the quiet safety of Pure Vanilla's side of the other-realm, the two of them gently set atop the back of a giant cream sheep, as Pure Vanilla held Blueberry Milk against his form, the strength almost crushing, if not for the gentle way a tan hand cradled the back of Blueberry's head against Pure Vanilla's shoulder, for the way the warm arm around his back shook as the tanned hand attached to it rested over his bony spine, feeling the ridges beneath his skin with a newfound understanding that shattered the healer's heart to pieces, and had tears falling down his eyes as he held on to the other, his own frame shaking with shivers of empathetic pain, but silent otherwise.

What could he even say, that could even begin to apologize for the sheer torture of what the other had gone through? That could convey anything even remotely close to a worthy apology for such a cruel, terrible fate?

Was there even anything at all?

No. There wasn't.

And yet, he couldn't stop his own trembling, teary voice from speaking out in a choked up murmur "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Blue. Stars, I'm so sorry."

Shocked silly at the abrupt teleportation it took Blueberry Milk a second to catch up, the whiplash from everything confusing him. But the warm touch, the protective hug, the murmured, pained words. Pained for him, spurred him into action.

Nuzzling into the other's shoulder he wrapped his thin arms around the shaking healer, hugging him close. "It's ok Nilla...you didn't know. You couldn't have known. And-and it was my, our, the Beasts, punishment for falling to Darkness."

"No." The word, even shaky as it was, was steeped in a sharp refusal bordering on venomous anger, the healer's conviction ringing out through his entire frame, and through the very reality of the other-realm, Pure Vanilla hiding his face in the sage's hair, his voice still full of steel and conviction even as his crushing hug gentled into something softer and more careful "No one deserves a fate like that. Not even Burning Spice nor Dark Enchantress, and you know they're the worst offenders of that entire group."

Using the hand on the back of Blue's head, the blond caressed his scalp, as he let his voice soften "Even they wouldn't have deserved such a fate, much less you. You didn't deserve to suffer like that, and I'm so, so sorry you ever had to experience such a horrid thing."

Turning his head, he pressed his face further into the other's hair, murmuring his words against his head, his promise echoing with the same brilliant power that the sage had felt at the moment of Pure Vanilla's awakening "But I swear, on my Soul Jam and my very existence, that I won't let such a sin be repeated, I won't let you be sealed away again if I can help it. I'll sooner give you my half of the Soul Jam and take your place, than let you suffer through that a second time."

"NO!" The Sage clutched the other, terrified for an entirely new reason. "You will never, NEVER, be hurt like that, like I was, I refuse! I'd rather be damned to being Shadow Milk for eternity again than let you suffer that fate!" Pulling back Pure Vanilla saw the tears fall like stars from the other's eyes, Soul Jam flaring in power, tone near crazed sounding as the Jester's, "I refuse to let you fall again, I shouldn't have had a hand in it the first time as Truthless Recluse, but I will be damned if I let you fall like I did. I care about you too much to let you be hurt like I was Pure Vanilla!"

The terrified refusal in the sage's tone, the truthfulness in his words, the pain so clear in his eyes as well as the tears soaking his cheeks, and most damning of all, the resonating echo from his Soul Jam, ringing with an honesty that reverberated in his own half, made Pure Vanilla's expression soften, and a quiet chuckle escape him, before he was leaning forward to press his lips to Blueberry's forehead, and then pulling back to rest his own on that very area, staring at the shocked cookie with a fond smile on his face, even as more tears fell down his cheeks, his tone impossibly soft "We both think we're so much less than the other, and yet, we both want to protect each other so fiercely. Stars, we're a pair of idiots, aren't we Blue?"

Pure Vanilla watched entranced as a blush began to spread over the cheeks over the other, Blueberry rapidly blinking (was it just him or were his pupils another shape just then?) before giving a little wet giggle through his tears. "Yes...I think we are."

Shoulders relaxing at seeing the other smile, Pure Vanilla leaned forward to lightly brush his nose against Blue's own, before hiding his face in the sage's own shoulder, and speaking quietly "I promise won't sacrifice myself for your sake, but you have to promise me the same back Blue. You have to promise me that you'll keep trying to take better care of yourself, even if it's just small things at a time. Be it one more bite of food, one more sip of a drink, five more minutes in bed, or other equally small things like that. Tiny steps to take care of yourself every day."

Tightening his hold around the sage, his voice came out a bit more shaky, more pleading "It was already bad enough when I thought it was just an eating disorder, but knowing the truth now... Please... Don't make me watch you wither away of your own will." swallowing down a sob, he buried his face harder against the other's shoulder and neck, shaking faintly "Don't make me watch you decline further. My heart wouldn't be able to take it."

A cool hand rose up to the back of Pure Vanilla's head, threading in his hair. Blueberry Milk said nothing for several moments, just holding him close, before he lowered his face to mirror the other's, "...For you. For you I will t-try." A tightening of the arms, burrowing into the warmth. "I'm just scared...I don't want to go through that again Vanilla."

"You won't." Even soft, it held a promise, a vow of strength and conviction that could rival even Dark Cacao's own. "For as long as I live, I won't let it happen. I'm sticking with you and helping you recover, until you decide to push me away. You have my word, Blueberry Milk."

It was several minutes later, when they were both calmer did Blueberry Milk pull back, a hand brushing against his forehead where his mark was, looking at Pure Vanilla curious, innocent. "Why did you do that?"

Looking back at him, and seeing the gesture, Pure Vanilla flushed slightly, but smiled nonetheless, not being able to bring himself to regret the gesture even now, after they were both calmer "Why? Well, I suppose because I felt the need to do so." Bringing a hand up to the mark as well, he brushed a thumb over it and smiled softly "An innocent way to show you I care about you too. I'm sorry if it was too much. I tend to get a bit more tactile and touchy with people I care about."

Chewing on his lower lip for a moment, he debated whether to leave it there, but then remembering the kids' words about Blueberry Milk being oblivious to social cues, he sighed, and ignored the heat on his cheeks as he added quietly “It's usually a gesture of affection between family members like a parent and their children, but it can also be used between people that are deeply special to one another, be it in a platonic, or romantic sense.” closing his eyes, and further ignoring the burning across his cheeks and nose, he murmured in a faintly embarrassed tone “And you've become very dear to me, despite the very short time we've spent together so far.”

"Oh, I've never had one of those before. It's a kiss, right?" Blueberry Milk smiled, blushing a little, "It was nice."

Much calmer now Blueberry Milk hummed, thoughtful as he stared at Pure Vanilla, raising a hand to thumb across his left cheek before smiling wider.

Pure Vanilla was shocked when the sage leaned over, brushing his cool lips against his cheek, pulling back with his own light blue, gold and indigo eyes almost glittering with joy. "You've become very dear to me too Pure Vanilla."

For a long moment, Pure Vanilla simply stared in shocked silence, but then his face flushed even further, and he leaned down to hide his face in the other's shoulder with a noise that was half squeak half groan, followed by a mumbled “Thank you.” and a gentle squeeze of his arms around the other, not wanting him to think that the gesture was unwanted, despite his own faint embarrassment.

Chuckling Blueberry Milk just relaxed in the strong arms around him, sighing a little before it registered where they were. "...why is there a giant cream sheep here?"

From his shoulder, he heard Pure Vanilla mumble “Because we needed something soft to rest in and give us comfort in the wake of that emotional gut punch, and cream sheep wool is one of the comfiest things I've ever felt. So I made a big one that we could lay down in. Because a normal one would get squished by my weight.”

Pure Vanilla felt the form he held shake, Blueberry snorting softly at that but unable to refute the logic. "It is very comfortable, thank you."

Shifting a bit and after a bit of silent encouragement, Blueberry Milk and Pure Vanilla were laying down on their backs, the golden Cookie's arm between the wool and the other's back, hand curled on the bony shoulder unwilling to fully relinquish the hug.

"I'm sorry I worried you Pure Vanilla...it was never my intention to do so." Blueberry Milk stared straight up at the golden sky, the white eyes blinking down at them as they shifted in and out of reality.

Rubbing his thumb gently over the other's shoulder in an idle gesture that he wasn't even aware of, Pure Vanilla sighed quietly "I know it wasn't. And for the record, I'm sorry too. I should have been more careful about how I asked you about it, or done so in a more private setting, instead of at the lunch table." Leaning his head to the side, resting it near Blueberry's own, Pure Vanilla let his voice soften "It had been worrying me for a while, and after earlier, with you telling me to go ahead without you, I... I guess my worry got the better of me. I'm sorry for being so pushy. I'll try not to be so demanding, next time I'm worried about you."

"It's ok, I observed you do similar things with those you care for over the years." His own head nudged closer, their hair overlapping with his movement. "Tea and such I fond very calming and...and I barely feel it settle in my stomach, it doesn't trigger anything." Murmured quietly, even though no other could hear them he didn't want didn't want to admit it, but for Pure Vanilla?

He would try.

Relaxing slightly at the other's small act of closeness, and the admittance of vulnerability (and oh, how it both warmed his chest and cracked his heart hearing it), Pure Vanilla allowed himself a tiny smile "Then we'll try to get you lighter things first. Lighter broths, soups, and so on, to help you adjust slowly. That way, it won't be as overwhelming as before. Do you think that's something you'd be willing to try?"

The thought scared him shitless, he wasn't going to lie to himself about that. "This really means that much to you...we don't even know if I require food to begin with." One last attempt, one last deflection, his will wavering to bend to Pure Vanilla's request.

For a moment, Pure Vanilla was silent, as if measuring his words, before he smiled softly "You're right, we don't know if you require food to survive. Maybe you do, maybe you don't. But I, for one, would like to see if it can affect you." turning to gaze at the scholar, he offered him a soft smile as she gaze his shoulder the tiniest of squeezes "Plus, we've just finished filling up over half of your greenhouse with plants that will be ready to harvest very soon. It'd be a shame if you couldn't bring yourself to taste the recipes you once loved so much, wouldn't it? And frankly..." As he continued, he felt his cheeks flush, but pushed forward with his words, feeling like he had to put the offer out there "I really enjoyed our morning at the café, and I'd like to try something like that again someday, even if only for ourselves. Be it here, or in one of the private gardens."

"I would have tasted them..." Turning his face, trying to hide away from the other's gaze, knowing if he met it he would give in. "I really liked that too, and I would like to go out with you again."

Chuckling softly, to himself, Pure Vanilla nudged his forehead against Blueberry Milk's shoulder and smiled warmly "Then it’s a d-plan. We can decide on a day and time later on, after things calm down a bit."

"Ok." Whispering softly he tilted his head a little more, resting it on top of Pure Vanilla's, relaxing at the warmth spreading through his neck and cheek. "It might be a while, we have much to do."

Smile softening, the healer gave the shoulder under his hand a gentle reassuring squeeze "That's alright, it just means we get something nice to look forward to while we're doing what needs to be done. A little ray of hope, as it were."

Closing his eyes Blueberry Milk nodded, eyes closed as he just breathed in the scent of the other, "...I'll try for you, to eat something."

The reply came in a soft, fond murmur full of gratitude "That's all I ask, small steps at a time. And I promise, you don't have to be afraid of facing this on your own. I'll be with you through it all, I swear."

Pure Vanilla felt a hand clutch at his sleeve, the other shifting closer in a small way. "I'm scared..."

After a moment of deliberation, the healer rolled halfway over so that he could face the other, and carefully wrapped his free arm around him, pulling him to a loose hug as he murmured “I'm with you. I won't leave you, I promise.”

Blueberry Milk automatically curled into the other's embrace, hiding his face in the shoulder. Pure Vanilla wrapped his arms a little tighter, feeling the ridges and bones making up the other's back and shoulder far easier than he wanted. His other had was able to trace around the ribs with ease. "I...I may mess up...is that ok?"

Leaning his blond head against the scholar's own, he nuzzled it gently with a smile “Of course. It's alright if you can't make yourself eat a lot right away. It's alright if you can only manage small portions. It's alright if you find yourself unable to eat more than a few spoonfuls of food. As long as you don't give up and keep trying, then that's all that matters.”

Tenseness evaporating like water in the Cheese Desert Blueberry Milk near went boneless, hiding his face even more as he shook in relief.

Bringing his hands up to caress the other's back, and head, Pure Vanilla allowed himself to indulge a bit in the caring gestures, his voice softening further “It'll be alright Blue. You'll be alright, I promise. It'll just take some time, but I'll be by your side no matter what. You won't be on your own. No matter what, I'll be by your side, to support you even if you stumble.”

One brief moment of doubt and contemplation, and then the blond was pressing a kiss to the side of the other's head as he murmured “Let me be there for you. You can lean on me until you find your own footing, I promise that I don't mind it one bit. Let me be your strength until you find your own again.”

Pure Vanilla felt the other grip his shirt tightly as he nuzzled his chest, nodding in acceptance.

Blueberry Milk's eyes were closed, partly to try to keep his tears at bay, mostly to relish in the warmth and care the other was providing him. He felt so small in Pure Vanilla's arms, but felt as if nothing bad could happen to him as long as they were around him, holding him.

He thought back to the first day, when he had eaten. He had desperately needed to, to replenish the gargantuan level of magic he had used. But when he had realized what he had done, how full he had felt toomuchneverenough he had been terrified, mind spiraling downwards, being swallowed by the tree again and feeling his stomach twist and turn, eating at his body to sustain himself, his physical strength waning with each moment.

Keeping his arms securely around the thin cookie, holding him close, Pure Vanilla simply let himself hold the other in silence, hoping that his actions could convey the care that he couldn't seem to properly voice yet.

Someday he'd find the words to explain the mess of emotions in his chest. But until then, he'd give the other what he could. Be it a hand to hold, a shoulder to cry on, or simply a listening ear.

Chapter Text

The wool under them rumbled with every step the cream sheep took as it wondered around, causing Blueberry Milk to giggle a little, feeling much lighter. "Fitting that this creature is here, they're very important to you." He pulled back, eyes a little read but smiling, feeling much better.

Smile and gaze softening, Pure Vanilla let his hand card through the cosmic hair in gentle motions as he spoke “They were some of my dearest companions growing up, yes, and brought me many happy memories. I can't be blamed for finding comfort in what is familiar, can I?”

"No, not at all. Anything you can grasp at that is a familiar comfort is to be treasured." Blueberry's smile shifted, upset. "Are the children ok? They were quiet before...did my actions upset them too?"

Letting his hand knead at the other's scalp, Pure Vanilla shook his head “No, they were simply worried because I got worried about you. They'll be fine once I tell them that we talked things out, and that you were just worried as well about whether you were wanted or not. They'll make sure to hug you just as tight as they do me, to remind you that they care about you too.”

Relaxing into the touch on his scalp and hair Blueberry Milk sighed, self deprecating. "I'm sorry...the last thing I ever want to do is worry you or the children. Is, is there anything I can do? To make it up to you and them?"

The smile aimed at him was soft and fond “Continue to join us for meals, and taking care of yourself. That is the best cure for any lingering worries on all of us. That will be enough, I promise.”

Considering this Blueberry Milk nodded slowly, "Yes. I believe I can do that. Especially tonight, I want to make tonight's meal for us, which means we should get back so I can start. Though...may I make a selfish request, if possible? Could we all dine somewhere more private, please? At least without so many others around..." The thought of so many strangers eyes on him didn't suit the sage at the moment.

Smile widening and eyes softening with an inner warmth, Pure Vanilla nodded, and gently brushed his fingers through Blueberry Milk's white bangs in a soothing gesture “Of course, it would be no trouble, I promise. Would you like to go back to the cabin instead? It's quieter than the castle, but still has a kitchen you can work in if you'd like. Or we could bring the kiddos here, and eat at the border where my half meets yours? Whatever makes you more comfortable Blue, I'll support you either way.”

"I don't mind eating in the Castle, I would just like if it could be a smaller area is all." Relieved the other was open to his request he relaxes, shifting to sit up. "I'd feel better if it was Cookies I know is all."

Loosening his hold and letting Blueberry Milk sit up, Pure Vanilla smiled up at him from his place on the wool, arms now resting on his chest “That can be arranged, yes. I'm sure the kiddos won't mind it either. Do you also want to invite Moon Drop and Green Apple to eat with us? Considering they're kind of like your kids too?”

To his surprise Blueberry Milk shook his head, "No, they had plans already. Latte invited them both to her home with Custard to enjoy an evening together. They've taken quite the shine to those two, it's cute."

The revelation had Pure Vanilla's eyes widening briefly, and then a soft laugh escaping him as he nodded “It is cute. I'm glad they're making friends here.” lifting himself up from the soft wool, he smiled softly “Well, I suppose that means you won't have to make as much food then, huh?” then with the tiniest of amused smirks, he reached out to boop the other's nose “Lucky for your poor noodle arms then.”

Blinking cross eyed, the look of 'I can't believe you did that', had him huffing, the former jester floating up, "Oh haha very funny Silly Nilly. Maybe I should just make food for myself and the children, leave you out of it hmm?"

To which the healer laughed warmly, and gave the scholar a teasing smile as he let his voice soften “Oh, but you wouldn't deny me the joy of eating with you and my kiddos, would you Blue? You're far too much of a sweetheart to do such a mean thing to lil 'ol me.”

Floating on his back, staring upside down at the other with a little flush on his face that Pure Vanilla could barely see. The teasing tone the other had as he smirked, eyes glinting in the light. "Hmm perhaps. Perhaps not. You can be quite deceiving behind your pretty eyes Nilla."

The remark had Pure Vanilla freezing in place for a moment, eyes slightly wide, before he was covering his mouth with a hand and snickering freely, cheeks tinged a lovely dark tan as he struggled with his laughter, eyes closing in mirth, even as the ones floating behind him and over his clothes gazed at the scholar with upturned gazes and tiny, heart shaped pupils, the fond adoration there clear for all to see, if one were to glance over.

And when the Healer finally managed to stifle his giggles enough to reopen his real eyes and reply, his gaze was full of fondness and happiness as he replied “I suppose I did learn a thing or two from deceit, but I promise you, I'm never anything other than fully honest when I'm with you like this Blue.” reaching out, he hesitated for only a moment, before brushing the back of his fingers lightly over Blueberry's cheek, and murmured in a much softer tone tinged with a hint of some deeper emotion behind it “I guess it's a good thing that I don't have eyes for anyone else other than you then, isn't it?”

Blueberry Milk leaned into the touch, head tilted into it. His gaze pierced the other's, searching, wondering. A hand raised up to keep the other one there, "Vanilla?"

Smile softening when his hand was kept in place, Pure Vanilla simply let his thumb brush lightly over a thin, bony cheek as he replied “Yes, Blue?”

"What is it..." Blueberry Milk swallowed, eyes flicking all over his face before settling on the others eyes, "When someone makes your heart hurt in a good way? When just seeing them makes you so happy you could cry? When you just...want to lose yourself in them? That anything about them is just perfect in your gaze no matter what." A chilled hand pressed a tad harder on Pure Vanilla's own, shaking the slightest bit. "When the answer makes your stomach flip, and you're terrified of it?"

Yellow and sky blue eyes widened at the questions, surprised at the directness of them, but once the meaning behind them fully registered to him, he couldn't help the way his entire stance relaxed, nor the besotted quality of his smile as he lowered his tone to a soft murmur “When you feel happier being near them and look forward to seeing them smiling at you? When your chest fills with warmth when you hear them laugh freely? When you think back to what life with them could be, and find yourself wanting that?”

Taking a deeper breath, he let it out in a sigh, and caressed the other's cheek more confidently, his tone softening “Some cookies may call that a deep bond of friendship. Some may call it a family dynamic. Some may even call it platonic love. It can be all of those things, really, it depends on how you want to see it as. But I?” at that he paused, gathering his courage before continuing in a soft, fond tone tinged with that same deeper emotion “I prefer to see it as a burgeoning love. Still small and a bit unsure, but gaining traction with every gesture of support. Growing with every offer of help given and accepted. Like a tiny seedling, to be cared for with gentle hands, and nurtured into a full bloom someday.”

Inhaling shakily, he gazed into the gold and indigo eyes that so clearly mirrored his own yellow and sky blue, and willed his next words to be carried out with the reassurance of no expectations “But if that's too much or too fast, it's okay to take your time and figure out what it means for you. What you feel doesn't have to be the same as me, if you don't feel ready for it to be. You don't even have to put a name to it if that scares you. You can just call it fondness and leave it at that, if it makes things easier. I still know you care, and that's all that really matters in my eyes.”

"I've never felt this way about anyone before. Not the Beasts. Not the children. Not Moon Drop or Apple Faerie. With you its...stronger. Newer. It makes me happy and scares me. I want to see you smile and my heart breaks when you're sad." Blueberry Milk tried to explain, in his long life he had never felt this way before. A little lost he looked back into soft, understanding eyes. "It's more like what you said. And I don't know what to do, or how to go about it. I've been thinking about it a lot before."

Having watched the scholar slowly rotate himself to face him properly, Pure Vanilla brought his other hand up to cradle both of Blueberry Milk's cheeks in his palms, and smiled warmly “I suppose it depends on what we hope to get out of this. We don't have to do anything about the current situation if we don't want to. We can just remain as we have so far, helping support one another through mutual help. We can see where the current path takes us.”

Chuckling quietly, he brushed his thumbs under the other's eyes gently, in a soothing gesture of fondness “From my side? I am just as content with offering you my help in friendship, as I am with being able to hold your hand in public and take you on romantic outings. I'd be just as happy debating magical theory with you for three hours, as I'd be about holding your hand in mine and being able to kiss your cheek when you're all caught up in the midst of a passionate rant about something you love. I can care for you platonically or romantically, and I'd still be perfectly happy either way. Because regardless of what label we use, or what actions we take, I'd still be spending time with you either way. And that's all I really need to be content.”

Tilting his head a bit to the side, he murmured with half lidded eyes and a loving smile “I'll follow along with whatever makes you more comfortable. And if you ever want to change up our dynamic, just let me know. I'll go at your pace Blue, always.”

Blueberry Berry's rotation was held still by the warm hands of the healer, considering something as he listened to the other speak, listing off both sides as he continued to brush his thumb under his eyes.

As the Fount of Knowledge long ago and the Sage of Truth now, he was a selfless though selfish being. He'd had so little that he guarded what was his almost obsessively, yet he gave what he could and more to anyone who needed it. As Shadow Milk though he was incredibly selfish, wanting anything he could get his hands on to keep it for himself, Pure Vanilla included.

And it was those urges that he followed, floating forward, feeling the other’s hands brush down to his shoulders as he brushed a chaste kiss to Pure Vanilla's lips, a barely there feeling, one he had seen not only Pure Vanilla do to the children’s heads, but seen random Cookie pairs do to one another the other day, when they were watching them at the café.

Something he had seen families, friends and lovers do.

The kiss, hesitant and barely there, still had as much of an effect as if he'd pressed his lips fully to the healer's own, the blond inhaling quickly in surprise at the gesture, as if caught off guard, before he let out a noise that could almost be called a whimper, and leaned forward to press his own lips to his in a slightly firmer kiss, before his eyes widened as he realized what he did, and he pulled back with dark tan cheeks, his voice a little breathy and slightly apologetic "S-sorry, didn't mean to overstep."

Instead of being shocked or upset, Blueberry Milk just smiled, a little blush on his cheeks. "You don't need to apologize...I liked it."

The words, said so softly, had Pure Vanilla relaxing, and his mismatched gaze dropping to the sage's mouth again, tongue subconsciously licking his lips, before he seemed to realize what he was doing, and closed his eyes as he took a deeper breath in, the hands on Blueberry Milk's shoulders tightening briefly before loosening just as fast, as he reopened his eyes and gave Blueberry a soft smile "I did too. And I'd like you to do it again sometime, whenever you feel like doing so."

"Oh goodie." A faint smirk, blush deepening as the former Beast took that invitation, pressing another chaste kiss to Pure Vanilla's lips before pulling back. "That's really nice, thank you Pure Vanilla."

The smile he was given in return was besotted and warm, the healer's voice a soft murmur as the eyes on his clothes stared back at him with dilated, heart shaped pupils "No, thank you Blue." bringing his hands up from the sage's shoulders and to his face, he gave his cheeks a gentle caress, before letting his hands drop to his lap as he sighed and closed his eyes "Well, I suppose we ought to leave and get going now, if you do still want to make that meal you promised."

Blueberry Milk chuckled at that before face paled, "I haven't slowed time here! What time is it?!" Falling out of the sky in his panic onto the soft surface he was caught and held close by Pure Vanilla, the other shushing him in his panicked state, not wanting the vulnerable sage to hurt himself.

Now that he knew the reasons of why the blue Cookie was so sickly thin, his protective instincts were in overdrive, fearful the other would get seriously harmed until he could get some weight on him.

Holding Blue in a princess carry, Pure Vanilla pulled him close, and nuzzled his chin against the sage's head, his voice coming out a little louder than his normal volume, to cut through the other's panic "Calm down Blue, it's barely been an hour, if even that much. You still have plenty of time, I promise, and if you'd like me to, I can even help you wash and prepare the ingredients. That way you'll just have to put it all together. We'll be done in no time, don't worry."

The knowledge that it truly hadn't been that long had him slumping against the other, hiding his face a moment, "Oh thank goodness....I didn't want to break my promise to you and the children. But no, the help won't be necessary it truly doesn't take that long to prepare nor cook." Pulling back he realized that how the other was carrying him, causing him to blush. "You can uh, put me down now Pure Vanilla."

Looking down at him, and seeing him flush, Pure Vanilla tilted his head as if in contemplation, before smiling and leaning down to press a kiss to his forehead "No, I don't think I will. You weigh barely anything, and you're thinner than even the kiddos, so you'll just have to bear with me holding you for a bit longer, after seeing you fall off the air like that. You can't go scaring me like that, and then telling me not to try and hold you, so I can ensure you don't fall again."

"I was worried!" Blush deepening he wriggled, trying to free himself. "I didn't want to break my word on making you and the children the first meal from my time and I am not that light, you're just exaggerating, freaking strong Cookie that you are." Pouting he reached up to playfully poke the other's forehead right where his mark is, "Annoying King, carrying me like this. Where's your off button to put me down."

Chuckling, he leaned forward and pressed his own lips to the Sage's own forehead mark with a smile, his tone playful "Well, you could try to kiss me again a little harder, but that would just distract both of us, and then we'd never get out of here my dear." Turning around, he jumped off of the giant sheep to instead float down to the ground elegantly like a leaf in the wind, landing with barely a rustle of grass.

Blueberry Milk frowned, puzzled why that would be distracting. The kisses were nice, giving and receiving, but why would he want to hurt the other by kissing harder? Seemed silly if you asked him.

And what were they now? Did anything change between them? Pure Vanilla said it was at his own pace but what did that mean exactly? He knew there was a difference in what he said with platonic and romantic, he knew what those meant but that was all. He knew he felt something for the other but what if that was just part of their shared Soul Jam? Or echoes from the stronger one that belonged to Pure Vanilla?

'No that can't be it, but perhaps part of it at play?' He very much needed to think on this. He knew he cared deeply for the other as his friend, he understood that. But beyond that was new, unknown to him. Their situation was so unique that he didn't even have the luxury of research to help him figure it out.

He did roll his eyes at the show off move from the other, "I believe I am the showcookie here Pure Vanilla. Now c’mon please let me down?"

Looking down at the flushed, pouting scholar, Pure Vanilla chuckled quietly, but nodded, and carefully set the other down on his feet, letting his hands linger just a bit longer than necessary, before he pulled back, and nodded, grabbing his staff from one of the floating hands that carried it over to him, and letting his hands fiddle with that, instead of reaching out to grab onto the other's waist and pull him to a side hug like he so badly wanted to. "Lead the way then, Blue."

Sighing in relief at being on his own two feet Blueberry Milk opened a portal back in the green house beginning to set to work. "If you want to help then gather about 5 each of the vegetables from that, that and that row. I'll take care of these ones." Pointing to the needed rows he turned to Pure Vanilla, the healer nodded and immediately setting to work. Happy with that Blueberry Milk turned grabbing the rest of the vegetables for his dish but also the items needed for the homemade sauce.

If he was going to do this he was going all out for them.

With the help of a few pairs of hands, the gathering was done in only a few minutes, allowing the two to start making their way towards the castle kitchens, so that Blueberry Milk could start working on the food, Pure Vanilla walking beside him with a pleased smile on his face and an almost skip to his step.

Blueberry Milk eyed the other, chuckling as his eyes upturned, "You're in an incredibly good mood. You that excited for the meal?"

Turning his face to gaze at the sage, the healer huffed out a quiet laugh, and shrugged “Yes, but also no. Yes I am excited about trying a new dish from your time, but I'm also very happy about earlier.“ Lifting his fingers up to his lips, he couldn't help but chuckle quietly to himself, his voice softening so as to keep the topic between the two of them “I didn't think I'd have a chance to kiss you so soon after I realized I felt attracted to you. At least, not without making you uncomfortable. So it's a relief that you asked me about it first, because I probably would have been pining for a while in silence if you didn't.”

The sage had a soft smile at the others confession, "There's very little I would deny you Pure Vanilla and there's no question of yours that I won't answer, I hope you remember that."

Arriving at the kitchen, thankfully empty at this time of day, Blueberry Milk set to work washing the vegetables that they brought in, rolling up his sleeves to prepare and try to prevent water drenching them, the scholar, not paying attention, began scrubbing the dirt in preparation. "Pure Vanilla, if you want to leave you can, I can handle everything. I'm sure that you-Pure Vanilla?! Are you alright?" Turning when he heard something shatter he saw Pure Vanilla staring with an ashen face at him, a glass of some sort having fallen from his staggering as all of his eyes, real and not, stared at him.

Staring with an equal mix of horror and sadness, the healer moved forward (ignoring the shattered glass on the floor), and reached out to set a hand gently around one of the sage's thin, bony wrists, his thumb and middle finger overlapping almost to the second knuckle, and not just that, but the deep blue chain-like scars wrapping around his forearms, and the straight, scratch-like marks just below them near the wrist and elbow, a tale of frantic, animalistic struggle against the brands that tied him down.

Chain marks that still hummed with power even now, as Pure Vanilla traced his fingertips over them, feeling the ancient magic thrumming beneath the scholar's skin. A deeply unpleasant sensation that carried the eerie sense of a chilling, maniacal cackle, and a cold so pervasive that it felt like a burn.

As Pure Vanilla assessed the marks, Blueberry Milk could see the tiny heart pupils on the eyes floating around and on the healer's clothes were now broken and unfocused with heartache, the man's mismatched eyes filling with tears “Oh, Blue... Stars above, you poor cookie. Were-” swallowing through the shaky lump on his throat, he lowered his tone further, as if afraid to spook him “These were from... Oh, I'm so sorry, Blue.”

Realizing what had the others' attention, freezing as he looked down, then away from his own scars, eyes shut tight to block their view, the expression on Pure Vanilla's face.

Marks of his punishment, of his insanity, of his descent into darkness.

His marks of a Beast Cookie.

He had completely forgotten about them in the high of their talk and actions, hadn't even thought about it when he rolled his sleeves up.

"...I said I was chained up, didn't I? My arms and body were...restrained. Trapped in the tr-in there." His voice was hushed, ashamed, trying to tug his wrist away but unable to break the other's grip, not really trying to. "We all were...but mine were the worst. I was the eldest, the first, I was to have known better, to keep control over them, over our actions. And I failed the Witches."

The healer's tone was horrified when he murmured “Stars above, why would they do something like this to you? What could possibly justify such- oh.” freezing in place, he seemed to come to some sort of realization, his tone one of pieces finally spotting together “White Lily was right. The witches truly are the most perverse monsters of them all.”

"We, the Beasts and I, were the first Cookies to be baked. We were to create a utopia, a paradise, one of never ending peace. And for a long time we did, the world was beautiful, peaceful and just...incredible. But it wasn't meant to last, something happened to us, and we were all Corrupted one by one." Blueberry Milk turned looked away, unable to meet Pure Vanilla's eyes. "We turned our Virtues to Corrupted versions of themselves, falling from the grace of the Witches. Knowledge to Deceit, Change to Destruction. We tainted the gifts the Witches gave us. We destroyed the world we were to create and guide. And thus, we were punished. We had grown too powerful to kill, we couldn't be killed even by them, it was how they intended it. Their first creations immortal for all time. If they couldn't kill us...they trapped us. And as the First, the Eldest, the strongest...I had the worst."

The healer's voice was sure and strong, as he uttered “You didn't deserve it. No Cookie, regardless of actions, deserved the punishment you got. Not even Burning Spice or Dark Enchantress would have deserved such a fate.” hands beginning to glow with the familiar feeling of Healing magic, Pure Vanilla let his hands slowly work over the marks, tracing them as his magic searched for any traces of lingering pain or discomfort, looking to soothe them away as much as he feasibly could.

Blueberry Milk flinched at first, the touch of the other's fingers and healing magic in such an area was new, sensitive, it felt wrong for someone like Pure Vanilla to touch him in such a way in those tainted spots, before he froze, breath leaving him like it was punched as the magic began to sooth the burning, freezing, bone deep aches he had always felt. The tight skin around his marks that always pulled with every movement, like his skin was trying to rip apart, began to lessen a little bit at a time.

And through it all, the Healer didn't say a word, merely letting his actions speak for him, as he gently took each arm in his careful hands, and worked on soothing as much of the other's pain as he was able, the heavy knot of dread in his chest lightening a bit as he saw the gnarled scars under his touch slowly look less tight and irritated, the foul, icy feeling under that thin skin thankfully chased back by the warmth of his magic, even as he realized that it was something beyond even his skills to fully fix.

But he didn't mind it. Even if he couldn't fully take away the oppressive feeling, if he could just reduce it in any way for the other, he'd be satisfied with that.

Blueberry Milk waited until the other's magic faded away, shuddering in so much relief like finally bleeding a festering wound, letting the infection out. "I'd forgotten what it was like to not be in pain...I've grown so used to it that I just ignore it now. I'd forgotten...thank you, Pure Vanilla." Vulnerable, unsure Blueberry turned to the other, waiting.

Looking at Blueberry Milk with tears in his eyes, Pure Vanilla took the sage's hands in his, and turned them palms up, before pressing a single kiss to the center of each, and murmuring “Anytime. No matter what it may be, I'll strive to help you the best I can with whatever you need. Be it a listening ear, a comforting remark, or just a touch of healing like this.” pulling the hands away from his face, he squeezed them briefly, before looking back at the scholar, and asking in a trembling murmur “May I hug you, just this once?”

The answer came not verbally, but physically. Blueberry Milk took a hesitant step forward, within grabbing distance, shaking a little, "Please...not too tight? I don't-don't do well when restrained."

“Of course.” and with that, he was wrapping his arms gently around the sage, and pulling him into a close hug, secure but not tight, as his hands rubbed soothing circles over the protruding spine, trying to reassure himself that the sage truly would be fine.

It took several seconds for the other to move, leaning into the healer's hold as he felt the other's hand move up and down his back. "Thank you...this is nice." He flinched when the other brushed against a particularly sensitive painful area on his back, pulling back a little, "I should get started on dinner...you can leave if this upsets you. I don't want you sad again."

Arms twitching with the need to pull the other closer, but knowing that he also had to let him work, Pure Vanilla sighed, and let his arms drop to his side, even as he gave the sage a hesitant smile “Would it bother you if I stayed to help? I don't... I don't want to leave your side right now if I don't have to.”

Nodding that the other could stay, quietly asking if he could pour hot water on the red vegetables he'd learn were tomatoes, while he handled the rest for now, rolling down his sleeves.

He didn't care if they got wet...he didn't want to show his arms anymore.

In relative silence the duo worked, Blueberry Milk explaining what each vegetable was that was new to the healer as they worked on making a sauce base of with tomatoes, onions, carrots, celery stalks, peppers, butter, garlic, cloves, salt and pepper with a few other seasonings.

At the request for Pure Vanilla to mash and mix all of those into a fine paste he began working on the remainder of the dish, slicing up zucchini, eggplant, squash, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, arranging them on plates to the side.

When Pure Vanilla was done with his paste the sage showed him how to pour and smooth it out onto a baking dish before the rest. "Now, we just layer each of these alternatively in there until it's full, covered it with an oil mixture I made, then bake it."

And in the wake of the instructions, Pure Vanilla smiled, pleased “You were right, it's relatively simple, but already looks delicious, even half arranged as it is. I'm sure it will taste just as good.” and with that he helped the sage arrange the slices, until all the veggies had been used up, and the baking dish was set in the furnace to cook.

"It was one of my comfort dishes, when I had time to make it." Standing up from placing the dish to cook he sighed, glancing down at his sleeves, seeing them stained with water and bits of food that had splattered onto him. He still kept his gaze away from Pure Vanilla, hunched over a little as he held his own wrist close to his chest much like Pure Vanilla would with his staff. "I'm going to go clean up a little, this needs to cook for roughly half an hour covered, then another half or so uncovered."

Smile falling, Pure Vanilla reached a hand up as if to reach for him, before pausing, hand hovering halfway in front of him, the other holding his staff close “Do you... Need some time for yourself?”

A nod, then shake, then a helpless shrug. The former jester turning, holding himself. "I don't know. I never expected to show-" Struggling to form words of any sort for his turbulent emotions.

Letting his hand return to his staff, Pure Vanilla's expression shifted to one of sad understanding, his voice a gentle murmur “You didn't want me to see you like this. Didn't want me to know about the scars, not this soon. Didn't want to show me the parts of yourself that remind you of your pain.”

The other was still so long that Pure Vanilla feared he over stepped before a slow, hesitant nod was given. "They're marks of my sealment, my failures, my pain."

“And you don't want to be reminded of them.” expression shifting to one of regret, the healer lowered his head and pulled his staff a bit closer “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel self conscious Blue. I didn't even think, I just... Wanted to soothe your pain. I shouldn't have grabbed you like that, I'm sorry.”

"You did. Help I mean." Finally turning back to the King, Blueberry Milk gave a weak though genuine smile, "You helped soothe my pain, my arms haven't felt this good since before my fall, I had forgotten what it was like to feel anything but that numbing pain there. Thank you Pure Vanilla." Blueberry Milk hesitated a moment before walking forward, wrapping his arms around the other gently. "Thank you for that relief."

The hug, tentative as it may have been, made Pure Vanilla's stance relax, and the hold on his staff loosen until he let go, letting it be grabbed by a white disembodied hand, while he wrapped his arms around the other carefully, and gave only the tiniest of squeezes “You're welcome. And if you ever need it again, or if you have pain anywhere else, I'd be glad to help as many times as you need me to. You don't even have to roll up your sleeves again, I can just work with my magic over a long sleeved shirt or pants. It's no bother for me, okay? I like helping you out. And I want to make sure you're as comfortable as you can be while you're with me.”

Nodding into the shoulder Blueberry Milk pulled back, calmer now, "Yes, I'll keep that in mind. And thank you Pure Vanilla. I'm sorry I reacted that way, I didn't-I don’t do well when-" Stumbling over his words once more the blue cookie sighed, frustrated and defeated. "I don't know how to explain."

“You don't like getting caught by surprise or unaware. Especially with something as dark and heavy as this.” the blond said with a tiny squeeze of the sage's shoulder, wanting to reassure him that he wasn't upset in the slightest with him.

"Partly yes, that's true." Another deep sigh left that other, colors dulling. 'Might as well tell him the truth...he'd know a lie anyway.' Never before had he wished he was still Deceit itself. "I don't do well, when my control is taken from me Pure Vanilla, when I don't or can't make a decision about myself or given a choice."

Eyes widening at that, the healer's hands twitched in place as he considered his actions so far, before his face fell to an expression of regret "Oh, and I just went and pushed you into doing so many things these past few days. Oh Oven damn me, I'm sorry Blue, I wouldn't have pushed you so far if I'd known, I swear! Oh goodness, no wonder you got so nervous. I'm sorry, I promise you, I'll do better to not be as pushy with you from now on."

Blue hands reached out to take his hands, squeezing them, "I know Pure Vanilla, I know you didn't mean it." A little wry smile though it was tired looking, "You're the only one who never has meant it. And you still gave me choices in some of them, that helped. I'll...I'll tell you why in the future, just not now, if that's alright? I'd like us to go get cleaned up for dinner before it's ready and we meet with the children." His smile grew a little, a little bit of life coming back to his eyes. "I'm really looking forward to you and the kids trying this meal, I'd hate for it to be interrupted with us being made fun of for being dirty."

Sighing deeply, but agreeing that they needed to change, Pure Vanilla lifted the sage's hands to his face, and pressed a kiss to the back of each of them, before letting them slip from his grasp with a smile and a nod "Very well, then I'll see you in an hour or so, after we're clean and changed."

"Pure Vanilla? Thank you, I truly mean that." Blueberry Milk smiled, glowing a little, "You truly did aid me just now, and I'm sorry for my actions before, I would like to make it up to you if you'd let me?"

Lifting a hand up to brush the sage's cheek, unable to help himself, the healer smiled softly “It's alright, you don't have to make it up to me, I'm always happy to help you with whatever I can, I promise. I am happy just seeing you happy and content Blue.”

"You did help, and I am happy because of you Vanilla." Leaning into the touch briefly he tilted his head, "Why an hour though? I merely thought we could wash our hands and faces, and then get some clean shirts."

Smile falling a bit, the healer shrugged as he let a thumb brush against the prominent cheekbone “Because an hour was the cooking time you said it needed, and considering how many shakeups you've just had in less than three hours, I just... Figured you might want a bit more time away from me, so you could calm down and re-center yourself. The last thing I want to do is overwhelm you accidentally and make you pull away from me. I never want you to be afraid to come to me for anything.”

"Why would I want time away from you? You didn't know, and I like spending time with you. You..you're soothing to me." Blueberry Milk considered his words, thoughtful. "I'm not sure if it's just you as a Cookie, your Light Magic, your Soul Jam being the stronger of our two, but I feel safe with you."

The words, said so softly, had the intended effect of making the healer's shoulders drop, the subtle tension in his stance dissipating as he closed his eyes with a more serene, relieved smile “Oh, thank goodness. I was afraid I'd-” swallowing once, he brushed the sage's cheek again and allowed his smile to become more genuine “Well, then how about we meet here half an hour from now? That should give us time to clean up properly and change into something a little less casual than these work clothes.”

"I'd like that." Brushing his fingers against the other's hand Blueberry nodded, playfully booping the other once more before giving a tired smirk, snapping his fingers and both of them vanishing in a flash of blue light, appearing in both of their rooms.

Laughing to himself, imagining the look on the Healer's face from his little prank he went to his bathroom, taking off his shirt as he did so and throwing it in the hamper, waving his hand to frost over the mirror so he couldn't see himself as he began washing his arms and hands of the food stains that covered them, wondering about what shirt he should wear for dinner.

He felt he should be somewhat sort of formal, just in case the Ancient Heroes showed-

'The Ancient Heroes are coming.' The thought staggered him a little, reaching to grasp the sides of the sink, mind whirling chaotically at the notion.

While he never really interacted with them, bar when he saved them, he knew besides Hollyberry that none of them had high opinions on the Beast Cookies, rightfully so.

He hoped the next few days went well.

They would.

Because unbeknownst to him, Pure Vanilla was thinking along the exact same lines, worrying about whether his friends would get pushy and confrontational with the Sage, and vowing to himself that he would not let them be mean to his Blueberry Milk. Nor would he let them suggest that the other be taken from his side, previously Beast or not.

He knew, deep down in his heart and Soul Jam, that whatever this growing connection he had with Blueberry Milk was? Was unique to both of them. That none of the others shared such a bond of understanding with their own Beast counterparts. That they most likely wouldn't get him, if he were to tell them about his side of things. But that was alright.

He didn't need them to understand. He just needed them to accept that it was true. That Blue was not a danger to anyone, least of all the Healer himself.

And so, as he moved to clean himself off and change, he made a vow to himself. That no matter what the outcome of the debrief and discussion meeting was, he'd protect Blueberry Milk. He'd argue for him being allowed to stay, even if the others were sealed away again.

Because even Pure Vanilla, optimistic man that he was, didn't hold false illusions of being able to reform the other Beasts or change their minds. He wasn't sure if any bar maybe Mystic Flour or Eternal Sugar even could be convinced to halt their pursuit of their old power.

He didn't know what challenges the days ahead would bring. But he would overcome them, and come out victorious after, so that he could regard the sage with a smile, and reassure him that he still had his support no matter what.

Chapter Text

Grabbing a new shirt, one near matching his Sage of Truth one just a little less formal and the colors reversed, redoing his braid he set off, wondering if Pure Vanilla had finished already he decided to sit in the one of the scattered chairs in their hallways for a few minutes before setting off to try to hunt him down, letting his mind wander, smiling when he heard the door open. 

And when Pure Vanilla stepped out of his room, freshly washed and dressed in the far simpler robes of his unawakened self, with his long, flowing hair left to hang loose over his back and the wafer patterned cloak he wore, he was met with the Sage waiting for him, making his neutral expression break out into a smile, and his shoulders slump with relief “Oh, you waited for me. I thought you'd have gone ahead.”

"Been a bit since I've seen you in that, and of course I waited." Standing up, brushing his slacks off he walked over, "I knew you wouldn't take long, and I didn't mind just sitting for a few minutes waiting for you." Taking in the old look of the other, just with the longer hair he chuckled, "Bit odd to see you with such long hair in those robes."

Looking down at himself, the healer chuckled “I considered putting on my 'ascended' robes yes, but somehow, they felt a bit too fancy for me today. This felt more fitting somehow, so that's what I chose.” turning to Blueberry Milk, he tilted his head a bit with a flush to his cheeks “Do you think I should change?”

"No no my friend you look good. It's just a little strange to see you in them again." Smiling as he shook his head the blue Cookie walked forward, helping straighten the robes a tad so they fell a little more evenly. "After all I'm wearing something similar, I'd be a hypocrite to say otherwise to you."

Laughing quietly, Pure Vanilla regarded the other with a soft smile, before lifting his hand up to gesture ahead of them “Well then, shall we make our way back to the kitchens then? Or did you have other plans Blue?”

"No we can go check. Sometimes it can get done a little early so I like to watch it." Turning together they began walking down the hallway back to the kitchen, passing by the occasional cleaner or 'servant' (The children hated that word and preferred employees of the castle), waving to them as they did their duties. Far off in some other part of the castle they could hear, not a ruckus, but more sound than usual. "Hm I wonder what that is? Doesn't sound dangerous, I'm certain we'd hear more chaos if so."

Taking a moment to listen in, the blond nodded “I don't know, but I'd wager it's either the preparations for the greeting committee, or the actual arrival of Dark Cacao's group. Even if I was only expecting them in a couple more hours.” closing his eyes, Pure Vanilla focused on creating a small golden portal to peek into the goings on of that area of the castle, the other-realm responding accordingly and forming a clear image for both of them to look at.

Sure enough it was King Dark Cacao with a small entourage including Caramel Arrow Cookie and Crunchy Chip Cookie with his cream wolves and a few other guards neither new the names of, meeting with the children. GingerBrave taking charge and clasping Dark Cacao's large hand between his own, the other on his massive sword. The King smiled indulgently at the child as he excitedly welcomed them, Strawberry and Wizard offering to show them rooms though the group declined, stating that they would camp outside. However much to the children's surprise and glee Dark Cacao took them up on the offer of his normal room, setting off after giving some brief orders to his troops. "Oh well then I guess you were right Vanilla."

Chuckling quietly, the healer let the viewing portal close, and smiled softly “Seems I was. Do you want to go there and say hi, or would you rather head to the kitchen instead?”

A little torn, knowing that they should go greet, or at least Pure Vanilla, but he did want to check on their meal... "If you'd like to go meet your friend you can, I really should check on the food just in case. The ovens here are different than what I am used to."

Smile softening, Pure Vanilla shook his head “No, I'll come with you, after all, if not for the other-realm I wouldn't have known. I can wait until a message is given to me. Plus, I'm curious about the meal too.”

Happy the two made their way to the kitchens walking close together and talking softly, not seeing a figure watching them with curious, dark eyes, already deeply engaged in conversation about different aspects of healing magic.

The kitchen smelled incredible, the scent inviting and warm and unlike anything Pure Vanilla had ever smelled before, both Cookies inhaling deeply as they could, an eager, excited Blueberry Milk carefully peering into the oven. "Oh it's almost done! We arrived just in time."

The smell was mouthwatering indeed, and Pure Vanilla couldn't help but be excited for the dinner ahead, already pretty certain that both himself and the kids would enjoy the food immensely, if the flavor was even half as good as the smell. And thus, he watched Blueberry flit around the kitchen with a fond smile on his face, the new Eyes hidden in his old robes upturned as they watched the Sage happily at work, his chest full of warmth at seeing his companion so pleased.

Blueberry Milk was practically skipping around the room, almost dancing, as he prepared the trays, plates and silverware in order to serve the meal, setting it to the side when the dish was done. Snapping his fingers he created some oven mitts for himself, taking the steaming dish out and uncovering it, both Cookies mouths watering at the sight and smell. "It came out perfectly! Ooohh I hope you and the children will like it!~"

The healer's reply was full of fondness as he leaned his back against one of the counters, watching the other work “If it tastes even half as good as it smells, I know we will.”

With the trays prepared and set atop floating card-like platforms, the two began to make their way towards one of the smaller, more private dining areas, Pure Vanilla thinking of what the best way would be to contact the children and let them know where they were going to eat.

"I was wondering what that delectable smell was, and I find you two."

The two Cookies froze at the deep voice, turning around and spotting Dark Cacao near them, an unreadable expression on his face though he greeted them both with a nod. They noted that he was without his heavy pauldrons, though still in armor and cape. "Pure Vanilla and...Blueberry Milk, was it not? Greetings to you both."

"Oh um, yes that is my name." Blueberry Milk froze a little, unsure of how to react. He shifted closer to Pure Vanilla out of instinct, the healer arranging himself so he was slightly in front of the other protectively.

'Interesting, that was purely instinct. "Forgive me startling you both. I had just left my temporary quarters, intent on either finding you or the children when I smelled something very good indeed and set out to try to find the source."

Smiling good-naturedly even as he kept himself between the scholar and the swordmaster, Pure Vanilla allowed his tone to come out bright and genial “Yes, it is a rather delectable smell, isn't it? This is a new dish that Blueberry Milk was kind enough to prepare using a few ingredients from his time as a Virtue. It was meant to be a dinner for us two and my kiddos, as a thank you for our help in getting him settled. He's still rather unsure of his place here, but he's been adjusting well all things considered, and I'm certain he'll fit in just as easily as I did soon enough.”

Carefully, behind his robes, Pure Vanilla reached a hand out to gently take one of Blueberry's in his own, and squeeze it comfortably, as he pressed his side to him in a supportive manner.

"Oh a private dinner for you all then? A shame I would have loved to have tried some of your meal." Dark Cacao's dark gaze trailed over the two of them, face impassive though his tone was warm (as it ever got with him).

He paused when Blubeberry Milk cleared his throat lightly, looking down at the dish, to Pure Vanilla and back, "I-if you'd like to join us, I'm sure there will be plenty."

The Cacao King gave a nod at the offer, "I would greatly appreciate that. Oh, Pure Vanilla, could you help me with something? I have a package in my room that I would like you to look over, we could join you and the children when we are done? It should not take more than a few minutes."

Gazing at Blueberry at his offer, and then back at Dark Cacao at his request, Pure Vanilla seemed to consider it, before nodding “I'd be glad to help, just give me a moment, alright?” and with that, Pure Vanilla turned to Blueberry Milk, and set his other hand atop of the scholar's shoulder with a warm smile “It shouldn't take long, just keep heading down the hallway, take two rights, and you'll be in the private dining room. We'll join you soon, I promise.” then he seemed to pause, blink, and then chuckle “And GingerBrave is already on his way there, so you'll be in good hands, I promise.”

Blueberry Milk smiled, relaxing at that before walking that way, the still hot tray steaming and taking it's delicious scent with them. The two monarchs then moved to go to Dark Cacao's room, one he usually took when he visited for any reason, the hallways located directly down from where the children, Pure Vanilla and now Blueberry Milk's rooms were located. The room was decorated more akin to the warrior's tastes in darker tones of black and purple. On the bed was a package done in the same color tones, a simple bow done on top. Over on an armor stand was the missing dragon pauldrons. Stepping inside Dark Cacao closed the door with a sigh, turning to the smaller Cookie.

"Pure Vanilla, while I do want your opinion on this, I did have another reason for wishing to speak to you alone, and I know you are smart enough to know why. But first..." Dark Cacao strode forward, his taller frame seeming to dwarf the other, before Pure Vanilla found himself in a hug, strong arms wrapped around him. "I am relieved, that you are safe my friend. I wasn't able to say before, but when I saw you prepare that spell...my heart stopped. I thought I was going to lose my dearest friend all over again."

The hug made the healer freeze momentarily, before he was relaxing and wrapping his own arms around the larger man, squeezing him lightly, and nodding “I didn't want to do it either. I truly didn't want to leave you nor my children behind, but I couldn't think of any other option.” inhaling slowly, the healer squeezed the warrior's clothing a little tighter “And even then, I still wouldn't have cast it in time. If not for Shadow Milk's protective shield, I would have been hit.”

"Yes, we do owe him quite a lot don't we." The mention of the scholar was expected from Dark Cacao to Pure Vanilla, the taller pulling back from the hug to gaze down at him with dark eyes. "You care for him."

Looking up at the taller king, and seeing no judgement beyond a need for an answer, Pure Vanilla found himself smiling wryly as he nodded “I do. I did, even back when we all met up after our respective Ascensions, to sit down and recount our experiences, after confronting our Beast counterparts. Your stories were of strife and struggle. Two forces completely unable to reconciliate with one another, leaving an unchanged animosity behind.”

Shaking his head, he let go of Dark Cacao and pulled back with a bittersweet smile “But I told you mine wasn't like that. He did mess with me yes, and though the interaction did change me, it merely gave me a new perspective of him. I found my own enlightenment by embracing and accepting what he represented. By embracing the need for a bit of Deceit in Truth, I found my Truth in the midst of Deceit. In understanding him, I understood myself. That was what made me reach out to him in the first place and offer him my aid.”

Stepping fully back, he brought a hand to his Soul Jam, and smiled “And though he didn't take it back then, he still returned to my side of his own volition. He could have stayed away, but he didn't. And that? Told me all I needed to know about where he stood in regards to my offer. It's why I was so adamant in helping him when we all split up at the edge of my Kingdom. Because I cared about his well-being, and because I knew without a shred of doubt, that he deserved my care. That I could trust him, because he put his trust in me.”

"You are right Pure Vanilla. Had it been Mystic Flour I doubt I would have ever offered my hand in friendship, rather I would have raised my sword at her." Shaking his head, forbidding his memories from rising up at the thought of the pale Beast he continued, "It's more to it than that Vanilla. You care for him." Dark Cacao lips twitched barely, a trick of the light. "You stood in front of him when I arrived, when he showed unease. You did so unconciously. And you spoke with him so gently, I haven't heard you speak like that since our time together."

The silence that followed was heavy, Pure Vanilla's face frozen in wide eyed surprise for several moments... Before his shoulders seemed to lose their subconscious tension, and the healer gave a rueful smile tinged with fondness “Heh, I truly can't hide anything from you, can I? You're right, I do care for him. Far more strongly than I ever expected to, when I first invited him to join me here.”

Letting his hand drop from his Soul Jam, he ran it over one of his bangs in a nervous, embarrassed gesture, smile equally embarrassed “It's been such little time since he's joined us, and in truth it should make no sense how on Earthbread I got attached so fast, but I... I found myself inexplicably drawn to him from day one. I don't know if it's his softer demeanor, his new appearance, or something else. I don't have answers for why I am drawn to him as I am. I just know that I can't lie to myself and pretend I don't see what's there.”

Laughing quietly, he smiled a little brightly even as his cheeks flushed “I can't deny that I feel the need to keep him safe and see him happy. I can't pretend that I don't want him by my side for as long as he's willing to stay. Because I do. I want him to stay with me, more than I probably should. But I can't help it.”

Dark Cacao's gaze softened, as it only ever did around Pure Vanilla (and more recently his son after their talks), "No Vanilla you can't, we've been friends and more for far too long now. And while a normal Cookie would probably question your choice in prospective partner, it would be worse than a disservice of my opinion of you if I did not trust you and your judgement, it has never led us astray. He brings out a side of you I haven't seen since before the Dark Flour War, a good look for you. Protective, caring, and relaxed, happy."

He raised a hand, hesitating a moment before holding the other's cheek, thumb brushing below the yellow eye. "I will not lie and say I don't miss what we once had, but that is long over for both of us. And I still have you as my dearest friend, which is enough for me. I care for you greatly and your happiness, and he brings that to you. I don't speak for the others, but you and Blueberry Milk have my full support, in whatever way you need it." He leaned forward, brushing a very chaste kiss over the mark on his forehead, not that of a lover, but of a dear friend.

"When you are able to I would like you both to be my guests in the Dark Cacao Kingdom, his gift there," Nodding to the present on the bed, "Clothing for that hopeful future trip. They may be a bit big on him though he has a...smaller frame than I anticipated, if his thin wrists are any indicators."

Lifting his hand up to the one on his cheek, Pure Vanilla smiled and patted it gently, opening his mouth to reply, before his smile fell at the last remark, his gaze and expression darkening with anger for a brief moment, before he was closing his eyes, and taking a deep breath, his tone forcefully level, but with a hint of audible disdain that he didn't bother to hide "He does, and the Witches are to blame for that particular situation." Lifting a hand to his face, he pinched his nose and let out a deep, forlorn sigh "He's got a long road of recovery ahead of him, but he's promised to let me help, so it's not as bad as it could be. There's still hope for reversing some of the damage done, as long as proper care is taken, and at this point, I'll take whatever small wins I can get with him."

"He is a warrior, but more so, he is a survivor. A survivor of something horrendous." Lowering the hand to give his friend his space he nodded, "His eyes tell much Pure Vanilla. A Cookie that survived something horrible, but one that is also still partly in that battle. Remember that when you help him. He may react harshly, or in fear, if something happens he does not prepare for. I do not suggest it now, too much is still new to him, but I do recommend him speaking to a therapist at some point. I recommend this to my soldiers, and you know I speak to you about things as well."

Stance softening, Pure Vanilla let go of his steel, and stared at Dark Cacao with a small smile "I know, and I did plan on it, yes. As of yet though, I'm still trying to get him to open up to me a bit more. It's slow going, but we're making progress on that, and I'm very proud of him for how much he has already told me. Recovery just takes time and some patience. For now, I'll offer him what support I can, and help him where needed. That's all I can really do, since we're both still finding our footing a bit."

Dark Cacao nodded, picking up the present as the two began making their way out, "Just be certain to not push him more than he is ready, I know your habits Vanilla." The dark King smirked at the golden one, Pure Vanilla coughing into his hand. "You did already, didn't you." The chuckle that followed was one of exasperation, "You have a large heart Pure Vanilla, and that heart demands you help and heal immediately, but sometimes more patience is needed."

Giving a deeper sigh, the healer nodded "I am aware, and I will do better in the future. I promised him as much, and I don't intend to break that promise." Shaking his head at himself, he smiled ruefully "Now, if that's all, I believe we have a dinner to get to, and I have a dear companion as well as children to reassure. Lets us go, shall we Cacao?"

Dark Cacao chuckled, his version of bursting out laughing that Pure Vanilla knew, giving the other a playful nudge, "You truly haven't changed my dear friend....are we still alright?"

Turning to the warrior, the healer lifted a hand, and gently patted Dark Cacao's forearm, his smile warm and friendly "Yes, we are. And for what it's worth? I know it's been hard to do, but I'm very proud of you for trying to be more open and honest these past few months, both with yourself, and with others around you. You're doing really well, and you should be proud of yourself for succeeding where you once stumbled."

Dark Cacao gave a small smile, more closed off now that they were in public but still, viewable regardless, "Thank you Pure Vanilla Cookie. It is thanks to you and the children that I have even gotten this far. Now then, that dish he created smells absolutely divine, and I will not miss out trying it, even for you." A smirk followed that as the larger Cookie began walking, chuckling as Pure Vanilla spluttered and raced after him, waffle cape fluttered behind.

Stepping into pace with the larger man, Pure Vanilla regarded him with a playful glare, though his tone was fond "You're a menace, you know that?" the quiet chuckle he got in response made him laugh, and relax, as they finally reached the doorway to the dining room in question, hearing the Brave trio chatting with Blueberry Milk from the other side of the door, and making the healer's shoulders relax further as he pushed the door open so they could enter.

Dark Cacao was a cookie that was not easily surprised. Having seen untold horrors from the Licorice Sea during his reign in the Dark Cacao Kingdom and being as ancient as he, it took a lot to catch him off guard. So when he saw the children all light up, getting out of their chairs to race to Pure Vanilla all yelling 'Dad!', he could be forgiven for his shocked look.

Blueberry Milk relaxed at seeing Pure Vanilla walk through with Dark Cacao, the two seeming to be at ease. He had had a deep worry in the pit of his belly, that the other would try to keep them apart or turn the other against him, but those worries were mostly put to rest when he saw them happy, walking in and (once he got over his shock) Dark Cacao walked over holding out a dark silver and purple present, "A welcome gift, should you ever wish to visit the Dark Cacao lands of my Kingdom, this should help you stand the cold weather."

Touched and shocked it took a moment for Blueberry Milk to move, taking the present and placing it on a card tray beside him. "Thank you King Dark Cacao, that is most gracious of you."

The bearer of Resolution held up his hand, "Please, you are the children and Pure Vanilla's guest and an ally. Plus, you saved all of our lives the other day at great personal risk. The least I can do is repay you in kind and ask that you, at least in private such as this, drop the formalities."

As Blueberry Milk answered with a silent nod, taken aback by the show of kindness from the normally stoic cookie, Pure Vanilla knelt to hug his children back more comfortably, and murmured his own hellos to them while kissing their heads fondly, before nudging them back to the eight-cookie table with a smile, letting them sit down on one side, while he moved to stand beside Blueberry Milk, and place a warm hand on his shoulder, giving it a squeeze and offering him a reassuring smile, the eyes on his cloak staring at the Sage with upturned, soft gazes "See Blue? Told you it wouldn't take us long, didn't I?"

"No you're right. The children were regaling me with their day today, requesting that I take a look at the Gnome Laboratory soon, and have been patiently waiting for you both." He smiled, leaning into the shoulder before moving to serve everyone a portion of the food, levitating the plates around. "This is...well the closest word would be called 'Ratatouille', a vegetable dish based in a homemade sauce. I hope you all like it, it's one of my comfort foods."

"Blueberry Milk if it tastes even half as good as it smells it will be delicious-why are you both laughing?" Wizard paused, about to dig in when both Blueberry Milk and Pure Vanilla chuckled, the sage explaining that the King had said basically the exact same statement earlier.

Smiling fondly at the studious child, Pure Vanilla murmured quietly “Stars above, you truly are taking after me in some things. Goodness me, that's far too precious.”

As the child flushed and hid his face with his hat, his siblings laughed at him with faint blushes on their own faces, and then took a bite of their food, only for their laughter to fade into looks of immense surprise as the rich flavor of the dish coated their palates, the other two Kings not that far as they too regarded the dish with awe, Dark Cacao's being far more subtle, but no less momentous for him, as he began to eat with a bit more zeal.

And for a while no one spoke, too busy savoring their first bites of food, before Pure Vanilla sighed with a delighted smile “Goodness, I'm definitely going to have to find a way to convince you to cook this again Blue. That's downright decadent, despite the simplicity of the ingredients themselves.”

Blueberry Milk flushed, pleased as he watched the group devour the food on their plates, immediately beginning to work together to get seconds, "There's plenty to go around, and as Pure Vanilla said it's very easy to make, I don't mind making it again." He took another bite of his own, savoring the dish, chuckling to himself as everyone got another helping, gushing to each other about the dish.

He took the final bite of his own and was tempted to push the plate away before he paused, looking down at it before chancing a quick glance at Pure Vanilla before back down at his plate. He had given himself less than the others but... With a slightly shaky hand he reached over for the dish, serving himself one more spoonful, a few more bites for himself.

And the sight, small as it was, still made the eyes staring at him from Pure Vanilla's cloak soften and then upturn with happiness, round pupils shifting to little hearts, before Blueberry felt the healer's thigh press against his own in a gesture of acknowledgement, since he couldn't pat his shoulder or wrap his arm around him while eating his own much more generous portion.

Outwardly, beyond the few heart eyes staring at Blueberry Milk, the only sign of Pure Vanilla's deep well of pride for him, was the slight widening of his smile as he ate.

The acknowledgement, small as it was, had him relax the slightest bit, moving to eat his 'seconds', listening to the the others continue to praise the unique dish.

"Oh oh Dark Cacao! You should try this tea that Blueberry Milk made us." GingerBrave finally slowed down eating enough to turn to the dark King, the other turned inquisitive. "It helped us go right to sleep! No bad dreams or anything."

"Y-yeah I haven't slept that good in ages."

"Best sleep I've ever had!"

"Interesting." Dark Cacao's purple gaze turned to the scholar, "I've never heard of such a tea, and after being friends with Pure Vanilla for so long I had thought that I had tried every tea there was."

As Blueberry Milk flushed with nervousness at the attention, Pure Vanilla laughed quietly, and nodded to Dark Cacao's implied question as he spoke up, taking the attention away from the nervous sage “That's because, just like with most of the ingredients in tonight's dinner, they're plants from the distant past, that Blue managed to recreate for us to plant and cultivate. Most of the ingredients are still very few in number, and we don't really have anywhere near the numbers needed for mass use in the kingdom, much less exportation, but in regards to the tea, I can most definitely attest to it's effectiveness.”

The healer's elation about the topic was obvious to see, as he opened a golden, glittering portal, and pulled out a kettle of water from within, along with holding six leaves that looked to be made of gold in his palm, his smile radiant “I just need to go boil this water quickly, and let these steep. I'd actually planned to try and ask the rest of our friends if they also wanted to partake of it, but GingerBrave beat me to it with you, I suppose. Not that I mind it, it's good to see them reaching out to you about this. Especially considering the options we have in regards to deciding how to handle these as a potential future product of the Kingdom.”

From beside the Healer, a softly smiling Blue tapped his forearm “Allow me.” and with a glowing finger, he drew a few symbols in the air around the kettle, before they array pulsed with magic, and then faded, leaving the spout of the kettle steaming as if it had been freshly boiled. Which it had, as they all could see when Pure Vanilla lifted the lid to look inside, and a puff of wispy steam wafted from within.

Making the Healer's eyes sparkle with intrigue, and his voice turning more chipper “Oh, it's boiled! Oh stars, I'm going to have to get you to teach me that one later Blue, the convenience alone would save me so much trouble when reheating tea in between research sessions.” and even as he said it, he scooped the leaves into the kettle, and set it on the table to let them steep, his good mood infectious as the kids giggled at his excitement.

"It's quite easy, though I've come to learn that a lot of what I know as common place is lost here for one reason or another. I'll need to figure out how to help with that." Sitting back down he picked up his drink to finish it off, feeling quite stuffed from his meal.

It was only because of Pure Vanilla's touch and presence beside him that he was not freaking out over the fact. He almost felt as if his stomach was extended because of it.

Dark Cacao leaned forward, intrigued, "That is a handy trick you have at your disposal Blueberry Milk Cookie. And this, what you just did, is common for you? Is this something that can be easily taught? Immediate boiling water would be most desired in the Dark Cacao Kingdom, for not only comfort but for medicinal purposes as well."

Blinking in surprise at the questions, caught off guard by them, the scholar seemed to take a moment to recalibrate his thoughts, before he nodded with a curious tilt of his head “Kind of? The array can be drawn on a scroll or page by anyone as long as they draw the correct shapes in the right configuration, but it does require the cookie using it to be able to channel at least a tiny amount of magic into the lines to activate them. And it also helps to have a good mental image of what you want it to do. For example, do you want to heat the water just enough to be warm, up to boiling point, or past it into outright steam. A great part of magic is all about the intent behind it after all.”

Wizard Cookie's eyes sparkled at that, near bursting to ask more but refraining barely, while Dark Cacao hummed thoughtfully, "I would like to converse with you and Pure Vanilla about this at a later point if you would be amendable to it."

"I don't see a problem?" Looking to Pure Vanilla for some help he relaxed when the other nodded, brushing his thigh with his leg for support, "We can discuss it tomorrow maybe? How long do you plan on staying?"

"Excellent, tonight is more for the catching up with friends and thanking you for saving us all." Raising his cup towards the suddenly blushing scholar Dark Cacao answered his previous question, "At least a day or so, enough to discuss the future plans of what we will need to do. I know Golden Cheese Cookie and Hollyberry Cookie were on their way, though I'm not sure about White Lily Cookie. She had said that she was on her way back to the Faerie Kingdom to check it's status, due to it being right in Beast Yeast."

In reply the healer nodded “Yes, she always has been very headstrong and independent, regardless of what others need. Doesn't surprise me that she'd set out on her own. She does wield the Guardian's power after all, so she probably feels responsible about them, now that Elder Faerie is gone.”

Blueberry Milk stayed quiet, not wanting to discuss about the wayward Soul Jam bearer in the slightest, He was relieved when an internal timer went off, "Oh the tea is done, a cup full Dark Cacao will ensure a restful night's sleep, free of bad dreams, stresses or nightmares." Pouring himself a cup full knowing that he desperately needed it he informed the Cacao King of the tea's properties. "It takes roughly thirty minutes to fully kick in."

And as Pure Vanilla followed suit with his own cup, adding a bit of honey to his, followed by the children also fixing their own cups, Dark Cacao poured himself one as well, adding nothing to it and merely blowing on it a little before bringing it up to his lips to taste, finding the flavor to be without sweetness or bitterness, perfectly mild in every way, something that he was grateful for, as he took another sip.

"Flavorings don't affect potency of the drink, just merely flavor it so if you or your people prefer it much more bitter you don't have to worry." Blueberry Milk held his cup close, answering an unspoken question.

Taking another drink Dark Cacao hummed, thoughtful, "Indeed that does help, none of my people like anything sweet, yet this drink here is perfectly mild either way, soothing. Was this one of the items of commerce you were going to think to introduce in the future children, Pure Vanilla?"

In response the kids looked between themselves, before turning back to him with shrugs and little smiles, GingerBrave taking the lead for his siblings “We wouldn't mind it, especially since it leaves you feeling rested and more awake the next morning.”

At his side, Wizard continued “We know it would be very popular with everyone that tries it, if only for the effects alone.”

From her seat, Strawberry giggled as she peered sideways at Pure Vanilla and Blueberry Milk with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes, as she said “But the tea plants w-were a gift from Blueberry Milk to Dad, s-so it's up to him to decide. T-they are inside his p-private greenhouse after all.”

Dark Cacao's lips twitched, turning to the duo, Pure Vanilla having a little blush while Blueberry Milk just shook his head, embarrassed, "Oh, a gift? Well for being a gift you could not have chosen better, Blueberry Milk. Pure Vanilla is very much a fan of exotic drinks, especially teas. Something like that would be dearly loved by him."

"I just wanted to help him and the children and that was the first thing I thought of, though it was thanks to Pure Vanilla's genius idea that they're even here, you have him to thank." Turning to give the golden Cookie a smile he turned back to the dark King, "I knew that, due to everything, the children especially suffered nightmares, and I knew that this could help."

Somehow, Dark Cacao's expression seemed to soften nearly imperceptibly at that reasoning, and before he could speak, Pure Vanilla was doing so himself, cheeks still tinged with a faint flush “Yes, well... I do intend for it to become an export eventually, but until we have a bigger plot of the plants or a bigger yield of leaves, it'll have to stay a special export solely for direct allies of the Kingdom, and even then, probably only just enough for their leaders and their immediate circle to enjoy.”

Looking away from the group, the healer's cheeks seemed to flush a little darker, and he hid his small smile behind his cup of tea, a few of the eyes in his cloak shifting to peer at the sage as he murmured “It's... A relatively new development, and I'd like to keep it metaphorically close to the heart for now, as it were.”

The children giggled quietly, Dark Cacao hiding his smile behind his nearly empty cup as he eyed the two, 'I am not one for cute...but that is quite cute' Reminding him of days long past when the healer would do similar actions. "I see, well if this tea is half as good as you say it is I would not say no to a trade for some of the leaves."

Relaxing, Pure Vanilla turned back to the warrior with a more friendly smile “I'm sure we can come to an agreement later on, but for now, let's leave that discussion for after you've gotten the chance to see the effects for yourself. That way you'll have a better grasp of how many leaves you'd like to trade for, when you return to your Kingdom later on.”

"Speaking of..." Blueberry Milk had a soft smile, spotting the children yawning, "The effects are kicking in, let's get these little ones to bed." Standing up he moved over to Wizard, being the closest, intent on helping him walk but froze when the child just raised his arms drowsily. Gaze going impossibly soft the Sage of Truth knelt down, lifting the child into his arms. Only Dark Cacao and Pure Vanilla spotted the other's arms glowing, aiding him in lifting Wizard Cookie, waiting for the two to join him.

And just like the day before, Pure Vanilla stood, and gently but easily scooped GingerBrave and Strawberry into each of his hips, kissing both their heads and murmuring “Lets get you both and your brother to bed, shall we?”

The sleepy nods and nuzzles he got in response made him smile with all the fondness of a doting parent, before he was turning towards Blueberry Milk, and using a white hand construct to gently nudge his back, before it and a second hand were settling themselves over his own, helping him support Wizard's weight as Pure Vanilla walked beside him, Dark Cacao following after them in silence, observing.

One by one the children were put into bed, brows kissed by their father as they were tucked in, lights shut off and doors closed, the children out like lights.

All three adults were beginning to feel the effects themselves, yawning occasionally, Dark Cacao humming softly, "You were correct, the tea’s effects do kick in quickly, I feel as if I could rest very well tonight."

"That is their purpose, I do hope that you rest well Dark Cacao." Blueberry Milk and Pure Vanilla paused outside of the other's door, the dark King bidding them goodnight as he made his way to his own room lethargically.

The two stayed to make sure that the other entered his room safely, and once he did, Pure Vanilla turned back to Blueberry Milk, and smiled warmly at him, the eyes in his cloak upturning a bit in reflection of his own mood “Well, I suppose we ought to make our way to our own rooms as well. Shall we?” and as he said it, he held out his hand with a faint flush to his cheeks and a soft look in his eyes, a hint of hope in their depths.

Blueberry Milk smiled softly at that, reaching out to take the other's hand and giving it a squeeze with his own slender one, marveling at the differences in their temperatures. The other was so warm compared to his own chilled dough, relaxing the aches and pains he always had.

Together they made the short walk to their rooms, taking their time and just enjoying the other's presence.

And upon reaching the stretch of wall between their doors, Pure Vanilla turned to the sage, and lifted their hands to his mouth, pressing a single chaste kiss to the back of the blue hand clasped in his, before lowering it and murmuring with a warm smile on his face “Sleep well Blue, and may you have sweet dreams.”

The blue face flushed so prettily, at least to Pure Vanilla, at the action, the other stuttering adorably, unable to remind him that the tea prevented dreams, flush deepening at the soft chuckle the other gave him.

Unable to help himself in the face of such a cute reaction, Pure Vanilla leaned forward and placed a brief peck to the mark on the sage's forehead, before letting go of his hand and gently nudging him towards his door “Off to bed with you now, go on. Your warm bed awaits you.”

Flushing darker at the action, dazed Blueberry Milk could only obey the other, going into his room and wishing the other a soft 'goodnight', a hand raised to the mark with a silly little smile on his face as he stumbled over to his bed, vanishing his clothing and switching to night clothes.

After making sure that the sage was safely through his door, Pure Vanilla allowed his lips to lift into a giddy smile, before he turned around and entered his own room, closing the door behind himself. Then he leaned his back against it and let out a soft giggle under his breath, briefly bringing a hand up to his lips, before pushing off the door and moving to change out of his robes, leaving himself in his underclothes, and slipping under the covers, before letting sleep claim him with a smile on his face.

Much like his counterpart Blueberry Milk fell asleep with a smile, a hand near his forehead over his mark, protecting it.

Chapter Text

Morning seemed to come too soon almost, dawn barely cresting the horizon when the sage woke up, refreshed. Seeing how early it was he decided to spoil himself, taking a hot bath instead of a shower (and hoping that it would aid in helping his pain, though he knew it was a futile effort) before getting ready for the day.

After a moment's consideration of what today would be he he put on his Sage of Truth ensemble, adjusting his Soul Jam to the center of his chest once more.

As he got ready for the day, he heard a knock on his door, followed by Pure Vanilla's voice quietly asking if he was awake.

With a wave of his hand Blueberry Milk opened the door, still in front of the mirror as he tried to adjust his hat and monocle, giving his counterpart a smile via the reflection. "Good morning Pure Vanilla."

Peeking into the room, and seeing the Sage getting ready, the Healer smiled and waved back from the doorway "Good morning Blue! Did you have a restful sleep?"

The light gold robes of his Ascension swept across the carpet as he went inside, Blueberry Milk turning his focus back to the mirror fighting with his hat. "Very well thank you, and yourself?"

"Very peacefully indeed, I have no complaints about last night." Stopping behind the Sage, the healer regarded him trough the mirror for a moment, before tilting his head in question "Are you alright? Is your hat giving you trouble?"

The pout given was too cute to the healer, followed by a sigh "Yes. I can't seem to get it to sit and stay like I want. I want to make a good impression."

Chuckling quietly, the healer set his staff against the wall by the mirror, and lifted his hands up to play with the ends of his cosmic hair as he spoke quietly “Have you tried styling your hair differently? Maybe that would help.”

The scholar stilled when the other began playing with his hair, eyes fluttering as he struggled to keep them open. "Hm? No, when I wore this I always kept it in the low ponytail you saw it as, brushed back. I've never tried another style."

Humming under his breath as he allowed himself to run his hands through the blue strands, Pure Vanilla smiled warmly “Would you let me try and help?”

A soft hum was his answer, Blueberry Milk giving up keeping his eyes open and sitting down in front of the mirror, a chair nearby pulled over via his magic.

And so, after ensuring that Blueberry Milk was safely seated, Pure Vanilla began to card his fingers through the strands, moving them here and there as he went, and arranging it into a simpler half updo hairstyle gathered at the very back of his head, similar to what he'd done for the half crown braid from their casual day, but much simpler, the hair simply held together by a small elastic band to keep it from being easily undone, leaving the white bangs on the sage's forehead to remain untouched, as well as the two dark blue curling pieces at the sides of his head, letting them frame his face as always. “It's not as fancy as the half crown braid from the other day, but I still think it suits you very well regardless, Blue.”

Blueberry Milk slowly opened his eyes, far more relaxed than what he was previously. He smiled seeing the new style, turning one way and the next before setting his hat on his head, sighing as it finally sat right turning back to the healer. "Thank you much Pure Vanilla, I-" He cut off, blushing and staring at the doorway where a faintly smirking Dark Cacao stood in the doorway, already dressed in his Awakened attire.

Turning around to peer at the door, and seeing the smirk that was the man's equivalent of a smug grin, Pure Vanilla flushed lightly, but then lifted a finger almost in a chiding manner, his tone slightly teasing “Oh hush you, I remember you also enjoyed it when I'd braid your hair as well, you have no room to talk Cacao.”

"Oh you do not see me complaining Pure Vanilla. Some of my most relaxing moments were when you played with my hair." Dark Cacao chuckled, looking over the other, "A little simpler than what you normally do no?"

Blueberry Milk looked between the two of them, a little unsure of his place with their familiarity "You two seem really close?"

Turning back to the sage, Pure Vanilla gave a sheepish chuckle “Well, I'd usually say it's because we've been friends for centuries, so some familiarity and ease of conduct are to be expected.” cheeks flushing, he sighed, and gave a shrug “But the truth is, that for a few years of our past, we experimented a bit with seeing if we could be more than just friends. In the end it didn't work out, and we parted in amicable terms to remain as just friends, but some of that camaraderie and ease of understanding still remains even now.” smile falling a bit at the unsure look in Blueberry's face, the healer lifted a hand up to gently set it on Blue's shoulder, his tone softening “Does that bother you?”

Blueberry Milk seemed to consider this for a long moment, staring into Pure Vanilla's eyes before he shook his head, giving a little, unsure smile, "No, because you had someone that cared for you. I can't be upset at that. I'm glad you had someone for you, so you weren't alone. And Dark Cacao is lucky to have that be you, and you him. I'm happy for you both."

Relaxing from his tense posture, Pure Vanilla smiled warmly, and lifted one of Blue's hands to his mouth to press a kiss to the back of it as he murmured “I'm glad you're not bothered too much by it, because honestly Blue, at the moment you are one of my biggest joys in life.”

Blueberry Milk blushed at the gesture, smile warming up as he stared at the other.

Dark Cacao smirk shifted to a small smile, walking in, "To quell your worries Blueberry Milk Cookie I will speak bluntly. While I care deeply for Pure Vanilla, and one time long ago we did share a love for one another and to this day some remains on my side, our time is long gone and passed. I care more for his happiness and you bring him that. And from what I have observed briefly of you, so do you. I do not wish to lose him as my dearest friend and that is all we will ever be to one another. If you so choose to continue his pursuits with your own or not, does not change my stance on this. I merely wish you both happiness."

"Oh...thank you, Dark Cacao." Touched and surprised Blueberry Milk gave a little smile, uncurling himself, glancing at Pure Vanilla, looking down with a blush. "He brings me happiness too."

Squeezing the hand in his, Pure Vanilla kissed it again and murmured “So do you to me.” before pulling the hand away and dropping their clasped hands to his side as he spoke “Well, the morning is young, and I'm sure breakfast awaits us, so shall we head off to eat?”

With a nod, Dark Cacao turned around and left the room so that they could all make their way out of the room together.

Blueberry Milk was quiet, thoughtful as they made their way to the same small dining hall, a norm that would be theirs for the foreseeable future. Already a wide spread breakfast foods awaited them, the only three there.

"Hmm the children still seem to be sleeping."

"I think we should let them." Dark Cacao answered the other King, gesturing for them all to sit down, "They have been through much, and deserve to sleep in now and then as all children are want to do."

Checking the time, the healer chuckled to himself with a nod “That they do. I suppose I've just gotten used to the last few days of them eating with us.” sitting down and tugging Blueberry Milk by their clasped hands to sit beside him, the blond relaxed when the sage settled beside him, and after summoning two hand constructs, he began to serve himself some food, unwilling to let go of Blue's hand just yet. Not until the Sage himself let go.

The sage seemed puzzled by this, but smiled nonetheless, holding onto the other's hand while eating with his other, thankful he was ambidextrous.

Sipping his coffee Dark Cacao seriously debated teasing Pure Vanilla about his actions, acting like a young cookie in love once more. It was adorable and refreshing to see.

'Hmm...am I too old for such actions? I am a King and warrior after all....'

No, no he wasn't. One was never too old to tease a friend in good, harmless fun.

Unbeknownst to the thoughts in the other King's mind, the healer ate his breakfast while discussing what each breakfast food was and how it'd been combined to make the dish in question, knowing a few of the foods were still new to Blueberry Milk even now.

"So have you done the 'sharing a drink' thing? I'll admit, the first time we did that with that hot chocolate you brought once is a fond memory, especially when I got you to laugh so hard you snorted it down your robe." Dark Cacao asked as nonchalant as possible, smirking at the gobsmacked look the healer gave him.

Cheeks flushing a dark tan color, the healer sputtered for a moment, before he spoke in a huff "No, we haven't." covering his face with his free hand, he grumbled in a quiet tone "Stars above Cacao, we've barely even admitted how we feel yesterday, of course we haven't done something like that. Especially considering the upcoming challenges of the next few days. We probably won't have the time nor chance to go on a proper date until several days from now, most likely."

"A date?" "A date?!"

Multiple voices asked, several far more excited than the confused first, Pure Vanilla muttering an 'oh no' while looking at the doorway spotting his three children, all with wide, excited eyes, hands over their mouths and GingerBrave hopping from foot to foot.

'A meal and a show' Smirking Dark Cacao leaned back, watching the fireworks as he began to dig in, ignoring the shiver down his spine of future karma possibilities if Pure Vanilla ever found out about his current crush...

Letting go of Blueberry's hand, Pure Vanilla groaned and covered his flushed face with his palms, all the eyes on his robes closing as well, even the one on his staff, none of them wanting to face the kids as he briefly let himself mourn for his lost peace, knowing that, the moment they got over their shock, he'd be thoroughly interrogated without shame by his mischievous, well-meaning kiddos.

The trio raced towards their father, GingerBrave getting there first with a cheerful 'I win!' while Wizard muttered something along the lines of 'Couldn't have waited one more day Dad?' Strawberry joined her brothers in their hug with a whispered 'We're so happy for you.' all of them squeezing him tightly before pulling back, smirking a little.

In response the man simply curled into himself with a groan, his cheeks and ears flushed a dark tan color that could be seen even with his hands covering his face, his voice muffled "I didn't plan on things being this soon, okay? It just... Happened." Lifting one hand off his face, keeping the other over his face, he peered sideways at the sage, and allowed himself a tiny, embarrassed smile as he admitted "He's too precious to say no to, I suppose. Especially when he's earnest."

"Me? But you were the one who-" Blueberry was cut off when GingerBrave moved over to give him a gentle hug, squeezing softly before whispering something. The Sage's eyes widened behind his monocle before softening, nodding to whatever the question was.

"Yes yes you believe him to be cute. Now can we move on to breakfast?" Huffing despite being highly amused at his friends embarrassment, Dark Cacao gestured to their table. "The others will be here soon, and you know once Hollyberry arrives we will know no peace."

Groaning quietly, Pure Vanilla turned back to his food as he began to cut it up into smaller pieces, his flush fading with each second that passed “Don't remind me, I'm trying to focus on the present instead.”

Everyone snickered at Pure Vanilla's embarrassment but left him be, giving him a playful nudge before sitting down to eat.

The former Beast looked around, trying to decide what he wanted to eat. The day would be long and trying, and already his stomach rebelled at having anything in it from nerves.

And noticing the faint look of worry, Pure Vanilla nudged the sage's leg with his and gave him a tiny smile, before reaching out for some of the fruit juices, and bringing a couple closer without a word, pouring himself a glass of orange colored juice and taking a sip.

Blueberry Milk's gaze flicked over to Pure Vanilla, seeing the smile, before glancing down at the fruit juices, some with pulp still in, some plain, and some mixed with, he wasn't sure what but he heard the children call it a 'smoothie' the other day, and they seemed to like it.

Raising a shaking hand towards a light pink one he poured himself some of the thick substance, about half a glass worth to try it, before bringing it to his lips to take a sip.

The fresh, sharply sweet taste of strawberries meshed with the soft sweetness of something he'd learn was a banana, washed over his palette, gaze widening a little as he drank it, pulling the glass back intrigued. The smoothie settled a little heavier in his stomach than he thought it would, but when it didn't seem to rebel he took another sip, slowly draining the glass.

And as he eventually poured himself another half glass, he felt his companion nudge him again with a proud gleam in his mismatched yellow and sky blue eyes, making something in his chest settle pleasantly, especially seeing a few of the eyes in the other's cloak staring with upturned gazes and slightly dilated pupils, their fondness for his effort clear to see.

And so breakfast passed, with light conversation between the children as they wondered to themselves which group might arrive first, with Strawberry and Wizard believing it'd be Hollyberry, and GingerBrave and Pure Vanilla arguing for Golden Cheese being the first.

Giving a soft smile at them Blueberry Milk nursed his glass, watching the interesting debate before turning to Dark Cacao, the other, long finished with his meal, just watching the mini chaos before him. In seeing the other's gaze he nodded once before tilting his head to the doorway, a silent offer.

The sage considered this a moment, glancing back at Pure Vanilla to see his thoughts, seeing he still had some eyes on him.

Even with his attention on the kids' debate, Pure Vanilla still reached out with one of his hands to gently squeeze one of Blue's hands, the eyes on his cloak crinkling up a bit more, before the pupils were shifting in their orbits to look over in the direction of the door, a clear message of silent support that seemed to say 'It's okay. You can go if you'd like.'

Hesitating a little before squeezing back, taking a breath to steady himself before giving a smile that both Dark Cacao and Pure Vanilla caught, standing up quietly with the dark King, the two making their way out listening to the debate sides getting quieter.

"It will be Golden Cheese Cookie that arrives first."

Blueberry Milk jumped at the statement, bewildered as the Cacaoian chuckled, "Hollyberry Cookie is notoriously late all the time. Whereas Golden Cheese is prompt as Pure Vanilla is. I expect her to arrive within the hour, and the other within two."

"Oh I see...and may I ask something Dark Cacao?" A grunt and nod, the two making their way outside in one of the many courtyards towards where Dark Cacao's party was located, "Did you need something specific from me? I hadn't anticipated you wanting to speak to me otherwise." 'I hope I'm not being rude to him, but if I recall correctly he doesn't like talking in circles...'

"Indeed, though nothing major. I wanted to again personally thank you. What you did was nothing short of brave, and my people value bravery and honor. I can not imagine that any of the other Beast Cookies would do such a thing for us as you did." Dark Cacao held his sword at ease, the Soul Jam glinting in the light just like Blueberry Milk's own. "Yet you went against all of your comrades in arms, for the enemy, why do such a thing?"

"Because of Pure Vanilla. He offered me something I had thought lost to me. A second chance." The other's honesty surprised Dark Cacao a little, but was welcome. "I knew the risks, I did it anyway. I knew at the very least, he'd make sure I wasn't harmed by you all before sending me on my way. I hadn't anticipated this outcome at all." Gesturing to himself as a whole he chuckled, "I thought this form long lost to me."

The dark king seemed to ponder his words for a moment before replying “Yes, I admit, it surprised all of us to see it too. Do you happen to have any idea what might have caused it? The glow seemed to start from your Soul Jam and then spread out, from what little I caught of it all.”

"Honestly? I'm not sure, the Light of Knowledge spoke to me before then, telling me that though I 'had lost my way, the Truth set me back on my path', and then well, this happened." Gesturing once more to himself, moving his hand to his Soul Jam, "I'll admit it shocked, even scared me at first. Considering that Pure Vanilla holds a majority of our shared Soul Jam. I never expected to hear its voice again."

That seemed to surprise the warrior, if the slight widening of his eyes was any indication "How curious. I wonder if it's because you managed to find an understanding between you both, that it spoke to you again. The other Beasts don't seem to share the same experience, from what I've noticed."

"Possibly. From my understanding neither Burning Spice nor Mystic Flour tried to do with you and Queen Golden Cheese as what I did with Pure Vanilla, he had a very different experience, and merged fully in Deceit's embrace with me, as well as beating me in it." Shaking his head he gave a wry smile, "It's why he is majority holder of our Soul Jam, he managed to beat the Beast of Deceit at his own game and overpower me entirely. He's basically as powerful as when myself and the other Beasts were in our primes."

That got an actual expression of surprise on the warrior's face, his voice conveying the same "He does? Odd, he's not really the type to take from others. If anything, I'd have thought that he'd try to give you back as much of your old power as he could, if he knew that's what he did to you. Is the process not reversible?"

The former Beast snorted, "You quoted him nearly word for word in that." Before informing him briefly of the situation at hand between him and Pure Vanilla, ensuring that he knew that he had no hard feelings of any sort for the other, as it wasn't his fault.

With the knowledge of the other-realm exchange, Dark Cacao fell into a pensive silence, before he gave a single nod "Hm, then perhaps there is more at play than we are aware of. Regardless, I suppose only time will tell how your situation develops. At the very least, you have one another's support now. That is more than you had in the beginning."

"My King! Good morning." A female voice had them both turn, Blueberry Milk more startled than the King, spotting Caramel Arrow Cookie approaching them moving to stand at attention. Her dark gaze flicked to the sage briefly before moving back.

"Ah, Caramel Arrow, good morning to you as well. Did you and the guard rest well?" Falling back in his status before his people Dark Cacao got the morning report, Blueberry Milk standing a little awkward to the side.

"...And who is this my King?" Finishing her report Caramel Arrow couldn't contain her curiosity anymore. She stood at attention when her King gave a hint of a smile, gesturing for the Sage to step forth. "This, is the Cookie that saved us all the other day with that feat of magic. He is the reason we are still here and have a chance."

Smiling hesitantly, Blueberry Milk took off his hat and gave a short bow “Blueberry Milk Cookie, it's a pleasure to meet you, Caramel Arrow Cookie.”

"Blueberry Milk Cookie." Repeating the name, committing it to memory the archer gave her own, deeper, bow, "The Dark Cacao warriors owe you a great debt. You saved our lives, our King and aided us when we needed it most. We are indebted to you."

Blueberry Milk was about to wave her off before a heavy hand rested on his shoulder, the sage flinching at the sudden touch. "She speaks truth, Blueberry Milk Cookie. The Dark Cacao Kingdom is in your debt for your aid. Should you need it, we will answer your call. And you are welcome to our halls at any point."

A little overwhelmed Blueberry Milk wished that Pure Vanilla was there, or one of the children, to take attention off of him, the cookie near collapsing when a warm hand slipped into his own.

And upon glancing aside, he saw PV smiling warmly at him, which gave him the courage to nod and reply with a hesitant smile "I'll keep that in mind for the future."

Beside him, PV spoke up with a smile, directing his words to the archer "How did you fare during the night? Was there anything you need? And have your troops already eaten today? If not, there is plenty of food in the dining hall should you want it. We even have savory breakfast, if you'd like to give that a try?"

Something that the three kids behind him nodded at, confirming several different meal options, especially with the newly delivered supplies from the other Kingdoms that they received.

Caramel Arrow gave her report to the Vanillian King, while Blueberry Milk grew more at ease now that the others were there with them.

The relative peace of the morning was interrupted by a brilliant flash of golden light-

"The Radiant Queen has arrived!"

"Golden Cheese! How many times have we told you to stop doing that!"

In reply the winged woman just grinned widely as she spread her great wings “And deprive you all of the glorious vision that is my shining self appearing before you all? I could never, who do you take me for?”

“You're a menace.”

“And you're grumpy, that's not news Dark Cacao.”

Blinking the spots from his eyes Blueberry Milk managed to spot the ascended form of Golden Cheese Cookie laughing as she messed with Dark Cacao, Pure Vanilla sighing at his side at he watched his two friends fondly while the children just giggled. He stayed quiet, not wanting to draw attention-

Too late

"Oh?! You are, Blueberry Milk, correct? That is what you said your name was the other day." The Queen turned to the other two adult Cookies, her wings lowered as she landed. Despite her shorter stature she still seemed to exclude power and radiance. "I'll admit I'm a little surprised to see you...holding hands with Pure Vanilla?" The surprised look didn't last long, the yellow monarch growing a smirk as she waggled her brow at Pure Vanilla.

Face flushing nearly as much as Blueberry Milk's own, Pure Vanilla opened his mismatched eyes to stare at her with a deadpan look that would have been right at home on Truthless Recluse's face, if not for the flush on his cheeks “Hush, I will not hear it from you, considering the bizarre polycule situation you have going on with your close circle. You of all people have no right to comment on my personal affairs, Golden Cheese.”

"What can I say, I am the greediest Cookie in all of Earthbread! And what I want, I will take and keep close." Waggling her brows again she looked between them, spotting how Pure Vanilla stood somewhat in front of the other, how the blue Cookie held onto the hand clasped in his close, how the eyes in Pure Vanilla's cloak, the ones not glaring at her, were focused on Blueberry Milk with little hearts.

The Healer just stared back at her in silence for a moment longer, before rolling his eyes fondly with a tiny smile “Yes yes, keeping what is yours close to your heart, we know it.” letting his shoulders drop and his glaring eyes soften, he allowed himself a smile as he squeezed Blueberry's hand “But you're not the only one allowed to want those you care about close.”

The golden queen merely laughed merrily at that, before leveling him with a bemused grin “Oh, I know. I just never thought I'd see the day when I'd get to witness such burgeoning greed in your heart is all. Even with your past lovers, it never felt quite this strong. It's a nice change to bear witness to, if I'm honest.”

The remark had Pure Vanilla flushing darker and sputtering at being exposed in such a manner, before he hid his face behind his staff's flower head, voice a mumble “Stars above, you're insufferable.”

“And you want to keep him for yourself. Are we just going to be stating the obvious at each other in front of everyone?”

The children where wheezing, trying to hide it while Dark Cacao was laughing, actually laughing at his two old friends quipping back and forth.

Poor Blueberry Milk was flushing so brightly blue that he put his own outfit to shame, giving an embarrassed whine and doing something that had Pure Vanilla freeze, Golden Cheese cackle and the rest having to lean on something for support, be it their sibling, or a massive sword.

Because the poor embarrassed sage had turned, and hidden his face in Pure Vanilla's hair, unable to face the friendly, knowing stares aimed at him.

All while Pure Vanilla stood motionless for a moment, as if rebooting, before he grumbled, and summoned a white hand construct to hold onto his staff for him, so that he could wrap his now free arm around Blueberry's shoulders comfortingly, and glare halfheartedly at his wheezing friends and family, his voice monotone despite the glimmer of fondness in his eyes “You're all absolutely terrible, you know? Terrible role models, all of you.”

Cheeky grin in place, Golden Cheese just added in a sing song tone, eyes wide with the mischief of someone who knew they'd won “I'm not hearing a deniiiaalll~”

To which the healer's face flushed fully, followed by a brief silence, before he was looking away and pulling Blue just a tiny bit closer “No, you're not, and now we're leaving before you can embarrass either of us further.” then he nudged Blueberry Milk towards the castle with a murmur of “Come on Blue, we don't have to sit here and listen to them being insufferable.”

Still hiding Blueberry Milk followed along, Pure Vanilla having his nose in the air, lips twitching as his friends and family cackled, the children finally falling over themselves laughing while Golden Cheese tumbled over in the air, glowing brightly which just caused Dark Cacao to yell at her once more.

Chapter Text

Once they were finally inside the Castle, the noise vanishing with the walls between them Pure Vanilla sighed in relief.

Pulling them over to a secluded corner of the hall, Pure Vanilla let go of Blueberry Milk's hand to instead wrap that arm around the other as well “They mean well, but stars above and Earthbread below, they can make such a nuisance of themselves when they catch wind of something they deem interesting. I'm so sorry about them Blue, I didn't mean to let it get that far.”

Leaning into the hug he pulled back, face wet and eyes glistening with tears, Pure Vanilla's heart stopped at the sight, a righteous fury beginning to form and lecture his friends before Blueberry Milk spoke, smiling through his tears, nostalgia thick in his voice, "They act so much like Rice and Paprika."

"Paprika honestly, can you calm yourself, for 5 minutes?!" The normally soothing and serious tone, exasperated.

"Where's the fun in that Ricey when it's so much more enjoyable to tease em!" Loud and boisterous, confident and cocky.

"Paprika, teasing Rose Sugar and Sea Salt for their dates-" His own tone, matching his sister's, exasperated and deadpan in one.

"Is hilarious!"

The tearful admission said with such a soft tone, and what it meant, had Pure Vanilla's breath catching, before his shoulders were relaxing once more, and he was carding a hand through the sage's hair with a bittersweet smile “Truly? I had no idea. Though I suppose it's nice, to know that we're not as far removed from you as I first thought.”

"They...we...weren't always like, how you have seen us, how Queen Golden Cheese and Dark Cacao saw Mystic Flour and Burning Spice." Blueberry Milk admitted softly, leaning into the touch. "Mystic was actually a lot like you and Dark Cacao in a way, kinda meshed? Though more him. Serious, quiet, but very caring. While Burning behaved a lot like the Radiant Queen does. Very exuberant and loud, but well meaning."

Pulling back from the other, much calmer now he gave him a little smile, sad, looking down at his hand. Though his form had returned to being a Cookie, he still remembered the pain his body went through when he turned into a Beast. Looking down at his hand he remembered how the tips of his fingers had burned, the nailbeds being ripped off by the rapidly growing claws.

"When we changed...it changed us in many ways, not just physically, but emotionally, mentally. Very little of 'us' remained, as much as we did try at first." He remembered his desperate attempts to reach his siblings, watching in horror at what they had become, only to have his own emotional state twisted by Deceit all around him, encouraging and spreading sweet lies against the ugly Truth, his insane laughter ringing in his ears. "But we weren't Cookies anymore, we were monsters, Beast Cookies. It was just easier, less painful, to just give in to what had been done to us, what we did to ourselves."

Reaching forward, the healer took the blue hand in his, and lifted it to his mouth to kiss, his tone soft “I'm sorry you had no one by your side back then, but I promise, you have me now. I won't abandon you to your own devices.”

‘Would you still such things if I was Shadow Milk still? Would you look at me with those same eyes?' Blueberry Milk's gaze was sad but he smiled still. "Thank you Vanilla."

He wouldn't know it for a while yet, but the answer to his doubts was 'yes'. Yes, the healer would still look at him with the same fond gaze even if he still looked like his Beastly self.

As it was, he had no way of knowing, and so, his doubts remained unspoken and unaddressed as Pure Vanilla smiled “Always. I'll always be with you for whatever you need, I promise.”

Further down the hallway, silent as could be, Golden Cheese and Dark Cacao watched the two speaking quietly, having sent the children the play for a bit to burn off energy while they had their meeting. The two shared a look at the mention of their respective Beasts and the past still largely unknown.

"Strange is it not Golden Cheese Cookie, to see those two like that?" The King murmured quietly, "Soothing however, especially to see Pure Vanilla like this."

Keeping her own voice low, the queen nodded “A little bit odd yes, but I can't say I mind it. He does seem much happier than he was before the jester's return.” her own smile was somewhat fond as she watched the lovestruck way the healer gazed at the sage “Even his greed is born out of genuine care to make the other happy. It suits him.”

"And Blueberry Milk? What are your thoughts on him?" Dark Cacao kept his voice quiet, thoughtful yet betrayed none of his own thoughts, wanting to hear what the Queen had to say.

The female monarch seemed to consider it for a long moment, before shrugging "Frankly, I'm neutral about him so far. His actions as Shadow Milk caused everyone issues, but his choice to save us also revealed a lot about his change of character. For now, I'm choosing to see what happens."

"Indeed. Though I haven't seen Pure Vanilla Cookie this happy, nor relaxed, in a very long time. Before the Dark Flour War. And as Shadow Milk he could have easily only saved Pure Vanilla. He could have taken him away and left us all, yet he risked everything for us." Dark Cacao gave a little smile, raising his hands to the pommel of his sword. "And seeing him act like that around Pure Vanilla is refreshing as well."

"It's sickeningly cute is what it is. Pure Vanilla's greed right now is near matched by that of Blueberry Milk, though his is a more desperate greed. Like he's not used to having anything and is frantic to keep it close, yet doesn't believe he can keep it."

Dark Cacao just chuckled at the tiny Queen, knowing that her words rang true. He hummed after a little bit to get her attention, the two having watched the blossoming couple for a moment, lost in their own world. "What do you think of his words before? About our Beast counterparts."

Smile falling, her expression turned pensive, and her voice steely “Perhaps they were once like us, but not anymore. Perhaps Mystic Flour could still be reasoned with, if someone managed to push past her apathy, but Burning Spice is a lost cause. He doesn't care about anything but needless destruction and fighting till only one enemy remains. I doubt anyone could get through to that heedless manchild. Certainly not Pure Vanilla, that's for sure.”

"Perhaps you're right, on both of those accounts. I do not know what caused Burning Spice's downfall, but from what I learned of Mystic Flour, her fall was not her fault, not entirely. But I also do not have the full story." Dark Cacao admitted that, having thought of his counterpart quite a bit.

Thankfully not in the same way that Pure Vanilla thought of his...the mere notion made him shudder.

"Are you done gossiping like two all biddies or are you going to come over here?" Pure Vanilla's voice had them both jump, the monarchs looking over and seeing the two standing a little apart, watching them amused.

The two Heroes seemed to freeze momentarily at that, before coming closer, Golden Cheese regaining her smirk as she flew over to the pair “Oh come on, you can't blame us for being curious. This is an unprecedented situation after all.”

"Indeed old friend. Plus your statements before, Blueberry Milk, had us most curious though...cautious. You spoke of Burning Spice and Mystic Flour with such familiarity, and by different names, stating they were like we are behavior wise. You have to admit it's a little..."

"Far fetched." Golden Cheese stated, arms crossed, her spear glinting in the light as she flexed her wings. "To think that any part of myself is similar to Burning Spice..."

Blueberry Milk winced, looking down and away. "Once upon a time...long ago...they were very different. Good Cookies, worthy of their Virtues. But that time is very much long gone, we all fell to Darkness, corruption tainted our Soul Jams." He raised a hand to his own, the slitted eye a permanent mark. "We all became monsters, Beasts."

Still holding the sage's other hand, Pure Vanilla hummed in thought “Fallen prey to impulse and whim, but not in the same way as each other. Not to the same level or with the same zeal.”

"I fell, because I was alone. Because I failed at protecting them and our people, because I wasn't good enough, because my people kept turning to rumors and sweet lies when my Truths became too much. Because facing all those truths terrified me so much that I turned to Deceit..." Blueberry Milk stared down at his hands, a shadow of a limb with claws dripping his own jam was scene to his gaze before vanishing, clenching his fists.

He jumped a little when a warm hand was placed over his own, lacing their fingers together after a moment.

Pure Vanilla said nothing as he held onto his hand, though his gaze spoke volumes on its own.

And in the contemplative silence, even the other two monarchs seemed to be mulling over his words, as if they hadn't fully given themselves the chance to think of the reasons behind the other Beasts' fall from grace.

"We....you three have a meeting soon, yes?"

Dark Cacao nodded in response to the Sage's question, "As soon as Hollyberry arrives, within the hour." 

"Ok then, Pure Vanilla where do you need me to wait?"

Blinking in surprise, Pure Vanilla seemed caught off guard by the question, before he lifted the sage's hand to his chest, and smiled softly "Ideally I'd have preferred for you to be there as well, since it'll involve deciding what to do with the other beasts and you should get a say in it as well, but..." turning to his two fellow monarchs, he smiled sheepishly "I suppose it may not be a viable decision so soon after everything, especially since we don't know how Hollyberry will react to you yet. I suppose we'll decide when she gets here." Shaking his head, he turned back to Blueberry Milk with a warm smile "Regardless of choice, you're staying with me until the beginning of the meeting starts, because frankly, I don't want to let you go yet."

Golden Cheese made a mock gag motion at the sweetness from Pure Vanilla while Blueberry Milk blushed, giving a relieved smile. "Thank you, and thank you for trying to allow me the chance."

Dark Cacao huffed, hiding a smile, "I doubt Hollyberry Cookie will react badly to your though do not accept juice from her. It isn't worthwhile to get in a drinking contest with her."

The remark had both Pure Vanilla and Golden Cheese snickering, the former turning to Blueberry to explain about Hollyberry's penchant for favoring berry juice, and the consequences of trying to outdo her in the drinking aspect, which usually ended badly for the challenger/invitee.

Frowning at the obvious question of 'Why in the world would you do that' he just shrugged. "Duly noted, I was never much for a drinker back in my time anyway. I had too much to do and focus on to risk that, though Paprika and Sugarcane enjoyed getting into contests that...usually required me to fix the land. They stopped after Rice slapped them across the ocean."

"Say what?" "You did what?" "She did what?"

It was hilarious to see the three Ancients with matching WTF expressions at how casually Blueberry Milk just said what he did. "What?"

As Golden Cheese began to sputter and ask questions about what he meant by that, Pure Vanilla and Dark Cacao shared a brief look, before the healer was smothering a smile behind his sleeve "I suppose it's natural that the power levels of old would be something entirely different to nowadays."

Blueberry Milk blinked, running the conversation over before chuckling, "Oh, I see now why that would surprise you. But yes, long, long ago we shaped the land, and some....antics required me to fix. I was the one with the knowledge and spell casting ability to fix anything that didn't fit the Witches' view of the world. Given time, Pure Vanilla, you can do this as well."

Blinking in confusion, Pure Vanilla opened his mouth as if to comment, before he seemed to pause, and then his expression shifted to sad understanding "Right, technically Bearer of Knowledge. I guess I have to start getting used to that thought, huh?"

Golden Cheese frowned confused while Dark Cacao took her to the side, murmuring softly. Blueberry Milk squeezed his hand, "You still have the Light of Truth, that hasn't left you do not worry. I'm sorry this burden was placed on you, it was never my intention for you to be forced into that role. We can attempt to pass it to me? Though it would require, most likely, a reverse of how this happened in the first place."

Sighing quietly, Pure Vanilla brought their clasped hands up to his mouth, and pressed a kiss to the blue one with a sad smile “I still do not like the idea that I seemingly stand above you, when all I ever wished for was simply to be your equal, but I suppose not much can be done about it right now. In that light, I'll just content myself with asking for your counsel, so that we can work together to address whatever issues arise in the future. I may technically hold the majority of your old powers, but you are still the most knowledgeable of us two, as well as the most flexible in what concerns actual magic use.”

Smiling warmly, he let a small wisp of healing magic brush over the sage's hand, as he continued in a calmer tone “Unlike you, who specializes in all kinds of magics, I specialize in Light and Healing magics. And even with my passion for magic theory, I could never really hope to compare to your skills, even if you believe otherwise. You are in a class of your own, and I could never surpass you in that even if I truly wanted to. Which I most certainly don't.”

Blueberry Milk flushed, embarrassed though whether it was from the sweet action or the even sweeter words, it was hard to say. "Pure Vanilla...you give yourself far too little credit. You are one of the most powerful mages in all of Earthbread even before what happened in Beast Yeast. And just because I happen to know more now will not always be the case. As the Fount of Knowledge you will come to know more than you ever thought possible, just innately. Once you fully accept Knowledge as yours, you fight it, even now."

Smile falling a little he squeezed the hand, the quartet beginning to walk again. "It is one of the...let's call them perks, of the original Virtues. At least with mine. I just knew anything that I needed to know at it's absolute Truth. Or I knew where to find the answer of anything. It was the reason that my council was so sought after long ago, thousands and thousands of Cookies, all the time, every day, would line up to come seek Knowledge from me."

Dark Cacao hummed low, frowning as he gripped his sword. "That...would get incredibly tiring, would it not?"

"What, having untold amount of Cookies worshipping you and your radiance?" Golden Cheese laughed, fluttering a little, "Sounds like my Radiant City!"

"No Golden Cheese. To have Cookies seek you out only for what you can do for them."

The Ancients fell quiet at the soft words from Dark Cacao, the dark king remembering the tale of Mystic Flour.

Blueberry Milk gave the king an understanding look, "It was similar for all of us. We were baked for a purpose, to serve the Witches view on the world, to serve spreading our Virtues across the lands. And for a time we enjoyed, loved it even, what we did. The joy I felt seeing my Cookies eyes light up as they found answers, I can't describe it. But after thousands of years of doing so, after having just been used to provide an answer, and then left..." 'After having Cookie after Cookie scorn me for giving them an answer they didn't like, turning from the Truth to a sweet Lie.' "I guess it truly was our fault for not being strong enough to continue on and failing so badly."

At his side, Pure Vanilla tensed, and tightened his hold on the sage's hand as he turned his face towards him, his closed eyes opening halfway with reproach “No. Anyone in your position would have faltered much sooner than you did. To place you in this world with such high expectations to live up to, but no guidance or support of any kind whatsoever... It's far beyond cruel.” tightening his hold on the sage's hand until it was just shy of actually hurting, the healer shook his head and pulled their clasped hands to rest over his heart “If anything, the fact that you all lasted so long without any form of support, is a testament to your strength of character. Always sought by other cookies for your role alone, treated like an object to be used by others and then left behind once they've gotten what they wanted... With no one even bothering to try and get to know you for who you are, only what you can do for them... I'm not sure if I could have lasted as long as you did, were I in your shoes.”

"But we had-"

"No, Blueberry Milk Cookie. Pure Vanilla is right." Golden Cheese interrupted the Scholar, her unusually serious tone quieting him. "While I do not understand Burning Spice's motives nor will I ever, I do know that if positions were switched, and I had to deal with what you five did long ago, I believe I would have gone down the same path."

"She's right, as is Pure Vanilla." Dark Cacao rested a heavy hand on the pommel of his blade. "I stood guard over the Dark Cacao Kingdom for many years, many generations, by myself, when my friends vanished for one reason or the other. And even I, with my Resolution, grew weary after some time even with the support of my people, which almost led to my downfall and that of my Kingdom. You, Blueberry Milk Cookie, stood strong for far longer than any of us. And even still you have proven that there's hope."

"Hope?"

"For the other Beasts, at least possibly Mystic Flour one day if she can conquer and move past her Apathy." Now that had all three of their attentions. "Yes, surprising no? That I would come to somewhat aid of the Beast who nearly fell my people, who caused me suffering? And yet, hearing her story I could not help but feel sympathy for her, just as I feel it for you."

Blueberry Milk was touched, truly, by the other two monarchs words, knowing what his siblings, their counterparts had done to them, especially Golden Cheese with her wings. When he had heard about that even he was horrified as Shadow Milk, rounding on his brother with fury, demanding to know why he would put another through loss of limbs like that, when his own arms had been ripped from him. Burning Spice had near blown up a section of Beast Yeast before falling silent, leaving their meeting. "I-thank you all, your words mean a great deal." Clasping his hands together he tried to gather himself, mulling over his thoughts before turning to Pure Vanilla. "Could I speak with you privately a moment? There's something...well I think it'll help you."

Glancing at the sage with the Eyes on his cloak, Pure Vanilla nodded with a little smile, his tone soft "Of course, I'll always make time for you." after a brief glance at his friends, the healer opened up a golden portal beside them, and gestured to it with his head, before entering it, letting Blueberry Milk follow after in his own time.

"...if he comes back covered in hickeys I will never let him live that down."

"Golden Cheese!"

"HAHAHAHA You should see your face Cacao!"

The portal closed after the two, not before Pure Vanilla was able to hear the remark by the small monarch, flushing brightly. Thankfully, or perhaps not, Blueberry Milk didn't hear the comment, too lost in his own thoughts as they walked a short ways on the border of their shared other realm, the tall blue and white chaotic spires on the left, the serene golden and pale blue fields on the right.

Resolutely ignoring the heat on his cheeks and vowing to find a way to turn Golden Cheese's hair a bright cotton candy pink in retaliation for her comment, Pure Vanilla followed beside Blueberry Milk in silence, letting the scholar work through what he wished to say in his own time, while he himself focused on the feeling of the other realm, as he tried to figure out how to stop time within it, like the other had done before.

Blueberry Milk turned, a soft smile on his face, feeling the intent of the other through the Soul Jams, "You have to want a moment to last forever, to experience it in it's entirety, to shield yourself from the outside world. Bend time here to your will Pure Vanilla, it'll follow you here easier than you think."

Humming in contemplation, Pure Vanilla did as suggested, focusing on his desire to have them both be able to speak at length without fear of missing anything outside their realm, and soon found the space around them bending to accommodate his wants, like a bubble forming around them, much to his internal glee.

"Well done Pure Vanilla. You're catching onto this far faster than I did." Blueberry Milk praised the other. "The Knowledge of how to do things is coming innately to you now."

Blinking out of his thoughts, he turned to Blueberry Milk and frowned, before letting a hand construct take his staff, as he pulled the other into a tight hug, his voice quiet "I only did it because you taught me how. If not for your guidance, I wouldn't have been able to do it this fast."

"You still were able to harness that ability on your own." He leaned into the hug, returning it, "I created this place Pure Vanilla. You would think that I would know it instantly, but I still had to learn, to find answers on how to do anything here. Knowledge for me was...angry, due to how and when I created this place. You? You found the answer with me merely pointing you in the right direction, letting you freely use and control it. And even if I was not here, you still would have found a way. Even now you did something I never once thought to do, your constructs." Gesturing to the one that held the staff Blueberry Milk just chuckled, "Amazing is it not? How one even as old as I can still be surprised by the ingenuity of others."

Pulling back from the hug Blueberry Milk sat down on the soft grass where the gold shifted to blue, patting beside him for the other to rest.

Sighing, Pure Vanilla took a seat beside the sage, and frowned unhappily "Regardless of my ease with navigating this space now, it was still yours first. You refined it with time and effort, made it yours in the end. You were the carver taking a rough piece of wood, and working on it to make a useful, recognizable sculpture. Me? I'm merely the one who took what you worked on, sanding down a few rough edges and applying varnish. I couldn't do any of it if not for you. You still did the bulk of the work, and you don't seem to realize just how important that is too."

"You misunderstand me Pure Vanilla. I am proud of what I've made," Gesturing to the other realm around them, at his whim and gesture towering mountains of golden ice cream formed topped with blueberries before it simply vanished with a pop, a much smaller bowl appearing in front of them on a tray with two spoons.. Serene, Blueberry Milk leaned over, taking a spoon from nothing and beginning to eat little bites. "And I am more proud of how you've taken to your new role and powers...but that's not what you want. Is it?"

Taking the other spoon, Pure Vanilla scooped up a bit of ice cream along with a single blueberry and popped it into his mouth with a deep exhale, chewing the little fruit for a moment, before shaking his head as he swallowed "Not entirely, no. I wouldn't mind it so much, if only you'd kept part of it too. But as it stands, I... I do genuinely feel like the thief you once claimed me to be."

Setting his spoon down on his lap, he closed his eyes sadly, bringing a knee up to his chest so he could rest his torso against it "When I learned to accept Deceit in Truth, and found my Truth in Deceit back at the Spire, I thought I'd found the answer for our situation. A balance between us both where we could both be happy and work together... But all I did was deceive you, and unknowingly take what was yours. In trying to find a way to share your burdens and understand your struggles so I could support you, all I managed was to bring you down and make you feel inferior when you compare yourself to me. I just... Just wanted us to be equals, not whatever this is."

Setting an arm over his knee, he hid his face there as he spoke in a regretful whisper, his voice trembling slightly "I'm sorry Blue. I don't know how to undo what I've done, nor how to fix it. I wish I did. You don't deserve any of this."

A soft, chilled hand, reminding Pure Vanilla of fresh fallen snow, rested over his own. When he turned he saw the Sage smiling softly at him. "You did find the answer, and we do balance one another, and we do work together. And as I told you, repeatedly, that I needed to be stopped. Shadow Milk was a monster, a Beast." Pure Vanilla started at how the other referred to himself. "A world where everything was nothing but lies? Every Cookie just an actor in a grand stage where nothing made sense, where chaos reigned? Where all was Deceit? You did the right thing Pure Vanilla in stripping me of my power. If you believe nothing else I've said, then believe that to be the Truth."

In the silence that followed, the sad Eyes on the healers cloak turned to gaze at the scholar with helplessness, before PV was turning his hand to hold onto Blue's own with a bittersweet smile “Perhaps it was the right thing, but it doesn't change the hurt you felt. Doesn't change the tears you shed.” squeezing the hand in his, he lifted his head to press a kiss to it, before he closed his eyes, feeling a single tear run down his cheek “And it certainly doesn't help reduce your feelings of inferiority. Doesn't help you see what I see when I look at you.”

Blueberry Milk gave a little smile, eyes knowing, waiting for something, "And what do you see when you look at me?"

In reply, the blond reopened his eyes to look back at the sage and smiled ruefully, his voice soft “I see a cookie whose mind shattered apart when he was pushed past his breaking point.” turning his gaze to the air in front of them, he conjured a smooth, pristine pane of deep blue glass, as he continued to speak, letting the image reflect his words “I see a beautiful pane of glass that was shattered by careless hands, and whose shards were tossed into the mud when they should have been picked up and kept safe. I see a desperate attempt to mold that mud into something new, by bloodied, trembling hands, and succeeding in creating an asymmetrical vase covered in the sharp glass points of those very shards. Edges meant to hurt any other hands that would ever dare try to hurt you again.”

Squeezing the hand in his, he brought it to his cheek and nuzzled it as he continued, his gaze not leaving the image of pale blue hands covered in bleeding scratches that were shoving the sharp edged glass into the clay-like mud of the vase depiction “I see the beauty of what that vase could be, if only it was helped along by a careful hand that isn't afraid of those edges. I see how it could look, if those shards could be turned around, so that their reflective sheen could face the outside instead of the sharp edges meant to protect it from further harm. If the pieces of glass could be arranged like a mosaic inlaid in the clay that houses them, different from the pristine sheet it once was, but beautiful all the same, for the myriad of ways that every facet could now reflect the light shined upon it.”

Bringing the hand from his cheek to his lips, he kissed the back of it reverently as he looked away from the beautiful mosaic vase in front of them, and into the other's gold and indigo eyes “You were forced to bend until you broke, and in the aftermath, you took the pain inflicted upon you, and turned it outwards when you rebuilt yourself to the best of your ability, so that no one else could hurt you the same way again. You hid your cracked heart behind those jagged edges, and forced yourself to put up a brave front because you knew no one else would aid you. You survived for so long on your own, but deep down you're worth so much more than how others perceive you as, yourself included. You can still shine just as bright as before, even if not in the same way, if only you'll let your hurts be tended to. You don't need to hide the gleam of your broken parts, you just need to look at them from a different angle. To place them on a different configuration, so that you can see for yourself just how lovely every piece of you still is even now.”

"I see a cookie that has lost so much in his life time." Lacing their fingers together, thumb moving slowly over the back of the other's hand. "One who started from nothing, and gained everything, and everything he gained he continued to give and give and give. A brave, wonderful, kind being." The image of a young Pure Vanilla, growing up as he went on his pilgrimage before his crowning. "Who created a wonderful Kingdom and land with his own two hands, who's kindness was far spread, who carried insecurities from his perceived failures." An image of Pure Vanilla's sacrifice from the Dark Flour War spread out before them, Pure Vanilla taking on the hidden role of Healer Cookie. "Who, even when he lost himself not once, but twice, stayed true to himself and his values." Healer Cookie's image shifted to Truthless Recluse, Blueberry Milk forcing himself to stare at one of his greatest mistakes before it faded away.

"I see someone who cared for his counterpart, a Beast, even after he was tortured in every way, who still found it within himself to offer friendship and more." Turning back to stare into sky blue and yellow eyes, his own soft as he raised his hand to cradle the cheek, "Who managed to do the impossible, and reformed a Beast Cookie and reunited the Light of Knowledge. A Cookie that, even with all the power under his command, is still so selfless and caring, wanting to share that power."

Thumb brushing against the cheek Blueberry Milk freed his other hand, bringing it down to his Soul Jam, dislodging the Soul Jam of Deceit. Compared to its other half it was a much darker hue, the slitted line near black. "Truth and Deceit, two halves of Knowledge."

Reaching up to remove his own Soul Jam from his robes, the healer brought it over to the other, the sky blue color seeming to shine brighter as the two jams were held side by side “Meant to be two matching halves, balancing each other out at every turn. Filling in for what the other lacks.”

Blueberry Milk's smile stayed, still that knowing look, though after Pure Vanilla's description of how he saw him he had had tears falling in quiet trails down his cheeks. "Pure Vanilla Cookie...Bearer of the Light of Truth, the new Fount of Knowledge and it's Keeper...my other half. Do you truly still wish to share this power in equal measure with me?"

Smile softening, the other nodded, his shoulders slumping with relief “I do, nothing would bring me greater peace than that.”

"I can only hope then to meet your expectations." And Blueberry Milk pushed his Soul Jam into the other, the intent to become one ringing around them. Pure Vanilla observed how the darker Soul Jam was absorbed into the other, it's color size a fraction of his own showing just how much power and sway he truly had over the Sage.

Both Cookies grunted from the shock wave, hands shaking as Truth and Deceit became one once more.

The Soul Jam of Knowledge, the purest hue of blue that Pure Vanilla had ever seen in his long lifetime, with faint stars hidden deep within, each a kernel of wisdom ready and waiting to be learned. In the middle was the slitted eye of Deceit though softer almost, kinder.

Overwhelming, was the only word that truly described the feeling of both halves merging into one. A sensation shared between the two cookies, both their breaths catching in their chests, and bodies shaking faintly from the power that had washed over them, before the tide of feeling abated, and they could both finally breathe once more, taking in the strange new connection.

"Beautiful...isn't it?" Blueberry Milk's words were hushed, gaze far away and longing. "I haven't seen it like this in many lifetimes." Holding out his hand for the other to hold the Soul Jam he let him have it.

Though contrary to the expected, Pure Vanilla didn't grab the Soul Jam, choosing instead to rest his palm over the gleaming surface with a smile “Yes, a lovely sight indeed. Though how are we meant to share the role, with only one Soul Jam between us? Are we meant to take turns with it?”

Blueberry Milk gave a wry smile he shook his head, keeping it hovered between them as it bathed them in its light "I truly can't deceive you anymore. Can I? When did you guess?"

Bringing his free hand up to the sage's cheek, PV cradled it with the utmost gentleness as he murmured “I began to suspect it when you acquiesced so quickly to the idea of sharing this power, especially after how adamant you were about me being its rightful new owner. Still, I wanted to believe you knew how to do this right. That you'd know how to let us share this part of ourselves as well.”

Sighing deeply, he caressed the cheek under his palm with a bittersweet smile “Even now, I still want to believe that there's a way to make it possible. Though perhaps I'm simply deceiving myself, I don't know.”

Tearful, broken eyes matching the smile given he nodded, "I still think it should be you, inheritor of my Soul Jam, but you don't want that." Blueberry Milk inhaled deeply, the action stirring a breeze around them both before he continued, "Now that it's whole again, we can split it in two, Truth and Deceit once more in equal measure. You saw the visual representation of my power before when it merged into yours."

Looking down at the Soul Jam he began to focus, removing the hand from his cheek to cradle on the other side. "You merely need to pull, Pure Vanilla." Soft as the instructions were they sounded defeated in a way even as the Sage began to work.

It was like watching a rippling mirror splitting the Soul Jam in half, perfectly even bar the dark slit in the half going to Blueberry Milk, Pure Vanilla's own being exactly how it was. The color amounts were even down to the last glitter speck inside the jewel. The second the two split another shockwave went out, the connection they had when it was whole gone.

Floating above their palms were their Soul Jams, thrumming with power. "Knowledge back to its two halves in equal measure."

Looking down at both Soul Jams, and seeing them matching one another perfectly save for the dark slit, Pure Vanilla felt the tension and stress in his heart fade to relief, and before he could think it through he was grabbing onto Blueberry's hand that held his slitted Soul Jam, and brought it close to him so he could press a single kiss to the center of the jewel, right over the dark vertical line, before pulling back, and doing the same to Blueberry's lips with tears of relief in his eyes, his voice shaky but happy as he pulled back to smile warmly at him “Thank you Blue. I'm thankful beyond belief.”

The Scholar shuddered at the touch to his Soul Jam, freezing at the direct kiss in surprise, letting the crystal float back to its place on his chest, pulling back to sit beside the other once more with space between, twirling his spoon in the melted ice cream. "You're welcome, Pure Vanilla."

Bringing his Soul Jam to his chest, the blond pinned it to his clothing once more, and rested his hand over it, before smiling, and flopping backwards into the soft grass, eyes closed in contentment. There, he stayed for a moment, before turning his face to the scholar, and reaching out to rest a hand on one of his folded knees “I know this is not what you wanted, but I'm grateful all the same my dear. You've removed one of the heaviest worries on my heart, and I appreciate it far more than I can ever truly convey.”

Blueberry Milk replied after a moment, distracted "I'm glad I can alleviate your worry Pure Vanilla." Looking down at the melted treat, fishing out a vanished berry he stared at it before letting it fall once more, vanishing into the vanilla mix as if it were never there, sending the bowl away. Shifting so he could stand, the hand falling away from his knee. "I'm going to retreat go my Spire. I'd like to be alone and I need to think on some things." A wave of his hand summoned forth a blue portal, stepping towards it before pausing, "Is there anything else you have need of me?'

Sitting up as well, smile fading, Pure Vanilla lifted a hand as if to reach out to the other facing away from him, before pausing, and then letting his hand fall as he shook his head, his voice quiet "No, not for the moment. I..." Pausing, he opened his mouth and closed it a couple of times, before his shoulders slumped, and he forced a soft smile on his face, his eyes closed, and the ones on his cloak looking down at the ground, with only a single eye beneath Pure Vanilla's armpit staring back at the blue cookie with a pained look “I'll see you later then?”

The form partly turned, enough to acknowledge the words, giving a silent nod before walking through, the portal closing behind him. The wind that had built up from the blue side suddenly died down, the clouds vanishing before his eyes.

Chapter Text

Blueberry Milk stood in the middle of his room, hands clenched as tears fell silently before he knelt down in the middle of the room, hugging his legs. The room darkened considerably until only the light around him remained.

After a moment he took off the broach holding his Soul Jam, staring at it, before tossing it away hearing glass shatter. One of his mirrors, spiderweb crack where the crystal had smashed into it, spinning before stopping, the slitted eye staring at nothing. A crying Cookie stared at his reflected despondently, the reflection smiling back.

Blueberry Milk crawled backwards, eyes locked on his own reflection, smashing his back into his dresser and knocking things down, shaking.

"You know I was right."

Flinching at the words and tone Blueberry Milk tried hiding his face in his knees, shaking, gripping his hair, dislodging the style that Pure Vanilla had done. "Shut up shut up shut up shut up! He's not-it was a mistake-"

"Oh right it was. Trusting him? You truly are the Fool-" The mirror was shattered with a wave of magic, the glass melting into a puddle. Eyes wide, slits pin thin, breathing as if he had run a marathon and his hand coated with magic from the attack he had just done, the Sage struggled to regain control of himself, staggering to his feet.

Sweat drenching his form he staggered over to where he had thrown the Soul Jam, picking it up with a tight grip, looking down at it, holding it as he left his room, shadows trailing after his form. 'I can't tell him, he can't know what I keep seeing, they can't know what she's planning on doing to me. Why couldn't he just accept it?!' A low growl, eyes forming along his Spire, watching him go to the heart of it. "She's going to drain me dry, drain the Soul Jam of Knowledge, of Truth and Deceit...if he had just kept it! He'd have the power to take her on..."

Leaning against a pillar heavily, emotional state unstable he turned to look up at the twisting, winding staircases and corridors, the echo of the children's excited questions still travelling around, Pure Vanilla's awe at his own questions for the Sage. "I don't know what to do..." Using the pillar as backrest he slid down, the artifact dropping down to his side as he struggled on finding the answer.

Unfortunately, the only response to his question beyond the mocking voice in his thoughts, was the silence of the spire, and the feeling of his doubts circling around in his mind like hungry wolves.

The cacophony built and built and built, the silence of his Spire just as oppressive as the snide remarks of 'Shadow Milk', the beast glaring disdainfully at him, that Oven awful smile, head tilt at an angle that would break a normal Cookie's neck.

"You really thought anything would change?" 

"They're biding their time." 

"You're a Beast, a monster." 

"You don't even know what 'love' is!" 

"You're going back in that Tree, all alone." 

"Please...please stop..he promised-"

"Oh he promised? The one who lied to you?" 

"The one who Deceived you to get his own gain?" 

"The one who repeatedly breaks his word to you to make himself feel better?" 

"No...no please." Blueberry Milk clutched his head, nails cutting into his dough as he pulled at his hair.

A few minutes earlier 

The blond felt his forced smile drop from his face once the Sage disappeared through the portal, leaving him alone in the serene field, the stormy clouds fading with the other's disappearance, and leaving the sky empty once more. Around him the world fell still, even the soft wind fading away as the healer stared ahead with a blank expression, something within his being shriveling as it curled into itself, with the realization that he'd done it again.

Even after Dark Cacao's warnings, even after he promised himself he'd do better by the scholar... He repeated the very same mistake again.

In trying to help, he pushed the other beyond his comfort once more, and forced his own perspective on Blueberry Milk.

Just like before.

Lifting a hand to his chest, rubbing his fingers over his sternum, directly below where his soul jam rested, where he felt a dull ache forming. A familiar pain, one that he'd felt before back when he briefly inhabited a dark, chaotic Spire. A pain that, unlike before, was now entirely his own fault. 'I pushed for my wants, and overwhelmed him again. That's all I ever seem able to do these days, isn't it? ...Maybe... Maybe I'm not as good for him as I thought I was." looking up at the sky, seeing the golden expanse slowly losing its bright hue, he couldn't help but smile a bittersweet smile, as he let his hand fall to his lap, as tears began to run silently down his cheeks "Yesterday, my heart demanded I try and soothe the hurt from his scars, and I tried to, but all I did was make him uncomfortable. Today, my heart demanded I give back what I stole from him, and I tried to, but all I managed was to hurt him so badly, that he couldn't even bear to be near me. I made him feel the need to flee from me." 

Curling into himself, he covered his face with his hands, and let out a mirthless laugh that wouldn't have been out of place in Truthless Recluse's lips, shoulders shaking as his laughter faded to sniffles "And now, this wretched heart of mine begs me to run after him and make things right, to apologize." 

Pressing his palms harshly to his eyes, he let out a bark of laughter, as he spoke through the lump in his throat "Seems like you were right back then. I really am no better than your Beastly self was. Pushing and pushing and pushing, until the cookie on the other side of that relentless pressure has no choice but to submit or break under the strain. And in trying to make things right, I'll just become the reason you break for good."

Swallowing a sob, he folded himself in a half, resting his forehead on the grassy ground, and curled into himself, hands holding onto his biceps in a vice like grip, blunt nails digging into the robes as if trying to claw into his own muscles through the fabric "Maybe it's time I stop following my selfish heart, and just do as you ask of me. At least that way I can't hurt you any further. Can't impose my will on you, if I don't let myself even reach for the thoughts themselves. Can't demand things of you if I stick solely to your requests.' 

Breathing in deeply, and letting the air out in a trembling sigh, he lifted himself off the grassy floor, and sat up straight with his eyes closed, getting his aching heart under control, before he turned to look at the distant spire with a bittersweet smile and pained eyes "I'll give you time alone as you asked of me. I'll prove to you, that I can follow your wants without letting mine get in the way."

The dull ache in his chest spiked sharply, the Cookie falling to his knees from the force of it. Looking down, checking to see if he was bleeding jam thathurtsobadlywhathappened? and seeing nothing but his own Soul Jam blinking wildly. The healer frowned, pressing a hand to the crystal, wondering why it was behaving like so.

And as he settled his hand atop the Soul Jam and focused on opening his own inner link with it, he was gasping at the sheer titanic wave of emotions and feelings echoing through it, emotions not his own, accompanied by vitriolic whispers tinged with a core of cruel, malignant truth beneath them.

And making his own body freeze when he heard the last few taunting remarks whispered through the sage's side. Because it wasn't necessarily wrong in its observations. The healer had indeed, broken the other's trust for the sake of his own peace. Did he even deserve to bear the Soul Jam, when he was so completely and utterly stupid in regards to his companion's needs? Did he even deserve to be a part of the sage's life at all? Or would the other be ultimately better off without him?

"What are you waiting for? Your other half needs you Pure Vanilla Cookie!" 

The Light of Truth's voice thundered in his ears, urging him forward to chase after his other, the Light of Deceit being corrupted by Blueberry's Milk's own doubts, twisting further and further away.

Gripping his Soul Jam, Pure Vanilla stood up, pushing past the painful emotions to lock on where the other was in his Spire, ripping open a portal and racing through, spotting the Sage hugging himself, crying as he held his head, the whispers stopping only when he felt warm arms wrap around him, hugging him close.

Blueberry Milk froze, eyes wide and unseeing, when he felt the warmth surround him, the light chasing away the darkness that had encroached on him. With a broken wail he hid his face in Pure Vanilla's shoulder, shaking.

And despite the whispers in his own mind that cruelly reminded him how he was already breaking his third promise only seconds after making it 'You're a witches-damned hypocrite. And he's right to be afraid of trusting you.', Pure Vanilla pushed the thoughts aside, and wrapped his arms tighter around the sage, tan hand cradling the back of Blue’s head and letting the blue cookie cry as much as he needed to, until he'd run out of tears to shed.

"P-P-Pur-P-" Stuttering so bad he couldn't even get the name of his counterpart out, Blueberry Milk tugged harder at his hair. "T-they wo-won't stop h-he's here!"

In reply, the healer murmured through the lump in his throat, even as he began running his fingers through the other's hair “How can I help? What do you need me to do?”

Pure Vanilla paled a little when his fingers came wet with jam, holding the other close. 

Blueberry Milk just gripped harder, his slowly growing claws digging into his head as he cried, every word accompanied by a cry, his breath coming in gasps "He won't stop, I keep seeing him!" A wide, scared eye peeked out, looking to the left where a set of polished armor stood, the scholar freezing at the dual blue slitted eyes and malicious smile looking at him from Pure Vanilla's arms. "I'm scared Vanilla, he's everywhere I look, I keep seeing him. He keeps taunting me and it won't stop please make it stop."

"Begging for help? As if you couldn't go lower, then again you are a Beast Cookie, nothing is too low for you, even hiding away in the arms of the one you B R O K E."

Upon hearing the taunting sing-song voice, malicious and cruel, Pure Vanilla froze fully in place, before he felt a flare of power from deep within his Soul Jam that lead to a sudden feeling of realization... Which made him let out a low growl as he wrapped his arms more securely around Blueberry Milk in a protective manner, as he murmured to him “Would you let me use my magic on you?”

Without hesitating Blueberry milk nodded, burying himself closer in the warm, safe arms.

Pure Vanilla was here.

Pure Vanilla was here.

Even with everything happening to him he relaxed in his arms for a moment before the jeers started once more.

And in the next moment, the healer's hands were glowing with Healing magic as they cradled the back of the sage's head, threading his fingers through the cosmic strands, and letting his magic heal the scratches and wounds the other had inflicted upon himself. And only once that was done, did the glow of his hands change, from the comforting feeling of Healing magic, to the blinding warmth of Light magic, as it curled around the Sage's head and began to sink into his dough, searching out the traces of the foul magic tormenting his other half.

Because the Light of Truth had helped him recognize what was going on. Helped him see that the source of the pervasive, wretched voice was not wholly from Blueberry's mind, but rather a force beyond him, that fed off of his doubts and amplified them, trying to turn him against himself so that he would break his own mind.

A failsafe branded with dark magic into the bodies that Dark Enchantress Cookie had later given to the Beasts, to ensure she'd be able to subdue them should they ever become too strong. Her way of ensuring that even if she couldn't control them, they would never be truly free to ruin her plans.

However, there were two things that she couldn't have ever truly accounted for.

The first, being that a Hero would not only willingly come to their Beast counterpart's defense, but actively fight to free them from their shackles.

And the second?

That their Lights would work together to aid  said hero in such a venture.

Gold and indigo eyes flew open, feeling the Light magic encase the brand that had been baked into his very form, feeling out the sigils for dominance, weakness, madness and more, all for the sole purpose of weakening himself and his former siblings should they prove too powerful and as preparation for when she drained them dry of their powers.

The Lights of Truth and Deceit chased after the dark magics, both beyond furious at what had been done, even Deceit, purified to what it should have always been after its split from Truth, was enraged at what was done to its Wearer.

Following Blueberry Milk's eyes that were locked onto their reflection, Pure Vanilla was able to see himself holding a far more insane version of Shadow Milk than anyone had ever seen, features distorted and screaming, a mix of the theatrical tones and that of Dark Enchantress Cookie herself, screaming in rage as she tried to keep a hold of her magic on the Beast.

For a brief moment, the healer stared at the reflection with a frown, then an outright glare, his tone full of cold venom as he spoke “Let go of my other half, you hag. He's not yours to keep.” and when all he got was a wordless screech of rage, he summoned a single white hand construct, which he used to flip off the monstrous reflection, before shifting his attention back to his counterpart and redoubling his efforts to rid him of the brand, more intent than ever on setting him free.

'Finally' The three sources of power seemed to exclaim, finding the brand and beginning to rip it off one by one, the two Soul Jams working in tandem while Pure Vanilla's Light magic working on keeping it completely pain free.

The healer felt the blue Cookie's hands grip the back of his robes, hiding his face as he shook, feeling the taint be pried and burnt off, Light working on healing anything and everything it needed to.

The entire process was over in minutes, the Soul Jams thorough and quick, enraged at all the limitations that they were finding on their Holder.

And when the last of the foul magic was finally dispelled with a parting, horrendous screech from the reflection, all that was left was the silence of the Spire, and the blue cookie's trembling breaths in between them, as he was held in a loose embrace by the silent healer.

Shaking, the silence oppressing Blueberry Milk turned to look at the reflection...

Only seeing his own scared eyes staring back at him in Pure Vanilla's arms.

Like a puppet with its strings cut the Sage near collapsed in Pure Vanilla's arms, crying silently as he clutched at him, hugging him close.

And after just a moment of hesitation, the blond wrapped his arms more securely around the sage, and pulled him into his lap, so that he could hold him close and let the other curl into his arms as much as he wanted, his warm hands running through the jam-streaked hair and over the other's skinny back in slow, soothing motions, his quiet voice seeming much louder in the oppressive silence of the room “You are not what that wretched thing made you out to be. Not now, and not ever. You are far better, even if you can't quite see it yourself.”

"You came...you came for me." Hiccuping through his tears. "He-I kept seeing it, every time I saw myself, it just keep appearing and whispering and-and I'm so sorry!" The apology echoed, bouncing off banisters and archways, Blueberry Milk trying to speak through his sobs. "I didn't mean what I said earlier, I don't want to be alone! I was just so scared and what she did to us, she can drain us whenever she wanted, it's why I wanted you to keep the Soul Jam in your control. I didn't want you to worry or be angry with me!" Pure Vanilla had to tighten his arms around the other his shaking was near moving him off of his lap.

Holding the shaking healer to his chest, Pure Vanilla rested his cheek atop the sage's head, and spoke in a gentle tone “I could never be angry with you. Not unless you did something truly monstrous, like strike at my friends or the kids with lethal intent. And I know for a fact that you would never do such a thing willingly, not after all the trouble you went through to save us from Dark Enchantress' attack.”

Squeezing him lightly, he continued to speak “Though in regards to me worrying about you, I'm afraid that is simply inevitable. I care about you, so I will worry about you regardless of whether there's legitimate reasons for it or not. Worrying about your health, about whether you rested enough, about whether you're comfortable. About whether you need something that your self-reliance won't let you ask for or not. Worrying... About whether or not I'm doing enough to help you.”

Turning his face away from the mirrored surface, letting his own long hair fall like a curtain around them, Pure Vanilla hid his face in the sage's hair, and sighed, before continuing to speak in a bittersweet tone “Worrying about whether you're pushing yourself past your own limits and comfort, solely to please me and fulfill my wants. Worrying if, by trying to help you, I'm only harming you further.” swallowing past the lump in his throat, he opened his mouth as if to continue, before he stopped, and closed his mouth with a smile that didn't reach his closed eyes, nor the Eyes on his cloak “But then again, I have always been a worrier at heart, so this is nothing new. I'm going to worry about you regardless of whether you hide your fears from me or not.”

Calming his racing pulse, inhaling the soft vanilla scent and warmth soaking into him from the other as he leaned heavily on him Blueberry Milk looked down at his hands, paling a little from his own jam under nails, no longer claws. "...I was never going to be ready, Pure Vanilla. I would have stuffed those problems away like an ancient tomb in my library, one to be forgotten. I never would have faced them, not without you." The Scholar pulled back, red tearful eyes looking broken, yet still managing a smile. "You pushed me yes...because you care. Because you want to help. Because I'm just too damned scared to ask for help, not after what I did. What I am." A golden hand reached up, clasping and lacing their fingers together as Light magic gently cleansed the substance away. "I feel it lurking beneath my skin, in my mind, in my Soulstone. Shadow Milk is still here...and I'm so scared because of that. What if he takes over, and I hurt you and the children again? He wants you as badly as-" Blueberry Milk flushed, cutting himself off as he turned away.

The half formed admission made a small smile tug at Pure Vanilla's lips, and urged him to bring their clasped hands up to his mouth, so he could press a single brief kiss to the back of the sage's hand, his tone quiet but tinged with playful admonishment "I wasn't afraid of Shadow Milk even when I was living in the midst of his own realm, where he had all the power and control he could have ever wielded against me. What makes you think I'd start fearing him now, of all times? That I'd ever back away from the Beast cookie I purposefully extended my hand to, even when I knew he might lash out at me?"

Smile falling a bit, he continued in a quieter tone "The ram full of doubts entered the wolf's den willingly, despite knowing it might get eaten. It endured taunts and threatening growls, watching the wolf prowl around it and observe its every move. And while in his den, it saw the way the wolf yearned for a pack he could not find. Saw the way he hid his aching heart behind fierce growls and swipes of his sharp, dangerous claws."

Sighing to himself, he let his smile grow a bit warmer and softer, more genuine in intent as he spoke "I held my hand out to the wolf I betrayed, knowing there was about a ninety percent chance that I'd get bitten or clawed at for my hubris. And I wouldn't have blamed it had it tried to maul me for my insolence. I expected it, in fact, even though I hoped to be able to hold it after it was done lashing out at me."

Shaking his head, he let out the tiniest huff of a laugh, his voice unerringly honest "And yet, my hand was only slapped away. Those sharp claws capable of slicing my dough open, never once scratched me in the process. Those predatory teeth bared in threat? Refused to strike at me, even though they could have."

Squeezing the blue hand in his, he brought it to his cheek, and leaned his face against it "Even weakened as he was, he could have held my hand to distract me, and swiped at my face with his other. He could have pulled me by the hand with his right, and plunged the tail end of his staff through my chest with his left. He could have thrown himself at me, holding my shoulders down with his clawed hands, while he tore out my throat with his teeth. He could have done so many terrible, justifiable things to me during that one moment of quiet we shared after my ascension... And yet, he chose to flee without harming me. He chose to run instead of hurt me, despite the hurt that I caused him with my deceit and betrayal."

Laughing brightly, he pressed their joined hands harder against his cheek, squishing his own face as he smiled brightly like the sun "And better yet, he came back. He could have stayed away, he could have let me sacrifice myself, he could have saved me and left everyone else to crumble at the hands of Dark Enchantress and the other Beasts... But he didn't. He defended the cookie that deceived and hurt him. Even after my betrayal, even when the easiest option was to sit back and let things happen as they would, he came back to me. He protected me instead. How could I ever be afraid of him after that?"

Bringing his other hand up to grab at the sage's free hand, he ran his thumb over the blunt nails, letting his magic take away the dried jam, before he brought those blue fingertips up to his lips to kiss them, his tone reverent "After he's shown me that he cares about me like I do him? After he's shown me that even with those claws that could rip and slash, with those teeth that can bite and tear, with that tongue that can cut into your very being like the sharpest of blades... His heart only yearns for understanding and connection. To know that even a dangerous Beast is worthy of being loved. That there's someone out here that doesn't fear his claws and teeth, doesn't fear the damage he could do."

"You're...such a strange Cookie, Pure Vanilla." Shaking his head, somewhat awed by how he sees the Beast of Deceit, himself, with words that he knew the other was speaking from the heart, Soul Jam ringing with the absolute Truth of everything. "You're right on so many things...I just wanted someone there for me, but I never believed that I could have it, not me as me, not after all I did, what I had become, what was done to me. Yet you, strange, wonderful, crazy, idiotic, compassionate Cookie that you are, saw all these jagged, sharp, jam stained edges of glass, and offered to help move them into something that isn't a full change, but something that can still be admired and cared for in it's on way."

Smile softening fondly, the healer nudged his cheek against the hand he held to his face “Of course I did. I know you're worthy of love and care too, even if the world tries to convince you otherwise. And I'd like to show you that love and care, if I'm allowed to. To show you that you are far more than what others say you are.”

"You already do Pure Vanilla." Blueberry Milk's thumb brushed back and forth along the cheek, tracing the light freckles he spotted, normally invisible from a distance. "I've learned a lot from you about care and love...even if I don't understand it yet, I'm starting to."The Sage shifted to lean against Pure Vanilla, staring at themselves in the mirror, their shared Soul Jam glittering in the faint light of the Spire. The sight brought a wince to the blue cookie's face, raising a hand up to cover his own, "...I'm sorry, for trying to deceive you before. I just, didn't see any other way to keep her from getting all of my power. The less she has access to the better, and I didn't want you to worry. I hadn't expected you to put up such a fuss."

Sighing, wrapping his arms more securely around the sage, the healer spoke quietly “I did want to give you back what I took, and I don't regret splitting our power evenly again, but had I known why you didn't want to keep half of our power, I would have waited longer. I'd have kept it with me for your peace of mind, until you felt it was safe enough to follow through with this.” Nuzzling his cheek against the top of the sage's head, he spoke quietly “I'm willing to follow your wants, but I can't read your mind Blue. I need you to actually talk to me, if you want me to do something you think I will not be receptive to.”

Blueberry Milk wilted a little in the other's arms, turning to hide his face. "I'm sorry...I should have told you. I'm just so used to having to do everything myself, by myself...it's hard to have to rely on another. I'll try to be better for you."

"I know. And I don't blame you for it. You were alone for a long time. But you're not alone anymore. I am with you." holding him a bit tighter, just enough to be snug, the healer murmured "And I will stay with you until you tell me to go."

A cool hand reached up, grasping at a warm one and lacing their fingers after a moment, "And if I never tell you to go?"

The healer's answering smile was as bright and warm as sunlight itself, as he murmured "Then I'll remain by your side until you get tired of me and my attention. And if you never do? Then I guess I'll consider myself the luckiest cookie alive."

The Sage just blushed more, muttering something that had Pure Vanilla snicker and just hold him closer.

The two enjoyed the quiet for a while, time inside the Spire going to a crawl for them both, Blueberry Milk moving to play with Pure Vanilla's fingers, comparing them both. While Pure Vanilla's hands were soft, that of a healer, they held faint scars from his work as a shepherd as a child and his pilgrimage. Meanwhile his own were slender, sickly so, with minute cuts from thousands of papercuts with parchments, books and more. Barely visible due to his sleeve riding up was more aggressive scarring that he sought to always hide, tugging the sleeve down. "Pure Vanilla...I need to you to promise me something. And I need you to keep your word about it, even if you have to get the other Ancients to do it."

Smile falling off his face, Pure Vanilla frowned softly, but hummed "What do you need of me?"

"If it seemed like she...Dark Enchantress is managing to drain me, I don't know what she did to this body or how to stop it, but if it is, you can't let her have Deceit, half of Knowledge and my power. I'm trying to think of how to free myself and my siblings, but if I can't in time, you have to take it all back at least from me." Blueberry Milk looked at the others reflection, imploring into him. "I won't stop trying to find a way, and I do know two ways to do it, but neither of which I want to do and will be a last resort, but if I can't, for the safety of every Cookie on Earthbread, will you promise me?"

Turning his face to stare directly at the sage, and turning Blueberry Milk's face towards him, Pure Vanilla sighed in relief, and nodded with a tiny smile "Yes, I can do that for you."

Blueberry Milk's shoulders lowered, slumping against the other, a great weight taken from his mind, "Thank you."

With the sage curling up against him, letting his face rest on the healer's collarbones, the blond rested his chin atop the other's head, and lifted a hand to card through his hair "You're welcome. You already have to much to worry about, that if I can do something to reduce your worries, then I'll try to do so to the best of my ability whenever possible. I'm always glad to help you, with whatever you may need."

"I just want to make sure she can't get every advantage that she wants. I don't know how to tackle the situation with my siblings, I'm still working on that..." Blueberry Milk sighed, relaxing into the touch, eyes closing. "If she got half of all the Soul Jams her power would be immense. She already has the corrupted portion of Freedom in her grasp, White Lily has a mere quarter of it. If she managed to get all 5 corrupted halves?"

Sighing deeply himself, Pure Vanilla closed his own eyes “She would become an even bigger pain in the behind, yes.”

Blueberry Milk's body shook as he burst out into laughter at the description of their most dangerous enemy getting ahold of half of 5 ancient powerful artifacts being a 'pain in the behind'.

Pure Vanilla smiled seeing the other near roll on the ground, laughing and dislodging his monocle, the stress of everything escaping from the actions.

And though a small part of the healer felt sad at no longer having the sage in his arms, it was dwarfed by the parts of him that felt immense pride and warmth at seeing the other laughing uncontrollably, his own chest easing at the sight, and making him chuckle with the contagious mirth.

After several moments Blueberry Milk laid on his back, panting through his giggles, "O-Oh my goodness I needed that. I haven't laughed like that since...I don't know when. When you were here in my Spire before? Thankfully less insane this time." Turning to look at the still sitting healer the sage smiled. "Thank you Pure Vanilla. For being there for me. And describing the absolute madness we will be dealing with as a ‘pain in the behind’."

In reply the healer simply smiled warmly and patted the jester's hand with his own “I'm always happy to help, and glad to know I could bring you some peace of mind. Burdens are easier to bear when shared between companions, aren't they?”

The Sage looked up at him from where he lay, then down at their hands, before flipping his own over so Pure Vanilla's rested on his palm as he shifted, slowly lacing their fingers. "Companions...or partners?" The question was asked so soft that if there had even been wind it would have been lost, taken away. Gold and indigo eyes looked up, hesitant, unsure but with a building hope.

Only to see yellow and sky blue softening with understanding and relief, as the healer shuffled forward to bring their hands up to his face and kiss them "Life companions, or romantic partners, I don't mind either way, both work well for me. As long as you're mine and I'm yours, that's all that matters, isn't it?"

Blueberry Milk floated himself to sitting upwards, keeping their hands together as he went back to sitting beside him, taking their hands and flipping them so he kissed the back of Pure Vanilla's own, "I'd like...to give this a try, in full. I don't know what I'm doing, I've never done this before. But you make me happier than I've ever felt in my long life. I want to be with you, not like how I want to be around others. You'll need to show me what to do, but I want to do for you what you're doing for me." Lowering their hands he searched the other's gaze, a lighter mirror to his own.

His free hand rose up, tracing along the gold clad arm, rising up to the back of the neck and threading it in the King's soft hair, tugging him forward and placing a kiss on his lips.

Something that the blond accepted, following the tug willingly and pressing forward to kiss the other more firmly, bringing his own free hand to the back of Blueberry Milk's neck, and briefly swiping his tongue over the other's plush bottom lip, before he pulled back with a smile "I can help you with that, yes."

He smirked a little at the blue flush the other had, eyes dilating the slightest bit when-

'Was that a forked tongue?'

The barest hint of the blue muscle ran over the Sage’s lower lip, chasing the faint taste of vanilla on his lips.

The sight had several of the Eyes on Pure Vanilla's robes going half lidded as they focused on the other's mouth, his actual eyes focusing on that slip of a dark blue tongue, then darting up to the sage's gold and indigo eyes for a brief moment, before he leaned in to brush their noses together, his voice a quiet murmur “Can I kiss you again, please?”

Blueberry Milk nodded, a light blush on his face as he murmured 'please', eyes slipping shut when a hand rose up to cradle the back of his head.

And with the permission given, Pure Vanilla tilted his head and pressed their lips together, first in a chaste peck, then opening his lips to pull the other's bottom lip between his own and sucking lightly, even dragging his teeth over it in the gentlest of nibbles, before letting it go as he pushed forward a little more, dragging his tongue in a swipe between those sinfully sweet blue lips, and pushing in to run the tip of his tongue over the scholar's teeth and tiny fangs, then briefly over the other's tongue, feeling for himself the slit at the tip of it, and just barely keeping himself from making any noise of surprise at the realization, before he pulled back with slightly faster breath, his eyes reopening to look at the other's face, hoping that he hadn't pushed too far.

The best word to describe what he saw was 'love drunk' or perhaps ‘dazed’ would be a better word.

A beautiful, to him, flush decorated across the slim cheeks, slitted pupils slowly widening, a far off stare in their gaze. From so close he could feel the other's breath catch, his heartbeat racing. "Oh my...that was..."

Pure Vanilla's lips twitched as the normally eloquent scholar seemed lost for words.

All from a kiss.

And in the silence between them, Pure Vanilla smiled as he murmured “Thank you my dear. Was that alright with you? Or was it too much?”

Chapter Text

"Right-much? Is good." Pure Vanilla's lips twitched wider at the incoherent reply, reaching up to hold the other's face, to help him focus. "Huh? Now I see why you like those kisses so much...they're really nice."

The healer's expression was fond and bemused as he caressed the scholar's cheek “They can be yes. Though they're normally gestures reserved for romantic partners, and considering they're a little heavier in interaction, they're usually meant for more... Private situations. Not exactly fit for public or polite company, nor to be done in the presence of particularly nosy friends or kids, unless we want to be teased relentlessly.”

The idea of doing such a thing in front of others had the scholar keen, flustered as he hid his face in the other's shoulder, "No...Moon Drop and Apple Faerie would be relentless in that as you said."

Laughing softly, and unable to resist the temptation, Pure Vanilla turned his head to press a kiss to the top of the other's head, his smile fond "So we keep this and any other future kisses of this type to more private spaces, or away from prying eyes." Then blinking, he let his voice shift to a more sheepish tone "I mean, if you'd let me kiss you like that again, that is. It's not something you have to let me do again unless you want to. Your wants come first and foremost. If you feel like I'm moving too fast, being too pushy, or making you uncomfortable, please tell me. Even if you have to be firm or mean about it. I don't mind it, if it means you're more comfortable."

"But what about you? What makes you comfortable?" Pulling back and shifting to lay his head on the other's shoulder, staring side by side into the mirror so he could see. "I want to make sure you're ok with this too."

Chuckling to himself as he wrapped an arm loosely around the scholar, Pure Vanilla buried his face in the sage's hair, and murmured softly, even as the eyes on his cloak went half lidded with slightly dilated heart pupils, some staring directly at the sage, and others staring into their reflection "Blue, if it were up to me, I'd kiss you until all I could taste over my tongue was your taste, and until we were both desperately gasping for air when we pulled our mouths apart. And even then, I might be tempted to try and steal a few more kisses, just for good measure." Nuzzling the hair, he lifted his face to stare at the other's reflection with an almost smug half smile "The limits are for your comfort dear. Because I want too much, and I don't want to push you beyond what you're comfortable with."

A squeak left the other, flushing as he brought his knees up to hide his face, the eyes in his own hair and clothing trying to hide as well, speech muffled in the fabric, "You're very...direct. Aren't you."

Snickering at the sage's embarrassed state, the healer caressed the other's head and back with his hands, his tone fond "I'm usually not quite this direct, but I've noticed that when I try to be more subtle in language or actions, you tend to misinterpret some things. So I figured being almost painfully direct was the best approach to prevent future misunderstandings. There's no way you could possibly be in doubt of whether I'm staring at your lips because you have something around your mouth, if I tell you point blank that it's because I saw your forked tongue, and wanted to feel it with my own just to confirm I didn't somehow imagine it."

Pure Vanilla chuckled when he saw the ears begin to change color on the other, even as Blueberry Milk leaned into his side, still hiding. He did pull back enough to mutter "I do appreciate that, truly. I can...miss social cues, a lot. Rice Flour and Rose Sugar tried to help when they could, but they were busy with their own things."

Talking about his sisters helped quell his flustered face, leaning back to rest. "I would miss a lot of sarcasm I think, and some social cues of certain sorts. I believe someone tried to flirt with me once? At least according to Paprika Spice Cookie, though Sea Salt Cookie had taken the cookie away, so I'm not entirely sure what that was about, Paprika seemed very...adamant that day that he stay by my side. I still do not understand that, I never got the chance to ask him as it was...after that that they....fell."

Wrapping his arms round the other, holding him close, Pure Vanilla hummed "I suppose that makes sense, if you've always been a cookie more linked to the logical or rational side of the mind. Recognizing body language and social cues can often be easier for people more connected to their emotional, creative sides."

"I've been trying to get better at it," Pouting, arms crossed the blue Cookie leaned into the warmth, relaxing. "Magic, technology, the arts, everything and anything, all are comprised of Truth, and I seek to understand and know it all! And...as Shadow Milk, I got, unfortunately very good at manipulation and deception. Back in my prime as the Fount however it was a little harder, due to so many vying for my attention and being so busy."

"That's understandable. You probably had a lot on your mind, even without the constant pressure from all sides." Leaning his head down, he kissed the other's head "For what it's worth? I'm glad you no longer have to bear everyone's expectations on your shoulders. You've earned a break."

Blueberry Milk's smile faded a little, smaller as he met the other's gaze, "Pure Vanilla, I still have to bear their expectations. Especially when they find out what I am, and they will. Master of Deceit I may be, but every Lie will be unraveled by the Truth one way or the other, you know this as well as I do. And when that happens, I do not know what will happen to me."

Looking back at the former Beast, Pure Vanilla smiled, unwavering "You will be standing at my side through it all, with my arm around you, so that all can see that I trust you and bear you no ill will."

Blueberry Milk locked gazes with Pure Vanilla, turning to do so. A hand rose up to touch his cheek, holding it. "Such confidence in me...you truly are amazing, Pure Vanilla, in so many ways."

Smiling, Pure Vanilla leaned into the cool hand "It's not confidence if I plan to make it a reality, now is it?"

Blueberry Milk just chuckled, brushing a manicured nail under the other's eye, "We shall see, though I do admire your will power, you seem to outshine me in that regard, and many others my dear truthful half." Lowering his hand he tapped the center of his Soul Jam, "And how do you feel, by the way? Any adverse effects?"

"None that I can feel. Even the loss of power from my post-Ascension levels to now is mostly a return to my pre-ascended levels, just with a couple extra boosts, at least from what I can sense. So if anything, it's a return to normal, except for the lack of worry about you and your own strength. With more magic power at your disposal, you probably won't be physically struggling as much as you've been these past few days. And that alone is already a plus. I won't have to worry as much about if you'll collapse from spending your energy."

The Sage frowned at that, biting his lip, "That is what I was most concerned with Pure Vanilla...your power boost from your Ascension would be critical in the upcoming fights. My physical condition was stable, you needn't worry yourself over that. My own magic would have sustained me, my Soul Jam, as well as my Beast aspects."

Bringing a hand up to rest on the blue one over his cheek, the blond smiled “If need be, you can always share some power with me if I need it. Even after the split, there is still a lingering thread connecting our Soul Jams. Can't you feel it?”

The former Beast raised a hand to his Soul Jam, clenching at it. "Yes. They yearn to be one again, to be Knowledge."

Keeping his first hand on his cheek, be brought the second one to rest over the sage's own over the slitted Soul Jam, his tone soft and kind "And yet, we both know how heavy such a mantle is. Is it not better then for it to be shared by two supports instead of a lone pillar?"

"Pure Vanilla that isn't fair...I wouldn't let you take it alone, but we-" Blueberry Milk stopped himself, inhaling deeply. "No. It's fine. You know your strengths and that of your Ancients better after all against Dark Enchantress. If you believe that your idea is better then do as you wish." Pulling away Blueberry Milk stood up, dusting himself off before offering a hand to the other. "Come, time has been moving, slowly but it has. Your friend, Queen Hollyberry was it, should have arrived."

Taking the hand, and getting up, Pure Vanilla then tugged the other closer so that they were face to face, his gaze focused on the golden and indigo eyes before him with an almost pleading look on his own face "And there you go, cutting yourself off again to spare my feelings. If you don't agree, then please, debate it with me. Tell me your side of things, so that I can understand your views." Bringing a hand to the other's face, he cradled it as he murmured "Please, don't shut me out."

Blueberry Milk leaned into the touch, staring into the other's eyes, judging how much he actually meant what he said. "Pure Vanilla, we're in a war, I know you know this. And I know what happened during the Dark Flour War. Dark Enchantress Cookie managed to get a hold of all of your Soul Jams, halves that they were. She was going to win had it not been for you and your sacrifice play, and it cost you your life, sealing you in that void, the entire Vanilla Kingdom and more. And now? She's stronger than ever, with 4 of the 5 other halves of the Soul Jams of your friends. You need every advantage you can get, and yet you cut your power in half, I don't understand and it hurts that I don't understand." He raised a hand to his Soul Jam, rubbing at it, covering the slitted design. "You can feel it, can't you?"

Bringing his own hand up to his own smooth blue Soul Jam, Pure Vanilla traced his fingers over the surface, before he sighed, and closed his eyes "I have a few reasons of my own. The biggest one being that, even though you keep insisting that you think it's for the best, I don't feel like it is entirely fair that I keep most of the power we're supposed to be sharing. The second biggest one, being that, frankly? I'm not sure if I can be the strong, capable figure you apparently believe me to be able to become."

Biting his lip, he pulled his hand away from Blueberry Milk, and stepped back, letting his other hand fall away from his Soul Jam to instead come up to brush over his bangs, voice taking on a hint of disappointment as he began to pace restlessly "When we were facing Dark Enchantress and her forces, you managed to do more to protect me and my friends with only a fraction of our power, than I could with the majority of it. You saved us with a feat of magic I could never hope to replicate on my own. At least, not in time for it to be viable. You're far more talented in magic than I could ever be, even with the boost of Knowledge behind me bolstering my chances."

Stopping in place, he turned back to the sage with a bittersweet smile, and gestured to himself "Unlike you, who were once a renowned scholar and guide, I'm just a Healer, even if a powerful one. And with all my theoretical knowledge of various fields of magic, I can only really access Light and Healing magics with any degree of mastery. I don't have the range that you do. I don't have the practice that you do. And we don't really have the luxury of time to teach me what I'd need to know to stand on par with you, much less surpass you. So of course I'd want to give you back some of that power. You can do more with it than I could ever hope to."

"Pure Vanilla...if only you could see what I see in you. A powerful healer yes, the strongest that's ever graced Earthbread." Stepping forward he cupped the side of Pure Vanilla's cheek. "You believe yourself incapable of magical prowess? You couldn't be further from the Truth, Nilla. What you did so long ago proves how capable you were with only your half of the Soul Jam, fractured as it was, against a powerful opponent with all five in her possession on top of her dark powers. What I did? Was the element of surprise on my side and warping reality around them, and you saw how drained I was after that."

Blueberry Milk brushed a thumb under the other's cheek, giving him a soft smile, "You claim I know more about magic? This is true, but you sell yourself short my dear friend. And you claim we don't have time? You forget, the other-realm, time has no meaning."

Lowering his hand and placing it over Pure Vanilla's own on his Soul Jam he leaned closer, "You believe yourself my inferior in many ways, yet you surpassed everything that I ever could do. I fell to Darkness, you rose above it and Ascended. You claimed everything that I was at the time, twisting it around and turning it to your advantage. But...I do see your point, I truly do, as much as it pains me. Sharing the power of our Soul Jam is beneficial to us both, however it wants to be...more." Blueberry Milk frowned, a hand raising up over his own. "I don't know what exactly, I'm missing something I know I am."

Leaning into the sage, until he could rest his forehead on the other's, the healer's eyes reopened halfway, to let him glance down at the scholar's Soul Jam, while his own hand rested over his, as he too focused on the odd feeling "It's almost like being in a room where other people know something you don't. Like you're missing some important information that should be obvious but isn't." Pursing his lips, he continued in a low tone "Feels almost like there's supposed to be more to it beyond Truth, Deceit and Knowledge, but I don't know what it is, or how to find the answer."

Blueberry Milk's lips twitched, "I happen to be quite good at finding answers." Eyes closing, leaning into the touch where both their marks met he relaxed. "But yes, I agree with that, perhaps the answer will come in time...but speak of, we should meet your friends shouldn't we?" Pulling back he took Pure Vanilla's hand, lacing their fingers together, lifting them up so he could brush a kiss on the back of Pure Vanilla's hand as he's seen the other do to himself multiple times now. "What are now, by the way? Is there a word?"

Expression softening, the healer shrugged "Could be any number of names. Could be life companions, romantic partners, boyfriends, lovers... Or, if we want to be a little bit more literal and a little bit silly... Soulmates."

Blueberry Milk seemed confused at some of the terms, tilting his head at the second and fourth terms, but he did roll his eyes at the last one, "I doubt that's a correct word for it Pure Vanilla, you're truly being silly."

In reply the healer just smiled with a bit of bemusement “Perhaps, but it's one that has been around for a long time. A legend of forces beyond the Witches, that connect two cookie's souls and fates together, so that they can always find one another even throughout different lifetimes. Literally destined to be by one another's side. It's rather sweet, if a bit unrealistic for most.”

The Sage frowned at that, thoughtful, "Do you think that's us? It is sweet as you say, but something like that, that sounds like it'd be rare, no?"

Another shrug was the blond's response "I don't know if it's real, but considering how we're connected by our Soul Jams... Seems fitting, if a bit too cliché of a term. But I'm just as happy with calling you my beloved. We don't need a label if none of them feel right."

"'Beloved'...I like that." Squeezing the hand that held his own Blueberry Milk smiled, turning as he opened a portal for them both to walk through. "C'mon, let's go."

Taking his staff from the hand construct holding it out to him, Pure Vanilla followed after the other, steeling himself for the meeting ahead, and the potential headaches it would bring.

Said headache made itself known with robust laughter echoing down the hall, a call for more berry juice and merriment galore while the deeper tones of Dark Cacao could easily be heard, annoyance and fondness hand in hand. "Ah yes, there is Queen Hollyberry. She is certainly a character no?"

"She is quite headstrong and boisterous yes, but she means well." the blond murmured with small smile on his face.

Blueberry Milk chuckled as they walked, Pure Vanilla's hand seeking out his own which he returned with a squeeze-

Only to be ripped out from the other when he was pulled into a bone crushing hug from a giant pink armored Cookie. "Here you are! I had wondered where you two vanished, I was about to tear the castle down looking for you!"

"No you weren't, you were complaining about Pure Vanilla hiding the berry juice, only to then bring out your own."

"Eh semantics." Waving off Dark Cacao's words Hollyberry set down the shell shocked Scholar, patting him on the back. "Here he is, the hero that saved us all! Shadow-no wait, you said your name is Blueberry Milk Cookie."

"Ye-yes Queen Hollyberry. A pleasure to meet you." Winded the Sage backed up into Pure Vanilla, giving the Light of Passion a small smile, pained as it was.

Careful as he could, Pure Vanilla wrapped an arm around Blueberry's back, and pulled him to his side, standing halfway between Hollyberry and Blueberry Milk, almost as if wary of her trying to squish the poor Sage again. “It's good to see you too Hollyberry. Apologies for not being there to greet you upon your arrival, but me and Blue had some things to discuss, and it took us a bit of time to clear everything up.” Then looking back at Blue, and seeing the pained look to him and the slight tenseness of his body, he allowed himself to cast a silent healing spell over the sage's entire torso, as he turned his gaze back to the valkyrie with the look of a doctor giving instructions to a young, unruly patient. (Or in this case, a well worn, very often repeated warning throughout the years, born from other cookies sometimes complaining about sore ribs after one of her bear hugs) “Also please, refrain from full body squeezes in what regards Blueberry Milk, or at the very least, try to be a bit more mindful of your strength please? He's still recovering from his feat of magic, and I'd rather avoid him having to deal with a bruised torso on top of everything else.”

Hollyberry at least at the grace to look sheepish, rubbing the back of her head though her grin refused to fade, "My apologies Pure Vanilla and Blueberry Milk. I was just so excited to see you both again I had to express it!"

"By near snapping the poor Cookie in half?" Golden Cheese, arms crossed as she hovered close by frowning annoyed. She looked down at Blueberry Milk, the Sage looking better as he was healed, "She does the same with me, I always have to hold my wings a certain way so she doesn't sprain. The only one that can withstand her full force hugs is Dark Cacao and I blame his armor for that."

The dark King just smirked, looking over the new couple, a question in his gaze to Pure Vanilla, the golden cookie nodding with a smile. His own, tiny as it was, appeared before vanishing, "Well now, now that we are all finally here," A pointed glare to the shield user "Let's head to the Council Hall."

With nods of agreement, the group made their way over, chatting quietly all the while, Golden Cheese flying beside Pure Vanilla, bemused at the sight of the healer's arm wrapped around the sage, as well as the faint curl of protective possessiveness in his chest, his worry about the blue cookie's wellbeing clear for anyone to see.

Blueberry Milk halted right outside of the doorway, squeezing Pure Vanilla's hand. "And this is where I will leave you all to discuss things, perhaps I will try to find the children?"

"What in Crispia are you going on about, you're coming in no?" Hollyberry paused, turning with a frown. The Sage looked startled at the wording of the Valkyrie. When he haltingly tried to explain his thoughts that they wouldn't want him there, as this was a private meaning, the magenta cookie just cackled, "Oh is that all? Blueberry Milk Cookie you've more than proven yourself in my eyes! I'd be far more upset if you didn't join!"

"Plus the children, given their expeditions, bravery, cunning and such with us, are already in there." Dark Cacao looked inside, nodding to Wizard Cookie, the lad finishing up a small assortment of drinks for them all.

Seeing the Heroes, the kids waved hello brightly, with Gingerbrave even getting up to walk over to the door and upon seeing Blueberry, he grinned and reached out to gently tug the sage further into the room, with Pure Vanilla following beside him, thanks to their clasped hands.

Following after them, Golden Cheese smirked as she spoke "Even without the kids being here and wanting to include you, this meeting involves the other Beasts too. So you deserve to have a voice in the matter too."

The Sage of Truth looked startled at that before giving a little smile, turning as GingerBrave and the other children gave him hugs, thankfully much gentler than the one the female cookie gave. "Hello children it's good to see you again. Did you burn off all that excess energy from before?" At the sheepish giggles he gave his own chuckle, "Ah to be young again."

"Wouldn't young for you be the age where the Piesaurs roamed the world?" The Light of Abundance holder couldn't help but quip, cackling at the withering glare the former Beast gave her. "Oh ho ho! Such vicious looks!"

Shifting back to stand beside Pure Vanilla, the sage continued glaring, even as he spoke in a voice only barely tinged with idle threat "You do know that it would be trivial for me to cast a spell on your hair and skin to make them both turn the most repugnant shade of puke green, right?"

At his side Pure Vanilla lifted his arm up to hide his mouth behind the sleeve of his robes, though it was clear by the faint upward curve of his closed eyes, that the healer was struggling not to grin with amusement at the baiting remarks being traded.

Hollyberry roared with laughter at the duo, Golden Cheese looking so affronted at the mere notion of being anything other her radiant glow that she spluttered, looking to Pure Vanilla for help even as she glowed brighter at the playful barbs.

Blueberry Milk leaned further into the healer's hold, a little unsure of himself. The playful insults were so alike what Paprika would have done that he acted without thinking.

And for his part, Pure Vanilla just lowered his arm down, showing the tiny grin on his face as he spoke towards the golden queen with a decidedly amused tone "Don't look at me Golden Cheese, you started it." though even as he said it, he took Blueberry Milk's hand in his once more, and tugged him close, before gently guiding them both towards the table and his usual seat, seeing that the kids had pulled up another chair and set it to the left of his seat, a place clearly meant for Blueberry, something that Pure Vanilla was immensely touched by. Something he made sure to show by turning his face towards the three kids and giving them a warm smile and a nod of thanks.

Blueberry Milk was touched as well, as this proved to him that they had wanted him at this meeting to begin with. This wasn't a 'pull a chair from somewhere else', they expected him there from the start.

Pure Vanilla pulled out his chair for him before sitting down himself, everyone else sitting down around the circular table. A map of Crispia and Beast Yeast laid before them, the Kingdom's territories marked with the Soul Jam symbols or, in the children's case, a single Cookie.

"Ok then, let us get started." Dark Cacao set his sword against his chair, leaning forward to overlook the map before looking at Blueberry Milk. "We shall start with where it ended, your arrival, impeccable timing as it was."

Donning the mask of the Sage, something he hadn't done for a very long time, Blueberry Milk nodded. "Due to my arrival being so sudden, as I had not given them indication that I would even partake in the battle, I was able to catch them all off guard. Using old magics I transported my-the Beasts, to their respective domains, while I banished Dark Enchantress Cookie and her generals to their own area far south on a small island where we were made."

"How long will whatever you did, last?" Golden Cheese looked over the, tapping the gold of her staff. "We've had no notice of any movement from anywhere on Beast Yeast."

"And White Lily has said nothing either." Hollyberry added, having the most up to date information on the white haired Cookie.

Blueberry Milk hummed, calculating and frowning at it, one hand rubbing at his temple absently in thought, "Due to the state of my own power at the time, the state of theirs as well as Dark Enchantress Cookie, they theoretically could have broken free at any time within the last day or so. Admittedly I was more focused on getting the Cake Witch out of the picture, so I put more power into her banishment, so she still should be out of the picture for a bit longer, unless the Beasts aid her."

Wizard raised his hand, not wanting to interrupt and waiting for Pure Vanilla, "You said 'at any time' before, so why haven't they done anything?"

"That is a very good question young one." Blueberry Milk leaned back at Dark Cacao's statement, thinking deeply. Why haven't they done anything? "Is it possible they are plotting or preparing?"

"Hmm possibly yes. Likely? I am unsure. My actions would have surprised them greatly."

Humming to herself, Golden Cheese sat back down on her stool with a pondering expression, her eyes narrowed in thought "Thinking about it, the other Beasts didn't really seem particularly interested in fighting. Well, beyond Burning Spice, but that brute manchild lives and breathes for battle, so that's not surprising."

From his seat, Pure Vanilla shrugged "Perhaps some of them don't really want to fight for Dark Enchantress' cause? She did, after all, place restrictions on their bodies out of her own lust for more power."

"Papri-Burning Spice, always loved a good spar. He loved getting his jam pumping, the adrenaline, challenging strong warriors for the sake of the fight. He was never destructive until the end." Blueberry Milk looked interested at what Golden Cheese said, "Could you elaborate on what you just said please?"

Leveling him with a raised brow, the winged queen asked "What? About him? Or the other Beasts?"

Blueberry Milk's lips twitched, hiding a smile, liking her more and more. "The Beasts, please Queen Golden Cheese. You said they weren't trying to fight?"

"She speaks the truth. They were causing chaos and the like, but they were not actually trying much of anything really unless directly provoked." Dark Cacao stroked his chin in deep thought, "Do you know why?"

"Unfortunately I do not. After my encounter with Pure Vanilla I went into seclusion in my Spire in deep thought, ignoring summons from Dark Enchantress Cookie unless she er...forced her hand on me. I also did not go to meetings with the other Beasts much, despite their summons."

Pursing his lips in thought, Pure Vanilla hummed before asking “Do you think they might be trying to sabotage her in their own ways? By deliberately making it seem like they're on her side, while buying time to come up with a plan to circumvent her?”

"Very likely, if they've realized just what she did to us five." Shrugging a little he turned at Hollyberry's question, having to have her repeat it, an odd headache forming, "I'm so sorry I missed what you said."

"Oh it's alright friend! But I asked what you mean, what she did to you?" The Light of Passion holder frowned deeply when Blueberry Milk explained that the Cake Witch created siphons in their bodies along with other control mechanisms, a few of which that Pure Vanilla had gotten rid of in himself. "That...does not bode well. So she can, at any time, drain you and the other Beasts of your powers, your Soul Jams?"

"Yes, for her own use."

"That is... Not ideal." the darker king said with a frown, his gaze set on Blueberry Milk, pondering the implications.

Golden Cheese huffed at that, wings shifting in her agitation "That is putting it mildly. That much power in her hands is extremely dangerous. Especially if she decides to put it to use."

"Unfortunately I don't know what she did when she created these bodies for us or how. That knowledge is locked in the Laboratorium in southern Beast Yeast, on a small island." Blueberry Milk summoned a map of the continent, pointing to where the building was. "There. And yes Queen Golden Cheese. See Pure Vanilla? She gets it." The Sage glanced at the other, a faint smirk in place before fading. "I don't know why she hasn't done it yet. Possibly waiting to see if the Beasts can beat their counterparts and take the Soul Jam. Though now that I've proven traitor it's a matter of time for me."

Reaching out, Pure Vanilla took the other's hand in his, and squeezed it reassuringly, his voice soft "I'll find some way to stop her."

The other three Ancients watched the interaction between them, Pure Vanilla leaning closer, glowing comfortingly while Blueberry Milk looked up, giving a smile though the three could see the fear in his gaze as he squeezed back, "I know you'll try, Pure Vanilla."

Frowning, Pure vanilla squeezed his hand a little tighter “I will find a way to do it somehow. I'm not letting the hag get what she wants out of you.”

"There's only two ways Pure Vanilla that I know of for her to not get any of my power or use me. Either you take it all until whatever she did to me is taken out, or this body is destroyed."

"Out of the question." Dark Cacao's glower was a tangible thing, halting Blueberry Milk's statement. "We will not allow you to perish for the sake of this war."

"I wouldn't perish persay," Seeing the enraged look on both Pure Vanilla and Dark Cacao shocked the former Beast, let alone the despair on Hollyberry and Golden Cheese. "I would just be a spirit again as I was before, when we escaped the Tree."

The look Hollyberry gave him was full of worry "That isn't any better Blueberry Milk."

At his side, Pure Vanilla stared at him with an even mix of anger and worry, before he closed his eyes and took several deep breaths, pushing his feelings down. And once he was able to contain his emotions, he reopened his eyes, and turned his gaze to the sage, eyes full of bittersweet resignation as he smiled sadly at him "If taking your power truly will bring you a deeper peace of mind, then I suppose I'll go back on my earlier choice and take it back."

"It'd be less for her to steal and use against you all. And possibly making her less likely to use me." Blueberry Milk squeezed Pure Vanilla's hand, "I'm sorry I can't alleviate your worries more. Unless I have whatever notes were used to create these bodies I don't know what she has done."

The silence that followed was heavy with contemplation, before Dark Cacao spoke "Perhaps we can leave this particular topic for later then, once we have an actual plan for how to deal with all of this."

"I have a thought." Golden Cheese flexed her wings a little, looking at Blueberry Milk and Pure Vanilla. "My digital world, the one I created for my people before their slumber. What if you stayed there? You'd have anything and everything your heart desires I assure you as the Light of Abundance. And Dark Enchantress Cookie wouldn't be able to touch you."

Hollyberry and Dark Cacao could see the merits of such a thing while Blueberry Milk paled a little, "I-If it's all the same to you, could that be left as a last resort? I'd...I'd rather not be sealed inside something again."

"Dark Cacao are you alright? You've been sniffling this entire time." Hollyberry asked the dark king, the other finally letting out a series of sneezes that shook his armor, "Goodness! Bless you, what brought this on, you getting sick?"

"No it's this dreadful flower smell, it's making my nose twitch and eyes water." Taking a handkerchief from the Valkyrie he blew his nose, Pure Vanilla frowning as he looked around, knowing there wasn't any flowers in this room.

Blueberry Milk looked down to the table when a white petal fell, landing near his hand, "What-" before yelling when vines broke through the ground, a vibrant green with white flowers on them, grasping at his arms. "What is this?!"

"Blueberry Milk!" The Ancients, shocked at the sudden 'attack' froze a second too long before a giant blossom appeared around the scared Scholar, looking to Pure Vanilla as it swallowed him whole, vanishing into the ground, a massive crater where it once was that the Vanillan King knelt beside, calling out to him.

Chapter Text

For a second, Pure Vanilla desperately reached his hands into the hole as if trying to grab hold of the vines, only for his hands to find only crushed wafer crumbs from the building's construction material. It was then that he seemed to freeze, head hanging low as he fell completely still, before he rose to his feet, and reached out to grab the staff that one of his hand constructs had subconsciously grabbed and brought over to him, his voice eerily calm as he raised his head to look at his friends, his expression one of determination, though his normally affable gaze was sterner "I'm going after him. Will you come with me or stay?"

"What are we waiting for?" Grabbing his sword Dark Cacao hurried over to Pure Vanilla's side, a shell shocked but increasingly angry Hollyberry was dragged by Golden Cheese, the tiny Queen livid as could be. "Let's go Pure Vanilla."

Turning back around, he looked at the kids, and sighed, before giving them a bittersweet smile "I was going to ask you to stay and keep an eye on things here, but you'll try to come with us regardless, won't you?"

In reply, Gingerbrave simply lifted his cane up in an acknowledgement as he and his siblings stepped out of their seats to walk over to him, the boy's voice holding only the tiniest trace of bemusement behind the determination "We won't abandon a friend. Especially not one so important to you dad."

The healer's response was another, deeper sigh, before he nodded "Then get ready. I can't take us directly to the Silver Kingdom, but I can at least get us close. There's also the chance that this might be a trap, so be ready to defend yourselves if need be." And with that he was opening a golden portal, and stepping through it without a backwards glance.

One by one the others followed through, trusting Pure Vanilla, rage in their hearts in tandem with confusion, a question ringing in their minds.

'What was White Lily doing?'

Disoriented, it took several moments for Blueberry Milk to gather his bearings, blinking to clear away the spots in his vision before freezing, seeing where he was.

The tall, intricate trees meshed with buildings, a gleaming silvery hue, answered where he was, but not-

"Oh you're awake, I was hoping to get you in before that happened."

Whipping his head around as best he could the Sage spotted White Lily Cookie in her Guardian form, hovering before him. The blue cookie tried to move only to hiss in pain as the vines tightened around his form, glowing bright silver, his magic distorted and impossible to use. "Wha-what are you doing? Let me go!"

"Silence! You will not address the Queen, Beast." Sharp pain blossomed from the back of Blueberry Milk's head, one of the knights around him returning to his spot dragging the cookie across the ground, clothing dirty and torn from the rough earth.

White Lily shot a slight warning look at her knight but made no move to reprimand him, turning back to Blueberry Milk. She almost looked sorry, almost "For the safety of Earthbread, the Beast Cookies must be sealed away."

Blueberry Milk felt his heart sink, realizing where they were dragging him to when White Lily turned, wings fluttering as she moved before a very familiar tree. "What, no no no! Please! I-I'm not a Beast Cookie! I'm on your side! Please no White Lily!"

"Silence!"

A harsh smack had him tossed onto the ground, a sharp rock cutting into his dough, blue jam leaking from the wound. Tears began to fall, eyes slitted in terror as White Lily turned once more, a hand raised causing the Silver Tree to begin to glow.

'No, no no NO NO NO NO NO' Doing his best to try to thrash around, trying to get his magic to work, to teleport, to attack, defend himself, anything he could. His Soul Jam began to flicker before a silver light encased it, cutting off its power.

White Lily glowered down, "Do not resist, I am trying to be nice about this. After all that you did to the Faerie Kingdom I should have your dough cracked and broken to rot into the tree, but you did stop the fight before, this is my only thanks you will ever get."

"But-but you-at the battle field?" Dazed, focusing on the two White Lily's his blurred vision struggled to see.

The Guardian flicked her gaze to the side, her people now, before answering, "The high of victory clouded my judgement. Returning here, seeing what I am meant to do, what Elder Faerie died to make me, reminded me. The Beast Cookies need to be sealed away for the protection of everyone, that includes you."

"Please, please I beg you. I don't want this!" Voice shaking Blueberry Milk could only watch, petrified as his worst nightmare became reality once more.

He'd never be free again.

He'd never see the sun or moon or stars.

He'd never see Moon Drop or Green Apple.

He'd never see the children again.

He'd never see Pure Vanilla again.

"Vanilla! Pure Vanilla!" Near dislocating his joints as he tried to free himself, screaming for the other, terror and madness encasing all his thoughts, Soul Jam flickering wildly in the shield that White Lily put on him.

All while the Guardian grunted in effort of containing the power within, far stronger than she had realized, fear gripping her heart. "Put him in! He's breaking-"

“ NO. I REFUSE TO GO BACK IN THAT PRISON!"

The silver fairies could only watch, their attacks falling harmlessly, ineffective against the orb of indigo light that had encased the Sage, enraged eyes vibrating intensely. The sky above darkened, Eyes of Deceit growing as the sky spread across, ominous.

This was the sight that Pure Vanilla's group witnessed, scuffled from having to fight guards entering the city as White Lily knew they'd come. They watched as the orb cracked, laughter echoing out pain and insanity, puppet strings flying out everywhere, grasping at the Faeries, as beams of light corrupted nature and Cookie alike as they did when he had first emerged from the Silver Tree.

The Beast of Deceit, Shadow Milk Cookie, emerged.

Floating high above the ground, in much the same way he did when he first was freed from the Silver Tree, the Beast cookie took in the world below him as power rolled off of him in waves.

A sight that the group of heroes and children was taken aback by, not having expected such a thing. Though they soon got over their shock, as chaos erupted around them, forcing them to pay attention to their surroundings. All but Pure Vanilla, whose sad eyes were locked on the Beast above him, before his gaze hardened, and he gripped his staff tighter, as he subconsciously summoned several pairs of hand constructs with interlaced fingers, which he used as footholds to jump upwards towards the Beast, needing to get to him, to let his counterpart know he was there. That he was coming to him. "Blue!"

The snarl that was let out shook the land around them akin to an earthquake, the Beast, enraged as his power whipped around, dark blue lightning corrupting anything it touched. Golden Cheese stayed with the children, protecting them while Hollyberry and Dark Cacao, sharing a brief look, rushed at White Lily, the Guardian staring upwards as her power began to grow, forming blossoming white chains.

They were not going to let her do anything to stop Pure Vanilla.

"Out of my way!" The Queen Mother called out, using her shield to bash Faerie Cookies left and right out of her way as they tried to stop the duo from attacking their Queen, the two tackling the smaller Ancient to the ground.

The tackle managed to daze the Guardian enough that her concentration on her magic was broken, and her attention was directed towards her two hero companions, away from the Beast.

Shield pressing While Lily's torso to the ground, Hollyberry stared down at the Faerie Queen with an even mix of anger and confusion as she asked "What are you doing White Lily? Why are you taking things into your own hands instead of talking to us?"

"Look around you! Look at what he's capable of!" White Lily began before Dark Cacao interrupted, eyes blazing, "Look what you made him do! You kidnapped him from where he had felt safe, tore down the barriers around the children's Kingdom and threatened him with his worst fears!"

High above, thin slitted eyes zipped over everything and anything, any Faerie he spotted was quickly subdued or converted, the chaos below a cacophonous symphony. Shadow Milk tensed when he sensed a presence coming closer, unable to register who it was, only viewing threats.

Even as he watched Faeries fall to the ground with their wings bound and forms shifting from the magic, Pure Vanilla paid them no mind, jumping up and getting closer as he reached out with his hand towards the Beast above him. In much the same way he had before, shortly after his Ascension. Except this time as he looked at his Blue counterpart, he saw only fear and paranoia, no recognition whatsoever in the other's eyes.

'No no no refuse, will not go back, have to defend, attack!' Growl rumbling through his chest, attacking every denizen of the area, 'I will not be sealed again I will not be trapped again!' Memories blurred together, the fear, the pain of the chains ripping into him, the screams of himself and his fellow fallen Virtues, now turned into Beasts as they were sealed away. His nightmares made real. His fangs snapped together when something came closer before him, struggling to see through the haze that had engulfed his vision and mind.

The Soul Jam of Deceit glowed a sickly light, lightning crackling around it. The eyes in Shadow Milk's hair were frantic, looking around with no rhyme or reason, seeing threats where there were none, trapped between memory and reality. The Beast hissed, startled when the something came closer, a soft croon trying to break through the noise.

With no more Faeries left willing to approach the Beast, Pure Vanilla jumped one last time until he stood in front of Shadow Milk, watching the Beast stare right through him with a thousand yard stare, mind clearly lost in whatever had caused him to regain his beastly form.

And that sight? The animalistic anger and fear in those unfocused blue eyes?

Caused Pure Vanilla's expression to fall into deep sadness, as he spoke gently "I'm here Blue. I came to find you as soon as I was able to." Letting the hands he was using as footholds urge him forward, he watched the Beast snarl and hiss as he approached, no trace of reason on the other's face or body language, only the instinct to lash out at the threats around him. Something that broke the healer's heart, and urged him to do something he knew was utterly reckless, but felt like the right thing to do.

Coming within arm's reach of the other, he dodged the swipes of the other's claws just long enough to be able to step forward, and wrap his arms around the Beast's torso, pulling him into a loose hug. A hug that he maintained even as he felt the pain of those sharp claws raking over his back, tearing through the fabric of his robes and piercing the dough of his back as the frantic Beast thrashed in his hold. Followed by the fiery pain of Shadow Milk's fangs sinking into the healer's shoulder, making him clench his teeth to keep in the pained noise from escaping him as he held onto the other, not letting go even as he felt the other clamp down harder.

Much to the contrary, it only served to urge him to pull the Beast closer until they were pressed flush to one another, their Soul Jams squished between them as he covered his hands and arms in Healing magic, and willed it to sink into Shadow Milk's body, soothing away the pain of his wounds and bruises, as Pure Vanilla murmured right against his ear in a tone that was half pained, half reassuring "I'm right here Shadow Milk. I won't leave you on your own. I'm here Blue. I'm with you."

'Tree-prison-flee-attack threats where everywhere-fill them with Deceit how dare they-pain-I'm scared please-attack everyone-where am I?' Dozens of thoughts swirled around, his own voice echoed over and over and over again drowning out everything. Screams, roars, growls, begging, crying, laughter echoing in his own psyche and it wouldn't stop. When he felt warm arms wrapped around him he lashed out, intent on destroying whatever had grabbed him he would not be trapped again! 

The burning taste of vanilla sugar coated his tongue, the flavor and scent confusing him. There was nothing like that in the Faerie Kingdom...it only existed in the-

'Care/warmth/protect/love' 

Shadow Milk froze when feelings not his own gently wrapped around his Soul Jam, Deceit freezing in place as Truth carefully held it, unrestraining yet there. A soft keen, confused, uncertain, afraid, escaped around his loosening jaws, claws flexing from where they were wedged into soft golden dough.

Tears blurred his vision, body shaking as he tried to make sense of anything that had happened. Slowly, his gaze refocused.

The soft, quiet noise, accompanied by the retreating pressure of the teeth clamped over his shoulder and the hands on his back pulling away from the deep scratches, all had Pure Vanilla relaxing minutely with a weak smile on his face, as he slowly dragged a hand up from Shadow Milk's back and over to cradle the back of his head, his golden-white magic helping to heal the damage done by the faeries' rough treatment, and even helping speed up the healing of his concussion as the healer continued to send healing magic into the other's body, along with reassurances through their connected Soul Jams “That's it, focus on me Blue. Follow my voice, can you do that? I came back to you, can you come back to me as well? Come on my dear, I know you're still there.”

Unbeknownst to both of them, wisps of a golden and deep indigo liquid-like substance floated around the two of them, almost like the hints of a shielding bubble of sorts. The manifestation of the healer's subconscious desire to protect them, aided by the other-realm's magic.

One by one the voices went silent, falling still at the soothing timber of a new voice, one that meant trust and safety. Cyan and indigo eyes blinked slowly, the thin slit pupils expanding bit by bit as the Beast pulled back, bewilderment and alarm in tandem filtered through the Soul Jams, "P-Pure Vanilla?" Throat torn from his screams and growls, the word was barely legible, a trepidating rumble accompanying it. Pulling back Shadow Milk blinked, confused, trying to make sense of what was going on. "Where...what?" Pulling back further he moved his mouth, a funny taste coating his tongue and fangs-

Fangs?

Freezing as the memories rushed back he floated a few inches back, staring at his shaking clawed hands covered in amber colored jam, the same that he knew he could taste. A freshly bleeding wound on Pure Vanilla's shoulder seemed to shine like a beacon, the Jester's breath hitching as he came to the correct conclusions.

A whizzing arrow drew his attention outward, the blue cookie paling almost to the Beast of Apathy colors, seeing the pandemonium all around. "I-I didn't mean-I did this-I'm s-s," Scratchy apologies, a begging tone as he looked around. Faerie Cookie fighting Cookie, half of them restrained in tight blue strings, the other halves acting like puppets of Lies. Eyes in the sky shaking in chaos, the dark and light shades of blue of Deceit telling him exactly what he had done.

Tears fell down as he held his arms close, hugging himself as he floated further. Eyes shrunk in shame and fear he shook his head at Pure Vanilla, a portal opening behind him. "I'm so sorry", vanishing through but not before Pure Vanilla saw a familiar room, a doll on a bed.

The second he was gone everything stopped. Every ounce of influence from Deceit vanished as if it was never there. The Cookies trapped or changed were free, falling to the ground as the world shifted back to normal around them.

Down below White Lily stood with the other two flanking her, Hollyberry holding the staff that held the Light of Freedom out of her reach, Golden Cheese mid yell as she held her spear under the white haired Cookie's chin.

Twin dragons, white and black, encircled the children and Ancients, keeping the increasingly angry Faerie Knights at bay.

And in the silence that followed, Pure Vanilla closed his eyes, and focused his magic on himself, healing the deep scratches and bite on himself until his skin was pristine once more, before wrapping himself with some of the golden swirls still loosely around him, the other-realm's influence fixing the tears in his robes and taking away the blood, before he reopened his eyes and glared down at the cacophony with a steely gaze. Then gripping his staff once more, he lowered himself down, until he was hovering a few paces away from the group, his gaze heavy as he stared at his friends "Do you need me to stay?"

To which Hollyberry looked up at him and shook her head "No, go do what you have to, we'll handle things here."

Nodding, the Healer turned his steely gaze to White Lily, and let his next words come out in a cold, detached tone "You know White Lily, I'd hoped that by now you'd have learned from your past mistakes, especially in what concerns making important decisions without telling your companions, but it seems you're still as shortsighted as you've ever been. What a shame it is, to see firsthand that teamwork apparently doesn't mean anything to you anymore. I'm sorry for believing it ever did. And most of all? I'm sorry for believing you could ever trust anyone but yourself. I won't be making that mistake again."

Turning away from her, he gazed at his friends "I'm going back to the Kingdom, and seeing if I can help restore some of the torn wards. At the very least, I'll try to restore the anti-teleportation ones, so that Dark Enchantress and her armies can't teleport to the Kingdom and use all the cookies we gave shelter and a home to, as bargaining chips against us."

And without another word, he opened an opaque golden portal in front of himself, and stepped through, leaving the Silver Kingdom behind.

Chapter Text

Upon passing through, he found himself amidst one of the golden fields on his side of the other-realm, and took a deep breath in, before pushing the cold disappointment he was feeling toward White Lily down to the back of his mind to be dealt with later, and re-centering himself as he opened a second portal. He did want to check on the wards, but most of all, he wanted to ensure Shadow Milk was alright. So he quickly sent out several messages to the gnomes to abandon any construction they were working on, and focus exclusively on restoring the safety wards, before he turned to the portal and stepped through it, appearing in his own room, only to hear quiet sobbing coming from the newly made mess of pillows and blankets atop his bed. And upon turning towards the noise, he saw Shadow Milk curled up into a tiny ball, clutching the plushie that Pure Vanilla had made for him in his first day here to his chest, as if trying to make himself as small as possible.

A sight that made the healer's heart constrict, and urged him to walk forward towards him, wanting to soothe his fears.

His steps had him brush against something on the ground, sending it forward a few inches, the noise drawing his attention. Glancing down he saw the Soul Jam of Deceit, torn fabric on the back of it.

Looking up he saw the wide, fearful gaze of Shadow Milk, tears falling like a stream. Already the pillow he had been on was soaked as was the top of the Pure Vanilla plushie he clenched tighter as he curled more. He looked miserable. Face stained with tears and jam, his once pristine clothing ripped and marred with dirt, grass and jam. The eyes in his hair looked just as miserable, fuzzily staring Pure Vanilla while crying themselves. Of all the things he expected the other to do, from scream to trying to flee, he didn't expect-

"I'm so sorry Pure Vanilla."

Ignoring the Soul Jam on the floor, Pure Vanilla stepped towards the bed, and crouched down beside it, setting his staff aside as he rested his arms on the edge of the bed, while looking up at the Beast with a soft, sad expression "You don't have to apologize to me, Shadow Milk. I'm not angry with you, nor disappointed, I promise. I'm more worried about you honestly." gripping the sheets under his hands, he seemed to hesitate, before asking "Can I please hold your hand? Or would you rather I not touch you?"

Shadow Milk hesitated, a foreign look on the Beast Cookie. Looking down he slowly unclenched his left hand, claws stained a faint gold, letting it fall closer to Pure Vanilla. "Y-you shouldn't want to-"

Reaching forward, he carefully took the Beast's hand in his, and then brought it up to his face, pressing a couple gentle kisses to the claws, and making the jam dissipate in a tiny flurry of sparkles, before he pressed the palm to his cheek, leaning his face against it as he closed his eyes "I don't care about what I should do. What I'm supposed to do and what I want to do are two very different things. And only I get to decide what I want. No one else gets to dictate what my wants are." reopening his eyes, he gazed at the Beast, and smiled softly as he murmured "And Beast or not, dangerous or not, I want to stay by your side, if you'll allow me to."

"S-stop that. Stop say-ing things like that. You’re going to m-make me get snot on the plushie." Other arm holding it close Shadow Milk tried to muster some semblance of control over himself,  defaulting to what he had for millenia. "A-and Oven help you if I get snot on what you made me." Hiccuping through his tears he didn't resist or protest Pure Vanilla climbing into his area, the Ancient tugging him slowly with that same patient smile, hugging the other's freezing body to his chest, listening to the half hearted threats as he moved his cloak over the Beast, cocooning him in the pale gold fabric, a security blanket.

The second he did the dam broke, though not with the fury of a storm, but the weight of a nightmare.

Thin body shaking, Pure Vanilla felt the robe around his Soul Jam and shoulder get drenched, but no sound escaped the blue cookie.

And through it all, he simply held the other close to him, letting his hands move up and down the jester's back, while caressing his head, letting him cry for as long as he needed, until he'd either exhausted all his tears, or his energy, whichever came first.

What felt like hours to the Jester was more akin to half an hour, not having cried that much since he told his story to Pure Vanilla days was it really days ago.

A strange calm overtook him, feeling nothing at the moment. He knew why of course, his crying and emotional state stabilized himself, letting him be at peace at least for the time being. Even his eyes in his hair were lulled to calm, blinking slowly, rhythmically in time with either of their breathing.

Didn't help the headache that was forming, nor his face from the tear tracks drying on his dough.

Registering the soft movements of the other Shadow Milk just let himself be, at least for a moment, in the other's arms.

Inhaling deeply and slowly, the scent of vanilla soothing him (why he had fled to the other's room in the Castle), rubbing his face against the other's chest.

"Are the others ok?" Mentally wincing at how his voice sounded, sore, scratchy, insane in tone, he pulled back a tad to look up. "The children, Dark Cacao...I didn't...I didn't hurt them did I?"

Continuing to caress the jester's head, Pure Vanilla shook his head "No, you didn't hurt them, and yes, they were alright when I left. They seemed to have things relatively under control, especially since they had the Faerie queen held at weapon point to ensure her cooperation. I doubt she'll hurt them, but even if she does, it'll only serve to further prove her lack of forethought."

The reminder of White Lily had the Beast stiffen, a whimper escaping. "I was so scared Pure Vanilla. I couldn't move or free myself, she had my Soul Jam in the grip of her power, and she wasn't listening, she just said I had to be sealed, that I was dangerous. B-but I proved her right." Air stuck as a panic began to build, "I-I hurt them all. I corrupted the Silver Kingdom again, and the Faerie Cookies, like before, I hurt you."

Carefully, he tugged the other closer once more, the hand on the Beast's head guiding it to rest over Pure Vanilla's chest, so that his calm heartbeat was right under Shadow Milk's ear "You didn't prove anything, she's the one that stepped out of line. She ignored an important summons from her fellow Heroes without even deigning to give us a reason for it, and worst of all, she then invaded this Kingdom, tore down our defenses without a single thought for all the cookies she'd be putting at risk by doing so, and then outright kidnapped an ally in the midst of an important discussion. Her intentions may have been based on an understandable fear, but they don't justify her actions."

Using his fingers to gently knead at the back of the Beast's head, he sighed "As for your actions, you were panicked and distraught, just trying to protect yourself from a very real threat. I can't speak for the Faeries, but I can speak for myself. And I certainly don't fault you for clawing or biting at me. You were in a haze of fear and paranoia, and I pushed myself into your personal space without warning. When I decided to do that, I knew that it would likely lead to me getting hurt, but I didn't care. I wasn't afraid of getting hurt, if it meant I could help you. You needed to be pulled out of your own head, and that was the fastest way I knew how to do that. And it worked. You came back to me. As for me?"

Pulling back, he gave the jester a soft, gentle smile, before bringing the blue hand on his cheek down to the space on his shoulder where the Beast's fangs had sunk into his dough, so that he could feel for himself the smooth, undamaged skin beneath his finger pads "All my wounds are gone, without even a scar left behind, see? Feel it for yourself, if my words aren't enough. I promise you, I am alright. And I'm not scared of you, nor am I angry. I could never be angry at you for this."

Soft fingerpads moved over the dough, taking in the pristine look, exceedingly careful to not even nick the other with his claws. Once he was satisfied with the inspection he moved his head back, long ear over the steadily thumping heart beat, the warm Soul Jam nestled against his forehead. The artifact reminded him of his own, having ripped it from his own chest in his panic.

Pure Vanilla watched one of the hair tendrils extend, reaching slowly over the edge of the bed like a snake would move, grasping the Soul Jam and bringing it back for them to look at.

The darker hued blue seemed dull, until Pure Vanilla, with all the care one would hold a butterfly, moved Shadow Milk's hand up and over, pressing the Soul Jam against his own, the color returning bit by bit as the two halves soothed one another.

Slowly, like a dawn creeping over the horizon, they both calmed, Shadow Milk held close to the other, staring down at his clawed hand. "Was I a fool, Pure Vanilla, to think I could be anything more than a Beast Cookie? The Light of Knowledge that spoke before, it's quiet now, and I don't know why."

Leaning his cheek against the top of the jester's head, Pure Vanilla closed his eyes "No, you were not. At least not in my eyes. Because I know that there's far more to you than the surface level danger and distrust that others keep seeing in you. More than the cruelty and deceit that once defined you." turning his face, he pressed a kiss to the top of the jester's head, the hand over their Soul Jams giving a tiny, reassuring squeeze "I know with absolute certainty, that you can be more than what others make you out to be. You just need someone willing to give you that chance. And I want to be that for you. To be your support in this. To show you that even with claws and fangs, with anger wrapped around you like a cloak, you are still as worthy of care and trust as any other cookie."

'He really means that' Shadow Milk thought his tears were dried up by now, but a few managed to escape regardless, surprising him. 'He really, truly thinks that I can be more.'

Looking down at the two Soul Jams, their surfaces glittering softly as emotions flowed back and forth between the two. Pure Vanilla's support, care, love and protection. His own uncertainty, fear, and relief. His gaze shifted to the gold dough that held his own blue, his claws glinting in the light of the artifacts, yet Pure Vanilla had merely laced their fingers together, uncaring of the danger, just as he was before.

"A chance...am I really worthy of another chance, Pure Vanilla?" He knew the answer the other would give, even without saying it. "...I want to be worthy of that chance. I want to be more than just, what they think I am. I...I don't think it'll ever go away. I Fell, I'm a Beast Cookie, and I always will be I think, it's just, a side who I am, right?" Looking up into the sky blue and yellow eyes looking at him so softly he couldn't help but give a little, unsure smile, "I can be more than just a Beast Cookie."

In reply, the healer smiled warmly "Yes, you can. You will always be a Beast Cookie, that is a part of your past, and of what made you who you are today. There is no changing that fact. But just because you are a Beast Cookie, doesn't mean you have to let that label define you or how you act. You can indeed be more than that. I know you can. And I'll help you find out who that is."

The smile shifted, a little more sure now, relieved. Shadow Milk leaned into the touch when Pure Vanilla caressed his cheek, sighing as he closed his eyes.

Yes, he was and would always be a Beast Cookie. He Fell, and that had a permanent change on himself, and he was foolish to think otherwise. But just because he was a Beast-

Doesn't mean he can't be a Sage too.

Before Pure Vanilla's eyes he watched as the Beast of Deceit's visage shimmered like a mirage, the Sage of Truth appearing once more, the tendril hair smoothing out to the milky blue galaxy as before, the jester outfit changing, lightening up to what it once was. When he opened his eyes, calmer now, they were the familiar indigo and gold that Pure Vanilla came to know and love.

And in the silence that followed, Pure Vanilla leaned forward to kiss the sage's right cheek, then the left one, and finally his nose, before pulling back with a soft smile on his face "I love you, regardless of form or action. Never forget that."

The Sage smiled, tired now, leaning up to give the other a kiss as well. "I love you too. Thank you for coming for me."

Lifting a hand up to cradle his face, Pure Vanilla nudged their noses together with a smile "Always. I'll always follow after you."

Leaning into the touch Blueberry Milk sighed, handing Pure Vanilla his Soul Jam before looking down at his own. "Even with half of our power I couldn't best her...and she's just a fraction of Dark Enchantress Cookie. If she had been there..." The statement was left hanging, a twinge of fear present.

Giving a silent nod, Pure Vanilla let go of the Soul Jam and the other's face, to instead wrap his arms around Blueberry Milk and pull him closer "Things would have gone very differently, yes. So with that in mind... What can I do to help soothe your fears? Do you still want me to take your half of our power?"

Blueberry Milk shook a little, "I don't know, I felt so weak compared to her. I couldn't do anything, until the Beast came out. I was so scared, I don't know what the right move is." Blueberry Milk sighed, frowning thoughtful as he took off his Soul Jam, staring at it. "Deceit fell against the silver Guardians light...but Truth overpowered it. Why? Is it because it's the Corrupted half? Oh, what did you do to them after I fled?"

Leaning his head against the other's, the healer sighed "I don't know why, all I know is that I wanted to help you." Closing his eyes, he huffed "As for her, I gave her some parting words, and then left to come find you, since the others assured me they had her and the situation there under control."

Gold and indigo eyes were wide, surprised yet loving as he stared up at Pure Vanilla, "You're a much better Cookie than I am. If our situation was reversed I don't think I would have let that area of Beast Yeast stay standing. It truly does astound me how compassionate you are-" The Sage froze, eyes wide. "Compassionate..." Looking down at Pure Vanilla's Soul Jam, the bright blue gem glittering. Raising a hand just below it, Pure Vanilla could see the thoughts race behind the eyes he adored though was confused as to the sudden silence.

Sensing his companion's focus, Pure Vanilla looked back at him with curiosity, before carefully wrapping his hand around the sage's wrist, and bringing it to rest on his Soul Jam, his voice soft "I don't know what it is that has got you so thoughtful, but I suppose it must be important, for you to be so focused. Is it anything I can help you figure out?"

"Pure Vanilla, what do you think, is a counterpart of Knowledge?" Running his fingers over the gem Blueberry Milk's tone was soft, reverent, his other one taking Pure Vanilla's own hand and placing it over his Soul Jam, a mirror of each other. "If Truth and Deceit are counterparts, then what would Knowledge be. Because sometimes...one has to face harsh Truths in seeking Knowledge."

The question seemed to confuse Pure Vanilla, catching him off guard and making him furrow his brows as he pursed his lips in thought “I'm... Not entirely sure. My first thought is ignorance, but somehow it doesn't seem like the right answer.” letting his fingertips trace over the Soul Jam he frowned “It's a noble endeavor to pursue knowledge, but sometimes in doing so, you will be forever changed. There are truths you can't unlearn, that will stick with you and haunt you even if you try to forget them. Some that will burden your mind and heart with the weight of understanding. There are truths that are better left unknown, for they will only do more harm than good if they are uncovered or shared with another. And bearing Knowledge means having to be careful with how you distribute said knowledge, lest you overburden someone's mind.”

Tearing his gaze away from the Soul Jams, Pure Vanilla looked back at the sage for a moment, before his expression turned apologetic, and he gave a weak, bittersweet smile “And unfortunately, for as important as Knowledge and Truth are... Sometimes it's kinder to keep some of those truths to oneself. To spare others the pain of realization.”

Blueberry Milk continued to have a small, patient smile. "Sometimes, it can be better to tell a Lie, than admit a harsh truth. Sometimes, it can be better to Deceive someone, than cause them unnecessary pain, to protect them." The Soul Jam underneath the Sage's hand began to glow softly, lighting up the small space between them. "To spare those who couldn't handle the pain, sometimes we do have to Lie, or tell the Truth. And that, can be the most Compassionate thing you can do for anyone, Pure Vanilla Cookie."

Smile turning a little gentler, the healer gave a soft chuckle, as he brought his hand to rest over the sage's own over the glowing Soul Jam “Compassionate, huh? Yes, I suppose I can see why you'd think that.”

"I know it Pure Vanilla. After all, you gave me a second chance," Chuckling a little Blueberry Milk's smile turned a little on edge of a smirk, playful, "Who else would willingly extend a hand in friendship to the Beast of Deceit? The others didn't do that with their own Beasts after all, only you. The Light of Truth and the Light of Deceit, two halves of Knowledge, but I believe they also two halves of something else...and I believe it's time we both see."

Pulling his hand away along with Pure Vanilla's own, the two Soul Jams floated between them, spinning together in a calm, serene dance as they moved closer, glowing with an inner, beautiful light. The duo watched as the two Soul Jams merged together, an echo of one over the other as their colors impossibly grew brighter, purer in hue. The color of an endless sky, infinite possibilities soaring high in its depths.

"Well done." 

The duo were briefly blinded by the flash of light, having to shield their eyes before their vision cleared of the spots dancing before them.

And as the light faded, they found themselves struck speechless by the power emanating from the two gems, the energy spreading through their bodies and infusing itself into their dough, bringing with it the comfort of a soft blanket in a cold night, and the reassurance of a light among the darkness.

"My word...I haven't felt this since before my fall to Shadow Milk." Pressing his fingers against his vibrant dough he pulled his hand away, snapping his fingers. Immediately surrounding them were balls of the various elements from fire to darkness to liquid steel, all effortlessly controlled by his whim. With a laugh he began to play, water and fire swirling into a harmonious vortex while earth was pierced by lightning, wind and steel. Darkness light and poison were splashing together before he clapped his hands, all of them fading into a flurry of sparkles.

Pure Vanilla watched all of this with a quiet awe, even as his hands remained on his own chest, feeling the thrum of energy that was both similar, and yet different to what he'd felt upon his ascension. The flood of power was similar, but the underlying feeling beneath it was different. And the reason why, was revealed when he heard a voice in his head, similar to his own, but with a warmer cadence and timbre, like a parent finally witnessing their child succeed at something they'd been working hard on

"Well done Pure Vanilla Cookie. I had worried for a moment that you wouldn't behold my Light once more, but now together, anything is possible for us. May my light always guide you. See the Truth and Deceit hand in hand, and give your Compassion to those that need it most."

To which the healer smiled at, and gave a mental acknowledgement to, before turning his face and Cloak eyes back to the scholar “Seems we both reached an apotheosis of sorts, huh?”

"Blueberry Milk Cookie, you've achieved the impossible yet again as I knew you would. By your side I will always stay my dear Cookie. May your Knowledge guide those to a bright future and may you never lose sight of Truth and Deceit, two halves of the same coin." The Light of Knowledge whispered to Blueberry Milk before falling quiet, the Sage giving a breathy chuckle before nodding. "Indeed we have, our Soul Jams, full and whole once more." A flicker of worry crossed his gaze as he looked down as his clawed hands, thoughtful.

Reaching forward, the healer took the sage's hands in his, and gave them a gentle squeeze “What worries you so? Is it about the Faerie Queen? Dark Enchantress and your siblings, or something else?”

"They're always a worry Pure Vanilla." Squeezing back he took a deep breath, "If she finds out about this...it would end catastrophically. But I think...I think I can free myself, at least in a way. But you won't like it."

Smile falling in the face of such a remark, Pure Vanilla seemed to pause, before he gave a bittersweet smile “Would it involve you losing your body?”

"No, I can at least set your mind at ease with that. That would be the quickest way but not one you would condone." Looking up he met the yellow and sky blue gaze of the other, giving a little smile. "If I had the notes on this body, exactly what and how she did this, I could in theory break them. But I would need to sneak into the Labs in her domain. Maybe given enough time to study by soul I could in theory figure it out. Without them all I can do is...shift the leash as it were. The restraints would be there, but the holder would change to one of my choosing...you. Instead of her having the power to control or drain me, that decision and power would go to you."

The healer's eyes widened at that, and his hands tightened slightly where they held onto the sage's own, holding on a bit tighter, before his bittersweet smile turned warmer and more genuine "It's not ideal, but it's a far better option than taking the risk of going into her domain, or letting her drain you. So if you think you can do that, then I'm not opposed to it. Is there anything I need to do to help you with the transfer?"

Blueberry Milk's eyes closed as his hands shook a little. "No...Just...just can you-" He flushed, ashamed of himself as he turned his face away. How could he even think to ask the other this, did he truly think so little of him? That he felt the need to ask that he wouldn't hurt him with this power, this control over every aspect of himself he's giving Pure Vanilla?

Hot tears burned like acid in his eyes, throat closing up.

Sensing the other's distress and fear, Pure Vanilla let go of the sage's hands, to bring his hands up to cradle the other's face, lowering his voice to a gentle tone "Hey, it's okay. You don't have to be afraid Blue. I promise, on my Soul Jam and all that I am, that I'll be as careful as I can be with this, until we can free you from her binds. I'll help you every step of the way if you'll let me do so. And if so, I'll follow your instructions to the letter, even if I'm uncertain about something."

The warmth in the gentle tone helped calm him down, eyes opening and letting the tears fall. "I'm sorry that I'm e-even asking this. You've given me no reason to doubt your intentions or reason to believe you'd hurt me. It's an insult to you."

Expression softening, the healer shook his head "No, it's really not. You've been hurt by practically everyone you've given your trust to, me included. So it's perfectly understandable that you'd be terrified about this too, regardless of knowing that it's unlikely that I'd abuse your trust or willingly go against your wishes. I don't fault you for it, nor do I think less of you for being nervous." Leaning forward, he rested their foreheads together, and closed his eyes with a soft smile "It's okay. You don't have to apologize Blue."

Dough shaking Blueberry Milk leaned into the touch, taking comfort from it and steadying himself, his left hand freeing itself before placing it over the other's Soul Jam, glowing. Around them out of sight, dozens of intricate spell circles began to appear floating around them. Blueberry Milk focused on his Soulstone, finding the line that lead off into the ether, to Dark Enchantress Cookie feeling like choking chains.

With Pure Vanilla's acceptance the Sage focused on shifting it to the other's control.

At the edge of his awareness Pure Vanilla felt something being tethered to him, a new source of power and being, not unlike his Soul Jam, with the knowledge that he could call upon it however he wished. A block was on the other side preventing them from doing the same thing to himself, a one way connection.

Taking in the new addition, and making note that it felt somewhat like a siphon or hose connecting him to Blueberry Milk, the healer pursed his lips, and followed the connection, until he reached the other's soul stone. And there, he carefully began to exert his will to shift the bindings, changing their shape to something gentler around the other's being. Under his will, the chains flattened themselves into something more akin to cloth wrapped around the former jester like a tight cocoon of warm blankets.

Still restrictive and unyielding, but somehow seeming less harsh. Almost like an unspoken promise of protection and reassurance, even in the face of said restrictions.

Blueberry Milk's hands tightened considerably around Pure Vanilla's arms where he grasped, shaking for a moment, before going boneless with a sigh, leaning his full weight on the other. "T-that...oh stars...how did you do that?" The words, muttered against the dough of the other, had him repress a shiver as his lips brushed against him, Pure Vanilla's own arms coming up to wrap him in a hug, holding him close. "It feels...nice. Like, you're shielding me somehow."

Pressing a kiss to the sage's head, the blond smiled “Good, that was the point. Unfortunately, I cannot change the strength of the bindings around you, but I can at least change how they wrap around you and affect you. So I did. Because even though you've given me power over you, it doesn't mean I have to use it against you. I can try to use it to help you instead.”

"It feels like your hugs," Relaxed and calm Blueberry Milk relished in the feeling. While it was still a type of bind on him, until they could remove it safely, it still felt secure and welcoming in a way. He leaned more into the embrace, trusting "Thank you, Pure Vanilla. I don't feel any of her taint now. At least from her influence and touch, I am free." The Sage's voice broke on that one word, hiding his face into the others shoulder briefly.

And in the face of the sage's vulnerability, Pure Vanilla wrapped one arm more securely around him, while bringing the other to the back of his head, fingers carding through the blue strands gently “Good. I'll strive to ensure she can't get her hands on you again.” pressing one more kiss to the sage's head, the healer let him take comfort in his arms, while he focused his will on the other-realm's magic, to peek at the situation in regards to the restoration of the enchantments, his mind split between ensuring Blueberry Milk was alright, and worrying about the Cookie Kingdom's safety.

Letting himself soak in the care for a few seconds longer Blueberry Milk took a deep breath, steeling himself as he pulled back. Though his eyes were red rimmed and face tear stained, something he summoned a wet cloth for, he still smiled, standing straighter. "Thank you Pure Vanilla...now we have much to do. You mentioned that she ripped the wards down, I am grudgingly impressed though would explain why you hadn't heard from her for several days. She had to have been at it for near the entire time taking them down like that." Moving to the side he frowned down at himself, torn clothing, stained with muck and jam, "Oh bother...just great. Oh well, c'mon then, we don't have a lot of time to waste. I need to take a look at the wards and you need to calm the populace down. Where is the center of the Kingdom?"

“The center of the Kingdom is the castle itself. It's also where many of the enchantments have been placed.” Getting up off the bed, Pure Vanilla took the sage's hand, and tugged him to the bathroom door, nudging him forward “But they've already waited several minutes, a couple more won't make a difference. Go ahead and wash your face and hands, I'll get you something else to wear.” and before the other could answer, Pure Vanilla was heading to his dresser to grab one of his smaller shirts, a pair of slim pants and a belt just in case, which he then placed on a floating platform of light for the other to change into.

As he was nudged Blueberry Milk rolled his eyes with a playful snark of 'Yes dear' and went to do as told, freshening himself up to at least be presentable, doing his hair up in a messy bun, the white parts framing his face.

The remark had Pure Vanilla's eyes widening in surprise and his cheeks flushing slightly, before he was scurrying outside to wait for the other.

Chapter Text

And once the sage was changed, the two were off, following the wounded traces of runes with frowns on their faces, Blueberry Milk inwardly crooning softly at them. 'Oh my...such destruction against these ancient runes, she had to have used the Guardian's power to rip through these like this.' Frowning worriedly he went off to the heart of the castle at the throne room, summoning his staff.

As the Sage began to prepare to act, Pure Vanilla set a hand on his shoulder, and began to share part of his magic with him, wanting to help.

Blueberry Milk flashed a grateful look over his face, before facing forward, taking a steadying, deep breath.

The air around the duo grew heavy, charged with power, the light around them dimming as if a shroud engulfed the castle itself.

Tapping his staff once onto the ground a shockwave of light burst out, forming into archaic runes and symbols that Pure Vanilla had never seen before, yet Blueberry Milk merely read over them, frowning thoughtfully. "They're tangled, not as broken as I feared. Which is good, given how strong these runes are it would have taken considerably force to try to recreate them...think of it like a clogged up river, full of debris. That's what the Faerie Queen did here. The power can't flow right, it's fragile, easily broken. We merely need to clear the way, like so."

Tapping his staff once more ripples in the fabric of reality around them, encircling the runes, arrays weaving themselves in and out. The Vanillan King watched as they merged together, the dim light surrounding them grew brighter, healthier. He felt a small tug on his power from the other's Soul Jam, a request.

And willingly, he opened his side up for the other to draw upon, letting the Sage use both their power to restore order to things, while he kept the gaze of his staff and cloak Eyes riveted in the different arrays and glowing lines, his curiosity and awe clear to see.

Focused on his task the Fount of Knowledge wove the spellwork into place, tidying up the arrays and spells of protection, taking the chance to study them and understand exactly what he was dealing with. "Whomever created these long ago is an absolute master of this craft. The sheer scale and intricacy of all the arcane aspects, feeding and building onto one another in an endless, harmonious loop. Like the dawn chasing the dusk across Earthbread...it's fascinating and beautiful to see." As he worked he explained to Pure Vanilla what each was, why it was there, how it played it's part and when, a perfect rune machine. Battered from what had happened yes, but under their guidance was becoming something incredibly beautiful.

Piece by piece, the two watched the runes lighting up as the obstructions were lifted one by one, two hand constructs actively copying down the arrays as they were cleared up and completed, while the healer listened attentively to the sage, enraptured by the spectacle going on all around them.

After over an hour of intense spell work, Blueberry Milk, sweat dripping down his dough, tapped his staff harshly against the floor. The air crackled with power as the arrays all sank back into the floor, a ripple of pure white energy spreading out as fast as a cream wolf could run. The darkened sky shifted quickly back to normal around them, the Sage breathing a sigh of relief, leaning on his staff "Phew, hadn't had to do that for a while. Had to take extra care not to damage them, that's quite some spellwork the children stumbled on, almost felt alive."

Wrapping an arm around the Sage's waist to help hold him up, Pure Vanilla carefully ran a pulse of healing magic over the other, wanting to help soothe his exhaustion the best he could "Indeed, it is quite the marvel."

Blueberry Milk just chuckled, leaning on the other as he got his second wind, "The enchantments are all back up and running, better than ever if I do say so myself. Your help was extremely valuable Nilla, I wouldn't have been able to get them up so quickly without you." Waving a hand to summon a bench for them Pure Vanilla brought him over, the duo sitting down, the blue cookie leaning on the other. "Sorry about this, normally this type of thing wouldn't wind me so much. I'm probably just tired from what happened."

Keeping his arm around the scholar, Pure Vanilla carefully continued to share energy with the other, his voice soft “It could also be because this is technically not your original body. one can't expect the work of Dark Enchantress to be equal to that of the Witches.”

"Ah...you suspect that too?" Blueberry Milk's form tensed a little before slumping more, "It's something I had begun to wonder the last few days, how limited this body feels. I wouldn't have put it past her to ensure that we were strong enough to take the Heroes on, but not without some sort of drawback to ensure she'd have some upper hand. I will admit I'm puzzled by this..and by many other things Nilla."

When the King asked him what puzzled him Blueberry Milk shook his head, "That's just it. I'm puzzled, I don't know the answer. I'm the Fount of Knowledge, I should know the answer to everything even if it's 'no answer'. I was baked to know everything, to understand it, to spread it, encourage knowledge. I had never not known something, not until our Fall. And now? There's stuff I don't know, and that scares me."

Pursing his lips, Pure Vanilla sighed, and held the sage close "I can see how that would be unsettling, yes. To be left in the dark when all was once clear... I wish I knew why that is, or how to turn it around, but I don't. And I'm sorry I don't know how to help with this my dear."

Blueberry Milk turned his face into Pure Vanilla's shoulder, taking a moment for himself before pulling back, unsettled but calmer, giving a weak smile. "It's alright...I just wish I knew why. But I suppose it doesn't matter. Could be part of the Witches curse on me."

“Perhaps.” but before the healer could continue, he was interrupted by a feeling at the edge of his awareness, coming from Wizard sending a request for a teleport. Which Pure Vanilla acknowledged by opening a few golden eyes near the child and his group, checking on them before he decided to answer. Only to see him, his two siblings, and his fellow Heroes all in one group, standing together on the outside borders of the Faerie area, with a differing mix of expressions, though mostly resignation, sadness and anger from his friends, and nervousness from the kids as they huddled together.

Opening a mini portal just big enough to show his face, Pure Vanilla smiled softly at the children “Give me a moment to get to the edge of the Kingdom, and I'll open a portal for you all."

The portal closed right after, Pure Vanilla standing up with Blueberry Milk following, elongating his cane to better lean on it. "I'm fine as can be, let's go get your friends and the children, I...I have much to apologize to them for."

Taking the scholar's free hand in his own, Pure Vanilla smiled softly "Don't worry, I know they don't blame you for what happened."

"Still not entirely the best first impression I wanted to give your friends." Blueberry Milk sighed as they began to walk together towards a portal Pure Vanilla made. "Seeing the Beast of Deceit like that ravaging a kingdom no less. And the children! Oven the scare they must have had..."

Squeezing the hand in his, Pure Vanilla tugged them through the portal into the other-realm "I'll smooth things over with them all if need be." forming another golden portal, the two came out near the gates of the Kingdom, and passed through them with a nod to the guards, before heading a couple dozen meters beyond the Kingdom's borders, where the no-teleportation magic field ended, where PV then opened a third portal, this time big enough for his friends and kids to pass through.

Immediately they did so, only relaxing once they were all through the gateway and it closed behind them.

Before they could say anything however Hollyberry let out a war cry, startling the birds in the area as she threw her shield hard at one of the trees behind them, embedding it into the bark with a resounding thud. The children and Blueberry Milk all jumped while Dark Cacao just sighed, weary. "Hollyberry Cookie, mind your manners-"

"How could she do that!? After all we've been through! I just-" An incoherent scream tore itself from the Queen Mother, furious and broken.

Eyes opening halfway in surprise, Pure Vanilla seemed to hesitate, before walking over to the kids and wrapping them in a hug, even as he turned his gaze towards Dark Cacao, and Golden Cheese "Okay, so what in the stars happened to make Hollyberry of all cookies this mad? Because I'm feeling a little lost here."

Letting the Hollyberrian founder work off her steam, Golden Cheese hovering nearby watching to ensure she didn't tear down the forest Dark Cacao turned towards his old friend, "To put it simply, and as to not further enrage Hollyberry anymore than what she is....the Silver Kingdom is no longer going to be allied with the Dark Cacao Kingdom, the Golden Cheese Kingdom or the Hollyberry Kingdom along with the Cookie Kingdom. They will continue on their own venture to fight in Beast Yeast, but we should not expect any trades or tidings for the time being, nor will we ourselves offer any in turn, again for the time being. What the Vanilla Kingdom does is on its own terms, nor will it affect our alliances with you, Pure Vanilla Cookie."

"Basically that's what happened Pure Vanilla, just with a lot more shouting." Golden Cheese sighed, watching the other female cool off. "Also...the Faerie Queen no longer stands with us as an Ancient Hero." Her tone shifted here slightly, a tiny twitch of her lips as she glanced over at them. Her gaze was tired, but fond still before shifting to Blueberry Milk, raising her brow at seeing him in the pale golden clothes of the Vanillian King. "And you, Blueberry Milk Cookie. Are you well? We were quite worried, the children most so."

In the face of all the information, Pure Vanilla found himself staring between the winged queen and the dark King with wide eyes, unsure of what to enquire about first as his mind revolved around the two main points. 'The previous alliance is broken? And how is she no longer an Ancient Hero??'

Confused as he was, he didn't really pay much mind to the way the three children were leaning further against him, almost trying to hide in his robes, his arms wrapping around them automatically and gathering them close.

All while Blueberry Milk seemed to freeze in surprise at being addressed with genuine worry, instead of anger or disappointment as he'd expected. So surprised was he, that he accidentally blurted "But I attacked a whole Kingdom again! Why are you worried about me?"

"Blueberry Milk Cookie. You didn't attack, you were threatened and reacted accordingly." Golden Cheese hovered closer, staring at him intently, checking for injuries. "You were taken from a safe Kingdom, one that was allied with the Silver Kingdom, injured greatly, restrained and who knows what else in that short amount of time."

The dark king agreed, sharing a look with Pure Vanilla before back, "In the short time I've known you you've been kind and courteous, my oldest friend clearly loves you and so do the children. So what if you are a Beast Cookie. Is it like saying I am a Dark Cacaoian. I am just what I am, nothing more. I am sorry however she did that to you."

Hollyberry Cookie glared, not angry at the Sage but in general, "The things she said and did, I will not forgive. I already gave her a second chance once, she won't get that so easily again."

The Heroes took turns, Hollyberry more curtly, explaining that, after they had vanished, that White Lily had tried to do her summoning spell once more to grab at Blueberry Milk, a feat that they prevented her from doing by keeping her staff and Soul Jam away from her. Enraged she had near attacked them, her Faeries, those that weren't shell shocked from what had happened, rising up in arms. She told them that if they weren't on her side then they were against her and she would have nothing to do with them, that it was her duty now to capture and contain all the Beast Cookies.

And despite their best efforts on telling her to give him a chance, that Blueberry Milk had gone against everything he was to save them before she would not listen. That they understood about the other Beast Cookies but that Blueberry Milk deserved a chance just as they had given her, yet she turned her face away.

They broke their alliance with her and the Silver Kingdom. The only way they'd ever communicate was when it directly involved attacking Dark Enchantress Cookie, otherwise she was on her own, their friendship severed.

Dark Cacao surprised the duo when a small smile grew as he turned to the trio. "Pure Vanilla, your children take after you very much, you should be proud. It will be interesting for us now, that is for sure."

Three embarrassed whines echoed out, the children trying to hide further into the robes.

Blinking in confusion, the Healer turned to look down at the children trying to hide, and allowed himself a small smile “I mean yes, I know that they are brilliant in many ways. Kind, loyal, and courageous like none other.” squeezing all three children gently, he turned to Dark Cacao with a raised brow “But something tells me there's more going on. Something changed while me and Blue were away, didn't it?”

Even Hollyberry, angry as she was, couldn't help but chuckle and perk up, "Those kids of yours are something else Pure Vanilla. After we were all done yelling and such, the Silver Queen tried her whole spiel once more. About how she was only doing this for the freedom and good of all cookies, how she was going to make a better world, blah blah blah. And then, then, GingerBrave-" The pink cookie just cackled joyfully even as said child's blush took over his whole head.

"This brave little cookie," Golden Cheese smirked, wings raised high up, "Just strolled up to her and smacked her down verbally. 'It's easy to see how Dark Enchantress Cookie was you, given you have the same ideals as her.' I've never seen someone shut up so fast before! Tell ‘em Cacao!"

Rolling his eyes the warrior couldn't help his proud smirk, "How was it you put it lad? 'You say you hold the Light of Freedom, but freedom should come to all cookies no matter what!' And when she tried to argue about what the Beast Cookies had done he shut her up once more by saying 'That just means that they need it the most. That they should be given a second chance at freedom just like you were.' And then young Wizard Cookie and Strawberry Cookie stood together with their brother, hand in hand, stating as one 'If we ever had the chance we'd offer that for all the Beast Cookies, just like we have and always will for Blueberry Cookie no matter what.’"

The retelling had both Pure Vanilla's and Blueberry Milk's eyes widening in surprise, the sage's own looking slightly wet, while the healer's were full of awe and pride, as he squeezed the kids tight and spoke with a bright smile "You're right, they're awe inspiring." Turning his face, he kissed each of his children's heads, his voice a soft murmur "You stood up for what's right, and I'm so very proud of you my little ones. I couldn't ask for more from any of you."

"There's more Dad." GingerBrave's words was muffled where he was pressed into the other's chest, hugging tightly. At Blueberry Milk's weak repeat of 'more?' the children all pulled back slowly, the holders of Compassion and Knowledge's jaws dropping.

Hovering over each child, on the wafer stripe of Wizard Cookie's hat, the collar of Strawberry’s hoodie, and nestled in the curling swoop of GingerBrave's hair...was the Light of Freedom in three pieces, GingerBrave having the middle while his siblings had the curving sides.

"...I think I speak for Pure Vanilla when I say we will need some context?" Blueberry Milk sat down roughly onto the ground, eyes wide.

Letting go of the children, Pure Vanilla frowned, before he opened another golden portal, and herded the children inside, followed by his friends, and finally using a small cloud to scoop up Blueberry Milk from the ground and over to the portal, before entering himself and closing it behind him, leaving the forest empty once more.

Inside, he summoned fluffy seats for the kids and Blueberry Milk to sit on, as well as for his friends, though Golden Cheese and Hollyberry chose to remain floating and standing respectively.

Blinking, dual colored eyes mystified as he was picked up and then sat down onto the clouds, the children looking around in awe though quiet, scooting closer to himself, something that the blue cookie stiffened in surprise by. The two standing Ancients looked around, jumping a bit when several dummies showed up.

After it was explained briefly why they were there the two Heroines went to town, burning off all their excess energy while the children looked between one another, GingerBrave nodding, "So after we er...'talked' to the Faerie Queen her Soul Jam began to shake and glow. I guess it was talking to her? Whatever it said caused her to just go down to her knees and start to cry, shaking her head."

"It floated over to us before splitting seamlessly down itself, the parts going to each of us. It said that we embodied what it means to be free. Together it's still the Light of Freedom, but we all have small parts? I have the Light of Integrity." Wizard said with a proud look in his visible eye.

"I um, have the Light of Harmony." Strawberry twiddled her fingers, leaning against her brother. "It sounds like me, it's kinda weird."

"I have the Light of Unity!" Raising a hand up to brush against the piece in his hair GingerBrave beamed, "Does this mean we're Ancient Heroes now too Dad?"

In reply, Pure Vanilla simply stared in wide eyed surprise, mouth slightly agape as he did his best to process everything, before blurting out "You're too young to be Ancient." only to then bring a hand up to his mouth, and huff out a quiet laugh that was half disbelief, half nerves "But I suppose the title of Heroes does fit. It already did even before this whole debacle. I suppose this only gives you more credence, even if the implications make me a little more nervous."

The group at large burst out laughing, the stress of the last few hours easing away at the ludicrous statement from the other. Pure Vanilla, flushing, just rolled his eyes at them all.

"I'm sorry Pure Vanilla, but that was hysterical." Golden Cheese folded her wings, the radiant queen just smirking at him before turning to the children, "Though I do agree with your assessment on them being Heroes, this just makes it a little bit more official."

Blueberry Milk leaned over, taking Pure Vanilla’s hand, "What troubles you?"

Smile falling a bit, the healer sighed and squeezed the hand in his “Dark Enchantress and the other Beasts already had reasons to target the kiddos simply for the fact that they're important to us. Now with them holding the pieces of Freedom, she has all the more reason to target them. I suppose I'm just... A bit more worried than usual about their safety, is all.”

"She has been fixated on them for a long time Pure Vanilla for more than just that. While yes, having the Light of Freedom between them does make a bigger target, it also gives them more protection." Working to reassure him he tugged him closer. "All will be well. And now you know my worry of her draining me for Knowledge." His free hand rose up, poking the other in the nose, trying to cheer him up. "There are measures that can be taken to ensure the children's protection."

Sighing quietly, but deciding to focus on the positives, Pure Vanilla nodded, and turned back to the others "Well, I suppose that now that these revelations have been given, and the general situation has been explained, we should discuss how we wish to proceed from now on. And perhaps what we all expect of the near future, because I doubt that this peace will last for much longer. And I'd rather have some kind of plan for any future unexpected situations, if possible. Even if it's only a vague layout of a plan."

Agreeing with their leader the group settled down around the table he had conjured, getting a very rundown version of the area that they were currently in as drinks and food was brought in, the mood serious but far lighter than what was previously there.

Blueberry Milk stayed quiet for the beginning of it, letting the Heroes speak, though when Gingerbrave asked him for his thoughts on the current idea of where they, if needed, should flee to, if worst came to worst. "Well, the truly safest spot is here, the other realm. It's fully controlled by Pure Vanilla and myself, only we can let anyone in and out. My Spire would be another option."

"So if the children were in true danger, or something were to happen to warrant keeping their three Lights safe, they could be brought here." Dark Cacao summarized, pleased with this. "That is a relief. Though warriors you may be you are still young, children, and shouldn't be forced to witness the horrors of battle until you are ready."

Taking a seat on one of the clouds, Hollyberry set down her shield and nodded, her voice a bit more subdued now “At least not more than what you've already had to face.”

Sitting on a throne-like chair with her arms crossed, Golden Cheese asked “So we agree that they'll be evacuated here if need be?”

“Yes, that would probably be best, for our collective peace of mind.”

The children agreed, knowing that they could easily get in the way or worse be a distraction at the worst possible time for the others. While they'd fight for their Kingdom and have time and time again they also knew that they were still young compared to them all and had a lot to learn. "We gotcha, we'll come here if told, but we still wanna help fight! The Cookie Run Kingdom is our home too, we can't just hide away if Dark Enchantress Cookie tries anything." Unwilling to budge on this Gingerbrave met his father's dual colored gaze. "I can't stand by while my friends are in danger."

The two stared resolutely at one another, waging a silent battle of wills for a few long seconds... Before the healer sighed, and gave a soft, resigned smile “Very well, then I shall not stop you from helping, as long as you promise me that you'll all be careful, and escape when we tell you to, if things truly become dire. Can you promise me that?”

"Yes Dad." Immediate, solemn from all three children, the promise was sealed with them hugging him tightly. "We just want to help, but we won't get in the way and make it harder for you all."

Blueberry Milk made a mental note to speak to Moon Drop in the near future, walking over to kneel before the children an arm's length away, "You three are incredibly resourceful in more ways than one. I know your help will be tremendous, but the fight that is coming shouldn't have been placed on your shoulders. As it is, you are key players, and Dark Enchantress knows it. We only worry for you."

"We know." reaching out, Gingerbrave took Blueberry Milk's hand, and gave it a squeeze with a little smile "Thank you for worrying about us all the same. We appreciate it a lot more than you know."

The Sage gave a weak smile at that, squeezing back the slightest bit, "No, thank you. I'm sorry for before children. I understand if-" Only to be cut off, and near toppled over, by the three children rushing at him, hugging him tightly around his neck.

"Don't. Don't apologize for how you acted when you were scared Blueberry Milk." Gingerbrave, head tucked under the other's chin, brokered no arguments. "What she did is unforgivable and horrible. She pushed you way too hard and she didn't even try to listen."

To his right his sister nodded, her hoodie soft against his dough, "It's ok, really. We were m-more scared for you than of you."

"Plus, you didn't even try anything even near us." Hat crooked but uncaring of it Wizard pulled back a little, eye upturned in a smile. "Even when you were like that, you still didn't hurt or think to hurt us."

The words so full of understanding from all three kids, caused Blueberry Milk's eyes to prickle with tears, before he was wrapping his own arms more securely around them and holding them close to him, voice quiet but genuine in gratitude “Thank you. Your faith in me means more to me than I can say.”

The trio just hugged him tighter, smiling. They had told the truth, they were more scared for the other than of him. Even seeing his Beast form once again they only wanted to help him.

"That's what family does Blueberry Milk." Gingerbrave pulled back a little, giving him a grin. "Besides, you do look pretty cool as Shadow Milk. The jester look suits you a lot but so does the Sage. Doesn't matter to us what you look like as long as you're here with us."

The admission had the former jester letting out a shaky giggle, even as a lone tear of happiness ran down his cheek “I'll stay for as long as you'll have me.”

"Forever" Multiple voices rang out, Blueberry Milk chuckling as Pure Vanilla chimed in as well.

"Forever it is."

"Good." The word was said in near unison by Gingerbrave and Pure Vanilla, the two looking at one another after realizing what they'd unintentionally done, before beginning to snicker, Dark Cacao muttering "Like father, like son." with a tiny half smirk on his face, which in turn caused Strawberry and Wizard to start snickering as well.

Feeling Blueberry Milk slump a little into their hold, had the children moving the Sage back, Gingerbrave gesturing for the cloud they rested on to have a support for the other, something the healer gladly and quickly did. He and the trio frowned a little when, instead of trying to protest in some way, Blueberry Milk merely smiled in thanks and leaned into the cloud. "I suppose, now that the safety of the children is settled, we should move onto the other candy elephant in the room?"

The topic change made everyone else's smiles fall, in favor of serious expressions, all of them knowing they'd have to discuss things sooner or later.

In the silence, Dark Cacao spoke up “Yes, I believe that would be for the best. If only so we can all make our stances known.”

The Cookies all nodded, frowning in deep thought before Strawberry plucked at her hoodie, "Um, should we go back to the Kingdom? A-and is everything ok?"

"That's up to you child, but yes. Pure Vanilla and I restored the wards of your Kingdom as they were before they were tampered with, everything is as it should be there I promise you." Blueberry Milk took her hand and squeezed lightly, eyes kind though a little unsure, "I may be Deceit itself, but I wouldn't lie to you about that."

"We know, we trust you Blueberry Milk." Straight to the point as ever Wizard Cookie gave a tiny shrug, "We weren't worried about that. We knew that between you and Dad, anything that needed fixing was fixed."

"Indeed, things have been restored, though admittedly it took a great deal of Blue's energy." Saying that, Pure Vanilla carefully took one of the sage's hands in his, and gave it a squeeze "Honestly, I'm tempted to create a room for him to rest in here, so that he can sleep uninterrupted and regain his expended strength. With the ability to slow time in here, we wouldn't even have to worry about that." Then he seemed to realize something, and promptly turned to his friends with a frown "Speaking of resting, you could all probably use some rest too, after the debacle in the Silver Kingdom. And maybe a decent meal too."

As if in response to his worries, the realm shifted to accommodate his desires, the clouds shifting to become softer for the kids and Blueberry, while a few hand constructs brought over fruits, bowls of jelly stew, and more, all set on the table, and smelling delicious.

Blueberry Milk just relaxed further in the cloud, eyes slipping shut even as a weak smile was given "I'm not dying Nilla, you worry too much."

"Worry or not he is right. You look very weakened." Dark Cacao pulled one of the stews closer, blowing on it for a second before looking up "What, Pure Vanilla is right as I just said."

From one of the fluffy clouds, Wizard snickered "Dad is a bit of a worrywart yes, but I admit, some food sounds great right about now."

At his side, Strawberry nodded as she shifted to get more comfortable in the fluffy surface "And a power nap s-sounds wonderful as well. J-just for a couple of hours."

Smirking as she watched the kids cuddle up together near Blueberry milk, Golden Cheese grinned, her wings shifting behind her in an aborted motion "Yes, I think you've all earned a bit of rest after that disaster."

And in the brief silence that followed, GingerBrave and Strawberry settled themselves down on either side of Blueberry Milk, leaning their heads against his shoulders, and curling up against him with closed eyes and content expressions, even Strawberry's face visibly softening as she relaxed, her brother sighing contentedly as he murmured "Just a five minute nap."

Neither child, nor Wizard who decided that Blueberry Milk's stomach was a perfect pillow, noticed the Sage tensing up, eyeing the children like dangerous creatures before looking up at Pure Vanilla, mouthing 'Help', to which the healer just snickered quietly, the other Ancients smiling at the sight of the former Beast with the trio.

"C'mon Vanilla, you have to help me. The children will get cold leaning on me like this. I don't know what to do." Whispering as loud as he could, form still, he waited for the other to help him.

Only for Pure Vanilla's expression to soften "I promise you Blue, the cloud you're all on is more than warm enough to offset your own cool temperature my dear. And also warm enough to keep them comfortable as they snooze. And if they truly do start shivering from cold, I promise to shift them aside. For now, just take this for the show of trust it is, and let them rest with you. I promise you, that proximity to you won't hurt them."

The look he gave Pure Vanilla was reminiscent of his 'main character' comment in the Spire, disbelieving of what he was hearing. Tense as he was he stiffened even more when Gingerbrave snuggled closer, nuzzling under his wide collar and holding onto his shirt with one hand, sound asleep.

The four Ancients watched as the former Beast slowly relaxed, focused on the children and not even noticing a smile appear. One hand rested around Strawberry's shoulders, hugging her to his side while his other rested on Gingerbrave’s head, running through his white hair.

The warmth of the three children began to lull him back to resting, the heat of the cloud helping further that still, eyes growing heavy without his say-so.

And through it all, the four heroes remained silent, eating and drinking in peace as they watched the other four cookies slowly fall to the call of sleep. And only when all four were breathing slow and steady, fully in the realm of sleep, did the cloud float a ways away, under the warmth of the artificial sunlight of the other-realm, so that the four Heroes could talk without the risk of waking the sleeping cookies.

Chapter Text

In the comfortable silence that followed, Dark Cacao spoke in an uncharacteristically soft voice "I'm not one for sweetness, but that was a rather precious sight."

"So we're all in agreement, that was frankly adorable." Golden Cheese snickered as she sipped her tea (from a garish gold and bejeweled cup that only seemed to fit her), "Hard to believe he is the Beast of Deceit with how gentle he is with them and his mannerisms."

"Makes you wonder however, if he is like that, could the others possibly be?"

The Lights of Abundance, Compassion and Resolution turned to face Passion, Hollyberry staring into her mug of tea and juice, swirling it a little in deep thought. "If he could change, could they?"

The silence that followed was heavy with unspoken tension, before two voices spoke over one another “Perhaps.” “Not him.” causing both cookies to look at one another, surprised swordmaster vs frowning spear wielder.

And at a wave of 'go on' from Pure Vanilla, Golden cheese sighed, the wings at her back flexing and giving a single flap in her annoyance “Considering the stories you told, perhaps yours could, at least Mystic Flour, if you have a convincing enough argument or a strong enough conviction. But I doubt that manchild Burning Spice would ever care about anything beyond a 'satisfying fight', as he puts it.”

"Hm, perhaps it's not just a 'satisfying fight' as you put it, but something that is worth fighting for, for him?" Hollyberry mused, looking at Dark Cacao, "Take you for example. You fight for honor, for your kingdom and people. All the Cacaoians are mighty warriors, unlike any other. But what would happen if none of you had anything to fight for. No castle nor kingdom, nothing worth honoring. Only having the blades you wield?"

The Light of Resolution Bearer mulled over her words for a long moment, frowning deeply. "If I had nothing left to fight for...I'd search for something to fight for. No matter what. I'd refuse to wallow in misery or the unknown. Be it something mighty such as a new Kingdom, or something small, as living to the next dawn, I and my people would find something."

The declaration had the other's taking on pensive expressions, considering things, before Pure Vanilla nodded “I, for one, think the Beasts should be given a chance, but I understand if you're uncomfortable with the idea. In the end, this is a decision you should make for yourself, just as I have made mine to accept him. Do what you feel is right for you and your experiences.”

The words had them all falling silent again with considering faces, before Hollyberry nodded “Much as I may not have fully agreed with her methods, I think Eternal Sugar truly did have good intentions deep down, so I for one will be willing to extend my hand to her, should she want to accept it.”

"Mystic Flour is complicated, especially after what she did to my people." Dark Cacao's voice was rough in rememberance of what the Pale Ailment did to his Cookies, how even his most stalwart soldiers fell prey to Apathy. "It would take much to break through to her and I am unsure of where to begin."

Once more, silence fell over the group, all of them considering it, before Golden Cheese crossed her arms in defiance, and huffed "I doubt the buffoon would be willing to listen even if I did feel inclined to lend him a hand. Which I don't."

The healer sighed quietly, but nodded at them both "I suppose that's to be expected, you both were deeply wronged by them after all. I don't blame you for being unsure about her Dark Cacao." then he turned his face towards the warrior queen with a sad smile "Nor do I blame you, Golden Cheese, for not wanting to trust Burning Spice after everything he put you and your people through. Honestly, I'm not too certain about him myself, if I'm honest."

Frowning, Hollyberry pursed her lips, and grumbled "As for Silent Salt, none of us have a good idea of who he is, considering the fact that White Lily refused to speak about her confrontation with him. So he's a neutral factor at best, antagonistic at worst, we have no way of knowing."

Tapping her nails rhythmically Golden Cheese turned to her friends. "Did she ascend like we four did? I didn't notice anything different about her, did you all."

Dark Cacao shook his head as he held his mug of tea in hands “No, she seemed the same as ever.”

Frowning, Hollyberry pursed her lips “Which, considering how we've all had to at least come to terms with what our Beasts represented, if not fully agreeing with their methods, in order to find the path to our ascension? Seems in character for her. With how against Blueberry Milk she was, it's clear she would never agree to try and understand Silent Salt even if he did try to find a consensus with her.”

"It's possible then they reached a stalement of sorts? And even if she did have something happen, it may no longer even be hers due to losing her Soul Jam."  Golden Cheese frowned, tapping her spear against the cobbled ground, "Too many unknowns, I don't like this, and the only one that could answer is currently-oh...oh ok that's adorable."

Everyone turned to where the Radiant Queen was looking, having concerned looks only to have to withold their coos, even Dark Cacao.

Wizard had somehow wriggled his way up to sleeping on top of Blueberry Milk, hat askew as he listened to his heartbeat. Cosmic tendrils of the Sage's hair had wrapped around the three children like a starlit blanket, keeping them close and secure as they tucked their heads under his poofy collar.

“Oh my stars, how I wish I had a-” only for the healer to be interrupted as a camera popped into existence in front of him, quickly snapping two silent pictures, before coming to rest on the table, leaving them all momentarily struck speechless, all of them caught off guard by what just happened.

Only for Hollyberry and Pure Vanilla to start snickering as the absurdity of the moment washed over them, both struggling not to laugh out loud so as not to disturb the sleeping four.

"And I thought I could create anything from nothing with the Light of Abundance. That's quite the little resource you have there Pure Vanilla." Golden Cheese, regaining her composure, gave the healer a side eye, "Perhaps I'd be willing to lean more towards to forgiving and working with Burning Spice...for a copy or two of those images and any future ones."

In response the healer turned to her with wide eyes, not having expected such a thing... Only to then snicker quietly to himself, but dutifully nod with a little bemused smile "I suppose a copy or two of cute moments like these is a small price to pay." taking one of the pictures, he put it away in a little frame that spawned from a single sparkle of light, while he took the second picture, and after a moment of concentration, grabbed a corner, and peeled it back, revealing a second, equal photo, as if it had been two photos glued to one another the entire time instead of just one.

And with the two perfectly equal photos in hand, he gave them to the queen with a smile "As for the properties of this realm, I cannot take any credit for this, it was all Blue's doing, back when he was Shadow Milk. All I did, was take over part of it when I ascended. This is a relatively new experience for me too, and I'm still getting used to the way things work here. Although he did say I was a natural at manipulating this place to my whims. I'm not sure why that is, but I'm certainly not complaining."

With a quiet giggle, he began to float up and off of the table with his legs still crossed over one another demurely, the expression on his face practically radiating a silliness that they'd only ever seen from him a handful of times in all the years they'd known him for "I admit, having rules like gravity or logic be mere suggestions in this place, can be rather fun at times."

The Ancients were amazed by such a simple thing and began asking a barrage of questions at Pure Vanilla. Well Dark Cacao and Golden Cheese were. Hollyberry had an intense look on her face, shifting in her chair like she was trying to bounce off of it. 'He just floated how did he do it?!'

Pure Vanilla couldn't help his laughter at his friends questions and that of Hollyberry attempting to float. He felt weightless and free, as if the troubles of the world just faded away while he was doing this. 'Was this why Shadow Milk floated all the time? For this feeling?' After getting his laughter under control he willed the other realm to do something, laughing harder when all three began to float along side him.

All, of course, while making sure that the gravity of the tea in their cups remained anchored to said cups, so as not to spill on any of them. And as Dark Cacao and Hollyberry tensed and waved their arms slightly in trying to keep themselves upright, not being used to the feeling, Golden Cheese cackled at their expressions, effortlessly using her own wings and inherent floating ability to fly loose circles around them, utterly entertained by their floundering.

And through it all, Pure Vanilla just giggled, watching it all unfold with bemused fondness, before he decided to help them, and told them how to right themselves, showing them in the process.

Feeling lighter, emotionally rather than physically, than they've felt in years, the four just played together, floating up into the sky.

There were no titles or worries or burdens. It was like they had all gone back in time to their youth, where they all had dreams and the lightness in their hearts to see it through, seeing only a better tomorrow and believing that it was possible.

A pair of drowsy indigo and gold eyes softened, seeing their blond counterpart laugh so happily as he playfully pushed Dark Cacao away, the dark monarch floating upside down as he sipped at his tea with a smirk. Hollyberry was in an intense game of keepaway with Golden Cheese, the winged queen having taken her shield from her and was flying around.

With but a whim the camera that remained on the table floated up and began taking pictures of the four behaving like that, proof that even they can still have fun. "What a marvelous sight to wake up to."

Missing the slight change in the tether between them, but not missing the softly spoken words even from that distance, Pure Vanilla turned to the other, and seeing Blueberry Milk awake and smiling up at them with the camera beside his head, the healer couldn't help but give a smile as bright and warm as the sun, as he shifted in the air to face him. In doing so, his cloak billowed behind him, the eyes within it visibly upturned, all of them sporting dilated pupils, with a few even being shaped like little hearts, his voice full of glee as he called out "Bluebird! You're awake!"

The new nickname had the Sage blush himself, not seeing the little constellation eyes in his hair upturning with several having little hearts as well. "A little hard to sleep through that, but I do not mind, it's quite a nice sight to see you all having fun. And look at you Nilla! Spreading your whim like so, you're getting better and better."

Smile falling a bit at realizing that their shenanigans had unwittingly woken him, Pure Vanilla gave a sheepish chuckle, and lowered himself down closer to the other, lowering his voice so as not to wake the children "Sorry about that, we got so engaged in our shenanigans that I didn't realize how loud we were being. It was not my intention to wake you so soon after you and the little ones fell asleep." Landing by the cloud, he walked over to the edge closest to the sage's head, and sat on it, bringing his hand gently to the other's head, carefully taking the hat off, and running a hand through his hair "Go back to sleep Blue, you barely slept half an hour, if even that much."

Humming softly, eyes slipping shut as the other began to play through his hair, Blueberry Milk began to relax, the edges of sleep that had still clung to him tugging him softly back into their embrace, enticing him back to dreamland. "S'kay, was nice to hear your laughter." Slurring his words nearer the end he leaned into the healer's touch, smiling still as he slipped back to sleep.

The three Heroes hovered nearby, watching with their own soft looks at the exchange between the two. "They make a cute couple, do they not?"

Golden Cheese glanced at Dark Cacao, a little surprised given the context, but smiled, "They do. Their greed for each other is very pure, both wanting the other happy."

Beside them, Hollyberry spoke in a tone that was surprisingly soft and gentle, compared to her usually boisterous self "It's nice, to see him smile so genuinely at someone again. It's been too long since we've seen him that content, hasn't it?"

"Not since long before the Dark Flour War." Golden Cheese flicked her wings, moving over to perch on Dark Cacao's pauldrons, the cookie grumbling at her but letting it be. "Before that even! Maybe his early crowning days?"

"Nevertheless this is something I want to ensure stays on his face. That look of peace and joy."

"Me too." With a shared nod, they reached a silent consensus, to try and ensure that their friend could relax and wind down a bit more often, as well as spend time with the kids and Blueberry.

Down below, Pure Vanilla continued to caress the other's head until he was sure he was back to full sleep, before leaning down to kiss his forehead, and then getting up from the cloud with a smile, leaving his companion and kids to sleep. And as he stepped away from the cloud to look for his friends, he saw them smiling at him, two with bemusement, and one with fondness, clearly having seen his little display of affection. Something that made his cheeks flush lightly, even as he chuckled, and floated back up towards them "Well, now that he's asleep, how about I show you around my half of this place? That way they can rest in silence, and I can show you some of the other possibilities of this space."

"Yes please, this place is different than anything I've ever seen! Is there juice here by chance?"

"Hollyberry." Dark Cacao cut the other off, the magenta cookie sheepish, "Not everything requires juice, but I would take you up on that offer my dear friend on exploring here."

"I third that! This place reminds me of my Radiant Golden City!" Flapping her wings to speed along she cackled, enticing the other three into a race with her.

Something that Pure Vanilla giggled at, before his eyes lit up with mischief, and the next moment all three were zooming off after her as if propelled by the wind itself, none of them really noticing the near-invisible silhouettes of something on all of their backs: Hollyberry sporting reddish-pink wings with white frosting, reminiscent of Pitaya Dragon's own wings in shape, but with the colors of red velvet cake; Dark Cacao having two clawed-hand-like wings on his back (Yveltal-style wings), in black and white, reminiscent of the two dragons he embodied upon his ascension; and Pure Vanilla sporting white and gold feathered wings with faint yellow eye-like markings.

Silhouettes barely visible, and gone the next moment, as if they were nothing but a trick of the light.

For two hours the quartet zoomed across the other realm, asking endless questions to Pure Vanilla, whom could only answer so many of them before having to just shrug with a laugh, showing off the creations of the world he could do.

They all very much loved the giant Cream Sheep, the three tempted for a nap amongst the giant fluff.

But as all things do, their fun came to an end when they started to head back, seeing the four left behind beginning to wake.

Reaching the area where they'd left the other 4, they arrived just in time to greet and reassure the groggy cookies with their presence and words. Something that the kids appreciated as they carefully extricated themselves from Blueberry Milk, and sat up, letting him do so as well.

The nap did wonders for the four of them, the children running over to greet the Heroes with hugs, something that Dark Cacao, Hollyberry and Golden Cheese secretly delighted in while Pure Vanilla went to check on his counterpart. A little dazed but with a soft smile on his face Blueberry Milk stretched, almost flopping backwards from the relief of it, "Oh my that felt good...what a lovely nap."

Smiling down at the other, Pure Vanilla raised a hand to gently run his fingers through the blue cosmic hair in a simple motion “You seem a little more well rested, yes. Which I'm beyond glad to see. How are you feeling Blue?”

"Still tired my love." Eyes slipping shut he didn't see the pleased golden blush on the other as he leaned into the touch. "I used up a lot of magic earlier, but the nap definitely helped."

“That's good, I'm glad you could recover a bit.” calling upon his Soul Jam, the blond guided some magic through his arm and into the other's dough, something within him urging him to help the other replenish his energy, something he allowed himself to indulge in, especially when he saw Blueberry Milk smiling in relief at the gesture.

As a bit of his color returned, most noticably his hair brightening up to the night sky again, Blueberry Milk chuckled, "You don't need to do that Pure Vanilla, but thank you regardless. It helps."

The smile the healer gave him in reply was warm "I'm happy to help however I can."

Chuckling softly Blueberry Milk began to get up, summoning his key staff and lengthening it to use to walk with, leaning on it. Pure Vanilla was surprised when the other leaned in, kissing his cheek in thanks before turning, leaning on his staff. He smiled brighter when he spotted the floating Ancients. "Fun isn't it? Plus helpful if one has sore feet or just doesn't want to walk that day."

"Yes quite. I can see the appeal of such an act." Dark Cacao landed with a thunk of metal, standing at ease. "Though not too often as ones muscles would fade away."

"Oh I know. Why do you think I floated before?" At everyone's look he blushed, coughing once from embarrassment. "My legs don't quite work in this body as they should sometimes. Pins and needles and all that from...injuries. So I float."

The remark, even said in a matter of fact way, still caused the Heroes to frown slightly, none more so than the healer, who wrapped his free arm around the other's waist "That sounds like some kind of nerve damage. Is your current low level of magic affecting your ability to float Blue?"

"A little, it's quite alright Pure Vanilla. Nothing some more rest, and possibly some food later wouldn't cure." Blueberry Milk answered the second statement, not terribly concerned, "I promise it's alright, it just is how it is."

Frowning a little deeper, and fighting the urge to run more healing magic over the other's body reminding himself of the way the other had pulled away from him the last time he tried to do such a thing without warning, in the kitchen, Pure Vanilla bit the inside of his lip in worry, before he let out a sigh, and closed his eyes once more, the ones on his staff and cloak closing halfway as he nodded "Very well. But I hope someday you can let me take a look. Even if I can't fix the damage in full, I might be able to mitigate some of the issues, if only temporarily."

Stepping forward, Gingerbrave set a hand on the sage's forearm, and gave him a small smile "It's ok to accept help if it's offered to you. Especially when you're not feeling your best. Sometimes a friend's help is just what you need to push forward."

Bi-colored eyes softened, a cool hand placed over the child's own on his forearm. "Thank you Gingerbrave, I understand. This just isn't something that can really be helped, just something that I will live with. Think of it like a chronic illness of sorts."

"'Chronic illness'? Then surely having Pure Vanilla take a more thorough look at you would be warranted no?" Hollyberry crossed her arms, the normally bubbly monarch serious. "He's the greatest healer in the land after all!"

As Pure Vanilla opened his mouth to protest, Dark Cacao nodded, subconsciously touching his left forearm with his right hand "He's even gotten to the point that he can reconnect dough pieces after they've been completely separated from one another. So even if he can't heal the base problem, he may be able to at the very least, reduce your discomfort to more bearable levels, or to the point that it won't interfere with your day-to-day life as much. Whichever option it is, it can't hurt to let him at least assess the damage."

"I know he can, I observed him for a long time and know his skills are second to none but I-"

"Hey."

Gingerbrave, whose hand was still gripping the forearm of the other, had watched as Blueberry Milk began to hunch a little, and now, the child spoke up with a strange smile, one that most had never seen. Sad and something more swirling in his depths. "Can you come with me a second Blueberry Milk?"

Grateful though confused as to what the other needed but taking the way out the Sage followed the child a ways away, the group watching as the Beast near limped around a corner, only his back, his flowing hair really, visible from their angle with the brave child hidden fully.

They couldn't hear what was said in the slightest and only Pure Vanilla frowned concerned when it looked like the hair of the other lowered as if kneeling.

Strawberry and Wizard shared a look, knowing what their brother was doing, surprised he was trusting the other like that.

'He must have a reason.'

'Do you think HE too has-'

Their silent talk stopped when the two walked back, Blueberry Milk nervous but standing straight while Gingerbrave gripping the other's hand with a steady look, daring anyone to argue. "Dad, he'll let you look later, ok? Just not now."

Recognizing that something important must have gone down between them, Pure Vanilla let his shoulders slump a bit and nodded "Yes, that's fine with me." Carefully, he reached out a hand to pat the child's head, before turning back to Blueberry Milk, and letting his expression soften "But if there's any way I can help, be it something as simple as letting you lean on me, just let me know. You'll never be a bother Blue."

Soft yet tired eyes stared at Pure Vanilla for a long moment, the golden healer standing right beside him, before nodding. Pure Vanilla felt a cool weight hesitantly lean on him, gold and indigo eyes flicking away unsure.

And with no hesitation, the orchid staff was switched around to a hand construct, so that the healer could wrap his arms around the sage's waist, and pull him close to his side, supporting his weight securely, as Pure Vanilla smiled warmly "Thank you my dearest." pressing a little kiss to the other's cheek, the blond then turned back to his friends and kids "Well, now that everyone has had some time to rest, short as the nap may have been, let us get back to the outside world, shall we? We have some more things to check on and discuss, and the sooner we get that settled, the sooner we can make plans for how to approach future problems."

Before him, Dark Cacao gave a single nod of his head, holding his sword at his side "Yes, let's get out of here, and check on our people. I'm sure they must have questions."

A portal opened up, everyone going through one by one with the couple being the last ones to go, Blueberry Milk humming low, questioning, before finally asking why Pure Vanilla thanked him.

Turning to look at him at the question, the healer smiled softly, and nuzzled their cheeks together, voice a soft murmur "Because you could have claimed to be fine, or told me you didn't need any help. But you didn't. You're letting me help, even now." squeezing the arm he had around the sage, Pure Vanilla kissed the other's cheek with a soft, grateful smile "And that means a lot to me, more than I can explain. So thank you, for trusting me with your vulnerability and your needs. It means the world to me."

Leaning into the touch, returning his own kiss to the other Blueberry Milk just leaned further into him. "I didn't want to admit it in front of the others, but I am exhausted right now, to put it lightly. Between what happened in the Silver Kingdom and then rebuilding and restoring the wards here, my magic is very drained. I can't float right now, I'm barely able to keep walking as it is. So I would very much like someplace for us to sit down, if that's ok. But I will take leaning into your comforting warmth."

The honesty had Pure Vanilla grinning, and nuzzling his cheek against him, voice full of fondness “Oh good, an excuse to scoop you up and keep you comfortable! My favorite.” and before Blueberry could react, one of the sitting clouds from before swooped itself under him, and lifted him up to chest level, much in the same way that Eternal Sugar user her own cotton candy clouds to rest in, with the added benefits of feeling as warm as Pure Vanilla's own body, perfect for snuggling into.

"Woah!" Gripping the cloud from the suddenness of the movement, eyes wide as his heart skipped a beat, the other laughing at his expression, the Sage beginning to laugh as well at the situation itself. "Pure Vanilla! You didn't need to do that you worry wart."

In reply the healer just booped the sage's nose with his finger, his smile fond "Hush, I'm allowed to make sure my beloved other half is comfortable. Now, anything else you need, or can we get back to the others?"

Chapter Text

The honesty had Pure Vanilla grinning, and nuzzling his cheek against him, voice full of fondness “Oh good, an excuse to scoop you up and keep you comfortable! My favorite.” and before Blueberry could react, one of the sitting clouds from before swooped itself under him, and lifted him up to chest level, much in the same way that Eternal Sugar user her own cotton candy clouds to rest in, with the added benefits of feeling as warm as Pure Vanilla's own body, perfect for snuggling into.

"Woah!" Gripping the cloud from the suddenness of the movement, eyes wide as his heart skipped a beat, the other laughing at his expression, the Sage beginning to laugh as well at the situation itself. "Pure Vanilla! You didn't need to do that you worry wart."

In reply the healer just booped the sage's nose with his finger, his smile fond "Hush, I'm allowed to make sure my beloved other half is comfortable. Now, anything else you need, or can we get back to the others?"

"Did you just boop me." The Sage blinked, unsure if that actually just happened. He, the former Fount of Knowledge, booped! "You did, you look too smug to not have booped me." Pure Vanilla just smiled, reaching a hand up to cradle Blueberry Milk's cheek, the warmth soothing on his dough, just as much as the cloud itself, soft and comforting. "Pure Vanilla c'mon, this isn't necessary. Plus this will put me to sleep again." Already his eyes were drooping a tad, the urge to just lay on his front tempting him more and more.

The healer's smile softened at that, as he leaned forward to kiss the mark in the sage's forehead "Then sleep. After all the work you put into fixing the mess the Faerie Queen left behind, you deserve a longer rest than just a couple hours. It's ok to go to sleep, we'll take care of things as you rest. And if we need your help or counsel, I will wake you, I promise. Get some more rest love, if not your own sake, then at least for my peace of mind?"

Eyes fluttering shut at the kiss, the cradled head being lowered to rest onto his arms onto the cloud, "Hnn..k...just for a few minutes..."

The former King watched gaze soft though a tad worried, as his love gave into the call of sleep far quicker than he expected him to.

"Pure Vanilla? Is everything-oh." Dark Cacao's voice softened considerably once he saw the being on the cloud. "Is he well?"

Letting the Sage rest, and lifting the edges of the cloud up to cover him as if in a blanket, the blond left him to sleep, while he turned back to Dark Cacao, his voice quiet so as not to wake his soulmate "No, he is not. He was trying to put on a brave face, but he barely has any magic or energy to keep himself afloat, much less do anything else that may be taxing. So I'm letting him stay like this so he can get some more sleep, as well as hopefully absorb some energy from the other-realm in the process." Stepping toward the warrior and the portal, he left the cloud where it was "Let's get going then, I've made everyone else wait long enough already." Passing through, he turned his face to the others, and offered them a weak smile "Apologies for the delay, but you know how I am when those I care about aren't looking too well. Blue was falling asleep against me, so I put him back on one of the clouds, where outside noise won't bother him, so that he can keep resting."

"Will he be alright? Shouldn't we take him to the medical center then?" Golden Cheese watched the portal close, sealing it off from them before turning to her old friend. "Does he require medicine?"

"I believe he is merely exhausted in more ways than one from what happened and what he did Golden Cheese." Dark Cacao walked back to his seat, the hole from the attack before already patched as if it were never there. "He went through something very trying."

Taking a seat beside his children, Pure Vanilla shook his head at Golden Cheese's question "He will be alright after some proper rest, but medicine won't really fix what's wrong. Not only was he still technically recovering from the whole ordeal with saving us from Dark Enchantress and the other Beasts, but then the Faerie Queen went and not only disrupted the arrays in our Kingdom's defenses by overloading them with her Guardian magic, but then she also tried to overpower him to try and seal him away."

Pausing there, he loosened his white knuckled fists until they were barely holding onto his staff, and breathed in and out once to calm himself "All of that led to him lashing out to try and free himself from her apparently, which in turn, tired him out a bit. And if that wasn't enough, after I managed to calm him down, we went to check on the arrays, and he ended up restoring most of them using his own magic to clear up the blockages and add a few changes of his own. I helped him with providing my own magic, but even still, it took most of his magic."

Setting his staff against the table beside him, he busied himself with reheating the water in the teapot using the same array the sage had shown them the other day, as he spoke, unaware that he was practically babbling, something they knew he often did when worried "He said that usually such a thing wouldn't drain him as it did. Which leads me to believe that maybe the body he was given by Dark Enchantress may be... Inferior, to his original body. Not able to store as much magic maybe, or perhaps having a worse magic flow than our own. I do not know, nor will I be able to check until I can examine him and his vitals more closely. And who knows when that will be, since the last thing I want to do right now is be too pushy when he's still struggling not to hide his vulnerability from me."

Placing some tea leaves on his cup, he poured the water in, and left it to steep as he began to prepare more cups with different teas for the others as well, needing the busywork to keep his hands from fidgeting "The point of this all being that he's exhausted, and his magic is close to depleted. And while magic recovery can be sped up a bit with some medicines, and some energy tonics can give your body a boost of energy, he's... Not really at a healthy enough weight for those to really be viable without rather unpleasant side effects. What he needs is time to let his body rest and recover properly. Not much else will really help him in that regard, unfortunately."

The other monarchs just let their leader rant and pace, watching with part amused, part concerned, part relaxed gazes, taking the tea as he was making it and nodding along with him as he was making his different points.

Hollyberry leaned down to the children, "It's better to let him get it out of his system like this instead of trying to calm him." Whispering, a little smile in place. "He can be a bit of a worrywart, but he always means well."

The small trio giggled, watching their father begin now to pull out little snacks and finger foods, fretting over Blueberry Milk not eating enough and unsure of how to help him but also wanting him to get more rest. "Yeah but he wouldn't be Dad if he wasn't like that."

"No children he would not be, but that is alright."

Pure Vanilla jumped, near dropping his teapot from the voice behind him, the pot stabilizing with some stardust magic.

Looking much more refreshed Blueberry Milk floated behind him on his stomach, head tilted with a playful smile on, "My my, Silly Vanilly, what's got you in such a tizzy him? Did you forget that you froze time in there, thus letting me have far more time to rest than what passed out here?"

Caught in stunned surprise, the healer took in the other in a matter of moments, noting the fact that he was floating at well above head level, had no trace of dark circles under his eyes, no hint of exhaustion in the line of his shoulders, and whose eyes staring back at him looked bright and full of life and mischief... And felt the gnarled knot of anxiety and worry within his chest promptly melt away into nothing, replaced instead by a feeling of relief and glee so intense, that it made him plop back down into his chair, even as his lips curled into a bright smile, his misty eyes closing, though the ones in his cloak looked up at him with upturned, teary gazes, half of which sported heart pupils as he muttered "My Bluebird."

Reaching his hands up, he rested them in the Sage's cheeks, and feeling the other's cheeks moving under his hands as the blue cookie smiled at him, he let out a quiet little laugh, and spoke with only the faintest of trembles in his voice "You actually did get some rest. There's no more exhaustion in the corners of your eyes, nor in the line of your shoulders. Thank goodness. I was worried you would try and push through your exhaustion regardless." moving his hands from Blueberry's face to his shoulders, the healer pulled him into a hug, and let his shoulders fully relax as he murmured "Thank you for letting yourself rest. That's such a great weight off of my shoulders, you have no idea."

Chuckling softly, a happy blush in place at the endearment, Blueberry Milk wrapped his arms around the other, floating down a little lower so it was easier for the both of them. "Well your little cloud was stubborn, and incredibly comfortable and warm. It was quite easy to take a nice long rest in your half of the other realm, slept for about...16 hours I think? Probably more if I am to be honest." Hiding his face in the crook of the other's neck he allowed himself to relax in his hold, content as could be before pulling back, a teasing smile in place. "I...wouldn't say no to some of the food you're bringing out my little thief."

The hug made Pure Vanilla smile and wrap his arms more securely around him, holding him close and nuzzling him when Blueberry hid his face in his neck, before reluctantly loosening his hold when the other pulled away, though keeping one arm around the sage's waist wanting him close, even as he smiled happily "Of course, there's plenty for everyone!"

Golden Cheese, having felt the surge of possessiveness from the healer when he refused to remove his arm, just grinned widely as she asked "Do you two need a moment to yourselves?"

Something that made Pure Vanilla flush and turn to her with a flustered call of "Golden Cheese!"

Only for her to cross her arms with a smirk "What? I had to ask, considering how unwilling you are to let go of him, now that he's back with you."

Dark Cacao just yanked on her crown, "Golden Cheese, let the cookie be. He was concerned over his new love it is only natural he would want him close and keep him there, especially after what happened before. Which by the way, Blueberry Milk, are you recovered?" The Cacaoian turned to the former Beast, the other having lowering his hovering to be closer to Pure Vanilla, reclining in the air.

The Sage nodded, holding out his hand and making a little gold star, "I am mostly recovered yes, the rest did wonders for my levels and Pure Vanilla had already healed my minor injuries. The only thing remaining is getting a little food in me."

"Then let's not dilly dally! Come come! What do you require, Pure Vanilla has quite a spread here but if you require something else I, Hollyberry, shall get it for you my friend!"

"There's no need for that, what is here is more than enough." Settling right beside the healer so as not to dislodge the arm around him, sensing that Pure Vanilla wanted him close, Shadow Milk looked at the spread, before choosing one of the small finger sandwiches, along with a cup of mint tea that he chilled with a small cooling array, taking a small bite, and looking down at it in surprise, not having expected the savory flavor of smoked jellysteak jerky and melty cheese, but being pleasantly surprised all the same.

And so he went, trying small bites of each type, asking the healer what they each were, and making mental notes of the ones he enjoyed. And for all the ones that he ended up not particularly liking, he watched Pure Vanilla snatch out of his hands and eat in two bites, much to his slight bemusement, seeing exactly what the other was doing (removing the guilt from not wanting to take the remaining bites), but being grateful all the same.

The Ancients watched their healer tend to his love, the sight almost giving them cavities with how sweet it was (Dark Cacao would later swear it did give him cavities), how gentle he was being with the Beast of Deceit and in turn how the Sage was opening up, little by little, to the other's care and attention.

The children were just quietly giggling the entire time, watching their Dad and...step dad? They weren't sure what to call Blueberry Milk yet, but it was adorable what the two were doing.

It was a quiet, simple meal between the friends and children, comparing their thoughts on the sandwiches, Blueberry Milk sharing a few tales of some meats that he hadn't seen yet done here and how the flavors compared. Golden Cheese was very much put out by this, as some of them sounded absolutely delicious (and the fact that a few were only eaten by the extremely wealthy or Soul Jam Holders just heightened her Greed).

While they weren't sure if meat was able to be recreated through the other realm's shenanigans (they agreed to experiment with it later), they assured her they would try to grow some of the new plants they'd recreated to make novel foods. Something that both Dark Cacao and the kids made sure to encourage, remembering the delicious dish of ratatouille the sage had made before. A sight that appeased her, as well as giving Hollyberry something to look forward to, the two heroines chuckling at the excitement in the children's eyes. Following that, promises were made for the trading of supplies, including the potential of sharing a few of the new plants Blue had recreated, if they proved to cultivate well outside of the greenhouses they were currently in, as well as a further reinforcement of their new stance with the Silver Kingdom and its people.

All of them were in agreement, same as before. The only time that they would be in contact with the Silver Kingdom is via envoy sent, and only then, when it directly involved the Cake Witch. All trades, commerce and the like were to be cut off.

Thankfully none of their people were in the Silver Kingdom, nor vice versa, or everything would have been far more complicated than what originally entailed.

And under no circumstance (from Pure Vanilla) was Blueberry Milk to ever be left alone in the general vicinity of any member of the Silver Kingdom. He was to have at least two others with him, be it them or those they trusted.

The Heroes expected some sort of resistance from this, but besides some grumbling about overprotective thieves, said in the most fond tone, the Sage didn't protest.

Something that soothed the healer's heart immensely, knowing that he wouldn't have to fear the other being taken from him without warning again.

And with those worries assuaged, and the tea renewed, the group set about discussions of how to handle the other Beasts, and whether to try and reach out to offer some kind of peace offering, or leave them be for the moment.

Lifting his cup to take a drink Blueberry Milk paused, ears flicking as he frowned confused. Setting it down and standing with one swift motion he summoned his cane, opening a portal and moving towards it, stopping only a moment to stare at the group, "Someone's here that I wasn't expecting, Moon Drop just informed me. Stay near the children, and Queen Hollyberry, please stay here with them."

"I am coming with you." "I am as well." Dark Cacao and Golden Cheese both stood up, intent clear. They weren't going to let the other go off by himself, not after what happened.

Sensing the seriousness, Hollyberry agreed to stay, while Pure Vanilla, despite the internal voice screeching at him to follow after, also agreed to stay, but only after Blueberry Milk agreed to let Dark Cacao and Golden Cheese come with him, something that the sage didn't protest, knowing they were worried for him. Nor did he protest when an ethereal golden eye peeled itself from the walls, and glued itself to his clothing, over his chest. If it helped his soulmate be at ease, he didn't mind an extra reminder of the other's care.

So with a wave of the Sage's hand, Dark Cacao, Golden Cheese and him passed through the portal, leaving the three kids and two heroes behind on the meeting room.

Moon Drop watched from where he leaned on the side of a building in disguise, observing a winged pink cookie and a dark purple armored cookie walk leisurely side by side through the market, chatting lightly with stall owners, even buying a few jelly's to snack on.

The second he had seen the two he alerted Master Blueberry Milk Cookie, sensing the other moving.

He had been trying to find the other for over an hour now, having first sensed his vanishing from the Kingdom, then something horrible had to have happened when he and Green Apple shifted by to their former selves (thankfully both of them were alone when it happened) before shifting back.

'And now this. When I find that Pure Vanilla, if he had anything to do with what's happened, I'm shoving my staff where the sun will never shine' Following the two stiff, shifting disguises from one blink to the next, he relaxed marginally when they turned down a dirt path to a less used park from his observations, at the end of it the Sage of Truth stood with the Holders of Resolution and Abundance. Staying in the shadows for now he only observed, ready to aid when needed.

When he spotted them Blueberry Milk showed no reaction beyond the slight clenching of his hand on his staff, gaze flickering between the two. "Eternal Sugar, Silent Salt. To what do we owe this surprise visit."

"I would also like to know how you both are here as well." Ever the warrior Dark Cacao stood right beside the blue cookie, expecting an answer. Golden Cheese just hovered close by, not hostile but wary.

"Why, we walked through the gate, the same as everyone else." Folding her wings demurely, the same patient smile on her face as she folded her hands. "I teleported us to the edge of the Kingdom to a lovely little area, then we joined the groups walking in. We gave our names for them to jot down and we walked through."

Blueberry Milk was watching his 'sister' closely Were they even siblings anymore?, his Soul Jam silent, no sense of lying.

She was telling the truth.

Silent Salt turned his head towards Dark Cacao and Golden Cheese, a bare twitch that they both saw, before turning down to Eternal Sugar, the pink cookie fluttering up an inch, "Oh yes! Thank you Silent Salt, I do get distracted don't I? To answer your question, we wanted to see how you were doing. That was quite the spectacle you put on Shadow Milk-" Only the faintest wince from the Sage at the name "-quite a lovely trick. Surprised us all, even Mystic Flour! I thought it was simply delightful to be back in my Garden. Dark Enchantress Cookie though, oh my, her rage shook all of Beast Yeast, such a frightful temper she has."

Golden Cheese's hand gripped her spear tightly, "Oh? And what did the Cake Witch have to say?"

Eternal Sugar's gaze shifted to the short monarch, golden wings fanning out in challenge even as soft pink stayed shut, "Why, she ordered the Beast of Deceit to be captured, it didn't matter to her alive or dead."

The easy, calm utterance had all three cookies pausing, thinking it over briefly, before Dark Cacao was speaking up in a neutral tone "You came here to drag him back into danger. And yet, you were not stopped by this Kingdom's defenses. These are incongruent facts."

At his side, Golden Cheese tilted her head a bit to the side, as if studying a particularly interesting design on a golden coin "You're not truly here to do what you've been ordered to, are you? If you were, you would have already acted."

The Beast of Sloth just tilted her head, a soft smile in place still, "Why I never said that we were here to do that. I merely answered your question with what Dark Enchantress Cookie said. She ordered her minions those specific instructions, nothing more. I have stated that we were here to check up on Shadow Milk after-"

"Blueberry Milk."

Eternal Sugar turned to the blue cookie, the other having place a hand on his chest, the golden eye hovering before it to keep watch, his Soul Jam glittering. "My name. It's Blueberry Milk again. I may still be the Beast of Deceit, but I am more than that, and I refuse to be anything less. Just as your statements says more than what you say it to be, Eternal Sugar Cookie."

For a moment, silence reigned between them all, heavy with tension and uncertainty. And the next, something in the woman's serene expression was shifting, the placid smile turning a little more warm and genuine, as her eyes gained the smallest sheen of moisture. A shift so small that he wouldn't have noticed it if he hadn't been looking for it. But he did, which made her next words hit differently as she spoke them "Blueberry Milk, huh? Yes, you do look and feel happier than the last time we saw you. I'm glad. It's been far too long since I've sensed you this happy and content. I never thought I'd feel such a thing again."

"I am happier. More than I've been since our corruption Eternal Sugar." Looking between them both once more Blueberry Milk weighed his words, thinking over hers. "Why did you take so long to come here. The spell that I used wore off on you four a mere day or so after I cast it, you've had double that time free of Beast Yeast. You could have come here before. Why wait?" Dark Cacao and Golden Cheese both were interested in these questions, letting the Sage of Truth take charge for now. The lack of their own Beasts setting them a bit more at ease with these two, Hollyberry having said that Eternal Sugar was different than the others they described to her, and Silent Salt was an unknown.

The whole time the Knight merely stood at ease, sword put away, arms crossed. If one didn't know better...he'd almost look boredly relaxed.

Eternal Sugar hummed at the other's question, "Why indeed. Why would the four remaining Beast Cookies just sit in our domains, instead of trying to free Dark Enchantress from her island. Why would we bother checking up on the fifth who left us? Why would Silent Salt and I bother coming here at all?"

"You wanted to check up on me. You haven't lied, not once." Blueberry Milk frowned, thoughtful, tilting his head at the serene angel. "You want to know how I did it."

"Freedom."

The two Beasts, former and current, froze at the almost metallic sounding voice, whipping their heads to Silent Salt.

A sight that was mirrored in a somewhat less extreme way by the two Heroes, their own eyes wide as they stared at the armored figure, as if wondering if they truly had heard correctly.

And in the next moment, Eternal Sugar was reaching out to take one of the Knight's gauntlet covered hands into her own, her expression one of surprise and awe, before she let out a soft trembling laugh, and turned back to Blueberry Milk with visible tears in her eyes “Sea Salt always did have a way with words, didn't he? Concise and to the point, never a breath wasted.”

Blueberry Milk's hands shook, forcing him to clench his cane tighter to steady himself, "Yes...yes he did Rose Sugar."  Taking a steadying breath he turned to the two monarchs beside him, voice soft, "I ask your pardon, you both, for my reaction. It's...it's been a very long time since I've heard my baby brother speak."

Blinking out of their shock, the two looked briefly at one another, before turning back to the Sage with more neutral expressions, Dark Cacao being the one to speak up “There is no problem. It honestly surprised us too.“

Crossing her arms with her spear pointed down and away from the two Beasts, Golden Cheese gave a clearly curious look “It clearly surprised you and Eternal Sugar too, so at the very least it seems genuine.“ with that, she turned towards Dark Cacao, lifting the of her brows in a clear gesture of question, before the Swordmaster sighed and shrugged, the tip of his sword resting on the ground, at ease.

Turning back to the Beasts, Golden Cheese tilted her head, her wings relaxing from their wide, spread stance, and smirked “I suppose that we should hear the opinions of this Kingdom's rulers then, if we're to proceed any further.“

As if waiting for that very moment, a golden portal materialized itself beside Blueberry Milk, and as the sage looked down at the eye over his chest, he found it was slightly upturned, a clear sign of agreement from its owner on that decision.

Having been prepared to ask Pure Vanillla, the sight of the portal relaxed Blueberry Milk, and with a quiet sigh and a slightly bemused smile, he gestured to the portal "Well, it seems you are being invited to a neutral area where we can speak unobstructed. Will you follow through with your words and pursue the answers you want? Then step through, they are waiting." him, smiling softly, amused.

Eternal Sugar's wings flared a bit at the sudden portal before she laughed, "Following the Fount of Knowledge to seek my answers? Why, it feels we've gone back in time hasn't it brother?" Silent Salt said nothing, merely taking a step forward, tugging the pink Cookie along behind Golden Cheese and Dark Cacao, Blueberry Milk following last, the portal closing behind him.

Moon Drop sighed 'This is going to be an interesting headache...' Before flying off to find Green Apple.

Chapter Text

The meeting room was the same as before, bar this time two new chairs waiting opposite side of the table. Hollyberry and Pure Vanilla stood beside the three children, the trio holding hands with Gingerbrave in the middle.

The group stood still a moment, the Lights of Abundance and Resolution moving to the other side nearer the children while the three Beasts stood away, Pure Vanilla itching to go to his beloved but unwilling to leave the children.

Blueberry Milk made to walk over when a soft hand held his own, Eternal Sugar smiling once more when he turned to her, "I've never seen you in such an unkempt state Blueberry Milk...what happened to you? We felt your anger and fear before in Beast Yeast not even an hour ago."

The sage pursed his lips, unsure how to reply... Before Pure Vanilla's voice was cutting through the silence, speaking in a clipped tone "The Faerie Queen happened." The Healer's colder tone, and the neutral expressions on all the Heroes, even the normally upbeat Hollyberry and the three kids, had Eternal Sugar's smile falling to a brief look of surprise, sensing that something had gone down.

And her expression only went more shocked when Silent Salt dropped his sword to the floor with a clang, and stepped away from her, taking a few steps closer to the nervous kids, before kneeling on the floor facing them, and slowly reached up to remove his helmet and set it down on the floor beside him, revealing the scarred face of a young man, set in an expression that was equal parts sadness and understanding. An expression that remained, even as he deliberately touched the spot below his collarbones and two spots on the top of his head with his gauntlet covered hands, the meaning clear even without him having to utter a single word.

"...Not every Ancient Hero was as welcoming of my switching sides as the four are." Blueberry Milk uttered, walking over beside Pure Vanilla. "Her stance was made very clear, and the result of all that, is before you."

Gingerbrave's hands trembled a little in his siblings when Silent Salt first approached, only for the trio to freeze when he knelt down. The scars reminded them all of Dark Choco Cookie or Dark Cacao, the scars of a warrior. Though Silent Salt's violet eyes were far sadder and older than theirs.

When he mimed where their Fragments were the brave child nodded, "Y-Yeah...I have the Light of Unity. Strawberry is Light of Harmony and Light of Integrity is Wizard's. W-we have the Light of Freedom now. Because we believe that Freedom should be a chance that every Cookie has."

"Our Kingdom is about second chances, a new beginning." Wizard shrunk a little when the Beast of Silence's gaze turned to him, steady. "The Faerie Queen...she was going to seal Blueberry Milk away."

Silent Salt and Eternal Sugar both froze at that, turning quickly to the blue cookie.

Only to see the sage standing right up against Pure Vanilla's side, the Healer's arm wrapped around his waist and keeping him close, while their heads rested against one another in a clearly intimate gesture, a white hand construct gently petting the sage's hair reassuringly in what was clearly a gesture of safety and comfort that Blueberry Milk was actively leaning into, needing the comfort and for once not caring how it may look to others.

Blueberry's eyes were closed, just like Pure Vanilla's were, but the eyes on the healer's cloak and the Sage's cape were wide open and staring at the two Beasts, Pure Vanilla's voice steady and strong with resolve "She not only misused her powers to tear down this Kingdom's defenses, but she also interrupted an important diplomatic meeting, kidnapped our newest ally from our midst, and then attempted to subdue and contain him by force. However, all that action accomplished, was to push him into a state of fight of flight, and serve as a rather unpleasant wake-up call for us. He defended himself from her, and we followed after him to face off against her."

Standing straighter, the Healer's expression became steely "In failing to contact us or communicate her intentions clearly, in going through with her plans without regard for anyone but her own opinion? She put this Kingdom and its people at risk of attack, kidnapped a cookie that was doing no harm to anyone at the time, a cookie whose only wish was to be given a second chance at a life with friends. In stepping over the authority of this Kingdom's rulers and her own fellow Heroes, she revealed herself to be intolerant of change, ignorant of another's right to Freedom, and utterly devoid of empathy for one of the very victims of the Witches that she so abhors. If anything, she became more like them, in her pursuit of her single-minded focus."

Breathing in and out once, he continued in a neutral tone "It was not the first time she ignored warnings and overstepped her place in pursuit of her own ideas, but it certainly was her last as a Hero. And for all this, she's now no longer considered an ally to any of our Kingdoms, except in the event of a confrontation against Dark Enchantress herself. And even then, only out of necessity. She will not be forgiven for her transgressions this time."

Eternal Sugar's smile had fallen completely, her pink dough paling to match that of Mystic Flour. "Oh Blueberry Milk darling...she almost put you-"

"Into the T-tree. Yes." Shivering in Pure Vanilla's arms, staying close by his warmth his spoke in a neutral, dead tone. "She had bound my Soul Jam of Deceit somehow in her power, I was injured and concussed by her Silver Faeries. I couldn't break free and she wouldn't listen, and when I saw the Tree rising up and her words...I snapped. And I became Shadow Milk once more. I attacked the Silver Kingdom in my terror and fear. I became a monster"

"No. You were scared, anyone would be Blueberry Milk." Hollyberry spoke up, the first time since the two Beasts arrived, her frown deepening. "You hold no blame for what happened, only her. And you still kept somewhat control of yourself, for you didn't kill any cookie, and all damage was reversed immediately once you calmed."

Silent Salt looked over at the Sage of Truth along with Eternal Sugar, the angel moving closer, an upset look upon her brow, "That should not have happened...say the word Blueberry Milk, and my Garden will swarm that Kingdom. Silent Salt's Archers will block the sun."

To everyone's surprise the Sage shook his head, "No Sugar. No. What they did is wrong, but if you did that it would just give them even more of a reason to hate you both."

Squeezing his siblings' hands, Gingerbrave spoke up "The Faerie Kingdom hurt him, but Blueberry Milk doesn't want to hurt them back, and neither do we. The breaking of alliances is already going to be a big blow, so there's no need to antagonize each other further anymore. Please, let that Kingdom stay isolated as it is now. We have more important things to worry about than them."

Eternal Sugar hummed, gliding over to hover behind her brother who was still staring at the young cookies. "Such young cookies, barely out of the Oven! Yet, the Happiness you three exclude, matching that of the very earth and air of this Kingdom...you very clearly love it."

"We all do." Blueberry Milk, hand tucked into Pure Vanilla's own, went to stand near them. "It's...I'm seeing it as my home. They've been so kind to me and Moon Drop and Green Apple. I'm not expected to be anything other than me, and they value my council."

"Blueberry Milk we like you for more than just that. You're really sweet and funny."

"You make some of the best food ever!"

"Y-you care about us, we feel safe with you."

The Sage blushed brightly at the children turning to him, backs to the two Beasts, trusting their friends to protect them as they smiled at the scholar.

And after a moment, Blueberry Milk let go of Pure Vanilla's hand, to instead open his arms a bit, something that the children happily recognized, and walked forward to hug him, giving a little squeeze, before loosening their hold and pulling back with bright, happy smiles.

Only for Wizard to then look between the sage and healer a couple times, as if debating something... Before his eye upturned in mischief, and he spoke in a slightly teasing tone “Plus, if you're going to be dating dad from now on, that kind of makes you our second dad too. So it's only natural we'd try to get along, no?“

The remark had both cookies in question flushing deeply, Blueberry giving a surprised, embarrassed squeak, and Pure Vanilla calling out a shocked “Wizard Cookie!“ that had all the kids snickering, and his Hero companions smiling.

Soft though quick clapping had them turn to Eternal Sugar Cookie, the angel's wings fluttering in surprise and joy, "Oh! Oh Blueberry Milk! You and your other half?~" The Sage flushed deeper at that, nodding even as he gave Pure Vanilla a shy smile. The little squeak that Eternal Sugar let out had him turning back, only for his eyes to wide in shock as the woman flew over to Hollyberry Cookie, grabbing her hands gently, "Oh did you hear that my dearest? Did you know about them? This is such joyous news my other half~"

A loud clang had everyone jump, Golden Cheese rubbing at her forehead, spear still rocking slightly where she had dropped it. "Hollyberry. Cookie. When you said that your experience with your Beast was 'different' and you refused to elaborate on it, this is one of those things that need explaining in full!"

"I agree with Golden Cheese Cookie on this one...and please tell me that Mystic Flour doesn't harbor such feelings? I do not know how to handle that." Dark Cacao sat back down in his chair, wondering absently if he could just toss himself in the Licorice Sea.

In reply the Valkyrie squeezed the white winged cookie's hands gently, even as she turned her face to Golden Cheese, and gave a sheepish shrug "How was I supposed to bring it up after your own reports about your encounters with Burning Spice and Mystic Flour, without it sounding like I was mocking your struggles? You told me your Beast ripped out your wings, and you said you were nearly crumbled to flour. I couldn't think of any way to tell the truth without it seeming like I was making fun of you. What was I supposed to say? 'Oh me? Yes, my Beast offered me a place at her side in her very own slice of paradise, where I could forget all my mistakes and the pains of my past, and just live a life of blissful ignorance, with no hard work nor sadness.' Would you have believed me had I told you the truth?"

Golden Cheese hesitated a moment, knowing the woman was right. If she had been told that Hollyberry basically had paradise handed to her, after all that she and Dark Cacao went through, she would have called the woman insane. "Fine fine, but still, that's something that you should have told us before."

"My offer does remain open forever more my dearest~ Why your friends can even join us! Free of worry and pain forever in my Garden of Delights~"

Blueberry Milk sighed, knowing his sister meant well, but this was not the way to go about it. "Remember what I told you before."

Eternal Sugar merely waved her hand, "Yes yes, a smothering love will drive her away-" "You gave love advice to Eternal Sugar about me?" Hollyberry interrupted the pink cookie, looking at the suddenly blushing Blueberry Milk.

Studiously looking away from the Valkyrie, Blueberry Milk shrugged as he nibbled on his lower lip “I admit, when I spoke to her, I was... Still rather annoyed at losing Truthless Recluse, and hadn't quite come to accept the offer Pure Vanilla made me after his ascension, so... I went to Eternal Sugar's Garden, hoping to grab something to try and change Nilly's mind. And seeing how, in trying to mold him to my image and keep him with me didn't work out as I planned, I figured I'd warn her against trying the same, lest her counterpart leave her too.”

Though before Blueberry Milk could continue, the healer at his side just raised a brow and spoke in a bemused tone, his expression soft “But you were the one to run away from me and my offer of friendship Blue.“

Flushing dark blue, the Scholar just gave the healer an embarrassed half glare “Th-that's irrelevant and beside the point! You still changed from what I tried to mold you into, which is the most important part!”

"But would you have been happy dear Blueberry Milk? Your Happiness hasn't been so pure and lovely in many millennia, it grows more ever with every move your dearest love makes~" Blueberry Milk flushed even more at Eternal Sugar basically outting him in such a fashion, Pure Vanilla getting a dopey smile on his face. Even the other Ancients couldn't help their smiles at the duo.

"...No I wouldn't have been. What I did to him was one of the worst mistakes I have ever made in my very long life." Blueberry Milk looked over when warm fingers laced with his own, squeezing. Pure Vanilla's gaze was soft. "I'll never stop apologizing for what I did to you Pure Vanilla...forcing you to be the Truthless Recluse-" The Sage's voice gave out on him, hand squeezing tightly.

And in response, the healer just smiled softly, and squeezed back, his voice gentle "And as I've said before, I forgave you the moment I offered you my hand in friendship after my ascension. That hasn't changed, nor will it ever change." Shaking his head, he glanced briefly at the kids, then back at Blueberry Milk "Besides, me turning into Truthless Recluse allowed us to grow a little closer, as well as let me see things from your perspective. I do not regret that, especially since it allowed me to reach a better understanding, not just of you, me, and our situation as wielders of Truth and Deceit, but also of my own place in our reality." then his expression shifted into a playful smile, as he brought the scholar's hand up to his lips "Besides, it also allowed me to witness your struggles and understand your own needs a bit better. Which in turn, led to me putting my trust in you. A trust that you returned in kind, even it it took you a little while to come back to my side." the last was said with fondness, and a distinct hint of teasing.

From beside Hollyberry, Eternal Sugar cooed, and clapped her hands daintily, her eyes alight with joy "Just like me and my darling Hollyberry! She too left me out of worry, but she eventually returned to my side to save me from getting hurt by the crumbling of my Garden! She protected me and offered me her grace, before leaving to tend to her people's return to their Kingdom." turning her gaze to the armored woman, she allowed her smile to grow softer, and distinctly more lovestruck "I still think you could have stayed and lived by my side, but I've come to accept that our paths to reaching happiness and fulfillment are far different from one another. I look upon your heart, and even through the strife you faced since we parted, I sense your Happiness in seeing your people getting back on their feet and building a new life for themselves."

Shaking her head, she took one of Hollyberry's large hands in her dainty ones, staring at the difference between the shield user's tan, calloused palms, and Sugar's own pale, smooth, unblemished hands, as she spoke "I do not quite understand why they'd choose to struggle and work day and night, rather than live comfortable lives in a place where all their needs are met, but... Even I can not deny the happiness I sense from all your people as they steadily put their effort into rebuilding what was lost. I do not understand it, but I do see that it is, in its own way, a different form of fulfillment. One that my Garden cannot replicate, even though I've tried to do so, after you left me."

"Because Happiness without Passion behind it, is just Sloth Eternal Sugar. Yes, pain is inevitable outside of the Garden of Delights. But that pain, that strife, makes those moments of happiness so much more worth it!" Hollyberry grinned, squeezing the dainty hand back with a laugh, "And Hollyberrians certainly know both! We strive to better ourselves, to live every day to the fullest no matter what. Though your Garden was incredible, a welcome retreat from the world, it isn't our place to just rest while there is work to be done, cookies to be helped and saved, and Dark Enchantress and her ilk to be stopped."

While the group spoke Silent Salt stood off to the side, merely observing. His sword was back with him, though sheathed, arms relaxed down as he just watched. A little tug had him turning, spotting the two male children close by, tugging on his torn, wisping cape with fascinated looks on their faces. Both of them froze, eyes wide at being caught, the Knight just tilting his head, wondering what they were doing.

And after a moment of silent, awkward staring, Gingerbrave smiled sheepishly "Uuuuh... Sorry? We were kinda curious to see if it was a real cape or not, since it kinda looks like a mix of fire and smoke."

At his side, Wizard was looking at the substance held between his fingers with awe "I was pretty sure it was an illusion of sorts, but it's actually a physical thing, huh. How does that even work?"

"Magic. Mimics wind." Silent Salt said, tilting his head as the two children considered this. "Wind, speciality magic. I control it."

"Ohh like how Dad's is Light?" The Knight nodded, the brave child beaming at getting the comparison right. "Yeah! That's so cool! So how do you do it? Like do you use magic or..."

"My magic." Taking the other part of his cape he cut off part of the magic, letting it fall still, inanimate. Wizard Cookie inspected it closer, comparing it. The magic of the Knight flowed through the fabric, something innate and subconscious. Silent Salt watched, slightly amused, as the two children, their sister from the side, inspecting the 'living' cape with no small amount of awe.

The sight of the children's intrigued faces had him smiling almost imperceptibly, especially upon seeing them use their hands to touch between the moving side of his cape and the floppy, unmoving area, the questions practically radiating off of them, even without them uttering a single word yet. Even his reputation as a Beast didn't seem to curb their curiosity as they poked and prodded at his cape, the scholarly child staring intently at it, as if trying to figure out its secrets purely from observation.

Strawberry Cookie even got closer, eyes wide as she listened to Wizard, while GingerBrave was gushing over how cool the entire thing was, firing off question after question, mostly about how if he would look good in a cape like that.

The adults had quieted when Silent Salt had spoken before, all watching with soft looks in the case of Blueberry Milk and Eternal Sugar, and surprised, curious ones in the eyes of the Ancients. "My my now doesn't that take us back in time Blueberry Milk hm~?"

"Indeed it does." The Sage glanced over at Pure Vanilla when the healer squeezed his hand. "Salt adores children, always has. He could often be found, when not attending his duties in building his Kingdom in the Salt Plains and creating what would become the Silver Kingdom, he would be with children, watching over them or even 'training' them in various ways, usually by letting them 'win' spars. He was fiercely protective over them."

The new information, both in regards to Silent Salt's life as a Virtue, as well as the new revelation that the Silver Kingdom was at least partially built by him, had all the Heroes' eyes widening in surprise, none of them having expected such a revelation to be shared so openly and without prompting. And yet, considering his previous, unprompted reaction to the kids (abandoning his sword behind him, in favor of approaching them to check on how they were feeling), it truly wasn't hard to believe the remarks about him. Especially the expression on the young man's scarred face was set in a small, fond look of indulgence, as if the barrage of questions and comments didn't bother him in the slightest.

Silent Salt's expression remained soft, if at first glance stoic, as the children continued to pester him with questions, even though he wasn't speaking at all. GingerBrave had moved on to inspect his armor, fascinated by it while Wizard and Strawberry were still going on about his cape, watching it ripple.

Eternal Sugar's wings gave a little flutter at feeling her brother's happiness. "Such a sight meant to be treasured is it not? If only Mystic Flour and Burning Spice could see such a thing."

Blinking in surprise, Pure Vanilla seemed to glance briefly at Blueberry Milk, before he allowed himself a tiny smile as he murmured "Well, we do have a camera, if you'd like a picture?"

"'Camera?' What's a 'camera'." Eternal Sugar tried out the word, turning to her elder brother. "Is this something new?"

"Yes, do you remember Obscura Cookie and that invention they were designing, rambling on about for ages before our...incident?"

"Oh that little oddball Cookie, kept blowing themselves up with black powder. Rice had her hands full with that one~"

"That's the one. They were creating a device that could capture a moment in time to be viewed, exactly like a painted portrait but done in less than a fraction of the time."

Golden Cheese leaned over to Dark Cacao and Hollyberry, eyebrows raised, "Are...are they discussing what I think they are?

The Cacaoian hummed before nodding “Yes, I believe so. Then again, we, or at least I also struggled with some of those new technologies in our own lives, so I can't really judge.“

Meanwhile, Hollyberry had taken the camera that Pure Vanilla had brought out, and took a few pictures of the kids and Silent Salt, before turning it on her two yellow/gold and brown friends, and taking a picture of them with a grin and a joyful laugh.

Eternal Sugar gave a jump at the flash, Silent Salt stoic as ever, but the angel couldn't help her awed look when a miniature portrait was printed out, just as her brother said, capturing a moment in time. "This is incredible...it was instant! Salt! Salt look at this! It's you and the children!" Taking the photograph she rushed over, gushing over it and showing the Knight who had a look of intrigue, the most expression he had shown bar that which he shared with the children.

Blueberry Milk chuckled, turning to the four Ancients. "My Light enabled me to quickly catch up with modern times to a point, and I had a lot of time in my Spire waiting for you Pure Vanilla to eventually seek me out as I knew you would. While minor things, such as food and the like, I am missing, others such as the invention of the camera, hasn't." Here he grinned, a little proud, "It also helps that I was one of the ones working personally with the cookie who invented it, I'm glad they took my suggestion of creating a smaller flash to capture darker areas."

Tittering behind his hand, Pure Vanilla smiled “Yes, I suppose being the holder of Knowledge would indeed make it easier to advise people on how to improve their creations. I'm glad that there were such talented cookies that managed to figure out how to build such a machine. It's been a wonderful addition to all cookies' lives.“

Through all this, the kids were telling Sugar and Salt all about how one could take pictures to save for later, a frozen moment in time, to look back on fondly someday. As well as how collections of such pictures could be grouped and stored into a book of sorts, called an 'album of photographs', or simply, a 'photo album'.

Eternal Sugar's eyes grew wider and wider at that, of keeping photographs in such a way forever. With a little giddy squeal she flew over to Hollyberry, the Ancients all confused and the pink one shocked when the Beast of Sloth gently grabbed her hand with the camera, turning it around and aiming it at them both, smiling widely. "Smile dearest~!"

Before Hollyberry could blink the spots out of her eyes from the sudden flash Eternal Sugar was gone, camera with her, as she rushed over to Blueberry Milk and Pure Vanilla, gathering them close and repeating the motion, the blue cookie laughing at her antics as he was smooshed together between the two powerful cookies, smiling for his sister as she took their picture, before once more the angel raced off towards the children, kneeling down behind them with Silent Salt, flaring her wings behind them and using her magic to levitate the camera before the quintet.

And in the face of such clear, giddy excitement just like a little kid being given their new favorite toy, the kids couldn't help but laugh too as they faced the camera with amused grins, making no effort to pull away from either Beast as they let her take two pictures, all of them sure that she was genuine in her giddy joy.

Once the pictures were printed out from the camera and Eternal Sugar got to coo at them Blueberry Milk levitated the camera back to Pure Vanilla, giving an apologetic stare to him and Hollyberry. "I apologize on her behalf, she can be very excitable."

In reply the magenta-clad woman just laughed merrily, while the healer shook his head, and used one hand construct to grab the camera, his voice distinctly fond "Oh please, it's more than alright. It's nice to see such genuine excitement from her, especially with such a simple thing as this." With a wave of his hand, the construct brought the camera back to Eternal Sugar, hovering in front of her, as Pure Vanilla turned to address her "Would you like to keep it for yourself? I get the feeling you'll get much more enjoyment and use out of it than I will."

The Beast of Sloth froze, hesitating a moment with her hand outreached, looking to Hollyberry, an action that the other monarchs noticed. The Queen Mother just beamed, gesturing for her to take it, "He'd be sad if you didn't take it, and don't you want to spread Joy? You taking it, and taking many photographs of happy moments to share with others can accomplish that."

The words seemed to do the trick, and after only another short pause, the woman took the camera from the construct and held it close with a beaming smile and a “Thank you!“ that Pure Vanilla simply chuckled at as he murmured “It's no trouble.“

And then the eyes on his cloak were turning back to the kids, only to see them chatting quietly with the former Beast of Silence, GingerBrave having the Beast's arm in his hands as he looked at the armored gauntlet, his own smaller hands tracing the dark metal with quiet awe, clearly enraptured by the feel of the cool metal.

Blueberry Milk smiled when Dark Cacao leaned over, murmuring about that, causing him to whisper as well. "If there's any of us Five Beasts you can trust around children, it's him. He may not look it but he's very gentle around them."

"Hmmm...." A faint memory rose up for Dark Cacao, of another dark armored warrior with a small child examining the armor excitedly. Shaking his head, banishing the moment to the past he stood straighter, looking at Eternal Sugar then his friends. "Come, let us continue our discussion, it is more imperative now and we have a rare opportunity with the Beasts of Silence and Sloth willing to extend a....temporary cease fire such as this no?"

The adults nodded, Pure Vanilla about to summon a chair for the woman but Eternal Sugar just made a cloud for herself. The children didn't return to the table, still absorbed in their interactions with Silent Salt. They couldn't explain it, but they were drawn towards the Beast of Silence and felt safe in his presence.