Chapter Text
A mirror stood in front of a shadow, a cookie giggling as he enchanted it with a beautiful spell of dimension-hopping. The Cookie? A beast known as Tainted Vanilla Cookie, a healer to the public eye, a heartless jester at night. He, like his fellow beast, was imprisoned within the fae kingdom and escaped.
The Beast of Ignorance, Tainted Vanilla, managed to escape, with his fellow beasts managing as well, so he went into hiding with his fellow henchmen, Corrupted Raisin Cookie and Strawberry Mecha Cookie, who stood by him despite his manipulative tension and unpredictable personality.
Today was a special day, a very special day indeed. Tainted used his magic towards the mirror, revealing an image behind it. They watched as the little clown enchanted the mirror. And the sight behind it made him laugh.
A perfect mirror image of Saint Vanilla Cookie, but he was...good? An ancient?
"Another you?" Gasped Corrupted Raisin.
"Oh, what joy! I wonder..." Tainted Vanilla chuckled. "He looks so...weak. He reminds me of that professor, Blueberry Milk. Even has the same soul jam! What is your name, other me?"
"Pure Vanilla!" Cries Strawberry Cookie. "Wizard accidentally blew up the lab!"
"Oh? I'll be on my way," Pure Vanilla called out.
"Pure Vanilla?...even your name is as dull as his.."
"Ugh, can we strike already?" huffed Mecha Strawberry Cookie. "It's getting boring watching him."
"Patience," Tainted Vanilla smiled. "I want to see what's he like before things escalate."
"Boring," Mecha Strawberry pouted.
On the other side of the mirror, Pure Vanilla followed Strawberry to a nearby area where smoke and ooze surrounded the tiny corner of the boat, which made him giggle.
"Did something happen here?"
"Wizard Cookie," Gingerbread coughed.
"It was an accident," Wizard pouted. "I can't help that this ship is bouncy and unpredictable with its movements. And besides, you were a lousy partner!"
"L-lousy!?" Gingerbrave gasped. "But I was willing to help you!"
"Boys, it's alright," Pure Vanilla cooed. "Accidents happen, and we can't keep arguing whose fault it is. This place is such a mess."
"Yeah, you're right," Gingerbrave sighed. "Sorry, Wizard."
"It's fine...I'm sorry I called you lousy."
"See, now we are all friends again. Can we please clean this up? I don't think the Creme Republic would like this if they saw this mess."
Gingerbrave, Strawberry, and Wizard nodded before rushing to get some cleaning supplies.
"Children," Pure Vanilla sighed happily. "Wizard isn't the type to make this sort of mess, though. I wonder what could've happened."
Pure Vanilla chuckled again as he remembered that he was also the same at that age, so he couldn't be a hypocrite. Wizard was still a child who was inspired to be better, and Pure Vanilla admired that about him.
But his eyes couldn't help but stare at the mirror...it was making him uncomfortable. Mirrors were something he still didn't want to look at. Ever since his time in Shadow Milk's castle, he could never see mirrors the same way. It made him feel like he was always watched, no matter who it was, regardless of whether it was actually Shadow Milk or not. But Pure Vanilla should not let mere mirrors scare him as such, so he turned around and started to clean up.
As Pure Vanilla started to clean, Tainted Vanilla, Corrupted Raisin, and Mecha Strawberry watched.
"Is he afraid of the mirror?" Corrupted Raisin asked.
"He is." Tainted Vanilla remarked. "He is, like the coward I perceived him to be."
"Hm, he does remind me of Blueberry Milk," spoke Mecha Strawberry. "Wasn't he afraid of mirrors as well?"
Tainted Vanilla grinned like a cat as he walked towards the mirror, tracing his magic around it. Corrupted and Mecha knew that meant that he had a plan and was ready to hear it.
"You got something, Ol' Saint?"
"I do, sweet Mecha," Tainted spoke. "I could switch with him. We look almost identical."
"But what if people notice?" Corrupted Raisin questioned.
"And what do we do with him when we do successfully capture him?" Mecha continued to question.
"Well, my children, you can simply keep him here, or maybe just to torture him, let him pretend to be me!" Tainted Vanilla beamed. "It wouldn't be that horrible, now would it?"
"No, great saint, it's a perfect plan," Corrupted Raisin spoke.
"I'm glad you agree, my sweet children," Tainted Vanilla grinned, looking back at the mirror and Pure Vanilla. "Wait for my signal, my children. We should wait until he lets his guard down, and then we can strike."
"Finally!" Mecha cheered.
Tainted Vanilla watched how Pure Vanilla turned his back against the mirror.
"Dear me, that was a hassle," chuckled Pure Vanilla, looking back at the mess. "Best to check on the children. They are taking an awfully long time with those supplies."
As Pure Vanilla walked away, he heard something behind him. he froze, not knowing if he wanted to turn around to look, but he only hoped it was a clink of a glass.
Before he could register what was going on, he was suddenly grabbed by two unknown individuals and pulled towards the mirror. He couldn't scream as one hand covered his mouth. But as he looked, he felt the mirror turn fluid as they entered it.
To add to the horrifying scene, he felt his face getting lifted by a face....his face. The person in front of him was him?! But that was impossible, but the doppelganger was living proof of it all, and he waved in horror as the doppelganger transformed into a perfect replica of Pure Vanilla despite the lack of light in his eyes.
"H-hey...!!" Pure Vanilla gasped.
"Oh? So you do yell?" Hummed the doppelganger. "Pure Vanilla..."
"Who are you?"
"Hm, well, only for you," The doppelganger grinned. "I am Tainted Vanilla Cookie, a pleasure to meet the person I'm bound to replace."
"Hold him down Raisin! He's pretty strong!" Mecha pointed out.
"I only have one arm, pipsqueak!"
"Replace!?" Pure Vanilla repeated.
"Yes, it seems to me that I have one if not many worlds to corrupt under my palm," Tainted Vanilla whispered, getting close to Pure Vanilla. "I just knew you would get in the way of my plans. You are me, after all, and I can't wait to watch your face as your world crumbles down."
Pure Vanilla tried to struggle, but it was too late. Tainted Vanilla walked through the mirror, and despite his struggles, he couldn't escape the clutches of the minions; they looked down at him as he fainted, suddenly too weak to move.
🪞
Blueberry Milk had a bad feeling. He shouldn't have one on such a peaceful day in his kingdom, but he did. Blueberry Milk groaned as he floated high up to the highest shelf, putting books away.
"Blueberry! Blueberry!" Green Apple Cookie panicked. "Something happened to the sky!"
"What do you mean, my pupil?" Blueberry Milk pondered, now worried.
He landed down on the railing, opened the doors to the outside, and gasped as he noticed a black starry rift with a golden eye glaring down upon it. Blueberry Milk felt a chill down his spine as he knew what that golden eye meant, and he did not like it one bit.
"What is Tainted Vanilla doing?"