Chapter Text
In the distant future after the time of war and chaos, more specifically that of lies and destruction, all that of love and compassion had returned to Earthbread through the brilliant light of Pure Vanilla. A seraphic and ethereal luminosity who held out a sympathetic hand to any cookie in need. He was thoroughly acclaimed across the land for not only building up the Vanilla Kingdom, which became home to any destitute cookie that came through its gates, but for his fountain of tenderheartedness that flowed from him endlessly.
Model to his people, savior to all, Pure Vanilla was widely revered as a solicitous king of wisdom and kindheartedness - However, this was an image that Pure Vanilla kept distanced from himself, as he was aware how image could rot one’s mind, causing corruption throughout what was once loved. Pure Vanilla saw this exemplified within his souljam counterpart, Shadow Milk Cookie. After their final encounter, where Shadow Milk was believed to be dead after facing a horrendous injury, Pure Vanilla could never quite scrub the thought and idea of Shadow Milk Cookie out of his mind.
The powder blue cookie always sat in the back of his thoughts, swinging through the grooves of his mind and stringing through his flour. He began to feel the jester in everyday activities - His infectious laughter throughout the court during welcoming parties, the creeping of his ever-knowing knowledge throughout Vanillas library, and his absolutely enthralling stage presence during theatre performances. The entertainer was thoroughly entwined with him, soul jams aside.
Parts of him wondered if he’d saved the cookies he had in hopes that one of them may be his Shadow. The part of him he cannot push aside, nor could he save. Pure Vanilla would’ve saved them anyhow, every cookie that was to ever walk Crispia, again and again, selflessly and endlessly. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind about it, but wouldn’t it be grand?
During one particularly frantic evening, fretting about plans and schedules for his kingdom's Grand Festival, Pure Vanilla paced his quarters. He’d fidget with his staff as he spoke to White Lily Cookie, who sat on his bedside as she brushed through her hair.
“And you’ve double checked with the kitchen? They’re on schedule?”
“I swear to you Vanilla, everything has been properly put in place.”
While Pure Vanilla frequently put on perfect parties: Grand festivals in the summer days, and elegant balls on cool fall nights, but something about this upcoming one rattled him to his core. Something had felt off for the entirety of his waking hours, which worried not only his staff, but his friends who had been visiting to help in preparations. While they had all taken notice of his rather unusual behavior, the three; Dark Cacao Cookie, Golden Cheese Cookie, and Hollyberry Cookie, entrusted White Lily Cookie with being the one to interrogate him and figure out what was so deeply pestering him. The two had an unusual bond, though seemingly platonic, that the rest of the ancients couldn’t quite grasp. However, their full faith was in White Lily Cookie to cure Pure Vanillas' ails.
Vanilla simply nodded, glancing over to his dearest friend as she softly braided her hair, continuing on, “I just fear that something is missing. I’ve never felt this way before.”
White Lily Cookie nodded, hair still tangled through her fingers. “I’ve noticed your pacing. Is there something on your mind causing you to feel this way?”
He paused before giving a response. Shadow Milk Cookie was his cross to bear alone, and he shouldn’t worry any of his friends about his incessant unease. He was just a thought, Vanilla’s alone, but nothing serious.
On a deeper level, it felt nearly inappropriate to share the intimacy in which Shadow Milk Cookie resided inside Vanilla’s thoughts, how his scent seemed to haunt the air around him every waking moment. The thought trickled down his spine in a cold shiver, the possibility that Shadow Milk Cookie was the one causing a ruckus in his day to day - But why today, of all days? What was so significant of the festival tomorrow that caused Vanilla to fret about his Shadow?
He replied, pushing the thought deeper into his mind, “Haven’t a clue. Maybe I’ve just slept wrong,”
White Lily Cookie laughed, further twiddling with her hair as she teased Vanilla and cut in with her own remark, “Or hardly enough, Vanilly.”
The nickname caused Vanilla to stop dead in his tracks, his eyes flicking to the corner to view whose lips the name had departed from. A cold chill filled the air almost instantaneously, and a haunted, grim look loomed on Vanillas’ face. The sudden change in mood caused Lily to jolt back, her gaze towards Vanilla turning to one of concern,
“I’m sorry, Vanilla, did I say something wrong?”
Vanilla felt the weight of truthlessness pull on him as he fell to the floor, his robes catching on a nearby chair as his staff fell from his hand. It rendered him almost completely blind as the chair collapsed atop of him. White Lily Cookie was quick to come to his aid, pulling the chair upright and reaching out a hand. Her voice was full of concern as she urgently spoke to the man beneath her,
“I’m really sorry, Vanilla. Are you alright?”
He silently nodded, reaching around on the floor as he attempted to come to his feet.
White Lily gently reached down for Vanilla’s staff as she let out a sympathetic whine, taking Vanilla’s searching hand and directed it toward his staff. Her hands hovered around him as he rose to his feet, heels stuck on the edges of his robe. They pulled down haphazardly as he attempted to steady himself, all while White Lily rambled off apologies and worried groans.
Once on his feet, the eye of his staff fluttered open as he smiled and placed a comforting hand on White Lily’s shoulder,
“All is well, my Lily. I just haven’t heard such a nickname in quite a while. It just startled me, is all. You haven’t done a thing wrong.”
White Lily smiled softly, placing her own hand atop Vanilla’s, “Thank you. Are you alright now?”
Pure Vanilla softly nodded, his smile unfaltering. He calmly escorted White Lily out of his chambers, the two immemorially chatted about his plans for the upcoming festival. Standing in the hall, White Lily turned to face Vanilla, her voice light and words coated with concern,
“You know, Vanilla, you can tell me anything.”
Vanilla wrapped his free hand around his staff tightly, an aching pang tingling in his palms from the squeeze. Dryly, he swallowed, holding a light smile, “Of course.”
“So, whatever is bothering you, I’m always open to listen.”
The two kept longing eye-contact. Lily pursed her lips in subtle confusion, awaiting her closest companion to open up to her. Vanilla prayed she would just leave it to rest. A weight rested in the air between the two, with Lily searching for even a hint of weakness in Vanilla’s face. Her eyes jumped down to the tight grip on his staff. He longed for her to shut the door and leave him to his solitude - Restful with not a soul but his shadow - Forever the wrong one.
She sighed, taking her braid into her grasp, “Whenever that is, Vanilla.”
Vanilla nods sharply, his response nearly out of breath, “Of course, my Lily. Rest well for the big day tomorrow.”
As his chamber door closed, he felt his knees buckle beneath him, the grip on his staff keeping him grounded long enough for him to regain his footing. A sinking feeling of despair swallowed him whole, dragging behind him as he lumbered toward his bed. A warm, uncomfortable pit formed deep in his gut, weighing him to his sheets as his head slowly fell against his pillow. The sound of soft bells and loose fabric shifted with each movement, accompanying him as he finally drifted to sleep. Vanilla couldn’t differentiate if this sound was near him, or just beyond the rift of his dreams, but the strong power of belief kept his head rooted to his pillow. His shadow was deep in his dreams, where chaos still reigned in the deepest parts of his mind. A niche of sanctuary for the regret his brain cannot scrub clean.
The jester, which resided within his dreams, crept into his consciousness. It mystified him in a way that no other could. There was something in the way he held himself, or what pushed his deep-seated belief of his tyranny. Shadow stuck in his mind, glistening like the moonlight on the horizon of the sea, swimming in from distant lands. He was a pushpin on Vanillas crowded corkboard - A clear, empty bubble of cork remained around Shadows’ pin, however. Nothing could come close to him.
Vanilla swore the only reason his shadow hung so close is because Vanilla wasn’t able to save him. Nothing more, nothing less.
-
The bright morning sun blared through the window, glimmering through stained sugar glass and sporadically dancing on his bedroom floor as Pure Vanilla awoke. His head ached with an otherworldly strain, causing him to hold his right temple in his palm. His head arose from his pillow, no longer held down by the worries of the night. Rather, it lingered around him and floated over his head in the hours of the sun. His Shadow glowed in the lightest of sunlight it seemed, rendering it rather inescapable.
Fully sat up, Pure Vanilla watched the colorful parade on his floor, which seemed barely visible through his sight. It bounced off furniture and ran through threads of carpet - A sliver of sun just light enough to feel a soft warmth on his face. The morning's kiss was sweeter than no other; Her saccharine serenade of songbirds and sweet breezes flowing through curtains, glinting promises of the life left to live and love left to explore. Pure Vanilla shouldn’t be so sour on mornings like these, loving and generous with their appearance, but in his recent days there was only one thought that would cross his mind.
How, despite everything he had been through, his hardship and pain, Shadow Milk would never know peace like this. Nobody is born evil, and Pure Vanilla saw the pain in his soul, but was still unable to bring peace to his mind.
Every day, even those as joyous as the one in front of him now, would forever be soured for him - Though, he’d never show it – as to not cause ruin to everyone else's enjoyment.
A healer does not harm, he had to remind himself. He must keep this to himself, and at a distance.
A faint knock rattled on his door, which caused an automatic response to emanate from his throat, vibrating through his vocal chord and morning crackle as he spoke,
“You may enter.”
Dark Cacao, in his larger, taller form compared to most cookies, squeezed through the door to Vanilla’s quarters. He planted himself at the end of Vanilla’s bed, bowing respectfully before he looked the lighter cookie in the eye with a smile,
“Good morning, Pure Vanilla.”
Vanilla smiled in return, reaching for his staff against his bedside wall to help himself stand., “Good morning, Dark Cacao. I hope you slept well?”
The eye of Pure Vanilla’s staff fluttered open in time to catch a more clear outline of Dark Cacao, catching the gentle smirk on his face as he responded, “Quite well indeed, my friend. Thank you for the hospitality - I apologize for not thanking you sooner, White Lily had informed me that… She was under the impression you were stressed for today,”
Pure Vanilla softly nodded as he stretched, readying himself for the day while he listened to Cacao, which the taller cookie took as an initiative to continue on,
“Which is actually why I’m here, Vanilla. I wanted to make sure everything was alright, considering you hadn’t come down for our morning debrief.”
Pure Vanilla’s head whipped around, his staff following, as a shocked look crossed his face. Through scurries of apologies, Pure Vanilla scrambles to look for the clock on his bedroom wall, only to discover it was already almost noon.
“You needn’t apologize, Vanilla. I just held concern.”
Vanilla guiltily sighed, scrambling around his closet for the outfit he had planned for the festival later in the afternoon. His staff pinched between his forearm and his bicep, “I must, this isn’t the way a good host behaves - The way a good leader behaves. You must forgive me, Dark Cacao. I’m sure the others aren’t pleased.”
Surprisingly, Dark Cacao just chuckled, his heavy feet making way to stand within Vanilla’s view, glancing in the closet as he did so. “You are getting ahead of yourself, Vanilla. You mustn’t be forgiven as nobody finds fault with you. We only hold worry for you, not contempt.”
Frantic hands slow, Vanilla rolled his staff down back to his palm. He sighed as he faced Dark Cacao,
“I appreciate it. I am still finding myself at fault, however,”
The dark haired cookie only nodded, a soft smile still stuck on his lips.
After a moment, Vanilla fully began to awaken, his front started to uplift. Almost as to mirror Cacao, a smirk appeared on Vanilla’s own face, an accusatory finger pointed at his friend,
“I have never seen you smile so hard, Dark Cacao. Is something on your mind?”
As he shook his head, Dark Cacao glanced over towards the door, almost as if to check that not another soul would overhear, “Caramel Arrow has informed me, just days past, that my son is interested in meeting with me.”
A large smile grew on Pure Vanillas face as his free hand gripped his staff, his face lit up with joy as he bounces on the pads of his feet, “Oh my! That is so lovely Dark Cacao. I’m quite happy for you, I hope all goes well.”
Dark Cacao nodded bashfully as he rubbed a rough palm on the back of his neck, “I believe it will. I have faith I can begin anew with my son.”
The previous silence continued once more, the gaze between the two stood unbroken. After a moment or so, Vanilla had begun to notice Dark Cacaos garments - A deep, silky violet hanbok with gold detailing near the edges of the long magoja, a lighter purple color being seen on the jeogori just beneath the silky overcoat. They were paired with yellow trousers, which matched the yellow strings that fastened parts of his outfit together. Vanilla admired the way the silk shone in the sun as Dark Cacao moved, which caused him to look back up at the taller cookie’s face, who had begun to speak.
“I will leave you to begin dressing then. I will notify the others that you are awake and well.”
“Thank you Cacao, Let them know I’ll be down shortly.”
Vanilla stared out his glimmering window until he felt the vibrations of his door close, in which he had begun to calmly and quietly dig for his clothes from within his closet. After a moment or two, he had settled on a set of white and light yellow robes and sashes, which flowed past his feet and just barely drug on the ground beneath him. It was his favored attire, gifted to him through some sense of the supernatural on the day he had fully awakened his souljam - Every little thing in his life seemed to link back to that blue cookie. He gripped his staff tightly as he viewed himself in a nearby mirror, observing how the flowing cloth draped on him. He’d be lying if he said he had every moment of that day memorized in his head. His friends and colleagues had stories to tell of their battles, epic tales of triumph and victory. However, strangely enough, Pure Vanilla had barely remembered a moment of his confrontation, only locked away by the silence of slumber, in which the echo of the torment hung over him. In silent moments, he wished to truly remember more than a twisted copy of a memory.
A harsh sigh rattled from his throat as he forced a gentle smile, footsteps make way towards his door, placed precisely and quickly. Pure Vanilla gently closed the door behind him, locking away his ruining moods to the darkness of his room, and making way down his castle halls. He greeted every cookie with a smile and wave as he passed by, occasionally stopping them to engage in conversation. It took him around half an hour between the time he left his chambers and finally made it down to the dining hall foyer, which contained large glass doors at the far end; Being opened and decorated for the festival after the feast. Past the glass doors lead out to steps, which opened out to a large, grand patio which was decorated with pretty flowers and fancy lanterns strung from post to post, vines and floral bushes in pots hang from and drape over.
“My, Pure Vanilla! Great of you to show up!” Hollyberry’s strong voice bounced off the tall ceiling of the dining room, causing Vanilla to smile fondly as he approached.
Pure Vanilla's voice is soft with his response, full of appreciation and care as he spoke, “How dearly I’ve missed you, Holly - Missed all of you, I should say. It’s an honor you’ve gathered all here for my celebration.”
Golden Cheese chimes in, leaned down to Pure Vanilla’s view, as she hovered just above ground, a usual proud smirk stuck on her face, “Of course, Vanilla! You should be ever so grateful for someone of my stature to be here - However you are more than worthy of my presence, dear friend.”
Vanilla held his staff, giving a happy smile. Nothing filled his heart to the top more than his friends: Their times in battle, memories from their youth, and especially the quiet moments they possessed to simply relax in their comforts. He watched as Hollyberry and Dark Cacao conversed, and how Hollyberry nearly jumped with excitement as Dark Cacao shared the good news - assumedly about his son. Hollyberry wore a large maroon dress, layered above gold and pink skirts that seemed to shimmer with her dramatic movements. A matching maroon shawl draped over her shoulders, with a glimmering pink brooch which seemed similar to that of her souljam, that sat encrusted on her shield which had been held onto her back. Her hair had been tied into a large braid, which was twisted into a bun, a red, leafy hair clip sat just above her temple.
As he moved his gaze, he watched as Golden Cheese and White Lily silently conversed. The two had been on rocky waters for a long while, but in the recent, their relationship had been improving for the better. Golden Cheese wore a gold and turquoise embellished beaded dress above a simple white tunic, paired with golden engraved bangles and dangling earrings. She gleamed with every movement as the sun shone on her, as well as White Lily, who bashfully gripped her staff as she spoke. She wore an all white, floor length dress, which pinched at the right hip and allowed for other layers from beneath to be shown, along with a long sheer veil which tied at her neck like a robe. Her usual braid trailed down her back, with a lily fixed at the end. The ends of her dress glittered with a purple ombre up the white, silver detailing lining the edges.
Vanilla wandered to the glass doors, watching into the far distance as cookies began to approach the castle gates. A look of excitement grew on his face, turning back as he shouts to the others, “Oh, my friends, we have guests arriving! We must all be ready to greet them as they arrive.”
They all nod in unison, approaching the glass doors as Dark Cacao chose to stand just beside Pure Vanilla, the three of their other friends stand in front of them.
Pure Vanilla wasn’t a small or short cookie by any means, but Dark Cacao towered over him still - In both height and strength. Dark Cacaos sword sat fixed to his back in a sheath, his souljam glimmered in the peering sunlight, which reflected differently as he leaned down to whisper quietly to Pure Vanilla,
“You must inform me immediately if there is a thing you need, no matter how small.”
Pure Vanilla simply nodded, turning to face Dark Cacao,
“You are too kind, my friend. I appreciate it.”
You are too kind, my friend.
“Of course.”
The two turn back to face out the doors as cookies arrive, The Five kindly greeting them all and informing them where to take a seat, when food will be brought out, and answering any other simple questions. After some time, they began to roam around the dining hall, having given assistance with seating or dining staff, or naturally speaking with cookies from the Vanilla Kingdom, even encountering some of their own subjects who’ve traveled to attend the festival.
Dark Cacao watched as Pure Vanilla walked around the hall, noticing he seemed to lean on his staff for support, however still making rounds around the table to talk with every cookie that had entered his castle. Dark Cacao appreciated and admired that part of Pure Vanilla - The piece of him that held out a hand for every single cookie he encountered, waiting patiently through every word they spoke to him. There was something about Pure Vanillas' unending kindness that made him such a figure, as his warmth didn’t end with just cookies. Vanilla had a garden in which he tended to whenever he had the free time, and often spent time with the animals spread throughout his kingdom. Dark Cacao wondered how he even had the energy for himself after spreading his care and love so vastly throughout his kingdom. It was admirable, though Dark Cacao would never confess such a thing aloud, but it did make him awfully worrisome.
He knew not if their other friends had noticed the behaviors Pure Vanilla practiced that caused Dark Cacao his worry; But if anyone had, it would be White Lily.
Stepping past a few younger cookies playing in an open space of the dining hall, Dark Cacao approaches White Lily, who has gently dusted off her staff after letting a child hang on it. Her voice is startled and crackly as Dark Cacao stands before her,
“Oh! Hello Dark Cacao!” She gasps, having placed a hand over her chest as her staff stays planted close to her, “I hadn’t seen you there. Is everything alright?”
“I had an inquiry about Pure Vanilla, but you mustn't tell a soul.”
Lily gently glanced around, spotting Pure Vanilla gently leaned against his staff as he spoke to a waitress cookie, presumably about dining plans. Her gaze returned to Dark Cacao, voice soft with secrecy, “Of course, Dark Cacao. What seems to be the worry?”
Dark Cacao props an arm out for White Lily to hang on, “May we take a walk?”
White Lily smiled softly, laying a gentle hand in the bend of Dark Cacao’s elbow. The two began to make their way into a small hallway just outside the large dining hall, both unseriously chatting in hushed whispers as they trail down halls and tiptoe between gathering rooms as they walk and talk. After having distanced themselves from guests, Dark Cacao began to press on his much-urgent matter,
“I have reason to believe Pure Vanilla is falling victim to his unhealthy habits again.”
White Lily simply stared ahead, nodding softly before gazing up at Dark Cacao, “I’ve thought the same for a little while now,”
The taller cookie looked down at White Lily as she showed visible contemplation on her face, followed quickly by all-too-familiar guilt. Lily looks up at Dark Cacao, teary-eyed, “I must sincerely apologize for not telling you last night, but when I was visiting Vanilla in his room, he suddenly collapsed,”
She looked away, gently biting her bottom lip before speaking again, “I had to assist him to his feet, which was not an issue at all, but it was still quite scary.”
Dark Cacao planted his feet in the soft carpet of the small small study they had found themselves in, having glanced out into the hallway before looking at White Lily, “Thank you for informing me. I believe I will speak to him when the appropriate time comes.”
White Lily held her staff tighter, glancing away from Dark Cacao, “I hope he will not be upset with me for telling you such a thing.”
“He does not seem to get upset with you often, Lily.”
The white-haired cookie grinned, gently tapping her fingers against her staff, “Oh, as you say it now, I’m foolish not to believe that to be so - More often than not, at least,”
Dark Cacao had only looked deeply into White Lily’s face as she smiled, her voice soft and rich with some flavor of fondness, too familiar to Dark Cacao. He couldn’t identify what emotion had bubbled in his stomach.
“How silly of me.”
Dark Cacao smiled warmly, picking his feet back up and towards the door as he spoke, “We can all be a little foolish from time to time, no?”
She nodded, her weight shifted into Dark Cacao for a moment as she started to walk, a dependency that Dark Cacao did not notice until she returned to her normal walking rhythm. Making quick pace down the halls and through social rooms, the two found themself back in the dining hall, but they didn’t separate just yet. Dark Cacao looked down at White Lily before he looked out into the hall, seemingly having searched her face for something specific. When White Lily met his gaze, his expression grew firm, nodding towards her, “Thank you for the walk, White Lily.”
Her hand released from Dark Cacao’s arm, a gentle smile stuck on her lips, “Of course, I am forever open to walking with you, Cacao.”
The two lingered for a moment, both unsure they wanted to be the first to walk away. They stay planted near each other until Hollyberry calls out for White Lily, in which she glanced back towards Dark Cacao before walking away.
Pure Vanilla watched White Lily walk away from Dark Cacao, observing a curious twist of disturbance and thought on his face. Pure Vanilla politely excuses himself from a conversation and began making way toward his friend, finally having become aware of how full of life the dining hall had become. Laughter and conversation rang off the walls, along with the light sound of music venturing in the hall from the band practicing outside. It made Pure Vanilla truly and deeply happy to see so many carefree cookies, gathered simply to enjoy one another's presence - Another reason why Dark Cacao’s expression paled in comparison.
Just as Pure Vanilla entered Dark Cacao’s vision, the taller cookie looking to meet Pure Vanilla’s eyes, the gasps and shrieking of cookie’s near the outer entrance caught the attention of the two ancients.
As they turned their gaze, Pure Vanilla spotted the cookie seemingly causing the disruption - A pale blue cookie, wrapped in nothing but a black cloak, which split in the back and seemed to be crumpled from wear. Their messy hair spilled out of the hood from around their neck as they fell to their knees just past the entrance, Pure Vanilla rushing over to lend a hand as Dark Cacao loomed behind, standing over the two. Out of habit, Dark Cacao’s hand raised past his head, reaching for his sword, leaning down to question Pure Vanilla,
“Is there any injury?”
Pure Vanilla glanced thoroughly, having had reached a hand out to the fallen cookie, his other hand gripped around his staff tightly, “Please, let me assist,”
Looking up to Dark Cacao, Pure Vanilla shook his head, calling out to a nearby waiter cookie to retrieve some sugar water and jelly, an attempt to ail any fatigue. When Pure Vanilla turned back to face the cookie, their hands had finally met as they locked eyes.
Pure Vanilla's heart nearly stopped as he looked into the mysterious cookie’s eyes, both intense in their varying shades of blue, having felt a deep wave of uncanny grief take hold of him. The mystery cookie seemed to search Pure Vanilla’s face, listening intently as Pure Vanilla spoke to them quietly,
“Please excuse me, what is your name?”
The pale blue cookie parted his lips to speak, voice shaky and creaking as it escaped his mouth, a strange twist of questionability in his tone,
“Jester Cookie.”
Dark Cacao, still hovering over the two, subconsciously took the tray of food from the waiter cookie, a look of contempt stuck on his face as he watched the dark pool of devouring affliction Pure Vanilla begun to dip his toes into - He watched how the powder blue cookie, who claims to be a jester, looked into Pure Vanillas eyes with the desperation of a lost child.
Dark Cacao had started to realize what had been swallowing his friend, giving an attempt to hide the horror on his face.
Pure Vanilla had been a madman, drowning in his sorrow, and the deep sea beast of grief had just pulled him under before Dark Cacao could even make an effort to reach his hand out to friend. He couldn’t pull him out - Instead, he could only watch.
Jester Cookie reached his other hand out to grip Pure Vanilla’s staff, an effort to stabilize himself, Pure Vanilla rushed to question him further,
“Have we met before?”
The blue cookie is silent as Pure Vanilla continued,
“You remind me of someone I know.”
A long break of stillness filled the air between the two, which Pure Vanilla would equate to suffocation. Jester Cookie finally spoke, hushed in quiet and question,
“I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you before.”