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Earthbread was at peace. All of the Beast Cookies, villains with immense amounts of power, capable of bringing destruction to the furthest edges of the world, had been defeated, afterwards having withdrawn into hiding and not yet been seen again.
All of them except for one: A Jester dressed in blue and black, wielding strong deceptive abilities. This one specific Beast with the name of Shadow Milk Cookie had been defeated just like its kin, but his Ancient counterpart possessed a great deal of compassion, and had thus asked him to be his friend.
He did not agree at first, but this certain counterpart managed to convince him, if only in the heat of the moment. He had ended up bringing him into his own Kingdom, where he began desperately trying to befriend him as well as putting him back on the right track.
This track was truth, and the hero who managed to pull off such an endeavor was none other than Pure Vanilla Cookie. It had been weeks since his other half, Shadow Milk Cookie, had been brought into the Vanilla kingdom. To the king’s pleasant surprise, the pranks he pulled in this place were mild. He hadn’t tried creating an army of puppets yet, like he had done back in the Fairie Kingdom.
In all honesty, the king would have preferred this over the way Shadow Milk was acting now; because he was nowhere to be seen, even though his presence was still perceptible in the kingdom. Pure Vanilla was always busy with his duties, yet he spent a lot of his time trying to look for the Beast, which almost never proved successful. The latter didn’t want to be found.
There was nothing the Healer could do, yet he never gave up, leaving letters, snacks and gifts for his other half wherever he found traces of his magic, hoping he would return to pick it up. Sometimes, these gifts would be touched or even taken completely. The king wished dearly that Shadow Milk was the one who took them, reading his letters and eating the snacks he left.
Hope was the only thing that was left for him. There were other duties he had to tend to, so finding a Cookie who didn’t want to be found could never possibly be one of his top priorities, even though he really wanted it to be.
…
Deep blue eyes were following Pure Vanilla as he made his way into the garden. He had gotten used to feeling the Beast’s eerie presence wherever he went, but a cold shiver wandered down his spine nonetheless. He honestly felt a bit jealous that Shadow Milk was always watching over him, yet he never got a glimpse of Shadow Milk.
The skies were clouded. It definitely wasn’t the weather to be walking around outside, but something inside of his heart told him to go there today. And he would soon find out why.
The grand tree in the middle of the garden was wilting. This wasn’t just unusual, no, it was impossible, as it was a magical tree destined to bear beautiful green leaves all year long, bringing health and prosperity to the kingdom's inhabitants. Pure Vanilla himself had planted this tree as a continuation of his studies at the Academy, so its origins were of strong magical nature. That's why, he was immediately convinced that it had to be the Master of Deceit’s doing, there was no one else who possessed enough magic to do counter his spells, other than another who had been at the Academy.
Pure Vanilla sighed. If this was really his other half’s doing, then that meant he was angry. He knew he wasn’t at fault here, after all Shadow Milk was the one shutting himself off from all contact with other Cookies and with him, but he still felt like he could have done more to help him with his suffocating fears.
Especially considering his past with other magical trees…
“Shadow Milk, are you here? Please come back to me. You don’t need to be alone, I’m right here. You can talk to me.”, he shouted up the canopy, his voice pleading. He really wished for the Cookie of Deceit to return to him. The last time they had really spoken to each other was at the Spire. Even though Shadow Milk hurt him a lot in that place, he still missed him. Perhaps it was because of his desire to help him. Pure Vanilla couldn’t handle the thought of not being able to save someone.
Corrupting the tree was probably one of his methods to vent his frustrations out. Maybe he also craved attention. Pure Vanilla knew how avoidant Shadow Milk was, and that he would never willingly ask for help. It saddened him to witness a Cookie who was suffering so much without being able to do anything at all.
He waited for a while, yet no response came, so he stepped a little closer. Squinting his eyes, he was able to make something out in the tree. Intertwined with the many branches was a black and blue colored snake. It seemed to be huge, multiple times the size of Pure Vanilla, and it was staring at him with mismatched sapphire eyes. Without a doubt, this snake was the shapeshifting Master of Deceit himself.
Pure Vanilla put on a warm smile, ready to welcome him, to express how overjoyed he was to have found him finally, but the snake shrunk in record time, before it completely vanished. All that was left was a small blue butterfly flying far away from the tree and into the meadows.
The Healer was confused, to say the least. He had run after the butterfly at first, but returned to his chambers when the weather conditions worsened. Why would Shadow Milk show himself in such a huge form, and do something as noticeable as wilt a magical tree, just to disappear again? He had sworn to understand him, yet this was completely irrational!
He fell onto his bed with a heavy sigh. Just why… why didn’t his other half show himself? He had been so excited about seeing the wearer of the Soul Jam of Truth everyday back in the spire. Where did that big, happy smile go? Those sparkling eyes whenever he looked at him? Pure Vanilla had gotten used to Shadow Milk looking at him with that burning desire in his eyes. Earlier, on the tree, they seemed to be completely empty. The Healer was left craving the feeling of being wanted. Desired. Needed.
Harboring such feelings towards his Beast counterpart, or rather, towards anyone who was this mentally unstable, was unacceptable, he was well aware of that. Shadow Milk was suffering, most likely trying to get over his obsession as best as he could, and then there was Pure Vanilla enjoying the thought of the Beast needing him? It was just too grotesque.
Whatever he did, his heart couldn’t stop longing for his other half. He had already achieved the impossible, bringing Shadow Milk to his kingdom, something no other Ancient Hero had managed to do. He couldn’t give up on his mission to make him feel better, to get him back on the right path. Not after everything he had done already.
Perhaps Shadow Milk would only come back to him if he became as miserable as he was once more. Maybe that’s why he was draining the magic tree that granted subtle liveliness to all Cookies in the kingdom. He just didn’t want to be alone in his suffering. To him, all of Pure Vanilla’s words were empty as long as he was radiating kindness, compassion and contentedness. As long as he missed that spark of doubt.
Which had undoubtedly had manifested itself within Pure Vanilla’s heart once more. He wasn’t sure if he really had it in himself to help the Beast anymore. All of his efforts seemed futile.
In heavy motions, he turned around on the bed, facing the Shadow Milk resembling plush the latter had made for him back at the spire. He seized it carefully yet desperately, pulling it into a hug. The little thing was fluffy, reflecting a high level of craftmanship from its creator.
Pure Vanilla petted it’s head before placing a kiss on its little forehead. Tears started welling up in his eyes. He wanted nothing more than to hold the real Shadow Milk in his arms like this.
“I promise you…”, he mumbled, choking on his own sobs, “I will help you. I will be better for you. Please come back to me… You’ll never have to suffer again, I’ll make sure of it.”
…
Rays of sunshine met the healer’s face, which was all sticky from the tears that had been flowing down his cheeks the previous evening. It was very early, the Kingdom still all quiet. He heaved himself off the bed, all of his limbs hurting from the tense position that he had fallen asleep in.
Slowly, he walked over to the mirror. His hair was a mess, he must’ve shifted a lot in his sleep. Which was unsurprising, considering he had a nightmare. He couldn’t remember any details anymore, but he was chasing Shadow Milk, yet the latter turned his back on him, and returned to his Beast friends. He would begin to bring chaos upon the world once more, and eventually ended up being killed by the Ancients. This fate had seemed inevitable within his nightmare, no matter how hard he tried to prevent it.
Doubt resided within him again, that was for sure now. His throat became dry as if he was about to start crying once more. It couldn’t continue like this. He had to get a clear head somehow.
An idea sparked up in his head. Whenever he felt troubled before, he would go to visit the heard of Cream Sheep in the outer parts of his kingdom. The road to that place was long, which was why he hadn’t gone there in a long time, always busy looking for Shadow Milk. But now he was convinced that neglecting his search for one day, relaxing and cuddling with sheep was going to help him. It was an impulsive thought, the kind he rarely ever acted on, but his decisions were driven by despair, and it seemed like the only logical way to find some relief.
…
Pure Vanilla made his way over to the kingdom’s outskirts without bringing anything with him. The trip lasted for two hours. In the scorching sun, he lost a lot of liquid. When the farm owners noticed him, they seemed shocked at his pitiful state, immediately handing him some milk and jellies. He tried to decline at first, but given how he looked ready to collapse, they managed to convince him. Only then was he allowed to visit the sheep.
Sighing, he sank into the grass of the meadow. A few curious sheep raised their heads upon noticing him. They started trotting over to him, and soon he was surrounded by Cream Sheep. They happily bleated as he raised his tired hand to pet them. A rather big sheep sat down behind him, nudging him in the side to get him to lean against its soft wool. Soon, he felt at peace. He didn’t think he missed this so much.
Despite not having brought any food for them this time, the sheep still seemed happy to spend their time with him. He hadn’t come here in a long time, but he knew they remembered him, just as he memorized every single one of them.
However, there was one Cream Sheep he had never seen before, standing rather far away from the herd. Its wool was much shinier than that of the others, eyes sparkling in a beautiful sapphire tone. Its body was small and fragile, tiny legs shivering anxiously.
Pure Vanilla noticed how scared it was, so he began waving his hands as a gentle gesture for the sheep to come closer. It took a long time of convincing, but eventually the lamb placed one foot after another, walking over to him. He carefully reached out to pet its head, a smile creeping up his face as the little guy obliged, licking his palms excitedly. He had successfully tamed a sheep as avoidant as this one, without even putting much effort into it. If only… If only Shadow Milk was as easy to handle as this Cream Sheep.
As thoughts about his other half kept swirling in his head, the little sheep rested its head on his lap, enjoying the petting of his head and fluffy wool. Now that its resolve had been washed away, it was awfully clingy. The blonde chuckled at the resemblance to a certain Cookie.
When the sun began to set, the world becoming gradually darker, Pure Vanilla finally decided to get up. Not without any complications, though. The small Cream Sheep did not want to let go of him, even though its herd was already trotting away. It remained, alone and unwavering, never ceasing to rub its head against the Cookie’s stomach, preventing him from standing up.
“Aww, little one, I’m sorry but I have to leave now.”, he whispered in a soothing tone, gently shoving the sheep off of him. Sad bleaks followed, and the sheep kept jumping in front of him to block his way towards the farm gates. Something about its desperation and need for him made him feel incredibly happy.
He smiled amusedly as he leaned down one last time to say his goodbyes. His hand wandered over the sheep’s tiny head once more, petting it carefully as to not get his fingers entangled in the wool. The little sheep nudged its forehead into his palms, craving more and more head pats.
“Come on now, we cannot do this forever… You have to get back to your herd and I have to get back to my-“, to who? It’s not like Pure Vanilla had really enjoyed anyone’s company lately. He would spend most of his day completing his duties, sure, but he avoided contact with other Cookies. His arduous search for Shadow Milk had left him completely alone and depressed. He felt like a shell of who he was before. Not because the Cookie of Deceit was hurting him, no, simply because he couldn’t handle the latter not needing him.
He wanted to be needed so badly. By him.
A worried bleak tore Pure Vanilla out of his thoughts. “Ah, you’re still here, little one… Right, you need to get back to your herd. I mean it. We have to part ways now.”, he mumbled, more like an excuse to himself than a consolation for the little lamb, who didn’t even possess the ability to understand him.
Sighing, he lifted his hand off its tiny head, desperate bleaks following him. He climbed over the fence, because surely, the sheep would have run through the gates had he opened them, and it would have been a hassle to get it back in.
Plagued by guilt and fear, his footsteps became heavy as he made his way back to the castle and his private chambers. Whenever he would turn around he could see the sheep still standing there with its head peeking through the fence, bleating after him. It broke his heart, but he continued to tread his path.
…
The next day, when Pure Vanilla was done with his work as well as his kingly duties, he sat down in the garden once more. The sun was already setting, so it was hard to make out what state the tree was in. Perhaps, it was already recovering. He dearly hoped so. He knew it was likely that Shadow Milk was still mad at him. That he was still trying to corrupt the tree.
But, he wanted to hope.
He sat down on his favorite spot on his favorite bench and closed his eyes. It’s not like he would’ve seen much anyways, his blurry vision worsening with the darkness.
Listening to the rustling of the leaves in the cold wind calmed his mind. He so desperately wanted to hold onto something, onto someone right now, if it meant that the ache in his heart would be a tiny bit more bearable.
As if his prayers had been heard, he could feel something bumping against his lower leg. He pried his eyes open, only to find a small black cat stepping elegantly around his legs, affectionately nestling its head against him.
Slowly and with utmost care, he reached his hand down, to which the kitten reacted by nudging its hand against the palm of it and letting out content meows.
After a while of letting it get used to him, he picked the cat up gently and placed it onto its lap, where it licked its paw and cleaned its ear. It wore shiny black fur, from what he could tell, and it had mismatched azure eyes.
“What are you doing out here at this hour, little kitten?”, Pure Vanilla asked softly, petting it. The cat hunched its back and meowed twice, before walking around in circles on his lap, its paws digging into his dough.
He smiled at how comfortable it seemed, gently reaching out to caress the area behind its ears. It liked that. He could tell because the moment he touched there, the cat began purring, its movements on his lap slowing down.
When he reached out to stroke its chin, the kitten melted, falling on its back and kneading the air with its paws. He just had to chuckle. What a clingy little cat. It couldn’t stop purring.
“My, you sure do remind me of a certain someone…”, he stated, amused. Gently, he started giving the cat belly rubs, and its purrs got louder.
Until eventually, the creature laying on his lap was no longer an adorable little kitten, but a cute, tiny-for-his-age, blue-hued and all to familiar Cookie. The shapeshifter hadn’t realized that his magic had given out because he had lost his focus, and was still purring to the touches on his belly.
“Look who decided to show up. It’s you, Shadow Milk.”, Pure Vanilla chuckled, not slowing down his motions.
“Where?”, Shadow Milk mumbled, not opening his eyes. It took him a hot minute to realize what the other had just said, but when he did, he sat up in shock so quickly that he hit his forehead against that of Pure Vanilla, causing him to fall back onto his lap, clutching the hurting area.
“Ouch?! Ugh! You didn’t see any of this!!”, he yelled, wanting to get up, but the other held him down.
“Stay. I want to talk to you.”, Pure Vanilla sighed, pressing his palm onto Shadow Milk’s hurting forehead to heal it. “You’ve been doing that for quite some time now, haven’t you? Shapeshifting into an animal to spy on me, I mean.”
“So what if I did? It’s none of your business! I thought you said I’m free to roam your kingdom and do whatever I please unless I hurt others, which I am not doing. So let me go! I don’t want to talk to you!”, Shadow Milk screamed, slapping his hand away.
“Shh, calm down. I never said you were doing anything wrong. I’m saying I miss you, and I want you to come back, which you probably already know since you’re constantly spying on me. That is exactly why I am so sure that you feel the same for me. You’re longing for me, that’s why you’re going to such lengths to look for me. That’s why you came to me today, and yesterday, disguised as that tiny Cream Sheep and the cat. You craved my presence. I was a fool because I didn’t notice it all this time, until I saw you today. An awfully clingy kitten with the same mismatched blue eyes as an equally clingy lamb seeking my presence in a day’s time is just too obvious. I understand all too well that you do not want to ask for it, because I too, struggle with asking for help even if I ever truly need it. As I said, I understand you, so please don’t be afraid anymore. Please, stay with me.”, he ranted, tears welling up in his eyes.
Shadow Milk’s eyes sparked up with something new. As if all of the worries and fears he had held previously disappeared at once.
He calmed down, and even though Pure Vanilla let go of his wrists to cover his mouth before sobs escaped from it, he did not make any move to disappear again. He just sat there, next to Pure Vanilla, listening to him cry while he averted his gaze.
It took a long time until one of them managed to speak again. It was Shadow Milk.
“You feel awful because of me… once again.”, he began, his voice careful as to not hurt the other any more than he had already done, “I thought that giving you some space was the best for me. For the both of us. If- if you really want me to stay with you, then I can. I wouldn’t have come here in the first place if that wasn’t the case. I just wasn’t sure whether your proposal of friendship was genuine or not. Because you… you had lied to me before, you know?”
Pure Vanilla’s sobs died down a little upon hearing such an honest confession. Of course, the Beast was still being selfish and shifting the blame on him, but at least he was no longer lying to himself. Almost.
“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry about that… It was the only way to convince you. I believed I could make up for it afterwards, but the damage had already been done…”, the blonde cried, “Can I hug you? Please…”
Shadow Milk nodded, and soon two long-sleeved arms wrapped around his shoulders. He didn’t know how to comfort his other half. Didn’t know anything about being kind. Too much time had passed since his days as the Fount of Knowledge. The only thing he knew was that spending time with this Cookie would mean that he had to learn and adapt a lot, and that it would be time-consuming and arduous. The thought alone made him want to run away again.
But he didn’t. Instead, he wrapped his arms around his other half’s torso, pulling him closer. And eventually, quiet tears began flowing out of his eyes as well.
For the first time in thousands of years, the Cookie of Deceit had been so unsure about something. Previously, he would just make up a lie or two to make himself feel better about whatever was bothering him, and that would be it. However, ever since he had set foot into the Vanilla Kingdom, he possessed the courage to think about his own feelings and what they really, truthfully meant.
First and foremost, he was afraid. Afraid of reaching out to his other half, who had deceived him in such a gruesome way that his heart had shattered into a million tiny pieces. Time would heal all wounds, he assumed, and thus shut himself off from everyone else completely. Yet, he still missed him. Missed being understood by him.
Now that Pure Vanilla was glowing stronger than ever, engulfed in the Light of Truth, it felt like the cliff in between the two had grown to an unsurmountable width. But this light as well as the warmth it shed were addicting, and he couldn’t take his eyes off of him, following wherever he went.
However, as fears still resided within him, he couldn’t help but hide from him, too afraid to ever start a conversation. Until gradually, he felt it. A spark of doubt growing within his other half’s heart. That was the moment when he finally decided to get close to him again. In hopes his presence would make him even more miserable. In hopes they might become one again.
The least he expected to happen was Pure Vanilla’s mood lightening up the moment he got closer, even though he didn’t know it was him. How happy he was when he was around the little Cream Sheep, even though it displayed the same personality as he did. Distant, but quietly longing.
Based on that encounter, he devised a theory. Perhaps, it wasn’t his presence that brought back doubt within Pure Vanilla’s heart, but his absence. Which was exactly why he showed up again the next day, disguised as an animal as usual. He couldn’t deny that practically sitting on his lap and being pet had been another huge factor for why he returned, but he would not admit to it anytime soon.
He wasn’t ready to put any of his reasoning into words. It would feel like he was making excuses. All that mattered right now was the warmth spreading in his chest, a warmth that would always return whenever he saw his other half being happy. A warmth that he was willing to protect. And so, he held onto Pure Vanilla tightly. As if he was the most precious thing in the world. As if it was the first time that he had ever felt pure joy.
This time, it was Pure Vanilla who broke the silence, “Would you mind spending the day with me tomorrow? You can keep up your disguise, if it makes you feel better.”
“Yes… I can try.” The response evoked a small smile to creep up Pure Vanilla’s face, and he squeezed Shadow Milk tightly one last time before breaking the embrace. He carefully lifted his other half’s chin, making sure he wouldn’t slap his hand away, before carefully examining his face. The blue make-up under his right eye had been washed off from the tears he had shed, his mouth wasn’t curled into that signature grin of his, and his pupils were small, as if he was expecting something, unsure of what to come. Pure Vanilla could tell he had changed a lot ever since he entered the Vanilla Kingdom.
“Vanilla? You’re crying again.”, Shadow Milk stated suddenly, “Did I do something wrong?”
“No… It’s just that… I’m very happy to have you here. I didn’t think you would actually agree to be my friend…”, the other responded, pulling his hand back to wipe his tears away.
“I’m only doing this for my own good… The kingdom is a safe space for me to laze off in.”, Shadow Milk lied, averting his gaze.
Pure Vanilla chuckled at that. “Right, sorry.”
…
The next day, rumors were spreading through the entire Vanilla Kingdom. Rumors of Pure Vanilla carrying a suspicious blue and black snake on his shoulders during the undertaking of his kingly duties or while strolling through the garden. Apparently he seemed happier than ever before, radiating pure contentedness wherever he went. The citizens were overjoyed to have their cheerful king back, although they were most confused as to why there was an unusual serpent wrapped around his neck.
The snake would occasionally nudge the blonde against his cheeks as if it was placing pecks on them, and the latter would respond by gently petting it, to which the snake tightened its long form around him, as though it was hugging him in return. At least that’s what Cookies heard from a certain fruit seller dressed in dark purple.
And so, the Vanilla Kingdom was at peace again, the magical tree in the center of the garden having recovered as had the king. It seemed as if he and his snake were inseparable.
Bonus:
“Hello, little Bluebird”, Pure Vanilla whispered as the tiny creature landed on his staff, before hopping onto his hand. He gently brought it up to his face, when suddenly, a sharp hiss tore through the friendly chirping. The bird shrieked and flew off.
“What was that for, Shadow Milk?”, he sighed, ceasing his petting of the little black cat that sat on his lap.
“I don’t like when you give them attention while you literally have me right here.”, the cat, or rather, the shapeshifting Master of Deceit, complained.
“Aw, but I am giving you attention! Besides, they’re just so fluffy, how could I resist when they come to me for cuddles? You could always just shapeshift into one too, you know?”, the Healer chuckled, removing his hand from the kitten’s back.
Shadow Milk rolled his eyes, stood up on all fours, and with a quiet poof, turned into a small bluebird. He flung his wings and landed on Pure Vanila’s hand.
“So needy that you forgot to land on my staff first, huh?”, the Cookie chuckled, bringing the bird up to his face and gently rubbing him against his cheek, just as he always did. His tiny bird wings flapped happily.
Shadow Milk didn’t expect however that Pure Vanilla would place a careful kiss onto his tiny forehead next. Before he could react, his magic gave out from an overload of emotions, and he fell back onto Pure Vanilla’s lap, this time in Cookie-form.
“My, how easy it is to get you all flustered.”, were the last words he heard, followed by a hand cupping his cheek and the feeling of two soft lips pressing onto his forehead once more, before everything around the two became all quiet, all background noise disappearing as if their focus had shifted only onto each other.