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"Will you greet me even now, when I'm covered in jam and Cookie crumbs...?"
At the time, Elder Faerie was flooded with emotions. Fear, for what had happened to one he considered a friend. Possibly more. Guilt, for not being there to help at all, even though he wouldn't have been able to do anything. Grief, for the cookies lost and the virtue vanished. Yet, his sorrowful look did not stop him from speaking as soon as the past Salt of Solidarity finished speaking.
"I am... sorry. The Guardian's Tree has shown me all that transpired in the Great Barren."
Silent Salt, no longer one of the beings his followers considered godly, looked down in defeat. He knelt onto one knee, keeping a distance. He would not hurt another cookie. If he did, he may as well do this deed himself. "Then end my life by your hand." He felt like weeping, yet did no such thing. Rather, he held his very sword with the jam of cookies up, offering it to the fairy king. "For I have lost my Virtue."
Elder Faerie gasped, cupping the commanders helmet. "What are you saying...?" He whispered, voice shaking. He did not want to do this. He would not do this.
"I can no longer walk this path with you."
That was truly the only thing echoing in the guardians head. So he told all he discovered. Silent Salt did not seem so much sad now as furious. He had lost it all trying to help those who had long since abandoned their purpose. Willingly. They tainted the very beings that gave them purpose, threw them out, ready to destroy and go against their baking.
The last thing the salty beast remembered was the silver fork piercing through his very body, slicing through his doughy little neck like scissors to paper.
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She held his body, looking down at him with nothing but sorrow. Her eyes glistened, trying to get tears out, yet she refused. She looked at his graying eyes, his body practically limp in her arms. He was coughing, yet insisted that she of all cookies listen to him speak. Up and close. "Your Majesty..." Her voice cracked, eyes not straying from his face. She would not look away.
He had done so much for her. He had been there for her no matter what, despite the walls he had built up around himself. He was so distant at first, and to believe he had wanted her to be his queen. Life was filled with regret, but none like this. To have spent a fraction more of time with him... "If..." He huffed, as if the mere act of speaking would cause his lungs to fail. "If I'm no more... and the Guardian's power disappears from the world..."
He spoke so slowly, it broke her heart. She could feel her body pumping with adrenaline, anger towards that wretched blue jester. Yet, she did not express it, wanting to appear well enough where Elder Faerie could leave with a happy mind. Perhaps not happy, but hopeful for her. "The seal will be undone. Even I... do not know how much strength.. I have left."
"So please..." He sounded as if he did not want this. He knew this would be his parting gift, and he did not want to part with another whom he loved yet again. "Receive the remainder... of the Guardian's power."
"Your Majesty, no! You must recover...!" Her voice cracked. She could not hold back the tears. He wanted to give the rest of his strength to her. He had done enough for her, and she could not forever guard this forest like the other faeries could. Mercurial Knight would do it better, she just knew it.
He coughed, what was once fresh dough now turning pale. "There's no... time." He argued, voice far too quiet for her liking. "Without the Silver Tree... the world... we have dreamed of..."
"But I... I am a cookie with only half a life... Besides, this is all my fault!" She sobbed, tears falling on his robes. She had half the mind to apologize for crying on him in a time like this. As if she were making it about herself, even now.
He hushed her, finger moving over her hand. "Do not cry, Saint Lily Cookie..." He paused, wanting to just kiss each tear away from her beautiful face. Even now, he could think nothing but the beauty of the one holding him. "I remember when... you left for the Witches' Banquet... You were so stubborn, there was no way... of stopping you. Remember that cookie... the cookie so determined to... save the world... is the same cookie I am looking at right now."
"I never doubted... that we were fighting for the same thing. You are... the only one who can continue my legacy."
She hated every word that left his drying mouth. He was giving her everything he had left, wanting her of all cookies to continue what he did. He wanted her to save the world. And, with how long she had spent yearning to do just that, she did not want to save anything if it meant losing the one she grew to treasure and love.
"Only you..."
His eyes closed, hair bristling like grass in the wind. Fat tears left her eyes, yet she did not try wiping them away. One hand rested on his back, holding him up despite the fact he no longer needed to be up. The other held his limp, lifeless hand. "Elder Faerie..."
"Yes, Your Majesty. I accept your order..."
The way he left her was just as gorgeous as he was. Wings glowing as his body glowed. The life he had given her was only added on by the remaining strength he had now given her. She could hear murmurs from the two faeries watching, but could not address them. Her eyes were stuck to his face, beautiful even in death. The laughter and words of that disgusting jester rung through her mind, and she knew what she had to do. She had no time to grieve if she was given more to grieve.
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And now, the knights head rested against her shoulder, fingers covered by metal gloves digging into her cape. Her braid had long since been cut and undone from their first true encounter, dark fuchsia eyes looking down at him. Everything felt so dull as she told him what had happened. No words were exchanged, as much as both of them could have used the lack of silence.
He pulled her closer, silently grieving. She was the last part of Elder Faerie he would ever have left. He of all cookies knew not to disturb the dead, after all. But he did not need the part of Elder Faerie in her to know he loved her. They had established that a while ago when they peacefully discussed love. Everything they discussed felt more like trading of knowledge rather than simple conversation. She was so intelligent, he found himself speechless at times from just how much she enjoyed saying.
Her lips latched themselves onto his cheek, as his helmet was far away. He had no need to mask himself when she was the only one to ever understand him. She was the only thing he wanted to have. All because of that horrible blue jester, he had learnt. They had lied, caused his allies to fall at the hands of minions. They had ruined everything he once had. They caused him to abandon it all, to kill himself to keep the one he loved safe. And even that, now, was in vain. He was dead because of their foolish games. Their hate for him was misplaced. He would rather Shadow Milk kill him than Elder Faerie.
"I'm sorry." His beautiful lily whispered, kissing his lips softly. The poor, scarred face he had. Skeleton showing on some parts. She knew better than to touch a skeleton of someone, but she knew to appreciate the doughy skin he still had. He had faced so much, had so many reasons to despise all cookies, yet he still treasured each one.
He looked up at her, sharp purple pupils staring almost angrily. Yet he was not angry with her. He could not bring it in himself to ever be angered at such a saint. Silent Salt did not speak at first, kissing her back with as much gentleness as he could muster. Kindness through body actions was long forgotten, as he abandoned the softness he once had when he killed those minions.
Their tongues did not touch, lips simply pressing against each other. Not erotic, never erotic. Passionate in the way they held each other, everything momentarily forgotten as they both absorbed themself into the kiss. Something they both had wished long ago to do with the fallen guardian of the Silver Tree.
He figured that Elder Faerie was no more from the very beginning, but did not want to believe it. Now he was faced with no choice but to do so. "You have nothing to apologize for, my corsage. On the contrary, I thank you." He mumbled, hands falling to the floor as he rested his head against her stomach. Despite how lanky she was, she still had the most gorgeous curves. The little pouch he would playfully squish just to make her squeal and smack him, the way she would laugh and fall into his arms. The way he would hold her, laughing along with her.
"You.. thank me?" She muttered. Even remembering that the fairy king had given his life and strength to her and dying was enough to bring her to tears. It was a surprise she hadn't broken down, even now.
Part of his life was accepting loss. He had acknowledged long ago that nothing was eternal. Not love, not hate, not life. His hopes of the fairy being indestructible would eventually get proven wrong, as all things do. "I could not go my life with believing he would live forever." He hummed, kissing her abdomen through the dress.
Despite what their conversation was, she smiled. He never failed to make her happy, and she knew in the back of her mind that he was doing that, even now. "All secrets must be brought to light eventually." She mumbled, hands resting against the back of his armored body.
Something that he used to heavily disagree with, but accepted after their meeting. She had shown him so many things, helped him the same way Elder Faerie used to do. He was eternally grateful for her, just as he was for his guardian. "My queen..." He muttered, voice muffled as he moved his head to kiss her arm.
He had grown accustomed to kissing scars, the same way she would kiss the ones scattered across his face, neck, arms, and torso. The old scars she had on her body had no escape from his love, just as his had no escape from her love. "Once," White Lily hummed, looking down at him and blushing. Still not used to his affections, even now. "His Majesty insisted I learn how to dance. He took me up and taught me... foxtrot, I think."
"Did any music play?" He asked, smiling up at her as he kissed up her arm and to her shoulder. He thrived in her gorgeous smile.
She nodded, not able to take her eyes off of his handsome face. His beautiful hair, lacking on some parts of his head where the skeleton showed yet elegant nonetheless. "Yes, something the faeries played so we could dance. I cannot remember the tune, but it was probably something lovely." She was drifting into a memory of long ago, trying to remember.
His soul jam was practically on fire with how much adoration the two felt. Neither of them, despite how long they had been lovey-dovey with one another, were used to the way they felt it squeal. "He was always the romantic type, wasn't he?" Silent Salt asked.
"I can see that you two must've bonded over that, ya hayati."
All he could do was smile at her as they talked about past memories of the one they once loved. If only he were around now, but they had the memories to honor what he had lived for: them.