Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"O silver tree let thine branch beareth new fruits of the soul,
I beg of thee O' silver tree,
seal my dough and turn it anew,
or find a soul worthy of mine. "

Were the last words The Fallen Knight spoke, before the silver fork of the divine encaged his soul within the tree. It was an ironic prison, truly, the very silver fork he used as a symbol to protect the downthrodden and the tormented encaged him behind his own corruption. Alas behind this silver cage, the Beasts were captured and this has satisfy him for only a bit. He knows that there can and will be a way for them to break free, he knows. For this cage weren't made by The Divine Witches, this cage was made by only a fraction of their divinity. Here he waits inside this silver cell, as he awaits for a new virtue to rise and prevail the hardships that will fall upon them.

Time went by, and their doughs were not but an empty shell, a phantom of who they were. The beasts are not encaged behind the forks no more, they are trapped within the very bark of the Silver Tree.

Alas, the virtues, they have arrived. He feels his power restoring he felt the silver tree growing and weakening just ever so slightly, for he has finally shared a soul with another virtue, someone chosen by the old light of solidarity.
He heard of this prophecy his souljam once foretold, he rejoice that earthbread as a whole will be saved once more, yet their heroes, their saviours aren't assigned by the Divine, no, they are assigned by their own kind. They can't and won't fail a second time. This is what he chooses to believe.

The first few days, he heard the faint voices of his souljam, it wasn't the light of solidarity, it was another voice, the voice of the new holder. He does not know who bares the new Light of Solidarity he can't force his souljam to reveal its new holder, only time and time alone will reveal it to him.

It was months, then it turns into years, he now can hear the new holder's voice ever so clearly. She was a gentle soft spoken lady, although he could not see her face just yet for the souljam is still adjusting to its new owner.

Not only did the light of solidarity found its new owner, the Light of Change, Volition, Happiness, and knowledge all obtained a new holder. He sense it, the other beasts too felt it, they were enraged. Only he knows these newly made heroes aren't made to fail, unlike them, they were here according to their own will, tis wasn't a task forced upon them, it was a task they choose with their very own hands.

Days after the souljam adjusted to the new owners, the other beast in the tree grew restless and enraged by every single second. Particularly, the red one that looks similar to an insect has made many futile attempt to break the seal.
"Witches sake! How strong is this tree!?" the red cookie screamed as he hit the bark continously with his axe. "Your attempts are futile." the pale white beast spoke, as she still sat at the same position since the time she were imprisoned in this tree. Silent Salt ignored it, afterall as long as he is still standing and alive, the tree will never fall or falter for he is the very root of this tree. Yet he can't help but thank his old friend, a certain faerie for helping him capture these beasts. But he knows both of their powers are limited.

Years passed by after the souljam found their new holder, Silent Salt Cookie ever so occasionally listened to the voice of the new holder. Truly it was the only source of distraction he has other than being tormented by his 'friends'.

He listened to the souljam's new voice. It was queer, truly, the voice has change. It no longer holds a heavy and deep voice, now the voice is gentle, like the soft ghust wind guiding flocks of birds. He heard it call themselves the 'Light of Freedom', a contrast to his fallen virtue, silence.

To be fair, he has grown fond of the holder speaking to the souljam, wether it was late at night or early dawn, there were many interesting things to hear about. He listened to her voice, it was a soft and gentle voice, such soothing whispers she spoke to the souljam wether she was talking to some other cookie or talking to herself. Even with the gentleness of the voice, the determination she carried through every word never ceases to amaze him. How she cast spells in battles, her voice soothing yet sharp. Which is strange because he could only hear her voice and never another cookie's voice eachtime she speaks although he doesn't mind plus he too wouldn't mind if her spells pierce through his hard cold heart if it means in his death her voice is the last thing he will hear.

He listened to her researches, listened the ways she obtained her knowledge, and truthfully he is amazed by her dedication.
Her thirst for knowledge was truly boundless, her freedom grants her wish to satisfy her thirst, but he knows that curiosity killed the hound, and he prays to any divine being for her to never fall, to never fail earthbread.

Over the years he has grown acustomed to the voice, yet he still couldn't see her face, her complexion. He doesn't really mind about the holders appearances, yet afterall he is still a cookie so he is bound to be curious. But on a faithful day, the souljam started to glow once again, this time, he hears it a voice calling out a name, for the first time. "White Lily cookie!" a voice which isn't hers called out, it was queer truly. The voice didn't belong to her, and the souljam doesn't reveal another's voice, unless..

He brushed it off, 'White Lily cookie' he repeated in his thoughts, that must be her name for soon after he heard her speak to the souljam. 'White Lily, she must be the saint.' he thought, pacing in his own mind trying to imagine what she might look like 'White lilies' he pondered for a bit, trying to remember what the flower looks like. It was, interesting. The symbol used for innocence and purity, and new beginnings. This was a new beginning indeed, he looks forward to what she will become, and if they have to fight eachother one day, he'd accept death on her hand. The gentle voice echoed in his mind, a contrast of what he truly adores, silence.

In silence, justice can be found, and those who threatens the very being of justice itself will be silenced by their own sins.

Centuries came and go, the silver tree, it was weakening. For he saw a crack, a glimpse of light. The other beasts rejoice at the sight, but he stood in fear. He realised the tree was weaking, it is about to wilt, does that mean his powers will too come back? And will that mean the beasts will roam free once more?

He prays that the guardian will find a way, to seal this forsakened tree.

Or else their sacrifice will be in vain.

The beasts, they rejoiced seing the crack. "This tree has its weakness afterall!~" A cookie with a sickeningly sweet voice spoke as she looked at the light, "oh my garden is within my reach once more~" she hummed as she continued to play her toothrotting lyres. "I can smell destruction! I will tear them into shreds!" The red beast spoke, his eyes filled with rage. "Ohoho! I can't wait! To teach that fool a lesson!" A highpitched jesterlike voice spoke in a sing song tone, Silent Salt watches their figures float closer to the tree. "Just a few.MORE.HITS." the red beast spoke in agitation.

Silent Salt watches in the corners, enraged.

If the tree wilts and break from their hands, the beast will regain their freedom; the freedom to misguide the cookies once more with their corrupted teachings. They will preach deceit which then sows destruction, and the destruction will plant the seeds of apathy to those who are affected by it, and the end they will fall to sloth. No one, not one will stand together and preach unity, they can't unite no they can't.

The only one virtue remain, to be able to stop them to break free.

"SILENCE."

Silent Salt roared as he charged at the red coloured beast. "What the-?" the red beast spoke, surprise by the sudden agitation. "Hey watch it! Its cramped here!" The jester spoke as he went out of the way of the purple beast charging at them. "What got you so agitated?~" the jester asked after his remark in a joking tone, as he watched the purple beast aim at the red beast's head. "What are you doing!?" the red beast spoke staring at him, confusion yet a sort of fire stirred in him as he saw the beast charging at him, looking for a fight.

Silence, it is the only virtue that can be found in this cursed tree, even though he is corrupted, he knows that silence will be the only corrupted teaching that will bring justice. They must and will remain silent, he will keep their mouth shut to prevent a calamity on earthbread. If his soul still remain to roam in this tree once more, to roam this earth once more, he will silence the wicked and the fool. He will make sure they will not utter a single word that will sow chaos and despair.

He will silence them, just like how they silenced the innocent.

He lunged at the beast with blind rage.

**CRACK**

Chapter Text

Blinded by rage, the purple beast did not notice how he missed the beast's head by an inch.

**CRACK**

The sword did not land on the beast's head, it landed on the little crack of light within the tree.

Oh witches, what has he done?

He let go of his sword, stuck in the crack. The wave of guilt coming into his soul like a hurricane, he was the silencer, he was here to judge them and condemn them, yet he failed to realise,

he too was one of them, and he has no right to judge the condemned, when he too was condemned. Not bu the witches, but by himself, he is his own judge and executioner, yet is it truly justice if the power of justice belongs to the corrupted?

"Ooo Nice job, Salty~ who knew you were on our side!" The jesterlike cookie said gleefully, as he hovered around the salty cookie in a mocking manner. "Oh hear their sweet screams!~" the sickening voice added as she placed her hands on her cheeks while listening to the screams heard from outside of the tree, "their fear shall dissipate into nothing once they reach true enlightment" a calmer, stoic voice spoke out, belonging to the same flour cookie that has been listening and observing their shenanigans. "Just one more budge, AND WE'LL BE FREE!" the red one roared as he used the sword latched on the tree to make a small opening. Silent Salt stood, he didn't know if it was fear, yet what was he scared of? He surely wasn't scared of the beasts, no, he is a coward, for only standing there and doing nothing.

The crack grew bigger, and bigger. Silent Salt only watched in despair; he started this calamity, it was he who broke them free. He heard the familiar voices of chanting, was it an oath, a spell? He doesn't know.

"Let us make our gra~and entrance!" The jester spoke in a singsong voice, as he cast a spell through the cracks that is fairly big, the spell he cast was not that theatrical, it was a mere swirl of an arm through the crack of the tree.

The faeries and guards outside of the tree experienced terror as they felt the paper cut through a few of their crumbs, the jester cast a card storm outside of the tree, and it fell like rain drops. The cards were no ordinary cards, they were sharp as blade.
"Stand Guard!" a deep voice called out, it belong to a certain silver fairy cladded with a grey armour from head to toe, "Heed my call! Fall back to those who are injured!" Another voice called out, much like a chiming bell. "Raise your shields silver knight and do not falter!" A strong voice called out, it must be the guardian.

The sound of frantic cookies yelling filled the air, "Such pointless defending" the stoic voice of the beast called out "Oh won't you shut it, this is what I call fun" the jester replied, irritated by the white beast's apathetic remarks. "Time for the actual show!" Shadow Milk cookie tried to squeeze out of the crack, it seemed cartoonish at first. Some of the faeries let out terror-filled scream as they saw the beast trying to break out of the tree.

"FIRE!" The same silver cladded cookie spoke, heeding his commands the knights shoot their pure silver arrow at the beast's hand. The silver, pure and true, pierced through the beast's ghostly hand. Ghouls and impure spirits are afraid of purity, they are afraid of pure silver. Shadow milk cookie yelled out a ghoul like shriek as he felt the silver pierce through his arm,

"O' SIlver tree heed my pleas,
Seal the beast and create peace.
Seal the wickend and protect us once more!"

The guardian cried as he stabbed his sword into the ground where the silver tree stands, Shadow Milk Cookie managed to pull his hand in before the crack sealed smaller and cut his hand. The silver tree was sealed once again, yet a crack still remains. A warning to earthbread, and hope for the beasts.

"How can these corrupted feigns, be blessed by the illusion of being able to escape?" Silent Salt thought to himself, as he retrieved his sword.

"That was a short-lived destruction." The red beast spoke, huffing and puffing as he sat down in defeat, "Futile.." Mystic Flour whispered before going back into her road to 'enlightment'. "Worry not dear friends! The crack is still here, which means" The jester paused dramatically, throwing his hands out as a grandeur expression "It means our freedom WILL be guranteed the next time we try!" he spoke gleefully, "I mean, first the worst, third's the charmm amirite?" he continued in a joking manner, only to receive silence and annoyed groans in return, the jester looked around to see the pink beast fall asleep once more, the white flour beast stil meditating, his spicy friend laying down and falling asleep. The purple one, he is just staring into space, "Ugh you are no fun" the jester like beast spoke as he opened a portal towards his other realm, sadly this other realm is only his mental space so his space is again limited.

The purple beast, he stared into the crack. The feeling of guilt came to haunt him once more, he thought he was able to silence them, to judge them of their wrong doings, their tyranny, but in the end he came to realise he has already became one of them wether he likes it or not, he will stay silent than admitting he is one of them. For he knows there is hope for him, as the new holder of his souljam she will come and save earthbread, and if by any divine entity allow it, save himself too.

But alas, that is a false hope. He is corrupted beyond repair, and the only way to save this eartbread is by ending all of their tyranny by abolishing their lives. His fist clenched at the beasts whom he once called 'friends', knowing they did not change for the better but for the worst, and he has been influenced when they fell from their grace.