Chapter Text
“You’re finally all mine! You will never escape your true nature!”
…
Pure Vanilla awoke with a start. It had been at least a year since he had left the spire. But yet, he still had nightmares as if it was yesterday. He had also felt an ominous presence, always lurking in the shadows, stalking him silently. Pure Vanilla let out a heavy sigh.
“Your Majesty?” Black Raisin Cookie opened the door with caution, trying not to startle the half asleep king. “Your Majesty, thank the witches, I’m glad you're awake.” Black Raisin offered a weak hearted smile. “I hope you feel well enough to handle your schedule today..” She let out a chuckle as the ancient rubbed his eyes. As well as he can recall, he remembers fainting in the middle of a meeting…
“I can assure you, I will be just fine,” Pure Vanilla muttered, disappointed for blatantly lying to her face.
“That’s good to hear,” she beamed. “But you do have the rescheduled meeting in an hour…” she mumbled quickly.
“An Hour?!” Pure Vanilla leapt out of bed hurriedly, pulling on his robes as fast as his tired limbs could take. He flings the door open and runs down the stairs, leaving Black Raisin in the dust.
“He hasn’t changed a bit,” she sighs with a little scoff at the end.
As Pure Vanilla finally arrives right on time to his meeting, everyone exchanges pleasantries. But as soon as everyone’s done with the introductions, they launch straight into rage.
“Like I said, we own the rights to that one!” Furious cookies arguments turn into babbling once it reaches Pure Vanilla. Pure Vanilla’s head feels like mush and he’s swaying as if he’s about to pass out. He spots dark eyes in his paintings and walls, but in a blink they’re gone.
“What are your thoughts on this, Pure Vanilla Cookie?” Clotted Cream Cookie inquires, snapping Pure Vanilla out of his trance.
“I’m very sorry.” Pure Vanilla stammered, clutching at his stomach. “But you’ll have to excuse me for a moment.” Pure Vanilla jumps out of his seat; once he is out of sight of the others, he hurls over in pain. His head is throbbing, hands twitching. He felt his consciousness slipping away, the world fading into black…
…
Pure Vanilla Cookie finds himself in the spire once more, gripping his blue staff—- wait… blue staff..?
“Shadow Milk Cookie!!” Candy Apple rushes towards him excitedly, bouncing up and down.
Pure Vanilla feels strangely inclined to answer the hyperactive cookie. “What do you want, little pest?” Pure Vanilla—- no, this isn’t Pure Vanilla. He feels horrible speaking this way, but he has no other choice. Something inside him, suffocatingly, forces these words out.
“Master Shadow Milk! I placed a special surprise in the faerie kingdom, just as you had asked!” She sneered. “Where is Black Sapphire?”
“Why on Earthbread would I know? Go find him yourself,” He scoffs, his legs dangling in the air as he grips the staff tighter. He can barely breath, no less get these words out. Candy Apple is still turning her head around frantically when she spots… fire?
“Oh my—!” she screeches, finally getting the full attention of her master. “Wasn’t that the room you made for Tru—“ He cracks his head around to face her, his hair flowing around them like a mini cage.
“I WAS VERY CLEAR WHEN I SAID YOU WEREN’T ALLOWED TO ENTER THAT ROOM.” He feels uncontrollable rage, but he doesn’t really understand what’s going on.
Pure Vanilla Cookie can hear a voice pulling him back into reality.
…
The room is silent. Was this voice a real thing? Or was it his own conscience? Nonetheless, he doesn’t feel much better. Even in the infirmary, there are eyes in the shadowy dark corners of the room. Just then, the door bursts open, frightening Pure Vanilla.
“Pure Vanilla! Pure Vanilla!” Gingerbrave, along with his friends rush inside, worried, but glad to see him alive and…well? Pure Vanilla slowly sits up after being scared out of his dough.
“I appreciate your visit, friends,” Pure Vanilla chuckled. “How have you been faring as of late?” Gingerbrave’s eyes lighten up and he goes on about his recent adventures, only stopping when his friends tap him on the shoulder.
“Well, I’m glad you’re all doing alright,” Pure Vanilla affirms. “I may have to stay here a little while longer, so I sadly cannot come with you.”
“That’s okay, Pure Vanilla!” Wizard Cookie chimes in. “I hope you feel better.” They make their way out of the infirmary, talking about their next big adventure.
Pure Vanilla peers out the window to see the sun setting. He always loved to watch it set. Too bad he wasn’t here with anyone, he felt kind of lonely. But…he may not be alone after all.
“Yoo-hoo~,” Pure Vanilla hears a little giggle in the dark. “Did ya miss me?” The voice asks, but it seems like a bit of a rhetorical question. Pure Vanilla feels his muscles tense up, but he can barely move. If this was a dangerous force, he couldn’t fend it off…
“Shadow Milk…Cookie?” His eyes widened in shock.
“Ring Ding Ding!” Shadow Milk spins up as high as the ceiling goes, then floats back down to the panicked ancient’s side. “I knew you’d never forget about me!
“Don’t try to trick me again,” Pure Vanilla protested, feeling a trickle of sweat sliding down his dough.
“Oh my dear~! I’m not here to trick you!” Shadow Milk continued. “I’m just here to take back what’s mine.”
Pure Vanilla feels the other breathing down his neck, making the room feel scorching. Shadow Milk’s hand trails down Pure Vanilla’s back, sending shivers down his spine and gasps of fear. Shadow Milk seems pleased by this reaction.
“I’ve already said this,” Pure Vanilla stated. “I’m not ever going to surrender my souljam to you.”
“I know, Nilly," Shadow Milk’s face is now inches apart from Pure Vanilla’s own, his heavy breathing now being more prominent to the beast. “But that’s not what I have come to repossess~!”
Pure Vanilla’s gaping mouth closes into a small smile as he places his hands on the other's face. “I’ve offered you my companionship, my attention, and even a place for you to stay. What more do you have to ask of me?” Shadow Milk smacks his hand away, grabbing the nape of Pure Vanilla’s neck.
“I told you already, dumbass,” Shadow Milk snarled. “I don’t want your friendship.” Shadow Milk pins him down to the bed, rendering his already weakened muscles useless.
“I’m sick and tired of being neglected by my other half~!” Shadow Milk pushes down more, gaining a wince from Pure Vanilla. “I don’t wanna be shrugged off as another one of your silly little friends! I want you to belong to me.” A little red appears on Shadow Milk’s face, but it can barely be seen in the dark room.
Shadow Milk slides his finger down Pure Vanilla’s face with a glint in his eyes. But as soon as Pure Vanilla had realized, Shadow Milk was gone.
…
Pure Vanilla didn’t know Shadow Milk felt this way.
Ever since Truthless Recluse took over the spire, he has stayed here; but he’s been acting weird. It feels like Shadow Milk’s emotions have been amplified, especially his feelings about Pure Vanilla. With a sigh, Pure Vanilla lays his face down in his palms.
“Pure Vanilla?” a nurse steps into the infirmary, holding a clipboard. “Dark Cacao is arriving in a short while. How is your head feeling?”
Pure Vanilla lifts his head up slightly. “I’m…fine.” He doesn’t want to seem unstable, but he can’t stop his hands from shaking.
She guides him towards the kitchen, where the warrior king has already been seated, drinking his coffee.
“Good morning, Pure Vanilla,” Dark Cacao said calmly. “I see you are still in your bed clothes…” Dark Cacao lets out a little chuckle while Pure Vanilla looks down at what he’s wearing.
“I’m immensely sorry, my comrade,” Pure Vanilla mumbles, rubbing the back of his head.
“No problem. Just take a seat.” Dark Cacao takes another sip of his coffee while the kitchen staff prepare a cup of tea for Pure Vanilla.
Pure Vanilla sits down in the chair next to Dark Cacao, leaning on the counter, holding his face.
“How have you been, friend?” Dark Cacao asks with a slight smile. “I know ever since you left the spire you haven’t been feeling the best, and—” Pure Vanilla puts a hand up.
“I told you, I am completely fine,” Pure Vanilla affirms, holding back a yawn. “I may still be having nightmares, but it can’t be fixed. Shadow Milk staying in my guest bedroom doesn’t make things better, but this is for his sake.” After he finishes, Dark Cacao’s mouth is gaping as Pure Vanilla downs his entire tea cup.
Once Dark Cacao regains his thoughts he pitches in to speak again. “I don’t understand why you would want to keep it here,” he mutters, giving the room a quick glance, as if to check for anything strange.
“He has a name, and it’s Shadow Milk Cookie.” Pure Vanilla says while Dark Cacao is staring at a crack in the ceiling. He knows the beast is here. “I didn’t invite you here to criticize my decisions nor to insult him.” The warrior king shifts his focus back to Pure Vanilla.
“But what if he threatens your safety or your kingdom’s? What then? Will he move onto all the kingdoms, bringing torment and agony to all of Crispia?”
Pure Vanilla takes a deep breath. “I believe anyone can change, even Shadow Milk. And if he must stay in my guest bedroom to achieve that, then so be it.” Pure Vanilla stands up to set his cup in the sink. “Don’t think I haven’t thought this over.” Pure Vanilla adds before returning to his usual optimistic expression.
“Now, friend,” Pure Vanilla holds out a hand. “Would you like to walk with me?”
“Wouldn’t you like to change first?” Dark Cacao takes his hand, but Pure Vanilla pulls away, looking a little embarrassed.
“If you are willing to wait for me,” Pure Vanilla starts to walk up the stairs to his room.
…
“And this,” Pure Vanilla remarked. “is where we were planning on putting a recreation ground for the little cremes.” Dark Cacao peers out the tall window, revealing some construction. “And if you come this way—” Pure Vanilla stops.
“Is everything alright?” Dark Cacao turns to face Pure Vanilla, who’s staring at one of the paintings on the wall.
Pure Vanilla folds his arms and lets out a light chuckle, directed at a large self portrait at the center of the wall. “I don’t remember looking like this, Shadow Milk Cookie.” He faces the portrait with an affectionate smile.
“Shhh…” A hand pops out of the painting, tracing Pure Vanilla’s bottom lip. “We can’t let Bitterbrows know about this,” Shadow Milk says playfully, the vanilla scented ancient’s face flushing a light pink.
Pure Vanilla grabs Shadow Milk’s arm and yanks him out of the portrait, grabbing his hip instinctively. “If you’re going to make the effort to find me,” Pure Vanilla leans in. “Then you should follow through with it.” Shadow Milk presses his body against the other with a smirk, placing his right hand on the other’s chin.
“Are you sure you want that in front of your dear comrade?” Shadow Milk glances at Dark Cacao, who is glaring at them with a pained expression. “Because I can do things to you that you will regret.” Shadow Milk trailed his hand down Pure Vanilla’s chest, flashing a grin at the warrior king.
“That is quite enough, beast.” Dark Cacao steps forward, splitting up the two, and draws his sword against Shadow Milk, making him back away with his hands held up.
“Woah, woah! No need to get so worked up! Besides, why hold a sword that can’t even retain its own shape?” The sword Dark Cacao’s holding morphs into a snake, slithers to the wall, then mends itself back to his trusty sword. With the sword now resting on the opposite wall, Dark Cacao takes a couple steps away from Shadow Milk Cookie.
“Will you come at me now, when your sword is out of reach?” Shadow Milk flies around the warrior, cackling manically. Dark Cacao stiffens up, but is caught off guard by Pure Vanilla grasping Shadow Milk’s hand.
“That is quite enough, Shadow Milk Cookie.” Pure Vanilla pulls him back down to the ground, wearing a firm expression. Shadow Milk pulls his arm away quickly, facing away from both ancients. Shadow Milk starts floating away when Pure Vanilla takes his hand once more.
“You don’t have to leave,” Pure Vanilla blurted, his soft demeanor remaining strong. “I’d actually enjoy your company. Please, walk with us.” Shadow Milk felt his face grow warm as he held the other’s hand in his own.
“Oh?” Shadow Milk smiled widely, trying his best to wipe the flustered expression of his face. “I thought you’d never ask!” Shadow Milk tightens his grip on Pure Vanilla’s arm, Pure Vanilla responding with a pained groan.
As the three walked throughout the castle (except for Shadow Milk, he floated a couple feet off the ground), Shadow Milk’s flirtatious attitude never faltered, and Pure Vanilla’s flustered expression became increasingly harder to hide.
“So…” Shadow Milk pestered Pure Vanilla, floating right in front of him so he couldn’t keep walking. “Will you ever let me stay in your room? That excuse for a guest bedroom you gave me is boring and lonely…” Dark Cacao is dumbfounded by how Shadow Milk continues to provoke Pure Vanilla, despite being ignored.
“Shadow Milk.” Pure Vanilla asserted, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him into a whisper.
“What’s going on with you? Like I said, I’ve given you all the attention I can manage. If I only focus on you, I’d be shirking my responsibilities.”
“Well maybe you should.”
“I can’t.”
Pure Vanilla can feel his face start to burn up as he places a chaste kiss on the other’s cheek.
His grasp softens on Shadow Milk’s collar, but they won’t stop looking at each other; with Pure Vanilla slowly running his hands through Shadow Milk’s hair.
“Pure Vanilla Cookie.” Dark Cacao says firmly, averting both their gazes away from each other. “I’d appreciate it if we could walk the rest without the beast.” Shadow Milk is in front of the warrior king in an instant.
“How rude of you to uninvite me already!” Shadow Milk leans on Dark Cacao. “Such a shame Bitterbrow’s is so much of a party pooper.” Dark Cacao turns around quickly, but Shadow Milk has already moved.
“Pure Vanilla!” Dark Cacao manages to utter out.
“Don’t worry, I won’t hurt him!” Shadow Milk scoffed, wrapping his arms around Pure Vanilla’s neck. “But I guess this is our farewell, Nilla.” Shadow Milk gives Pure Vanilla a wink; receiving a flustered expression from the ancient, gripping his staff tightly.
“I’ll be waiting for you, in our room.” The beast cackled and was off.