Chapter Text
“Stupid… Reckless…” I mumbled as I limped through the forest. Burning Spice Cookie (the little sugarplum) was so psyched up when he couldn’t defeat his alternate, he needed to “get stronger.” And who better than a weakened, shaken jester to fight!
“The damn breadcrumb…” I groaned.
I held my arm in place. It had nearly crumbled off during the fight, but thankfully I was able to save it, unlike my head. What, didn’t know that the reason I can take off my head at will was because Burning Spice cut it off? Well, now you do!
The difference is that we were in our soul forms when that happened. Now, we have physical forms, and the damage can’t be reversed as easily. Something a dumb fudge like him didn’t account for!
“Ugh…” I grunt as I lean against a tree. It’s hard staying stable on your feet when you’ve just had two back-to-back fights. And I used the last of my energy to teleport away from the battle.
I’m stuck.
x x x
I felt a pulse from my Soul Jam.
Today we had decided to have a picnic in the newly growing forests near the Vanilla Kingdom. Thanks to Herb Cookie, it was growing relatively fast, of which I was thankful for. The people there were GingerBrave, Wizard Cookie, Strawberry Cookie, and Custard Cookie. Sadly, White Lily Cookie had not yet returned, but we all were having fun nonetheless.
However, my Soul Jam was unsettled. I didn’t understand why, but I had an urge to go deeper into the forest to check if anything was wrong. The forest had been deemed safe from the Cakes, but it was still somewhat dangerous to go in alone. What a strange feeling…
“Are you alright, Pure Vanilla Cookie?” GingerBrave asked.
I looked up at GingerBrave, who was digging into a bear jelly. “Ah, yes. I’m just… lost in thought.” I looked into the forest. “GingerBrave, may I ask for your guidance?”
“Huh? I mean, sure! But I don’t know how I can help you.”
“Something feels off. I have the urge to look for something in the forest. I don’t know what, but I believe it may be important. It feels… hurt.”
“Hurt?” GingerBrave asked.
“Yes. I know it sounds strange, but I can’t help but think someone is in danger.”
“Well,” GingerBrave replied, “I always try to go with my gut! You know, like when you're faced with an important decision, like… sweet or sour jellies! If my gut says ‘sweet,’ I go with ‘sweet!’”
“I see..” I pondered for a moment. “Yes, thank you GingerBrave! You have helped me very much.”
“I have?” GingerBrave said.
“Yes, indeed! I must go for now. Please keep an eye on the picnic!”
“Can do!”
“Thank you.”
I walked off into the forest. I was not sure who or what I shall encounter, but I had a feeling that they were in trouble.
I felt my Soul Jam pulse again. I was on the right track. I turned the corner to see a very damaged Shadow Milk Cookie leaning against a tree.
“Shadow Milk Cookie?!”
He looked up, and I immediately saw the full extent of the damage done. There were small cracks all around his face, and he seemed to be covering a severe crack on his arm. There were blueberry jam droplets on the floor all around him. He gave me a harsh glare.
“What’re you… doing… here?” He struggled to say.
“I was having a picnic, and felt something off about the forest. It seems our Soul Jam’s were calling to each other.”
“Ha! Fat chance…”
He slipped slightly and out of instinct I dashed toward him. He yelled in pain as I caught him.
“I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, right.”
I set him down, leaning him against a tree. He cradled his cracked arm. I looked at him concerned.
“Here, let me heal you-”
He pulled himself away from me.
“Do you really think as the former Fount of Knowledge that I wouldn’t know a spell to heal myself?!”
“I’m not questioning your Knowledge,” I explained, motioning to his arm, “I’m questioning your ability to cast.”
He looked at me, annoyed, and then looked away.
Seeing his situation, and the fact he wouldn’t let me tend to his wounds, it seemed I only had one option.
“Please, let me tend to your wounds,” I said, a slight echo in my voice.
Shadow Milk complied blankly, and it was only after I started healing him that he realized what had happened.
“Did you just control me?”
“It’s a manipulation spell,” I explained. “I learned it back at school. We had a very strange teacher that year…”
“Oho! It seems we’re even more alike than we thought!”
“But, unlike you, I don’t enjoy using them. I only use them on my most stubborn patients,” I said teasingly.
He glared at me and looked down. At least he’s no longer fighting back, I thought to myself.
“Does that feel better?” I said as I finished healing.
He moved his arm in a circle. “I guess… What’s it to ya? Why’d you help me?”
“Isn’t that what friends are for?”
x x x
I looked at him, annoyed.
Friends.
He flaunts that word around like they last forever. He acts like the two of us, who are, by the way, on VERY different sides, are just that. Friends.
He doesn’t understand. We’re not just enemies. We’re enemies by FATE. This was bound to happen. I know because of an old prophecy. VERY old.
He doesn’t understand what’s at work. He didn’t understand that he couldn’t escape the ultimate end of the line, when he would have to put me back in the seal. Yet he said he understands my pain. A pain I didn’t even realize existed until…
No. It DOESN’T exist. It NEVER existed. I was never lonely. Only bored.
I turned away and started to walk off, but winced at sudden pain from my arm.
“Are you sure you’ll be fine?” Pure Vanilla asked.
“Shut up!” I yelled. “I’m fine on my own! I don’t need you, I don’t need ANYONE. I. Am. FINE.”
I walked faster, but I ended up tripping, and the pain burst throughout my entire body.
“DAMNIT!” I yelped.
Pure Vanilla came over to help me up, but I swatted him away.
“Don’t you get it by now?” I said. “We’re ENEMIES. And it will stay that way. No matter what we do or say, we can’t change that we are on different sides! I can’t be your friend!”
“Why not?” Pure Vanilla asked.
“What an idiotic question! I just told you, didn’t I?”
“You said we were on different sides. And that’s true. But how does that stop us from being friends?”
“Because we have to hurt each other!”
“Who says enemies have to hurt each other?”
This was getting annoying. Asking such silly questions! And yet… I struggled to find an answer to that last one. But I found one.
“It doesn’t have to be physical. You’re going to have to seal me. That’s an attack in itself. You say you don’t want me to feel lonely? Well, TOUGH LUCK! You have to trap me in that seal, or else the seal won’t work and the world ends! There. That’s your answer. Happy?”
I start to walk away again.
“I don’t want to.”
I stop in my tracks. “What.”
“I don’t want to seal you in. I don’t want to trap you again and make you feel lonely. Not to mention that the cookie who nearly crumbled you would likely be in there with you.”
I looked at him, shocked that he knew, but then again, the only options were me, the other Ancients, or the Beasts, and I’m smart enough not to go looking for a fight or hurting myself.
“It doesn’t matter if you ‘don’t want to.’ You have to. There’s no other way.”
“Of course there is,” he said. “There’s always another way.”
“And how do you know that? Huh? How could you possess such a power that can change fate itself?!”
“Because I’ve done it.”
“When-”
And then I remembered. He was supposed to stay as “Truthless Recluse” originally. And yet, because of his stupid friends, he went back to being his normal, kind, annoying self. Something even I can’t understand.
“Alright,” I say, “then how do you plan to stop it?”
He pondered for a moment. “I’m not sure,” he finally replied, “but I’ll find a way.”
I scoffed. All this big talk, and yet he doesn’t even know how to put it into action. Such an idiot. But it’s funny to see him try.
Another sharp pain, this time more around my chest. I wince.
“Ow…” I mumble.
Pure Vanilla looked at me worriedly. “You know, you’re welcome to stay in the Vanilla Kingdom until you recover.”
I looked at him, shocked he would even suggest that. “What?”
“I know it wouldn’t be easy, but I’m sure I could find a way to-”
I held up my hand to shut him up. “Back up a second. YOU. Want ME. Your SWORN NEMESIS. To stay in YOUR KINGDOM.”
“I don’t see a problem with it. Also, ‘sworn nemesis?’”
“There’s a HUGE problem!” I yell. “You’re giving me a HUGE advantage! Letting me in your kingdom would let me learn EVERYTHING about you! I would know how to defeat you IN AN INSTANT!”
“And that means I would get that same advantage, correct?”
Oof. He got me there.
“Where would I even stay? If any of your friends found out you were sheltering me, a Beast, they would flip!”
“I have a secret room in my palace that you could stay in.”
In his palace. IN HIS PALACE!
I don’t understand him. He NEVER thinks about the possible consequences! And with everything I’ve done to him?! How is he MY other half?!
And yet…
“Fine,” I reply. “I’ll stay. But I WON’T enjoy it.”
Pure Vanilla smiled. “Of course.”