Chapter Text
"Master Shadow Milk?"
Black Sapphire Cookie stands beside his sister. Before them stand the heroes, and the tree.
The tree Shadow Milk is now trapped inside.
The heroes all turn at the sound of Candy Apple's heartbroken voice. Only Pure Vanilla's face softens. He looks at them with... pity? Sadness? Sympathy?
Candy Apple wipes her eyes with the back of her hands. Her shoulders shake as she hiccups sobs. Black Sapphire tightens his grip on his staff.
Before he knows what he's doing, he's pointing it at the heroes.
"Let him go."
The venom in his voice surprises even himself.
What is he doing? If Master Shadow Milk can't beat them, why would he? He needs to run, hide, something, anything other than this! Candy Apple only has him now. He needs to protect them. He needs to keep them safe.
He needs to keep her safe.
Pure Vanilla steps forward. His hands are extended in a placating gesture, like Black Sapphire Cookie is a feral cakehound. Maybe, in this moment, he is.
"Hey, it's okay. I'm sure we can talk this ou–"
"IT'S NOT OKAY!"
Black Sapphire Cookie charges before anyone can do anything to stop him. Pure Vanilla's staff comes up to block his own. They clang over and over and over again. He just keeps swinging, despite the voice in the back of his mind telling him it's useless.
And Pure Vanilla just keeps blocking.
"He was EVERYTHING to us! Don't tell me it's okay when it's not! Don't lie to me!"
Okay this is happening now. Any composure he could have had for Candy Apple's sake? Gone. Vanished! He's probably seconds away from being executed on the spot and he'll leave Candy Apple all alone.
Hollyberry and Golden Cheese step closer. Dark Cacao readies his sword. White Lily tightens her hold on her own staff.
And Pure Vanilla just. keeps. blocking.
"We are NOTHING without him! We have NOTHING without him! You try doing ANYTHING after being a card for hundreds OF FUCKING YEARS!"
Metal collides with metal. Over and over and over and over. Tears start to well up in the corners of Black Sapphire's eyes. His hands shake. He's losing steam fast.
"You– you try to– you..."
Their staffs connect with a pathetic clang as a sob wrenches it's way out of Black Sapphire Cookie's throat. All the strength, all the anger drains out of him like a broken bowl with too many holes.
"Give him back... I still need my dad... I don't...."
A gentle hand rests on his shoulder. He'd swat it away if he wasn't shaking so much. His grip on his staff tightens as he sobs, unable to stop it now that it's started.
He should be comforting Candy Apple Cookie. He should be planning what to do next, where to go, how to survive. He shouldn't be sobbing in the arms of the enemy. He shouldn't be sobbing. He needs to be strong, for her.
He's weak.
The hand moves from his shoulder to his face. It gently cups his cheek, thumb wiping away his tears.
It feels so much like Shadow Milk he has to fight the urge to sob harder. They aren't immortal. By the time he manages to break the seal again, they'll have long since crumbled.
He's never going to see his father again.
Pure Vanilla gently tilts his head up. His smile is gentle and kind and understanding. It takes Black Sapphire Cookie back to sunlit halls and classrooms that never truly felt empty. To a room in a tower that no longer exists where stories were read and safety wasn't a question.
"It's okay. You don't need to have everything figured out. It will come with time. Do you have anywhere to go? Somewhere to stay?"
Black Sapphire glares. He smacks the gentle touch away, wiping his eyes with his sleeves as he stands properly. "I did. And then you ruined it."
Pure Vanilla doesn't seem bothered by Black Sapphire's hostility. He doesn't seem surprised, either. He just rests a hand over the soul jam that doesn't belong to him, face scrunching up in a look of sorrow or pity.
"Oh dear. I didn't know that tower was your home. And you truly have nowhere else to go?"
His eye twitches. "What do you think?"
Why is he still talking to Pure Vanilla? He's been spared. He should take Candy Apple and go before things get worse. They need shelter and Shadow Milk's subspace isn't an option anymore.
Pure Vanilla frowns. "Well, if you truly have nowhere to go, may I offer my home?"
"PURE VANILLA COOKIE!" Golden Cheese gasps, "They are NOT to be trusted! Have you forgotten who they work for?"
He smiles at her, kind and stubborn. "I haven't. But I can tell they are not bad cookies. Please, have some faith in me, friend."
Golden Cheese stares at him for a long moment before she huffs, crossing her arms. Dark Cacao rests a hand on Pure Vanilla's shoulder, sending a wary glance in Black Sapphire's direction.
"Are you sure about this, my friend?"
Pure Vanilla nods. "I am."
Black Sapphire would be insulted by the way he's being treated if the offer hadn't flabbergasted him.
What reason could Pure Vanilla possibly have to make such an offer? They aren't trustworthy. They actively hurt him and his friends. They participated in the torment and did so joyously.
His kindness is a weakness.
A weakness that could be exploited.
Now there's an idea.
Pure Vanilla is too kind for his own good. It's something that could easily be exploited. Black Sapphire could turn his kindness against him to, say, free Shadow Milk? Get the soul jam? A little bit of both? And they get food and shelter in the meantime!
They get their dad back, Shadow Milk gets his soul jam, and Pure Vanilla gets screwed over. It's a win-win-win! Not for Pure Vanilla, of course, but that's a sacrifice he's willing to make.
He'll have to figure out all the details but it isn't a bad plan.
He glances back at Candy Apple. She's staring at him, tears in her eyes. She's waiting to go, to leave, to be done. It makes his heart hurt.
"And you'll take both of us?"
Pure Vanilla smiles kindly. "Of course."
Accepting help from the enemy is cowardly and a bad idea. It's shameful and stupid but what other choice does he have?
Black Sapphire's grip on his staff tightens before he forces it to relax. He breathes in deeply. He breathes out. He can't make eye contact as he swallows his pride and pours as much sincerity into his voice as he can.
"We will accept your incredibly kind offer." The voice of a dead man shouts in the back of Black Sapphire's mind. He smacks the boy upside the head, yelling something about manners. He quickly tacks on a "thank you" and the voice goes quiet.
Pure Vanilla hums. "You are welcome. We will figure things out. You are not alone."
Black Sapphire Cookie makes a noise of agreement before walking away to approach Candy Apple. He wipes her eyes with his hands and a smile.
"Hey, it'll be okay. I have a plan, just like I always do. This is a minor setback. We'll get through this. Together."
She nods. "Together."
Candy Apple hiccups, surging forward to wrap her brother in a hug. He just holds her while the heroes talk.
He should probably be listening in on the conversation. He's a bit more preoccupied with making sure his sister is okay.
Hollyberry approaches after a long moment. She smiles kindly at them and Black Sapphire has to snuff the instinct to be mean.
"Pure Vanilla Cookie is planning on sticking around Beast Yeast for a little longer with White Lily Cookie. Will you both be alright waiting to leave?"
He holds Candy Apple's head still, keeping her face pressed into his chest. He'll explain the plan once things have calmed down.
"We'll be fine. I wanted to say goodbye to Master Shadow Milk anyway."
Candy Apple makes a choked sound at that last bit, grip on the back of Black Sapphire shirt tightening. Hollyberry shoots her a concerned look.
"I see! I understand it must be hard. I will leave you both be, then."
Black Sapphire Cookie hums in acknowledgement, watching Hollyberry as she returns to her friends to discuss next steps. He relaxes his grip once he's sure she's far enough away.
Candy Apple pulls back with a glare. "What was that about?" she hisses.
"I have a plan. I will tell you later but all you need to know now is that we'll be going to Crispia with Pure Vanilla."
Her face falls. "But... But what about Master Shadow Milk?! We can't just leave him here!"
His grip on her shoulders tightens, voice dropping to a hissed whisper. "We can't help him if we don't know how the seal works! Just trust me!"
"Fine!" Candy Apple goes quiet for a moment, staring at the tree behind him. Her grip on his shirt tightens again. "But... do we really have to go?"
"It's the best option we have."
"Okay... I trust you."
She isn't happy. Black Sapphire can tell. His hand slips into hers, though, and he wordlessly leads her over to the tree.
The heroes continue to discuss, occasional glances shot their way as the siblings sit under the silver tree. Candy Apple Cookie tucks herself into Black Sapphire's side, their backs pressed against the bark.
Not having Shadow Milk around is new. It's scary. His presence was a security blanket for so long and he was taken away just like that.
Black Sapphire Cookie closes his eyes, head thunking against the wood behind him.
He can almost imagine arms wrapping around him from behind, keeping him safe, making sure he's loved. He's almost certain it's a hallucination.
Real or not, Black Sapphire lets the spectral arms comfort him.
Maybe, just maybe, things will be okay.