Chapter Text
Years.
Centuries.
Too long.
Too long has it been since Shadow Milk had seen him.
His beloved.
And this- this insolent gnat DARES remind him of the one person he’s ever held dear.
Pure Vanilla holds out his hand, face holding that… stupid smile.
He reminds him of Healer.
Where is Healer?
Gone, he supposes. It’s been a millennium, Healer wasn’t immortal, unlike Shadow Milk. He thinks, anyway.
“Let me be your… friend.”
“Would you let me be your friend, Fount?"
Shadow Milk recoils as if burned, how DARE HE. How DARE he say that. He knows about him, about Healer, he’s mocking him. He’s absolutely sure of it.
“CURSE YOU!!” He screams, flying back as if to protect himself from the cookie in front of him, even though Pure Vanilla made no move to attack.
“You know NOTHING! You ARE NOTHING!” His voice cracks, he curses his blasted emotions to infinity. “I HATE YOU! You and your SOUL JAM! I WILL DESTROY YOU!”
Pure Vanilla’s face scrunches into one of disheartenment, he let out a small sigh.
“Shadow Milk, it doesn’t have to end like this...” He says, his voice gentle as ever.
“I have to- I have to go Healer.”
“But where, my Fount?”
“I- I don’t- I don’t know. I’m sorry. It’s too much- I-“
“My Fount, it doesn’t have to end like this!”
“I’m sorry, orchid. But it does.”
“STOP IT! YOU KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING!” Shadow Milk shrieks, now inches away from Pure Vanilla, who doesn’t even flinch, a small frown creasing his brow.
“I can assure you, I don’t.” He says, a trace of uncertainty in his voice.
At that moment, Black Sapphire and Candy Apple came running, grabbing his arms and pulling him away. Shadow Milk let them pull him away, eyes burning holes into Pure Vanilla. The awakened hero stared back, frowning sadly.
“Our paths will cross again, Shadow Milk Cookie.” He murmurs, only Shadow Milk hears, who lets out a snarl in response.
They continued to stare at each other, until the portal that had been made behind him had closed. Black Sapphire and Candy Apple let go of him, stepping back cautiously.
“Master Shadow Milk...?” Candy Apple said tentatively, the pair were very aware of how much of a loose cannon he can be when upset.
“Leave me.” Was all me managed out, the two scurried away exceedingly fast. He was left to his own devices. He stared at the space where the portal was, breathing ragged, tears threatening to spill. That blasted cookie, how DARE he. How- How would he have even found out about Healer Cookie? Did he leave a book out? He must have.
He hadn’t noticed he’d curled up on the inky ground until a sniffle rang out, and he looked up to see the source. It came from him, when did he start crying?
Shadow decided to let himself cry, let himself mourn and grieve the only good thing that had ever happened to him.
His Healer.
His husband.
He missed him.
Pure Vanilla let out a sigh, hand coming up to his Soul Jam, caressing it gently. He’d sworn that he would keep it safe, swore to him he would keep it out of harms way, somehow, this mirror of his betrothed had gotten his hands on it. How, he couldn’t fathom, but he wanted to keep all of the Soul Jam safe, and if that meant befriending the one who had tormented him, then that is what he would do.
He swore to his Fount that he’d look after it, and he would keep that promise till he died.
Where did his Fount go?
He didn’t know.
After Shadow Milk’s exit, GingerBrave and his friends had urged him to leave, that it wasn’t safe, that he would come back. Pure Vanilla politely declined, saying that he would survey the damage, fix anything broken, then would catch up with them on their journey home.
He was now stood in front of the statue of his one and only, staring up at it.
“Am I doing the right thing, my Fount?” He asks, kneeling down in the rubble of the destroyed Spire, his Spire.
“Sometimes the right thing is the wrong thing in other’s eyes, orchid. As long as you think you’re doing the right thing, that’s all that matters, I trust your judgement.”
Pure Vanilla gives a small, sad smile. He remembered that conversation, they were discussing the ethics of a question that one of his followers had asked, he couldn’t remember what they had asked, all he remembered was Fount asking what he would do. He had just looked at him, dumbfounded, declaring that he didn’t know. He plucked a Milkcrown from the field they were sat in, gently stroking the petals. Fount had smiled at him, placing a hand over his, and declared his utmost trust in his opinion.
It was his favourite memory of him.
Then he left, leaving the Soul Jam in his possession. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do with it. He left it, never touched it, then he heard that the tyrants of Beast-Yeast had been sealed away in a Silver Tree, and it was that day that he felt the power of the Soul Jam waver. Since that day, he’s kept it close to him, never let it out of his sight.
It was all he had left of his husband.
Where was he?
A tear slipped, falling down his face as he stared up at the statue of his beloved.
He missed him.