Chapter Text
When Elder Faerie awoke again, it was cold and dark. He begrudgingly sat up, only to feel himself phase through wood, dirt, then grass. Ah. I’ve crumbled. He looked over his surroundings. A tombstone. His wedding band on top of it. The seal tree. He stood up, feeling the ache of crumbling in his jam.
What now? There’s not much to do once a cookie has crumbled. Elder Faerie roamed around, testing the limitations of his newfound ghostliness.
He could travel in a 60 meter perimeter around his grave. He could fly, but only until he hit the border of the perimeter as well. It seemed to form a semicircle.
He could stick his head through the grass and look at his body, but it wasn’t very appealing to look at the remains of yourself decaying.
Other than that, he could summon random objects, due to his inherent magical abilities. Summoning a harp to play on the grass was a feat he used quite a lot. It’s quite boring being crumbled.
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An occasional faerie would come along and pay their respects to his grave. Some would talk to him, some would look on in grief for their beloved king. It was futile to try to comfort them, after all, they couldn’t see him. Still, it warmed his heart to see he was still so loved after his death.
One day, late in the night, a young teenaged cookie walked up to his grave asking for advice on love. Something Elder Faerie knew the sorrow of far too well.
“I apologize for the late intrusion. I hope you are enjoying the afterlife well.” The young fae looked exhausted, eyes red and puffy, presumably from crying. “I just need your guidance.” His voice cracked.
Although Elder Faerie knew he couldn’t hear him, he replied back, “Of course.”
“How do you deal with the death of someone you loved more than anyone in the world?” The young cookie fell to his knees, voice raw. “I loved him, Elder Faerie, I really did.” He lay there, cradled and shivering. “I loved him.”
Elder Faerie Cookie bent down to console the poor cookie, just to feel his hand phase through the cookie’s wings.
“He was courageous, determined, and oh so strong willed. Too strong willed for his own good. He insisted on fighting during the Great Calamity, only to be torn to shreds by that beast.” He wiped his eyes on his sleeve. “If he truly loved me back, wouldn’t he have stayed?” He asked softly.
The cookie lay there for a while before drifting off to sleep upon the grass. Elder Faerie tried to comfort him again, stroking his hair the way a parent would when trying to console their child. The air stilled around them, and everything went dark again.
When Elder Faerie came to, he realized something was very off.
Great Witches! What in the world? Is- is this his dream?