Chapter Text
Shadow Milk dropped the flower onto the ground as tears swelled in his eyes.
“I will never forget you…White Lily,”
It had been at least a month since the war happened. They won, but at the cost of Silent Salt and White Lily dying.
Silent Salt tried to attack Shadow Milk, not believing in his redemption. Shadow Milk was already weak with his soul jam being drained. The only reason why he didn’t die was because White Lily stepped in and helped him.
White Lily was so kind to him, even after everything. So why…why out of everyone, did she have to die?
He pet the flower bed of Lilies as his tears continued, making milkcrowns surround the flower bed.
When Shadow Milk told Vanilla about White Lilies death, he didn’t care.
“And? Am I supposed to cry?”
Shadow Milk gritted his teeth and clenched his fists as he wanted to break that mirror.
“HOW DARE YOU! SHE WAS YOUR LIFELONG FRIEND! EVEN KNOWING YOUR STATE, SHE WANTED ME TO LOOK OUT FOR YOU FOR HER. SHE WROTE A LETTER, SHE CRIED YOUR NAME, HOW CAN YOU BE SO CRUEL!?”
Shadow Milk hadn’t felt this mad in a very, very long time. It was foreign, yet familiar in a twisted way. He just couldn’t help it.
Pure Vanilla just turned away, “I already knew it was going to happen, but I’m glad it happened in a way I could control it. I’m not crying like a pitiful child like the other one, because I knew, and I’m aware,”
Shadow Milk’s rage grew, “WHAT ARE YOU EVEN TALKING ABOUT? I-I CAN’T DEAL WITH YOU RIGHT NOW!”
Shadow Milk tried to avoid Vanilla that day, but every reflection he looked at he was there.
So he just gave up and accepted it.
Pure Vanilla never let him have a moment to himself. Staring at him from a distance, gazing through the reflections of the glass table windows in the ballroom.
Not a single moment was his own, especially when White Lily died. Maybe Pure Vanilla was secretly seeking comfort even though he’d never admit it.
Eventually, Shadow Milk's anger towards him faded. However it didn’t make Shadow Milk any less lonely.
Now here he was, crying in his garden for a woman who deserved way better.
Better than him, she needed Vanilla.
The world is cruel for making her see Shadow Milk as the last man she’d see before she faded away.
It should have been Vanilla, she loved Vanilla.
Shadow Milk tried to continue his duties.
They’re getting done, but not in the way he used to.
It used to be enjoyable, now every single one of them is a chore.
Kinda like when he was…
Shadow Milk shook his head and tried to reason with himself.
“NO! It’s not like the Fount, it's not at all!”
Pure Vanilla would look at him and chuckle.
“Oh gee, tough work? Ya know if you just break the hand mirror-,”
Shadow Milk sighed, “No. You know I can’t do that,”
Pure Vanilla’s fake smile faded, “FINE! I’ll just find someone who will!”
‘Find someone who will?’ Shadow Milk pondered this. What made things stranger was that Vanilla was nowhere to be seen.
His reflection can’t be seen without another person of a soul jam, White Lily made sure of that.
The ancients already knew not to release him because of his actions. So who was Vanilla talking about? The beasts were dead…
His old friends were dead.
It must have been just Vanilla throwing a fit.
At least that’s what he thought, until he looked up from his garden…
and in front of him was Pure Vanilla Cookie.
The kind one.
Shadow Milk backed away in fear, surprisingly so did the Pure Vanilla.
Shadow Milk stammered, “Th-this isn’t a good joke! I don’t know how you got out but!-,”
The Pure Vanilla shook his head, “Wait! I-I’m not from here! Let me explain, please!”
Like he was going to fall for that? How could he escape and immediately toy with him like this!
“I don’t know what you’re doing but it won’t work Vanilla!”
The Pure Vanilla stepped closer, “Please, trust me. I truly don’t understand…,”
The softness, the warmth, it was a distant feeling from a long time ago.
No way, it can’t be, how can there be two Vanilla’s!?
Shadow Milk examined him up and down,
“You…are telling the truth…,”
The Pure Vanilla seemed hesitant,
“I’m sorry but, you look awfully familiar so that’s why you scared me. I can explain everything…,”
Shadow Milk looked into his eyes, pure light. Something he missed in Vanilla’s reflection.
“You can explain to me with tea, if that’s ok?”
—-
A Pure Vanilla from another dimension, that’s how he explained it. One where their soul jams didn’t decide to switch and Shadow Milk refused Pure Vanilla’s offer.
He claimed that after his war, Shadow Milk gained powers to go through timelines and that he stranded Pure Vanilla here.
That admittedly, sounds exactly like what he would do. Shadow Milk sighed.
“I can’t believe I…he did that. He should know timelines are fragile,”
Pure Vanilla nodded, seemingly out of pitty.
Shadow Milk thought out loud,
“How am I going to refer to you two differently?”
Pure Vanilla’s eyes widened a little,
“Uh, pardon me?”
Shadow Milk awkwardly giggled,
“Ah nothing nothing! It’s just that…the version of you here. I was wondering what I’d call you two to tell the difference,”
Pure Vanilla smiled innocently,
“Oh! There’s a version of me here? I must know where he is! He could help!”
Shadow Milk turned away,
“I..don’t believe he would,”
Shadow Milk didn’t know if he wanted to tell Pure Vanilla about, well, his tainted self.
Huh, Tainted, Tainted Vanilla? Maybe that’s how he’ll tell the difference.
Pure Vanilla tilted his head,
“Why not? Is something wrong?”
Shadow Milk stared at his tea. He couldn’t tell him, just not now. Things have been awful and he just can’t take it.
“I will say, just not now. I’m sorry if that’s selfish of me…I…,”
Shadow Milk felt tears returning as Pure Vanilla reached out.
“A-Are you ok!? Shadow Milk!?”
He held Shadow Milk’s hand, which just made him cry more.
Pure Vanilla held on,
“If the topic makes you uncomfortable, I can learn later,”
Shadow Milk nodded through tears, he’s been crying too much recently. He feels pathetic and weak. The old him would never cry this much.
Maybe that’s one thing the past him was better at, he feels so vulnerable. He should protect others not have others protect him!
Shadow Milk tried to calm himself down.
“Uh, yeah, th…that would be nice. Thank you,”
The rest of the day Shadow Milk showed Pure Vanilla around the castle. Just also making sure no one else saw of course, that would be…very difficult to explain.
What Shadow Milk found strange however was that Pur-Tainted Vanilla was avoiding both of them the entire time. It was odd, he would relish this kind of thing. Showing Pure Vanilla the potential evil he could become and mocking Shadow Milk, saying he tried to “replace” him or something.
However he wasn’t around at all.
Pure Vanilla noticed Shadow Milk’s distracted face during a conversation.
“Shadow Milk? I apologize if I’m interrupting but I sent a distress signal with your technology, my friends will return soon,”
Shadow Milk shook his head,
“AH! Yes yes of course! I’m very happy for you!”
Why did he have to leave so early? Couldn’t he stay for a little longer?
No, he has duties to attend to and a deranged maniac to stop. He can’t be selfish and try to keep him, That’s what Tainted Vanilla tried to do.
Pure Vanilla nodded as he looked through the library.
“Wow…it’s almost identical to mine! I wonder where I…,” he looked at Shadow Milk concerned with confusion, it caught Shadow Milk off guard.
He waved his hand in front of Pure Vanilla,
“Uhh Vanilla? Is something wrong?”
Pure Vanilla shook his head,
“Uh yes, I apologize I just…I think I saw something,”
Shadow Milk was confused but, tried to help.
“Well it could’ve been one of the residents here, I can go check but just…stay here ok?”
Shadow Milk didn’t want the resident to freak out about the old king.
“Ah…alright,”
Shadow Milk then left Pure Vanilla alone.
Pure Vanilla wanted anything but to be alone. He had been seeing things all day. A blur behind Shadow Milk and on the floors, was his Shadow Milk here? Taunting him?
He then heard a noise, a wailing.
Shadow Milk said not to leave but, this all feels so suspicious. He doesn’t want to be unsure of this Shadow Milk, but he’s hiding so much.
He decided to investigate further by following the noise along the halls, it was strange, the place was completely identical to his own. It felt uncanny, unnatural.
He then heard the noise from an unexpected place…
“The basement of the king's chambers…,”
Pure Vanilla barley used this place, unless there was a threat or something to hide.
What was this Shadow Milk hiding?
Something told him to draw closer. What if this Shadow Milk killed this universes Pure Vanilla? Or worse?
How could he…how could another Shadow Milk lie to him?
Pure Vanilla shook his head, “I…I don’t usually assume things so fast,”
He shouldn’t. He closed the basement door and walked away. Until he saw on the marble floor his reflection shouting at him.
“PURE VANILLA COOKIE!”
“AH!” Pure Vanilla stammered back.
The reflection seemed concerned, his robes, face, all the same.
“Finally! Someone to save me!”
Pure Vanilla rubbed his face in astonishment , “S-save you?”
The reflection nodded, “I was trapped here! By him! Shadow Milk cookie, and my kingdom was taken!”
Pure Vanilla gasped, “Taken?”
The reflection pleaded, “Please! Please, I need your help! My seal it’s in the basement! I can guide you! I just desire freedom!”
Pure Vanilla couldn’t believe it. He should’ve known, the man manipulated him. No matter what universe it seems they can never see eye to eye.
“How…how could he? I thought he was nice, I thought he was…,”
The reflection raised its voice, “He’s a liar Vanilla! A dirty liar! He manipulated me as well!”
How could he? The tour, the tears, the affection…it was all a lie.
Shadow Milk will always lie.
Pure Vanilla stomped into the basement.