Chapter Text
After so much terror, the survivors and I managed to restore Earthbread. At last, the cookies were happy, and we no longer had to worry about the Jellywalker epidemic.
Or so I thought, until I received a letter from the Dark Cacao Kingdom.
Upon reading it, I lost my breath, rubbed my eyes, and read it again, over and over. I thought it was a joke or that I had misread due to my poor eyesight, but when I grabbed my staff and read it once more, I stood up, dropping my staff and covering my mouth with my hands.
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Dear Pure Vanilla, I inform you that something horrible is happening in the Dark Cacao Kingdom.
Apparently, a mutation occurred with King Dark Cacao, and he is now being controlled by the virus.
I don't have much time, but I wanted to warn you that this "impostor" plans to expand the virus once again.
I hope you receive this letter as soon as possible, before I fall too.
Att: Espresso Cookie
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"Why didn't you say anything, Cacao?" I asked myself, shaking my head. I felt my eyes begin to well up, but I wiped away the tears quickly.
It was no time to lament; he was in danger, his people were in danger, and I couldn't just stay here crying and doing nothing.
I took a deep breath, grabbed my staff making sure the flower was well, and left my room, ready to confront this unknown being that wants to strike against the well-being of the cookies.
"Black Raisin! Find Cream Puff Cookie and Strawberry Crepe, we are going to the Cacao Kingdom." She looked at me with confusion but obeyed the order. I watched her walk away while my expression fell as I remembered the words of that letter.
"Oh, Witches, I beg you to hear my prayers and give me strength to face this," I prayed, bringing my free hand toward my Soul Jam. I only hope everything goes well.
After a long journey we managed to arrive; however, every minute felt eternal to me. I couldn't stop thinking about the state of Dark Cacao and his kingdom, but upon feeling the piercing cold breeze through my robes, I managed to snap back to reality.
We settled in a clearing to rest and set up a small camp nearby to plan our next move.
"Why don't we just go and ask if everything is okay?" Cream Puff asked, receiving a sarcastic look from Strawberry Crepe.
"Sure, what do you think they'll do? Gently open the gates to our destruction? What a great plan." Black Raisin nudged their arm with her elbow, reprimanding the act.
I was disconnected from the conversation, hugging myself with my waffle cape, trying to catch some warmth. I don't know if it was just me, but the cold weather seemed more piercing, and my limbs trembled violently.
"What we need to do is find a way to enter without being seen. Pure Vanilla, you've been to the citadel before, any ideas?"
"Huh?" I woke up from my bubble again, confused by my friend's words. She asked if I was okay, and I nodded confidently.
"I remember there is a door at the lower part of one of the walls. It is a secret exit in case of an ambush or an invasion," I pointed toward the walls. "It seems far, but it has a passage that leads straight to the castle."
"Perfect, we will enter through there and try to find the dungeon." I nodded. At that, Strawberry Crepe added other strategies while Cream Puff covered herself more with her coat.
When the sun began to set, we settled down to rest; we needed to be awake for our infiltration. The little ones fell asleep, and I took advantage of the moment to approach Black Raisin; there was something I wanted to discuss with her.
"Aren't you going to sleep?" she commented as she entered her tent with a warm smile. "It's been a while since we slept together in a tent. I know we are in times of crisis, but I'd like to reminisce about those times."
She smiled at me, rolling her eyes. "Well, I can't deny you that, you always see the positive side of everything, even in a situation like this." I sat by her side, but my smile disappeared, and I took a deep breath.
"I also wanted to talk to you about something important." I started fidgeting with my hands, noticing her gaze on me. "And that is... when we reach the palace, I will go straight to confront Cacao."
Her eyes widened like saucers; I knew she was going to scold me for my reckless decision, but I had to do it.
"Are you crazy? Do you really plan to throw yourself into danger like that? You know he is no longer conscious of himself. What makes you think it will be any different with you?" I closed my eyes while lowering my head, felt a chill, and hugged myself.
"I know, I am more than aware that I am walking into the wolf's mouth. But even so, I need to see him, I need to know that at least I tried to make him listen to reason," I told her, still fragile but sure of myself. I felt a few tears escape my eyes, but I no longer wanted to hide them. "That's why I wanted to ask you to take care of them, they are the youngest, and although it hurts me, I leave it to you to take better care of them." I placed my hand on her shoulder and smiled at her. "I trust you will do a good job."
She sighed and joined her hand with mine with a sad smile. "Ugh, you always find a way to be right. After all, nobody should hurt more from this situation than you." I smiled at her, and with my other hand, I wiped away my tears. "Just one thing, don't do anything crazy, you hear me?"
I nodded, letting out a small laugh, and in the end, we lay down together. Although it was hard for me to fall asleep, my mind refused to rest, and I proceeded to plan my own move in case things went wrong.
I know I am a simple healer and violence was not my may, but I couldn't block the sun with my hand and come to the simple conclusion that talking would solve everything; I had to be prepared for what was coming.
The time came, and we packed up the camp. Thanks to Black Raisin's skills and mine, we managed to clear the place as if nobody had ever been there.
The entrance was a few kilometers away from the palace, but it had an internal path that led to the castle hallways. I remember it perfectly since I myself was there the moment the order was dictated; it was an escape method intended for the royal family, and only those closest to them knew about it, besides myself and our three friends.
We reached the wall, and I used my magic to open the seal. Upon succeeding, we entered a sort of tunnel with stairs in front of us. It seemed hollow, but the stairs reinforced the open area of the wall. I illuminated the place with my staff, and we followed the path until reaching another set of stairs, and above them, a small light shone through.
I smiled and climbed up first to open the second lock. Upon doing so, I pushed the trapdoor with the utmost care. I went out and helped the other cookies who were behind me.
"Very well, from here you must run carefully to the dungeons. Just follow that path and you will reach a tower," I explained while grabbing Strawberry Crepe and leaving them next to Cream Puff.
"Wait, aren't you coming with us?" Strawberry Crepe asked. They and Cream Puff looked at me with concern, waiting for my answer.
"I'm afraid my mission here is different, but you take care of freeing Espresso and anyone who hasn't been infected yet," I decreed while closing and sealing the trapdoor again, just as I did with the door.
"But... what if we need you for the spell?" Cream Puff's words left me frozen; I had completely forgotten about that.
"You'll have to figure it out without me," I smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, but I must do this."
Cream Puff was worried, while Strawberry Crepe was confused and wanted to protest, but Black Raisin grabbed their arm and stood up.
"We don't have time to argue. After Pure Vanilla resolves his business, we will meet here." I nodded with a more secure look and stood up.
"If I don't survive, use this key to open the locks," I handed them a key with the enchantment embedded. "But if you get caught, destroy it! We cannot allow those zombies to get out of here." They complied, and we separated. As I walked away, I begged the Witches that they would manage to escape, as I had a bad feeling that I wasn't going to make it out of this one.
I ventured through the dark corridors, recognizing the path to my destination; however, I felt a strong sweet scent, something that was not common at all in this kingdom. At one point, I hid behind the pillars upon hearing footsteps. I carefully moved my staff to see the guards, and I felt my blood pressure rise.
The guards had jelly over their bodies, and their eyes were made of gummies; they were the same symptoms as the other Jellywalkers. I hid again and covered my mouth to silence my heavy breathing, waited until no one was left, and continued.
After much walking, I finally reached my destination. The doors of the royal chamber were in front of me, and from there, all my determination drained away, and an aura of uncertainty and fear took hold of me.
The memory of entering that room many times flashed through my mind, but the feeling was no longer the same as now. I breathed in, searching for courage, and with closed eyes, I pushed the sliding door. Despite the security I still maintained, I still didn't feel ready to see him, and I prayed that he wouldn't be there.
Upon opening them, I noticed the room was empty. I entered at a slow pace, analyzing the whole room. The sheets were not made, and the pillows were scattered, the wardrobe was still closed, and the purple torches were the only light in the room. But the most disturbing thing for me was the piercing sweet scent it emanated; there was no trace left of the typical bitterness these walls contained, not even the incense was lit.
The stillness and the change from the old room I remembered sent an atrocious chill down my spine. Without realizing someone was behind me until I heard his voice, and my heart stopped.
"Hey! What are you doing here?" The voice that spoke to me sounded terrifyingly familiar, yet unknown at the same time. I turned around slowly until I was face-to-face with him.
"Dark Cacao!" The words escaped my mouth, but not with hope, rather with concern.
I analyzed him with my gaze. His crown was different, his cape had cotton for the snow, his gloves were made of a darker metal, and his eyes, where only one used to have a white diamond-shaped iris, now both of his amethysts had that detail.
I wanted to draw closer, hug him, and think that everything was fine, but the letter... And the strange, sickeningly sweet aura he released prevented me. I tightened my grip on my staff and stayed right there without making a single move.
<"This cookie... I remember him now. He used to be stuck to the king when they were trying to make the antidote" thought the black-haired man, analyzing the blonde in front of him with his gaze. "Mm, he will be an impediment to my plans. Better that I take care of him" he smiled arrogantly, making the shorter one worry.>
"I'm surprised you made it all the way here without any of my guards detecting you." I stepped back as he approached, both at a slow pace.
"I am very elusive, you should know that," I commented dryly, stopping my steps upon feeling the base of the bed against my legs. "Cacao, is everything alright?"
"Of course everything is alright. Why wouldn't it be?" He stood in front of me. His height began to terrify me, which was not normal for me, and that egocentric smile made me uncomfortable.
"Dark Cacao, your people are infected by the virus. Why didn't you say anything?"
"Are you implying that I am not doing my job well?" His voice grew deeper, and I closed my eyes in fear.
"Of course not, my love, I would never think such a thing. It's just that I am worried about you." I heard footsteps and opened my eyes; he was looking at me strangely.
"My... love?" Hearing that, my eyes widened, and I covered my mouth. I was supposed to be dealing with someone possessed, so revealing personal information was the last thing I should do.
<"So this cookie... and the king are...? The two of them are..." He went into shock at the new information, but then he blinked, looking back at the blonde. "Ha, it shows they didn't waste any time, but I must do something or he will find me out.">
"I... I'm sorry, I... don't." Out of nowhere, he stepped closer again and lifted my chin. My heart accelerated, and I began to tremble.
"Hey, calm down, we are a couple, aren't we? There is nothing to fear, RIGHT?" Out of nowhere, his face darkened, and a terrifying, toothy smile showed before me.
Everything darkened around me, and a piercing cold pierced through my entire dough. My gaze grew smaller, and my breathing accelerated.
"He is going to eat me. Move! Do something!" I screamed mentally, and with a burst of adrenaline, I pushed his arm away with what little strength allowed me, and taking advantage of the distraction, I moved quickly.
Unfortunately, both my hat and my staff fell to the floor, and due to the impact, the flower closed its eyes, stripping away my visibility. Everything was blurry around me, but I didn't care; I had to escape before they infected me.
I ran as best as I could, but a pair of arms grabbed me and cornered me against a wall. I opened my eyes, noticing a dark shape in front of me; I knew it was him. I supported my arm behind my body, and my feet backed up, even though I had no more room to flee.
"Get away! You are not Dark Cacao!" I yelled, receiving a sarcastic laugh from him. "Why are you doing this?" I confronted him; despite my current blindness and my trembling, I wasn't going to go down without a fight.
"Why? Ha. Fine, if you insist so much, I'll tell you." I raised an eyebrow in confusion as I felt a hand on my cheek, until I panicked upon feeling his other arm around my waist. I was about to protest, but due to his strength, I couldn't do anything.
Suddenly, he pulled me toward him and joined our lips in a rough and demanding kiss. His grip and his lips were his, but even so, it wasn't him.
I tried to struggle, to push him away, but it was useless; he pulled me closer, and his lips moved forcefully. He bit my mouth and I let out a whimper; he took advantage of the situation and deepened the kiss further.
I felt weak, my body was getting lighter and lighter, and the beats of my heart were slowing down. More and more, I felt nothing as I was dragged into a disturbingly peaceful darkness.
I guess this was the end. I stopped fighting and closed my eyes, accepting the gloomy darkness that surrounded me.
They were like that for a good while until they separated, a thread of saliva being the only thing connecting them. The heterochromic one opened his eyes with a confused expression, revealing white irises with the same shape as his Soul Jam. The taller one smiled and, with his thumb, caressed the face of the shorter one.
"We will create the happiest Jellywalkers kingdom together. Right, Pure Vanilla?" The named one looked at him expressionlessly until he smiled, showing a small blush on his cheeks.
"Yes, my king."
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