Chapter Text
A war may end, but its aftereffects may never fade. The citizens of the Pure Vanilla Kingdom gradually saw a return to routine, slow as it may be. No matter how much Pure Vanilla Cookie drowned himself in his duties, tended to the injured personally, and supervised the reconstruction efforts, the war had still taken a toll on him even if he refused to show it.
It had gotten bad enough for Gingerbrave and his friends to step in, demanding he take a break. Overworking himself was not ideal, and Pure Vanilla Cookie could reluctantly admit that.
“We’re your friends, Pure Vanilla Cookie! You can share the burden with us!” Gingerbrave had said.
This is how Pure Vanilla Cookie finds himself hiking through a forest, accompanied by a chattering Gingerbrave, Strawberry Cookie, and Wizard Cookie. They had insisted on going with him to make sure he properly rested.
Throughout the hike, Pura Vanilla Cookie kept getting memories of White Lily Cookie— no matter how much he told himself to focus. He could feel his souljam pulse, as though it were resonating like how it would with Shadow Milk’s souljam, but not quite.
His unusual hesitance and silence is noticed by the group, but they all understood that he needed some space to sort his thoughts, so they opted for filling the silence with their own chatter and banter. That is, until a good mile in the forest, Pure Vanilla’s souljam started glowing, and a voice was heard not too far off from their position. The voice sounded familiar. Too familiar.
Pure Vanilla Cookie and the rest of the group followed the voice with caution, thinking it might be a lost cookie, only to stumble upon a meadow of grass that stretched wider than their eyeing could see.
In the middle of the field, there stood White Lily Cookie with her back facing the group, engrossed in trying to wake another cookie. There lay two other cookies in front of her, but Pure Vanilla Cookie’s sight was fixated on White Lily Cookie. The souljam on her staff was glowing, just like Pure Vanilla’s, yet White Lily Cookie paid no mind to it. Gingerbrave yelled out White Lily’s name in shock, and Pure Vanilla Cookie took a step back. White Lily Cookie turned around, and her eyes widened at the sight of the group.
“Pure Vanilla Cookie…Gingerbrave…” White Lily Cookie murmured in surprise, her gaze sweeping over their shocked faces.
“How? — White Lily Cookie, we thought you— you’re alive!” Gingerbrave took a step forward, relief overtaking his features. “I just can’t believe this! —we were so sure you were gone— we missed you so much!” Gingerbrave ran to hug her, only to be stopped by Pure Vanilla Cookie’s staff. Pure Vanilla Cookie had an uncharacteristically stern look to his face.
“Careful, my friend. We do not know if this is an illusion or trick.”
“But! —”
“He’s right, Gingerbrave.” Wizard Cookie pointed his staff at White Lily Cookie. “This might be a trap to make us drop our guard!”
“I am not an illusion nor a trap, I can assure you that, my friends.” White Lily Cookie put a hand over her heart to convey her sincerity. “Pure Vanilla Cookie, look at our souljams”—White Lily Cookie pointed at Pure Vanilla Cookie’s souljam—” Would they both glow like this, had I been a fake?” White Lily Cookie asked.
Pure Vanilla Cookie looked at his souljam, feeling the warmth it emitted with trembling hands. …She’s right…
The wind picked up, and the wildlife went on with their day completely oblivious. Pure Vanilla Cookie barely felt the wind on his dough as he stared with wide eyes.
“So… you’re actually White Lily Cookie?” Strawberry Cookie asked tentatively, breaking the silence.
“Mhm.” White Lily nodded. “Truthfully, I am as confused about this situation as you are, but I might have—”
White Lily Cookie didn’t have the chance to finish her sentence before Pure Vanilla Cookie, faster than anyone had expected, crossed the distance and tackled her in a desperate, frenzied hug.
“I can’t believe this— you— you’re actually alive—” Pure Vanilla Cookie choked out, clinging to White Lily Cookie like a lifeline. White Lily Cookie embraced him back, quickly blinking away her own tears.
Gingerbrave joined the hug almost immediately, followed by Strawberry Cookie and Wizard Cookie in a hurry.
White Lily Cookie can’t deny the fact she missed this warmth, but she still felt the need to get to the bottom of her resurrection first.
“Everyone? … um…” White Lily Cookie muttered. “I’m being… sort of crushed here…”
Pure Vanilla Cookie backed off immediately, sending Gingerbrave who was hugging his back flying with an ‘oof!’. Strawberry Cookie and Wizard Cookie took a step back almost simultaneously.
“I’m so sorry! Goodness— are you hurt anywhere? —” Pure Vanilla Cookie fumbled.
“I’m fine, Pure Vanilla Cookie! No need to make such a fuss.” White Lily Cookie reassured. “I’m far more concerned about our friends here.”
White Lily Cookie gestured to the cookies behind her. An unconscious Elder Faerie Cookie, and two other cookies Pure Vanilla didn’t recognise.
“What happened to them?!” Gingerbrave exclaimed.
“I do not know truly. I was similarly unconscious like them moments ago.” White Lily Cookie had a troubled look on her face. “I tried waking Elder Faerie Cookie but that bore no fruit.”
“Wait, you’re telling me you don’t know how you got here?!” Wizard Cookie exclaimed in disbelief.
“Unfortunately, yes.” White Lily Cookie admitted with a sullen look. “Something must’ve brought me and Elder Faerie Cookie alongside these two cookies for a purpose, clearly. We must determine who did this and what that purpose is.”
Gingerbrave stood over the two unknown cookies. “But why would these two cookies be here with you? I don’t mean to offend but I don’t recognise them at all!”
“That is true. I have never seen these cookies in my kingdom— wait, are those faerie wings on that child?” Pure Vanilla Cookie remarked.
“I’ve noticed.” White Lily Cookie replied. “It doesn’t make much sense for a faerie to be outside the Faerie Kingdom— nevertheless so young. It confirms someone brought us here intentionally.”
“Ahem... guys,” The group turned to Wizard Cookie in sync. “Shouldn’t we go back to the Vanilla Kingdom to get this sorted out there? I don’t think a forest is a very good place for investigations.”
“Yeah!” Gingerbrave nodded. “We should probably help these cookies first then ask questions later!”
“I will prepare adequate rooms for them in the castle.” Pure Vanilla Cookie said. “Once they are awake, we shall question them.”
“I think you guys are forgetting something important...” Strawberry Cookie muttered.
Everyone turned to look at her with curious eyes.
“How are we gonna tell the others about White Lily Cookie?”