Chapter Text
Azure fingers ghosted over his cheek in a saccharine mockery of a caress. A cool, slimy feeling followed the ghastly excuse of a touch.
Pure Vanilla stared resolutely forward into the vast sea of darkness and eyes, each trained on him and him alone. He should've felt intimidated, trapped. He did not.
Their scrutiny did not crumble him.
“You are me as much as I am you, my dear!” Shadow Milk's voice echoed from both behind and above him, as well as nowhere at all. An invisible finger trailed over Pure Vanilla's soft jawline, “A part of my soul jam is within you– A piece of me you'll never be rid of, a connection impossible to sever! Don't you see? There can be no others. Only you and I! Isn't that what soulmates are?”
A form that was nearly tangible took up space before Pure Vanilla, a translucent specter of Shadow Milk Cookie's likeness– he doubted it was the real thing. It was close enough that Pure Vanilla felt its cool breath, the chilly touch of its nose as it passed through his own.
A barely-repressed shiver ran through his dough at it's touches.
“Us being bound like this couldn't have been by chance, ya know. I do believe this was the Witches’ intention!” Cerulean sharpened into a smile on the specter's face, the sea of eyes gazing both at and through him in that moment, “You are the only one who could've ever taken a part of my soul, of me! That is because they created you for me, and I for you! Do you get it, doll? There's no point trying to resist this, we were baked for each other.”
Pure Vanilla's brow had creased at some point while listening to Shadow Milk's specter. Instinctively, his hand came up to wave it away only to pass right through.
“I don't see how you came to this conclusion. I simply was chosen to be the next bearer of the Light of Truth, and while my soul jam was originally yours, I–”
“Look, snookums, baby-cakes, dollface,” Shadow Milk's voice came out layered and spliced, no longer focused on just the specter as it seemed to seep from each corner of the realm, “I know, I know! You couldn't possibly be my soulmate– You've already fallen heels-over-head, heart-throbbingly in love with Wine Lily. The woes of a cookie in love!”
“Her name is White Lily–”
“But you'll see eventually! You'll see that we were meant for each other and each other only.” The apparition wearing Shadow Milk Cookie's face took on an almost doting expression as it boldly nuzzled its cheek against (through) Pure Vanilla's, “I love you, Pure Vanilla. I do. Don't keep me waiting too long, mm'kay?”
Pure Vanilla wasn't given the chance to respond as he was suddenly dropped. A rush of freezing wind pretrifying his dough as he descended further and further and–
《◇》《◇》《◇》《◇》《◇》《◇》《◇》
The scent of lilies and sweet confections hung in the air– A harsh contrast to the vaguely acidic stench of Shadow Milk's realm. Pure Vanilla's eyes cracked open when a gentle rustling just to his right was made audible.
White Lily's expression looked soft, despite the worried crease between her brows and hard look in her eyes, as the light from the window graced her face with a soft golden beam. Ivory framing her face in delicate curls. Her fingers curled into the earthy green of her shawl just like she'd always used to, and something in Pure Vanilla's core ached.
By the Witches, how he'd missed her…
“Are you feeling alright...?” White Lily outstretched a hand to skim her knuckles over his forehead, and– that lone action made Pure Vanilla realize just how cold he was. Her dough could be considered hot in comparison, with how starkly warm her fingers felt. A small twitch comes to White Lily's frown as she mulls, “Still cold… And you, um, looked... troubled, when you were sleeping. Did you have a nightmare?”
Pure Vanilla sunk a bit into his sheets when White Lily pulled her hand back into her lap. “Not quite, I'm afraid.” His eyes fell closed once more as a soft sigh left his lips. Now that he was aware of it, his dough prickled with the feeling of being watched. “Shadow Milk… He'd pulled my subconscious into his realm. He spoke to me.”
The quiet sound of her hitched breath made Pure Vanilla's lip quirk up a bit in a fond smile, despite the cause.
“What did he want with you? I didn't even think he could do that.”
“It's… He spoke of my- his? Soul jam, my power,” Pure Vanilla shifted so he was sitting upright in his bed, blankets pooling around his hips and he opened his eyes. He noticed his robe and hat had been removed and carefully folded and placed on his bedside table, “And how, apparently, he and I are soulmates. Shadow Milk seemed pretty taken by the idea, even going as far as to say he... Loves me…”
A moment of silence only filled by the chirping of birds and distant chatter of Gingerbrave and the others beyond his door carries over them. Pure Vanilla took the opportunity to breathe in the scent of lilies, allowing it to purify his lungs.
White Lily's frown was full of confusion when Pure Vanilla found the courage to face her. She shook her head gently, “That's–... Odd? The last part, I mean. He didn't seem like the type of cookie who would believe in soulmates, and I don't think you two's,” She paused, tucking a white hair behind her ear and shuffling forward on her seat as she found her words, “connection could really be considered soulmates. Wouldn't the rest of us be soulmates of our predecessors, in that case?”
“Following that logic, yes, but I'm not sure that's how he sees things. I don't think I've ever had a more confusing conversation with another Cookie, White Lily.” Pure Vanilla worries at his lip for a moment, lashes resting against his cheeks as his eyes closed again, “But– this might be foolish of me– But if Shadow Milk truly does love me... Isn't that a good thing?”
It's almost visible to Pure Vanilla, the way White Lily tilts her head at that. Her quirks so known to him they may as well be a part of himself. “...What do you mean?”
“If the feelings he harbors for me are genuinely love, then isn't that a sign of the good still sleeping inside him? If he is capable of loving me, he is capable of loving.” A slight smile finds its way to his face and he's sure a soft glow is emanating from him, now. “We could resolve this without jamshed, using his love to make him see that all cookies are deserving of it– That Earthbread is. We could attempt to return him to the light.”
If his eyes were open, he would've seen the conflicted expression on White Lily's face, but he remained unaware.
“Love is a powerful thing, White Lily. Surely even Shadow Milk isn't immune to it.” Pure Vanilla finished, a calm resolve settling over his heart.
He knew what he'd need to do, to guide Shadow Milk back to the good in his heart. While he wouldn't say he reciprocated his feelings, perhaps they could be allies, when the dust settled.
A bit of uncertainty seeped into White Lily's voice, her hand resting on top of Pure Vanilla's coaxing his eyes open, “If anyone could get through to him, it would be you, Pure Vanilla. But, just…” Tread carefully –Went unsaid, but he knew her well enough to infer the rest of her sentence.
Pure Vanilla didn't get the opportunity to respond in assurances and confident platitudes as Gingerbrave and Wizard burst into his room in a jumble of rushed exclamations and flailing limbs. Both him and White Lily tensed in shock, eyes a bit wide as they looked at the bumbling duo.
Gingerbrave was the first to speak, words rushed, “There's– the Faerie Cookie's are acting weird!”
Wizard huffs, clicking his staff against the floor once, “A few of them are trying to break in because Gingerbrave threw a–”
Turning on him, Gingerbrave's eyes widen even more as he shushes him, “Shhh! You promised…!”
Flattening his stare up at him, Wizard leans a bit closer as he speaks, “White Lily and Pure Vanilla deserve to know when people are trying to break into their dormitory because of some idiot–”
White Lily stood, and immediately Pure Vanilla missed her presence at his bedside, “Please calm down, boys. Whatever you did– It's forgiven, Gingerbrave. I'm just glad you two are alright…”
Pure Vanilla also stood, fixing his cape over himself and pulling his hat onto his head as he listened to their conversation. Gingerbrave's soft-hearted posturing as he explained what's happening and Wizard sarcastic quips while White Lily eased her gentle questioning into the pot.
That creeping sensation never once left Pure Vanilla's dough, though. A million invisible eyes were trained on him. His every move, every breath seen and heard by Shadow Milk. A shiver racked through him as he finished clasping his cape on at the fact he'd been watched for as long as he's had the soul jam.
Every single moment, spent under a plethora of eyes he'd remained unaware of. Always watched, always perceived.
But… that gave him an idea.
White Lily ushers the young Cookie's out of his room with a final reassuring smile sent back at him to deal with the would-be-intruders.
Pure Vanilla hangs back, sweeping a glance over the room as if the Cookie he was looking for would suddenly spring out of thin air. When after a beat, he doesn't, a bit of misplaced tension seeps out of Pure Vanilla's shoulders. He settles on resting his harlequin gaze on a corner where he feels Shadow Milk's presence is somewhat more potent, and lets his face soften into a warm smile. A bright beam of light shimmering behind him to add to the effect he was hoping for.
It was only for a fraction of a moment, but he swore the shadows in his room darkened. They returned to normal just as quickly, but he'd call that a success.
Leaving their ‘interaction’ at that, Pure Vanilla's eyes returned to their closed state as he hummed a soft tune on the way out of his room. He made haste as the sounds of s scuffle became louder the closer to the lobby he grew.
Standing on the landing before the final set of stairs, Pure Vanilla's eyes opened to the sight of three corrupted Faerie Cookie's caught in a battle with Gingerbrave and his friends while White Lily stood to the side of the hall. A worried, contemplative look was painted onto her face. And while Pure Vanilla wanted nothing more than to brush that expression away to see his smiling Lily once more– He'd best intervene before either the little ones or the Faerie's get hurt.
Pure Vanilla rushes forward, forcing himself between the intruders and the young cookies, “You will be leaving, now.” His lips purse in a frown, when the trio freezes. Weapons in the air, limbs tense.
He's about to speak again when the corrupted Faerie's suddenly scamper out the door, even closing it behind them! …It's incredibly odd.
All the other Faerie's they've had to subdue didn't give up without a fight, and these ones ran for the hills… simply because he said to?
…Pure Vanilla turns to face his allies, and isn't very surprised to find a variety of confused expressions on their faces.
“W-Why did they run?” Little Strawberry wobbled a bit, almost entirely hidden behind Gingerbrave. It warmed Pure Vanilla's heart as he watched the older of the two gently pat her on the head and whisper something that dashed her trembling. They were adorable.
Wizard cookie grumbles, tucking his grimoire into his robes and crossing his arms as he squints up at Pure Vanilla through his curtain of hair, “Do you have mind powers now, too, Pure Vanilla?”
“No, I'm afraid I do not." Pure Vanilla's eyes close again as he frowns, thinking.
Shadow Milk had to have drawn them back, but why? The intruders only fled when he stepped in to defend the young ones. If it was truly because of his feelings for him, then this was both heart warming and disappointing.
If Shadow Milk could exempt him from harm, he could easily do the same for the rest of the Kingdom. The Faerie's didn't deserve such treatment.
White Lily cleared her throat, and with only the pressed tone to her words did Pure Vanilla know they shared the same thoughts. “We shouldn't worry about it too much. I'm sure Shadow Milk is just messing with us again…” He heard her tap the end of her staff onto the floor, “Now that Pure Vanilla is awake, we can continue making our way through the city. Is… everyone ready?”
An energetic cacophony of voices follows her question, and his face melts into a smile hearing White Lily flounder to control the little cookie's excitable quips and shouting. His eyes remain closed, but he's content to imagine the way her hands grip her staff and the way her nose scrunches ever so slightly when she's nervous–
”Ooh, stop, stop– you're making me jealous!” A gratingly familiar voice interrupts his slight trance and Pure Vanilla's eyes instinctively open to look for the source.
The children are gathering their things around the lobby, preparing to set out, and White Lily is looking out the window, a pensive frown worrying–
”You're sooo cruel, ‘Nilly! Do I need to stand like a praying mantis too for you to look at me like that?” Shadow Milk's voice teeters into a sad sound as he finishes speaking, but laughter is quick to fill Pure Vanilla's head after only a moment.
His fingers tighten around his staff, and a near scowl rests on his face as he whispers back to Shadow Milk, “White Lily stands just fine. I understand you seemingly are upset by her having my attention, but that is no reason to insult her.”
No response comes after a beat. Then ten pass with not even a breath coming from his... Suddenly silent predecessor. It was nearly eerie…
Pure Vanilla sighs to himself and turns his attention back to his allies with a shake of his head.
White Lily has come to stand just shy of the door, glancing at him with a knowing glint in her eye as she fiddles with the hem of her shawl. The little ones have busied themselves with each other, psyching each other up and happily filling the silence.
His steps are light as he joins White Lily by the door, meeting her gaze with a sheepish smile, “I am alright. You don't need to worry about me.” Her brows crease at his words and he fights the urge to smooth it out with a gentle swipe of his thumb.
White Lily nods after a moment, fingers curling into her shawl and messing with the loose bow holding it together, “Alright, Pure Vanilla. I… I trust you to know what you're getting yourself into.” Her smile, then, is bright enough to split the heavens, “I'll help as much as I can. We'll get through to him, together.”
Pure Vanilla almost melts at her words alone, the sugar coating his heart tingling as he returns her smile fondly, “Yes, we will.”
“We're ready! Let's go already! Elder Faerie wasn't looking so good earlier! I want to check on him.” Wizard breaks the moment, tugging a wide-eyed Strawberry and nervous Gingerbrave along with him towards the pair at the door.
“He's, probably okay.” Gingerbrave assures as the trio stops before Pure Vanilla and White Lily. He looks between them, innocent curiosity and a bit of worry in his eyes as he continues, “Right? He just needs rest?”
White Lily and Pure Vanilla exchange pressed looks, unspoken words, and ultimately don't respond.
“Let's go, everyone.” White Lily takes the lead, easing the children with a soft smile as she opens the door. Pure Vanilla and the young cookies aren't far behind her, the little ones for once quiet in their worry.
He wished he could tell them with certainty that all would be good.
The Faerie Kingdom was a sorry sight. Blue flames licking up the sides of buildings, corrupted Faerie's sewing chaos among their own people, azure monsters skittering about– Pure Vanilla felt his gaze hardening at the sight before he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
He will get through to Shadow Milk. Pure Vanilla would get him to end all of this.
A familiar voice caused White Lily to stop in front of him abruptly, almost making Pure Vanilla bump into her with an embarrassing yelp.
“There's White Lily!”
Silverbell; Pure Vanilla recalled the voice's owner. From the sounds of the footsteps approaching them, he was accompanied by His Majesty and Mercurial Knight.
“Oh, crumbs…” White Lily's tone told of how she worried at her lip with her words, and Pure Vanilla envisioned how she hurried over to the trios side. “A-Are you alright, Elder Faerie? Your will is strong, but…”
“Your worry is deeply appreciated, but should be placed elsewhere for now, White Lily.” Elder Faerie's words were harsh through his pain, a brief pause lapsed between them as he coughed– Assumingly supported by Mercurial Knight. “Shadow Milk… Is planning something more. There is no world where he would be satisfied with only this. There is no time to recuperate, we must return to the tree at once. The seal cannot remain severed much longer.”
Shadow Milk's name sounded like a curse coming from the King. Maybe it was.
Pure Vanilla let a hand curl over his soul jam as he spoke, and it spurred with warmth where his fingers touched, “Yes, let's make haste.”
Gingerbrave raised his candy cane into the air, whooping, “We'll stop him! Yeah!”
As the group made to begin their journey through the ravaged Faerie Kingdom, an odd... Bubbling sound urged Pure Vanilla to open his eyes. An inky, tar-like pool of fizzling and bubbling liquid seeped into the cracks of the road before them and out sprung–
Shadow Milk.
Wide, harlequin eyes pushed up by a cheshire grin were honed in on him and him alone. Even as the others exclaimed their shock or stepped in front of him in defense, Shadow Milk never looked away.
“Hello, Faerie's and confections!” Shadow Milk beamed, not breaking his stare even as he paraded himself across the road. Jumping a few moments too long to be not levitating, before landing atop a bench just a bit of a ways away from the group. “I've come to personally spin you a tale of– I know what you're thinking– the foolish King and his idiotic allies! But no! No, no, what a tiresome snooze-fest… I'm going to tell you a tale about our dearest Pure Vanilla Cookie!”
Pure Vanilla frowned, confused at the sudden spotlight that– Literally –appeared over him. Strung up by flying puppets dangling from strings that stretched for infinity upwards. Sounds of confusion came from his allies, too.
“What...? Why are you–” White Lily cut herself off with a gasp as Shadow Milk leapt off the bench and sprung into her personal space.
“Don't question me.” Shadow Milk turns his attention to Pure Vanilla, leaning back from White Lily as he slowly saunters over to the object of his supposed affection. Pure Vanilla can't help but see his gait as cat-like.
“As long as I've been watching him, Pure Vanilla rarely leaves me bored! The very day he took my soul jam, he went on to revive a cookie! And my crumbs I'd never been so… entertained! My soul jam lost that ability millennia before he'd even been baked, and for him to master such a forgotten trick…”
Pure Vanilla's frown deepened as Shadow Milk stopped in front of him, harlequin eyes blatantly skirting up and down his form. A soft hum from Shadow Milk makes Pure Vanilla long to curl into his cape and hide from his gaze. He commends himself for only tightening his grip on his staff.
“Well, color me impressed! But, oh, how he failed... I loved those parts, too. My favorite was when he thought his little Lily came back to him, but it was just a puppet! Dark Enchantress’ puppet! Really, it was so obvious, I almost revealed myself then to tell him! Oh, silly, silly ‘Nilly! Tell me, just how did you–”
A searing light cut through the air, and Pure Vanilla glared as he swung his staff with practiced precision– Only to stumble as it glided straight through Shadow Milk's not-form.
Pure Vanilla grumbled as he righted himself to the sounds of Shadow Milk's depraved laughter, the sound echoing and pitching higher and higher until–
“Oh, but, don't get me wrong, dearest audience!” Shadow Milk's specter chirped, only then turning to the group as it encroached upon Pure Vanilla's personal space. An arm around his waist, cheeks pressed together, “I love this sweet little Cookie! Next time, I'll tell you allll about our riveting love story. Until then, au revoir!”
Cursed amalgamation he is, Shadow Milk's specter kisses Pure Vanilla on the cheek before disappearing in a giggling puddle of shadows that gradually quietens and stills. Nothing more than regular shadows in the cracks of the stone beneath their feet.
…The quiet that permeats the air is... Palpable. Pure Vanilla barely kept himself still, craving to itch his palms, bury his face in his hands, leave and cower in his shame, but he does none of that. He holds his ground, looking a bit perturbed as his staff eyes him.
“Pure Vanilla, would you mind explaining what he meant with that... Last part?” Elder Faerie breaks the trance they'd all been in. Hos words open the waterways for the others to question, too.
Wizard pipes up first, “Yea, are you dating that guy? No offense, but…”
“Pure Vanilla wouldn't date him! He's too… Sinister-y!” Strawberry follows, shaking her head as she pulls her lolipop close to herself.
Narrowing his eyes at her, Wizard points out, “That's not a word.”
Strawberry blinks at him, “Says who?”
“He's probably just using Pure Vanilla! No way are they dating!” Gingerbrave insists with a frown. a defensive edge to his voice.
“Pure Vanilla…” Elder Faerie's voice halts all the others, who look to him as he approaches Pure Vanilla with easy grace in his every step despite the way he clutches at his side. His movements more of a glide than a walk. He stops a respectable distance away, unlike Shadow Milk. “If Shadow Milk has spoken to you, please do tell us what the conversation entailed. Perhaps I could help make some sense of his words, at the very least.”
Pure Vanilla fidgets with a leaf stemming from his staff as he speaks, eyes falling closed as he recalls his and Shadow Milk's encounter in his realm aloud for the group to hear. He tells them just as he had White Lily, about ‘their’ souljam that Shadow Milk wanted back, about their apparent bond and the fact Shadow Milk loved him.
When he was done, a brief pause fluttered through the group. Pure Vanilla cracked an eye open to gauge Elder Faerie's expression.
The King looked… Perturbed, to say the least. Many thoughts seemed to be going through his head, his lips downturned in a frown and eyes cast away. Pure Vanilla waited for him to speak.
“I'm... Uncertain of what would motivate him to say anything like that. It's unlike anything I've witnessed of him before. An attempt at deceiving you, perhaps? Crowing lies of his affections then…” Elder Faerie stops, and coughs. His words are a bit more pained than they were before when he continues, “You are going to carry on with the intention of changing him. Aren't you?”
Pure Vanilla nods, closing his eye as he speaks, “Yes, perhaps through time we can help him see that his love isn't different from anything else's. If he does love me, then he should be capable of understanding how others feel about the things they love.”
Elder Faerie's response comes quicker than before, "It seems you hold doubt in your heart, Pure Vanilla.”
Fingers pause their gentle petting of his staff's leaf, and Pure Vanilla nods again, “... It seems that I do, yes.”
“You should place it aside,” Elder Faerie's voice is stronger than it has been, since… “If you are to follow through with this, then you must have strength. Shadow Milk will not sit quietly waiting for you to change his heart. I have strong doubts that such a Beast is capable of what you are attempting, although… I can not say with certainty that it is entirely impossible." A slight shift of the air, and the sound of what could only be a butterfly fluttering past them interspersed his words. "I will leave it in your hands, Pure Vanilla," Elder Faerie finishes, "As White Lily has.”
Feeling an odd mix of chastised and supported, Pure Vanilla's eyes open to find Elder Faerie's expression nothing but the latter. A small smile has softened his expression, through what must be intense pain stemming from his core. How Pure Vanilla wishes he could help him, too…
“I'll be very careful, I promise.” Pure Vanilla assures, glancing at White Lily who smiles, though her eyes still tell of an uncertainty he's not sure will ever recede.
Elder Faerie turns from him with a nod, silver hair flowing behind him as he steps away, “We should still proceed to the silver tree, and get a sense of what Shadow Milk Cookie has planned thus far. Everyone, prepare yourselves.”
The group lights up again, worrying over the King's state and doing some final preparations before they're to traverse the corrupted Faerie Kingdom. White Lily comes to stand beside Pure Vanilla, but he finds his gaze straying beyond the city.
The tree towers over the city, a malevolent aura surrounding it and a strange feeling twisting his gut the longer he looks at those red gashes curling up the trunk. Shadow Milk's voice could almost be heard, taunting him. It didn't deter him, he would succeed in this.
Pure Vanilla's resolve only strengthened.