Chapter Text
He was stunned. Shadow milk was stunned when that bright light blasted him away from everything he worked for. His stomach turned with every slow, steady breath he took, staring at the traitor before him. Stunned that he has failed, stunned that the pathetic excuse of a healer defied him, stunned that the same cookie DEFEATED him, stunned like when the witches sealed him in the tree. He, the cookie who had the most vast knowledge reserves in his head, the one and only cookie who should be able to lie and not be lied to because he knew better, he was better. Better than that cookie before him. That traitor and thief. Yet he, against all odds, still LOST.
He wasn’t thinking… Yes, that must’ve been why he lost. His servants were behind him during the battle, staring as he sat there, still resolutely angry, furious, enraged, and every terrible, horrible, stifling feeling he could ever feel, welling up in his chest with vigorous agitation. He almost couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move as he was dragged back into the portal. Couldn’t remove his eyes from the soul jam, HIS soul jam as the portal closed before him. Couldn’t even begin to stop thinking of that blasted cookie who bested him in his own game. Because he became a fool for that stupid healer. He would never be so foolish again.
The continuous bite to his consciousness crashed down as waves of anguish overtook him. That damn cookie lied, bested him in a craft that he wasn’t even skilled at! A part of him would have been ecstatic if it didn’t mean he changed back to that putrid bright color. To that kind messiah that was worshipped everywhere he went. If he didn’t go back to being someone he couldn’t touch, someone who could no longer understand him.
“Master Shadow Milk Cookie?” Black Sapphire asked, his tone cautious, hiding Candy Apple behind him as he waited. He respects Shadow Milk, adores him as much as Candy Apple does, but he knew the warning signs that Shadow Milk was not stable. He gets that way sometimes, ever since he was freed from that blasted tree. Shadow Milk felt the boiling rage well up as he screamed. The lamps around them shattered as he pulled at his hair. Black Sapphire quickly caught on, grabbing onto Candy Apple and making a run for it. Candy Apple screamed in protest as the duo made their way to their cards, jumping inside them. It would keep them safe and entrapped in their own sweet lies, until Shadow Milk contacted them again. After he calmed down, Black Sapphire hoped.
Shadow milk threw a tantrum. The trees in the abandoned village they teleported to, crashed with great force as he thrashed around, destroying a deserted home and yet another lamp. “How dare that, that INSIGNIFICANT little cookie do this to ME!? THE Shadow milk cookie!? I made him who he is! I crafted him to be like me in my magnificence and he DENIED ME.” Another tree crashed down as he screamed again, at no one in particular, before his body crashed onto the floor, hitting him so hard that the wind knocked out of him. He had no energy, no magical power left over after their battle, after his tantrum. Another exasperated scream as Shadow milk let his mouth spill out curse after curse. Laying amongst the remains of his destruction, he felt hollow. That cookie. That blasted little puny cookie will get what’s coming to him. He will make sure he regrets betraying him with every ounce of his, stupid, lying mind. But for now, he will scheme, he will sit and ponder, what would truly crumble that cookie, down to his blasted soul jam. Well, he knew the first thing he would do… send a bird. A small, innocent little bird to study him. Learn of his life, and learn how to destroy him.
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Pure vanilla slowly lowered his outstretched hand as he watched Shadow milk make his way out of the scene, his heart pounded as he looked off, sighing with remorse before smiling at his ever trusting companions. As he praised them, his mind wandered, perhaps it was due to the small weight he had in his hat, or the heavy heart he carried knowing what he had lost.
He did not regret his decision to betray Shadow milk, on the contrary it was a must. But a part of him, a small part of him mourned their connection. Shadow milk was an experience, an ever expansive fountain of knowledge and wisdom, enough to lie so effortlessly that everything he said sounded like truth. His ever flowing power took care of those who were loyal to him, especially Pure vanilla when he was under Shadow milk’s care. A room customized to his liking, not Shadow milk's, proved to Pure vanilla that he was capable of caring much more than he led on… Which is why the look on Shadow milk’s face when Pure vanilla deceived him hurt Pure vanilla as well.
In the short time he and Shadow milk were fused together, sharing thoughts and feelings and memories, he saw the absolute loneliness and how terribly Shadow milk was treated by his own scholars and friends. Being berated for being truthful, being dubbed the weak beast because of his attachment to companions. Even if those companions eventually left him to crumble, each one chipped a piece of the man’s soul. It made Pure vanilla wish to befriend him, at the very least be there for the beast. But it seemed that his betrayal was too much for the powerful cookie, as he opted to teleport away, and snap the connection between their soul jams completely.
Pure vanilla wasn’t prepared to feel the lack of his other half so soon, his chest feeling heavy as well as feeling terribly empty. Even so, he smiled towards the others until he was out of sight. Waiting for the other ancients in his kingdom, before heading over together to fight the dreaded threat of the beasts and Dark enchantress cookie.
In the quiet of his bedroom, he quietly shut the door behind him and collapsed onto his plush bed sheets, feeling that same weight under his hat fall away… It was that adorable Shadow milk plush that he took before the spire collapsed. While he was Truthless recluse, he found that the doll, while in the likeness of his tormentor, was comforting and smelled of sweet blueberries. It was…nice. Something other than his staff brought him comfort through his senses, and for that he kept it close. He slowly brought the doll up to his face, burying his face in it and sighing, feeling a wave of calm wash over him. Would this be what Shadow milk smelled like if he ever allowed Pure vanilla’s embrace. Pure vanilla could never imagine it though with the cookie’s vehement hatred of touch.
He got his gravity reversed for attempting to tap him on the shoulder after all. While Pure vanilla, at the time, did not find it amusing, Shadow milk most certainly did. Now, he finds it to be a fond memory.
Pure vanilla distanced himself from the plush as he laid, staring at the ceiling and closing his eyes, seeking some restful sleep, only for pecking to be heard at his window. His staff quickly opened its eye and looked over to see… a bluebird. One that tended to stick around the wish trees. Pure vanilla only smiled as he made his way to the window and opened it, holding out his hand to let the bird perch upon. Such a sweet creature, cooed as it nuzzled its face into Pure vanilla, causing the bright colored cookie to smile with glee. It was wonderfully therapeutic to have animals come to you when you were feeling rather sour.
Unbeknownst to Pure vanilla, Shadow milk watched from the other side of that bird, biting his thumb with rage as the bird was caressed. Something deep within him stirring at the sight… But that didn’t matter. Nothing else mattered except finding this light cookie’s weakness. Finding something, anything Shadow milk could break this cookie down to, so he could come back to him, back to being HIS Truthless recluse.