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Shadow milk woke in a daze, the cackling of rain drops falling down could be heard from outside. The blinding lights of the room with his blurry vision made it hard to see. He tried to stand up, but he felt too weak to do so. After blinking a couple times, his eyes adjusted to the light. The walls yellow and white, cone patterns all throughout the room, the beautifully sunset in the distance, it clicked — This was not the spire. He tried summoning his staff. Nothing. He tried to snap his fingers. Nothing. Looks like his magic wasn’t working at the moment. But why?
A small creaking of the door made his eyes dart towards it. “Shadow milk cookie?” A voice from the other side asked. As shadow milk tried to respond, he started coughing uncontrollably. “You’re awake I see, I’ll just let myself in.The jester’s eyes followed the cookie as he walked towards him with a tray of what seemed to be some sort of food. The cookie placed his hand on his forehead. Shadow milk in a confused tone asked “You..You look familiar, have we met before?” “We have, yes” His eyes widened in realization. “N-Nilly?!—Wait, why am I here?”
Pure vanilla tilted his head “You don’t remember?”
“Remember what? Honestly right now I’m basing myself under the assumption that you’ve somehow drugged and kidnapped me to fulfill your weird fantasies of taking care of me.” Pure vanilla looked at him with unease. “…I beg you pardon?”
“H-Ha ha ha!” He laughed with a raspy voice “Can’t take a little joke nowadays Nilly?” Pure vanilla audibly rolled his eyes.
“You were struck by lightning while trying to stalk me. Again.”
“… Yeah, that does sound like something i’d do.”
He sighed and grabbed the tray with food from the side, giving it to him. He really didn’t want to eat it, he doesn’t even eat that often, but after a few incessant pleas from the healer, he begrudgingly gave in. He felt a lot better after that. Pure vanilla placed the tray on his lap as the other started munching down. Once he finished, they talked for a bit. Pure vanilla then asked.
“Shadow milk. Since you’re here,I was actually wondering about something, if it wouldn’t be a bother to you…”
“Oh pff! Ask away!” He sneered. “Not like I have anywhere better to be!”
…
“…What were you like before your corruption?”
Shadow milk’s pupils turned slivered, his eyes twitched. Before his corruption? Pure vanilla read the room immediately and tried to apologize. “Oh my! I am so sorry! I didn’t realize you would be so offended-” Shadow milk placed a finger on his lips, effectively shushing him, his voice turning more stern. “You want to know about my past? Well then so be it. Why stop you?“ He began weaving the tale of his past.
In the beginning, when Earthbread was still young, 5 cookies—the virtues—were baked by the witches. Volition, change, happiness, solidarity, and knowledge; created for the purpose of guiding the cookie world into a better place.
Decades passed, My friends and I continued to rule over our parts of Earthbread. Everything was going swimmingly. Alas, good as it may have been, all great things must come to an end. One day, out of morbid curiosity, I snuck out to observe the witches and how they baked us into existence. That would be my worst mistake.
There’s this old saying: ‘Curiosity killed the cat.’. But satisfaction did not bring it back — There I stood, watching in horror, the witches eating their very creations — us. In my ever growing journey of knowledge and the truth, I’d uncovered something that should’ve stayed buried 6ft under. At that very moment, I snapped. The witches gave us life, to simply take away in an instant for their own enjoyment? I cant allow something like this to happen!
Once you’re whole world’s been turned on it’s head, it’s hard to clear your mind of the looming atrocities you’ve witnessed. Days passed—All I could think of what happened that very day. Every night after I would lay in bed, bawling my eyes out—trying to forget, but. I. Just. Couldn’t. It was clear they never really cared, they never cared about us, they only looked only about themselves. If all we are and all we’ll ever be is to be eaten by the witches, why listen to anything they have to say? Hell, they never even cared enough to give us proper names.
But you know what’s worst of all? After revolting, our very creators trapped us in a tree. A. Damn. tree. We were helpless. I spent every day in that silver tree cursing them and the guardian of the tree. Days turned to weeks turned into months into years to eons. My mental health deteriorated. Some days I would orchestrate entire plays with myself, shapeshifting so many times, that I’d forget what I looked like on most occasions. And let me just say, this had just a bit of a toll on my psyche.
“…Blah blah blah, the rest’s history, ya get it.”
Pure vanilla stood frozen over the bed. Shadow milk raised his eyebrow, waving his hand in front of Pure vanilla’s face. The healer started moving closer, slowly wrapped his arms around him — and pulled him into a deep embrace. Shadow milk’s eyes widened and darted across the room, bewildered with the situation at hand.
He blabbered, “Wh-What you doing-?”
“Giving you something you’ve been denied your whole life, a hug”
A hug…? When was the last time he was given a hug? Was he ever given one? He just sat there, entire body fell stiff, not daring to move a single crumb — He didn’t know what to do in this scenario, what was there to do?
“…Why? Why treat me like this despite everything I’ve done?”
“Everyone deserves a second chance.”
“But I don’t. I’ve crumbed many cookies in my lifetime, driving them insane, spreading rumors across Earthbread like second nature — You place your morals against mine on a scale and expect them to weigh the same, when one clearly dips well below.”
“So then allow me to lighten your burdens and make us the one in the same.”
No response. He felt a tear stream down his cheek — and another, and then another, until he was having a full on mental breakdown on Pure vanilla’s shoulder. The almighty Shadow milk cookie, Master of deceit, showing sighs of weakness to the very cookie he swore revenge on. He hated this with every single fiber of his dough. He wanted to just push him away, steal back his soul jam, and book it. And yet he just, let it happen. Shadow milk’s eyes grew weary, and so did pure vanilla’s. Right before they knew it, they were practically cuddling each other while falling fast asleep.
This was nice.
Shadow milk burst opened the entrance to his beloved spire. “Home sweet home”, he thought.
“Master Shadow milk cookie?! You’re back! Your back you’re back!” Candy apple shrieked, running towards him.
”My lord, it’s good to have you back, but why the long wait?” Black sapphire asked while pulling aside Candy apple.
Shadow milk stirred his hands. “There were, unforeseen, circumstances that took place… But rest assured, I handled everything perfectly!” He said as went back into his room, a pungent scent of vanilla filled the air behind him. “Vanilla, why does Master Shadow milk smell like vanilla?” He thought.
Shadow milk sat down on his chair, staring at his desk. Curse you Pure vanilla, curse you for giving me this warm sensation in my heart i’ll never forget. Curse you for being my… friend.