Chapter Text
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“So~ What’s your name, little one~?” Eternal Sugar Cookie coos as she holds Custard Cookie III.
The young dough just flinches from the sweetened words before mumbling, “C-Custard,”
“Oh, a delightful name~ You’d fit right into my Garden of Delights perfectly~”
“N-No, I wouldn’t-”
“Shhh, you don’t need to speak~ Just relax~”
“N-No, and what about Papa- Recluse, I m-mean.”
“The little doll~? Hmm, Milk seems quite taken by the little king... What are you asking, I suppose~?”
“W-What’s going to happen to h-him? Is that Beast going to let him g-go?”
Sugar’s eyes darken at the title of ‘Beast’, but her expression doesn’t crack as she responds. “He’ll play with his toys, he has a few, but he eventually tires of them... Eventually~”
“Then he’ll let Vanilla go?”
“Hmm, perhaps not... But you never know~”
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When Pavlova Cookie appears, Sugar hands Custard Cookie III over with no thought, just murmurs to Pavlova to take Custard wherever he stayed in the Spire. She returns to the Beasts, unruffled.
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White Lily Cookie scowls at Sapphire.
Actually, all the Ancients do.
“What would you know?” Golden Cheese asks stiffly; her eyes narrowed in suspicion.
“Oh, I know all the rumors that plague Earthbread! From Hollyberry Cookie spending months in a jungle, to the Ancient of Freedom falling into a bowl of dough and reborn as Dark Enchantress,” Sapphire grins, nodding to Enchantress. “To Dark Choco Cookie joining our ranks, even to the great Smoked Cheese Cookie trying to steal his sovereign’s Soul Jam!”
The Ancients all flinch back, as though struck.
Dark Cacao Cookie bares his teeth, growling. “You little bastard- That is none of your business.”
“Ah, ah! But it is! That information never would’ve gotten around without the help of rumors, no?”
“I-... Shut up.” Cacao grumbles, crossing his arms.
Black Sapphire Cookie just grinned before turning to the rest of the Ancients, “Now, now, you all asked whether the great Pure Vanilla Cookie lost his memory? That so happens to be true!” He glances at Shadow Milk, and they exchange a smirk, before the Beast nods and snaps his fingers.
And instantly, they’re not in the Spire anymore. They all traveled as a group, though not even moving, instead their surroundings did. They weren’t in the Spire of Deceit anymore- No, they were somewhere else.
It took them all a moment to reconcile where they were, but it was on the grounds that surrounded the floating Vanillin Castle, the area war-torn and desecrated.
“What- Where are we?” Lily murmurs, eyes wide as she glances around.
“A memory,” Shadow Milk grins and nods to an area farther in front of them all. There was a makeshift village there, with cookies milling around.
“Whose?” Dark Cacao echoes the words of Silent Salt Cookie’s. The other Beasts were here as well, and Dark Enchantress just observes with cool indifference.
“’Nilly’s,”
Silence.
“Ah, we’re here, are we?” Enchantress murmurs, and everyone looks over with curious gazes, save for Shadow, Sapphire, and Recluse who flinches from the words.
“Where are we, pray tell?” Dark Cacao mutters.
“Hmm,” Enchantress glances over the smoking fields, gaze analytic. “This was closer to before Healer Cookie and those three brats came up to the castle.”
“Healer Cookie...?” Lily murmurs, her gaze stuck on that village.
“Ugh, does this bullshit even matter?” Burning Spice Cookie scoffs, crossing his arms.
“Of course it does!” Shadow Milk grinned before clapping his hands. “Here is our first game, some will have advantages over others, but nonetheless, today we are finding Pure Vanilla Cookie! He is, after all, somewhere in this village! The first team to do so will win, and at the end of my little... Tournament, the team with the most wins gets their prize!”
“Teams...?” Hollyberry murmurs.
“Yes! Ahhh, and NO you aren’t allowed to choose your teams!” Shadow Milk laughs and kicks out his feet, “You will be on the team with your other half! Obviously, me and ‘Nilly aren’t playing, but we’ll pop up here and there, yeah? Oh, and for Enchantress, you’re with the stupid flour and Salty!”
“...rude...” Lily grumbles.
“And we must play now?” Dark Cacao grimaces.
“Yes! Sapph, ‘Nills, and I will be watching~ Let the games begin!”
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Once they all had... Divided into their respective teams, each set off.
Golden Cheese Cookie with Burning Spice Cookie; both arguing about something.
Dark Cacao Cookie and Mystic Flour Cookie, both silent and glaring as they set down a trail.
Eternal Sugar Cookie and Hollyberry Cookie, with the former staring with affection at the latter.
And Dark Enchantress Cookie, Silent Salt Cookie, and White Lily Cookie all setting a tense pace as they made their way to the village.
Sapphire grins before casting a spell for invisibility, and Shadow Milk Cookie and Truthless Recluse just watch the groups go off. Once all the groups are gone from sight, Shadow Milk twists and turns to Recluse.
“My darling doll...~ You tried your best, in those two months, I suppose~” He coos, caressing the other’s face.
“...” Silence from Truthless.
“Oh, you’ve grown into your place so well~” Shadow purred, pressing a small kiss on the other’s forehead.
“...”
“Perfect.” Shadow Milk tuts then before tilting his head; he glances at the village.
“Now, doll, ready to see one of my best performances?”
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