Chapter Text
This was it. The Spire of All Knowledge. It had only been a short while since you departed the Faerie Kingdom, and White Lily had just bid you all farewell. You were sad to see her go, but she had her own mission. Part of you wanted to run to her aid, but leaving Pure Vanilla behind would leave you in a constant state of worry. And the three youngest… You had so much to lose, you couldn’t possibly leave them behind.
Apple Faerie Cookie stood at the doors, a bright smile on her face. “Follow my lead! Let’s step inside.”
You were grateful to have a guide. She was eerily enthusiastic, though you were sure that was just your anxiety peeking through your mind. Pure Vanilla took your hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze. You gave him a smile and nod, knowing what he was thinking. He was ready to get moving as long as you were.
“Let’s go.”
Stepping inside, part of you expected to be faced with danger. It was oddly quiet. The place was huge, sparkling white walls with blue and gold accents running along the trim. Apple Faerie skipped along, seemingly unphased by the Spire.
“Woah,” Strawberry Cookie gasped in awe. “I can’t believe my eyes! This place is much bigger on the inside!”
“Looks can be deceiving,” You mused, though Pure Vanilla didn’t seem impressed.
“Even I haven’t ventured this far!” Apple Faerie cut in. “So wonderful… and beautiful!”
You had to admit, she had a point. While not in the best shape, you can assume that before all of the wear and tear the place had been quite the spectacle. It was a little disappointing to know you’d never get to see the place in its full glory.
“We must look carefully for any clues on the ritual.” Pure Vanilla spoke, giving your hand another gentle squeeze. He was always one to stay on task, of course.
Though… Finding anything about the Beast Binding Ritual was going to be much more difficult than it sounded. Books were strewn about everywhere, some on bookshelves lining the walls and piles on the floor. Some were open to random pages, others laying face down. Sifting through them all could take days, if not weeks. And you didn’t have that kind of time.
“This really is the Spire of All Knowledge!” Wizard Cookie exclaimed. “I wonder what we can learn here! This book looks curious: How The Cookies Came to Be.”
“After the dough had burned in the oven, forgotten by a careless Witch, a creature emerged from the ashes. A cookie.” Wizard Cookie’s eye twitched in annoyance. “Nonsense! My dough is not burnt!”
Strawberry Cookie picked up another book. “How about this one? It’s called The Birth of the Cookies.”
“How were the first Cookies born? We might never know. Why waste time solving pointless puzzles?” She shut the book with a frown. “This doesn’t sound very… knowledgeable.”
You were starting to have a bad feeling about this place. Why would books like these be in the Spire of All Knowledge?
“Look, there’s a giant clock!” Gingerbrave pointed. Sure enough, there was a giant, glittering clock on the wall. Though… the hands were moving backwards, making it impossibly useless. In addition, it seemed to chime whenever it liked, instead of on the hour like any normal clock should. Your unease grew with each passing moment. There was something definitely wrong with this place.
“What’s wrong with this place…?” You found yourself asking aloud.
“Yes, it’s as if everything we knew… was wrong.” Apple Faerie Cookie mused. She didn’t seem nearly as off put as the rest of you.
“Let’s not jump to conclusions.” Pure Vanilla cut in. “Perhaps it is simply another test. We must keep searching.”
You noticed the way his grip on his staff tightened. He was nervous, but he didn’t dare show it in front of the younger cookies. He needed to be strong. You wished he would lean on you more, but it wasn’t in his nature to do so. You knew that.
You flipped through more books. More nonsense. The longer you spent reading, the more your head hurt.
Gingerbrave held up another book. “Look at this one! The name is Searching for the Edge of the Cookie World. ‘Believe me when I say the world is as flat as an empty plate! If you keep running long enough, eventually, you will reach the edge and fall down!’ Oh my! Is this true?” He gasped. “I’m the best at running! I could find out!”
“You shouldn’t believe everything written in a book,” Wizard Cookie chided. “The world is round . Keep running and you’ll end up exactly where you started!”
“But… how do you know?”
“Someone once told me… who was it? Oh, my good friend called, common sense!”
“Boys…” You sighed.
Apple Faerie Cookie giggled at the sight. “Or it might be a metaphor! If you keep doing something long enough, it will bring about your end!”
Strawberry Cookie pulled her hood over her eyes. “T-That’s scary…”
“Perhaps, it’s a trick to make us stray from our path.” Pure Vanilla shut a book that he had been reading, gently setting it back on the bookshelf.
“You always know what to say, Pure Vanilla Cookie! Let’s stay brave and keep running towards our goal!” Gingerbrave said, standing proudly with his hands on his hips.
Pure Vanilla laughed at the display. “Alright. But we’ve been searching long enough. How about we take a rest here?”
His eyes met yours, and for a moment you could see the tiredness he was hiding. It pained you, seeing your lover in such a sorry state. He was trying to keep up his usual positive personality, though everything with White Lily and the Beasts was likely taking a toll on him.
“Good idea.” You squeezed his shoulder, giving him a reassuring smile. He smiled back at you, though you could tell it didn’t quite reach his eyes.
You helped the three younger cookies settle into a comfortable position, pulling the cape from your shoulders to let them use it as a blanket. Apple Faerie cookie made herself comfortable across the room, giving the five of you ample space. You sat with your back against the wall, a few feet from where Gingerbrave and the others were laying, already starting to doze off. Pure Vanilla set his hat on the ground beside him as he sat next to you, laying his head on your shoulder.
“Long day?” You questioned, though you knew the answer.
“Mhmm. Longer than you can imagine.” He pressed a kiss to your cheek. “Though it is worth it for moments like this.”
You let out a sigh that you hadn’t realized you were holding in. “I have to agree.” You tucked a stray hair behind his ear. “Get some rest, love. You deserve it.”
He only hummed in response, though you could tell that it only took a few moments before he was asleep. You pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead, resting your head atop his. It wasn’t long before you too drifted to sleep.
You woke to the sound of Gingerbrave. “Rise and shine!”
You found yourself on the floor, Pure Vanilla already standing. That was… unlike him. Usually he’d gently wake you so you could get up together. He enjoyed spending his mornings with you. Though seeing how stressed he had been yesterday, it wasn’t too alarming. He was probably still upset about the Beast Binding Ritual and the lack of leads you had so far.
You pulled yourself up, taking your cape back and allowing it to rest once more around your shoulders. “Pure Vanilla…” He turned to you, though something still felt off. “Did you sleep well?”
“Yes, yes.” He tried for a smile, but it fell almost immediately.
After a quick glance to make sure the younger cookies weren’t looking, you pressed a quick kiss to his lips. “You don’t have to worry, love. We’ll figure this out. Together.”
His face flushed. How adorable, all this time together and he still acted all embarrassed at one little kiss. “Right. Of course.”
“Cookies! Let’s go to the top of the Spire!” Apple Faerie clapped her hands together. You could tell she was hiding a thinly veiled layer of irritation, though what she was upset with you had no idea. Perhaps your morning routine took too long.
“I hope we find what we’re looking for,” You sighed.
“I bet you will! Now, shall we?”
You took Pure Vanilla’s hand in your own, letting your fingers intertwine. His movements seemed stiffer than usual. He was likely still worried about the ritual and your dear friends. He had so much on his plate, the poor thing.
You followed Apple Faerie Cookie for what felt like eons. The Spire was filled with twists and turns. How she knew where she was going, you had no idea. Every hallway looked the exact same. Were you going in circles?
Eventually, you finally reached the top. Though it was… empty. You felt your stomach drop. Another dead end in this awful Spire. How were you supposed to find the information you were looking for?
“This place is empty! There’s nothing here!” Gingerbrave shouted, his words echoing your own thoughts.
“We’ve come all this way… for what?” Strawberry Cookie’s voice was laced with annoyance. You understood where she was coming from. This damned Spire was a waste of your time.
Wizard Cookie tapped the ground with his staff. “Are we even sure this place is the Spire of All Knowledge? And this ritual, it’s not some kind of fantasy, is it?”
You could feel something bubbling in your chest. Anger? Disgust? You weren’t sure what.
“You lied to us! We trusted you!” Gingerbrave shouted, looking in your direction.
“Who are you talking to?” Your eyes narrowed. Surely he wasn’t calling you a liar? You were prepared to knock some sense into him.
His face fell for a moment. “I-I don’t know. But I’m so angry!”
You felt it too. Your grip on Pure Vanilla Cookie’s hand tightened. His calming nature would be welcome at a time like this.
“What do we do now, Pure Vanilla Cookie?” Gingerbrave asked, his lips starting to tremble with worry or anger, you couldn’t tell.
“Oh yeah… Pure Vanilla Cookie led us here,” Strawberry Cookie turned to the two of you. Her usual calm demeanor now laced with fury. It pained you to see her in such a state.
Wizard Cookie turned to you as well. “Don’t just stand there, say something!”
“You three-” You started.
“Pure Vanilla Cookie!” Their eyes weren’t on you. They were focused on the man beside you. He was silent, his facial expression unreadable.
In an instant, the anger in you slowly fizzled out. How could you possibly be angry at the man you loved? The man who adored you, who worshipped the very ground you walked on? How could you be angry at the three young cookies who never failed to make you laugh? The ones who had done so much for you, and filled your heart with so many happy memories?
They seemed to feel the same. “What… was that?”
“I got so upset with Pure Vanilla Cookie all of a sudden…” Strawberry Cookie’s voice was back to normal, no longer filled with the same anger as before.
“It felt like I wasn’t me for a moment. As if someone put a spell on me!” Wizard Cookie added. He had a point.
“I’m glad you three feel better,” You let out a sigh of relief. They weren’t angry cookies. Seeing them like that… It felt wrong.
Apple Faerie Cookie started to giggle, her expression twisting with glee. “Yes, he was right~! He’s never wrong about such things!”
She turned to face the five of you, a wide grin set on her lips. “Aw, look at you! Little Cookies playing heroes!” She taunted. “Followed me like silly little ducklings! Has no one ever told you not to trust strangers? Too bad, it’s too late now!”
She continued to giggle with glee. You stepped forward, blade in hand as you pushed the three younger cookies behind you. If she was planning on attacking, she’d have to get through you first.
“Who… are you?” Gingerbrave asked from behind you.
With a snap of her fingers, the illusion surrounding her faded. “Ah, welcome! Welcome to Master Shadow Milk Cookie’s Spire of Deceit!”
You felt like the world was spinning. Everything made sense now. The books having no good information, the endless hallways with nonsensical twists and turns, even the clock with hands that spun backwards. You were never in the Spire of All Knowledge. You were in a Beast’s territory. And you’d walked into the trap with a smile, like a bunch of gullible idiots.
“All it took was one crunchy bite of the Apple of Deceit! That’s how Shadow Milk Cookie brought me into this world!” She sighed happily as if remembering the memory fondly. “No no, it wasn’t my idea to bring you here. My creator, Shadow Milk Cookie, desired to see you in his home!”
“But we trusted you!” Wizard Cookie pointed his staff accusingly at your foe.
She only giggled more in response. “Aw, look at your angry little faces! Oh, I just love fooling silly Cookies!”
“Silly?” Your eye twitched in irritation. After everything, calling your little group silly was the last straw. “That’s it.”
Before you could move, the ground beneath you tilted, leaving the five of you slipping down until you were fully out of the door. Thankfully, you were all in one piece. You helped the three younger Cookies to their feet first, before pulling Pure Vanilla to his feet. His expression was still unreadable. You gently kissed his knuckles.
“Are you alright? That was quite a fall.”
He only nodded, poorly hiding a blush with his free hand.
“Woah, look! The Spire has changed!” Gingerbrave pointed to the structure before you. Sure enough, it wasn’t the same Spire you had originally walked into. The walls were covered in vines, the pale white walls now more blue and cracked.
“This must be its true appearance…” Strawberry Cookie noted.
Wizard Cookie straightened his hat. “It makes me dizzy… Does this mean there was no Spire of All Knowledge in the first place?”
“But… Pure Vanilla Cookie read about it back in the Faerie Kingdom!” Strawberry Cookie reminded him, tugging at her hoodie strings.
You turned to your lover. You hated asking more of him, especially when you knew he was so stressed. But he was the one leading this operation, and you needed his input. “What do we do now? Can we really go back empty-handed?”
“Can we, really?” Pure Vanilla’s voice sounded… off. You weren’t sure how to explain it, but after travelling with him for so long you supposed you could just tell.
“What?” You took a step back from him. Normally you would rush to his side, but you could feel some sort of energy starting to surround you. It was hostile, angry. And as much as you didn’t want to admit it, it seemed to be coming from your lover himself.
“Knowledge, deceit… maybe they are not that different.”
“What are you talking about? They even sound different.” Gingerbrave cut off his train of thought. Oh, how you adored the bravery of that little cookie.
There was a pause, before a wicked grin spread across Pure Vanilla’s face. It looked so… wrong. You felt sick to your stomach just looking at him. “Oooh~ looks like we have an expert in the audience!”
That voice. It didn’t belong to your partner, but it was familiar. You knew it all too well.
“Very well.” The Pure Vanilla before you snapped his fingers, and suddenly a certain blue Beast stood before the four of you. “Go ahead. Prove me wrong!”
“S-Shadow Milk Cookie?” You hated the way his name felt on your tongue. And if he was pretending to be Pure Vanilla… how long had your love been gone? Replaced? “What did you do to Pure Vanilla Cookie? Bring him back!”
He smirked at you, legs lifting off the ground as he flew in a circle around you, lifting your chin to him with a single finger. “Now now, you’re in my domain, little Cookie. I can do whatever I please~! But, I’ve gotta say,” He leaned in closer, bringing his lips to your ear. “I loved your little show. Dangling about like broken marionettes. Very entertaining~!”
“Tell us where Pure Vanilla Cookie is now!” Wizard Cookie demanded, pointing his staff at the Beast before you.
He backed off, finally giving you some space to breathe. “Not so fast! You must understand, I have no time to fight you, not yet. However,” His gaze fixed on you once more, his eyes sparkling with creepy delight. “A bit of fooling around never hurts!”
“Stop this at once and fight us head on!” Gingerbrave held out his cane, getting into a fighting stance.
The jester merely giggled. “I must admit you really are kinda brave. Heh.” He spun in a circle, producing cards from thin air. “But! Who am I if not a thoughtful host? Surprise! I’ve got a welcome gift for you all. Something you’ll find very funny.”
He brought his feet down to the ground again, making a show of shuffling the cards in the air. “Pop quiz time~! Our noble-hearted dear friend, Pure Vanilla Cookie. Where in the world could he have gone?” He gasped, feigning surprise. He was nothing if not showy. “No, wait! Change of question! Is Pure Vanilla Cookie still… alive?”
“What?” You felt like you were going to be sick. There was no way Pure Vanilla was… he had to be alive. If he wasn’t… you didn’t know what you would do with yourself.
He cackled at your reaction. “So long~!”
Without another word, he disappeared.
And all he had left behind was a singular card on the ground, depicting Pure Vanilla Cookie falling from the top of the Spire.