Outcast [𝕮𝖔𝖔𝖐𝖎𝖊 𝕽𝖚𝖓 𝕶𝖎𝖓𝖌𝖉𝖔𝖒]

Chapter 5

The air was still thick with fog. Milk Tea looked around, trying to see if anyone would attack her from a distance. She heard giggles, but they weren't from her bratty little sister, nor were they from Custard. She was left alone in the mist. "Alright, calm down. ... You'll get back to your friends. We'll find the crown and restore honor to the kingdom. Everything's going to be alright."

She kept whispering it to herself, uncertain of what she truly meant by those words. Were they lies to keep her confident? Her hands trembled at the idea of being lost forever. Her heart raced knowing anyone could attack her at any given moment. Her head felt dizzy from thinking about the outcomes of her demise too much. But then she stopped. There was a trail of what seemed to be strawberry jam. Blood. "Should I follow it?" Milk Tea wondered.

Part of her yelled for her to run for her life and imagine that she never saw the jam again. Another part of her urged the girl to go forth and explore what was beyond the trail. And so she listened to the part that seemed most positive and went forward, following the trail of jam. The sky then began to get darker. It was covered in dark clouds, the sky a blood red. It was a sign of evil. "I'm stepping foot into enemy territory. If they don't hear back from me, then they can assume I haven't made it back in one piece," Milk Tea breathed as she continued walking.

Forks were lodged into the ground, impaling dead gingerbread men. The frosting painted their faces, making them look dead under the fork's impalement. Shivers ran up and down Milk Tea's spine, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand. The sound of gates opening could be heard, and Milk Tea looked beyond her to see a tall red tower with white and black accents. "So this was what Pastry and the other priests had mentioned... The Tower of Sweet Chaos..." she whispered.

Without thinking for herself, Milk Tea began walking towards the open gates, smelling burnt butter and burning cookie dough. She checked inside her parasol to see if her platinum fork was still there. And sure enough, it sat in the parasol's stick, still shining with purity. Milk Tea sighed in relief and closed her item of combat as she walked in, hearing the gates shut behind her. It almost made her yelp out, but the girl stayed calm. Suddenly– "Woof!"

Milk Tea looked down at her feet. A small Cake Hound sat there, its tail wagging. Its eyes were big and innocent, and its tongue was out, panting. Milk Tea blinked, then smiled, squatting to look at the Hound. "What's up, little one? Are you lost?" she asked, giving him gentle scratches behind the ear.

The Hound gave a blep, woofing once more. It lay down and rolled onto its tummy, prompting her to give it tummy rubs. She did as the Hound wanted, smiling. "Do you have an owner?" Milk Tea inquired.

But the dog didn't listen. Instead, it sat up and backed away from Milk Tea. The Hound sat straight, tongue not hanging out of its mouth, small eyebrows furrowed. The girl cocked her head to the side. That's when hot breath could be felt behind her. "That's my dog."

...

Somewhere else in Dark Enchantress's domain, Dark Choco kept himself isolated in his bedroom, far from the other Cookies of Darkness. There was no window to show the outside world, and there was only his bed, a bookshelf, a book or two, and his sword that lay in the corner. He, time and time again, needed time to be alone. Maybe it was because there was something inside of him that he never knew about. But he didn't know until dainty footsteps could be heard behind him. "Pomegranate. What brings you this far from your perch...?" he suddenly asked.

She stood in the doorway, hands concealed by his sleeves. "Did you think I would not learn of your duplicity? You failed to plant the gem," she replied.

Dark Choco pursed his lips into a thin line and turned to face her. "That is the problem with your sorcery. One misstep and everything falls apart. I do not rely on such magic. Therefore I am not weak. You are nothing without your magic," he explained.