Outcast [𝕮𝖔𝖔𝖐𝖎𝖊 𝕽𝖚𝖓 𝕶𝖎𝖓𝖌𝖉𝖔𝖒]

Chapter 12

At the Cookie Kingdom, Pure Vanilla walked through the gates with his wife and son by his side. They haven't caught anyone's attention, thank goodness. But as they set foot into the kingdom, people began to look at them. The first of many was GingerBrave, who had come back to the kingdom to use the crystals he and his crewmates collected. "No way...! Pure Vanilla! Welcome to the Kingdom!" he exclaimed.

The closed-eyed male grinned and set his staff aside, shaking his hand gently. "Yes, it truly is a pleasure to be here. This is my wife, Soda Pop, and our child Sprite. Is there somewhere where we can live?" he asked.

GingerBrave pointed to the Cookie Palace, and Pure Vanilla's staff's eye seemed to show a smile. But without a mouth. Soda Pop was eager to go to the castle, bringing Sprite with her. Upon entering, she was greeted by many small Sugar Gnomes. They bowed respectfully, looking away from her large chest size that seemed like it would pop out of her sleeveless dress. "Your majesty. Soda Pop of the Vanilla Kingdom. And Prince Sprite. Welcome," one Sugar Gnome said.

Sprite babbled joyfully as his mother set him down, crawling around the place. Some of the Gnomes took the kind gesture to play with him, enjoying the sound of his little voice. The silver strands of hair bubbled on his head as he clapped his hands, giggling when the Gnomes performed silly dances and faces. Pure Vanilla entered the Cookie Palace to see this, smiling to himself. "They're already acquainted with him," he said, holding his wife's hand.

Soda Pop nodded, resting her head on his shoulder. "I think Sprite will love it here. There's so much life. Everywhere we look, there's a conversation going on. Work and manufacturing is occurring at every turn. And there are so many people to meet and get to know. I'm also excited to see what this kingdom has in store for us," she responded.

Pure Vanilla exhaled and wrapped an arm around her. Indeed, this was going to be quite the spectacle. Meanwhile, Tarte, Pastry, Captain Caviar, and Olive were sitting by the soda ocean, sipping beverages. The sun beat down on them, but thank goodness Pastry brought umbrellas and towels. None of them, except Captain Caviar, were dressed for the beach. He wore shark jammers and no top on, his puffy hair not being held back by anything. Pastry sometimes wondered why and how he dealt with this. "Have you heard?" Olive asked.

"What? That Pure Vanilla, Soda Pop, and Sprite have come to live in the Cookie Kingdom? We know. Word went around like wildfire," Captain Caviar responded, eyes closed.

Olive exhaled and polished her glasses as Tarte took a sip of fruit juice, setting it down soon after. "Well, we should be glad we have one of the Five and their lovers, plus their child, here in this kingdom. Some say their presence brings good fortunes and blessings to everyone within the walls," she explained.

"I feel for that to be false," Pastry said.

The group looked at her in confusion. She kept her eyes closed until she realized the silence. That's when she opened them, looking at everyone. "What? Not everything regarding the Ancients and good fortune can be true. Besides, we still have Dark Enchantress to worry about. She could make an appearance here at any moment. But... I hope she refuses to show her face," Pastry added.

Captain Caviar nodded. Just then, the sound of clanking metal and bubbles could be heard behind them. It was Candy Diver, and he was holding some kind of envelope. It seemed to be signed by Pure Vanilla. "What the– thanks, little man. I'll share this with the others right now," the captain said, patting the boy's head.

Candy Diver did a miniature salute before slowly skipping back to the kingdom, looking like he was skipping on the ocean floor. Olive eagerly got out of her seat and went near Captain Caviar as the other women did the same. He sneered and opened the envelope, taking out the letter. "Holy shit– it says..."