Frustrating, it was all so frustrating.
Pomegranate couldn't help her annoyance towards Pure Vanilla. Even if he wasn't the one instigating the Dark Enchantress, the instability within the cookies of darkness was all attributed to him.
It may be an innocuous shift to anyone else- he was a rather kind and gentle man, the type that she used to respect for their principles- but in a mixture like the cookies of darkness, he became an element that disrupted the order. It was obvious to anyone who had a lick of common sense, the way that the others swarm to him and hang off his every word, seeking his company and approval. Slowly and surely, he was influencing them, making them grow as people.
In any other place, that would be a marvelous sight. But the ruined castle does not favor change.
Dark Choco shouldn't hope for the chance to find a better life, or he'll act on his troublesome loyalty towards the Cacao kingdom. Licorice shouldn't have any self-respect, or he'll grow too discontent with his place in their master's ranks. She had so carefully helped to cultivate the destruction of their character, all to ensure that they would never disobey the dark Enchantress.
For disobeying the Dark Enchantress meant death.
Pomegranate was perfectly willing to bend and break the others to keep them under control. Perhaps it was cruel of her, to pluck them out of their fates and throw them into this frying pan, but she just found it rather ungrateful of them to loathe her so for it. She didn't care for their feelings, not really. All that mattered was the Dark Enchantress, the monster she had willingly bound herself to.
Pure Vanilla just had to come in and treat everyone with kindness, and wear down years of her careful conditioning. Could he not understand that that kindness would become poison for them? Even her, who he hated, he treated with some level of respect borne from wariness. She would have preferred the Dark Choco's defeated silence or Licorice's curses. She was used to that.
The healer wasn't even supposed to be here in the first place!
It was not in his fate, yet something had drawn him to the castle. She never saw any indication of what it was: that condition, that speck on a butterfly's wings which meant his return. The chances of him meeting Licorice, asking him to be brought into the cookies of darkness, staying beside the Dark Enchantress despite what she had done to him, all of this combined was near infinitesimal. Yet that is the future that had come to pass. She almost expected some sort of foul play.
Because of his presence, her master had stepped down a path that she could not come back from. Going forward, she will likely ignore Pomegranate's counsel when it comes to the healer, and since he interacts with everyone, there is bound to be a ripple effect from that.
She scoffed.
Ultimately, she had to remember her reason for being here. It didn't matter if Pure Vanilla disrupted the order. She will simply adapt and continue on as always.
Red Velvet passed her, claws twisting in a jittery fashion. "Pomegranate." He gave her a shallow acknowledgment, then went to speak to his mother. He seemed troubled by something. A quick pry into his future revealed that he tried to bring up the healer, before being shut down by the Dark Enchantress. He gave the rest of his report, subdued.
How very moral of him. It would be endearing if it weren't so useless. One would think, after all this time, he would know his own mother better than that.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pure Vanilla had managed to discover some things when it came to the Strawberry Sword.
Though curses can form naturally through resentment and close proximity to death, a curse as strong and particular as the sword would likely be crafted. Magic users were often prideful, and as a result magical items usually had some type of claim inlaid upon their weaving. After careful study of the magic layering it, Pure Vanilla had managed to find the creator's etch. There were no names, but a short description of the sword was present.
The sacred knife, first of our utensils. What is holy cannot be destroyed.
It felt some kind of ironic, that this cursed sword was called holy. Perhaps it originated from some kind of cult sect. The title of "utensil" rang no bells, but the signature implies that there were more weapons similar to this one. Perhaps there were an array of cursed weapons scattered across Earthbread. It was worth looking into, once he...once Dark Choco was free.
The proclamation did not dim his hopes- nothing could truly be indestructible, after all. It actually gave Pure Vanilla somewhat of an idea about how to proceed with his experiments.
Later on in the day, Red Velvet came in and sat with him. He had ventured back to report the interference of an organization. A lone mercenary called Pastry cookie had attempted to breach the tower, only to be stopped after a few levels, overwhelmed by the amount of cake hounds attacking her. He tossed her from the tower and returned to talk to the Dark Enchantress about said organization. During his journey, he had come across several dead and injured cake hounds. He followed the other hounds who led him to them, and discovered a small kingdom, more akin to a village.
Red Velvet had felt some type of way about all his hurt dogs and asked the Dark Enchantress for permission to engage both in combat. The sorceress had barred him from Pastry's organization until she knew more about them, but decided that there likely wasn't any great ulterior motive for the kingdom, so he had permission to destroy it.
Pomegranate had told her about a newly scried witches' den, so the Dark Enchantress would take a month's worth of time to go and exterminate them while the remaining cookies took care of this assignment. Red Velvet told him that he would be a part of this mission and that Pomegranate had insisted on joining too.
Although his intentions weren't bad, bringing Pure Vanilla along to destroy a small kingdom was the opposite of helpful. He floundered as the healer's misery grew at his news. The hybrid tried to lighten the mood by attempting to convince him to show off his magic again, but he hadn't cheered up by the time they had reached their destination.
The other member of the group was not so soft with her words.
"Think about it like this," Pomegranate said harshly. "If we don't destroy this village, then the Dark Enchantress will. She is already aware of its existence, and it isn't as weak as the village under the clouds, so she probably won't leave it be. Which do you think is the better option? Do you want to give up all control to her?"
"I won't kill anyone." This, at least, he was uncompromising about.
"As long as the job gets done, I cannot care less," she said. "Take their lives or take their livelihoods; it's your choice."
There was some merit to what Pomegranate had said. He could ruin this kingdom without taking a life since he controlled what happens on the mission. It was a way to mitigate the damage done by being the one responsible. He had already used this strategy before, giving Dark Choco a few physical cuts and bruises and sparing him the punishment that he had been acclimated to.
Even so, he would prefer not to destroy the budding kingdom at all. His discontent was clear to both of his companions, and while Red Velvet seemed regretful of putting him in a position where he would have to use his abilities, Pomegranate remained unsympathetic.
"If you are thinking about abandoning the mission, then just leave. You are no help us to us."
"If I do, will you two harm the cookies here?"
Red Velvet paused, then gave his assent. He said he wanted to try and take revenge for the deaths of his hounds. The general then stumbled and collapsed into Pure Vanilla's arms as the healer knocked him unconscious with a sleeping spell. Pomegranate raised an eyebrow.
"I'll destroy the kingdom, but you must tell me how to do it so that everyone survives." It was a request that she had no obligation to fulfill, but he demanded it anyway.
Since Red Velvet was out for the count and Pomegranate's powers were generally unsuitable for causing such carnage, it fell on his shoulders to carry out the deed. He would have been equally guilty of the act if he had held back and let the others get their hands dirty, so he told himself there wasn't any distinction.
Pomegranate granted him the request, informing him of the places that he should avoid attacking and which cookies to be careful of. The priestess advised him that if he wished the cookies to thrive long after, where he should direct them. He soaked up the advice and memorized it- she should be nothing but reliable. Once she made sure he knew the details, she sent him on his way.
Pure Vanilla did not quite want to attack an innocent kingdom appearing as himself. He created an illusion overlaid over his own body, changing the shape and color of his hair and eyes, shifting his soul gem into an ornamental star, and transforming his flower into a shepherd's crook.
The priestess made no comment but he knew she judged him anyway.
He stepped into the market, filled with the shouts of sellers and happy laughter. Someone bumped into him from behind and brushed his side in the bustle, and another friendly stranger wrangled a hearty rye bun into his hand. He stared at it, then placed the bun down on a countertop. He couldn't take it in good faith.
The healer was seized with the urge to cry, but smothered the urge, since he didn't deserve to express regret for what he was about to do.
He waved a hand at the small gingerbread castle, and a skull and pair of horns were steadily charred into the brown plates. The market quickly descended into silence. A few people watched, hypnotized, before some passerby recognized the symbol and raised the alarm.
"The Dark Enchantress is attacking!"
Pandemonium ensued.
Some people saw the symbol and instantly sprung to action, taking their valuables and loved ones before fleeing. Others seemed to be too stunned to process what was about to occur. Well, they wouldn't be frozen for long.
He set fire to the trees and shops, causing small firestorms in many pockets of the village. They blazed to life with a crack, swallowing up the fresh leaves far quicker than any ordinary flame. Some of the more watery species exploded at the heat, tearing shrapnel into the nearby architecture and reducing its surroundings to shreds. Pure Vanilla made sure to avoid houses- he had to wait until everyone had escaped or they may collapse onto some unsuspecting cookie.
Those who froze finally snapped to their senses, escaping before they could be harmed by the flames sweeping the greenery and into the roads. People struggled to avoid the flames and crumbling shops, heading for the protective cover of the forest as if their lives depended on it. People fled and he destroyed the ground they left, smashing the village into pieces. As they left, Pure Vanilla heightened his mayhem.
He swept his arms around like a mad conductor, flattening walls and buildings with his telekinetic magic. He knocked down a series of defensive walls closest to him, feeling a twinge of satisfaction at the ease with which they fell, more like children's blocks than some kind of defense. Then he mentally reproached himself for the thought.
It must have been easy for the Dark Enchantress to destroy his kingdom- her magic was stronger than his. He felt a wave of cold fury that subsided all too quickly.
Swords of light slashed through ropes and poles. The shadows of buildings and objects extended and consumed their real counterparts. Cold, efficient magic sucked the life out of any plants untouched by the carnage. Not even the bugs were spared.
A few sugar gnomes were desperately throwing buckets of water on a burning house, their delicate constitutions melting under the heat. He landed beside them and picked them from the ground, moving them some distance away from their kingdom. They struggled even though he saved their lives, still believing that the buildings they had crafted from scratch could be restored.
He glanced around for any other stragglers, finding a hint of green in the searing red. Someone with hair made of leaves was crawling out his second-story window as the base of his house burned. The cookie seemed to be considering the risk of falling. Pure Vanilla levitated him down. The straggler started to thank him before recognizing him as the cause of all the destruction. He startled and quickly rushed away.
Pure Vanilla saw the uprooted plants he had stuffed into his apron pocket. The dull sting of shame stabbed him in the chest.
Even the houses were mostly dust and wreckage at this point. There wasn't much left of most of the kingdom, but the castle has been left mostly untouched up to this point. Should he do any more? Most of the residents must have surely given up on this place by now.
As if to answer his question, a group of cookies appeared before him, their backs to the castle they wanted to protect. He recognized some of the cookies that Pomegranate had warned him of- a group of teenagers that work well together, a mage, and a young woman with a staff that was strangely reminiscent of Hollyberry. They were the kingdom's final stand.
It was a great feat of courage, but senseless from his point of view. They were but a small group, and if the sorceress were here she would have vanquished them instantly. He had to dissuade these people to give up without a fight. Pure Vanilla normally would have preferred talking over other alternatives, but he wasn't going to try for diplomacy after the kind of destruction he had caused. He would have to convince them against fighting him some other way.
He hated having to resort to this act, but it made the most sense. He would have to crush their spirits, show them that they were completely incapable of defeating him.
"Stop there!" a boy without clothes yelled. "Don't just destroy our kingdom and think that you'll get away with it!"
Crush the child in front of him. He...he could do that.
"I don't think I'll get away with it. I know I will." He stepped closer to the group and they collectively braced themselves. The healer kept his stance relaxed, affecting an air of utter confidence. "The Dark Enchantress has decreed that this kingdom must be destroyed, so please, leave."
"Awfully arrogant of you, hmm?" A paladin said. "What would you say if I did this!?" A shield appeared in front of Pure Vanilla, the paladin's sword burying itself halfway into it. The man seemed to belatedly realize that throwing his weapon may not have been the best idea.
Foreign magic pulled it back, and he caught it by the hilt. The mage beside him started berating him for his stupidity.
"I reiterate, please leave this place. There is nothing you can do to save it. I do not want to fight but will if necessary."
A young woman in pink inched a bit closer, the first to make a move. "Would you really be able to fight all of us alone? It would be easier to give up, and let us live in peace," she reasoned. He didn't pay any heed to her appeal. When she thought his guard was down, she ran forward, bashing his shield with her scepter. He raised a hand to attack and her knight pulled her out of the way.
Pure Vanilla dispelled his shield and launched his offensive. He placed a rune onto the duo, blasting them into the nearby brush. The boy's candy cane swung his way and he grabbed its length, dragging it out of his grasp. The boy hit the floor at his feet and squeaked, quickly rolling out of the way of his staff's blunt end. He tossed the cane away from them.
He dodged out of the way of a lollipop bludgeon and narrowly missed several bolts of lighting, the latter of which singed his cloak. He put a magnetism spell on the two teens and they yelped as they crashed into each other. In his distraction, he had missed the paladin sneaking up on him, sword raised. When he finally became aware of him, Pure Vanilla tried to dodge, only to nearly stumble as something caught his leg.
The boy had grabbed him! He augmented his crook and blocked the blow the paladin sent his way, buckling slightly under the force. The brave teen, his job done, rushed out of range. As the paladin pushed him deeper into the dirt, the crook trembling in his hands, the ground under him lit up with the circling sigils of coffee magic.
One or the other. He could only deal with the paladin or the coffee magic.
He dropped to the floor and placed his palms on the spell, reversing the flow of magic and nullifying the spell.
A scepter and sword crossed under his neck. The people surrounded him, relaxing slightly since they thought they had him trapped.
"...Did you all believe I was fighting seriously?"
He reached up and gently brushed the weapons, which broke and crumbled at his touch. The two withdrew in shock, their weapons rendered useless.
It was true that Pure Vanilla had a marked disadvantage on the ground. Though the Dark Enchantress was far stronger, even fighting this group simultaneously was difficult for him, due to their numbers advantage. He would eventually slip up and lose track of one of the members, as he had already done once. But he didn't need to defeat these cookies to win.
He would play to his strengths. He would show them a feat of incredible magic that they could never overcome. If being able to engage with them all was not disheartening enough, that should be the nail in the coffin.
In front of the castle sat a clear magic fountain, a few star candies bobbing in it. A magical cornucopia.
Yes, that would suffice.
Before the group had time to react to the broken weapons, he flew past them and landed on the porcelain by the tips of his feet, settling gently atop the fountain. The resisting cookies looked at the mage in shock, this mysterious figure clothed in red and black, an angelic harbinger of destruction.
The water in the fountain lost its natural blue luster, candies shriveling to ash as Pure Vanilla sucked up every last drop of magic from its waters. The fountain cracked in several places, the change in composition too drastic for its structure to hold. Dark liquid dripped down the castle's dainty steps, soaking the shoes of the fighters. They prepared to fight again.
He exhaled.
A large magic circle appeared behind him, almost overshadowing the castle itself. The cookies watched in frozen horror as space itself split in half, the circle dividing as flickers of feathers crawled out. Something massive, with dark skin and white wings became visible within the crack. Its thousands of spiraling wings twisted within the next dimension, the thin feathers reaching across the abyss and creeping into Earthbread.
The knight was first to buckle, overwhelmed by the sheer force of the avatar's presence. The princess grabbed him as he fell to a knee. They exchanged a glance and took off in unison.
As if their retreat was a catalyst, their reaction spurred the others on. The teen with the wizard hat paled several shades. He lowered his staff and grabbed both of his friends, dragging them away from the healer against their wishes. A coffee mage nearly fainted and his paladin friend caught him and followed behind the children. They fled, the last of the kingdom's people, disappearing into the forest.
Pure Vanilla waited for them to vanish and then forced the rift closed, the effort taxing even to his enormous magical reserves. The slit in space drew back upon itself, a thin whistling, dying scream as the dimension on the other side struggled against his power.
...
Without the resisting cookies, the little kingdom was truly empty. The place was draped in complete silence but for the slow crackle of flames. Battered houses and architecture lay around, accompanied by glimpses of happy memories- a gift-wrapped anvil, a potted plant, a pumpkin-colored doll. Pure Vanilla registered every detail in this formerly cozy village.
Should he be satisfied with a job completed? Should he be agonizing at having become what he loathed? At the moment, he couldn't feel anything at all.
What a profound...emptiness.
He dropped down from the fountain and walked down the path from the castle. There was no rhyme or reason to his actions, or at least none that he purposefully deliberated on. He just went forward with his impulses. Thinking would lead to comprehension, and he did not want to understand what he had done.
Even though he wished it not to be, the thoughts slithered into his conscience.
I destroyed this kingdom, as the Dark Enchantress had done to mine. What right do I have to be angry now? I am just like her.
Shut up, he told himself.
He strolled through the ruined kingdom. It smelt like ash. The scent was so familiar that he could almost feel his lungs clogging back up, the slow creep of suffocation. Healer cookie's first memories were quite horrible, and they were returning with a vengeance beside the ash and smoke.
I had no choice. It could have been worse. I tried to make the best of the situation.
No, that's a justification. It doesn't take away from this horrible act. It doesn't mean the people who have lost their home stop hurting.
Who was speaking now? Was it Healer or Pure Vanilla? No, they were one and the same. They should be identical. There was no true difference between the two, he existed outside his roles, his responsibilities, his...sacrifices...
A soft hand brushed his shoulder. "Are you alright?"
He spun around wildly, but it was simply an illusion. There was no fragile painted doll at his back, no specter whose faint clack-clack-clacking only he could hear.
Oh witches, I'm losing it. I'm- oh god, oh my god...
...
A soft clanging reverberated around the emptiness, just loud enough for him to question its existence. "Great, I'm having hallucinations," he groaned, hitting himself to try and make it go away.
To his surprise, the clanging continued, and seemed to grow louder as he moved forward. It wasn't just in his head, then. Something was making that noise. Was someone still trapped within the ruined place? They may need his help.
He searched for the source of the sound, tracking it until it became a significant clamor. A burning jail came into view. Of course, anyone in prison would not be able to escape until they are let out. He should have checked the village more carefully. Upon entering, he found a redhead slashing at the bars of her cell with a dagger, rapidly glancing between the advancing flames and her slowly-growing slice. He touched the bars and they dissolved to dust with a whisper. The woman quickly left the cramped space, skidding up to him in her hurry. "Hey, what the fuck is going on?"
"Your village has been destroyed. I suggest you make your way out as soon as possible."
"I thought so, but still..." she made a noise in angry frustration. "Have you seen a group of teens and a little blonde boy? The twerp's about-" She put a hand to her hip. "This tall."
He didn't know of anyone that small, but there was that group that had fought him earlier. "No, but I don't think they have come to any harm," he lied. She nodded and grabbed him, pulling him out to look for them together. "Ah, I have to search for others..." he cried.
She didn't seem to hear him whatsoever, winding through the flames as he warned her not to get closer to the epicenter of the kingdom, that it was dangerous there. She dragged him around until abruptly stopping before a crumbled gingerbread house. It was nearly indistinguishable from the others, but something about it caught her attention.
"This was my home."
The woman watched the smoke rise for a moment, then let out a loud screech. Pure Vanilla stared at her, baffled.
"Damn." She tied her hair back. "Whatever, a sedentary lifestyle is boring anyway. I'm gonna make sure my kids haven't kicked the bucket now. I won't keep you for any longer. Good luck and goodbye, pretty boy."
"Wait!"
She halted, turning back to listen.
"If you wish for everyone to survive, tell them the following."
He passed on the message, and the woman gave him a nod before speeding away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Aha, Found you guys!" Chili Pepper skidded to a stop, seeing half of her group in tears. "Oh no."
After being freed, she had run around searching for anyone else, only coming across abandoned houses and empty streets. She decided to go back to the last place where she had seen the mysterious mage that freed her, intent on telling him that there didn't seem to be anyone else to save, but her house had crumbled into ashen pieces and he was gone. She then wandered around the edges of the forest around the kingdom until she came across the now-homeless residents.
"Chili Pepper!" She embraced Gingerbrave as he leaped into her arms.
"Our home is gone! How could this happen..." he wailed. "I heard the Dark Enchantress and her forces were strong, but nothing like this. I thought we would be able to fight them if they tried anything. I was so stupid."
"Shh, shh, it's okay," she consoled. "Most of us knew what we were getting into by living around here. We don't blame you for anything. If anyone does, then tell me and I'll give them a good beating."
Custard huddled beside her. "Does this mean I'm not a king anymore? If my kingdom fails, that means I did a bad job and now everyone has to struggle. Will they hate me?"
"You can still be a king without a kingdom. You called yourself one when we first met."
"But that's different!"
Gingerbrave tried to calm the little prince down and they ended up sobbing on each other. Chili Pepper gave them a long hug and then went to mingle with the rest of the crowd, pushing a few cookies over who will inevitably affirm that they had no fault in the destruction. Strawberry and Wizard, the more levelheaded ones, joined her.
She sidled up to the cookies who were trying to rally everyone. "So, have any plans for the future?" She nudged Espresso, who wasn't paying her any attention beforehand.
He grimaced. "I was hoping to have a fancy dinner tonight, but that is no longer possible. I suppose I must travel back from where I came."
"I'll join you since we'll be going to the same place."
Princess cookie seemed confused by her choice. "You? In the Republic? They give more than a few weeks of jail time for robbery, you know?"
Chili Pepper loved treasure, but she loved not dying more. That young man who helped her, whoever he may be, had radiated a strange aura that made her want to trust him. It may seem nonsensical to cookies who operate by reason only, but Chili trusted her gut. It had not led her astray when it mattered. Besides, a wealthy place like that nation would have truly precious treasures, just ripe for the taking.
"I'm not making this decision based on the Republic's stiff laws. I got stuck in jail yesterday and this strange mage rescued me and melted the bars when everything went to shit. He told me, and everyone else here, to head for the Creme Republic." She looked around. "Now that I mention it, where is he?"
Apparently, not many people knew who she was talking about. In an attempt to clarify, she described his features and notable traits.
"Dark hair and a strange crooked staff...that sounds like the cookie that attacked us," Madeleine commented.
Espresso kicked him. "It obviously is the cookie that attacked us! The true question to be considered is this: why would he tell us to return to that nation? Why would someone working for the Dark Enchantress give this miscreant such a command?" Perhaps something had befallen the Republic, he thought, hope and dread coiling in one breath.
"I don't think he was working for the Dark Enchantress."
They all stared at Princess cookie. Why would she defend the person who just ravaged their home? "Wait! Hear me out," she placated. "I noticed that he only targeted the buildings. The stranger's exact words were 'The Dark Enchantress has decreed that this kingdom must fall', but he only caused enough destruction to technically follow that order. I don't even think anyone among us is injured." All that useless politicking among the nobles had proved useful- she could recognize a disobedient maid or a backstabbing servant in a jiffy, and these were not the actions of someone truly loyal.
"It makes sense," Wizard cookie admitted. "For the kind of power he possessed, he could have probably destroyed our kingdom in one fell swoop. But everyone is alive and accounted for, and that's not statistically likely if he really sought to kill us." He recalled the massive portal and shivered. What truly awe-inspiring power. He was simultaneously glad to witness that incredible magic in his lifetime and angry that it had been used against him. He was going to get an upset stomach at this rate.
"That person didn't feel evil," Strawberry added. "L- like a reluctant final boss, at most."
"That pretty boy broke me out of jail, so he's not terrible in my opinion."
The paladin suddenly grinned. "He must have been there to help us, then!"
"Don't make such absurd leaps in logic!"
"You're too negative, Espresso," he whined. "It could be true."
Unlike the paladin, Espresso had been perfectly content to stay in this little kingdom and never return to the Republic, even if it meant that he did not have the same caliber of technology at his disposal. Having this choice forced upon them displeased him.
"W-well, we obviously can't stay here. Even if we rebuild, I think that our progress will just be reset again when the Dark Enchantress or one of her followers notices. None of us can fight that winged thing." Strawberry looked like she might cry.
"I think I'll return to my kingdom," the princess sighed. "It was nice getting to know you guys, but I don't feel comfortable traveling so far from my homeland in case anything happens to it." She and her knight bowed and bid everyone goodbye.
"Me too...I'll find somewhere else to stay. I don't wish to go to the Republic, for personal reasons," Herb stated.
"Ohoho, I never expected someone like you to be on a criminal record, Herb. Congrats, it takes guts to make such a powerful place nation an enemy!" Chili Pepper slapped him on the back, hard.
"I-It's not like that!"
One by one, the cookies slowly made their decisions. The previously unified kingdom broke into pieces as people chose to go their separate ways. With the structure of their lives upturned, their connections and ambitions, their hopes and dreams, were all brought to the forefront.
Gingerbrave and Custard were the most distraught, having been the main individuals responsible for the little kingdom's creation. The others had to reassure them, saying how they were lucky to be alive and that's what mattered. It didn't help much- they had poured so much effort into making the place a cozy and wonderful place to live that they were both rightfully inconsolable. Thankfully, most of the people were traveling to the Republic, so the group hadn't split apart too much.
Most of the cookies were pragmatic enough to have an emergency pack on hand- they had to be, to travel through the mostly uncharted land of the forest. Under Alchemist and Sparkling's guise, they pooled their packs on hand and split them among each other. With everyone's rations and materials together, they had enough to make the journey: past the desert, through the mountain pass, and then beyond the edge of the ocean. On the other side, there awaited a city of shells and ivory.
Madeleine smiled throughout the process of counting resources, keen on keeping a brave face for the others. Internally, though, he couldn't help his nerves. Not only had they failed to procure any hint of the ancients' precious soul gems, but now they must return with a group of refugees, bearing the news that the Dark Enchantress had a servant, however disloyal, that was strong enough to flatten a village singlehandedly. The fallout would be unpleasant enough for him, but Espresso...he would be scrutinized far more. It was unfair.
Said mage had apparently noticed his anxiety. "Are you really worrying about what the public would think right now?" he asked cuttingly, "Get your priorities straight. Or is that noble act of yours just for show?"
Ah, Espresso. He provides his jabs at a perfect time, expressing how the negative attention was not a great bother to him and insulting the paladin in the same breath.
"You're right! It's a shame to return empty-handed, but this is far more important!" Madeleine said, his cheer miraculously returning. "I'll inform everyone about our possible routes."
"How he acts so merry in such a situation, I'll never know." Despite his grumbling, the mage caught up to him and helped, filling in the holes in his enthusiastic speech.
Off to the Republic they went.
Pure Vanilla, who had been invisible, left the clearing they had been in. He had hung around to see how the people would progress, and they had exceeded his expectations. They set a concrete, reasonable goal to strive for, so quickly after being uprooted. It should have been admirable.
Since he had technically completed the task set before him, Pomegranate gave him no more grief for his mercy. She had asked him if this resolution was satisfying. He mechanically expressed the same ideals he had done previously, that he regretted destroying the kingdom, but was glad that the residents were otherwise unharmed. The priestess seemed strangely happy about what had occurred, as though his actions proved something to her. She was so happy, in fact, that she told him there weren't any casualties.
Red Velvet thanked him for completing the mission, though he was slightly miffed at the fact that none of the residents had faced decent retribution for hurting them, in his opinion. It must be difficult, to reside between cookies and cakes. He saw their acts as murder while even Pure Vanilla would say they acted in self-defense when encountering the patrolling hounds.
To his faint surprise, he couldn't feel anything for the hybrid's plight. He thought that was just a result of adrenaline. This did not bode well.
Pure Vanilla thought he could put his mental health on hold for longer, but it had caught up with him. Any more and he would start to become a danger to himself and the people around him.
"Pomegranate, you said that the Dark Enchantress won't be back for the rest of the month, right?"
"Yes, at least that amount of time. Why?"
Well, he didn't have any assignments after this one and his old friend wouldn't be around for a while. The circumstances were about as preferable as he could hope for.
"Red Velvet, may I move into your room?" He had no wish to clean the rubble in his place, with all its horrid memories.
The hybrid nodded. "I don't see why not. It's not like I use it anyway." He seemed to calculate whether or not to say anything else, evaluating both Pomegranate and the healer. "Even beyond my responsibilities, the castle is an unpleasant place, to the point where I find the cursed cake tower more bearable. Everyone always smells like pain, though it's gotten less with you around."
He paused. "But you, yourself, are quite dreadful."
Pomegranate startled at the proclamation. She seemed to direct some newfound annoyance at him. Pure Vanilla honestly didn't know how he could be "dreadful". He wasn't feeling much of anything at the moment. The disconnect was strong enough that he barely cared to formulate any sort of response.
"I am sorry. If there's anywhere you wish to reside, I can avoid the area."
He didn't seem happy.
"Stop that. This isn't the sort of thing you should apologize for."
"Red Velvet, do you hate me?" he asked suddenly.
"No, I don't." There was confusion in his statement, but it was firm.
"Good, good. I..." he paused. "I want to go to sleep."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Okay, some pointless lore: What Pure Vanilla had done was open an untethered rift in front of our castle. Dark Enchantress would have been able to do it by her own power, but since PV isn't quite as strong he had used the fountain to supplement his magic. Tethered rifts, as DE used in chapter 2 to free the cake creatures, work as portals connected between set locations. Untethered rifts (such as above the Institute and in this chapter) open a portal into a random location in the universe-miasma, which are usually filled with beasts and monsters. The monster we saw this time happened to be a more eldritch Avatar of Destiny.
Opening and closing rift takes a shitton of power but it's quite simple to do, so no pre-drawn spell is needed.
PV is acting real weird this chapter but he's literally falling off his rocker so it's somewhat justified I hope.