Chapter Text
Days have been like centuries for Pure Vanilla.
He’s the hero who defeated the evil, wicked beast of deceit, and was showered in praise, piled up gifts, loving gazes from his people.
My people are safe and happy, my kingdom is prospering, and my comrades are still celebrating the downfall of the beast, drinking the night away.
Poets sang songs and poems made for his triumph, mothers calling their children to go home for dinner so that they could grow up and be strong like their king.
It should’ve been the most joyous, wondrous time in his life, yet he has been struggling to keep up his perfect, gentle smile.
His smile faded away when he reached his room, locking the door behind him. Sighing, he slides down onto the ground with his back against the door. There’s a mirror on the side of his bedroom, where he can see himself clearly and how his appearance has changed after the awakening of his power.
Long golden locks, it does look pretty, but he has no idea how to take care of it. He brushes through his hair with his fingers, and his mind shifts to that one time Shadow Milk playfully tied up his hair into pigtails when he was still Truthless Recluse.
“It suits you soooo much, Vanilly!” His laughter still lingers, like he was just there a moment ago. He knew he loathed it as Truthless Recluse, but now he’s yearning for his touch one more time. His eyes landed on his soul jam, emitting blue light as he caressed it gently.
His soul jam is still here, embedded in the brooch on the center of his chest, silently humming.
But the other counterpart is lost.
Pure Vanilla saw it with both of his own eyes, how Shadow Milk looked at him one last time before he disappeared under the debris of the collapsed spire, with a gaze that he didn’t understand, and will never understand.
He didn’t know if he was still alive, or dead. The only thing he knows is how he never got a proper sleep after that night. He’s always wondering if he did something, maybe if he tried harder to help him, he would still be here, and maybe he and Shadow Milk could become something more than just enemies. Maybe friends, maybe family.
But that thought can only live as one of his regrets.
That is until one day when he was shifting from dozing and slumbering repeatedly, a voice rang up in his head.
"Pure Vanilla, what you yearned for will be found within the academy’s front garden. But beware, devastating consequences follow. Shall you live a solemn life in your reality, or face the unknown that brings you either paradise or hell.”
Pure Vanilla jolts up from his bed, hand on his soul jam that is pulsing violently as if it is telling him there’s something urgent he needs to check out. His face is scrunched from the discomfort, sweats are rolling down his forehead.I need to check it now. He muttered, picking up his staff from his bedside while tumbling on his feet, he bolted out the door.
After navigating through the kingdom’s halls and countless stairs he finally reached outside, where the night sky and moonlight welcomed him. The night breeze is chilling, blowing at his face as he ran. He’s sure that he’s not a good runner, but something beneath his feet is urging him to go faster and faster. The castle guards are shouting something indistinguishable, probably asking him to stop, but he did on tend to their needs like usual, he just kept running hastily, until the building of his destination slowly appeared in his view.
When he finally reached the academy’s front garden, he gasped for air intensely, his legs are giving up, but he’s not going to just collapse here after running for witches knows how long. He looked around the garden, different kinds of flowers and bushes decorated the garden nicely, accompanied by fluttering butterflies and green vines crawling over the gazebo’s rooftop. Pure Vanilla smiled, this place always has a special place in his heart, it’s always a place he loved to visit when he’s overwhelmed by diplomatic work or simply to ease his mind.
While wandering around the garden, he felt a slight shift of magic in the air, and consciously turned his head over to the source. His eyes grew wider when he saw something that’s not supposed to exist there, in the middle of the path.
A door.
It only took a second for Pure Vanilla to recognize that the door have a strikingly identical design compared to Blueberry Yogurt Academy, which he had walked through so many of these doors when he was a student.
The only odd thing about the door is how there’s light seeping through it, even though it’s not attached to a wall. It’s just there, standing silently.
Pure Vanilla stared at it with uncertainty, but slightly curious. He approaches the door slowly like it’s a stray he would find on the side of the street, even though it’s unmoving.
“My Majesty, where are you? Please, come out, we are worried sick when you ran out by yourself in the middle of the night!”
Oh, no. They are following him.
The door is within reach now, and the guards are approaching from behind, worriedly calling for him. In this dire situation, there’s only one correct thing to do.
His hand reached for the door handle and with a quick twist, the door opened.
The next thing he knew is how he was sucked into the door forcefully, letting out a gasp before his body went spinning and twirling by the huge force, unknown about where it was leading him to. He saw gold fading into a hue of blue, then darkness, and into a mix of different colors. The colors keep changing, making him more nauseous and dizzy. He didn’t know for how long is he going to stay like this until it abruptly ended with his back hitting a solid object.
He let out a pained groan, and his eyes slowly blinked open to check his surroundings. He notices there’s a figure standing upright, hovering over and staring straight at him. They have heterochromatic eyes like his, donned monocle, and pale blue skin.
Wait, what? Pure Vanilla sat right up in disbelief and nearly bumped his forehead with them. The figure looked displeased, due to his sudden actions.
Although there are some differences, they are still strikingly identical to him.
Before they could say anything, a familiar name slipped out of Pure Vanilla’s mouth.
“Shadow Milk Cookie?”