Chapter Text
Alarms and sirens rang out through the vast sandy buildings of the Golden Cheese Kingdom, instructing every inhabitant to evacuate their homes. Their queen had taken every measure to ensure that her remaining citizens were well-trained in the event of another attack on the shining city, and it seemed to work wonderfully; her citizens marched through the ashen roads in neat, orderly lines. Far above, in stark contrast to the desperate evacuation towards the Cheese Vaults happening below, the palace's grand halls were oddly calm. The blaring of alarms below was only occasionally broken by the occasional flaps of Cheesebird scouts returning from their survey duties.
Unfortunately for Golden Cheese, one of these very scouts had spotted a gigantic army of armored creatures marching directly towards the sandy kingdom. Golden Cheese grew worried at the news... Had Dark Enchantress returned? She had been defeated just a few weeks ago, hadn't she? It was impossible, and yet Golden Cheese could recall how stubborn that woman was. "Noble Queen Golden Cheez!" The chirping of a Cheesebird broke the goddess' chain of thought. Its round, orange form fluttered from the sky onto the sandstone tile floor of the goddess' throne room. "Your Majezty! Burnt Cheez'z shadow haz been stationed at the weztern gate alongzide his jackalz. Smoked Cheez and Mozzarella's Soulcheezez are safe in the Cheeze Vaultz," The messenger Cheesebird chirped out, awaiting a response. At the queen's flick of her hand, the Cheesebird continued. "We alzo have intel on the invaderz themzelves! They seem to be led by a knight in black armor, alongzide a horse, chirp..."
Within the vast army, Silent Salt followed close behind White Lily. His faithful warhorse, Nox Black Salt, walked slowly at his side. Salt Cellar and four other Kala Namak Knights marched in an arrow formation a brief distance away from the Flower and Knight, forming a stiff barrier that protected the holders of the Soul Jams. "Be prepared for hostile response." Silent Salt warned his general in advance. "Don't hurt any of them. I don't want to risk angering her." White Lily added, her gentle voice still audible among the marching knights. She knew about Golden Cheese's... disdain of her, to say the least, being a common point of discussion between her and Pure Vanilla. From the end of the formation, Salt Cellar's voice called out. "Lord Commander. I see several jackals and a man. Not hostile. How do we respond?"
"I will go in front, alongside White Lily," Silent Salt responded, "Break formation." His general obeyed, moving to open a space for the two. "I am Burnt Cheese, the Keeper of the Gates. You will not take a step forward." Burnt Cheese gestured for his jackals to stay as he commanded. Circling the Ancient and Beast, he sniffed them for a moment before continuing. "State your purpose here!" Burnt Cheese barked, recognizing White Lily's Soul Jam, but not her appearance itself. No wonder, as he had missed her in the Dark Enchantress War and hadn't guarded the gates since the Golden City was online. Recognizing Burnt Cheese's wariness of her, White Lily stepped forward to reassure him. "...I'm not here for war. I only seek an audience. With Golden Cheese. I'm sorry I've caused alarm." Burnt Cheese hesitated for a moment as he processed the new information. After a second of hesitation, he pointed his staff towards Silent Salt. "Your identity and purpose."
"The same as White Lily," Silent Salt replied, eerily calm. "I am Silent Salt. A Beast." Burnt Cheese turned to his jackals. "I will be back. Stay here and guard the gates. Do not let a single one past." With that, he rushed into the Kingdom, seeking a messenger. The alarms continued to blare loudly as he rushed through the ashen roads, nothing but stray Cheesebirds fluttering through the city at this point. After flagging a messenger down, the jackal-tamer repeated what White Lily and Silent Salt had told him to it. With a moment of shocked hesitation, the Cheesebird quickly fluttered up towards the palace. "YOUR MAJEZTY!" It shouted this time, concerning Golden Cheese as it fluttered into the throne room. "I-It'z White Lily and a Beazt! They're not here for war! They just seek an audienze with you, my queen!"
"Oh." Golden Cheese thought to herself. She recalled telling White Lily that she wasn't welcome in her kingdom during the Dark Enchantress War if she was going to side with that Beast. And here she was, stubborn as ever, showing up with that Beast's entire army. She had to admit, she was brave. Too brave for her own good, but brave nonetheless. "Continue evacuating. I will talk to them." She commands, standing from her throne with her hand firm on her spear. Taking flight, she hovered high above the Golden Cheese Kingdom, conjuring hundreds of exact replicas of her spear to hover above the shining city like snipers ready to rain hell down upon the salt army at a moment's notice. After a moment of assessing the army and her own kingdom from up high, the goddess dove down to meet the two Soul Jam holders and Burnt Cheese at the gates.
"Burnt Cheese, you've done well. Now retreat and help any stragglers to evacuate." White Lily turned her head down as Golden Cheese gave the order. "Now, as for you two... What makes you think you have the right to an audience with me?" Her harsh tone of voice worried White Lily. Despite this, she stepped forward. "Oh, we... we're here to help, Golden Cheese. For the past few months, I... I've been roaming Earthbread with Silent Salt and the Knights of Kala Namak," The taller woman gestured to Silent Salt and Salt Cellar respectively. "We've been repairing all the damage both the Dark Enchantress and Dark Flour wars caused. You're... the last one we came to help."
The goddess pondered for a moment, before pointing her spear directly at White Lily. "HA! I don't trust it for a second. You've already destroyed everything I held dear with your curiousity, and you want to help me while another army stands behind you?" She pressed her spear into White Lily's torso, not hard enough to pierce anything, but still hard enough to threaten her. White Lily gasped as the cold metal pressed against her, holding her hand out behind her to stop Silent Salt from intervening. "Who are you to decide who needs help? I don't NEED it. Not from you. And especially not if you intend to betray me again. And ESPECIALLY not if you waited this long to actually come and help." Golden Cheese finally finished, lowering her spear. "I..." White Lily began. "That's why it took so long. I... was preparing myself for when you would get angry at me. But please," White Lily swallowed as Golden Cheese's grip tightened on her spear. "I know how to get your subjects back." Golden Cheese's expression softened at White Lily's words. She could... get them back? But this was White Lily. It had to be a trick, right? "All of them?" The goddess questioned, watching with bated breath as White Lily nodded her head. "Every one of them you have pieces of." White Lily assured.
"...fine," Golden Cheese finally relented, sending a wave of relief over White Lily. "I'll let you in. You're going to recover the bodies of Burnt Cheese, Mozzarella and Smoked Cheese. We'll see where it goes from there. As for you..." She pointed her spear towards Silent Salt before continuing. "I trust you. White Lily. Keep the Beast in check, and you can stay." She hated to admit it, but this Beast gave her a reason to trust White Lily. After all, he seemed to be relatively tame compared to Burning Spice, albeit only with White Lily's leadership. Silent Salt stepped forward before kneeling, planting his sword firmly into the ground. "I will aid you." He began, and as if a wave rippling over the ocean, White Lily kneeled; then Salt Cellar, then the Knights of Kala Namak. "Allow me and the Knights of Kala Namak within your walls, and we vow to aid you in the task of rebuilding your Kingdom."