You are always the hero but listen, and I'll spare your friends just this once

Milk Cookie and Madeleine Cookies Struggles

Milk cookie looked across the hallway at Dark Choco Cookie who had their head pointed down, their gaze focused on the floor in the moment. In the moment, he had a choice to make. Run to his friend or get some answers after years upon years of searching for Dark Choco alongside Purple Yam. Right when he was about to move to leave, Dark Choco finally made a reply. "What you said all that time ago.... you were wrong. And I was.. far more wrong...." Milk Cookie could remember that day as clear as day. "But why? You saved us.... and I heard from many other villages that you also saved them. You became my hero and I came across another who also wished to find you. I-I could never find you until now.... " Something was wrong with how he held himself and Milk was slowly piecing together the facts of the situation. The different sword which had a darker aura, the .... regret swimming in the other cookies eyes. Where they were and how Pomegranate cookie, one of the enemies in this situation, had spoken to him as though they were quite familiar. They were taken out of their thoughts when Dark Choco had righted their posture. " I'm not.... I'm not the cookie you think I am, Milk Cookie... I wanted to cause change in the kingdom but my father.... the king was against it. I pushed and pushed for it.... until one day, I came upon a sword with cursed strawberry jam... a sword which I thought could help. Until I killed my very own father with it..." This wasn't the plan. The plan was to deal with the paladin and join another cookie to aid in defeating the group. But.... He had to explain this to Milk. Try to right his wrong all that time ago. He could see emotions in the orbs of the cookie across from him. Sadness and stress most evident but something else also swirling in those orbs which he couldn't put his finger on. It took what felt like forever to the dark cookie for a reply to come from him. "I ... feel sorry for your loss but such things will not damper my beliefs in you. I- If your kingdom would not accept your return, my own Village surely would. Or even the kingdom I am residing in." The Paladin was watching Dark Choco who looked very surprised in the moment, obviously not having expected those words. Surveying the Paladin, Dark Choco could see no signs of deceit, they truly believed the words they had spoken. "And why would you offer such a thing? Do you want me to hurt one of those cookies?.... When the sword takes over, I will not stop to harm or even crumble another cookie." Milk sighed and nodded. "We will do our best to keep you from harming anyone. Perhaps we could even find a way to solve the problem. We have many powerful mages and an alchemist in the kingdom..." Dark Choco shook his head, looking down to the sword. "Even so, I will not accept that invitation. I... am where I belong..." Milk Cookie could see in the other that they did have some semblance of wishing to take the offer but there was a darker emotion clouding their eyes. "Well, the invitation shall remain for however long I exist, so if ever that may change, then you may know where to find me." Dark Choco looked up and sighed, a glare on their face. "Run away... or face me. The choice is yours..." Milk Cookie nodded. "I will face you, but only because I must in this situation." Both got ready for the battle, a silent few seconds passing before Dark Choco darted forwards, sword immediately crackling with the dark energy. Milk Cookie parried the strike with his shield, being pushed back by the impact slightly. They waited for the other to draw their sword back just slightly, immediately swinging their mace straight out at the other, barely having the attack be parried away by Dark Chocos frenzied swing of the sword. They moved to attack again, using their ability, causing lightning to strike up on the Paladin who had a moment of weakness, barely bringing their shield up in time to parry the swords strike upwards. "Why must you side with them?!" He cried out as he pushed the other back with his shield, moving to get better footing and moving to swing their mace out, trying to push the other back as much as he could in the moment, twisting his hold on it when the others sword moved to block it, causing the two weapons to tangle in the wings of the mace. "Because I must, it's the only path left!" He drew his sword from the hold and took a step back, swinging at the mace, trying to knock it from the paladins hold but Milk held it tight, drawing their shield to push the blade back. "No it's not! There are other paths for you to take! I still would take you back even if you try to kill me! Purple Yam wants to see you again! Even if you sided with them when lost, you can still be found and brought back to the light!" Dark Choco swung their sword, catching Milk Cookies shoulder with a slash, staining the white fabric red as Milk Cookie drew back, using their shield to parry the next attack aimed at him and taking a second to gauge the injury. It hadn't been too deep in the end but it would hurt for a while and the sooner they got it wrapped, the better. They stabilized it with some of the healing liquid of his staff and slammed his shield forward, pushing Dark Choco back from not expecting the sudden motion, almost making him fall but not quite enough for it. "You act like they will forgive anything! I've done terrible things! Unforgivable things! I am not even fit to remain in the light anymore! My only place to belong is in the darkness!" Milk Cookie moved forward, casting their ability and moving to push the other back once again, crying out their own reply. "That's a lie! You are still fit for the light! Even now... you remain my hero from all that time ago! You still deserve the light and nothing you may have done will change it! Don't you get it?! The light is merciful and hasn't forgotten you! That blade... just clouded your judgement!" He cast his ability, moving the shield slightly so he could stare at Dark Choco, who in the moment had stopped to stare at him, surprised by the conviction in the others voice. ".... That's not true. I ... forsook the light all that time ago.... and nothing you may say will change that!" He swung the blade, Milk barely shifting the shield to protect as the other swung with more fervor than before, Milk barely defending the strikes with the shield in his hold. "No... Please.... it's true! You can still come back to the light! Don't let it take over! You are good, even now! You are worthy of the light!" The light caused by his ability still glimmered through the area but Dark Choco took no heed to it, focusing on attacking the shield in front of him, watching as the others ability slowly faded from the shield. Milk Cookie held to the shield tightly, trying to keep from being pushed back and watching for any possible attack that might make through it. "Please.... Please... Dark Choco....Listen to me! It doesn't have to be like this!" He quickly drew his mace out to stop an attack of the sword, moving his shield to push Dark Choco back, only succeeding in blocking the attack, the sounds of the blows of the sword against the shield drowning out any sounds around them like Milks gasping breaths or Dark Chocos grunts, each exhausting themselves with their own efforts in kind. Then, there was another sound, a cracking sound and Milk saw the cracks in the edging of his shield as his eyes widened. "N-No...." He mumbled and moved to push the other back, changing what route he might need to take. He withdrew, trying to get away as Dark Choco started to pursue him, his mace and shield only slowing him down. By the time that Dark Choco had made it close, he threw his shield in front of him, blocking the attack aimed for his chest and sliding back across the hall at the force used by Dark Choco. Any signs of emotions in his eyes were locked away, as Milk looked into them fearfully. He was watching as Milk stilled, watching him from their distance away before their expression had become set once more. They watched as he ran towards them, their mace in a death grip and their shield raising to block whatever blow may come at them. "Meet your end!" mingled with "For peace and justice!" as both of them cast their abilities, the bright light blinding Dark Choco who had to shield their eyes once they had sent out the lightning, feeling something strike him down in that second which he swung at, hearing the clang of his sword hitting something. He could feel the force of someone on top of him, growling when they felt the force of something slam into their wrist, causing them to let go of the sword and hear it clatter away from him uselessly. Milk had Dark Choco pinned on the floor, his shield in one hand which he let fall besides the pair, and their mace tightly gripped in hand which he clipped to his side. He was gasping out breaths as he watched the other struggle against being pinned and moved to grip their wrists and hold them down, his own strength being the only reason he hadn't been pushed down already. "Please listen!" Seeing the other in this state was causing a few spare tears trickle down his face, watching the desperation the other had as their vision returned and they moved to glare up at him. Dark Choco hadn't expected this end to the scene but the other was strong enough to hold him down and seemed like they had alot of practice with such a thing. After a moment of struggling, he sighed and nodded. "Fine... I will listen... but don't expect anything..." He could see the blood dripping from their shoulder, watching as it dripped farther down and stained more and more of their ripped outfit. He could see their one arm shaking, surprised that even if he was injured, he had still been able to keep his own hand pinned down with it. He had to respect the others tenacity in the end. He watched the other relax slightly, but didn't move to struggle as he registered the words that he said. ".... You know... It's been years since we last met. Countless years... I came across Purple Yam Cookie after about a year of practicing. They were searching for you and wanted a rematch after you stripped him of his title.... I went along with him, following him for about two months before he really accepted I wasn't going to leave... so we paired up for real and kept searching, going anywhere and everywhere we could for any signs of you... I ... the pair of us had differing opinions of you... Purple Yam said that you took his title and you were just awful, buying your way to get what you wanted... but you were truly a great warrior. After all these years, their wishes to fight you again never went away. And I... Saw a warrior who was a hero to all they passed, saving anyone and asking nothing in return... we passed through many places and got many stories, lots of which were happy and a few which were less than happy with the mentioning of you... even those who were unhappy seemed to forgive you... we even stopped at your kingdom at one point.... although they banned you from ever entering again, no one seemed to have truly had hatred towards you in the end... Some even wished you well on your travels, and wherever you went, they wished you would remain happy... so why did you side with them?" Dark Choco sighed and looked away from Milk Cookie. "Because it is the only path I feasibly see myself following... after all I did... I killed many people for my own selfish ideals.... and when my father spoke against it as he should have.... I killed him. The light may accept me back, but I, myself, will not accept it. I do not deserve such a thing... I would rather die but the sword will not let me... so i will remain here as penance for my own crimes..." Milk Cookie shook his head. "No... rather than that, what if you helped repay it by helping rebuild a new kingdom? Would that not leave a nicer taste in your mouth? Come now, Dark Choco... there are other paths and I can offer you a much better one... our kingdom is quite lovely.... and I can see that you remain soft and sweet even with this harder shell... " Dark Choco wanted to take it... he really did but... he shook his head. "I can't.... I will just harm someone if I go." Milk cookie sighed at that. "We can find a solution to that... we have healers in our kingdom that can negate it... and we have other cookies with healing abilities as well. Please accept it, Dark Choco. Our kingdom has no set ruler and many cookies are present within... and we all coexist. You can be there as well.... Purple Yam and the others would love to meet you... as a friend." One look at Dark Choco with pleading eyes was enough to make the pinned cookie break and give a small nod. "For... now, I will accept such a thing... but if they wish me to leave, I will not hesitate to leave..." Milk Cookie smiled at that, letting go of his wrists and watching him, making sure they weren't about to attack him as he moved to get off of him. No attack ever came from the warrior who also moved to get up quietly, going to retrieve the blade. "Thank you." is the last words Milk Cookie spoke to him before the pair set off to find other cookies.
Madeleine Cookie was suddenly alone. He ran a few steps forward, caught by the momentum. He looked around the area as he slowed to a stop. It appeared to be something akin to a ballroom, or perhaps a church. The space was not so well preserved however so it was hard to tell which one in particular. "Sparkling! Blackberry! Strawberry Crepe! Milk! Can you hear me?!" He called out, trying to figure out where those he had sworn to protect had gone. He looked for a way out, finding a doorway in the distance, he immediately moved to dart through it. Or at least, that was his plan to. In reality, however, he hit the invisible barrier in place and was sent flying back, a sharp shock hitting him in the process and causing him to groan from his position on the floor. He winced slightly and moved to check for any signs of real injuries, coming across none in the end. He moved to get up and approached the door once again, albeit more warily. It was hard to see any sign of anything being amiss. It took them a long time to take note of the faint signs shown in the open space. He looked at the darkened magic from the Pomegranate Villages own strain of abilities, trying to figure out a way to bypass it. The only thing that could come to mind was the mirror the dark priestess wielded. But... there was no way he could acquire it. Not here at least. If he had been teleported alone, surely the others had also been. However, he prayed to the divine that they may make it out unscathed no matter how far away they may be. Realizing any efforts on the doorway would most likely be made in vain, he started to look through the rest of the room for any other way out. He started to realize he was essentially trapped in the moment as the only other way possible was a section of the ceiling covered in glass that showed some of the darkened clouds hung above the melted candle based fortress. He moved back to the doorway since there was simply no feasible way for him to be capable of reaching the other way. "No... This can't be right! I need to get out of here, to protect the others. The divines can't simply be hidden in this place.... but how? How can I-" Another voice came to be a short distance away. "You require my expertise?" It sounded amused at the others predicament and Madeleine immediately spun in the direction of it, seeking who had spoken even as he already had placed the tone. "Espresso Cookie." He had a frown on his face as he looked at the other sitting on the podium across the room. His legs were crossed in a polite manner and his hands were folded politely in his lap. Had Madeleine not been there to experience what happened, he might have trusted the other right away. "What doth you desire?" Espresso sighed and offered a small smile, gesturing to the raised sword the other had brandished in a protective manner. "Lay that down at this moment. There is no need for such... frivolous action. I come to you in peace at this moment. I desire a chat with you in particular. After all, things are proceeding as planned. And yet... you hold a large part in how it will end. " His eyes lingered over the other in some mix of fondness and pride. Madeleine shook his head, frowning at them as they attempted to figure out what the other was playing at. " Be that as it may, there is no way that you shall remain victorious to the end. Our victory is inevitable! The divine will protect us from all their acts of corruption. I will see to it that it shall remain that way. Aft-" Espresso started to laugh at that, it wasn't quite loud but it was enough to get Madeleine to stop speaking, confused at the others merriment. "Oh no, please do continue to tell me all about how you will valiantly find a way to save the day. You have the right to think what you want. And... perhaps there is a slim chance that that may occur. However, let me show you these people you wish to protect first. You can come to your own assumptions, as trapped as a bird in a cage. After all, there's nothing better for you to do than see what's happening from afar. I won't take much of your time in the end. " Espresso wandered down and drew closer to Madeleine who grew into a defensive position quickly, expecting the other to attack in some capacity. However, they merely continued onwards, moving to the doorway. He waved his hand and ripples appeared over the magic. "Do you understand how Pomegranates mirror works, Madeleine Cookie?" The statement was left alone as Madeleine watched the other warily. "Yes. It's .... a weapon of destruction. Seething in darkness. As the light, it is my job to dispel it from this world." Espresso hummed at the answer before responding in kind. "No. It's an element of light, believe it or not. Merely a cursed item of light that was cursed by those very lights you worship. Although you may never see your own reflection in it, should you take the time to focus and learn its craft, you can see many things. Like your allies. Sparkling isn't handling very well right now. Inhaling all that poison must really be doing a number on him. " The ripples changed, becoming a scene from another of the doorways. A red hued Poison Mushroom Cookie swiping at a red hued Sparkling Cookie who looked like he could barely stay on his feet. Madeleine immediately darted closer to it, wanting to say it was fake but it was hard for them to deny it in the moment. After all, he knew Espresso might stretch the truth at times, but he would never lie about such things. Even after all this time. "What have you done to him?" His voice was to the point, masking what emotions he might show. "I have done nothing. A healer on their own has no way to make it through in the end. The best choice is to evade but their hard footing makes that harder to do. Now let's see how the rest of your allies are doing that you swore to protect." He waved his hand, showing Strawberry Crepe wandering through the maze like area. They appeared safe at first but then Pomegranate came into view, following with her mirror in hand. The angle of this appeared to be from a gem so it was a smaller window to see and a lower angle than the previous. "Safe for now. But that will change. I wonder if they even have an inkling of what is about to happen." His tone was sweet in the moment and there was a malevolent glint to their eye. Madeleine glared at them. "I get it. My allies are in trouble and you all effectively trapped me in here. Was your plan to torture me with the knowledge that I can do nothing in this place? Things may be dire now but the light will always come through, one way or another. " Espresso hummed. "Indeed.... there is one case that is better than others. The best, most puzzling case is with the other paladin your brought. Milk Cookie, one I never did like, has found a way to get Dark Choco to listen to them. This may be a temporary thing, however, Milk Cookie has sustained some injuries and damage to their shield all the same. Would you wager they could put up a good fight at this point in such a state?" He flicked his wrist, showing a view of the pair walking down a hallway. Milk did look tired to some extent, the shields cracks easily visible from the angle. "Dark Choco has lost their will to fight.... for now. Blackberry Cookie is trapped in a room. Sparkling cookie is struggling to handle prolonged exposure to poison clouds. Strawberry Crepe will crumble should this continue for long. And Licorice is now free to join another group or get into another battle, tipping the tides in our favor." His tone was delighted as he spoke before Madeleine moved forward, grabbing his arm with a free hand, having sheathed his sword temporarily. "Why are you doing this, Essy? This isn't like you... you may not always have gotten along with the others but you at least cared for them to some extent, did you not?" Espresso had stilled, focusing on the others contact. "I harbor no feelings other than Herb Cookie and yourself. Anyone else... bears no interest to me. I am telling you this due to my care for you and offering you a solution. Please do not try to stop me in my cause. Such actions will not work in the end." Madeleine tightened their grip, stepping closer to the mage who was trying to keep their gaze away, a look akin to trepidation present on the mages face. "Do not be afraid. My presence guarantees victory in such things and you and I both know that I have never once quit." He offered a large, reassuring smile and hoped the other would take note of just who they were talking to in the moment. However, the mage simply frowned and shook their head. "Quite a conundrum we have here.You should prepare to face the consequences of such a claim. And that brings me to why I have approached you like this. I have .... a proposition to offer you. One that will ensure to negate any further damages to your allies. And may be grounds to ensure their safety while departing." Madeleine glanced back to the doorway, watching the door projecting each of their allies they entered with, with each of their encounters. The fact that Blackberry had not been crumbled and appeared in good enough shape in the moment most likely hinged entirely on the proposition of the other. They could also see that Herb Cookie was well taken care of, not seeing any signs of crumbling and minimal signs of wilting. As far as they could tell. "My ears are open, Espresso. What is this deal you are offering me?"