Secret of the Sugar Flare

Chapter 5: Fable of the Fallen King

When the group first entered the castle, Custard Cookie III was the first to greet whatever awaited on the other side, as usual. "TA-DA! Your king has FINALLY made his return! Soon we'll hear the trumpets to celebrate my return! ...Any moment now!"

"Where were there magical experiments conducted?" Wizard Cookie was sniffing around the castle for something else. "I want to see the essence of White Magic!"

"Bup-bup-bup! Not so fast!" Chili Pepper Cookie got the two boys back on track, or so they thought. "Our first stop HAS to be the treasury!"

Strawberry Cookie ended up having to be the one to point out the problem. "There's...something wrong with this place."

GingerBrave looked at the hall, which was littered with something that made his face go pale as milk. "What is all this...! The whole place is covered in Cookie crumbs!"

"AAAAAAGH! My legs...MY LEGS! I can't feel my legs!"

"Hang in there, soldier! If you fall here, our kingdom will-!"

Healer Cookie turned his head towards the voices they all heard, hardly daring to believe it. "Impossible..."

"Those Cookies are hurt!" GingerBrave realized. "They need our help, and fast!"

GingerBrave dashed forward to help the soldiers, but his hand phased right through the wounded Cookie's shoulder. "Huh?!"

"The wound won't stop crumbling!" the wounded soldier moaned, unable to feel GingerBrave's touch, much less see him.

"We don't have much time...Your Majesty!" his friend called out into the emptiness. "Pure Vanilla Cookie, please hurry!"

"What're they blabbering on about?" Chili Pepper Cookie was confused.

"Worry not, your king is here!" Custard Cookie III assured the soldiers. "Can you not see the king of the Vanilla Kingdom before you?"

Wizard Cookie had to be the one to call it. "Hold on...I don't think they can see us. I sense the lingering vestiges of magic here...it's a sign of a rather powerful spell. Whoever cast this spell chose this very moment in time and decided to replay the events of this day over and over again. In short, these are just illusions of the past. We can't talk to them, nor can they talk to us."

"When exactly was the Vanilla castle attacked...?" Strawberry Cookie asked.

Healer Cookie's answer was as grave as his tone. "The Dark Flour War...on the day the war began."

"Whoa now, hang on!" Chili Pepper Cookie called him out. "That's a REALLY long time ago! Not even preservatives last that long!"

"Dark Enchantress Cookie is the one who sparked the Dark Flour War," Wizard Cookie seethed. "SHE must be the one who conjured this spell. We need to defeat Dark Enchantress Cookie in order to restore the castle's flow of time!"

"Sounds like it's time for more slashin'! Let's get this over with!"

Chili Pepper Cookie started down the hall, but was immediately stopped by a huge Cake Hound, one who's frosting was now all trussed up, and he wore fancy clothes. "Hey, wait a second...you look like that Choco Werehound Brute!"

"I have been awaiting your arrival, Cookies," the brute said curtly. "Please, follow me. Your presence is requested elsewhere."

"What're you up to?" GingerBrave asked skeptically.

"One of great power awaits you. If you would, please...this way."

***

The heroes were escorted to a grand dining room, where Dark Enchantress Cookie sat at the head of a banquet table, where a feast was laid out for all to enjoy. Custard Cookie III seemed especially excited at the sight. "Look at all this FOOD! Roasted jellies, jelly burgers, jelly pizza! They even have jelly steaks! This is a feast fit for a king! And rightly so, as their king has returned!"