Cookie Run: Shadows Of The Arena (A CRK AU)

-PILOT- Internecion

---- Current Day. Dark Choco's POV ----

I once thought that I knew the day I would die.
I always believed that it would be of my own volition that my life would be taken, ripped out by the hands of the creator, what an ironic way to go out. I had no legacy left, I had no gold-plated name-tag on a statue or a name written in a book of legends. I had nothing for people to remember me by. "What was the point?" I thought.

---- August 30th, 20XX. ----

It was a dark and stormy night, as always. The blizzard hadn't let up yet. The sun was already down, and I was hungry. I did the most logical thing and decided to head to the nearest bar, just a couple miles away from the Milk Village. The bar... "Watcher's Crash", it became a popular tourist attraction since you could see the Dark Cacao Kingdom from the windows. Everybody wanted a little glimpse of the war-ready castle for themselves. Couldn't blame them. The view was extremely beautiful, the constantly snowy weather adding onto the beauty, even if I despised it from my past.

The moon showed itself over the mountains as I entered the bar, neither full or empty, just a few groups of friends sitting around and drinking. It was a calm night, the only real disruptive noise being the intense snow outside and the occasional joke told by the customers.
"Thank witches." I thought to myself, sitting down at an empty seat near the edge of the bar counter, taking my armor off and putting it into my bag. I looked over to the bartender, grunting softly before speaking up to the 'tender. They had short blue and pink hair, along with a white coat and black gloves.

Dark Choco Cookie: Hey, can I just get some berry juice, please?

I wasn't usually the kind of cookie to drink, but it seemed like it was gonna be a boring night. I might as well have a little fun while other shit goes down.

Bartender Cookie: You got it! One glass of berry juice, coming right up!

They got to making the juice, going into the back of the bar to make said drink. I sighed, looking at myself in a small mirror that was sitting on the counter with the words "Be yourself! <3" written on it. I didn't know if it was the bartender's or someone else's, but it had been here for a while. Nobody came to claim it either, almost like they wanted to leave it here.

Dark Choco Cookie: Be yourself...

I gently spoke to myself, almost shivering at the thought of having to be the real me. I mean, this WAS the real me, right? I am who I am, I art thou and thou art I and all that nonsense. But, I thought about it for a while, was I really happy with who I am? Just some failed warrior who got kicked out of his own kingdom? I was literally about to spend most of my night at a bar, get drunk, then sleep right outside of it so I don't freeze to death from the chilling temperatures. Was this the life I wanted to live...?
I tried to ignore the mirror, moving it away from me, I couldn't dare to look at myself anymore, not in this state that I was in. I'm no knight. I'm just like everybody else now.

Before I knew it, I had spent the night drunkenly telling stories of my past to the other customers, I must've had a lot of fun, considering I woke up on the floor. My head hurt a lot, like a sword was stuck directly into my head. I quickly checked for a sword in my skull, but there wasn't one. Thankfully. My memory was extremely fuzzy, same with my eyesight. I waited a bit before checking a nearby clock for the time. 8:31 AM. Bright and early in the morning, my kind of time to wake up. I slowly got to my feet, hungover, yet with a mission. To make it outside to the world again.
Walking over to the entrance door, I felt like I was forgetting something. Something very important to me.

I slowly opened the door... only to see everything in shambles. The kingdom had been destroyed, burning up in flames. The great Cacao Wall had been broken down like it was nothing more than a house's fence. Smoke was in the air, it was almost like a dense fog, my nose was filled with the smell of burning wood and remains of warriors. I looked down, noticing another cookie's arm right in front of me, it still smelled of jam and fire. Fire... fire, fire, so much fire. It infected my soul, almost taunting me. I looked at the arm, grabbing it and putting it away into my pocket, just so I could give it back to the cookie who lost it later. Soon enough, I knew that I had to walk into the fire and accept my hellish fate, so, I took my first step. Step, step, step, step, step... for a few minutes, it was just walking into nothingness but heat, my dough started to melt as I finally reached the other side of the fire.

In front of me, sat the castle, falling apart with every second that passed by, my eyes forced to stare at the mass destruction right in front of me. That is, until I saw him. A doppelganger, another me, but he didn't exactly look like me... he looks like the me that died years ago, when I first ran away. The long hair, the happy smile, the white clothes, it was all there, just for my hurting eyes. One detail was wrong though, he had a crown, the design almost looking thorn-like, multiple of the "thorns" implanted into his head.

Dark Choco Cookie: You...
Dark Choco Cookie?: Hmm? Me?
Dark Choco Cookie: What the hell are you?! Why do you look like me?!

I drew my sword, hesitant, but standing my ground and giving him a fierce look, trying to intimidate him as a lion would bear its fangs. He stared for a second, looked around, then looked back to me and chuckled. I gripped my sword tighter.

Dark Choco Cookie?: Hahahaha! Oh, whatever could you mean, young warrior? Here, you look tired, allow me to bring you into the castle, we have plenty of food ready for any kinds of guests!
Dark Choco Cookie: Go into the castle?! Do you not see the state it is in? It's currently burning down and you want me to go right into the blazing fires?! Why do you look like me, why do you speak like me?! You're using my own tongue for your nonsense!
Dark Choco Cookie?: Hey, calm down! Look around you, don't YOU see that there is no point in caring anymore? The damage has been done, might as well enjoy the fire while it is warm and comforting. That's what father told me!
Dark Choco Cookie: Father would never say such a thing you SNAKE! REMOVE YOUR DISGUISE!

The other me laughed again, more intensely than last time, mocking me.

Dark Choco Cookie?: You don't get it do you...? I am you. As you are me. Everything that you see, everything that you hear, feel, smell... this is all real.

His voice was changing, it's becoming more... high pitched and crazy?

Dark Choco Cookie???: This is all part of my play, you see! And guess who gets to be the main antagonist! Why, that's you, Dark Choco Cookie! You get to be the enemy in my brand new story!
Dark Choco Cookie: ...Again, I ask, who or what are you?! Reveal yourself, coward!
Dark Choco Cookie...?: You still don't believe I am who I tell you I am, I must say, I am quite hurt! But that's plenty alright, I suppose all good things must come to an end! A-HEH!

His eyes shifted from red to light blue and dark blue, his smile growing and glowing with enjoyment. My suspicions were right, it truly wasn't me. Thank god, another time shenanigan story and this would've been worse than W̶a̶l̶k̶w̶a̶y̶ ̶T̶o̶ ̶S̶t̶a̶r̶l̶i̶g̶h̶t̶'̶s̶ ̶p̶r̶o̶d̶u̶c̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶t̶i̶m̶e the days I've spent living in the forest. He seemed unhappy with me, rightfully so, I was unhappy with him as well. What a coward.

Dark Choco Cookie?!: I am Shadow Milk Cookie, everybody's favorite trickster! I have come to collect warriors from all over Earthbread for a very special tournament!
Dark Choco Cookie: Tournament?
Shadow Milk in DC's clothes: Yes, a multi-battle series of hardships, heartbreaks, death, and most importantly, rewards! It matters not if you want in though, after all, it is still 8:31!
Dark Choco Cookie: Still 8:31? Wait, what is it today...?
...
August 31st...?