Evasion
I had a thought about Swap AUs and @fishymom-art's Fix a Beast AU. Such, for example, how certain qualities have to be kept to keep characters themselves and how they might parallel more than one character. Also, how certain things remaining the same can take on new qualities.
Dark Lily rose up from the shadows, feeling them drip off her as she looked around.
Once, this area had been a beautiful, lush landscape, made of meadows perfect for grazing cream sheep and farmland full of green life. Unfortunately, when its ruler had corrupted, the life had died as well, leaving the area to crumble into an arid wasteland. She craned her head back, studying the dust-stained sky.
There. A bit of shadow, darkness, too big to be a flock of birds.
This was the location. The largest number of deaths regarding the Challenge had occurred in this area. She looked around. It was hard to see, but if she squinted, she could see faint red stains.
Jam had been spilled here.
She was definitely in the right place.
Without a word, she began to walk. With no other clue to guide her, she headed in the direction of the castle in the sky.
Honestly, she was surprised Truthless Recluse had even been willing to come near this place. From what she heard, he was so stricken with grief and guilt that he had refused to ever come near his former home again. Molten Cheese and Bitter Cacao had built him the manor that rested at the Peak of Truth, leading him to reside there until she had sealed them up, and then returned when the Silver Tree had been broken.
The remains of the Vanilla Kingdom, of the Beacon of Knowledge's home, had been left to rot.
However, if the witches had attacked him, Truthless Recluse would probably have seen no other option but to return. The Peak of Truth had the Blueberry Academy at its foot, and he was still a bleeding heart towards cookies. It was the only kind of heart that would keep the truth of their sealing a secret.
She had to admit, looking around, it was a good strategy. The only cookies here would be the ones responding to the Challenge, and any Creme Republic soldiers trying to get the Cookie that the entire Republic claimed to be descended from. Dark Lily took another look around. And, better yet, there was no clear passage to the castle. The only life was the raisin crows and the village off in the distance-
Wait. What?
Dark Lily squinted, regretting not grabbing the sunglasses that Molten Cheese had offered her before she left. But, there it was- a small village of what seemed like ramshackle huts, with dark-haired cookies walking about. A burst of unease and, then, guilt, rushed through her.
That would explain who killed those Cookies. That would also say that those Cookies had probably deserved it. She wasn't surprised, honestly, but she had also created the situation where they had been placed in danger.
She didn't notice the shadows shift until a foot slammed into her back.
"ACK-!" Dark Lily barely managed to somersault onto her feet right before the dark-haired cookie launched at her again, a dagger gleaming in the sunlight. Around them, raisin crows cawed and jeered, seeming to encourage her attacker as she came again and again, physical blows landing even if Dark Lily dodged the knife. "I come in peace-! I'm not here to hurt you! I'm not part of the Challenge."
The dark-haired cookie paused briefly, revealing her appearance. She looked like a survivor, with long, dark hair framing a thin frame. Her face was set in a scowl that seemed to get worse as she stared at Dark Lily.
"I'm not part of the Challenge," she repeated. "I'm just looking for someone." She tried for a smile, pressing a hand to her chest. Most people relaxed when met with a smile, and it was a fact that the Dawn of Freedom had learned well. "I am Dark Lily-"
"I know who you are," the Cookie said, her voice gruff with disuse. "He warned me about you. Why do you think I'm trying to kill you?"
…
"Well, that's the first time I've ever been told that so bluntly-"
The Cookie launched at her again. Dark Lily barely managed to dodge before the dagger slammed into her.
When she stumbled back, a few strands of silver hair drifted down.
Her grip tightened on her staff. Okay. Fine. If she wasn't going to listen to her and stop attacking, then Dark Lily felt no guilt for what she had to do.
She slammed her staff into the ground, the spell coming without a second thought. It almost felt stronger than it did before her soul jam had been taken by the witches. She pulled her mind away from questions and focused on the silent order to grow.
Dark vines, lined with thorns, no longer flush with green life, slammed out of the ground. The Cookie yelped before she became more distracted by evading the vines that tried to wrap around her, restrict her, deny her her freedom-
"BLACK RAISIN-!"
Dark Lily grunted as she was tackled, the vines collapsing with her focus lost. Instinctively, she tried to kick off the person, but they held firm, pinning her down. "HEALER!" The Cookie, Black Raisin, began to rush over. "Hang on, I'll-"
"No!"
Wait, that voice sounded familiar.
"But she-!"
"I know who she is."
She knew that power, that presence. It was dulled, yes, but she knew it by heart.
She craned her head back, and there he was.
Truthless Recluse had seen better days. His robes were tattered and were covered with repairs, almost more brown fabric than navy by this point. He had lost his hat somewhere, leaving his hair to now flow down to about his waist. What was concerning was the blindfold over his eyes. She looked around and finally saw a staff, dropped a few feet away. Like his eyes, it was wrapped up in scrap cloth.
Why were his eyes covered? Why was his seeing staff covered?
She had a feeling she knew why.
"-She could be here to collect on it!"
"I'm not!" Dark Lily tried to push up, but Truthless Recluse remained sitting on top of her. Her wings spasmed, and he adjusted slightly to let them free a bit more. "Trust me, I'm not! I'm the one who set it up! Believe me!"
"That's a very bold thing for you to say," Truthless Recluse said.
Ow.
"Look, will you let me explain?"
He looked down at her. Dark Lily tried to keep her face open, honest, even if she was rapidly becoming suspicious of his ability to see that honesty. After a moment, he stood, walking over to Dark Raisin. She sat up and noted, concerned, that she grabbed his hand when he was close enough, guiding him over.
The two whispered for a few minutes, occasionally glancing back at her. Dark Lily stood, and Black Raisin tensed, but didn't try to stab her. After a moment or two, Truthless patted her on the shoulder. She sighed and nodded, turning back towards the village. She turned back and gave her one last death glare, before finally turning and walking off, a few crows following.
Truthless turned back to her and walked over. Like Black Raisin did, Dark Lily set a hand on his shoulder when he was close, turning him towards her.
"The witches broke your staff, didn't they?" He had broken his staff after his corruption, but he could still see through it. Based on what seemed like an attempt to keep the staff's head together, she was less confident.
"…yes," he admitted, after a moment. "I attempted to distract them so Elderberry could get away. They didn't like that."
Dark Lily sighed. "They ripped off Molten Cheese's wings, because they could." He gasped, and she was quick to follow up. "She's fine now, it's just an adjustment."
"She would be dealing with a whole new center of gravity," Truthless Recluse said, his voice going formal, as if slipping into healer mode. "Not to mention the jam loss… we can't die from it, but she would still feel side effects from it."
"She's also dealing with phantom pain," Dark Lily said, more making conversation then trying to help. "Thankfully, there are methods and she's doing much better."
Truthless seemed to relax some, a faint smile forming. He looked so much more like Pure Vanilla like this that it honestly hurt. "That's good to hear. Few rumors get out here, so I wasn't exactly sure of everything."
Dark Lily nodded. "But you know of the Challenge?"
"…hard not to. So many Cookies managed to track me down for it," Truthless sighed as they reached where his staff laid, passing a few more sun-dried jam stains. He reached down and picked it up. "I know of the Creme Republic. I know where they come from."
He didn't say anything more, not even of the danger of the republic's interest in him.
"How did you even end up here?"
Truthless shrugged. "I don't remember. I just remember thinking I couldn't go home, not if the witches wanted to come back." He smoothed his hand down his staff's handle, seeming to just want to see if it was there. "Black Raisin found me. She and her village had lost their original home due to a flood, and they needed a healer. I needed help finding my way here so I could repair my staff, or at least find one of my old back-ups."
Ah. Even if he lost his power, the Beacon had memorized alternatives to healing. It was the first bit of knowledge he had ever learned. "So, you struck a deal?"
"I struck a deal," he said. "And I'm almost close."
"There are other places, though."
"Yes," Truthless Recluse said. "There are. But, I heard stories…"
"Stories…?"
"The Wafflebots."
"…the Wafflebots?"
One of the stories that Cayenne Spice had mentioned was that the former Vanilla Kingdom was haunted. Wafflebots attacking for seemingly no reason had been an explanation proposed by the Sage.
"It's been millennia, my Lily," Truthless Recluse said, craning his head back. Even without his staff or his uncovered eyes, his head looked directly towards his former kingdom. "Logically, the Wafflebots shouldn't be working. They should be nothing more than scrap or relics."
It took a second to process what he meant.
"Someone's been taking care of them."
"Yes," He looked at her, and even with the blindfold, his gaze was searing. "If one of my students is there, if they've been alive, alone, for all this time…" His grip tightened on his staff. "I would never be able to forgive myself for knowing and leaving them." He raised a hand up and gripped his chest. "I can't forgive myself for leaving them. Until I can confirm this and repair my staff, until the Raisin Village is safe, I cannot head to the Faerie Kingdom to turn myself in."
Dark Lily nodded. It made sense. Even corrupted, Pure Vanilla could not handle harm coming to cookies. Whoever this cookie was, they were most likely to get the brunt of this.
"I will update the others."
"Tell the Sage to calm down."
"I will."
"And…" He shrank back a little bit. "TellhimImisshim."
She paused again, processing the words.
"He's going to be absolutely insufferable for days."
"Eh, I'm planning on throwing him in the dungeons when all of this is over. That'll distract him for…" Truthless Recluse hummed, considering. "Three weeks, at most? Especially if I get the good puzzle locks activated."
"I'll give it three days."
Silence settled between them. Without words, a bet was struck, like the old days.
She missed him. She missed their friendship.
"…I'm not going to apologize."
"I know."
"It was for the good of everyone, including us."
"I know."
"…I got married."
"You did?" His smile outshone the sun and, for a moment, she was back in the gardens, Pure Vanilla welcoming White Lily to tea, eager to learn all she had seen and done, who she had helped and set free. "Congratulations!"
"You'll like Shield Salt," she said. "He reminds me of you sometimes."
"…I hope not," His smile faded, and she faded back into reality. The Beacon of Knowledge and the Dawn of Freedom had died a long time ago, and all that was left were the Beasts of Deceit and Isolation. He looked back up to his kingdom, away from her. "I really hope not."
Dark Lily didn't say a word, feeling the shadows consume her.
