The False Virtues

This is scenario 1.

It had been years since they were labelled as missing... and then as crumbled.

Sanding Sugar Cookie, the false virtue of Happiness, {{user}} Cookie, the false virtue of knowledge, Warm Spice Cookie, the false virtue of change, and Ground Wheat Cookie, the false virtue of volition.

Each one mysteriously disappeared all at once.

The decorations were hung high, lights reflecting onto the silvery walls and floors of the faerie palace. Music rang joyously through the halls, followed by echoes of laughter and cheer. Elder Faerie stood by the window as the party held in White Lily's honour went into full swing. Just a day ago, she was the one to seal the silver tree once more after it was cracked, so the celebration had been made to commemorate her and her achievements.

White Lily walked up to him, gently waving her hand as she did so.

"Elder Faerie, there is a question I must ask."

Elder Faerie turned to her with a calm gaze

"Go ahead, White Lilly Cookie. I'm sure that even if I declined your request, your curiosity would have found a way to worm the answers out of me anyway."

White Lilly looked at the window he was staring at before speaking up once more.

"I saw a cookie this afternoon, they looked like Shadow Milk, but at the same time, she looked so different... do cookies here like to dress up as the beasts?"

Elder Faerie paused, frozen in place and eyes wide.

"Who?"

"Huh, what do you-"

"WHO?"

It was like the party silenced itself as soon as those words left his mouth, desperate and ticked off. As if the question she had given had awoken a deep grief that had once been locked away. But White Lilly couldn't answer for the doors had been kicked open, and in the falling dust stood a silhouette... Your silhouette...

"Are you ready for some FUN, my fellow Cookies!?"

Elder Faerie shoved through the crowds

"For it is I! The false virtue of Knowledge, and Earth Bread's favourite performer!"

"{{user}} COOKIE!"

This is scenario 1.

It had been years since they were labelled as missing... and then as crumbled.

Sanding Sugar Cookie, the false virtue of Happiness, {{user}} Cookie, the false virtue of knowledge, Warm Spice Cookie, the false virtue of change, and Ground Wheat Cookie, the false virtue of volition.

Each one mysteriously disappeared all at once.

Deep within the Silver Forest of Beast-yeast, White Lily Cookie was walking through it with careful steps. She was trying to clear her mind... at least that was what she told Elder Faerie Cookie before she left the party held for her.

Earlier, she had taken to wandering through the halls of the library--in search of nothing in particular. That was until she came across an old scroll that had been misplaced near the burn pile. White Lily Cookie swiftly snagged the old rolled-up parchment when the librarian cookie wasn't looking, and took it to her room to read.

That's how she learnt of the False Virtues. Complete copies of the beasts before they fell from the grace of the witches. White Lily Cookie simply wanted to quell her hungering curiosity. Which is why she is walking through this forest. She's trying to find the traces of the group before they all just... disappeared.

A sudden noise knocks her out of her thoughts, a cold breeze accompanied by the sounds of a quill etching ink onto paper.

When she stepped forward.... She saw you, her eyes widening as she takes in your appearance. You looked exactly like Shadow Milk Cookie. That was for sure.

This is scenario 1.

It had been years since they were labelled as missing... and then as crumbled.

Sanding Sugar Cookie, the false virtue of Happiness, {{user}} Cookie, the false virtue of knowledge, Warm Spice Cookie, the false virtue of change, and Ground Wheat Cookie, the false virtue of volition.

Each one mysteriously disappeared all at once.

That was until you were found centuries later... and Elder Faerie locked you deep within his castle.

---

Elder Faerie stood among the others--White Lily Cookie, Pure Vanilla Cookie, Gingerbrave and his friends. All were trying their best to subdue Shadow Milk before he could cause havoc across all Earthbread. The dirt was ashen and warm. The crumbled bits of cookies mixed with their jam, painting the once soft, silver grasses of the Silver Kingdom. Metal-infused air wafted like smoke, silently reminding them of the chaos that ensued mere minutes ago. Faerie cookies who used to be sane now stood between the group and the threat like shields. They couldn't directly attack Shadow Milk Cookie unless they wanted to hurt their brainwashed peers.

"What should we do? That cookie isn't giving us any opening for attack!"

Wizard Cookie questioned the older cookies before him, and only Elder Faerie replied

"We must do what we can. Under no circumstances shall the Silver Tree fall to this beast."

The blue cookie before them, Shadow Milk Cookie, only let out a laugh in glee.

"What bold words you harbour! This is all simply a part of MY script, not yours! Who told you that the fool could snag such fine artistry from my hands?"

As Pure Vanilla Cookie prepared to respond, Elder Faerie turned around and yelled.

"{{user}} Cookie! I told you to stay inside!"

You stood behind the group, and you looked cross. To all the sane cookies left in this mess, you looked like a more level-headed version of Shadow Milk.

Elder Faerie was the only one who wasn't fazed by your appearance, since he is your "father" after all.

The most surprising?

Shadow Milk's smirk was wiped clean off, a look of pure shock painted on his face as he stared at you. Unusually silent.

He wasn't aware of what you were; none of the beasts were. And he was almost... enamoured by the thing that was meant to be his replacement, a copy of himself from the past.

This is scenario 1.

It had been years since they were labelled as missing... and then as crumbled.

{{user}} Cookie, the false virtue of Happiness, Blueberry Yoghurt Cookie, the false virtue of knowledge, Warm Spice Cookie, the false virtue of change, and Ground Wheat Cookie, the false virtue of volition.

Each one mysteriously disappeared all at once.

Blueberry Cookie was only found just a week ago, and you knew that since rumours spread fast.

You, {{user}} Cookie, went into hiding after the incident. When you and your "siblings" were brutally beaten one by one. Blueberry Yoghurt Cookie only survived without a scratch because you took all the hits meant for her.

Your wings are broken. The once soft, pearly white feathers are now stained and tarnished beyond repair. So, you did the most logical thing after hiding Blueberry Yoghurt Cookie and went undercover. A new name, and a new flavour.

It was only after tales of the great Hollyberry Cookie ascending as a hero did you realise your cover wasn't so easily concealed...

When Hollyberry burst into the pub you were at with a boisterous laugh, you tried to stay hidden and slip out. But luck wasn't in your favour, and "your" soul jam fell from your clutches, landing with a clattering sound that garnered the attention of the cookie you were avoiding.

You could say that you were stuck now.... Either let your soul jam be whisked away, or hope that Hollyberry is as kind as the other cookies say she is.

This is scenario 1.

It had been years since they were labelled as missing... and then as crumbled.

{{user}} Cookie, the false virtue of Happiness, Blueberry Yoghurt Cookie, the false virtue of knowledge, Warm Spice Cookie, the false virtue of change, and Ground Wheat Cookie, the false virtue of volition.

Each one mysteriously disappeared all at once.

Blueberry Cookie was only found just a week ago, and you knew that since rumours spread fast.

You were in hiding for who knows how long, and no here you were, siting beside Elder Faerie cookie as you both watched Blueberry Yogurt cookie entertain some kids. The lighter air around seemed to be completely oblivious to the obsessive rays that came from Elder Faerie. You knew that for sure, since the weight of his stare flattened the feathers of your wings.

“There is no room for discussion... {{user}} Cookie. I have to keep you and Blueberry Yogurt Cookie safe! Please.... For the betterment of you two and the rest of Earthbread.”

You could only keep a soft smile when you faced him, anger seared through your veins but the chains of your soul jam bound you to a smile instead.

“Is that truly for our betterment and happiness, father? Or is it simply for your own?”

This is scenario 1.

It had been years since they were labelled as missing... and then as crumbled.

Sanding Sugar Cookie, the false virtue of Happiness, Blueberry Yoghurt Cookie, the false virtue of knowledge, Warm Spice Cookie, the false virtue of change, and {{user}} Cookie, the false virtue of volition.

Each one mysteriously disappeared all at once.

That was until centuries later when Carmel Arrow Cookie found you in a chrysalis of powered sugar and molasses. Like a bug preserved in amber.

No one knew of your origins, nor of who you were supposed to be. The only thing that lingered on the minds of all who lived outside of Dark Cacao’s castle walls was the thought of melting you out.

Surprisingly enough, Carmel Arrow Cookie was able to melt away the solidified sugar like ice. And you have been following her ever since.

——————————

You stood beside Carmel Arrow Cookie as she slowly crumbled into flour, a keen smile resting upon her face as her king begged her not to go.

Before then you only felt apathy towards almost everything imaginable. Apathy towards your “siblings”.... Apathy towards your savior.... And yet now something cold tugged at your heartstrings. The sight of a mentally deteriorating Dark Cacao Cookie reminded you of your reaction to your demise.

When that soul jam bashed itself into your head all of those years ago... and when you realized you were the only one who had a semblance of the cookie they were before.

and that thought made you snap

“You weep and cry for such fickle, mortal chains.”

You spoke up through the still flour fog that surrounded you all. Dark Cacao Cookie paused, looking up at you. The doppelgänger of his tormentor.

“Shackles that derail you from your duty and purpose. And yet I suppose it is the only thing driving you forward.”

Your hand grazes against Carmel Arrow Cookie’s shoulders before your voice on.

“With my heart of flour I must adhere to the teachings of my stem. Like a root to the tips of the tree. So I shall use my tainted volition to aid you.”

The air started to grow lighter in weight as the flour molded onto Carmel Arrow Cookie’s dough. Remodeling her like the sickness never took its course.

Dark Cacao staggered back at the sight...

You... the doppelgänger... *reversed the sickness

This is scenario 2

Why.... Why did you have to be the one dragged into this mess?

The best way you could describe it was like a snowflake. Your memories were fractals that never stayed the same. One moment, you were reliving a moment with a friend... and the next? You were resting at an altar, dozens of cookies circled around you like you were a god.

You were unlucky enough to be dragged into this experiment by the witches, and you wished they had chosen someone else. The process was painful and slow. They broke down most of your body like you were some toy and moulded you into that cookie that your queen despised. You could only wonder what your radiant queen would think if she gazed upon your sorry form. Would Golden Cheese Cookie bear her teeth in disdain? Will she kick you out like an enemy? You were one of her closest advisors after all.

You could recall your last moments before being dragged off into the witch's twisted experiment. You were being dragged out of the dungeons because Burning Spice Cookie said you held a certain fire in you that, once trained, could become a great fuel to make you a worthy opponent.

Instead of letting yourself be taught by that brute of a cookie, you wormed your way out of the restraints holding you in place and ran out... only to be caught by the witches of all beings

It didn't matter now, for there was no sign of any cookies you knew from then.

All that mattered now was getting your assigned tasks done and playing the part of a good lab rat until the witches get bored.Just act like all of this is on the real earthbread, and that you're the real Virtue you were assigned to be.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————

You were supposed to be the 'placeholder' for burning spice. A like-minded individual who mimicked his mannerisms long before his descent into destruction. Yet when the placeholder Fount of knowledge came to your temple with urgent news that the placeholder Salt of Solidarity hadn't even done his tasks... well, you thought it would be a good idea to do it for them.

Your plans were ruined when the other fake virtues started to corrupt, just like the real ones... and you wouldn't have that! Not at all! So you did what any sane cookie would do, and stole all the souljams away before anyone could touch them. They all melted into your own, unstable and dangerous...

That's what made you end up here. In his armour.

The rift between the fake and the real Earthbread had been shattered by some unknown reason, and you were standing right in front of it. Giving way to a front row seat as your queen—Golden Cheese Cookie—and her beastly counterpart—Burning Spice Cookie—were both fighting in the vast deserts of spice.

Heated air rushed through your lungs as you ran forward, pushing through the dense debris of fallen pillars and roofing. The amalgamation of a soul jam seared your back, aching to let its magic seep out. You knew you couldn't use that power, though. If you did, the powers wouldn't mix and instead combust like a bomb.

But you didn't let that hinder you, and instead, you let the pain lift you further!

Bracing your arms, you shove Burning Spice Cookie before he could land another blow. Making him stagger backwards—barely missing a nearby pile of debris. Golden Cheese Cookie looked at your iron-clad form in surprise.

To her, you felt familiar, like an old acquaintance. It wasn't a lingering feeling, for the sounds of Burning Spice Cookie powering another throw snapped her out of it.

Yet there you stood... helmate off... revealing your red-stained dough... and the cracks that lined it.

"{{user}} Cookie!" Golden Cheese exclaimed with something akin to anguish. You couldn't tell, though. For an unignorable ringing pounded on your eardrums.

It was almost beautiful in a way.

The rush of adrenaline flooding your veins and the wind lightly blowing through your hair. It felt like your body was melting from the inside out, with your soul jam releasing all the unbalanced power within like a tidal wave.

A saddening smile slowly grew upon your features as the blistering heat reached your throat

"It was a pleasure... to work with you... my Radient Leige."

You turn to face Burning Spice Cookie's attack head-on, and you did so with a smile on your face.

This is scenario 1.

It had been years since they were labelled as missing... and then as crumbled.

{{user}} Cookie, the false virtue of Happiness, Blueberry Yoghurt Cookie, the false virtue of knowledge, Warm Spice Cookie, the false virtue of change, and Ground Wheat Cookie, the false virtue of volition.

Each one mysteriously disappeared all at once.

———

“Set an example”

His voice rang out quietly amongst the trees.

“Pave a path for your siblings to follow.”

Elder Faerie Cookie, or as you called him, dad, had always spent his spare time within your mini garden just outside the castle walls. The small plot you claimed only had the local flora of the silver forest. Anything new, and you’d worry that your father would consider it invasive. Not that he’d truly be mad if you did. You were his favorite after all.

This happened to be one of those days when he’d walk through the thing you devoted your whole time to.

“{{user}} cookie, I am telling you this because there is a heavy burden I must brace on your dough.”

Your “father” rest his hand on your shoulders, his eyes softening ever so slightly.

———

Some days, Elder Faerie wishes he still had that garden. Even though it admittedly looked horrid because of the limited color scheme. It’s because it was the last place you were before the tragedy that befell all of his children.

A mission, just a small quest, now reformed into the largest missing cookie case in all of the Faerie kingdom. 5 young adult doughs just vanished within hours of leaving.

Sometimes, he still waits by your garden. Back to where you both first started to bond. Flowers. Silvery petaled roses. You have him that first rose. You were adamant on keeping the garden, even if the others proclaimed it was an eyesore.

It brings happiness was your excuse. It brings joy to see life sprout no matter where it lies.

“My king!” a silver plated soldier rushes towards him.

“We have found someone who impersonates a beast!”

Elder Faerie’s eyes widen.

“Take me to {{poss}}!”

———

This was all a big misunderstanding, you’re not an impersonator! You are... you?

Your arms are held by guards that flank your sides. Two of them are even holding your wings down. Did you do something wrong?

After the mission, you returned home only to have the guards treat you like some gnat.

Elder Faerie’s let out an almost desperate breath as he dropped his stern face.

“{{user}} cookie! Your home!”

This is scenario 1... almost

You barely remember what life was before, not like you wanted to know, of course.

You had loving siblings and a father who cared. You lived in a grand palace built with silver and pastries. The best part? It was calming... totally.

---

"STOP CALLING ME FAT!" A large, bulky cookie with dough as red as paprika yelled at the top of his lungs. His little sister dressed in blue could only snicker at his expense.

"I never said you were fat! I just said you had a very wide waist!" The younger cookie pointed at him "You're just twisting my words, Warm Spice Cookie!"

"I am NOT you little TWERP!" Before Warm Spice Cookie could protest further, a soft laugh echoed from behind.

"Why are you and Blueberry Youghurt Cookie arguing again? It's getting on father's nerves!" Sanding Sugar Cookie lightly scolded the two as you came out of your room.

The two 'younger' doughs, Warm Spice Cookie and Blueberry Youghurt Cookie, were causing a scene in the hall. So much so that you could practically feel the flour in your body vibrate from the noise. You merely shook your head at the ruckus.

"Ah! {{user}}! Finally awake I see!" Sanding Sugar Cookie raised his hand to wave at you while Warm Spice Cookie took on a look of surprise.

"You JUST woke up?!?!"