Mirrors.

Ponds.

The brass of a plate.

His reflection in the window.

He'd always been with Pure Vanilla Cookie. Watching. Waiting.

'Someday, you'll come to Beast-Yeast and we'll finally meet!'

'Someday...the soul jam will be mine again.'

Soft chuckling awoke Pure Vanilla. Sitting up, he rubbed his eyes and looked around.

"...hello?" He called cautiously. No answer. He slowly examined the room, trying to see any abnormalities, only to be met with a defying silence. The only other cookie he saw was his reflection in the vanity that sat in the darkest corner.

"...I am just imagining things." He decided aloud. "I'm just stressed about the trip to Beast-Yeast tomorrow."

He slowly got out of bed and walked to the window. Opening it, he let the wind blow his hair around his tender cheeks. The beautiful Crème Republic was bathed in the still darkness of the night, the moon blanketing the sleeping city in its warm glow.

He, Gingerbrave, Wizard Cookie, and Strawberry Cookie had came to the Crème Republic to borrow an airship to fly to Beast-Yeast. The cookies there almost all seemed ecstatic about this, and even prepared special rooms for their guests to rest so they could have all the energy they needed for their long travel.

Pure Vanilla had been planning and stressing about the trip for weeks at that point. He started to think maybe he had too many all-nighters, for they were catching up to him in the form of nightmares when he tried to sleep.

Fresh air was all he needed. He reminded himself, "There is no one watching me, there is no one in here with me. I am safe."

Cracking an ever so small smile, he shut the window once again. He took one last look around his room before retiring to his bed, swiftly falling asleep again.

If only it were that simple.

A cookie still played inside Pure Vanilla's mind and watched him from dark reflections from the vanity. He couldn't wait any longer.

'Come, my pet! I can't wait any longer, just come see what I've done with this place!'

His soft chuckling turned into intoxicating laughter, a sort of sick and twisted lullaby in Pure Vanilla's old mind, luring him into a cold slumber.

***

Pure Vanilla was awakened by incessant knocking on the chocolate wood door.

"Pure Vanilla Cookie!" He heard Gingerbrave calling. "Hurry, hurry!"

"Gingerbrave!" Wizard Cookie snapped. "Don't be so rude! Pure Vanilla Cookie will wake up when he's ready!"

"The ship is ready, Pure Vanilla Cookie!" Strawberry Cookie called softly. "We're all ready to go."

Pure Vanilla smiled softly and sat up, stretching his dough in the bright morning light.

"I'll be there in a moment, my friends!" He brightly called, hopping out of his bed to dress himself.

Cape, check! Hat, check! Staff, check! Soul jam...

As he picked up his precious soul jam, he suddenly felt a shiver run down his spine, as if there were cold hands grabbed his arms. Gasping, he accidentally dropped the soul jam, it crashing into a potted plant and shattering it.

"Oh dear," he mumbled, "I'm sorry, you..."

He picked up the soul jam and positioned it onto his chest, where it rest in a familiar manner. Glancing at the mess he'd made, he shook his head in embarrassment and began to clean it up.

"Lord Pure Vanilla?" He heard Clotted Cream Cookie call, knocking on his door. "Are you alright, I heard a crash?"

"Y-yes, I'm alright."

"May I come in?"

"Yes."

Clotted Cream walked in and raised his eyebrows at Pure Vanilla on the ground.

"What are you doing? Is that-Sugar glass! Be careful," Clotted Cream pulled Pure Vanilla up and checked his hands, "are you sure you're alright? Sugar glass is-"

"-very sharp, yes," Pure Vanilla gave a sheepish grin, "it was my fault, I can clean it up."

"No no," Clotted Cream pushed Pure Vanilla to the door, "you have much bigger issues to attend to. Stopping Dark Enchantress Cookie is the most important thing right now! I'll clean this up."

"But-"

"Go! Your friends are waiting for you." Clotted Cream urged, giving his best encouraging smile.

"...thank you again." Pure Vanilla said before leaving.

Arriving at the airship pad, he saw the younger cookies eagerly waiting for him.

"There you are, Pure Vanilla!" Gingerbrave said eagerly.

"Are you ok?" Strawberry Cookie asked.

"Yes, just a bad night." Pure Vanilla admitted. "Let's not let that halt our journey."

"He's right," Wizard Cookie said, "the faster we get to Beast-Yeast, the better!"

"Just to double-check," Gingerbrave said, "does everyone have everything they need?"

"Uhm, let's see..." Wizard Cookie began to rummage his bags, causing Strawberry Cookie to follow in his steps.

"Yep!" Strawberry Cookie said.

"Let's go then!"

***

The ride to Beast-Yeast was long and slow. Gingerbrave began to get restless, and Wizard Cookie had already gone through all his books.

Pure Vanilla stared out the window, his eyes darkening. The closer they got to Beast-Yeast, the more he felt as if someone was watching them...

...watching him.

'It's nothing,' he tried reassuring himself, 'I am just stressed.'

He clenched his fists, squinting his eyes into the darkness just outside the windows. His reflection squinted back, its blurry outline blending with the shadows outside.

It should have been his reflection. But it wasn't. It wasn't him at all.

A chilling sensation went down Pure Vanilla's spine again. His eyes widened when he watched "his" reflection give him a grin, then swiftly disappeared.

"Pure Vanilla Cookie?"

"Pure Vanilla Cookie!"

Pure Vanilla snapped back to reality and looked over. Gingerbrave looked at him, worried.

"Are you ok?" He asked.

"You're white as snow!" Wizard Cookie exclaimed.

"Yes, I was just..." Pure Vanilla cast his eyes around, "...lost in thought."

"Look, we've just crossed the boarder to Beast-Yeast!" Wizard Cookie said, pointing out the window. Pure Vanilla gave a small smile, noting how the forest seemed to be glowing just beneath the trees.

Suddenly, the airship jolted.

"What happened?!" Gingerbrave cried.

"I think we've been hit!" Wizard Cookie yelped.

"Strawberry Cookie! Man the wheel!"

"I-I'm trying...!" She whimpered, holding tightly to the steering wheel.

"Everybody, hold on!" Pure Vanilla yelled, holding onto the wall beside him.

The airship quickly fell down into the forest below, the ship getting scraped by the humongous trees speeding past them.

Finally, the ship crashed into the ground. The four cookies stumbled out.

"My head..." Wizard Cookie moaned, readjusting his hat.

"Oh no, the airship!" Strawberry Cookie cried, "it's all broken!"

"The..." Pure Vanilla looked around in dismay, "the trees and the plants...t-they're all burnt...!"

The three younger cookies looked wide-eyed at the devastated forest, all wondering what could have done so much destruction.

"Pure Vanilla?" Strawberry Cookie whispered. "Do you think that..."

"...Dark Enchantress did this?" Pure Vanilla guessed, teeth clenched. Whoever did it, they had to be careful.

"We have to be careful!" Wizard Cookie said as if he read Pure Vanilla's mind.

"Let us go, my friends," Pure Vanilla said, "maybe we can find someone who can help us."

***

Shadow Milk Cookie watched his beautiful destruction. The Faerie kingdom was now under his thumb, and he was more than pleased.

"All I need it that fool Elder Faerie Cookie to reveal himself!" He laughed. White Lily Cookie was still in a deep slumber as far as he could tell. Unfortunately, her body was stolen by those Faerie cookies who survived his chaos.

But as long as she stayed gone, he'd stay forever.

"Hmm~?" He hummed as he looked into a mirror.

Pure Vanilla Cookie! He'd made it, just in time to see the grand finale!

"Ahaha!" Shadow Milk bellowed. "Come, pet! Don't keep me waiting!"

His laughing echoed in the chaotic streets of what was the Faerie kingdom, all the way to the remaining Faerie cookie's ears.

Elder Faerie couldn't help but glare at the sound of Shadow Milk's loud laughter. Without White Lily, they were unable to stop Shadow Milk from escaping. Fortunately, with his power, Elder Faerie could fight off Shadow Milk long enough for them to find a way to awaken White Lily.

"My king," Mercurial Knight Cookie said, "you should come and see this."

Elder Faerie followed the Silver Knight to a clearing that overlooked the forest. It was clear immediately what Mercurial Knight meant, though, as a light that was not from Shadow Milk glimmered into the sky.

"What do you think it is, my king?" Mercurial Knight asked.

"It's a power that is...familiar..." Elder Faerie remarked, gazing at the light. Its radiance was startling, especially with Shadow Milk returned.

Finally, he turned to Silverbell Cookie and said, "Silverbell Cookie, are you willing to investigate?"

"Yes, my king!" Silverbell said, raising his wings in flight.

"Report back to me as soon as you find anything at all." He called. Silverbell nodded and flew away.

Elder Faerie gazed into the light again, trying his best to figure out why is was so familiar. The bunch of light seemed to be begging to be found.

The realization hit him.

"White Lily..." he murmured.