Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The battle was much longer and far more arduous than it felt, but it was over. Golden Cheese could see the beast make a final effort to reach out and grab her, even as the temple crumbled on top of him, but there was no stopping the large stone fragment that dropped on top of him, the rest of the building with it. The last she saw of him was the look in his eyes, the way they widened with true terror, and then weren't visible at all.

The force of the crash shook the ground, kicking up dust and debris on impact. Golden Cheese’s ears were ringing, and amidst the smoke and rubble flying through the air, she barely even realized when she had lost consciousness.

Opening her eyes was the easy part. Getting up was not. Golden Cheese took the moment she was in place to glance around. The ground was cold and hard, and her body ached as she tried again to stand. She was trapped in some kind of dungeon, and for a moment wondered if she was back where she started- if defeating the beast of destruction was just a hopeful dream.

A yelp from across the space reassured her otherwise.

The room was separated in two by a row of metal bars, and on the other side of this barrier, Burning Spice was face down on the floor, motionless. He was bruised and his wounds looked painful, but he wasn't paralyzed.

Cautiously, she watched him roll onto his back with a pained groan, rubbing his forehead and grumbling.

“… You were crushed in the wreckage.” Golden Cheese was in disbelief. “I saw you.”

The beast looked up and over to her at the sound of her voice, clumsily pushing himself to his feet and stumbling over to the bars- he seemed to have a limp of some kind. “Birdie! You're alive!”

Instinctually, Golden Cheese stepped back, even despite the bars that separated them. He was uncharacteristically excited to see her, that alone putting her on edge.

“I was starting to think you'd never wake up! I can't break these bars or anything, and the door is on your side of the cell, and nobody is outside because I tried yelling and I tried smashing the walls but the stone is too thick so we have to be underground and it could've been days before anyone came to rescue us-”

She cut him off. “How long was I out?”

Burning Spice blinked at her. “Uh… Dunno. I've been the only one awake for a long while though.”

A part of Golden Cheese wondered if he was lonely. She rationalized that it was only because she was his ticket out of here, but it seemed almost like he had been dying to have someone to talk to. Speaking of their predicament though…

“You woke up here too?” Her tone was still cautious.

“Yeah, after the temple collapsed.” Burning Spice was unphased by the casual tone of the conversation. “I think there's some kind of riddle on the wall over here, but I haven't bothered to look at it since you have the buttons.”

True to his word, there was writing on the far wall across the bars, far enough that Golden Cheese couldn't make it out from her side of the cell- and on the wall next to the door, a series of colored buttons. Purple, red, blue, pink, and white.

“It's a puzzle.” She observed.

“Yeah, half a puzzle.” Burning Spice groaned, already sounding impatient. He hobbled around his side of the cell in an approximation of pacing, leg turned outwards strangely.

She grimaced. “You should stop walking on that. It has to be broken.”

Again, Burning Spice looked surprised to hear her voice as he looked over to her, lips curling into a toothy grin. “Aw, Birdie’s worried about me?” He teased.

“If you put too much pressure on it, it'll never heal right. You'll need braces and crutches for the rest of your life.” Golden Cheese huffed in response, turning her head.

“It'd be different… Probably something neat I could do with those…”

“Don't consider it!”

Golden Cheese frowned at his hearty laughter. How could he be so carefree at a time like this? How long had she been unconscious for?

The last things Golden Cheese had heard from her friends before she left for Beast Yeast was Pure Vanilla’s letter informing her of the situation, and Dark Cacao's letter confiding in her about his own. In the letter, Dark Cacao recounted being trapped in an underground cell with the beast that had opposed him, and the conversations they had before their escape led him to bring her back to his kingdom with him.

If this situation was the same, she worried what Pure Vanilla may be in for.

Still, Dark Cacao was not a trusting person, and if he believed the beasts could be redeemed, someone of this… Monster’s strength could be useful in rebuilding her kingdom.

“What are you planning to do if you leave here, anyway?” Golden Cheese asked, raising a brow in suspicion. “You don't have a temple to return to.”

“The spices are no longer loyal to me, but they trust General Nutmeg Tiger Cookie. She will bring them back to my side.”

“Really?” Golden Cheese was incredulous at the notion. “You claim to have followers, but they trust your general more than you? How can you rule a land you didn't earn of your own merit?”

“What does it matter?” Burning Spice shot back, his tone changing. “They'll die eventually, anyway, and I’ll have new subjects. I can't keep ‘earning their merit’ every time a new generation comes about, how would anything get done?!”

Despite the solemn anger he tried to display, Golden Cheese almost marveled at the unmistakable hurt in his tone. Loss is not a foreign feeling to immortal beings, and for all his childishness, it's easy to forget that Burning Spice is much, much older than her, and has had much, much more time to lose things once dear to him. Golden Cheese dreaded the idea of experiencing the loss of her kingdom a second time, let alone several.

“You're an awful liar.” She decided as her response.

“You don't need to believe me.” Burning Spice dropped into a sitting position, trying not to wince in pain.

“I’ve lost my kingdom before.”

“I know. And then you made a fake one, and you destroyed that one yourself.” He answered, looking directly at her now.

“Is that what you think happened?” As much as Golden Cheese wanted to be offended, she felt that familiar desire that spurred most of her actions- and right now, she desired to know where the hell he was going with this.

“Duh!” Burning Spice tossed his hands out in front of him, gesturing like a frustrated teenager. “And here I thought we had something in common! Having half of my soul jam means we’re supposed to be similar! You're supposed to get it!”

Golden Cheese's eyes trailed to the hole in his chest. It looked painful, the edges irritated from the rubble that came with the collapse. “You thought I'd understand why you destroy everything you touch?”

Burning Spice glared at her. “If I’m meant to live forever on Earthbread, my only options are to find something worth doing in the meantime, or get someone to kill me.” In an instant, his expression turned from annoyance to exhaustion. “You were supposed to do one of those, at least.”

Golden Cheese did not like the stir in her chest. His admission gave her a strange discomfort. “You have a lot of assumptions about what's ‘supposed’ to happen.”

“I’ve been around too long. Cookies are very good at noticing patterns.”

For a moment, Golden Cheese thought back to the story she read while escaping the temple. Boredom was supposedly his motivator. That's all there was, right? He became this ‘destroyer’ on a whim.

Pure Vanilla once told her she had a difficult time with nuance.

“You're too pitiful like this.” She grumbled. “I want to get your leg fixed up, too. It bothers me that you keep walking on it when it clearly makes the injury worse.”

Burning Spice looked up from where he had been tracing patterns in the dust, raising a brow.

“Let's get out of here. I’ll at least get you medical attention, so we can have a fair fight.” Golden Cheese didn't wait for his reaction, turning around to investigate her cell. “Come on then, let's figure out what's going on. Read me the riddle, will you?”

After a few moments of shuffling behind her, Burning Spice’s voice reached her ears. “… I can't read this.”

“Wh- What do you mean you can't read it?” Golden Cheese turned around, squinting at him.

“I don't know this language!” Burning Spice tossed his arms up, beginning to hobble away from the inscription. “It was probably invented after I stopped bothering to learn the new ones!”

Something clicked in that moment. “Is that why all of the stories in your temple were told through murals?

“‘Course it was. Languages are invented and abandoned all the time, art is universal.” Burning Spice crossed his arms proudly, and to his credit, it was a fairly intelligent statement.

“You'd like the galleries, then.” Golden Cheese hummed. “In its prime, my kingdom was brimming with artists. I have a lot of the paintings displayed to this day- I’m still impressed how many survived the war.”

“The war?” Burning Spice blinked.

“The Dark Flour War. It was about a thousand years ago, now.” It was beginning to dawn on Golden Cheese just how much history and technology the beasts had missed while trapped in that tree.

“And the paintings… Are still there? Thousands of years later?” A part of Burning Spice didn't sound like he believed her.

“Of course they are! I’ll show you them once we get to my kingdom.”

“Your… Kingdom…?”

Only then did Golden Cheese realize that she hadn't actually offered to take him back with her yet- but the radiant queen was known for nothing but her tendency to double down(a habit Mozzarella had poked fun at her for countless times when betting).

“O-Of course!” She answered quickly, eager to save face. “It's not like I’ll let you stay with the spices. You're a terrible leader.”

Burning Spice didn't respond, frowning at her. Had she said something wrong?

Regardless, Golden Cheese simply turned back around. “At least try to get something out of the riddle, will you?” She hummed, listening for the sound of the beast shambling back over to the wall. “Hmm… There seem to be some inputs here, maybe-”

Interrupting her musings, Burning Spice shouted, “THIS PUZZLE IS STUPID!” The declaration followed by scraping and crunching.

“Ah?- What on Earthbread are you-” Golden Cheese turned again, only to see the one formerly held as a ‘great destroyer’… Attempting to chew through the metal bars.

Considering herself a merciful queen(merciful to his future dentist, that is), Golden Cheese marched over to the bars and pinched the bridge of his nose until he released the bar from his jaws.

“Aah-! I stopped! I stopped!” Burning Spice stumbled backwards, snarling. “You didn't have to do that.”

“And were you going to stop if I simply told you to?”

“… There are arrows under the inscription. That's all I could gather.”

Golden Cheese could work with arrows.

Turning back to the buttons, she wiped away the thick layer of dust atop them. Wherever this place was, it had been abandoned for a very long time. The buttons, at the very least, had an order to the colors. Furthest to the left was the white button, then the blue one, then the pink one, then red, and furthest to the right was the purple button.

“Is there an order to the arrows?” Golden Cheese asked, trying to gather the objective of the puzzle.

Burning Spice grumbled in thought behind her. “Down, up, down-right, down-left, right.”

“Down-right?”

“Some of them are diagonal.”

“Hm…” Golden Cheese ran through everything she knew about this place. “There are five arrows and five buttons, so each arrow clearly corresponds to one of the buttons.”

“The buttons are different colors, right?” Burning Spice asked, a lilt to his voice that indicated he had an idea.

“Mm? Yes. There's White, blue, pink, red, and purple.”

“White, blue, pink…” Suddenly, Burning Spice yelped. “I’ve got it! They're directions!”

“Directions?”

“The colors represent the beasts, and the arrows are the directions of our homes from the center of the continent!” Burning Spice was practically bouncing in place when Golden Cheese looked over her shoulder, and his excitement at solving the riddle was almost contagious.

“Alright, so the first one is down, then.” Golden Cheese offered, trying to get them on track.

“South of center is the Spire, that's Milk’s place! Press the blue one.” He instructed, and Golden Cheese began to excite as well as the button clicked into place.

“The next one is up, then?”

“That's purple, the flatland is Salty’s territory.”

Click.

“So down-right means Southeast, which would be…”

“That's Sugar’s garden! It's pink!”

Click.

“Southwest?”

“Flour's mountains, white!”

Click.

“And right is-”

“That's mine! That's red!”

Click.

As the energy in the cell reached a crescendo, the bars separating them retracted into the floor, leaving the cell as a single room.

In his excitement, Burning Spice cheered and bounded towards Golden Cheese, leaving her only time to do little more than panic for a moment as she was lifted into the air, grabbed into… A hug?

Burning Spice spun her around in his arms, only setting her down to make his own way towards the buttons with glee.

“I couldn't see it well from the other side, but it's all of us!” He commented, pleased with the accomplishment.

Golden Cheese took the moment he was distracted to gather her bearings. Burning Spice had gotten so excited he hugged her- he hadn't even considered continuing their fight where it left off. It was strange, imagining him more affectionate than violent, but as she watched him poke and prod at each button like a curious child, Golden Cheese began to wonder if the nostalgia was part of it.

Burning Spice was not always the great destroyer- nor was he always a beast. This riddle corresponded to each of the beasts, but with the age of the room they had been trapped in, it was possible the riddle was constructed before even their corruption. These beasts were once his friends, as dear to him as Golden Cheese’s are to her. A sadness crept into her chest as she briefly wondered whether he had ever overcome a challenge like this, and hugged his friends the way he had hugged her.

Burning Spice had been the beast of destruction for a very long time, and a life only seeking strength, violence, and more strength sounds like a very, very lonely one.

These realizations were cumbersome, and Golden Cheese busied herself with reading the inscription. It was a very, very old dialect of the modern common tongue, but she could decipher the majority on her own.

Skimming past the portion of the puzzle they had already solved, Golden Cheese was intent in finding the portion of the riddle that told them how to open the door.

“Did you find anything new?” Burning Spice was peering over her shoulder, and Golden Cheese instinctually lowered her wings out of his reach.

“We solved the hard part already. Opening the door seems pretty straightforward from here, it just requires two people.” She explained, looking over the inscription again. “We simply have to press the two buttons that are furthest apart at the same time.”

“But the buttons are still stuck down from the first puzzle.”

That's right, the buttons stayed down when she pressed them- presumably, they would all return to normal position if she had pressed one out of order for an easy reset.

“Well, since we already have the solution to the last puzzle, we’ll be out of here as soon as we can get the buttons back up.” Golden Cheese stood upright, gesturing for him to follow her. “Come on. The bars might come up again if we release the buttons, and we'll have to re-do the puzzle from the start if you get stuck on the other side.”

“You were serious about taking me back with you, then?” Burning Spice asked, a hopeful sort of glimmer in his eye.

“The door won't open unless we both press the buttons.” Golden Cheese repeated flatly. “But… Yes. I’ve already made up my mind, and I don't change my mind once I’ve come to a decision.”

Golden Cheese tapped at the buttons investigatively, to no avail. “Hm, maybe we need to-”

Burning Spice punched one of the buttons. They all popped out at once.

“… Do that, apparently.”

Golden Cheese took her place in front of the purple button, watching Burning Spice move to stand in front of the white one.

“We need to do this at the same time.” She reminded him, stern in her tone. “On three. One…”

Golden Cheese watched the beast intently, their fingertips hovering in front of their buttons.

“Two…”

Their palms came to rest on the smooth, painted surfaces.

“Three!”

Click. Swoosh.

The door swung open in time, sunlight flooding the room. Both of them scrambled out the door, relief flooding their nerves.

As their eyes adjusted to the light, they appeared to be somewhere in the spice deserts, Golden Cheese could see the ruined temple on a faraway mountain. The Kulfi village was a shorter distance in the other direction.

Burning Spice tumbled to the ground behind her, hissing in pain.

“I told you not to overuse that leg!” She scolded the beast, begrudgingly tossing his arm over her shoulder and standing him up.

“It felt better inside!” He argued back, but did not comment on the assistance.

“I want to find Smoked Cheese Cookie before we leave. Is there anything you want to bring with you, any goodbyes?” She asked.

“Nothing that wasn't destroyed in the collapse.” Burning Spice shrugged, surprisingly nonchalant.

“And goodbyes?”

“It's… It's better the spices believe I’m dead. Nutmeg Tiger Cookie will make a good ruler in my absence.”

Golden Cheese blinked at him, surprised to receive the admission.

“What?” He grinned. “Like you said, I’m a terrible leader.”

Golden Cheese finally found the companion she had arrived with at the Kulfi village, and Burning Spice agreed to hide a small distance away while she retrieved him. Not like he could walk on his own, anyway.

He sat on the warm sands, feeling the grains beneath his palms while he waited for her return.

Goodbyes, huh…? This would be the last time he would rest upon these sands. Perhaps the sands in the Golden Cheese Kingdom were just as warm, but they would not be the same sands. Perhaps the sun would be just as hot, but it would not be upon the same seat.

Burning Spice already felt the churning homesickness, and he hadn't even left yet. He simply tried to remind himself that it was better this way. The spices, lesser and wild, would all be better off. This kingdom- or at least what remains of it, would finally begin to prosper again. He had that much trust in-

“Burning Spice Cookie?”

The beast opened his eyes. He didn't remember shutting them. Standing in front of him was Nutmeg Tiger, a mix of terror and relief hidden beneath her ever-brave expression.

Burning Spice, once a great destroyer, no longer had it in himself to hide his fond smile. “You need to hide your eyes if you don't want me to know what you're thinking, General.”

“S-Sir?”

Nutmeg Tiger’s family had served him as the great destroyer for generations. An ancestor of hers was once a close companion of Burning Spice, and he could see the old hag in the girl even now, thousands of years later.

“I’m leaving the spice plains, General.” He told her finally. “If I'm ever going to get stronger, I can't do it here.”

“B-But, Great Destroyer, sir-!”

Burning Spice chuckled dryly. “You call me that like it still means something.” He let his eyes fall shut, feeling the warm sun on his face. “An ancestor of yours was once my second in command. That was a very, very long time ago. I don't think you'd be able to comprehend how long ago, if anything. And yet… I can still see her in you. You're so much like her.” Burning Spice couldn't remember the last time he had smiled so genuinely. “Maybe some things do stick around, after all.”

“G- … Sir. The wild spices won't accept your disappearance.” Nutmeg Tiger’s voice wavered, no matter how she tried to remain firm.

“Then don't tell them I’m disappearing. They all think I died when the temple collapsed. Let them.”

“But who will rule the spice plains? If you're not here-”

“You will.”

Burning Spice grinned, unable to hide his amusement as he met her shocked eyes.

“You're a great General. Have I ever told you that? You're organized, responsible, strong… You command respect, just like I do, but you have the credibility to back it up.” The honesty spilled from him, allowing the weakness to take him over for a moment, feeling this was something that needed to be said. “You will make a great leader.”

Nutmeg Tiger did not respond, sitting in front of him silently. Burning Spice could see the emotion swelling in her eyes, and a part of him he never truly allowed himself to express before patted the ground next to him. “Sit with me. This will be the last time I rest upon these sands.”

Wordlessly, she moved to sit next to him, leaning back against the pillar of rock behind them. She could not hold in her tears when he patted her head affectionately, and he did not comment on them.

“I had a child, once. It was before I was sealed. He probably has descendants out there somewhere. Maybe I’ll run into one.” Burning Spice mused, watching the trees of the oasis on the hill in front of them sway in the afternoon breeze. “I'll be around forever, and you're still young, so make sure to visit me at some point. I’d like to see you again before you move on. I'd like to hear how well you did as a ruler.”

Burning Spice did not comment when she rested her head on his shoulder, continuing to voice whatever thoughts came to him. “It's been a long time since I’ve visited the Kulfi village. They looked well, from where I was hiding. I wonder who the elder is now.”

To her credit, Nutmeg Tiger was a very quiet crier, and he didn't realize she had stopped until he heard her quiet snoring. The birdie hadn't returned with her lackey quite yet, and so Burning Spice allowed himself to shed a few tears of his own. Only a few, of course. For his temple, the few possessions dear to him that he lost in the rubble. For his sands, the home he spent his entire life in that he may never see again. And for Nutmeg Tiger, who he had come to see as a daughter in her own right. Perhaps every parent feels this way when they finally have to let their child grow up.

“… So he really is coming back with us.” Came Smoked Cheese’s tone of disbelief, and Burning Spice quickly dried his tears. “Is the… Is the General coming too?”

“No.” Burning Spice responded, firm and level in his tone. “She found me herself.”

“She fell asleep?” Golden Cheese sounded just as surprised, keeping her voice down.

“It's been a long day.” He excused. “I don't know the modern script, you know. Help me write her something before we leave.”

Nutmeg Tiger woke alone, the sun setting over the horizon. The great destroyer was gone, and the rock they had sat against was just cooling from his absence. The only thing left in his place was the emblem he wore on his waistband, acting as a paperweight for a letter.

Nutmeg Tiger Cookie,

I have lived a very long life. I have seen countless civilizations rise and fall. I spent all my time living by the philosophy that nothing lasts forever. When you live as long as I do, time doesn't feel like a factor. Things change so quickly compared to my life, that it never felt worth getting attached to anything.

The first time I destroyed a civilization myself, the first time I crumbled a cookie with my own hands, it was the first time I had ever felt in control. The world was going to change over again anyway, but it felt good to have at least a say over when.

Your family served the great destroyer for generations spanning thousands of years. An ancestor of yours was once the closest thing I had to a best friend. You have always been strong and prideful cookies. If there is any constant in this world, it is the strength baked into your very dough. You will make a good leader. I want to hear of your deeds one day.

Time passes very quickly for me. I may never see you again in person. Make the world praise your name, so maybe one day I can hear it.

You're in charge now. Do what you do best, great one.

Nutmeg Tiger stood shakily, determined not to cry again as she fastened the emblem to her belt and tucked the letter safely into it. The rock where he sat was cooling, but still warm. He hadn't left too long ago.

Before she could rationalize her own actions, Nutmeg Tiger took off. She ran as quickly as she could, as quickly as her legs would carry her, to the cliffs that met the eastern seafront.

There was a gilded ship on the horizon, still visible as it sailed away. Amidst the golden surfaces, she could make out a crimson figure seated on the upper deck.

As loudly as she could, with the most powerful breath she could take, Nutmeg Tiger whistled into her hands- a sendoff cry. It was tradition amongst the spices, when new crumbs blew in the winds after a gruesome battle. It was a goodbye of honor. She whistled as loud and as long as she could manage, only stopping when her chest began to burn and her throat ached for air.

As she took a shaky breath in, she heard him whistle back- and swore she could see the tiny red figure waving at her in the distance.

Nutmeg Tiger stayed on the cliffside, until the ship disappeared beyond sight and the sun dipped below the horizon, before she finally turned to the valley below her.

He had left on his own adventure, and she was in charge now. The only thing left for Nutmeg Tiger to do was what she did best.

Chapter Text

Settling in was far less of an issue than it should have been, but that was likely in part due to the Golden Cheese Kingdom’s considerable lack of residents at the moment.

Burning Spice had been given his own room, and he had quickly taken with tearing out all of the old decor and replacing it with something to better suit his personal tastes. In the end, it looked almost exactly the same.

Otherwise, Burning Spice remained a hermit of sorts. He sat on the balcony often, and Golden Cheese would catch glimpses of him watching her attend to her business, but he wouldn't leave his room otherwise.

Smoked Cheese was still wary of him, and Mozzarella was bouncing on her heels to study him like an insect under a microscope, so perhaps she should have been less surprised to find him quietly sitting with Burnt Cheese by the gates, scribbling contentedly on a pad of paper.

“Your Radiance.” Burnt Cheese greeted her respectfully, bowing his head.

Burning Spice looked up from his drawing, and grinned at her despite his previous avoidance. “Didn't know you were coming out here today!”

“I didn't know you'd be here at all.” Golden Cheese smirked at him, finding his energy contagious as ever. “I haven't seen you leave your room since you got here.”

To that, Burning Spice only laughed sheepishly. “You're busy, aren't you? Not much for me to do, anyway.”

Golden Cheese sensed she wouldn't get much more out of him in that regard, and peered over his shoulder. “What are you drawing?”

“An old friend.” He hummed, running the graphite over the lines in the cookie’s hair. “I try to draw the ones that stand out to me, so I don't forget their faces when they're gone.”

Pushing aside the way that idea had left a pang in her chest, Golden Cheese observed the drawing directly. It was by no means crude- if anything, he seemed to be a very talented artist. The cookie in the drawing looked almost like Nutmeg Tiger, but she looked older, her hair was longer, and her eyes were shaded as if they were a darker color. Golden Cheese wondered if this was that ancestor he had mentioned when they wrote the letter.

“I wonder if this is why you expressed such interest in the art gallery?~” She couldn't help the teasing lilt in her voice.

“I was just surprised they lasted. Even paper rots eventually, but if I draw someone enough, eventually I’ll build the muscle memory to draw them again.” Despite the casual conversation, there was a distinct sadness to his tone.

Golden Cheese opened her mouth to respond, but before she could Burning Spice had risen to his feet and stretched out suddenly.

“Well, you probably wanna get stuff done here, right? I’ll get out of your way.” As he walked off, he called with a casual wave, “I’ll be in my room if you need me!”

Golden Cheese cookie frowned, but did not speak.

“Your Radiance.” Burnt Cheese said again, this time to beckon her attention. “It may just be conjecture, but there are certain species of dog that feel lost and helpless without a task to do. If they aren't given one, they may assign themselves one- even if that task is harmful.”

Golden Cheese looked over her shoulder at him. Despite the strange phrasing, she found it in herself to know exactly what he meant. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“It's really nice to have someone record visuals!” Olive chirped, leading Burning Spice through various hallways in the vacant city. “Really raises the credibility of research, y’know?”

“Woo!” Fettuccine echoed agreeably.

“I’m here because I was asked to be.” Burning Spice frowned, already a bit overwhelmed with the constant chatter.

“It's still nice to have some help!”

Finally, they stopped at a large, open space. “Here! I wanted to get some visual records of the colosseum today. Fettuccine Cookie and I have already gotten everything else recorded, so we can all take a break while you draw!” Olive began dropping her bags, setting up a small camp for the afternoon.

Burning Spice looked around. “Colosseum? This place is small for a fighting pit, isn't it?”

“Well, it was all for entertainment!” Olive lit up at the chance to speak on her research. “There were regulations on it all, but it was mostly for fun! Ah, but some sources suggest that criminals would be sent to fight here as punishment, certain records even indicate that there was a ‘gauntlet’ of sorts that convicts would fight through, and be granted freedom if they survived!”

Burning Spice hummed in thought. “Can you fight, Olive Cookie?” He asked, rising to his feet.

“Uh, no, not really…? I mean-”

“Woo! Woo!”

“Oh? Uh, I think Fettuccine Cookie can?”

Burning Spice grabbed one of the decorative axes off the wall. “Great! Let's spar!”

“Ah, I don't know if that's-”

Olive’s protests fell on deaf ears, as Fettuccine happily engaged in fighting Burning Spice. The little cookie seemed genuinely content at the battle, even as the building trembled with each strike.

The fight, however, came to an abrupt end as Burning Spice was suddenly sent tumbling across the arena, barely catching himself before he crashed into the wall.

Golden Cheese cookie held all the authority of a goddess in her glare, standing between him and Fettuccine. “Just WHAT on Earthbread do you think you're doing!?”

Burning Spice didn't slow down, a fire now lit in his eyes. “C’mon, we’re just getting started sparring! This is fun!”

Golden Cheese was much faster at dodging when he ran at her, and quickly subdued his attempt to continue the impromptu ‘training’. Sitting on his stomach with her spear trained down at the hole in his chest, Golden Cheese suddenly paused in bewilderment as he went limp. She swore she hadn't pierced him, but he relaxed and went still, eyes slipping shut and a soft smile gracing his lips.

A brief moment of panic washed over her as Golden Cheese leapt to her feet, lifting her spear out of the way. Burning Spice, however, sat up after her in a mix of frustration and confusion.

“Where are you going?! Come back and finish this!”

“I almost stabbed you, idiot! Why were you smiling?!”

“Because you were going to stab me, obviously!”

The two of them froze. Burning Spice seemed as surprised at the admission as Golden Cheese was.

By the time she had remembered to move, he had already pulled himself to his feet and began walking away, leaving the brittle weapon behind him. “I’m going to bed. We can do the whole ‘expedition’ thing tomorrow.”

Golden Cheese’s breath hitched, and she once again failed to call after him.

Laying in bed didn't feel good, but it was all Burning Spice could bring himself to do.

He didn't want to admit that. He's not sure why he said it. Perhaps it was the heat of the moment? It'd be embarrassing if that was when she would finally free him, but a part of him didn't want to let another opportunity slip by.

The drawing on the nightstand smiled back at him, and the corresponding ache in his chest came from somewhere other than the hole where his soul jam used to be. What he wouldn't give to see them all again…

The knock at his door only received a groan and the sound of Burning Spice pulling the blankets over his head.

The door opened anyway. There was no voice to accompany the footsteps, but at least they closed the door behind them.

A light weight rested on the bed next to him, and a calloused hand hesitantly touched his shoulder. “I’m sorry for snapping at you.”

“You should be sorry for walking away.” Burning Spice grumbled at her, regretting the words even as they left his mouth.

“You're so insistent on this. Why do you want me to hurt you?” There was a huff to Golden Cheese’s tone, even as she was clearly trying to be comforting.

A storm brewed within him. Burning Spice loathed speaking on his feelings. “… I’ve been alive for too long.” He said finally. “I’ve seen countless civilizations rise and fall, cookies I cared about, cookies I came to love… I outlived all of them. They all crumble eventually. This cycle of it all, I’ve seen cookies talk about how wonderful immortality would be, but existing outside of a normal lifespan is… Incredibly lonely.”

Golden Cheese gave him his room to speak, moving her hand to stroke his hair comfortingly.

“Immortality has always been a curse to me. The day I turned my back on my virtue, the day I rejected change… I had lost another cookie that was so, so important to me- and then I had to go back to being the ‘o great Herald of Change’, like nothing happened, because life must go on. But… I couldn't do it anymore. At least-! At least if I crumbled them all myself, I’d have some control over it all. But I didn't want it to change anymore. I didn't want to lose anyone else.”

Golden Cheese continued to brush her fingers through his hair, and an ache hit her as well. For as much as losing her kingdom brought her agony, she couldn't imagine it happening a second time- let alone thousands.

“To possess the soul jam is to be alone. You know that, right?” He asked her, suddenly. “You'll live forever. Other cookies won't. Once it accepts you, even if you lose it, you'll never be free. How are you okay with being alone for eternity?”

“Because I’ll bring them back. I’m a very firm believer that where there's a will, there's a way. So I’ll bring them back as many times as I’d like.” She smiled warmly, letting her fingers tangle loosely in his long hair, meeting his eye as he rolled over and his head landed comfortably in her lap. “Besides, I won't be completely alone. You'll live forever too, won't you?”

“What are you asking me?” There was an unreasonable look in his eyes, but they shined with something lightened.

“Forever is a lot more bearable with someone who'll be there for it too. So stay with me. I promise it'll be much less lonely by my side.”

She had only blinked, and his pupils had dilated. His face was hopeful, barely hidden excitement beneath his non-smile. “Do you promise?”

“For as long as I live.”

In truth, Golden Cheese wasn’t sure what had come over her that day, but she couldn't bear the idea of letting him feel so alone, after he had suffered for so long already. Besides, perhaps an incentive to stick around would cause considerably less property damage. 

Chapter Text

The expeditions weren't the worst thing in the world. The Golden Cheese Kingdom was beautiful, after all, and it was nice to put it to memory. Olive’s rambling had been grating at first, but steadily she had grown on him, until he one day found himself looking forward to wandering about with their little team.

As such, Burning Spice decided not to dwell on his moment of panic when he arrived at the meeting spot, only to find his usual companions nowhere to be found. Golden Cheese herself stood in their place, looking up from where she sat preening her wings as he approached. She did not rise immediately, still sitting cross legged in the sand as she sorted her feathers.

“Where-” Burning Spice cleared his throat, tearing the worry from his tone before starting again. “Where are the usual two?”

“They're running correspondence for me about guests we’ll be receiving soon.” She responded, fussing with another feather. “Besides, there's something else we're doing today. I promised I’d show you the gallery, didn't I?”

Though he felt a tug at the idea of missing a day with his new friends, Burning Spice turned to his excitement at the break in routine. “Right, the gallery! You said the paintings really lasted thousands of years?”

“Of course they did. I always preserve my treasures.” Golden Cheese finally stood, stretching her arms above her head before nodding towards the main pyramid. “This way.”

The gallery was impressive, paintings adorned with elaborate frames and woven tapestries spelling tales of valor, statues carved of gold and hand-sewn garments on display- all lovingly preserved in the fanciful room.

“Woah.” Though the riches glittered nicely, Burning Spice found himself most taken with the age of the techniques. Perhaps it was his own affection for the arts that leant him the ability to date some of the paintings by brush stroke alone, or maybe it was conjecture. Either way, he was impressed by the longevity of the artifacts.

“Beautiful, isn't it? After everything fell apart in the war, the gallery was the only room completely untouched. It's lucky, I think.” Golden Cheese smiled as she delicately thumbed one of the silken dresses. “As long as it's here, nothing will be forgotten.”

Burning Spice barely heard her, browsing from one artwork to the next. Tapestries of heroic battles and tragic romances displayed next to paintings of daily life and the beautifully mundane, each one grabbed his attention with fervor.

Golden Cheese watched him with a raised brow and a fond smile creeping upon her lips. He really meant it when he said he enjoyed the arts, as it seemed.

“You're like a kid in a candy shop.” She teased, approaching him as he observed the fine sculpting of one of the statues. “I’ve never seen you this excited.”

“This technique fell out of use almost ten-thousand years ago, did you know that?” He pointed at various locations on the statue. “In most cases, not even gold can hold up that long. How is it still intact?”

“That statue is one of the ones that have been here the longest.” Golden Cheese offered. “It was one of the first ones I moved to the gallery.”

“Chemically, this shouldn't still be here.” Despite the suspicious notion, Burning Spice only sounded excited. “It's incredible!”

Bouncing on his heels in excitement, one wrong step backwards was all Burning Spice needed to lose his balance. In the moment of panic that he was falling, Burning Spice tossed himself to the side to avoid the painting behind him at the cost of crashing into the wall instead- or rather, crashing through the wall.

It was too sudden to feel logical, but the bricks that hit his chest transported him elsewhere in an instant, first the sensation of being crushed, then the panic. ‘Not like this’ was all that ran through his mind. The sentiment felt familiar, like deja vu, but his racing heart and ringing ears drowned out everything else. The terror was suffocating, he couldn't see. He couldn't move. He could barely even breathe. For all the time he spent waiting to be released, he was still gripped with fear at the thought of dying here- alone, everyone cast aside in a futile pursuit, crushed by his own hubris.

And then there was warmth. Barely noticeable against the sea of ice cold panic, but it was there. It was warm, it wrapped around him and it was soft when it tickled his face. A sensation he didn't know was missing returned to him, something wet running down his cheeks. The lump in his throat hurt when he pushed out a hoarse, foreign sound, and the warmth tightened around him comfortably. The ringing in his ears had died down- maybe it was never there at all. He could hear his own voice, but he wasn't sure what he was saying. The clawing darkness vanished when he finally opened his eyes. His heart was still pounding, but he could finally breathe.

He was no longer beneath the rubble of the devastated temple, back in the gallery as if he had never left. His chest still ached, but amidst his blurry vision he found the culprit to be a stray cluster of bricks from when he had crashed through the wall.

When his chest settled and his limbs released their tension, the warmth on his chest lifted, and Golden Cheese appeared in his view. She frowned with concern and sympathy, lit from behind like an angel.

“Are you with me now?” She asked, as much gentleness in her tone as she could muster.

Burning Spice opened his mouth to answer, but no sound left him. He settled for a weak nod instead.

“That looked like it hurt.” It wasn't lost on him that she was floundering for something to say. “It looked like it… More than hurt, actually.”

When he finally sat up, Burning Spice could first feel the cold wetness on his face. He carefully reached for the tear- his limbs all ached and it felt difficult to move.

“… I didn't know the collapse affected you that much.” Golden Cheese looked sad when he met her eye.

“You didn't know you'd ever worry about it again.” His voice was hoarse and dry, and his whole body felt heavy and exhausted.

“Are you alright now?” She hesitantly wiped his other cheek, and Burning Spice didn't mention the way his heart rate picked up again.

“Mm. Tired.” He leaned into her hand as it lingered on his cheek, pressing into her palm as if he could memorize her touch.

The sound of a mechanical whir tore them from the moment, finally bringing the pair to acknowledge their surroundings. Behind the now crumbled wall was a small, dim room, a softly glowing machine sitting in its center.

“What's this place for? It was all sealed up.” Burning Spice opted to change the subject, the sound of his own heartbeat overwhelming him for a new reason.

“I don't know.” Golden Cheese answered simply.

“What do you mean you don't know? This is your kingdom!”

“It wasn't always mine. I was a treasure hunter when I was young. It had already been abandoned when I found it, anyway, so I took it for myself.” She shrugged. “I guess it shouldn't be that surprising there are rooms here even I don't know about.”

Burning Spice approached the machine cautiously. “The mechanism is connected to the gallery.” He observed. “It looks like…”

Golden Cheese blinked. “Do you know what this thing is?”

“I’ve never seen the thing put together, but a long time ago, during the virtue era, Milk had shown me a blueprint that looked like this. He never ended up making the machine himself, but he talked about it a lot. It was supposed to pause time in a small area.”

“I guess that explains why everything in the gallery is intact. But if he never made the machine, how is it here?”

“Mm, I was getting to that. After the fall, a group of his former students broke into the spire and stole a ton of his work. He complained about it to the rest of us for months.” Burning Spice recalled. “The blueprint was probably one of them- it must have gotten sold off at some point and ended up here.”

“Well, I guess it really is a small world. How interesting.” A part of Golden Cheese wanted to investigate further, but she saw the taxing exhaustion in the former beast beside her and decided to save it for another day.

“Let's head back.” She began to lead him out of the small room, careful of the bricks still lying on the ground. Before they had exited the gallery, however, Burning Spice stopped in his tracks.

“Hold on- There's something I wanted to do before we go.” He held up the sketch pad he brought with him, grinning at her confused expression. “Can I draw you?”

Golden Cheese was surprised as she looked over the finished sketch, not expecting the depiction to be so… flattering. A part of her still believed he hated her, but it was becoming harder to reconcile that notion with the angelic drawing of herself in her hands.

Wordlessly, she had walked the drawing to a spare frame, and hung it on the wall near the door.

Art should always be preserved- Golden Cheese had lived by this notion. If this room, this gallery, is truly a snapshot in time, then she felt she should do whatever she can to preserve everything in it. They were her treasures, after all, from the grandest sculpture down to the smallest sketch.