Chapter Text
Scorpion Cookie handed Yogurt Cream Cookie a note. “Yogurt Cream Cookie, I got you some bags, please take what you need first before anything else.” - Lilac Cookie.
They were back in Yogurt Cream Cookie's room. Word already spread around about the “deaths” of the elders, and most couldn't be more enraged.
“Geez, okay! However, I actually do need this outfit!”He held up one of his fancy outfits
“You can barely move around in that, you know.”
“And?”
“Anyway, looks like they're doing The Evaluations this year, but the preparation seems rushed.”
“I'm sure someone's worthy of being the heir, anyway, is brother and Lilac Cookie okay?”
“I helped him just enough for him to stay alive, in his current state, he's not fit to inherit the family. As for Lilac Cookie, he's in the other room, surprisingly, it's not looking too good for him right now.”
“Is he okay?”
“He's alive, but since he sustained a lot before being treated back down there, so he’s not doing too hot.”
Yogurt Cream Cookie got up and rushed to the other room, dropping his bags. Scorpion Cookie followed behind him.
“Lilac Cookie! My dearest! It's me, are you alright?!” He said as he entered the room.
Lilac Cookie was without his cloak at that moment. He was lying on the bed with numerous chunks of his dough out of his body, with a lot of his dough looking dry. “Yogurt…”
“Scorpion Cookie! Can you do something?”
“I'm not medically licensed, but I tried to look into his wounds, but they were already infected when he was brought into this room.”
“MY…TREASURE!!” He goes to Lilac Cookie's side. “My treasure…my love, you'll persist, right?”
Scorpion Cookie watches from the back. She knew that both her and Lilac Cookie normally, before being involved with Yogurt Cream Cookie, they would've never persisted this hard. They persisted to get another chance at life. Not everyone has a reason to exist, but they have a will to persist.
“Yogurt Cream Cookie… my job…was to protect you…”
“And you have to do it!”
“I did… I have some words in which I can still protect you…”
“You'll stay by my side, right? You'll stay, right?”
“... You're still in denial, aren't you?”
“Denial for what?”
Yogurt Cream feigned ignorance, not to Lilac Cookie, but to himself. He knew that there was no mistaking it, he was crumbling.
Yogurt Cream Cookie began to tear up.
“Look inside my cloak, there's instructions to go to….The World of Dreams I bought from a merchant.”
“What's gonna be there?”
“Staying in Yogurca will get you killed…they're going to find out about the taboo you broke, a bounty will be on your head…”
“And I'll be fine there?”
“Yes, you are fully allowed there, to become a herald of dreams… and… it'll be the only chance you'll be able to be with me again…in the Land of Dreams.”
“I wanna be with you, why can't you be with me for longer in the physical world?”
“Because it'd be you if not me…”
“Brother did this to you… right?”
“It doesn't matter. I do have one request.”
Lilac Cookie never really owned things. He never took much from the world aside from his chakrams. Most of what he owned would be used up or destroyed soon enough, or actually belonged to the Sneaky Sands Clan or Yogurt Cream Cookie.
Yogurt Cream Cookie, on the other hand, was quite greedy. There was little he valued more than owning material possessions. The thing he does value more, however…
“What's your request?”
“Stay with me… until I crumble…”
“Of course! My dearest, one time, I had a dream where there was this Lilac plant. I watered it…
“... I know.”
“Huh?”
“I dreamt this once, before I suppressed all of my dreams… the dreams I knew were real memories… Before we were baked.”
“I…Guess I knew that deep down.”
“You nurtured me, protected me, loved me…And in our current life, I protected you, having to pay a debt of tears to you.”
“...you…didn't have to do this…if it meant you were gonna…” Yogurt Cream couldn't finish his sentence, all he could do was break down sobbing.
"I... I love you, Yogurt Cream Cookie..."
“MY DEAREST!”
Lilac Cookie was laying down in silence. Scorpion Cookie was observing from the back, not saying a word. Her sleeve covered her face so that none of her expression was visible.
“You're still here, right?”
“...”
“Lilac Cookie, I love you…”
“...”
Don't leave me alone, in this sorrow…”
“...”
Yogurt Cream Cookie touched him to see if he'd flinch like he normally does, but no reaction was present.
“...”
“Lilac… LILAC!!!” He took up Lilac Cookie in his arms. His crying only got more severe and loud. He wasn't used to loss, nor feeling much when someone did crumble… but…
“MY… MY TREASURE…”
Scorpion Cookie walked towards him, trying to maintain her best poker face. “You're quite loud… the entire mansion could hear you right now…”
He wiped his tears. “Right, right… Scorpion Cookie, can you do me one last favor?” His voice was still shaky.
“What is it?”
“Find room for me to take my dearest with me, even if he's…”
“I think I can do that.”
“How are you still holding together?”
“It's a part of the job, you know.”
Yogurt Cream Cookie stood up finally. “Where are you going to go?”
“Who knows? Maybe I'll stop by Bellflower Cookie's place for a bit. I don't really have a place to call home.
“... Like all those years ago, can you guide me to my destination?”
“Sure.”
“Alright…”
He heard his father's voice from the other room. “Yogurt Cream Cookie, where are you?”
Scorpion Cookie whispers. “I'll take your stuff out of here.” She goes in to grab Lilac Cookie, but Yogurt Cream Cookie stops her. “Get everything else out of here, I'll be taking him out of here.”
“You're not even strong enough to lift a cookie.”
“Witches! I'll try!”
“Whatever.”
A few minutes later, he exited the room, running out the door, holding Lilac Cookie's corpse while wearing Lilac Cookie's cloak. Scorpion Cookie was only able to get a single bag of necessities like bear jellies and none of his other treasures. It's fine, he doesn't need all those material possessions where he's going.
“Where do you think you're going?” His father asked him. “Especially with…That.”
Scorpion Cookie looked at him, covered Yogurt Cream Cookie with her sleeve, and silently escorted him out of the mansion.
“He's getting away! Go after him!” He yelled towards the rest of the family.
———————
“And for our next stop, the world of dreams.” The conductor said.
A cookie made of the cosmos walked down the aisle towards the front of the train.
“What's in this stop?”
“When Cookies dream, they see a small subsection of this world.”
“Could a cookie be dreaming of us right now?”
“It's quite possible.”
“Indeed, cookies are indeed interesting beings, like you. When we first met, you were.. Smaller.”
“Small'er’ huh?”
“Hm, I can see a couple of stones in the distance next to each other.”
“Hm, I can see it too. If I remember correctly, those are gravestones.”
“Cookies can crumble here?”
“If the cookie is from the material world and they go here to reside in the dreamscape forever, they may forget to eat or drink, and thus, they may crumble.”
“What two cookies would run away to crumble here?”
“It probably says on the stones. Anyway, the express has a destination to get to.”
“Right.” The cosmic cookie stepped down for the train.
“The Dream Express is now departing! Choo choo!” The doors to the train closed.
The cosmic cookie floated towards the stones. He took a minute to read the words on the stones.
…
“After this, the Yogurt family collapsed, huh? Instead of rising in their greed, they faltered in it…”
…
“They crumbled…still with each other…”
…