His castle was perfect. It let in just the right amount of light at each time of day, and it was at the perfect sound level. It wasn’t too visually appealing, but there was just enough that his voice didn’t echo around the dining hall. He lived in complete isolation, his only visitors being a stray cookie here and there and White Lily from time to time. A knock on the grand doors snapped him out of his thoughts. “Cream Sandwich..?” squeaked a familiar voice. Cream Sandwich sighed in relief. It was just White Lily again. He opened the door. “Hey…” he murmured. “You’ve been gone for months…the rumors aren’t faltering.” White Lily said softly. “I can’t show my face now…they think I’ve been taking care of the beasts…I’ll be shamed in my own kingdom…” Cream Sandwich replied a little stronger. “Cream Sandwich, you have to at least let them know you are safe. When I passed through here, so many cookies asked me how you were and to send you their best wishes,” White Lily began, starting to increase the intensity in her tone. “They’re worried! Here, just come take a walk with me!” She reached out her hand, creaking open the door to his castle. She wanted him to get out and socialize. He didn’t. He was just fine in his castle all alone. Although he did hear voices sometimes. “Go outside…” an oddly familiar voice whispered. He had heard this voice before somehow. “It’s what’s best for you…” “Okay!” he yelled, covering his ears. “I’ll go out! Just stop talking!” White Lily’s eyes widened in worry. “Are you okay?” she began to fret. “Can’t you hear them? They just spoke!” he said, messing up his icing. “Hear who?” White Lily asked softly, pulling Cream Sandwich’s hands away from his hair. “The voices!” “And that’s my clue you’ve been inside too long,” she sighed, pulling Cream Sandwich outside by the hand. He winced from the sudden brightness flooding his eyes, trying to adjust. White Lily walked side by side with him, making sure he wasn’t overwhelmed or uncomfortable. Little did she know, he was damn good at hiding his feelings. This was one of those moments. When he finally was able to open his eyes all the way, he saw how pale he was compared to his citizens. They all had a nice, healthy light tan or a chocolatey brown, a stark contrast to Cream Sandwich’s almost paper white. A blueberry bird flitted close to Cream Sandwich’s head, pecking once at his head. He squeaked in surprise and watched as the bird landed in a tree. Flashes of red and grey suddenly flashed across his vision like drawings. They depicted Cream Sandwich and an unknown cookie, the unknown one almost crumbling him with a giant pencil. The cookie turned to him, an insanely wide smile stretched across their face. The scene suddenly disappeared, leaving Cream Sandwich with a new worry. Unaware of what had just occurred, White Lily kept pulling him along, pointing out the new shops and whatnot. Cream Sandwich wasn’t listening anymore, though. Who was that that kept talking to him? He had a spell put on his castle that would make anyone who intruded be immediately teleported out, so there was no one in there… There was the possibility someone was messing with him and calling those things through a window. No, White Lily would’ve heard it. Hands clapping in front of his face snapped him out of his daze. “Earthbread to Cream Sandwich! Anyone there?” White Lily sassed. “You awake, bud?” “AH- sorry! Yeah, I’m awake..!” Cream Sandwich replied, blinking repeatedly. “What were you saying..?” “I was saying that some of my citizens had been telling me that there was a rumor that one of the Beasts hadn’t been caught in the Silver Tree and is still lurking about! You need to tell your people!” “...” Cream Sandwich gave it some thought, then replied as he always did. “I’ll have notes given to each resident via blueberry bird to warn them.” White Lily stopped in her tracks, sighing. “You need to tell them yourself. If it’s a note then there’s a chance they’ll disregard it!” He fidgeted with his hands a bit. She had a point. But it wasn’t a point he liked. He hated talking in front of groups. He already had a hard enough time with just the other five Ancients. He couldn’t talk in front of 1,000+ cookies! He would freeze up and he might even crumble! One look from White Lily silenced his thoughts.
“Come on, let’s get it over with..!” she said in her soft, kind voice. White Lily pulled him up to the stage in the middle of town, bumping into a cookie on the way there. “Watch where you’re going!” the cookie grumbled, the makeshift stem on top of their head seeming to twitch. “Sorry!” Cream Sandwich called back, realizing his voice was trembling. Great witches, he couldn’t do this! “Maybe we just don’t-” he started to say before White Lily had him up on the stage. “Come on, you’ve got this. I’ll start it off, then you take over.” she said. White Lily had something about her that just soothed all your pains and worries. She tapped the microphone, making sure it was on. “Dear citizens of Parfaedia, your true ruler has information to pass on.” she said strongly before stepping down, motioning for Cream Sandwich to step up. There were many cookies there, even the cookie who had previously scolded him for accidentally running into him. Disdain filled the eyes of many cookies there, while fear and hope filled the rest. He took a deep breath and pretended he was in his castle, monologuing to himself. “It has been quite some time since I have seen you all, yes?” Some cookies in the crowd nodded or cheered. “I have some important news to give you. Prepare yourselves, because it scared me as well. While only a rumor, there is some evidence that one of the beasts wasn’t trapped in the tree.” Gasps and shock were common amongst the crowd that had gathered. “Where is it? Which one?” he heard shouted from a few cookies. Cream Sandwich looked to White Lily for help. “Thankfully, it isn’t a dangerous one like Mystic Flour Cookie, Silent Salt Cookie, or Burning Spice Cookie. It is unknown whether it is Eternal Sugar Cookie, Shadow Milk Cookie, or Creator Cookie,” White Lily answered. “We are leaning towards Shadow Milk Cookie or Creator Cookie, as Eternal Sugar Cookie is too lazy to do anything, and we have no sightings of the shapeshifters.” That caused a conversation to spark amongst all the cookies, worrying filling the air. “Thank you for your time!” Cream Sandwich quickly squeaked before hurrying off the stage and running back to his castle. White Lily raced after him.
