*yeets self into the stratosphere* Welcome to Fear the Jelly Walkers - Chapter 5!
*fortnite dances* by the time you read this its gonna be Wednesday in Eastern Standard Time, which is where I'm at, so sorry I'm late! I literally started college classes today and then hung out with friends and then my computer made the doc keep crashing while I was making final edits and OOF but we out here. Its fine. *on the ground crying* its fine.
Let's get into this! I'll leave you to read, meet me down at the bottom notes for more shenanigans! Here's Chapter 5!
By some miracle, be it the adrenaline pumping through their veins or Millennial Tree's favor upon them, they made it all the way out of the city unscathed. Physically, at least. Mentally, well… You don't just watch your child die with no mental scars from it. And as heavy as the temptation was on their shoulders to curl up and mourn their loss, they didn't really have the time. There were other survivors from the city, it was almost guaranteed- - or at least, neither of them wanted to think they were the only ones who had made it out. The survivors were scattered about, everyone racing against the odds to find a way to survive the new hellscape that was their lives. Independently, they might survive a while, but the horde of Jelly Walkers would inevitably keep growing, larger and larger, overtaking everything. They needed to find a solution, one that hopefully wasn't just crumbling them to dust one by one. They also needed to find someplace isolated, someplace easily defendable, where they could think things through and be safe at the same time.
Apparently, Milk was thinking the same thing.
"We… we need to get to a shelter," he said, huffing and puffing. They had been running for quite some time now, taking turns carrying the heartbroken Celestial Star with them after leaving the school, and Purple Yam wasn't afraid to admit that his legs were burning. They stopped, leaning against a tree to catch their breath and get ahold of their wits. "Someplace away from all of those Jelly Walkers."
"You got any ideas?" Purple Yam asked, looking up from his crossed arms. Milk's lips twitched into the faintest of smiles- - Angel's death still bore heavy on them both, smiling was a struggle at best. Yam admired the effort.
"Dark Choco's cavern could work," Milk answered. "With all three of us and that choke point in the middle, defending it will be easy enough. And it's far away enough from town that the virus wouldn't have begun to reach that far… right?"
"Probably not. Let's hope so, anyways." Purple Yam took a moment to collect his thoughts. "We can get there and figure out some sort of solution to this mess before the virus gets there. Sounds like a plan."
"Alright, then. Let's go."
They took up their weapons and walked off, Milk leading the way. He always managed to remember the location of the cavern best out of the two of them, and in this case not stumbling over directions was crucial.
It was about a day's journey to the cavern, mainly because they had to take a moment to sleep for the night. Purple Yam stayed up, glaring over the flickering flames of their campfire, his club on his lap tight in his grip as he kept watch for Jelly Walkers. Only one happened across them- - for a split second, he swore he almost looked like that famous rockstar… whatever his name was. Whoever he used to be, this thing wasn't him anymore, and he crumbled quickly under Purple Yam's club. With that on Purple Yam's mind though, knowing that Jelly Walkers were already beginning to catch up to them, even if it was just one by one… Even if he'd planned on sleeping that night, that thought alone kept him up. Not to even mention, every time he closed his eyes, he saw...
Milk woke up with a yawn, stretching his arms as he licked his lips. When he noticed the trees around him instead of bedroom walls, he quickly sat up in a panic until he saw Purple Yam Cookie still sitting on that log they'd camped near. "Good… morning…?" Was it a good morning? This was Day Two of the apocalypse.
"Morning," Purple Yam mumbled, still staring forward, looking a bit… absent. His voice was hollow, dead, devoid of any emotion at all. Heavy darkened bags dragged down below his eyes, and he was hunched forward, staring into the depths of the forest.
"Did you… stay up all night?"
"Yeah,"
"Yam! You need to rest!"
"Had to stay on guard for Jelly Walkers," he pointed a few feet forward, where Milk finally noticed a candy guitar and a haphazard purple pile of crumbled Cookie. Oh. Well, damn, Milk hadn't even heard any sort of confrontation. Hell, had they both been asleep...
"...here," Milk stood on his feet, and before Purple Yam could protest, he'd picked his husband up in his arms. A deep purple blush overtook the Cookie's face, but Milk didn't have the spirit to tease him about it. "Go ahead and sleep, dear. I'll wake you when we get to the cavern. Or if something happens, I'll just drop you on your head so you wake up." He almost giggled at that. Almost.
"...are you sure?" Purple Yam asked. Milk nodded, already beginning to walk in the direction of Dark Choco's cavern. The Pets, having woken up along with Milk, slowly followed them- - Milk Angel and Firestarter supported Celestial Star with their bodies, knowing that Milk's arms were already full.
"I'm perfectly sure," Milk answered. "You can't think straight when you're tired anyways."
"I don't think I can ever think straight with you around."
There it was. Milk Cookie sputtered out a laugh, dropping a kiss on his partner's forehead. Purple Yam started laughing too. It was the first time either of them had laughed in a day- - usually something like that wasn't important, but today it felt monumental. If they could keep even a spark of joy in their hearts, then they just might survive this chaos.
So, with Purple Yam in Milk's arms, gold wedding bands glistening in the dappled sunlight, they made their way to Dark Choco's cavern. Just as important as joy was hope, and the usually dark and brooding mountain cave was a source of it. Not only did it mean shelter, but it also meant another ally in this battle against the Jelly Walkers- - and an ally who was familiar with magic, even if only mildly. He might even know more people who could help them- - he knew where Alchemist Cookie resided, after all, with Wizard Cookie and Vampire Cookie. Though Vampire Cookie gave him the creeps, Milk would be willing to play nice if it meant the end of the entire apocalypse.
The journey to the cavern was quiet, peaceful. Forest life still flourished, and they didn't come across even a hint of Jelly Walker presence for the entire journey. It looked like that one Jelly Walker Purple Yam Cookie had crumbled earlier was an outlier- - they'd be safe here for at least enough time to regroup.
Before sunset, they'd already made it all the way to the mountain. All that was left was to walk up the winding slope into the mouth of the cavern, explain to Dark Choco what was happening, and start planning. Purple Yam took Milk's hand in his as they walked up the mountain together. Excited wasn't quite the term to explain what they were both feeling- - pure, unbridled hope got pretty close.
But the air in the cavern felt… different. It had always been dark in the cave, because it was a cave, but today it seemed… too quiet- - like dead air, with a hint of malice behind it. Milk Cookie instinctually gripped Purple Yam's hand tighter, and he returned the gesture. Milk Angel and Firestarter huddled closer around Celestial Star, their instincts telling them to be on-guard.
With Milk and Purple Yam's senses on high alert, they both pretty quickly picked up on the sound of heavy breathing. The cavern tunnel began to widen out, a gap in the mountain's top revealing the pinks of the sunset above them, like a portal to another world. Lit torches lined the walls, illuminating the space further, enough for them to see the form of a Cookie kneeling on the ground against the wall, chest shaking as it breathed heavily. Resting near it was a Pet that they recognized all too well: Dark Spirit Helmet, sobbing and gently nuzzling someone they could only assume was its owner.
"Dark Choco Cookie…?" Milk Cookie said, lifting his shield in front of himself and Yam just in case.
Good thing, too. The Cookie stood and turned to face them, in the same motion running over. By the time Milk's eyes recognized the purple skin and bright yellow eyes, the Jelly Walker was upon them, slamming into the shield. Milk used the Jelly Walker's momentum against him, shoving forward and sending him flying back into the wall. It slammed against the rocky surface, coughing out a spurt of bright purple jelly before staggering back to its feet, gripping its sword.
The Strawberry Jam Sword.
"How'd he get turned already?!" Purple Yam asked incredulously, voicing aloud what was rattling in Milk's head like an angry bee. How did Dark Choco Cookie get turned?! They hadn't even seen any traces of Jelly Walkers in the area, not even piles of crumbled Cookie, Jelly residues, nothing! Everything for miles had seemed untouched by the infected, so how did the infection jump from a busy city to an isolated mountain nearly a hundred miles away if no vectors had even made it that far yet?!
Unless… unless this was something far more sinister than a random virus. Unless this was unleashed methodically by someone, someone who had fun watching Cookies suffer as they had to crumble their loved ones, someone who had something to gain by wreaking havoc, some monster- -
Dark Choco let out a growl and raced forward again, and Milk had to return his shield to the defensive position to deflect a blow from the sword. Shit. He'd have to worry about who was behind this later. Dark Choco was trying to either kill him or infect him, and Milk hadn't quite decided which fate would be worse.
Before Dark Choco could go for another swing, Purple Yam charged forward with his club at the ready. The Jelly Walker narrowly dodged the attack- - Dark Choco's battle instincts still seemed to be in there, which could provide a challenge- - before retaliating with an attack of his own. The two quickly became locked in battle, Dark Choco attacking with an animalistic fervor while Purple Yam was… clearly holding back. Neither of them were willing to crumble someone they loved. Not again.
If they wanted to avoid crumbling Dark Choco and still make it out of this alive, they needed to find another solution. Some way to get rid of the Jelly Walker virus without getting rid of their friend entirely. The only issue was, deflecting attack after attack, Purple Yam didn't really have much of a chance to think of any solutions. Hopefully, Milk would think of- -
"I'm going to try the purifying light again!"
"What?! Why?!" Purple Yam shouted, chancing a glance towards his husband before having to dodge a slice from Dark Choco's sword.
"It might work this time! It's worth a shot!"
It didn't work last time, but okay.
"Okay, Milk, but be careful- -"
Before he could finish, Dark Choco lunged under the swing of his club and tackled him to the ground. The Jelly Walker, this twisted version of their friend, Angel's godfather, loomed before him, drooling pink jam that unceremoniously dripped onto Yam's cheek. He grimaced at the sensation, but he couldn't look away from the one good eye that glowed an otherworldly gold as it shone through the thick purple jelly coating his face. He sensed that at any moment the Jelly Walker would lunge forward and attack, and there was nothing he could really do to stop it- -
"I, Milk Cookie, will purify you of the toxins that have taken over your mind and body!" Milk Cookie called out as he lifted his mace to the heavens. A bright blue light gathered around its tip, glowing around his head like a halo. "With this light, I awaken you from the virus' grip and- -"
The bright light caught the Jelly Walker's attention, and with a roar, it leapt off of Purple Yam and charged forward. Milk's eyes widened, but before he could move his shield to block the crazed Cookie, it was upon him. He let out a scream as he was caught in the neck by its teeth. His white shirt, already dirtied with Cookie dust, was stained a stark crimson and violet as jelly drained down from the wound and the Jelly Walker's mouth, and for a moment he choked on his own strawberry jam. Milk Angel let out a distressed squeal and had to be held back by Firestarter, who was desperately biting its wing to restrain it.
"Milk!" Purple Yam screamed, his voice breaking in his throat. Milk's mace slipped out of his hand as his grip slackened. For a moment he desperately reached over Dark Choco's shoulder, as if hoping to take Purple Yam's hand in his own. The instant his back hit the ground, though, he let out another scream, gasping from the pain, his hands clawing at the rocky floor until they became bloody with strawberry jam. Dark Choco Cookie was still biting ravenously, snarling like a feral beast.
"Yam…" He managed through the gasps. "I'm… sorry… I-I don't… want to go..."
"Milk, no- -" he rasped, gripping his club tight as if it were Milk's own hand he was holding.
"I… love you, Yam… please, just…"
Before he could finish, his eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he let out another gasp before choking on foreign fluids overtaking his lungs, falling still as purple jelly dribbled out of his open lips. It wasn't until then that Dark Choco got off, strawberry jam dripping down his chin as he slowly turned back towards Purple Yam. It had been a long fucking time since Yam felt himself shaking in his boots before a foe. He found himself unable to move, to fight, to run.
"Yam… Yam…"
His blood ran cold.
Milk sat up, his eyes that sickening yellow, a crazed smile on his face, purple jelly spreading through his veins until the violet hue spread across his skin, dripping like syrup off of his body. He got onto his knees, reaching out for Yam but falling forward, dragging himself along as if he'd forgotten how to use his legs. "Yam…!" He called out, his voice twisted into a nightmare.
Purple Yam prayed this was just a nightmare, that he'd wake up still by Milk's side. Maybe it was something he ate, maybe he shouldn't have suggested a horror movie date the night before- - he just wanted this to be over. But… if this were just a bad dream, he would've woken up hours ago. Hell, he'd been pinching himself the whole walk here. This… this wasn't a nightmare. This was a living hell.
This wasn't a fairytale either. There wasn't any magic that could fix this, or if there was, he sure as hell didn't know it. There was only one way Purple Yam knew to stop this virus, to save himself, keep their memories alive, but….
They're gone. That's not his friend. That's not his husband crawling across the floor. These were sick, twisted abominations, using… using hollow shells of what once was to mock him. To taint their memories. He wouldn't stand for that.
He screwed his eyes shut, fighting back tears, and let out a strangled battle cry as he spun, swinging his club before him. Wham! Wham! It made impact against dough.
He shouldn't have opened his eyes, he shouldn't have looked. He should've just turned around and never looked back, but some dumb part of him opened his eyes- - and he'd regret it for the rest of his life.
He'd gotten Dark Choco in the side. He'd dropped his sword, staggering, clutching the wound as it crumbled beneath his fingertips, as he crumbled into dust. He'd hit Milk in the head, but even still he stared up at him until he slowly crumbled into nothing.
For a moment he could've sworn his eyes were that sweet, gentle blue again. Then he was nothing, nothing left of him but some white clothes and a gold wedding band, reflecting the pink of the darkening sky above.
Purple Yam let his club slip out of his hands, let it roll away from his reach as he fell to his knees and let out a scream. Nearby, Milk Angel cried an endless stream of milky tears, and Dark Spirit Helmet let out a pained howl.
Even if Millennial Tree could forgive Purple Yam for this, he could never forgive himself.
This is the end of the chapter! You survived!
This chapter was beta'ed by violetinfidel and worriedindigo! If you aren't following them on Twitter and Tumblr yet... what are y'all waiting for, they're so cool. Fanta and I are also cool! Feel free to check us out at 105ttt or anipwrites on Twitter or Tumblr! And don't forget Fanta's got other Cookie Run fics on her profile here if you want to branch out a bit!
I know I've started college and all, but I should still be able to keep the Tuesday-Friday post schedule for this fic. It's already finished and literally all I gotta do is reread for grammar mistakes and then convert the doc and then add notes and then post it. I'm just... a bean.
In a similar manner to how we revisited Purple Yam and Milk today, Friday we're going to see what another cookie is up to! But I won't leaf you hanging, I promise I'll post on Friday-I have no classes then!
See you all next time!
~Ani