Chapter Text
The Fount first noticed you when he saw you reading in the Spire. At first, he didn't think much of it, you were simply just one of many knowledge-seekers, and would leave once you had found out what you needed.
But you didn't leave. He saw you come in, waltz over to a shelf, spend a few minutes looking through books, fantasy and fiction novels, to be specific, before eventually feeling satisfied and walking over to the same seat that you'd sit at every day.
This happened for about five consecutive days.
Then one day, at the time when everyone was meant to be out of the Spire, he noticed you were still in your seat, overly engrossed in your novel about a pair of star-crossed lovers, one of them being doomed in a time loop while trying to save the other, who remained blissfully unaware of her fate of impending death.
You were just about to get to the near-ending of the book, and it was getting interesting, because the one who was blissfully unaware was just about to somehow save the timelooped one in a way by leaving her and becoming a-
"It's late, and you ought not to be here. It appears you have been a bit too focused on reading?" asked the Fount.
You nearly jumped in your seat, having not expected the voice. Looking up from your novel, you realised that the sky was dark, the moon having taken the place of the sun, and that there was no other cookie around, besides the Fount of Knowledge.
"Ah- Oh, I am so dreadfully sorry, I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings- I'll get going now-!" you said, as you closed the book, making sure to remember the page number, and stood up to return it to its shelf.
The Fount then replied, ".. Normally, I would not allow this.. But I could let you borrow the novel, as long as you return it tomorrow, and do not damage it."
"Really..? You'd be alright with that?" you asked.
He nodded, before saying, "Get going now, it is far too late for you to be here."
And you did, shouting a "Thank you so much, Fount!" as you ran out.
--
You finished the book within an hour later, in the comfort of your house. It ended in a bittersweet way, with the timeloop ending, at the cost of one of them disappearing (but not truly, as she had become a god).
Soon after finishing the novel, you went to sleep, and you dreamt of being in a time loop with the Fount something that you could not remember.
The next day, you got up and immediately went to the Spire to return your book.
Instead of simply returning it to its shelf, you decided to put it in his office. You walked up to his office doors and knocked, fully expecting him not to be there. But you heard his voice.
"Come in."
And so you did. You pushed open the door, and walked in.
"Good morning, Fount," you greeted, placing the book on his table.
"Good morning to you too," he said, picking up the book and observing it. "Wow.. Not a single fold on any page.."
You simply stood there, wondering whether you should leave.
"Y'know.. I wouldn't mind letting you borrow more books from now on, if you promise not to tell the others, lest they beg me to borrow books as well," he said.
"Oh, really…?" you replied, hoping that he wasn't lying. (but why would he lie?)
The Fount nodded, "Of course."
"Oh, thank you, thank you!" you said.
He then added, "Ah, but make sure to only bring them back to your home in the evenings, directly before closing time, so no one notices."
You nodded, telling him that you would make sure to do that, before leaving the room and waving to him.
---
And so, you'd borrowed books from the Spire, and would return it to the Fount in the mornings. The two of you managed to bond over this, discussing the books you read, and him occasionally teaching you things that piqued your interest. Since he was the Fount of Knowledge, you could ask him a question, and he'd answer in great detail, and even if he did not know the answer to aforementioned question, he would promise to come back to you soon with the answer, and he did.
One evening, he invited you to his office, and you had a slight fear you were in trouble, for whatever reason.
The Fount offered to have tea with you instead, and to discuss your latest interest. Of course, you accepted his offer.
The two of you were sat around a low table, yapping about topics for a few hours, before you had to leave.
"Would you like to do this again tomorrow?" the Fount asked.
"Of course!" you said, internally overjoyed that he trusted you enough to have tea and late night conversations.
And so, from that day on, you and the Fount would have tea and conversations in the evening, after hours. You got to know each other better, and he had taught you some magic, saying thut you were a fast learner.
You could even send him things through portals now! Occasionally you would send him things like flowers and doodles.
--
One night, you were sat with him at the low table with a cup of (almost finished) black tea. You took a look at the pocket watch you had, and realised it was time for you to leave.
Standing up from your seat, you told the Fount, "I ought to get going now, so farewell!"
"Ah, before you leave, I have a.. Book.. For you," he said, passing you a thin book with a light blue cover.
Of course, you took it, said thanks and goodbye, then made your departure.
When you opened it to read it in bed, some time later, the words you saw not a story, but the Fount's handwriting in a glittery blue pen.
What he had written was 'Will you be my partner, my dear?'
To say you were ecstatic was an understatement. Grabbing a pen that you had on your bedside table, you scribbled an "Of course !!!" with a little doodle of him at the side, and used a portal to send it directly to him in his office. (where he was waiting, awake, in hopes that you'd read it)
At the reply, he was overjoyed, but had to resist the urge to ask you to portal to his office because it was late after all.
--
The day after that, you got ready as fast as you could, and teleported to his office, greeting him with a sing-songy, "Fount~!" and running up to hug him.
You felt Fount freeze up, before returning your affections, and you could've sworn you heard him mumble something that sounded almost like "I love you."
You gave him a kiss on the cheek before pulling away.
"Do we have to keep this a secret..?" you asked him.
He nodded, "I'm afraid so. Should the rest of them find out, they might use you against me, ma cherie."
"I see," you replied. You suppose it'd be exciting, to keep a secret that belonged to you and him, and felt almost like a child who had to pinky promise not to share a secret. You continued, "Will you tell the other Virtues?"
"Maybe," he replied.
Of course, he had to leave you, for he had knowledge-seeking cookies waiting for him. Waving him goodbye, you went to the library, while he went out to meet the audience of people who were surely waiting for him, and who was he to disappoint his audience who had travelled far and wide for him?
(or rather, only his knowledge. The only special thing about him after all was that he had Knowledge, and had that knowledge been given to another cookie, he would have been ignored.)
--
It had been a few weeks of you being with him. You loved Fount. And of course, he loved you.
It was lovely, truly, being with him. There was something nice about seeing Fount so genuine, so honest, without that perfectly calm and composed facade.
He also let you pet those rabbits that'd follow him everywhere (although some would bat your hand away with whatever they were holding, whether it be a scroll, a hairbrush, or anything else. you made sure to apologise immediately if they did that. some of them liked you, though!)
On some nights, you'd cuddle with him at night in his bedroom which was lovely as well. He had somehow spawned you a room in the Spire that was near his own, and you stayed there more often that not. Your bed had the nicest sheets, and your pillows were just the right temperature. There was also a plushie of a rabbit, and one of Fount.
Sometimes, cuddling with him could lead to both of you falling asleep. Fortunately, he had alarms set up to ensure that neither of you overslept. Occasionally he would wake up in the middle of the night and immediately go to his desk to finish some paperwork, and half of the time you would wake up due to not feeling him next to you. You'd ask him to come back to bed, and it worked half the time
Unfortunately for the two of you, Fount was a busy person. It was to be expected, since he was the virtue of knowledge after all, and could not afford to take a break. But you were happy enough that you at least had the time to talk to him over some tea in his study.
On the one day that he had managed to catch a break for once, he had plans to meet up with his fellow virtues, and you were permitted to join, so of course you decided to go along with him.
Fount opened up a blue portal, and gestured with a slight bow for you to go through, and with a giggle, you did, with him following suit.
When you had gone through the portal, you were greeted with the garden of the Sugar of Happiness. It was a beautiful place, with varying shades of pinks, purples and yellows with the occasional green. Before you could get distracted with the amazing landscaping of the garden, your Fount gently took your hand and brought you to the area where you would be meeting the Sugar of Happiness, the Flour of Volition, the Herald of Change, and the Salt of Solidarity.
You had heard from Fount that Salty (that was what Fount had called him) was also bringing his lover along. His name was Elder Faerie, the ruler of the Faerie Kingdom. (you couldn't help but feel the slightest hint inferior, for you, a mere nobody, would be with the virtues and a ruler of a kingdom)
Your Fount had assured you that it was alright, and that they wouldn't mind, since you were a wonderful person, and having important roles didn't matter in this situation.
And he was right, because the meet-up had gone wonderfully, and the other virtues, and Elder Faerie were very nice to you! When you and Fount had to go, which was near the evening, you were a little lot happy.
Sugar of Happiness had been lovely to you, really. She'd asked you a few questions, and you answered all of them.
"Are you happy with him, darling?" she had asked.
"Of course! He's lovely, of course I'm happy!" you replied immediately.
She smiled and said, "Ah, that's great! Seeing others happy makes me happy too, teehee~!"
There was also another cookie around, one of Eternal Sugar's assistants of sorts. His name was Pavlova Cookie, and he teased you and Fount for being so "Obviously in love, it was adorable!" as he had put it.
Before you and Fount left, Pavlova had told the two of you, "May your love stay true forever! It sure looks like it will, hehe!"
About a week later, two Faeries from the Faerie kingdom had come to see Fount.
Sapphire Grape and Apple Faerie. They were siblings, and on the morning that they had came to the spire, you saw them following Fount around. They were very polite to you, not rude in the slightest.
In the evening, they had retreated to their shared room to rest, and Fount told you that Sapphire Grape was to be his assistant. Apple Faerie would just be staying here for the sole reason of being with her brother.
You didn't mind, of course, because Fount deserved all the help he could get, and hopefully Sapphire would help him.
--
You let out a shriek. Fount had somehow managed to- To decapitate himself! He held his grinning head in one hand and was juggling it around while laughing.
"What the- Fount-!!" you said, having panicked when he walked over to you with his head in his hands and claiming he had a headache.
Having heard your voice, Sapphire Grape rushed into the room, asking what had happened and then freezing up when he saw Fount. Apple Faerie came in soon after and had a near identical reaction to her brother, but also shrieked, which was rather amusing.
Fount put his head back on a few minutes after, and you were about to gently scold him, but Sapphire beat you to the punch.
"Master! How could you- Ugh, do you know how alarming it wad to hear a shriek and see you beheaded?!"
Fount couldn't help but laugh, and he said, "Oh, but it was amusing, was it not?"
"I suppose so," you replied. (Sapphire was still pouting, but you could tell he was completely alright)
Fount of Knowledge had been acting.. Odd. You didn't know why.
He was the slightest hint meaner, a little snarkier to the Knowledge-seekers, and had been talking bad about them to you often. It was worrying, but you didn't know what to do about it, so you simply listened, and attempted to comfort him. (but how was a mere nobody like you meant to understand someone near akin to a god?)
Sapphire had been acting weird too, but you couldn't say anything due to not knowing him that well. His sister had gone back to the Faerie Kingdom as well, which made it harder.
You tried your best to help with Fount's duties, reading as much non-fiction books as you could so that you could help answer questions. You took up the more easier questions, and were able to answer them, but couldn't help but feel a little guilty about giving Fount the harder work. (but you couldn't do it. you just couldn't answer them and the questions were so hard and how were you supposed to answer about cookiekind's creation, about the fine line between good and evil-)
It was the closest you would get to understanding Fount, so you tried anyways.
At the very least, you would get to have tea with him in the evenings. That was the one constant in your relationship, and that was alright.
The tea would be the same temperature every evening, and you'd sit at the exact same seat in the exact same room and the constant, the routine of it, it was comforting. The warmth of tea and the stupid conversations.
Maybe it had been a mistake to ask, "How- No, why were cookies created by the Witches—our gods?" because his gaze went cold and he put down his tea on the table.
"Don't ask me that- I beg, do not ask me that. And do not call them gods- they are not- They have never been our gods." his tone was cold.
"I am- I apologise- I did not mean to-" you stuttered out an apology, staring at your tea instead of at him, but took a brief glance up at him (and you could've sworn you saw his eyes flash cyan and cerulean but maybe that was just a missight)
"It is.. alright," he replied, albeit with hesitation in his voice.
You did not reply, simply drinking the rest of your tea, and getting up. "Goodnight, my Fount. May your dreams be pleasant," you said, then walked out to your room (like a coward, running away from conflict)
'It is useless to ask whether I have done nothing wrong', you thought, since you had brought up a sore subject (and you should've known, really, you think you should've known)
The lights were turned off, and you laid in your bed and stared up at the ceiling.
The door creaks open. You hear Fount come in, so you close your eyes and pretend to be sleeping.
"I know you're awake, my star," he called out, walking to your bed and sitting near you. He took your hand, tracing random patterns on it. You simply hummed in response to it.
"I didn't mean to sound harsh," Fount continued. To that you replied, "It was not your fault. And I am sorry, for being far too emotional."
"That's okay. We all get a little lot emotional sometimes, mon ami. But I do have a request.. Can I sleep with you tonight?" he asked. You said yes, sitting up to pat the space next to you, a gesture for him to sit with you. And he did, of course, and pulled you into his arms, and he held you close, so close, and you almost managed to forget the coldness of his gaze and the coldness of his voice.
You drifted off to sleep, comfortable in his arms (for the last time.)
Sapphire Grape was nowhere to be seen. Your Fount wasn't near either. But there was a commotion outside, and you could've sworn you heard the voice of Fount-
You rushed outside (and noticed one of Fount's bunnies following you), and oh, the sight outside, it was horrifying, a guillotine (how had they acquired that-) and right there was-
"Fount-!" you screamed, as you ran, but it was too little too late.
A cookie cried out, "Let's execute the false truth-teller who has deceived us all!"
The blade fell, and you saw a cloaked figure that looked awfully like Sapphire try to rush towards the guillotine, and oh witches-
Fount's head rolled down, and that was the moment your mind had decided to remind you of that prank he had played where he had managed to decollate himself, and you felt a glimpse of hope, that maybe he wasn't crumbled yet-
His frown turned to a smile, before his body got up, reached around for his head, and he put it back on. The cloaked cookie, who was in fact Sapphire (he now had purple hair, and was now wearing a suit) did a fancy gesture, and called out, "Did you all enjoy the show~?"
This did nothing but cause uproar in the crowd, and some of them reached out at him, but he simply grinned, and with a poof! He was gone, and Sapphire had disappeared too. A few giggles could be heard from inside the Spire, and they were from Fount and Sapphire.
You ran back inside, slamming the door shut and setting a few enchantments on it so it would not open. The other cookies tried their best to come in, but failed.
"Fount? Sapphire? Where are you?" you called out, wandering through the halls of the Spire. Where were they, where were-
Somehow a door appears in front of you. You rush through it, and there he was.
The Fount..? He was different. The underside of his hair was black, and the stars in it were replaced by eyes. Instead of those loose robes he had once donned, he wore a skin-tight bodysuit. His Soul Jam had been taken off from his key staff, and was now pinned to his bodysuit. The moon and that star-thing were at his feet instead of orbiting him.
His smile was no longer the gentle one you were used to, and yet, it was far more genuine.
You took a step towards him. "Fount..?" you called out.
He floated towards you, slinging a hand over your shoulder, and said in a sing-songy tone, "Ah, my star is finally here~! Oh, and it's not Fount anymore, dearie! It's Shadow Milk now, teehee! No more truths, and no more wasting time spreading knowledge to stupid cookies who won't even listen! It's deceit now!"
"Alright. Alright then, Shadow Milk," you said, hesitance in your voice. The name felt foreign, but you would have to get used to it, you supposed. "You still.. You still love me though, right?" You asked on accident, it was meant to stay in your head and oh witches now he'd think you're selfish for only thinking of that-
"Of course I do, my love! I love you as I always have, and that feeling never ceases~!" he assured you, bringing your hand to his lips and kissing it.
On complete impulse, you pull him into a hug, oh-so tight, and mumble to him, "You won't- You won't stop loving me right..? No matter- No matter how much you change..? No matter how much I change, if i even do..?" (you feel pathetic. a change should not make you feel like the world is ending. he is still the one you loved, he has simply Changed.)
He reciprocates the hug, and mumbles into your ear words meant for you and you only. "I will never stop loving you, despite it all. Even if the stars try to rip me away from you, which they would not dare to do, I will love you forevermore."
The door was opened, and in came Sapphire Grape. "I've managed to spread more rumors today~!" he announced.
Shadow Milk pulled away (but still kept a hand around your waist) and replied, "That's great, Black Sapphire~! You can rest for today, should you wish to do so!"
And Sapphire Grape, or rather, Black Sapphire, nodded, then walked out.
For the weeks that followed after that day, Shadow Milk had changed a little more. The gentle Fount was no more.
He switched out his key staff for a blueberry one, donned a jester frilled collar (that had his Soul Jam pinned to it) and had bishop sleeves.
You didn't mind. He stayed with you, you stayed with him, and all would be alright. Occasionally he'd ask for your help in planning out an attack, and half-heartedly, you assisted. You didn't truly want to do this. Occasionally you daydreamed of going to the garden of the Sugar of Happiness, but a few glances through your portal showed that now, it was not true Happiness being granted.
The evening tea-times with him were no more. The cuddling at night stopped, replaced with him scheming and you falling asleep in his office. (you always woke up in your bed, however.)
You kept whatever photos you had of him when he went by Fount, and managed to steal the book that had started all this, the book of the time loops, from the library. You kept it under your bed. You'd stare at the photos over and over, wondering whether the change was your fault.
A few months later. A few moon phases passed.
The stars had, in fact, dared to rip you away from him. He was no longer with you, he was away and he might not come back and the thought of that was enough to make you cry so very much.
The Five Virtues were Virtues no longer, and were now nothing more than beasts, as corruption had ate away at them. 'Maybe they were doomed to fail. Attempting to achieve impossible goals will bring you to ruin in the end after all.' you thought to yourself.
The Salt of Solidarity had sealed them away, and sealed himself too. Shadow Milk was no longer free, no longer free to wreak havoc which was great for the majority of cookiekind.
And yet, you still felt sad. It was alright to feel like that, you reasoned, because anyone would, if they had their lover ripped away from them. But then, Elder Faerie had also had his partner taken away, and he wasn't showing it. (maybe he was simply better at hiding it than your emotional self.)
Elder Faerie had been so kind on the day of the Sealing, and allowed you to stay in a little cottage in the Faerie Kingdom. You sat awake in your bed, staring outside at the shimmering branches of the Silver Tree.
Eventually, you managed to slip into a nightmare-plagued dream.
You wake up, in your room.
In your.. Room..? But you were meant to be in the Silver Kingdom, with its silver and soft blue tones, but instead, you were in your house, for some reason. A dream, this had to be a dream, right?
You sat up, and walked around your supposed dream. The sun shone through the windows, and you took a look at the calendar. It was.. Wait, wasn't that date almost a year ago?
You got dressed anyways, and went out of your house, to take a walk. Was this still a dream?
The Spire of Knowledge, untainted by deceit and still with its pale blue colors, stood in all its glory. You blinked. Your eyes had to be deceiving you, no?
Despite the thought at the back of your mind saying it was all a dream, simply a delusion created by a lonely, longing mind, you went in anyways.
And there was Fount. Not Shadow Milk, but Fount. Your Fount. He did not take a look at you, but you stared, before realising that you were staring, and rushed off to a random shelf to hide.
Were the stars truly giving you another chance to stop his corruption?
Giving a soft thanks to Fortuna, you thought about what you would do.
