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The fog was black, rolling over the sky the way it always did over Beast-Yeast. The dark mist of the Licorice Sea made it no better, the waves crashing against the black pebbled shore far down below. It was all tainted and dark, the mark of dark magic and the dark sorceress who lived here.
Affogato stood on a balcony outside Dark Enchantress' castle, looking up at the sky and wondering. He wasn't even sure it was dawn yet. He'd woken from his slumber in a cold sweat, and was halfway through getting dressed for the day when he remembered he was no longer the Head Priest of the Dark Cacao Kingdom.
No, here, he was just Affogato Cookie, and that was all he had ever wanted to be. It was all he had ever wanted, just a place to belong and be nothing but himself.
And yet...
"Up for the sun too?"
The nasal voice caught him off guard, and he looked up to see Licorice, dressed in his usual dark robes. The dark sorcerer came up beside him, leaning to rest on the balcony railing and staring up at the sky.
"I could not sleep," Affogato answered shortly, turning his gaze towards the sky once more. Licorice hummed beside him, and from the corner of his eye, Affogato could see that the other was staring up at the black clouds too.
"We never get to see the sunrise here," the dark sorcerer muttered, "but every year I still get my hopes up."
Affogato frowned. "What do you mean?"
Licorice tore his gaze from the sky, looking directly at Affogato. He'd always found those light pale eyes of Licorice's to be particularly unnerving, but they were especially now so, in the dim light of early Beast-Yeast.
"It's the sunrise holiday," Licorice said, and something in Affogato's chest cracked, "isn't that why you're out here?"
"Ah," Affogato said, turning his gaze towards the sky with as much eloquent grace as he could muster. He'd forgotten one of the most beloved holidays in the Dark Cacao Kingdom. He asked himself why it mattered, and his chest squeezed in painful response. "Yes."
Licorice nodded, and returned those unnerving eyes back towards the sky again. "We never get to see it here, but... every year I still get up before dawn."
"I was not aware you were from Dark Cacao," Affogato couldn't help but state, his gaze now pinned to the dark sorcerer next to him. Curiosity rippled through him, and perhaps, a bit of self indulgence where the Dark Cacao Kingdom was concerned.
Licorice didn't look away from the sky, but his words were soft and heavy when he spoke. "There were cookies living there before it was the Dark Cacao Kingdom. We were there first. My tribe was born from the Licorice Sea."
Affogato nodded, letting the revelation wash over him. That made sense, in hindsight. A lot of things about Licorice suddenly made sense, in hindsight.
He sighed and shoved the thoughts away. In turn, his mind wandered to the holiday. The sunrise holiday was one of the very few days of the year in which the Dark Cacao Kingdom all came together to celebrate. All of the citizens, even the king, gathered before dawn to watch the sunrise herald a new year. He remembered it fondly, even admired the resolution and strength of the kingdom when one year the sun did not show its face.
That had been last year, Affogato recalled now. The sun had not shown its face, foreshadowing misfortune upon the land. Instead of becoming discouraged, however, he remembered the cookies of the land steeling themselves, preparing for the hard year ahead.
Perhaps it had been a sign that he would lose everything. His reputation. His home.
Her.
Witches, but he missed her. Despite the fact that she could destroy everything he had built, despite the fact that she had, despite everything he had done to prevent her from ruining his life and failing, he missed her.
Affogato let out a soft sigh. He never allowed himself to reminisce over her. She had destroyed everything, had destroyed him. She was to blame for his disgrace, his falling, his failure. She had to be.
To reminisce over her…
Was he wrong?
Licorice was silent beside him, at least. If it were any time but now, Affogato would have been thankful for the inane chatter, for the stupidity that fell from the dark sorcerer's mouth. Now, when he could not get the memory of her out of his head, he would have welcomed it.
Affogato had only ever heard her laugh once. She had been in the mess hall, surrounded by her fellow Watchers. She had laughed so hard with them that she nearly choked on her food, but this of course only brought about a new bout of laughter.
He could only recall her smile, so genuine and true, when it was at the king. Standing by King Dark Cacao's side, Affogato remembered clearly wishing that her smile, so bright as it was, would shine upon him.
He remembered the crushing weight of the look on her face, that fateful day he convinced King Dark Cacao to kick her out of the citadel. It had haunted him for weeks, the shock and misery, the dark hatred she turned towards him. He had only done it because he'd thought it was necessary to protect his life in the kingdom. The king had been aimless in those days, and he worried.
He'd been selfish.
He'd been wrong .
"I think I've made a mistake," Affogato murmured, his voice soft and cracked, the tangling emotions only further tightening his chest.
Beside him, Licorice made a confused noise, turning to look at him, but it was that moment that the sky split open.
Bright sunlight tore from the sky, shining behind something whistling through the air. It cut through the foggy air, streaking across the sky and tearing the black clouds of Beast-Yeast apart.
"What the...?" Licorice muttered, but Affogato had eyes only for the object cutting the sky open. He couldn't quite see it, but as it drew closer, he realized it was aiming straight for him.
He threw himself out of the way with a yelp, and the magic arrow crashed into the balcony, cracking into the floor with a force that he swore shook the entirety of Dark Enchantress' castle.
Across the balcony, Licorice had thrown himself to the side as well. He now sat up, coughing and complaining and shaking dust out of his hood and hair, but Affogato found himself enamored by the arrow.
Because it was an arrow , one that sparked with familiar warm magic, of brown sugar and caramel. It was hers . No matter how much he could try to forget, he would always be able to recognize even the smallest trace of her.
With trembling hands, Affogato pried the caramel arrow up from the floor of the balcony, staring as it pulsed and glowed in his hold. The sunlight was bright above, and he turned his gaze to the sky, staring at the sunrise the arrow had brought.
"Affogato? What the hell just happened?" Licorice asked with an irritated air, annoyance and frustration in his tone.
Never had Affogato wanted anything so badly than to be with her, and the realization made him tremble, shivering and staring at the sky. All he had ever wanted was a place to belong, but if he was with her... did he need such a thing?
"I've made a mistake ," Affogato said again, his voice wavering and cracked with distress, and the arrow disappeared from his hands.
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Licorice demanded, but Affogato ignored him, standing and making his way across the shattered balcony.
He could belong nowhere else but with her. He knew that now.
He had to go. He had to try to make this right.
The fortune of the sunrise she had brought shone down upon him.