Deserted Gardens

13

Notes:
Trigger warning: Child abuse, dehumanizing children, unethical experiments, mentions of child soldiers.

Licorice is No.04.

This is my backstory headcannon, also Allsort Licorice and Salted Liquorice are my ocs.

7 year old No.04 saw Allsorts Licorice at the end of the corridor. "Mommy!" She thought as she ran towards only to receive a cold slap across the face. "What did we say about running in the halls?" Allsorts Licorice asked in a stern voice. "Don't?" No.04 gestures, rubbing her cheek. "That's right, now leave." Allsorts Licorice reminded No.04. No.04 nodded as she walks away. No.04 can hear Allsorts Licorice tired sigh from the pastel gasmask she is wearing. "On second thought, No.04. I need you for the next experiment." Allsorts Licorice said, her dark glasses shining. Allsorts Licorice grabs No.04's hand hard as she drags No.04 into the laboratory. No.04 glancing at the caged child soldiers and other experiments they pass by. Allsorts Licorice gestures No.04 on the examination table as Allsorts Licorice gave No.04 a vanilla cupcake with light purple frosting and blue swirls. After No.04 ate she begins to feel sleepy.

A quick nap wouldn't hurt, would it? When No.04 woke up, there was stitches all over her body and Allsorts Licorice seems to be angry. "What happened?" No.04 nudged to Allsorts Licorice. "A failure, now get out of my sight." Allsorts Licorice replied. No.04 got down from the examination table and walk out to the door. Halfway down to her cage, No.04 had a coughing fit. No.04 opened her hand that she cough in and saw blood, mix with a black substance.

~~~~

Licorice jolted up from his nightmare of the memory. What did Allsorts Licorice do to him? He turn to see Dark Choco is still asleep and it was still night-time. Licorice tries to lay back to sleep, but he is always remind of his childhood, before Dark Enchantress. Maybe a walk wouldn't hurt. After all, who could be awake at this hour? Licorice quietly left the small house and scroll through the gardens, seeing the lily flowers reminded him of White Lily. Licorice turned his glaze to blue moon, it's light was more beautiful than the red moon he used to seeing. As he inhales the lily flowers' sent, trying to imagine himself back at the sercet garden with White Lily when he was interrupted by a voice. "What are you doing up so late, grey one?" Licorice turns to see Dark Cacao. "Nightmare?" Licorice qulped. "Nightmare?" Dark Cacao repeat. "Oh, so we are now shaming about having nightmares now, huh?" Licorice retorted as he crossed his arms.

Licorice than pauses at the situation. "What about you?" He asked. Dark Cacao sighs. "I was reading." He answered. "Is it a good book?" Licorice asked. "If you like autobiographies." Dark Cacao shrug. "This book was written by my father, but he never got the chance to publish it." Dark Cacao continues. "And there is something in there that you would like to see, if you wish to read it with me. Your choice." Dark Cacao said. Licorice was conflicted, he was never given a choice that doesn't end the same. "Um, alright." He answered. Dark Cacao smiles as he gestures Licorice to follow him. The two walked down the garden until they reached the back of the house, where there's a large tree stump with a stone bench underneath. Dark Cacao sat on the bench and patting the space beside him to indicate that Licorice should sit too. Dark Cacao starts to speak,

"My father wrote an entire quarter and a half of the book detailing another Licorice Tribe member, who like you was also believed to be last member, named Salted Liquorice. Apparently they were the greatest of friends until Salted Liquorice caught a fatal illness." Dark Cacao sighs as he continued. "My father went into a deep depression after Salted Liquorice's death. He stayed in bed for 4 whole days." He paused. It doesn't take a mind reader to see Dark Cacao was also affected. Licorice gulped as he spoke. "Were you and Salted Liquorice close?" He asked. Dark Cacao chuckle sadly. "He was like a second father to me and I was only 13 when he died." He answered. Dark Cacao then clear his throat. "But that's not the point. The point is how Salted Liquorice died." He said as he flips through the pages.

"It saids here 'The final time I seen Salted Liquorice was he got out of bed and walked into the raging waters at the beach. I tried to stop him, but he was too stubborn and he left himself be washed away, smiling at me.'" Dark Cacao close the book before facing Licorice. "Back in the Dark Cacao Kingdom, our version of death is the Frost Queen, but the Licorice Tribe seems to have the oceans." He explains. Licorice bit his tongue, he knows what Dark Cacao is going to say, because Dark Choco had when they first met. "What happened to your tribe?" Dark Cacao asked. Licorice gulped. "It's hard to explain." He begins. "You can tell me." Dark Cacao said calmly. Licorice exhales. "One day they all got onto a boat and left me behind, telling me that I'm not one of them." He said looking at a lily flowers. "That's when Dark Enchantress found me, saw my worth, and adopted me." He continued with his voice beam woth pride.

Dark Cacao wanted to say. 'So you knew Dark Enchantress was using you.', but decided to go against it. "So what was your nightmare about?" He asked. Licorice turns towards him. "What?" He asked. "Back when Dark Choco was younger I told him that if he tell his dreams, it won't come true. So he tell his nightmares instead." Dark Cacao explains. Licorice hesitated for a moment then sighs. "It not a nightmare, it's more like a memory. Back when I used to be a caged experiment called No.04, watching as the child soldiers and other experiments go by." Licorice replied. Dark Cacao turns towards him. "E-Experiments?" He stammered. "Yeah, my first caretakers wanted to create evolution, buying a lab and disguising as an orphanage, and I was deemed a failure." Licorice explains without care. Licorice then chuckled. "But hey, I'm still alive and they're at the bottom of the Licorice Seas!" He says raising his fists into the air as if he is celebrating.

Dark Cacao doesn't know what overcame him, but he pulled Licorice into a hug. Licorice frozed in place. Usually he hugs Poison Mushroom, but something about this makes him feel...warm. Licorice hesitated, but decided to return the hug, not realizing that he is crying. Before he knew it, he was fast asleep.