The sky was beautiful that evening.
This time, Dark Cacao Cookie was once again scouting the castle grounds. There had been signs of a potentially dangerous beast near the walls of the Dark Cacao Kingdom, and after two betrayals from those he trusted most...
He couldn't afford to let anything slip past him again. He was already weak enough—had shut himself away, too consumed by guilt and stress, overthinking every rare moment he dared to interact with someone. As the walls of the Dark Cacao Kingdom grew taller, Dark Cacao Cookie drifted farther and farther from his own kin.
Before he could take another step into the thick snow, a hand shot out in front of him, halting him where he stood.
"Dark Cacao Cookie," said Caramel Arrow Cookie, her voice breathy from the bitter cold—and from trying to stay quiet. "There's something nearby."
Dark Cacao Cookie bristled, his grip instinctively tightening around the Grapejam Chocoblade. As much as he wanted to speak, he had to respond with a simple nod. He couldn't fail this. Not again.
As alarmed as he was, even with his sharp eye he couldn't spot the threat. Snow fell in thick white blankets over the ground as trees swayed in the bitter winds. The mountains were just beyond the horizon, their formidable peaks looming above the trees.
Goddamn right. He thought.
You're stupid for being out here.
All the things you could be doing, and you decided to waste your time on a tip from a suspicious commoner.
Your kingdom needs you, and you're out here--
CRACK!
Dark Cacao Cookie's knees nearly buckled, and he let out a strangled sound--half suprise, half pain--as something slammed into his head.
Fuck! Get yourself together, you're a king for the Sugar Swan's sake--
He shoved the thought away as the beast came in for another attack. He raised his sword, instantly deflecting the attack and using it to get the upper hand.
When out of the corner of his eye, he saw Caramel Arrow Cookie raise her bow. Aiming at the creature. His very instincts--his dough itself--screamed at him to get himself together and slay it. Yet he found himself yelling; "DON'T SHOOT!"
Dark Cacao Cookie immediately turned back to the creature, holding it down with the flat side of his blade. When he was able to focus, if not just for a second, he realized--this is a Cookie.
The cookie was injured. Weak. Aggressive. A castout? He thought. No. This one's used to the wild. She's defending something. She wouldn't nearly give me a concussion for no reason.
Wait a minute. This isn't a normal cookie.
Her hair, a plum purple and shimmering like diamonds, was choppily cut at her shoulders. She wore nothing but the remnants of a crimson dress, torn up by the endless time in the wind and snow. Her dough was pale, so pale--most likely due to the bitter cold. She looked like she could shatter at any moment--her dough was cracked, chipped along her arms and face, brittle from the cold. And her eyes... her eyes were a bright, vibrant green with white lashes.
Dark Cacao Cookie hesitated before he asked, "Are you injured?"
The cookie writhed under his blade, and he somehow had the instinct to lift it ever so slightly just to not press down on her so hard.
Damn you, you're getting soft...
The only response was a broken sound, mostly a gasp, but almost like a cry.
"Sir..." Caramel Arrow Cookie said, her bow now in her hand by her side. "What do you plan on doing with it..?"
Dark Cacao Cookie glanced at Caramel Arrow Cookie, then down at the writhing figure beneath him. "I plan to help her," he said.
"But that's--she attacked you!" Caramel Arrow Cookie cried. "She's wild, she could still be a threat--"
"SILENCE!" Dark Cacao Cookie barked. The sharpness in his voice cut through the air. Caramel Arrow Cookie froze, eyes wide.
A sob broke through the silence.
"Let... me... go!" The cookie cried out.
Those teary words sliced through Dark Cacao Cookie's resolve, sending a wave of guilt crashing through him. He knew that sound all too well. He lifted the blade off of the cookie, who immediately stood and backed away. She didn't get far, as her injured state caused her to fall back into the snow.
Despite all of his training--the battles, the betrayals--he kept his distance, treating the cookie like an injured animal. "My name is Dark Cacao Cookie," he declared, trying to make his meaning clear, "I am the king of the kingdom nearby. Please forgive me for attacking you."
Idiot! She attacked you first!
He dropped the Grapejam Chocoblade into the snow and put his hands up. "I am here to help you," he stated.
next chapter →