Red Spider Lilies - SparklingHerb

10B - Broken hearts aren't hard to find.

It was late, really late. Sparkling tried to cover as much ground as he could but it just seemed like he was walking in circles. He didn't know where he was. All that he could rely on was his phone, he would check the time regularly. A bartender out in the wilderness, it was an environment he wasn't familiar with at all. "...What am I doing...I should head back, I should trust him..." Sparkling sighed and went back to his house.
-
It was the next day, Sparkling woke up relatively late. He quickly dressed up and hurriedly ran to his bar.
'...Sirens?' Sirens could be heard in the distance. It wasn't everyday in the kingdom for a police car, firetruck, or ambulance to be heard. He rushed towards the sound. A bunch of cookies were crowding around the area close to the forest. As Sparkling got closer, he could see faint bloody footsteps. "Hey Vampire...? What's this commotion about?" Sparkling asked in worry, "A dead cookie was found inside the forest, the police seem to know what happened to the cookie but they won't provide any details. All that the bystanders know is that the cookie is dead." Vampire stared at the tape that was blocking off the area.
A few minutes went by and two cookies were carrying a stretcher with a visible body underneath a blanket. A lot of cookies were pushing each other to try and get a better view. The ambulance doors closed off, everybody started to whisper to one another. It seemed like they were gossiping. Sparkling felt tense. He didn't feel good about this. Sparkling continued with his day and went to his bar, Vampire was walking beside him.
-
A few days later.
-
Word started to spread that Herb was the one who died in the forest. Nobody knew who obtained this information, it could've been fake news. Yet, many cookies still believed it. Due to the popularity of his bar, he'd always accidentally manage to eavesdrop on other cookies conversations. Thus, it wasn't long before Sparkling heard about it. "You heard what other people are saying right? They're saying it was Herb who died that day," Vampire shook his glass, "I haven't seen him around the kingdom either." He chugged down his wine. "I don't want to believe it, it's not like anybody has valid proof it was him... Let's just wait until the news announces it...if they will at all."

"Ignorance is bliss, after all."
Sparkling was lost in thought, what if it really was Herb? What would he do?

One of his closest friend dead, he dreaded the thought.
Just as they said that, Vampire's phone vibrated. It was a news report from a website he subscribed to. Vampire's nonchalant attitude changed, his eyes were widened and his mouth agape. He looked at Sparkling. "They confirmed it...I...I'll just show you the article."
"It's too much."
Vampire handed his phone to the bartender, Sparkling's shoulders gradually tensed up. He felt immense guilt, Sparkling covered his face with his hands. "I knew about it and yet, I...I did nothing." He started to crack, "Wait, you knew about his illness? Did you not...try to help?" Vampire was speechless, "I-I did but he kept avoiding me...I thought he hated me!" Sparkling was grief-stricken. "Hey, the article stated the symptoms of his disease too."
Sparkling read further.
'Hanahaki Disease, is a disease where the victim coughs up flower petals when they suffer from one-sided love. The methods of curing this disease, that we currently know of, are either surgical removal or the other party reciprocating this love. Apparently, surgically removing it can make the feelings vanish. However, there is also a possibility of  the victim entirely forgetting the other party.'
"Any idea who Herb liked?" Vampire asked the shaken boy. "N...No. Not at all. Can't we ask some of his closer friends? Maybe...they know." He replied, "Sure. I don't mind."
They asked every cookie that they knew was close to Herb. A cookie caught wind of their curiosity. The cookie wore a scarf and had a bow and arrow with them. They stared at the two in silence, examining both of them. "Hello?~ Who are you?~" Vampire asked, "...Herb cookie is a fallen soul, and I promised to heal him. I failed my duty and I am sorry. I said I would be his saviour but no matter what I told him, he did not listen." The cookie said.

"He was scared of love, and scared of loving."

"The one that he loved did not spare a glance in his direction. That cookie was you, I presume." He looked at Sparkling. "I'm sorry...what?" Sparkling's voice was shaky. "He described to me the details of the cookie he loved, and perhaps my assumption is wrong but you seem to be the most fitting candidate. It is...a tragedy."

"He always said his feelings were foolish."

The cookie sighed and was about to leave, "Who are you?" Vampire and Sparkling asked simultaneously, "I am Wind Archer Cookie. I am the protector of the forest." The cookie replied.

"Tell me, was he really the fool?"

The cookie ran into the forest swiftly. "That cookie was probably speaking the truth, it seemed like they knew Herb well." Vampire stared into the depths of the forest.
"..." Sparkling didn't reply, 'Herb liked me? God I'm an idiot...why didn't I approach him...' He was slapping himself mentally. 'Why was I so dense...' That sentence repeated in his mind, Vampire noticed this and patted his back. He didn't know how to comfort him.

Wind Archer Cookie held up a single red spider lily.

"Perhaps it was never meant to be." He peeked at them through the trees, looking at the sobbing blonde cookie.
"He was not a fallen soul but now, it seems like that has changed."

"A love that cannot be reciprocated, a broken heart which can never be fixed."

"Tragedy strikes again."

A/N hiii I loved writing this hehe
If there was a neutral ending, it would most probably be Herb getting surgery. Hope you enjoyed the story! Thanks for sticking until the end <3 don't forget to follow me on ig :)