A Change of Fate - A Cookie Run AU

Chapter Two - How the fuck did you lose them?!

The market.

It's a buzzing place. Cookies were everywhere, going about their day with ease and joy. There are all sorts of vendors from across the kingdom, all packed into this stretch of the main road to the castle once every two weeks. Everybody and their cousin goes to this thing. So it's packed to the gills with people.

The plan was simple. Choco was gonna buy them some food and licorice and shroomie were gonna split off and go get clothes that fit the smaller cookie because he was still wearing licorice's old shirts like they were dresses. Licorice would use what little cash he had (stolen) and get some new makeup and then they would meet up and go home.

Nowhere in the plan was losing shroomie in the maze of clothes.

The place was HUGE. Row after row of the stuff. In fact, Licorice was almost damn sure that this shit goes on FOREVER. And now, a tiny, likely oblivious cookie was in the middle of it alone. That was not gonna fly.

And that's how, after searching for nearly a damn hour, he learned from another cookie that Shroomie had left the clothes section of the market. Licorice was scrambling about, wondering where his younger sibling was as he scrambles around the marketplace. It was loud and chaotic. Licorice swore he was getting a headache from it.

Shroomie on the other hand was as happy as a clam. they weren't sure how they got there, but the cookie they were with was friendly. His hair reminds them of the forest they used to call home, bright green and full of life. His stall was no different, plants of all shapes and sizes around them. Shroomie sat among their leafy friends, mind afloat.

Their vision slowly goes static as they sit alone. Their whole body seemed frozen as if their dough had been put in a freezer, the world melting away into blobs of green and blue.

Time was meaningless, nobody was here. just shroomie and the plants. alone again.

It was cold that night when she had found them. They didn't seem to notice it nipping through their clothes as they lied in the pathway, trees shading him from the rain. Silently, she approached. "Hello? Are you alright?" Her long hair was in her face, tracks of frustration and calculation burned into her features.

"Who are you..? Oh, a visitor... never mind..."

The kind gardener cookie gently shook the child gently, nervous. "Hey little guy, someone is looking for you."

"Wha? Oh, visitor!" They giggled and ran over to licorice, who was practically sobbing in relief.

"Shroomie! I thought I lost you! Don't you dare run off like that again! I swear on the witches if this happens again you are in SO much trouble!" Licorice rants, the smaller just curling up to him. They seemed happy.

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Choco stood staring at the stalls of food. It was overwhelming just seeing the amount of food they could pick to eat, let alone the number of cookies browsing.

He grabs the list from his pocket, trying to focus. It wasn't long, just ten things, but god, Choco felt like it was gonna take years to get done. Finding shit was gonna be a job of its own as well with how huge this place is. Gritting his teeth, he pushed through to the first stall. Carrots, potatoes, berries, and some lettuce sat in big displays with prices written in bold red paint.

It's dripping, the red, spilling onto the street. The screaming was so loud, the clashing of armour and swords ringing out. You couldn't save them if you wanted to.

His hands tremble, dropping the potato clumsily. he bends over to pick it up, inhaling sharply. he quickly throws it into a bag and moves onto the berries, doing the same. He barely registers the women ring him through.

She's bleeding out. It's your fault. Your killing your people.

He left in a hurry, moving down the list. collect, buy, repeat, until there's nothing left on the list. It's quiet.

Everyone is dead. Good work.

He had gotten everything on the list.

What time is it? Where are the kids?

THE KIDS. Fuck where were they supposed to meet up again?? He's useless, he can't remember jack shit. Almond and his fucking goons are gonna find them all alone and he's never gonna see them again-

His phone started ringing in his back pocket. Choco fumbles to get it out while holding the bags, answering. "Hello? This is Dark-"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. We're at the park near the square. Meet us there," Licorice says, the line going dead once more. Choco sighed and started walking to the park. The sun was setting as folks packed up to leave for home, people tiredly bustling and counting dollar bills. The last time Choco could remember having the same amount of money was when he himself was a teen, a prince to a mighty throne and a legacy to live up to. It was many years ago now though, and there was no point in thinking about it. Besides, he would have plenty of time to think later in his bed.

Shroomie ran up to him, giggling. Choco barely registered a word they said, but both siblings seemed happy. In the end, that's all that mattered to him. The kids. Choco couldn't understand why he felt the need to protect them so deeply sense they were put in his care, but he's not complaining. Maybe the lack of love as a child had gotten to him.

The sky was painted a beautiful orange and purple. Everything was quiet as they go up the front steps and into the house.

Choco floats through the rest of the evening. The voice was talking loudly to him about what he did wrong the whole time.

There's not enough salt. The food is too hot. Knives can kill the kids.

It was annoying.

He should really get rid of the damn sword.

...could he?