New feelings, New Enemy // Cookie Run Fanfiction //

Three ahead, two behind (Ch. 4)

Hello again! I decided to go a little easy on the angst for this chapter. About White Lily, I can't seem to grasp how exactly she got to the tower of sweet chaos, so I added a probably uncanon fact. Hope you guys like it!

While tending the injuries of others, only some cookies managed to take time to glance at Pure Vanilla before getting back to running around to find or help someone in a nearby tent. As he carried Chili to one, with the other four following behind him in a line like ducklings, he quickly made her rest her head on a pillow while they simply watched him during the whole process of the healing, waiting worryingly. Custard observed the cracks receding when Pure Vanilla lightly flicked his staff in the air, how the comforting green color filled the room for a small instant. He endured the guilt as much as he could, though he still called himself culpable of Chili Pepper's current conditions, only because he found himself not strong enough. While they were all sat down at the entrance of the tent, Pure Vanilla looked around and broke the silence.

"Now, we just need a few bandages. Strawberry Cookie, would you mind asking the next tent outside if they have any? Please do tell if there are other cookies in rough shape, I shall see to them right when I'm done with Chili Pepper Cookie."

She nodded, though it wouldn't be noticeable at first, she was quieter than she usually was. Quickly exiting the white tent, her soft footsteps began to fade into the background while she entered the next one. GingerBrave had no clue on what to say, he wanted to brighten up the mood, but when he saw the look on Custard with his red puffed eyes, he knew it wasn't the time. Wizard was also speechless, he had many questions, to which none of them have been answered yet. By the way he was tapping his foot and fiddling with his hands, it got obvious to GingerBrave he was becoming nervous, which wasn't much of a surprise. Lots of cookies were nervous, some were scared and others were even horrified. Not being able to think of any phrase that could reassure everyone, he slowly intertwined his hand with Wizard's. His foot slowly stopped tapping as he turned around, immediately locking eyes with him. Though not a word was said, the way his face lit up made it clear he was feeling a bit better. His gaze softened.

'Thank you'

Or at least that was what came first to mind to what he thought Wizard was thinking. GingerBrave smiled back and waited for Strawberry to return with the bandages as the room turned less gloomy than before.
She came back a short moment after with one roll of bandages, when she stepped in, she remembered how Chili's leg was missing when they reunited. A shiver ran down her spine.

"What about her leg..?"

"Ah.. it really depends. If the other half of it is still intact, there is a kind of magic that only a few graduates of the Blueberry Yogurt Academy know of, such as myself, which can be used to re-attach it. Though, it was nowhere to be seen when I got there."

He turned to Custard, who looked at him as if he was about to cry again, but his eyes led him to stare off into space, he took a deep breath before speaking in the most cold tone a child could use, in which a small hint of anger could be sensed.

"It crumbled off. Reduced to dust."

GingerBrave held Wizard's hand tighter to the word 'crumbled', a frown started to form on Custard when he felt all eyes on him, to which he lowered his head. He sniffed, looking at his staff, still making himself remember how he wasn't able to fix everything. He couldn't heal Chili properly, whose conditions should've been way worse, how would he even fix the kingdom, let alone reign it?
Those very thoughts started to overwhelm the cookie, to the point where he just couldn't handle it anymore.