♡︎What Binds Us Together♡︎

Chapter 1: Never going to be brave...again...

Strawberry's POV

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My body felt numb, and I was in pain. Emotionally and physically...
"M-Mama...P—Papa...s-sorry!..." I cried.
I lost my sisters and failed to defend them and myself, they ran while I stayed, getting scratched and beaten up by cake wolfs. And when I felt that one claw scratched my hip I immediately knew that being brave was worthless...
And not for me.
Right now I was conscious but I couldn't open my eyes, the pain was like needles, poking me in every spot. Strawberry jam was spilling out of my cuts and I quietly started to cry, soft whimpers being the only thing heard around this forest.
𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚜𝚗'𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚗𝚍...𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝?
My questions were answered once I felt and heard footsteps, they were a group of...cookies? Around here?
Did me, Pearberry Cookie, and Appleberry Cookie miss a village?
"There's...There's a cookie!" I heard a male voice shout. He sounded like someone who goes ahead and protects his friends.
"But where is she from?" Another male asked, to me, his personality would be easily angered.
"I don't know!" The first male cookie said. "Oh my...she's really injured!"
"What, what happened?" A female cookie pondered.
My eyes opened a little, it was blurry because of my tears but three cookies were standing by me, looking down at me with worried expressions. I opened my mouth to only spit out a few words.
"Who...what...?" My voice was scratchy.
"She's alive!" The first male cookie exclaimed, his blue eyes looked at me with relief. Though his face expression changed to stern.
"We need to get her to a healer!" I felt myself being picked up and I whimpered. "Hey," The male cookie whispered, "Shh...it's okay, we're going to get you help."
"M-My...s—sisters..." I frantically tried to say but he shushed me again.
"We should take her to Herb, he's more experienced." The second male cookie suggested.
"Then let's go!" The female exclaimed. "I hate feeling worried with sympathy and that stuff!"
And that's were I closed my eyes....

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My eyes squinted open, my head hurt and I didn't feel like getting up. Though I saw four cookies now standing near me. One male cookie with leafs on his head...or maybe that's...hair? It must be the "Herb" they were talking about.
"She's waking up." His soft voice told the other three cookies. My eyes moved over to the three cookies who saved me, they looked a lot clearer than before.
"Hey." The first male cookie waved at me. I only blinked with confusion. Where am I?
"Where..." I mumbled, looking around. I seemed to be in a tent, it must be a healers tent.
"Your in Herb Cookie's healer tent. We saved you back there." The second male explained. "You were covered in strawberry jam, so much that I almost threw up." He looked away from me. He looked like a wizard, cloak, pointy hat, everything. He even had a candy wand. The female had some sort of spicy red hair with seeds. She looked like a gang thief to me.
And the first male cookie had sky blue eyes with one strand of white hair. He had a bandana with white and red stripes. He had two skull buttons as accessories. He...was kinda cute.
"You okay? You seem dazed." The male cookie asked me.
"What....your name...." I managed to say, I was still scared, they seem so kind and yet I'm scared.
"Oh our names?" He pondered, and I nodded. "I'm Gingerbrave! That's Wizard Cookie, and that's Chili Pepper Cookie!"
I looked at them with my hazel eyes, then murmured something else, "Strawberry..."
"Hmm?" Gingerbrave tilted his head.
"My name is...Strawberry Cookie..." I said a bit louder. "Uhm....where are my sisters...?"
"Sisters?" Wizard looked at me confused.
"You had other cookies with you?" Herb butted into the conversation.
"W-Where are they?" I tried sitting up but yelped in pain, flopping myself back down to the bed.
"I didn't see...anyone..." Gingerbrave mumbled. "I'm sorry..."
I started to tear up, they weren't there? Why? Where'd they go?
"No, no, no, no, no..." I kept mumbling under my breath, covering my face. "Stupid Strawberry! Y-You failed to k-keep them safe!"
I felt the presence of the cookies looking at me in sympathy, especially Gingerbrave.
"Hey," Gingerbrave put his hand on top of my shoulder. "We'll find them...promise. This isn't your fault."
I stopped tearing up and fell silent...I felt calm? But why near him...is it because of his tone?
"One question Gingerbrave." Wizard Cookie spoke up. "Where is she staying?"
"At my house, I'll give her my bed." He grinned at me. "If that's comfortable for you, is it?"
"Yeah...t-thanks..." I looked over to a chair and saw my backpack there.
"Herb.." I croaked to him. "Can you get that for me...?"
"Yes." He murmured and went to the chair I was looking at. He grabbed my green backpack and gave it to me. I opened it and started searching around, finding the item I was looking for.
Then I touched something fuzzy.
Lavender!
The plushie kitty was still in my backpack, I sighed with relief.
"I think I may want to sleep." I turned to Gingerbrave. "At your house..?"
He smiled at me and nodded.

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I was greeted to a cozy house, and as I went up the stairs I couldn't wait to sleep.
Gingerbrave's room was big, and he had some posters and pictures around his room. The bed was there and I tried to run to it but stopped on pain as I haunched over, wincing to the pain in my waist.
"Take your time Strawberry." Gingerbrave said. "Here, this was in your hands earlier right? It's cute." He handed me the light orchid kitty and I laid myself, carefully, on the bed.
"Thanks..." I mumbled, a bit embarrassed that he knew I slept with a plushie. I went into a comfortable position, head resting on my hands.
"Goodnight." He whispered before leaving me there, though I stopped him by grabbing his arm.
"S-Stay...please..."
He looked at me and smiled a little. I can see in his eyes that he liked me, and that I was now comfortable when he was near me.
"Sure.."
He got into the bed with me and pulled the covers, he turned away from me and sighed, now breathing steady.
I turned away from him too, and hugged Lavender tight.
Is this a new beginning?