So close yet so far

Poison Mushroom

A/N: A little bit of a note before we start!

I will be updating the tags at every major plot point! I will not be adding any surprise warnings tho. Everything that could go wrong is told. There will be trigger warnings for chapters that might need them tho and notes to check tag updates when there was one /gen

Have fun reading <3

The sun blazed down on the open fields and forests. The heat wasn't unbearable but it was enough to make anyone sleepy if they stayed out too long.

Cookies were living their lives, making their way to their destinations. Some of them had juice bottles at hand, others walked with umbrellas to have a bit of a shade from the sun.

Birds were chirping loudly, gathering to the spots where cookies would feed them regularly. The noises of lectures being held in schools bled thru the walls as you passed them by, setting a calm feeling around the kingdom. Things have been peaceful for years upon years.

All of the other kingdoms they allied with were kind and helpful, not having to worry about war even the slightest.

Herb inhaled deeply, enjoying the sweet pine scent of the forest. Clover cookie was playing playing a gentle song on his lute, attracting more and more forest animals to them.

Herb smiled at the peaceful sight of his friend singing to a small family of squirrels. He reached down, gently patting some of the flowers surrounding them.

They agreed to hold a friendly picnic, both having nothing better to do for the weekend. Herb prepared them both food and Clover got the drinks and picked the spot. Apparently, Sparkling cookie gave them some special drinks as a gift, making sure to note that none of them has alcohol in them. Herb was not the type to drink but he enjoyed the cocktails Sparkling made more than anything.

He smiled to himself, enjoying the sun on his skin and the song Clover was playing. They finished their food hours ago but the weather was too good to go back inside.

"I really like this specific song of yours." Herb stated, tone gentle as ever. Clover smiled and nodded his head to show his gratitude.

"Thank you. It's very special to me you know." He said, strumming away absent-mindedly. "I learned it when I was young. I like to play it around people who are also special to me."

Herb placed a hand on his chest, taken aback by the sentiment. He knew they were friends with Clover but he never expected him to think of him that highly. Before he could reply though, their peace was interrupted by a cloaked figure bursting thru from the woods.

The animals gathered around suddenly ran away, startled by the noise. The boys turned to look at the figure, both tensing slightly.

"Who are you?" Herb called out, keeping his tone gentle but firm to make his intentions clear. The person snapped their head up, looking between the two of them like a deer in the headlights.

Their cloak hung heavily on them as they staggered for a moment, struggling to stand still. They squeezed their scythe, leaning on it for what seemed to be the majority of their balance. Clover eyed them carefully before standing up to make his way up to them. Herb grabbed their hand with a questioning look.

"They look injured, don't you think?" he asked, voice laced with worry. Herb looked back at the cookie in time to watch them collapse on their knees, scythe falling next to them with a heavy thud.

Clover hurried over to the stranger, stopping a few feet from them as they winced when he got too close.

"Hi there!" he tried, using the same tone he'd use when he was trying to comfort one of the kids. The cookie covered part of their face with one hand, glaring from between their fingers at Clover wordlessly. The bard looked around anxiously then smiled, taking a small step closer.

"Listen, I don't know what happened but I'm not here to hurt you! I swear." he raised his hands out to be in plain sight waiting for any kinda reaction. When there was none he continued. "I see you are hurt. I want to help you!"

The strange cookie mumbled something under his breath. Clover smiled awkwardly, rubbing his arms. "Sorry, can you repeat that? I didn't really catch it." he asked awkwardly.

"I said..." the cookie mumbled, still glaring at the both of them. They slipped their hand down, suddenly raising the other which was holding their scythe lashing at Clover as they jumped up. Clover stepped back, trying to cover his head from the impact. "I don't NEED your help!"

The stranger stumbled for a second before they made a run for the edge of the clearing and back to the forest again. Herb knelt next to Clover, who was holding his arms to his chest, gritting his teeth in pain.

Herb quickly used his healing on the other, undoing most of the damage. Clover sighed in relief and moved his arms around for a bit, feeling much better. He would need to put some aloe on the injury later but it was good enough for him. He quickly thanked Herb who only hummed back as a response still concerned for his friend.

They both stood up and packed their things without much discussion, neither feeling up to staying outside anymore.

"Are you sure you are okay?" Herb asked as they were walking back to the castle. Clover waved him off with a smile "Of course. I am a bit dizzy but I'm sure it's just the heat."

Herb furrowed his eyebrows in concern, stopping completely from their tracks. Clover swallowed hard, turning to face the other. "You look really pale Clover, I am serious. Do you need a drink or something?"

"No, I'm..." Clover trailed off, his vision swaying slightly. He felt his mouth run dry and the edges of his vision darkened. He dropped the bag he was holding, stumbling onto Herb. He looked at the other, trying to understand what he was saying but the ringing in his ears was blocking everything out. There was only one thing on his mind before he blacked out:

Slow activating poison.

A/N: And end of chapter :)

I really hope you enjoyed! This is a slow burn...for all couples noted actually lol and by slow burn I mean starting from absolute scratch slow burn.
Hope you all are ready because this is about to be one hell of a ride!

See you all next time ;) take care and dont forget to stay hydrated and get some sleep!