Taking Back What's Ours || Cookie Run AU

Chapter 9

♧ CLOVER'S POV ♧

The blinding white light behind the vine drape slowly fades into warm blobs of colors. Strawberry goes through first, the overgrown plant closing behind her after she lets go.

Princess is next, her surprised gasp after pushing the drapes leads Knight to stand up and limp after her slowly. Custard follows him to keep him stable, who's then followed by Gingerbrave, Wizard, and Chili Pepper.

Princess' squeal from the other side tugs on Clover's curiosity. He walks towards the vine drape, disregarding the warm comforting feeling on his back fading and Herb's soft voice calling out for him.

After the footsteps coming from behind halted, Clover slowly push apart the drapes obscuring him from seeing what the others are witnessing. He narrows his eyes to adjust to the amount of light entering, starting to make sense of the colors ahead.

A small house, and another house, and a tall house. There are houses everywhere. He steps closer to get a better look, letting the vine drape drop. "Oh?"

Ahead is a village surrounded by trees large enough to protect it from the outside world. Houses with rooftops made from colorful jellos are shone by the late sunset.

The group stares in awe, observing the wondering villagers waddling to prepare themselves for the oncoming night. From lighting street lamps, opening certain restaurants and bars, and taking a walk or run home.

When they observe closer, the villagers aren't cookies like them, they're bears. Yellow bears and pink bears, big and small, merchants and customers, and everything in between.

"No way! Did they build another village here? That's awesome!" Gingerbrave shouted. "It's amazing how they've expanded..." Strawberry adds, shielding her eyes from the blinding light.

Clover is not only distracted by the busy view and different desserts but the sweet smell and lively chatter too. He'll admit, it feels like walking back home again.

"Ooh? Greeetings visitoors!" an unfamiliar voice speaks up amongst the group.

Everyone looks over to the owner of the voice in front of them, which belongs to a yellow bear jelly slightly smaller than them. More bears waddle around the group when they hear one's greeting, curious eyes glancing at all crispy edges. Maybe so much so that Clover's starting to feel a little uncomfortable.

"Is that..? IT'S GINGERBRAAAVE!" One of the bears exclaims, and the crowd gasps in shock after the discovery.

"Oh! You know me?" Gingerbrave scratches his head, flustered at his own recognition.

"Yeah! I heaard from a frieend that you help saaave the Rooyal Jelly supplyyy from another villaaage! He's a heroooo!"

Just from that, the villagers start to murmur. Clover can hear praises, comments, and disbelief, understandable reactions when a well-known name suddenly appears on village grounds.

Gingerbrave giggles, "Awh, it's not like that. I couldn't have done it without my friends."

The bear villagers all cheer, welcoming the cookies with the warmest of handshakes, and that includes the clueless Princess and Knight.

Clover's silent observation is interrupted when he feels a tug on his robe. He glance down to see a small pink jelly bear admirably staring at him with the widest eyes imagined. He squats down to match its height, curling a small smile to hide his back pain.

"Do youuu play that luuute?" the bear points behind Clover, at the grass instrument hanging on his back when he catches a glimpse.

Clover lets out a giggle, "I do, for a living in fact."