Secret of the Sugar Flare

Chapter 2: Tale of the Lost Princess

Meringue Cookie was situated between two other villager Cookies, who both seemed to have wounds of their own. "Ngh...my arm..." a Cookie next to her winced in pain. "Strawberry jam is seeping out..."

"H-H-Help meeeee..." another one whined on her other side. "I'm...d-dizzy..."

"You will be alright in no time, my friends," Healer Cookie assured them. "I was gone just for a moment, and already more wounded needed tending."

"Um..." Strawberry Cookie said, making Meringue Cookie relieved her new friends were not far behind her. "Are you taking care of all these Cookies? By yourself?"

"Yes. He can work miracles!" Black Raisin Cookie sounded happy for the first time since the group met her. "Almost every Cookie in our village has had a wound tended by Healer Cookie before."

"Thought I find myself cleaning up after many of Black Raisin Cookie's shenanigans," Healer Cookie teased her with a chuckle.

"Ugh, I-I was just complimenting you!" Black Raisin Cookie sounded flustered.

"Oooh!" Custard Cookie III was impressed. "Then it's decided! When I am crowned King of the Vanilla Kingdom, I shall appoint you as the Royal Physician!"

"Oh-ho! Then I must double my efforts to live up to such expectations," Healer Cookie humored the younger Cookie's enthusiasm. "But, if I may ask, Your Majesty, what is it you mean by 'King of the Vanilla Kingdom'?"

GingerBrave sounded as if this was the question he had been dying for someone to ask him. "It's a magical kingdom with a long history," he said dreamily. "The kingdom was so awesome and advanced that every Cookie living there was super happy!"

"A kingdom so great must have tons of treasures as well!" Chili Pepper Cookie added.

"Technically, my healing magic is also a treasure passed down from the Vanilla Kingdom!" Custard Cookie III boasted.

Meringue Cookie found herself stuck on what Custard Cookie III said about his heritage. Of course...he had a family and a lineage to look back on, and healing powers to show for it. All she had to show for so far was blindness and how to cope with it.

"Whoever taught me to survive in a seeing world MUST'VE loved me..." she thought to herself. "But if they loved me so much, why would they leave me all alone in that seal?"

"Speaking of healing, I believe it's your turn for a checkup, little one," Healer Cookie's voice interrupted her thoughts. He parted the hair on her forehead to get a better look at the gash. "Now, let's see what's-"

Healer Cookie stopped mid-sentence abruptly, mouth letting out a barely-suppressed gasp. He seemed to be in shock of something he had discovered: a dark brown, four-pointed star on Meringue Cookie's forehead. He flipped up Meringue Cookie's hood and saw the bed of flowers on her eyes, an even bigger surprise to him.

Black Raisin Cookie noticed the hesitation. "Healer Cookie? What's with you?"

"Is...Is something wrong?" Meringue Cookie asked, worried that the damage was worse than she thought.

Healer Cookie seemed to come over himself. "N-No, no, it's nothing. The wound was just a bit bigger than I assumed. It's no trouble."

Meringue Cookie felt two gentle hands on her forehead and was immediately filled with a warm, comforting feeling, as if someone had taken her into their arms and cradled her, filling her with a sense of security and safeness. The pain in her head cleared up and her fever lifted, almost at once. "There we go...better now?"

"Yes...Yes, I feel much better!" Meringue Cookie stood up, restored to full strength for the first time. "Oh, thank you, Healer Cookie!"

"It's the least I could do, little one..." Healer Cookie sounded happy to help, but Meringue Cookie could've sworn she heard a hint of sorrow in his tone, like he was apologizing to her...