Secret of the Sugar Flare

Chapter 8: Happily Never After

"Father, are you done yet?"

"Just a moment. Put this here, and...there!"

Pure Vanilla Cookie held up a completed flower crown he had weaved himself, placing it on his daughter's head. "Finished at last."

Meringue Cookie reached up and touched the delicate accessory. "A flower crown? Does it look good on me?"

"Yes, I think it suits you well,"

"I'll have to take your word for it, then. Hee-hee!"

Pure Vanilla Cookie smiled as Meringue Cookie enjoyed her gift. "I'm sorry I can't always play with you. I may have resigned as king, but the villagers still wanted me to lead the reconstruction of the city."

"Oh, Father, it's alright!" Meringue Cookie assured him. "I know rebuilding our home is just as important. I'm just glad you could play with me today."

"Pure Vanilla Cookie, one of the villagers working on the railroad station cracked his arm, and-"

A familiar, deep-toned voice interrupted their conversation. Black Raisin Cookie stopped short upon seeing the two lying down in the middle of their garden. "Ah...so THIS is where you've been. What are you two doing?"

"Black Raisin Cookie!" Meringue Cookie stood up excitedly. "Look! My father made me a flower crown!"

Black Raisin Cookie squinted to get a better look and noticed something wriggling amongst the weaved stems. "Jelly Wyrm! Stand back!"

Swiftly, one of Black Raisin Cookie's crows snatched the crown from Meringue Cookie's head and tossed it freely into the air. Black Raisin Cookie then jumped up, slicing the crown to pieces, along with said jelly wyrm. The pieces of the crown fluttered back down on Meringue Cooke, who wilted at the loss of her gift. "Aw..."

When Black Raisin Cookie saw Meringue Cookie's, she instantly regretted her quick reflex. "E-Er, sorry about that. It was a very nice crown. But on the bright side, you already have plenty of blossoms on your head as is."

The crow on her arm smacked a wing to its beak at its master's blatant statement. She too seemed to realize how bad it sounded, for she turned to Pure Vanilla Cookie and changed the subject. "So, you've been playing with her all day?"

"We have," Pure Vanilla Cookie nodded serenely, though a little put out at having his creation cut to bits. "You should join in next time, Black Raisin Cookie. It'd be nice to have a swift teammate such as yourself on my side when playing 'Who's Got Who' with this little scamper."

Meringue Cookie beamed and giggled at her father's joke, though Black Raisin Cookie was a bit more serious about the request. "If only I could. SOMEONE needs to patrol our borders and make sure no Cake Monsters get too close."

"Black Raisin Cookie, you're stubborn as stale bread sometimes," Pure Vanilla Cookie gently scolded. "Dark Enchantress Cookie and her forces are far off from here. They won't be bothering us for a long time."

"You shouldn't believe that so easily..."

"You should spend some alone time with Meringue Cookie and I. Really, I mean it,"

"Well, I...I suppose I'll have to look forward to that day."

Black Raisin Cookie strode away, Meringue Cookie sitting back down, still seeming a little down. "...Father?"

"Yes, Meringue Cookie?"

"I don't think Black Raisin Cookie likes me that much..."

"Oh? What brought this on?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure she cut my flower crown to pieces, for one thing. But...back when we were travelling together, we kind of yelled at each other and just left it at that,"