Unseen | Caramel Arrow Cookie x Affogato Cookie

He Would Stay

The day was coming to an end. Snow had stopped falling. She returned to the Altar of the Fallen on her own. With her, she carried a lantern. She slowly walked her way up to the sculpture, looking up at the top. Then, she got down on her knees in front of the incense holder. She set her lantern aside. She lit sticks and let them sit in the incense holder. She blinked a few times at the floor and the table in front of her, not knowing how to start. She wanted to talk to her father again, the way they had talked every night leading up to his death. It wasn’t possible realistically, but..

“I miss you.” She murmured into the open air. A small breeze brushed her hair up. She didn’t move or react to it.

After a moment of silence, she closed her eyes, imagining what her father would think. What he would say. “Caramel Arrow,” She missed when he said her name. “It’s okay. I miss you, too.”

“I don’t know what to do.” She muttered weakly, head pointed down.

She imagined him smiling, and putting a hand on her shoulder. "I know. It's hard losing someone you love." Her eyes darted from snowflake to snowflake on the floor. "But you must move on."

That's what he would say. She let out a defeated whimper. "How can I move on?" She let history repeat itself.

"There are still those who care for you out there," Her mouth quivered. "Caramel Arrow Cookie."

She so wished to be able to reach out and hug him, wrap him in her arms and never, ever, let go. The one piece of family she had left. Now.. it was only her.

"Our family may be gone, but there is more family to be made."

She stared at the floor, lips gently and subtly quivering.

"There are others there to guide you when you are lost. There are others to lean on when you are weak."

She wished he was here, actually saying that to her, and not her imagination of him. "There are others.." She murmured, barely audible.

"There are others to bring you into their arms as you have always brought others into yours."

She thought about Crunchy Chip, Dark Cacao, her watcher friends, and Affogato Cookie.

"They, too, are your family. Do not let guilt weigh down your soul. What happened had nothing to do with you."

Oh, how she wished to believe that. She cried quietly, her muscles giving in. Her forehead rested on the corner of the table, no matter how uncomfortable it was, she needed it. "I'm sorry.."

"You will be.. okay.." His voice drifted away, decrescendoing.

A light breeze blew past her. It was cold. She forced herself to grab the edge of the table and pull her head up. The incense sticks were burning out. She weakly stood up.

…

Affogato rushed towards the castle gates. Caramel Arrow was nowhere to be found. He had asked Crunchy Chip, the King, and other watchers if they'd seen her. None of them have seen her. It sent him into a bit of a panic. She wasn't in her quarters, either. She was a strong cookie, and under normal circumstances he wouldn't think about it too much. His past self would've even loved it. But, with her father's recent death it made him fear the worst..

He opened the gates slowly. The gatekeeper let out a gasp and looked at him. "Lord Affogato Cookie? Why are you at the gate?"

Affogato squinted out into the darkened distance. "..I am looking for a friend."

"A friend? Who is it?"

Affogato scoffed, slightly annoyed that he was being questioned by the gatekeeper. He was stressed, he didn't want to waste his time like this. "Don't worry about it. Say, I also came to tell you that you need to report to the King."