¿♥︎ {- Unexpected Love -} ♡?

~ Chapter 8 ~

[1st-person POV]

I coughed as smoke swirled around me. Instinctively, I ran to the little Cookie. Just hearing her cries reminded me whenever I thought too much about my parents' disappearance and highly possible passing.

"Miss! I-I'm scared!" She sobbed.

"Don't worry! I'm here. My name's Y/N Cookie, by the way," I said in an attempt to reassure her.

She hugged me and cried into my bandanna...

Of course, my bandanna!

"Here, put this over your mouth!"

"Wh-... why?"

"It'll protect you from the smoke, heat, and flames."

I was only half lying. Yes, it would protect her from smoke inhalation and heat, but it would only partly protect her from the fire, which would be the lower half of her face.

Soon enough, the bell rang out loudly through the night as screams of terror began, and other shouts echoed everywhere.
'Just like in my most recent nightmares...!' I thought in fear from realisation.

Dragons flew overhead as they spewed out even more flames by the second. And finally, at long last, my eyes landed on the one thing the team had been searching for all this time...

The Legendary Red Dragon.

Just then, I noticed Royal Margarine Cookie on Buttercream in the sky.

"Royal Margarine Cookie!" I called out to him. "ROYAL MARGARINE COOKIE!!!"

He looked down at my figure and hesitated for a moment, feat dancing in his eyes, and he finally swooped down and hoisted the child onto Buttercream in front of him.

His face told me he was about to say something flirtatious, but I stopped him.

"There's no time for any of your flirty words! Get the child to safety NOW!"

"Wha- but what about you?"

"Don't worry about me! I'm going to help get others to safety and find my friends!"

"And you can still do all that if you get onto Buttercream too!"

"LISTEN UP!" I snarled angrily. "You get this little girl to safety RIGHT NOW, alright?! I couldn't care less about my life instead of hers and the rest of the residents of Dragon City! I am going to help everyone possible and worry about them, not me! So take her out of this burning square, and keep her safe!"

After a moment of silence from Royal Margarine Cookie's concerned face, he finally nodded with confidence and flew away.

I swiftly turned around and went to do as I had said.

. . .

"Here! You're all safe here!" I said, pushing ten Cookies outside of Dragon City's gates. "I promise."

I was currently covered with scars and horrible burns; every single part of my body ached with stinging pain.

"What about you?" Some Cookies asked. While others looked at me with deep, genuine concern.

"I'll be fine. I've lived out in the wild my whole life, and I've dealt with things worse than this." And with that, I turned and ran back into the flames.

I half lied again. I have never, not once in my life until now, dealt with things worse than this. But I couldn't care at all; I had more Cookies to help, my friends to find, a P/T to reassure! My life and wounds were not my top priorities.

My head spun, and then everything faded to a sudden black.

. . .

When I finally reopened my eyes, I immediately screamed out: "P/N!" Only to realise I was lying on their back.

P/N whimpered in worry, and they nuzzled my hand, giving it a small lick, glad that I was awake.

I was covered in bandages; parts of my arms, legs, and face were all covered up in the white wrapping.

Suddenly, a very horrified Pitaya Cookie ran to up to me and lifted me off of P/N into a great big hug.
"OH MY GOODNESS, Y/N COOKIE, NEVER SCARE ME LIKE THAT AGAIN, PLEASE!!!"

I blinked rapidly as I was spun around and was soon placed down and smothered with so many kisses.

"Holy Pure Vanilla Cookie..!" I gasped.

Pitaya Cookie immediately realised what he just did and stopped.

I looked back at him in shocked silence while Hollyberry Cookie pointed at us with an excited smile.
"I called it! I told you, Wildberry Cookie, I told you!"

Wildberry Cookie simply looked at her with an unreadable expression; he probably didn't know what to do or say at that very moment.

Pitaya nudged me. "We've, uhh, just decided to go to the Dragons Valley in this little team." He pointed around at everyone; Hollyberry Cookie, Tarte Tatin Cookie, and even Royal Margarine Cookie.
"If you want to stay-"

I stopped his sentence by placing a kiss directly on his lips. It lasted for a few moments until I finally pulled away.

"Oh, be quiet silly! I'd follow you anywhere."

Pitaya Cookie looked as if he could faint. His face was bright red, and steam lines of what I assumed was love swirled around him.

This adventure was sure one I could never forget...