The Rebirth of the Phoenix

Chapter 15: Desolate Forest

(Bruh I can't stop being silly in my book...😔👌)

The cookies arrived at the forest after following Licorice cookie. But the forest seemed strangely quiet...

"Hey, shouldn't we be attacked by monsters by now?" Gingerbright asked: "Think about it, it seems literally empty!"

"White Lily Cookie's steps are so light I can't even hear them... And she's always so serene..." Strawberry Cookie commented, a bit jealous that she can't walk as quietly as her.

"Am I?" Asked White Lily cookie, with a smile on her face.

"Yeah, right? Sometimes... she looks...hazy!" Commented Chilli Pepper: "Wonder of she really exists, mhe he,"

"Stop being so impolite!" Scolded Custard Cookie III: "She's standing in front of us right now!"

The fae cookie smiled: "It's alright. With my friends, we used to joke all the time, long ago... With you, I feel like those days are back."

Then a large gust of wind came and some... cursed forest spirits along with it.

"And I was starting to think this would be aa quiet journey!" Gingerbright sighed as she pulled out her Lollipop that accompanied her countless battles.

________

After a while, the group saw an abandoned village, if it wasn't for the big clearing and a single Pomegranate hut... the center of the space grew a tree covered in cursed vines.

"This must be the Pomegranate Village!" Shouted Custard cookie III: "There doesn't seem to be any Cookie in here!"

Gingerbright noticed that there were no Pomegranate priestesses, according to White Lily's blurry memories...

Then the group continued and saw a cursed altar. Both Gingerbrave and Wizard Cookie felt something ominous from the pedestal, and Gingerbright helped them destroy it.

________ 

(A long time ago...)

"Pomegranate cookie! You are demoted from the Pomegranate High Priestess's position and banished from the forest!" The Elder Pomegranate Priest announced.

"Your future forseen was to follow the Darkness that will ravage on our land!" Another High Priest of the Pomegranate Village stated.

"But Mother...!"

"Silence! I know you have devoted yourself for the temple! But... I cannot allow this!" The elder Cookie yelled: "...Pomegranate cookie, former high priestess... I declare you to leave the forest and wander through the land... for eternity!"

...

Nearby, were Pomegranate villagers whispering to eachother:

"Did they really banish an outstanding Pomegranate Priest because of a prediction?"

"Poor High Priestess... All she did was being kind!..."

"...Just because of a prophecy?"

...

And thus, the former High Priestess from the Pomegranate village, was banished. She had a bright future, but her kind heart was ignored and set aside just because of an unknown divination...

Pomegranate cookie wandered through Pilgrim's Path... She almost crumbled because of drought, then, she saw a Dark Shadow looming over her:

"Child, where are your parents?..." The shadow asked, extending a hand toward the fallen priest.

"I don't have... anymore..." Answered Pomegranate cookie, already tired of everything crashing down in a single night.

"I'll take you under my wing... Do you accept?" The shadow still had their hand extended, who haven't taken their eyes off the Cookie on the sand.

"I don't have anything more to lose." She decided, to discard her past and burn it down 'till nothing but ashes remain. And preserve it in never-melting ice to remind those who failed their duty as the priestesses to protect their village from evil...

"Come with me child... I'll teach you magic and you will aid my army...And exact your revenge..."

The only thing left in that place was Pomegranate cookie's tear stains in the dry sand...

________

The cookie group were walking along the path of the forest. Until they topped t a glasde with mushrooms. A lot of mushrooms.

"Look at all those mushrooms!" Awed Gingerbright.

"Indeed. Looks like they thrive in this environment." Said White Lily Cookie:"Some of them have grown quite large."

Then, Custard III proceeded to take one of the Mushrooms, but he was poked by thorns that grew from a ominous-looking plant, Gingerbrave summoned a fire just enough to burn it down, but he he missed by an inch. No matter, it hit a neighbour vine and burnt both together.

Down the path, the glase became filled with even more mushrooms. Custard III, being somehow very hungry (istg they just teleport between the Kingdom and adventure mode??? What???), took a bite into a small, weird-looking mushroom.

"You shouldn't touch mushrooms you don't know. They can be poisonous" warned the lily fae cookie.

"Ooof, my teeth! (I- TEETH?) Why's this mushroom so tough and chewy!? Gotta...bite...harder!"

"Oh...? Ouch... Hey, like... That hurts..." The talking 'mushroom' said: "Who...? Oh... Cookies! I was told... to... Like... FIGHT YOU... or something?" The Cookie asked themself when they threw poisonous mushrooms at the group of seven Cookies.

 "LOOK OUT! Poison spores!" Wizard Cookie warned as Gingerbrave tried to not accidentally burn the spores, because if he did, that would make things worse (and he learnt that as an advantage against one of the witches surviving minions in her scary castle). Strawberry Cookie tried to not inhale them and smacked a cursed spirit of the forest and sent it to the Cookie. Gingerbright made small shields that protected the front Cookies from spore damage as Wizard Cookie shocked multiple enemies that surrounded the mushroom Cookie. Chilli Pepper made sure to distract the small Cookie foe with her astounding speed, making sure he doesn't get to release more spores into the air.

________

"Huuuh...? I lost... Yeah... I definitely just lost, didn't I... But I thought I'd win... Oh bummer..." Cried out the mushroom cookie: "Oh, super bummer! Licorice Cookie and Pomegranate Cookie aren't gonna like this..."

"Wait, did you just say 'Licorice Cookie'?" Asked Gingerbrave: "We have to find out their plans!"

The cookies continued diving deeper into the forest, following the small Cookie that seems to be involved in the hooded Cookie's plans.