✧𝐀𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞✧

꧁𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝟏.𝟔꧂

Once Parker finally got to his house, he unlocked the door and went inside. His parents weren't home yet so he had the house to himself for a while. He wiped his shoes on the door mat but kept them on as he walked to his garden.

It had all kinds of different plants from daisies on the grass, to rose bushes neatly organised by colour. His favourite spot was a lily garden with a small swing chair as it reminded him of Willow. He sat down and sighed while looking up at the partly cloudy sky, trying to find shapes in the few clouds.

He soon took the Ancient Tome out of his school bag and opened it, and a small light emitted, Pure Vanilla Cookie appearing along with it.

"Hi, Pure Vanilla Cookie!" He smiled and waved

"Hello, Parker." Pure Vanilla Cookie smiled back. "How was school?"

"School was okay, there was this new kid today."

Pure Vanilla Cookie tilted his head questionably. "Why would someone enrol so late into the year? It's only a matter of months before the summer holidays begin."

"I dunno.. but after he introduced himself, he glared at me. I'm wondering if I did something wrong?"

Meanwhile, Crocus and Dark Pomegranate were sitting on a tree, whispering amongst each other.

"That's the tome!" Crocus snickered. "I found the tome!!!! Look at me!!!"

Dark pomegranate rolled her eyes at him. "Well, what are you waiting for? Go and get it. I'll work my magic while you do the hard stuff."

"Erg, whatever. But I'm getting all the credit!" He snarled. Dark Pomegranate just rolled her eyes.

Crocus jumped down onto the swing Parker was sitting on. The swing-set began to crack..

"Hm?" Parker looked up and saw Crocus's big feet.

"Hey. Hand over that tome."

"Gah!" Parker jumped off of the swing and before he knew it, the entire thing collapsed. He looked between the tome and Crocus.

"You mean this?" He pointed to the tome.

"Yeah, now hand it over!"

Parker tilted his head. "Why though?"

"Just hand it over already!" Crocus finally snapped and jumped to attack Parker.

"Gah!" He just managed to dodge Crocus's attack, he looked down at the tome, remembering what it's purpose was in the first place.

"The Ancient Tome... cookies can travel through it, and the Cookie Force can use it to defeat evil..."  he thought to himself. He soon looked up at Crocus and replied with a firm

"No."

Crocus's jaw dropped. He soon clenched his fists. "Heh, your'e such a brat. You don't know who you're dealing with! This ancient tome has great power and that's what Dark enchantress cookie needs!"

Parker held onto the ancient tome tighter. "If the ancient tome is what you want, come and get it." He ran through the house to the front garden, with Crocus and Dark Pomegranate following after.

Once he made it outside, Crocus and Dark Pomegranate had already surrounded him.

"You are one annoying child, not doing what you're supposed to do. You need to learn to respect those in higher power than you. Surely this will prove my point."

She took out her mirror and swiped her hand in circles around it. "𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐦, 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐦!"

The people walking past had been affected with red magic, dropping all of their things. "There's no reason to go on..." one mumbled. "I will always fail.. no matter how hard I try.." another cried.

Parker gasped as he saw each and every person around him get affected by this eerie magic, clinging onto the tome tighter.

"Now it's your turn." Dark pomegranate spat. "Feel the gloom take over your soul!" She aimed a magic beam at Parker, one he couldn't avoid this time..

"Stop!" A mysterious yet familiar voice called. It was none other than Pure Vanilla Cookie, who had used his magic to make a shield over Parker.

"Pure Vanilla Cookie.." Parker whispered. "Why.."

"Oh great." Crocus spat. "First a brat and now a gingerbread man. Just what I needed. You know what? I'm done."

He walked closer to Parker and Pure Vanilla Cookie, wearing a cocky smirk. "That book, it's pretty useless, all it does is defeat evil." He boasted. "You won't even be needing that once Dark enchantress cookie gets her rightful reign on earthbread and here. Hey! Now that I mention it, it also reminds me of you. Useless. You're just a child, Parker, blissfully ignorant to the cruelty the world truly is."

Crocus aimed his magic at the two, while Parker's eyebrows furrowed.

"Yes, the world is cruel, but the truth is, there is always a shining glow of kindness that never goes out. Going around and deceiving people into thinking they are failures is not how to rule a world properly, and wisely."

"I dunno what you're trying to say, kid but it's all a load of rubbish!"

"What I'm saying is that you're spouting horrible lies! Deceitful acts will only bring sadness." Parker quivered, holding the tome close to him once again. "That's why..."

He took a deep breath and soon screamed.

"𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬!"