[REWRITE OUT NOW] {COMPLETED} The Time I Was Human (Cookie Run AU)

Chapter 18: Pursue

"Remember, Beet," Carrot Cookie reminded her purple-haired friend. "don't act rash around Herb! He's a good friend of mine and I don't want him getting a bad first impression!"

Beet Cookie rolled her eyes and replied, "Got it, Carrot."

Both Beet and Carrot were dressed in casual clothing. Beet had her hair tied into pigtails and wore a shirt that read "Beet it, kid" while Carrot wore a blue pair of overalls over her normal green-plaid shirt.

Carrying a basket of vegetables, Carrot stepped up the stairs to Herb's small cottage. Holding her hand up to knock, she rapped the door three times. No answer. Carrot waited for ten seconds before trying again. Still no answer.

Tapping her foot impatiently, Carrot glanced at Herb's doormat, which read "Herb is home."

"That's odd," she speculated. "If the doormat says that, then he has to be home... maybe he's in the garden and can't hear us."

"Have you ever considered the possibility," Beet suggested. "that maybe he really ISN'T home and just forgot to change the doormat?"

"Like he would forget!" Carrot spat back at Beet. "I ALWAYS see Herb changing his doormat whenever he leaves the house! That means the only possibility is that he never left his home!"

The two waited for another minute before Carrot placed her basket at the front step and began walking towards the side of the cottage.

"What are you doing?" Beet demanded as she rushed over to her friend.

"Herb always leaves a window open for fresh air," Carrot remarked, staring up the window.

"You know going in won't do anything for you, right?"

"Whatever!"

"Stop right now-"

But before Beet could finish her sentence, the redhead already disappeared through the window frame. Sighing, Beet followed along herself.

When she jumped through the window, Carrot was already searching around the hallways for Herb.

"Herb!" she called out. "Where are you?!"

Instead of following Carrot, Beet decided to explore Herb's house for herself. As she entered the largest room, she spotted a wooden table with uncleaned plates still sitting atop it. The cabinet held all sorts of different herbs and spices, almost like a chef's pantry. At the back, Beet noticed a glass sliding door.

"Hey, Carrot," Beet walked over to the door, which was open. "Does this glass door lead to Herb's garden, or something?"

Carrot's twin tails poked out from a corner. In a hurry, she rushed over to the door and peeked through it. Sure enough, plants grew all along the edges and the center is the backyard, some large and others small. It seemed more like a greenhouse than a garden.

"I don't see him anywhere," Carrot frowned, stepping out. "Maybe he really isn't home."

"See, I told you..."

Beet's voice trailed off before she could finish her sentence. In the middle of the garden, there lay two arrows and a broken pot. She slowly walked towards the scene.

"Beet, where are you going?" Carrot asked as she followed along.

As Beet got closer, she noticed a couple red dots on the ground. Finally, she bent down over one of the arrows and plucked the note off it. It read: Go somewhere safe! You have to run! -WA

WA... Wind Archer? Beet's eyes fell over to the red dots on the ground. Carefully picking one up, she turned the object in her hand. It was a pomegranate seed.

"What did you find?" Carrot kneeled down beside Beet and also inspected the pomegranate seed.

"I don't know much about the outside Cookie World just yet," Beet started. "But I know pomegranate seeds mean that Pomegranate Cookie has been here already. And Pomegranate is on the Dark side."

She quickly brushed off her jeans and stood up.

"Something happened to Herb, and it had to do with that sorceress. We gotta tell someone this. Let's go, Carrot."

"Hey! Why're you giving me orders?"

But nonetheless, Carrot followed Beet into the house and out the window. Picking up the basket, the duo rushed over towards the central city. Little did they know, the Night Raven perched on top of a tree, watching them. His eyes stared them down, unmoving.

"...So there's more. My job isn't finished yet."

With that, he spread his feathery wings and soared after them.