the time i was human (cookie run au) [2021 REWRITE]

chapter 7: what kinda miraculous akumitization shit is this

As a cacophony of screaming Cookies rattle the air like an arrangement of bells, Pomegranate and Licorice stand over the edge of a cliff, watching the chaos unfold.

"She really is going all out this time, huh?" Licorice remarks, slumping over his staff. "Now that I really see it all in action, I never really expected for Master to pull out a world-altering endgame for my first time here, but I'm not complaining!"

"Master always uses as much of her power as possible," Pomegranate snaps. "Every plan of hers is world-altering in the march of Darkness."

Licorice shakes his head with a tsk tsk. "No, no, not like that. It's just that I've only ever heard reports of her taking out a couple cities one at a time or fighting against the Legendaries, but nothing close to taking on the entirety of Earthbread!"

"Well..." Pomegranate digs for anything to return the argument with, but she comes to the realization that Licorice is right. In all of the battles that her master has fought in before, they've all been destructive, but they never really targeted more than a couple areas at a time. When Pomegranate really stops to think, this is the first time that the entire Cookie world, let alone a whole new dimension, has gotten involved in a Darkness takeover.

"How does she even know all that stuff about humans, anyway?" Licorice grumbles. "Is it really true that they suffer damage differently than we do?"

Being completely honest, Pomegranate did not know of that information before it was brought up. She trusts that Master is correct about all, and she hates to admit it, but Licorice has a point: How does she know so much about humans?

"Master is... wise," Pomegranate replies, though more to reassure herself rather than Licorice. "She has to know a lot to be where she is today."

"That's true," Licorice agrees with a satisfied nod. "I mean, better to follow someone with a lot of knowledge, right?"

"Right, but one thing I am surprised about is how she chose you of all Cookies, even with her wisdom," Pomegranate adds in the obligatory mocking statement towards Licorice with a smirk.

"SHUT IT!" Waving his staff with his face flushing with embarrassment, Licorice prods Pomegranate accusingly. "She — she saw my greatness where no one else did! She said I had potential!"

"Master makes no mistakes, but this is the one decision of hers I am not entirely sure about~"

"YOU SHUT UP!"

Pomegranate cackles while Licorice sulks beside her. Making fun of Licorice has become her favorite activity in these tense times, especially to distract from these uncertainties about her master's doings arising with every passing moment. The question of how she has so much knowledge about humans plagues Pomegranate's mind, but she brushes it off just like before. Pomegranate is not in the position to question the Dark leader, even if a part of her is dying to know the answer. Her job is to serve, and that is what she'll commit to until the end.

***

With the dappled sunlight shining softly on his back, Jawbreaker sits cross-legged under a tree, continuing to angrily braid blades of grass together. Despite the mellow weather and nothing around to bother him, Jawbreaker still can't shake the gripping feeling of unease clinging onto his chest increasing with every moment. He usually likes to braid Bittermelon's hair to calm down, but since they're not here at the moment, all he has in replacement are some dumb pieces of grass.

Stay here, Bittermelon had told him. That must be the one thing that he absolutely sucks at, but what else is there to do?

Suddenly interrupting Jawbreaker's quiet environment, a flock of birds scatter from the center of a forest ahead of him. He watches long, winding vines slowly crawl out from the edges of the forest... that can't be normal, right? Setting down his grass-braids, Jawbreaker slowly stands up and observes an ominous wind brushing across the treetops, which further fuels his unrest within. Whatever is going on should be none of his concern, but what if it grows worse and Bittermelon gets caught in the situation once they return?