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

interlude: where the author finally owes the reader a few overdue explanations

Black Licorice did not understand why everyone was so afraid of him and his sister. Everywhere they roamed in the village, the villagers would shoo them away or hide in their houses, despite them being children. He even made a friend once, a Cookie with green hair and orange eyes — they spent a while running around, pretending to be brave warriors, but their parents dragged them away before he even had a chance to ask their name.

One day, Pomegranate grew weary of her treatment. She took Black Licorice and escaped the village, where she found their savior, Dark Enchantress. Rather than shunning the two, Dark Enchantress invited them in with open arms, promising to take care of them like the village never did.

"These Cookies fear you for your power," Dark Enchantress said. "But I sense your potential. Pomegranate fruit has always been seen as inherently evil, though in actuality, it is a channel for great abilities. I will make you both as powerful as ever."

From that day on, Pomegranate and Black Licorice trained under Dark Enchantress' instruction. Dark Enchantress lent the two her Darkness, allowing the Cookies to unlock their true potential. Since Pomegranate was created entirely from the dark fruit, she naturally grew familiar with magic and spells. On the other hand, only Black Licorice's eyes contained pomegranate concentrate, so his natural ability did not come close to his sister's. This did not stop him from training with weapons and combat, which honed him into a powerful warrior of Darkness.

When the time came, Dark Enchantress planned an attack to draw out the Legendaries. Sea Fairy was trapped in Sugarteara while the Millennial Tree continued to slumber, providing the Dark side a perfect advantage. Dark Enchantress ordered her trainees to control their old village and transform them into troops for the upcoming battle.

(After all, there is nothing sweeter than the taste of revenge.)

Despite there only being two of them, Pomegranate and Black Licorice ravaged their old home with ease. They rounded up all the Cookies in the village square to cast a spell all at once and execute their master's plan.

(One Cookie opposed the takeover, so Pomegranate made an example out of them by slashing their eyelids. They quickly broke free and ran away, untouched by the mind control spell. All the while, Black Licorice couldn't help but to think how similar they looked to the friend he made back then — same orange eyes, but with light hair.

Later on, he did find his friend amongst the crowd of controlled soldiers, but they no longer recognized him. The Cookie, just like everyone else, only looked at him with blank eyes.)

However, simply controlling a village was not enough. Once the Legendary Cookies arrived, they immediately laid waste to the army. (Black Licorice watched his friend fall to Wind Archer's arrow, among countless others.) Every single Cookie burned to ashes under Fire Spirit's finishing flames, leaving Pomegranate and Black Licorice no choice but to retreat.

When they reported the news back to Dark Enchantress, she did not panic.

"I should have known not to rely on artificial commitment to Darkness," she said. "Fortunately, I have a backup plan. If all goes well, this may end up more effective than the last army."

The attack was stationed for the very next day. Pomegranate was hesitant to start so soon, but Black Licorice was committed to vengeance. He placed all stakes on this fight to regain his honor from such a loss and to avenge his old friend, this time with hundreds of Jelly Walkers under their control.

The battle began in the Dark side's favor. The Jelly Walkers greatly outnumbered the Legendaries and forced them on the defense. With every hundred they cut down, another hundred rose from the oozing jelly on the ground. For a moment, it even seemed like the Legendaries may have to retreat. It was only until Moonlight realized the Jelly Walkers acted according to Pomegranate and Black Licorice's control that she devised a counterattack with the other Legendaries.

Fire Spirit and Wind Archer continued to push back the crowd while Moonlight utilized the crowd as a cover to attack the nearest opponent: Black Licorice. By the time he realized Moonlight had snuck past the army of Jelly Walkers, it was already too late — her stream of star fragments smashed against his face, crumbling his right eye. During his moment of distraction, the Jelly Walkers ceased their movement, allowing the other two Legendaries to wipe out Black Licorice's army entirely. To finish him off, Wind Archer pinned him down with arrows, leaving Black Licorice immobilized.

"Pomegranate, help!" Black Licorice called out for his sister.

Hearing her brother's call, Pomegranate ordered her army towards him, but the Legendaries promptly wiped out her forces. Desperate to help him, Pomegranate charged forward unprotected by her army, preparing to fight with her own magic.

At that moment, a dark vortex opened beside her, and a whispery voice echoed through: "Retreat. We will improve the Jelly Walkers and try again next time."

Pomegranate glanced at her brother on the ground, pleading for her help. The Legendaries have spotted her now, rapidly approaching her position. She took a step towards Black Licorice, but the vortex let out an impatient hum. Unable to resist her master's call, Pomegranate tore her eyes away from Black Licorice and stepped through.

"I'm sorry, brother," she said, but her voice never reached him.

Fire Spirit's flames swept across Pomegranate's previous position right as the vortex closed.

Without any other lead to turn to, the Legendaries only had Black Licorice to interrogate for Sea Fairy's location.

"Where is she?" Moonlight demanded. "Where have you trapped her?"

But Black Licorice didn't answer. He stayed silent, glaring at his captors as they pelted him with questions. Once it became clear their attempts were useless, Moonlight had no choice but to cast a temporary sleeping spell over Black Licorice to prevent further struggles.

"What can we do now?" Fire Spirit asked. "We can't kill him."

"You had no issue turning the other Cookies into ashes," Wind Archer pointed out. "What makes this any different?"

Fire Spirit shifted uncomfortably, but Moonlight fortunately answered for him. "Dark Enchantress lent her power to him, and it can only be returned if he crumbles or if she takes it back physically. It would be ideal to banish him somewhere they cannot meet easily."

Reaching to her chest, Moonlight unclasped her star-shaped necklace and held it out before her.

"This is my last connection to my creators," she said. "I wished to keep this in case they contact me again, but they have stopped responding a long time ago. I will eventually forget why I even keep this necklace due to my fractured memory, so it would be best to use their power before then."

Moonlight chanted a spell, and her necklace burst into a shower of stars that cycle into a bright green portal shape.

"Where does that lead to?" Wind Archer asked.

"The human world, where our creators once lived," Moonlight answered. "Dark Enchantress' power cannot reach him there."

And that was that. Moonlight cast one final curse over Black Licorice to prevent his return, the Legendaries threw him into the portal. Wind Archer then covered the area with trees to hide the portal and memorialize the Cookies lost in battle. The trees remained protectors of the portal with their enchantment for many years, casting a barrier around the passage.

Until the day of Dark Enchantress' next attack when the Great Millennial Tree's roots withered with corruption. The barrier dispersed, exposing the portal to the rest of the world.

***

And Black Licorice's braid glows once more.