Outcast [𝕮𝖔𝖔𝖐𝖎𝖊 𝕽𝖚𝖓 𝕶𝖎𝖓𝖌𝖉𝖔𝖒]

Chapter 7

The days felt long without the presence of her granddaughters. Tarte sat up in bed, rubbing her working eye. Late in the night, MagicShell had paid a visit, holding 10 cookie cutters she had found while at Traveler's Rest. From that batch, she had summoned Black Raisin and Crunchy Chip. So far, their luck was amazing when it came to the Oven. Tarte left the bed and walked to her house's bathroom to wash her face and apply cream to her scarred eye. She didn't want any rashes blooming on it. Afterward, she went to her room dressed in a dress shirt, pants, and boots, and her hair was tied in a high ponytail. Thank goodness she wasn't going hunting for dragons; Margarine would kill her, as would Honeydew if she was still alive. "Hey, Tarte! Are you in there??"

It was Captain Caviar. Tarte finished applying her eyeliner as she opened her door to see the spunky and rambunctious captain in a bathrobe, a bonnet over his puffy hair. "Is this normal?" Tarte asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Yes! I just got my ass out of bed!" Captain Caviar yelled.

Tarte exhaled and leaned against the doorway, asking why he needed to talk with her. Captain Caviar reached into a pocket of his robe and pulled out a slip of paper. It seemed charred on the edges, but it had a familiar stamp. Tarte yanked him into the house so they could read it. "It says..."

Dear Grandma Tarte,
I'm doing alright. I know MagicShell and the others are worried about me, especially you and Sister Pastry. But the Cookies of Darkness aren't all that bad. Sure, they plan to rebuild Earthbread in their image, but... Some of them are nice. Like a friend I met. He wants a world where everyone is equal. And... I see that. I see the goodness of this guy. I even got to reunite with Cousin Pomegranate! Although she's obsessed with pleasing Dark Enchantress, I have to give her her space. I love you so much, grandma! Tell Uncle Cream Unicorn and Sister Pastry I said hello!
With all the love in the world,
Milk Tea

A tear rolled down Tarte's eye as she smiled. "Thank God... Thank God you're okay, my dearest granddaughter..."

Captain Caviar leaned back in his seat, grinning. The letter had flown in from the West and hit his window in the middle of the night. It was similar to the letter Pastry received from Pineapple Juice. "So... she's happy. She's alright," he said.

"But what do we expect from her? She's stuck with Dark Enchantress and her evil-ass cousin. I mean, I'm happy she's alright, but I'm still worried for her safety. Who's the so-called friend she met? Is he the one keeping her hostage? ... Either way, she's alright, and we should remember that," Tarte added.

That's when Pastry came in. She, surprisingly, wasn't wearing her habit or her veil. Her lavender hair was down, and boy was it gorgeous. It had small white streaks in it, and it ran to her waist. "Oh– What's the matter, miss?" Captain Caviar asked, turning to face her.

"I heard she was stuck with the Cookies of Darkness! Shall I go and rescue Milk Tea?" Pastry inquired.

The other adults sat there, silent. "No."

"Why??"

"Because the gates are closed. They don't open until the beginning of next month. We can't do anything but hope Dark Enchantress doesn't find out about her," Tarte responded.

Pastry pursed her lips and nodded. She respected Tarte's advice; she was technically Milk Tea and Pineapple Juice's grandmother. She exhaled and sat down with the adults as Captain Caviar walked to the kitchen. It was a good day for a cup of tea or three. "I can't imagine what they're doing with her," Tarte muttered.

"I mean, based on the note, probably nothing bad," Captain Caviar responded.

True, Pastry assumed. And if Milk Tea was in any peril, the letter would be shorter and would have messier handwriting, hence explaining why she's in a hurry. The fear of the inevitable made Pastry shiver as she hugged her knees. Why would anyone make peace with the Cookies of Darkness? They're called that for a reason!