Hail Has Come...
...
I will never forget the day at which my life started to change, forever.
It's surprising how even to myself, I remember every detail.
For some reason, Mother Nature was acting quite strange. Our kingdom has always been the coldest kingdom out there, but a minor heat wave melted a majority of our ice and snow. It was still cold, but a lengthy coat wasn't as required as it was now. The chill was still heavy, though. It just so happens I was meant to run an errand, since it wasn't as cold out.
"Caramel, sweetie, could you buy mommy a bottle of milk? Her mother handed her a handful of coins. "I plan on heading to the nursery on my way to work tomorrow."
"Hmph." A serious nod she gave her mother.
Confidently making her way through the door, she scouted the area for a milk shop. Since none were perfectly laid out in sight, she knew it was time to begin her search. On her way out the neighborhood was there a festival of some kind. Few of the houses closest to the exit were decorated in the royal colors of the kingdom; black brown and purple. Quite the combination if you ask any of the residents. Wondering what the commotion was about, she geared toward the noise on the block. Picking up the pace when she finally started to hear the words of the cookie's cheering.
"Prince Choco! Prince Choco! Prince Choco!" The cookies cheered loud and loud outside the castle. Awaiting the Prince's arrival.
She was still many paths away from reaching the castle, and with her little legs, was she unable to cover ground much faster. Sighing in defeat, she then continued her search. While she decided to take a look around, a shout was heard from around the corner.
"LOOK OUT!"
As she looked in the direction of where the sound was coming from, a biscuit horse ran into her from behind, pushing her to the ground on the sidewalk. Barely any reaction was spiraled out of her. Nobody would've known she got hit by anything hadn't she screamed or shouted. Surprisingly, that didn't happen. Standing up, she could see that biscuit horse in the distance, and some strange person with a cloak on top of it. She shook her head before continuing her mission. Many cookies large and small watched her silently walk past their shops and homes, hoping she would make it to her destination before nightfall. Eventually, she found the shop selling all the food and drinks. One of the older cookies opened the door for her on their way out. She forced a smile to show her gratitude to the kind cookie and his family before running up to the front counter.
Just right before she made it there, someone had latched onto the back of her collar. Chewing on the side of cheek, she grew shocked of the situation she was soon to find herself in. As she was being dragged further away from the counter, she found herself in a section full of other cookies.
"Sorry everyone! Guess I forgot my wallet and my little sister came to bring it to me and got lost." The fellow cookie in the cloak nervously laughed his way back in line. Once the focus was off of him, he turned her around so they could meet face to face. "What are you doing here? Aren't you a little young to be out of on your own."
"That makes two of us." Another cookie was present, one with hair just as long as hers.
"Well, you both have a supervisor."
"I'm sorry, both? I'm old enough to take care of myself out in public."
"You're like 12, Affogato. You have 3 more years until you're supposed to be biscuit horse riding." The one in the cloak crossed his arms. "You and I both know that because I can ride a biscuit horse, I'm more adult."
Affogato scoffed. "Please, you hit this poor girl with it earlier, you're lucky she didn't scream and tell."
"Ugh."
"Mommy! Daddy! The prince nearly killed me with his horse." He mocked, proudly.
"PRINCE?!" Caramel shouted with excitement.
"SHHH!" Both cookies covered her mouth the moment they felt stares.
"Ahahaha what prince would be at a rusty old diner?!" Affogato pretended to laugh at the scenario.
"Yeah, that's probably against the rule book or something." The Prince played along as well.
"Oh yeah too bad we aren't royalty!"
"Really bad."
"This peasant life sure is awful, we hate our lives and everything we stand for as lower class citizens."
"Okay, that's a little morbid."
Finally taking control of the situation, the little cookie swiped their hands off her mouth. "You both are princes?"
"Oh, honey, I wish." Affogato answered.
The Prince chuckled at the little cookie, "Just don't tell anybody." He whispered to her with a big smile on his face, which she happily returned.
"NEXT!" The cookie behind the counter shouted.
"We're almost next!" He said to his friend. "What are you thinking of getting, must be something big with a bag that size?
"Milk." She replied, still tightly holding onto the bag in her arms.
"Milk? Aren't you a little too old to be drinking that?" Affogato wondered.
"Not for me." She clarified. "For the nursery."
"NURSERY?!" They both shouted in disbelief.
"Choco, why in Earthbread's name is a child working at a nursery?"
"I don't know, why don't we just ask?" Prince Choco shrugged at him before directly speaking to the little cookie once again. "I-"
"Alright if you say so." His friend started to clear his throat. "Why in Earthbread's name are you-"With a smack to the back of the head, he shut himself up. "HEY?!"
"I would like to know why a cookie, one as small, and young as you are, working at a nursery?" The prince asked sounded highly concerned of his people.
This only made the little cookie laugh, "I don't work at a nursery, my mommy just likes to visit. You're some silly cookies."
"Next."
Affogato growled at young one's laughter, "How dare you laugh at the ALL and POWERFUL and might I add extraordinarily GRE-"
"I SAID NEXT!" The cookie at the counter matched up to that particular cookie's volume to grab their attention.
"I'd like two Jelly-dogs and an entire carton of milk, to-go please." Choco kindly ordered.
"You say 'to-go' like we have a choice." His friend muttered under his breath.
"Yeah I guess we should've gone earlier when it was less packed."
Keeping up with the flow of their conversation was hard for her. They both talked faster than she did, as well as walk faster than she did. No wonder they volunteered to help her with her stuff, which she wasn't eager about to say the least.
"Let go, will ya! Choco already paid for you!" Affogato attempted to pull the bag out of her hold but she shockingly had a strong grip over her mother's earnings.
"I wanna hold it!"
"But you can barely hold onto the milk!" He warned. "Have you forgotten how pint sized you are?!"
"I'm not pint sized! I'm average if not tall for my age!" She cried back.
"Oh, are you 2?"
"I'm 10!"
"Is this all really necessary?" Prince Choco looked back at the two having odds with one another.
This was our first fight ever.
It paved the way for all of our other ones that followed.
It was just meant to be for us to be that way towards each other.
Some were harder than most to live with...
"I hate you!" Affogato cookie pushed her away from him.
"Well, I hate you more!" Caramel then pounced on top of him, throwing the most laziest punches ever.
The weather was generous that day. During their feud, rain was their only referee keeping them from killing each other. The harder it pour, the louder their screams.
Catching onto her hands, was she now pinned below him. Now endangered to his own blows. "I hate you more than more!"
Others formed into pranks of some kind.
"Oh Caramel Arrow!" The poison cookie sang as he took a peak into her room. "The king wants you, his first watcher, to test out his new coffee recipe."
"Go away! I'm reading!" Shoving her face deeper into the book, pretending to be busy.
"The faster you drink, the faster you can get back to reading."
"Okay, okay give me that!" Snatching the mug out of his hands she quickly gulped down her coffee. "That wasn't too bad what's in it?"
"Oh just some snow lion pee and whatever ingredients I could find in the medicine cabinet."
Immediately she found a need to puke which made the ganshin laugh out of malice.
No matter which way it went, there was always some kind of consequence.
"Affogato, you'll be sorry you ever tried to poison me!"
It's a little sad we never questioned it, all the time that went by, was just full of hatred and anger.
"Fighting in the rain, what are you children?" Dark Cacao questioned.
"They're only teenagers your honor, they're bound to get physical." Cube Choco Cookie spoke up in their defense.
"Like I give a shit!" He shouted loud enough for an echo to amplify his words. "I have enough to worry about and the last I need is a couple of pests who can't keep their hands off each other! Get them out of my sight."
"Yes, sir."
...
"But it wasn't always like that." Caramel Arrow forced a smile as she was finishing up her storytelling. "At least that's what I keep telling myself."
Looking across from her was a sleepy spicy cookie, who most likely dozed off as she was speaking.
After dragging the cover off the bed and placing it over Chili, she then went sleep herself. As cold as she was, she felt the other cookie needed it more. And that's what she does best, help those in need.
If only there was some other cookie to offer up the same gesture.
Morning soon arrived, not there was too much of a difference. Only the lighting of the outside would beg to differ. The weather on the other hand is not as fluctuate.
The spicy cookie woke up in an instant. "Too hot!" Her feet kicked off the cover too quickly causing it to land back on her lap. During her rude awakening to the day was her growling accompanied by a certain cookie's snoring. Surprisingly enough, it wasn't loud or obnoxious but rather soft and quiet. "She sure knows how to not drag attention to herself." Getting up from the floor, she made her way toward the sleeping cookie. Returning the favor from the night before. With one touch she fell right to the floor, arms still crossed and legs still wrapped together. It was clear she's been holding herself tight to keep herself warm, still there was slight shivers during her rest. And whenever she would exhale, a puff of air would flow right out her mouth.
A slight experience of deja vu flashed right before Chili's eyes. "Those little cookies made me soft." Once the cover was over the watcher's body, the thief left the room as well as the cabin to clear her mind.
...
"She sure has been gone for quite a long time, your honor." Cube Choco mentioned, standing next to the desk after placing the cup of coffee on the coaster.
"Well, good." King Cacao started to take a break from staring at his windowsill. "I like that she's been getting some fresh air. It sure gets stuffy in here, won't you agree?"
"Yes, yes." Nodding at the majesty's words he presumed he was in a good mood. Now would be a better time than ever to bring up what he saw last night. "Your honor."
In the midst of picking up his coffee, the King stopped halfway. The mug was now from across his chest, with his fingers firmly gripping onto the handle. Curious to why the energy changed in his office the minute the retainer called his name. "Hm?"
"There is something I think you should see, and it involves Caramel Arrow Cookie."
"I'm listening."
...
A bright and cold afternoon it was, is what she would be thinking, if she didn't wake up as warm as a toasted marshmallow. "What is the meaning of all of this?" She wondered, referring to the stack of sheets layered over her body. Out of nowhere her hand touched something plush and warm, which mildly startled her from its texture. "A pillow? But how-"
"Oh..." Chili reentered the room in a bit of embarrassment. "I see you're awake now."
"Of course." A slight paused filled the air. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"I-uhh-" Dropping the other blankets off the floor, the thief let her face get all red.
"Did you...? Did you grab all of these blankets?" A smile wiped across her face. "For me?"
The spicy cookie sworn if she had a tail, she'd probably be wagging it right about now. "Grab? Hah, that's cute! Anyway-"
"You mean to tell me you stole these?"
Darn, the wagging stopped.
"Well, duh." Chili crossed her arms and faced away from the warrior to avoid further judgment. "It's kinda my whole thing. Tch, what do you care?"
As the silence started to grow between the two yet again, the two cookies returned to their own bubble. But, the overall truth to their shyness was none other than the fact they desperately needed the company. They were more alike than they seemed to believe, when it came to their stubbornness at least. The watcher stopped paying attention to the thief eventually and started tidying up her area so she could make it back to the castle. It's moments like these she regretted talking to cookies that weren't exactly on her level. They just never knew how to communicate with her, and it has always irked her that it was always going to be that way. None cared to be patient, and none even cared to be considerate. And just when she got the feeling Chili Pepper Cookie was going to be different, another wall came between them.
The handwork in her folding fastened the more basked in the quiet.
The opposing cookie glanced at her speed, detecting a sense of uneasiness through the forward expression on her face.
When she finished, she had stacked the blankets on top of each other which now rested on both of her forearms. "Excuse me." She sighed as she made her way to the door.
Following her, Chili had picked up the remaining sheets that she had dropped a moment ago, mentally dabbling in her regret for what she had done.
Thankfully, the breeze and the sticks layered on the ground outside were enough to balance out the awkwardness between the two.
Soon enough, the thief finally spoke. "Can we please just..." Not even finishing her request , the watcher slowly stopped walking.
"Go on." Caramel looked to her right to signal her attention was now on Chili, which gave her time to catch up.
Finally standing side by side, she had continued her remark. "...talk or something. You're being weird and I'm being weird and that makes me feel all gross. And when I feel gross I feel the need to throw myself in jail and no cookie wants to see me do that."
As dramatic as the latter cookie sounded, she had a point. Caramel Arrow Cookie was weirder than usual and there was no point in not trying to entertain anymore conversation. After all, it's a long walk back home. "Well, what do you suppose we talk about."
"I want to hear the rest of that story."
"It's a bit of a long one, I doubt you'd lend an ear for very long." The watcher chuckled softly.
"Well, we have the time."
...
"Oh no." The little cookie frowned.
"Great." Affogato huffed to himself.
The bag filled with her mother's coins soon ripped into shreds from the two's pulling.
Caramel attempted pick it all up at once but many bits dropped back onto the floor within seconds. Pressure was settling in when a few cookies stopped to watch what these three kids were doing. Prince Choco took notice of the scene and felt he should act quickly.
But that required a small sacrifice, one he was willing to pay.
Once he relinquished himself from his disguise even more eyes were on them.
"And all of my training was for nothing!" Emphasis on the last word, Affogato was furious their plan went down the drain.
The cloak he was wearing that clearly was knitted out of a potato sack, was now without a hood when he handed that piece over to Caramel. "Here you go uhhh..."
"Caramel, Caramel Cookie." The little cookie was in awe of his act of selflessness. Helping a mere cookie in need and in turn sacrificing any chance of living undercover.
"That is a wonderful name." He told her as he was assisting her with the money.
An adorable moment filled with body was soon invaded by other cookies awaiting their turn to speak with the Prince.
"ITS PRINCE CHOCO!" One of the villagers shouted.
"He is finally outside the castle." Another one of the villagers added.
The herd grew bigger and bigger and he was never let outside the palace again. At least, without his cover being blown. If he was to leave he would have to represent both his father and him with pride and dignity. It was his only way of mending a relationship with his citizens. Unfortunately, his first time out, the festival, it was to get through the King. There were countless complaints of his ruling and the villagers believed if they could convince his son to lend them some help, then he would eventually wake up in a sense. Having to listen to them warped my view of him, and I wasn't the only one who had that experience.
Affogato Cookie stared and stared at the cookies talking to his dear prince, taking in those some words he once breathed through his own mouth. Then looked at Caramel to question his current belief of the situation, taking in the fact he was once as oblivious as her.
...
"He..." Caramel felt her throat clog up as he remembered his face. Having to slow down her steps to continue on with the story, the memory alone was triggering, and rough enough to reference. Taking a deep breath, she started a new sentence. "If looks could kill, he could've shattered my soul that day."
"He?" Chili Pepper Cookie repeated. "Oh right, you can't say his name."
Those words stunned her in a way. Like she was hit with a pole in a fencing match, because, how could she lose? How could she feel so defeated, a simple name drop would silence her for good. "It's not that I can't I just-"
"Yeah, yeah, I got it. Just keep going, please."
Sighing, she continues, "Even though I didn't pay much attention to it, it was like he always has his eyes on me."
...
There was one time specifically that I could recall had his entire mind made up about me.
And ever since I couldn't do anything to change it...
"What is your name, little one?" The tall shadowy figure looking through the watchtower finally spoke, revealing himself with his husky and mighty voice.
"Caramel Cookie." Kneeling, she had answered his question.
"Well, Caramel Cookie. I have seen you on the field, surpassing those you trusted with your skill, your diligence and overall your discipline. They saw you how I saw you, as I saw you, small. But you used that to your advantage in today's challenges and for that you are granted, and formally known as First Watcher of the Dark Cacao Kingdom."
"I assure you, you will not regret putting your trust and faith in me, your honor." As she bowed her head, tears hit the ground, luckily everyone was too far from her to realize. All of her hard work was for something, and she now, became something. Someone, someone important.
The King cleared his throat, causing her to perk her head up at what he was going to say next. "There's just one more thing I need you to do."
"Anything, your majesty."
"Hit that bullseye and I'll gift you something as a thanks for participating."
The crowd stammered at the term "gift" being used in today's show. They've never presented any gifts throughout the watcher's finale.
Deep breath in.
"You only have one shot so make it count, kid." Second watcher, the one and only, offering his last words of encouragement to her. It helped her thus far, who knows, maybe it will help her here, where it really matters.
Deep breath out .
"We have faith in you, Caramel." An old spar partner of hers handed her a bow and arrow.
One made with cheap wood, decorated with blood and tears. The end of the bow was made with sugar cubes, created to cut through enemies flesh and crumbs. Luckily for her,she was asked to hit a target and not an actual cookie.
What you are after, is after you as well.
She positioned herself, ready, fingers pinched at the string and head of the bow.
The more you ease into stress, stress is all you will feel.
They saw her hit those bullseyes before, but she only had one chance, one chance to remind everyone of her worth. To remind herself she was capable of wearing that title, even if she had to die with it years after today.
The goal is to release and let go.
Her eyes closed shut when she finally released the bow from her hold. Her breaths grew heavy at the thought of either outcome coming true. All of her strength was used up on all the challenges, and her tolerance winded down the more her energy had been reduced.
"She's vulnerable. Look! She isn't even watching where her arrow her is going." Affogato pointed out to the King.
"I thought I told you to clean quietly." Dark Cacao shook his head at the audacity of his guest. "Besides, you and I both know there was no need to look."
A confused expression appeared on the cookie's face, as he returned his focus back on the arrow.
Five.....
Four....
Three...
Two..
One.
"The bullseye has been HIT!" Second watcher yelled at the top of his lungs.
"Caramel Cookie." Interrupting her swaying, the king called her name once more. "Your name is now Caramel Arrow Cookie."
Her leans to her left were just as continuous as her leans to her right. Her attempt to re-lock her focus with the king fell short the moment she tried turning herself around. Tripping over her own feet, how embarrassing in front of all these cookies, but she had no more energy to spare on those looking down on her.
"Your name is your gift, please give it the story it deserves."
Both figuratively and literally, she felt as if she was falling for ages the second she noticed his stare.
The day I treasured most became his day of dread.
"Caramel Arrow Cookie has fallen!"
While the crowd grew worried of her tiredness, both cookies up in the citadel lacked the expression to showcase their concern.
I saw it in his eyes, and after that, that was all I saw in his eyes.
"Take her to the infirmary." Dark Cacao ordered.
Two guards immediately scooped her off the ground, her arms were hanging off of their shoulders as she was being drudged inside.
That was just the beginning...
...
"At least the important parts of it that is." She soon stopped talking once they made it to a shelter, thankfully the same shelter Chili stole the blankets from.
"Thank you for returning these." The kind lady in white took the blankets out of their care, smiling at the fellow watcher and her friend.
Walking out the door, she waved at the nice lady until the door shut between them. "You're very welcome, I'll be sure to send more sometime."
On their way past the shelter, they seem to have engaged with the silence yet again. They were only an hour away from the castle in terms of walking distance, and if they refused to take any more stops. Surprisingly, Caramel Arrow Cookie was enjoying it. She felt lighter than ever to get some parts of the story off her chest. Chili Pepper Cookie on the other hand was overdosed with information. Moments into the walk, she had began processing everything she was just told. Apparently, for her, it was hard to tell what kind of relationship the two had, but it wasn't a pretty one. Another wave of deja vu hit her, a little too close to home this time. She started to slow down her pace the more she connected the dots which the watcher caught onto rather quickly.
"Is everything alright?" Immediately, she turned around facing the spicy cookie.
Spacing out, she had no idea she was drawing attention to herself. "Huh?"
"I said, is everything alright?" Sounding more concerned than before, the watcher repeated herself in hopes of getting an honest answer.
"Of course, let's just get going!"
It was going to take a lot more than hope, let's hope she had many more left.
...
King Cacao felt grim the more time Caramel Arrow was from the castle. The papers that were sent to his desk wasn't helping either. She put her heart and soul into these pieces, showing how pure of a cookie she really was. Even when he already knew that, it just made him feel worse that his act in fatherhood corrupted her as well. Minimally, yes, but accountability is important. He faced his windowsill in hopes of seeing her usher in the neighborhood, if only that actually happened.
"Your honor!" The retainer from outside his office knocked on the door. "I would hope you aren't still in there reading those papers."
"What I do in my time alone is my business only." He groaned.
"But it's not worth sitting here sulking." Cube Choco Cookie sighed. "Just please let me in, it seems your fellow friends have sent you more letters."
"I'll read them later but bring them in anyway."
The retainer quickly and quietly set down the letters and just as he was about to exit the room, he was given another order.
"Alert the guards when Caramel Arrow Cookie returns. We're going to have a talk and I need her freshened up and ready."
"About him?"
"About him." The King closed his eyes as he recalled a memory of his son, still pains him to think about, clearly.
...
Caramel Arrow Cookie thought to open up as she noticed they were getting close to the village. "I didn't think having you around would feel kind of nice."
A slight huff escaped Chili's nose as she smiled. "Is that so?"
"Yeah."
"..."
"Do you not believe me?" Her voice sounded meek and soft as soon as it came out her mouth.
It took a few seconds before she had a response to that, "To tell you the truth, I really don't know Caramel." The thief crossed her arms and continued walking, leaving the watcher dumbfounded and sorry for herself.
"Oh..."
"It's nothing personal, you just- I can't- ah, fuck!" The spicy cookie lifted her arms up towards her head and landed her hands over her eyes.
Sounding a tad bit more blunt, Caramel offered to lend an ear. "We can talk about it, think of it as me returning the favor."
"You know any bars around?" She crouched down attempting to hide away from any judgement.
"Excuse me?"
"Give me a drink and I will talk." Chili demanded as her fingers started crawling up towards her hair, grabbing and squeezing every root she could find.
She didn't feel like leaving her alone but also didn't want to bother her. It was clear she was struggling with something, and the best way to get out of her debt was to offer up her patience.
And that's what she did.
But may have allowed her to go overboard with the bottles.
"Chili Pepper! Haven't you had enough?"
The thief was too busy drinking her memories away to care about who was right next to her. She could tell she does this all the time, sad to see. Weirdly enough, she wanted to try, see what that felt like. To see what it felt like to run.
Chili opened her mouth and started to fully face the watcher, but quickly copped out when she felt that energetic shift in the air. The level of uneasiness caught up to her. "Could I have another, please?"
Enough was enough. "Ugh!" Caramel arrow threw her hands in the air and walked out of the bar, not even caring if she was being followed anymore.
Regardless if she did or not, she was Chili's only help, and Chili herself had to accept that.
"I didn't want to do this stupid play date, I just wanted to shut myself in and write away my pain. But then I was forced to come here and do this stupid adventure thing with you and I actually began to tolerate your presence." Caramel held herself tightly the more she started to share her perspective. "It's the same pattern all over again." Finally turning herself around, she faced the thief in slight fear of what was going to be said to her. "What?"
"You have something..." Chili finally started talking, but it was hard to understand her based on how groggy her tone sounded. "You have something that cookies like me can't understand."
"That is...?"
"A real knack for life." Taking a gulp in between her sentence she passionately continued. "You get to experience the thrill of it all, the thrill of knowing you were born for good."
Her eyes faltered a bit the more she took in that statement.
"So when cookies like me, and cookies like you meet, the hatred we let form in the core of our eyes is just our way of letting you see us for who we are." The thief sniffed and tried soak up her tears before she grew overly sentiment. "The way Affogato looks at you is the exact way..." She was choking up sooner than she realized. "She looked at me."
"She...?" Caramel was trying to keep up, but there was so much information thrown at her at once.
"I want to say her name, but it's painful for me also."
"She was important to you?"
The thief laughed in the midst of her sobs, "She wanted to kill me, at the very least, throw me into a jail for money."
"Why would she want to do that? You're not exactly what I call a bad cookie. A bad cookie is-"
"What? Someone who only cares about themself?!" Another chuckle escaped from her mouth. "I'm not surprised your definition of what a "bad cookie" is, is just as warped as everyone else's. But I can't lie, it's disappointing."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't, in fact, let's just drop the topic it's a bit early for me to be having such an episode, anyway." Wiping away her tears and chugging the bottle, she started to create a distance between her and Caramel Arrow Cookie. When she heard the watcher follow her in her direction, she started to speak again. "I called you out here for a "play date" because I needed a place to stay until I felt comfortable on my own again."
Caramel Arrow took a gander at the sky before finalizing her question. "I see, come on, we're not as far from the palace anymore."
...
The King was fast asleep, many hours spent waiting and worrying tired him out quicker than he expected. The guards, and the watchers, as well as the advisors all kept watch of the castle up until his wake. Word had traveled fast that Caramel Arrow Cookie had left her familial bounds. The entire kingdom was worried sick that nobody would be able to protect them.
Luckily, one particular spectator stayed ahead of the gossip. "Your honor it seems we-"
Rushing through the door was none other than the First Watcher of the Dark Cacao Kingdom. "My King!" She cried happily, nearly the startling the old man. She banged her palms against the desk repeatedly to catch his attention. "My King!"
"Alright what is it?" He turned around in his chair and was surprised to see that familiar face. "You're here?!"
"Let's bond about that later, there is a hail storm coming in and I suggest we warn everyone before any cookie gets hurt."
"Right!"
Instantly, she marched out the office and made her way back to Chili Pepper Cookie, who was waiting outside the door wondering if she should make an entrance,
"Let me show you to the sauna's. Unfortunately, I won't be joining you because I'll be watching the weather."
"No need to explain, I was with you the whole time." Chili excused her. "But, if I'm going to be paying this kingdom a visit I should help out at least a little bit."
"Follow me."
"So this was your life, huh?"
"Was?" A slight chuckle escaped her mouth.
"You know like-every day was a mere life or death matter." A small giggle was returned.
"Is hail not a life or death matter to you?"
"It's not that it isn't, it's just something I haven't quite experienced."
"It's definitely an experience for sure." Slowly down from the running, she took a nice walk past the windows in the hallway. Hands behind her back while she leaned in to the window. "The clouds are darkening."
"How long do they usually last?"
"Not very long, but close to a half hour."
Chili was flattered by how fast she answered those questions, too bad she was the brawn of the duo. "And, you know this because..."
"Studied, and lived through one. All three stages to be exact."
"Hmm, okay." That sly smile returned momentarily the more she leaned about her. "Well, I know a little thing about hail too."
"Really? What is it?"
"It's best to not be near any windows."
Took Caramel Arrow Cookie a minute before she could catch the hint as they were still in that incredibly long hallway. "Oh! Right this way!"
"So, did you know that or-"
"Of course, I did." She responded a bit too quickly. The watcher took a deep breath and scratched the right side of her head with her hand. "I actually didn't."
"It's alright, nobody really likes a know-it-all." Chili pepper lightly tapped her hand on her left shoulder before passing her by to the nearest exit, mentally expecting her to immediately follow.
"Wait! How could you have known that?"
"I guess one of those kids I was watching the laid a pretty good seed in my head." She explained to her. "But, I can't help but ask, how could you not have known that?"
"I know I said I've experienced one, but that experience barely taught me anything." The fond memory of it made her laugh a little. "I probably should've been more specific."
Once the two were close to the exit, a herd of watchers and guards bolted through the door to get outside quicker. Causing Caramel Arrow Cookie to sigh in defeat.
"This happens often, doesn't it?"
"Precisely."
The townsfolk of the Cacao Kingdom was tolerable at best when it came to a natural crisis. The community grew stronger without King Cacao's rule, but grew even stronger when he took his role more seriously. So, when they are being informed of what to do, panicking is rarely the first option.
As the duo made their way outside, they took notice of the collective effort being placed to assure everyone to safety. Here and there, Caramel Arrow would have to give orders but they rarely intervened with her sky gazing. "The first stage is complete, it's going to be thundering any minute now."
"I've never seen you so still before, I mean besides last night. But, I remember you actively working on the field." Chili Pepper Cookie enjoyed making conversation with her, everything she said sounded so interesting. A cookie her age was exactly what she needed for some company. "Was it always like that for you?"
"No, not exactly." A slight frown appeared on her face before it formed into a smile. "It took everyone a while to trust my skill in change of weather."
"Tell me more."
"There was this one time, I had tried warning everyone hours before that something was different about the sky that day. But, they didn't believe me."
"Of course they didn't." Chili Pepper crossed her arms and bit the side of her cheek the more she listened to the story.
"Though, someone I never thought would, did that day." The smile returned, and grew a little wider while she was reminiscing. "He stood outside with me on the steps because he saw me trying to prove a point. And, in some way he respected that."
"Oddly nice of him."
"Yeah, well, I do remember him being upset about something though. Seemed pretty important but wasn't paying attention." Caramel's hands dug into her hanbok then fiddled with each other as she remembered what else happened that day.
"You miss him."
"Highly unlikely." Immediately, she defended her stance.
Chili Pepper's eyes widened for a second while she smiled, signaling to her she knew something else was there.
"I guess, if he's really out there and alive still..."
"Yes?"
"I hope..."
"Yes?"
"He sees that I was right!"
"Huh?!" Chili Pepper Cookie didn't know how to react to that statement. She thought it would confuse herself more if she asked, but it did bother her with how much she was holding out. "You seriously gotta start sparing me more details before you just end any more of your stories." At the start of her rant, the watcher started laughing at the possibility of still proving her old pal wrong. "Right about what, though?"
"Well let's see-"
The thundering has begun, it was time for them to heed the sky's warning.
"That doesn't sound good." Chili Pepper pointed out.
"Why would it?" Caramel quietly remarks before signaling they should both inside. "Come on, I doubt you'd want to get rained on or potentially fried."
"That can't be the next stage?" She whined looking back at her hoping for a positive answer. "Can it?"
"Mhm." After giving her a nod for confirmation, the two hurriedly marched toward the front door.
"I can't get soggy, do you have any idea what that would do to my hair?!"
"I could give you a lot of ideas of what this hailstorm could do to us if we don't get inside!" From increasing her speed, she was able to get to the door whilst using her strength to get it open. "Why did we make this...so...heavy?" But, she was only capable of opening a space for them to slide in. "Don't just stand there, get in!"
"Oh you don't have to worry about me I-"
"Just get in!" Pulling the door open with all of her might, she felt her arms getting weak. That's what a few days of not draining does to you. As she was criticizing herself in her mind, she heard something move causing her to gasp and frantically look around.
She decided to continue making her point, "All I was gonna say was that I'm good at slithering through tight spaces." Little did she realize her words were falling onto deaf ears.
"Where is it?" She started talking to herself, but keeping it at a light whisper to not distract her friend, who was still gunning towards the door. "It's been a rough 24 hours please let there be something here." The feeling tensed her muscles even more, figures, since she suspected she wasn't completely alone. Which she wasn't, wasn't she? "I think there's someone staring at me, but it can't be." Shortly after warning herself, she slowly turned her head around and the sound of lightning struck the moment she locked eyes with it.
Her hand's immediately let go out of shock, causing the door to hit Chili Pepper on the way in, leading her to fall flat on the ground. "Ah, what the fuck, Caramel?!"
"My dearest apologies, please forgive me." Panicking, she tries yet again to get the door open, when suddenly it stopped moving all together. "Ugh, I can't this thing to open."
Turning around, she felt helpless, so much was happening to her all at once and she couldn't understand why. And that figure that was staring at her was beginning to move closer to her, luckily, there was enough distance between them for her to think. The farther it strayed away from the shadows the more it worried her, she didn't have her bow and arrow to even try and scare it away. So decided she should just see it for herself.
Out of nowhere, she felt a tug on the collar of her hanbock, seemingly pulling her inside the palace. Her body laid on the cold wooden floor, her upper half being the part moving intensely.
"Just what the hell is going on with you today?!" Chili cursed at her. "First you're nice, then you're closed off, and then you're really nice again. I mean I can be a pretty confusing cookie myself, but I'm supposed to be that way! Now you're just..." Stopping in the midst of her claim she noticed how heavily the woman was breathing. "Doing...whatever that is."
Caramel Arrow Cookie took a pause before breathing again as she sat up, "I saw something." Chili Pepper Cookie kneeled down to provide her some comfort before asking for context. But soon as she did, the watcher scurried out of her sight. "My King!"
It would be a lie if Chili wasn't the slightest bit intrigued with what the woman had seen. They've both been on edge today, it would serve her right to at least check whats out there. Her hands were positioned in the form of binoculars against the glass, peaking for something creepy. "Now what could've possibly thrown her into a shock. She's a really strong cookie, I doubt anything could scare her."
The lightning struck faster than anything she's ever seen, that alone gave her the clue she was looking for.
"Shape of a triangle...tiny little legs...and beady eyes. A cake hound, she saw a cake hound." A defeated sigh was exhaled the moment she figured it out. "Oh shit."
...
The watcher dashed through the halls as fast as she possibly could, she had no means to slow down or stop on her way to his office. "My King!" The few guards that stayed behind watch her run like her life depended on it. She even risked bumping into a couple antiques and climbing up the stairs on all fours for a boost. "My King!"
Her cry echoed through the entire palace, merely, but it was an indicator for Dark Cacao that she was getting close by. The second she made it his door, she tried to invite her way in, but he was a step ahead of her. "Oh...my King...I have something...to tell you!" She pretended to ignore his grunt in response to her panting so loudly.
Still at the door, he wondered, "What is it?"
While trying to catch her breath she thought to make small conversation with him, "Oh...you even cleaned up your desk..." Her hands grazed against the wooden table as she leaned on it for some support. Leading her to eventually trip over her feet with all this movement she's been doing. "how... professional of you."
Rolling his eyes, he lifted her off the floor and guided her to the windowsill.
As she was getting the help she needed, she thought to continue talking, "Anyway, I saw this creature or figure of some kind right outside the front door, and it all started when it was staring at me. You probably don't remember but he used to do that a lot to me and it worried me for a split second because-"
"First Watcher." Her called her by her title, he was serious. "Look out there."
Finally standing on her own, she lightly swept the dirt off her hanbock and followed his command.
"What do you see?"
Caramel Arrow wasn't quite sure where he was getting at, but answered as strongly as she could anyway. "I see the field and the fountain. The dark clouds in the sky and the streaks of lightning."
"And?"
"My watchtower."
"And..."
Lightning struck once more the next time she looked, revealing to her on what she failed to see. "I see..." Her head fell low admitting to how absolutely foolish she looked this stormy evening. "...a cake hound."
Dark Cacao sighed thinking about what else to say. As she turned around tried to leave, he quickly figured it out. "It's time we had a talk Caramel."
Still turning away from him, she stopped walking. "There's nothing to talk about."
"I've been avoiding it, you've been avoiding it, but only of us is succumbing to the consequences. Let me help you, please."
"..."
"Get freshened up and meet me at the fireplace around nightfall."
"..."
Silence was one thing he couldn't stand, "Caramel."
"Yes sir." She made her way through the door and started walking to her room to pick up her things.
...
When she got there, she immediately confided into her bed. Too much anger was residing in her body, she needed to get it out. She reached under her mattress for some boards and strategically placed them throughout the walls of her room. Wearing her satchel filled with arrows in it she'd been firing each of them one by one.
Hit.
Hit.
Hit.
Another hit.
And another hit.
Each arrow hit every bullseye in the room already, and so she placed more.
Hit.
Hit.
Hit.
Another hit.
And another hit.
Over and over again.
As she was about to turn around to hit the one above her bed, she had noticed something strange sitting outside her window. It appeared to be some kind of note, but who would send a message throughout this kind of weather? Never minding the logic behind it, she kept her stance ready as she slowly stepped closer to the sill. Steadily, she set her bow down and gently opened up the window. Carefully , she grabbed the letter and began inspecting it.
She quickly glanced at her bedroom door to make sure nobody was coming in or interfering with her curiosity. She was worried but with the day she's had, she felt it was in her right to be reckless.
"Dear Caramel Arrow Cookie, I know we haven't talked in a long time, I'm sure you've been writing all kinds of stories to me, but it occurs to me that I'm ready to reconnect with the Dark Cacao Kingdom.
With my home...
With my father...
and with my citizens...
But also with you.
I needed time to recuperate for the crimes and the pain I've inflicted on others, including the ones I cared for most. Please help me become a better cookie to make it up to them and to of course make it up to you."
"Apologies, Dark Choco Cookie." All of that anger and turmoil washed away with that letter. But the root of the pain and inner crisis burned into a new flame. "I'll do anything for you, my prince. But how?" She looked closely at the letter and noticed a small drawing of a bow and arrow at the bottom of the message, pointing in the right direction. By instinct, she flipped the note around and got her first ever clue. "Meet me at the dock of the Duskgloom Sea. It's where I've found a place of work. I'm counting on you, Caramel Arrow Cookie."
The watcher let the letter dangle off the tip of her fingers to test out the weather, she noticed pieces of sleet hit the paper. "Hail has come." She whispered to herself as she crumbled up the letter and dropped it from her dorm.
She finally calmed down from everything that happened and thought it would be best to wash the day off her.
...
Hidden in a tree, clothed in a mere rags, was a cookie meaning to start trouble. But, wasn't the only cookie to partake in the fun. "Seems like she took the bait, hehe."
"I will say that was well calculated." The one in bold scarlet confessed.
"You're lucky that hound didn't get hurt, if Red Velvet were to find out he'd be pretty angry." Another cookie spoke as they played with the dead shrooms on the tree.
Ignoring the little one, the latter cookie decided to open the floor to the mastermind over here. "What do you think, Affogato Cookie?"
"What I think-?" Affogato Cookie repeated, mockingly, catering a laugh to his new minions. "What I think! I think hail has come for...Caramel Arrow Cookie."
"Hmm, a pun, I think I'm starting to like you, Affogato Cookie."
Mildly, was he taken aback by the grim cookie's kind words. Words he found a little too familiar. "Good for you."
All four cookies laughed maniacally knowing the storm would keep their cover hidden.
...
The First Watcher was sitting down in front of the main entrance, below the roof and away from the ground. "The shade feels nice." She said to herself as she looked at the sky for any signs of rain.
Interrupting her peaceful evening, the royal advisor marched right on outside and plopped himself down next to her. "That damn ruler thinks he knows everything, just wait until I'm working under royalty, then everything I say will be factual."
Caramel got curious and paid close attention to his movements, not noticing when he was finished talking, she resorted to just staring at him.
"What are you looking at?"
"Oh! Just the sky, I'm expecting rain this afternoon."
Affogato groaned, "of course you are".
"Hmm." She hummed. "Affogato."
As much as he wanted to ignore her, he didn't feel like going back inside, risk of running into Dark Cacao was more than a little risky. "What?"
"Does that big cloud right there look dark to you?" She asked, pointing at the giant puffy cloud sitting in the sky above part of the kingdom.
"Oh, it's this hail business again, why couldn't you just get a job at the coffee shop like every other 14 year old?"
"I-"
"But yes, it does look rather dark."
Caramel started to get giddy the moment she received his confirmation. "So do you think it'll bring hail to our kingdom today?"
"Might be a reach, I personally, don't think it exists."
"But it does."
"But it doesn't." He leaned closer to her face in an effort prove her wrong. "Supposedly it's deadly or at the very least dangerous, but you can hardly tell the difference between that and snow."
"Oh." A slight frown appeared on her face in worry she was believing in a myth.
Noticing her expression, he laid out a sigh. "Though, I guess it wouldn't hurt to stay out here, I'll admit it when I'm beat."
"Thanks Affogato."
"But the minute I find something else to worry about, I'm going back inside."
"That may take a while."
"To hail with you." He jokingly cursed at her, causing her to let a giggle slip out her throat.
"I think I'm starting to like you even more now, my royal advisor." Caramel's smile showcased so much joy, he couldn't believe how nice she was being towards him. "You can be pretty funny when you're not trying."
I never wanted her to see me that way.
Not that it even matters, it's no longer her reality.
All she knows is, she made a real enemy out of me, and that, that will never change.
...
"Let's move out!"