Chapter Text
There was a comforting silence that encased the whole room. The lights that lit the room came from the outside. A sweet, comforting smell slowly diffused into the room.
It provided a sense of familiarity, a sense of home. As much as she would have liked it to be, she felt this wasn’t truly her home. Even if that’s what she called it for the time being, it wasn’t anything like it. The cookie here led on hardworking lives. They were all assiduous workers, always putting in their best work into everything that was asked of them, without of having to be told to.
Eternal Sugar’s eyes fluttered open as she arose from her slumber. The door opened slowly as if the cookies stepping in was trying to not awake her but her dreams had already escaped her. Eternal Sugar cookie shifted her eyes to see who it was.
In entered HollyBerry cookie, she held a warm honey tea in her right hand and placed it on the nightstand. As she took notice that Eternal Sugar cookie had been awake, she opened her mouth to speak;
”Sorry if I woke you up! I brought you some honey tea, but perhaps you’d prefer to eat something or instead have some berry juice?” She said as she made her way to exit the room. She stopped at the frame and waited for Eternal Sugar’s reply.
Eternal Sugar sat up, stretched her arms, her wings, and yawned. She looked up at HollyBerry and smiled.
“It’s quite alright~ I don’t mind it if it’s my other half.” She replied as she turned to pick up the tea, she blew on it in order to cool it down a bit, just enough so that it wouldn’t burn her. She took a small sip. “Tea is alright, I like tea.”
HollyBerry smiled in relief, but truth be told she wore a nervous expression. She held a smile and eye contact but she scratched her arms. She wasn’t one to stray away from asking questions often as she usually held a brave and straight forward attitude. As she observed her, Eternal Sugar took note of it. She knew HollyBerry was going to ask her something even if she didn’t know what.
“How long do you plan on staying..?” She asked. This question surprised Eternal Sugar cookie. Wouldn’t asking that make it seem as if she wanted her to leave soon? She already knew the reason of her visiting. Was she looking forward to her departure?
No. That can’t be it. “Why do you ask?” Replied Eternal Sugar cookie as she furrowed her eyebrows into a confused expression. She kept her smile on her face and tilted her head slightly, it almost seemed sinister.
“I’m just curious is all! You don’t mind, do you? I apologize if it came off as rude!”
“Ah I see~! Perhaps a few months? I want to truly see what the HollyBerry kingdom is about! Then, truly, I could make the perfect paradise for us~”
HollyBerry cookie simply nodded. There was still the nervous sensation that flowed through her, she wasn’t completely sure she could trust Eternal Sugar cookie. She felt she was honest in saying she wanted the perfect Paradise but she feared that it wouldn’t be thought out in a way that considered everyone or was in a way morally correct.
HollyBerry cookie simply closed the door behind her and left Eternal Sugar to bask in the calmness of the room. As she walked through the palace halls she felt unease in her dough. A celebration could help ease her.
After all, they were taking in a beast cookie and everyone was finally back to safety. It had been 3 months since then. Months since HollyBerry and Eternal Sugar had first encountered one another.
Only 2 weeks ago had Eternal Sugar arrived in the HollyBerry kingdom. When she did, Eternal Sugar spoke of some way to make her Paradise truly perfect, especially after its collapse. She had concluded that observing the way the HollyBerry kingdom operated would allow her a blueprint of what a successful kingdom comprised of.
Roaming through the halls, HollyBerry cookie encountered Raspberry cookie. She was in a rush.
Odd.
“Why the rush?,” HollyBerry inquired.
Raspberry cookie chuckled and shifted nervously, took in a deep breath, sighed, and then finally spoke,
”Worry not Queen Mother! I will dispel of any fires that pose a threat!”
And although her words sounded confident, with the way she was carrying herself, HollyBerry could tell that Raspberry cookie was actually quite anxious.
“I’m sorry..? What—,”
HollyBerry cookie picked up her pace and sprinted to the kitchen of the Palace. In the kitchen was WildBerry cookie throwing Berry Juice at the stove, and TigerLily cookie staring at the scene from a distance.
“My Berry juice!”
HollyBerry swung her shield over the stove and covered the stove fire. She then took in a few breaths and turned to look at WildBerry and TigerLily. TigerLily stared back and WildBerry glanced at her and then the Berry Juice Bottle he was holding.
“I’m sorry Queen Mother, I’ll get you more Berry Juice,” he said at last. Hollyberry pressed her lips together and then turned to look at the stove.
“Worry not! I’ll just get more myself.. but.. how did you guys start a fire?”
TigerLily looked away and pet ButterTiger as she got up from her seat. WildBerry cookie gave TigerLily a glance, she in response averted her gaze, not wanting to be the one to tell the tale. Raspberry cookie took a breath in through her teeth.
WildBerry looked back at a Hollyberry with furrowed eyebrows, her stare alternating between WildBerry, TigerLily, and the stove.
“Ahem..”
The cookies all turned to see JungleBerry cookie.
“What’s going on? And why is there Berry Juice spilt on my floors?”
Raspberry Cookie was the first to reply,
”We were trying to make tea and.. it was successful— at first. The fire got out of hand. Fortunately though! Queen Mother was able to cover the fire with her shield!”
JungleBerry scrunched her eyes brows as she took in the information,
“That doesn’t explain my floors.”
HollyBerry spoke up, “I spilt some of my Berry Juice! Haha! I’ll get that cleaned up for you!”
JungleBerry gave HollyBerry an awkward smile, “Don’t dwell on it. I’ll get one of the maids to do it. You should rest. I’m sure you’re tired from looking after the.. guest.”
HollyBerry nodded and looked at the other cookies. “Yeah.. I think it’d be wise to call it a night.”
—. . .—
Eternal Sugar wandered the halls. Her cup of tea in hand— or rather just a cup. She had drank all of the tea a while ago, it was only a few minutes ago that she decided to get up to put it away. It was a bit out of character for her to do as usually just had one of her minions do these tasks for her; however, a part of her hoped to run into HollyBerry cookie.
As Eternal Sugar looked through the halls she noticed an arched cased opening with a bit of light seeping out of it. She slowly and quietly made her way to it, her wings tucked in on her back as she didn’t want to immediately make herself seen.
And there she was.
A tired HollyBerry with a wet rag in hand on the floor scrubbing away at Berry Juice.
”Oh that won’t do..,” Eternal Sugar said in a low voice. Even as it was said with a low volume HollyBerry slightly jolted at the sound.
”Ah.. Eternal Sugar cookie. What are you doing awake?” HollyBerry cookie asked as she shifted nervously. It was as if she was a kid being caught doing something she wasn’t supposed to be doing.
“I was just going to put my cup of tea away, do you like tea, my other half?”
HollyBerry stood up and twisted the Berry Juice out of the rag and into the sink. She then placed it over the faucet to let it dry.
“I do, I like my tea iced.”
Eternal Sugar raised a brow and walked over to get her some tea. She placed the tea beside the sink, on the counter, still holding the other cup in her left hand.
“Hmm.. I like my tea hot. Warm. It’s truly delightful~”
”Warm?”
Eternal Sugar cookie stared at HollyBerry for a few seconds and gave her a smile. HollyBerry picked up the iced tea Eternal Sugar had gotten her and stared. Eternal Sugar walked over to the sink and placed the empty cup into the sink and then looked up at her again.
”It makes me feel warm inside,” she finally said, finishing her thought.
Warm.
It was a nice feeling.