Chapter Text
“Leave thisss place, Hollyberry Cookie.” Pitaya Dragon Cookie said, not looking at her and instead keeping their attention on the seal in front of them. The seal that had been draining their power and very life for so long. “Whether you and your friendsss remain here or not, I will do what I mussst. Ussse your Sssoul Jam to sssave your friendsss from crumbling in the collapsssing cave!”
“Pitaya Dragon Cookie!” Hollyberry was taken aback. “You… do you really mean that?”
“I will get back the ssstrength I traded for White Lily Cookie’s ssstory.” Their eyes began to glow a vibrant red, their eyes thin and full of rage. “Even if I have to risssk my life for it…” Hollyberry’s eyes widened.
Risk their life!? No!
However, she couldn’t do anything as before she could react, Pitaya Dragon said the very words that began the final chaos. With a big breath, Pitaya Dragon had one goal in mind.
“ENDT TILTHEND DAOND…”
. . .
RUMBLE!
The seal began to glow as the cave began to shake, only for it to shatter like glass as the rumbles became worse.
“Pitaya Dragon Cookie!” The cave began collapsing all around the two of them. “ PITAYA DRAGON COOKIE!” Once the first stone almost crushed her, the only thing Hollyberry Cookie could do was bolt to the exit as fast as her legs took her. Raising her shield as pieces of the stone fell down and almost hit her, only to get redirected with a loud clang. It was hard trying to run when the ground itself began to crack under her, threatening to swallow her whole like a gaping maw of a predator.
She looked back towards Pitaya Dragon, seeing their form get hidden by the falling rubble blocking the way to them. She could just make out them looking back towards her, giving her a smirk and raising their weapon as the stones fully closed the path.
Outside the cave, the quaking of the earth was just as strong, Royal Margarine could barely stay on his feet.
“Wha- What’s happening…! The cave is…! I-It’s collapsing?!?!” What about Hollyberry? What about Pitaya? Where were they if the cave was already threatening to crumble them when outside.
“Bweee! Bweee!!!” Snapdragon had just as much of a worry, staring into the entrance to the cave, with Tarte Tatin right next to them. Then, just as hope seemed lost, she saw someone.
“Hollyberry Cookie!” The clear form of Hollyberry Cookie was running as fast as she could. Wait, where was-
“Run away!” She yelled. “Everyone, get out of here! The whole volcano is collapsing!” She warned, ducking and then tackling everyone out of the cave’s entrance, keeping her shield up to protect them.
CRACKLE! RUMBLE!
Rattle! Rattle!
…
It was deathly silent.
Hollyberry then, and only then dared to open her eyes and lower her shield. It was then that she realized how she had essentially thrown herself over her friends to shield them from the worst of it. Buttercream had wrapped around Royal Margarine, with Snapdragon hiding right next to him, and Tarte Tatin was directly next to Hollyberry.
She weakly got back onto her feet, staring at the stone covering the entrance. But she shook her head quickly, turning to the others.
“Is everyone in one piece? I think it’s over now…” Tarte Tatin was next back on her feet, using her giant weapon to hold herself up.
“We’re safe… Thanks to your shield, Hollyberry Cookie.” She said as Royal Margarine got up too, a hand to his back as poor Buttercream nudged him in concern. Likely he landed a bit awkwardly.
As for Snapdragon? The small hatchling was staring at the rubble. But… it was different. The way they stared was different. It wasn’t just concern.
Something was wrong.
Hollyberry felt pure dread sink into her dough, looking back.
“Pitaya Dragon Cookie…” She spoke quietly as she put a hand to her chest. She stayed silent for a moment after that. “Did… did they fail, I wonder..” Her voice cracked and broke as she spoke, enough that little Snapdragon came closer to Hollyberry. “I babbled on about the contract even though I knew nothing about it… Maybe I really should have sacrificed my Soul Jam..” And because of her hesitance, she now let someone meet their end.
It was silent again…
GROAAAR!
Everyone jumped, looking up to the sky. The large red dragon had flown above, not a single injury in sight on the thing. And the ground began to shake and rumble once more. But no, it wasn’t because of the mockery that was the dragon above them. Hollyberry looked around, seeing the stones to the cave shaking the most.
A large burst of red flames soon overtook the area, flowing all from the middle of the nest from the crumbled volcano, followed by another dragon roar as the sky turned darker.
The stones cracked into smaller pieces as the large form of the true red dragon burst out, their wings open and…
Bleeding? Even from such a distance, Hollyberry could see and sense that something was wrong. Their armor and scales shouldn’t be scratched like that, there shouldn’t be any visible strawberry jam on their wings either. They shouldn't be injured.
She was beyond glad to see Pitaya Dragon alive, but that sense of dread was still deep within her dough. Pitaya dug their claws into the stone before rushing at the impostor, avoiding the bursts of lava and fire that the other had caused. For the most part they avoided it, but one hit them straight. Even with that hit, they aimed once more at the other, roaring up an attack.
The energy around Hollyberry changed. This wasn’t a normal attack.
This was an act of desperation.
“PITAYA DRAGON!” She called out, but it was too late. The burst of flames was too bright for anyone to look at, even Snapdragon. They actually jumped into Hollyberry’s arms, hiding their head in her armor. However, through the sound of the crackling flames, she could hear it.
The roars and cries from both of the dragons. Mixed in like some sick melody of death and despair with the almost drum like crackles of the flames. The battle was happening and she couldn’t do a thing to help them. It was deafening, terrifying. The battle was long, with everyone needing to take cover as the fires became more wild.
Then it happened. A loud painful screech, one filled with pure terror and rage. The fires flashed into many colors, burned to a scalding degree by just being remotely near them as one final crash occurred.
The ground stilled. Then silence.
Deafening silence as the fires died down and the skies no longer burned a bright red. When Hollyberry looked up, she wasn’t met with a sight she expected.
The lava-like dragon was dead. Gone.
But where was Pitaya Dragon? She hoped to see them standing tall and proud, victorious over their imitation.
“Hollyberry Cookie? Were… were there two dragons?” Tarte Tatin asked. She must be going insane, there was only one Red Dragon from the legends, right? And where was that Pitaya Cookie that had traveled with them? Did they get killed in the rubble, and that’s why Hollyberry ran out alone? But before she could ask anything else or even let the fact sink in that a cookie died, Hollyberry placed Snapdragon down and bolted, climbing onto the broken rocks and stones as if her life depended on it.
The impostor dragon was gone for good, as the pieces that once made up its body laid on the uneven surface in dried up, broken and cold pieces. But she ignored that, further running in, even as Royal Margarine and Tarte Tatin called out to stop her.
“PITAYA DRAGON COOKIE!” She yelled out, desperate for any sign of them. “PITAYA DRAGON COOKIE-” She called out again, her voice breaking this time. Her breathing had gotten faster, not because of the running, but because of the panic. “PITAYA!”
Then she spotted something, a small cookie form in the rubble far away. Deathly still.
“No, no, no, no, no, no, no no!” Just as the others had caught up, she was off again, aiming straight for them. Pitaya is a dragon, one that took over her kingdom for a single fight, but they never went after innocents. They didn’t kill. For Divines’ sake, they ate berries to survive! Pitaya, while terrifying, was not an evil soul. She gasped when she got to Pitaya’s limp form.
Not only were they unconscious, the amount of injuries was making Hollyberry sick to her stomach. The armor was scratched and shattered, revealing parts of their body underneath, their gemstone seeming duller, and the amount of bleeding slashes… Their wings were torn in more places than she could count. She got down onto her knees to pick them up as gently as she could while she still could get herself to do it.
It was then that she realized just how… small Pitaya actually was in their cookie form. Shorter than her that’s for sure but shorter than Wildberry too. It was true that they were both on the taller side but… they seemed smaller than the average cookie.
“Pitaya?” She weakly asked, but Pitaya did not reply, they didn’t even stir and were completely limp. Honestly, it was getting more concerning, with the possibility that they were dead crossing Hollyberry’s mind. But the slow rise of their chest gave her enough hope. Enough hope to go back. They needed help.
“Hollyberry Cookie!” Tarte Tatin called out, freezing the moment Hollyberry turned around, even taking a step back. Hollyberry barely looked at the other cookies that had come along with her. “Hollyberry Cookie, is that the dragon?”
“They need help, Tarte Tatin Cookie.” Was her only reply. “They sacrificed themselves, and now they need help.” She didn’t dare to let go of Pitaya, keeping them close to her body, as if they’d turn to dust if she did let go, even for a second. Tarte Tatin was at a loss for words, not knowing what to say.
“PWAYA!” Snapdragon zoomed past her, flying right to Pitaya. Celestials, their face killed Hollyberry, those big eyes staring in confused shock at Pitaya. Why didn’t they move? Why were they sleeping? Hollyberry looked back up at Tarte Tatin, pleading.
The cookies attack on sight if they see Pitaya Dragon Cookie. She can’t let that happen.
Tarte Tatin thought long and hard. Hollyberry was holding a dragon in her arms. A dangerous one. Yet that very same dragon was the one she had traveled with, spoken with. Royal Margarine felt just as lost. The fact that he was with a dragon this whole time while he acted so tough and mighty, when in reality he could’ve been crumbled on the spot.
“Let’s go. I’ll make sure nobody touches a hair on them.” And that was a promise, a promise that made Hollyberry almost sob on the spot. They began to get out of there, not wasting a single moment. It’s unknown how close to death Pitaya truly was, so not a second should be lost.