Chapter Text
They say it takes a village to raise a kid.
But it takes death to teach them how to love.
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Screaming filled Wildberry's ears, soldiers falling into mouths opening up on the ground. He ran around desperately, helping the youngest cookies and attempting to get them to safety. As he helped one of the youngest, he heard a loud screach, and looked up to see a six winged beast flying into the sky, Hollyberry cookie falling to the ground and rolling to ease her fall.
"You can't leave me! You can't leave me alone!" He heard the beast cry. "I am all you need! I'll give you everything! I healed your little soldier, I save many of your peoples' lives, yet you still leave me in the dirt like some worthless wilted rose!?" He felt his arm twist, having ran up to stand guard in front of Hollyberry instinctively. The beast stared down at him before a sickening smile spread across her face. "I'll prove how much you need me~"
He couldn't think as his arm twisted more. He felt the bones break, the cracks splitting apart and blood trickling into the heavy steel of his gauntlet forcing him to his knees in pain. The world seemed to fade as black spotted his vision. He heard the cries of other soldiers, and Queen mother's voice ringing out above all, the sound of wing and teeth against shield and stone. He heard raspberry cookies voice, but he couldn't make out what she was saying. Consciousness seemed so fade from his body as he was dragged off the field, and he heard his gauntlet fall to the ground beside his head. The hushed worry evaded his mind further, distant shouting overpowering anything else. He closed his eyes as he saw the light start to fade, blood seeping quickly from his wounds.
Soon enough, he heard two familiar voices. The voice of the cherub that once taunted him for his unrequited love, only slightly deeper; And the voice of said love, commander crunchy chip. The strong warrior's voice was broken already, but upon seeing what Wildberry could only assume was his own sorry state, panic seemed to take over the short man's mind. He felt a presence on his chest, and another on his arm. Just barely, as he lost feeling in his body, was he able to hear again.
"how did this happen!?" Crunchy chip shouted, desperately checking for a pulse.
"Eternal sugar cookie must have revoked the magic that sealed his wounds previously. This bleeding is bad." Pavlova spoke, ripping off Wildberry's cape and tying it around the unconscious man's shoulder. Tears welled up in crunchy chip's eyes. He was going to loose another loved one. He wasn't strong enough. "My healing is limited, but I know some of the spells she used." Pavlova rested a hand on Wildberry's arm, sticking a finger in one of the crack-like gashes. Crunchy chip was about to shout, when the bleeding stopped.
"how"
"it won't last long, grab me my bow" He stuck out a hand, and crunchy chip handed him the bow. He magically pulled the strong off without damaging it, leaving a the original string still. He did it a few times, tying them together and pulling a needle from his garments. Crunchy chip clutched Wildberry's hand, watching as Pavlova performed hasty emergency stitching, just to hold the wound at least partially closed so the blood would clot.
"Who.. Are you...?" Crunchy chip mumbles, staring down the strange guy.
"I'm Pavlova cookie... Eternal sugar is basically my boss... But with her fit of rage earlier, I managed to make it out of her gardens.... Speaking of... Is the world always so... Dark and bloody?"
"No... Its not entirely like this...you just managed to break free in the midst of a war." The commander responded, holding Wildberry's hand to his chest. Pavlova looked up from stitching for a moment, seeing the quiet interaction.
"I sense the love you hold dear in your heart." He speaks, making crunchy chip jump. "Distant, closed off. No chance of growing if stomped back into the ground at the very thought. Your heart is cold."
"What does that have to do with anything!?" The cacao warrior attempts to defend himself.
"the one you hold your love for, the one you hold dear in your heart... It's for him, is it not?"
"yes... " Crunchy chip pulls Wildberry's hand closer to his lips. "Why do you speak of this..?"
"That love, that passion... Its hidden deep in his heart to. I was hoping he'd tell you himself, but at the chance of his death, I wanted you to know that he loves you too." Tears start to well up in chip's eyes, looking down at the pink haired man, whose tan skin was heavily pale with the loss of blood.
"I just lost my best friend... My brother... I can't loose him too... I can't loose him without getting a chance to love him right... I want to tell him so bad... I want him to wake up...we were supposed to make it out of this war." He sobbed, leaning down and clutching Wildberry's hand to his chest, burying his own face in Wildberry's. "I love him..."
Pavlova let him cry. This desperate love was one he had only seen in stories. While it was entertaining back then, back when life came easy, seeing it now made his own heart ache. He had done what he could, using the rest of Wildberry's Cape as a makeshift bandage and sling.
"We can only hope the blood loss was enough to drive him to mere unconsciousness... His pulse is weak but steady. He's lost a lot, he'll require a transfusion. Find him a safe place, I'll go off to find more materials."
"Understood"