Chapter Text
The young adults sat around a campfire, the stars above gleaming in promise of great adventures for the days ahead. Golden Cheese Cookie was munching on some rather nice berries that she had claimed to find all by herself, but in reality Pure Vanilla Cookie had pointed them out earlier because of their fresh state. Hollyberry Cookie was making jokes that eventually got Dark Cacao Cookie to spit out his water mid-drink because of the absolute absurdity of a certain not-so-appropriate joke she made. It also got everyone else to look at her in shock while holding back their own laughs. Pure Vanilla Cookie was asking about how everyone was doing and how their day went. And White Lily Cookie was quite literally nose deep in a book. It was a habit of hers. How she could read the book like that? She herself didn’t know.
White Lily Cookie suddenly spoke up to the rest of the group, slightly surprising everyone. “The book that I’m reading is talking about how there might be a rare flower in this area. The flower in question isn’t just rare, from the photo and description the book gives me, it also looks ethereal. Would you all…like to look for it with me? For fun?” Golden Cheese Cookie jumped at the thought of some sort of adventure that led to a rarity. “Why wouldn’t I- I mean why wouldn’t we? I would just love to find a new treasure for my collection with my dear companions!” Hollyberry Cookie nodded. “I love going on adventures with friends, no matter how small they may seem!” Pure Vanilla Cookie smiled, although he was always smiling, it seemed. “I’d love to, it seems like it would be quite fun.”
Dark Cacao Cookie didn’t respond and tried to act distracted with his sword. Golden Cheese smirked. “C’mon Cacaooooo, aren’t you gonna come with us?” Hollyberry joined in. “You wouldn’t want to be a party pooper, would ya?” “…You’re all going to drag me with you, aren’t you?” And before Dark Cacao Cookie knew it, he was following everyone as they entered the nearby woods. White Lily Cookie was leading, her eyes glued onto the book as she read out fun facts about the flower. “Oh, I forgot to mention that it’s called Glowing Ghost Orchid. The book says that a scientist ventured out near here and was messing with a young ghost orchid by pouring a mix of potions onto its roots, and the flower grew into a much larger than average ghost orchid, and it also glowed. It’s hard to spread and very rare to find, and the best place to look is here, where the first ever bloomed.”
Everyone agreed that the flower sounded quite amazing, though some didn’t care for it as much as others. Pure Vanilla Cookie brought up the way it was created. “Isn’t it amazing how nature can thrive so much more, if cookies treat them correctly?” White Lily Cookie nodded. “I can’t help but wonder, how far science and nature can go hand in hand? Are the opportunities limitless?” “Surely they must be!” Pure Vanilla answered. Golden Cheese Cookie spoke up before the two could nerd out any more. “Stay focused, nerds! This flower search requires all of your focus, so I can add to my treasures! And give you all some of maybe if you ask nicely…” Everyone (but “I am sorry, I do not know how to laugh!!!”) snickered.
White Lily Cookie suddenly stopped. She stared at a faint, multi-colored glow. It hid behind many trees, and was a bit far from the path, but it was there. She grabbed onto Pure Vanilla Cookie’s hand and bolted to the faint glow without a word. This happened often, one would run off, but before they did, they grabbed onto another’s hand to signal to form a chain. Golden Cheese Cookie quickly grabbed onto Pure Vanilla Cookie’s hand, Hollyberry Cookie grabbed onto Golden Cheese Cookie’s hand, and Dark Cacao Cookie grabbed onto Hollyberry Cookie’s hand. White Lily Cookie ran while dragging them all behind her, before she reached the source. She stopped, awe-struck.
Large patches of Glowing Ghost Orchids were on five trees around them, almost covering the barks of the trees completely. “I thought they were hard to spread…” White Lily Cookie mumbled. The flowers were a sight for sore eyes. Their many colors shone bright, providing a nice source of light in the dark forest around the five. The glowing ghost orchids almost breathed with life as they leaned towards the path the gentle wind was taking. A regular ghost orchid was nothing compared to these flowers. While White Lily Cookie and Pure Vanilla Cookie were still taking in the magical sight, Golden Cheese Cookie ran around the trees that the flowers grew on, trying to figure out a way to take some of them without them dying later.
Hollyberry Cookie nudged the academy buddies, and they snapped out of their awe-struck state. White Lily Cookie immediately started studying them, while Pure Vanilla Cookie simply admired their beauty. Golden Cheese Cookie ran up to the nature nerd. “White Lily Cookie, would you be able to keep the flowers alive with magic, if they were picked?” White Lily Cookie looked at Golden Cheese Cookie and nodded. “Mhm! Do you…want me to do that with one of the flowers so you can have one?” “Just one?! Absolutely not! My greed demands for my dear friends and I to have a flower each!” White Lily Cookie laughed. “If that’s what you insist.”
Golden Cheese Cookie picked the largest and brightest flowers for herself, but most importantly her friends, and had White Lily Cookie place a spell on them for them to stay alive, even though they were picked. Golden Cheese Cookie placed one flower in everyone’s hair, and had a squabble with Dark Cacao Cookie about it, that she quickly won. After Golden Cheese Cookie made sure there was a flower in everyone’s hair, they all walked back to camp. The five all settled inside their tent, and they all fell asleep, except for White Lily Cookie.
She looked around at the four glows of light around her, and looked up at her own. She smiled and whispered into the night, “I hope that our journey, and my love for you all will always glow as bright as these flowers.”