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I am a huge fan of Cookie Run Kingdom, and I have found myself mostly attached to the aftermath of "A Mermaid's Tale" (Spoilers for that story coming up)

While we know what happened to Black Pearl Cookie and Lord Oyster, the character that interested me the most is Abalone Cookie. It's heavily implied that House Abalone completely collapsed upon itself once it revealed how his actions completely screwed over the seas and created Black Pearl Cookie. And without Abalone Cookie to help bring in money, House Abalone is no longer a name found in the Créme Republic when GingerBrave arrives. 

I also love learning the contrasts between Lord Oyster and Oyster Cookie herself. Lord Oyster is a kind-hearted Cookie who lets peer pressure get to him, whereas Oyster Cookie is shrewd when it comes to making money and obtaining knowledge, but she does NOT let anyone push her around. I love to guess that Lord Oyster's mistakes is what taught her that she needs to learn to not let cookies walk all over her. It makes her stand against Custard Cookie even MORE satisfying because she succeeds in standing up to this bully compared to Lord Oyster succumbing to Abalone.

With the hints we have of the Duskgloom Sea event and her "Crunchy Dreams" story, I now headcanon that Oyster Cookie wants to make amends with Black Pearl over what happened. Lord Oyster vowed to use the money to buy back the pearl and to hand it back to her, and it's said that this same pearl is now in back in House Oyster's hands (I wouldn't know that for sure; I left the game for online studies and came back when Cream Unicorn and the Disney crossover happened) so Oyster Cookie wants to know if the story is true. Let it be known that if this does happen, then Oyster Cookie truly does care for her people and when it comes to owing debts.

Aside from that, there won't be as many spoilers as this is mostly a contained story about how the fortunes of House Oyster and House Abalone have reversed. Every time I think of Oyster Cookie, I think of the game "Return of the Obra Dinn" as, minor spoilers, the tragedy that befell that ship also came from a spineless cowardly man who thought of himself and his greed.

So enough rambling, let's run!

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Cookie Run Kingdom: Parable of the Pearl

by Green Phantom Queen

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In the town they tell the story of the great pearl—how it was found and how it was lost again.

-John Steinbeck, The Pearl

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Chapter 1: Reversal of Fortune

In the Créme Republic There has been nothing but peace and quiet ever since Dark Enchantress Cookie announced her proclamations that she was going to rule Earthbread and had her ultimate creation being baked in the scorching lands of Beast-Yeast. If there is one good thing that can be said about the cookies in the republic is that they are a resilient bunch and will do all what they can do to survive.

Cookies from both sides, rich and poor, are slowly breaking down the walls that divided them, learning to appreciate what the other has. Money, jellies, and medicine were given to those who were in need. Songs are being sung, artists gather their supplies to illustrate the emotions they felt when the sky turned red like strawberry jam. Of seeing the Ancient Heroes emerge to lead the troops to battle. The hatred that passed through everyone when they saw Custard Cookie run away like a coward, abandoning his duties.

While many artistic creations featured the strength of Wildberry Cookie or the courage of Crunchy Chip Cookie, none of them could compare to the bravery of GingerBrave rising up to fight despite not having any special abilities on him. If someone like GingerBrave could stand up to the darkness, anyone can.

The Convocation still has three seats empty. Mille-Feuille and Canéle's whereabouts are still unknown. Archduke Cookie was placed under arrest for his connections to the White Masks cult and under interrogation. The children that were indoctrinated are going through corrective classes, both to deprogram them and if they can also reveal important mission related to Mille-Feuille's plans. The only clue that has been found is related to that of the Holy Pastry Order.

The Triple Cone Cup came and went, with Kouign-Amann Cookie ending as the champion for the year. Financier and Madeline Cookie smiled as they presented the trophy to this rising star of the Paladins. It was nice to hear that the Paladins were training to become a serious defense force when it was time to take to battle.

Espresso Cookie sent letters about his magic candy research along with his partner Strawberry Crepe Cookie. By experimenting with different ingredients, Espresso had been able to create new candies for certain cookies. He was delivered a collection of freshly baked madeleines from Madeleine Cookie's aunties, resulting a sweet and fluffy magic candy that radiated with the power of the Light. Meanwhile, Strawberry Crepe's expertise when it came to old Vanilla Kingdom tech meant that they became the local expert for improvements, upgrades, and supplying an army of robots that would end up as the firepower needed against the numerous minions waiting the fires of the dark ovens that Dark Enchantress controlled. 

Hollyberry Cookie successfully traversed through the Dragon's Valley and ended up making an ally in the very same dragon she used to battle against. Something about an imitator giving them a bad reputation. They also joined with a Dragon Hunter, a Dragon (correction Wyvern rider), and even a baby dragon! Oh ho ho ho, that is quite an unexpected piece of information to hear!

Dark Cacao returned to his kingdom in the north, Caramel Arrow at his side. The two began rebuilding the walls around the Dark Licorice Sea, but they also began to ensure the ladders and stairs to reach higher ground were reinforced. "There's no point running for shelter if the steps leading to safety are not supported."

As for GingerBrave? Rumors has it that he and two of his friends entered the City of Wizards and helped its guardian wake up after an eternity. What knowledge has been left there? What stories can Oyster Cookie unearth if she were to commanded her Pearl Troop to march on the empty stone roads, gather the dust covered books to add into her collection. Were there any magic artifacts left behind? 

So much information, so little time.

A message from a raisin crow gave her more thought. Their master, Black Raisin Cookie, would accompany GingerBrave into the Parmaseam Desert along with a brave explorer to find audience with Golden Cheese Cookie. Quite an interesting choice. The desert was not a place she would step in, but the Ancient Heroes needed their fourth ally to stop Dark Enchantress Cookie's ultimate monster.

Finished with her late-morning musing, Oyster Cookie sighs as she lovingly stares at the portraits hanging over the fireplace. Images of a younger her, poised like a porcelain doll alongside her stern parents. 

But the portrait that she lingers on the most is the one of Lord Oyster, the one who brought about the reversal of fortune onto House Oyster. 

She remembers the tales her nanny told her by memory. When Lord Oyster obtained a pearl of immense value, sold it, and saved House Oyster from fading away into history books. It also lead House Oyster's bitter rival, House Abalone, to be tossed aside after Abalone Cookie had drowned in the sea, along with most of his men. No one wanted to do business with a House whose current leader was not only dead, but brought along so much suffering for their greed by trying to command the sea to spit out more treasures at his feet. Rumors say the only remnant of Oyster Cookie left behind was his signature hat with a silver plate, which was given to Abalone Cookie's wife as a keepsake. 

Oyster Cookie shakes her head. Abalone Cookie was ambitious, she gave him that, but he was not creative when it came to getting what he wanted. He could've sold the pearl to any bidder, but instead went directly to the source and dragged hundreds of soldiers with him, ruined thousands of lies. All because he wasn't satisfied.

The same thought could be said to Lord Oyster himself. He was not able to live with a huge debt in his heart, and wanted to repay it. Even if it meant his grave. 

"But why couldn't he be happy with what he had?" Young Oyster Cookie asked her nanny, wearing her silver-white nightgown. "He had riches, he had a family. Isn't that enough?"

"Oyster Cookie, there are more important things in life that money cannot pay back. Sometimes, the only way to make amends is with one's life."

"And that's why Lord Oyster was dragged into the waters of the dark sea?"

"That is exactly why."

Oyster Cookie wakes from her memories when she hears panting and the patter of footsteps on the marble floor.

"Madame Oyster!" A Pearl soldier states, spear in hand. "We have an intruder!"

"Do we now?" Oyster Cookie asks with a grin. "Is it our usual?"

"...Unfortunately."

Oyster Cookie sighs. "Send them into the parlor, but do be gentle. Poor thing can be so...fragile."

"Right away, Madame."

The soldier walks off as Oyster Cookie picks up her cup of tea. Just as she raises it to her lips, she hears the screams, the struggle, the footsteps. She finally pours the tea down as two Pearl soldiers march towards her, dragging a Cookie at her feet.

"Unhand me!" The thief snarls, wearing a simple red capelet over a yellow tunic. "I will finally have my revenge on House Oyster!"

"My, my, my. Is that any way to greet an esteemed member of the Consul?" Oyster Cookie remarks, raising an eyebrow at the thief's faded and tattered black hat with silver lining. She sighs at the thief glaring at her with ochre eyes.

"Then again, your ancestors never taught you any etiquette. Did they, Red Abalone Cookie?"

Chapter Text

Red Abalone Cookie's life is based on stories.

The stories of mermaids who swam in the sea. The story of the sea and her longing for the moon. The tale of how House Oyster became well-known thanks to an agreement with House Crab by selling off a valuable pearl.

But the one story he has heart the most is about his no-good, dirty, rotten, pearl-stealing, great-great-great grandfather, Abalone Cookie. 

Abalone Cookie vowed he would fill the coffers of House Abalone with pearls and gems pulled from the darkest seas. What ended up happening was that he was dragged into the waters, never to be seen again. Survivors of his ship, the Purple Heart, explained that he grabbed onto Lord Oyster's sacred pearl and attempted to use it to gather more pearls from the Gem Mermaids, only for one of the Mermaids to grow into a giant and summon a storm that sank their ships.

All that was left of Abalone Cookie was his hat and the pearl that ruined his life.

Abalone's wife, Sea Urchin Cookie, howled in sorrow before she ended up drinking berry juice in the taverns, wasting away her looks and selling off her own jewels to keep this habit afloat. Everything House Abalone planned for, a new house, new treasures to display to the other elite families, raising children to become future members of the Consul...it was nothing but crumbs at the bottom of the sea.

Worst, House Crab took exception to the betrayal. Abalone Cookie's advice to have a business transaction with House Oyster was all for naught. House Crab promised to give House Abalone a portion of the profits garnered from House Crab and Oyster's alliance, but Abalone backstabbed the will of these important VICs by snatching the Sacred Pearl all to himself in order to line his coffers with more and more gold. 

Naturally, House Crab demanded that House Abalone's properties were repossessed in order to pay back what Abalone Cookie owed them. Sea Urchin Cookie begged Lord Oyster for help, but Lord Oyster shook his head, too broken from the experience to associate with House Abalone or anyone related to them. Instead, he calmly requested to have the Sacred Pearl returned to House Oyster and that no one was allowed to talk about purchasing it.

Money was the root of all evil, and Abalone Cookie was the source of the Duskgloom Sea's sorrows.

----

Red Abalone Cookie snarled as a Pearl Sentry kept their spear at his throat. All of those years learning how House Abalone was treated like muck under one's foot, having to gather flotsam and jetsam to turn into furniture. Fish that not even the fishmongers would touch would become his dinner. Pieces of sea glass transformed into mosaics. Fishing nets turned into bags (like the one currently strapped around his shoulder). Dyeing old clothes using leftover produce. 

It was absolutely humiliating! Having to scrape a living through another cookie's trash instead of being part of the VICs like House Crab, House Custard, House Madeleine, House Oyster!

Oyster Cookie obtaining so much prestige by donating many of her pearls to create Magic Candies without asking anything in return.  Clotted Cream Cookie standing his ground even when Custard Cookie fled. Madeline Cookie shining with the light of a true Paladin by bravely confronting the swarm of cake monsters.

But what boiled his dough even more was that stupid no-clothed GingerBrave leading the fray, beloved by the Ancients and the Consul! Crowned as a hero to the Créme Republic.

And to rub more sea salt into his wounds, the Consul decided to open the gates between the rich and poor, as if to sling even more mud to his face. Not once did they ever decide to restore the honor of House Oyster....

"Are you still lost in your thoughts over what happened centuries ago?" Oyster Cookie says outloud. "Don't you think having a cup of tea is better than stewing in your hatred?"

She takes a good look at Red Abalone Cookie's attire, like a patchwork pirate to emulate the original Abalone Cookie. Ochre eyes glared through iridescent lens. Aside from a plain black shirt and tan breeches, the only item worth of value is the mother-of-pearl pendant with a shimmering star and crescent moon.

How ironic, given that it was a little moon that ruined House Oyster.

"S-shut up!" Red Abalone Cookie snarls. "I don't want to have tea with a slimy snake like you! I've come for my revenge!"

"Yes, yes, like clockwork, a Cookie from the Abalone bloodline has nothing but utter hatred towards those of House Oyster...even though none of my ancestors ever pointed a sword at your ancestors."

"Of course they didn't point swords at them. They used spears instead!" Red Abalone Cookie snaps.

"That is because we want to minimize harm whenever possible. Killing them would deprive House Oyster and the Consul of valuable information."

"You...you manipulative snake!" Red Abalone hisses.

"Me...oh no no no, you are probably talking about Mille-Feuille Cookie grooming innocent orphans to become thieves. Or Custard Cookie attempting to use his power to take control of my soldiers." Oyster Cookie's smile morphs into a scowl. "If there's one thing I detest, it's those who remind me too much of that cookie who..."

"SILENCE!" Red Abalone Cookie snaps, launching towards Oyster Cookie and knocking her porcelain teacup onto the floor. A Pearl Sentry launches from her position and dives into save the cup from shattering. Thankfully, the cup ends up undamaged, but the tea is everywhere. "Must you always rub it in my face that House Abalone is no more?"

"Must you always try to steal something that isn't yours?"

"What I deal with is stuff the likes of you carelessly throw away! That's all that remains of House Abalone anyhow. After Abalone Cookie died, we lost it all. His promises of us never having to work a day in our life were gone the moment he sank into the sea and Lord Oyster slandered our names to all of the other houses as well!"

"Slander? Oh no no no. For all of Lord Oyster's many flaws, he does not spread slander. There has never been a member of the prestigious House Oyster who has ever desired to become a mudslinger like yourself. He spoke the truth, admitted that it was his desperation to save his family that caused so much tragedy."

"And yet he is proclaimed as a hero, but Abalone Cookie, my ancestor, isn't?!"

"Again, who created the terrors of the Duskgloom Sea? Who called the legendary Gem Mermaids nothing more than 'creatures'? Who left many cookies fatherless when they drowned from the combination of the Black Siren's rage and the creation of the Tower of Frozen Waves?"

Red Abalone's face grew more irate. The Tower of Frozen Waves was nothing more than the sea becoming a coward, unable to move on from her schoolyard crush on an uncaring moon who only spared her at least a few days of compassion before sailing off to who knows where. 

"The only reason I humor these conversations is because I hope to drill it into your head that holding onto this grudge has done nothing to bring back the prestige of House Abalone. As the remaining heir to what is left of Abalone Cookie's leagcy, at least have the decency to accept that you can be better by -- "

"Better....BETTER?!" Red Abalone Cookie roars.

Oyster Cookie sighs as her Pearl Senty returns the teacup back onto its saucer while a maid wipes the floor with a mop. "Nothing I say will ever get to you, will it?"

"I don't want your pity! I don't want the money you're 'generously' donating to the lower half of the Créme Republic! If it wasn't for Captain Caviar putting the upper crusts into place, you wouldn't even show concern for us!"

"If it wasn't for Captain Caviar, Canele and Mille-Feuille's schemes would be swept under the rug and they would bring more ruin upon us," Oyster Cookie states curtly. "I trust Captain Caviar with my life, a pillar of morality in the sky, a lighthouse in an endless sea of time."

"And where is he now?"

"He's finishing up some duties with his crew, but I'm awaiting some important news from him."

"About what?"

Oyster Cookie smiles.

"On whether or not the Black Siren was reunited with the love of her life."

Chapter Text

Chapter 3: A Mariner's Reverie

Aboard The Salty Shark, it was time to rest and relax with a few shanties. Captain Caviar is many things. Sailor, captain, fighter, shark-rider. Some say he's capable of brewing some amazing drinks using sea water as a base. Others whisper that he hoisted anchors left in the bottom of the sea to be melted down to become the cannons of his ship. A third party boasted he survived a zombie uprising with nothing but an axe. 

(That last rumor has some basis from a youngster named Clementine Cookie proudly wearing a jam covered sailor's cap on her head proudly.)

The crew of The Salty Shark prepared their instruments as the singer took the stage with a grin and a seaglass dagger in his hand. Said cookie, Pollock Roe Cookie, grinned.

We are two mariners, our ship's sole survivors, in this belly of the whale. A sailor sang while accompanied by accordion, mandolin, and tambourine. Its ribs our ceiling beams, its guts our carpenting...I guess we have some time to kill!

Captain Caviar nods his head at the song. It was always one the more favored songs sung by sailors due to its frantic instruments and themes of revenge. Another fun song was Whale of a Tale but nothing could beat...

"AGGGH! Captain! Whale spotted at 12 o'clock!!!"

The music abruptly stops. Captain Caviar blinks as a sailor with a telescope pointed towards the sea where a gargantuan cyan whale swims towards them. Captain Caviar Cookie takes the telescope for himself, adjusting the lens to see there is a cookie swimming on top of the whale. A young child dressed in a sailor's outfit holding a conch shell.

"Captain, what do you see?" A Republican soldier asks.

"I see a young child asleep on the whale!" Captain Caviar answers. "Quick, bring them on deck!"

"Aye, aye, Captain! Everyone, set sail!"

The sailors drop their musical instruments and begin their duties. One soldier at the steering wheel, three to pull the anchor out of the sea, one on the crow's nest. 

"Navigator, how's our condition?"

The Salty Shark Navigator peered through their tattered black cloak, yellow and blue candy eyes floating in soda water. They looked up, compass in hand before responding to Captain Caviar with some circling gestures and clunk clank clink noises.

"Right," Captain Caviar grunted. "All right men, onwards!"

With a gust of wind blowing on the large sails of The Salty Shark, Captain Caviar set sail once more.

...

Peppermint Cookie lives by the motto of "Strangers are friends you haven't met yet."

Ever since they were gifted their magic conch, those words always gave them comfort when they slept under the night sky. They were lulled to sleep by the songs of stars and whales, their conch shell whispering tales of sailors, mermaids, and the stormy sea. The tale of the Gem Mermaids, Lord Oyster's gullibility, Abalone Cookie's greed, is one of the most well known tales of the sea. And yet, the conch has not been able to tell them what happened to Black Pearl (neé White Pearl) Cookie's sisters.

Did Crimson Coral Cookie find a new haven for gem mermaids? Did she and her sisters ever try to trust land cookies? Did Frilled Jellyfish Cookie remember her dear friend?

The sea is silent when it comes to those tales. Peppermint Cookie knows that the sea is like a friend with a dark and traumatizing past. The sea will only tell when they believe the time is right. Pushing them to explain something so harmful is like trying to battle against the sea itself. It was pointless, exhausting, and makes the recipient more unwilling to budge.

So Peppermint Cookie tries to ask the denizens of the deep for their help. Do the dolphins chirp and click passages uttered by the gem mermaids? Can Peppermint Whale's echo-location help navigate the sea to determine the new underwater kingdom?

But Peppermint Whale has not budged either. 

Peppermint Cookie wants to be of help. Why else has the sea told them this tale? Why else has Sorbet Shark decided to temporarily push their pirate goals to swim the ocean blue? 

Regardless, Peppermint Cookie slumbers on the back of their faithful whale, feeling the sun against their dough, the smell of salt in the air. They were lost in their nap, of the gentle lapping of water against the Peppermint Whale, they did not see a large shadow approaching them.

...

"Wake up, lad! Wake up!"

"Mg...." Peppermint Cookie groans, feeling someone gently shaking them awake. "Five more minutes..."

"Wake up, child!" The rough voice shouts.

Peppermint Cookie gasps and sits up, staring into the eyes of Captain Caviar Cookie. "A...a pirate?"

"Me? A pirate?" Captain Caviar Cookie laughs. "Perhaps in another life I was, but I'm a defender of the seas."

"A defender...like Captain Ice Cookie?"

"Oh? You know her? Justice of the Seas herself? That's something new! Then again, I know that she has a soft spot for lost and scared children just as yourself."

"I'm neither lost nor scared," Peppermint Cookie says. "In fact, I was more curious than anything when we first met."

"Tell me when you get onboard," Captain Caviar smiles. "In fact, why are you and your whale even approaching the Republic anyhow?"

"Because..." Peppermint Cookie tilts their head to hear a soft ocean wave in their conch shell. "The ocean called me to come speak to you."

"...excuse me?"

Peppermint Cookie nods. "I also bring a friend. See?"

Captain Caviar blinks when they hear something rise from the water then land on the back of the large whale. It's a...Cookie, but with the fin and tail of a shark.

"Hiya! I'm called Sorbet Shark Cookie, and I dream of being a pirate one day!" The underwater Cookie exclaims. "If ya need me to explore the ocean blue, just call on me and I'll show you what I can do!"

"Erm...I appreciate the offer," Captain Caviar says, shaking hands with Sorbet Shark. "So, why exactly are you here again?"

"Because, the ocean told me of your escapades in the Duskgloom Sea," Peppermint Cookie answers. "That you met with the Black Siren who haunts the darkest waters and did not flinch even as the storms raged and the thunder rumbled like stampeding herd of Hazelnut Horses. And I also come bearing the tale of how she came to be."

"Does it have something to do with a ship bearing the crest of House Oyster?"

"Yes."

"Does she have an attachment to a cookie associated with House Oyster?"

"Uh-huuuuuuuhhh!!" Sorbet Shark adds.

Captain Cookie scratched his chin in thought. "Hmm...I am curious as to why Oyster Cookie was so interested in the affairs of the seas anyhow...she never really indulged the truth of how House Oyster became a household name. Why don't you tell me all you know aboard my ship?"

Peppermint Cookie smiles. "I'd appreciate that, so long as you have some jellies to spare."

"I'lllllll just keep swimming if you don't mind," Sorbet Shark Cookie says. "Once I get on land, I tend to get a bit bubbly."

"Suit yourself." Captain Caviar looks up. "Throw down a ladder and prepare the band! We've got a new story to share!"

Chapter Text

Chapter 4 - Visions of a Tempest

The waters never change under the surface.

Crimson Coral Cookie keeps vigilant in the new home of the Gem Mermaids, Gemlantis. Centuries have passed since the war between them and the land cookies. No one has bothered them, no one has sought them. The gem mermaids have hardened their hearts and made sure that no one could take their pearls away, capture them to be sold into slavery or to line someone's pockets. 

Many of them cursed Sea Fairy Cookie as well. She did not explain the powers White Pearl Cookie was supposed to obtain. She turned herself into a tower and let them suffer. It was her pearl which corrupted White Pearl  Cookie. How could they worship a cruel, emotionless sea who only wished touch the moon instead of caring for the denizens who worshiped her.

Crimson Coral Cookie swam around the perimeters, seeing no sunken ship in sight. Okay, there was one ship that passed by half a century ago. The Obra Dinn. Held sixty cookies with four members of royalty having a pearl in their possession. Some mermaid knights decided to take back what was rightfully theirs, only to end up hacked to pieces and face those exploding iron staffs. The one time Crimson Coral wished her sister was there...

Regardless, one of the survivors of the Obra Dinn made a bargain with the sea. The pearl for the safety of the ship. Crimson Coral agreed...but never said anything about the ship returning with crewman or to arrive on shore immediately. So it returned after a decade, completely tattered, rotted away, remains of Cookies who died in a scuffle left for whoever was to claim it.

It was a warning; the sea was cruel as it was beautiful. Water was like that in general. Cool, relaxing, tranquil, dangerous, wild, savage. It could swallow you whole without a second thought, and it wouldn't care if another cookie dissolved in its waters.

Crimson Coral sighed. For years, she has waited for a sign that stated she will reunite with her little sister. But Mystic Opal Cookie has not seen a premonition of this happening. Outside of some 'salty shark' confronting Black Pearl, there was little hope of White Pearl returning to her original self.

But she waited. What kind of older sister would Crimson Coral Cookie be if she didn't wait?

"Crimson Coral~" An airy voice echoed. "Come here~"

Crimson Coral turned around, a sad smile on her face. Frilled Jellyfish Cookie still looked serene and dainty as ever. It became a silent vow amongst her and her sisters to never bring up White Pearl in Frilled Jellyfish Cookie's presence. If she learned the truth, it would only cause tragedy. Black Pearl would end up killing Frilled Jellyfish all over again, and the set of memories this new version of Frilled Jellyfish would be gone for good.

"Oh, good day, Frilled Jellyfish Cookie," Crimson Coral Cookie pronounced. "How goes everything?"

"Everything's going fine~" Frilled Jellyfish Cookie answered. "The jellyfish are humming more songs about the ocean. They've told me a tragic tale about a gem mermaid who shone like the moon."

"They have, haven't they."

"They sung of the moon mermaid who had a kind and caring friend. This friend sacrificed herself to save the moon mermaid before vanishing."

"..."

"They also say that this gem mermaid's heart darkened, and she lives alone in the Duskgloom Sea. She has no friends, no family, no jellyfish to sing songs to her. I bet if I became her friend, light would shine in her heart once more."

Crimson Coral Cookie couldn't help it. For decades, she hardened her heart to keep herself from remembering how her desires to keep her little sister safe drove her to insanity. She breathed deep before doing something no one had ever seen her do before.

"AGGGGRRRRHHHHH!!!!"

The waters seemed to quake at the sound of Crimson Coral Cookie's voice. Even her loyal seahorse steed was spooked as Crimson Coral Cookie continued to scream for an inordinately long amount of time (when it was really only five seconds).

"Crimson Coral~?" Frilled Jellyfish Cookie asked. "What's wrong?"

"It's..." Crimson Coral Cookie shook her head. She couldn't do this anymore. She would not let these things not spoken cause more and more tragedy. "Frilled Jellyfish Cookie, there's something you need to know. About the Cookie you were before we found you..."

-----

Mystic Opal Cookie knew all along what would happen to White Pearl Cookie.

A part of her questioned if it was a good idea to keep this hidden from everyone, like a pearl in the sand, but it had to be done. If White Pearl Cookie didn't transform into Black Pearl Cookie, Abalone Cookie would've slaughtered them all. In this way, that greedy landwalker could cause no more destruction. All that remains of him and his crew has completely crumbled. There would be no dough to bury him, as if the likes of him deserved a funeral. No, he deserved to be tortured for all of eternity, his crew and ship sailing the waters in search of paradise but never find it.

She's waited patiently for the day she could see a future when White Pearl Cookie would return, but nothing has come forth. She has questioned what variables are needed for this happy future to arise. Or maybe White Pearl Cookie would never return.

In a way, that last part is true. After the tragedy with Lord Oyster and Abalone Cookie, the innocent, good-natured White Pearl Cookie was dead and it would take centuries to repair what has been broken.

Mystic Opal Cookie saw the fates of House Oyster and House Abalone. Both ended up becoming famous for a time, but they ended with their founders drowning in the waters. It was after their deaths that their fates had changed.

House Oyster honored Lord Oyster's sacrifice and expanded their business in trading and information all across Earthbread, bringing prestige to their quality products and honesty. They also had a side-project in producing pearls, both in a way to honor White Pearl Cookie's sacrifice, and so that there would be no need to steal the pearls of the Gem Mermaids, leaving them in peace and comfort even as they extended their business and connections. One of Lord Oyster's descendants, nicely named Oyster Cookie, would be declared a hero against the darkness, and her pearls would be the vessels of powerful magic.

In contrast, House Abalone fell, slowly but surely. Unlike Lord Oyster admitting to his mistakes, the leading lady of House Abalone could not move on and grew bitter, squandering whatever fortunes were leftover. Moreover, unlike every head of House Oyster being blessed with good fortune and happy lives, all endeavors that those under the Abalone banner ended up in failure. It was said that everyone to ascend and don the mother-of-pearl lined hat of House Abalone would be cursed in different ways. Whether they be food poisoning, crushed by the mast of their ships, or even something as mundane as suffering from the cold or flu. For the current head of Red Abalone Cookie, his future was...murky. They had just as much chances to doing bad but a sliver of doing good for once in House Abalone's history.

Regardless, Mystic Opal Cookie wanted nothing to do with an Abalone Cookie for the rest of her life under the sea, a sentiment shared with the other gem mermaids.

...

"Good morning, Mystic Opal Cookie!" Aquamarine Cookie sang, her equally aquamarine tail waving hello. "Anything new to announce?"

"Everything is the same as the day before," Mystic Opal Cookie answered, not even turning to turn around as she looked out the window. "Wait, I'm...I'm seeing something?"

"What is it now?" Gold Citrine Cookie asked, nearly bumping into Aquamarine Cookie. "Did you see our dear sister returning?"

"No, I...I see a ship. A ship lead by a cookie clothed in black."

"Is it another pirate?" Aquamarine Cookie gasped. Mystic Opal Cookie never revealed her prophecies out in the open. "Another Abalone Cookie wanting to slaughter us?"

Mystic Opal shook her head. "It is neither of them, but one of them wishes to grant us a gift."

"A gift? What kind of gift?" Gold Citrine asked with curiosity.

Mystic Opal Cookie became silent. Then, she bowed her head. "I cannot see anything beyond that. I cannot tell if this is an omen or a blessing. Perhaps...perhaps it shall end up being both."

"Both? Like, how can this be bad and good?" Gold Citrine gasped.

"Just like how White Pearl Cookie's life as our sister ended and Black Pearl Cookie's reign began when she obtained the Sacred Pearl, sometimes the end can be the beginning."

Mystic Opal Cookie went quiet after that, seeing a storm beneath her eyelids.

Chapter Text

Chapter 5 - A Risky Investment

"And that's how Black Pearl Cookie was born," Peppermint Cookie finished.

It is rare for Captain Caviar Cookie to be surprised. Not since he learned that Candy Diver Cookie was dead did he have his jaw hit the deck. The rest of his crew were also horrified at hearing the tale, some even crying over the lost friendship between Lord Oyster and White Pearl Cookie. Others placed their hats to their chests in honor of Frilled Jellyfish Cookie's sacrifice.

"This...this changes everything," Captain Caviar said. "I heard rumors of Abalone Cookie's connections to House Oyster through the likes of House Crab, but this is..."

"The ocean likes to reveal their stories to me in time," Peppermint Cookie explained, cradling their blue conch. "The waters connect all of us who swim and sail, guiding us with the currents of destiny. Perhaps we were fated to meet."

"I'm not big on the whole fate and destiny thing, but I do agree that you came at quite the convenient time," Captain Caviar admitted. "I was given a request from Oyster Cookie a while back to investigate rumors of the guardian of the Duskgloom Sea. Your story ties with my findings and Oyster Cookie's curiosity. The only question now is what to do with this knowledge."

"Captain!" Pollock Roe Cookie stated. "If we're talking about House Abalone, weren't their rumors of their last heir running a shop of repurposed goods?"

"Oh yeah!" Rookie Cookie noted. "Red Abalone Cookie! He's always gathering leftover trash with his employees to create furniture. Although I think he'd like to have some real treasure instead of repurposing trash into treasure."

Captain Caviar didn't do gossip and didn't see anything important to House Abalone aside from their fall being a cautionary tale to not let greed make you bite off more than you can chew. House Crab was lucky to survive such a fate, same with the likes of House Winkle and House Scallop. It also was an important lesson to have diversified investments, instead of focusing your attention on a limited source of cash flow. But he did overhear how Mansion Oyster was constantly dealing with someone from the "disgraced" House Oyster trying to barge into her house as a pathetic act of revenge. He heard that cookies from the lower decks did like the repurposed goods for their home, even if the shop-owner looked like he drank a gallon of sea water mixed with lemon bitters.

"Now that you mention it," Captain Cookie said outloud. "I think it's time we deliver this info to Oyster Cookie herself. I'm sure she'd love to add this to her collection of maritime info!"

"I do have to warn you," Peppermint Cookie stated. "Telling this tale might cause another tragedy to repeat with the current 'heirs' of House Oyster and House Abalone. How do we know that an Abalone doesn't betray an Oyster?"

"What does Red Abalone Cookie gain at this rate?" asked Captain Caviar. "After Custard Cookie failed to take command of the Pearl Legion, I doubt anyone would be dumb enough to attack Oyster Cookie without risking a spear to the throat."

Candy Diver made a few clanking noises in agreement.

"And with that out of the way, we're heading off to see Oyster Cookie everyone! Set sail towards our next adventure!"

"Aye aye Captain!" Captain Caviar's crew shouted.

----

"You cannot be serious," Red Abalone Cookie frowned.

"Oh I am always serious," Oyster Cookie stated with a chuckle. "I heard that you are doing well for yourself with your furniture business, and with a few connections, I can help ship your wares all across Earthbread. You'll never have to worry about money ever again."

"That's besides the point!" Red Abalone Cookie snapped. "You're expecting me to risk my life to tame that monster in the Duskgloom Seas? Why don't you do it?!"

"It needs the cooperation of both of us," Oyster Cookie answered. "Don't you want to finally end the curse that has plagued House Abalone once and for all?"

Red Abalone Cookie wanted to retort, but that gave him some food for thought. There were rumors that there was either a curse that ruined future prospects of House Abalone cast by the Gem Mermaids, or they were all subconsciously assuming there was a curse that made them act with reckless abandon because if anything happened, they could all blame the curse and not their actions. Red Abalone grew up on the stories of his ancestors' deaths, like one who got too tipsy on berry juice and fell off a cliff, another who was crushed by the mast of their rotting ship, a third dying from eating a herring jelly pie despite knowing they had a shellfish allergy. There were never any stories of how they lived, just cautionary tales on how to avoid dying like they did.

"I just want to finally have some recognition," Red Abalone Cookie sighed. "So if this pearl is given to the Siren of the Duskgloom Seas, I'll be free?"

"Depends," Oyster Cookie answered. "What you choose to do after this affair is over will be up to you. But the removal of the curse does not make you exempt from the law. I'll be honest with you, you're nothing like Abalone Cookie. Be proud of that."

"What?" Red Abalone Cookie's face would've turned even more red at the remark, but he recalled that a Pearl Sentry was standing by his side. Should he let his anger let loose in front of them...

Oyster Cookie chuckled. "You're free to go for the time being, Red Abalone. I'll send a Pearl Sentry at your shop when it's time to set sail once more. Oh and take some sandwiches for the road."

"Thank you," Red Abalone Cookie muttered as he wrapped up two shrimp rolls in some napkins and stuffed them into his bag. This better be worth it, you no-good pearl stealing asshole of a founder!

He marched off as Oyster Cookie's ever-confident smirk shrunk slightly. She knew that Red Abalone Cookie was unpredictable; it was hard to get a read on what he was planning or what he'll do with his life after all of this is over, or whether or not Black Pearl Cookie would listen to what happened.

She knew that this was a risk, like a huge investment on exports. It has been nothing but a streak of luck and investments in different projects that has kept House Oyster alive. There's no guarantee that returning the pearl would allow Black Pearl Cookie to return to the "Little Moon" who her ancestor risked his life for. 

The only way this would work is if the Gem Mermaids, if they were still alive, worked with her for a common goal. If both sides of the Creme Republic can make amends, can it be possible for Land and Sea Cookies to also get along?

Oyster Cookie picked up her cup, ignoring how her hands were shaking. She only had one chance to make amends, else she will join Lord Oyster under the sea.

She hoped this investment into her family's sworn enemy was worth it.

Chapter Text

Chapter 6 - The Great Abalone

For the next few days, Red Abalone Cookie mulled over Oyster Cookie's words.

He had spent years, decades, dreaming of bringing honor back to the fallen House Abalone. How he would undo the sins of his ancestors and obtain retribution against the backstabbing House Oyster. This is how House Oyster pays back the ones who opened up the doors to their riches? By having the Abalones unable to pay back a debt?

He better be given a good reward for this. After all, Lord Oyster received a pearl of his own for his actions. House Oyster doesn't need all that money and fame anyhow. They're already known for their riches and philanthropy.

Red Abalone muttered to himself as he inspected the driftwood tables being produced by his workers. Leftover trees that were knocked over by storms would float across the sea and make the pristine beaches of the republic look unsightly. But flip it on its side and put a slab of glass on it and Cookies will pay thousands for it. His store also produced small driftwood crafts that made many single Cookies and children happy. Driftwood candle holders decorated with bits of sea glass. Driftwood pots. Driftwood sailboats. Driftwood shelves with leftover rope. So long as the customers were willing to pay for it, he was able to make money off of it.

Fishing nets were being turned into fashionable bags, necklaces and bracelets. All of those nets lying about, lost in the waters like jellyfish, tangling up marine life without concern. How ironic that the likes of the Republic and their sailors want to protect the seas, but they can't even pick up after themselves.

Still, if there's one thing he liked about having this job is that he had his own crew who followed his orders without complaint. They sailed out to sea to gather "ghost nets" to be washed and cleaned out before the fibers become fashionable accessories. Glass bottles would be recovered and transformed into sea glass to decorate dreamcatchers and vases. There was always more and more trash to uncover, never any treasure. They didn't end up doing something stupid like stealing something that isn't theirs. The trash of the Republic was now his treasure; there were no laws stating that you could be arrested for stealing trash. Once it's thrown out, it's finders keepers.

Red Abalone groaned. This isn't the life he wanted. The last member of a fallen house, having to make due with picking up trash instead of swimming in gold coins and gems. No one to share it with, no time to fall in love. Only when he makes it to the top, the atypical Rags to Riches story, will he finally be happy.

Sometimes he wished that he could just dig a hole and out popped a chest full of coins and gems and he'd never have to work another day of his life.

Red Abalone Cookie nodded as he finished his inspection before he turned to a framed picture sea glass mosaic depicting a pair of eyes and mouth along with a glowing green light in the distance. A recreation of the cover of his favorite book, The Great Biscotti. The tale of a Cookie who wished to use his wealth to gain back the heart of his lost love. Even when Biscotti was told that he can't change the past, he was adamant that the past can be changed. He would win the heart of Daisy Cookie with his money and the lavish parties he held in his estate once a week. He would stare into the green light that was Daisy Cookie's dock and think of her. That if he persisted, Daisy would leave that thuggish rogue of a husband, Tomatillo Cookie, behind and they could all live happily ever after.

Of course, the death of Myrtle Cookie changed all of that and Tomatillo and Daisy Cookie would leave without facing any repercussions, although Red Abalone liked to be the anti-Caraway Cookie and believe that justice was delightfully served when the Great Depression fell.

The pair of eyes always reminded him of the billboard for Eckelburg Cookie's optometry, hence the shop's name of Eckelburg Environmentals . He wanted people to take a look, to really take a look at how much waste they were generating, how much money could be saved if they stopped purchasing things they didn't need, how easy it is to make a profit out of things they would find useless.

He was going to win the hearts of all of the old houses. Not just that of Crab, Custard, and Oyster. He would make sure that smug Oyster Cookie joined Lord Oyster and Abalone Cookie into the maelstrom if he had anything to say.

"Uh, boss..." One of the carpenters said. "You got a visitor."

"Don't I always," Red Abalone sighed as he approached the front of the shop. "Oh yes, one of the sentries."

"It is time," the Pearl Senty said. "I am to take you onboard The Salty Shark alongside the Master of House Oyster."

The Salty Shark? Of all ships to be boarding, it is that of Captain Caviar Cookie?

If there was one cookie who could make Abalone Cookie back down if they ever met, it would be the legendary sailor who once rode a shark into battle. Captain Caviar Cookie did not take shit from other cookies, not even that of the Convocation itself. He was always guided by principles, like a lighthouse shining in a moonless night. The crew of the Salty Shark was one hundred percent loyal to their captain. Rumors went that when someone tried to betray him, not out of malice but peer pressure from some muggers who threatened to kill their child, Captain Caviar just hugged the traitor and apologized for not doing more to notice their problems.

So if Red Abalone attempted anything sneaky, he was either going to be imprisoned or walking the plank. Or worse, be on kitchen duty.

Red Abalone sighed. "Right, I'll let my assistant, Paua Cookie, know. And I will need a few supplies as well."

"You've got ten minutes. The rest of my crew is gathering supplies as we speak."

Red Abalone nodded as he walked to the storeroom, hands trembling. There was nothing he could do to get out of it, now was there? Not like he could fight back or anything. Abalones were never fighters, didn't have the technology to wear fancy outfits like the one Clotted Cream Cookie promoted. They had no magic prowess either. All they could do was just hurt others with their nastiness.

But no more; he wanted to escape that awful legacy once and for all, and if it meant defeating the witch of the Duskgloom Sea, the better.

And if he was known for throwing a harpoon into the heart of Black Pearl Cookie, then he will be rewarded, be recognized, as the hero he should be. Protector of the Seas.

Red Abalone Cookie opened a cabinet with a key worn around his neck. With a click, the doors opened, and in front of him was his secret weapon. A harpoon gun, said to pierce the heart of a mermaid with the speed of a lightning bolt.

"I'm not like my idiot ancestor who was too impatient to line his pockets with coins," he noted grimly. "After all, revenge is the dish that's best served cold."

Chapter Text

Chapter 7 - My Collection Complete

The Duskgloom Sea is devoid of both life and light, like always.

The only living being who calls the Duskgloom Sea their home is the Black Siren, the Dark Mermaid, the Terror of the Deep. Black Pearl Cookie.

Not that she cares about what those land cookies think of her. Their fear and hatred is her energy, her life force. She lives to be a terror, to ensure that no one could hurt her.

"Look at this stuff, isn't it neat?" She hummed. "There is no one who can ruin this for me. I won't let anyone see me as that pathetic weakling ever again."

Black Pearl Cookie cackled as she looked at the only ship that wasn't split in two, its sail ripped into shreds. A ship with a black sail with an emblem that reminded her of something, of someone, long ago.

My LIttle Moon...

No matter how much she wanted to destroy that relic, something inside her refused. Something in her heart would not let her smash the ship into flotsam and jetsam. Even after that accursed traitor tried to appease her with such kind, sugary words that she would not fall for ever again (never again).

"I won't let any Land Cookies into my life ever again," Black Pearl Cookie vowed. "All of them are the same in the end. All of them look after themselves, and bring destruction to their wake. But it's not fun when the tide crashes on them, is it?"

She cackled as she dreamed of the next ship that sailed her way. She hoped it belonged to the cookie who decided to remind her of that ship, that Cookie, who brought her misery. If she saw any speck of crumb House Oyster, then she will ensure that she destroyed their legacy like they destroyed her family.

There would be no light that would shine in the darkness. Never again.

...

Peppemint Cookie sat on top of their whale, conch in hand. Sorbet Shark left a few days ago in the hopes of finding more information about Sea Fairy Cookie's tears, and what it would take to fight off the corruption that consumed Black Pearl Cookie from within.

They still recalled the trip to the depths of Sugarteara. How a wonderous civilization under the sea would slowly come to ruin with the only survivors being its two guardians -- Lobster Cookie and Mocha Ray Cookie. Sugarteara was home to one of Sea Fairy Cookie's tears, which was used to keep what was left of the beautiful kingdom from falling into the darkest depths.

The ocean delivered a story of Lobster Cookie being found, and he and Mocha Ray found themselves encountering the former ruler of Sugartera. Octopus Cookie, although he now called himself Abyss Monarch Cookie. He too, had been corrupted by one of Sea Fairy Cookie's tears and hid himself away into a location known as the Deep Sea City Wandercrab. A place that traveled across the seafloor, letting anyone enter for anonymity was freely delivered. It was only thanks to a talk between the three that Lobster Cookie snapped out of his senses to help rebuild Sugarteara with his dear friend (along with being gifted a new claw made from the leftover junk of the Wandercrab).

"The key to everything is not just Black Pearl Cookie's heart that has darkened, but it is also the sorrow that has struck the heart of Sea Fairy Cookie as well," Peppermint Cookie mused. "Even if we get to Black Pearl Cookie, what is to say that another cookie will fall victim to the darkness from Sea Fairy Cookie's broken heart?"

"The sea was always known to be a fickle mistress, but who would've thought she also would've added to this tragedy between Oysters and Abalones?" Captain Caviar Cookie mused. "And I thought Dark Enchantress Cookie's attack on the republic was bad enough."

"The sea is always full of adventure!" Sorbet Shark Cookie cheered. They began to start humming a pirate ditty that began with, "Yo ho! Yo ho! A pirate's life for me!  We pillage, we plunder, we rifle and loot. Drink up me 'earties, yo ho! We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot. Drink up me 'earties, yo ho!"

"I haven't heard that song in a while," Captain Caviar Cookie said aloud with a smirk. "Didn't know a shark was so interested in pirates."

"Who wouldn't want to be a pirate?" Sorbet Shark Cookie said. "Sailing on a ship towards freedom, finding treasure, sea salt in your dough, swabbing the decks...every day is an adventure. Like the tale of Luffy Cookie and his hearty crew!"

"Luffy Cookie? The supposed legend of a Cookie who wished to become King of the Pirates? He's supposedly the star of a long-running graphics novel series. Like a really long one. Wait, how do you know so much about him?"

"You pick up a lot when you swab a lot of decks," Sorbet Shark Cookie laughed. "I've also met up with a fisherman who survived a horrible storm on the Salt Mountains."

"Salt Cookie? That old scallywag!" Captain Caviar Cookie laughed. "We ended up escaping a horde of gummy sharks last time he met. He's still on his quest to finally encounter the legendary Jelly Kingfish. I hope he is able to retire peacefully once it's over."

"We all wish for happily ever afters, Captain Caviar. But sometimes we nave to accept that there's no such thing as an 'ever after'."

Captain Caviar Cookie turned and cocked an eyebrow when he saw Oyster Cookie board the ship, dressed in only her finest clothes. He couldn't help but smile. "About time you stepped on board? Did you make sure to pack light?"

"I only packed the essentials," Oyster Cookie answered. Behind her, two or three Pearl Sentries carried three to four bags of supplies onto the deck. "I put full faith in your crew to ensure we have nothing but smooth sailing."

"You can count on us, ma'am!" Rookie Cookie said, saluting Oyster Cookie. "I'll make sure to swab the deck until you can see your face!"

"My, my, such a gentlecookie!" Oyster Cookie laughed. "I had no idea pirates could be so polite."

"I make sure that my crew learns proper etiquette when it came to treating guests," Captain Caviar Cookie said. "We have enough supplies to make it to the Duskgloom Sea, and the Tropical Soda Isles is willing to trade with us for anything else. We'll also make sure to stop any pirates that come our way."

"I put my faith in you as always, old friend," Oyster Cookie smiled.

"Ugh. Enough about pirates. Can we please get a move on?!"

Captain Caviar Cookie frowned as Red Abalone Cookie hopped onboard the ship along with a Pearl Sentry, eyes glued on the harpoon gun strapped onto Red Abalone's back. The two locked eyes with one another, waiting "You going fishing or something?"

"It's called self-defense," Red Abalone Cookie snapped. "Unlike you, i am not made for combat. Should I die before we even make it to Black Pearl Cookie, then House Abalone's overdue 'redemption quest' has been rendered null and void. It's not like I could fashion a sword out of all the seaglass left on the beaches, right?"

"Ya don't have to," Captain Caviar Cookie replied. "Every sailor on this ship is an experienced fighter. You just need to muster up the courage to apologize to Black Pearl Cookie and -- "

"And what?" Red Abalone Cookie interrupted. "What if this entire mission ends up turning into crumbs in the bottom of the Duskgloom Sea? You think this one gesture after more than a century of darkness and despair in her heart is going to change anything?!"

Captain Caviar Cookie frowned. "I won't deny that you're wrong, but if we don't do something about it now, we may never get this chance again. From what Peppermint Cookie told me, and from what I saw with my very own eyes, Lord Oyster's attempts ended up in complete tragedy. But, the ship he used to see her again remains intact. That means Lord Oyster's bond to her means something and a bit of the original White Pearl Cookie remains waiting to shine like the moon once more. There is a glimmer of hope, as small as a grain of sand, and that's still better than just doing nothing and living in fear of the ocean waves. Besides, I thought you wanted to bring back glory to what's left of House Abalone."

Red Abalone Cookie was sputtering, face red as his attire. "Why...you...I..."

"Captain!" Pollock Roe Cookie shouted. "Shall we set sail? We best head off before the storm sets."

"It's best to do so now," Peppermint Cookie brought up. "The waves are gentle and calm for now."

"You heard them, mates!" Captain Caviar Cookie announced. "Unfurl the sails, hoist the anchors, we're going out!"

"Yes captain!" The crew of the Salty Shark replied with a salute (All except for Candy Diver, who gave a few clunks from their helmet.)

"I'll scout on ahead!" Sorbet Shark Cookie announced. "This is gonna be so much fun! Cannonball!!!"

Sorbet Shark Cookie jumped into the water and began to swim ahead, just as the winds picked up and began to move the ship deeper into the ocean. Red Abalone Cookie stayed silent as Oyster Cookie began talking to Captain Caviar over future business deals House Oyster would be dealing with the rest of Crispia, unable to feel so...helpless.

And he hated feeling helpless.

Chapter Text

Chapter 8 - Oh the Misery! (Everybody wants to be my Anenome)

After her outburst, Crimson Coral Cookie has not spoken a word to anyone.

She thought she never had to reveal the secret to Frilled Jellyfish Cookie. Let her be blissful, let her be ignorant, let her not find a connection to Black Pearl Cookie that would end with her swimming away to prove to her old friend that she was still alive. Even now, Crimson Coral Cookie cannot unsee the wicked smirk in her little sister's eyes as she unleashed a typhoon that not only plans to wreck the boats of House Abalone.

Even as the secret out of the bag, Crimson Coral knew she needed something to be alone. For years, she had been the strong defender of the Gem Mermaids. She prided herself on shouldering the pressure of being the leader of the Coral Crusaders, the elite soldiers that protected the waters. Ensured that the Land Cookies could not kidnap them for their own greedy desires. At the same time, she still thought of the Cookies who caused the tragedy that her sister became. One whose greed corrupted her sister and the one whose desires for riches that crushed her heart. 

They were the same. Both of them wanted money, riches, prestige. Both of them saw the pearl as their world, their future. They invested their hopes and dreams into the heart and soul of a mermaid, destroying her.

At the very least, Lord Oyster and whatever family he had waiting for him on land decided to not bring their ships towards their home.

"Crismon Coral Cookie!" Golden Citrine Cookie chirped, swimming towards the elder sister, trident still in her hand. "There you are!"

"Golden Citrine Cookie," Crimson Coral said, tone never rising. "It's not like you to follow after me."

"Well, we're sisters. Family's gotta look out for one another."

Crimson Coral winced, causing Golden Citrine Cookie to swim back. "Oh, sorry...wrong thing to say."

"It's all right. Family has to look out for one another. Even if we cannot be together."

"...will we ever be together again, Crimson Coral?" Golden Citrine Cookie asked, sounding hopeful.

Crimson Coral wouldn't answer.

...

Frilled Jellyfish silently mulled over Crimson Coral Cookie's story, trying to make sense of that feeling in her dough and the tears in her eyes. She felt whole...but shattered as well.

All this time, she felt a lingering in her heart that something wasn't right. Like something, or someone, was missing. Sometimes she fell asleep hearing someone calling for her name. Other times, she felt a pain in her heart like someone struck it with a sharp object. Not like a trident or a spear, but something even worse. It felt like betrayal, but not like her being betrayed...

But rather, it was she who betrayed someone.

But who did she betray? Why would Frilled Jellyfish Cookie even think of betraying someone?

And why was she never told about this for over a century?!

"Oh jellyfish," Frilled Jellyfish Cookie sighed. "Do you know the story of my past self? What happened on that fateful day that would make me betray my dear lady?"

The jellyfish hummed, pure white bodies floating around the dark waters without care. And yet through these movements, Frilled Jellyfish Cookie was able to find some sort of message from within.

"But...why would I say such a thing?" she asked, tears forming in her eyes. "I only wanted...to protect my lady."

"That is true, you only wanted to help White Pearl Cookie."

Frilled Jellyfish Cookie turned around, gasping to see Mystic Opal Cookie swimming towards her. "Mystic Opal Cookie? But you rarely leave your room."

"I felt like going out to meet you was the best way to comfort you," Mystic Opal Cookie explained. "I knew this day would come, but I did not want to push it."

"But why would you hide such a thing? You could've prevented it! You could've saved My Lady!"

"I could do a lot, but some things are just meant to come true," Mystic Opal Cookie answered. "Your death was the motivation for Black Pearl Cookie to be born."

"That's nothing but lies!" Frilled Jellyfish Cookie snaps, summoning her jellyfish in preparation to electrocute her adopted sister. "I could've given My Lady hope...I could've convinced her that Lord Oyster was not to blame for this madness...but why? Why would you fill me with lies for so many years?"

"I did not lie. I did not tell the truth for fear it could be a self-fulfilling prophecy."

"It was self-fulfilling on how selfish you were to not use your powers for the greater good!"

"Lord Oyster Cookie was meant to sell the pearl in order to ensure his house would have the strength to defend his descendants' world from the darkness. It was about survival; and he did stave off the temptation as best as he co--"

"But what about My lady's happiness? Her happiness is less important than that of the land cookies?"

"...."

"I am going to find my lady, because I should've been the one to fill her darkened soul with LIGHT!!!!"

The word echoed throughout the sea, but even with only Mystic Opal Cookie as the audience, there was so much power to it. The oracle of the mermaids said nothing.

"Nothing to say? No warning of the dangers I'm going to get myself into?" Frilled Jellyfish Cookie snipped.

"No." And Mystic Opal Cookie smiled. "Go on your quest; I'll explain to Crimson Coral Cookie should she have questions."

"...thank you. At least you were being honest that time."

Frilled Jellyfish Cookie swam away, determined. She wouldn't worry about eating; she knows which plants are edible and which can be used for medicine. She could defend herself, and she will make sure to not die before seeing her lady again.

Mystic Opal Cookie stared at Frilled Jellyfish Cookie, making sure to ignore the visions dancing in her mind like bubbles swirling around her in a tornado. These will be ones she will not discuss with her sisters.

With a heavy sigh, she swam back to her home, knowing exactly what Crimson Coral Cookie would ask of her, and how she would react, to Frilled Jellyfish Cookie's journey to reunite with her closest friend.

Chapter Text

Chapter 9 - Sins of the Seas

Captain's Log, Three Days since we set sail

It's always good to be out into the blue waters again. No sign of Custard Cookie or the Cookies of Darkness darkening the waters of the Creme Republic, but I still have to worry about the last head of House Abalone with that harpoon gun of his pointed at the back of my head.

I'm not dumb nor blind to recognize that the harpoon is the reason why Black Pearl (or should I say White Pearl) Cookie snapped and became the vengeful ship sinker she is today. If he thinks that the harpoon is going to save him from Black Pearl Cookie's rage, then he has another thing coming -- a storm to his face and all that he owns. Oyster Cookie always keeps an eye on him as well, making sure to ask questions that sting just as bad as a harpoon to one's arm or leg. So long as Oyster Cookie has the backup of her Pearl Legion, and the rest of my crew on high alert, Red Abalone Cookie can't do anything about it.

Which is ironic, because it is ultimately him who is the most crucial part of our half-baked strategy to calm Black Pearl Cookie down.

I don't want to admit that he has a point. A century of pain immediately lifted just by returning the pearl and an apology from the heads of both houses responsible for this mess is near impossible. Like drinking the entire sea. Or the idea of Sea Fairy Cookie be reunited with the moon. Tragic, I tell ya.

Sorbet Shark Cookie has taken to life on the ship with ease. Every day is an adventure with them, even swabbing the deck! I don't know how or why they find so much comfort in it, but the decks are the cleanest I've seen in a while. Heck, I could probably eat some of Pollock Roe's pasta on the deck unashamed because of how it sparkles. Speaking of fish, Sorbet Shark has been kind enough to chase down schools of gummy fish towards the nets so that we always have some sort of protein alongside the hardtack ("Sea biscuits" some cookies like to call them) and to use that surplus of lemon jellies to season them with. I've gotten used to the taste of lemon and lime jellies at this point; there's no way I'm going to find myself getting scurvy in my age!

Nights are also beautiful as well, with the moon's reflection on the sea. It's like looking into a pair of giant's eye. Some say that there exists a song in the stars that could lead one to the Giant's great ocean, but it's mostly a story told by sailors to keep them company on moonless nights. If such a tale exists, I would love to go out there and --

"Pardon me, dear friend. I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

Captain Caviar Cookie turned around to see Oyster Cookie standing behind him. "I take it that the scenery isn't to your liking?"

"You've seen the sea for one hour and it looks like you've seen it for your entire life," Oyster Cookie said on a whim. "I just had an interesting talk with that young cookie with the shell. About how Black Pearl  Cookie came to be. It...really changed my perception of my great-grandfather Lord Oyster."

"So I've heard. It was supposedly said that he was a legend for how he braved the waters to stop Abalone Cookie from the massacre of the Gem Mermaids, but it turns out that it was all Lord Oyster's fault for his laziness and idiocy of trusting this mass murderer that caused the headache we've been dealing with for over a century."

"If it wasn't for the fact that we're such good friends, I would have you face my Pearl Legion for insulting my ancestor's actions," Oyster Cookie remarked. She looked down. "I grew up on stories that painted Lord Oyster as a fearless leader, only to find him to be nothing but a pathetic coward who took the easy way out instead of actually trying to find legitimate work to keep House Oyster afloat. However, it is because of Lord Oyster's cowardice that House Oyster still stands."

"We don't know how our actions, good or bad, affect the future," Captain Caviar Cookie grumbled. "Something bad can turn out to create something beautiful, whereas doing something good might end up with all of us suffering. White Pearl Cookie giving up her Pearl ended up with so much tragedy, but if Lord Oyster didn't get the money from the Crabs, well, we'd be in much more trouble than without the money."

"How do you deal with the fact that the smallest of choices can lead to such dire consequences? Anything can change the voyage of a ship, just like Lord Oyster and Abalone's ambitions changed the fate of the Creme Republic and the future of all sailors who travel across the oceans. Imagine how history would change if both House Oyster and House Abalone were vilified, and not just House Oyster."

"I don't blame you for thinking that way," Captain Caviar Cookie remarked. "Regardless of Lord Oyster's desperation, Abalone Cookie already had quite a history of being a self-centered greedy miser who made enemies with a lot of the bigwigs. Knowing that he indirectly caused the creation of Black Pearl Cookie and the deaths of hundreds of soldiers for not one, but two, ill-fated voyages of treasure certainly didn't help."

"It still doesn't change the fact that House Oyster's riches was formed by deception and betrayal," Oyster Cookie muttered. "No matter how many trades I make, no matter how many mergers and acquisitions are signed up...I always think about the Pearl of Discord that caused so much suffering. Would it be any different if another House obtained the Pearl? Would numerous Cookies in the Republic, and all across Crispia, be better off if Lord Oyster refused?"

"That mostly depended on Abalone Cookie more than Lord Oyster's refusal, in my opinion," Captain Caviar Cookie stated. "What's to say that Abalone Cookie threatened to crumble Lord Oyster's wife and child? Or rob him of the Pearl while he was away? Or blackmail him? Yes, Lord Oyster's naivety is the cause of it, but not the sole cause of Black Pearl Cookie's hatred towards all of us."

"It still doesn't wash away the sins of the seas," Oyster Cookie said sadly. This made Captain Caviar Cookie pause; Oyster Cookie usually had an air of sophistication around her, a stiff upper lip after all. Even in the face of the Cookies of Darkness about to invade the Creme Republic, she did not run. She did not falter. She performed her duties as an esteemed member of the Convocation by standing her ground, commanding the Pearl Legion to get civilians to safety. Meanwhile, Custard Cookie, for all of his bravado, ran away at a moment's notice. Good riddance.

To see her feeling remorse, showing vulnerability to him, was a rare sight. And truthfully, Captain Caviar Cookie couldn't help but agree with her. Returning the Sacred Pearl will only be a small step towards the future, not a complete cure-all. 

"At the very least, it'll give solace to all of the families who lost brothers, fathers, and sons to the abyss," he said. "The darkness at the bottom of the sea will become just a little bit brighter thanks to you."

"You're quite the charmer, old friend," Oyster Cookie remarked, her signature smirk back on her lips. "There's never a dull moment whenever you're around."

"And there's never a dull opportunity for you to not obtain some sort of information out of anyone you meet." Captain Caviar Cookie replied. "Now come on, I need to stretch these old sea legs of mine. We're also going to be feasting on salamagundi tonight. Sorbet Shark has been quite the help in catching fresh seafood and all.

"I've always wanted to dine on seafood on a boat underneath the moonlight," Oyster Cookie said. "I hope the ship cook doesn't disappoint."

"I can tell you that I've never tossed out a single dish he's cooked," Captain Caviar smirked. "Although it's best you stay away from him while he's in his workshop or else he'll throw you overboard in anger."

The two friends shared a laugh as they walked the steps onto deck, into a brighter future for sailors and oysters.