Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Hello? Hello! Are you feeling any better now?”

Coconut Cookie felt their eyes slowly open, the harsh sunlight and the sing-song voice of another waking them up. Where…were they? Their senses soon returned to them as they carefully rose up from their unexpected slumber. How and why did they ever fall asleep in the first place? The memories were fuzzy…and their head hurt trying to remember the reason they passed out; but that seemed to hardly matter now. Someone was asking them a question, so they should naturally answer. They looked at the Cookie before them — orangey dark dough, wine-red eyes, and a bob-like hairstyle that seemed to be made of the ripest mangoes — and they were about to answer before the Cookie suddenly began to talk again.

“What a surprising encounter!”, he exclaims with a slight laugh, “The waves are a tad rough today, indeed! Or perhaps you’ve lost your way? Unsurprising! The path to the Pineapple Isle had been blocked by the pirates for so long!” Coconut Cookie shuddered at the mention of pirates. They remembered the absolute hell those Durianeers gave to the Tropical Soda Islands. They usually only stayed near Pineapple Isle, but Coconut Cookie could faintly remember reports of them going to many different islands and conquering them. Coconut Cookie was just lucky that they never came to their island…Why were they away from their island again?

“Ah, but thankfully, the remainder of the day promises excellent weather!”, Coconut Cookie blinked as the orange cookie continued to speak, “With all the pirate shenanigans finally over, it would be a pity if the festival got canceled because of some rain!” The Cookie grinned as he plunged his oar into the water and began rowing, as if he had forgotten to do that amongst his yapping. “Oh, by the way! I’m Mango Cookie, who is in charge of this boat going all the way to the Pineapple Isle!”, he exclaimed before continuing to row the boat. Coconut Cookie blinked as they tried once again to remember. Pineapple Isle? Festival…?

Then it hit Coconut Cookie like a truck.

Right! They were on their way to the Summer Soda Rock Festa! They had tried taking their old boat instead of going on one of the travel liners…Unfortunately, they never learned how to sail or row, so it was no surprise they got a little turned over. Thank the Ivory Dragon that Mango Cookie found them. Seeing as their old boat was nowhere to be found, they were probably floating around aimlessly in the fizzy sea, and everyone knew Cookies couldn’t stand being soggy for too long! They just hoped their mom wouldn’t be too upset about the missing boat…Coconut Cookie suddenly blinked, remembering they were accompanied by another and quickly tried to formulate any sort of sentence upon realizing they hadn’t said a word.

“So…You’re saying that the Pineapple Isle is good to go now?”, they asked, very much relieved that those stinky Durianeers were taken care of. Mango Cookie, upon hearing the question however, wore a deeply concerned expression on his face, nearly forgetting to row from disbelief. “Umm…To be honest, I’m a bit taken aback by the fact you’re asking this question so deep into your journey!”, he exclaimed. Coconut Cookie blinked and sheepishly looked away. It almost astonished them how much they risked just to get to Pineapple Isle, even if it seemed like most of the risks were simply in their head. In retrospect, they definitely should have considered and feared running into the Durianeers on their trip…

Mango Cookie blinked, noticing Coconut Cookie’s reaction, and smiled warmly; as if he was trying to reassure them. “Hey, chin up! If it wasn’t safe and all, they wouldn’t have announced the rock festival, right?”, he said as Coconut Cookie perked up, “Besides, it’s gonna be bigger than ever!” The teenage cookie smiled and balled their hands into fists in excitement. “Alright! Glad that the island is finally safe for travelers…!”, they said before looking to their side to see many other Cookies rowing boats and carrying both Cookies and Fruits. “Ah, relax! Thanks to everyone’s combined efforts, Pineapple Isle is at long last free from Stink-Eye Tortuca and his goons! I just can’t wait to join the festival and celebrate!”, Mango Cookie exclaimed happily.

Coconut Cookie blinked and tilted their head with a smile. “Oh? Are you a fan of rock music?”, they asked — they didn’t like being judgemental, but based on the tribal outfit Mango Cookie wore, he didn’t seem like the type to favor rock — Coconut Cookie noticed Mango Cookie’s expression shift into a slightly nervous one as he waved his free hand dismissively. “Yeah sure…!”, he replied before peering over behind the young cookie, which led to said Cookie turning around to see an island coming up. Pineapple Isle..! “Now, be careful, there’ll be a slight bump…”, Mango Cookie said as the boat approached the shore. Once the boat hit the sand and stopped, Mango Cookie smiled and waved at Coconut Cookie, “And we’re here! Have a great time!”

Coconut Cookie grinned, quickly thanking Mango Cookie for the ride, before hopping out of the boat and walking deeper into the island. They gasped as they approached the entrance of the festival grounds, staring at the large arched sign that read the festival name in bright red letters. Coconutians and Cookies were gathered around, showing their tickets to the workers and buying some merch from little tents set up at the entrance. “Woah..! Just look at those giant loudspeakers! All this space, the stage..! So many Coconuts and Cookies..!”, Coconut Cookie said to no-one in particular before a large grin stretched across their face. They jumped up happily with a loud cheer, barely keeping their excitement contained, “Yeah! That’s why they call it ‘the greatest rock festival of the Tropical Soda Islands’!”

“Oh, but would you look at the time..!”, a voice said from behind Coconut Cookie, startling them before they realized it was just Mango Cookie — how did he walk so quietly behind them? — “It’s 1pm already! Which means it’s time for me to go and savor the festival! See ya around!”, he said before he bolted inside the festival entrance, forgetting to show his ticket on the way inside. Coconut Cookie blinked as they watched a Coconutian staff member chase after him, shouting at him to show them his ticket. “What a busy Cookie…”, they mumbled before slowly approaching the festival gates, “Alright, time to go and redeem my ticket! Now, which way to the ticket booth…”

“GIMME THAT!”

Someone shouted behind Coconut Cookie again, only it wasn’t the friendly voice of Mango Cookie. The young one recognized it as the scratchy voice of a Durianeer. Caught off guard, Coconut Cookie couldn’t help, but scream in slight fear as they whipped around to see the menacing grin of the spiky fruit. “WHAT’S TAKING SO LONG?”, they said rather aggressively. Now, the Durians were small creatures, and on their own, not very threatening, but something about the way it spoke made Coconut Cookie’s heart pound and their senses go all out of whack. To them, they felt like they were in danger, and they couldn’t control the words that came out of their mouth, “Oh no! The Durianeers..! Help, HELP..!”, they hollered as they stepped back. The Durian blinked in confusion before groaning in slight annoyance. “…Would ya show me your booking confirmation already?!”, they grumbled. 

“Huh..?! Wha…?”, Coconut Cookie blinked in surprise. The confusion seemed to calm them down a bit, and upon closer inspection, the Durian talking to them hardly looked like a pirate! Rather they wore a black vest and orange cap, sported an earpiece — despite not having visible ears — and an ID around their neck. Were…they a staff member? The Durian seemed to be getting impatient at the delay, so Coconut Cookie quickly whipped out their ticket and showed it to the Durian staff member. He huffed in disapproval as he inspected the ticket. “Hmph, a basic ticket…”, he mumbled. Coconut Cookie blinked. Were they judging them for their ticket..?! The teenage cookie huffed a little back, almost feeling a bit defensive and wanting to exclaim that it was all they could afford. They refrained themselves though, and the Durian staff member shrugged. “Yer wrist please!”, they yelled.

Coconut Cookie did as they were told, the Durian carefully wrapping a purple wristband around their arm. “You get this bracelet, but make sure not to lose it! Without the bracelet, your usage of the facilities might be restricted…M’KAY?”, they exclaimed — they seemed to be almost disgusted by their own speech. Must have been trained or told to say those words — before quickly shooing off Coconut Cookie, “…HAVE FUN!” Coconut Cookie blinked and politely waved goodbye at the Durian, but once they got far enough, they sighed in relief. “Phew…So that was a festival ticket inspector..! Are there really no pirates around anymore?”, they said to themselves, trying to settle down. They blinked as an intercom perched on a wooden pole suddenly chimed, recognizing the voice coming out of it as the voice of a Coconutian. “Dear guests, we welcome you to the festival and ask for your kind cooperation in keeping it a happy and joyful place for everyone!”

Coconut Cookie looked behind them to see Coconut staff members and Durian staff members conversing normally with each-other and sighed again in relief. Right…nothing to worry about! This was no time to panic! They should be enjoying the day, and by golly, were they going to enjoy the day! They had not walked even ten steps before a Coconutian suddenly waved at them with pamphlets in their hand. “Coco-hi! Would you like a pamphlet or map?”, they asked with a grin as they presented the young cookie with the two papers in question. Coconut Cookie nodded and took both, much to the staff member’s delight, “Here you go! And don’t forget to get a glass of our refreshing Welcome Drink at the Fruit Punch Booth! Also, there’s a t-shirt giveaway at the Lucky Ananas Shop!” Coconut Cookie thanked the staff member and continued walking inside, opening up the pamphlet. “Let’s see…”

“The Crown Stage by the edge…Headliner: Parfait Cookie. The Axis Stage is in the center of the island…Headliner…”, Coconut Cookie grinned at the name, “Black Lemonade Cookie’s band, SparkL! I’ve never seen Black Lemonade Cookie perform on such a big stage…So excited!”, they practically squealed. Black Lemonade Cookie; really SparkL in general; were their idols! They loved all of their music and thought they were the greatest band of all time! Coconut Cookie probably wouldn’t have spent so long earning the money to pay for this ticket if they didn’t know SparkL was going to be performing! They continued reading the pamphlet with a hum: “And in the evening, Rockstar Cookie and Shining Glitter Cookie will perform on the Summer Soda Stage! Woah, the legends..! What a rad lineup!” 

Feedback cut through the air as another announcement came on the intercom. “Dear visitors! The performance on the Crown Stage will begin shortly!” Coconut Cookie grinned at that. “Yay! Alright, it’s been a while, Summer Soda Rock Festa! Show me what you’ve got!”, they exclaimed as they began their trek to the Crown Stage. As they walked, they couldn’t help, but admire the sights of the festival. The roaring waves of the ocean, the bustling community, and, of course, the shops. All the food trucks and stands looked stocked to the brim with street food that made the young cookie hungry! There were also a bunch more merchants selling merchandise of the bands and singers performing, and even Cookies doing face painting and make-up! It was all so amazing to the teenage cookie…Just like how they remember it all those years ago…

They passed by the Lucky Ananas Shop, seeing a few fruity Cookies lining up at the stand and writing their names on small pieces of paper. Seems like the giveaway was a raffle. The Cookie running the stand seemed to be almost disgusted by the Cookies…or maybe they were just tired. Coconut Cookie found themselves looking at the merchant…They seemed familiar somehow with their spiky yellow hair, green leaf hair decorations, and…Wait. Was that..?! Next thing they knew, the merchant seemed to be looking at them; they were wearing sunglasses, so it was a bit hard to tell…until they took them off slightly to reveal piercing slit yellow eyes. Coconut Cookie’s eyes widened, feeling that their legs had stopped working at that moment. The merchant glanced over at the Cookies writing their names before looking back at Coconut Cookie and raising their hand to their mouth as if to silence them. The teenager blinked and gave a small, slightly terrified, smile before ‘zipping up their mouth and throwing away the key’. Their legs suddenly felt normal again, and they continued walking to the Crown Stage, trying to ignore what just happened.

“COCO-HI, EVERYONE!”, a voice exclaimed. Coconut Cookie blinked, relieved they had made it to the Crown Stage on time before beginning to lay out a blanket on the ground, “We aaaaaaaare…THE COCONUTS! LET’S GOOO!” 

Coconut Cookie watched the sub-headliners fondly. The Coconuts were intense with their own style of rock, which they dubbed coco-core: much more instrumental than lyrical. It was nice to see other people besides Cookies performing! Soon, they left the stage and out came another…with a voice Coconut Cookie quickly recognized. “Ho ho ho...Looks like it's my turn to take the stage! Some of you may know me as your tour guide, but today, that title couldn’t be further from the truth…”, the voice exclaimed as they readjusted their sunglasses and clutched their mango-themed guitar. No way. “For my name is…Mangosting!”, Mango Cookie announced as he revealed himself and began strumming his guitar. 

🎶 Rowing through the stormy waves! 

The seven seas are my stage! 

The little boat is always rocking back and forth!

The groovy currents carry me to youuuu! 🎶

Everyone cheered at Mango Cookie’s little song, including Coconut Cookie. They had no idea Mango Cookie could sing so well! They even noticed the ‘merchant’ running the Lucky Ananas Shop peering over fondly at the performance — did they have any relation, they wonder..? — “Thank you! Thank you everyone! Enjoy Summer Soda! Peace!”, Mango Cookie exclaimed before he left the stage, meaning it was time for the next act… “Bah! Do ya even know who I AM?!”, a gruff voice cried from backstage, “This stage is pathetic! Sub-headliner? THE DISRESPECT!” Everyone in the audience began to murmur in confusion at the rather gravelly voice before someone appeared from behind the curtains. It was an alligator-shaped pineapple creature wearing a spiked leather vest and sharp shades. His green leaves curled at the top of his head, and he was holding two…maracas? 

“Shrieking Cookies and Coconuts? That’s not ROCK! Seems like this festival’s best days are in the past…Have ya forgotten the one true rock legend of Pineapple Isle, ME?!” The pineapple alligator stomped his foot almost angrily, causing a few Cookies and Fruits in the front to tremble ever so slightly. “Ya think anyone can be a rockstar? Baloney! I’ll show ya how it’s done! Mark my words…”, he hollered before shaking his maracas pridefully, “For I am SHACKA ROCKA THE GREAT!”

Everyone sort of blinked as the prideful gator stood tall on the stage, seemingly expecting some sort of applause or cheer from the crowd. Coconut Cookie hummed in thought. Shacka Rocka..? “Who’s that grumpy dude?”, they heard one Cookie say to another. Murmurs spread throughout the crowd until, suddenly, the sound of cheers broke the awkward tension. “WOOOO! SHACKA ROCKA, YOU ARE THE BEST!”, a group of Durian staff members shouted as they raised their hands up for emphasis. They seemed to be purposely talking over everyone as they cut through the crowd and seemingly gushed at the strange gator on stage. “I’VE SEEN SHACKA ROCKA ON STAGE! MY LIFE IS COMPLETE!”, one staff member exclaimed before another began pushing and beating at the legs of Cookies and the heads of Coconutians, “Don’t just stand there! Applaud! APPLAUD!” 

“Ouch! Stop hitting me!”

“What’s goin’ on down there? Ya better quiet down and QUICK!”, Shacka Rocka exclaimed before raising his head and arms up, “Cause the show is gonna begin NOW!” The Durian staff members cheered happily, pushing and shoving through the audience to get to the front row. Coconut Cookie hummed in thought, watching as Shacka Rocka began to shake his maracas. They…weren’t particularly interested in staying to see this show, especially with the Durians being real jerks about the whole thing…

Their stomach suddenly grumbled. Coconut Cookie blinked and patted their tummy. Right…They didn’t have breakfast before leaving their house. Too much noise. Maybe they should go get something to eat? They glanced up as Shacka Rocka began to sing the first verse of his song and nodded their head. Yep; definitely should get something to eat. They stood up from their spot, deciding to leave their blanket behind, before going to the Fruit Punch Bowl Zone. They took a big sniff of all the foods they could smell and felt themself getting hungrier by the minute. “Ah, pineapples! Jellies! Fries! Everything smells so nice here!”, they said aloud, which seemed to catch the attention of a Coconutian running a food stand. They waved the teenage cookie over and grinned, “What can I getcha, friend? How ‘bout a Pineapple Hot Dog with Pickled Pineapple Jellies? Or maybe a Sugared Pineapple Burger?! Our signature dish! No? We also have some Baked Pineapple Skewers! So toasty and yummy!”

Coconut Cookie blinked, feeling overwhelmed by all the options presented to them. They groaned…What do they get..?! They looked up to see the food stand merchant staring at them, then saw a line behind them stacking up. In a fit of panic, they yelled out. “Gah! Can’t choose! I’ll get one of everything!”, they blurted out, a single icing-drop of sweat running down their face. The food stand merchant grinned wider and quickly began piling the food in Coconut Cookie’s arms. “Excellent choice! Here’s your hot dog, burger, and skewer!”, they said before clearing their throat, “No refunds! So…don’t drop anything!” Coconut Cookie nodded, carefully balancing the food in their arms, then looked over at a juice stand run by another Coconutian. “Come, come! Get your free Sparkling Pineapple Slushy here at the Fruit Punch Booth!”, they exclaimed, which naturally drew the teenage cookie in. The Coconutian handed them a drink, which they happily took and thanked them for.

They stared at their food and grinned happily. “Yummy! Ah, food stands at rock festivals are just the best!”, they said with a giggle before grunting a bit as they tried to juggle holding multiple items in their arms. They should probably find somewhere to sit-!

BAM!

Coconut Cookie felt a force push against them, causing them to fall backwards and drop all of their stuff. They gasped and frowned sadly at the state of their food, almost mourning it and the money lost, before a voice caught their attention, “Gosh, I’m sorry! Are you alright?!” Coconut Cookie gasped. They…They recognized that voice! They looked up from the floor to see a tall Cookie towering them, sporting grayish-periwinkle hair that covered their eyes and a dark zip-up bodysuit with black accessories and boots. Their teeth were strangely sharp, and their dough was pale. It was…Bassist Cookie! The bass player on SparkL! 

Coconut Cookie stared at him for a long while, trying to figure out what to say. In hindsight, they should have definitely answered the question that the Cookie had asked them, but their celebrity brain had turned on, and they sat there on the ground dumbfounded. What should they say, they wondered?! That they’re a fan? ‘How do you do’? That they have all their albums?! That they’ve been to every SparkL concert ever?! They were starstruck, and their dead silence seemed to be worrying Bassist Cookie — it would probably worry Coconut Cookie too — Just before he could ask if they were alright again, another voice cut behind Coconut Cookie; one they knew just as well: “Hey, you coming..?”, a deadpan voice said as they walked over to where Bassist Cookie and Coconut Cookie were. Coconut Cookie turned around to see…HER: like Bassist Cooke, her dough was pale, and she sported a mostly dark outfit — black shorts, black leather jacket and accessories — save for a pale lemon colored shirt with a cool purple lightning-like design on it. Her hair was a bob-cut, being mostly a shiny purple with pale lemon streaks as her bangs. Her shining purple eyes made Coconut Cookie’s heart explode.

“What’s this?”, she asked as she stared right at Coconut Cookie, who was still on the ground. The young cookie felt her dough quake as she struggled to get any words out. “B-B-B-B-Black..!”, they stuttered quietly as their eyes widened. “Black Lemonade Cookie?”, Bassist Cookie chimed in before sighing in slight shame, “I wasn’t looking ahead, and I bumped into someone…And all their food and drinks ended up on the ground…” Black Lemonade Cookie blinked at the explanation before closely inspecting Coconut Cookie, which made them blush ever so slightly at the attention. “…Do I know you?”, she asked quietly. Coconut Cookie’s eyes widened even more, and they couldn’t stop the actual squeak that left their mouth! They would be embarrassed if they were so exhilarated right now! They sprung up, clutching their hands together in pure excitement. “I-I..! I’ve been to every SparkL concert since the debut album!”, they blurted out, “Last month, and two months ago…Oh, and I also gave you my letter..!”

Black Lemonade Cookie’s eyes widened slightly in surprise, her mouth curling into a small smile. “Ah! Yeah, I remember!”, she said. Bassist Cookie blinked and grinned a toothy grin as he looked at the smaller Cookie — Coconut Cookie just realized how short they were compared to the two of them — “Ooooh! That’s right! Yeah, yeah, I know who you are!”, he said, almost just as excited as Coconut Cookie. It made them feel ecstatic. He placed his hands on his hips and chuckled a bit. “Black Lemonade Cookie loved your letter! She even put it on the wall in our studio!”, he exclaimed shamelessly. Coconut Cookie felt their heart race with excitement and their face turning warm, swiftly turning to Black Lemonade Cookie to confirm this to be the truth. Black Lemonade Cookie blinked, her own face flushing a bit, before glaring at Bassist Cookie, “…Hey, stop embarrassing me”, she groaned. Bassist Cookie blinked and rubbed his arm nervously. “Huh..? But like…it’s true.”

“ Isn’t that Black Lemonade Cookie? ”

Coconut Cookie blinked as they heard whispers from a bundle of Cookies gathered around the shops and food stands. Bassist Cookie seemed to hear it too. “ Huh? I don’t know…Never seen her without her makeup… ”, another Cookie whispered, which made no sense to Coconut Cookie because Black Lemonade Cookie looked just about the same without her makeup on. One Cookie scoffed a laugh before whispering to a Cookie next to her, “ I thought she hated rock festivals? ” The Cookie she whispered to laughed a little as well before replying, “ Guess she couldn’t help it when she heard Shining Glitter Cookie would be here too. ” Coconut Cookie blinked in confusion before Bassist Cookie groaned angrily at the whispering Cookies. “Hey, what are you saying..?”, he hissed. Black Lemonade Cookie noticed this and sighed. “Bassist Cookie. Did you get what you wanted?”, she said almost tiredly. Bassist Cookie blinked back to reality and turned to the singer. “Huh? Yeah…”

“Then it’s time we go backstage.”

Black Lemonade Cookie wasted no time walking away. Bassist Cookie was about to follow her before quickly turning to Coconut Cookie. “Er, it was nice meeting ya! Come see us perform on the Axis Stage, will ya?”, he said with a small smile. Coconut Cookie blinked at the sudden attention before nodding. “Ah! Sure..! Of course!”, they replied and watched as Bassist Cookie started to chase after the singer. “Black Lemonade Cookie, wait up!”, he called out. Someone suddenly cut in front of Bassist Cookie. “Make way! Coming through!”, a raspy voice shouted out before-!

BAM!

Once again, Bassist Cookie had bumped into someone; this time that ‘someone’ was a Durian staff member. “Ouch, sorry! Ugh, what’s going on with me today..? Black Lemonade Cookie!”, he exclaimed, running off. Coconut Cookie blinked and looked at the staff member to see them…chuckling. That…didn’t look like an accident…They watched as the Durian picked something up — something that had fallen out of Bassist Cookie’s pocket! — They were about to inquire about it before suddenly they heard Cookies screaming and squealing! “Waaah! She’s here!”, one Cookie shrieked. What? Who was here..? Coconut Cookie looked in the direction the rest of the Cookies were facing to see someone driving up in a supercar! No way…it was..! “KYAAAA! SHINING GLITTER COOKIE!”, another Cookie screeched as more and more began to crowd around where Shining Glitter Cookie had stopped, “Please! Just one high-five!”

Coconut Cookie gasped as they looked at Shining Glitter Cookie…Her hot pink hair and many colored streaks, all tied up in a literal hair bow, dazzled in the tropical sunlight, almost radiating with beauty. Her outfit was fabulous as always, her poofy crop-top jacket and white pants already setting up a clear fashion trend fit for a pop star. It was strange, but interesting to see! A pop star doing rock music…Coconut Cookie couldn’t help, but wonder what that would be like…Pushing amongst the crowd of heated Cookies was a reporter and her cameraman, who were now standing in front of Shining Glitter Cookie’s supercar. “Everyone! Welcome to the Summer Soda Rock Festa!”, the reporter said with a smile, “Our pink superstar, Shining Glitter Cookie, had just arrived! Let’s hear directly from the star herself!” 

The car doors opened and out stepped the legend herself, many cookies squealing as her full body came into view. “Shining Glitter Cookie! This is the first time we’ve ever seen you at a rock festival!”, the reporter said, sassily putting her free hand on her hip, “Would you like to greet your fans?” Once the microphone was pointed to Shining Glitter Cookie, the pop star smiled and winked happily. “Everyone should keep their eyes on me for this Summer Soda Rock Festa! After all, it’s me! Shining Glitter Cookie! I shine no matter what I do! So please look forward to my rock show!”, she said before turning her heel and posing at the many cameras taking pictures of her, “Cause I’ll be shining just as brightly as always~!”

“KYAAAAA!! Shining Glitter Cookie, you’re the best!”

Coconut Cookie’s eyes sparkled as they looked at the legend in front of them. Just looking at her made Coconut Cookie feel confident too..! How incredible and cool… “Wow! As confident as always, I see! We’d expect nothing less, Shining Glitter Cookie!”, the reporter said before turning to the camera, “Shining Glitter Cookie’s first-ever rock show will take place tonight at the festival. And since we’re sending live, remember to tune in for this historical stage!” The reporter went off to explore more of the festival grounds, leaving many Cookies and Coconuts free to gush and swoon over Shining Glitter Cookie. Unfortunately…not everyone was taking her appearance too kindly. “ Seriously…who pulls up in a supercar to a rock festival? ”, someone behind Coconut Cookie whispered, which quickly caught their attention. “ That’s what I’m saying…She acts like there’s a red carpet laid out for her everywhere she goes. ”, another person whispered as a Cookie shook their head, “ And this is the year the festival returns…No wonder. Do you think her agency set it all up? ” Plenty of Cookies with complaints, it seems…

“BOOOO!!! What’s a pop star doing at a rock festival?!”, a voice cut through the crowd, one that Coconut Cookie immediately recognized, “Stop ruining the festival and go home!!!” Shining Glitter Cookie seemed to notice the heckle, and, soon enough, more and more voices began screaming the same phrase: “GO BACK HOME! GO BACK HOME! GO BACK HOME! GO BACK HOME!” A bunch of Shining Glitter Cookie’s fans stepped up in front of the hecklers, growling angrily. “What are you saying?! Shining Glitter Cookie was invited to the festival OFFICIALLY!”, a Cookie exclaimed. A sinister giggle could be heard before another remark was made. “What would a pop star backed up by an agency know about the Spirit of Rock?!”, a raspy voice exclaimed before people once again began to chant for Shining Glitter Cookie to leave. The fans of the pop star in question gasped angrily and yelled back. “You guys can all go home! You’re the ones bringing down the festival!”, a Cookie exclaimed. 

The two groups began closing in, barring their teeth and clenching their fists, hollering at each-other back and forth. Coconut Cookie blinked, now in the middle of the mobish pile, and began to try and swim through the crowd of angry fans. “E-Excuse me..! I’ll just…pass through…!”, they said, wincing in slight pain as everyone began pushing and shoving. It was total chaos! Everyone was so angry! Coconut Cookie gasped at the sight of two Cookies seemingly about to fight before noticing a Durian staff member and waving their arms wildly. “Hey! Someone is about to fight here! Please help!”, they pleaded, but the Durian…simply laughed. “Mhehehehe! And why would we stop that? It’s entertaining!”, they giggled before waving a hand dismissively at Coconut Cookie, “They’re just playing around! Why so serious?” The teenage cookie stood there dumbfounded. What were they saying?! Two Cookies were about to fight and nothing was being done about it! “Everyone, just calm down for a second..!”, Shining Glitter Cookie exclaimed in slight fear. Only a few of her fans turned to look in her direction; the rest were still occupied with picking fights with other Cookies, cheering as one Cookie began to physically fight another-! 

That’s it! If the staff wouldn’t help, Coconut Cookie would just have to do! Quickly, they ran towards the fighting Cookies, pushing the fans out of the way before looking at two fighters. “Both of you! Break it up now! This is no place for that!”, they exclaimed as they tried to get in the middle of it, grabbing both of the Cookies’ wrists and trying to pry them away from one another…but one of them must’ve seen that as a threat because out of nowhere…!

THUD…

Coconut Cookie fell to the ground, their orange headphones falling off their head and sliding a bit away from them. They gasp, looking to see their figure still in the middle of the crowd. The two Cookies were back to fighting, and everyone was cheering for their respective sides to win-! The Coconutian staff quickly came by to try and settle the dispute-! The screaming, the punches, all of this NOISE-! It was…too much for Coconut Cookie. They felt their ears ring and their eyes water, leading them to curl up and cover their ears. Still, it all felt too loud. Too loud and disturbing…They needed their headphones. It helped them in times like this…but they had no strength or will to move…They felt themselves…shut down. Their vision got blurry as every sound turned into a piercing sting of noise that could make anyone go insane. They seemed…to be losing consciousness…They didn’t know how long they could keep their eyes open for…They felt someone come up to them. Was it a staff member..?

“…kay..? Wa…up…nut..!”

• ◉◎◈ ⋞〈. . .〉⋟ ◈◎◉●

…How long were they out for? Coconut Cookie couldn’t tell, but they could suddenly hear the gentle silence of the beach. No more arguing, no more cheering…It was peaceful. They felt the familiar weight of their headphones resting on their head and felt relieved, albeit a bit confused as to how their headphones were given back to them amongst the chaos. They felt their eyes, which seemed sore from crying, slowly open, expecting to be in the middle of a field…or a white room. But no…rather, from the bit they could see, they saw…a Cookie’s face looking down on them? Where…were they..? “Are you with us?”, a voice asked. The Cookie…recognized that voice! They perked up, looking absolutely starstruck as they saw…! “Shining Glitter Cookie..!”, they exclaim in pure surprise. Shining Glitter Cookie giggled a little, placing her hands on her hips, “You must be awake since you’re getting startled like that! I’m glad you’re okay…”, she said with a small sigh of relief. Coconut Cookie blinked, wearing a puzzled expression on their face. Why were they with Shining Glitter Cookie right now…? They took a moment to observe the Cookie, realizing she was wearing a cool outfit they’d never seen before! Even her hair was different! 

Rather than being fully hot pink with purple, black, and white streaks, this new hair style featured streaks of a lighter purple and a cool pale blue, and was done up in a ponytail; held together by a long black bow. It seemed like her roots were beginning to grow out as well, as her colored hair faded into a black at the top. She wore a black tank-top with a hot pink heart on it, a spiked velvet belt, magenta plaid skirt, and striped socks of different lengths. She had a few arm accessories added as well, along with two pink hearts on her dough. Her look was so cool..!

“Getting caught in between all those Cookies and Coconuts could’ve been really dangerous!”, she spoke up again, bringing Coconut Cookie back to reality, “Do you usually faint this easily?” They could tell she meant it in a light-hearted manner, but they still felt the need to try and answer the question honestly. They tried to get up, but-! “Eugh..!”, they groaned, quickly clutching their forehead in pain. “Oh! Don’t get up too fast!”, Shining Glitter Cookie exclaimed, helping Coconut Cookie settle back down on the table they were on. The young cookie averted their eyes sheepishly before remembering where they were and just who they were with. “It’s nice to meet…you…Where..?”, they managed to mumble out as they looked around the area they were in. 

“Oh! This is my waiting room! I’m not sure why, but none of the staff members seemed to want to help out when you fainted…”, Shining Glitter Cookie replied casually. Coconut Cookie’s eyes widened a bit as they took a closer look at everything: posters of Shining Glitter Cookie were attached to the cloth of the tables, pink lockers and speaker boxes rested on the ground, and there was an assortment of food and drinks nearby on the tables. “There was no time, so I just brought you here!”, Shining Glitter Cookie said almost nervously. Realization dawned on Coconut Cookie at the notion that they were indeed in her waiting room. This felt…wrong? I mean, this was a superstar’s waiting room! And Coconut Cookie, some common teenager, was in it! They were probably living the dream of every single fan of Shining Glitter Cookie right now! This was incredible..! 

Coconut Cookie shook their head, coming back to their senses as they looked up at Shining Glitter Cookie. “Thanks…But, why did you help me out?”, they asked, though the answer seemed obvious in retrospect. It was just the nice thing to do, right? Still, Shining Glitter Cookie seemed to ponder the question for a moment before averting her eyes sheepishly again. “Hmm, well…Would it be weird if I said I felt like I owed you one?”, she answered. Coconut Cookie blinked and tilted their head as the glittery Cookie continued to talk. “…I mean, I expected a bit of controversy, but not complete chaos…But you redirected everyone’s attention onto yourself! The situation was completely diffused thanks to you!” Coconut Cookie blinked. It was? It didn’t feel like it was…All they really remembered was trying to stop the fight and passing out, but if Shining Glitter Cookie was saying that… “I see…”, they muttered, unable to add much else among their confusion.

A bit of awkward silence fell upon the two, leading to Coconut Cookie to look around the waiting room once more. Why was Shining Glitter Cookie’s room…so empty? She was an ultra-famous pop star after all! Shouldn’t she have at least one other Cookie here? Even at least a Durian or Coconut staff member nearby? The pop star in question seemed to notice the confusion and sighed. “…It’s kind of empty in here, right? Not even a manager or any security”, she mumbled defeatedly. Coconut Cookie blinked and frowned guiltily. “Oh…I didn’t mean to snoop or anything…”, they said, almost wanting to reach out and comfort the Cookie before finding it to probably be inappropriate. Shining Glitter Cookie sighed again before placing a hand on her hip. “That’s alright. It is the truth after all…My agency threatened me and said they wouldn’t provide any support if I participated in this festival…”

Now, that was surprising. Shining Glitter Cookie’s agency…didn’t want her to come? Weren’t agencies supposed to help their talents with whatever they wanted? Why would they refuse support? Besides, the Summer Soda Rock Festa would give Shining Glitter Cookie so much publicity! It made no sense…Maybe because she debuted as a pop star? “…but I honestly wasn’t prepared to come completely alone…I had to transport all my stage equipment and outfits in my car by myself! It was so tiring!”, she continued before averting her eyes defeatedly, “And then I lost my stage outfit…I thought I’d packed it, but I guess not…” Coconut Cookie pouted a bit, looking at the pop star. She may be smiling, but…she seemed to be having a hard time. It can’t be easy doing everything by yourself and having so much go wrong the minute you arrive. Coconut Cookie could relate to that feeling…

“…Are you okay? Without any other Cookies to help you?”, they asked, despite their brain protesting against prying into another person’s life. Shining Glitter Cookie blinked at the question and perked up in confidence. “Of course! As long as I can sing on the Summer Soda Stage, I can do anything!”, she replied, her eyes sparkling joyously. Coconut Cookie blinked at her energy and tilted their head, “Is it that important to you?” Shining Glitter Cookie nodded. “Yes! Because I’m gonna show the world something better! Better than what I’ve ever done before..! To the whole world and…”, she started to monologue before feedback from the intercom interrupted her. “The show on the Axis Stage will begin shortly! We inform you once again: the show on the Axis Stage will begin shortly!”

The Axis Stage..? Coconut Cookie gasped. “The Axis Stage is where Black Lemonade Cookie is headlining!”, they exclaim aloud. Shining Glitter Cookie gasped a bit. That name…Coconut Cookie looked at pop star and blinked. Did they say something weird? They were about to ask if everything was alright, but Shining Glitter Cookie beat them to it. “…Since you’ve gotten your energy back, you should get back out there and enjoy the festival!”, she said, stunning the teenager for a moment. Would it really be alright to leave Shining Glitter Cookie all alone..? Then again, Coconut Cookie was definitely not the person that should be staying with her. They were just a fan after all…Still, they just wanted to make sure. “…Are you sure you’ll be okay on your own?”, they asked. Shining Glitter Cookie seemed to smile softly before winking once again. “Don’t be silly! I’m Shining Glitter Cookie! I shine no matter what!”, she replied confidently. Coconut Cookie hummed and smiled, figuring it wouldn’t be nice to pry any further. They slowly hopped down from the table and waved at Shining Glitter Cookie. “It was…nice to meet you in person! Thank you for helping me…You’re gonna do great with your show!”, they said. Shining Glitter Cookie seemed surprised at the sudden remark, but quickly smiled and waved goodbye.

“You’re welcome! And thank you! Enjoy the festival!”

Coconut Cookie quickly left Shining Glitter Cookie’s waiting room. They looked around the area they were in, recognizing it as the Artist Zone. It felt strange…Only people with special passes were allowed to be back here — and even then, no-one, but the artists performing were allowed to be backstage — yet here Coconut Cookie was with their basic ticket…It sort of felt like they were breaking the rules…and by the Ivory Dragon, was it almost exhilarating..! “ROCK’N’ROLL!!! SING IT!!! LET THAT FIRE BUUUUUUURN!!”, they heard someone holler from afar. Seems like the show on the Axis Stage had already started…They better hurry if they want to secure a good spot! They wanted to be in the front row when SparkL played! They began to run around the Artist Zone, trying to find the exit before a scratchy voice hollered in their direction.

“HEY! You there! You tiny rascal!”

Coconut Cookie stopped and turned towards the source of the voice, finding it to be a Durian staff member. At first, Coconut Cookie didn’t know if they were talking about them — compared to that Durian, they were far from tiny! — but one more holler out of the fruit confirmed they were indeed talking to them. “You…What were you doing in Shining Glitter Cookie’s waiting room? Are you from her agency?!”, the Durian interrogated, causing Coconut Cookie to panic a little. Damn it! They knew this would happen eventually! “Ah…No, that’s not it…I got pushed around in the crowd earlier and fainted…Shining Glitter Cookie helped me”, they quickly explained. A confused, and almost suspicious, expression grew on the Durian’s face. “Shining Glitter Cookie…helped you? Why?”, they inquired. Coconut Cookie didn’t have a proper answer for them — she said she felt like she owed them…but they felt like they didn’t do much…besides pass out trying to get involved with something that didn’t concern them. Why…did they do that to begin with?

Either way, they were now confronted with a staff member and huffed angrily at the memory of none of them helping when that whole situation happened. “Well, she said none of the staff was helping me, so..?”, they sneered, earning them an almost frightened or guilty expression on the staff member’s face — though it read more as annoyance — “Hmph…Whatever, just get out of here!”, they groaned as Coconut Cookie rolled their eyes. ‘That’s exactly what I was doing before you stopped me’, they wanted to say, but refrained themselves. “Right, I’ll get going then…”, they muttered just about to turn and leave before noticing a small glint suddenly flash in the Durian’s eye. “Wait! Come back here. Lemme tell you a funny little story”, they said. Coconut Cookie wanted to groan. Couldn’t this Durian make up their mind? “A story?”, they mumbled, trying to sound interested out of kindness.

“Heh…Did you hear about Shining Glitter Cookie’s stage outfit disappearing?”, the Durian asked. Coconut Cookie blinked and nodded, a slightly concerned look on their face, “…Yes. She said…she lost it…” The Durian rolled their eyes and scoffed. “It’s not lost!”, they said, placing their hands on their hips, “Someone took it, obviously! And do you know who? Heh heh heh…” Coconut Cookie blinked and shook their head, noticing the Durian smirking as they peered at the Cookie’s shirt for a while before looking back up at the teenager. “It’s none other than…Black Lemonade Cookie!”, they announced, startling Coconut Cookie. What did they just say..?! “There’s no way! Why would Black Lemonade Cookie do such a thing..?”, they mumbled in disbelief. No way would Black Lemonade Cookie do something like that! The Durian snickered before laughing a little. “Seems like you’re out of the loop! Did you not know that Black Lemonade Cookie and Shining Glitter Cookie used to be in a band together back in the day?”

Coconut Cookie blinked. They…didn’t know that-! Is that true? That the two were in a band together? It would explain Shining Glitter Cookie’s reaction when they mentioned Black Lemonade Cookie earlier… “Black Lemonade Cookie was obviously jealous that Shining Glitter Cookie got scouted by an agency and became a star! And if that wasn’t enough, now she’s trying to take over the genre Black Lemonade Cookie had made her own!”, the Durian grinned before chuckling again, “What do you say? This year’s Summer Soda Festa is getting interesting, huh?” Interesting…was not the word Coconut Cookie would use…Messy was a better term in their eyes. They squinted their eyes in suspicion though…Why was the Durian treating it all like some big joke?! Those sort of things could make the fans delve into chaos again! “Do people really believe that Black Lemonade Cookie would do such a thing out of jealousy..? Or that Shining Glitter Cookie is trying to take Black Lemonade Cookie’s genre..?!”, they exclaim in shock. The Durian shrugged and snickered some more. “How should I know? Just tellin’ ya what I’ve heard floating around! Heh heh heh…What? Don’t believe Black Lemonade Cookie would do such a thing?”

“Of course I don’t! But Shining Glitter Cookie seems so nice…I doubt she’s doing rock music just to spite Black Lemonade Cookie…”, Coconut Cookie said. That caused the staff member to groan and roll their eyes. “Oh, you’re no fun! Whatever! Believe what ya wanna believe, but ya better choose a side soon! Ya never know when someone would want to fight again…”, they mocked darkly before stumbling away from the teenager. They blinked. What was that about…? Whatever. They had to get out of the Artist Zone soon. They really wanted to see SparkL’s song! Once again, they began walking around, searching for the exit…

🎶 When I wake up, I start my job,

Get out the door, holding my hammer!

The sweet taste of construction!

Aiyahiyah!

Think about what to build today!

Aiyahiyah!

What will the kingdom be like today?🎶

Coconut Cookie groaned. Another band on the Axis Stage…After the Gnome Band was WERETOFLOW, then SparkL..! They had to find the exit soon. Why was this place so big..?!

“Explain yourself..! Come out if you dare!”

Coconut Cookie blinked and grumbled. What was it this time..? They look to their side to see a crowd of Cookies gathered in front of a waiting room. Half of them seemed to be Shining Glitter Cookie’s fans, and the other half seemed to be Black Lemonade Cookie’s fans, seeing as each respectively had makeup and shirts pertaining to one of the two singers. One of the fans seemed to be desperate, crying out at the door of the waiting room dramatically. “Black Lemonade Cookie, are you the one that stole Shining Glitter Cookie’s stage outfit?! Give it back right now!” Another Cookie chimed in with a squeaky groan, “How much longer are you going to bully Shining Glitter Cookie?! When will you be satisfied?!” Coconut Cookie blinked. All of this was about Shining Glitter Cookie’s stage outfit? One of Black Lemonade Cookie’s fans spoke up angrily with a wave of their clenched fist. “What proof do you have for these claims?! You’re spreading false rumors without knowing anything!”, they yelled. Another Cookie nodded in agreement and crossed their arms, “She’s the one who came here without knowing anything about rock and lost her costume. How is that Black Lemonade Cookie’s fault?!”

Coconut Cookie watched as the fans bickered back and forth with a dumbfounded expression. Did that mean this was Black Lemonade Cookie’s waiting room? Out of the corner of their eye, they noticed someone…it was the Durian staff member that talked with them earlier! And they were just laughing as the fans fought…They wondered if Black Lemonade Cookie was okay hearing all the commotion outside…Suddenly, the tent whisked out of the way, a Cookie stepping out. The fans all gasped at the sight… “B-Black Lemonade Cookie…”, Coconut Cookie muttered from afar. The rockstar stared at all the Cookies gathered around the entrance of the waiting room in confusion. It seemed like all she could muster was a simple “what..?”, not quite understanding why a hoard of Cookies were surrounding her. Coconut Cookie couldn’t help, but gulp at the tension. They couldn’t read Black Lemonade Cookie’s expression, unable to tell if she was simply aloof or genuinely angry.

“We know you have Shining Glitter Cookie’s stage outfit!”, one Cookie spoke up after a moment of silence, “Give it back now!” Coconut Cookie’s eyes widened: what a bold statement to make in front of your suspect…Black Lemonade Cookie seemed just as surprised at the remark. “What are you even..?”, the rockstar muttered before the Cookies spoke up again. “Everyone already knows! You’re trying to sabotage Shining Glitter Cookie’s show!”, another one said, followed by one of Black Lemonade Cookie’s fans accusing them of lying. Black Lemonade Cookie’s face morphed into one of annoyance, crossing her arms. “…I would never do that”, she said, clearly a bit aggravated at the claims, “Why would anyone think that I’d want to sabotage Shining Glitter Cookie’s show?”

The fans completely ignored her, simply getting caught up in their fit to listen. “If Shining Glitter Cookie can’t go on stage…neither will you!”, one exclaimed, all the other fans cheering in agreement. Like earlier, Shining Glitter Cookies fans began to chant for Black Lemonade Cookie to give back the stage outfit over and over again. It made Coconut Cookie curl up in slight worry. There better not be another fight… “Shut it, you smelly sour candies! Back off!”, one of Black Lemonade Cookie’s fans roared in protest. It seems like it was doomed to happen…and based on the Durian staff member still laughing their spikes off at the commotion, they weren’t going to help with this situation either…Coconut Cookie looked up at Black Lemonade Cookie, who looked completely annoyed with the chaos. Must be tiring to deal with…

“What’s all that noise..?”

Everyone ceased their fighting and turned towards the voice. It was Shining Glitter Cookie! Black Lemonade Cookie let out a little gasp at the sight, which Shining Glitter Cookie returned. The two found themselves staring at each-other; it seemed like neither one wanted to be the first to speak, hoping and waiting for the other to start the conversation that was destined to come. Was what the Durian staff member said really true? That the two Cookies know each-other? Shining Glitter Cookie’s appearance seemed to have calmed the crowd down a little, her fans immediately beginning to praise her. “Look at Shining Glitter Cookie’s outfit! So stylish..!”, one said before another chimed in, “Shining Glitter Cookie! We’ll find your stage outfit for you!” The pop star blinked, not knowing how to respond to her fans. One of Black Lemonade Cookie’s fans scoffed. “The vibe is so off…”, they muttered before one of Shining Glitter Cookie’s fans whispered, “Why does Shining Glitter Cookie seem so surprised?” Silence fell upon everyone for a moment before suddenly…a new voice took the stage.

“Ahhh! What’s all this?! Why is the Artist Zone so crowded?”

Everyone, once again, turned their heads to see the new Cookie who had butted in. Everyone gasped. His white soft-serve hair swished around in the breeze, and his attire was so casual — a simple blue jacket, plain white shirt, and gray pants — but even so…this Cookie radiated with spirit! Everyone was speechless at the sight…It was Rockstar Cookie, a living rock legend! “I didn’t know the fans were allowed in the Artist Zone here at Summer Soda Festa?”, he said as he began to approach the crowd. He laughed as he carefully stepped past the fans and waved at everyone. “Don’t mind me, baby, heh! I’ll just squeeze through here! Now, who are you all piling up here to see, hm?”, he said before finally getting in between Black Lemonade Cookie and Shining Glitter Cookie, both looking starstruck at his appearance. 

He looked at Shining Glitter Cookie and grinned, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her in for a side hug. “Oh wow! Shining Glitter Cookie! How did I miss a superstar right in front of me?!”, he said casually. Shining Glitter Cookie almost squealed at her name being mentioned and smiled sheepishly. “Rockstar Cookie…Hi..!”, she squeaked out as Rockstar Cookie tilted his head. “So, I heard you’re entering the world of ROCK! You know, a pop star doing rock music…”, he trailed off, Shining Glitter Cookie giggling a bit nervously, before he suddenly laughed and hugged her tighter, “That should be really interesting! Say, why don’t you put on a real rock show and show all the rockers what you’re made of?!” Shining Glitter Cookie gasped at the support, her eyes sparkling before responding with a relieved ‘thank you!’

Rockstar Cookie then looked over in Black Lemonade Cookie’s direction and blinked. “Oh?! And you are…”, he started before grinning, “Black Lemonade Cookie, right?! This is the first time I’ve seen you at a festival! What changed? You finally ready for the big stage, buddy?” Black Lemonade Cookie blinked, blushing a bit at the casual mention. “…It just turned out that way”, she answered simply, trying to play it cool. Rockstar Cookie simply chuckled and smiled warmly, “You’re gonna perform your new song today, right? I can already tell it’s gonna be a hit!” Black Lemonade Cookie blushed, her whole face turning bright red as she averted her eyes. She soon nodded in response, fiddling with her tank top a little, “…Yeah. Thank you.” Coconut Cookie blinked. Even big stars get starstruck over other stars, huh..?

“But yeah!”, Rockstar Cookie said as he let go of Shining Glitter Cookie and slung his infamous candy cane guitar over his shoulders, “Still wondering why everyone is standing around out here? Do y’all have a fan meeting scheduled or something; like what’s going on?” The now confused fans looked nervous, all realizing they had been caught in a place they definitely weren’t supposed to be in. “Well…actually…”, one fan muttered before Rockstar Cookie politely cut them off. “If not, it might be best for all the fans to wait for the artists outside, in front of the stage”, he said before spotting three Coconut staff members and waving them over, “Over here! These fans — could we get someone to lead them outside? Thanks, I got you.” The Coconut staff quickly came over and seemed to be scolding the large group of Cookies. 

“This is the Artist Zone! All audience members, please leave the area!”

“Ah…Alright…”

The Coconuts quickly began escorting the large group of fans out — though they seemed to not have noticed Coconut Cookie also standing there — “Well then! Black Lemonade Cookie, Shining Glitter Cookie, ROCK OUT today! Yeah!”, Rockstar Cookie exclaimed, strumming a few notes on his guitar before walking back to his waiting room. Coconut Cookie watched as he did so, which he seemed to have subconsciously noticed since he looked over at the young Cookie. Coconut Cookie looked startled for a moment, but Rockstar Cookie simply grinned and waved at them before continuing on his way. “Wow…He managed to calm down the fans and clear up the chaos in no time…Only a ton of experience could make someone so laid back…”, Coconut Cookie mumbled to themself before watching the ground of Cookies being escorted in the distance. They should probably follow them…Maybe they’d lead the way to the Axis Stage! They began to walk before…

“…It’s been a while.”

“Yeah..!”

Coconut Cookie paused and looked over at the two from afar, their curiosity getting the better of them. They really shouldn’t be eavesdropping, but…they felt compelled to stay and listen in, especially since they weren’t immediately told to leave by the staff. It felt wrong, but also felt exhilarating! The way of a teenager, they supposed… “Did you have something to say, or..?”, Black Lemonade Cookie started, raising an eyebrow at Shining Glitter Cookie. The pop star said nothing for a few moments before looking away sheepishly. “I thought you weren’t joining the festival..!”, she said with a slight hum. Black Lemonade Cookie blinked, her fist tightening around the bottom of her shirt. “Yeah, well…I changed my mind”, she said, trying not to meet Shining Glitter Cookie’s gaze. “…Did you…come because I was coming?”, the pop star asked, and it must’ve been a hard question to answer as Black Lemonade Cookie didn’t respond for some time. 

Shining Glitter Cookie chuckled a bit, averted her eyes. “I see you still clam up at hard questions”, she said simply before sighing and putting her hand on her chest. “I’ll ask this instead then: Have you seen my stage outfit? Or maybe someone who went into my waiting room? Our waiting rooms are close, so I figured you…might’ve…” An annoyed expression dawned on Black Lemonade Cookie’s face, followed by a sour sigh. “So you think I took it too? I see you’re still easily influenced by others’ opinions”, she hissed bitterly, causing Shining Glitter Cookie to panic slightly. “All I want to do is put on a good show..!”, she protested, but the rockstar scoffed at that. “If all you care about is your stage outfit, why even bother playing rock music? Tired of being a pop star? Or did you just run out of new concepts to try?”, Black Lemonade Cookie groaned before averted her eyes in disappointment, “…I thought what you really cared about was singing.”

“BLACK LEMONADE COOKIE, IT’S A DISASTER!!!”

The curtain whisked past once again and out came Bassist Cookie, who looked totally panicked and freaked out! He ran out in such distress, he hardly noticed Shining Glitter Cookie standing there. “MY PICK IS GONE!!”, he exclaimed. Shining Glitter Cookie blinked and smiled softly, waving at the bassist. “Hey Bassist Cookie..!”, she said, happy the freaked out Cookie noticed her. He seemed nervous to have run out like that and rubbed his arm sheepishly. “Ah…Shining Glitter Cookie…Sup!”, he said with a nervous grin. Black Lemonade Cookie tapped Bassist Cookie’s shoulder and pointed towards their waiting room. “I have plenty of picks. Use one of mine”, she said simply only for Bassist Cookie to shake his head frantically. “But that’s not MY pick! My lucky lemon pick is GONE!”, he argued back, causing the rockstar to grumble. “I told you there’s no such thing as lucky charms…Let’s go look for it.” The two turned and began to walk into their waiting room, but Shining Glitter Cookie ran up and gently grabbed Black Lemonade Cookie’s hand.

“Black Lemonade Cookie! What I wanted to say before…was…”

“Good luck with your show.”

And with that, Black Lemonade Cookie disappeared into her waiting room. Shining Glitter Cookie stood there for a few moments, almost hoping the rockstar would come back out, before giving up and defeatedly walking back to her own waiting room. 

Coconut Cookie stood there dumbfounded at what they just witnessed. It really sunk in that they definitely shouldn’t have been listening in, but in a way…they were glad they did. They remembered seeing Bassist Cookie drop something when they bumped into that Durian staff member! Maybe that was the pick he was talking about! But then came a dilemma…Should they really just leave Shining Glitter Cookie alone? She looked so defeated and upset, and she doesn’t have anyone from her agency to talk to! Coconut Cookie hummed, wondering what was the best decision, before sighing and walking over to Black Lemonade Cookie’s waiting room. They mumbled a quiet ‘sorry’ towards Shining Glitter Cookie’s waiting room before peering inside to see the two Cookies frantically looking around. Fortunately, it was a pretty small waiting room…except…

“I looked everywhere! It’s GONE!”, Bassist Cookie exclaimed in defeat. Black Lemonade Cookie rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. “Which is why I told you that you should store it somewhere safe”, she said, earning a small groan from Bassist Cookie. “Do you not know how lucky guitar picks work? You need to keep it WITH you, ok?!”, he protested before sighing in despair, “I swear I kept it with me at all times, especially because this is our first festival…This is all so messed up…I can’t believe we’re getting blamed for something that we didn’t do! It’s because I lost my lucky pick!” The bassist soon shuddered, peeking his head out of the curtain to look at the Axis Stage in fear. “Are we, like, even gonna be able to perform today..?”, he mumbled. Black Lemonade Cookie face-palmed herself and sighed in annoyance, “Of course we are. Your lucky pick has nothing to do with whether we can perform or not!” Bassist Cookie, however, turned around and flailed his arms in a panic, “B-But like, you just saw what just happened! Shining Glitter Cookie’s fans were…”

“Umm…”

The two Cookies turned to see Coconut Cookie slowly approach them. Bassist Cookie gasped in surprise, placing his hands on his hips. “You…”, he muttered, probably not meaning for it to sound as condescending as it did. Coconut Cookie immediately got nervous. This was a bad idea, wasn’t it? Still, they were here now, so they might as well face the music. “I-I didn’t mean to eavesdrop!”, they said, though they definitely did to some degree, before turning to Bassist Cookie, “But did you just say that you lost something?” Bassist Cookie immediately perked up and nodded. “Yeah! I-It’s this yellow guitar pick that looks like a lemon slice! Did you find it?!”, he asked eagerly, only to pout once Coconut Cookie shook their head. “U-Uh no…But didn’t you bump into a Durian staff near the Fruit Punch Food Booth area?”, they asked. Bassist Cookie blinked and scratched the back of his head, “Did I..? There were so many Cookies, I-I can’t really remember…”

Ok, maybe they should just get straight to the point. “Well, it’s just that I saw the Durian staff pick something up after bumping into you”, they muttered as they thought back to the incident. Something about that bump was still strange to them…It really didn’t look like an accident…Did they do it on purpose? With how they were acting lately, it wasn’t unlikely…But why? Either way, Bassist Cookie perked up with a gasp and grinned happily at the tidbit of information. “Maybe they, like, left it at the lost and found! Thank GOODNESS the staff picked it up!”, he cheered, but Black Lemonade Cookie seemed to notice Coconut Cookie’s uneasy expression. “Err…The thing is…I’m not too sure if it’s actually a good thing…It kinda feels like they want something bad to happen to the festival…”, Coconut Cookie said nervously. Black Lemonade Cookie looked at them and squinted her eyes in slight suspicion, “What do you mean?”

Coconut Cookie sighed. “I’m not sure myself, but…the Durian staff members have been terrible at their job the whole day! They only stood by and laughed every time something bad happened…”, they explained before scratching the back of their head and looking sheepishly at the rockstar, “Even just now, one of them came and told me that the Cookie who took Shining Glitter Cookie’s costume was you…And I don’t think I’m the only one they’ve talked to..! They’ve probably been telling this to the fans as well.” Black Lemonade Cookie blinked and hummed before tilting their head at Coconut Cookie. “So…I suppose you don’t think that I did it, then?”, she asked. Coconut Cookie blinked, as if the answer was obvious, “What? Of course I don’t!” A moment of silence washed over them before Black Lemonade Cookie let out an almost relieved chuckle, smirking a bit. But it didn’t last long before she sighed and looked towards the Axis Stage. 

“Well…That wouldn’t change anything, anyway.”

She shook her head and leaned against one of her tables and sighed, “All we’re here to do is play the pre-planned setlist at the pre-planned time.” Bassist Cookie stuttered a bit at Black Lemonade Cookie’s casual tone to the whole ordeal and raised his arms up. “What are you saying?!”, he exclaimed before looking over at Coconut Cookie for support, “Someone is, like, obviously trying to sabotage the whole festival! And my lucky pick is gone too…I feel like something terrible could happen if we go on stage like this…” Black Lemonade Cookie didn’t seem phased by Bassist Cookie’s worries, but Coconut Cookie still felt the need to step in. They didn’t want Bassist Cookie to feel afraid of performing! That’s when they got an idea… “What if I find the pick for you?”, they said, raising their arm up to draw the Cookies’ attention. “Huh? You?”, Black Lemonade Cookie muttered.

“Really?! Would you really?!”, Bassist Cookie exclaimed eagerly. “Can you do that?”, Black Lemonade Cookie added. Coconut Cookie blinked and nodded, now determined to follow through with their plan. “Well, if you two go, you might end up being late to your own show…And it’s better than sitting around doing nothing, right?”, they said with a hum. Nobody said anything for a few seconds before it was broken by Black Lemonade Cookie’s sigh. “Everyone out there is threatening not to let me go on stage…”, she said before smirking at Coconut Cookie, “Meanwhile…you’re the only one actually helping me.” Coconut Cookie blinked and blushed a bit before smiling, “Well, that’s…I’m a fan of your music after all! So I really don’t want your show to be ruined!” Black Lemonade Cookie nodded a bit in response. “…Thank you. I like my music too…and I want this show to work out as well. I have no need for a lucky pick, but…Bassist Cookie can’t go on stage without one, so…I’d appreciate your help.”

“Don’t worry, you two! I’m on the case!”, Coconut Cookie gave a mock salute before running off. “Good luck…”, Black Lemonade Cookie muttered quietly as she watched them speed off. Coconut Cookie hummed in thought as they ran: they should start with the main area where all the audience members were. They had to find the Durian that ran into Bassist Cookie! But most Durians look the same without accessories…Coconut Cookie placed their hand on their chin as they tried to remember anything specific about the Durian they could use to identify them. Weren’t they wearing a backwards cap? Coconut Cookie groaned. It wasn’t a solid way to identify someone, but it would have to do. They decided to check the stages first, seeing as they all seemed to be particularly drawn to them. First the Crown Stage, then the Axis, and finally the Summer Soda…but there were no Durians in sight! That’s strange…

Whatever! There was no time for lollygagging! Coconut Cookie huffed as they ran towards the Fruit Punch Bowl Zone. Only a few Cookies and Coconutian workers were there, but no Durians…They tried asking each vendor if they’d seen a Durian with a backwards cap, but none of them seemed to remember seeing one. Coconut Cookie groaned…What if they were hiding out in the employee-only zones? Coconut Cookie sighed in slight defeat before they noticed someone out of the corner of their eye: a Durian staff member! They seemed to be carrying a box of some kind, shifting their eyes back and forth as they walked away. If that didn’t scream suspicious, Coconut Cookie didn’t know what did. 

Sneakily, the teenage Cookie began to follow the Durian staff member until they were led to the beach’s shore behind the Summer Soda Stage. There, they could see bunches of Durians packed together, seemingly discussing something. Coconut Cookie huffed as they scanned the group, trying to see if they could find that Durian anywhere… “Who are you?! Authorized fruits only!”, a voice rang from behind. Coconut Cookie whipped around to see a few Durians sinisterly looking at them. “Get out!”, they all hollered in unison, causing the other Durians to look over and immediately run up to Coconut Cookie…They were surrounded. The young Cookie blinked in surprise before groaning in annoyance. “Argh! There’s a particular Durian I need to find! Get out of my way!”, they cried out before they decided to do something a bit rash…They kicked a few Durians out of the way, despite how much their spikes hurt, before speeding off deeper into the restricted zone.

Next thing they knew, a hoard of Durians were chasing them through the area. Some lunged at them, others threw each-other like cannonballs; but regardless, Coconut Cookie found themselves able to slip past most of the attacks…until suddenly, a group of them appeared in front of Coconut Cookie. They gasped, skidding to a stop as they looked at the Durian staff. “Heh heh heh…Caught ya, ya little rascal!”, one of them said as they tried to pull at their arm. “Hey! Let go of me, you smelly tykes!”, Coconut Cookie exclaimed, feeling more Durians grab onto their dough and try to pull them down. The teenager groaned and winced in slight pain. “I said let go!”, they shouted again as the staff members simply snickered darkly, more and more coming to topple onto Coconut Cookie. The Cookie in question growled before…

“That’s it! Face the music, stinkbags!”

Coconut Cookie managed to pry one of their hands from the Durians’ grip and, with a deep breath, blew a loud, ear-piercing whistle. Colored sound waves crashed down on the Durians with a thunderous roar, making them all shriek and cry in pain from the sound. “AHHHHH! TOO LOUD!!!”, one exclaimed before another one chimed in, “SO STRONG!! RETREAT!!!” The Durian staff suddenly let go, screaming as they ran away from Coconut Cookie. They stopped their whistle attack and sighed in relief. “Phew…Is it okay for me to just barge in like this?”, they said as they watched the fruits run off with a blink before smiling a bit, “I’m not gonna lie…this kinda feels liberating..!” They then looked around, realizing there was nobody around and sighed again. “But I guess that staff member isn’t here. Maybe they’re somewhere around close by…”

Coconut Cookie got up from the ground and immediately sped deeper into the employee zone, running around until they found another group of Durians conversing. This time, they wasted no time making their presence known. “Yo! I’m looking for the Durian with the backward cap! They have something that doesn’t belong to them!”, they exclaimed as the now aggravated staff members turned to them. “How dare you accuse us of thievery?! Get out of here!”, one Durian exclaimed with a slight smirk as all the fruits charged at the Cookie. “I know what you’re up to! I won’t let you sabotage the Summer Soda Rock Festa! HYAAAAH!”

With another deep breath, they let out a high-pitched whistle, pushing the charging Durian staff back and clearing their path. They continued this trend, dodging attacks and landing a few of their own, before spotting them; the Durian with the backwards caps! They seemed to be holding something yellow in their hand..! “Gotcha!”, Coconut Cookie exclaimed as they pointed at the Durian, “You there! Hand over Bassist Cookie’s lucky guitar pick!” The Durian stammered as they messily slipped whatever they were holding into their pocket and stared at the Cookie in faux confusion. “W-What? What a weirdo…”, they mumbled, expecting Coconut Cookie to stop and shrieking once they got them bolting to them. “Stop right there!”, they shouted, now chasing after the Durian. They ran for a bit before finally deciding to blow another whistle; much less powerful than the last; aiming at the staff member’s feet, so that they tripped and fell into the sand. The Cookie extended their arms and, before the Durian could get up, quickly grabbed them. “Gotcha!”

Coconut Cookie raised the Durian up high and scowled at them. “I know you have it! Bassist Cookie’s yellow guitar pick! Give it back!”, they exclaimed. A few moments passed without an answer and Coconut Cookie began to shake the Durian rapidly, “I said, give it BACK!!!” “AHHHHH! Stop shaking me!”, they cried out nervously, kicking their legs and flailing their arms, “You’re mighty strong for such a small one! Alright, alright! You can have it!” Coconut Cookie stopped shaking the fruit and watched as they nervously took the pick out of their pocket and handed it to Coconut Cookie. They smiled and gently put the fruit down. “Pleasure doing business with ya!”, they said almost smugly as they watched the staff member run off. They looked at the lemon-slice pick with a smile. Now to return to Black Lemonade Cookie’s waiting room…

🎶 Oooooo…Aooooo…

Alone…Lonely…

I sing by myself…

My teary blues… 🎶

Coconut Cookie blinked. This was WERETOFLOW’s song! That meant it was almost time for SparkL to perform! They quickly ran out of the employee zone and began running towards the Artist Zone, WERETOFLOW’s song practically timing them…

🎶 Oooooo…Aooooo…

The tears that are flowing down my dough…

Are because of the pepper flakes… 🎶

Coconut Cookie stepped into the Artist Zone, breathing heavily from running. “I made it…just in time…Black Lemonade Cookie! Bassist Cookie!”, they said between breaths before quickly swishing past the curtains of Black Lemonade Cookie’s waiting room. Black Lemonade Cookie and Bassist Cookie looked in their direction, Coconut Cookie holding the pick up high. Bassist Cookie gasped excitedly. “YOU FOUND MY LUCKY PICK!”, he exclaimed, carefully taking it out of the young Cookie’s hand and caressing it like it was his lost child. “‘Found’ is an understatement…”, they mumbled quietly to themselves. “Why are you covered in sand? Are you okay?”, Black Lemonade Cookie asked a bit frantically as she looked at Coconut Cookie. They blinked as they looked up at the rockstar, their eyes sparkling and their dough a little flushed. Was Black Lemonade Cookie…worried about them..?! Their heart skipped a beat at the idea…

As much as Coconut Cookie wanted to rant about how they just battled a bunch of spiky fruits to get that lucky pick, they figured the band wouldn’t have time for chatter. They waved their hand dismissively as they straightened themselves up. “Of course! Of course I’m okay! I’m so glad I made it on time!”, they replied confidently. “Oh, I would’ve crumbled away on stage if it weren’t for you! Thank you so SO much!”, Bassist Cookie exclaimed happily. Coconut Cookie blinked and scratched the back of their head with a sheepish smile. “Well…Black Lemonade Cookie did say that you would be fine without it though…”, they said with an embarrassed chuckle. Black Lemonade Cookie blinked and shook her head with a chuckle of her own, “Nah. Without your help, we probably wouldn’t have been able to perform.” She sighed before averting her eyes to look towards the Axis Stage. “…Thanks to you, I now know what our performance is gonna look like. You reminded me why I wanted to sing in the first place.”

“Oh? Why’s that?”

Black Lemonade Cookie blushed at the question, clearly not expecting it. Coconut Cookie blinked and immediately raised their hands up in mock surrender. “Oh, you don’t have to answer that question..!”, they exclaimed almost nervously. Nothing was said for a few seconds before Black Lemonade Cookie sighed and gazed at Coconut Cookie, her head still turned towards the stage. “…Because…you’re waiting for my song”, she finally answered before fully turning her head to the young Cookie, “What happened today with Shining Glitter Cookie’s fans…I’m used to it by now. And if you haven’t noticed already, I’m not exactly…good…with words.” For a moment, Black Lemonade Cookie looked almost shy, averting her eyes once more. “I feel more comfortable communicating through music”, she added, “And since you’ve been listening to my music for so long…it feels like you understand me, no matter what I’m trying to say…”

Coconut Cookie blinked. It must’ve been hard for Black Lemonade Cookie to admit that…but hearing her say that…made Coconut Cookie feel happy. The band that had made their life so much better just through their music… “Black Lemonade Cookie…”, they muttered. Bassist Cookie chuckled a little and nodded almost in agreement. Black Lemonade Cookie smiled softly as she looked down at the young Cookie. “…You’re gonna be at the front row for today’s show, right?”, she asked. Coconut Cookie blinked and grinned happily with a nod. “Duh! Of course I will be! I’m so excited to hear your new song…and what you have to say”, they replied. Black Lemonade Cookie chuckled. “Well, you better get going then…See you in the front row”, she said. “Enjoy our killer music, kid!”, Bassist Cookie exclaimed, offering a high-five. Coconut Cookie happily took it before waving goodbye at the band, quickly leaving the Artist Zone to secure a good spot. Time to go to the Axis Stage…

“…Crap! I left my blanket back at the Crown Stage! Who knows if somebody took it by now..?!”

…

Feedback cut through the mics on the Axis Stage. Black Lemonade Cookie turned towards Bassist Cookie and Dark Cider Cookie — the drummer of SparkL who never really spoke much — “Everybody ready?”, Black Lemonade Cookie asked, the other two nodding. “Yeah! Of course!”, Bassist Cookie responded. With that said, Black Lemonade Cookie turned towards the audience before taking her pick and doing a quick guitar riff to excite the crowd. “Hiya! My name’s Black Lemonade Cookie, and we’re SparkL! We’ve never played on such a huge stage before! It’s so nice seeing y’all here today! It was…kind of a long day today, huh?”, she announced before sighing, “I’m sure there are Cookies who won’t like seeing me up here…Yet, here I am. And I’m gonna keep playing the music I love, and stay true to myself.” She hung her head low for a moment. Coconut Cookie waved at her from the front row, causing the rockstar to smile fondly. She closed her eyes before looking back up with a determined expression. “See? I’m not giving up that easy, nah-uh…I hope you like it!”

The band, in the blink of an eye, began playing their new song. A song called Transfigure, dedicated to Black Lemonade Cookie’s journey to becoming the Cookie she was today. Coconut Cookie, and the rest of the fans, cheered as Black Lemonade Cookie sang. Their music, their lyrics..! It spoke to Coconut Cookie, and they couldn’t help, but feel connected to Black Lemonade Cookie at that moment. They almost wanted to cry from the sheer passion and love they felt in every note…The teenager could hear Shining Glitter Cookie’s fans scoff and mock the song from afar, but they didn’t care. They had a long day…now was the time to enjoy the moment. Black Lemonade Cookie, SparkL…They were their legends!

Though…Coconut Cookie couldn’t help, but notice something…or someone …out of the corner of their eye.

Soon, the song was over, the sun just about to set for the evening. Black Lemonade Cookie waved goodbye to their audience, who all cheered and cried for the band. The Coconutian staff soon came by, informing everyone that the Axis Stage had to be closed for clean-up, leading them all to be swiftly kicked out. Coconut Cookie grinned as they walked away, their song still replaying on loop in their head. They just had to buy the album when it came out! And add it to their playlist of course! They pulled out their pamphlet, noting that Shining Glitter Cookie and Rockstar Cookie’s shows would be next on the Summer Soda Stage before…

“Hey! Over here!”

Coconut Cookie looked up from their pamphlet to see Black Lemonade Cookie and Bassist Cookie in the distance. They grinned as they jogged over to them, waving their hand. “Black Lemonade Cookie! Bassist Cookie!”, they shouted once they got close enough. “Did you like it?”, Black Lemonade Cookie, a hint more excitement in her voice than she usually had. Bassist Cookie laughed a little and placed his hands on his hips. “I’m sure everyone loved our performance! It’s my favorite this year, for sure!”, he chimed in. Coconut Cookie nodded in agreement. “I loved it! You two were amazing!”, they exclaimed before noticing a van parked nearby. The lemon, lightning, and sparkle patterns on it pointed to it being SparkL’s. They could see Coconutian staff and Dark Cider Cookie loading up their speaker boxes, microphones, and other equipment into the van, and blinked before looking back at the two. “But…are you leaving already?”, they asked with a tilt of their head.

Black Lemonade Cookie sighed. “Well…I did mention that back on the stage…I can tell when I’m not welcome”, she said casually, but a bit solemnly. Bassist Cookie pouted. “Aww, I wanted to see Rockstar Cookie’s show before we leave…”, he whined a little, causing Black Lemonade Cookie to groan a little out of slight annoyance, “…C’mon, let’s go.” Coconut Cookie sighed, a bit upset that Shining Glitter Cookie’s fans made them feel unwelcome, but smiled in acceptance before waving at the two. “See you both next time!”, they said with a smile. They were about to turn and leave before they felt a hand on their shoulder. It was Black Lemonade Cookie’s hand. She seemed a bit shy before handing Coconut Cookie a slip of paper. “Hey…Feel free to drop by our studio and listen to us working on new songs”, she said with a soft smile. Coconut Cookie blinked and stared at the slip of paper, revealing it to be an address. They gasped a little. Black Lemonade Cookie…was really trusting them with this..?! 

Coconut Cookie’s eyes sparkled, hardly able to stop themself from bouncing on their feet. “For real?! Gosh, I sure will!”, they said before pocketing the paper and looking back up at the two older Cookies, “Today was amazing! I can’t wait ‘til next time! Now, if you don’t mind…I have something I need to do”, Coconut Cookie said before waving goodbye once more at the time. “Catch ya later, kid!”, Bassist Cookie exclaimed as Black Lemonade Cookie nodded as a farewell. Once Coconut Cookie left though, Bassist Cookie looked at Black Lemonade Cookie with a nervous expression.

“Black Lemonade Cookie…”

“Mm?”

“You sure you don’t wanna..?”

“Yeah…Missing Rockstar Cookie sucks, but…we’ll have another chance.”

“No, I’m not talking about Rockstar Cookie…”

“Hm..?”

“Shining Glitter Cookie…”

…was the ‘someone’ Coconut Cookie saw in the crowd during Black Lemonade Cookie’s performance. She looked at the band playing with such awe, yet sadness…and in that moment, Coconut Cookie felt guilty, even for but a moment. It was obvious that Shining Glitter Cookie needed someone for support, and if her agency wasn’t going to provide that for her, Coconut Cookie would just have to fill in that role. However, that meant sneaking back into the Artist Zone…Thankfully, most of the staff seemed busy cleaning up the Axis Stage and setting up the Summer Soda Stage, so it was a bit easier to get inside. Once they were in, they slowly made their way back to Shining Glitter Cookie’s waiting room, peeking inside to see her pacing back and forth and mumbling what seemed to be lyrics.

🎶 Let yourself go…Paint the night sky bright and glow… 🎶

“Shining Glitter Cookie?”, Coconut Cookie almost whispered as they gingerly moved the curtain to reveal themself. Their voice seemed to startle Shining Glitter Cookie, causing her to break from her singing trance and look at the young Cookie. “Oh..! It’s you! You’re back? I thought I saw you leave the Artist Zone a bit ago…”, she muttered. Coconut Cookie averted their eyes sheepishly for a moment before nodding. “Y-Yeah..! Are you practicing for your performance later?”, they asked before slowly stepping inside. Shining Glitter Cookie nodded with a wink. “Yep! It’s no piece of cake to prepare for the perfect stage!”, she replied. Coconut Cookie blinked. She seemed okay…Maybe there was no reason to come back after all? “Um…Shining Glitter Cookie? Do you…really think Black Lemonade Cookie was trying to sabotage your performance?”, they asked with a small frown. Shining Glitter Cookie blinked and sighed, rubbing her arm shamefully. “…No. I know Black Lemonade Cookie: she would never do that. And if she really wanted to say something, she would’ve said it through her music, not some childish act like this.”

“So it’s true that you two knew each-other?”, Coconut Cookie blinked, completely forgetting about that tidbit that Durian staff member said. Shining Glitter Cookie sighed and nodded. “Yes. We were in a band together: Black Lemonade Cookie, Bassist Cookie, and me…We would listen and make music together! Black Lemonade Cookie with her guitar, Bassist Cookie with his bass, and I’d do the singing”, she smiled fondly at the memories replaying in her head before placing her hands on her hips, “We became friends because all three of us enjoyed rock. We were also huge fans of Rockstar Cookie…And then I debuted as a pop artist by myself.”

Coconut Cookie blinked at Shining Glitter Cookie’s expression. She seemed almost guilty at that notion… “Were they upset about that?”, they asked, almost worried for the answer. But to their surprise, Shining Glitter Cookie smiled. “No. Not at all. In fact, they were so happy for me!”, she answered before sighing, looking out at Black Lemonade Cookie’s now-empty waiting room. Coconut Cookie looked at it along with her with a small frown. “But now it doesn’t seem like you’re close with them like you were back then…”, they mumbled. Shining Glitter Cookie nodded sadly, “We grew apart, I guess. You know, these kinda things happen when you get busy with life…But unlike what the rumors say, we never fought or anything.” Coconut Cookie turned to Shining Glitter Cookie and crossed their arms. “…Then…When your fans ganged up on Black Lemonade Cookie…Why didn’t you say anything?”, they asked, immediately feeling guilty afterwards once they saw Shining Glitter Cookie’s ashamed face. “…Right…I…”

There was a long pause, which only increased the guilt Coconut Cookie felt. Why did they ask such a personal question?! “I-I’m sorry..! I didn’t mean to pry..!”, they quickly exclaimed. Shining Glitter Cookie blinked and shook her head. “No, no…You’re good…”, she reassured. Coconut Cookie calmed down a bit, trying to think of something else to say in a desperate attempt to lighten the mood. “What are you gonna do about your stage outfit?”, they asked timidly. Shining Glitter Cookie blinked and averted her eyes sheepishly. “I don’t know…I’m not really sure…”, she murmured quietly. Coconut Cookie hummed in thought before looking back at the pop star. “How about..? Remember what you wore when you arrived at the festival? That outfit looked amazing…”, they said. Shining Glitter Cookie shook her head at the idea though. “No. I’m not gonna wear that one.”

“…Why not?”

“That’s how I look in other shows and billboards. I don’t want to look like a pop star…”, she said simply before looking towards the Summer Soda Stage, “I want to show something different. I told you that I want to show the world something better, remember?” Coconut Cookie blinked, remembering what she said and humming in thought once again, “Then…how about the outfit you’re wearing right now?” Shining Glitter Cookie hummed, looking at the teenager a little stunned. “This? But…these are just my regular clothes”, she quipped. Coconut Cookie shrugged in response. “They may not be as sparkly as your pop star outfits, but I think that’s why it’ll make the crowd focus on your song! No distractions — just you and your voice!”, they explained before clenching their fist for emphasis, “You’re Shining Glitter Cookie, after all! You’ll shine and glow no matter what you wear!”

Shining Glitter Cookie paused for a while. Coconut Cookie immediately got embarrassed, wondering if they had said something silly or stupid. “Uh, ignore my comments if they don’t make any sense..! I mean, you’re the expert when it comes to fashion and style…”, they exclaimed nervously. The pop star seemed to blink back to reality and shook her head. “No no..! Just me and my voice…You’re right..!”, Shining Glitter Cookie exclaimed, “I was so caught up in trying to appear new and different, that I forgot about what I actually wanted to show! Even though I used to not care about anything else, as long as I could sing…” Shining Glitter Cookie looked deep in thought — it was kind of awkward for Coconut Cookie standing there, but they let her have her moment — until…

“Attention everyone! The performance of the Summer Soda Stage will begin shortly!” Another intercom announcement. Shining Glitter Cookie gasped in surprise. “Oh! That’s me! Sorry, but I need to be somewhere else..! I’ll see you on the Summer Soda Stage!”, she exclaims with a wink. Coconut Cookie blinked in surprise and nodded. “Oh…okay! I’ll look forward to your performance!”, they said before the two said their goodbyes. Coconut Cookie exited the waiting room, ready to go ahead and sneak outside of the Artist Zone once more before…they noticed something from afar. A silhouette of a figure that looked familiar, but Coconut Cookie didn’t know from where. They were talking to a group of…Durian staff members..!

“Is everyone ready? Make sure the Summer Soda Stage preparations are all set!”

“Heh heh heh…Aye aye, cap’n!”

Captain?! Wait…Oh no… “What’s that little thing over there? It just came out of Shining Glitter Cookie’s room”, the figure said in Coconut Cookie’s direction. They saw them..! 

“Whatever it is, take care of it!”

“Yessir!”

“O-Oh crap! They’re attacking me..!”, Coconut Cookie exclaimed in fear, quickly running away from the large number of Durians chasing after them. They used their whistle attack as many times as they could, but they felt their breath shortening from how much they were running! They couldn’t keep this up for much longer..! “Get away from me, you smelly fruits!”, they yelled out, the spiky staff simply giggling at their pleas. They quickly blow out another whistle attack before they notice a table with fruits and a juice fountain piled on top. It had a cloth draped over it; in a fit of quick thinking, they dived underneath the table and stayed there for a moment, watching as the confused group of Durians ran past the table to continue chasing them. Without a moment to lose, Coconut Cookie slipped out of their hiding spot and ran as fast as they could out of the Artist Zone. “Woah…What just happened? They almost got me…”

“AAAAAAAAH! The performance is gonna start any moment now!”

“Isn’t Shining Glitter Cookie the first act?! I can’t wait to see her!”

“Let’s go! Hurry!”

“The performance on the Summer Soda Stage is gonna start! I should get going..!”, Coconut Cookie exclaimed to no-one in particular before running over to the Summer Soda Stage along with the others. Everyone was pushing and shoving, eager to get to the front row. Without any sub-headliners to stall for the main headliners, everyone was trying their hardest to secure a good spot in time. Coconut Cookie settled on a spot in the middle, happy to let other super fans get a chance at the front row. After all; they got the front row to their idols’ show! Soon, everyone was situated in a spot, and the lights of the stage flickered on. Everyone cheered as Shining Glitter Cookie revealed herself with a wink. “Hi all~!”

“EEEEEK! It’s Shining Glitter Cookie!”

“LOOK AT HER OUTFIT! IT’S SO HIP AND TRENDY!”

“I LOVE YOUUUUU!”

“Wow! So many of you showed up!”, Shining Glitter Cookie exclaimed in faux surprise before winking, “Thanks so much for coming all the way here! I’m about to put on the most perfect show, so…all eyes on the stage~!” Everyone began to cheer before…the lights turned off. Shining Glitter Cookie gasped in confusion, looking around at the darkness surrounding her. “Huh..?!”, she whimpered, “What’s…going on?!” Everyone in the crowd seemed to share her concerns, mumbling and whispering about why the lights turned off. Suddenly, amidst the darkness, came a deep chuckle…and the sound of maracas. “Heh heh heh…Time for me to show ya what it means to be a rocker…”, the voice gritted before another laugh bellowed from the dark.

“HA HA HA HA HA…It’s just SO funny seeing all ya losers here at this mockery of a true rock festival…Ya there, Shining Glitter Cookie? Ya didn’t get my little hints? Not a single one..? Didn’t think ya were so dull!”, the voice echoed with a laugh, “I thought y’all would have figured it out by now…That the Main Stage is not for ya, nah-uh! See, first, ya agency wouldn’t letcha perform at the festival…Then suddenly ya get booed in the middle of a song…Nothin’ rings the bell yet? But then…whoops! Ya outfit suddenly disappears..!”

Shining Glitter Cookie blinked and grumbled a bit, clenching her fists just a tad. “So…it was you the whole time..!”, she exclaimed as the voice simply laughed. “Ya just another plastic pop singer! Whaddya know about ROCK?! NOTHIN’! Wanna learn a couple of things?! Yer in luck today! For y’all get the honor of learnin’ from THE LEGEND himself: the greatest star ever to have illuminated the Pineapple Isle…” Suddenly, the lights of the stage turned back on; only, instead of the beautiful pink and blue colors, it turned into a green and yellow explosion, a familiar alligator’s face plastered on every screen! “…THE LEGENDARY SHACKA ROCKA!!!” 

Coconut Cookie and the rest of the audience gasped as the ‘legend’ in question suddenly appeared behind Shining Glitter Cookie, who looked startled at the appearance. “WAH HA HA HA HA! Missed me?!”, he exclaimed, followed by the excited cheers of some Durian staff members, “Now shut up and get that Shiny Litter Cookie outta my sight!” The Durians cheered once again before surrounding Shining Glitter Cookie, some on the ground and others on the stage. “Come down while we’re asking KINDLY!”, one of the Durians shouted. The Durian staff began closing in on the pop star, causing her to shriek a little and tremble. “Stay…Stay away from me!”, she exclaimed before hearing another laugh from the mysterious voice. “Ha ha ha! Ya got nowhere to run!”

The Durians wasted no more time as they suddenly grabbed Shining Glitter Cookie and began to drag her away from and off the Summer Soda Stage. Coconut Cookie gasped among the dumbfounded fans. They’re taking Shining Glitter Cookie away! Immediately, the fans began to scream at Shacka Rocka and the Durians, demanding to know what was going on. Despite the pleas and protests, the mysterious voice simply chuckled, “Gentlefruits, time to pacify the angry public!” The Durians that left behind looked up at the intercoms and grinned evilly. “Yes, cap’n!”, they exclaimed loyally. Everyone began to scream and run away, fleeing from the Durian staff that were now attacking them. Shacka Rocka seemed to have completely taken over..! Coconut Cookie stood there, Cookies and Coconuts whizzing past them out of fear…What should they do? In their eyes, they couldn’t just sit and do nothing!

Along with the screams of the audience members…Coconut Cookie gasped; faintly able to hear Shining Glitter Cookie’s pleas for help. Right! They just had to go save Shining Glitter Cookie! The staff would hopefully deal with the situation…Quickly, they pushed past the sea of Cookies, Coconuts, and Durianeers, running in the direction of Shining Glitter Cookie’s screams. “Shining Glitter Cookie!”, Coconut Cookie yelled out before hearing a song of laughter. A bunch of Durianeers jumped in front of them, giggling their spikes off as they tried to block the path. “What’s this? A little Cookie wants to be a hero? Well, you’ll have to get through us!”, a Durianeer shouted smugly, a hoard of them charging straight at Coconut Cookie. They growled a bit: were these Durianeers ever going to get tired of picking fights?!

“Out of my way!”

“Never! Long live Shacka Rocka!”

And so, another run-and-gun section began: Coconut Cookie pushed and shoved and whistled and ran as much and as fast as they could. Honestly, they felt like they were going to die from lack of breath soon; but finally, well into the evening, they had defeated all the Durianneers and eyed the pop star in the distance. They gasped a bit at the sight…Shining Glitter Cookie’s hair seemed to be melting into a gluey mess, and she seemed just a tad bit bruised from the spiky fruits manhandling her. Coconut Cookie wasted no time running up to her, very much concerned for her well-being. “Shining Glitter Cookie! Are you alright?!”, they quickly asked, the pop star peeking up in relief and disbelief at the sight of the teenage Cookie. “Y-Yeah..! I’m fine..! How’d you..?!”, she started to ask before spotting the Summer Soda Stage in the distance, still illuminating colors of green and yellow. 

“I must get back on stage!”

“Shacka Rocka has taken over…for now. You can’t go back because of the Durianeers..!”, Coconut Cookie argued. Shining Glitter Cookie was determined, but she was still a bit banged up. They couldn’t risk swimming through more batches of Durian staff, especially with Coconut Cookie feeling their breath running out. “B-But…I must stand on the stage…”, Shining Glitter Cookie muttered meekly, falling to her knees. Coconut Cookie looked at her in concern, quietly sitting on their own knees to meet Shining Glitter Cookie. “Why…Why did I have to be so foolish..?”, she mumbled, feeling tears watering up in her eyes, “I used to be perfect at everything…Yet my most important performance ended up a mess…I ruined it…” The teenager blinked in confusion, their brain trying to catch up to what the pop star was saying. “What are you talking about?! If anything, it’s that Shacka Rocka and the Durianeers’ fault..!”

“No…Black Lemonade Cookie would’ve stood her ground, I know it…”, Shining Glitter Cookie replied as she shook her head, “And I…I couldn’t do anything..! I was so scared to go on that stage…Scared that I would fail at rock, the very genre I’d already abandoned a long time ago…” The tears filling up the pop star’s eyes let loose, flowing down her cheeks and onto the sandy floor. She covered her face out of shame, horrified that she was looking this pathetic in front of another Cookie. “And what everyone’s been saying about me here…Yeah, it’s all true…But I just-! I guess…what I wanted to show at this festival…was just…me…And everyone got to see it. You got to see it too…Pathetic little me…”

“NO!”

Shining Glitter Cookie shot her head up in surprise, tears still flowing down her face. Coconut Cookie stood up, clutching their fists together with a determined expression. “Look at you! You’re Shining Glitter Cookie!”, they exclaimed as they gestured towards the pop star, “No matter how hard that Shacka Rocka tried to get rid of you, you still feel the need to go back on stage! Yes, it might be scary, but you’re still willing to take up this challenge!” Coconut Cookie gingerly placed their hand on Shining Glitter Cookie’s shoulder, looking straight into her eyes with a proud smile. “Because you simply know what your goal is! Your goal, not Black Lemonade Cookie’s or anyone else’s! For you’re the one and only Shining Glitter Cookie, ever so dazzling!”

Shining Glitter Cookie stared at the teenager before her in surprise. “Ever so dazzling…”, she mumbled. The pop star looked at the night sky above the two, stars shining and twinkling like glitter on a piece of black paper. Then she stared off into the distance towards the stage before spotting something that made her gasp. “Yes…you’re right!”, she exclaimed before quickly standing up and startling the smaller Cookie, “Let Shacka Rocka have the Main Stage he’s so desperate for! There’s still a stage for me, completely empty!” Coconut Cookie blinked, watching as Shining Glitter Cookie turned her head once more towards the stages. They looked along with her and gasped as one stage came into view… “The Crown Stage..?!” The pop star nodded, stars shining in her eyes. “Exactly! And I’m going to go there and sing! Come on!”

Shining Glitter Cookie grabbed Coconut Cookie’s arm and jotted past the waves of the beach. The teenager had to quickly keep up Shining Glitter Cookie’s fast pace as they whizzed by the Summer Soda Stage. In the small window of time they had to look at the main stage, they could see Coconutian staff members running over to deal with the Shacka Rocka situation, sighing in relief. Hopefully they'll deal with it in time for Rockstar Cookie’s show…

“Alright! Here we are!”

Coconut Cookie snapped back to reality, seeing that the two were now in front of the Crown Stage. Shining Glitter Cookie quickly went backstage to the control panel for the lights and graphics on the stage. She looked at Coconut Cookie almost pleadily. “How good are you with graphics?”, she asked so quickly, Coconut Cookie needed a minute to process the question. “A-Ah well…I know a bit about coding if that counts..!”, the teenager mumbled as Shining Glitter Cookie nodded in understanding. “That’ll do! I just need this stage to feel more like…me”, she replied before ushering Coconut Cookie over. “I think I watched my lights director do something like this! Maybe we can make it work!”, she said, sitting by a computer that controlled the settings for the stage. The teenage Cookie quickly came to her side and looked at the panel on the screen. “Oh..! This kind of stuff! I think I can do what you want! Just tell me what you need..!”

The next few minutes were spent trying to figure out the code and images Shining Glitter Cookie wanted to use for the stage. It took a bit, but Coconut Cookie, with their medicore coding skills, managed to get the stage to just about how the pop star wanted it. Shining Glitter Cookie began to set up her equipment, as Coconut Cookie waited for the stage preparations to download into the roster, holding a few plugs as well. In just the nick of time, the code finished and Coconut Cookie looked back at the pop star on the stage floor. “Shining Glitter Cookie, everything’s ready here!”, they shouted as she nodded, “Yes, here too!” Shining Glitter Cookie wiped a bit of sweat off her brow before quickly readjusting her microphone with a deep breath. “Alright…I’m going to count to three, and you’ll turn it on.” Coconut Cookie nodded, readying themself by the lever that would turn on the stage.

“One…”

“Two…”

“Three!”

Coconut Cookie pulled the lever and watched as the stage came to life. The stage lights flashed a bright pink and blue, the heart-shaped screen in the center of the stage’s backdrop showing a picture of Shining Glitter Cookie. The ground-floor lights also turned on, moving back and forth with a glorious blue light, stunning the teenage Cookie. “So dazzling…So overwhelming..! This…is my stage..!”, Shining Glitter Cookie muttered in awe, staring at the beautiful sights of the newly-updated Crown Stage. Coconut Cookie had to agree — it was indeed dazzling — but… “But…nobody’s watching…”, they muttered, looking up at the pop star. She simply shrugged and placed her hands on her hips. “It’s fine! ‘Cause I’m going to sing so loud, all of Pineapple Isle will hear my song! Besides, it’s not empty here…”, she said, looking back down at the now-confused Cookie, “You’re here.”

“Oh…Of course!”

“…Thank you…for everything”, Shining Glitter Cookie said as she smiled happily at the teenager. Coconut Cookie blinked and smiled back. “It’s no problem…Now! Go break a leg, Shining Glitter Cookie!”, they exclaimed, running further backstage, so the pop star could have the full spotlight. The pop star took a deep breath before walking in front of the microphone and grinning. “Hi everyone!”, she said to nobody, “It’s the first time I’m on a stage without a crowd to greet me. And although this isn’t exactly the show or outfit I’d planned…after arriving here at the Summer Soda Festival, I’ve never been more sure of what I need to do! And it’s all thanks to the great friends I have by my side!” Shining Glitter Cookie looked over at Coconut Cookie and winked. “As long as I can sing, anywhere can become a stage! So, if there’s anyone out there…please listen to my song: Glittering Dreams!”

That was their cue. They quickly ran over to the control panel and pulled up the instrumental that Shining Glitter Cookie provided for them. Once the music started, Shining Glitter Cookie began to sing her heart out — a song dedicated to being yourself, even when all seemed grim — Coconut Cookie stared in awe at the lights and music, quickly heading down from backstage to watch from below. “Huh..? Is this where Shining Glitter Cookie is gonna perform..?”, someone said behind them. They quickly turned around to see a small batch of Cookies staring at the stage, causing Coconut Cookie to smile. “Yes! Over here! This way! Shining Glitter Cookie will perform here! Follow me!”, they shouted at passerby Cookies, more and more drawn in by their cheers and Shining Glitter Cookies’ singing. Cookies from all over the festival began cheering as Shining Glitter Cookie sang, and Coconut Cookie couldn’t help, but admire how amazing and talented she was.

“SHINING GLITTER COOKIE, WE LOVE YOU!”

Coconut Cookie grinned as they watched the show…but not before noticing someone out of the corner of their eyes. They gasped as they saw Black Lemonade Cookie and Bassist Cookie at the back of the crowd, seemingly talking to each-other as they watched…

“…”

“Heh, glad you liked it!”

“…Shut up.”

Coconut Cookie smiled. What a great show…but all good things had to end and soon enough, Shining Glitter Cookie’s song was over. The crowd cheered so loud, Coconut Cookie had to press their headphones closer to their ears. Shining Glitter Cookie looked up, almost surprised to see a full crowd before smiling. “Woah…Heh heh! Thank you all so much for coming! I hope you all enjoyed my song~!”

“WAAAAAAAH! SHINING GLITTER COOKIE, YOU’RE THE BEST!”

Coconut Cookie looked up at the stage, noticing that Shining Glitter Cookie’s wandering eyes led to them specifically. They smiled at the teenager, who quickly smiled back. Well…if all went according to plan, that meant Rockstar Cookie’s show would be next…Hopefully, the whole Shacka Rocka situation was dealt with by now… “Hey..!”, a voice hissed from the stage. Shining Glitter Cookie peeked her head out from backstage, urging Coconut Cookie to come forward. They quickly obliged, bolting up the steps to meet with the pop star. “Shining Glitter Cookie! You were amazing! So many Cookies came to hear your song!”, they said as the pop star giggled. “I know! I’m used to a big audience, but this time…it feels special..! Like I really earned that crowd! Thank you again…”, she said with a sigh of relief before looking at the Cookie for a moment. She tilted her head before winking. “By the way…I never got your name. If you don’t mind telling me…”

“Oh! It’s Coconut Cookie! And I was more than happy to help! You deserve all the praise and more!”, Coconut Cookie exclaimed with a grin before tilting their own head at the pop star, “So…what now? Are you going home?” Shining Glitter Cookie hummed in thought before looking out the door of the stage. “I think I may stay and clean up a bit. After all, we did take this stage without any permission! The staff will surely appreciate the extra help!”, she said. Coconut Cookie blinked. In hindsight, they definitely should have asked… “Oh right…Do you need any help?”, Coconut Cookie asked, only to be met with the pop star shaking her head. “No, I’ll be okay. Besides, it’s late: I couldn’t ask you to help move all my heavy equipment back to my car! I’ll get the staff to help out with that. You go out there and take a break…You deserve it, Coconut Cookie.” The teenager blinked, seeing that there was no convincing the pop star otherwise. They sighed and nodded before waving at Shining Glitter Cookie. “If you’re sure…Goodbye Shining Glitter Cookie! It was nice meeting you!”, they said with a grin, the pop star in question quickly waving back.

“Goodbye! Hope to see you again someday!”

Coconut Cookie left the backstage sneakily, not wanting any hungry Shining Glitter Cookie fans to see them come out from backstage. They looked around for a moment, wondering what they should do before they were suddenly flashed with beams of green and yellow lights. That was-! That was coming from the main stage! Coconut Cookie looked out in the distance to see Cookies and Coconuts surrounded by chuckling Durianeers, Shacka Rocka laughing proudly at the chaos. Oh no…Quickly, they ran towards the Summer Soda Stage, a few Durians noticing their small figure running up to the stage. They quickly squeezed past a few Cookies to hide amongst them, staring up at the pineapple alligator on stage. They growled a bit in slight annoyance. This was supposed to be Shining Glitter Cookie and Rockstar Cookie’s stage! How dare they do this..?!  “Now that the stage is ours, get ready to witness ROCK SPIRIT beyond your comprehension!!! KRA HA HA HA!”, Shacka Rocka exclaimed with another laugh. Coconut Cookie huffed as they looked around, seeing bruised Cookies and other fruits cowering in fear or grumbling in annoyance at the sudden disruption. This was far from right.

“EVERYONE! Climb onto the stage! Now!”, they suddenly shouted. They blinked in surprise at their own words — a thought that didn’t mean to leave their brain, but ended up doing so anyways — “Huh? Eh? O-On the stage..? Is that allowed?”, a Cookie near them mumbled to them. Guess they were doing this now. “Come on! Let’s do something about this! Are we just gonna let them take our festival away from us?!”, Coconut Cookie shouted, wondering where these stupid thoughts were coming from. They were stunned as the audience suddenly became determined by the idea, chanting for everyone to climb on the stage and yelling angrily at the Durians and Shacka Rocka, who looked stunned and nervous at the angry mob of fans. “Gah! GAH! They’re coming! You there, Stinky-boy, do somethin’..!”, he shouted towards the back of the stage. The intercom came on, and the angry voice of Stink-Eye Tortuca came on. “Wuddya think yer doin’?! Get off OUR stage right now!”, he exclaimed before he paused. His voice suddenly became panicked. “…What if they manage to get to us?! GAH!”

“Oh no! Boss! There’s too many of ‘em!”

“GRAAAAAAH! THE STAGE IS OURS! THE FESTIVAL IS OURS!”

“Yeah!”, Coconut Cookie exclaimed, trying to rally up this ragtag group they somehow managed to pull, “Come on! We can’t let them-!” They suddenly felt a tap on their shoulder, feeling it was intentional rather than an accidental shove. Who..? “You said you wanted to protect the festival?”, a familiar voice spoke. Coconut Cookie quickly whipped around and gasped at the sight. It was..! “Rockstar Cookie!”, they exclaimed in surprise. They sort of glanced around to see if any other Cookie noticed the legend’s sudden appearance, but everyone seemed too aggravated and determined to notice. Rockstar Cookie kneeled down to meet Coconut Cookie’s eye level and smirked a little. “See, I hate to see our beloved Summer Soda in the stinky hands of the Durianeers…but we can’t protect the festival like this!”, he explained, making Coconut Cookie blush out of slight embarrassment. Dumb teenage brain making them do the worst decisions…

Rockstar Cookie winked and raised his guitar up before looking at Shacka Rocka. “Lemme borrow that spotlight for just one second?”, he said before standing up clearing his throat, “SHACKA ROCKA!” The crowd stopped their protest at the sound of Rockstar Cookie’s voice, and the alligator-being looked in the Cookie’s direction. He simply chuckled. “Little birdie told me you take pride in your “true” Rock Spirit! How ‘bout this? I challenge you to a rock DUEL! To find out who the real ROCK LEGEND is, once and for all, baby!”, he announced, making everyone gasp in surprise, including Coconut Cookie. A rock duel?! But rock duels like this haven’t been done for a long time! Maybe that Durian staff member was right: this year’s Summer Soda Rock Festa was getting interesting…

“Heh heh heh heh! So-! Ya wish to face me, fair and square, huh?”, Shacka Rocka exclaimed with a toothy smirk, scoffing a bit at the Cookie, “That is not the way of a TRUE ROCK STAR!” Rockstar Cookie simply brushed it off, standing in almost sassy casualness as a form of defiance. “Looks like you and I; we have some very different ideas of what the Rock Spirit is! But hey: if you’re willin’ to prove me wrong…Heh! You’re most welcome to try…in a Rock Duel! Sooooo easy~!” Shacka Rocka blinked behind his sunglasses and laughed a hearty laugh, shaking his maracas in slight excitement. “Ya got the nerve, I’ll give ya that! But ya don’t know who ya dealin’ with…Ya gonna regret sending those angry fans back to their seats…” Shacka Rocka snapped his fingers and, suddenly, a few Durians came on stage and began to play a few instruments as soon as the alligator began to shake his maracas.

🎶 Shacka shacka shacka shacka shacka!!

So ya got the nerves to request a duel!

Let’s see who you are, have ya got the fuel?! 🎶

“YEAAAAAAH! SHOW HIM, SHACKA ROCKA!”

🎶 Hear this sound? It goes

SHACKA SHACKA!

Ya better fear me cuz I’m

ROCKA ROCKA! 

Overlord of the Maracas, I’m gonna win the fight!

YA KNOW WHO I AM?!

SHACKA ROCKAAA! That’s right~! 🎶

The Durians immediately began to cheer for Shacka Rocka, demanding more from the alligator. Coconut Cookie blinked as they watched from the crowd. They had to admit, those verses were kind of impressive…They hoped Rockstar Cookie knew what he was doing…Shacka Rocka chuckled proudly at the praise as Rockstar Cookie smiled. “Nooooot bad, if I do say so myself! Ya know, I love me a decent challenge for a change!”, he said with confidence before strumming his guitar, “Now, it’s my turn!” Suddenly, Shacka Rocka’s lights and graphics were turned off, and suddenly changed to match Rockstar Cookie! The Cookie chuckled a little before immediately beginning to sing out one of his older songs dubbed Rocker’s High, though it was a slightly shorter version of it. It was incredible! All the Cookies and Coconuts, including Coconut Cookie, began to cheer in support of Rockstar Cookie! 

“ROCKSTAR COOKIE, YOU’RE THE BEST!”

“H-Huuuuh..?”, Shacka Rocka sat there dumbfounded, in slight awe at the song. The Durians crowded around him, staring at the scene as well. “That’s…SO COOL..!”, one of them exclaimed in surprise. All of a sudden, the Durians began cheering alongside the Cookies and Coconuts, leaving Shacka Rocka feeling…just the slightest bit betrayed. This Cookie had managed to steal away his own support! That…That wasn’t fair..! He was about to step forward and give that Cookie a piece of his mind when…they all suddenly heard thunder rumbling. Everyone gasped as drops of water began to fall from the sky. “Oh no..! It’s starting to rain..!”, one Cookies exclaimed in fear. Shacka Rocka suddenly let out a laugh, grinning almost evilly, “Heh heh heh…I know ya Cookies turn into soggy crumbs in the rain..! Whatcha gonna do, Rockstar Cookie? Can ya keep rockin’ on?!”

“Ahhhh! It’s starting to pour down!”

“M-My dough..!”

“Too wet..!”

“Argh…I’m getting wet…My dough…I’m turning soggy..!”, Rockstar Cookie grumbled, feeling his dough absorb the drops of water and turn softer by the second. Coconut Cookie gasped at the sight; with their gloves and clothes, they were a bit more protected from the rain; still, the rain was starting to get to them too..! But they couldn’t just give up! They thought about what to do…before beginning to sing Rockstar Cookie’s song. “Come on everyone! Sing along!”, they chanted before continuing to sing. Sure enough, the crowd of Cookies began to do the same! The audience quickly got excited! Maybe a little too excited…because two Cookies immediately began to lift Coconut Cookie up, making them surf the crowd. They couldn’t help, but panic a little. “H-Huh?! You can’t just lift me up like that..!”, they exclaimed as they crowdsurfed towards the stage, finally being set down in the front row. Rockstar Cookie watched the crowd and smiled, a newfound confidence burning within him. He quickly finished the last verse of his song, the crowd cheering his name.

“No…NOOOOO! Impossible!”

Shacka Rocka’s voice cut through the crowd of Cookied as he stared at Rockstar Cookie in disbelief, “This Cookie…got the True Unsogging Rock Spirit! I am…defeated…Once the Legend of the Pineapple Isle…I’m now…the Loser…” Suddenly, a large figure came from backstage-! Stink-Eye Tortuca..! “NOOO! THIS CANNOT BE! I REFUSE TO ADMIT IT!”, he exclaimed in sorrow before it quickly turned into anger, glaring at the crowd, “I prepared this stage for the legendary Shacka Rocka…and you sad bunch, ya ruined it!!!” The pirate suddenly turned to Rockstar Cookie, pointing a jagged finger at him. “GET THAT FLATSTER!”, he commanded the Durians. Coconut Cookie blinked in surprise before growling in anger, yelling at Stink Eye Tortuca. “Who are you calling ‘flatster’, you stinky turtle?!”, they exclaim. Suddenly, the attention was drawn onto them…

“I remember you…The little miscreet running around in restricted areas…”, Stink-Eye Tortuca growled as he glared at Coconut Cookie, “Such a disrespectful little Cookie…I’ll be sure to teach ya a lesson after I deal with boy genius over here!” The teenager huffed and quickly climbed on the stage, much to the shock of the audience members. “Not if I have anything to say about it!”, they exclaimed, feeling their breath was steady. The still-loyal Durianeers and Stink-Eye Tortuca laughed at the small Cookie before them — they seemed as though they would die from laughter — “And what are ya gonna do about it, puny thing?! What? You wish to be crushed first?!”, the turtle exclaimed as he stepped towards Coconut Cookie. Rockstar Cookie gasped. “H-Hold on a minute-!”, he exclaimed before seeing Stink-Eye Tortuca tower over Coconut Cookie.

“Look out-!”

“Say GOODNIGHT, LIL’-!”

Coconut Cookie took a deep breath before giving a hearty whistle. The biggest whistle attack they have ever conjured before..! The colored sound waves shot Stink-Eye Tortuca back and was piercing enough that it drove him and the Durianeers mad — it seemed to be at a frequency Cookies couldn’t properly hear — “GAAAH! WHAT IS THIS?! STOP THIS BLASTED WHISTLING THIS INSTANT!”, Stink-Eye Tortuca exclaimed, dropping his weapon to cover his ears. The Durians covered their ears as well, shouting and screeching at the noise. “Whoah! That’s pretty impressive, kid!”, Rockstar Cookie exclaimed. Coconut Cookie nodded at Rockstar Cookie to show that they heard him, still keeping up their strong whistle attack. They felt themselves running out of breath…But they couldn’t stop until they were defeated. Eventually, Stink-Eye Tortuca groaned in annoyance. “TOO MUCH! DURIANS! RETREAT!”, he exclaimed, causing each Durian to exit the stage and run off.

Coconut Cookie stopped whistling, toppling to the ground and their lungs exhausted from all the work they just did. “Kid, you okay? Man, those are some powerful lungs you got there!”, Rockstar Cookie said, kneeling down to their height. Coconut Cookie let out a small wheeze before turning to Rockstar Cookie. “I’m good..! Just…phew! I’ve never had to whistle so much in my life..!”, they exclaimed as they managed to pick themselves up…then they noticed that one of the Durianeers stayed behind; Shacka Rocka; and he was crying a little. “I’m not a true rock star…Who am I? What am I?”, he muttered to himself as he curled up on the stage floor. Rockstar Cookie looked at him before walking over and placing his hand on the alligator’s shoulder. “Get up, Shacka Rocka. We don’t have much time.”

“…Wha?”

“The festival’s grand finale! The last song!”, Rockstar Cookie clarified before winking at the alligator, “Care to help me out with that?” Shacka Rocka gasped a little, immediately perking up in excitement. He hummed, grabbing his maracas and shaking them. “Ya got it…Rockstar Cookie”, he said with a grin. Coconut Cookie smiled, getting off the stage to let the two perform. In an instant, the two began to play the longer version of ‘Rocker’s High’, the crowd cheering as the song was performed. Coconut Cookie grinned, not able to stop themself from dancing along to the melody…They gasped as they saw two Cookies behind the sea of fans. Shining Glitter Cookie…and Black Lemonade Cookie..!

“This song..! Ah! Black Lemonade Cookie…”

“We used to keep it on repeat ‘till dawn. Those were the days…”

“Black Lemonade Cookie…What I said back there in the Artist Zone…I didn’t mean…”

“Huh? I have no idea what you’re talking about. You looked good on stage though. Loved the song too.”

“Huh..? Haha..! You too!”

Coconut Cookie smiled at the two seemingly getting along. It was nice to see that they have seemed to make up… “It’s nice to see the two get along, huh?”, a voice rang next to Coconut Cookie. They jumped, startled at the voice before seeing it was someone familiar! “Bassist Cookie!”, they exclaimed with a smile as the bassist chuckled. “Sup! Saw you over here and decided to hang out for a bit! Gives those two a bit of privacy”, he chuckled before tilting his head at Coconut Cookie, “Dude, are you okay? You look completely exhausted…” The teenager blinked and yawned, almost on cue, before scratching the back of their head. “Yeah, I’m okay..! Just…it was a long festival. And I kind of ran around helping keep everyone’s shows from completely falling apart..!”, they said with another yawn. “Yeah! We saw you completely owning that stinky turtle and his goons! That was really cool of you!”, Bassist Cookie said. Coconut Cookie grinned in response. “Ha! You think so-?”

Soon, Rockstar Cookie’s song, now duet, came to an end. The crowd roared and cheered for the two rockstars, Rockstar Cookie waving at the praise as Shacka Rocka practically basked in it. What a weird festival this turned out to be…but a fun one nonetheless! Soon, it would be time to go home…

But until then, let this night reign supreme!

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“Hey Mom…I’m back…home…”, Coconut Cookie muttered as they slowly opened the front door of their house. They blinked and sighed at the sight before them: their mother, Mai Tai Cookie, passed out on her recliner chair, at least three bottles full of grape juice laid out on the floor around her. Coconut Cookie quietly closed the door and carefully tiptoed towards their mother, checking her pulse once they got close enough. Good…Still alive. One by one, Coconut Cookie began to pick up the empty bottles around Mai Tai Cookie and carefully set them on the kitchen counter, then went to a supply closet. They pulled out a blanket and walked over to their mother before they carefully draped it over her almost lifeless figure. Once they saw she was unmoving, they sighed once more and grabbed their bag full of stuff, carefully going upstairs to their room. They just hoped their mom wouldn’t ask any questions in the morning…If she found out they went to a rock festival…

Who knows what punishment may ensue?