~ Chapter 4 ~

                                    

                                          
As loud booms echoed through the water, someone else burst through the doors to the shrine.
"My Lady!!!"
"Frilled Jellyfish Cookie?!" White Pearl Cookie exclaimed in surprise.
"AHA!" The Land Cookie laughed. "More game for us! Into the tank you go!!!"
While White Pearl Cookie and Frilled Jellyfish Cookie had a mini conversation in the background, more Land Cookie's descended from the surface of the water, bringing a tank to down with them, leaving Y/N S/C Cookie to try to hold them off.
Eventually, White Pearl Cookie and Frilled Jellyfish Cookie helped take down the Land Cookie's, leaving them wounded and in a small fit of rage.
"Hmph..! Mindless fish, you are..." One of them said.
"Well, you seem to be quite mindless yourselves, Land Cookie's, " Y/N S/C Cookie said, frowning at them all. 
That just made them angrier, but they were pretty helpless at the moment.
"Come on, Y/N S/C Cookie. We need to go!" White Pearl Cookie urged, Frilled Jellyfish Cookie gesturing for her to follow them.
Y/N S/C Cookie nodded as she swam towards them, oblivious to an angry voice behind her.
Then, out of nowhere, Frilled Jellyfish Cookie shouted, "Oh no! WATCH OUT!!!"
She sheilded Y/N S/C Cookie's body with her own as a harpoon struck her right in the chest, just before it hit either of the other two Mercookies.
"FRILLED JELLYFISH COOKIE!!!!!!" White Pearl Cookie cried out in shock.
Y/N S/C Cookie was stunned as she watched Frilled Jellyfish Cookie slowly floated down onto the floor. Did she just sacrifice herself..? No! This had to be some kind of twisted nightmare!!!
"No," White Pearl Cookie murmured, her voice shaky. "Frilled Jellyfish Cookie! You were trying to protect us..."
"My Lady..." Frilled Jellyfish Cookie said weakly. "Are you or Y/N S/C Cookie... hurt?"
"We're okay! But you..." White Pearl Cookie took a quick glance up at the Land Cookie, who was too surprised at the sudden sacrifice to do anything else.
White Pearl Cookie continued. "That Cookie threw something sharp right at you..!"
"As long as you two are safe... eugh..." Frilled Jellyfish Cookie sighed as she clutched the huge scar on her chest.
White Pearl Cookie began to sob. "What do I do..? You must be in a lot of pain... because of me."
"Don't cry, My Lady... Save those beautiful tears... perhaps for someone else..." Frilled Jellyfish Cookie's gaze left White Pearl Cookie's as she shifted it to Y/N S/C Cookie.
Uh-oh. She knew.
As she stared at Y/N S/C Cookie, her eyes slowly began to close.
"Frilled Jellyfish Cookie... Open your eyes..!" White Pearl Cookie pleaded in desperation. "Let's go back and get your wound treated, okay? I'm sure Y/N S/C Cookie will be able to do something!"
"But I can't leave you two here all alone..." Frilled Jellyfish Cookie said.
"No, we'll protect you! I promise, okay? R-right?" White Pearl Cookie looked into Y/N S/C Cookie's eyes as if she was searching for some kind of answer to all the current problems. She then turned back to Frilled Jellyfish Cookie, too scared and full of emotion to wait for an answer. "Just try and get up.. Why is your body stiffening..?"
"My Lady..." Frilled Jellyfish Cookie put on a soft smile. "You said I don't understand you at all, remember? I don't have a gem... nor am I a Mermaid... or gifted by the Sea... So, maybe, you're right."
"Frilled Jellyfish Cookie, stop talking..." White Pearl Cookie shook her head as small tears began to appear and fizzle out into the water around them. "Your injuries are too severe..!"
Frilled Jellyfish Cookie ignored her pleas as she continued to speak. "But what I do know is... that you're warmer and kinder than anyone I know. I like the life of following the currents aimlessly, but only having met you down here made me truly happy..."
"Stop saying that! It's like... you're leaving me..." White Pearl Cookie continued to sob.
"My little pearl, wipe your tears and stop crying." Frilled Jellyfish Cookie wiped away some of White Pearl Cookie's tears for her. "I'll tell you a secret. They say Jellyfish live forever... Soon, I'll get back up as if nothing happened... To be with... with... you...!"
Frilled Jellyfish Cookie's voice cracked as she finished speaking.
But she wasn't done. She wasn't ready to give up and complete her final words.
"Y/N S/C Cookie... my dear... take care of our Lady for me... p-please..?"
"Frilled Jellyfish Cookie... I-I..!"
"I know... and I believe in you..."
And that was it. No more. She let out a sigh, and her eyes fully closed.
"Frilled Jellyfish Cookie! Frilled Jellyfish Cookie!!! AAAHHHH!!! NO!!!" White Pearl Cookie gasped out, trying to breathe as she screamed in pure agony of the loss of her friend.
Y/N S/C Cookie stared at Frilled Jellyfish Cookie's stiff body as she wrapped an arm around White Pearl Cookie, letting her sob into the crook of her neck.
She couldn't help but wonder if what Frilled Jellyfish Cookie said earlier was true...

"Jellyfish live forever..."