Disrupted from an already-unsettled sleep, Mocha Ray Cookie's jump from her resting quarters was a struggled one, nearly falling to the floor instead. Geta slipped on, a robe slammed onto the body, just in case somebody was still there, and she ran right towards the pearl -- the most protected. What greeted her was not great -- the smoke had not dismissed one bit from the magical bomb, but what parts of the pearl were obscured by the smog showed a travelling tree of red veins sprawling through whatever the smog touched of the pearl. No noise came from it, but what was once whites, yellows, pinks, shimmering had turned into a dull teal on impact, a blend into the rest of a city Mocha Ray Cookie has never seen. The roots spread along until a motionless Mocha Ray became motionful again, rushing towards it and kicking it to the side for now. That'd hurt more in the morning than now, adrenaline pumped through and through, heavy breathing now interuppted with the cries of somebody who had only known peace by now.

The veins quickly dissipated, but the pearl still remained dullen, teal and blacks swirling inside. Mocha Ray Cookie laid a hand upon the surface. Nobody answered. She was alone as always, but Sea Fairy Cookie would've answered -- a call to God at this time would certainly ring an emergency bell to Sea Fairy Cookie. But there was nothing, because with the inflictment the darkness had upon the pearl, a cloud had formed between the two's communications and in Sea Fairy herself. Corruption's roots had been laid. There was no noise from the tears of the maiden, or in the air, or anywhere. Nobody.

She already knew the culprit. There was only one person who could've gotten in. Her faith remained still, but not in Lobster Cookie. Just one action would now create a valley's fault, and sprawl into what the story of Sugarteara is usually told about -- the battle between guardians, the true fall of ancient heavens. She had been here since Lobster was a child, since Lobster entered guardianship, an utmost trust shared. And now, with no city to hold them together --