The Tale of Tomato and Strawberry

“Yes! Raspberry is perfect! But how do we disguise ourselves into them? I don’t look exactly like Raspberry, so what can we put on that will make us look like Apple and Raspberry?” Strawberry said. She noticed that Milk was just silently watching them, eating cookies. He apparently now had an effervescent soda that he had spawned out of nowhere.

"Hmm, well, I can pretend I'm just sick. It's, uh, some non-contagious disease that makes me a little puffier and redder than normal." Tomato grinned. "As for you... Well, maybe you're trying a new look?"

Tomato noticed a cute chicken logo on Milk's soda.

“Wow, what a coincidence! I just realized my car still has the stuff from the costume parade, so I still have the apple stem and red paint that I can paint my seeds!” Strawberry said excitedly. “Let’s go!”

Strawberry started to walk out the door.

(44 words)

Tomato hastily waved goodbye to Milk and his effervescent drink, then followed Strawberry out the door.

Then she stopped short. Orange was standing a few paces away from Strawberry's car, leaning against a wall and breathing heavily.

"Hey, Orange, are you alright?" Tomato approached him in concern. There was a patch of something greenish-gray on his face... Tomato gasped.

Strawberry saw this as well. She gasped. It couldn’t be….she took a step closer.

“O-orange? Are you okay?” Strawberry asked wearily. “Are you…molding?”

Orange gasped for breath. "Is... is that what this is?" He looked up at the two, his eyes sunken and tired.

"Quick, let's get him to the hospital!" Tomato helped Orange into the car.

Strawberry dashed to the drive’s seat and quickly started the engine. She put her hands on the cheese steering wheel and quickly drove out of the parking spot and towards the hospital.

They arrived at the hospital, and Orange was escorted into the emergency room.

"How strange," remarked Tomato with a worried look on her face. "I'd never seen mold on someone before... Could this have anything to do with the recent discovery of the Book of Super Food?"

“I’m sure it’s just a coincidence,” Strawberry said, worried for orange. “But you’re right - in the whole history of Food Land, never have we experienced mold! I sure hope Orange is okay.”

In truth, Strawberry didn’t know whether it was a coincidence. How could they be related? What did the book have to do with this?

(56 words)

"We'd better get to the Waffle Research Lab asap. With better powers, we'll be better prepared for anything." Tomato clambered back into the car. Oh, she sincerely hoped she'd get a more useful power! Please, anything other than turning other foods red.

While Strawberry was driving towards the Waffle Reasearch Lab, Strawberry couldn't help but feel worried. Was Orange going to be okay? What had happened, and what had caused it? And did this really have to do with the book? The juices inside of her hardened and made a knot. She tried to cheer herself up when she passed the theater and saw the sign for the show that was on ("SixLix," a show about six wives popsicles.

(77 words)

Soon enough, a nondescript building came into view around the corner. Tomato double-checked the address. “That must be it.”

Quickly, she put on the apple stem costume and pretended to look a little sick.

Strawberry hurriedly grabbed the red paint and painted her seeds. But then she realized something.

“Wait, what exactly are we going to say?”

"I'll say I'd like to report on the map and any progress the Research Lab has made in tracking down the Book." Tomato adjusted the stem. "You can... maybe ask them what kind of food they'd like for the next time catering comes around?"

Tomato took a quick glance out the window. Two foods that looked like Asparagus and Broccoli were standing next to a door that looked like a golden-brown waffle. They looked casual enough, but they were holding pretzel clubs behind their backs.

Strawberry gulped. They looked pretty intimidating with those pretzel clubs. But no matter. She was here for catering today. Strawberry straightened her back and walked as confidently as she could toward the guards.

"Excuse me, we have business here in the lab. I have to ask what catering they will be having next time and Tomato here is interviewing someone about the map." she said.