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Chapter Text

Hey! Sorry to write a chapter like this - I promise I’ll try not to do it. But… I’ve been wondering - are there any specific sorts of chapters you’d like to see?

This can include tropes, couples (that are legal and that can fit with the main couples right now), friendships, headcanons, or maybe just a holiday you’d like me to use as a prompt! I’ll try to get around to it when it comes around. If it’s already happened, sorry. I don’t think I’ll be able to - I’ve only made the exception once. Also, you can’t request something like a coffee shop AU in this fanfiction - Please attempt to stay close to the sort of canon compliant fic I am writing. I can write a separate one though!

Gonna make this clear - no smut.

Example…

“Can you please do a fanfiction of Licoclover with a stargazing trope? I’d like for you to go into detail about the stars and for it to be written from Clover’s view but still third person.”

Thank you for your time! If you have a request, please write it down below in the comments. Bye! ♥️

Chapter Text

"Happy New Year!" the cookies shouted, throwing their hands up in the air. Fireworks exploded in the dark and starry eyes, illuminating the gathered crowd's crumbly figures with an enchanting glow. The crowd of cookies had gathered for the last moments of the year to celebrate. Parfait Cookie had even sung a song for the occasion!

The cookies of the kingdom had been celebrating all night. They had all been anticipating a very special time, midnight! It was the new year, and the cookies aimed to celebrate as much as they could. They'd been eating and partying for hours.

As the crowd cheered for the fireworks, some reflected on the year that had passed and the choices they'd made in it. Looking back on the memories, the cookies became determined to better themselves to make the fresh year even better than the last!

Loud sounds filled the air, irritating some, but exciting most. Vampire Cookie was too dazed from his grape juice to understand what was happening. After all, it was Hangover Day too!

Some cookies had just stayed home during the party. For example, Espresso Cookie was reading in his home. The celebration seemed stupid to him. What was the big deal about staying up until midnight? He didn't sleep at all, and no one celebrated that! What a joke.

Another cookie staying home was Onion Cookie, Blackberry Cookie by her side. Onion was too scared by the loud noises, and Blackberry of course had to stay by her side. Besides, celebrating a time that the clock struck each night seemed pointless to her. Years were for measuring time, not screaming obnoxiously and sending fire into the sky.

On the other hand, GingerBrave seemed like the life of the party! He was jumping and cheering everywhere, with Strawberry and Wizard Cookie barely keeping up with him. He threw his candy cane weapon into the air because of pure joy, too! That might've been a bad idea, however, since it landed right on the head of the demanding Red Velvet Cookie, who turned to glare at him. The cookie laughed nervously before running back to his companions.

"Gee, GingerBrave, how are you so energetic all the time?" Strawberry Cookie asked. "You're able to jump around and hit Red Velvet Cookie on the head with a weapon, but I'm not even able to keep up a conversation without sweating until I get soggy!"

"I guess I'm just really excited all the time!" GingerBrave exclaimed.

"About what?" Wizard Cookie inquired. "Sure, today's pretty cool, but every day?"

"What's not to be excited about? We have a whole kingdom, have escaped an evil witch who wanted to eat us alive, and have a bunch of friends!"

"You make it sound so simple," Strawberry sighed. "I wish I was like you."

"Don't worry, Strawberry Cookie! You're perfect just the way you are!" GingerBrave answered, patting her on the shoulder, making her smile.

"Well, I wish you would calm down for once in your life! Stop physically assaulting people with your weird candy cane!" Wizard scolded, whacking GingerBrave on the head with his staff.

"You just hit me!" the cookie retorted, rubbing his head.

"It's different. Anyway, can you just try to be less... hyper for a bit?" the magical cookie pleaded.

"Tomorrow," GingerBrave shrugged. "But today, it's party time!" Then, he went off again to start dancing in the middle of the dance floor. Wizard Cookie grunted in disapproval.

"Why are you so against his energy?" Strawberry Cookie asked Wizard Cookie, tilting her hooded head in curiosity.

"Because that kind of impulsiveness will get him in trouble someday, and he might drag me into it too," he sighed. "You have to think through everything with logic!"

"Sounds nerdy," Strawberry Cookie murmured.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Let's make sure he doesn't accidentally crumble someone."

...

The next day, GingerBrave found himself in a tricky situation when he woke up in his Cookie House. Yesterday, he had told Wizard Cookie that he'd be calmer. Could he really keep that promise? Wasn't being cheerful and energetic just who he was? The more he thought, the less of an answer he had. Finally, he decided to attempt being calmer. Just for a day.

The first interaction he had was with Pomegranate Cookie, who was used to his lively persona. The cookie dressed in red gave him a calm and collected "good morning," and was shocked when he replied with a "good morning to you too," that matched her calm aura. As he walked past her, he felt her gaze on his back, creating a pit in his stomach. The day would be a lot harder than he thought.

The second interaction he had was with Madeleine Cookie. The noble cookie was waiting for Espresso Cookie at the Latte Cafe, since they had made plans to have breakfast together there. Madeleine greeted GingerBrave with a grand hello, and looked scared when he replied with a calm one. It was character development made much too quickly.

GingerBrave was walking away when he heard Espresso Cookie walk in. He quietly sighed when Madeleine said, "You will not believe what just happened."

Time went on, each cookie growing concerned for the zestful cookie who had suddenly turned quiet. Some said it was because he spent too much energy at the party, and others believed it was because he was down in the dumps at the moment. Whatever the case, it disturbed them all.

At lunch time, GingerBrave grabbed some food from the Jampie Diner and sat at a nearby table. He jolted with shock when Wizard Cookie slammed his hands on the table.

"Okay, what is up with you today?!" he asked, surprising Mint Choco and Cocoa Cookie, who were talking at a nearby table.

"What do you mean?" GingerBrave replied. He knew very much what he meant, but this behavior wasn't abnormal - it was his new personality! He didn't want to annoy anyone, so he decided on becoming more introverted like Strawberry Cookie and Werewolf Cookie were.

"You know what I mean," Wizard Cookie said, narrowing his eyes and crossing his arms. "The- the calm thing! Why are you so quiet all of the sudden?"

"I thought you said I should be calmer," GingerBrave shrugged. "I took your advice to heart."

"Well, I take it back! Please, go back to normal! I'm speaking on the behalf of everyone!" the staff-wielding cookie begged.

"I don't want to annoy anyone," the latter answered dejectedly.

Wizard Cookie was a bit surprised by this. Had what he said last night really affected his friend in such a way that he felt as if he needed to change himself? It seemed so. He couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. He never meant to hurt his feelings. While ranting about how GingerBrave's impulsiveness could get him in trouble, Wizard had troubled the whole kingdom with his impulsive reprimanding. Sighing, he sat down across from his companion.

"You're not annoying anyone," Wizard assured his friend. "Not me, not Strawberry, not Herb, anyone! Look- I-I'm sorry about what I said. Yeah, I might be rude sometimes, but I promise, I care about you. Please don't change yourself because of me."

While speaking, Wizard's hands had taken a mind of their own and grabbed GingerBrave's. Speaking of GingerBrave, the cookie was startled by Wizard's words. He didn't have a heart, but if he did, it would've been warmed. He smiled at his friend and nodded.

"Okay!" he exclaimed. "No more GingerCalm - I'm GingerBrave again!" Wizard smiled brightly, satisfied. He let go of his friend's hands and turned to leave before the sitting cookie grabbed his arm.

"Happy New Year," GingerBrave grinned, standing up.

"Happy New Year," Wizard replied.

After their conversation ended, GingerBrave, Wizard, and GingerBrave's stew walked off, talking about magic, future adventures, and the nature around them.

Even if it was the New Year, everyone was still the same cookie. No one was expected to become perfect or anything of the sort. All that they celebrated was how long they'd all been friends (or for some, acquaintances) and how they all hoped to stay friends for many more years to come.

Chapter Text

Espresso Cookie was known for a few things. The most notable was him being the founder of the Coffee Magic School, a prestigious school known for its talented students, experienced staff, and most of all, its incredible founder. He was also known for his pride, in both ways. Him being attracted to men was just a rumor at the moment. The arrogant cookie never hesitated when speaking, especially is his words were condescending to others. He also never was shy about his magical prowess, going around showing off his coffee magic to anyone and everyone who asked. Another thing he was recognized for was how hard-working he was. Espresso would stay up all night mastering his already perfect magic. Healthy? Probably not. Productive? Yes! That was all that mattered in the eyes of the professor.

His nonexistent sleeping schedule wasn't hidden at all. One look at his face and it was clear to see that he didn't rest. Eye bags hung from his half-lidded eyes each day for everyone to see, including his students.

Latte Cookie, on the other hand, was bright and energetic. Her energy was shown in each of her lessons as she explained magic with passion! The sight of such an exhausted cookie, Espresso, concerned her. How would he excite his students if he himself was tired?

Upon the new year, Latte hoped Espresso's habits would evolve into something healthier. Alas, he stayed as exhausted as always, never taking a break, She pitied the cookie. He tussled with such a difficult sort of magic non-stop. He was running a marathon with no water or time to breathe! She finally decided to tolerate his sleeping habits no longer, and devised a plan to help.

It started as an average Monday at the Parfaedia Institute. As always, Espresso arrived with a yawn, a cup filled with a caramel mocha latte, which was ironic since he was named after espressos, and a smug grin. Latte was already in the teachers' lounge, going over her lesson plan for the day. The only sounds in the room were the scratching of Latte's pencil until Espresso spoke first after sitting down on the table Latte was working on.

"Good morning, Latte Cookie," Espresso greeted with no enthusiasm. "Preparing for class, I see."

"Good morning! And why yes, I am. It was getting late last night, so I'm finishing my plan today," she answered cheerfully. The other professor let out a small chuckle before taking another sip of his coffee.

"What's so funny?" she inquired, curious. "Is my need for sleep giggle-worthy?"

"In a way, yes," he smiled after swallowing his drink. "You're a coffee based cookie. Why sleep?"

Latte placed down her pencil and rested her head on her hand. She then said, "I believe real sleep has better results than coffee does, Espresso."

"I don't sleep, and I''m just fine," the latter shrugged, missing his coffee cup when he tried to refill it with magic. "Whoops."

"Hm," Latte hummed, narrowing her eyes as the other cleaned the mess with a spell. "Espresso, my lovely pal, I think you're in dire need of a break. Today happens to be Festival Sleep Day, you know!" Espresso cocked his head to the side.

"What a wasteful holiday," he murmured. "A definite waste of a possibly productive day. Anyway, you'd better not suggest what I think you will."

"I could merge our classes and teach them both while you take a nap!" she exclaimed, making Espresso cringe.

"You know little about coffee magic. How could you teach my-" Espresso criticized, being cut off by his friend's hand over his mouth.

"I'll use a book," she suggested, but Espresso raised a brow. "I'll use your book, okay? Can you just sleep?!"

Espresso was surprised at how frantic Latte appeared. Her bright eyes were wide and her smile was now a concerned frown. Pitying her, he nodded. He could just not sleep and not tell her, after all.

"Fine," he sighed. "Just because I feel bad for you."

Latte beamed at the words and hugged the other cookie so tightly he couldn't breathe, saying, "Yes! You'll feel so refreshed, I promise!" With a snap of her fingers, the plush black couch became adorned with two blankets, three pillows, and a water bottle. Shoving the other onto the couch, she waved goodbye cheerfully before exiting the room and locking it.

Sighing, Espresso gabbed a textbook. Despite how flattered he was by Latte's care for him, he just couldn't-

"One more thing!" Latte chimed, popping her head in. She took all the pencils, books, pens, paper, and anything else used for something besides sleeping. "Bye-bye! Sweet dreams!"

Huffing, the tired cookie laid down. It'd been several days since he last slept, so the feeling of relaxing felt unfamiliar. His eyes became heavy after a bit of time, and he soon fell asleep.

...

Latte sent a magical message spell to inform every student about the temporary class merge. For any class Espresso Cookie was supposed to teach, she would, along with her class at the same time, and it all would take place in the same classroom.

Walking into class, she overheard many opinions. Some notable ones were, "I'm bummed Espresso is absent since he's hot, but Professor Latte is too," and "This class sucks," not to mention "I didn't do the homework for either class." Setting down her books at the teacher's desk, she signaled for her students to take a seat.

"Hello, students!" she greeted, smiling. "Today will be tough since my dear friend, Espresso Cookie, won't be here, but we can make it work! Let's start with some glyph magic, hm? We can learn about coffee magic later on."

The whole class had the other teacher's class right after their assigned one, so they basically had a double period. A cookie sitting in the back row tapped his friend sitting next to him's shoulder.

"Hey, you think Espresso Cookie died?" he sneered.

"Maybe he ran away with Madeleine Cookie," his friend shrugged, making the other laugh. Latte heard them and glared, shutting them up instantly.

Latte's own class went smoothly. It was when Espresso's portion of class started that trouble began to stir just like the coffee brew in the students' pots. Being a partner assignment, it seemed as if no one was working and only chatting besides a few dedicated students.

The teacher sighed upon realization of this. She knew the cookies weren't very interested in coffee magic, but she hadn't guessed it'd go to the point of not working whatsoever! Just how uncharismatic was Espresso in his lessons? The witch scanned the room for cookies in need of help, ignoring the topic. She noticed a hand shooting up. She smiled and minced over to the cookie.

"What may I help you with, Cranberry Cookie?" she asked, looking into the student's worried blue eyes.

"This doesn't look like coffee... What's going wrong?" Cranberry Cookie asked, pointing to the pot. The mixture looked like both coffee and vomit. Latte cringed at the sight, then tapped her chin.

"I'm not as much of an expert as your normal teacher," she remarked. After a few more moments of contemplation, she went to grab her textbook. Flipping through the pages, she located the solution! Scrambling to go back to Cranberry Cookie, she tripped over her own foot. This made a student accidentally pour more milk into their brew, causing them to groan in frustration. She swiftly apologized before returning to Cranberry and Cashew.

Upon returning, she gave the two proper instructions to complete the mix properly. However, right after, another hand raised, then another, and another. She sighed. Helping two classes' worth of students was certainly a chore! It was all for the sake of Espresso Cookie's well-being. Reminding herself of this, she made her way to the next student.

After running to all the hands and helping their owners, she noticed Cream Puff Cookie's hand slowly raising. Exhausted, she limped over.

"Hello, Cream Puff Cookie," she greeted, her bubbly facade obviously becoming difficult to keep up.

"U-um, hello!" Cream Puff Cookie replied. "We finished our brew."

"Oh my, that was quicker than expected!" Latte chuckled. "Well, let me think of what you two could do..."

"We could help out the other students," Cracker Cookie, Cream Puff's partner, offered.

"A grand idea!" Latte smiled, every muscle in her face feeling weak. Her eyes were tired, but her grin stayed effervescent. "But first, can one of you deliver this to Espresso Cookie in the teachers' lounge?"

"I will!" Cream Puff volunteered. Latte handed her a large book and a letter. With that, the scholar rushed out the door.

In the teachers' lounge, Cream Puff's entrance immediately awoke Espresso. Quickly putting on his glasses, he looked around warily, eyes softening when he saw it was only one of his more talented students, Cream Puff Cookie. The younger cookie admired his fast reflexes.

"What're you doing here?" he asked.

"Professor Latte wanted me to deliver these to you," Cream Puff answered, handing him the book and letter. "Why are you sleeping?"

"Your teacher wanted me to rest after I informed her of my sleep schedule," he scoffed, adjusting his glasses. "I wish I could be teaching class. How is everyone doing?"

"Eh, t-they're... The same as usual. I think it's stressing Professor Latte out," Cream Puff stammered.

"I should help her," Espresso panicked, standing up, only to be sat back down by his student.

"You being there will probably j-just stress her out more, I think. You should rest," she comforted. "I- I think it's sweet how much she cares for you. So maybe... Even if you don't want to, you should sleep. Just to make her feel better, right? All her efforts shouldn't go to waste." She then left the quiet room, the click of the door being the only sound.

Espresso Cookie put on his glasses and lifted up his delivery. His eyes lit up at the sight of a book he'd wanted to read but never had the chance to buy. Unfolding the paper delivered with it, he found a handwritten message from Latte Cookie. He smiled softly before setting down the gifts, along with his large round glasses. Letting out a small breath, he allowed sleep to take over his dough, not fighting it for once.

...

Later, after school hours, his mood had completely changed. Espresso looked cheerful and relaxed, the exact opposite of his usual persona. Latte had changed quite a bit as well. She was tired beyond compare, her eyes blank and her lips trying to keep some not safe for school words to herself. The two teachers seemed to have switched personalities.

"I'm glad you're happy, because I'm not," she complained as the two walked home together. Latte technically could ride on her broom to save energy and time, but she still insisted on walking with her friend. "I was running around all throughout class just helping people with stuff! Some of it was reasonable, but some guy needed help stirring!" Upon hearing those words, Espresso's face darkened.

"That's unusual. They never ask me anything," he mused. "I'm giving them a pop quiz tomorrow for troubling you."

"Oh, no, no, no! You don't have to!" Latte replied, waving her hands in a panicked fashion.

"Oh, yes, yes, yes. I do," he grinned maliciously. His face turned innocent as he swiveled his head to look at her. "After all, we're friends, right?" Latte's eyes sparkled at the statement, wanting so badly to believe that the words had no evil intent. But alas, they did, so she nodded, but continued to veto the idea. Still, her efforts were meaningless to Espresso, her words blocked out by the thoughts of possible questions to put on the test.

Chapter Text

Strawberry Crepe Cookie was smart. There was no doubt in anyone's mind about the fact. They had worked on Wafflebots for many years, aiding both the kingdom and the opposing side with their talents. The cookie was adorable visually, but not so much personality-wise. They often berated cookies and rambled on about how Wafflebots were so much better than them all.

Alchemist Cookie, on the other hand, was more nervous and quiet about her opinions. Her hard-working spirit was prioritized over her social skills, making her shaky when talking to others. She never rubbed her wits in others' faces or insulted her fellow cookies. Instead, she just spoke in a nerdy way, bringing random chemistry and math into average conversations.

Everything started as a fine morning on January 4. Alchemist was on a walk looking for samples for her next experiment when she bumped into Strawberry Crepe Cookie. Having not seen them before, she squeaked nervously and apologized. Instead of the sweet smile she expected from the other, Strawberry Crepe glared at her and began to fire off insults. It seemed to be a not so great day for them.

"Gee, what's your deal? You could clearly see that I was there. Or maybe your head was tucked down, looking at your pal, the dirt," Strawberry Crepe scowled. Alchemist was shocked at the boldness of the other cookie. Not to mention how young Strawberry Crepe was. Alchemist was being insulted by a child!

"Well, I-I'm sorry, I was-" she began, getting cut off again.

"Are you Alchemist Cookie?" Strawberry Crepe Cookie asked sharply.

"Y-Yeah, why?"

"I've heard a lot about you. You act so smart, but in reality, you probably have no idea what you're doing," Strawberry Crepe grimaced.

"You might've mistaken me for Wizard Cookie," Alchemist mumbled, thinking about the self-proclaimed "wizard."

"What was that?"

"N-nothing!"

"Ugh, you're so nervous and stiff. This is why Wafflebots are so much better than cookies," Strawberry Crepe huffed as they stormed off.

Alchemist winced at the insult. Sighing, she trudged on, not knowing where she was headed. Suddenly, a strong arm wrapped around her shoulders in a friendly manner.

"Alchemist Cookie! What a pleasure to see you on this morning as grand as myself!" the owner of the arm, Madeleine Cookie, crowed. "I see you met Strawberry Crepe Cookie. How was that encounter?"

"Hi, Madeleine Cookie. And... N-not great," she stuttered, brushing his arm off of her shoulders. "They were kinda... How do I say this...? Um, r-rude."

"What?" the knight queried. "What'd they say?"

"Just some s-stuff about how smart I a-am, I guess. It's no big deal. Crazy strange, but n-no big deal," the scientist cookie shrugged.

"Well, you must challenge them! Show them they're wrong!" Madeleine suggested. "Don't let them get away with making fun of you!"

"I-it'd probably be a waste of time," Alchemist shrugged nervously.

"It would not! Alchemist Cookie, you are the smartest cookie I know and the one I long to know better the most, and everyone must agree with that," Madeleine assured. Alchemist raised a frosted eyebrow.

"What about Espresso Cookie?" she asked blankly, not having a hint of her nervous tone in the question.

"U-um, this isn't about him!" Madeleine stammered, losing his confidence for a second, speaking in a more hushed tone. "The point is, you're great! And no matter what that pink haired mechanic thinks, you're still great! So to prove that, you must challenge them."

"I don't think that's a good idea, I-"

"You think it's a good idea?!" Madeleine smiled. "I knew you'd come around! I'll get a trivia contest set up! I'll be the host, I can invite people... Oh Divine, this will be grand!"

"N-no, I said it wasn-" Alchemist panicked, only to be cut off again.

"I swear on my trusty sword, you won't regret this!" he promised enthusiastically, running off to spread the word. Turning around while running, he shouted, "It'll be seven at night, by the way! I'll invite Strawberry Crepe, don't worry!"

Alchemist was stunned by the sudden declaration of the event. She was terrified but also excited in a way. Could she really beat Strawberry Crepe Cookie? There was only one way to find out.

...

When the time came for the trivia contest, the attending cookies gathered by Parfait Cookie's stage. She had allowed them to use it since she was excited for the wit battle between the two herself. Thankfully, the weather was great and there were enough chairs for everyone there and then some. Chatter filled the late night's air, the excitement building more with each minute.

As the night grew older, Madeleine Cookie and Avocado Cookie wandered onto stage. Avocado messed with the speakers and microphone, did a few successful tests for the audio, and nodded. She then made sure Madeleine had all the right question cards and grinned. Madeleine smiled back, then walked up to the microphone.

"Hello, everyone!" he said, grabbing everyone's attention. "I am Madeleine Cookie, your host, and welcome to the trivia battle between Alchemist Cookie and Strawberry Crepe Cookie!" The crowd cheered as the two contestants walked onstage. Alchemist waved politely while Strawberry Crepe just crossed their arms.

"Let us begin the challenge!" Madeleine announced. "Now, your first question is..." The two contestants braced themselves as Madeleine took out his first card. "What was the reason for the founding cookies to leave the kingdom in the first place?"

Alchemist and Strawberry Crepe froze up. That was history, not alchemy or engineering! The purple haired scientist hesitated before pressing on the button.

"U-uh, there was a cake monster and it stole the c-crown," she answered nervously. Red Velvet Cookie, an audience member, huffed.

"Correct! One hundred points for you, my friend!" the host cheered. Strawberry Crepe looked at their temporary rival in horror. Would they be able to answer questions that weren't related to machines?"

"Alright, the next question is..." Madeleine said, looking at a notecard. "What is the key material needed to make a Wafflebot?"

"Wafers!" Strawberry Crepe yelled, pressing on their button.

"Correct!" the knight cheered. "One hundred points to you!

Strawberry Crepe smirked at Alchemist condescendingly. They swore to themself that they'd get every question right from then on. Or at least try really hard to.

...

The evening went on and soon it was late at night. The sun had set and the only light source was the bright lighting belonging to the stage.

Strawberry Crepe and Alchemist were tied at this point, and it was the final question to get them to two-thousand-five-hundred points. They looked at each other fiercely. There was no prize or anything of the sort, but the competition had become so fierce that they were determined to beat the other regardless. After what seemed like a lifetime, Madeleine spoke.

"The forty-ninth and final question is... Ooh, this could be tough. The question is... What is something I excel at?"

Strawberry Crepe felt their blood boil. What kind of question was that. "Are you kidding me?! Stop diving for compliments, you little-"

"S-swinging your sword to heroic music with your c-cape fluttering in the wind!" Alchemist shouted after pressing her button. "You d-do it each time you help someone!"

"That answer is correct, bringing you to two-thousand-five-hundred points! Alchemist Cookie, you are the winner!" Madeleine cheered.

The crowd roared with applause and laughter, creating a sound so loud it must've woken some cookies up from their peaceful slumber. Alchemist grinned with excitement. She knew she was smart, but it felt nice to have it proven, especially to someone who said you weren't.

After a while of celebrating her victory, she shyly walked over to the pouting cookie in the corner, Strawberry Crepe. She wanted to talk to them. It didn't feel right to just leave as just a cookie who beat them in trivia.

"Hi," she said politely, not getting a response for a bit.

"If you're here to rub it into my face that you won, congratulations," Strawberry Crepe huffed. "You've made me look stupid to everyone."

"That wasn't..." Alchemist stopped herself from saying something she'd regret. "Look. You're smart and I'm smart. The last question was a social question. So maybe the 'problem' isn't your actual IQ level."

"What... What do you mean?" Strawberry Crepe asked shakily. In that moment, the purple haired scientist saw shame in the other's eyes that resembled a young cookie being put in time-out. Strawberry Crepe Cookie was still a child, regardless of their evil deeds and such.

"I mean... You might want to make some friends here. And I promise, there are a lot of cookies who'd want to be your friend," Alchemist smiled softly.

"Friends aren't going to make me smarter."

"They'll make you happier."

A silence formed between the two.

"Who would even want to be my friend?"

"Pancake Cookie would. He's been curious about you for a while. Custard Cookie III, too. You already know the Cookies of Darkness. Licorice, Pomegranate, Dark Choco, Red Velvet, Poison Mushroom... And your personality kind of resembles Espresso, but I don't think he feels like making friends. Anyone would love to get to know you."

"Then... Can you..." Strawberry Crepe muttered. Their tough facade had faded just like how Alchemist's nerves had.

"Hm?" Alchemist squeaked curiously.

"Can you... Be my first friend?" they asked. Alchemist's eyes brightened in happiness.

"Y-yes!" she grinned. "Yeah! I can!"

Strawberry Crepe nodded. "Great," they smiled. "Now you can keep celebrating."

Alchemist nodded then grabbed the young cookie's arm and pulled them to the crowd of cookies. "I'm n-not celebrating without you!"

Strawberry Crepe Cookie's eyes shimmered with joy. They grinned and joined the celebration with their newfound friend.

Chapter Text

Black Raisin Cookie sighed as she exited yet another battle. The clouds had opened, and the Wafflebots had descended. Luckily, she and the village's warriors had defeated the enemies. A crow flew back and perched on her arm, and she smiled. She had always admired the animals for how clever and useful they were in battle. In fact, she admired these qualities so much that she told everyone about it.

For example, she rambled about her crows while Healer Cookie nursed her injured arm back to health. She rambled about how they had slashed the Wafflebots and landed a critical hit, ranted about how the enemy had killed one of her crows once. Healer Cookie sighed in exasperation at her words. What would it take to get her to calm down about these birds?

Black Raisin knew the others wouldn't truly admire her birds like she did, but she knew they appreciated them in battle. The bond between the cookie and her companions was incredible, and every cookie knew of this. They had saved countless cookies from crumbling to the hands of their enemies repeatedly.

Suddenly, a shouting warrior ran up to her. "Black Raisin Cookie! Healer Cookie is in trouble!" they cried in panic, panting between their words. Black Raisin Cookie stiffened up at the thought of her friend in trouble. As important as her birds were, she cared deeply for other cookies as well.

As the tough cookie arrived at the attack scene, she came across Healer Cookie trying to fend off a Wafflebot and failing. His arm's Soul Jam was slowly oozing out, causing her to let out a small sound in anguish. The bot looked at her then attacked. Her eyes widened and she immediately sent a crow out to attack before charging herself.

When her face was slashed, Healer Cookie winced and used his magic to heal her quickly. She smiled at him before returning to battle. In a cycle of attacking and being attacked, the battle seemed to go on forever. The time loop broke when the Wafflebot finally shut down. She smirked in satisfaction at the sight of the fallen robot.

Healer Cookie was astonished by her courage and actions. He was never a fighter, so she was secretly a sort of an idol for him. Smiling softly, he led her back to the village as he healed her wounds that he didn't while in the battle.

Black Raisin laughed and praised, "Aren't my crows just incredible? Did you see them in the battle?" Healer Cookie sighed. Sometimes her rants about her birds were annoying. He didn't want to deal with them at the moment.

"You know, you aren't a bad fighter yourself," he complimented. "You're great, actually."

Black Raisin Cookie furrowed her frosted eyebrows at the remarks. Her? A good fighter? But the crows were doing the work.

"My crows are the skilled warriors for my team," she scoffed, losing her happy tone. "I only attack while they can't."

"Oh, come on," he pouted. "You know very well that's not true. I saw you charge at them. You were so quick and clever. I wish I could be like that."

"Hm," Black Raisin Cookie hummed, surprised at the compliment. She smiled slightly and nodded. "Maybe I'm not so bad on my own." She paused. "My crows are still cooler, though."

Healer Cookie groaned and rolled his eyes behind the blindfold. He elbowed her in a friendly way. She elbowed him back. The two friends looked at each other, smiling, walking back to their village together.

"You should heal during battle a lot more," she remarked. "It helps."

"Maybe," he shrugged. "For now, I do want to stay at the tent..."

"Gee, you wimp," she insulted. "You're good at healing but don't want to use it when it's the most helpful?"

Healer Cookie softened. "Maybe I'll go out to battle sometime. We'll have to see."

Walking back to their village, the friends smiled. The other's battle habits could get on their nerves, but they were always going to stay pals.

Chapter Text

Mint Choco Cookie and Cocoa Cookie had been dating for a month now. They'd gotten together at the same fountain that they first met at. The two cookies had been on cloud nine ever since. Always chatting and holding hands, the two were inseparable. Their friends knew as well, so they understood when they had to cancel hangouts.

The violinist had always been busy with rehearsals and concerts, not to mention fan events. Cocoa couldn't say she was jealous, but she didn't want to say she was happy about her lover always being busy. She still congratulated Mint Choco's success nevertheless. She loved hanging out with him when she could.

Today was special. Mint Choco's concert was early, so they had time to hang out afterwards. The snow outside was frosty and freezing and not in a comforting way. Icicles hung from roofs and Cotton Cookie felt at home and not overdressed.

Cocoa Cookie made it her mission to find something to do at home. They had scheduled to meet at her Cookie House. What could they do together at her house on their own? There wasn't going to be anyone else there. After a while, she came up with a solution that would satisfy them both - cuddling!

It was embarrassing and possibly even a bit childish to him, but she was excited anyway. Recently, Mint Choco had been overwhelmed and stressed about his work. Maybe this could be a distraction from that? All she wanted was for him to be happy, and if this was the solution, she'd do it.

Time flew, and it was the day of the date, January 6. As soon as Mint Choco Cookie entered the living room, he was surprised. His caring girlfriend had decorated her beige couch with blankets in white, red, and gray. She'd placed two mugs of hot cocoa with marshmallows on a marble end table. Pillows were all over the couch and the remote for the TV was placed on the coffee table in front of the couch. The room's lights were dimmed as well since she knew that Mint Choco's eyes were tired from the spotlight.

"Cocoa, what is this?" he gasped.

"You've been tired, so I made sure the living room was extra cozy for you!" she smiled bashfully. Mint Choco blushed and smiled gently at his partner.

"Thank you," he smiled, kissing her forehead easily because of his tall stature. She beamed back at him before letting go of his hand to give him his mug of hot cocoa.

"Shall we?" she offered, gesturing to the couch.

"We shall," he giggled as they walked to the beige sofa.

Mint Choco Cookie positioned himself at the end of the sofa near the end table and wrapped his arms around Cocoa Cookie, who was seated between his thighs facing the television, her legs curled to her chest comfortably. She grabbed the remote and turned on the TV then opened Cookieflix.

"What do you like to watch?" she asked.

"I mostly just watch the news, I guess," he replied. "Some music stuff."

"Minty!" she scolded. "You're so boring! Watch real stuff too!"

Her boyfriend threw his hands up in defense. "Okay, okay! I'm sorry!"

Cocoa Cookie huffed and crossed her arms, attempting to play hard to get, but as soon as she saw her lover's sad expression, she gave in and became her sweet self once more.

"Sorry. It's okay," she said. "We can just watch 'Cookie Stone is Gonna Be Famous' tonight. It's one of my favorite shows!"

"Interesting," he mused. "Well, if you like it, I'll watch it."

Cocoa Cookie turned on the TV and clicked on the first episode. Mint Choco had to admit, it was a pretty good show. But the comforting warmth of his girlfriend was what made the night so enjoyable.

Taking a break after three episodes, Cocoa stretched and turned to her boyfriend. "Minty, what do you think?"

"Cookie Stone is sort of problematic, but he's funny anyway," he shrugged. "Maybe for the wrong reasons, though."

"Mhm," she hummed, taking a sip of her cocoa. She placed down her cup and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, then kissed her boyfriend gently, turning his cheeks pink. "Are you having a good time, love?"

Mint Choco Cookie nodded and replied, "Thanks for getting this together for me. Concerts have been pretty stressful lately."

"Of course! It's no trouble," Cocoa Cookie beamed. "Is there something you'd like to do besides this?"

"This is great, Cocoa," he affirmed. "I'm so lucky to have someone like you in my life. I love you." He then pecked her on the forehead.

"I love you too, Minty," she replied. "Now, episode four! This one is really good, I promise."

Scanning over the episode title on the big screen, he narrowed his eyes. "Just what kinds of shows are you watching?" he asked suspiciously, slightly concerned. "If I'm doing something wrong, tell me. You don't need to resort to... this."

"W-what?! No! That- No. It's not like that. And you're great, so don't worry," she assured him. "Now, let's continue!"

The couple continued their binge of the show late into the night. When Cocoa Cookie went to turn and check on her boyfriend, she noticed he had clocked out for the night. His eyes were shut and his head was resting on the back of the couch, his mouth slightly open. She smiled and turned off the television. Slowly getting up, she pondered the ways she could get her lover to her bed so he could be more comfortable.

After a minute of thinking, she sighed, not knowing what to do besides carry him somehow. She lifted the surprisingly light cookie up bridal style and began to walk to her room. She never knew how light he was. Tucking him under her covers, she kissed him goodnight before cuddling up next to him, not bothering to change her clothes. The night grew old as the two cookies rested, the winter cold not bothering them as the warmth of the other was all they needed.

Chapter Text

Herb Cookie was without a doubt the best gardener in the kingdom. His careful and thoughtful touch made veggies, flowers, and more grow marvelously. He could maintain any plant if he put his mind to it.

That was why his friends, Sparkling Cookie, Mint Choco Cookie, and Vampire Cookie had suggested he open a flower shop. The idea happened one night while they were drinking. Herb had taken the idea and decided to run with it, now running a shop. He was the only person working there, since he figured it wouldn't be too busy. However, recently the shop was gaining more business because of the owner's high quality and charming personality.

He had been getting more stressed lately because of it but didn't want to ask his friends for help. Clover and Vampire had offered to help. Sparkling and Mint Choco were too busy to help because of the bar and concerts, but they were planning on stopping by a few times. Herb assured that he didn't need help, but maybe it was a mistake.

Customers were visiting at an alarming rate now, making him run around the shop. It was tiring, of course, but he felt like asking for help when he had already rejected them all before would be bothersome.

Halfway through the day, he was tired of running around and sighed. "Maybe I should ask for help," he murmured to himself as his most recent customer left. "I guess I can call them."

Dialing Clover Cookie's number, he nervously waited, his head turning anxiously to check if any customers walked into the shop, but no one was in sight, so he paid attention to the vibrating phone.

"Herb?" a voice came from the other side. The voice wasn't his friend's soft voice, however. It was raspy.

"Uh, who is this?" he asked.

"Oh. It's Licorice. Clover left his phone here. He's out somewhere. I guess his idiot self forgot it at his house," Licorice Cookie said.

"Uh-huh," Herb said. "Well, I need some help with my shop. May you please ask him if he can help?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, sure, whatever," Licorice shrugged on the other side of the phone. "I'll ask him."

"Thanks," Herb smiled. "Also, a quick question -- Why are you at Clover's house?"

"I stayed over for the night," Licorice replied. "We watched a few movies."

"Hmm," the gardener hummed, raising an eyebrow even though the other couldn't see him. "Would you like to come to the shop too?"

"Me? Gardening?" Licorice laughed before thinking for a bit. "Maybe. I don't have anything else to do besides hang out with my fellow Cookies of Darkness."

"You still call yourselves that?" Herb chuckled politely.

"Yes, what about it?" the emo scoffed, slightly embarrassed. In the background of his audio, Herb heard a door open and close, which he assumed to be Clover returning.

"Hey ba- buddy," Clover corrected himself after seeing Licorice on the phone. "Why do you have my phone? Who's calling?"

"Oh, it's Herb. He wants to know if you can go help by the shop," he answered blankly, putting the mobile device on speakerphone.

"Can you? I'll pay you," Herb asked politely.

"Of course," Clover smiled. "And no need. Consider it a favor. But if you do hire me, I would appreciate some pay..."

Herb giggled. "I should consider getting some employees. No matter right now. Can you and Licorice head over? I have spare uniforms."

"Sure," Clover said, taking Licorice's hand and dragging him to the coat rack to prepare for outside's cold.

"Wait, why am I included?" Licorice whined. "I'm not a plant nerd like you two!"

"Oh, shush. Won't you help a friend in need?" Clover asked, his eyes shining with hope, turning Licorice's gray cheeks navy.

"Ugh, geez! You're so annoying!" he moaned. "But... fine. I don't want to talk to any actual customers, though."

"Sure, you can help with maintaining the plants," Herb suggested. "Now, you two get over here!"

...

Herb soon recruited Vampire as well, who arrived shortly after Clover and Licorice.

"So... Whaddya want us to do?" he asked.

"Vampire, you and I will handle customer service. Clover and Licorice can handle the vegetation," the owner instructed. Clover and Vampire nodded, but Licorice pouted.

"I have to get my beautiful fingers dirty?" he complained.

"You don't have fingers," Clover remarked.

"If I did, they'd be beautiful."

"I believe you."

"I- No. The point is... Y'know what, whatever. Clover, let's go plant some seeds or something."

"Please attend to the primroses!" Herb called as the two went to the back room to begin their work.

...

Licorice and Clover looked around the room full with plants, one in admiration and the other in un-amusement. The room had wood shelves around the walls, each holding different kinds of flowers of different shapes and colors. Labels separated the flower types. The two quickly scanned for primroses.

"Hey, here they are," Licorice pointed out, tapping a pot of white primroses. "They look cool."

"They do," Clover remarked. "They need a bit of water, though."

"How can you tell so quickly?" Licorice inquired.

"I guess it's just instinct," the bard shrugged. "Let's water them. Where's the can?"

...

In the main shop area, a customer entered, followed by three others. Vampire tensed up, but greeted them anyway.

"Uh, hi, welcome to Herb's shop thing. What can- I can't do this. Herb, do you have grape juice anywhere?" he called to his friend who pushed him to the side.

"Ahaha... What do you need?" he asked with a kind smile that seemed to omit joy. Inside, he was screaming at Vampire. Regardless of his thoughts, his customer service was pristine from start to finish, selling five flowers to all the customers.

"Gee, you're so polite," Vampire mumbled. "I can't talk to customers at all."

"I could tell."

"What? How?"

...

Later that day, Herb sat at his desk counting the profit from the work day, which was reasonably high. He smiled, proud of the work he and his friends had done. Pulling out three pieces of paper and three envelopes, he began to write letters to each of them, each containing the same message.

Dear friend,

Thank you for helping out at the shop today. The profits increased and I am truly grateful for your assistance! Opening a shop has been tough but with help like this, it's easier. Thank you again! Hope you have a nice day.

Sincerely, Herb Cookie

He smiled as he wrote out the addresses and placed them in his mailbox.

Sighing as he flopped onto his bed, he reflected on the day. Although Clover and Vampire didn't know too much about business, they assisted him anyway. Even grouchy Licorice helped out. He smiled in satisfaction and closed his eyes to sleep.

Chapter Text

When Poison Mushroom Cookie is berated, they get both confused and sad. Often, they feel guilty for whatever they did to bother the other, even if they did nothing wrong. They asked their friends about what to do most of the time as well.

Their friends, the Cookies of Darkness, on the other hand, were always mad at the person chiding Poison Mushroom. Even if their main focus was assisting Dark Enchantress Cookie in her evil plans, the group could always make a detour to protect their friend. The Cookies of Darkness always bullied each other, but that didn't mean they didn't care for each other! They were still allies, after all.

When Poison Mushroom Cookie returned from a mission sad one day, Pomegranate approached them first.

"Poison Mushroom Cookie, you look quite down. What's wrong?" Pomegranate Cookie asked calmly.

"Someone... Said I was weird because I'm a 'shroomy cookie and not a... flaavorful cookie like you are...!" Poison Mushroom explained gloomily. Pomegranate cursed under her breath.

"Ah..." she murmured. "Well, alright. I think we may have to just teach you about how not to be as upset and confused about these things instead of attacking the culprit each time... Even if it is amusing."

Pomegranate sat down at the planning table to talk to Poison Mushroom, leading them with her. The other looked at her confusedly. What was she doing? Normally, she just called the others, explained the situation, and they'd all "run off to the store." Curious, they sat down in their chair.

"What's this...?" they asked, tilting their head slowly. "What do you want... to talk about?"

"Poison Mushroom, I- Well, in the Cookies of Darkness, everyone's different. They have different flavors and appearances and all, and we all still accept each other because we share a common purpose. We don't need to look the same because we all have good intentions. You know that," Pomegranate Cookie said cautiously, making sure not to say the wrong thing. "But for some cookies... Well, some cookies don't like that. Some cookies believe appearances do matter more than personality."

"Huuuuh? That's... weird..." Poison Mushroom replied. Cookies not accepting other cookies because of what they looked like? What was the point? They were all cookies, right?

"It is. Some people just don't care that we're all the same since all they care for is what our flavors are or how crispy our dough is," Pomegranate sighed.

"Whaaa...?" the poisonous cookie asked, tilting their head to the side. All that really mattered was what they were like on the inside - why did appearances matter so much?

"Listen, I've told you this so you know it's wrong. Don't go around judging people left and right now, okay? Not everyone is bad," she assured them. "There are good cookies all around you. You just... Have to let yourself meet them."

Pomegranate's inspiring words lit up Poison Mushroom's face. They smiled and hugged her gratefully.

"Thank you... Pom Cookie!" they cheered as Pomegranate awkwardly patted their head. "Now... I know!"

"Of course," she answered, covering half of her face with her sleeve to hide her smile.

"I'll go tell the ooothers too!" Poison Mushroom Cookie grinned proudly.

"Oh, I'm sure they already know. I'm sure they've experienced it for themselves in fact," Pomegranate said as she trailed behind them while they ran down the hall to visit the other Cookies of Darkness in their rooms.

"Whaa? Experienced it for them...selves?"

"Yes, I believe so. Maybe that could be part of the reason why they're all here," Pomegranate Cookie sighed. "Everyone here is a bit more scarred and different than everyone else."

"But... Isn't that a good thing?" Poison Mushroom inquired. "It's whaaat makes us... special!"

Pomegranate raised her eyebrows. Even if she was supposed to be guiding the other, sometimes their absentmindedness could be motivating in a way. Covering her mouth to smile, she spoke. "I suppose you're correct. I believe our group of misfits here is just a band of cookies who were too special for other cookies to appreciate. Everyone here doesn't belong and that's why we do."

"Whoaaa... Inspiring speech!" Poison Mushroom Cookie clapped excitedly as the two arrived at the hall of rooms. "Maybe... I shouldn't tell them then."

"Perhaps you can keep this lesson to yourself, dear Poison Mushroom Cookie," the older cookie nodded. Footsteps approached behind them and as the duo turned, they discovered it was Licorice Cookie returning to the base.

"What lesson?" he asked, raising a brow. "Geez, Pomegranate! They're too young for that!" His voice had a teasing tone to it.

"Not that lesson..." she scoffed, rolling her eyes. "I was just explaining flavorist cookies to them."

"Ah," Licorice acknowledged. An awkward silence passed before Poison Mushroom Cookie spoke.

"Heeyy! Licorice, you know goood cookies, right?" Poison Mushroom asked, to which the latter only nodded in response.

"Of course he does," Pomegranate agreed. "He knows us."

"I also know cookies outside of you all!" Licorice countered.

"Right, I forgot about your boyfriend," she teased, hiding her smile.

"He- We're just friends," Licorice said, walking off.

"Gee, Licorice sure is grumpy," Poison Mushroom Cookie noted. "Is that because he's been unappreciated before too?"

"I bet. Licorice was a skilled wizard before he joined us, but he never got his recognition. I'm not quite sure why."

"Thaat's sad. Was everyone else trying to be a wizard too?" Poison Mushroom asked.

"Everyone had their own issues," Pomegranate shrugged. "My village burned down. I was appreciated there, but in the name of all that is Dark Enchantress Cookie, that was traumatic."

"Huuh..." Poison Mushroom mumbled. "Well, you're okaay now, right...? You have... us...! And we... All appreciate you!"

Pomegranate eyes glistened as she nodded. "Yes. And none of my past will change that."

Chapter Text

Adventurer Cookie relaxed in his room as he admired his valuables. He was rather prideful of his collection and relished in the results of his adventures. He was planning to donate them all to a new museum that had opened and was admiring them for what could be the last time.

He was pained by the thought of the artifacts leaving his room's shelves, but he knew they'd be properly taken care of in the glass cases of a museum. He could always visit them in the museum after all.

Suddenly, a knock on his door surprised him. He scrambled to pick up a book and sit on a chair before calling out, "Come in!"

The adventurous cookie smiled at the sight of his friend, Blackberry Cookie. She had been in the family for a while and he had grown fond of the reserved cookie. Her company was just what he needed to cheer himself up.

"Blackberry Cookie!" he greeted. "Nice to see you!"

"You are aware you are reading your book upside down, right?" she observed, looking at the book in his hand. "Is that the book I used to read to you when we were children?"

"W-wha-?"

Upon observing the book in his hands, he realized it was Pride and Prejudice, a book Blackberry Cookie used to read to him at night. She always stayed up late because of her duties and read Adventurer Cookie stories at night to calm him. Adventurer would never really pay attention and only appreciate the time he had with his friend. Or at least who he believed to be his friend. Blackberry Cookie never had expressed any emotion with him besides the annoyed faces she made when he ran off to find adventure.

"I guess, yeah," Adventurer Cookie replied. The maid paused and then nodded.

"I wanted to inform you that your lunch is ready," she said. "A bear jelly burger as you requested."

"Thanks, Blackberry Cookie," he smiled. "Hey, can you-"

But as soon as he had begun to spoke his second sentence, the gothic cookie had already left and shut the door behind her. Adventurer Cookie sighed. He wanted to make another request. Was it too selfish? Was it too friendly?

Was asking for a hug weird?

Sure, it seemed pathetic for him to want a hug from her. Sure, it was pathetic for him to have such troubles asking her for a hug. Regardless of the situation, he was feeling awkward. As he sat back down on his bed, he noticed a bright light. Looking around for the light, he noticed a small floating cookie with wings in his room. Panicking, he threw a pillow at it. Who were they?!

"Greetings!" they said. "I am Angel Cookie! I see you are a holy soul in need! I come with good intentions, do not fret." Adventurer Cookie raised his eyebrow and tilted his head.

"W-what are you doing in my room? Why are you here?! Leave me alone! Stay back! I'll call Almond Cookie!" Adventurer Cookie warned.

"No need for authorities, friend," Angel Cookie said mythically, their voice echoing throughout the room.

"U-uh... I'm an adventurer, you know!" he yelled. "I'll fight you!"

"I'm an ethereal being," Angel Cookie replied, approaching the other. "There is no need for violence, like I said."

"Um..." Adventurer Cookie evaluated the situation. An ethereal being was in his room and telling him not to worry. It wasn't all that strange. After all, Blackberry Cookie had invited a ghost to live with them and now she slept in the maid's room. Was an angel so bad?

"Well... I guess you are just an angel," he sighed. "What do you want?"

"I want to help you to hug your maid!" Angel Cookie answered.

"H-how did you- Okay. Okay! So... How?" Adventurer Cookie replied, no longer bothered by the strangeness of the situation.

"Walk up to her and politely ask for a hug, of course! When she isn't busy, that is," Angel Cookie replied. Adventurer Cookie was skeptical, but was he in a position where he was allowed to question angels?

"Don't listen to this light ball, mister," a raspy voice said from behind him. Adventurer Cookie jolted up in fear. Was it another angel? Looking behind him, he saw a red devil with a pitchfork. He held back a frightened scream for help.

"Don't look so surprised, mister," the impish creature laughed. "I'm here to help ya too!"

"Oh no," Angel Cookie sighed. "Devil Cookie, not again! Let me help this kind soul!"

"Shh, you seagull," Devil Cookie shushed, flying right to the shoulder of Adventurer Cookie. "Look, sir, I think you're dreamin' too small. Go right in for the kiss. Splash some stew or somethin' on her face then wipe it off for her. When you two are right about three inches away... Bam! Kiss!"

"Well, that's not very polite," the angelic being scowled. "You must wipe off the stew with a napkin and leave it like that if that situation ever occurs. Or maybe... Let her wipe the stew off herself! Or maybe give her something other than stew for all her hard work!" Their wings flapped angrily and their once very innocent face was scrunched up in disgust.

"Mind ya, soup is delicious," the other replied.

"Um, Blackberry Cookie would find a way to shield the stew or dodge it," Adventurer Cookie noted. "She's not a vulnerable helpless maid. All this labor has really made her tough."

"Every tough cookie has a vulnerable side if you do the right things," Devil Cookie cackled.

"Stop that!" Angel Cookie replied, hitting Devil Cookie. "What you need to do is-"

"No, no. What you should is-"

"The morally right-"

"The effective way-"

"You can't-"

"Just-"

"Stop!" Adventurer Cookie ordered, instantly making the two creatures shut their mouths. "I don't need your advice! I'll do it my own way, okay? Just... Stop!"

Angel Cookie and Devil Cookie gawked at the adventurer. They both then nodded to each other before disappearing.

Sighing, Adventurer Cookie exited his room and went down his grand staircase.

...

"Are you alright? I heard yelling from your room," Blackberry Cookie asked.

"I'm q-quite alright, thanks," Adventurer Cookie assured.

"Your voice is hoarse," the maid replied. "Are you positive you are in good condition?"

"Well..." Adventurer Cookie mused. He figured it'd be better to keep his experience to himself. "Actually, I feel a bit down. Can you..."

He gulped nervously and wiped the sweat off his soggy hands. "Can you... Give me a hug?"

Blackberry Cookie's dull eyes widened in surprise at the request. She paused setting up the dining table for his lunch. Glancing at the table, she opened her mouth but no sound came out.

"I- Are you sure you don't want food or something of the sort?" she asked.

"I'm sure, Blackberry Cookie," he replied. "You're more valuable than food, you know?"

"A-ah. Well, then," she said, regaining her formal act.

"You... Okay. So..." Adventurer Cookie stumbled over his words as he opened his arms. He looked at her straight in the eyes. He smiled and for just a second, he saw her smile too.

As he held the other cookie in his arms, he smiled. Slowly intertwining her hand with his, he realized just how cold her hand was. She squeezed around his hand slightly and smiled although her employer couldn't see it.

When the two let go, Adventurer Cookie noticed that the other's face was red.

"Apologies for holding on so long," Blackberry Cookie said. "I haven't had physical affection in a while."

"Really? How intriguing. Then other cookies are surely missing out!" he grinned energetically.

"A-ah- Thank you," she replied, tucking hair behind her ear and nodding. "Now... Your food?"

"My food! Right. Thank you," he said, sitting in his seat at the table.

"Let me know if you need anything," Blackberry Cookie said, beginning to exit the room.

"Wait!" the employer called out. The maid stopped in her tracks for a few moments then turned to look at him.

"Yes?"

Gulping down his fears, the cookie let out his request with no assistance from any other being.

"Eat with me? Please?"

...

While Adventurer Cookie plotted with the two otherworldly cookies, other cookies were having their own troubles with hugging. These cookies were Strawberry Cookie, Wizard Cookie, Custard Cookie III, and Chili Pepper Cookie. The group was attempting to put together a surprise group hug for GingerBrave as thanks for all his hard work. However, their planning was going slowly thanks to their clashing personalities.

The cookies gathered around the kingdom puppet show that was built by Alchemist Cookie, Madeleine Cookie, Snow Sugar Cookie, and Espresso Cookie. They were acting out their own versions of hugging GingerBrave. Strawberry Cookie went first.

"O-okay, well... I think we should just walk up to him and ask for a hug," Strawberry Cookie suggested.

"Act it out!" Custard Cookie III demanded. "Your king wants entertainment!"

"Sheesh," Chili Pepper Cookie groaned. "This is dumb. Why are we planning this?! I could've robbed a whole city by now!"

"We must make sure that this hug is executed perfectly. According to my calculations, if it does not, we may explode the kingdom."

"Explode?!" Strawberry Cookie panicked. Explode the kingdom? With a hug? It seemed absurd, but the cookies weren't so sure about what was absurd or not anymore. After all, they had gone through quite a few wacky adventures.

Wizard Cookie sighed and said, "Yes, explode. Now-"

"You just say that because you're super soft and sensitive," Chili Pepper Cookie critiqued. "You need to let loose and be less Ice Cream Cookie-y."

"My name is Wizard Cookie," the white-haired cookie scoffed, adjusting his waffle cone hat. "Now, Strawberry Cookie! Commence the presentation!"

"U-uh... Okay!" Strawberry Cookie nodded. "I'll do my best!"

Strawberry Cookie awkwardly began with an impression of GingerBrave's voice saying, "Hey, everyone! Uh, how are you?" She used a frog puppet to represent the cookie.

"Why is he a frog?" Custard Cookie III asked skeptically.

"Shush, kid," Chili Pepper Cookie groaned. "Don't make it last longer than it needs to."

"Hi, GingerBrave!" Strawberry Cookie said in a raspy voice to make an impression of Wizard Cookie, using an ice cream cone to represent him. "Um... Can we give you a hug?"

"Of course!" she replied to herself as GingerBrave. She then made all the puppets hug. Stepping out from behind the puppet show stage, she made nervous jazz hands as if to say, "Ta-da?" She smiled slightly. She was having a bit of fun.

"Eh, too bland. Too... Vanilla," Wizard Cookie sighed. Strawberry Cookie frowned and sat back down next to Custard Cookie III. "Okay. Let's... Custard Cookie! You present!"

"It's actually Custard Cookie III." Custard Cookie III corrected. "Okay! Behold! Greatness!"

Custard Cookie made a very interpretive show that went on for five minutes. No one was sure what was happening since the prince made no sound whatsoever. The story was either the cookies giving GingerBrave toys and hugging him or the crew sailing off to Parfaedia and meeting Latte Cookie's grandma.

"What the heck was that? Seriously, what did that mean?" Chili Pepper Cookie yelled. "That made no sense!"

"You don't understand the true masterpiece that is drama," Custard Cookie III scoffed in disgust at the criminal. "Luckily, you have me! Custard Cookie III, master playwright!"

"There was no writing in that..." Strawberry Cookie muttered.

"I will go!" Wizard Cookie announced. "Behold, my perfect plan.

"First, I glide in on the Red Velvet Dragon and cast a spell to create a big firework! GingerBrave admires the beast and joins me! You three can wait in a tree in the forest and we can pick you up. Soon, we fly high, high up and under the moonlight, we share an embrace!"

Wizard Cookie bowed as the others looked on confusedly. He was rather proud of the plan. How could it go wrong?

"I have a problem. That didn't include us a lot. Is this your way of apologizing even more to GingerBrave?" Chili Pepper Cookie asked.

Wizard Cookie flushed red and began to scream. "Wha- NO! This is-"

"Wizard Cookie, he forgave you. Let's make a plan with everyone in it!" Strawberry Cookie suggested.

"This one is flawless," Wizard Cookie bragged.

"Where will we get a dragon?!" Custard Cookie III asked, making the wizard freeze.

"Maybe we can get a wafflebot instead, I dunno!" he replied. "But anyway-"

"Here's the plan! Okay? We buy him a gift! We hug him! Maybe you can cast a spell or two! Happy?" Chili Pepper Cookie yelled to break the argument.

Silence passed while the thief crossed her arms. Finally, Wizard Cookie spoke.

"Genius!"

...

"Surprise!" the group cheered as they hugged GingerBrave. They had given him a stuffed toy and had thoroughly surprised him by the Fountain of Wishes.

"Who- Wha- What's this for?" GingerBrave grinned, wrapping his arms around his friends happily.

"As congratulations for all your hard work!" Strawberry Cookie smiled cheerfully. "Wizard Cookie brought it up!"

"Aw, you did?" GingerBrave awwed, snapping his head to look at Wizard Cookie.

"Just... To make sure you know how important you are," the wizard said, embarrassed.

"Well, thanks anyway!" the brave cookie thanked. "Now... Anyone want to get some food?"

Chapter Text

Despite his strong swordsmanship and serious looks, Knight Cookie was a kind cookie. Devoted to protecting someone dear to him, Princess, Knight Cookie fought with passion and determination. The princess's bright grin and adventurous spirit touched his heart.

Knight Cookie was also admirable to Princess Cookie. Everything he did was meticulously thought out, and he fought with a neatness that was astonishing. Each time he rescued her or trailed behind her going on and on about how he'd protect her made her smile just thinking about it.

In spite of the fact that the other knew she was more than capable of protecting herself, she allowed him to follow her around, not just as a knight, but more as a good friend. Or perhaps even more than that.

An attack took place in Princess Cookie's palace one day. Windows shattered, sending glass crashing down to the ground. The monsters crowded the halls. Despite being terrified by the event, Princess Cookie and Knight Cookie remained in the royal's room, their door barricaded and windows boarded up. Apart from the occasional cake monster footstep or bark, the room remained silent. Finally, the princess spoke.

"We should drive them out of the castle," she demanded. "These cakes aren't going to leave. We can't stay here forever."

"Your highness, we can't. We'll have to wait. We're only two cookies," Knight Cookie replied. "I respect you highly, and you know that, but that would be too reckless."

"Knight Cookie, we have to! It's just... It's just necessary! The servants - they've all fled. There is no one we can harm."

"Your recklessness, what about the palace? It could get damaged. What about the repairs?" he inquired.

"Oh please, do you think a few fallen chandeliers are worth more than our safety?" she scoffed, rolling her eyes. "We have to fight. Even if we are only two cookies, we're tough, real tough! I won't let either of us crumble, I promise."

Knight Cookie hesitated, evaluating the situation. He averted his gaze to analyze the current attack and the enemies.

"There's no point in thinking, just agree! Let's fight them," the princess begged. Knight Cookie still looked uncertain. "If you don't come, I'll go alone. If I go alone, who will protect me?" The knight tensed. He knew she was using his weaknesses against him but he still urged to comply. Sighing, he nodded.

...

Even though they were tired, the two cookies kept fighting. Knight Cookie eventually paused and rested for just a moment. Seeing this, Princess Cookie became determined to protect him. She charged forward with her scepter in hand and attacked a large cake monster. Her speed and strength forced it to flee, which was fortunate. However, something else greatly disturbed Knight Cookie.

Although Knight Cookie was glad she had successfully scared off the monster, he gasped after seeing her arm. The princess clutched it in pain. This was because crumbs were falling from it. Knight Cookie quickly got up and ran to her side, sword in hand.

He gently held her arm before his face showed what could only be described as true despair. He winced before brandishing his sword and battling the rest of the cakes. It wasn't to show off or even protect the castle. It was so he was able to help Princess Cookie.

He dropped his sword and ran to the princess after the battle was over. Her arm no longer crumbled, but her face was in pain.

"Knight Cookie, it's okay," she said, seeing his face. "I'm okay."

"You could've crumbled, your loveliness," he said. "I- I'm so sorry, your greatness." His voice broke.

"Knight Cookie, it isn't your fault," she promised soothingly, trying to smile. "It wasn't your fault.

Knight Cookie nodded but kept his head down as the two made their ways back to their sleeping chambers. They agreed to get some sleep and attempt to clean in the morning.

Despite the agreement, Knight Cookie didn't sleep at all.

...

A few days prior to the incident, Knight Cookie still felt terrible despite Princess Cookie constantly reminding him how she wasn't upset and how she felt okay. On the pair's daily walk through the gardens, Princess Cookie noticed how Knight Cookie was looking around anxiously with one hand on his sword, trailing behind her instead of walking by her side.

Princess Cookie sighed in pity. When would he learn? Suddenly, an idea bubbled up in her head.

"I'll be right back," she said, fleeing.

"Your floweriness, wait!" her guard called after her desperately, afraid she'd somehow get hurt once more.

"Wait there!" she commanded, now out of sight.

A few minutes passed before Princess Cookie returned. Knight Cookie was seated on a bench in front of a statue of Hollyberry Cookie with his head resting on the palm of his hand. Upon the sight of the lively cookie, he sat up straight nervously. She sat next to him with her hands behind her back.

"What are you hiding, your mysteriousness?" he asked curiously. The latter grinned and displayed a red rose.

"Ta-da!" she cheered. "Isn't it pretty?"

"I suppose so, your liveliness," he agreed while taking the rose, "but what is this for?"

"Just a gift of appreciation," she shrugged, "for the best knight in the world?"

"Best? Well, I'm not sure about-" the knight began, cut off by the other's hand over his mouth.

"Hush, Knight Cookie!" she ordered. "You are great! Accept it!"

The knight grimaced, puzzled. "A-are you alright, your gorgeousness? Shall I take you to the doctor?"

"No!" she pouted. "I am just trying to show my graciousness towards a knight who deserves more than what he gets. I mean, he's just- You're just so determined and passionate! You're so good at fighting! Every slash you make with your sword is just whoosh! And it's awesome!"

Knight Cookie blushed at the overload of compliments. Was Princess Cookie, the cookie he loved, really saying all these things? How interesting. Understanding the situation, he fought back with compliments of his own.

"To be compassionate requires something to be passionate about," Knight Cookie said. "Or in my case, someone." Princess Cookie was surprised but beamed. "You're just so energetic and willing to help. I can tell you care about everything you do. Your fighting spirit is so thrilling to be around. You even treat I, a mere knight, as an equal. And that's- That's why you mean so much to me."

"Aww," Princess Cookie swooned, kicking a leg up in the air playfully, swaying side to side. "You're so sweet sometimes, Knight Cookie."

"Just how I am," he smiled.

"You smiled!" the royal exclaimed, pointing. "I haven't seen you smile in far too long!"

"You mean two?"

"Far too long."

A silence passed in the air.

"The flowers are beautiful, don't you think?" Princess Cookie smiled.

"Not as beautiful as you, your beautifulness," he said quietly but still loud enough for others to hear. Princess Cookie leaned closer to look at him clearly.

Wind blew through through the two's heads. Princess Cookie leaned in close suggestively. She smiled and pulled him in for a kiss.

Knight Cookie grasped the rose dearly. He felt warm after several days of freezing weather. He smiled gently after pulling away.

"I love you, your coolness."

"I love you too!"

Chapter Text

Pancake Cookie, Gumball Cookie, and Cherry Cookie were mischievous young cookies and there was no doubt in anyone's mind about it. The two cookies would go around messing with other cookies, spooking them out of their dough.

For example, Cherry Cookie would sometimes hide small bombs in people's gardens just to giggle at their reactions. Of course, a small red bomb hidden in flowers could only belong to one cookie and everyone knew it. Letting her have her fun, they paid no mind.

Another example was how Pancake Cookie used his flying to his advantage. He glided over the heads of cookies and dropped small things like jellybeans on cookies then hid in a tree. It wasn't harmful, just confusing. Where were these jelly beans coming from? When the victims heard giggles from the trees, they smiled and laughed it off.

Gumball Cookie typically didn’t mean too much harm. He just wanted to paint! But while he had a blast creating his masterpieces, cookies on the sideline were annoyed as the paint got all over them, and Gumball couldn’t help but laugh at the sight.

Of course, the group contained their pranks. They tried to steer clear of pranks that would seriously harm cookies (which was exceedingly difficult for Cherry, seeing she was in love with bombs and such). The trio also loved to chat with each other about their recent pranks. They mostly stayed the same, but they loved to describe the reactions and make each other cackle with laughter. Soon came a day Gumball Cookie had been waiting for for such a long while - January 25, Opposite Day.

Gumball Cookie wasn’t a liar. He just wanted to celebrate the one time he could say it was Opposite Day and be correct. So, the next time the trio met, he brought up the topic.

“Opposite Day?” Pancake Cookie had echoed. “That’s interesting… But I don’t wanna lie to anybody!”

“It’s not lying,” Gumball said. “It’s a celebration!”

“Sounds fun!” Cherry grinned at the idea. “I’m in. Pancake Cookie, you?”

The cute cookie was stuck. He didn’t want to participate, but it’d be a bummer to be the only one in the trio not to. Pancake Cookie just nodded and smiled. Maybe Opposite Day couldn’t be so bad. It was just one day of the year, a day of laughter. He was Pancake Cookie, the king of cute mischief! Even then, why did he feel guilty for agreeing?

…

Opposite Day soon arrived. Gumball and Cherry were thrilled and Pancake Cookie was as well for the most part. The trio caused confusion by speaking in reverse in the morning. No one expected Pancake Cookie to state a negative opinion on acorn jellies, for Cherry to say she hated explosives, or for Gumball to degrade his own art.

Pancake Cookie was enjoying himself. He marched around the kingdom with pride, his eyes shut. As he traveled to nowhere in particular gleefully, he bumped into his friend, Onion Cookie.

“W-wah!” Onion Cookie cried, rubbing her shoulder. Her already watery eyes were filled with more tears as she struggled to wipe them away.

“Not sorry… Blackberry Cookie,” Pancake Cookie apologized, patting the other’s shoulder. The ghostly girl looked at him in confusion.

“P-Pancake Cookie? I-i-it’s me, Onion C-Cookie,” she reminded him, puzzled. What was he thinking? Pancake Cookie felt the urge to apologize directly, but the thought of his friends being disgusted with him overtook his thoughts.

“Right, not sorry, Blackberry Cookie,” he replied. The fear in her eyes grew. Did he truly think her name was the name belonging to her caretaker?

“A-a-ah…” she sobbed. “I-i-it’s okay… Pancake C-Cookie…” Pancake Cookie winced as she stumbled away sadly. This Opposite Day holiday wasn’t very fun anymore. Onion Cookie was a really close friend of his and he didn’t want to make her feel bad.

Pancake Cookie slumped and un-energetically flew to the Jampie Diner to get a dish of omurice. The interaction he’d shared with Onion Cookie had killed his mood.

…

Later in the day, he spotted Onion Cookie moping on a bench staring at her ragged doll. The sky was now orange because of the sunset and the air was getting colder. The ghost sighed gloomily.

Pancake Cookie’s heart ached at the sight of her darkened expression knowing he had caused it. He wanted to hug her badly, but his friends…

His mischievous friends didn’t matter at the moment. Throwing Opposite Day out the window, he quietly and nervously walked behind her seating place.

“Onion Cookie?” he asked, tapping on her shoulder. Onion Cookie jolted up in fear and turned to face him quickly, panicked. At the sight of her friend, she became more relaxed yet still trembled.

“Wh-what do y-you need?” she cried, wiping a large tear from her purple eyes. She clutched her doll close to her chest as Pancake Cookie sat next to her.

“I- I wanted to apologize,” he said shakily, surprisingly calm. He was normally full of energy and life. “Gumball Cookie and Cherry Cookie wanted to celebrate Opposite Day so I said I did too! But I actually felt bad. And now I feel worse ‘cause I hurt your feelings, Onion Cookie…”

“P-Pancake Cookie…” Onion Cookie sobbed. “I… I…” She was speechless as her sobs overtook her mouth. The paranormal little cookie tried to speak but all that erupted was cries from her mouth and tears from her eyes. Her small figure was shivering quite a lot, concerning Pancake Cookie greatly.

Unsure what to say, the syrupy cookie enveloped his friend in a sympathetic hug. Onion Cookie gasped at the contact but felt touched. It had been a while since another younger cookie had touched her with such care.

“Onion Cookie, I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I promise to you that I, Pancake Cookie, the most adorable of all, will not be rude to you because of pranks!”

Pancake Cookie couldn’t see it, but on the other side of the hug, for a brief moment, Onion Cookie smiled happily, and her tears stopped for just a single second.

The two friends pulled back from the hug and Pancake Cookie grinned, the final sunlight of the day shining onto his face.

“Thank you for being my friend, Onion Cookie!”

Chapter Text

Moon Rabbit Cookie awoke from her futon with a yawn. The sunlight from her bedroom window shone into her face. Tiredly opening and closing her eyes, she tried to recall the date. Suddenly, she sprung up with excitement!

"It's the Wumar New Year!" she exclaimed out loud. It was the beginning of the new moon, meaning the new year in the lunar calendar. This year, the holiday took place on Tuesday, February 1.

The rabbit quickly examined her home for any signs of dust. She had already cleansed her home ten days earlier to rid her cookie house of dust. However, she could never be too sure!

Moon Rabbit Cookie went over the goals she'd planned out for the day. The first day was usually spent with family yet she had no family members with her in the kingdom. Ruling that out, she went over the other traditions. Worshipping gods and ancestors? Sure, that could work!

Walking over to a shrine she had for her great-grandmother, she bowed down and began to recite a prayer. Moments of silence passed after she rose. She walked over to her kitchen and grabbed food she had saved for the shrine. She placed it on the shrine table and bowed again.

Not knowing what to do next, she sat on her couch and stared blankly at her TV screen. Her family from overseas had already given her a red envelope as per tradition. She'd gone down to the supermarket and gotten rice cakes with them. Sighing, she turned on her TV to see what festivities were going on outside of the Kingdom and in places like Parfaedia.

The TV quickly sung with celebration songs and shone brightly with red. Cookies wore red clothing for good luck, and the decorations were red as well! She smiled at the sight of the holiday she adored being celebrated so much. But at the thought of how she was alone, she frowned sadly.

Her living room was dark and was only lit up by a TV screen. Moon Rabbit Cookie lowered the television's volume and sighed in melancholy. How pathetic was she to be alone on the day of the Lunar New Year, a day of peace and forgiveness? The cookie couldn't help but feel sorrowful and a bit angry at herself for not planning this holiday more.

The window's light was tempting to follow at the time. Moon Rabbit Cookie wanted to go outside but knew she should spend the day honoring her ancestors and hanging out with her family who wasn't even in the kingdom. In an attempt to return to her cheery mood, she grabbed a history book off her shelf.

"Maybe this will get ma to cawm down," she murmured to herself. Opening the book to the Lunar New Year page, she read the origin story of the Lunar New Year.

...

Long ago, in ancient times, a town was attacked by a monster named Nian. Nian terrorized the village at the end of each year. Nian lived in the mountains otherwise. As the years passed, the cookies realized Nian was scared of bright lights, loud noises, and the color red. Before Nian's visit one year, the town created their own "dragon" and two brave cookies guided it.

When Nian arrived, the cookies charged at the beast with their fake monster accompanied by the loud sounds of firecrackers and the bright lights of lanterns, all while wearing red.

Nian was so terrified that it ran away and never returned to the village. The villagers celebrated with bright lights, loud noises, and the color red to commemorate this day.

...

Moon Rabbit Cookie was astonished. How brave of those cookies! She smiled. Even if she was spending Lunar New Year Day alone, she could at least rest knowing the real reason for the holiday's creation.

Suddenly, a knock came to her door. Happiness turned into panic when she realized she wasn't dressed. Scrambling to the door, she clumsily opened it. There stood Kumiho Cookie who was fully dressed with brushed hair. Moon Rabbit Cookie was embarrassed but waved.

"Hewwo!" she greeted. "What awe you doin' hewe, Kumiho Cookie?"

"Hi, cutie!" Kumiho Cookie replied with a smile. "It's Lunar New Year and I don't have anyone to celebrate with, and I assumed you didn't either. I figured... Let's celebrate together!"

Moon Rabbit Cookie beamed with joy. Celebrating with Kumiho Cookie? Of course! She wasn't her biological family, but she was as close as she could get. Besides, turning her down only to celebrate alone would be both depressing and illogical.

"Of couwse!" the rabbit agreed. "I've got some wice cakes and fish!"

"Perfect for good fortune," Kumiho grinned, stepping into the cookie house. "Thank you, dearie!"

Moon Rabbit's grin grew even larger. "Mhm!"

Maybe Lunar New Year wouldn't be spent alone after all.

Chapter Text

"What are you doing?" Beet Cookie asked, observing Carrot Cookie sitting on the ground. It was a lovely afternoon, and Beet Cookie was shocked Carrot Cookie wasn't farming. "Are you waiting for something to hunt?"

"Don't be silly, Beet Cookie," Carrot Cookie replied. "I'm waiting for the groundhog." Carrot Cookie's eyes sparkled and she said the name as if Beet Cookie should known who the groundhog is.

"The groundhog?" Beet Cookie asked curiously. "Who?"

Carrot Cookie looked at her with unforgiving eyes. "You... Don't know the groundhog?"

"The groundhog? Who the heck is that?" Beet Cookie asked suspiciously. "Is that a predatory species? Let me join you in defending the kingdom."

"No! The groundhog is an all-knowing creature. It can control time with its shadow and only its shadow! It's incredible!" the farmer grinned.

"The groundhog... Controls time? With a shadow?" Beet Cookie asked. "That seems unlikely. That's nothing like all the species I know of."

"The groundhog is one of a kind, silly," Carrot Cookie laughed. "Of course it's not in any silly books! Plus it only comes out once per year to bless us cookies with its knowledge."

"Intriguing..." Beet Cookie said. "I will wait here with you."

Beet Cookie didn't show it, but she was excited to see a species she'd never seen before. She was also unknowingly excited to spend time with Carrot Cookie. Sitting next to the farmer, she began to patiently wait for the groundhog to emerge.

...

In the ensuing hour, Beet Cookie became increasingly bored and yet still waited. Carrot Cookie chatted about random things and brought up how hungry she was (very).

"One moment," Beet Cookie said, getting up. "I'm going to make a salad."

"A salad? But- You'd need freshly grown veggies!" Carrot Cookie exclaimed. "You need the proper ingredients."

"I have them around me," the survivalist replied, gesturing to the vegetation around the two. "You said you were hungry. I'm making food. Don't complain."

"I'm not!" Carrot Cookie replied defensively, throwing her hands up. "I'm just throwin' around some advice."

Beet Cookie ignored the statement as she scavenged for ingredients. She found multiple veggies and stashed them onto a flat piece of wood after rinsing it with water. She cleansed the food with water then went back to her spot with Carrot Cookie.

"Bon appetite," Beet Cookie said. "This is more grand than what I'm used to, that's for sure." She handed the food to her companion.

"Aren't you going to have some yourself?" Carrot Cookie asked.

"I'm not hungry. You eat it."

Carrot Cookie did.

...

Another hour had gone by. Beet Cookie felt as if she were rotting away more and more with each passing minute. Carrot Cookie was still excited for the groundhog's arrival.

"Are you sure you really believe in this... groundhog?" Beet Cookie asked. "I mean... It's a groundhog. How could it decipher the future?"

"With the power of farming, that's how," Carrot Cookie answered enthusiastically.

"Isn't there anything else to see how long winter will last? Something besides a groundhog?" Beet Cookie prodded.

"Superstitions are all I have," Carrot Cookie said. "My family told me all about them and that's all I have."

"No school?"

"No school. Just farmin'."

"That's sad."

...

After what seemed like an eternity, the groundhog finally emerged from its den. Carrot Cookie gasped as she scrambled to her feet.

"The groundhog!" she yelped. "It's here!"

"So it does exist," Beet Cookie noted.

"You thought it didn't? I wasn't lying!" Carrot Cookie defended herself.

"Not every cookie is trustworthy," Beet Cookie shrugged. "Anyway, what is this groundhog gonna do?"

"I sure hope that this year we'll have spring soon!" Carrot Cookie cheered. "I can't survive with all this snow. Cookies like Cotton Cookie and Snow Sugar Cookie might love this but I certainly don't!"

The groundhog began to shuffle around and the two grew silent, awaiting the groundhog's wisdom. When moments passed with no shadow seen by the creature, Carrot Cookie grinned and threw her arms up.

"No shadow! Spring will-"

Her cheers stopped as the critter looked at its shadow and ran away. Carrot Cookie just froze while Beet Cookie began to laugh. The farmer crumpled up on the floor and just laid down in anguish.

Beet Cookie wiped the tears from her eyes and began to leave. "That's what happens when you put faith in a groundhog."

Chapter Text

"Oh, Eclair Cookie!" Madeleine Cookie sighed, dramatically leaning against the scholar's table that he was reading at. Eclair Cookie and Madeleine Cookie were in the library since Eclair Cookie was researching history even further. The knight had tagged along just because he needed to talk to someone and he knew Eclair Cookie pretty well.

"I've tried everything to bond with Espresso Cookie! We've gone on journeys together, built a puppet show stage, fought monsters... Yet he still hates me! What am I doing wrong here?" Madeleine Cookie pleaded, the other cookie still looking down at his parchment.

"I don't know Professor Espresso Cookie all too well, so I'm not the one to ask," Eclair Cookie replied, scribbling down more notes. "Perhaps you should ask Professor Latte Cookie. She's his childhood friend."

The knight sighed. "Yes, but... I'm sure you have personal experience with this sort of thing."

Eclair Cookie sharply looked up at the egotistical cookie, pausing his quill's neat movements. "What do you mean?"

"Well... You know, you're an intelligent professor trying to earn the affection of a knight, correct? You're living Espresso Cookie's point of view. What would you want Tea Knight Cookie to do to get your affection?" Madeleine Cookie asked.

"I don't have a... thing for Sir Tea Knight Cookie, if that's what you're implying," Eclair Cookie said, pouting. "But... I would like to get to know him."

"Oh, no! That's not what I meant! I just meant in a friendship way!" Madeleine Cookie panicked. "Y'know, homies!"

"Hm. Well, in response to your question... I think I'd want Sir Tea Knight Cookie to do something with me he hasn't done with anyone else. In a wholesome way, of course. Something... Interesting," the historian replied, returning his attention to his scroll.

"Something interesting! Of course!" Madeleine Cookie exclaimed, earning a hush from the librarian. "Eclair Cookie, you genius!"

With that, the knight ran off confidently. He had a plan in mind for how to earn Espresso Cookie's favor.

...

"What?"

Espresso Cookie stared at Madeleine Cookie in disbelief of his request. What did he mean? Surely he must've heard it wrong. But each time he went over it in his head, he heard the same thing repeatedly. Madeleine Cookie had called the other to a coffee shop and sat him down to talk.

"Are you serious? You're really asking that?!" Espresso Cookie cringed in disgust.

"Of course! It's a nice bonding moment!" Madeleine Cookie grinned. "Eclair Cookie said that to bond, we need to do something you've never done with anyone else. I figured showering fit into that category!"

"Wha- No!" the professor yelled.

"Oh, you have showered with others before? How interesting," Madeleine Cookie remarked.

"No! Why would I ever-? No. Stop," Espresso Cookie scoffed. "Perhaps I misheard you?"

"You heard me loud and clear, Espresso Cookie! Let's shower together like good ol' buddies!" Madeleine Cookie crowed, much to the latter's disgust.

"I don't think you understand the difference between lovers and friends," the teacher huffed, turning to leave. "Now, excuse me. I'm off to work and study."

The knight grabbed Espresso Cookie's arm firmly, not even allowing the other to try to shake him off. "Well, teach me the difference, then! You are a professor!"

Espresso Cookie frowned and clicked his tongue. "I teach Theorems of Coffee Magic, not Lovers Versus Friends 101. Now, please let go of my arm before you crumble me."

Letting go of the other's arm as he requested, Madeleine Cookie laughed and teased, "What kind of teacher only teaches one subject?"

"Every teacher," Espresso Cookie sighed.

"I heard Miss Latte Cookie had taken over a class for you before early on in the year. Does this mean... Latte Cookie is more skilled than you?" he chuckled.

Espresso Cookie tensed up. Madeleine Cookie was taking advantage of his superiority complex and he knew it. Regardless, being beaten by his coworker just wouldn't do.

Furrowing his brows, he spoke. "Well, being in love is complicated. When you're near someone you love, you... You want to be near them and sometimes to wholesomely touch them. You... When you love someone, they mean a lot to you." Espresso Cookie adjusted his glasses, embarrassed. Madeleine Cookie gazed at him in stunned silence, amazed by how kind and gentle his words sounded.

"Are you in love, Espresso Cookie?" Madeleine Cookie asked with a twinkle in his eye. Espresso Cookie jolted in shock before recomposing himself.

The question should've been easy to answer. He should've answered with a swift denial. However, looking at the other cookie, he wasn't quite sure of the answer.

"I... I don't know," the professor stammered. Shaking his head, he cleared his throat. "Well. That settles that. What I do know is that no one showers with their friends."

Madeleine Cookie thought carefully before smiling, showing off his smile that he had practiced many times before. "Now all I have to do is make you fall in love with me."

Espresso Cookie opened his mouth to speak, yet no sound erupted in protest. Instead, he remarked, "I suppose so."

Madeleine Cookie grinned excitedly. "That'll be no trouble at all! For I am the great Madeleine Cookie! A cookie of peace and justice who will soon shower with a great and powerful mage!" He laughed again before running away. Espresso Cookie scrunched up his face and sighed, looking at the coffee Madeleine Cookie had left on their table. He sipped his espresso.

Madeleine Cookie was annoying. Espresso Cookie hated his company. The professor was sure of these facts. Everything about the cookie was obnoxious, loud, and egotistical, all of which were qualities he despised greatly.

He couldn't care less... And yet, his heart beat quickly in his chest as he silently longed for Madeleine Cookie to return.

Chapter Text

"And look! Here are my Wafflebots!" Strawberry Crepe Cookie bragged, pointing to a whole array of machines. They were showing two aquatic cookies, Squid Ink Cookie and Sorbet Shark Cookie, around their workshop. However, they were having a bit of trouble getting a reaction out of either of the two.

Although Strawberry Crepe Cookie's workshop was stuffed with bots, cookie samples, and a bunch of other things, the two cookies wouldn't talk much.

"OOOOoooOOOooooo!" Sorbet Shark Cookie cheered as they admired the craftsmanship. It truly was incredible. Even still, they couldn't communicate with anything other than bubbles.

"Uh, yeah. OOOoooOOOOooo indeed," Strawberry Crepe Cookie chuckled nervously. "Well! Here is my study of cookie ingredients! Look, look! I have Wizard Cookie's right there! And there's GingerBrave's! Oooh! My favorite! Strawberry Cookie!" They held up a diagram of Strawberry Cookie that analyzed each ingredient and mannerism belonging to the shy cookie. "See? Look how pink! I like hers because it looks like mine!"

"Shiny..." Squid Ink Cookie mumbled in a creepy voice.

"...Yes, shiny, right? I could analyze you two! I already have!" Strawberry Crepe Cookie laughed, desperate to impress the two. It seemed like they were a really tough crowd. Really tough. Normally, whenever anyone laid eyes upon their grand robots, they'd applaud and compliment them. They wouldn't blow bubbles or say only one word. They'd praise them for their incredible engineering and wit! Why weren't these cookies doing the same? How odd! Strawberry Crepe Cookie stayed determined to wow them.

Throughout the tour, Strawberry Crepe Cookie talked on and on about their mechanical advances and incredible bots that terrorized a town. However, Sorbet Shark Cookie and Squid Ink Cookie refused to speak any actual sentences. Strawberry Crepe Cookie clicked their tongue as they watched them look around with no appreciation for what they were saying.

"Why the heck won't you two say anything?!" Strawberry Crepe Cookie snapped angrily, pointing at the two as they turned to face them. Their faces were surprised. Sorbet Shark Cookie relaxed and tried to explain.

"OOOOOooooOOooo..." they said, motioning with their hands. "OOOOooOOooooo! OOoooOOooo."

"No, not EEEEeeUUUgGGHhh or whatever! Tell me my inventions are great like every other cookie has! Stop gurgling! Don't you know how to talk?!" Strawberry Crepe Cookie yelled, crossing their arms.

"OOOOoooOOOOooo. OOoooooOoo," Sorbet Shark Cookie replied, once again attempting to signal something with their hands. "OOoooO."

"Can't... say..." Squid Ink Cookie mumbled, obviously nervous. "Not... good..."

"Uh, yeah! You're 'not good' at talking! You two are such a bore! Even more boring than GingerBrave! I can't deal with this!" Strawberry Crepe Cookie yelled. "Can't you say anything?!"

"OOoooooOOOOO!" Sorbet Shark Cookie bubbled aggressively. "OOOOOOOO!"

"Stop gurgling! I already said that, you weird pirate!" the inventor huffed. "Tell me my inventions are great! Tell me I'm a genius! Get on your knees and worship me for all I care! Just something! Something good!"

"No... knees..." the squid whispered. "Tentacles..."

"GAH! You two are so annoying! I hate you both!" Strawberry Crepe Cookie yelled. "I should've never invited you two here! You don't even speak! You know how many cookies would love to be here? In the workshop of a genius?"

The inventor huffed and stomped away. The two cookies behind them stared at them.

When Strawberry Crepe Cookie was about to leave, Sorbet Shark Cookie threw a paper airplane at them.

"Hey! What do you...!" they screeched. They unfolded the airplane and found a note inside.

Hi. I can only talk when I'm actually a shark. Sorry! I really like your robots, though. They remind me of ships. But I guess everything reminds me of ships. Anyway, I don't know what the deal is with Squid Ink Cookie. I guess they were in the ocean for a while so maybe they don't know English.

"You... You like my inventions?" the latter asked, a twinkle in their eye.

Sorbet Shark Cookie nodded. "OOoooooOO!"

"Of course you do!" they laughed. "Have fun going home on your own! I'm off to explore! Bye!"

Strawberry Crepe Cookie ran away quickly, secretly enlightened by the fact that they'd earned Sorbet Shark Cookie's favor.

Chapter Text

Princess Cookie sighed happily, taking in the lovely aroma of the royal garden's flowers. She was taking a stroll with her protector and, as of recent events, boyfriend, Knight Cookie. They were at the same bench they had become a couple on. Both cookies were ecstatic to be in a relationship with the other after such an extensive history of loving them yet only being friends.

Today, the knight and princess were both going to explore the kingdom as a date. The idea was certainly exciting. In fact, it was so exciting that Tiger Lily Cookie tagged along!

Knight Cookie and Princess Cookie didn't have anything against Tiger Lily Cookie. They were both fond of her, in fact. However, the idea of anyone tagging along on their first date felt troublesome. Neither expressed this, though.

"Isn't the garden just wonderful, Knighty?" Princess Cooke questioned her lover. His gaze quickly shifted from a bush to her and he nodded dutifully.

"Of course, your highness," Knight Cookie agreed.

She giggled, her voice as sharp and melodic as a wind chime. "No need to be so formal! Lighten up a bit. It's our first date! Isn't that exciting?"

Making his girlfriend laugh once more, he replied, "Of cou- Sure."

"You're so cute sometimes, Knighty!" she complimented.

"Stop that," he huffed, his face warming. He'd been complimented by the princess many times but the fact the sweet sayings were officially romantic made him flush.

Suddenly, Tiger Lily Cookie emerged from the rose bush along with her tiger. "Raaar!" she roared at the two, intending no harm. Despite the couple knowing she wasn't trying to hurt them, they couldn't help but jolt in shock from the surprise.

"Oh, hello, Tiger Lily Cookie!" Princess Cookie greeted, patting Knight Cookie on the back to signal he should wave. "Are you ready for the trip of a lifetime?"

The wild cookie nodded vigorously. "Excited to... travel!"

Princess Cookie smiled at this, glad her friend also enjoyed adventure as she did. Since Knight Cookie was always so cautious, it felt nice to have a friend who was more wild.

"Well, I'm hungry! Let's get something at the bakery, hm?" she suggested. The other two nodded in agreement.

...

At the bakery, the princess had only gotten a mere piece of bread for herself since she didn't want to get too full in case there were exciting adventures involving a lot of movement. The cookies in the store gasped at her presence but carried on with their days anyway.

Knight Cookie and Tiger Lily Cookie hadn't gotten any food for themselves. The two just hung around while Princess Cookie ate her food. The princess had seen Tiger Lily Cookie chow down on a piece of meat earlier, so she wasn't concerned. On the other hand, she felt pity by looking at the knight's face, knowing he hadn't eaten breakfast. She decided her beloved not eating just wouldn't do.

"Say 'ahh!'" the royal cookie grinned, tearing off a piece of her bread and holding it in front of Knight Cookie's mouth. The flushed latter's face turned a warm shade of red but accepted the food, thinking it'd be rude and downright criminal to decline food from the princess. Then again, maybe he just liked being fed by his cool girlfriend.

"Thank yo- Thanks," he thanked with a wavering smile. "It's delicious."

"Knighty, if you think a little piece of bread is delicious, we have some problems," Princess Cookie frowned, placing a hand on her hip. "I need to sneak you more food. Or convince my dad to just let you eat with us normally."

"That's not necess- You don't need to," Knight Cookie laughed. "Thank you for the offer, your hi- Princess Cookie." Tiger Lily Cookie looked back and forth between the two with interest sparkling in her eyes.

"Why... care... much?" she asked with her raspy voice. The couple looked at her, a bit surprised. They softened after a few moments.

"Well, we love each other. I think that's all it is!" Princess Cookie chuckled. "Love does do strange things to cookies, doesn't it?"

"Indeed, your highness," Knight Cookie laughed in reply. "I'm not complaining, though! I'd never-"

"Again, why are you so formal?" Princess Cookie scolded. "Lighten up!"

"Sorry," he sighed. "You're the princess, though. Shouldn't I be formal?"

"No! I'm your princess, sure, but I'm also your girlfriend! Isn't that more important?" she asked, tapping the center of his face (where his nose would be if he had one).

The knight scratched his head for a moment then answered, "Politically, no-"

"Pup-up-up! Not to me! To me, our relationship is more important!" Princess Cookie smiled brightly, making her lover smile as well. Tiger Lily Cookie admired this bond and smiled. But then she thought - were they defying the law then? ...No matter! Love! Defying laws was fine!

"Sweet..." Tiger Lily Cookie commented, touched by the display of affection between the two. "How... do I... love? What... even... is love?"

The other two were surprised by the question. They should've known the answer super quickly, yet none came out.

It seemed like many cookies were having difficulties defining love while eating with a friend this month.

(Please see Shower With a Friend Day.)

"I think..." Knight Cookie began. "That love is just something that maybe not everyone knows they are feeling or have. Being in love means you want to protect and be near the person you love. It means... You love every moment with them. You feel safe near them. That's what love is... I think so, anyway."

"Aww, you're so cute, Knighty!" Princess Cookie cooed, landing a kiss on the other's cheek. "Now, let's head off to the orchard! I want to make some homemade stew with jellyberries! Maybe we'll meet some people there, yes?"

"Perhaps," Knight Cookie daydreamed, "there will be a professor questioning his opinions on a chaotic knight."

"That's silly," Princess Cookie laughed. "Maybe. That'd be interesting. Or maybe... A bard singing to himself about a necromancer that has stolen his heart."

"Maid..." Tiger Lily Cookie mumbled. "Ghosts... love her employer!"

"A maid loving her employer?" Princess Cookie exclaimed. "How exciting! Well, only time will tell if any of these theories are correct!"

"Correc- Right," her boyfriend nodded.

Linking arms with both of her companions, the princess grinned. "Let us depart to the orchard in search of berries and distraught cookies!"

Chapter Text

Espresso Cookie flipped another page of his book that he'd been reading for quite a while. It was about the history of the Vanilla Kingdom. The information wasn't new to him, of course, but he did need something to pass the time and get him off of his mind. The leaves of the jellyberry tree rustled above him and the aroma of the fruit wafted in front of his face. He never gave into the fruit's teases and his eyes stayed on the pages of his book.

You see, Espresso Cookie was in the middle of a bit of a crisis at the time. Recently, he had met at the cafe with Madeleine Cookie for what he assumed was only a cup of coffee. Instead, the knight had asked for Espresso Cookie to shower with him. The request had surprised the professor greatly and he was still in shock. How could any cookie make such a request?

Even if Madeleine Cookie was the most obnoxious and annoying cookie he'd every met, Espresso Cookie couldn't get him out of his mind. He was disgusted at himself for allowing such a horrid cookie to capture his thoughts like how he did, but no matter how much he scolded himself for it, the image of the knight stayed in his head.

It goes without saying Espresso Cookie had a bit of trouble staying focused. Each turn of a page was difficult. What would he do to cure this sickness? How could such a dull cookie cast such a powerful curse?

His thoughts were interrupted when he saw a knight standing by the tree. This knight wasn't Madeleine Cookie, but the professor thought he was. Panicking, he let out a soft yelp. The knight, Knight Cookie, looked at him with confused wide eyes. Espresso Cookie felt his body warm after realizing how dumb his actions were.

"Excuse me," he sputtered in apology, standing up to read elsewhere. Knight Cookie looked at him fondly.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm quite alright, thank you," Espresso Cookie scoffed. "Now, if you pleas-"

"I'm Knight Cookie," the soldier interrupted accidentally. Placing a hand over his mouth, he stayed silent for a moment. "Apologies. I- I didn't mean to interrupt you."

Espresso Cookie smirked at how much respect the knight gave him. It was refreshing after being disrespected by so many other cookies.

"My name is Espresso Cookie," he replied. "What's a knight like you doing here in the orchard?"

"Ah, yes. My princess- er, girlfriend dragged a friend of mine and I along here. She ordered me to come pick from this tree," Knight Cookie answered, a twinkle in his eye. "It's for a date, but she doesn't seem to be too interested in romance right now."

"Intriguing," Espresso Cookie nodded, sitting back down. "Don't let me stop you. Carry on."

And so, Knight Cookie picked berries from the tree swiftly and accurately. Espresso Cookie could tell he was athletic and trained hard each day. After the tree was bare and Knight Cookie's basket was full, the knight plopped down right next to Espresso Cookie.

"You seem distracted," Knight Cookie noted. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Mm, well," Espresso Cookie hummed, debating whether to tell the knight or not. Finally, he decided to vent to him. "You're a knight with a talented, incredible partner - the princess. How did you know she liked you?"

"She told me," Knight Cookie shrugged. "But if you're asking for advice... Well, if your knight 'friend' is more outgoing and crazy, maybe just go along with him. Something nice could happen."

"What if... I don't know. What if he asks me to shower with him? I go along with that too?" Espresso Cookie asked, waving his hands.

"Maybe, if you want," Knight Cookie said, standing up. "Her highness is probably waiting for me. But if you'd like my advice... It sounds like this knight really likes you. Just telling him could help, I think."

Espresso Cookie slowly nodded in return then waved goodbye. "Thank you," he said. "Your help is appreciated."

"Of course," the soldier replied with a grin. "Just treat that knight well. We work hard to please the people we love."

Knight Cookie then scampered away in search of his princess. Little did he know, she was having her own mini adventure.

...

Clover Cookie sat on a tree stump, strumming his lute gently. He was trying to find the right melody. The melody that would convey what he was thinking was what he was seeking for. Yet nothing seemed right. Nothing would convey the magician's grin, "evil" laugh, hard work and efforts. No notes could describe the undeniable love he felt.

Why did he have to fall in love?

His whole life, he'd told himself his music was the most important thing to him. But ever since the lost cookie had asked him for help after being abandoned by his mushroom friend, they'd hung out more and more often to the point where Licorice Cookie fell asleep in the musician's arms. That was the moment Clover Cookie knew that he was smitten.

The funny thing was that there wasn't too much greatness that was plain to see about Licorice Cookie. His voice sounded silly, his outfit was ragged, and his plans never seemed to work. However, underneath the surface, Licorice Cookie was a hard worker, skilled necromancer, and somewhat caring in his own special way. Although many speculated Clover Cookie would be the type to love someone like Herb Cookie, they couldn't be more wrong. The one Clover Cookie loved was a chaotic mage who didn't get enough recognition as a wizard.

Sighing, he was about to give up on finding the perfect tune. He decided to give it one more go. Taking a deep breath, he began to improvise.

"I think we could do it if we tried," he sang softly. "If only to say you're mine."

Pausing, he thought again to dream up another set of notes and lyrics.

"Lico, you know that you and I shouldn't feel like a crime," he sung once more. He smiled, glad he found some sort of tune for his emotions.

He paused to think again and looked at the cloudless sky above him. When he looked back down, he saw a cookie dressed in a pink gown looking at him in awe. He recognized her face quickly - Princess Cookie!

"Y-your highness!" he greeted. "Why, hello! What brings you to the orchard?"

"I'm picking berries with some companions of mine. We've split to find our own trees. But as you can see, I've finished my job," she said, gesturing to her full berry basket. "And your singing was just so lovely! I couldn't help but follow it."

"Thank you," he smiled. "I'm trying to come up with a song about a cookie very dear to my heart. I might be doing well now."

"I can tell," Princess Cookie complimented. "Are you dating them yet?"

"Hm? Ah, no. He's much too busy with... work and all. But he does come over to my house sometimes!" Clover Cookie informed.

"That's great," Princess Cookie remarked. "Does he like your music?"

"I haven't sung for him yet, actually," Clover Cookie blushed. "He'd probably think I'm cheesy."

"Hm. If he says that, he's lying. As someone in a relationship, if my boyfriend sang to me, that'd be totally romantic!" the princess grinned dreamily. "I'm not sure he's much of a singer. I've never heard him sing before, actually. But if you are trained, use it!"

"Perhaps..." the bard smiled. "Thank you. Maybe I will sing for him."

"That's great!" she clapped. "It'll be so sweet. Make sure to do it at the right time. Maybe at a lake! At night! With candles! And flowers! That'd be so cute, y'know?"

The royal cookie's enthusiasm overwhelmed the musician, but he nodded, thankful for her advice.

"Thank you again for your help, your highness," he bowed.

"Oh, please. Call me Princess Cookie!" she laughed, shaking his hand. "Contact my castle after the date. I want to know everything."

"You sound just like my friend Parfait Cookie," Clover Cookie chuckled. "Licorice Cookie introduced me to her. He helps her with concerts."

"The singer? That's incredible! I love that for you!" Princess Cookie exclaimed. "Maybe I won't fit into the trio, but I hope you think of me as a friend!"

"I do," Clover Cookie grinned. "Certainly."

...

Tiger Lily Cookie was about to head back to her friends' meeting spot when she spotted Blackberry Cookie and Onion Cookie.

"Mom..." Onion Cookie sobbed. "Why... Are there so many cookies?"

"This is not a private area like the mansion is," the maid replied. "We are just here to gather ingredients for tonight's dinner. Do not fret, we will return home soon."

"Okay..." the child nodded.

Tiger Lily Cookie was shocked. How was she seeing a ghost? She just growled softly and picked up her basket. She was stopped when the young cookie spoke again.

"Mom... Are you... in love with Adventurer Cookie?" she asked curiously. The maid looked a bit surprised for a moment before returning to her blank expression.

"I do not know, Onion Cookie," Blackberry Cookie answered solemnly. "Let us both hope we find out soon."

The ghostly cookie nodded and clutched her doll tightly. "It... would be nice... to have a dad," she sniffed as she rubbed her eyes.

"I will remember that," Blackberry Cookie nodded.

Tiger Lily Cookie realized their conversation was done and returned to the meeting spot where her friends waited.

...

"What a nice day that was!" Princess Cookie sighed. "I helped a bard with some love problems, too!"

"No way. I helped a professor guy with love," Knight Cookie replied.

"Heard... maid..." Tiger Lily Cookie remarked.

"Looks like we're all wingswomen here," Princess Cookie laughed.

"I'm a guy," Knight Cookie reminded her.

"Oh please, you know that if later tonight I asked you to wear a skirt or something you would. That's crossdressing and not being a woman, but like... Y'know," Princess Cookie teased.

"I- Uh..." Knight Cookie flushed. His girlfriend ruffled his blonde hair and giggled.

"You're so sweet. Now let's go make some stew!"

Chapter Text

"I think it's about time that was your last drink," Herb Cookie said, observing the obviously drunk cookie in front of him, Vampire Cookie. "You can't even lift your arms!"

"Why so serious? Just relax," he replied. "Sparkling Cookie, get this man some grape juice. He needs to lighten up."

Herb Cookie huffed. Today in the bar, only Sparkling Cookie, Vampire Cookie, and Herb Cookie were present. Mint Choco Cookie was on a date with Cocoa Cookie at a different restaurant, but the crew didn't dare to judge. They knew that Sparkling Cookie's bar was not exactly the most formal place and that it was reasonable to take the more appropriate approach to the date. Vampire Cookie's drinking problems also didn't help.

The important thing was that Herb Cookie and Sparkling Cookie were stuck taking care of Vampire Cookie, who was impossibly difficult to contain. Sparkling Cookie sighed and shook his head.

"Sorry, but I think you have had a bit too much grape juice for the night," Sparkling Cookie agreed. "It's for the best if you lay down for a while."

"I don't want to! It's so early," Vampire Cookie pouted.

"Enough grape juice!" Herb Cookie ordered. "You have too much."
"Nah..." the drunken cookie responded lazily.

"How are we going to get him to stop?" Herb Cookie wondered out loud, looking at the bartender.

"I just won't give him drinks," he answered back.

"He's going to bother us all night, then."

"Mmm... That's true. What could possibly get him to relax?"

"I don't know. Usually, Mint Choco Cookie plays him a song or something. Too bad he's not here..."

"I sure hope he's enjoying himself with Cocoa Cookie."

...

"Oh, Mint Choco Cookie! This place, it- it's lovely!" Cocoa Cookie cooed, admiring the restaurant.

They were seated outdoors in a table by a corner. They both sat on the bench that turned at a ninety degree angle, making them sit right by each other, their shoulders touching. The sky was littered with fairy lights on strings hanging above their heads as they gave off a gentle light. Plants accented empty corners and flowers budded from their branches. Needless to say, it was a very romantic and calming atmosphere.

"Only the best for you, my dear Cocoa Cookie," Mint Choco Cookie smiled warmly.

"You're too good to me," she blushed, pecking him on the cheek. "By the way, you look dashing tonight."

Mint Choco Cookie blushed as his girlfriend lovingly poked him on the chest. "I try my best. You look divine as well."

Cocoa Cookie beamed and took another sip of her drink. She had made an exception to try a drink other than cocoa and was actually quite enjoying her grape juice.

"I wonder how your friends at the bar are doing, hm?" Cocoa Cookie pondered. "It's really a chaotic group over there. How do you keep them all under control, my love?"

"Ah... I- I don't know, really," Mint Choco Cookie stammered. "I hope they're alright."

...

Later with the others, Vampire Cookie was attempting to run away into the streets. Sparkling Cookie and Herb Cookie were desperately holding him back in a panic.

"Gah! I wish Mint Choco Cookie was here!" Sparkling Cookie pleaded. "Vampire Cookie, just stay in the bar for now! We can take you home in a bit!"

"Nah..." Vampire Cookie giggled, hiccuping. He stepped on Herb Cookie's foot, making him grab it in pain and letting the drunken cookie run off.

"No!" Herb Cookie yelled, reaching out to grab Vampire Cookie's arm but missing.

"Hello, cookies!" he yelled, drawing attention from many.

"Oh god..." Sparkling Cookie facepalmed.

Just as Vampire Cookie was about to yell again, a certain couple were returning from their romantic dinner on their way home. Cocoa Cookie was littering Mint Choco Cookie's face and neck with kisses as she led her boyfriend to her home to stay the night. He spotted his friend on the street and ran up to him, seeming to know exactly what to do.

Mint Choco Cookie held Vampire Cookie's shoulders firmly and began to sing a soft lullaby. Vampire Cookie stopped screaming and relaxed into Mint Choco Cookie's touch. The others were shocked at how easily the musician calmed down the other.

"Oh my, he's incredible," Cocoa Cookie muttered in a whispered voice. "I'm so lucky to have him."

Vampire Cookie had calmed by the end of the song and Mint Choco Cookie led him over to Herb Cookie and Sparkling Cookie.

"Thanks," Sparkling Cookie laughed. "We were on the verge of disaster just then."

"So you were," Mint Choco Cookie chuckled. "I go on one date and Vampire Cookie is about to commit a war crime."

"Speaking of which, how'd it go?" Herb Cookie piped up.

"Ah, it was great! Cocoa Cookie is about to take me to her house to stay the night right now, actually," Mint Choco Cookie winked.

"Mm, cool," Sparkling Cookie laughed. "Have fun."

"I'm sure I will. Will you two get him to his home?" Mint Choco Cookie asked.

"Yeah," Herb Cookie nodded. "You and Cocoa Cookie are so cute together! I wish I had a cookie to love like that."

Mint Choco Cookie clicked his tongue and sighed. "You have two perfectly charming single cookies your age near you, and yet you still look for love elsewhere."

"Huh?" Sparkling Cookie, Herb Cookie, and Vampire Cookie interjected in surprise.

Cocoa Cookie grabbed Mint Choco Cookie's arm as she came up behind him. "Hello, gentlecookies! If you don't mind, I'd like to get Mint Choco Cookie here right back to my house right about now. It's pretty late to be up."

"I guess," Sparkling Cookie shrugged. "Well, alright! See you! Enjoy your evening together."

Herb Cookie nodded in agreement as Vampire Cookie gave a lazy wave with his charming smile plastered upon his face.

Chapter Text

Cocoa Cookie waited anxiously in the audience as she anticipated the start of the concert. The lights were bright, making her brown dough shimmer. Her dress was her typical ballroom gown; red with gold and white accents along with her crown. The extravagant dress laid across her seat in the front row. She fiddled with her fingers as she waited for Mint Choco Cookie to come onstage.

They'd spent the night together the day before and he'd left early that morning to prepare for the concert. Even if they'd spent plenty of quality time together yesterday, it saddened Cocoa Cookie to not be able to see her beloved, especially when they'd slept in the same bed.

The musician didn't know it, but Cocoa Cookie had fallen asleep quite late and had gazed at the other for hours. She had been relaxed by the gentle rhythm of his breaths. It seemed as if everything he did was a unique piece of music, each beautiful and symphonic. Yet another thing to love about Mint Choco Cookie, she supposed.

As she waited, she thought of last year's concert. Last year... It was certainly a spectacle. She had run everywhere for every Cookie she came across and missed the concert as a result. She'd always known it was important to help others, but the thought of her missing her dear boyfriend's concert just felt strange. Luckily, this time, she was here to see him perform.

How she loved his music! His bow swaying back and forth to the notes, his fingers moving up and down, and, most importantly, how he opened his eyes and smiled thoughtfully to the audience after the music piece concluded. Oh, how she loved his smile! His half-lidded eyes and the way his mouth curved just felt as if all the other sights didn't matter. Any other monument was irrelevant, for she would have the greatest masterpiece in front of her.

What did she love the most about the end? She loved how, just for a moment, a second, maybe even shorter, the musician would look at her and nod before speaking once more to the whole crowd or simply continuing to the next piece. The way his sparkling mint eyes interlocked with hers sent a shiver down her spine.

No words could describe the love she felt for Mint Choco Cookie.

...

While Cocoa Cookie anticipated the performance from the front row, Mint Choco Cookie straightened his bow tie in the mirror and combed back his hair. He had to make sure he looked his best. Not only because it was an important concert, but also because he was having dinner with his beloved yet again. She'd insisted on having another dinner after having "such a spectacular time" the night before, and who was Mint Choco Cookie to say no? After all, he would always enjoy time with his girlfriend.

A stage manager entered the green room and said, "Three minutes, places."

"Three minutes, thank you," Mint Choco Cookie nodded. He took one final glance at himself in the mirror before heading off to go take his place onstage.

Knowing that Cocoa Cookie was going to be in the audience warmed his heart but also made his palms shake a bit. What if he messed up in front of her? Would she berate him for it? But he knew Cocoa Cookie would never insult him as well as he knew she was only going to use their dinner date to ramble about how "incredible" he was.

Sighing, he smiled as the curtain pulled up, instrument in hand.

...

After the concert, Cocoa Cookie smothered Mint Choco Cookie with kisses and hugged him, overwhelming him. He only managed to return one kiss, but she didn't seem to mind at all and only began to compliment him.

"Oh, Mint Choco Cookie! You were so lovely out there!" Cocoa Cookie began, then started to ramble on and on. Mint Choco Cookie's face warmed and he cupped his girlfriend's face. Before she started her tenth sentence, he covered her lips and pecked her on the lips.

"I love you too," he said gently, before grabbing her hand. "Now let's go to dinner, shall we?"

Cocoa Cookie's brown eyes brightened and looked at her lover's eyes. "Yes! I'd love to!"

With that, the two lovers exited the lobby and departed to the restaurant, where they'd have dinner together yet again.

Chapter Text

Red Velvet Cookie strolled around the kingdom with Chiffon, his dear pet cake hound. He was typically intimidating around Cookies but was rather kind to cake hounds. He loved training them each day to be soldiers as well as hugging them when they all had a break.

As the Cookie walked, he spotted a cake hound alone on the street with crumbs around it. He gasped softly and rushed over to the animal.

"Who hurt you?" he muttered. He squatted down to pet him gently. Chiffon sat by his side. It sickened him to think such cruel people would actually abandon animals on their own. Didn't they understand how much cake hounds adored their owners? How revolting were they to have the audacity to leave a poor cake hound alone. Luckily, Cookies like Red Velvet Cookie were sweet enough to take the animals in.

Chiffon rubbed against Red Velvet Cookie's leg. The stranded cake hound looked at him with sorrowful eyes that reminded him of his own. Red Velvet Cookie wanted to prevent the animal from going through the same abandonment he had, therefore making a decision.

"Come now," he sighed. "I'll take you back to the Tower of Chaos."

The stranded dog lit up with joy and leaped into his arms. Red Velvet Cookie gasped but didn't yell at the cake hound like he would with others. The animal had clearly gone through enough already.

"I think you'll like it at the tower," he said. "It's not perfect, but it's home. Just like how you cake hounds aren't perfect, but you all are way better than any Cookie I've ever met."

Chapter Text

Blackberry Cookie sat by the fireplace in a reasonably fuzzy black chair with a book in hand. On a table next to her were candles and a mug of hot cocoa to comfort her in the cold atmosphere of the room. Her book wasn't exactly interesting, but what else was she expected to do other than read? Her whole life had been a series of elegant party outfits and slightly yellow pages gently turning over in her lap. Besides, the quiet noise the paper made with each turn was comforting. Flip, flip, flip.

Getting irritated by the book and its boring romance plot, they looked outside the window. Snow covered the fields. Sighing, she shut the book and took another sip of her drink.

Blackberry Cookie was a cookie that little to none were able to read. Her face stayed in the same emotionless form almost all the time. Although her face stayed still in any situation, she did experience emotion. She just didn't know how to show it without feeling awkward or embarrassed.

In her formal upbringings that didn't allow much besides reading and attending parties, she didn't know much about adventuring or wild magic besides the knowledge she'd gained from the words in her books. As a result, she'd taken a liking to braver cookies just because of how intriguing their actions were to her. Another hobby she took a liking to was caring for the young cookies of the kingdom, just so she could give them the free childhood that she had never experienced for herself. She convinced herself that she was only associating with these cookies to look out for them. But deep down, a rebellious spark resided, ready to let loose at any minute, if needed, for the sake of her newfound friends.

Suddenly, a cry filled her ears. Her body jolted, disturbed by the loud break of silence that had filled the old and gothic mansion for so long. The yell became louder, and the voice became recognizable - Onion Cookie, a respectable cookie in Blackberry Cookie's right opinion. Letting out a small huff, she placed down her book and minced into the young cookie's room.

When she arrived, Onion Cookie's face lit up, but tears still flowed down her cheeks. She reached out her arms to the maid, who embraced her.

"A-Adventurer Cookie told me about scary monsters he saw on his adventurers, a-and... I-in my dream, I saw them!"

"You saw the monsters?" she inquired, with Onion Cookie only nodding as a response. Blackberry Cookie furrowed her brows, making a mental note to scold her employer later. As much as she admired the cookie for his bravery, he had no right to scare Onion Cookie so much that she couldn't sleep. Instead of expressing this to the child, she just nodded to hide their emotions.

"Do not worry, Onion Cookie," she comforted, embracing her once more, slowly rubbing her back in circles. "If I stay and protect you from the monsters, will you go to sleep?"

Onion Cookie perked up at the suggestion, and she even wiped a tear away to be able to have clear vision. Then she asked, "Will you tell a story too?"

Blackberry Cookie's heart warmed from knowing that she comforted this normally terrified cookie, but of course, she kept her cool and replied, "Of course."

Onion Cookie's eyes twinkled with joy as she hopped back into her bed and pulled the blanket over her body. Blackberry Cookie sat in a chair nearby and began to recite a tale her employer's mother had told her long ago, when she was a freshly-baked Cookie.

Little did she know, in Onion Cookie's head, the tale was playing out a bit differently. The ghost did have a nice imagination, after all.

...

Back many years ago, there lived a young Cookie who spent her days cleaning for her cruel family
Back many years ago, there lived a young Cookie who spent her days cleaning for her cruel family. Her name was Blackberry Cookie, a kind cookie who worked hard for her grandmother and two stepsisters. Despite her efforts, her family never appreciated her efforts to please. She always was beat down physically and mentally by her family. Regardless, she never gave in to their negativity and found comfort in the three ghosts that secretly tagged along with her.

One day, the household received news that a party was being held at a rich family's home that was open to all. The family had a frisky son named Adventurer Cookie, who loved to explore the woods around his home. The family's house was more of a mansion, really. The family was bright and cheery, which was a contrast to their old, dusty gothic mansion. They were in search of even more fun as well as a possible friend for the youngest Cookie.

Blackberry Cookie's sisters and grandmother were ecstatic about the news, quickly jumping to getting gowns and jewelry for the night's party. Blackberry Cookie didn't pay much mind to her family's excitement and stayed in her room, which was in the attic, and read. The only time she minded the party was when she had to help her family prepare.

However, when she heard of how dusty the family's mansion was, she decided she had to depart in secret along with her family to clean a bit during the party. Although she lived in the attic, she always kept it clean in her free time that wasn't spent reading a classical novel. The thought of a dusty house made her brain itch. The cleaning work she had done for her family relaxed her, even if it was enforced in such an evil way.

That night, Blackberry Cookie dressed in her best dress, a black dress with a white collar that went just below her knees. She also wore a dark, smoky purple cardigan and two black heels. It was a bit raggedy, but she figured she had to fit in somewhat with the other party guests.

She clung onto the back of her family's carriage as they left, her ghosts following as well. Her hands grew exhausted from gripping onto the back of the vehicle, but she didn't dare to let go.

When they arrived at the mansion, Blackberry Cookie quickly hid behind a tombstone that was creepily placed in the front yard. She knew the ground's dirt would ruin her dress, but getting caught sneaking out would be the end of her.

As soon as she knew they were inside the home by the clicking of their heels, she snuck in. She knew not to crawl or anything of the sort. Instead, she folded her two hands together in front of her thighs and walked in quietly. She was rather short, so she didn't stick out. Pulling out a duster, she began to clean dirty spaces such as corners. Her ghost friends kept close to her as they always did.

With each sweep, the home became a bit cleaner. Cookies at the party had noticed her and she began to be a bit of a mystery. Who was the Cookie who didn't say a word for the whole party cleaning in the corner?

Soon, Adventurer Cookie approached the cleaning Cookie. The two began to have a light conversation. It was mostly the young master rambling on and on as he followed her, just like the ghosts did.

Adventurer Cookie talked for so long that the party was over soon. He waved goodbye to the mysterious Cookie, still not knowing her name.

Blackberry Cookie saw her family nearing where she stood to exit, so she quickly ran down the front door's stairs and hid behind another grave, leaving behind a raven black heel. She covered her mouth carefully. Getting caught would be such a shame, especially after such a divine evening of cleaning.

However, when she stood up, her family's carriage had disappeared. They'd left her at the mansion without any other carriages to hop onto. What a mess. Blackberry Cookie stood in shock, her face dirty, and a once clean white sock now dirtied. She stayed silent and didn't move a limb.

A hand was placed on her shoulder, surprising her a bit. She turned to see Adventurer Cookie looking at her curiously. Without a word, he led her inside and placed her black heel back onto her foot when she sat down.

The young master spoke to his mother about the small Cookie and asked if the family could take her in. Fortunately, his mother nodded. There had to be someone keeping the home clean. Perhaps she could be of company to the young Cookie as well?

Perhaps she could be of company to the young Cookie as well?
... The ghost closed her eyes as she sighed. Her rendition of Cookierella was a lot better than what the original was, she thought. Worn out, she fell into a deep sleep quickly. Blackberry Cookie gave a gentle smile and kissed her goodnight on the forehead.

Blackberry Cookie then quietly exited the room, her black heels softly clicking against the wooden floor.

Chapter Text

Eclair Cookie's museum had been standing for a while now, filled to the brim with dusty artifacts. Each shelf and podium had a significant relic from Cookie history upon it, whether it be a whole Wafflebot or just a regular pair of gardening shears from the Hollyberry Kingdom. Scrolls filled the shelves as well, each written by a historical figure or the museum director himself. Eclair Cookie spent his days frolicking away in libraries and planning lessons.

He was always a bit awkward, making his lessons a bit of trouble, but whenever he was near a relic or an important Cookie, such as Tea Knight Cookie, he was energetic and talked for forever. Because of his introverted tendencies, he loved when his museum was quiet, the sounds of rustling scrolls the only noises. What was always more intriguing than what is.

Eclair Cookie also had a similar schedule each and every day. He either woke up, got ready, went to the museum, went home, then went to bed, on weekends, or woke up, got ready, went to work, went home, then went to bed, on weekdays.

Today was a typical day as well. Eclair Cookie was peeking around a dusty library that he hadn't yet read every book in since it was a weekend. He'd already read everything about Tea Knight Cookie, dragons, the Hollyberry Kingdom, and Pure Vanilla Cookie. His next step was to read about coffee magic to see what Espresso Cookie was always going on and on about. He did want to be more appealing to his fellow professor, after all. Maybe learning more about his craft would make him more of a pleasing acquaintance?

Just as he was about to pick up a coffee magic book, another brown hand placed down on the same book. When he looked up, he recognized a colleague of his - Latte Cookie! A skilled, charismatic professor who he admired for being so social yet intelligent. What luck that a coffee-based Cookie was there when he was about to read about coffee magic.

"Eclair Cookie!" she greeted, patting her co-worker on the back. "How are you? You're studying coffee magic? What's this about? You want to learn coffee magic?" Latte Cookie spewed out so many questions that Eclair Cookie couldn't form answers for. Before he could respond, she said, "I can teach you."

"A-ah, hello Latte Cookie," he finally sputtered. "No, I wasn't trying to learn coffee magic. Apologies. I just..." He rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed. "I wanted to be more appealing to Sir Espresso Cookie. Is that... Oh, never mind. It was stupid, anyway."

"Oh, come on! Don't be so shy!" Latte Cookie laughed. Eclair Cookie was about to hush her since the two were in the library but figured it could be rude. "But seriously - Espresso Cookie of all Cookies? He's been distracted with Madeleine Cookie for a while now."

"Is that so? Sir Madeleine Cookie came seeking aid from me not too long ago trying to bond with Professor Espresso Cookie," Eclair Cookie mused. "Something must be going on between the two."

Latte Cookie giggled, placing a hand over her mouth. "The two most definitely have something to work out."

"I'd agree," Eclair Cookie laughed in reply. The two Cookies looked at each other for a bit with cheesy grins.

"What if you and I hang out for the day?" Latte Cookie suggested, her eyes sparkling. Eclair Cookie hummed a bit at this.

"And leave the library? Well, I want to-" Eclair Cookie paused to find a better reason. "You must busy. An engagement with Detective Almond Cookie, perhaps? Planning lessons?"

"Almond Cookie is always so busy, that'd be impossible. And I'm all prepared for the week," she answered. "Come on! Today's the day you can stop doing the same old stuff!"

Eclair Cookie thought about this. Surely... He could take a break, right? Maybe one day off wouldn't be so terrible, especially with a sweet Cookie like Latte Cookie.

"Hm... Okay," he caved at last. "I'll hang out with you."

"Yes!" she cheered quietly. "Let's get out of this library and maybe... Go to the cafe? Maybe the diner?"

"The diner would be divine," Eclair Cookie nodded. "I could go for a burger right about now."

"A burger?" Latte Cookie questioned as they began to walk to the exit side by side. "I thought you'd only like fancy things like macarons and croissants."

"Ideally, yes. But I do enjoy a good burger from time to time!" he responded.

Soon, they both arrived at the Jampie Diner. The duo had been chatting endlessly about their classes, students, and everyday life. Latte Cookie had been shocked at Eclair Cookie's schedule. So much reading and no relaxing! It certainly reminded her of her brother, Espresso Cookie.

As they entered the diner, Eclair Cookie quickly slapped a hand over Latte Cookie's mouth when he spotted a certain professor and knight at a table.

As they entered the diner, Eclair Cookie quickly slapped a hand over Latte Cookie's mouth when he spotted a certain professor and knight at a table
Espresso Cookie and Madeleine Cookie had met for lunch at the Jampie Diner. Espresso Cookie had invited Madeleine Cookie, much to the latter's surprise. He'd invited him because he thought Latte Cookie would be planning and such.

Before the other two professors' arrival, the two had been having a chat over their meals, Espresso Cookie's being a Fancy Jellybean Meal and Madeleine Cookie's being a Jelly Deluxe Pizza.

"So, why'd you call me here, Espresso Cookie?" Madeleine Cookie asked in between bites of his meal. He seemed to realize something and smirked before leaning forwards on the table to be closer to the other. "Finally want to take me up on the offer to shower together?"

"What? No way," Espresso Cookie scoffed before pushing the knight's face back. "I wanted to address some stuff about... Our relationship."

"Our relationship? What about it?" Madeleine Cookie asked, tilting his head. "There's nothing wrong with it. Is there?"

"Well... You see, we keep doing the same old stuff. You come up with something stupid, tell me about it, then I spend time contemplating my whole existence."

"That's... not good," Madeleine Cookie said, dragging out his words. "What do you want me to do about that? Stop talking?"

"Yeah, sort of," Espresso Cookie muttered under his breath. He then said normally, "Maybe... We can change something about our relationship?"

"Change it? I mean, like I said, showering-"

"No! Not- No. No. I just..." Espresso Cookie stammered, showing the rare vulnerable side of himself. "I've been thinking a lot about the two of us. It's... A new feeling, I guess."

"A new feeling?"

"A new feeling, yes. And... After researching it, I-"

"Espresso Cookie, could it be you're experiencing lo-"

"I think something to describe it is lo-"

"Love?"

"Loathing."

The two looked at each other in surprise, both turning red with embarrassment.

"What makes you think I'd love a twerp like you?" Espresso Cookie argued, gently hitting the knight on his arm.

"By the way you described it, you seemed like... Sorry," Madeleine Cookie sighed. "I guess it should've made more sense to me. It's just what I do. My ego, it- It... Well, I guess I want you to like me, sorta?" He laughed, resting his head on his hand. "Ack."

That was the moment Latte Cookie and Eclair Cookie spotted them and Espresso Cookie spotted them too, being the one facing their direction at the table. The two looked shocked, but Latte Cookie quickly made a heart with her hands then made a thumbs up, mouthing, "Go for it!"

Espresso Cookie gulped.

He knew what he was going through.

He knew what made him think of Madeleine Cookie so much.

He knew he loved Madeleine Cookie.

"Madeleine Cookie... I..." he stammered. Not knowing how to express himself, he placed a hand on the other's hand and smiled softly. "I... You... Me..."

The knight gazed at the hand on his and realized what he had interpreted was right. He guided the mage's head to look at him and waited a few moments before speaking.

"I love you, too," he laughed.

"You? Me?" Espresso Cookie squeaked, genuinely shocked.

"Yes, me. You."

"Us?"

"Us."

With that exchange, the two smiled gently and shared a small kiss.

The moment was ruined as soon as Latte Cookie began to clap.

"Congratulations, little brother!" Latte Cookie cheered, Eclair Cookie and Espresso Cookie looking absolutely mortified. Madeleine Cookie, on the other hand, was overjoyed and cheered along. The other two professors walked over to to the new couple's table.

"Just when I think you're cool for once," Espresso Cookie sighed. "Latte Cookie, what're you doing here?"

"I'm hanging out with Eclair Cookie! You scared him into thinking he had to study to talk to you," Latte Cookie laughed, patting the professor beside her's back.

"Congratulations, sirs," Eclair Cookie bowed.

"No need for formalities," Latte Cookie sighed happily. "I hope this booth of yours has room for four!"

And so, the four Cookies chattered about their daily lives. They'd never really hung out together, yet something worked that made it so easy to chat. Maybe it was Madeleine Cookie and Latte Cookie's charisma? Whatever the case, the four certainly had day that strayed from the same old stuff.

Maybe it was Madeleine Cookie and Latte Cookie's charisma? Whatever the case, the four certainly had day that strayed from the same old stuff.

Chapter Text

"Hiyah!" Princess Cookie yelled as she fought a spider that had invaded the town square. Her poofy pink dress bounced as she smacked the giant arachnid with her scepter. Eventually, the beast surrendered. The observing bystanders applauded, glad to have such a powerful princess.

Knight Cookie grinned as he watched her curtsy to her audience. What a divine Cookie!

Ever since the two Cookies had started dating, they had grown closer than ever and had been stuck together. Princess Cookie had been letting Knight Cookie walk beside her almost all the time and he was overjoyed by it.

The knight had doted on the princess fondly for many years, always feeling the need to protect her because of his love and not only his oath. He'd always seen her as someone ahead of him - a goddess who obtained whatever she wanted and had nights full of sweet dreams and only peaceful rest. What else would she be? With her pink curls and chateau rose colored gown, a godly princess was the only thing she could be. A princess who turned her nose at anything less than perfection. A princess who pouted at any Cookie who wasn't dressed beautifully with silky hair.

Yet somehow, he was wrong.

As he protected her more often, he discovered the true loveliness of her character. Each little bounce in her step or giggle at the roses made him realize just who she was - a princess who was as lovely as her namesake illustrated. "Princess," the image of beauty and grace, took shape in this Cookie. Yet she was not dainty or graceful whatsoever - she was beautifully herself, and Knight Cookie loved her for who she really was.

Each day brought them closer. At last, the two were finally walking side by side, hand in hand.

His daze was interrupted when a gruff Cookie with a thick beard nudged him.

"Are you really goin' to let that girl fight beasts?" he asked in a rough voice, gesturing to Princess Cookie.

"Um. Yes," Knight Cookie replied, crossing his arms. "Why?"

"Well, you are the knight. And a man," the villager grimaced, scrunching up his face. "And she's... y'know, a princess."

Knight Cookie narrowed his eyes. "Your point?"

"Aren't cha' mad she' off fighting when she should be... Sniffing roses and sipping tea?" the other Cookie asked.

"Have you met her braveness?" the armored Cookie retorted. How could a random civilian criticize the princess for protecting the kingdom? If no one else did, wasn't it sensible for her to? Even if someone else was there, it'd be fine. What did gender or royalty have to do with it?

"I'm just saying... She's... a girl," the villager shrugged. "Girls shouldn't be fighting and all. She has a feisty spirit, yes. Shame that her determination isn't in a man."

At this point, Knight Cookie had to hold himself from drawing his weapon. Finally, he exploded. "Gender has nothing to do with anything here! Her highness is a woman. She's a princess, too. Are those anything but a gender and a political role?" he scoffed. "Her majesty is a lady, a full-grown woman. But you are just a boy. She's more mature than you for looking down on someone just because of their gender. Effort, mind, and skill overrule all. That's final."

The bearded Cookie grunted and stomped away, knowing he'd lost the argument, making Knight Cookie chuckle as Princess Cookie skipped over to him. She lifted him up in the air and spun him around. The crowd had cleared, so they were alone.

"Did you see me, Knighty?" she cheered. "Everyone applauded and I won, and oh, it was so cool!" She noticed the other Cookie's less than ecstatic expression. "What's wrong?"

"A foul Cookie who looked rather expired was criticizing you just because you're a woman," he huffed with a vengeful expression. The princess set him back on the ground in front of her.

"Some Cookies are like that. But jokes on them! I'm gonna keep being me whether they like it or not! After all, I love being with you and fighting monsters beside you, Knighty."

Knight Cookie's face heated up and he buried his face in his palms, feeling the warmth of his face. He could only imagine how strange he looked - a fully armored knight with a tuft of blonde hair sticking out of his helmet with a face turned red by a peppy princess.

"Ah... I love fighting with you too," he laughed, finally removing his hands from his face to gaze at his lover.

Chuckling, they strolled back to the palace, hand in hand, the orange sunset looming over their heads with such a glow that it was only rivaled by the radiance of Princess Cookie's smiles.

Chapter Text

Parfait Cookie waved to her fans after she sang the last note of her song. It was a concert day and the auditorium's seats were filled. Parfait Cookie's fanbase had really grown over the course of her career. Although she loved all of her fans, she truly treasured the ones that had been there from the beginning. Fans like Licorice Cookie.

Well, maybe he wasn't a fan. He was her best friend. The two seemed to be opposites but really weren't.

They'd met at a concert of hers last year when Licorice Cookie and his gang had tried to sabotage the music festival. Instead of calling security, Parfait Cookie complimented his necromancy. She remembered how his face had lit up with joy, as if he'd just won the lottery. It was as if no one had ever given him the recognition he so rightfully deserved as a wizard. She'd invited the suspicious Cookie to her concert, and he'd loved it. She remembered her own emotions in that moment - pure bliss. She'd embraced the other and asked to hang out.

Ever since then, the two had hung out almost every week. Sometimes they went to cat cafes; sometimes Licorice Cookie hung out backstage during intermissions; sometimes they just went over to the other's house to watch movies... The list went on and on. Regardless of what they did, the two always had fun and loved goofing off with each other.

Of course, there were times when they had heartfelt conversations. Times when Parfait Cookie would come over to the Cookies of Darkness' lair in distress about how pressured she was to be perfect or how her manager tried to force her into an unhealthy diet to lose weight. Times when Licorice Cookie would ring Parfait Cookie's doorbell in disarray after panicking about his general life situation or how confused he was about his relationship with Clover Cookie.

Today seemed to be one of Licorice Cookie's bad days. What made it unique was that he was in Parfait Cookie's dressing room right after the show had ended.

The pop star had already noticed him leaving his usual spot in stage right with shaky buttermilk yellow colored eyes and a trembling figure. She wanted nothing more than to run offstage to hug him, to calm him down - after all, that was what he had done for her so many times before. The only thing stopping her from doing so was her fanbase. Their claps and off-key singing just made her giddy. But what would've made her even happier than a pleased crowd of strangers? Her best friend's genuine grin, a grin so much different from his typical villain smirk he displayed for so many Cookies even when he wasn't as untroubled as he seemed.

After she got offstage, she rushed around, asking her crew where her best friend had gone. A Cookie managing the spotlights pointed her to her dressing room. She quickly thanked them and sprinted to her dressing room since the two usually hung out there after concerts. Panting, she slowly opened the door.

Licorice Cookie's face was pale and the eyes that had comforted Parfait Cookie so many times were shaking violently. He was sitting on the dressing room couch with his elbows on his knees, and his hands gripping his hair tightly. His mouth remained slightly opened, slightly showing his teeth. The dough under his eyes was soggy, signaling he'd been crying.

Parfait Cookie let out a small gasp, deeply grieved by her friend's clear panic. She rushed to sit beside him on the couch about a foot away from where he sat.

"S-sorry for not seeing the end of your concert," Licorice Cookie laughed. "I bet it was great."

"Now's not the time for concert talk! What's going on?" the other Cookie scolded. Upon seeing the other's slightly hurt expression, she softened. "Sorry. Just... Please. How can I help you?"

"Nothing's wrong," he scowled, brushing her off with his hand. "I'm fine. Anyway... Concert. Don't let me distract you from it."

"Who cares about the concert?!" Parfait Cookie shrieked. "Look at you! You've been crying and you're trembling! I've known you for way too long to not help you when you're like this. Lico, you have to- you have to tell me."

"Wh- wha- Can I at least... Help you get out of costume?" he suggested, wincing. He just wanted to help her out. If she were going to help him, it'd be greedy not to return the favor.

Parfait Cookie was about to refuse, but knew that he'd just feel worse if he didn't assist her. Plus, her concert outfit wasn't the most comfortable. The strawberry syrup on her hair was sticky, her costume was itchy, and her makeup was just so bright. Talking while getting it off wouldn't hurt, right?

"Sure," she sighed. "Okay. I'll... Get changed first? So, um..." Licorice Cookie jolted and nodded quickly before turning to a corner of the room. Parfait Cookie grabbed her bag of casual clothing and headed to the other corner of the room. She faced Licorice Cookie to make sure he was alright and not shaking too much. Cautiously slipping her frilly yellow dress off, she began to speak.

"Is there something... specific you're worried about?" she inquired. "Like... a Cookie?"

Licorice Cookie's breath hitched and he crossed his arms. "Not... exactly. I mean... sorta? But not really."

"You're not making sense," she chuckled as she draped a black hoodie of her favorite band over her head. "What do you mean?"

"I guess... I've been thinking about everything. Everyone. I- The people at magic school. They told me- no, they- They ignored me, that's... that's what happened. So now I'm doing what I'm doing. And I've always believed this is the right thing to do. But... Is it? I mean, no one likes me. Everyone says I'm annoying and not as powerful as them."

"What, so I'm just- sorry- nonexistent to you now?" Parfait Cookie teased as she tugged smoky gray sweatpants onto her legs.

"Wha- No, not like that! Certain Cookies, I guess. But- I- What if they're right?" His legs faltered for a second and Parfait Cookie slid her glasses behind her ears.

"Right about what exactly?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips. "Also, I'm done changing now." Licorice Cookie turned to face her, letting her see his nervous expression.

"Well, right about- About me not being worth attention? I mean- I'm surrounded by all these amazing people! Dark Enchantress Cookie, Clover Cookie, Red Velvet Cookie, you-" Parfait Cookie cut him off with a finger to his mouth, shushing him.

"Lico, you are just as amazing as any of the people on that list," she said, crossing her arms.

"Even Dark Enchantress Cookie?"

"Even Dark Enchantress Cookie."

A silence passed between the two. Licorice Cookie fidgeted with his black shirt nervously, signaling to the other that he didn't truly believe her encouragement.

"Say, uh- What if I help you with your hair and stuff?" he asked, rubbing his head.

Parfait Cookie nodded and led him over to her vanity, a white table with a pink mirror decorated with polaroids of her and her friends. She sat down in the spinning white chair in front of the desk and Licorice Cookie walked up behind her.

"I've never actually done this. Do I just dump water on your head or something?" he asked, clearly puzzled.

"In a sense, yeah. Wet my hair and then put the soap over there in it," she replied, pointing to a pink bottle on the table.

"Mm, okay," he said. "How much water?"

"Whatever you want, it's fine," she shrugged in response. "I like flinging my wet hair into people's faces anyway."

Licorice Cookie didn't respond to this and only muttered an incantation, summoning a small bottle of water. He squinted his eyes and scanned her hair, obviously not really knowing how to go about it. He finally took her hair down and poured the warm water on it, making sure to evenly pour it. The syrup faded but wasn't completely gone, so he grabbed the soap and began to spread that in her hair. The strawberry syrup finally disappeared! The two both grinned at the accomplishment.

"Thank you!" Parfait Cookie said, hugging her friend. "Now, what can I do to make you feel better?"

Licorice Cookie winced. "Parf, I'm not sure I'm worth all this trouble."

"You are. And it's not trouble."

He sighed as he backed away from her.

"Um, should I get rid of your makeup?"

"The makeup doesn't matter right now - you helping with my hair was enough help."

Licorice Cookie's breathing quickened as he gripped his head in despair. "I guess I'm just confused about everything."

"Confused?" she echoed, tilting her head as she walked closer to her friend. She grabbed his arm and led him to sit on the couch.

"Yeah. I already told you how I was confused about all of the... y'know, evil stuff," he sighed, avoiding eye contact.

"So then... What else?" she asked, dreading the answer.

"I... I don't want to- to be a burden to anyone," he tried to explain. "Don't I bother you? And- and Clover Cookie, he's so great... But he's so nice and calm and- and I'm just... me, I guess. Plus, all the Cookies of Darkness are constantly reminding me of how stupid I am."

"They're wrong, then," she scoffed. "Because you are the best Cookie ever. Your mischief is funny, your evil laugh is so cool, you're super nice when you want to be- You get my point." She grabbed his hands and held his gray hands up to his face.

"Look."

"Look?"

"Look. Look at your hands. So gray, so smooth, so amazing. I know these hands. These hands have comforted me every time I needed it. Every time I needed you, Lico. You, so enthralling and wonderful. More beautiful than any crowd I've seen cheer for me."

Licorice Cookie's cheeks warmed and he waved his arms in front of his face as if he were attempting to shield his face from her praise. "Parfait- Parf, stop, stop it-"

"I'm not finished!" she interrupted, a smile on her face. She squeezed her friend's hands lovingly and grinned wider. "Listen- Don't act as if you, a Cookie with marvelous, mauve-colored, magic and a smile brighter than any disco ball can be anything less than incredible."

Parfait Cookie looked straight into his now glossy eyes throughout the comfort. Her serious expression broke into a smile as she pulled him into a hug. She could feel him stop trembling. With him in her arms, her once humongous dressing room now felt as if the walls were squeezing around her. Chatters from outside the room became roars to them. Every sound was elevated - sounds creeping through the cracks and into their ears.

After moments of silence, she felt him begin to sob and shake. His stifled tears poured out of his eyes as he wrapped his arms around her in return. Parfait Cookie could hear his sobs, only rubbing the back of his head and giving hushed, calm, whispers to his ears.

Finally, he pulled away from his arms and wiped his eyes. Parfait Cookie saw for the first time that he had been smiling as he sobbed. He looked so tired, so broken - and yet so grateful.

Licorice Cookie grabbed her hands as she had before to him. He sobbed one more time and grinned before saying, "You- You're wonderful too."

Parfait Cookie grinned and pulled him into another hug as if that one compliment was all she needed to be truly happy.

"I can't change how you feel about yourself," she sighed. "But all I can do is tell you how I feel. And how I feel is that you are my absolute best friend forever in all of Earthbread!"

Chapter Text

Eclair Cookie quietly drummed his fingers against his thighs as the Cookie across from him sipped his tea. The tension in the air was thick, the only noises being the rustling of Eclair Cookie's gown or Tea Knight Cookie's long sips.

The pair were seated in a gazebo surrounded by lilac plants. It was surprisingly warm for the winter season, leading Tea Knight Cookie to invite Eclair Cookie for tea. Eclair Cookie, being the historian he was, gladly accepted, excited to have one on one time with such an honorable figure. He'd believed the conversation would flow with ease, but he was terribly incorrect.

It had been five minutes, and neither had said a word. They'd only sipped their tea and drummed their fingers.

Eclair Cookie didn't know why he was so conflicted about speaking in the moment. He'd gone over again and again how to act, what to say, and so on. Yet when his practice needed to come in handy, what he'd mastered the night before felt like a new activity that same day a few hours later.

He gazed at the pastry tower in front of him which was stacked with pastries of all sorts. The tray was the complete opposite of chaos with each type of pastry neatly organized into sections with napkins under each treat. Eclair Cookie appreciated Tea Knight Cookie's organization since he hated dirty buildings and messiness. Most of all, he hated dust. It was fortunate that there was no dust on the food. It'd be concerning if there was, though.

Finally, Tea Knight Cookie set down his cup and spoke. "How are you enjoying the tea?" He raised a white eyebrow and the corners of his lips turned up a bit.

Eclair Cookie set down his cup as well and smiled, closing his eyes. His white eyelashes swayed a bit as he thought for a moment. "Yes. It's very lovely. Don't tell Sir Espresso Cookie or Miss Latte Cookie, but I've always been more of a tea person."

"Same here," the Cookie across the table nodded with a slight laugh. "Coffee just makes me a bit too energetic."

"Couldn't it help with battles?" Eclair Cookie blurted out quickly. He covered his mouth swiftly. "S-sorry."

The knight let out a deep laugh and grinned. "Ah, no, no. It's alright, no offense taken. I just think battles are won better if it's a genuine victory. But if the situation is dire, coffee does help."

"Mmm," the historian hummed as he took a sip of tea. He was glad that the tension was relieved with small talk. Eager to keep the conversation going, he asked, "Do you plan on answering any of those journalists any time soon? They're certainly invested in your story." His sage green eyes sparkled with interest.

Tea Knight Cookie contemplated his answer. "I don't know. Without the rest of the knights, I'm not sure if I could or want to act like some sensation. I'd get all the credit for their deeds."

"You're already getting credit. Couldn't you speak of their nobleness? Of your fallen allies' tales. If you don't tell their story, who will?" Eclair Cookie asked before sipping his tea.

"Historians. That's the point of their job," Tea Knight Cookie deadpanned.

"I need sources, then," Eclair Cookie said. "If you don't provide information, who will?"

"Good point, I guess," Tea Knight Cookie shrugged. "Maybe I will at some point. Not for the time being."

"Fair enough," Eclair Cookie replied, grabbing a chocolate croissant from the tower of pastries.

The air was quiet yet not silent, the chirping of birds filling their ears and the scent of lilac filling their noses. Eclair Cookie's chair creaked as he stood and walked to the edge of the gazebo and grabbed onto one of its columns.

"Isn't the weather divine?" Eclair Cookie asked. "Almost as wonderful as my study. Almost as incredible as a good book. Almost as lovely as history, of course. Ah, the birds and the plants! The blue sky with no fluffy clouds in sight... A picture perfect scene."

Tea Knight Cookie chuckled as he looked at the other Cookie. "You're quite the poet, hm?"

Eclair Cookie turned to face him, his gown and long blonde hair swaying at the motion. "I do love poetry. I guess it has an influence on my speech." Eclair Cookie covered his mouth and laughed, realizing his formalness. "Apolo- Sorry. I've been reading a lot of poetry lately."

"I can tell," Tea Knight Cookie nodded. "I like some poetry. I never really understood Shakespearean plays, though."

"My years of reading make it easy," Eclair Cookie grinned. "If you need help with a line or two, tell me."

"How about a whole play?" the knight grunted, making Eclair Cookie laugh and turn back to the bright sky.

"It's been a while since we had any weather this nice. I'm glad you invited me for tea," Eclair Cookie said. "Your letter was so nice. Your penmanship, too. So... swirly."

"All my friends told me it was illegible," he laughed. "Told me it looked like a doctor's."

"Maybe it's just a historian's eye. I've deciphered many texts through my years with nothing but a light and this monocle," Eclair Cookie laughed, turning only his head back and curtsying slightly.

"Perhaps," Tea Knight Cookie sighed.

A wind blew and the sun shone in Eclair Cookie's face. He covered his eye to shield his eyes. Tea Knight Cookie walked next to him and leaned out of the gazebo.

"Now what in Pure Vanilla Cookie's name are you doing?" Eclair Cookie laughed at the action.

"Feeling the wind. Quite calming," he responded. "Try it."

Eclair Cookie leaned out of the gazebo beside him. It felt nice for the moment before his ponytail smacked his face. He spit it out and giggled. "Endearing."

"When your hair isn't long like yours is," Tea Knight Cookie shrugged.

"I'm not cutting it, if that's what you're implying," Eclair Cookie scoffed, raising an eyebrow. "It's elegant and Latte Cookie has forced me to let her style it all the time."

"You look like an old guy you'd see in a history book," Tea Knight Cookie chuckled. "You even have the monocle. Old guys didn't wear gowns though. For some reason. It's weird - everyone knows men look good in skirts. They were just mad about it."

"True, true," Eclair Cookie nodded. "But you're the one who actually is in history books! I've read every book written about you."

"I'm flattered," Tea Knight Cookie smiled. The two turned to the sky once more.

"What does it feel like to be part of history?" Eclair Cookie asked softly.

"Mm... Strange. But you should know - you are, too."

"I am? As what, exactly?"

"The greatest and most beautiful historian to ever be known."

"I don't think that's true."

"I do."

The two gazed into each other's eyes. The silence between them was screaming. Before the quiet moment became unbearable, Eclair Cookie clapped loudly and grabbed the other's hands.

"Well, wonderful compliments and tea party. Thank you for all this."

Tea Knight Cookie nodded in response.

"Thank you for coming."

With a smile from both, the historian grabbed the sides of the long skirt hanging around his legs and walked away gracefully, his steps only making small crunches in the dirt. Tea Knight Cookie leaned over the gazebo's edge for a few moments more. He considered his status for a long while.

"I'm really a part of history, huh?"

Chapter Text

Ever since Madeleine Cookie had begun to date Espresso Cookie, his life had changed and his confidence had depleted. In a way. Let me explain.

In addition to inexperience, neither Cookie was extremely good at communicating with any other Cookies in general, making commitments like relationships all too difficult for them. They both knew that they'd be devastated if they made the decision to not date, so they suffered through awkward late night texts and encounters.

How did lovers do it? Fondling and loving on each other in public and in private seemed miles away from where they were now. Neither could even say a word without sputtering or falling all over themselves. Being in a relationship was a task greater than being a heavily trained knight or sleep deprived professor to both. Both wanted the other to feel as safe and loved as possible, but how would they be able to do that if they couldn't even talk?

In an attempt to grow closer to one another, the two had met in the park. Dressed in a warm winter coat, Espresso Cookie sat on the cold bench, awaiting his knight. His glasses kept fogging up and the wind bothered his skin, but he withstood it to see him.

"Espresso Cookie!" Madeleine Cookie yelled out, waving as he ran towards the other, also dressed in warm clothing. He caught his breath after arriving at the bench. Finally standing, he said, "H-how have you been? I- I mean, we don't really talk much which is strange considering that we're dating and all- But you- you know, it's fine."

"Yeah," Espresso Cookie nodded.

See, this was the difference between the two. Madeleine Cookie blurted out too much and Espresso Cookie mumbled too little. What a dilemma...

"So, how are you?" the knight asked, forcing his lips into a smile as he sat.

"Mmm, fine," Espresso Cookie shrugged. "I've slept. A bit."

"That's nice to hear," Madeleine Cookie grinned, genuinely this time. "What motivated that?"

Espresso Cookie didn't want to admit he had been awake panicking about the pair's date and had grown exhausted from worrying, finally his anxiousness causing his eyelids to grow heavy.

"I was bored," he lied. "My experiments were done."

"Espresso Cookie? Sleep? Finished experiments?" Madeleine Cookie gawked. "Seemingly unrelated yet somehow connect."

"I'm surprised you know that vocabulary," the professor teased.

"I've picked up a thing or two of yours," he replied with a warm smile. Espresso Cookie blushed and turned away, embarrassed.

"I suppose you have," he mumbled, covering his mouth with a brown jacket sleeve that had been sprinkled with snow. "Now, what are our plans for the day?"

The mood had eased and was now a calm and normal conversation - a new happening for the couple. Both were overjoyed but didn't dare to bring it up.

"I was planning that we could just... talk?" Madeleine Cookie said, rubbing his neck. "If that's alright."

"Oh. Well, talk we shall," Espresso Cookie nodded, adjusting his glasses. "How has life been for you?"

"A lot of training. Dragon thing shook everyone up. But y'know, it's good they have me! A trained knight! Madeleine Cookie!" He raised a muscle and tugged up his sleeve to display it. At the chilly air, he quickly pulled the clothing back down.

"Don't be so confident," Espresso Cookie laughed with a tone resembling the ring of a bell. "You certainly broke a sweat during that fight with the dragon, did you not?"

Madeleine Cookie winced but nodded. "I guess so, yes. Don't act like it didn't tire you out, too!" The professor rolled his eyes but showed amusement in his expression.

"Perhaps it was because I hadn't slept that night or the one before. Or before that," he argued before sighing and sipping his coffee again. "No matter."

"You should... pro- probably 'leep more," Madeleine Cookie fumbled, obviously getting his words mixed up. "I- I mean-"

"You're certainly awkward, don't you think?" Espresso Cookie observed, looking the other up and down.

"I just... don't know what to sa- say, I guess," he said, looking down.

"What does that mean?" the other replied, a curious glint in his eye.

Madeleine Cookie thought for a moment. Quiet surroundings made it even more awkward. Cookies passing by with their dogs stared and children screamed in the background. Espresso Cookie saw his boyfriend's hurt expression and softened, placing a chocolatey brown hand on his lover's arm. He rubbed it gently and looked him in the eyes.

"Just... Say what's on your mind," he advised before turning his eyes away in flustered embarrassment. "If you want."

Madeleine Cookie smiled at the professor's caring side and nodded. He took a deep breath then spoke softly.

"I don't want to mess things up. You're always so quiet and so collected, but... I don't always know what I'm doing or what to say. I always have a cape to hide behind, but I didn't with you. You, who didn't fawn all over me or praise my swordsmanship. And lately, you've been so silent - are you upset with me? Without a cape or sword, who am I?"

Espresso Cookie opened his mouth to speak, but instead closed it and stayed silent. He thought for a few moments.

"Madeleine Cookie, I'm not upset with you. I don't know if I ever could be," he finally said. "I just... I- I don't know what to say."

"You did before we fell in love, I'd say. Always telling me exactly what you think, no details left out!" the knight chuckled sadly. "I miss that side of you. The one I fell in love with."

A dead leaf glided by their feet. The knight rocked his legs forward and back, forward and back, forward and back. The cycle went on forever until finally, he felt a pair of arms around his shoulders.

"Okay then, you idiot," Espresso Cookie laughed with a grin. "I've tried to restrict myself, but you leave me no choice."

"I'm sure," the other giggled. "I love you, Espresso Cookie."

"Love you too, Madeleine Cooch- Cookie."

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

Chapter Text

Custard Cookie III wandered the kingdom in search of adventure. Surprisingly for the wintertime, the morning was crisp and clear. After all, Spring was nearing - just three days away from the present! He spotted Chili Pepper Cookie snatching coins from the bottom of the fountain of fortune and jumped with glee. Chili Pepper Cookie! She always was on an adventure. Surely she could help!

He sprinted up to Chili Pepper Cookie's side and shouted, "Hello, Chili Pepper Cookie! It's a nice day, isn't it?"

"Uh, what?" she replied, scrunching up her face. "I dunno, it's fine. Sure." After responding, she counted the golden coins in her hands and sighed in disappointment.

"Have you got any adventures for today?" he asked. "A noble quest that maybe a king like I could go on?" He clasped his hands together in hope.

Chili Pepper Cookie shrugged before having a hint of realization on her face. "Say, maybe I do. Are you up for it, though?"

"Yes, yes!" he cried despite not knowing if he was. The excitement overruled worriment in the situation. A king like him finally getting a quest? Yes, please!

"You see that rainbow?" she whispered, pointing to a rainbow that arched over the castle. "They say that if you follow it, there's a pot of gold at the end."

"Gold?" he awed. "Perfect!"

"I'd take a companion with you. It's through the forest," she shrugged. "Unless you wanna get eaten by a cake hound."

"Nope!" he exclaimed, shivering. He'd beaten the hounds many times before, though. Could one really eat him? Wouldn't it have done so already?

...

Heeding Chili Pepper Cookie's advice, Custard Cookie III marched over to Pancake Cookie's house where he lived with Syrup Cookie, his parent. Pancake Cookie was Custard Cookie III's best friend who he knew would be thrilled to venture off with him. Besides, the two were powerful in battle together despite their small sizes.

Syrup Cookie opened the door and smiled at the face that looked up at them. "Ah, my liege! What would you have in mind with us today?"

"I wanna go on an adventure with Pancake Cookie, my loyal advisor!" he explained. "Is he home?"

"He just got back from the haunted manor, yes," they responded. "Told me he had lunch there. He's been talking to air for a while. It's nice to know my little munchkin still has real friends."

"Maybe it's that ghost he's been talking about!" Custard Cookie III laughed. "He really likes her."

When Syrup Cookie raised an eyebrow, Custard Cookie III's guffaw turned into just a nervous smile. Still looking suspicious, Syrup Cookie called down Pancake Cookie from his room.

"Your Highness!" he greeted as he glided over to his friend/king. "I missed you!"

"Hello, Sir Pancake Cookie!" Custard Cookie III nodded. "How was your visit to the creepy mansion?"

"It was fun! Onion Cookie and I played in her room and Blackberry Cookie made acorn jelly stew!" he said, flapping his "wings" excitedly at the memory. The latter tilted his head, puzzled.

He said, "Who?"

"She- Don't mind."

"I'll assume you thanked Miss Blackberry Cookie," Syrup Cookie said, raising an eyebrow once more. They'd recently figured out how and had raised it whenever they could.

"I did," their child sighed. "Of course."

Custard Cookie III explained the quest Chili Pepper Cookie had told him about. Pancake Cookie lit up and even did a little lap in the air, his syrup slightly floating, which was strange considering the laws of gravity.

"That's so cool! We're- We're going, right?" he asked. "Can we, Your Highness?"

Custard Cookie III grinned at his friend's pleading eyes. The sight of such an outgoing Cookie asking for his permission to do something made him giddy. He just had to draw it out a bit more.

"What's the magic word?"

"Can we please, Your Highness?"

Just a bit more.

"No sprinkles?"

"Can we please with sprinkles, whipped cream, peanuts, chocolate drizzle, and fudge on top, Your Highness?!"

"If you're asking so nicely, yes," Custard Cookie III said, puffing out his chest to feel grand. He even stood on his toes a bit for more effect.

...

And so, the two pals were soon in the woods surrounded by mushrooms and leafy green trees. A few mushroom spores rested on the ground as well. Branches touched the sunlight and the wind calmed the two.

"This really is a nice day," Pancake Cookie noted. "Perfect for gold."

"Yeah!" the king cheered. "Terrific!"

"Stupendous, even."

"Tremendous."

"Prominent."

"Superlative."

"Uh... Cheesecake."

"Panny, that's not even a synonym for it," Custard Cookie III huffed.

"Should be. I like cheesecake, so cheesecake is great, therefore it's a synonym for great," Pancake Cookie said smugly. "Should be simple... Crusty Custy."

"I told you to stop calling me that!" "Crusty Custy" shrieked, ruffling Pancake Cookie's hair. "I told you I only like Custy!"

"Fine, fine! Stop it!" the latter laughed.

Soon, the friends were wrestling in the clearing. They gently hit each other and ran all over the place in utter chaos. Their laughter echoed through the environment. What fun!

"Anyway... What else would be a synonym for great if cheesecake is?" Custard Cookie III asked as they continued their mission.

"Syrup Cookie," Pancake Cookie said. "You. Acorn jellies, too."

"Aww!" Custard Cookie III gushed, placing a hand over his heart. "How sweet."

"I know, I'm adorable," he nodded. "What about you?"

The journey continued late into night until the rainbow above their heads was barely visible. Both listed things they liked aimlessly. It was small talk with no real meaning, but they related and argued in between spaces between enjoyed things.

...

When the rainbow finally came to an end, the two were shocked to only find a raggedy purple doll instead of gold. Custard Cookie III groaned and stomped his foot.

"We came all this way for a doll?" he grunted. "What a waste! I'm gonna rate this field one star on Yelp!"

Pancake Cookie stared at the doll. It seemed familiar to him, as if he'd seen it before. Or rather, as if he'd seen someone else with it before.

"That's... Onion Cookie's doll," he whispered, making Custard Cookie III stop marching away. He picked up the doll gently and looked it up and down like a science experiment. He nodded.

"What's it doing here?" Custard Cookie III asked. Pancake Cookie shrugged in response.

"I heard you two talking about the quest. I came here so I could hang out..." a voice wailed.

Their faces paled and they immediately turned to see Onion Cookie's ghostly figure standing before them. She snatched her doll and clutched it tightly.

"I wanted to see you again. It's lonely..." she cried.

Pancake Cookie hugged her, even if he couldn't feel her warmth or any body for that matter. She couldn't either but hugged him anyway.

"You can come home with us!" he suggested with a grin. "Let's go, Your Highness! I think Onion Cookie should join the kingdom!"

"I appoint you to be the battle general!" Custard Cookie III demanded.

"I-I'm not a fighter, sorry," she stuttered mystically.

"We can make you one in that case."

The trio walked, flew, and floated home together, adding on to the things they loved. They were disappointed there wasn't gold, but Onion Cookie's company was good enough.

Chapter Text

Pomegranate Cookie flinched as she stared at her phone screen, covering her dismay with a sleeve. On it was a text she'd received from Licorice Cookie, her ally. He hadn't been around the headquarters for a while, helping Parfait Cookie. Pomegranate Cookie just couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss.

The first few days, she ignored the gut wrenching instinct she had. She tended to overreact. Why did she care so much, anyway?

It was Licorice Cookie who was so loud - the opposite of what she liked. He was rude and arrogant, and he whined about everything. Yet for some strange reason, she cared about him.

After a week passed, she had to take action. The hole in her stomach was gnawing at her. Where was he? She knew how much he loved the Cookies of Darkness. She knew he'd miss fooling around with Poison Mushroom Cookie and complaining about how tall Red Velvet Cookie and Dark Choco Cookie were. She knew he'd miss arguing with her too - how they always bickered over silly topics like siblings did. Who was more powerful, what was for dinner, blah, blah, blah. And maybe she even missed him back. Pomegranate Cookie had always told herself she hated him, but maybe there were good aspects to his character.

Though she plotted to search on her own, she remained hesitant. After all, her only evidence was instinct and a couple of strange text messages. She became even more desperate when she was ordered to pillage a town, something she would normally relish, but instead became obsessed with finding her friend- ally.

In her desperate state, she called upon the two fools she knew would be eager to help - Licorice Cookie's henchmen, Bat-Cat and Choco Werehound Brute, or Chocohound for short. She couldn't be sure they'd listen or if Licorice Cookie even needed help. Even with the texts she received, she just felt as if not everything was as it seemed. You can't manipulate a manipulator.

Bat-Cat and Chocohound jumped at the mission. Them? Being sent out alone? To rescue Licorice Cookie? A dream come true!

"Now, keep in mind he might not even be in trouble," Pomegranate Cookie reminded, raising an eyebrow and resting her head on a hand. "If you find him, text me. Immediately."

"We know, Pomegranate Cookie," Chocohound grunted in his gruff voice. "We will."

"Good. Then get to it," she ordered, clapping her hands twice. "I have villages to burn and lives to ruin."

She walked away, her heels clicking on the floor quietly. The two henchmen looked at each other and nodded.

"Let's go save Meowster!"

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

"You ring the bell!"

"No, you do it!"

Bat-Cat and Chocohound stood on Parfait Cookie's doorstep (don't ask me how they found it, I don't know), waiting to ring the doorbell. Neither could bring themself to do so. It was just too awkward. Finally, with sweaty palms, Chocohound rung the bell.

The door creaked open, revealing a tired Cookie dressed casually. "Hello?" she said. "What are two furries doing on my doorstep?"

Bat-Cat gulped. "We're Licorice Cookie's... friends. Has he been here the past week?"

"Nope. He left four days ago," she replied suspiciously. "Is he okay?"

Chocohound winced and paused before replying, "We just haven't seen him in a while. We're trying to find where he is."

"That sucks," Parfait Cookie sighed. "He hasn't been replying to my texts the past few days. I guess I should've put two and two together."

"Mhm," Bat-Cat hummed. "We're gonna get him back!"

"Bring him home safe. Anything else?"

The duo shook their heads. "Thank you," they said in unison.

"Of course," she nodded.

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

The pair wandered into the woods, hoping to find something. They saw green leaves everywhere accompanied by brown trunks. Rabbits and squirrels scurried around busily, chittering and chattering.

"You think something'll be here?" Bat-Cat asked.

"I don't know, but I hope," Chocohound shrugged.

They continued to wander for a few minutes before hearing a gentle tune being played on an instrument. It originated in a clearing. The melody was so clear and so sweet it basically glowed. Entranced, the two henchmen walked to the source of the sound - a tall storyteller with a lute and a lovely voice.

At the end of the song and its applause from the critters, Bat-Cat and Chocohound approached the musician. They had never seen him before but he seemed to recognize something in them.

"Hello," he said with a wave. He set down his instrument. "Can I help you?"

Neither Chocolatehound nor Bat-Cat were sure that Licorice Cookie had ever met the Cookie in front of them in person, but they had no idea where he had come from. Perhaps this musician had captivated him with a sickeningly sweet song. What they saw as a lute could be a weapon. The possibilities went on forever.

Bat-Cat showed the cloaked Cookie a polaroid of Licorice Cookie. After they'd returned from the Hollyberry Kingdom, the two had stuffed him in a suit they'd stolen from the palace and put his hair up.

"Have you seen a Cookie like this? Except he wears raggedy clothes and his hair is never brushed," Bat-Cat asked.

The Cookie took the polaroid from Bat-Cat's paws and smiled gently. "I have. He came to a performance not too long ago. Maybe two days ago... He stayed for quite a while and talked to me."

The henchmen looked at each other with glee. "Really? Where'd he go when he left?" Chocohound asked, intrigued.

"He headed into the forest northeast of here," the bard replied, pointing northeast.

Bat-Cat nodded and said, "Thank you for all your help. We'll be on our way."

"What..." the Cookie started, "What happened?"

Chocohound sighed and explained the situation. The horror on the bard's face was evident in his widened eyes and the way he covered his mouth in fear.

"That's terrible," he said. "Please find him soon. When you do, can you tell him to visit me?"

"Of course!" Bat-Cat nodded, a sympathetic smile on his face. "I love your music. You're very talented."

"What's your name?" Chocohound asked. "I'm Choco Werehound Brute, but you can call me Chocohound. My buddy is Bat-Cat."

"I'm Clover Cookie," Clover Cookie replied softly.

"Nice to meet you. We'd better be off," Bat-Cat said.

The henchmen said their goodbyes and began to travel into the forest Licorice Cookie had been seen going into.

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

Branches loomed out at the two as they walked through the forest. As they walked, they could almost see the trees moving. The forest was dark and cold. Mud squished under their feet. There was no sunlight shining through the dense leaves.

Suddenly, they heard a muffled noise from behind a tree.

"Meowster?"

The muffled noise repeated, louder this time.

"Master?"

The muffled noise sounded like a cry for help this time.

They did not hesitate to run towards the sound source, shocked by what they saw upon arriving.

Licorice Cookie, with tired and puffy eyes, was bound to a thick tree with rope. Duck tape covered his mouth, yet he still attempted to communicate with his allies. As soon as he spotted them, his eyes watered slightly and he wiggled in place.

Who had done this?

Chocohound used his large paws to remove the rope and Bat-Cat gently removed the tape. Licorice Cookie was silent for a while until a sob erupted out of him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, digging his head in Chocohound's chest. He slowly wrapped his arms around Chocohound (or at least what he could - the beast was giant).

"Don't be," Bat-Cat comforted. He pulled out a phone he somehow had on him for who knows how long (don't question it). Bringing it to his ear, he prepared to call Pomegranate Cookie.

"Schwarzwälder!" Licorice Cookie sparkled.

"Master!" the latter replied.

The pals laughed for around five seconds before Licorice Cookie hit his furry henchman on the back. "Egh..." he snorted.

While he waited for his call to be answered, Chocohound said to Licorice Cookie, "There's someone named Clover Cookie who wants to see you. He's in the forest clearing."

Licorice Cookie slightly smiled as he rubbed his eyes. "Okay."

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

As soon as they entered the clearing, Clover Cookie's eyes sparkled when he spotted the necromancer. He quickly breathed twice before running up to him and pulling him into a tight embrace. The familiar scent of jasmine filled Licorice Cookie's nose as he wrapped his arms around the other back.

"You're okay," Clover Cookie said breathily, cupping the other's face affectionately.

Licorice Cookie touched the hand on his cheek and laughed. "Yeah, duh."

Clover Cookie leaned in close to the other's face, but Licorice Cookie tilted his head to his henchmen, who were watching. "Not now, you idiot!"

"Aw."

A rustling erupted out of the bushes. Out ran three Cookies - Pomegranate Cookie, Poison Mushroom Cookie and Parfait Cookie. The three rushed to Licorice Cookie's side. They looked him up and down, making sure he was real.

"Lico!" Parfait Cookie finally greeted. "Hi!"

"Hey."

"Lili!" Poison Mushroom Cookie shouted out. "I... missed you!"

"Uh, okay. Missed you too."

"Licorice Cookie," Pomegranate Cookie nodded.

"Oh wow, you learned my name. About time."

The group of Cookies all hugged happily. When no one looked, Clover Cookie landed a small peck on Licorice Cookie's cheek that made him turn a warm shade of pink.

All in all, the day was mysterious, traumatizing, and horrifying, but also joyful, merry, and relieving.

Licorice Cookie stayed with Clover Cookie and Parfait Cookie the rest of the day to catch up. But before that, he thanked and also whacked both his henchmen.

Licorice Cookie was with the ones he loved again.

Chapter Text

Cocoa Cookie sat on her house’s steps, a mug of hot cocoa in hand. The weather had become too warm for the beverage, but she enjoyed it so much that she drank it anyway. Besides, she needed it more than ever now.

The thing was that her lover, Mint Choco Cookie, was off on a tour of all of Earthbread to spread his music everywhere. She was happy for him, of course! She was overjoyed he got to live out his dreams like he was. Still, something gnawed at her insides. It was a feeling of longing, of missing, of love.

She didn’t quite understand why she was so deeply saddened, but did you need to know why to feel a certain emotion? She supposed it was foolish, anyway - the two had spent many years with no communication. Maybe it was the fact that they were only friends then, but had grown to be much more in the time they’d spent.

Love was an unpredictable thing. It could be as sweet as Cocoa Cookie’s namesake or as bitter and cruel as the Licorice Sea’s churning waves. It was silly to be sad that her lover was away fulfilling his deepest wishes, but alas, she was indeed sad, quite so. Her dearest being so far from her made the cocoa of her heart spill.

The longing that pounded in her heart only greatened until she buried her face in her chocolaty brown palms. A life without Mint Choco Cookie was something she’d told herself she could bare, but perhaps it was a tad bit difficult.

The newspaper of the day laid by her side, having been thrown there a half hour ago. The article told of how Mint Choco Cookie was off representing the Brave Kingdom for all Cookies to see. A truly grand feat that seemed overwhelming, but was true nonetheless.

Cocoa Cookie sipped her drink, the liquid burning her tongue with a sweet taste. Her hair fell off her back and to the front of her shoulders, enveloping her in a silky privacy. The cup was just about empty now.

Her days with Mint Choco Cookie were always the days she cherished - the days that comforted her and validated her - her voice, her actions, her body, and her gender.

Discovering who she was had been a tough journey, but she’d traveled it all with rough patches and uphill climbs.

Ultimately, she’d found the solution she’d been searching for, and she was eternally grateful. To whom? She wasn’t sure.

Mint Choco Cookie had described the same issues as she did in the early days of their friendship. Being born in the wrong body was familiar but in the past as of the present.

Anyway, the evening was lonely for Cocoa Cookie.

The stars that had once twinkled so bright now shone dimmer, for they could never truly shine in the eyes of a sorrowful lover like her. The breeze that once sent a shiver down her spine and gave her chills now only sent her hair to her face. And the house that she’d spent her days in, laughing, crying, sleeping, and loving, was no longer home. It was a mere building, a stranger, a cold remnant of what was.

Maybe this was all a bit dramatic.

Even if it was, the feeling of longing wouldn’t exit her mind. In her, it plagued her insides, the only cure being her love with mint hair and a gentle smile that he shared with all.

She hoped her love was enjoying the time away from her, because she most certainly wasn’t.

Lost feelings lurked like a thief in her, stealing all joy she felt or had a possibility of feeling.

With another sigh and sip, she stood up to go inside, but a sight before her made her gasp.

“Mint Choco Cookie?”

The logic made her believe it was nothing but an illusion of the mind. He couldn’t possibly be here. She reached out to grab the other Cookie’s hand nevertheless.

“You’re beautiful,” she could almost hear it whispering. “I miss your laughter. I miss your smiles and your kisses. I miss you.”

The cheesy lines made her swoon. “You’re looking as handsome as ever yourself,” she replied with a sugary giggle. “You’re lovely, my dear.”

“Stop, you’ll make me blush,” the other replied with a goofy smirk, covering his face with the hand that wasn’t holding hers.

“What does it matter?” Cocoa Cookie said with a head tilt and grin. “Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind.”

“Okay, then…Stop, you’ll flatter me too much.”

“Is that so bad?”

“No, I’m just not too sure if I’d be able to handle it.”

“I wouldn’t mind that, you know.”

“Oh, hush.”

The lovers gazed at each other for a moment, taking in the other’s features with a long inhale and smiling with an exhale.

“You… are real, right?” Cocoa Cookie asked.

“I’d sure hope so,” Mint Choco Cookie replied, attempting to run a finger through his hand. “Yeah, I’m real.”

“Why’re you here, love?” the latter asked. “Your tour is alright, yes?”

“It’s splendid,” he responded with a beam. “I love it, I do. But I miss you too. I came back just for the night.”

Cocoa Cookie laughed gently and intertwined her fingers with her lover’s before cupping his cheek. “You’re quite the romantic.”

“You’re one to talk.”

“Well, we only have one night. Let’s make the most of it with television and snacks!”

Cocoa Cookie led Mint Choco Cookie back into her home, snatching the newspaper along with her. They laughed and spoke of their lives that they’d been living out of the other’s presence.

That night, the stars seemed to twinkle like never before.

Chapter Text

Onion Cookie sat in the haunted mansion's attic alone, accompanied only by spiders and cobwebs in every nook and cranny. Dust was spread across the creaky wooden floors beneath her white dress. The ghost shivered at a cold breeze that had creeped in through an open window.

Onion Cookie sighed sorrowfully. It was a pitiful sight - a young ghost crying in the dusty attic of an old mansion. On a typical day, someone would sweep her along for an adventure or task. Today, that was not the case. Blackberry Cookie and Adventurer Cookie were off preparing for a party and had left her on her own. It hurt that she was forgotten, but she was used to it. Life goes on - or should she call it afterlife?

She scanned the room for something to do. Sitting around and doing nothing was a pain. An old wardrobe in the corner caught her eye. She slowly stood up, the floorboards softly creaking under her weight. If there was one thing she loved, it was playing dress up! A giddy feeling overwhelmed her as she ran over to the wardrobe.

Pulling the dusty doors open, she gasped at the clothing she found.

There were three dresses - one in lilac, one in sea foam green, and one in black. Each were much larger than Onion Cookie. They must've belonged to Adventurer Cookie's mother, Blackberry Cookie, or some other person who attended fancy parties.

The suit was very formal and a tie with white and cyan stripes was strung over the blazer's shoulder. It was slightly wrinkled, but dapper nonetheless. Onion Cookie envisioned Adventurer Cookie at a party wearing such a formal outfit. It was a silly thought - how weird would Adventurer Cookie wearing a suit be?

Looking the dresses up and down, a temptation took over her mind. Imagining herself twirling in a gown at a ball was just too grand. The attic wasn't a ballroom, tears endlessly rolled down her cheeks, the dresses didn't fit, she had no clue how to dance and no dance partner, but she had the music in her mind. Giving in, she draped the lilac dress over her small figure.

Imagining a ballroom surrounding her, she began to twirl and smile a bit as the sounds of Mint Choco Cookie's violin rang in her ears. Other Cookies hung around the corners of the room near golden columns and large windows. She still didn't have a dance partner, but this was good enough.

Each twirl and leap sucked her into this false world more and more. The melodies entranced her more each second. In fact, the fantasy was so lovely that she didn't realize Pancake Cookie suddenly joining her waltz.

The two spun around, the floor's creaks creating a sort of rhythm. Their dance was just simple - the same few moves over and over again. Spins, leaps, a bit of close contact. It was easy. Both knew what the other was going to do next.

Finally, the dance ended with a small step to the right. Only then did Onion Cookie notice Pancake Cookie's presence and squeaked in fear, returning to her normal sobbing self.

"Pancake Cookie?" she whispered. "How did you get in here?"

"Your window is open!" he replied. "You're a good dancer. I like your dress."

Onion Cookie plastered her hands over the dress to hide herself. "Sorry! It's just... I saw some pretty dresses in the wardrobe and- And they were just so pretty. I know I don't look too good, but-"

"You look great!" he complimented. "You're almost as cute as me!"

Onion Cookie smiled gently and laughed. "Thanks." She wiped her tears, even though she knew she wouldn't be able to stop crying. The moment felt worthy of a tear wipe. Just a moment with a dry face felt nice.

The friends sat on the attic floor, drawing pictures, little words being exchanged. Onion Cookie drew a grand ballroom with Adventurer Cookie, Blackberry Cookie, and Onion Cookie in the center, all wearing formal clothing. A golden chandelier hung over their heads. After scanning the picture for what it needed, she drew Pancake Cookie flying by the chandelier, dressed in a suit. She grinned at her picture as her teardrops fell onto the paper.

Pancake Cookie glanced over at her drawing and pointed to his character on the paper. "Is that me?" he asked with a prideful twinkle in his eyes. She nodded.

"I thought you belonged in the picture."

Silence hung in the air.

"Hey, do you know what today is?" Pancake Cookie asked.

"April 1?"

"No, silly, it's April 2."

"...Really?"

"April Fools!"

Pancake Cookie burst out into laughter as Onion Cookie giggled. She'd forgotten all about the holiday in the midst of all her sobbing. Then again, she was always sobbing, so she forgot a lot of things.

"Oh, right," she sighed, recovering from her giggles. "That's great. But... I can't pull pranks. I'd get in trouble."

"Lying works, too!" Pancake Cookie encouraged.

"Why are you prompting me to lie? This feels weird," the ghost said, shrinking back in uncertainty.

"No- Not all the time. Just today!" Pancake Cookie said. "See- Try to lie to me. Right now."

Pancake Cookie adjusted himself to be directly in front of Onion Cookie. She raised an eyebrow and winced.

"I don't think I can. You're just... too nice," she sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Thank you, but no. Come on! Just a little lie. It's okay!" the prankster prompted. "You can do it, Onion Cookie."

Onion Cookie sighed and looked Pancake Cookie in the eye. "I don't like Blackberry Cookie. She's always so bossy and rude to me." She let out a loud sob and hiccup. "I don't know much more I can take it. It's just so... hard for me."

Pancake Cookie rubbed her shoulder sympathetically. "That was a great lie. But maybe make the next one a bit less dark. Blackberry Cookie could get in real trouble for that."

"I know," Onion Cookie sobbed. "Sorry."

Pancake Cookie stood up and pulled her up alongside him. "No worries! You'll have plenty of practice in the other pranks!"

"Wait... Other pranks?" she echoed. Were they off to prank average citizens? It was against her morals but sounded just so fun. Pancake Cookie flew out the window and hung around seven feet away from the building.

"Yeah! If... You want to."

"No, I- I do."

"Well then, you coming?" he laughed, his voice as syrupy and sweet as his namesake.

Onion Cookie sat on the windowsill and hung her legs out of the attic. She swung them back and forth, allowing the golden sunset's light to shine down on her face and warm her legs. Her billowy white dress blew in the wind along with her striped purple hair. The golden sun in her eyes looked so enticing.

Just from the scene, she wanted to let go and let Pancake Cookie fly her anywhere - into the clouds to the Vanilla Kingdom, all the way across the seas to Parfaedia, to the grand chocolate wall of Dark Cacao Cookie's kingdom, or maybe just to the dark sky, to hang out with the shimmering moon and stars. Although she knew she couldn't request such a thing, for her sake and Pancake Cookie's. But in the moment, his smile shone brighter than the sun as he invited her to hang out and pull pranks.

It was against her character, but she nodded and placed her leg on a sturdy brown tree branch hanging by her window.

As if she were on a tightrope, she walked slowly across the branch, one arm extended and the other with a hand in Pancake Cookie's palm. Tears glossed off of her face and were carried away to where the sea was. He grinned with the smile she knew all too well as if to comfort her, but she knew he was just excited to prank Cookies. Who was to blame him? It was an exciting moment for both children.

Finally, Onion Cookie was able to hop out of the tree and chase her friend as he flew away to the center of the town, where unsuspecting victims waited.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Onion Cookie and Pancake Cookie laid breathless on a grassy field, having just run from an Cookie who was upset about the two throwing a water balloon at his back. Luckily, he was restrained by an anonymous Cookie with a black dress and dark lavender hair. The pranksters had kept running for the sake of running anyway, yelling a thank you behind them.

When the ghost finally caught her breath, she turned over to look at Pancake Cookie.

"Thank you for inviting me out today. I had a lot of fun."

"Really? I thought you wouldn't like it!"

"Why'd you invite me, then?"

"I like you, Onion Cookie! You're one of my best friends, if not the best friend."

Pancake Cookie smiled and turned back onto his backside.

"That's nice of you to say. You know, I normally wouldn't be this comfortable with a friend. I stutter and sob all over the place, but- But with you, I'm normal."

"Who says stuttering and sobbing isn't normal?"

"Um... Well, I guess, me."

"But you're the one doing it. Are you saying you're not normal?"

Onion Cookie pulled her legs to her chest.

"I guess so."

"I think you're great. No matter where you are, who you're with, what you're doing - You will always be my best friend."

"Thanks. You too..."

The friends looked up into the night sky, stars twinkling brightly. A mutual friendship was shared between them. And for once, the day dedicated to mischief was calm.

Chapter Text

Requested by Moonstone_Madness. on AO3. (Sorry for not completely following the request!)

•┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈•

Sparkling Cookie stretched as he stepped off of the large ship that had transported him to the tropical island he stood on. He’d been there before, around a month or two ago. Ever since the grand adventure he’d gone on with Princess Cookie and her knight, he hadn’t returned to the islands. It brought back some haunting memories, but worst of all, good ones. He was much too busy to be tempted to go on an adventure now.

The bar was filled to the brim with customers every night now. He should’ve been glad he was getting so much business, but he missed the silent nights he’d had alone with his close friends. Now it was full of drunken Cookies who still had to figure out what drink they got every night instead of a beverage Sparkling Cookie could predict they got.

So, of course, he took a night off, leaving the bar closed. Maybe it was a poor decision for business, but he was glad he got to relax for once.

Observing the tropical surroundings, he let out a breath and smiled. Finally, he could kick back and relax without any noisy, chatty, over energetic Cookies.

Suddenly, a face with an orange hat poked out from a bush.

Ah, of course.

“Sparkling Cookie!” Mango Cookie greeted, jumping out of the bush fully. “Hey there, buddy! How’ve you been?”

“Ehm, good,” Sparkling Cookie answered. “The bar’s been busy lately, so I wanted to take a little break from all that.”

“No place better than these islands! Can I get you anything?” Mango Cookie asked with a grin.

The bartender narrowed his eyes and said, “No, I’m good. I think I’ll just lay down.”

“Oh, really? Yes, yes, of course! Follow me!”

Mango Cookie then began to march down a dirt path that would’ve been simple to find, but Sparkling Cookie didn’t want to be rude, so he followed the other Cookie as he walked.

The pair traversed through lots of lush nature such as palm trees and bushes that had pink flowers growing on their branches. Each fragrance was unique, and Sparkling Cookie took the way the mood was set up into account for his own business.

When the two finally arrived at the sun beds, the bartender grinned and sat down immediately, resting his head and legs at last.

“This place is so nice,” he sighed happily. “You’re lucky you get to spend all this time here.”

“I’m sure your bar is just as great,” Mango Cookie complimented, shrinking back when Sparkling Cookie raised an eyebrow at him as if to say, “Are you sure about that?”

“Okay, maybe not, but - it must be cool to be surrounded by all those Cookies to talk to!” Mango Cookie chatted. “We don’t get many visitors here on the islands besides guys who want to take over our homes.”

“At least you don’t have to pretend to like them,” the latter replied, irritated by the constant conversation.

“Er- Yeah, I guess,” Mango Cookie murmured, scratching his chin. “At least your customers actually like you.”

“Some, maybe,” Sparkling Cookie grunted. “I get a lot of complaints.”

“Surprising.”

The conversation carried on like this for a while, Mango Cookie going on about the bar while Sparkling Cookie unenthusiastically replied.

He was thankful Mango Cookie was making conversation with him, of course, but he also really longed for peace and quiet. He came to escape work, not to chat about it to another in some other place. Keeping the facade he had built over his years as a bartender, he just began to smile.

•┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈•

A long while passed, and the two still were making conversation. It was a battle between conversation makers - a tour guide and bartender. What a combo!

Mango Cookie began to speed up his speech and even tugged Sparkling Cookie up to stand. “Let me show you around!” he exclaimed. “I think you’ll love it.”

“I- I’ve been here before,” Sparkling Cookie winced under his breath, his smile faltering. The last thing he wanted to do was go on a tour with an over excited guide. It was terrifying, in all honesty. And uncomfortable. But he couldn’t say no to such a happy guy. It wasn’t in his heart.

Mango Cookie dragged Sparkling Cookie to the shore, which was “admired for its sparkling waves and seashells” even though every beach had the same ocean and similar seashells, the caves which were “glamorous and full of life” even though the caves were damp and the only life was a family of bats that rustled through Sparkling Cookie’s hair. It went on and on - to the docks where “every boat was made with amazing craftsmanship” even if they were all falling apart, to a cliff that was “as high as the moon” even if it was only thirty feet high, which actually was sort of cool anyway, to the top of a palm tree where “leaves were as green as frogs and nature was blooming” even if the tree really was just a tall trunk and pale green leaves, but the tree was pretty high. Even if the tour guide was overselling it, it really was a cool island. Sparkling Cookie just wished it was seen for what it really was and not heaven in all its glory.

What a tour.

Mango Cookie let out a deep breath as he stared over the top of the tree they were hanging on to. A grin hung on his face as his eyes shone like the blinding sun. Sparkling Cookie was glad the other was enjoying himself, but he really did want to get down from the tree. He worked on the ground, not the air, making him unused to such height.

He quickly said, “So, this… tree is cool ‘n’ all, but… Can we get down please?”

The latter looked at him and puzzedly said, “But isn’t it nice here? I bet you could get some great ideas for a tropical drink here! The sunset, the beach, the-”

“Maybe I’d be able to if I relaxed!” Sparkling Cookie finally managed to get out. “I came here to just nap and take a break, but you’ve dragged me along on this tour! It would’ve been a really nice place had I just breathed it in on my own without all the yelling.”

A shocked silence hung in the air. The bartender didn’t want to hurt his friend’s feelings, but he couldn’t lie and say he hadn't meant it. Fake apologies are just the worst kind of resolution since it’s never genuine.

Finally, Mango Cookie said, “Well, I’ll lead you back to the sunbeds then!” He then hopped off the tree and grinned. “That was fun. Oh, and uh, sorry.”

Sparkling Cookie hopped off the tree as well and nodded. “Yeah. It’s fine. You were just trying to be nice - I should’ve told you. You can’t respect my wishes if I never open up about them.”

“I guess it is important to open up,” the young Cookie nodded, beginning to lead the other. “It’ll fix problems pretty quickly if the other Cookie is open to it.”

“Yeah.”

•┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈•

Sparkling Cookie headed back onto the boat. He stretched his legs and back before waving to his friend on the sand who was grinning widely. He’d managed to relax and enjoy himself on the beach in the time he had left. By then the sky was dark and the waxing crescent moon hung in the sky.

Taking his seat on the floor of the boat, Sparkling Cookie sighed and smiled as he reflected on the time he’d spent on the islands. Even if he didn’t lay down the whole time, he was glad he had the opportunity to see the environment in its fullest - as well as spend time with his friend.

Chapter Text

Sorbet Shark Cookie took a final whiff of the salty sea’s aroma. They stood on the edge of the ship, hanging over it with their legs just barely off the wooden floorboards. They were exhausted by their captain’s berating of them and finally decided to flee for a small while. Not very far - just into the woods or something of the sort. They weren’t leaving forever, just long enough to collect their thoughts.

They’d informed their crewmates they were off to look for treasure. They’d agreed suspiciously but agreed nonetheless. It would be a large risk if they were caught - most likely banishment from the ship or walking the plank, even if that was boring and not something real pirates did since they usually let their prisoners go. But hey! They were taking a risk.

They were tired of being different. Tired of being chided for their bubbly language when they’d sacrificed their voice just to have legs and join these Cookies - sort of an Ariel situation, yes? They knew they were better than what they were treated like - better than garbage, than trash, than some waste from the ocean that happened to just appear on the ship. They knew they had a place and that they were more than “Rookie Cookie.”

Taking a breath, they dove offboard.

Blue surrounded them accompanied by clear bubbles - a comforting sight that they hadn’t seen in a while. They’d been busy swabbing the deck and such for such a long time after all. The big open space of the ocean was comforting compared to the tight space of the ship crowded with the crew. Smiling, they performed a few victory flips, bowed to an invisible audience, then swam to shore.

They were off to meet new friends! That or they were off to sit around and bubble out of spite for their crewmates.

Climbing onto the beach, they heard yapping. Or was it barking? They couldn’t tell. Curious but cautious, they began to approach the sound. A commanding voice made them stop dead in their tracks.

“Hold on, Chiffon,” the masculine voice ordered. “No licking. I told you and the troops to go- No- No! No hugs!”

Sorbet Shark Cookie was puzzled. What was going on? Who was Chiffon and why were they licking and hugging people? They continued to approach before popping out from behind a tree and bubbling, “OOOooooOO!”

The Cookie that they saw yelped in shock before turning to the sailor. The Cookie had red dough and hair and was surrounded by cake hounds. The hounds were relatively calm - they must have had a close bond with the Cookie.

“Who are you? Why are you here?” he snapped, standing up, his hounds backing him up with barks and yaps.

“OoooOOO!” Sorbet Shark Cookie exclaimed, waving their arms, pleading for mercy. It was the best they could do.

“I will grant you no mercy, you Cookie,” Red Velvet Cookie scoffed. “Now-”

“OOOooo! OooOOO!”

“Yes, of course, I understand you. I understand these dogs, after all. Well enough, anyway. Now as I was saying-”

“OoooOOOOOoo,” Sorbet Shark Cookie bubbled with a sad edge in their voice. “OOoooOO.”

“None of your friends understand you?” Red Velvet Cookie asked, concerned.

“OOooooOOo.”

“You don’t really even consider them your friends since they rag on you all the time? Well, I hear that.”

Sorbet Shark Cookie’s face scrunched up at the other’s statement. Was this other Cookie going through the same issues as them? But they looked so strong. He looked like a powerful commander. He even had dogs surrounding him. In other words, he seemed fine. How could he be troubled with such a tough appearance?

“OOoooOOOOo? OOOoooOOOoo?” they bubbled questioningly. “OOOooOOOOOOOo.”

Red Velvet Cookie looked off for a moment, seeming almost dazed. Sorbet Shark Cookie noticed how his expression had broken for a moment, surely somewhat of a facade then. He’d shifted his gaze to the ocean for a split second during that moment.

“My friends… Well, Cookie allies aren’t exactly kind souls, I’d say,” he chuckled. “But that’s just the way of the world. That’s just what you have to deal with in this world. It’s not right, but it’s what happens. When you’re my age, anyway. But you? You’re just a child. You shouldn’t have to go through that.”

A dog rubbed against the mysterious crimson Cookie as he spoke. He smiled gently for a moment, leaning into the touch affectionately. It was clear he had a soft spot for these beasts- no, animals. Just what they’d seen was enough to prove they weren’t the monstrosities everyone said they were.

“OOOOoOOOOo. OOooOOOoOOOo!” they exclaimed, expressing their opinion with only the gentlest of phrases.

“That’s…” he muttered, a look of bewilderment on his face at the inspiring words that had just been bubbled. “Huh. You’ve got a nice outlook on things, don’t you, Scout?”

“OOOOooOO,” they corrected with a grin. For Sorbet Shark Cookie, exchanging names was about the same as becoming friends.

“Sorbet Shark Cookie then,” the general said with a small smile. “Red Velvet Cookie.”

“Oo.”

Sorbet Shark Cookie looked back out at the sparkling ocean, a home which they treasured more than shiny gold coins or gems. They smiled gladly at the thought of returning, but they also wanted to stay and chat with their new pal. The waves just looked so great and that day’s sunlight made it looked even more heavenly. Red Velvet Cookie must’ve noticed this longing look because he said, “If you don’t want to talk to me anymore, you can go back. I won’t mind. I have my army here after all. They don’t talk much, but they’re good company. Better than my ‘real’ friends, anyway.”

“OOOoOOOoo,” Sorbet Shark Cookie reassured.

“Yeah, most are actually fine. It’s just that bit- bully, Pomegranate Cookie, who overrules everyone else. But most are fine. All of them. Except my leader and her lackey, they annoy the hel- heck out of me.”

The two laughed at the commentary, recovering after a long period of laughing. Red Velvet Cookie was glad he got to share a laugh with someone who didn’t berate him, and if they did, he could always just pretend he didn’t understand the other and had suddenly lost their ability to comprehend the bubbles.

Both were wildly different from their own respective groups. Sorbet Shark Cookie was more carefree and didn’t speak the same as their friends. Red Velvet Cookie believed in equality for each species. They didn’t belong there, but maybe, just maybe, they belonged here.

Chapter Text

Cherry Cookie sat on the picnic blanket, anticipating her sister’s arrival. On that day, she would’ve been hanging out with her two best friends, Pancake Cookie and Gumball Cookie, but this was a special occasion. After so much time off traveling, her sister, Cherry Blossom Cookie, was finally coming home. She fiddled with her pigtails as she bounced her leg. Luckily, she had the comfort of knowing there was a bomb right next to her in case she needed to blow something up.

Still, after being apart for so long, reuniting with Cherry Blossom Cookie could be difficult. What if the changes she’d gone through throughout their time apart weren’t appealing? She’d moved on to bigger bombs and a smaller conscience, after all. Would her crimes be taken as cute or terrifying? She couldn’t tell, and that’s what sort of freaked her out.

Calming her nerves, she ignored this and reminded herself that she was talking about her sister, not a director looking to cast a movie. The two Cookies were family. Obviously, Cherry Blossom Cookie wouldn’t turn her nose up at the mere sight of Cherry Cookie. If she did, she had bad taste. Cherry Cookie was very endearing - or at least, people said so. Maybe that was just because she carried bombs everywhere. Who knew?

The sound of a train grew louder, drawing her attention to the train tracks. Cherry Cookie grinned and ran to the gates of the train station, slightly bouncing. She hoped her picnic, which was set up on the station’s hill under cherry blossom trees, would please her sister. She wasn’t the one with the ultimate picnic planning skills, but she’d picked up a few habits and tips from Cherry Blossom Cookie. The only fault she noticed a tad too late was that the blossoms could fall in the food, but that wasn’t so bad, right?

As the vehicle came to a stop, Cherry Cookie’s smile widened even more as she saw a pink figure emerge from the train, a pink parasol in hand.

“Welcome home!”

Chapter Text

Something was off with Poison Mushroom Cookie ever since Dark Choco Cookie had left the Cookies of Darkness. They'd looked up to the lonely prince as a sort of a father figure in the same way they felt like Licorice Cookie was a brother to them. Something was missing now. They wanted that missing piece back. Was that so bad?

To try to take their mind off of things, Poison Mushroom Cookie explored the Brave Kingdom, in which they were deployed in since the beginning of the month, without Licorice Cookie's knowledge, of course. Besides, he wouldn't care. He was off getting boba with his best friend in secret from the other Cookies of Darkness, but he said he trusted Poison Mushroom Cookie.

They walked by a Cookie that looked like a blacksmith with bright green hair. She was carrying a large sword, most likely bringing it back to a client. It was a large weapon, adorned with a blue gem and golden decor, obviously belonging to a knight. Upon observing the sword, their face darkened as they remembered the large sword Dark Choco Cookie always carried. They remembered how the sword was too heavy for them to carry, much less swing. They remembered how Dark Choco Cookie had shown them how to fight with a sword and how they'd sparred with a stick. Thinking of this only made the longing worse. Dark Choco Cookie was gone. He was with his father now - his real family.

Shifting their gaze to a plaza with a fountain, they spotted a tired man who held a coffee and a notepad, a phone resting on his shoulder with his ear on top. He wore a beige jacket and a tie. His eyes were tired, as if he had never taken a break from work. Every movement of his was sluggish. Curious, Poison Mushroom Cookie approached him.

"Hi...!" they greeted. "How... are you? What... are you doing? Wanna 'shroomie?"

"I'll call you back," the man said, a freaked out expression on his face. He hung up the phone then said, "Who are you? Are you lost?"

"No! I'm... Exploring!" Poison Mushroom Cookie explained, waving their hands in the air. "My name is... Poison Mushroom Cookie...! ...You?"

"...Almond Cookie," he replied, shaking their hand, slightly disturbed. "Nice to meet you. Now I'm doing some important work. Can you go back to wherever you were before?"

"Licorice Cookie... off with friends!" Poison Mushroom Cookie exclaimed.

"Licorice... Licorice Cookie? I've had to arrest him so many times," Almond Cookie reflected as he sipped from his large coffee cup, a nostalgic look in his eyes. "Well, anyway- Go along, now. I'm busy, kid."

Poison Mushroom Cookie frowned and said, "But... I dunno where...!"

Almond Cookie took mercy on the other, his expression of stone crumbling a bit at the sight of the saddened Cookie. "Well. Maybe you can stay here for a bit then. Until Licorice Cookie comes back."

"Yaay...! The spores thank you... hehe..." they exclaimed, sitting themselves by the side of Almond Cookie's bench.

They smiled brightly at the adult Cookie. Maybe they'd lost a father figure before, but maybe they'd gained one now.

Chapter Text

Pomegranate Cookie was in the midst of a predicament. Ever since Bat-Cat and Chocohound had brought Licorice Cookie back from his captivity in the woods, Bat-Cat had been looking to gain her praise. Sure, it was great that they found him, but she was the one who'd noticed his absence in the first place. Yet a filthy mammal like Bat-Cat dared to ask for her praise?

The first couple days, she tried to ignore the needy anime by tending to her duties and attempting to communicate with her fellow Cookies. Yet the impending doom trailed behind her terrifyingly. She couldn't reach out to her "friends," either. Licorice Cookie and Poison Mushroom Cookie were still in the Brave Kingdom, giving out 'shroomies' to Cookies there. Dark Choco Cookie... Well... And Red Velvet Cookie and Strawberry Crepe Cookie were too busy with their cakehounds and Wafflebots. Plus, of course, she couldn't bother her boss. This meant she was alone with an annoyingly desperate pet, Bat-Cat! Hooray!

Everywhere she went, Bat-Cat could be seen from a distance. Whenever he wasn't being told off by Licorice Cookie, of course. In any case, it was freaking her out, which was out of character for her. There was nowhere to run. She'd already had her tea time with Blackberry Cookie, she'd already finished her work... There was only time to face her issues dead on.

Approaching Bat-Cat, she finally ordered, "Please stop following me."

Bat-Cat shook his head no and said, "Not until you give me proper praise for my hard work to find my meowster!"

Pomegranate Cookie furrowed her brows, whacked the animal on the head with her mirror, and said, "Good job. Now go away."

Enlightened, Bat-Cat grinned and began to fly away. "Thank you!" he called from a distance.

Pomegranate Cookie sighed and dragged a hand down her face. Sometimes, her praise being significant to others was too much to handle.

...

Today was a strange day for Moon Rabbit Cookie. Everyone around her was collecting eggs and asking her for chocolates and other types of candies. What was going on? She hadn't learned of anything going on today. Was there a holiday? All that she knew, in the midst of the day's laughter and sunny weather, one word echoed in the air - "Easter."

Anyway, maybe it had something to do with the bunny mascot Moon Rabbit Cookie had seen everywhere she turned. Bunnies with brightly colored eggs, bunnies with children... It was oddly terrifying. Bunnies weren't that popular in the kingdom. What was this sudden bunny apocalypse? And... eggs?

Pancake Cookie and Custard Cookie had run up to her earlier that day, screaming at the top of their lungs. The pair both held light yellow woven baskets halfway full with eggs, a familiar sight she'd grown accustomed to by then.

"Moon Rabbit Cookie! Isn't it cool that everyone's putting up all these pictures of bunnies?" Pancake Cookie asked excitedly.

"I bet you must feel so royal!" Custard Cookie III said proudly. "That's how I felt when my first posters were put up."

"All the bunnies are naked, so no," Moon Rabbit Cookie sighed. "And I'mma wabbit."

"Same thing," Custard Cookie III dismissed.

"No, it's not!" the rabbit protested. "Just because we wook alike doesn't mean we'we the same! Bunnies are the unofficial name for wabbits!"

"Mmm," Pancake Cookie hummed. "I guess. But there's no bunny in the kingdom, so you're the best we can get for Easter."

"Easter?"

"Yeah, Easter! With chocolate and eggs and stuff! You know Easter, right?" Custard Cookie III inquired.

"Of... Of couwse!" Moon Rabbit Cookie lied. "I guess, but it sucks."

"Lighten up," Pancake Cookie assured. "At least there's candy! Look at all this chocolate!"

"I can't eat chocolate," Moon Rabbit Cookie sighed. "I'mma wabbit."

"Oh. Right, but aren't you a Cookie too? We're dough. It's just our ingredients. Like, I'm not actually a pancake!" Pancake Cookie giggled, Custard Cookie III nodding in agreement.

"I... guess so. I should have some chocolate."

"Come on, we'll show you where it is!" Custard Cookie III laughed, already beginning to run away. "Yippee!"

Moon Rabbit Cookie laughed and followed.

Chapter Text

Mint Choco Cookie and Cocoa Cookie ran through the woods, smothering the other in loving kisses. It had been far too long since they'd met up together, causing Cocoa Cookie to bring up the topic in one of their many online conversations. They'd longed for a moment alone together in person for many days now. For some pairings, perhaps a week or two without seeing the other's face was completely normalized and expected, but for a romantic pair like them, a week or two in those conditions was torture.

They weren't quite sure what they were to do in the woods. Observe some trees? Pick some leaves? Just hold the other in their arms and tell them how much they loved them? Perhaps all of the above and more. Neither cared, for they only wished to be able to hold each other's hands and kiss away the sorrows of their everyday lives. It was important to be able to spend these special times with their lover. After all, they really never knew just when they'd be stripped from one another. It could be that very day, in fact. If it was, at least they'd die knowing they'd lived a lifetime together anyway.

Some couples were okay with being apart. Some even liked it. Some couples screamed at each other and threw things at one another, which in that case they're not a couple and more of a crime. Neither Mint Choco Cookie nor Cocoa Cookie could comprehend this. They thrived off of one another's company, off of the other's compliments, kisses, warm embraces, off of their love. Warm touch and language was crucial to both. The bond they shared was forged from soft praises.

It was a marvelously sunny day outside, which opposed both's ideal weather, cold winter snow. Leaves of the forest's trees rustled in the wind, swaying Cocoa Cookie's silky, brown hair along with it.

"Cocoa Cookie, where exactly are we going?" Mint Choco Cookie asked, recovering from his light chuckles. "You've dragged me here, yet I'm not even aware of where we're headed."

"In all honesty, I'm not sure myself," Cocoa Cookie replied. "But the forest is quite lovely, so I'm sure we can find someplace around here."

"I hope so," Mint Choco Cookie nodded. "Well, there's a clearing around this area, I know that..."

"Really? That sounds nice," his lover replied. "Is that it?" Cocoa Cookie pointed to an arch of trees with rays of sunlight peeking out.

"I think so, yes," Mint Choco Cookie smiled. "Should we just sit down there for a while?"

"Sure," Cocoa Cookie agreed, squeezing her boyfriend's small but strong hand before leading him to an opening between two trees. Before they could arrive at the clearing, a gentle lullaby-like song began to play on what sounded like a lute.

The couple glanced at each other in surprise of the sound and the talent the musician showed. Each note rolled off of the other easily along with the lyrics. The song told of a lover he'd met in the woods. As the song concluded with a rather poetic line, the two swore they could hear another hushed voice. Curious, Cocoa Cookie peeked from behind a tree and spotted two familiar people. Surprised, she inhaled sharply.

Clover Cookie and Licorice Cookie? What were they doing there?

She gestured for Mint Choco Cookie to take a look as well. After complying, he looked surprised too, his shimmering mint pupils reduced to the size of an acorn. He bit his lip to keep himself from talking or yelping.

What were the two doing there in the clearing?

...

Unaware of their secretive watchers, Clover Cookie and Licorice Cookie hung out as they always did, Clover Cookie playing songs on his tree stump, Licorice Cookie curled up next to him with a head leaned against his shoulder. It was what they'd been doing for a while now.

"Do you have any songs you'd like to hear next?" Clover Cookie asked the other with a gentle smile that had grown familiar to Licorice Cookie, but still flustered him every time it appeared.

"What about the one about the Licorice Village?" Licorice Cookie answered, his voice lazy and his words slurred together.

"You sure are fond of that one," Clover Cookie laughed.

"It's about my hometown," the other scoffed playfully. "Your song is the last piece of it I have left."

Clover Cookie pecked Licorice Cookie on the cheek lovingly and began to play, bringing magic to the forest once more.

Suddenly, just as the chorus started, a figure with long brown hair tripped out from behind a tree, letting out a startled yelp. Licorice Cookie quickly grabbed his scythe, a reflex he'd developed from so many battles.

"Cocoa Cookie?" he said as he recognized the fallen woman. "Why're you in the woods? ...And why're you spying on Clover Cookie and I?"

"I promise, I promise- It wasn't like that! Mint Choco Cookie and I just came here to hang out for a bit so we could be alone, not in that manner, and we found you two!"

"Mint Choco Cookie?" Clover Cookie gasped. "The Mint Choco Cookie? As in the famous violinist?!"

"Yeah...?" Cocoa Cookie answered with a playful tone.

"Well, if he's listening in, I love your technique!" Clover Cookie exclaimed in the same way a kid would fangirl about their favorite celebrity. At this, Mint Choco Cookie stepped out from behind the tree, sighed, and waved.

"Hm," Licorice Cookie grunted, putting his weapon back against the tall tree it had leaned against before Cocoa Cookie had tripped. "Well, if this is how it'll be, we can all just hang out today."

"Wouldn't that be awkward?" Cocoa Cookie asked, leaning in so only Licorice Cookie could hear. "Especially with your boyfriend fanboying over mine."

"We can just leave it," Licorice Cookie sighed. "I know it's just a friendly thing."

"Okay, but if it isn't, tell me. I'll have Mint Choco Cookie's mug prepared for you instead if that's the case," she said, earning a laugh out of the latter.

The two returned to the conversation normally with secretive smiles on their faces. At least all four of them could hang out now.

Chapter Text

"Did you see that?" Cherry Cookie prodded to Pancake Cookie, peeking between the dark green leaves of the bush she was hidden in along with her friend.

The two were in a forest clearing. They'd hidden in a bush when they'd heard footsteps rushing towards the space, where they'd been playing with Cherry Cookie's bombs and blowing up piles of acorns. They'd been frightened it would be an authoritative cookie, but it was only the try-hard villain, Licorice Cookie, and the dainty bard, Clover Cookie. They had run in together. It was more of Clover Cookie pulling Licorice Cookie, but did it really matter?

What had caught Cherry Cookie's eyes was how the two's fingers were intertwined, their eyes locked on each other, and how their bodies moved so lightly and carelessly, as if they were energized by the other's presence. In other words, as if they were in love. Although Cherry Cookie was an arsonist, she had an interest in romance, and an opposites attract couple was certainly intriguing. She'd grinned at the sight and pointed it out to Pancake Cookie, who'd insisted they had to be only friends. Pancake Cookie really wanted to deny it, even if he probably knew deep down inside his gut, for they were acting as romantic as Mint Choco Cookie and Cocoa Cookie did in public. They'd never even seen these two together outside of that one sighting. How could they possibly be in love? Pancake Cookie was a kid built from logic, not blind love of tropes and fangirling.

"See what?" Pancake Cookie said, fully knowing what she meant - how Licorice Cookie gazed at Clover Cookie at the end of a song, as if all his problems faded away when he was with Clover Cookie, his love. He had an eye for these things too, an eye just as capable as Cherry Cookie.

"You know what I meant," Cherry Cookie scoffed, rolling her eyes. "How he looked at him. And look - now he's holding his hand! And look! Clover rubbed his hand with his thumb! This is romance in action, and you're ignoring it."

Pancake Cookie huffed. "Don't treat this like you're the narrator in some animal documentary. They're just... Two bros hanging out. Like Espresso Cookie and Madeleine Cookie."

"Espresso Cookie and Madeleine Cookie are dating, Pancake Cookie," Cherry Cookie laughed. "Don't be silly."

"Just... Stop talking. Lemme listen to the song," the latter scolded, leaning in to listen to Clover Cookie's music and soothing voice.

A few moments of silence passed as the two enjoyed two different aspects of the scene that had unfolded before them - the music and romance, things loved by their watcher/listener.

"Looks like Licorice Cookie likes the song, too," Cherry Cookie giggled, looking at Licorice Cookie's head, which was rested on Clover Cookie's shoulder.

"That's platonic head-on-shouldering!" She laughed at the other's statement. What a ridiculous suggestion! These two obviously weren't like Pancake Cookie, Custard Cookie III, and Onion Cookie. Maybe this obliviousness was what kept him from noticing he had two romance plots going on at once, or at least what she believed to be romance.

She shot back, "These two aren't like you and your friends. This is romance."

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"How would you know? You've never dated anyone," Pancake Cookie whined. "If you haven't had a lover, you can't be talking."

"You've never dated anyone either, so I guess neither of us can!" Cherry Cookie grumbled. "We'll just sit here in silence."

...

"Hey, here's a fun game for you. You're a poet. Finish the quote," Licorice Cookie prompted. "Virginia Woolf Cookie. 'If you do not tell the truth about...' Now, what's the next bit?"

"'If you do not tell the truth about yourself you cannot tell it about other people.' Simple," Clover Cookie hummed. "How do you know Virginia Woolf Cookie? I didn't take you for a poetry fan."

"I sit here listening to you a whole lot, don't I?" the latter snickered, earning a whine of protest from Clover Cookie. "Well, the fortress's library isn't all just dark arts stuff. I've had free time lately, so I stay up late reading books."

"I appreciate your newfound literature-loving self, but do make sure to rest up, dear. You need your beauty rest," Clover Cookie advised, laughing softly at his last two words.

"I'm already beautiful enough, Clover Cookie," Licorice Cookie yawned. "No lack of sleep will change that."

"I can't disagree with that, can I?" he murmured. "Okay. Here's another quote for this game. Shakespeare Cookie. 'Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind.' Your turn."

"And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind."

"You're too smart."

"It's one of my many good traits."

"Many?"

The pair, which were not yet confirmed if they were lovers or friends, burst out in fits of laughter, Licorice Cookie placing a hand on Clover Cookie's leg to hold himself up.

...

"If this isn't romance, what is?" Cherry Cookie scoffed.

"Kissing," Pancake Cookie reminded. "They haven't kissed! No kiss means no love."

"Sure," Cherry Cookie said, rolling her eyes, "because sharing old quotes and calling the other beautiful isn't romantic at all."

"It isn't!"

"Do you want me to throw this bomb at you?"

"Please don't."

The friends turned their heads back to look upon the bard and necromancer, waiting for their next move. Just watching felt odd, but they'd ruin the other two's moods by popping out of the hiding spot.

All of a sudden, Clover Cookie planted a kiss on Licorice Cookie's lips, causing the other three in his presence to gawk.

"What the heck was that for?" Licorice Cookie yelped, placing a loving hand over the spot that had been kissed as if he was protecting it from the outer world's harm.

"Forgive me, love, but you just looked so lovely sitting there," Clover Cookie complimented, a lush red dusted upon his cheeks.

"'Lovely' is a word that should be used more often," Licorice Cookie said with a nervous laugh, looking up to the clearing, observing every nook and cranny of it, all the logs and leaves. "It's like it's ours."

At first, Clover Cookie thought Licorice Cookie meant the word, but he realized he meant the clearing itself.

Little did he know, there were two little children spying on them from a bush.

"I told you, they're in love!" Cherry Cookie whisper-shouted raspily. She grinned at the realization that she'd won their unspoken bet. "I told you, you're oblivious."

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

Chapter Text

Raspberry Cookie sat on a bench in the middle of the Hollyberry Kingdom’s plaza right by the lush fountain. There weren’t many onlookers that day, for everyone was surely off with their mother, celebrating the holiday. But not Raspberry Cookie, no. Her mother was off handling something with Raspberry Mousse Cookie, instructing her to stay in the kingdom and stay mighty, disregarding her daughter’s pleas to accompany her relatives. She never had expected her to accept, but she hoped that maybe that particular day would’ve given her a spark of a want to bring her daughter somewhere. Raspberry Mousse Cookie wasn’t even her son! What sort of favoritism caused a mother to blow off her daughter for her nephew? On Mother’s Day, too! Raspberry Cookie felt this all to be quite ridiculous, but she couldn’t help but wonder if it had something to do with her. More specifically, her skills.

The knight had been raised to be fierce, sharp, and nifty, to be able to defend herself against all others and come out victorious in every duel. This was the tradition of her family, after all. Yet recently, she’d lost to some perky princess that had no formal fighting training whatsoever. Was her mother still bitter about the event? She’d apologized many times for bringing shame to the family, but perhaps it hadn’t changed anything. Maybe she just wasn’t skilled enough. Or maybe her mom was never going to be satisfied.

It never changed. She tried her hardest every single day to bring honor to her family members, but her efforts never amended any of the issues she had with her mother. Of course, she loved her mother and was grateful for everything she’d done for her, but she wished she could be able to be vocal about it instead of being pushed aside and discarded for matters apparently more crucial than maintaining domestic relationships.

So instead of trying to help this, Raspberry Cookie hid behind her sword with a flashy smile and quick reflexes.

As much pain as all of the pretending and distance brought her, she knew it was for the well being of the family. She knew that. It was simple and easy to see. Then…

Why did tears roll down her cheeks just thinking about it?

No matter how many times she’d attempted to clean her face to regain her maintained decorum, large drops of water kept dripping in a never ending cycle. To hide this she buried her face in her hands, resting her elbows on her thighs, the sharp edges digging into the flesh. When she couldn’t even handle this, which would be disapproved of by her mother she thought, she collapsed to rest her head and arms on her trembling legs. It was a ridiculous sight. The great and mighty fighter called Raspberry Cookie crying on a plaza bench? What humor! What stupidity! She wanted to lift her head and act like she wasn’t completely wrecked, but the sun was much too bright for her that day, plaguing her senses with its terrible warmth.

The sun was a funny thing - no matter if it was a deadly star hanging above our heads with the capability and destiny to blow up in the far future, people still wanted it to be there and keep them company. She wished her mother saw her that way too. An unconditional love just because they were family in the same way everyone loved the sun so much just because they were stuck with it.

Raspberry Cookie heard a rustling in the bushes, causing her to grab her sharpened sword. Her eyes flitted from every section of the plaza. Was the sneaky cookie in that bush? That one? Or behind that tree, maybe?

“Who’s there?”

“I didn’t mean to hide,” Princess Cookie said, rolling out from under a bush. So she was hidden. “What’re you doing all alone?”

Raspberry Cookie hesitated then said, “I’m tired.”

“Of what?”

“My mother.”

“Ah.”

The two looked at each other in awkward silence that grew unbearable after not too long. The flickering eye contact between the princess and the knight made the situation all too uncomfortable. Finally speaking, Raspberry opened her mouth with a tense jaw.

“She left me for my cousin,” she explained. “I wish we could spend time together. But I guess it was important for the family.”

“But doesn't it hurt?” Princess Cookie asked, concerned.

“Just because it hurts doesn’t mean it’s bad,” Raspberry Cookie defended sharply. “My mother would never be wrong. It’s just me being stupid about this.”

“No, if you feel bad, you feel bad,” Princess Cookie insisted. “And your mama should acknowledge that.”

“She doesn’t have to.”

“But she should.”

The noble, gowned cookie sat beside Raspberry Cookie a few inches away, looking on with solemn eyes. What would become of that day? The water’s rushes and wind’s howling kept whispering throughout the silence of the moment. In the corner of her eye, Raspberry Cookie could almost see the sun winking at her with cheeky eyes, teasing her as she tried to get out of the tough spot she was in.

Raspberry Cookie looked to her left shoulder to see Princess Cookie’s eyes still intently resting on hers. The typically loud and shrill voice of the sovereign was now caught in her throat as she tried to decipher the emotions of the paladin beside her.

“I guess we both have mommy issues,” Raspberry Cookie laughed. “I mean, your mom tried to replace you. With a bunch of strangers too.”

“Oh, I almost forgot about that!” Princess Cookie exclaimed, breaking into a fit of amusement. “What a day that was.”

The two looked at each other quietly, distracting their issues from their minds with banter.

“For what it’s worth, I think that your mom is really lucky to have you as a daughter,” she expressed delicately, a ghost of a smile on her lips, her head turning to look away at the castle she resided in. It was a hollow smile of no real joy, but only a comfort to distract her friend from the despondency the day brought her.