Chapter Text
Bored…
So bored.
Wizard cookie grumbles as he looks at the almost crumbled parts of the Time jumper floating nearby.
He knows somewhat of the interior of a time jumper, it shouldn’t be that hard to rebuild them. He may be a researcher first, but his research is being put on hold by a witch who’s treating him like a child.
He wonders if he should have taken his chances and gotten a curse instead.
“-ard cookie. Wizard cookie!” Blueberry Cheong shouts.
“What?” He huffed.
“Are you even listening to me?” Blueberry Cheong pouts, “I’ve been asking you a whole bunch of questions about Earthbread and you ignored them all.”
Oh right, he was going to answer them but he got exhausted by the questions, because there was just SO much.
Like they feel so basic, and they are basic questions but Blueberry Cheong has never been to Earthbread before, so it’s not like he can call him an idiot and correct him on the basic knowledge or information on the geography of Earthbread that he knows of.
Hell, some of them are even questions he couldn’t even answer because he never thought about finding the answers for! Nor does he know which Era Blueberry cheong’s information is outdated from!
‘What keeps the soda rivers from going flat like any other soda? What makes it so special that it could replace water streams? Does the weather behavior mimic the weather in the human realm with the hydrologic cycle? How does the soda streams affect the hydraulic cycle’
He can’t compare and contrast that! He’s never been to the human world and that's weather science! He focuses on purely magic and whatever its scientific discoveries are!
Even though technically he has lightning magic, his spells are mostly his attempts at modifying some of the old spells in the Witches hut that aren’t a piece of crumbled paper, and seeing how they work with his modifications. NOT that he would admit it to anyone.
“I don’t really focus on that side of science, but I’m sure you could find someone else to answer your questions on Earthbread,” He answers, and Blueberry Cheong groans.
“Darn, but is rain like, sticky on Earthbread because it’s technically soda?” Blueberry Cheong asks.
“Don’t really go outside when it rains, because then I’ll become soggy.” He answers.
Also thats a really gross thing to think about with soggy dough and soda rain, especially since it would probably make his dough sticky afterward if he were to stand out in the rain.
“Don’t want to know that answer,” He replied, as he let his face bang the table as he ignores the next question Blueberry Cheong cookie asks him.
“I know you're bored and all, but a complete reconstruction of a timejumper seems super hard since its practically on the verge of crumbling.” Blueberry Cheong says, “It’s not like we could fix it ourselves.”
Wait… He could fix it himself!
But he can’t get it without possibly breaking it if the pieces leave the sphere.
His head ended up hitting the table and Blueberry Cheong looked at him confused.
“You seem disappointed,” Blueberry cheong announces, and he spats back.
“You think?”
“If you want to do something just do it.” Blueberry Cheong cookie states, “I’ll help you if you want.”
“Can’t it’s obvious that it’ll shatter if I jump off here and grab it in the air-”
Blueberry Cheong simply just points to his shoes which leaves him confused.
“What does my shoes have to do with anything?” He asked.
“You don’t?” Blueberry cheong cookie mutters before laughing. “I’ll show you, he said before he hops off the rail.
“BLUEBERRY!” He yells looking over the rail.
“Geezs, I guess cookiekind is still behind on magic,” Blueberry Cheong says, “Even though mom left them a few spells they’re still behind?”
Eh?
He looks up and, Blueberry Cheong cookie is floating above him.
A levitation spell?
Wait no this isn’t a normal levitation spell, most levitation spells don’t have something to balance on.
The magic is coming from Blueberry’s shoes?
There's a green glowing seal on the bottom of Blueberry cheong shoes, it’s a glyph that forms when Cheong must put his shoes together.
“With this spell you could probably grab anything on the highest shelf!” Blueberry Cheong laughs, “Nothing has been safe on the top shelf since I figured out how to draw the sylph shoe seal spell.”
Blueberry cheong lands onto the ground as he separates his shoes from each other to land and all he could do is stare.
It’s back to regular ink????
He could hear Blueberry Cheong cookie rambling about the spell, but he could care less about the theory and the reasoning behind it right now.
He wants that spell, no he needs that spell.
“Show me!” he demanded.
—--
He stares behind Blueberry Cheong cookie as the other cookie is drawing on the bottom of his shoes.
Wouldn’t it be better if he burned the seal into the soles of the shoe? There's hundreds of situations where the ink of the shoes could wash off.
Plus, he can’t feel any magic or any mana that comes from the ink. What makes it so special that without a mana trigger that it activates?
He’s also curious who exactly discovered it could be used for magic.
“Can you stop staring?” Blueberry cheong grumbles, “I’m not going to finish faster if you hang over my shoulder.”
“How does ink summon the magic?” He asks, “I can’t feel anything from it.”
“I know the ink comes from a tree, but I don’t know where the location is,” Blueberry Cheong says, “Mom knows where it is though.”
Darn it. He was hoping that he could see if the tree itself has magical properties or it was just the sap the ink is made out of. Of course he would ask permission first from the Witch, it’s obviously in her territory somewhere
“It would probably be better if you practice flying with them first outside.” Blueberry Cheong cookie says, “It hurts when you crash into the ceiling."
Ack! Does he have to choose what he wants to do?!
His curiosity is getting the better of him! He wants to test that spell, but he should rebuild that Time jumper himself because he was the most familiar with it’s construction.
Yes he is wary of the Witch, he remembers what his creator talked about title witches and their dealings, or at least when what was in her notebook after she lost it.
Deals were important to witches, especially witches with titles. It was something about pride and ego or the power of the title granted that caused them to fulfill their deals or promises.
But it’s how they would fulfill their side of the deal is what has him be wary, he isn’t sure about how a witch with the title of knowledge would choose to fulfill her promise to him.
As much as he needs to choose what he needs to do, he also wants to wear his shoes….
“Do you have any spare normal shoes?” He asks, “I don’t want to walk around bare foot.”
He does not know how Pure Vanilla cookie did it as Healer cookie, but there is NO WAY he will walk around bare foot in a stranger's home.
The floors were too cold for him.
He also does not want to waste the work Blueberry Cheong cookie did on his shoes.
“Yeah I do,” Blueberry Cheong cookie answers, “Can’t say that they would be in good condition.”
What's that supposed to mean?
“What's that supposed to mean?” He echos.
_____
“HOW DO YOU EXPLODE YOUR SHOES?!?!?!?”
“I incorrectly drew the sylph shoe seal.”
“IS THAT ONE STUCK IN THE CELING?!”
______
He got some spare shoes, thankfully they were in way better condition than the rest of them.
Almost new he would say.
“I could have wiped off the ink if you wanted me to,” Blueberry Cheong cookie says, “Also I think those-”
“Nope! Nope, I shall ignore whatever is wrong with these shoes until later,” He announces, and Blueberry Cheong makes a little gesture of zipping his lips shut.
“Now how do I get them without hurting myself,” He mutters, “Is there a chance that it’s boobie trapped? A defense spell hiding so no one could steal it? Or perhaps.”
He hears Blueberry Cheong land, and he sees him holding the orb in his hand already and he sighs.
“Did you really have to let me make a plan?”
“Well, I was curious to know your other ideas first, but I figured my shoes would have worked better.” Blueberry Cheong answers and he sighs.
“Is there a special desk or-”
“Down stairs, under the ground floor.” Blueberry Cheong answers.
“I guess that's one way to put a workshop-”
“It would be considered an atelier.” Blueberry corrects him, “because when mom has apprentices they're allowed to work there, AND it’s pretty cool when you see it.”
Ah… So that's how everyone feels when he corrects them.
Whatever that workshop, atelier thingy probably isn’t that cool.
__
He stands corrected. It is a pretty cool looking atelier workshop.
_______
“Ya know, you should really be more careful with your guests,” They announced.
They see the Witch of Knowledge eyes widen before glaring at them, she was holding some blueprints in her hands.
Awe, how adorable, the cold and heartless Witch of Knowledge is going to rebuild her newest piece of entertainment, a new time jumper.
“Timekeeper cookie,” The witch says, “I thought you said you would have been busy for a while.”
Ooooh, that suspicious glare almost made them shiver. They wonder what's going on in that witch’s brain.
“Aw~, does this mean I can’t visit the most interesting and mysterious cookie of all of Earthbread’s history?” They jest.
“I can assure you there are plenty of other cookies who could take that title from me,” The witch sighs, “But I can assume that child’s presence in my observatory is your doing?”
“Why are you bothering to ask me?” They asked, “Wouldn’t you have dug that information out from that little cookie’s head already?”
“It’s considered rude to poke around someone else’s head,” Knowledge says, “ And I would rather not be wrong than to completely assume that one of your time jumpers went rogue and found a hole in my other realm to enter in my observatory, away from my defenses.”
Oooohhh, right, right the more ancient and older witches are, more territorial when it comes to their named titles and the more careful you have to be in order to not be considered trespassing for breathing too close to them.
“Oh right,” They laughed, “By the way how is it still? Is your maze still showing horrifying futures to any unsuspecting cookies and humans?”
“ So you’re also to blame for my son’s nightmare years ago?” Crescent Cheong scowled.
Timekeeper cookie laughs, “Yeesh I didn’t think you would hold a grudge."
“I don’t, but most Witches from my era would hold it against you. It is merely a flaw on my part that I need to confirm." She answers.
“Oh my, how kind of you, knowledge!” Timekeeper laughs, “to think you were known-”
“I don’t care for the future, Timekeeper cookie,” The witch of knowledge interrupted. “Whatever I'm known for, will only be stained with lies from others. I’m already aware of that.”
For someone who doesn’t care for the future none of those blue prints are for a time jumper.
But it’s probably obvious to anyone that that time jumper is trash.
Timekeeper frowns, “Boo, you never want to hear about the future. Do you know how many cookies and humans would be dying to hear about it?”
“I prefer letting things run its course, it’s much more amusing that way,” the witch of knowledge answered. “Being paranoid about the next thing that might happen bores me.”
Well, it is true somethings are amusing, BUT-
With that mana spiking from the floor below puts a smile on her face when Knowledge almost freezes in shock before dropping everything.
“You might want to go investigate that-”
The witch of knowledge had already left, hopping over the railing onto the first floor, and sprinting down stairs to her work shop.
“Geez, what's the point of having those stairs in the first place if you're just going to jump over them.” Timekeeper cookie grumbled.
Even though she’s one of the more interesting variants of the Witch of Knowledge, she’s still a pain, even when she’s an amnesiac spirit misguiding that annoying beast.
Oh and speaking of that beast.
“It’s time for me to leave so I can go greet that jester, how fun.” They sigh.
_______
Ah crap he shouldn’t have done that, he thinks when he falls out of his chair..
The Time jumper was activating after he placed a gear back into the clock.
But that should be impossible! He hasn’t even-
“Whats happening?!” Blueberry Cheong yelled, hearing him drop something.
“I-” He stutters.
He doesn’t know. He doesn’t know what happens after here!
He’s never gotten this far, no he was never able to get this far.
The Timejumper began to glow and he can feel how the magic is about to expand and he sees it.
A ball of pure mana light swarms his vision.
Fuck he is not prepared-
He feels the back of his clothes be yanked back behind someone, and he sees a shield spell? His eyes widen, as the Witch herself stands in front of them, her staff in her hand, the timejumper’s light being compressed by a shield spell before it vanished
If he wasn’t absolutely horrified by the Time jumper going rogue, he would have been extremely fascinated by the potential to use defensive magic in the same way as offensive magic.
Before the witch of knowledge had turned to look at him, he could feel how his words died on the tip of his tongue.
That was Shadow Milk cookie’s soul jam in her hair clip.
How does she have the soul jam of deceit?
No it was Shadow Milk cookie’s whole soul jam in her frosting.
Before what would have been the split caused by the silver tree.
How far back is he?
The Witch turns around at them, a cold glare stares at them, before her gaze slightly softens at them.
Her stare is still intense, but it is calmer than what it was for that second.
“Why did you two try to fix it yourself?” The witch asks them.
Blueberry Cheong stutters around an answer and he says nothing.
What could he say?
‘I don’t trust you’
‘I don’t believe in your help’
‘You are something no cookie should trust’
“Staying silent won’t help you,” The witch says, “As much as I don’t want to assume what your answer will be, but I understand that you would not trust another Witch.”
He blinks in surprise, at the Witch's answer.
He sees how her eyes change for a moment, but he doesn’t know what it change to for that moment, as she continued.
“Modern witches must have too much pride if they think they keep breaking deals without consequences,” Knowledge tsked, “or they’re more arrogant than my elders.”
He cannot help but be reminded of how his mother would reject any and all acceptances to anything of what some witches wanted from her.
While he had not properly met any of the “modern witches”, when he was still at home that house he had attempted to put back together the letters his mother would shred without a care in hopes of understanding why she had looked at them with such disgust and infuriation from a sheet of paper.
“But you should have come to me if you wanted to be involved with recreating your Time Jumper,” She said. Her eyes swap to Blueberry Cheong cookie, who currently looks like a puddle right beside him.
Ah crumbs, he forgot he dragged him along with him to rebuild the time jumper on his own.
“Blueberry,” She sighs, “You know the rules, you aren’t supposed to come here without supervision.”
“I know...” blueberry Cheong mumbles.
He feels like he was just sabotaged from the start.
If Blueberry Cheong knew he shouldn’t be here without “supervision” then why would he break those rules?
Why break it for him?
They’re “friendship” has only existed for what? An hour or five? Seriously, he cannot tell how long it’s been in this place.
BUT ANYWAY-
Why would anyone logically break important rules just for a stranger you’ve now declared “friend”? It simply doesn’t make any sense!
Like sure he has trusted some strangers that he became friends with in a somewhat short amount of time, BUT that's because they were the ancient heroes! O-or they were good cookies, plus it was usually Gingerbrave they befriended them first.
He just followed along…
That's not saying Blueberry Cheong cookie is a bad cookie or someone he should distrust! No! Not at all!
He should really be more cautious about other cookies, not that he's a suspicious cookie and all! His creator is apparently the Witch of Knowledge after all...
But then again he has no idea what goes inside that childish brain of Blueberry Cheong cookie.
“But I suppose it could have been worse.” The Witch sighs.
As much as he wants to poke and prod for more information on how experimenting on the time jumper that extended his stay to an almost permanent if he doesn’t get a hold of another Time jumper OR if the witch cannot build him a new one. He probably shouldn’t test his luck that much.
With how his creator used to describe witches with titles he was so sure he would crumble or face something worse than death.
He might as well demand a refund for all those sleepless nights and nightmares for such useless information!
“Come along now you two, can’t change what happened,” He heard her sigh, “We just have to move on.”
Well yeah, the time jumper is gone, can’t go back in time to fix it.
He sighs as he follows behind them
Silently he wonders where that Timejumper went.
_____
The Time jumper lands on the ground with a thunk in the dirt.
It awaits its wielders return, the check points already in store.
A cookie with a vanilla cap is exploring the woods, in search of answers he would only find.
If he hopped through time.
The Time jumper has one purpose and one purpose alone.
It must guide its owner to the one who speaks of Knowledge.