Chapter Text
The streets of Dragon City are silent tonight, an odd peacefullness coming over the area for the first time in a while. At the moment, it's been a few months since the Red Dragon was defeated by Hollyberry Cookie and the Dragon Raid crew she formed, and everything has gone back to normal. Well... almost.
One of the only noticable differences is the fact that Royal Margarine Cookie has decided to head back to the same Dragon Rider Clan he spoke of before the Queen Mother left alongside her guard, Wildberry Cookie.
He's been back at the clan for a little bit over a month now, and despite how much time and effort he put into regaining the Elderess' respect and favor, he's in a better place that he's been in in a long time. Especially compared to how he used to be back in his charlatan days.
Speaking of the dragon rider, he's currently at a bar in the outskirts of the city with a couple of his fellow clan members, talking about some random stuff over a couple glasses of dragonwing fireade. Things are pretty low-key right now, and he's just... simply enjoying his night.
Eventually, one of the Cookies there in the bar speak up and mention the group that Hollyberry Cookie had with her the last time Royal Margarine Cookie saw her.
"Hey, Royal Margarine, remember Hollyberry Cookie, y'know, the Queen Mother of the Hollyberry Kingdom or whatever her title is?" They ask with an eyebrow raise, peering over at him from a few seats away.
"Hm? Yes, there's no way I could forget such an esteemed guest of Dragon City. What about her?" He chuckles, taking a quick swig out of his halfway full mug.
"I heard she's hosting some fancy ball later this month. Did you get an invitation...?" This question results in a wave of soft laughter and a few teasing grins at Royal Margarine Cookie. "I mean, I'd assume so, given how interested you seemed to be in her. Oh, and that bulky guard of hers."
All he really does in response to this is let out an exaggerated scoff and roll his eyes.
"Oh, you're making it sound as if I'm in love with Wildberry Cookie. You've never even seen us interact, dude." The dragon rider playfully shoves the Cookie talking to him, almost causing the group to come toppling down like dominoes.
One fraction of the Cookies let out quiet shrieks in surprise, while the larger portion of them just burst out in a fit of loud cackles.
"Ha! Looks like the 'oh-so-mighty' Royal Margarine Cookie is getting defensive over a simple guard!" The man on his left says, kicking him in the back of his leg.
Soon enough, the conversation evolves into a bunch of lighthearted, drunken bickering. Like these stupid "feuds" always turn out to be.
This is fairly common for the group, which are regulars here, so no other guest in the bar bats an eye at the loud banter coming from the Cookies sitting around the large corner booth in the back of the building.
Except for one tired employee, who walks over to the table with a small frown, a clipboard clutched in her hands.
"...Guys, could you please stop it with the shouting? You do this every night you're here, and it's causing me and my coworkers to get distracted on the job." She mutters this out with a sigh, hoping to get through the thick skulls of the Dragon Riders.
And she is... surprisingly successful at doing so, the majority of them immediately shutting their mouths.
"Ah– we apologize, miss. We never meant to be a disturbance. If anything, we should be heading out, right, boys?" Royal Margarine Cookie is the first one to speak up after their silence, gesturing to the door with the hand that isn't holding his mug of dragonwing fireade.
They all nod their heads, standing up in almost perfect unison as the group begins making their way out of the bar.
Once everyone makes their way out of the building, a couple of them head out to do their own things, while one of them sticks by Royal Margarine Cookie to head back to home base for the night.
"Cinnamon Twister Cookie? Was what you said about the ball being held over in the Hollyberry Kingdom true? Or was that just an excuse to tease me and what-not?" He tilts his head, his voice tinted with a hint of genuine curiosity.
"Ah... maybe it is, maybe it's not? That's the bad thing about rumors. You can never be sure if the things Cookies are saying are false." And, of course, they're being all vague about it. Not surprising whatsoever.
"C'mon, man... just tell me. It's not like I'm gonna go around jabbering about it to everyone if you do so!" He argues.
"Debateable. I know you, Royal Margarine." That's all they say, the two Cookies quickly approaching the clan territory.
With that, Cinnamon Twister Cookie walks off and goes to do their own thing. The dragon rider is now left all alone.
Royal Margarine Cookie, in a desperate attempt to fill his time until he gets tired— which usually takes a while— sits down on the grass up against a tree and takes out his butter knife so he can sharpen it.
"I really do wonder if the ball they were talking about earlier was actually real or if it was another stupid attempt to tease me about Wildberry... probably the latter half, like usual." He sighs, quietly talking to himself.
He's honestly found himself thinking or talking about Wildberry Cookie quite a lot in his free time recently. It's pretty odd, given how the two of them have had like... only two conversations ever, but he can't help but admire the stoic idiot sometimes.
Unknowingly, a small smile forms on Royal Margarine Cookie's face as he thinks about this. One that he doesn't even notice until a messenger on his horse gallops by and asks him a question.
"...Royal Margarine Cookie, correct?" He raises an eyebrow, hopping down from his steed before scavenging through his bag without another word.
"Uhm, yes, that's me. Is there a letter or package of some sort you need to—"
He's quickly interrupted by the Cookie shoving a letter into his empty hand, speaking up right after.
"Yep! For you. Now, I need to get going! Bye, sir!"
The dragon rider immediately looks around in confusion as the messenger Cookie bolts away, only looking down at the letter after a full minute of quietly sputtering to himself.
"I— wait, uhm—HUH?!" He finally gets a glance at the letter now in his hands, eyes widening as he takes in the way it looks. It's... gorgeous. For a simple envelope, at least.
Without another thought, Royal Margarine Cookie flips the letter over, reading the delivery address written in a deep berry pink pen ink.
Royal Margarine Cookie
Hollyberry Kingdom
Dragon Rider Clan
Dragon City, Crispia
Wait... this is from the Hollyberry Kingdom?! Like, the exact same kingdom that Cinnamon Twister Cookie said was hosting a ball soon?!
Maybe they weren't just teasing him by saying that... wow.
With that idea in mind, the Cookie opens up the envelope, carefully taking the letter out, trying his best not to damage the paper in any way at all.
His fingers glide over the slightly coarse paper, unfolding the letter with caution as he begins reading it.
Dear Royal Margarine Cookie,
It's been quite a while since we've talked, yes? How about you go ahead and come to the Hollyberry Kingdom for the next week or so? I'm holding a huge festival for this year's harvest season, and I think it would be a great way to catch up!
Take care,
Hollyberry Cookie.
Royal Margarine Cookie stares down at the words after he finishes reading, eyes wided with something akin to... excitement? No, anticipation is closer to what he's feeling.
"This... so Cinnamon Twister Cookie was right! Well... kind of?" He incredulously laughs, standing up from his previous spot. "Ooh, I need to break the news to Buttercream!"
He quickly makes his way over to the nearby stables, opening the door and rushing towards Buttercream's stall.
"Oh, Buttercream~!" The dragon rider shouts.
In response, the wyvern lifts her head up, tilting it with a little squawk of confusion.
Letting out a soft giggle, Royal Margarine Cookie walks over to her and sits down, beginning to speak.
"I got a letter from Hollyberry Cookie! And guess what?" No response, of course. "You and I are heading to the Hollyberry Kingdom tomorrow!"
He does an insanely cheesy, exaggerated gesture with his hands, throwing them out before leaning up against Buttercream with another laugh.
For the next hour or so, Royal Margarine Cookie keeps spouting nonsense to Buttercream— well, more like to himself, honestly, given how quickly the wyvern fell asleep— eventually falling asleep himself, still in the stables.