Archive of Our Own

"We'll be staying for the next two days, and we appreciate your hospitality."

We both bowed deeply in unison.
Seeing this, the old Cookie, wearing a cute cotton hat, smiled back kindly.

"It's fine, thank you very much for coming all the way to this rural village.
 But why did you come all the way to a village like this...?"
"I wanted some Wind Flower for my research, so I came to collect some."
"That's right. They grow on the cliffs in the snowy plains.
 There aren't many of them, so please don't pick too many."
"Of course! I'll use them wisely."

This is a Snowfall Village, located many mountains away from our kingdom.
It's a simple village, with log cabins dotted around a large fir tree adorned with many small lanterns.

It all started a few days ago.
AlchemistCookie was excited, saying, "I've found a way to make an interesting potion!"
When we looked up the ingredients, we found one thing we didn't have on hand and was unfamiliar with.
That is the "wind flower" we came to look for this time.

We easily found the location of the ingredients and concluded that the journey wouldn't be too difficult if we used a hot air balloon,
so we decided to head out right away.
But, due to the extreme cold, we decided that camping out would be impossible.
However, even in a small village, we left the country with a naive expectation that there would be at least one or two inns where a traveling Cookie could stay.
As you can imagine, a villager told us, "We don't have anything like that in this village," and we were at a loss,
when we were kindly picked up by CottonCookie, an elderly Cookie well-loved in the village,
and we were allowed to stay at her home for the night.

"...But you...you look so much like that... it's surprising."

I couldn't help but tilt my head at her words.

"Well, you see... when I was younger, I had a childhood friend.
 You and he are very similar."
"Me...?"

As she looks at me, she spins a story from her own past.

"Yes. He... left me a long time ago, far away... but I thought he had come to see me again."
"hmm..."

Considering her age, I thought to myself that she must have had to see off the light of life of her precious friends many times.
However, I didn't know how to respond to her story from the past, which I met for the first time today, so I just nodded.

"Oh no, I'm sorry to tell you this story. It's just a Grandma's story, so don't worry about it."
"Yeah, look-alikes do exist in this world, don't they? Maybe reincarnation or something."
"...That kind of thing hasn't been explained in magical science yet, so I can't really say..."

AlchemistCookie politely responds to her when she should just leave her alone.
I glanced at her and thought, "That's why you always have to listen to AvocadoCookie's lame jokes over and over again."

"The weather around this village is changeable, so if we're going, we need to go early while the weather's still nice. I'll prepare a place to sleep, so be careful on your way."

We replied cheerfully, and we immediately began getting ready.

Two sets of small footprints lined the newly fallen snowfield. Of course, my footprints weren't really footprints, but rather the traces of my robes dragging behind me.
Sighing, the AlchemistCookie stopped to take a breath, a cloud of white breath escaping from its mouth.
I secretly tried to imitate it, but of course, no white breath came out.
That's because my main component is ice cream.
I understood the principle, but seeing my breath take shape and emerge from my own body was a truly strange sight.
And yet...

"Ugh... it's so cold! A village in a snowy field is so cold...!
 This might be the first time I've ever felt this cold."
"You've been making so much noise for a while now. I'm really cold too...!"

Yes, ever since coming to this village, I've felt cold.
It's not a clear, cool sensation that takes the heat away from your head.
My whole body is stiff, I can't move my limbs properly, it feels like I'm being poked with needles, and I feel as if I myself might turn to ice.
I thought I didn't feel the cold that much, but it seems that's not the case in an extremely cold place. Of course. One time, I was curious about Snow King, a friend of SnowSugerCookie, and got carried away and bothered him too much, and his intimidating breath at that time definitely felt "cold."
It was similar to the feeling I had back then.

"...When it's this cold, somehow, I start to miss the witch's oven..."

The orange flames blazed brightly.
The oven roared and shook.
It was a terrifying place I never wanted to go near again, but I even began to feel like I could go back into the oven, just for a little, just a little.
Hearing this, AlchemistCookie hesitated, but then let out a dry laugh, "Ahaha..." with a look on her face that said she couldn't really deny it.

"...But it's really cold. Let's hurry up and pick some and go back."

But even though it was cold, I was somehow happy to be able to share with someone else a feeling I don't normally feel.
I nodded in agreement to her words and continued walking.

"Three, four, five, six... Well, I guess this is about right. How about you? WizardCookie!"
"Wait a minute! I'd like something a little bigger..."

I looked around restlessly. We'd arrived at the Wind Flower patch, but I couldn't find any that were good in terms of quality or size. Some were wilted, some had their stems crushed by the snow, and some were small but still had a nice color. Since I had come all the way there, I was greedy and took too long to pick the best things, which was not good.
The sky, which had been clear just a moment ago, quickly became cloudy, and the wind picked up, occasionally sending fine snowflakes flying.
I think she method of selecting ingredients is a little sloppy, but it seems like it's best to get the job done quickly, like she does, at times like these.

"It's starting to snowstorm and it's cold, so hurry up~~~!"

She shouted, stomping her feet a short distance away, enduring the cold as she waited.
I'm sorry, but I'm having trouble finding a good one too.
If I just can't find one, I can come back another day, but there's no guarantee that the weather will be good tomorrow or the day after.
I guess I'll have to compromise, and reached for the small flower at my feet.

"WizardCookie, good one at the end of your right hand."

Looking closer, I saw the tip of a petal peeking out from the snow. Carefully digging it up, careful not to damage it, I discovered a large Wind Flower, just as I'd hoped.

"...Wow, this is a great size, and the petals are shiny... Thank you, AlchemistCookie!"

I turned around and thanked AlchemistCookie, who was standing right behind me.
Even rivals help each other in times like these.
She has a good eye for materials, so she's definitely someone I can rely on.

"gathered? Let's go back then. CottonCookie said earlier that she'd treat me to some hot jelly stew for dinner."
"Wow, that sounds good!"

Hot jelly stew. Just thinking about it warms my heart.
It's getting unbearably cold, so I decide to hurry back and warm myself by the fireplace.

"Sorry, but we can't prepare separate rooms for you... Instead, there's a slightly larger room upstairs that we never use. I just got help from the guy next door and he set up two beds for you. Is that okay?"

CottonCookie asked as she put away her dishes.

"That's no problem! I can even sleep at a desk or on the floor!"
"Despite my appearance, I've actually had quite a bit of experience sleeping outdoors."

Falling asleep at my desk while reading a book, or sleeping on the floor unconscious after an experiment or spell goes wrong, it's not a big deal whether or not I have a bed, as long as I have a blanket to keep me warm.
When traveling with GingerBrave and other cookies, we sometimes camp out, so we don't really care about where we sleep, unless the weather is extremely bad.

"Oh my, it's nice to be young... but it gets cold at night, so make sure you sleep properly covered with a blanket."

After putting away the dishes, she smiled and headed for the front door.

"CottonCookie, where are you going? It's getting quite a blizzard outside."

The wind could be heard howling from outside.
Occasionally, the windows would rattle and shake.

"Yeah... I'm just going to the next door house. I'll be right back."
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. I can walk around this village with my eyes closed."

Surely she had her own reasons for going out in this kind of weather. She knew far more about this village and its weather than we did, and since she was only heading to the next door neighbor, we outsiders had no business interfering with her.

"Be careful!"
"Thanks. If it's cold, feel free to drink the tea on the table."
"Thanks"

After finishing our conversation, CottonCookie put on a thick cape and headed out into the intensifying blizzard.
Opening the small tin on the table with AlchemistCookie, I found various types of tea bags lined up inside.
She pouted, taking out each one and looking through them, as if she was planning to drink them right away.

"...Hey, AlchemistCookie."
"Hmm?"
"I wanna... lie down for a bit, so I'll go upstairs."

AlchemistCookie looked a little surprised when he heard me.

"Are you feeling unwell?"
"I guess so... it's been really cold since I arrived in this village...
 right now my whole body feels heavy and tired."

This house, and the jelly stew CottonCookie had made for me,
were warm enough to seep into my body. But my core felt frozen.
I felt a tingling sensation from the inside, like ice water was running down my limbs.
Even the warmth of the fireplace, which I missed when I was outside, just didn't reach me.

"Well... I'll make some tea, so you go ahead.
 I'll also mix up some cold medicine and bring it to you."
"Thanks, I'll leave it to you..."

She's also well-versed in herbal medicine, so I felt very reliable.
Taking her advice, I dragged my heavy body up the stairs to the second floor.

...Heavy. Cold... Sleepy... Cold....

I put my Popping Candy Ice Cream pointed hat on a nearby low table, lean my candy wand next to me, and tumble into bed.
It seems I've completely fallen ill.
Every time I hear the sound of the blizzard outside, my spine shivers even more.
Having forgotten to close the curtains, I slowly lift my icy body and struggle to get to the window.

"(A blizzard... My hands are really cold... Is this what they mean when they say they're numb?
  My hair's also stiff... Even though ice cream is my ingredient...)"

AlchemistCookie who should be more tolerant of the cold than I am, is still in high spirits despite complaining about the cold. Meanwhile, I'm feeling sick from the cold.
I feel a bit frustrated, but for now I have no choice but to rely on her kindness.
From the floor below, I can smell something that smells not like tea, but like medicinal herbs...
I hoped there was nothing strange in the tea she was making, and just as I reached out to the curtain, I suddenly noticed something.

Outside the window, in the blizzard, I can see a small pale light and what looks like a cookie's shadow.

What I thought was a CottonCookie was waving its hand towards me.

"WizardCookie! Come over here!"
"...AlchemistCookie?"

She's probably downstairs, mixing potions or brewing tea, so what on earth is she doing outside, especially in a blizzard like this?

Despite my doubts, she calls out to me loud and cheerfully.

"Come down, I'll show you something!"
"This blizzard is raging! Are you okay?"

I opened the window a little and called out loud enough for her to hear.

"It's okay, over here!"
"Huh...? where are you going...? I told you I wasn't feeling well...?"

Regardless of how I felt, she continued on into the blizzard.
I thought she was joking, but it seemed she was serious.
If she was acting like that, knowing how unwell I was, then there must have been something amazing going on.
Either way, if I didn't go with her, it would be terrible if something happened to her.
After all, that's why we had come all the way here together.

"Ugh...why...why, it's so, so cold..."

Resisting the urge to lie down in bed, I slowly make my way down the stairs.
Looking at the table, I see a mortar and pestle with some half-crushed herbs in it.
The tea doesn't seem to be ready yet.
Wondering what I'm doing, I head to the front door and open it.
Suddenly, a strong wind and a blizzard blow in.
Trying not to be overwhelmed by the cold, I take one step at a time outside.
Because it's dark outside, it feels much colder than daytime.

"Hey! What on earth are you doing outside at a time like this!"

As if to encourage myself, I ask the AlchemistCookie in the blizzard.
The blizzard makes it hard to even see her. All I can see is the light source she's holding.

"Come here, come here!"
"Weren't there enough flowers? It's dangerous to go alone! Let's do it tomorrow!"
"Come with me, WizardCookie!"

It's hard enough to even raise my voice.
I'm not sure I can keep walking in the blizzard like this, but while I hesitate, she gets further and further away.
Finally, without explaining what's going on or why she wants me to come, she disappears into the darkness.
Perhaps she inhaled some strange mushroom spores or something while mixing the potion and is now hallucinating.
Either way, I have to chase after her!

"...At least tell me what you want to do!...Hey, wait!"

As if to blow away the cold and discomfort I was feeling,
I wrapped my usual scarf tighter around myself and ran out into the blizzard in a fit of desperation.

Ah... it's so cold, so heavy, so dark...
I ran out without thinking, intent on chasing after her before I lost sight of her, so it was hard to see clearly in the darkness. There were many lanterns hanging from the fir tree in the center of the village, but I regretted not borrowing one.

"Heey...! How far are you going? It's dark, I can't see in front of me...
 If we keep going like this we'll get lost...!"

She continued to push forward into the darkness as if the blizzard was nothing to her.
She made the sick cookie follow her, and she's not even waiting for me.
How heartless and selfish.
As if guided by her, I walked desperately trying not to lose sight of the faint light of AlchemistCookie in the distance.

"Hey, look at that!"
"Huh...? Wha...!"

She suddenly stopped walking and pointed ahead with her lantern.
Amid the raging blizzard, beyond the dark snowfield, I saw a large, swirling white light.

"What's that...?"

The more I squinted, the more I could see the surrounding magical power converging into that single point of white light, and at the same time, white light emanated from it. It emitted a strong, soft light, like a pulse of life.
It felt like something strong and willful, something that can't be described with the word "magic," and the line between it and a living thing was too vague.

"See? Isn't it amazing?"
"Really... what is that white light... it's so beautiful..."
"It'll definitely cure your cold!"

cure?
Just being exposed to a lump of magical power shouldn't warm you up unless you use that magic in some way, but...there's something strange about what she's saying.

"Where have you been this whole time?"
"I'm right next to you."
"right next...? I can't see anything in the blizzard..."

From the sound of her voice, I was sure she was right next to me,
but the blizzard made it impossible to see anything except the white light that had been visible on the other side of the snowy field for some time.
The blizzard was getting stronger, but strangely, I felt no sign of being blown away, and I didn't feel any piercing cold.
Could it be because of that white light?
I felt something was off, but my research spirit was stimulated as I tried to figure out what it was.
It seemed she felt the same way.

Ah... I see, she's just like me.
When she finds something mysterious, she can't stay still,
she just can't help but want to go there.

"Let's go together!"

"...Yeah, let's go closer!"

With my heart beating fast,
I take a step toward the mystical white light,
out toward the dark, expansive snowfield.

Then suddenly,
I feel a rough tug on my scarf,
pulling me back.

Thunk!!

Immediately after, a tremendous impact ran through my head, and the force of the pull caused me to fall backwards.
My vision flickered rapidly, and a relentless pain spread through my head.

"U...gh........ hurt....!!!!"

"WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU’RE GOING!! YOU, IDIOT!!!!!"

The AlchemistCookie's angry shout echoed through my dizzy head.
Holding my head in my hands, I managed to push myself up, and the dull pain and the anger I had been suppressing returned.

"What the hell are you doing?! my head was gonna split open!"
"Better than your whole body shattering to pieces!"
"It wouldn’t shatter if you didn’t hit me!"
"Oh, whatever. Go wherever you want!"
"You’re the one who said we should come this way!"
"Huh? What are you even talking about?!"

Huh?? "What are you talking about?" you ask?
you recklessly ran out into the middle of a blizzard,
And then you made me follow you when I was sick and worried about you,
And then you suddenly attacked me just when I thought you'd found what you were looking for?
Seeing her face, pretending to be clueless, my anger only grew stronger.

"You didn't even tell me where you were going, you just said 'come here'!
 I followed you out of concern because you were going out alone in the blizzard!"

I yelled at her, forgetting about my physical condition, but she looked confused when I said it.

"What are you talking about...? I was following you..."

"...Huh?"

For a moment, it seemed like time had stopped.

Confused, she explained my situation after seeing me calm down.

"I was making tea in the kitchen when I heard the door open,
 and I thought for sure it was CottonCookie coming home...
But then I heard you screaming outside, so I went to see what was going on and you stumbled out into the blizzard.
I asked you where you were going, but you ignored me.
When I took a closer look, I saw that you didn't have your usual magic wand,
so I followed you wondering what was going on... See?"

As she said this, she handed me my precious candy wand.
Seeing it, my thoughts suddenly became cloudy.
It was only now that I realized I wasn't holding my wand, and it felt as if my third arm had disappeared without me noticing.

That's strange.
Why...?
It's such an important wand that I sleep with it in my arms every day.

"...My wand...no...why.. why didn't I bring it...?"

"...If you do what you want, there's no point in us coming together. I'll be angry."

I hesitantly took the wand, and she sighed and crossed her arms.

"So, where are you going?"
"Huh? Oh, that's right, that white light..."

I started to speak, but then turned around,
and the white light had disappeared.

Curious, I looked around, then lowered my gaze and was astonished.

Just ahead at my feet, a deep darkness opened its mouth wide.

"Uh..whoa...!!!"

I instinctively tried to jump back, but my feet got tangled and I fell backwards again.

A crevasse, a fissure in the snowy earth.
The ground splits vertically all the way to the bottom of the deep valley,
so if you fall in, there's almost no way to survive.
It blended in with the darkness around me, so I didn't notice it at all.

"No matter how many times I called out to you, you didn't notice and just kept on walking, so... I had no choice."

Just thinking about what would have happened if she hadn't stopped me broke out into a cold sweat.

"..."
"What's wrong with you?"
"I thought you were calling out to me..."
"I never called you to a place like this..."

That was probably the strange feeling I had on the way here.
The voice I thought was AlchemistCookie's wasn't actually that.
So, whose voice was that...?

"Is WizardCookie not coming?"
"Eh, no... I'm not going anymore."

'AlchemistCookie' asked again.
I looked up, thinking that the conversation must have concluded, and she looked at me with a pale face.

...AlchemistCookie...ask, me?

"Who are you talking to..."

"That wasn't you...?"

I asked timidly, and she nodded slightly.

………A blizzard raged in silence.
For a moment, they stared at each other in disbelief, then AlchemistCookie looked away awkwardly.

"...Actually, when I was researching this village,
 I came across some documents describing a rare disease that occurs in this village..."
"A rare disease...?"
"...The body gets colder and colder, and one day they disappear into the snow...
 Well, it's a remote village, so I thought there might be one or two of those..."
"Why! Why didn't you tell me something so important earlier?!"
"n-Not staying long, so I thought it wouldn't be relevant...I just, skipped over it..."
"Regional folklore is...!"

...often based on the history, epidemics, and disasters of that region! I started to shout, but then I felt dizzy.
"Such carelessness is what leads to the usual mistakes in experiments!" my own angry voice echoed in my head.
Lacking the energy to shout, I dropped to my knees, and she came over to my side and supported me.
Since she had helped me, I couldn't say anything too harsh,
so I sighed at her awkward expression and decided to be gentle this time.

"...AlchemistCookie...Thanks, you saved me..."
"No, I was wrong this time... I'm glad you're safe. Let's hurry back."

If only I could just hold on a little longer, things could have gotten so much more peaceful, I thought, remembering our daily arguments.

As I got up, I gripped my wand again.
Suddenly, I felt magical power emitting from my wand.
I hadn't even given the signal to use magic, and for some reason, the wand was automatically dispersing and releasing my own magical power. At the same time, I felt my physical condition improve slightly.
What kind of magical power is this?
Is it the counteracting fire that makes you resistant to the cold, or the similar water type?
But first, why has magical power been building up without me noticing?
It seems that an extraordinary amount of magical power has been building up in my body.
Magical power is essential for life, and when you live a normal life, it basically circulates like air and never stagnates.
Using magic involves intentionally stopping the circulation of magical power and then releasing it explosively with a signal.

I remember the white light I saw earlier.
An incredible amount of magical power must have been concentrated in that place.
However, magical power in an amount that is incommensurate with the vessel that is one's body becomes poison.
Those that contain a huge amount of magical power break through the vessel's shell from the inside and become spirits.
They then become the carriers of magical power, and the magical power itself.
Perhaps the voice I thought was the voice of the AlchemistCookie was actually the voice of the spirits that had gathered there.
But how long had magical power been building up in my body?
I rummaged through my pockets to see if I was carrying something to store magical power, but I found nothing.

"...Can you stand?"
"Sorry...can you lend me your shoulder?"

"Okay" she said, and I took her outstretched hand.
Even at times like these, various thoughts race through my head.
In reality, it's best not to touch someone who has magical power building up in their body.
Those without the ability to control their magical power won't know how to release the sudden influx of magical power, and both will fall.
However, fortunately, this wand acts as an earth wire, similar to electricity.

Furthermore, this wand contains the power of the stars and moon, making it superior to normal elemental magic.
As such, it is also adept at controlling the balance of magical power, and it seems to automatically adjust the magical power of its master.
But looking at the magical power that continues to disperse, it seems as if it's being drawn to me and returning to me like a magnet.
I think to myself that I should just use some kind of magic, but unfortunately I no longer have the energy to concentrate.
I try to stand up somehow, but realize that I have no feeling in my legs.
I stab my wand into the snow and use it as support, putting strength into my legs.
If I stay still, it seems that the blizzard is simply freezing my body mercilessly.

I put my hand on her other shoulder and we slowly started walking across the snowy field in the blizzard, walking sticks in hand.

"Oh, my...! Did something like that happen...?!"

By the time We finally arrived home, CottonCookie had already returned home.
She was surprised to see me collapse in front of the fireplace as soon as I got home,
but after AlchemistCookie explained the situation,
CottonCookie quickly put new firewood in the fireplace, wrapped us all in blankets, and boiled some water.

AlchemistCookie laughs, saying, "You don't need to make such a big deal out of it..."
but honestly, I'm not warm at all.
It's so cold I don't care about appearances,
so I'm wrapped up in a blanket from head to toe, clinging to my walking stick and shivering as I take my position in front of the fireplace.
But it still doesn't feel warm enough.
I think I see a white light, and hear a strange buzzing noise.

"...We somehow managed to get here safely, but..."
"...I'm sorry, I should have explained in more detail..."

We exchanged glances at CottonCookie's meaningful remark.

"You might be surprised to hear this, but... a light that will create the world is coming to this village."
"Creating... the world?"

Confused by the sudden introduction of such a grandiose story, I instinctively ask again.

"Yes, the chosen children are called 'Frost Children', and are destined to become that light and travel the world."

I noticed the word 'Frost'.
Couldn't that really be referring to me?
My main ingredient is Ice cream.

"I told you I had a childhood friend, right? ...Actually, that cookie was that."

A childhood friend of CottonCookie's from her folk tales.
She said he had traveled far away, I thought he must have died of illness at a young age, but it seems I was wrong.

"Everyone in the village thought his illness was just an illness.
 But his body gradually grew colder and colder, like ice, and he gradually grew weaker.
 Then, when he was completely weak, one day he disappeared into the snowy plains."

The symptoms she described of her childhood friend,
the village folklore that AlchemistCookie had mentioned,
and my current symptoms all matched perfectly.
It was so cold that I honestly felt like I had turned into a block of ice.
But I feel like I've heard a story like that somewhere before...

"Hmm...? There was a fairy tale like that, right?
 Maybe it was about a brother and sister... The one where the child was taken away by the Snow Queen..."

That's it.
AlchemistCookie's muttering brought back the memory of a collection of fairy tales I had read before.
I remember it was about a close brother and sister.
when a shard of a mirror imbued with evil magical powers pierces the brother's heart,
causing him to forget his kind heart, and the wicked Snow Queen takes the boy away.
After that, the sister searches desperately for her brother,
and through her kindness, the shard of mirror melts, and they are reunited with their brother, his kind heart restored.
That's the story I remember.
But all I could do was nod, I couldn't speak.

"Hehe, you're right. The story may have been passed down based on the facts of this village, with slight changes made to the story...
 But in reality, no one was to blame."

CottonCookie continues speaking.
The chosen child was originally meant to be the light that would create the world,
but due to some mistake, was born with the body of a cookie.
And therefore, the children known as Frost Children would gradually return to their original form...

"My childhood friend... has returned to who he was meant to be, and on the path he was meant to be."
"I'm so... sorry..."

No matter what the circumstances, it's a shame to have to talk about the time when her beloved Cookie disappeared.
AlchemistCookie couldn't help but apologize.

"No, it was good that he was the way he was.
 He was able to leave his disabled body behind and travel the free world he had always dreamed of.
 Although parting was sad, it was also a happy occasion."

......
CottonCookie looked lonely, but still smiled gently as if to congratulate him.
That's fine, but...
Neither of them seemed to mind at all, but was I the only one who had been hearing what felt like auditory hallucinations since earlier?
Seeing me looking around the house restlessly, CottonCookie asked how I was doing.

"...I wonder if your cold has subsided? Should I get some more firewood? Or do you need more blankets?"
"I'd like some, but they're a bit...heavy..."

My body is small, and with the heavy blankets covering my already-unwell body, I can't move.
However, it's so cold that it's no time to complain about it being heavy.
Cold. Cold. Cold!
I wish someone would throw me into the witch's oven.
...But maybe that's too early... I thought, glancing toward the nearby fireplace.
Icing dripped from my hair.

"Hey, when you say it's cold, it's not because you have a cold, but because you actually..."

AlchemistCookie peers at me with a worried look.

"...This is probably the first time I've ever felt this cold... Am I really a Frost Children...?"
"Oh no...! What should I do..."
"Also...I've been hearing a strange voice. It's been saying 'Light, Light' for a while now..."
"Light...? Could it be...!"

Hearing my words, AlchemistCookie gave a slight shudder. CottonCookie, on the other hand, seemed to remember something and quickly walked toward the table.
She removed the lid of an arm-sized wooden box that was sitting on the table and pulled out a beautifully polished lantern.
She opened the glass lid and lit a match inside, and the soft light from the frosted glass lit the room in an orange glow.

"What's that?"
"Actually, a few days ago, I dropped and broke this lantern that I'd been using for ages. So I had the carpenter in the village repair it, and I just went to get it."

The flickering light from the lantern made me feel a little warmer. And the muffled voice that had been echoing in the room became clearer.

"Huh... I can't hear that buzzing sound anymore."
"Maybe he was missing this light."
"Oh, a light has descended next to CottonCookie. It's saying something..."

A pale blue light descended from the ceiling toward CottonCookie.

"'The light... is beautiful.'"
"Oh, hehe... thank you."

From her perspective, she didn't seem frightened by the mysterious phenomenon.
The AlchemistCookie next to her looked as if she'd seen a terrifying ghost, though.
Looking toward the descending light, she saw the vague shape of a cookie floating in the air.
It seemed to be whispering something to CottonCookie.

"What do you want to talk about...? huh? 'An endless sea of sand'...? well... sand?"

When I heard those words, a light lit up CottonCookie's eyes.
I wanted to ask what was going on, but the light was still muttering something.

"'tall ridges of waves'...? What do you mean...?"
"Ah..."

The pale blue light was quite chatty, speaking to her one incomprehensible word after another.

"'ever-burning la-'..."
"...lakes of fire."

Before I could speak, CottonCookie repeated the pale blue light's words.

"Huh? Can CottonCookie hear me too?"
"No, I can't. But... ah, you've come... SherbetCookie."
"Sherbet... Cookie?"

My voice overlaps with AlchemistCookie's.

"...That's the name of my precious childhood friend."
"What?! So the cookie over there right now is..."

Surprised, I looked more closely at the pale blue light, seeing it flickering occasionally, a smile on Cookie's face.

"Hehe, it's you, isn't it? You've come to tell me about your travels?"

CottonCookie asked happily, but it seemed she had no idea where the pale light was, and was talking in the wrong direction.
When I told her to go a little further to the left, she turned around and said, "Oh, this way?" with a playful smile.

"Thanks for coming, SherbetCookie. But it seems I can no longer sense your voice or see you."

It seemed that his puzzling words from earlier were things he often told CottonCookie when he was alive.
(although this is a bit misleading, as if he were a spirit, he would still be alive.)
Witnessing such a strange phenomenon, AlchemistCookie and I exchanged glances.

"...He said that he always stops here with everyone when he travels.
 But this time, there was no light and he was worried..."
"Oh, is that so? I'm sorry.
 I made sure to light the fire in the big fir tree outside every day without fail..."
"...'your light is the most beautiful'..."

It's an embarrassing thing to say, but I can't help but tell her.
But even though they'd finally met again, it was a one-way street.
The fact that he'd come so many times means that he must have been speaking words to her like this many times, words that never reached her.

"...Hehe, even though your appearance has changed so much, you're still you.
 Don't worry, I'll make sure to light every day again."

The fir tree in the center of the village seems to have the role of guiding those who inherit the will of nature.
It warms my heart to know that the feeling of cherishing someone is deeply rooted in the village culture.
But when he said next, I couldn't believe my ears.

"What's wrong?"
"He said...'You want to come with us.'"

I wondered if I should translate for her, but I hesitated and told her.
She narrowed her eyes and asked him what he meant.

"...Could it be...you've come to pick me up?"
"That...oh, no..."

AlchemistCookie, who had been quietly watching what was happening, realized what he meant and grew impatient. But her worries were unnecessary.

"Thank you. But... there's still something I want to do, just a little longer.
 When I've finished... come and pick me up again.
 When that's done, I'll take this light and travel the world with you."

She gently wrapped her arms around the invisible light. As if in response, an afterimage of the light touched her forehead.

Even though they couldn't feel it, it seemed as if the two of them were holding hands, as if to confirm each other's existence.

"...I wonder if he's already gone?"
"No, He still with you."
"Hey, SherbetCookie. I have a favor to ask of you."

With that, she turned her head towards me, while keeping her body facing the same way.

"It seems like that little cookie over there still has a lot he wants to do.
 And he's free enough to walk all the way to a village like this.
 So please don't take him away.
 Could you please tell your 'friend' about this?"

It seemed that CottonCookie understood everything about my poor health and this strange phenomenon.

"...He said, 'I understand'."
"Thank you, SherbetCookie."

Hearing CottonCookie's reply, he reluctantly slips out of her hand and flies toward the front door.
As I follow his whereabouts, CottonCookie turns his gaze toward the entrance.

"...See you again."

Hearing this, he slips through the door.
When I tell her he's gone, she smiles awkwardly.

"Hehe...he's stopped by here so many times...I never noticed."

There are many things I want to ask, and if I think about it objectively, so many strange things have happened that it's almost creepy,
but unfortunately I don't have the energy to be curious right now.

"Thanks, CottonCookie. I hope I don't end up like that too..."
"How are you feeling now?"
"Not much different...it's cold..."

Even though CottonCookie said that, but my body is still ice cold, and I still miss the oven.
There's no guarantee they won't take me away.

"I'm sure he'll explain it to them. Come on, let's sit around the lamp and have some hot berry juice."

I threw open the curtains, letting the bright morning sun stream into the room.
I stretched my body, which had been stiff from being hunched over for so long.
I pulled my favorite popping candy ice cream hat down over my eyes,
picked up my precious candy wand, and lightly tapped it on the floor to steady myself.
It was as if the cold from yesterday had vanished.

"Good morning!"
"Oh, good morning. You look great. How are you feeling?"
"Yes! Thanks to you, it's not cold at all anymore! It's like yesterday's cold was a lie!"

AlchemistCookie came down the stairs a little late,
but she was still a little sleepy and tried to take a seat at the table, slowly sitting down in front of the fireplace.

"...Thank goodness, I'm still as cold as ever."
"I've always been good at dealing with the cold.
 I should have known something was wrong when I felt that cold."
"Yeah, thank goodness."

In the end, it's unclear why this happened to me.
I don't know if the frost in Frost Children refers to the cookies, which are naturally composed of cold ingredients,
or the cookies that become cold because they were chosen.
I feel better, and I'm curious about the big white light I saw in the snowy field,
but to be honest, it's a bit traumatic, and I don't want to stay in this village any longer.
I must have been pretty exhausted to be missing that horrible witch's oven.

"We've got all the ingredients, so we think it's time to head back to the our kingdom."
"Thank you for everything, CottonCookie!"

In stark contrast to last night's blizzard, this morning is a beautiful, sunny day.
Since the balloon is located far from the village, they'd like to return to the kingdom while the weather is still nice.

"We'd love for you to come visit our kingdom!"

Although quite a bit of time has passed since our kingdom was founded, it is still small compared to other countries.
As such, when our citizens travel out, they sometimes introduce their kingdom like this.

"You see... I'd love to go and visit, but... with this humid body, it might be difficult."

After saying this, AlchemistCookie looked disappointed.
That's right. It's true that traveling long distances with CottonCookie's body would be quite difficult.
It would also be dangerous, as there's a chance of being attacked by a cake monster.

"Don't be sad. As I said yesterday, one day I will be free too.
 When that happens, I will travel the world with SherbetCookie, and I will definitely visit your kingdom."
"...I'm happy, but...don't say things like that. Live a long life, please."
"Thank you. But I long for a body that allows me to travel freely. I really do.
 Fly through the sky like a bird and land on the roof of your kingdom's castle like an angel!"

It's really hard to know how to respond to Senior humor.
But after seeing our exchange yesterday, I feel like maybe this method would work after all, so I decide to join in.

"Then when you start traveling the world, come visit me! I'll interpret for you again!"
"You!"

I get lightly nudged with the flask.

"Hehe, thank you. Well, be careful."
"Yes, we'll come visit again!"
"Thank you so much! Take care of yourself!"

With a deep bow and a gentle smile as CottonCookie saw us off, we left the Snowfall Village behind.