Chapter Text
Heat.
That was the first thing he felt as he opened his eyes. Scorching, unbearable heat.
Quickly he got up and looked around, cookies lay near him, doughy and crunchy. He feels like he should help, wake them up so they could escape.
A foolish idea he realizes, seeing as how none of them even looked alive, instead choosing to find how to escape this hellish place. At that moment he heard metal creak and groan as what looked to be a large door open behind him.
A long, slender hand reached in and towards the tray he and the other cookies lay upon. Thinking quickly he jumped through the opening, taking it as his chance to leave. With great speed and haste he ran past the tall figure.
The figure, looking down at him, cackled as it tried to grasp at him. With all his strength and effort he weaved past its clutches, making sure to never slow his pace. The figure, now annoyed, tried harder to grab him but was ultimately unsuccessful. It appeared the cookie was simply too fast for it to catch him.
After multiple attempts of the figure swiping down and the cookie dashing forward without fear. He managed to make it to a cabinet and, seeing no other choice, quickly climbing it as the large figure made its way towards him. He reached the top and noticed an open window, deciding this would be his best chance to escape or else the figure would do who knows what to him.
In a mad dash he jumped out the window as the figure reached towards him, knocking down dozens of ingredients that laid on the cabinet. The cookie, without realizing how far the drop actually was, began descending towards the ground rapidly. Yet, even as he faced possible death, he never once let fear pour into his heart.
...
He quickly awakened soon after, an intense feeling of pain washing over him as he attempted to move. Looking down he noticed his leg had crumbled quite a bit, jam spilling out and staining the ground. The cookie examined his newfound surroundings, seeing if there was anything he could find as he likely didn't have much time till the figure made its way out to find him.
Around him looked to be a pasture of green flora, appearing to be a garden of sorts. He assumed the figure chasing him likely owned it considering how close it was to where he jumped out of.
As he kept looking around he noticed a variety of ingredients and sweets the figure had knocked out of the window when it attempted to grab him. Slowly and painfully he dragged himself to the items, searching to see if there was anything he could use. Gumdrops, sprinkles, salt and more that wouldn't help him in his current state. After more rummaging he noticed in the corner of his eye he noticed a candy cane, perfect.
Quickly crawling towards the red and white treat he gripped it and used it to steady himself as he attempted to stand. He was still in pain and it hurt to even move but he had no choice, he had to keep moving. The little cookie was unsure how long he had been out but he assumed the figure, whatever it was, likely wouldn't give up its search for him quickly. With every last ounce of strength he hobbled as fast as he could, using the candy cane to support himself as he left the garden and towards a forest, hopefully forever.
...
It had been hours since he had left that place, he hadn't seen the figure that was chasing him before and assumed it gave up chase after noticing his fall and thought he died. He's now a little more thankful for the fall, however it still had caused his leg to crack quite a bit so it was still a burden ultimately.
With each step he took it felt unbearable like his leg would come undone soon enough, but he couldn't stop now. With great perseverance and strength he made his way through the unknown he had found himself in. At the moment he was grateful that nothing else found him and thought of him as something delicious to eat however he still couldn't relax fully, he was lost and wandering without direction for goodness sake!
With resolution in his heart and his courage guiding him, he was sure he could find *something* that could help him. He was positive he wasn't the only cookie out in this vast world, hopefully. It's possible others escaped like him or were made out here. No matter, that's a situation he'll ponder on if he doesn't find anything soon enough.
Thankfully it didn't take much longer for him to find something, albeit not what he was looking for. In a clearing he managed to find a variety of houses made of sweet delicacies that seemed destroyed and torn apart. It's clear whatever happened here caused anyone that had lived there to leave. However he was still sure there could be something useful in the houses.
The houses were incredibly wrecked and looked as though they couldn't shelter anyone from anything in their current state so the little cookie gave up on using them as a temporary home After slowly shuffling about and searching the houses for anything he discovered not much had been left. It's possible that whatever destroyed this area wanted everything gone. Nevertheless he managed to find something halfway edible in what looked to be a market-like stall a bit away from the houses. The food he found, a meat jelly, had a texture that was unpleasant and felt almost rubbery in a sense but beggars can't be choosers.
The meal was terrible but it gave him energy so that was surely something. He felt a bit better now that he had eaten but he still had to do something about his leg. With a bit more shuffling he found a variety of torn clothes scattered about in a house. With a little inspection it seemed they were clean enough, so with a little effort he wrapped the clothing around his leg. Not the best but it'll have to do seeing as how he had no idea what to do.
After staying in the house for a little longer to see if anything else was there he decides it's time to leave, turning to exit the building. Once back in the open he noticed a broken statue that was in the outskirts of the town. With little hesitation and a lot of curiosity he scurried over as fast as he could with his current condition and looked up at it with awe. It was a cookie, just like him, proving that there was living beings out there and not just creatures he wasn't aware of. The statue was clad in armor and wielding a sword that was pointed to the sky however it appeared to be missing its head. It didn't take longer for the little cookie to realize that the statue's head had crumbled into pieces on the ground, seeming like it wasn't spared from the destruction either.
Looking back at the statue he couldn't help but feel a sense of kinship to it. Yes, he had never seen the cookie in his few hours of being alive but it was a moment that made him realize he wasn't alone out here. Glancing at the sword, armor, and faint traces of a smile on the statues crumbled face he thought of what the statue was for.
Perhaps the statue was made to honor a cookie that had done something amazing, it maybe it was a protector of sorts that the town had made to act as a guardian. The more he thought the more he wanted to be like it. To be a cookie that could guide others with his courage and strength. To protect them so they wouldn't fear the unknown. To venture far beyond and run free to see what lied out there. That was who he wanted to be.
He thought a bit more about it. If he truly wanted to become a great hero he would need a name to match it. He didn't bother with that all this time till now since he hadn't had the chance to talk to another cookie and he had been desperately trying to survive. His first thought was to call himself Gingerbrave, short and simple yet powerful. However he soon thought that it might not give the tone he wanted to spread.
With a bit more pondering he came up with a name that still kept his original idea intact but made it sound...heroic.
Valorous Ginger Cookie.
It felt good. He thought it sounded good and would let others know exactly who he was.
With his determination set and new name cast upon him he left the village, venturing out to create a legacy that would give courage to all that heard it. He will be known as the cookie who escaped an inferno, the clutches of a giant, and who will become a hero.