Chapter Text
His earcings are ringing. Is this what it's like to wake up after being knocked out.? Gingerbrave’s head feels like it's about to combust, yet still he somehow manages to sit up.
Pure vanilla cookie is the first one he notices. He's standing the closest with his staff raised, the eye on it glowing faintly in the way it does after he casts healing spells.
“Gingerbrave.? Are you–”
Pure vanilla cookie takes a careful step forward, kneeling down in front of Gingerbrave with his staff held in his left hand.
“I- I’m fine…”
Gingerbrave finally manages to mutter, his throat feels dry and his head is still pounding. If anything he feels nothing close to fine.
Pure vanilla cookie easily notices his discomfort. He stands up, reaching his free hand to help the other cookie up off the ground and into a standing position.
Gingerbrave, still dazed and trying to remember the last few minutes, takes Pure vanilla’s hand appreciatively. He goes to stand up– only to realise his dough is flickering with a very familiar fire..
“W-what in witches name–!?”
He stumbles back, staring at his arm like it stung him. Suddenly the memories start flooding back. The pounding headache being pushed aside for a moment as he realises what just happened.
Right.. The ultimate oven.. Dark enchantress.. And the merge… How could he forget.?
“Gingerbrave.. It's… it's going to be okay..”
It's pure vanilla cookie again. He keeps stepping closer, a careful hand being reached out in his direction once more but hesitating over the flames.
They don't seem to burn, instead they flicker anxiously. Avoiding the spot where pure vanilla’s hand hovers.
Vanilla's eyes flick from the flames to Gingerbrave. Worry evident in his gaze.. Worry, but also fear… something that Gingerbrave has never seen directed at himself before.
Finally, after what feels like ages, Pure vanilla draws his hand away with a drawn out sigh.. Having it hang loosely at his side. Then after a few moments of silence he starts to fidget nervously with a random leaf on his staff.
Gingerbrave doesn't move, thoughts rushing through his mind like a freight train.
What he did…
…
Was it… really worth it.? It felt like the right– no… the only option at the time… the only way he could defeat Dark enchantress. But now, had that really been the best option after he sees what fear the others bear when they look at him?
No, shut up.. That was only pure vanilla.
Maybe the others will be better?
For witches sake- look at yourself! You're a monster!
The thoughts running through his head don't feel like his own, a side effect of the merge possibly. He's not in the mood to figure out what changes he's gone through in the last half hour..
All he wants right now is for everything to go quiet. The pain, the shouting… all of it..
A nap sounds nice right about now…
Just… some quiet…
He doesn't notice his eyes closing, or falling backwards, or pure vanilla’s hands that wrap around him just in time… all that can be later’s problem..
It's finally quiet.
***
He wakes up some time later. Not sure exactly how long he's been out for but it seems to be a long enough time to have been transported from… wherever he was… to some room.
It's warmer.
He's covered with a blanket…
He's not alone…
He glances around the room. Noticing there's a few cookies gathered around the bed he's laying on.
There's… pure vanilla cookie, of course he'd be there..
Strawberry cookie, also not entirely surprising.
And wizard cookie.. Who's looking the most panicked of them all.
“Gingerbrave you-”
Pure vanilla starts but wizard cookie cuts him off. Rushing to gingerbrave’s side as soon as he realises he's awake and capable of conversation.
“Oh witches! Gingerbrave do you know what happened!? The magic– oh my– you just– you.. I can't even begin to explain!"
Wizard cookie’s rambling earns him a confused look from the other. Gingerbrave thinks he preferred the quiet…
Wizard cookie cuts himself off, pausing and taking a deep breath. Realizing that the other might not be in the best shape for questions.
“Ok, let's start small… Do you remember anything of what had happened?”
There's a short pause as gingerbrave considers the question. He does remember… some bits… but those are all but snippets, fuzzy memories..
“I guess… I remember a bit… there was.. The oven, and dark enchantress…”
He finally mutters. It's annoying, the more he tries to remember the fuzzier the memory gets. Being blocked off and filled with more memories, not his… no, those aren't him at all. Yet they're in his head.
Could those other memories be those of the ultimate cookie? They're all so varied.. It doesn't seem like just the one cookie.
Gingerbrave does seem to remember his first encounter with the ultimate cookie. He said something, about there being many cookies, merged as one into him.
About how he needed extreme bravery to leave.. Why they required gingerbrave… to complete them…
Back then he had lost hope. Desperation taking over as he surrendered. Had that been the right choice though.? He did it to protect those dear to him.. But did it work..?
He feels himself getting lost in thought. Finally being brought back by someone calling his name.
“-ingerbrave..? Gingerbrave..!? GINGERBRAVE!”
“AAH- w-what?”
It was strawberry cookie. She's fidgeting with her hoodie drawstring anxiously.
“S-sorry… you just… went quiet there for a second…”
She says quietly, after a second she speaks up again.
“You alright..?”
Gingerbrave sighs.
“As “alright” as I can be in a situation like this I guess..”
He shrugs, the others share a worried glance.
“Do you need anything.? Perhaps some jellies? I could ask financier cookie to bring you some.?”
Pure vanilla asks. It's obvious he's worried but trying not to seem too pushy.
“N-no… I'm fine pure vanilla, really..”
“Are you quite sure, Gingerbrave? You've been through quite a lot.”
“I know, but I don't need anything.”
“And you're certain..? Not even an extra blanket.? It's quite cold up here..”
Gingerbrave hadn't noticed how cold it was, even with the blanket he was covered with. There's an air conditioning unit that's been blowing cool air into the room. Definitely helping with the chilly air.
“I guess, an extra blanket wouldn’t hurt…”
Pure vanilla nods, getting up and leaving to go get another blanket. Though the second part of the sentence catches up to gingerbrave.
“W-wait… “up here”? Up where..?”
But pure vanilla is already out the door. Luckily wizard cookie and strawberry cookie answer him instead.
“Up where? Oh witches–”
“Poor gingerbrave! He doesn’t even realize where he is!”
“Maybe going at him with the questions straight away was a bit too much..”
“You think? We need to make sure he’s alright first wizard cookie! Your research can wait!”
“B-but-!”
“It. can. Wait.”
Wizard cookie groans.
“Ugh, fineee! Whatever. But you owe me answers, Gingerbrave!”
“Wizard cookie!”
Strawberry cookie shoots him a sharp glare, or as sharp as someone like Strawberry cookie can make a glare be.
“Soo… am I going to get an answer to my question?”
“What question?- OH! Sorry gingerbrave, we're on one of the cremé republic’s airships! More specifically an airship that happened to have a functional bedroom.”
“I'm pretty sure they all have bedrooms, Strawberry cookie..”
“They do..? I-im sorry this is the first time I've been on an airship…”
She mutters timidly. Wizard cookie just rolls his eyes. That's about when pure vanilla returns with that extra blanket he went out for.
He steps over to gingerbraves bed, once more giving his new flames a side eye before covering him with the blanket. Honestly gingerbrave had all but forgotten about those flames. All they seem to do is draw attention.
“There.. Is that any better.?”
“I guess so… thanks pure vanilla cookie..”
Pure vanilla steps back, silence falling over the room once more. Pure vanilla begins to fidget with his staff again.
“I’ve been informed that we’ll be landing in the vanilla kingdom shortly, there they will be able to properly assess your injuries gingerbrave.. Along with… the other changes that had happened..”
Gingerbrave doesn’t have to ask what those “other changes” pure vanilla cookie is referring to are.
“B-but, pure vanilla cookie.. Why aren’t we going to the cookie kingdom instead? Custard cookie III was so anxious when we were leaving.. I don’t want to keep any of the cookies there waiting for too long without us!”
“I understand Strawberry cookie, but… the vanilla kingdom is better suited to help Gingerbrave. We will need to make sure he is alright after the ultimate oven. Strawberry crepe cookie and espresso cookie can stu- i mean.. They can take care of him in many ways the cookie kingdom simply cannot”
Pure vanilla doesn’t seem like himself saying that, almost as if someone told him too. Maybe they did, who knows… and hey, maybe a free trip to the vanilla kingdom isn’t that bad.. It's not often he gets to visit his friend..
Sure the circumstances aren’t ideal but it's something… right?
Pure vanilla cookie sighs.
“It was.. quite a tough fight trying to make sure he didn’t get sent to the cremé republic instead. clotted cream cookie was… uhm… very passionate about trying to… acquire.. gingerbrave for the republic…”
He finally adds. Not making eye contact with any cookie in the room. Gingerbrave hates the way it feels like he's being spoken about as if he's not there as well.
“Aquire? Pure vanilla cookie- Gingerbrave is not a TEST SUBJECT!”
“Says you. Weren't you talking about him “owing you answers” while pure vanilla was out?”
“S-shut up! That's different!”
Gingerbrave feels like this is about to become an argument… his headache is starting to get worse once more as the cookie’s chatter fades into background noise…
Morons… acting like we’re their property..
No! That's not true! They're just trying to look out for us!
Maybe… this is one hell of a way to do it though-
“SHUT UP!”
Gingerbrave suddenly snaps, slamming his fist down onto the bed. The only sound left in the room is the humming of the airship engine.
He's not sure whether the "shut up” was directed to his thoughts or the trio of cookies before him.. But he's grateful for the silence of both.
“C-can you all… please… stop talking about me as if im not right here?”
He mutters… staring down onto the bedsheets.. His hand is now fidgeting with the fabric of the blanket.
Pure vanilla clears his throat.
“Of course, we're all so sorry, gingerbrave… you… deserve to also be a part of this conversation..”
He nods his head carefully, the eye on his staff closing..
A part of this conversation? Whatever this is… it feels wrong. He doesn't feel like himself anymore. Who is “him”? Gingerbrave is no longer just gingerbrave… he's more than that… in many ways… ways he doesn't even know yet..
And he's going to be on a long journey to figure out how…