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“Mmm…” Croissant Cookie yawned awake. Rubbing her eyecings and stretching her arms out wide in her bed. She had a long list of to-do items today, and was eager to get everything finished ASAP.
She plopped her feet on the ground and groggily walked over to where her bathroom was, but- for some reason, the door to the bathroom wasn’t where it’d normally be.
Croissant Cookie looked to the side, and noticed it was on the opposite end of the room. She blinks, that was… odd. She shook her head and pushed it out of her mind, chalking it up to just being tired. She mumbled and rubbed her eyes more as she walked inside and turned on the light in the small room.
As she looked around, she noticed something… this… WASN’T her bathroom. Sure, there were… similarities Same haircing care products, same layout. But this for SURE was NOT her bathroom. The towels were different, there was an unfamiliar brush and candle on the sink. She walked a step inside, feeling rather confused and-
As croissant cookie passed by the mirror, her reflection from the corners of her peripheral caused her to stop in place.
She slowly turned around fully to face her reflection, and screamed at the top of her lungs.
It was not her face that stared back at her, but rather… Timekeeper Cookie’s face. There much longer hair, there partially cracked face, their yellow eye… Croissant Cookie began to hyperventilate as she touched her face.
“N-no- no- no, no no! T-This isn’t real- is it?!”
She gasped, her breathing becoming labored.
“Oh… Oh this is real! Oh- this is bad! This is really bad…”
“Hmmm…”
In another part of the TBD living quarters, Timekeeper Cookie was examining their new form, looking over themselves a few times.
“How peculiar is this! I’m feeling a little nostalgic being in Croisant Cookie’s body! Well, no use in staying in pajamas! Better get a start on the day!”
Timekeeper quickly gathered up Croissants usual attire, humming as they changed. They gleefully strapped on Croissant's goggles and tied there jacket around there waist. Timekeeper was practically skipping as they headed out of the room.
Meanwhile, Croissant Cookie felt extremely uncomfortable as she dressed her- erm- timekeeper’s body. Though still, the director had to look presentable, and, although Timekeeper was timekeeper, they deserved to maintain their dignity.
Her hands fumbled with the brooch,
The gloves Timekeeper always wore felt soft and… even nice to wear.
Putting on Timekeepers hat was the final touch… Croissant stared at herself in the mirror… having literally become the one thing she didn’t ever really want to become…
Croissant Cookie sighed shakily as she grabbed Timekeeper's large time scissors and stepped out into the hall.
It was still early, but TBD members were already hard at work, they all seemed to give polite greetings full of professionalism. Some cookies came up to her and were asking about things that Croissant only vaguely understood. She would answer their questions as best as possible, but also tried in her best way possible to kindly turn any cookies who were being a bit suffocating down.
Meanwhile, Timekeeper was strolling down the halls to the closest break room without a care in the world. They were sort of shocked how few cookies around cared when they passed by. Barely any cookie would give them as so much as a glance. When Timekeeper Cookie opened the door to the break room, one of the employees who was holding a coffee and sandwitch jelly almost ran into them.
“Hey! Watch it, Croissant Cookie! You almost made me drop my food!”
Timekeeper blinked. Hardly anyone would ever talk to them that way. They opened there mouth to retort, but the employee simply walked by grumbling.
“Gee, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning…” Timekeeper huffed quietly once the cookie was out of earshot, brushing the interaction off as they went inside the room. The only two in the break room at the moment were Pain de campagne cookie and String Gummy Cookie, Timekeeper Cookie smiled when they saw them.
“Ah! Good Morning Pain de campagne cookie! Good Morning String Gummy Cookie!” Timekeeper grabbed a croissant breakfast sandwich jelly and coffee, sitting down at the table and enjoying the light meal.
“Good… morning Croissant Cookie.” String Gummy Cookie said, taking a sip of his coffee. “Sleep well?”
“Hehe, I suppose I did!” They grinned, taking a bite of food. “But I'm not really Croissant Cookie!”
Both Pain de campagne Cookie and string gummy look at them with confusion.
“What? What are you saying?” Asks Pain de campagne cookie.
Meanwhile, Croissant Cookie was trying her best to keep her head down and get to Timekeepers office to figure out what to do. She tenses as she sees Dark Fondue Cookie talking to one of the interns from the corner of her eyes, She silently prayed that Dark Fondue Cookie wouldn’t notice her, unfortunately for Croissant Cookie, Dark Fondue happened to turn around and the two made eye contact.
“Oh great.” Croissant Cookie quickened her pace…
Dark Fondue Cookie rushed in order to catch up. “Oh, Director! Good morning. I have something-”
“Not now, Dark Fondue Cookie!” Croissant Cookie sighs, putting her free hand out. “Later, okay?”
Dark Fondue Cookie blinks as Croissant Cookie speeds away. Then blinks again as she rushes back.
“Actually, on second thought… Could you… um… uh- send uh- pain de campagne, String Gummy, and- Croissant Cookie to my office? Thanks You’re the best!”
Croissant Cookie cringed to herself and rushed off, heading straight to Timekeepers office, not really knowing where else to go. She opened and shut the door quickly, and there was already a bunch of work on the desk, and no doubt more work was bound to get delivered soon…
She looked at the paperwork, so, so much paperwork…
Should she go ahead and start filing it and getting it done?
Timekeeper would probably oppose that- or,
Then again, they’d probably take the break.
Croissant Cookie wondered if they were in her own body currently…
“I mean what I said!” Timekeeper sat at the table in the break room and folded there hands right under there chin. “I’m not Croissant Cookie, I’m Timekeeper Cookie!”
Both String Gummy and Pain de campagne look at them with bewilderment for a few seconds, Timekeeper just stared back at them.
“Oh- oh You’re being Serious?! You’re Timekeeper Cookie?” String Gummy pointed at them.
“That’s right! I just woke up like this this morning!”
Pain De Campagne folds his arms together. “This is… rather bizarre… what you’re telling us.”
“I know it might be, but it’s the truth!”
Timekeeper tapped a finger against the table, they were about to say something else, but they turn there attention to the door as Dark Fondue Cookie comes in, looking a tad confused.
“The director wants you three in their office as soon as possible.”
“All of us?” Pain de campagne Cookie asks.
“I did say the three of you, and there are no other cookies in this room, are there, hmm?” Dark Fondue clears her throat before speaking again. “Yes, I was talking about you three.” She leaves just as quickly as she entered and Timekeeper Cookie turns there attention back to the employees in front of them.
“Wait- if “The Director" wants us, and YOU are Timekeeper- how does that make sense?” String Gummy asks skeptically.
“Well, I’m guessing Croissant Cookie’s in my dough right now!” Timekeeper took another few bites of breakfast. “That would answer that, wouldn’t it? Now, let’s go see her, hmm? I have a feeling she isn’t too happy being in my body.”
The two men give each other a glance but head with Timekeeper to there office.
Croissant Cookie paces round the cramped, tiny office until there was a knock at the door. She opens it to see String Gummy, Paine De Campagne Cookie, and, well, herself.
“Oh! There you three are!” Croissant Cookie strains out a sigh. She lets them all in and racks her fingers against the large scissors she held.
“Croissant Cookie…?” String Gummy Cookie looks concerned. “Is that… you?”
She turned and faced him. “Uh, hey! Yeah… It’s me.”
“Hello there Croissant Cookie! I see you’ve been taking care of my dough well, Hmm?”
“Tim-timekeeper? So you are in my dough, huh?”
“Well where else would I be? Hehe!”
“How do we, you know- undo this!? Everyone’s acting like I'm you since I look like you!”
“Well, I’m not sure I know.”
“How did this even happen?” Asks Paine de Campagne Cookie.
“Don’t know that either!” Timekeeper replies.
String Gummy Cookie sighs in an exaggerated manner. “Well, we have to think of something. We need to fix this and get to work, and the longer we delay-”
Timekeeper nods. “Oh I agree, but I can’t exactly do my job without my powers!”
Suddenly there was a loud ringtone, the four cookies caught off guard as they looked around.
“Uh- what is that?” String Gummy asks.
“I think it’s coming from… me??” Croissant cookie felt around and took out a small flip phone from one of her pockets that she had never seen before, Timekeeper gasps and rushes up and yanks the phone out of croissants hand.
“Yoink! That call’s for me! Every cookie out!”
“What?!” Pain De Campagne blinks
"Ooouuttt!!!"
Croissant Cookie stammers. “B-But-“
“OUT!”
Once the other three were out of the office, Timekeeper Cookie flips open the phone and put it to there ear. “Hey! Circuit Cutter Cookie! It's-“
“I know it’s you, director. I’ve been watching the cameras. I am well aware of your current predicament. “
“Ah, of course. I should have guessed! That saves me some time explaining things.” Timekeeper sat in there chair. “Now, what are you calling for?”
“I believe I know how your body switch happened.”
“Oh?!”
“At 23:08 hours yesterday, I detected a strange anomalous pulse of energy, when I reviewed security footage, I noticed schneball cookie and maple taffy cookie had run an experiment on what I now believe is an anomalous object. I also believe it caused you and croissant cookies body swap event.”
“Hmmmm… Interesting hypothesis! Thanks for the heads up! I’ll send the artifact to R&D once we fix this mess.”
“Naturally. Farewell Timekeeper.”
“Well goodbye to you too!”
With that, Timekeeper closed the phone and let the three confused cookies back into the room.
“Okay, I need Schneeball Cookie and Maple Taffy in here, can you be a dear, String Gummy Cookie, and go fetch them, Hmm?”
“Why?”
“Just go do what croi-” pain de campagne cookie paused for a second. “I… erm, mean, What the director says.”
“Fine, I’m going…” It took a few minutes before String Gummy returned with the two in tow.
Schneeball Cookie folds her arms together and looks at Croissant Cookie. “Director? You wanted to see us?”
“How come Croissant’s behind your desk?” Maple taffy tilts his head in confusion.
“Oh uh- this is gonna be a little weird to hear, but um… I’m not actually the director.” Croissant points to Timekeeper who waved at the two employees.
“Wait…” Maple Taffy blinks, he turns his head from croissant to timekeeper a few times.
Schneeball Cookie points at Timekeeper. “Timekeeper… is… Croissant Cookie, and Croissant Cookie…” she points at Croissant. “...is Timekeeper…”
“Yeah, you got it. That’s about right.” String Gummy says.
“So you two… switched bodies? Huh- How weird.” Maple Taffy rubbed his hand against his chin.
Timekeeper crosses one of there legs over the other. “I hear you both were running some tests on an artifact yesterday?”
“Yes, last night, we tested one of the artifacts- wait, how do you know about that?” Maple Taffy asks.
Timekeeper waves there hand. “Oh, no matter! What’s important is that one of your little experiments caused this.”
“Wait, what?” The other cookies all looked dumbfounded.
Pain de campagne takes a step forward. “And how do you know that?”
Timekeeper leans forward, folding there hands together and staring harshly at there employee. “Again, is that really important, pain de campagne cookie?”
pain de campagne cookie stands back and shifts in place, letting out a quiet huff.
“Oh, that’s definitely Timekeeper Cookie alright. Okay….” Maple taffy cookie lets out a long raspberry and taps his right foot against the ground. “I was wondering what that energy beam was that came from that test- It seemed strange, but didn’t seem to have done anything, or, so I first thought. It’s super odd how it caused you and croissant cookie to swap bodies.”
“I believe the logical next step is… we need to recreate the same test we did yesterday. But unfortunately that will take a few hours.” Schneeball Cookie explains.
“HOURS?!” Croissant’s eyes grow wide. “Please tell me you’re joking-!”
“I’m sorry Croissant Cookie, We need to set the exact parameters that we had last night, that’ll take some time.” Maple Taffy said, a twinge of sympathy in his voice.
“No, no, no no!” Croissant Cookie groans. “I’m NOT the director! I don’t WANT to be! This-”
Pain de campagne Cookie spoke up. “Croissant Cookie, Timekeepers responsibilities are extremely important”
“You don’t think I know that?!”
“You need to focus on keeping the timelines stable. Your work can wait.”
Croissant Cookie pauses and stares blankly at Pain de campagne for a few moments, then sighs. “You’re right…”
“I know it sucks…” String gummy put one of his hands on her shoulders. “But it won’t be forever, just a little while. I can get how uncomfortable you must feel, but you’ll be fine.”
“... Thanks. I guess… we’re sticking together for a bit.”
Timekeeper grins. “Seems so!” They turn to the other cookies. “Okaaayyy now that that’s dealt with, All of you head back to work. Oh, and keep this little body swap event on the down-low, no need for any big distractions right now, hmm?”
“Cookies are gonna ask where croissant cookie is, though-” Maple Taffy mentioned.
Timekeeper waved there hand in the air again. “Oh, if anyone asks, just say I took her out for a bit or something, I’m sure they’ll believe whatever you tell them!”
“Right-” String Gummy Cookie clicks his tongue.
“Don’t worry Director, I’ll make sure no one suspects anything.”
“AAAHHH!”
Everyone besides Timekeeper Cookie turns around and screams, Dark Fondue Cookie was in the doorway.
“How… how much did you hear?” Croissant Cookie questioned.
“I heard enough.”
“Did- did you know she was there?” Pain de campagne asks Timekeeper Cookie, who just gives him a cheeky grin.
Dark Fondue clears her throat. “Rest assured i’ll also keep this event between us… I just had to come by and deliver some items and happened to overhear.”
“Ahhh, Put it in that red plastic bin there, Dark Fondue Cookie.” Timekeeper points to a small red tray already with some paperwork ontop of a filing cabinet. “The rest of you, besides Croissant cookie, of course, back to work now!”
The other cookies quickly exit, and Dark Fondue takes her sweet time putting the papers into the red bin. She gives Croissant a glance once everyone leaves.
“Fibbing to me this morning, are we?”
Croissant cookie laughs nervously.
Timekeeper scoffs. “Oh, leave her be! The poor girls already going through a lot being in my body, isn’t she? Hmm…”
Croissant gives Timekeeper a quick glare.
“Well, in any case, It was easy to suspect something was off. Anyhow, I must be heading to my duties. Is there anything you need Director?
“No, not at the moment, thank you.”
With that, Dark Fondue Cookie leaves.
Croissant Cookie was so incredibly bored as she watched Timekeeper fill out paperwork, just sitting there for almost half an hour watching all the words on the pages was nothing short of mind-numbing. String Gummy Cookie was kind enough to come back and bring Croissant Cookie some food as she hadn’t had any breakfast. After she did finish eating, though, she just found herself moping around.
…
“I guess I should put you to work… no use in paying you to just sit there and do nothing… Hmm…”
Timekeeper Cookie grabbed a stack of reports and handed them to Croissant Cookie. ‘You should be more than qualified to fill these out, do these until we have an incident to attend to. ”
Croissant Cookie grabbed a pen and started filling out the paperwork, and it was pretty easy, just monotonous. She was caught off guard as there was an alarm that came from one of the computers in the room.
“Ooop- looks like that’s our cue- ah… hmmm… I’m not sure how we’re going to do this… Without my powers, I can’t go through the time-stream.”
“Looks like you’ll have to use a time cruiser.”
“Oh! You’re right!” Timekeeper Cookie got out of their chair and they headed with Croissant Cookie to the hangar bay where the cruisers were stationed, luckily, no one was around, for the moment.
“Wow, I’ve never had to use one of these before!” Timekeeper grunts and clumsily gets themselves situated into one of the cruisers.
“Do you need help?”
“N-nope! I got it!” Timekeeper puts on a set of time goggles and then looks around. “Although I have little idea as to how these work…”
“Press the red button, the blue button, and pull the lever on your right up.
Timekeeper did so and gasped as the machine whirred to life.
“Ooooh! It worked! Alright, I think the rift the cruiser makes is big enough for both of us… let me put in the co-ordinates…”
Timekeeper hummed and scrunched there face as they were pressing various things. Croissant rolled her eyes and tapped her foot against the floor.
“HONK!”
“Erp! That wasn’t the right button! Hehe-” Timekeeper pressed some more buttons and a rift appeared not far away.
“Okay! There we are! Let’s go!!!”
Timekeeper had some trouble and jerked forward in the cruiser but eventually got the handle of it, disappearing straight into the portal.
Croissant Cookie took the scissors and sat ontop of them, she gasped and shrieked as she got her balance, it was very odd to her to be floating on air essentially. Eventually though, she got the handle of it as well, and rode the scissors into the portal.
They both go through the timestream and arrive at their destination.
Croissant Cookie flies up to Timekeeper who was pointing ahead. “Looks as though we have quite a few portals to close!”
Croissant looks ahead and sees about 5 big ones.
“If we work together, we should be able to close them easily.”
The two flew up to one and Croissant hung and held onto the scissors, unsure of how to actually use them.
Timekeeper pressed more buttons and eventually found the blaster, blasting the time portal closed. Croissant just stared.
“Come on! Help out here!”
“I-I don’t know how to use the scissors powers! I…” Croissant Cookie sighs shakily as she points the scissors at the portal, looking very uncertain.
“Relax, would you?” Timekeeper scoffs. “You can do this. Breathe.”
Croissant Cookie took in a breath.
“Open the scissors up…”
“Aim the scissors high…”
“Aaaannd CUT!”
The time portal was sealed shut. Croissant lets out a relieved sigh. “I-I did it!”
“See? You’re a natural at this!”
… Croissant Cookie shuddered at the word ‘natural’ she clenched the scissors and stared at the shiny reflective surface.
“Did you… Do this on purpose?”
Timekeeper looked confused. “What do you mean?”
“Well… it’s awfully convenient, isn’t it?” Croissant turns to face them. “You knew exactly what had caused this to happen for no apparent reason?”
Timekeeper Cookie frowns. “Croissant Cookie, If you’re implying I was the one to cause this body switch, I assure you I did NOT. I-”
“Then how did you know exactly how to fix this mess? I feel like you did this whole thing to train me to be you!”
Timekeeper scoffs. “You think i’d do that?”
“I don’t know!” Croissant Cookie spreads out one of her arms. “Honestly I don’t know what goes on in your head half the time!”
Timekeeper Cookie rolled there eyes and started to fly off.
“Let’s just finish the job we came here to do!”
After a little while of work, they went to a different timeline to close down more rogue time portals. After about 2 hours on the field, Timekeeper rubs there brow.
“Phew. Well that’s a workout and a half! Looks like we’ve handled things for now…”
Croissant Cookie kicks her legs while sitting on the scissors, flying up to Timekeeper. “There aren’t any more rogue portals?”
“Not at the moment, it seems.” Timekeeper Cookie replies.
“We’d better head back to the TBD then.” Croissant replies, and the two head back to the hangar bay and see a lot more cookies than before. Marble bread cookie greeted croissant cookie as she landed safely on the ground, not sticking around too long.
Timekeeper Cookie jumps out of the time cruiser and they both head back to Timekeepers office. As they were walking back, Maple Taffy and String Gummy greeted them.
“Oh! There you guys are! Good news-” he paused as a random employee walked by, giving him a side eye. Maple Taffy then turned back and spoke lower once they were out of earshot. “-It’s ready! We can see if running the experiment again turns you guys to normal!”
“Oh, thank goodness…” Croissant Cookie puts a hand to her chest and sighs.
They head to the relic department of the TBD and are greeted by Schneeball Cookie and see the artifact in question, a strange orange colored stone.
“We found this artifact in a very… let’s say interesting timeline. I still have no clue as to why it did what it did… but, as I said before, running the exact test should undo the effect…” Schneeball Cookie was flipping levers and pressing some buttons, preparing the experiment to start.
“The last time we ran this test, there was a large energy wave that pulsed from this stone, it will knock you down. So… ya know, get ready.”
There was a small red lazer that struck the stone in the center. For a few seconds, everything seemed fine.
Croissant Cookie tilts her head to the side.
“Doesn’t seem anything’s happened-”
There was a wave of energy that pulsed from the stone and knocked everyone back to the ground.
Croissant Cookie blinks awake and rubs her head. She looks down, and gasps in relief, she was back in her body!
“Oh thank the stars!”
String Gummy gets to his feet. “Timeke-”
“Oh! No! It’s me, I’m Croissant Cookie! I’m back to being me!”
“And I as well! Phew! Well, that was fun but also it wasn’t! Hehe!” Timekeeper got up to there feet and dusted themselves off. “Perhaps you don't run that specific test on that artifact again, hmm?”
“I’m so glad this is over…” Croissant Cookie sighs, she sees String Gummy offer a hand up and takes it. “Thanks.”
“Well that’s over, I guess it’s back to business as usual!” Timekeeper nods and walks off without another word.
Everything did end up going back to normal, like the whole thing never happened. Croissant Cookie never felt happier to get back to her normal job, later that evening Pain de campagne approached.
“So… got a taste of what Timekeeper does, and what their job entails, huh?”
Croissant Cookie grunts as she tightened a bolt. “Yeah… It was sure different. I definitely do NOT want to do it again.”
Pain de campagne Cookie snorts and Croissant Cookie turns and faces him.
“What’s so funny?”
“Nothing. Nothing at all, Croissant Cookie.”
She gives him a blank stare as he walks away, and she returns to her work.
A few days after the incident, Timekeeper received a visit from Mochachino Cookie.
“Here’s R&D’s findings about the anomalous stone!”
Timekeeper scanned it over, and saw the overall summary that if the stone was agitated in specific ways, the stone would swap the bodies of the two nearest entities with the most similar chemical makeup. Giggling to themselves as they saw the notes over one of the experiments conducted, Black Vinegar Cookie swapped bodies with a nearby Intern who happened to have the main ingredient of Apple Cider Vinegar in their dough. They were both just close enough to the stone and had similar enough types of doughs.
“So why it swapped Croissant Cookie and me, is because…”
“You both have a dough concentration that’s incredibly similar! And you were both closest to the stone at the time! Quite fascinating, no?” Mochachino grins.
“Huh… Tell me, are they planning on keeping the object there in R&D?”
“It seems so, Director!”
“Ack- that’s a pain, I’ll have to explain to the relic department why they won’t see that artifact again.” Timekeeper Cookie taps the pen they held against there hand.
“Oh, I’m sure you’ll come up with something!” Mochachino smiles and pulls out some photographs. “Oh, Circuit Cutter Cookie thought you might like these…”
Timekeeper took the small polaroid photos and smiled, Mochachino had taken photos of themselves and Croissant Cookie from when they both were on the field, In one, it was clear to see how nervous Croissant Cookie was.
“My, my, I didn’t even notice you were there-”
“That’s how I am, Director! Out of sight but always there to document! Haha! Well, Farewell, now!”
“Farewell!”