Chapter Text
It was supposed to be a day to explore and make new friends in a kingdom to the north, not be pushed to the edge of destruction. Gingerbrave is a young and adventurous soul. Though, not one would expect to be the technical founder of a kingdom rivaling the most powerful. Everbread, a kingdom made of ancient and small kingdoms, led by three counsels, and today Gingerbrave had a motion to do… When he woke up for it.
“What time is it? It feels like morning” a young cookie asked no one, his hair a light swish of white cream, his eyes blue as a cloudy day, and his blue and white striped pajamas buttoned with ironically cute skull shaped buttons. His name was Gingerbrave, and he was somehow both 12 years old and a hero of his world.
“Wait-”, he questioned in realization, “It is morning!!”. Gingerbrave screeched as he rushed to prepare for an adventure he was no doubt minutes from being late for.
The outfit he put on was a similar shade to his crisp dough, a tux for adventure in place of parties with a red gummy tie, linings of white cream similar to his hair and the tux itself being bred with cream cheese in the creases. After putting it on and grabbing a bag near his bed he almost rushed out the door before getting his cane, he didn't because he had left it on the floor the night before and tripped over it on his way out. He stopped to pick up the cane and check the bag in his other hand. He stepped out into the Sugar Gnome city and looked out to the cookies going about their day and smiled before rushing off to the castle.
“I need to get going, I don't even have one team mate yet” Gingerbrave said to himself, needing to get a team together for his mission.
“What!?” asked a hooded figure in shock.
“I said I need to get go-” Gingerbrave began before being cut off.
“Yes I know what you said, I'm the cookie you're supposed to be getting the team for” The figure informed him in minor annoyance and great worry.
“Oh, I'm sorry, I just slept longer than I intended. My name is Gingerbrave, what's yours?” the young cookie asked, posing with his hands atop his cane.
“I am Choco Pomegranate Pie Cookie, formerly a druid of the pomegranate village and now diplomat of the Everbread kingdom and its councils” The stranger said as she lowered her hood, revealing her dark chocolate dough, scarlet cream hare lined with chocolate chips shaped like pomegranate seeds, Scarlet eyes with a chocolate brown lining, a long green leaf ponytail one one side of her hair plus a small waffle bowl hat to the other side, and white cream cotton robes with scarlet icing and chocolate waffle linings.
“Nice to meet you. We should go looking around town for some of my friends, a few should be up for adventure” Gingerbrave said as he turned to begin searching.
“We need to be quick, we only have an hour until we have to be on a train” Choco Pie informed as they began to walk.
“Got it, by the way, all I was told was that I had to get some cookies to help for the adventure but not what we're doing specifically” Gingerbrave inquired as they stepped from the area where all the homes were in, to the greater city.
“The goal of this adventure is simple, we need to convince the Pastry Kingdom to let us explore a mysterious floating city” Explained Choco Pie.
“I thought the Vanilla kingdom was the only floating city?” said Gingerbrave in confusion since the Vanilla kingdom was one of the first members of Everbread, not an unknown force.
“There is talk of another, before Parfadia it's said there was another Kingdom of Wizards and it was said to be ‘among the stars’ which could be an over exaggeration of a floating kingdom. Plus if any kingdom was to fly it would be one ruled by mages before Parfadia's Earthbread wide magic regulations” She revealed to Gingerbrave as he just stared, taking everything in and showing a glint of recognition to the name “Kingdom of Wizards”.
“Ok, so we need the Pastry Kingdom’s permission to explore and you're the diplomat who is going to help make that happen, right?” He asked while he led Choco Pie to the Health District where he knew some tough cookies to be.
“Exactly, except that I'm one of three. I've been chosen due to my history as a druid since both Everbread and The Pastry Kingdom are trusted allies to the Millennium tree and its druid circles” She elaborated as they entered the Health District.
“Cool, we're at the place I was taking you, the best place to work your body and mind while being able to get delicious and healthy food. Welcome to the Health district, where I have no doubt our first party members will be found” Gingerbrave Declared. The district was lined with buildings made from croissant wood and Jelly panels creating a look similar to the Holly Barry kingdom.
Choco Pie stopped Gingerbrave before they took another step, with a worried look in her eye’s.
“I was informed that you need to be informed of the Pastry kingdom's structure of government and faith at the earliest opportunity. I feel that now is better than any as I suspect we may want to talk alone” She whispered with urgency and worry.
“Oh… Ok then, lay it on me then” Gingerbrave invited.
“The Pastry Kingdom is ruled by the most holy of the greatest faiths of Earthbread. The path of milk led by Milk Mochi cookie” Choco Pie began.
“I think I know someone who may be able to give us a good introduction with a big shield to match” Gingerbrave chimed in recalling a warrior with a golden butter heart.
“The light walkers, sometimes called the path of light, is the dominant faith of the Vanilla Kingdom. In the Pastry Kingdom it is one of the three ruling faiths and led by Vanilla Bean cookie, though many want them to step down and give the position to Pure Vanilla Cookie. The Vanilla Kingdom being one of Everbread's founders should help us a lot” Choco Pie continued.
“Plus I know his… relatives, I have no Idea how they are related but Vanilla lets Custard call him great grandpa” Gingerbrave added cheerfully if a little confused dew to his stray thoughts.
“And then there's the one I was told you might find interesting, the council member I spoke to didn't seem to know why but… anyway the third of the most powerful is the St. Pastry Order. They act to fulfill the will of the creator Witches, who they revere as benevolent Gods, as most other religions do” Choco Pie Cookie finished only to see that what she said had caused Gingerbrave to freeze like he had heard the name of a long dead or feared enemy, “Are you alright?” She added.
“Oh, it’s nothing…” Gingerbrave lied, Choco Pie could tell but decided that if it were so severe as to threaten the adventure then he wouldn't have been assigned to help.
The first place they stopped was the Sandwich store, a store with the healthiest ingredients for any sandwich a Cookie could want. It's the favorite hangout spot for the strongest of cookies. Upon stepping in Gingerbrave was saddened that the cookies he was looking for were absent, however he and Choco Pie weren't the only cookies present.
“Hello Mr Ginger Brave, it's good to see you, your usually out on a big adventure” Said a young cookie in ornate wizards robes of cream cotton in a waffle brown with a blue chocolate silk, pale dough, Sky blue eyes, a staff with jelly’s orbiting it, and a cream puff hat. She had a dragon-like pendant on the left of her robes. She was eating a tomato sandwich as tall as herself and sat across from a cookie in classic detective clothes made from nut fiber, light peanut butter dough, cream brown eyes, a walnut ponytail connected to her peanut butter hair, and a walnut shell hat. She was eating a comically small peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
“Hay Cream Puff Cookie, Hay Walnut Cookie, what’re you two doing here all alone?” Gingerbrave asked only to get an answer not from Creampuff or Walnut, but from a large Purple cookie. One with purple eyes, purple yam dreads, a dark purple dough while baring lighter purple tattoo lines, a spiked yam mace, and brownie leather pants with yam wood spike pauldrons.
“She isn't, we're investigating the City of WIZARDS!“ Purple yam yelled, which is as quiet as he can talk. He picked Gingerbrave up and spun him in the air before putting him down and rubbing his head.
“Hey bro… City of Wizards, why?” Gingerbrave wondered, revealing how he knew Purple Yam.
“Well-!”, Cream puff said before waving her staff and summoning forth a book, “I found a story about a Kingdom of wizards led by the moon itself. I decided to set out on an adventure to find all I can about it-and I've found a lot. I even found a mention a master of magic that was so skilled they could turn even the most evil of magic pure and good”
Gingerbrave laughed in joy, not only because he found his powerful warrior brother, Yam was never too far from another powerful warrior.
“Greetings Gingerbrave, how are you on this fine day” greeted a cookie even taller than Purple yam, draped in milk cotton vestments and shawl that hid his full bulk, carrying a milk cracker shield plus a staff tips in a winged glass milk bottle, pail of dough with rosy cheeks, with milk white eyes and hair, Wearing a nurses cap depicting a pattern of milk drops and rippling liquid.
“Hello Milk Cookie, oh boy, I think we have an adventure you might be interested in. I'm going on a diplomatic adventure to gain access to a city that may just be the original Kingdom of Mages and we need help” Gingerbrave declared.
Walnut Cookie finally finished scarfing down her sandwich and ran up to introduce herself and assert her worth in the group that was forming “Ha, I knew it would still be around, I'm Walnut as introduced earlier and I'm a master investigator who may be able to help you when it comes to determining any funny business that may come up in addition to learning all you can when you get to the kingdom”
Choco Pie looked across the group and realized that each one would add to the presentation of the diplomatic party, and decided to declare it. First was Walnut who she assumed the declaration of skill were empty attempts to be seen as similar to her father.
“Yes, Walnut, we may need someone of your ‘acclaimed’ skill. If I'm not mistaken you're also the daughter of an acclaimed investigator dedicated to stopping the misuse of magic. Your father is respected all across Earthbread and your presence may imply his interest in the success of the meeting”, she turned to Purple yam.
“And you are a warrior of great strength and renown and, if I'm not mistaken by your addressment of Gingerbrave as brother, you are related to a hero whose presence alone gives this party worth. If we declare this then your presence will give us more say when debating who may do what”. Purple yam looked confused but nodded seemingly understanding or just not caring enough to question.
“Cream Puff Cookie, you are a child yet ware the cloths of a wizard whose graduated from an official institution, which may assure the Pastry diplomats that we are at no loss of skilled and officially recognized mages who may ensure no misuse of magic occurs”, Creampuff blushed at the complement and Walnut looked away with a hint of jealousy.
“And then there's you Milk Cookie, a high ranking member of one of the three ruling religious institutions, if your dressing is to be believed, are a symbol of our willingness to accept the council of faithful cookies who no doubt have no intention of undermining an institution they have devoted themselves to in some way”, Milk blushed and replied to Choco Pie's kind words in kind.
“Thank you for the compliments, I assure you that every cookie hear is just too humble to sing their own praises to an accurate amount, but I'm just a Glass Bishop, I'm nothing special” Milk said with joy and in a way that made the fact that a Glass Bishop was one of the most powerful roles in the path of milk one could reach sound like the lowest rank you can have.
“Sounds great, now let's get going… where are we going” Gingerbrave declared.
“We are going to a druid circle known as the churro cercle that does trade with both kingdoms, the Millennial tree druid circles are a neutral party allied with Everbread and the Pastry Kingdom but some circles are more allied with one or the other, this is why we are meeting with the churro druids. We are going to the nearest settlement by train that leaves in forty minutes but I came here by boat and my luggage is still at the docks” Choco Pie informed with a hint of embarrassment by the end of the exposition.
“Why are they at the docks?” Asked everyone in an unexpected unison.
“Because I was informed that they would be delivered to the train but while I was looking for you Gingerbrave I asked if they had arrived yet only to be informed that they were never even informed that my luggage would be sent, which is supposed to be common practice here. I was on my way to get them when I found your house and saw you fall out the door way”
The party quickly rushed out the shop on their way to the docs hoping to find the luggage. Meanwhile at the docks a short cookie was fighting to keep hold of some luggage from another even shorter cookie. All the while three cloaked figures watched and followed.