Wizard Cookie wished he were anywhere but on the Pilgrim’s Path. His iced hair had been melting all day, and it was only thanks to his spellcasting that he had made it through until the evening. He dreaded the inevitable desert trek that would no doubt be awaiting him tomorrow. Fortunately, night-time in the desert was colder than he had expected. “Is dinner ready yet, my subject?” asked Custard Cookie. The kid was nice, if not annoying. He was young too, barely out of being baby dough. Also, he had declared himself the king of Glucongard as soon as he got the chance. Occasionally Wizard Cookie was so irritated by him that he wanted to hit his face on a pillow again and again. GingerBrave prodded the base of the flames with a long stick, stirring the pieces of Roll Cake Wood a little, before prodding the Stamina Jellies that were searing as skewers above them. “Not yet,” he called back. He poked it two more times and frowned, “I think it isn’t ready? It’s kinda soft. But also not.” Wizard Cookie rolled his eyes and felt a rush of fondness for the Cookie he grew up with. “Of course it isn’t ready, GingerBrave,” Chili Pepper Cookie scoffed in her usual manner at once. “It’s too hard. You want it to be chewy and squishy. Right, Pointy Hat?” Warmth rushed to Wizard Cookie’s face as soon as Chili Pepper Cookie looked at him, and he wondered if the heat of the flames had anything to do with it. “All Jellies are squishy,” he said at once. The outlaw blinked and tossed her ponytail with a disappointed grunt. And the warmth in cheeks intensified. Ugh, what? His answer was smart, and it was logical. Why did he suddenly feel as though he swallowed hot sauce? The words came out of his mouth almost against his will. “But I agree with Chili Pepper Cookie. More time on the fire won’t do any harm.” Chili Pepper Cookie beamed and he looked down quickly. Strawberry Cookie was pressing buttons on her console, spamming them in the way only she seemed to manage. “Um, guys? I think it needs two more minutes.” She didn’t even look up. Impressive. He mentally applauded the little hooded Cookie. After the time had passed, GingerBrave passed around the Jellies. Wizard Cookie chewed his thoughtfully and hummed, barely looking up from his book, except to say thank you. Chili Pepper Cookie let out an unladylike sound of delight before eating her Jelly in the way she did every night—like a Cake Hound, practically tearing it apart. Wizard Cookie couldn’t help but find that funny. Custard and Strawberry Cookie were taking bites that the little boy would call “an example of dignity.” From the corner of Wizard Cookie’s eye, he noticed GingerBrave tugging at his robe’s sleeve. “Yes, GingerBrave?” He craned his neck to meet his best friend’s cheerful gaze. He hated being short and having to look up at someone younger than him. “You gonna eat it, Wizzie?” Wizard Cookie resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the nickname. GingerBrave took a small bite and continued with his mouth full, “I know you like reading, but you should put your book away and . . . be among other Cookies!” “INDEED!” Custard Cookie boomed, startling everyone else so that they nearly dropped their food. “Your king decrees that you stop reading, er, whatever that is!” As Wizard Cookie had only just learned, Custard Cookie couldn’t read too well. Wizard Cookie knew to pick his battles well. So he tapped his book against the top of his wand with a sigh, and it disappeared with a flash into the pocket dimension. Chili Pepper Cookie clapped and let out a, “Pointy Hat! Good to see you! Didn’t from behind that book!” He gave her a look before taking a bite and chewing it slowly. “How far ‘til the end?“ Wizard Cookie asked once he had swallowed. Strawberry Cookie shrugged. She was quieter than usual and wouldn’t take her eyes off the Candy Wand. “Maybe, um, another day?” Her voice was lower and wobblier than usual. Wizard Cookie frowned. That was odd. GingerBrave raised a brow, having clearly noticed. “You okay, Strawberry Cookie?” Strawberry Cookie nodded, but then looked away. Clearly not okay. The words that then came out of her mouth nearly made Wizard Cookie spit out his Jelly. “What if . . . What if we run into the Witch?” “Huh?!” Wizard Cookie, Chili Pepper Cookie and GingerBrave exclaimed at the same time. Custard Cookie, who didn’t shout (he did, but it came out muffled because his mouth was stuffed), was clearly as surprised at Strawberry Cookie’s question. “That won’t happen, Strawberry,” GingerBrave shook his head. He took a last bite of his Jelly and tossed the inedible parts on the ground. “She’s too far away, okay? So don’t worry yourself so much.” “What if? But what if, GingerBrave?” “She can’t eat us, Strawberry Cookie!” Custard Cookie declared. “I’ll hit her if she tries!” Chili Pepper Cookie butted in, “No, I’LL hit her if she tries!” She stabbed one of her daggers into the sand for emphasis. (Continued below)
(Author’s Note in the Comments) “Oh, yes, but . . . If we have to hit her, that means she’ll have f-f-found us! And will try to E-E-EAT us!” “‘Berry!” cried Wizard Cookie in surprise. “Here, give me your hand for a moment. The Witch won’t find us, I promise.” “But WHAT IF, Wizard Cookie?” she said tearily, squeezing his hand. “I don’t want to be eaten.” “We won’t,” he said crossly, giving her a pat. “You can say ‘what if’ for ANYTHING, Strawberry Cookie. WHAT IF the Witch finds us? WHAT IF we get lost? WHAT IF a-a giant meteor comes and just HAPPENS to land on our heads?!” Custard Cookie giggled at that. “There’s almost no chance she’ll find us. But what will we do if the Witch does?” Strawberry Cookie swallowed. “Run.” “Exactly. We’re Cookies. It’s what we do best. And if we need to fight, I’ve got this”—he poked his Candy Wand—“and you have THIS”—he gestured to her lollipop—“So stop being so sad and finish up your dinner. Get some sleep, we have work tomorrow.” Strawberry Cookie nodded and took her last bite before throwing away the inedibles. Before they even knew what she was doing, she had flung her arms around Wizard Cookie and GingerBrave and was giving them squeezes. “Thanks, guys. It’s just, um, I don’t want you to be eaten.” Wizard Cookie felt himself glow at that. “We don’t want you to be eaten either,” GingerBrave patted her head. Then he yawned, saying, “I don’t know about you, but I think it’s time to get some shuteye. Wizzie?” Wizard Cookie held back a yawn of his own and yanked out the sleeping bags from the pocket dimension, along with everyone’s pajamas and the tent. One, two, three, four, five. Everyone got set up within five minutes, during which Custard Cookie looked ready to pass out—his head was lolling and his eyes were half-closed. Chili Pepper Cookie had to half-drag him into the tent. “Ugh! Who knew a barely-Cookie like this guy would be so HEAVY!” Once everyone had tucked in and the fire had been put out, Wizard Cookie climbed into his own sleeping bag, positioning himself between GingerBrave—who was already sleeping—and Chili Pepper Cookie—who gazed at the ceiling. He began to turn away, warmth returning to his face, even without the fire, but she hissed, “Don’t turn, Pointy Hat! By the way, you’re so short without it! Now he really was flushed. “I’m not short.” “Yes, you are,” Chili Pepper Cookie insisted. “So, so, SO short. But in a funny way. I approve!” “Why aren’t you sleeping? GingerBrave’ll have us out of bed by eight, and you know it.” “Yeah, yeah, I’ll get to it. But I have to ask you, what was all that about the Witch?“ Wizard Cookie sighed and sat up halfway to check if Strawberry Cookie was asleep. He heard little snores coming from her direction. Good. “The Witch is the one who baked us. Weren’t you baked by a Witch?” Chili Pepper Cookie shrugged. “Yeah, a long time ago. Pulled an OvenBreak with my little funkiller brother six years ago.” “You have a brother?” “Little killjoy,” she grimaced, but Wizard Cookie could tell she was resisting the urge to grin. “Red Pepper Cookie always tells me I shouldn’t live this way, and a bounty as high as mine is pretty bad. I don’t see why he’s like that!” “I do.” “Oof, that hurts, Pointy Hat!” But she laughed. “Okay, quit changing the subject on me. Finish off your story. NOW!” “It’s not much of a story,” mumbled Wizard Cookie. “It’s just . . . I hid in the Witch’s house for, um, sixteen years? But then GingerBrave disappeared. And then Strawberry Cookie did. So I thought I should too.” “Why’d Strawberry Cookie get so worried?” “Well, you see, um . . .” How could he say it? “She saw the Witch eat a Cookie. You know, the day we ran away. Same day we met you. I guess it traumatized her or something.” Chili Pepper Cookie sucked in a breath. “Man. Sucks. I’d be worried if I saw that, too. But hey, you helped her, so that’s good, right?” Wizard Cookie flushed and looked away. “I didn’t, really.” “Ya did. That’s a fact, believe it or not, nerd boy. Goodnight!” And she turned away to sleep. Wizard Cookie turned away and curled up. The sleeping bag was warm, not as sweltering as the desert in the morning or the oven in which all Witch-made Cookies were born. The Witch wasn’t going to find them, he told himself repeatedly. She wasn’t. He wouldn’t let her. That was the truth. He wasn’t a coward. He was a wizard. And he was going to keep his friends safe. Wizard Cookie closed his eyes, and all his thoughts faded away. ———— Shoutouts to @Z_1513, @SylveonGirl_12345 and @crazycurecats, my Scratch sisters!
