3rd POV
"Gingerbrave...you called?"
Gingerbrave looked to the window, while Strawberry and Wizard stood next to the door concerned.
They waited for his reply, knowing him, it was probably serious...
"..."
"Do forgive us for ending this ordeal on a sour note..." Clotted Cream apologized bowing. "And send my regards to Gingerbrave..."
"I'm sure Gingerbrave would forgive you Clotted Cream..." Pure Vanilla spoke. "Even if he did point out some of your wrongs...usually a child still feels guilt after speaking up..."
"Tell 'im not to be hard on 'imself, he's a good kid." Captian Caviar spoke. "And a strong one as well...that little guy will be going places that's for sure."
"Well then we'll be off..." Clotted Cream spoke, turning away.
"Clotted Cream Cookie...about that info about Gingerbrave...you say he uhm...was born into a land outside of Earthbread correct? Where do you suppose that land is...?" Pure Vanilla asked with curiosity.
"I...am not sure...he was particularly vague about it...best not to press any further..." Clotted Cream spoke. He wasn't afraid of Gingerbrave breaking down, second worst case scenario is when Wizard comes and blasts him with lightning...
These children are scary...
He should've known that though...
"I see..."
After they left, Dark Cacao and Hollyberry surrounded Pure Vanilla. "Why did you ask that question?" Dark Cacao asked. "When White Lily Cookie became Dark Enchantress Cookie...in search of a perfect cookie...she spoke of a land beyond Earthbread...a land that allowed her to discover the truth about this world..." Pure Vanilla spoke. "I wonder if Gingerbrave hails from that land?"
"He may not know this but...when I was captured, I heard some of her ramblings...she believes that the cookies were made to be eaten..." Pure Vanilla spoke. "But now...when I hear Gingerbrave's origins...I thought...maybe she misunderstood...?"
"Ahem."
The Ancients looked at Wizard and Strawberry Cookie, their faces looked serious as if they were delivering bad news...
"Wizard Cookie, Strawberry Cookie, how may we help you?"
"I'm sorry...what?" Pure Vanilla asked in concern for Gingerbrave, who looked emptily at the table full of tea and sweets...
"...I want to give my brother a proper burial..." Gingerbrave spoke. "As well as the other cookies who died trying to get here..."
"I...understand but...you need our help?" Pure Vanilla asked with concern, as Gingerbrave gripped his hand.
"Making...17 shrouds is...hard to do alone...even with the materials we have in the Time Kingdom..." Gingerbrave spoke, he paused when he spoke 17, reminding him that out of 20 only 3 remained alive...
"You remember them individually?" Dark Cacao asked, to which Gingerbrave nodded. "Every single one."
"By Earthbread sakes Gingerbrave..." Hollyberry rubbed her forehead. "How are you still even sane after that? Or even not affected?"
"It hurts to think about sometimes...I thought it would go away eventually...but..."
Gingerbrave paused, looking to Wizard and Strawberry as emotional support. "I hated burning an empty shroud..."
"Gingerbrave..."
Gingerbrave looked down again, hiding his face from the Ancients. "I just need a few materials...then me, Wizard Cookie and Strawberry Cookie will...ahem, be on our way."
The Ancients knew this was hard for Gingerbrave to do...but they also knew eventually one has to let go...people, things, thoughts...eventually you can't hold on to those forever...
Nothing lasts forever, not even for immortals...
"Very well...we shall help you get the materials we need..."
"This is...the list of the cookies who perished?" Dark Cacao asked, looking at the parchment of paper given to him by Wizard.
"Gingerbrave wrote them all down himself...what I'm surprised is that he remembered all of them and their interests..." Wizard spoke. "Yet can't bring himself to remember fixing his bedroom..." he mumbled.
"This is...a lot..." Dark Cacao spoke. "But...it's manageable...I'm sure we have some spare materials in the Dark Cacao Kingdom. Especially the extra chocolate used to make the Altar of the Fallen."
"You don't need to do that." Wizard spoke, Dark Cacao shook his head. "This is to honor your dead...it is only right we give you something that honor's ours, take that as a token of my thanks for all that you've done for us." Dark Cacao explained. Wizard felt honored, and a little guilty, but he took the gesture...
Wizard began to read all 17 names on the list...rechecking every single one, even ones he regretted forgetting...
Ribbon Dancer Cookie
Age: 11
Shroud Burial:
Pink, decorated and tied with ribbons. Purple ribbons.
Life before death:
Wanted to travel the world to entertain cookies with her ribbon dancing.
Lemon Blueberry Cookie
Age: 13
Shroud Burial:
Yellow, scented with lemons and blueberries, decorated with small white dandelions.
Life Before Death:
As sweet as blueberries, as sassy and honest as lemons. Wanted to play in a beach for once.
Halo-Halo Cookie.
Age: 15
Shroud Burial:
Purple, decorated with sweet potatoes, tapioca pearls and jelly cubes. (Not edible ones)
Life Before Death:
Used to sing all kinds of songs...wanted to be a musician.
Wizard paused for a moment, his heart felt heavy...Gingerbrave remembered all this? All this time? And not once has he faltered? Not once has he cried or shed tears?
How long has he been staying strong just for them?
Even now he remembers all of them, yet still strives forward despite the guilt...
Architect Cookie
Age: 14
Shroud Burial:
Shroud should look more like blue prints, decorated with pencils and on the top is nothing more than a notebook.
Life Before Death:
Wanted to grow up and build the most beautiful places for cookies. Ones that would make it into history.
Trapper Twins (Must not be burned separately)
-Bear Trap Cookie
Age: 13
Shroud Burial:
Shroud is made of a fluffy brown blanket, wooden bear-trap on top
-Net Trap Cookie
Age: 13
Shroud Burial:
Designed to look like a net had trapped something in its grasp.
Life Before Death:
Both Cookies wanted to build traps to make a safe place for the cookies when they escaped.
That was 6 Cookies, 6 Cookies he remembered in detail...
Caramel Apple Cookie
Age: 8
Shroud Burial:
Green, shrouded in caramel, decorated with toys, most preferably stuffed animals.
Life Before Death
Youngest of the Cookies...just wanted to have a family.
Rose Myrtle Cookie
Age: 14
Shroud Burial
Pink, decorated with Rose Myrtle flowers.
Life Before Death:
The baker of the cookies, she wanted to make her own bakery and bake pies.
Sugarcane Cookie
Age: 12
Shroud Burial:
Green, tied with sugar cane.
Life Before Death:
Stubborn, but sweet and gentle, wanted to open an orphanage.
Wizard wanted to stop, but he kept reading just to be sure.
Photographer Cookie
Age: 10
Shroud Burial:
Yellow and brown, a camera on the top, decorated with empty photos.
Life Before Death:
Loved taking pictures of beautiful sceneries and plants, wanted to see the world and burn it into memory.
Hairdresser Cookie
Age: 13
Shroud Burial:
Rainbow pastel colors, tied with hair bands.
Life Before Death:
Wanted to style the hairs of cookies to their best desires.
Cartoonist Cookie
Age: 14
Shroud Burial
White, with small little doodles around, notebook and art supplies on the top.
Life Before Death:
A wonderful cartoonist, wanted to show the world their cartoons.
That was 12...god...Gingerbrave...he couldn't believe it...
5 more to go...
Milk Bread Cookie
Age: 12
Shroud Burial:
Milk, with the smell of bread.
Life Before Death:
Wanted to explore the world and make his mark.
Corn Cob Cookie
Age: 13
Shroud Burial:
Yellow, decorated with corn (Non edible)
Life Before Death:
Chaotic and fierce, liked to play pranks, wanted to see the world outside and run in the sun.
Wizard then paused at the last three cookies...
Gingerbright
Age: 13
Shroud Burial:
Light brown mixed with chocolate...
Life Before Death:
A sister to many...cheers people up with her support and smile...headstrong, many loved her liked their big sister.
Skater Cookie
Age: 14
Shroud Burial:
Black with white and red. A skateboard on the top.
Life before death:
Was an excellent skater, though some didn't get along with him, he lightened the mood with his jokes.
Dozer
Age: 16
Shroud Burial
Blue, decorated with stars.
Life Before Death:
...
There was nothing on Dozer's other than the shroud burial...he was the oldest out of all of them...
Wizard noticed the ink that was supposed to write the information was a single drop...
He probably didn't want to write it...
...
He wishes he'd done more...