Fragments - A Cookie Run Fanfiction

Chapter Forty-Six: Pry

//"You can't sit with us." -> "Actually, Megan- I can't sit anywhere. .''~*Heteroids*~''."

-

((Authors Note: I finally made a new cover for Fragments- one with a human version of Gingerbrave. I did my best, and it isn't great, but I think I did okay.))

The door was soon opened. Behind it seemed to be another bedroom- there was almost nothing in it. Only a bed, a couple windows with dark drapes, a table with an alarm clock and lamp and a fireplace nearby- on the opposing end of the space. 

It was dark, and empty- almost completely quiet. There was nothing to be heard, save for a couple movements outside- likely from the wildlife. Gingerbrave was gestured to go into the room first- to which the child complied, and walked in straight away. Dark Choco followed right after, leaving the door open for some light to make it's way to the colden space. 

 "You can sit down anywhere... I won't mind. I don't have much in here... " the statement was blunt- as to be expected. So, with a small gesture, he went to start the fireplace, while Gingerbrave sat on the floor. The child wrapped the cloak around himself tighter, as the chilliness of the room started to get a bit bitter. 

As soon as the fireplace was lit, Dark Choco walked back, and he glanced down to the boy. Gingerbrave just sat there, staring at his feet- his blue eyes travelling to the fire on the other end of the room every little bit. He shifted in discomfort- and the sound of the fire seemed to start to exist on it's own- blocking out every other noise in the room. The sound of wind blowing outside... the creaking of the floor boards under Dark Choco's feet. 

Dark Choco simply stood near the door of his room, observing the child. His expression didn't waver. He constantly studied Gingerbrave's face. The expression was just lost, and it seemed to be pinging between confusion, and sadness. 

The man recegnized those looks. Maybe he was wrong about them- but.. it seemed that there was hints of the possibility of flashbacks. Fear or pain or emptiness. Eyes could say so much about someone, and unless you knew how to read them- you could miss so much that wasn't being said. 

The tall, stalky man knew this well- as he had endured almost nothing but suffering at one point in his life- until he fell into a slight ring of mediocrity. He believed in Dark Enchantres's goal. He wanted to rid the world of the witches that made cookies to be consumed. 

However, his outlook on life had changed after his own world fell. He strode to be a hero, and a figure worthy of respect- and he had taken out everyone in his path unintentionally- in the long run. He had failed before, and he had failed since then. He hadn't even grown, as an individual- he just stayed the way he was ever since.

"You are thinking about someone or something." The man stated bluntly, before walking toward the child- who continued to stare off into the fire that flickered nearby. Mere steps away, the boy was startled out of his train of thought, before jolting to look up at the man. There was a glance of frantic worry.

After settling, the guest just looked a bit embarrassed, before quickly looking away and mumbling 'sorry' to the older individual. 

Dark Choco sighs, before sitting down on the bed. He sat in silence for a bit longer, before the child brought his arms over his face- hiding his gaze behind his limbs as he curls toward his knees. 

"It really hurts, doesn't it? I don't know what you are thinking about- but it looks like you are carrying a lot of emotional stress. By the looks of it... it is based off of personal failures. Am I wrong?" the dark haired placed his hand on his knee, before leaning forward. 

Gingerbrave looked up to the man, before glancing down and shifting his legs a bit- not sure of what he should say. Is there anything he could say? 

There were a million things on his mind... and the current problem was his memories- plaguing him, and always creeping along his back. The flames of the fire in the side of the room always reminded him of his failures of the past. The day he was brought into this world, and the day he learned that- as he was- he would always have to fight. 

The incident in Pomegranate's room earlier was a cruel reality that he hoped would have been over. He had to face the facts though. That voice- the entity that had been the cause of this whole mess was still around. There was no doubt about it. Gingerbrave could only rest for so long. 

He didn't know The Darksides. While he was becoming acquainted- he was still a stranger. Even so, strains of the past would not effect one of the things lingering in his mind. A constant question that he let gnaw at his psyche and send chills up his spine. 

Should he tell them? Should he avoid telling them?

The entity was smart, and evil. It was outright awful- and it knew how to use it's smarts to get around everything that was thrown at it. They had dealt with the entity once- the same thing would never happen again. 

Who knew when it would come back?

What if it came back with the intention to finish what it started tomorrow?

Then there was the feelings of guilt he always had. The pain, and the fear. The world-ending sadness that followed the inevitable failures he endured. He could have done so much more. He could have saved them. He was scared and it kept him from being a good hero. A good brother. 

The child didn't notice that he was tearing up. He sniffled, bringing his arm up to his face, before rubbing at his nose and sucking in a quick- uneven breath. 

He couldn't help it. 

The memories were flooding back- plaguing him and prying- trying to claw their way in and eliminate his confidence. What little of it he had left. He grit his teeth, before pulling his hands over his head, and covering his ears a little bit- the sound of sobbing and pained grunts and phantom heat of flames were overwhelming. 

He almost felt as though he was suffocating. 

A small hiccup escaped him. Then another, and another- followed by a heavy sob. 

He couldn't hear anything. He felt as though he couldn't breathe. What was going on? 

Gingerbrave brought his hands down to his throat, and started to panic, trying to retreat back into the cloak that was given he hid himself. Embarrassed, and scared. Confused- of course. Regret and anger pooled off of him in floods. The room was heavy, and so was his heart. 

Dark Choco took notice of the child struggling to breathe and immediately took action, kneeling in front of him quickly, before gently grabbing his shoulders. 

"Breathe. In and out. You need to slow down your breathing, and try to calm down. You are going to get hurt." he leans forward a little- locking calm darkened eyes with frantic blue ones. 

Eventually- Gingerbrave took in a deep breath and his breathing started to slow.

((To be Continued))