The Waters of Sorrow [ Sequel Fic // Cookie Run: Kingdom AU ]

Recital I: Snowfall

Snow Sugar stirred the drink slowly. The sounds the spoon made against the cup were rather obnoxious, but they made do. They basked in the warmth of the fireplace, listening to the snaps and pops the inferno created. They sighed, lifting the cup off the counter and stepping into the next room. They were getting increasingly worried; the cookie had spoken in his sleep, but never awoke. Though he seemed to be showing signs of it at this very moment; how convenient.
"Eh..." He muttered. He sat up slowly, holding his head in one hand. "Where.."
"Oh! You're up!" Snow Sugar directed their attention to the table near the couch, setting the cup in that area and looking back to the cookie in front of them.
"Are you alright?"
He frowned. He looked around the room, confusion clouding his gaze.
"..where am I?" It sounded more of a statement than a question. "Who are you..?"
"My name is Snow Sugar, and you're in my house." They said politely. "You, ah..passed out in the snow two or three days ago; we were getting worried."
"We?"
"Ah, my sister and I. You said your name was Dozer, correct?" They tilted their head, an odd smile plastered across their face.
"Yeah.." He looked over at the drink. "Can I..?"
"Hm? Oh, of course!" Snow Sugar laughed. He reached over and took a sip, his eyes lighting up at the taste.
"Oh, I forgot how good it felt to eat and drink.." He whispered. Snow Sugar blinked, confusion washing over them.
"..I'm sorry?" They tilted their head. Dozer set the cup on his lap slowly, coming to the realization of what he'd said.
"...Nothing." He said nervously. Snow Sugar watched him look down at the cup, before room and breath and said;
"I've been rebaked." Dozer sighed. "You probably won't believe me-"
"I knew I recognized you." Snow Sugar frowned. "I don't remember much about you, though."
"You- you remember?" Dozer stammered. "Like- before the reset remember?"
"Yeah." They nodded. Dozer looked back down awkwardly. His head hung low as he drank the cocoa without hurry.

Dozer didn't mean to be snooping, but it felt like he was. He was only look at the papers on the table. A gold and white card glittered under a magazine. Out of curiosity, he grabbed it, flipping it over. It was more of a postcard- an invitation. To where?
He scanned the card stock in his hand. It was an old wedding invitation, sent from the 'Dark Cacao Kingdom.' Another paper next had two cookies pictured on it. The names written down sounded familiar.
"...Snow Sugar?" Dozer called.
The cookie appeared in the doorway, looking him up and down.
"Yes?"
"Who... who are Gingerbrave and Wizard..?"
"Oh!" Snow Sugar walked over to the table where Dozer stood. "They're my friends."
"Hm. I feel like I've...heard of Gingerbrave before."
"Maybe you heard talk of him on your journey from the witches home. He is a hero, after all."
"..hero?"
"Mhm!" Snow Sugar clapped. "He, and his sister and Wizard and their friends, they helped save out world from Dark Enchantress!!"
"Dark...Enchantress..." Dozer frowned. He felt as though he'd heard that name before.
As if somebody were putting together a puzzle in his mind, everything clicked.
Gingerbrave..was his brother. Dark Enchantress was the evil being he and his friends had fought against.
"...who's Custard?" Dozer tried. Snow Sugar looked around nervously, their confusion clear as glass. They hasn't mentioned Custard- nothing on the table did either.
"...a friend of Gingerbraves." Snow Sugars tone grew guarded; with reason of course, but it made Dozer feel as though he wasn't trustworthy.
"I remember...hearing the name.."
Once again, the pieces fit together. He'd been a ghost before his revival; long before his revival. For some eight or so years in between that, he'd been a friend to Custard Cookie the Third.
"I was...a friend of his." Dozer managed, hoping those were the right words. The distrust in Snow Sugars eyes only grew.
"Custards only friends were those of the kingdom." Snow Sugar sniffed. Dozer cringed inwardly. Apparently, that was not the right thing to say.
"...the cookies in that photo. You said you're friends?"
The cookie frowned at the subject change.
"..yes."
"..where are they now?"
Snow Sugar shrugged. "Probably at the Vanilla Kingdom or something.."
Dozer let them trail off. The silence hung around for a moment, before Snow Sugar broke it;
"How do you know who Custard is?"
Dozer shifted. "I must have...mistaken him..for someone else.."
Snow Sugar looked as though they were trying to hide their suspicion, but were ultimately failing. Dozer laughed nervously, looking away.
"They're engaged, y'know." They finally said. Dozer looked up, entirely confused. "Wizard and Gingerbrave, I mean."
You could practically see the exclamation mark appear of his head, as if he was a cartoon character. Engaged?
The realization hit him. Snow Sugar must be around his brothers age, which meant Gingerbrave was an adult now.
He didn't like that thought.
His siblings had..had grown up without him. Yes, he'd been rebaked, reanimated, with an adult body, but they'd lived those lives...
He hadn't.

"Dozer?" Snow Sugar waved their hand in his face. He looked up, shaking his head furiously.
"I'm alright, sorry-" He sighed. "Just...nothing."
Snow Sugar frowned. The suspicion was replaced with concern; that made him feel worse. He didn't mean to worry the other.
"You should probably lay back down if you're feeling worse than a moment before, y'know." Snow Sugar stated. "How long were you out there, anyways?"
"...two days. Almost three?"
"Two- what?!" Snow Sugar grabbed the collar of his shirt and dragged him back into the spare room, despite his protests.
"You are sleeping, whether you like it or not." They proclaimed. Dozer and folded his arms, not budging.
"No, I don't think I will." He grinned. A moment later, he was hit over the head.
"Ow! What in the hell?!"
"Sleep." They pointed to the couch he'd been resting on beforehand, glaring at him as he refused to move.
"What are you, my mother?" Dozer snickered. Snow Sugar huffed.
"What are you, a toddler?" They spat back in retaliation. Dozer only glared in return.
They eventually shoved him into the couch and shut the door before he could even stand up.
"Hey- come on!!"
"Go to bed, you're sleeping, end of story."
"But-"
"No buts, ifs, or ands about it!"
Dozer groaned. They were acting as though they'd known him for years; it had been, what, a couple hours at best?
He let himself fall, face first, into the couch. He was exhausted- though he'd never admit it.
The last thing he heard was the fire place making a snap, crackle, pop, before he drifted off.