Friends, Courage, Frauds, and Fears (Cookie Run)

🎄🎁Mysterious Gift🎁🎄

(This is a Christmas Special-Not Part of the Story) Hope you enjoy. ✨
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The air was cold, the kingdom is jollier, and all the Cookies were making final preparations for Christmas. From toy shops, gift shops, to even market places, everywhere was busy with Cookies trying to finish the kingdom's decorating and last minute gift shopping. The kingdom was grander and filled with more cookies than ever! This sure was going to be a lot of work, and hopefully, a lot of joy. The five founders of the cookie kingdom were helping here and there and all around the kingdom as best they could.

"If I'm getting this correct, you want this to be done all today , Gingerbrave?" Gouda Cheese Cookie asked Gingerbrave as he held a clipboard, seeming with a mixture of confusion and uncertainty. "Mhm, plus, Christmas is tonight after all." Gingerbrave said with a soft smile. A soft smile was unusual for Gingerbrave, especially on an occasion and event such as this day. "I... don't know if we would be able to do this, but I'll ask Cappuccino about the sky flowers and I'll ask some of the workers and that Hazelnut about that." Gouda Cheese Cookie replied as he looked through the papers on the clipboard, beginning to walk away. "Don't rush yourself on it!" Gingerbrave exclaimed with a smile, though, another emotion was seen in his eyes. It wasn't fully clear, but it looked as if it was... sadness?

Wizard Cookie held a lantern ornament as he stood by the kingdom's Christmas tree, while he was watching the two from the distance till Gouda Cheese Cookie left. He sensed something was off with Gingerbrave. He has noticed from the past few days, the gingerbread cookie was acting not of his usual self. "I don't know, but have you three noticed on Gingerbrave's sudden... change in behavior?" He asked as a tri-colored hair cookie had jumped down from the tree. He then gave the ornament he had in his hand to the cookie, who then jumped back to the tree to put of the ornament. "I was thinking the same thing, Pointy Hat. That kid seems... not as happy as he usually is." Chile Pepper Cookie said as she carefully placed a pile of presents under the tree. "Maybe it has to do with, I don't know, this years Christmas being slightly different with the help of the five new kingdoms?" Strawberry Cookie asked softly and seeming unsure. As soon as she said this, a wyvern cheerfully rushed pass them, going around the tree as a group of cookies chased it. A cookie then peeked his head from a black hole that appeared in thin air, seeming confused. He soon moved back in the mysterious hole and the weird black hole disappeared. "Including the fact that most of them are... unusual?" Strawberry Cookie added as she place an ornament in the holiday tree. "Hm, no. I don't think that's it. Plus, Gingerbrave was very excited to allow these new kingdoms to be part of the holiday preparations and celebration. "Maybe he misses someone?" Custard Cookie III asked as he put the presents under the tree in a neat position. "Mustard, who would Gingerbrave be missing if everyone from everywhere is in this constantly growing kingdom?" Chili Pepper Cookie asked, motioning her hand to cookies nearby and passing by.

"You're probably right." Custard Cookie III said as he stood up. Though, Strawberry Cookie and Wizard Cookie looked at each other, seeming they figured out the reason. Chili Pepper Cookie noticed the way they went silent. "What's up with the two of ya now?" She asked as she dodged a flying snowball thrown at her by some kids nearby. "It's nothing... just something we remember happening with both us and Gingerbrave..." Wizard Cookie said, seeming a bit saddened himself. Indeed, the memory they thought of was a terrible event. A terrible loss of a close friend of theirs. A close cookie to Gingerbrave. Was this the answer that solves why Gingerbrave is seeming a bit off? "But there isn't much we can do now about that..." Strawberry Cookie said, also seeming saddened.

"What happened?" Custard Cookie III asked out if curiosity. "I think that would be up to Gingerbrave to see if he wants to tell what happened. It just seems now that he still hasn't moved on from it..." Wizard Cookie said as he picked up his staff. "Anyway, we need to finish this tree so we can be ready for the Holiday Tree tonight. When we finish preparations, we can figure out how to cheer Gingerbrave up." He said, trying to push the dark memory away for now. "So what's next after fixing up the tree?" Gingerbrave had walked to the four as he asked. "After that, we should be done, Gingerbrave. The rest of the cookies are going to be in charge of the Holiday Banquet set for the kingdom." Wizard Cookie said as he turned towards the gingerbread cookie.