Chosen by the Sky

Bake Break

Just a goofy little short story while you wait for the next chapter.  :)

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The sun shone brightly, casting every building into vivid technicolor. Even the cobblestone streets seemed to sparkle. A soft breeze combated the heat, causing the wildflowers to sway in their beds. The only sign that there was ever rain in the kingdom were the faint rainbows dotting the sky.

I walked along with a spring in my step, eyes darting around at the brightly-colored crowd. Smiles flashed. Laughter rang through the air. Something collided with my knee.

My head snapped to the child, a Blue Steve so small, he must have been newly-created. His face flushed as he looked up at me, smiling awkwardly.

"You alright?" I asked him, quietly thrilled to have an excuse to talk to another steve. He nodded, smile turning more genuine.

"Sorry!" An older steve rushed to grab him, pulling the young one closer. "He's still not used to crowds." I was relieved they couldn't see the giddy smile creeping across my face. It might have come across as strange.

"It's no bother." I assured them. "Have a great day!" It was nice to see the Blue Steves out and about again. Without the Corrected Sun to worry about, they could take part in all the celebrations. I smiled, fingers tightening around the basket I held. Even I could celebrate the end of the rations.

I smoothed down the white cloth that covered my basket, making sure that nothing had tumbled out, and continued to Sabre's house.

My eyes widened as I came closer, noticing the freshly-installed windows and spotless walls. The house looked practically brand-new, much less vandalized.

"M, come on!" Before I could even get to the porch, Sabre was rushing out, grabbing my hand, and steering me inside. I laughed, struggling to keep my basket upright as I was dragged up the porch stairs and into the kitchen.

"Someone's excited." I teased, setting my load on the nearby table and uncovering the dark red berries.

"You?" Sabre guessed, already grabbing the other ingredients.

"Well, yes, obviously." I reached up and drew the curtain, then slipped my hood off, revealing my happy expression. Sabre snorted. "What?"

"I always thought your hair got messed up in the wind. I guess it just looks goofy." I frowned, reaching up to comb my fingers through it, only for Sabre to crack up.

I rolled my eyes, grabbing a berry and throwing it at his head. Sabre caught it easily and popped it into his mouth. He hummed thoughtfully.

"This isn't bad."

"It's a sweetberry. They're a Red Steve specialty. Unless you have them in your world?" I was always curious about Sabre's world. Thankfully, despite all the teasing, he seemed willing to answer my questions.

"I don't think so, although we do have some berries that look similar." Sabre moved to snatch up some more, but I blocked him.

"Hey, we still need those." I reminded him. "You promised to teach me how to bake non-steve food." Sabre grumbled, but took a tiny slip of paper out of his inventory, showing me the recipe.

My heart skipped a beat, and I wasted no time in whipping a notebook out and starting to copy it down. I ignored the soft chuckling from behind.

"So... pastries?" I asked, trying out the word.

"Yep!" Sabre confirmed, already reaching for some mixing bowls.

I started to heat the furnace, although how we were supposed to keep track of 'degrees' I wasn't certain.