"The Sixth Lost Ancient"

Day 3 begins

3rd POV
"Good morning, sir. How was your night's rest? I am sure you have an eventful day ahead." Financier spoke formally. " I must acquire more information on that so-called "Soul Jam." It will be a busy day indeed." Clotted Cream remarked fixing his suit up. "Understood. I will make all necessary arrangements, sir." Financier replied, still standing near the door. "Soul Jam... The receptacle of an ancient mystery.
A vessel of pure power harnessed by true heroes only. I must uncover your secrets...!" Clotted Cream told himself in pure determination. "Financier Cookie. You have been keeping a keen eye on the matters in the castle ever since we arrived. Were you able to find any traces of our objective?" He asked. "I noticed that the Ancient Heroes' treasured weapons emanate great power, sir. However, my primary duty is your safety, sir. I am afraid I possess too few facts to aid you in your pursuit of knowledge. If you have any further instructions for me..." Financier spoke as Clotted Cream understood. "Let us step outside! It is a wonderful day for a stroll around the castle grounds!"

"The WaffleBots are marvels of Vanillian magichanical engineering! A pioneering, innovative, state-of-the-art fusion of enchanting and technology! And I am the only Cookie around capable of keeping everything in tip-top condition! That's right!" Strawberry Crepe bragged, Clotted Cream noticed Espresso being there, must've been curious. "Intriguing. What kind of force puts them in motion?" Espresso asked curiously. "Oh, oh, you wanna see the schematics?!" They asked, seems like their childish sense still remain with them. "Let's see... Outdated formulas... Bah, suboptimal enchanting techniques... Pshh, they could have simply utilized cream as a cooling agent. ...Indeed, it's a marvel that these derelict machines are still functional!" Espresso remarked despite silently insulting it so that they wouldn't be disappointed. "Strawberry Crepe Cookie, Espresso Cookie! I have been searching for you!" Clotted Cream spoke as he appeared towards the hangar. "Oh! 2% Connivingness! Come in!" They welcomed. "...Yet again, you see right through me, young friend. Ha ha! Hm, I wonder... Have you ever analyzed any of the Ancient Heroes' dough? An inquisitive mind such as yourself must have found them rather fascinating!" Clotted Cream asked, with other intent. "I tried, ALRIGHT! But even my superb equipment has its limits against them! Some kind of overwhelming power almost fried it! And I never tried again ever since..." They replied hugging said machinery like it was their baby. ""Overwhelming power," you say..." Clotted Cream told himself. "And...Gingerbrave?" He asked. "Pfff- what do you wanna know about him? All he is is brave, nothing much if you ask me." Strawberry Crepe remarked. "Nothing much?" Clotted Cream asked confused. "Yep! That cookie is all but ordinary, nothing special about him."

"Strawberry Crepe Cookie, you should see this...! One of the Wafflebots broke down while helping us build a house!" Dusk Crow yelled. (Name submitted by RaiWasFound ) "WHAT? Did you feed the robot yucky raisins again?! They are PRECISION TOOLS! I told you A HUNDRED TIMES that you should treat them with CAUTION!" Strawberry Crepe yelled at that annoyed. "UGH! Guess I must go and fix it, UH-GAIN! SO LONG!"

"The Ancients' dough... Overwhelming power... What on Earthbread could Soul Jam be?" Clotted Cream wondered. "The data we've managed to gather indicates that Soul Jam's main component could be Life Powder." Espresso butted in. "Highly compressed, this Life Powder-enriched jam crystallized into a hard candy-like state bearing the energy of Life itself.  However, despite our best efforts, we were unable to identify neither the origin of this substance nor how it was introduced to the Cookie Continent. What we know for certain is that primordial Cookies regarded the Soul Jam as a gift from the gods." He established, hoping that information will suffice. "Power of an unknown origin... No wonder those who wield it are called "Heroes." Clotted Cream remarked, his interest coming forth. "I will summarize our findings in a written report, sir." Espresso informed. "Thank you. Until next time."

"Ser Madeleine Cookie. It is strange to find you here in the Solarium of Unity all by yourself. Were you... sightseeing?" Clotted Cream asked as he went into the Solarium to speak with Pure Vanilla, seems he is not here. "Take a look, sire! Figures of the Five Heroes on the stained glass...Odd, is it not? The size and shape of these windows, the look of this glass... It all resembles the Republican style." Madeleine remarked looking at the stained-glass portraits of all the Five Heroes...Five...that they knew of. "True! Indeed, we are at the origin of our culture, my friend. Seeing with my own eyes where it all began is, by all means, humbling. Wistful, even." Clotted Cream replied, staring as well into the glass. "Have you had a chance to meet our home, Mansion Madeleine, sir? I cannot help but reminisce its* azure carpets and airy windows shedding warm sunlight..." Madeleine went to banter. "Home...Ser Madeleine Cookie, I've been meaning to ask... What was the reason for you and your... colleague's departure from the Crème Republic? How did it happen that the two of you- Cookies of great merit without a doubt- were chosen among other Paladins and scientists?" Clotted Cream asked...he was curious about that, Madeleine was the pride of the academy and Espresso a very promising scientist...why them of all cookies? "Oh, it happened before your appointment as Consul, sire. I trust you are well aware of the so-called "Light Fragment Incident," right?" Madeleine begun to explain. "Though it was just the slightest sliver of a Light Fragment, it could have resulted in our glorious Republic being completely wiped off the map!" He explained, though Clotted Cream seemed disinterested in that part. "Yes, yes, of course. And it is you and Espresso Cookie we have to thank for our salvation, correct? And in the end, it was confirmed that the Light Fragments were, in fact, pieces of shattered Soul Jam?" Clotted Cream backtracked. "Yes, sir. Soul Jam shattered during the Dark Flour War, to be precise. A war Dark Enchantress Cookie started to gain control of all existing Soul Jam." Madeleine explained further...honestly? He seemed to mature when it came to history. "Thanks to the Ancient Heroes' collective efforts, the world as we know it exists to this day. However, pieces of Soul Jam were scattered across the entire continent."

"Could there be more of these Light Fragments in this land that are yet to be discovered? If such great power were to fall into the wrong hands... Without a doubt, it will cause catastrophic events! If but a small fraction of Soul Jam is capable of destroying the Crème Republic, finding and securing the remaining pieces is a matter of grave importance!" Clotted Cream mumbled to himself. "Thank you for sharing this with me. It seems like this puzzle is finally coming together..." he informed Madeleine. "Then why don't we... Hm? Are you not coming, Ser Madeleine Cookie?" He asked, confused on why he is not coming. "I'd like to stay a bit more and look at the stained glass! Please, do not wait for me and go first, sire" Madeleine informed, once again staring at the stained glass. "Very well! It was a pleasure, Ser Madeleine Cookie."

"..."

"Five heroes...?"

"Weren't there six...?"