Crumkindivia: A Bittersweet Tale

As the Elders and Soulless clashed upon the First World, elsewhere deep in
aetherspace a sparkling figure flew frantically against the aetheric currents.
Arriving at a vast expanse of emptiness, He stopped and summoned from His
being a block of pinkish goo. Cupping and rolling this strange object in His
hands, He released it and quickly it began to grow and stretch to enormous
size. At last the rose-hued sphere was the size of a small world and the
shining figure flew into it, landing on its newly formed terrain. With a deft
flick of the wrist, a small rift opened before Him and out poured countless
small, winged creatures that swirled around their guardian like a cloud of
glittering dust. The Elder God surveyed His surroundings carefully. With a
dainty step He took to the skies and flew over the planet, releasing a
colourful mist over the earth. Almost miraculously the valleys and gorges
filled with a bright fizzy liquid, trees sprouted from the earth and blossomed
with fruit that glittered and swirled, and a sugary sweet scent began to fill
the air. At last the Elder God returned to his small friends. They embraced
tearfully, and then He took off once more into the firmament, back into the
stars from whence He came.

"I feel so frightened in this strange and far away place!" a sugar sprite
cried, hugging herself with her frail purple arms.

"Don't worry, our beloved Lord Crumkane shall return one day," responded a
spice pixie, looking unsure himself as he glanced about with wide amber eyes.

"The end is upon us, there will be no more of the First World. We are stranded
here forever!" lamented another pixie as he fluttered his orange wings
erratically.

"Hush your sourlips, do not speak such ill omens!" squeaked one of the maple
nymphs. "Lord Crumkane has entrusted with a most pressing task and we shall
fulfill it until His return."

"That's right, we are the only ones left who know of His sacred and delicious
recipes. We must protect them and the instruments, it was His final wish!" one
of the cocoa brownies remarked confidently.

"Final wish? You say that as though He were already... dead!" the purple
sugar sprite gasped, raising her tiny hands to her face.

"Oi, don't say such things Lyria!" the maple nymph yelled as the others
fluttered around with panic.

"I-I'm sorry Fina, I just can't get these terrible thoughts out of my head,"
responded Lyria with a sniffle.

"Maybe a song and dance will cheer you up, just like in the old days!"
enthused the amber-eyed pixie with a smile."

"I don't know if I'm really in the mood for that right now, Kapo..." mumbled
Lyria.

"Oh, I would love for a song, especially after the long trip we just had,"
said one of the sprites.

"What shall we sing about?" asked a sugar plum fae.

"Perhaps a song about our great Lord Crumkane!" enthused a cherry sprite.

"Maybe a requiem?" suggested a gum banshee gloomily, who was returned with icy
glares. "Or not..."

"Let's sing about this wondrous new place, it'll help make it feel like home
again!" a pixie suddenly exclaimed with glee as he thought of this idea.

"Ooh, that's an excellent suggestion!" another fae agreed.

"But what is there to sing about?"

"Well, just take look around you and let out what you see."

"Hmm, I see hills of brown, and white beaches too!"

"I think those hills are covered in sugar."

"No, that's caramel, take a closer look!"

"And those trees, see how they glitter... I think those fruit are covered in
sugar!"

"Even the water from this river, it's so fizzy and sweet!"

"Mmm, and the flowers smell like something you could even eat."

"Hey, maybe we could get used to this place after all...

Aah, we're in a far away land but it's not so bad
The sky is always blue and you can eat the grass
The hills are brown but it's not what you think
The rivers are filled with fish in green, red and pink
Hmm, what shall we call this place?

Aah, you'll never go hungry in a land like this
Where everywhere you go it's like living in bliss
What more can you ask for when it's raining milk
And the falls pour with molasses as smooth as silk
Hmm, what shall we call this place?

Aah, blessed be is our Lord Crumkane
Forever we shall wait until His return again
The Mixer of Souls, the Sweet Creator
No one in the world could ever be greater
Oh, this place we'll call
This place we'll call
Crumkindvia!

And so, slowly but surely, the fae adjusted to their new home, taking great
delight in its sugary and strange wonders. As the centuries went on and the
fae continued to live in isolation, it was only natural that fragments of
their memories would eventually fade. Disagreements arose between the major
families over who the rightful protectors of Crumkane's instruments were,
resulting in the formation of two classes, or clans, of fae arbitrarily
calling themselves "Pastries" and "Candies". At the same time, strange things
started to happen to the fae: their wings began to grow smaller, their eyes
beadier, and they began to take on a texture very much akin to their
surroundings. This transformation was gradual enough that they never took
notice of it themselves, though they were also too caught up in their own
daily affairs to see. One such affair would eventually decide the fate of the
Kingdom.

"Kapo, I am wary of the way recent events have been progressing within our
beloved Kingdom," confessed a worried Lyria as she leaned against her
companion's shoulder.

"Hush now, keep your voice down. It will only spell the end for both of us if
our clans see us together," whispered Kapo, darting his round amber eyes
about. "But I have an uneasy feeling about this as well. It was not what Lord
Crumkane meant to be."

"Do you remember what the old days were like?" reminisced Lyria with a sigh.

"When we could all frolic on the caramel hills and swim in the fizzy river
without prejudice or fear... yes, those were good times, but ones that no one
really remembers anymore."

"Oh Kapo, why could we not have been part of the same clan? The Fates are
truly cruel to us," lamented Lyria as she gazed at the sky with her deep
purple eyes.

"All things happen for a reason, my sugarcane. Hopefully the Kingdom will be
reunited again one day and Lord Crumkane will finally reappear," soothed Kapo,
wrapping a comforting arm around Lyria.

"I hope so, that would be a most joyous day," murmured Lyria.

"Oi, Kapo, where are you hiding at this time of night!" a female voice
suddenly called from afar.

"Oh no, we're going to be found!" cried Lyria with a start.

"Don't worry, that's just Fina," assured Kapo.

"Oh, good, good," said Lyria with a breath of relief. "I almost didn't
recognize her voice. I like Fina, she's so caring... and is one of the few
remaining who hasn't completely forgotten our history."

"And one of the few remaining who we can still trust, after all, she is
risking herself as a spy within the Candies to protect us. Ah, there she is
now," said Kapo as he turned to greet Fina, whose thin outline was now visible
in the starlight.

"There you are, Kapo. I was beginning to get worried, it's not safe around
here as it used to be," said Fina with a hint of concern in her voice, then
turning around to greet Lyria with a polite curtsy. "It's a pleasure to see
you too, Lyria. I hope all is well?"

"Everything is fine, I suppose... except for the part doing with, you know..."
said Lyria gloomily.

"I know, I know. But don't you worry too much Lyria, we are working hard to
bring harmony back to the Kingdom once more," said Fina with a reassuring nod.
"We've developed a working plan at last, so it's just a matter of time."

"I only wish that there were a way to-"

"Lyria! Lyria! Where are you?" hollered another voice in the distance
suddenly.

"Oh dear, that must be Neci," whispered Lyria with worry. "He's been following
me around an awfully lot as of late. It wouldn't be good at all if he saw the
three of us here together."

"We'll leave now, but I'll see you again tomorrow, same time and place?" said
Kapo as he and Lyria hugged

"As always," replied Lyria, waving as Kapo and Fina disappeared into the
night.

"What are you doing alone in a place like this at this time, Lyria?"
questioned a tired sugar sprite who came into view, his multi-coloured .

"I was just taking some time to myself, even though it's really none of your
business, Neci," responded Lyria indifferently.

"Those ruffians from the Pastry Posse could show up at any second. Who knows
what they would do to you! Well, I could probably think of a few..."

"Neci!" started Lyria. "I'm not a little child anymore you know. Why are you
even following me out here in the first place?"

"Well, someone needs to keep an eye on you. Your father wouldn't be very
pleased either if he knew where you've been going," replied Neci.

"My father... doesn't know many things," said Lyria resentfully.

"In any case, I don't like this place at all. It's much too close to the
"other" side, and you should return home now."

"Ah Kapo, I fear the worst has still yet to come..." mumbled Lyria as she
reluctantly followed Neci back.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

Fortunately, Fina and her fellow fae were eventually able to secure peace
within the Kingdom, at least for a time. The golden instruments of Crumkane
were hidden away by a magical seal, never to be seen again for the next few
centuries, and with it the infighting had died down. But consequently, the fae
were even more out of contact with their ancestry and so they were rapidly
transforming into beings that closely resembled Crumkane's own recipes.
Interestingly, the fae diverged into two distinct groups based on which clan
they were a part of, either pastry or hard candy. Though the fae could never
be truly united again, they enjoyed a period of harmony over he next several
generations. That is, until Crumkindivia received its very first visitor.

"Did you hear? There is a foreigner in Crumkindivia!" exclaimed a glossy sugar
plum fae.

"A visitor, here? What do they look like?" asked a sugar sylph curiously.

"Apparently he is very short, wears a long coat, and slightly resembles our
Lord Crumkane," responded the sugar plum fae.

"He resembles the Sweet Creator? Oh, this must be a sign! The day has finally
come!" squealed the sugar sylph.

"Not so fast! We aren't sure what his intentions may be yet, or even the
slightest idea of who he is," cautioned the fae.

"Oh look, look, there he is walking through the orchards. Let's go pay him a
visit!" enthused a cocoa brownie, who was already running towards the
stranger.

"Greetings good stranger, welcome to Crumkindivia!" the group of sugar fae
chanted together.

"Where is it that you come from?" some of them asked.

"I've never heard of that place before. It sounds funny!" giggled a sugar
sprite at the stranger's response.

"As our honoured guest, please accept our offering of gifts," chimed a group
of fae who brought with them a platter full of glittering sweets. "You cannot
find such delicious treats anywhere else!"

"Do you like it? These were designed by our good Lord Crumkane," explained a
pixie proudly.

"Oh, something is starting to form!" exclaimed the fae as they pointed towards
the stranger.

"Look, the golden light emanating from his hands."

"Goodness, that looks like... like one of Lord Crumkane's sacred instruments!"
a pixie remarked in shock and awe.

"I thought I'd never see the day when those would show up again!"

"I thought those were only a legend!"

"This must be a sign, a sign from our Lord Himself!" a bunch of fae cried
happily.

"Oh, you want us to keep it?" asked the fae, who were dancing with joy as the
stranger returned the Rolling Pin to them. "What a glorious day! A most
momentous occasion! The chief will be extremely elated to see this."

"Thank you, good stranger, thank you! We shall never forget your kindness,"
chanted the sugar fae as they hoisted the Rolling Pin in the air and brought
it back to their leader.

News spared quickly throughout the Kingdom about the reappearance of
Crumkane's Rolling Pin. The ancient instrument of power was taken to the
Licorice Clan of the hard candies, and in a religious fervor they declared
that this was a gesture from Lord Crumkane Himself. They never told anyone
else about the stranger, but they did take it upon themselves to declare the
Licorice Dynasty as rulers of Crumkindivia through divine will. There was of
course some disgruntlement with this proclamation, but the excitement and
anticipation of Crumkane's return caused the population to eagerly obey the
Licorice rulers. Fina, who had been serving the Licorice Clan in secret, was
so repulsed by what happened that she left the court to join her pastry
friends, taking Kapo's hand in marriage in order to defer suspicion from her
underground ties. And so the Licorice Dynasty ruled Crumkindivia for the next
few centuries with a heavy hand, thinking lesser of the pastries but still
maintaining the peace, however unstable. The balance of power shifted to the
hard candies and the unity of the kingdom was once more shaken.

"Your Highness! I have most urgent news for you!" exclaimed Necco as he rushed
into the licorice throne room.

"What could be so important that you come running into the castle making such
a ruckus?" questioned the Licorice King condescendingly.

"It is about your daughter... the Princess... and a pastry," panted Necco, the
candies on his body clicking and clacking.

"My daughter and a what?" shouted the King in shock and disgust.

"Yes, I just spotted the Princess on the fizzy river, behind the butterscotch
falls, with who was clearly a member of the Pastries."

"How despicable!" the King spit in disapproval. "Who knows what kind of
nonsense he might be filling her head with, or even worse, information he
might be extracting from her."

"Something must be done a, your Highness. What do you suggest?" sneered Necco.

"Bring her to me at once."

"And the pastry, your Highness?"

"I will have my own plans for him..."

---

"Power to the pastries!" hooted a crowd of gingerbread soldiers as they
marched along the fizzy river.

"Power to the- !"

"Oi, look at over there... do you see what I see?" one of the pastries at the
back of the group suddenly remarked.

"Where? I don't see anything."

"Come this way, you can't spot them from that angle," said the gingerbread man
as he led the group to a ledge over the butterscotch falls.

"Haha, looks like someone's just having some time alone with their cupcake,"
one of the pastries laughed as he gazed over the silky falls.

"Ah, it's that old chap Kapo of the Pancake, and... wait a minute," said
another fae as he blinked in surprise. "That's not Lady Fina he's with. Aren't
the two of them supposed to be married?"

"As far as I know, they are," answered a gingerbread man.

"Kapo, frolicking around with other girls!" exclaimed the pastry. "I never
would have thought. But to Lady Fina of all people, after all she's done for
him and our clan!"

"He's really biting off more than he can chew. If Lady Fina ever caught wind
of this then..."

"Hold on, hold on. Look at who's he with!" another pastry exclaimed as the
others leaned in to get a closer look.

"By Crumkane, that's the daughter of the Licorice scum!"

"A cheater and a traitor? Oh Kapo, he's really gone too far this time!"

"What should we do about this?" one of the pastries asked as everyone looked
around in confusion and worry.

"I say we bring him to justice," the pastry at the back suggested, his
colourful beady eyes gleaming darkly. "He could be providing information about
the movement to them, as far as we know. He is the husband of Lady Fina, the
second best source to go to after her."

"How can you be so sure of that?"

"Have you ever heard of the saying, 'Better safe than sorry'?"

"It wouldn't look good for the pastries if word got around about this, not to
mention the distrust and paranoia that would arise from hearing about Lord
Pancake's treason."

"And that's why we're going to keep it quiet and deal with it ourselves,
swiftly and efficiently."

"So, bring him to justice... what do you mean by that?"

"Just listen to me, I have a plan."

---

"Woe is us, my dear friend," sighed Lyria as she leaned against Kapo's
shoulder. "If the Rolling Pin was truly a sign from our Lord Crumkane, then I
wonder what He was really trying to tell us. Is there no hope?"

"I recall that there were three other instruments by the Sweet Creator, were
there not? Perhaps if we could also find those then balance might be restored
again," pondered Kapo.

"Lord Pancake!" a group of gingerbread men shouted angrily as they suddenly
rushed in.

"Oi, you guys! What are you doing here?" cxclaimed Kapo as he quickly got up,
and then looking at Lyria, "Ah, before you jump to any conclusions-"

"We don't want to hear it. Save your explanations for later!" yelled the
pastries as a group of peep soldiers also rushed in.

"Oh goodness, has my father found out about us too?" cried Lyria as the
soldiers approached and grabbed her arms and began to take her away.

"Kapo!"

"Lyria!" cried Kapo. "Don't worry, nothing we did was wrong. Everything will
be alright!"

"I'm so sorry Kapo! My father, he..."

"We'll see each other once more. This is the time to bring the Kingdom
together again! Power to the pastries!" called out Kapo one last time as he
was separated and dragged away from Lyria.

---

"Tell us everything you've told them," demanded a gingerbread soldier as he
stood before Kapo, who was now surrounded at the top of the butterscotch
falls.

"Them? You mean the Licorice?" responded Kapo sharply. "I've told them
nothing. My relationship with Lyria has nothing to do with them or this
movement."

"Stop lying through your teeth!" yelled another pastry.

"And you've betrayed Lady Fina too, how could you!" exclaimed another soldier.

"I have always been faithful to Fina, my friendship with Lyria does not deter
from the fact," defended Kapo.

"Enough of this," growled the darkly gleaming gingerbread man as he emerged to
the front of the group, facing Kapo. "How long have you been seeing the
Princess for?"

"Stop trying to put words in my mouth," replied Kapo frustratingly, backing
away from the soldier. "I have known the Princess for longer than you care."

"Is there anyone else who is also in on this that we should know about?"
continued the soldier as he took another step forward.

"Do you expect me to just hand you a list of names?" replied Kapo
sarcastically, taking another step back.

"That would make things a fair bit easier. You could do either that, or..."
the soldier trailed off, thinking to himself.

"Or what?"

"Or this," said the soldier, stepping right up to Kapo's face and giving him a
firm and unexpected push.

"You!" gasped Kapo as he stumbled backwards, arms swaying over the edge of the
falls.

"Yes, me!" laughed the soldier hysterically, his multi-coloured eyes meeting
Kapo's as the other pastries looked on with horror. "Goodbye, Lord Pancake of
the Pastries."

"Sir!" the soldiers cried out in dismay. "What... what did you just do? That
wasn't part of the interrogation strategy!"

"Oh dear, oh my... I'm sorry, I must've gotten a little carried away," the
gingerbread man replied emotionlessly, turning around to face the others.

"This is disaster... this is horrible. Once Lady Fina finds out, and realizes
what we did," panicked the soldiers.

"But wait, how were you able to bring in those peep soldiers so quickly?" one
of the pastries suddenly questioned.

"It's easy, when those soldiers are under your command," the gingerbread man
responded with a sneer.

"Under your comm- ?" started the others, but before they could finish the
rainbow-eyed pastry withdrew a flask of fizzling liquid which he threw onto
the ground in front of them.

"Hahaha, this is why the pastries deserve to be ruled by the Licorice
Dynasty!" cackled the pastry as he watched the liquid splash onto the soldiers
and slowly erode them away.

"Y-You're... you're that Ne..." moaned one of the soldiers as he sloughed into
a puddle of dough and crumbs.

"You're a little too late, I'm afraid," uttered the rainbow-eyed pastry with a
cackle, wiping at his dough-covered face to reveal a shiny layer of candy
underneath. "Now there's only one more thing left to do..."

---

"Terrible news, Lady Fina!" cried out a gingerbread man as he rushed into the
mill.

"What is it?" asked Fina in surprise, looking up from her work.

"Lord Pancake, he is..." the messenger began but then trailed off, out of
breath.

"He is what? What happened to my husband?" asked Fina once more, louder and
more concerned this time.

"He is no longer with us. I'm terribly sorry," the gingerbread man said
solemnly.

"No longer with us...?" repeated Fina, her eyes suddenly focusing on a distant
spot. "How could that... I just saw him earlier before... what happened?"

"The soldiers and villagers all report seeing a scuffle between him and the
hard candy troops near the fizzy river," the gingerbread man explained. "The
nature of the debate was unclear, but it was determined that Lord Pancake was
ambushed and then pushed into the river, presumably unconscious. By the time
his body was recovered, it was too late."

"And his body, where is he being kept now?" asked Fina blankly, still in a
state of disbelief and shock.

"His body has already been prepared for cremation, to prevent further
degradation due to the exposure to the fizzy water."

"The Licorice rulers, I didn't think they would resort to murder, or at least
not yet. But oh Kapo, of all people..." moaned Fina despairingly.

"Is there anything else you require of me, Lady Fina?" asked the messenger.

"No. I need some time to myself. Thank you," replied Fina, attempting to
regain her composure but still trembling painfully inside. "Oh, poor Lyria..."
she mumbled quietly.

"Very well, take care and goodbye Lady Fina," the gingerbread man said as he
turned to go, his colourful eyes twinkling under the starlight.

---

"Father, what have they done to Kapo?" cried Lyria as her captors brought her
into the licorice throne room.

"Kapo... you mean that Pancake Twirler?" said the King indifferently. "We have
done nothing to him, he was taken away by his own pastry people. Did you not
see?"

"We have done nothing wrong, father! Please, leave him be!" cried Lyria,
falling to the floor.

"What do you think the people of Crumkindivia would think, if they ever were
to see a member of the royal Licorice Dynasty elope with one of the soft,
simple-minded pastries?" questioned the King. "That we are equals? That the
Rolling Pin that Lord Crumkane bestowed most rightfully unto the Licorice clan
meant nothing at all?"

"No, no!" wailed Lyria. "Lord Crumkane never meant for this to be. The Rolling
Pin is a curse!"

"Your Highness!" announced a peep messenger as he ran into the room. "We have
news regarding Lord Pancake of the Pastries."

"Kapo? What happened to Kapo? Is he safe, where is he?" asked Lyria almost
hysterically.

"A body was found floating midway down the fizzy river," began the messenger.
"Upon closer inspection by the royal morticians and confirmation from the
pastries, it is Lord Pancake."

"Sweet Crumkane! No!" screamed Lyria miserably. "Take me to his body, let me
see him with my own eyes!"

"I'm afraid that won't be possible at this time, Princess," said the
messenger. "The Pastries have already taken the body to prepare for
cremation."

"Oh, how wretched this is!" sobbed Lyria as she tore at her long rosy hair.
"H-how... did he meet his end?" she asked, almost reluctantly.

"According to eye witness reports, Lord Pancake was brought to the top of
butterscotch falls, where after a period of arguing one of the gingerbread
soldiers was seen shoving him over the falls and onto the rocks below."

"One... of his own people?" gasped Lyria. "The good pastry people, they could
never do that... no, I refuse to believe it!"

"Now, now, Lyria," the King said in a drastically different and comforting
tone. "You have finally realized who the pastries really are, and why they
must be kept under our watch and care. If they weren't so stubborn and dim-
witted, a tragedy such as this never would have happened."

"No! This can't be happening! I refuse to hear anymore!" cried Lyria, running
to her room with a trail of servants behind her.

"Some things just have to be learned the hard way," the King sighed, his thick
moustache hiding a satisfied grin.

A crowd of mourners arrived to witness the cremation of Lord Pancake. As the
flames were lit, a bittersweet aroma filled the air and wafted over
Crumkindivia. Though what lay burning beneath the straw and timber was not the
body of Lord Pancake, but rather a substitute dummy. Unbeknownst to all,
Kapo's body was transported to the elusive gum tower under order of Lord
Maffy, of the Muffin. Determined to reverse the effects of his death and gain
another step for the pastries (in the name of science), Maffy's good
intentions were the last actions that set in stone the rest of Crumkindivia's
destiny.

"Quickly, wheel him in," instructed Maffy to his taffy assistants. "Be careful
not to shake the table too much! Keep him intact!"

"Lord Maffy, are you sure this is a good idea?" questioned one of his
students, dressed in a yellow polka-dotted lab coat.

"We will never know unless we try," responded Maffy. "If the experiment is a
success, this will be a momentous occasion in history. And if not, then
well... he was already dead anyway."

"But this is -the- Lord Pancake, husband of the Ladyfinger. It's not going too
far, is it?" a bespectacled taffy subject questioned worriedly.

"You can never go too far in the name of science!" remarked Maffy. "Enough
banter. Are the apparatus ready yet?"

"Chocoblender check, all grids operating at 100%."

"Fizzibeater connected and running at optimum speed."

"Tube pipes 1, 2, and 3 cleared and ready."

"Good, good. Let us begin!" exclaimed the Muffin Man excitedly as the
machinery surrounding Kapo's body was activated and began to whirr with
energy.

"All these years of research and all-nighters are finally going to pay off.
I'm so happy!" Maffy enthused to himself as he pranced around the room while
the experiment went on.

"Um, Lord Maffy, we're starting to lose power at an accelerated rate!" called
out one of the assistants.

"Free up the other lines, keep the power flowing!" ordered the Muffin Man as
his pre-celebratory dance came to a sudden end.

"The fizziblender is jamming, it can't keep up at this velocity and volume!"
cried another assistant.

"Pipes are filling fast, they're going to burst if this continues for much
longer," warned another subject.

"The grid is overheating, the entire tower will be put out at this rate,"
noted another.

"This is no good, no good! Stop the experiment!" yelled Maffy in a pnic.
"Hurry!"

"We can't, the whole system has frozen!" they all cried in unison.

"Oh, shi-" muttered Maffy as there was suddenly a loud boom and a blinding
flash of light flooded the room, with all noise and activity abruptly coming
to a halt.

"Is everyone all right?" asked a taffy assistant once she recovered from the
shock.

"Ugh, I'm fine over here," groaned Maffy as he got off of the ground. "Okay,
that didn't work out as smoothly as I had planned. Check for all damages and
do an inventory, also look for-"

"Um, Lord Maffy? I think we have a problem," said a taffy subject, removing
his spectacles to get a clearer view of what he was looking at.

"Yes, I know we have a problem," replied Maffy frustratingly.

"You should probably come and see this."

"What could be so-" began Maffy, who then noticed the figure on the table
where Kapo had once been. "What in the name of..."

"Was the experiment a success?" asked a taffy assistant.

"I don't think I've ever seen anything like this," mumbled Maffy as he poked
at the figure with a finger.

"This was totally unexpected. I wouldn't call the experiment a success, but
it's not a total failure either!" Maffy remarked, his eyes suddenly lighting
up with joy.

"Hurrah for science!" the taffy subjects cheered.

"Should we let Ladyfinger know of the success?"

"No!" yelled Maffy quickly. "Er, no. Do not let anyone know at this time. No
one. I'll have to do some more observations and tests first before we can
confirm anything."

"Well, what shall we call this new discovery?" inquired one of the taffy
assistants.

"Hmm," pondered Maffy. "Let's call it... Doughboy."

The pastries and candies lived in an uneasy tension from that point on, each
side harbouring an ugly secret of its own. The balance of harmony hung on an
extremely fine thread, and the people were ready for another war at any
moment. The experiment in the gum tower did not go without repercussions
however, and it was only a matter of time.

"Yes, yes, I have heard the rumours about he of the pancake as well. I haven't
been able to confirm yet," a group of peep attendants whispered to each other
in the licorice hall.

"Oh, is there some gossip going around, Necco?" inquired Lyria as she entered
the room and noticed the whispering.

"Nothing of importance, Princess Licorice," replied Necco, emerging from the
group.

"I caught word the other day that Kapo is still alive. Do you know anything
about that?" asked Lyria, trying to show only the slightest bit of interest.

"Kapo, of the pancake you mean? No, I haven't=" responded Necco, who cut
himself short as a devious glimmer suddenly flashed across his eyes. "Well,
there have been some rumours spreading as of late that Kapo never really died,
but they are probably nothing more than just rumours."

"Oh, is that so?" said Lyria, who was now listening closer to Necco. "Is there
any way to prove that rumour?"

"Well, the only way you can really prove it is by seeing for yourself," said
Necco with a wry smile.

"Good. Take me."

---

"By order of the royal Licorice Dynasty, you must open this door at once!"
commanded a peep soldier standing at the base of the gum tower.

"What's all the noise about? Why are you all here?" stammered Maffy as he made
his way to the door moments later.

"We are under order to search your entire premises for suspicious misconduct
and behaviour," explained the peep soldier.

"Pish posh, nothing suspicious going on here!" retorted Maffy, who was ignored
and rudely pushed aside as the peep soldiers marched into the tower. "Hey,
watch yourselves in there, there are fragile and explosive materials lying
around!"

"Lord Maffy, do you know anything about what happened to Kapo or where he is
now?" asked Lyria, who trailed behind the soldiers.

"Oh, Ly-, uh, Princess Lyria," stuttered Maffy in mild surprise, blinking at
Lyria a few times. "No, I haven't heard anything about Kapo... he died several
years ago..."

"I see, very well," responded Lyria as she began to climb up the tower stairs.

"You won't find what you're looking for up there!" called out Maffy from
below, and then muttering under his breath, "It's probably best if you don't
find it anyway..."

"Anything yet?" asked Lyria as she observed the soldiers rummaging through the
rooms.

"We haven't found anything too suspicious, Princess," responded a soldier.

"Hmm, strange. All these rooms are quite non-descript, very unusual for a man
of such 'science'," remarked Necco as he strolled about very casually. "Well,
well, what do we have here..."

"Princess, you may be interested in seeing this," called Necco as he stood by
an eccentric geometric pattern on the wall.

"What have you got, Necco?" asked Lyria as she approached.

"Observe," said Necco, tracing his fingers along the pattern on the wall.
Almost immediately the slabs slid outwards in such a way that a narrow
staircase was created, leading up to the roof of the tower.

"Impressive, thank you," said Lyria as she made her way up to the top.

"Boo!"

"Eeep!" shrieked Lyria with a jump after she emerged onto the roof.

"Heeheehee!" giggled a strange, chubby being as it appeared from behind a
door.

"Oh, and who, or what, might you be?" asked Lyria after she regained her cool,
studying the odd-looking figure carefully.

"Doughboy!"

"Doughboy, that is a cute name,' said Lyria, amused.

"Now this is fairly interesting," remarked Necco who joined Lyria on the roof.
"Princess, I think we may have found what you were looking for."

"Don't be silly, Necco," laughed Lyria. "This... dough-thing doesn't resemble
Kapo in the slightest."

"Kapo?" inquired the Doughboy innocently.

"You... know who Kapo is?" asked Lyria with surprise.

"Hmm, Kapo. Kapo, Kapo... Kapo!" exclaimed Doughboy as he started to point at
various parts on himself.

"I don't understand what you're trying to tell me," said Lyria, slowly backing
away from Doughboy. "You are...?"

"Ah, perhaps I should have warned you that the Kapo you see now might not have
been the same as the Kapo you once knew," said Necco in a falsely regretful
tone.

"Tell me this isn't true, Necco. This can't be!" cried Lyria in horror.

"Ooo, Ly Ly!" drooled Doughboy, who approached Lyria with his arms spread
wide. "Ly, Lyri... Lyria!"

"No, get away from me!" shrieked Lyria as she ran to a corner of the room,
knocking some chairs and tables over.

"Kapo was never cremated, dear Princess Lyria," explained Necco. "This is what
the Pastries do to their people... they bake them back from the dead!"

"Aah! Get me out of here! Stay away from me! I want to go, now!" screamed
Lyria, whose cries were answered by a group of peep soldiers that marched onto
the roof.

"Dear gods, Necco, what did you do?" gasped Maffy as he ran up to see what was
going on.

"Merely shedding some light on the truth, something that you Pastries like to
hide so much," said Necco condescendingly.

"You know nothing about the Pastry people, or anything that goes on here or
anything about science!" cried Maffy. "But to do something like this to your
own Princess, something so low... you are nothing but a sadistic hypocrite!
Get out, now!"

"Are you trying to give us, we of the Licorice Dynasty, an order?" questioned
Necco arrogantly.

"The days of your rule are over. No longer shall this mockery of a government
rule our land, a land that should be rightfully shared by all of us. Men!"
shouted Maffy, and quickly a band of slingshot-wielding gingerbread men
appeared on the roof and surrounded the peep soldiers.

"Ha, you are mistaken. This is only the beginning. You've had your peace for
long enough, it's now time for the hard candies to lay claim over the land
that Lord Crumkane did most righteously bestow upon us!" retorted Necco, who
then gestured to his soldiers. "Let us go, our work here is done."

"Princess Lyria, do not listen to a thing he has to say! He will only pollute
your mind!" warned Maffy futilely as he watched the Princess leave sobbing
terribly.

"Bye bye!" called out Doughboy, who gazed after Lyria with a lost and
sorrowful gleam in his empty eyes.

---

Shortly after the encounter in the tower of gum, the Licorice King passed away
due to mysterious causes and his daughter and only heir, Lyria, ascended to
the throne. Some of the Pastries rejoiced, including Ladyfinger, hoping that
the Dynasty's iron grip over Crumkindivia would finally lighten and perhaps
disappear. But the Princess Lyria who they saw take the crown was changed
enormously from the fretful Lyria they once knew long before. With Lord Necco
always by her side, the new Licorice Queen immediately passed harsh and
oppressive laws across the land to marginalize and segregate the Pastries. Of
course, the Pastry people would not have it and so the Revolution was born in
full force, this time with their newly discovered Bowl of Crumkane on their
side. For centuries the Pastries and Candies would constantly clash, having
almost completely put their histories aside.

Some people still wait for Lord Crumkane's return. Others wait for an
adventurer to visit their world and put an end to the conflict. And still
others are waiting for just one person.

Many say the Licorice Queen is a tyrant, a slave monger, the worst ruler in
the history of Crumkindivia. But beneath her hard surface, somewhere deep
within where her heart remains soft, she is only still hoping.