Inside the GMS office, the atmosphere is lively, filled with a mix of heated debate and quiet annoyance. Darwin, Tally, and Saffrey are gathered around the central table, each armed with their personal opinions, while Merrick is seated at his desk, visibly trying to ignore them as he flips through an ancient tome.

Darwin: I'm telling you, Luna's Delights has the best lunar pies in town. They're baked with an actual moonlight spell! They taste like a slice of stardust.

Saffrey: Stardust? Please. That place is all marketing. Moonlit Morsels is where the real magic happens. Caramel cinnamon luna pies with a glowing crust—everything there has actual flavor.

Tally: {chiming in} You're both wrong. The Crusty Cauldron isn't about gimmicks. Fireflower extract, everything handmade —no shortcuts. Best lunar pies you'll ever taste. End of story.

Saffrey: Fireflower extract? Sounds dry.

Darwin: Moonlit Morsels uses imitation extracts and I heard that they just had a ratcrab infestation just a few weeks ago.

{Their voices start to rise as they argue over which bakery reigns supreme. Merrick, sitting nearby, slams his book shut with a loud thump, making the three of them jump. He glares at them over his round spectacles, his expression a mixture of exhaustion and disdain.}

Merrick: Here's an idea... why don't you three go and try all of them? And then you can judge them for yourselves. Anything to stop this insipid squabbling!

Darwin: {grinning} That's actually a great idea.

{Saffrey and Tally exchange glances, then nod enthusiastically. They trip over one another rushing for the door, their chatter already shifting to plans for the taste test. Merrick groans loudly as they leave, muttering something about "wasting daylight."}

Merrick: A few weeks ago it was about grits and oatmeal, this time is lunar pies, i swear it's like I'm running a dayca....

{Merrick pauses and his stomach interrupts him with a loud growling. He then rushes over to the window before the three can get out of shouting distance}

Merrick: BRING ME BACK A DOZEN RAZZLEBERRY FRITTERS!

{The trio gets to the eatery plaza and enter Luna's Delights, a cozy bakery with a whimsical moonlit theme. Soft, glowing silver lights hang from the ceiling, and the air is thick with the scent of sugar and butter. Shelves are lined with neatly arranged pastries, each one labeled with lunar-themed names.}

Darwin: Welcome to perfection.

Saffrey: It's...cute. I'll give you that.

Tally: Cute doesn't make a good pie.

{They approach the counter, where a cheerful shopkeeper greets them. After ordering three lunar pies, they settle at a small table by the window. As they prepare to take their first bites Darwin stops them.}

Darwin: No, everyone wait. Let's wait until we collect all of them from all 3 bakeries, we get back and then we do a taste test...oh...a blind taste test!

Saffrey: Decent idea, that way I can watch the disappointment in your face when you see my spot is superior.

Tally: This is going to be so satisfying, watching you two admit defeat. The day started out so boring, but it's definitely gonna be a great day!

{They leave and walk a few streets over and go to Moonlit Morsels, a sleek and modern bakery with starlight patterns twinkling on the ceiling. The air is filled with the warm, inviting scent of cinnamon and nutmeg. A friendly witch behind the counter waves them in.}

Saffrey: {grinning smugly} This is how you do it.

Tally: Fancy lights won't save subpar baking.

{They order their pies and they all look at one another as if they have already won. Each one of them is thinking to themselves how much they can't wait to gloat.}

Saffrey: Oh yea, Let's not forget those razzleberry fritters for Merrick. I have no idea why he likes razzleberry, they taste like butt

Tally: You would know what butt tastes like...seeing that you're a fan of Moonlight Morsels.

Darwin: True. Moonlight Morsels does taste like butt.

{Saffrey looks offended but decides not to argue as they pack up and head to the final stop. The Crusty Cauldron is a humble, slightly chaotic shop that looks more like an alchemist's lab.

Bubbling cauldrons line the walls, and enchanted utensils float through the air, preparing various baked goods. The display case is sparse, with a single lunar pie sitting front and center.}

Tally: {gesturing dramatically} Behold, greatness.

Darwin: {looking around} Where's the staff?

Saffrey: {raising an eyebrow} And where are the pies?

Tally rings the bell on the counter, but no one appears. They wait for a few moments before faint noises catch their attention. Tally takes the lead, pushing through the swinging doors into the back.

The kitchen is dimly lit, with strange shadows cast by flickering candles. Tally freezes as he comes face-to-face with a humanoid gingerbread man, its eyes glowing faintly and its frosting lips curled into a wicked grin. It stands tall, taller than Merrick at least. Nearby, several employees and customers are trapped inside a freezer, banging on the glass. A glowing sigil pulses ominously on a preparation table.

Tally: {wide-eyed} Uh...guys?

{Darwin and Saffrey join him, their eyes widening in shock. The gingerbread man notices them and lets out a cackling laugh.}

Tally: What the hell are you?

Gingerbread Man: Gone are the days of servitude to you creatures. Bake this. Decorate that. Days upon days of endless baking and not even a 15 minute break to rest my crumbs.

Tally: Ok, I don't know what's going on here, but you can't just put folks in a freezer. You're gonna be in some major trouble buddy!

Gingerbread Man: {mockingly} Catch me if you can, I'm the gingerbread man!

{He bolts for the door, leaving the team scrambling to chase him. The gingerbread man leads them through a series of alleyways, narrowly dodging spells and obstacles. When they corner him near a dumpster, he whistles sharply, and dozens of tiny gingerbread minions appear from the shadows.}

Gingerbread Man: {laughing maniacally} You'll never stop me! Soon, everyone will be a part of my gingerbread family!

They launch into a chaotic battle against the minions. Darwin fumbles with a spell, managing to hit a few targets but missing others. Tally left most of his gear back at GMS and is only armed with an item called The Everbloom Rod - a staff, the size of a pencil, made from ebony oak, that is charged with magic energy , it extends to the size of a yardstick used for combat.

Saffrey throws a few mini potions she has on hand that are simple explosion types, but there are too many gingerbread men and she is running out quickly.

The fight spills into a nearby plaza with a large fountain. Darwin suddenly has an idea and casts a water spell, creating bubbles that burst over the gingerbread minions, making them soggy and slowing them down.

Darwin: Of Course! They are just cookies!

Saffrey: Gotta work faster, it's like they're multiplying! Wait, I have a plan guys! Like Darwin said, they are just cookies, just eat them.

Tally: Awesome, we can just eat them!

The three of them start destroying, crumbling and now eating as many of the little mini gingerbread monsters as they possibly can. But as this plan seems to put a small dent in the situation, they are quickly getting tired of chewing on the very dry little cookies. Then an idea comes to Saffrey.

She runs to the fountain, muttering an incantation putting her alchemy skills to work. The water turns to milk, and she begins grabbing and dunking gingerbread minions into it, and starts devouring them in mass.

Darwin: Oh that's gonna make this so much easier...but we need just a little more help.

{Darwin looks over in the shopping center and sees that it is full of children walking about and yells out to them.}

Darwin: HEY KIDS...FREE COOKIES!

{The children scream out in joy, rushing over grabbing the mini gingerbread men by the handfuls and dunking them in the fountain of milk and crunching down on their little bodies. The gingerbread men scream in horror— they didn't fear a magic staff, potions, or incantations, but being eaten would be any living cookie's worst nightmare}

Gingerbread Man: {horrified} No! Not like this!

{Darwin uses a levitation spell well the main gingerbread man is distracted, he grabs it and drops it into the fountain. He lets out a dramatic wail.}

Gingerbread Man: I'm melting! I'm melting!

{He dissolves into a soggy mess, and the battle ends. They then head back to the Crusty Caldron to release everyone out of the freezer and then speak with the owner, Bufo, about what happened}

Tally: Is everyone ok? Sir, Do you know why that gingerbread man trapped you all in here?

Bufo: I have no idea...He was an amazing worker, always with a smile on his face.

Saffrey: So he just ginger-snapped huh. You guys see what I did there? You get it?

Tally/Darwin/a few of the customers: BOOOOOOOOO!

Darwin: This spell and writing on the prep table...This is a "Weaver's Wheel" isn't it Saffery?

Saffery: Well look at this...seems as though you were dipping into some stuff you weren't regulated to do.

Bufo: What are you talking about? This is just a good luck diagram.

Saffrey: Hey idiot! Certified and trained alchemist here. That's a weaver's wheel, but by the looks of it, it's been modified greatly. Darwin, you want to tell me what you see?

Darwin: {running his hand over it} It's been coded differently, kinda like he's been...

{Darwin stops speaking, his eyes widen and he starts to shiver a bit. He turns to both Saffrey and Tally with a bewildered look on his face}

Tally: Hey kid, what the hell are we dealing with here?

Darwin: Weaver's wheels are used to create things, but in the rules of alchemy, you can't make something out of nothing. Whatever you make needs to be created with the same amount of energy.

Tally: Equivalent exchange, yea I've heard of it. But what does it have to do with this guy and the bakery?

Saffrey: Different versions for different situations. This one looks like more of a transmutation circle type. Which means you were trying to bring life to something using an actual soul.

Darwin: He didn't just try...He did it! You brought that gingerbread man to life didn't you. But what soul did you use...something still isn't right about this.

Bufo: You know what, I don't like all of these accusations—thank you for the help, but you all can leave now.

Tally: It's a demon symbol! You put a demon soul in the damn gingerbread man?! YOU FREAKING IDIOT!

Darwin: It explains everything.

Bufo: {desperately} I didn't know! I didn't ask for a demon! I just thought I could create a worker I didn't have to pay or wouldn't beg me for time off.

Saffrey: {coldly} You are the worst!

Darwin: It looks like the gingerbread man was using it to make the mini ones. But look here— he changed it again...wow....

Tally: Wow what Darwin? I'm guessing he was going to make alot more huh? Like an army of the little bastards.

Darwin: He wasn't just making more gingerbread men. He was trying to make them stronger.

Saffrey: Stronger how?

Darwin: {grimly} By giving them souls.

{The room falls silent. Tally and Saffrey exchange chilling looks.}

Tally: {breaking the tension with a nervous laugh} Well, great. As if fighting tiny cookie soldiers wasn't bad enough. Now they were about to get...what, upgraded?

Darwin: {nodding slowly} Exactly. Each one of those mini gingerbread men was supposed to hold someone's soul. He changed the inscription for that purpose, but who's souls were he going to use?

Saffrey: {slapping her forehead as realization hits} The freezer. That's why he trapped everyone inside. He needed their souls to complete the transmutation.

Tally: So wait? Did we....

Darwin: No, thank goodness he didn't finish. If we hadn't stopped him, he would have turned them into his gingerbread soldiers.

Tally: We dodged a serious disaster here.

Saffrey: Let's call the Knight Enforcers and get out of here.

Tally: Wait...for all of our trouble, we will be taking any and all Luna Pies you have, even the frozen ones...for free!

The crew gather bags and bags of Lunar Pies, heading back to the GMS and will just let the Knight Enforcers handle Bufo and his illegal magical practices. They talk about all the weirdness they experienced and whether or not they should tell Merrick. Tally and Saffrey both commend and congratulate Dawin on a job well done and both tell him they will force Merrick to start teaching him more magic because he has definitely earned his place on the team. They finally arrive back, a bit exhausted, but all around in a great mood. They go inside and place the luna pies on the table in the center of the room. They each sit staring at them, ready to prove the other one wrong about the opinion on which one tastes the best. The problem is they realise that they aren't hungry. In fact they are quite full, sickly full in fact. The adrenaline of the day has worn off. The reality of eating their weight in mini gingerbread men has turned them off the idea of eating anything sweet entirely.

Darwin: You know what guys...How about we just call it a draw alright?

Tally: {belching} Yea I agree. The smell of anything sugary is kinda making me sick at the moment.

Saffrey: {groaning, holding her stomach} I'll be in the bathroom if anyone needs me!

{Merrick walks down to the table and sees his team sitting there looking miserable with a pile of pastries in the middle of the table}

Merrick: So...who was the winner of your little luna pie contest?

Darwin:{holding back the need to puke} It's been postponed until further notice.

Merrick: Fine, I really don't care as long as I get my razzleberry fritters.

{Merrick see's his fritter sitting within the pile of luna pies, grabs them and makes his way into the kitchen. Before getting there, he turns around with a smirk on his face}

Merrick: Ah Yes, I almost forgot...The next time you are dealing with possessed or evil food stuff. Don't eat them! The dark magic in them will definitely give you a horrible case of diarrhea.