Author's Note: Thank you to all the new people reading the fic and to the wonderful guests leaving comments. As for questions, please feel free to ask me on AO3 or on The Strength and The Sight blog on Tumblr. (Look up Inkwell_Intrigues)
Thank you! I love you all!
There had been a full moon the night before Chalice's anointing. She couldn't sleep, no matter how hard she tried. Here she was, mere hours away from making history. Chalice would be the youngest warrior to ever be anointed commander in the history of the Calix Animi. Even though she was no more than the measly age of 16, the elders were confident she would make a stellar commander.
Chalice tossed and turned in her bed, unable to quell her excitement. Everything she'd ever wanted in life was coming true. How on earth could she sleep? Maybe a walk along the walls of Castellum Cylix would help.
The night air was refreshing and cold. Moonbeams illuminated the fortress's cobblestone walls. Lights from the far-off villages glittered like fireflies. Chalice loved it out here at night. It was so serene -unless the Devil was attempting a siege, of course. Thankfully, that wasn't the case tonight.
Striding along, Chalice waved to the night watchmen as she passed. The moment they saw her, the officers would straighten up, saluting with big grins on their faces. Chalice playfully scoffed. They'd all been trying to catch her eye for years, but Chalice had never cared for romance. She had the Devil to defeat, and oh boy did she have plans for how she'd do it.
She came upon her usual spot. The eastern spire. Clambering to the top, Chalice settled on a parapet, taking in the scenery. This spot gave her a perfect view of the Devil's lair. The knights called it "Mt. Hell". Taking a deep breath, Chalice analyzed the mountain. Even in her moments of joy, she had to remember why she was here and what she'd vowed to do.
A smirk crossed her face. After her anointing, the Devil was as good as dead. She'd have him gone for good by her 20th birthday. Chalice was sure of it.
- Chapter Six: Imprisoned Investigations -
The Legendary Chalice swore to never set foot in the Devil's accursed dungeons again, but here she was. When Quadratus mentioned Inkwell Hell's dungeons, Chalice tried her best to remain calm, but her stomach churned at the mere thought of returning. Still, she'd come. Chalice had a job to do, despite her personal feelings. She was taught to disregard those a long time ago.
Now here she was. Chalice had been wandering the dungeon's dimly lit corridors for an hour or so, with little luck locating Elder Kettle. The most she'd learned was that the Cup Brothers and Kettle were the talk of the town down here. Everyone -from the highest of high-ups to the lowliest of imps- gossiped about them nonstop. There'd been whispers of a secret project —some supposed laboratory hidden somewhere in the dungeon's halls. The guards spoke of the strange people they'd seen heading inside. Few came back out.
At first, Chalice assumed the chatter was nothing more than rumors. But she kept coming up empty-handed. Could this talk be something more? Chalice was sure she'd floated through every cell and down every blasted hallway. She found nothing.
To be fair, the dungeons' layout was purposefully confusing. The Devil wanted it to be that way. Easy to get lost. Chalice remembered that painfully well...
But now wasn't the time to go down memory lane. Yes, she'd been here before, but reminiscing would do nothing but bring unnecessary pain.
Letting out a frustrated sigh, Chalice stopped her incessant wandering. She had to clear her mind. Her damned emotions were getting in the way. She needed to be smart about this. Brainstorm.
"Where is he hiding you, Kettle?" She mused, taking deep breaths.
A memory gnawed at the back of her mind.
Where did he hide me?
Chalice instinctively grimaced. She held her head as if that would stop the thoughts from bubbling up. No. No. No. Now was not the time for this. She couldn't think about this right now. She wasn't ready to think about it yet. It was still raw. An open wound. She'd always heard the phrase "time heals all". That was a dirty lie.
Then, in an instant, it all came flooding back. She'd acknowledged her past's presence. It wasn't about to put itself away again. Her heart began to pound against her chest. The dungeons looked practically the same, frozen in time. She hated it. She could see her past right before her eyes.
She was in her cell. The Devil circled her like a shark, grinning. "Your friends are dead. Your order has fallen. And yet, you still oppose me. It's foolish but adorable. Tell me, Chalice, how long will we do this same dance?"
Chalice lurched back at the sudden memory. Swearing like a sailor stuck in a storm. Ghostly tears welled up in her eyes. She had to make it stop. But, how?
Chalice had run through these cobblestone hallways after she slipped past the guards. Frantically searching for a way out.
The Devil had laughed, watching her from afar. "You'll never find your way out, Chalice. This place is a maze. I designed it that way."
No matter how hard Chalice tried, the memories wouldn't leave her alone. She'd kept them bottled up for so long. But being here, in this godforsaken place, was the last straw.
She'd been dragged back to her cell. It was always dark in there. She was chained to a wall. Held in place for hours.
Gritting her teeth, Chalice sank to the floor. How many years had she spent trying to forget? Only for it to come back, just as painful as when it first happened.
Months of suffering. The Devil taunting her. Then, the duel.
Smash!
Chalice punched the stone wall. Again and again. No words could express what she felt. Nothing could. She longed to scream, but it would give her away. So in silence, she smashed her ghostly knuckles into the wall, wishing for the pain to stop.
Then came a thought.
Will you let history repeat itself?
It hit Chalice like a punch to the gut. She sat, frozen. Would she? No. Chalice scrambled up. She wouldn't let anything like that ever happen again. What was she doing, just sitting here? She hurt, this was true, but now was not the time to grieve. The Legendary Chalice had people to save.
The dungeons looked newer back then. After all, thousands of years had passed, but deep down, it was still the same. The same.
Something clicked. Chalice took off, rushing through the dark corridors, searching for anything familiar. Something that would strike a chord deep in her soul. Raw unbridled emotion coursed through her. It hurt like a knife to the chest, twisting over and over. But, it didn't slow her down. Instead, it pushed her forward with a new fervor. She would not let her fate repeat itself, even if it was the last thing she'd do.
This lab she was now looking for. If it really did exist, it had to be where she'd been held all those years ago. That room was massive. Soundproof.
The Devil told her it was made especially for her. "Down here, no one can hear you. Not even if you scream till your throat gives out. That is if anyone who cared about you was still alive, besides me."
If Chalice was alive, tears would've been streaming down her cheeks, getting her clothes wet. Despite her agony, she kept going. Then, she found it.
Chalice stood in front of an unassuming cobblestone wall. This particular wall looked no different from the rest of the dungeons, but as Chalice stood there, she began to sob. This place. She could still hear the screams. The corridors leading here. She'd been dragged along them so many times. The placement of the torches. She'd attempted to use one as a makeshift weapon. This was it.
Taking a shaky step, Chalice approached. Was she terrified? Absolutely. But a knight of the Calix Animi never let their fear control them, and the Legendary Chalice was no exception. Her emotions had gotten the best of her that once. She would not let it happen again. Not till he was gone. Then she could rest.
Tensed up, ready for a fight, Chalice floated through the wall. Or at least, what appeared to be a wall. It was nothing more than a minor illusion charm on the door, but it was exceptionally effective. Only someone who'd been here before would know it was here.
Crossing through, Chalice entered a pitch-black room. Not ideal, but she could work with that. Muttering a spell under her breath, Chalice began to glow. This was most certainly the lab. She was surrounded by padlocked cabinets, which loomed over a threatening metal table. An unsettling array of medical equipment shimmered in the soft light. But it was the two bottles in the center that worried her most. One was bright red. The other was bright blue. Beside them sat a pair of syringes.
This place made Chalice feel sick. Between her painful memories and the present disturbing events, Chalice struggled to think straight. But, she had to find Elder Kettle. She was so close. If Quadratus was right -which he always was. Elder Kettle held the key to freeing the boys. Luckily for her, it wasn't hard to spot where he was being held. Toward the back of the room was a barred door. Peering through, Chalice could see three figures slumped over in cells. Elder Kettle was in the one closest to her. Asleep.
Chalice floated to his side. Gently shaking him. "Elder Kettle... Hey. Hey. Wake up. I'm here to help you."
He groaned. Stirring. Then, his eyes shot open, glowing a bright blue. Chalice recoiled back. Was this a trap?
Elder Kettle turned to face her. He stared blankly and began to speak in an unnerving monotone voice. "Ah... An ancient warrior, seeking to free me and my sons. Filled with anguish and vengeance. Seeking peace."
"Uh, woah there, easy old man..." Chalice nervously chucked, studying him. This was nothing like the Elder Kettle she'd expected. "I'm, uh, not here for a palm readin', or whatever you're trying to pull. Quad-"
"Quadratus sent you. The spirit of the pond." Elder Kettle finished. "I have the information you seek, warrior, but it is not what you wish to hear."
Chalice's throat tightened. "Look, sir, I didn't come all this way down here, sufferin' like hell just to listen to riddles-"
"You are indeed quite haunted. I am so sorry for what happened to you..."
"I don't need your pity." Chalice snapped. She was tired of this bizarre act Elder Kettle was putting on. "Tell me what I need to know so I can save your boys, okay? No more riddles. No pity. Just... Let me save you goddammit! Quit this stupid act and let me help you. Please."
Elder Kettle's blank stare remained. "As you wish... The Devil has a plan up his sleeve, this much you know. He's been planning this for some time. His goal? To create living, breathing weapons. Something with the killing power, but also with a mind for him to manipulate and control."
Chalice's breath hitched. Suddenly, she understood. "Cuphead... Mugman..."
"Yes." Tears began to roll down Elder Kettle's cheeks, but his tone and posture remained expressionless. "He's been concocting a pair of serums. One for Cuphead. One for Mugman. He calls them The Strength and The Sight. They'll turn my children into killing machines. Cuphead with inconceivable strength and healing, Mugman with the power to see into the mind itself."
All the pieces began to connect. "Y-You're a test subject." Chalice gasped.
"Yes. For The Sight. Hence this version of me you are speaking to."
Chalice's mind was swimming with thoughts and fears. "What do we do now?"
"You must find a way to free their souls. Otherwise, no matter what we do, they will obey the Devil's command."
Slam!
Someone was coming.
"But now our time is gone." Elder Kettle said, clasping Chalice's hands. "You must run. Help those the Devil hunts. Save them. Stifle his progress. And hurry. They are coming." Kettle let out a cry in pain, the glow in his eyes fading. He grabbed onto the wall, trying to steady himself. His eyes became wide, staring at Chalice.
"W-who are you?"
Then he collapsed. Unconscious. Chalice rushed to his side, trying to wake him. Then, the cell block door swung open. Light shone into the dark cell. A martini glass stood in the doorway, she gasped. The Legendary Chalice was out of time.
"A ghost chalice?" The Devil roared.
Ginette summoned him the moment she saw the ghost, but the girl disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving her and the Devil empty-handed. Now she was getting a royal lecture from the King of the Underworld himself.
"Do you have any idea who you let scamper around here?" The Devil said, grabbing Ginette by the wrist.
"I didn't let anyone do anything." Ginette shot back. "It ain't my fault some ghost gal decides to come snoopin-"
The Devil hit her. Right in the eye. Ginette fell to the ground, wincing in pain.
"You let this happen. You don't have a clue who that girl was and how dangerous she is. I only wished she'd kill you. She would've done me a favor by ridding me of your incompetence."
Ginette coughed up a bit of blood. "Oh yeah? What about I stop working on these serums of yours then, huh? Just kill me. Get it over with."
The Devil hit her again. She slid across the room, chipping her glass arm.
"Very funny." The Devil spat. "No. We'll have to speed up our plans. We move forward and inject in three days."
Ginette froze. "W-what? N-no. You can't be serious. We're not even close to being ready. Boss, if we inject this soon, those boys will die!"
"THEY WILL NOT DIE!" The Devil's eyes glowed a bright red, full of fury. "I will ensure it." He let out a heavy sigh, pacing the room. "That girl, Chalice. If she knows our plans, she'll do everything in her power to ruin them. We have to beat her to the punch. That's the only way to beat her, consequences be damned."
"Why? Who is she? Why do you put those boys' lives on the line."
The Devil stared off into the distance, brooding. "Have you ever heard of something called, the Calix Animi?"
"Can't say I have."
"It's an ancient order. It rose and fell from power thousands upon thousands of years ago. Dedicated to killing me."
"So? There are tons of groups dedicated to killing you."
"They were different. Special. They brought about a bloodline, the likes of which I've never seen before or since. Magical beings, dishware mostly, with innate magical abilities. That chalice ghost? She was their best warrior. Died thousands of years ago. She remains here to finish their mission, to kill me. I've searched for her, tried to imprison her, but she's always avoided me. Then... Those boys."
"Descendants of the Calix Animi."
"Exactly. She's been helping them from the very start from the shadows. I should've seen it... But, now without those boys, she has to be the one to finish the job, or at the very least, she'll try to free them. What a pity." The Devil grinned maniacally. "I think our... Improved Cuphead and Mugman will be quite her match."
Somewhere, in a vent, where Chalice lay listening, a chill went up her spine. She'd just made things so much worse.
The martini girl, Ginette spoke again. "What of Elder Kettle? I-I tried to wake him after she was gone. He's gone into a catatonic state. We need to save him, maybe he knows something-"
"No need. Let him die. He's served his purpose. The Sight tests have been perfect, you no longer have any need for him. One less loose end to worry about."
"Yes, boss." Ginette sounded like she'd had a knife stuck in her chest.
"You have three days to perfect the serums. Do not leave the lab till I say so. If Chalice comes back, you must fight her off and summon me. Immediately." Then, the Devil disappeared in a puff of smoke. Chalice soon followed suit. She had to save Kettle and the boys, somehow, but her job had just gotten a whole lot harder.
Chef Saltbaker was busy baking for the jail when the Legendary Chalice paid him a surprise visit. He was putting another batch of rolls in the oven when Chalice appeared, in tears.
"Saltbaker! You gotta help me!"
He lept back instinctively. He still remembered their battle, before she'd knocked some sense into him. Calming himself, he hurried to her side. "My dear, what's the matter?"
"It's the Cup Brothers! They're in terrible trouble and I think I've just made it much worse." Chalice sobbed, finally in a safe enough place to let her guard down. "The Devil's got them in his clutches, and he's gonna do somethin' to them that may kill them!"
Chef Saltbaker's face contorted in worry. Those cups had helped snap him back to reality and helped him remember himself. Now they were in danger of death. He had to help in some way, as a small thank you for all the good they'd done for him.
"Well... Uh, what can we do?" He asked. "Is there any way to help them escape that nasty imp?"
Chalice shook her head. "He has their souls, Saltbaker... Even if we did rescue them, they'd just go right back to him. They can't help it. I-I'm makin' a plan to help set them free but... It won't be any good if they're dead."
Letting out a nervous sigh, Chef Saltbaker got back to his feet. "Now, I think I may have something to help with that. It won't revive someone, but it will give them strength to endure and survive." He gestured to a loaf of bread, freshly out of the oven, sitting behind him.
"This bread has excellent healing properties that might just save our intrepid cups. I've been baking dozens for the King and his court out there." Saltbaker sighed. "He and his army have been battling with the Devil's imps who've recently come and set up camp in town. Nasty things. The Devil's being quite the pushy fellow nowadays. Do you think he's planning something? Like, big, not just for Inkwell, but like for everywhere?"
Chalice's hopeful face fell. "That's what I'm afraid of."