The banquet hall was bustling with the sounds of conversation as the three schools sat together and ate in celebration. Banners featuring the three schools' crests hung from the high ceiling, each proudly displaying each school's insignia: Scovillia's red flaming skull and cross axes, the Crème Knights golden winged shield, and Parfaedia's twilight blue parfait.
Prune Juice Cookie just wished that attendance wasn't mandatory, as he'd have liked to retreat to his room early in order to prepare for the first Trail tomorrow. As he entered the hall nearly dead-last, he spotted his Principal along with Gelato Trio Cookie and the two other Heads' in light conversation. He paid them no mind.
"As usual, no Cookie thinks of those who require preparation, only of those who were baked with the power to face anything" he muttered to himself internally with a tinge of jealousy for his competitors. He wished that he was at his cauldron, slit eyes sweeping through the banquet hall, he analyzed the scene before him.
The hall was split into three sections, with one section for each school. Tables lined with all manners of foods native to each culture encompassed the rows of tables and students seating at them, with a small majority of the gathered Cookies cramming themselves in front of them. The paladin trainees of the Crème Knights carefully decorated their plates with sweet foods of vanilla, cream, and butter, whereas the Scovillian students merely heaped piles of spicy chili jellies onto their plates. He spotted the Parfaedians delicately crafted their parfaits of fresh fruits and light cream at a dessert table stationed away from the main courses.
Prune Juice Cookie wandered over to the dessert table and nonchalantly picked up a plate from its far end. He peered at his classmates and their careful craft of parfait making before swiftly deciding his time was better spent elsewhere and placing a random assortment of sweet, juicy fruits onto his plate. Setting each serving spoon back into their respective bowls with a clatter, he departed the table and deftly walked to the Parfaedian section of the seating tables.
Looking over at his seated classmates, he made one keen observation: there wasn't anywhere to sit. "Ohh, great." he thought, scrolling his head to the far and near sides of each table to quadruple check that there were no spots left. "As if any Cookie would move for me," he thought, swiftly turning his back on the Parfaedia dining tables and weaving through the crowds of more spicy and buttery students. "however there aren't any rules about seating with other schools- although a bit taboo".
As he ducked and weaved through the crowd, he came ace-to-face with a familiar ballgown-wearing paladin.
Kouign-Amann Cookie looked at him in a friendly manner. "Oh! You're... Prune Juice Cookie, right? Parfaedia's Champion?" she asked, trying to sound polite.
"In the dough." he replied, "Kouign-Amann Cookie, correct?". The well-dressed Champion nodded her head, but before another word could slip off her tongue, a plate slamming against a table interrupted the would-be conversation of the two Champions.
"NEXT!" an explosive, up-beat voice rang out from one of the Scovillian tables.
Prune Juice Cookie noticed that the offending table seemed to have a line of students standing beside it. Intrigued, he carefully made his way towards it, with Kouign-Amann Cookie following closely behind. As they made their way closer to the ruckus, they spotted numerous Scovillian students and the rare paladin trainees fanning their mouths in pain or in a few cases, face down on the floor with sweat oozing from their corpses. As they stepped into a break in the already crowded hall, they finally discovered the source of the commotion.
The Scovillian Champion- what was it?- Capsaicin Cookie, was seated in the middle of the most populated table. Seated directly in front of him was a random Scovillian student to whom Prune Juice Cookie didn't, nor cared to, know. Empty, filled, and spilled cartons and glasses of milk were in a pile beside the unknown student.
The Sweltering Scovillia Student slammed down one of the two plates carried in her hands in front of Capsaicin Cookie while the other found its place in front of her. On either of the plates, a single tiny, shriveled pepper jelly sat. It looked quite lonely and naked on the big plate, but an almost evil aura of spice emanated from its husky skin.
Prune Juice Cookie involuntarily shuddered as he looked at it.
Capsaicin Cookie widened his ever-present grin as he looked at the tiny offering.
"Oh? Is this all ya got!?" He yelled, despite the Sweltering Scovillian Student being right in front of him. "It's TINY!" he laughed while gazing rather unimpressed at the deceptive treat.
The Sweltering Scovillia Student narrowed her gaze and gave a pompous grin that somehow rivaled Capsaicin Cookie's. "This right here is a Mala Ghost Pepper, a jelly so SPICY that it can only be harvested from the lip of an active volcano" she announced, skewering the dangerous jelly with a wooden skewer and showing it to the gathered students who watched on with horror. "GUARANTEED to make you lose your mind" she finished, giving Capsaicin Cookie a smug look. "Think you can handle it?"
At that, Capsaicin Cookie grabbed the jelly from his plate with one hand and raised it to mouth-level. The Sweltering Scovillia Student mirrored his actions and drew up her skewered death-wish inches from her mouth. The surrounding students tensed with anticipation as both 'competitors' popped the chili into their mouths at the same time.
They stared at eachother intensely as they chewed, setting the concentrated spicy death into action.
Prune Juice Cookie watched with fascinated amusement as the Sweltering Scovillia Student's face scrunched up with her lip quivering as the indominable heat washed over her. Capsaicin Cookie, on the other hand, grinned as tears bunched up in her eyes. She banged her clenched fist on the table several times as her sense of taste quickly reached its limit for spice. Capsaicin Cookie leaned back in his chair, not a single bead of sweat on his face.
"GHHHHRA I GIVE! I GIVE! JUST GIVE ME THE MILKKK!" she wailed, hands frantically grabbing for the filled glasses of milk next to her. She hurriedly downed one, then another, and another as she gasped for breath.
Capsaicin Cookie folded his arms and gave an arrogant, sharp-toothed grin as the defeated Sweltering Scovillia Student half-fell-half-scampered away from the table to go collapse in a puddle of tears. "ALRIGHT! WHO'S NEXT!?" he bellowed, eyes ablaze and sizing up the line of now nervous-looking students. "WHO THINKS THEY CAN BEAT THE SPICIEST COOKIE IN A GAME OF SPICE-TOLERANCE?"
"I believe that'd be me" Prune Juice Cookie piped up, slit eyes accompanying a feigned smile as he looked at the spicy Champion. Beside him, Kouign-Amann Cookie looked at him as if he were crazy. "That is, if you think you can handle what I'm serving" he smiled sweetly, hand already reaching into his always-full potion pouch.
Capsaicin Cookie looked at him, smile agape. "YOU? A NORMIE?" he replied, a laugh escaping halfway through his sentence. "I don't even think you could handle a DROP of spice from even the mildest Cayenne Jelly!" gloating, he turned to look at the gathered students for their agreement. The Scovillian students laughed and snickered at the inky potion maker.
"Oho, you'd be right about that," Prune Juice Cookie began, hand finally grasping the neck of the potion that'd reduce the loud-mouthed Champion to a smoldering mess. "but I'm not an idiot, and I'm not drinking this. If you want to prove yourself the best, then all you have to do is drink every. single. drop" he smiled slyly, bringing up the potion so that Capsaicin Cookie could gaze at his masterpiece. The fiery Cookie's eyebrows raised and eyes grew wider as he took in the sight of the positively vile vial in front of him.
The clear glass vial held about an ounce of liquid, but that ounce was an un-Divine concoction of swirling red that bubbled despite not being above any flame. A concentrated red vapor of dangerous looking spice hung above its liquid mass.
"Prune Juice Cooking, what are you doing!?" Kouign-Amann Cookie whispered to him. He merely opened one eye and gave her a wink.
"This little concoction is what I call my 'Foolish Hot-Head' brew" Prune Juice Cookie said jovially. He, of course, wouldn't admit that the true name of his brew was 'Why Did I Make This'. "Since I'm not adhering to the rules of your little... Competition," he continued, "...I propose that if you manage to drink this entire potion and remain standing, I'll admit that you are truly the spiciest Cookie to ever be baked". Prune Juice Cookie smiled slickly. Despite not really offering anything, he somehow knew that the arrogant and attention-seeking Champion would snap up the offer immediately- regardless of the prize.
"Ooooh, big talk coming from such a soft Cookie!" he roared, words rumbling out from that ever-present smile. "Alright, YOU'RE ON!" he yelled, snatching the potion from Prune Juice Cookie's hand.
Uncorking the bottle, red vapors rose quickly from the uncontained brew. Capsaicin Cookie wrinkled his nose as the vapors assaulted his sense of smell. An unfortunate student next to him caught a whiff of its danger and promptly passed out. At the student's reaction, Capsaicin Cookie eyed the contents carefully.
Prune Juice Cookie cracked one of his ever-sly eyes open and pierced the Champion with its gaze. "Cold feet, Mr. Spice Overlord?" he taunted.
Capsaicin Cookie's eyes narrowed and he stood up from his seat. Tilting his head up, he brought the bottle to his mouth and chugged the fiery red liquid until the last drop slipped from its container and into his maw.
The crowd of students (that by now, had doubled in size) tensed as they looked at Capsaicin Cookie. The fiery Champion brought his head down once more to look at Prune Juice Cookie. A cheeky smile crossing his face as he faced the inky potion maker.
"You call that SPICY? It seems you softies are all ta-" his retort was abruptly cut off as sweat appeared on his brow. His eyes widened slightly as the brew worked its magic.
"5 second delay" Prune Juice Cookie watched with gleeful amusement as the spicy Champion began to breathe heavily. Beside him, Kouign-Amann Cookie looked on in surprise and curiosity as the fiery hot Cookie seemed to crack.
"W-what's in this..." Capsaicin Cookie gulped, voice already hoarse.
Prune Juice Cookie smiled as the effects of his brew became apparent. "Glad you asked! A little Dragon's Breath, Ocean's Disdain, Magma Crawler scales... That sort of stuff" he replied, listing off the various ingredients that he threw into the cauldron on a particularly bad day of his. "Quite a few of the ingredients had to be sourced from the lands of Beast-Yeast"
Smile barely held together by habit alone, Capsaicin Cookie began to glow a fiercely hot light as he continued to cough and dry-heave.
Prune Juice Cookie's and Kouign-Amann Cookie's eyes widened as the Champion's hair began to flicker with flames and magma seeped from the cracks in his horns. Long droplets of lava oozed down from them and onto the floor, making a sizzling sound as they charred the material around them. The large crowd of students (which had now tripled in size) started to quickly inch their way away from Capsaicin Cookie as the temperature around him started to rise dramatically. Kouign-Amann Cookie grabbed hold of Prune Juice Cookie's robe and yanked him back, away from the impending heat.
"Ooooh... This... Is... HOT!" he choked out, heat radiating off him like an erupting volcano. "VERY HOT!" cracks began to spread themselves on Capsaicin Cookie's torso, oozing sizzling hot lava as their crisscrosses connected together on the surface.
"Uh oh..." Prune Juice Cookie thought to himself as Capsaicin Cookie quite literally exploded in an eruption of flames. He was glad the crowd went with their instincts and retreated, for if he got the rap for any injuries, expulsion would be the last of his worries.
The sudden appearance of fire snatched the attention of all students in the banquet hall. All conversation and mastication came to an abrupt halt, with many of students gasping, pointing, and yelling at the ball of flames in the middle of the Scovillian side of the hall.
Gelato Trio Cookie, who had been in conversation with the three Heads of the Academies, widened his eyes in shock and let loose a startled yelp as he watched the tall flames reach the ceiling. The Parfaedian Principal and Crème Knights Preceptor both sprang into action, with both of them turning to their respective groups of students. The Scovillia Headmaster merely laughed at the sight of his Champion turning into an active fire hazard.
"That Capsaicin Cookie!" he chuckled with such volume that Prune Juice Cookie was able to hear him despite the chaos in the air.
Before the Academy Heads could belt out safety instructions, the patch of flames that was formerly Capsaicin Cookie started to slowly recede. Flames left behind charred tile and smoldering ash as they diminished towards the source of their fuel. As the tall flames flickered out, one very burnt-looking Capsaicin Cookie stood at the epicenter of the calamity. His once neon-orange hair had hardened into a rocky grey and his fiery cape had extinguished to ash. Softly-glowing cracks had appeared on his hair and torso, with grey smoke rising from them.
Smile still plastered on his face, Capsaicin Cookie coughed out puffs of smoke. "Phew! That was the spiciest thing I have EVER tasted!" he laughed, as if he didn't look like the end result of a forest fire. He turned to face Prune Juice Cookie and slowly approached the de-facto cause of this whole mess.
Kouign-Amann Cookie stepped back as the not-so-fiery Champion put an arm around Prune Juice Cookie's neck and belted out another laugh.
"But I'M STILL STANDIN'!" he bragged.
"H-HOW CAN YOU MOVE LIKE THAT?" Prune Juice Cookie stammered from his position, eyes furiously looking up at the charred Champion. Kouign-Amann Cookie mirrored his reaction.
Capsaicin Cookie fixed him a mischievous grin. Closing his eyes, he proudly replied to the confused Cookie. "I CAN'T!" he smiled, and with that, released Prune Juice Cookie before promptly freezing in place.
"Capsaicin Cookie?" Kouign-Amann Cookie asked, eyes wide as she looked at the statuesque Champion. He periodically shuddered as she eyed him nervously, but didn't break his pose nor change his even-more permanent smile. "Hello?" she prodded him with the blunt end of her blade expectantly.
The hall's deafening silence was broken up by the sounds of the Principal and Preceptor rapidly approaching the thicket of the damaged banquet hall. The Principal, reaching Prune Juice Cookie, worriedly looked him over.
"My dear! Are you alright?" she said anxiously while inspecting Prune Juice Cookie's robes for any signs of damage.
"Ah, y-yes" Prune Juice Cookie replied sheepishly, reassuring his Principal. "Quite alright, actually".
The Preceptor similarly checked-in on Kouign-Amann Cookie, who reassured him that she was indeed fine and that the paladin trainees' nearest the flames should be tended to first. Nevertheless, he still ushered her away from the unpredictable statue beside her.
The Scovillia Headmaster was the last to arrive to the aftermath. He strode up to the statuesque Capsaicin Cookie and put a hand to his forehead. Prune Juice Cookie eyed him intently as he wondered what on Earthbread the Headmaster was going to do to his Champion that just burned down a portion of the banquet hall.
As if in thought, the Headmaster cocked his mask-worn head. "Yep, he's out of it." he said matter-of-factly to no one in particular.
Gelato Trio Cookie recovered from his previous shock at seeing his beautiful banquet hall in flames and hurriedly ran over to the majority of the damage. "LOOK AT THIS MESS!" he cried, eyes darting from the scorched flooring, to the melted chairs, before finally resting on the massive hole burned in the ceiling above Capsaicin Cookie. Mouth agape, he stood there in despair.
The Headmaster noticed and walked over to the Cookie whose soul had just left his crispy body.
"Sorry for the mess this rascal caused you" he began, turning his head to look at his shuddering Champion. A group of Scovillia students surrounded Capsaicin Cookie, with some of them poking at him curiously with outstretched arms. "I assure you that Scovillia will reimburse you for the damages"
Gelato Trio Cookie, still in a new state of shock, didn't reply and kept his eyes fixed on the hole in the ceiling.
The Preceptor, after having checked all of his students, angrily came up to the Headmaster. "Molten Magma Cookie! By the Divine Light, what did your Champion do!?" his normally stoic and even voice was tainted with anger. The Headmaster looked at him for a moment before patting one of the Preceptor's armored pauldrons in a nonchalant display.
"Boys will be boys!" he laughed, leaving the Preceptor utterly annoyed at his antics. "He didn't mean no harm", he added when the Preceptor seemed utterly unconvinced. The Parfaedia Principal fixed the Headmaster with an infuriated glare.
Prune Juice Cookie watched the show unfold before him as his Principal re-fitted his inky cap and turned to give the Headmaster a piece of her mind.
"Are you not ashamed of the damages your Champion caused? The Cookies he could've crumbled?" she spoke, her voice managing to keep even despite the clear anger she was feeling.
The Headmaster looked at her, his mask making it very hard to read what kind of emotions were being displayed on his face. "No Cookie got hurt. Besides, it was your Champion that slipped him the brew that caused this mess" he replied in his smoky voice, completely ratting out Prune Juice Cookie.
Sweat dripped down Prune Juice Cookie's forehead as his Principal fixed him with a disappointed look. "I'll never hear the end of that" he thought to himself while giving his Principal an innocent smile.
The Headmaster separated from the two Heads (both of whom clearly wanted to scold him more) and approached Capsaicin Cookie. He inspected the rock-solid Cookie before grabbing the Champion's torso and hoisting him over his shoulder. Prune Juice Cookie gaped at his impressive strength.
Kouign-Amann Cookie suddenly stepped up to the Headmaster. "Is... He going to be okay?" she asked, genuine concern in her eyes for her competitor.
The Headmaster buckled his knees so that his height matched that of Kouign-Amann Cookie's. "Oh he'll be JUST fine, but I'm gonna bring this rascal back to the Quarters for some rest." he turned his head away from the ballgown-donning Champion before turning it to the Preceptor instead. "Chouquette Cookie, keep an eye on my students, alright?" he replied, his voice showing just a bit of strain from the load he was carrying. Before the Preceptor could argue or decline, the Headmaster had already stood up and was making his way to the door to the banquet hall.
The gathered Cookies watched as the Headmaster and his Champion exited the hall, with the clunking of the closing doors being the piece that finally broke the silence over the massive chambers. Quiet conversation resumed as the two remaining Heads sighed and reassured their students that they could resume their meal, albeit AWAY from the molten hole in the ceiling. Prune Juice Cookie, joined by Kouign-Amann Cookie, looked at the closed doors to the banquet hall.
"Well, at least that brute Capsaicin Cookie may not be at 100% tomorrow" he said aloud, partly pleased. The disappointment of his Principal was well-worth the chance that tomorrow's Trial might go a little bit easier for him.
Kouign-Amann Cookie merely gave him an exasperated sigh.
At the Scovillia Quarters, an exhausted Capsaicin Cookie sat at the central fireplace of the building. He shivered slightly and put his hands closer to the flames, hoping to re-ignite his own fire.
"T-there isn't a v-volcano nearby?" he stammered, yet again inching closer to the crackling flames before him.
The Headmaster sat opposite to him, tuning his electric guitar. He looked at his shuddering Champion and shook is head. "Nah, and I'm not lugging you to one, either." he replied in his gravelly voice before turning his attention back to his axe.
Capsaicin Cookie hung his head, hands now in the burning mass of coal and firewood. "That helps a little..." he thought to himself glumly. Suddenly, an idea struck his mind. He shakily got to his feet and collapsed forward into the fireplace, writhing around in the blazing kindling as he did so.
"Ahhh," he groaned satisfyingly, the warmth returning to his body. "That's mooooore like it!" he breathed out, voice instantly becoming more up-beat at his genius solution. His ashen hair started to ignite once more, returning to its signature fiery orange.
The Headmaster inspected his guitar carefully before savagely gripping the neck of his axe, shredding its cords and unleashing a legendary riff. From his place in the fire, Capsaicin Cookie turned on his side to face his Headmaster, one arm supporting his head as he grinned at the awesome Cookie. He gave the Headmaster a thumbs up as he continued shredding thunder.
"Hmph! That should be good to wake you lot up tomorrow." the Headmaster said, finishing his show and returning his axe to its usual one-handed position beside him. He got up, and moving past the fireplace, reached a gauntlet-clad arm into the occupied blaze to roughly pat the head of his Champion. "S'bout time I relieved Chouquette Cookie of his babysitting duties. I'll be back with the rest of your classmates". He removed his hand to Capsaicin Cookie's disappointment and sauntered towards the entrance to the Quarters. "Oh, and one more thing," he said, head turning back to look at Capsaicin Cookie, who was still relaxing in the active flames. "... Outta the fireplace when I get back" and with that note, promptly turned around and exited, leaving Capsaicin Cookie alone in the Quarters.
Capsaicin Cookie scoffed aloud to the empty room. "But I like it in here" he pouted, falling backwards onto the burning kindling. His eyes traced the tall ceiling as the comforting flames licked at his body. After a few moments, he sighed. "Fiiiine, I'll get out" he grumbled aloud, though more so because of the fact that his cozy resting place had mostly extinguished by now. Flipping himself onto his feet, he gingerly stepped out of the smoldering pit, dusting bits of ash and ember off his magmatic cuisses and greaves as he did so.
Come to think of it, this was his first time being in the Scovillian Quarters at the Mountains of Trials and Harmony. Capsaicin Cookie looked at the interior décor as he wandered around the empty room. "WOAH-Ha-Ho!" he exclaimed with glee, eyes fixated on the portraits of past Scovillian Triple Cone Cup Winners that hung from the walls. Although few in number despite the long-running history of the Tournament, each Scovillian warrior immortalized on the wall seemed to glow with the spice and willpower that won them the Cup in the first place. He slowly turned to gaze at the wall that held the most recent victor.
She was a spicy-looking warrior that- although short in stature- held the past trophy high above her head. Her eyes were closed mid-gloat and a wide smile crossed with a past scar cut across her face. She wore a spiky-looking horned helmet and held an outstretched morning star anise in her free hand.
"Mala Sauce Cookie," he murmured, reading the inscription upon its grandiose frame. She won a few Triple Cone Cups ago, and her portrait was already starting to show signs of age. "I can't wait to put my picture next to her!" he suddenly shouted with festivity, eyes switching focus to look at the empty spot next to her frame. "Right there," he pointed, smile widening. "'Triple Cone Cup Winner and Spiciest of them All: Capsaicin Cookie'!" he cheered to himself, voice mimicking Gelato Trio Cookie's voice as he announced his own victory.
Still pumped up from his own display of confidence, his eyes continued to wander the walls. They came to a stop on an open entryway leading into a hall. One eyebrow cocked in curiosity, he approached the inscription written next to its doorway.
"'D...Dormeetory'?" he read, pronouncing the word in all manners of wrong. "Is that like a sleeping place?" he wondered aloud, peering past the doorframe into the vast corridor behind it. Taking one step past its threshold, he continued gallivanting through the Quarters. Rows of doors lining each side of the hall were flung open one by one as Capsaicin Cookie stuck his head in to view their contents.
Each room was decorated in relatively the same manner, with a couple rows of bunk beds and a fireplace, with a boring- by Capsaicin Cookie's standards- looking bookshelf nestled in the corner. He rolled his eyes as he looked at the totally un-Scovillian mediocracy. "C'mon, there's gotta be a Champion's chambers around here somewhere." he said to himself, head retreating from the un-spicy sleeping quarters. It wasn't until he reached the end of the disappointing corridor that he saw it.
"OH THAT'S what I'm TALKING 'BOUT!" he yelled excitedly as he locked onto the intricate-looking door at the end of the hallway. Quickly racing to it, his eyes read the spicy-plated inscription proudly displayed on its sturdy choco-wood door.
'Headmaster's Quarters', it read.
Capsaicin Cookie sighed disappointedly and turned away from the thing that brought his hopes so high. As he did so, he noticed another awesome-looking door next to the Headmaster's. "OH!" he exclaimed gleefully, reading the inscription first and foremost. "CHAMPION'S QUARTERS!" he yelled, hand already clutching the ornate doorknob to his room. Flinging the door open, his eyes widened and mouth gaped at the absolute awesomeness of the room that spanned before him.
An imposing bed rested against a wall of the massive four-cornered room, with a magnificent fireplace decorated with a Scovillian coat of arms directly opposed to it. The walls were decorated with shelves that held the trinkets and memories of long past Scovillian Cup Champions. Capsaicin Cookie slowly spun in a circle as he swept the captivating room with enamored eyes. "THIS. IS. SICK!" he yelled excitedly as he took in more of the room's splendor. His eyes caught notice of a desk sitting against a long sugar-glass window overlooking the colosseum. Approaching it, a long scroll of yellowing parchment paper sitting atop the carved slate desk caught his attention.
He carefully undid the leather binding on the positively ancient looking scroll and unraveled its contents.
The writing at the top of the parchment had long since lost its original ink from time alone, but the Cookie who had wrote the words did so with such vigor that the imprint was still clear as day.
"Hello future Champions! I'm Sriracha Cookie- tomorrow I'll be participating in the first ever TRIPLE CONE CUP! That egg-headed wizard really chose a strong Champion, but I'm confident that I'll WIN and prove that my Teacher is truly the strongest, noblest, and SPICIEST of the three Heroes! I write this letter to you so that each new pupil of His can leave their mark on the history of Scovillia. You were chosen for a reason, so show them the true power of SPICE!" the end of the message was denoted with a flaming, winking skull. Capsaicin Cookie's eyes widened as they trailed the messages, hopes, and names of Champions past. It seems that Sriracha Cookie's letter had become a de-facto hub for all succeeding Champions to leave their mark. He spotted Mala Sauce's note closer to the blank end of the parchment paper.
"'Guess who just won the Triple Cone CUP!? Not that egotistical Madeleine Cookie or too-patient-for-her-own-good Latte Cookie, but ME! MALA SAUCE COOKIE! I can't WAIT to celebrate with the Mala tribe when I get back. The party will last for DAYS!" Capsaicin Cookie gave a hearty laugh as he finished reading Mala Sauce Cookie's entry. "I LIKE her STYLE!" he said passionately in-between laughs. "I can't WAIT to leave my mark on this place- as a VICTOR!" he yelled, placing the parchment paper back into its binding and setting it back on the desk. He looked longingly at its history, eager to add his own message to it. "I wonder what I'll write?" he thought to himself, pondering what kind of message he'd like to leave for the Scovillian Champions after him. "A victory speech? Tips for the next Champions? What if I just sign my name as The Spice Overl-" he cut and buried that thought immediately before it could be finished. "... As Capsaicin Cookie." he finished.
Further contemplating was thrown out the window when a large cacophony of noise burst through the main hall of the Quarters and travelled through the corridor to his room. "MY FRIENDS!" he thought happily as the familiar and welcome sounds of yelling Scovillian students reached his ears. A guitar riff accompanied the sounds of excited conversation. "AND THE HEADMASTER!" he added enthusiastically, his smile widening greatly as he quickly dashed out of the Champion's Quarters to greet his school.
By the time his mad-dash reached the entrance to the 'Dormeetory', the main hall of the Quarters was already full of Scovillian Students excitedly talking about the past feast and Trial tomorrow.
"Did you SEE Capsaicin Cookie's awesome display of SPICE earlier?!" A Hot Scovillia Student enthusiastically yelled to a large group of gathered students who were all talking amongst eachother.
"HAH! You should've SEEN the looks on those Parfaedians' faces as the flames reached the ceiling!" A Spicy Scovillian Student added, humorously mimicking a terrified expression on his face. "They were practically hiding under their hats!"
"I caught a few of those stuck-up paladin trainees breaking character, too!" the Hot Scovillia Student replied, snickering.
Lil Pepper Cookie looked troubled at the group of his peers. "I just hope Capsaicin Cookie's okay. He looked really... Cold, after it" he said, sparkling eyes looking downcast. A Scovillia Student Fan scoffed at Lil Pepper Cookie's comment, but his reply was full of reassurance for the petite Cookie.
"Awe, c'mon, Capsaicin Cookie's the spiciest there is! Something like that isn't 'gonna hurt him" the Scovillia Student Fan reassured Lil Pepper Cookie while patting his head.
"You got that right!" Capsaicin Cookie finally announced from his position in the doorway. Immediately, the gathered Cookies snapped their heads to look at their Champion, eyes burning with adoration for the fiery Cookie.
"CAPSAICIN COOKIE!" they all yelled in unison while bounding over to him. A chorus of questions rained down upon the Champion as they halted inches away from him.
"That. Was. AWESOME!" a Scovillia Student Fan yelled.
"We were worried about you!" Lil Pepper Cookie panted.
"Are ya feeling hotter now?" the Hot Scovillia Student asked.
"How did it taste?" a Spicy Scovillia Student wondered.
Capsaicin Cookie smiled at his friends as they poured over him. "Alright, alright! I'm fine!" he reassured his anxious and excited friends. "And for the record, that was the SPICIEST thing I have ever eaten- except of course that time when I was having a really good food dream and bit myself while asleep..." he added sheepishly, rubbing the back of his flamin' hot hair with one shackled hand.
His classmates all took his word for it, but before more conversation could ensue, the deafening ring of an electric guitar bouncing off the walls of the great Quarters stole their attention.
Capsaicin Cookie, along with all the other students, looked at the source of the well-known noise: the Headmaster. He was standing at the center of the great hall, axe in hand and free hand at the ready.
"ALRIGHT YOU RASCALS!" he bellowed, belting out a note. "The first TRIAL is tomorrow, so I want you all to get some rest so that you can CHEER for your CHAMPION with your LOUDEST VOICES!" he roared, pointing his axe towards Capsaicin Cookie.
The crowd of students clustered in the hall all cheered for Capsaicin Cookie, who smiled greatly at his classmates' show of adulation.
"WOOOHOO! CAPSAICIN COOKIE!" they yelled for their Champion, much to Capsaicin Cookie's delight.
He put one arm in the air and flexed as the cheers rang around him. "YEAH! VIC-TO-RY!" he belted out, starting a chant which all students repeated around him.
"WE. WILL. WIN THIS!" The Headmaster roared with his deep voice. The spicy students then all marched in unison to the Quarter's Dormitory, each one still chanting a song of victory for their beloved Champion.
Capsaicin Cookie followed at the back of the crowd as full dormitory room doors shut left and right. He strode with pride down the corridor to his Champion Suite, eager to re-enter and gaze upon the treasure trove of the awesome Scovillian history it contained.
The Headmaster accompanied him down, most likely to show him where his room was located. Capsaicin Cookie felt a little guilty about how he totally must have ruined the Headmaster's surprise for his Champion's Quarters. Before he could say anything, a thought crossed his mind. He looked at his Headmaster curiously for a second. "Headmaster, how many Triple Cone Cups have you witnessed?" he asked the skull-clad Cookie earnestly. The Headmaster tilted his head down to look at the spicy hot Champion.
"Somewhere around four" the Headmaster replied gruffly. "Worried about the trials?" he added, seeing through his Champions' next question almost instantly.
Capsaicin Cookie smiled with a tad bit of embarrassment at his Headmaster. "N-not at all!" he stammered. The Headmaster looked unconvinced.
"They change the trials every Triple Cone Cup, the last Tournament's trials were all wit-based!" the Headmaster laughed as a look of shock crossed Capsaicin Cookie's face. "Just kidding, you rascal" he clarified, seeming to take great pleasure in messing with his Champion. "You'll do great no matter what the trial: eating contest, spelling jelly bee, doing homework..."
Capsaicin Cookie grinned at his headmaster. "Maybe not 'doing homework'..." he thought to himself, imagining with terror a trial where the Champion had to correctly solve seven times six. He shuddered at such an evil thought.
The two reached the end of the corridor to both their respective suites. "I'd give you a tour of the Champion's Suite..." the Headmaster began, staring down his Champion who appeared to shrink at his gaze. "... But I can tell you've already gone in there, so I'll simply leave you to a good night's sleep" he finished, giving Capsaicin Cookie a pat on the head before turning to his own room.
"NIGHT!" Capsaicin Cookie called out cheerily to his Headmaster as the door shut behind him.
Ever-smiling, he opened the door to his suite and stepped inside, shutting the door behind him as he did so. His vision was immediately flooded once again with the sight of the baubles and souvenirs of Champions past. Gazing at his bed for the night, he became acutely aware of how absolutely drained he felt. Blackened sabatons trudging overtop the rug leading to his resting place, Capsaicin Cookie let loose a fiery yawn.
"Phew! I better get some rest. Gotta be HOT and SPICY for tomorrow!" he thought to himself, approaching the soft-looking bed with furred blankets and hides atop it. He unclasped the white skull button holding his cape together and let the garment fall to the floor beside the bed. Lifting one of the plush covers up, he hoisted himself onto the bed and under the covers, letting the soft pillow rest behind his head. His gaze once more groggily swept the room and all its treasures before finally resting sleepily on the first Champion's scroll. "Tomorrow..." he thought to himself dreamily as the sweet embrace of sleep lifted him from consciousness and into the land of dreams.
Capsaicin Cookie looked around the poorly lit cavern. It was swelteringly hot, a strange feeling that he was unfamiliar with. The floor he stood on was blackened and charred, with small fissures and blackened slashes exposing the molten magma running beneath it. "What the...?" he said aloud, voice echoing off the walls of the chamber. "Where am I?" he stammered, his eyes locking onto a faint source of light emanating from deeper within the cavern. Curious, he slowly walked towards its alluring glow. The heat grew as he approached it, but its once uncomfortable nature soon turned to inviting bliss as the light of its source approached. He quickened his pace until the floor in front of him dropped down into an enormous cavern whose floors were nothing but a churning sea of molten magma shifting in storms. At the center of it, a tiny island just big enough for a Cookie to stand on jutted out from the magma that sucked at its edges; hungry to devour it. He trailed the walls where additional tunnels poured lava into the churning cauldron in front of him.
"This place..." he thought, eyes unable to move from the island before him. It seemed... Familiar to him. Too familiar.
How could you forget this place? A voice rumbled next to him. Startled, he quickly whipped around to face the speaker.
Opposed him was... Him? No. This was him. Before...
He looked on in shock as himself stepped forward. His doppelganger gave him a cruel, sharp-toothed smile before gesturing back to the cavernous lava pool before him. Lovely place, isn't it? Shame we had to leave. The doppelganger laughed balefully.
Capsaicin Cookie looked at him -no- himself? In horror, frozen in place as he watched himself slowly approach. "W-why am I here..?!" he managed to choke out through petrified lips. He smiled at himself disdainfully. Don't tell me you forgot, Spice Overlord. Capsaicin Cookie's shock turned to rage at the mention of that name from someone so resentful. "Don't call me that." he growled, taking a step back from his reflection.
Another step closer. Then another. And soon, the two were face-to-face. Capsaicin Cookie's eternal smile twisted into a clenched frown as he stared down the monster. The monster's cruel grin widened at Capsaicin Cookie's display of contempt and fear. Oh... I know what'll help you remember, Spice Overlord. It cackled heartlessly.
Suddenly, a horrible, hatefully familiar sensation gripped Capsaicin Cookie's wrists. Tearing his gaze in horror away from It, he looked in terror as his shackles returned. "N-NO!" he cried out in pain, stumbling backwards as thick, un-molten chains fixed themselves to his shackles. Restraining him.
Capsaicin Cookie suddenly found himself no longer staring at himself, but UP at himself. He watched on in paralyzed fear as his shackles bound him to that little island of rock in the center of it all. He breathed erratically as his eyes darted around the edges of the tiny prison as the magma swirling around him clawed at the rock, attempting to get to him. His terrified eyes tore their gaze from the encroaching magma to stare up at himself in dread.
All you do is run.
He screamed in fear and anguish as the magma finally grabbed hold of him, climbing up his leg and latching itself closer and closer to the top. A horrible, guttural screech rang out from the cavern as the magma erupted around him, chains tearing their way through the bubbling mass and snaking their way around his molten chest and neck. But it wasn't him- it was-
Capsaicin Cookie awoke from his dream with a terrified yell, clutching his blanket with blazing hands.
Wait.
BLAZING?!
He quickly looked around the room in absolute horror as flames tore their way through the fuel in the Champion's Quarters. They had already leapt their way onto the shelves and were hungrily devouring the keepsakes left by past Champions. Springing to his feet in a panic, he frantically attempted to stomp out the flames that had already scorched and burned the woven rug that (had) occupied the majority of the room, but his meltdown-levels of heat radiating off his body were just causing more spots to combust into flames. "OH NO OHONONONO!" he internally screamed as the roaring blazes charged at the desk on the far side of the room.
"THE SCROLL!" he thought frantically, lunging for the delicate parchment that held centuries of history and memories. The flames were fast- but he was faster, and he clasped the scroll with one hand as the fire scorched the place it once rested upon.
He closed his eyes and gave a sigh of relief. It was safe.
But upon opening them once more, instead of a scroll with the names of every Champion from the beginning of the Triple Cone Cup history in his clasp, there was a pile of smoldering ash.
The breath was stolen from him and he collapsed to his knees, flames still raging around the room he was in. Words that could not be deciphered choked out from his lips as he tucked his knees to his chest and planted his face into them while clutching his hands around his flaming head. "W-what did I do?" he internally sobbed in the middle of the calamity caused by him.
The sound of a door being thrust open made him clench his head even harder as the crackling sounds of destruction filled his ears as ringing and smoke flooded his sense of smell. He heard someone yelling to him, but couldn't quite make out any words. He merely listened in his distraught state as the sound of something putting out the roaring flames slowly inched its way closer to him.
Suddenly, a cooling sensation fell over his body, causing him to sizzle and cool as the excess heat was forcibly extinguished. He felt rough- but comforting- hands plant themselves on his shoulders and shake him. The ringing slowly died down to unmuffle the shouts that had been trying to reach him.
"Capsaicin Cookie, CAPSAICIN COOKIE!" The Headmaster yelled, still shaking the shell-shocked Champion.
Capsaicin Cookie slowly removed his head from his knees and looked up at the skull-wearing Cookie with eyes that spouted lava tears down his cheeks. The Headmaster took one look at the state he was in before hugging him. He combed a hand through the sputtering Champion's hair as he sobbed openly.
They stayed like that for a few quiet moments, the only noise being Capsaicin Cookie's crying and the dripping of cream flame retardant from the ruined furniture. As his tears reduced to quiet sniffles, the Headmaster pulled back and rested his hands on Capsaicin Cookie's shoulders. He hunched down so that he was eye-level with the affrighted boy. "What happened?" his deep voice sounding soft as his shrouded eyes looked at the shuddering Champion.
Capsaicin Cookie avoided his gaze, instead choosing to remorsefully look at the charred, dripping state that was once the Champion's Quarters. The bed was reduced to a scorched frame, with singed walls whose flames thankfully didn't escape the room and out into the corridor where heavy sleepers slept. He drew in a shuddering breath, "I... I don't know." voice cracking as he choked out the words and squeezing his eyes shut as he let his lie sink into the Headmaster.
The Headmaster sighed, his voice tinged with worry. "Alright." he said sympathetically, gently cleaning the flame retardant off Capsaicin Cookie. Slowly rising from his knees to his feet, he hooked one hand under Capsaicin Cookie's shoulder and gently drew him upright. "You take my room for the night, I'll clean this up" he said, guiding Capsaicin Cookie out from the room and into the hallway. The Champion's dry eyes noticed two discarded fire extinguishers tossed haphazardly near the entrance to the Champion's Quarters.
As they stepped into the hallway, the darkness obscured much of everything, and thanks to the thick walls made to accommodate noisy Scovillian students, no Cookie was awake. Capsaicin Cookie kept his eyes glumly on the floor as they slowly walked to the Headmaster's Quarters. The Headmaster opened the door and ushered him in, gently closing the door as they both stepped over the threshold. Still in the lead, he walked over to the uncharred bed and sat the quiet Champion down on it.
"Get some rest, Capsaicin Cookie. And don't worry, I'll deal with it" the Headmaster whispered to him, patting his head gently. He quietly made his way back to the door and, sparing one last look at his disheveled Champion, exited. Slowing closing the door behind him as he did so.
Capsaicin Cookie laid down on the bed. Its soft bedding didn't seem to reach him as he looked absently at the ceiling. He didn't want to rest, he just wanted to think about the damage he caused, and the Champions whose legacies he burned to smoldering ash. But that wasn't the sole reason for his voluntary insomnia: he didn't want to go back to that awful dream. Eyes dry and smile extinguished, he merely listened to the sound of silence and waited for the sun to come up.
GOOD LORD THAT ONE TOOK ME A WHILE! How'd you like that first taste of Hurt/Comfort? Because my hands were quivering just writing it out! These chapters just keep getting longer, so please don't be scared or anxious if I don't post a chapter for a few days. I've got a mountain of work to do as a senior, but I'll still make time for this! Next chapter is the first Trial, I promise! Stay tuned.
After the events of the 2nd trial, I always headcannoned that the Scovillia Headmaster views Capsaicin Cookie as a son. After all, he's still enrolled in school, has no parents, and most likely showed up out of nowhere after escaping from his imprisonment.