The Trials

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The group arrived at the entrance to a dark cave and they slowly walked inside it and see a set of ancient ruins all around them. As the group looked at the ancient ruins around them, Ms. Chalice looked at the buildings and started to remember how they looked in the past when they were in their prime before they became what they looked like today. "Wow, this is so cool!" Cuphead said as he looked at the various buildings around them. "Yeah, it's like we're walking through history," Mugman said as he looked at a small vase on the ground. "Speaking of history, I think you guys should see this," Henchman told them and they walked over to him and saw a giant mosaic of the people of the ancient society running from someone who looked just like Delilah. "Is that...Delilah?" Ms. Chalice asked in shock as she pointed to the image of her in the mosaic. "It looks just like her, but what does she have to do with the civilization that was here before?" Lucilia wondered while scratching her head. "Look over here fellas, there's some kind of inscription on this stone tablet," Ms. Chalice told them. "What does it say?" Mugman asked her. "'The ancient people only had one fear. An immortal queen with a crystal gaze and dark magic in her hand. She terrorized the land without any mercy, until she was stopped by a guardian of light with the scepter in her hand, she sent her to another world and quelled the dark storm consuming the land of the ancients.'" Ms. Chalice read from the tablet and she looked at the guardian in the mosaic using the Scepter of Light to send Delilah away. "So that was you back then using that Scepter of Light to banish Delilah to another dimension," Cuphead said to her while pointing to the image of the Legendary Chalice in the mosaic. "I suppose so," said Ms. Chalice. "Yeah and you had that Scepter of Light to help you out too," Mugman said while pointing at the golden scepter in the hands of the Legendary Chalice. "If that is what sent Delilah away, then we need to find that Scepter of Light so we can use it to get rid of this immortal queen of darkness for good," Lucilia said with a determined smile with the rest of the group, except for Ms. Chalice, nodding in agreement. "This is still a big stretch fellas, how do we even know that I am this guardian of light?" Ms. Chalice asked the group nervously. "Like Quadratus said, you'll have to let one of those gem people take you to your past," said Mugman. "Yeah, but which one of them will help me do that?" she asked him, but before Mugman could answer her, a voice echoed through the ruins. "Intruders! How dare you enter the scared ruins of the ancients?! Outsiders are forbidden to walk upon this ancient soil!" it told them forcing everyone to cover their ears. "Uh, Quadratus sent us here for a reason," said Cuphead. "The almighty Quadratus sent you here?!" the voice asked them in surprise. "Yes he did," said Mugman, "Delilah somehow escaped from the dimension she was banished from so she could take over not only Inkwell Underworld, but Inkwell Isles as well." "I see," the voice said before echoing through the ruins again. "Please step towards the Shrine of Light and we may continue our conversation," it said with a ray of light shining on a marble altar with gold highlights around it.

The group slowly walked towards the Shrine of Light and upon reaching it, they saw that the voice came from a young girl with an aquamarine gemstone for a head. She was wearing a golden headband on her head, a tan dress with special markings on it, golden bracelets on her wrists and tan sandals with brown straps. "Who are you?" Mugman asked her. "I'm Aquamarina, the guardian of water," the aquamarine ancient said. "Nice to meet you Aquamarina," Mugman said with a bow. "The pleasure is all mine Mugman," Aquamarina said with a chuckle before looking at the group sternly, "Now then, you said that Delilah has returned to the Inkwell Isles?" "Yes she is," Mugman said. "I see, then she somehow broke free from her prison dimension and came here," the aquamarine ancient said with some fear. "Yep, but we brought someone here who can send her back." Cuphead said with a smile. "Really?" Aquamarina said with a beaming smile. "Yep, we brought the Legendary Chalice with us!" Henchman exclaimed. "Where is she?" Aquamarina asked them and the Devil pushed Ms. Chalice towards Aquamarina with the young chalice giving the gem a nervous smile. "This lady is the Legendary Chalice?" asked Aquamarina, "She looks similar to her for some reason." "Quadratus was able to sense that she is the Legendary Chalice for some reason and we're not sure why." Cuphead tells Aquamarina. "Not only that, but someone here was gonna be able to help Ms. Chalice gain back her lost memories so she knows what happened to her in the past," Mugman added with a smile. "Well, I can ask Topazine about this," said Aquamarina, "She is the guardian of air." "Great! Soon we'll be able to stop Delilah and save our home!" Cuphead exclaimed with some excitement. "I don't know fellas, this whole thing seems a bit crazy because I'm still not sure that I am this Legendary Chalice," Ms. Chalice told them while rubbing her right arm. "Well, if we don't find out who you really are, then we won't know will we?" the Devil asked her. "I guess you're right. I mean this place does feel familiar to me somehow," Ms. Chalice said while looking at the statues around her. "If that's the case, then we need to find the one gem who can help you restore your memories," Mugman said with a determined smile. "Your friends are right Ms. Chalice, if you do seek to regain your memories of the past, follow me to the inner sanctum of the ancient ruins and along the way, conquer the three trials to see if you are worthy to know the past." Aquamarina told her. Ms. Chalice took a deep breath and smirked at the aquamarine gem. "Okay then, show me the trials," she said. "Excellent choice Ms. Chalice," Aquamarina said with a smile, "Please follow me everyone." They followed her into the deeper parts of the ruins to the very first trial.

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