Back in the Devil's lair, Cuphead and Elder Kettle sobbed over the loss of the little mug. They held one another in a tight embrace. Mug and the Devil had been gone too long. There was no way they were coming back, or so the young cup and kettle thought. King Dice still sat on the ground, watching intensely where his boss had disappeared. His green eyes had not flickered from that spot. The three of them were silent except for occasional sobs and sniffs from Kettle or Cup.
Dice gave a start when he saw a wisp of white energy appear out of thin air. It swirled around and grew bigger.
"Look!" The king gasped and pointed with a gloved finger at the ray of hope. They watched as the portal grew larger and larger. Then two bodies came tumbling through the opening and collapsed upon the ground. The portal wasted no time in closing behind them. It was lucky that they both made it through before it started to shrink up. Mugman and the Devil looked utterly exhausted. David's fur hung heavily from his slender body, and Mug's clothes were plastered to his body. His beat red mug was screaming for a cold relief.
"Mugman!" Cuphead and Elder Kettle cried. The young cup rushed forward toward his sibling. He helped the mug child up and enveloped him in a hug. Mug, however, hardly seemed to notice. Like he was in some sort of trance. With the trident still in his left hand, he stared off into the distance as his free hand gently patted Cuphead's back without a thought.
"I thought you were gone for good this time!" The young cup sobbed and squeezed tighter. He was trying to get a reaction out of his little brother. But Mug still said nothing. Cup felt the mug's body tense and jerk like he was trying to hold back crying. Pulling back, the red cup realized that was exactly what was happening.
"Mugs, what's wrong?"
And then tears escaped the mug child's eyes. A sizzling noise reached their cups as the water touched Mug's cheeks and evaporated on the spot. Still not saying a word, the young mug stared out into the lair, not seeming to focus on anything in particular.
"Mugs...." Kettle came over and placed a hand on his shoulder. No response. With little other option, the elder turned to the Devil. "Thank you for saving him, David. I know it wasn't easy."
The gangly body was sprawled on the ground with no intention of getting up anytime soon. It huffed and puffed, trying to normalize its heart rate and manage the pain. He even swiped away the die man's hands when he offered help.
"D-don't thank me. The mug was the one that did all the saving." Yellow eyes wanted to droop closed and sleep for the rest of the year.
"What does he mean by that, Mugman?" Cup asked his brother.
"Aren't you going to tell them, kid?" David urged. Kettle and Cuphead watched as the mug child finally opened his mouth.
"I.....I saw mom and dad." He drawled out.
"What?" His family gasped. Mugman's gaze rolled over to his grandpa.
"And grandma too. We wouldn't have escaped if it wasn't for them."
Elder Kettle looked like he was about to cry too. His lovely Ceramica had come to the boy's aid even though she didn't know him. If only I could have been as true of heart as her, the elderly kettle thought.
"But....how could you have seen them?" Cup questioned, not quite understanding how their spirits could have been summoned.
"I'm not totally sure myself. I just know they appeared after I picked up this and..... started using a weird power." Mug explained with clear confusion in his voice and gestured to the trident.
It's like I said. The demon started. The trident reacted different because love fills your heart. Not hate.
"Love....I guess it was." Mugman repeated.
"You're extraordinary, Mugs!" The young cup praised. "You've done things I never thought possible. You're my hero."
That makes two of us. The parasitic creature chimed in. If anyone is worthy of that power, it's you, Mugman.
Cup could feel that his demon felt the same way. It gave a buzzing sensation of agreement.
"I think he agrees, too." Cuphead chuckled, pointing to his chest. The cup child then felt a squirming feeling run up his body. It went from his chest up to his cup. Mug and the group noticed a tentacle poke out of the red cup's straw. The rest of its body followed with slimy feel and a loud suction sound. It popped out and rested in the boy's cup, letting his tentacles droop down over the boy's face. Gooey appendages dangled in front of Cup's eyes, making it hard for him to see. Gloved fingers attempted to move them out of the way, at least for a few seconds. The demon's gray and translucent body looked relaxed.
"You two are the true alpha." Cuphead's demon hummed so that everyone could hear. He then addressed Mug's creature directly. "As such, you deserve a better name. Might I suggest Tsundere?"
"Tsundere?" Both Mugman and his parasite repeated.
"Yes. Because, despite your dark instincts, you have united two very different worlds. Us demons are very ignorant to the world of mortals." It realized. "There is much we don't know."
"With my help, you can learn a lot." The young cup chimed in. "I'll follow Mugman's lead and show you the world. What do you say?"
"You're.....saying you want to be possessed?"
"My little brother has shown me that it's not so much as being possessed, but having a best friend with you. And if you work at it hard enough, you can accomplish anything together." The cup child tenderly held a tentacle in his hand as he smiled the little mug's way, who smiled right back. Cuphead's parasitic creature stayed quiet for a few seconds before responding.
".....I appreciate your kindness, young one. But I don't think I'm worthy of being your friend.....at least not yet."
"What are you talking about? We made a deal after all!" Cup pouted, almost sounding a bit disappointed that it did not take up his offer.
"I know..... and I will take up your offer some time in the future. But right now, we demons have a long way to go before we are worthy of being your partners. The world isn't ready for us yet. This is something that I have learned. It may be months.... and it may be years before the world accepts us.... if earth's inhabitants are willing to give us a chance."
"They will." Mugman said with a firm nod. "With a little education, both worlds can understand one another. And as long as they have trust in each other, nothing is impossible." The boy's demon metaphorically nodded from within him.
Friendship and trust are much more valuable than anything we have in Hell. Mug's demon added.
"Agreed." The gray creature hummed. "With your permission, I'd like to change the teachings right away."
Of course. You can tell them that the alpha wishes it to be so. The mug child's creature beamed with absolute pride in his voice. So long for now, brother. We will meet again soon. It's a promise.
"Thank you, sir. I shall make my leave now."
Cup could feel that the creature squirmed around in his head, trying to get out.
"Here, let me help you." He offered and gently picked up the gooey creature in his gloved hands.
"Thank you. I hope we meet again soon, friend." It vibrated in the boy's hands. The appendages gently reached out for its realm as Cuphead lowered it down toward the swirling black pool. He watched as the creature swam away just as fast as it had come to him. Cup was a bit disappointed it didn't want to stay with him. But he knew that the parasitic creature had its reasons for doing so.
The young cup made his way back to his brother. He balled up his fists and put them on his hips, holding up his head with pride. For he didn't want to show that he was sad that his new friend had left.
"So what are you going to do now, oh ruler of Hell?" The cup child teased his little brother. Mugman chuckled a bit at that comment before letting his gaze sweep back to the dark trident still in his hand. He twisted it left and right in thought. But then the young mug looked back to the furry creature that lay sprawled on the ground, looking all tuckered out. The yellow eyes averted away from the cup brothers. Its imp ears twitched, wanting to droop down the sides of his face. His title had just been taken from him. What was he to do now?
Mug stiffly walked his way over to the tattered body. The Devil watched as the boy grasped the weapon with both of his hands. Its prongs seemed to point in his direction. David couldn't help but flinch and turn his head away when he saw this. For all he knew, the mug could have been trying to use that new and powerful magic they had just witnessed. It had stopped the dead overlords in their tracks. Who knew what it could do to someone living? The Devil squeezed his eyes closed, preparing for the worst.
"Here." Came a soft voice. "This is yours."
Everyone turned to the young mug in utter shock at what he was doing.
"WHAT?!" They all gasped.
Why do you want to give it back to him? He'll just try to kill us again! Tsundere spit at his host.
"Promise you won't try to hurt us again. You have to make a deal with me before I give it back." Mugman explained.
And no funny business, or we'll send you down into the volcano with the rest of them! The demon snapped. David went to pick himself off the ground. King Dice had to help him every inch of the way. For the faun was so exhausted at this point that he could barely do anything for himself. An arm slung around the die man's shoulders and his furry legs shook as they struggled to support his weight. Mug let the dark creature take his time in getting himself up and ready to accept their deal. The child watched as he panted, thinking that it had to be just as burned, parched, and drained as he. A forked tongue slid out of the Devil's mouth, desperate for a speck of moisture. The faun had grown accustomed to the heat of his lair, but that volcano core was a different heat altogether. His weary eyes shifted over to Dice as if he were looking to see if the die man approved of this proposed deal. The king's green eyes seemed to glow with hope for his boss to make the right decision. David didn't hesitate to make such a contract with the boy. It was the dark spirit that he was worried about. How would it react to being told not to hurt things?
Mugman held out his gloved hand, which was about three times smaller than the creature's gray paw. The clawed fingers slowly and shakily made their way to the mug child's small hand. They met in a light hold and gave a small shake.
"Good." Mug said with confidence as they pulled away from one another. "I trust you, David." He said as he handed back the weapon.
As soon as the trident was back in his grip, David seemed to feel uneasy.
What is this? The voice of the dark spirit boomed in his head. First you beat me up, take away my power, and then give it back? What is this trickery? You insult me! I'm gonna make you regret that! It roared.
Two wispy black tentacles seemed to grow from David's chest. He had to let go of King Dice in order to hold the creature in. The Devil collapsed to the ground without the support of the die man.
Stop it! Didn't you hear anything the mug just said? David argued with him. You should be grateful that he's giving us the weapon back! He could have obliterated us!
I will be the one that obliterates him! The dark spirit hissed.
Everyone watched as the faun silently fought with the voice in his head. His furry body flopped around on the ground, one hand clutched to his chest and the other still gripping the black trident. He eventually let go of the weapon so he could keep the creature in better. The tentacles reached out around his gray paws and struggled to be freed from the faun's body.
No! Don't you get it? They're trying to say that you don't have to act violent. What the hell is your problem?
Let me go! I'm the alpha! I can't change! I won't! It argued.
A sharp pain coursed through David's chest. The cup brothers watched as a silhouette of butterfly-like wings formed around the shadowy appendages that stuck out from the Devil's chest. The furry creature began to scream in pain. Something that was so tightly latched to him suddenly wanted to come out.
Everyone was very at war with themselves. What should they do? On the one hand, it looked like David needed help. But there was also the fact that the faun needed to control the creature in order for the contract to actually work. Dice went to assist his boss. A stern look from Cuphead said that help should not be given just yet. He obeyed the cup child and stepped back a couple paces. The poor Devil still writhed on the ground, rolling around in his attempt to keep the dark spirit from breaking free.
I'm going to change! And I won't hurt them! You can't make me do those awful things anymore! The faun argued back. This only seemed to make the dark spirit even angrier. It only wriggled even more violently in his body, causing the host more distress. Tears started to form in the glowing yellow eyes. They pleadingly looked to Mugman.
"Please help!" He cried. "I can't control him right now! Just give him a little nudge... you know where."
Mug didn't know what he was talking about. But then he realized that last part was directed at Tsundere. His demon did indeed know what he was referring to. There was a soft spot on demons that when struck put them into their deep sleep mode. The Devil often did this if they talked back when he didn't particularly want them to or did something he didn't necessarily approve of or even if he just felt like it.
Okay. Mugman, I'm going to need you to touch David's chest using your power. That will create a gateway of sorts where I can reach him without straying out of your body and.... well, kill you.
The young mug gave a big gulp. He trusted Tsundere, but what if the dark spirit tried to yank on him? It would likely kill both the demon and its host. Mug tried to stop himself from thinking of even worse alternatives.
Don't worry. It will just be a quick in and out. The parasitic creature tried to assure him. Ready?
I'm ready. The mug child replied, readying his last remaining ounce of energy. David lifted himself up a bit to expose his chest. Cuphead did a three-count for them. On three, the Devil released his hands from his body and Mugman pressed his into the creature, making it glow a bright blue. David hissed in pain as the child touched the dark spirit. Tsundere immediately started to reach out and make contact with the different class of demon.
To the parasitic creature, the Devil's soul looked like a silver-white void. And at its center was the pulsing figure of the alpha demon. Tentacles strung out from a center that did not seem to take on that circular shape that the others had. Instead, it was just a gooey black mesh. Pointed butterfly wings beat lightly to keep it in place. As Tsundere got closer, he realized that a multitude of faces formed and dissolved from the dark spirit's center. They all seemed to cry out for different things. Some begged for help and others whispered dark thoughts, almost as if he could not decide what form to take. None of the Devil's underlings had ever seen the spirit's true form. All those years they had conspired evil deeds together and the alpha had always been inside a host, never showing what he really looked like to anyone. Tsundere almost wanted to stop and take in this creature's appearance. But he realized that would only put him and Mugman in great danger. His little black sprite kept racing forward to face the demon that he had once followed without question.
The spot that he was supposed to strike didn't seem quite as apparent on this specimen. Tsundere could only assume that he would have to reach into the morphing void and pinch the nerve that would ultimately put him in hibernation mode....at least for a little while, that is.
If you know what's good for you, you'll stand down! Tsundere called out as he kept racing toward the alpha's center.
Never! It hissed in response and created an insectoid face in the middle of the goo pit. Its large fangs and long proboscis lunged outward. The mutated mug sprite dodged to the side and barreled into the underside of the demon's center. His claws reached in far and pinched the soft spot hard. The multitude of voices from the void shrieked before ultimately falling silent as did the body. Tsundere pulled out his hand as he studied the alpha that now hung limp in the white space. Its beady black insect eyes were still wide open, but Mug's demon knew that it was out like a light.
I apologize, my old friend. I just hope you don't make this a habit. That you can learn not to destroy everything you see. He told the unconscious body. Tsundere then silently swam back into Mugman's soul.
"Is he asleep?" Mug asked his demon.
Yes. He won't be waking up for a nice long while.
"Thank you....both of you." David thanked them. It had been years since the dark spirit dared to take a long rest. The faun finally had a taste of what it felt like to be himself again. To not have dark words whispered to him day and night.
Mugman removed his hand from David's chest, letting the magic dissolve away. He had been concentrating so hard to keep that little bit of magic up that he felt light-headed when he finally remembered to take a breath. His little body began to tip backwards as he struggled to stay conscious. Cuphead caught him by the arms and the faun reached out to grab his torso.
Just as this chain of events was happening, a member of Mugman's army crashed quite loudly into the lair. It broke through the wall, creating a hole from the casino into the cavern. Standing in the opening was Hilda, who had herself transformed into a large bovine made of clouds. Two yellow horns curved upward from her head, a yellow ring went through her nostrils, and her eyes were a glowing yellow with large red stars as her pupils. The witch was able to change herself into physical manifestations of the constellations that lit up the night sky. Right now she took on the form of Taurus, but she could do other characters such as Gemini and Sagittarius the hunter.
A puff of smoke came out of Hilda's nostrils as the wall crumbled down by her hooves. The red stars in her eyes seemed to lock on the mug child who didn't look too good at the moment. Fear struck her heart as she saw the Devil reach out for him. The witch instinctively charged forward. Before the furry creature could touch her little friend, Hilda's horns hooked underneath the Devil's arms and lifted him off the ground and ultimately pinned him to the wall. David gasped and looked fearfully into her red star eyes.
"L-let's just take things slowly! I-it's not what you think!" The faun desperately pleaded to the bovine in his face. Hilda merely snorted in disbelief. David cringed and prepared to be mauled by the cloud creature.
"Hilda!" Cuphead called. "It's okay. You can put him down. He's agreed not to hurt us." The witch's star eyes moved from the cup child back to her prisoner. She hesitated to let the dark tormentor go. Mugman started to stir in his brother's arms. His mug lifted up to see the cloud bovine looking aggressively at the furry creature.
"Hilda please..." Came his weak voice. "Put him down." The witch's eyes turned soft at the mug child's plea. Her hooves clicked as she stepped back and let David fall to the ground. The slender body crumpled as it hit the rock-hard floor. Dice rushed to his side and offered help. The faun happily received this aid. If the dark spirit had been awake, it would have shoved the die man away at all costs. For it had been so insulted by the mug child's actions that it had wanted to be removed from its host to destroy the boy with its own tentacles. David was certainly nervous about how it would react when it finally woke up. And he hoped that he would be able to control it like he had promised.
King Dice struggled to keep the weak body upright, especially in his current handicapped condition. The Devil looked to his right-hand man. Those glowing yellow eyes stared with sympathy – something that the die man had never seen from him.
"I don't get it. Why did you come back to help me, Dice? After all I've done to you...."
"It's like the mug kid said: you don't give up on friends."
"But....I'm no friend to you. I never was...." David's gaze fell to the ground in utter shame.
"That doesn't mean we can't change that now. I'm here to help you every step of the way, boss." The loyal lackey said to him. "I'm sure the boys are willing to help you, too." They looked to the cup brothers. Mug was still collapsed in Cuphead's arms, too tired to get up. The beaten and worn cup duo then looked to their grandpa. They expected him to speak up too. Two stern looks told Elder Kettle that he needed to step up and act like a real friend.
"I will too, David." He bellowed and strode forward with his cane in hand.
"No. I can't ask any of you to help me. I'm still a danger to all of you." The faun explained.
"You didn't ask." King Dice interjected.
"We volunteered!" Offered the young cup. Poor David was overcome with emotion at the thought that people would help him despite what an awful person he was....or at least had been in the past. He hoped to atone for some of his wrongs. However, not everything could be turned from bats to butterflies. The dark spirit would not be content to never hurt things. There had to be some give and take in this relationship, just like Mugman and Tsundere had figured out. The Devil's demon would certainly take and take, that's for sure. It was the give that worried him. For the dark spirit was not a giving being by nature. It would be a hard and long transformation, but David was willing to go through with it. Especially when he had help from so many 'friends'. Yellow eyes watered at they looked to the elderly kettle.
"Kettle....a-about our contract..."
"Don't do a thing to it." Elder Kettle said tersely. "I deserve every bit of it. And....now I look forward to spending eternity with you."
The Devil gave a quick nod.
"Y-you'll get to see your family whenever you want! It's a promise!" Tears were flooding down his round face at this point.
Dice held his boss tenderly as he and the kettle continued to have a moment of reconciliation together. Meanwhile, Hilda trotted herself over to the boys. She gave a friendly snort as she curled her legs underneath her and laid down. Cuphead and Mugman rested against her puffy pelt. The cloud fur was so thick that it almost felt like wool. A cool, misty wool that seemed to hug their bodies.
"Ahh! That feels great!" Crooned Cup as he star-fished against her fluffy hide.
"Mmmm. Thank you, Hilda." Mug said softly as he nuzzled his face into her shoulder and gave a friendly pat. His hand sunk deep into her pelt and felt something hard. The mug child grabbed onto it and pulled it out.
"Hilda....you brought Miracle Heals with you?"
The bovine nodded and motioned to Cuphead with her muzzle, who also reached in and pulled one out. She watched as the cup brothers chugged the green liquid down. The young mug finished his and ended with a small burp. He turned his mug away from Hilda, hoping she didn't hear it. And then Cup belched even louder than his little brother.
"Cuphead!" Elder Kettle snapped.
"What?" The red cup said innocently and gave a shrug. Mug and the cloud bovine laughed at the cup child's antics. Kettle finally melted down with the serious tone and gave a little chuckle himself.
"Hilda, do you mind taking the boys home? I...I want to stay with David a little longer." The kettle mentioned.
Hilda's head cocked to the side in confusion. She was not familiar with someone of that name.
"That's the Devil's real name." Mugman whispered to her. The witch started to get a bit defensive at the mention of that vile creature's name. "Don't worry, they're old friends. And we've put his demon to sleep for the moment." The mug child tried to assure her. Hilda didn't quite understand everything that he was saying, but she could feel his calm nature and was reassured by his gentle hands that patted her shoulder. Her red star eyes looked back to the elderly kettle and gave a nod. The boys then climbed up on her back, using her legs as stepping stones. If they had tried to step on the fur, they would have sunken far into her pelt. Up on her back, the thick clouds hugged the cup brothers, giving them a seatbelt of sorts. Hilda's legs unfurled in a split second, jumping her up to her hooves.
"Oh, and can you have Grim come pick me up in an hour?" Kettle called to her as she trotted through the hole in the wall that she had made. The bovine snorted in understanding and kept on going.
As soon as they were outside of Inkwell Hell, the witch began to gallop faster and faster until her hooves left the ground. They climbed higher until she was running on the clouds. Cuphead tried to grip her wispy fur tightly when he realized just how high they were. Mugman, on the other hand, found it so peaceful in the sky. He closed his eyes as the cool breeze brought a soothing feeling to his burned mug. The young mug took no notice that their straws rattled loudly in their heads. It seemed as though Hilda took the long route home, knowing that the young mug was thoroughly enjoying himself.
When they finally touched down in their yard, Cup was the first to jump off. He was glad to be back on solid ground. For he did not enjoy heights and flying like his little brother did. Mugman would ride on Hilda or Grim's back all day if he could. The boys did have personalized air planes that they could fly in, but Elder Kettle was strict on how long they could be out on them. It was a danger, he had said. And he was right to some extent. There was always the danger of unexpected air currents, inclimate weather, and if they don't pay attention to the fuel gauge, they could fall right out of the sky if they hit empty.
Mugman took his time in sliding off the bovine's back.
"Thanks, Hilda." He cooed, giving her another pat on the shoulder. Her head leaned down and gently rubbed her muzzle on the boy's tomato red face. The witch's cool breath felt very much like the air currents from a high altitude. "See you soon. Cuphead and I will be taking a nice long nap." She nodded and watched the cup brothers to make sure they got inside the house safely. The young cup noticed his brother was very wobbly, even more so than he was. Cup went back to help the mug child. They both wanted their beds more than anything right now. The sooner they got in the better. Inside, they cleaned up and changed into their pajamas. For they did not want to get out of bed for any reason for the rest of the day.
The next morning came after the boys had a nice long rest. Elder Kettle prepared breakfast for them. They all sat down to a meal that everyone enjoyed. It had been days since they had felt at peace. There was no tension between the family members anymore, and no more secrets to hide.
Kettle and David had arranged to begin training the dark spirit next week. The faun had said that it would be a good idea to start training while it was still drained of its energy. It was much more likely to be compliant if it was weak....or even felt threatened. But they hoped they wouldn't have to threaten to put it asleep too often. It would take a long time for the furry creature to recover, both physically and mentally. There were so many scars on his body that would never go away. And now he had at least a dozen more after the previous day's scuffle with the boys and the rogue demon. Cuphead and Mugman agreed to help in every way that they could. Getting the dark spirit to behave while the kettle and his family were around was the top priority. To uphold the promise that David had made to his old friend. They were going to make sure that King Dice was never punished again either. In fact, David had allowed the die man to do whatever he wanted while the demon was asleep. The furry creature promptly burned their contract before the parasitic creature woke up.
"You are no longer bound to me or this place." He said. "You're free to live your life now. Go and explore the world." But faithful Dice still stayed by the creature's side.
"No, you need help. Those boys won't be around to keep the spirit in line 24/7. That's where I come in." The former casino manager explained. "Besides, why would I leave my friend?"
Dice ventured further and further from Inkwell Hell as the dark spirit learned not to hurt the die man. A task it so grudgingly gave into. Many, many threats had to be thrown its way. Mugman and the others quickly learned that you had to be tough with the dark spirit and even use its own manipulative techniques against it. The cup brothers educated Inkwell's residents that Dice was a reformed man as he often made appearances in town. But words would only go so far in gaining their trust. King Dice would have to prove himself to many of the island's inhabitants.
Mug had remembered the man's story about how he became the Devil's slave. About how he explained that he gave up his freedom to save his parents and then never saw them again. So the mug child mentioned possibly going to look for his mom and dad.
"Perhaps in time, maybe." The king replied. "I just want to make sure the big man is stable before I think about any vacation or long term travel." Mugman nodded in understanding.
"I would be honored to go and help you look for them, if and when you do." The mug child offered.
Mugman would often check up on the demons' realm, summoning the individual that took it upon himself to educate his race about the real world. That not everything the Devil had told them was true and that they should only judge after having seen it for themselves. The cup brothers also taught the residents of Inkwell that there were creatures that needed guidance to determine right from wrong. When the boys and the others felt both parties were ready, the two worlds would try to coexist together. To help and understand one another. That everyone could have a chance to live in peace. Until that time came, there was much work to do. No one knew just what would happen when the two worlds merged. It was something that only time would tell....