I spent the whole afternoon playing marbles with Cuphead and Mugman, even though I was watching them play, so I could better understand how the game is played. At last, the torch was passed to me, but just when I was about to make my move...
"Kids, it's lunchtime!" Elder Kettle called us for lunch.
We got up and rushed to the table where a large plate with a container was laid in front of us.
"What's this gonna be?" I asked.
"Ohhh, it's a surprise..." Elder Kettle asked.
But after Elder Kettle lifted the lid we were shocked to see that the seemingly expensive piece of cheese had vanished before our eyes.
"Oh no, the cheese!" Elder Kettle exclaimed.
We began to search for the culprit, but then I heard little german grunts and the pitter-patter, of tiny feet.
"Look, there!" I pointed, "It's that little rat soldier with the cigar!"
" GET 'IM!" Cuphead exclaimed, and a chase and bashing started to ensue, but after all that head-bashing we groaned as the mysterious little mouse scurried away with the cheese, cackling.
"Ugggghhh, that rat took our lunch!" Mugman complained as the three of us groaned in pain.
I looked up and saw Elder Kettle looking like he'd seen a ghost. Although suffering from a lot of physical pain, I rose to my feet to comfort the elderly kettle.
"What's the matter, Elder Kettle?" I asked.
"That rat is no ordinary rodent, he was the very foe we fought back when I was in the war!" Exclaimed, "It's General Werner Werman I!"
We felt a familiar boldness crossing through our veins, as I helped them get up.
"General or no general, he can't just break into someone's house and go stealing." Mugman declared as he dusted himself.
" Well boys," I exclaimed, "whaddya say we teach this war vet, some manners?
Elder Kettle must've seen himself in me, and also saw that I had admirable qualities of a leader.
"Be careful, Cocoa," Elder Kettle warned, "this rat has tricks up his sleeve!"
" She'll be fine," Mugman, stated, as he held my left hand, causing me to blush, but I turned into a literal tomato when Cuphead joined in and held my right.
"' Cause we're goin' with her!" He added
A look of suspicion was shown on Elder Kettle's face.
" Are you fellas in lo-"
"PLEASE DON'T TELL ANYONE!" We shouted, as the three of us covered his lips, and slammed the door behind us. We had to find a way to somehow turn as small as the one who stole our expensive meal, only then we could be big enough to fit through any kind of mouse hole.
"Hey," Cuphead said, as he turned, facing me," maybe you could use your powers, to make us small."
I sighed in dismay after hearing Cuphead's suggestion.
"I wish I could help you with that, but I'm still learning how to use my powers, as well as control them," I said, " However, Porkrind might be able to help us solve the issue, and I know just how to get him to help us..."
Finding ourselves standing at the door of Porkrind's Emporium, I let out a sigh. I mean, I'm used to gambling people but dealing with folks from the black market? That would be what us Morningstars would call, high-class deceit. Luckily, I had just the skill to fit the bill.
The plan was for Cuphead, Mugman, and I to disguise ourselves as members of my dads' casino. This means I had to change into the outfit made by Pip and Dot. But for the Cup brothers, however, I had a few tricks up my sleeve for that as well...
"Alright, you two," I instructed, "I need you to close your eyes, and visualize in your little china heads, what you want your outfit to be like." As usual Cuphead had a comment.
"Don't know how this works, but I trust her."
I chuckled.
"Especially no peeking".
"Ok, ok, fine, fine."
I took out a red diamond card, and a blue spade card. Once I said, the incantation in demonic languange, the cards started to flame themselves in their respective colors. I swiped the cards to each of the brother's direction, which transformed them into their new clothing in a blink of an eye. I gasped, in awe on how amazing they both looked...
"Cocoa, what happened to us?!" Mugman asked.
"Did it work?" Cuphead added.
I couldn't say a word for a while only blush, as my pupils dilated. This got the brothers confused, and a bit freaked out.
"Cocoa, are you ok? Your pupils have gone awfully wide." Mugman stated.
I soon snapped out of my trance, with two shakes of my head.
"L-let's just get this over with!" I stuttered.
Long story short, we got the potion that we wanted, all because I ended up slapping a humongous sack of money on Mr. Rind's desk, and he couldn't resist such an offer. Of course, I had to scoop up the jaws of the boys, before we left. Following the rest of the cheese crumbs, we walked toward an ordinary household, with a little arch shape on the lower part of the walls.
" This is it, fellas!" Cuphead clamored, "our way in!"
I ran in first, drinking the potion as I sped off getting smaller and smaller, and before I knew I was inside the seemingly old and abandoned house. There were no more cheese crumbs left to guide us; but still I was in awe of the size of the furniture around me.
"Maybe that's how a mouse sees the world," I thought, " Everything's gone gigantic!"
The brothers were also amazed by how huge the scenario we were in, but we had to be on the lookout for any sign of danger. Even if that apparent sign of danger, took the form of a giant sleeping grey cat.
Cuphead signaled us to be quiet before we started tiptoeing to our destination, it sure was scary tiptoeing in a huge house, and with the loud purrs of a cat in your ears. All of a sudden, we heard little murmurings coming from a mouse hole on the wall. Going in we feasted our eyes on the most pitiful sight, the general feeding our supposed lunch to a family of other hungry rats. I really had to think twice about wanting to enact my revenge on general Werman, perhaps; talking to him would be best for now.
"Entschuldigen Sie bitte?" I asked as I tapped him on the back.
That caught the general's attention.
"Was?! Wie seid ihr drei hier reingekommen, ohne verstümmelt zu werden?" The general asked in desbelief.
I got to the point and politely stated that the expensive piece of cheese that he was feeding to the rat people was what we were going to eat for lunch, all in german, much to the surprise of not only Werman Werner, and his adoring people, but the cup brothers themselves.
The general sighed sadly as his ears drooped.
"Tut mir leid, aber meine Leute brauchen auch Essen. Ich habe mein Leben darauf verwendet, ihnen zu dienen und sie zu beschützen."
I nodded, at the general's explanation.
"Ich verstehe Sie allgemein." I replied.
Suddenly the unthinkable happened, the same giant grey cat we saw sleeping outside, broke into General Werman's house, causing all the mice to squeak in fear.
"HISS! HISS! MEOOOOW!" The cat meowed, as he gobbled one of the rat people. It was time to act, as the rushing rodents begged their general to save them. Being the experienced war general that he is, he got his soup tin cannon and started blasting out bombs, that exploded into contact with the cat. Then out of nowhere the gray cat bit my skirt and dragged me up to its huge mouth.
"COCOA!!!" The cup brothers cried out in horror.
The mention of my name, rang a bell somewhere in Werman's head.
"Kakao ... Ich habe diesen Namen schon einmal gehört, aber wo?" The general thought to himself. But his thoughts didn't stop him from saving me and his people from becoming this cat's lunch, as he ran mewling in fear.
We were saved, thanks to general Wermen's bravery on the battlefield. He stood bravely amongst the cheering crowd, being proud of his achievements once again, while still holding me in his arms, despite his victory, I could only feel disappointment when the general tried to charm me by smiling with his cigar hanging between his teeth.
"Sie können mich jetzt absetzen, allgemein..." I said to him, which he obliged, and I began dusting myself, angrily.
" Cocoa, are you alright?" Cuphead asked, as if he knew what my answer was going to be.
In truth, I was a mess. The outfit that Pip, Dot, and many other demon tailors at the casino worked so hard in producing, was torn to shreds, I had scraped my knee, and I had a black eye. But what was I meant to do? Just sit around, and whine to the general to fix my dress? No! Besides, a certain princess already did that kind of thing, but that wasn't my case.
"No, Cuphead, I'm not," I replied, still with my dark cocoa burning with anger, "there has to be more to this..."
I looked around Werner's house, and then something caught my eye, a picture of what looks to be him and a younger version of Hilda Berg, in traditional german attire, enjoying themselves in a celebration, as confetti rained, as they danced. That must be one of the general's most fondest memories, in which he had no hatred implanted in him, but innocent love and laughter instead.
" Allgemein, kannten Sie Hilda Berg?" I asked, innocently
General Werman froze, with shock, and horror.
"Was?!"
I pointed at the same picture only for him to panic, and run towards an undignified exit. To which I gave chase.
"Allgemein Werman, warte!"
"Sie dürfen es nicht wissen! Sie darf es nicht wissen!" He said. Tears rained from his eyes, as he remembered something he wanted to forget but couldn't...
" Do you really have to go?"
"I have to my love, it's for my country."
"Promise me, you'll come back alive for me, Werner!"
Our footsteps quickened until we saw the despondent mouse in a secluded room, as his mournful cries were heard in the darkness of that desolate area, we couldn't do anything but watch him cry in pity. I reached out and placed my mitt on his shoulder.
"Ich bin sicher, Hilda hat dich nie vergessen, oder wie tapfer du damals warst." I said, trying to comfort him. By now, Werner's small but meaningful tears were finally spent, to the surprise of the three of us, he hugged me.
"Is he even allowed t' do that?" Cuphead asked, whisperingly. To which Mugman shrugged.
"Wenn nur das stimmt, was du sagst..." General Werner Werman, sighed.
"Warum kann das nicht wahr sein?" I asked him, in German.
It was then, with a flicker of a match, we got to see what horrible content: Propaganda, news articles of the casualties that were around 40 million innocent lives in total, worst of all that one book that was used as a tool for brainwashing. It was like a nightmare come to life, in every corner we saw the destruction of everyone's innocence with everything screaming hatred at every corner, as we huddled each other closely in fear. What's worse, I could hear bombs exploding, screams of despairing people, and that deafening air raid horn blaring...
"NO! MAKE IT STOP! PLEASE! THEY'RE DYING!" I screamed, in anguish, as I covered my ears. Burning red tears started to trickle down my cheeks, as I sobbed in despair, I couldn't get up at this point, I felt weak.
General Werner rushed to my aid, to ask me what was happening, but he gasped in utter fright, when he saw my green eyes, oozing with blood-red tears. I was brought to the center of his soul, where I kept my ears covered, and my eyes aimed straight to the ground. But then, among all of that disturbing collection of imagery, I saw something. It was young Werner and Hilda, watching the night sky. It was stored deeply in the General's core, but suddenly little Werner turned only to see me, and run into my direction.
" I never gave up on Hilda," He sobbed. " Even if it's been zo many years, since ve last saw each ozher... She might've found zomeone better, zhan me..."
"Werner..." I whispered, "warum...?"
His little brown mouse ears, got droopier, as he looked at my emerald gaze.
"Krieg verändert Menschen, aber er kann das Schlimmste in uns hervorbringen..." He replied, as he switched back to his mother tongue once more.
I got down on one knee not to impose myself as a threat.
"Stimmt, aber es gibt viele Menschen, die dafür kämpfen, die Welt zu einem besseren Ort zum Leben zu machen, und Sie sind einer von ihnen." I said.
I saw his tail slowly starting to wag, as the tears of despair, became ones with happiness and hope.
"Cocoa Cup, Zank you..."
When I was pulled outside from the General's soul, I gasped, in shock and felt weak, but I wasn't only surrounded by my old friends, but by the general's people too. But we still had to find a way to tame the grey cat. I saw a ball of yarn, at the corner of my eyes.
"Bingo!" I thought to myself.
With the ball of yarn, we successfully tamed the giant cat, and now we were making our escape on it's back.
"Welp, you've done it again." Cuphead said, swinging from the cat's tail.
"Ja, but vhere, are ve going?" Wener Werman asked.
I responded with just one wink, he knew exactly what I was hinting.
"Mein Herr, here ve go again..." The general groaned as he blushed for the first time, in years, as we rode off laughing into the sunset as heroes often do...