"Race you home, Mugs!" Cuphead called to his brother and took off down the streets of Inkwell Isle. His red and white straw clanged back and forth in his cup shaped head. The boys' black shirts were soaking up the sunlight, keeping their porcelain bodies nice and warm.
"Hey, no fair! You had a head start!" His younger sibling Mugman pouted back. But the red cup wasn't worried about leaving his brother behind. For he knew that the young mug could easily outrun him any day of the week. Within a few seconds, Mug was pulling ahead of Cuphead. Sometimes Cup thought his brother's straight straw gave him an advantage. For his curved straw tended to like to try and dangle in front of his face. Especially when it was hot and it started to droop.
"Spoonfred seems to be doing very well, don't you think, Cup?" He asked as he turned around to run backwards.
"Show off." The young cup muttered under his breath.
"What was that?" Mugman asked, knowing fully well what his brother had just said. He then spun around to run alongside the young cup.
"I said, yeah. Spoonfred seems very happy with his life."
The young spoon to which the boys were referring had been on his own for a while. Mugman had helped him find the courage to break away from his abusive father. Since then, the utensil had been hopping around and bunking with various residents of Inkwell Isle. He would help them with their work and chores and in return they would give him food and a place to sleep.
"I just wish he had a place to stay permanently, you know?" Mug persisted.
"Sometimes I think Djimmi considers taking him in." His sibling offered.
"And I think Hilda might be seriously considering it, too." The cup brothers went silent for a second. They had traveled off the paved roads and padded across the grass with the vast ocean peeking at them from their left. "Do you think we should say something to them?" Mugman probed.
"Like what?" The young cup inquired.
"Hey, ho! Cup brothers! Over here!" A male voice called to them. The boys skidded to a stop in their brown boots and looked to where the voice came from. Over by the dock was a stranger clothed in a blue robe. His face looked like a compass with all four cardinal directions marked as single letters on the golden rim. A ring sat atop his head almost as if it could be used as a keychain. The gold directional needle passed under his red nose and acted as his mustache. Curious, Cup and Mug ventured over to see who this person was.
"The Legendary Chalice bid me carry a message to you. She needs your help. A far-off isle...a mysterious discovery..." He handed the brothers a letter that seemed legitimate. They looked over the parchment, reading every detail of it (or at least Mugman was, anyways).
"Sure looks like her writing." Cuphead noted. "Let's go at once!" His adventurous streak got the best of him.
"Wait a minute, Cuphead." Mug warned and placed a gloved hand on his shoulder. "We can't just wander off to a mysterious island without telling Elder Kettle."
"You're right. But let's make it quick. Who knows if Chalice is in trouble?" The young cup folded up the paper and stuck it in the pocket of his red shorts. They then nodded to one another before setting off for their house. "We'll be right back, mister!" Cup waved to the stranger.
"I'll be here...." He said in a bored manner. The arrow end of his mustache ticked down once as he slumped and leaned on his wooden paddle. He reached up and fixed it so that it stood horizontal across his face again.
The boys raced towards their house. Located at the far west end of Inkwell, it was well away from the city portion of the island.
Are you sure this guy is trustworthy? Tsundere asked. We don't even know who he is. The demon nestled inside Mugman's soul was always on edge about new people. He was not one to trust others easily. The two of them had been together for about a year now and understood one another very well. When Mugman had first discovered the parasitic creature residing in his body, he would've done anything to get him out. But nowadays he couldn't imagine his life without the demon. For they truly had a one-of-a-kind bond that no one had ever thought possible. Last year they had become totally in sync with one another when battling the Devil and his minions.
We have to help Ms. Chalice. If he starts to act weird, we can throw him overboard. Mug silently replied to him.
I suppose that works... The demon mumbled.
Cup and Mug were still outside the house when they started calling for their guardian. It was a very plain-looking brown house. Nothing fancy. But it was special because their grandpa had a hand in building it himself.
"Elder Kettle! Elder Kettle!" The boys hollered as they ran into the house. They certainly didn't pay any attention to closing the front door behind them. For they figured they would be right back out once they explained the situation to their grandpa. The cup brothers started yammering away at the elderly kettle, talking over one another.
"Okay, okay. Slow down, fellas. One at a time." He tried to tell his boys. But they weren't listening and kept talking away. "I said quiet!" Kettle bellowed with steam coming out of his spout. Cuphead and Mugman instantly went silent. "Now Mugman, I want you to tell me what happened."
"What? Why do you always pick him?" Cup asked in an exasperated manner and pointed a gloved finger near his sibling's head. The tan kettle gave an annoyed sigh and rolled his own hand down his face.
"Fine. Go on and calmly explain what's going on." Elder Kettle gave in to the young cup's pouting, making sure to stress the calmly part. Cup took a deep breath in an attempt to control the energy that wanted to burst out.
"So when we were walking back from visiting Spoonfred, some mysterious stranger called us over. He gave us this note that was written by our friend Ms. Chalice. It says she needs our help." The red cup explained and handed over the parchment to his guardian.
"Mysterious stranger, you say?" Kettle said suspiciously as he looked over the note.
"Please, Elder Kettle! We have to go! What if she's in danger?" Cuphead pleaded. The young cup had been itching for a new adventure for some time now. Plus, the thought of going to a mysterious island sounded like a lot of fun. Neither of the boys had ever been off Inkwell in their life. They were eager to see the world. And they weren't the only ones excited by this opportunity. Mugman's demon had never seen any place other than the demon realm and Inkwell as well. While he had not said anything about it, Mug could feel his excitement building. "Very well. I'll let you go but only if you promise to be back by sundown." The elderly kettle reluctantly said.
"We promise." Mugman responded. But he knew that their grandpa wanted to hear it from both of them. And Cup was off in his own world, fantasizing about what they might find on this mysterious island. Mug nudged his brother with his elbow.
"Oh, yeah. We truly intend to be back this evening." The red cup snatched the note back and went to get a head start for the boat. Mug stayed behind for a moment to make sure Elder Kettle didn't have anything else to say.
"Please protect my boys. Bring them home safe." He entrusted the demon inside his boy's soul to make good judgements. The parasite made the blue mug nod his head.
"Come on, Mugs! There's no time to lose!" Came Cuphead's voice from outside the house. The cup brothers made a beeline for that stranger's boat to take off on their next adventure.
"Be safe." Kettle said to the empty house. He nervously tapped his cane on the ground. Being the protective guardian he was, the Elder immediately thought up a backup plan in case the boys didn't come home or called for help. I can ask Grim for a ride if the boys need help, Kettle thought to himself. Grim was the big green dragon that lived on Inkwell. He and Elder Kettle were good friends and the dragon often gave him rides anyway. Grim certainly wouldn't say no to a rescue mission if it came to that.
The boys came running across the land. They noticed the stranger lazily look up at them. Two of his teal fingers gave a half-hearted wave as the cup brothers approached.
"Let us set sail!" Cuphead announced as he bounced into the boat. It rocked violently back and forth as the salty ocean water sloshed under it. Mugman waited for it to settle before jumping in as well. The wooden boat dipped and swayed yet again. Mug almost felt like it was half sinking into the ocean.
"Is it just me, or does this thing feel weighted down? I mean like, more than our weight could do to this rowboat." The young mug inquired.
"Meh." The stranger said and climbed in after them. His cloaked figure shrugged and began to use his single sided paddle to traverse the expansive ocean.
Cuphead got right up by the bow of the boat and looked out toward their supposed destination. For he could not see this mysterious island, but he believed with all his being that it was out there. Mugman sat down in the middle and enjoyed the gentle rocking of the boat. The sounds of the ocean were calming to the young mug and the sea breeze felt chilly but satisfying against his mug. His demon sat quietly, taking in all the sights, sounds, and smells as well. The salty smell was invigorating to the creature. It perked him up and made him alert. Being out on the ocean was something all new to him.
The compass-faced stranger never said a word during their journey. Cup tried asking him a couple questions about this problem that Ms. Chalice was facing. His answer was always: "I don't know."
When they finally reached their destination, the stranger dropped the boys off at the nearest dock. They looked back as they started inland. It seemed as though he were staying until it was time for them to leave. This new island had a very similar look and feel to Inkwell. The buildings lining the town square had a similar architecture style to where they had come from. Back beyond the town was a group of mountains looming over everything, casting their shadow across most of the houses and shops in the area. This island seemed pretty big. How had they never known this was out here? In fact, it was about a third of the size of their own island. But still big by their standards. The town was pretty quiet. Only a few residents strolled about, not taking so much more than a glance at the boys before continuing on their business.
"What could Chalice be lookin' for all the way out here?" Cuphead wondered.
"Gosh, Cuphead, I don't know... I hope she's okay. We sure are far from home." Mug replied, looking about. Just then, a glowing blue portal opened up in front of the brothers and floated effortlessly in the sky just above cup level. Out of the pulsing circle popped the ghostly figure of Ms. Chalice. Her golden chalice-shaped head held a big smile as she greeted the boys. Her straw floated out of her head and above her like a golden halo. Her ghostly blue body trailed behind her into the portal. And she was holding...a cookie?
"Jumpin' jellybeans, you boys made it! I have the most amazing news... and it all has to do with this here cookie! Take a bite and see for yourselves!" She explained and held out the cookie to Mugman. Having a bit of a sweet tooth, the young mug happily took the cookie for a bite. It was sweet, but not too sweet. Mugman deduced that the baker must have used semi-sweet chocolate chips. No sooner did he take a bite and his body started flashing a blue light a few times. In an instant, his body switched places with Ms. Chalice. The golden chalice received a body and Mugman had been converted to a translucent figure. His body turned a ghostly blue color and his straw hovered above his head and made a halo shape like Chalice's was. Cuphead fell to his rump as the female cup hit the ground and started bouncing up and down.
"It worked! It really worked! I'm alive again!" She rejoiced.
"But now I'm a ghost!" Mugman pointed out. He certainly didn't want to remain like that. Ms. Chalice motioned for the boys to follow. Her golden shoes carried her faster than one would think. Especially when not having had a body in years. The light blue skirt she now had swayed gently from the sea breeze. Her gold and white straw knocked around inside of her head as she looked forward and back between her friends and the path ahead of her.
"What's going on here?! Everything's gone topsy-turvy!" Cuphead called to her as he attempted to follow. Mug did his best to keep up with his new legless body.
"Follow me, boys! I can explain everything." Was all Chalice said as she herded them into town. She had the boys stop in front of a building with a green and white awning. Its door was a rich brown color with hours posted on its window. Plastered on the big window next to the door was the word "Bakery" written in big white letters.
"For ages, I've been trying to find a way to escape the astral plane, but nothing worked." Chalice explained to the cup brothers. "...until now! Boys, let me introduce you to..." Her gloved hand whipped the door open. Cup and Mug followed the golden cup inside the building. "Chef Saltbaker! The greatest chef in all the lands!"
The chef popped up behind the counter with a beaming smile on his face. His body was made of glass and his hat was the exact top of a salt shaker. He could even screw it on and off at will. He wore a white chef's outfit and a red sash around his neck. The counter that he stood behind displayed his freshly baked breads and pies. Their wonderful aroma seemed to dance around the young cups' noses. It was a tantalizing smell that made you want to buy some immediately. And it seemed to be working because Cuphead suddenly felt hungry. He tried to swallow that desire away and focus on what was going on in front of him.
"Welcome friends, welcome to my bakery. And who might you be?" Chef Saltbaker greeted them.
"I'm Cuphead and this is my brother Mugman." Cup told him and pointed his thumb towards his ghostly sibling.
"Hi there." The young mug said in a bit of a shy manner, giving a weak wave.
"Great to meet you! Any friend of Ms. Chalice is a friend of mine. Ah, I see my cookie has worked wonders on you." Directing that last sentence to the golden chalice.
Not a second after he said that, Chalice's body started to flash a blue color.
"Oh my stars!" She gasped. The swap was taking place once more. Mug now had his body again and Chalice was reverted to a ghost.
"I'm a ghost again!" She pouted and put her ghostly hands to her face in despair.
"Oh my! A finicky thing, that cookie. The taste is sweet but the effect is brief." Saltbaker commented. "Fret not, though, my concerned little cups. I've come up with an amazing new recipe!" The chef held out a piece of paper to the cup trio. It showed a delicious looking pastry with a list of ingredients below it. "One bite of this Wondertart, and you'll have complete control over the astral plane!"
"This Wondertart could bring Chalice back to life for good? No swapping places or nothin'?" The young cup inquired.
"Indeed!" Saltbaker boomed. "Just one problem... the recipe requires exceptional ingredients held by the most fearsome of foes!"
Cuphead took the paper from the chef and started looking down the list of ingredients. It sure didn't sound too hard to him.
"Well, if the Wondertart is what it takes to bring Chalice back to life, then by golly, we'll find those ingredients!" Cup said enthusiastically. The look on the female's face was priceless. At that moment, she knew she had a couple of good friends – no, best friends – that would do anything for her.
"Stay on your guard, intrepid cups!" The salt shaker reminded them. "Fetching those ingredients will be a test of wit and wills. But remember – like any good bake, heart and soul is the secret ingredient!"
"Don't worry, Chef Saltbaker! We'll be back with those ingredients before you know it." Cuphead left the store with that parting line. Cup and Chalice had departed the bakery but Mugman found himself still standing in front of the counter staring at the chef. His mug cocked to the side as he studied this person... or at least the demon did. He had not realized that he had spaced out until the salt shaker addressed him.
"Can I help you with something, son?" He asked.
"Oh...no, sorry. Didn't mean to space out on you there." The young mug nervously fingered at his head. "It's been nice to meet you, Chef Saltbaker!" He waved and turned to exit the store.
"I'm sure we'll be seeing each other again soon." The chef said as his little guest was walking out the door.