Many Years Ago...
It was clear from the day he learned to crawl, Bendall "Bendy" Devil, was a curious and naughty baby. He also tended to wander anywhere he could no matter how small the space or how tall the obstacle was.
One time, after searching for half an hour, the little devil was finally found napping in the belly button on the stomach of a large sleeping demon. To this day, it's still unclear how he even got up there.
Anyway, Bendy's wandering took him to the Gate of the Underworld. His little fingers were wrapped around the iron bars as he looked at the outside world curiously.
Over his head was Cerberus, the three-headed guard dog, keeping an eye on the little devil and watching out for intruders at the same time with two of its heads.
The Devil entered the room and Cerberus barked for his attention. The big devil walked closer then he spotted Bendy.
"There you are," The Devil said. "I see you found The Gate, little pest."
Bendy turned his head to see his father. "Dada," he said. "Wha tha suff ou' there?" he pointed out the gate.
"Little devil, you gave Henchman a real fright when you disappeared like that."
"Sowy. Suff there?" Bendy asked.
The Devil walked closer to the gate and looked out. "What stuff?" he asked.
"Whie suff! All ov' the groun,"
The big devil noticed the snow falling from the clouds and onto the usually barren wasteland. The Devil thought for a moment, opening the gate slightly.
"I'll show you," The Devil said before he lowered his tail tip to his son.
Bendy smiled and took hold of his father's tail.
The Devil led his son out of the Gate. Thanks to the heat radiating from the gate, the two devils had to walk 10 feet away from the gate.
"It's called snow." The Devil explained.
"Snow," Bendy repeated.
"Mmhmm. It falls from the clouds and piles on the ground." The Devil said before he stepped on the snow. "C'mon, it's safe,"
Bendy took out his big toe and tapped on the snow. He shivered. "Freezy," he said.
"Yes, it's frozen water. Like in the freezer." The Devil said.
"Ooh!" The little devil exclaimed. He then stepped on the snow. He curled his toes into it and then picked up snow in his hands.
"Neat huh?" The Devil asked.
Bendy nodded yes before he walked around. He jumped around before he sank into a snow pit.
The Devil quickly fished the little devil out. "Are you alright?" he asked.
Bendy smiled and clapped, "Agia, agia!" he exclaimed excitedly.
The Devil summoned scarves and gloves for him and his son to wear and the two went around in the snow. The little devil jumped around, threw snow around, and laughed. Bendy rolled up some snowballs together and soon made a snowman with some pieces of coal and two twigs.
"Good job," The Devil said.
Bendy giggled.
Suddenly, the clouds parted and a brilliant light from above landed directly on the snowman, and it melted away in seconds. Then, as quick as it came, the light left.
The little devil started to cry, and the devil grew red with anger and fired a few fireballs at the sky.
"I know that was you, you dumb halo harpies! I'm on to you!" The Devil yelled at the sky. Then he took a breath and took his son in his arms. "It's okay, my little devil. Don't cry."
"Those j'rks meld my frien'" Bendy said as he cried.
"I know but it'll be okay," The Devil said softly. He walked towards the gate to the underworld. "One day you can build an army against those jerks up there and get revenge."
"I coud meld them?" Bendy asked.
"Mmhmm." The Devil hummed. "Now let's get some hot chocolate."
"Choc-late!" Bendy cheered excitedly.
Present...
It was wintertime again in the Inkwell isle. The trees were bare, the ground was covered with snow, and snowflakes fell from the sky. Back at the Kettle Cottage, the family was decorating the house to celebrate that magical time of the year.
"When I think of Christmastime, this is what I know~" Elder Kettle sang. "It's all about tradition. Stockings, gifts, and snow~"
Green garlands were hung everywhere in the cottage, as well as wreaths, colorful bulbs, candy canes, and ribbons.
"But nothing else says Christmas So very clear to me~ It just quite isn't Christmas~ Without a big ol' Christmas tree! ~" Kettle sang.
Just as Bendy was about to knock on the front door, the kettle family came walking out and sang.
Cuphead was wearing red earmuffs, thick yellow gloves, and a blue jacket and scarf over his usual clothes.
Mugman was wearing blue earmuffs, thick yellow gloves, and a red jacket and scarf over his usual clothes.
Elder Kettle was wearing a brown jacket, black pants, red shoes, and a green hat.
The little devil had yellow earmuffs, thick yellow gloves, and his sock tail but no painted nose. He backed away and let the family continue.
"O Christmas tree, Christmas tree~ Shining oh so bright~" the kettle family sang.
"Plug you in and watch you glow~" Mugman sang.
"Adorned with colored lights~" Cuphead sang.
Bendy clapped along as the family danced and sang.
"O Christmas tree, Christmas tree~ We shout it out with glee~" Kettle sang while the boys laughed.
"It just quite isn't Christmas Without a big ol' Christmas tree~ Whoo!" the family sang together.
The family stopped and looked at Bendy.
"If I'm reading your song correctly, you guys are getting a Christmas tree?" Bendy asked.
"Yeah. Come with us," Cuphead said.
"It'll be fun," Mugman said. "The four of us getting a Christmas tree together."
"Uh, are you sure about it'll be the four of us?" Bendy asked.
"What do you mean?" Mugman asked.
Bendy pointed behind the cups. When Cuphead and Mugman looked back and saw Elder Kettle sneak back into the cottage. Kettle looked back and, when he saw he'd been seen, he slammed the door.
The three boys ran to the door and the cup brothers banged their fists against the door.
"Open up, dearest Kettle, or we break down the door!" Bendy shouted.
Elder Kettle soon opened the door. "Yes, boys?" he said casually.
"Elder Kettle, aren't you coming with us?" Mugman asked.
"No, boys. No, I'm not." Kettle answered. "I've done the tree all these years, but now keeping the tradition alive is up to you."
The three boys gasped.
"You two head down to Porkrind's and pick out a tree," Kettle said. "He'll ask for ten, but don't offer more than five." He gave Mugman a ten-dollar bill. "Given half a chance, old Porkbutt will take you for all you've got!" he took the money back from Mugman, "But, if you stick to your guns, you might even come home with change in your pocket." Then he added ominously. "It's very important that you come home with change in your pocket..." before he handed the money back to Mugman. "Then you get to haul the tree home and decorate it."
"Sounds like a lot of work," Cuphead said.
"Way to catch up Cup," Bendy said.
"Yep," Kettle said. "And Merry Christmas to you, Ben— wait a second. Where's your scarf?"
"Oh, I forgot it at home," Bendy said. "But don't worry, I'm fine,"
"No, no, you need proper coverage. Wait there," Kettle said. He closed the door then reopened it and brought out a yellow scarf. "Wear this."
Bendy took the scarf and wrapped it around his neck.
Mugman gulped nervously. "Elder Kettle, where did you get that?" he asked.
"I found it in one of your pants pockets and put it in the closet."
"It's really cozy," Bendy said as he nuzzled his face into the scarf.
"Anyway, good luck finding the tree," Kettle said before he turned around. He was about to close the door.
"Elder Kettle, wait!" Mugman exclaimed. "How will we know what tree to pick?"
"When you find the perfect tree, you'll know," Kettle said. He wiped his spout with his finger before he stepped inside and closed the door.
"But what does that even mean?" Mugman asked.
"I don't know," Cuphead said before he wiped his nose. "Well, let's get that tree." He reached out and took Bendy's hand before walking to the gate.
Bendy was playing with the tassels of the scarf with his free hand. "Tassels." He said with a giggle and a purr.
Mugman looked at the scarf with nervousness and a little sadness. That's the scarf Edgar knitted when he and Mugman were brothers for an hour.
"You're awfully quiet Mugsy?" Bendy said. "What's wrong?"
"Notin'. Just thinking." Mugman said.
"I like this scarf. Where'd you guys get it?" Bendy asked.
"I don't remember getting it," Cuphead said.
"I... don't remember either. You like it, it's all yours," Mugman said.
"Aw, thanks Mugman," Bendy said.
"You're welcome," Mugman said.
"That reminds me I got somethin' to show you later." Cuphead said to Bendy.
"What is it?" Bendy asked.
"Ah ah, you'll have to wait till later." Cuphead said.
As the boys kept walking, the mug couldn't help but think about the spider of the Butcher Gang.
'I wonder what they're up to,' Mugman wondered.
Meanwhile, at the Butcher Gang cabin by the mountain, Charley was asleep in his bed when Edgar barged in.
"Boss. Boss. Wake up," Edgar whispered.
Charley groaned.
"It's time to get up and get our tree," Edgar said excitedly.
"What are you talkin' about?" Charley grumbled sleepily.
"The Christmas tree. Our very first. You said we can get one today,"
"When did I ever say that?" Charley said as he rubbed his eye.
"Last night, don't you remember?"
FLASHBACK
Last night in the cabin, Charley, Barley, and Carley were drinking eggnog when Edgar approached the tall man.
"Hey boss, can we get a Christmas tree tomorrow?" Edgar asked.
"Yeah, sure, sounds great," Charley answered.
"Yay!" Edgar cheered.
END OF FLASHBACK
"I don't remember that," Charley said before putting his head back on the pillow.
"Ah, c'mon boss," Edgar said. "It's our first Christmas out of the slammer and I want to do it right this year. With a real tree with real decorations."
"They had decorations in prison," Charley said after he lifted his head to see the spider.
"Pfff. A couple of streamers and a paper circle. They haven't had a tree or real decorations since that one guy got stabbed with a Christmas star shiv."
"Yeah, that was funny," Charley said with a chuckle. "But I'm still not on board."
"Please...!"
Charley groaned and pinched his brow. "Fine, but not before coffee." He said.
"Yay!" Edgar cheered before walking out of the room.
"And stop shouting!" Charley yelled before he threw a bottle at the doorway. The bottle shattered. "Damn headache,"
Over at Porkrind's, the pig had dozens of pine trees ready for sale. Several people were there inspecting the trees.
"Ten bucks, folks. All my trees are ten bucks." Porkrind said. "Tree dies before Christmas. Not my problem. Find a squirrel in it? Not my problem. Tree catches on fire? Not my problem. Ten bucks."
A mother duck gave Porkrind a ten-dollar bill and carried a tree away, her duckling followed behind her.
"Merry Christmas, Porkrind." The duckling said.
"Whatever," Porkrind said as he pocketed the money.
"Nice trees you got there, Porkrind," Mugman said, trying to sound cool. "How much ya askin'?"
"Ten bucks," Porkrind said.
"I'll give ya five. Firm." Mugman said with his arms crossed.
Cuphead smiled and gave Mugman a thumbs up when the mug looked his way.
"Do you really think he can do this?" Bendy whispered to Cuphead.
"No way, Mugman's gonna crumble but we gotta be encouraging," Cuphead whispered.
"Price this year is ten bucks," Porkrind said. "Price last year was ten bucks. Price next year? Ten bucks."
Mugman chuckled coolly.
"Uh, listen, Porkrind. How about I give you a crisp five, you give me a tree, and then me and the kids get out of your hair." Mugman said as he held up five fingers.
"We're the kids!" Cuphead and Bendy yelled. "Jynx!" they chuckled.
"What do you say, Porkrind? Let's close it up at five." Mugman said.
"Ten." Porkrind said.
"Okay, okay. Six." Mugman said and he held up six fingers.
Porkrind snorted and started walking away.
"You're doing great!" Cuphead shouted softly.
Bendy smiled, nodded, and gave him two thumbs up.
"Seven!" Mugman said and held up seven fingers. "I'll give you seven bucks!"
"Did you say ten?" Porkrind asked.
"Eight?" Mugman suggested with eight fingers.
Porkrind walked up to the mug. "Tell you what, here's my final offer," he said. "Fifteen."
"Fifteen?!" Mugman exclaimed and held up fifteen fingers. "What happened to ten?" he asked.
"Fifteen now," Porkrind said.
"You've got a lot of nerve, Porkrind!" Mugman said.
"I'll go fifteen." Said Bulbface, the light bulb boy.
"Sold to the lucky light bulb," Porkrind said.
"Oh boy," Bulbface said.
"What's the big idea?" Mugman said. "All your trees cost ten bucks not ten seconds ago!"
"Welp, if you wanted a ten-dollar tree, you should have bought one ten seconds ago," Porkrind said.
"Please be gentle," Bulbface said.
The pig ignored the plea and dropped the tree right on the light bulb.
SHATTER
"But Porkrind!" Cuphead and Mugman whined.
"Save it. That was my last tree."
The boys looked around and realized Porkrind was right. All the trees were gone.
"Huh," Bendy said.
"Yep, better luck next year." Porkrind said before he slammed the door to his emporium with a 'closed' sign on the door.
"Oh well, anyway you guys wanna get something to eat?" Bendy asked.
"Eat? How can you think of eating at a time like this?" Mugman asked. "There are no trees left. And with no tree that means no presents!"
"No presents?" Cuphead said.
The brothers started weeping.
"Oh no. Don't start," Bendy said.
Cuphead and Mugman both wailed.
Porkrind opened the door. "You know, you could cut down your own tree." He suggested.
The brothers stopped wailing.
"But we don't have an ax," Mugman said.
"You could have this one," Porkrind said as he pulled out an ax.
The three boys gasped.
"Really?" they asked.
"For ten bucks," Porkrind said.
The boys frowned.
"Okay, let me do the talking this time," Bendy said as he cracked his knuckles... except there was no sound because of the lack of bones in his hands.
Mugman and Bendy were laughing and Cuphead was swinging the ax around as they all walked through the dirt road and into the forest.
"We're gonna find the best tree out here. Kettle's gonna be blown away." Mugman said.
The boys eventually reached a spot where a bunch of pine trees grew, and the mug judged each one.
"Too short. Too tall. Too fat. Too sparse. Too weird." Mugman said.
Then the mug spotted a juggling pine tree.
"Too desperate," Mugman said.
"Would you hurry up already!" Came a gruff voice.
"Cuphead," Mugman gasped. "you don't have to be so rude."
"That wasn't me," Cuphead said.
"What? Bendy?" Mugman asked.
"Don't look at me," Bendy said.
"I'm trying my best Boss." Came another voice in the air.
Mugman gasped. "The trees are talking," he said as he shivered with fright.
"Arg, get a hold of yerself ye landlubber," came a third voice.
"And they're pirates!" Cuphead said with a shiver.
Bendy covered Cuphead and Mugman's mouths with his hands and shushed them.
"Listen," Bendy whispered.
"I'm just trying to find the best one, Charley," came the second voice again.
Bendy pulled back, put his finger to his lips, and beckoned the cups to follow him. The three boys silently climbed a snow mound and peeked.
It was the Butcher Gang.
Charley was wearing a black jacket over his usual clothes, a fur trapper hat, dark yellow boots, and thick yellow gloves. He was holding an ax.
Barley was wearing a red jacket over his usual clothes as well as a scarf and thick gloves.
Edgar was wearing a blue scarf as well and a blue jacket. He also had boots for four of his legs.
"Oh great, they're here," Cuphead whispered.
"Let me just get my- ah," Bendy whispered before he pulled out a crossbow with a black arrow. "Now watch as I hit the sailor hat right off Barley's head."
"Get 'em, buddy," Cuphead cheered softly.
The little devil was about to pull the trigger, but Mugman pulled Bendy's arms back and the arrow flew into the air and the clouds.
Charley turned his head when he heard a rustling sound but didn't see anything and he shrugged.
The boys sat behind the mound.
"What gives? I had a clear shot!" Bendy shouted softly.
"Bendy, I have a crazy suggestion," Mugman whispered. "How about instead of antagonizing the Butcher Gang and having them chase us around like usual, we just leave them alone?"
"Why would we do that?" Cuphead asked softly.
"Because they don't seem to be doing anything wrong," Mugman argued softly. "Just listen to them."
The boys peeked behind the mound.
"Just pick a tree," Charley said.
"I will, boss," Edgar said. "But it has to be perfect."
Charley and Barley groaned.
"Just a few more minutes," Edgar said before walking away.
The boys ducked down as the men walked past them.
Once it got quiet, Mugman whispered. "See, they're just here to find a tree like us."
"But if we don't strike first, what'll stop them from attacking us first," Bendy whispered.
"I believe if we keep our distance, we'll be safe. Now put the weapon away please,"
Bendy grumbled before he put his crossbow away.
"Good, now let's go," Mugman said before walking away.
Cuphead took Bendy's hand. "Thanks for that," he said. "We can fire crossbows later,"
"Thanks, Cuphead," Bendy said before purring into Cuphead's shoulder as they walked.
"Now back let's find that tree," Mugman said.
The boys walked around some more but none of the trees they found were satisfactory.
"Ugh. We'll never find the perfect tree." Mugman sighed sadly.
They were walking when they suddenly noticed it. Mugman gasped as a heavenly light shone over a beautiful pine tree and Handel's "Messiah" played.
"I don't trust that light," Bendy said suspiciously.
"Who cares about the light," Cuphead said. "This is it,"
The boys walked to the tree.
"The perfect tree!" Mugman said in admiration.
"Well, time to get choppin'," Cuphead said.
"Hand me the ax," Mugman said.
"But I'm clearly—"
"Clearly what? Give me the ax!" Mugman said as he tried to take the ax from his brother.
"Now hold, I paid for the ax, I get to chop down the tree," Bendy argued.
The boys grunted as they tried to take the ax from each other.
"Let go!" Cuphead grunted.
"You let go!" Mugman grunted.
"Give it to me!" Bendy grunted.
The ax came flying out of their hands and the blade sliced through the tree trunk. Before the boys had a chance to move, they fell right on top of them.
Bendy, Cuphead, and Mugman resurfaced from the tree and smiled.
"Hey, we did it!" Cuphead said.
"It's the perfect tree." Mugman said.
Suddenly, a net of spider webbing shot at them. The net caught the boys and the tree.
Charley, Barley, and Edgar come out of hiding. The tall man looked very smug.
"Well, well, the perfect Christmas tree chopped down and neatly packed," Charley said. "And it even comes with three extra gifts inside. The annoying little devil and the porcelain-headed pipsqueaks."
"Don't you dare! This is our tree!" Bendy yelled.
"Yeah, we saw it first!" Cuphead yelled.
"I don't see your name on it, but I did find your name on this!" Charley yelled. He held out the arrow and it had Bendy's name carved on it.
Cuphead and Mugman looked at the little devil curiously.
"I carved that when I was five, okay!?" Bendy said defensively.
"Your stupid arrow almost hit my head, luckily it missed." Charley said.
"Really? I can't imagine how it could've missed such a huge target like that." Bendy said.
Charley snapped the arrow in his hand and punched Bendy in the gut with his fists.
Cuphead and Mugman gasped.
"You can't do that to him!" Cuphead yelled.
Bendy gasped before he gave a devilish smile at the tall man. "Quid pro quo, Charley," he said.
Bendy's body melted into an inky mass, then slipped through the spider web and he reformed in time to give Charley a swift kick to the stomach. After Charley fell to the ground, Bendy snarled and clawed Charley like a vicious cat. They broke into a fight cloud.
"AH! Get off me!" Charley yelled.
"I'm coming Charley!" Barley shouted. "Ye get the tree, Edgar." He said before he jumped into the fight cloud.
"Right," Edgar said. The spider grabbed the tree and held it up.
Cuphead and Mugman managed to wriggle one foot each out of the webbing net.
"On three Mugsy," Cuphead said.
"Right," Mugman said.
"One. Two. Three!"
The cups gave swift kicks to Edgar's face. The spider froze for a second before wobbling and fell backward. The tree slipped and started sliding away.
"Bendy!" Cuphead and Mugman screamed.
"Charley, the tree!" Edgar cried out.
The fight cloud disappeared, Bendy, Charley, and Barley froze mid-fight and saw the tree rocket down the hill as the light shone on it.
"He who catches it owns it!" Bendy shouted before he ran away from the men and chased after the tree.
The Butcher Gang swiftly followed him.
The cups screamed as they slid with the tree down the hill. Bendy ran on all fours after the tree.
"Leave them alone you said! Keep our distance you said!" Bendy shouted.
"Now's not the time for this!" Mugman shouted.
"Alright, alright, I'll—" Bendy said before he accidentally ran into a tree.
Charley chuckled at the sight before he ran and reached for the tree only to crash into a snowman.
Barley ran up and reached for the tree, but he crashed into a boulder.
Bendy ran and jumped. He managed to grab the webbing and pull him closer to the tree.
Charley, Barley, and Edgar ran and reached for the tree but then tripped over a fallen log, rolled into a giant snowball, and crashed ahead of the tree. The snowball broke away and the men resumed running.
"Where's the tree?" Charley yelled.
"I don't know!" Barley yelled.
"Yoo-Whoo!" came Bendy's voice.
The gang looked behind them and saw the tree behind them with Bendy grinning at them. The gang yelled as they ran away to escape.
Bendy laughed with wicked delight until the tree hit the gang members, sending them flying back.
Charley reached forward and grabbed Bendy's tail.
The little devil hissed from the pull but held onto the webbing around the tree.
Charley held Bendy's tail, Barley held onto Charley's coattails, and Edgar grabbed Barley's legs.
The tree slid down the steep hill and into a cave down below... full of sleeping bears. Everyone stayed still and quiet on the tree seeing the bears.
Suddenly the bears woke up and roared.
The tree was kicked out along with the cups and the little devil while the Butcher Gang received a beating from the bears.
"That was a bare-y exciting," Bendy said with a chuckle.
The bears threw the men out and they landed on the sliding tree. The men panted before Charley grabbed Bendy by the bowtie.
"Well looks like you guys barely escaped with your lives back there. Get it?" Bendy joked.
WHIRL
"What?" Charley shouted.
"I said—" Bendy shouted.
"What?!" Charley shouted.
"What?!" Barley shouted.
"What?!" Edgar shouted.
"What?!" the cups shouted from in the tree.
"I can't hear anything over all these damn buzz saws!" Charley shouted.
That's when they all realized they were in a sawmill building on a conveyor belt heading towards the log-cutting machine with a bunch of buzz saws spinning everywhere.
They all screamed.
The machine seemed to come alive and tried to cut everyone with the blades, but they narrowly managed to dodge them. The machine cackled.
They all screamed again.
WHIRL
CRACK
SNAP
The sawmill spat out the pine tree along with everyone on it.
"Ow." All six said before the tree came crashing on the snowy hills.
The tree slid faster than before but now the webbing net was gone and...
"The tree! It's all mangled!" Mugman cried out. "This can't possibly get any worse!"
"Uh... Wanna bet?" Cuphead said and pointed his finger ahead of them.
Everyone looked ahead and noticed the tree was about to slide over the edge of a cliff. The tree slowed down and was now teetering over the edge.
"On second thought, the trees all yours," Charley said. He, Barley, and Edgar hopped off the tree onto the edge and then the gang leader used his foot to push the tree forward.
"You son a— AHHH!" Bendy yelled before he screamed.
The cups screamed too.
Charley laughed and waved goodbye.
The tree landed on the ground, then sprung up, the leaves returned to their fullness, and it flew towards the Kettle Cottage.
Elder Kettle opened the front door. "What in Sam Hill is taking those boys so—" he said before he screamed when he saw a pine tree rocketing towards him. The kettle jumped out of the way and the tree shot right into the house.
CRASH
CLATTER
Elder Kettle peeked inside the cottage. "Boys?" he wondered.
Cuphead, Mugman, and Bendy were groaning after having crashed landed on the piano.
Mugman shook his head and gasped. Everyone gasped too when they saw the beautiful pine tree standing in the living room.
Outside on the edge of the cliff, The Butcher Gang were looking towards the cottage below. Charley and Edgar were using binoculars while Barley used a hand telescope.
"Do you think they survived?" Edgar asked.
"No way a couple of bilge rats like 'em could survive a crash landing like that," Barley said.
"Except these bilge rats have escaped unscathed before," Charley said. "There!"
Bendy and Cuphead stepped out of the cottage and made rude gestures and expressions in the Butcher Gang's direction.
Charley's face turned red with anger. He dropped his binoculars and stomped the ground.
"Why! Can't! They! Just! Die!" Charley yelled as he stomped.
CRACK
The ground shifted as the cliff edge cracked under them.
Barley and Edgar glared at Charley, who smiled nervously before the ground dropped under them and they fell into the snowy ground below.
"Yay!" Bendy and Cuphead cheered at the sight.
"What are you boys cheering about?" Kettle asked inside the cottage.
"Nothin' Elder Kettle," Cuphead and Bendy answered at the same time.
"Then come back inside and close the door. It's cold."
The two boys went back inside.
A While Later...
Back at the Butcher Gang's cabin, Carley, in her ghost form, was stringing garlands on the walls and hanging them up with knives wrapped with ribbons when the door opened. She landed on the ground in her living form.
"Hey fellas, how was the tree hun—ting?" Carley asked before she noticed how the men looked.
They were alive but bruised, mostly Charley. But they had a tree with them.
"We got a tree. End of story. Now where's the eggnog." Charley said as he walked past Carley.
Barley and Edgar were carrying the pine tree inside. The spider looked very excited.
"Our very first tree. And it can juggle!" Edgar said.
Meanwhile...
Mugman and Kettle were putting on the final touches on the tree while Cuphead and Bendy were in Cuphead and Mugman's bedroom.
"Can I open my eyes yet?" Bendy said with his hands over his eyes.
"Not just yet," Cuphead said as he was getting something from under his bed. He gasped before he got up, put the surprise behind his back, and walked up to Bendy. "Okay, open your eyes."
Bendy did so and Cuphead presented him with a small rectangular box.
"Ta-da," Cuphead said.
"Cuphead, what's...?"
"It's a present for you,"
"Cuphead, I'm not supposed to do Christmas presents."
"Well, then this isn't a Christmas present. It's a... "like-like perk"."
Bendy chuckled. "A like-like perk?"
"We like like each other, so we give each other perks. What do you think?"
"I think... Thanks for the perk." Bendy said before he took the gift. He lifted the lid and his eyes widened at the sight of a red bowtie inside.
"I know you like the bowties and when I saw this, I thought of you," Cuphead explained. "Do you like it?"
Bendy was silent with a neutral expression on his face. Just when Cuphead began to worry he got the wrong gift, the little devil smiled.
"I love it!" Bendy said. He clipped off his yellow bowtie and put on the red one. "Thank you." Then a thought came to him. "I should give you somethin' right?"
"You don't have to but I wouldn't mind it if you did," Cuphead said.
"Um. One sec." Bendy took a few steps back and checked his pocket for anything he could give as a gift. "Aha!" he exclaimed. Then he opened his hands to reveal the 'Shining Star' pinback button he got from the Arch Gate Studio's manager. "It's for you, 'cause you're my... star."
"Aw, thanks buddy," Cuphead said before he took the button.
"Cuphead! Bendy!" Came Mugman's voice. "Come downstairs! It's time to light the tree."
Cuphead and Bendy rushed downstairs to the living room and saw the finished tree. It was decorated with strings of light, multiple-colored bulbs. Popcorn strings and a shining star at the tippy top.
"Now then, I think you boys should do the honors," Kettle said as he held the two plugs for the lights.
Cuphead and Mugman plugged in the lights and the tree lit up.
Everyone gasped in wonder.
Just then the plug lit as electricity crackled. Like a lit fuse the spark of electricity traveled the length of the cord, up the tree, and... the tree burned up.
Everyone's jaws dropped before Cuphead and Mugman started wailing. Bendy groaned.
"Are you freaking kiddin' me!" Bendy said in frustration.
"We ruined Christmas!" Cuphead wailed.
"We ruined the tradition!" Mugman wailed.
"We ruined everything!" the cup brothers wailed at the same time.
"Now, now. The tradition isn't just about the tree." Kettle said reassuringly.
"It's not?" Mugman asked.
"No. It's about being together, doing things as a family. Even you Bendy," Kettle said as he brought the little devil closer. "As long as you boys are here, whatever tree we've got is just perfect. Even if it is burnt to a crisp."
"O Christmas Tree, Christmas Tree We shout it out with glee~ It just quite isn't Christmas~ Without a big ol' Christmas tree! ~"