Gwen was out in the woods one beautiful day. She strolls along a dirt road until she comes across a beautiful meadow and Gwen lays down in the grass and enjoys the warmth of the sun. Gwen sits up and picks a little daisy flower when all of a sudden, the daisy formed a ghoulish face and laughed evilly.
"Huh?"
Out of nowhere, smoke started to surround her and Gwen saw that the meadow and the forest was on fire. Gwen dropped the flower, got on her feet and ran back to the cottage. Gwen reaches the cottage, opens the door and yelled,
"Cuphead! Mugman! Elder Kettle!"
But to her horror, they were all skeletons of their former selves.
"No! No! Why?!" Gwen yelled.
BAM!
A sudden unseen force exploded in the window, making Gwen fall down to the floor and a familiar demonic voice said,
"Remember me?"
Gwen tried to grab her ink pen, but realized she didn't have neither the ink pen or the magic inkwell. Feeling doomed she yelled,
"No! Leave me alone!"
A form of smoke and fire approaches Gwen as she backs up against the wall as the Devil appeared from the smoke with a terrifying and lustful grin. Tears of pure terror welled up in Gwen's eyes as the Devil ominously advances towards her, ever closer.
"You can't escape me this time…"
The Devil declared wickedly. He then creepily leans forward, held her tear-stained face and ominously whispers into her ear,
"My queen."
"N-no! Never!" Gwen cried in defiance and pure horror.
The Devil suddenly grew larger until his form practically filled the entire room. Gwen shrieks in fright as the Devil snatches her up in his fist, trapping her arms to her sides and brought her up to his face.
"You are now mine!"
The Devil roared in a demonic voice before he takes Gwen away back to Hell as she screams.
Gwen wakes up in her own bedroom, gasping and breathing heavily. She just had a terrible nightmare of her being captured by the Devil. Gwen held her head in her hand as she was sweating. After she caught her breath, she felt relieved that it was all a dream. Gwen grabbed her ink pen and tried to go back to sleep, making sure she was armed and ready in case the Devil comes into her room and tries to kidnap her again.
Suddenly, a knock was heard at her door, which shocked Gwen. Gwen frantically holds her ink pen and said,
"W-w-who's there?"
"It's us!" Called Cuphead.
Gwen grabbed her glasses and magic inkwell, got out of bed and approached her door and opened it. Only to see her two best friends right there, already dressed. Gwen sighed of relief and said,
"Guys, what are you doing? It's the middle of the night."
"We heard you scream and came to check on you." Said Cuphead.
"You had that nightmare again, didn't you?" Mugman asked.
"Guys, I appreciate your concern, I really do. But, it's nothing. I just have been haven't been able to sleep well lately. That's all. But, it's okay. Now, go back to bed before Elder Kettle wakes up. And you know how cranky he gets." Gwen said.
Gwen was about to close her door, but Mugman stops her and said,
"Wait!"
"What?" Asked Gwen.
"You wanna stop the Devil from kidnapping and marry you, right?" Asked Mugman.
"More than anything. Why?" She asked.
"Then go get dressed. We're gonna deal with this once and for all! So, you can get a good night's sleep for once!" Mugman said.
"What? Why?" Asked Gwen.
"Just do it!" Mugman snapped.
"Okay! Okay!" Said Gwen, losing this argument.
Gwen closes the door, and gets dressed into her usual outfit. Gwen packs her satchel, magic inkwell and ink pen and opens the door to her friends.
"What exactly are we doing?" Asked Gwen.
"You'll see." Cuphead said.
They both take Gwen's hands and head downstairs, out the front door and into the woods.
They walk for a while deep in the forest until the pass through some bushes and arrive at an ancient ring of stones with a pool of water. Gwen is in awe that they never took her to that part of the Inkwell Isles before as she has seen most of the three isles over while that she's lived with them. Gwen kneels down, looks in the pool of water and gazed at her reflection and touched the water. Mugman grabs a jawbreaker from his pocket and drops it in the water.
"Aw! I just started on that jawbreaker!" Cuphead complained.
"Mugman, what are you doing?" Asked Gwen.
"I gotta make the water fizz so he'll appear again." Answered Mugman.
"What? Who?" She asked.
Cuphead sighed and said,
"Just watch."
Just then, a bright blue light beamed out of the water. Gwen is shocked as an ominous wind blew around them. A booming male voice called,
"When in doubt young human friend of cup and mug, give your friends one last hug!"
Gwen gasped and asked her friends,
"W-W-W-Who said that?"
"A sage advisor, rumored to know all." Mugman answered.
"He helped us stop the Devil from taking my soul at one point with that sweater we told you about." Added Cuphead.
Just then, an old male face appeared in the water and said,
"I am Quadratus, the Great and Wise! Come closer young human so I may advise."
Gwen gasped and attempted to leave, but Cuphead and Mugman grab her hands and pull her back to the pool.
"Gwen, wait!" Said Cuphead.
"Don't be afraid young human, I won't hurt thee; for I am friendly, now come closer to me." Quadratus said.
The cups have Gwen kneel down at the pool and gazed into the eyes of Quadratus.
"Uh, hello… sir? Forgive us for disturbing you, but I'm in big trouble." Gwen said, after gathering some courage.
"Protection is your current demand, for the Devil seeks your lovely hand. For you cannot get a good night's sleep, cause your nightmares are getting way too deep!" Quadratus answered as she showed her silhouettes of the Devil and herself.
Gwen's eyes popped, realizing Quadratus knew about her problem.
"Y-y-y-yes sir. I just want the Devil to leave me alone. I can't keep fighting and running from him forever. I'm so scared."
Gwen admitted with tears dropping from her eyes into the pool. Cuphead and Mugman comfort her.
"Hey, hey. Calm down. Don't cry." Mugman said.
"Listen to your friends young human for you they are there, feeling sad and scared will not get you anywhere." Quadratus advised her.
Gwen calms down then says,
"Please sir. I'll do anything to get out of this marriage and stop him from taking me away. Anything."
Quadratus thought for a moment and said,
"Fear not young human, there is a way. To save yourself and keep the Devil at bay. The magic inkwell you possess has a great power like the impenetrable invisible sweater. It, uh well the same can happen to you if you make yourself an invisible ball of yarn with its magic since the last ball I had is now gone." Quadratus explained.
"You stopped rhyming again." Said Cuphead.
"You know it gets old." Quadratus said.
Gwen looked at the inkwell and asked,
"So, you're saying that I should make myself an invisible sweater with the magic inkwell and it'll stop the Devil from kidnapping me? Like when I'm sleeping at night or anywhere?"
"That's right my child, but just make yourself an invisible ball of yarn and your friends must knit the sweater." Quadratus answered.
"Wait a minute, I gotta help Mugman make a new sweater this time?" Asked Cuphead.
"Yes, young cup. The sweater will take affect if it's made with the brotherly love of her friends." Quadratus explained.
Gwen used her ink pen and thought hard and made herself an invisible ball of yarn, brought it to life and caught it in her hand.
"Wow, I did it!" Said Gwen, amazed at her work.
Gwen hands the invisible ball of yarn to Mugman.
"You should know Gwendolyn; the magic inkwell has more capabilities than you think. It's up to you to unlock them and use them against the Devil and evil. And always remember this: Anything is possible when you have the power of love and friendship. You must put your trust in your friends as they put their trust in you." Quadratus explained to Gwen.
"I don't exactly understand, but I'll do as you say." Gwen said as she listened carefully to his words.
"Okay Cuphead, we're knitting a new sweater together." Said Mugman.
"Okay Mugsy. For our best friend." Cuphead agreed.
Gwen, moved by her friends gives them a hug and says,
"You're the best friends a human could ever have."
"Aw how sweet. Now, get knitting!" Yelled Quadratus and disappeared from the pool of water.
Meanwhile, down in the depths of Inkwell Hell, The Devil was at his dinner table and was about to eat a delicious rotisserie chicken dinner with garlic mashed potatoes with gravy and buttered asparagus on the side. The Devil eats the whole chicken in one bite and spits out the skeleton and lifts up his plate and scarfs down the potatoes and asparagus in a rage-like way.
Henchman enters to clear his dishes and says,
"Uh, hey boss? You've been eating a little more than usual lately. What's the matter?"
"Oh Henchman, I don't know what to do about that Gwen. I recovered from being beat up by all those dumb yokels at that boat!"
The Devil snarled as he was stuffing his face with his favorite dessert: Devil's food cake.
"Well boss, maybe you should just let her go. Move on with your life and keep doing what you do best: collecting and torturing souls. I know I would if I were you." Henchman suggested.
The Devil thought for a moment then said,
"No Henchman, I need that inkwell to control both worlds and since it's chosen Gwen to be its owner, I need her to marry me so she can help me with that."
The Devil argued, having not learned his lesson.
Henchman sighed out of disapproval, but was still willing to help his boss in any way.
"You know what? I'm just gonna go for it again. But this time, I'm gonna take her while she's asleep." The Devil said after getting an idea.
The Devil gets up from his fancy chair, grabs his pitchfork, taps it to the ground and disappears.
Henchman sighed and said,
"This isn't gonna go well again. Better get the first-aid kit ready… again."
Back at the surface, Cuphead and Mugman were knitting the sweater together until they finally put the finishing touches.
"Finished!" Said the cups.
Gwen comes up to them as they hand her the sweater. Gwen is amazed that she held something invisible but real.
"We even added some buttons this time in case you get too hot in it." Cuphead said.
Gwen puts it on and notices it is nice and warm but she could unbutton it if she got too hot.
"Wow, this is amazing guys. Hopefully I'll sleep well this time. Thank you so much." Gwen said as she was adjusting to her protective sweater.
The Cups smile and both say,
"You're welcome Gweny!"
Then she asked Cuphead,
"You want me to make you a new sweater since Mugman told me he used your last one to save you from the Devil at the Inkwell Pier?"
"No, thanks Gwen. I was too hot in the sweater. Plus, I have you and Mugman lookin' out for me." Cuphead explained.
Gwen was surprised Cuphead kindly turned down her offer. But then again, she knew he was right.
"Okay guys, let's go home." Said Gwen.
Both boys take Gwen's hands and start their way back home.
Back at the cottage, the Devil magically appears in Gwen's room to kidnap her. But to his surprise, she is gone.
"She's gone? Where would she go at this time of night?"
The Devil thought for a moment, then realized something and decided to go peek in the cup's room. He appeared in their room but discovers that their bunk beds were empty too.
"She and those nitwits have gone somewhere. Hmm… I know! I'll just wait for them to come home and when she goes back to bed, I'll take her away."
The Devil snickered and went back into Gwen's room and decided to hide behind her room divider and wait until she comes home. But little did he know that the living flower on Gwen's window sill along with her butterfly were watching him and they decided to warn Gwen. The butterfly snuck past the Devil's hiding place and slid under the closed door and flew downstairs and slipped under the front door while the flower will use body language through the window.
Gwen and her friends were returning from the forest. Before the cups opened the gate, the butterfly fluttered in Gwen's face and Gwen quietly asked,
"Oh, hey little fella. What are you doing up so late?"
"Shh!"
The butterfly shushed her and led her and the cups to the back of the cottage. Then, he moved her head to look up at her bedroom window and sees the flower trying to get her attention.
"Guys, my little flower's trying to tell me something." Gwen whispered.
The flower pointed in her room, then made two horns above his petals with his leaf hands and made an evil face. It clicked for Gwen as she realized what was happening.
"Wait a minute, I think my little friends are telling me that a 'certain someone' is in my room waiting for me."
Gwen whispered as she got their message as the butterfly nodded, confirming her answer. Gwen takes the boys and butterfly and hide in the bushes.
"I knew this would happen. I knew he would come back for me again sooner or later. And I don't want to go in my room with him right there. Even with this sweater on." Gwen said, sinking her head in her hands.
"Don't worry Gwen, we'll think of something." Said Mugman.
Cuphead thought for a moment, then gets an idea and said,
"I know! Why don't we sleep out in the woods tonight and make a camp? It'll be like going on a camping trip."
"What a great idea Cuphead! We'll find a spot in the woods and I'll make us a campsite." Gwen agreed.
Gwen gives her little butterfly a kiss and sends him back to her room while avoiding detection from the Devil. Afterwards, Gwen and the cups go back in the forest and look for a good camp spot.
After a while of searching, they find a clearing and decided to stay for the night. Gwen uses the inkwell and makes themselves a big tent with sleeping bags and pillows. Gwen even makes a little campfire and decided to treat her friends with a bag of marshmallows and sticks.
"Yay!" Said both cups.
Gwen smiled and said,
"Well, it's the least I could do to thank you guys for looking out for me. Now, what do you say we roast some marshmallows?"
Gwen and the cups each grabbed a stick, stuck a marshmallow on the end, stick them over the fire and roast them. After the marshmallows roasted, the trio eat them. Cuphead decided to tell Gwen and Mugman scary stories.
"Okay guys get ready to have your pants scared off! It was a dark and stormy night at a creepy old haunted house when two little boys went in to take shelter and suddenly…"
"Stop it Cuphead! You know I hate scary stories!"
Mugman interrupted.
Mugman was shivering with fright and hugged Gwen.
"It's okay Mugman. He's just trying to get your goat as always." Gwen assured him.
"You're no fun Mugman." Cuphead said disappointedly and folded his arms.
Gwen thought and gets an idea and said,
"I know!"
Gwen makes herself a little piano with the inkwell, cracked her knuckles and was ready to play a song.
"This is a nice little tune my mother sang to me and my older sister Rose when we were little."
She plays and sings the song, "You Are My Sunshine" to Cuphead and Mugman as they were mesmerized by her beautiful singing voice.
Cuphead and Mugman applauded Gwen and she said,
"Thanks guys."
"We didn't know you played piano." Said Cuphead.
"Or sing." Mugman added.
"Oh yeah, my parents made me and Rose learn in our childhood." Gwen explained some of her past.
Gwen makes the little piano disappear and uses the inkwell to change into her white spaghetti-strap nightgown and slippers on her feet while still keeping the invisible sweater on.
"Well, I'm gonna turn in guys." Gwen said.
"Yeah, I'm ready to go back to bed." Said Mugman.
"Eh, fine." Said Cuphead.
Suddenly, a puff of smoke appeared behind Gwen as she turned around to see the Devil found their campsite.
"AHHH! The Devil!" Yelled both cups.
Gwen gasped, backed up against a tree, grabbed her ink pen and pointed it at the Devil.
"There you are! I thought I'd find you here!" The Devil said, looking at Gwen impatiently.
"Go away! Or else I'm gonna hurt you harder than last time!" Gwen yelled.
The Devil rolled his eyes, approached Gwen and said,
"Yeah, yeah whatever dear. I waited forever for you to come home until I realized what you were up to! Now, let's go."
The Devil reaches for Gwen but before he could grab her, he gets electrocuted by her invisible sweater.
"YEEOUCH!" The Devil cried in pain and sucked his finger.
"Wow! It works!" Gwen said amazed that the sweater protected her.
"You're wearing an invisible impenetrable sweater?! But I took away the last one!" The Devil protested.
"Well, my best friends in the whole world made a new one for me. If the last one worked for Cuphead, it works on me too." Said Gwen pointing her glowing ink pen at him.
The cups smile smugly as Cuphead said,
"Come on Gwen, let's pack up and go home."
"Okay Cuphead."
Said Gwen and used the ink pen to make their campsite disappear. The cups take Gwen's hands and walk past the Devil as Cuphead said,
"If you'll excuse us Devil, we're gonna go home now."
The Devil stood there mumbling angrily then disappeared in a puff of smoke.
They walk for a while until the Devil appeared in front of them again as Cuphead yelled,
"AHHH! The Dev-"
"Cuphead, Gwen's right here and she's wearing the sweater, remember?" Mugman reminded Cuphead.
"Oh yeah!" Said Cuphead as he gets behind Gwen.
"You'll save us both some time and trouble if you take it off." The Devil said, gesturing her to take off her sweater.
"Fat chance!" Said Cuphead.
Gwen loses patience and said,
"No! I'm not taking it off! I can't even get a good night's sleep anymore because of you!"
"You're making this more difficult than this needs to be my dear. It'll be easier for you if you accept your fate!" The Devil argued.
"No!" Gwen yelled.
The Devil thought for a moment, gets an idea and makes a beautiful blue-diamond engagement ring appear in his hand.
"Take it off and I'll give you this beautiful ring!" The Devil tempted her.
Gwen gazed at the ring, but remained strong and said,
"Bribing me huh? That's new. But no."
"I'll take that ring! I wonder how much it's worth?"
Cuphead said and reached for the ring. But Mugman slapped his hand and said,
"No Cuphead!" Mugman sternly said.
Gwen sighed and asked,
"Please, just leave me alone, okay?"
"Never!" The Devil said impatiently and disappeared.
Gwen facepalmed and said,
"He's never gonna quit, is he?"
"Eh, don't be too worried about it." Said Cuphead, comforting her.
"We're here for you. Now, let's go." Said Mugman.
The cups take Gwen's hands and continue down the road.
Just then, they come across a fancy-looking restaurant and a cartoony human maître d says,
"Come right in my friends! Enjoy our fanciest fine dining cuisine we have just for you!"
"Ooh! Fancy!" Both cups said.
The maître d says to Gwen,
"Here let me take your sweater for you milady. It's nice and warm inside."
Before Gwen could, Mugman takes Gwen and Cuphead aside and whispered,
"Wait a minute! There's something fishy about that maître d!"
Gwen peeks over her shoulder and saw the maître d snickering, realizing Mugman was right.
"Come on! Let's go!"
Said Mugman and both cups take Gwen's hands and walk away. The maître d shapeshifted into the Devil and he growled furiously because his trick didn't work.
After walking again, the trio catch of whiff of something fresh-baked.
"Hey, do you guys smell that?" Said Cuphead.
They turn to see a little bakery stand with slices of red velvet cake and a sign that said, 'Free!'
"Alright guys! Free cake!" Said Cuphead.
Cuphead grabs a plate of cake and was about to take a bite until Mugman takes the cake and said,
"Wait Cuphead! Look what it says on the 'Free' sign: One bite of this free red-velvet cake will cause a plague of sweater-eating moths?!"
Gwen stopped herself from taking a bite and quickly put the cake down.
"Is it just me or is something weird going on?" She asked, now feeling creeped out.
"Come on guys!"
Said Mugman and takes Cuphead and Gwen away from the stand. The Devil shapeshifts into himself and snarled at his failure again.
Up the road, Gwen catches sight of potted flower on a rock and it made a gesture to take off the sweater. Gwen took one look at the flower with red pupils, horn-like petals on its head and a toothy grin. It clicked for Gwen and realized,
"Wait a minute, my flower doesn't have red eyes or horns or fangs! Which means the Devil is behind this!"
"He's doing the same thing he tried to do to Cuphead when he had the sweater! Like it's a repeat! Let's go guys!" Mugman said and led Gwen and Cuphead away. Mugman turned and blew a raspberry at him. The Devil shapeshifted and pounded the ground in anger.
"Guys, I've had enough of this! Let's make a run for it!"
Said Gwen, fed up with the Devil's antics. They all run up the road until they almost make it out of the forest. Suddenly, the Devil appeared in front of them and yelled,
"Stop right there! Take that sweater off now!"
Gwen groaned, feeling fed up.
"No! What will it take for you to stop?!" She snapped.
"Nothing! Take it off and come with me or the consequences will be dire!" The Devil warned her.
"It's not happening Devil! Just give up already!" Mugman said.
"Yeah, you should marry someone that doesn't reject you or kick your butt all the time!" Cuphead teased.
Gwen started laughing then the cups laugh with her. The Devil stood there, very angry and growled furiously and started blasting fire around him. Gwen was starting to feel sweaty and hot and unbuttoned her sweater. The cups back away from the heat.
This gave the Devil another idea and blew more fire to make her sweatier. Gwen tries resisting as she started feeling weak. The Devil grew more fire and Gwen lays down on the ground and weakly said,
"Guys, go… save… yourselves."
Gwen was about to pass out from heat exhaustion until Mugman remembered what Quadratus said before.
"Give your friends one last hug! That's it! Cuphead, hug Gwen now!" Mugman ordered Cuphead.
"What?! Are you crazy?" Cuphead asked.
"Just do it!" Mugman snapped.
"Okay! Okay!"
Cuphead said and ran up to Gwen, lifted her up and hugged her and Mugman joined them.
"Wha-what… are you guys… doing?" Gwen could barely speak.
"Trust us Gwen!" Mugman yelled.
Gwen fell unconscious in her friends arms as they still hug her body. Suddenly, the magic inkwell started glowing bright and a magical barrier covered them. The Devil notices and made his flames grow bigger until the area around them exploded. The smoke cleared and the Devil anxiously waited to see if he got rid of the cups and if Gwen was exposed.
But to his surprise, the cups were still standing in one piece with Gwen in their embrace. The Devil threw another tantrum and shapeshifted into various creatures.
"We should go." Cuphead said.
"Yeah, help me carry her." Mugman said.
Cuphead held Gwen's upper half of her body and Mugman held her lower half and quickly leave the forest. After the Devil catches his breath, he said,
"I hate those cups."
He lifted his pitchfork and tapped it and disappeared back to Hell.
Meanwhile, the cups carry Gwen back to the cottage and get her inside and get her upstairs and lift her into bed.
"Cuphead, get a cold towel and a cold glass of water!" Mugman ordered Cuphead.
"Okay!"
Cuphead runs in the bathroom and grabs a hand towel and soaked it in cold water. Mugman opens her bedroom window to let the cool air in. Cuphead runs and brings the towel and glass of water and Mugman takes the towel and places it over her head. Mugman grabs the glass of water and opens her mouth and pours water down her throat.
"Okay Gwen, this should help!" Said Mugman.
Gwen wakes up and coughs up some of the water. Gwen breathed heavily and weakly asked,
"What happened?"
"You were out hot!" Cuphead said.
Mugman glared at him and said,
"Not helping!"
"I remember the Devil blew fire and I had the sweater on and I guess I passed out? But how am I still here?" She asked.
"It's like Quadratus said: give your friends one last hug! When we hugged you, your inkwell glowed and protected us from the Devil's wrath." Mugman explained.
Gwen thought of that and asked,
"Did the inkwell protect us or was it some other magic?"
"We don't know." Answered Cuphead.
"Huh. I guess Quadratus was right. I need to put my trust into my friends just like you guys trust me."
The cups smiled then Gwen said,
"He also said the inkwell has more capabilities I can unlock. Like how I can now turn into a ghost for example. I wonder what else I can do?"
The cups yawn and Cuphead said,
"Well, we're gonna turn in for the night. You should get a good night's sleep now with the sweater protecting you."
Gwen yawned, smiled and said,
"Thanks, Cuphead. And you too Mugman."
The cups smiled as Gwen buttoned up her invisible sweater. The cups and Gwen all say, "Good night" to each other and the cups leave her room.
Gwen falls asleep, with her ink pen in her hand just in case. After a while of sleeping, the Devil appeared in her room again. He attempts to grab Gwen but the sweater electrocutes him again. Gwen doesn't budge, but she knew he was right there and she giggled.
"UGH! You can't keep that sweater on forever!" The Devil whispered.
"Yes, I can! Now go away! I'm sleeping!" Gwen whispered back. She held her ink pen and shot her laser at him, turning him burnt black and injured once again. The Devil growled and disappeared back to Hell to get treatment yet again. Gwen smiled satisfied and slept peacefully.
