Author's Note
Hello! This will be my final chapter for now, before I enter into hiatus again. The major priority for me right now is to finish my book, so I probably won't come back to this project for a couple of years.
It's been really fun writing this project, I wish I had a lot more time and energy to finish this project at the same time my novel, but I have to set my priorities straight. See you all again after a couple of years!
Chapter 9 "The Yellow Star" (Act I Finale)
Clear blue skies. Fluffy white clouds. The yellow sun shining with red orange rays and smiling down to earth with its red puffy cheeks and freckles. Blue birds chirped and flew around each other, playfully chasing each other. The sun watched these birds play around with glee… until-ZHOOM!
From behind the birds, two airplanes (the left red, and the right blue) SHREDDED and SHAVED through the bird like barber's razors, leaving behind four pinkish bare-naked birds spinning in the air. As if by will, the birds stopped spinning, and then looked in shock at their featherless bodies, and right in front of them were the blue feathers falling down from above. The birds scrambled and frantically collected all the feathers, then covered the front of their lower bodies with them, and then smiled at the fourth wall with their cheeks flushed in red… only after then did they obey the laws of gravity and fall down with goofy 'gunshot' sounds.
The sun watched horrified at what happened, and then glared furiously (that he turned red) at the two airplanes that were piloted by no other than: Cuphead and Mugman!
With their confident and playful smiles, and flying airplane sounds spitting from their mouths, they flew towards a lady in red, hovering on her back in the air and laughing with her backhand covering the side of her mouth and her "Hee, Hee, Hee" that unleashed black bold 'HA' words all over the air.
"Come to collect my contract?" She stared with her snarky smile and menacing yellow star-pupilled eyes. "I'll just blow you away, you no good brats!"
Hildaberg stirred the air in front of her, and the wind twirled into a small tornado. She pushed the tornado forward with her hands, and blew with her mouth, making the tornado grow larger, taller, and catastrophic. The tornado collected trees, cars, boulders, and houses, cows, birds, and other debris with it.
Cuphead and Mugman screamed in fright, with their straws turning into exclamation points. But they smiled as they pressed a button from the right of their steering wheels, and their planes shrank into tinier sizes as they flew through the tornado.
All while screaming with such joy and thrill like he was in a roller coaster ride, tiny Cuphead corkscrewed under a clay-tiled roof, over a cow, and through a hole within a large tree trunk. Cuphead looked to his left, and saw that Mugman with his arms out, was zipping, zigzagging, and corkscrewing through scattered bricks , branches, and stars with ease.
Tiny Mugman grew back to normal size, and then he tipped his 'Mug' head out as if he were tipping his hat.
Tiny Cuphead grew back to normal. "Show off!" His hands cupped into a megaphone surrounding his mouth as he shouted over.
"Last one tuh the contract's a leaky cup!" Mugman pointed his finger to Hildaberg, and then his plane retracted like a caterpillar and then dashed ahead like a speeding race car.
Cuphead pulled his shorts up. "Oh it's on, Donkey Kong!"
Out of the tornado, the two planes (the first blue, and the next red) shot out of the tornado like bullets and raced zooming through the sky.
Ahead of the boys, a swarm of tiny flies were flying towards them zigzagging like angry bees, and some grinned evilly while others grinned cheerfully. Hildaberg had transformed into a frog-shaped monster with yellow star pupils; it was a Froggit imitation of her cloud Zodiac transformation. The boys fired their bullets from the planes. The swarm of flies screamed, and then parted, leaving perfect-circle gaps in between, and the bullets hit Hildaberg who growled irritated.
The boys flew through the circles of flies, but as they did, the flies transformed into mixes of butterflies and roaches. Hildaberg's cloud shape transformed into a cockroach-like monster (Migosp) and a ghost-moth hybrid (Whimsun), both shapes were morphing erratically as if competing which morph would commit, and all the same time she was firing 'HA' projectiles from her laughing mouth. But, each and every attack was either shot down, dodged, or parried by the two confident-grinning cups on red and blue planes.
"Is that all ya got?" Cuphead yelled with his left hand cupped in a megaphone.
"'Cuz ya missed us by a lot!" Mugman yelled with his left hand cupped in a megaphone, in imitation.
With his hands on his tummy, legs above the steering wheel, and his head lower than the headrest, Cuphead laughed hysterically. "Ni-hihice one pal!"
Mugman looked back at Cuphead with his knuckles squeezing his 'chin' and his pupils turning into stars.
"Oh!" Hilda smirked. "Ya startin' tuh have fun? Why dont'cha play with the sun?" Her right palm showed above her.
A bright or red-orange light loomed over the boys, who then squinted, shielded their eyes with their left hand, and started to sweat. As their eyes adjusted to the light, their eyes bugged out, their straws turned into exclamation points, and their bodies trembled.
Mr. Sun himself came to Hildaberg's side and stared angrily at the boys with his freckled puffy red cheeks puffed red, while Hildaberg just slyly covered her evil smile implying to the boys 'You're in trouble hee hee hee.'
Mr. Sun blew into his closed mouth, making his cheeks puff larger, and the sun rays around his body radiate two dozens of hot solar beams. The bases of their planes caught one of the beams, and the planes themselves bounced up in pain yelling 'HotHotHotHotHot!'. Cuphead and Mugman aimed their straws at the fires, then pinched their noses and then blew into them, making the milk spray from their straws into the fire like fire extinguished. The fires on the planes extinguished into white steam, and the planes themselves sighed in relief and resumed their inanimate plane forms.
This sun rays then started rotating clockwise, and the pulled their plane controls up to avoid the hot beam. After a few seconds, Mr. Sun took an inhale, and the sun rays disappeared and the sky returned to blue for a moment.
"Go down!" Mugman called.
The boys pushed their controls down, making the plane drop by a few feet.
The sun puffed its cheeks again, and blew into its mouth again, repeating the rotating sun beam attack pattern, and the boys flew upwards avoiding the beam; meanwhile Hildaberg was just cackling at the supposed demise of the boys. After a while, Hildaberg pushed her hands again, and out of her hands shot rows of stars, and the boys sweated nervously as they evasively flew into the safe gaps that were made narrow.
"Keep shootin'!" Cuphead called.
Both Cuphead and Mugman began shooting
Hildaberg cackled. "Ready to call it quits? 'Cuz yer about to be…" Hilda took a big inhale and then screamed and her body trembled as if she was transforming. Mr. sun also vibrated very rapidly and puff its cheeks even bigger. The two entities swirled into each other and then popped out of thin air with puffs of white smoke into an…
"EEEH-CLIPSED!" The hybrid voice of Hilda and a deep male spoke.
The boys gasped as they basked before a yellow-orange-red-black clockwork mechanical eclipse into a red & black crescent clockwork mechanical moon; The crescent bottom-right represented Hilda's crescent moon, while the quarter top-left represented Mr. sun, but their colors and clockwork gears were mixed together in different places.
For a good long seconds, Cuphead and Mugman stared at the freakishly gigantic fusion. Like super long rubber bands, Cuphead and Mugman stretched their arms to each distant other, then pulled each other for a hug as they (and their squished together animate planes) screamed like girls.
The ecliopse puffed its cheeks like Mr. Sun, but then unleashed a chilling cackle (like Hilda) at them as it unleashed a flock of… angry Toriel's with fairy wings holding fireballs on her hands.
Cuphead stared at them with confusion and then looked at Mugman beside him to check if he had the same reaction, but Mugman smiled with confidence.
Mugman pointed his finger at the eclipse. "Ya ain't gonna win that easily Hildaburger! We're the Cupbros!" He then smiled at Cuphead.
Cuphead snickered. "Yeah! And the Cupbros will win against any h-"
"Foe!" Mugman glared at Cuphead.
Cuphead covered his mouth. "Foe! I meant foe!" He giggled.
Mugman rolled his eyes, and together they sped forward.
The fairy got lady Toriels raised their hands and then shot fireballs of black and white colors, and they cut off the various safe spaces the boys could fly into.
The boys licked their fingers, and then pushed the same shrink button, and their planes shrunk, and they were able to corkscrew and maneuver through the various fire blasts with ease. After the volley of attacks, the Eclipse and the Toriels started to huff and pant due to exhaustion. The boys then grew to normal sizes and then fired their volley of bullets.
The Toriels shrieked and then vanished in puffs of white smoke to avoid the bullets, but those pellets led to the Eclipse which started yelling in pain as they took the full volley. The eclipse looked weary, tired, and beaten up; it had black eyes and bandages all over. It then exploded in a white puff of smoke, and as the smoke cleared, it revealed Mr. Sun and Hildaberg were separated. Mr. Sun was crying with black eyes as it floated back up to the sky; his crying turned the sky gray and caused it to start raining. Hildaberg fell to the ground like a leaf, swaying, and twirling left and right as the wind kept slowing her descent.
The boys dove in and followed her.
"Great job Mmmmugsy!" Cuphead winked to his best pal and gave him a thumbs up.
"You too Cccccuppyy!" Mugman winked back and gave him a thumbs up.
Hildaberg landed softly on the rustling grass that was wet from the rain. Laughing (with snorting from Mugman and hiccups from Cuphead) soon closed in as their motor planes landed near Hildaberg onto a spot of wet grass with some water splashing from the wheels of the planes.
The boys hastily hopped off their planes, splashed their shoes onto some wet grass, and (with splashing footsteps) raced each other to Hildaberg.
The boys hastily hopped off their planes and raced each other to Hildaberg.
Hildaberg was lying down on her back on the ground with swirly circles for eyes, and miniature versions of Cuphead and Mugman flying their planes and circling around Hildaberg's head.
Cuphead stopped a few inches away from her, and pointed his finger gun at her. "Alright! Give us yer contract lady! Or yer-!"
Meanwhile, Mugman approached her, unpocketed a toy knife, held it in his right hand, and then stabbed to the ground.
Cuphead's eyes widened in horror. "Y-you'll…" He then looked at Mugman.
Mugman cackled in a sinister demonic voice.
"Well… she got it didn' she…" Mugman turned his head 180-degrees to Cuphead and revealed a creepy looking smile; his eyes were two crimson vertical lines, and his mouth was a curved closed-mouth cheeky smile. "Right buddy?" He spoke with his demonic creepy voice.
Cuphead shivered and took a stutter step back.
"Aww, what's the matter best friend?" Mugman raised his finger gun. "Didn't ya want us to be free?"
Mugman's smile showed sharp teeth and he unleashed a demonic creepy laugh like Flowey's.
From the bed, Cuphead jumped up to the air screaming "AAAAAGH!" with his arms and legs shaking.
"AAAAAGH!" At the same time, Mugman also jumped up to the air. His arms and legs mirrored Cuphead's.
Back on the bed, Cuphead squeezed his head as he screamed. "AAAAAAAGH!"
"AAAAAAGH!" Mugman was hiding his arms and chest under their shared blanket, and his eyes looked left and right trying to find the danger.
"AAAAAAAAGH!" Cuphead spun his head alone for three quick rotations.
"AAAAAAAAAGH!" Mugman held Cuphead's head, stopping him exactly on his face looking back at him. "WHAT'S-?!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHH!" Cuphead grabbed Mugman's shoulders and shook him like a doll.
Annoyed, Mugman slapped Cuphead's face, making his head spin round and round and round really fast.
Cuphead held his head with both his hands to stop it from spinning, but his eyeballs kept spinning in various other directions, and his straw kept stirring clockwise until they both slowed into a stop. His eyes looked sideways towards Mugman.
Mugman's stern eyes softened into endearment, then he gently held Cuphead's left cheek, turned it to face him, and then sandwiched the sides of Cuphead's head with both his hands.
"Ya okay bud?" He asked softly.
Trembling, Confused, Cuphead could not say or do anything but stare. Then, his eyes scrunched, determined to challenge his inner thoughts.
Mirroring Mugman, he sandwiched both sides of Mugman's head with his hands, and the latter glared confused.
"W-what?!" He blinked.
"Smile for me bro." He said, as he seriously looked into Mugman's eyes.
Mugman paused and raised an eyebrow. "Huh?!"
"Just do it Mugsy!" Cuphead gave Mugman's head a very light shake. "Just do it!"
Mugman blinked again, still quite unsure what Cuphead was on about, but he just smiled with his best smile anyway.
Cuphead scanned his brother's face from top to bottom; Mugman had the same round eyes with with pie-cut shaped pupils, his cheeks were so puffy that they covered the lower part of his eyes, and his smile was showing his square, decaying, and candy-covered teeth.
Cuphead took a deep breath, and sighed in relief.
"You're…" He huffed. "You're not creepy." He rested his forehead onto his brother's, earning a clink, and his nose was resting on his brother's big blue on one because it was too big to ignore… and it was squishy. "You're not a creepy buddy."
Mugman's eyes widened in surprise, then he raised an eyebrow in confusion, then he made a big curly smile as the brotherly heart on his chest melted with a dreamy sigh as it watched the both of them touch foreheads. He then pressed his forehead back towards Cuphead in return, and then he closed his eyes. They both smiled, hands on each other's sides of their heads, leaning their foreheads to each other like real brothers would.
"You're a dorky buddy." Cuphead said softly.
Mugman's eyes popped open, then glared unamused at Cuphead. "What was that?!"
"Nuthin'." Cuphead's right lip smiled bigger.
Mugman pushed his nose and forehead deeper. "Oh ya said sumthin'." He narrowed his glare.
Cuphead giggled. "Nah, yer just hearin' stuff." He pushed Mugman's face back to its comfortable pose, and then kept resting his forehead and nose onto his brother's.
Mugman just kept glaring at him suspiciously, waiting for a sign that Cuphead would say any humbuggery and dum dumness… and then he just closed his eyes and resumed his curly smile. The brotherly heart in Mugman's chest meanwhile hugged a picture frame which contained Cuphead and Mugman's buddy-hugging picture. It even planted a kiss on it in the middle and then continued hugging the frame.
"…dorky buddy…" Cuphead whispered.
Mugman recoiled away as far as Cuphead's arms could reach, his eyes glared unamused, his mouth gaped as if non-vocally saying 'Ahh… so that's how ya wanna play it' and 'I can't believe ya just did that!' at the same time.
Seeing Mugman's face, Cuphead started to giggle louder and giddier with a few hiccups.
Mugman leaned a little closer and narrowed his stare. "Oh yeah? What does that make ya?"
Closed eyes, Cuphead held his hips proudly. "I'm the cool one remembah."
"Uhh uhh!" Mugman shook his head, and folded his arms. "Yer the sippy one."
Cuphead's eyes widened and his mouth slowly gaped open… and soon Mugman's eyes did too as he realized what he just said.
His eyes narrowed. His smile smirked. "What did'ja call me?"
Mugman smiled with a nervous scrunchy mouth, his shoulders shrunk and shivered, and he retreated back under the blanket a little… but then he closed his eyes, bit his chin, and gulped his fear down. He then opened his eyes, held his head high (higher than Cuphead's in fact) and stared him down.
"I called ya a sippy!" Mugman jabbed a finger down Cuphead's stomach.
Jolting and squeaking from the finger jab, Cuphead giggled and recoiled. "Oh that's how ya wanna play it huh?!" He scrunched his eyebrows, rolled up his black sleeves, exposing his white arms, and then wiggled his fingers in front of Mugman's face.
Seeing the wiggly fingers, Mugman's body shivered with goosebumps, he bit his lower lip, his smile squiggled, and his straw straightened into an exclamation point. But then he shook his head, then pushed his smile to be bigger & more confident, and he raised his hands. "Yeah. I DO!"
Fingers straight onto his stomach, Mugman tackled Cuphead down to the bed, and the Cup laughed and laughed as Mugman's fingers wiggled round and round, over, under, and even in the center of his stomach. Cuphead tried to push away his brother's arms, but laughing Mugman kept jabbing them back or dodging his brother's pushes.
As Mugman jabbed his right arm, Cuphead's left hand jabbed into Mugman's armpit, causing the squeak in laughter and move his right shoulder away from Cuphead's hand, but Cuphead took the opening and jabbed his brother's right hip. Mugman's body curled in, trying to cover his hip, but Cuphead's hand was still in it and was wiggling its fingers.
Growling, laughing, and battle yelling, the boys went on and on in this back and forth rumble and tumble fight cloud in this tiny wrestling ring of a one-person bed, with both of them either giving it their hardest tickles yet, or laughing their hearts out as they were tickled. In one instance, Mugman managed to snatch Cuphead's head off his neck and then tickle the base of his 'cup' head, leaving Cuphead's body to jolt on the bed while the head laughed with squeaky hiccups. In another, Cuphead kept wiggling onto Mugman's side stomachs, and Mugman kept laughing and laughing with snorts while his body jolted. In another, Mugman was sitting on Cuphead's tush, and tickling Cuphead's right foot mercilessly, and the latter kept laughing with tears while he pounded the pillow with his fists. Back and forth, dominating each other, this fight cloud of laughter went on and on.
Eventually, they rolled off the bed, and crashed down to the floor with their heads rolling on the floor (literally) in a half-circle each, Cuphead rolled to the left, and Mugman rolled to the right, laughing with their respective snorts and squeaky hiccups. Their heads clinked together, completing the full circle with each of their half circle rolls, and the clink tilted their heads upright, jiggling 'til the bases of their 'cup heads' were flat on the floor.
Finally, after a long while of laughing, they both made big sighs. Closed eyes, their bodies grabbed their heads from the floor, then held it on top of their stomachs facing the ceiling.
Opening their eyes, they saw a ceiling full of plastic green stars, and they both smiled.
"Guess that really wasn't ya back there…" Mugman's eyes kept looking at the stars.
Cuphead blinked, and his mouth opened a little in surprise. "Whaddya mean Mugs?" His eyes kept looking at the stars too.
"I mean, it wasn't ya who dunnit ya know?" Mugman looked at Cuphead momentarily. "Back there… ya did stuff ya wouldn't normally do, ya said stuff ya wouldn't yap about…" His hand opened while explaining. "Ya had this… creepy smile on ya face…"
Cuphead's eyes widened. 'Creepy smile…' Two crimson vertical lines for eyes… A closed curved mouth smile, as if delighting in what it had done… Was that connected?
"I haven't been freaked out like that ever since we met the devil or…" Mugman took a breath. "Ya prankin' me tuh thinkin' ya were gonna give the soul contracts tuh the devil."
Cuphead snickered. "I got ya pretty good didn't I?" He elbowed Mugman.
Mugman grumbled. "Cuphead, ya were turnin. Yer teeth were sharkin', yer straw was chippin', yer eyes turned yellowy with red… fiery circle thin's in em."
Cuphead snickered. "'Circle' thin's?"
Mugman grumbled again. "Look, I dunno the werd for 'em okay?"
"I thot ya 'ad good comblahblahsion?" Cuphead looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
Mugman's cheeks puffed and his eyes twitched in annoyance. "W-well-"
"Ah! Ah!" Cuphead beamed, his head was sitting on his stomach and his fingers were pointing straight to Mugman. "I gotcha!"
Eyes twitching, straw puffing with steam, mouth scrunched in annoyance, Mugman grumbled as he slammed his head back onto his neck. "Well at least its bettah than yers!" He poked Cuphead's stomach as he said 'bettah'.
As he was poked, Cuphead's body jolted and he squeaked in laughter, and in retaliation he poked Mugman's side stomach, which caused him to squeak in laughter as well. Giggling, they both raised their hands, ready to block any finger jab to be thrown at either of them, and then they lowered their hands down, silently agreeing to stop. They both looked back at the stars, while Cuphead was putting his head back to his neck.
"I just…" Mugman looked at the lower cornoer of his eyes. "I just know ya that's all. It dun make sense but, that cup who dun' all that back there…." He looked at his brother and smiled. "I know that wasn't ya."
While Cuphead twisted his head secure, his eyes were locked onto Mugman's and he smiled as well. They both held hands and then looked up at the ceiling.
"I dun…" Cuphead turned his head slightly to Mugman. "I dun remember anythin' after I got ticked off. I just woke up aftah ya smacked me 'n the face."
"Well…" Mugman looked at Cuphead. "What ticked ya off then?"
Cuphead paused for a moment, and looked at Mugman. "Toriel hit ya pretty square. She sent ya flyin' tuh the wall, and then yer…" His eyes widened. "Yer handle!"
Mugman raised an eyebrow. "What about it?"
"It's fixed!" Cuphead pointed to it.
Looking behind him. Mugman reached and grasped his handle, and gasped as he could feel it whole. "It is!" His eyes widened as he looked back at Cuphead.
Then… creamy golden-brown wisps of air seeped into Cuphead and Mugman's nostrils, and they sniffed in the scent of butter and cinnamon. At the same time, the boys sat up… and there they saw the source.
Two creamy brown pies (with golden brown crust and creamy brown filling) were set on the floor in the middle of the rug blessed by the warm white light peeking from the narrow open doorway.
"Woah… De ja vu…" Cuphead stared at the pies with a raised eyebrow as he scratched the top of his bendy straw.
"Cuphead…" Mugman stared at the pies in epiphany. "I think we're way past de ja vu ville at this point."
They both stared at the pies, trying to grasp what's going on.
Out of the semi-open door, Cuphead (above) and Mugman (below) peeked their heads out and looked around the brightly warm-lit hallway. Knowing it was clear, Cuphead walked out with Mugman following behind him, reaching his hand for a hand hold, but Cuphead, annoyed, swatted it away with his back hand.
As they walked, Mugman looked up to see a series of glowing orbs that were painfully as bright as the sun. His eyes squinted as they passed him… he wondered what they were called.
The growing sound of fire crackled as they approached the living room. They peeked in to see Toriel sitting on her reading couch, wearing her reading glasses, eyes focused on the brown book she held up to her eyes. She was humming a tune similar to what the music box was playing.
Toriel chuckled to herself. "Snails, snails, snails… I do really miss snail pie though." She sighed longingly as she kept reading her book. "Snails cannot survive in-" She was about to read the rest of the passage, but then caught a tint of blue and red at the bottom right periphery of her vision.
"Oh!" She exclaimed as she moved the book away to the left, to see Cuphead and Mugman standing there with their blank faces. She smiled. "Up and about I see. Did you sleep well?" She tilted her head playfully. "In fact, you slept like a…" She closed her eyes. "Cupple of angels!"
She laughed out loud to the ceiling, but the boys only kept silent, looking at her, remembering what had happened to her. Toriel's laughter awkwardly died down as she looked at them strangely.
"Is there…" She cleared her throat. "Something wrong?"
Cuphead and Mugman's straws turned into exclamation points and their eyes widened.
"Oh! Err… n-nuthin!" Cuphead nervously smiled as he scratched his head.
"Y-yeah!" Mugman began touching his fingers. "W-we just-" Mugman stretched his arms wide, accidentally hitting Cuphead with his right fist. "Woke up!"
After he was hit, Cuphead looked at Mugman annoyed, but then smirked. "Yeah! We-" He stretched his arms wide and hit Mugman with his left fist.
"Ow!" Mugman yelled.
"We're still feelin' the mornin' blues!" Cuphead continued.
"Hey! Watcha do that for!" Mugman rubbed his right shoulder, comforting it from the pain
"Hey!" Cuphead shrugged his shoulders, then raised his hands as he smiled carefree at Mugman. "Ya started it foirst."
Mugman's fists tightened as he grunted loudly, and stomped his left foot as his straw puffed with steam.. "That's not how it woirks!"
Cuphead grinned, with fists at the ready to fight.
Toriel sighed and rolled her eyes. "Children, just because I have healing powers, does not mean you can just fight each other over and over."
"Aww." Cuphead looked at Toriel with a sad face. "Why not?!"
"Cuphead!" Mugman stared angrily at him, with tears welling in his eyes, a little betrayed knowing that his brother wanted to fight him.
"What?!" Cuphead put his fists on his hips as he smiled at Mugman. "It's fun tuh have a lil' rumble!"
Mugman's eyes widened. "Oh yeah that is fun!" He nodded as his fists pounded the air excitedly.
"No!" Toriel held their shoulders. "No fighting as long as you are living in this house!"
Smiling, Cuphead and Mugman looked at Toriel, but then they slowly frowned as they heard what Toriel said. 'Living in this house.'
Toriel's eyes widened as she caught herself saying that.
"Oh! F-forgive me." She gave a forced chuckle. "Only if you are willing of course!" She clapped her hands.
Cuphead and Mugman looked at each other worried, and then back at Toriel.
Toriel forced her smile. "Don't worry my children. I have it all planned out!" She held her index finger pointing up. "In fact, I have prepared a special curriculum for your education!" She clasped her hands together. "You could learn about monsters magic, snails!" She touched-counted her index, middle, and ring finger, counting each subject that was mentioned. "Oh!" She spread her hands. "Let's not forget your basic subjects like Math, English, and even your arts!" She counted the subjects with her left hand.
She closed her eyes and sighed as she rested her hands on her lap. "I have always wanted to be a teacher you know?" She looked at the boys, who just listened to her blankly. "Actually… perhaps that wasn't much of a surprise…" Her eyes looked at the corner, as she chuckled nervously. "But still." She glared intently at space.
"Oh!" She smiled at them as she clapped her hands together. "Would ya like to get started?"
Cuphead and Mugman just stared at her not knowing what to say. They looked at each other trying to find something, but they could not.
Toriel huffed. "Well, I think we can start by reading a book. Mugman, could you go to the shelf and choose a book for us to read?"
For a few seconds, Mugman looked at Toriel with worry, and then he walked towards the bookshelf. His eyes scanned left and right at the bookshelf to find something interesting… and then he came across a golden title in a black leather book spine.
'The Underground: A History.'
Mugman pulled out the black book and then brought it to Toriel with the front cover facing her.
As she looked at the book, Toriel's expression numbed into a frown. For a few moments she kept staring at it, and then suddenly shook her head awake.
"Why… this particular book my child?" Toriel faked a smile as she held the book with her hands.
"W-well…" Mugman touched his fingers. "I wanna learn more about this place. Ya- ya know it's… it's…" Mugman looked to the side thinking what to say.
"Home!" Cuphead raised his finger.
Mugman gasped and smiled at Cuphead's answer.
Cuphead winked at Mugman, and looked at Toriel. "It's like ya said Toriel. It's home!"
Toriel's smile warmed and stretched up to her eyes. "Alright." She set the book down above the fireplace shelf, and then patted her hands on her knees. "Come up here my children."
Cuphead and Mugman made half-smiles, and then climbed up to sit on her knees. Toriel picked up the book again from the shelf, brought it between the boys, and then opened it.
Toriel began reading. "Long ago, two races ruled over earth: humans and monsters. And apparently…" She chuckled, and looked at Cuphead. "Some of them were cups!" She booped his tiny red nose with her left finger.
"Hey!" Cuphead smiled, raised an eyebrow, and swatted the finger away gently.
She looked towards Mugman. "And mugs!" She booped the tip of Mugman's nose, and he giggled bubblily with a few snorts.
Toriel looked back to her book. "One day, war broke out between the two races."
"What kind'a war?" Cuphead leaned forward to the book, his hands held his knees.
"A terrible one my child." Toriel said, smiling.
"Was there any 'kaboom!'" Mugman spread his hands, mimicking an explosion. "Choo Choo!" He pretended to fire his finger guns.
Cuphead laughed at Mugman's comment. "Or any 'Wham!'" He punched the air with his right fist. "'Bam!'" He punched with his left fist. "'Ka-pow!'" He spread his hands to mimic an explosion.
"He-hehey!" Mugman giggled. "That's what I said!" He pointed his thumb to himself as he leaned towards Cuphead.
"Nah, ya said, 'Kaboom!'" Cuphead folded his arms as he smirked at Mugman.
Mugman rolled his eyes playfully.
Toriel chuckled. "Yes. There were plenty of those my children. Plenty…." She looked back at the book and frowned. "And terrible."
Cuphead gasped in amazement, while Mugman frowned.
"After a long battle…" Toriel's eyes started to tremble. "The humans were victorious."
"Woohoo!" Cuphead punched the air in celebration.
Glaring at his brother, Mugman lightly punched Cuphead's side-stomach. "Cuphead!"
"Ow! Hey!" But then, Cuphead gasped and his eyes widened in realization. "Oh! Ummm…" He smiled apologetically to Toriel. "Sorry." He scratched the back of his head.
Toriel smiled numbly. "It's alright my child." She closed her eyes, feigning a happy smile. "You won."
Mugman and Cuphead frowned… then shivered; it creeped them out, especially remembering what they did to her.
Toriel opened her eyes and looked back at the book. "They sealed the monsters underground with a magic spell."
Cuphead and Mugman looked at the book with gloom; this wasn't their fairytale… it was the beginning of their dark fate.
"Fearful of further human attacks, we retreated." Toriel's voice became gloomier. "Far far into the earth we walked, until we reached the cavern's end. This was our new home, which we named… Home."
Toriel stopped, and she just stared into the book eerily and silently.
Mugman looked into the page, and read the last sentence.
'As great as our king is, he is pretty lousy at names.'
Worried and confused, Mugman looked back to their caretaker. "Toriel?"
Her hands gripped the book with tension, and then shut the book gently. "Excuse me for a moment." She set the book down to the right armrest. She picked up Cuphead and Mugman's handles and set the boys down standing on the floor.
With gloomy faces, Cuphead and Mugman just stood there and watched her leave, just like she did before.
"This is the part she tells us she won't let us go. You know… when we go down theeh'" Mugman pointed his finger to where Toriel left.
Cuphead just silently listened, not reacting to something he should've known already. He put his hand into his right pocket, and then unpocketed something. Bringing it out and unfolding his fist, he gasped as he saw the toy knife, and he dropped it to the floor in shock.
When Mugman looked at it, his eyes widened and he gasped in shock too.
They both looked in horror at the toy knife on the floor.
A Froggit squeaked in shock. "Where did you get that?!"
Cuphead and Mugman, holding hands and standing side by side, looked at the Froggit standing by the corner of the doorway they exited from.
"Oh! Hey there fella!" Mugman smiled and waved hi.
"We found it lyin' around back there." Cuphead pointed his thumb towards the doorway behind them.
The Froggit squeaked horrified. "Y-you're" It croaked, as if gulping anxiously. "You're not gonna use that are you?!"
Cuphead and Mugman stared in shock and confusion.
"What fer?!" Cuphead's grip on Mugman's hand squeezed a bit as he stared with a raised eyebrow.
The Froggit croaked. "Oh… a long time ago that was used for some unspeakable horrors…" Its eyes looked at its lower left corner in remembrance.
The boys looked bewildered at the Froggit, but then their cheeks puffed accompanied with snickers, and then they each unleashed a squeaky and snorty laughter; Cuphead had his hands on his stomach as he leaned back, and Mugman had his hands on his lap as he bent forward.
"Hey look Mugman!" Cuphead raised his toy knife and looked mischievously at his brother who was raising an eyebrow back at him. "I'm gonna get'cha with this!"
"AGH!" Mugman's body jolted as Cuphead poked his toy knife into his right armpit. "C-Cupheadd-AGH!" He made another loud squeak loud as he was poked again. He raised his hands trying to swat away or block the jabs, but Cuphead just kept jabbing into openings he saw. "PLE-HEehease!" He laughed. "Ss-stohaHAHAHAHA!" Merciless and relentless jabs kept poking to his tickle spots while Cuphead just kept giggling like a menace.
Furious, and holding back tears from its eyes and stomach, The Froggit grumbled and stared the boys down with all four eyes. "Oh you can make fun of it all you want but it's true! YOU DIRTY SCUMBUGS!" It SHOUTED, then hopped towards them.
Mid-laughter, they abruptly fell silent, and the boys stared wide-eyes offended at the Froggit that was trying tower over them despite his small size. Mugman's eyes started to moisten, and he made a sniffle. Cuphead's eyes widened as he noticed his brother's reaction.
To the Froggit, Cuphead stomped forward while clutching the knife on his right hand. "WHAT DIDJ'A CALL US?!"
Squeaking in alarm, The Froggit stuck its back against the wall, and its fore and hind webbed feet grasped it for life.
"CUPHEAD NO!" Mugman yelled as he grasped his brother's wrist, the one Cuphead was clutching the knife with.
Though enraged, Cuphead looked at his brother, and after hearing his brother's plea, his eyes and hands softened. After an angry huff, Cuphead yanked his hands away from his brother's, and folded his arms as he looked away in some corner.
Mugman smiled with gratitude and sympathy at his brother, then turned to the Froggit. "W-we're sorry, we just thought-"He began to touch his index fingers.
"Well you thought wrong!" The Froggit leaned forward, with his webbed feet still clinging to the wall. "That thing was used to torment us monsters! Just like what you just did right now!" It pointed a webbed finger to Mugman.
Mugman just covered his mouth with his hands, and looked away with tears on his eyes.
The Froggit croaked and then sighed, closing its eyes for a moment. "Please… as much as you can.." It croaked, and then opened its eyes. "Have mercy on us monsters."
From looking away, Cuphead and Mugman stared in horrified confusion at the Froggit. For a second they looked at each other, and then back at the Froggit.
"M-Mercy?!" Mugman's eyebrows creased with concern and worry, the shaking fingertips on his hands were about to touch together.
"Golly we'ah sorry!" Cuphead swung his fists behind him. "We ain't gonna hurt ya pal, quit yappin about that stuff!" He folded his arms again.
"Oh…" The Froggit croaked, its body started to relax. "That's what they all say." It croaked again, and then relaxed onto all fours. "Trust me humans. One day…" Its eyes looked at the corner of them, and then back at the boys. "You will have to exercise mercy. Even if they don't ask for it. Even if-!" It croaked again. "Even if they don't deserve it." It shook its head.
Cuphead and Mugman looked at each other, biting their lower lips creeped out by this advice and unsure how to respond.
The Froggit croaked, it hopped a little closer to the boys. "By the way… Toriel came by here just a while ago."
From creeped out, Cuphead and Mugman gasped and smiled at the Froggit. "She did?!"
The Froggit croaked and smiled. "Yes! She was carrying some groceries." It croaked again. "I didn't ask what they were for, unfortunately…" The Froggit looked left and right and then whispered with its backhand covering its sidemouth. "We're all too intimidated to talk to her."
Cuphead and Mugman snickered and snorted into giggles.
"Yeah, she tends to do that sometimes." Mugman rolled his eyes to one side.
The Froggit nodded and croaked. "Indeed."
Looking back at the doorway, Cuphead and Mugman saw a majestic view of castle towers, walls, and the star-like glowing lights coming from the windows and the summits of those towers.
Still holding hands, the boys walked past the doorway into a balcony with pink-bricked battlements on the walls. They walked 'til their hands touched a crenel, and they took a deep breath as they basked at the view.
The castle was huge! Two tall castle towers flanked each side (one on the left, and one on the right), and there was one shorter tower in the middle. Behind the short middle castle tower was a dome tower; the top had a small lookout room with crescent-arched windows, lines etched from base of the lookout room down to the baseline of the dome radiating from the center outwards, and finally there were three small crescent arched windows below the baseline of the dome. The dome was flanked by four tall towers, two on the front of it, and two from behind, and they all looked smaller from this distance. From each flanking tower, there was a hall that had thin pillars supporting the thick ceiling/roof, each hall spread apart from the dome like they were its wings. Behind the castle, were numerous villages and communities, and far beyond was a tinier castle they could barely see.
The Froggit hopped close beside them and then jumped up several times to at least get to see the view beyond the wall taller than him. Letting go of Cuphead's hand, Mugman looked down at the Froggit, picked him up, and held him close to his chest as they looked at the view together.
The Froggit croaked. "No matter how long we've been trapped here… I can never deny that this…" It croaked again. "Is a majestic sight to behold."
Cuphead and Mugman sighed dreamily. They sidestepped close to each other, then Cuphead buddy hugged Mugman, and then they gently let their heads clink together.
"Righty-ho pal." They said in sync. "Righty-ho."
Their eyes were glued to the floor with heavy thoughts looming over their heads as they walked the long pink hallway. They left the toy knife behind on the floor in the living room, not daring to touch it again.
As they walked, Toriel had been speaking to them about destroying the door, about Asgore, and how she insisted them to go upstairs, but these words fell on their deaf ears as their minds circled over heavy thoughts.
"One day… you will have to exercise mercy. Even if they don't ask for it. Even if-!" The Froggit croaked. "Even if they don't deserve it."
Killing her… Cuphead not remembering how… Mugman trying to stop it but failing… and just at the thought of it, they erased all that by going back in time… and now they're afraid of making that same mistake again… of seeing her die again…
They stopped walking. Their eyes looked up.
Far ahead, Toriel stood there looking at the door in front of her, with her back turned towards the boys.
"You want to leave so badly?" Toriel spoke in her numb voice. "Hmph… You are just like the others." She began to turn slowly, and she stared back at them with her numb eyes. She gave a deep sigh and closed her eyes. "There is only one solution to this… Prove yourself…" She opened her eyes, and laid her palms to her left and right at the ready. "Prove to me you are strong enough to survive."
Cuphead and Mugman looked at Toriel with such sorrow, this was the moment before Toriel… before they…
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Toriel's numb eyes squinted little.
Confused, Cuphead and Mugman's eyes squinted. "W-what?!"
"Why did you just look at me as if you saw a ghost?" Her numb but soft voice spoke. "Do you know something I do not?"
Mugman's eyes widened and he gasped. "C-Cuphead!"
In response, Cuphead held Mugman's hand as he stared in shock-realization at Toriel. Mugman looked at his brother, who noticed his focused stare.
"No… that is impossible." Right then, Toriel firmed her stance at the ready.
Cuphead and Mugman's mouths straightened numb, and they stared at her, accepting the inevitability. Mugman looked to Cuphead, waiting for him to say something. Then… Cuphead smiled with cheery bright hope. Cuphead looked at his brother and winked at him.
Mugman's eyebrow arched, confused why his brother was smiling… but slowly… Mugman smiled too. They didn't know why, they didn't know how… but as they looked at Toriel with brave and determined faces, they tightened the grip on each other's hands with one idea in their minds.
'We're gonna save Toriel.'
A yellow star glowed from between their hands.
From Toriel's palms, two candlelight fires sparked from thin air and grew into fireballs. Like before, she circled her arms clockwise 'til she brought her wrists together and then thrusted them forward, unleashing a colorful spiraling fire blast.
Mugman stared at the spiral of fire with a sweat on his brow. "Backflip!" He looked at his brother urgently, and he nodded.
Cuphead and Mugman made continuous backflips until they reached they were a meter away from the wall behind them. But then their eyes widened as the fire blasts kept approaching them.
They jumped away from the center trying to dodge it, but the fire blasts hit the wall, and the flames bounced and spread sidewards. When they turned, the flames were already in their faces.
Far ahead of Toriel who was gritting her teeth while maintaining her power, the hallway was engulfed in rainbow-colored bright flames. After a while, the boys emerged screaming, bodies charred in black except for their eyes, flailing their arms around and running in panic.
"CUPHEAAAD!" Mugman turned to Cuphead behind him.
"MUGMAAAN!" Cuphead turned to Mugman behind him.
They both ran into each other's arms, but as their chests bumped into each other, their bodies dissipated powdery ashes, leaving their shivering pink hearts or SOULs behind. Before their eyes dissipated, the boys caught a glimpse of Toriel covering her mouth and watching in horror at what she had done.
Falling… falling… into the darkness. Closed eyes, into the null, silent void…
"C-…" A faint voice echoed.
They kept falling… and falling…
"You have to wake up…" The faint voice said.
Their close eyes stirred for a moment but remained shut.
"Boys…" Elder Kettle's voice spoke, in his warm, caring, and playful nature. "I've got hot chocolate for your Mugs if you'll come home!"
Cuphead and Mugman's eyes opened with fresh determination in their eyes. They both turned to the bottom of the void, which then turned into the image of Toriel standing at the ready to fight. They both held hands and they dove straight to the image. The boys' voices spoke in the void.
'We're gonna save Toriel.'
Their eyes opened to the moment when Toriel laid her palms open at the ready.
Toriel, like before, twirled her hands spiraling towards the center, then prepared a fireball from the center of her coned palms. This time, she spread her arms open in quick whips of her arms, unleashing eight fireballs arranged in a curved row.
Cuphead leaned in towards Mugman. "Mugs…" He whispered.
Mugman turned to him. "Yeah?"
"Ya saw that look Toriel gave us?" Cuphead he raised an eyebrow to his brother.
Mugman paused for a moment of thought, a moment of dark, hibby jibby thought, and then nodded. "Yeah."
Toriel pushed her hands forward, and the fireballs launched towards them.
Mugman's left eye reflected the fireballs that were coming to them, but his right eye showed the memory of Toriel's shock.
Cuphead jumped to the side to get out of the way. As he landed safe, he turned around and saw Mugman, closed eyes, and arms wide open… while the fireballs were hurtling straight towards him.
"MUGMAN!" Cuphead screamed, his straw turned into an exclamation point, and his eyes shrank and shook with terror.
All eight fireballs landed onto Mugman and exploded. Cuphead covered his eyes with his arms, because of the bright light of the explosion. When he opened them, he saw a dark ash spot left behind with a mound of ash.
From the ash pile, Mugman's ghost came out floating up unconscious.
After swinging his fists to the right and lifting his left foot to the right in cartoony fashion, Cuphead sprinted to Mugman and, using his gloved hand that popped out from the tip of his head-straw, gave a loud clapping high-five to Mugman's pink heart on his chest.
In ghost form, Mugman gasped for air and opened his eyes, and then his body (starting from his torso to his appendages, to his mug head, and finally to his circular straw halo straightening back again) popped back into its solid, physical form. From midair, Mugman fell down, and was caught laid across Cuphead's arms; some milk splashed out of Mugman's head in the meanwhile.
"Mugs!" Cuphead yelled as he looked with watery eyes at his brother. "Speak to me buddy!" He shook his brother.
Mugman moaned. He turned his weak half-open gaze to Cuphead.
"Nice… catch…" With a deep exhale, Mugman slumped onto Cuphead's arms.
Cuphead smiled, his watery eyes streamed down tears to his face. "Don't scare me like that ya dum dum!" Arms holding Mugman's knees and torso, Cuphead hugged Mugman very very tight, and the exhausted latter just wrapped one buddy arm to Cuphead's neck and clinked his head.
A sigh… a very heavy, heartaching but relieved sigh… followed by a desperate gasp for air.
Shaking and shivering breaths in and out... in and out… Tears streamed down from Toriel's horrified eyes… Her trembling hands were lowered to her chin… and then, her knees crashed to the ground, and she buried her face within her hands. (Get draft from other laptop)
Cuphead and Mugman looked her way and saw her panting, breathing in shaking, shivering, and heartaching breaths. Her eyes flowed with tears, and her hands lowered to her chin after covering her mouth in shock. Her knees shook, and then crashed to the floor. She buried her face into her hands, and began to sob to the point tears flowed through the gaps of her fingers.
To see her so broken like this… eyes wondering if there was any other way, any lesser evil they could've used to convince her… but the boys sighed, knowing that this was the best chance they've ever gotten.
Cuphead set Mugman down, and together they made two steps forward.
"Pleeaase…" Her shuddering whisper was like a ghost's. "Go upstairs…"
The boys paused and froze just to look at her. But they took a breath, held hands, and took another step.
"PLEEAASSE!" Toriel screamed, her hands covered her eyes, leaving only her mouth open.
Mugman shuddered while Cuphead's chest jumped.
Breathing in and out… shuddering… in and out… Toriel made a cold and forceful chuckle. "Ironic… is it not?" Shuddering breath in and out. "…I couldn't save a single child… and now…" She made a sob. "It's as if I killed one… no… all of them…!" Her forehead dropped to the floor, and she wailed so loud, her voice echoed through the halls.
"A-all-!" Mugman gulped. "All of-f th-them?!" His legs began to jelly tremble.
Knowing there was no point in delaying, Cuphead shook his head to clear his mind. "Come on Mugs!" He started to walk around Toriel.
With his glossy caring empathetic eyes, Mugman turned to Cuphead, and then glanced back at Toriel, as if to say they could not just leave like this.
Cuphead just shook his head in response. "Mugs!" His eyes pointed at the door, then he looked back at him. "We can go now! Let's just go!"
"Oh…" Mugman glanced at Toriel again, and he made a sniffle. "O-okay…"
They walked around Toriel who kept wailing in the meantime. They made it to the door, and pushed it open (Mugman on the left, Cuphead on the right). They took their first step past the doorway, until-
"Wait!" Toriel called.
The boys turned around.
With her back turned, Toriel had stood up, wiped her face with her paws, then wiped the skirt of her toga with her hands. "This… this isn't your home." She took a deep breath and let out a deep sigh of regret. "Even if I were to convince you to stay… you won't be happy here… and…" Toriel turned her head back to them. "There is someone… waiting for you?"
Cuphead and Mugman nodded.
"Elder Kettle…" Mugman responded.
She looked at the corner of her eyes, then closed them, and then turned away from the boys. "If you truly wish to leave the ruins… I won't try to stop you any longer…" Her right hand grasped the chest of her toga tightly. "And if you do…" She showed the right side of her face to them, where a tear streamed from that closed eye. "Please… don't come back."
Cuphead and Mugman's eyes widened. They glanced at each other, and Cuphead rolled his eyes, frustrated that it wasn't right to go, while Mugman just gave a look of sympathy. The boys walked to Toriel.
Cuphead tugged on her toga. "Hey… we dun'-!"
Toriel suddenly turned around and hugged them on their backs, and the boys gasped in response. "Please… try to understand."
The boys looked with wide eyes at her after this sudden act of hers, but then their eyes began to well up and they began to sniffle with runny noses. With big arms, they hugged her back and they began to cry.
She then pulled away, wiped a tear from each of their eyes, and smiled at their booger-infested runny-nosed sobbing faces.
The boys touched their necks, and their eyes widened to feel cloth wrapped around them. They looked down and gasped to see that their necks were wrapped with scarves, blue and red with their respective colors.
"Goodbye… children…" With a smile, she stood up and wiped tear from her right eye with her thumb. "Be good, alright?"
Toriel then took a step away, and then sprinted back towards the direction of home.
"W-wait!" They both shouted as they reached their hands towards her.
Her footsteps faded, and faded… and faded… into silence. She was gone… she was gone… Only the breaths of the two boys staring at the empty hall could be heard. Their eyes met, communicating a mix of 'what just happened', 'what do we do?', and calling each other's names, all in just that one look. And then… they just turned around and ran.
Side by side, footsteps echoing through the halls, they ran in this long narrow hallway towards the darkness ahead. While they were running, Cuphead's eyes widened suddenly remembering, then he angrily looked at Mugman, and punched him on his left shoulder.
"Ow!" Mugman recoiled away. "Hey, what was dat foh?!" He glared at Cuphead while he rubbed his own shoulder.
Suddenly, Cuphead gave a tackling hug that almost tipped Mugman over to fall, but he held his ground.
"Why'dja do that ya big joirk?!" Furious, Cuphead finger-jabbed Mugman's side stomach, causing the latter to squeak in laughter. "Yer gonna gimme nightmares with dat stunt ya pulled!" He hugged Mugman really tight.
"Aww…" Mugman smiled heartwarmingly, and returned the hug. "Well, ya saw how she looked at us when we got toasted…" He opened his eyes and looked at a corner in deep thought. "So I figyad it was what we needed tuh get outta heeya."
"Clever…" From the darkness, a triple-pitched demonic, sarcastic voice spoke.
Eyes widened, frozen in place, the boys slowly turned towards the direction of the voice.
Over the center of the room, where a sunlight spotlight shone over a large circular spot with grass, Flowey was there puffy-cheeked making a 'jolly-sarcastic' bubbly giggle.
"Veeeery clever." Flowey's stare narrowed narrowed. "If only every solution to yer problem involved killing yourself." With its carnivorous smile, it unleashed a demonic cackle straight up the ceiling that had a large hole where the sun light came through.
Cuphead grunted, broke his hug, and pointed his finger gun at Flowey. "Ya shut yer yap ya stupid pansy!" He stood in front of Mugman to shield him.
With its sly smug, Flowey leaned away. "Ohoohoho! Veery scary!" It tilted its head left and right. "Of course… I would be too after finding out what you did." It leaned forward and gave a sly cunning smile at them.
"Yer babbling Flowey!" Mugman stood beside Cuphead and pointed his own finger gun at Flowey.
"Oh…" Flowey's face morphed into Toriel's. "Am I really my stupid idiots?!" Its demonic voice imitated Toriel's voice.
Eyes wide, they gasped, and their finger guns were lowered slightly.
"Thaat's right! I know what'cha did!" His face became gigantic, and towered over the boys, who fell sitting and leaning away from Flowey. "You MURDERED HER!" He shouted, and his voice echoed to the top. "MURDERED HER! MURDERED HER! MURDERED HER!"
"But theeeeeeen…" While menacingly rolling his eyes, Flowey's face shrank back to normal. "Ya both had a cuute brotherly fight 'bout how that Cup went berserk, and then hugged it all out and cried like wittle babies!" Speaking as if towards a baby, Flowey wagged its face left and right, and pouted its lips "…'Til ya woke up back at that stupid tree!" It spoke in its normal tone.
Mugman's eyes widened, while Cuphead just stared horrified and furious.
"W-… wh…" Cuphead uttered.
"You…" Mugman pointed his finger.
"Thaat's right!" Flowey tilted its head to one side, teasingly. "I saw the whole thing! I guess you could say I've been… 'stalking' ya!" With its sharp carnivorous teeth showing, Flowey unleashed a demonic cackle to the ceiling. "Ugh! I can't believe I sound like that trashbag." It sneered, looking to the side.
"Get away from us ya creep!" Cuphead pointed his shivering finger gun at Flowey.
"And ya ain't supposed to know that!" Mugman yelled while also pointing a shivering finger gun at Flowey.
"Oh yeah…" Flowey stretched its face really close to Mugman, that the latter gasped, shivered, and backed away. "Yer SUPPOSED to be the smart one here!" Flowey said in mocking imitation of how Mugman said it before. "NOT!" With its demonic pupil-less eyes and carnivorous smile, it stretched closer to Mugman, making the latter yelp in fear.
Mugman ran behind Cuphead, and hid behind him while they both pointed their finger guns at Flowey.
"Going back in time to save poor Toriel…" Flowey hummed in a mocking tune while it shrank itself back to normal size. "You think yer the only one who has that power?" It raised an eyebrow and tilted its face to the boys.
Finger guns still pointing at Flowey, Cuphead and Mugman narrowed their stares trying to understand.
"The power to reshape this world…" With its leaves for hands, Flowey traced a rainbow starting from the center then ending to the sides. "All by sheer determination…" It then scooped up the air and held up an imaginary thing on the tip of its leaves and lifted it up to the light. "The power to play God! The power… to 'Save'."
The boys' stares narrowed even more. "The power… to 'Save'."
"Those visions you saw while you were falling down that dark abyss that suddenly opens up when ya simply 'want to go back'?" Flowey raised an eyebrow, then giggled. "That was every moment you 'Saved'. And you could only go back to the last one ya did it. Never the others." It shook its head.
With widened eyes, Cuphead and Mugman gasped. They flipped their palms facing themselves and looked at them, then looked at each other.
"I thought I was the only one…" Flowey rolled its eyes playfully. "But you!" Its eyes turned pale white, and it smiled with sharp teeth again. "It's because of you I can't do it anymore!" It chuckled with its triple-pitched menacing voice. "And once I kill ya, Imma have a nice CUPPLE of warm milk as I drink up your SOULS!" It chuckled, its leaves covered its mouth as if mimicking a playful child.
Feeling threatened, the boys pointed their finger guns at the flower.
"Awww, did I scare ya wittle babies?" Flowey wagged its head and puckered its lips. "Well buckle up! 'Cuz that's not even the most interesting part is it…?" It smiled with its sharp-toothed grin, and it leaned towards the boys. "I mean, the dummy phasing through the wall…" Flowey tilted its face and rolled its eyes from one side to the other as it enumerated "The pineapple spike beds, star-shaped beams from Loox, Toriel's fire pillars…" Flowey stared at them with his narrow eyes. "They never did those before… You've changed the game haven't you?" Its smile widened as it chuckled.
"What're you yappin'about?!" Cuphead yelled as both he and Mugman made a step back.
"YOU!" Its face suddenly bloomed into gigantic size, and it smiled with its tongue out and its carnivorous teeth showing like a giant snake. "YOU ARE FROM ANOTHER WORLD! Every 'Save' I've loaded!" It pushed forward to the boys, and the boys stepped back. "Every Reset I've ever run in this world!" It pushed forward again, and the boys fell sitting and crawling back, while pointing their guns, wanting to fire but hesitant to even start a fight. "Froggits, Whimsuns, Vegetoids, Toriel, even that stupid rock!" On each Flowey enumerated, it pushed forward, and the boys kept crawling back to the foot of the hall. "They've all done and said the same things, in every Pacifist, Neutral, or Genocide run I've ever done! But You!" It chuckled. "Ever since you came along, they've all done something they've never done and said something I've never ever heard!" It cackled maniacally to the sky, its voice echoed in this dark chamber.
The boys charged their finger guns, and a ball of bright yellow energy formed at the tip of their fingers.
As his cackle ended, Flowey's size and its loud voice shrank back to normal. "It figures." It smirked at the boys. "Every human that ever tripped into that pit of buttercups was all flesh and bones… and they never had fingers for blasters… but you're human alright! 'Cuz in every monster's eyes… your SOULS are actually upside down." It raised its leaves as if it were shrugging its shoulders.
Cuphead raised an eyebrow. "Upside… down?"
Mugman gasped, and entered a flashback. As Toriel's body dissipated to dust, an upside down heart hovered in the air, trembling very violently, then cracked in half and crumbled to bits of dust that dissipated to nothing.
"The monsters…" Mugman's eyes trembled in realization. "Their hearts…"
Cuphead raised an eyebrow at Mugman, still confused.
"Whatever it is you're 'doin in here, it sure is shaking things up a bit!" Flowey tilted its head playfully, and chuckled. "I can't wait to kill ya, and see what world you got up there!" It pointed its leaf to the hole above them. "What power I could get by beating every single weakling in your world!"
The boys growled, stood up, and pointed their finger guns to Flowey.
"JUST TRY IT!" Mugman charged his finger gun, converting a large ball of yellow energy to his finger tip.
"Ohoho! The baby boy's learned his first word!" Flowey mocked as he rocked his head sideways.
Cuphead growled, and stepped beside Mugman. "Shaddup and leave us alone!" Mugman stepped his foot forward, mirroring Cuphead.
"Oh don't play innocent you idiot!" Flowey gave Cuphead a sly look. "You're the one that killed her in the first place!" It then smiled with its sharp teeth.
Cuphead growled, held the wrist of his right hand with his left and charged his right finger gun.
"And you!" Flowey looked at Mugman. "Are you sure ya should be pointing that gun at me? I haven't killed anyone right?" It raised an eyebrow at Mugman.
Mugman's eyes widened, he gasped, and his finger gun was unconsciously lowered with its charge weakening.
"Hmm your best friend on the other hand…" Flowey slid his eyes teasingly pointing at Cuphead
Mugman growled and fired a bright yellow 'Charge' blast to Flowey, who then, after a squeak, quickly dug the ground, and the shot flew overhead.
From the ground, Flowey started with a demonic giggle, then sprouted from the ground cackling with his shark-like smile, while his face grew two times larger. "So you do have it in you…" It narrowed its stare at Mugman while it smiled. "You've got what it takes to kill!" It cackled to the sky.
Mugman growled, and together with Cuphead, they both charged their guns.
"Just one last question… Would ya do it when he turns again?" Flowey nudged his head towards the direction of Cuphead when it said 'he'.
The boys' eyes widened again. Cuphead's crimson eyes and creepy smile… Waking up, seeing Toriel in a critical state…
Flowey gave another cackle. "I'll be watching you, you stupid hot-headed cup!" It looked at Cuphead. "I'll give her time to settle in… 'cause when the time comes… you'll be my best friend now!" Its creepy smiling face protruded from the flower, and then gave a demonic tri-pitched cackle that echoed through the chamber.
Flowey then plunged itself to the ground digging deeper… and deeper… and deeper… until the sound of digging dirt was gone.
The boys stood there petrified at the thoughts Flowey had planted in their minds. Then… they both gave a deep exhaling huff. They looked at each other, searching their shivering eyes for answers... and then, they just ran forward.
Before them, two giant double doors stood with two marble pillars on each side, and an arch on the top with the same ensignia of three triangles, the same that was on Toriel's robe. They both pushed it, Mugman on the left, and Cuphead on the right, and from the middle a bright blinding light seeped in… The boys stared into it anxious of the unknown.
-Undertale-
Epilogue:
A bed of yellow buttercups bloomed over a mound of earth beneath the yellow sunlight, and swayed as they were blown by the wind from above the hole. From the darkness a panting a voice grew louder… and louder… followed by loud running and thumping of feet on the soil… her white feet emerged, then her purple robe, then her tearful face: it was Toriel.
At the foot of the bed, she stopped, then crashed her knees down to the ground, and then bowed down forehead to the ground, and wept.
"Oh Chara…" She sniffed. "My child… I'm so sorry…"
-End of Chapter 9-
-End of Act I-
Edited passage:
While Mugman was tickling… … … … … Cuphead mercilessly poked Mugman's armpits left and right, poking wherever it was open.
In the middle of the poking, Mugman managed to snatch Cuphead's head off of his neck. Mugman then kicked his body gentle enough to just knock him down to the body.
"Hey!" Cuphead stared with a competitive smile, but then he started to laugh.
Mugman rubbed under the base of Cuphead's 'cup-head', and his body jolted while his disconnected head laughed with hiccups.
Still jolting from the tickles, Cuphead's body crawled towards Mugman and then poked his stomachs, making the latter jolt and drop Cuphead's head to the bed.
"Gotcha now!" Cuphead yelled.
Cuphead's fingers kept wiggling onto his side stomachs, and Mugman kept laughing and laughing with snorts while his body jolted. Meanwhile, Cuphead's foot hooked onto his own head handle, and he kicked the base of his head towards his body and it landed back onto his neck.
Mugman grabbed his brother's shoulders and used it to flip himself up, and then he landed sitting on Cuphead's tush. He grabbed Cuphead's right foot, and then wiggled his fingers on it, making Cuphead pound his fists onto the bed as he laughed really loud.