A/N: Welcome to this week's edition of "Heart, Soul, and Mind"! In this episode, we're putting the spotlight on Katie as she goes toe to toe with the Devil himself in her dragon form! What antics does Ol' Scratch have in store? Stay tuned!
(Normal P.O.V)
Weapons in hand, the group rushed toward Grim Matchstick's tower, hoping to warn him of the Devil's plans to take his soul. It was getting to be late in the afternoon and the sun was slowly setting, while a warm breeze flew by.
"Okay, I just hope that we can still make it, despite the detour we hit." Natty stated.
"I think we're okay, but yeah, better make sure he's good to be safe." Liam added.
"We've got no time to waste!" Lexie declared.
They ran up the stairs of the tower until they reached an open area which at the very top. Katie, who had turned back into her human form hours ago, cupped her hands around her mouth.
"Grim! Are you here! Please, come out! We need to talk to you!" Katie called out. "It's okay! We're all friends here! You don't have to be afraid!"
Tension filled the air as no one heard a response from the meek dragon. Were they too late?
"Grim?" Lexie asked
"Hello? Anyone home?" Natty called.
"Oh, please don't tell me we're too late…" Liam muttered, as he looked around.
It was already bad enough they lost three people so far, they couldn't loose Grim. He was a powerful being, despite being shy.
"G-guys?"
From the shadows popped out a trembling Grim Matchstick, who simply crawled out from a corner of the room.
"Oh, thank goodness!" Katie sighed of relief.
"Sweet! You're okay!" Natty beamed.
"Grim! I'm happy to see ya!" Cuphead exclaimed.
Cuphead rocketed toward Grim and they embraced each other in a tight hug.
"C-Cuphead! So g-glad to see you! A-And you too, Ch-Chalice!" Grim beamed.
"Good to see ya too, pal!" Chalice beamed, joining Cuphead in the hug.
Cuphead retracted with a serious look on his face as he stated, "Listen we need to talk. The Devil is planning to take your soul along with the rest who owed him!"
He then gestured to Lexie, Katie, and Natty as he continued, "He's got a few people so far and he wants these three girls to be part of his crazy plan!"
"O-oh! That's t-t-terrible!" Grim trembled.
"That's why we're gathering all of the debtors to help us stop the Devil." Lexie stated. "He can't get away with what he's doing."
"And the best way we can defeat him is if we form a resistance team." Katie added. "We're a lot stronger when we're together. So, will you please join us?"
"Please Grim! He already took Mugsy's!" Cuphead pleaded.
Grim nodded while still trembling, "O-of course! I-I'll do anything to he-!"
But before Grim could finish his sentence…
"Well, well, look who I found."
The group turned to see who it was and all faces went pale. It was…
"The D-D-D-Dev-!" Grim could barely stutter out.
"THE DEVIL!" Matt screamed as he hid behind Liam.
Knowing exactly why Old Scratch decided to show his ugly face in Grim's tower, Lexie immediately stepped in front of the terrified dragon, Keyblade in hand.
"No, you DON'T!" Lexie shouted.
Katie became nervous again and backed away in fear while placing a hand on Grim, who was shaking badly.
"I-it's okay, Grim. He won't hurt you as long as you stay close to us…" she whispered, but her voice was shaking a bit.
"Back off, you freak!" Natty shouted, pulling out her Keyblade.
"Don't try anything stupid!" Liam warned, holding Matt with one hand and a fighting staff with the other.
Cuphead and Chalice held up their finger guns at the ready. Even Aya went on the defenses as she arches her back and hisses at the Devil in warning while Kaichi glared at, teeth bared as he growled.
The Devil wasn't at all phased by the group's reaction, especially seeing Grim, who curled up next to Katie while she was petting him in reassurance. He did find them being afraid…very amusing.
"Well, isn't this cute?" The Devil sneered. "Puny humans, a pair of powder puffs and a little teacup think they can stand up to me?"
His evil eyes then lingered onto Chalice as he took notice of her. He had been so transfixed with Katie's dragon form in the looking glass back at the casino, he hadn't paid much mind to the chalice girl until now.
"Ah, the Legendary Chalice. Never thought I'd see you again, seeing as I wiped away nearly all of your Calix Animi cohorts. I'm surprised you're even alive again."
"Yep, I'm back." Chalice growled. "And I'm ready to kick more tail outta you than the last time!"
"Well, well, after all those centuries, your tongue is just as sharp as your little toothpick of a spear, eh?" The Devil observed. "I'm certain I'll easily remedy that soon enough…"
"Cut the crap, Satan, and get to the point!" Lexie snapped.
The Devil suavely leaned against the wall while pricking a finger on his pitchfork while he stated, "Ah, yes, the reason why I'm here. I was out and about, looking for a lovely engagement ring for my beloved bride, when I happened to see you with Grim and I figured, 'I'll kill two birds with one stone' getting the ring and a soul…"
"Well, that's too bad, ain't it?!" Lexie taunted. "Cause you ain't gettin' near either ONE!"
While Katie tried to act brave, she clung to Grim's head, her hands and body trembling with fear.
Cuphead, showing more anger than fear, shouted, "Hey, ya big jerk! I want Mugsy's soul back now!"
He was trying to fight back angry tears, and seeing the Devil was a constant reminder of what he lost and who was to blame for it.
The Devil simply gave a chuckle. "Sorry, but I don't take orders from the likes of you. Once I get the rest of them, I'll snag yours for myself."
Regaining her courage, Katie gave an icy cold glare to the Devil as she yelled, "Not a chance, you monster!
The Devil gave her a lustful grin. He admired the fact she was becoming more and more brave, especially since now she had unlocked her new powers.
"You already took Mugman. We're not gonna let you have Cups!" Lexie shouted.
"Ahh, Lexie, Lexie, Lexie…brave as always." The Devil snickered. "Though I must apologize for Dice almost killing you, not my intention at all."
Lexie rolled her eyes as she retorted, "Oh, wow, an apology from the literal Devil?! How rich!"
"Since when is he ever "sorry" for anything?" Kaichi deadpanned.
"I was literally thinking that same question." Liam stated.
"Though I have to say without that, little Natty over here wouldn't have discovered her powers." The Devil claimed. Then turning to Natty, he announced in the most sickening tone he could speak, "I'm very, very proud of you, little Natty."
At the mere mention of the Devil calling her 'little', Natty could practically feel steam coming out of her ears. Being called 'pinkie' by Dice was one thing, and those creepy pet names Anubis could come up with was another, but this was just plain insulting.
"Stop calling me little!" She shouted. "I may be short, but I'm still a grown woman!"
"And what is it with you villains giving out creepy nicknames?!" Katie chimed in. "I'm not your 'sweet', or 'dear', or 'darling' or any other of your stupid pet names you have listed out for me! And above all, I'll NEVER be your wife and queen!"
"Huh, Dice was right; you have started coming out of your shell." The Devil mused, shooting Katie one of 'those' looks. "I'm starting to admire you more and more."
Katie simply grimace in disgust.
"Hey! Back off!" Liam snapped. "She told you she's not interested!"
The Devil arched an eyebrow in confusion as he asked, "Who are you?"
"I'm Liam, Lexie's boyfriend." Liam deadpanned.
The Devil looked down for a second and took a breath like he just realized something.
"Oh, right! That annoying pipsqueak who made Dice laugh out loud. Very amusing." The Devil sneered. "Though to be honest, as one who wants Lexie to have the best, I really don't approve of you dating her."
"Seriously?! Why do people have an issue with me dating Lexie?!" Liam asked, annoyed.
"Ignore him, Lee." Lexie growled. "He clearly has worse manners than Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street…"
"Oi! You leave him out of this!" Katie snapped. "He and Lexie are officially together! And neither you nor your good for nothing lackey have any saying against it!
"True, true nothing I can do really." The Devil pondered. Then, a hateful grin came over his face as he recalled to Natty, "Although, I have already arranged your big day. Though I was shocked to hear that you rejected his proposal. He was rather heartbroken."
"That's because it was a threat, not a proposal, ya moron!" Natty protested.
"And what he attempted to do to her is downright creepy!" Katie added.
"He was just getting to know his bride." The Devil mentioned. "When he asked me to marry her, I accepted it. A father only wants what's best for their children…"
Now, it was Natty's turn to be ticked off. It was already bad enough that Lexie was being hit on by a blockhead and Katie by the demonic king, but bringing her into the mix was a big mistake.
Taking a huff of annoyance, she replied, "I don't know if you've been inhaling too much smoke, or are just dumb in general, but I AM NOT YOUR KID AND I'LL NEVER MARRY THAT FLEA BAG!"
"And goes double for me!" Katie chimed in. "I will NEVER marry a vile, disgusting, heartless and SOULLESS old demon like YOU!
"Please, spare me the flattery, my little lovely." The Devil shrugged. "We would make a cute couple and I'm not gonna back off because you told me to."
"Ugh! In your dreams!" Chalice snapped in disgust.
"Oh, it's a dream alright." The Devil sneered in response. "One that I intend on making come true…"
"EWWW! TMI much?!" Lexie gagged as Kaichi's droop down in disgust.
"Not a chance, you overgrown throw rug! After what you have done, I'll make sure that I will be your worst nightmare!" Katie shouted in defiance.
"Not just her, but all of us." Natty added, gesturing to the whole group.
Lexie nodded in firm agreement as Kaichi then blew a raspberry at the Devil and did an eyelid pull taunt.
"My, my someone's fussy." The Devil tsked. "No matter. Since I found out that you have unlocked your powers as well, my dear, I have to say I knew you wouldn't let me down in any way."
Katie gasped in fright. Now that he knows about her powers, there's no telling what he'll plan next to get her.
"Look, I don't care if you were hoping she'd turn into a dragon, but I wanna let you know; she's not helping you in any way!" Lexie snapped. "So forget about it!"
"I could, I just chose not to." The Devil sneered. "With that power under my command, no one would dare come against me or my wife to be."
Just then, having just about enough, Katie shouted at the top of her lungs, "I'm NOT your wife, you MORON!"
Then, realizing what she did, she clamped a hand over her mouth. She never thought she would pull a Ratchet & Clank's Dr. Nefarious and call the Devil of all people a moron. While he rightfully deserved it, she became worried about him lashing out in anger, or harming her friends.
There was a long pause, before the Devil grinned once more and stated, "Well, not yet anyway. I have to admit, seeing you try and put up a fight is rather cute. You remind me so much of a feisty little kitten, thinking it's the strongest when in reality, all I have to do is pick it up and find the one weak spot, that'll make it snuggle in my arms and purr ever so."
Natty rolled her eyes while facepalming, "Well, I just lost part of my dignity."
Katie cringed in absolute disgust while Lexie stepped right in front of her.
"That was so gross! Even for you! She's not interested!" Lexie snapped.
"Why can't you just leave me alone?! I don't even love you!" Katie protested.
"Oh, but I'm over the moon for you. Besides, you hold such a power that is so vast and extravagant, something that will be perfect to have sitting by my side." The Devil replied.
Natty stood in front of Katie, blocking her in a protective state as she snapped at the Devil, "Well, tough luck, ya freak! She's not marrying you ANYTIME whatsoever!"
"I'm gonna tell you, for the last time." Lexie growled. "Leave. Her. Alone! NONE of us are INTERESTED!"
"Yeah! So back off and leave them alone already, ya big loser!" Kaichi shouted, puffing up his fur in defense.
The Devil rolled his eyes at Kaichi.
"And what do you plan to do about it, small fry? Fight me?" The Devil taunted. "Please, you're not even worthy to be my opponent."
Growling, Kaichi attempted to charge at the Devil, but Katie grabbed him and pulled him back, scared for his safety since the Devil's bigger than him
"No, Kaichi! Don't! He's too powerful! He'll destroy you!" Katie warned him.
The Devil gave a scoff as he jeered, "Kaichi? What kind of a name is that? Honestly, that has to be the stupidest name in the history of dumb names."
"At least his name doesn't start with 'the'." Natty reminded him.
Then, without warning, the group began to laugh at that comment. It was funny to remember that his name does indeed start with "the."
"OHHH!" Lexie jeered. "Ol' Scratch just got OL' ROASTED!"
"Good one, Nat!" Kaichi giggled.
"Hey, it's like from that one episode when he was asked his first name." Natty shrugged, as she recalled from one of "The Cuphead Show!" episode where the Devil visited Santa Claus and he asked him his first name.
"But the way you said it was so funny." Lexie snickered.
Katie, who had covered her mouth with one hand to stifle her giggles, burst out into a silvery peal of laughter while Kaichi laughed even harder, as tears threatened to stream down his cheeks.
The Devil, however, didn't find that the slightest thing funny.
"Very amusing, Natty." He grumbled.
"Hey, next to my dad, I know how to bring comedy to the table." Natty beamed.
Katie collected herself and retorted, "Anyway, I just so happen to like that name since I was the one who named him! And it's much more creative than "The Devil"… Luci!"
That caused the group to double over laughing. Cuphead fell on the ground back first, holding his stomach with both arms, laughing hysterically. Even Grim joined in as he tried to stifle his own guffaws.
"That's a good one, Katie!" Chalice praised in between giggles.
Unfortunately, it made the Devil…furious.
He growled, literally bursting into flames and looked very very angry.
Katie stopped laughing and gasped in alarm as she backed between Lexie and Natty.
Kaichi was just as startled before he deadpanned, "Somebody's mad."
"More like cranky." Natty corrected.
"You don't think I've gone too far with that, do you?" Katie whispered to Natty in concern.
"Nah, he gets ticked over the dumbest things." She shrugged.
"B-b-but th-that's w-w-what m-m-makes him so… so scary!" Grim stuttered nervously.
"To be honest he deserved that." Lexie retorted.
"And how!" Kaichi huffed as Aya mewed in agreement.
"Oh, yeah, big time." Cuphead added.
"No one makes a FOOL OUT OF ME!" The Devil growled.
"Don't need our help for that." Natty reminded him.
"You've brought this upon yourself." Katie stated bluntly.
"Well, looks like you brought this pain upon yourselves as well!" The Devil countered, pointing his pitchfork at the group, which was on fire at the point.
"Okay, I think we crossed a line there…" Natty shuddered.
"Yeah, pretty sure." Lexie gulped.
While Natty enjoyed being the comedian of the group, there were some times where she took jokes too far, and this was one of those times.
Katie panicked and shouted, "NO!"
Then, she transformed into her dragon form and breathed… a stream of ice at his pitchfork, freezing it.
There was a stunned silence as everyone gaped in surprise and awe by this. It would seem that Katie is also capable of breathing ice as well.
"Whoa! Just like in The Legend of Spyro!" Katie thought in awe.
"Yooo, that's awesome!" Natty exclaimed in excitement.
Devil looked startled at first but then smirked as he made fire form around the pointed end of his pitchfork to thaw the ice. Once the ice was completely melted away, he shook his pitchfork dry while leering lustfully at Katie.
"Ahhh, impressive, my love, but giving me the cold shoulder is rather rude, don't you think?" He teased mockingly.
Overcoming her shock and offended by the Devil's barbs, Katie growled at him, baring her teeth.
"If I can breathe ice as well as fire like Spyro can… let's see if I can also use other elements…" she mused mentally.
Opening her mouth again and… she breathed a jet of electricity at the Devil, zapping him.
*ZAP ZAP ZAP!*
"Whoa…!" Kaichi murmured while a stunned Grim quickly covered his eyes while cringing as Katie repeatedly electrocuted the Devil.
"Amazing!" Natty gasped.
"Woooow!" Cuphead beamed.
After a few seconds of zapping the Devil, Katie stops while giving him a cold glare. The Devil was stunned as his fur is standing up on ends, occasionally crackling with static as he comically blinks a couple of times.
"Okay, not as funny as him getting shocked in the show, but still funny." Natty smirked, which made Kaichi laugh again.
The Devil shook off that static feeling and shot a nasty angry glare at the group.
"Aw, j-jeez…" Grim whimpered as he cowered back, lifting his paws up to his muzzle.
"Ohhhh, crud…" Natty gulped.
"Uh-oh…" Kaichi squeaked nervously, his ears drooping.
Katie's glare dissolved into a mask of fear, taken aback by the Devil's nasty look, realizing she had made him even more angry.
"Okay, I've seen your tricks, now let me show you MINE!" The Devil roared.
He then fired a laser at the ground, making everyone panic and jump out of the way.
"Everyone MOVE!" Chalice screamed.
"Look out!" Liam shouted, as the group jumped out of the way.
Katie then leapt into the air and hovered with her wings, struggling to keep her balance.
"W-whoa!" She yelped before she quickly steadied herself. "Whew. Still need to get used to remembering I can do that now…"
"Huh, it seems you're still learning how to fly. How about I teach you better from one dragon to the other?" The Devil sneered.
He then transformed into his serpent-like dragon form and flew towards Katie, roaring.
"Kate, look out!" Lexie shouted.
Panicking, Katie barrel rolled to one side, dodging him just as he attempted to make a grab for her with his talons. Catching himself, the Devil twists around to leer over at Katie as she hovered a reasonable distance from him.
"Awww, no need to be startled, my sweet. I won't bite." The Devil crooned, smiling wickedly, showing her his teeth.
"Those big, scary teeth speak otherwise!" Katie thought in alarm by the fanged smile.
Terrified, she turns around and begins to fly away from the Devil, screaming,
"Stay away from me, you psycho!"
"Awww, someone wants to play tag, huh?" The Devil called out after her tauntingly. "Very well, I'll be it and I'll be soo happy to catch you!
Cackling, the Devil flies off after Katie, craving for the thrill of a good chase. He just loves it when his victims try to run away. Makes it much more fun. And he was definitely going to enjoy pursuing his little runaway bride and eventually catching her in his arms.
"How disgusting! He's freakin' chasing her like a lion does with a gazelle!" Lexie growled.
"We need to help her!" Natty gasped.
"How? I know you have your powers, Nat, but you're yet to get used to using yours concerning you turning into a winged wolf." Kaichi reminded her.
"M-m-maybe I-I c-c-can help." Grim offered.
"You sure you can handle all of us?" Natty asked, worried about the weight.
" N-n-no pr-problem!" Grim smiled, giving the group a thumbs up in reassurance.
"Awesome!" Liam cheered. "Let's take to the skies!
Cuphead reaches into his shorts pocket and pulls out a tiny airplane. You'd be forgiven if you all think it was just a simple toy plane upon first glance. He pressed a tiny button on its undercarriage and set it down on the ground. Before everyone's very eyes, the tiny plane was engulfed in a small burst of light. Once everything cleared, the airplane was now large enough for a certain cup to climb in.
"You guys ride with Grim. I'm feeling a dog fight coming this way!" Cuphead smirked, giving a thumbs up.
"Hold on, Cuphead. You're gonna need some extra firepower." Chalice spoke up.
Reaching into the pocket in her skirt, Chalice got out a similar tiny airplane and pressed a button in its own undercarriage and in a brief glow, it grew into a large plane for her to fly in as well.
"C'mon! We gotta hurry!" Kaichi cried urgently, knowing that Katie still needed help.
"H-h-hop on!" Grim said as he laid down for the four humans to climb up on his back.
As they hopped into their planes, Cuphead placed on his flight goggles and Chalice placed on her aviator cap and scarf while revving up the engines. Lexie, Natty, Liam, Matt, Kaichi and Aya climbed onto Grim's back. Once everyone's ready, Cuphead and Chalice (in their planes) and Grim, with his passengers aboard, take to the skies and fly after Katie, hoping they will save her from the Devil in time.
(Katie's P.O.V)
In my current experiences after unlocking my powers, I have learned the hard way that not even flying can help me get away from my problems. While there is pure joy in flying, there is still danger when predators of the sky are involved.
As the Devil continued to pursue me, I now know how Spyro felt when he was being chased by a corrupted Cynder through Munitions Forge before the volcano erupted during the chase level from The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning.
The only difference was Cynder was just an innocent young dragon who was stolen away by Malefor's minions when she was just an egg and was forced to be his puppet against her will until she was restored to her actual age and purged of Malefor's influence after defeating her in the first game.
The Devil, on the other hand, is purely evil to the core and he was chasing me for sport and is determined to have me, ugh, back in his arms and to use my magic for conquest.
"You can fly as far as you like but I'll always catch you, my love!" The Devil shouted after me.
Terrified, disgusted and annoyed, I briefly turned around and spat a fireball at him. Unfortunately, the Devil was quick enough to weave around it as the fireball harmlessly shot past him, barely grazing his fur.
"Oohhh, felt the heat back there." He taunted.
He was gaining on me and fast. Desperately, I breathed ice into his face to slow him down. Once he was distracted with trying to claw the ice off his face,
I managed to gain some distance and took cover among some clouds, which were surprisingly solid enough to support my weight yet fluffy to the touch. Sort of like in Disney's Peter Pan.
Unfortunately, I didn't have time to dwell on the cartoon logic concerning clouds when I was forced to duck down just as I saw the Devil melting the ice away by breathing fire on it. At first, he looked annoyed, but then he grinned evilly, even more allured by my abilities.
That, and he was clearly entertained by the belief I was "playing hard to get". Ugh! He was definitely dreaming if he actually thinks that.
"Not bad, my darling, not bad…" The Devil hissed.
I laid further down in the clouds, trying to keep as quiet as a mouse while the Devil slithers across the air, searching for me. And I thought he was creepy enough in this form during his boss level.
"Oh, my little dragonfly…" He called out in a sing-songy tone. "Where are you? You can't hide forever."
I felt super uncomfortable just hearing that. I felt like I was in this game of hide and seek where I wanted to hide from him so he wouldn't catch me. There has to be some way I can get him off my back…
I then thought about the book, Watership Down, a story about a group of rabbits having to leave their old warren behind when it was foreseen by one the protagonists, Fiver, who can vaguely see visions into the future, that it would be demolished by humans, who were doing some construction work.
Anyway, I remembered in the book where one of the characters tells the story about the Prince of Rabbits, El-Ahrairah and his species were first gifted with their survival skills to evade the elil (which means enemy in the fiction language of rabbits called "Lapine") by their creator, Frith.
"Be cunning and full of tricks."
That was what Frith had told El-Ahrairah when informing him that the entire world will be his enemy after granting him his gift.
Since the Devil thinks of me as some frightened little rabbit at this very moment, then I should be more like El-Ahrairah; cunning and use tricks to elude my persistent elil.
I suddenly had an idea. Taking a deep breath, I began to breathe some ice, sculpting it into something that resembled me. After I was finished, I leapt up with a push of my wings and hid away in a nearby cloud above me and waited. My plan seemed to work because the Devil searched everywhere until he noticed an unmoving silhouette hiding in the clouds.
"Hmmm, I wonder…" he muttered.
He clearly took the bait, but I bit my lip in apprehension as I could hear him hissing and slithering closer to the fake me. After being trapped in his coils alongside Lexie and Natty in his throne room, I did not want to be anywhere near him like that. Especially if I'm on my own for it this time.
"Easy now. Don't wanna scare my prey away…" He muttered, edging closer to the decoy.
I saw him ready himself and then…
"Aanndd…GOTCHA!"
Like a serpent striking for a mouse, the Devil lunged and ensnared something in his coils…only to realize it was the ice sculpture. I have to say, the look on his face when he unintentionally snapped off its head? Priceless. I had to hold back my laugh, not wanting to give myself away.
"Huh?! A decoy!?" He sputtered in disbelief.
Now's my chance!
I swooped down from the cloud above him and blew a stream of fire across his back. There, that'll teach him a lesson.
I then heard Lexie laugh as she called out while riding Grim "YEAH! GET 'EM KATE!"
"Whooo! Go Kate!" Natty cheered.
"Knock 'em outta here!" Cuphead called out from his plane.
I dodged a swipe from the Devil's tail and ducked back into the clouds, using them as a cover. UGH! This guy just wouldn't GIVE UP!
"You can't hide in the clouds forever!" The Devil called out.
In retaliation to that claim, I swooped down and scratched him across the cheek with my claws before retreating into another cloud above him.
"Argh!"
"That's showing that big jerk!" Kaichi called out.
I leapt and ran along on some clouds. I then yelped as a stream of fire barely missed me as the Devil breathed fire at the clouds, hoping to flush me out.
"You can't keep flying forever!" The Devil called after me. "You'll have to stop at some point!"
"He's right. But I can't stop and let him catch me either." I thought, feeling my heart pound. "I've gotta stand my ground and fight some time! No matter how scary the situation is, I can't let him win!"
I swooped down from the clouds and dive bombed at the Devil, roaring.
"You gotta be more specific than that, you Big Doofus!" I shouted before shooting a rain of icicles at him.
"OW! Alright! That's it!"
He then blew fire to break them, and I barely dodged several of his tail whips while he attempted to grab me in his coils.
"Hold still, my love. Just want to get a good look at you." He sneered.
Alright, THAT DOES IT! I've had it with this sicko's stupid comments!
"No matter what, I'll keep fighting for my freedom as well as for my friends' and the former debtors!" I announced. "You can chase and intimidate me all you want, but I'll NEVER submit to your twisted will! I will NEVER stop trying to keep out of your slimy clutches! Whatever you'll throw at me will NEVER break my spirit!"
I shot out a jet of electricity at him and then…
*ZAP ZAP ZAP!*
The Devil felt the full brunt of the flowing electricity as I heard cheering from a distance.
"Yeah! Give him the ol' Thunderbolt!" Kaichi exclaimed.
"Ha! He's been…thunderstruck!" Lexie remarked.
"Atta girl, Kate!" Natty cheered
"Whooo! Go get 'em!" Cuphead shouted.
The Devil was getting irritated and frustrated as I hovered in front of him, snarling hatefully at him.
"Is that the best you got, my pet?" The Devil taunted. "Honestly, I expected much from my future queen and you're not even trying hard enough."
"HEYY!" I heard Lexie shout from a distance. "You DID NOT JUST SAY THAT, BOYYY!"
"Ooooohhhhh, you're in trouble." Natty taunted.
He wanted more? Alright then. I closed my eyes as my wings began to glow with auroras just as the Devil lunged for me again.
"Oh, boy! Here it comes!" Natty giggled.
Although there were reasons this had never been considered to add in as a special addition to later The Legend of Spyro games, but I had decided to experiment on the possibility.
An aura of icy and electrical energy surrounded me and I unleashed a combination Fury blast of ice and electricity, practically creating an electrical snowstorm. The blast was powerful enough to strike the Devil. And I mean, hard.
"AAARRRGGGHHH!"
Crackling with electricity and coated with frost, the Devil began to fall from the clouds. I believe it's deja vu based on what Lexie's told me about his past in Heaven…
"The bigger they are, the harder they fall!" Cuphead taunted.
"Bye, Scratch Butt! See ya NEVER!" Lexie chimed in.
"See ya next fall!" Liam called out.
Exhausted due to the chase and the combined fury attacks, I began to fall myself but Grim caught me in his arms. As I regained a bit of strength, I could see the shine in Grim's eyes, clearly filled with delight.
"W-w-wow! Th-that was n-n-new!" He commented.
I smiled in exhaustion. I had picked up the combination fury after watching May and Dawn using combos of their Pokemon's moves in Pokemon Contests during Ash's adventures in the Hoenn and Sinnoh Regions.
If Ignitus and the other Dragon Guardians from The Legend of Spyro could witness this, they'd be very impressed. Even Ice Guardian, Cyril.
"Whoa, Kate, you alright?" Natty asked.
I managed a tired chuckle as I answered, "Yeah, I'm fine. That chase was exhausting and I think I need more work on using elemental fury combos without wearing myself out…"
"Well, glad to see you okay. That was really powerful." Lexie mentioned.
I smiled while Kaichi hugged my cheek with pure relief, "Yeah! You were awesome! That overgrown ally cat with horns sure didn't see that coming!"
"That outta slap some sense into him about leaving you alone…" Liam commented.
"Well, one would hope anyway." Lexie replied. "If I know this sad excuse for a muppet, he won't stop til he gets what he wants."
Upon hearing that, my smile weakens a bit. If only such things work like that, slapping some sense into him to leave me alone.
We then headed for the ground. Once reaching the ground, we saw Cuphead and Chalice land their planes. Grim then lowers me to the ground as I turn back into a human. I still felt a bit lightheaded due to the fight, but I was otherwise fine.
"Whew, that was crazy." Cuphead sighed, as he turned off the engine and took off his aviator goggles and scarf.
"G-g-golly, K-K-Katie, y-y-you were gr-gr-great!" Grim smiled meekly.
I let out a tired giggle as I replied, "Thanks, Grim."
When Cuphead hopped out of his plane, his smile of victory became…a look of sadness. He just looked at the ground, suddenly dejected.
"Cups? You okay, mate?" Liam asked.
"No, not really. After every flight, Mugsy and I would hi-five each other...I miss doing that with him." He replied, fighting back tears.
Chalice wrapped an arm around Cuphead while I frowned; I still felt terrible for Cuphead, especially since I could tell he still blamed himself for losing Mugman's soul.
Getting an idea, I walked over to Cuphead and bent down his level. I held my hand up.
"I know I'm not Mugman but… I'm happy to give out one if you like…"
Cuphead gave me a small smile as he gave me a high-five, and then hugged me.
"Thanks, Kate…" He murmured.
I smiled, holding back tears myself as I hugged him back, "You're most welcome, Cuppy…"
I felt two others join in the hug; Lexie and Natty.
"And don't worry, Cuppy. When we set Mugsy free, you can give him the biggest hi-five ever." Natty reminded him.
"I know I will…"
"Nat's right. Seriously, don't lose hope, Cups." Lexie reassured. "We will get him back. I…I swear it."
From her voice, I could tell Lexie was trying to hold back tears herself. I mean, who could blame her? She was the first one of us to have formed a friendship with the Cups, so there was clearly a bond.
"Thanks, guys. It's just…we've never been this far apart before." Cuphead explained. "I know I'm a few minuets older than him, but he's still my twin. Feels weird not seeing him next to me."
Before I could say another word…
"Well isn't this sweet?"
We turned and saw the Devil…again. Come on, seriously?!
"A little celebration?" He scoffed while dusting off the last bit of frost clinging onto his furry shoulder. "Please. I would hardly think that you had a great victory."
I grabbed Cuphead, pulling him into a protective hug, while Grim ducked behind me and the others shrieking, "Zoinks!"
"You got some nerve coming here and showing your ugly face!" Natty retorted, pulling out her Keyblade.
"You lookin' for another embarrassing beatdown?!" Lexie snapped. "I'm sure we can arrange that!"
"Please, I'm not here to fight again. I can see it perfectly clear that I have a great challenge on my hands." The Devil sneered, gesturing towards me, Nat and Lex. "And knowing that I chose well with choosing the three of you."
Kaichi shot him a hateful glare as Aya growled while Grim shivered behind us.
The Devil then smirked at Lex as he added, "I have yet to see your powers, Lexie, but I'm quite satisfied with my bride's as well as Natty's powers."
"Oh, you want power, buddy boy?!"
Uh oh, I could tell Lexie was getting seriously ticked. Especially since the Texas accent was really revealing itself. It only ever does that when she's angry. She took out her own Keyblade and pointed it at him.
"If you don't git on outta here in the next FIVE clicks, I'll show ya what 'power' I've got!"
"Dude, let me tell you first hand, you do not wanna see Lex mad." Liam warned him. "You make her mad, you will live to regret it."
"Oh? Is that so?" The Devil smugly replied. "Go ahead, Lexie dear. Show me what you're made of. Or are you too scared to do so?"
"Ya heard Lex! Go away already!" Cuphead shouted. "I'm sick of seeing your ugly face!"
"LEAVE US ALONE!" I screamed.
"No need to shout, my darling. I was merely stating an observation." The Devil pointed out. "You may have gotten lucky with getting a few people safe, but there's still one more Isle to go and you all should know how powerful some of them can be."
"Go into the fiery pits, you foul demon!" I snarled.
The Devil simply smirked seductively as he answered, "Already on my way, sweetheart, and so will the rest of you. I look forward to seeing you very soon. Until then, I bid you farewell…"
Tapping his pitchfork, he teleported out of the area with a poof.
"Freak." Natty grumbled as she put her Keyblade away.
"If I see that muppet crackhead again, I'm gonna snap his neck in two…" Lexie growled.
"Ugh! That guy's the WORST!" Kaichi exclaimed.
"Couldn't agree more." Cuphead replied.
"Same here." Chalice chimed in.
"He's scary…" Matt trembled.
"Let's just be thankful he's gone and returned to the slimy pit he came from." Liam assured Matt, ruffling his hair.
"And more importantly, we kept him from taking Grim's soul." I added.
"We got a few people safe which is great for us. We just need to keep this up!" Natty beamed.
I smiled hopefully. So far, we're doing well. And since Nat and I have unlocked our powers, we might have a fighting chance.
Suddenly, we heard a frantic, "Guys! Guys!"
"Hilda?"
Yes, it was indeed Hilda. She flew straight to us in her blimp form, frantic.
"Oh! Hello, Hilda. What are you doing here?" I asked, concerned.
"I got bad news for you. When I finished warning Cagney about the Devil's return, I went to go find Goopy but...Dice and the Devil's new bounty hunter got to him first." She reported.
"No!" Natty and Liam gasped.
"NO! Ughhhh! This can't be happening to more people!" Lexie exclaimed.
"Oh, no…" I gasped, placing both hands over my mouth
"NO! Not...not Goopy…" Cuphead trembled.
"Gadzooks! How horrible!" Chalice gasped.
This was horrible! Just when we finally caught a break and managed to recruit Bon Bon and protected Grim, yet another former debtor had his soul taken away. Did the Devil really want to break us this much?
"I'm sorry. I tried to fight them off, but his new bounty hunter was pretty tough, especially with the shadow ability he has. I-I'm really sorry…" Hilda said sadly.
"It's not your fault, Hilda." I assured her as I placed my hand on her shoulder. "That bounty hunter is an unpredictable, vicious predator… we should know, we actually encountered him earlier…
"I guess…" Hilad trailed off. Taking a deep breath, she stated, "Well, here's the deal; I'm going to find Beppi and since it's getting late, you guys should get some rest."
"You sure you'll be okay?" Natty asked.
"They already left back to the casino and the more time I waste the more people we'll lose." Hilda explained.
"Yeah, you don't wanna put too much pressure on yourself." Lexie mentioned.
"I guess I could use a break... flying around is great but it can be tiring. How are things on your end?" She asked.
"Erm not too bad, a bit crazy here and there but we're doing okay." Liam stated, rubbing the back of his neck.
"After that scare we just had earlier with Mr. Stupid Head, I could do with a little rest. I can't remember having a decent sleep that doesn't involve getting knocked out against my will…" I claimed.
"Same." Natty agreed.
"Got that right." Lexie chipped in.
"Well, hopefully you guys get a good night's rest." Hilda said hopefully. "The Isle really appreciates all your help. I just hope we can help others before the Devil does."
"To be honest, we couldn't have gotten this very far without Misterie and your help. Thank you, Hilda." I replied.
"No problem. I just feel bad that the three of you are somehow part of his schemes for evil." Hilda nodded. "I mean seriously, he needs to get his facts straight that you guys won't join him."
"He's stubborn, I'll tell ya that." Natty said.
"No kidding." Kaichi agreed, rolling his eyes.
I rubbed my arms in complete discomfort. I had always thought my stepdad was the most stubborn man I had to put up with… the Devil being adamant with wanting to force me to be his wife as well as making Lexie and Natty his daughters was too much to deal with.
I'm not sure if I can cope with this sort of stress.
"It'll be okay, Kate," Lexie reassured me while rubbing my back. "We won't let him get you. I swear."
"You know we will not even let that freak near you!" Natty chimed in.
I wiped a tear from my face as I gathered Lex and Nat into a tight hug.
"Thanks, guys…and know that I'll do the same for you concerning Dicey and the Grim Creeper."
"You know it!" Natty smiled.
"We'll all look out for each other no matter what!" Lexie added.
I looked around and there were smiles all around me. Hopeful and determined smiles that screamed, "We can do this".
"Anyway," I started, breaking my train of thought. "I think we ought to set up camp for the night. Any suggestions on which would be the safest place to sleep?"
"I believe Grim has some caves that could be good for camping." Hilda replied, glancing over to Grim.
"Y-y-y-yep!" Grim nodded eagerly with a smile. "Th-they're really n-n-n-nice and cozy during the c-c-c-colder climates, too."
"Thanks, Grimmy…" I sighed gratefully.
"Yeah you're awesome!" Natty added.
Grim gave the most cartoonishly bashful smile I've ever seen as he blushed, "D'awww, gawrsh…"
"Seriously, thank you. All of y'all." Lexie praised, smiling in turn.
"We should be thanking you.." Hilda replied. "Some people are scared to face the Devil head on."
I smiled bashfully as I brushed my hair back
I heard Kaichi yawn as he commented, "Whew…what a day."
"Yeah, tell me about it…" Cuphead yawned as well, stretching his arms.
I yawned a bit myself before I smiled tiredly.
"Yeah, how about we all get some decent sleep?" I suggested. "We'll all be refreshed by morning and continue on our way from there."
"Good call." Liam agreed while picking up Matt, who was already starting to fall asleep.
We all headed over to the caves as Hilda suggested and began to pitch up the campsite.
Shortly later, we were all gathered by a campfire with two tents on both sides of the cave; one for us girls and the other for the boys. Thankfully we already had food and other supplies that some of the debtors helped us with.
"Wow, gotta admit this is pretty cool." Natty mused. "My brother told me about his camping trips and once he and his troop slept in a cave."
"That's pretty cool!" Lexie smiled. "I remember camping out in the woods with some friends of mine many years ago. We had some of those inflatable mattresses and we had a cabin that we slept in. Man, that was a blast."
"Those sound so good." I said. "The only thing I did that came close to camping was sleeping in a tent in my backyard. And there was a time over at my Nana's place in the summer where my sister, my half-sister and I made a tent from bed sheets and blankets we hung from her clothesline in her backyard."
"Awwww, that's so cute!" Lexie giggled.
I smiled in reply at the compliment. But then, I felt my face fall into a sad frown, hanging my head low as I thought about home.
"Kate? You alright?" Natty asked in concern.
"Do you… do you think our families are wondering if we're doing okay?" I answered, feeling worried. "Would they even know that we're not even in New York anymore?"
"Oh gosh, I didn't think about that…" Natty realized. "I know my mom usually calls me to see if everything's okay...how long do you think it's been since we first got here?"
Lexie shrugged, uncertain as she stated, "I dunno...I mean I'm not sure about how time works in places like these…"
A part of me wondered if my family would be worried sick about me but another part… has its doubts since my fallout with my stepdad before I had found the book. I really shouldn't be doubting my own family… it scares me if they probably don't care… at least Tony wouldn't…
Given all the times we would fight over the smallest of things or whenever he criticizes or shouts at me over my struggles to cope with his "lectures", there were times I wondered if my family would be better without me. But I thought it better to keep those thoughts to myself since I don't want to burden my friends with my problems.
"Maybe time moves more slowly back on Earth than it does here?" Kaichi suggested.
"True." Natty agreed. "In movies like the Chronicles of Narnia, the siblings could stay in Narnia for years only to realize it's only been a few minutes of being gone. Like in my story Within the Fine Lines, Audrey was only gone for ten minutes even after staying a few days in Inkwell."
"That could be true." Liam added. "This world isn't connected with ours. So there might be a good chance that time is moving at a different pace?"
"It tends to happen in the Astral Plane too." Chalice chimed in. "Whenever you're crossing dimensional planes, time works differently. How it works exactly…I couldn't tell you."
Since we still have the rest of the debtors to warn, I thought for the best to not dwell on things and try to take my mind off my own doubts. Maybe the others are right. What might be days here, it could be just a minute back on Earth.
Who knows?
"It's a possibility." I said thoughtfully. "I mean, who am I to argue with dimensional traveling logic?"
"Eh, I'm not one to argue." Cuphead shrugged. "But even if you guys were gone for a while, I'm sure your folks would be worried. Elder Kettle gets a bit nervous when Mugs and I go on a long trip longer than expected."
"I sure hope he and Mugsy are doing okay…" I said in concern.
"Last time I spoke to Elder Kettle, he was upset about Mugsy...but he was more angry towards the Devil, not me." Cuphead explained. "He told me to help you guys and to get others to safety."
It was a relief that Elder Kettle was so understanding when Cuphead explained what happened. The wise old kettle has every right to be upset and angry towards the Devil and King Dice for what they had done so far.
And even though he never made any deals or owes the Devil his soul, I still fear that Elder Kettle could still be in real danger should the Big Doofus and his goons either kidnap him or attempt to hurt him to spite us and Cuphead.
"Good call." Kaichi nodded. "And Misterie did say that the charms he placed on Mugs' body should protect him from the Devil trying to control it like a puppet. So… he should be okay, too."
"Yeah, you're right." I agreed. "I guess I'm just overthinking things after all that has been happening so far…"
"Hey, no worries." Natty said reassuringly. "I'm still trying to get the fact that our birth mothers were not from Earth."
After all that had been happening and the big reveal that neither the girls nor I were not entirely human, it was so overwhelming.
"That's still a LOT to take in…" I mumbled, running my hand through my hair tiredly.
"Hopefully, Misterie will be able to clear up some things…" Lexie spoke up.
So far, Natty and I have tapped into our powers but Lexie is yet to awaken hers. And we have yet to know of where we actually came from if we were actually sent to Earth to be safe from whatever evil force had been after us in the first place.
"Once we warn and protect the remaining former debtors that the Devil hadn't targeted yet…" I pointed out.
"And know that the three of you are not alone in this." Liam assured. "The Devil can throw everything at you guys but you are not alone in this fight. He wants you three, he's gonna have to get through us and the entire Isle first."
"Whatever that overgrown throw rug throws whatever he can of, we're with you girls to the end!" Kaichi announced.
I gave out a tearful smile in reply. It's good to know that you can always count on such a true friend to stand by your side and be there for you whenever times are rough. And most importantly, it's a good feeling to have a friend or two to remind you that you're not alone.
"Yeah, I took him down once I can do it again!" Cuphead exclaimed.
"We know you will, Cups!" I giggled.
"And this time, Cuphead, you're not alone." Lexie promised. "You've got us, the remaining debtors…everyone. We're right by your side, bud."
"She's right, Cups." Chalice chimed in, rubbing his shoulder. "And we will get Mugsy back!"
Cuphead shot a bright smile in reply at this. Even though it was unfortunate that Mugman isn't here, I just know that Cuphead can still count on my friends and me to have his back.
And I know that he would always have ours.
Suddenly, Kaichi was slumped over my shoulder as he and Matt simultaneously yawned. I really can't blame them. It was getting rather late and the whole ordeal between fighting unwanted suitors and traveling to one place to another on the Isle was pretty tiring work. If time wasn't against us, I would have slept for days.
"Awww, I think someone's tired. We'd better turn in." Liam stated.
Natty nodded as she added in, "Agreed."
"Can't say I blame them. I feel rather sleepy myself…" I admitted while covering my mouth to stifle a yawn.
"Yeah, same." Lexie trailed off, yawning before stretching her arms. "Come on, let's get some sleep."
The girls and I took one tent while Matt, Liam and Cuphead took the other. Aya snuggled up with Lexie while Kaichi stayed close to me, just to keep an eye on me. Despite his small size, I'm so grateful for his courage and loyalty.
As Kaichi curled up on my pillow beside my head, furling his tail around himself like a fox, I yawned before closing my eyes and smiled.
"Night, guys." Natty sighed.
"Good night, everyone…" I managed to answer sleepily.
"Night, sweet dreams." Lexie replied.
Before long, I began to drift off into the blissful slumber, happy to know that I'm safe with my friends and I don't have to worry about the Devil.
For now…
(Normal P.O.V)
While the group rested in the caves near Grim's tower, meanwhile, back at the casino, there was a plan in the making.
The Devil had gone to his office to work on a few things, while Dice had some time on his hands. His employer was both frustrated and pleased about the sky battle that happened. Sure, he was upset he lost and would have liked to take Katie back to the casino, but seeing her able to hold her ground was impressive.
He was searching for a woman who not only looked beautiful, but also spirited and not afraid to hold her ground.
And Katie fit the bill perfectly.
Dice paced around in the throne room a bit, coming up with a plan when he heard the door open and saw Anubis step inside.
"Oh, you're here. I heard about your recent visit to the group. How'd that turn out?" Dice asked.
"Not too bad. I was finally able to see mi novia." He replied, a smirk coming on his face. "Ahhh, Su cabello es tan bonito como la noche, her eyes are dark and mysterious and her perfume, sweet and warm como la vainilla."
"Ah, I see. You're certainly in love with the girl." Dice mentioned. "And speaking of which, I have found something that could be useful."
Anubis arched an eyebrow as Dice summoned the Devil's looking glass and tapped it with his fingers. The mirror began to ripple like a river when a stone being thrown into it. The scene changed to Natty, sitting on her bed, working on her computer.
Anubis grinned lustfully when he saw her. It didn't matter if he saw her in person or in the looking glass. Seeing her made him very, very pleased.
While it was nice for him to see her, he was confused.
"Erm, Senor Dice. While I appreciate you showing me this, what does this have to do with anything?" He asked.
"Just watch." Dice replied.
Then they both saw her stop and skimmed over her reading.
"Okay, let's see. She got the contracts, met Dice unintentionally, and are now camping. What should happen next…? Hmm… oh! Maybe the Devil places her under a sleepwalking spell and she walks to him. He can take her to the casino to chat a bit."
Natty then resumed working on her laptop when the image faded.
"She's writing a story about El Diablo?" Anubis asked.
"She wrote one about the Cup pests in the past, but that moment gave me an idea." Dice stated. "You see, why don't we pull a similar stunt like that? I'm sure I can find a similar spell that we can place on our girls. And since you have your shadow abilities, it could be very beneficial to have your gal snuggle with you for a bit."
Anubis pondered over before a terrible grin came on his face.
"Ahhh, si, Senor, si. I think this plan will do nicely. We can do it while everyone is sleeping."
"Exactly my thoughts. We won't be long with them." Dice replied. "Just figured we can have some time with them. We'll head out in a few hours, allowing them to fall asleep."
"Si, Senor. It's a deal."
They shook hands and waited for a bit.
The villains planned their next move, and the team didn't know half of it.
A/N: The Devil definitely got his butt handed to him (as he SHOULD!), but uh oh! Looks like Dice and Anubis have something up their sleeves...for me and Nat. What will happen next?! As always, stay "tooned" for next week's chapter of "Heart, Soul, and Mind"!