Night fell on Inkwell Isle, crickets were chirping, the silence of a babbling brook could be heard, and all the woodland critters couldn't get a wink of sleep as the music from the Sugarland ball was on full blast.

In Sugarland castle, we see characters from Isle One to Inkwell Hell having a great time. Cagney Carnation and the Root Pack were on stage singing the song 'I will not be Picked!' With Moe Tato as the Drummer, Weepy as bass guitarist, Psycarrot as the keyboard player, and Cagney himself as the lead singer. The song itself was getting cheers and a whole lot of encores. Ribby and Croaks were sitting at a table surrounded by their adoring fans, both laughing in enjoyment as they started drinking from the bar. Beppi the Clown was in the corner performing party tricks and handing balloon dogs to the children. Wally Warbles and his son were repeatedly dunking their beaks in the punch bowl. Djimmi was having trouble standing up, let alone busting a move on the dancefloor due to his 'Lamp Shoes'.

Rumor Honeybottoms was turning down guys left and right with a high and mighty look on her face. Dr. Kahl was being a serious party animal on the dancefloor, soon to create a new dance craze called 'Dr. Kahl's Robot'. Werner Werman has completely taken over the cheese platter on the snack table. Sally Stageplay and her husband were swing dancing to the music, sadly they were stepping on each others toes. Then King Dice and Co. were out and about delivering party favor trays of finger foods, cigars, and drinks.

Hilda Berg and Cala Maria had just entered through the front, seeing that the Ball was in full swing. Cala was excited while Hilda herself was.....hoping this night would end.
"Oh, Where should I stand, Hilda? Should I wait up front? No, that's too desperate. Hide in the background? But what if he doesn't find me? Stand on the sides? Then someone asks me to dance and he'll think I rejected hi-" Then a gloved finger came over her lips, silencing her panicking tone.

"Calm down Cala. Just be yourself and fate will find a way." Hilda said with sad undertones.

Cala Maria took notice of her friend's sadness. Hilda Berg's usual brash self was now replaced with quiet and grumbling emotions. "You okay Hilda? You look awfully sad."
"I'm fine Cala. I just.......don't wanna be here is all."

"Why Not? It's gonna be real fun!"

"For you maybe."

Cala Maria then made Hilda face her and look her into the eyes.

"What's wrong?"

Hilda couldn't bear telling her the truth. She didn't want her night to be ruined all because of how she felt. But....she doesn't have to lie either.

"I....I love someone. I was worried they wouldn't accept my feelings so I never told them how I felt. They already have something else on their plate. I.....didn't want them to worry, so I kept my mouth shut about the whole thing."

Cala Maria's facial expression went from serious, then to confused....then to understanding.

"Oh Hilda, you don't gotta be so nervous about something like that. I bet whoever it is will understand it. Besides, a lady as darlin' as you would be an idiot to say no. Who is it anyway?"

Oh no, Hilda Berg didn't think this far when she thought up this lie. She had to think fast! Root Pack? No. Cagney? No, she's allergic to pollen. Dr. Kahl......eww, Goopy Le Grande? Not even sure if he's still alive! Who!.

"Come on. Spill the beans already!" Cala Maria said in anticipation.

Hilda then said the first name she could think of "K-King Dice!"

Cala Maria then let out a gasp of pure surprise. She looked at King Dice, who was carrying a tray of foods and serving Ribby and Croaks. He had a smile on his face but his eyes said 'Give me strength not to deck these frogs in the face!'

"That! King Dice!?" Cala Maria said, pointing across the ballroom.

"Y-Yeah! I loved him for months!" Hilda Berg said, trying her best to hide her lying smile.

There was a few seconds of silence between the two, but then Cala Maria broke it by saying "How could I be so selfish?"

"Huh?"

"I'm so sorry Hilda, I was so focused on my date with Cuphead. I never saw how you were feeling. You have my Mermaid's promise I'll help you out the same way you helped me!"

"O-Okay. But you don't have to-"

"I WANT to." Cala said as she got close to Hilda.

What has Hilda Berg got herself into?

........................................

Baroness Von Bonbon was sitting on a throne chair, greeting all of the fellow royalties from faraway lands. One hand on her cheek, bored out of her mind. Secretly hoping that she could join the festivities also. She had always disliked this part of the Sugarland Ball ever since she was a teenager, due to all the uptight jerks she had to greet. She had always liked the regular residents of Inkwell Isle better, mainly because they acted more kind and didn't talk down to her. When she finished shaking hands with the Mayor of Drewville, there was nobody left. She was ready to join the festivities.

.......................................................

Near the Commoner entrance, Cuphead and Mugman presented their tickets to the guards and passed in. They were both wearing tuxedos that had their respective colors.

"Well....I'm gonna go get some punch." Cuphead said, as he was quick to move from his brother.

"I'll go...mingle." Mugman said as he walked off in the opposite direction.
Cuphead was thinking to himself as he walked towards the punch table 'Just talk to Cala Maria.' He thought. He grabbed the ladle and poured himself a cup of the punch and took a sip. It was a mix of apples and grapefruit but WAY too sweet, as if someone dumped a whole bag of sugar in the bowl.

'That's Sugarland for you' He thought.

He then looked over the crowd of characters in the ball, in the crowd he looked for Cala Maria. He saw King Dice shoot him a look that obviously said that he's still sore about the whole Contract thing a year ago. He also saw Cagney and the Rootpack signing autographs. Cuphead, like all others, believed that they'll make it big one day. Then he sees Sally Stageplay and Mr. Stageplay rubbing their feet from all the dancing blisters.

He turns to his left to see Cala Maria, she had a mad blush and a smile on her face. She was in her ocean themed dress and wearing a seashell looking necklace that really complimented her tentacle hair. Cuphead would admit, she looked awfully pretty in the lights and even the- NO! He's doing this for Mugman! He would do this for him too if he did!

He approached Cala Maria and said "Good Evening Cala Maria. You look lovely tonight."

Cala Maria was too nervous and bashful to speak. So she let her actions speak louder than words. She slithered towards Cuphead and pulled him into a tight embrace. If Cuphead didn't know any better, he could've sworn he saw heart bubbles come out of Cala's head.

"Aw Cuphead, you have no idea how long I wanted to get so close to you!" She said not to break her tight contact with her love. "I was so happy when I read your note. I have loved you since we first met at the docks and even after!"
This made Cuphead's heart twinge with guilt....but not as much after hearing that. "Uh Cala can I tal-"

Then a big band jazz song began to play.

"Oh! I love this song! Let's dance!" She grabbed Cuphead and pulled him towards the dance floor.

Cuphead was objecting to it at first, but after what she just told him. He couldn't just say no to her. Hilda Berg was right.

.............................

Mugman mingled as he walked around, talking to various characters as he tried to find Baroness Von Bonbon. Eventually he is pointed in the right direction and he sees her standing near the balcony looking down at the rest of Sugarland. He couldn't tell, but it looked like she was holding something. Mugman walked towards the balcony and stood next to her.

"Hey." Mugman said

"Hello." Bonbon said, both not giving any eye contact to each other.

"The....party is really fun." Mugman said

"Thank you."

Bonbon stretched her arm out, towards Mugman. In her hand was Mugman's straw.

"You left it behind last time you were here. Don't worry, it was safe with me." She said,

Mugman took it back from her and put it back in his head. He felt so much better with his straw back with him. Without it, he couldn't use half his powers plus, he felt....naked without it.

"Oh thank you so much Bonbon.....Can....I say something?" Mugman asked
The Baroness knew what was next, the rejection. He rejects her, she accepts, they don't hang out anymore, then she gets remembered as 'The Loneliest Baroness' .

"Why me?" He asked

"Huh?"

"There are a lot of cooler and better characters in Inkwell Isle? Why boring, Not as cool as my brother, clumsy Mugman?" He asked, with a feeling of self doubt.
"Do you remember the first day we met? You were in airplanes. I was in a cage suspended over a Three thousand foot drop at Grim Matchstick's castle?"
Mugman looked back at the memory that felt like so long ago since then. "Yeah. It felt like forever since those days."

"You and Chuphead fought Grim Matchstick with such valor and bravery. But when it came down to it, Cuphead grabbed the contract, and you saved me from falling to my death. You're so kind and compassionate, unlike your brother. Too focused on his own mission to save a lady. Not only that, I'm a leader to all the candies of Sugarland. They all look up to me to help them be safe and secure. But sometimes it can be a little......overwhelming. That's why I made a deal with the Devil, to make me and all my subjects impervious to harm." Then Bonbon removed her head right off her body.

Mugman jolted for a second, but remembered she did that a few times before.

"That's how you can do that!?" Mugman said, surprised.

"Yes." She said as she put her head back on her neck.

"Everybody here loves me, but nobody likes me. Nobody ever asks me 'How am I doing' or 'Are you okay'"

Mugman couldn't even imagine that kind of loneliness.

"But then you showed up. You made me feel like I was a regular girl, not some fragile royal that never lifted a finger. You were so kind and sweet to me, and you never asked for anything in return. When I heard you had a crush on that Mermaid I......started imagining the whole idea of you....not coming over as much. Me going back to that feeling of loneliness was something I didn't want to go back to. I wanted you to be beside me for as long as you possibly could. You always try your hardest to make others feel better about themselves. I guess...that's why I fell in love with you."
Mugman was at a loss for words, he had never thought about Bonbon in such a light. Mainly because his brother had such a feeling towards her, and he also thought she was engaged to some high class Baron or something. But hearing about how much of an impact he's made on her life made him feel.....special.

Mugman stood up on the balcony railing to get on her height. They looked into each other's eyes. Baroness then said "Mugman, right now, in this moment. I'm not royalty of any kind, and you're not a cup from Isle One. I'm just a girl...standing in front of a boy. Asking him to love her."

They began to inch closer to each other's faces. Just when they were about to close the distance, a loud crashing noise happened down at the Ballroom.

.......................................

Down in the Ballroom a huge hole had been blown in the ceiling with a fireball. Then out stuck three heads of a dragon.

"W-w-where?" One head said

"i-i-is" The second head said

"B-b-baroness Von B-b-bonbon!" the third head said.

Everyone began to run outside to escape the now spreading fire. Cuphead looked at Cala Maria and said "Cala, I need you to run. I'll deal with Grim for crashing the party."

"No Way! I outta teach this lizard a lesson for ruinin' our night!"

Out through the hole in the ceiling, shot out a net that completely draped Cala Maria. It was too heavy for her to move off of her. Cuphead ran to Cala Maria and tried to get it off of her.

THIS MATCH WILL GET RED HOT! AND BEGIN!

"Oh n-n-n-no you d-d-dont!" Grim Matchstick said as he shot psychic waves at Cuphead.

Cuphead quickly dodged and parried off the pink rays. Cuphead switched to the charge shot and shot all three of Grimm Matchstick's heads, all flinched in anger and shot flames at Cuphead. Cuphead jumped and mid air dashed across all the flames. But then Cuphead noticed that the net that has Cala Maria ensnared was starting to reel in towards the ceiling.

Cuphead reacted quickly and charged up a shot at the rope pulling her up, but was blindsided by Grim Matchstick's tail coming up through the floor and sending him flying upwards and hitting his head on the ceiling. Chipping his head and knocking him out cold.

"Cuphead!" Cala Maria yelled in horror.

At that very moment. Mugman and Bonbon ran in. Mugman ran to his now unconscious brother with a worried look on his face. Bonbon seeing Grim Matchstick wrecking her Party, her castle AND her moment with Mugman made her absolutely MAD.

"MATCHSTICK! YOU CROSSED THE LINE!" She yelled in anger.
"S-s-sorry, B-B-baroness. We just want revenge is all." He said a little frightened by her tone.

"WE!?"

Then Captain Brineybeared slid down Grim Matchsick's middle neck and stood on top of his head.

"That's right Yer Majesty. Me an me Matey Matchstick here decided it was time for a little collaboration between the two of us. I can finally be rid of that dreaded monsteress Callie Maria, and Ol' Matchstick ere' can finally get his dignity back!"

Then another net was shot out and this time it captures Bonbon and reels her in. Mugman had no choice to retreat, he was carrying Cuphead, and the castle was burning fast. He immediately ran outside to the castle courtyard.

Mugman then sees Grim Matchstick's whole body. It was no longer his green, scaly look. He was now wearing some kind of wooden armor and the only parts of him sticking out were his heads, wings, arms, and Tail. At this point, Mugman realized that it was Captain Brineybeard's ship; he was wearing it like some kind of body armor. When Brineybeard said 'collaboration' he wasn't kidding.

Grim Matchstick and Captain Brineybeard made it off into the skies. Both gave off victorious laughter as they faded into the night cloudy sky.

"MUGMAN!" Bonbon yelled

"CUPHEAD!" Cala Maria yelled.

"NO!" Mugman yelled as he aimed his finger gun at a now disappearing target.