Rising Shards

The big monster made of office supplies immediately swung at Chumbler and Z.O.K. The two dodged the attack and hid behind a sturdy enough looking cubicle.

“Well? Are you gonna talk it down already?” Z.O.K. asked.

Chumbler thought about it for a moment, then handed Z.O.K. five dollars.

“If there’s one slight downside to gambling, it’s losing,” Chumbler said. “Although losing just makes the wins that much sweeter.”

“Quit writing poetry about gambling and get your bloodsaber out!” Z.O.K. said.

Chumbler patted her pockets.

“Oh my god, did you forget it?” Z.O.K. asked.

“I had to make room for money! Cash money, Z.O.K.! Cash money that, uh, for the capsule machine! Where’s yours?”

“Uh…” Z.O.K. said.

“You forgot yours too, ha!” Chumbler pointed way too close at Z.O.K. Close enough that she was basically just poking her temples in intervals as she shouted ”HAAAAAA!” over and over.

“Shut up,” Z.O.K. said. “Can you just use your spin ball thing on it already? Or let me fight? I bet I could one shot it.”

“You know what, fine,” Chumbler said. “You keep hyping up this power to me, let’s see it already.”

Z.O.K. screeched with glee as she got up.

“Alright, alright, you’re gonna love this.” Z.O.K. said. “Check it out, I can—”

“Wait, I have an incredible idea!” Chumbler said. She got out her trusty lighter she stole from a casino once and grabbed a handful of paper near her that hadn’t been assimilated into the office monster. She lit the paper on fire and held it upwards.

“Are you trying to burn this whole place down?” Z.O.K. asked.

“Just give it a second!” Chumbler said.

Above them, a fire alarm sounded. Sprinklers in the ceiling sprayed water down.

“Was that your incredible idea?” Z.O.K. asked. “Getting it wet?”

“Noooo…” The beast wailed.

“I know, water seems like it wouldn’t even do much of anything—”

“Water, my greatest weakness!” The beast yelled. “OW, it really really hurts! Like, REALLY bad! Water does!”

“What.” Z.O.K. said.

“I, Folder Hothon, cannot be defeated! Not by water! But water! My weakness! I can’t…!” Folder Hothon exploded.

The two watched as office parts splatted all around them.

“His name was ‘Folder Hothon’?” Z.O.K. asked. “Why did water make him explode? Did you know that would happen?”

Chumbler shrugged, and Z.O.K. sighed.

“Alright, was that better or worse than fighting Wayfarer Saga and that weird little guy?” Chumbler asked. “I bet you that you thought those two were worse.”

“I’m not doing another bet right now!” Z.O.K. said. “And how would you even win that bet? I could just lie to whatever you said I was thinking.”

“A true gambling scenario seems impossible on the surface. That’s the thrill of it.” Chumbler said. “And I want my five bucks back.”

“Whatever. What do now?”

“Me know not.” Chumbler said. “I thought that’d maybe open a door or something. Let’s check, WAIT, OH MY GOD LOOK!”

Chumbler rushed into her speed ball form to zip over to the center of the remains of the folder monster, where something gold glowed.

“Is that it?” Z.O.K. asked.

“Y…yes…finally…” Chumbler said as she approached the glow. She nearly tripped over her own drool as she stared at the beautiful, mystical, gold-plated capsule machine. Not only was it pristine, with both of their reflections showing in its outer casing, but the capsules inside were mysteriously covered, making each pull even more of a gamble. She shakily started to get coins out of her pockets.

The first quarter she got out slipped from her hands and rolled away. For some reason, Chumbler felt like that had to be the quarter that she used first, and she ran for it as it rolled to a stop (and so she could bet herself heads or tails before it fell. Once it landed (heads, Chumbler lost), a beam of a different, not-golden light shot out of it.

“Huh?” Chumbler said. The glow of the light increased.

“Did you mean to do that?” Z.O.K. asked.

“No,” Chumbler asked. “Is making grape-colored beams of light from quarters your power?”

“No…” Z.O.K. said. “I don’t like this…”

The light grew, until it was the size and shape of a doorway.

A small figure emerged from the light, with three behind them.

“Who goes there?” Chumbler asked, wishing she had her bloodsaber. “Halt, in the name of my all-but-certain victory!”

Z.O.K. smelled something strangely familiar. The three taller figures were definitely Kanibari, and the smaller one…

“Uh…Chumbler…” Z.O.K. said. “I think that’s…”

The small figure stepped forward, revealing a similar, yet slightly different looking form.

“You…?” Z.O.K. said.

To Chumbler, it was like looking in a mirror. The girl across from her shared her gremlin-like size and appearance, though she looked perhaps a shade more devious, and wasn’t wearing the Rising Shards uniform. Other Chumbler waited with her companions as Chumbler and Z.O.K. processed things.

“Z.O.K., what’s my twenty-fifth best catchphrase?” Chumbler asked.

“Uh, ‘what doesn’t smelt you makes you dealt you?’ That one’s pretty weak, I could see it being twenty-fifth.”

“No, that’s thirty-seven. Twenty-five is ‘things have to get stupider before they get dumber.’”

“Ah. And I take it that the fight was it getting stupider, and—”

“And now this whole thing is it getting dumber, yes.”