The Cup Shard

"Death is not the opposite of life, but a part of it."

--Haruki Murakami (opening quote)

"We all die. The goal isn’t to live forever, the goal is to create something that will."

--Chuck Palahniuk (ending quote)

The Cup Shard is a chapter in When the Cold Breeze Blows Away. In this chapter, Cuphead has been killed and his soul has been stolen by Trịnh Thị Kim Chánh of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam who uses a rocket launcher as the custom M72 LAW after all of her commandos are dead that it happened when Ngo Dinh Diem ordered her to kill Cuphead in Assassination of Cuphead since she used to kill many Toads in Toad Town Massacre.

It will be major shocking to everyone in other world,especially to Inkwell Isle after Werman Wallop Challenge and The Journey Home affections. It will make all of Inkwell Isle friends will live in a cold,cruel,Cuphead-less world.

It also take place in Hilda's Observatory and it's outside after the Treaty of Strawberry Cake.

The Resistance for Inkwell Isle

 * Baroness Von Bon Bon
 * Beppi The Clown
 * Blaze Brothers
 * Blind Specter
 * Cagney Carnation
 * Cala Maria
 * Cuphead
 * Captain Brineybeard
 * Djimmi The Great
 * Dr. Kahl's Robot
 * Goopy Le Grande
 * Grim Matchstick
 * Head of the Train
 * Hilda Berg
 * Moe Tato
 * Mugman
 * Ms. Chalice
 * Phantom Express
 * Psycarrot
 * Ribby and Croaks
 * Rumor Honeybottoms
 * Sally Stageplay
 * T-Bone
 * The Root Pack
 * Wally Warbles
 * Wally's Son
 * Weepy

Miscellaneous

 * Arnold Perlstein
 * Carlos Ramon
 * Dorothy Ann Rourke
 * Jyoti Kaur
 * Keesha Franklin
 * Ralphie Tennelli

The First Appeared Characters

 * Ngo Dinh Diem
 * Trịnh Thị Kim Chánh

The Secondary Appeared Characters

 * Date Masamune
 * Mousse Benetta
 * Squigly
 * Sólyom Csőrmester
 * Toby Esterhase
 * Blueberry Angel
 * Carl Johnson
 * Hongmao
 * Lantu

The Third Appeared Characters

 * Cao Thị Xuân Hòa
 * Lê Hải Thành
 * Trần Văn Viên
 * Shuke
 * Vanilla Ellie
 * Bramble
 * Briar
 * Cedric the Prince Filly
 * Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd
 * Ensign Nogami
 * Herbert Krcal
 * Lưu Trọng Hà

Transcript
Saigon is now ruled by Ngo Dinh Diem and Ducangers,which they are more savage than evil Lola Loud or an emperors. Trịnh Thị Kim Chánh,the killer of Toads,is being called and tasked by Ngo Dinh Diem.

I heard what Ngo Dinh Diem was saying to her. He was in his president room and now he ordered her. The Anti-Rubyism in South Vietnam give me an nightmare about my village,Ruby Rose and even her innocent supporters. He even more evil than Coalition of the Red Star dictators or terrorists.

"Ngài ghét bất kỳ ai theo Phật Giáo và chủ nghĩa Ruby. Chúng không được chào đón tới chúng ta, để mà ngài sẽ làm nước ta trở thành đất nước mạnh mẽ để không chỉ phá hủy bọn Việt Cộng mà có cả tất cả những gì liên quan tới Ruby Rose hoặc Hoa Kỳ kể từ lúc bọn Mỹ đã làm ở Mỹ Lai. (I hate every Buddhists and Rubyists. They're not welcome to us, so that I will make our nation into powerful nation to destroy not only the Viet Cong but also all anything related to Ruby Rose or USA since American did in My Lai.)" -  said Ngo Dinh Diem that he said to Trịnh Thị Kim Chánh. '' Chúng ta đã rồi lên kế hoạch tới xâm lược Inkwell Isle nhưng nước ta có thể bị đánh bại bởi bất kỳ ai sử dụng chiến thuật du kích ở châu lục đó kể từ khi chúng ta đã lên kế hoạch xâm lược nó. Ngài sẽ ra lệnh cho bạn tới tìm kiếm điểm tử huyệt của Inkwell Isle - ám sát Cuphead và bắt sống linh hồn hắn vì mang nó cho chúng ta, rồi cuối cùng chúng ta sẽ chinh phục nó trong tương lai của chúng ta. Rồi chúng phải tuân theo và dưới sự cai trị của chúng ta với Nam Việt Nam vì tương lai. (We have already tries to invade Inkwell Isle but our nation could be defeated by anyone use guerrilla tactical in Inkwell Isle since we planed invade it. I order you to seek Inkwell Isle's weakness - assassinate Cuphead and capture his soul for bring it to us,so that finally we will conquer it in our future plan ! Then they will be obeyed and be under ruled in our reign with South Vietnam for the future.)" -Diem said again.

"Yes,Mr. President. " (Vâng,Ngài Tổng Thống.) - Kim Chánh replied,then she and 10 of her commandos are prepared to assassinate.

They're gonna planning kill Cuphead and steal his soul for conquer Inkwell Isle. I can't believe their plan gave me nerves,....fear and nightmare. Those plan will be worse than the Soviets (USRAC) and the imperialists (NCP) ! I must warning to Cuphead,Mugman and all of their friends !

In Inkwell Isle,Trịnh Thị Kim Chánh and 10 of her commandos deployed to find somewhere which Cuphead located until she found Hilda's Observatory after we signed the allied treaty to the Coalition of the Red Phoenix but then Sally Stageplay and her husband spotted her when they were in Inkwell Isle.

"Hey ! What are you doing here ? You tries...." -said Sally when she and her husband spotted her until they being sprayed to sleep by her sleeping spray.

And then Kim Chánh and her commandos are tries to open the door of Hilda's Observatory until Hilda Berg come from outside to spotted them and use the alarm speakers to cause alert and make us,her friends,Team Magic School Bus and even Cuphead are going to deploy themselves for defend.

"The intruders have incoming ! " - Ms. Chalice when she has ready to be first armed.

" The ARVN rouges are armed ! We should take down them before other ARVN troops come ! " - Cuphead.

As her has been spotted, Kim Chánh ordered her commandos to attack us,so we will attack them. "An gunshot sound noises getting more happened".

Some of her commandos shot us and killed more of our guards. Cuphead,Ms. Chalice,Mugman and Cala Maria come into to attack 3 of Kim Chánh's commandos. So as I and my allies with Team Magic School Bus are going to gunning down 3 of those enemy commandos.

Also,some of the CRP leaders and their friends who are in their army camp from that observatory's outside are also hear the gunshot.

" Do you hear that ? I think there are an gunshot from overhere. " - Squigly said.

Rumor Honeybottoms and Baroness Von Bon Bon with Captain Brineybeard,some of us (included team Magic School Bus) and Wally's son run into them for information

"Honeybottoms reporting ! We need your help to handle the intruders ! They commit to kill someone of us !" said Rumor Honeybottoms that she said to some of the CRP leaders

"I believed that I bet someone blasted on bad happen. That thing is why I will make them suffer" - Masamune Date reply.

"True ! The ARVN commandos has incoming up that we will surely encounter and defeat them." -said Captain Brineybeard.

"Oh no. I can't believe myself. But I tell the truth of important one who will die like me on my first time" - said Mousse Benetta

We, Rumor Honeybottoms and Baroness Von Bon Bon with Captain Brineybeard and Wally's son are shocked. We still hear her happen.

"Someone who gifted more important to their homeland. But when it being targed to be dead in the hand of the invaders who commited the assassination, then this is how one homeland will be conquered and sorrowful if there are very much weakness by kill the most important one. I may be died on my first time on the assassination until I come back from dead but the Inkwell Isle will not able to survive from the evil invader, like the Chaos have done to my kingdom in the beginning of Chaotic War if lost the main important hero until we defend. ." -said Mousse Benetta

"And will Cuppy die here ?.....as are we go suffer...?.." - Baroness Von Bon Bon reply in unhappy after holding her M1014 Cotton Candy

"Sadly, yes. He will be gone in the disharmony ways which worse than the Devil......by in the hand of the rouge Ducangers who want his demise....." - Mousse Benetta reply in tearful.

We and Bon Bon getting shocked to fear as the CRP comrades are try help us. We must hurry to come to Cuphead for defend him after Benetta has even warned us.

"Damn ! Those Bustas (ARVN) are giving shits to us !" - Carl Johnson angry saying.

"We must go on here to help Cuphead on the safely. He is in danger as we worried" - said Squigly.

Masamune Date riding his war horse and run fast,as we are run to try defend Cuphead before he dies here.

Meanwhile,Cuphead and Mugman with his friends are attacking Kim Chánh's commandos. Beppi run forward to perform the bayonet charge as Masamune Date arrived. But we believe we are going to attack the most of Chánh's commandos.

Also, The Root Pack and the Phantom Express took down 4 of Chánh's commandos. Squigly took the the AT4 Rocket Launcher to perform the assault as her comrades are attacking Chánh's commandos. The rest of Kim Chánh's commandos are under attacked.

"(Chánh,chúng tôi đang bị áp đảo bởi chúng nó ! Chúng đông quá ! (Chánh, we are being overwhelmed by them ! They are overcrowded !)" - Sgt. Cao Thị Xuân Hòa said to Chánh.

She said that they are being outnumbered but Kim Chánh keep on going to attack. She order them to keep resist. We get our advantages to take down them.

"Hurry ! We must take down the intruders from South Vietnam !" - Ms. Chalice said when firing at ARVN Commandos by Beretta PMX

" We won't left them escape from our homeland ! " - Mugman when firing his Steyr AUG

We and the CRP comrades took down the most of her commandos,only her,Xuân Hòa and the last one.

Meanwhile in ARVN Base of Bến Tre, General Trần Văn Viên was think about the mission

"Chuyện này không ổn. Chúng ta nghĩ nhiệm vụ của chúng ta liên tục để thất bại, đại tướng (This is not okay. We think our mission ongoing to fail,General.)" - the ARVN communication officer informed.

"Chúng ta không sao. Nó sẽ rất khó khăn tới ám sát Cuphead nhưng Kim Chánh sẽ thử sau khi chúng ta thất bại tới việc kiểm soát tâm trí Cala Maria tới xâm chiếm Trường Sa trong trận đó." (We are okay. It will hard to assassinate Cuphead but Kim Chánh will try after we fail to mind controlling Cala Maria to invade Truong Sa in that battle) - General Trần Văn Viên said. That's mean the Ducanger admited they fail to invade Truong Sa.

Hear an gunshot,Sally Stageplay and her husband wake up and confused.

"Wake up,comrades. I long live to see you here" - Sólyom Csőrmester said when saw her

" ....What happened to here ? .....I bit confused." - Sally reply.

"Our comrade Cuphead is gonna to be dead by none other than the rouge Vietnamese ! I believe comrade Benetta predicted your bad future ! We has no choice but to defend him ! "- Blueberry Angel said.

" Yes, our leaders will not see how broken cup shards made." - Toby Esterhase said about Cuphead's fate.

Sally shocked. "Oh my god ! I won't have an chances to see him dies !" - she said.

Sally and her husband helping us to attack Kim Chánh.

Kim Chánh have no choice to survive or fail her missions. Her last commando and Sgt. Xuân Hòa threw smoke grenades at us and Cuphead's friends. We may confused to see due to the smoke cloud affections but Kim Chánh threw stun grenade at Cuphead,which make him stunned after Mugman,Ms. Chalice and Cala Maria can not see Cuphead due to smoke cloud affections from that smoke grenades.

Kim Chánh firing M-16VN to injure Cuphead which made him badly injured due to accurate shot from her. We almost tried to defend him but she still kill.

"Cuphead ! We won't let you dies in our homeland ! " - Mugman yelling as he worried to tearful and witnessed his brother being badly injured.

"Cuphead..., I must defend you but... we are tried our best to save you ! I.... " - Ms. Chalice said when she is now tearful worried until...

She and Cala Maria with us and our friends worried but we are trying to get off the smoke cloud. Cuphead also worried about us and his fate

But we are too late. "Big lose,you guys." - Kim Chánh committed to say. She launched and firing at injured Cuphead.

" Oh no.......our destiny may live in the harmony life...." - Cuphead's last word after he know he can not dodge due to his badly wounded.

A rocket flying from her M72 LAW being launched and eliminate him in one hit.

"Boom !" " Explosion noise louder and blow Cuphead into the cup shards which turned him into a soul while his body has been destroyed."

"The smoke cloud ended"

" CUPHEAD !!!" - Mugman, Ms. Chalice and Cala Maria yelling in tearful emotion to crying when witnessed Cuphead's demise by rocket launcher. I can't believe it. This is not assassination but turned into homicide-assassination for Ducanger dictatorship which we hate them.

It would make worse than Benetta's assassination that some of Cuphead's friends suffered the lost. He couldn't survive the horrific explosion. And now it will be too much sadder than I thought

The explosion turned him into the broken cup. Those flying cup shards fragmented and make some of our friends injured due to the random shard cut,include me due to my leg wounds.

For example to Cala Maria who get her wounded and drop her M4A1 due to being shard cut on her left arm. She getting hurt. Mugman and Ms. Chalice tried to help her cover the wounds.

"Mugman......it's getting hurt....!" - Cala Maria said in tearful.

" Don't worry...I and Ms. Chalice will cover your pain." - Mugman reply.

" I help you to survive here. You'll be fine" - Ms. Chalice reply again

Ms. Chalice put off the cup shard piece from Cala's left arm. Then she and Mugman covered and healed Cala by the bandages and first aid kid case. But they and Cala still lost their friend Cuphead.

"Cuphead.........I'm sorry..." - Cala Maria saying when she lost. She cried, so as Ms. Chalice and Mugman cried too.

" We still an chances to save him....but..." - Ms. Chalice said in tearful.

"Bro......(crying)...we are failed.." - Mugman mourning about Cuphead's fate but he is getting more of suffered from the lost

Cala,Ms. Chalice and Mugman hugged each other. And therefore,some of us were covered the wounds but.....

"No...,..please keep our heart.....,Cuppy !." - Baroness Von Bon Bon tried to say some words in tearful pain. Poor Bon Bon. She could not an chance to rescue him when Chánh killed him in the brutal ways,as we tried to save him but too late. So as Mugman,Cala and Ms. Chalice also become pitiful like her.

"He......is now gone ! As Benetta at her demise from her past......" - Cagney Carnation said but he suffered.

" Cuphead......this is our time to see you as our best friend after the Kaiser's anschluss ended.....but.....I....I...(Crying)" - Hilda Berg who saw him dying.

"Oh no....." - Beppi in his sad moment.

We and the CRP leaders are also witnessed Cuphead's demise,some of us will crying but we believe he still alive in his soul form that at least time Ms. Chalice believe that she and Mugman got the an chance to restore Cuphead by their parry slaps at his soul.

Now I'm getting a shard cut on my leg, and by gosh, I didn't know any better. I had a cut on my leg, but now I'm being bandaged and I'm feeling fine despite of our failure.

But ...Kim Chánh won't let his soul escape by her ghost catcher gadget trap after threw her used M72 LAW. Curse her for turning Inkwell Isle went bad future !

"Curse you ! You took everythings which we want but you also make our friend Cuphead into the lost destiny since "Der Kaiser" (Werner Werman) did not call all of us are Rubyists today ! " - Captain Brineybeard. He is too angry as tearful that we want kill Kim Chánh.

But when 30 of the ARVN Huey choppers are incoming from chrono portal to attack us, which she gonna to escape. We can not left her escape as we tries to save Cuphead's soul until the ARVN Huey choppers's machine gunners firing their machine gun at us,so as we dodge and resist the attack.

Those ARVN reinforcement soldiers are come from their choppers that they gonna to attack us and rescue Kim Chánh.

" Tấn Công !! (Attack !!) " - a ARVN officer Lê Hải Thành in Vietnamese,then they firing at us.

The assassination have turned into more gunshot,more noise. They are take advantages as we are getting bad morale...

" We must repel the chopper assault ! But I and Chalice will sacrifice our last chance to avenge and restore !" - Mugman said. We, Mugman, Ms. Chalice and Cala Maria started fight back

Most of us are attack again. Cala Maria has been driven into medusa-like form as she getting angry at the ARVN soldiers though she lost. And Mugman will avenge his brothers,as his friends and the comrades of CRP will show their powers to attack the ARVN soldiers. We are keep hold the ARVN chopper attack until...

Our reinforcements have arrived. We took more of our advantages.

An airstrike from Ensign Nogami and our allied fighter jets (include the A-10 Warthogs) blows some of ARVN choppers.

Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd and his allied CRP troops have ready while the US troops (from Inkwell Isle) and our reinforcements are protecting us.

Bramble and Briar roaring like war cry. They also perform help our assistance,so the platoons of the Date Clan and Prince Cedric did same. The some teams from Preschools Girls and our allies are rescue us.

" Kim Chánh,chúng ta phải đi mau trước khi bọn chúng cướp chiến lợi phẩm ! (Kim Chánh, we must go on before they rob our war trophy !)" - Xuân Hòa

" Nhưng.......vậy còn cậu,đồng chí ? (But....how about you,comrade ?" -Chánh reply.

" Cứ đi đi ! Tớ sẽ cầm chân bọn chúng ! (Just go away ! I will hold them back !)" - Xuân Hòa's last word to her.

She has move away. Sgt. Xuân Hòa equipped bayonet attached on her M-16VN. She run toward to attack us.

Baroness Von Bon Bon getting deeper sorrow... until she start threw a tantrum by avenge Cuphead's death. She look at ARVN soldiers who firing at us.

"You.........monsters ! I will not forgive you for bring down our comrade Cuppy, as we lost because of you ! " - Bon Bon in her vengeful tear.

She also run toward to Sgt. Xuân Hòa but Sgt. Xuân Hòa dueled her

" Tao sẽ giết mày, Bon Bon ! (I will kill you,Bon Bon !) - Sgt. Xuân Hòa speak in Vietnamese when tried to pulling attack on her.

She quickly dodge Xuân Hòa's attack,then she fight back. The ARVN squads are pulling their bayonet charge attack while some of their soldiers are aiming. But thankly to being bandaged on my legs,I still active that we were covered in healing until we started to perform melee attack.

Soon,Lê Hải Thành charging at me by his sword. But I prepared,so that I duel against him with Joseon sword. War Creampup Fortress have arrived to firing at the ARVN huey choppers. Lưu Trọng Hà and his comrade snipers who in some grass of the forest ambush and sniping at some ARVN Huey gunners

" You do not think about my sweet candies !" - Bon Bon. She kicked and disarmed Xuân Hòa. She drop her shotgun, then Xuân Hòa use her hand to fight her until Xuân Hòa being defeated and captured by her and her comrades.

She also assist her friends and us,as her War Creampup Fortress protect her.

Cala Maria (gorgon form) turned the machine gunners of 5 ARVN Huey choppers into stones,as those of it being down to be self-broken. Mugman and Ms. Chalice charging at ARVN charging soldiers by their melee weapons

"No one escape from my floral fury!" - Cagney.

Cagney and the Root Pack attacked and killed some of ARVN soldiers.

Beppi,Djimmi,Goopy and other friends (include Team Magic School Bus) are charging at ARVN soldiers who also charging.

Squigly and her comrades charging at ARVN soldiers who also charge attack.

ARVN huey choppers firing at Hilda Berg, Rumor Honeybottoms, Grim Matchstick and Wally but they easily dodge, as they repel the attack by their skills. The Date Clan and the CRP comrades are banzai to attack the ARVN soldiers.

The battle was more happened as more performs on defensive and offensive.

Due to being under attack, the ARVN soldiers and their Huey choppers are being forced to retreat but they are escort Kim Chánh who got her ghost trap gadget which certain Cuphead's inside of it. I see Kim Chánh tried to escape but Lê Hải Thành stopped me by try kill me.

" You do not have another Rubyists !" - Lê Hải Thành to me. He assault me but I repel his attack on the defensive. Then I resist and defeat him until I eliminated him by my sword. Then I see my friends and my comrades defeated the charge attack of ARVN soldiers. I ran to Mugman and Ms. Chalice that we are going to track down Kim Chánh. The ARVN soldiers who tried to escort her are attack us until we killed them. Mugman and Ms. Chalice run to attack Kim Chánh,so we assist them.

" You did not get out the ways of this,murderer !" - Mugman who tried to rescue his brother's soul by attack Kim Chánh. But then her gunners against and prevent him and us rescue him. Worse still, Kim Chánh use her revolver to injure Mugman but he dodge it until her machine gunners slow his advance attack by heavy fire.

And she and 7 ARVN huey choppers with their soldiers retreated and escaped after they captured Cuphead's soul and left us suffer the lost destiny.

We are now lost Cuphead,the fate of Inkwell Isle will be happened after it will be supa loss. But to Mugman and Ms. Chalice,they are now sorrowful after Cala back into normal. I can't believe on our lost but Cuphead is now gone,it reminded about my late grandfather and my late niece since I remembered.

Mugman and all of his friends run to his brother's body that he saw it has been already fragmented into pieces. He knee down, drop his Steyr AUG and started to crying....

"Brother......I promise.....we and our friends are now the true comrades.....till we live....in our heart..of...(crying)..." - Mugman.

Due to the lost destiny, he grieving like our comrade. His friends are now mourning,as we are sorrowful. It could not make any better for us but into the lost destiny of Inkwell Isle. Weepy crying louder when Cuphead's friends will be the witness of their tragedy like us. Some of our comrades who are our former enemies witnessed to feels bad or sad. Squigly,Benetta,Briar and their comrades are grieving too.

"How could anyone do this in the tragic ways !? " - Djimmi the Great when he is angry and crying same time

Also,Bon Bon screamed and cried when she run into Mugman that she is now lost our hero Cuphead. Ms. Chalice and Cala hugged Mugman while Wally and Grim started to be more pitiful.

To the eyes for her and all of her friends, they remembered that we, Cuphead and Mugman have not only saved them from the enslaved soul contract of Eeofol and The Devil's strike but also save Inkwell Isle in the USRAC War. We never forget Cala who also help us to save her friends. But now we and they may lost Cuphead but he will live in our hearts.

The Devil and King Dice are happy in Inkwell Hell but they won't know how the ARVN Ducangers will storm all of their things in that place. We know Kim Chánh committed to massacre the Toads and kill Cuphead. She must be worse than the generals of Beleninsk Pact, the NCP and the CRP combined.

Some of our soldiers and our comrades may be angry to see our friend Cuphead dies in the cruel ways, especially to Date Masamune, Dimitri and Blueberry Angel (who also cry and angry) with their comrades. Someone will threw a tantrum due to see the tragic death of Cuphead and it's light-hearted.

The reporter and their cameraman come to committed to make the news about Cuphead's demise. As Shuke's custom transport helicopter and the Red Cross helicopters have come to help our wounded soldiers and collect Cuphead's fragmented body.

Vanilla Ellie and her medics come from Shuke's custom transport helicopter to try collect Cuphead's fragmented body. We,her and Blueberry Angel tried to comfort Mugman and all of his friends.

"Cuppy.....,you helped our to find the justice and make the sweet lovely with me..but..,please don't leave us....please." - Bon Bon to that fragmented body in the hopeless.

"Please calm down, Sweet Bon Bon. We will make you and your friends live in the harmony that we hope you're okay....." - Vanilla Ellie in her tearful eyes.

"Comrade Ellie....,.I hope you that you and your friends will be our comrades...." - Mugman

We and Ellie with our medics are comfort Baroness Von Bon Bon. She was right,the tragic explosion will left her,her friends and us live in a cold, cruel, Cuphead-less world, unlike "their dark past about getting lost their soul due to soul contract.".

Ellie and her medics collected Cuphead's fragmented body to Shuke's transport helicopter for transport to Inkwell Hospital for start new surgeon and restore but they will need his soul later. His USRAC War-era former enemies will become more regretful.

Until now,Mugman and all of his friends will know Kim Chánh who killed his brother that they are in hopeless ways but we hope we know his soul which will be still alive.

The news about Cuphead's demise will be more spreading to not only Inkwell Isle and also other worlds... until they will be shocked and emotional later.

Trivia

 * The tragic death of Cuphead and it's soul thievery will cause more shocking to not only everyone in Inkwell Isle,but also other worlds due to Kim Chánh who use her M72  LAW killed him
 * Werner Werman will have another regretful about his former enemy Cuphead
 * Some of other persons from Inkwell Isle (include an USRAC War former enemies) are not hear about this until they realize.
 * The Devil and King Dice will be happy to see Cuphead die in explosion. But they will not get any long happy due to their don't know how Ducangers will invade the entire Inkwell Isle.