Super Mario Continuance (REITERATED)

Chapter 28: A Corpse Party

"You know," Riba said to all his friends. He held an apple up to the night sky moon, covering it from his vision. "I have a friend who once said there's a whole kingdom up on the moon."

"Is that so?" Alice asked, sitting down at the foot of the tree with Mercy and Marie. "I never knew."

Marie spat out some apple. "Ugh, Riba... this 'fruit' of yours is trash," Marie whined. "This tastes nothing like flesh."

"Think of it like the heart of the tree," Riba replied. "It's big, red, juicy, and delicious... at least, I think that's what a heart tastes like. I've never exactly eaten one."

"I guess you didn't technically break your promise," Marie sighed. She discarded the apple as Riba took a bite of his. "But this still isn't satisfactory. You might want to bring me somewhere else before I eat you~." Riba didn't know if she was joking or serious. It was hard to tell with this one.

The kids were playing, the adults were eating. Everybody seemed happy. But not all was well. Len was in Hell, Mario was still dead, Riba was going to cease to exist, and he didn't know what to do. Except go to Abor's Cave. Perhaps they had answers there.

So, they went. They passed through the church, the only way forward. And went through the pathway that Mario had officially befriended Riba on so long ago. Riba felt himself reminiscing on old memories, when he heard a SPLAT in front of him.

Riba opened his eyes, and saw... himself. On the ground, dead. The body was old, he could tell. And not preserved at all. This other Riba's glasses were broken, and he looked like he was stabbed in the throat.

Riba yelled at the top of his lungs, stumbling back into Marie's arms. "Riba!" She shouted. "What's that?!" Everybody had visible disgust and horror on their faces. Then, another body fell. This time, it was Mario. He looked like he had choked on a fish. All these bodies and so many more were falling from the sky from no identifiable point. Riba and the others could only think to run!

So run they did. In the blink of an eye, all Hell had broken loose. Bodies everywhere. Some got caught on the trees, whilst some fell onto the ground. Riba found a cave, but he had lost track of everyone again. Thinking that the cave could provide him shelter, he ran in. He didn't care about finding any more Memory Fragments. He didn't care about Abor's Cave. He just needed to survive.

Riba then realized as the bodies piled up outside, blocking off the entrance to the cave, that he was alone. Just as he had started this journey. He desperately tried to jump out before the bodies completely enveloped the opening. But no. More bodies came, and one knocked him down.

Riba struggled to get the body off of him. This one looked like a Luigi that had simply dropped dead. As if life had instantly left him. All these bodies died in different ways. Some more gruesomely than others. Riba finally got the Luigi off of him, and ran further into the cave, crying.

Riba tried to find anything that could kill him and end his misery. A sharp rock to impale himself with, a pool of water to drown in, or a bottomless pit to fall into. He just wanted it to end. He had nothing left to live for.

Finally, he found a suitable hole to die in. He cried, and his tears fell over the edge and into the seemingly endless cavity in the earth. He was right. He existed to suffer. He would never feel happiness again.

All this rage, he felt like hurting people. But he wouldn't. He would only hurt himself.

Riba took a step forward, but then heard something.

"Riba, don't!" Mario's voice shouted. Riba stepped back and looked up. Mario was there. But he was blue, and seemed to be a spirit.

"Mario!" Riba cried. "Mario, how are you here?"

"Riba, you can't take your own life," Mario's spirit whimpered. "You can't give up. You have to keep going. You've come too far to give up now."

"But Mario," Riba sobbed. "Everyone I know is gone. I lost them all. Even you. I know you can't possibly be there. You're not real."

Mario smiled. "I know you can do it, Riba..." Mario sighed. "Remember that. You can still find a way out. There's still hope. I know you can do it because I believe in you. Because you are wonderful. Mario loves you very much."

"Do you mean that?" Riba sputtered. Mario loved him too?

"Yes, I've loved you for a long time," Mario replied. He had such a big smile on his face.

"I love you too, Mario," Riba sobbed. He reached forward his hand, and tried to interlace his fingers with Mario's. But they went right through.

"Ah--- that's okay," Mario sighed. He looked down. Then back to Riba. "You're my hero, Riba. You're going to make it through this, I know." Mario paused. "Thank you so much, for being my friend."

Mario disappeared. Riba watched as he went away again. "You're my friend too, Mario..." Riba sighed. "And I won't stop fighting. Never again. Whoever is doing this... I'm coming to end this."

Riba turned away from the pit. And walked the other way.