Chapter 1: Ardor

"Riba, come quickly!" Medoro exclaimed, giddily. His eyes were full of wonder and glee.

"Hold your horses, Medoro!" Riba laughed, somewhat nervously. He was stumbling behind, carrying a bag full of natural produce from the supermarket. He was being careful as to not spill the fresh, delicious food. But Medoro insisted. Reaching forward his hand, he grabbed Riba's and started running at full speed. Medoro was a surprisingly fast runner. Riba dropped the bag, but managed to catch it before it hit the ground, which would have ruined the five star dish he would be cooking up tonight.

"S-slow down!" Riba exclaimed, his voice shaky and a little annoyed, though he tried to hide it.

"Don't be such a spoilsport, Riba!" Medoro laughed. He shot a big smile toward Riba. Any semblance of unease or contempt with this situation fled Riba's mind. Just seeing Medoro enjoy himself was all he needed. Even if he could be a bit of a pain sometimes, Riba and Medoro were happy. That's all that really matters, right?

They sped through Central Bubblaine as fast as they could. Riba still juggling apples, a loaf of bread, and other foodstuffs. They both dashed off into the sun, which was making its way down the distant horizon. Riba, still unsure of where they were going exactly, just continued running.

This continued until they reached a beach a few minutes later. Tired from the long run, Riba sat down on the sandy shore. Medoro, showing no signs of fatigue whatsoever, just stared off into the distance.

"What did you bring me here for?" Riba asked, looking up to Medoro.

Medoro looked at him and smiled again. "Do you see it?" Medoro looked back at the ocean, the evening sunset reflecting off his eyes. Riba, breaking out of the trance triggered by the look in Medoro's eyes, looked forward. It was becoming clear to him. There was a large glass in the distance. Like one you would drink wine or another special drink out of. It was adorned with bronze, and seemed filled to the brim with a sparkling water of some kind.

"What's a giant drinking glass doing over there?" Riba asked. "It's like something out of one of your stories."

Medoro looked at him and chuckled. "I was here a very long time ago, on the other side of the beach," Medoro pointed forward. "It was before I met you. Before I went into that house."

Indeed he had. Long ago, Medoro was a free, adventurous spirit who came from the Mushroom Kingdom, a land far away from where he resides now. (The Seaside Kingdom, for those of you wondering.) He had a completely different life, completely different friends, and a completely different name, not having the need for an alias to avoid uproar. And it was Mario.

Oh, the adventures he had! Each one was different (well, for the most part,) and full of fun. He had a brother named Luigi, a love interest in the form of a princess named Peach, and a dinosaur best friend named Yoshi! And that's just scratching the surface of Mario's many pals. An evil turtle dragon named Bowser would kidnap Peach every now and again to try and marry her. Mario decided, he would take a stand.

He saved the day every time, not breaking a sweat at any point. In his down time, he would race karts, play sports, go to the casino, and even teach young children in school. No matter what he did, he did it with a smile on his face and a spring in his step.

That was all until one day... a day where Princess Peach told Mario about a strange house that reports say lay on the border between the Mushroom Kingdom and the Cap Kingdom. She had sent multiple Toads out to greet the people of the Cap Kingdom, bringing them gifts for their help in saving her after Bowser kidnapped her last.

However, the rain proved too much for one poor Toad. He fell ill with a horrible cold. Toadsworth, the leader of the party and Peach's father, gave the Toad his vest for warmth and led him into the house. The others went on without them as per Toadsworth's orders.

Toadsworth and the sick Toad never came back. When the other Toads came back from their journey, they reported that they hadn't seen either of them since they went inside. They tried knocking on the door, but not one dared to go in. They had noted that it had never stopped raining there.

To ease the people's panic from the disappearances, most of them blaming it on the big bad Bowser, Peach sent Mario out to investigate and hopefully bring back all of the Toads. Mario insisted that nobody come with him. Not even Luigi or Yoshi. Luigi was dead scared of ghosts, which Mario was told littered the house anyways. Mario knew it was a decision he was going to regret.

The house was merciless. No entrance or exit doors or windows to escape from. There were indeed ghosts, but not any like Mario had seen before. Not Boos, Greenies, Possessors or Portrait Ghosts. These ones were lost souls of people who lived lives. Ones of misery, hopelessness, sorrow, and terror. And they were bloodthirsty. All because of one woman named Alice, and her husband, Riba.

Mario found a music box somewhere in the mansion, releasing a spirit known as Alice into the world and breaking the seal placed by the music box.

Mario also found a strange diary sometime later. Once he read it, he fell under the influence of Alice's spirit. Soon after, he met Riba, who, after many attempted deaths and reiterations, had lost most of his memory. Mario had been banging his head against the wall and screaming. When Riba asked if he was okay, Mario responded only with bits and pieces of complete sentences, and then ran away.

Soon after, Luigi showed up under orders from Peach to find Mario within the house. This wouldn't be the first time Luigi had to save Mario from a haunted house, but sadly, it would be his last.

Luigi was tricked with illusions of dead Marios brought on by a spirit from the house, while Mario and Riba ventured off to find an exit, Mario not knowing of Luigi's arrival at the house. However, Riba regained his memories and beat Mario to the point of unconsciousness.

Luigi, nearly giving up, finally found Mario back in the house after what felt like days of searching. He wouldn't know how long it really took, as all the clocks in that house stood still. They reunited in a heartwarming hug.

But this moment of bliss would not last long. As soon as they thought they had escaped, Mario, under the possession of Alice, stabbed Luigi and left him to die as Mario vanished back into the house.

Luigi, injured by the stabbing, but not dead, tried following Mario back to the house, but collapsed and was rescued by Toads and brought back home. In the mansion, Peach had been wandering, looking for Mario. Mario killed Peach under Alice's command, and took her crown. This led Mario on a downward spiral that would cause him to kill a fake Luigi out of paranoia. Though he believed this to be the real Luigi.

After another close encounter with a spirit trying to kill him, Mario found a back exit to the house. There, he met once again with Riba. All was forgiven(?) as they continued on into a forest, hoping to find their way home. Instead, they stumbled across a long lost town by the name of Evangeline.

This town was perhaps even more horrifying than the house that preceded it. Mario had to take to weapons to defend himself. He indeed found one of the Toads, a Toad named Toadston. He had died and had become another spirit. Mario was told that when you die in Evangeline or the house, you would feel your pain eternally in the afterlife. And you would never be able to truly leave once you have passed. Mario, promising to tell Toadston's family of his passing, bid him farewell as he continued his treacherous journey.

Riba was always there for Mario through thick and thin since then, and Mario, with Riba's help, began to piece together the history of Evangeline, and the Aduraice family, the owners of the house.

There was a man named Marchionne who ran the town. He was the highest member of the church. But he was a corrupt leader. Riba, along with his protege, Alice, ordered for Marchionne to be publicly executed. Which eventually happened. Riba had done this for money and power, and not for the good of the people.

When things had settled down, Riba married a woman named Elizabeth Addington. Alice, in love with Riba and wracked with sorrow from this crime of the heart, burnt their house down while Riba was away, taking their daughter Anna from the flames and burning Elizabeth's body, which had been stabbed prior to this.

Riba, not knowing Alice caused the fire, commended her for her selflessness and married her. But Alice wanted to make a deal with the devil to obtain eternal life so they could be together forever. Together, they killed everyone else in the house. Servants, family members. And without Riba's knowledge, Anna.

One day, Riba found out about how Alice had killed Elizabeth and Anna. He bludgeoned her to death with a crowbar. Alice, in the afterlife, put a curse on the house and all of Evangeline to make it so Riba could never escape. She knew how he loved to explore and go on adventures. She would never let him do so again.

Mario hadn't figured this all out, but Riba was subject to remembering this all. As they ventured further into the town, they found a church. The same church Marchionne was the head of. By this point, Mario had found out that he was Marchionne's reiteration. A witch had cast a curse on him and Riba that gave them the power of rebirth.

After facing the seven deadly sins embodied by those he met along the journey, and those he already knew, Mario destroyed Marchionne's last remaining form of existence as a distant memory in Mario's mind.

Alice left Mario's body, knowing she would not be able to sustain living in it. Then, Mario and Riba ventured back into the outside world. All was forgiven between them, truly, and they both started their new lives. Leaving the past behind, and walking towards the future.

The road to here has been treacherous, both in and outside of Evangeline. They had to venture all the way from the Mushroom and Cap Kingdom's border to Bubblaine. But they were here together now.

After a while of sitting by the shore, the two walked back to their little chicken farm. It was far away from the noise of the big town, so it took a while to get there. As soon as they reached the porch, Mario collapsed.

"Mario!" Riba gasped. He helped Mario up. "Are you okay?"

Mario coughed violently. But the problem was, he didn't stop. Not for a long time. He ran to the bathroom and hunched over the sink as blood shot out of his mouth. He definitely shouldn't have ran like that. He was exhausted. And when Mario was exhausted, he began to cough blood.

In his dreams, he would see Alice Aduraice doing the same thing. She would hunch herself over the sink, and cough blood. Sometimes, someone would pound at the door. She wouldn't answer.

It was like Mario was under some sort of curse. He knew he was going to die. But he didn't want Riba to know. If he could, he would run away into the forest and die alone to spare Riba of knowing that he had passed on.

But no. Riba knew what was going on. He had lived this all before. He knew that Mario was going to meet the same fate Alice had. Death. Riba cursed Alice, knowing full well that it was she who gave Mario this disease when she had left his body. It was just the type of thing she would do. She was not about to let Mario take her place. So she gave him the disease. And left him to die.

When the day inevitably came, Riba knelt down by Mario's side. Just barely holding back tears as Mario said his final words. He told Riba to never go back to his old ways. Even when he was gone. He could start a new family and forget about Mario. Then, Mario took his last breath. Smiling at Riba, life left his body.

Riba made a small coffin out of twigs and branches, and placed Mario's body inside of it. He dressed up in his only nice outfit. He told nobody in town of Mario's passing. They wouldn't really care anyways. They never really had much of a social life in town. So in the end, Riba was the only one at the funeral. His suit was one that he had found in the Aduraice Mansion. The two weren't wealthy enough to spend money on nice clothing.

So he cried. He cried, and he cried, and he cried. He cried for Mario. His two daughters whom he had lost. Elizabeth. Even Alice, if only a little bit. Riba was destined to be tormented eternally. He didn't want a new family, he didn't want a new life. He had already gotten that with Mario, and Alice before that. Who's to say it wouldn't be stripped from him again? Who's to say even if he did end up happy, that it won't be less than what he could have had with Mario? The reality would crush him, that no matter how close he could become with someone, it would all be meaningless compared to what he had. He had already had a taste of true love and companionship. And now he was addicted.

He decided he wouldn't want to take the risk of loving again. But he would keep his promise to Mario. He wouldn't hurt anyone ever again either. Riba knew if he didn't go through with this, that he'd lose himself once more. He already felt it deep inside, eating away at his very core. That urge to take his anger out on the world and its denizens. So he decided what he would do.

He would kill himself.

It wouldn't be the first time. He was cursed with the power of rebirth. But every time he died, he lost a few of his memories. With any luck, he'd forget this ever happened. He'd forget Mario, and have no problem loving again, right? But that was something unachievable in this iteration of himself. It was for the greater good.

That's when he heard it. A meow. He dropped the rope and turned around. There was a black cat sitting down by him. It purred, and began licking its paw. It was heterochromatic, with one eye blue and the other yellow. It was looking at the coffin. Then, it looked at Riba and stared him right in the eyes. Riba knew it was silly, but he felt like it was staring right into his soul.

"You lost, kitty?" Riba asked. He let out a weak laugh through his tears. "Yeah. I've been lost too." A moment of awkward silence. That's when Riba realized he was talking to a cat. But who cared? There were talking sea snails in town. Who said this cat couldn't---

"No," The cat said. Riba immediately turned his head over to look at the cat. It continued to stare at him.

"Golly," Riba sighed, putting a hand to his forehead. "I must be losing it. There's no way..."

"Alright, that's enough," The cat interrupted Riba mid-sentence. "You heard me talk. You still must not remember."

"Remember... what?" Riba asked. As he did, the cat began to walk away. "Hey, wait up!" Riba called out. Riba began to follow. The cat was walking faster than he could jog. He had to break into a run.

Eventually, Riba exited the forest. He had lost sight of the cat, but he just continued in the direction it was walking. The only other direction would lead into the forest. Even a super fast talking cat wouldn't dare go in there. The animals would tear it to shreds. Sure enough, as Riba stopped running from exhaustion in front of his house, the cat was sitting on the front porch. It had been expecting him.

Riba looked towards the cat, sweat dripping from his forehead. The cat ran inside. Riba sighed, and then walked into his house. Once inside, he saw the cat sitting down on the sofa. Riba took off his suit, putting it on the coat rack. Then, he sat down on his favorite reading chair, facing the cat.

"Do you know why I brought you here?" The cat asked.

"There's a lot of things I don't know about you," Riba replied. He leaned forward and put his hands on the coffee table. "Why do you talk? What should I 'remember'? Why are you in my house?"

Silence. Then, the cat spoke. "Riba, I brought you here for a reason. You, and all of your other iterations are in grave danger."

"... Somehow that leaves me with more questions than answers. What do you mean 'grave danger'?" Riba inquired.

"You really don't remember anything at all, do you?" The cat asked. "Let's just get this out of the way." The cat then began to fade, with another figure taking its place. A small girl with white hair, a brown cloak with gold adorning it, and yellow and blue eyes took place of the cat.

"I am Len Alwenia Foska," The small girl in place of the cat spoke. "Holder of Memory Fragments, resurrector of souls. The mother of fate, the force that drives us to take the actions in our life that lead us down the path of destiny."

Riba was in awe. He nearly fell out of his chair once he registered that what he was seeing was even real. It shouldn't be too strange. In Mario's stories, unbelievable as they may be, a person could turn into a cat with a magical bell. Aside from this being the opposite, it was still absolutely jarring to see in person. However, with Len's strange power in mind, he didn't even begin to question these other claims.

Riba gathered his bearings and straightened out his glasses. Considering only so many people could have this power to resurrect souls... and the only other one Riba knew of was from Mario's far-fetched stories... Riba considered the possibility that she was the one who had given him this power... this curse. "Are you the one?" Riba asked. "The one who placed the curse of rebirth on me? Are you the Len who gave Alice and I the music box?"

Len nodded. "Yes," Len said this as though it was of no matter at all. To her, it very well may not be. "But now, someone is tampering with the past. They sneak past my radars. Slowly, second by second, as we speak... they are erasing that which has already been set in stone. How, I don't know. Why, I also don't know. What I do know is that if they succeed, you will cease to exist, and I will fail my duty as the keeper of Memory Fragments, and will be punished with an eternity in Hell by the gods. If I die, the world will be flooded by the bodies that I store in World 0. And all that has ever been on this planet will cease. I need your help, Riba."

Riba took a deep breath. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. But it wasn't the craziest thing he's heard in his days. Then again... that could very well be wrong. He nodded. Len remained blank. "I will help you..." Riba said. But then, he immediately held up his pointer finger. "On one condition." Len raised an eyebrow. "You say you can give the power of rebirth. Revive Mario."

"I cannot raise the already deceased," Len stated. Riba retracted his hand. "However... Mario... that name is familiar to me. Long ago, I gave the power of rebirth to a man with a round nose, blue eyes, and brown hair, whose name started with an M. If this is your precious Mario, he may be out there somewhere. I will bring you to him when and if we manage to find out who is doing this."

Riba looked her in the eyes. He was going over the deal in his head. Were there any catches he may have skimmed over? Any gray areas or loopholes? He didn't know if Len was to be trusted. Then again, she may be his only chance to find Mario unless he was to go out into space and find the Comet Observatory Mario had spoken of, the one with Rosalina, the only other possible person in the universe who could do this... Riba almost thought that would be a better chance.

Almost.

"Fine," Riba groaned. Besides, if what she was saying was true, she was also in trouble. What would Mario do in this instance? Mario would help, of course. So Riba should too. He was going to be the hero Mario would want from him. "Where do we start?"

"With your memories. Since this person is targeting you, they must know about you somehow. If you cannot recall anyone who would want to do this to you, perhaps it is a friend or a foe from a past life," Len explained. "That's why we must find the Memory Fragments."

"I know where the Memory Fragments are," Len followed up. "As the holder of Memory Fragments, I mustn't come into contact with them myself lest I break the promise I've made to the gods saying I shall not tamper with them. If I just tell you of their contents, you may go into a shock unlike any other, possibly leading to your heart ceasing to beat entirely. So, I will guide you to each one so you can view them yourself. Are you prepared?"

Riba took a deep breath. "Yes, I am," Riba said, looking at her unsurely. What had he gotten himself into?