Chapter 30: End

Mario sat awake in bed, reading a book. Paper Mario and the Thousand Year Door. Wasn't it a bit egotistical to be reading a book that he himself wrote? Well, it didn't really matter. If anything, now was the time to be egotistical and prideful. He just had a rough few days.

From what Mario could remember, he had been competing in the Mushroom Cup of the eighth Mario Kart tournament. He had been falling behind, when Donkey Kong drove by and playfully bumped into him. But Mario was sent off-course, falling into the depths of the Mario Kart Stadium.

"Where's Mario?" Toadette had asked.

"We must find Mario!" Luigi had shouted, in distress after the race ended and Mario never crossed the finish line. Donkey Kong had tried telling them what happened with funny gestures and sounds, but nobody could understand him.

"We should all team up and look for him," Lakitu had stated. "C'mon, everybody! Let's go!"

They searched long and hard, and found nothing. That was... until they found a black cat with different colored eyes meowing at a pit. They searched it, Lakitu hoisting Luigi down by affixing his fishing hook on Luigi's pocket. There, they found Mario and what remained of his custom Kart.

When they returned with Mario, who had been badly hurt, the cat had already run off. When scolded about not telling anyone what happened before, Donkey Kong looked offended... and then started singing a song about being blamed for things he didn't do, much to everyone's surprise.

They had rushed Mario to the doctor, who treated him for free due to being Mario and Luigi's third brother. He said all would be fine if Mario just went home and rested. He was kind of a lousy doctor.

In his short coma, Mario dreamed of a house on the far side of the Mushroom Kingdom, right before the border to the Cap Kingdom. He dreamed of ghosts, ghouls, and a man named Riba. Luigi and Peach were there too. He had been possessed by a woman named Alice Aduraice.

He dreamed of venturing through the house, and a town named Evangeline. When that was over with, he dreamed he owned a chicken farm with Riba in the Seaside Kingdom. He dreamed of years that went by in days in the waking world. And when he awoke, it was to Luigi and Peach.

He had asked where Riba was, but they had never heard of such a man. Luigi and Peach then left, leaving Mario to stare at a cat at his windowsill that fit the description of the cat Luigi and Peach had described to him. And the cat that was in his dream.

He will never forget, it said... "I don't need you."

Mario missed Riba. Had he just been a figment of his imagination? It was probable. It was the truth, in fact. Riba didn't exist. He was just a dream. A dream Mario will forever wish to have again.

Far away, in the Moo Moo Meadows, a few civilians had found a man asleep on the dirt road. He looked like he had passed out. A drunkard perhaps? They poked him with a stick, and he woke up.

"Mario?" The man asked. He looked around him. He was alive! Had it all been a dream? Why was he in the Mushroom Kingdom? Why was there a cow and a few Toads looking over him?

"What are you talking about, sonny?" An old farmer Toad asked. "Also, what's your name?"

"My name's Riba. But I don't have time to chat! I have to find Mario!" Riba cried. He then ran off.

"Huh... Riba..." The farmer Toad said. Everyone shrugged.

Riba ran far past the farmhouse Abir had lived in. He wasn't the fastest runner, but he wouldn't stop until he found Mario. He ran off towards the castle. Peach's Castle. He laughed, ran, rolled, and jumped like Mario. That was all he could think about.

He ran until he stopped in front of a house on the outskirts of town. The sign atop the door read "MARIO". Riba's eyes lit up. He ran up the steps and pounded on the door.

When the door opened, he expected to see Mario. But instead, there was... Luigi. "Yes, hello? Oh! Uhh... can I help you, sir?" Luigi asked.

Riba sniffled, and wiped away his tears. Luigi looked surprised, but still welcoming. Riba felt this was like seeing an old friend again, even though this Luigi must not know him. "I'm a friend of Mario's. The name's Riba. I came to visit him and make sure all is well."

Luigi's eyes widened. "Mario, you have a visitor!" Luigi called into Mario's room.

"Oh?" Mario asked, putting his book on the bedside table along with his glass of water. "Who is it?"

Mario heard footsteps coming up the stairs. There he was. "Riba!" Mario exclaimed. He felt tears rush to his eyes. The first thing Riba did was run up and kiss Mario right on the lips. And Mario kissed right back. Despite it hurting a little on his body, all his sorrow went away in that one moment.

"I love you, Mario," Riba whispered once they were done.

"I love you too, Riba," Mario replied.

Luigi poked his head out from outside the room. Mario looked at him, miffed. Mario and Riba then went back to smooching. Luigi looked surprised, and then walked away.

So, here's Mario and Riba's happily ever after, after all that has happened. After this, Mario and Riba went on many adventures together. They played games, went go-karting, and loved each other to death. It was as happy as Riba's ever been.

But one day, Mario woke up and didn't see Riba next to him. He ran out of the house, and ran far. Something drawing him forward. He ran past blocks and pipes, Goombas and Koopas. Until he reached a river of Honey Syrup. Riba was there. Mario's intuition had been correct.

"Riba! Wherever are you going?" Mario asked. "You had me worried sick." Mario walked up to Riba and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Mario, but I can't stay," Riba said. "Nothing good ever comes of me being in one place too long."

"What? But you can't leave me!" Mario cried. "You need to stay!"

"I'll end up hurting you---" Riba sighed, sure of his decision.

"Oh, come on, Riba!" Marie's voice said. Mario turned around, and almost jumped back into the river. The Aduraices! "Stay with the guy."

"Marie? Everyone?" Riba asked.

"Are you friends with them?" Mario asked. Alice flew forward. Mario looked trusting of them, with the knowledge they and Riba were friends. "Oh, hello, Alice!"

"Hi, Mario," Alice greeted, smiling at him. But her gaze slowly turned back to Riba. "Riba, I know you've changed. We both know that. So I say, if you want to be with Mario, be with him."

"You're right, I guess," Riba replied. "Thank you, Alice."

They all walked home, back to Mario's house. Where Riba and Mario sat on a haystack right outside, Riba placing a straw in his mouth and reclining. Nothing but him, Mario, their friends, and Yoshi under the night sky. Had all this been because of Len? A gift from beyond the grave?

Mario had said there was a heterochromatic black cat that spoke to him when he woke up from his coma. Could Len be out there somewhere? If so, who else was back? Koi? His parents? Elizabeth? Riba would just have to wait and see.

"So you've been to space?" Riba asked. "Tell me about it. I'm curious."

"Oh, it was wonderful!" Mario exclaimed. Yoshi nudged Riba, and started nuzzling up to him. Riba kind of tuned Mario out as he went on. Riba smiled at Yoshi. They had a mutual understanding of who the other was. Riba smiled, and looked back up to the sky.

He knew redemption wouldn't be easy. He'd have to work for it. His journey wasn't over yet. He still had a lot of growing to do as a person. But hopefully, he'd be able to do just that. And Mario would help every step of the way.

The road here had been long and treacherous. Riba had gone from the jungle, to the Mushroom Kingdom, to the house, Evangeline, Abor's Cave and back. But he and Mario were here together now. And that's all that matters.

Right?