The Cave of Despair

Somewhere else in the vast, crumbling multiverse, a group of Toads huddled together in a dark, damp cave. The air was thick with the scent of mildew and fear, and the only light came from a faint, flickering glow mushroom one of them held in trembling hands. The three Toads—Todd 1, Todd 2, and Toad 3—were the last survivors of their world, hiding from the omnipresent terror that had consumed everything they once knew.

Toad 1, the most pragmatic of the group, broke the silence, his voice low and urgent.

"We have to run... Hiding won't work with that Mario. Didn't you see? He killed his own brother Luigi two years ago... If he could do that, then our fate will be far worse."

Toad 2, the most anxious, clutched his arms tightly around himself, his eyes darting around the cave as if expecting Xeno Mario to appear at any moment.

"He's terrifying... Just looking at him gives me nightmares and drives me to the brink of madness. I can still hear his laughter echoing in my mind..."

Toad 3, the most hopeful of the trio, leaned forward, his voice steady despite the fear in his eyes.

"There's only one solution... The 6th Dimension. Maybe it's out of Mario's reach. If we can get there, we might stand a chance."

Toad 1 and Toad 2 exchanged uneasy glances before nodding in reluctant agreement.

"Yes, that's possible," they said in unison, their voices barely above a whisper.

The Great Gate

After what felt like an eternity of searching, the three Toads finally reached their destination: a massive, ancient gate that stood in the middle of a desolate wasteland. The gate was unlike anything they had ever seen, its surface covered in strange, glowing symbols that pulsed with an otherworldly energy. It seemed to hum faintly, as if alive, and the air around it crackled with power.

Toad 1 stared at the gate, his expression a mix of awe and apprehension.

"Hey, we weren't made to exist in the 6th Dimension... So what exactly will that do to us?"

Toad 2, though visibly shaken, tried to reassure him.

"Don't worry, maybe our bodies will adapt... Sort of. It's better than staying here and waiting for Xeno Mario to find us."

Toad 3 nodded firmly, his determination unwavering.

"Hey, guys, this is our only hope. Mario has already taken over everything possible... and the impossible too. If we don't try this, we're as good as dead."

With a collective deep breath, the three Toads stepped through the gate, their bodies tingling as they were enveloped by a blinding white light.

When the light faded, the Toads found themselves in a vast, empty void. The ground beneath them was a featureless white plane that stretched endlessly in every direction, and the sky—if it could even be called that—was a blank, glowing expanse. The air was eerily silent, devoid of any sound except for their own breathing.

Toad 1 looked around, his voice filled with unease.

"Why is it like this? It's... empty."

Toad 2, though still nervous, tried to make sense of their surroundings.

"Of course it is. We're above everything now. This is a place beyond the dimensions we know."

Toad 3, ever the optimist, forced a smile.

"Anyway, we're safe here... I hope so."

But their hope was short-lived. Before Toad 3 could finish speaking, a grotesque hand shot out from the void, grabbing him by the head. In an instant, his head was torn from his body, blood spraying into the air as his lifeless form crumpled to the ground. Xeno Mario emerged from the darkness, holding Toad 3's severed head in one hand and grinning that impossibly wide, horrifying smile.

"Uh... What's the matter? You don't like blood?" Xeno Mario's voice was a twisted blend of cheerfulness and malice, sending chills down the spines of Toad 1 and Toad 2.

Toad 1 stumbled backward, his voice trembling.

"K-How? How did you find us?!"

Toad 2, paralyzed with fear, could only whisper,

"Impossible... This can't be happening!"

Xeno Mario laughed, a deep, guttural sound that seemed to shake the very fabric of the 6th Dimension. The void around them trembled as if it were alive, and the Toads felt their sanity slipping away. With a wave of his hand, Xeno Mario reattached Toad 3's head to his body, but the once-hopeful Toad was now a grotesque, deformed version of himself, his face twisted into a terrifying smile.

Without warning, the revived Toad 3 lunged at Toad 1 and Toad 2, his movements unnaturally fast and brutal. He tore into them with a ferocity that was both horrifying and heartbreaking, their screams echoing through the void as they were ripped apart.

As the last of the Toads fell, Xeno Mario turned to face the player, his red eyes glowing with an otherworldly light. He tilted his head slightly, his grin widening as he spoke, his voice echoing through the void and beyond.

"From the beginning of the universe... to the 12th Dimension... there is no escape for you from me~"

The screen flickered, distorted images of countless worlds and dimensions flashing by, each one consumed by Xeno Mario's influence. The final image was of his face, staring directly at the player, his smile impossibly wide and his eyes filled with malice.

Then, the screen went black, and a single line of text appeared:

"The End... or maybe the Beginning."