Alright, and from a near-year long hiatus, and an even longer break than ever before, I'm back. And on a new account. To make a long story short, my E-Mail and stuff got hacked or something and I had to abandon my old accounts to get that sorted out. Not only that but my phone and computer also both went out around the same time, to which I had to save up money to replace, and during the entire summer and spring, I just lost all interest in any sort of writing. But I managed to find some motivation, made a new account which will slowly be taking over the former one after I delete the older stories and older account to keep in line with the guidelines.
But enough about that, Menma's Ultimate Encore is back and I decided to start more or less anew (Mostly because I didn't realize I could've change the other account to the new E Mail until after I made this one) I Do NOT own Mario, Naruto or any other franchise in this story. They all belong to their proper owners and the like. With that, I hope you enjoy.
How could this be possible? How had he lost with the powers of both the Chaos Heart and Luigi?! Such things seemed like a mere illusion, fragmented hope that should not have even been possible. His body was growing cold, colder than he had ever felt before as a sense of weakness began to takeover the agonizing pain and agony that consumed him earlier.
He couldn't feel his body, nothing below the head anyways, it didn't take him long to understand why as he simply looked around, his severed head laying on the ground, twitching and squirming on the ground as that growing sense of weakness had grown more and more prominent. He bitterly chuckled in his head as he knew that with the Chaos Heart's power began to fade, the consciousness of Luigi threatening to reemerge and overtake his will, leaving him to die.
His games were ending now, there was nothing he could do now to prevent that.
Black eyes glaring at the heroes of this story that ended his game, a sense of hatred burning in his eyes as his exhaustion slowly but surely would extinguish those flames soon enough. Before him were three figures, several more if he took account to the Pixl. Such poor creatures, their creation a sin he wished he could have prevented. Perhaps the anger and hatred came from memories from a time before now.
"How... did you do this?" he breathed out weakly, "How could I have lost... with both the powers... of the Chaos Heart... and..." he tried to say, his voice sounding more tired than he expected, by now the darkness threatened to overtake him. It was one of the heroes, the dear princess of the Mushroom Kingdom that spoke up next, her tone as sweet and kind as her namesake as even with him, she seemed somewhat... kind?
"Maybe, your prophecy was wrong all along" she suggested, her eyes looking at him sadly, as if pitying him and his sorry state. He had to bite back a laugh at such wasted sympathy. He was their enemy, he sought to eliminate all life, destroy all worlds, and replace them with perfect new worlds. And yet she still felt for him?
"Ha, yeah. You believed your silly little prophecy and we believed in mopping the floor with you!" came the roaring cries of another hero. The arm-flailing turtle known as the Koopa King. His figure was indeed imposing, but he knew the truth. More brawns than brains, a great strength in the normally naïve monarch. It was clear that in contrast to the princess he seemed to covet so much that he enjoyed his demise, he did not blame the arm-flailer at all.
The last hero said nothing, he seemed neutral in this exchange. He was neither giving him pity nor celebrating his demise, rather he was watching to see how this ended. The true hero, Mario if he recalled correctly, was a curious man. He was greedy yet humble, heartless yet kind. He would do all he could to help others under his moral choices but be seen as a monster to those who he faced. He was a bit of an enigma to the magician. He still couldn't understand it.
"We'll add a foot-note regarding your failures, Dimentio" the butterfly Pixl said smugly, seemingly enjoying his ending game the most out of all of them, his eyes narrowed at the Pixl, the girl that he hated the most. Now he had made mistakes, he had made many-many mistakes in his lifetime, among the list of them was that brat, Timpani, or rather the Pixl before him, Tipi.
Why did he spare her insignificant life all that time ago? Perhaps it was a whim, perhaps it was a part of his plans? He did not know anymore, nor did he care. He grew to loath that Pixl quite well, the Pixl that brought the Pure Hearts of all things and escaped his Dimension D. She was the one who foiled his long-awaited goals. She was the one, who had ruined his plan, their plan...
And all he could do was laugh, he laughed and laughed loudly, causing the Pixl to pause confused. There was still time, still time to do something, to do something to spite them. Yes, this is all he had left, all he could do. Even if he died, even if he ceased to exist, he would take her down, he would take all of them down with him. He still had a shadow of his power, not much but enough.
It was time to take his final curtain call, the soul and mind of Luigi would soon emerge. "Hahahahahaha~ This isn't over yet, I might have fallen but I still have one little trick up my sleeve!" he cheered chaotically and happily at his multi-versal megalomania. Mario narrowed his eyes, Bowser glared, Peach frowned and Tipi, she grew concerned, scared. Such a thing was all he wanted as the final grains of sand left him as he gave one last, chilling line. "Hahahahaha~ Chao~" he cried as the last of his power left him, cold darkness mixed with burning flames and thunderous applause from his head that exploded as a grand finale. Luigi would escape unharmed. Perhaps it would have been best if he died.
And from the laugher of insanity, to the chilling quiet of Castle Bleck. The self-proclaimed Master of Dimensions, the Pleaser of Crowds... Dimentio had his game ended and soon, so would all worlds with his last spiteful act.
Darkness, that was the best way to describe his place as he floated in a void with nothing more than himself to think to. So this was death, he laughed at it. This was death? He supposed it made sense. Though he thought he would've wound up in the Underwhere, or did he skip the line and meeting with Jaydes and just fall into damnation for his horrible actions. Dimentio found it curious but annoying. Was this his punishment, to be forgotten, trapped in an endless void with nothing but his mind?
Looking down, he noticed his body was gone, rather it was replaced with something else. Something familiar which the magician realized and frowned upon. His physical body was gone, he was not even a Shayde. Rather his form was that of a thin spiral-like design, two eyes that resembled crescent moons that laid pointed down showing any indication of a facial expression. However even so, there was nothing to ignore the black void of one of his eyes in contrast to the glowing yellow one. Should he have still had any limbs he would have reached to cover it, to feel the cracks of his damaged face he was given upon his creation.
His creation, oh how he hated his creation. His past memories from a previous life all-but erased from him, deemed a failure in conception by that wretched wizard who created his kind. He was a prototype of the Pixl, one of the first ones that had somehow evaded "corruption" as he called it. A soul that could not fully maintain itself very long without an outside source.
His human form came to mind, a young child he had befriended in such a small amount of time that was in a similar situation. Ironically it was the wizard's own child, his son that was dying and would soon reunite with both his mother and sister in the afterlife.
Yet they never did, nor would they ever he supposed. After that wizard implanted him into his son. A glare was shown on the Pixl's face as he recalled that fool's deeds. How dare he try to play god and call it genius? Granted he was hoping to eliminate all worlds and replace them with perfect new ones, uncaringly wiping out any and all forms of life. But even in his madness he still did his best to somewhat allow the dead to rest. Disrespect them on more than one occasion but in his new worlds, worlds where he would've ruled, at least then no one else had to suffer.
He was just as his so-called father he supposed. The wizard making Pixl using souls of others to reunite with his daughter, erasing several others from existence to achive the fruits of his labor, and him willing to do the same, all to see the same soul. His sister, his queen.
The Pixl Queen was revered as a monster, a demon, an omen in Pixl form, but he knew better. She was a human, or a human-like person such as his former host. She was the daughter of the Wizard, unable to see how her father allowed the creation of Pixl to support a civilization that condemned those who deserved eternal rest into slavery. He was happy to have been by her side, happy to support her in anyway he could.
And then what had happened? He didn't know, not fully. All he remembered was a fight against her as he fought off one of the "Heroic" apprentices that furthered the Pixl creation. Was it his Pixl soul that was furious at the continued practice as well, or was it his host's soul that was horrified at how his father had twisted life and death. Dimentio had no idea, the souls of his Pixl self and the young child known as Tio merged long ago. It was all but impossible to determine who was who anymore. They were perfectly bonded, forever fused into one.
And in a sense that was what Dimentio was both thankful yet disappointed over. If they never fused into one, would things have been different? The confusion, the anger, the lack of hope and faith in all worlds which only the death and disappearance of his sister and the corruption of the Dark Prognosticus only influenced and cultivated upon. Would it have mattered regardless.
He was already dead and thus he no longer had any excuse not to ponder such things. His mind became, not lighter or pure so to say, but rather clearer from a haze he had to deal with since he used the Dark Prognosticus after the war, after he lost his queen.
He wanted something, his grief and anger unbearable, until upon learning the truth of the worlds that they would vanish into the void, that he no longer seemed to care. Alas, he forsaken hope and sought nothing but the end, did he not? No he didn't. Even if he couldn't stop the fate of the worlds didn't mean he couldn't use it to his own advantage. He hated the worlds, such a corrupted and twisted place. He had very little positive memories after his merge with Tio that he had a need to covet those things.
He knew that no matter how long he lived, it would never matter. The Dark Prognosticus made it impossible to age, or was that because of his soul as a Pixl? Again, he didn't know. He wanted to create a new world, new worlds where he could see her again, see all of them again. The Pixl that were enslaved by the ancients, liberated by his queen and sealed away inside of those Capture Cards of the ancients to "Be Fixed" as they said.
To be with his queen, his sister, who had gone by the name of Shadoo, who was lost to the shadows she manipulate, the illusions she cast upon others. She disappeared long ago, and now he didn't know where to begin. Was she in the Overthere alongside their mother? Or was she trapped in the Underwhere where he would most likely reside.
It no longer matter now, in the end, he and anyone else, it would all be for nothing. He used the last of his power to ensure the erasure of all worlds, if only to spite that brat Timpani and make sure nothing like the Pixl would occur again. At least erased there would be nothing left to worry about. Or was that the will of the Dark Prognosticus seeking to erase the worlds and fulfil it's duty?
He no longer cared, so long as the brat was gone alone with him, he would be happy. Then again he supposed he did have it coming to an extent. He had skimmed the Dark Prognosticus, he needed a puppet to set things in motion. So what wonderful luck that he had a prejudice tribe that descended from the very people who took away the one person he cared about. How their prince fell in love with a human that the tribe frowned upon.
All it took was a little bit of a silver tongue, a few rumors to the king about the prince's affairs that would end such a happy story in tragedy. Yet, he had hoped to see them seperated, the king had done one step beyond. Dealing a fatal blow and throwing her into some rag-tag dimension, Dimentio was reassured that soon enough she would be dead and that the count, in his growing heartache, would resort to using the Dark Prognosticus. That was what was written, as vague as it was.
But something felt wrong afterwards, He loathed himself, seeing the young girl die alone, calling out to no one but him as he made sure she died. At first he was hopeful to deal the final blow and end her game himself out of mercy... but he never did, was it a familiarity, her pleading eyes that begged someone, anyone to save her.
Something in him stirred, he already knew he was just like his father, the man who had started this entire ordeal, Dimentio was well aware he was just as bad if not worse than him. But for some reason, he couldn't kill her. As if something in him refused to do the deed. Was it because of her role in the Light Prognosticus?
It was on a whim, a simple whim and nothing more. She was an unknown human who had the similar abilities of his own, who could traverse dimensions, who wounded up in a world she never should've been. Perhaps a mercy to spare her at the time, taking her to the world of Flipside and hoping that she could be saved.
That grew to be a mistake, that bastard Merlon, who was descended from the ancients as well, he had transformed her into a Pixl, unable to save her. That act alone may have spared her life but it condemned her to a fate far worse than death. Nevertheless, it wouldn't matter. Dimentio laughed now at the irony of it. Much like how he tainted her life, her humanity, did she in turn do the same upon his death.
Perhaps he deserved it after all, but his rage, his desperation... it would no longer matter. He no longer cared. His queen was killed, gone and erased. His friends in the Pixl, his happiness and role in the worlds that were written in the Dark Prognosticus. He would be erased if he already wasn't, and explaining the void he resided in, and in the end, in some strange way, he was content.
He was happy to have met his queen, was happy to have met the Pixl, hell he was even beginning to miss the mindless fools of minions the count had collected, how he was able to feel for them now was probably the icing on the cake for his punishment.
But even if he was punished, erased, forgotten, he would be happy to finally rest, to finally be freed.
Finally... he could sleep in shadows alongside his queen...
"I did not expect you to give up so easily" a voice said from the void, alerting the magician to it's presence as the Pixl turned around, shocked by the unexpected tones that came out in a slightly mocking means. "But I suppose you would've had no other chance in this matter, without my interference."
"What the... who are you, where are you?!" the Pixl called out, unsure on what to think other than that. Was someone else with him in this void of darkness, and if so who was it. His answer came up to him and sent an all-to-familiar sensation throughout the Pixl's very being.
The figure was not that of a normal man, not even the count could look as foreboding or frightful as the being that appeared before him. It was rather large, long white hair and decayed purple skin, with fangs and long nails as it's red eyes looked at him. Then, without moving it's mouth, the voice spoke again. "I was expecting you, little magician" it said as Dimentio said nothing.
It was expecting him, but he was dead. Many sudden questioned flooded the fearful Pixl's mind until just as soon as the questions came, they ended all the same to a single conclusion. Eventually, the so-called "Master of Dimensions" had found his voice. It was not the theatrical tones of the guise of Dimentio, but rather it was quiet, fearful, that of a whisper that held more emotion than he thought he could muster in such a normally soft-spoken tone.
"You... are death" he said, not as a question but as a fear-filled statement. The figure nodded it's head once again, deciding to explain to the small Pixl why he was brought here.
"I am known by many as the Shinigami, or perhaps death, or the Grimm Reaper. It matters not what they call me, nor does it matter what you wish to call me, either" it said as it gazed at the Pixl with a grin forming on it's face. "No, what matters here is you, little magician. You no longer have a link to the world of the living, and your time has come. I believe you know that more than ever, do you not?" it asked as Dimentio said nothing.
Yes, he did, he had also accepted it. And he knew that something rather unpleasant awaited him as well. Not like it would matter since-
"You failed, by the way" the Shinigami said as the Pixl looked up to see the Shinigami still smirking in amusement. "That little trick you pulled, that little shadow of power. True it would've been enough to end all worlds, but alas, the Pure Hearts and their wielders had managed to cancel even that out. Though I suppose you did get your desire. The two known as Blumiere and Timpani, both have vanished from the worlds."
Dimentio said nothing, slowly registering what he was told. The worlds remained intact and alive, but the count and the brat were both sacrificed to do so? He was unsure what to think, on one hand, he was bested again by the girl who he spared and her beloved count, but not unscathed or without any cost. No, if they wanted to be happy, then let them be happy, alone in whatever world they wished he thought bitterly. The Shinigami said nothing but spoke up again.
"Your actions are rather unforgivable. Perhaps even impossible to atone for. Would I have not interfered when I had, no doubt that the one named Jaydes would be quick to condemn you" the Shinigami said as Dimentio frowned. Jaydes, that was right. She was the queen of the Underwhere. But this being before him, it was similar to Jaydes, no it was much stronger than Jaydes. It was unnerving just to think about. But there was no mistake, this sensation of death.
"Why did you interfere?" he dared to ask as the Shinigami continued to smirk.
"Quick to the point, I suppose that is fair. Very well then, little magician. I will be blunt with you. How would you like to... work off your sins, so to speak?" the Shinigami asked as Dimentio was confused at the question itself. Work of his sins? Was such a thing even possible, or was this supposed to be some kind of trick? The Shinigami laughed and elaborated.
"Apologies, perhaps I should better explain. You see, little magician. I am willing to offer you a... let us say, a metaphorical second chance. A third chance at life, in exchange of helping me with a particular issue" it said as Dimentio frowned. "More to the point, I need you to act on my behalf to... eliminate a certain group, and a certain person in general" the Shinigami said as Dimentio frowned.
"You want me to end the games of some people?" he asked, confused as to why he would be asked to do it. "Not that I'm not interested, but you are aware of who I am, are you not? I had just tried to destroy all worlds, and you're asking me to help you?" he asked. It was, well, rather stupid. Hell it was incredibly stupid. Why would the Shinigami go out of it's way to revive someone like him, just to end a few games? And why would it think he would agree to be yet another tool.
"Because, you don't really have a choice" the Shinigami said abruptly, causing the Pixl to stagger somewhat, not expecting the voice to respond to the questions he had. "And I ensure you, that you will behave yourself, should you accept. And I warn you, not to test me either" the Shinigami said, no longer smirking as it had but now held an expression of seriousness to go along with it's threat.
A threat that the magician was very sure that it could carry out. In one way or another.
"As for why I chose you, it was because of your link to me, or rather your past life's link with me, that allows me to offer this particular deal for you" it said as Dimentio was shocked and then confused as to what it meant by his past life's link. Did he even have much of a life before becoming a Pixl, he was sure he did despite having no memories of it. "I suppose that makes sense. You lost your memories when your soul was ripped apart. As a part of the deal, i will restore your soul back to it's complete state, and your memories and abilities from that previous life will also be restored" the Shinigami said as the Pixl frowned.
Holding out it's hand, a small orange flicker of light formed within it's hand, glowing faintly in the void as it made it's way to the Pixl, who watched it hesitantly whilst it approached him. As it made contact with the Pixl, he felt it's influence quickly beginning to take a hold of him. His body burned like it had upon his defeat, his head ached as images, movies, memories began to play at high speeds that contained the life that the magician was forced to relive.
Dimentio saw it all, the memories, his memories. He had regained the memories of his childhood, isolated and neglected by the village who saw him as a monster. How he had little friends but enough to make it through his childhood. How he wore those horrible orange clothes but how he was liked by his teachers... teachers that were somehow all perverted.
Memories of his training to be a shinobi, utilizing techniques that reminded him of his own techniques, even those Shadow Clones matched his magical clones as well as other techniques that made him question himself. How he was an idiot... oh dear god he was an utter moron that spoke with attitude over thought, but had the guts to keep going, as well as a tactical mind if anything.
Honestly it was an outside-looking-in experience for him. And then he frowned while he learned how he died. Memories came to him, his friend's treason as he left the village to join a snake-man named Orochimaru, how they both fought and how Naruto had lost consciousness. But, nothing else. Did... that bastard kill him?!
No, that wasn't right, soon he saw something else. He was laying on the ground, a group of people, most of which were mere phantom illusions of sort, began preforming some sort of ritual. Thinking about it, he heard them talk, talk about the Kyuubi being extracted. Dimentio saw himself die, and then confusion overtook him as the seal that contained it began to glow, and before they knew it the Kyuubi was sealed, the Akatsuki had won... until of course the seal had activated. Memories of a red-haired woman and an older-looking blond-haired man. An apology, a plot, a ploy to take the Akatsuki with him, or at least stall for time and keep the village safe.
And then nothing, nothing else as it had seemed the memories were corrupted to some degree, the magician frowning as the Shinigami said nothing. Dimentio looked towards the spiritual being with a frown. What purpose did he have in regaining those memories, where those even his memories at all? "Why... why did you show me that?" he asked in a tone that was different than before.
His eyes widened at the change of tone as he blinked and reached for his neck, grasping it unsure with his hands. Hand he didn't have? A neck he didn't have? His eyes darted downwards to inspect himself, his body shaking as it was no longer the Pixl form he was condemned to but that of a human of all things. He looked well to be a teenager, or at the very least approaching his late teens and onto the early twenties. Not only that but his attire was that of a simple purple and yellow robe of sorts. He looked to the Shinigami for an answer, not sure what to say to any of it.
"Naruto Uzumaki" the Shinigami said as Dimentio stared dumbfounded at it all. "That is, or rather was, who your once were. However after your initial death, your soul was torn, half of it becoming the entity known as Dimentio. Now that you are whole, it seems your soul has taken a new form of both sides of the coin" the Shinigami said as Dimentio, or rather Naruto now, was shocked and slowly came out of his stupor.
"What I saw... those memories... those were really my old memories, were they not?" he asked as the Shinigami nodded. "I... I don't... I can't" Dimentio said, unable to really voice his thoughts, as messy and cluttered as they now were. The Shinigami however spoke up, deciding to continue their conversation.
"Naruto, you were captured by a group known as the Akatsuki, a powerful organization who plans to utilize the Bijju, such as the fox you held inside of you, or the sand tanuki inside the child known as Gaara, for a particular reason, a reason that I do not wish to allow. Normally I would not intervene but given the situation in these events, I have found myself at a crossroad. Do I intervene and allow a mistake to be made that will alter the balance of life and death as I know it, or do I correct this mistake before it occurs. Such things must be taken with careful thought. And as I have mentioned, I cannot directly interact in such a matter."
Soon his smirk became a more neutral expression, not like the one it used to threaten him. "Which leads me to you, Naruto Uzumaki... or rather Dimentio as I should call you. The group that killed you are those involved with such a mistake. And I need someone to act on my behalf. Meanwhile, this group threatens not only the world of the Shinobi, but also indirectly caused your death, and more accurately, your revival into the Master of Dimensions" the Shinigami said as Dimentio froze.
It was clear that the Shinigami had at the very least peaked the magician's interest, it continued to sweeten the deal, a hint of mirth within the haunting tones that it spoke. "I will also give you some additional support at the beginning, as well as add onto your abilities to better combat them."
"Support, you say? I must admit, i am interested into just what you expect me to do, after all, you seem to be giving me quite the bargain. The Akatsuki must be quite the issue at hand" Dimentio said, curious as to just why the Shinigami was so interested in him at all.
"Indeed, or rather their end goal is the so-called issue at hand" the Shinigami said as the void surrounding them began to shift. Now finding themselves in the air, Dimentio found himself confused until he noticed something below them. His eyes widened at the sight of what he saw, it was a woman with white hair and just as pale, pupil less eyes, the Byakugan as it were. She was unlike the Hyuuga he recalled however as she floated in mid-air, facing against another person. It was a young man, no... two men, one being a Hyuuga, like the mysterious woman, and the other, a strange man with with purple-ringed eyes.
"This is a battle that took place long ago, a battle between mother and sons, known as Kaguya Ootsutsuki and her children, Hagoromo and Hamura" the Shinigami explained as Dimentio nodded, watching the battle like a fan of sports watching a finals spectacular. As he looked on, he noticed the changes to the woman, how she soon changed into a monster, a monster that reminded him of the fox he once held inside of him. "That beast that Kaguya became, it is known as the Juubi, a combination of all nine of the Bijju. You and Gaara only holding a portion of it within you" the Shinigami said.
Dimentio said nothing, staring silently as the battle eventually reached the conclusion, how the two sons had bested their mother-turned-monster and seemingly sealed her away. But it was at the Shinigami's gesture that suddenly caught his attention. Seeing the area the death-god was pointing at, Dimentio noticed something begin to move. His eyes widened again, seeing that, nearby and oozing into the soil unnoticed by either brother, was a collection of black liquid, liquid that grew two eyes and a mouth of pointed teeth.
"What in the worlds?" the magician said as the Shinigami frowned.
"That thing is known as Zetsu, a creation of Kaguya that seeks to revive Kaguya, a sentient seal that transforms another being into an exact replica of the person who creates it. That is the issue I need help dealing with" the Shinigami said as the battle ended and the two were once again in the void.
After listening to the Shinigami, the magician nodded, recalling the deal as it were. "So, I just need to eliminate the Akatsuki and prevent this... Zetsu's plan of reviving it's creator, this Kaguya woman, is that all?" he asked as the Shinigami nodded. Dimentio smiled at that, a sensation building up within him as he let out a laugh. "Ahahaha, well then, I see no harm in helping you out, after all... I do now owe you a debt. and if I can eliminate the ones responsible for my death and putting me through all of that torment, then I suppose that is just as sweet. Like a refreshing glass of lemonade on a hot and humid summer day."
"Indeed, however... as you are now, you won't be able to do much. It will take some time before you can properly act. More so, as you prepare yourself to face the Akatsuki, there are things that you must keep in mind as you do so. However, I will explain those to you more, once you accept."
Dimentio said nothing, frowning a bit at hearing that, unsure on what to think for a second. However he shook his head, having heard most of what needed to be said. "As if I actually have a choice? I suppose we both know the answer" he said with a bit of humor, despite a bit of bitterness at how he was being used as a literal thinking tool once more. The only difference was that unlike his Pixl-lization, he would be regaining his freedom over losing it.
The Shinigami smiled, chuckling in excitement. "I was hoping you would say that. But now, tell me... how do you feel about traveling?" it asked curiously as Dimentio frowned, seeming a little confused at the question. "As I said, as you are now, you would not be able to do much. However, I suppose some times training in other worlds to grow your strengths wouldn't hurt." the Shinigami said as Dimentio nodded hesitantly, not sure how to react to that.
Did that mean he was going to other worlds, just like he had been doing for many years now? If so then he supposed it wouldn't matter too much. It wouldn't matter at all. Dimentio smiled, perhaps some more of his regained soul of Naruto having some sort of effect on him. Eventual he looked at the Shinigami, a foxlike grin forming on his face. "So... when do we begin?"
And there we go, the first chapter is updated and should be good to go. I hope you enjoyed it. I know it's a little unpolished but I digress. Anyways I'll try to update much better than before, and I wish everyone a good night.