Since the incident, Mario has gotten better. They had an idea.
"Hey, Mario, how about we recap our adventures up until this point?" They were both on the couch, watching TV.
"Sounds-a fine. The others are still in-a the sick bay, might as well pass-a the time."
"Ah, how about you start and I'll continue from my point of view?"
Mario nodded, as recollection flashed in his memories.
Mario had arrived back from the Mushroom Kingdom after saving Peach from the Moon. Thanks to Cappy, it was possible. Cappy bid Mario and Peach farewell and left along with Tiara.
Princess Peach went back to her castle, and Mario met up with Luigi along with some balloons for some reason. Eventually, they heard a scream coming from the castle, so Luigi ditched the getup and went to the castle.
There, along the way, they met up with Yoshi. After talking for a bit, the three went inside. The trio of Mario, Luigi and Yoshi.
When they went inside, they saw Peach preparing a cake for them. It was going to be a lovely time, until they heard a roar from outside.
Everyone went outside, and saw the Mushroom Kingdom being burned! Mario looked up and saw Bowser, the one behind it all!
"Time to burn, Mario!" He declared, as he summoned Bowser Jr. and Kamek.
If Mario were to be honest, this was the most serious that Bowser had ever got. Regardless, he fought Bowser alongside his minions, and his minions were dealt with by the others.
Just then, during the fight, a vortex opened up! Mario was pulled in alongside his friends and Bowser alongside his minions.
There, they were seperated by wormholes. Mario was lead into a gigantic wormhole, and managed to land in a bush in front of a diner!
But his confusion was cut short by two hurricane twins that Mario later learned to be Spirits-
"Come again?" Shido asked.
"Yeah, it's complicated, I'll tell you later." Mario assured Shido and continued the story.
There, he was forced to be part of the twins competition. Hours turned into lunch time from a distant school bell Mario somehow managed to hear.
"I guess it's my turn." Shido guessed.
"Yep."
"Alright, so it was lunch time... let me give a more detailed description."
Spring. It's April, and the new school year has begun. Although Shido was a normal student, he would feel his life would change drastically.
He encountered an unknown disaster known as "spacequakes". At the center of it, he encountered an extremely gorgeous girl.
"My name? I do not have such a thing." Shido had met the purple Princess-type girl. Come to think of it, back then was the worst kind of situation. Inches away from death, and Shido's first encounter with Mario.
And just then, Kotori greeted Shido to Fraxinus, and caught both of them up to speed on the plot. After being greeted, Shido was tasked to date the Princess, and Mario to distract the AST.
"It's simple. Make the Spirit fall in love, and you win the game."
Shido couldn't believe his ears, and Mario was nervous due to the sheer strength that he saw from the AST. Regardless, they both accepted.
"Shido, please give me a name." The princess asked.
"T-Tohka..." Shido stuttered. "I-is it good...?"
And thus, Tohka was given her official name. Shido invited her out on a date. Nothing could go wrong.
But he was quickly stopped by an AST member, and his classmate, Origami Tobiichi. She vowed. "Five years ago, my parents were killed by a Spirit."
And then there was sunset. "Tohka! Take my hand! I will never let go!"
"If you tell me what to do.. then I'll do it!"
Tohka had been sealed, and Shido's life sealing Spirits had officially begun.
as well as Mario's torment.
A few days later, another Spirit had just arrived. Shido had met her in the shrine after Mario did.
"P-please don't hurt me."
A kind and gentle Spirit made Shido realise that even Spirits had feelings.
And then the mall situation came. This is where Mario was met to Zadkiel, and of course, the second spirit saved, Yoshino.
During the struggle, Shido failed to save Yoshino early, causing her to seperate from Yoshinon. Thus, the city was stuck in an eternal blizzard.
"Tohka... lend me your power!" Shido desperately called out.
"Of course. How could I forget the kindness in this man to save me?" Tohka was willing to help out.
And with the help of Tohka and Mario, Shido saved Yoshino.
"Thank you for reuniting me with my hero..." Yoshino quietly whimpered.
And that's how Shido managed to seal his second Spirit.
"Seems as if every-a time there's a new Spirit, we're-a always there to save the day, hehe!" Mario pondered.
"Yeah. What a coincidence." Shido shrugged it off and continued the story.
"My name is Kurumi Tokisaki, and I am a Spirit."
After that bold introduction, surprise surprise, Shido was tasked to date this self-proclaimed Spirit.
However, Shido learned the horrifying truth.
That she... kills people.
Just then, Shido's true little sister, Mana, came in saving him!
"Stand back, Shido, I'll defend you from Nightmare."
After the scene with Kurumi, Shido made a promise to speak to her and face his own fear, talking to her on the rooftop.
That's where he was trapped, because that Kurumi had been a clone all this time.
"Now, I shall make it so you'll never be able to persuade me ever again!"
And suddenly, Kotori came flying in, stopping the show in her Spirit form. "I'll take this back for a while, bro."
The battle ended with Shido going unconscious and Mario getting saved by Luigi.
"Yeeeah.." Mario huffed. "Kurumi."
"The only Spirit we didn't save." Shido also huffed. "I know."
With no time to waste, Shido had to date his own little sister. With the background help of everyone who made it thus far...
Origami interferred, but the power of teamwork overcame her, and then...
Shido saved his third Spirit and his sister's life.
That was the end of it all. The end of saving Spirits. What he also learned is the existence of Phantom. But that was for another day.
"Ah, well. Phantom's the-a only mystery. But for-a now. It's relaxing time..." Mario chuckled.
"Yeah, like we also do." Shido silently chuckled, but something went on in his brain.
"We're early in the summer... Endless incidents are repeating... I feel like I'm stuck on loop..."
"Hey, Mario, I'm gonna go outside for a walk. Nice day today."
"Ooh, sounds-a fun! Can I come?"
"Sure."
As they walked outside, someone else walked out. A woman in pink hair. She immediately ran over to Shido and greeted him.
"Good morning, Shido. I've been waiting for you."
"Huh?" Mario was confused. She knows Shido?
That's when Mario noticed a New Tenguu Tower. "Hmm... Two new-a subjects, huh?"
"Ah, Mario." Shido turned. "This is my childhood friend, Rinne Sonogami."
"Greetings, Mario. If you ever desire something from me, I will answer your feeling with all my heart." She then got a bit weird. "We can be lovers, we can kiss, become one, get married, have kids, we can be together as long as you want."
At this point, Mario was just expecting this to be remarked to Shido instead of him. Poor Mario always gets in the friendzone.
"But, if you were to choose someone else, I wouldn't mind either."
"Uh." Mario was lost.
"And of course, I won't force you to choose anyone either. At the same time, if you say you want everyone, then I will support you too."
"What the heck?!" Mario thought to himself. "She SUPPORTS the harem time?!"
"As long as you're happy, I will do anything for you. Whatever you wish for, I will grant it for you. I can be your childhood friend, your girlfriend, your wife, your little or older sister, your mother or your daughter, your senior or junior, your enemy or your foe, or a stranger. I don't mind."
"A-whaaaa?" Mario was completely and utterly lost. Rinne's words made NO sense.
"As long as you're happy, that's all that matters." Rinne left with those words.
"Ah, yeah, Mario, Rinne was always there to support me. Pushed me to keep moving forward."
"When push comes to shove..." Mario mumbled.
"I'm sorry, alright? I just... didn't tell you until now. I was wondering where she was until now." Shido scratched the back of his head. Little did he know, doing such things would slowly wither Rinne's heart away.
"I'm gonna continue. Still wanna come, Mario?"
"...no thanks." Mario went back inside the Itsuka Residence.
Life kept repeating with everyone else. Tohka, Yoshino, Kurumi, Kotori, Origami, and the Mario Bros.
This was to fulfill Shido's own happiness and desire.
Eventually, this world reached the limit. Only a matter of time before it would collapse.
Rinne is actually a Spirit, and her Angel is called Eden, which watches over this man-made world. Her mind weakens as strange things happen.
Now Shido was in some strange space-like world. He had gotten a chance to speak with Ruler.
Ruler was a pink-hair woman in a strange robe that covered most of her face. "Humans desire to obtain happiness, and discard what makes them sad. In this world, where you can grant your desire for anything... you would reject it?" Ruler was confused but still spoke directly.
"If I can have what I want to come true, then that's fantastic! But fabricated happiness granted by my own whim cannot compete with the happiness obtained by my own hands!" Shido pointed at Ruler and he declared.
"I refuse to accept this Utopia!" He told Ruler his feelings head-on.
Eden's power to sustain this world was slowly losing it's power.
Ruler still spoke calmly. ""The end time is approaching. I'd advise you to think about your answer once more. And if you still insist on rejecting this world... Then come, and kill me."
Ruler left with those words.
"Wait wait wait, so you-a went to some sort of-a space? AND you spoke with-a the ruler of this world? AND you want to-a KILL her?!" Mario couldn't believe Shido's story when he got back.
"Yeah, that's the gist of it."
Everyoen was there at the scene. All the Mario characters and all the DAL characters. Except Origami, for obvious reasons.
"Woah! That means we gotta stop her!" Tohka exclaimed.
"Yeah, obviously." Luigi pointed out.
"Please...!" Shido pleaded. "Help me!"
"Oh, we will!" Mario jumped up. "We'd-a never abandon a friend in need!"
"Yeah!" Luigi jumped up too. "You can count on us, Shido!"
"Thanks guys." Shido smiled. He turned to New Tenguu Tower. "That tower was actually created by Eden. That's where Ruler is."
"Alright..." Mario scratched his head. "Let's-a-go." They all ran towards the tower.
They ran into the tower, and there were strange hooded guardians which lacked a head. They were Guardians. Creative name, I know.
Kotori smirked as she was back into her Spirit form. "Come, I'll take you all on at once!"
"I won't let them take a step past us!" Tohka raised her sword.
"Alright, I'll show you all the real power of us Mushroom Kingdom Inhabitants!" Luigi boldly claimed, even though that wasn't really exactly the plan. The real plan was to stall time for Mario and Shido.
Speaking of whom...
Mario and Shido snuck past the Guardians and they both ran up to the top of the tower themselves. The spiral stairs seemed endless until eventually they reached a room.
"Mario.. Shido..." There Rinne was. "I knew you'd come."
"Rinne?!" Shido was surprised. "Then... you are..."
"You figured it out, right?" Rinne kept smiling. "Yes, the truth is the cliche you all wanted. Ruler... is me."
Shido was stunned as Rinne was smiling. The future he yearns for... doesn't exist. Rinne doesn't even exist either... she was just a personification of Eden. The power Paradise Lost allowed it.
Escaping from this world of dreams and fantasy... Mario and Luigi helped Shido with that. Thanks to them, Shido recalled his purpose of coming all this way. Shido and Mario stared into the abyss where Rinne went to.
"Please, Rinne, let's go home, back to our daily life, where it all started. We will be fine, we don't need any of this. Don't be scared about failing, or anything, because I am here and everyone else is too! I know, Rinne, you can obtain your own happiness!"
After Rinne was in the abyss, she trapped herself in Eden's Core.
"RINNE!"
"We gotta go-a in!" Mario shouted. They both walked into the abyss, but someone laughed which specifically caught Mario's attention. There, on the side of the abyss, someone flew up on a certain vehicle and came zooming down closer towards the duo. Mario recognised this vehicle as the Koopa Clown Car, and it's pilot was none other than...
Bowser Jr.
"Hey! Stay away from her!" The young prince yelled.
"JUNIOR?!" Mario was baffled, but quickly lowered his eyebrows.
"I see we've met once again, Mario! And with a new friend?" Junior pointed at Shido.
"I assume an enemy?" Shido shrugged, which Mario simply nodded.
Junior pointed at Mario. "I also see what's going on here! You want to use Rinne's special powers for yourself! Especially you, Schoolboy! I've seen ya sealin' Spirits! Don't think you can just take away their power for granted!"
Shido tapped his foot. "What are YOU going to do about it, you brat?"
Junior laughed. "Well, I saw Rinne first! She and all her special powers are MINE!" His clown car floated until it was in front of the abyss, and then he turned to face the duo. He tapped his fingers together like a cliche villain.
Mario sharpened his glare as Junior stared him down and his Clown Car suddenly sprouted boxing gloves. "Even if it means facing you myself! Bring it, Mario! I'll stomp you!"
Shido just looked around. "Er.. what about me?"
"I'll stomp you too!"
"Prove it!"
He didn't need to, but he did. Shido immediately regretted his words when a boxing glove clocked him in the face.
"SHIDO!" Mario cried out, while Junior just laughed. Mario turned to face Junior, as he ran up to him, punching him square in the face.
"YOW!" Junior cried out. Mario wasn't done yet as he quickly kicked Junior straight out of the Clown Car and into the wall of the glitchy abyss world.
"Ah, now we're-a talking!" Mario literally picked up the Clown Car and TOSSED it at Junior.
"W-HUH?!" Junior quickly evaded, shocked. "What the heck? That could've legitimately hurt me!"
"That's the point of-a battles! You get hurt!"
"Nnngghhhaaah!" Junior squirmed then got into his Clown Car. He pulled out a Bob-omb and tossed at Mario.
"Hah!" He tossed it aside. But Mario didn't see another Bob-omb coming right towards him. "Mama-mia!"
Mario ducked, but Shido came running back and tossed the Bob-omb right back at Junior! "HAAAAAAH!" He yelled as he tossed it.
"HUH-" Kaboom! Bowser Jr was blown up, soot all over him. "Oh, now you've done it!" His Clown Car became a cannon.
"Uh oh." Mario was prepared. Shido didn't know what to do, but Mario had an idea. The cannonball shot.
Everything went in slow-motion. Mario...
grabbed the cannonball...
swung it around rapidly...
and tossed it back.
"WAAAAAH!" Junior screamed as he and his Clown Car bounced around the arena, and hit Eden's Core. It lost power and went beserk.
"Did we free Rinne?!" Shido asked desperately. Junior and his Clown Car THUNKED to the ground, and he was out for the count.
"I think-a so.. but you'll have to seal her using the only method you-a know." Mario nodded. Shido stepped up to the now-visible Rinne who was covered in vine-type substances wrapping her up and restraining her.
"Got it!" Shido confirmed. "Then we can go home, right?" He turned to Rinne. "Then you can come with us, right?!"
Rinne simply smiled. "Yeah. With this, everyone can be together. It's the only way we can stay together."
That was the words she said before their lips met. Another seal successful. Mario smiled. Thankfully, Bowser Jr. didn't wake up during this time.
However, Rinne's body was fading into light. She had tears in her eyes as she was smiling.
"Rinne?!" Shido noticed this. "What is.. going on..."
"I'm sorry, but I... I'm the only one who can't go back with you."
"What?! Earlier, you said...!"
"With this, I can hold the days I spent with you precious in my heart. So... I had a thought. Maybe this Utopia was wrong. The days I spent with you, Shido, however, were the days I was truly happy. Shido... I've always... loved you."
Leaving behind those words, Rinne disintegrated to light. Disappearing from the world.
"Ah." Mario tried to speak, but no words came out.
"Rinne? Rinne...!" Shido repeated her name, hoping she would come back. But she never did.
The tower rumbled.
"...!" Mario looked around. "Without-a Rinne's power, this Utopia will-a collapse! Then this tower will just-a be a regular tower again! We need to-a move before we're-a caved in!"
Shido turned to Mario. "What do you want to do about HIM?" He gestured his head towards Bowser Jr.
And then he woke up. "Grrrgh... Stupid Mario and his new schoolboy frie-huh?" Junior didn't get to finish his sentence as Mario was charging straight for him with his hammer. "WAAAH!"
Mario swung his hammer at Junior like a golf club, knocking him and his Clown Car into the stratosphere.
"Now!" Shido yelled. They both jumped through the hole that Junior made and landed straight into the Fraxinus.
"Reine... what's going on?" Shido asked.
"Let me start by saing this. Ruler is an existence somewhat different from a Spirit."
"Different from a Spirit?"
"Rinne is born from a large amount of Spirit residue and her own consciousness. If her powers are sealed, it's only natural she'd disappear. She created that world to protect you."
"So.. she created Eden not to trap me, but to protect me? I never knew... and Rinne... I..." Shido's voice was sniffling and starting to crack.
Reine's expression didn't change. "Please, Shin, Rinne simply did all this to protect you. If you want to repay her, then please don't do it with guilt or regret, but with gratitude."
"...Yes..."
Reine handed Shido a plastic bag. Turns out she didn't know what was inside it, but Shido did. Reine shortly left to rejoin Kotori in Fraxinus.
The fabricated world created by Eden was about to disappear. Shido decided one thing. Enjoy his time while it lasted.
When Shido opened the bag, he found a 'spare key'. Proof that Reine was indeed his childhood friend. He looked at it before tearing up and calling out to her, knowing that she was still there... in his heart.
"Didn't you say that you'll treasure this, Rinne? Then don't leave this here! Take it with you too! If not... I can only accept the truth, huh? That you won't be there to wake me up. That you won't be there for me to praise the food you made. And that I... won't be able to see your smile ever again...! Why? Why does it have to be like this?! Didn't you say that you'd be my childhood friend for the rest of our lives... that you'll stay with me for years on end... Didn't you promise me that?!" Shido made one last cry to the sky.
"RINNE!"
The fabricated world disappeared, along with his memories of the world. The Daily Life that he spent with Rinne, the life he fought hard to protect... gone.
The world was dyed white, and was swallowed whole.
Shido returned back to his days... before Rinne. He had a power now. A power far too powerful for his own good, sleeping inside Shido.
What was this power? Nobody knew except him... One day he'll awaken it.
But as Mario was in Tenguu Park, staring off into the night sky, he had one thought on his mind.
"Princess Peach... Yoshi... where are-a you?"
This was an ending, but was it the ending they wanted?