Chapter 5: Timber

Riba snapped out of the trance brought on by the Memory Fragment. He was back in Honyrup Jungle, with Len. He screamed, and felt tears rush to his eyes. Len just stared on with a blank smile. It felt like years had passed in seconds.

Riba then felt a sharp SLAP to the face. It brought him back to the present moment. He looked to Len. "O-ow..." He whined.

"Riba...!" A female voice boomed. It hurt Riba's ears just to listen to it. He and Len looked to the source of the voice. It was like a familiar voice, warped and twisted. But Riba knew exactly whose it was...

"Koi!" Riba cried, as a face molded its way onto the tree. It was Koi's face, alright. But shaped by bark and wood. She looked like she was in anguish. "I- I'm sorry!"

Koi looked at him with piercing wooden eyes. Then, she opened her mouth. "You should never have come back here!" She screeched. Roots shot out of the ground around Riba and Len. Riba knew how this went. One would come up in the center and impale them both!

Len jumped on Riba's shoulders and poked her claws into his clothes, and then flew him upwards with those same bird wings as before. Right when a sharp root came out from where they were standing.

They landed and started running. Oddly enough, Riba was able to keep pace with Len. "How is she---?" Riba asked. But then, he heard a loud roar from behind the treeline. Looking to his right, then his left, he saw... Screekers running towards them!

Riba jumped forward, just in time to avoid a Screeker knocking over a tree onto him. He tumbled forward, just in time to see more of them surrounding him. There were too many! "Len, now would be a good time to do something!" Riba cried.

"Hmm... nah," Len said, brushing it off. "Do it yourself. Now would be a good time to use some special moves you gained from your Flower Points."

"Damn it..." Riba cursed under his breath. He reached into his knapsack and pulled out his machete. "Stay back!" He shouted, making his voice clear and thrusting his machete forward, swinging it at the air to intimidate the beasts. It looked like they were scared of it. Were these special moves? It just felt like he was flailing a machete around.

Meanwhile, the terrain beneath the tree that Koi embodied was cracking apart. If this kept going on... she was going to fall over!

Riba took a step forward towards the beasts, with the forest coming undone around them. But then... it all stopped. He saw something in the distance. Birds flying off of a now falling tree. The same tree that Koi was presumably trapped inside.

Everybody present took steps back, just looking at the tree. Like deers in headlights. Then, trees around them began to fall. One of the Screekers was caught under one, and even with its strength it didn't seem to be able to lift it.

Riba looked up at the tree as every other Screeker went to help. Len just sat there. Riba decided... it was time to be a hero. He dashed forward, much to Len's surprise, and sliced the tree trapping the Screeker in two with his blade. The Screeker was free to come out, and they all ran out of the way.

CRASH! The tree landed just seconds after everyone got out of danger's way, accompanied with a scream that echoed throughout the entire forest. Riba stood back, breathing heavily.

"Koi!" He shouted, realizing the gravity of the situation. He dropped his machete and ran forward towards the tree. He knelt down by the part of the tree where her face was before. "Koi, are you okay?" Riba heard soft yet loud whimpers.

"Riba..." Koi whined. "Why would you do this?" She asked.

"Koi... I didn't mean anything I said back then," Riba sighed. "I was so wrong. And I am so sorry."

"Sorry doesn't fix things," Koi grumbled. "I thought we had each other's backs. But I guess I was wrong."

"Koi," Riba said, putting his face on the tree and crying into it. It was rough and jagged, so was Koi's voice. But he felt a sense of comfort in both. "I promise... I'll do everything I can to fix this. No matter how long it takes, I will make it up to you."

"It's funny," Koi replied. "I was supposed to be the protector of this jungle... but I guess in the end I just destroyed it. I bet this is why nobody really loves me." She laughed, and Riba forced laughter with her. It may not have been appropriate, but it's all Riba could think to do. Laugh with her like they used to laugh before. She laughed with him, as she cried Honey Syrup. Then, her gaze drifted off. And she took one last breath, before her face melted away into the tree.

Riba collapsed onto his back, his laughter slowly dying away. He just lied down next to Koi. And cried his eyes out. Until he heard a voice.

"Riba," the deep voice called out to him. He opened his eyes, and saw the group of Screekers gathered around him. Were they talking to him? He had no idea they could talk. "You have displayed nobility, growth, remorse, and heroism unlike any seen before in Honyrup Jungle."

"What of it?" Riba asked, getting up. Immediately, the Screekers bowed down to him, closing their eyes. "Wha---?"

"As Empress Koi is no more, we ask that you... her brother... take on the role of god of the jungle," the Screekers all said in unison.

Riba looked over to Len. The offer wasn't particularly tempting. Despite the fact that upon his arrival, the entire jungle he had grown up right next to was basically destroyed, he didn't feel he was fit to rule anything. He didn't want power. He just wanted the people he loved back. And that meant Mario.

"Sorry," Riba apologized. "I would like to, sure, but... I have something to take care of." He looked to Len and nodded. The Screekers nodded.

"We wish you luck on your journey, Riba," the Screekers told him. "Farewell."

The Screekers dispersed, leaving Riba and Len alone. "Where to now?" Riba asked.

"Hmm..." Len seemed to be thinking. "There is a Memory Fragment near Peach's Castle, in the Mushroom Kingdom. We should go there next." Len focused on a specific spot, and using her void hands, she slowly opened another seam in reality. To what appeared to be a mountainous farmland. But the sky was a sickening grayish green, and the grass was no more, leaving bare and black dirt. Nearby was a very polluted ocean.

"What the---?" Riba asked. This was not how Mario had described the Mushroom Kingdom at all. Riba was in a little bit of shock. Mario had said the Mushroom Kingdom was a heavenly place, with lush green grass and deep blue skies and seas. This... this couldn't be! "What happened here?" Riba asked.

"Well, with their princess and hero gone, they have turned into something of a dystopia. There exist wealthy towns for the aristocrats, but most of the Mushroom Kingdom lives in poverty in horrible wastelands," Len replied. Riba looked at her in disbelief. "I don't know much beyond that. You can't possibly expect me to keep track of every little thing in this world."

Riba sighed, and looked deep into the portal. He took a step, then another, and another. Until he was on the other side.