SMG4: The Vanidicus Arc

Open Eyed

SMG4 sits at his desk in his room. It's been a week since SMG6 was "declared missing." In reality she is dead, but no one needs to know that. It's been hard to keep 6's death a secret. Why would SMG4 choose to not tell a soul about everything? Well, 4 believes it's best for SMG6 to be remembered as a good person. She was friends with everyone in 4's friend group. If he told everyone about 6's death, he'd also have to tell them about how she was working with Niles. He'd also have to tell everyone that Niles is somehow alive. This would be even worse. It would definitely cause anxiety and worry. That's the last thing SMG4 wants.

Suddenly, Mario bursts into the room.

Mario: "4! 4! Come down stairs! You're gonna want to see this!"

Mario and SMG4 rush down stairs to find everyone gathered around the tv. On it was the news. What's the current story about? Well...

Newscaster: "SMG6: The Missing Girl, has been found dead in the forest. Her cause of death is still unknown."

4 freezes. He can't see the tv through everyone, but he heard the reporter loud and clear. Thoughts race through 4's head. He knew SMG6 was dead of course, but how did her body get to the Mushroom Kingdom? Did Niles do this?

Mario: "You okay?"

Mario's voice snaps SMG4 back to reality.

SMG4: "Yeah... Yeah I'm fine."

4 speed walks back up to his room.

  SMG4 needs answers. All he has to look for them are the two books SMG6 left: her diary and the strange book that caused all this. He decides to start with the diary. 4 picks up the book from his closet and sits down at his desk.

SMG4: "Maybe with this I can better understand why SMG6 did what she did."

SMG4 says as he opens the diary. The inside front cover reads: "To my Dear 6, Love Audrey." The diary was a gift. A gift to SMG6 from Audrey. This breaks SMG4's heart. It's his fault they're both dead. If he hadn't pushed 5 into Audrey, Audrey wouldn't have died, 6 wouldn't have gotten mad, and both her and her girlfriend would still be alive. Nevertheless, SMG4 begins to read the first entry. It reads as follows:

Dear Diary,

Hello! My name's SMG6! I like my girlfriend Audrey, cookies, shiny things, and writing in that order! I live in a HUUUUUGGGEEEE palace with Audrey! Audrey's advisor Sparx also lives with us. Along with all the butlers and maids! Anyway that's all I have to write about.

Bye bye!
-SMG6

SMG4: "Wow... She was a lot more energetic back then... I wonder what happened?"

He flips ahead several pages.

Dear Diary,

Last night was weird. I was writing my previous entry when I heard a noise. At first I thought it was Audie trying to give me a surprise hug, but then I realized it wasn't her. It was someone entirely new! It was some guy named Niles and his advisor SMG0. Niles then took me to this palace in the sky! He told me so many things. Like how some guy blew up this thing called the God Box. Crazy right? I wonder what happened...

-SMG6

SMG4 continues to read more and more diary entries. Some are about 6 training with Niles. Others are about 6 hanging out with Audrey and Sparx. Eventually 4 finds a ripped out page.

SMG4: "That's odd."

That leaves only one more entry to read...

  Suddenly, there's a knock on SMG4's door. 4 gets up to answer it. At the door is SMG3.

SMG3: "Hey, I uh... I heard about 6... Mario said that you've been up here for a while. You okay?"
SMG4: "Yeah, I'm fine... I've just been trying to figure out what happened. That's all."

There's a bit of a pause before SMG3 responds.

SMG3: "Maybe I could help."

4 looks him in the eyes, unsure whether to let him know about the fight or not.

SMG4: "Uhhh sure... Yeah umm... Why don't you come in? I'll show you what I have so far."

SMG4 steps aside to let 3 in. The two walk over to 4's desk where the diary sits.

SMG3: "What's this?"

SMG3 points to the diary.

SMG4: "Oh That's SMG6's diary. She left that and another book when she went missing. I'm trying to use these books to try and figure out what happened to her."
SMG3: "That's... actually a good idea."

SMG4 takes a moment to think. It's gonna take a lot to figure out what happened. Especially since there isn't much to go off of.

SMG4: "You said you wanna help right?"

SMG3 nods.

SMG4: "Well maybe you can figure out what these diary entries mean? You have a diary, so maybe you'd be better at this than me."
SMG3: "Sure. I'm on it."

3 replies as he picks up SMG6's diary. He then says goodbye to 4 and leaves him to work.

  All that's left is the mysterious other book 6 left. 4 picks it up off the floor. The last time he had it, he didn't get a good look at it. Now SMG4 takes a minute to examine it. There's no title, no author, just the gold picture. 4 doesn't really know what it is. He opens the book to the inside of the front cover. On it is a list of previous owners. The names on this list go as follows: Manny, Sona, Winston, Echo, Niles, SMG0, SMG6. 4 decides to grab a pen and add his name to the list. He flips the page. It's a chapter list.

Introduction

Chapter 1: Reverences

Chapter 2: Descendants

Chapter 3: The God Box

Chapter 4: First Life

Chapter 5: Second Life

Chapter 6: Relics and Artifacts

Chapter 7: The Oracle's Domain

Chapter 8: The God Boxian War

  SMG4 decides to look through the pages before he starts reading. He doesn't even get through chapter 2 before he finds something. Or rather someone.

Himself.

  A picture of SMG4 is drawn beautifully on the book's old pages. Above the picture reads:

SMG4: Our Last and Final Hope

  SMG4 is confused and shocked. This doesn't make sense. Why would he be in this book about the God Box? And why would he of all people be called "Our Last and Final Hope?" HE'S THE ONE WHO BLEW UP THE GOD BOX!!! This can't be real. SMG4 slams the book shut. It's late at night. He might as well go to bed if the book is just giving him more questions than answers. So 4 does just that. Or rather he tries to.

  Panic and confusion run rampant through SMG4's head. He has no answers. He only has questions. Questions that no one can answer. No one except SMG6 or Niles. The latter wants him dead. The former is dead. Suddenly 4's phone goes off. 4 picks it up. Mario sent him a meme. It's a wide bootleg SMG4 plush. This isn't much, but it's enough to calm 4 down. He takes a deep breath and sends a text back. "Lol." It's simple, but that's all he really wants to say. SMG4 doesn't really want others to worry.

Now calm and relaxed, SMG4 finally goes to sleep.