SMG4 Stories: Mario in Cupheads' Delicious Last Course

Chapter 1: A Nightmare Before Christmas Eve

     It was the afternoon before Christmas Eve in The Showgrounds. Snow was everywhere, covering the grass, and pathways, alongside with the trees and the big bomb across from the streets. 

Smg4 and the gang were in the kitchen, preparing the grand feast for tomorrow! They sorted every kind of food from mashed potatoes, to turkey, with many more coming from the oven. The process was long and hard, taking roughly the entire day to cook each food by hand! It would be ashamed if something were to happen to it... But never the mind, they've finally finished cooking the last course.

"Great job guys!" Happily said Smg4, "Everything should be ready for tomorrow's feast!" 

"Good riddance!" Grouched Saiko, not having the Christmas spirit like the rest, "My body is aching from this!"

Tari then came up right beside her and patted her back, "Come on Saiko," She said, "it's not that bad!"

"Yeah!" Luigi said right after, "At least we'a don't have to do it tomorrow."

Saiko just gave them both the cold shoulder.

Smg3 came in, right after organizing the feast on the cart, "So Dick-nips," He said to Smg4 "Whose gonna watch over the feast tonight?" 

"What do you mean 3? It's not like it'll grow legs and run away." 

"You know! Whose gonna protect it from a certain M. A. R. I. O.?"

Smg4 eyes widen, "Oh right..." he'd looked back at the others with a hint of regret on his face, "Alright guys listen. I need one of you to guard the kitchen, so Mario doesn't sneak and eat all the food. We don't want him to ruin the feast!"

Everyone mumbled to each other then to themselves and then back to each other. They all know how important the feast is, especially on special Christmas eve.

"Well count me OUT!" Saiko shouted first, "I'm not gonna be babysitting over something that'll be eaten anyways!"

"I'ma be busy." Also said Luigi, "I Have to stay'a home and clean up the mess Mario done the other day."

"How about you 3?" Smg4 questioned, but without a trace, Smg3 just vanished, not even leaving a footprint!

All that was left was the shy, gamer girl, Tari. Smg4 knows how easily stress Tari could be when dealing with these situations, but there wasn't much of a choice.

"Well Tari, it's all up to you to be our feast protector."

Tari's heart jumped in a fright, "Um, ME?" She stuttered, twirling her blue hair anxiously, "Are you sure?."

"Sorry Tari, the rest were sent out to give invitations."

Tari sighed reluctantly, she felt like she wasn't right for the job.

 Luigi walked up to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, "Don't'a worry! I know you can do it!"

Tari's frown turned upside down, "Well then... I'll do it!"

"Wonderful!" Cheered Smg4, "Now remember, all you have to do is to NOT let Mario in the kitchen no matter what!"

"Aye, aye, Captain!" She replied with confidence, though she was still anxious on doing the job.

Later that same day, everyone but Tari left for home as the afternoon turned to night. Tari

hid the cart tray filled with the feast under blankets, then covered the kitchen doors with wooden barriers so nobody could break in, especially Mario. Though Tari was determined, she still had a little fear within her innocent soul.

"I'm brave, I'm brave, Meggy told me I'm brave..." Tari kept on repeating herself to get her relaxed till suddenly she heard a creek coming from one of the doors.

Her pupils instantly dilated fearing for the worse to happen! But all it was, was just a gust of wind opening the door.

"...Uh, I don't know if she's right on that." She slowly started to panic.

Hours have passed, no sign of Mario yet.

Tari decided to build herself a pillow fort for tonight, it was made out from chairs, a table, a few pillows and a cozy blanket with stars on it.

"Hopefully Mario doesn't break in now," She yawned, as she went inside and laid down within her fort.

She found herself in a comfortable spot to gaze at the stars on the blanket, "Ooh, shiny..." With a blink and a shut eye, Tari ended up falling asleep.

More hours have passed, and Tari still slept like a baby. 

Out of nowhere, there was a creek, a crash, and a humongous bang! Those loud noises was enough for Tari to wake up in a flash! 

"Whose there!" She yelled.
Tari looked out of her pillow fort to see... Nothing. No shadows, no monsters... Nothing. Tari felt relieved... Until she realized the door to the kitchen was wide open!

She was in complete shock it made her more panicky than she was before!

She got out of her pillow fort, as she clumsily tumbled it down as she exited. She quickly ran towards the kitchen door and took a peek in, holding her trusty rubber duck close to her for protection.

"Hello?" She said quietly, "Anyone there?"

Tari walked in carefully till she sees a shadow at the fridge!

She dropped her duck in exchange for a frying pan. She sneaked up to the shadow with caution. Once she got near them, she aimed it directly on the back of the head and WHAMED them hard against the fridge door!

The shadow cried in pain, speaking in Italian for some reason until Tari finally clicked.

"M-Mario?"

Tari quickly turned on the kitchen light to see that it is in fact Mario, lying dead on the ground with a busted face.

"Oh, Mario! I'm so sorry, uhm force of habit." She was pretty embarrassed to smack a friend with a cooking utensil.

Mario got up, and shook the pain away, no longer having a busted-up face, "Hello Tari!" He greeted her, "What'a you doing here?"

Tari wasn't sure what to say, she knew if she mentions something about the feast, Mario will go berserk!

"Uh, same as you Mario..." She inexplicably lied, "L-Late night snack?"

Mario stared deeply into her frighten soul with his crossed, eyes. Tari started to pray inside her head, fearing the consequences of her obvious lie.

"Ooh, alrighty!" Mario happily said, as if he didn't interrogate her.

He'd then continued to dig out from the fridge, as Tari sighed in relief, 

Mario searched the fridge for a while until he closed it depressingly, "Oh, no Spaghetti... Mario's been'a hungry for Spaghetti all day, and I'a can't find any leftovers."

Mario would then walk near to the cart tray, which caused Tari to hurriedly block his path!

"Don't go there!" She yelled frightfully.

"Ay!" He said in an angry tone, "Are you tryin'a hide something from me?"

In a short time frame till Mario temper explodes, she pointed him towards the cabinets, "I mean, try checking the spaghetti over there!"

With a suspicious okay from Mario, he checked around every cabinet in the kitchen for the spaghetti. As expected, there was no spaghetti in sight. All Mario found were just empty plates, cups, cookbooks, and a dead rat in a rat trap.

Speaking of cookbooks, Mario found one book that seems out of place from the rest. He pulled it out to see that it was just an old book, with a half-ripped cover that has what seems to be a symbol that resembles the letter O.

"Bleh." Said the angered Mario, and threw the book across the kitchen, coincidentally landded underneath the cart with the feast.

"It's'a no use!" Mario cried, "Store's all out of'a spaghetti, no'a leftovers, Mario's checked everywhere!"

As the overweight plumber cries on the floor like a 5-year-old, Tari has nothing else but to help him out with his struggles.

"Mario," She said calmly,  "Maybe I could cook you some spaghetti."

"Really?"

"Um, sure... I guess."

Now with Mario all cheered up from Tari's offer, there is no way he'll find out the cart tray with the feast!

It would be so if it were to be the case.

There was an outside force whose also there to take the feast, and it surely was unexpected.

A strong wind was summoned in the room, and it slowly but swiftly turned into a tornado!

Mario and Tari took notice instantly, Mario's hat started lifting off from his head, and Tari was losing grip from the floor! They quickly hang on tight to each other, fearing for their lives!

"What's'a going on here!" Squealed Mario like a girl.

"I don't know!" Then screamed Tari, "I'm not used to things happening at night!"

Suddenly, a beam of blue light BOOMED through cart, sending out a spiral of strong wind pulling the cart in! They didn't saw who done it, but once it was all over, there was nothing left but the old cookbook on the floor.

"No..." Tari said softly, dropping her knees towards the floor as her tears started to pouring out from her eyes.

"This is all my fault. H-How am I gonna tell them? HOW AM I GONNA TELL THEM!"

With the saddening sounds from Tari, Mario was quick to action to help out! He walked up confidently towards the book ready to jump in for whatever's is coming up for to him.

"Open sesame!"

When he jumped into the book, he soon realized that it didn't took him anywhere...

"Well, that's all I can do.

Tari, still kneeled to the ground, feared what will the other's say, for something that was out from her control...