The Moon Will Sing [SMG34 AU]

Prologue [Moon]

SMG3?...

That wasn't a name SMG4 wanted to think about...

~~~

It was March 18th, 2023. SMG4 didn't know that, though- he didn't know about anything that was happening outside of his perfect video. He couldn't even hear his friends struggling to get past Beeg downstairs.

The sound of him typing away at his keyboard echoed in his mind. This didn't look right. Undo that. Redo that. Type some more. Click. Type. Undo, undo, undo, delete, delete, not until it was perfect...

He was so caught up that he barely even noticed his friends. He jolted when Meggy touched him, almost feeling like it was enough to snap him out- but not enough.

He went back to dissociating from the chaos around him again, and turned to his video again, completely unaware of the battle. Eldritch SMG3 fought against the M&M siblings, but was defeated... finally bringing the normal SMG3 back.

Hearing SMG3's voice made his focus stray for a moment... but he drowned it out with his own.

"It's almost finished..."

He felt his friends try to pull him away, out of his chair, so he couldn't finish the video... but it was too late. The black goop was about to consume them all. They were going to drown. They were going to die.

SMG4 tried to recognize this, but his eyes were still glued to the computer screen.

It wasn't done yet...

No.

Three... wasn't done yet.

"Hey, dude. Listen to me. I used to think you had it all..."

SMG4's typing slowed.

"Friends. Fame. Views. I thought you had to be the happiest person in the world..."

SMG4's eye twitched.

"But I understand you now. You're really scared aren't you? You're scared you could lose it all... at any time. Because you think you're only worth as much as the stuff you make."

SMG4 felt his eyes start to water. He blinked, still listening to SMG3's speech... but didn't move any more than that.

"But I've met your friends, man. No matter what you make, They... WE... will always be here to have fun and laugh together."

SMG3's words were registering now. And Meggy's. And Mario's.

Maybe there was another ending to this after all.

The three friends kept sinking, until...

No.

SMG4's limbs twitched, and he shot to his feet as soon as he regained control of himself. His heart hammered in his chest as he panicked and scrambled to pull SMG3 and Meggy out of the goop. Everything about this situation was just too much and he hated it... but he breathed a sigh of relief when he managed to pull them out.

"SMG4, bro! You're back!" SMG3 had tears in his eyes as he hugged SMG4, who was also on the verge of crying right now. 

Four smiled. "Yeah... I really needed to hear all that..."

The three of them noticed that the black goop was starting to clear away, as Meggy pulled Mario out of it. Everyone was so relieved to have SMG4 back now, hugging him and saying how they thought they lost him.

"I'm..." Four felt undeserving of this right now. "I'm so sorry, guys. And thanks, SMG3." A mischievous grin appeared on his face as he thought of a way to lighten the mood. "I didn't know you felt that way."

Meggy and Mario started to laugh as the tsundere tried to deny what he said was true. But they were very rudely interrupted by the reminder the castle was still dangerous to stay in right now...

-

Three swore time slowed down in that moment, when Four was grabbed by the goop.

He wasn't thinking in the moment, but he knew- he just knew- he had to stop it to save SMG4. So he turned around, even though this was the most reckless thing he could do... 

...and grabbed SMG4's hand, activating their Meme Powers.

A shriek could be heard coming from somewhere, probably the eldritch goop. It loosened its grip on SMG4, who was very shaken up right now but knew he had to keep going. He felt the faint scars on his face start to hurt, for some reason- they were glowing pink again. What was happening to him?!

There wasn't time to think about that. He just pushed his way out of the monster's grasp, and jumped through the window, as SMG3 followed him.

No... this wasn't... right...

His jump was too weak.

He barely grabbed onto the ledge, and thank fuck he caught SMG3, but there was a problem... how would he save both of them?

SMG3 felt heavy.

Too heavy.

No... it wasn't that. His arm felt weak.

What was happening?

SMG3 looked up at him in fear. "Four... the marks... the scar is glowing..."

It was true, SMG4's crack-shaped scar that covered the side of his face and ran down his left arm was starting to glow the bright pink color again. He felt his grip start to loosen, and SMG3's heart rate increased. He was terrified. This whole situation was a fucking mess and-

"SMG3! I... I don't know if I can..." SMG4 loosened his grip a little bit more. "I can't..." 

Four was on the verge of tears now. He couldn't finish his sentence, but Three knew what he was saying.

Only one of them was going to make it out alive.

As SMG3 realized this, he felt himself slipping more. He had to do this. He had to say this. He forced himself to spit it out-

"Love you, dude."

SMG4's eyes widened, and his breath hitched.

He was powerless against the glowing scars that weakened him,

as he dropped SMG3 into the pit

and felt the hollow feeling

in his stomach

as he climbed up to safety.

~~~

It's better to forget that ever happened.

It wasn't the time to remember yet.

...

It's time... to go out and look for food, in this hellish place called the Mushroom Kingdom.