Falling With You

Chapter 4 - Home's Still Here

Smg4 slowly opened his eyes and looked around. He had fallen asleep despite promising Smg3 he wouldn't. Smg4 sat up slowly and stretched his arms before realizing the warmth of Smg3's body wasn't there, meaning he was missing. Smg4 looked around, not seeing him anywhere, "Smg3?!" he yelled in a panicked tone. Smg4 ran around and kept calling for Smg3. "Where are you!? Answer me!!" he yelled before hearing a slow clap and footsteps approaching him. Smg4 froze and slowly turned around, seeing a figure of a man but with a TV for a face instead of a human one. "Who are you!?" Smg4 asked, "Where's Smg3?!" The TV figure laughed quietly yet coldly, as he snapped his fingers and Smg3 appeared, his hands tied behind hid back. Smg3 groaned and looked up, "Wha..S-Smg4!?" he asked as he tried getting up. "Smg3!!" Smg4 yelled and he tried to run over. "I don't think so," the TV figure said before holding a gun to Smg3's head, making both men freeze. "NO!! Leave him alone!!" Smg4 tried pleading. Smg3 only looked at his counterpart with a scared expression. "You know, this wasn't how things were supposed to end. I had originally wanted you two pathetic losers to actually escape that castle, but I figured my viewers would want something..disheartening..but they didn't seem to like that very much." the TV figure said and kicked Smg3's side, making his yelp in pain as he fell back down. The TV figure pressed his foot on Smg3's back, making sure he stayed down. "Now there really is no point in keeping you two alive for much longer. I'm sure I'll find another puppet to use..perhaps that inkling girl for example~" he said, putting his finger on the trigger. "No!! Please!! Not him!!" Smg4 yelled, tears in his eyes. "Shoot me instead!! Please!!" he kept pleading. Smg3 shut his eyes tightly as the TV man pushed his finger inward, and the trigger was pulled.

"NO!!" Smg4 yelled, sitting up quickly and breathing heavily. Smg3 flinched awake and groaned, "Dude, what.." he whispered tiredly as he rubbed his eyes. Smg4 looked at him and held him close, sighing of relief. "Oh thank God..it was just a dream.." he said as he rubbed Smg3's back, making Smg3 blush a bit. "Oh, you had a nightmare..?" he asked Smg4, to which he nodded. "Y-Yeah..I'm sorry, I shouldn't have fallen asleep in the first place.." he said. "It's fine man. Like you said, we need to rest before we can think of an escape plan.." Smg3 reassured him. Smg4 smiled and got up, brushing off any dirt on him then picking up Smg3 again, making him blush more, "This can't be a permanent thing 4-" Smg3 said, to which Smg4 laughed a little. "Well you'll have to get used to it" he said before continuing to walk ahead. Smg3's face kept heating up, liking that Smg4 was holding him, but he didn't want him to know. Otherwise the teasing would never end. "So..how'd you sleep?" Smg4 asked, Smg3 slowly looked over at him a bit while trying to cover his face, "Uh..you know, pretty fine actually.." he said, "Do you know where you're going?" Smg4 looked around, shaking his head, "No..it doesn't help that it's pretty dark. And these eyes keep staring at us.." Smg4 shivered as the eyes kept watching them walk along. "I still have the spear. Let me poke em" he said, swinging the spear around, "Dude, no- What if something tries to attack us?" Smg4 asks, not wanting anything or anyone on their asses. "Well just drop me and make a run for it. Use me as some sort of bait" Smg3 joked, but Smg4 held a serious face, "I'm not going to do that, and you're not going to do anything that could get us killed. Got it?" Smg3 rolled his eyes, "I need some sort of entertainment if we're going to be stuck here" he said.

Before Smg4 could say anything else, a grumble was heard, making him stop. "What was that?" Smg4 asked, to which Smg3 blushed out of embarrassment and looked away, "Sorry, was me- Guess I must be hungry or something.." he mumbled. Smg4 frowned and looked around, "I highly doubt there's any sign of food anywhere 3..but I'll try to find us something.." he said with little confidence. Smg4 continued to walk around, "Maybe some parts of the castle are still here..I know I had a lot of food in my room for when I was..mentally insane.." Smg4 sighed. Smg3 noticed Smg4's shift in tone and rubbed his back, "Dude, that's in the past..everything's alright now..let's just find something to eat, and figure a way out of here.." he said, trying to comfort Smg4. It didn't help much but Smg4 gave his counterpart a fake smile, "You're right 3.." he lied. He still felt very guilty for dragging Smg3 into this mess, despite Smg3 agreeing to go down with him, and considering he was hurt because of him, it only made Smg4 feel more like a douche. Meanwhile, Smg3 was lost in thought, worrying about his Eggdog that he left all alone on the surface. He had hoped at least someone would remember to feed him, bathe him, and overall take care of him. Smg3 didn't want another Terrance situation to happen to his little Eggdog. Smg4 noticed Smg3's worried expression and frowned, blaming himself for making Smg3 feel this way. He sighed but then looked up, seeing another wall of tentacles, "What the heck?" he said, confused. Smg3 looked up and held his spear out, "Another wall huh..get closer, I'll make us an entrance." he said, and Smg4 listened, stepping forward, letting Smg3 have fun stabbing the tentacles. Perhaps he was having too much fun.

After making an entrance, Smg4 slowly stepped through with Smg3, and both their faces lit up, as they saw the top half of Peach's castle somehow still intact. Smg4 ran over, carefully climbing up the rocks with Smg3, and both slipped inside the dark castle. They both looked around, nothing out of the ordinary other than fallen debris on the floor. Smg4 made his way to his room and slowly opened the door. The keyboard was unfortunately still there, but the two men ignored it, as the real deal was the pile of chips and soda Smg4 kept in his room. Smg4 continued to look around, "Hey! My bed's still here! At least we have a place to sleep right?" Smg4 said, and Smg3 blushed again, "W-We? I'm NOT sharing a bed with you! That's gay!" he protested, and Smg4 rolled his eyes. "You weren't complaining when you were laying on me so comfortably 3~" he teased, making Smg3 blush more. "Shut up! I was too tired to even realize!" Smg3 yelled, and Smg4 laughed while setting Smg3 in bed. "I'm just teasing you. You can take the bed since you're still too injured. I'm alright on the floor." Smg4 said as he walked over to his stash of food and grabbed two bags of chips and two sodas, walking back to Smg3. Smg3 took a bag then looked at Smg4 again, "I don't think we can survive on just chips and soda, but at least it's something." he said as he opened the bag and began eating. Smg4 continued to look around and grabbed a first aid kit from under his bed, "Knew this would come in handy.." he muttered to himself as he stood up again and looked at Smg3, "Okay, take off your shirt." he said, making Smg3 choke on his chips, "I'm just going to patch you up alright? Don't make it weird for yourself." Smg4 said, and Smg3's face kept heating up, "F-Fine. Make it quick.." he said as he carefully slipped the left strap of his overalls off and slowly freed his injured arm from his shirt. Smg4 tried not to stare, but he couldn't help it. Smg3 noticed and blushed more, and he cleared his throat, snapping Smg4 out of his intense stare. "Sorry-" he said as he began to carefully wrap up the wound on Smg3's arm. After his arm, Smg4 looked over at Smg3's head, wrapping bandages around his injury carefully. Last but not least, his leg. Smg4 looked at Smg3 again, "If you want, I can just roll up the pant leg." he said. Smg3 nodded, still blushing. "G-Go ahead" he stuttered, making Smg4 smile as he carefully rolled up Smg3's pant leg. After, he patched up his leg, and rolled the pant leg back down. Smg3 carefully fixed his outfit and laid down, "Thanks 4.." he said, as he continued to eat. Smg4 sat on the far edge of the bed and also began eating. 

After the two fueled up on food, Smg4 tucked Smg3 into bed, "Gonna read me a bedtime story too?" Smg3 teased, and Smg4 shook his head, smiling at his joke. "Get some sleep doofus." he said, and Smg3 obliged, closing his eyes and slowly drifted to sleep. Smg4 looked back and finally noticed the cursed keyboard on his desk. He sat on the floor and just stared at it. Awful memories kept flooding back to Smg4's mind, and the nightmare reoccurred to him again. He hugged his knees and began to feel extreme guilt. He felt awful for his friends on the surface. For ruining Mario's special day. For ignoring his friends' pleads just to focus on a stupid video. For being the reason their one and only home collapsed to the ground. For Smg3, as he's still bleeding out and suffering in pain. Smg4 wiped any tears forming and looked at Smg3 again, who was peacefully sleeping. "I'm so sorry 3.." he apologized again, as he laid on the floor. He wanted so desperately to lay beside Smg3 and hold him, but he didn't want to weird him out even more. So instead, he pathetically laid on the ground, stared at the ceiling, and eventually cried himself to sleep.