SMG4: The Power Crystal (Episode)

Chapter 2 - Mario Wants His Spaghetti!

   "Mario, come back!" SMG4 was running close behind his fat Italian friend. "Where do you think you're going?!"
  Mario whirled his head back. "Mario told you!" He snapped. "He's looking for something to eat! He's hungry!"
   "Can't..." His words came out in pants. "Can't we wait until tomorrow?!"
   "No! Mario's hungry now!"
   "Mario, we're going to get lost! Lets just go back!"
  Ignoring his friend's order, Mario pushed himself to run faster. God, for a man who eats spaghetti daily, he's really quick!
  Suddenly, SMG4 heard footsteps behind him. When he turned to see who was following him, it was Saiko. Right at his feet.
   "Need any help?" She was now running beside him.
  SMG4 let out a sigh. "Oh thank god. Yeah. Mario won't stop running! No matter what I tell him."
   "That's Mario for ya," Saiko had her eyes glued forward. "I'll catch him."
  Taking that as a cue to slow down, he did. He stopped in his tracks to watch Saiko effortlessly catch up to the fat Italian.
   "Mario stop!" She shouted, catching Mario's attention.
  When he realized that Saiko was next to him, he scowled. "NO!" He pouted and turned away. "Leave Mario alone!"
   "You're going to get us lost, dip shit!" Saiko hollered.
   "MARIO JUST WANTS FOOD, OKAY?!" Shaking his head, he zoned Saiko out and continued to run.
   "Get over here!" Kneeling forwards, Saiko sprinted and pounced on top of Mario, successfully pinning him down.
  Mario let out a startled squeak and squirmed and struggled under Saiko's weight. "LET GO OF MARIO!"
  It was good timing, because everybody was running towards the two from a distance. "You got him!"
  Approaching Saiko and the infuriated Mario, the group huddled together and loomed above him.
  Meggy was the first to scold him. "What was that all about, Mario!?"
  Mario lifted his head, his eyes glistening with sadness. "Mario was just hungry..."
   "Dude, you could've gotten us all lost!" SMG4 chided furiously, stepping in. "Or worse!"
   "Saiko, let him go." Meggy ordered sternly.
  Saiko narrowed her eyes, but did what she said.
   "Don't try to run from us again, you hear?"
  Mario's lip quivered but he was too horrified to reply.
   "Meggy... maybe try not being so hard on him..." Tari slowly approached her friend and placed her robotic arm on her shoulder.
  Meggy's eyes widened slightly. "But he—"
   "Mario's just stressed, that's all," Luigi added. "I know my brother more than anyone."
  Meggy stared back down at Mario, a bit of pity sparkling in her eyes. Mario was shaking and whimpering in front of her. "Sorry, Red... I just got so heated in the moment, I didn't realize..."
   "MARIO WON'T DO IT AGAIN! HE PROMISES!"
  A pang of guilt pierced Meggy through the heart like a sharp pike. She wanted to say something, but she couldn't even form the words.
  But luckily she didn't have to, because Saiko's voice cut her off. "Uh... guys? You might want to take a look at this..."
  Curious, everybody turned to look at Saiko and what she was referring to.
  Approaching a tall bush, everybody realized that Saiko's voice was coming from the other side of it.
  Pushing it away, everybody's eyes were suddenly met with the mouth of a medium-sized cavern.
  Everybody's eyes sparkled with shock and awe the moment they laid eyes on it.
  Inside, their was a bright purple glow that shone down onto the grass and boulder structure around it, which only piqued everybody's curiosity more.
   "Wow... it's so pretty..." Meggy exclaimed in a whisper.
  Everybody agreed with nods and exchanges of conversation.
   "Pretty? It's only the outside!" SMG3 snapped. "It's just a bunch of rocks piled on top of each other! How is that pretty?"
   "Um, do you not see the purple glow coming from the inside?!" Saiko sneered.
  SMG3 snorted. "I've seen better. It's honestly pathetic by how you all are so fascinated by a purple glow. What are you all? Infants?!"
   "We should go see what's inside!" Boopkins exclaimed, ignoring SMG3's insult.
   "Yay!" Melony exclaimed beside him.
   "I wanna see if it has money. No; Bitches!" Bob threw his arms in the air.
  Everybody cheered and ran towards the cave instantly.
  As everybody was about to run inside, SMG4 suddenly slid in front of them. "Everybody stop!"
  Everybody immediately halted.
   "SMG4, what's wrong?" Meggy asked, curious.
   "Yeah! Why did you stop us!" Bob snapped. "I was going to get all of the women!"
  SMG4's expression became serious. "Guys... I don't think you realize how dangerous this cave is..."
   "Dangerous?" Saiko echoed.
   "D-dangerous?!" Tari and Luigi instantly hugged each other when they heard this.
  Meggy's eyes widened. "Dangerous? How is it dangerous?"
  SMG4 hung his head. "I've heard of this place before... inside lays a very sacred and powerful crystal that is said to hold a lot of power. Power that we shouldn't interfere with!" SMG4's voice lowered into a strict tone.
  The word 'Power' echoed deep within SMG3's mind. He found himself daydreaming of what he could do if he managed to get his hands on the powerful jewel.
  Instantly, he found himself smiling.
   "Power you say?" He cocked a grin. "Count me in!"
   "No Three," Meggy snapped. "If SMG4 says it's dangerous, then it's something we shouldn't get involved in!"
  SMG3's smile turned back into a grumpy frown. "Oh come on! What's the worst that could happen? It's just a shiny rock! You don't seriously believe anything that this idiot has to say, do ya?" SMG3 slid next to his friend and pinched his cheeks playfully.
   "Get off!" SMG4 snapped.
   "SMG4 has never lied about serious stuff like this," Meggy argued. "So why shouldn't we believe him?"
   "Because he's dumb and boring!" SMG3 let out a long groan. "He's literally no fun at all! He's such a buzzkill!"
   "Because he's trying to keep us safe!" It was Saiko who spoke up, approaching SMG3 and looming above him. "Something that you have no common sense in!"
   "Go pick on somebody your own size!" SMG3 lashed out. "I don't need your tall ass all up in my business."
   "Everybody stop fighting," SMG4 ordered. "Lets all just find a place to rest for the night and figure out what we're going to do tomorrow."
   "No! I want to see what's inside of that cave!" SMG3 whined.
   "Dude, what is up with you? You're sounding just like Mario!" SMG4 narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
   "I just want to see the crystal!" He snapped. "And I am nothing like Mario!"
SMG4 furrowed his eyebrows. "...What are you up to, Three?"
   "Nothing!" He snapped. "Is a man not allowed to be curious?"
 
"Um... guys... where's Mario?!"

Everybody froze.
  They had just realized that Mario wasn't with them.
   "MARIO?!" SMG4, realizing the gravity of the sudden situation, shouted his name. "MARIO WHERE'D YOU GO?! MAR—"
   "SPAGHETTIIII!!"
  Instantly, SMG4 and the others heard Mario's voice. Turning towards it, they saw that he was running right inside of the cave.
  SMG4's eyes were as wide as saucers. "MARIO NO!"
  Meggy was just as horrified. "MARIO COME BACK HERE!"
  SMG3 was nothing but a smiling face. "HA! Now we HAVE to go in, SMG4!"
  Groaning by what he was possibly about to face, he turned to face the others. "Come on guys! We need to go and get Mario out!"
 
Nodding, everybody turned and dashed inside of the cave.