Death of Mario

The Showgrounds were unusually quiet for a Tuesday afternoon. SMG4 sat in his swivel chair, eyes glued to his monitor as he struggled with a particularly stubborn timeline in his latest video. Behind him, Luigi was tidying up some loose props, while Melony was curled up on the sofa, clutching her pillow and drifting in and out of a light nap. Bob and Fishy Boopkins were arguing in the corner about whether anime was better than rap music, and Tari was focused on a handheld game. It was a normal, chaotic day.

Then, the shrill ring of a video call shattered the peace.

SMG4 groaned, reaching for his phone. "If this is another scammer trying to sell me insurance for a tank I don't own anymore, I’m going to—"

He stopped mid-sentence. The caller ID displayed a pixelated icon of a mustache.

"It's Mario," SMG4 said, his voice softening. He hit the 'Accept' button and turned the screen so the others could see. "Hey, dummy! Where have you been? We were supposed to go to the spaghetti buffet an hour ago—"

The words died in his throat. The screen flickered to life, but it wasn't the usual sight of Mario covered in tomato sauce or stuck in a chimney.

Mario was lying in a sterile white bed. Tubes were snaking around his arms, and a thin oxygen mask was strapped to his face. His skin looked pale, almost grey, and his signature red hat sat crumpled on the bedside table. His eyes, usually wide and full of chaotic energy, were half-lidded and glazed.

"Oh... hey, guys," Mario rasped. His voice was a paper-thin whisper, lacking its usual boisterous bounce.

SMG4’s phone nearly slipped from his hand. "Mario? What... what is this? Is this a prank? Is there a hidden camera?"

Luigi pushed past SMG4, his face turning a ghostly shade of white. "Mario? Brother? Why are you in the hospital?"

Melony had sat bolt upright, her sleepy eyes widening in instant terror. She dropped her pillow, her hands trembling as she stared at the screen.

Mario gave a weak, shaky chuckle that ended in a wet cough. "Mario... doesn't think he’s gonna make it to the buffet, Luigi."

"Don't talk like that!" Luigi cried, his voice breaking. "You probably just ate a bad mushroom! Or a fire extinguisher! You do this all the time!"

Mario looked directly into the camera, a heavy sadness in his gaze that none of them had ever seen before. "The doctor said... the spaghetti in my heart... it finally stopped spinning. I’m dying, guys."

The silence that followed was deafening. It was as if the very air had been sucked out of the room. Bob stopped talking. Boopkins dropped his juice box. SMG4 felt a cold, hollow weight settle in his chest. This wasn't a skit. There was no punchline coming.

"No," Melony whispered, a single tear rolling down her cheek. "No, Mario, you can't."

SMG4 snapped out of his trance, his eyes burning. "Everyone, get in the van! Now! We’re going to the Mushroom Kingdom General Hospital!"

The journey was a blur of screeching tires and panicked silence. Nobody spoke. Luigi was buried in his hands, his sobs muffled by his green sleeves. Melony stared out the window, her grip on her Fierce Deity sword tightening until her knuckles turned white. SMG4 drove like a madman, his heart hammering against his ribs. He kept thinking of all the times he’d kicked Mario out of the room, all the times he’d yelled at him for being stupid. He would give anything to have Mario break his computer right now.

When they burst through the hospital doors, the smell of antiseptic hit them like a wall. A somber-faced Toad nurse pointed them toward the intensive care unit.

They entered the room quietly, the only sound being the rhythmic, agonizingly slow *beep... beep... beep...* of the heart monitor.

Mario turned his head slowly as they entered. He looked even smaller in person, swallowed by the vastness of the hospital bed. He managed a faint, flickering smile as he saw them.

"You guys came," he breathed.

Luigi and Melony didn't wait. They rushed to his side, collapsing to their knees by the bed. Luigi grabbed Mario’s hand, squeezing it as if he could pull the life back into his brother through sheer will.

"I’m here, Mario! I’m right here!" Luigi sobbed, his face a mask of grief. "Please, don't go. I can't do this without you. Who’s going to go on adventures with me? Who’s going to protect me from the ghosts?"

Melony leaned her head against the edge of the mattress, her shoulders shaking. "You promised we’d train more. You promised you’d show me the best secret pizza place."

The rest of the crew—Meggy, Saiko, Tari, Bob, and Boopkins—stood at the foot of the bed. Meggy pulled her beanie down over her eyes, trying to hide the tears streaming down her face. Saiko looked away, her jaw clenched, while Tari openly wept into Boopkins’ shoulder.

SMG4 walked up to the side of the bed, his hand shaking as he rested it on Mario’s shoulder. "Mario... I’m so sorry. For everything."

Mario shook his head slightly, the movement costing him visible effort. "Don't be... stupid, Glitchy. We had... a good run, didn't we?"

He looked around the room, his eyes lingering on each of them. "Thank you... for the adventures. For being... my friends. Even when Mario was... a big pain in the butt."

"You weren't a pain," Meggy sobbed, stepping forward. "You were the best teammate I ever had."

Mario’s breathing became shallower. The monitor’s beeps were growing further apart. He looked at Luigi and squeezed his hand one last time. "Take care of... the house, Luigi. Don't let... the ghosts win."

Then, his gaze shifted to Melony. The girl who had grown so much, who had seen so much loss already. She looked up at him, her green eyes shimmering with an unbearable pain.

"Mario..." she choked out. "Please... don't leave me... Father."

The room went still. The crew looked at Melony in stunned silence. They had always known Mario and Melony had a strange, protective bond—Mario had been there since she was just a melon, and he had looked after her in his own bumbling way after Axol passed. But hearing her call him that, with such raw, daughterly devotion, broke what little composure anyone had left.

Mario’s eyes widened for a fraction of a second, softening into a look of pure, paternal warmth. A shaky, pale hand rose from the sheets, trembling as it reached out. Melony leaned in, and he rested his palm against her cheek.

"My little melon," Mario whispered, his voice as light as a breeze. "I’m so... proud of you."

He looked at the whole group one last time, his smile peaceful. "It’s okay... I see... a giant plate of spaghetti... and it’s calling my name."

His hand slipped from Melony’s cheek, falling softly onto the bed.

The heart monitor let out a long, continuous tone.

"Mario?" Luigi whispered, his voice high and terrified. "Mario! Wake up! It’s time to go home!"

Melony let out a strangled cry, burying her face in the blankets. "Father! No! Come back!"

SMG4 slumped against the wall, sliding down until he hit the floor, burying his face in his knees as he began to sob. The room was filled with the sound of a family breaking apart. Meggy wailed, clutching her head, while Bob actually took off his hood, bowing his head in a rare moment of genuine, silent respect.

Outside the window, the sun began to set over the Mushroom Kingdom, casting long, golden shadows over the land Mario had spent his life saving, breaking, and loving.

The red hat remained on the nightstand, a silent testament to the hero who had finally found a buffet he didn't have to pay for.

In the quiet of the hospital room, amidst the tears and the heartbreak, Melony reached out and took the red hat, clutching it to her chest. She could still smell the faint scent of tomato sauce and woodsmoke.

"Goodbye, Papa," she whispered through her tears.

The world would keep turning, and the memes would keep flowing, but the heart of the show had finally found his peace.