Super Mario Brothers: Epidemic

(A/N: Fourth up today and last chapter overall. I hope you enjoyed. Again, it was my first time with a Mario zombie fiction. Third time with a 'zombie' fic plot overall. There's quite a twist at the end, though.)

Where's Rosa?

Citizens from far and wide cheered the miracle victory of the Pentameter. The survivors stood grinning together. Soon enough their comrades who had fallen joined them as well, grinning just as widely. "You did it! I knew you would!" Spike praised, enveloping his four nephews and his son in a large hug.

"Parakarry!" Wendy exclaimed in delight, seeing her newfound friend. She ran to him, hugging him tightly. He grinned, hugging her back.

"Ashley," Ludwig timidly greeted, blushing at her presence. Ashley smirked, holding Red's hand. Suddenly she hugged Ludwig tightly.

"See, Red, this is Ludwig, the one I told you about," she introduced.

"You better treat her right," Red said to Ludwig.

"It's not like we're dating," Ashley snorted.

"Heavens no. As if I could be bozhered," Ludwig agreed, folding his arms and turning his back on her. Of course this was followed by the two of them exchanging awkward and uncertain looks.

"Peach-Hime!" Mario exclaimed in Japanese. Of course Hime was the only Japanese he knew, seeing as it meant Princess, but still. Mario frowned. Honestly the only reason he'd bothered to learn Hime was because Prince Haru used to call Peach that. Peach had liked it and Mario had been furiously jealous. Mario raced to her and hugged her tightly, kissing her. "I'm so glad you're back!"

"Mario, you did it!" she cheered.

"Luigi!" Daisy exclaimed, racing into Luigi's arms. He cried out, getting knocked down by the sudden force of her body against his. He burst into laughter right after and held her tightly as they lay on the ground grinning like fools.

"Boss, boss, you saved us!" Mona cheered, running to Wario and throwing herself onto him, kissing his cheek.

"Bah!" Wario replied simply, shoving her back. She looked slightly hurt and pulled away. Before she could blink, though, she was suddenly in his arms. He was hugging her of his own free will, she excitedly realized. She grinned widely, relishing being in his embrace.

"Pauline!" Stanley exclaimed, taking the woman close to him. "H-How about that date?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" she cheered excitedly. The Kongs were all ooking and eeking joyously. Birdo and Yoshi were clapping and Toad and Toadette were cheering excitedly. E. Gadd was grinning from ear to ear. Polterpup and Wario's Hen, the Hen of which had hidden away when the mansion was invaded and the dog of which had vanished back to wherever it was he'd come from, excitedly rejoiced at the victory of their masters.

SMB

Meanwhile, King Boo and Petey Piranha watched from a distance, smirking. Bowser came up next to them. "You're not going down?" Petey asked him.

"I'm not a welcome sight there," Bowser replied. "Not my thing. Let my children relish in it."

"You pulled off quite the feat, getting all of your children through alive," King Boo remarked.

"And getting Kammy and Kamek back, finally. I was getting sick of bellowing orders to no one," Bowser replied, watching the two Magikoopas hovering protectively around the eight heirs.

"Is everyone there?" Petey questioned.

"Not everyone," Bowser replied.

"No?" Petey asked.

"There was a woman, a pirate. Captain Maple Syrup, I believe. This wasn't her thing either. She's probably robbing Wario as we speak," Bowser replied, smirking fondly at the thought of the free-spirited pirate queen. "She protected my children, you know."

"Why would she protect your children?" King Boo questioned.

"She owed me," Bowser vaguely replied, shrugging it off.

"Where's the Star Princess?" Petey wondered curiously.

"I assume at her Observatory," Bowser replied, shrugging.

"Then why are the lumas searching for her here?" Boo asked, pointing at the star children floating around. Bowser's eyes narrowed guardedly. Why were they looking? He paled. Was she dead? He knew that some civilians of this world hadn't survived period, after all. No, that couldn't be. Humph, it was none of his business anyway. Let Mario worry about saving princesses in distress.

SMB

"Rosalina's missing," Waluigi worriedly remarked to his cousins and uncle, as well as Peach, Mona, and Daisy.

"I know. I can't reach her," Peach concernedly said.

"Do you think…" Mona fearfully began.

"No! She's not dead. She can't be," Waluigi shot sharply.

"I can't reach her either," Daisy uncertainly declared.

"Mona, what about that device you whipped up, the tracker?" Wario asked.

Mona pulled it out and opened it wide. She paled, covering her mouth as dismay came to her eyes. "She-she doesn't register."

"What does that mean?" Spike demanded.

"It… It means she's dead," Mona numbly said.

"Tell me there's an 'or' to that statement," Mario begged, fear and pain and worry filling his eyes.

"She could be off radar, I suppose, but I don't see how. This covers everything," Mona confusedly replied, scanning the world.

"She's alive, she has to be!" Luigi insisted. Waluigi was silent as a grave, still as a statue, and his expression was blank. "She's alive…" he heard Luigi say once more, more to convince himself than anyone else.

Waluigi looked numbly up at the sky, eyes becoming ever so slightly distressed and worried. "Dove sei, mia rosa?" he questioned softly. Where are you, my rose?

SMB

Rosalina's eyes slowly flickered open and softly she groaned. Wh-where was she? The last thing she remembered was lying in the snow and a figure she couldn't make out coming towards her. She'd seen it was a man, by his form she was sure of that, but beyond this she'd seen nothing… Nothing but darkness. Slowly she sat up, wincing in pain. "Mama?" Luma softly asked.

She looked over at her Luma. "Where am I?" she asked him.

"I don't know," Luma replied uncertainly.

"Who brought me here?" she asked.

"A scary man, mama," Luma answered. "I was flying to find help and I reached a far off place, where he'd hidden away. I don't know why he was there. I said, 'Mama needs help! Help mama!' He looked at me funny. I couldn't see his face. He never stopped smiling. It was the biggest smile I've ever seen. It was scary, mama. He was scanning me with his magic, I felt him. He was very powerful. He said, 'She needs help, does she? Well then, take me to your mama.' So I flew away and he followed, I don't know how he kept up, but he was muttering something under his breath about it being unlikely that you were her, whoever 'her' was. Then he saw you and I felt such a change, mama. I can't describe it, it was so big. He said, 'At last I've found you,' and some other things. He was as tall if not taller than Luigi, but I don't know if that was his real height or if he was actually shorter or taller. He picked you up in his arms and floated away with you. I followed."

"At last I've found you…" she mused confusedly, brow furrowing in thought.

"Yes. He said he thought he never would," Luma confirmed, recalling a bit more.

"I sense something dark here," Rosalina grimly remarked.

"The infection is gone, mama. The Star Warriors saved us all! I can go back and find them and they can help you!" Luma exclaimed.

"Am I in danger?" Rosalina questioned.

"I don't know," Luma answered, but he didn't like this.

Good, because neither did she… But somehow she didn't think she was in peril… Nonetheless, better safe than sorry. "Luma, find Mario and the others. Go swiftly, my dear." Luma nodded and quickly zipped off.

SMB

Rosalina watched after the luma as he vanished into the distance. Having little else to do, she decided to explore. She was certainly no prisoner here, she'd deduced. The doors weren't locked, after all. She walked out cautiously, prepared for anything. What was this? Who had her savior been? She entered a large room and caught her breath. A Throne Room! And sitting upon the throne was a harlequin figure. Slowly he looked up on sensing her presence. His expression, in a tragic manifestation, suddenly flipped to an eerie yet childish smile. "Rosalina… to say your name again… It flows from my lips like honey running down a slope, and sweetens my palate. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Before I go any further I must know, I must… Do you remember me?"

She squinted curiously, gazing into the slits that were his eyes. An image came to her mind, then, of an all too familiar and ghostly memory from her past. She caught her breath, paling. Her eyes slowly widened in disbelief, her lips parting in horror, dismay, and so many other emotions that they couldn't hope to be named… And she breathed as she backed away, knees weakening, "No, no, it can't be! It can't…! It's you… Oh Star Spirits, it's you…" The unsettling smile still planted there, he rose from his throne and walked slowly towards her. Overwhelmed, she could hardly move. As he drew near, as his fingers brushed her cheek, she could take no more. She blacked out, collapsing into his arms weakly.

He looked down at her and picked her up bridal style. "I know, Ethereal Queen, I know how this must feel. But you're safe now, you're home," he said. Darkly he laughed, carrying her back to her room.