Orange leaves fell from the branches while a cold chill swept through the Mushroom Kingdom countryside, it was late Autumn and the Winter was approaching. Squirrels raced into the bushes, gathering up the last acorns they could find before the snow set in. It was peaceful and nature was in balance, in harmony as it was meant to be.
In the land of the Mushroom Kingdom, the inhabitants were making the best of their time, going shopping while others relaxed at home with their families. Thanksgiving had come and the stores were selling turkey everywhere.
Young Senbo Mazushi was on his way home after a hangout with some friends, while it had been some time since the painful parting with his ex-flame Aibo, he wasn't completely miserable. He could still make friends and he could still see his family even after the despicable things he did to the SMG4 gang just to get to Saiko's precious guitar.
Senbo and the others hoped this Thanksgiving would be a relaxing time with no drama, Thanksgiving usually was. But, little did they know that this day had a big surprise in store.
Downtown, a pair of Toads were on their break from constructing an apartment and had sat down to dig into a nutritious turkey meal. Even on a day like Thanksgiving, they still had a job to do, but that wouldn't stop them from eating something very yummy.
"Mmm..." A worker said, "This turkey tastes delicious."
"Back to work when we're done." The foreman called.
"Yes, boss." The Toads nodded.
While the Toads ate, things began to happen. A shining blue portal took shape near a construction crane and lightning flashed briefly, causing a few lights to go off.
Then, a tall figure appeared, setting foot on this plane of reality.
Literally red-headed, fat and wearing a yellow cape, a red shirt, white gloves and black pants; Starved Eggman was back in town. But this Starved was much different, this wasn't the one from before, this being was from another dimension, another alternate universe.
Like I said before, anything is possible in the multiverse and there are different versions of people and, while the first Starved Eggman had met his end by Senbo's cattle prod, it would now seem that the universe had not heard the last of Starved Eggman.
As long as there are more worlds in the multiverse, your old enemies can keep coming back any time. And this Starved Eggman was on a feeding craze, traveling around and feasting on turkeys while maiming people in all the worlds he'd visited this Thanksgiving season.
His nose twitched, he could smell it, a delicious turkey. And he was going to eat it.
The madman emerged from behind the crane and approached the group of Toads, who had eaten half of the turkey they were having. He approached slowly, but as he came closer, the construction crew took notice of the new arrival.
"Nice turkey you're eating." Starved growled, "Can I have it?"
A Toad yelped in alarm. "N-No?" He squeaked.
Starved Eggman drew a knife and fork and then licked his lips hungrily. "Wrong answer!"
In minutes, the construction site was full of screams, knives cutting into flesh and munching as Starved Eggman feasted on the Toads and their delicious turkey.
On the other side of town, Senbo was sitting down at the table, he'd just returned home half-an-hour prior and was ready to eat a delicious turkey for dinner that was cooked by his mother. The Mazushi family was quite hungry and was excited for this dinner, but just then, the radio turned on.
"We interrupt your regularly scheduled program for a distressing news story." The announcer declared; "Construction on a new apartment was shut down today after a pair of construction Toads were attacked and cannibalized by what witnesses describe as a Starved Eggman, we repeat, the cannibalistic assailant is a Starved Eggman..."
Senbo screamed in horror, "STARVED EGGMAN, ALIVE?!"
The teen began to panic, he'd seen that monster die, he'd made it happen. Life wasn't like the movies; this wasn't a horror movie franchise where the bad guy just came back after his demise.
"Are you okay, son?" Senbo's father asked.
"NO, I'M NOT OKAY!" Senbo wailed, "I SAW STARVED EGGMAN DIE AND NOW HE'S BACK? I killed him the first time, how did he survive that, did I not do a good enough job with stabbing him? I swear, Starved Eggman is dead. Something strange is going on and I don't know what it is, I don't care, I THOUGHT I WAS DONE WITH THAT GUY!"
"...All citizens are advised to stay in their homes and do not panic." The radio announced, "The authorities will have the matter taken care of as soon as possible, this is not like The Purge where the criminals can do whatever they want. I repeat, stay in your home and do not panic, that includes those who are probably panicking right now."
Mrs. Mazushi turned off the radio. "Hear that, sweetie?" She asked, "The authorities will handle the matter and all we have to do is stay in our homes, just don't go outside and we'll be fine. He's probably not even gonna come within a radius of our street anyway."
"We'll protect you, son." Mr. Mazushi told the young teen, "Just relax, enjoy Thanksgiving."
Senbo smiled, he was fortunate to have loving parents. He was lucky his parents didn't ground him for life or resent him for what he'd done months ago, hopefully, they knew what they were doing.
Dinner was soon served and Mrs. Mazushi placed the turkey on the table, Senbo was excited, he couldn't wait to dig in and he'd almost forgotten all about Starved Eggman and the crisis going on outside.
And unbeknownst to him, a figure was watching from a distance, just outside the window, and getting ready to strike, his eye on the turkey...
Mrs. Mazushi served Mr. Mazushi some turkey and gave Senbo a large piece, the young man smiled and told his mother how much he loved her, which made Senbo's parents smile. While their son was notorious for some dirty stuff a while back, he was so loving and the fact he had a heart made them happy. As long as he did some good, that was all that mattered.
The mood didn't last long.
"Um, honey?" Mr. Mazushi asked, "Do you see that strange looking man outside?"
"What strange man?" Mrs. Mazushi asked, "Him?" She pointed to the window.
"Strange man?" Senbo asked.
His parents pointed.
The young teen's heart beat intensely, his mind telling him not to turn around, a feeling he'd experienced before. He slowly turned, looking out the window in the direction his parents were pointing...
Standing right outside, looking at Senbo and his family in their dining room, was a fat man with a big red head wearing a yellow cape, a red shirt and black pants with an eerie smile upon his face as he licked his lips in a hungry manner.
Terror washed over Senbo and horrible memories flooded his mind, the hill, seeing him, running from him, hiding in a barn while he ate a barn animal.
It didn't feel that long ago when he faced him. And after hearing the radio, after hoping it would be alright, Senbo was filled with shock and horror. A chill shot up his back and his shoulder ached, he felt a pain in his arm, a sting in his shoulder where a knife had grazed him during a battle. The wound had healed, but the scar still lingered, a narrow brush with death.
"No!" Senbo screamed, "NO!"
Tears filled his eyes, his knees shook as he stood, Senbo moved from the table towards the phone. Starved Eggman was smirking, he tapped on the window and licked his lips again.
"Dear?" Mrs. Senbo said, "Its ok, as long as he doesn't come in, we're safe."
Senbo's hand reached for the telephone, for the dial, his finger wavering over the closest number; nine.
'Call them, call them.' His mind wailed.
"Turkey!" Starved Eggman snarled viciously, his mouth watering. The maniac drew a knife and a fork, a sight that Senbo never forgot about. In the days after the fight in the town square, Senbo had been visited by nightmares. And now, seeing his old enemy again, the nightmare was back.
"I-I'm sure we c-c-can deal with this." Mr. Mazushi said nervously, "Let's just eat our dinner and pretend he doesn't exist."
"No." Senbo said, "I've seen what he can do, you don't know what he's capable of. He will do anything to get what he wants..."
BANG!
"TURKEY! STARVING!"
Starved Eggman banged on the window, banging on the glass door. How he'd gotten into the yard, it was beyond comprehension. But even then, he hit the window so hard, a crack appeared on the glass.
The tension grew, Senbo sweated nervously, even his parents were starting to get worried. Starved Eggman banged harder, the glass cracking even more.
His stomach gurgling, Senbo grabbed his plate of turkey, ate a piece and began to leave the room. Mr. Mazushi reached for the phone; Mrs. Mazushi fetched her kitchen knife. The banging intensified, Starved Eggman shouted even more, his eyes blazing.
SMASH! The madman was in the house, glass littered the floor. Starved made his way through the dining room, Mrs. Mazushi threw a knife at him, the blade striking him in the shoulder. Starved yelled and pulled out the knife, tossing it away as he advanced on Mrs. Mazushi, roaring like a vicious beast.
"HEY!"
Starved Eggman turned around, glaring at Mr. Mazushi, who held a fork in his hand. The Eggman laughed and kneed Mrs. Mazushi, who fell over with a gasp.
"Nobody hurts my wife!" Mr. Mazushi ran at the starving madman with the fork, but Starved Eggman pushed him aside, knocking him into the wall. Then he made his way through the house, going after Senbo and the turkey. By this point, Senbo had unlocked the door and was running through the front yard with the plate of turkey.
"Hey, what's going on?" The Mazushi family's neighbor asked, "What's that noise.
Senbo ignored him and ran, keeping an eye out for where he was going.
He didn't look back, even as his mind flashed back to when he first ran from Starved Eggman that very night. He would do what he could to survive and enjoy Thanksgiving. Sirens wailed somewhere not too far off; it was obvious that Starved Eggman's activities had gotten the attention of the police.
The teen gripped his plate of turkey, his heart beating and his mind racing. He ran through the suburbs, running into the town's streets. He stopped and looked around, looking for a safe place. A few people stared at him, wondering what was going on.
'C'mon, c'mon, c'mon.' Senbo thought.
With sweat beading his head and his armpits, Senbo felt a chill in his back and he wheeled around... FINDING STARVED EGGMAN RIGHT BEHIND HIM!
"It's that guy!" Someone cried, "WATCH OUT, KID!"
"Give me turkey..." Starved Eggman snarled.
"No." Senbo said, "Its mine, you're not having it."
Starved Eggman pulled out his knife, "Then I eat you too."
He stabbed at Senbo, the teen ducked his head and dodged sideways, trying not to let that nut get him. He ran, ran like the wind, even with Starved Eggman in pursuit. Police sirens wailed and police cars pulled up, a pair of Mario-looking policemen stepped out, guns drawn and ready.
"STAHP RIGHT THERE!" A policeman shouted.
Senbo didn't look, he ran and the sounds of vicious snarling filled his ears, followed by gunshots, someone screaming and the sound of flesh being ripped into. It was obvious, Starved Eggman was attacking the cops and feasting on them, the police were trying to stop him and keep things in order as best they could, but neither of them stood a chance.
Mario was walking along the sidewalk, humming the World 1-1 theme while eating some spaghetti as his Thanksgiving meal while SMG4 and most of the others cooked a yummy turkey back at the castle, the silly Italian plumber didn't seem to have a care in the world.
When he saw Senbo running in his direction with a plate of spaghetti, the plumber initially waved to the teen in a happy greeting. But then, as Senbo came closer, the fat Italian recognized who he was talking to and his face contorted with fury.
"Hey!" He cried, "You're that-a teen who made it look-a like we lost Tari just so you can take-a Saiko's guitar. Whatsa going on here, you wanna trade your turkey for my spaghetti?"
"STARVED!" Senbo screamed, "STARVED EGGMAN IS COMING! HE WANTS THE TURKEY FOR DINNER AND HE NOW WANTS TO EAT ME TOO!"
"Mama mia!" Mario exclaimed, "What are you talking about, ki... WHOA!"
Starved Eggman came rushing into view, his eyes set on Senbo with the turkey. The maniac screamed, "FOOD! TURKEY! FOOD!"
"DO SOMETHING!" Senbo screamed,
Mario chuckled. "No problem..." He said, "Mario's got it!"
Mario jumped in Starved Eggman's path and cranked up his middle finger, Star Lord style. "Hey, big monkey! Mario's not going to-a let you take that-a boy's turkey!" He called, "You're going to have to eat my Italian sausage, mamaf***er!"
Starved Eggman drew his knife and stabbed at Mario, who ducked, sidestepped and flipped to avoid the stabbing attacks. Starved roared with fury and threw a punch, trying to hit the fat plumber. Mario counterattacked, punching Starved Eggman in the gut and then kicked him in the oval eggs.
"Dinner will not be denied from me!" Starved roared with fury. He grabbed Mario by the throat, a move that the plumber failed to dodge, and began to shake him. Then, he stabbed him hard in the nuts.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Mario screamed, "MY PINGAS!"
Starved Eggman dropped Mario and continued his pursuit of Senbo, leaving Mario to toss and turn on the ground while screaming in pain. It would take a while for him to heal, the wound wasn't too serious.
Senbo ran like his life depended on it and held his turkey plate, checking every now and again to make sure it was still warm enough to eat while his tummy growled.
Panicked and fearing for everything, Senbo ran all the way to the one place where, hopefully, its occupant could help. As the saying went, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Hopefully, she had heard the news and would understand...
Saiko Bichitaru sat back at her house, playing the guitar and listening to classical music. A couple posters decorated the wall, showcasing various tours she'd gone on, including a poster that showed Saiko and her band in Inkopolis with the Squid Sisters and Off The Hook.
The pink-haired musician would never forget that trip, nor would she forget the battle with the giant turkey from earlier today...
BANG! BANG! BANG!
"LET ME IN! LET ME IN!"
Saiko put down her guitar, sighing in annoyance. She just wanted a peaceful Thanksgiving, or peaceful rest of Thanksgiving, and someone was screaming? What happened?
The anime girl guitarist went to the door and unlocked it. And just as she opened it, a black-haired kid came running in with a plate of turkey. The kid yelled a "thanks, Saiko" and then set the turkey down on the table, grabbed a knife and fork and began feasting on it just as Saiko closed the door. And when she saw his face, she gasped with shock.
"SENBO?" She yelled, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?"
The teen held up his hand, feasting on his turkey as if he was in some kind of frenzy. He ate some pieces, then he grabbed a glass of milk and washed it down. Then, he looked at Saiko nervously and she could see the fear in his eyes.
"Ok, I know you don't like me..." Senbo said, "But right now, that probably doesn't matter. Long story short, Starved Eggman came to town and paid us a visit, now he's out to get me and the turkey my mom cooked. This is serious, Saiko. YOU GOTTA HELP ME!"
Saiko was processing what she heard when Senbo ran up and hugged her, sobbing into her shoulder. "PLEASE!" He wailed, "I'M NOT TRYING TO CAUSE TROUBLE, DON'T LET HIM GET ME! I ALREADY DEALT WITH HIM ONCE BEFORE AND THIS GUY IS A MONSTER!"
For the first time in her life, Saiko felt sympathy for Senbo. Even after what he'd done to Tari and to Saiko herself, the anime girl knew that she couldn't just let something really bad happen to Senbo. He was a teen; he was a human being and he wasn't a monster.
"Y-You'll protect me, r-right?" Senbo whimpered.
"Senbo..." Saiko pat the young man on the head, "Its ok. I won't let Starved Eggman get to you, I'll make sure of that. Just... just eat your turkey."
"Thanks..." Senbo let go of Saiko and got back to his turkey. But just then, something smashed through the window and alarms began wailing.
"NO!" Senbo screamed
Saiko drew her hammer. Having just made his way into the house, a hungrier smile on his face, Starved Eggman glared at Senbo, his turkey and at Saiko, the anime girl preparing herself for a potentially upcoming fight that she knew was coming. Starved Eggman's eyes gleamed evilly, gleaming with hungry malice, as he faced Saiko... and Senbo.
"It's Thanksgiving..." Starved Eggman growled, "And I... am... starving. Let me have the turkey and I'll let you go, let me have the boy while we're at it. I ate several cops and I stabbed a plumber in his egg sack. Oh ho, this day is yummy."
"Senbo, run!" Saiko ordered.
"Let's kick that bastard's ass!" Senbo said, his voice quivering.
"Mmmmmm..." Starved Eggman purred evilly, "I'm gonna eat your ass, boy."
Saiko rushed at Starved Eggman, yelling fiercely, and swung her hammer at him. Starved dodged the first strike and ducked when Saiko's hammer came at him again, he ducked, dove and dodged as the anime girl aimed for his ugly red face, aiming to make him suffer.
The starving lunatic grabbed his knife and whistled mockingly at Saiko, then he sliced at her, aiming for her neck. Saiko blocked the strike with her hammer and ducked when Starved Eggman sliced at her again, Matrix style. Saiko kicked him in the gut, taking him off balance, then she smacked Starved Eggman's foot with her hammer and punched him in the face.
He growled and bared his teeth, drooling like an animal. Saiko cringed, but then she brought down her hammer, smacking him in the belly. Senbo watched from the table, eating his turkey, then he picked up his plate and moved to another room, not wanting to be in the way.
Starved Eggman licked his lips again and gave Saiko a hungry look that made the guitarist feel disturbed, he was like some kind of predator wanting to harass her, to take advantage of her in an unpleasant way, and Saiko was not going to have it.
She bonked Starved Eggman on the head, leaving him dazed, just long enough for her to grab her phone and dial an important number. She made the call, making sure that the right people were listening, then she hung up... just as Starved Eggman pounced. His teeth sank into Saiko's shoulder, causing the anime girl to scream.
From the other room, Senbo heard Saiko, his heart filling with dread. His former idol was in trouble, it sounded like she was. The memory surfaced again; his mind flashing back to the battle in the town square with Starved, when he faced him bravely and came out alive.
He had to be brave again, he'd done it before, he was not going to let that stupid starving lunatic get him or his family. He hoped his parents were alive, he didn't eat them, did he?
Senbo looked around the room, trying to find anything he could use as a weapon. Then, his eyes settled on a guitar just next to him.
Back in the living room, Saiko and Starved Eggman were wailing on each other with the former hitting him hard, Starved looked bruised in the cheeks, just as blood was staining his shoulder. Desperately, he reached for Saiko, grabbing her by the shoulder near the neck and stopping her in mid-attack.
Saiko gasped, the hammer fell from her hands and she struggled to break free while Starved looked at her with a cold menacing grin.
"You are tasty." Starved growled.
He drew his knife and raised it to Saiko's face, ready to feast on her...
"HEY!"
Senbo stood in the room, holding a guitar in hand. He glared at Starved Eggman and Saiko gasped, having not expected to her ex-fan take up one of her guitars as a weapon. Starved Eggman dropped Saiko, who fell to her knees, gasping for breath.
"You picked the wrong town, pal!" Senbo said confidently.
"Food, you will make a great meal." Starved Eggman licked his lips and advanced towards the confident and battle-ready Senbo.
"S-Senbo?" Saiko asked.
"You need a diet, pal..." Senbo told Starved Eggman, "...starting now with music practice!"
He raised the guitar and swung it at Starved Eggman, swinging it hard. The back end of the musical instrument made contact with the maniac's head, the guitar let off several notes from its strings while Starved Eggman grunted and stumbled backwards. Senbo grinned, "Welcome to music class, fat man. Today's teacher, Senbo Mazushi! HIYAH!"
The teen bashed Starved Eggman over the head again and a couple strings fell off the guitar. Saiko watched, almost amazed. Senbo swung the guitar, hitting his nemesis very hard. Then he raised the musical instrument over his head and brought it down, hitting the lunatic in the foot hard enough to break some toes.
"OOOOOWWWWWW, BAD FOOD!" Starved Eggman screamed.
"You're the bad apple, pal." Senbo said, "You asked for it, now you're gonna get it."
"Let's kick his ass!" Saiko whooped.
Senbo smacked Starved Eggman over the head again with the guitar and Saiko reobtained her hammer, joining in the fun. The anime girl smacked the Eggman hard, smacking him in the face just as Senbo banged him over the head. At this point, Starved was done, rubbing his head with a dazed groan just as sirens were head from outside.
The door burst open and Meggy Spletzer entered the house, fully dressed in her police uniform with a service pistol in hand.
"Guess you already got that taken care of." Meggy said, "I must have missed the fun."
Senbo dropped the battered guitar. "Right on time, Officer Spletzer." He said, "We were just wrapping up music class."
"Bad prey!" Starved Eggman, "I will eat you!"
"Hold the thought..." Senbo approached Meggy, "Gonna have to borrow your gun, ma'am."
"Uh, Senbo, I don't know if that's..." Meggy said hesitantly.
"GIVE ME THAT FIRE ARM!" Senbo yelled urgently.
He grabbed the pistol from Meggy's hand, even as she and Saiko protested. Senbo raised the gun, pointing it at Starved Eggman's head.
"Happy Thanksgiving, fucker!" Senbo declared.
BLAM!
Silence filled the room. No screams of hunger, no movement. It was all over, Starved Eggman was once again defeated. The red-faced maniac lay there, a bullet hole in his heart, his life signs absent.
Senbo gave Meggy back her pistol and looked down at the corpse of the monster that could have taken his life. Last time, he was alone when he took that guy down. This time, he had considerable help.
The police took away the body with Hal Monitor declaring the final confirmation of Starved Eggman's death, the corpse would be burned and nothing would remain. Senbo shared a brief hug with Saiko, relieved that the whole thing was over.
"You going to be okay, kid?" Saiko asked.
Feeling a bit mixed, the teen nodded. "Yeah, I... I will." He said, "Thanks for the help, Saiko."
"Take care, kid." Meggy said.
Senbo finished his turkey and headed home where his parents were waiting, where Mr. and Mrs. Mazushi were filled with relief to see their son alive and well. He told them of what happened, he told them that Starved Eggman was gone and that there was nothing to worry about. It was over, Senbo had survived once again and without a scratch.
His parents hugged him, comforted him, prayed that no harm would ever come to him. That night, Senbo lay in bed, thinking of the ordeal. He knew he would have some trauma, but for the time being, he was free to live his life to the fullest without harm, and all was well in the world once again.
The End