It started that fateful day. You Mario and SMG4 were visiting Axol when you all were attacked. As you all were running you came across a gigantic usb. It tried reaching out for Mario and honestly anyone it could grasp. Then your worst living nightmare occurred. As a last ditch effort it tried going for Axol for someone to intervene. You cry out in horror as you watched Tari be taken by the being reaching out for you.

You just miss her hand as the others hold you back albeit with great difficulty as you see her horrified expression disappear behind the door. You break free and start banging on the door hard enough to leave dents but before you could even start to pry it off she was spat unceremoniously back out into your arms. You make sure she's physically alright before embracing her in a hug.

Now before the gang was a corrupted version of the woman you loved with a glowing red eye with a 0 in it. You had beaten yourself up about this for too long and it was time to bring this entity who called themselves Zero down.

You channel your mental abilities and soon rival Zero in size in a replica of your body made of energy. The gang watch in shock and awe as you knock Zero into a dazed state before slipping into the mind.

You saw Tari bound up and you rushed over. She looks at you tired and worn down.

"Please, end my suffering Y/N. It's the only way..." she says. You choke back a sob as you growl in defiance.

"No. I know the Tari I know and love wouldn't be so easy to give up when there was support from her friends and her boyfriend." You say pulling on the things holding her in place. This made her get a familiar glint in her eye as she started resisting with you. You managed to get her regular arm out but had issues with her meta runner arm.

"Leave it! I can replace it when we get home." She said detaching it from herself and dragging you away. You were shocked but relieved and picked her up bridal style and rushed out of the failing form of Zero. The only thing that remained of her possession was some scars on her arm which you kissed and told her that these were her scars of victory. She chuckled sadly but smiled as she realized you were right.

Later on you realized that while she was freed from Zero, you however were haunted by the negative aspect of Zero, Niles, but kicked him out as soon as you realized no one else saw him. Though this did not change the fact you and the others had to deal with Niles trying to "fix" the world he was from. Though meeting the real Zero broke your heart knowing that he never wanted to hurt anyone but wanted his friend back.

"Hey Tari, the real SMG0 wanted to say he was sorry for hurting you, he never wanted to hurt anyone. He just wanted his friend back..." you say the apology Zero, or Alpha as you called him, had made you promise to tell her.

"I can understand that." She said resting her new meta runner arm on your cheek with a ring on her finger. "I had the feeling he wanted to help as early as the battle between you and Niles." She said kissing you. You kiss back then both turn to watch the sun set on a chapter in your lives.

"What next?" She asked.

"Whatever life wants to throw at us." You say holding her close.

—A/N—
Thanks to @inkling62

Until next

Time