[Mari]

(( Coolshaymin Tagging for convenience ))

Princess Peach exited her castle, a humble star themed lantern at her side to light her way as it was already well into dusk. Rosalina had asked her if they could meet up after their party and Peach wasn't one to decline an invitation, especially from someone she felt so passionately about. The princess meandered her way about the perimeter of her castle's front side, anxiously watching the area around her. She didn't much like being alone outside the castle, especially at night. One never knew what sort of starvia crazed monster might be lurking about. Luckily, everything seemed quiet at the moment. Or, well... Almost everything.

"Are you worried about meeting her..?" Perry asked, trying to read Peach.

Peach hesitated a moment to consider the question. "Oh no. I'll feel much better once we're together." she replied with a nod of approval for her own words. Perry snickered. "Is it because you liiike her?" he asked, attempting to tease the princess. Yet, Peach was decidedly oblivious to this. "Of course I like her..! Don't you?" she asked. Who wouldn't like Rosalina? This time, it was Perry's turn to hesitate, considering his response. "...Yeah. She's really pretty and nice. Just like you!" he remarked light-heartedly. Peach nodded in agreement. "But do you like like her..? Like, love her~?" Perry went on after a moment, resuming his attempts at teasing. Once again, however, it didn't play out as expected. "Yeah..? I love everyone, Perry!" Peach replied, smiling light-heartedly at the parasol. "...Even Bowser?" Perry asked rather skeptically, puzzling over the workings of Princess Peach's mind. The princess shifted her eyes, unimpressed with the thought. "...Some more than others." she remarked in response. She despised a lot of things about Bowser, but there was still love to be found in her heart of pink gold. Not missing a beat, Perry quickly chimed in with a new question. "How much do you love Rosalina~?" he asked in a teasing tone.

Finally, Peach seemed to realize what Perry was trying to suggest. Her cheeks turned a nice shade of pink and she pursed her lips for a moment. It almost seemed like she wouldn't dignify the question with a response, but then... "Very, very much." Peach replied, but declined to humor the teasing any further than that.

[Coolshaymin]

Rosalina waited for Peach on the hill with the tree outside Peach's Castle as she looked down. She already sent her Blue Luma back to the Comet Observatory since he already seen her today and was tired. Rosalina took a bit of time to tell him a story before promptly coming back to look at the reason she came by Peach's Planet every hundred years. She figured it was time to tell Peach the reason the Star Festival happens every hundred years and why she was in her galaxy at that time.

Rosalina was mostly silent as she reflected on the fight that took place earlier... as well as Princess Peach. She never really had much time to get to know Peach during the sports and racing events or when Peach was kidnapped and brought into the galaxies. It would seem she was Mario's Special One for a very good reason though. She was sweet, innocent, emotional, but also smart, wise and powerful. Rosalina would never expected the powerful trait but it definitely seemed there. Rosalina might of not been much better off than Peach was if she was not there.

Rosalina looked up as she heard talking and noticed a light. She looked in the direction of the sounds and noticed it was the person she was waiting for. Among the traits she thought about, Peach also seemed to have another power. A very special and rare power. It seems like her attitude allows her to touch others in a very special way. It somehow made Rosalina very happy to see Peach accept her invitation. She did not see this often, but that may attribute to the fact she is mostly only with her Lumas. Still, there is no doubt there is something special about it.

Rosalina opened her eyes despite not making out much of what Peach and Perry were talking about and gave a wave and warm smile as they approached. "Thank you for coming, Princess Peach. I want to apologize for the trouble setting up a party for me caused you," Rosalina introduced with a bow.

[Mari]

Princess Peach quickly recomposed herself as Rosalina's presence became known, her eyes lighting up in the glow of her modest little lantern as her gaze rose to meet Rosalina's. Y'know, she was so used to being the tallest person around. At roughly 6'01'' (or 185 cm) Peach was tall by anyone's standards and, with the exception of Bowser, she didn't often meet anyone, especially another woman, she could actually look up to. It was not an unwelcome sensation, for she couldn't help but admire Rosalina's stature. Perhaps if she were a bit taller, she wouldn't be so afraid all of the time. Peach quietly imagined towering over Bowser for a moment. ...Now there was an amusing thought. She had to restrain the urge to giggle.

An inviting smile graced Peach's face and she gently twirled Perry so that he would be able to look upon Rosalina, performing a curtsey for the other in response to her bow. "It was my pleasure, Rosalina." Peach replied mid-curtsey. "I believe they would have found a way to ambush me sooner or later." Peach began in a helpless tone. "...and I don't think I would have rather had anyone else at my side when it happened." Peach went on to reassure Rosalina. Perry for one seemed surprised at the statement. "Even Mario?" Perry asked, rather incredulously. Peach glanced up at the parasol, pouting at no one in particular. "...I think Mario could use a rest." Peach replied rather lamely. She was always in good hands while Mario was around, but she couldn't help but feel guilty seeing how much of a toll it could take on the plumber.


Peach hesitated a moment, pondering the battle on Li, before pushing the thought to the back of her mind. Now was not the time or place for that. "What is it you wanted to show me, Rosa..?" Peach finally asked, curiosity crossing her features.

[Coolshaymin]

Rosalina was as surprised as Perry that Peach would consider Rosalina being there better than Mario. As Mario's Special One, she assumed he would always have higher priority... But perhaps the feeling of being too much of a burden on Mario might explain that. Maybe Mario does deserve a break after all that he has gone through for her in the past. But still, of all her friends, Luigi and Daisy seemed to be odd not to be considered. She figured they had strong bonds as well so that was more perplexing.

Rosalina was snapped out of her thoughts as Peach reminded her why she asked her to come to this tree. Rosalina turned around at the question and looked down at the tree. "This tree is actually what I wanted to show you... But as you might of guessed... there is more to it than being a simple tree," Rosalina said before looking up at the stars. The stars she traveled through in search of her mom all those centuries ago. "... I think it is best explained in a story..."



"It is a bit of a lengthy story so I hope you don't mind..." Rosalina said before beginning. "Our story begins a very, very long time ago with a young girl. One day, this girl spotted a rusted spaceship holding a small star child."

"'What's your name? Are you lost?' the girl asked the star child. 'I'm Luma, and I'm waiting for Mama. She's coming for me on a comet!' said the star child, who had been waiting day and night."

"'Don't worry. I'll wait with you,' the little girl promised Luma."

"At nightfall, the little girl borrowed her father's telescope and peered into the sky. She looked and looked, but she saw nothing. Hours turned into days and then years, but still the sky revealed nothing. Finally, the little girl sighed and said to Luma, 'If we stay here looking much longer, I'll be an old lady soon.' But then she had an idea. 'Why don't we go out there and find your mother ourselves?'"

"The girl and Luma fixed up the rusty spaceship, and then the two set sail into the starry sky. And this is how the search for the celestial mother began," Rosalina said before taking a pause as she finished that chapter. Telling it like how she told all her Lumas. Before she went on to the next chapter, she decided to let Peach have her input. "Anything you would like to say before I continue the story?"

[Mari]

Princess Peach glanced towards the tree, watching it speculatively for a moment. It did look like a normal tree, but... It kind of wasn't, in a way! It was now Rosalina's tree, something special to her, in the way Perry and Paula weren't just Peach's friends. She returned her gaze to Rosalina's with understanding in her eyes. "Not at all~" she quickly replied when Rosalina asked if she minded a long story. Unlike some people, listening to others talk was kind of Peach's thing. She was always helping the citizens of her kingdom with their problems, and to do that she had to listen to them all first. Listening to Rosalina would be easy in comparison.

Peach listened intently as Rosalina told her story, nodding occasionally as if in approval. She was beginning to put things together in her head though she was less than eager to make assumptions. When Peach was finally prompted to speak her mind, she had but one thought to express thus far. "The girl in this story sounds really nice. I hope she and Luma found their mama." Peach replied, smiling encouragingly at Rosalina to let her know she was done speaking and the other could go on. As much as she was interested in the story and did have questions, she figured waiting to see where it all went was better than interrupting the story to ask a bunch of questions.

[Coolshaymin]

Rosalina gave a sigh at Peach's comment when she said she hoped the girl found their mom. The sigh was mostly involuntary and more formed from the sad part of the story. However, she will not spoil it until Peach heard that part for herself. "I hope they do too. But not all journeys can go without something essentials source... Unfortunately our heroine did not take that into much consideration. However, it did lead to interesting discoveries," Rosalina stated as a way to introduce the next chapter, Star Bits.

"Days passed with no sight of the comet, or even a single planet. Instead, asteroids extended for as far as the eye could see. 'If I had known it was going to take this long, I would have packed more jam,' said the little girl, above the rumble of her belly."

"Before they left, she had packed all the essentials: telescope, butterfly net, stuffed bunny, bread, milk, jam, and apricot-flavored tea, but..."

"'I forgot to bring water!' At this, Luma burst into gales of laughter, and the girl began to pout. 'As long as I have Star Bits, I'll be fine," said Luma. 'Want some?' The little girl couldn't stay mad after hearing this."

"Luma continued to laugh, and the girl couldn't help but join in. 'All right, maybe just a nibble.'"

"Leaning far out of the ship, the pair began to collect Star Bits with the girl's net. They almost fell out a few times, but they kept on collecting. The Star Bits tasted like honey. "

Rosalina paused again as that chapter was brought to a close. Rosalina turned around to Peach and waved her wand to make a handful of starbits appear in her hand. She picked one up and ate it before offering some to Peach. "They really do taste like honey. Want to try some before I continue?"

[Mari]

Princess Peach pondered Rosalina's words. The idea that this poor girl might starve or dehydrate out in space seemed to worry her, but she was quickly relieved when the idea of star bits was explained to her. All of this reinforced an idea she'd had since the beginning of the story. From Rosalina's wistful sigh to her star bits, her theories were already taking form. Once again she kept them to herself out of politeness, though. She seemed eager at the offer to try the star bits herself. Honey sounded good, and she certainly wasn't the pickiest eater in the world. ...AhahahaHAHAHAHA

"All right~" Peach replied, giving Rosalina a knowing look. She had made a point to repeat the words of the girl in the story, if not just to humor the other. In truth, she was more than a little eager. Peach would take a couple of the star bits, daintily popping one of them into her mouth. She savored the taste, her eyes widening as her tastebuds were greeted with a familiar yet distinct sweetness. It reminded her of sugar, but with a more pleasant consistency than actual raw sugar. The comparison to honey was apt, and she found herself smiling brightly as she swallowed the starbit. "Oh, Rosalina! That's wonderful, actually~" Peach remarked, quickly taking a moment to eat the other starbit. Judging by her eagerness, she may have found a new favorite food. "I bet we could make an incredible cake using star bits, sometime." Peach went on to offer, though she would quickly fold her hands before her after she finished. "...Did the girl and her luma ever find their comet?" Peach wound up asking after a moment, a note of concern in her voice.

[Coolshaymin]

Rosalina smiled as Peach seemed to really enjoy the starbits as she had. The suggestion of baking a cake with star bits reminded her of something too but that can wait. That is a much later part of the story after all. "Glad you like them," Rosalina said before considering how to answer Peach's question. "They did and a few other discoveries. However, what you discover can often be much different from what you expect. That brings us to our next part of the story," Rosalina said to begin Chapter 3, The Comet.

"A beam of light pierced through the ship's window. Thinking it was the morning sun, the girl peered through the window, only to find a turquoise blue comet shimmering at her. The little girl shook the sleeping Luma awake and shouted excitedly, 'We HAVE to get to that comet!'"

"The pair descended on the comet and found that it was made of ice. They looked high and low, but Luma's mother was nowhere to be found. Exhausted, the little girl sat down with a flop, utterly unable to take another step. 'Look!'"

"Peering down at the icy ground where Luma was pointing, the girl suddenly noticed clusters of Star Bits encased in the ice. 'Pretty good, huh? Finding Star Bits is my specialty!' said Luma, beaming. 'There's ice here, but it's so warm, I'll bet there's water here too.' The two decided to stay on the comet for a while. Riding the turquoise comet, the pair continued their search for Luma's mother."

Rosalina paused as she finished that chapter. She was not used to telling the story without much break. Before she began the next chapter though, she had a question for Peach. "You know, on journeys there comes period of rest. In those rest people have dreams. These dreams often vary based on the current mind of the person and long travel can affect those dreams immensely. What do you dream of recently, Princess Peach?" Rosalina asked.

[Mari]

Princess Peach continued listening carefully. One could see the disappointment on her face when it was revealed that the comet did not in fact house Luma's mother. She seemed invested in the story. Whether it was because she was easily entertained or because Rosalina was the one telling the story was unclear. Peach remained silent until she was asked a question but, this time, she was rather surprised by what Rosalina had asked her. Her dreams? Peach's smile vanished and a troubled look came over her. She seemed to ponder the question for a moment, as if unsure how to answer it. Peach's eyes seemed to lose focus, the woman gazing vacantly down at the ground for a moment before her eyes finally closed.

Peach had just begun daydreaming.

Peach was in front of her castle, before the starvia and the universal compression had messed everything up. Mario was there too. He greeted the princess cheerily. It was a beautiful day outside. Birds were singing, flowers were blooming... But something wasn't right. Something seemed to startle Mario. The plumber's expression grew serious and he quickly ran off to confront whatever it was he had noticed. The world swam, and in but a moment Peach's daydream had changed locales. ...She was now in Toad Town, once again before the cataclysm. Her citizens were wandering about, tending to their daily lives. They all looked content, and Peach found herself relaxing. Everything was as it should be. ...The world swam again and, this time, Peach was standing in the same location, looking at Toad Town after the cataclysm. The princess began to panic. Nothing about this was right. She had to stop this, but it was too late. What did she do? ...Wake up.

Peach seemed to snap back to attention with a start. A small gasp escaped her delicately painted lips and she quickly raised a hand to her chest as if to still her heart. It had only been perhaps a dozen seconds of daydreaming, but to Peach it had felt like several minutes. "...Sorry. I've found it difficult to get much sleep since I arrived." Peach explained as she hurriedly regained her composure. In truth, she had been plagued by nightmares for some time now. In days like these, someone like Peach couldn't help but worry constantly whenever she was left with nothing but her thoughts. The young woman's heart was simply too big to rest easy while her people were endangered--while her loved ones were endangered.

"...I dream of an end to all this conflict. Peach began to explain softly, declining to bring up her distressing nightmares. She didn't want to worry the other. "I dream of a day where my kingdom is safe to live in again, where children like Paula don't have to fight, and..." Peach continued, trailing off for a moment as a slightly embarassing thought occured to her. "I dream about you too." Peach would finish, smiling awkwardly at Rosalina.

[Coolshaymin]

Rosalina watched as Peach frowned from the question she proposed to the princess. It seemed to be a rather hard question for her to answer Rosalina. She then lost focus and seemed out of it for a while. Fortunately it was a short while as she snapped back to attention in less than a minute. She then apologized after stating she did not have much sleep.

Rosalina smiled at Peach's rather expected but well thought out dream... Well, that was before she surprised Rosalina with the statement of dreaming about her. Rosalina's face let off the rare full show of emotion as Peach stated this until she got her mind together. Is it really that odd for Peach to be dreaming about her? What exactly was she dreaming about that involved her? Surely it is something innocent and sweet considering it is Peach...

Rosalina decided it may be best to not ask any of these good questions. She did not wish to push anything out of Peach as that would be rude. Instead she would focus on continuing the story. "Yes, dreams usually house important meanings. They tell us things we may not even be fully aware of. Our heroine had a very specific dream I will speak of. It is a dream that changed her in more ways than she could of expected," Rosalina stated to introduce Chapter 4: The Dream.

"One night, the girl dreamed about her own mother. 'Where are you going?' she asked her mother's retreating back. Without turning, her mother replied, 'Don't fret, dearest. I'm not going anywhere. I'm always watching over you, like the sun in the day and the moon in the night.'"

"A wave of sadness washed over the girl. 'What about when it rains, and I can't see the sun or the moon?' Her mother thought for a moment before responding."

"'I will turn into a star in the clouds and wait for your tears to dry.'"

"When she awoke, the girl's face was damp with tears. 'You have Star Bits in your eyes!' said Luma to the girl. Wiping her face, the girl replied, 'These are tears, not Star Bits. I'm crying because I'll never see my mother ever again!' At this, Luma began to cry too. 'Mama, oh, Mama... waaaah!'"

"The pair traveled through the starry skies, and though they encountered many other comets, not one of them held Luma's mother. Luma was despondent. 'Now, now, Luma. The rain clouds won't go away if you keep crying,' the girl said, giving Luma a squeeze. 'I'll give you a present if you stop.' The girl closed her eyes and said gently, 'I'll take care of you.' With these words, she felt a small spark in her heart. "

Rosalina finished that chapter with another pause. The story was nearly halfway done now and a major part of the story opened up. A turning point for the girl to start treating the Luma like her own child. "Any thoughts before we continue?" Rosalina asked.

[Mari]

Princess Peach continued to calm down, returning her mind to reality until her worries were back to stewing at the back of her mind. A pleasant smile adorned her face as she listened in on the story. Hearing the girl lose her mother seemed to make Peach sad, but she quickly picked up her spirits when things turned around and the girl seemed to find the strength to be strong for the lumas. "This is a lovely story." Peach complimented softly once Rosalina asked for her thoughts. She spoke of the story as if she didn't realize there was any truth to it, but then... "Is it weird if this sweet little girl feels familiar to me, somehow~?" Peach would go on to ask rather light-heartedly. She had always had reason to suspect that the story was related to Rosalina, but it was only now that she felt comfortable enough dropping nay hints that she thought so. They were mid-story after all, and it would be rude to interrupt with prying questions! There was likely a reason the story was being told the way it was, after all.

[Coolshaymin]

Rosalina was happy at first that Peach was enjoying the story. Then she was shocked for a moment when she brought up that the girl seemed familiar. Was she comparing the girl to Peach from a former version of the galaxy?! How could that be possible that she would see that?! Rosalina thought she was the only one that could... Oh wait. She was probably referring to suspecting Rosalina was the main character. Well, it would seem Peach was on the right track and would understand the part she wants her too, hopefully.

She held her wand to her face and let out a brief laugh before responding. "Maybe it is not that weird. I suppose the galaxy can always have something someone can relate to. Speaking of, one thing that never changes that will always be familiar is a home. And with a new bond with the Luma, a home was their next step," Rosalina stated before continuing to the next chapter, Home.

"'The Kitchen will go here, and the library will go over there,' the girl said busily to herself. 'We'll put the gate here.' Ever since the girl took Luma under her care, she'd been bustling about at a feverish pace. 'It's a lot of work, but it's worth it to make a happy home.' It turned out that Star Bits weren't the only things buried in the ice. There were tools and furniture unlike any they had ever seen, and the girl used them to build a home."

"Looking at the completed house, Luma remarked, 'Don't you think it's awfully big for just the two of us?' With a library, bedroom, kitchen, fountain, and gate, it was certainly spacious, but still, something seemed to be missing. 'If only my father, brother, and mother were here,' the girl said wistfully."

"Indeed, the house was too large for its two small residents."

"That night, clutching her favorite stuffed bunny close to her heart, the girl fell asleep in the starship."

Rosalina ended that chapter with another pause. It was honestly a rather uneventful chapter outside the mention of family. Speaking of which, that is the next question of Peach. "Tell me, Peach, who do you consider your family? Do you limit yourself to those you are bound to by blood? Or do you like to consider your subjects your expanded family?" Rosalina assked.

[Mari]

Peach nodded attentively as Rosalina replied. Somewhere in her heart, she already knew she held an affinity for this girl outside of her suspicion that they might, in fact, be a young Rosalina. It was an odd sensation, but she chalked it up to her enjoying the story she was being told. Peach continued on to listen, marveling slightly at the girl's resourcefulness. Building a home... Why--She couldn't do that even at her age! She was a little impressed, to say the least, but she was also relieved to hear that the girl was doing so well for itself. It almost seemed like a happy ending. ...Almost. She couldn't help feel empathy for the girl, for the loss of her family. She also mused about the mother, how it must've felt to have your daughter seperated from you like that.

It filled Peach with a sense of melancholy, an emotion that seemed to cause her visible discomfort. Shifting a bit, Peach brushed some of her hair aside in an anxious manner before answering Rosalina with a smile she had only somewhat forced, for she was now reminiscing about something she felt strongly about.

"Y'know, nobody has ever wanted to be a part of my family before." Peach replied sheepishly. "Well... Except this one time, but it didn't work out." the princess went on to explain. "But... I would say that I like to consider my close friends and citizens to be my family. Yes." Peach would finally finish with a nod of approval. She hesitated for a moment. Was that weird, wanting to take care of a child like your own? Wanting to call another princess your sister? "...You understand, right?" Peach would ask, becoming just a bit self-conscious.

[Coolshaymin]

Rosalina gave a frown at Peach's confession that she did not have much of a family. It reminded her a bit of herself from a long time ago. She thought with a person like Peach, she would have plenty of people she could call family. She thought Peach would share a similar bond with her Toads as Rosalina did with her Lumas but that assumption appeared to be incorrect. But Peach seemed to not feel she quite had that luxury.

Rosalina changed her frown into a warm smile as Peach asked if she understood. "I understand that thought very well. Family is an important thing to have. There is few bonds closer than one. In fact, I would be proud to have you as part of my family. Sometimes becoming a family can become very unexpected. Which brings us to our next chapter," Rosalina said before beginning Chapter 6: Friends.

Then one day, while the girl sat sipping tea, a tiny apricot-colored planet appeared on the horizon. From the planet, another Luma of the same color emerged. "Do you two know each other?!" the girl asked the two Lumas gleefully. Despite the girl's excitement, they seemed uneasy.

"The two Lumas neither drew closer nor backed away from each other. Instead, they just stared. Then one Luma broke the silence. 'My mama!' At once, the apricot Luma parroted back, 'My mama! My mama!' 'My mama!' 'My mama!' The two Lumas began to dance around the girl frantically, and neither showed any sign of stopping. The girl was so charmed by this adorable scene that she couldn't help but laugh. And that's when something very strange happened."

"Suddenly, more Lumas began to pop out from the apricot planet. They were different colors, but they all shouted the same thing. 'My mama!' 'My mama!' The sight of all the shouting Lumas only made the girl laugh harder. 'What am I going to do with all these children?!' The Lumas just stared blankly as she doubled over laughing. 'I guess we'll have to name each and every one of you.' Tomorrow, once she had finished naming them all, she would begin moving all the Lumas into the new house. "

Rosalina stopped once again at the end of that chapter. "And so our heroine became the Mother they have searched for in the stars. It was probably a very unexpected twist for her as you may expect. However, we still have a few chapters left. Anything to add?"

[Mari]

Peach's expression held sadness and it seemed like the princess was less than satisfied with her situation, however, her expression changed to one of shock as Rosalina expressed a desire to call Peach her family. Oh. Oh! Though Rosalina went on, Peach's mind was racing with the implications of what Rosalina had said. Her cheeks had turned a nice, subtle shade of pink. Her hero? Wanted her as family? What could that imply? What did it imply? The princess gently placed a hand to her heart, as if to still it, and began to calm herself down. Rosalina was still going on with her story and it would be very rude not to pay attention.

To Peach's delight, the story was all about baby lumas and the girl choosing to be their mother. It was a heartwarming story, one that made her ... proud of the girl? It was an odd emotion to feel for someone she didn't necessarily know personally. Regardless, she smiled weakly at Rosalina. "...I'm proud of her." she replied softly, glancing down at the ground for a moment. "She's so strong~" Peach went on, smiling light-heartedly at Rosalina.