This was first posted on dA, part of the "A Moment's Notice" collection found there.

So while still in a SMRPG mood, and after searching through hundreds of Geno pics on dA, and finding very few written works as I did, I started thinking of what else I could write up. Add in the thought of shooting stars, which the Star Pieces would have looked like after Exor crashed through Star Road, Gaz, and how shooting stars are related to granting wishes and - boom - you got the basis for this fic.

Disclaimer: I do not own any copyrights to Super Mario. Mario and all related characters, scenarios, etc. are copyrighted by Nintendo. I'm betting that Square-Enix owns Gaz though. This is just a non-profit piece of fanfiction.

As much as he tried, young Gaz just couldn't get to sleep. He'd tossed, turned, and even curled up at the end of his bed with his blankets bundled around him, but he was still semi-awake. He wanted to sleep, but no matter what he did, it refused to come.

Sighing in defeat, he stopped resisting the urge and clambered out of bed, one foot still tangled within the mess of blankets. He wrestled his limb out of the bedding, stumbling as he tried to regain his balance. When Gaz was finally able to stand upright, he tip-toed around the darkened room to the sole window letting in a stream of moonlight through green-checkered curtains. A floorboard squeaked under his foot and he froze. He waited, listening carefully for any sign of his mom coming to check on him.

After what seemed to be the longest minutes of his life, the boy moved forward again. Slowly he made his way to the window and pulled aside part of the drapery. Outside, the night sky was dotted with hundreds upon thousands of blinking stars. He stared at them, his eyes flittering from one to the next as if one may catch his eye. After a while, he folded his arms and leaned on the sill.

"I wish I could go to sleep," he muttered, keeping his voice low enough as to not alert his mom. He didn't want to be scolded for not being in bed again. Though the notion of his mother suddenly reminded him of the stories she had told him about the twinkling lights above. It had always come down to the simplest thing: Wishing upon stars. Everyone knew that if you wished on a star really hard with all of your might, that it would come true.

Realization lit up the youngster's face and he whirled around back to his bed. He watched his steps as got closer to the haphazard heap of covers and sheets. Back to where he began, he moved the mess this way and that until he spotted a small hand. Lifting the blankets revealed a wooden doll in a matching hat and cape, both dyed blue. Beaming, the child grabbed up his favorite toy and once again made his way to the window, clutching the doll close to himself and taking extra caution to avoid the noisy floorboards that he knew would ruin his sneaking.

At the window again, Gaz peered back to the heavens, as if somewhere up there was an answer he was looking for. He shifted his attention to his beloved toy then tilted his head back to the expansive darkness above. He let out a breath of air. How he wished his mom had also seen the green shooting star from earlier. It was unbelievable, but it had happened and she had missed it. Shooting stars weren't green, his mom had said, and they weren't able to be seen during the day.

Well, if that star wasn't real, then he would just have to make the same wish again now.

Holding his doll close, he whispered,

"I wish Geno was really alive." He smiled and turned back to the awesome fighter. "Then we could have all sorts of fun, huh?" Thoughts of seeing his toy, his friend, up and about floated through the young lad's mind. They could do anything together! Chores would get done so much faster and then they could play all day long. The neighboring kids would be so jealous, especially the ones living with their grandpa. And how cool would it be to see the super duper, custom, patented, one and only Shooting Star Shot in action? For real! Maybe they could even go on an adventure and save the world! Yeah!

A soft yet stern voice broke the fantasy.

"Gaz, dear?" His eyes widened, his hold on Geno tightening. "Aren't you supposed to be in bed?" He had already dove for his mattress and began pulling whatever covers he could towards him when the door creaked open a crack. With barely a quilt over his form, he laid stiff as a board on his side, facing away from the door that his mother was undoubtedly standing at.

There was a sigh before her distinctive footfalls neared. He squeezed his eyes tight, hoping she wouldn't berate him for being up so late. His blankets were lifted and with the familiar sound of them being unruffled, his covers were back in place like they had been hours ago.

"Go to sleep, dear."

Crud.

He heard her yawning as she left the room, closing the door and leaving him with only a simple wooden toy to keep him company. A thin line of light still shone through the windowpane, giving just enough light so that Gaz could make out Geno's face.

"One day, right, Geno? Maybe..." he yawned, his eyes beginning to droop. "Maybe they heard me." Snuggling into his warm covers, the young Toad fixated his gaze on his friend. If Geno was real, then they could double team his mom and make his bedtime later...or they could get rid of it altogether! Yeah...

Gaz settled into his bed and smiled, still holding onto his toy. Geno was so awesome. He didn't need a bedtime. He would save the world, be a hero, and would never have to do chores and he would never be defeated when he challenged bad guys like Bowser. That had be an exciting life. More exciting than dull Rose Town. Nothing ever happened there.

The Toad drifted off to sleep, hanging onto one last thought: Maybe, just maybe, one day he could be as strong and cool as his hero.