Eldstar's Plea
In the damp, dark, dungeon of Koopa Bros. Fortress, Eldstar hovered in the air, lost in his thoughts. Since his capture, he hadn't had the energy to do much of anything. The last few days especially had been difficult, granted that he and the other Star Spirits had given most of their power to revive Mario after Bowser defeated him.
The absence of his fellow guardians weighed heavily on the elder's heart, but determination burned like a fire flower inside him. Where were his friends being held? And which of Bowser's evil servants had been chosen to guard them? Despite his best efforts, Eldstar hadn't sensed their locations, though he had managed to speak to them in dreams for brief periods at a time.
Someone had to stop Bowser. It was only a matter of time before he wished for something really dangerous. With the Star Rod in his possession, the evil Koopa king could easily make his desire a reality, and that would mean misery for the mushroom people, the princess, and all of the stars in the sky.
Eldstar had spent the better part of the last few days gathering and conserving his strength. The Koopa Bros. hadn't checked on him for a while, and it was safe to assume that they had left the fortress. With luck, Eldstar would have just enough time and energy to send his message without arousing his captors' suspicions.
The old star concentrated all of his focus on one location in the vast Mushroom Kingdom, and the cozy interior of the small Toad House in Goomba Village swam before him. His eyes already growing heavy, Eldstar gazed down at the mustached hero laying on the bed below him.
"Mario… Can you hear me? Mario…?" Eldstar's voice was a whisper that was barely audible, but still he continued, straining from the effort to maintain contact with the weakened plumber.
"I'm Eldstar… a Star Spirit…" the guardian introduced himself. "I have something very important to tell you… It concerns the princess… and all of the Mushroom Kingdom…"
The elderly guardian wondered how much he would be able to explain before his energy failed him completely. Just these few words seemed to drain Eldstar's power. What he had worked for days to build up would be exhausted within minutes. Even now, his vision grew misty and his contact was fading.
"But, sadly, I haven't the strength to talk to you here…" the feeble star told the semi-conscious hero. However, there was one place where Eldstar would find the strength to deliver his important tidings, a place near Star Haven where the Star Spirits would be at their strongest in their current circumstances. "Mario… I need to have you come to Shooting Star Summit…"
That was the only way Eldstar and the other Star Spirits would be able to convey their message to Mario in its entirety. But, from what Eldstar could see, the hero hadn't stirred. Hoping Mario had at least heard him up to now, the weakened star tried one last time to speak to him. "Please… Mario… We Star Spirits will be waiting for you at the summit…"
Then, Eldstar's vision of the room faded into blackness and he allowed his mind to temporarily be pulled back to his prison, desperately hoping that Mario would answer his plea. But, Eldstar's task was only half complete. Now time was short, and he would somehow have to find the strength to contact the other Star Spirits and inform them of the necessary gathering at the mountaintop.
Eldstar closed his eyes and imagined himself at the top of the summit, where the earth touched the starry sky. As he watched the bright shooting stars fall to earth one by one, he thought of the people's wishes they carried with them, and his strength increased slightly.
Speaking with the other Star Spirits would be slightly easier from Shooting Star Summit, and when Mario arrived, he would summon them all, but right now, there was nothing to do but wait.