One last chapter before the New Year! We're wrapping it up with a quick little poem and some Luigi. Thank you to my reader and enjoy everyone!

Green Hope

My sweet Luigi, how green, how gentle, how wonderful you are—you touch so delicately

Upon my eyes, beyond the station, we see the man on his mission.

Ready to protect his home and the people he cares about without harm of sacrifice.

The sacrifice is time with the children and I, who anxiously await his return.

We pray, for the heavens above, to keep you safe from the forces that could take you.

Heavy sighs, anxious gasps, and nervous ticks; fear lingering of the worst of our minds.

Lonely hearts spoiled by your presence but must now stand idle for the one who spoils.

You are the working man the plumber who just wants to do his job and have a good life.

Your hair, kept with grease and the evidence of a simple lack of time to groom.

You're the one for me, Luigi.

I think of your tender touch, accompanied by your gentle stares.

A hearty laugh, filled with happiness that infects all others.

I miss that laugh.

I know that chaos is going down on the Mushroom World.

I just don't want you to become a victim of the violence.

I don't want to lose you, just like I had lost my mother.

My heart screams in agony for you to return to us safely.

Screams, echoed by the concerns of the children, who pray thoroughly for your safety.

Luigi, please, come home to us soon.

We miss you.

You were the gift of a miracle to show up here so randomly

Having effects no one could have seen.

You've done more than anyone I know in such a short time.

I beg of you, come to thee.

Happy New Year, my green hero.

May the New Year show the new you—the true you.

If I could just have one single moment to hug you

As I am now rather cold

My body, having been adjusted to your embraces

I do not feel elegant, but rather, naked

I can now see how lonely I was before you showed

That loneliness is haunting, vicious, and widespread.

The children miss your eagerness to interact with them.

They miss the environment that you introduced to us with your smile.

The smile that simply spread to everyone and allowed us to respond with our own

We hope that you make it there safely, Luigi

You're my hero, my green clad hero.

I hope you truly do see me as your azure princess of the stars, as you love to tell me

You contain a wonderful heart, which has also been able to open my own

Along with my children's

We're all just a bunch of happy-hearted stars

Just remember that the comet you see up there is us, rooting for you

I'll be up here, waiting just for you.

Not just me though, all of us. The stars around you

Across the galaxies; the planets, every star, every one of my children

We're rooting for you.

The night was extra lonely, as according to Rosalina's Observatory calendar, the age of the galaxy was to increase by a year today. Rosalina had hoped to perhaps be able to celebrate the event with Luigi for the first time; however, this simply was not feasible due to the emergency circumstances present in the Mushroom World. In her heart, she knew that Luigi would be able to within the next approaching year, and maybe on the Mushroom World instead of the Observatory. Looking at the poem she wrote down, Rosalina sighed heavily while breathing deeply in an effort to maintain her composure. The Lumas had been asleep for hours, and Rosalina had altered movement of the Observatory to enter the Mushroom Kingdom's orbit in an effort to monitor the scene in any way. This might be the last lonely year for Rosalina and the Lumas- at last.

Luigi had been flying to the Mushroom World, coming in at the speed of light. Despite the trip being relatively short in travel as a result of the speed, Luigi felt the trip had lasted particular amounts of days, feeling as if the lacking sense of time suddenly felt near endless. A sense of concern stirred in Luigi, prompting him to remove his hat slightly and allowing him to remove a small calendar that Rosalina had gave to him.

Listed on that portable calendar, was January 4th.

"Oh no no no, this can't be. I left on the 31st and should have been back in that same day. No, please, no." Luigi thought, panicking over what could have occurred within the few days. Moving the calendar back into his hat, Luigi braced himself. All around Luigi, were simply rapidly flashing colors, indicating that he was in fact traveling at the speed of light. Unfortunately, the speed of light may have been too great, probably from the Mushroom World's Launch Star being a bit faulty.

Luigi exhaled deeply, realizing that unfortunately, there was nothing that could be done to circumvent the situation, and that all he could do was simply wait for his arrival to the Mushroom World.

"Come on, it's gotta be just a bit longer…" Luigi thought, while wondering one simple question: What could have gone on within the days since the black mass in the sky first appeared?

There you have it folks. That's the last chapter of the year for the story. This covers a concept that I briefly mentioned at the end of Chapter 8, which was the Launch Star having an issue, which was that it may accelerate time. That mention goes into full effect here. So, some notes:

1.) Luigi will not be present for beginning of the war.

2.) I took a poem route simply because I feel this is the best way to really capture Rosalina's feelings.

3.) Admittedly, I was constrained on time and felt that perhaps one more chapter should be given for the year, with this one covering Luigi to give my audience the update on him, while the war begins.

4.) The speed of light concept is prominent, and for anyone that watches Star Trek, then you know what's going on. Traveling at the speed of light is a theory proposed that explains that accelerating as a bubble of time is created around the object traveling faster, and resulting in a distortion of space-time. Doctor Who fans may link to this easily as well.

5.) Happy New Year everyone! We are now moving on to the war!