Before I begin, I'd like to make something clear: Yes, I am well aware that Nintendo no longer considers the Koopalings to be Bowser's children, but for the sake of the fic, I'm going to pretend that they still are (unless I decide to exploit this "retcon" for a future chapter, nyeheheh). There doesn't seem to be too many people who take Miyamoto's statement seriously, but I'm putting a disclaimer anyway just in case.

Now, on with the chapter...

One night at Bowser's Castle, Bowser Jr. was snuggled in his bed. Sitting beside him was his father.

"And so, from that day forth, the little boy knew that his mother would always be watching him from the stars," said Bowser, finishing a bedtime story.

"Is my mama watching me from the stars?" asked Bowser Jr.

"...Yes, yes she is. Now goodnight," Bowser said, leaving the room.

Junior tried to get to sleep, but he couldn't stop thinking about his unknown mother. He then thought back to the time Bowser lied and said it was Peach.

"Bleh. I need a glass of water." Junior got up and stepped out of his room. In the hallway, he ran into Iggy and Larry.

"Hey, Junior! Larry and I are going cow tipping at Moo Moo Meadows! You want in?" Iggy asked.

"Nah," said Junior.

"More cows for us!" Iggy said, shrugging.

"Do you guys ever feel like there's someone watching us from the stars?" Junior asked.

Larry tilted his head. "Why would you ask something like tha-"

"Of course I do!" Iggy interjected. "And there is!"

"Huh?" went Junior.

"It's Rosalina, of course!" Iggy finished.

"R-Rosalina?!" Junior stammered, realizing that the description matched perfectly.

"Yeah, totally. And she's a pretty sweet chick. I mean, she did kind of ruin Dad's plan to take over the universe, but she's still pretty sweet. Right, Larry?"

"Iggy! I thought we agreed to keep quiet about that!" Larry barked.

"Oh, come on! I don't see what the big tall deal is-... Junior?"

Junior was long gone.

Elsewhere...

Junior walked down a lonely path in the woods, illuminated solely by moonlight. "Could she really be my Mama?" he thought. "She was on Mario's side that one time... But maybe she and Papa just wanted different things? Maybe they got a divorce? That would explain why he and the others never talk about her..."

He looked at the night sky. The stars twinkled like gold nuggets. "Now that I think of it, she kinda looked like Peach. Maybe that's why he told me Peach was my mama! Because she reminds him of my real mama!" Junior nodded, satisfied with his conclusion. "The tricky part is finding her... But I know just the person who can help!"

Junior approached a small house and knocked on the door.

"I'm coming," said a voice. Seconds later, the door opened, revealing a man with white hair and swirly glasses. "Eh? Who might you be?" asked E. Gadd.

"I'm the kid you gave that magic paintbrush to. Remember?" asked Junior.

"Oh! Well, long time no see, youngster! How'd that paintbrush treat you?"

"It was fun... while it lasted," Junior answered, remembering how Mario defeated him over and over. "Anyway, I need your help with something."

"Oh? What might that be?"

Soon, Inside the Lab...

"So let me make sure I understand this," said E. Gadd. "You want to meet Rosalina in person, and you need me to find a way to send you to her?"

"Yeah, pretty much," said Junior.

"That won't be on easy task, sonny. She literally lives on a comet! You sure you can't just send her a letter or wait for a kart tournament?"

"No, this is urgent!"

"Alright, if you insist."

E. Gadd led him to a large screen. "This is my Pixelator. It's a teleportation device."

"Neat!" Junior exclaimed.

"However, it only works through screens, like those on TVs or cameras. So you better hope she was one."

"Okay? Is that the only thing?"

"No. The other thing is that I need to pinpoint her location, which I can't exactly do because she's always moving," said E. Gadd. "It would be a different story if I knew what the comet's readings are, but I don't."

"Can you find out?" asked Junior.

"Well, I could, if the comet were close by. But it's not."

"What if you had something that came from the comet? Could you track it then?"

E. Gadd thought for a moment. "In theory, yes. I can't guarantee it, but it would certainly help. Doesn't it rain star bits every time the comet passes? Those would be helpful, I think."

"Did someone say star bits?" said the suitcase on E. Gadd's shelf. Junior flinched in alarm.

"Oh, good evening, Stuffwell! I didn't know you were awake," said E. Gadd.

"I wasn't, but your conversation woke me up. Good thing, too, because I'm currently in possession of some star bits!"

Stuffwell hopped to the floor and opened, revealing three star bits.

"Holy smackaroons! Where'd you get those?" asked E. Gadd.

"They're from the last Stardust Festival. I saved them," said Stuffwell.

"Thanks, Stuffwell. These are just what I need," E. Gadd said, taking the star bits.

"Anytime, Professor! Now..."

"He's gonna say it..." thought E. Gadd.

"BACK TO SLEEP!"

Stuffwell sprang updwards and re-assumed his position on the shelf, presumably shutting down.

"Alright, youngster, give me a few minutes to set things up..." said E. gadd. He then spent the next few minutes placing the star bits in a chamber, scanning them with his computer, and tacking away at his keyboard, searching for a matching signal.

"I found it!" the professor exclaimed.

"Really?" asked Junior.

"Well, I think so. The signal is coming from very far away, and it's moving at an incredible speed."

"Sounds like a comet to me," Junior grinned.

"We should hurry, then. I don't know how long I can maintain the connection."

E. Gadd quickly uploaded the data to his Pixelator and fired it up. The monitor glowed and Junior was absorbed into the screen bit by bit. "Good luck, youngster!"

The last of Junior disappeared just as Luigi stepped inside.

"...Who was that?" asked Luigi.

"Oh, just some Koopa kid. He wanted me to teleport him somewhere."

"Koopa kid?" Luigi asked, scratching his head. "Could you describe him to me?"

At the Comet Observatory...

Rosalina was taking a bath, humming a peaceful tune, when suddenly Luco barged in. "MAMA!" he cried.

"Luco, what did I say about knocking before entering?" Rosalina said calmly but sternly.

"Sorry... But we have a situation on our hands! That Koopa kid is back!"

"Lemmy?" she asked, putting on a robe.

"No, the one that helped Bowser!"

Rosalina didn't say another word. With a wave of her wand, she materialized her gown and went to address the situation. "What's going on out here?"

The Lumas flocked to her.

"He's back, Mama!"

"He came out of the TV, Mama!"

"Do something, Mama!"

"Hello, Mama!"

The last voice didn't sound like a Luma's.

"I know that voice..." Rosalina muttered. The Lumas parted, revealing that the intruder was Bowser Jr. "Yo!"

Rosalina immediately trapped him inside of a blue bubble and levitated him closer. "You have a lot of explaining to do," she said coldly.

"I've come home!" Junior said enthusiastically.

"Home?"

"You're my mama!"

"Mama...?" Rosalina was baffled by his absurd claim. "What makes you think I'm-"

"She's our mama!" Luco interrupted.

"Yeah!" the rest of the Lumas agreed.

"You're their mama too?!" Junior exclaimed. "Wow, you must really get around!"

Rosalina's face flushed red. "They don't mean it like that," she said. "And I'm not your mama, neither figuratively nor literally."

"But Dad said that my mama watches me from the stars! You're the only one who does that!"

Rosalina sighed. "I don't think your father meant it that way."

"Great! I came all the way out here and I still have no idea who my mama is!" Junior whined.

"Well, you can't have ours!" Luco shouted.

"I'll never see my mama!" Junior screeched, flailing his limbs. Rosalina's eyes widened as something awoke in the back of her mind.

"You have star bits in your eyes!" said a Luma to Rosalina, who had woken up crying.

Wiping her face, Rosalina replied, "these are tears, not star bits. I'm crying because I'll never see my mother ever again!"

At this, the Luma began to cry too. "Mama, oh, Mama... waaaah!"

"Mama? Are you okay?" asked Luco.

A single tear rolled down Rosalina's cheek.

"Mama...?"

"Listen," she said to Junior, removing the force field. "I can't help you find your mother, but I know a way you can narrow down your search.

"You do?" Junior asked.

On the Starship Mario...

Junior, Luco and Rosalina were standing before a door. "Mama, are you sure you want to ask him?" Luco asked, sounding worried.

Rosalina nodded and knocked on the door. It slowly creaked open.

"Who is it?" asked Lubba. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"It's me," said Rosalina.

Lubba's eyes flashed open. "Rosalina! What brings you here?!" His eyes opened even wider when he saw Bowser Jr. "ACK! It's that Koopa kid! Sit tight, Rosie, I'll get the Bob-ombs-"

"That won't be necessary," said Rosalina. "In fact, there's something I'd like you to do for him."

"M-me? Do something for him?!" Lubba stuttered.

Rosalina explained Bowser Jr's situation to Lubba and what she wanted him to do.

"You want me to take him to the Primordial Boo?!" Lubba was beside himself with shock.

"I do."

"That's an awfully dangerous task! Why does it have to be me?"

"Because I have Lumas to attend to, and you owe me a favor."

"I do?"

Sometime Ago...

Lumas floated in all directions, screaming in terror as a baby Dino Piranha rampaged in the Comet Observatory. Rosalina could only stand there and watch as it destroyed everything in sight, leaving a trail of damaged architecture in its wake. Amidst the chaos, Lubba floated into the Observatory and up to Rosalina.

"Thanks for babysitting my pet! She wasn't too much trouble, was she?" he asked.

Rosalina stared at him and said nothing.

"I knew I should've gotten rid of that thing sooner..." Lubba muttered under his breath. "Alright, I'll take the kid to the Gruesome Grave Galaxy."

"Thank you, and good luck," Rosalina said, leaving.

"I'm going too," said Luco.

Rosalina looked back. "Luco? Why would you-?"

"Somebody has to make sure Lubba doesn't screw up," he whispered in her ear.

Rosalina was silent at first. She didn't like it, but he did raise a good point. "Be back soon, okay? I'll be waiting up for you," she said, kissing him on the forehead.

"I will," said Luco.

With that, Rosalina hopped from the Starship Mario to the Comet Observatory. The other three watched as the spaceship drifted farther and farther away.

"I'm sure they'll be fine," Rosalina thought. She sauntered to her room and turned on the TV.

"Coming up next is the newest episode of Gearmos at Work-"

The television abruptly turned to static and spat pixels from its screen. "Oh!" Rosalina uttered in alarm.

The pixels amassed together until they formed a person, one that Rosalina recognized. "Luigi? What brings you here?"

Elsewhere...

The Starship Mario had arrived at its destination, the Gruesome Grave Galaxy. On the outside, it appeared to be a huge mansion on a chunk of floating land, but in reality, it was actually an expansive cave with mansion's exterior.

"So who's this Primordial Boo?" asked Junior.

"She's an ancient Boo who knows everyone who's ever died," said Lubba.

"D-died?! Are you saying...?!"

"I don't know, kid. That's why we're here. If she's dead, then the Primordial Boo will know and you can give up searching. If she isn't, then you'll know she's out there somewhere."

"I guess that makes sense, but..."

"But what, kid?" asked Lubba.

"Yeah, but what?" Luco repeated.

"If she were dead, then I don't think I'd wanna know..."

"You wouldn't want to waste time looking for someone who might be dead, would you?" Luco asked.

"N-no..."

"Alright then. Let's get this over with," Luco said as he floated forward.

"Whoa, not so fast!" Lubba called out. "This place is infested with the undead, and they're not very friendly! We'll need disguises!"

"These will do," said Luco, spying two Boo Mushrooms on the porch's columns. He snagged them both and tossed them to Lubba and Junior, turning them into Boos. Lubba retained his pants while Junior kept his horns and hair. "What about you?" asked Junior.

"Don't worry, I've got this," Luco said. With a spin, he transformed into a Star Bunny with orange ears.

"What kind of disguise is that?!" Junior snapped.

"He's gonna dazzle them with hip-hop! Har, har!" Lubba joked. Junior and Luco glared at him before Luco explained himself. "I'm white, so they'll think I'm a ghost. Just roll with it."

"Whatever. Let's just go," said Junior.

"Hey, guys!" said Lubba.

"What?" they both asked.

"This is gonna be a trip to die for! Har, har!"

There was yet another pause before they opened the front doors.

"Does he always make jokes like that?" Junior whispered to Luco.

"Unfortunately," said Luco.

As the trio ventured into the cave, the resident ghosts and skeletons gave them funny looks.

"You think they suspect anything?" Lubba asked.

"Of course not. We blend right in," said Luco as he hopped along.

"...That big Boo with blue pants looks awfully suspicious," Dry Bones thought, scratching his bony chin.

Countless Boos lived (or unlived) in the cave, and they filled the air with their noisy, incessant laughter.

"That's getting really, really annoying! There has to be a way to make them stop!" thought Junior. He then got an idea. "Hey, Lubba- er, LubBoo! Tell a joke!"

"You got it, kid!" Lubba cheered. "What do you call a bee that crawls out of the grave?"

"What?" Junior asked..

"A zombee! Har, har!"

The Boos immediately stopped cackling. The whole cave was silent now.

"Thanks, Lubby," said Junior.

"Sure thing, ki- ...HEY!" Lubba exclaimed, realizing what had happened.

"Now that's funny," Luco said with a chuckle.

Eventually, they reached the end of the cave ("Dead end! Har, har!"), where they found a cloud of blue mist.

"Who goes there?" said a voice from inside the mist.

"We're looking for the Primordial Boo," said Lubba.

"You found her." The mist cleared, revealing a dark-blue Boo with green eyes. "I don't recognize you three. Whaddya want?" she said impatiently.

"We want to know whether or not a certain person is dead," said Luco.

The Primordial Boo glared at Luco. "And just what are you doing in a place like this, little bunny?"

"Oh, I'm not just a bunny. I'm a ghost bunny."

"You can tell by his white tint!" Lubba added.

"Right..." she grumbled, not sounding convinced. "So who's this person and why do you want to know whether they're dead?"

"Because... Because this person is a ghost hunter!" said Junior. She's been hunting me for years now, but I haven't seen her lately, so I want to know if I can finally rest easy."

"Oh, is that so? Can you describe her to me?"

"She's the wife of King Bowser! Or at least, she was... I'm not sure if she still is," Junior answered, telling the truth this time.

"King Bowser, huh? Okay, let see now..." She closed her eyes and glowed brightly. When she was done, her glow dimmed and her eyes opened.

"Well?" asked Junior.

"I have checked the Realm of Expiry for this person you speak of. I can confirm that she is-"

Without warning, the Primordial Boo lunged forward and grabbed Luco by the neck.

"Ack! What're you doing?! Let go!" Luco shrieked.

"Gladly!"

With a swing of her arm, the Primordial Boo hurled him through the air. To break his fall, Luco reverted to his Luma form.

"I knew it! You're not really a ghost!" she roared. In a quick motion, the Primordial Boo conjured two balls of blue fire and hurled them at Junior and Lubba, destroying their Boo suits. "You're not ghosts either!"

"She saw right through us!" said Lubba.

"Will you knock it off?!" Junior snapped.

"INTRUDERS! WE HAVE INTRUDERS!" the Primordial Boo yelled.

In an instant, dozens of Boos phased into existence. Soon, the trio was surrounded.

"I knew this was a bad idea!" Lubba said, shivering.

"I wish Mama was here!" Luco wailed.

"Don't give up yet, guys! There has to be a way out of this!" said Junior.

"Sorry, but there's escaping us! Any last words before you join our ranks?" asked the Primordial Boo.

Junior breathed fire at the Boos, but it passed right through them.

"Sorry kid, but it looks like we're out of luck!" Lubba said with uncharacteristic resignation. "There's no light at the end of this tunnel."

Suddenly, a light shined from further down the tunnel.

"What the-?!" Junior, the Lumas, and the Boos all said in unison.

The light grew brighter and brighter, and the Boos backed away from it.

"Who dares bring light into my cave?!" the Primordial Boo hissed. "I'm gonna-"

As the light drew closer, she could see that it was Luigi holding a flashlight.

"...It's the Green Menace!" she exclaimed. The Boos chattered wildly.

"I thought he was a myth!"

"I can't believe he's real!"

"I heard he beat King Boo! Twice!"

"I don't wanna get sucked up!"

They continued to confabulate amongst themselves until the Primordial Boo broke into hysteria. "Flee! Flee for your non-lives!"

The Boos scattered in every direction, disappearing through the walls.

"Good timing, Luigi!" said Luco.

"Yeah, good timing! I thought we were done for!" said Lubba.

"I don't understand. How did they know about me?" Luigi asked.

"Word spreads fast across the galaxies, Luigi. Especially when it comes to ghosts," said Lubba.

"What're you doing out here, anyway?" asked Junior.

"I'm here because of you! E. Gadd told me that he sent you into space, so I came after you. I don't know what your evil plan is, but I'm putting a stop to it!"

"Surprisingly, he doesn't have an evil plan this time," said Luco. "He just wanted to know whether his mother is alive or dead. The mission failed spectacularly, though."

"How did you know we were here?" Lubba asked.

"I didn't, but Rosalina did. She gave me a ride here."

"She did? Where is she now?" Luco asked.

"Right outside."

Luco bolted for the exit, flying through the cave like an orange streak. Luigi and Lubba followed suit, and Junior begrudgingly tagged along.

At the Comet Observatory...

"So it didn't work out?" Rosalina asked, holding Luco in her arms.

Junior shook his head and grumbled.

"Sorry to hear that," she said. "Let's get you back to your home planet."

Rosalina shined brightly, making it impossible for anyone to see. When the light cleared, Junior was gone.

"Well, that was... abrupt," said Luco.

"I don't think he had much to say," said Rosalina.

There was a silence. "Is it just me, or is there something off about you?" Lubba asked.

"Yeah, you don't look so good," said Luigi.

"I'm fine," she said. "Luigi, would you like me to teleport you home?"

"No thanks. I was thinking I'd hitch a ride with Lubba for old times' sake, if it's alright with him."

"Yeah, that's cool," said Lubba. "Good night, Rosie."

"Yeah, good night," Luigi said, leaving with Lubba.

"Mama, are you sure you're okay?" asked Luco.

An apricot Luma wearing Mario's cap patted her on the shoulder, wondering the same thing.

"I'm fine," she assured them. Quietly, she walked to her bedroom and opened one of her shelves, pulling out a pen and piece of paper.

The Next Day...

E. Gadd was conducting experiments in his lab when somebody knocked on his door.

"Yes?" he asked as he answered it.

"You've got a letter," said Mailtoad. "Have a nice day!"

E. Gadd tore the envelope and pulled out a piece of paper. It read the following:

Dear Elvin Gadd,

In the future, please refrain from sending people through my television set.

Sincerely,

Rosalina.