AN: Hey! It's been awhile since I tackled a chapter of this story! Well, I'm officially reviving it!

Also, slight spoilers for Solar Flare in here. And by spoilers, I mean it references events in that story that aren't written yet. Just...wanted to let anyone who cares know.

Chapter 6 A Serious Chat

Somber. That was the word Rosalina would use to describe her speech; somber. As she talked to her son, she bit her lip and curled her hair over the ridge of her ear. She didn't really stare at him; just allowed her mind to wander and her speech to get away from her. She was immersed in the story; for better or for worse.

Probably for the worse.

Solar listened with keen interest, arguably too keen. His eyes were as wide as a supernova, sparkling like a luma's skin. There was a certain quality to his face as Rosalina explained the predicament to him. Was that naivety? Innocence? or was it just some very interesting variation on the emotion of interest? She didn't know. All she cared about was that he was listening, and listening attentively.

"So," she said, finally wrapping up the story, "I don't know what to do."

Solar nodded as they sat on top of the garden dome. "I don't blame you." He looked down at the lumas, squeeing and squealing, tumbling about like human children. Solar cracked a smile at the sight of them, but his anxiousness didn't go away. "Well...I would say that you're right; this is a complicated situation."

Rosalina pulled her legs up to her chest. It was complicated. This was why this scenario was killing her. In other universes that she had frequented, the animosity that the Mushroom Kingdom held for the Koopa Kingdom didn't reach this type of level. Granted, Bowser hadn't gone this far there.

"Maybe if they got Bowser's side of the story," said Solar. His inflection sounded hopeful, even though he was grasping at straws.

Rosalina shook her head. "They already do. They know that Peach's parents were planning an invasion."

Solar blinked. "Oh. Well then, there shouldn't be an issue in the first place!"

"I know. But...there is. And it seems there will always be."

Soalr's red eyes glowed with hurt. "So this version of the Mushroom World will always be broken. No matter who's right in the end."

Rosalina swallowed a lump. "That will always be the case Solar. Those who are wrong won't admit that they are wrong. Those who are right flaunt the fact that they are right until they become obnoxious. Or, worse yet, prideful."

Solar nodded. "And this happens no matter what universe we find ourselves in."

"Unfortunately, yes." Rosalina laid her head on her knees. "It shouldn't be this way. I don't know what life is supposed to be like, but it shouldn't be this...hopeless."

Solar shook his head. "it isn't hopeless, Mama. For every problem, there is a solution. We just need to find this one."

Rosalina didn't even have the heart to object. She looked down at the lumas, laughing still. One luma transformed into a star bunny and hopped around the observatory, with the others following him. Rosalina chuckled. "If only they could set aside their differences and just have fun like the children."

Solar beamed. "Maybe that needs to be the case."

Rosalina turned toward him. "What do you mean?"

"Maybe, if they're all gathered in one place for a single purpose, they'll forget about each other's past transgressions and allow each other to...well, exist."

Rosalina laugh. "That's a blunt way of putting it." Regardless, she still thought about the suggestion. She recalled how Bowser was often allowed to go to Mario Kart races, even in this universe. Mario had often claimed that "it's a way of allowing the kingdoms to interact peacefully." And even the grouchy, sourpuss Mario had managed to crack a smile in Bowser's presence here.

Rosalina smiled. "But...it just might work."

Solar's eyes twinkled. "Yeah! It could be a nice way for everyone to set aside their differences! Leave them at the door, so to speak!"

"Yeah!" Rosalina's heart sank. "But...will they ultimately be forgiven? The Koopas, I mean."

Solar shrugged. "We won't know until we try."

"True." Rosalina sighed. "Still, I feel like a hypocrite; doing this when...my mother…"

Solar placed his hand on Rosalina's lap, prompting her to look up into his face. His red eyes sparkled, shimmered, glimmered...they produced a light that was all their own.

"Mama," he said. "You wouldn't be a hypocrite. Even if you were, what you are preaching is a good thing to take to heart. It is better to forgive and forget than to hold onto a grudge."

"Well...I suppose you're right…" Rosalina still felt in her heart that this was wrong. However, when she looked at Solar, her heart turned from the situation to him. He looked so...dejected. "Solar, are you okay?"

Solar's grin faltered, and his face grew more serious. He turned away and looked down at his hands. "When I was possessed by Aries...you could have turned me away. You could have said that what I did was unforgivable. Anyone else would have." He shed a tear, causing Rosalina's heart to break.

"Oh, baby." She wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "It wasn't your fault. You weren't yourself. You...you had a reason for doing what you did." Realization struck her. "And so did Bowser." She turned around. "He was protecting his kingdom."

"Exactly." Solar chuckled. "Protecting everyone. I guess he isn't too dissimilar to Mario."

Rosalina smiled. "No, he is not." She puffed out her chest, feeling a new sense of courage and determination overtake her. "Then it's settled. We will try to repair this." Her face fell. "I just need to figure out how."

Solar chuckled. "I think we'll figure it out soon enough."

"That we will. And I think the best way to do so..." Rosalina said as she got up... "is by doing research on pass times!"

Solar chuckled. "Okay. Whatever you say." He followed her down to the library. There, she searched through the records and databases relating to this universe's Mushroom Kingdom. Admittedly, she had trouble doing so, even with the help of Solar and some of the lumas. This was because documentation was scarce.

"Huh. It would appear I need to update my database."

Solar nodded as he flipped through a book. "Yeah." He stopped on one page, his eyes reading through the contents. Not skimming through; actually reading. When he finished, he turned toward Rose with a smile. "Well, never fret, Mama. I think our search is over."

Rosalina did a double take. "What? How?"

"I found something." He took the book over to her. She grabbed hold of it and read it in the warm lighting of the fireplace. "A Thousand Blank White Cards?"

"It's a card game from this version of the Mushroom World," said Solar. He pointed toward a paragraph. "Apparently, it calls for the participants to make up the cards themselves."

Rosalina blinked. "Hmm. That sounds interesting." She grabbed the other side of the book and sat down in her chair, all while grinning hopefully. "I think you might be onto something."