AN: This is a little drabble that I decided to write. It features my friend mariobroultimate's OC, Aster Ode Galaxium. This is the second time I am writing a story around his OCs, and I am very grateful that I was given this opportunity.
This little oneshot is more or less my own headcanon for what happened to Aster before mariobroultimate's Super Mario Galaxy adaptation. I hope that you all enjoy this little delve into a world beyond the stars. :)
Of all the stupid things that could have happened to us, it had to involve us getting seperated. I had made a promise to Rosalina, a stone cold oath. I had said that as long as there is light in the sky, she and I will never be separated. To this day, I still remember the day I swore that oath.
We had been sitting down in her kitchen. The fire had been crackling in the hearth, spreading both a relaxing warmth and soothing light around the dome. I was sitting down, sipping star bit tea. Over the course of centuries, Rosalina had perfected the art of brewing tea. Each sip made my moustache tingle and my tongue feel warm.
Rosalina had been sitting just across from me. Her glittering blue eyes looked like lapis lazuli. Her hair was the color of a bright white star, her skin the very definition of perfection. Her face looked just as warm as the fire in the hearth, if not warmer. She was looking at me with a sort of hesitance.
"Rosie?" I said as I put down my cup. "What's the matter?"
Rosalina tapped her knuckles against the table. Her eyes (at least the eye that was visible) stared down at the floor. She bit her lip before speaking up.
"Do you ever think about leaving?"
It was a valid question. There was so much space out there to explore. There were entire galaxies and universes to uncover. There were a multitude of possibilities out there beyond the Observatory.
"Occasionally," I said as I took another sip of tea. A sadness set over Rosalina's face. She refused to make eye contact with me when she spoke up.
"That's fine. After all, you do have a right to live your own life. It would be cruel of me to take that away from you."
Now my interest was piqued. I put down the cup and stared at Rosie.
"Who said you're taking that away from me?"
Rosalina bit her lip again. Her eyes were starting to shine with tears.
"Sometimes, I feel selfish just thinking about you staying. You always tell me about the adventures that you wanted to go on. It...Aster, sometimes, I feel as if I am preventing you from living your best life."
Rosalina turned her head to the door, possibly to prevent me from seeing her tears. Even without the visual, I could still hear her sniffling. I felt my heart break.
"Rosie…"
The truth is, while I have thought of leaving, it wasn't in the sense of having a desire to do so. It's more along the lines of me never wanting to leave. There are a multitude of possibilities beyond the stars, yes. But that doesn't mean that all of those possibilities are good ones. Logically, I recognize this. Emotionally, I am scared to go. I approached Rosalina and cupped her hand in mine.
"Rosie," I said. I softly caressed the side of her face. I pushed her bangs back, allowing me to see both of her gorgeous eyes. "I don't want to leave."
Rosalina stared at me, willing me to continue. I got down on both of my knees and placed my hands in her lap.
"Those desires I shared with you were desires of a young man. A man who never imagined the possibility of himself making friends. He only cared about himself. He didn't have anyone else to care about." I put my hand on her cheek again. I brush my thumb over her flawless skin. "That man died a long time ago."
Rosalina looked at me with intrigue.
"Aster…"
"I never want to leave you, Rosalina. Never." I stand up to my full height and stare into her mesmerizing features. "I promise that, as long as there is light in the sky, I will be with you. We will be together for all eternity."
Rosalina started to smile. She stood up and held my hands. The warmth of the room seemed to get stronger as I stared at her rose-colored cheeks.
"You really mean that." It wasn't a question, it was an observation. It was a statement of fact, a grasping hold of the truth. So, naturally, I didn't have to provide her with an answer. All I had to do was smile.
…
That promise was made a century ago. It was made right after I stopped aging. It was made right after I changed my last name to Galaxium. It was made right when I was studying the power of the star bits.
It seems like no time has passed at all. I suppose that is what happiness does to you. It keeps time moving, it keeps you young. I suppose, in that sense, it is like a preservative. Because, for the century that Rose and I stayed together, I was happy. I never considered breaking the promise. It seemed like a crime against nature, a humongous error that I would have to put on my resume of sins.
Of course, eventually that promise was broken. I often refer to that day as the worst day of my eternal life. I still feel chills run up and down my spine when I think about it.
It began like any other day. I was just returning back to the Comet Observatory. The beacon had been growing dim, so I went out looking for power stars. I went out alone, an action that I still brand as a mistake.
I was flying back to the Observatory with a power star in my pack. The glow of the star and the light in its eyes brought me comfort, but not for long. Just as I was approaching the Observatory, I saw a ship approaching it. It had no sails, only propellers. It had cannons that were the same size as the trees that were located on the Mushroom World.
"What's going…?"
Before I could finish my sentence, a cannonball shot out in my direction. It flew and hit me right in the stomach. I could have died. Perhaps if I hadn't been exposed to so many star bits, I would have.
"Rose!" I called out. "Polari, Luma! ANYBODY!"
Nobody came, because nobody heard. I went flying backwards into the void of space. Tears welled in my eyes as I realized what this meant.
My promise was broken.