Chapter 15: Rosalina's Discovery

Mario, Link, and Rosalina were following Geno as he lead them to a place called Shooting Star Summit. Starting from the main entrance of Peach Castle, one follows the dirt path along the moat to the right, crossing a wooden bridge on the way. After a brief walk over some grassy plain, there is a clearing in the forest. From there, it is about an hour trek through the wide trail into the deep and silent woods. Because of its seclusive and tranquil nature, Shooting Star Summit is widely regarded as an ideal location for a romantic date.

"Are we almost there?" Rosalina groaned, slouching in the rear of the party as they marched down the trail single file. "I feel like we've been walking for forever..."

"It's just up ahead!" Geno assured with enthusiasm, leading the group. "Just be patient."

"But you've said that almost ten times now." Rosalina whined. She then sighed heavily. "What a pain."

"Hey, look at the bright side." Link encouraged. "At least it's not raining."

"Yeah, it could always be worse." Mario added. "Just remember that."

"For you, maybe." Rosalina scoffed. "I'm the one in heels."

"Look, it's right over here." Geno announced, waving the three of them closer as he stood at a bend in the woods. The starlight shining from the clearing danced on his face as he turned his head and nodded. "See, I told you."

"Yes, finally!" Rosalina cheered, arms stretched up. She was suddenly filled with life.

They each followed Geno around the bend and into the clearing. Judging by the expressions on Link and Rosalina's faces, it was apparently worth the walk. The glow of countless shooting stars suddenly bathed their faces as they stepped out of the woods and onto a road of sapphire cobblestone. Strangely enough, there was a night sky in this area despite the fact that it was nearly noon. The purple earth of Shooting Star Summit only added to the mystical feeling it invoked in its visitors. There were blue oak trees with leaves of the brightest blue upon its branches. Scientists speculated that heavy elements contained within the shooting stars that strike this area in such high concentration contribute to the strange colours observed in the earth and the trees. Right near the entrance was a signpost which read:

~SHOOTING STAR SUMMIT - WELCOME ! ~

PLEASE,

TAKE NOTHING BUT PICTURES,

LEAVE NOTHING BUT FOOTPRINTS

SINCERLY,

AN ENVIRONMENT-LOVING TOAD

And apparently past visitors had respected this request. There was no sign of human activity in this area, despite the fact that there doubtlessly had been countless visitors in the past. There wasn't even a picnic table. Mario told the others that Peach had once told him that a common fable parents would tell their children growing up was that if you ever disrupted the peace and cleanliness of Shooting Star Summit, an angry Star Spirit would appear and you'd be spirited away.

The last major feature of Shooting Star Summit was the multi-tiered summit, which looked almost like a wedding cake made of purple stone. Blue and green gemstones sparkled along the tiered faces like gumdrop candies. Some shooting stars had become yellow stars half stuck into its surfaces and sides. It was very likely that the summit was the most common proposal place in the entire Mushroom Kingdom.

"Wow, this is quite the place!" Link awed, while pouring himself some sake. "Only in the Mushroom Kingdom would you find such an amazing place."

"I-It's..." Rosalina awed, her cyan eyes trembling. A few tears slid down her cheek. "I-It's so beautiful. It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!"

"Eh? Rosalina, you seem really happy all of a sudden." Mario noted, nodding with folded arms. "Do you really like this place that much?"

"Yes! I had no idea something like this existed! Where the stars meet the earth..." Rosalina thought to herself, walking ahead of the group in complete wonder. Shooting stars soared across in the reflection of her glossy eyes. "Aha! Wow..."

"Where the stars meet the earth, you say?" Geno pondered, lifting off of his heels with a hand on his chin in thought. "Hmm, that description could almost be said about you."

Link, Mario, and Geno were watching her from behind. Rosalina was utterly beside herself. "I've never seen her this happy before." Link quietly muttered.

"Oh, thank you so much for bringing me here!" Rosalina cried, turning and giving Geno a big hug. She lifted him off of the ground and spun in place. "This is the best day of my life!"

"W-Whoa, y-you're making me dizzy!" Geno whined. Rosalina giggled happily and set him down, his maroon eyes spinning as he struggled to keep balance. Eventually, he fell onto his wooden bottom.

"Oof! Geez..." Geno whined, shaking his head. Apparently Rosalina was too preoccupied with marching towards the summit base to notice.

"She sure likes this place." Mario noted, offering Geno a hand. Geno accepted his aid and rose to a stand, brushing himself off.

"Well its no wonder." Geno shrugged. He placed his wooden hands on his hips proudly. "She's from Star Road, after all. Like me!"

"H-Huh?" Rosalina gasped, turning sharply with intense eyes.

"However, that place is a million times more impressive than here." Geno continued. "Honestly, I'm surprised this is so exciting for her."

"Wait a minute, did you just say that I am from Star Road?" Rosalina questioned, walking back towards the three of them.

"Uhh, yeah? Don't you remember?" Geno gawked, apparently bewildered she had forgotten. He gasped as Rosalina picked him up by the neck and started shaking him violently.

"NO YOU IDIOT, I DON'T REMEMBER ANYTHING!" She cried.

"A-A-Amnesia?" Geno acknowledged, his entire body rocking wildly. "Well why didn't you say so before!"

Apparently that was enough for Rosalina to drop him in anger. Geno landed flat on his face.

"Oof! Boy, you sure are rough today..." Geno commented with grief. By the time he was standing, he could see he was smothered in shadow.

Rosalina was looking down at him with folded arms and an angry pout. "How much do you know?"

"Just what the Goddess has told me." Geno answered, brushing himself off. He proceeded to walk towards the base of the summit. "Come. Let's walk and talk."

/

Bowser was whistling a happy tune as he walked down a narrow corridor lit by torchlight in the B2 level of his Castle. There was a dark purple carpet on the floor, nearly the exact width of the corridor. The stone walls curved into the dark ceiling. Bowser was approaching a blue door located at the end of the corridor, which was constantly being guarded by a Koopatrol.

/

"Geez, it feels like we've been locked up in here forever." Daisy sighed. She was sitting on the couch with a fist supporting her bored, partially squished face.

"At least we have each other for company." Peach reminded, trying to uplift the mood.

"Yeah, but... I don't think I can handle three days of this..." Daisy admitted. "Honestly, I don't know how you can put up with this as often as you do. Like, mentally."

"Well, I usually just try and think of people who have it worse." Peach suggested, with a hand. "Take Princess Zelda, for example. That poor woman has to spend practically her entire life just to maintain a magical seal. I could not even begin to imagine how hard that must be on her."

"I guess that's true..." Daisy agreed. The statement was apparently worthy enough to convince Daisy to have better posture.

There was a knocking at the door. A muffled but all-too-familiar voice had asked to enter in a jolly tone.

"Oh brother..." Daisy groaned, slumping once again. "Go away!"

The door opened anyway. Bowser had entered with a big smile, tipping his white top hat to the two of them. "Afternoon, ladies."

"Oh, afternoon already?" Daisy inquired, while nodding with fake interest. "We've been having so much fun in here."

"Yeah, I know, I know, it's a bit of a drag..." Bowser apologized, detecting the sarcasm. "But that's about to change! We've got so much stuff set up for our wedding now, Peach! I want you both to come and have a look!"

"I am not marrying you." Peach flatly refused.

"What could you have possibly gotten finished since just last night?" Daisy challenged, her arms folded.

"Well uhh, the castle is the venue, so setting it all up has been in the works for over a week now." Bowser started, using his fingers to guide his points. "The ceremony is all set up on the 1F level, so that's all finished... The cooks have been working non-stop, and they finally finished the cake this morning! It's HUUUGE! Man, I can't wait to eat it!"

"Bowser, that's nice and all, but don't you think that it's pretty creepy that you were planning a wedding without even having a bride?" Daisy scoffed, her arms folded.

"Well, I don't know, maybe..." Bowser pondered. He gave a big grin. "But I have a bride now, so what's the difference?"

"That's beside the point!" Daisy groaned, shaking her head hopelessly.

"And I am not marrying you!" Peach flatly insisted, her arms folded and expression harsh.

"You keep saying that, it's so strange." Bowser observed. He was rather stunned by her apparently odd declaration. He waved for them both to follow him out into the corridor. "Now come on. Let's go and see everything!"

Peach let out a heavy sigh, and Daisy rolled her eyes. Regardless, they followed Bowser into the B2 corridor.

/

Geno had started to lead them up to the top of Shooting Star Summit. Rosalina was walking at his side, while Link and Mario followed close behind.

"I figured you were acting strangely, based on what the Goddess has told me about you." Geno admitted. "However, I had no idea it was amnesia. So you really have forgotten everything?"

"Yeah... I got here knowing nothing about myself except my name." Rosalina proceeded to explain. "I met all of the others when I awakened outside of Peach's Castle, and then we talked about the Goddess Stars. I also remember the nature of the Goddess Stars, how they were made of the Goddesses energy... how it had surrounded me for a thousand years as I drifted through space..."

"Do you remember anything about your voyage?" Link questioned from behind.

"I don't." Rosalina frowned, shaking her head. "And the only thing I can remember about my life from before the voyage are random things. Like Mario, and blonde hair."

"Not sure how you remember me." Mario sighed, shaking his head. He had already heard her say the same thing before. "That's just impossible. I'm not even 30 years old."

"Blonde hair, you say?" Geno inquired, tapping his chin in thought. They had almost reached the top of Shooting Star Summit. "That's most certainly the Goddess you are remembering. Which makes perfect sense. As for your memories of Mario, I can't say what that means. I have to agree with Mario. It seems impossible."

"Maybe... I wish I could remember why she put me through all of this in the first place..." Rosalina frowned. "Or who she was."

"You mean you don't even remember that?" Geno arrived, stopping in place. They had reached the top of Shooting Star Summit. He looked down with a heavy sigh. "It's just as she had feared, then..."

"What do you mean?" Rosalina inquired.

"Rosalina..." Geno started, with a sense of grave seriousness in his voice. "The Goddess, Zelda... she's... she's your mother."

"W-What?" Rosalina gasped, her cyan eyes widened. They trembled with astonishment. She then felt despair, looking downwards with a frown. "M-My... mother?"

"You're the daughter of the Goddess?!" Link gawked, utterly astonished. Had he have been drinking sake in that moment, he surely would have spit it out. He dropped to a knee and lowered his head. The Goddess Zelda was revered in Hylian culture. "Please forgive my terrible manners, I had no idea!"

Mario was at a loss for words, his expression baffled. "I... did not expect that." He eventually managed to mutter.

"I'm... the daughter of the Goddess?" Rosalina gasped, her cyan eyes trembling with astonishment.

"It's true." Geno confirmed, with a nod. He despaired, shaking his head. "Now, I wasn't around when you first left. I'm not even 800 years old yet. I'm still only a young star, you see. But the Goddess..." His eyes were solemn. "She was still deeply saddened by your departure so many years after you had left. I could see it in her eyes. It must have been really hard on her, letting you go."

"Then why did she send me away in the first place?!" Rosalina spat, tears welling in her eyes. Her arms were crossed, her heart heavy. She turned her cheek and closed her eyes painfully. "My own mother..."

"Have you forgotten already?!" Geno exclaimed. "You needed to be here during this time, so that you could be with Link and Mario, her other chosen ones from the other worlds! To collect the Crystal Hearts and save all worlds from eternal chaos, remember?"

"Why couldn't it have been different?" Rosalina wept, with a disheartened spirit. She lowered herself to a sit and hugged her knees, hiding her face. "Why did I have to forget everything? Why did I have to leave my mother?"

There was a silence. Apparently no one could figure out how to console her. It was such a personal circumstance, and so out of the ordinary. But then Mario started to speak with conviction.

"And why couldn't I have stayed home with my brother, my family, my friends, back in America?" Mario countered, with seriousness. "Why did I have to be transported into this strange world, forced to leave everything and everyone behind?" Rosalina was unmoved.

"And Link." Mario immediately continued, waving a hand to the Hylian swordsman. Oddly enough, even Link seemed solemn in this moment. "Why did Link have to leave his entire life behind? And why does he have to keep Zelda waiting, even now, when the entire Kingdom of Hyrule is on the brink of ruin? All that, just so that he can be here with us now?"

"Mario..." Geno softly sighed, weakly attempting to halt him as he marched towards Rosalina. Rosalina could tell that Mario was now standing before her, but she kept her face buried in her knees.

"We all had to sacrifice something to be here. But that's because that's what "fate", or "the Goddess", or whatever the hell you want to call it, has in store for us." Mario continued, with seriousness. "It's up to us, and only us, to save this world from destruction. The Goddess, your mother... she knows this. That's why she has brought all of us together."

Rosalina loosened up a little. Mario continued speaking, only now he was speaking much more softly and heartfelt. "But hey... Even though we've all left everything behind, at least now we have each other, right?"

Rosalina lifted her face from her knees, looking up at Mario with glossy eyes. She could see that he was extending a white gloved hand with a soft smile on his face. She slowly offered him her petite hand. He gently claimed it and brought her up to her feet. There was a short silence.

"You're right." Rosalina softly agreed. "I'm sorry."

"You alright?" Link probed, with care.

"Mm. Let's get this Crystal Heart." Rosalina nodded. "Peach and Daisy are waiting for us, too."

"Oh yeah!" Mario agreed, with a clenched fist. "Let's get to it!"

"That's the spirit!" Geno cheered, his voice farther than they had anticipated. The three of them turned with surprise, and saw that Geno was now in the center of the summit, standing next to what could be best described as a strange looking vehicle. "In the meantime, I managed to get us a ride!"

The vehicle was almost shaped like a bathtub. It was blue in colour with a white front that also featured a yellow power star emblazoned on its front. It had large white wings on its sides and hovered in place.

"What is this thing?" Mario questioned, the three of them approaching Geno with amazement.

"And how did you get it?" Link added.

"This is a Star Ship!" Geno explained, presenting it enthusiastically with outstretched hands. "I was able to summon it from Star Road, since I'm a citizen and all. Hop in!"

Geno was the first to jump in, sitting on the first of three benches inside the vehicle. The first bench was meant for one person; the operator. The other two benches behind it were meant for passengers. Link sat alone on the rear bench, and immediately started to perform some quick maintenance on his bow. Mario and Rosalina shared the central bench.

Geno proceeded to flick a few levers on the control panel. "With this, we'll have no problem getting up to Bowser's Castle!" He pressed a red button, which engaged the engine. A loud burst of blue flame shot from the back as the machine roared to life, startling the others.

"Alright! Wahoo!" Mario cheered, his fists clenched with excitement. "We'll show that damned Koopa that we can get up there if we want!"

"Hahahaha!" Link guffawed, having just chugged a large amount of sake before putting it away. He continued to tend to his bow. "Let's go give Bowser a good scare!"

"Eeeh, is this thing safe?" Rosalina fret, peering over the edge to see the colourful bursts of flames emitting from the rear.

"Of course it's safe! I'm sure you've been in them all the time when you were little. Besides, this is just a baby ship, anyway." Geno assured. He gave a nod. "Now then. Let's GOOOO!"

And with that, they launched into the afternoon sky with incredible speed, screaming all the while.

/

Back in Bowser's Castle, a Koopatrol and a Hammer Bro were slowly working away at some final errands that Kammy Koopa, the wedding planner, had demanded from them. They were working in the main area on the castles 1F, just north of the main entrance. This was the area where the wedding ceremony was intended to commence. There was a lush purple carpet ready for the bride to walk down, with five rows of seating on either side. The altar was three carpeted steps leading up to a raised platform. There was dark wood railings bordering the platform, with black blossomed flowers overflowing from their stands and over the railing. There was a center piece as well, which was a giant golden crown with small black eyes. Which was fitting, or at least Kammy Koopa believed so, considering it was a Royal Wedding.

"Man, this blows." The Koopatrol groaned, exhausted. "I'd rather be at my post, playing games on my phone..."

"Tell me about it." The Hammer Bro concurred. "I heard that the Princess doesn't even want to marry Bowser!"

"Really? That's so pathetic." The Koopatrol scoffed. "Who would ever marry someone that doesn't want to marry them back?"

"I know, right?" The Hammer Bro laughed. "He's totally delusional."

"And tyrannical, for forcing something as serious as marriage upon her like that." The Koopatrol added. "What's his problem lately, anyway?"

"He's been acting strange recently, hasn't he? Ever since he got that Goddess Star." The Hammer Bro observed. "I can't put my finger on it, but he's just been acting a lot more... evil, since then. I miss the old Bowser."

"Totally." The Koopatrol agreed. "That Goddess Star is bad business."

"Hey! You two!" A voice had sneered at them. It was Kammy Koopa, marching down the aisle with a rather annoyed look on her face. "Quit slacking off, and scram! King Bowser is just about to show this place to the Princess!"

"Yes, m'am." The Koopatrol obeyed, with a solute.

"Right away, m'am." The Hammer Bro added.

"Hmm... you two are some lucky that this place looks nice." Kammy Koopa commented, although somehow still seeming unsatisfied. "If anything was out of order, King Bowser would have had your heads! Now get a move on!"

"Y-Yes, m'am!" The nervous troops concurred in unison. They scurried off with a whoosh.

Mere seconds afterwards, Bowser arrived around the corner of the front hallway, presenting the room to Peach and Daisy with open arms. Needless to say, Peach and Daisy were absolutely stunned.

"Ta-da!" Bowser sang, feeling proud. "What'dya think? Pretty amazing, right?"

"Umm..." Peach started. She cleared her throat, trying to resume a serious, unimpressed look once again. "It is... interesting. However, I still do not intend to go through with this."

"You're really serious about this, sheesh." Daisy groaned, shaking her head.

"Princess Peach, oh how lovely it is to see you! And you too, Daisy!" Kammy Koopa greeted, with a big smile on her face. "You both look marvelous."

"Oh, hello, Kammy. Have you come to transform all of my friends into helpless creatures again?" Peach dismissed, her arms folded.

"Or perhaps you're planning another attack at the castle?" Daisy added, her arms folded.

"Oh, can't we put that behind us already? It's all in the past, now." Kammy Koopa declined, weakly waving her hand as if all was forgiven. "We're going to be family in a matter of days. Let's try and get along, yes?"

"We will not be family." Peach flatly declined.

"This place looks awesome, Kammy." Bowser praised. "Good work."

"KYEEEEEEH?" Kammy Koopa squealed, erupting with so much joy that she didn't know what to do with herself. She fell onto the floor and proceeded to roll around while making weird, unsettling noises.

"Umm..." Peach thought, stunned and unsure what to say.

"Is she broken?" Daisy critiqued, pointing at the old hag rolling around on the floor. "What's her problem?"

"Kammy!" Bowser summoned harshly under his breath. "Get. Up. You're making me look stupid."

"Oh-ho-ho!" Kammy Koopa laughed, trying her best to catch her breath. She stood tall, blushing with her scaly hands on her cheeks. "L-Lord Bowser has never praised my efforts before! This is truly a miracle!"

"You're both idiots." Daisy sighed, hopelessly shaking her head.

"Alright!" Kammy Koopa cheered, marching past everyone back the way they came. She was filled with glee. "If you think that was something, wait until you two see the cake! Let's gooooo!"

"Aww, yeah! My favourite part!" Bowser smiled, grinning from ear to ear as he followed Kammy Koopa. Peach and Daisy followed behind in the rear.

"The sooner this gets over, the better." Daisy quietly muttered.

"You can say that again." Peach agreed.

/

Meanwhile, Geno was navigating the Star Ship around the perimeter of Bowser's Castle. Link was using his Shiekah Slate to spy into the castles windows. Mario was doing his best to scout by eye, his hand shielding his eyes from the afternoon sun. Rosalina was apparently trying her best not to panic.

"See anything?" Geno called to Link.

"Not yet..." Link replied, pausing for a brief moment. He pointed to the far side of the castle. "Let's try over there."

Mario noticed Rosalina had her face buried in her hands. He addressed her with great concern. "Hey, Rosalina? Are you alright?"

"I-I'm fine..." Rosalina dismissed, clearly lying.

"You sure don't look fine." Mario declined, shaking his head. "What's the matter? Are you scared of heights or something?"

"I think so..." Rosalina meekly admitted. She rubbed her hands on her lap. "My hands are getting sweaty and my heart is beating really fast. I think I'm gonna vomit."

"Scared of heights? Seriously?" Geno gawked, baffled. "But you drifted all across space for a thousand years!"

"I was unconscious, stupid." Rosalina snapped back.

"There!" Link passionately declared. He lowered his Shiekah Slate and immediately readied an arrow.

/

"So where exactly is this cake supposed to be, anyway?" Daisy asked, walking next to Peach as they followed Bowser and Kammy Koopa out of the main area of the castles 1F level.

"Downstairs." Bowser answered, with just a hint of excitement. "It's too heavy to bring upstairs, so the reception is going to be downstairs."

"Too heavy?" Daisy gawked. "Geez, sounds like one gigantic cake. Although why am I even surprised? This is you after all."

Bowser couldn't help but chuckle. However, just before they managed to exit the room, Peach and Daisy simultaneously heard something strike a nearby window. They both turned sharply towards the sound, and then upon noticing that they each had done so, they faced each other.

"You heard that, right?" Daisy asked.

"Mm." Peach agreed, with a nod.

"Heard what? Move it along already!" Kammy Koopa snapped, shaking an old finger. "You mustn't keep his Hungriness waiting!"

"Oh, look Daisy, the window is cracked!" Peach noted, her eyes widening with alarm. "Something must have hit it!"

"Hey, you're right!" Daisy gasped, hands on her hips. "What could have caused that?"

"Hm?" Bowser barked, turning his head behind him.

/

"I saw them walking past that window." Link explained, pointing at the window he had cracked with an arrow.

"Do you think they noticed?" Mario questioned, his eyes narrowed with anticipation.

"Hard to say..." Link admitted. "If not, we'll have to try and find them again."

"That's fine, I can navigate us for as long as it takes!" Geno assured. "She's got plenty of fuel, after all!"

"Somebody please get me off of this already..." Rosalina groaned, despairing into her knees.

Suddenly, everyone but Rosalina saw Princess Peach and Princess Daisy step into view. They were examining the broken window.

"Look! There they are!" Geno exclaimed, leaning forward to point a wooden finger excitedly. The entire Star Shop rocked as a consequence.

"Eeeek!" Rosalina squealed, diving into Mario and holding onto him for dear life.

/

Peach suddenly noticed a strange blue dot rocking in the sky. Apparently some commotion was taking place. She saw Geno struggled at the helm of a strange ship, while Mario appeared to be struggling to free himself from getting squeezed very hard by a frightened Rosalina. Link was laughing in the rear of the ship. Peach's eyes widened.

"Hey, Daisy! Look!" Peach exclaimed, pointing farther out into the sky.

"The both of you, get back here this instant!" Kammy Koopa demanded, pointing firmly at the ground before her feet.

Daisy brought her attention to Mario and the others, and the two of them were beaming. "MARIO!" They each exclaimed in unison.

"MARIO?!" Bowser growled, turning sharply and storming towards the window.

"Enough of this silliness!" Kammy Koopa scolded. "You mustn't believe them, your Gullibleness!"

/

"S-Sorry about that." Geno apologized, taking some time to adjust his blue cap as he regained control.

"Now I really think I'm gonna be sick..." Rosalina whined, bending forward and hugging her stomach.

Around the same time that Geno had regained control of the ship, the group of them heard the sound of a window shattering. They all simultaneously directed their attention to the castle, where Link had launched his arrow earlier.

"MARIOOO!" Bowser roared with clenched fists, racing lines launching from his angered form. Apparently he hadn't just punched out the broken window, but a large portion of the wall surrounding it as well.

"MARIOOO!" Peach cried from behind Bowser. One of her hands reached out to him while the other was kept at her chest.

"YOU GUYS!" Daisy cried, her airborne friends in the reflection of her hope filled eyes.

"Geno, get us closer." Mario calmly ordered, his eyebrows narrowed. "Link, hit him with something."

"I'm on it. But remember, let's not cause too much trouble." Geno reminded.

He steered the Star Ship into a low dive and then a made a harsh right turn in order to arrive near Bowser and the others. They hovered in the air with the right side of the vehicle facing the hole Bowser had created. Bowser had his attention directed on Mario, and therefore was unprepared for the bomb arrow that Link had sent his way. Bowser was completely engulfed in the explosion.

"Eeek!" Peach cried, her and Daisy diving in opposite directions in order to avoid getting scorched by the blast. They landed on the carpet while shielding their heads with their arms.

Bowser was blinded by the blast, but it was difficult to say if it had affected him. Kammy Koopa, however, was able to see what was coming next. And it had caused her jaw to drop. Apparently, it had caused Geno, Link, and Rosalina an equal amount of shock and alarm.

It was Mario. From the Star Ship, he had jumped. From afar, he appeared as a tiny silhouette, slowly making his way from a floating dot towards the opening where the mighty Bowser stood. High up in the sky, there was nothing below him for miles. As great a jumper Mario was, it looked as though he would not make this jump. He was starting to descend lower than the ledge he was intending to land upon.

Geno's eyes widened with an expression of deadly seriousness as he saw Mario was falling. He stretched out a wooden hand in great dismay, racing lines accompanying his entire form as he screamed. "NO! MARIOOO!"