A/N: So, this story now gets author's notes! Yay! Anyway, sorry I haven't updated this one in forever, but I had so much trouble coming up with something for this chapter and this is the best I could do… I think it turned out all right, though… maybe?
Muskular's Memories
Shy Guy's Toy Box was a whimsical, vibrant world, but to the young, blue star, it was a dark prison. Muskular loved playing soldier as a Star Kid, but he never thought he'd experience his childhood game on such a real level, trapped behind enemy lines and guarded by an army of Shy Guys and their ruthless general.
The Star Spirit's feeble glow cast a dim light on the different colored number blocks that made his small prison. His gaze fell on a green seven block and his heart sank. Though Bowser had only taken the Star Rod a week or two ago, time crept along at a Koopa's pace, and it seemed like much longer. If only Muskular could have gone back in time and done it over again. If only he could have been stronger, then Bowser might not have taken the Star Rod so easily.
Just like that, Muskular's mind drifted back to a time when things were brighter in his life, when he and his friends would frolic and play in Starborn Valley, a remote place where the future wish granters could grow up in peace and safety.
On one particular snowy day, Muskular and a few friends were organizing a round of Stars and Koopas.
"Okay!" Klevar began, glancing down at his rule book, "We need two team leaders, two second in commands, one captured princess, and the rest will be soldiers!"
Skolar was usually a team leader, with Muskular as his second in command, a role he didn't mind playing. He fought for the Stars, whose mission involved storming the other team's fortress and claiming the golden victory crown, and more importantly, the stolen princess. If the soldiers on either side fell, then each team's second-in-command had a specific job they had to do.
If the Stars won the fight, their second would rush to the captured princess to inform her that someone would rescue her soon, while the Koopa second would have to inform their leader of their loss. If the Stars lost… well, there wasn't really a set rule for that because the Stars hadn't lost a game, but the teams alternated so it was fair.
"I wanna be the princess!" Misstar squealed excitedly.
The Star Kids quickly claimed their roles and scrambled to their positions. Klevar began by reading a short, yet dramatic, introduction from his book, explaining the dire situation the players found themselves in. The brisk air and heavy snowfall only added to the tense mood he was trying to create.
Minutes later, the two teams had built their snow forts and the game was under way. As second-in-command, Muskular wouldn't have to interfere in the snowball fight unless all the soldiers on his team had fallen, which required three, clear snowball hits.
The blue star watched with amusement as the soldiers on both sides deployed their strategies, hiding behind snow banks or trees or Ninji houses, emerging only to take a shot at one of their enemies when the time was right.
Each time a star kid took a cannon-er-snowball to the face, they would fall to the ground, but then eagerly pick themselves up again, unless they were out of hits, in which case the fallen stars would have to return to their base.
"Aahh! You got me!" Muskular glanced up to find that the last of the Koopa team had been defeated and it was time to fulfill his role. Grinning, the blue Star Kid rose up from his spot next to Skolar and made his way to the enemy fortress.
As he advanced, Muskular kept an eye on the Koopa General, a yellow star named Glowie, then hid behind snowbanks to get to the princess and deliver his message. After all, Glowie could still attack him, and if Muskular wasn't careful, the battle would have to start all over again as per game rules. Thankfully, the blue Star Kid was careful, and managed to reach the captured princess with hardly any trouble.
Misstar hovered atop a large mound of snow, playing the part of a distressed princess, but she smiled upon seeing Muskular. "I've been trapped here for so long! Can you please save me?" she asked in her best regal voice.
Muskular floated up to the pink Star Kid, wishing he could do the rescuing himself, but that Klevar would, without hesitation, tell him that that wasn't how the game worked, so he set to relaying his message. "Don't worry, princess, someone will rescue you soon!" Now, all that was left was to wait for Skolar to finish his fight with Glowie and claim victory and the stolen princess.
Usually after the battle was over, the Star Kids would go into their Ninji caretaker's house for some hot chocolate and revel over their game, talking and laughing without a care in the world.
Presently, in the darkness of General Guy's lair, those fun memories were Muskular's only spark of light, and he wanted to remain lost in them. But, he was slowly brought back to reality when he heard a voice. "Um, hello… Can anyone, um, here me?"
For a moment, he thought it was one of the Shy Guys, but no, this voice sounded far too innocent and timid to be one of General Guy's soldiers. It was echoic and distant, and Muskular knew he had heard it in his mind. His interest rocketed when he realized the voice belonged to a child, a girl, only five or six years old.
Even in captivity, the Star Spirits could still hear the wishes of people across the land, though they were now powerless to grant them. Muskular listened, his heart twice as heavy, as the little voice spoke again. "I'm Watt! Can you please help me?"
Muskular straightened up and listened closer, wondering where in the world this youngster was from. Her voice sounded so sad, almost scared. He knew he ought to save his energy, but he also wanted to learn more about this little one, and why she was so upset. He considered briefly if he should use the little power he had to reach her. Maybe there was something he could do to help.
It turned out that the child wasn't very far away at all; right there in the toy box, in fact. Muskular calmly closed his eyes and willed his mind to link with hers. The dim room became fuzzy and swirled around, then his eyes gazed upon a different room entirely.
This chamber's walls were dark blue, patterned with the moon and stars. There didn't seem to be much inside, except for a few giant, colored blocks. But, Muskular's mouth puckered with contempt when he saw a huge, pea-green ghost carrying a dimly glowing lantern. The monster's gleaming, black eyes glinted menacingly in the darkness as if searching for more victims. However, the star's thoughts were jerked away from the monster by a cry of joy and gladness.
"Yay! Yippee! It worked! It worked!" Watt's voice rang out through the room like a little bell. At once, the ghost's lantern blazed with light, illuminating the large chamber. Muskular had the feeling that it was important somehow, when he realized that's where the little voice had come from.
"Whaaah!" The ghost whaled with desperation and fury, and Muskular was afraid the monster had seen him. "No! No! Stop that! Too much light!" Instead of charging at the illusionary Star Spirit, the ghost took a deep breath and blue on the lantern, extinguishing the blinding illumination.
Muskular backed farther away into the shadows. Now he thought he knew why the little one was so upset, but he wanted to be certain. In order to avoid any trouble with the ghost, the Star Spirit concentrated further, and willed his energy into the lantern to investigate. He beamed with pleasure when he heard the child's excited voice once again. "Hi, Mister Star! You cane! You came!"
Within the lantern, Muskular noticed a bright yellow Li'l Spark with shining eyes and rosy cheeks. This must have been watt. "You've been… waiting for me?" he asked, puzzled.
"Yep!" Watt bounced in the air once, though there wasn't room in her small prison to do so. Mother and Father said that if I wished really, really hard, that the, um, Stars would hear me and make my wish come true! And you came to help me! Didn't you?"
"I'll… do what I can," Muskular promised with conviction, though he feared there wasn't very much he could do at the moment. "How did you end up in here, anyway?"
Watt's light faded slightly and she gazed down at the bottom of the lantern, a somewhat guilty look in her eyes. "Mother and Father and me were, um, shopping in Toad Town, and they were taking a really, really long time, and I was super bored… I wanted to play, and the toy box was my favoritest, so I, um, sneaked away when they weren't looking."
Watt paused, and Muskular waited patiently for the child to collect her thoughts.
"I bounced on the springy boxes and rode the platforms that go up and down, and it was super fun! Then, I found this dark room and, um, this mean guy who laughs like 'Whee hee hee!' sneaked up on me and trapped me in here."
Muskular grimaced, knowing that Watt was a prisoner just like him. Mario sure was taking a long time in coming for him, but he hadn't given up hope completely, just as Watt had hoped for the Stars to hear her pleas.
There was a long silence in which neither of them said anything, and Muskular felt his remaining strength fading away. Then Watt spoke. "Mister Star Spirit? Can you help me, um, get out of here? I really, really want to see Mother and Father again. Please? Please?"
Muskular frowned, his heart nearly breaking at the thought of denying the spark's request, but as of right now, he was only that, a spirit. He couldn't touch her or the lantern to attempt any sort of grand escape plan. In fact, he barely had the energy to continue this conversation.
He opened his mouth to tell her this, but the desperate, frightened look in Watt's eyes convinced him that this wasn't the best thing to do. But, if not that, then what? It's not like he could promise his aid if he couldn't deliver. The star felt as powerless as he had in Starborn Valley, unable to help due to certain, unfair circumstances. But, this was more than some childhood game. This was a real captured child begging for his help. He couldn't refuse!
The Star Spirit sighed in despair, but then it was as if his mind sparked as bright as the lantern, and he realized that there was something he could promise. He leaned closer to Watt and whispered a few tender words to the child, hoping it would be enough to comfort her. "Don't worry, little one, someone will rescue you soon."
A/N: So, yeah… there's the chapter! The next one shouldn't take nearly as long to update because I know what I want to do for that one. Anyway, until then, feel free to check out my other stories! Feedback is always welcome, and helpful! Thanks guys!