Chapter 22 Arrival of the Space Goddess

The day dragged by. Luigi kept his eyes on Mario's phone, watching the clock with such an intense expression that you would think that his life depended on it. The night hours were probably the worst, as neither Luigi nor Mario were able to find success when trying to sleep. Luigi couldn't speak for his brother, but the reason it was this way for him was because he was praying. He was praying to God, Grambi, the Star Spirits, Jaydes…anyone who would hear the plight that the Mario brothers were going through and feel compassion for the two of them. He wished that he could join Mario and E Gadd in the Toad Town library the next day. The fact that he would have to go to the castle upset him. Sure, he looked forward to seeing Rosalina, but he had a much more pressing matters to attend to!

Oh well. He supposed he should just let Mario and E Gadd worry about all that stuff. He could trust them. They were bound to find something, since they were planning on staying in the library from sunrise to sunset. All Luigi needed to do was lay his worries to rest. Sure, that was way easier said than done. MUCH easier said than done. Regardless, he needed to relax. It was the middle of the night, and even though he wasn't in the familiar setting that was his own bedroom, sleep was still important and needed to be obtained.

Eventually, Luigi did fall asleep. Sure, he only slept for about four hours, but he reasoned that was more so because of anticipation of getting out of the hospital rather than any unease. The morning hours, where he and Mario were given their clothes back and were wheeled out of their rooms, did drag by a little. However, that just made the sweetness of getting back into the fresh air all the more potent. Luigi took deep breaths, soaking up the sunshine. He did his best to ignore the cheers of people passing by, as he didn't want his brother to experience anymore jealousy. Once those people passed, and when E Gadd was back outside to accompany the brothers, Luigi turned toward them with a furrowed brow.

"Good luck, guys. Promise that you'll reach out to me if you find anything?"

Mario laughed. "Of course, fratellino. You'll be the first person that I contact." He put his hands on Luigi's shoulders and gave him a warm smile. "I promise."

Luigi beamed, actually feeling a little misty eyed as he did. He swallowed the tears, telling himself to save them for a much more deserving time.

"Thanks bro." He backed away, looking between his brother and Elvin. "Good luck you guys. If you need me, I'll be at Peach's Castle."

With one last nod from the two parties, Luigi left. He walked with an almost apprehensive stride, trying to imagine what the next few hours were going to be like. Knowing him, he was probably going to dwell on Mario and E Gadd's quest. Even when they were silent, with their noses buried deep within the books. Luigi theorized that he was going to worry about them. That's just who he was.

Luigi shook his head. He couldn't do that. That might be who Luigi was, but that wasn't who Mario was. He needed to act as Mario-like as possible, providing the space goddess touching down on this humble planet with as warm a welcome as possible. In situations like this, Mario would put his own personal worries and concerns to the side. He would be all smiles, showing the world a reassuring mood and providing the guest in this world a happy, beautiful place to stay. That's what Mario would do, that's what Luigi would do too. Even though he wasn't the biggest fan of being in his brother's shoes, he needed to play the role.

So, he picked up the pace. He kept his eyes on the clock again, making sure that he got to the Castle before nine o'clock. He thankfully had plenty of time under his belt, which allowed him to get to the Castle without any issues. In fact, one could even say that he had time to spare when he arrived.

Luigi let out a breath as he stood before the Castle door. "I made it." He looked at the two Toad guards, giving them regal nods of greeting before going in. It didn't take him long to find Peach, as she walked down the hallway that Luigi was, causing the two of them to intersect.

"Oh good, Mario. You're here." Peach smiled at him, the expression as sweet as honey. "You're early. How typical of you."

Luigi chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, you know what they say. The early koopa gets the Mushroom." Peach gave him a funny look when he said that, causing his face to fall. "Yeah, I don't think anyone actually says that."

"Me neither," Peach said. The smile returned to her face. "Well, I'm glad that you made it. I want Rosalina to feel as welcome and as comfortable as possible."

"Yeah. Me too." Luigi took a deep breath. Now was the time to do what he had planned. He needed to put a smile on his face, he needed to cast all negativity out of his head and out onto the curb where it belonged. "Which is why I will be the perfect gentleman toward her."

Peach beamed. "Thank you." Without any warning, she leaned forward and kissed Luigi's cheek. The action was short and quick, but it still was enough to fluster the younger Mario brother. He didn't know what to do; part of him wanted to run away, part of him wanted to wipe the kiss away, and another part of him wanted to tell Peach not to do that anymore. Oh, which side should he listen to?

"Tha…thanks Peach." If he was going to act like Mario in this instance, then it was only logical that he give the most Mario-like response. He gathered his bearings before holding out his hand for the Princess. "Let's…let's go greet Rosalina."

So they did. They made their way over to the Castle's front door, the one that Luigi had entered through less than five minutes ago. Luigi tapped his foot and checked the clock again, beads of sweat forming all over him. He didn't know what to expect when the Lady of the Shooting Stars arrived, as he was never really present to greet her. Again, that responsibility mostly fell to Mario, which made sense as one would want the Mushroom Kingdom's hero to be one of the very first faces she saw when she touched down on the planet. Luigi could only really remember one time when he was present to greet Rosalina, and even then, he hadn't been on the front stoop to see her land. So, this would certainly be an interesting experience (if not a terrifying one).

The Toad Town clock chimed nine a.m. in the distance. Luigi didn't know what to expect, but he soon discovered that the Watcher of the Cosmos was very punctual. The area in front of him and Peach sparkled, looking like dust particles in the air were catching fire. Rosalina's form slowly appeared; first as a translucent specter, but becoming more solid as time wore on. Admittedly, Luigi found this sight…well, he found it interesting. Rosalina looked so serene as her body materialized, as if she was thinking "Yeah, I can teleport. This is just a typical Tuesday for me." Luigi was so transfixed by the sight that he almost didn't fully realize when Rosalina was fully present.

Thankfully, the sight of her smiling was enough to bring him back down to reality. He straightened his stance, putting on a smile that he hoped appeared as warm and inviting as Mario usually was.

Rosalins flashed the two of them a smile of her own. "Greetings, Mario. Greetings, Peach. It's been such a long time."

Man, Luigi would never get over the sheer power of her voice. Even though she used a low volume, she spoke with the authority and splendor that anyone would expect a goddess to have. And yet, there was a sweetness to her voice too. Packaged within the charisma she used when she spoke was a place of humble beginnings, a person who Luigi could hang out with and maybe even become friends with.

Peach did a courtesy. "I'm so happy to see you Rosalina." She held the courtesy for a minute before rising and embracing Rosalina. "I missed you."

Rosalina hugged her back. "I missed you too, Peach." When she let go, she gave Luigi a look that put Luigi's warm, endearing, and welcoming smile to shame. "And I never grow tired of seeing you, Mario."

Luigi nodded, trying his best not to be too intimidated by her presence. "You are certainly a sight for sore eyes, Rose." He realized his blunder as soon as it left his mouth, causing him to blush. "Sorry! Sorry, I realize that you probably don't like being addressed by a nickname, being a goddess and all…."

Rosalina laughed. "I am hardly a goddess, Mario. And Rose is fine."

Luigi bit his lip and nodded. Man, he did not know as much about Rosalina as he originally thought he did. Might as well take the time to remedy that now.

"Shall…shall we show you to your room?" he asked.

Rosalina nodded, and the three of them made their way into the castle. Peach and Rosalina engaged in a conversation as they did. Luigi tried to keep track, but honestly, now that he wasn't the center of attention, he fell into the trap of drawing back into his own head. He thought about Mario and E Gadd. How much progress have they made so far? How much longer until Luigi got the text from Mario, telling him that they had found something?

"Isn't that right, Mario?"

Luigi blinked. He drew to a halt, looking at the two ladies in confusion. "Uh…I'm sorry, what'd you say?"

Peach blinked. "We were just talking about how you did an excellent job of cleaning out the room two days ago."

"Oh!" Luigi smiled. "Thank you."

Rosalina laughed. "It is nice that you personally take time out of your day to make me feel comfortable. It makes me feel…" she chuckled, curling a strand of her platinum blonde hair over her ear. "Well, it certainly make me feel appreciated."

Luigi nodded. "It is nice to feel appreciated every once in a while, doesn't it?"

"Oh yes. And…well, I never really get that level of validation very often. Sure, I have my lumas, but aside from them…well, let's just say that space gets really lonely."

Luigi felt a pang. "I understand." He took a step closer. "I often feel lonely and unappreciated. Especially in comparison to my brother."

Both princesses blinked. Rosalina gave Luigi the weirdest look. "You feel underappreciated?"

Luigi did a double take. "Oh!" He berated himself in his head. Seriously, how could he make a mistake this badly? "I mean, uh…no! I know what exactly it's like to be appreciated! I'm Super Mario! I…" Luigi's voice trailed off, his confidence draining the longer he looked at the princesses.

Peach eventually (and thankfully) decided to steer the conversation back on track. "Well, let's continue on our way to the room." She smiled. "I personally chose your bedsheets Rosalina; they're royal purple!"

"Ooh!" Rosalina exclaimed. "That sounds lovely!"

Luigi just stood in place, not really feeling comfortable with following after Peach. He expected Rosalina to follow her, so he was surprised when she stayed by his side. The way she looked at him…her eye glimmered in a way that made identifying her current emotions a difficult task.

"Are you alright, Mario?"

Luigi chuckled. "Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be?"

Rosalina frowned. "You seem…well, you seem a little dismal. Your aura hasn't been shining properly."

Luigi blinked. "My what now?"

"Your aura. Everyone who I've encountered in my travels across the universe has their own aura. It's unique to them and only them, and only those who have a strong connection to the celestial power in this realm are able to see it. Yours is usually a light red luster. Not too overwhelming, but not unnoticeable. But…it's changed."

Luigi started sweating again. He did his best to speak confidently. "How…how so?"

"Well, you're aura is…dimmer. And there's a bluish tint to it, making it look…purple."

"Purple, huh?" Luigi chuckled, feeling more and more like he was doing something wrong. "Well, that's unusually."

"It certainly is. In all my travels, in all my years, I've never seen a person's aura change like this." She furrowed her brow, looking more and more distraught as she reached her hand to Luigi's face. "So….why…?"

"Mario, Rosalina, come on!" Peach called out.

Rosalina froze for a second before turning back in Peach's direction. "Coming!" As she floated away, Luigi couldn't help but tremble. That…that was something else. He didn't know how to accurately describe it, but…it almost like Rosalina had discovered his secret.

He shook his head. Probably not the best idea to dwell on that.