Sorry for the long delay with this chapter. You can safely blame it on the difficulty I had writing the next chapter.

Chapter 19: Planning

A few days had passed since Zion and Mario met. To say progress on gathering the power stars was good would be an understatement. However, the same couldn't be said for Zions suit. With the engine room still down it was impossible to access the backup schematics, and he wasn't about to go messing with the suit without them. Thankfully, the fountain, kitchen, and bedroom were operational again.

Zion, lying in bed, was extremely grateful for that fact. While he had certainly slept in worse places than the soft rug outside the library, nothing beat sleeping in your own bed.

"Hehe, our bed now, I guess." Zion looked to his right to see Rosalina sleeping peacefully. This was the first night she had slept since the observatory had lost its power. She had made it very clear to Mario and the others that they could use the observatory and all of its facilities to their fullest, but the bedroom was off limits to all but Rosalina and Zion. The only exception was allowing Mario to use it as a dome for finding additional power stars, but even he was given a time frame for access.

It was still early in the day, but Zion felt ready to get up and start the day. He may not be able to work on his suit, but they had enough power that he could work on building a new arm. Bowser had practically destroyed his arm, everything around the elbow had been reduced to scrap, and they had abandoned the forearm portion when they retreated.

Thankfully, the Toad Brigade had been doing a great job of creating the shell of his arm. The weapon systems could be copied based on his other arm on the suit, but they had no idea how to create any of the intricate parts needed to connect to his nervous system. They needed his suit schematics for that. Overall, it was a decent start.

After dressing and getting his prosthetic leg on, Zion headed out of the bedroom and towards the garage.

When passing the kitchen, he saw Mario near the map talking with his green clad brother, Luigi. Zion liked Luigi, he was always honest, even if it was evident he was a bit of a scardy-cat.

"Hey guys, anything new?" Zion called out.

They both looked at Zion and waved him over.

"Hey, good morning!" Mario shouted enthusiastically.

"Morning Zion. Hey Mario, maybe he knows," Luigi said.

"Hmm, maybe. It-a might be worth asking."

Zion was curious now, "Sure guys, what's up?"

Luigi scratched the back of his head, "Well…we were talking and walking this morning. I tripped and fell awfully close to the ledge. So we were wondering…" Luigi started asking before his voice trailed off.

Mario finished for his brother, "What-a happens if someone falls off-a the observatory?"

"Oh, was that never explained to you guys?" Zion asked. The brothers shook their heads. "Well, Rosalina has a failsafe in place for that. Just watch." With zero hesitation, he walked off the ledge of the observatory. He heard Luigi shout in horror, before he felt Rosalinas magic surround him, and pull him back to safety. The brothers looked on in awe.

"Rosalina told me that it's been that way for a long time. She set it up in case of emergencies. Ironic considering prior to me showing up it was only her and the lumas staying here, and they can all fly," Zion explained.

Luigi took a deep breath, "Please warn us next time, that was terrifying." Mario, however, was looking off behind Zion, "Mario?" The older brother ran, and jumped off the ledge himself.

"Yahoo!"

"Mario?!"

The magic surrounded Mario, and pulled him back to the observatory, just like Zion.

"That was-a fun!" Mario said while straightening his hat. Luigi wasn't amused, putting his face in his hands.

Zion just shook his head.

"Hey Zion," Mario said, getting his attention, "I was-a talking with one of-a the luma earlier. It said that-a you have a golden flower? That it-a powers your weapons?"

"Yeah," Zion nodded, "I do. Did you want to see it?"

Mario nodded as well, "If-a you wouldn't mind."

"Sure thing, I'll be back in a few minutes with it."

"No rush, take-a your time."

Mario held the orb in his hand, scrutinizing the golden fire flower within. Luigi was also looking at it while scratching his chin. Zion simply watched the brothers. It would be nice if they had any additional info on it, but he wasn't betting on it.

"It looks similar to the ones we've used before, doesn't it Mario?" Luigi asked.

"Yeah, very similar, but-a the face looks different." Mario answered.

"Mh-hm, the ones we used were gold all over. This one only has gold on the stem, leaves, and rim. The face looks normal."

Mario looked to Zion, "And-a you said it regrows?"

"It takes two days or so, but yeah, it grows back as long as the orb is closed." Zion confirmed.

"Hmm, so the orb is-a clearly the source of-a the magic." Mario stated plainly.

Luigi nodded, "Oh yeah, no other orb has ever done something like this before. You said you got it from a *gulp* dragon?"

"Well, indirectly. The dragon was guarding it, he didn't make it…or did he?" Zion wondered out loud.

"It's-a certainly possible. If-a he came from another galaxy, who's-a to say he didn't make it or bring it from-a there?" Mario raised a valid point. One that Zion never stopped to think about.

"I guess it's possible? At the end of the day, I don't care if I never find out how it works, I just need it to continue to work." Zion stated.

"Well, what if it stops working?" Luigi asked.

Mario nodded and hummed in agreement, "Magic items can be-a tricky things. You should-a consider having a backup plan. Just-a in case this flower stops working." Mario handed the item back towards Zion.

Looking into the orb at the flower within, Zion thought aloud, "I should think of another plan regardless. As powerful as this thing is, it wasn't enough to cut through Bowser unless I really pushed the power output. If we can somehow make my weapons stronger, perhaps I'll stand a better chance against him."

Mario jumped and patted Zion on his back, it was quite the strong pat "Hey, don't-a forget about me. Imma not letting you fight him alone." His smile was as genuine as could be.

Zion smiled back, "Yeah, you got it. Alright, I'm off to see the Toad Brigade, good luck on your star hunt. The more you find, the sooner I can get back in action.

Mario gave a thumbs up "Ookie dokie!"

When he first heard that Mario had clashed with Bowser and his child to obtain the previous grand stars, he was admittedly pissed off. He wanted to face them down again. That said, he knew there was nothing he could do in his current state.

However, now things could get back on track. It had taken Mario only two days from the conversation about the orb to obtain another grand star. Hearing Mario had fought Bowser a second time only made Zion more determined to get back into the fight as soon as possible.

Now the engine room was back online, so his arm and suit schematics could be accessed. He wasted no time in gathering the Toad Brigade to help. While they certainly seemed like a clumsy bunch at first, the time he spent with them showed that while they were indeed quirky, they were smart when the situation called for it, and great when someone gave them directions to follow.

With everyone working with everything at their disposal, it took three days of almost nonstop work to create a new arm for Zion, and another day of testing before they were ready to attach it. He was currently sitting in a chair in the garage, ready for the attachment.

"Alright, I'm as ready as ever," he said before shoving a hand towel in his mouth.

"Remind me again why you picked me to do this?" Luigi asked, holding Zions mechanical arm.

Zion took the towel out of his mouth, "Because Rosalina gets jittery doing it, Mario is out collecting stars, and while the Toads are great, they're a bit on the shorter side. Plus, you're a good guy, trustworthy, you can do this." He added the bit at the end to try and boost his confidence.

It apparently worked, as Luigi had a determined look in his eyes. "Alright, let's-a go."

Zion put the towel back in his mouth and nodded, Luigi pushed the arm into place. Just like all the times prior, Zion yelled into the towel. Luigi looked a little unsure of himself when Zion yelled, but it was short-lived as Zion took the towel out and immediately began moving his new arm.

"Well, other than the usual burst of pain from my nerves connecting, everything feels fine so far. Thanks for your help Luigi," Zion said with excitement.

Luigi looked relieved, "I'm glad that worked. Please tell me you won't scream when we get your armor working again."

"Not unless something goes horribly wrong." Luigi gulped. "Regardless, I've gotta think of something to give my suit a boost. Bowser is clearly a very strong opponent, so anything to give me an edge would be a welcomed idea."

Luigi scratched his nose, "Hmm, I don't know, but I can definitely think it over for you."

Zion stood up, "I have an idea or two, but no idea if they're feasible," he looked off towards the landing, "I'm gonna go check in with Rosalina, thanks again Luigi."

Luigi gave him some finger guns as Zion departed.

It only took seconds for Zion to reach Rosalina. The moment she saw him with his new arm, he could see her face light up with joy.

"Look who's got two working arms again," he waved his arms a bit while smiling.

Rosalina wasted no time in floating over to hug him, to which he returned earnestly "I'm so happy for you darling. I know everything has been hard since our battle with Bowser, but I'm so glad to see you back at one hundred percent."

Zion nodded, "Yeah, the only thing left is to figure out my suit. I want to try upgrading it somehow. I have an idea or two, but no idea if or how to implement them."

Rosalina pulled away and looked at him, "Can you tell me about them? I may not know much about your armor, but I want to help however I can." She was indeed determined to help.

"Well, it involves the parts I brought back from Leventhan."

"Really? How so?"

"When I fought him, he used his horns for these electrical attacks. The horn might still carry some sort of electric charge or magic to it. If it does, maybe there's a way to channel it into my suit."

Even though she didn't understand the intricate details of the suit, Rosalina was able to follow along with his train of thought. "It does sound like a reasonable idea." Her thoughts focused purely on how it could be used to help keep Zion safe.

"Are you familiar with EMP?"

Rosalina was indeed familiar with the term. Electromagnetic pulse. She had a good idea where he was going with this. "Perhaps your suit could give off a burst similar to that? It would certainly be helpful if you were grabbed or restrained again," her mind replayed the end of their encounter with the Koopa King.

Zion nodded in agreement, "Yeah, that was my idea. I'll need to rely on the gearmo for this one, I have no idea how to go about making this idea a reality. I'm also not sure what to do with the scale I brought back as well."

Still thinking about Bowser, Rosalina had an idea, "I think you should use it to reinforce the armor around your chest. It would protect you, as well as your suit's power source."

His face lit up when he heard her idea, "Now that sounds like a great idea. I'd rather not have a repeat when-" he caught himself, "if I have to fight him again."

Rosalina still loathed the idea of Zion fighting Bowser again, although she certainly wasn't going to stop him from upgrading the suit to fight again. Although, if things continued in this fashion, the two of them clashing was…inevitable. They were going to have to fight him, and his army. The fate of the universe hung in the balance, and it was their duty to protect it. They had to fight, and she had to face the very real facts.

'He has to fight. We all do. We barely survived the last fight. There's a real risk that one of us won't make it back home…'

"Zion…" she started.

"Sorry, I know you don't like-"

"No, please wait a minute." She interrupted, her thoughts were all over the place, and she was having trouble thinking. 'If I knew we wouldn't see each other tomorrow, what would I say? What would I do? This man. My knight. My Zion…' She took a deep breath.

"Follow me," she was stern, grabbing his hand and leading him. He quietly obeyed, letting her lead the way. It took less than a minute, Rosalina had guided them to the bedroom. Once they entered she took another deep breath.

"You okay, Rosalina?"

She was quiet for a moment, but eventually spoke up. "I've come to realize that Bowser is too grave a threat to the universe. We'll have to help Mario, we'll have to fight with him."

While Zion was hoping to fight Bowser again for some payback, he could see her hesitation. "You don't want me to fight him though. You made that clear before."

"Yes, I don't WANT you to, but you MUST. We both must." Her worry had been obvious in their previous conversations, and it was still evident now.

"You're worried about one of us dying, aren't you?" He asked bluntly, there was no easy way of asking this question.

Rosaline nodded slowly trying to hold back tears, "The thought of losing you is the single most terrifying thought I've ever had, followed only by the thought of my own demise leaving you alone in this universe." She took a few breaths to calm her nerves. "I am a guardian of this universe, and you are my knight. We must fight, no matter the risk."

Zion nodded, "I hate the thought of you in danger, but if I had to pick someone to watch my back in a battle, then there's no one else I'd rather have." He opened his arms to hug her, which she returned without hesitation. They adjusted to kiss each other. While Zion attempted a quick kiss, Rosalina pulled him close for a longer, more passionate kiss. That kiss led to another, which led to another, their tongues also partaking. Eventually, they were forced to separate for air, but continued to hold each other.

Rosalina was first to speak, "Zion…" her cheeks were flushed red from their kissing, and possibly from embarrassment, "please…make love to me."

It took everything he had not to immediately take her up on that request, "Are you sure? Given everything that's going on?"

"That's exactly why I want this. We don't know what may happen in the upcoming battle…I don't want any regrets."

There was a moment of silence before Zion spoke again, "...protection?"

Rosalina looked down with uncertainty, "To be honest, given how long I've lived, I'm not sure if I can become pregnant anymore." She paused, "However…if I were to be blessed with your child, I would be the happiest woman alive." She looked him in the eyes, "Please, Zion. I don't want to regret not doing this if the worst comes to pass."

Zion put his hand on her cheek, and gave her a short, sweet kiss, "Okay."

…

The two of them were in bed, Rosalina had fallen asleep against Zion after their love making. Zion was stroking her hair with his right hand, while staring at her sleeping face.

He turned and looked at his left hand, slowly moving the mechanical parts as if studying them.

"No regrets?" He thought of everything that had happened to the two of them, and the uncertainty of their future, "…alright then, no regrets."

It had taken almost a week of nonstop effort, but thanks to the assistance of the gearmo, Toad Brigade, and Luigi, they were able to repair Zions suit. Luigi had bravely ventured into space to retrieve a star for Zion, but ended up needing to be rescued by Mario. Zion was grateful to both of them.

While repairing the armor, they were able to incorporate the dragon scale into his chest plate for extra protection. Whether or not it would protect him if Bowser scored a direct hit was to be seen, but Zion wasn't going to push his luck. They were still working on getting the horn to work like an EMP, but they had a little bit of time left, so Zion decided to take his suit for a test drive.

As the latches closed around Zion, he put his helmet on and took a deep breath, "Like putting on your favorite set of clothes. Time to run a good old fashion performance check."

Words and status bars flew all around his sight. He read every single one of them as quickly as he could.

"Alright, looks like all systems are go, let's do this." Without another moment's hesitation, he took off, flying around the observatory for the first time in what felt like an eternity. He tested all his weaponry, firing shots into the emptiness of space and igniting his blades for a few test swings. "Looks like I'm back in action, thank God. Time for the next part of my plan." He spotted Mario heading towards the engine room, "Perfect timing."

Zion landed near the engine room, meeting Mario right outside the entrance. Mario nodded while smiling, "Hey Zion, looks like-a your doing super."

"Sure am, I gotta thank everyone for all their help, never would have gotten the suit going again without them, you especially."

Mario nodded again, "You're welcome," he started walking into the engine room, Zion was right behind him.

"By the way, you've been collecting star bits throughout your journey, right?" Zion asked.

"Oh yeah, those luma sure are-a hungry."

"Hehe, for sure. Listen, can I bother you for two of them?"

"Only two?" Mario asked to confirm.

"Only two. If you have a red-ish orange one, as well as a purple one, I'd be grateful."

Mario reached into his overalls and pulled out a large handful of star bits, showing them to Zion.

"Ok, one…and two. Perfect, thanks again for all your help Mario."

"You're welcome. Besides, two is-a lot easier than 2000." He was whisked into the air in a blue light, "See you later!" And with that, he blasted off into space.

Zion laughed while shaking his head, "Ok, that worked out very well." He went over to a small box he had hidden in the corner. Opening it revealed some small pieces of scrap metal, and a small chain meant for a pendant.

"Alright, here's where the real work begins."

Yeah…I might write a lemony scene for that later...maybe...