I'll Never Let You Go

by Drones-of-Innocence

When Bowser mobilizes his latest plot to kidnap Princess Peach, Mario finds himself pursuing them toward the deepest reaches of space. The long journey gives him time to reflect on how he and Luigi came to be in the Mushroom Kingdom. Though he struggles to find a way forward, Mario only has to think of Princess Peach all alone in the center of the universe to keep going.

8. The Gaping Maw of the Universe

ASTRONAUT: I've spent my entire life missing things. That's why I became an astronaut, you know. It was easier to be untethered than to face the fact that no one wanted me long enough for me to grow roots.

[ASTRONAUT looks as though he is about to remove his helmet but hesitates.]

ASTRONAUT: I just want to mean something. I want to be something in such an unmistakable way that people have to remember me. "I couldn't touch any lives, but at least I touched humankind" or something of the sort. I guess I just wasn't born a protagonist.

[A far away star collapses into a black hole. A comet collides with an asteroid. A tornado forms on a planet of dry swirling sand. ASTRONAUT does remove his helmet this time and closes his eyes. His body jerks as his blood begins to boil, but the screen goes dark as soon as it starts.]

-The Last Scene In The Movie, Eleanor Hsieh

O~o~O

An incredible phenomenon took place in the center of the universe.

With the combined energy from Power Stars, dark matter, and a little bit of magic, an artificial star was born.

A process that should have taken billions and billions of years, all shoved into a haphazard project with ridiculous amounts of stolen power to spur it on. A star was successfully created. The first of its kind, in fact. Though, the exact concentration of gasses and the elements were not measured with any level of care. The machinery designed to accelerate natural reactions of light and heat were not built to withstand the products of its own creation. Its original nebulous state formed a protostar in a matter of months. The main sequence began in the weeks after that, nuclear reactions occurring in greater frequency. These reactions happened so quickly that the star began to form gaps to keep up with the desired rate of growth.

The battle saw the rapid depletion of its Hydrogen supply as it grew out of control into a hollowed supergiant. Consuming the light of a red star from within a wayward hero temporarily extended its life, long enough for the Grand Star to retrieve its source. But that source of power was quickly drained. The other reactors began to melt down at the same time the supergiant collapsed.

Only the Observatory, having shifted out of range for the worst of it, was able to safely witness these events.

Princess Peach, on unsteady footing, made her way past the Luigi and the Toad Brigade. Luigi was just coming to, rubbing his head. The Toad Brigade slept. She could hardly bear to see some of them nursing wounds. She had not been caught in the blast quite like them, or involved in the battle. She had been thrown out of danger, under the protection of a Grand Star. Her hands shook as she tried to grip her skirts. Her ankle caved in briefly and she yelped.

She looked up, eyes on the figure who stood at the head of the front platform. Watching the destruction play out. Watching the stars die.

Her heels clicked pitifully loud upon the glass. Peach took in a stuttering breath.

"He is still out there." the woman before her spoke before she could say anything.

Peach came beside the woman, eyes wide as she took in the ethereal being. Her cool, serene demeanor. Her platinum blonde hair, her skin sheened with an unearthly glow.

She swallowed hard. "Mario—" Peach's voice caught in her throat. "Mario, he—he saved me. You must know him." He must have traveled upon this strange vessel to get to her. Peach's throat went dry.

The woman gave a slow nod. She closed her eyes for a moment, before fixing her sharp gaze upon the swirling, spreading universe. "This is called a supernova. Only the largest stars can create such violence in their collapse. It is exacerbated by the presence of the black holes and dark matter."

Covering her mouth with her hand, Peach looked on toward the blazing core. The streaks of light like tiny comets streaming into it with soft cries like children. "What will happen now?" she dared to ask.

The core grew and clouds of matter drew in and out, displacing and destroying. The woman narrowed her eyes as she fixed on a certain point in the distance. "When this storm of destruction clears, a neutron star will be left. It is an incredibly dense star that will spin and spin, releasing electromagnetic radiation until it cools and fades from existence. Meanwhile, the matter from the collapse will spread all across the universe." she hesitated. "The one you call Bowser has managed to accelerate the process, but it is all part of the natural course."

Straining her eyes, desperately searching the stars and asteroids and debris, Peach couldn't recognize anything among them. "And Mario, he's still…" she trailed off.

The platform trembled beneath their feet. The woman lowered her head. Whatever she saw out there, she must not see it anymore.

Peach looked out across the chaos. She clasped her shaking hands to her chest, her heart thumping with an uncomfortable, irregular pressure. She couldn't see him out there. She couldn't see anything. It all moved so fast, loud and explosive and cataclysmic. Her vision went blurry trying to track anything caught in the gravitational tempest. Pieces of planets. Asteroids disintegrating in an instant. The groan of the starship resisting the pull. She pulled in a sharp breath; she wouldn't have a chance at spotting Mario.

"My name is Rosalina. This place is the Comet Observatory; we are safe here. " A hand rested on her shoulder, intended to be soothing. But when she spoke, Peach felt her skin prickling with a cool dread creeping up her spine. She couldn't look away from the supernova. "He restored power to this vessel so that we might come find you. Almost single handedly. He did not…He did not hesitate to help me and my family. And he never wavered from his mission to find you."

Her breaths came in tiny gasps. Peach slowly lowered her head. She felt cold. The supernova, she could feel its pull. She saw his eyes harden as he came to his decision out there. The firmness of his grasp on her. She felt her forehead tingling where he had kissed her. The screeching battle between the Grand Star fighting to carry them both, and the collapsing star at their backs. He didn't hesitate to help Rosalina. He didn't hesitate to choose her and sacrifice himself. He didn't hesitate, of course he didn't, he never hesitated to help anyone. And now she had to watch the galaxy tear itself apart with him still in it.

"We have to do something!" she whirled around to seize Rosalina's shoulders, eyes stinging with tears. "He's still out there. He's still out there, I have to save him. Please! He would give himself for us a thousand times. There—there has to be something I can do! I have to get to him!"

She started forward, prepared to march into the collapse herself. He was out there, somewhere. She could find him. She picked up her skirts to run, only to be yanked back. Arms around her middle before she could step off. "No, Princess!"

Luigi. She struggled uselessly against his grip. He held her tighter, bringing her away from the edge. Away from Mario. "I know that I can help him. I know it!" she squirmed, trying in vain to pry his arms from around her. The tears welled up. "Luigi, he's going to—unless we get to him, he's going to—!"

" Don't ," Luigi said, and his voice shook. Peach went still, twisting to look back at him. He shut his eyes tightly. "Please, don't ."

Even he looked so resigned. Peach pushed against his arms to no avail. Looking at Rosalina, she found that her vision blurred. "He's—he's still out there. He's all alone. Is there any way that I can…?"

She fell quiet, her chest heaving. Rosalina met the desperate Princess' plea with a solemn gaze. A grave countenance. Her silence was enough of an answer.

The tears began to fall, and Peach stopped straining against Luigi with a whispered apology.

She looked at her hands, lip trembling, hot tears falling down her cheeks. Her knees gave out just as Luigi let her go. She covered her face and wept.

Behind them, the Toad Brigade dozed on the grass, unaware of the supernova tearing apart the fabric of space. The mechanisms on the strange vessel orbited around a glowing beacon. And the stars around them fell, black holes swallowing everything in their path. None of it mattered. He was gone.

Luigi sniffled behind her. She looked back at him, seeing the way he stared hopelessly out at the stars. And her heart broke again, seeing him standing there, with no hope of ever seeing his big brother ever again. The weight of his grief, she could see it in his glassy eyes when he glanced at her. He broke down and crumpled beside her. His tears were silent.

She keened to the stars. The universe around them shook, but the Observatory resisted the destruction.

A soft touch upon her shoulder. Peach raised her head to see Rosalina offer a pensive look. "There is something strange out there," she began, and Peach's eyes went wide, a sob stuck in her throat. "My children, the Lumas, decided to act to neutralize the collapse. They cannot stop it; it is out of our hands, but they will be part of the creation of the new stars and galaxies that will result from all of this. Mario, he has made this journey with the power of the stars at his side the entire way. I do not think it has abandoned him yet.

"And from you," she went on, gingerly stroking her cheek with a gentle hand. Wiping away her tears. "There is an immense power in you, I have felt it before. I can feel how your heart calls for him now. Both of you. The Luma's protection, and your divine wishes…They may be keeping him safe. The supernova expands, but I can still feel him out there." she turned to face the bright, expanding light.

Peach blinked several times, sniffing. Her limbs shook. "You can?" she asked, her voice weak.

Rosalina nodded. "Yes. I will reach out for him. But he is still in grave danger. He may not be the same if I can bring him back."

Luigi looked up with shining eyes. Shaking her head, Peach scrambled to her feet and reached for Rosalina's hands with a desperate grip. "Please, just bring him back to me. To us." her throat went tight. "Please."

The light and color began to fade. The endless streaks dove into the core, bursting and expanding. Her children, she had said. The Lumas. "I will." the woman promised, just as the universe went dark.

Nothingness. Peach almost couldn't feel gravity keeping her down on the Observatory. She cried out, thinking she was drifting. A loud rush resounded out in space, and Peach raised her head to see energy and heat and light collide. An epic clash of elements, sweeping and crackling and breaking. The point at which they collided began to glow. Began to burn.

And then there was light.

Blinding, all-consuming light. Matter being scattered across the cosmos. Rosalina had disappeared from her side. Luigi stood up beside her, shaking, watching her warily. Breathing hard, Peach clasped her hands together and held them to her chest.

"Please," she begged, and her voice cracked. Her cheeks were cool with tears. She had to shut her eyes. The power she carried exuded from her core, reached out across the stars. "Come back, Mario."

O~o~O

She scoured the aftermath.

Every inch of what remained, every piece rewritten. She searched, moving through the new light, for the heart that called out to her. A heart so heavy, heavier than a neutron star.

The universe glowed, a serene bright blue with pulsing flashes of yellow light. Echoes of soft cries came from everywhere and nowhere. Familiar pieces of the universe once known moved past her, reduced to atoms to spread all across the stars.

A blue comet. Of course. The magnitude of his love, compounded by the universe-altering collapse, created an entity that could travel across space and time. This specter must have tracked him throughout his journey. Only a shadow of the real thing. A messenger of dread. Hopes unrealized, dreams cut short.

But, the source of the new stars and galaxies insisted, it was not his time. It was not fair. And so she found his essence there, the laws of the universe bending around him.

His body should have been torn apart atom by atom. He should have settled all across the universe, all these tiny hints of him and who he once was. He should have been reborn into a breath of fresh air, the scattered particles of rock and dust beneath every shore, a patch of flowers that swayed in the breeze. But he still existed as he was. The Lumas didn't want to see him go. And Rosalina had touched the tears of the grieving Princess.

She found him, not quite intact, with his spirit swirling away from him. He was Mario, but he was also not. He was a cosmic being that contained everything about Mario. She touched what was meant to be his face, with those magic tears shed just for him, and all at once he jolted to awareness.

A splintering clarity. The mind knew how to be a mind and to think, but the body was losing its concept of itself. A physical default. Simple matter does not remember what it was before when it begins its new life. But his consciousness was preserved.

"Do you hear the baby stars?" she asked, prodding the space around for more remnants of him. "These newborns, they will grow up one day to become stars and galaxies. You made it possible for them to begin living out their full potential."

He did not respond. The cries below and all around echoed in and out and through him.

She had to help him solidify. "The Lumas," she clarified. "They sought their potential in order to save us. And so did you. I watched you fight. I watched you push your Special One to safety while you fell into the dying star. I watched you lose Luma." she sought a recent memory to remind him with.

A dim spark. Recognition. Hands, he remembered that he had hands. Glimmering with star power, embracing his brother, grasping the Princess' hands. Reaching out, futile. He shouldn't remember that he was once a person with a consciousness at all, and yet he rediscovered his hands. Learning how to open and close his palms, how to operate his fingers independently. Here he was, weaving the neural connections to all of his nerves that had been severed before.

Rosalina felt the ache that he was coming to terms with. The blue comet that soared across the universe. She had to bring him back. She promised.

"Was it worth it?" she asked. He could still be lost. She had to know, had to have something to bring back to the Princess.

Yes . His response was instant, almost vicious. Of course .

Rosalina sought his being as it gained some semblance of form. "You would choose this again?"

He was not as quick to answer.

A glimmer of pain. "For her?" she prompted, losing track of his presence for a moment.

Yes. Always.

He paused.

I…I deserve this. Don't I? There is no way around it, I—

I can't…

"Here, here…" She guided him back. "What makes you think you deserve this?"

He choked. I let myself hope that she…that she would ever…

She patiently drew him in, consolidating what pieces of him were within reach.

This is punishment . Because I am a fool. His voice developed more body. The universe is punishing me for my…my audacity.

She smoothed him over, bringing him back, back again. "The universe cannot punish. The universe only is. There is no intention involved."

He reacted, taken aback by this idea.

She reached out until she was able to touch him. His limbs, his core. His face. "You chose to do this out of your own free will. You threw yourself into a dying star to save your friends, your family, and your Special One. The universe did not compel you to do such a thing." His skin was cold. His entire being shook. "The supernova is still splitting you apart. I can hear your heart crying out from where I stand. I need you to open your eyes."

He resisted. There is no point. It's over .

The cries below began to get louder. "You never gave up before. You don't have to now. I need you to trust me."

She managed to clutch him all together, all the distant pieces reuniting. He wasn't reuniting himself, she realized. He was bereft of all agency. No, another force was drawing him together. Inciting his awareness. Rosalina became aware of a very potent power, a soothing, gentle energy field restoring his existence. A divine light that could only belong to her.

"Open your eyes. Please."

It hurts.

"I know. I know, and I'm so sorry. But can't you hear her calling for you?"

From his core was a cold, wretched loneliness. A heavy mass, heavier than he could carry. All around them, the cries began to gain more strength, new voices to shape a new universe. And a light so bright and pure that it began to hurt her eyes, too.

"Luma and the others," she explained, seizing him tighter when his transient being threatened to burst apart again. "They decided to reach out for their potential to save you. They gave all their power to see you return to your body as you were before. And this light, you must recognize it. She's calling upon every ounce of her power to bring you back."

He wavered. I can't. It hurts so much.

She shook her head. "She sent me here to bring you back. Your Special One. The laws of the universe are out of alignment. Her pure force is part of it. I can still save you if you open your eyes."

It is only a dream. The deep cold of space couldn't be more painful. I dream that I was wanted.

"You are wanted. I can assure you."

No. I dream too big.

This is what my life has come to.

This. Spiraling away into a universe where he would not exist. Where he was to be stripped of every atom, every particle until he was nothing but indistinct matter that would form in another way. Until all memory of him fell away and he would never occur in this reality ever again. He was so convinced of his insignificance. The hole in his heart grew heavier still.

"No, no." Rosalina soothed him, giving his voice direction. "No one is intended to suffer. The universe has no intention. It is not cruel or benevolent, only indifferent. Suffering has no purpose. Joy has no purpose either. Both experiences simply are ."

A shaken breath. A respiratory system, straining muscles and organs. The gentle energy expanded around him, defiant against his despair. Willing him back into existence. The cries below, the Lumas became more insistent. His form turned with recognition. Ears. A mended nervous system. A beating heart. A pounding heart, pumping blood through a remade circulatory system. DNA sequences that had been unwound and deconstructed in a horrible instant, now woven back together in perfect order.

Rosalina gave a soft smile at the wonders of this healing force. The love and care that went into his reconstitution.

"When stars die, they turn to stardust and scatter across the cosmos. A star once died which resulted in your creation, as did one for mine." she explained, finding his hands and grasping them. "Collapse and reform. This is as it has always been, and so it will always be. This process can only happen across the course of billions of years. It is always happening, and it is happening right now; you can see it if you open your eyes."

He shuddered. His limbs, his fingers coming to terms with their dexterity. Something about him was still incomplete. A heaviness inside that she recognized. The dead star. But still, he opened his eyes to a bright new life.

His eyes strained and adjusted. The pain of awareness. Still, he marveled. "Oh," he let out, his voice real and full of wonder.

Rosalina nodded. "This is the cycle of life." she said. "But, the cycle never repeats itself in quite the same way."

His eyes fixed on her. The light inside of him, the internal fire, was diminished. All that was left was a terrible, subdued resignation in his expression. The heaviness weighed him down even as he was suspended in the new light. She could not quite parse out the darkness still drawing him in. His only chance was to bring him before his Special One.

She touched his face. "I will bring you back now. But I must warn you, it will hurt." she pursed her lips. "As stars die, so they are born, in a violent burst of energy and light. Are you prepared? Are you ready to return to her?"

Mario blinked and swallowed hard. His skin was still cold to the touch. "Yes." he rasped.

She raised her head and closed her eyes. The light and the cries of the baby stars all fell away.

O~o~O

The Observatory was quiet.

Peach remained, breathing hard and fighting off the ache that threatened her concentration. Her feet firmly planted, her hands clasped together. All her power went toward her thoughts, her wishes, probing the universe. She felt pins and needles creeping up her limbs. Luigi hummed nervously beside her.

But she had found his presence, She had found him out there. Only for him to vanish.

"No!" she cried out. She had him. She had reached out across the stars for him with everything she had, she couldn't lose him now. He had been within her reach. He had been right there, and her power had been working . She took in a shaky breath, reaffirming her grip, and sought harder. Pushing her capacity. Her focus wavered. Her throat became tight. Was he gone? Had she failed? Every ounce of her power, was it not enough? She shook her head, her balance wavering when a spell of lightheadedness washed over her. It couldn't be over. It just couldn't.

It became painful to stand, her hands shaking with the effort of maintaining her force. He was gone. She couldn't feel him out there at all anymore.

She stopped, staring out into the universe.

There was nothing out there. Nothing but galaxies being born. "He's not there," she whispered with a tight throat.

Luigi gently touched her elbow. "Princess…" he started to say, and she couldn't bear it. She couldn't bear the hollow fatality in his voice. He spoke to her like she was a child who didn't understand. But she did. They both did.

Her shoulders trembled.

A reverberating presence. Behind them. Luigi jolted. Peach turned around, feeling faint. There was a soft light. An arrival. Peach recognized Rosalina's form, and there! Beside Rosalina. She recognized him before he had even fully appeared.

She lurched into a run, forgetting the pins and needles. Forgetting her drained energy. Luigi scrambled after her.

He was there. Mario.

Rosalina laid him down in a patch of grass. Was he conscious? Was he alive? Peach sprinted across the platform with Luigi on her tail, down the steps, past Toad Brigade. They were fortunate enough to sleep off their encounter with the supernova. Mario was not so lucky.

No, he'd received the worst of it. Peach and Luigi stopped short next to Rosalina, staring down at him in horror.

His entire body shook. Hands gripping the grass, heels digging into the dirt. His eyes screwed shut.

"Mario?" Peach hesitated to call for him.

The tension in his body. He breathed in short, rapid gasps, his body shuddering uncontrollably. He grit his teeth and turned his head from side to side. Stiff. Strangling.

She whipped her head up to Rosalina, who presided with a solemn look.

Mario gasped out with a pained sound. Heaving a half-breath. A pressure increasing. He gathered his hands into fists, back arching, with a sharp noise that he held back in his throat. Luigi jumped, watching anxiously. The breathing came faster, until a groan finally escaped him. Weak, desperate. Almost like he didn't know how to breathe.

Peach shook her head. "What's happening to him?" she whispered, covering her mouth.

Rosalina lowered her head. "He is holding a dead star inside of him." She spoke low, her voice catching when Mario choked. "He is experiencing every possible human sensation at once. Being born. Growing. The functions and decline of the body. Dying. The cycle of life, he is feeling it all."

They looked upon him as his hands whipped up, grasping at his throat. He coughed, heavy and painful, before he took in a thick gasp as if he was just learning how to use his lungs properly. Deep, harsh breaths. The hint of a distressed moan with every exhale. He shook his head, refusing to let it out. His frenzied form squirmed there on the ground. Panting, his face twisted with agony. His shaking hands covered his face, reaching up to grip his hair. His boots uprooted the grass.

Peach felt herself go pale. She reached out, stepping toward him, only for Rosalina to stop her with a hand on her shoulder.

Her piercing eyes bore into Peach. "He has to let it go, or he will die. He is holding it too closely. He must be the one to release it, otherwise there is nothing we can do. You must convince him." She nodded down to him. "Go. You can save him."

She didn't hesitate. Peach turned and flew to his side, falling to her knees beside him. "Mario," she reached out, her voice thick with emotion. She tried to pull his hands away from his head. "Mario, it's okay. It's over now. You did it!"

He resisted her. He let out a warbling noise that broke her heart, and writhed against the ground.

"You're here. You're here with me, it's going to be okay. You have to trust me." She wrenched his arms apart. His entire body went shuddering, reeling, but she gripped his hands and refused to let go. Even as he ripped his arms back, his inhuman strength throwing her over him, she didn't let go. His hat slipped off his head. Luigi yelped on her behalf and leapt forward to help.

The universe all around them slowly returned to a state that was more familiar. The light dimmed until all that was left was the deep blue of space. A quiet stillness despite the chaos raging in him.

Peach clambered over him, fighting the twitches and spasms, the small grunts of pain that he let out. Luigi fought to hold him still. "Please," she said, touching his anguished face. His brows furrowed, his eyes shut tight. His jaw clenched so hard that every sound from his throat was strained. "We're safe. All of us, because of you. Luigi, the Brigade, we all survived. It's okay now because you saved us. You can—you can let go."

Every single muscle in his body remained tense. No heat came from his body. His cheek was cool to the touch. The dead star was extinguishing his Firebrand, extinguishing him.

"Hnngh!" he shoved against the grass, the back of his head hitting the ground. Floundering. His body thrashed and rolled until Peach and Luigi were forced off, and he ended up on his stomach with his hands clutching his head. Knees jerking, kicking out. Struggling against a force inside.

Peach didn't hesitate to dive beside him, grasping his hands in her own again. "Mario, you have to let go now. Please, it's okay." She tried to wind her arms through his, but he covered his face with a stiff grip. "You're so strong. I know you are. You made it all the way to the center of the universe, and then you saved me. You've never stopped saving me from the day we met. So let me save you. You don't have to be strong. You can let it go. I'm right—I'm right here." Her voice became thick, eyes stinging.

She managed to pry into his forearm enough to see his face, and she realized she could see one eye peering up at her. Narrowed with a pain she had never seen him harbor before, shining with tears.

His strength began to wane, and she was able to unwind his arms from his head and run her hands through his hair. His hands feebly gripped the grass. "I know it hurts. And it's okay. I'm right here, I've got you. You can let go now." She murmured to him, looking him in his eyes.

Peach kept her arms over him when the tears finally fell, and a terrible sob spilled out of his throat.

He tried to stop it. Shoving his hands to his mouth. But he couldn't hold it in anymore. He gave in. He let go, and a wretched cry echoed across the Observatory. A broken, angry sound. Tears he had adamantly refused to shed for years, now coming to the surface.

Curling up, he thumped his forehead into the ground and gripped the grass as he wept. Every muscle taut, straining, as if he wanted to bury himself.

Peach struggled to get her hands underneath his body. His entire being was unnaturally heavy. She strained, breathing hard from the effort, to pull him up until she was able to get her arms around him. He resisted. His body sought the ground, the edge. A black hole. Anything. "I'm here," she wavered, drawing him close and easing his harsh grip with her own gentle one. "It's okay. Let me carry it with you."

She couldn't tell if he was able to hear her or not. His fists clenched and unclenched, fighting the tension that wrought every fiber of his being. She managed to grasp his wrist and draw him to her. Around her waist, pushing him to recognize he could fall into her.

He clutched at her instead. Clinging to her like he would die if he let go.

The heaviness drew her in. Peach held him as his sobs wracked his body, meeting his wild grief with equal stability. She stroked his back, whispering to him. "That's it. It's okay. It's all going to be okay, I promise. You did so well." Her voice became thick. He still trembled all over, and there was nothing she could do to soothe him except wait. She could feel his heart's frantic irregular rhythm. Forgetting and remembering how to breathe. The terror and torment of it all. Her own heart pounded up to her throat. His grip on her might have been painful, but she didn't notice.

He let out a thick, anguished shout. Muffled into her chest. Peach reaffirmed her fierce embrace with a hitched breath. Her own tears began to slip down her cheeks, unable to imagine his pain. She pressed her face into his hair and gingerly rocked him back and forth.

His stiff shoulders rose and fell with every desperate breath, chest catching with every sob. Peach felt his arms around her waist loosen and tighten, as if suddenly recognizing that he was able to hold her again. Like he was remembering how his body worked. The heaviness inside, she could feel it resting against her. A potent gravity contained within him. He had to be the one to release it, Rosalina said. Still, Peach called upon all her strength and wished desperately to help Mario let it go. This pain that he felt. The universe carried on his back. She needed to alleviate it somehow.

She had felt it before, in that dream weeks ago. A hint of the weight that he carried. The way he stumbled into her arms and held her so tightly. He had never approached her in such a manner before, and she had woken from it convinced that she had experienced something true. It wasn't just her own wistful thoughts about holding him.

That weight had been his own, but this was different. She had seen the magnitude of the collapse with her own eyes, and she felt the dark vacuum that drew out all the fire inside of him. Her hands were becoming cold from holding him so close. The dead star inside robbed heat and light, sucked out everything that imbued him with the life and spirit that she adored so much.

Peach brought a hand up to the back of his head. He jolted against her, scrambling, like she had been about to abandon him. "It's okay," she soothed, angling her head down so she could press her cheek against his. She flinched at his cold skin. "I—I'm here."

The only sound from the Observatory was the low humming from the machinery. Mario's wavering breath hitched. A soft sound caught in his throat, but there were no words. He had none. The weight became so stifling, Peach could feel it pressing in around them with the same horrific, compelling force as a black hole. But she wouldn't back off now. She wouldn't lose him again.

Life began to stir around the space. The Brigade mumbling behind them. When Peach looked up at Luigi, she found that he'd fallen to his knees. His eyes went wide. Taking in Mario's quivering form.

She looked at him, her lip trembling. "Luigi," she sniffled. His face went pale. It was clear in his darting eyes that he didn't know what to do. Didn't know what to say.

Mario gasped against her, and Luigi jolted. His eyes widened as he saw the way Mario's chest contracted. The abject shock sank into his face as he took in what was happening. He reached out, only to hesitate and instead rest his hand on Peach's shoulder. A hesitant grasp. "I've never…I've never seen him cry before," he admitted, breathless. His hand shook. "He never…"

The sobs lost their force, and Peach tried and failed to blink back her own tears. She had never seen Mario cry either. But Luigi was his brother. They were brothers, and Mario had never cried in front of Luigi before? In all their years together? Her heart ached for Luigi; witnessing this foreign lapse in his brother. How was he supposed to cope with that? She was afraid to let go of Mario, so instead she tilted her head slightly to rest against Luigi's. "I'm sorry." she said. "Come here."

Nodding, Luigi eased closer, and they both tried to hold back their own sniffling as Mario's entire body quivered. Peach tightened her grasp on him. Luigi supported his other side, keeping him cradled in their embrace.

She wondered if Mario could tell he was surrounded by love, bearing against her and supported by Luigi. Could he know?

The tension began to ease out of his shoulders. Breath by breath. He fell into her, muscles weary and spent. His hand twitched. "I'm right here," she said, gathering him up and taking the weight willingly. He could at least understand her in some sense, whether he had awareness of where he was or not. The more his body relaxed, the lighter he felt. She gave a watery laugh and shared a glance with Luigi as she realized was calming down. She pressed into him, his tears cool on her skin. "I'll never let you go," she promised in a whisper.

His breathing became more regular. She could feel every beat of his precious heart stabilizing in his chest. He was following her breathing, she realized. His shoulders, his arms, the back of his neck relaxed. She supported him entirely.

Long, smooth breaths. She guided him, and he followed. In, and out. She held him tighter as his body began to shut down.

All tension fell away. His arms loosened around her.

She had seen him with the power of wildfire, fighting for their home countless times. Fighting for her. She had watched him during that final battle. A new power inside him. He was the strongest man she knew. And now, he lay completely limp against her. Every bit of tension abandoned his body. Luigi looked as his boots thumped into the grass.

Delicate footsteps approached from behind. Mario's head rolled until he rested against her shoulder. Luigi took in a sharp breath. Peach looked up, holding Mario protectively.

Rosalina gave a sad smile, and eased down beside them. "He has exhausted himself," she remarked, pressing her palm to his forehead. "You did well. I could feel your power out there, renewing his life force. Witnessing the supernova caused a kind of collapse in him, too. A death and rebirth, like stars must do. But somehow, you were able to bring him back. There must be starlight in your power as well. It was wonderful."

She looked at Peach with sincere admiration, a sort of pride that made Peach's cheeks flush. It was just like how her mother used to praise her. "Is he going to be okay?" she asked, gently adjusting Mario so they could all look at him. His face had been wrenched with so much pain before. Now, with his cheek pressed against her chest, he seemed so peaceful.

A placid nod. "The dead star was entrenched inside him. And you know him better than I do; he believes he must keep everything painful close to his chest." Peach swallowed hard and gave a tiny nod. Luigi averted his eyes. "But he will be okay because of you. Both of you did wonderfully. I can draw the star out now that it is no longer tied to him." she explained.

Rosalina had a soft look as she regarded him. Peach felt a new calm wash over her, Rosalina's presence making her feel small. Like a child. Safe and secure.

Closing her eyes, Rosalina held up her hand, and Mario's body gave a short spasm. His eyes opened. Peach cradled the back of his head with a start. "Oh!" He wasn't conscious, no, his eyes were different. They glowed with a soft light. She couldn't see his pupils; instead his eyes were like windows into space. Stars, planets, and galaxies. Comets. Rosalina placed a hand on his chest, and a weight Peach hadn't noticed in the air around them began to disperse. Like breathing after coming up from the water.

A veil lifted. Peach faced Rosalina with wide eyes.

"Whoah," Luigi breathed, and they gazed into the starry kaleidoscope of Mario's eyes. Somehow beautiful, but somehow frightening to see in human eyes that were supposed to be blue. He was supposed to be awake, supposed to be here with them. Instead, he was somewhere else. Somewhere they couldn't explain. Peach swallowed hard and grasped Luigi's elbow. He held her back, and they shared a worried look.

Tilting her head, Rosalina gestured back to Mario. "His body is like a shell of itself right now until the star is dispersed. It can still hurt him." She drew her hand up, the chill receding from his body little by little. "Here, can you see the universe in his eyes?"

Peach shifted her arms further around him, and found that her throat tightened and her lip trembled in response to the question.

"I've always been able to." she whispered, with a wobbly smile.

She saw everything and nothing at all. She saw his eyes, cloudy and tired and homesick. She could feel him, his general aches and pains from all of his journeys that he never mentioned out loud. She saw those eyes reflect the gray city that he came from, the pessimistic life he had left behind for the Mushroom Kingdom. She had seen his panic and despair before, and she understood that they were a very long way from home and so of course some things had lost meaning and others had become far more important.

Like her. She saw the magnitude of his heart, the biggest she had ever seen, beating for her. Beating for everyone that he loved. Someday, that precious heart caged in his ribs would stop, though she willed for it not to happen yet. He cared about her so much. She would have known anyway; he came across unfathomable lengths just to save her. She wanted to tell him, somehow, that she cared for him, too.

She saw the unsettling deep blue of the cosmos there in his eyes, and she wished on all the stars that she could just tell him.

The weight that had settled around them now dissipated from her senses like fog in the sun. Mario's body no longer felt cold. He breathed normally, his heart beating strong in his chest once more. Peach could have cried.

When she raised her head, Luigi watched her with a newly softened look. He smiled.

Rosalina's brows creased with concentration. She fixed on Mario's vacant stare.

O~o~O

Everything is…so warm, now.

"Yes. You came back to us. I'm so very proud of you."

It is over?

"You won. We all won. The universe is safe because of you."

I can…I can feel him out there. He is not the same. Everything is new.

"Luma is still there, yes. He won't ever be the same, but you might be able to come across him again someday if you're lucky."

Luigi, the Brigade, and…

"All here. All safe."

Thank you. You kept them all safe. You saved me, too.

"It was my privilege. You and your friends are very special. But I am not the only one who saved you."

…

"You are loved. I want you to know that. Your place in the universe was never one that you had to earn. You deserve to live. You deserve happiness."

Th—thank you.

I think I understand now. We are not given a purpose. But we can choose one. I think I found mine; I feel like I was born to love. Luigi, the Mushroom Kingdom. I think I was born to love them. And the Princess. I think I was born to love and protect her, to be by her side even across the universe.

She couldn't help but smile at the renewed light she felt. His fire stoked back to life.

"I think you should tell her that."

A flush of startled heat.

…Oh.

She chuckled. "You can wake up when you're ready. We're waiting for you. It's time to return you home."

O~o~O

Home.

Soft voices. Warmth. An achingly familiar floral perfume. A cold knot tight in his chest. A heart beating right in his ear. It was like a dream. He tried to breathe in, but his throat and lungs stung with an icy tension. Something stroked his face. Lights danced behind his eyes.

Kind, considerate conversation. "The star is gone. The worst of it is over." a smile in the soothing tone. "I have never seen him so relaxed on our entire journey as he is here in your arms. I can see why you are his Special One."

A bashful hum. "Oh."

Shifting, a touch to his chest. "Is he awake?" a lower voice asked, a voice he'd known his whole life.

"Nearly. He may still be hurting." A cool touch to his forehead. The voice shifted, as if the speaker had turned to face someone else. "But I believe that you know how to heal him."

"Oh, yes. Of course." A murmur answered.

He floated along. Contained in a perfect pressure. It wasn't like the collapsing reactor, instead it was gentle and soothing. A comfort he must have known before, or must have sought. But the ache in his chest grew, and he shivered.

A sweet giggle. A precious sound that he wanted to hold close. Like iridescence and sunlight. "Shh, it's okay." Delicate lips pressed to his. A soft kiss.

He shot to awareness with a start. The pressure all fell away like a harsh white noise so constant he hadn't noticed it until it stopped. The heat that rushed through his system smothered the cold ache. Arms pulled tighter around him. A startled grip.

He opened his eyes.

"Wh—Where—?" Mario gasped.

His eyes immediately reacted to the light. He winced. Starlight and orbs of glowing orange lanterns. Shimmering above. Green grass around him, the open expanse of space before him. He jolted, trying to scramble away from the edge. But he was steadied by that warm pressure all around that he'd felt in a dream. A persistent ringing in his ears wouldn't go away. His eyes adjusted slowly. He blinked and looked up, only to see the most beautiful blue eyes he'd ever seen in his life.

She smiled, and Mario found his heart pounding up in his throat. "Mario," Princess Peach whispered, and pulled him closer.

He abruptly realized that the stable, warm presence that held him was her arms. She was holding him. His cheeks burned; he must have dreamed she had kissed him.

"Capo!" A weight threw itself against him, and Mario immediately recognized his brother.

He managed a smile through the pain, but found that he could hardly raise his arm to hug him back. "Coniglio," he muttered, and smiled when Luigi embraced him, pressing his face into his temple. Sweet, relieved laughter sang over it all, and Mario gave a weak smile as all his tension melted away between Princess Peach and Luigi.

A shimmering presence. Mario raised his head as he recognized her ethereal blue glow. She offered a gentle smile. "Welcome back," Rosalina said. "You're aboard the Observatory. You're safe now."

Of course. He recognized the patches of flowers in the grass, the starlight. The Fountain to his right, the Terrace behind him, and the overarching structure that hovered above it all. He let out a shaky breath. Shifting his legs felt like trying to lift dead weight. One of his arms rested on Luigi's back. The other, as Mario was mortified to notice, was around the Princess' waist. He wanted to pull back and apologize, but between her and his brother, he couldn't move very much. His muscles weren't responding to him at all.

"How are you feeling?" Luigi pulled back to hold Mario's face in his hands.

Blushing, Mario was conscious that he was still pressed very close to the Princess. "Ahi," he groaned. Everything ached. Her elbow supported the back of his head. Her royal blue pendant was cool on his cheek. "I am at the…At the fruit." he forgot the actual phrase.

Luigi's sudden sputter of hysterical laughter made everyone break into startled grins. New voices responded to the noise, and Mario recognized the Brigade. He wanted to apologize when he saw Luigi's misty eyes as he laughed. "He says he's at the fruit! He's feeling terrible!" Luigi wheezed, before a few tears fell. He kissed Mario's forehead. "Thank the stars. I'm so happy, Capo, I thought you were a goner."

Mario's eyes welled up too, and he managed to raise his arm enough to rest on the back of Luigi's head when he buried his face in Mario's chest. "I'm sorry," he whispered, but he thought he'd been a goner, too.

Reaching across, Princess Peach rubbed Luigi's back and smiled down at them. "We're okay now," she said. Mario wasn't sure if she was telling them, or telling herself.

"Oh, Princess—" he started with dismay, seeing her tears.

"Shh, it's okay. We're okay." she stopped him and cradled them closer, her forehead thumping into his. "It's over now."

Rosalina watched over them, keeping the Brigade close to her, while the three of them gasped and tried not to cry anymore.

Mario was grateful that she gave them a long moment to calm down. He tried as best as he could to match the security with which Luigi and the Princess held him, but he couldn't grip with any strength. His muscles trembled when he tried. His joints all felt wrong. Backwards. He was only a little sore, but it was a deep weariness that made his limbs feel so strung out and weak. Luigi squeezed him hard only to pull back slightly to rap his knuckles against his chest.

"Don't you ever do that again," he whisper-yelled, conscious of the Brigade behind them. When Mario flinched, the light strike actually stinging a little, Luigi was quick to soothe him. "Sorry. But I'm serious. You can't just—you don't just get to leave me like that."

Shifting, Mario's throat tightened up when Princess Peach's palm rested on his chest instead. "You'll have to forgive us for being selfish," she said, and Mario instantly wilted at her frail voice. "And I know you were acting for the greater good. But I—I couldn't bear to lose you…" she looked deep into his eyes. He could feel her chest hitch.

Lying prone the way he was between them, he couldn't cover his face like he wanted when his eyes welled up. "I'm sorry." he choked.

"No, no, no." soft croons answered him. Luigi gathered him up again, and Princess Peach shook her head and thumbed away the tear tracks down his cheek. He wanted to wipe hers away, too. "It's okay. It's okay."

He wasn't used to the Observatory being so quiet.

They held one another until Mario's breathing smoothed out again, and they all looked at each other with watery smiles.

"I think we could use a break." Luigi braved the moment with a nod, glancing back at Rosalina to let her know they were ready.

The Brigade stumbled over themselves in their rush. "Mario! You're okay! You made it!" They cheered, and Luigi shifted back so each of them could give Mario a hug. Peach gently instructed them to be careful when Mario winced at the Captain's enthusiasm.

"We saw you out there, you were amazing!"

"Yeah, you sure showed Bowser."

"Did you see us?"

Mario looked between all of them, their bright smiles and giddy spirit. The Toad in his lap adjusted his glasses. "That's right. We fought, too. We took on the armada!"

Another raised his pickaxe. "They didn't stand a chance!" Luigi guided the sharp end of his tool away from the other Toads, and he lowered it with a sheepish laugh.

"It was hard," the other yawned. "But we made it. Thanks to you, Mario. And Rosalina!"

The Messenger Toad lit up. "Oh yeah! Thank you, Miss Rosalina! You helped us a lot."

Mario shot an alarmed glance to Luigi, who rubbed the back of his head. "Ah, yes. Thank you, Miss Rosalina." he patted Mario's shoulder. "When things started to go south, we were in range of the Observatory before the meltdown got too big. Miss Rosalina was able to pull us out. This guy had a lot to do with it; he gathered the Brigade and didn't let go of me the whole time. You did a good job!" he pulled the Captain towards him to squeeze him tight until he started giggling.

The Captain beamed, and threw his hands up when Luigi lifted him in the air. "I was brave like Mario!"

With all five of them wriggling around him, Mario shook his head with a big smile. "I'm very proud," he said, and he saw the Captain's eyes fix on him and shine under the starlight.

He couldn't help but think that Rosalina's smile looked a little sad. "It's been a long journey so far. Perhaps we could all sit down for some tea to calm down?" She swept up her dress and knelt beside them, looking between each of them and the brigadiers.

The Brigade all burst into eager murmurs. "Ooh! Tea sounds good. I'm hungry, though."

"Can we take a nap after?"

They reluctantly pulled away from Mario, all talking over one another. "It has been a long journey, huh? Where do they keep the tea again? Is it in the Kitchen?"

"No, I think it's in the Library."

"Oh, right." They toddled off, helping each other along. It was only then that Mario noticed a couple of them were limping, and one or two of them had bandages from the fight. He pursed his lips.

Rosalina looked over him, still mostly supported by Princess Peach as she stood up again. "Are you feeling okay?" she asked, and Mario realized he hadn't really moved much. He still lay with his entire torso resting against the Princess. His cheeks flushed with heat. She must be uncomfortable. "Do you think you can stand?"

He nodded on instinct. "Yeah, I'm—" he went to shift up, and blinked several times at the sheer amount of effort it took. "I, eh…I think so." he tried to smile.

With what Mario could only describe as a sneaky smile, Rosalina swept her dress aside and turned toward the grassy stairs. "Luigi, perhaps we can help the Brigade find the star anise tea that you harvested?" she gestured with her wand.

Luigi looked between her and Mario with wide eyes, already halfway reaching for him. But his eyes widened. Something in his expression clicked. He gave Mario that very same sneaky smile, and backed off. He dusted off his overalls as he stood. Grass stains on his knees. "You got him, right?" He checked with Princess Peach. At her quick nod, he stood up and sauntered off with Rosalina.

Mario watched Rosalina and Luigi share a quiet, amused conversation while they walked away for a few moments until it clicked for him, too.

"Here," Princess Peach drew her arm further around him and went to brace him as she shifted onto her knees. Her hands were so gentle. She encouraged him in low, sweet words, holding him tightly as he struggled to get to his feet. "Oh, you poor thing. Your hands are shaking."

He wavered as soon as he stood. His knees wanted to give out. "Whoah," he muttered, but the Princess stood her ground and held him firm. He was almost amazed by the complete lack of power behind his muscles. So much so that he could hardly support himself. A strange dizziness came over him, and he found himself leaning more into her than he wanted to. "S—sorry." he felt his cheeks run hot again.

Princess Peach laughed, and it was the most delightful sound he might have ever heard. "Mario, my sweet hero. I promise it's okay. You don't have anything to apologize for." she paused to squeeze him in a quick embrace before she returned her hands to his shoulders to guide him along. He already dreaded the stairs, but the way she said his name could have melted him into a little puddle. He nearly did for a moment; his ankle gave in. The ground seemed to shift without him. The Princess was quick to act, and caught him before he could face plant into the grass.

When he looked up at her, she combed back a stray lock of his hair and smiled.

"Easy…" she led him one step at a time. The stairs gave him a hard time, and he was sure that part of the reason his hands were shaking was because of the way she braced him so closely to her. Only to assure that he wouldn't fall. Probably. Her perfume was sweet and reminded him of home.

Out of the grass, onto the stone and glass platforms. She kept him far from any edge. Mario felt something bittersweet in his throat; she was so considerate of him. She continued to reassure him the whole way, soothing murmurs and praise despite how he couldn't take more than ridiculously small steps. His boots dragged along the ground. "I've got you. Oh, careful on that step up. There you go. Wonderful. You're doing great. I think we're almost there." She looked up ahead, toward the Kitchen, but Mario was able to indicate with a weak gesture where the Library was.

He unwittingly began to slump forward as soon as they got to the carpet, throwing off his center of balance, only for Princess Peach to quickly grasp his hands and force him to lean into her for support. "Oof," he let out, shutting his eyes for a second and finding it harder to open them again.

She led him inside the dim room, keeping him from stumbling. He wondered if he was heavy. He sure felt heavy.

Luigi had set up a chair for him already. Something inside Mario ached when he looked at the cushions on the floor. He wanted to lay down. His body needed rest. But he had to stay up for this; they probably needed to figure out what they would do now. He dragged his gaze up, squinting, and fought to keep himself upright. The last few steps before he was able to collapse in the seat felt like he was struggling through mud.

Someone might have said something to him, but he didn't hear it. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes. The Princess must have left to speak with Luigi. He could hear the indistinct ramblings of the Brigade, all sitting on the floor together. Soft lights behind his eyes moved in smooth patterns. A muted glow. Lumas, there were still a couple of them. Or maybe they were new? Maybe that was why the Observatory had seemed so quiet. Mario realized he'd left his hat behind in the grass. A sudden bout of grief gripped his throat; Luma wasn't there to play under his hat anymore. He still had so many starbits left that he meant to give him. The fireplace behind him crackled and sputtered.

A ginger hand touched his elbow. Mario jolted.

"Sorry," Luigi murmured, and guided Mario to sit up properly in the chair. His hands were raised up around a mug until he could hold it on his own. He looked down as the steam warmed his face, and saw the starbit floating inside to sweeten the tea. He swallowed hard.

Luigi left him with an affectionate squeeze of his shoulder, and Mario sat there, trying not to cry.

"Oh, that looks like it hurts. Come here…" Across the room, Princess Peach gestured for the Captain to come forward. He sported a cut on his cheek and arm that Mario hadn't noticed before. The Princess drew the Toad close, and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. His wounds healed in a soft glow of rosy light.

"Thank you, Princess," the Captain said graciously, and she smiled and rubbed his arm before she gestured for the other Toads.

One by one, she gave each of the Toads a tiny kiss and thanked them for their heroic efforts. Mario gave a faint smile. She called Luigi over, too. Though he was bashful, she gave him a friendly kiss on the cheek. Any wounds or pain were smoothed over by her healing power.

"Thank you, Princess." Luigi rubbed the back of his head, echoing the shy sentiments from the Toads. "I don't want to wear out your power. But I appreciate it."

Princess Peach shook her head. "Not at all. I only wish there were more I could do for you." she beamed when Luigi brought her a mug and sat with her, and Mario noticed a heaviness in her eyes that he hadn't seen before. Her powers had limits, he knew, but he didn't understand them. He'd never seen her reach them before. Perhaps she had used them on him while he was out. He blushed at the prospect while Luigi explained the tea to her. His enthusiastic gestures nearly caused him to spill his own cup, and the Princess' bright laughter filled the room.

Mario tried to sip the tea, but his hands still shook, so he slowly lowered it to his lap.

If he closed his eyes for long enough, he felt like there wasn't any gravity. He was drifting. Helpless. Just as he had been out there. He let out a weak breath and fought to keep his eyes open.

More of it was coming back to him. Piece by alarming piece. The bolts of light, the pulses that reverberated with enough force to fracture planets. The terrible heat of the hollow sun, the devastating cold of nothingness. Someone had tried to explain it to him, the process of it all. A voice out there. Rosalina, maybe. The life cycle of stars. The slow, neverending transformation of the universe. But Bowser had managed to harness enough power to replicate and accelerate the death of a star. He probably didn't mean for the star to melt down, but his hubris often failed to consider many consequences in favor of short-term victories.

What had become of Bowser? He always managed to find some way out of whatever predicament he got himself into. His castle architecture was just as dangerous to him as it was to Mario, and he wondered if he forgot that sometimes. How many times had he dropped the great Koopa into one of his own lava pits? A small part of him held the small, strange hope that Bowser had made it out somehow. As terrible his plans were, as much suffering as he had caused, Mario didn't think he deserved that feeling of being torn apart in the collapse.

He shuddered. He didn't want anyone else to feel that way.

Rosalina was looking at him when he managed to raise his head. He recognized that knowing look.

"Oh, goodness. Here, let me help you." Princess Peach appeared at his side again. Mario started, but she merely steadied his hands and helped him bring the cup to his lips. Very slowly, very gently. Mario's face flushed with heat at the careful way she kept her hands over his. He swallowed a sip of the hot, sweet tea before she eased it away from him. She moved to take away his mug and set it down. Her hands returned to his in a swift moment.

There was a desperate question in her eyes that Mario wasn't sure he would be able to answer. He wished she would never let go of him.

"Mario," Rosalina called his attention. He faced her as she nearly appeared to glide across the room. Some of the Lumas followed. One nuzzled her cheek as she gazed down at him. "You have a lot of recovering to do. Sleep will help."

Princess Peach gave an emphatic nod. "Oh, yes. You don't need to do any more soldiering for right now; I can see that you're tired." she reached up to stroke his face, and Mario blushed.

He averted his eyes. "We should make the plan to get home," he tried to insist, but his own voice sounded somehow muddled.

Rosalina smiled, and shook her head. "I promise I can get you all home. We can discuss it later. But you need to rest. You've survived the impossible; you don't need to push it anymore." She turned to face Princess Peach. "The Bedroom is down past the Kitchen at the Southwest corner." She left them with a nod.

"Right." Princess Peach moved to grasp his arm and help him out of the chair.

She started to lead him out of the room as she had done before, but just before they left, Luigi jogged over to help. Between the both of them, Mario was able to trudge along without fear of tripping.

Outside the Library, the Observatory was very bright. Mario wanted to look at the floor. But if he tilted his head too far forward, he started to actually lean forward with his whole body. So he had to bear the painful light until his eyes were able to adjust. Princess Peach's hands were firm at his wrist and shoulder. Luigi propped him up from under his arms, bearing most of his weight. He couldn't bring himself to say anything. He wanted to apologize.

After struggling past the shelves and down the ramp, they finally stumbled into the Bedroom. It was blissfully dark, to Mario's relief. When he finally got up onto the mattress with help from Luigi, he felt right away that he wouldn't be able to get up. It was a wonder they ever got him out of that chair in the first place. Luigi was quick to kneel down and unlace his boots to pull them off. Once his boots were set aside, Luigi stood right up again to give him a long hug.

Mario didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around him and rest his head on his little brother's shoulder. A long sigh left him. He felt like a dead weight.

"Riposati bene, Capo." Luigi whispered, rubbing his back.

Feeling small, Mario couldn't answer except to nod.

The room seemed to get cold as soon as Luigi unwound himself and backed away. He gave a polite nod to the Princess before he left the Bedroom, leaving Mario alone with her.

When he met her eyes, Mario automatically felt himself choke up again.

He only just noticed the state of her rumpled dress and hair, a faint panic behind her eyes. Her face was pale. He shivered when she gave a demure smile. "Here, why don't you lie down…" she came closer with careful steps, and helped ease him back until he was laying down with his head on the pillow. His body sank into the mattress and he briefly wondered if he'd ever be able to move again. He let out a sigh, and the Princess drew up a chair after she had pulled the blankets over him. "There you go. Is that okay?"

As soon as she sat, Mario shifted, and she reached to find his hand so she could intertwine her fingers with his. "Yes." he answered, his voice hoarse. "Thank you."

The entire room was purple. He hadn't noticed before, having been so occupied with running off to as many galaxies as he could. He couldn't even remember which galaxies he'd been able to access from the Bedroom. Rosalina had offered him the space to sleep before, but he'd never taken her up on it. He had probably slept literally everywhere but the actual Bedroom. It was a very nice bed.

Princess Peach squeezed his hand, and took in a deep breath. "Mario," she started softly. She drew up their hands, pressing his gloved knuckles to her face. "I…What you did back there…"

Mario swallowed hard, already feeling the tightness come back to his throat.

She sighed, and clasped his hand between both of hers like it was her most precious possession. "I'm so glad that you're okay now. But for a little while there, I really thought I'd lost you." she gave a wobbly smile, and Mario frowned when he saw her eyes shine with tears.

He reached up, his hand uncertain after leaving hers, and gently swiped his thumb under her eye as the tears began to fall. "Princess," he murmured, and she closed her eyes and pressed her cheek into his hand. Compelling him to stay.

"I—I really thought you were gone." she took in a deep, shuddering breath.

Mario's heart ached at the look on her face. "I'm here." he offered, feebly.

She shook her head, and her expression crumpled when she brought her face down to rest on his chest. "You weren't." she sniffled. "You weren't, and I had to watch you…I couldn't do anything. I was so scared, so terrified, because there was nothing I could do to help you. You did it to save me, but I'm not worth it. I'm not worth throwing yourself into a dying star." her voice was muffled against him.

Shifting his other arm out from under the blankets, Mario reached for her. "You are," he said, because she was. With his whole heart, he knew she was worth it. He would do it again if he had to.

"I'm not. I'm not ," she gasped, and her shoulders began to tremble. He felt warm tears spill down his cheeks, too. "Please, don't ever say that. I couldn't—I couldn't do this without you."

She brought up her arms to wrap around him, one arm around the back of his head and the other clutching his shirt as she pressed her face into his neck. Mario hesitated, hands hovering for a moment, before he let his arms rest over her back. When he did hold her in earnest, she gave a tremulous gasp and held him tighter. He closed his eyes. His own breaths became a little shaky again. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

He wondered if she knew. If she had any idea what she meant to him. What he would do for her, should it become necessary. His choice was already clear. He'd already made it. But a power had brought him back, somehow. He would need to ask Rosalina about it; he didn't remember much beyond the collapse itself in his fuzzy state of mind. But he felt, deep in his heart, that Princess Peach had something to do with it. That miraculous power of hers that he didn't understand.

Even if it meant he had to die, he would give himself up to save her. There was no question about it.

But it sure felt good to be alive, and to feel her pressed against him like this.

All he'd wanted, throughout this whole insane journey, was to hold her in his arms and know she was safe. He shut his eyes and swallowed hard, holding her close. She held him back just as desperately. Her gentle warmth made his Firebrand flare through his veins. Whatever force had brought him back, he thanked for this blessing. Just this. Her hand gripping his shirt. Her beautiful face tucked into his. Her golden hair tickling his cheek.

She stayed, embracing him until they were both calmer. Even after she stopped crying, she kept close, just breathing. Mario realized when she tilted her head that she was listening for his heartbeat.

The low hum of the Observatory filled the space. Her weight against him was warm and wonderful.

Mario felt a chill pass through him when she finally drew herself up, despite being under a thick blanket. She rested her elbow on the mattress right beside him, still leaning on the bed, and continued to hold his hand. She tried to smile. Under the low lights, her bright blue eyes seemed to glow, still shining faintly.

"Hmm," she sighed, and turned their hands so she could press the back of his palm to her lips. Her eyes slid closed. A lock of hair slid in front of her face, and Mario's heart could have stopped when she used his hand to brush it away, his gloved knuckle grazing across her forehead before she returned as she was. Breathing and holding his hand. He tried to match her grip, but his hand was weak and his mind was fuzzy. He wanted to hold her tight, but at the same time, he didn't want to dare.

An impulsive prospect leapt into his mind. "When…When the lake, it freezes over…" Mario began before he could stop himself, hesitating when she fixed her soft gaze on him again. His voice came low and tired. A rush of embarrassment gripped his chest, but he pushed on. He hoped he was making sense. "Will you…skate with me?"

She tilted her head. Mario felt her smile into his hand. "Skate?" she asked, her eyes sparkling.

He pursed his lips, suddenly frightened. "The—the lake. Back home." he tried to clarify, and she nodded against him.

"I would love to." she murmured.

The soothing weight of relief washed over him, but his heart still pounded, delayed. He couldn't do much more than try to keep his eyes open. He imagined winter, hopefully nothing like the Freezeflame galaxy. Bundled up in a coat, snowflakes caught in her eyelashes, blue eyes stark against the pale morning light. He imagined holding her hand as they skated across the lake that they had come to so many times before, laughing and matching strides across the ice. His cheeks felt hot again.

"I wonder how the weather is at the Mushroom Kingdom right now." Princess Peach hummed, and he felt a pang in his chest. They were still very, very far from home. He had no idea how she had coped with it all this time by herself. She readjusted her grip on him, letting both their hands rest on his chest. "Do you…Do you remember the last time it rained?

Mario blinked. "Of course I remember," he smiled. "You came to our house in the middle of the night."

It felt like ages ago now.

He remembered hearing someone knocking just as he had been about to turn out the lights in the living room.

At first, he wasn't sure if he had imagined it, but a second succession of knocks had him hurrying to the front of the house. Mario warily turned the knob and inched the door open, only to drop his guard once he saw who it was.

She stood, soaking, on his doorstep, with the proudest, most carefree grin. Her golden hair was practically plastered to her head, but under the soft, orange glow of his porch light, she appeared to gleam. Mario was so surprised to see her that he forgot to even say hello. She must have run to their house; she was breathing a little hard. "Come out in the rain with me!" she said.

The look Mario gave her was nothing less than dumbfounded, faced with her triumphant smile.

"What?" he asked her, unable to ask much else.

"Just come!" Princess Peach lunged for his hand and pulled him outside, under the cold drizzle of the night. Confused, he ran with her, only a last-second urge compelling him to shut the door behind them.

The past few weeks had been hard on her. There were some international issues to deal with, something about a sleeping dark star and a hidden Beanstar in the next kingdom over. She hadn't been able to leave the castle very much at all, and Mario remembered how he hadn't even been allowed to go visit her even if she requested his presence.

He remembered the look on her face when Toadsworth ushered him back from the castle's doors and blocked Mario from entering that very day. That downcast look in her eyes. Then, in a flash, she moved past Toadsworth in a rare show of defiance.

She had run out from the castle to give Mario a kiss on the cheek and whispered a thank you in his ear.

The gesture had shocked him so much that he hardly remembered the walk back to his house, and he had been thinking about it ever since. Mario remembered how hot his face had been, and how he couldn't really answer Luigi's questions without mumbling. It wasn't the first time she had kissed him; she often expressed her gratitude that way, and it wasn't like he was completely unused to being kissed. He was Italian, after all, and kisses had been a cultural norm for a significant portion of his life.

However, that day, without the context of being fresh out of a battle with Bowser, the kiss had bewildered him more than anything else in the kingdom ever had. Before the Princess had come knocking on his door that night, he was just thinking about how to get his mind off the kiss so he could try to sleep.

It seemed Princess Peach had other plans for him.

The air was light and easy on his lungs while they ran. He couldn't detect a single trace of her stress; she laughed freely beside him. With nothing but the distant lanterns lighting their way, they bounded across the fields like soaring birds. The way she held onto his hand, the way her unrestrained laughter traveled, wild, through the rain, he couldn't help smiling as he watched her.

"Princess...?" Though he was content just watching her express her sheer delight, he found himself a little concerned. It was wonderful to see her happy. But he didn't know what had caused the sudden outburst, especially on such a dreary night. "Is everything okay?"

They stopped in an open space, where the trees didn't obstruct their view of the sky. "Oh, everything is more than alright." she assured him with a happy sigh. Reaching up to the sky, she tilted her head back and closed her eyes to feel the rain on her face. While he watched her, the night didn't seem so dull anymore. For an instant, he thought he could feel her wonder; he became fascinated with how her skin took on a platinum glow, and how the rain dripped from her hair and her face and her arms like glittering beads of silver. He could see the light of the lanterns reflecting in the grass and puddles everywhere around them, and the light found its way to her in little tendrils of reflected gold.

He blinked at her, and she opened her eyes to look at him. She gave him a sweet smile. "I'm so happy, Mario." she told him, and then gestured all around them. "It's finally raining."

She reached for his other hand and spun around with him, and her eyes caught the light in such a dazzling way that he almost forgot to breathe.

Her smile, her disregard for her usual composure, and the absurdity of the whole situation caused him to laugh with her. And as they twirled, he could feel his clothes become completely soaked through, and he laughed. His boot landed on an incline just sharp enough for his feet to slip out from underneath him.

He landed on the ground, flat on his back in the rain, and he clutched his stomach from how hard he was laughing.

She fell beside him, her entire form shaking with her mirth.

Together, they lay upon the wet grass, laughing like there wasn't a single thing in the world that mattered. The complete joy he felt in that moment was unlike anything he had known before. Gentle rain pattering on their faces. The cool breeze blowing right through them. The Princess calmed down before he did, and she watched him, blinking rain out of her eyes.

"I don't think I've ever heard you laugh like that before." she told him with a giddy smile.

He helped her to her feet, with residual traces of their laughter influencing their balance. He realized he had tears in his eyes from how hard he had been laughing, and the idea was so hilarious to him that he wheezed and started all over again. She was quick to follow at the sight of his hysterical amusement.

"We should go inside," he suggested, seeing her teeth chatter from the cold. Once he noticed the chill, he felt both of them shaking. That just wouldn't do. With a cheeky grin, he ran up behind her and swept her into his arms. She let out a delighted squeal and held on to him as he ran back to his house.

Luigi opened the door to see them, shivering and giggling, and without an explanation. The face he made was so bizarre, that they both lost it as they stumbled inside.

They both chuckled at the memory. "Poor Luigi," Princess Peach shook her head, and Mario gave a sleepy smile.

After Luigi had let them inside, they both sat on the floor as close to the fireplace as they could, each tending to a warm cup of hot chocolate that Luigi had kindly made for them before heading off to bed. They had each wrapped up in towels and shuddered every once in a while. He glanced over to her, watching her look around their living room.

She saw him watching her. "It's been awhile since I was last here," she explained with a bashful smile. Her eyes fell briefly to the altar by the fireplace. "It looks like a real home now."

Mario took a sip of his hot chocolate and remembered that she was right; the last time she had been inside the house was when they had just moved from Earth. A lot had happened since then; a couple of years had passed, Mario and Luigi's lifestyle altered with life in the Mushroom Kingdom, and as a result their new house did look considerably lived in. "It is home." he agreed with a fond smile around the room. There were books left out on the coffee table, clocks that needed to be wound, and a blanket thrown haphazardly over the back of the couch from when Mario had fallen asleep there a week before.

Had the brothers known the Princess was coming, they might have tidied up the place a little even though it wasn't really messy. But the Princess apparently had an appreciation for the slight clutter that he more or less took for granted. Maybe her room was spotless like the rest of the castle, maybe she never left out documents she was studying, or went a day without her bed being made. Maybe it was refreshing to see their house in a state of semi disorder.

The rain picked up a little, more insistent against the windows.

Princess Peach set her mug down on the brick fireplace and huddled further into the towels with a delicate yawn. "Have you ever wondered about what would happen if you just ran away?" she asked him.

"From here?" he tilted his head, and she nodded. After a moment, he found that he didn't really know how to answer the question. "...No, not really. I don't want to."

She blinked slowly at him. "No?"

Mario set down his own mug and shook his head. He'd abandoned his entire previous life on Earth just to move to the Mushroom Kingdom. The idea of running away felt almost funny. Why would he and Luigi ever want to leave? "I like it here." he told her, and then it occurred to him why she might have asked. He frowned. "Why, do you?"

With a sigh, she leaned onto the fireplace and rested her cheek on her hand. "Sometimes." she admitted, looking past him as if to a distant daydream. "Of course, I would never want to leave forever. But, sometimes...I just wish I could take a break. Get away from it all for a little while." she sighed.

The firewood crackled and sputtered, and she looked into the fire with a forlorn gaze. Mario nodded sympathetically. Home could feel like a prison, too; with the rain outside, Mario was reminded of Brooklyn, and how trapped he felt there. Though, the longer he had lived in the Mushroom Kingdom, the more he understood home to mean more than just where he lived. He was happy to be home, especially when he was gone for a while. He was happy to open the door after an extraordinary journey and see the disorganized living room, to see his bed that he had forgotten to make. He was happy to eat at the dinner table and wash dishes and do all the things to do at home.

But clearly, the Princess wasn't. Her castle must not be very different from Bowser's castle in terms of how she felt while she was inside.

"We could take a trip," she suggested after a little while. "We could go somewhere far away, somewhere beautiful. Somewhere exciting, like a proper vacation." her eyes reflected the fire, an optimistic glow.

Mario almost choked. "Ehm. Yeah, sure." he said, coughing into his fist.

Princess Peach must have seen the slight alarm in his face. "Oh, Mario." She faced him with a sleepy smile. "Don't worry, we won't go to Delfino Isle again. I'm sure there are other places to take a vacation, and ways to keep it a secret from Bowser."

Shaking his head, Mario waved it off. "Doesn't matter. He'll find out. I'm used to cleaning up after his mess anyway." he joked.

She chuckled, sleepy, and Mario smiled. "Mario, my poor hero. Maybe you're the one who really needs a vacation." she murmured, leaning a little more into her elbow.

He just grinned and shook his head, looking around for the nearest pillow. "I don't know about that. We can go wherever you want, but maybe we should talk about it tomorrow." he told her, just as she started to close her eyes.

Princess Peach looked at the blankets with her eyes narrowed just a little. "That's about all I remember." she clasped their hands and rested them on the bed, looking thoughtfully to him.

Mario could hardly keep his eyes open, but he looked up at her with a cheeky smile. "You fell asleep after that." he told her, shifting his head back on the pillow. She brushed some hair from her face with a bashful look.

She bit her lip, and her cheeks had become a little rosy. "Did you get to sleep? I didn't keep you up, did I?"

Taking a deep breath, Mario shook his head and almost drifted off. "I brought a pillow and a blanket to keep you warm, but…but you were still, ehm, shivering. I laid down close to you. I was almost asleep, it seemed like a good idea." he mumbled. He remembered hesitating quite a bit before gathering the nerve, because he didn't want to frighten her in case she woke up before him. It was the shivering that got him; he knew he could help with his apparent heater-like quality from his Firebrand, so he eased himself on the floor with his back to her. At some point in the night, she had pressed herself a little closer to him, he remembered her hands clutching the back of his overalls.

"Oh." the Princess nodded, and gave a distant look. "I remember waking up while you were making breakfast. The spot on the floor in front of me was warm. Toadsworth wouldn't let me hear the end of that stunt."

"Mm." Mario really started to fade out, and struggled to focus on her.

He could just make out her warm smile. "I should let you rest." She released his hand and stood up from beside the bed to lean over him. Mario felt her fingers comb through his hair. When she leaned down, her hair and her perfume took over his senses. She pressed a soft, lingering kiss to his forehead. It could have been just a moment, but Mario felt like she stayed on purpose. Or maybe he just hoped. "So you can sleep well," she whispered, one delicate finger stroking his face.

His cheeks blazed. Right. Her magic kiss. "Uh huh," he agreed numbly, his eyelids sliding closed. Her sleepy spell already had him drifting off, the chill and the pain and the heaviness all washing away.

The last thing he remembered was her soft laughter, and the sound of her footsteps leaving the Bedroom.

O~o~O

Hey!

The name of the chapter and the poem at the beginning come from the poem called The Last Scene In The Movie by Eleanor Hsieh, which I believe was only ever posted on Tumblr? I can't find very much about it. But the name of this chapter was a line that has always stuck with me since I first read that poem.

Anyway, surprise Mario death and resurrection? Haha, I can't even be sorry because this scenario has lived rent free in my brain relentlessly trying to get me to make it happen. So I did. I believe most of these past two chapters were written in a flurry of inspiration in late 2022 to early 2023. If you care to imagine this scenario as vividly as it came to me, I highly recommending listening to the playlist I constructed for it. The last five songs I mentioned, when listened to in order, give me a very clear mental image of the events as they happen. Combined, especially with Radiohead's How to Disappear Completely, make me (a usually unaffected person) feel very uneasy so just be wary of that I guess lol.

Here are the songs I associate with this chapter: Her Beating Wings by This Patch of Sky (I've always associated this song with Peach's magnificent power) The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore cover by Keane (Mario letting go of the Dead Star), and Small Moments by Above Beyond (Rosalina's power).

Anyway, it's been a long road getting this story written first of all and shared! I'm really grateful to you for sticking with me and reading this massive thing :) Hope you have a restful day!