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.

1. Strangeland Blind

"Strangeland blind

You got no reason, you got no rhyme

You get no time to put things right, to put things right..."

-Strangeland, Keane

O~o~O

His eyelids fluttered.

He felt a little bit like he was spinning, but he must have been imagining it; he could feel the ground beneath him.

The breeze blew, and some grass tickled his cheek. The sensation grounded him some more, but his mind was stubborn, and resisted reality. There was just something so distasteful about waking, something so heinous, that his subconscious denied him the choice. He couldn't quite put a finger on what, exactly. Sleep rolled over his mind, smothered his thoughts, quelled all sense of himself.

A faint light appeared behind his eyelids, a soft glow that seemed solid and transparent all at once. It was like the light of a star, both real and unfathomable. He had the faintest, unsettling feeling that he was being watched.

With a jolt, he remembered.

O~o~O

"Dear Mario,

I'll be waiting for you at the castle on the night of the Star Festival. There's something I'd like to give you.

From Peach"

"What are you smiling at?''

Mario whipped his head up. "Nothing," he faltered, folding the letter and putting it back in his pocket. He hadn't even realized he was smiling.

Rolling his eyes, Luigi set down the box he carried in before crossing his arms. "If you say so, Capo." he smirked. "You know, you should probably head out. Don't want to keep her waiting, do you?"

Oh. Clearing his throat, Mario tried to ignore the sudden heat in his cheeks. "Ehm, no." he mumbled.

They had been hearing about the Star Festival for weeks. Preparations for the legendary, rare event brought all of Toad Town together for this one apparently magical night. The brothers had been graciously invited to take part in the miraculous occasion. They helped with the harvest of special star fruits that only grew under the light of a rare super pink moon, creating the streamers lined with thread spun from a bioluminescent plant only found within Stardust Fields, and learning all the history associated with the festival. Tales from centuries past, and times long gone. Someday, they would be a part of that oral tradition, too.

What had drawn Mario specifically to the Star Festival was the way Princess Peach's eyes lit up as she spoke about this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. She told them about what a privilege it was to witness this astronomical event as they were, what a wonderful coincidence it was. That they were all here together at the same time, at this precise point in the universe. It was the way she looked at him when she said that, with such clear joy and intent, that struck Mario. The simple wonder of being here, together. That their company alone was what made it all so exciting.

He was about to step outside and see it all for himself, to meet with the Princess so they could witness it together. The excitement and anticipation bloomed up in his chest like flowers. A sensation he hadn't known in years.

"You go ahead; I have to finish rigging this up," Luigi held up his latest project; an old telescope discovered on a nearby hill. The perfect instrument for stargazing. Mario nodded; they had promised the Princess that they would be able to fix it to allow them each a more immersive experience with the stars above. Luigi had been at it for hours, staying up late to be sure that it was mended and could reveal the night sky once again, and Mario could see that the work was all well worth it. The telescope shone under the lights like new.

With a wave, Mario started ahead and went for the door, patting his pocket to ensure that the letter from the Princess was still there.

The orange porch light flickered in contrast to the dark blue skies above. Mario paused to watch a lone moth fluttering and bumping into the glass pane of the lamp. Poor little insect, so enamored by a single light when there was starlight all around them. He smiled and shook his head.

Down the path, the dark town that had become so familiar and dear to him passed at a gentle pace as he jogged toward the square. He could see the lights up ahead, the Star Festival headed towards the height of celebration. A brilliant glow just on the horizon. Already there were streaks in the sky, but Mario peeled off the dirt trail to a desire path away from the square.

The desire path was one that he had created by these very trips that he had made several times. He wove past the trees and into a meadow. It was too dark to see all the flowers, but he knew the path by heart to avoid stepping on them.

He came to a stop at the lake. And he just breathed.

The lake overlooked the town square and the castle; the reflection of all the lanterns rippled in the water, along with the colorful streaks of shooting stars. They appeared to be growing brighter.

The festival was already well underway; Mario smiled as he could hear shouts and music in the distance. The smell of frying food wafting on the breeze reminded him of fairs back on Earth. Luigi would be eager for all the unique desserts; the Princess had mentioned a special star candy that would fall from the sky. Even from the lake, out of view of the citizens of Toad Town, Mario felt the bustling excitement emanating from the square.

It was going to be a fun night, and he had a slow day tomorrow to look forward to as well. A rare day off. He could sleep in for once. Of course he was ready to party, but after recent adventures, he was also ready for the rest he could get afterward. He smiled, remembering his plan to go into town to treat himself to a nice coffee and breakfast at the Starbeans cafe in the morning. Then, he had absolutely nothing to do. No obligations, no duties to attend to. Maybe he could come back to the lake to take a nap. Or maybe he could fiddle with the tub that he and Luigi had been building outside their house and heat up the water to treat his sore muscles. One of their neighbors sold soothing bath salts in town; he could stop by their shop as a gift to himself.

Mario sighed at the thought, already imagining the steam and salts doing wonders to his body. But first, there was the Star Festival that he planned to thoroughly enjoy in good company.

Before he turned to go, he looked up at the night sky that had never before been so brilliant, at all the streaking lights, and thought he should make a wish.

He smiled to himself at the thought. The childish notion of making a wish on a star. Not that such magic didn't exist; he had seen it for himself. But that kind of power did not belong to him, so any wishes he had were merely private thoughts, not to be cast out into the world with any real bearings or expectations. In any case, it was entertaining to pretend. So he looked up and made a wish for a successful festival and a soft, peaceful day for himself and his friends.

A curious warmth made a home in his chest as he wondered what the Princess might wish for. Similar to his internal fire, his Firebrand. He noticed his heart skip a beat. Maybe he should go and ask her.

The letter in his back pocket. Mario patted the invitation and realized he was grinning. It had not been necessary for her to remind either of the brothers of the Star Festival, as they had spent plenty of time helping the town with preparations. So for her to take the time for such a gesture, to go to all the trouble to handwrite and send a formal letter, made him feel a pleasant lightness inside; it was like she was inviting him to something more than just the festival. He wondered what it was she wanted to give him.

It would be rude to keep her waiting. Mario took one last look across the lake and the town's horizon, before he turned to make his way back to the main path.

The sounds of the celebration grew louder; Mario smiled as he could pick up on the excitement in the Toad's voices. He ran to and fro along the wide path with the Princess on his mind. It wasn't until he came up over a hill that he finally got to the edge of the town's heart. A playful urge came over him, and he leapt up over the hill with a shout.

Tiny, shimmering comets. Toads giggling and whooping with delight. Mario stumbled to a stop, looking around with wide eyes. A couple of young Toads ran by him with bundles of colorful crystals in their arms. He couldn't help but smile at their excited rambles as they chased every little comet coming down.

A star shower come to earth. Mario picked up into a jog again, waving at everyone as he passed. The festival made the town look so vibrant; even after spending days setting up the decorations and stands, it all was new and alive on the magical night. The stars and lanterns were so bright that the town seemed almost brighter than it did by day. The view of the night sky looked impossibly crisp and clear, as if the stars had all come closer. Even the moon seemed to gleam in the sky, a waning crescent. A comet fell before him in a burst of mesmerizing color and light. The crystals bounced like they were hardly tethered by gravity at all.

He made his way through the small plaza up toward another hill, where he could see the grand castle up ahead, beyond the rest of the festival. A breathtaking view.

The balcony. He could almost make out the Princess standing there, looking out across the kingdom. Waiting for him. She sometimes asked him to meet her up there for private discussions or just for some quiet company.

Did she really mean to speak with him alone before she joined in the celebration? His chest flushed with warmth at the thought. He was smiling before he realized it and took off down the hill toward the castle grounds.

It was the sudden smell of gunpowder in the air that alerted him to danger.

The bright comets above turned from delicate starbits to giant flaming meteors in an instant. The sky above no longer glittered. It burned.

The excited screams rose to terrified shrieks. Toads all around him froze in a flash, encased in some kind of crystal. Mario skidded to a stop before one, wrenching and beating at the crystal to no avail. The Toad trapped inside could only stare in petrified horror. He didn't have time. The Princess was in danger, and he knew it. They probably knew it too, but he still let out shaken apologies as he passed them. He had never seen such haunted expressions on their faces.

Above him, the whirring airships flew by. The air vibrated. Mario grit his teeth at the familiar rumble of Bowser's fleet moving in, toward the castle. Cannons blasting, flags beating in the wind.

He had to save the Princess. Meteors besieged the field right before his eyes, faster than he could blink. But he could see the ships closing in on the castle. He could see the smoke rising, choking out the moon and the stars from the wreckage of the festival, and the Princess staring across it all from her balcony.

She was helpless up there. He had to get to her, had to evacuate the castle.

He tore off, cutting through the field as the meteors fell all around him. A little bit of luck guided him through. Careful, rapid steps across the grass. Quick glances up to gauge the meteors and wariness of shadows closing in. There was nothing he could do but pray no others were out in the open like him.

Luigi, he thought at the back of his mind. Hopefully his little brother remained safe at their home just outside of town.

The sprint to the castle cost him, spent dodging debris and the shockwaves any way he could, and he stumbled to the staircase. His chest heaved, but he pushed on, searching for the fastest way up with wide eyes.

The air was thick and hot. A different kind of ship had materialized above the rest. Mario could only see a glimpse of a silver disc shape through the smoke and fire. He had just clambered up toward a pillar when the world became swathed with green.

A brief stillness. A blasting wave that sent him careening into the wall.

Mario scrambled around, fighting for his balance, and gripped his hat on his head as he turned to see the lasers. Beams of bright green power shot down from above carving the ground around the castle like a knife through butter.

He struggled to get his footing. The airships shot down chains that anchored deep into the earth. He scrambled to stay on the castle as the staircase crumbled around him. The force threw him off his feet. A pressure formed all over, and it took everything he had to heave himself up. Keep climbing.

But the world outside the castle seemed to be sinking away. No, not sinking. Mario squinted. He wrestled himself close to a wall and realized through the turbulence and the pressure coming down on his head and spine was because the castle was being lifted out of the ground.

The castle rose with the airships, rising higher and higher into the sky, and they began to leave the atmosphere. It was suddenly very hard to breathe.

But he heard her call his name.

The blood roared in his ears. He fought gravity to climb up to the doors. But out of nowhere, a Magikoopa flew up from behind with a nasty laugh. Through the chaos, Mario recognized Kamek.

His wand glowed with the magic he possessed. Mario's stomach dropped. He knew just by looking at his leer that he didn't stand a chance.

"So long! Enjoy your flight!" Kamek sneered. He reared back the wand with a wicked screech, before he released it with all his power, sending the spell down.

The magic, blinding light flew around him in sporadic patterns, moving too quickly for Mario to follow. He stumbled back and clenched his fists. Trying to guess where it would land and if he could dodge it.

His eyes fell to a blue outline before him, a shape like himself. Like he was staring at a mirror.

The world seemed to go quiet. The shape was him, but it was also nothing. As if his silhouette had been carved out of the space before him, and filled with a deep, cold blue. A striking cold that he had never seen or felt, but still recognized somehow.

With wide eyes, he reached out. A moment too long.

There was a blast. A voice cried out for him, and he was sent careening into space.

He saw the planet below. He saw the stars above.

He couldn't see her anymore.

O~o~O

He remembered the attack, the meteors. He remembered the lasers mutilating the landscape, and the airships stealing the entire castle from the very earth. He remembered hearing his name being called, and feeling helpless and defeated as he was blasted away.

That blue mirror along the castle's crumbling stairway. A glimmering specter, blocking his way. His brow furrowed. It was like an empty space before him, a hole in the world shaped just like himself.

And he had let such a thing stop him. He hesitated in the face of that strange blue glimmer and couldn't get to the balcony in time.

"Princess," he mumbled, struggling to regain his sense as a physical being. He found the use of his basic motor functions, as if they had returned to him from a faraway place. With a push against the ground, feeling real pressure against his palm, feeling real gravity hold him there, he opened his eyes to see the light.

He was blinded only for an instant. His eyes adjusted, and he realized the sky was dark. The lights around him manifested into stars, and before him was one brighter than the rest. A glowing figure came to be in the air above his head, before it landed delicately on the ground in front of him. It somehow resembled a white rabbit, with very big ears that were a light, pearlescent pink at the very tips. The creature looked up at him with big eyes.

With a shake of his head, Mario blinked at it for only a moment. He had seen far too many new things to be thrown off for long.

The rabbit hopped up and down. "Finally, you're awake!" it told him with a gleeful smile. "Let's play!"

Without so much as an explanation, the rabbit turned and started hopping away. Mario watched it go, observing its odd gait; it seemed to defy gravity in a way, as if it wasn't meant to touch the ground. It was only when the rabbit stopped and turned back around to face him that he realized the strange animal wanted him to give chase.

As absurd as it seemed, there was a feeling in his gut that told him it wasn't a waste of time. He got to his feet and started running after the rabbit.

Wherever they were, it wasn't anywhere in the Mushroom Kingdom. There were flowers he didn't recognize, all swaying in the breeze that held a sweet scent he had never known. It filled his lungs, soft and cool, and eased the heavy dread in his stomach. But even that wasn't enough to make him feel in any way comfortable with the sky above, with the clearest stars he'd ever seen. He ran past a building that looked somewhat like a house, though it was far too small to provide a real home. Despite its size, he was sure it was at least cozy. He passed a couple of pipes, and though the sight was familiar, he had no idea where they might go. The rabbit maintained its lead on him, speeding up every time he got close.

Mario heard the same hopping coming from other places, and realized there must be others. For a moment, he doubted the chase, unsure if it would give him any sense of direction. But, he supposed the rabbits were better than nothing; perhaps they could answer the overwhelming questions that clouded his mind.

He slid to a halt, and tried to pinpoint where they might be, only to realize he was standing by a building. It looked exactly like the one he had passed before.

Blinking, he started to walk in a wide circle around it. There was no way it could be the same; he'd run in a relatively straight line. He forgot the little game for a moment and went for an experimental jog past the house again. As soon as he passed the same orange and green pipes, and saw the same little gatherings of flowers, he had to stop to process the impossible truth.

He was on a tiny planet that was scarcely bigger than himself.

With wide eyes, he looked up at the sky to see a thousand stars mapping the sky. He wondered, desperately, if there was a single one up there that he had seen before. Were there any constellations that could guide him home? He wished he had paid more attention to the night sky on earth, wished he could easily pick out planets and suns above him. Instead, he had taken the universe for granted, and assumed he could comprehend the universe without naming any of the stars. He was foolish to ever have believed it was enough to marvel.

His knees very nearly collapsed under the weight of his realization, but he had to gather himself. There wasn't a choice.

He lowered his head and closed his eyes, taking as deep a breath as he could manage through his tight throat. His chest went cold, the familiar spark of his Firebrand weak. The Princess must be so much further away than he was.

When he looked up again, three different space rabbits were staring at him a good distance away, just over the infinitesimal horizon. As soon as Mario saw them, they turned and dashed away into hiding. This time, he didn't hesitate to go after them.

One hid in a patch of tall grass. As soon as he revealed the rabbit, it ran, and he followed its winding path all over the little planet before he caught up. He jolted as it turned into a floating yellow star as soon as he held it up, escaping his grasp and circling around him. It gave him a hint to where the others might be.

Another hid in the green pipe. He jumped in, and came out on the other side of the planet, revealing the rabbit. The familiarity of the pipe mechanics only made him feel a little better about the stark galaxies hanging over his head.

The last one hid in a crater. He stared into the dark hole for a bit, trying to remind himself that the planet was tiny and he couldn't possibly fall far. When he finally steeled himself enough to jump, he didn't even fall for longer than a moment before a force field pulled him back out. He stood there after it set him back on the ground, stunned, before he remembered the rabbit was running away.

The first star bunny giggled once it too was caught, and in a burst of light, turned into a floating pink star. "You caught me!"

Behind the odd being, Mario's eyes caught onto what seemed like starlight raining down. A shower of glittering light. Where it fell, a small fort stood where there had been nothing before. The pink star began to float toward the fort, still facing him, and Mario followed cautiously. "Maybe you really can help Mama…"

The two other stars joined the first one, and led him close to the fort. They encouraged him up onto it with warm laughter, and he stepped up to test the weight of the newly formed structure. Upon finding it was perfectly sturdy, with its hard stone beneath his boots, he noticed it seemed to have been there for a long time despite only just coming into existence before his eyes. There were already too many questions that he wasn't sure he wanted answered, so he tried to brush it off. He hurried along the side of the fort, sensing the star's urgency, and hopped up the steps to come to the top.

There, what looked like an angel floated in the center, a woman with closed eyes. He stared in awe, climbing up to the same level and trying to make sense of her. Though he had never seen her before, her presence exuded a comforting and somehow familiar feeling. Her hair was the color of starlight, and her long, elegant blue dress gave him the impression of ancient statues representing goddesses on his world. In her hand, she held what appeared to be a wand with a star at the end.

As he took a step closer, her eyes opened. He almost stumbled back.

She smiled, as if to calm him. "I have been watching you from here," she spoke, a tone that sounded so impossibly serene. He immediately felt some of the fear and doubt fall away, and he looked up at her with wide eyes. She had a distant look. "This place is called the gateway to the starry sky…"

He looked around the tiny, grassy planet from the top of the fort, and then up at the sky again. The darkness and the colors up there were startling, and he felt his throat close up again. How far away were they, exactly? He wanted to know, but he didn't think he could handle the answer. He wasn't strong enough for the truth. His eyes flickered back to her, and he remembered to breathe. Her expression smoothed over the tightness in his throat, and soothed his pounding heart.

"My name is Rosalina. I watch over and protect the cosmos." She gestured to herself, her movements measured and fluid. He watched, entranced by how easily she existed and the magnificence of her regal demeanor. "To save your Special One, you will need the power to travel through space."

To save his "Special One?" Mario frowned but didn't know how to ask for what she meant before she gestured, and the pink star from before appeared from behind her. "Luma can give you this power. I will entrust you with his care."

The Luma floated towards him, with laughter like tinkling bells. It spun, rising above him, and he watched, unsure if he should step back.

Mario could somehow sense the energy within the being, practically brimming with force. It was almost like standing close enough to a source of heat and feeling warmth emanate to his whole body. This intense energy was unlike anything he had sensed before. Something tingly and warm that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end with anticipation.

Gathering power, the Luma spun faster and faster until his form was a blur. Then, it shot down directly at Mario.

He had flinched. But when he slowly opened his eyes, he realized a new power coursing through his veins. His fists glowed with the starlight inside of him, and he experimented with movement, flexing his fingers in and out. Somehow, he felt lighter.

When his eyes turned up to Rosalina again, she was frowning. Mario swallowed hard and held out his hands, like a question, but he had a feeling he wouldn't get an answer just yet.

Her piercing gaze fell away. "Disaster has struck us, just as it has visited you." Her grave tone betrayed an inkling of her humanity to him. "With Luma, I hope you can rescue the Grand Stars."

Mario opened his mouth to say something, but no words came. He settled for a nod. Though, he wasn't quite sure he understood.

Rosalina gave him a kind smile. "May the stars shine down on you…" her soft words were like a blessing. Then, she rose up, magnificent and divine, and disappeared with the fading light. Mario watched the space she had occupied just a moment before, feeling a little like he'd been abandoned.

But he wasn't alone. He looked down at his hands, feeling Luma there with him.

A shifting under his hat. Mario flinched at the wriggling feeling. "Oh," he realized the Luma was literally with him. On his head. He heard giggling before the star settled. Supposedly, this creature could give him the power to travel through space? He wasn't exactly equipped for space travel; he had no astronaut training, at least to his knowledge. Wasn't there a lot of equipment and math involved? A suit and a ship? Would the Luma be able to provide him oxygen?

"You can spin into things that look breakable."

Mario jolted at the voice, and realized Luma was speaking to him from under his hat.

"I can help you. Look there," Luma said, and Mario turned. In the center of the fort, a massive cluster of crystals loomed over him, though they didn't look very breakable. He remembered the same icy look of the crystals that had trapped Toads in the Mushroom Kingdom before his eyes. He hadn't been able to even chip the hard mineral. He hummed skeptically, even as he spotted a vague shape stuck inside the crystals. A distorted silhouette he couldn't identify. Luma tried to assure him with a nudge. "Trust me, you can break it."

Trying not to imagine bruised knuckles or a broken hand, Mario approached the cluster with slow steps, glancing between his fists and the gleaming stone. He could see all the stars reflected inside. Millions and billions of them. He swallowed hard.

Luma gave an encouraging croon from beneath his hat. "Trust me," he said again, and Mario couldn't help but feel the little star sounded almost cheeky.

With a long breath, Mario tightened his fists. His gloves glowed with an almost celestial light as he braced with a step, prepared to twist and spin. "Okay," he muttered, and fixed a hard stare on the crystal. The Luma better be right.

A sharp twist. His fists pounded right through the crystal.

A swirl of starry blue light and a crash. Mario blinked as the crystal shattered, his fists going right through like crumbling sugar crystals instead of a diamond-like rock. He looked down, expecting pain or stinging from the impact, but his hands were perfectly fine.

From the shattered crystal, a large yellow star shape emerged. A floating apparatus, with a smaller star shape rotating along the inside of it, though Mario couldn't tell if it was an instrument of magic, science, or both. "A Launch Star," Luma supplied for him. "That is what will help us travel through space. It's very easy to use. Let its gravity pull you in, and spin!"

Mario did feel his limbs sort of drawn to the Launch Star, almost like a magnet. He didn't know objects could have their own individual pull of gravity.

He wanted to ask where they were going. If they were going home to the Mushroom Kingdom, or if this Launch Star would take him to where Princess Peach was, or somewhere else. His brow furrowed. It was an unfortunately familiar feeling to not know where he was going next, but it seemed somehow different in space. Worse. His Firebrand should feel bright and warm in his chest, but instead it felt smothered by the cool dread rising in his stomach. This little planet was cold, he didn't remember the last time he had really felt such a chill. His Firebrand ordinarily protected him from cold conditions.

Looking back, he finally saw what should have been obvious when he first opened his eyes, now emphasized from the top of the fort. A tiny horizon, and a large planet seemingly tilted in the distance. Stars everywhere, with dizzying clarity.

He turned back to face the Launch Star and took a grim breath. There was no choice.

Stepping into the strange pull of gravity, Mario floundered for a moment before he found some kind of balance and righted himself, bracing with his hands on the large star and his feet on the small one. He guessed it would boost him into space, whether he was ready for it or not.

"Now spin!" Luma said.

The Launch Star whirled with power in an instant and blasted him up into the air, higher and higher. Mario let out a shout, startled by how quickly the little planet descended beneath him. How his view distorted with distance, the great blue of the skies above consuming everything in his vision. The cold knocked the air out of his lungs. It was so much colder than he expected.

Luma let out a cheering sound from under his hat that somehow reminded him of how fireworks looked from far away. "Up there!"

Up? Mario raised his chin only to have to squint into some distant light across the stars. Like a faraway sun. Was it the sun that he knew? He noticed the little planet dead ahead of them almost too late. With a startled jolt, he managed to break out of the blast and flip around for a landing.

"Oof!" he came down a little hard on the surface. The dirt and grass kicked up from the impact, and as soon as he looked up, the light of another cheerful Luma illuminated the dark sky above him.

A yellow Luma like the ones he had seen before. He didn't think he had seen this particular one. "Hi there! Good to see you!" The little star greeted him. "I have some bad news, though. See, I had a Launch Star all ready for you, but a meteor smashed it up!"

From under his hat, his Luma gave a disappointed hum. Mario tilted his head, trying to make sense of what the star was saying while also processing the vibrating and shaking of the planet beneath his boots.

"You won't be able to leave without it," the other Luma sighed, looking up. When Mario followed his gaze, he could see a lot going on, with two more shiny metal planets and an airship like those from Bowser's forces. His blood went cold. "You'll have to find all the star chips to fix it. Oh, and be sure not to fall into the black hole!"

The black hole? Mario didn't see a black hole anywhere, or at least nothing out of the chaos around him that he could call a black hole. Did those even exist? The Luma waved him on, and he started forward. The tiny horizons were so strange. At any given point on the planet, he felt as if he were looking down at a sharp cliff into the endless stars everywhere around him. Still, he could see more of the space crystals with objects trapped inside, and figured those were what he needed to fix the Launch Star. The star chips?

Meteors pounded down upon the tiny planet. The unsettling tremor beneath his boots only got more powerful with every impact, and Mario watched for them with wary eyes. The airships above, he could see them, angle and perspective shifting as he made his way around. A stable object to look out for should have kept him from being disoriented, but it only seemed to amplify the sensation.

He stepped out onto nothing. Luma let out a sharp cry from under his hat. Mario gasped as he came face-to-face with a swirling mass, black and red and devoid of life.

Instinct managed to drag him away from the edge. Heart pounding in his chest, Mario barely felt himself sit down on the ground to gain his bearings. He kept his eyes fixed on the edge he nearly stepped off, half expecting the ground to crumble and for that thing to swallow him up.

It had been a long time since such visceral fear shot through him, like ice right through his chest.

He didn't need Luma to tell him what was down there. In the middle of the tiny planet, probably having eaten away its core. The black hole, a concept so distant that he hadn't even had a serious thought about such a thing since he'd first learned about them as a child in school. A force of destruction for which there was no escape. Not even light. That was all he knew.

Urgency gripped him like a vice. He stumbled to his feet. If the black hole had already eaten the planet's core, then the rest of the planet didn't have long before it too would be consumed. Right?

He didn't want to find out. He took off at a careful jog, keeping his eyes on the tiny horizon as much as possible to avoid the gaping holes in the planet, looping around and around for any glint of the star pieces. He managed to track them down, heart racing, and practically leapt into the gravitational pull of the Launch Star as it took shape.

Luma gave a concerned sound as he shot off to the next planet and immediately sprinted off. He didn't want to look back. If he looked back, he couldn't help but feel that the black hole would follow.

This next tiny planet seemed to be made out of scrap metal. It had been constructed; the bolts and piping told him as much. And he recognized the handiwork. A Goomba charged at him from the left, and he reacted with a spin that immediately knocked away the threat. The presence of Bowser's forces told him more than enough about who might have built these artificial planets.

"Get me out of here!" He heard a muffled voice cry out, and turned to see a yellow Luma trapped in a force field. "One of those enemies should have the key!"

What business did Bowser have holding Lumas hostage? Mario turned to track down the rest of the Goombas to find the key. When he gave it some thought, it was true to form for Bowser's plans to include reckless imprisonment of innocent creatures for his ends. Usually because he stole something.

Mario spun into the final Goomba and hurried to the force field with the key in hand. He had to figure out what Bowser had stolen this time. Whatever it was, he supposed he was on his way to finding out. He needed to find that angel lady called Rosalina again. She must know what happened. Then, he could find Bowser and fix this. This was too much. But surely he could fix it; Bowser couldn't have gone far.

The force field disappeared in an instant. The yellow Luma gave a spin and a relieved sigh. "Thanks! Would you mind rescuing my buddy in that base up there, too?" he gestured up to the second metallic planet. Mario barely had time to glance up before the Luma let out an excited shout. "I'll help you get up there, right after I transform !"

Taking a step back, Mario watched the Luma spin faster and faster into a glimmering whirl of power, before what looked like a tiny version of a Launch Star appeared in its place.

"A Sling Star!" Luma supplied for him from under his hat.

Mario nodded and got the idea. He moved closer, and sure enough he could feel the gravitational pull of the starry apparatus.

A quick spin. The Sling Star flung him into the air, and Mario felt his stomach turn as he moved from one gravitational pull to another. When he landed, he almost had to close his eyes because the horizon looked to be upside down from his new perspective. The uneasiness sat low in his core.

Another Luma watched him hopefully from another force field prison. Mario took a sharp breath and forced himself to keep moving.

Long green platforms rotated slowly along the metal surface of the planet, with charged ends. Massive crystal antennas placed at specific intervals spiked out toward the heavens, as if broadcasting or receiving some kind of signal. It couldn't be for anything good. Mario discovered that he could spin into these antennas, and the vibrations would knock down all the nearby Goombas.

The surface shook underneath him. Mario jolted, bracing for another black hole, only to look ahead and see a massive Goomba.

The ridiculous creature didn't see him. It lumbered around aimlessly, and he was too short for its line of sight. Mario charged for the nearest antenna and spun with all the force he could, sending a powerful vibration thrumming through the air. He wondered if he disrupted whatever signal was going out. The massive Goomba toppled over, squirming, and Mario took the chance to spin directly into it. The key appeared in its place.

He sprinted back around to the trapped Luma. "Hurry! Down here!" the little star exclaimed, and flew down a green pipe. With barely a moment to consider it, Mario went after him.

The pipe let him straight down into what must have been the interior of the planet. Mario wiped sweat from his forehead. The air was so humid, he felt like he could hardly breathe.

So, this couldn't have been some kind of abandoned or miscellaneous project; Bowser must be continuing to get some use out of these artificial planets. From within, it looked like some kind of generator; the dark room lined with wiring, exhaust fumes, and a whirling mass of power surrounded by orbiting platforms that contained the source.

He had a hunch that the big star in the middle of the room, trapped in another force field, was the objective.

A series of blue switches surrounded the machine containing the star. Pressing them must activate some kind of safety protocol to turn off the power, or at least he hoped. He hopped off one of the moving mechanisms circling the room, careful not to touch any of the charged ends. He wasn't sure what would happen if he were to be electrocuted. There was just one final switch to press before he could free the star, and he came upon it to activate it.

Nothing happened. He reevaluated, looking all over the room, before he spotted the rest of the switches circling the star. Other than a goomba, running across all of them was easy. As soon as he hit the final switch, they all turned green.

He turned with a relieved sigh as the star was released from the force field. It remained floating in its place, spinning slowly. The other Lumas cheered, and he stepped up on the metal plate to check the star up close.

It had to be about twice his size, much larger than any stars he'd come across in adventures he'd had before. A Luma had mentioned to him that it was the source of power for the generator he was in, and he wondered just how much power it possessed. How much power could it possibly generate on its own? Mario didn't have the slightest idea, and reached out with a careful hand to touch it. Perhaps if he checked it over, he would find out how it worked.

As soon as he made contact, it activated. With a burst of light, it emanated something Mario had no other word for but joy. It was free, after all, and it picked him up along with it.

"Wh-whoah!" the floor disappeared from under Mario, and he faltered, spinning awkwardly next to the Grand Star. It somehow kept him aloft and stilled him in the air. Then, it rose, and Mario had no choice but to follow.

It broke out of the generator, and the whole structure crumbled in their wake. Mario watched over his shoulder as the entire machine became subject to gravity, doomed to forever drift in space. But the Lumas urged him to look forward, to look up at the stars ahead.

They flew together, surely no more significant than dust to all the galaxies looking down at them. But, as they glided easily through space, Mario felt as if they had begun something a little more important, a little more worthy of light. The Grand Star spiraled along, shining on him with a reassuring glow, and trying to tell him something in a language he couldn't understand. There were no words, just indistinct tones he was sure he imagined. But the Star persisted, reaching out to him across an invisible, and yet astronomical barrier. Mario wasn't sure how to interpret the gesture.

They started circling a black outline in the perpetual night, a strange shadow that seemed to pull them toward it. The light from the Grand Star illuminated small parts, but there was very little Mario could make out from a distance. They approached, and as they rounded off their path towards the silhouette, Mario could see a thin blue trail they were leaving behind in space.

The grand star led him to a platform so dark, Mario himself exuded more light than the shadow beneath them. He was left there, and the Grand Star shot off to a small ember of a globe, like a tiny sun. As soon as the Grand Star struck the globe, Mario could feel the reverberations reach through to his very bones. The small ember became a healthy, spherical flame of energy, and some of the space around him was illuminated. He was finally subject to gravity and relaxed a little when his feet touched solid ground.

Before him, a thin path lit up, leading to a small building down some stairs to his left. He could see some more of the strange place off in the distance, startled as he realized it was much bigger than the planets he'd just been running around on. But it clearly wasn't a planet; he could see the edges from where he stood, and wandered a little closer to the center of the glass-like platform when he realized there were no gates or barriers to prevent anyone from falling off. Then again, seeing some Lumas floating by, he supposed the inhabitants didn't particularly need gates.

When he turned back to face the glowing orb, Rosalina had appeared in front of it, along with a black Luma. They gazed upon the energy source together, facing away from him. Mario took in a shaky breath and started to approach them.

"The beacon is lit again!" the larger Luma spoke up. "It shines weakly, maybe only as bright as a class six star, but at least the poor Lumas will survive now." he nodded to the orb, sounding relieved in a way Mario couldn't know.

Mario looked at Rosalina, unsure if he should announce his presence, and all but jumped when she spoke. "Thank you, for saving the Grand Star. These star people are my family, and they mean so much to me..." She turned to face him, holding her wand to her chest. Her tone was elusive, as if she wasn't really all there. "This is the Comet Observatory. It's my home, and also home to the Lumas. You see, we travel the starry skies."

Rosalina gestured around the observatory, and Mario followed her movements with rapt attention. She had the same look as before, like she was seeing right through him. Watching her Lumas suffer must have taken a severe toll on her. "We pass by this area once every one hundred years, but we suddenly stopped in front of this planet. A strange, dark force had latched onto our ship, pulling away Star Bits and our power source; the Power Stars. The ship went into a state of hibernation without power. The ones who took your Special One also stole the Power Stars, and with them, discovered the power to cross the universe."

Mario's heart lurched in his chest at the realization, and he felt his cheeks grow a little warm when she mentioned "Special One," again. He supposed she must mean the Princess. But why would she call the Princess his Special One? And why had Bowser needed to go across the universe? Surely, it must have taken years to track down exactly when the observatory would come by, and to gather the force needed to steal its power. Bowser wasn't typically heavy on thinking ahead to that degree, but he had managed to take what he needed and gotten away, striking faster than anyone could expect. With the amount of power Rosalina was talking about, Bowser could literally be anywhere in the universe. With that, Princess Peach could be trapped anywhere in the universe. A surge of anger and great helplessness filled him, and Mario was speechless.

It must have shown on his face. Rosalina acknowledged his distress with a pained smile. "Please, I have a request," she began gently. "The observatory uses Star Power to project images of the galaxies that are scattered across space. There is a chance we can use our few Power Stars to look for others. We use domes to observe the galaxies, but only the Terrace is working, powered by the star that you restored. Please go to the Terrace and try to recover the Power Stars from the galaxies you can see from there."

The Luma spoke up, seeing Mario's uncertainty and confusion. "If we do that, we'll be able to restore the Comet Observatory's ability to fly like a starship. Then, perhaps, we can pursue the thieves who ran off with the Power Stars, and your Special One." he reasoned, trying to appeal with a desperation Mario was all too familiar with.

He had been here too many times. Instead of Lumas, it had once been Toads begging him for help to save their princess. Now, they didn't even have to ask him; he was their first responder in any situation. There was no way he could refuse the same request, even if it meant leaving yet another world he thought he knew. Even if it cost him everything. He morosely remembered his plans to sleep in and relax after the Star Festival. His pitiful little wish on a star for a peaceful day for him and his friends.

But he nodded without hesitation.

The relief in Rosalina's eyes was apparent. "Mario…" she murmured, stepping forward and gracing him with her ethereal presence. He immediately felt his heart rate calm down, his breathing come slower. "Your name is Mario, isn't it?"

"Yes." he confirmed in a small voice, not even bothering to question how she might have known.

She smiled. "Mario…" she repeated, as if to test the sound. "It has such a nice ring to it."

Mario's cheeks went warm; he wasn't sure how to respond and rubbed the back of his head. Some Lumas had gathered around and giggled at his reaction. But Rosalina merely regarded him with a sage calm.

"Coincidence is one of the most powerful forces in the universe." she told him. "It brought us to your planet, and it brought you here to us. Whatever happens now, whatever planets align, the fate of the universe depends on you. I can see the pure resolve in your heart to protect your Special One. For that, I trust you, Mario."

Swallowing hard, Mario ducked his head. The heat rose up within him despite the deep chill of space. "Oh." he murmured. Special One was a very interesting term to use. He didn't understand why it made his heart beat so fast. "Th—thank you."

He turned to face the dome she had called the Terrace as she started to return to her place before the beacon. But then, he remembered the question that was burning in his mind, threatening to brand him with its significance.

"Wait," he called out to her, finding his voice from a vulnerable place he'd buried long ago. "How...How far are we?"

Rosalina stopped and turned to face him again. She offered him a wistful smile; she must have seen right through him. "You stand further than any man has before. We're only going to go further from here."

That was the answer he expected, but he didn't want to accept it. "Oh." He choked on something in his throat, and the sound gave him away. Rosalina's smile fell, and she approached him to lay a gentle hand on his shoulder. Together, they stood high above everything he ever knew.

He met her eyes, forcing himself to stand there under her heavy stare. With just a look, she leveled him with such ease, but even her magnificence couldn't smooth over his turmoil. "I'm sorry, Mario." she offered a soft apology, filled with such pain. Her eyes flickered past him, just over his shoulder, and she encouraged him to look. When he turned around, his heart nearly stopped. "I know this is a lot, possibly too much to take in right now. You're looking at where you began, and where you'll probably come to an end, too. But the universe is vast and complex. Nothing is ever certain. That is the nature of what you're feeling."

Mario didn't have the words for what he wanted to say. But as he looked upon the little planet, no bigger to him than his own fist, he didn't think he could say anything. His throat closed up, and his eyes stung with tears that he furiously wrangled back. Mario didn't cry. He could have his entire world ripped away piece by piece, and be forced to watch everything crumble around him, but he wouldn't cry. He had to stand strong for the Mushroom Kingdom. The Princess and her citizens needed him, after all.

He could only hope that his brother and the Toads were safe down there for now. He didn't know when he'd be coming back.

Rosalina respectfully stood back while he composed himself. He took long, slow breaths until it didn't hurt anymore, and shoved down the instinct that would have him fighting to get back down to his world. He started to open his mouth to tell Rosalina he was ready, but she spoke before he could.

"For the people. For your brother. For your Special One." she nodded with a knowing smile. "You'll do whatever it takes for them."

O~o~O

Hello there! The name of this chapter and lyrics at the start of the story are from a Keane song called Strangeland, from their eponymous 2012 album. Though I think the name is probably a reference to the 1998 horror movie (partly because another song on the album, Disconnected, is themed like a horror movie) the name actually reminds me of the 1961 sci fi novel Stranger in a Strange Land. Though the story has nothing to do with Super Mario Galaxy, the themes of alienness and unfamiliarity are very prevalent both ways.

I've also built a playlist for this story that corresponds to chapters or specific scenes. The song I most associate with this chapter is called Lost In Space by Joe Alexander Shepherd. The name is maybe a little too on the nose, but the overt desolation and undertone of determination in the piece really struck me. In the middle of the piece, there are these little trills that sound extremely similar to the sound a Mario game makes when you pick up a coin, so it felt a little Mario-coded and perfect for the tone.

The Mario Canon is somewhat inconsistent, and it's seen as a problem for trying to create a clear storyline, regarding origins especially. I don't find an issue at all if you consider Mario to be a kind of fairytale. Fairytales are not static. They change and evolve with what the narrative needs. So, in my story here, I draw from multiple canons as well as my own understanding and preferences. I will clarify some of them later as they come up, but you might have already noticed Rosalina's dialogue here when she identifies Mario's name a little earlier than she does canonically. This is because my very first playthrough as a kid was a blur, the very first 3D game I remember seriously sitting down to play. In my memory, Rosalina had magically known Mario's name from the start, so I'm trying to keep certain aspects like that in this story.

This story is about me. It's about you. It's about our shared nostalgia for this game that changed the way so many of us saw the world as kids. It's about our hopeless pursuit of that feeling that we got, stranded out there in that universe, with only the tether of friends and the ultimate goal of rescuing the Princess to keep us grounded. Every single one of us are heroes.

This entire crazy project of mine has been in my head for so long, and I've been working on it on and off since about 2016. It is a love letter to my child self, to your child self and to the game and its creators. If you haven't played it, you're still absolutely more than welcome here, but I implore you to play it if you ever get the chance. Maybe you can still feel what we felt all those years ago.