Chapter 5: Blast off to the Stars

Whenever Princess Peach needed to escape the blaring noises of real life – whether it would be over political matters or usual kidnappings – she would retreat to her sanctum: the royal study. It was a place of reprieve – to unload one's stressful mind of excessive luggage.

Printed on the walls of the study were white and gray diamond patterns. A velvet, oval shaped rug covered the cold, rough ground like a warm blanket. Dominating the center were two blue recliner chairs, with a blue couch situation between them. A woodgrain desk stood in front of them. Everyone except for Luigi was sitting on the chairs.

Princess Peach was accompanied by her royal steward – and father figure – Toadsworth. He was an elderly member of the Toad Species, donning a purple sleeveless vest, which wrapped around a purple shirt with three yellow buttons pinned to the middle. Resting above them was a bright red bowtie. Brown spots were scattered over his beige cap, and his domineering white, bushy mustache brightened the room.

Luigi gripped the envelope, trying to alleviate the nervous tension in his stomach; he felt like someone had dropped a massive bag of quarters on it. Rereading the letter wasn't going to be pleasant; he didn't want to be reminded of the imminent danger scratching at their door like some unearthly monster imagined from their deepest nightmares. And he couldn't bare seeing the distressed expressions on everyone's faces.

What choice did he have? It was better knowing than not knowing.

He removed the letter from its envelope, and took his time unfolding it. His eyes soon met with the dreaded sentences and paragraphs printed on the paper. All he could do was grimace at them. Luigi took a deep breath to prolong the nervousness swelling in his chest from reaching the surface.

He began:

Luigi,

Sorry to rush off without saying arrivederci, but big problems are coming our way. Not sure why, but the stars have been blinking out, one by one. And that means trouble can't be far behind. I hate to leave you all but I need to find out why this is happening. Very soon, someone with a 'key' will be appearing. And he is the key to our survival. So I need you and Yoshi to find him, and stick with him. Okie Dokie? We need that key or we're doomed! I want you two to visit Traverse Town and find a man named Leon. He'll point you in the right direction. Good luck!

Luigi paused at the last sentence. He was hoping it would provide Peach some form of comfort.

It said: P.S. Can you apologize to the princess for me? Thanks, bro.

Luigi lowered the letter to have a gander at everyone. It looked like a tidal wave of emotions crashed into them. Fear, confusion, uncertainty, just to name a few. Yoshi looked worried; Daisy was dumbstruck; and Toadsworth consoled the princess by giving a light squeeze of her wrist.

Peach's eyes were closed, head somewhat lowered, and both hands were folded on her lap. It was almost like she was in a meditative state, taking in each word like a small drop of rain, instead of all at once like a storm. There was a long, uncomfortable silence for the next few moments. Everyone struggled with a proper response. Yoshi found himself moving back and forth in his seat, growing more anxious for Mario's safety.

It wasn't long before Daisy smashed the silent glass with her voice. "This is crazy! What exactly does he mean by all of this?"

"Whatever it means," Peach said; her voice remained calm and collected, "we just have to trust in what he's doing. He's the hero of the Mushroom Kingdom. Everything he does is always for the greater good."

The gentle but encouraging tone in her voice quelled the nervous tension in the air to some degree. Peach had an optimistic outlook on the foregone conclusion. It didn't matter how perilous a situation became; she knew that adversity was nothing more than a minor headache. Eventually it would disappear, resulting in the confident return of peace and happiness. Maybe being rescued on regular basis brought about this idealistic notion.

But this was different. Luigi at least knew the predictable outcomes of their previous adventures. He didn't know anything about what awaited them beyond stratosphere. What challenges awaited? Would their inexperience and unfamiliarity with new worlds result in their demise? It was hard adjusting to such a radical change in location and environment for anyone.

Yoshi stared down at the floor in sadness. Both Mario and Luigi were like father figures to him. It was impossible to imagine living without either of them.

There was a slight whimper in his voice. "Me hope Mario's okay."

"Of course he's fine," Daisy said, giving him a reassuring pat on the head. "He's the toughest guy I know. Saved me from a planet conquering alien, remember? He can handle anything that comes his way!"

Peach felt better hearing those words from Daisy. There was no doubt that he could take care of himself. She turned to face Luigi; both hands were in his pockets, seeking comfort from the apprehensive burst of energy running rampant throughout his body. His eyes were fixed on the ceiling, and he tapped his right foot perpetually.

"Something on your mind?" Peach asked.

Luigi focused his gaze onto Peach's, still looking perturbed. "Too many things. But that's the least of my worries right now. If this key is going to be the difference between life and death, then Yoshi and I should go find him. And find Mario as well. But…"

"But…what?" Peach asked.

"Who's going to protect the castle from Bowser and his troops?" Luigi asked.

Yoshi stood up from the couch. "Aw, that easy. The royal guards."

"The royal guards!?" Daisy said, laughing. She was on the brink of tears. "Whoo, man! That was a good one, Yoshi. You're funny!"

There was a reason Mario and Luigi were the only ones who could save the princess, after all.

"Oh, thanks!" Yoshi said, feeling proud of himself. He then became confused. "Wait, what was Yoshi being funny about?"

Princess Peach walked over to Luigi, and stood before him with a reassuring smile. "Luigi, please don't worry about me. We'll do whatever it takes to prevent Bowser and his troops from invading the kingdom. Right now, Mario needs you; he wouldn't leave such a big task upon anyone else. You two are the Super Mario Brothers; you're always there for each other."

"Are you sure?" Luigi asked.

"Positive," Peach said.

Luigi felt like a rope in a game of tug of war; two powerful, conflicting thoughts battled for supremacy. And no matter which side won, he'd still lose. He wanted more than anything to find his big brother; Mario meant everything to him. But he cared for the princess like a sister, too. Choosing one over the other seemed impossible. However, Peach's words – and smile – of encouragement told him everything would be fine. Mario was more important.

In the back of his head, he hoped that maybe this would be a good learning experience for the royal guards; to defend the kingdom without their aid. He had his doubts, but nothing could cast a shadow on Peach's beaming smile; it was telling him to trust her judgement.

Gaining confidence, he said, "Alright, princess. Leave it to Yoshi and I!"

"Wait, me coming, too?" Yoshi asked in surprise.

Luigi turned to him. "There's a lot of worlds out there. Can't do it without you!"

Yoshi grinned in excitement; he had heard many stories about other worlds before. Being able to see them would be an exciting experience. Also, his loyalty to his friends was absolute; he never turned down a plea for help, no matter how trivial or mundane.

Well, except for maybe doing the dishes.

"Don't worry, princess!" Yoshi said, saluting her. There was a courageous glare in his eyes. "You can count on Yoshi!"

Peach felt the overwhelming stress disperse from her chest. "Thank you. Both of you. Your loyalty means so much to me. I'm so happy to have wonderful friends."

"Daisy, you wouldn't mind checking in on our house while we're gone?" Luigi asked.

Daisy smiled. "No prob. You two be careful out there."

"We'll have to make arrangements immediately," Peach said.

SMASH!

The sound of glass breaking halted any progression. Everyone's heads jerked towards one of the windows located above the bookshelves. A violent rain of shattered glass fell onto the ground. Twink flew in from the window, distressed and breathless. He haphazardly hovered over everyone's heads; they watched on with utter terror. Fraught with exhaustion, he collapsed, and fell towards the floor.

Peach managed to catch him right in her hands. She looked down at him – sweat was pouring down his face; his breath was fast and harsh. Every fiber in his being ached in pain from flying too fast, mixed with the anxiety squeezing the energy out of him like an orange.

Peach was good friends with Twink. One time when Bowser kidnapped her (in her own castle, believe it or not), Twink came to her aid. He would deliver interesting intel to Mario, which helped him defeat Bowser's troops.

It had been awhile since their last visited. Shame this reunion wasn't under good circumstances. Peach was frightened. Poor Twink was nothing more than a disheveled mess of sweat, violent shakes, and whimpers. That tidal wave of negative emotions from early returned with a vengeance – now adding an extra burst of hysteria to the mix.

"Twink!" Peach cried out. "Oh my goodness! Are you alight!?"

Hearing that familiar voice forced him to dig deep into his core to find any sign of strength. It wasn't much, but he lifted that minute bit of energy up for a moment, to open his mouth. What came out was an incoherent mess of words that flew by each other, unable to collided into a single, comprehensible sentence.

"They…couldn't stop them….too many…Star Spirits…gone….scattered…." Twink said.

He could no longer hold onto that sliver of strength; it fell, along with his consciousness, into a pit of darkness.

Twink saw nothing but darkness. But soon a small crack of light appeared within the middle of his vision. Feeling was coming back to his senses. Wherever he was, it felt warm and safe. A comforting white noise filled his ears. Movement was liberated from his unconscious mind. As he opened his eyes, a distorted pink color filled his vision. Upon realizing he was waking up, the image spoke in a familiar, gentle tone, calling his name.

Like putting on a new pair of glasses, the image came into focus. It was Princess Peach, staring at her close friend with a look of concern. Now awake, Twink sat up on what appeared to be the princess' circular bed, covered with comfortable pink blankets. She sat at the edge, keeping a watchful eye on him.

"Princess?" he murmured, still feeling groggy.

A raging waterfall of memories rushed into his head. The Star Spirits, the horrible visitors, all of it flashed through his mind's eye.

"Oh, princess!" Twink shouted, startling her. He gave a frantic look around her bedroom. "Where is everybody!? Did Bowser invade the kingdom? Are the monsters with him?"

"Twink, take it easy!" She lowered her voice. "Everything's okay now. You're safe. No one's going to hurt you."

Hearing her soothing voice helped him calm down for a moment. His mind was still ruffled; he wasn't sure how to start his next sentence. Every vexing thought was backed up in a huge line.

"Oh, I'm so happy to see you," Twink said after a long pause. "We're in big trouble! Those monsters…they were too powerful…the Star Warriors couldn't stop them…."

Peach gasped in surprise. Twink had told her about the Star Warriors in one of his letters. They were chivalrous, but still children. Her heart would weep if their young, fruitful lives were silenced.

"Goodness! Are they okay?"

"Yeah," Twink replied. "No one was seriously hurt."

The frightful image of those mysterious, menacing people flashed before his eyes. His body trembled with terror. Peach felt guilt contract her neck into a tight squeeze; she hated seeing Twink in such an agonizing, frightened state of being.

"But they were unstoppable," he continued; his voice started to crack. "The Star Spirits stood no chance. Those monsters were terrifying. All I could do was listen to their cries of anguish. I was helpless. Why didn't I do anything?"

Peach noticed that he was on the verge of a panic attack. She climbed onto the bed, sat next to him, and pulled him onto her lap. Twink's harsh gasps echoed throughout the room. He then felt Peach stroke his back. Her comforting hand started to push the tension and fear out of his body. It was safe now. Nobody was going to harm him. Her hushes crawled into his ears like the gentle, elegant sounds of ocean waves.

"Poor thing," she said. "You're a mess. Don't worry. I'm here to help you. Now, take slow deep breathes. Then tell me what happened. When you're ready. Start from the beginning."

It didn't take long for Twink to find his composure, and then he began his long, painful story.

Peach left a trail of uncomfortable silence in the study; everyone waited in anticipation for her return. Although no had ever met Twink before, they knew of the Star Children that resided in the peaceful Star Haven. It was obvious to them that something calamitous had torn Star Haven's halcyon apart.

Luigi felt his right foot jitter. It was bad enough that the Mushroom Kingdom was in danger, or that Mario's whereabouts were unknown. Now something else was imprinting a dangerous thumbmark on their world

To take his mind off things, he read a book (although he didn't get far; the book's first chapter involved a creepy clown coaxing a kid into the sewers with red balloons that "all float." That was enough 'nope' for one day). Yoshi was scanning the organized, meticulous bookshelves for a cookbook ("Don't think about eating the books," Daisy said. "Those pictures aren't real!").

Their time of leisure was interrupted by the door's loud creeks. Peach and Toadsworth reentered the study – both looked distressed, which invaded everyone else's emotions like a powerful virus. They were almost afraid to ask what happened to Twink. Or Star Haven, for that matter.

"Is Twink alright?" Luigi asked.

"Yes," Peach said. "Thank goodness. He'll be resting here for a few days before being sent home."

She hesitated for a moment. Things were bad enough already. She hated to douse the flames of their burden with kerosene.

Taking a deep breath, she continued: "However, we have a crisis on our hands. Bowser stole the Star Rod again."

Everyone was taken aback by this shocking revelation. Bowser stole the rod once before, and used it to grant himself invincibility. Not even Mario's incredible jumping abilities could touch his limitless, ethereal power. It wasn't until he rescued the Star Spirits that they were able to defeat him together.

Daisy couldn't process this information. She thought her ears misheard Peach's troubling words.

"How!?" she asked in outrage. "You'd think they would've been prepared for him this time!"

"They were," Peach said. "But he had help."

"From who?" Yoshi asked; his voice started to tremble.

"We're not sure," Peach said. "But from what Twink told me, they are sinister beyond all comprehension. He said they are not of this world."

Not knowing who Bowser's friends were made both Luigi and Yoshi start to panic even more. A slideshow of terrifying images slid across their minds. They saw giant, scaly creatures staring down at them with their cold black eye, filled only with crimson red irises. Their skin was sweating from the creatures' putrid hot breath. Any moment they were ready to pounce, ready to devour.

"It gets worse," Peach said, trying her hardest to contain her anxiety. "This time – from what Twink overhead him say – the Star Spirits have been scattered to different worlds."

"Then how the heck are we supposed to rescue them!?" Daisy asked.

Peach closed her eyes. She knew the there was only one logical answer.

"Luigi. Yoshi," she said, sounding sincere. "I know this is asking for a lot, but, while on your journey, could you please rescue the Star Spirits?"

She opened her eyes to notice the two in question were absent from the room. It didn't take long for her to find them, as she saw the couch Daisy was sitting on had somewhat arisen; it was also shaking. Daisy remained sitting; her eyes were narrow, and she crossed her arms.

Glancing down at the floor, she said, "Uh, I believe this question is for you two scaredy cats."

Peach looked down to see Luigi and Yoshi peek their heads out from under the couch. They noticed the sadness in her eyes. She was depending on them; the whole Mushroom Kingdom was depending on them. Despite how daunting this undertaking would be, they needed to stay calm and focused. Constant worrying would cease their quest before it even started (which was easier said than done for Luigi. But he had to try his hardest).

"Y-Yes," Luigi said with a nervous stutter. "You've got it. Just let me get over the initial shock."

Yoshi brought his hand in for another salute. He, too, was scared, but would never deny the princess' pleas.

"Y-Yoshi at your service!" Yoshi said.

He swung his arm away, which flew right into Luigi's face.

"Ow!" Luigi shouted.

"Oops, sorry," Yoshi said with a sheepish grin.

The two emerged from the couch, stood up, and took a moment to recuperate from the staggering news that crashed into them like a truck.

Daisy gasped as a sudden realization crossed her mind. "Oh, no! He's probably going to come here for you next!"

"I know, "Peach says. "I don't want to put my kingdom in danger because of me. So I've decided: I'm going to Traverse Town as well."

Toadsworth spun around to face the princess in absolute shock. "Princess! I can't believe the words I'm hearing! We don't know what sort of atrocities lurk out there! It's far too perilous for a princess to venture into unknown territory!"

"But if I stay here, Bowser will invade the kingdom," Peach said, her voice firm but polite. "And we know nothing of his new accomplices. They might be more aggressive than him, and are willing to harm our subjects. Possibly slaughter them. I'll never forgive myself if my subjects meet a fatal end. I must leave! It's the right thing to do!"

Toadsworth thought over his plight. He hated seeing the princess in a strange, new environment. Who knew what hooligans would await her arrival, ready to snatch her into a dark, humid hole in the soil. The idea disgusted him. But he knew that, without Mario or Luigi, no one was brave enough to save her from Bowser's clutches. If age didn't have a barrage of metal chains wrapped around his withered joints, Toadsworth would have rescued her without hesitation.

"But you don't expect to journey outside of Traverse Town," Toadsworth said.

"Of course not," Peach said. "We'll find a secluded location to hide until this all boils over."

Toadsworth saw a candle of determination flicker relentlessly in her eyes. She would do anything to keep her people safe. It's what a true monarch strives to achieve. Toadsworth cared for her like a child, but she was still a princess. He would never disrespect her wishes; his admiration for her, as well as the royal family, was unbreakable.

"Very well," Toadsworth said. "I will honor your request. But my duty is to keep a close eye on you. Therefore, I shall be accompanying you on this endeavor as well."

"Cool!" Yoshi said, feeling a bit jovial now. "Maybe Toadsworth would like to visit other worlds besides Traverse Town."

"I must graciously decline," Toadsworth said. "Maybe in another time, another place, I would've been more than happy to see other worlds with these old eyes. But my duty to watch the princess comes before anything else."

"Thank you, Toadsworth," Peach said with an appreciate smile. She turned to Luigi, who was looking apprehensive "Are you okay?"

"I'll be alright," Luigi said, as he formed a faux smile to appease her. "Just say the word, and we'll be raring to go."

"I know I can count on you two," Peach said. "You have my eternal gratitude. Now, why don't you both head home and gather everything you need for the journey? I'll summon you when the time comes. I have preparations to make myself."

Luigi still felt overwhelmed. How was he going to do this without Mario? Their teamwork was an invaluable asset of their victories. Luigi had to swallow the fear down his throat; at least in front of the princess. He didn't want to blow the flickering candle in Peach's eyes out, diminishing her spirits.

Luigi beckoned Yoshi towards the door. Peach suddenly called out to them, forcing Luigi to stop right in his tracks. Yoshi, however, stopped too late and bumped into Luigi's back, forcing him to stumble forward. He spun around and glared at Yoshi, who responded with an apologetic grin. They then turned to Peach.

"Sorry," Peach said. "Forgot one thing. In a little while I'll be sending someone over for you to meet. She is going to be chronicling your journey. I want to know everything that happens while you're out exploring."

"Boy, so many people coming with us," Yoshi said. "We gonna need a big ship, huh, Luigi?"

Luigi agreed with a nod. After saying good-bye, they hurried out the door and headed straight for home. Everyone else stood around in silence, trying to organize their jumbled thoughts. Daisy was scared for her friends and their lives. She wanted to come with them, but running her own kingdom took precedence. It wasn't fair, she thought. How could she run a kingdom when her mind would drift up onto a balcony, looking out at the stars, wondering if everyone was safe?

She had no choice in the matter. All she could do was hope for the best, and count down the days until her loved ones (especially Luigi) returned home.

"Excuse me, princess," Toadsworth said. "A perplexing thought just occurred to me. How are we going to locate the Star Spirits?"

Peach felt a knob twist her spirits into a spiral of dismay. She hadn't stopped to think that important tidbit of information through. And time was of the essence. An idea soon twisted the knob again, turning it into an assortment of brilliant colors.

Her eyes beamed with excitement. "I think I'm going to call the professor. He might have the answers we need."

Unbeknownst to the group, their plans were being overheard; not even the protective walls of the study silenced their words. The spider was recording everything using its camera. Every word, every movement, was being watched through an unflinching, circular window. Peeking in through the other side was a pair of familiar fire red eyes hidden in the shadows. Their focus was fixed on Princess Peach herself.

Luigi's suitcase was swallowing clothes and other necessities at a rapid rate; almost to the point of collapsing from the overabundant number of items he was shoving into it. Yoshi sat on the opposite end of bed (since he didn't wear clothes, packing took seconds for him).

His legs were dangling off it, moving back and forth in excitement; his mind had decided to take a vacation in the land of reverie. Despite the importance and potential danger of this adventure, he was curious about the other worlds they'd be exploring. Child-like wonderment tickled the back of his head like a feather, and it only wiggled faster with each passing moment.

"Me can't wait to see other words like," Yoshi said, excitement ringing in his voice. "Me gonna make new friends! Yoshi wonders what kind of food they have? No matter! Yoshi try them all anyway."

Yoshi's enthusiasm stung the outside of Luigi's ear. Why was he so excited? Did he not care that his other father figure was missing? Or that his own world was in pearl?

"Hey, this isn't a vacation!" Luigi snapped. "We have a lot of serious work to do!"

Yoshi's happy expression was inhaled by a vacuum of sadness.

"Well, Luigi didn't have to be snippy about it," Yoshi whimpered.

Luigi saw the sadness in his eyes. Yoshi was too pure and innocent. He didn't mean any harm. Children sometimes can't grasp the seriousness of a situation. Besides, Luigi hated seeing Yoshi sad; his lower lip formed a huge pout, and his dark blue pupils widened to form hazy sparkles, which made anyone wither away in guilt.

Sighing, Luigi said, "Sorry. It's just…I don't know if I have what it takes."

His eyes trailed over to picture in a four by six frame resting on the nightstand. Upon picking it up, he noticed it was of him and his brother standing outside Peach's castle; their arms were around each other. Mario was portly compared to Luigi, and was somewhat shorter. He also donned blue overalls, but wore a red shirt and cap instead. Like Luigi's cap, a red "M" was imprinted around a white circle, and he had a black moustache, too.

What a happy moment, he thought. Wish he could be stuck in that picture forever.

"I don't know if I have what it takes," Luigi continued, feeling discouraged. He placed the picture back on his nightstand. Then, he sat on the bed, with his chin propped in his hands. "I've been nothing more than a shadow to him. He would know what to do in any situation. Me? I'd just hide under my bed until he takes care of it."

Luigi felt a sympathetic arm wrap around his shoulders. He turned to see Yoshi giving him a reassuring smile.

"Luigi no worry," he said. "You have Yoshi to help you out this time. We face challenge together, yes?"

The confident tone in Yoshi's voice made the swelling nerves in Luigi's skin shrink to miniscule proportions. Yoshi could be naïve about the world around him at times, but he was loyal to a fault, and would be there to pull Luigi up from a cliff of self-doubt. Luigi's body felt lighter, as if a huge weight dispersed from it.

"Thanks for the support," Luigi said, smiling with relief.

Yoshi licked his face. "Anytime."

Their sentimental reprieve was interrupted by a knock from the door. Luigi assumed it was the chronicler Peach had recruited. He walked through the kitchen towards the door, with Yoshi following close behind. Upon opening it, they were greeted by an anthropomorphic female dog (she appeared to be a breed of Shih Tzu).

Her buttercream fur brightened the room, and the shape of her head resembled that of a bell. She appeared professional in both posture and wardrobe: she wore a buttoned down, green checkered vest with a white top. Fastened to her neck was a red ribbon, and below her vest she wore a navy-blue skirt. In her arm she held a red leather journal; its outlines were stitched together with a golden thread.

Even before she uttered a word, both Luigi and Yoshi could sense something cordial about the chronicler. Inside the white patch around her mouth was a warm, pleasant smile, which appeared genuine; you felt as if you could approach her without any hesitation and strike up a conversation within seconds.

"Hello, you must be Luigi!" she said with exuberance. "My name is Isabelle. I presume the princess told you that I'll be chronicling your journey?"

"Yes," Luigi said in a welcoming voice. "We've been told. Nice to meet you. Please, come in."

Isabelle stepped into the house and took a moment to gander at the woodgrain kitchen. It was homey, she thought. Reminded her of the coziness of her own home, where she would spend the evening by the calming fire, listening to its gentle crackles while she sipped on her favorite mocha and examined the notes for an upcoming meeting at work.

Even during times of respite, she couldn't stop working. She was a workaholic through and through. Some people were baffled by her intense desire to work nonstop; it seemed unhealthy. Not to her. Work gave her a feeling of gratification that she carried with pride.

Luigi introduced her to Yoshi, who asked, "So, what a 'crono-nicler' do?"

Isabelle giggled at Yoshi's pronunciation. "A chronicler is someone who writes down important events that take place. That way other people can read about it later. The princess wants to know all about your journey, so I'll be keeping track of everything. I've got my hand dandy journal and –"

She searched her vest pockets for a pen. Her paws were greeted with nothing but the warm fiber of them. Isabelle felt a sudden pang punch her kidney's around like a punching bag. All the delight had drained from her body.

She started to panic. "Oh, no! I left my pens at home! How could I forget such an important thing!?"

"H-Hey, hey!" Luigi said, hoping to becalm her. "Don't worry about it! I've got some spares."

Isabelle shook her head, almost as if she wanted to refuse his gesture. "I'm so, so sorry! That's completely unprofessional of me. I don't want to be a burden during your journey."

"Look, it's no problem," Luigi said in a comforting tone. "We're all a little on edge because of this whole thing. I understand."

For a moment, Isabelle felt disappointed in herself. She didn't want everyone to think of her in a negative light. However, Luigi and Yoshi had forgiving expressions on their faces. They didn't seem upset with her. Still, it wasn't an excuse, and she would work extra hard to show them she wasn't careless.

With a rejuvenated, confident spirit, she said, "Thank you. I promise that I'll record as much as I can in my journal. And if you ever need help with anything else, I'm at your service."

Hearing the strong assertion in her voice made Luigi feel better, too. He was glad to have so much support. Of course, nothing would ever calm the relentless worry dangling over his head until he saw Mario's familiar visage enter his line of sight.

After retrieving a few pens for Isabelle, Luigi finished packing and dragged his suitcase into the kitchen. Isabelle sat at the dining room table, continuing to admire the comforting design of the kitchen. Yoshi sat across from her; his elbow rested on the table, which supported his right cheek. Unlike Isabelle, the familiar colors of the kitchen were boring. He wanted a change of scenery.

"So, Isabelle," Luigi said, as he placed his suitcase on the ground, "I've never seen you around town before. What part of the kingdom are you from?"

He notices Isabelle's eyes trail towards the ground in sadness. She gave her dress a tight squeeze with both paws, almost as if it helped quell the strong feeling in her stomach.

"In all honesty," she said, looking solemn, "I'm not from this world. I lost it not too long ago. Was scattered from my family and friends."

They couldn't believe their ears; who would've thought a person from another world was sitting right in front of them? But she didn't seem different from anyone else (well, at least by Mushroom Kingdom standards). There was a hint of fascination by her origin, but Luigi could feel the pressure of her sadness squeeze his neck.. Best not to peruse the question further, he thought.

Isabelle hated reliving the destruction of her world. She never thought life would swoop in like an angry hawk and take everything away from her in an instant. Her friends were gone. He was gone. That faithful day played on repeat in her head. Everything became dark…the sounds of the howling wind moaned with pain in her ears….someone she loved crawled into her memories….his cries for help grew louder….why did she let him….?

Luigi closed the inquiring door and decided to change the subject; unfortunately, Yoshi's giant nose pried it back open. With an excited smile, he barged into Isabelle's personal space, which startled her in the process.

"You from another world!?" Yoshi asked. "Wow! What it like? What food taste like? Juicy? Sweet?"

Isabelle formed an awkward smile, unsure of how to respond. "Oh, my. So many questions! You're quite the inquisitive one, aren't you?"

Luigi stomped over to Yoshi, grabbed him by the saddle, and began pulling him towards the bedroom. "Would you excuse us for a second? One of us needs a lesson in being TOO inquisitive."

Yoshi knew he was trouble and didn't bother struggling as Luigi dragged him into the bedroom. After slamming the door, Luigi spun around to face the dinosaur with a frown; it was mixed with anger and disappointment.

"Yoshi, how many times have I told you about personal space?"

"Me know," Yoshi replied, his eyes trailing off from guilt. He then refocused them on Luigi, "but she from another world. Me wanted to know so much."

Luigi crossed his arms; his frown grew wider. "Is that an excuse to get up in her face?"

"No, you right," Yoshi said, sighing in defeat.

"Good," Luigi said. "Just try to be a bit more respectful next time. But that's not all I wanted to talk about."

"W-What else did Yoshi do?" Yoshi asked, baffled, but also nervous.

Luigi chuckled. "Nothing. Look, you're not in trouble or anything. There's something I just need you to understand. While we're in other worlds, we can't let on where we're from. It's potentially dangerous. Every world is fine the way it is. But if we let people know about other worlds, it disrupts that peaceful balance. It could drastically alter their perspective on things, and who knows where that would lead? Do you understand?"

"Me think so," Yoshi said, nodding with a relieved smile. "We have to protect the world border, right?"

"That's ORDER," Luigi said with a stern tone in his voice.

Yoshi waved an indifferent hand. "Order, boarder, same difference."

Luigi was about to lecture him when a violent shake erupted, accompanied by a loud crashing noise. Both Luigi and Yoshi fell over from the hard, abrupt vibrations. The kitchen utensils wailed in agony upon hitting the ground. Isabelle's shrieks joined the choir of smashed plates.

Luigi and Yoshi scurried to their feet and ran into the kitchen. To Luigi's horror, it was in ruin. His floor was covered with a disarray of broken glass, tumbled chairs, and dinner utensils. He heard Isabelle's hard, raspy breath to his left. Her back was pressed against the wall, terrified.

"What happened!?" Luigi asked. "Are you okay!?"

She swallowed, trying to form coherent words in her mouth. "I'm fine. Can't say the same about your front door."

Luigi looked to see a giant, dented hole had smashed his once tall door into little pieces of debris. Resting between the hole was an unusual device: it appeared to be a giant red vacuum cleaner.

Luigi recognized it right away and smacked his forehead in annoyance. "Of course. He always needs to make a grand entrance, and cost me a grand in the process."

An elderly little man crawled his way into the house, in a daze from the impact. He wore a white lab coat and had a single, large strain of white hair protruding in the middle of his oval shaped head. Resting on his ears were giant circular glasses; his eyes remained hidden in the spirals engraved on the glass. The man stumbled around the room; his head was still spinning.

"Professor E. Gadd?" Yoshi asked. "Are you okay?"

Upon hearing Yoshi's voice, he found control over his consciousness, shook his head, and stood upright. Professor Elvin Gadd was a scientific genius. A little eccentric, but his talents were world renown. He has provided the Mario Brothers with various hi-tech gadgets to assist them on their journeys.

"Ah, Luigi. Long time to see." He smiled, showing off his mouth's sole surviving tooth. "Sorry about the door. Hope you weren't using it for anything important."

Luigi scowled. "Well, actually, it might come in handy to keep freeloaders out of my house."

"Just a joke, my boy," E. Gadd said, chortling. "I'll make sure it's repaired by the time you return."

Luigi thoughts were interrupted by a sudden, frantic scribbling noise. He spun around to see Isabelle writing in her journal.

"You're writing THIS down?" Luigi asked in surprise.

Isabelle smiled. "Why not? This is how it all begins. This is something you can all look back on one day and laugh about."

Yoshi put his arm around Luigi and sang, "Memories."

Luigi sighed; he wasn't laughing now, was he? This journey was already off to a smooth start; so smooth that they were sliding all over a giant block of ice, unable to gain any control over their situation.

"So what brings you by, professor?" Luigi asked, trying to ignore the damage for now.

"Well, I was just having a wonderful conversation with the princess," E. Gadd said. "Lovely woman. Even under pressure she keeps a clear head. Told me about your forthcoming adventure. Seems like you have you a lot under you belt, eh?"

Luigi winced from that harrowing reminder. You know, the new hole was beginning to sound like a good idea. Free air, right?

"In any case," E. Gadd said, adjusting his glasses, "I'm aware that the Star Spirits have been scattered to various worlds. Searching for them through sight alone will be an impossible undertaking. Therefore, I have created a device that'll lock onto their distinct metaphysical energy."

E. Gadd pulled out what looked like a rectangular metallic shell. He flipped the clamshell open to reveal an electronic gaming device that had two wide LCD screens: one was below the other. Parallel to each side of the screen were various buttons (the right included four circular buttons; the left had one giant gray circular button, with a plus shaped button right below it).

"Behold!" he shouted. "I present to you the 3D Dual Scream! Or 3DS for short."

Isabelle's eyes lit up with nostalgia upon seeing it. "Oh my gosh! It's a handheld video game! I have one of those! My brother and I love playing the Amazing Able Sisters on it. The feels I have right now."

"Hoho," E. Gadd laughed with pride. "This isn't merely some video game doohickey. It's installed with a GPS that will lock onto the Star Spirit's magical energy. And it has a long range to make searching a little less cumbersome."

Luigi walked over to the professor and asked if he could see it. The professor complied. Holding it in his hands made him feel a bit relieved; it was like the clamshell of the 3DS cut the tense rope lingering in his stomach. He played around with the buttons and viewed many of the handheld's options, including a map of the sky. It was populated with millions of stars. A small glowing dot pulsated in the top right corner, indicating the location of a Star Spirit.

"You've outdone yourself, professor!" Luigi said, feeling reinvigorated with confidence. "This is just what we need! But why is called a '3D' Dual Scream?"

He pressed a button on the system and the screen start glowing a bright white color. A red ghost floated out of the screen, glared at Luigi, opened its gaping maw, and screeched right in his face. Luigi had a tremendous fear of ghost. They scared him more than anything else in the world. He once had to brave a haunted mansion to save Mario from a gang of them. To say that didn't help his already irrational fear was an understatement.

Luigi screamed in terror, dove into the cupboard under the kitchen sink, and slammed the door. He opened it moments later to stick a sign on the door that read: "Do not open until next Mario Party." And then slammed the door shut again.

The ghost flew back into the 3DS and vanished from everyone's sight.

E. Gadd chuckled in embarrassment as he walked over to it. "Whoops! Forgot to delete my research files from there."

Isabelle glanced over at Luigi's hiding spot in concern, and asked Yoshi, "Is he going to be okay?"

"This normal for Luigi," Yoshi said with a flat expression on his face. "He kinda afraid of everything. Isabelle get used to his shrieks in no time."

E. Gadd approached Isabelle. "I've also created something for you, my dear."

He pulled out what appeared to be another electronic device. It, too was, rectangular, though its edges were curved. Unlike the 3DS, this device had only one screen, but the many buttons made up for it.

"For me?" Isabelle asked in surprise.

"Yes, indeed," E. Gadd replied. "The princess has told me you'll be chronicling this journey. No doubt the many places you visit will be fraught with danger. Am I right in presuming that – unlike Luigi and Yoshi – you are not fit for combat?"

"You guessed right," Isabelle said. "I'm not the confrontational type."

"Then this device will suffice." E. Gadd handed it to her. "It'll allow you to watch Luigi and Yoshi's escapades from a safe distance. I call it the 'Wii Stream."

Yoshi's immature mind tickled his nose, forcing him to snort in amusement.

E. Gadd gave him a curious look. "Find something amusing, my scaly friend?"

"Oh, nothing," Yoshi said, trying to contain his laughter. "Me just suddenly got the urge to use potty, that's all."

"Then please refrain from such tomfoolery during my instructions," E. Gadd said. "Anyways, I have taken the liberty of hiring seasoned cameramen to film the action. Don't worry. They won't be replacing you. Recording constant footage would consume far too many memory cards, and it would be tedious to replay the footage."

E. Gadd cleared his throat. "Allow me to introduce you to one of the famous Lakitu Brothers!"

Immediately, another one of the turtle creatures that rode on a cloud flew into the house. He held a fishing rod in his hand. Attached to its string was a professional video camera.

Luigi stuck his head out from all the commotion. "Where do these people keep coming from? My house isn't a social gathering, ya know."

Lakitu pointed his camera at Isabelle and Yoshi.

"Good afternoon," he said. "The Lakitu Bros, here, reporting live from inside the house of residents Mario and Luigi. Right now, our brave heroes are preparing for their journey into the unknown. We'll be filming the action as they pursue the missing Star Spirits and locate our all loving hero Mario."

"Oh dear," Isabelle said as her rosy cheeks grew redder from embarrassment. "I didn't prepare for this. Our mayor is the one usually being filmed, not me."

Yoshi waved at the camera. "Hi, Mama Luigi! Me a big star! Oh, wait. He hiding in cabinet." He waved to Luigi. "Hi, Mama Luigi!"

"Mama?" Isabelle asked.

Luigi crawled out from the cupboard. "It's a long story."

"I hope my assistance will suffice," E. Gadd said.

"It will," Luigi said. "Thanks. I owe you one. As long as it doesn't involve visiting other haunted mansions."

"Ohhohohohohohohoh…..I make no promises," E. Gadd said.

Luigi slumped his shoulders from that unfortunate piece of news. Great. Something to look forward to when he comes home.

"Well, we need to finish packing," Luigi said. "Have a long journey ahead of us."

"Yes, indeed," E. Gadd said. "Best of luck to you, my friends. Come back safely."

He walked over the mess on the floor and climbed into the giant hole in the door; everyone stared at it in awkward silence. Moments later, he peeked his head back through the hole.

"Oh, you youngins wouldn't mind calling a tow for me, would ya?" he asked.

Many years ago, hardworking, devoted scientist discovered a strong material that deemed impossible to exist. But there it lay, out in the open, ready to be studied. Extensive testing revealed its immeasurable strength. No matter how strong the object they threw at it was, it yielded the same results: the heavy object shivered in humiliation from its failed attempt at damaging the strange material.

Researchers decided to name this material: "Labo," due to how often people could experiment with it, much like scientists in laboratories. Eventually, they decided to use these blocks with space travel in mind. Its unbreakable material was perfect to deal with the intensity of the cosmos.

And that's when the first few Labo Ships were manufactured. Mario somehow obtained one through unknown means. Which made Luigi glance at his brother with suspicion. When confronting him about where or why he acquired one, Mario would respond with vague statements such, "I'd-a-think it would be-a-neat to travel around the kingdom in one," or "one day I'll-a-take the princess into-a-space."

Luigi was never one to doubt Mario's claims. Brothers were supposed to be truthful with each other, weren't they? Luigi felt a bit insulted, but that wasn't a pertinent issue to vex over now. Finding Mario was the first objective. At the very least he now knew why Mario acquired the Labo Ship – to visit other worlds in case of an emergency.

Luigi, Isabelle, and Yoshi met up with both Peach and Daisy at the castle. They went through the castle's long, winding halls until they reached the its backside. Upon exiting they arrived at the princess' own personal runway. Resting in the grass was what seemed like an endless wide road. The gravel was marked with freshly painted white lines. Many Toads were busy preparing for the upcoming launch.

Docked near the edge of the runway was the Labo Ship itself. While blocky in design, that didn't stop it from providing a smooth, safe travel through the unknown sky. It was coated with a dominating red color. The ship's nose was in the shape of a castle tower's pointed roof; in the nose's center was a yellow mark. Above the base's rectangular head was the glass cockpit, and attached to each of its sides were two orange blocks. Two wings protruded out of the orange blocks' sides.

A yellow cylinder was connected to the top part of each orange block. On the end of those cylinders were little laser weapons, which would be used if they ran into trouble (given how vast and unknown the universe was, there was a strong possibility of an attack).

Accompanying Peach – aside from Toadsworth – were two Toads, who were her strongest guards. In fact, they have helped Mario and Luigi on a few occasions. One had yellow spots, while the other had blue. Luigi walked up to the ship, cupped his hands, and shouted up to the crew inside it.

"Hello up there?" he said. "Luigi to launch crew! We're all ready to go!"

The Labo Ship's interior was stuck in a bored, motionless state. Two giant cylinders adjacent to each other served as the main engines that pumped blood into the machine like a strong, youthful heart. Giant gears were placed throughout the room, serving as the bloodstream for the two cylinders. Sleeping on the floor was a tiny, silver robot. A small black AC plug stuck out his backside.

Suddenly, another robot flew into the room. It was in the shape of a television, and had a propeller attached to its head, which was how it could fly. The flying robot – known as Telly Vision – gave the little robot a light nudge.

"Wake up, Chibi-Robo!" Telly Vision said. "We've got work to do!"

Chibi-Robo opened his beady little eyes, stood up, and, without hesitation, saluted Telly-Vision. He ran over to a lever, leaped onto it, and pulled it straight down. A powerful hum echoed throughout the room, and soon life began anew for the Lobo ship. Cogs spun in a perpetual clockwise motion, giving the ship its strength. After pushing a few buttons, Chibi-Robo lowered the ship's back hatch.

Everyone boarded the ship and entered the cockpit. Daisy watched from the sidelines as the hatch closed not moments later. Everything would be okay, she thought. It had to be. Luigi had been in worse situations. He would succeed. They all will. She had to believe in that philosophy.

Luigi sat at the pilot's seat. Mario had shown him how to fly the ship in the past, and he was confident in all his training. He flicked a few switches and pressed some buttons, starting the engine in the process. He glanced out the window to see Daisy watching him with a confident, supportive look in her eyes.

Luigi hated to leave her, but if he lingered and did nothing, he may never see that beautiful smile again. She was one of many motivations that kept him going. Luigi blew a kiss to Daisy, who pretended to catch it in her hand. Then, like a baseball pitcher, she threw the ball back at him, and he pantomimed it smacking him right in the eye. Daisy chuckled.

Yoshi, meanwhile, groaned from their nauseating displays of affection. "Oh, brother."

"Seatbelts, everyone!" Luigi said.

He started the engine, which unleashed powerful roaring flames. Everything was set for departure. There was no turning back.

"Blast off!" Luigi shouted.

Luigi pushed the thruster with all his might, and the ship took off – in reverse. The airplane crew – and Daisy – watched in horror as the ship crashed into a tree. Everyone in the cockpit was dazed from bouncing around in their seats like tennis balls that flew out of their containers (thankfully they had their seatbelts on per Luigi's instructions). Painful groans echoed throughout the cockpit.

"Where did you learn to fly?" Yoshi asked.

Luigi, regaining his focus, checked the controls to see what went wrong. His face turned bright red upon noticing the obvious issue.

With a sheepish grin, he turned to everyone and said, "Whoops. Had the silly thing in reverse."

Toadsworth couldn't help but smack his forehead for such an inane mistake. As Peach fixed her disheveled hair, she noticed a petrified expression on Isabelle's face.

"Isabelle," Peach said, "are you—?"

Isabelle, who had lost all semblance of rational thinking, opened her journal, scribbled in it, and showed her what she wrote on one of the pages. In jagged handwriting was a simple word: "help."

Luigi, trying to ignore the embarrassment swishing in his stomach, adjusted the transmission to its proper setting. Wordless, he moved the thrusters forward, and this time the ship flew straight off the runway and into the sky, ascending into the giant enigma of space.

Luigi and friends were greeted by the dazzling star. It was a sight to behold. Everything felt calm and silent as they watched the beautiful orbs of light waltzed around the pitch-black sky.

One star, however, was fading, and the darkness would soon smother its last glimmer of light.

A/N: The dialogue of Isabella being "not fit for combat" was written long before her inclusion in Smash Ultimate. Besides, I honestly consider the Smash series its own separate universe. That's what I think, anyway. Lol Thanks for reading!

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