Behind Peach's castle, the landscape was bathed in hues of orange and gold as the sun began its descent. Samus and Peach sat side by side on an old, wooden bench, the gentle rustling of leaves filling the silence between them. The weight of everything they had faced and the relief of having made it through together lingered in the air. They didn't need words just yet—sometimes, being in each other's presence was enough.

After a long pause, Peach broke the silence first, her voice soft and thoughtful. "Do you remember the day we first met?"

Samus let out a low chuckle, her eyes fixed on the horizon. "How could I forget? You were that bratty little princess who somehow wandered into a bounty hunter bar looking for karaoke."

Peach laughed, a sound as light as the breeze that caressed their faces. "I wasn't bratty. I was… curious."

Samus arched an eyebrow, a smile tugging at her lips. "Curious, huh? You're lucky you didn't get thrown out on your royal behind."

Peach shrugged, smirking playfully. "But I didn't, did I? In fact, by the end of the night, I had the whole bar singing along."

Samus rolled her eyes, but her tone softened with warmth. "That's true. I'll give you that." She paused, turning serious. "You always had this way of… bringing people together. Even in the most unlikely places."

Peach looked down, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "You make me sound more impressive than I am."

"No," Samus replied, shifting to face her, "I mean it. There's something about you, Peach. You have this light… this warmth that makes everything and everyone around you better. Including me."

Peach blinked, tears welling in her eyes. She smiled through them, her voice shaky with emotion. "You've always made me feel stronger, Samus. Like I could face anything as long as you were with me." She took a deep breath, reaching into the pocket of her dress. "I have something for you."

Peach's heart fluttered as she reached into her pocket, her fingers brushing against the worn surface of the locket. It felt heavier now, not from its weight, but from the memories it carried—of the times she had thought Samus was truly gone. She hesitated for a moment, her thoughts flickering back to the battles they had fought, the close calls, and the unspoken connection that had formed between them.

With a small smile, Peach handed Samus the locket. "I think this belongs to you," she said softly.

Samus stared at the locket, her chest tightening. She hadn't seen it since the day her ship went down, the day she thought she'd never see Peach again. "You kept it all this time?"

Peach nodded, her fingers trembling as she placed the locket into Samus's hand. "I didn't want to believe you were gone. But when I thought you were… it felt like a part of me died too. I wanted to run, to hide from the pain, but… you wouldn't let me."

Samus placed her hand over Peach's, their hands now cradling the locket together. "I'm here now," she said softly. "And I'm not going anywhere."

Peach looked up, their eyes meeting in the glow of the fading sun. In that moment, the world seemed to disappear, leaving only the two of them.

Bowser's Kingdom drifted in the emptiness of space, a broken relic of a once-mighty empire now isolated in a dark, uncharted corner of the universe. The flowing rivers of molten lava that had once lit up the kingdom were now frozen in place, dim and lifeless, leaving the castle shrouded in shadows. The eerie silence was interrupted only by the distant shuffling of Goombas and Koopa Troopas who wandered aimlessly, their eyes wide with fear and confusion. They whispered to one another, wondering when—if ever—their King would return to lead them.

Deep within the abandoned castle, a faint, flickering light emanated from a single room. Inside, surrounded by a tangle of wires, screens, and mechanical contraptions, sat Dr. Ivo Robotnik, his rotund frame hunched over a makeshift control panel. The light from the monitors reflected off his glasses, giving him an even more sinister appearance than usual. His fingers moved with practiced precision, rewinding and playing back the footage of the battle at Peach's Castle. He watched, over and over, as Rosalina descended with the Comet Observatory's celestial power radiating from her. Her hand's effortless motion as she banished Bowser's Kingdom into oblivion was mesmerizing.

Robotnik's lips curled into a twisted smile as he started his audio log.

"Day 1 of being lost in the universe," Robotnik began, his voice dripping with a mixture of annoyance and excitement. "At first, one might consider it a grievous error to have tethered myself to this lump of dirt when Rosalina opened that wretched portal. But where others might see only failure, I see opportunity."

He leaned back, the leather of his chair creaking under his weight. A thoughtfulness crept into his voice. "You see, I now have something that even Bowser himself never fully grasped—knowledge. Knowledge of what she truly is… of the power she possesses. That Power Star," he paused, rewinding the footage to the moment Rosalina held it aloft, glowing with the light of a thousand galaxies, "is the key to everything."

He reached down and pulled out a small, weathered leather bag. With a flourish, he opened it, revealing the collection of golden rings inside. They glistened faintly in the dim light. Robotnik's grin widened, his eyes gleaming with unrestrained ambition.

"These rings," he said, holding one up to inspect, "are more than simple tools for traveling between worlds. They are conduits, bridges to realms untouched and unexplored." He smirked, turning the ring slowly in his hand. "With them, I'll not only return, but I'll do so with forces from places even Rosalina hasn't dared to venture. There are worlds out there waiting to be conquered, and I will be the first to claim them."

His voice lowered, a sinister edge creeping into his tone. "These stars are only the beginning."

Robotnik leaned forward, his gaze never leaving the screen as he continued to play Rosalina's footage on a loop. "This so-called 'Goddess of the Stars' thinks she's rid herself of a threat. But she doesn't yet realize…" His tone dropped to a low, menacing whisper, "…she's merely granted me the means to find her, and with that, everything she holds dear."

He paused, considering the implications. The prospect of facing Rosalina was daunting, even for him. Her power was immense, unlike anything he had encountered. But Robotnik was nothing if not resourceful, and his mind was already racing with ideas, plans, and contingencies.

"Power Star or no Power Star, even goddesses can bleed," he muttered, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the console. "And I, Dr. Ivo Robotnik, will be the one to prove it."

As he continued plotting, a soft creak sounded from the castle hallway, the footsteps of a Koopa Troopa who had wandered into the room, drawn by the light. Robotnik's eyes flickered toward the intruder. "What is it?" he snapped, irritation creeping into his voice.

The Koopa gulped, visibly trembling. "I-I just wanted to know… what are we gonna do, sir? Are… are we stuck here forever?"

Robotnik stared at him for a long moment, then let out a slow, unsettling chuckle. "Stuck? Oh, no, my little friend. We're not 'stuck.' We've merely been given a chance to regroup, to rearm… and to conquer."

The Koopa blinked, his fear slowly replaced with a flicker of hope. "C-conquer?"

"Yes," Robotnik purred, rising from his chair. He towered over the small creature, his presence imposing. "You see, while Bowser was content to bluster and rage, I… I am a man of vision. This universe, all its secrets, all its power, are now within our grasp. And when I'm through, not even Rosalina will be able to stop us."

The Koopa Troopa, now caught up in Robotnik's fervor, straightened, saluting with newfound resolve. "Y-yes, sir! We'll follow you!"

Robotnik nodded, patting the Koopa on the head like a loyal pet. "Good. Gather the others. We have much work to do. We still have the Yoshi's"

As the Koopa Troopa scurried off to relay the orders, Robotnik turned back to his monitors, eyes narrowing in thought. He reached up, switching off the footage of Rosalina, and activated a different screen. A detailed star map appeared, each glowing dot representing a potential path back to the main universe… and to Rosalina.

"Enjoy your peace while you can, little star queen," he whispered, his fingers tracing one of the stars on the map. "For I, Dr. Robotnik, am far from finished."

He placed the golden ring back into his bag, securing it tightly. The echoing clang of machinery filled the chamber as his makeshift laboratory began to stir with life, gears turning, energy crackling, as if the castle itself were waking up to its new master's will.

And in that dark corner of space, amidst the stillness of the void, Bowser's abandoned kingdom began to hum with an ominous power once more. A power that promised that, although the great war was over, a far more sinister battle had just begun.

Robotnik's laughter echoed through the empty castle, a chilling reminder that even in defeat, there are those who refuse to be silenced, those who look upon the ashes of their ambitions and see only the sparks of new beginnings.

And so, with the universe unaware of the threat lurking in the shadows, Robotnik's recording ended with a final declaration.

"Day 1… of my reign over the stars."