Chapter 11: The Real Truth

In which Starazia finally learns what happened, and she restarts her life.

Rosalina came flying down in her ship as the crew and all the Toads recovered from the shock that Starazia had created. She took the Grand Star from Mario, and smiled at Starazia.

“My sister is Starazia,” she introduced, pointing toward a shocked Poppy.

“I’m your sister?” Starazia asked. “I thought I lived in Brooklyn with my mom...”

“When we were children,” admitted Rosalina, “we were born in the Sky Palace together—well, you were born first. But a bounty hunter—Goomboss—was threatening to take over the universe, so we had to temporarily leave the palace. It was so long that we forgot who we really were.”

“But who told you this?” Starazia demanded. Just then, a strange man came down and introduced himself as Merlon. Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach remembered him from their ‘Super Paper Mario’ days.

Rosalina remarked: “I knew this was going to happen because, just a few weeks ago, I heard Goomboss say, ‘When the Ruler of the Universe comes here, she’s going to be the one that helps us rule the universe!’ His words made me see a vision that night, of you coming and all the events that would happen. I left you on your own because you are a perfect human and I knew you could handle it. I wonder what happened to the villain that helped you...Bowser, I believe...”

“Speaking of Bowser,” cried one of the Toads, “here he comes!” Everyone ran in fear, and Mario was about to destroy the ship when Starazia stopped him.

“Bowser,” greeted Starazia. “Thanks for your help.”

“You’re welcome,” he grumbled, with a hard look at Mario.

“Mario,” explained Starazia, “he helped me find the fleet Goomboss was controlling. I found the seven keys he lost, and when I got those, he flew me here, where you and the crew were being held captive. So, in a way, he helped me.”

“Yes, I did,” Bowser clarified. “But she’s still a good guy. Now, pay up.”

“I don’t think,” admitted Starazia, “Peach will let you have a slice of cake, but here...I have the 1000 gold coins I found while I was finding the keys for you.”
She handed him a large pouch, but he poured out about 30 of them and gave them to Starazia.

“Split them up among you and the brothers,” he said. “I don’t need so many.”

“Wait,” Starazia paused before Bowser could leave. “I have three things to ask. First, where in the universe are Waluigi and Wario now?”
Bowser went up to his ship and opened the cargo hold. Out came Wario and Waluigi.

“Man,” grumbled Wario. “Talk about no leg room.”

“Of course you didn’t fit,” teased Waluigi. “You’re fat.”

“Are you guys OK?” asked Starazia.

“We’re fine,” Waluigi admitted. “You’re so beautiful...” With that, he fainted yet again.

“Not again,” mumbled Wario. “We wanted to give you something.” He pulled a tricolor ball from his pocket and went to talk to Rosalina, dragging Waluigi behind him. Starazia puzzled over this a minute, but then turned to Bowser for her last requests.

“Second,” said Starazia, “can I borrow your encyclopedia? If I am going to be the ruler of this whole universe, I need to know my way around.”

“Here,” Bowser replied, handing her a new, red cover copy. “I picked up a new one from the center of the universe. You can have it. Now, what was the third thing?”

“Maybe,” Starazia told him, “if I asked nicely enough, you could get a piece of cake from Peach, I guess. Will you follow us back to the Mushroom Kingdom?” He nodded. “Good. I will see you there.” With that, she walked over to Rosalina and asked: “Will you fly us to the Mushroom World? Please?”

“Why should I,” offered Rosalina, “when you can do it yourself?”

“Really?” squealed Starazia. “Yes, please!” The Luma in her necklace left to join his siblings, and Rosalina handed her the wand she was holding. Starazia flew to the top of the ship and flew them home.

When they got there, Starazia told Peach to give a piece to Bowser when he arrived. She hugged Peach and Daisy, and then the Luma in Daisy’s crown flew up to the starship with Starazia’s Luma. Starazia walked over and hugged all the Toads, Waluigi, Wario, Yoshi, and Mario. When she got to Luigi, she kissed him on the cheek and said, “Go give Daisy a kiss, tell Mario to do the same with Peach. I think she wants one.”

“Okay,” Luigi obeyed, but turned back a few steps later and looked like he wanted to tell her something. “I had a dream one night, and I kept having it after that until you came, about you saving me or something...” He explained the dream to her.

“I had the same dream, where I saved you,” Starazia confessed. She glanced sideways. “Hmm. I think Daisy is looking at us. Go kiss her.” She shoved him toward the tomboy.

“What about you, though?” asked Luigi.

“In time,” said Starazia, “I will find someone to call my own. You both have your special ones now, and you shouldn’t worry about me. Even though you will eventually leave your existence here, you and Mario will always hold a special place in my heart. Thank you for giving me this necklace, it’s beautiful. Now, I must leave to watch over the universe. I’ll be watching you from the stars...” She flew like a comet out of the atmosphere and to the center of the universe. Just as Luigi turned his back, he heard her call: “All new life carries the essence of stars...even all of you...”

“Y’know, Luigi,” Mario commented, watching the trail Starazia left, “how come I never had a dream about her?”

“Well,” Luigi told him, quite smugly, “she likes me better.”

“How can you be so sure that she likes—Oh, Mama Mia! How come I didn’t see that?! Good point, Luigi,” congratulated Mario.

Luigi glared at him. “I know she likes me better. Need I remind you that I kissed her three times and gave her that necklace? Now quit fooling around.”

“Who’s fooling?” Mario asked. Luigi didn’t hear him. He had gone to talk to Daisy.

“I have a feeling,” Mario thought, “that now she’s here, I’m gonna have some competition. Maybe I should go talk to her...”

As if he heard him, the Luma that accompanied Mario on his journey to the center of the universe several months earlier came flying down and helped Mario fly after Poppy. Luigi watched his brother streak out of the universe and smiled; he knew what his hero-of-a-big-brother was doing now. Luigi turned to Daisy and kissed her.

And so, Luigi and Starazia started their own series of adventures along with their friends. The universe was forever united. Rosalina was her advisor, her lady-in-waiting, and she was the “mother of the Lumas”. And they all lived happily ever after.

Epilouge

EPILOUGE
In which we learn what exactly happened to Starazia after the story.

Vrmm vrmm!!!! Starazia smiled as she gunned the engine of her Zip Zip again. It was really nice out, so she had invited the Mario crew to a Mario Kart race. The winner could choose what s/he wanted to do, like Mario Party or another Grand Prix. She looked at Luigi, a few contestants behind her.

“Good luck, Mr. L!” she called back. That was her nickname for him, a reminder of what had happened when the crew got stuck between dimensions. The Lakitu came down and started the race. As soon as those lights blared green, Starazia was off. A few minutes later, she pulled into the end of her last lap on Luigi Circuit and called out to her fans: “I WON!!!!!!! YES!!!!”

“Wow,” Mario exclaimed. He had come in third, just behind Luigi himself. “You’re good.”

“Well,” Starazia blushed, “I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere if you hadn’t thrown that Red Koopa Shell at Waluigi.”

“Hey, it was a team effort,” explained Luigi, coming over. “We’re basically allied against everyone else, so...”

“OK, what’s the next course?” asked Mario.

“...The next course is Moo Moo Meadows,” relayed Starazia. She looked at her two friends. “Who wants to end up in first?”

“Well, since you finished first in this one, I guess I’ll win the next,” Luigi suggested. “But make sure that Mario comes in second.”

“All right,” Starazia agreed. She grinned. “But if I end up winning, I’ll just have to kiss Luigi.”

“Why don’t you get it over now?” Luigi offered.

“Nah,” she told him. “If you end up winning...”

Luigi threw up his hands in mock surrender. “OK, whatever you say!” They all got back onto their bikes and drove to Moo Moo Meadows.

At the awards ceremony, Starazia drove ahead of Luigi and Mario, since she had gotten 60 points total. Standing on the pedestals, Starazia accepted her gold trophy and kissed Luigi quickly.

“See, I told you that if I won, I’d just end up kissing you,” she chuckled. “Want to come celebrate at Unuona Castle?”

“Sure!” Luigi smiled. Everyone in the race all flew away from the Mushroom Kingdom to the center of the universe, to the castle there where Starazia was queen, to race another day.

Of course, I don’t think that Starazia would want to race Luigi again. She beat him fair, square, and sweet (:-)!). But if I were her, I’d probably make sure that she keeps everyone out of trouble. Hopefully, I’ve put enough trust in her that she will someday save the universe again. Definitely.