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Mario stared at the vast universe that extended upon him as he lay on the grass of the Comet Observatory, near the Terrace dome.
Every star twinkled from the distance, giving a beauty to the scenery before him that he has hardly seen anywhere else. For all the galaxies he has explored, for all the worlds he as seen in all his journeys, there was something relaxing to just stare at the sky in its natural state.
"It's quite the sight, isn't it?" Said a voice at his side, a voice he probably would never get tired of hearing.
Turning to his left, Mario saw Princess Rosalina sitting by his side, flexing her knees and wrapping her arms around them as she stared at the sky as well. There was something... soothing about her, something that always dragged him back to this place, to her.
Mario took a deep breath, his eyes wandering over the stars, but his attention was firmly on Rosalina. There was something about the way she looked at the universe — not with the sense of detachment that most people might feel, but with a profound understanding, as though the stars were old friends, and every twinkle in the sky was a message waiting to be deciphered.
He chuckled softly, breaking the silence. "You know, I’ve been to a lot of places. But this one… this one always feels like home."
Rosalina smiled, her eyes still fixed on the vastness of space, the soft glow of the stars casting a gentle light on her features. "It’s easy to feel at home when you’re surrounded by something so constant," she replied. "The stars, the planets — they don't change, at least not in the ways we see. They're always there, always waiting."
Mario nodded slowly, his gaze drifting back to the stars, the quiet hum of the Observatory in the background. It was moments like this, simple yet profound, that made all the adventures, the battles, the chaos of the Mushroom Kingdom and beyond, feel like distant memories. Here, in this moment, nothing else mattered.
"You know... I appreciate that despite your duty with the Lumas, that even though you travel all across the cosmos constantly, you still make some little time to hang out with us in general," he said with a smile. "I know what we do isn't that big of a deal. I mean, is kart racing and playing sports, but still... I appreciate that you come over."
Rosalina turned her head slightly to glance at Mario, a soft, knowing smile playing at the corners of her lips. The way she looked at him, with the weight of the stars behind her eyes, seemed to acknowledge the unspoken gratitude in his words.
"It's not the size of the task that matters, Mario," she said gently, "It's the connection we have. The moments we share. No matter where I am in the universe, there's always room for this." She gestured to the sky, then to the two of them sitting together on the grass. "This is where I find peace—whether it's here on the Observatory or in the middle of a race with all of you. It’s not about the destination, Mario. It's about the journey and the people you share it with."
Mario smiled, his chest feeling a little lighter at her words. She always had a way of putting things into perspective, as if the weight of the entire galaxy could be lifted with just a few sentences. He stretched out on the grass, lying next to her, and let the stillness of the night embrace him.
"I suppose I'm charming enough to convince you to stay a little longer?" he chuckled with a teasing smile.
Rosalina laughed under her breath, though Mario did noticed a slight red flush on her cheeks. Huh...
"Don't go throwing flowers at yourself now, plumber," she replied. "But I suppose you do have a way to make people want to stay around a little bit."
Mario arched a brow as he heard that and smiled, though he said nothing. He didn't thought it was necessary.
For a long while, they remained silent, simply watching the stars shimmer above, each lost in their own thoughts. The quiet of space, the distant hum of the Observatory’s machinery—it was all a beautiful reminder of just how vast the universe really was, and how small, yet significant, their moments could be within it.
Finally, Rosalina spoke again, her voice barely above a whisper. "You know, Mario... I don't think I'd ever asked you this, but... how much you actually remember?"
Mario turned his head toward her, a slight frown crossing his face. "Remember?" He decided to sit down properly in the grass. "What do you mean?"
"You know, about the 'reset'? The way we met before we, uh, Bowser's first galaxy collapsed and made that black hole that swallowed the entire universe?" She hoped that Mario would understand what she was talking about.
And apparently, he did, 'cause his expression immediately shifted to one of understanding. "Oh... that..." Mario chuckled awkwardly and scratched his head under his cap. "Well... I do remember that I met a lot of creatures from across the galaxy like the Honey Queen. I also remember I spent a lot of time resting here at the Observatory before I traveled to other galaxies, and I have some flashes and memories from my fights with Bowser, but the very last one is still fuzzy. Sometimes I wonder if it was all a dream or if I was just lucky enough to preserve some memories from all of it... Oh, and of course, I remember you. Which I think it's the thing I'm most glad I didn't forget about, to be honest."
The way Rosalina felt her face heat up as he heard his words was unlike anything she's felt before. She looked away and tried to play it cool, though she felt butterflies on her belly and her heart racing like if she had run a marathon.
Rosalina felt her pulse quicken as she took a slow breath, trying to steady her nerves. Mario’s words hung in the air like an echo, each syllable carrying more weight than she had expected. She had always known that Mario's heart was pure, but to hear him speak so openly, so honestly—it stirred something deep inside her.
For a moment, neither of them said anything, the silence stretching out like a vast galaxy between them. Mario’s gaze was fixed on her, his blue eyes searching her face as if trying to decipher the thoughts she hadn’t yet voiced. Rosalina, on the other hand, found herself lost in the weight of his words. She wasn’t sure how to respond, unsure if she should speak up or just let the moment linger.
After what felt like an eternity, she finally looked back at him, a small but genuine smile tugging at her lips. "I’m glad you remember me, Mario," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper, "Because I think about you too. More than you know."
The words caught Mario off guard, and for a brief second, he just blinked, not sure how to process them. It wasn’t like Rosalina to be so open, so vulnerable. It was as if the stars themselves had aligned in this very moment, granting them a rare window into something deeper than the surface of their friendship.
"You... you do?" Mario asked, his voice almost incredulous.
Rosalina nodded, her eyes glinting in the soft light of the stars above. "You have that sort of effect in people, allies and enemies alike. Somehow you just make yourself stand out and, well... I guess it's hard to forget someone like you."
The air between them shifted, becoming more intimate, the kind of quiet that spoke louder than any words. Mario sat up a little straighter, his smile soft but full of meaning. "Well, I guess I’ll always be here for you, Rosalina. You’ve done so much for me, for all of us. I wouldn’t leave you hanging."
Her heart swelled at his words, and for a brief moment, it felt like the universe had conspired to bring them together in this very moment.
"What are the odds, right?" Mario said, once again looking at the stars. "The universe is so big and vast, I believe not even you know everything that's out there... and yet, it seems that the stars aligned so our paths could cross each other. What are the odds that such a thing could happen again, huh?"
Rosalina's gaze lingered on the stars, her expression soft and contemplative. For a moment, it felt as though the universe itself was listening, as if it held its breath in reverence to the question that Mario had posed. She slowly turned her head to him, a glimmer of amusement in her eyes.
"Maybe it's not about the odds, Mario," she said quietly. "Maybe it's about the choices we make and the people we decide to share our paths with. After all, you’ve made your choice. And so have I."
Mario's brow furrowed, but there was a quiet understanding in his eyes as he met her gaze. He didn’t need to ask for clarification. The weight of her words hung in the air, and he felt the warmth of her presence beside him.
"You think so?" he asked, his voice steady, but with a hint of wonder. He had always been one to focus on the immediate, the action, and the adventure. Yet, in this moment, with Rosalina beside him, everything felt different. He felt... grounded.
She smiled, a soft, knowing smile that only she could wear. "I know so."
A breeze stirred the air, sending a few wisps of Rosalina's hair fluttering across her face. Mario reached up instinctively to brush them away, his fingers brushing against her soft skin. The simple touch made Rosalina's breath hitch for just a second, and she couldn't help but notice the way her heart fluttered in response.
"Sometimes, Mario," Rosalina began again, her voice a little more vulnerable than usual, "I wonder if I’m really meant to be the one watching over the universe. I... suppose you also remember my story. The one I read to the Lumas in the Library..."
Mario simply nodded to her question. Of course he remembered her story. How could he forget? It was one of the most tragic tales he's ever heard, even if it wasn't always like it.
"Ever since I became the Luma's mother, I started to wonder if this was truly my duty... I’ve spent so long in this Observatory, trying to understand everything… the galaxies, the stars, the Lumas. But in moments like this... with you, I almost forget that I’m supposed to be this eternal observer. Maybe I need moments like these to remind me that I’m human too, that I have connections. That I matter in the lives of others, just like everyone else."
Her words were so raw, so honest. Mario could see the weight she carried, the burden of her responsibilities as the protector of the cosmos, and it made his heart ache.
"I think you matter more than anyone realizes," Mario replied, his voice gentle, his gaze sincere. "Not just because of your role with the Lumas, but because of who you are. You're not some distant, untouchable force. You're... someone who sees the stars, but also sees the people who look up at them. You're someone who makes people feel like they matter. You make me feel like I matter."
Rosalina's heart swelled at his words, and for the briefest of moments, she felt like she might be floating among the stars themselves. She knew Mario had always been a good friend, a brave and kind-hearted soul, but hearing him speak to her like this made her feel like she truly belonged. Like she was more than just a cosmic guardian, more than just a princess of the stars.
Mario grinned, the playful glint returning to his eyes. "And hey, I’d like to think that if I was a star, I’d be a pretty good one, huh?" he said with a wink.
Rosalina laughed softly, shaking her head. "I’m not sure you’d make a very good star, Mario. You might be too... distracting."
Mario chuckled, lying back on the grass once again, gazing up at the sky. "I’ll take that as a compliment, Rosa," he said, his voice light.
They sat there in comfortable silence, the hum of the Observatory fading into the background as they watched the stars above. No grand speeches, no heroic battles, just the shared understanding of two souls finding solace in one another’s company.
And for that moment, with the weight of the universe hanging above them, Mario knew one thing for certain: no matter where their paths would take them, no matter how far apart they might be, this moment would stay with him forever.
Because in a world as vast and unpredictable as the universe itself, it wasn’t the stars or galaxies that made life meaningful. It was the people you chose to spend your time with.
And in that, he had already found his place.