Starman Fort: Castle in the Sky

O~o~O

"I do not know what this place is," Rosalina had warned him, with her steady gaze focused on the beacon powering her observatory. "I call it Starman Fort. There are sure to be Power Stars hiding within."

He nodded and prepared to leave at once. Though, just before he could start his way out to the platform from where he would launch, Luigi stopped him. "This place sounds big. It might take a while to explore, so here: take your lunch." He offered Mario a small basket. "I know you'll get hungry," he added, with a teasing grin.

Mario gave an amused roll of his eyes and thanked Luigi with a hug. He wished to invite him along, though Mario knew he had plans to tinker around in the garage and build more Starshrooms to help explore the galaxies. Besides, now that Luigi knew there were actually ghosts in space too, he wasn't eager to take any more chances.

The basket was a little heavy. Mario shook his head to himself; Luigi always could anticipate his appetite.

Luigi and the Toad Brigade waved him off from just beside the glass platform. His boots squeaked on the surface while the launch star twirled before him. After checking to make sure Luma was ready, he steeled himself for launch.

He took off with a shout, blasting off into space.

The darkness all around him was so vast that Mario could have mistaken the deep blue to be black. He looked back over his shoulder, while the observatory faded from view. Luma encouraged him to look forward. Despite the sheer speed they were moving, the galaxies ahead only grew ever so slowly. He made sure to hold on tight to the basket.

Their trip would take some time. Letting out a deep breath, Mario adjusted his posture, and gazed with wonder upon the distant stars they passed by.

O~o~O

Mario could see a glimpse of the massive fortress before them. They had finally come close to a sun, which brought with it light and warmth. A welcome change from the frigid emptiness of space. There were clouds; huge, fluffy lavender clouds obscuring the Starman Fort. But as Mario drew closer, there was a patch of clarity through which he spotted what had to be a turret of a castle.

Luma's path led him to a smaller planetoid just outside of the fort. Mario flipped around to brace for the landing.

He came to the ground, and stood to look around. Above him, there were moons, though he had a feeling Luma wouldn't want to take him to explore each one; even from where he stood, they looked to be barren. All four of them reminded him of the cold, silvery disc in the sky that he used to stare up at from home.

Home. He let out a slight sigh. There was still a lot of work to do before they could go back; the Princess was still so far. They all were.

So many Power Stars. So many, and each one took him further and further from home. Which star was his planet? He couldn't point it out anymore. He swallowed hard.

Luma must have sensed his dread. He came out from under Mario's hat, and pressed up against his cheek with a small croon. Mario tried to smile, and reached to touch the little star being with his free hand. "I know." he murmured. "Thank you."

He looked up to the impossible blue of the skies, like her eyes...

He remembered the way she looked at him before she was taken away. The way she called his name. If he had only been there a moment sooner, maybe he could have saved her. Maybe he could have stopped it all. The Star Festival was supposed to be a happy day for them all, and instead he had let it turn into a day of chaos and despair. He pursed his lips and looked down. The grass around him swayed in the breeze.