She Who Treads Amongst the Stars

Chapter 6: Friends

Time slipped by like grains of sand pouring through one's hands. Rosalina tried not to pay much mind to it. She and Luma enjoyed their new dwellings, exploring and observing the wonders the cosmos had to offer. Rosalina's old life slowly drifted away, though it never quite left her completely. Her little mementos sprinkled around the comet served as constant reminders of what she had left behind.

One day, Rosalina decided to share some apricot tea outside of the kitchen with Luma as they watched the stars go by. Her original apricot tea had, of course, been consumed long ago, so she summoned a mixture with her magic and boiled some hot water in a kettle. Dragging out a tiny brown table with plain white cloth and two chairs to match, she set up just outside the entrance. She then placed her tea set on the table and poured out the beverage. With a sigh of contentment, she leaned back on her chair and took a sip of the sweet, succulent juice.

"This was such a splendid idea, Luma. Why didn't we think of this before?" Rosalina asked, gazing at the passing pinpricks of light.

"Well, I just thought we could mix things up a little," the little star replied, struggling to grasp the round cup in his stubby hands.

"Exploring is fun and all, but it was easier when we had an actual objective out here," she murmured before noticing his plight. "Oh, silly Luma, you should just ask for help!" She lifted her wand and plopped a tiny bendy straw in its beverage. Luma gave a squeal of thanks before sipping the drink rapidly.

"Anyway," the girl continued, her voice growing soft and distant. "I suppose I'm just wondering... How long do we stay out here? Until we've explored every last galaxy? Is that even possible?" An uncomfortable pause followed, drawing out her doubts.

"I don't know," Luma confessed. "I guess so." Rosalina frowned slightly, taking another sip of tea.

"I've adored seeing so many unique galaxies with you, Luma. I really have. But then what?" She refused to speak the unspeakable – a fierce ache she suppressed so strongly she didn't even acknowledge its existence.

Luma looked as lost as she felt. "We... do it all again? Keep an eye on all these places and ensure the balance of the cosmos? That's what Mama did, I think." He released a sad little sigh before continuing. "Honestly... I'm pretty bummed I haven't found anyone else like me out here."

"...Were we supposed to?" Still, Luma's observation struck Rosalina as quite strange. They'd been on this journey for quite a long time, visiting so many galaxies: she would lose count of them all if not for the inventory list kept in each dome. Surely by now they would have seen another of his kind?

And then, something odd caught her attention. During their teatime, the asteroids and clouds of stardust zipped past them as they traveled at high speeds. But now, a tiny apricot planetoid appeared to hang within her line of sight. It remained even as the rest of space passed them by. Did the small planetary body get caught in their gravity? (Did the comet even have its own gravity?)

"Oh look, Luma! We have company, it seems." Then her jaw dropped as an even smaller body emerged from the planetoid's horizon. Out popped... a Luma?! And not just any Luma, but a Luma colored in the same apricot hue! The little guy spotted them and flew their way, cooing as he parked himself over the tea-table. She noticed the peculiar way the apricot Luma stared at her Luma, his mouth hanging open.

"Now what are the odds of that?" she exclaimed, her grin growing wide. "Do you two know each other?"

The Lumas neither drew closer nor backed away from each other. Instead, they simply stared at each other blankly for what felt like the longest time. Rosalina squirmed in place, now feeling uncomfortable. When would someone speak up? Shouldn't this moment be more exciting? Finally, the apricot Luma broke the silence.

"My mama!"

Her Luma bristled in offense. "No, my mama! My mama!"

Huh?! thought Rosalina, strangely amused by this unusual turn of events. Was her Luma's mother originally the parent of this Luma? It seemed she was now caught in the middle of an entertaining mishap

"My mama!"

"My mama!!"

The two stars began to dance around the girl frantically, almost as if chasing each other, and they showed no sign of stopping. Rosalina became so charmed by this adorable scene that she just started to laugh.

Surprisingly enough, that wasn't the end of it. Suddenly, more and more Lumas started to pop out of the planetoid! They were all sorts of different colors- yellow, blue, green, red, and apricot- but they all gathered around her on the comet and shouted the same thing until their chorus rose to an almost unbearable level. This simply made Rosalina laugh harder, to the point where she doubled over and could barely breathe.

"MY MAMA!"

"MY MAMA!"

"MY MAMA!"

"MY MAMA!!!"

"Oh, dear! What am I going to do with all these children?" she exclaimed, bringing the chaos to a halt. The many Lumas looked at her vacantly as she attempted to gather her wits.

"So, you are our Mama?" one finally spoke. A few others echoed the question, which rippled its way among the crowd. Rosalina took another deep calming breath, casting her gaze over the gathering of Lumas. What an interesting turn of events!

"Actually? Yes. To each and every one of you. So, no more fighting!" She beamed, stretching her arms out. "Welcome home, little ones."

The Lumas blinked, looking confused at first. Then a small cheer broke out from somewhere in the crowd. It quickly caught on, until everyone roared and clamored for her attention. Rosalina's Luma tugged onto her dress for dear life, trying not to get swept away. She quickly caught on to this and swept him into her arms. A quick scan told her none of the other Lumas wore silver like hers, thank goodness.

"I guess we'll have to name each and every one of you!" Rosalina cried out, trying to reign in the excitement. Her words came out naturally, without any forethought. This was exactly what she had been looking for since they finished the domes: a purpose. As curious as the circumstances were, she could now personally care for all these little stars. It would certainly be a challenge, but she felt more than willing to take it up. Where else would all these Luma go? Besides, her Luma had been yearning for friends like him. This seemed like the perfect arrangement.

She felt another tug on her dress and looked down, seeing a chocolate-colored Luma with vivid blue eyes. Holding her Luma tightly, she knelt to his level and softened her features.

"And what about you? You look like you've seen a lot. Might I ask you to serve as our North Star?"