She Who Treads Amongst the Stars

Epilogue: What Awaits Us Now

Rosalina sighs once more as she slowly closes the leather-bound book with her hand. Expectedly, she did feel tears well up, blurring her vision as she read. They fell ever so silently from her eyes, creating small wet drops on the ancient, dried pages. But she knows from experience they will dry.

Crying about things that once were... about her home and beloved childhood family... even now. Even now, she could not stop it. Though, if she didn't cry, things wouldn't feel right. Her parents, her brother, the house on the hill... it all means too much to her, still. And despite her long-ago acceptance, those feelings of yearning never really left her. This was her price to pay for the decisions she made so long ago.

On the other hand, her journey through the stars only made her wiser. And she has so many beloved children and bright spots in her life as a traveling guardian. Despite the occasional welling of emotional pain, Rosalina couldn't say she entirely regrets the path her life had taken.

"And besides... it's always OK to be sad and cry for a while," Rosalina whispers to herself as she puts a hand to her heart. She has never forgotten the words she told Luma after that one sorrowful dream, having written them down in her book. Neither has said dream been forgotten, between its permanency in writing and the significance of its passage.

Rosalina gazes at the meteor shower once more, absently running her fingers through the stitches of the Power Star. She still owns everything she brought from her planet – including her stuffed bunny, which remained in remarkable condition after all this time. As a gift to her, the Lumas found a way to transform themselves into these bunnies, while still being able to revert to their original form. Right at this moment even, there are Star Bunnies hopping around the planet, frolicking in the circles of flowers or sleeping within the grass.

Many times, she considered actually stepping foot back onto the planet and visiting her old home. Surely, her magic had developed enough over the centuries to make that possible. Part of her yearned to go one final time, to truly say goodbye to what had been. Yet there always existed the fear of a vicious emotional breakdown at the sight of her former dwellings. Especially at the graves for herself and her parents; a haunting image that has never quite left her mind. And who was to say that her family– or rather, her descendants, if there were any – even lived there anymore? Perhaps her home did not even remain standing after so many years?

...Maybe, one day, if she felt ready, she could manage it. But it still didn't feel like the right time... not yet anyway.

But one day.

"Rosalina, I'm sorry to intrude..." Her thoughts become interrupted by a deep and familiar voice, ripe with age and maturity.

"Don't apologize, Polari," she replies smoothly, sending the book away before rising and clasping her hands together. "I trust you not to disturb me unless you have very good reason. What is it?"

"Um... I'm afraid... Well, it's rather grim." Rosalina's eyes narrow in inquiry, turning around to face her most trusted advisor. Polari looked uncomfortable, if not downright panicked. This is unusual for him, and the sight alarms her. She had never seen him in such a frightened state, even in the worst of situations. Something must have gone very, very wrong.

"Go on, Polari," she calmly encourages him, maintaining her steady composure. Yet a sense of unknown dread slowly encroached upon her heart.

"Our... Power Stars!" he finally blurts after a moment. "And even the Grand Stars... I-I'm afraid all of them have been stolen."

"...What?" There is no proper metaphor or simile to describe her state of shock. She asks him to repeat the statement.

"Yes, every single star we own... ripped from the heart of our comet. For all we know, the stars are now scattered across the universe..."