Super Mario Universe

4 | The Comet Observatory

"Wake up," came a voice. "Mario! Wake up!"

Mario opened his eyes slowly. In front of his face stood a woman Mario had known to come as one of his close friends throughout his recent life. In her face, her white hair bellowed in front of her right eye. Her eyes were soft, warming to Mario.

"Rosalina?" Mario said, waking up. "What are you doing here?"

It was Rosalina, one of Mario's best friends in the whole wide world. She always had been kind to Mario and his friends, and no matter the circumstances, she always had helped Mario. She lived in the Mushroom Kingdom most of the time, but sometimes she would traverse the galaxies on her own personal starship, the Comet Observatory.

Hello," she said. "It's nice to see you again, even under these circumstances."

"What do you..." Mario started, but then it all came back to him. Peach kidnapped. Bowser's airship. Kamek's spell.

"Relax. A lot has happened!" Rosalina laughed.

"Where am I, anyway?" Mario asked. He looked around for the first time. He was on a giant space ship, which was parked in deep space. It was tall, and wide, and it was the Comet Observatory.

Mario had been there before. But that was a long time ago, but that didn't matter then. All that mattered was Peach! The poor, poor princess!

Everything hit Mario again. He sighed.

"Don't worry!" Rosalina patted Mario on his back. "We'll find your princess!"

"How? We don't even know if they're still in the Mushroom Kingdom!" Mario replied.

"Well, of course they are. They really have got nowhere to go, and . . ." she started, but she was soon interrupted.

"LUIGI!" Mario cried. "Did he land here by chance???!!!"

"No," Rosalina said. "By the way, you should know you're REALLY, REALLY lucky you stumbled upon my ship. Who knows what would've happened if you hadn't!"

Mario shuddered. Rosalina was right, but he couldn't focus on her. Luigi was missing!

"We know where Luigi is, however," Rosalina said.

Mario perked up. "Where?!"

"He sent us a message. According to him, he's on Pillopter, the planet of the Pi'illo Kingdom!" Rosalina laughed.

"What?" Mario asked. He knew about the Pi'illo Kingdom. Long ago, another adventure of his had taken place there. But that didn't matter either. "How'd he end up there?"

"Why don't we go ask him?" Rosalina said. "The Comet Observatory is already programmed to sail to the Pi'illo planet!"

"Really?" Mario breathed a sigh of relief. "Then me and my brother can return to the Mushroom Kingdom to save Peach."

Rosalina laughed. "Basically," she said. "But it's been a few days since you left the kingdom. I wonder how it's going..."

Rosalina showed her observatory to Mario. It was very grand, home to surrounding satellite planets and special domes. However it had changed of the sort since Mario had last seen it. There were new domes on board, and the stars, called Lumas, were more mature since Mario had last encountered them.

One Luma, Lumastein, was very unfamiliar to Mario.

Rosalina and Mario walked into Lumastein's quarters one day. Lumastein was very smart, as he was always working on projects that would change the observatory for the better.

"Lumastein, this is Mario," Rosalina introduced Mario.

"Nice to meet you!" Lumastein said, grabbing Mario's hand. "I've heard SOOO much about you!"

"Really?" Mario blushed.

"I think he's just confused," Rosalina laughed. "He just arrived on the Comet Observatory a few weeks ago, after Polari passed away."

Polari was Rosalina's old assistant on the observatory, but a few months prior to all of this happening he had passed away. Mario had attended his funeral, which had been the last time he had seen the star woman.

"I heard Luigi is stuck in the Pi'illo Kingdom!" Lumastein said. "So I've decided to help! Take a look here!"

For the first time Mario gazed at what Lumastein was doing. He had all his tools out working on a...tube. It was a little over Mario's height, and had the shade of the color gold.

"What is that exactly?" Rosalina asked. Apparently even she didn't know what it was.

"I call it a 'Golden Pipe'!" Lumastein laughed. "This here thing can transport you to anywhere in the universe!" he paused for a moment to laugh. "Well, not exactly anywhere, but it can take you far!"

"But where?" Mario asked. "Your Golden Pipe may actually come in handy..."

"It's not just a Golden Pipe, it's the Golden Pipes!" Lumastein said. "A few colleagues of mine have already built other pipes on other worlds! Including Sprixie Land, Planet Frostbite, a weird place that isn't really ruled by anyone, the Pi'illo Kingdom, and even your very own Mushroom Kingdom!"

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Mario turned to Rosalina. "We need to hop in that pipe and save Luigi, then Peach!"

"But it's not ready yet," Lumastein shrugged. "It'll be ready in a few days. Plus, we're gonna have to test it to make sure it works. It could be dangerous."

"Well, tell us when it's ready," Mario said. "Because we REALLY need to get this show on the road."

Mario and Rosalina nodded at each other, then walked out of the very smart Luma's home.

--🌎--

A few days later, Mario and Rosalina were lounging around in the library.

"I wonder if that Luma is done with that Golden Pipe," Mario told his friend.

"He'll tell us when he tells us," Rosalina assured him. "He's not one to break his word."

And right at that moment, Lumastein flew into the library.

"Well, speak of the devil!" Mario laughed.

But Lumastein wasn't laughing. "I've I finished the Golden Pipe," he told them.

Rosalina laughed. "That's great! Mario and I can go save Luigi!"

"But there's more visitors aboard the Comet Observatory," Lumastein said, shaking.

"Who?" Rosalina asked.

"There's a group of airships outside, threatening to attack if you two don't show your faces," Lumastein said. "I would advise you all to show yourselves."

Mario and Rosalina walked out of the library, only to come face-to-face with an airship docking the observatory. There were Koopas, Goombas, Shy Guys, and a whole load of more creatures following a certain individual onto the Comet Observatory.

And the person walking out onto the deck of the observatory was none other than Bowser's own flesh-and-blood, Bowser Jr.