Chapter 8 Post Finale

"Hey everyone, I found some Cosmic Cool Aid!"

Polari came floating out to the place where everyone was sitting on the grassy ground. In his hands he had not one, but two bottles of the special soft drink. He also had a ton of little glasses floating behind him in a line. One glass floated into each person's hand and Polari, using Rosalina's wand, made the drink spring out of the bottles and rain into each cup. Everyone took a sip.

"I still think honey tastes better," Bumblebee grumbled.

Polari and Mario chuckled.

"You mean to say that you'd rather eat your own vomit than a sophisticated beverage such as this?" Polari asked. Bumblebee glared at him.

"At least my vomit tastes good," she said in a snarky tone. Mario shook his head and turned to Luigi.

"So, what did you-a think of the circus, bro?"

Luigi didn't even have to think before he answered.

"Oh, it was amazing!" he said. "The best-a circus I've ever been to-a."

"Luigi," Mario said, "this is the only circus you've ever been to."

"So-a?" Luigi said. "It's still the best!"

Peach, who had been listening in on the conversation, came over to the two brothers.

"I found this rather enjoyable," she said. She cast a sideways glance at the Koopas. "It sure beats getting kidnapped, that's for sure."

Mario laughed.

"Oh come on!" he said. "You enjoy getting kidnapped."

Peach blushed.

"No I don't!" she said.

"Sure you do!" said Mario. "Why else-a would you let them take you away without a fight-a?"

Peach scoffed and sat down.

"If you had to wear heels like this then you wouldn't exactly be a warrior, either," she mumbled.

Suddenly, Lemmy started jumping up and down. He was pointing at Rosalina.

"Look!" he exclaimed.

Everyone stopped talking and stared at Rosalina. They could see that she had a big fat cigar in her hand. It was a bright orange and had a grand star on the label. She turned toward a nearby star and brushed the tip against its surface. Now that it was lit, it glowed like a bright sun. She started smoking it, and Ludwig chuckled.

"Well, I suppose that's one way to do it," he said.

Rosalina looked at the crowd, sitting on the planetoid. She then blew a humongous star shaped smoke ring at them. It passed right over the planetoid, and everyone stared at it.

"Okay," said Daisy. "That is cool."

Rosalina smiled.

…

A few hours later, Rosalina came back to the planetoid. She was back to her normal size and still smoking on her cigar. By this time, a lot of the toads as well as Yoshi and Peach had scrambled their way back to the Odyssey. Princess Bumblebee had also gone home, so the only ones who were left were Mario, Luigi, Daisy, Bowser, and the Koopalings.

"Well everyone," said Rosalina, "I sure hope that you enjoyed the…"

Suddenly, a soft coo could be heard. Everyone looked around, trying to detect the source. When they heard the coo again, Rosalina looked at her stomach and sighed.

"Oh, come on," she said. She punched herself in the stomach and a luma burst out of her mouth. Everyone looked surprised.

"Woah," said Roy. "Where did he come from?"

"I must have accidentally swallowed him when I was using the mega mushroom," she said. "This isn't the first time that something like this has happened."

Everyone nodded. Then Bowser rubbed his hands together.

"Well," he said, "I think it is time that me and the Koopalings…"

"The Koopalings and I," Iggy corrected him. Bowser chuckled.

"Right," he said. "I think it's time that the Koopalings and I head home."

Bowser turned toward the Koopa Clown Car and gasped. The thing had been reduced to a pile of rubble. Bowser ran over to it.

"My baby!" he cried. "Those rotten cosmic clones must have destroyed it!"

"How are we going to get home now?" asked Wendy.

Rosalina smiled.

"I believe that I might have a solution," she said. Just as she said that, two lumas came rolling out the cosmic cannon. Larry's eyes grew wide.

"You want to blast us home! Cool!" Then his face fell. "Uh, is it safe?"

Rosalina laughed.

"As safe as nap," she said. Lemmy smiled.

"Nice! I always wondered what it would be like to be a cannonball." He turned toward Morton. "What about you?"

Morton glanced up from his book and looked at the cannon.

"Oh yeah, sure, whatever," he said.

The Koopas climbed into the cannon, and Rosalina prepared her cigar. She used it to light the end of the fuse and smiled at the koopas.

"Okay everyone," she said after she lit the fuse "I'm so glad you could come."

"Don't mention it, Rosie," said Bowser.

"Oh wait a second," said Roy. "I think I forgot something…"

The cannon went off and shot the Koopas in the direction of the Mushroom World. Rosalina waved happily as they vanished with a twinkle. She was just about to have the lumas pull the cannon back when Daisy rushed forward.

"That was so cool, Rosalina!" she said. "Can I have a turn?"

Rosalina smiled.

"I had a feeling you would say that," she said.

With that, Daisy hopped into the cannon. Rosalina lit the fuse again and Daisy braced herself.

"Alright!" she cheered. "I have a feeling that this is gonna be…"

The cannon went off and Daisy flew into space. Rosalina smiled as she too vanished with a twinkle.

"Alrighty," said Mario. "We had better get home. See ya, Rosalina!"

Rosalina waved as Luigi and Mario boarded the Odyssey. As the spaceship flew away, Rosalina turned toward the lumas.

"Well," she said. "What did you all think?"

"We loved it, Mama!" they cheered. The circled around Rosalina as she giggled. Polari came up with a smile.

"Wow," he said. "I don't think I've seen you this happy in a century."

Rosalina pat him on the head.

"And you were concerned," she teased. Polari laughed.

"Okay, okay, don't need to rub it in," he said. "I suppose even I have to eat my words at points."

Rosalina looked at Polari's points that served as his hands, feet, and the top of his head. She gave a little grin.

"Was that an intentional pun?" she asked.

"Very intentional," Polari said. Rosalina turned back toward the other lumas.

"Okay," she said. "It's nearing bedtime. Who wants me to read my story book?"

The lumas cheered, and together the group made their way toward the Comet Observatory.

Author's Note: Well, that's the end. I had a lot of fun writing this, and I hope that you all had fun reading it. Special shoutouts to TheGhostlyRobot for favoriting and Ben the Scribe for following. Also, I would like to give a very special thanks to my co-writer/collaborator (you know who you are). Well anyway, thanks for reading, and please take the poll on my profile if you haven't already.