Later...:

The party lasted well past midnight, at which point people started going home. By two in the morning, the number in attendance had dropped to a mere fraction of its peak hours earlier. The temperature had dipped to a chilly low for those still lingering outside, and the band on the stage in front of the bridge to Peach's Castle played a slow, quiet tune for the people still hanging around. Many of the lights still on highlighted the mess that came about as a result of the party.

"That's the one thing bad about parties," said Daisy. "Cleanup."

"Ah, that's fine," said Peach. She and Daisy sat with Ramona and Neva at a table closer to the open area in front of the stage. "Tomorrow'll just be a big cleanup day. I hope I get a chance to try out making that Strawberry Cherry Berry Supreme Turnover Cake after everything's back in order around here. If I can make it right, that might just be my new signature cake. I can't believe how delightful that turned out."

"It was really sweet," said Ramona. "Almost too sweet."

"Uh, yeah – did you see the list?" said Daisy. "I'd've been disappointed if it wasn't that sweet with all that fruit stuck in it."

Neva fiddled with the straw in her cup and peered all around the streets and the intersection housing the band's stage. Rosalina, Polari, and Lubba left earlier after Polari had a little too much of the Chateau Romani EX. Wario, Waluigi, Petey, and Koops had left as well. Toad, Alden, and Toadsworth then called it a night, leaving Marut with Toadette and Donkey Kong. They joined Bowser, who had been talking with Mario, Luigi, Athelstan, and Warra at a different table from Daisy's for at least the past hour. One notable person remained absent, however.

"Where is he with my milk?" groaned Neva.

"I think you've had enough of that stuff for one night," said Daisy.

"No, I need just a little more," said Neva. "Just one more to ease me being mad at him. Then I'll...crack the glass over his head."

"Neva! That's not nice!" snapped Ramona.

"Yeah, well, it's not nice for him to try and ditch me like that," grumbled Neva. "Saying I can't go with you to Christmas Village. You wait and see what I'm gonna do to him when he gets here. As soon as he hands me my milk-"

"You're gonna do what?" asked Andrew, walking up behind Neva's seat.

"I'ma gonna..." Neva started to say. "Hey, where's the milk?!"

"I made sure I got it all put away," said Andrew. "You've had plenty already. Don't go snooping around the castle for any either."

Neva scowled. "First, you go and tell me you're leaving me tomorrow. Then, you take away my milk. Are you trying to go tic-tac-toe, three in row on me tonight for heartbreaks? What's next?"

"Let's dance," said Andrew.

"What?!" Neva squealed. Her anger went away in an instant. "You want to...to dance?!"

"That's what I asked," he replied.

"Andrew," Neva said in a furious blush. "You really... But I can't even dance!"

"Neither can I."

"But then we'll both look stupid and weird!"

"Who cares? If we look stupid and weird, we'll look stupid and weird together."

Andrew grabbed Neva's hands and helped her out of her chair. Daisy, Peach, and Ramona watched Andrew lead Neva out into the open area. The band continued playing their slow, quiet jazz-orchestral-rock instrumental for those still in attendance and for the few others still in the dancing area. Once they secured a spot, Andrew put his hands on Neva's waist. She then grabbed him by his shoulders. And for a while...nothing happened.

"Okay, regretting this already," said Andrew. "I have no idea how we start this."

"Do I step into you and you step back?" asked Neva.

"No, maybe we're supposed to go to the side?" Andrew said.

"Oh dear – hold on!" Peach shouted. She hurried off of her chair and ran to Neva and Andrew, grabbing the attention of Bowser's group while Daisy and Ramona cracked up in their seats. With Peach's cues and guidance, Neva and Andrew got the gist of what to do and began to step to the slow tune. Though awkward at first – and with a few instances of them stepping on each others' feet – they settled their dance into a comfortable, back and forth motion.

"Good, now just keep leading her," said Peach. "And you, go along with it. You'll probably mess up again at some point, but just don't worry about it. It's your first time, so you don't have to be perfect. Just stick with it."

Andrew and Neva both nodded and kept up their dance. They stopped paying any attention to Peach and focused on one another. For the duration of their dance, no one else would matter. That became obvious to all who watched. Soon, Peach left Neva and Andrew to dance on their own.

"I don't believe it," murmured Ramona. "You know what he told me when we were kids? He said he'd never fall in love with anyone, ever. And it really seemed like that was going to be the case..."

"You can't really help who you fall for, right?" said Daisy.

"Right," Ramona said with a soft chuckle. "I just thought that if he ever...oh; never mind."

Peach returned to the table and reclaimed her seat. "There's something really special there between those two."

"I just hope she goes really slow with him," said Ramona. "He's very selective about who he gets emotionally attached to, but it's a strong connection that develops when he does. So it'll hurt a lot if something happens. She better not be trying to take advantage of him."

"Alright, stop it right there," said Daisy. "You're going into that strange, overprotective territory again."
"If I find out she's mistreating him, I'm taking him away and that's that," grumbled Ramona.

"Relax, Ramona," said Daisy. "She's cool. She's more than cool. She jumped in front of a sword for him. Don't be suspicious of anything."

Ramona sighed. "Yeah, I shouldn't. I mean, I encouraged him to get closer to Neva, but...maybe they're a little too close now. It feels weird."

"They'll be alright," said Daisy. She stared at Neva and Andrew dancing for a few more moments before she noticed Mario and Luigi come to their table.

"We were talking with Bowser for a while about what you guys have done," said Mario. "That's an impressive journey you've had."

"We really have been underestimating you and what you can do," said Luigi. "We feel kind of stupid. I mean, you were here and ready to help us out on our missions and adventures, but we never thought you'd actually be a big enough help to bring along at all."

"We haven't been giving you the credit that you deserve," said Mario. "We're sorry for that. You're capable of more than we thought."

"Much more," added Luigi.

"It's fine guys," said Daisy. "No hard feelings."

Mario wagged a finger at her. "You know, this could just be tired, late-night talk, but I have a feeling you're gonna shock the world someday. You're going to do something, and it'll amaze everyone."

"And we know we've got someone to go to if we need some help on the field," said Luigi.

Daisy folded her arms, leaned back in her chair, and put her feet up on the table. "If I'm not busy."

"Are you going to be busy?" asked Peach.

"I've got a couple errands to run," said Daisy. "Nothing major. I'll see where I'm at when I get done. Can't make any guarantees."

"Right, you've got your own adventures and stuff now," said Mario. "We can't get in the way of that."

"But maybe someday, we'll cross paths out there somewhere," said Luigi.

"That'd be pretty wild if that happens," said Daisy.

"Here's hoping it won't be somewhere really terrifying..." Luigi mumbled. "You remember what Gloomy Woods was like, right Mario?"

"That place wasn't that bad," Mario said, shaking his head.

"You say that about every place we go to!" Luigi whined.

"That's only because you somehow find something to be scared about wherever we go," replied Mario.

"Oh," said Luigi. "Um...I do? Hmm..."

"Well, we've had a long couple of weeks ourselves, so we're going home," said Mario. "We've got a lot of recovery to do. It's been fun as always, Peach. Thanks for having us. Daisy, if we don't see you again for a while, you take care. And whatever you end up running into, I'm sure you can handle it."

"Yeah, and the same goes for your crew too," added Luigi.

Daisy gave them a salute. "I've got nothing but respect for you guys."

Soon after Mario and Luigi left, the remaining party guests diminished in number to a countable few. Daisy, Ramona, and Peach went over to Bowser's table, where Marut was the only one still wound up. But even he sobered with the party scene dying down.

"Looks like the party's over," said Toadette. "Awesome job. This was a huge success."

"Come on, the party can't be over already!" groaned Marut.

"It is all but over," said Peach. "All good things must come to an end. Thank you all so much for being a part of this. The party wouldn't be anything without everyone that pitched in and showed up."

"Things are gonna be different once the sun comes up, huh?" said Ramona.

Daisy sighed. "Yup."

"Wow, things turned bittersweet real quick!" said Athelstan. "Why are we ending off on a note like that?"

"That's life for ya," said Bowser. "It can't be helped."

With the band playing out its final song for the night, Neva and Andrew knew their dance would come to an end in a matter of moments. Much like the others did, they realized that the party was at its end. So now, they had to look ahead.

"How are you doing with what we talked about earlier?" asked Andrew. "With you staying here?"

Her head pressed against the base of Andrew's neck, Neva had a hazy look on her face. "I'm not commenting on that. Just...keep holding me. Don't let go until I say it's okay to."

Andrew knew he did not want to let go. But he also knew that at some point, he had to. He could not wait for her to say it was okay for him to, because she never did say so – even when the band began to pack their stuff up and when the others rose from their seats to end the night. Shortly after Neva and Andrew separated, the remaining lights still on shut off. Only the lampposts still provided illumination, making the night seem like any other.

The next day brought plenty of sun and mild autumn chill. That afternoon, out on a forested path just north of Peach's Castle, the eight Kruna Yura met to say their goodbyes to one another. Bowser had come in his Offroader with a few other koopas, for he would be returning to his palace to make his trip to Sarasaland through the air. Athelstan and Warra both insisted they were fine with leaving on foot. Marut just needed to go to Nimbus Land to bring back stuff from his house, so he had decided on using his Furaito to fly there and back. Ramona and Andrew arguably had the easiest trip to make through the use of their combined portal ability. All of them – except for Daisy and Marut – had their bags with them that they had brought back from their time in the future.

And with the time to split now upon them, Bowser decided to make the first move. "Guys, it's been fun."

"I can see you're going to have a lot of fun now that you'll be back and forth between here and Sarasaland," said Athelstan. "Way to shirk your responsibilities, Daisy!"

Daisy rolled her eyes. "Thanks. That's exactly what I was trying to do."

Bowser walked by each of the other Kruna. One by one, they gave him a high-five, dap, or – in the case of Warra – a simple parting handshake while the koopas that came with him waited in the Offroader. Each gesture carried a special, wholesome significance for him.

"Don't think this means I'm not ready to get back out on the field if I'm needed," said Bowser. He clasped a hearty hand with Daisy, the last one of the group.

"Of course," Daisy replied. "I'll have to come visit you a few times and bug you while you're on the job."

Bowser nodded. "Any time you feel like being an annoying pain in the ass, you're always welcome. It is your kingdom, after all."

"Yeah," Daisy said with a grin.

Bowser gave one last wave to the group before getting on the Offroader. A few seconds later, he was on his way down the dirt path. With Bowser gone, Marut activated his Alkemei Furaito.

"Well guys, I guess it's about that time," said Marut.

"Yeah, we oughta be going now," said Andrew.

"I need to head out too," said Athelstan. "Peace, everyone. While it lasts."

"I'll go with you, Athelstan," said Warra. "At least, until we get to a point where I need to continue on a different route."

"Sounds great," said Athelstan.

Marut bumped fists and high-fived with Athelstan, Warra, Ramona, and Andrew. "See ya when the next crisis comes!"

"Hopefully, that's a long ways down the road," Ramona said, quickly adding, "Well, maybe not too far down."

"I'm sure there'll be some idiot who thinks they can get away with something and screw the world over," said Daisy. "But that might not be for a while."

Marut lifted his feet and began to hover off of the ground. "I'm out! It's been real! You dudes have been the coolest! Daisy, Neva; I'll see you guys later on tonight after I get all the stuff I'm bringing back!"

After Daisy, Neva, Ramona, and Andrew waved Marut off as he flew into the skies above, Athelstan and Warra gave a few handshakes to them. The Kruna Yura of Stone and the Kruna Yura of Water then turned to depart from the group and head up the path, waving back at the four Kruna still there as they marched on.

"Thanks for the roller coaster journey!" Athelstan shouted. "It was an absolute thrill ride!"

"Thanks for being a part of it!" replied Andrew.

"You're sure you're fine with walking?" asked Ramona.

"Oh yeah!" Athelstan answered. "Peach told me about a Warp Pipe not too far from here that leads to an area close to Kallantown!"

"Hey – don't get into trouble on your way there!" yelled Andrew.

Athelstan laughed. "Can't help it if it comes looking for us!"

"Warra! Hey, Warra!" Daisy called out. When he glanced back; she grinned, winked, and gave a strong thumbs up. "Thanks for being an awesome friend! You're the best water wielder out there!"

"Thanks," Warra replied, smiling back with a wave of his own. "That means a lot coming from the best earth wielder out there."

Daisy, Neva, Ramona, and Andrew watched Athelstan and Warra continue on their way up the path until the two turned and disappeared behind the trees. With Bowser, Marut, Athelstan, and Warra gone, Ramona and Andrew were the next and final two to leave.

"Now it's just us who have to get going too," Ramona said to Andrew.

"Yeah," Andrew said. "We get to go back home now after all this time."

"Awesome, I'll get to see Christmas Village!" shouted Neva. "It sounds like a wonderland! I can't wait!"

Despite Neva's cheery giddiness, Andrew gave her a solemn stare. Before long, Neva noticed Andrew's lack of enthusiasm and calmed herself down. His expression made her anxious.

"Really?" muttered Neva. "Still?"

"Neva, we've been through this multiple times now," said Andrew. "It's best for you to stay here in the Mushroom Kingdom. At least, for the time being."

"I know, I know, but...I really don't want to be away from you!" cried Neva. "Just change your mind and let me come!"

"There'd be no place for you to stay," said Andrew. "I was with my dad and into a second year of college before I left. I know my dad wouldn't let you stay in the house, even though he's almost never around on a consistent basis. He's just stingy like that. And I can't speak for Ramona's dad, so I'd rather you not go there and have nowhere to stay should he not allow you in."

"But...I've got nowhere else to go other than with you, Andrew," said Neva. "I don't want to go anywhere else either. I'll be lonely without you."

"Peach already offered you a room in her castle, just like she offered for Marut," said Andrew. "I want to work on getting us our own place. And that won't be instantaneous. It'll take some time. I don't know how long, but I intend on visiting as often as I can."

Neva sighed. "This is hurting me."

Andrew cupped a hand around Neva's face. "It's hurting me too. Trust and believe it really is. I didn't expect myself to ever feel the way I feel about you now towards anyone."

"I never thought I'd meet anyone to feel this way about."

"Woah, woah, woah!" Daisy shouted. "Timeout! This isn't right! I can't take it – we don't need some sad separation like this! This is just too much. I bet I can get Peach to keep you here too, Andrew! And you too, Ramona!"

"Hey, yeah – don't you go running anywhere yet!" Neva said, perking up.

"You guys are adults, so you can go wherever you want!" said Daisy. "You don't have to be tied-down to your hometown! And there's colleges and universities around here for you to go to! Surely there's plenty of writing gigs around here, Ramona! And the gyms around here would be clawing at your feet for your help, Andrew!"

"Well, if we did move here, we still have to go back just to get things sorted and closed out at home," said Ramona. "I need to let my dad know what's going on and get transfers for my college stuff."

"Same for me," said Andrew. "Would Peach really do that for us?"

"Sure she would!" replied Daisy. "She's that kind of person! And because you're friends with me, she'll be especially helpful! And if for some reason she can't, I got a spare room in my house here for one of you!"

"Well, what do you say?" Andrew asked Ramona. "Does that sound like something you want to do?"

Ramona was quiet for a few moments, but then she smiled and replied, "Yeah, I can do that. It'll be nice to be somewhere that's not cold all the time. And we have friends here."

"Alright!" Neva screamed. She jumped into Andrew and wrapped her arms around him, and he spun around with her in his hold. They both let out gleeful cheers until Andrew started getting dizzy and set Neva back down.

"A few weeks and we should be ready to come back!" exclaimed Andrew. "Think you can wait that long?"

"That's much more doable than however many months it seemed like at first!" replied Neva. "I will wait for you! I promise."

"And I promise I will be back," said Andrew.

Ramona and Andrew combined their powers and created a portal that bridged straight to Christmas Village. Daisy stood alongside Neva as the Kruna Yura of Light and the Kruna Yura of Shadow prepared to enter the portal that would take them many time zones away.

"I'll have Peach call ya about what she'll do!" said Daisy.

"Bye, guys!" said Ramona. "See you soon!"

"Bye, Ramona!" said Neva. "Bye, Andrew..."

"Bye, Neva," Andrew said with a warm smile. He gave a quick, two-fingered salute to Daisy, who reciprocated the gesture.

Ramona and Andrew turned and entered the portal. The gateway disbanded shortly after their entry. That left just Daisy and Neva standing together. A sudden realization made the Kruna of Ice somber.

"I forgot to tell him that I love him," Neva mumbled.

"That's no problem!" said Daisy. "Just give him a call!"

Neva shrieked in disgust. "What is wrong with you? That's not genuine! That's just lazy! I have to tell him in person first!"

Daisy shrugged. "Does it really matter?"

"YES IT DOES! THERE'S NOTHING ROMANTIC ABOUT SAYING IT OVER THE PHONE, DIRT-FOR-BRAINS!"

"I dunno – voice still sounds the same for the most part. I guess it would suck if you got cut off mid-three-word-sentence because the reception dropped."

"Oh, stupid, stupid, stupid! You don't know anything! You're almost as dense as he is!"

"And you're so knowledgeable? How many boyfriends have you had before him?"

Neva's face turned blood red with a throaty grunt. "That-that-that's besides the point! I would have to imagine that that's how it goes!"

"Alright, alright! Don't worry about it! He'll be back. Tell him then. Sheesh, when did I become your relationship counselor? Give me a break!"

Daisy put an arm around Neva and hugged her. They stood there on the path a little longer, staring into the distance past where Ramona and Andrew left in their portal and in the direction where Athelstan and Warra trekked. Marut would return later on in the day, but Daisy and Neva would not see the others for a while.

"Hey, Daisy?" Neva asked.

"Yeah?"

"I guess I need some time to figure out what I'm gonna do now...but...what are you gonna be up to?"

Her expression turning stoic but hopeful, Daisy did not respond right away. Neva's question made the Kruna Yura of Earth think back to a certain discussion she had in the future at The Northernmost West...

"With that, I shall be on my way," said Arka Knight. "Now that you've demonstrated control of the Alkemei Orianthi, you are ready for the next step. May the stars shine down on you, Kruna Daisy."

The next step? Nova Daisy thought. What is that supposed to mean?

"Godspeed," said Arka Knight. He turned and headed on his way, leaving Daisy with a nagging feeling of wonder brought about from his previous statement. Before he got far, Daisy ran up to Arka Knight to ask him one more question before the stone wielder-spellcaster Shy Guy departed.

"Wait! Hold up!" Daisy shouted. "What's the next step?"

Arka Knight stopped and turned around to face Daisy. "The next step is the possibility that you yourself may need to don the Master Pendant. Should it come down to it – should you be put in a situation where the Master Pendant is the only thing that could grant you victory – then you'll be capable of both handling its power and keeping the being inside at bay."

"When would I ever need to put that thing on?"

"Use your imagination. You've only been fighting her archfiends this entire time. It wouldn't be insane to say that she herself could be too powerful to defeat without the Master Pendant's aid."

Just as Arka Knight turned to continue on his way, Daisy stopped him again. "Isn't there an alternative that would be better than using the Master Pendant as a trump card? Let's not forget that that would mean somehow securing it from Kokoro, and who knows what's going on with him now."

"The only other option doesn't exist in this time anymore," said Arka Knight.

"But there's another option?"

"It doesn't exist anymore, so what does it matter?"

"It doesn't, I guess... Well, it doesn't now..."

"Alright then."

"But, if it did still exist, then could it overpower the Master Pendant?"

Arka Knight paused for a moment before giving his response. "It could. Maybe."

"Then let me ask; did it exist back when Marissa sent my team and I to this time?"

"Yes. It did."

"So then it wouldn't be insane for me to say that such an option could be used back in the past, would it?"

"Hmm... I suppose it would not. In fact, that may be a brilliant thought. If nothing can be done about eliminating the threat the Master Pendant – and the being inside – poses from this time, you at least have a shot at eradicating it from your world for good and preventing any possibility of Osiris's or the Shadow Queen's revival. A bit of a long shot, but still one nonetheless."

"Then can you tell me what I would need to do?"

Arka Knight nodded. "Yes. Yes, I will... Alright. When you return to the past, a new task awaits. This is a task you will complete in secret, understand?"

"Of course," Daisy replied.

"The Master Blacksmiths," Arka Knight said. "They're the ones who created all the Alkemei Pendants of Power, including the Master Pendant. You will have to find their forge, which I will give you direction to. No one else knows where it is. The Blacksmiths have been dead for eons. By the time I came into existence, their location had become lost history. It is only through some otherworldly assistance that I learned of its whereabouts."

"What do I have to go there for? Is there some special Alkemei there?"

"An Alkemei even more elaborate and mysterious in its abilities than the Master Pendant. The Master Blacksmiths dubbed it the 'Alkemei Vranzer.' "

"Alkemei Vranzer..."

"It's supposedly the true very last Alkemei they ever made, and it was thought to have 'fate-altering powers.' But it was never used. It never left their forge, and its existence is entirely unknown – to everyone who's still alive, anyways. So if you find the city in which the forge resided, you will find the Vranzer. In this timeline, Kokoro somehow had discovered the ruins and destroyed the Vranzer along with the entire area. But in your time, the ruins still stand. Because of that, the Vranzer should still be there as well. Go and obtain possession of it when you return to your time, Kruna Daisy. And when you find it, do not let anyone else get a hold of it. Do not let anyone destroy it either; but if presented with a dilemma, destroying it is better than letting someone else take it. If you have to cement the Vranzer to your neck to make sure no one else takes it, then so be it; because if the Vranzer works, the results of it falling into the wrong hands could potentially be disastrous. Is that clear?"

Daisy nodded. "Crystal."

"Good," Arka Knight replied. "Now, listen closely as I tell you the route to the decayed ruins of a city built in the highest peaks of the world – a place that had devolved into an uninhabitable snow land beyond several thousands of meters above sea level at the far bottom of this planet..."

Daisy smiled at Neva. "I've got something I need to take care of."

"When are you gonna go do that?" asked Neva.

"I'll probably head out tomorrow," said Daisy.

"Oh, okay..." Neva mumbled. "So I guess you won't be around either?"

"Probably not for a while," Daisy replied. She tightened her hold on Neva as they stared up the path. In no hurry to leave, they stayed there under the afternoon sun; its rays beaming down on them, the trees around them, and the free world beyond the Mushroom Kingdom.

"Do you ever feel like a specific time of day always looks and feels different depending on what day of the week it is?" Neva asked. "Like, a Monday will feel different from a Tuesday, but the time and weather could be the same for both days. A sunny one o'clock afternoon on a Monday isn't the same as it is on a Tuesday. Saturdays and Sundays never look or feel the same as the other at all. Thursday's and Friday's have a special feel and appearance to them."

"What made you think of that?" Daisy asked.

"It's just something Andrew and I were talking about a couple days ago. I wondered if you thought the same thing. Doesn't it look like a Sunday right now? Does it feel like a Sunday?"

"I don't think I've ever actually caught on to that."

"You never noticed the sun shining a different way on Sundays than it does on other days of the week?"

"Maybe I did but just didn't give it any real thought. You might be onto something there. What do you think it means?"

"I was hoping you knew. I think that each day has a different meaning. That's the only thing that makes sense. But then what does each day mean? What does a Sunday mean? And a Monday? And a Thursday? And all the other days?"

"I guess it depends on who you ask. I think Sundays feel like a day for beginnings."

"You really think so?"

"Yeah! I mean, it is at the beginning of a calendar week, isn't it? And if not Sunday, then Monday can be a day for beginnings too."

"Is that why everyone left today? Is that why you're leaving tomorrow?"

"Maybe. They might've just thought today was a good day to get started."

Neva sighed. "I miss everyone already. Yesterday was so totally awesome, but today's just so...not that."

"It's an all-around weird feeling, isn't it?" said Daisy.

"Yeah. It is."

"Well, don't blame it on the fact that today's Sunday!"

Neva laughed. "I'm not trying to. I'm just...I don't know. I'm just lost on what to do now. Gosh, Sunday. Frickin' Sunday... I never liked Sundays. You know what this is for me? The start of sucky nothingness."

"It doesn't have to be that," said Daisy. "What have you wanted to do since you were a kid?"

"I don't know. I never figured that out. I never even got a chance to finish school."

"Then there's something you can look forward to getting done, right? Finish school and figure out what you want to do in life. And, you can do both here in the Mushroom Kingdom."

Neva's expression turned somber. "Yeah, sure. Sounds...real great..."

Daisy took note of Neva's less than enthusiastic response before replying. "Or...you can put that on hold for later and come along with me tomorrow."

Neva looked up at Daisy. "You want me to come with you?"

"Do you want to?" Daisy asked. "I was just going to go by myself, and I know that all that we did in the future took a lot out of you. But if you're up for another quest, you can come. I'd be more than glad if you kept me company."

Neva did not reply right away, but Daisy was in no rush for her to. They stood there out on the path and took in the peaceful afternoon atmosphere until Neva gave an answer. A decision made, Daisy and Neva left the path and headed back to Peach's Castle.

Rosalina sat in a special, decorated chair by a fireplace in a distinct location of the Comet Observatory's Cosmic Archives. Lumas gathered all around her as she picked up a book off of the end table by her chair. Polari and Lubba soon entered the cozy, homey area of the archives to join Rosalina and the Lumas.

"Now then...with some spare time upon us, we have a brand new story to read," said Rosalina. "It is a tale of eight elemental wielders stranded in a future world who pulled off one of the greatest victories in history."

"And it was a real upset, from what I could tell," Lubba said as the Lumas exchanged excited muffles and gasps.

Little did they know, in a different timeline over eight years into the future...

Rosalina floated to her special, decorated chair by a fireplace in a distinct location of the Comet Observatory's Cosmic Archives. Polari, Lubba, and the Lumas already gathered there gave cheers and applause as more Lumas filed in. Before she sat down, Rosalina placed two of the three books she carried on the end table by her chair.

"As per request, we have three stories to take us through the night tonight," said Rosalina. "Are we all ready to begin?"

The Lumas sounded off a collective assurance that they were ready. With her audience's enthusiasm evident, Rosalina wasted no further time and opened up the first of the three books.

"This might be my favorite triad of chronicles in the archives yet," Polari whispered to Lubba.

"We're in for a daunting thriller of tales unlike any recorded before," said Rosalina. "Let us start with the story of a powerful earth wielder who went on a quest with seven others to cleanse the eight elemental shrines and realize their destiny as Kruna..."

The End