Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Are you excited?"

"You bet! I've always wanted to go on a space adventure. Think of all the alien food out there..."

"Plus it'll be nice to get a little cosmic R & R."

"Uhhhh, this all sounds-"

"Don't."

"-stellar-"

"Ugh!"

"-but while we're gone, who exactly is gonna be running this place?"

"Do not fret, dear. The stars will always shine down on your kingdom..."

Sparkles swirled around the hand of the celestial mother. A moment later, a wand formed in their place.

"May you three please stand in front me? Side by side." she requested.

Puzzled but curious, the ink children stood before her. The guardian raised her wand, pointing it at the children. She closed her eyes, focused. A dark orb began to form at the end of wand.

"Uhhhhhhhh... what'cha doin' there Ro-" 

Quick as a flash of light, the orb split into three dark daggers, striking each child at the heart. For a moment, a brief but terrible moment, the eldest had thought they had been betrayed. That he had been foolish enough to believe that help could really come from beyond the stars. Then he realised.

He felt no pain.

He turned to his siblings. As shocked as they were, they too were not in pain. Whatever spell the cosmic witch had cast on them, it was painless. Mysterious fog soon escaped their mouths. It was like taking a breath on a cold day, except dimmer and glittery. The three wisps of starry smoke floated upwards, but not like the steam that one might see come out of a kettle. No, like spirits rising from the grave, these flew upwards with intention, circling the children, until three shadowy figures started to form.

As soon as the guardian opened her eyes, her spell was complete. Floating before her were three new rulers: cosmic spirits with hearts of ink.

Two of the children could hardly believe their eyes. For each child, there was a spirit that resembled them, except that each shadowy figure appeared significantly older than their respective child. The eldest child looked at them closely. They appeared to be "wearing" royal garments, although their clothes were made of the same cosmic matter as the rest of their "bodies".

Although it took him a moment to realise, the younger brother had seen something like this before.

"Dark, starry, space things..." he whispered. The guardian let out a soft giggle in response.

Memories from long ago gently tugged at his mind. From a time when he was a fallen prince, thought of as nothing but a cold, starving orphan. Memories of cannon fire. Memories of him running towards his last chance of redemption, his beacon of hope, all the while knowing he was too weak to make it. Memories of a soothing voice from above calling to him, and a brief glimpse of the cosmos.

"So that day... when I reached the Wishing Star... I knew it was you!" he gleamed. The guardian nodded.

"In a way." she clarified. She gestured towards the spirits.

"These beings are fully sentient. They will take care of your kingdom while you are away."  the figures bowed gracefully to the children. The youngest child looked at her respective spirit.

"Another me, huh? The world's a little cuter already!" the spirit looked up at her from her bow. The youngest's eyes widened.

"Eh... well it would be if you had any facial features..." it was true, all the spirits' faces were blank. Nothing to be seen on them except tiny stars, nebulae, and the darkness of space. To the youngest's surprise, her spirit gave a verbal response, standing up straight as she did so.

"No need. I bring inner beauty... you've heard of that, haven't you?" her voice was like the youngest's but deeper and distorted, and though her face was featureless, the youngest could hear the coy smile in her voice. 

"Watch it." the youngest gave a small pout, but she wasn't as annoyed as she looked. She could never truly be put off by a version of herself.

"Now then... shall we go?" the guardian asked.

"Hold on." the eldest turned to his younger brother. "You got everything we need in the gag bag?"

His brother nodded his head vigorously. The eldest child then turned to the guardian.

"And you promise we can come back and visit whenever we want?"

After a pause, the guardian nodded.

"Whenever you want." she affirmed.

"Then alrighty!" the eldest child cheered. In truth, he longed for the day he could gaze at the stars without worrying about duties yet to be done.

"Let's go!" the children cheered simultaneously. The lady of shooting stars smiled warmly.

It was time for a new beginning.

Chapter Text

"Please? Pretty please? Pretty pretty please with a cherry on top?" pleaded Dot Warner as she batted cartoonishly long eyelashes. That always did the trick, except when it didn't. Her eyes sparkled almost as brightly as the star child floating before her.

"I don't know... I was thinking of becoming a galaxy when I grow up..." said the unsure luma. Dot pouted pitifully in retaliation. She could practically feel the poor luma's resolve wavering.

"Come on, it'll be fun!" 

The luma squirmed uncomfortably. 

"For you."

"Exactly! And what greater joy in life is there than making your darling little sister happy?"

"...I'm pretty sure I'm younger than you-oh! Hi Mama!"

Dot gulped as she slowly turned around. How much had she heard? She laughed sheepishly. 

"Ehehe... would you believe me if I said this entire conversation was just a bit?"

Although Dot could tell her mother was staring at her sternly, there was still an odd calmness in her eyes. Dot supposed centuries of essentially raising the universe to would do that to ya. Her mother let out a soft sigh.

"Selena, please excuse me. I wish to speak with Dot." Rosalina requested.

"OK Mama." Selena obliged, flying away, letting out a little "Phew!" once she thought she was out of earshot.

"Dot Warner, surely you know it is unwise to interfere with the destiny of the lumas?" 

"Well, sure but..." Dot's lips started to quiver, her eyes became big and wet. "Oh I'm terribly sorry mother dearest, but my poor little heart couldn't help it! Ever since I laid eyes upon those cute little alien rabbits during our last trip, I've been yearning for a one to call my own, and since the lumas can transform into whatever they want..." 

Dot wiped away what were maybe but not likely real tears, before hugging her mother tightly. 

"Soooo how about we forget about this whole thing now, okay?" she once again batted cartoonishly long eyelashes. Rosalina shook her head.

"Even so, the lumas are your siblings now, you cannot treat your siblings as pets." Rosalina insisted.

"Not even Wakko?"

"No."

"Well darn." Dot said flatly, dropping the act completely as she let Rosalina go.

Though her ploy for sympathy was... less than earnest, Rosalina knew that Dot's love of animals was sincere. She would always play with the many creatures they saw as they travelled to different worlds. Rosalina had seen her play with not only conventionally cute ones such as star bunnies, but also more monstrous-looking creatures. She recalled the first time she saw Dot playing with a gigantic alien creature. It was scaly yet slimy and seemingly had hundreds of tentacles. Rosalina initially thought Dot was in danger and readied her wand to strike, until she heard Dot giggle and realised that she wasn't in danger, but rather was swinging on its arms like they were jungle vines. Despite taking great pride in her own looks to the point of vanity, Dot did not pass that same judgement onto other creatures. It was for this reason that it genuinely did sadden her when she had to deny Dot's request to keep some of the star bunnies they had encountered, but Rosalina knew that they belonged in their natural habitat. 

Rosalina thought for a moment, placing a finger against her chin.

"Wait here." was all she said before teleporting away. Within seconds she returned, gently holding something close to her chest. She slowly moved the object towards Dot.

"Perhaps this will suffice?" she asked, hopeful. For a moment, Dot just... looked at it. Soon enough however, her eyes lit up.

In Rosalina's hands was star bunny plush toy with black buttons eyes, fur as white as snow, and golden ears that gleamed in the starlight. Smiling, she took the toy from Rosalina's hands.

"It's adorable!" she cheered, squishing her cheek against it. Although it was old, she could tell it was well kept. Like her! 

"Please take good care of it... it means a lot to me." although she was glad Dot liked it, there was an undeniable sadness in Rosalina's voice.

Even centuries later, Rosalina remembered so much. Every tea party with her bunny, and how she would, each time without fail, clumsily spill apricot-flavoured tea on her bunny, staining it. Every bubble bath with her bunny, which made removing the tea stains much more fun. Every mournful day with her bunny, when she'd dampen its fur with tears. Every cold night with her bunny, when she would cuddle it just a little bit tighter.

Alas... times change. She hadn't played with her bunny in ages. Perhaps it was a bit silly, after all, she knew her stuffed toy wasn't real, but she felt a little guilty about that. Like she had abandoned an old friend, a friend who had always been there for her when she was lonely. At least now her bunny would have someone new to play with.

Someone who would never have to face the burden of growing up and leaving it behind.

Rosalia watched from the doorway as Dot played with her new friend. She was applying "make up" (it was just crayons) on her star bunny as Selena watched in awe.

"It's so pretty!" Selena gasped. 

"Naturally." Dot said proudly, doing a little hair flip. She reached for another colour.

"Darn it! All out of nebula blue."

"I'll get more!" Selena gladly offered, quickly flying out of the room. As Dot started to brush her bunny's ears, Rosalina gave a warm but melancholic smile before floating away.

"Buns, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship - emphasis on the beautiful." she hugged Buns tightly.

"I can't wait to show everyone my cute little Buns!" Dot said with glee, admiring her bunny. Just as she had said this, Yakko and Wakko had walked past the doorway. They looked at each other.

"Should I?" Yakko whispered.

"Nah, too easy." Wakko whispered back.

"You're right." Yakko agreed. "Besides, she totally knew what she was doing."