Fic: A Burning Secret

[mrsluigivargas]

A Burning Secret
Almost half a year after the universe was reborn, Bowser Junior lets Rosalina in on a secret.

Fandom: Super Mario
Rating: General Audiences
Characters: Bowser Jr, Rosalina, Bowser
Relationships: Bowser Jr & Rosalina, Bowser Jr & Luma, Bowser & Bowser Jr, Bowser & Rosalina
Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Implied/Referenced Character Death
Length:1,995 words

All the way back in 2020, I saw a post on Twitter (link to Instagram) about the ending of Super Mario Galaxy, pointing out that during the scene where Mario catches Peach as she’s falling from the airship, Bowser Junior is also falling from the airship, and he streaks right past them as they twirl around all happy-like. So, they’d said. What if Junior hit the star behind them and died? And then when the universe reset, he got caught in it and dumped into Toad Town Square alive and intact? I thought That idea was fascinating and had been looking to do something with it ever since. Well, that day is today, because I finally got this fic done!

This was my first time writing Rosalina, and I think I did okay? She’s a bit aloof, but a touch motherly, but kind of wise. Or something like that. Maybe I’ll get the chance to write her again someday.

The Luma’s characterization is wholly inspired by the Mario Movie. Although it's played off as a joke, I really liked Lumalee’s attitude toward death. It felt like an attitude that made sense for Lumas to have, given the nature of their life cycles. Also, I figured it would be a funny thing to have the Luma act wholly inappropriately upon hearing that a child had died a mildly gruesome death.

I also appreciated the chance to write Rosalina and Bowser in a scene together, bonding about being parents. Being the only parent characters that are also (arguably, in Rosalina’s case) in the main cast, I wish they had more opportunities to connect in that way more. To my knowledge, only the Mario & Rabbids series draws that line between them, and it does so indirectly through the main villains the Megabug and Cursa.

Junior will tell Bowser eventually. Everyone will have Feelings™, but it will all turn out fine.