Flipped (Super Paper Mario SWAP AU)

Fifteen Minutes (8)

Somehow each morning, the golden rays of sunlight knew just where to fit between the blinds so they could position themselves right in Prince Luigi's eyes, waking him with a sharp stinging sensation.

The prince of Sarasaland woke the same way he did every morning, abruptly sitting up and covering his face, trying to rub the burning feeling away. No birds chirped outside like they did in the Mushroom Kingdom. No, Sarasaland was far quieter.

But he liked the quiet. Or, he was told he liked the quiet. Whenever he and Prince Mario hung out, which was happening less and less, Mario would talk about how it was a good thing Luigi wasn't Prince of the Mushroom Kingdom because he always preferred tranquility and peace anyway. 

Was that the same as quiet, though?

Sometimes... it was the quietness that scared him the most, actually. He'd never tell anyone, though. He loved Sarasaland, it was his whole life. If he ever spoke up about how things felt too quiet, people would assume he was unhappy and spread rumors. As a prince, he had to always watch what he said.

He opened his windows and stepped out on his balcony, trying to enjoy the morning air before the afternoon heat waves kicked in when he noticed something slightly peculiar. He had to squint his eyes to adjust to the extra brightness as he slowly turned his gaze to the sky. Oddly enough, what looked to be a large gash of light had formed. He was certain it wasn't there before. It looked almost like the tail of a shooting star, but frozen in time. Like someone took chalk and drew it there.

"Weird..." he trailed off as he looked down and saw a mail toadette sitting outside of the palace gates.

Prince Luigi felt his shoulders sag slightly. Mail toadettes usually only meant one thing.

He stepped back into his room and took a moment to get ready. He made his bed, changed from his sleepwear to his usual princely attire, placed his crown on his head, then spent a good five minutes trying to make it stand up straight before giving up and heading down to the main gate.

He didn't have nearly as many people staffing his palace as Mario did. In the Mushroom Kingdom, there was a toadette for practically every task. Making Mario's bed, cooking most of his food, sweeping/polishing the floors, the list felt endless. Prince Luigi could hire people for those things, but... well, he didn't want to come off as lazy. Besides, handling all those things on his own gave him something to do.

But it also made the palace feel too big for him. There were no sounds aside from his own footsteps as he walked down the empty hallways.

Sometimes, he wished he had Peach and Daisy's life. He was no adventurer, and he couldn't imagine himself ever going through with daring quests like they did practically every day, but they seemed so alive. Plus, they were so close to each other. Sharing a small home with someone you care about just seemed so wholesome and sweet, and though it might have been selfish of him, Luigi wished he had that.

He made his way down to the main gates and pulled them open. In front of him was a yellow toadette, who immediately bowed her head upon seeing him.

"Your majesty," she breathed, holding a scroll in one of her hands.

"Oh, um... hi," Prince Luigi breathed, bowing his head slightly as well. Prince Mario used to always roll his eyes whenever Luigi did this. Still, the prince of Sarasaland felt uncomfortable when subjects bowed to him, so he'd always return the favor.

She brought her gaze up to his crown, blinking a few times.

"Um... your highness, your crown is crooked."

Luigi looked up, laughing nervously to cover the embarrassment.

"Right..." he breathed. "S-sorry. Um, what news do you come bearing, miss?"