Flipped (Super Paper Mario SWAP AU)

Redemption (31)

His head throbbed as voices echoed all around him. Prince L blinked a few times, though his eyes felt heavy. It felt as though he had been imprisoned deep within his own mind. There were people around him, but their faces were dark.

He could feel a tightening in his chest. It was like he had been suddenly trapped in a bad dream. He couldn't remember much of anything anymore... he could just recall Dimentio apologizing. He didn't know why, but the jester kept saying things like "we have to do this," and "you'll be okay when it's done." What did that even mean?

He thought that he was finally going to have a chance to be seen. To be let in on the conversation and be invited to be a part of things, but now he felt more distant than ever.

Where was Sarasaland...? He hadn't remembered it until that very moment. Did he just up and leave it behind? 

Did that make him a bad prince?

"EVERYONE, PLEASE STOP!" Bleck begged. "The fighting, the two hearts, we never needed any of it!"

Prince L blinked a few times more, trying to focus his eyes on the pixl. His arms burned. Was he moving?

In front of him was the blonde hero. He slowly looked down at his fists, which were clenched. Blue sparks seemed to bounce around his fingertips. He felt a strange electricity-like energy. Had he been fighting people?

He felt so lost...

"We don't need to fight," Bleck repeated. "The... the battle between light and dark is what started all this, right? Everything happened because people thought the world wasn't big enough for both. But that's not true. Countess Tippi... Timpani... you don't need to banish the darkness to get a happy ending."

His voice slowly grew more clear as Prince L's arms seemed to grow more heavy. His ribs hurt like someone kicked him right in the chest. He looked back at Dimentio, whose masked face seemed to be getting clearer.

"Dimentio..." the prince muttered.

"Not now, L," the jester breathed. "We can't stop."

"We're not trying to rid the world of light or darkness," Pierre explained, his voice shaking slightly. "We're just trying to get back what was lost. Those people didn't deserve to die. And Dimentio deserves to know—"

"You don't need to, though!" Bleck interrupted. "Pierre... I... don't know what's happening. I don't know who you are... but I've seen you. You're happy a lot. And... I understand missing stuff. But... sometimes, we have to let go. I think... I think you told me that once, a long long time ago. Sometimes, we have to just let go. Even if we still love them. Because that's how love works, right? Love is wanting the best for someone, not just wanting someone."

The red-cloaked ancient stilled for a moment, still grasping the book.

Bleck looked down at the Dark Prognosticus, then floated closer to Pierre.

"I think... I think it's time to let go of the book," Bleck breathed.

The pixl then turned to Countess Tippi, who was still locked in that glass box.

"And... I think it's time. Time for light and dark to come together and realize that the world is big enough for us both. Like we used to want, all those years ago..."

"He won't," Countess Tippi hissed. "He won't let go. Ever."

Pierre stilled, looking down at the large book. The gem on the cover seemed to be almost glowing.

He seemed to let out a breath, then held the book out in front of himself. With shaky hands, he slowly let it go, allowing it to fall to the ground with a loud thud.