Let's Try This Again, Shall we? (A SPM Swap AU)

Inner Demons

"And then after that, you'll need to make a public appearance in town and let everyone know that Mario will return soon. Then next you're scheduled to meet with our head of security as you requested. After that, we'll have you meet with a Sarasaland representative so you can attend any business which needs to be attended over there, and that should make up the next few hours!" A toadette explained as I walked down the hallways of the Mushroom kingdom, my arms filled with a collection of different books and files.

"O-Okay," I replied, struggling to balance everything in my arms, when I stumbled to the side, my crown nearly falling off.

"Sire, do you need me to hold some of that?" The toadette asked, reaching up and straightening my crown.

"No, no. I got it!" I mumbled, trying to stand up straight.

"Okay... and don't forget to take a guard or five with you when you appear in town. We CAN'T risk having you get lost or kidnapped and leaving the throne empty."

"Right, right," I nodded when we walked past a big window. I briefly stopped and looked at my reflection, seeing myself in my royal uniform, holding all those important documents.

"Į̵̝͈̣̻̥͙͙͈͈̼̤͈̫̾̍̒̈́̀̊͛͝͝͝t̶̨̼̜̻̤̼̺̺̳̻̑̔'̶̧̛̦̯̃͑͌̉̋̽͗̈́s̵̡͉̮̼̰̠͔̝̰̈́̽͆͋̏̒͌͐͊́̿͘͜ ̵̡̖̬͍̝͂̉̇̊͌̎̄̚͝ṋ̸̡̖̺̦̣̦̄̋̑̄̓̽̚̕͠͠o̶̧̺̦͕̖̘͉͓͓̥̳͈̥͚̐͌͊́ͅt̴̛̬̻̤̙̖̲̩͎͔͕̗͎̳̞̽͆̈̌͂̔͗̊̔͝͝ ̷͎̠̼̱̥͕̦͍͚̦̖͎͆̄̑͜͠y̴̢̧̱̫̼̝͉̭͈̤̜͚̐͌̋͌̓̊̽́͜͝ö̸̟͉̣̬̯̘́̍͊̆̊̒̕͠u̶͓̞̼̙̭͈͖̙͇̲͎̅͜"

"I̶̲͖̻͌̈́͌̎̽̕ţ̴̜̙̽̆̐̃͒͋̌'̸̼̿̾̊͗͊̽̽̊s̸͖̠̺̟͇͛̑̈́̂̉͒̽̑̎͝ ̵̡̣̹͍͎̯͚͈̩̿̍n̷̜̈ò̸̘̩͇̠̙̌̆̀̏͋͒ͅt̶̺͔̫͈̖̬̻̏͐͒͐͗̈̾ ̵̥͔͖̟͚͖̦̩̤͍͋̈́̏ẏ̴̩̖̽̉̿o̶̗̻̮̞̓ŭ̷̘̖̰̥̀͐"

"I̵̖̟̝͉̐̄̀̿̅͘͠t̷͓̭̙̫͈͓̿͆'̷̧̢͉̤̖̣̞̔͂̀̇s̶̯͕̱̪̬͖̿́͗̅̅̚ ̵̪͍̃̾̌̊̕ṋ̷̛͒̚ō̶̡̪̥̈́͐t̵̨̞̟̰̐̉͐ ̶͖̋̈͑̏ý̵͈̒͒̄̄̕͝ͅõ̶̻̓u̵͚̬̱͆̈́̉"

"I̷t̶'̷s̵ ̴n̶o̵t̸ ̶y̸o̴u̸"

"Sire?" The toadette asked, tapping my shoulder, seeming to snap me out of the strange trace I was locked in. "Are you alright?"

I briefly swallowed, then looked through the window at the clouds and the sky.

Huh...

It was cloudy...

.....

"...Rain?" I softly whispered. "Is it going to rain?"

"Not tonight, your Majesty." The toadette replied in a slightly giggly tone as if my question was funny. "Sorry."

"Oh," I mumbled, slightly disappointed, but smiling and shrugging to cover that up. "Well, maybe tomorrow."

....Tomorrow is going to be a great day.

I spent the rest of that day rushing around until night fell, busy as always. I assured the people of the mushroom kingdom that everything was okay, I met with I don't even know how many people, and I filled out a number of forms, some for Sarasaland and some for the Mushroom kingdom. Even after night fell I was up working.

"Your highness, aren't you going to sleep?" A toadette asked me as I was walking the halls that night, carrying even more forms and books.

"In a minute. I just need to read and sign a few more of these," I chimed, trying to offer a smile. "Can you believe how behind Mario got? He didn't even have his kitchen inspected for safety. But don't worry. I had it taken care of!"