Swapped Minds
By: Virtualboy2558
/
Starring: Mario, Luigi, Peach, Valentina, E. Gadd, and Bowser from Nintendo™.
Disclaimer: Super Mario RPG is Copyrights of Nintendo, Square, and Shigeru Miyamoto. I do not own, nor profit, from any or all of the characters mentioned.
/
The Mushroom Kingdom Science Fair was underway today. Many people were gathering in the vicinity of Mushroom Mall to see all the technological wonders that were on display, all made by genius people both young and old. And all the proceeds accumulated from the admission stand will go to the community hospital to help the sick and raise a better future for them.
Among the crowd, Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Valentina were walking down towards a certain convention stand. They were there to help wish their old friend, Professor E. Gadd, good luck for his new invention he was about to reveal this afternoon.
"Take it easy, Valentina! We have plenty of time before he starts his presentation," Luigi said, when the bubbly girl was trying to push her way through the large group of people.
"I know," she replied, while jumping up and down. "I just wanna get us a good spot up front! Oh boy, I'm so excited!"
"You think I shouldn't have bought that extra-sugary cotton candy for her?" the green Mario Brother whispered to his sibling. Mario simply shrugged his shoulders.
"It's so wonderful to see lots of people here taking the time to donate," Peach remarked, amazed by the huge gathering around her. "I'm sure that money would be put to good use for those poor young children at the hospital. It's sad that many of them had never even been outside a day in their lives."
"I'm just glad we were able to chip in when we can. I almost got trampled when we went through the entrance booth!" Luigi exclaimed. He rubbed his back from all the feet that stepped on him. "Who knew people would be so excited to see a potato float in mid-air?"
"Hey, I thought that was pretty neat how that little Toad boy managed to do that!" Valentina cooed. The crowd started to go silent while a spotlight shone on the curtain. She squealed in delight. "Yay! He's starting it now!"
Applause was heard as E. Gadd stepped up to the stage, a happy smile on his face as he waved to everybody. He walked to the podium and tapped the microphone a few times to test it before speaking into in.
"Greetings, ladies and gentlemen! I thank you for being here today!" he chuckled, his voice amplified to the masses by the speakers. "It brings me great pleasure to see so many of you here to appreciate the marvels of science and ingenuity! And it also makes me proud that we have many talented youths participating in our event! I got to hand it to them… even they impress me by what they come up with!"
More clapping rang out. Valentina, being the giddy girl she is, clapped harder than any of the others. "Woohoo! Yay! Go Professor!" she cheered, before her boyfriend had to calm her down. E. Gadd laughed when he heard her enthusiasm and continued his speech.
"Our world is constantly troubled by the many problems we face on a day-today basis. And around us today, we have brilliant minds helping out to solve them. They may look like normal individuals like you or me… but deep within, they have a broad share of knowledge just waiting to be unleashed to the public! And so I implore you folks… to spread and encourage the smart minds of our youth! They are our greatest resource within our planet!"
Everyone applauded once more for his words of wisdom. Luigi had to hold onto Valentina tightly when he saw she was about to climb onto the stage, presumably to hug the tiny old man. When the cheer died down, the Professor then moved until he was next to the rope that opened and closed the curtains.
"And now, without further ado… I present to you a marvellous step towards our ever-growing technological world… I give you…"
He pulled the rope and the curtains flew upward. A cloud of mist came out, blotting out the large machine that was on the platform. Everyone's eyes were focused on the obscure shadow in front of them, including Mario and his gang. When the smog cleared, everyone went "Ooh!" with awe.
"…the Mind Swap 5000!" E. Gadd finished, holding his arms out to glorify his latest creation.
It was quite a sight to behold. The contraption had two large brass tubes that stood side by side, big enough for at least one person each. A winding coil connected them at their tops. Between the twin cylinders, a brass metal box, with the same size as the podium, was placed sturdily at the base. Anyone can assume that was some sort of control panel.
"People always say that you should run in another person's shoes to feel what they feel. So I wondered… what if you can? With this little gizmo, any two individuals can come up and exchange each other's bodies, just to know what it might be like to live in another's life! You wives out there… ever want your lazy husband to see what you go through every day? Or all you young friends… ever wonder if you can fool each other's parents into thinking you're the real you? Well, wonder no more! The Mind Swap can be able to do just that! And best of all… it's absolutely harmless!"
"I have a question!" a random female Toad blurted out, raising her hand. "How does it work when you switch the two minds? Can you switch back?"
"Of course!" E. Gadd proclaimed. "Like I said, this machine can trade a person's mind for another and revert back without pain! And I can prove it so!" He turned his head to every face out in the audience. "Do I have any volunteers?"
"Ooh! Ooh! Me, Professor! Pick me! Pick me!" Valentina waved her arms, her big bosom bouncing with her as she jumped in the air to be seen by the scientist.
He chuckled once again for her ecstatic and willing behaviour. "Hehehe… alright, Valentina. You can come up."
"YAY!" she chirped. The bouncing beauty ran through the crowd carefully and hopped onto the wooden platform, looking so excited next to her old friend while she held her hands behind her back.
"Do I have anybody else that wants to participate? Anyone?" E. Gadd asked.
"Why don't you get Luigi up here?" the bubbly girl suggested with a smirk. "I'm sure he'd be a little curious to explore my body! Yoo-hoo, honey! Over here! I can see you!"
Poor Luigi blushed furiously before ducking down, so that he can hide his mug from all the staring eyes. "Please not me… please not me… please not me…," he chanted quietly over and over.
So far, the whole mass didn't chose to lift their arm up to volunteer, either because they think this is a joke or they're too afraid to try. The Professor looked crestfallen, his brow began to sweat a little from the glaring heat of the spotlight. Valentina's face looked at him with worry as his voice cracked in nervousness.
"Anyone? Is there any person that wants to give up their time to test out my machine? Again, I assure you… it's truly 100% harm-free."
Mario could see that the poor old man was desperate for assistance. And no one was cooperating to help him. Even the portly plumber didn't felt like doing it… and that was saying a lot, even for him. And he was sure his brother would definitely not dare to get up and try. So that only left one person…
"Uhh… why are you looking at me like that, Mario?" Peach wondered. She saw as the red-clad fellow pointed to her and to the stage. Realizing in horror of what he was proposing, the pink princess shook her head, her wavy gold locks flapping around.
"No way! I can't go!" she hissed. "I don't want to know what it's like to be… to be… to be like her! I won't do it!"
Her hero then started to clench his white gloves together, begging her for her cooperation. But as much as it pained her to leave E. Gadd flopping like a fish out of water, she still didn't want to participate. It wasn't long before the gathering started to feel like this was a waste of their time.
"This is probably a hoax. And I wonder why I paid my 5 coins to be here!" she heard an impatient Toad grumble.
"Why do I bother watching this? I'm getting bored! The floating potato was more entertaining, for fungus sake!" a Koopa muttered under his breath.
"This is no show," a Monty Mole divulged to his girlfriend. "This guy's off his rocker. We ought to demand a refund."
The crowd was beginning to disperse in disappointment. Peach was shocked by how heartless her people truly were. But of course… they didn't want to stay around to just watch nothing happen. She was in a confliction… arguing to herself if she should volunteer or not. She didn't want to be anywhere near that pink hussy, let alone be in her body… but she also didn't want to see the future of those poor children at the hospital get thrown away like yesterday's newspaper. Reluctantly, and with no other choice in the matter, she groaned heavily and raised her hand.
"Fine, I'll do it…," she sighed.
Everyone froze in their place, ears perked up when they heard her. Luigi, who was cowering a minute ago, fixated his eyes on the princess with surprise. Even Valentina wasn't prepared to hear her say that, even though (unlike Peach) she held no grudge against her.
"I… I think my ears have failed me for a moment," E. Gadd stuttered. "Did… did you say you'll participate, your highness?"
"Yes… that's what I said," she stated clearly. All faces turned to watch her in awe as she walked up to the stage and climbed the steps to join the bouncing beauty by her side.
Might as well get this over and done with, she thought irritably. Just a few minutes and I'll never have to see or feel like her again…
The Professor finally caught himself out of his daze and clapped in approval. "I think our caring monarch deserves a round of applause for her generosity, everyone! Do you agree?" The crowd then joined with him, giving cheers and whistles for their princess. Peach couldn't help but smile a bit, while giving out a little wave to her people. At least they still had their faith and trust in her.
At least… for a while longer…
"Alright, girls. Just head into those capsules and I'll do the rest," E. Gadd instructed both her and Valentina. He gave a warm smile. "And trust me… it won't hurt a bit."
They did as they were told, each female heading into their personal tube of choice. Peach chose the left one, since she was always one to favour left. After all, she was left-handed in writing, cooking, cleaning, golfing… pretty much anything that involved physical work. She had no doubt that the body she was about to occupy was going to be the total opposite of her. But the princess couldn't help but feel curious as to what it might be like to be right-handed for a while. She was an open-minded person, either way.
The cylinder was a bit tight inside, but not uncomfortable. From a little window, she could she Mario and Luigi watching her as she was about to take a new identity.
This had better not mess up my hair, she worried in her mind.
"All set now?" the Professor called out to both tubes. He grabbed onto a big lever. "Okay then! Let's see some sparks, people!"
He pulled hard on the switch… and the Mind Swapper hummed to life. Electrical arcs of energy whizzed through the coil attached to both cylinders, moving progressively faster and faster until they were indistinguishable to the naked eye. It was quite an ominous thing to look at. But no one within the crowd dared to gaze away, fearing they'd miss something.
Within Peach's capsule, she started to feel faint as her conscious self was slipping away. It was like her very soul was being yanked from her being, and was now travelling through a dark tunnel. She didn't know how long it took… it felt like an eternity to her. But eventually, her consciousness was returning to her. She took in deep breathes, like she haven't breathed in a long time. She felt weird all over… like everything was alien to her. And her center of gravity was way different than it was a minute ago.
A hiss of steam had sounded and the door in front of her opened again. In her grogginess, Peach stepped out of the small chamber, feeling her head because it spun so much. She shook the drowsy feeling away with little success as she combed her hair with her hand.
That's funny… since when did she get her haircut? Feeling her scalp, the princess's heart hammered when she notice that the bangs in front of her eyes had changed from a golden yellow to a passionate pink. And upon further inspection… she examined her fingers, spooked to see that she no longer wore long white gloves. Only smooth, thin, and yet surprisingly strong-looking pink palms.
No way… this… this can't be, she mused in terror.
She didn't wanted to… but she looked down. And was met with a pair of enormous breasts, wrapped tightly in a white t-shirt with a heart decal, totally obstructing her vision of the floor below.
"Sweet merciful Piranha Plants! I… I… I… I can't believe it actually works!" Valentina screamed out loud.
She heard someone cry out in almost the same way. "Aww! My cute, lovely love-pillows shrank to flat, pitiful patches of skin! This totally sucks!"
"Hey! That's my body you're talking about, you little bi…" The bubbly girl's jaw dropped wide open in speechlessness when she faced the person in front of her. The other individual did the same exact thing.
To both perspectives, it was like looking in a mirror. Except there was no pane of glass in between to separate them. And it was no illusion or hallucination either. The one called Valentina stared horrified as she looked up at a female that had a pink flowing dress, white gloves, and a well-kept lock of rich blonde hair. The one called Peach was equally flabbergasted as she laid her sights upon a woman with a short blue skirt, short & wild pink hair, white shirt with a heart stamped on it, and a huge, beach ball-sized bosom.
"Oh my stars! You're ME!" they exclaimed in unison.
They were snapped out of their amazement as cheers and sounds of joy rang out in front of them.
"Bravo! Aren't they wonderful?" E. Gadd smiled, as he joined in the applause.
Both Mario Brothers were dumbfounded to an unreachable extent. They were seeing, before their very eyes, of the two people they care about… with their minds in the opposite bodies. It wasn't every day that Mario had a princess that was giddy, childish, and highly libidinal. And it wasn't every day that Luigi had a busty girlfriend that was calm, well-mannered, and completely abstinent.
The whole audience was clapping as Peach waved enthusiastically, while Valentina gave a meek smile before whispered out of the corner of her mouth. "Okay, Professor… you can change us back now. I really have a lot of things to do in the Castle today."
E. Gadd nodded in her response before turning back to the crowds. "Alright folks! Now for my next trick, you'll see these two lovely gals' in front of me go back to their respectable bodies!"
Sigh… thank goodness it's nearly over, she thought. Her back was starting to kill her from having to carry these "puppies". She went back into the tube she came out of, closed the door and awaited to be returned to her normal, princess body…
Almost at once, she heard the hum of the invention whirring and felt that "soul-lifting" feeling again. It'll be all over soon, she told herself over and over…
But something was wrong… a loud clanking sound was rattling the Mind Swap violently off its hinges, pushing her back and forth like she was in a washing machine. And from outside, she could hear E. Gadd's voice crying out in panic.
"Oh dear no! This isn't supposed to happen!"
The whole audience, more so for Mario and Luigi, was gasping in horror as they saw the princess and bubbly girl trapped in their tubes, getting knocked around like rag dolls. Gears and springs flew as the contraption was breaking down from a mechanical malfunction. Everyone ducked for cover while avoiding the projectiles while the Professor desperately tried to shut his machine off.
She couldn't stay in her consciousness anymore. Her cranium had been hit way too many times from the wild shudders within her cramped space. She closed her eyes as the world grew dark and she passed out…
/
"Do you think she's alright, E. Gadd?"
"Without a doubt. Both of them just suffered a bit of head trauma. Nothing more."
"I sure hope so…How will we tell when they're awake? Or for that matter… how will we tell them?"
"We'll burn that bridge when we get there, Luigi."
For the past 20 minutes, Mario, Luigi and E. Gadd were tending to both Peach and Valentina while in the safe environment of the old scientist's lab. They had to carry both girls out of the Science Fair after the Mind Swap fiasco. And during that time, Luigi was lightly panicking of the well-being of his girlfriend.
"Are you sure she's not in a coma or anything, Professor?" he questioned with worry. "I don't know what I'd do if I hear she'll become a vegetable for the rest of her life."
"Relax, my dear boy," the tiny old man soothed. "She won't be in a coma, I can assure you. Besides, if I knew our caring Valentina and Princess were in more serious conditions, we'd be in the hospital instead of here. It won't be long before both will be up and fit as a fiddle."
While they were chatting about, Mario was lying down near Peach's unconscious body, stroking her hair to occupy himself. He wasn't as anxious as his brother was, but he wasn't exactly feeling comfortable either. He was supposed to keep the Toadstool's current bloodline safe from harm's way, after all. It wouldn't be a good idea if the Chancellor ever got word that their princess had been in danger and the plumber stood idle while watching the event unfold.
He was absentmindedly listening to the conversation in front of him… when he heard a stir below him. His face went into a mild shock when he saw Peach's eyes twitch, and he quickly waved his hands to get Luigi's and E. Gadd's attention.
"What is it, Bro?" the green Mario Brother wondered when he turned his head. And he gasped when he saw the princess coming out of her sleep. "Oh my… quick, Professor! Get some water, please!"
The tiny old man agreed and ran off to get some liquid nourishment, while both plumbers surrounded the blonde woman as she was waking up. Slowly but surely, her lips began to move and form words.
"Ugh… my head hurts…"
She opened a bleary blue eye, her vision a tad out of focus. Mario gently lifted her neck to support herself. When her sight sharpened back to normal, Peach let out an "Oh!" of surprise when she saw her red saviour's face looking down on her.
"M-Mario? Is t-that you?" she asked uncertainly.
He nodded while delicately placing his hand behind her back to bring her to a sitting position. A bewildered look fallen on her face.
"Uhh… w-why are you holding me like that? I know that we're friends, but you know I already have a boyfriend, right?"
Now it was Mario's turn to be confused. And that confusion turned into eye-popping astonishment when he saw Peach cling onto Luigi in a death-gripping hug. His brother had an equal expression of fright as he did.
"Oh honey! I love you so much! Are you alright? I didn't made you worry about me, did I?" she cooed blissfully.
"Ugh… what's gone… into you, Peach?" he grunted, struggling for air. "Why do you… sound so much like Valentina?"
"I am Valentina, Luigi dear!" the princess whined. She let go of him to give him a sad look. "Why are you so… huh?" She stopped to examine her front, went wide-eyed and got scared. She held herself in her arms. "AHHH! I'm still in her body?"
"And I'm still stuck in yours?" a voice yelled out in anger.
All heads turned to see that Valentina was awake as well. And she wasn't a happy camper. She pointed an accusing finger at the blonde female before her.
"Give me back my body now, you hussy!" she snarled with gripping fists. "I won't let you go around mucking about something I cherish dearly!"
"Hey, it wasn't my fault, you know! Last time I remember, you wanted to volunteer getting your mind switched, right?" Peach retorted. "You could have just backed out if you didn't wanted to!"
"You think I haven't thought that? I only wanted to participate so that people didn't mock poor E. Gadd and the children at the hospital wouldn't be sad to not get that donation! But oh no… you didn't think of that, did you? You only wanted to volunteer so you can get into Luigi's pants!"
The princess shivered with rage while she dashed to slap her. "Why I oughta…"
"Girls! That's enough!" Luigi shouted, placing hands against both their chests to separate them while giving an assertive glare to them. "This is no one's fault, okay? And I don't want to resort to using my Fire Flower to keep you from swiping at each other! Now knock it off!"
Peach, Valentina, and even Mario (if that was possible) all went silent, totally surprised by his sudden outburst of authority. After a long, unsteady pause, even the green Mario Brother was blushing heavily by what he had said.
"I'm… I'm sorry about that… I… I didn't know what came over me," he stuttered, rubbing his head in embarrassment.
Just then, E. Gadd stepped back into the room, carrying two bottles of water. He halted when he saw the awkward standoff taking place. "Umm… I guess I'm too late for the 'waking-up' part, eh?" he nervously chuckled.
"Not just that. We're still stuck in the wrong bodies, Professor!" Peach cried shrilly, while going back to cuddling herself in fear.
"Is there any way to fix the Mind Swap any time soon?" Valentina asked calmly, crossing her arms as best she can (her big bosom made it hard to do that).
E. Gadd cringed while looking at both women. "I'm afraid it'll be some time before I can get it running again. The entire electrical system is fried to a crisp. And I won't be expecting any spare parts to be delivered today. So… it might take me three days before I can do anything."
"Three days?" the bouncing beauty shrieked. The news hit her like a slab of ice in her gut. "I can't wait three whole days in this body! I got a country to maintain! And the Chancellor needs me to sign some important forms this evening! Not to mention the Toads will be expecting me to be at the rally tomorrow!"
The one called Peach rubbed her feet together in shyness. "Well… why don't you let me take care of all that for you?"
Valentina turned back to look at her in a surly mood. "Oh no, you won't… that's never going to happen! You'll likely have my whole schedule be one sticky mess of a disaster if I let you parade and act like me!"
"You never know unless you let me try," the royal monarch purred cutely. But her friend wasn't buying it.
"Forget it! My duties aren't something to be taken lightly! It takes a fully mature and responsible person to handle all the tasks I do throughout every morning, afternoon and evening! And you can't even manage to open a can of soup, even if there was a can opener in front of you! The way I see it, you'll turn the whole Mushroom Kingdom upside-down if I let you rule under my rank in one day!" she spat. She shook her head. "Correction… you'll ruin my reputation if you sat on my throne for at least 15 minutes!"
"Please… just take a breath and calm down, Valentina… er, I mean Peach… Val… Pea… dang it! I don't know what to call either of you right now!" Luigi fretted, looking back and forth between the two women. "This is all so confusing!"
The one called Peach patted his shoulder. "It's okay, honey. Don't worry too much about it." She returned her gaze to her former face with a smirk. "So… you think I can't be responsible, huh? Are you willing to gamble on it?"
The bouncing beauty narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"
The pink princess crossed her arms defiantly while continuing to give that childish smile. "Oh, don't tell me you're too old-fashioned to know the meaning of a bet."
"I know fully well of what a bet is, thank you very much," she growled through gritted teeth. "And I'm not old-fashioned!"
"Really? Because with this retro, out-of-date dress you wear every day, I could almost swear you're an antique yourself!" the monarch laughed. When she could see her colleague steaming from ear to ear, she held her hands up. "I was just kidding, geez! Boy… you can't even take a joke, can you? Now then… ahem…" She cleared her throat so she can speak clearly. "…this is how the bet will go. If I can convince everyone that I'm you, excluding all of us in this room of course… I'll get to rule your kingdom for a week."
"Oh… and what will happen if you can't?" Valentina grumbled.
"Hahaha… slow down, silly! I'm not finished yet!" Peach bubbled. "Now… if I can't be able to act like you, you'll have the choice to do whatever you want with me for also a week. But here's the catch!" she added while lifting a index finger. "You will have to go out and pretend to be me! And if you can prove to be a better 'Valentina' than I can, it'll work exactly the same way as me pretending to be you! I win… and I get your Castle for a week. You win… and you have me as your slave for a week."
"Me? Act just like you?" she scoffed mockingly. "Haha! I can perfectly mimic your personality in a heartbeat! This will be a cinch!" The bubbly girl placed her hands to her waist. "Alright. I'll agree to this bet. But you'll have to have somebody monitor you… just so I know you didn't cheated."
"Heehee! And you'll have somebody to watch you too! Don't think I'm stupid, sister! I can be quite as sharp-witted as you can!" The princess held out a hand to her. "So you're on?"
Valentina smirked and shook her hand in a well-mannered way. "I accept. May the best impersonator win."
/
The journey to the Mushroom Castle was much slower than usual, since she was without her wings. But that didn't deterred the woman that looked like Peach. If she was going to win this challenge, she was going to have to act just like the royal ruler in every way. Even if it means she can't fly to places for the time being.
Next to her was Mario, who was picked to be her evaluator to rate how well she does for the next three days. After all, no one knew the princess better than the portly plumber himself. Not even the Chancellor.
There were special rules, however, for when the two were together (made by the one who's in Valentina's body). They were not allowed to get closer than arm's length, basically to avoid asking hints on how to act a certain way, as well as 'making intimate gestures'. They were not allow to be in the bedroom together alone. They must be within seeing distance with each other at all times (excluding for when they need to go to sleep). And they must keep all confidential information to themselves, meaning no blurting out special events coming up.
"Oh, Mario… I'm so nervous," Peach mumbled. "What if they know I'm not really the princess? Will they kick me out?" Mario shook his head and telling her that the guards won't try to do such a thing. She let out a sigh of relief.
"Okay… Just want to make sure. And… and you know I wouldn't try to pin you down, right? Even though the real Peach doesn't trust me enough that I would."
He nodded. She smiled kindly at him for his honesty.
"Thanks, Mario. You're a caring and understanding friend," she said. Her eyes were then full of sorrow. "I just wish that she was too… I don't know why she hates me so much…"
They climbed up the stairs that finally led to the Mushroom Castle. And waiting for them at the top, was a green-spotted Toad with a green, gold-trimmed robe and black moustache. He was tapping his foot like he was expecting an answer, while crossing his arms like a parent would to scold their child.
"Where in Star Road have you been, young lady?" he announced. "It's currently 5:00pm. It's very well past your curfew to be outside. You know how dangerous it is to be mucking about at this late hour."
"Hey! Who you think you are to tell me when I can stay out or not? My father?" the pink princess started, looking at him with a bit of anger.
"I beg your pardon?" he asked incredulously.
Mario cringed and whispered into her ear for a brief second. He told her that she was speaking to the Chancellor, Peach's advisor. It wasn't guidance to tell her to act a certain way… just some noting that the red plumber felt she needed to know of who she was dealing with. Thank goodness for that loophole.
The royal monarch went a bit wide-eyed and quickly adjusted herself. "Uh… ahem… uh, I'm terribly sorry about that. I've… um… been feeling a little cranky today… I hope you can forgive me…"
It was a while before the old Toad relaxed his stance and spoke to her in a fatherly tone. "It's understandable, your highness. As a matter of fact, I too been feeling under the weather. So I apologize as well. Now then…" He adjusted his robe and pointed to the front door with an opened hand. "Shall we set course for the dining room? I'm sure you must be undoubting famished after a long day."
"Sure! Uh… I mean… of course," she nodded with a blush. She rubbed her growling belly, realizing how hungry she was. And that decision made, she, Mario and the Chancellor walked into the Castle for a well-balanced dinner.
Hehehe… So far so good, she thought smugly. I wonder how Peach is handling her life in my cute, lovable body?
/
"Ugh… are you sure this is all there is to eat?"
"Um… yeah. Mario and I don't have much in the pantry tonight," Luigi explained in shyness. "I'll have to buy some groceries in the morning..."
Valentina was squirming a bit in disgust, while she eyed the plate of meatloaf and peas in front of her. Being that she was a vegetarian (well… when she was a princess), she couldn't stand to see the slab of minced pork. But she didn't want to reject Luigi's kindness for making her meal. So she just ate the peas in silence.
The green Mario Brother, of whom would be the bubbly girl's behavioural judge in according to the bet, was nervously picking through his plate at the other end of the table. Normally, he would be sitting next to his girlfriend during supper. But since the bouncing beauty's mind was at another place, he respectfully gave her some space.
"You're awfully quiet tonight," she remarked, wanting to start up a conversation with him. "Um… how are things with you and Mario lately?"
He blushed brightly a bit. "Just… just fine. We… uh… had got some new shingles for the roof… It was starting to peel a bit…"
Valentina nodded her head. "I see. Hmm… Did you participate in any fun activities this week?"
"Err… nope. I was too… uh… 'busy' with stuff around the house…"
She could tell that there was something was up with the green plumber. And that he wasn't quite giving all the details either. "Okay… Then tell me what you were busy with," she spoke slowly.
He blushed again, while a bit of sweat ran down his head. "I'd… I'd rather not say… uh… it will just bore you to hear it…"
"I use to do lectures with the Mushroom Council for hours you know, Luigi. So what you might think of as boring, I find to be just an intellectual chat. So just tell."
"Uh… um… uh… oh, look at the time!" he pointed out, changing the subject. He quickly got out of his seat. "I better get into the shower and go to bed! Got lots of chores in the morning!"
"Wait! Get back here!" the bubbly girl shouted, hitting the table with her fist. But Luigi was gone from the kitchen before she finished her sentence. There was rapid footsteps, followed by a slam, before hearing a distinct click across the hallway, telling her that he locked the bathroom door. Silence fell for a few seconds before Valentina let out a long sigh. Perhaps she was being a bit 'provocative' in her questioning…
After she ate her dinner, she didn't see Luigi again until it was after 10:00pm. She felt really tired from the long, painful day she had to endure. So the bouncing beauty decided to simply flop on the green Mario Brother's mattress, without even changing into her nightwear (she was sure the real Valentina would be keeping lingerie in her drawer that's too 'kinky' for her tastes).
She heard someone come into the room while she rested her eyes for a minute, but didn't opened them just yet. The steps came to a sudden halt and then there was some nervous whimpering for a bit. She was guessing that this is Luigi noticing that she was on his bed… and he was still frightened to see her. Then she heard him walk again, slower and more quiet this time (he assumed she was asleep), and carefully sat down on the mattress.
"Back from your shower already, I can see," she mumbled.
He let out a "WHAAAA!" before toppling off, dragging the sheets and Valentina with him. The bubbly girl fell with a plop on top of his body. He freaked out when her mammoth bosom was squishing his face and he scrambled off of her to hide on the other side of the bed.
"Ouch! Why did you do that?" she hollered on the top of her voice, rubbing her massive chest from the impact of landing on him. "That's not a good way to treat your friends!"
"I'm… I'm sorry! I d-didn't mean to!" Luigi sputtered.
"Well, you're going to be sorry if you don't tell me what in the blazes is wrong with you lately!"
"It's nothing! Nothing is wrong with me!"
"It doesn't seem like nothing to me! First, you wouldn't tell me what you were 'busy' with at the dinner table! And now you rudely yanked me off the bed! If I had known any better, I would have said you were trying to…"
She stopped in her tracks. A horrified expression lit her face, shivering all over from the conclusion she had came up with. "Oh my stars… you… you were… you were trying to do foreplay with me, were you?" she yelled, holding herself while looking at him with disgust. "You were going to try making out with me!"
"No, no, no, no!" he denied, waving his hands in a fluster. "It's just a big misunderstanding!"
"A BIG MISUNDERSTANDING? Alright then! I get the picture! Here's my misunderstanding too!" And she grabbed his hands and placed them firmly on top of her breasts. A look of nervous panic had stuck Luigi while he tried to get out of her grip, but she maintained her hold on him. "There you go! Is that what you wanted? I hope so, because that's all you're getting! And furthermore…"
Valentina wasn't able to finish her angry rant, because she became shocked of what she just did. And by looking at Luigi's face, she could see him sniffling and crying under her wrath, still trying to escape while he was force to feel her womanhood. He wasn't even looking at her… because he was self-repulsing of what he was doing to her.
"What am I doing? This isn't right at all!" she thought in astonishment. After all, this was Luigi she was dealing with… where else most men (excluding Mario) would be mindless, perverted individuals who only want to get into their partner's pants, the green plumber would be blushing and withdrawing himself if a female ever so much as much as skim him accidentally with a fingernail.
Slowly, the bubbly girl let go of her grip on his hands and turned away from him in shame. She was disgusted with her recent actions. And it didn't make her feel good that she physically harassed her friend.
Luigi didn't move from his place after she released him. He didn't run, nor shivered… nor even gave an indication that he was scared. He simply stood there while watching her wallow in self-loathing.
"Are… are you okay?" he asked cautiously.
She looked at him with tear-streaked eyes and shook her head. "No… I'm not okay," she trembled. "This is the worst day of my life… sniff… I should have never agreed to that stupid bet. I never realized this was going to be so tough… being her. You must be despising me right now…"
"Why would I despise you?"
"Aw, come on Luigi! Just look at what I did! I interrogated you of something that was purely your own business, I yelled at you when you dropped on the bed and I fell with you… anyone with a better judgement than me would have seen that as an honest accident. And just now… I just made you squeeze my… my…" She shuddered while looking at her large chest. "…ugh, I can't even call these mine! Because I know they're not mine! It's simply not natural to see them on me!"
She went back to crying again. The green Mario Brother scratched his hair in shyness. "Umm… if it would make you feel better… that last part you did to me would sorta be something Valentina would do…"
"What…?" She slowly looked up to him once more. "Are… are you trying to make me feel better, Luigi?"
He shrugged. "I guess so…"
Valentina let out a big sigh. "Look, I know you mean well… but right now, you're seeing that I speak like myself, but still think that I'm your girlfriend. Me and her are both two absolutely different people."
"I know that," he replied, twiddling his thumbs. "I just don't want to see you so hard on yourself…"
There was a period of awkward silence after that. Both individuals were a bit stuck on what to say next. Then… the thoughts that went on in bubbly girl's mind (of that being Peach's mind) came up with a perplexing question.
"Luigi… what is it that you like about Valentina, by the way?" she wondered.
"W-What do you mean?"
"I'm not going to be nosy this time, if that's what you're wondering… I'm just curious to know. What I mean is… why do love her the way you do right now? Is it because of her looks? Her attitude towards life? What quality of hers makes you stay with her?" She blushed heavily while rubbing her foot on her leg. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to…"
The Mario Brother mused it over for quite some time. "Well… the reason I stay with her is… uh, you won't get mad if I say it?" She shook her head. "Okay, just making sure… the reason I stay with her is that… she makes me feel confidence in myself. Like make me not feel like a loser or a loner…"
"Oh… okay…" Now it was her turn to be the shy one. "But… aren't I appreciative of what you do too? Don't I give you just as much thanks as I do to Mario when you both go on an adventure?"
"Well… yeah, you do give me recognition," he explained. "But… it feels like you give Mario more attention than I do…"
"That's understandable," she nodded. "You and I both know that your brother and me share a special bond… like you are with Valentina."
"I know… but it's not just you, of course…" He eyed the floor with sorrow, unable to look at her. "It's as though everyone doesn't give me enough thanks, no matter if I do just as much effort as him, if not more…"
The bouncing beauty watched him in awe, a feeling of pity in her heart. She never heard him say words like that before. Usually she sees him as a happy-go lucky guy, while showing courage when he least expects it, and never lets anyone get him down. But now… she could see his inner self: a humble man who is alone… neglected… unheard and overshadowed by the community. It was like her first days of being princess in the Mushroom Kingdom. No one acknowledged her at first… but as time progressed, and the more deeds she did, she became the respected woman she was today.
With steady hands, she clasped Luigi's gloves with tender care. He looked back up at her, feeling surprised by her reaction. Once more, his face blushed pink from her holding him again.
"Well… the next time when you do something noble… I'll be sure to let everyone know about it," she said with a smile. "And you can let me know if you still feel isolated sometimes. I'm willing to listen."
That made the green plumber put on a happy expression. "Hehehe… thanks Peach… uh, I mean Valentina… darn…" He slapped his forehead in frustration, while he flushed darker. "I still don't know what to actually call you…"
She laughed. "That's okay. Let's not panic about it… but you understand what I'm saying?"
He nodded with certainty.
"Alright then…" She stretched out her arms while a yawn escaped from her mouth. "…oh my. It's getting pretty late. We should get rested before morning arrives."
"Okay," he agreed. His exhaustion was getting him too. He was just heading for his door when she stopped him in his tracks.
"Where are you going?" she questioned.
Luigi twiddled his thumbs again. "Uh… on the living room couch? I would have thought you didn't want us to sleep together… since it wouldn't be… um… the 'right' thing to do."
"Hehehe… no, it's alright, Luigi," she chuckled, realizing what he meant to say. "I trust you enough to be in the same bed with me. So I won't mind at all… unless…" For a brief moment, something came over her. And it made her say something she wouldn't have said otherwise. "…you feel you can't handle my wonderful beauty," she added with a purr.
"Huh? What was that?" he asked with astonishment.
She shook the feeling off and recovered herself. "Uh… I meant to say… if you snore during the night, that is!"
Whew… that was close, she thought. But what she just said out loud got her worried. It wasn't what her exact thoughts were, but yet they came out her lips from out of the blue. What was going on here? Did she did that on instinct? Or… was it something deeper than that?
"Are you sure you're okay? For a second, you really did sound like Valentina there," Luigi stated.
"Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry about me," she responded, while trying to keep herself together. "Let's just go to sleep…"
Without any further concerns or questions, they went back to the mattress, replaced the sheets neatly and got under the covers. The bouncing beauty simply laid flat on her back and closed her eyes, while the green Mario Brother fluffed his pillow to get comfortable. He positioned himself to his side, away from Valentina, and gazed at the blank stretch of wall towards him.
Even though it was nothing to panic about yet, Luigi felt uneasy about that outburst she made. It was as though she said it, but didn't expect to say it. Like a puppet on strings. And he had a feeling that it wasn't just happening to her either…
He shook his head. Relax you, a voice hushed in his mind. You're jumping to conclusions like usual. It's not like the real Peach will start becoming your girlfriend, and in vice versa. And besides… E. Gadd will be able to fix them both in a few days, and everything will be back to normal.
Assuring himself that everything is okay, and that he was just being paranoid, Luigi's eyes drooped until his consciousness left him and he dozed off.
/
(To be concluded)