The Art of Forgiveness

Chapter 11

Most consider spring to be the season of new beginnings. It's when the world starts over and comes back to life. The fields shift from lifeless colors like white and grey to mixtures of green, yellow, pink, blue, and more. It's louder as well. With spring, comes chirping birds and buzzing bees. Roses fill the air with a sweet scent that reminds everyone that even through the darkest and coldest of winters, the world can and will still come back to life. Spring is a reminder that in the end, everything will be okay. Or, at least, that's how Blumiere wanted to see it. How he used to see it.

However, even the most beautiful of roses can have the sharpest of thorns. People distracted by the beauty get too close and end up pricking their fingers. People can be stung by bees, the pollen can cause allergic reactions, and eventually, fall will come and wash away all the life that spring had brought. 

It was Blumiere's last full day before he was supposed to return to Flipside so he could be sent back to the Underwhere. Back to that horrible, cold, lonely place. Much to the former count's surprise, Dimentio had stayed true to his word of planning to return with Blumiere. He wouldn't change his mind, even when everyone begged him to reconsider. 

Blumiere wished with all his heart that Dimentio would just stay. After all, he didn't want to be the reason Dimentio would be stuck in the Underwhere again. However, whenever he started this argument, Dimentio would claim that he had no reason to stay anyway, and that was that.

Everyone was filled with a gloomy, defeated feeling, which was odd because the weather didn't match their sour moods in the slightest. The skies were clear, the sun was shining brightly, and the breeze was gentle. It would have been a perfect day to sit in the meadow and look at flowers.

Instead, Blumiere sat beside the window, the glass separating him from the natural beauty, while Dimentio sat at the opposite end of the room. Both were silent.

Dimentio had set the lantern next to Blumiere on the windowsill, but the former count didn't touch it. He simply ignored the object and kept his eyes on the leaves on the trees he could spot outside. He watched as they danced and swayed with the wind. They looked small and fragile. He was almost waiting for the wind to blow them from their branches, but they didn't let go. They held on tightly, despite being so small and delicate.

A few moments later, Luigi walked through the front door. Neither Dimentio nor Blumiere turned to look at him or acknowledge his presence. They simply remained quiet, which had become the new normal for them ever since Merlon delivered the news.

"Um," Luigi muttered, trying to get their attention before speaking.

Dimentio finally looked up at the man in green, but, Blumiere refused. He simply remained silent, focusing on the leaves.

Leaves, the leaves were green. Green was the color of life. It was the color of balance and peace. It was a calming, gentle color. The leaves would remain green until autumn, which would turn them red, yellow, orange, and brown. Brown, the color of dullness. Orange, a color widely associated with the end of a season of life. Yellow, the color of false hope. Then, there was red, the color of evil. Leaves that were once alive and green would turn to one of these many colors eventually, before cracking and letting go of their branches.

"Okay then," Luigi muttered, looking down and messing with his gloves. His white gloves were surprisingly clean considering how much adventuring he did. He must have washed them often. "Um, Peach heard about what's going on- I mean, she heard it from Mario, so it's not like the news is spreading around the Mushroom Kingdom, but- what I'm trying to say is that she wants to see you..."

Dimentio blinked, then looked down and nodded. Peach was one of the heroes who was directly involved in the prophecy, so it wasn't surprising that she wanted to talk to them herself.