Dimentio POV
I woke up to Daisy hugging me tightly, like a child cuddling a teddy bear while at the doctor's office.
"Ummm, you can stop that now." I muttered.
I yawned and got up. "Well I'm starved." I snapped my fingers, bringing us some food. She gave me a smile. "Oh, how I've missed this."
She started messily eating. I, on the otherhand, had class. I summoned a plate and some utensils. I eat like a civilized person.
"So," She started, her mouth still full of food. "What are we gonna do about Luigi?"
"Don't talk with your mouth full. I can't understand a word you just said." She gave me a condescending look. "You heard me....."
I sighed. "We...... need to take that book from him. That's really it." She nodded. "I agree. The problem is finding him."
That's not the problem. I wasn't worried about that. I was worried about what would happen to him when I took that book.
"Well, you saw him not long ago, correct?" She nodded. "Yep. Boy, let me tell you, he's changed so much. His whole innocent vibe, gone. When I saw him, he had more of this, 'I'm rude but I'm also full of myself and I'm so mysterious' vibe. Ya know?" I shrugged. "Ummm, sure....."
She sighed. "But after that, it was like he just disappeared. I couldn't find him anywhere!"
"Did you check the Mushroom Kingdom?" I asked. She scoffed. "Yeah, obviously. That's the first place I looked dum dum." She ruffled my hair, causing me to hiss and pull my hood up.
"Well, when did you last check?" She shrugged. "I dunno. Like, a few months ago. I went straight there after he ran off. I quickly scanned, then left. I don't want any of those Mushrooms capturing me and turning me in or something. Plus, I kinda figured he'd avoid it since he's wanted."
I slapped the back of her head. "You idiot, that's where his brother is you dim-wit. His brother was his whole reason for getting the book in the first place! And you 'quickly scanned' it?? Ugh, you're about as sharp as a bowling ball."
Her eyes softened and she smiled a warm smile. "Awww, I've missed your unnecessary similes." I froze, then shook my head in astonishment. "Wait wait wait, you missed MY similes?! Ah ha ha ha! I knew you loved them!" She lightly laughed and shook her head. "Alright, alright, don't flatter yourself. I said I missed them, not that I loved them." I smirked before moving the conversation along. "Anyways, since his brother is in the Mushroom Kingdom, Luigi will likely be there too. So if we want to find him, I feel like that would be our best bet."
She nodded. "Okay, okay. But....you're highly wanted in the Mushroom Kingdom. I probably am as well, since they saw me helping you guys AND they may recognize me." I nodded. "Right. I forgot that you were that princess," I bowed, "Your highness." She pushed me aside. "Stop that."
I laughed, then continued. "Anyways, I agree. It will be important to be discreet. Plus, I'll need time to figure something out." She cocked her head to the side. "What do you need to figure out?"
I waved my hand, trying to put her at ease. "Taking the book will be very difficult, I just need to figure out the best way to do so without causing anyone harm."
That was the truth. Just not the full truth. I had to make time to figure out how to take the book without killing Luigi.
She lied back. "Cool. Cool. I'll give you time to think."
......."Did ya figure it out yet?" She asked. I shook my head. "No. It's been ten seconds, Daisy."
She smiled. "Alright, alright......how about now?" I shoved her aside. "This, isn't helping."
She groaned. "Fine......I'm bored."
"That's not my problem."
"I wanna hear more about L!"
I froze. "Oh. Really?" I asked, slightly flustered. She sighed. "Yeah....you said Luigi reminded you of him. How so?" She took a sip of water, which came with the breakfast I summoned.
I shrugged. "L was Luigi's alter ego."
She immediately spat out her drink onto me, then started coughing.
"I'm sorry, what??" She asked.
"Okay, first of all, you could have spat in the other direction. That was disgusting. And second of all, I said Mr. L was Luigi's alter ego,"
She got an excited look in her eye. "OHHHHH, OHMIGOSH! THAT'S WHY YOU USE TO LOOK AT LUIGI THAT WAY!! Awwww, that's so cute!" I laughed. "Yeah, yeah." She ran her fingers through her hair. "I didn't know Luigi even had an alter ego! I wonder why he never mentioned it! Although, he didn't mention a lot of things about your guy's' past."
She leaned forward and looked side to side. "You know....If I married Luigi, and you married L, you would be like, my brother in law! Wouldn't that be cool!!" I shook my head. "That would never happen." She cocked her head, still smiling. "Come on, why not?"
I held up my hand. "Because one, L is Luigi's alter ego, not his brother. And two, L would never marry me. Three, I don't know if you'll even get the chance to marry Luigi." She smirked. "Oh, I don't know. Alter egos, brothers, same thing. And once we save Luigi from this book, maybe he'll go back to normal. I think I have a chance. I mean, look at me." I shook my head. "If we save him, he'll be to consumed by the guilt. I don't know how well he'll fare." She seemed a little taken back.
"What do you mean by 'if we save him'? We're going to save him. No ifs about it!"
"Whatever, you still wouldn't be my sister in law. Alter egos and brothers are not the same. And L would never marry me anyway." She shook my shoulder. "Come on, I'm sure he would. I mean, yeah, you're annoying and small, plus you never show your face....and no one can understand your similies, plus you're a wanted criminal, but you're also....well.....such a cute little guy! I bet he'd totally marry you."
That was slightly insulting.
"L's dead. Remember?"
She suddenly got quiet. "Oh.....right. I'm sorry...."
She lied back down.
"Yeah....and I'm pretty sure my chances with Luigi are close to zero. Still though, we can dream."
I slowly nodded. "Yes. We can dream...." I turned away. She sat up and grabbed my shoulder. "Hey, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for-" "It's not your fault. You didn't kill him...."
She looked down. "I know, I'm just sorry I made you feel this way. If you don't want to talk about him, it's fine." She moved her head to the side.
"How....how did he die?" She asked. I let out a breath.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't wa-"
"I killed him" I stated.
Her eyes went wide.
"What?"
I kept a blank expression on my face. "I killed him. It was my fault."
She looked down. "Oh...."
I let out a breath. "I just miss him... I miss them both. That's all. I regret nothing more." She gave my shoulder a squeeze. "I know...."
"....So, got a plan yet?" She asked, trying to change the subject. I shook my head. "Nope."
And I never did. No matter how hard I thought about it, the truth was, I'd have to take the book from him, and he'd die.
And there was nothing I could do to change that.
"Are you okay?" Daisy asked me. I shook the mortified expression of my masked face. "More or less."
She laughed. "Ha! That's a lie!" I shook my head. "Is not. I'm alive. I'm safe. Therefore, I am more or less 'okay.'" She smirked. "Whatever. Did you figure out whatever you're trying to figure out?"
"......yes. I found my solution."
The solution was, there are no solutions. Best to find him sooner before he loses himself even more.
I did my best to hide the intense pain rising in my stomach.
She smiled. "Great! So, what's the plan? Hit me!"
I stood up and smacked her.
"OW! Not literally!"
I smirked. "You told me to!"
"I meant tell me the plan, idiot."
"Okay, so, I can teleport the book away, but only if I'm close to it. So all we have to do is find him and do that."
She nodded. "Okay. Where will we send it?"
"I know someone. She'll take it."
Daisy shook her head. "Um, no no no. We're noting giving the book to one of your random sketchy friends." I pretended to look offended. "Um, excuse me. First of all, she's not my friend. The only random sketchy friend I have is you." Daisy laughed a little, while I continued. "And I'm not giving it to her. She's going to secure it somewhere safe that no one can go to without her permission. She's also immune to the books' temptations."
Daisy nodded slowly. "Alright.....so now to find Luigi."
She looked at the ground. "Taking that book is not gonna be easy. Believe me, he's gotten much stronger." I nodded. "I believe you. We just gotta get me close enough so I can teleport it away."
"Okay, and then what?"
I hesitated. "Then....then we do our best to save him." She nodded. "Because he'll be so overcome with grief?" I shook my head. "Well, that to....but..." I let out a breath.
She deserves a warning. She deserves to know.
"Daisy....when we take the book from him....he'll die."
She stiffened up. "W-what?" I looked down. "The book has taken a firm hold on him. He's become dependent on it. So, when it's taken away, he'll die." She shook her head. "No no no..... You must be mistaken."
I gave her a look telling her that I wasn't. She shook her head more.
"No....NO! THEN I WON'T LET YOU DO IT!" She pulled out her sword. "Daisy...." I started. She got into a fighting stance. "I'M NOT GONNA LET YOU KILL HIM!"
"Daisy, please. I don't want to do it either, I really don't. But it has to be done. He's already so lost. He's not happy. He'll never be happy again unless we take the book." "AND KILL HIM?? NO! I WON'T LET YOU!"
She pointed her sword at me. "I'm not gonna let you hurt him."
I sighed, and used the tip of my finger to push the blade aside. "Daisy....please. We have to." "NO!" She swung her sword towards me, causing me to teleport behind her and float up.
"Daisy...." "STOP IT DIMENTIO! I'M NOT GONNA LET YOU KILL HIM!"
I snapped my fingers, trapping her in a transparent yellow box. "Daisy, please. I...I'm not strong enough to do this on my own. Please. I-"
She started banging her fists on the wall. "THEN DON'T!"
"I have to."
"NO YOU DON'T!"
I squeezed my eyes shut. "Please....."
I lowered myself to the ground. "I....I'm not strong enough to do this alone. Please. I love him too. I don't want this. But, we have to save him from himself....."
I heard her sob. I opened my eyes to see her leaning her head against the transparent yellow wall. "But....I want him alive. I need him alive. It can't end like this."
I sighed and waved my hand, making the box disappear.
"I'm trying to come up with a way to save him. I'll do whatever I can."
Suddenly, we heard a gasp from behind us. I turned my head to see a yellow toad guard. He pulled out a small Radio. "Captain! Captain! You've gotta see this!"
He quickly took off. I slowly covered my masked face with my hands. "Oh no no no no....." I muttered.
I looked over at Daisy. She was silently looking down to the side. I sighed. "Look, you can hate me all you want, but you know it has to be done. Right now we have to work together. Please. You told me that you wouldn't leave me."
She sighed, then walked closer, looking into my eyes.
"I won't leave you. But I won't let you kill him. We're gonna find him, and find another way."
I nodded. "Okay."
"THERE! THERE HE IS!"
I quickly snapped my head around to see a group of toads, that same yellow toad standing in front of them.