He saw me the way anyone else would have - as insignificant and forgettable. His not knowing who I was gave me a big advantage, but it stung. It stung bad, maybe worse than anything had stung before. This was harsher than every time I had to sit back and watch as another soul claimed a ghost before me. 

He didn't remember me. 

I waited for him to press for answers. He didn't seem suspicious of me, which was a good sign. Thank Grambi I was dealing with Luigi and not Mario. The younger brother was too trusting for his own good, which could work to my advantage. If Mario had been down here instead, he would surely have taken issue with a random stranger such as myself offering to help. Maybe in the living world, the man in red would be more welcoming to the idea of strangers offering their support, but not in the Underwhere. Never in the Underwhere, he knew better.

Luckily, Luigi didn't. 

He was too naive for a place like this. 

"Oh, thank you so much!" the man in green chimed, further proving my point. 

It was laughable, really, his blind faith in others. I didn't smirk in delight, though. I had to play a part. I was back in the game I had spent my entire life playing. 

The mask was back on. The stage lights were set; it was showtime. 

I had always thought of myself as an actor first and a magician second. Magic was something that could be turned off, but my role was permanent. Even when I was in bed at night I couldn't let my mask slip. I had to keep up appearances at all times. That was one of the hardest parts about living in Castle Bleck for so long. It was an isolating experience, despite having a team. Sometimes, I got so invested in the role that I forgot who the "real me" even was. 

It's still hard for me to remember. 

I glanced at the dog, whose tail stopped wagging. It's smile faded. Could it see past my mask? 

Did it feel afraid? 

No matter. Even if it did, my plan was still set in motion. So long as Luigi didn't catch onto the imminent danger standing before him, all would be fine. It wasn't like the dog could speak English and tell him I wasn't to be trusted (I think). 

Luigi wouldn't catch on. Not without knowing the value ghosts had down here. The worst he could think is that I was out to hurt him, which I wasn't. I'd have to make that clear early on. 

Hurting the man in green was never my goal, actually. I did hurt him in the past, but it was never something I took joy in. The smiles and laughter were part of that act, it was just a role I had become too invested in. I never truly wanted him dead, I just used him when I needed to. It was never personal. 

A part of me hoped he knew that. Though knowing Mr. L, he probably didn't. That arrogant self-absorbed jerk took everything personally. There was once a time when O'Chunks took the last oatmeal packet and Mr. L was fully convinced that this was O'Chunks' way of saying "Ye don't belong here, new guy." He looked too deeply into practically everything except for the stuff that actually mattered. 

"Say, forgive me for saying so, but you look familiar," Luigi noted. "Do I know you?"

I glanced back up at him. His ungloved hand was on his chin, the golden ring resting against his skin. His eyes were slightly narrowed, though not in a harsh way. He was searching his memories for me. Likely for my eyes, since the mask I wore was broken in two. Surely he wouldn't only recognize the dark half of it. 

I wasn't going to lie to him. Lies were an easy way to be caught. They exposed the truth better than telling the truth ever could. 

"If you did, I must have become irrelevant," I replied. 

"Oh," the man in green said. 

It stung. Somehow this felt like a confirmation of my insignificance. I always knew I had been reduced to nothing, but this was harsher. Luigi was the center of the plan I had spent lifetimes working towards, and yet I was nothing to him. Just another villain for his brother to squash beneath his brown boots and move on without a second thought. 

"Anyway, you're looking to get to the Overthere, yes?" I asked.

"How did you know-"

"Follow me," I interrupted with a quick wave. "I've been here for a couple of decades, so I know my way around this general area."

A true statement. No, I had no idea where these Northern Gates mentioned by Queen Jaydes were, but I didn't directly tell Luigi that I was taking him to them. If he were to make the assumption, then that was his mistake. I did know the southern section of the Underwhere decently well due to the quest I had previously gone on to get my diamond dagger, so I wasn't lying about that either.

There were no compasses and no sunrises, so Luigi had no idea that we were heading south as opposed to north. 

If I remember correctly, there were fewer souls in the far extremes in each direction. Most people were gathered in the center of the Underwhere, surrounding Queen Jaydes' castle. There were a few town-like settlements sprinkled throughout the massive dimension, but the further from the center people went, the more isolated we could become - which was exactly what I needed. The biggest concern I had was allowing other souls to figure out that a ghost was down here. 

"I don't remember any of this," Luigi muttered as he followed behind me. I didn't look back to make sure he was following, I could tell from the sound of his heavy footsteps. 

It was clear someone hadn't mastered the art of stealth. Perhaps that was why he died fairly young. 

"Yes, the Underwhere is constantly expanding and evolving to account for the constant influx of souls," I explained. "It probably looks much different from the last time you were down here."

"So you do know me, then."

"Everyone knows you," I answered. "Or knows of you."

"Really?" he asked. 

I wanted to scoff. Yes, really. Was it surprising to him? He was a legendary hero. People knew who he was centuries before he was even born. Aside from Mario, he was perhaps the most famous person across all the dimensions. Was he seriously still playing into the "I'm just a simple plumber from a simple town" role? It was insulting, really. How dare he pretend to be normal and average with all that fortune and privilege? How dare he try to make himself out to be forgettable? 

"You were here twenty years ago, yes?" I asked. 

"I believe so. Yeah... 2014. April, I believe. I love April. April showers bring May flowers, you know? Spring is so beautiful."

Who loved April? It was cold and wet. Early spring could at times be just as bad as winter. Cold, dark, harsh...

Crack.

I pressed my index finger backward until I was met with that soft snapping sound. Satisfaction briefly flooded through my hand, then quickly vanished. 

"I've heard of the tale. The story of you and your brother climbing to the Overthere and taking on Bonechill himself. It's quite impressive." I admitted. Another truth. It had been impressive, though I didn't expect them to fail. They were legendary heroes, they couldn't fail. 

"It was actually Peach who fought him," Luigi corrected. "I mean, I was out there for a little bit, but she did the heavy lifting with her umbrella and stuff. I need to find out what material she used to make it, that thing was indestructible." 

Ah, Peach. The pure-hearted princess. Was she still ruling over the Mushroom Kingdom? She was probably queen by now. Had Mario been her king? Bowser, perhaps? Or did she find someone else? 

I hoped not. It was nice to see kingdoms ruled by one strong monarch. Marriage wasn't required to make someone stronger. Love was weak. Distracting, even. I hoped she never got married. I think she'd be better that way.

"My mistake," I breathed. "Nevertheless, your bravery is well recognized amongst everyone down here."

"My bravery?" Luigi laughed. "I mean, thanks, but most people think of me as the scared one."

"You're a world-famous ghost killer, yes?" I asked. "Doesn't sound very cowardly to me."

"Ghost catcher," he corrected. "And I was still terrified. I can't even think about haunted mansions without shivering."

"Yet you've caught the deadliest of ghosts anyway," I pointed out. "That's bravery. Or, perhaps that's courage. You were afraid, yet faced that fear. It's what makes you a hero."

That, amongst many other things. Courage was just a small part of what it took to become a hero. I didn't mention the massive amount of luck he had. That was the true hero-builder. Not courage, not kindness, just pure luck. 

"Anyway, the path you took to get to the Overthere before is long gone," I continued. "After the prophecy was finished, they destroyed it to make room for more of our incoming souls. I live nearby. I tend to like to stay close to the Queen's castle because the river is most calm here. We have the highest concentration of skeletal hands, but the water is peaceful at least. Besides, most new souls arrive near the healing fountain. Being close to it means I'd be able to quickly come if someone I knew in my lifetime were to die." 

I didn't mention that being near the Queen's castle also increased my chances of finding a ghost. That was the main reason I stuck around, actually. I hardly cared about reuniting with those I knew from my past. Yes, I wanted to rip Bleck's throat out and crush it before his very eyes, but his lifespan wasn't as short as a human's. I'd likely have to wait centuries before his arrival. 

"That's sweet," Luigi smiled. "Is your family not down here yet? You look fairly young."

"My body was close to twenty-three years of age when I died," I answered. Another true fact, though I had been centuries older than that. People of my kind often would stop aging when their bodies had reached their full potential. For most, that was around twenty-five or thirty. I had stopped a few years early. The elders had said it was because my brain was quick to develop. It was because I was special. 

I used to be special. 

"Oh, gee," Luigi muttered. "That's so young. What happened?"

My pace slowed, though just slightly. 

What happened to me...?

Bits and pieces of the end of my life were clear to me, but the last day was gone. Some of the moments leading up to it, too. Parts of my master plan had vanished from my memory. 

Thousands of icy needles pierced my skin all around. My body didn't grow used to the water, the world only became colder. 

So much so that it burned, like fire and flames surrounding me - engulfing me. 

I shook my head and picked up my pace again. 

"What happened to you?" I asked in response. 

He hummed for a moment. 

"I can't remember," he muttered. 

"Exactly," I replied. "No one can."

"Grambi, that's rough..." he breathed. "Do you suppose that rule holds true in the Overthere? Heh, imagine the look on Mario's face when I tell him he died by changing the clocks."

"I haven't any idea what becomes of the pure souls who make it up there," I admitted. "I assume they're allowed to keep their memories. I think that Queen Jaydes is punishing the rest of us by taking ours."

"Seems like a gift if you ask me," Luigi admitted. 

A gift. Ignorance was a gift in his eyes? What a positively privileged thing to say. How brainwashed was he? Yes, there was comfort that came with not knowing, but that comfort was false. 

A warm flash flooded through my body, and the subsided. 

"I for one would kill to know what happened," I admitted. "It's one of the reasons so many are so focused on the ghost rule-"

"Ghost rule?" Luigi asked dumbly. "What's that?"

I bit at my lip. How could I let that slip out so easily? I must have been distracted by the rage that followed Luigi implying that ignorance was bliss. 

I briefly looked back at him and plastered what I hoped looked like a sincere smile onto my half-masked face. 

"Oh, well ghosts can remember how they died," I stated. "So many souls down here are fascinated by them."

Another partial truth. 

"Oh," Luigi said as he picked up his ghost dog and smiled. "Okay! Makes sense!"

He hugged his dog tightly, oblivious. The dog knew, though. I could tell from the empty look in its eyes. 

It knew.