~ Present ~

Mr. L continued sobbing, clinging onto Dimentio. 

He wanted nothing more than to stay here, with him. Forever. But he knew deep down that  he'd have to get up. He knew he'd have to leave him behind. All alone in the cold. But it hurt. It hurt so bad. He held Dimentio tightly, afraid to let go. He begged to be held. He begged to he embraced by the warmth of Dimentio's touch. 

But there was no warmth in Dimentio's touch anymore. There was nothing.

And he couldn't stay here. But where would he go? What now? Whenever he imagined the future, Dimentio was always there. Without him, he felt lost. 

He noticed his bandana around Dimentio's wrist loosening. He choked on another sob, before retightening it so Dimentio wouldn't lose it. Then, he briefly stood up. He noticed Dimentio's jesters cap, thrown to the side and torn up. He slowly walked over and grabbed it, looking it over. The bells on the ends had been torn off, parts of it were burnt, and there were a number of huge rips. But, that didn't matter. He hugged it to himself for a moment, then pocketed it. It was like a trade. Dimentio would have his bandana, and he could have his hat. That way, they never were apart. 

He found himself slowly traveling to his old room. He could see unused machinery everywhere. He briefly smiled, eyes glassy, remembering how he'd talk to Dimentio while fixing up his Brobot in this very room. He held onto those memories, as he grabbed a blanket and a pillow from his old bed, along with one of his old outfits. He quickly changed into his own clothes, tossing the green shirt and overalls aside, and made his way back out.

It felt good to have his mask back on. It covered a few of the tearstains on his face. Even though no one was here to see them, it felt nice.

He saw his own reflection in the mirror hall, and couldn't help but be disappointed. All he could see, was someone that should be dead. He should have stayed by Dimentio's side in his final moments. He should have gone out with him. He wished more than anything that it could have been him instead. 

But, those wishes seemed unrealistic. More than anything, he just wished he could have at least been there with him, when he took his final breath. He wished he could have held him tight, so he wouldn't have had to die alone. 

As he walked back, he felt chills run down his spine when he saw Dimentio yet again. Remembering the coldness he felt when he touched Dimentio, he slid down into the crater, and slowly wrapped the blanket around the jester. He lifted Dimentio's head, and carefully placed the pillow below his head. That way he'd be comfortable.

He stood up and took a look. It almost looked as if he was sleeping. He kneeled down, and gently kissed the jester's forehead again.

Mr. L: "Dim.... I don't know what to do. I... what comes next?"

Where would he go? No one even knew he was alive. Everyone just assumed he was gone, like Dimentio. How would they react to seeing him? Would he even be welcome? 

Probably not.

Mr. L: "Please Dim. What do I do?"

He sobbed, then, recalled a memory. His last living moments with Dimentio. He asked Dimentio a similar question. And he had an answer. 

What... what do I do before we meet again?

He touched his forehead, remembering how in their final moments, Dimentio leaned his mask less forehead against his own and softly whispered,

Just.... do the next right thing.

The last words Dimentio had ever said to him. He held in a sob and rubbed his eyes, as Dimentio's voice played in his head, over and over and over again. Almost as if he was telling him what to do. Guiding him.

- Music Start -

He leaned his head down and sobbed into his hands. How could he even do that? How could he do anything? He just wanted the darkness to swallow him up. It would be so easy if he could just disappear.

Mr. L: ".... I've seen dark before, but not like this.
This is cold, this is empty, this is numb.
The life I knew is over, the lights are out.
Hello, darkness, I'm ready to succumb."

He gently gently placed a hand on Dimentio's cold forehead, and squeezed his eyes shut.

Mr. L: "I follow you around, I always have.
But you've gone to a place I cannot find.
This grief has a gravity, it pulls me down."

He slowly opened his eyes, and looked at Dimentio's peaceful face.

Mr. L: "....But your voice, whispers in my mind...."

He slowly looked around the room, hand still on Dimentio's forehead, afraid to let go.

Mr. L: "You are lost, hope is gone,
But you must go on,
And do the next right thing."

He slowly lifted his hand off of Dimentio and hugged that hand to his chest, tears still freely falling down his face. The silence loudly ringing around the room. He desperately wanted someone to tell him it would be alright. He wanted to hear something, anything.

But there was still nothing.

Mr. L: "Can there be a day beyond this night?
I don't know anymore what is true.
I can't find my direction, I'm all alone.
The only star that guided me was you...."

He slowly stood up.

Mr. L: "How to rise from the floor,
When it's not you I'm rising for?
Just do the next right thing"

He slowly turned and took a step away.

Mr. L: "Take a step, step again.
It is all that I can to do,
The next right thing."

He looked behind himself, back at Dimentio one last time.

Mr. L: "I won't look too far ahead,
It's too much for me to take.
But break it down to this next breath, this next step
This next choice is one that I can make..."

He turned and started walking away, to the entrance of Castle Bleck. He could see a glimmer of light coming from the dimensional doorway.

Mr. L: "So I'll walk through this night,
Stumbling blindly toward the light,
And do the next right thing."

He reached for the door.

Mr. L: "And, with it done, what comes then?
When it's clear,
That everything will never be the same again!!!!"

He opened the door, and shielded his eyes as the light flooded in.

Mr. L: "Then I'll make the choice

To hear your voice.

And do the next right thing."

He slowly shut the door behind him, wiped his tears away, then made his way to flipside.

_______

Dimentio felt....water. Cold, cold water. He opened his eyes to see.... a shade of purple. 

Oh no.

He began to panic. Everything was blurry, but he could feel hands grabbing him. Scratching him, pulling him down.

This isn't good, this isn't good, this isn't good!

He wanted to cry, he wanted to call for help, he wanted to do something, but couldn't. Water filled his lungs, as he frantically tried swimming up.

His vision became more clear, as he could now tell what was pulling him down. Skeletal hands. He felt more panic rise within him. His mind was too clouded with fear to even think. The only thought on his mind was, 'I have to get out.'

He didn't ask how he got here. He didn't ask where he was, he could only think Get out! Get out before you drown!

Get Air! 

Get Air! 

Get Air! 

Get Air!

He tried snapping his fingers so he could teleport away, but no such luck. What was wrong with his magic? He wasn't wearing a limiter, so why couldn't he use it?? He continued to panic. Without his magic, there'd be no way for him to save himself from whatever this was.

He frantically tried smacking the hands away. No luck. 

He tried kicking. No luck.

He tried calling for help. No luck.

He tried squirming loose. No luck.

Then, he slowly started calming down, as the corners of his vision became black. He suddenly felt....very....peaceful.

Maybe I should try giving up.

He looked up, and saw the surface of the water get further and further away.

He slowly felt his eyelids become heavy.

Why fight? What am I even fighting for   

I'm just so tired.

He was ready to go to sleep, ready to let that tranquil, peaceful feeling take over. His missed that feeling. It's been so long since he's felt it.

But, he heard a distant splashing sound, which interrupted his small moment of peace.

He cocked his head to the side, wondering what so rudely interrupted his death, as a figure swam down to him, knocking skeletal hands to the side, like they were bowling pins in a cosmic bowling center.

Then, everything went dark.

Though he could no longer see, he felt the skeletal hand around his ankle suddenly loosen, as something else wrapped it's arm around his waist, and began to pull him upwards.

Upwards? My sense of direction must be off. I thought the hands were pulling me down... 

Then, he was pulled out of the water, and onto shore. Though he was aware of what was happening, he couldn't seem to open his eyes or respond at all.

???: "Dim...*cough*...Dimentio?"

He tried opening his mouth to respond, but couldn't find the function. He couldn't seem to move at all.  He felt as he was rolled onto his back. Then, two hands were placed onto his chest. Suddenly, he felt a strong push against his ribs.

???: "Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk
I'm a woman's man, no time to talk."

What the-...Oh, they're doing CPR.

His mind was becoming more and more clear by the minute, but still not processing where he was and how he got here.

What's the last thing he remembered?

Heat. Lot's of heat.

Too much heat.

The shattering of... what was it? Yellow....yellow glass?

???: "Music loud, and women warm, I've been kicked around,
Since I was born."

The person continued doing the chest compressions, until water came up out of Dimentio's throat. He quickly sat up and started coughing.

???: "Oh, thank goodness! You're okay! I was worried I'd lose you to the river!"

Dimentio, eyes still shut, sat up and tilted his head to the side, trying to get water out of his ear.

Dimentio: "Where am I, and who the heck are y-"

He opened his eyes, and took a look at his savior's face.

Dirty blonde hair, symmetrical face, two perfect green eyes with that hint of blue, and a soft smile.

Dimentio: "J....Jacq."

Not a question. A realization.

Dimentio: "You're.... but you're dead."

Another realization.

Dimentio: "Which means....I'm....dead."

Which means, he failed. He couldn't save himself. He couldn't save everyone. He failed.

Failure.

Jacq stood up, and offered a hand.

Jacq: "Here, let me help you up. Are those my shoes?"

Dimentio slowly grabbed his brother's hand, and was hoisted up, too confused to even process what was happening.

Dimentio: "Uh... yeah. Do you want them back?"

Jacq: "No, no. Keep them! They look better on you!"

Oh. How nice of him....Wait a minute.... something isn't right. Jacq STOOD UP, and offered me a hand??

Dimentio's eyes suddenly went wide. He looked at his brother's feet. His wheelchair was nowhere in sight. He was standing!

Dimentio: "You... you can stand??"

Jacq smiled a big perfect smile, and looked down at his legs. His legs were surprisingly long. He was even taller than Dimentio, which Dimentio found very strange. He had always thought of himself as taller, since Jacq was always sitting in that chair. It felt almost unnatural. How dare his younger brother be taller than him.

Jacq: "I know! Pretty cool, right? But no time for that, this way!"

Jacques quickly grabbed Dimentio's hand, and took off running through the strange land. 

What the heck?? He's running??

Dimentio: "Y-you can run too??"

Jacq: "Yep! Crazy, right!? Over here!"

He ran up to a large wall, with a large boulder in front of it. It appeared to just be a random wall. A dead end.

Dimentio: "This.... appears to be a dead end."

Jacq smiled and shook his head, making a little clicking sound with his tongue. He had a happier look on his face than Dimentio had ever seen while he was alive. It almost felt wrong.

Jacq: "Not everything is as it appears. Now, watch this!"

He walked up the the rock, and slowly pushed it aside, revealing a small cave.

Dimentio: "Whoa...."

Jacq grabbed his arm and pulled him inside, before rolling the rock back to it's original spot, leaving the two in complete darkness.

Jacq: "Okay, Dimentio! Watch this!"

He ran and hit a switch, causing a punch of multicolored lights to turn on, illuminating the small cave. He excitedly stumbled out to the middle and held his arms out.

Jacq: "Welcome home, Dimentio!!!!"

Dimentio couldn't help but gasp as he looked around the room. There were three beds, a small kitchen, and a table. It looked almost like a small apartment. What was this?

Dimentio: "Jacq.... what's going on-"

Jacq: "I knew you'd come someday! I knew you'd come for me! So I had a bed for you and everything! I've been waiting for you!"

He looked at the beds as Jacq excitedly showed him around.

Dimentio: "Yes... I can see that. Who's the third bed for?"

Jacq: "Oh.... well, it WAS for Rose.... but as time went on, I kinda realized that maybe I don't want to see her. She.... never loved me."

He looked into Dimentio's eyes and smiled a big smile.

Jacq: "But you always did!"

Dimentio froze up. Did.... did he really just say that? Was his love enough now?

Am I enough?

Dimentio: "Well where's everyone else? Mom, dad?"

Jacq stopped and slowly looked down, perfect smile fading.

Jacq: "Oh. Well... you see.... most people, they don't really get to stick around. They're either arrested, doomed to rot for all eternity in a cell under the River of Twygz, or judged and sent to the Overthere, OR they're turned into a shayde. When.... when I got here, mom and dad were already... gone."

Dimentio cocked his head to the side.

Dimentio: "Well, how are you still here?"

Jacq smiled a big smile again. He stood up on the table, and began acting out what happened, with a dramatic voice, waving his arms to help him tell the story in a more theatrical way. Like Dimentio, Jacq enjoyed putting on a show.

Jacq: "The time, years ago. The place, home. I was with you, right? I was lying on the floor, ready to give up and die, when... POOF! I found myself being dragged by these dudes, then tossed into a river! I was alone, cold, and confused. I panicked, because I don't know how to swim. And suddenly, BAM! A skeletal hand grabbed onto my foot! Desperate to escape, I grabbed at the hand, and heroically punched it away! Then, I frantically waved my arms around! Not sure of what to do, I quickly waved my arms around and kicked my feet. Then... I was SWIMMING! I swam to the surface, and crawled to shore. Unsure of what to do, I crawled to a nearby rock. I was cold, wet, alone, and helpless. My wheelchair was gone, and I didn't know what to do. But I knew I couldn't just sit around. So.... I grabbed onto the rock, and slowly hoisted myself up! Then, I walked away! I fell down a few times.... actually, a LOT of times, but eventually, I got the hang of it, and found this cave! Ever since then, I've come to the river everyday, waiting for you!"

Dimentio felt his broken heart begin to melt. He was waiting for him? All these years?

Dimentio: "Jacq, I-"

Jacq: "You were already unconscious when they threw you in, so I was a little worried. But it all worked out! Isn't this great! We're finally together again! We can walk together, run together! We can do anything!"

He walked over and took Dimentio's hand.

Jacq: "We can be a family again."

Dimentio looked down at Jacq's hand, and briefly smiled, before noticing his own hand.

Noticing the green bandana tied around his wrist. 

He remembered his promise. He said he'd save himself. He couldn't be here.

Dimentio: "But.... L. I... I promised him."

Jacq cocked his head to the side, smile slightly faltering.

Jacq: "L? Who's L?"

Dimentio: "He's.... he's just, someone I promised I wouldn't leave."

Jacq slowly wrapped an arm around his brother.

Jacq: "Hey, hey, it's going to be okay. At least we're together again. We're family."

He stood up, turned around, and grabbed Dimentio by the shoulders.

Jacq: "Let me take care of you now."

Dimentio: "But.... Jacq. I promised. I... I have to find a way back. There's gotta be a way back, right??"

Jacq: "Dimentio.... look at me."

Dimentio looked him in the eyes.

Jacq: "....You're enough now. I'm enough. We're enough."

Dimentio's face slowly relaxed, a soft smile forming. He's always wanted to hear that phrase. 

You're enough.

He was enough now....

He suddenly pulled his younger brother into a tight hug.

Dimentio: "I missed you, Jacq."

Jacq excitedly hugged back.

Jacq: "Welcome home."