Death had explained the rules. They were simple really.

Luigi would lead the way out. He couldn't touch Dimentio, he couldn't look at Dimentio, he couldn't turn to check on Dimentio. Since he knew the way, he would lead them all back to the real world. The only thing the shaydes and Dimentio were allowed to do to contact him was speak. But they weren't allowed to get too close.

Luigi himself wasn't allowed to communicate directly with them, but they were allowed to speak and reassure him.

He would only be allowed to look back once he pushed open that dimensional door. Until then, there were no exceptions. The rules were final.

And should he look back...

... Dimentio would vanish, immediately being teleported back to Jaydestown and sent back to work on the wall. He would go back to forgetting, as would the rest of the shaydes. And that would be that. A group of D-Men would personally escort Luigi back to the land of the living and lock the door on the way out, so he wouldn't be able to get back in until he actually died, in which case he would become a shayde and forget himself, as all the other shaydes had.

The stakes could never be higher.

But it was okay because this was an easy task. He just had to trust that Dimentio was behind him.

He never had problems with trusting the world before, so all would be okay.

"We're going to make it," Blumiere assured Timpani. "He'll lead us out of here."

And she believed him. Because from what she had seen of Luigi, he was brave. He was strong. He was a leader. She had no doubt that he could do this.

In fact, all of the shaydes believed in him!

They all had full faith he could do this. After all, this was a simple task. ANYONE could do it! They were all sure they would get their freedom, and excited by the idea of getting their memories from their lives back.

All the emptiness, all the suffering, it would soon all be worth it to feel again.

~ Music Start ~

Luigi began to feel a soft chill in the air.

Walking.

So much walking.

It hadn't seemed this long on the way in. Had the path out of the Underwhere gotten longer since he last walked it? Had it gotten steeper?

He didn't notice it before, but it was downhill on the way in. So it seemed much harder walking out. It seemed much steeper and much more brutal. Once he got beyond the wall, out of Jaydestown, there was no light. It was pitch dark, the air getting colder and colder the further he got from Jaydestown.

Had it always been this cold? How could he have not noticed it sooner?

The road was long, cold, steep, silent, and lonely.

The darkness surrounded everything. His footsteps echoed. Was Dimentio still behind him? Were the shaydes still behind him?!

Or did they give up? Did they go back? What if they got lost?! What if they changed their minds?!

Or, the more likely option, what if this really WAS just a trap. A trap to make Luigi simply walk away. Then, with his back turned, Jaydes would snatch Dimentio and lock the man in green out of Jaydestown. And that would be it.

After all, why would Jaydes, the QUEEN of the Underwhere, just let him, a mortal, win? Who was he to lead all these people?! Who was he?! He was nobody compared to her. He was nobody. Hardly even a hero, compared to Mario. He was nothing more than a player two. How could he think he could lead all these people?!

The road HAD to have gotten longer. It felt like it went on for miles and miles now. Had he gotten lost?! Maybe he should turn around and check.

Only, he couldn't turn around. He couldn't turn and check. That was the rule.

Don't look, don't look, don't look, don't look, one voice chanted in his mind.

It's a trap, it's a trap, it's a trap, it's a trap, another urged.

Luigi: La la la la la la la...

He listened to his words echoing off the walls, but the shaydes didn't sing back. No one sang back. It was just... silent. He was alone.

And even if they were to sing back, who was to say that those were their actual voices. It very well could be a trick.

Luigi: La la la la la la la...

He waited for someone, anyone to reply when he finally heard voices. But not exactly the voices he wanted to hear.

Hags: Doubt comes in...
The wind is changing,
Doubt comes in...
How cold it's blowing,
Doubt comes in...
And meets a stranger
Walking on a road alone,
Where is he?
Where is he now?
Doubt comes in...

Luigi: Who am I?
Where do I think I'm going?

Hags: Doubt comes in...

Luigi: Who am I?
Why am I all alone?

Hags: Doubt comes in...

Luigi: Who do I think I am?
Who am I to think that he would follow me into the cold and dark again?

Hags: Where is he?
Where is he now?

Meanwhile, Dimentio walked about thirty feet behind, the shaydes following behind him, a determined smile on his face as he tried comforting Luigi with his words.

Dimentio: Luigi...
Are you listening?
I'm right here

Shaydes: We are all right here...

Dimentio: And I will be to the end

Shaydes: Will be to the end...

Dimentio: And the coldest night
Of the coldest year
Comes right before the spring...

Luigi: La la la la la la la...

He wasn't sure if those were their voices or not. What if it wasn't? What if that was just the hags playing tricks on him?!

There was NO way Jaydes would let it be THAT easy.

Luigi: La la la la la la la...

He continued walking, as the voices in his head told him this was a trick and a trap. Told him how insignificant he really was.

He had never looked down upon himself before. So why? Why was he starting now?

Luigi: Who am I?
Who am I against her?
Who am I?
Why would she let me win?
Why would she let him go?
Who am I to think that she wouldn't deceive me just to make me leave alone?

Hags/Luigi: Doubt comes in, the wind is changing / Is this a trap that's being laid for me?!
Doubt comes in, how cold it's blowing / Is this a trick that's being played on me?
Doubt comes in and meets a stranger / I used to see the way the world could be...
Walking on the road below / But now the way it is is all I see and

Hags and Luigi: Where is he?
Where is he now?

Dimentio followed behind, his eyes filled with hope and wonder. A look that used to live in Luigi's eyes.

Dimentio: Luigi...
You are not alone
I'm right behind you

Shaydes: We're all behind you...

Dimentio: And I have been all along

Shaydes: We have been all along...

He smiled, seeing the Dimensional door in his sights. So close.

Dimentio: And the darkest hour
Of the darkest night
Comes right before the-

He suddenly gasped.

The shaydes all echoed his gasp as the Underwhere seemed to fall silent.

Timpani immediately let go of Blumiere's hand and covered her mouth.

Because...

He turned around. Right as he was reaching for the Dimensional door, Luigi had turned around.

His face went pale, as he looked into Dimentio's eyes.

He immidiately felt a sinking feeling in his gut.

Luigi: It's you...

What had he done...

Dimentio felt his own lip begin to quiver as he looked at Luigi, lightly smiling a hopeless smile. Smiling to cover up what he knew this meant. What he knew was next.

Dimentio: It's me...

He shook his head in disbelief. How could he... how could Luigi not trust that Dimentio was there. How could Luigi not trust him?

Dimentio: Luigi...

Luigi suddenly ran towards him in an attempt to embrace him, but just as he reached for Dimentio the shayde had vanished, leading to Luigi just grabbing empty air.

Luigi: Dimentio...

The multicolored flower then fell to the floor where Dimentio once stood.

And that was it.

~ End ~