"DIMENTIO?!" I cried over and over again. 

I spent hours searching for him. I ran down every street in the city, my screams shattered the still silence. 

But he never answered. 

My heart continued to race. I felt warm and cold all at once. Why did he run? Was he gone forever? Had I said something wrong? Why did he leave me?

Would I ever see him again?

After hours, maybe an entire day of searching and desperately calling his name, I had to give up and return to the hotel room. I was hopeful that maybe he'd be there. I prayed to Grambi on the elevator ride up that he'd be asleep in his bed. 

He wouldn't actually leave, would he? 

I suppose he would, he was Dimentio after all. He was a bad guy. 

Somehow, I had forgotten that. 

I carefully unlocked my door and stepped in. My heart sank when my eyes fell upon his empty bed. Everything was dark and quiet. All I could hear were Bobby's soft snores. 

He was gone... 

I pressed my fist to my forehead. Was this because of the bar? I thought maybe we were connected for a moment. I thought we were feeling the same things. I thought... I don't know what I thought. 

Bobby stirred slightly, then sat up and opened his eyes. "L?" he asked, slightly groggy.

L... would Dimentio have called me L too? Is that what he called me in his head? Was I ever even Luigi to him, or did he still view me as.. whatever Mr. L was? 

I suppose Mr. L was still me, just less cowardly. Less flawed. Although, most people would see the arrogance that came with the absence of fear as more of a flaw than being terrified but humble. Being perfect was impossible, one way or another there'd always be something wrong with me. Maybe that's why Dimentio was gone. Maybe he realized that. 

I hoped he wouldn't be that shallow, but who was I to expect that out of him? He didn't like me. We weren't friends. He probably hated me for what my brother and I did to him. I should have hated him for what he did to us. 

I should have been happy that he was gone. 

But... I not. 

I never was. 

"L?" Bobby repeated, his voice suddenly softer. "L, what's wrong? You're crying..."

Was I? I took my gloves off and placed my hand on my cheek. Surely enough, there was water. Grambi, I must have looked so stupid, like an idiot. 

I always looked like an idiot. I was just an idiot with a lantern. An idiot foolish enough to live my life trusting everyone I saw. For years, trusting was so hard for me, but yesterday it felt so easy. Was I really that stupid?

I always knew I was a bit of an idiot. Sometimes, it bothered me, but I never thought it would hurt me like this. Why was I so affected by this?!

"Dimentio's gone," I said. My voice broke slightly and my hands shook.

Bobby's gaze seemed to soften. He took a moment to process, then hopped off his bed and leaned his head on my leg. 

"If I had arms, I'd hug you," he said.

I burst into tears.

One hand covered my mouth while the other grasped the lantern. I had been keeping it attached to my belt lately, but ever since Dimentio left, I had gone back to holding it tightly. I didn't want to lose it either. 

"Why... why did he go?" I cried. I was all over the place, gasping for breath and trembling. My nose and eyes felt itchy and puffy. I wanted to hide, to be smaller. I wanted to curl up on my bed and hide from the dark, from the light, from everything. 

"Some people are just like that," Bobby breathed. His voice was calm, but I could feel the empathy. 

I wanted to kneel down and hug him tightly, but I couldn't. I couldn't risk messing up and scaring him away too. Without Bobby, I'd be all alone. He was all that was holding me together now. 

Memories of when I first found out that Dimentio would never come back resurfaced. Fourteen years ago, Mario was helping me stand. I was confused and disoriented after having a floral sprout suck all my control and free will from me. I didn't know what happened. I didn't know where he was. Mario just told me that he was gone. He said it as if it was a good thing, like I should have been happy he wasn't coming back. I suppose I should have been. But I wasn't. I acted happy, I tried to tell myself I was happy, but I never was. I didn't know how to feel. I didn't know if I should have grieved the false happiness he had briefly given me when I was Mr. L, or have been grateful that he couldn't hurt me again. 

I thought he couldn't hurt me again.

But here I was, hurt by him, all these years later...

I don't know why I expected him to do any different. 

Maybe it was the way he saved me. The way his eyes would occasionally soften. The smile he gave me in small, seemingly unimportant moments. It was a smile so different from the one he wore back in Castle Bleck. This smile was like gold. Rare, precious. Dancing with him, communicating without words, it was like I was back in spring, walking through a meadow overtop dozens of soft flowers.

More tears fell as I continued to cry. I wanted to stop. I wanted to stop wasting time letting him hurt me like this. Why couldn't I stop?

"Sometimes... people leave forever," Bobby continued. "Sometimes... hoping they'll come back just... just leads to more pain."

"W-What?" I asked between sobs.

Bobby briefly looked up at my lantern, then at me. 

"I... it's hard to let go of that hope," he said. "The hope that someone we care about will come back into our lives. The hope that the sun will be restored. It's hard to let those wishes go, because we want them so bad. But... it hurts more to hold onto them sometimes."

I slowly nodded and wiped my eyes, though that didn't stop more tears from replacing the old ones. 

I wanted to tell him not to give up on hoping. I wanted to promise him that someday he'd find his friends again. I wanted to promise everyone in the Underwhere that I'd return the sun and save them all. 

But, how could I do that? That would be like promising myself Dimentio would come back. I can't make promises like that, it's not fair. Even the promise of returning the sun could somehow go horribly wrong. Broken promises are always more hurtful than promises never made. 

Bobby remained silent for another moment, then started walking toward the door. He quietly coughed, then turned back to me.

"Come on... maybe if we look together, we can find him."

I frowned, then slowly walked toward him. 

Why was he trying to give me hope? What gave him the right to give me hope at a time like this? I knew no matter how hard we searched, we weren't going to find him. Dimentio didn't want to be found, so he wouldn't let us. 

Still, I followed as Bobby walked into the elevator. I followed him as he searched the nearby alleyways. 

He was still a little sick, so his voice was softer than usual. I hoped whatever he had wasn't serious. I didn't even know dead people could become ill. 

For a moment, I thought I saw someone in the dark as we walked down the street, but they were gone in an instant. My heart wanted to tell me it was Dimentio, but my brain knew it wasn't. My eyes were just playing tricks on me. It was probably nothing more than shadows created by the light from my lantern. 

We walked up to the old clock tower, but I didn't want to go in. Not without Dimentio. I was supposed to explore it with him. We were supposed to find the key to the tower together. 

I needed to figure out how he knew the key was in there. I needed him. 

I didn't really need him, though. Technically, I could get the mission done without having any of those questions answered. I just didn't want to. I didn't want to finish this adventure without finding all these answers. He was like a puzzle to me, one that was left unsolved last time. I thought this was my second chance. This was supposed to be my second chance to understand him.

"Do you think we should just do it?" Bobby asked. "The key's allegedly in there, right?"

I nodded, but couldn't move forward. It felt wrong. Like I was betraying him by being there. 

With a heavy sinking feeling in my chest, I placed my hand on the doorknob and pulled it open when Bobby suddenly broke out in a coughing fit.

I let go of the door and turned to face him. His face had paled slightly. It didn't look natural, since he was usually so dark. He continued coughing, occasionally gasping for air. 

"Bobby?!" I asked frantically. "Bobby, what's going on?!"

"H... help," he begged between coughs. 

My adrenaline kicked in as I lifted him up and took off running. I sprinted to the first place I could think of, the bar. It probably was the last place to logically bring a sick person, but I didn't know anyone else. Technically, I didn't know anyone in there either, but maybe the same bartender would be working.

The fiddle player stopped playing as soon as I rushed in. Everyone stopped dancing and turned to face me.

"It's my friend," I cried. "It's my--we need help! Please, somebody, help!"

"Whoa, what's this?" the bartender asked as he stood on his tiptoes.

"Luigi!" Llyr exclaimed. He left his group of friends behind and rushed up to me. His voice was hurried, yet still somewhat calm. "What's wrong?"

"My friend," I cried, unable to catch my breath. "It's my friend. He's... I-I don't know what's happening."

Bobby was still coughing, though he had become quieter. His face continued to pale, turning from black to a faded gray. He was barely conscious now. His body felt warm. I didn't know deceased people could feel like this.

"Hey, deep breaths man," Llyr said. He pointed to the bartender. "You call someone. I have a friend who was a nurse when she was alive. Let's get the Bob-Omb to her."

"Thank you," I cried, trembling. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," Llyr said as he took Bobby from my arms and rushed him over to his group of friends. He pulled one girl aside, then set Bobby down on one of the tables. I stood back and watched as she looked him over. I could hear my own heartbeat thundering in my ears. Somehow, my breathing sounded louder to me than ever before. 

He was okay, right? He had to be okay. I had no one else left. 

Mario wasn't here with me. Neither was Polterpup. I couldn't even call E. Gadd for advice like I did during my solo missions through haunted mansions. Dimentio was gone, Bobby was all I had. My life light.

"Here," the bartender breathed. He was next to me now, holding out a cup of warm, herbal tea. Did the bar sell tea, too? I suppose it was closer to morning. It was early to be drinking. Did alcohol even affect deceased souls? "Sit. Ye need to relax. Worryin' won't help yer friend."

I nodded and allowed him to guide me to one of the seats at the counter. 

"You called someone?" I asked.

He nodded. "Just breathe. We'll make sure he's alright."

I tried to smile, but it felt fake and forced. It probably looked that way, too. I took a sip from my tea and tried not to watch as Llyr's nurse friend continued to help and hopefully heal Bobby. 

The tea tasted funny. It didn't have any sugar or sweetener in it. I loved tea, but not without sweetener. It was too harsh, too strong. 

"Is this seat taken?" Llyr asked from my right. 

I sniffled and looked up at him. He gently smiled. It was different from the one he gave me last night.

"Is Bobby alright?!" I frantically questioned. 

"She's working on him. But she's good. Best nurse you'll ever meet. She was one of my friends when I was alive, so she's extra trustworthy," he said while taking a seat.

I tried to relax, but couldn't. Still, his words were a little comforting. It was good to know that Bobby was in good hands.

"You know..." Llyr breathed. "My old co-pilot was a Bob-Omb. Just like your friend."

I frowned slightly.

"Really?" I quietly questioned. 

I didn't think Bob-Ombs and planes mixed very well. That seemed, well, dangerous. 

"Yep. She was a great one, too," Llyr continued. "They're so much more than just bombs. All of them. She died a few years before me. Some kind of freak accident. I never did find her once I wound up down here. There are so many people, it's nearly impossible to find friends from your lifetime. Most of us just make new friends. But... I'll find her someday."

"You haven't given up hope?" I asked.

He shook his head no, then turned his gaze to my lantern.

"I... never gave up hope on the sun returning, either," he continued. "Not until yesterday, at least."

"Yesterday?"

I suddenly felt guilty. What changed yesterday?

"Yeah. When I met you," he said. 

He looked forward and let out a sigh as he ran his hand through his red hair. 

"Man, I wish the museau was anyone but you," he continued. "It wasn't supposed to be just you. We were told two people would be down here. I was one of the only people who still believed that someday I'd see the sun return. But... then you walked in here, holding that lantern. If it was anyone but you, I'd want that thing put back up in the sky."

What was that all supposed to mean? Was there something scary waiting in that tower for me? Was there something I wasn't being told about? A monster I'd have to defeat?

"I could beg you not to," he breathed with a soft smile. "But... you're the kind of guy who will do it anyway. I could tell that much almost instantly. You're a bit like me."

I let out a sad chuckle and looked away. I was nothing like him. He was confident and fun. He was bright, even after being dead. He seemed more alive than I did. 

"Oh, don't laugh. It's true! Do you know how I died?" he asked with a laugh. "I was flying a plane through a storm. Everyone told me not to, but I did it anyway. And, I don't regret it. I died doing something I loved, something I believed in. I died living, and I can't think of a better way to go."

I looked at him again. Even while talking about his own death, he seemed alive and bright. Someone like him should have been chosen by the sun, not me. Why did the sun even choose me? Was it just because I was Mario's sidekick? If it wasn't for him, would anyone know who I was? 

Sometimes, I didn't even know who I was without Mario. What would I be? Would I be like Llyr? Would I die alone, but alive? Is that what I even wanted?

I didn't often think about how I wanted to die. I guess I wanted it to be painless. I feared pain a lot. But, would I really prefer that over dying in a memorable way? What if I wanted to be like Llyr and die the same way I wanted to live? 

Why was I even thinking about this? I was still alive. I could think about dying later.

"Your friend with the mask, you're looking for him, right?" Llyr asked, snapping me out of my spiraling thoughts. "I saw you run after him yesterday."

"Oh... y-yes," I muttered. "But... I think he's gone... for good this time."

"Hmm," Llyr hummed. He shrugged slightly and chuckled. "You'll find him."

"Don't say that," I quietly begged as I hugged myself. I suddenly felt smaller again. "Don't give me hope. You don't know us. He's not coming back."

"You don't know that," Llyr said. "If you can say he's not coming back, then I can say he's coming back. I saw the way he looked at you. Someone like that would need a lot of willpower to stay away forever."

The way he was looking at me? 

"How was he looking at me...?"

"Psh, you didn't notice?" he laughed. "Man, for a legendary prophesized hero, you sure are blind."

"Wait, what was I missing?! How was he looking at me?!" I begged.

Llyr continued to laugh as he placed his hand on my shoulder. He opened his mouth to speak when a woman suddenly cleared her throat from behind us. We both quickly stood up and turned around.

The nurse was holding Bobby close. He wasn't coughing anymore, but he wasn't conscious either. 

"Is he dead?!" I gasped, suddenly terrified.

"No, no, no, he's okay," she assured me with a gentle voice. "Just... um..."

She didn't finish her thought as she trailed off. She couldn't hold eye contact, either. There was an uncomfortable tension surrounding him.

She didn't need to keep talking, though. I knew what she was trying to say.

I needed to return the sun. I couldn't wait any longer. I couldn't let him fade to darkness the way the girl in the garden did. I couldn't let anyone else down here fade. 

I couldn't keep letting Dimentio distract me from this mission. I had to end this and save everyone, even if I wasn't ready, even if this journey didn't feel finished. I had a duty, and I couldn't keep putting it off for the sake of Dimentio. My second chance was gone, I had to accept that and move forward.

"All I can say is that he needs rest," she breathed. "Keep a close eye on him. Carry him when needed. Don't let him waste too much energy."

I nodded, then carefully took him in my arms. Some of the color had returned to his face, but not much.

I held him closely. I wasn't going to let him fade. 

Llyr's gaze softened slightly. He gave my shoulder a squeeze and offered a slightly sad smile.

"You go save the world, Luigi," he breathed. "I'll remember you for it."

My heart swelled slightly as I offered my own small smile in return.

"Thank you."