Most consider spring to be the season of new beginnings. It's when the world starts over and comes back to life. The fields shift from lifeless colors like white and grey to mixtures of green, yellow, pink, blue, and more. It's louder as well. With spring, comes chirping birds and buzzing bees. Roses fill the air with a sweet scent that reminds everyone that even through the darkest and coldest of winters, the world can and will still come back to life. Spring is a reminder that in the end, everything will be okay. Or, at least, that's how Blumiere wanted to see it. How he used to see it.

However, even the most beautiful of roses can have the sharpest of thorns. People distracted by the beauty get too close and end up pricking their fingers. People can be stung by bees, the pollen can cause allergic reactions, and eventually, fall will come and wash away all the life that spring had brought. 

It was Blumiere's last full day before he was supposed to return to Flipside so he could be sent back to the Underwhere. Back to that horrible, cold, lonely place. Much to the former count's surprise, Dimentio had stayed true to his word of planning to return with Blumiere. He wouldn't change his mind, even when everyone begged him to reconsider. 

Blumiere wished with all his heart that Dimentio would just stay. After all, he didn't want to be the reason Dimentio would be stuck in the Underwhere again. However, whenever he started this argument, Dimentio would claim that he had no reason to stay anyway, and that was that.

Everyone was filled with a gloomy, defeated feeling, which was odd because the weather didn't match their sour moods in the slightest. The skies were clear, the sun was shining brightly, and the breeze was gentle. It would have been a perfect day to sit in the meadow and look at flowers.

Instead, Blumiere sat beside the window, the glass separating him from the natural beauty, while Dimentio sat at the opposite end of the room. Both were silent.

Dimentio had set the lantern next to Blumiere on the windowsill, but the former count didn't touch it. He simply ignored the object and kept his eyes on the leaves on the trees he could spot outside. He watched as they danced and swayed with the wind. They looked small and fragile. He was almost waiting for the wind to blow them from their branches, but they didn't let go. They held on tightly, despite being so small and delicate.

A few moments later, Luigi walked through the front door. Neither Dimentio nor Blumiere turned to look at him or acknowledge his presence. They simply remained quiet, which had become the new normal for them ever since Merlon delivered the news.

"Um," Luigi muttered, trying to get their attention before speaking.

Dimentio finally looked up at the man in green, but, Blumiere refused. He simply remained silent, focusing on the leaves.

Leaves, the leaves were green. Green was the color of life. It was the color of balance and peace. It was a calming, gentle color. The leaves would remain green until autumn, which would turn them red, yellow, orange, and brown. Brown, the color of dullness. Orange, a color widely associated with the end of a season of life. Yellow, the color of false hope. Then, there was red, the color of evil. Leaves that were once alive and green would turn to one of these many colors eventually, before cracking and letting go of their branches.

"Okay then," Luigi muttered, looking down and messing with his gloves. His white gloves were surprisingly clean considering how much adventuring he did. He must have washed them often. "Um, Peach heard about what's going on- I mean, she heard it from Mario, so it's not like the news is spreading around the Mushroom Kingdom, but- what I'm trying to say is that she wants to see you..."

Dimentio blinked, then looked down and nodded. Peach was one of the heroes who was directly involved in the prophecy, so it wasn't surprising that she wanted to talk to them herself. 

"What does she want?" Dimentio quietly asked.

"To talk to you," Luigi answered.

A small smile just barely made its way onto Dimentio's face. That was such a Mr. L answer. An answer that was clearly too vague to do anyone any good, but an answer all the less. Answering questions in that manner was one of the primary ways Mr. L would annoy Nastasia back at Castle Bleck. He was really good at finding ways to push her buttons, which was quite impressive considering she spent years living around Dimentio, O'Chunks, and Mimi. 

"Just follow me. It'll be quick, I promise," Luigi assured, waving the two of them forward before turning and walking out the front door.

Dimentio looked over at Blumiere, who was still silently looking out the window. He frowned slightly as if silently wondering if the two of them should even follow or not. They had been in what felt like some sort of silent protest for quite some time, but Dimentio wasn't really sure what the rules of the silent protest were. For the most part, he had just been mimicking Blumiere's actions and staying quiet.

Blumiere let out a sigh, then slowly stood up to follow Luigi. He said no more words and he kept his head low. It was honestly unsettling for Dimentio to see him like that. The jester KNEW that Count Bleck was nothing short of depressed while he was under the control of the Dark Prognosticus, but even then he never showed it to this extent. 

Dimentio looked at the dim lantern that Blumiere left on the windowsill, then let out a sigh. He walked over to pick it up, but found his hands stopping before he could reach out and grasp it.

There was no use in him holding it anymore. It would never light for him. Holding the lantern would never do anything. There was really no reason to keep it close anymore.

Dimentio looked down, then pulled out the book.

The Art of Forgiveness...

He let out a sigh, then set the book down next to the dim lantern.

There was no need for either of them at all.

He let out a sigh, then teleported to catch up to Luigi and Blumiere.

The outside air was just slightly colder and fresher than the air inside the house. To get to the princess's castle, they had to walk through Toad Town, which was practically overflowed with smiling faces, setting up for the Star Festival. Every street was decorated with banners and flags. It was astonishing how the entire kingdom had seemed to come together to celebrate this comet. 

"What exactly is the Star Festival?" Dimentio quietly questioned. "I mean... I've read about it a while back, but I don't actually know much about the event."

"It's a celebration for a comet that passes over us once every hundred years," Luigi explained with a shrug. "I honestly don't know much either, but it's really cool. I'm gonna have my telescope out and everything."

"Right, because you like stars, yes?" Dimentio asked. "I believe I recall Mr. L being fascinated with space."

"Yeah..." Luigi trailed off, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. "Yeah, I like stars..."

The man in green briefly looked back at both Blumiere and Dimentio. His expression softened slightly, making him look less like Mr. L and more like the version of Luigi Dimentio and Blumiere didn't know. The Luigi he really was before all the chaos.

"I... kinda wish you guys could stay to see the comet," Luigi admitted. "It's happening right after you're supposed to... you know..."

Dimentio nodded. He wanted to say he wished they could stay too, but kept his mouth shut. He never cared about stars all that much anyway. Yes, they were fascinating and vast, but he never had time to just sit and think about them. Besides, they were too far away to matter to him.

It would have been nice to have been given the chance to sit down and think about the sky, but if he was going to sit around and wish for unrealistic things, then he would much rather wish that he and Blumiere could actually get forgiveness. He wouldn't waste a wish on something so insignificant and unimportant.

As they continued walking through town, Blumiere noticed that the roads were paved with white and grey stones. Most weren't cracked and were maintained fairly well. The sound of children laughing made him eventually look up. Surely enough, there were toad parents playing simple games like catch with their children while setting up for the festival. People smiled and giggled, emitting true joy.

Watching the happy families reminded Blumiere of the life he never got to live when he was younger. His father never played with him, he was always too busy.

A long time ago, Blumiere wished for children. He wanted to show the world that he could get things right. He wanted to prove that even though he didn't get the love he wanted as a child, he could certainly give his own children the love they needed. He wanted people to take care of and people to love. He wanted someone he could teach kindness to. 

He wanted a future where he and Timpani could have that life. A life that seemed so normal to most people. A future that he very well could have had if it weren't for his father.

His father, someone he could never forgive. Someone who didn't deserve forgiveness in the slightest. He didn't completely blame his father for the way he always treated him, but he still resented him for it. Blumiere understood that he was the reason his mother was gone, but he wished that his father wouldn't have constantly held that against him. He wished that for once, he could remember a time when his father was simply that, a father. 

Peach's castle was large and elegant. It was much different than Castle Bleck. It wasn't exactly bigger size-wise, but it almost felt more intimidating. Not because of the palace's appearance, but because of the context of their situation.

The windows were all polished. The floor was clean to the point where the marble shined. Toads were scattered throughout, some working and others simply hanging out. The palace doors were open to all, which Blumiere found slightly odd considering the fact that Peach was royalty, but he liked the concept. He appreciated that anyone had the power to simply walk up to the princess and speak their mind. It made her seem more connected to her kingdom and her people.

The princess was sitting on her throne. There was an older-looking toad next to her, whom Luigi greeted as Toadsworth. 

Peach smiled at Luigi and greeted him in a friendly manner, then waved the old toad away and stood up. Her face was gentle and kind-looking, and she wore a soft smile, however, Blumiere and Dimentio still felt tense. It wasn't often that two former villains would feel intimidated in the presence of a blonde girl wearing a pink dress with soft features, yet there they were.

"You can relax," Peach assured them, her voice practically too sweet to be natural. There was no way that her voice was just normally like that. It had to be an act. 

Blumiere and Dimentio exchanged nervous glances, then looked back up at her. If anything, her telling them to relax made them both tense up even more.

Peach quietly giggled, then walked down to them. She was shorter than Blumiere, but taller than Dimentio. She was actually somewhat close to Luigi's height, maybe even a little taller. 

"Mario explained your situation to me," Peach said, neatly folding her hands in front of herself and speaking in a somewhat formal manner. 

"How much did he say?" Dimentio asked.

Peach brought her gaze to him. Her eyes were a deep blue. Not as dark as Blumiere's, but ever so slightly darker than Mario and Luigi's eyes. 

"He told me that you were searching for forgiveness," she stated.

Dimentio and Blumiere both remained silent, unsure of what they were supposed to say or do. 

Luigi rolled his eyes at their sudden awkwardness, then looked at the princess, raising his eyebrows slightly as if silently telling her to go on.

"Well, I just wanted to tell you before you go," Peach started. "That I forgive you."

Blumiere's eyebrows furrowed and his lips parted slightly as his shoulders dropped. "What?" The former count asked.

Dimentio and Luigi both turned to Blumiere, slightly shocked to hear him finally speak after so long.

"I said I forgive you," Peach repeated. "Both of you."

... It felt nice. 

It felt really nice to be forgiven by someone. Her tone was genuine and true. It was clear she wasn't lying. 

Both Dimentio and Blumiere knew very well that Peach was most likely not the person they needed forgiveness from. Still, there was something about the fact that someone out there had forgiven them which made them feel a little lighter. It made them feel a little less broken.

It wasn't hope that they were feeling, but... it was more like inspiration. They still felt defeated, but for a moment, the world looked less dark. It was a good feeling, a warm feeling.

A reminder that even if they failed, they at least were able to get one person's forgiveness. That on its own felt like a victory worth celebrating. 

"I have something for you, Blumiere" Peach continued, clapping her hands together. A moment later, Toadsworth came running out, holding an all too familiar item.

A staff with a shimmering blue gem on the top. The long handle was made of dark red wood. Simple, yet still intimidating all the less. Blumiere knew it well. It was his staff. 

It was actually a hand-me-down from his father. While most people in the tribe would have received their own staff, Blumiere's father had chosen to gift his own to his son because he thought it would give Blumiere more power. 

The princess took the staff from the toad, then walked down to Blumiere and held it out to him. 

"This was recovered from Castle Bleck after... the incident," Peach breathed.

Dimentio didn't like the way her tone shifted as she said the word 'incident.' 

Blumiere frowned slightly, then took the staff in his hands.

He felt the same as he did before as he took it in his hands. That was how he always felt. He had been told as a child that having a staff should be like having an extension of himself. A staff should be an item that further connects him to his own powers. However... he never felt that connection. All he felt was a simple stick in his hands.

Still... it was his staff. Something from his past. It was a part of him. Something he should have been happy to see again. Anyone else would have been. 

"Thank you, princess," Blumiere breathed, bowing his head.

Dimentio watched as Blumiere bowed formally, then quietly chuckled. "Alright, where's my present? Do you have my mask back there?" He asked in a joking manner, making Luigi smile slightly. It had been a while since he spoke like that. Luigi honestly didn't think he would have missed it, but he did. 

"I don't," Peach giggled. "I'm sorry. We couldn't find it in the-"

"Ah, playing favorites again, I see," Dimentio huffed, crossing his arms and pretending to be annoyed. His smile gave him away, however. 

"If you want, I can give you a-"

"No, no, it's too late," Dimentio interrupted, holding his hand up and looking away. "You can't buy my forgiveness. I will remember this day well, princess. Watch your back. This marks the beginning of a true rivalry-"

"And that's enough," Luigi chuckled while gently placing his hand on Dimentio's shoulder and pulling him back. "Thank you again, Peach-"

"Oh no, enough isn't enough until I say it's enough!" Dimentio exclaimed. "I can't believe you're not taking my side, L! I feel targeted-"

"Tell you what, I'll find you something when we get home, alright?" Luigi offered.

Dimentio rolled his eyes, still smiling. For a moment, everyone almost forgot that he and Blumiere were going to be sent away. 

"Fine," Dimentio sighed with a small smile. "It better be good."