Third Person POV

"Daisy, put me down." 

"No. We're almost there."

"Daisy, it's been about a week. I can walk. I'm not some helpless child."

"Oh, really? Then why do you look like one?"

Dimentio and Daisy slowly made their way towards the Mushroom Kingdom over the past few days. The pain mostly had subsided, but Daisy still insisted on carrying him.

Dimentio still couldn't really use his Magic, but he was desperately trying. He needed his powers if he was going to get that book away.

Daisy suddenly dropped him. He fell onto his back with a thump. "Ow! What the heck!" He cried. She smirked. "We're here."

She pointed forward. Dimentio squinted his eyes. Through the trees he could see the top of Peach's castle.

"We appear to be on a hill. I bet you could see the whole kingdom from up here. It'll be a good place to try and spot Luigi."

Dimentio nodded and let out a shaky breath. "I know exactly where he'll be. He'll be with his brother in that one person's house. But I still can't really use my magic..." She nodded in understanding. "Well, maybe we'll be able to talk him out of this or something. The important thing is that we find him."

Daisy started forward. The two made their way to the edge of the woods. There was an opening in the trees, leading to a meadow on top of the hill. Suddenly, Daisy grabbed Dimentio and forced him down behind a bush.

"Hey! what are-" He started, when she covered his mouth and pointed forward.

Dimentio's eyes went wide as he removed Daisy's hand from his masked face. "....It's Luigi...." He muttered. "I haven't seen him since....." 

Daisy squinted her eyes.

"Who's he with?" She asked. Dimentio took a closer look. "I can't tell. From my angle, Luigi's body is blocking them. But I can clearly see that he's with someone. It looks like they're a hostage or something." Daisy nodded, then turned to Dimentio.

"Okay, what's the plan? Hit me, but not literally." He softly chuckled. "Okay, well...." He closed his eyes and focused.

"I....I can feel my magic slowly returning, but it's not enough yet. Teleporting people and items takes a short burst of energy, which I probably wouldn't be able to produce at the moment. So right now, our primary goal should be to save the hostage." She nodded. "I agree. So....I go out and confront him, you stay here and do whatever weird magician stuff you can do? I mean, he thinks you're dead, so I think it'll be best if you stay hidden."

Dimentio nodded. "Alright. I'll do what I can from back here. Just distract him and I'll find a way to get the hostage to safety."

The force around Mr. L squeezed tighter and tighter. "Luigi....please...." He whispered. Luigi had that insane look in his eye. It wasn't guilt, regret, happiness, anger, sadness, ANYTHING! It was just, insanity.

"HEY!" Came a voice. Luigi's smile suddenly faded. The force squeezing around L slightly loosened.

"LUIGI! STOP!" 

Mr. L looked up and over, to see that girl. That girl from all that time ago.

She drew her sword and got into a fighting stance. Luigi turned to completely face her now. He clicked his tongue. "Oh, Daisy. My old friend, good to see you!"

Dimentio stood behind a tree, careful to stay out of sight. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and gently tried focusing on the hostage. Though he couldn't see them, he could feel the presence of the magic being wrapped around them.

He slowly tried using what little magic he currently had to loosen the force.

Daisy shook her head. "Luigi, what are you doing?! This isn't you!" He smiled and laughed. "Why does everyone keep saying that? 'Luigi, this isn't you.' 'Luigi, you're better than this.' Blah blah blah. As if you know me. Guess what?! You don't know me! This is me! The real me!"

Daisy shook her head and looked at the book, which was floating next to him. "Luigi, can't you see it?! That book is messing with you! You're no longer in control! The book is!" He shook his head. "No it's not! I'm in control. I've never been more in control. I've never seen more clearly. This book, it doesn't change me. It just shows me what I'm capable of. It's like....I finally know who I am."

Dimentio let out a shaky breath. He had to insert his own force around the hostage and make his own power counteract Luigi's so the would cancel out. However, doing so would cause the hostage some...minor pain. Whatever, they'll live.

Mr. L suddenly felt that squeezing, crushing feeling again, only more intensely. "Oww....please, stop." He softly whispered. He could feel his ribs start to bruise. "The kid.....needs me...."

Dimentio concentrated harder. "Just a little more....." He muttered, when he felt both sources of Magic snap.

Mr. L felt the squeezing stop, when suddenly, he was dropped. He began to fall.

Dimentio quickly opened his eyes and looked over. "Oh no," He muttered. He quickly did the best he could to make himself invisible, but it was difficult, since he had put almost all his effort into freeing the hostage. He was only able to make himself partially transparent. He sprinted over, then slid on his knees to catch the hostage.

"I got you." He whispered, just as he caught them.

Mr. L was slightly confused. All he could really see was a transparent purple cloak. "W-what?" He whispered.

Dimentio looked down at the hostage, then froze.

He couldn't speak. He couldn't move. Nothing.

"It's.....you" He said, so softly, the hostage couldn't even hear. 

Mr. L looked around confused as to what happened. Had Luigi let him go?

Dimentio, still partially invisible, looked over at Luigi, who was being distracted by Daisy. He set the hostage down, and whispered, "run." Before taking off and disappearing back into the trees.

L just sat there. "What just happened...."

Dimentio started breathing heavily. Once he was out of sight he relaxed his magic, making himself visible again. He shook his head and ran his hands through his hair. "Impossible....it can't be...." He whispered, shaking his head. "He....Luigi said....." 

He kneeled down. "He's....no. My mind must be playing tricks on me. It can't be.....my mind's just being cruel. I..."

Daisy stepped forward. "You think this is who you are?! Luigi, that's exactly what the book wants!" Luigi groaned. "Daisy, you don't get it. You don't understand what it's like. My EVERYTHING was taken away. I've already sacrificed so much. I'm not going to stop now. And right now, you're in my way."

He looked down and sighed. "Are you going to get out of my way, or are you going to make me do something I really don't want to do...."

She gripped her sword tightly and held her ground. He turned his head to the side. "Yeah.... I figured. Well, I just want you to know what I'm really sorry about this."

Luigi activated his thunderhand. He bit his lip, then fired it directly at Daisy.

Mr. L's eyes went wide as he brought his attention back to Luigi and saw the thunder shoot directly at the girl. She took a breath, then swiftly angled her sword in front of her, reflecting the lightning into the sky.

Mr. L nodded his head. "Wow....impressive."

She smiled and playfully swung her sword around. "Ha! Would you like to try that again?"

Daisy looked behind Luigi to see that the hostage was no longer in the air. Good. She started looking around. She was hoping Dimentio's magic would have for the most part returned by now.

Luigi saw her getting distracted, so he quickly aimed and fired again.

Mr. L's eyes went wide, before he sprinted behind her and grabbed her, moving her out of the way. 

"Careful, Dearest." He teased. 

"Hey, get out of here-" She stopped herself when she looked into his eyes.

Then, she looked over at Luigi.

She continued looking back and forth between the two.

Luigi gripped his staff hardly. His knuckles were turning white. "What?! How did you escape!?!" Mr. L just shrugged. "Ehh, the Green Thunder has his ways. Now," He pulled out Daisy's sword and pointed it at Luigi. "Have at you!"

Daisy looked down at her belt, realizing that her sword was missing. "What?! When did you take my sword?!" She asked. Mr. L just shrugged. "While I was saving you." 

She shook her head, when she realized. "Wait....you.... You're the guy from....."

She took a closer look at him.

"Oh my Grambi, you weren't Luigi!" She smiled the biggest smile.

"You're L!"

He frowned for a second. "Don't call me L."