~ After SPM ~

 I looked down at my gloved hands. The gloved hands I used to create nearly destroy the world I had so desperately wanted to save. The gloved hands that already had broken so much. 

It's strange. Even though I was dead, I felt like I was finally alive once again. I was just sad that it took dying to feel that way. Even so, how could I live knowing what I had done? You and I were worlds away. I left the mortal world as nothing more than another villain that was defeated.

This was just one more day all on my own, knowing we'd never meet again. It was one more day of wondering what life I could have known if things were different. 

It didn't matter who was to blame. In a way, we were all at fault. Perhaps it wasn't intentional, but we were all partially to blame for what happened. Yes, I placed most of the weight on my own shoulders, but so did Blumiere. I had no idea where you were, but I was sure you felt that weight as well, as did Mario.

Ben may have felt that weight as well. 

I looked for him. When I got to the Overthere. I searched for him soon after I found Blumiere. I don't know why I did, because he was turned into a Boo. I knew there was no Overthere or Underwhere for him. He was doomed to roam the world as a ghost for the rest of eternity. Even so, I still searched. A small part of me hoped to find him at peace.

I couldn't help but wonder what he was doing now. 

I hoped he was still a leader. I hope he smiles. I hope he uses his voice.

I hope he never lets a number like eighty-eight stop him. Even with a number like that, I could tell he was strong. I could tell he had potential.

I never really understood the numbers. Yes, they marked our potential for power, but they didn't analyze our actual power. What if potential was never realized? After all, it was just potential. It was not true power. Why were people so quick to judge solely based on potential? At the end of the day, everyone was equally as capable of committing acts of evil, no matter the number.

I pulled out my broken mask, looking down at the white and black half. Each end came from someone I had caused harm to. Someone who I thought was truly evil, yet somehow felt connected to in a way.

I always wondered who those were. The man with yellow eyes and the woman with black. Both were connected to the mirrors, just like me. However, their personalities were so different. The man was much calmer. He twisted words and hid his emotions while the lady was somewhat chaotic, laughing and teasing her prey as if she was trying to amuse herself.

When I was lost, when I was Dimentio, I felt like a perfect mix of the two.

I sighed, looking around at the large field of clouds. This bright, warm, safe, happy place that still somehow didn't feel complete. I found myself in a perfect world, yet it still didn't feel perfect.

I missed you.

I missed you a lot.

I missed your smile. I missed your voice. I missed your words.

"What's your story?" You had asked me.

Where to even start...

My story wasn't even just my story. It was a bunch of stories all scraped together. It was Blumiere's story, it was Ben's story, it was Mario's story. 

It was your story.

And now, it was up to you to continue the story. It was up to you to bring the sun back to the imperfect world you were still in. If anyone could do it, it was you, after all.

It was up to you to succeed where I failed.

I know you can do it.

I really do. I believe in you. The One still in me believes in you.

And when you're done, you can join me here. 

When you do, I'll smile.

You'll smile back.