Dear S̶i̶x̶, Blumiere,

I've made more new friends since we last talked. We're really starting to form a group here. Aside from me and my mask, we have a Two, a Twenty, and an Eighty-Eight. Each person is lovely in their own way. I think if you met them, you'd really like them.

But... the truth is, you'll never meet them. No matter how much I want to believe, I just have to accept the truth. I'll probably never see you again. If I'm lucky, I'll eventually stop thinking about you too. But, for now, you still come to my mind whenever a moment of silence passes. It's like an annoying dog that keeps returning after being fed.

I've been having a hard time being mad at you. But, well, I haven't felt quite comfortable enough to allow myself to think about it truly. I keep trying to push those thoughts away. As if pushing them away would make what happened not real. But the truth is that I'll have to face and accept what happened anyway.

What I want to know is why. Why would you do it to me? Why would you let go? I want to convince myself it was an accident, but deep down I know it wasn't. And deep down I want to be mad at you for it. But I still can't be, and I don't know why. Maybe it's just because I haven't fully accepted it yet. Maybe I'll let myself be angry once I finally accept the truth. For now, a part of me still truly believes that it was somehow my fault.

The Eighty-Eight is nice. He's small and fragile. He reminds me of you, in a sense, even though your numbers are so different. There's something inside me that wants to help and protect him. It's the same spark that led me to want to help and protect you. I know the feeling well. That spark is one of the things that keeps pushing me forward, it's one of the only things I truly love about myself.

However, it also scares me. It scares me because that spark is precisely what led me to trust you. I'm afraid of letting the same thing happen again. He's so small and innocent, just like you were. There's nothing that would lead me to believe that he'd turn his back on me. But you were the exact same way.

I think you've done something to me. You've ruined my ability to trust.

Maybe I am mad at you.

I blinked a few times as a few drops of water fell from the sky, onto the piece of paper I had been writing on. We had just climbed up to the upper decks about an hour ago. You and Mario went scouting to find a way to access the lifeboats while Ben and I waited in the shadows next to a variety of crates. The kid was cold and afraid of exploring new areas without knowing what was and wasn't safe, so I volunteered to stay back with him. After the last incident, I determined that sometimes it was okay to stay behind and let others do the work. After all, I didn't have to be the only hero. Besides, I somewhat trusted you and Mario.

Ben walked up behind me and pointed at the name 'Blumiere,' cocking his head to the side in a curious manner as if he was silently asking, 'Who's that?'

"That's no one important," I breathed, crumbling up the note and stuffing it into a pocket along with the other ones.

The kid didn't seem convinced but didn't press any further. The two of us waited in total silence for a while, listening to nothing but the sound of falling rain and the crashing of the ocean waves against the ship. The sky was dark and cloudy, but even so, the moon found a way to shine on me.

I never did like how its light always followed me. Why couldn't it leave me alone in the darkness? The darkness was like a blanket. It could cover and protect me if only the moonlight would let it.

I began to lightly shiver. I could feel my hair dampen. The green cloth around my foot was starting to get soggy. It was at times like this that I missed my old jacket the most. Not only did it look really cool, but it was really convenient for keeping me warm and dry in times like this.

Ben took a short look at me, then stood up, a different look in his eyes than usual.

"Um, what are you doing?" I asked as he checked both sides. It almost looked like he was checking to make sure nothing was coming for us.

He looked at me, then hugged himself, as if he was silently saying, 'I'm cold.'

"You're cold?" I asked. "Well... maybe I can find you something."

He shook his head no, making me wonder for a moment if maybe I misunderstood him. It was hard to have a conversation with someone who stayed silent after all.

He held up his left index finger, then hugged himself again.

I frowned. I wasn't picking up whatever he was putting down.

He let out what seemed like a defeated sigh, then started rummaging through crates, making quite a bit of noise while he was at it.

"Eighty-Eight?! What are you doing?!" I whispered, trying not to let panic seep into my tone. Outside we had yet to see any people, but we were still trying to be quiet just in case there was another adult walking around. However, for once Ben didn't seem afraid.

He ignored me and continued to search through the crates until he pulled out a yellow rain poncho. It was in excellent condition. If I had to guess, it looked to be brand new. As soon as he pulled it out, I nodded in understanding.

"Oh," I whispered. "You wanted a raincoat-"

He shook his head no, then pointed at me.

"Huh?" I asked.

He walked up to me, holding the rain poncho out and smiling.

I blinked a few times, then carefully took it, looking down at the materials. It wasn't too thick or rubbery like a normal rain poncho. I could tell it was water resistant, but the fabric was actually rather flexible.

I then looked up at Ben. "You want to give this to me?" I asked.

Ben nodded. He held up his index finger, then hugged himself. My eyes went wide as I finally understood what he had been trying to say.

You're cold, One.

I softly smiled, then slipped the rain poncho on over my head, leaving the hood down. I was immediately met with a warmer feeling.

This kid wasn't thinking selfishly. He was looking through the crates to find something so he could warm ME up. He was going out of his way to help me!

I stilled for a moment, then let out a small laugh. Happiness was what I was feeling. Happiness because Ben cared about me.

"Thanks, Eighty-Eight," I breathed.

For that moment, Blumiere didn't even exist. No one had betrayed me. For that moment, it was just me, surrounded by a group of people who were willing to help. Surrounded by more people like me. Surrounded by young heroes, who would help me change the world one day.

I didn't need Blumiere to change the world. I didn't need him. What I need is Ben. And Mario. And you! I don't have to do things alone, I just have to find the right people to back me up. When I was with Blumiere, it was more of a one-sided relationship. I was constantly jumping through hoops to protect and help him, but when the time came for him to help me, he let go.

Here? We all lift one another up.

We can get out of here. We can bring the sun back. All of us. Together. I won't be known as the One who saved everyone. We'll all be well known throughout the land as the One, Two, Twenty, and Eighty-Eight who were able to make a change.

I smiled and patted my mask, feeling that sense of determination surge through my very veins.

Ben cocked his head to the side, then gave me a thumbs up as if silently asking, Are you okay? I smiled back at him and nodded, offering a thumbs up as well.

"Yes, I'm okay. Just happy."

"Whatcha happy about?" You asked, strolling up behind me with Mario at your side. I immediately whirled around to sure enough see you and Mario. You wore your usual smile on your face while Mario was looking down. He almost looked a little disappointed, but I wasn't willing to ask what for. "Also, is that a new poncho? I like it! It goes well with the yellow flecks in your eyes."

"The yellow what?" I asked, suddenly feeling my happy mood shrivel into worry. You didn't see my yellow eye, did you?

"Oh, you know. Sometimes you get little yellow dots in your eye. It usually happens when you're focusing really hard. It's not bad or anything. I just assumed it was a 'one' thing! It's actually really cool looking!" You chimed with a smile.

I let my shoulders relax slightly, but didn't completely ease up. The fact that the yellow was somehow spreading to my good eye worried me. It made me think of the original owner of the mask. If things were to continue the way they were going, would I eventually turn out like him? Would I end up looking like he did, with two piercing yellow eyes? I was already technically halfway there!

No, I couldn't think about that. I am NOT him, and I'm not going to become him. The only thing I was going to become was a hero who would bring the sun back without having to hurt innocent children.

"You don't have to look so worried. I'm just saying it looks nice," You smiled, patting my shoulder as you walked past me. "That's all."

I ignored the small fluttery feeling that formed from receiving the compliment and tried staying on task. "So... what did you guys find?" I questioned.

"Absolutely nothing," Mario complained, plopping down on the ground and taking his hat off so he could shake some of the water away. "This mission was a bust. We discovered that in order to get the lifeboats lowered we need to access the boat's main controls."

"Which are in the captain's room," you added, pacing back and forth behind me.

Ben tensed up, showcasing that the mention of the captain's room frightened him. I on the other hand was curious. I knew we were on a ship but didn't think about the fact that there was a captain. I wondered what they were like. I wondered if they too were messed up, just like the rest of the world. Would they be worse because they were the ones in charge of the entire ship? Or perhaps would they be less focused on hurting kids and more focused on their job?

Well, there was no way of telling unless we went and found out.

"Okay. Then how do we get there?" I asked.

"That's the thing. We have no idea," Mario groaned. "Luigi and I found the lifeboats, but there are no maps pointing to the captain's room."

"So we're back to exploring the ship to look for clues?" I asked.

"For the most part," you replied. "But we'll save that for tomorrow. It's been a long day. I think we should find some shelter and rest."

I didn't even realize how tired I was until you mentioned resting. I could tell Ben felt the same way as well because as soon as the word left your mouth he let out a silent yawn and rubbed his eyes.

"See? I can tell you're all tired," you pointed out. "Now follow me. I found a good place to hide for the time being."