(As Long as We're Together) Everything's Gonna Be Okay

A Vista of Stars Greets Luigi

The first thing he sees is the view, an abundance of stars littered across the sky, be it shining like diamonds or burning up in the atmosphere, falling to the ground.

The funny thing is, Mr. L knows it was daytime when he left for the castle, and yet it's unmistakable; he's standing under the night sky.

"Mamma mia." He whispers, taking a moment to look at everything.

The stars seem to illuminate the part of the hill he's standing on, making the ground light up under his feet as he walks.

For a moment, he forgets he's here on a mission, and when a star flies past his eyes, he closes eyes and starts to say without thinking,

I wish...

But before he can make the wish, his eyes fly back open, and all at once, he remembers why he's here.

Quickly, he pulls out the map, points to the spot indicated, and starts making the walk towards where it's supposed to be.

"Please don't lead me right off a cliff." Mr. L mutters to himself.

"I take it back. Please lead me right off a cliff." Mr. L whines sometime later, when he finally seems to make it to the spot on the map.

"This is it?" He asks out loud, looking around him.

It's still beautiful, don't get him wrong, but it's just more of what he's already seen on Star Hill. No spirit, no talking Gate, nothing.

"I don't get it!" He calls out. "I drew the map. The Toads were sure this is where it would be, and they were wrong!"

But then he spots it. What looks to be a rock, a few feet away.

Curious, he walks over to it, picks it up, and realizes his mistake almost immediately.

"This ain't a rock." He turns it over. "It's a gemstone!" then upon looking it over, "But man is it dirty."

He knows he's wasting time, but something compels him to pull out a part of his shirt to start polishing it.

"Gonna be a thing of beauty once I clean you off."

He's so preoccupied, it takes him a moment to realize his surroundings have vanished, replaced by a white void.

"Whaaaa..."

You came here looking for answers.

Mr. L jumps at the words, but a quick glance around confirms he's alone.

"Who's there?"

You need not bother looking, for we are everywhere.

Mr. L clutches the stone on his hand for comfort, but doesn't reply.

Who are you?

"What?" Now Mr. L is completely confused. "I'm Mr. L."

No. Who. Are. You?

"I just told you, I--" But then he stops himself, thinking he knows what they're asking. "I'm Luigi.", wincing at how foreign it sounds on his tongue.

Are you sure?

"Of course I'm--" Again, he stops, then bursts out. "I don't know what I'm supposed to say!"

Indeed. But that is not entirely your doing, is it?

Mr. L sighs. "No."

You came hoping for a chance at getting back what was taken from you. Tell us why.

"Because I want my old life back." Mr. L replies immediately.

You'd do well not to lie.

"Because I don't want to hurt people anymore when I say I don't remember them." Mr. L tries again.

Closer.

Mr. L's smart enough to know what they want to hear by now, so he takes a deep breath, closes his eyes, and says, "Because even the new life I built for myself feels wrong. It always has. I don't regret finding my own way, but even on the best days, there's something that was supposed to be there. Something that I know was supposed to make everything I've done worth it."

But it wasn't.

Mr. L shakes his head. "No. And every time I tried to think of what it could possibly be, it hurt . Like it couldn't bear to be remembered."

Or forgotten.

Mr. L opens his eyes, holding up the gemstone, now miraculously polished and sparkling, the only color in the void along with himself.

Memory is a precious thing. It defines who you were, who you are, and who you will be.

Mr. L keeps staring at the stone on his hand, letting the words wash over him.

You must allow yourself to feel everything. Even at the cost of your own life.

Mr. L grips the gemstone tighter, a truth he's only now beginning to understand.

Are you still willing?

For the first time since coming to Star Hill, Mr. L allows himself to truly think of his answer.

He thinks of Mimi, so scared to lose her best friend. He thinks of the Toad head of mechanics, counting on him to help the kingdom through the current crisis. He thinks of Peach, the princess who only ever tried to do the right thing by everyone, even at the cost of her own kingdom.

And of course, he thinks of Mario, waiting for his little brother to come home.

Then he looks the void right in the eye, and nods, "I am."

Then you know what you must do.

Mr. L holds up the stone one last time, looking at all the facets on its beautiful surface, and very slowly, brings it to his chest, watching as it slowly absorbs itself back inside him.

It is done.

Mr. L sits up with a gasp, looking around frantically.

He's still on Star Hill.

"Mr. L! Mr. L!" he hears someone call, and as he turns towards the voice, he's tackled into a hug. "There you are you big dummy! You were supposed to tell me when you found something, and when you didn't, I couldn't find you!"

"Mimi?" Mr. L says, still in a daze.

"Hey, are you okay?" She seems to realize he doesn't appear the same as he did when he left. "Did something happen?"

Mr. L thinks on the question, but when he tries to think, he comes up with a blank, and says in despair, "No, I don't think it did."

Mimi sighs. "I'm sorry. I know how much this meant to you."

Mr. L stands up. "It doesn't matter. It was just a crazy idea that turned out to be yet another dead end."

"Want me to teleport us out of here?"

"No...I think we should walk down." A part of him is hoping he just missed something, and yet another part knows he hasn't.

"Alright." Mimi agrees. "Let's go. We'll go home, stuff ourselves silly with sweets, and Star Hill's gonna be nothing more than a very bad dream."

Mr. L looks back the way they came, and despite knowing it's a lie, he agrees,

"Yeah..."