Flipped (Super Paper Mario SWAP AU)

Ciao (25)

"Dimentio?!" Countess Tippi frantically called out. She ad been searching the halls up and down at a frantic pace. "Hello?! Dimentio?!"

Her assistant had been gone for hours. She'd been worried sick ever since the meeting he missed with her. Yes, he was occasionally late, but he'd never go as far as missing an entire meeting. Something had to be wrong, she could feel it.

She had asked Mimi and O'Chunks about his sudden disappearance, but neither of them had seen him. They promised to search, but she had yet to hear back from them.

"Dimentio!?" she begged, fearing the worst. What if he decided to go out and try to stop the heroes on his own? She seldom sent him out because she couldn't afford to lose him. Everyone mattered to her, but he was different. She needed to make sure he was alright.

She continued searching the halls when Nastasia flipped into place behind her. The countess quickly whirled around, hoping it would be Dimentio. She knew it wouldn't be, though. Dimentio's teleporting sounded different than Nastasia's.

The pink-haired girl bowed her head slightly and cleared her throat.

"My countess, I come with news," she started.

"Dimentio, is Dimentio okay?!" Countess Tippi quickly asked.

"Dimentio is alright," Nastasia stated. "He's taking care of something. You're aware of how he's been keeping tabs on the heroes, correct?"

"Yes," Countess Tippi said. "But he assured me he was doing so from a safe distance. Did they hurt him?!"

"No, he just wanted to report that Ms. D didn't make it. The heroes got her." Nastasia said calmly as she held her hands behind her back. "He takes full responsibility and feels terrible. He felt that as your assistant, he should have stopped the girl in orange from running off. He believes she only did so for you. To make up for it, he's trying to go out there and salvage what he can—"

"Tell him to come back instantly," the countess quickly stated. "His safety comes before the prophecy. As does all of yours."

Nastasia looked up and frowned.  

"But... the girl in orange—"

"What happened to Ms. D was nothing short of a tragedy," the countess said. "We... when Dimentio returns, I'll have him arrange a ceremony. We'll gather every desert bloom we can find and make her sacrifice known to all. Her death will not be in vain, I promise. But we must... we must keep her spirit in our hearts as we finish this."

Nastasia nodded. A knot formed within her chest at the almost heartbroken look in the countess's eyes, but she didn't let it show. 

"As for Dimentio..." the countess trailed off, swallowing as she spoke. "Can... you keep an eye on him, Nastasia? I trust him with my life, as I trust you. But... he was so young when I found him. You remember—"

"I remember," Nastasia interrupted. "And I will."

The countess nodded, then turned away.

"Good."

She let out a sigh of relief, grateful that the heroes hadn't killed Dimentio. Her heart went out to Ms. D. The countess and the other minions had only known her for so long, but there was a fighting spirit within her. She was worthy of her seat with everyone else. She was alive, she was worthy of a life in the light.

And the heroes took it from her...

It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair to anyone.

It was clear now that there would be no stopping those heroes from ruining everything. They were going to take the light from her and everyone helping her until there was nothing but darkness left.