Chase the Nightmares Away

7: Lies

Feeling particularly crummy, Count Bleck stalked down a dark hallway. He had had a feel for what Nastasia was going to want to talk about. O'Chunks had told him that both Mimi and Mr. L had gone off on a "secret sneak attack mission", at Dimentio's suggestion. He was on his way to have a chat with the jester about that right now.

What O'Chunks hadn't been able to tell him was that Mr. L had reportedly gone missing. This... This worried him greatly. He felt uneasy, feeling that perhaps the man in green had reverted back to Luigi. He didn't know whether to feel happy about his possible freedom. Above that, he was truly worried that something terrible had happened to him.

He flung open the jester's door without knocking. No one was there. He looked around the neglected room, eyes narrowed in suspicion. He jumped when someone tapped his shoulder, and spun around to see Dimentio casually floating behind him, wearing that same cold smile he always wore. "Good evening, my count. Do you require something of me?"

Count Bleck readjusted his hat and cleared his throat, regaining his composure. He fixed the jester with what he hoped was an imposing glare. "May I ask why you sent both Mimi and Mr. L off on a sneak attack when I expressly forbid them from going anywhere for their own safety?"

"Dropping the third person, are we?" Dimentio examined his hands. "Well, I did nothing of the sort. They would have thought of it eventually."

The count's crimson eyes narrowed. That was as close to a confession as he was going to get. "Where is Mr. L?" he asked coldly.

Dimentio's self-control flickered for a split second, and he was too slow to cover up the grief that very briefly dimmed his eyes. But the count caught it, and pressed the point. "What did you do?"

At that, Dimentio's seemingly harmless smile fell away entirely, replaced by a carefully neutral expression. "I've done nothing."

Count Bleck drew closer, grabbing the jester by his collar and yanking him down to eye level. "What. did. you. do?" he hissed.

Dimentio didn't answer, but Count Bleck peered into his eyes intently, spotting the hurt buried deep there. After a moment, he let the jester go and turned away, already knowing that he was guilty of something awful. "...Is he dead?"

"...No."

The count turned back to his minion. "So you aren't trying to stop me."

Dimentio grinned, the expression looking horribly unnatural. "Not at all."

Count Bleck sighed. "You really should..."

The grin disappeared. "E-Excuse me?"

The jester's confused look was met with a sorrowful look of his own. "I am sorry...for lying to you..."

"So you figured it out."

"Yes... All of you give me such hope... I could not bear to crush your dreams..."

Dimentio snorted angrily. "So what's the point of all this then?"

Count Bleck chuckled. "Oh, I have no idea... Emotions do such strange things to people..."

"Yes, that's why I've chosen to ignore them all my life..."

There was silence for a few moments. All the tension and anger seemed to fade out of the room. The count approached the jester and held out his hand. Dimentio only shook his head. The hand dropped.

"Whatever you choose to do, Dimentio," Count Bleck said softly, pulling down the brim of his hat. "I will not stop you..." He started to leave.

"Count?"

Count Bleck looked back over his shoulder.

Dimentio had just the slightest hint of a real smile on his face. "Thanks for trying..." Then, he vanished, leaving behind one of his rippling pings, before that too was gone.

Count Bleck nodded. He closed the door in silence.