OF: Chapter 10

Grabbing… pulling… hitting…

Each touch felt like lightning sparks… the long, ghastly fingers clawing at his body…

Evil, dark Underhands… pulling him down… dragging him back down into that eternal darkness, from which there was no escaping…

Laughter… the doomed souls that haunted the River Twygz… gleefully enjoying his misfortunate fate…

The Underhands' chilling grip burned his flesh… making him scream out in pain…

But, he couldn't scream… if he did, he would drown… swallow heavy gulps of darkness rather than the air he so desperately needed…

Not a soul in any world deserved this torture… none deserved to be thrown to the Underhands…

What had he done… to deserve such a fate?

…

"…Dimentio?"

Dimentio snapped out of his daze, turning to face the child. Livi was knelt down on the ground, leaning over the River Twygz for a better view, yet her face, confused and worried, was turned to the jester.

"Are you alright, Dimentio?" She asked, cocking her head to one side. "I lost ya for a second there…"

Against his will, Dimentio's gaze returned to the ghostly-white skeleton fingers brushing the surface of the river, the eerie voices moaning in longing for their prey. "Yes, ah…" Dimentio sighed shakily. "I'm fine…"

"Mmmm-kay…" Livi said uncertainly, turning back to the murky waters.

Dimentio gulped nervously, floating backwards towards the shore a bit. "Do we have to be so close to the river?"

"Yeah! Mr. L might be down there!" Livi exclaimed.

Dimentio shuddered against his will. Oh, Overthere forbid the poor soul would have fallen to such a fate… he nervously thought. "Wh-what makes you… think that?"

"I dunno…" Livi replied, shrugging as she reached out and splashed the water around, exciting the Underhands. "I've seen crap like that all over the internet… the fanbase runs away with the Underwhere…"

Dimentio wasn't listening to her anymore. If he was, he didn't show any interest in answering her. Every scrap of the jester's attention was fixed on the restless Underhands.

His thoughts were drifting away to darkest parts of his mind—memories he had fought so hard to repress now surfacing to terrorize him once again. Dimentio recalled the months he had spend in Bonechill's Prison, the pain and torture he had been forced to endure there. He remembered the Underhands that would crawl out of the darkness to beat and abuse him—they had quickly become his greatest fear…

Dimentio jumped in surprise at the sound of Livi's scream not even three feet from him. When his heart decided to start beating again, and his senses returned, he noticed Fawful lying on the ground, laughing hysterically and Livi, thrown backwards on her butt in a shallow shelf of the riverbed—now soaked-though with the dark waters, not looking very happy.

Underhands started to snake their way towards Livi, the voices murmuring with pleasure at a new victim, but Livi took no notice. She simply growled, snarling at Fawful, then launched herself out of the water, out of the Underhands' reach, to tackle into the young bean. They were soon rolling across the dirt floor yet again, beating each other to death.

Dimentio was about to float over and separate them, when he felt a familiar pain. Something was pricking at his chest—at his heart.

The curse… Dimentio thought, horrified.

Why had it come back now? Recently it had fallen more and more silent, and now it chooses to haunt him again? What had he done? Admittedly, nothing good, but still, he had done nothing wrong… What was the trigger?

Dimentio cringed, clutching at his chest as the pricks turned to painful stabs. He whimpered miserably, not at all sure what to do. He had to find a way to make it stop, but looking around, he found no answer. If he couldn't stop the pain, then he had to get away. He couldn't let the others see him like this…

Then… as if by miracle… there it was—his opportunity.

"Whoa—WHOA!!!" Livi exclaimed as Fawful threw her off. Her feet were barely balanced on the edge of a drop-off on the riverbed. There was nothing but miles of endless river beneath her if she fell. The girl was leaned forward, waving her arms in a spastic fashion; a vain attempt to maintain her balance.

Meanwhile, Fawful pushed himself up off the ground and walked smugly over to Livi. "It seems you are being in that which is a situation, yessing?"

"Oh, will you just shut up and help me?!" Livi snapped, yelping in surprise as she lost balance for an instant.

"Hmmm…" Fawful mused. "I am supposing I could be assisting you…"

"Good! Then do it!!" Livi pleaded. "Just grab my shirt and pull me back."

Fawful sighed submissively. "Alrighting…" he agreed, walking behind her and grabbing the loose T-shirt. "Of coursing… it would be possessing many funnies to be seeing you in the drownings…"

"WHAT?!" Livi shrieked, eyeing the river nervously. "Fawful!! Don't! You! Dare!!"

Fawful chuckled. "Ooooh, I have darings…" he teased, relaxing his grip ever-so-slightly.

"EEP!! Fawful, quit it!!" Livi whined.

Dimentio looked from one idiot to the other, a smile beginning to play at his lips. If he was going to get away, he simply needed a distraction… both of them would be fine, the jester reassured himself.

After all… he thought maliciously. Don't children like to swim?

-----------------------------------

"Luigi… are you, uh, sure you know where we're going?" Kamek asked nervously.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure… we're almost to the River Twygz… it goes right through the middle of the Underwhere." Luigi explained.

"Ah…" Kamek said. He looked around a bit, taking in the dark, creepy surroundings. "You're handling this awfully well…"

"Handling what?" Luigi asked.

"Well… no offense or anything…" Kamek said delicately, not wanting to upset his only way out of here. "But, between you and your brother… you always seemed to be the…"

"Fraidy-cat?" Luigi offered.

Kamek looked away. "Uh, yeah…"

"Don't worry about it; I get that a lot…" Luigi said, shrugging off-handedly. "I guess that's mainly because it's true…"

"But… Since we've all gotten sucked into this…" Kamek said slowly. "I don't know if you've noticed, but you seem… you've really taken control. We'd all be screwed if not for you…"

Luigi flashed Kamek a smile. "Well, I don't really see any of the other idiots stepping up… do you?"

Kamek sighed, smiling a bit himself. "No, I suppose not…"

Luigi laughed. "Look, I don't have to be the sidekick… I can be brave if I need to be… the only thing that's worrying me now is…"

Kamek looked up as Luigi's voice trailed off. "…Dimentio?" He suggested.

Luigi grimaced. "Yeah…"

Kamek laid a hand on Luigi's shoulder. "Don't worry about it, okay? Remember, Nastasia told us that as long as Dimentio's curse holds, he's harmless… And, call me crazy, but I'm starting to think Livi knows what she's doing… maybe Dimentio really is changing."

Luigi gave Kamek a glare.

Kamek shrugged. "Alright, fine, don't listen to me…"

Luigi looked away, and suddenly perked up as something caught his attention. "There it is! That's the river!"

"What—ACK!" Before Kamek could finish his question, Luigi grabbed his arm and ran off, dragging Kamek behind him. As soon as they hit the riverbed, however—

BAM!!

Luigi groaned heavily, rubbing his sore head. He pushed himself off the ground, where he had wound up sprawled-out from the impact, and took Kamek's hand to pull himself up. Lying on the ground a few feet away, was a very dazed-looking—

"Livi!" Luigi ran over and helped her to her feet. The fangirl however, fell into a dizzied slump in his arms. "Livi, what happened to you?" Luigi asked, looking over the cuts, bruises, and burns that covered her dripping-wet skin and clothes.

"Fawful pushed me in the river…" Livi mumbled weakly into Luigi's shirt.

The river… Luigi mused. So, that was why she was so wet. Her scars, Luigi guessed, were from the Underhands making mad grabs at her.

Luigi's attention was drawn away from Livi for a moment as Fawful, in a condition nearly equal to the fangirl's, ran over to join the group. The hero less-than-gently handed Livi off to Kamek so he could heal her a bit, and immediately started in on Fawful.

"You pushed her in the River Twygz?!" Luigi exclaimed. "Are you insane?!"

Fawful backed himself up against a tree as Luigi approached him. Whether the child was shivering from cold or fright, Luigi couldn't tell. "I-I… I wasn't meaning to—"

"Fawful, this isn't funny!" Luigi snapped, enraged. "You could have gotten her seriously hurt!! Those Underhands could have ended her game!!"

"I am knowing that!!" Fawful said, though his voice sounded desperate. "It was not being me who had pushing of her!!"

"Oh, really?" Luigi asked sarcastically, folding his arms over his chest. "Then who was it, huh?"

"I-I am not kn-knowing!" Fawful stammered. "Someone had the pushing of me, and we both had the falling!"

Luigi scoffed. "Look, save the lies, Fawful… I don't want—"

"Now, wait Luigi…" Kamek interrupted. "He could be right."

"How could he be right?" Luigi snapped. "Why would anyone have interest in drowning them?"

"Well, do you see Dimentio anywhere nearby?" Kamek challenged.

Luigi froze. Simultaneously, Livi and Fawful's heads snapped up as realization dawned on them. Luigi turned slowly around to face Livi, who was now looking around nervously. "Livi… where's Dimentio?"

"Um… uh…" Livi laughed nervously, backing away a bit. "F-funny story… about that…"

"Please… tell me you didn't lose Dimentio…" Luigi begged her.

"I, uh… I d-didn't… lose Dimentio…" Livi mumbled, playing with her hair.

Luigi was getting an uneasy knot in the pit of his stomach. "Good… now, say it like you mean it…"

Livi said nothing, shrinking away from Luigi a bit.

"…Livi?" Luigi prompted.

"What if… Wh-what if I… d-do-don't mean it?" Livi asked nervously.

"Livi!" Luigi groaned, running his hands over his face.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to lose him, honest!!" Livi wailed. "We were keeping a good eye on him—but when we fell, I guess he musta slipped off!! You know he's all sneaky and stuff, and he's good at running off and hiding and stuff, and you know how stupid and irresponsible I am and—omigosh, I'm so sorry, Weegee!!!"

"So, we've somehow managed to lose a psychopathic jester who tried to destroy all worlds in the Underwhere…" Kamek grumbled. "And without any idea where we are…"

"Yes, thank you, Kamek, way to be positive about the situation…" Luigi snapped sarcastically.

"Well, what are we going to have the doing of?" Fawful asked.

Luigi shook his head. "There's nothing we can do… let's just keep looking for Mr. L, and if the fates are with us, maybe we'll run into Dimentio…"

----------------------

Some time later, the group found themselves at a steep bank, leading down to the riverbed, where a large boat was docked. Charold, the ferry captain, was standing on the bank, awaiting anyone who wished to cross.

"C'mon…" Luigi said, sliding expertly down the steep bank. "We'll check the other side of the river."

Fawful slid after Luigi, stumbling ungracefully at the bottom from his Underhand scars. Kamek came down next and helped him up. Livi wasn't even paying attention to her fandoms anymore. She just kept starting out into the forest, as if she expected something to appear out of thin air.

"Livi?" Luigi asked. He sighed, knowing her too well. He held out a hand in her direction. "C'mon, Livi… we need to go…"

Livi nodded mutely, then slid down the bank, tripping over a loose rock and falling into Luigi's arms. He whispered softly to her, soothingly stroking her hair. "Look… you don't need to worry, okay? Dimentio knows how to take care of himself…"

Livi shook her head, looking up at Luigi with sad, pleading eyes. "I'm worried about him… his curse… he needs me…"

Luigi sighed. "We'll find him, okay? He'll be fine until then…" Livi nodded mutely, though she still seemed unconvinced. Luigi simply put an arm around her shoulder and steered her towards the boat.

Charold was already in place, ready to take off. Luigi assumed Kamek had already paid him the four coins required to cross the river. Luigi jumped up onto the edge of the boat, Kamek helping him in, and turned around to offer Livi a hand.

"What's wrong?" Kamek asked bluntly.

"With Livi?" Luigi assumed. "She's just worried about Dimentio… I don't know why she would bother, though… Livi!"

Livi snapped her attention away from the forest as her name was called. She firmly took Luigi's hand and swung herself up into the boat, almost slipping as her feet caught the slippery surface. She ignored Luigi as he sat down beside Kamek, walking to the other side of the boat to sit beside Fawful. He was leaned over the side, staring down into the murky waters, and she yanked on his cloak as she passed to pull him back into the safety of the boat.

"Well, you can hardly blame her…" Kamek said as Charold pushed the boat off the shore. "She's come this far on her journey, and suddenly, one of us runs off for no reason?"

"Oh, trust me, he has a reason… we just don't know what it is yet…" Luigi grumbled, crossing his arms. "And we won't know until it's too late to stop him… that's just how Dimentio is…"

Kamek narrowed his eyes, giving Luigi a cold glare. "Luigi, you know exactly what's troubling Dimentio. You keep refusing to let go of the past—and what do you think that tells him about Mr. L? Do you not think Dimentio's afraid that Mr. L is still carrying a grudge as well?"

"As he should!" Luigi snapped. "It's Dimentio's fault Mr. L's trapped down here! You saw for yourself, Dimentio's the one who ended his game!"

Kamek sighed. "I know, but that's his problem, not yours… Dimentio's past has come back to haunt him plenty without your help, and Jaydes has made well sure of that."

Luigi turned away, staring down at his reflection in the water's dark surface. The Underhands were restless today with so many living souls arriving, their voices moaning and screaming out. Luigi remembered falling in the river, being dragged deeper and deeper down underwater…

Kamek's voice softened when he spoke next. "Look… I'm not saying you're wrong… Dimentio was a monster, I agree with that. But, that's just the point. He was a monster. It's all in the past, and it won't affect anyone's futures if you would just let. it. go."

Luigi nodded grimly. "You're right… Okay? You're right about everything—Dimentio isn't the same person he was a year ago… but, I can't just forgive him for what he did to me and my friends."

"Why not?" Kamek challenged. "What is stopping you from letting Dimentio show you he can change? He can, I know he can, but you have to let him…"

Luigi turned and smirked at Kamek. "And you're supposed to be the bad guy?"

Kamek waved him off. "Don't change the subject… and besides, I'm just going about this logically—which is what makes me a 'bad guy'… someone has to be King Bowser's brains, and it certainly isn't going to be Kammy…"

Luigi laughed, and opened his mouth to say something else, but was cut off by Fawful asking, "What are you having the doing of?" Luigi was about to give an answer when he noticed that the beanish child wasn't talking to him. He was facing Livi, who had climbed up to perch on the tip of the boat, staring out into the forest.

"Livi? What are you doing up there?" Livi didn't hear Luigi, or else she was ignoring him, still staring out into the forest. She tensed up as the boat began to slow down, approaching the shore. Then, just as the boat was about to hit shore, Livi jumped off and hit the ground running, taking off into the forest. Luigi jumped off, trying to follow her. "Livi!! Where do you think you're going?!"

Livi finally responded, calling over her shoulder, "If you won't help me find Dimentio, then I'm going to go find him myself!!!"

Luigi stood there a moment, utterly stunned. When his senses finally returned to him, he screamed out after her, "Livi!! You're crazy!! This isn't a game—you can't survive in the Underwhere on your own!!"

"I'd like to see you try and stop me!!" Livi retorted. However, it was too late for Luigi to try anything of the sort—Livi's voice had already faded to a mere echo, and the fangirl was lost to the dark, eerie forests.

Kamek and Fawful ran up behind Luigi, both looking frantic and worried. "What are we going to be doing?!" Fawful asked. "She is going to be having the over of games!!"

Luigi looked around, desperately searching for an answer. Finally, off in the distance—he found it. A large building, composed completely of a dark gray stone, in the center of a large clearing in the forest.

"Jaydes…" Luigi whispered.

"What?" Kamek asked, following Luigi's gaze. "What are you talking about?"

"We have to get to the Palace…" Luigi said, starting off in that direction, the others following. "If anyone can help us now, it'll be Jaydes. This is her kingdom, she has to know something we can do! Maybe she can track them for us!"

"Are you crazy? That will never work!" Kamek snapped. "She could only be able to track Shaydes and D-men at best. She'll never be able to find Mr. L and Dimentio—let alone Livi!"

Luigi shook his head. "We have to try! She's our only hope at this point…"

Kamek groaned as Luigi ran ahead, leaving the other two fandoms behind. Looking down, Kamek noticed Fawful had stopped completely, staring stunned into the forest. The Magikoopa smiled knowingly. "You aren't… worried about Livi… are you?"

Fawful fiercely shook his head 'no'. "Of coursing not! I have none of the carings for this fangirl of stupidness…"

Kamek shrugged. "Good. I thought you would be happy. She's finally out of your hair. For good."

Kamek grinned when he noticed Fawful's eyes widen a fraction. "Th-that cannot be being so… She will be possessing fineness… yessing?"

Kamek sighed, deciding to have mercy on him. "Well, it doesn't matter now, but… if we did care what happened to her, I'm sure she'd be fine… she's put up with you long enough to handle herself out there…" Kamek winked. "Not that you'd care… right?"

Fawful grinned gratefully. "R-right…"

Kamek tried not to laugh as he motioned for Fawful to follow him. "C'mon, let's go catch up with Luigi… who knows? Maybe we'll find all of them after all…

"Maybe, just maybe… we'll be able to get out of here alive…"