Part of you wished to return to the castle.

The other part feared the worst. What if they trusted you less? Disappearing with Dimentio, the shadiest one of the team, for months?

It was painful to think of your new friends turning on you, thinking you were about to do the same.

You looked up at Dimentio and hoped that maybe you'd find an answer in his eyes.

..tough luck there. His mask was on.

What?

A crack. Not a tiny crack. There was a large crack in the left corner of his mask. Impossible to miss. Definitely recent. And the left side of his mask wasn't always grey, was it?

"Have you changed your mask recently?" you asked, perhaps foolishly.

Dimentio jumped in alarm. For a solid 5 seconds, he said nothing, then regained his composure. "Ah, yes! Silly me, forgetting such an integral thing!"

You saw it. The lightening of the grey side. More cracks, and the shatter of part of the left corner.

But you laughed it off. "Yep."

And then, you found your answer.

"I think we should go back."

"Are you sure, my dear?" Dimentio asked.

"Yes. I want to go home. Because home is where my family is. And my family is the Bleck team."

The words tumbled out faster than you could think. But they were true.

Crack.

Dimentio's mask cracked and faded even more. Yet he didn't seem to notice.

"Before we go..could I see your mask?" you cautiously asked.

To your surprise, he calmly took off his mask and handed it to you.

And he was smiling.

A full, genuine smile.

No hint of mischief.

Just eyes full of love and upturned lips.

"You've changed."

"You've changed."

"You've changed."

Dimentio sat in silence.

Upon studying the mask, you saw tiny print.

I admire you all, especially Dimentio.

I think I understand

Man, I love this little shit

Are...you alright?

I love you too.

"Dimentio..have you noticed the writing on your mask?"

"(Y/N), are you sure you aren't seeing things? My, my, you should get more sleep!" Dimentio teased.

He's trying. He's trying so hard to maintain himself. But deep down..

He wants to shatter. He wants to be free of his insanity. And..

He can be, if you keep loving him.

"I can see it. There's writing on your mask. Things I've said. Can you really not see it?"

You knew he couldn't.

Somehow, you could see things that others couldn't.

In fact, you could hear things, too.

By that definition, it's insanity, right?

No.

Not only could you see the print, but you could see into Dimentio's soul and even into his past.

He's not soulless.

He has capacity to love, to care.

He maintains the facade for what's been done to him.

In fact, you could see this with others.

Mimi was a tortured child.

O'Chunks was never strong or excitable until he found people who cared.

Nastasia not only felt indebted to the Count, but loved him more than anything, even when it wasn't reciprocated.

Mr. L wasn't in any way related to Luigi anymore. He was a completely different, independent person.

In the beginning, it was only obvious that the Count had a purpose.

But seeing all of this..

The entire Bleck team was, in fact, family.

More of a family than any blood bonds.

Because everyone fits in and everyone cares for one another, even though they never show it.

Shatter.

Snap.

"Oh (Y/N), open your eyes~"

Black.

No, not just black.

Your room!

Not only that.

There was a small pouch on your desk that you had never seen before.

You opened it.

White shards.

Print on many of them.

Looking over, you saw that Dimentio never took back his mask.

No, he couldn't.

The magical bond was broken and it was now just a pile of white shards.

"Come on, dear (Y/N). Let's make our big return!"

You grinned.

"Hell yeah."

You ran into the castle dining room.

"SURPRISE!"

Purple and yellow confetti rained down. The solemn expressions on the Bleck team's faces lifted.

"Where'd the confetti even come from?" you asked.

"Who knows?" said Dimentio.

"Oh, I know. And I love you, you prankster."

"Oh, dear (Y/N). I love you too~"

You were home.

Home with the love of your life.

The asshole jester Dimentio.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

I'd like to reassure you all that this isn't over, if it seems it is.

Also, this is around 100 words shorter than the minimum I set, but oh well.

Also join my Discord if you can I want to meet more people and get y'all to meet eachother.

Will deliver link if asked.