He was getting closer every single day. Dio said he primarily wanted to focus on teleportation because he didn't see the need for forming attacks and projectiles. Especially since he never planned on ever attacking anyone. He didn't even want the option to attack.

So, they focused on teleportation. At first, he could never go more than a few inches. Then, he learned how to go a few feet. Eventually, he could do miles, and after that, dimensions. He was actually improving quickly and soon able to teleport himself all the way over to Flipside to get food, which he was very proud of.

It seemed that teleporting wasn't quite fueled by any emotions. It just required focus. It wasn't like the projectiles, which were fueled by anger. Nor was it like the healing, fueled by empathy. It seemed like a neutral power, so that was very nice.

"You're getting better," Dimentio observed aloud as he and Dio practiced. Mr. L was sitting a few feet away, silently observing as he drank a shroom shake which Dio may or may not have stolen from a local store in Flipside.

"Wait, really?!" Dio asked, his eyes seeming to light up. "Hold up... are you... complimenting me?"

"Yes. Cherish it. This will be the only time it happens," Dimentio replied, though his tone no longer sounded empty. In fact, as time went on, he seemed to become less and less empty. Sometimes, if Dio squinted, he could almost see joy in Dimentio's eyes as he taught magic.

Magic truly was quite a wonderful concept. Dio was grateful that he had someone to teach him. Poor Dimentio had to learn all on his own. That must have been difficult. It was much easier to have someone with the same power type and potential as himself teach him exactly how.

But there was still so much Dimentio could do that Dio couldn't. Fly, clone himself, control his projectiles, and more! It was so fascinating.

Dimentio and Dio continued practicing, making more and more progress. Dio was feeling more control in his teleportation. He felt more confident in getting to the place he needed to go. He was able to picture a place in his mind, and teleport there without accidentally running into a wall or something, (Well... he could if it was quiet and he was focused.)

"So," Dio asked after a few hours of practice with a smile on his face. "Impressed yet?"

Dimentio rolled his eyes in response and lightly shoved Dio away. Now he was just fishing for more compliments. Dio let out a small squeak and giggled slightly as he fell back onto the ground, then sat up and looked at Dimentio. He waited a moment, then looked over at Mr. L, who was still watching from afar.

"... Are you planning on telling him anytime soon?" Dio asked, his voice low enough for Mr. L not to hear.

"Telling him what exactly?" Dimentio asked as if he was oblivious to what Dio was referring to. He, of course, was not, but it was fun to play the part.

"You know. Your undying love for-"

"Oh, shut up." Dimentio laughed, grabbing Dio's arm and hoisting him up. "Quit joking around."

"Oh, but it is no joke," Dio stated, holding in a laugh and attempting to plaster a blank expression on his face. "For I am always deadly serious." He then snorted and allowed the serious look to fade as Dimentio rolled his eyes. "But seriously... you should tell him. Because the thing you two have going on right now is... a little sad. Like an abandoned graveyard on a rainy night." Dio continued.

"Perhaps I'll tell him after you're gone," Dimentio breathed.

"Aww, but then I won't get to see," Dio pouted in response.

"Well, that's too bad."

Dio shook his head and sighed, slightly disappointed. Because with him gone and not present to convince Dimentio to do it, he wasn't sure it would ever get done. Dimentio didn't seem one to admit to the way he was feeling, as he often preferred hiding. And Mr. L still seemed partially upset with Dimentio after what he had done.

It would still take a while for him to trust again.

"... I can see why you are afraid to do it," Dio breathed, lightly smiling. "But... I've heard him speak of you. I know how he used to feel. Just... let him know that you will do anything in your power to make him feel that way again. Let him know you've changed from who you were before."

"I haven't changed from who I was before," Dimentio pointed out. "Nothing has changed. I still plan to get my revenge on those who've wronged me in the past once you are gone."

Dio seemed to smile and shake his head as if he disagreed. "I can tell you've changed," Dio said. "And I think he can too."

"How?" Dimentio pondered.

He didn't feel like he had changed much.

Actually... no. Now that he thought about it... he did indeed feel different. But he was unsure how. He was still the same person. He still had the same goals and plans. So why did he feel less... alone? Less lost.

Less out of place.

"Well, for one thing... you don't cry in your sleep as often," Dio pointed out with a small smile. "You seem to genuinely smile more. You sleep in slightly longer, your voice seems less empty, and you walk more instead of flying."

He did? He hadn't even noticed. But looking down, he could see that his feet were indeed on the ground. Since when did he prefer walking to flying?!

And had he been crying less in his sleep?! He had cried nearly every night, so he didn't really notice anymore. He didn't even think about it anymore. He wasn't sure whether to feel proud that he had stopped, or embarrassed by the fact that Dio and Mr. L noticed that he had at one point.

Dio didn't seem the type to judge, as Dimentio was 100% sure that he too cried in his sleep at least a few times. But Mr. L? He didn't see, right? And if he did, had he thought less of him? Had he seen him as weak?!

"... You noticed?" Dimentio asked, looking up from his feet.

"Yes. And I can tell what you are thinking. He never thought less of you for having emotions. No one will ever think less of you for having emotions. It's the emptiness that we dislike," Dio assured.

Dimentio paused, then lightly shrugged, as if this didn't bother him. As if this didn't mean anything to him.

But it did. After all, he had hidden his emotions for so long. So hearing that people didn't look down upon him for showing himself... he wasn't sure how to feel. Happy? Relieved? Upset? He wasn't sure.

_____

About two more days had passed before Dio finally asked the question that Dimentio was beginning to dread hearing. Why he was dreading this day? He had no idea. After all, he wanted Dio to leave at first. He wanted him out of his life forever. He distinctly remembered having a burning hatred for the guy.

"... Do you think I'm ready to go home?" Dio asked in the morning, as the sun began to rise, bringing the fresh smell of the forest to life.

Yes. The answer was yes. He was ready. He had been ready for some time now. But something inside Dimentio had prevented him from saying that. Something had prevented him from telling.

"... I'm not sure," Dimentio lied, though he immediately regretted it, because the lie was so blatant and obvious that even an idiot could catch it.

"So yes?" Dio asked, slowly smiling. "I'm ready to go home?!"

"I-I didn't say that!" Dimentio exclaimed, for once stuttering. He wasn't one to fumble with his words. He was almost embarrassed about that.

"Your words didn't, but your tone did," Dio pointed out.

Dimentio remained silent, afraid of speaking and stuttering again. He knew his voice wasn't empty enough to hide any of his lies. He knew that the truth was the only thing Dio would accept. He knew that Dio already knew he was ready.

They all knew he was ready. Mr. L knew, Dimentio knew, Dio knew.

"Wh- Well, t-there's so much you haven't learned to do yet! I-I could teach you more!" Dimentio exclaimed. "Like flying. I-I could teach you to fly."

"I don't need to learn how to fly," Dio giggled. "With time, I'm sure that skill will come to me-"

"Clones! I can teach you to make clones!" He exclaimed. "D-don't you want to learn how to make clones?!"

"Other me... I can see what you are doing," Dio breathed, grabbing Dimentio's shoulder and offering a reassuring smile. "But I don't need any of that. I just want to go home. I've been gone long enough... don't you think?"

"Projectiles! You need to learn how to control your projectiles!" Dimentio pointed out.

"I don't plan on using projectiles," Dio stated. "It's time for me to go."

"But... there's more to do. You still haven't-"

"There will always be more for me to do," Dio breathed. "I learned what I needed. It's time for me to-"

"BLUMIERE!" Dimentio interrupted, suddenly smiling as if he made a grand discovery. "YOU STILL NEED TO FIND BLUMIERE! HA!" He laughed, as if he was a child and just won a meaningless argument.

But... he was right. Dio's smile faded and his eyes went wide. "Oh... right. I did promise that, didn't I? I hate to admit that I nearly forgot..."

"EXACTLY!" Dimentio exclaimed. "You cannot leave until you find him! It could take months! Years even!"

"What are you two bickering about?" Mr. L asked, walking over and purposefully inserting himself into the conversation on account of hearing Dimentio raise his voice. He wasn't quite sure if they were fighting, but either way, he wanted to intervene before someone got stabbed or something.

"We need to find that Count person," Dio breathed. "And I never technically met him, so I don't know how to teleport to him, since I don't know what he looks like."

"Wait, is that how teleportation works?" Mr. L asked, raising an eyebrow.

He himself never paid much attention to how magic technically functioned, being a non-magical being himself. All he had was his thunderhand, which seemed pretty self-explanatory. That kinda just appeared when he wanted it to. He didn't have to feel a specific emotion to go with it, unlike the healing or the projectiles.

But he had never really known the actual mechanics of teleportation and magic. Perhaps someday he'd take the time to learn.

"Yes," Dio explained. "To teleport, you have to either imagine a location or an object to teleport to. So say I wanted to teleport to... my knife, for example. Even if I didn't know where the knife was, I could teleport to it because I know what it looks like and I am familiar enough with it."

An odd example, Mr. L noted. But he at least understood.

"Oh. Well, then that's simple," Mr. L pointed out, gesturing to Dimentio. "Have Dim teleport us all to the Count. He's known him long enough. He'd surely be able to, right?"

Dimentio immediately narrowed his eyes to a glare.

Never had he ever hated Mr. L so much.

Yes, he loved him. He knew that now. But he hated him for saying that. Because now he'd have to do it. Now he'd have to do what would likely take years in seconds, and Dio would go away, and he would have to go back to his lonely life on his own searching endlessly for those who've wronged him in the past.

Why was he suddenly dreading that plan?

"OOH! That's a glorious idea! How come you didn't think of that?" Dio asked, pointing to Dimentio.

The jester didn't look back at him. He just continued to glare at Mr. L, clenching his fists slightly.

"I suppose it just slipped my mind," Dimentio stated in a slightly lower tone.

Mr. L ignored the glare, but Dio didn't. He could see. Something strange about Dio was that yes, he was ditsy sometimes, but he was still rather insightful when he chose to be.

"I know you don't want me to leave," Dio stated. "But-"

"I know." Dimentio breathed, looking down and pinching the bridge of his masked nose. "I know... you don't belong here."

Dio nodded. That was correct.

He didn't belong there.

"Let's just go get the Count and finish this," Dimentio murmured.