The next morning, Mr. L called a meeting by sticking a memo on everyone's door, then going to the meeting room and waiting. He figured everyone was still mad at him, and was honestly surprised when, at about five minutes to 10:00 (the time for which he'd called the meeting) the other residents of the castle began to trickle in. Mimi, Dimentio, O'Chunks, and Nastasia took their usual places. When Count Bleck arrived he took Mr. L's usual place as he'd done when they held a one-on-one meeting to discuss Fawful.

"Well?" Count Bleck said gently.

Mr. L was confused. Then he realized he was standing on the floor. "Oh! Right!" He bent down and sprang up onto Count Bleck's usual pedestal. "Um... I guess you're wondering why I called this meeting."

"To apologize?" Mimi guessed curtly.

"Yes." Mr. L found he mumbled, and his next words came out as almost a shout to make up for it. "But also to explain." He cleared his throat and finally found a middle ground. "See... I've been spending a lot of time away from the castle, and I think it's only fair that you know why." He shifted uncomfortably, one hand wringing the other as he stood. "I said I've been spending a lot of time at home with my brother, Mario. That's not entirely true. I have been spending a lot of time with Mario, but we haven't been spending it at home. We've been adventuring." He looked out at his friends apologetically. "I never know how long it's going to take me to get back here, and I never know when I'm going to get the chance."

"Is that all?" Count Bleck said with surprise. "Why didn't you just tell us? We'd understand. We could even help you get back if you told us where you'd be."

Mr. L sighed. This wasn't going to be easy. "Well, it's not just that. I've also... well, there's no easy way to say this. My brother asked me to come back to adventuring with him. Full time."

The others were shocked, and in the stunned silence that followed not one of them could think of a way to break it. Suddenly they weren't as angry as they had been. A few minutes ago, they couldn't have cared whether or not he was in the castle that day. Now it was all they could think of, how much they didn't want him gone forever.

"The thing is, he needs me," continued Mr. L. "There are a lot of things that he can't do by himself, that no one person can do by themselves."

Mimi piped up in a small voice: "But... we need you."

"Aye," agreed O'Chunks sadly. "That we do."

"I know," said Mr. L. "When I came here to stay, it was because my brother didn't need me. He was always going off on adventure and leaving me behind to watch the house or something, and wait until he came back. Then I came to this castle, and I was Mr. L, and I was important, and all of you needed me. When I went back home all that time ago, it was a real let-down, to go somewhere I was important to somewhere I was ignored. I came here because you guys needed me when he didn't. But now he needs me too, and I don't know what to do about it."

Again, it was silent, and very awkward. Finally, Mr. L concluded the meeting: "I know I have to make a decision, because when I go back and forth, I let everyone down. I haven't, yet, but I'll let you know by the end of the day tomorrow." Then he jumped off the platform and scurried out of the room.

Mimi looked around at the others. "You don't really think he's going to leave, do you?"

"I think he might," replied Dimentio.

"Well, whatever he chooses to do, it will be his decision," said Count Bleck. "I expect all of you to support him fully, is that clear?"

"Yes, Count," said his minions obediently.

Mr. L stayed in his room for a few hours before venturing back out into the castle. It was quiet inside, and it felt empty, so he ventured out onto the grounds for a walk. To his surprise, he found O'Chunks, Mimi, and Dimentio playing Sky-ball again. The goalposts were still set up from last time.

"Hey," Mr. L said with a wave. "Got yourselves blackmailed again?"

"No," said Mimi, dodging left and kicking the ball out of O'Chunks's hands. "We're playing for fun this time."

"No kidding." Mr. L was impressed. "Need a fourth?"

Just then, a little red cape darted out from behind O'Chunks, jumped over Mimi's head, and snatched the ball out of her hands, then threw it aside to Dimentio, who scored a goal. Mr. L blinked rapidly. "Fawful?"

"Ha ha!" Fawful laughed wickedly. "Did you not see the mastery that Fawful has over this simple game of dodge and catch?"

"Yeah, I saw, I saw," said O'Chunks gruffly.

"You guys must really be mad at me," said Mr. L.

"No." Mimi tossed her pigtails. "We just figured you would be too busy to come and play with us."

"You are mad."

"Not mad, per se," Dimentio explained. "But you did say that you were constantly leaving us to attend to matters elsewhere, and that you are honestly considering leaving us to attend to those matters."

"Well... yeah, but-"

"We didn't mean to snub you," said O'Chunks. "We really thought yeh would be too busy."

"Is Fawful missing something important?" The little bean man looked up at the faces of the others in confusion. "Green Moustache honestly may choose to leave the Castle of Bleck?"

"I'm thinking of moving back with my brother," explained Mr. L.

"Ah. Green always did his best work when he was paired with Red. If you do truly choose to return to such a status, Fawful believes you will be unstoppable once more."

"But he's unstoppable with us," Mimi pointed out.

"Ah... not to discount the amount of good he has done by our side," said Dimentio cautiously, "but if I recall correctly, our missions tend to end anywhere from adequate to near failure, starting all the way back with that delightful incident where we turned both rival gangs of Rogueport against us."

"That was your fault."

Dimentio held up his hands quickly. "I didn't mean to imply that it wasn't! I only meant that... well, when our Mr. L is with Mario, he rescues entire kingdoms, drives off invasions, saves princesses, wins races, has parties, and even stops the destruction of entire dimensions."

"Are you saying... that we're not good enough for him?"

"I'm saying if I had a choice between you all and Mario, I just might be tempted to pick Mario too."

"But didn't he only come here because Mario was too busy and kept leaving him behind and ignoring him? That's not gonna change."

"It has changed," O'Chunks said sternly, "that's what started this whole mess in the first place! He's adventurin' with his brother, like he always wanted."

"Would you guys stop?" Mr. L snapped. "You're making this harder than it already is!"

The others fell silent. Mimi awkwardly kicked at the floor as she watched her feet.

"Green Thunder is right," said Fawful. "Making such a decision is difficult enough as it is. Let's not dress this tossed salad of confusion with too much ranch so as to disguise the taste of fresh, crisp vegetables."

Dimentio picked up the melon bug and tossed it to Mr. L. "Why don't you play for a while? It'll get your mind off this for a while. That will make it easier to think later on."

"What about you?"

"Ah, I have many matters to attend to, and I shall attend to them well, like a wise... something... something, something." Dimentio disappeared.

"Are you even trying anymore?" Mr. L asked the air where Dimentio had been.

Mr L, Fawful, Mimi, and O'Chunks all played Sky-ball for a few hours after that. Somehow, though it was just as much fun as it had been the other day, much of the magic was gone. Mr. L remembered going inside afterward, thinking about how he had the best family he could ask for in these.

'Family is important,' he thought as he watched O'Chunks finally score a goal in his own game. 'But these guys are my family, too. How can I leave them?'

It seemed that no matter what Mr. L chose to do, he would be leaving his family behind.