Author's note: Wow, it's been a while for this little fic, huh? Woops. Honestly, it's been mostly complete for a couple months now. I just haven't really gotten around to posting it until now. I had to figure out posting on a mobile device and all that fun stuff because my computer crapped out on me. I'm working on getting a new computer, but I currently only have pocket change... so it may take a while. I've been writing on my phone since my computer stopped working, and let me tell you... it's tedious. And it takes me significantly longer. So please be patient.

Anyhoo, just gotta say that I've improved a bit on my writing since I wrote this chapter, so chapter 3 and on should be better. And maybe longer. Hopefully. And for those waiting on an update for my Rayman fanfic, I'm almost done. I just need to do some minor editing. Well, I'll stop wasting your time with my babbling. Please, enjoy this really late chapter 2.

Luigi shot up in his bed, gasping for air. Long seconds passed before could regain some of his composure. "Just... just a nightmare..." he mumbled to himself. Running a hand through his sweat soaked hair, Luigi looked up towards the top bunk and noted that no stirring had come from above. "He always has been a heavy sleeper."

Luigi kicked his feet off the side of the bed and rubbed his eyes wearily. He looked at the digital clock on his nightstand. "4 AM. I actually did sleep longer than usual..." Luigi yawned and reached his arms up in a stretch. "Well, I might as well do something now that I'm awake."

Before standing from his comfortable bed, Luigi paused to take in the silence. It was a peaceful silence, and it put the green plumber at ease. He winced at the ache of his tense muscles when he relaxed. He sighed, not being able to remember the last time he had allowed himself to rest his tired body. How could someone be so tense all the time?

Luigi made his way to the kitchen, opening the fridge and blankly staring into it. The fridge was nearly empty. The only noteworthy objects in the fridge were a jar of marinara sauce, a cake that the Princess had baked, and a gallon of milk. Oh. Right. Healways did the grocery shopping, and he hadn't gone in a quite a while. Mario had bought a few things here and there, but the fridge was usually stocked full when Luigi went shopping.

Frustrated, Luigi slammed the fridge shut. He rubbed his temples to soothe the oncoming headache. "I just... I just need some fresh air." He told himself. "Perhaps a visit to Toad Town will help me clear my mind."

Not even slightly worrying about his appearance, the little brother headed out the door of the shared house and into the pipe leading to town.

XXXX

Quiet. Nearly as quiet as the house. All that could be heard was the sound of the early birds chirping. The windows of houses and businesses were black. No source of light emanated from them. The entire town was asleep, all except for a man dressed in green.

Luigi checked his watch. "4:45." He read aloud. The plumber had been wandering around for nearly half an hour. He looked up at the sky and smiled. It was that time of morning when the sky was just beginning to lighten, and the world starts to wake up.

Laying down on his back on a nearby bench and cushioning his head with his arms, Luigi watched the morning sky change colors. He let out a content sigh, feeling genuine happiness for the first time in what felt like forever. "This is exactly what I needed." He whispered to the air. He closed his eyelids, allowing himself to drift from the real world...

"Luigi! LUIGI!" A pained cry called out for the plumber. Luigi's pupils shrank. He wasn't familiar with this place. He could see nothing but white in all directions, and it hurt his eyes.

"Luigi, please! Help me!"

That voice was agony to Luigi's ears. He recognized it, but refused to accept it. It's not real... none of this is real... this is just another nightmare. He thought to himself. Every time the agonizing cry called out to him, he repeated those thoughts. Minutes felt like years to the plumber. The yells were wearing him down, and he knew would soon break.

"LUIGI, PLEASE!"

"M-Mario!" Luigi called back, unable to handle the eardrum shattering cries of his older brother any longer. Luigi ran in the direction of the cries, but never seemed to get any closer. The scenery before him was blindingly white. There were no defining features. Just piercing, cold white.

"Mario, where are you?!" Luigi shouted desperately. The green brother slowed his pace to a walk when he was met with silence. "M-mario...?" He asked timidly.

It was too quiet. Luigi could feel the fear building in the pit of his stomach. He continued to walk around, unsure of himself.

Luigi spoke again after several minutes of walking. "Mario...? P-Please answer me..." Tears started to build in his eyes as the feeling of dread became overwhelming.

The younger brother froze in his tracks as a loud, booming roar of a voiced echoed throughout the white.

"YOU CAN'T SAVE HIM NOW."

Luigi yelped, startled, and he hesitantly called back. "W-Who are you?! Where's my brother?!"

All that answered him was an eerie silence.

"Answer me!" Luigi demanded as rage began to replaced the fear in his stomach. He listened closely to the silence until he started to hear another voice. It was soft. Feminine. And it was calling for him.

"Luigi... Luigi..."

The fake world around him started to blur, and Luigi realized he was being pulled from his dreaming state. Relief and panic washed over him at the same time. He wanted to leave this horrible place, but he also wanted answers. He needed answers. Before he could do anything about it, Luigi was ripped from his dreaming state.

"Toadsworth, he's not waking up! I'm beginning to worry!" The pink princess spoke to the Toad next to her.

"Princess Peach, do not worry. I'm sure Luigi will be-" Toadsworth was cut off mid sentence from the yell of the once sleeping man on the bench.

"WHAT'S GOING ON?!" Luigi screamed, panicked. His flailing caused him to fall off the bench, and the nearby townsfolk watched him in curiosity.

"Shh! Shh! Luigi, calm down! It's okay!" Princess Peach hushed in an attempt to calm Luigi.

"W-Where's Mario?!" The green plumber frantically asked.

"I-I don't know. I haven't seen him. W-what's wrong?" The princess asked.

Without saying another word, Luigi took off straight towards the warp pipe that would take him home. He didn't have time to answer Princess Peach. He glanced back at the worried princess when she called out for him, but he quickly regained focus on returning home. He felt a tinge of guilt for ignoring Princess Peach but decided the most important thing at the moment was to make sure his brother was safe.

Down the warp pipe the little brother went, and he emerged on the other side. Busting through the front door of his home, he started calling out his brother's name. Mario was the one and only thing on his mind at that moment.

Luigi stormed into the bedroom and stood on the edge of his bottom bunk so that he could see above the safety railings of the top bunk. With one quick movement, he yanked the covers from their resting spot on the bed. What Luigi saw before him made him freeze.

The bed was empty. Where Luigi knew his brother should lay remained vacant.