Author's note: I don't think I can apologize enough for how incredibly late this chapter is. I've had a lot on my plate as of recently. Not to the point to where I'm unable to do anything, but the stress of it all is kind of killing my creative drive. I'm going to try to force myself to work on this and my Rayman fanfic more often. I actually have the next chapter of the Rayman fic done… well, I've had it done for quite a while now. I just need to do some polishing before I post it, and I may even split it into two parts because of its length.
I WILL NOT ABANDON MY FANFICTIONS. I CAN PROMISE YOU THAT.
Also, shout out to Rockster for finding my Luigi's Mansion reference! That's one of my all time favorite video games ever. I've played it a ridiculous amount of times, to be entirely honest.
Anyhoo, enough of my endless babbling. Please, enjoy this chapter.
Luigi placed the pot of boiling water on the counter, turning his head toward his brother. "Ya know, suddenly I'm not all that hungry." He stated, walking into the living room and sitting on the couch. He felt incredibly annoyed at Mario for dismissing his thoughts
Grabbing the remote, Luigi flicked the TV on. He mindlessly watched for a few minutes before his brother stepped into his field of vision.
"What do you want, Mario?" The younger brother asked. "You're blocking the TV."
Mario frowned. "I finished making the spaghetti… c'mon, Luigi. You almost never eat. You've been looking scrawny lately."
Before Luigi could protest, his older brother shoved a plate of food into his hands. Luigi looked down at the plate, surprised to see that Mario had given him a bigger portion.
"I don't think I can eat all of this." Stated the little brother.
Mario glared at him. "Well, you're gonna."
The older brother took a seat on the couch next to the other, looking at the TV.
"What's on?" He asked, shoving in a mouthful of spaghetti.
Luigi looked up at the TV. "I don't know. The news, I think? I haven't really been paying attention."
"Then what's the point of having it on?" Mario mumbled through a pasta filled mouth.
"I find the noise… comforting. More comforting than silence, anyway." Answered Luigi.
Mario slurped up the noodles hanging from his mouth before continuing. "I see… look, Luigi, I'm sorry that I upset you… I just can't believe that your dreams are anything more than a series of nightmares."
Luigi shot a glare at his brother. "Of course you can't. Better to think that it's all in my head rather than to actually believe me."
Mario released a sigh. "You know that's not what I meant-"
"Shut up, Mario!" The younger brother interrupted. "I'm sick of your shit! I'm not a damn crazy person!"
Mario jumped in shock, startled at hearing his little brother curse. "Luigi! You're better than that!"
Luigi stood up, keeping his fists clenched at his side. "Apparently not! Apparently I'm some kind of a loony! Why is it so hard to just believe me, Mario?!"
The younger brother turned his head from Mario, hiding the frustrated tears that were building in his eyes. "I'm going to the bedroom… please just… leave me alone…"
Before Mario could protest, Luigi turned his back towards him, making his way to the shared bedroom. The older brother winced at the loud crash of the slammed door that echoed throughout the house.
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"Who does he think he is?!" Luigi yelled to himself, not caring if Mario heard him. "This isn't all in my head! I-is it?"
Luigi sat on the edge of his bed, propping his head up with hands, elbows resting on his thighs.
"No… something is going on." He stated. "I just don't know what…"
He threw himself back onto his bed, letting out an exaggerated sigh. His body and mind still felt exhausted, and his recent conflict with Mario hadn't helped.
"Maybe…" the younger brother started, "Maybe I can rest… maybe the nightmares will leave me alone… for just this once."
He could feel his eyelids becoming increasingly more heavy, and despite his awkwardly sprawled out position, he didn't make an attempt to move his tired body. His breathing slowed to a steady pace as his eyes closed, and he allowed sleep to take him.
XXXX
The green plumber sat up and opened his eyes, shielding them from the blinding sunlight. Strangely, he felt incredibly warm and comfortable. After a few moments, his eyes finally adjusted, and upon observing his surroundings, he found that he was sitting on the grass in what appeared to be a meadow.
"Am I… dreaming?" He asked himself.
Luigi stretched his arms, surprised by how his body no longer ached with exhaustion. He stood up, taking a better look at his surroundings. There was grass as far as the eye could see. A small tree in the distance was the only difference in the landscape. Seeing no other landmark, Luigi started walking towards it.
His steps were cautious, fearing that the peaceful world around him would fade away into a hellish nightmare. However, with each step he could feel himself becoming more and more relaxed.
Eventually, Luigi reached the tree, sitting down in its cool shade. He looked around to see if there was anything else, but there was nothing more than green grass in all directions. He layed down on his back and stared at the leaves on the tree. Despite his relaxed body, his mind was still stressed by fear and worry.
"It's… it's just too good to be true." The green clad man mumbled to himself. It had been far too long since he had had a peaceful dream, and he was finding it difficult to trust the serenity around him.
Seconds turned into minutes, and the landscape around him still did not change. Luigi's mind eventually worked itself into an ease. He hadn't felt this calm in months, and truth be told, he wasn't even sure if he wanted to wake up. Unfortunately, he would be pulled out of his dreaming state sooner than he had hope.
The green plumber shielded his eyes from the sun that became increasingly brighter, the shade from the tree doing little to help. Luigi could feel the anxiety creep up on him as he realized he was being ripped from this dream back to the real world. He shut his eyes tightly, preparing to leave his beautiful dream.
XXXX
Luigi opened his eyes to pitch blackness. It startled him at first before he realized that the sun had set and the bedroom light wasn't on. His dream had lasted much longer than it felt.
After a few moments, Luigi's eyes finally adjusted to the darkness around him. He stood from his bed, feeling lightheaded from moving so abruptly. He walked over to the door and opened it. He was feeling guilty for snapping at Mario earlier and wanted to find his brother to apologize.
"Mario?" The younger brother called out.
There was no answer.
Walking further into the living space, Luigi noticed a wide array of things that were out of place. Half the cushions from the couch were on the floor, the curtains on the window were torn, and most noticibly, the TV was flipped onto its side. It looked as if a tornado had torn through the house, or someone had tried robbing the place. Or as if a massive fight had occured.
The green clad plumber's eyes widened as fear for himself and his brother grew. He stood, frozen in place for only a moment before darting through the house, destroying it even further in a desperate attempt to find Mario.
Luigi searched the best he could, but to no avail. Mario just wasn't there.
