???: "..."
???: "...Ngh..."
???: "...Huh...?"
Luigi opened his eyes slowly, still somewhat drowsy from his previous slumber. Once his eyes adjusted to the dark room, he looked around. Desks, chairs, a blackboard... Was he in a classroom?
Luigi: ("Why am I in a classroom?")
It didn't look like a normal classroom either: graffiti of bears decorated the walls, and the windows were bolted shut. Slowly, Luigi pulled himself off the ground, stretching out his aching muscles.
Luigi: ("I must-a been asleep for a while. Wait. Why was I asleep?")
Luigi tried to recall the last thing he remembered.
He couldn't.
Panic started to take over Luigi. His eyes darted around the unfamiliar location, breathing getting heavier.
Luigi: "Where am I? What's-a going on? Is anybody here?!"
Feeling as if he was about to faint, Luigi took frantic steps backwards.
Luigi: "M-Mari- Oof!"
Luigi suddenly lost his balance on something large behind him, and he toppled over, hitting the hard floor with a thud. He groaned as he rubbed the back of his head.
???: "Luigi?"
Luigi sat up at the sound of his name. Luigi: "Mario...?"
A million tonnes of relief washed over Luigi. Right there in front of him, the thing he tripped over, was none other than his brother Mario. Luigi scrambled to his knees and hugged the still half-asleep Mario, who looked at his brother with confusion.
Mario: "What's-a matter with you, Luigi?"
Luigi: "Oh, Mario! I was so worried!"
Luigi gripped on tighter to his brother who was now losing air.
Mario: "L-Luigi... You're-a..."
Luigi: "Ah! Sorry."
Luigi let go, giving time for Mario to catch his breath.
Mario: "Why-a you so freaked out, anyway?"
Luigi: "Look around! I have-a no idea where we are! I don't even remember how we-a got here!"
Luigi gestured to the room, and Mario glanced around accordingly. This definitely wasn't the Mushroom Kingdom, or anything they had seen before.
Mario: "Hmm... Wait-a minute. Weren't we just at-a home?"
Luigi: "A-at home..?"
Suddenly, it hit Luigi like a slap to the face.
Luigi: ("Y-yeah... that's-a right. We were at our-a house... and others were there too... They were all... We were all...")
Luigi didn't know if his fuzzy memory was due to his tired state or something else, but his anxiety came creeping back all too soon.
Luigi: "What...? W-why were we-a...? How did we-a get here..?"
Mario: "Calm down, bro! It's gonna be okay!"
Mario put a hand on his brother's shaking shoulder, to try and put an ease to his fright. He thought to himself for a moment, then sprung up spontaneously, clenching his fists in determination.
