The City of Neon Lights

(This topic is actually one I shall keep in sync with the same story on another forum. Don't post too heavilly (which you probably won't) to make things easier.

Story summary:

Here's the story to this point...)

Birdo: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH! (runs screaming down hallway)

Yoshi: Wait up! (follows)

As they disappear around a bend leading to the way off the boat, the ceiling collapses and Peach and Daisy fall through with a large boulder.

Daisy: I told you getting a rock for a souvenir was a bad idea!

Peach: Me?! It was your idea!

Daisy: Now we have to roll the thing back up the stairs again...

Peach (helps Daisy roll the boulder down the hallway): So picking a rock bigger then the elevator wasn't my best thought...

Daisy: Looks like we'll have to pass up this stop; it'll take until we leave for Windmillville to get this back to our cabins.

They continue to push the rock down the hallway.

***

(OK, the idea from here is that except for these two, everyone is out and about in the city and not on the boat. Remember, only three pairs aren't back by six, meaning Mario, Luigi, Boo, and Dry Bones get back on time.

Since Toad and Toadette's actions are unimportant until the ship leaves, the next scene should feature Wario and Waluigi trying to cross a populated soundstage with a Western theme to reach the prop table with the money bag on it without being caught. However, they have to be, sometime after they get the bag, for the story to continue. Next poster, get them to the bag and I'll handle the rest.))

(DO NOT IMITATE ME ON THIS. I AM ONLY POSTING THE UPDATE TO THE STORY THAT WAS MADE ON AREA 51 1/2 AND TO CONTINUE THE STORY MYSELF.)

Wario: Mama mia! RUN, WALUIGI!

Waluigi: You-a don't have to tell me twice!

Wario and Waluigi, persued by Bowser, attempt to run away from Bowser, but because they're about as slow as he is, they start running laps around the studio for several minutes unil Bowser suddenly stops in his tracks.

Wario and Waluigi: *slam into Bowser's back* OOF!

Bowser turns around as they fall to the floor.

Bowser: This is my movie, you fools, and now you'll pay for interrupting it!

Bowser steps forward with a claw raised to attack, but steps on some marbles that fell off the table earlier and falls on his back with a large thud, dazed.

Waluigi: That-a was close...

Wario: *grabs money bag from Waluigi* WHA HA HA HA! I'M-A RICH!! *opens bag and takes out a few coins* Hey, wait a minute! These are plastic! Plastic coins aren't-a worth anything! GAAA! *throws coins and bag away* What a waste of-a time!

Shy Guy (behind them): Um, excuse me?

Wario and Waluigi turn. The Shy Guy is wearing a director's hat and carrying a bullhorn.

Waluigi: What-a do you want?

Shy Guy: I couldn't help but notice that little incident just now, especially since you knocked down the backdrop while running in circles. I'm Steven Shyburg, Neon Height's most famous director, and I'd love to have you in the film I'm shooting right now as the main villians!

Bowser: *recovers senses* But I'm supposed to be the main villian in this picture, Mr. Shyburg!

Shyburg: True, but now that I think about it, I need a villian that can slink in and out of a crowd without detection, and you couldn't slink with a Slinky toy!

Bowser: *growls, annoyed*

Wario: Will we get paid a lot if-a we accept?

Shyburg: Of course! I pay a good actor 2 million coins a year for working on one of my films.

Wario: That's-a 3.81 coins a minute! WE'LL-A TAKE IT!!

***

(We should now see the reason Yoshi and Birdo miss the boat; Birdo can't help but try every outfit in a department store that fits!)

***

Toad: Whoa, I never expected to see a China shop in the middle of Neon Heights.

Toadette: Me either.

Toad: This is a cool little clock right here. It actually looks like it's made of China.

Suddenly, Toad is horrified.

Toad: Toadette, it's 5:58! We're gonna miss the boat!

Toadette: Oh man! We better hurry!

They rush out of the China shelf, accidently knocking over a display and a half, shattering everything.

Store Owner: Hey! You break it, you buy it!

***

Toadsworth is standing next to the gangplank leading to the M. S. S. Sea Star, looking at a clipboard he's holding in his hand.

Toadsworth: Let's see... Mistress Peach and Mistress Daisy never checked out... Masters Mario, Luigi, Dry Bones, and Boo have checked back in... that leaves-

A Koopa sailor hurries down the gangplank.

Koopa: Mr. Toadsworth, it's six. We have to leave now to keep on schedule. You know Windmillville; they hate being kept waiting.

Toadsworth (pulls out a pocketwatch and looks at it without checking the rest of the clipboard): Already?! Ooh, I hope everyone is on board, wot wot?

They run up the gangplank as it pulls back in and the boat starts to pull away from the dock. A loud and deep whistle rings through the air.

***

Yoshi: Huff... puff... almost there...

Birdo (trying to break free): Let me go! I haven't finished yet!

They reach the dock in time to see the M. S. S. Sea Star sail out of the harbor.

Yoshi: No! We're too late!

As he pouts, he lets go of Birdo, causing her to fall face first onto the dock due to her attempt to break away.

Birdo: What was that for?!

Yoshi (looks at her): What was what for?

Birdo (gets up): You just dropped me! That's no way to treat a lady!

Yoshi: Lady?! You're a pink dinosaur and the males of your species think they're girls!

Birdo: (gasps) I've never been so insulted in all my life.

Yoshi: Except on a playground...

Birdo: You think I'm weird? You're an excessive eater, that's what you are!

Yoshi: High metabolism! That's all it is!

Birdo: That has nothing to do with it!

Yoshi: You think that because you're too stupid to know what metabolism is!

Birdo: Are not!

Yoshi: Are too!

Birdo: Are not!

Yoshi: Are too!

Birdo: Not!

Yoshi: Too!

Birdo: Not!

Yoshi: Too!

Birdo: Not!

Yoshi: Too!

A half hour later, they collapsed on the dock from lack of breath, although thankfully they recovered quickly.

***

Meanwhile, on another part of the dock, Toad and Toadette see the boat sail away.

Toadette: Rats! We're too late!

Toad: I've got my Cellular Shoppper. I can probably reach Toadsworth.

Toadette: Better not. You're roaming.

Toad: Oh yeah... I knew I should've gotten Verison.

Toadette: Well, we better find some way to keep ourselves safe while we wait for the boat.

Toad (pats pocket gently): Don't worry about it. I've got enough coins on me to keep us living the high life for at least a month.

Toadette: When did you get that much money?

Toad: While everyone else was spending their coins at the store's Duty-Free Shop, I've been saving. Plus, I cashed in some investments before we left. I've got at least a thousand coins in here.

Toadette: Cool! But we better be careful; there's no telling what kind of con men lurk in this city's back alleys.

(Someone else should now have the con man strike Toad and Toadette down. They shouldn't be aware they found a con man until their money is gone.

Afterwards, we should cut to Wario and Waluigi as Wario dresses up for a classic Western duel scene. However, Wario's "insane factor" cuts in and the next thing everyone knows, the scenery is knocked down by the actor playing the hero being Wild-Swing-Dinged by Wario.)

Wario: (looks at Bowser looming over him) Oh boy. WAAAA! (turns around and runs)

Bowser: Come back here, you little- (chases them)

The chase is once again another large circle aroundt the studio, knocking over more props, the backdrop, the lighting, the extras...

Shyburg: (comes out of office) What the devil is going on out- WHOA! (is sent spinning, cartoon style, by the chase going past him and falls on floor) Oof! (looks around at destroyed set and growls angerly) BOWSER!

The chase suddenly comes to a grinding halt. After a few silent moments, Bowser trudges over to Shyburg.

Bowser: Yes, Mr. Shyburg?

Shyburg: Bowser, I expected more of you. Look at this mess! That curtain will cost tons of coins to replace! You're lucky I was nice enough to let you be assistant director when Wario joined the cast, but if you can't shoot one little shootout scene, your career just might have peeked! One more slip-up like this, and you're off the project!

Bowser: But... but...

Shyburg: No buts! The rest of you, get this set repaired and have another take. Actors, head back to your dressing rooms and freshen your makeup or something. Medics, get that hero back in shipshape. I need to get a glass of water... (goes back into office and shuts door firmly behind him)

Bowser: (growls loudly and glares at Wario and Waluigi out of the corner of his eye)

***

Toad and Toadette are walking down a street away from the dock.

Toadette: What was that you were saying about the high life?

Toad: Oh be quiet.

Toadette: One minute we're rich and the next we're poor. What on Pilt happened?

Toad: That's the seventh time you've asked that.

Toadette: Sixth time.

Toad: Seventh.

Toadette: You sure you don't have any coins left on you?

Toad: Don't you have any?

Toadette: I gave them all to you because we both know what a reckless spender I am.

Toad: Great...

Suddenly, Toad stops.

Toad: That's it!

Toadette: (stops as well and turns to face him) What's it?

Toad: I remember once seeing something small, round, and yellow in my hat! I think it might be a coin! (reaches in and feels around, and then pulls out a small, round, and yellow object) Ta da!

Toadette: That's not a coin. That's a slice of that cheese log that Peach gave you last month.

Toad: Oh yeah. I wondered where it went... (breaks cheese in half)

***

On the deck of the M. S. S. Sea Star, Mario and Luigi are leaning on the railing, looking out over the ocean, when Mario starts sniffing the air.

Luigi: What's up, bro?

Mario: I-a thought that for a moment, I-a smelled cheese.

Luigi: Don't-a be ridiculous: Toadsworth said that-a dinner wouldn't be-a anything requiring cheese.

Mario: (shrugs) It's-a probably just-a me.

***

Toadette: That one. (takes the piece of cheese in Toad's left hand)

They both start nibbling on their pieces of cheese.

Toad: Y' know, when one considers it's over a month old and it was stuck in my hat for a couple of weeks, it's not really that bad.

Toadette: I'm just glad it's food. We won't be able to go to any restaurants without some cash.

???: (behind them) Ahem...

They turn around slowly to see the China shop owner.

Toad: Um... hello...

Shop Owner: So, are you going to pay?

Toadette: Pay what?

Shop Owner: (grabs both of them by the front of their shirts and hoists them up to eye level, causing them to drop their cheese chunks, which bounce down the street and into an inconviently placed manhole) You heard me! When you rushed out of my store, you broke some of the more expensive parts of my stock! You owe me 8 million coins to replace them!

Toad: But we don't have any money!

Shop Owner: Then the two of you are going to have to work it off!

Still holding them by the fronts of their shirts, he marches back into the China shop.

***

(Now Yoshi and Birdo have to find a motel they can afford and check in. Remember, they don't have enough cash between them for seperate rooms, but at least there are two beds.)