Author's note: Aah... 'tis good to be back!
After many, many computer troubles, I've finally gotten around to writing this chapter!
... which is not the last chapter...
It's close, though. Very close.
Thanks for all the reviews and (the one) e-mail, guys! I appreciate it!
And awaaaaaay we go!
The whole group, (consisting of Luigi, Mario, Princesses Peach and Daisy, Toadsmill, Yoshi, and a random, expendable Koopa Troopa named Joe), returned to the castle to hold a council of war to plan their final attack.
Luigi smacked his hand down onto the desk, "We need to plan our final attack; no more losing the purple shy-guy! We'll stick to him like burnt cheese to a frying pan!"
"Ew… burnt cheese…" Peach mumbled disapprovingly.
"Daisy," Luigi snapped his head to face the yellow-clad princess, "read the notes!"
Flipping through a few pages in her yellow notebook, Daisy began, "Ahem. Marshmallows, two bags of flour, a watermelon- wait… this is my grocery list…" She murmured sheepishly, and flipped through a few more pages. "Um…" she flipped through a few more pages. Suddenly, she stopped, "I didn't take any notes for you, Luigi!"
"Oh. Right." Luigi adjusted his cap. "That's because all we need to know is written down right here!"
He strode across the room to where a gigantic blackboard stood. He hit it with his fist, and it flipped over to show some doodles, and a few words.
The green-clad plumber produced a conductor's baton out of his overalls, and tapped it against the blackboard as he read off the doodles and the words,
"Target The Purple Shy-guy.
Mission find out what he's doing with that plate of spaghetti."
Peach broke in, "And where he got that incredibly fashionable hat!"
Luigi nodded, "And find out where he got that incredibly fashionable hat. Moving on, I will provide, for those who aren't familiar with everyone already, a brief description of all the members of our group, including their strengths and weaknesses."
"We already know everyone's strengths and weaknesses, Weege." Mario rolled his eyes.
"Joe doesn't." Luigi indicated the befuddled Koopa Troopa sitting in the seat next to Yoshi. "And so here it is, presented in no particular order."
Luigi: Awesome, god-like leader.
-Strengths: His Sherlock-Holmes-esqe detectiving abilities of wonder.
-Weaknesses: Nothing.
Mario: Brother of the awesome, god-like leader.
-Strengths: Can break bricks with his head.
-Weaknesses: Cheap mustache gel.
Peach: Princess of Mushroom Kingdom.
-Strengths: Her regal-ness, and sewing.
-Weaknesses: Bowser.
Daisy: Princess of… some… kingdom… somewhere.
-Strengths: Her ability to run quickly in high-heels.
-Weaknesses: Insects.
Yoshi: Dinosaur and tongue-stretcher extraordinaire.
-Strengths: Able to eat more than a locomotive.
-Weaknesses: Rotten fruit.
Toadsmill: Our little ... attendant... dude.
-Strengths: Ability to say 'Yes, your Highness' in any situation.
-Weaknesses: Gullibility.
Joe: The very random and expendable koopa troopa we picked up outside Dry Dry Dry Cleaners.
-Strengths: Can walk in a straight line forever without getting tired, or caring where he's going.
-Weaknesses: Jumping plumbers.
"Any objections/questions?" Luigi surveyed the group.
"Who made you god-like leader of our group?" Peach raised an eyebrow.
"I'm not weak to cheap mustache gel." Mario huffed, "And I break bricks with my fists, not my head!"
"Where am I princess of?" Daisy looked confused.
"Yoshi-yo-yoshi!" (That rotten fruit thing only happened once!)
"I'm not gullible!" Toadsmill shouted.
Daisy looked at him, "Toadsmill, the earth is square."
"Really!" the toad's mouth hung open, "I always thought it was spherical! By Bowser… square… what will they think of next?"
"I have a question!" Joe the Koopa Troopa raised his hand, "Why does my description say I'm 'expendable?"
"Uh, all your questions will be filed away and never looked at- I mean… I'll answer them when I get the time." Luigi flipped the blackboard again, "Now, let's go after that purple shy-guy!"
Fifteen-and-a-half minutes later...
"There he is…" Luigi peered through the leaves of the large bush he was concealed by at the purple shy-guy, who was strolling along the path as usual, with his big plate of spaghetti balanced precariously on top of his yellow, polka-dot party hat.
The green-clad plumber pressed a button on his large walkie-talkie, and spoke in hushed tones into the mic, "This is Greensherlock reporting; the purple shy-guy is on the path, I repeat, on the path. Not next to the path, not diagonal to the path, not even under the path; but ON the path."
-
A hundred yards down the road, on the other side of the street, was a different bush, in which Peach and Daisy were concealed.
They both pressed the talk button on their walkie-talkie simultaneously, "This is Pinkpuff, - and yellowbird- reporting. We have a visual of the target."
"That's great!" Luigi's voice crackled over the walkie-talkie in answer, "But can you see him?"
Peach and Daisy slapped their hands to their foreheads, "Yes." Peach added in an exasperated voice, "That's what a visual means, Luigi."
-
"… I knew that." Luigi grumbled into the receiver as he watched the purple shy-guy progressing down the street.
"XXxxxxzzz you guys stop fooling xxxXXXXXZZ?" Mario said from his and Toadsmill's hiding place; a large tree a quarter of a mile down the road.
"Sorry bro, I didn't catch that." Luigi stroked his moustache, "After all, these walkie-talkies only have a three hundred yard range. Oops, the purple shy-guy's almost around the corner. Cover me!" He called into his walkie-talkie.
Then, whipping out the hubcap that, (if you recall), he found earlier near the side of the road to use as a shield, Luigi dove into a roll, aiming for the other side of the road.
He didn't quite roll all the way; in fact, he didn't quite roll at all. Instead, he landed with an 'Oomph' in the middle of the street.
Picking himself up quickly, he scurried across as fast as he could and threw himself behind a stray mailbox.
Luigi dusted off his cap, "That wasn't so bad."
The purple shy-guy continued down the street, completely oblivious.
"Hey you guys," Came Joe's voice over the walkie-talkie, "Yoshi wants to know if it's time for part B of the plan."
"Ah, why not." Luigi pulled his hat down firmly and replaced the hubcap in his overalls. "Everyone, initiate part B! Follow that shy-guy!"
Immediately, everyone involved in this plot dropped to the ground, (it was quite a long drop for Mario and Toadsmill), and began to creep along the ground, commando style, whilst the theme for Mission Impossible played in the background.
"Dun dun, duun duun duun, dun dun, dun-dun-dun-dun, dun dun, duun duun duun, dun dun, dun-dun-dun-dun…"
"Luigi," Everyone hissed into their walkie-talkies, "It's background music! Stop singing along!"
"Well excuuuuse me!"
Will the gang finally find out what the purple shy-guy is doing with his plate of spaghetti? (and where he got that extremely fashionable hat?)
Will Mario ever be free of Luigi's antics?
Will Joe's expendibility cost him dearly in the end?
Will Daisy ever remember what kingdom she's from?
Find out next time, in the action-packed conclusion of The Mysterious Shy-Guy!
... and don't forget to review!
