(Tomorrow has passed, and Mario just woke up before any of his companions would as usual. He got up and went into the kitchen with Flavio. Just as soon as they were done eating breakfast, Mario went into cabin six and knocked on the door)

PENNINGTON:

Come in!

(Mario entered the room)

PENNINGTON:

Ah, my dear Luigi! You made it right on time! A new case has arisen! Now, Mr. Businessman, please explain the new case to Luigi, alright?

MR. BUSINESSMAN:

Okay, okay, um… when I woke up, my briefcase is gone! It contained all the contracts for our next deal, and even our new product prototype! If I don't recover it, I'm screwed!

PENNINGTON:

Okay, calm down, sir. The next part is vital. So tell Luigi very slowly.

MR. BUSINESSMAN:

Okay… our company's new product is "Nitro Honey Syrup," used properly, it's an amazing product that can even raise the dead, but if mixed with the calcium from a seashell and a bit of gold, the results are EXPLOSIVE! The resulting goo-blast would immobilize everyone here in a sticky, yet yummy, shellac! If it's fallen into the wrong hands, I could lose more than my job!

(Mario slapped the businessman)

MARIO:

Pull yourself together, man! If it's Vivian's sisters and Doopliss that stole your briefcase, then we'd be screwed, too!

PENNINGTON:

Let's examine these facts, shall we? Someone has stolen your briefcase… though you definitely had it yesterday… hmmmm… and the train has not stopped at all in the intervening time… I have it! Rudimentary, my dear Luigi! Rudimentary! The thief is still on the train!

MARIO:

And if Beldam's the thief… she must be after Vivian! I'm sure Koops will protect her!

PENNINGTON:

Luigi! Have you spoken to the waitress and the lady in cabin 2? They have both lost something on this train! The waitress lost Shell Earrings, and the lady, Toodles, lost a Gold Ring! Luigi, if the same person who stole those objects also has the Nitro Honey Syrup, they could make this goo-blast! They could carry out the threat in the note! So it is simple, Luigi! You must find that thief! We must apprehend the suspect before this dastardly plan is put into effect!

MARIO:

You got it, sir! And please call me Mario!

(Mario and Flavio exited the room)

MARIO:

Gosh, where do I start? How am I gonna find some shell earrings and a gold ring?

FLAVIO:

I know where to start!

MARIO:

And where do we start? Hmm?

(Mario and Flavio entered cabin 1 and found a vital paper)

MARIO:

Flavio, you are a genius! This… looks like something very important and complicated. Well, let's take that to Pennington!

(Mario and Flavio reunited with Pennington and Mr. Businessman)

PENNINGTON:

Have you stumbled upon any new clues?

MARIO:

I found this piece of paper!

(Mario hands the paper to Pennington)

PENNINGTON:

What is this paper, hmmmm? What sort of clue is this supposed to be?

MR. BUSINESSMAN:

Ack! Th-That's one of the contracts for my upcoming business deal!

PENNINGTON:

What?!? I mean… yes! Just as I suspected! Luigi… where did you find this very important clue?

MARIO:

It was lying on the ground in cabin one!

PENNINGTON:

Cabin one, you say… yes… Zip Toad's room. A place I have long suspected! Come to think of it, I do not believe I've seen him today. Then perhaps he is hiding somewhere on the train. Always one step ahead! Very well, my dear Luigi… find that Zip Toad!

(Mario and Flavio exited cabin six and met Goombella in the kitchen)

GOOMBELLA:

And what do you think you two are doing?

MARIO:

We're doing some detective work with Pennington.

GOOMBELLA:

You mean that detective penguin?

MARIO:

And now we're gonna grab something to eat!

GOOMBELLA:

First, you gotta see that piece of paper lying on the ground in our cabin!

MARIO;

What? Another vital paper!?

(Mario, Goombella, and Flavio were now in cabin five and there actually was another document from the briefcase)

MARIO:

Holy cannoli! There really is another piece of paper! From the businessman's briefcase!

GOOMBELLA:

And I saw Zip Toad under our bed!

MARIO:

What?!?

ZIP TOAD:

Crap! You found me! Well, I'm outta here!

(Mario whacked Zip Toad with his hammer)

MARIO:

Nice try, paisano! Now, if you'll excuse, babe… I've gotta take him to Pennington so he can teach that punk of a celebrity a lesson!

ZIP TOAD:

No! I almost got away with it!

(Mario and Flavio took Zip Toad to Pennington)

MARIO:

Pennington, I found the suspect!

PENNINGTON:

So this was our man, all along! Pretending to be Zip Toad, I see, all the while pilfering things from others to aid your evil plan! Hmm… yes, this was all just as I had deduced! I knew all along you were a fake. Yes, a discolored nostril hair tipped me off! And not only that, but I knew that you were the one who threatened Luigi!

ZIP TOAD:

Curses! I almost got away with it by getting off at Riverside Station, too!

PENNINGTON:

Yes, you played a daring and ingenious little game, my false friend, but the jig is up now, fiend! And the good people on this train are now safe. That is correct, sir! No one escapes from this improbably large brain! Ahem, well, yes, in any case… at least return what you have stolen, fool.

ZIP TOAD:

Whatever! Take them!

(Zip Toad threw the briefcase, shell earrings, and the gold ring on the ground in front of Mario)

MR. BUSINESSMAN:

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! My precious briefcase! Is the Nitro Honey Syrup safe?!?

MARIO:

Don't worry, sir! The briefcase is safe! Here you are!

(Mario handed the briefcase to Mr. Businessman)

MR. BUSINESSMAN:

Oh, thank you, thank you! Thank God it's safe! Now I won't get screwed!

PENNINGTON:

Our rendezvous with disaster was defused by my most rudimentary of deductions! You may leave now, and take the earrings and the ring with you! I'll keep Zip Toad safe!

(Mario, Goombella, and Flavio were now in the kitchen when the waitress approached them)

TOADETTE WAITRESS:

Hello, you two! How may I serve you today!

(Mario handed the waitress her earrings)

TOADETTE WAITRESS:

My earrings! Thank you so much!

MARIO:

You're welcome! Anyway, I would like some pancakes!

GOOMBELLA:

I'll take pancakes with marshmallows on them!

TOADETTE WAITRESS:

Coming right up!

MARIO:

Finally, I can spend some alone time with you, Goombella!

TOADETTE WAITRESS:

Here you are, Mario! Pancakes for you, and… pancakes with marshmallows for you, Goombella!

GOOMBELLA:

Thank you so much!

MARIO:

Yeah, thanks!

TOADETTE WAITRESS:

You're welcome! Enjoy your breakfast!

(Later in the evening, the train stopped at Riverside Station, where the bridge has been lifted up. Pennington and Zip Toad got out of the train first)

ZIP TOAD:

Hey, I think not, Slick! You think you can just hold me? No way! Beldam would lose her crap if I screw up!

(Zip Toad transforms back into his regular self, which was actually Doopliss the whole time)

DOOPLISS:

This whole Zip Toad thing was just a means to an end!

MARIO:

What the…?

DOOPLISS:

Nobody move! Especially you, Slick!

RANDALL:

Come on, let's get out of here, Doopliss! You did good!

DOOPLISS:

Later, suckers! Hyuk hyuk hyuk hyuk!

(Doopliss and Randall both left)

MARIO:

Was that… Randall!?

VIVIAN:

Wait, Randall was here?

MARIO:

He was! Doopliss was here, too!

KOOPS:

I didn't know Doopliss joined forces with Vivian's sisters! Does he know your dad, Viv?

VIVIAN:

Probably! Considering that Beldam is very loyal to my dad, then of course that Doopliss freak knows him!

MARIO:

Anyway, we gotta lower that drawbridge somehow!

BOBBERY:

Maybe we could go inside the control room and maybe figure out how to lower the drawbridge!

(Mario and Flavio went up to that blue Toad)

MARIO:

Excuse me, sir, we were wondering if we can borrow your keys to go in the control room?

TOAD ENGINEER:

Uh, sure, just be careful, and bring that key back to me, alright?

(The Toad engineer handed Mario the key)

MARIO:

Thank you! Okay, I'm gonna be going inside, anybody wanna go?

GOOMBELLA:

I'll go!

EGGY:

Ooh, me! Me! Me me me meee!

MARIO:

Alright!

FLURRIE:

Perhaps I'll go with you, too!

MARIO:

Okie-dokie! Anybody else?

BOBBERY:

Ms. Mowz and I are gonna stay put and I'm gonna talk with Pennington.

KOOPS:

Vivian and I wanna stay here, too. I'd like to enjoy the sunset while it lasts.

MARIO:

Alright! Let's get going!

(Mario, Goombella, Flurrie, Eggy, and Flavio went inside the building and are walking)

EGGY:

Wow, this place is…

MARIO:

Not so good. Come on.

TIKAL:

Hey, Mario! Did you missed me?

MARIO:

Tikal, what are you doing?

TIKAL:

In order to lower the drawbridge, you need to pull the switch that's down the elevater. Here, you're gonna need an elevator key to go down.

MARIO:

Gee, thanks!

TIKAL:

I've gotta go now, bye-bye!

(Tikal disappeared)

GOOMBELLA:

Well, now we know that the switch is just down the elevator! Come on!

(Mario inserted the elevator key with Goombella, Flurrie, Eggy, and Flavio following him, and they went down the elevator. When they out, they noticed a hoard of smorgs)

MARIO:

What the…?

FLURRIE:

This room is highly infested with smorgs!?

GOOMBELLA:

I'm gonna be sick!!

MARIO:

Let's get these guys outta here!!

(Mario ran and started hitting the smorgs with his hammer)

EGGY:

Looks like Gonzales needs help.

GOOMBELLA:

You're right, Eggy! We can't let Mario take them all out at once! Let's get out there and help him! Charge!!!

(Goombella, Flurrie and Eggy battled the smorgs alongside Mario. The smorgs eventually retreated)

GOOMBELLA:

Whoo! I've never felt better!

FLURRIE:

I'll say, that was one heck of a battle!

EGGY:

Look! The switch!

(Mario pulled the switch. Meanwhile, Koops and Vivian were sitting next to each other when they saw the drawbridge lowering)

BOBBERY:

By Blubberton's beard! The drawbridge is lowering!

MARIO:

I'm here!

KOOPS:

Mario, you did it!

GOOMBELLA:

We literally had to fight our way through those stupid smorgs!

FLURRIE:

Two words: totally gross!

MARIO:

Yeah, but we managed to get them all and pull the switch.

BOBBERY:

Oh, that's great! Let's get back in the train!

(Mario locked the building and handed the key to the Toad. Then he ran to the train and the train took off as the Thomas theme plays. Later, at night)

GOOMBELLA:

Whoo! Tomorrow, that Chaos Emerald is ours for the taking!

(Mario sighs)

GOOMBELLA:

What's wrong, Mario?

MARIO:

It's just… Vivian's sisters and Doopliss are gonna steal the Chaos Emerald before we can make it!

GOOMBELLA:

What makes you say that?

MARIO:

I saw Doopliss and Randall pass the drawbridge!

GOOMBELLA:

Oh, well that's not good.

FLAVIO:

Let's just hope they don't find it!

MARIO:

I hope so.

(Meanwhile, a group of smorgs somehow got on the train and rested)

To Be Continued