A Girl of the Future Read online

"Correct." The Boo said, handing Aubrey a painting. She rushed downstairs to Alex.

  Alex & Aubrey: Friends – Currently in Last Place

  Aubrey unrolled the painting.

  "I think this is Luigi's Mansion." Alex said.

  "So we've just got to find it." Aubrey said.

  ? (Luigi's Mansion)

  E. Gadd and Toadsworth watched as the final two teams pulled up to the mansion and jumped out of their cars. They teams rushed forward, looked in an intense footrace.

  Both teams jumped onto the mat within moments of each other.

  "Welcome to Boo Woods." E. Gadd said.

  "Thank you." Ash said.

  "Thanks." Aubrey said.

  "Ash and Pikachu… You're the eighth team to arrive." Toadsworth said. "Alex and Aubrey… You're the last team to arrive."

  "Damn… We had a feeling." Alex said.

  "However…" Toadsworth said. "Ash and Pikachu, you broke the rules of your abilities when you used Thunderbolt to hail a cab, and for that, you've incurred a 30-minute

  penalty, and that means that Alex and Aubrey, you are officially team number eight."

  Alex & Aubrey: Friends – 8th Place / 10:19 PM

  Ash & Pikachu: Trainer/Pokemon – Last Place / 10:19 PM

  "No way…" Aubrey gasped.

  "Alex and Aubrey, I do have some bad news." Toadsworth said. "This is a non-elimination leg, so Ash and Pikachu are still in the race. However, Ash and Pikachu, your 30- minute penalty will be applied to your departure time in the next leg. Also, because this is a non-elimination leg, you are marked for elimination, which means you must come in

  first in the next leg or you will incur another 30-minute penalty."

  "Getting to the Pit Stop and discovering that Ash and Pikachu were given a penalty was a huge relief." Aubrey said. "After the U-Turn, we were afraid we were going home,

  and we're going to use this second chance to race stronger and smarter."

  "Alex and Aubrey are a tough team, as are the other teams we're up against, but Pikachu and I are going to take this next leg by storm and come in first! Count on it!" Ash

  said.

  "Stay tuned for scenes from our next episode…"

  Leg 3 Trivia:

  - The reason behind teams driving Chevys is entirely biased. I like Chevy.

  - The total for the lighthouse challenge was totally random. There was no rhyme or reason to it. The number of steps (205) was the same number of steps from the similar

  challenge in the same lighthouse in my original TAR stories. In that, the number of steps was the average number of coins teams had received at the start of the legs in the

  race.

  - If you read my original TAR series, you may know that I called this area the Haunted Sector (which was a name taken from milesyoshidino34's TAR stories). While writing this

  story, I decided to try to find a better name for it. While doing some research on both Luigi's Mansion and E Gadd, I discovered that the woods surrounding the mansion were

  called Boo Woods, so I figured that I would rename the entire area to Boo Woods, as I think maybe only one or two of my locations actually match up with myd34's Haunted

  Sector.

  - Yoshi's fear and unease in this leg was based off of Super Mario World and the SMW cartoon, which shows Yoshi to be afraid of ghosts.

  "Next time on The Amazing Race…"

  "Teams travel to Boston, Massachusetts and participate in an old city tradition…"

  "I can't believe I'm actually running part of the Boston Marathon!"

  "I know! This is so cool!"

  "...And marked for elimination, Ash & Pikachu find themselves struggling…"

  "(Come on, Ash! You can do it!)" Pikachu cheered.

  "But I can't!" Ash said. "I suck! I'm not athletic! I'm a Pokemon trainer, not a basketball player!" He tossed another ball toward the hoop, missing the shot entirely. "See?!" He

  grabbed another ball and whipped it into the stands.

  "Haunted? Ooh ooh like ghosts?!" Tina asked.

  "Once in Boo Woods, take a taxi to… Boo's Lookout Tower?! Ohmigod!" Stacey finished. "You have 375- yeah, whatever. Boos!"

  "At the Detour, teams found themselves navigating a changing maze of tree houses and bridges…"

  "Right." MetaKnight said. The Boo flipped the sign, showing a race flag. A cackle was heard and the flag vanished, revealing a red

  "I'm sorry. You must return to the start." The Boo said.

  The Star Warriors returned to the beginning of the village as Ash and Pikachu climbed up into the trees.

  "Want to work together?" Ash asked.

  "(Sure.)" Kirby said. The two teams quickly rushed forward and soon came to a fork in the bridges.

  "Choose a path." The Boo said. The two teams consulted for a moment.

  "Left." MetaKnight said. The Boo flipped over a sign, revealing a red "X" that quickly vanished and was replaced with a race flag.

  "… Or navigating a series of haunted tunnels."

  Stacey and the Pandorans rushed through one of the tunnels and around a corner to see a wall ahead of them.

  "Dang." Tina said. A Boo floated past them.

  "Ohmygod, it's so cute!" Stacey said.

  "You are an odd child." Athena said.

  "I know." Stacey said.

  CJ and Shaylene rounded a corner into another tunnel. Both of them jumped as a wall slammed down behind them.

  "Whoa! What was that?!" Shaylene asked.

  "The walls in the tunnels move." CJ said.

  "Great." Shaylene said. "I thought it was just going to be a straightforward path through a bunch of haunted tunnels."

  "With a fear of ghosts threatening to slow them down, Yoshi and Yoshi Jr decided to use their Express Pass to skip the Detour…"

  "We're going to use the Express Pass." Yoshi said.

  "With Dad's fears, we need as many advantages as we can get in this leg." Yoshi Jr said.

  "At the Roadblock, teams had to climb to the top of a mysterious lighthouse, making note of the year it was born and the number of steps in the lighthouse, then totaling it

  once they reached the top."

  "Welcome to Boo Lighthouse. What is your answer?"

  "Yoshi looked around, scanning the walls of the lighthouse. "Um… um… 1889?"

  "I'm sorry that's not correct."

  "Getting to the top of the lighthouse, I had no idea what I was doing." Yoshi said. "I took a guess, since I had no idea when the lighthouse was built."

  "(203… 204… 205…)" Pikachu said, reaching the top.

  "Welcome to Boo Lighthouse. What is your guess?"

  "(205.)" Pikachu said.

  "I'm sorry. That's not correct."

  "What is your answer?"

  "I'm sorry that's incorrect."

  "Married couple Fox and Krystal used the leg's U-Turn to slow down friends and Sages Alex and Aubrey."

  "We choose to U-Turn Alex and Aubrey." Krystal said. "Sorry guys, but you asked for it after what you pulled last leg."

  (~TAR~)

  "You've got to be kidding me!" Alex exclaimed, noticing the U-Turn board.

  "Guess we've got to go do the other Detour…" Aubrey said.

  "Shaylene excelled at the Roadblock…"

  "203… 204… 205… And 5 landings." Shaylene thought aloud as she reached the top. "Assuming the landings don't count… And the lighthouse was built in 1754…"

  "Welcome to Boo Lighthouse. What is your answer?"

  "1959?" Shaylene questioned. The Boo cackled and handed Shaylene a rolled up piece of paper. "Is this… my clue?"

  "Yes." The Boo said.

  (~TAR~)

  "This is Luigi's Mansion!' CJ said.

  "So now we just have to figure out how to get there." Shaylene said.

  "…Allowing her and CJ to come in first, claiming a fantastic prize."

  "CJ and Shaylene… You… are team number one!"

  "Yay! Finally!" Shaylene cheered.


  "I have more good news." Toadsworth said. "As the winners of the leg of the race, you two have won a 5-day, 4-night trip to Lavalava Island. You'll be able to enjoy swimming

  and enjoying the island's white sand beach, a tour through the Lavalava Jungle, you'll stay at the fabulous hotel in Yoshi Village, and you'll get a chance to climb Mt Lavalava."

  "U-Turned team Alex and Aubrey found themselves reaching the Pit Stop last, just behind trainer and Pokemon team Ash and Pikachu…"

  "Ash and Pikachu… You're the eighth team to arrive. Alex and Aubrey… You're the last team to arrive."

  "Damn… We had a feeling." Alex said.

  "But both teams were met with good news and bad news…"

  "However… Ash and Pikachu, you broke the rules of your abilities when you used Thunderbolt to hail a cab, and for that, you've incurred a 30-minute penalty, and that means

  that Alex and Aubrey, you are officially team number eight."

  "No way…" Aubrey gasped.

  "Alex and Aubrey, I do have some bad news. This is a non-eliminated leg, so Ash and Pikachu are still in the race. However, Ash and Pikachu, your 30-minute penalty will be

  applied to your departure time in the next leg. Also, because this is a non-elimination leg, you are marked for elimination, which means you must come in first in the next leg or

  you will incur another 30-minute penalty."

  "Nine teams remain… Who will be eliminated next?"

  Dating Sages climb to the top; Team Kanto spooked but safe

  (The camera rushed through the haunted trees of Boo Woods, over the treetop bridges and village, across Boo Lake to the mysterious lighthouse, and through more trees

  before reaching Luigi's Mansion. Standing outside, on the front steps, is Toadsworth. Despite being past sunrise, the gloomy area is still bathed in murky light and dense fog.)

  "This is Boo Woods. And in the northern section of this haunted forest is this place… Luigi's Mansion. This mansion, paid for by Luigi's adventurous ghost hunting and cared for

  by Professor Elvin Gadd, was the third pit stop in a race around the world. The nine teams waiting here have no idea what's in store for them in the next leg. Can CJ and

  Shaylene continue running near the front of the pack? What about Ash and Pikachu, who are now marked for elimination and suffering a 30-minute penalty incurred in the

  previous leg? Can they recover to stay in the race?

  CJ and Shaylene, who were the first to arrive at 6:47 PM, will depart at 6:47 AM."

  CJ & Shaylene: Dating – 1st to Depart / 6:47 AM

  (CJ is wearing black running shorts and a red t-shirt with the words "Keep Calm and Save Hyrule" on it. Shaylene is dressed in pink shorts and a white tank top with Hyrule's

  legendary Triforce on it. Given the signal, Shaylene rips open the clue.)

  "Drive yourselves to Clubba Airport and get on a flight to… Boston, Massachusetts?!" Shaylene gasped. "No way! Once in Boston, take a taxi to Faneuil Hall. You have 1000

  coins for this leg of the race."

  "From the Pit Stop at Luigi's Mansion, teams must drive themselves back to Clubba Airport just beyond the Boo Treetop Village and fly themselves to Boston, Massachusetts

  via Mushroom City or Toad Town. Once in Boston, they must take a taxi to Faneuil Hall. It's there, in the famous indoor marketplace, that teams will find their next clue."

  Toadsworth narrated.

  "I can't believe we're going to Boston!" CJ said.

  "Shaylene and I grew up in a small city about an hour north of Boston, so we're excited to be headed there." CJ said (During-Leg). "That said, I don't know a lot about the

  city, since the only time I've ever really been was as a kid on school field trips, and the few times I've been as an adult, I wasn't driving, nor did I really explore the city."

  "This is gonna be awesome!" Shaylene said.

  Yoshi & Yoshi Jr: Father/Son – 2nd to Depart / 7:01 AM

  "Drive yourselves to Clubba Airport and get on a flight to Boston, Massachusetts." Yoshi read. "Thank goodness, we can get away from this haunted forest."

  "Boston? That's gonna be cool." Jr said.

  CJ & Shaylene: Dating (Clubba Airport)

  The dating Sages rushed into the relatively small airport.

  "Let's just try Boo Airlines." CJ said. The two rushed to the Boo Airlines counter.

  "Hi, we're looking to get on a flight to the United States. Boston, Mass." CJ said.

  "Sorry." The clerk said. "There are no international flights out of Boo Woods. You'll have to fly to one of the major airports and then catch a flight to Boston from there."

  "Which is faster? Mushroom City or Toad Town?" CJ asked.

  "Mushroom City." The clerk said. "The next flight is at 8:45 AM, arriving in Mushroom City at 4:00 PM."

  "Awesome. We'll take tickets on that." CJ said.

  CJ & Shaylene: Dating – 1st on FLIGHT 1

  "Thank you." Shaylene said.

  "Come on. Let's see if we can find somewhere to book a flight to Boston." CJ said.

  "Since we have over an hour until our flight out of Boo Woods, we're going to look for a travel agency or somewhere where we can book our flight from Mushroom City to

  Boston." CJ said (During-Leg).

  Fox & Krystal: Married – 3rd to Depart / 7:35 AM

  "…take a taxi to Faneuil Hall." Fox read. "Cool, we're going to Boston."

  "This should be fun!" Krystal said.

  Yoshi & Yoshi Jr: Father/Son (Clubba Airport)

  The Yoshis ran into the airport and quickly noticed CJ and Shaylene in a nearby travel agency office.

  "What did you guys find?" Yoshi asked.

  "There's no international flights out of here, so we need to fly to one of the major airports and then get on an international flight to Boston." CJ said. "We're on an 8:45 AM

  flight to Mushroom City, and we're working on getting a 5:15 PM flight to Boston."

  "What time does the 8:45 AM get into Mushroom City?" Yoshi asked.

  "4:00 PM." CJ said.

  "That's not bad. 1 hour 15 minutes to make our flight to Boston?" Jr asked.

  "Yeah. And if we book here, it should make things go faster in Mushroom City." CJ said.

  "Good idea." Yoshi said. He and Jr walked over to one of the agents. "Can we get tickets on the 8:45 AM flight to Mushroom City? As well as the 5:15 PM from Mushroom City

  to Boston?"

  Yoshi & Yoshi Jr: Father/Son – 2nd on FLIGHT 1

  "We got this, guys." CJ said.

  DK & Diddy: Best Friends – 4th to Depart / 7:55 AM

  "Drive by marked car to Clubba Airport and get on a flight to Boston, Massachusetts." DK read. "Once in Boston, take a taxi to Faneuil Hall and search for your next clue. You

  have 1000 coins for this leg of the race."

  "Awesome, let's roll!" Diddy said.

  Fox & Krystal: Married (Clubba Airport)

  "Let's try Boo Airlines." Fox said, as he and Krystal ran into the airport. The two rushed to the Boo Airlines counter.

  "Hello, we're looking to get on a flight to Boston, Mass." Krystal said.

  "Sorry, there are no international flights out of here." The clerk said. "You will have to fly to Mushroom City or Toad Town and take a flight from there."

  "Ok, when's the next flight to Toad Town?" Fox asked.

  "We have a flight to Toad Town leaving at 9:15 AM, arriving at 5:30 PM." The clerk said.

  "What about Mushroom City?" Krystal asked.

  "8:45 AM, arriving at 4:00 PM." The clerk said.

  "Ok, can we get on that one please?" Fox asked.

  "No problem."

  Fox & Krystal: Married – 3rd on FLIGHT 1

  "Thank you." Fox said.

  Stacey & Tiny Tina: Friends – 5th to Depart / 8:18 AM

  "So, where are we going next?" Tina asked.

  "Boston." Stacey said. "Ugh… Can we just skip this leg? Go to Paris or something?"

  "I've been to Boston so
many times in my life that it's definitely not on my dream destinations for a race around the world." Stacey said (During-Leg). "Not that I'm confident

  about navigating my way through the city. I'd take a leg anywhere but Boston."

  DK & Diddy (Clubba Airport – Boo Airlines)

  "Hi, we're looking to get on a flight to the United States. Boston, to be exact." DK said.

  "Sorry, no international flights out of here." The clerk said. "You'll have to fly to Mushroom City or Toad Town and then get on a flight to Boston."

  "When's the next flight to either place?" Diddy asked.

  "We have an 8:45 AM flight to Mushroom City." The clerk said.

  "Are there any seats left on that?" DK asked.

  "Yes. I'll print your tickets." The clerk said.

  DK & Diddy: Best Friends – 4th on FLIGHT 1

  "We really cut it close with this one." DK said (During-Leg). "Less than a half hour until the flight leaves, and the three teams ahead of us are probably on this flight."

  Athena & Janey: Engaged – 6th to Depart / 8:33 AM

  "Drive yourselves to Clubba Airport and get on a flight to Boston, Massachusetts. Once in Boston, take a taxi to Faneuil Hall and search for your next clue. You have 1000

  coins for this leg of the race." Athena read.

  "Sounds like fun." Janey said.

  "Being in the middle of the pack is a weird feeling." Athena said (Before-Leg). "All the adventures I've had, the things I've done and seen, the treasures I've raided… Not being

  at the top is odd."

  FLIGHT 1 (Boo Airlines) – Departure (Boo Woods) / 8:45 AM

  "This is the first flight leaving Boo Woods for Mushroom City, carrying the first four teams – dating Sages CJ & Shaylene, father-and-son Yoshi & Yoshi Jr, married mercenaries Fox & Krystal and best friends DK & Diddy."

  Stacey & Tiny Tina: Friends (Clubba Airport)

  Stacey and Tina ran up to the nearest counter once inside the airport.

  "Hi, we're looking to go to Boston." Stacey said flatly.

  "Sorry, there are no international flights out of Boo Woods…" Stacey quickly interrupted the clerk.

  "Darn. Guess we can't go to Boston." Stacey said.

  "Girl, she's trying to say something." Tina said. "Go on, madam."

  "There are no international flights out of Boo Woods. You'll have to fly to Toad Town or Mushroom City and then get on a flight to Boston." The clerk said. "We have a 9:15 AM