CURRENT RANKINGS
(subject to frequent or infrequent change)
VIP STATUS
1. MARIO 2. LUIGI
3. PEACH 4. LINK
PRIMARY STATUS
5. DAISY 6. GANONDORF
7. KIRBY 8. ROSALINA
9. BOWSER 10. SAMUS
"There aren't any performances scheduled today, so I arranged a combat trial for you," Mario announced. "I set aside the entire hour of your shift so that you have plenty of time. I mentioned what combat trials are, right? Either way, it's right in the name. I put you up against your opponent and you fight until the timer goes off, which is unlikely, or a winner is declared."
A little over three weeks had passed since the meeting where Mario bumped me up to phase three. Since then, I relayed the instruction to continue my general training before he would schedule me into a trial. For a while, I was thrust back into the sensation of what my life had looked like back in the first phase, almost as if the race last month hadn't happened at all. Only yesterday did Mario break the news that he had fit me in for a trial, advising me to be prepared for the very next day. Upon arriving today, I changed into my uniform in the solitude of the changing room and accompanied him further and further through halls that I hadn't yet had the chance to visit.
"Performances?" I repeated, then admitted, "I'm not entirely sure what you mean by that."
"Oh, I apologize. I thought I mentioned those as well," Mario confessed. "Most combat trials are attended by an audience. Oh, uh, not a public audience, I should clarify. Although special events are held once a year where it actually is public. Anyway, what I meant by audience is some of the fighters here. If they feel like watching a show, they can take out a time slot away from their usual shift and attend the first of the current hour. Those happen every day and are the most common. The room can also be scheduled out for private training, which is what I've done for you. I figured you'd want a session alone before you try out your skills in front of the audience. So, we're just going to mostly take it easy today."
Mario, as usual, was right. Some of the knots in my stomach released at the idea of avoiding public humiliation. This way, if I embarrassed myself in some way, the only ones who would witness were Mario, whom I was close enough with to be confident in the fact that he would overlook any mistakes, and someone I had never met before, who might not remember the mistake anyway.
"Thank you, Mario," I said.
"Yes, no problem," Mario assured me brightly. "It's pretty much standard procedure, anyway. It'll be just you and your opponent today. Which brings me to the most important topic of discussion. Let me tell you about this opponent you're facing.
"He's a quiet one, doesn't talk much, so don't expect any kind of verbal answer if you speak to him," Mario explained. "I don't think I've ever heard his voice at all, for that matter. He's been training here for about nine or ten months, so maybe half a year longer than you. I recall you were worried about absorbing your combat training at such a young age. This fighter is seventeen years old and one of my best. I think he might have been the only one who advanced quicker than you, and that's saying something, but he also has outside training. Incredible fighter. Very, very talented."
YOU ARE READING
Counting the Stars
AdventureA few months fresh out of university at seventeen, Isabelle finds her world turned upside down on her when her twin brother, whom she has called her best friend for the entirety of her life, is torn away from her as he accepts a job offer as an inte...
