CURRENT RANKINGS
(subject to frequent or infrequent change)
VIP STATUS
1. MARIO 2. LUIGI
3. PEACH 4. LINK
PRIMARY STATUS
5. ISABELLE 6. DAISY
7. KIRBY 8. BOWSER
9. ZELDA 10. ROSALINA
A soft smile crossed onto my face as the soft purr of conversation in the room rumbled on. After arriving at Smash at seven o'clock, resubmitting my uniform for the end of the program, and cleaning out my cubby, the very first thing I did was find my way to the rankings board to check how everything turned out after both parties finished their final assessments.
At last, everything was right with the board again. First of all, I was in fifth and highest place of the standard rank, which was more than I could have ever asked for, but it was utterly astonishing nonetheless. Link had reclaimed his place in fourth place between Peach and me. He had also kicked Ganondorf off the list entirely, but I knew the inside reason for that. Mario had agreed not to let him go only for his place on the list to become forbidden. The idea seemed to have smoothed over well with him, since I didn't become aware of any displeasure or protests that he would have most likely made publicly. Everything really did work out in the end.
There wasn't really a graduation plan, as I found out shortly after I had arrived. When I entered the building and discovered a considerable number of fighters strolling about the lobby rather than gathering somewhere for an event, I snagged the attention of one passing through to be told that there was no proper event. It was simply getting there, hanging out for a bit, sneaking a peak at the ranking board, checking in with Mario, and then it was done. Considering Link's name was still so high on the list and hadn't dropped any numbers, it was the only option to assume that he had successfully battled Luigi yesterday and passed his final assessment with flying colors. I should have expected that, though.
"Ah, Isabelle!" Mario's perky voice yanked me out of my thoughts. I turned around to find him shuffling across the clean white floor to approach me. A beaming smile had locked onto his face—He must have been so proud of this season's graduates. "Glad to see you made it in today. I hope you got some well-earned rest. You certainly look well."
"Thank you, Mario. I definitely did," I said, easily returning his cheerful smile.
"Wonderful!" Mario enthusiastically clasped his hands together, turning casually on his heel into a leisurely stroll towards the door. I sensed that he wanted me to walk with him, so I sauntered along at his side. "So, pretty big day for you, huh? Last day of training."
"It really is," I agreed.
We filed through the door and into the hall that would lead us into the lobby, proceeding in an unhurried pace across the hall.
"What do you think, Isabelle?" Mario asked me. "You've worked hard to get here and you've finally reached the end of the program. See? You were unsure how you were meant to fit in here and I've turned you into a proper warrior."
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...
