Mushroom Kingdom Anew - Book 1

Chapter Sixteen

"Is today the day?!" Xavier exclaims excitedly, barreling down the stairs to the cottage.

It has been yet another two weeks, making up an entire month the heroic trio had spent on the island. In that time, everybody had greatly improved not even in their basic skills, but in Xavier and Terry's sake wit certain Power-Ups. Call it a chosen weapon of sorts, to which their expertise is endless. Xavier was much more accurate with his attacks, and he seemingly never loses his cool when he's against the wall anyways. Terry had practiced mostly in her defenses, taking many, many hits from her peers as well as their trainer. She was, without a doubt, the tank of the team, but she was still able to dole out some good damage anyways. Finally, Ace was by far the fastest. He even surpassed Mario in speed, to which the old plumber was impressed by. He said no Yoshi he's ever met was ever able to outspeed him, much less his brother.

A sense of pride arose in all three heroes, their greatly strengthened forms making them feel comfortable, prepared, and most of all ready beyond belief.

Mario, who was sitting at the kitchen table, chuckled at his protege's excitement. "Yes, Xavier, today's the day."

Terry, Ace, and Peach were sitting on the couch, either just relaxing or reading a book. Terry stands up and stretches, groaning as her muscles stretch and her bones creak. "Alrighty, guess I'll get ready then..."

Ace stands up too, bouncing on the spot with excitement. "Yeah, me too! This is gonna be awesome!"

"Follow me to the usual place, then." Mario grunts as he stands up, prepared for the potential triple beating he was about to receive. He exits the cottage with the three excited teenagers close in tow.

Mario promised the three that he'd let them go back after one month, but they first had to face off with the retired plumber individually. If they beat him, got him on the ropes or out of bounds of the arena, they won and they could head on back. However, the same rules applied to Mario. 'If you can't defeat me with these rules, you're not ready to go back' he had stated, that usual chipper tone suddenly austere. Naturally, the three trained relentlessly, patiently waiting for this day to come. They stuck strictly to a diet that would strengthen their bones and keep them in good health, went to bed regularly, took regular breaks and obviously trained. Not one of the members of the heroic trio bothered to complain about the fact that they couldn't relax. Vincent's beating of them really opened their eyes to the goal, and for the first time, they were truly prepared. Well, almost...

"Alright," Mario calls, hands on his hips. The trio snaps to attention, literally shaking with the eagerness to go all out and fight. "Rules are simple. Knock me into a corner or throw me out of bounds," He gestured to the wide area, a red circle printed around it made by paint. "You win. But if I do that to you, I win, and you stay here to train. No questions asked." He was serious, very different from that usual cheery self. Perhaps it's because he, too, understands the sheer magnitude of their trial, and wants to do everything in his own power to help.

Terry bounced on the balls of her feet, her calloused fists clenching and unclenching in anticipation. Ace was practically vibrating as he stuck his sunglasses back down on his eyes. Xavier flicked his nose, a notion he hadn't performed in a long time, just as excited for the battle ahead. Mario's serious face faltered for a moment, a smile shining through the cracks of his stoney tempo. Perhaps he was excited for a real fight, something he hadn't had to do in so long. Peach sat on the sidelines with her pink lace parasol protecting her pale skin from the sun. She had a bag filled with some emergency Mushrooms, just in case anybody was to get seriously injured.

First up was Xavier, who gingerly stepped into the ring. His hands were in his pockets and a smug look was painted on his face. Mario stood at the opposite side, his arms crossed and a very similar smug expression playing along his lips. Peach made her way over to the edge of the circle with her arm up in the air. "The first battle is between Mario and Xavier. Are both fighters ready?" Neither of the fighters moved an inch, determination flowing through their bloodstreams like blood. Adrenaline builds up inside of them. An exciting match was sure to come. Peach gulps down the lump in her throat. "The match begins in three..." Xavier didn't move, his eyes training on Mario and every movement he made. "...two..." Mario got into an offensive pose, seeing as Xavier clearly wasn't interested in going for the first blow. "...one..." Their eyes met, and a spark traveled between them. A competitive spark filled with their respective determination. This was going to be a fight to remember.