The X-Nauts Strike Back

[The Blue Toad]

I have a few things to say before you start reading this.  Firstly, yes I am already writing the story Mario's Murder Mystery on the Excess Express, but since no one is really reading that one too much, and I ahve another idea for a story, I'm going to be writing two!  Yes, this obviously means not as much updates considering there will be two, and I'll try not to let one die out.  This story has a spoiler for those of you who have not beaten Paper Mario 2 and do not want to know what happens.  It is basically like a sequel to Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.  Here it is...

Prologue:  They’re Back ~ Last time on the awesome adventures of Mario:  You would think that Mario would have defeated Bowser and his minions, got the Princess, made like hokey and got the puck outta there, but last time he didn’t…no no…last time he did not.  In Mario’s last adventure the enemy was none other than the highly intellectual group of strange species, the X-Nauts.  The X-Nauts are a group of strange little men in hardly any physical condition for fighting.  But when they lack in bronze, they make up for in cool gadgetry (and brains, yes).  They wear hats and scarves to cover their faces (or some even just have really large facial hair) and have small goggle-like glasses peeking out from their scarves or mustaches.  On their clothing they wear the large sign of an ‘X’ no, not an ‘M’ or a ‘Z’. ‘X’!  Hence the term, X-Nauts.  These people live in hiding, and have only made their huge debut when they randomly attacked and tried to take over the world by awakening a demon!!!  They had asked for the help of Shadow Sirens, and with their help they were able to kidnap Peach, and bring her behind the Thousand-Year Door and awake the terrible shadow queen!!!  The demon then possessed Peach, who had a pure heart and was the only one who could….be…..possessed….yes.  Unfortunately, the ruler of the X-Nauts, Sir Grodus, thought that since he provided the victim for the Shadow Queen, she would obey him.  The Shadow Queen was angered by Sir Grodus’ attempt to command her, and destroyed the X-Naut ruler!  The Shadow Queen was now free to destroy whatever she pleased, and the world was now in peril!  Luckily, Mario charged in, and destroyed the shadow demon; bringing peace to the Earth once and forever more……Yes that was what he did, basically.  Anyways, the X-Nauts somehow survived (including Sir Grodus who had practically been taken apart) and decided to live a more peaceful life, away from danger and evil…OR DID THEY???  Well, yes, actually they did.  So nothing much was ever heard from the X-Nauts again…never ever again…nope…never.  These X-Nauts who had begun their peaceful life on Earth suddenly disappeared one day.  No one really cared though, considering…well, just considering no one really cared about the X-Nauts.  The X-Nauts were gone, and that’s all there was to it……

“Lord Crump, come to me……” said a dark, old voice.  A short, fat X-Naut entered the room.  He wore a purple uniform and wore a purple Vikings helmet atop his head.  His face was hidden behind a large, prickly red mustache.  He walked across the cold, metal room and towards a desk at the very end.  It was dark gray, and behind it he could see the back of a tall black chair.  Behind the chair was a huge glass window which was filled with water, sort of like an aquarium.  Black fish, with huge sharp teeth swam left and right in the aquarium, bighting at bubbles and fighting with each other.  On the desk was a black laptop computer, a remote control, and a few floppy disks.  Lord Crump gulped as he waited for his master’s reply.
“What is it Sir Grodus…sir?” he asked.
“Is it ready?” the voice demanded.
“....What-the…the pizza?  Because, no it still has twenty minu-“
“Pizza?  What?  No not the pizza!!!” the voice cried angrily.
“Then what?!?”  Lord Crump asked bluntly.
“My BODY YOU NINCOMPOO…..P!”  The black chair suddenly swirled around, revealing the head of former, great leader, Sir Grodus.  The blast from the Shadow Queen left only his head, the rest of his body had been destroyed.  His head was simply a large, round blue sphere that looked robotic (probably because it was), and a pair of goggle-like spectacles.
“…OH!  Your body, yes, yes, no.  It’s not ready yet,” Lord Crump said.
“Bah!” Sir Grodus said loudly, “If I had a hand I would smack you…hard!” the head of Sir Grodus said.  â€œThat stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, STUPID, STUPID, STUPID SHADOW QUEEN!!!  She was the one that made me what I am…It was her who made me nothing but a head…”  Lord Crump felt a tad awkward.  He looked down at his boots and said;
“But, Sir Grodus, you used to be fine with just being a head.”  Sir Grodus looked away.
“I know, my dear servant, I know…but I realized how much of a nothing I was on that day…that day we went to the movies…”
“You mean when we went to see Madagascar?” Lord Crump asked.
“Yes…that movie with those stupid animals…You see, I was hopping along to get some popcorn, when some person stepped on me!  I asked if she would apologize, and she just said that I was a creepy head, and didn’t disserve it!  I!  The greatest genius in the world did not disserve an apology!  It was then that I realized what I truly missed was technology.  What I truly missed was power.  What I truly missed was my body!  It was then I pulled the X-Nauts away from that movie, and ordered you all to build the ship we fly in as I speak…and I have a plan, Lord Crump…Oh, I have a plan...”  Lord Crump was drooling at the mouth as he examined a lady bug crawl across the floor.  â€œâ€¦â€¦LORD CRUMP!”
“WHA?  Oh, *clears throat* yes sir, plan plany plan, of course,” he said, sadly watching the little lady bug crawl away.
“I have a plan to get back at all those people in that world over there, AND FINALLY RULE OVER THEM!!!”
“Really?”
“Yes, okay.  See, look at that Lord Crump, you just ruined a perfectly good ‘evil laughing’ time…it was there, we could’ve grabbed it, but you missed it Lord Crump, way to go,” said Sir Grodus, his large cranium bouncing up and down, spinning the chair back around so that Sir Grodus could look at his little swimming pets.  He was angrier now than he had been when he had a body.
“Oh, well, sorry.  I have a feeling that in this particular story there will be plenty of room for evil laughing, sir,” Lord Crump said.
“Shut up.  Tell the X-Naut Scientists to hurry up on my new body!....And the pizza!”  Said Sir Grodus as his head slumped down in his chair (creepy, huh?)
“Yes sir.”  Lord Crump made the sign of an ‘X’ with his arms (the X-Naut signal) and began to leave.  â€œOh, yeah…by the way…I was wondering…when you eat, where does the food…you know…go???”
“Shut up and get the pizza, Crump.  After that I will tell you, and all the X-Nauts, my absolute genius plan!  The plan that will make the X-Naut clan the greatest clan in the world...a plan that shall not fail to put us X-Nauts on the top...Now go get that pizza!”
“Yes sir!”
To be continued...
 

[The Blue Toad]

Chapter 1:  The Brilliant Plan ~ Sir Grodus sighed as he watched his fish swim back and forth.  He was an old X-Naut, and used to be very powerful.  With his staff at hand, and intimidating look, he was the best X-Naut leader ever!  His plan had been simple.  He would find all seven of the legendary Crystal Stars, and use their magic to open the great Thousand-Year Door!  There he would awaken the great and powerful Shadow Queen, an evil demon that had amazing power.  He would command this Shadow Queen, and rule the world!  He had well-trained X-Nauts, and excellently built robotics, but this was not enough.  He was chasing perhaps the most powerful seven objects in the world!  He needed help.  It was then that Sir Grodus was greeted by a trio of strange creatures.  They called themselves the Shadow Sirens and proved to be powerful.  The Shadow Sirens consisted of Beldam, Marilyn, and Vivian; together they could summon the elements ice, lightning, and fire.  They also hand the power of shadow, and they were just what Sir Grodus needed to make sure his plan worked.  He then discovered that the Shadow Queen was cursed.  She could not move from her coffin, and needed a sacrifice for the Shadow Queen to possess!  He needed someone with a pure heart, and Beldam said she knew just the person.  Beldam, the evil Shadow Siren began telling a rumor about a treasure behind the Thousand-Year Door, and found a princess to be the bate.  She was the perfect victim, and Dir Grodus was pleased.  He was sure this plan would work.  But, once he heard of a man named Mario, everything went wrong.  This Mario person had the map that showed wear the Crystal Stars were located!  And he was getting the Crystal Stars before the X-Nauts could!  Sir Grodus panicked and sent the X-Nauts, Lord Crump, and the Shadow Sirens on him, trying all he could to stop Mario.  He failed miserably.  Somehow, Mario was able to get by all of Sir Grodus’ plans.  But, finally, in the end it worked.  After tricking Mario, he made it to the Shadow Queen first.  He was too excited for words.  He awakened the Shadow Queen, and gave her Princess Peach.  But when Sir Grodus tried to command the Shadow Queen, she destroyed him.  She left him in pieces the only surviving part being his head.  The Shadow Sirens had just used him to awaken their queen!  He was like a pawn in their plan.  The Shadow Sirens ended up getting all the glory, and were thanked dearly by the horrid Shadow Queen.  Mario would not stand for this, though.  He fought the shadow queen, and with the help of the Crystal Stars, and all of his friends, he defeated her.  Afterwards, Sir Grodus realized his wrong doing and decided to turn good.  He tried it, and didn’t like it.  Now Sir Grodus wanted one thing, and one thing only: Revenge!
“Pizza time!” Lord Crump said suddenly, causing the head of Sir Grodus to jump.  Sir Grodus spun around in his chair to see Lord Crump holding a steaming pizza.
“Don’t scare me like that you stupid, stupid, foolish fool!” he cried as be bit into the pizza.

As soon as Sir Grodus and Lord Crump finished their pizza, the bouncing head led Lord Crump into the Speech Chambers (yes, the Speech Chambers) so that he could tell all of his fellow X-Nauts his genius plan.
“Hurry up, Crump!” Sir Grodus said as he hoped along, “A frickin’ head can go faster than you!”  Lord Crump panted as he tried to keep up.  Finally, Sir Grodus hopped into the elevator, Lord Crump soon to follow.  The elevator music was the soft sound of Oops I Did it Again by Britney Spears.
“…………”
“………………”
“………………”
“………..I love this song.”
“Shut up………remind me to kill the guy who picks the elevator music.”  Finally the elevator door opened and Sir Grodus’ head quickly hoped out.  There was the sound of talking behind the door they were about to enter.  Sir Grodus hopped through the door to find he was standing on a large stage in front of tons and tons of different types of X-Nauts.  X-Naut Elites, X-Naut Scientists, X-Naut Ninjas, all kinds.
“Lord Crump!” said Sir Grodus, “Put me up on the podium!”  Lord Crump picked up the head of Sir Grodus and placed it on a black podium that was in the front of the stage.  Sir Grodus said into the microphone; “Attention!!!”  All the X-Nauts stopped talking, looked to the front, and put their arms together to form an ‘X’.  â€œGreetings my fellow X-Nauts!  I have gathered you all here to tell you that we are going into action once more!!!”  There was a great cheer from the audience in which Lord Crump stood from the stool by the podium and signaled for them to quiet down.  â€œIt is time for our revenge!”  There was another loud cheer.  â€œI will need each and every one of you for this plan to succeed!  I have been living in peace for longer than I would have wanted, and it is time for a change!  Now I will not waste any time on telling you that this may be our time to rule the World!”  Yes, yes another loud cheer.  â€œIn phase one, I will have all of you fly from the X-Naut Mother Ship, and down towards Earth.  You will try to stay away from any contact with a stranger, but if you find you are, simply show your badge and tell them it is classified business.  In phase one I will first have my revenge on the species that caused my body to be disintegrated.  The Shadow Sirens.  Shadow Sirens are the strangest creatures I know of, and to get a hold of them, you must be very careful.  They lurk in the shadows, and are hiding everywhere.  I want you all to use this special device,” Lord Crump held up a remote control-like item to show the X-Nauts, “to track down the Shadow Sirens.  You see, the radar on the remote shows the dark energy of the Shadow Sirens right on the screen.  When it appears you are directly in front of one, simply press the big red button.  Lord Crump, a demonstration.”  Lord Crump nodded as he stood up once more.  He held the remote in front of him and pressed the big red button.  Blue lightning shot from the antenna and began zapping a nearby X-Naut.  The X-Naut rose into the air, screaming and twitching crazily from the electricity.  The other X-Nauts gasped as he landed back down with a thud.  â€œDo not worry,” Sir Grodus said, “He is not dead, just knocked out, stunned.  That blue electricity is attracted to the Shadow Siren energy, and will go straight to it.  It will force the Shadow Siren out from its hiding place, and will fall to the ground stunned.  This would be when you press the little blue button.  Lord Crump, if you will.”  Lord Crump stood up again.  A number of X-Nauts stepped back.  He pressed the little blue button, and a quick flash of light shot from the attena, hitting the same X-Naut that was electrocuted.  A blue bubble formed around the unconscious X-Naut, and lifted him slowly above the ground, the X-Naut floating around in the bubble.  â€œThis will capture the Shadow Siren so that it cannot escape.  Bring the Shadow Siren back to the Mother Ship where we will absorb the Shadow Siren’s power and use it for our own!!!”  There was a huge applause from the audience, X-Nauts yelling out “Brilliant!” and “Hoorah!” and even “Oh my gosh, where’s his frickin’ body?”  It was true.  His plan was brilliant.  â€œWe will not stop until we have every Shadow Siren in the world!  And as soon as we harness all that energy, we will load it into a giant gun that will be aimed at the Earth.  If the people on Earth don’t obey what I say, then we will fire the gun, plunging them into darkness!”  There was another great applause.  â€œOur weapon is darkness, my felloe X-Nauts!  No one will ever be able to stop us from dominating!  No one!.....Now grab one of those remote controls and a pamphlet labeled ‘The Steps To Domination’ on your way out, and get out there, and CAPTURE THOSE SHADOWS!!!”  And the biggest applause followed that.  â€œOkay!  Any questions?” a hand suddenly shot up.  It was an X-Naut Elite.  â€œOh, uh *clears throat* yes, what is it?” Sir Grodus asked.
“Sir, you went after the power of the shadows before, have you not?” asked the Elite.
“Well…yes I have,” Sir Grodus’ head replied.
“Well, no offense, but that plan went down like an elephant riding a unicycle.  Are you sure this is a good idea?”  A few of the X-Nauts began muttering.
“I’ll tell you what I think. Elite,” Dir Grodus hopped up and suddenly press a button on his podium.  A huge bolt of lightning came down from the ceiling and struck the Elite, leaving only his boots and a pile of ashes.  Everyone gasped.  â€œAny more questions?”  Surprisingly, another hand shot up.  It was just a normal X-Naut.  One of the stupid ones, actually.
“Yeah, uh, sir dude or dude…sir…yeah dude-sir-sir-sir-dude…Okay, anyways dude, or sir, or dude, or sir dude-“
“Shut up…now speak!” Sir Grodus commanded.
“Yeah, um, what do the ‘Shadow Sirens’ look like anyways, dude-sir?” he asked, giving the ‘X’ signal at the end.
“Oh, yes, well…lets see here…Shadow Sirens are purple, and almost appear in a smokey sort of way.  They almost float above the ground, have no legs, and have a dark shadow beneath them…alright any one else?”  No one else raised their hand.  â€œGood.  Then grab a pamphlet and remote zapper, and go capture some shadows!”  Instead of an applause there was a mutters of  â€œOkay”s and “Fine whatever”s.  If Sir Grodus had a body, he would’ve shrugged.
“Fabulous plan, Sir Grodus,” said Lord Crump giving him the ‘X’ signal with his arms.
“Thank you Lord Crump.  Now, make sure all those X-Nauts leave the ship and tell the X-Scientists to hurry up on my new frickin’ body!!!” said Sir Grodus.
“Will do sir,” said Lord Crump as he left to make sure all the X-Nauts were getting in the mini-pod ships that went straight to Earth.  Sir Grodus had a sudden surge of hope.  His plan was going to work!
To be continued...

[Markio]

I soooo want to read this, but because of my lack of Paper Mario 2, I would neither understand half of the stuff/characters, nor would I not see spoilers.

[The Blue Toad]

  Yeah, you should try to get Paper Mario 2 some time.  Great game.

Chapter 2: The Two Not So Bright X-Nauts ~ Cameras flashed wildly, reporters rang out in questions, and fans waved autograph books wildly as the fabulous Madame Flurrie returned from her beautiful stage performance in Gone With the Wind.  Madame Flurrie is a cloud goddess.  She helped Mario out in his last adventure when they collected the seven Crystal Stars.  After the amazing adventure, Madame Flurrie went back to the stage becoming a movie star, diva, idol, lover, and so on so forth.  Her huge stage comeback was a play all about Mario's huge adventure.  It was also when Doopliss, a Dooplighost made his stage debut for the first time!  Though he was popular, he was nowhere near as close to popularity as Flurrie was.  Old fans of hers cheered wildly as the cloud lady came back better then ever!  Madame Flurrie floated through the crowds of cheering fans.  She wore a fancy fur coat, with a matching fur hat.  He strong make-up and bright-red, smiling lips made her very recognizable.
"Madame!  Madame Flurrie!" a reporter cried from the audience, "This is for the Daily Mushroom!  What do you plant to do next?"
"Well, dahling, I plan to steal the spotlight once again, and keep on living the good life!"  Flurrie cried over the loud cheers of the audience.  Madame Flurrie floated over to a black limousine that was waiting for her.  "Good bye!  I love you all!" she cried as she floated into the limousine (her lumpy, round body hardly fitting).  The crowd cheered as the limousine began driving away.  Madame Flurrie was a winner of three Oscars, and had been given one for being best actress!  Flurrie did not only do stage performances, but screen appearances as well.  In The Matrix, she played a smaller role as The Oracle.  In The Lord of the Rings, she lost thirty pounds to play the role of Arwin (but, she gained back the weight as soon as the movie was over).  Flurrie was a very successful cloud.  But even now she missed the old days of traveling with Mario and friends all around the World.  It was really quite exciting, and she missed that feeling.  Flurrie played with her pearl necklace as she watched out the window.  After a while of driving, she arrived in Boggly Woods.  The mysterious forest that was home to strange creatures.  The trees were black and covered in white leaves, and white rings of flowers sprouted from the magical, colorful ground.  Flurrie watched as the limousine drove past the amazing Great Tree.  It was a gigantic tree that was home to tiny creatures known as Punis.  Flurrie got along with the creatures very well.  The limousine came to a halt in front of a large pink house.  This was Flurrie's home.
"Thank you, Jeeves," Flurrie said to her Puni butler.
"It is no trouble, Madame," said Jeeves as he began to park the limousine.  Flurrie now had a large fountain in front of her house and looked up at it in wonder as she floated up to her house.  She wondered what Mario was doing, and whether Princess Peach was doing okay.  The wind howled as she walked up the stone steps to her house.  As Flurrie reached in her coat pocket to find her keys, an enormous gust of wind bellow from the trees, and blew Flurrie's fur hat straight off her head.
"Ah!" she cried as she tried to grab her hat.  The hat blew behind her house, Flurrie quickly followed it.  Flurrie found her hat hung in a large tree at the side of her house.  "Oh dear...that was a very expensive hat," she said as she noticed how high up the hat was.  Flurrie was trying to think of a plan to get her hat back.....

Meanwhile...

"Alright, dude...It says that there is a Shadow Siren somewhere over here, dude," an X-Naut said as he aimlessly walked around Boggly Woods.
"Where???  I don't see anything!" said another X-Naut beside him, checking his Remote Zapper's radar.
"There, dude, don't you see it, dude?" the X-Naut said.  He pointed a stubby, gloved finger towards a large pink house.  "The radar says that there's a Shadow Siren next to that big pink house, dude."  The other X-Naut looked at his radar again.
"Oh yeah...you're right.  Finally!  We haven't caught a single Shadow Siren all day!" the X-Naut said as he followed his friend, beginning their way to Flurrie's huge house.
"I know, dude, it's embarrassing.  I hear that we are the only X-Nauts so far not to have been able to catch one, dude.  I mean, who knew there were so many of these things, you know, dude?"
"Yeah, I know.  I wish we were assigned to Twilight Town.  I hear that Twilight Town is like a gold-mine of Shadow Sirens!"
"Yeah, dude...look we're getting closer!"  The two rather stupid X-Nauts stopped in front of Flurries enormous house.  On their radars was a purple dot that seemed to be located on the right side of the house (where Flurrie was at the moment).  "This is an awesome house, dude."
"Yeah, I know.  I wonder who lives here...but that's not the point.  Come on.  The radar says that the Shadow Siren is over here."  The X-Nauts made there way to the side of the large pink house.  As soon as they turned the corner, they stopped in their tracks.  Flurrie had her back towards them, and was jumping up and down, waving her fur coat at her hat, trying to knock it down.  One of the X-Nauts checked the radar.  It appeared that Flurrie was that purple dot!
"There it is dude!" the X-Naut whispered.  The two X-Nauts snuck behind a bush, not to be seen.
"Are sure that's a Shadow Siren?" the other X-Naut asked.
"Of course I'm sure, dude!" the other said, "She looks just like Sir Grodus said!  Floating above the ground, no legs, the color blue, and look!  There's a shadow under her!"  The other X-Naut looked around the bush.  Flurrie had almost managed to get her fur hat out of the tree.
"Wait...didn't Sir Grodus say that the Shadow Sirens were purple?" he asked.
"What?  No!  Sir Grodus said that they were blue, dude," the other said.
"No, he said purple!"
"Blue!"
"Purple!"
"Blue!"
"Purple!"
"Blue, dude!"
"I'm telling you, its purple!"
"She's a Shadow Siren get her!"
"No she's not!"
"But she's blue!"
"It's purple!"
"Can I help you?"  Madame Flurrie was floating just above the two X-Nauts.  She had been able to get her hat back, and heard a strange sound in the bushes.  The X-Nauts gasped.  One of them pulled out their remote and zapped Madame Flurrie!  Flurrie became unconscious as she fell to the ground, her hat falling to the ground next to her.
"Ha!  See, dude, I told you!  She floats, has no feet, there's a shadow, and she's bluuue!" he said, as he pressed the little blue button, capturing Flurrie in a blue bubble.
"Alright, alright...but I still think they're purple!  Maybe...maybe this one was just a weird blue one...Lets just get out of here!"  The two X-Nauts carried the bubble cage back to their mini-pod ship, Flurrie as their hostage.  As soon as they left, a little Shadow Siren poked her head up from the shadows of the tree by Flurrie's house.  She was a small, petite Shadow Siren, and wore a striped dark green witch’s hat.  Her hair was put up in pig-tails, and was the strange color of a light, minty green.  He loopy bangs covered her eyes, and her cheeks were rosy pink.  She had a worried look on her face as she looked up into the sky.  The small mini-pod of the X-Nauts’ flew up into the air, and disappeared into space with Flurrie onboard.
“Oh no…Flurrie…” she said in her small voice.  The small Shadow Siren looked over at Flurrie’s fur hat on the ground, and was about to pick it up when Jeeves came running around the corner.  The Shadow Siren quickly hid in the shadows once more.
“Madame?” Jeeves asked worriedly, “Madame Flurrie?  Where are you?”  Jeeves circled the house several times, looking for his dear mistress.  He couldn’t find her.  Madame Flurrie had been mistaken for a Shadow Siren, and taken to the X-Naut’s base.

[minkbob]

This story is hiarious! :D
Good job, Blue Toad.

[The Blue Toad]

Thank you minkbob!

Chapter 3:  Mario’s Discovery ~ It was everywhere.  No one wasn’t talking about it!  The mysterious capture of the famed movie star Madame Flurrie.  It was all over the front page of the Daily Mushroom as well.  â€œFlurrie, Gone Like the Wind?”, “Kidnapped Cloud”, “Disappearance of a Star” and more roamed the news.  Mario sat on his comfortable couch, watching the news with interest.  It showed a news reporting Toad lady interviewing a Puni.  He wore a fine black suit, and had a stiff, pointed mustache.  Apparently, known as Jeeves, Madame Flurries’ long time butler.
“Tell us again how it happened,” said the news reporter as the camera turned to the rather shocked looking Puni, fumbling with his bowler hat.
“Well,” he said with a gulp, “Madame Flurrie had asked me to go and park the limousine.  I had done as she told me, like a good butler should.  After I parked, I began…I began walking back to the house.  When I tried to open the door, however, it appeared to still be locked…So I tried calling out her name and looking for her, and when I turned the corner, I found her hat lying on the ground…There has been no sign of her since…” Mario watched as the camera turned back to the news reporter.  She pushed back her blonde hair and said,
“And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen.  A famous actress gone.  This may be one disappearance from the stage that won’t have a comeback.  This is Julie Imahore, signing off.”  Mario turned off the T.V. as another news reporter started another story about a certain Goomba infestation in Mushroom Kingdom sewers.  He lay back on the couch and looked out the window.  Where could she have gone?  Mario thought back to the days of their travel.  She had helped him out through many a times.  Flurrie’s hat was all that was left of her.  It was the only trace.  Mario closed his eyes, tipping his red cap over his face, and relaxed in the silence.  The birds sang happily outside the window.  It was rare when Mario got the entire house to himself.  Normally Luigi was always here, talking on and on and on and ON AND ON!!!  He never usually stopped until it was time to go to bed, which was still annoying.  Luigi was off on an adventure, or something.  He started this morning, and hadn’t been home since.  It was about time Luigi had his own fun.  Suddenly, Luigi burst into the room, panting for air and carrying a white box.
“Luigi!” Mario said as he rushed over to his brother, “Where were you?…What’s in that box?”  Luigi stood up and said,
“I’ve been all the way into Koopa Kingdom…Just to get….The greatest donuts known to man!”  Luigi held up the box proudly.  It was true.  The greatest donut shop was not in the Mushroom Kingdom, but in the Koopa Kingdom.  Luigi and Mario went over there every once in a while (if they really wanted a donut).  They happily ate the donuts at the table, Luigi blabbering on and on about his little donut adventure, and Mario gazing out the window thinking about what could have happened to Flurrie.  Mario had enjoyed watching her plays and movies.  She really was a good actress, and they say that her play The Adventures of Mario was arguably her best performance yet!  Who could have kidnapped her?  Mario thought that she was a pretty good fighter, and that she could easily take care of herself.  Mario hadn’t really gotten out much lately, and really wanted to just go and stretch his limbs, feel adventure seep into his skin, and danger pound at his heart.  Something inside of him told him to go back to Rougeport again, and visit Flurrie’s house.  It seemed to be the least he could do.
“And then I ran into Piantina, and MAN was that awkward, but luckily I just decided to-“
“Luigi,” Mario interrupted, bringing his gaze back to Earth and looked at his brother (who was finishing his third chocolate donut).  â€œI think I’m going to go to Rougeport.”  Luigi swallowed and hung his mouth open, his eyebrows raised.
“Again?!?” he said, brushing donut crumbs off his green shirt.  â€œWhy is it this time?”
“Haven’t you heard the news?”  Mario put down his donut and stood up from his chair.  â€œMadame Flurrie has randomly disappeared!”  Luigi took another bight of his donut and lazily chewed while squinted off into space.
“…Madame Flurrie?…Who is that again?”  Luigi looked up at Mario who seemed to be quickly packing a bag for his trip to Rougeport.  Mario never really waits before going on adventures and such.  It has always been rather fast pace for this plumber.
“Madame Flurrie, the cloud goddess, remember?…No?…She’s an actress.  The…well…the fat one,” Mario said, ashamed of himself for saying such a thing, but realizing that was the only way Luigi would remember.
“Flurrie!  Ah!  Yes!  I remember her…yes, she reminds me of my dear Piantina sometimes…So, where did she disappear to?”  Mario gave his little brother an annoyed looked as he quickly grabbed a chocolate éclair.
“If we knew where she went, don’t you think someone would’ve found her by now?” Mario asked sarcastically as he made his way out of the kitchen, swinging his bag around to his back.  He could fell mushrooms jutting from his bag and into his back, being slowly squished by the pressure of his hurriedly packed overalls.  Mario waved farewell to his young brother, and made his descent out the door.  Mario thought that this would just be a quick, enjoyable trip to Rougeport, nothing more.  He expected that perhaps some low-life Goombas had kidnapped Flurrie.  They would be easy to beat.  Hopefully it was just that and nothing too serious.  Mario opened a gate in the brothers’ front yard that led to a warp pipe that rested in the shade of two tall tress.  Mario secured his hat and made a jaw-dropping jump into the warp pipe, sliding down.  The next moment, Mario had leapt from a different warp pipe that appeared to be positioned right in front of a dock that extended out to a sun drenched sea.  The morning was bright and friendly, and Cheep Cheeps could be seen happily jumping in and out of the water at a far distance.  The ferryboat should be arriving at the Mushroom Kingdom docks any time now.  It often only made to stops.  One in the morning, and one in the evening.  Mario was a little disappointed that he wouldn’t really be able to see his old friends in Rougeport right away, but he had to go straight to Boggly Woods, the home of Madame Flurrie.  After all, this trip was all about her.  Mario would most likely search for clues around her house first, perhaps question a few people as well.  Maybe he could even ask the local Punis if they had seen anything out of the ordinary.  Hopefully he would be able to track down the missing actress, and hopefully this trip wouldn’t be for nothing.  Mario looked out to sea just in time to see the ferryboat coming just off the horizon, seagulls circling the mast.  Mario’s stomach churned with excitement.  Off to Rougeport!


"A wagon full of pamcakes?  In the Champeenship?!  I''d like to see ya try!" - Homestar Runner

[The Blue Toad]

Chapter 4:  Old Friends and a Gray Warp Pipe ~ Mario breathed in the fresh, salty sea air as the ferryboat to Rougeport sailed onward.  The sky was a beautiful light blue, as was the ocean.  It had been an hour now since Mario left the Mushroom Kingdom dock, and the sun was shining in the sky merrily as the seagulls flew in circles cawing loudly.  Mario could see the city of Rougeport just in head of him.  The blimp rested in the sky, and the tall brick walls were clear.  Mario’s mind kept slipping on the thought of Boggly Woods and Flurrie.  Who would want to kidnap her?  Why?  He would have to go straight to the crime scene to figure this one out.

A little while later the ferryboat arrived at the long dock extending from the brick roads of Rougeport.  Mario thanked the driver, and exited the boat.  The ferry driver bid his farewell as Mario watched the boat sail off into the sea.  Rougeport seemed the same as it had last time he visited.  Run-down and dirty, with questionable people around and about.  But, Mario had become friends with these people once, and as he walked through the harbor there were waves and friendly greetings.
“Mario?” said a sailor bom-omb behind him, “You’re back to Rougeport!”  Mario had gone off to sea the last time he was here at Rougeport, and this bom-omb had been one of the crew.
“Yeah, hi there!” Mario said politely, though he definitely could not recall his name.
“Welcome back!  Welcome back!” the bom-omb said.  â€œâ€¦Why are you back here anyways?”  Mario explained to him the relationship between him and Flurrie, and how he had to at least try to figure out where she had gone.
“Ah, yes, she helped you quite a bit, didn’t she?” the bom-omb said, looking off to see.  â€œIt’s a shame, really.  These things happen to celebrities though, you know.  She’ll probably be back in a week or so though, you know, get even more popular…but if you think its serious, I guess it would be good to check out the crime scene…”  Mario nodded and said goodbye.  The plumber headed up the stairs and into the town square.  A rather unorganized little place, and at the center of the square were the gallows.  The rope hung from the wooden branch lazily, as if it hadn’t seen a good neck in years.  It all seemed very familiar to Mario.  The graffiti markings, the old battered signs, and the local Inn and Shop.  Mario waved to a few more people as he walked into the east side of town.  It was here Mario would talk to Professor Frankly, and use the warp pipe to get into the underground city of Rougeport.  Mario didn’t waste any time to greet his old friends.  He quickly walked up to the house to the right of the old fortunetellers’.  This was the house that belonged to his old friend.  Mario knocked at the door three solid times.  There was a bit of rustling about, and the door swung open revealing a little, old Goomba.  He had white hair sticking out from the sides of his head, and round, thick glasses.
“Mario?” said the old Goomba as he looked up to see who was standing at the door.  Another Goomba quickly came to the door.  She had a rosy pink face, and wore a miner’s helmet with a blonde ponytail coming out the back.  It was Goombella, the Goomba girl who helped Mario out in his last adventure.  She was very smart and adventurous.  She devoted her time with Professor Frankly after the adventure was over.  Her eyes lit up at the sight of Mario.
“Mario!” she said.
“Come in, my boy, come in!” cried Professor Frankly.  Mario happily entered the old house that was crammed with books and pieces of parchment.  Mario, Goombella, and Professor Frankly all greeted each other happily after such a long time of not seeing each other.
“So, Mario,” Professor Frankly said, “why are you back in Rougeport?”
“Well…Have you heard the news about Flurrie?” asked Mario.
“Oh, yes…tragic…” Goombella said honestly, “She was always a very good friend…”
“…Who?” Frankly asked.
“Flurrie…” Goombella replied, though the professor still looked confused.  â€œYou know…Madam Flurrie…” Professor Frankly seemed to have the same memory problem as Luigi.
“Did she help you two out with the Thousand-Year Door?” he asked.
“Yeah!” Goombella said, “Flurrie!…The one who could blow wind!…The cloud goddess!”
“OH!  The lumpy one!” Professor Frankly cried.
“Professor!” Goombella said angrily.  â€œShe was kidnapped!”
“Really?” he said, a puzzled look on his face, “…Hmmm…So, Mario, you’re in Rougeport because Blurrie was kidnapped?”
“It’s Flurrie, and yes,” replied Mario, “I’m going to try to see if I can solve anything about her disappearance.”  Mario had a feeling that he was defiantly not going to be able to find her, or even find any clue about her disappearance, but it was worth a shot.  â€œI was headed to Boggly Woods as we speak, but I had to visit you guys first.”
“Well that was very kind, Mario,” Frankly said, “I appreciate it.”  Mario was happy to see his friends again, but knew that it was it me to reluctantly say goodbye and make his way to Flurrie’s house.  He bid goodbye as he got up and began to leave.
“Goodbye, Mario!”  Goombella said, “Come back and visit again soon!”  Mario nodded and waved goodbye.  He opened the door and stepped back out into the sun.  The warp pipe was directly across from Frankly’s house.  Mario took a large jump, and plummeted down into darkness, slipping and sliding down the green pipe and appearing in the underground city of Rougeport.  It was damp, and dark.  People still lived down here, but most of the houses were deserted.  Luckily, Mario knew exactly where to go.  He traveled his way through the dark, stony place, and a couple of warp pipes later, Mario found where he needed to be.  He climbed up a small flight of stairs in an empty gray room.  He went through a door that led into a dark hallway, and traveled down it.  At the end of this hallway he found another opening.  A gray warp pipe stuck out from the wall in another, smaller, empty gray room.  Mario walked over to the gray warp pipe that led to Boggly Woods, and felt a sudden pulling feeling.  He entered the warp pipe and made his way to the mysterious and magical place called Boggly Woods, the home of the famous actress, Madam Flurrie…


“A wagon full of pamcakes?  In the Champeen ship?!  I’d like to see ya try!” ~ Homestar Runner

“A wagon full of pamcakes?  In the Champeen ship?!  I’d like to see ya try!” ~ Homestar Runner

Edited by - The Blue Toad on 8/2/2005 12:26:50 PM

[The Blue Toad]

Chapter 5:  A Little Friend ~ Mario’s whirling sensation suddenly came to an end as he came out from another gray warp pipe.  The gray warp pipe that lead to Boggly Woods.  Mario leapt from the pipe and landed on the soft ground.  The Woods were just as Mario remembered.  Tall, black trees rose out from the beautiful Earth, pure white leaves swaying on the branches.  The sky was a misty purple, and white flowers rose from the pitch-black soil.  Mario breathed in the fresh, soothing air around him.  It was a very peaceful place, with not many people around.  Boggly Woods was the home to Madam Flurrie, and the Punis.  Punis are tiny, gray creature, with small stick-like legs and large, round eyes.  They are peaceful creatures, and are said to live in a gigantic tree known as the Great Tree.  Mario loved the beautiful sound of the wind through the trees and the mysterious silence.  He slowly began his descent through the forest.  As he walked through, he noticed that there seemed to be more trees around, and it seemed more scenic and peaceful.  Boggly Woods was truly a wondrous place.  Suddenly he heard a small sound beneath him.
“No!  AHH-” cried something.  Mario felt his foot land on something lumpy.  He quick jumped up and looked down to see what he had stepped on.  It was a small Puni with a green bulb dangling off of his antenna.  It was Mario’s old friend, Punio!
“Punio!”  Mario cried at the little thing he had just stepped on.  Punio was trying to catch himself as he stumbled about.
“Ugh…Hi Mario,” Punio said, finally getting himself upright, recovering from Mario’s foot.  â€œIt’s so good to see you again!  But, what made you decide to come back to Boggly Woods?”  Mario explained to Punio that he was off to try to figure something out about Madam Flurrie’s sudden disappearance.  Punio seemed very happy to hear so.
“All the Punis are in terrible sadness about this…It is very tragic for us,” Punio said.  â€œFollow me, Mario, the Elder and Jeeves are discussing Flurrie’s kidnapping right now over at her house!”  Mario was happy to follow the little Puni.  They crossed through the mysterious forest, stumbling over black tree roots every so often, and warding off terrible Pale Piranha Plants.  They walked past the Great Tree.  It was magnificent.  It stood extremely tall, its long braches and thick, white leaves swaying in the wind.  It was where the Punis all lived happily and peacefully.  Finally, after many more steps, Mario could see it in the distance on tall, black, mountainous hills.  Madam Flurrie’s large, pink house.  Mario and Punio found a gray warp pipe that led there, and jumped inside.  Mario felt the same whirling sensation, but the quickly appeared in front of the house of Flurrie.  It was bigger than Mario remembered, and now it had an elegant fountain in front.  Mario could spot the Puni Elder and Flurrie’s Puni butler Jeeves in front of the house talking away.  The Puni elder was very old and had a low purple bulb dangling from her antenna, as where Jeeves had a blue bulb.  Jeeves looked as fancy as ever once again.  Mario and Punio walked over to the two as they both looked up.
“Hello again Marty-O!” the Puni Elder said after a short while of trying to remember who this was.  Jeeves looked at Mario with a rather frightened expression.
“Who the heck are you???” Jeeves asked.  â€œYou’re tall!  Tall!  Tall!  Too tall!”
“Oh shut up, Jeeves, this is just Marty-O!  He rescued the Great Tree, ya know.”  Jeeves looked from Marty-O – er…Mario to the Elder.
“Oh…well, that’s always good…”
“Elder,” Punio said to the old Puni, “Mario came back to help with the search for Flurrie.”  The Elder nodded.
“That is very kind of you Marty-O.  Yes, we do wish Flurrie would show up any time now, but we simply can’t find any clues…” Mario felt his heart drop slightly.  Could this really be the end for Madam Flurrie?
“Wait…Elder,” Punio said again, “what about that remote-ee-o-thingy?”  Mario looked confused as he looked from Punio to the Elder.
“The wha?…Oh yes!  The remote-ee-o-thingy!  Jeeves, go fetch the remote-ee-o-thingy!” said the Puni Elder.  Jeeves quickly walked over to the right side of the pink house and came back hold a…well…a remote-ee-o-thingy.  It looked like a remote control with a thick antenna and strange buttons on it.  There was also a screen on the remote-ee-o-thingy that had a sort of radar like design with a purple dot on it.  Jeeves held up the remote-ee-o-thingy for Mario to take.  He examined over it a bit, and saw that as he moved the purple dot on the screen got farther away or closer.
“What is it?” Mario asked.
“We have no idea,” Jeeves said.  â€œPerhaps a video game?”  Mario began moving toward the purple dot.  It got closer and larger as he approached it.  What could it mean?
“Where did you find this?” Mario asked as he began to walk to the right side of Flurrie’s house still going toward the purple dot.
“We found it in the bushes there,” Jeeves said pointing to bushes that were now right next to Mario, “next to her hat…oh…my poor, dear Flurrie…” Mario continued to follow the dot until he was directly on top of it.  He was now standing in the shadows of Flurrie’s beautiful garden beside her pink house.  Her flowers grew enormously and gave off a beautiful scent.  Whatever was on this radar was right in front of Mario on this radar.  Mario stared at the large red button in the middle of the strange remote control.  Without thinking, he pressed it.  Blue lightning suddenly shot from the antenna, straight into Flurrie’s garden!  The Punis gasped as a shadow siren suddenly appeared.  Mario gasped as well.  She was a small, petite Shadow Siren, who was a beautiful shade of purple.  She had mint green hair put in pigtails; loopy bangs covering her eyes, and a green-striped witch’s hat.  Mario had seen Shadow Sirens before, but had no idea that they were hiding right under our noses.  The small Shadow Siren began panting as she looking up at everyone.  She rubbed her nervous, gloved hands awkwardly.  There was a long moment of silence when Jeeves suddenly cried out,
“What did you do with Madam Flurrie!?!?!”  The Shadow Siren looked very scared as she said,
“I did nothing!” her voice was small, and quiet.  She slowly began lowering back down into the shadows.  Mario looked over at the Punis and then back at the frightened Shadow Siren.
“Who are you?” Mario asked.  The Shadow Siren hesitated a bit.
“I…I am a Shadow Siren…” she said, shaking a bit.  â€œMy name is Lily…who are you?”
“My name,” he said, “is Mario.”


“A wagon full of pamcakes?  In the Champeen ship?!  I’d like to see ya try!” ~ Homestar Runner        

[The Blue Toad]

Chapter 6:  All Coming Together ~ The Shadow Siren became a little more braves as she slowly rose out of the dirt.
“…Mario?” she said slowly.
“Yes,” replied Mario.  Lily the Shadow Siren looked over at the Punis standing behind Mario.
“Why did you hurt me?”  Lily asked suddenly, turning to Mario.  â€œYour using that same device the men did on Flurrie!  You’re not…One of them…Are you?”  Mario became confused.
“One of what?  One of whom???  I was just experimenting with this remote-ee-o-thingy, pressed a button, and apparently a strange surge of power forced you out of the ground…but, who are you talking about?”  Asked Mario.  Lily looked around a bit as if to expect someone to tell her not to say anything.  When nothing happened she slowly said,
“There…There were these two strange men…They had the remote control thing…Madame lost her hat and was trying to get it back…The two men were arguing in the bushes, and when the Madame got her hat back, she went to see what all the commotion in the bushes was about…She politely asked them if something was wrong…and they…they…they shocked the Madame!  She was knocked out!  The strange man made a force field like bubble go around Madame, and they carried her off to their little ship to fly back into the air…” Mario thought of this for a while.  One of those men must have accidentally dropped their remote control in the bushes where they were hiding.
“…Lily, what did these men look like?” asked Mario.
“Well,” she replied quietly, “they were both in a strange, red uniform…scarves around their faces…spectacles, and-and gloves…they also had a symbol on their chests…a large letter ‘X’.”  That struck Mario’s mind in an instant.
“The X-Nauts!”  The Punis had said the same thing at the same time as Mario.  The X-Nauts had attacked the Great Tree before, something that would never be forgotten.  But more to the point, what would the X-Nauts want with Flurrie?  Mario thought that they were laid back now any ways.  They had decided to give up being evil once Mario thwomped them the first time…Mario looked down at the remote-ee-o-thingy.  The purple dot on the screen was apparently sensing Lily the Shadow Siren.  Was that the X-Nauts’ major target and they just ended up getting Flurrie by a mistake?
“Please believe me,” Lily said, “I would never do anything to harm the Madame.  It…It really did hurt me to see her being taken away like that…”
“Wait a second!”  Jeeves suddenly said, “How do you know Madam Flurrie???  What are you even doing in her garden in the first place???”  Lily shrunk down a little.
“Actually…I know the Madame…but the Madame just doesn’t know me…” Lily slowly said.
“What???” Jeeves asked.  â€œExplain yourself you…you…Shadow Whatever!”  Lily cleared her throat.
“Well…You see…Most Shadow Sirens like to cause havoc, it is just in our nature as living shadows…But I did not like the life of crime…at all…I gave it up and decided to live in a more peaceful place.  I came to Boggly Woods.  I truly love this forest…It’s home to me now…” Lily said, blushing a little.
“Yes…well…that’s all well and good, Lily, but why are you in Madam Flurrie’s garden???” Jeeves asked again
“Shadow Sirens have special powers over the elements, you know…” said Lily, pausing for a moment.  Mario had already known this, for when he went on his last adventure with a Shadow Siren named Vivian; she amazed him with her miraculous power over fire.  Mario also had a strange feeling Vivian was in trouble, but he ignored this feeling to listen to Lily.  â€œSome Shadow Sirens have power over ice, some over water, some over fire, lightning, wind, any element!  I have power over plants and nature…I came to Boggly Woods because it was home to some of the most beautiful plants…I helped the trees and flowers grow beautifully…I loved putting my powers to use…Then I found the Madame’s house.  Her gorgeous garden inspired me, and so I decided to live there!  I live in Madame’s garden to make her flowers grow better than ever, and to live a more peaceful life, away from shadow……”  Lily reminded Mario of Vivian now more than ever.  Vivian had also given up a life of crime, her two strange sisters following after a bit of persuasion.  The Punis were looking over at each other in confusion.  Mario looked back down at the remote-ee-o-thingy.  The purple dot was indeed Lily.  Somehow, this remote was able to track down Shadow Sirens…It was getting more obvious now.  The X-Nauts were capturing Shadow Sirens!  But Mario had no idea why…He suddenly remembered Lily saying the X-Nauts took Flurrie up into the air in their ship…Where were they?  Mario now knew where Flurrie was.  Mistakenly kidnapped by X-Nauts and taken somewhere in space.  Perhaps the moon, again?  Mario was not sure.  HE needed someone who knew, someone who could find out this strange mystery…suddenly, Mario knew of one person who could help him with this, and he lived in Rougeport next to Professor Frankly…


“A wagon full of pamcakes?  In the Champeen ship?!  I’d like to see ya try!” ~ Homestar Runner        

[The Blue Toad]

Chapter 7:  Merlin ~ Mario quickly had a talk with the small Punis, keeping an eye on Lily to make sure she didn’t disappear.
“I’m thinking of finding Merlin and asking him for help,” said Mario.  The Punis seemed a little confused as they looked up at the plumber.
“Who is Merlin, Mario?” asked Punio.  The Elder didn’t seem to be listening and Jeeves looked strangely horrified as if he still hadn’t gotten over Mario’s size.
“Merlin,” Mario said, glancing over at Lily again, “is a wizard…he’s more than that actually, he’s a fortune teller!  He can figure out almost anything!”  Mario looked for astonished reactions from the Punis.
“So, why didn’t you just go ask Earlin where Flurrie was?” asked the Elder.  Mario felt very stupid all of a sudden.
“Oh…yeah…I didn’t think of that…” said Mario.  â€œBut that’s not the point here!  I’m going to ask Merlin how I can find the X-Nauts so that I can try to save Flurrie, and learn what they’re up to!”  Punio suddenly looked excited.
“Mario’s on another adventure!  Mario’s on another adventure!” he said, hopping up and down.  â€œMario!  Take me!  Take me with you!”
“Punio!  SHUT UP!” the Elder cried, “That is very rude to say to Marty-O!  Please forgive him, Marty…. but, are you sure Earlin will be able to do this?”  Mario nodded to her.
“I’ve worked with Merlin before, I’m pretty confidant that he’ll be able to tell me.” Mario took another glance over at Lily to make sure she was still there.  She was, looking a tad awkward as if Mario had just pulled her out of the shower to talk.  Lily was slowly sinking back into the garden (in which Mario noticed the flowers became taller and more lively).
“Mario, you have done this before, correct?” asked Jeeves.
“Yes,” said Mario.
“And you’ve come out on top each time, correct?”
“Yeah, I have,” Mario replied.  Jeeves suddenly jumped into the air and grabbed Mario by the collar of his shirt.
“You better bring Madam Flurrie back OR SO HELP ME!!!-“
“Jeeves!” cried the Elder as she yanked the little Puni down.  Jeeves gasped for breath as he smoothed out his black mustache.
“I’m…I’m terribly sorry about that, Mario…I just can’t bare to loose Madam Flurrie!”  Jeeves said, straightening up himself again.
“I’ll get her back,” Mario said, “don’t you worry…”
“Elder,” Punio suddenly said, “I’ve grown older now…I can handle myself…I can look out for myself now, Elder…I’m more mature-“
“Says you!  No, you are not going with Marty-O!” the Elder said quickly.
“Come on!  Please?”
“No!”
“PLEASE!”
“No.”
“I’ll give you a hard candy!”
“No!”
“I’ll rub your feet!”
“…uhh…NO!”
“I’ll do ANYTHING!!!”
“NO!!!  You’ll just be a little gray annoyance to Marty-O!”
“But-“
Nope!”
“I-“
“Ope!”
“He-“
“Ape!”
“Eh-“
“NO!”  While they had this strange little fight, Jeeves became curling his mustache, which gave Mario the opportunity to talk with Lily.
“Lily, did you overhear the conversation?” Mario asked her.  Lily sank farther into the black soil.
“Yes I did, Mario,” she said politely.
“Good,” Mario said, “Because I want you to come with me.”
“What?” Lily said suddenly, popping out of the soil.  â€œI can’t come with you!  My place is here, in this peaceful forest, in this pleasant garden!”  Mario rubbed his chin.
“Lily, I now you desire peace and quiet more than anything, but I need your help.  You’re the only suspect to Flurrie’s kidnapping.  I could really use your help.”  Lily was silent for a moment.
“Oh…I wish I had found a different garden to live in…” she said.  â€œI suppose it is my fault Madame is gone…I could have saved her…”
“…So, will you help me?” Mario asked.  Lily looked down at the ground.
“Mario…something inside me tells me that I should…” Mario’s spirits rose a little.  â€œI’ve been in this garden too long…I need to see the world…Alright Mario, I’ll come with you.”  Lily glided out from the garden (the flowers drooping a little).  Mario realized that Lily was more beautiful then he thought.
“Excellent,” Mario said.  Just then Punio and the Elder came over to Mario.
“Marty-O, I have decided to let Punio go with you on your adventure…” Punio looked very happy.  Mario was a little surprised.  â€œI think that it is best you take him off my back – I mean…take him on an adventure so that Punio will learn to grow up to be just like you, Marty-O.”
“Um…All right, then,” Mario said.  Punio jumped next to Lily, who hid a little ways in the ground again.
“Punio,” Elder said, “be very careful, okay?”
“I will, Elder, don’t worry!”  Punio replied.
“Mario!” Jeeves said, “Make sure you bring back Madam Flurrie!  Please!…..Until then I think I’ll just clean her house….over…and over…and over again…”

So Mario, Lily, and Punio waved goodbye to their Puni friends and set back off through the gray Warp pipe to Rougeport.  Mario was a little disappointed to leave the fresh, peaceful place of Boggly Woods, but knew that he had to.  Lily was rather hesitant to go down the warp pipe, but finally did after a bit of convincing.  Mario leapt from the warp pipe with Lily and Punio.  They were back in Rougeport sewers.
“Alright, you two follow me carefully.  Rougeport sewers can be dangerous…” They followed Mario through the dark, cold, damp tunnels of Rougeport.  Mario cautiously turned corners and was quiet to go through areas where there might be bats.  Finally, Mario saw the stairs that led to he green warp pipe to Rougeport.  â€œAlright!  We’re almost there…” Mario began the descent up the stairs, Punio close behind, and Lily nervously looking back and forth.
“THERE!!!” Lily suddenly screamed.  Mario and Punio jumped.  In front of them, an ugly looking Goomba came out of a crevice in the wall.  It was only Goombella (just kidding).  The Goomba wore a green cap with a spike coming out the top.
“Hold it right there!” the ugly Goomba said, growling.  Mario took out his hammer, and whacked it over the Goomba’s head.  The Goomba ran away.  Lily had disappeared into the shadows.
“Um…Lily…You can come out now…Mario beat the Goomba!”  Punio cried.  Lily slowly rose up from the shadows.
“Is…is it gone?” she asked nervously.
“…Yes,” Mario said.  â€œUh…Lily…Haven’t you ever used your powers to ward off enemies?”
“Well…No…I never see any enemies in Boggly Woods…I just like to use my powers to help the flowers grow…” she said.
“Uh-huh…Yeah, you’re gonna have to stop doing that.  You need to try using your powers to defend yourself!”  Lily was about to say something to counter that, but then just said,
“…Yes, Mario.”  Mario led the way up the stairs and through the green warp pipe.  Mario leapt up and into Rougeport.  Mario could see Goombella at the door of Frankly’s house, and Merlin’s house next to that.  Punio and Lily were soon to follow.
“Hey, Mario!” Goombella said.  â€œWho are your friends?”  Mario stepped aside to show Punio and Lily (who was hiding behind Punio).
“A-nother-Goom-ba!” Lily whispered, shaking a little.
“What?  No, it’s all right, Lily, this is just Goombella, my friend.  Goombella, this is Lily, and you remember Punio.”  Mario said.
“Yes, hello again Punio.  Nice to meet you Lily.”  Lily got out from behind Punio and shook Goombella’s foot(?)  â€œMario!  I’ve been waiting for you!  See, things have gotten a little boring, and I was wondering…do you think I could come along with you?”  Mario was very happy to hear this.  He could use Goombella on an adventure like this.
“Of course you can!” Mario said happily.  Mario wasted no time telling Goombella about the X-Nauts and how they kidnapped Flurrie.  Goombella appeared very shocked.
“But…I thought the X-Nauts decided to stop being evil…didn’t they?” she asked.
“Yeah, they did,” Mario said, “I don’t know the whole story myself…. But now we’re going to Merlin to try and figure out where the X-Nauts are hiding.”  Goombella agreed and told Mario she would be back in a little bit.  First she had to pack a bag (full of her books, and socks, and undies, and stuff.  Haha, yeah, can you imagine: Goombella: “Mario, don’t worry!  I’ll pull out a book and find out this Goomba’s weakness!” she pulls out her bra by an accident.).  Mario, Lily, and Punio decided to ask Merlin where they could find the X-Nauts without her.  Mario walked to the door (after being forced to hammer a guy who was hitting on Lily) and knocked three times at his door.  There was the sound of rustling inside and someone yelling,
“It’s about time!!!” the door flew open and Merlin cried, “This pizza is over 30 minutes-OH!  Hello Mario!  What a…pleasant surprise.”
“Hey, Merlin,” Mario said.  â€œDo you think you could help us with something?”


“A wagon full of pamcakes?  In the Champeen ship?!  I’d like to see ya try!” ~ Homestar Runner        

[The Blue Toad]

Chapter 8:  The Answers ~ Merlin was a short, old man with a dark blue cloak and glowing yellow eyes.  His face was hidden in shadow, and his long mustache extended from the darkness of his hood.  He always seemed happy to see Mario, and was also a very mysterious person.
“Mario,” Merlin said in his old, slow voice, “I can help you with anything…please. Step inside…” The little old man walked a ways inside his small dark house.  Curtains were swung along the walls, and in the center of the circular room sat a single round table with a large crystal ball sitting on top.  Mario moved inside followed by the excitable Punio, and nervous Lily.  Merlin positioned himself on the other side of the table, looking at Mario through his crystal ball.
“So, Mario,” said he, “what is it you need help with, old chum?” Mario stood across from Merlin.
“Well Merlin, I need you to figure out something for me,” Mario said.
“I will try my hardest to serve you for whatever it is, Mario.  I’m guessing this has to do with a very important matter am I correct?” asked Merlin.  Mario nodded.
“Yes…very important.  Merlin, have you heard about the strange disappearance of Madam Flurrie?” Mario asked him.  Merlin didn’t seem to be very shocked to hear Mario say this.
“Yes, I have.  In fact, I decided to devote some of my time to finding out what happened to her…it was rather strange… ‘X marks the spot, you should always remember.  Find the people that wear and X and find Madam Flurrie you will’…very strange.…that’s what it said to me in my dreams…but now I’m rambling.  What would you like to know, Mario?” Mario thought of the precise question he wanted to ask…but he would have to explain a few things first.
“Merlin, I have figured out that Madam Flurrie was kidnapped.”
“Yes, by people with ‘X’s on them, I suppose?” Merlin asked suddenly.
“Well…yeah.  They’re called the X-Nauts, and-“
“The X-Nauts???” Merlin suddenly interrupted.  â€œI have heard of them!  Those foolish people who tried taking over the world!  I thought they had stopped that evil nonsense?”
“Yeah, so did I,” Mario said, “but we were able to figure out that it was definitely the X-Nauts that kidnapped her…I wanted to ask you…why did they kidnap Madam Flurrie?” Merlin sighed and rubbed his head.
“Mario, that is some heavy meditating…I’m going to have to ask for ten coins for me to tell you that…” Mario reached down into his pocket, pulled out ten shining coins, and laid them down on the table.  Merlin gratefully took them.  â€œAlright, Mario…I’ll try…….hummmmm….mmmmmm……..” The room suddenly became darker as the crystal ball slowly began to give off an illuminate glow.  Lily and Punio gasped.  â€œSHI-BIZZY!!!…..SHA-ZOO!!!….” Merlin cried out, holding up his hands.  â€œShow me what I seek!!!”  The crystal ball gave off a sudden flash of bright light.  There was a bit of silence afterwards as Merlin continued to look at the floor, his hands in the air.
“Two men out searching for a dark power to consume, mistakenly took a fair lady.  Thinking she was the one they needed to capture they took off without another thought, but left quite a clue…” Mario repeated what Merlin said in his head.  It was just as he thought. The X-Nauts were trying to capture Lily (for a reason Mario still didn’t know) but accidentally caught Flurrie instead.  The clue was the remote thing that they dropped by an accident.  That device obviously led them to Lily or other Shadow Sirens.
“It’s all coming together…” Mario said.  â€œMerlin, how much would it cost me to ask you why the X-Nauts would want to capture this dark power?” Merlin looked into the air in thought.
“Umm…about…ten coins,” he replied.  Mario only has six coins left.
“Oh…well…how much would it cost for you to tell me where I could find the X-Nauts?” asked Mario.
“Five Coins,” replied Merlin.  Mario reached into his pocket and pulled out five more coins.  He laid them on the table as Merlin greedily took them.
“Alright, Merlin, tell me where I could find the X-Nauts,” Mario said.  Merlin pocketed the coins and closed his eyes again.  The walls seemed to be spacing out and the room grew darker once more.  The crystal ball glowed brightly as small star like lights buzzed around them.
“Crystal eye…. open wide!!!” Merlin cried as the crystal cast off a sudden burst of light, and became still once more.  There was silence again as light returned to the small circular room.  â€œHigh in the sky on a floating platform, is a battle arena for people to see.   There is a hiding Shadow Siren there, a treasure waiting to be found by the strange X people.  Travel high to this place and you will find what you seek, only in the ring…”  Lily gasped, apparently realizing what was going on with her species.  She had just realized that Madam Flurrie wasn’t supposed to be kidnapped…she was.  Mario now knew precisely where to go, and where he would find the X-Nauts.  But the only way to find what he seeks, was to go back in the ring…

…will anyone read this?…


“A wagon full of pamcakes?  In the Champeen ship?!  I’d like to see ya try!” ~ Homestar Runner        

[The Blue Toad]

Chapter 9:  The Cheep Cheep Blimp ~ Mario thanked old Merlon for his wisdom and advice.  Mario now knew that he had to go to Glitzville!  The town in the sky!  Glitzville was a fun place to go to see totally exciting fights in the Glitz Pit, along with getting a famous, great tasting hot dog.  Mario had been there before, and fought his way up to the championship!  He had fought a spine tingling battle against the ferocious Rawk Hawk and made his victory for the belt!  Mario loved going to the Glitz Pit for a good fight now and then, but since he hadn’t been in the ring for so long, he was sure that his files were long lost.  Mario stepped out into the sun of Rougeport where he found Goombella waiting for him outside.
“There you are, Mario,” Goombella said.  â€œI didn’t want to interrupt you guys, so I waited out here for you…what did he tell you?”  Mario explained to Goombella that the X-Nauts capturing Flurrie had been a huge mistake, in fact, they meant to capture Lily.  Then Mario told her that Merlon said they could find the X-Nauts if they went to Glitzville and returned to the ring.  Goombella was shocked.
“Return to the ring?!” she said, “Mario!  Do you know what the fans would say?  That’s bigger…that’s bigger than Hulk Hogan returning to the ring!”
“Who?” asked Mario.
“Uh…No one.  But, anyways, Mario this is huge!  The only way you can find the X-Nauts is to get in the ring…Hmmmmm…I wonder what that’s all about…”
“…I can’t believe they wanted to capture me,” Lily said suddenly, changing the subject.  â€œâ€¦Why me?” Everyone turned to Lily.
“Those X-Nauts are weird guys…” Punio said.
“Yeah…they seem to like messing with the power of Shadow, don’t they?  Like last time, when they awakened the Shadow Queen…man, she was hard to fight,” Mario said.  Lily suddenly looked up.
“You mean…those…those X-Nauts….THEY awakened the Shadow Queen???” Lily asked quickly.
“Uh…yeah,” replied Mario.  Lily seemed slightly nervous as she tugged at her pigtails.
“Oh my…I could feel the Shadow Queen’s awakening that day…I hid in the garden until I knew she was gone…Oh my…That day when she returned was the worst day of my life…”
“Wait…you hated the Shadow Queen…But aren’t you her species?” Mario asked.
“Yes, Mario, I am the same species as the Shadow Queen…but I despised my ruler…” Lily said, looking almost ashamed as she said it, “All she wanted was darkness and pain…when I knew that she was trying to cast the world into complete shadow…I prayed that a miracle would happen…and apparently, Mario…That miracle was you…”

Meanwhile, in the X-Nauts base…….

“Lord Crump!  Lord Crump!  LoooOOOOOOOoord CRUMP!!!” cried Sir Grodus angrily as his head rested in his chair.  Sir Grodus was not very patient at all since he lost his body.  The squat little Lord Crump rushed into the room, making the sign of an ‘X’ with his arms.
“Yes, sir, what is it Sir Grodus…sir?” Lord Crump asked.
“Yes, it’s about time Lord Crump…now… I would like to ask you, Lord Crump…is my body ready yet?”
“No, sir.”
“Shoot, shoot, dangit, shoot, dang, drat, dangit, shoot, mother fuh-“
“Sir Grodus!” Lord Crump quickly interrupted before something happened that would get The Blue Toad booted.
“What?!” Sir Grodus asked angrily.
“Well…sir…there’s something I would like to tell you…” Lord Crump said slowly.
“Okay………” sir Grodus said, waiting for a reply from his fat assistant.  Lord Crump scratched the back of his neck as he stared over at Sir Grodus’ fish tank, in which giant, big-teethed black fish swam around.  Lord Crump suddenly wanted to go swimming…then he decided that no he did not…
“Lord Crump…” Sir Grodus said.
“What?” asked Lord Crump.
“WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WANT TO TELL ME!?!?”
“Oh, right!” Lord Crump said.  Lord Crump had grown quite forgetful over the lazy period of the X-Nauts.  It was probably from the lack of evilness.  â€œSir Grodus, sir, two of my men accidentally kidnapped someone who…well…who is not a Shadow Siren…oh crud, please don’t hurt me!”  Lord Crump swooped his arms up over his head as if he was going to be hurt badly.
“What?  Okay, you need to stop saying ‘oh crud’ because that is just getting a little annoying.  Now, why should I be mad about you kidnapping someone?  Bring this not-a-shadow-siren-but-we-still-captured person in!” Sir Grodus’ head commanded.  Lord Crump nodded as he made the ‘X’ sign to him once more and left the room.  A little while later as Sir Grodus just sat in his chair, wishing so that he had a body so he could do stuff on his computer, Lord Crump finally reappeared.  Behind him were two X-Nauts.  They were each holding an arm of the luxurious Madam Flurrie, who was looking angrily from Sir Grodus to Lord Crump.
“Sir, this is the lady we accidentally captured,” Lord Crump said, showing Sir Grodus Madam Flurrie.
“I see…a cloud lady, eh?  Yes…I believe I have seen one of her movies…yes…wait…NO!!!  Lord Crump you idiot!!!” Sir Grodus cried out loudly.   “Lord Crump, did it ever strike your mind that perhaps in kidnapping a movie star we might just MIGHT draw attention???”
“…oh yeah…oh…oh crud,” Lord Crump said.
“Yes, Lord Crump!  Crud!  Now there are probably people down there looking all over the place for this lumpy cloud lady!” Sir Grodus said angrily.
“I beg your pardon!” Madam Flurrie interjected.  â€œYou, sir, are the rudest head I have ever met!  None should talk like that in front of a lady you awful, awful head!”
“I WILL HAVE A BODY SOON!” Sir Grodus cried.  â€œGrrrrrrr…you two!  Take Ms. Flurrie back to her room!”  The two X-Nauts holding Flurrie made the sign of an ‘X’ and left through the door once more.  Lord Crump turned to Sir Grodus for further instructions.
“Lord Crump, when will my friggin body be ready?” asked Sir Grodus.
“Um…we think that it will be done in about…actually sir, I have no idea.  So far, all the X-Naut scientists have done is the feet,” said Lord Crump.
“The feet?  Oh…well that isn’t very far at all, now is it?  Go tell the X-Naut scientists to hurry up!  Be gone with you!”  Lord Crump made the sign of an ‘X’ and left.

Back at Rougeport…

Mario, Goombella, Punio, and Lily told Professor Frankly that they were now headed off to Glitzville.  Luckily, Goombella still had the blimp ticket that took them there.  The four of them headed into the west side of town, and took a right down a long tunnel.  As they entered, they could see the blimp just off the horizon.  The blimp looked like a giant, orange Cheep Cheep.  With the ticket, they could fly to Glitzville.  The Cheep Cheep at the gates asked to see Mario’s ticket.  And with that, the four of them were off.  In the Cheep Cheep Blimp, they were flying to the floating town of Glitzville.


“A wagon full of pamcakes?  In the Champeen ship?!  I’d like to see ya try!” ~ Homestar Runner        

[The Blue Toad]

...read...me...

“A wagon full of pamcakes?  In the Champeen ship?!  I’d like to see ya try!” ~ Homestar Runner        

[The Blue Toad]

Chapter 10:  The Storm ~ Mario, Goombella, Punio, and Lily made there way to the base of the enormous, hovering blimp.  They were all in awe as they looked up at it.  It floated freely in the wind, tied down by ropes.  Mario was sure that if the ropes broke the blimp would float all the way up into space.  Suddenly, a platform began lowering itself to the ground from the small cabin (thingy) that was located at the bottom of the Cheep Cheep balloon.  In the little platform box, basket thing was a purple Cheep Cheep.  He had an orange mustache and beard, with squinty eyes.  He wore a blue captain’s uniform.  The four of them watched as he hopped out from the basket carrier thing and greeted them.
“Hello everyone,” the Cheep Cheep said, “My name is Captain Susho.  Pronounced sue-show.  Now please, follow me.”  The four of them looked at each other and srugged.  The followed Captain Susho onto the little platform thing.  Once all of them got on (and it was rather crammed) Captain Susho pulled a lever on the platform thing and it began to rise.  Lily moved in towards the middle more as they began moving up higher, and higher, and higher.  Punio jumped up to see over the edge.  The town of Rougeport grew smaller and smaller as they made their descent into the clouds.  A bird flew past Mario’s head as he ducked out of the way.
“Your ears will begin to pop now,” said Captain Susho.  Mario felt an itching pressure reach inside his ears.  Apparently so did everyone else.  Finally they made it up to Cheep Cheep Blimp.  Mario, Goombella, Punio and Lily made there was into the little cabin thing that rests under the balloon of the blimp, and were quite amazed.  It was filled with fine furniture and a cool temperature.  Through the windows in the front you could see the clouds drifting lazily and Rougeport below.
“Welcome all to the Cheep Cheep Blimp,” said Captain Susho.  Everyone’s attention turned to him as he continued talking.  â€œOur flight today is destined for the luxurious Glitzville where you can eat their world-famous hot dogs, pick up a souvenir, or watch the exciting battles in the Glitz Pit!  Please enjoy the flight, we should be arriving in an hour.”  Captain Susho flopped up to the front of the cabin thing near the windows.  He pulled back a lever and the blimp jerked free of the ropes.  Slowly, the blimp began its descent into the sky, higher and higher.  Mario sat down in one of the cushiony chairs, enjoying the temperature of the room and the background music coming from the speakers in each corner of the room.  There was a buzzing sound above him.  The blimp slowing began moving, and they were off.  The Cheep Cheep Blimp cut through the clouds, and soared through the light blue sky, making it’s way to Glitzville slowly but surely.  Lily seemed to be getting used to the height as she looked out the window at the ground.  She seemed to be enjoying herself, finally getting out of the little garden and going to see more of the world.  Punio was up at the front talking to the captain.  Susho was showing him what the controls did and how to steer the ship.
“Cool!” Punio said when Captain Susho let him steer the blimp for a while.  Punio dangerously turned the blimp sharply causing it to make a squeaking sort of noise.  Susho quickly got back behind the wheel.
“Alright, little gray thing, that is enough,” he said with a forced chuckle.  Goombella was sitting on one of the couches looking at all the fine decorations and interior design.  She pulled off her backpack that she carried with her and brought out a blue book.  Goombella began to read, as usual.  Mario looked out the window as they continued to sail through the sky like a boat in water.  They were still below the clouds, but were steadily making altitude.  Glitzville was located above the clouds, so it was always sunny, and never rained.  That was probably one of the main reasons it was such a popular tourist attraction.  Mario wondered who the champion in the Glitz Pit was now.  Was it still Rawk Hawk?  Did the former champion, Prince Mush, make a comeback?  Was there a new guy in the ring?  Mario wasn’t really sure, but everyone was going to have to make room for the Great Gonzales.  Then Mario remembered the little yoshi he had befriended at Glitzville.  He was a newborn and very rambunctious.  He was small, green, with spiky red hair.  His name was Yosh and after Mario left the ring, he started making it on his own.  Mario wondered what his status was in the ring, and whether or not little Yosh will like to partner up again, like in the old days.
“Excuse me, Mr. Susho?” Lily spoke up.  She was so quiet, no one heard her.  Lily looked around.  Everyone was simply minding their business.  â€œUm…” Lily looked out the window.  The blimp was slowly approaching dark looking clouds.  Lily looked over at Captain Susho.  He too was staring at the clouds, his face puzzled.
“Captain,” Goombella suddenly said, looking up from her book, “it looks like we have some dark clouds up ahead.”  Captain Susho did not turn his gaze from the clouds, expecting a lighting bolt to come out of them, or something.
“I know…” the captain replied.  â€œThis wasn’t predicted on the weather channel…I thought we were going to have perfectly sunny weather today…” Punio looked out the window as well, everyone growing a little nervous as they approached the clouds.  The sun was now hidden, and the only light came from the illumination of the clouds, and the brightly lit lights in the blimp cabin.
“Er…” Captain Susho said, “Don’t…worry…. everyone…….Hopefully we can just manage to go right under the clouds…” Lily gave a worried look to Mario.  The Cheep Cheep Blimp was never allowed to fly in a storm.  Perhaps Captain Susho was being too dependable on the weather channel…
“Captain, don’t you think we should turn around and head back to Rougeport?…To safety?” Goombella asked.  Susho seemed a tad annoyed as he continued to steer on.
“No, no, my dear…dear Goomba…we must stay optimistic and trudge onward!” he replied.  Goombella looked a little annoyed as well.
“Well there’s being optimistic,” she said quietly, “and then there’s just being stupid…” The blimp continued it’s way into the clouds.  Mario got up and walked to the window.  Down below Mario could see the residents of Rougeport all staring up at the blimp, some waving their arms.  A friendly greeting?  No, that definitely was not the Rougeport way.  They must be signaling something to them…
“Captain, people down there are telling us to turn back,” Goombella said sternly.
“No, no.  They’re just waving to us…they do that all the time…” Apparently, Captain Susho was very reluctant to head back home.  â€œI know what I’m doing, now please!  Go sit down…” None of them budged from the window (except for Lily who budged a few inches).  â€œMove away from the window!” he said loudly.  Reluctantly, everyone sat back down, staring out of the front window.  Susho sighed heavily as he straightened his round back and steered on.
“You could be leading us into danger, captain,” Goombella said.
“I know what I’m doing,” Captain Susho replied quickly.  The blimp was now underneath the dark, gray clouds.  Rain began sprinkling onto the blimp.  Captain Susho quickly turned on the windshield wipers as if everything was calm and normal.  After a minute or so under the dark clouds, the rain grew heavier, nothing more.  Everyone was a little nervous as they continued to fly on.  After all, a blimp was nothing like plane.  One hit to the balloon, and they could all be in great danger.  The soft sound of the rain gently hitting the balloon was rather relaxing, actually.
“See, I told you,” Captain Susho said after while of flying in rain, “there is nothing to be afraid of…now…we will be a tad late for our arrival due to the rain, but once it clears up we can make more altitude…” just as Captain Susho said this a gentle roll of thunder made it’s presence.  Although it was quite clear everyone heard the thunder, Susho pretended he did not and continued steering.  Goombella’s eyes widened.  Suddenly, a long flash of lightning shot across the sky.  Goombella stood up and walked to the window.
“Susho…. This is dangerous weather to be flying in,” Goombella said.
“Well there’s no use turning back!” Susho cried, “We’re already half way there!”  Mario approached the windows as well, followed by Punio.  *BOOM* A huge roar of thunder washed of the blimp as the rain grew even more fierce.  Mario looked back at Lily who appeared scared.
“Back to your seats!” Susho said quickly.  None of them did as he said.  â€œNOW!!!” he cried, as another huge flash of lightning appeared, and another roar of thunder sounded.  Mario, Punio, and Goombella returned to their seats, watching anxiously.  After a while of continuing through the clouds, lightning, thunder, and rain galore, Captain Susho said,
“There is nothing to worry about you know……As long as I am here to steer this blimp, none of you are in any danger.  As long as I’m around, you will all stay perfectly-“ *BAM!*  Lily screamed.  All the lights in the blimp suddenly went out as the blimp dangerously jerked upwards.  Everyone fell out of his or her seat, hitting the floor with a thud.  â€œSTAY CALM!” cried Susho as he jumped back up to the steering wheel, directly the blimp back into flying position.
“Captain!” Goombella cried as she tried comforting Lily, “The blimp was just hit by lightning!”
“OKAY!” cried Captain Susho.  â€œIf you really want me to I’ll turn back!”
“Don’t you dare!” Goombella suddenly shot back as Susho began turning the wheel.  â€œThe storm is now just as worse back there as it is up here.  I’ll be a shorter trip if we just head to Glitzville….and hopefully less dangerous…” Susho turned very pale as he began panting as steadying the blimp.  There was another flash of lightning, and an even louder roar of thunder than before.  Mario’s stomach churned as they headed through the mountain of a storm, rain pouring over the windows like waves.  *BAM!*  Out came another random burst of electricity.  It struck the front of the blimp this time.  The blimp dangerously tipped as everyone screamed, sliding into the front.
“STEADY OUT THE SHIP!” cried Goombella as she flew into a chair.  She looked to the front of the blimp.  Captain Susho had fainted.  Punio slipped and slid all the way to the front of the blimp, running into Susho.  â€œPunio!  Susho taught you how to steer the blimp!  Steady us out!” cried Goombella over the loud crashed of thunder.  Mario was hanging onto the wall.  He looked over to find Lily was nowhere to be seen.  Punio looked pale as he looked up at the controls for the blimp.
“Um…okay…altitude!” Punio jerked a lever of the controls forward.  The blimp dangerously dove upwards.  Susho’s unconscious body rolled to the back of the blimp as Punio tried his hardest to hang on.  Goombella lost her grip and flew back as well, whamming into the wall.  Punio grabbed the same lever and pulled it down farther.  The blimp slowly steadied out back to the way it was.
“Good job Punio!” Goombella said as she regained her footing, panting heavily.  Everyone else was gasping for breath as well.
“Wow,” Mario said.  Punio was now, on the other hand, nervously steering the ship, his tiny limbs shaking and his face very pale.  Goombella waddled over to Susho.
“Hey…Captain…SUHSO!!!” Goombella cried.
“Sushie, hunny buns, I didn’t know you and rabbit-face were playing checkers!!!” Susho cried as he woke up.  Susho looked around, rubbing his head.  â€œWhat…happened?” he asked.
“Just shut up and steer the blimp.”

Come one people!  I don't want to write this story if no one will read it!

“A wagon full of pamcakes?  In the Champeen ship?!  I’d like to see ya try!” ~ Homestar Runner        

[GiftedGirl]

I'm readin' it. It's pretty good. :)

--------------------
"Do you know how many of your kind I''''ve swatted with a newspaper? You are nothing but a smear on the sports page to me, pal! Eat me! EAT MEEEE!!!" ~ Agent K, Men in Black

[The Blue Toad]

Thank you very much Gifted Girl.  I'll have to write another chapter tomorrow, or something, as for right now, I'm too tired.

Ummm…Signature…?

[The Blue Toad]

Man…writing two stories at the same time gets annoying…

Chapter 11:  The Undefeated Chompien ~ Captain Susho steered the blimp a lot nicer after that, and ended up turning on the wind shield wipers like a good fishy.  He was sweating buckets after that last accident; in fact, Mario could have sworn he was sushi.  But no, he was Susho.  The storm seemed to die down a little as they trudged on through the dark and threatening clouds.  It was still pouring Toads and Goombas, but the lightning and thunder were more rare, now.  Lily came back up from the shadows.  It took them a half an hour to find out where the shy Shadow Siren went.  Everything was quite a bit calmer, now.  Captain Susho was trying to hurry and get to Glitzville so he could check on the Cheep Cheep Blimp to make sure nothing was too badly injured.  The lights still didn’t work, but that could be easily fixed.  Mario sat on the couch, trying to make himself warm.  It was extremely cold on the blimp, but the sound of the rain and distant echo of thunder seemed to strangely ease Mario.  Goombella was sitting next to Mario once again reading her book by the little round lantern that was built into the front of her helmet.  Lily was trying to explain to get Punio to leave her alone, and Susho was, well, Sushoing.  And so, things were getting a little boring.  They flew and flew and stuff and flew.  Hooray.
“Excuse me, captain?” Goombella said to Susho.
“W-W-W-Wh-Wh-Wha-Wha-Yes?” Susho said nervously.
“When will we be arriving at Glitzville?”  Susho twitched slightly as he check his watch.
“In a f-few minutes.  W-We should all be th-there any t-t-t-t-t-TIME now…” Captain Susho twitch nervously again as he returned to steering the blimp.  Goombella looked at him with a look that almost looked like pity…but then she got back to reading the book she was intensely in to.  Lily finally disappeared into the shadows so that Punio would go and bother poor Captain Susho.  After a short while, the captain was able to ward of the little annoying Puni.
“Alright everyone…I believe it is finally safe to gain altitude,” Susho said.  Goombella sighed.
“Finally,” she said, “I need to get out of these dark, depressing clouds and back into the sun!”  Susho nodded almost as if she were annoying him, and prepared for descent.
“Hang on!” he said as he pulled back a lever on the controls.  The blimp suddenly and quickly began rising higher and higher into the air.  Mario felt his ears pop as they rose up and into the clouds.  Everything around them was now a thick gray fog as they continued to rise, trying to get over the clouds.  The sound of rain slowly became quieter as they climbed higher, and higher into the sky.  Then, finally, POOF!  Sunlight streamed into the blimp, and they were over the clouds!  Everyone was in awe as they looked down through the windows at the tops of the dark clouds.  As they looked out over the sky, it looked like an entire meadow of clouds.  Truly beautiful.  And then, sitting on top of the clouds, was the floating city of Glitzville.  Lights beamed up into the sky from the amazing sight, and Mario could see the top roofs of tourist attractions, and balloons floating happily high in the sky.
“There it is!  That’s Glitzville!” squeaked Punio.  â€œI’ve heard so much about!  It’s been my dream to come here!  I can’t believe it!”  Captain Susho gave a nervous giggle, as if he hadn’t expected them to make it this far.  Lily gazed over the clouds in awe.  She had no idea there was more beauty to the world other than in her own small garden.  The Cheep Cheep Blimp rode on to the floated on over the horizon, determined to get to their destination.  In no time the blimp was gliding over the brilliant city, waiting to be tied back down for it’s resting spot.  Mario looked down through the window.  It was just as Mario had remembered it.  The colorful buildings, the amazing culture, the hot dog stands, and of course the most amazing attraction ever, the Glitz Pit.  The Glitz Pit was the biggest building there, and was the center of attraction with it’s enormous roof, fancy red pillars, and huge statue of a chain chomp jutting out from the roof.  It truly was a sight to see.  Mario heard Captain Susho sigh.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he said, “welcome to Glitzville.”  Mario, Goombella, Punio, and Lily stepped out onto the little transporter thingy that took them down to Glitzville.  Captain Susho told them that he was going to stay inside the blimp, and take some aspirin.  The four of them slowly rode down on the little basket thingy to the amazing town of Glitzville, people not even pretending to notice them as they laughed with their friends, or busily ate their hot dog.  The little basket thingy came to a stop and the gate opened.  The four of them walked out to be greeted by a round, friendly looking orange Cheep Cheep.
“Welcome to Glitzville!” he said merrily.  Mario nodded to him.
“Thank you,” he said.
“Please, take a hot dog, stop in the local Chuckola Cola for a refreshment, and of course, you wouldn’t want to miss-oh my god you’re the Great Gonzales.”  He suddenly spat out.  Mario was hoping they wouldn’t remember him so soon, but apparently he was a legend in the book of Glitz Pit.
“Yes…I am,” Mario said.
“I can’t believe it.  The Great Gonzales in back in the ring…OH MY GOSH!!!”  The Cheep Cheep suddenly began hopping up and down.  Mario quickly tried to calm him before he started a ruckus.
“Um…Mario,” Lily slowly said, “who is the Great Gonzales?” Mario opened his mouth only to have Punio speak for him.
“That’s Mario!  Or at least, it’s his ring name.  See, Mario fought in the Glitz Pit a long time ago, you know, it’s like a sporting event.  Well, his name in the ring was the Great Gonzales!  He was the greatest champion ever!  And now the Great Gonzales is getting back in the ring so we can find those X-Nauts!” said Punio.  Lily stared at Punio for a while before saying:
“….Oh.  Okay.”  Goombella was giving Punio an annoyed look.
“Yes, Punio, Mario was the greatest champion ever, but he’s been gone for quite a while, and someone must have taken his place…” Goombella looked a little worried.
“Yeah,” said Mario, “but I can take the Rawk Hawk!  That guy was kind of easy, you know.”  Yes, the Rawk Hawk was the former champ before Mario stepped in the ring.  He was a big, strong golden eagle sporting a mullet.  HE was a pretty good fighter, but Mario took him down.  But, Mario figured that now that he has been gone so long, the Rawk Hawk must have come back on top.
“Mario,” Goombella said, “it might not be the Rawk Hawk anymore.  Remember, before we left last time Ms. Jolene the Glitz Pit Manager told us that Prince Mush, the first ever champion in the Glitz Pit, may be preparing for a comeback!  He may be the new champion now, Mario.”  Mario considered this.  She was right.  Perhaps regaining the champion title would be a bit harder this time.  Punio excitedly looked through the city as Lily nervously glanced at the Glitz Pit, as if the Chain Chomp statue was going to come to life at any moment.
“Well, Goombella.  There’s only one way to find out,” Mario said as he began walking towards the Glitz Pit.  â€œCome on, lets go find out who the new champion is.”  Goombella, Punio, and Lily all followed Mario to the Glitz Pit.  They ignored the pig at the hot dog stand begging them to buy a hot dog, and continued up the red carpet stairs, past the tall red pillars, and through the door, back into the Glitz Pit.  Inside was just as fancy as Mario remembered.  Red carpeting covering the floors, a pair of stairs leading up to the second level, and two doors at each side of the room that led to the fighters’ locker rooms.
“Wow…” Lily said as they all entered inside the beautiful room.
“Oh my gosh!  This place is off the HEEZEY!” Punio cried.  Everyone turned to Punio with a confused look on their faces.  â€œâ€¦â€¦â€¦What?  That’s how they be talking now…dawg…”
“Punio,” Goombella said, “Please shut up.”  Mario guided the three of them over to a man busily talking to a Lakitu holding a camera.
“Listen to me, I don’t care if Toodles doesn’t want to talk, when we are getting there we are confronting her about her seven husbands!”
“Excuse me,” Mario interrupted.  The news reporter quickly turned around.  He had thick glasses and neatly combed blue hair (like Stinkoman.  If you don’t get the joke, move on).
“Yes, what do you want?” asked the blue haired reporter.  The Lakitu pulled the camera out of his face to look at Mario.
“Dude…I think that’s the Great-“
“Shut up, Louie.  What do you want stranger, I’m a busy man,” the reporter asked.
“Um,” Mario said, “I was just wondering.  Do you happen to know who the new chapion is in the Glitz Pit?”  The reporter looked at Mario as if that were a joke.
“Do I know who the champion is?…Kid, do I looked stupid to you?  Everyone knows who the champion!  In fact, he’s in the other room defending his title as we speak!”  Mario looked past the blue haired reporter and to the door behind him.  Behind that door was where thousands of fans were cheering their butts off over a fight going on in the ring.  Mario thanked the reporter and quickly rushed past him, opening to the door and rushing inside, eager to see the new champion.  Goombella and the others quickly followed him.  Inside, the crowd was extremely loud and a voice rung out throughout the room.  Mario looked into the ring.  There stood the champion.  An eight-foot tall Chain Chomp with an over-sized belly and a blue headband.  His eyes were squinty, his mouth large with an obvious overbite.  Mario’s mouth hung open at the size of this enormous Chain Chomp.  His chain hung from the back of him, connected to nothing.  This enormous champion was fighting a tiny Toad, wearing a blue karate uniform with blonde hair.  That was Prince Mush.  And then Mario saw someone familiar in the background.  Ms. Jolene, the young, beautiful Toad who was the manager of the Glitz Pit.  He wore a tight red suit and wore horn-rimmed glasses.  She yelled into the microphone as the fight roared on.
“OH!  That had to hurt ladies and gentlemen!  Chompien smashes his chain right in to Prince Mush’s face!  OH!”  Mario couldn’t believe what he was seeing.  This Toad didn’t stand a chance.  The over-sized Chain Chomp jumped into the air, his deep rumble of a voice roaring out over the crowd, and then smashed into Prince Mush!
“OH MY!  Chompien just completely body slammed Prince Mush into the floor!”  The crowd cheered loudly as Chompien began taunting his weak opponent, his teeth gleaming in the light.  â€œWell, folks, Prince Mush is unable to get up, this match is over!  The champion continues to be THE UNDEFEATED CHOMPIEN!!!”  The crowd jumped up and down, cheering their lungs out for the enormous, sharp-toothed monster.
“Hah!  Hah!”  Chompien laughed, his voice practically shaking the room.  Ms. Jolene walked over to Chompien.
“So, Chompien, how do you feel being completely undefeated?” Ms. Jolene asked him, holding the microphone to his absolutely enormous mouth.
“Well, Ms. Jolene,” Chompien boomed, “I actually feel bored.  Isn’t there anyone out there who can handle the UNDEFEATED CHOMPIEN for even more than a minute???” The crowd roared.  Mario rubbed his eyes.  He was supposed to beat that???  He looked over at his friends.  Goombella’s mouth hung open as she simply stared at Chompien.  Punio seemed excited, but also rather scared.  Lily was once again nowhere to be seen.

Hmmm.  I kind of made Goombella's personality more like Hermione than Goombella.  Oh well.

Ummm…Signature…?

[HolyAarom]

I love your stories! They are very creative.

Mario, Mario, He''s our man, If he can''t triple-jump and ground-pound, no one can!

[PaperLuigi]

Very, very good. An excellent story.

I have the body of a God! Unfortunately, it''s Buddah.

[The Blue Toad]

Hoorah people are reading!  Thank you very much everyone, the next chapter will be coming soon, I hope.

Ummm…Signature…?

[The Blue Toad]

Chapter 12:  The Great Gonzales is Back ~ Mario walked out of the audience room feeling very shocked.  That…thing just creamed that poor little Toad!  How could they even let suck an enormous fighter enter the ring?  Shouldn’t there be a size limit, or something…?  For once, Mario didn’t have very much confidence in himself.  Watching that Chain Chomp basically terrorize that little Toad made Mario’s stomach knot up, and sweat form on his brow.  Goombella, Punio, and Lily quickly followed after the awe-struck Mario as he walked back out into the hall.  Goombella rushed to keep up with Mario, jumping in front of him.
“Mario!  Mario, where are you going?” she asked as Mario continued heading for the door.
“It’s useless, Goombella.  I can’t beat that behemoth!  It’s like, ten times my size!  I’m better off heading home.”  At these words, Goombella’s jaw dropped and a look of disgust formed on her face.  She suddenly slapped Mario across the face (no hands)!  Mario’s pudgy face stung as he rubbed his cheek with a gloved hand.
“What was that for???” Mario asked a little louder than he meant to.
“This isn’t the Mario that I know!” Goombella said, looking at Mario in the eye.  â€œThe Mario I know would take on Bowser, Star Rod or not!  He would beat enemies ten times his size!  He would keep trying to beat anyone!  Even if it took 17 tries (Shadow Queen)!”
Mario sighed.  â€œIt was 18 times…and your right Goombella…I don’t know what came over me!”  Mario hadn’t had a good, solid fight for so long, he forgot how strong he was.
“Good…and besides, Mario.  From what you said to me, the fortuneteller said you had to be in the ring to find the X-Nauts.  Just in the ring.  You don’t have to get to the top.”  What Goombella said was true, but Mario felt like it was almost his duty to rise to the top again.  The Great Gonzales was the greatest fighter in the ring.  Mario really did miss the enormous roar of the crowd that time he thwomped the Rawk Hawk.
“Now come on, Mario…let’s go sign you up.”  Mario nodded in agreement, and turned to Punio and Lily.
“Do you guys just want to wait out here…?” Mario asked.
“Alright,” Lily said quietly.
“We’ll be right here for you Mario!  I want a hot dog.  Lily!  Come with me and get a hot dog!”  Punio chimed in.  Lily followed the little gray Puni outside, obviously a little peeved at his bossy behavior.  Mario and Goombella walked over to one of the doors next to the stairs.  A broad-shouldered bodyguard stood there, sporting black sunglasses and a fancy gray suit.
“Sorry Bub, behind these doors is reserved for fighters…woah, wait a second!!!  You’re the Great Gonzales!” the bodyguard said.  â€œAre you here to return to the ring?  OMIGOSH!!!  You are aren’t you??  Please, go ahead in!”  The bodyguard quickly stepped out of the way and opened the door for Mario to enter.
“Uh…yeah, thanks,” Mario said as he entered.  Goombella started rambling about the history of Glitz Pit, or something, as they walked on through the halls.  Memories suddenly hit Mario like a ton o’ bricks.  After recovering from these bricks, Mario wandered off in his memories.  He could hear the chants of the crowd through the walls, and excitement filled his body like water in a cup.  Mario walked all the way down the hall and took a right.  He continued walking until he found a door he recognized.  It was red, and made of a thick type of wood.  It was the room of Ms. Jolene, the manager of the Glitz Pit.
“Can I help you?” asked the bulky bodyguard at her door.
“Yes, I am here to see Ms. Jolene about entering the ring,” Mario said.  The bodyguard chuckled.
“You?  You’ll get clobbered out there, kid!  Have you seen that Chompien guy?  He’s huge!” the bodyguard chuckled.  â€œHe’s also trained in sumo wrestling.  You sure you want to do this?”
“I think I can handle myself,” Mario replied calmly.
“Alright, buddy,” said the bodyguard as he moved aside.  Mario opened the door and walked through followed by Goombella.  Ms. Jolene was at her desk looking over some papers.  She looked as dignified as ever, as she licked the tip of her pen through her ruby red lips and scribbled her signature on a piece of paper, quickly flipping over to the next side.
“Yes, what is it?” she asked, not looking up.
“I’m here to see if there’s a spot in the ring for an old champ,” Mario said.  Ms. Jolene quickly looked up and gasped.
“You’re back!  Mario!  You came back!”  She thrust away he papers in her desk as she offered Mario a seat across from her desk.  â€œOh Mario, I just knew you’d come back!  Oh what a comeback this is!”
“Yeah, I guess you could say I came back for something a little more important…” Mario explained the situation of the X-Nauts to Ms. Jolene who listened intently.
“…So that’s why you’re hear…hmmm,” she said.  â€œWhy would these X-Nauts come here?”
Mario shrugged.  â€œI think there’s a Shadow Siren here, otherwise I don’t know.”
Ms. Jolene scratched her chin.  â€œWell…hopefully they won’t do too much damage…It’s a good thing you warned me about this Mario.  Of course it’s a lot better now with all the good fighters around here now…but anyways, lets talk about your career, here.”
“Yes, lets,” said Goombella suddenly.  â€œMario will be staying in the Glitz Pit for only the necessary amount of time.  Once the X-Nauts are here, I’m sorry, but we must leave.”
Ms. Jolene watched Goombella, a little annoyed.  â€œYes, well let’s hope that’s not too soon then.”  She turned back to Mario with a smile.  â€œNow, since you last left, there has been a grow of far better fighters, which have caused us to have to cut out some of the mediocre ones.  You know, the Goomba Brothers, and that sort of thing.  So, basically, it’s not going to take as long to get to the top this time.  There are twelve fighters total, eleven stages not including championship.  You’ll have to fight hard, Mario, but I think you can do it.”  Mario nodded and smiled in thanks.
“So, is that it, then?” asked Mario.
“Yes, Mario, that is it…you can go to the locker room, just tell the bodyguard,” Ms. Jolene got a little teary, “the Great Gonzales is back!”


It is better to be sworn to an honest fool than to a lying scholar.  ~  Eragon from the book Eldest by Christopher Paolini.  

[The Blue Toad]

Sorry I haven't posted in a while everyone!  School got in the way.

Chapter 13:  Yosh the Mighty  ~  Mario and Goombella left Ms. Jolene’s office and headed there way back down the hall.  Memories crowded Mario’s mind as they passed familiar scenes, and listened to the roar of the crowd that resided in the ring, just opposite of the wall they were walking by.  Mario stopped in front of the minor league room.
“Well, good luck Mario!  I’ll be rooting for you in the crowd with the others!” said Goombella.
Mario quickly looked over at Goombella.  â€œWait a second, you’re not going to come fight with me?!”
Goombella gave Mario a look of guilt and said, “Mario, I’m really sorry, honest I am, but I kinda…gave up fighting as soon as you left Rougeport…”  Mario felt shocked and a little betrayed.  He didn’t think that he would have to fight in the ring alone.  It was always so nice to have someone else there with you.
“But, Goombella,” Mario began.
Goombella cut him off.  â€œI’m sorry Mario.  Besides, I’m sure you’ll do fine!”
Heard From Past the Wall in the Ring:  â€œ*OOOOH!  That HAD to hurt!*”
Goombella smiled at Mario as if she had not heard a sound and rushed of into the main hall of the Glitz Pit.
“Wait come back!…That doesn’t count as coming back!…I know you heard that!…Fine!” Mario sighed as he turned to the rather awkward security guard who was standing two feet from Mario the entire time.
“Er…hi,” said Mario clearing his throat.
“Hello,” said the dude bluntly.
“So…can I go in?”
“Yeah.”  The security/body/whatever kind of guard moved to the side of the door for Mario to enter.  And Mario entered…yeah.
The miner league locker room was disgusting!  Covered in dirt and sweat, with towels lying around everywhere.  There were lockers to the right of the door, and they were all smashed up, and very rusted.  In the middle of the locker room was a bench that was very rickety with various springs sticking out in random places.  An old, tattered bed was placed in the corner of the room for fighters to rest.  It was old, dusty, and had questionable stains of the thin sheets.  Not a very cozy place to sleep.  The atmosphere of this room was basically disgusting.  Don’t even get me started on the floors!  Although the room had the heavy stench of sweat looming in the air, Mario found it happy to be back.
“G-Holmes ma brotha!” said a familiar voice.  It was King K!  The street-talking koopa.  He was one of the amateur fighters in the Glitz Pit league, and took Mario in like a “brotha” when he was new.  He was a pretty nice guy.
“Oh…Hello King K!” Mario said.  King K did some kind of handshake/soul brother type thing to Mario.
“I can’t believe you’re back, dawg!  This is awesome!  I’ve been training real hard since you left!” he said.  Apparently he wasn’t training enough considering that he was still in the minor leagues.
“So, what rank are you?” asked Mario.  King K looked to the ground.
“Well, now that you’re here that makes me number ten.”  Apparently, King K was very close to the bottom of the chart.
“Wow,” said Mario, “the fighters must be getting a lot better now, huh?” Mario said.
“I’m tellin’ you, man, these punks are tough!  I can’t even get past The Explosives…those guys are tricky, though…” King K looked as though he was trying to focus his mind.  Mario nodded politely.  â€œWell, it’s been nice talking to you Mario,” King K said, “but now me and my boys gotta go practice our moves.  Catch ya on the flip side, yo.”
“Yeah…yo, yo,” Mario replied awkwardly as King K trotted over to an orange koopa and paratroopa.  Mario’s stomach fluttered with butterflies as he looked over at the device on  the wall that  allowed him to register a match.  It looked almost like a Game Boy Advance…  He looked around the locker room, not sure of what to do first.  Should he just schedule a match already?  Mario didn’t see why not.  He walked over to the machine on the wall, and pressed a large, black button.  The screen lit up and these words appeared on the screen:

Would you like to register for a match?  Yes/No

Mario pressed ‘Yes’ on the screen and it became blank for a moment.  After a very short while, Ms. Jolene appeared on the screen.
“Hello there Mario,” she said.
“Hello Ms. Jolene,” Mario replied.
“Wonderful.  You’re first match in a long time…Okay.  You are going to be fighting…” Ms. Jolene took out a clip board, flipping through the papers.  â€œAh!  The  Goomba Duo!  These guys are pretty easy, Mario, I’m pretty sure you can beat them in no time!”  Mario nodded with a smile.  â€œSomeone will be down to pick you up for the match in a little bit.”
“Alright, thank you Ms. Jolene,” said Mario as the screen went blank again.  Mario became happily nervous as he listened to the roar of the enormous crowd outside.  Suddenly,
“Gonzales!!!” cried a familiar voice.  A dashing blur of greenness suddenly pounced on Mario.  It was Mario’s little yoshi friend, Yosh.  â€œI can’t believe it!  You’re back, Gonzales, you’re back!”  Mario laughed.
“Yosh, it’s been a while.”  Yosh got off of Mario, letting him stand of (for the sake of Pete!)
“It sure has!  What got ya to come back?”
“It’s a long story,” Mario said, not really up to telling the story again.
“Yeah.  I can’t believe you’re back!  Let me fight with you!” Yosh suddenly cried unexpectedly.
“Let you fight with me?” Mario repeated.
“Yeah!  I’ve been missing being your partner since you left!  They now know me as Yosh the Mighty,” he said proudly.
“Oh really?” said Mario.  â€œWhat rank are you?”
“I’m ranked number eight…and I have been for a while…if only I could get past those darn boos!…But that’s not the point!  Mario!  I know I can make it if I’m with you!  It’ll be just like the old days!”  Mario thought about this.  Yosh was right.  Plus Mario did need a partner to help him out after all.
“Alright Yosh, the old team is back!” Mario said as Yosh cheered with Joy.  Then Joy ran away because she didn’t belong in this story.  IT was good to know the Mario now had someone there to help him fight.  The door suddenly opened and in came a security guard.  Mario’s excitement flew.
“Mario,” he said, “time for your match.  Come with me, Bub.”

[The Blue Toad]

Chapter 14:  Familiar Faces ~ Mario and Yosh followed the security guard person guy out into the hallway as they heard the cry of the audience from behind the walls.  Mario’s stomach churned at the thought of the flashing lights inside, the roar of the crowd, and the tremendous and exciting atmosphere.  The guard stopped in front of a large, square door.  It was the color blue, with a large star painted on it.
“All right, Bub, go through here and there’s no turning back until the match it over,” the security guard said.  Mario nodded and swallowed through the nervous lump in his throat.  His palms were sweaty at the sound of the crowd inside, as loud as waves crashing into each other.
“Well Mario, this is it…just like the good old days,” Yosh said.  Mario clenched his fists.  Indeed, it was.  He looked over at Yosh and smiled then turned back to the door.  He reached across and felt the cool metal of the door, and pushed it sideways until he felt the doors slide open.  Light poured into the hallway, and the roar of the crowd was now far louder.  Mario’s ears burst as he entered the ring, stands upon stands of colorful people throwing confetti, waving flags, and jumping up and down in excitement.  Mario’s body was filled with great excitement as he entered, looking around at the ecstatic people screaming for joy, a smile spread across his face.
Then he heard a booming voice emit throughout the room.  â€œLadies and gentlemen!  The hammering hero!  The mustached hall-of-famer!  The GRRREAT GONZALES!!!”  Mario had no idea that this crowd could even get any louder, but he was then proven wrong.  The voice was that of Ms. Jolene’s, and Mario then saw it up ahead.  The tall, stone, square stage set in the exact middle of the stadium.  The Glitz Pit.  Behind the enormous fighting arena was a large screen that displayed the large image of Mario.  Mario felt his feet light on the ground as we walked up the three tall, stone steps to the stage.  Ms Jolene could be seen the middle, brushing her blonde bangs out of her face.
“Mario!  It has been such a long time!” She said.  â€œWhat in the world made you come back?”  Mario saw her wink at him from behind her red, horn-rimmed glasses.  It was obvious that she didn’t want him to tell the truth.  After all, telling everyone that he was here to find out where the X-Nauts were located just seemed a little far-fetched.
“Er,” Mario said as Ms. Jolene held up the microphone to Mario’s mouth.  â€œI’m here to win back that belt!”  The crowd roared with approval.
“Well Mario, are you ready to meet your competitors?”
“YEEEAAAHH!” the crowd cried.  Cameras flashed wildly in the audience.
“Here they are everyone!  The colorful couple, the terrible two, the Goomba Duo!”  There were cheers, and jeers, from the crowd as two goombas came out from a door on the other side of the Glitz Pit.  They were both fairly large for goombas.  The one in front was a shade of red, while the other goomba was a shade of blue.  Mario could have sworn he had seen them before.
“Goomba Duo!” Jolene cried, “Why don’t you introduce yourselves for some of our new fans?”  She held the microphone up to the two goombas.
“I’m Red Goomba!” cried the red goomba.
“And I’m Blue Goomba!  And we are the Goomba Duo!  YEEAH!” the other cried.
“We will beat that low down Mario in the name of the Goomba King!”
“Yeah!  The goomba king!  Yeah!”  Mario suddenly remembered.  These two were the goombas Mario had bought in his very first Paper adventure.  They served the self-proclaimed Goomba King.
“Well alright then!  Mario, what do you have to say?” Ms. Jolene held the microphone to Mario.  Mario was about to say something, when Yosh jumped in the way and cried,
“You kidding me?  We’ll grind these two into dirt!  Dirt, you hear me?  Dirt!”
“Well, looks like these two teams are ready for a battle!  Alright everyone, lets get ready to BBBBRAWL!!” a loud gong sounded through the Glitz Pit, meaning that the match was now starting.  As if it was almost instinct, Mario pulled out his hammer firmly in his gloved hand.  Red Goomba began charging at Mario.  Mario leapt into the air, and when Red Goomba was under him, landed with a thud on top of his head.  Red Goomba collapsed to the ground as Mario took the hammer to his bald, red head.
“Ohh!” Ms. Jolene said as the crowd roared, “looks like this match is already in the bag!”  But Mario was caught off guard as Blue Goomba pounced on him from behind.  Mario fell forward, scraping his knees, but then quickly getting back up.  Both the goombas were now standing tall, glaring at Mario.  Suddenly, Yosh jump out from behind Mario, and in a flash his tongue had slurped up Red Goomba!  Blue Goomba gasped.
“What?!  Yosh?  I thought you had already beaten us!” Blue Goomba cried.
“Oh my!  Looks like the dynamic duo of Mario and Yosh are sincerely back!” Ms. Jolene cried into her microphone.  Yosh took in a breath, and spit Red Goomba straight out of his mouth, directly at Blue Goomba.  They both collided with a loud KLUNK!  It seemed as though Red Goomba could not get up.  He simply lay on the ground, drool emitting from his mouth with his eyes tightly closed.
“OH no!  Looks like Blue Goomba’s on his own now, folks!” Jolene boomed.  Blue Goomba seemed a little dizzy as well.  Mario leapt forward, and smashed his hammer clear across his face.  Blue Goomba spun backwards, and hit the floor.
A smaller, higher pitched bell was sounded as a spotlight suddenly shown upon Mario and Yosh.  The fight was over, and they had won!  Mario was shocked, but also relieved.  That match had been simple!  The crowd roared loudly with approval, chanting his name, and doing the wave.  Mario smiled as he looked across the audience at all the cheering fans (although her could not seem to pick out his friends, Goombella, Punio, and Lily).
“We have a winner!” Ms. Jolene cried.  Yosh jumped up and down.
“Yeah!  How’d that floor taste?” he cried.  â€œThis is awesome Mario!  At this rate we’re sure to win!”

[The Blue Toad]

Chapter 15: It Always Starts off Easy ~ Mario returned to the minor league locker room with Yosh.
“Dude, could that match have gotten any easier?” Yosh said mockingly.  It was true.  That was a very easy fight.  But Mario knew he couldn’t let that get to his head.  Everything started off easy, he had to remember that.
“Here’s your fight money Mr. Gonzales,” said Ms. Jolene who randomly appeared behind them
“WOAH!” Yosh cried as he jumped and looked behind him.  Mario received 1 coin!  Mario pocketed the single gold coin and thanked Ms. Jolene.
“I knew you’d win, Gonzales,” Ms. Jolene said, “you’re just as good as you used to be, if not better!”  Mario nodded and smiled awkwardly as she exited through the door with a swift wave of her hand.
“Alright, Mario, lets sign up for another match!” said Yosh eagerly, punching the air in a fighting stance, “I’m on a roll!”  Mario chuckled to himself.
“Alright, we will,” he replied, “but first I’m going to go check something out.  I’ll be right back.”
“Alright, but be quick about it!  We’re not gonna get to the major leagues by just standin’ here!  After all, that is why you came back to the Glitz Pit, right?” It just struck Mario that young Yosh still did not know of the X-Nauts yet.
“Oh yeah,” said Mario, “about that…here, Yosh, sit down and I’ll tell you…”
“Tell me what?” asked Yosh.
“I’ll tell you why I came back to the Glitz Pit.”
“…You mean, you didn’t come back for the belt?”
“Well…not exactly…”

……….

“They’re back?!” exclaimed Yosh after hearing the news about the X-Nauts returning.  â€œI can’t believe it!  I thought they were gone for good!”
“So did I,” said Mario, “but apparently, they decided to return to their evil side once more…I need to know why they’re kidnapping Shadow Sirens…”
“So, how do you think coming to Glitzville will help you locate those X-Punks?”
“I’m not really sure.  Merlon just told me to come here, and the answer will unfold itself…maybe someone in the Glitz Pit knows…” Mario thought of Ms. Jolene, and the other residents of Glitzville.  Could they be in some sort of danger?  If only Merlon had been a little more specific.
“Well, I’ll be right back Yosh,” said Mario.
“Alright,” the little dinosaur replied, “I’ll be waiting here.”  Mario got up from the seat and moved towards the door.  He felt the loose, iron handle squeak under his hand as he opened the door and headed on in to the hallway.  He took a right straight to the door that lead out into the Entrance Hall.  He could still here the chanting of the crowd, and the sound of drums through the wall that made his heart race.  Suddenly, the same reporter who Mario had spoken to about Chompien approached him with the same Lakitu camera guy.
“Gonzales!  Gonzales!  Great Gonzales, I mean to say, hello!” he said loudly.
“Er…hi,” Mario replied a little awkwardly.
“Mind if we ask you a few questions?” he asked.
“Well…right now?…Yes.  But sometime later, sure, maybe,” said Mario as he stepped to the right, moving quickly past them and up to the door that lead outside.
“Wait!  Wait!  Mario!” but Mario was already outside, away from the reporter and his camera dude.  The sun was bright, the clouds were under him, just the way things were in Glitzville.  Mario had heard that you could read the status of the fighters somewhere in the smoothie shop.  Mario walked through a crowd of happy tourists, and made his way to the shop.
It was cool inside, and the atmosphere seemed refreshing.  Mario looked around the shop.  There were tables, customers, the counter, the bartender, and, aha!  There it was.  Sitting by the counter was a large machine, almost like an arcade video game, but a lot smaller and more high-tech.  Apparently, that thing was supposed to record the scores of the fighters.  Mario walked up to the screen to see the rankings:

 Champ:  The Undefeated Chompien
1:  Prince Mush
2:  The Rawk Hawk
3:  Sir Swoop
4:  The Mysterious Sheet
5:  Koopalore the Awesome
6:  The Armored Harriers
7:  The Band of Boos
8:  The Explosives
9:  King K and the Koopas
10:  The Great Gonzales
11:  The Goomba Duo

It seems as though the computer updated itself automatically.  Mario was quite impressed.   Though he was now feeling a little nervous, for his next fight would be against none other than his good friend King K.  Mario only wondered how much he had improved since he left…

Mario walked back to the minor league locker rooms to find Yosh talking to a very small, red bom-omb.  Yosh stopped talking as soon as Mario entered the room.
“Gonzales!” he cried, basically blowing off the unusually small bom-omb who walked away looked a little offended.  â€œAlright, now that you’re back lets sign up for another match!
“Alright, alright!” said Mario.  â€œKeep your pants on.”
Yosh pulled up his pants looking rather embarrassed.
Mario walked over to the Reserve-a-Match system and pressed the button on the screen that red; ‘yes’.  The screen when fuzzy for a second, then blank white.  It then went fuzzy again, and Ms. Jolene appeared.
“All set for another match, eh Gonzales?” she said.  â€œAlright then, your next opponent will be…ranked number nine in the Glitz Pit, King K and the Koopas.”  Mario nodded.  â€œAlright then, Gonzales, someone will be down there to pick you up in a little bit!”
“Alright, thank you,” Mario replied as the screen went blank again.
“Alriiight!  Lets go make those Koopas taste the floor!” Yosh said.  Mario sighed.
“Ay!  Mario!” said King K from behind him.  Mario turned.  â€œLooks like we’re gonna be facing off again, huh?”
“Looks like it,” replied Mario awkwardly.
“Well, you better watch your back, cuz me and my brothers have been practicin’, and we’re pretty good now.”  Mario nodded, pretty confident that he would succeed in this face-off too.
“We’re gonna make you taste the-“
“Floor, we know little dude,” King K said as he rolled his eyes and walked away.
“Well…Yeah!” Yosh said.  Looks like the little yoshi simply still couldn’t think of any better catch phrases yet.
Just then, the door opened and the security guard dude entered the room and looked at Mario.
“Alright, Bub, lets go.  Match time,” he said.  Mario nodded and followed the security guard out into the halls.  He was lead to the same door with the same star.  Mario heard the roar of the crowd once more, and the fierce beating of the drums, but didn’t feel nearly as nervous as he had the first time.  Mario pushed open the doors, and he and Yosh entered the ring with their heads held high, waving and smiling at their fans.
“And he’s back ladies and gentlemen!  The Great Gonzales is making his way to the top of the charts!” Ms. Jolene cried from the ring.  Mario jumped up the stairs to the stage, Yosh close behind.  The crowd went wild.  â€œAnd Mr. Gonzales’s opponents, King K and the Koopas!” Ms. Jolene cried into her microphone as King K and the Koopas walked out from the opposing door.  Cheering cheering, crowd, wild.  King K and the Koopas hopped up onto stage, striking poses, and acting very cool.
“Alright you two, you know the rules!  Last one standing wins!  Now lets get ready to BRAAAWL!!!”  *GOOONG!!!*  King K quickly jumped into the air, and hid inside his shell.  His other partners, a parakoopa and a koopa did this as well.  Mario got in his fighting pose, his hammer held tightly in his right hand.  Suddenly, the two koopas started to spin around and around.  They were spinning extremely fast.  They parakoopa simply hovered in the air.  The audience hushed as they watched inamazment at the two spinning shells, and the shell flapping its wings in the air.
“Get ready, Yosh,” Mario said.
“I’m ready for anythi-“ suddenly King K’s shell let go, and sped so fast, it was practically hovering over the ground.  Mario quickly jumped out of the way.  The shell zoomed straight into Yosh.
“OOHHHHHH!!” the audience cried as Yosh was flung off the stage.  Mario gasped.
“Uh-oh!” Ms. Jolene said into her microphone, “Looks like Yosh is out!”  Mario quickly focused back on the match.  The other koopa’s shell was just about to dive into Mario, but he dived out of the way, sending the speedy shell to fly directly off of the stage as well.  But, the koopa then popped out of his shell and jumped back up to the stage.  The paratroopa was now about to dive at Mario.  Mario grabbed his winged shell, and hurled it at King K!  SMACK!  It hit him right in the face!
“OHHHH!” the audience cried.  Without think, Mario jumped into the air, and landed directly on the other koopa’s head, causing him to hide in his shell.  Mario then took out his hammer, and hit the shell of the koopa with his hammer like a golf club so that the shell hit King K straight into the belly of his shell!  King K groaned as he fell over on his back.  The paratroopa now dived at Mario, and hit him in the back of the head.  Mario stumbled forward, blacking out a little bit.  He then spun around to see the paratroopa diving at him again.  Mario smashed him with his hammer before he could hit him!
“Wow!  Mario has now taken out King K and the paratroopa!  Only one koopa left!”
“GONZALES!  GONZALES!  GONZALES!  GONZALES!” chanted the crowd.  The koopa looked very nervous as he took a step back.  The koopa then unexpectedly dived into his shell, and sped at Mario.  He hit Mario in the ankles, causing him to topple over.  Mario quickly hopped up, despite his ankles, which were screaming in pain.  Mario saw the koopa in the corner of the ring, smiling at Mario.  But, before Mario or the koopa could make a move, little Yosh dashed up into the ring, smashed into the koopa, causing him to collapse to the ground.  *Ding! Ding!*
“This match is over!” cried Ms. Jolene.  â€œThe Great Gonzales is the winner!”
The crowd screamed their approval, chanting the name Gonzales.  It was in that fight that Mario realized how important his partnership with the little yoshi is.

[The Blue Toad]

Wow!  I actually have time to write a chapter.  I tell you, school has been hectic!  The chapter's short, but at least it's a chapter!

Chapter 16: Call me Mairo ~  â€œNice job, Gonzales dude,” King K said as Mario entered the putrid locker rooms after the match.
“Thanks,” Mario replied, “You guys weren’t bad yourselves!  You almost had me there.”
“Yeah!” King K said, “It was a close match, man…a close match.  Well, I’ll catch ya later G-money.  Out!” and then he walked away.
“Er…out…yeah,” Mario said quietly.  Mario turned to his small, green companion who was now holding an ice pack to his head and slowly wobbling back and forth.
“Oh…Gonzales…dude…my main man…home dog…slice….I don’t feel too good,” he said.
“Well, you did get hit in the head rather bad,” Mario replied.
“I know…oh…obscenity in the leche of that koopa’s shell!”
“What?”
“I’m gonna go lie down now,” Yosh said as he wandered off to the corner of the musty room, plopping down on the terribly filthy bed.  Mario chuckled to himself.
“Excuse me, Mr. Gonzales,” said Ms. Jolene as she entered the locker room.  â€œExcellent fight today.  The crowd absolutely loved you!  Oh, and here’s your fight money.”  Ms. Jolene took out 2 coins from her pocket in her tight red dress and handed them to Mario.  Mario took the coins and pocketed them himself.
“Thank you,” Mario said.
“No thank you Mr. Gonzales!  That performance was so dramatic, heroic, and all around amazing!  You really fed the crowd in that fight.”  Mario was truly glad to hear it.  It seemed as though every time he had to fight an enemy, he would get only the reward of a few coins, and of course the heart of the princess, but here in the Glitz Pit he won the loyalty, and the support of the crowd.  That was quite a reward itself.
“Oh, and here’s this,” Ms. Jolene said, handing Mario and envelope.  â€œThat little Goomba girl told me to give this to you after the match.”
Mario thanked Ms. Jolene for the letter as she left the locker room promptly, most likely to get away from the awful smell of sweat, slowly soaking its way through torn T-shirts and rags.  Mario looked over at Yosh.  It seemed as though he was already asleep, so Mario didn’t hesitate opening the letter (so he could get his privacy when reading it).

Dear Mario,
Meet me in the main hall of the Glitz Pit once
you are finished with your match.
See you soon,
Goombella<3

Folded up the letter and tossed it in the trash on his way out the door.  What would Goombella want to see me for? Mario thought.  Has she found out something about the X-Nauts?  Mario passed the security guard who was standing by the door and made his way into the main hall.  Sure enough, waiting for him there by the red velvet stairs was Goombella.
“Mario,” she said as she walked over to him, “excellent match today!  It was truly thrilling.”
“Thanks, Goombella,” said Mario.  â€œSo what did you want to see me for?”
“Oh, yes.  I just wanted to tell you that while you are fighting in the ring, I am going to be busy searching for around Glitzville, being on the lookout for any wandering X-Nauts, or anything that really catches the eye.”
“Like the Great Chompien?”
“Who?”
“The Great Chompien.  You know, the giant sumo chain chomp?”
“Oh, right.  Well, yes I suppose.  But you’re missing the point here Mario.  Merlon told us to enter the ring and we will find out where the X-Nauts are hiding.  It has nothing to do with becoming champion.”  Mario was reluctant to believe this.  He felt as though he was getting back into the spirit he had been in when he was searching for the Crystal Stars, and he had to be the champion.  Boy, he thought, Goombella sure has mellowed down since last time.  Or perhaps she’s simply more responsible now…
“All right,” Mario said, “I’ll try not to let that go to my head.”
“Good.  So, I’ll talk to you later then.”
“Yes.”
“Alright, bye Mario- er…Gonzales.”
“Just call me Mario.”
“Alright then.  Good-bye, Mario.”
“Good-bye Goombella.”

Edited by - The Blue Toad on 10/5/2005 4:52:52 PM

[The Blue Toad]

Chapter 17: The Next Target ~  Lord Crump stared at his carnivorous fish in utter boredom, watching them swim around, their teeth still as pointy as ever.  He had a feeling that he needed to be doing something at the moment, yet he had no idea what it was he was to be doing.  He had made sure the X-Nauts were on task, successfully set up the Shadow Siren prisons (which had been rather hard considering the ability and build of the Shadow Sirens), he took the remotes away from those three extraordinarily crazy X-Nauts, made sure the X-Naut Scientists were on task making his body, and sent Lord Crump to give him the reports on how Grodus’ plan was progressing.
Grodus chuckled evilly to himself.
‘Nothing can stop me now,’ he thought to himself, ‘and once my body is completely finished, I will rule the world as not only Sir Grodus, ruler of the X-Nauts, but as Sir Grodus, ruler of the X-Nauts who has a body!’
“…yes..” he said to himself as he closed his eyes, thinking of Flurrie, Princess Peach, and Kammy Koopa(?) crowding around him.
“Oh Grodus!” Peach would say, “You’re SO strong and body-full.”
“Grodus,” said Flurrie, “let me stroke your arms, again, please?”
“Oh Grodus.”
“Glorious Grodus.”
“You’re so hott.”
“I love you the best.”
“No me!”
“ME!”
“Sir Grodus?”
“Please, baby, be gentle!” Sir Grodus said aloud, getting a little caught up in his daydream.  It was actually Lord Crump who had said:  â€œSir Grodus?” and he was now feeling rather awkward.  He began to wonder if it would be easier to just leave Grodus alone, and come back later when he wouldn’t call Crump “baby”.
Sir Grodus leaned the weight of his head to the side of his chair, spinning it around to face Lord Crump.  Sir Grodus was shocked, and very humiliated.  But, he just acted as if nothing happened.
“What is it, Lord Crump?” he asked.  â€œMake it quick!”
“Er – yeah…uh….what was I gonna say?…” Lord Crump asked himself.  â€˜Lets see,’ he thought, ‘I was…going….to….tell…him…about….hmmm…ducks are kind of funny once you think about them long enough.  Same with camels, and llamas too…haha…llamas.’
“Lord Crump what is it you want to tell me, you nincompoop!” Sir Grodus spat.
“Oh right!  Uh.  Not duck…Oh yeah.  The progress reports.  *clears throat*  The capturing of the Shadow Sirens is going smoothly so far, sir.  We are capturing them without too much recognition.  In fact, the only evidence to the public right now is that Madam Flurrie is missing, and that could be for any reason…it’s just about our next stop…”
“Your next stop?” repeated Sir Grodus.
“Yeah, you know, the next place that we are stopping to capture more shadow sirens.”
“Oh, right, right.  What is the next stop?”
“Well,” said Lord Crump, “the radars show that there are three Shadow Sirens located inside the Glitz Pit in Glitzville.”
“The Glitz Pit?  What is that?” asked Sir Grodus.
“Well, sir, the Glitz Pit is a fighting arena in the sky.  It’s a place full of the top fighters from all over the world.  And you see that’s the problem.  How are we going to simply sneak into the Glitz Pit and capture the Shadow Sirens without anyone noticing?”
“Couldn’t you just go in at night?”
“Well, I suppose, but there are security guards guarding the building at all times…still a very risky situation if we still want to go unnoticed.”
“Yes, I suppose it would be very bad if the X-Nauts simply got caught with no defensive maneuvers…but let me ask you this.  Do we still have many more Shadow Sirens to take captive?” asked Sir Grodus.  If he had had hands at this time he would be stroking his chin as a sign of deep thought.
“No, I don’t think so,” said Lord Crump.
“Well then I say we have you, and a few other X-Nauts break into the Glitz Pit using the Magnus Von Grapple 5.0!”
Lord Crump gasped.
“That’s right,” said Sir Grodus, “The best defense is a good offense.  You simply charge in there will the Magnus, take down anyone who stands in your way, let the X-Nauts capture the Shadow Sirens, and leave.  Who cares if our intentions are discovered?  We have almost enough Shadow Sirens for our plan to come into action anyways….So how does my plan sound to you?”
“Charge in, take Shadow Sirens, beat anyone who gets in my way…Sounds like old times, Sir Grodus.”
“Except for the ‘you getting your butt kicked’ part.”
“What was that?”
“Nothing…listen, Lord Crump, with the Magnus Von Grapple 5.0, probabilities of messing up are very low…however with you at the controls I’m not so sure.”
“I’ll do my best sir, I promise!” said Lord Crump, giving the ‘X” sign with his arms.
“Yes, you had better hope you do.  I don’t want anything to interfere with my master plan.  Just get in, get Shadow Sirens, and get out.  Simple as that.”
“Yes sir.  So, when do you want me to do this?” asked Lord Crump.  Again, if a body were present below Sir Grodus’ head he would be stroking his chin in thought.
“I will tell you when I want this plan commenced.  Until then, prepare the Magnus Von Grapple.”
“Yes sir.”
And with that Lord Crump left Sir Grodus to work on the Magnus while Grodus sat, heaving a heavy sigh, and stared at his fish tank….

……….

…. “Oh, Princess…I believe you are in the right castle…”

Edited by - The Blue Toad on 10/10/2005 3:44:53 PM

[The Blue Toad]

Woah!  I'm not dead!  My computer just broke, and GAH!  Okay, I have not updated this story in a long time so...here!:

Chapter 18:  A Snack for the Winner  ~  The chanting of the crowd boomed throughout the Glitz Pit as Prince Mush and The Undefeated Chompien were in the heat of yet another battle.  Ms. Jolene cried into her microphone as the fight roared on.
“OHHH!  That CAN’T be good for Prince Mush!……..Oh…..OH…..Could it be?!  Yes!  OHHH, another satisfying hit by Chompien!” she yelled.
Goombella made her way through the roaring crowd carrying two spicy hot dogs along with her.  She looked down from the balcony at the fight bellow, just as Chompien was delivering a terrible blow with his chain, straight into the stomach of Prince Mush.  The crowd cried out in excitement and delight at the sign of Mush’s excruciating pain.  Shivers ran up Goombella’s spine as she watched the blonde-haired Toad clutch his stomach.  She turned her head away from the fight, and up an isle of stair until she came to one of the middle rows of seats.  She pardoned her way past a few people and sat down next to Punio and Lily.
Punio was jumping up and down, trying to get a good view of the fight.  Lily was sinking lower and lower into her chair, a shy frown pasted to her face.
“Here’s your hot dog, Punio,” Goombella said as she handed one of the hot dogs to the tiny gray…thing.
“Thanks Goombella,” he said as he blindly took the hot dog and began eating it, not taking his eyes off the fight.
Goombella looked down at her hot dog.  It was oozing with spices and pepper.  She didn’t remember the hot dogs being so…flavored.  Just the smell made her eyes water.
Goombella looked back towards the fight to see that Prince Mush had just rammed into the stomach of Chompien.  Chompien bounced him back, laughing in a deep rumble as Prince Mush hit the floor, desperately trying to get back up.
Where was Mario?  Was it going to take very long for Yosh to recover from their last battle?  These thoughts and more ran through her head as she stared into the ring.  She was watching the fight, yet wasn’t really paying attention to what was going on.
After defeating the Shadow Queen in her last adventure, Goombella had become more of one with peace.  She was finally able to appreciate the world around her, more than she ever had before.  Violence didn’t interest her, and she began to consider it a waste of time.  Goombella truly, and stubbornly believes that brains triumph over bronze, and everyone has a weakness.  But, what in the world was the weakness of the Undefeated Chompien?  He had common sense, and seemed to plan his fights out well, which is brains.  He is certainly strong, and “Undefeated” as his title indicates.  But what was his weakness?
“AND THE UNDEFEATED CHOPMIEN REMAINS OUR WINNER!” cried Jolene as the audience cried in joy.  It wasn’t that much of a shock now, considering The Undefeated Chompien has won every battle in the Glitz Pit so far.
“I think I’m going to go,” said Goombella to Punio.
Punio looked up from his hot dog.  â€œWhere are you going?”
“Oh…I dunno.  I’ll meet you later,” she said as she got up and proceeded to leave.
After bumping her way through the obnoxious crowd, Goombella was finally able to exit the Glitz Pit.  She still held her spicy hot dog, thinking of what a waste it would be to simply throw it away.  She shrugged, not knowing what else to do with an overly flavored hot dog.  Goombella passed under the glamorous chandeliers of the main lobby, and down the velvet red, carpeted stairs.  The lobby was surprisingly empty.  Normally there were reporters busily looking for any wondering fighters, or fans taking in the atmosphere and looking at the posters of all the fighters hung on the walls of the lobby.
Just as Goombella was wandering the lobby, searching for a trash bin – BOOM!  The door on the side of the lobby burst open.  The enormous, frightening Chompien thundered through the door, and in front of
Goombella.  Goombella’s heart raced as she looked at the round, black giant.  He was even bigger in person!  Goombella began to shake wondering how in the world he managed to fit through the door.
“Oh,” thundered his full, deep voice, “hello there!”
“H-h-h-hello!” Goombella said shaking a little.  She got a grasp on herself.  â€œEr………..That was a fabulous match back there, Mr. Chopmien.”
“BAH HAH HAH HAH!” he suddenly roared out, causing Goombella to jump.  â€œYes, and what a measly match it was!  I am beginning to think I am too big for this silly competition!”
“Heh heh…” said Goombella as she stood awkwardly, holding her hot dog.  â€œUh-Would you like a hot dog, sir?” she randomly asked.
“What?  BLEAGH!  No!” Chompien roared, causing Goombella to feel slightly ashamed of herself.  â€œJust the fumes of that thing is giving me a stomach ache!  BLECH!  â€¦.How can you possibly eat something like that?”
“Oh, well,” said Goombella, blushing, “I don’t actually really like it either…”
“I should hope not!”  boomed Chompien.  â€œWell, farewell little Goomba.”  The gargantuan chain-chomp thundered past Goombella, and out of the Glitz Pit.  Goombella was suddenly furious.  â€˜Little goomba’?  And what business did she have calling that guy ‘sir’?  Goombella was disappointed of herself for getting all giddy in front of the champion.  She wasn’t like that!  Goombella took a large bite out of the hot dog as she proceeded back up the steps to resume watching the fierce battles.

“Alright, Gonzales, I am ready to roll!” said Yosh as he hopped up and down, thrusting his fists into the air.
“Are you sure?” asked Mario.
“Dude, I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” Yosh said as he began to stretch.  Mario was glad to hear it.  It seemed as though Yosh had to take quite the long rest in order to be ready for the next fight.
“Alright, Yosh.  Just remember.  Don’t get ahead of yourself this time,” said Mario, as he walked up to the Automatic Reserve-a-Match System.
“Trust me, I won’t!” said Yosh.  Mario pressed Reserve-a-Match on the press screen.  The screen turned fuzzy for only a second this time, and then a distant image of Ms. Jolene appeared on the screen.
“Gonzales, fabulous!” she said, “You’re ready for another fight then?”
“Yep,” replied Mario.
“Well then, your next opponent will be…ranked 8 in the Glitz Pit, The Explosives!” she said.
“The Explosives!” said Yosh from behind, “those guys are pretty tricky, Gonzales.”
“Some will now be arriving to your room to escort you to the match, Mr. Gonzales.  Good luck!” said Ms. Jolene as the screen went fuzzy once more, then proceeded to turning blank.
“Alright, Gonzales,” said Yosh, “these guys go down easy, but with a boom, you know what I’m saying?  The trick to The Explosives is to try not to go down before them.  Keep standing, Gonzales, and eventually they’ll wear themselves out.  That’s how I got past them.”
Mario nodded.  It was still a long ways to victory…

Edited by - The Blue Toad on 11/5/2005 7:53:02 PM

[PaperMario]

Awesome fanfic! Most of the fanfics i read have chapters that are too short, but your fic is original and entertaining!:)

[GiftedGirl]

Awesome!

--------------------
"Hey, I''m a voter! Aren''t you supposed to lie to me and kiss my butt?" ~ Peter Venkman, Ghostbusters 2

[The Blue Toad]

Thank you both!   ;D 
I'll have to write the next chapter later, though.  Too much homework right now.

[The Blue Toad]

Chapter 19:  The Explosives ~ Mario squinted into the bright, flashing lights of the crowd as their cries oh happiness and excitement filled his ears to the point of overflowing.  His heart beat proudly as he marched through the Glitz Pit and on his way to the ring which lay before him.  The Explosives were up to bat, and Mario had to strike them out. 
"Yeahh-haha!" cried little Yosh excitedly, "How's that floor taste?-"
"Yosh, could you please only say that after we actually beat the opponent?" asked Mario.
"Well, Gonzales, dude, I'm just preparing our unknowing victims ahead of time," said Yosh, rubbing his small green hands together like a MAAANiac.  And he's dancing like he's never danced before. 
Mario climbed up the large, steep steps to make his way into the ring.  The roar of the crowd echoed throughout the large, open room as Mario greeted his fans. 
"Hello ladies and gentlemen and welcome to another fabulous fight here at the Glitz Pit!  Tonight, we have the battling wonder, the tremendous duo, The Great Gonzales and Yosh!" Ms. Jolene cried into her microphone as the audience went wild. 
"GONZALES!  GONZALES!  GONZALES!  GONZALES!" chanted the crowd. 
"And, facing off against the man with the hammer, it is The Explosives!" cried Jolene as the crowd continued to cheer. 
From the door opposite of Mario came a group of three bom-ombs.  They all jumped from step to step until they were all into the ring.  In the front was a regular, dark-black colored bom-omb.  His eyes looked keen, his wike fresh and yellow, and his shining gold-colored shoes giving off a radiant affect.
Next to him, was a large, pink, Bulky bom-omb.  She had rosy red cheecks and seemed to waddle after the other two, her silver wick bobbling in the air. 
Next to her was a very small, dark-red bom-omb.  He was one of the rare Cherry bom-ombs.  His wick was black as he excitedly glared at Mario, jumping up and down.
"Heh heh!  You're going down Mr. Gonzales!" said the black bom-omb at the front.  "I'm Tim.  And here with me is..."
"Jessie!" said the pink bom-omb with a giggle.
"And Fred!!!" shouted the little red bom-omb.  "You're going down!!!"
"Oh, you just wait and see!" said Yosh.
"Alright everyone," Ms. Jolene said, "Let's get ready to BAAAAAAAAATLLE!!" 
The crowd emerged in an explosion of cheering and jeering as the large gong was sounded, and the fight began. 
"Remember what I said, Gonzales," said Yosh, "as long as you can last the pressure, we'll be fine!"
Mario nodded.
Suddenly, Tim had come charging at Mario, ramming his hard, marble like shpere of a body straight into Mario's stomach.  Mario fell to his knees as Tim bounced back into perfect form with the other to bom-ombs.
"OH!  Looks like The Explosives have made the first hit!" cried Jolene, her voice booming throughout the stadium.
Mario got to his feet, looking over at Yosh.  Yosh had his knees bent, his eyes narrowed, ready for any sudden movement.  Mario instinctively grabbed his hammer, and held it in an outstrechted arm, ready for attack. 
"AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" cried Fred, as he randomly jumped his into the air.  Mario tried to follow where Fred had jumped, but he was now so high that the lights began to blind Mario as he continued his search.  Fred suddenly appeared, flying down at Yosh,
All Mario could see was a red blur going straight into Yosh's head.
The audience showed thier thoughts of how much that must have hurt through a simuntaneous "Ohhhhhhh!"
Yosh began stumbling over his feet as he took hold of his head.
"I'm okay," he said in a weary voice.
Mario, hammer at hand, whacked Fred straight in the gut.  Fred was flying right at Jessie.  Before he could hit the bulky pink bom-omb, Tim had jumped in the way and intercepted the hit, taking the pain for himself. 
"Ohhhh!  Looks like The Explosives REALLY have each others' backs!" cried Jolene. 
Mario was rather puzzled at why Tim had done this, when Jessie suddenly landed on top of Mario!  Mario fell to the floor, his face covered in pink bulkiness.  Jessie stood up as Mario continued to lay on the ground.  His eyes were open though all he could see was black, and small stars floating around his head. 
"Wow!  Looks like that will certainly cost Gonzales a baaad headache.  Lets get some tylenol over here!" said Jolene, stirring up the crowd.  MArio hastily got up, rubbing his head.  Mario opened his eyes to see little Fred, running straight at MAri owhile screaming.  Mario quickly hit him with his hammer, sending him flying once more! 
While Yosh was pounding on Tim (who was lying on the ground feeling dizzy from all the head bonks) he could not intercept Fred, who had collided with JEssie.  Jessie's eyes suddenly went blank.
"OH NO!" said Fred loudly, in a squeaky voice.  "Jessie calm down!  I didn't mean to bump into you, I swear!" 
Suddenly, Jessie's silver wick began to glow.  Yosh had noticed this, and quickly ran away from the now furious Tim. 
"Mario watch out!  SHE'S GONNA BLOW!" cried Yosh.  And indeed, she did blow.  Jessie closed her eyes, shaking, and let out an enormous explosion of confetti and sparks.  Mario's ears were ringing as the explosion exhoed throughout the room.  The crowd went mad as the wicks of Tim and Fred suddenly lit as well. 
"Uh-oh!" cried Jolene, plugging her ears, "Get ready for another one, folks!" 
Fred and Tim were running about madly as their wicks continued to gradly decrease.  Mario closed his eyes and prepared for the blow.
Suddenly; "BOOM!!!"  "BOOOOM!!!"
Both of them had blown, first Fred, and then Tim.  Confetti was now flying everywhere as the great ringing sound of the echoed explosions had come to cease.  There was an eerie silence around the Glitz Pit, when suddenly Jolene shouted;
"And out winner is, THE GRRREAT GONZALES!"
The crowd broke out in loud applause once again as Mario and Yosh happily took in the crowd's great wonderment.  The Explosives lay in the ring, all leaning against each other, looking very dizzy.  Mario caught some of the pink, blue, and green confetti in his hat, and tossed it into the air, shadowed by the blinding lights on the ceiling. 
"Yeah-heeah!  How'd that floor taste?!"   

[The Blue Toad]

Chapter 20: A Flirtasious Mouse ~  Goombella licked her sour wet lips as she set down her frozen, lime drink that she recieved at the refreshments shop in Glitzville.  She sat at a small, round table near the entrance of the shop, minding her own business as she talked with Professor Frankly through a small communicator. 
The old goomba could be shown on the top screen, behind him his books were piling up on the bookshelves.
"So, you're sure you have seen no trace of X-Nauts so far?" he asked Goombella as his eyes wandered into the air in question.
"Yeah, I'm sure Professor," said Goombella, feeling rather silly talking into such a small machine.  "So far I've spotted nothing out of the ordinary here...Maybe Merlon's just losing his touch, or something."
"Oh no," Frankly said quickly, "Merlon's whole family from generation to generation were known as the best fortune tellers there are.  He is not a man to make mistakes, Goombella."
"Right," said Goombella, swallowing another tangy drop of her lime drink.  "So, you think we should just stay at Glitzville until the X-Nauts show up?"
"Yes, and then you are to do all you can to follow them so that you can infiltrate their base and find out what they're up to..." Frankly replied as his mind wandered off once more.
"Alright, professor, will do.  Mario's still fighting in the Glitz Pit, so I'll just snoop around some more, see if I can pick anything up," Goombella said witha small smirk.
"Very good," Frankly replied.  "I will let you go then.  I have a meeting with a certain Pianta to attend to in the meantime...apparently he's having some moneny issues and is asking me for help...maybe he thinks I'm jewish.  GAH!  Why do people always think that?!  I mean-"
"Okay professor, bye," said Goombella hanging up on him and his lack of diversity. 

"Way to go, Gonzales, that was awesome!" cried Yosh as he and Mario entered the locker room.  "I'm feeling it, man, I'm feeling it!  Next up we hafta fight against those boos!  I may not have been able to take them on my own, but with you, they won't stand a chance!"
Mario nodded as he patted Yosh's head and walked back over to the door where Ms. Jolene was waiting. 
"Here's your fight money, Mr. Gonzales," she said as she handed Mario five golden coins. 
"Thank you, Ms. Jolene," Mario said politely.  Jolene nodded with a smile as she exitted the locker room.  Mario sat down at a bench next to him.  Where were the X-Nauts anyways?  Shouldn't they have showed up by now?  But, Mario didn't mind at all.  He was enjoying himself in the Glitz Pit.  It was nice to get outside of his little house in the Mushroom Kingdom, and stretch his arms a little, dust off his hammer. 
Mario stood up to look for Yosh and start up the next match against the Band of Boos.  Yosh was lying in bed, drooling on the covers.  For having so much energy, the little guy really wore out fast.  Mario sighed aas he breathed in a good helping of stale, dry air, sprinkled with drops of sweat. 
He really wouldn't mind getting outside a bit.  So Mario left the damp locker room and made his way down the hall, the sound of drums and shouts from the crowd just outside the wall.  He could hear Jolene yelling into the microphone as the two, or more, fighters duked it out.  Mario thought of how tired Ms. Jolene must be.  Running all over the place, scheduling matches and providing their comentary.  It was truly a lot of work.  She must have a large stash of throat lozenges to keep her voice so clear all the time, Mario thought.  What with all the yelling she's doing, you'd think she'd need to have a stick day every once in a while. 
Mario walked past the security guards and into the main hall of the Glitz Pit where the chandeliers glimmered atop the ceiling and reporters chased after major league fighters. 
Mario was making his way to the door that lead outside, when he was suddenly tackled by a small white blur.  Mario stood up, shocked, only to find the flirtatious and energetic Ms. Mowz standing in front of him. 
"Mmm hmmm!<3" she said, winking at him.
"Oh...er...hello there, Ms. Mowz," said Mario, rubbing the back of his head.
"Hello there you giant hunk of cheddar cheese with facial hair...man!<3" she said breathily, giving off romantic sighs between words. 
"And...what are you doing here?" asked Mario.
"<3!" said Ms. Mowz, prancing a little closer.  "Haven't you heard my mustached wonder?  There's an absolutely fanTAStic badge located somewhere around here<3!"
"Really?" said Mario, trying to sound interested though he really wasn't surprised to hear this.  Ms. Mowz worked at a badge shop in Rougeport.  In order to get these badges, she went around stealing them from placed like Hooktail's Castle, to the Great Tree in Boggly Woods.  She was an adventurous little mouse. 
"Well, good luck with that," said Mario as he began to quickly walk past her and towards the door.
"Tootle-oo!<3" she said as she blew a kissed and waved to him. 

I dedicate this chapter to Jewish people everywhere.  I meant no offense!  :-D

[GiftedGirl]

Oh no, the mouse lady!!!

[The Blue Toad]

Indeed! 

Chapter 21:  A Spy at the Bar ~ Mario was still feeling a little awkward after running into Ms. Mowz.  He hadn't seen her in quite a long while, though she hadn't changed much, as Mario expected.  Though he was rather surprised to see her still in her old job.  He would have thought for sure that Ms. Mowz would have stolen enough badges by now to hold over over for years.  After all, she was nimble on her feat and her heart held great fear.  Though it was also quite obvious of her love for exploration and excitement.  Perhaps the little mouse wasn't actually in it for the badges, but more for the excitment of retrieving them.  It seemed to make much sense to Mario, for he loved adventure and excitment and was, and was never in it for the small yellow coins he may pick up on the way, but for the thrill, the atmoshpere, and the feeling he would get each time he ended off on a good foot, with the princess by his side and Bowser conquered. 
Though, throughout all the heart-pumping fights in the Glitz Pit, Mario seemed to often be drifting off from his main target.  After all, he was supposed to be keeping both eyes open at all times for any sign off X-Nauts.  Perhaps he was taking the Glitz Pit a little to seriously.
'Well, come on now', Mario said in his mind, 'what else is Goombella here for?  She claims to have given up violence to focus on her books.  She will be be on the alert at all times, as long as I'm keeping up my end of the bargin.'  But then Mario thought of what his end of the bargin truley was.  All Merlon had said to him was that to fight in the Glitz Pit would mean to find the X-Nauts.   Never was there any mention of what Mario was supposed to be looking for, or even doing.  Though you simply couldn't deny a prophecy from Merlon. 
It almost seemed as if it was too simple to comprehend.  Surely there must be more, finding the X-Nauts couldn't be as easy as fighting in the Glitz Pit until they suddenly appear.  And besides, did he have to necassarily fight in the Glitz Pit?  Couldn't he just sit in the audience, or walk around Glitzville to find them?  No, it has to have something to do with the Pit.  Was it something Mario needed to search for?  Perhaps there was yet another large and abstract device hidden away under the stage.  Well, whatever would happen Mario's purpose was clear.  Fight in the Glitz Pit until a sign of the X-Nauts comes, then let your instincts do the rest.  Though until then, there was nothing left to do but continue fighting.
Mario turned back from the fresh, clear air ready to head back inside the lobby.  He sadly made his partings with the warm sun and hot wind to return to his post in the damp, smelly locker rooms.   

'...Professor Goomathon R. Medley prooved this statement to be wrong by actually traveling to a southern island (Keyhaul), tracking down a Putrid Piranha Plant and managing to trick this carnivorous plant to swallow a Poisonous Mushroom.  Nothing seemed to happen to the Putrid Piranha, and Professor Medley was forced to camp out nearby the victim to see if anything would process over night. 
After a week of keeping an eye on the plant's habits of daily life, he concluded that a Poisonous Mushroom will not have an effect on a Putrid Piranha Plant in any way. 
Unfortunately, one night the Piranha Plant had discovered Professor G. Medley's presence and ..............'
Goombella put down her book with a sigh as she marked her place with a book-mark and shoved it back into her bag.  She cousln't find herself concentrating very well, though this was one of her very favorite books.  It was a non-fictional book called; "The Journeys of Goombalogists  -  From South to North".  It was written by Olivagoomb Tollgood, one of Goombella's favorite authors.  The book was in old book of Franklys' which she truley admired.
Goombella stepped outside, her wide-rimmed helmet sheilded her eyes from the blinding sun.  Goombella decided that she had nothing else much to do, and thought that she might as well acompany Lily and Punio in the Glitz Pit.  Perhaps Mario was up to fight.
As she crossed the pavement to the door of the Glitz Pit, Goombella suddenly stopped in her tracks.  Her eyes were squinted as she looked across the road, keen as if looking for some sort of picture in a stange, mixed up puzzle.  Across from her was a short, plump man standing at the hot dog stand.  He was wearing an odd sort of red, turtle-neck sweater, which looked awfully to hot to be wearing on such a day, tacky yellow pants, and an extremely large red and white cap that seemed to sort of shadow the rest of his face that was not hidden by the sweater.  Only two thick lenses stood out of his sweater, and they looked oddly familiar to Goombella.... 

[The Blue Toad]

Chapter 22:  The Lords of Boo Mansion ~ The chanting and great cheers of the crowd grow immensily loud as Mario made his way through the door and into the Glitz Pit.  They were calling his name, and cheering for his victory.  Mario walked proudly with Yosh by his side, gazing into the blinding abyss of bright spotlights and flashing cameras.  He smiled with confidence at the audience, though he could make out none of them by sight.  Their great cheers were so loud and scattered that they gave Mario's heart a start and began his flow of adrenalin.  He made his way through the crowd, walking towards the immense brick stage in front of him.  He bounded on the heavy steps, making his way up to the platform where the light died a little (though not very much) and he could see Ms. Jolene standing in the center of the large square stage, the enormous plasma screen behind her showing a large image of Mario for all to see. 
"Here he is everyone!" she cried out into her microphone, pausing for the crowd to die down.  "The Grrreat Gonzales!"
The crowd became even louder than before, which couldn't have been good for anyone's ears considering how loud they were previously.  Mario waved a hand smiling as he listened to their great chants of:
"GONZALES!  GONZALES!  GONZALES!"  The cameras were going crazy.  'There certainly seemed to be more people here than before', Mario thought to himself.  'Perhaps I'm truly developing some just fans that will see me through!'  Mario liked that thought, and decided to stick with it for now, not thinking about who his opponents were.  The heat was ceratinly more fierce on the stage now than it had been before. 
Yosh jumped up and down, openly accepting his audience's applause, for here and there was the occasional sign that read; "GO YOSH!" or perhaps even, "GULP 'EM UP!" which was clearly aimed at Yosh considering Mario lacked the ability to "gulp".  Yosh's fans were mainly of the younger crowd, most likely thinking that Mario's little sidekick was cute.  As long as Yosh did not know this, everything would be okay!  Cause, if he did know that people thought he was cute, they might just be his next meal. 
Mario had soaked in enough of the fame just as Ms. Jolene raised her microphone to her bright red lips and said;
"And now, the opponents of the Great Gonzales."  It had suddenly hit Mario who he was up against.  The opponents that Yosh couldn't get by, and the most struggled-against fighters in Glitz Pit!  "The Trecherous Five, the Lords of the Boo Mansion, The Ghosts From Broadway, The Band of Boos!!!"
There were cheers and jeers from the crowd as the lights slowly began to turn dim.  Mario quickly (and naturally) turned to Yosh.
"Yosh," Mario whispered.  Yosh turned to look at Mario.  "You've already fought these guys, do you know any hints to get us through?"
To Mario's disappointment Yosh shook his head.  "These guys are really tricky Mario, and I let them get the best of me.  They use fear and intimidation as their main weapon!"  Mario assumed that sounded just like a Boo to do.  "Just don't let them get to you, and keep your eyes alert." 
Mario nodded as his stomach churned anxiously, waiting for the arrival of what may be the most tricky opponent so far.  He would have loved to be completely confident about them at that very moment, simply say to himself that he has made it this far, and they're bound to be easy, but he certainly didn't want to get cocky. 
Mario suddenly noticed that the lights had been shut off, along with the large plasma screen, and his surroundings now had a cool look to them.  Except for the occasional flash of a camera, it was very dark. 
"What's going on?" whispered Mario, though Yosh did not reply, instead he put his finger to his lips and pointed forward.  Mario looked to see that he was facing the opposing door where the enemy would normally come out from.  Ms. Jolene could be seen rolling her eyes as she crossed her arms. 
Mario stared at the door, waiting for it to open, revealing five boos that were sure to have cruel looks on their faces and tricks up their sleeves.  But then, Mario suddenly heard the audience gasp.  Mario saw nothing, and was unaware of the reason for their sign of surprise.  Yosh tugged on Mario's sleeve.  Mario looked down at him to see that his head was raised, looking towards the ceiling.  Mario looked up as well to see a rather odd sight.  A glossy, dark blue piano was hovering above their heads.  Mario step backwards, assuming that it would fall on them.  It did not, however, it remianed floating. 
Silence filled the room as the audience watched anxiously and Mario's heart skipped a beat.  Then, the piano started playing.  It was a cold, eerie tune, that brought shivers up Mario's spine.  As he looked up to the front of the piano, he saw that there was no one playing it.  He looked back towards Ms. Jolene to find that although she was watching the piano, she had no look of surprise on her face, and had her arms crossed as though impatient.  Mario looked up again just in time to see a boo appear hovering next to the piano.  Actually, he was the one playing the piano, he was simply invisible. 
The boo was as pale as the moon as Mario and Yosh looked up at him, only able to see his round body along with his two short, white arms which were gently tapping the piano keys.  The eerie song traveled through the Glitz Pit, echoing off the walls and causing stomachs to churn anxiously. 
Suddenly, the song of the piano became a lot catchier, though still quite eerie.  This called a few members of the audience to laugh nervously, or whisper to one another.  Then, there came an anonymous snapping sound to follow the song's beat.  The murmur of the audience became louder as Mario stared in front of him, for that is where the snapping sound was originating from.  And indeed, as he stared the mysterious snaps became revealed.  Four boos slowly appeared in front of Mario.  They were in perfect file, each side by side.  There faces were hidden to Mario and Yosh, for in their right hands they all held a top hat.  Their top hat was held up in front of their faces, the brim of the hat facing them.  They all seemed very simontaneous, and well rehersed.  Each top hat was a different color, from right to left the first was a deep blue.  It was mysterious, and still.  Next there was green.  It looked less-serious than the blue, and rather playful.  Then there was plum.  A mysterious color, that seemed rather magical in a way.  The last in their row was the deep color of red.  It seemed a rich, and elegant color, with good taste. 
The audience became arroused by the sudden appearance of the four boos and began whispering to their neighbors, and shouting out comments (that were most likely rude, though Mario couldn't make them out).  The boos continued to float there and snap as the piano continued it's repeated, catchy, yet eerie tune.  It was clear that they were waiting for the crowd to calm down once more, and as soon as it was finally quiet in the Glitz Pit, the piano played a new note.  The boos suddenly twirled, and began a sort of intimidating dance as the song of the boo pianist became more catchy, and rich with more notes.  But even still, the song had a strange eerie feel to it. 
"Oooohhh," was the reply of the crowd as the boos began to flips, turns, swings, and many elegant and graceful dancing moves.  It really was quite an amazing thing to watch.
"Don't let it get to you..." muttered Yosh out of the corner of his mouth as the boos continued to dance.  It was amazing that the whole time they did this, they continued to keep their faces hidden from Mario under their top hats. 
Finally, the pianist played his last note and the boos all floated down and made a proper bow, their hats held up in the air, and their faces looking towards the ground.  The audience applaud politely, feeling a bit more proper after watching such a performance.
"And with that," said Ms. Jolene quietly into her microphone, "May the match begin!" 
Almost as quickly as the gong rang out, the boos acted.  The suddenly looked up at Mario and Yosh, giving them wide, grim smiles, and showing their pointed teeth and black eyes.  They popped on their top hats in unison and instantly began flying all around the stage, going in many directions and laughing all the while in their cackling voices. 
The pianist had suddenly broke into another song on his piano, this one sounding more dastardly and pronounced than the last.  Mario was shocked at the sudden change in atmosphere, and wasn't sure what he should do.  He saw Yosh next to him, getting into a fighter's stance and diving at one of the boos which was busy flying in loops near the stage, criss crossing with his other boo friends.  Yosh tackled the floor with a loud thud as the boos began to laugh. 
Mario tried to keep an eye on one of the boos, but they were simply too fast, and he kept getting them mixed up with a different boo.  Suddenly, the boo in the green top hat shot out at Mario, flying straight into him with a cackling laugh.  Mario felt suddenly weak, and almost sick.  He clutched his stomach, feeling as though it was completely empty and about to fall out. 
His mind was suddenly filled with depression, and a great loss in hope.  Why was he even trying to fight these boos?  He was simply worthless all together, and there was no use trying to do anything.  Mario was about to sit down on the ground feeling no hope at all, when he suddenly heard Yosh yell:
"Gonzales!"  Mario felt for a brief moment that there was still hope, and he realized another thing also.  His head felt strangely uncomfortable, as if something was missing.  He didn't feel his comfortable, cushiony 'M' cap which he was always used to wearing, instead he felt a rather uncomfortable, cold thing that was replacing it.  It was stiff, and felt empty on Mario's head.  He lifted up his arms and took hold of the brim of whatever was on his head.  He threw it off, sending it to the ground, only to find that he had been wearing a green top hat, the boo's hat. 
Mario reached for his head only to feel his hair.  He gazed into the tornado of boos, digging his fingers into his ears to drown out the fast-paced piano music.  Then he saw him.  The boo that stole his red cap!         

[The Blue Toad]

Chapter 23: A Song of Old Times ~ Mario gazed into the blurry abyss of boos, trying to keep both eyes on the one wearing his red 'M' cap.  The dastardly boo zipped in and out of his comrads, giggling with pure delight.  They each left their own murky, white trail behind them, causing Mario to lose sense of the Glitz Pit, as though he was lost inside a white tornado.  His head felt incredibly bare as he stared at his target, the wind caused from the ghost whirlwind dancing through his brown hair. 
He wasn't so sure he would be able to get his hat back, as he noticed that the boos were all continuosly gaining speed and becoming even more of a blur than before.  And that music from above, oh the music.  It was so fearful, and heart-pumping, that he felt he could hardly concentrate.  His adrenaline flowed in anxiety as he continued turning around and around, making sure he kept track of where the boo was until he was terribly dizzy.  Mario suddenly shut his eyes tightly.  At this rate he was sure to lose.  How in the world did the major league champions get past these foes?  They surely belonged at the top!  They were so good, overthrowing that giant chain chomp would seem like a fair match! 
There was obviously some sort of trick to this whole thing that Mario just wasn't getting.  To defeat the boos is no easy task, but perhaps there is something simple to do that will put them all down at once.  What was it?  Mario opened his eyes as he heard a wift noise next to him.  A boo wearing a blue top hat came diving at Mario, laughing darkly. 
Mario quickly dived out of the way just in time, to find the boo rejoining his other partners in the whirlwind of terror.  Mario watched the boo join his group, not to simply notice him, but all the other boos as well.  He noticed that they each moved to their own beat, yet it fit perfect with the song.  They twisted around each other, and basically created the eerie tune through dance.  Mario had been concentrating too hard one only one of the boos to notice this.  The music controlled their movement...and if Mario was correct, they had all rehersed this number many a time.  They all seemed to think that they had it together... but what if a different song was to suddenly spring up? 
Mario began in a low hum and slowly got louder.  He was humming a song that his grandfather had taught him long ago, after he handed Mario his first hammer.  Mario had always remembered that song, and often sang on the roads of his quest when things grew tiring.  It was a joyful song, filled with hope.  It seemed to be the exact opposite of the song being played on the piano.  MArio hummed as loud as he possibly could, though it seemed to be doing nothing against the great sound of the grand piano floating above him, covering the eye of the eerie boo cyclone.  Mario stopped for a second, and realized that he had no shame in trying out this plan of his.  He began to sing the song, slowly growing louder:

"A long road to travel, through heat cold and storm,
Though I never unravel, I never get worn!
You keep on you mission, a wise man once said,
Prioritize things on paper or in head.
So a journey I travel, however long I must come,
To reach the dear, and sweet *Princess Plum!

Those Goombas you stomp and those Koopas you plummet
Down a swift slope of a high mountain summit!
No matter how many enemies you'll have to fight,
You'll do it with courage, and perhaps even delight!
And throughout these journeys, roads will come and go,
Some are dark, some are bright, some are covered in snow. 
But no matter how wet or how hot or how cold,
You'll trot over them, with steps that are bold.

On flying carpets, I may take a ride
Or even on a twisting, turning slide,
But through all this adventure and dangerous fun,
I'll always remember what must be done.
And in the end, a story will be told,
Of how I rescued something more precious than gold.
The heart of a maiden, so fair and so true,
And a kiss she would give to only a few.
The dear *Princess Plum would be rescued at last
And I'd realized how my adventure seemed to happen so fast..."

*The Princess Plum that Mario had sung about in his grandfather's song was none other than the mother of Princess Peach.  Mario's grandfather had saved her countless times, just like Mario had to Princess Peach.

Mario had suddenly noticed that all the boos were now out of order, and the pianist seemed to be confused as to what song he was playing.  The whirlwind of boos were now beginning to look cluttered as they grew unrehersed and messy looking. 
"Stay in order people!" Mario heard the boo in the red top hat call out.  Suddenly, the boo wearing Mario's cap bumped straight into the boo wearing the purple top hat while he was busy doing twists and turns to the tune of Mario's song.  The purple boo quickly drooped to the floor, only to quickly float back up again like a balloon.  Mario quickly began singing his song over again, watching the boos get even more cluttered than before.  Finally, after the second verse they were all in a mess. 
The boo in the purple top hat took off his hat, and smacked the boo wearing Mario's cap with it.  The boo grew angry and through his hat to the ground.  Mario saw this, and dove to pick it back up.  As he placed his old friend snuggly back upon his head, he looked about to see that all the boos had stopped what they were doing, and were arguing.  Even the pianist boo (who had been wearing a black top hat) came down to try to get things back in order. 
Mario looked over at Yosh to find him stunned.  Mario quietly reached for his hammer.   

[The Blue Toad]

Chapter 23 1/2:  Defeat!  ~  Mario slowly snuck up behind the boo sporting the black top hat, and crashed his hammer over the top of his head, his heart racing.  The pianist ghost was instantly knocked out as he slowly hovered in midair and became transparent.  Yosh got the signal, and quickly swallowed one of the boos nearby.  Yosh chewed on him for a while, much to the delight of the crowd, and then spit out a soggy, yet now transparent, boo.  Mario quickly grabbed the last two boos and crashed their head together.  The crowd cheered in approval as they both gasped and slowly disappeared.
"Currrse you Gonzalleeeees," said the pianist boo as their hovering bodies slowly began to rise up to the ceiling and fade away completely.  The crowd was now completely silent as the lights slowly began to turn on once more.  Mario remained looking up to where the boos had disappeared.  The lights had now completely returned to the Glitz Pit, returning with a cheery light to be ride of the once gloomy battlefield.  The crowd suddenly burst into and eruption of great applause along with "w00ts" and "yeah"s. 
"We have our winner!" cried Ms.Jolene happily, "The Grrrreat Gonzales!!!" 
The corwd grew even louder before as Mario raised his hands to the crowd, tossing his red hat into the blinding abyss above him, and then catching it as it fell back down to the stage. 
Yosh was busy leaping up and down with great joy, for he had just overcome the enemies he was never able to defeat before.  Yosh's fans hollered for him happily as the crowd roared on, seeming as though they would never end.  What a fight it had been.

Can you say the shortest chapter ever?  I can.  But hey, it was only half of one.

[The Blue Toad]

GAHBLAHKSNCHOUNWERSJKACLCKLEWNTLNkerSFDGADgdsgfnakj

Chapter 24:  The Phone Booth  ~  Goombella quietly stalked the little man in the red sweater as he made his way about Glitzville, pausing everyonce in a while to take a bite of his hot dog.  Goombella pretended to be looking at the menu inside the hot dog hut, when she was really keeping a keen eye on the suspicious, yellow-pants'd fellow through a mirror that had been randomly placed in the hot dog stand.  He wasn't really moving at all, and Goombella was growing anxious.  She wasn't so sure of what was making her want to follow this guy.  Could it be love?  Hmmm... Wait, what?  NO!  It definately wasn't love, because that squat goggley man was not, like, even her type, like, omg.  l:-l ...  Anyways, Goombella was still standing there awkwardly.
"Are you going to buy anything or just stand there and look-a like-a fool?" asked the manager of the stand, who just happened to be a pudgey pig.
"Hm?" asked Goombella.  Suddenly, before she had time to take in whatever the pig man said, she noticed that the mysterious dude was making a walk for it!!!  "Er, uh... The second one!" she said as she quickly turned and began to follow the mysterious overly-dressed midget guy.
He made his way over towards the bathroom stalls.  Goombella sighed as she continued her tail-gating.

Mario and Yosh happily walked into the locker rooms, heads held high.  Yosh was positively booming with excitement at their triumphant win over the Lords of Boo Mansion. 
"That was awesome!" said Yosh, "We finally beat them!  Or, you finally beat them!  But either way, this means that I'm going to get to move to the major leagues, I just know it!"
That did sound awfully nice to Mario.  Cleaner, less-stale air, and sanatary beds.  Being in a place with fighters who took their work just as seriously as he did.  And after that, Mairo may even make it all the way, to the Champion's room!  It would be just like old times.
Suddenly, MArio heard Ms. Jolene clear her throat behind him.  Mario jumped. 
"Oh, hello," said Mario.
"Hello, Mr. Gonzales," said Ms. Jolene as she handed him a handful of coins.  They consisted of six, all shiny and gold in Mario's gloved palm.  "I must say, Mr. Gonzales, the crowd absolutely ate that up!  It was brilliant, it was spectacular, it was a show to die for!!!  Another fight like that, and I mean it, Gonzales, you may be the second most popular fighter in the Pit!"
Mario was a tad shocked to hear this.
"No other fighter has ever put on such a performance!" Ms. Jolene said again with a sigh.  "Good luck with your next fight, Mr. Gonzales.  I'll be waiter at the buzzer when you need me." 
With that Ms. Jolene stepped back out through the door, her blonde hair whisping past him.

Finally, the little squat overly clad man stepped out of the bathroom as Goombella quickly began drinking from the drinking fountain nearby, making sure that she appeared natural, and non-stalker-ish.  She slowly watched him from the corner of her eye as he waddled over to the phone booth suspiciously...   
   

[The Blue Toad]

Chapter 25:  Discovery  ~  The undercover X-Naut punched ina random sequence of numbers into the telephone reciever as he held it up to his thinkly layered ear.  The phone began to ring in a muffled sound as the X-Naut began to sweat beneath his heavy scarf and annoyingly stuffy clothing.  The sun beat down on his head as his goggles slowly began fogging up.  Another ring sounded thorugh the telephone, anxious for anyone to pick up the other line.
Goombella was secretly watching the stout man as he stood nervously by the telephone booth.  She held a news paper in her hands(?) looking casual as she flipped the thin, light-gray pages, her eyelids half-closed as though there was nothing worth reading in the paper today.  She watched him from the corner of her eye, being sure that she was in a good radius from him in order to eavesdrop.  She wasn't quite sure what it was, but she just felt very suspicious about this guy.  His traits were much of an X-Nauts, or rather, his lack of them.  He simply had to be up to something or other.
The phone struck silent in mid ring as a gruff voice sounded on the other line.
"Hullo?" said Sir Grodus, sounding tired, his words being muffled by what sounded like food he may be chewing upon.
"Oh, er, hello sir," said the X-Naut.  Goombella's ears(?) perked.
"Is this X-#113?" asked Grodus.
"Yes, it is."
"Alright, alright....but just to make sure, state the password," said Sir Grodus.
"Pillow fighting," said the X-Naut.  Goombella knotted her brow. 
"Yes alright....it's a stupid password....anyways, what dirt have you been able to dig up?"
"Well, sir, I've found that the champion of the Glitz Pit is a big Chain Chomp, I'm talkin' huge, boss!" said X-#113.
"Oh really?" asked Grodus.  "Does he seem tough?  You know - judging on his fighting style?"
"The toughest!" said X-#113.
"Hmm...well we are going to have to hope that we don't have to come in when he's in the ring...but anyways, what does the scale say?" asked Grodus through the found, taking a second to take a bite out of something.
"Right now...um..." the X-Naut looked around him suspiciously as Goombella quickly held the news paper up to her eyes immediately and resumed a very natural look about her.  The X-Naut slowly brought out a strange device from his pocket.  Goombella recognized from somewhere, though she wasn't sure where.  MArio had shown her something that looked fairly close to what the mysterious stout man had out now.  "The scale shows 29%.  We still aren't sure where the Shadow Sirens are located, but I'm begginning to think that they're somewhere in the Glitz Pit."  Goombella's stomach did a backflip.
"Yes, yes....those things aren't very reliable when used in a large crowd...its radiation is blocked, and it can't send signals very well......Any how, send me another message when you are one hundred percent sure that you know where all of the Shadow Sirens are," said Sir Grodus.
"Aye aye, captain," said X-Naut #113.
"Don't say that," said Grodus, "Now bye.........." there was a long pause as the X-Naut began putting away his remote control thingy with a blunt antenna, when Sir Grodus' voice could be heard speaking over the other end of the phone again.  "......mmm!  i'm telling you this pizza is simply yum!  i love you pizza-pie! i tell you!  omg, im lovin it......bababababaaa....yeah.....who's a good pizza?....heh heh..."
"....Uh....Sir Grodus....sir?" said the X-Naut once the remote control was now fully inside his pocket.  Goombella jumped at the sound of his name.
"Wha- Wha- What?!" said Sir Grodus' voice, getting a tad louder as he picked up the phone again. 
"You didn't turn off the phone, sir," said the X-Naut.
"What?  Yes I did!   How dare you!  I'm a cool ruling dude!  Peron!  X-Naut man!  How dare you disrespect my authority!  It's this button right here!!!  Or-wait.  It's this button.  Bye."  Sir Grodus pressed the correct button on his phone as the conversation ended with a beep.  He then procceeded to make out with his pizza.
The X-Naut hung up the phone and casually walked over to the hot-dog stand to get himself another spicey pig in a blanket! 
Goombella now had a new scoop to tell Mario.  The X-Nauts were planning to attack the Glitz Pit, and Mario had to be ready.

[The Blue Toad]

Chapter 26:  Armored Harriors  ~  The audience throughout the enormous circular pit chanted and shouted cries from their stands, creating a thunder storm of cheers as Mario, now known as the Great Gonzales, walked down the path he had walked through many a time.  Tosh was on his heals, jumping with great joy at the large quantity of fans that showed up for today's fight.  But Mario expected nothing less form his fans, as not only had he defeated the most struggled upon opponent in one try, but he was now going up against the Armored Harriors, the two enormous, spikey brothers who blocked the path to the major leagues.  If Mario and Yosh were to defeat them, they would move into a new locker room, with a new smell, and a new reputation.
The roar of the crowd varied in joyous ways as the two fighters made their way up the stair to find themselves atop the tall, massive fighting arena.  The lights blinded them from the ceiling as confetti drifted about the room awkwardly, being stubborn on where exactly they ought to land.  The enormous plasma screen hung from the wall at Mario's left, showing a clear image of Ms. Jolene, Yosh, and of course Mario, as a way to let the fans in the very back of the stadium get a good look at the fighters too. 
Ms. Jolene waited for the crowd to die down a bit before starting the announcement of the fight between the Great Gonzales and the Armored Harriors.  Once she realized that the audience was not going to settle down any time soon, she began anyways. 
"Ladies and gentlemen!" she said into her portable microphone, her voice booming about the pit as the lights began to dim and the crowd lessened to an excited murmur.  "The Great Gonzales going up against..... the Armored HArriors!!!"
Green and red lights suddenly began to bounce about the room, adding to the atmosphere of the Glitz Pit as rock music was sounding from somewhere beneath the bowels of the entry way opposite of Mario. 
A fog machine came into action around the door as it slammed open, revealing the two brothers.  The rock music was now blaring as the two creatures in began marching into the pit, sneering and laughing.  They were like two enormous boulders with feet, sharp horns lining their bumpy heads. 
"YEEAAAAHHH!" cried the one wearing red shoes, "GONZAALEEES!!!"
The crowd cheered and jeered at the pair of spike balls, wathing them bound their way up the staris and onto the square stage.  The lights began to settle themselves as the music died down a bit. 
"We're gonna CRUSH you Gonzales!" said the Harrior wearing green shoes. 
"You won'tt even know what crushed you!  But we'll know what crushed you - because WE crushed you!!!" cried Red Shoes. 
"....Er....YEAH!" cried Green Shoes, "You better watch yourself, Gonzales, because you - are - going - DOWWWWN!!!"
The crowd broke into a great storm of chants, rants, cheers, jeers, and some of the corwd just opened their mouths and started yelling to blend in with everyone else! 
"Prepare to taste the floor!" cried Yosh excitedly as he hopped up and down like some sort of frog on a sugar high. 
"Armored Harriors," said Ms. Jolene as she walked up to the two enormous guys.  "Do you realize that the Great Gonzales and Yosh got past the Band of Boos faster than anyone else?!"
Green Shoes snorted.  "Yeah, big whoop.  I bet he just heard how to beat them from that one bat kid like we did - er - I mean...  Whatever!  This kid's going down!"
"Alright then," said Jolene, "with that; let the fight BEGIN!!!"
The gong sounded with an enormous vibration as the fight began and the crowd hollered with excitement.
The Armored Harriors prepared themselves, bounding upon the souls of their feet.  Mario took out his hammer, his legs apart and eyes squinting as Yosh began bouncing all over the place.  Suddenly, Red Shoes curled up into some sort of spikey ball.  Mario had never seen this move before.  Green Shoes jumped on top of his brother, and began rolling along the stage!  Red Shoes' spikes clanked upon the crowd as Green Shoes rolled his brother towards Mario at a surprisingly fast speed.
"Prepared to be a shiskabob!" cried Green Shoes from atop his brother as Mario quickly dodged an on-coming roll.  Yosh looked startled as he stared at the two brothers rolling about, and the crowd was simply eating it up! 
Mario stared nervously as the great ball of spikes rolled directly at him.  He quickly lunged to his left, hitting his shoulder upon the ground and then rolling himself back up right.  The ball of spikes rolled right on past him as Green Shoes jumped into the air, doing a 180 so that he now faced the other direction and began to roll his brother in the direction of Mario once more. 
It was no use!  Even if Mario tried to hit them with his hammer, their rock exterior was far to tough to be effected, and jumping upon them would simply be a stupid idea.  Yosh would have to swallow one of them using his sticky tongue, and spit him out as his brother, thus causing them to run into each other and hopefully take some damage.
"Yosh!" cried Mario to his partner who was busy staying out of the Armored Harriors way.  "Use your tongue!"
Yosh nodded as though he already knew what he had to do in the first place, but was simply nervous to actually do so. 
The rolling ball of terror sped at Mario as he lunged out of the way.  Green Shoes quickly stopped as to keep him and his brother from rolled over the edge of the stage.  Acting quickly, Yosh stuck out his long tongue.  It attatched on to Red Shoes, who looked like arolling rock ball of spikes, and dragged him out from under Green Shoes, and in front of Yosh.  Green Shoes fell to the ground, a tad shocked. 
Using all of his strenfth, Yosh spun around, Red Shoes still attatched at his tongue, and used Red Shoes as a battle mace!  The rock ball of spikes shot directly into Green Shoes as the crowd roared in approval. 
The Armored Harriors stood up, a little dizzy from their blow.  Red Shoes was no longer a ball any more, and appeared rather dizzy from being spun around for a long time by his brother.  Green Shoes growled at Mario and Yosh, standing a good distance away from the small yoshi as to not be gulped yet again. 
"Alright, Gonzales, how about this?!" cried Green Shoes.  "Bro!  Attack manuever Ram 'Em!" 
Red Shoes nodded, his brow knotted.  Mario watched them with keen eyes as they both quickly began to run his opposite directions.  They then took a sharp turn, and ended up on either side of Mario.  They were going to sandwich him!  They charged with all their might in towards Mario, their spikes threatening a great deal of pain and humiliation.  Mario's stomach lurched as he quickly dived out of the way, only to have Green Shoes and Red Shoes crash into each other stupidly. 
The crowd roared happily.  Mario's heart was racing as he stood up.  That move could have meant the end! 
The Armored Harriors stood up again, dizzy and weary from their second defeat.  Yosh stood behind Mario, legs apart; ready to fight.  Mario put away his hammer, seeing as it would do no good in this fight.  All he had to do was outsmart the two block-heads.  Either that, or set them up so that Yosh would be able to swallow them again.
"Errrr......" said Green Shoes, who was obviously the brains of this operation (which wasn't saying much), "Attack pattern....alpha!" 
He and his brother suddenly stood up striaght, side by side.  Red Shoes held out his left foot as Green Shoes wrapped his right foot around his brother's left.  They were linked like a stupid, rocky, spikey sausage.  "And......SPIN!" 
Starting off in a pathetic looking hop around in cricles, the brothers began turning about in circles, remaining linked at the foot.  Mario watched nervously, licking his dry lips with his thirsty tongue.  They began getting faster, and faster, and faster until they turned into a great blur of gray spikes, twirling around and around.  The crowd cheered nervously, wondering what on earth Mario was going to do.
The truth was, Mario wasn't quite sure himself.
"Gonzales, these guys have really improved," said Yosh.  "How are we going to attack them like that?"
Suddenly, before Mario could answer, they began to move towards Mario and Yosh like some sort of spike tornado! 
Mario and Yosh dived in opposite direction, just missing a close blow from the brothers.  The whirlwind of rock slowly began to turn after Mario once more, ready to charge at him again.         

[The Blue Toad]

Chapter 27:  We're Playing With the Big Boys Now...  ~  Mario readied in his fighting stance, staring at the Armored Harriors.  The audience chanted and whallooped above him in the stands as the spikey duo began to spin towards Mario.  Yosh bounded behind them, as though he was about to attack.  Finding that he couldn't even tell who was who in this cyclone of stone, Yosh recoiled in confusion. 
Somewhere in the bowels of their spinning Mario could hear one of them give a nervous, exhausted chuckle. 
'They must be awfully dizzy,' thought Mario.  'If only I could just get them to stop without hurting myself or Yosh...'
Mario pondered to himself while dodging the charges of the Armored Harriors, the sound of their spikes flying through the air bringing one's stomach to churn in anxiety.  His teeth grinded as he mustache curled from under the heat of the amazing spotlights above.  Suddenly, Mario thought of something.  It was extremely simple, and might not work  -  but it was better than just standing around.  He ran right over to the side of the stage, signaling his partner yosh to do the same.  Together, they stood at the very edge, staring upon the Harrior tornado bounding towards them. 
Just as Mario thought, they suddenly charged at them, hurling their spiked bodies towards Mario and Yosh.  Mario grabbed Yosh's tiny green hand and pulled him out of th eway just in time to send the Armored Harriors hurling past them, flying off the stage!  The audience in the stands gasped as the two brothers began to slow down at the sudden change of altitude.  Mario and Yosh watched in relief as they began to spin out of control.
"Wait....WAIT!!!" cried Green Shoes from inside the tornado.
"What?!" cried his brother.
"Stay together!!!"
"Where are we??!"
"On the stage!!!!"
"What?!?!  No, MArio's way up there!  I can see him!!!"
"WHATT?!?!"
Suddenly, Red Shoes went flying!  His foot got unhooked from his brothers from all of the confusion, and he soared through the air, leaiving his brother Green Shoes to spin out in exhaustion.  Acting very quickly, Yosh slung his long, sticky red tongue into the air, and caught Red Shoes before he could find himself crashing into the giant plasma screen.  The audience gasped as he came crashing to the stage, his pupils going in spirals and his feet performing a confused dance.  He collapsed with a grunt upon the floor of the stage, imitating his brother down below. 
"Urrrgggghhhhhh," said Red Shoes.
"UUuuuuuh," said Green Shoes, "OW!!!....My dignity!!"
With that the gong sounded once more, sending great satisfaction to roll over Mario and Yosh.
"The Great Gonzales WIIIIIINS!!!" cried Ms. Jolene, shouting into her microphone for all to hear.  The ardent fans cheered happily, making joyful noises that echoed throughout the great arena.  Mario held up his hands in victory, taking in the confetti and spot lights, and the sound of the crowd with pride, his chest heaving from the fight.  Yosh bounced up and down happily.
"Yeah!"  he cried.  "How's that floor taste?!?!"
                              *                                                 *                                                  *
Ms. Jolene lead Mario and Yosh through the halls of the Gltiz Pit, passing the door that lead to the minor league locker rooms, and onto a new door, the one that made entry to the major leagues!  The door opened with a cleanzing *swoosh* as they entered.  The air was clear, and there was no smell of sweat to loom in stale air.  It was air-conditioned inside, and to breathe was to breathe in sweet fresh air, crisp and resfreshing.  Okay, so maybe I'm exaggerating on this whole air thing, but trust me, compared to the minor league locker rooms, this was quite a difference.  The walls were decorated with white and red stripes, the floor tiled in cream.  In the center of the room were benches, topped with comforatble cushions that gave no freedom to lose springs or tacky patches to hide any holes. 
The bed was actually clean, and looked refreshing, and the bathroom wasn't scary anymore!  ;D  Which is a very good thing, you know.  Overall, the atmosphere of the major league locker room was:  clean, comfortable, welcoming, refreshing, and toilet-happy.  Quite a jump from the minor-leagues.
"Here you are, Gonzales, a reward for another amazing fight!" said Ms. Jolene as she handed Mario a handful of shining yellow coins.  Mario thanked her graciously as she smiled and left the room with a final, "Congratulations!"
Yosh bounced up and down in excitement.
"Oh, man, dude, this is sooo awesome!  I haven't been here since I fought with you back in the day!  Dude - this place is even better then I remembered!"  said Yosh as he jumped up and down on the bed, disturbing the Hammer Bro. sleeping there. 
The Hammer Bro. woke up witha knotted brow and an angry look in his eye.  "Do you mind??!?!" he said.
"Nope," said Yosh as he turned his head to look at him, then back at Mario.  "So - who do we have to fight next?"  *Hammer Bro. hides under covers*
"Uhhh...." said Mario as he checked the list of fighters from the little screen next to the door.  "Next up is......"

[The Blue Toad]

Chapter 28:  Zap the Security  ~  Goombella followed the disguised X-Naut into the Glitz Pit.  Inside it was refreshingly cooler than the outdoors, air conditioning filling the large, fancy-looking place.  Goombella tried her hardest to look as casual as she could as the X-Naut tipped his large baseball cap over his foggy goggles and made his way over to one of the security guards by the door.
'This ought to be interesting,' Goombella said to herself as she crept over to the X-Naut, making her way past an excited family of Toads as though she was simply another one of the crowd.  She turned her back and leaned upon the glassy wall to her right next to a stone bench.  The X-Naut was only a few yards away from her talking to the stern security man, and she tried all she could to hear what they were saying.
"Excuse me," said the X-Naut in a rather nerdy-sounding voice.  "Are fans allowed to pass through into the hallways beyond here?"
"No," answered the security guard quickly, "only fighters may enter through this door.  It leads to the locker rooms, and would serve no purpose for any...fan..."
"Hmmm," said the X-Naut.  "Okay.....sorry for disturbing you..."
He waddled towards Goombella sourly.  Goombella watched him from the corner of her eye and could see a sense of cleverness in his goggle lens.  The foolish X-Naut.  He had something on his mind...
Suddenly, he spun around, holding in front of him the strange remote-control-like device that he held by the phone-booth earlier.  He held it at arms' length, the antenna pointing at the security guard in a threatening way.  His round feet were spread apart as he glared at the guy across from him.
"Hey, guy, what are you doing?  What?  What's that thingy your holding?-"  The X-Naut suddenly pressed a button as a surge of electricity shot from the antenna of the remote control, hitting the security guard.  The guard jumped, his hair standing on end.  After the X-Naut released the button, the security guard sloutched down to the floor, goraning in pain.  Smoke rose from his tuffet of hair, his sunglasses crooked upon his face.  The X-Naut in disguise looked about the room, and panicked when he saw Goombella so near by.  Luckily, the Goomba las was simply staring off at the posters lining the walls of the Glitz Pit, lost in her own little world.  He snickered as he pulled down his red cap even farther and quickly opened the door, disappearing inside. 
Goombella waited for a while, gazing upon the electified security guard sitting upon the ground, resting his torso upon the wall.  His mouth gaped open and his arms were limp.  What was this X-Naut up to now?  Whatever it was, Goombella was sure that it had something to do with the X-Nauts landing in Glitzville. 
Could he be searching the place for Shadow Sirens?  That was an obvious guess, and seemed most likely, but he could be looking in to something else as well.  Goombella decided to continue her stalking of the mysterious X-Naut as she entered through the door that was once guarded by the consious security guard.
She closed the door as quickly as she possibly could, making sure no noise would be sensed throughout the great, echoing halls.  Everything inside was blue metal, and had a cold atmosphere to it.  The murmuring sound of the fights going on in the Glitz Pit could be heard through the walls.  Doors lined the corridors, each one hiding a locker room, or perhaps something else. 
Various crates were also seen throughout the halls, probably supplies for the fighters, along with buckets and mops.  Goombella was happy with the idea of such crates being located every few yards, for she needed to be as stealthy as she could and may need to use one to hide behind. 
Slowly she crept down the long hallway that stood before her, her stomach churning with excitement.  It was fun sneaking around.  There's such a great sense of danger and suspence; something that Goombella missed her life after giving up fighting.  But, she though it was the best thing to do.  Violence was, afterall, pointless in her opinion.  She was sneaking around simply to see what the X-Nauts were up to, so that Mario could be ready for their arrival.  When they came, she wasn't exactly sure how the X-Naut base would be given away, but Merlon had said that coming here to fight would eventually tell them, and they simply had to trust him.  Afterall, they were on the right track considering the fact that there was an X-Naut here right now, sneaking around and planning some sort of invasion to kidnap shadow sirens without any trouble.
Suddenly, Goombella heard something *clink* around the corner up ahead.  Acting quickly, she ran throughout the rest of the hallway on tip-toe and peeked around.  Her heart was beating fast as she hoped not to be seen.  Her blonde hair brushed over her face as she gently leaned around the corner, peering beyond.
The X-Naut had just opened up a metal door labeled:  "Storage".  The ridiculous-looking man did not notice Goombella spying on him as he entered the storage room, closing the metal door behind him with another *clink*. 
Goombella brought her head back around the corner, staring to the wall opposite of her.  How exciting this was!  Her heart beat fast and her breath became heavy, yet she couldn't help but smile at the suspence she was feeling.  The great, muffled cries of the audience in the enoromus room beyond the metallic walls boomed as Ms. Jolene's voice rose above them in the Glitz Pit, narrating the fight. 
Goombella snuck around the corner she had been spying around, and tip-toed her way over to the metallic "Storage" door.  She kept her eyes on the other wooden doors around her, prepared for anything if they were to suddenly open.  She would be kicked out of there faster than you could say "She would be kicked out of there faster than you could say"!
Slowly, and very quietly, she opened the metallic door, the familiar *clink* sound emitting from the bowels of the door knob.  She then slowly swung it open, and disappeared into the storage room, her stomach twitching with excitement.       

[The Blue Toad]

Chapter 29:  Team Up  ~  As the door *clink*'d behind her, Goombella gazed upon the room she had entered.  Right away, there was a strange buzzing echo throughout the room, almost sounding like machinery.  She thought that she saw the corner of the ceiling move from the corner of her eye as the echoing slowly died away.  She swallowed loudly, wondering what that was and where the little X-Naut was.  She gazed over her surroundings.  It seemed almost empty for a storage room.  There were many crates in the room, sure, but they were all organized neatly.  Some of the wooden boxes were in rows, others in squares.  There was not much else inside the large, box-of-a room.  The walls and floor were metal, like the hallway outside, and the place seemed chilled as goosebumps lined Goombella's skin. 
Where was that X-Naut?  He couldn't have disappeared suddenly...could he? 
Maybe that machinery sound wasn't just her imagination...and the movement of the corner of the ceiling too...
But how could that have helped the X-Naut in any way?  She had to think this over quickly before anyone wanted to enter the Storage room only to find a goomba.  Was he hiding from her behind one of the crates?  No, she would have seen him by now....
"Hmmmm," Goombella said to herself, knotting her brow.  What a puzzle this was...
"Ahem<3!"  said a voice to Goombella's right.  She jumped as she spun about, gazing upon the furry white face of Ms. Mowz, the Mouse thief.  Goombella tried to calm down her racing heart as she glared at the flirtasious little thief. 
"You!" said Goombella.  "What one Earth are you doing here??"
Ms. Mowz giggled, twirling her stringy black tail about in her hands.  Her eyes sparkled beneath her red mask, her high-heeled red shoes positioned nimbly upon a crate next to Goombella.  "I'm here looking for a badge, of course," said Ms. Mowz in a bubbly voice.
"Oh?" said Goombella, shaking her head and frowning at the girly mouse. 
"Yes of course!!!<3  After all, Goombella, I am a badge thief!" she winked slyly.
"Listen, Mowz, just because we were partners before doesn't mean I have to like you," said Goombella bluntly.
"Oh, and I you," said Ms. Mowz in a strangely sweet tone. 
"Er...right....." said Goombella looking to the ground.  "Wait...what badges could you possibly get in the storage room?"
"I don't know," said Ms. Mowz, "I'm still looking....but - oooo!  Look what I found in the chamion's room!"  She held out her furry white paw to show Goombella a badge that was shaped like a pink stomach, a heart in the center.
"...What?....What is that?!"  said Goombella, appalled at the stomach-shaped badge.
"Why, this is a Sensitive-Stomach Badge!!!<3" she replied,  "It's for people who have sensitive stomachs.  When equipped with this badge, you can eat as much spicey food as you want without getting a stomach ache!"
Goombella remembered the time she offered a hot dog to the Great Chompien.  "That makes sense," she said.
"What?" asked Ms. Mowz.
"Er, nothing..."
"Riight....well, I'll see you later Goombella!  I have to go sell this badge - it's worth thousands!"
"Wait!" said Goombella as Ms. Mowz was about to jump off of the wooden crate.  "I need to ask you something."
"Yes?" replied Ms. Mowz.
"Did you see a little man wearing a sweater, a scarf, and a red baseball cap come in here?"
"Hmmmm<3," said Ms. Mowz, "as a matter of fact, yes!  What an odd looking fellow.  He came in here, and simply ran up the stairs, not even noticing that I was standing up here upon this crate, digging through it to find a badge...nope...not a very observant man...but you see, I found it funny, for as soon as he reached the top of the stiars, they went back up again!  Haha<3!"
"Wait - what??!!  Stairs?  Going back up?  What are you talking about you crazy rodent?" asked Goombella, baffled and quite offended at the fact that she hadn't noticed Ms. Mowz either, and the mouse had called the X-Naut non-observant for not noticing her as well.
"I'll show you," said Ms. Mowz.  She suddenly jumped into the air, twirling about and landed into a gap in the square of crates that she was on.  There was a thumping sound as though she landed on some sort of button, and the corner of the ceiling began to move again.  It was a platform that lowered down, pulling a flight of stairs down with it.  Before you knew it, there was now a flight of stairs in the corner of the room. 
Ms. Mowz bounced back up from the gap in the crates.  "There you go.  The mysterious stairs.  Now, you go up and find you...er...hunk of a man, and I'll wait down here to make sure that the stairs don't go back up." 
"He is NOT my hunk of a man!!!" said Goombella a little too loudly.  "Er...and thank you..."
With that she rushed up the metallic stairs, Ms. Mowz waiting for her below, filing her nails.

[The Blue Toad]

Chapter 30:  Blueprints  ~  Goombella tip-toed up the stairs as she found herself walking into a new room.  It was shaped like a hallway, with a door at each end.  Boxes of many sizes crowded the room as they illuminant lights shown upon them from the ceiling mysteriously.  Goombella stopped at the top step, humminga low note to herself.  Which way did the X-Naut go?  She pondered this while looking from door to door.  She then spotted something upon the ground next to the door on her farthest left.  It was a scarf, the same scarf that the X-Naut was wearing as a foolish disguise. 
She slowly approached the door on the far left of the hallway-like room, and stood by the metallic door, standing out awkwardly in the wall-papered room.  She slowly turned the door knob, opening up the door just a pinch so that she could see inside.  It was quite dark.  She could hear someone rumbling about in there, but nothing else.  Slowly she found herself creeping inside, closing the door behind her.  As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she found that there was not much place to hide, and she was in plain sight!  The X-Naut luckily had his back turned as he rummaged through a file cabinet on the right of the room, mubling to himself.  Quickly, Goombella noticed a box located in the corner of the room directly to her left.  She quietly, yet quickly, crept over to the box, and concealed herself behind it, keeping an eye of the X-Naut.  If she stood on the tips of her toes she could see right over the crate, and get a good look at the strange alien digging through the files in the cabinet, reading their titles and then tossing them aside.
"Great achievements - no....family album - no.......fight schedules - no........chickadee schedules?  Who is this guy?!......urgh........secretary pay chart - no......."
Goombella listened instently, wondering what these files even were.  They sounded as though they would belong to the CEO of the Glitz Pit, but Ms. Jolene didn't have a secretary....or a chickadee....
"....fighters to power drain - getting there......."
Goombella suddenly realized something.  These were the files of Mr. Grubba!  Mr. Grubba was the old CEO of the Glitz Pit, the guy in charge when she and Mario went to the Glitz Pit many moons ago, looking for the crystal star.  As it turned out, Mr. Grubba was in possesion of the crystal star, and was using it in his enormous machine to drain the power of some of the star fighters in the Glitz Pit!  By doing this, he used the absorbed power to make himself stronger.  But, he was luckily caught in the act and imprisoned for his selfishness.  They rescued the fighters he had drained, and took hold of the crystal star that powered the machine. 
But he was long gone now, and Grubba's old secretary (Ms. Jolene) was now the person in charge of the Glitz Pit!  What did the X-Naut possibly want with his files?
"...hmmmm......." said the X-Naut as he fingered his way through more papers and files.  "......Aha!  Yes!  Yes - this is it!  Blueprints for the Power-Draining Machine!  It's exactly what Sir Grodus wanted!" 
Goombella glared at the X-Naut from over the top of the box.  The squat little X-Naut pulled out a camera from benath his sweater and began taking pictures of the blueprint, then returning the file into its proper place in the cabinet.  With that, he quickly made his way out of the dark, eerie room, heading towards the stairs. 
Acting quickly, Goombella rushed out from behind the box and opened the files, scanning them over until she found the one that she needed.
"...........no......no..........ah!  Here it is," she said as she pulled forth the files titled:  "Blueprints for Power-Draining Machine".  When she opened it up, she saw all she needed.  Everything was there on that piece of paper, all you needed to know about how to build a macine that will drain a person's power.  The X-Nauts had probably heard of this machine, and were going to use the blueprints to make one of their own and use it on the Shadow Sirens!  But, if the X-Nauts were so smart, why couldn't they make one of their own?  Goombella shook her head and decided not to get too much into things at the moment.  All she knew was that the X-Nauts now had what they needed for the moment; directions on how to build a power-draining machine. 
If they were to build it, then they could drain all the power from the shadow sirens, and somehow use all the absorbed power to take over the world, in someway, most likely.  One thing was certain, though; they need to be stopped!!!   

[The Blue Toad]

Chapter 31:  View from the Stands  ~  Punio sat back down next to Lily with his new, steamy hot dog.  For such a tiny creature he sure could eat. 
"Whose up next?" he asked before taking a bight, not realizing how spicey his hot dog would be.
"Ummm..." said Lily softly.  She picked up her brochure next to her from the seat of her chair and looked it over.  Gonzales vs. Harriors..... Rawk Hawk vs. Prince Mush........  "Oh!  The next fight is between Mario and Koopalore."
"Koopalore?" said Punio through a mouth full of hot dog.  "What kinda name is that?"  Lily shrugged shyly as she folded her gloved hands in her purpled lap, waiting for the fight to begin.  She had been watching fights all day, and truly wanted to go outside for some fresh air and the wind.  Oh how she desired to be back in her peaceful garden by Madam Flurrie's mansion.  Oh how spectacular that would be.  She wasn't even enjoying these fights, and truly wanted to leave.  But she wouldn't dare go out alone, and Goombella wouldn't let her come with.  Some of these fights were scaring her terribly, as she was forced to hide in the shadows as soon as those boos appeared during that one fight. 
She held her green-striped hat over her eyes as she went into a blank stare at the stage down below in the Glitz Pit, staring past the many heads of ardent fans waiting for th enext fight to start.  She thoguht of her garden, with the shadow that loomed over it from the side of the house and the many trees aside, thiking of the soil black like midnight and the flowers fresh like June.  How glorious it smelt, and how wondrous it felt.  To hide in the cool dirt, being among the roots of her flowers.  It was truly all she ever wanted to do.  She planned on staying like that for the rest of her life.  Never did she expect to end up miles high in the sky, in a fighting arena with a Puni that can't keep his mouth shut when he eats.  Perhaps she was simply being sour, but she hadn't been in such a long time that she felt overdue and didn't care what anyone else said; especially the squishy little gray thing next to her.
Suddenly, the crowd became anxious as Ms. Jolene stepped onto the square stage, the enormous screen behind her emitting her large, clear image.  She pushed her silky blonde stripe of hair out of her face and adjusted her glasses to begin.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" she cried into the microphone as the audience began to "whoop" and "yeah!".  The atmosphere around Lily and Punio became suddenly excited as everyone took a seat, waiting.  The lights darkened in stands of the crowd as they brightened at the stage, making the arena below glow with anticipation.  Chants began to emit throughout the crowd along with many cheers and screams from fangirls.  It was time for the fight.  "Ladies," repeated Ms. Jolene, "and Gentlemen!!!"  More satisfying hollers, "I give you........the GRRRRRREAT GONZALES!!!"
The Glitz Pit erupted into an ocean of roars and cheers, Punio trying his hardest to join in but being short of a loud voice.  Lily could never take this part of the fight as everyone stood up, either standing on their seats or jumping up and down, and began to scream and shout.  She dove into the ground beneath her, disappearing in shadow as she always does when frightened or disturbed. 
In the shadow, Lily felt so much happier.  She felt like a child, huddled inside a black blanket.  Only her breathing and the muffled sound of the crowd above could be heard.  It was so warm and comforting where she was.
Above, Punio could only see a black puddle of what used to be Lily.  He was getting used to her doing this now, and had taken it to happen naturally.
When Mario and Yosh had approached the stage the roars of the crowd had died down a bit and Lily came back from her comforting shadow.   
"And now....the knight of koopas....the dangerous quickster.....KOOPALORE THE AWESOME!!!"
The volcano erupted again, and down Lily went.   

[GiftedGirl]

I haven't read this in a while, but it's still GREAT.

[The Blue Toad]

Thank you!  I'd write some more, but honestly, I don't really want to at the moment.  <: - (

[The Blue Toad]

But now I do!  <:-D

Chapter 32:  Koopalore the Awesome  ~  Pure thrill and excitement raced through Punio's body as he kept his eyes glued to the arena below.  A koopa wearing shining, metallic armor stepped into the Glitz Pit from the door opposite of the one Mario entered through.  He was tall, buff, and frightening as he raised his armor-gloved hands into the air, signaling the crowd to grow louder.  They did. 
He pranced up the stairs in an agile way, leaping upon the stage with a twirl of his leg and a wink of his eye.  He landed with great form upon the brick beneath his shining feet, not looking at his opponent at all as though he was not equal to the Great Gonzales.  Punio was having a troubled time seeing all of this, though, for the excited fans in front of him were simply oozing with spirit as they bounced up and down in their seats.  Punio was forced to look back up at the enormous plasma screen as usual. 
It displayed Ms. Jolene as the audience began to settle and sit down in their seats.  She tapped her portable microphone with her index finger as the fighters began to warm themselves up, glaring at each other and stretching their limbs.  She brought her amiable red lips to the round, soft end of the microphone and spoke through.
"May the fight....Begin!!!" 
Punio quickly looked over to his left as he watched the enormous gong located in the corner of the Glitz Pit.  People next to the enormous, shining gold instrument plugged their ears as a Tanooki, wearing a sumo wrestlers' outfit, raised his hands which both grasped a long, wooden stick that held a thick pom pom upon the end outstretched.  He crashed the stick into the enormous gong as it vibrated monstrously, emitting an enormous, deep ring.  The crowd began to cheer again as Punio's eye shot directly back to the plasma screen.  It showed Koopalore the Awesome twirling and swirling upon the stage, winding up into a flurry of spikes.  Mario and Yosh were then shown preparing themselves for whatever there opponent may throw at them.
Lily rose up from the shadows of her seat as she looked down unto the stage.  She shook slightly from the discomfort of sound and open air around her, and tugged upon the rim of her pointed hat.  She watched as the strange spinning shell suddenly let lose and went hurling at Mario.  She gasped as she watched Mario try to leap out of the way, only to have his foot take a nasty blow, sending him to the ground.  The crowd gasped as a Toad in front of her winced.
"Come on Gonzales!!!" he cried loudly, in an very annoying voice.  "FIGHT 'EM!!!"  He clapped his hands twice as he continnued to watch the fight with a furrowed brow. 
The spinning shell had turned suddenly back into Koopalore, the amrored Koopatrol Troopa, and was about to leap upon Mario from the looks of it!  Suddenly, a red flash shot across the stage, grasping onto the enemy!  The crowd roared with approval as the annoyingly energetic Toad in front of Lily hopped up and down chanting the name Gonzales, even thought it was Yosh's tongue that had caught Koopalore.
Yosh pulled back on Koopalore as the astonished turtle was dragged off his feet and suddenly hurled into the air.  Mario had quickly stood up, and as Koopalore came down to the stage below, Lily saw MArio take out his trusty hammer.  As his opponent reached him, Mario struck Koopalore in the belly, sending him flying to the end of the stage.  As the crowd roared, Koopalore quickly jumped back up, resuming fighting position.
Punio bounced up and down, his eyes staring upon the glow of the gigantic screen.  Koopalore was spinning himself back into a twirling wonder again, and preparing for his second strike.  Mario stretched out his legs, Yosh being invisible to the screen at the moment.  Suddenly, the shell shot off like a rocket towards Mario as the agile plumber jumped straight up into the air, the shell zooming straight under him. 
Koopalore stopped himself in mid shot, crawling back out of his spikey shell.  He stood upon the stage once more facing Mario.  The crowd chanted with anticipation, jumping up and down even more so that Punio could hardly even see the screen!  But that wouldn't bother the little Puni.  Chanting was his favorite part of the fights.
"Lets go Gonzales - Lets Go!  *clap-clap*  Les go Gonzales - Lets Go!  *clap-clap*" cried Punio, his tiny voice barely being heard be even Lily.  Upon the screen, Mario could be seen as he ran straight at Koopalore!  Koopalore suddenly tried to punch him as Mario side a side-summersault!  Mario rolled around Koopalore to face his spikey back.  The crowd roared as Punio leapt up and down roaring for Mario.  Mario had then grabbed hold of Koopalores rather short tail, and did something he hadn't donw in a while.  He began to spin his opponent around in circles, like Bowser in the Mushroom Kingdom! 
Everyone laughed and shouted as MArio began to spin Koopalore around and around, faster and faster.
Lily was astounded as she watched Mario do this, Yosh preparing himself a few yards away from his partner.  She held her hands to her mouth as she watched Mario and Koopalore go into a spinning friendzy, Mario remaing in his place, his hands grasping the tail of Koopalore as hard as they could. 
"And Gonzales appears to be twirling Koopalore around in circles by the tail!!!" cried Ms. Jolene as she watched the fight from the side. 
The crowd continued to bounce up and down happily, the Toad in front of Lily simply yelling with happiness, annoying Lily and hurting her ears.  Yet, she didn't want to miss this to hide under shadow. 
Mario suddenly let go of Koopalore's tail as the crowd grew silent for a moment, watching the armored koopa fly through the air.  Suddenly, Yosh grabbed hold of Koopalore once again with his tongue in mid-flight, sending him flying down to the stage.  Koopalore crashed into the brick below him, lying flat on his stomach next to the excitable Yoshi.  The crowd once again broke into a roar as Ms. Jolene announced the winner into the microphone.  Lily could see Punio bouncing up and down next to her, in unison with the annoying Toad guy.  She clapped her hands, though lacking enthusiasm, as Mario greeted his applause with open arms, red in the face and tired from spinning around so much.

[The Blue Toad]

Chapter 33:  Mission Report ~ "Excellent show!" came the voice of Ms. Jolene as she approached the major league fighter.  They stood by the red door in the locker room as Jolene searched her pocket and pulled out a group of shining gold coins and placed them in Mario's palm.  Mario's muscles were rather soar in his arms, and were quite twitchy.  He took the money with a small twinge of stress felt in his forearm. 
"Thank you," said Mario as he pocketed his reward. 
"Keep this up, Mario, and soon you'll be champion!" said Ms. Jolene with a large smile and an excited intake of breath.  "Oh, how I would love to see someone else in the champion's room other than that annoying sumo wrestler!  I mean, sure he's a great fighter but arrogant, and has an ego larger than his stomach, which is most certainly saying something."
Ms. Jolene left the room after a brief chat, the clicking sound of her high heels echoing away upon the cold floor. 
"Wow," said Yosh, "how intense was that?!  That was awesome!  We make such a good team."
Mario agreed with the small dinosaur guy, for it was as plain as the nose on his face.  They were going to get up to the champion, and they were going to square off against him.  He wasn't sure whether or not they'd win, but they'll be up there alright, up there on the stage.  The lights will be shining and the audience screaming, Ms. Jolene speaking into her microphone as her voice booms throughout the stadium like a drum.  Then Chompien will show his face, and he'll come crashing onto the stage in the most threatening of ways!  His mouth like a bear trap and his belly like a wrecking ball, he'll come at Mario and Yosh at full speed, his steel chaing trailing behind him.  Then is when fate will be decided. 
The door suddenly opened itself once more as Ms. Jolene re-entered.  She closed the door shut behind her with an awkward smile and a fast toss of her hair.  In her hand was a white envelope.
"I'm sorry, I forgot to give you this," she said as she walked up to Mario, her heels clicking across the red and white tiles.  She held out her hand as Mario politely took the letter from her.
"Thanks," he said as she smiled once more.
"It's from that Goomba girl again," she said in an almost irritated voice.  "She thinks I' m her personal messenger now, or something!"  A laughing snort resounded from her nose as she bid her farewell and exitted the locker room. 
Mario opened up the letter as Yosh hovered next to him, waiting to hear what it said.  Mario's eyes scanned across Goombella's neat cursive handwriting...

Dear Mario,
    I know its been a while since I've informed you, but I have been a little busy with some spy work.  Have you ever seen a small man wearing a ridiculous amount of clothes running about here?  Well, I have, and I followed him.  After over-hearing him speak at the telephone I've discovered that he was an X-Naut!  He was comunicating with Sir Grodus!  Apparently, the X-Nauts are getting ready for some sort of attack on Glitzville in order to capture more shadow sirens. 
So, I followed the X-Naut in disguise a little bit more and discovered him snooping around in the storage room!  He had found a set of files that had to do with Mr. Grubba.  You remember that guy, right Mario?  THe old manager of the Glitz Pit?  Anyway, it turns out that the X-Nauts are planning to build the same kind of power-draining device as Mr. Grubba did!  I saw the X-Naut myself!  He was taking pictures of the blueprints for the power-draining machine.  After that he ran away, I'm not sure where he went to.  As for now, this is vitle information though.  We now need to be constantly on the alert for any sign of X-Naut attack that may approach us, and we need to be ready for it.  I'm still not sure how, but this should reveal the X-Naut's base; the place where we can truly get down to business.
Until then Mario,
Goombella<3   

[The Blue Toad]

Chapter 34:  The Body Thief  ~  Mario creased the edges of the crinkled up piece of paper he had received from Goombella and placed it safely inside his pocket.  He turned to the match-organizing machine beside the door with a new ray of hope shining inside him.  He pressed the screen as it went fuzzy for a moment, but then soon displayed Ms. Jolene.
"Gonzales!" she said, sounding surprised.  "Itching for another fight already?  Well, okay then!  You're getting up their in the ranks, Gonzales.  You're next opponent is...ranked four in the Glitz Pit, The Mysterious Sheet!  This guy's tricky, Gonzales, but he hasn't been in a fight for quite a while here.  It may take him a while to get him warmed up, so I think you've got the best of him in this fight."
"Sounds good," Mario said into the screen.
"Great, then.  I'll send security to pick you up in a little bit."  Mario nodded as she disappeared from the small broadcaster. 
"Okay, Yosh, we're up against our next opponent," Mario said to his small, yoshi partner, who was busy talking to a rather peeved looking Koopalore. 
"Great!" said Yosh as he left the soar koopa alone.  "Who are we fighting?"
"The Mysterious Sheet," said Mario.
"Ah...." Yosh replied.  "Its been a while since I've heard of that guy.  They say he's a pretty interesting fight, but he hasn't appeared in the ring for a while."
"Yeah, that's what Ms. Jolene said," replied Mario.  "So maybe we can get the best of him."
"Yeah....maybe," said Yosh, sounded a little unsure about himself.  Never had Yosh ever been so calm before a fight.  Perhaps the whole incident of the boos was coming back to him, of how he couldn't force himself to win over their strange tricks and maneuvers in the pit.  The Mysterious Sheet was known for his tricks, and perhaps Yosh was simply worried that it would happen yet again. 
Mario wasn't so sure, and decided that it was nothing to worry himself over.  They were almost to the top.  All they had to do was keep pushing forward, and never give in to the opponent.  Whoever this Mysterious Sheet may be, Mario wasn't about to walk out of this fight with his head down.  The door was suddenly pushed open as one of the security guards walked in.
"Gonzales," said he, "come along.  Its your turn to fight, sir." 
Mario and Yosh followed the stout-looking man out into the hallways, stopping at a wide door.  He could hear their names being announced on the loud speaker from inside, and his heart began to race.  The doors opened and the familiar light that had greeted him so many times came flooding over his body once more.  His name was chanted throughout the crowd as always, and the lights were blinding.  Yosh seemed to forget all of his doubt as he let the spirit of the fans engulf him in a river of confidence.  Together, he and Mario bounded up the stone steps that let to the stage of which they were supposed to fight upon.  Ms. Jolene was at the center of the square as usual, her microphone grasped tightly in her clenched fist.  He tossed her head back, her blonde bangs being brushed out of her eyes as she looked to her listeners.
"And his opponent!" she cried as cheers and jeers erupted from the stands.  "Here he is ladies and gentlemen; the one, the only Mysterious Sheet!" 
With that Mario looked straight in front of him to see the opposing door open, and to hear the crowd of fans quiet to a dull roar.  The door held absolute darkness beyond.  It was a square of pitch black.  Mario gazed upon that spot, feeling pride pump through his erected veins.  There was now an utter silence that engulfed the stadium.  Mario could see Yosh from the corner of his eye, jumping from one foot to the other, staring into the dark opening.  We all waited, and waited.  We began to even wonder if the Mysterious Sheet was even going to show up, when all of a sudden there sounded a bell.  A bell wrung from beyond the door.  It was not a small bell neither; no, it was the sound of a gigantic, brass bell; the kind you hear upon a chapel.  The audience gasped and jumped at the enormous, empty sound.  Suddenly, a bright green parrot flew out from the darkness, resulting in another small gasp from the crowd.  Mario watched in awe as the green parrot flew about the room, its caws only slightly interrupting the echo of the brass bell.
And then, from the darkness of the door came hideous laughter.  Chills ran up Mario's spin as he listened to the spine-tingling chuckles that emitted from nowhere.  Two bright red eyes appeared at the door, gazing upon the cringing face of Mario.  The audience grew taller, though still remained silent.  Their silhouettes on the stands resembled great, shadowing pine trees.  Mario suddenly felt as though he was in some sort of forest. 
Out from the blackness of the door stepped none other than the mischievous Doopliss!  He appeared suddenly and abruptly, resulting in many ear-splitting cheers from the crowd.  His appearance was almost more of a "tah-dah!" than intimidating.  His black, crooked smile stretched across the white sheet that was his body.  Upon his round head was a pointed blue hat, decorated with ruby red stars and complete with a black ribbon at the point. 
He tightened his blue bow tie with delight as the crowd jumped up and down in approval of his amazing entry.  His bright green parrot then flew down and landed on his sheet-covered hand.     
"Here he is everybody," Ms. Jolene cried into the microphone.  "THE MYSTERIOUS SHEET!"

[GiftedGirl]

Oh no, not Doopliss!!! XP