The group waited for Rainbow and Applejack's return after discovering King K. and Bandy Andy in the storeroom, both fighters almost crushed to death under a giant block while severely weakened. Whatever happened to them, they didn't seem to have been beaten to a pulp, and the only one who seemed to know was Jolene. She didn't reprimand them once they returned to the locker room, nor did she tell Grubba just yet and get them kicked out immediately. And Mario was wondering about the other Wonders of the Glitz Pit he's yet to see. The wall, the stairs in the storeroom, and the "missing" fighters came true, so who's to say the others are just as accurate as Andy researched.
The two mares returned after several agonizing minutes. "Well, there's some good news," Applejack said to everyone. "We got Andy and King K. to a doctor. They're restin' up and should be back on their hooves soon."
"The doc said we got them there in time," Rainbow added. "If we were too late finding them, they probably would have died."
"Did they say what happened to them?" Fluttershy asked.
"The doc figured they were drugged, but that was all he could guess before they took them away for some tests," Applejack said.
"This is serious. Something's gone horribly wrong in this arena, and missing fighters are actually getting killed off by somepony here," Starlight pondered aloud. "But who's responsible for all this?"
"Y-You don't think...Miss Jolene's responsible, is she?" Koops asked worriedly.
"It's gotta be her!" Scrappy exclaimed. "She saw us in the storeroom and just disappeared when we chased her! She's killing other fighters!"
"Kid, I doubt Jolene's much of a fighter," Goombella said. "It has to be Rawk Hawk. He's obviously afraid of anyone trying to go after his title."
"Then how does that explain why Andy and King K., who are in the minor leagues, were the ones up there and not anypony from the major leagues?" Rarity questioned.
"Agh! So confusing!" Pinkie shrieked. "Who did done doed it!? And why!?"
As the group wondered who was the real culprit, Mario read over the last wonder to himself. Jolene had acted odd when he and Starlight spied on her conversation with Grubba about King K.'s disappearance. Almost like she knew something that Grubba didn't. And she has a way of disappearing out of nowhere when someone tails her, losing her trail in an instant. Then there's the part about Grubba. It's clear this Clubba was a senior and a former pro fighter. There doesn't seem to be anything suspicious about the head promoter of the fighting arena. He may old, but he could still be in good shape. No one in the Glitz Pit seems like the kind of person who would do such a thing to the other fighters. Though, the first person to disappear, a fighter named Prince Mush, was the first champion, only to mysteriously vanish and pronounced dead while Rawk Hawk took the title. If Mush was taken out in the same way two of their minor league friends were, then it's possible Rawk Hawk is the most likely suspect.
With no other leads, all they can do is just move on to the championship match and figure out where the Crystal Star is. After checking with his friends if they were ready, they all nodded, dropping the mystery for now to focus on their true goal. Mario approached the terminal and reserved their championship match, Grubba showing up after the static faded away.
"Well, now! Gonzales and his little crew ready for their shot at the title!" Grubba said with a chuckle. "The crowd is eating away at all the merch, and they want to see you take that belt like a true champ! I knew ya had what it takes, and we're gonna see it all in a glorious showdown! Sure, there was that minor setback with the Adonis Twins, but you got back up on your feet and kept on rollin'! Now, seein' how this is a special match, to make it fair, it's just gonna be one-on-one between you and Rawk Hawk. Mano-y-mano. Your friends can watch on the sidelines, but for your championship bout to be an official win, it's just gotta be you in that ring, Gonzales."
"No sweat! He's got this in the bag!" Rainbow said, hovering beside Mario and draped a hoof over his shoulder. "He can beat Rawk Hawk with his eyes closed!"
"Rainbow, don't tempt him to giving us an even harder challenge," Starlight muttered through her teeth, tugging the pegasus away with her magic.
"We're all lookin' forward to this!" Grubba said. "Do me proud, son!"
Grubba ended the call, and the group waited for security to get them. After a few moments, a security guard came in to gather the group. The major-league fighters wished Mario luck as they exited the locker room, finding another guard waiting for them as their escort. They could already hear the crowd out in the arena, roaring with excitement for the epic match scheduled for the night. Just as Mario was about to walk to the nearby doors, the guard who waited for them gently grabbed his shoulder.
"Mr. Gonzales, you're coming with me," he said.
"Huh? What for?" Rainbow asked.
"Considering its a special match, we need to...get him prepared," the guard said.
The others looked at each other, finding this a bit odd. Mario shrugged and went along with whatever Grubba's got in mind, reassuring his friends he'll be there in time for the match. Mario followed the guard, making their way down the hall and disappeared around the corner.
"Just what type of preparations does Mario need?" Flurrie asked. "He's ready enough as it is."
"Something doesn't feel right..." Starlight uttered.
After rounding the other corner, Mario wondered if he was supposed to make an entrance from this side of the arena. They passed by the other large doors, however, and was lead into one of the abandoned locker rooms. This room was more rundown than the minor-league locker rooms, the walls and floor tiles torn apart, the bench more uncomfortable with all the springs sticking out, and with leaks from the piping that could lead to a serious health violation for the whole building in just this one room.
"You wait here," the guard said before leaving, shutting the door behind him while leaving Mario confused.
If this was where he was supposed to "be prepared", Mario was highly skeptical of what Grubba planned for him to be psyched for the match. Left with no choice, he sat on the bench, avoiding the loose springs while waiting for the guard to get him for his grand entrance.
Out in the ring, Grubba climbed up the steps with his mic as he heard the audience cheering in excitement, standing in the center of the ring as the cameras focused on him for all in the stands and their television sets to see. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! Welcome, one and all, to the most hyped event in all of Glitzville: the championship match between our reigning champ, Rawk Hawk, and our top dog of the major league, the Great Gonzales!" Louder cheers erupted from the fans, dedicated fans wearing Gonzales and co. T-shirts and holding banners with their group photo shots going absolutely nuts, and that was almost ninety percent of the audience. Grubba laughed, loving the anticipation and excitement in the air. "First to enter the ring, our reigning champ, the Feral Nuclear Reactor! RAAAAWWWWK HAAAAAAAAWWWWWWK!!!!!" Entering stage left, the doors flew open as Rawk Hawk made his entrance. Fans of his cheered as he strut his way toward the ring with a cocky grin, ignoring some of the jeers from a majority of the Great Gonzales' fans and held up his belt to mock his hecklers. "Hoo, doggies! How're ya feelin' tonight, champ!?"
"I'm ready to give that chump Gonzales not to mess with the RAWWWWK and his belt!" Rawk said.
"But the Great Gonzales made it to the major leagues faster than anyone, ever!" Grubba said. "Even faster than you did when you were a rookie yourself, champ! What have you got to say about that?"
"What do I have to say?" Rawk Hawk questioned, then, like an immature brat, he blew a raspberry right into the mic like the egotistical celebrity he was. "That's what I have to say! It doesn't matter how many chumps he beats! He's gonna get RAWKED!!!"
Grubba chuckled a little, quickly muting the microphone to clean it of the spittle Rawk Hawk decided to spew while mocking his challenger. "Say it, don't spray it, champ," he said to Rawk Hawk before turning the mic back on. "And now for our challenger, the Merciless Executioner, and his colorful entourage, THE GRRRRREAT GONZAAAAAALES AND THE MAAAAAANE SIIIIIIIIX!!!!!!!"
The audience wildly cheered when the doors on the other side began to open up, the rest of Mario's companions standing at the entrance with confusion when they were announced and the true star isn't with them. Told by security to go out there, the group walked out, getting a few excited squeals at first, but when there was no sign of the Great Gonzales, everything went nearly silent with confused murmurs. Even Grubba was confused with the lacking star in the group while Rawk Hawk seemed to smirk.
"This is kinda awkward," Rainbow muttered as they stepped up onto the stage.
"Uhh, hold on a second, now," Grubba said. "What happened to the Great Gonzales?"
"What do you mean, 'What happened?'" Starlight asked. "Didn't you have your security team escort Mario-er, I mean, Gonzales, elsewhere to get him ready for the match?"
"...I did the what now?" Grubba asked, scratching his head in confusion.
Rawk Hawk erupted in an insulting laughter. "I'll tell you what happened! He's afraid of the RAAAAAAAWWWWWK!!!"
"He's not afraid of anything!" Scrappy said. "He eats fear for breakfast!"
"Well, this is...quite an unexpected turnout, folks!" Grubba said. "Did the Great Gonzales get cold feet and turn tail on the most important match of the night!? If he doesn't show up, he's gonna forfeit the match! We'll give him a few to settle his nerves and be right back. But don't forget to order yourself some action figures featuring our future champ and his friends! Collect the whole set!"
After his segway to cut to commercial, the crowd got a bit impatient and worried about where the Great Gonzales disappeared to. Grubba thankfully cut off his mic before Pinkie jumped him aggressively.
"Alright, Mr. Manager/Promotor/Former Pro Fighter Clubba Guy, spill the beans!" Pinkie screeched, shaking the retired fighter. "What did you do to Mario!?"
"I don't know what you're talkin' about!" Grubba exclaimed.
Starlight pulled Pinkie off the fight promoter, worried attacking the announcer was going to get them kicked out when it was obvious he seemed to be just as baffled as everyone else. "Mr. Grubba, before we were even called to enter, one of the security guards escorted Mario somewhere else to get him ready for the fight," she said. "They work for you, so you HAVE to know where they took him."
"What are you talkin' about? I didn't tell anyone to escort my fighters elsewhere to prep them," Grubba said. "Y'all need to ready yourselves before reservin' a match and be guided to your entrances. There's no special preparations I ever make for any of the fighters in the roster. Not even rookies."
"Then who...?" Everyone then looked at Rawk Hawk, still looking all smug and not the least bit shocked by the unfortunate news.
"Well, that's such a shame," Rawk Hawk said with mock pity. "If Gonzales is a no-show, then that means the match will have to be canceled, and I still keep my title until the next match."
"Then one of us will fight you in his place!" Rainbow said.
"But Grubba told me that it was going to be a one-on-one match with Gonzales," Rawk stated. "Not one of his colorful little pets, a nerdy mushroom, a scared turtle, a big bag of hot wind, or a pint-sized, scaly brat." As he pointed at the group while insulting them, the mares were a little miffed, Goombella took offense being called a nerd, Koops flinched and slowly ducked his neck in his shell, Flurrie scoffed in offense, and Scrappy growled while glaring at the yellow avian. Rawk then held out his belt to mock them further. "And if you want to get this, then you'll have to follow Grubba's requests in order to take your rightful place as champs. That is, if you can trounce me."
"I'll show you 'pint-sized', you giant chicken!" Scrappy shouted. He was about to run at Rawk Hawk, but Fluttershy quickly stomped on his tail, keeping the Yoshi held back while he flailed his arms. "Lemme at him! Lemme at him! I'll give him the ol' one-two, flutterkick-a-roo!"
"Sorry, folks, but rules are rules," Grubba apologized. "Gonzales needs to be the star of this match tonight. And if he doesn't show up soon, it's considered a forfeit and you'll have to wait a couple months to reserve another match with the champ."
"MONTHS!?!?" the group exclaimed.
"That's not fair!" Goombella said.
"We worked hard to get here, and you're going to stiff us like this!?" Flurrie added.
"Well, there's plenty of other matches that I have to set up, too. Not just yours," Grubba explained. "Plus, fighters below your rank can also make reservations to fight you and take back their spot you beat out of them. Fighting isn't just a spectator sport; it's also a lucrative business with the right endorsements, promotions, even the best fighters." The ponies, Goomba, Koopa, wind spirit, and Yoshi understood, but it was still a tough pill to swallow after all their hard work getting here and what they discovered hidden from the backstage of the Glitz Pit. "We'll give Gonzales a few minutes, and if he doesn't show...it's considered a forfeit and Rawk Hawk keeps his belt and title."
"...It sounds fair enough," Starlight uttered, the group left with no choice but to wait, along with an anxious, slowly disappointed crowd. "Mario, where are you?"
Mario tapped his foot impatiently in the locker room, waiting for someone to come get him. He's already heard the announcement from Grubba, and there's only a few minutes until he's forced to forfeit the match. Having waited long enough, Mario got up from his uncomfortable seat and approached the door. He gripped the handle, but when he tried to turn it, the door was locked. Confused, he thought it was jammed, then knocked on the door.
"Pipe down in there!" the guard watching the door said. "You'll leave when it's time!"
Mario couldn't believe this was happening. The guard was keeping him locked up in this abandoned locker room, and someone was probably pulling the strings to keep him from winning the championship bout. Mario pounded on the door harder, demanding to be let out, but the guard wasn't going to budge. He couldn't risk using his enhanced magic strength to break down the door, lest he pay for property damage and be kicked out for doing so. Since there were many secrets in this building, Mario began looking around to find a secret passage that'll help get him out.
He wasn't able to use the terminal to try to contact anyone; it was broken, for one, and even if it did work, Grubba was out in the arena, so there would be no one on the other line. Mario searched around and tapped on different parts of the walls, checked in lockers, even stomped on the floor for any types of secret entrances that could exist. While searching around, in the back corner of the room, there was an old Princess Peach poster, worn out in places from the lack of care in the locker room. A corner was hanging slightly from where it was set, but instead of wall behind it, Mario thought he could see part of another room beyond it. Gently pressing his hand against the poster, it ended up tearing a little, but there wasn't a solid surface behind it; it was hiding a secret passage. Tearing the poster down revealed a small room that had an old T.V. set and a small coffee table, and beyond that was what looked like a metal locker door. When this room was actually used, this must have been a small hidden break room for an old Glitz Pit fighter.
Ignoring the small break room, Mario went through the door, ending up in the other abandoned locker room down the same hall. At least this one was in good repair, probably used as a major-league locker room. He went over to the door leading out to the hall, but this one was locked too as he quietly turned the knob. He had to search around for another secret entrance, but in a well-kept room like this, where would there be one? Mario tried the other lockers, nothing but empty storage space, until he saw another door on the opposite end from where he entered. It had a male and female symbol on it, which must have been a bathroom. Inside, all there was was just a toilet. Not even a sink to wash their hands, and it was tiny.
Mario huffed in annoyance, but when he started to lose hope, a strange thought came to him. Pulling out the list of wonders, he glanced at the one mentioning a "man-eating toilet". Since this was a major-league locker room, Andy must have known about this type of toilet. Mario was lucky he also had a profession as a plumber, although he could count it as misfortune for actually going down through the plumbing of a toilet than a warp pipe. Left with no other options, Mario stepped into the bowl, took in a deep breath, and sank down, "warping" to wherever the pipes lead him. The running water ran above the hall, startling the guards when they heard the unused pipes being used.
Mario popped out of an adjacent toilet after traveling for almost ten seconds, soaking wet and feeling disgusted. At least the toilets were kept clean as he climbed out, entering another small bathroom the pipes connected to. After shaking himself dry, he stepped out of the bathroom, back in the official major-league locker room. Hearing it open, the fighters had gathered near the monitor to watch the championship fight, and when they turned to see who it was, they gawked in surprise when they saw the challenger somehow in the bathroom when they just watched him and his team leave.
"What the-!? Gonzales!?" the Shady Koopa exclaimed, looking at the locker room entrance, then back to the plumber. "Didn't he just leave!?...Or am I still hallucinating from that poisoned cake?"
"No, you're seeing things right," the Spiny said. "I don't know how Gonzales walked out of that bathroom when he left for his match."
The screen on the terminal came to life, the live feed for the championship match back from its commercial break. "Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen!" Grubba said to the at-home audience. "Sorry for the early commercial break. We're still waiting for Gonzales. No clue where he is, but he sure knows how to psyche up a crowd by being fashionably late."
"They're going to force a forfeit if you don't get onstage now," the Dark Kooptarol said. "Better get out there and not take any detours."
Mario nodded and ran to the stage before Grubba pronounced canceling the match because someone didn't want him there.
Grubba began to sweat nervously as the impatient crowd began demanding a match. Even if Gonzales wasn't there, his team was at least, and they wanted to see the ponies take on Rawk Hawk or someone so they can get their money's worth. Rawk Hawk stood smugly, ready to gloat and keep his title, but Mario's entourage began to worry while Rainbow and Scrappy were starting to get impatient.
"Ugh! I can't take this anymore!" Rainbow exclaimed. "Let me fight him solo! This is getting ridiculous!"
"Rainbow, we won't take the title if you do that!" Starlight reminded the brash pegasus. "We have to wait for Mario!"
"We've been waiting for the last ten minutes, and everypony's on edge!" Rainbow argued.
She was about to tackle the champion, but Applejack grabbed Rainbow's tail in her mouth, holding the mare back. "Whoa, nelly! Calm down, Rainbow!"
Rawk Hawk chuckled as he watched the irritated look on the cyan pegasus's face, even the Yoshi as he was held back by Fluttershy still. "Too bad! Looks like Gonzales is too much of a chicken to show up!"
"Says the big, fat yellow chicken scared of getting his tail whooped!" Scrappy shouted while still flailing about.
"Scrappy! Language!" Fluttershy chided.
"He's a no-show, so he's automatically forfeiting!" Rawk Hawk said.
"No, not just yet," Grubba said, looking down at his wristwatch. "He's still got a few more seconds before his time's up. Five...Four...Three...Two..."
The stage right doors to the arena were kicked open, the metal thud able to be heard even from the angry crowd's chatter. "It's Gonzales!!!!" a fan cheered, getting the rest of the crowd to cheer when they saw Mario walk through, ignoring those on the ground for quick autographs or a chance to touch the superstar.
From the open doors, a couple of the security team were unconscious in the hall. They were shocked to see Mario out of his "preparation room", and tried to wrestle him back in the locker room. Mario was having none of it, easily taking out the guards before making his grand entrance. While his friends were relieved, Rawk Hawk was frustrated.
"You've got to be kidding me! He's too late!" Rawk Hawk complained.
"Not by my watch, champ," Grubba said, preemptively taking Rawk Hawk's belt now that there's finally a match the crowd has been waiting for.
"Oh, thank goodness you made it in time, Mario," Flurrie said. "We were about to forfeit!"
"What in Equestria happened to you, darling?" Rarity asked.
He didn't have any time to explain what happened, but he promised he'll tell them after the match. "Gonzales, ya gave us a bit of a fright!" Grubba said. "But you're finally here, so let's get this match underway! Let's all shake hands and wish each other a good fight!"
Mario approached Rawk Hawk, showing his sportsmanship and held his hand out to shake the champion's. Rawk Hawk sneered at the plumber, then grasped the plumber's hand, squeezing it hard, but Mario barely flinched as the fighter lowered his head down.
"You should have stayed locked up in that room, chump," Rawk Hawk said, confirming Mario's suspicions while he was forced into the locker room earlier before their match. "And that little cake should have been a clear message for you to back off, but it seems like you or your friends didn't have much of a sweet tooth to taste the poison inside it." And the admittance to sending that poisoned cake made Mario's suspicions all the more plausible. Surprising Rawk Hawk, he squeezed Rawk's hand harder than he tried to do to him, making the avian champ grimace. He quietly questioned him about the threatening emails he sent about the Crystal Star and discovering everything that's been happening in the Glitz Pit. "W-What? What are you...talking about!? What emails!? If I wanted to insult you, I'd do it face to face, not through any dumb letters or messages!"
Mario loosened his grip, startled by this fact. While Rawk Hawk scowled at him, holding his wrist after their "friendly" handshake, the mysterious writer behind both the threats and Mr. X's hinted messages obviously didn't belong to him. Even though Rawk Hawk admitted trying to scare Mario off and keep him from showing, he didn't seem like the kind of person who would actually kill someone off to avoid having his own title taken away. As cheap as that was, Mario wasn't going to let him get away from forcing him to forfeit and attempting to poison him and his friends.
Without another word, Mario headed back to his friends, ignoring Grubba's commentary. Pulling out his hammer, he handed it to Koops, confusing them as he not only decided to fight without his new hammer, but he also took off his Lucky Star, giving that to Starlight.
"Mario, what are you doing?" Koops asked.
Mario didn't say anything, turning around and faced Rawk Hawk. "Well, lookie here!" Grubba commented. "Gonzales seems real confident in himself if he's takin' off some of his gear! He looks dead serious, too, folk! Something tells me this is gonna be a good fight!"
"I hope you know what you're doing, Mario," Starlight said, wishing the plumber luck as she and her friends stepped off the ring.
"Knock his block off, Gonzales!" Scrappy said before he leapt off to join the others.
"Alright, both our fighters are ready!" Grubba said. "Let's get ready to BAAAAAATLE!!!!!!!!"
At the sound of the gong, the Clubba promoter jumped offstage, leaving both fighters to duke it out with the crowd erupting into cheers. "Alright, Gonzales! If it's a beatdown you've been wanting, then I'll quit beating around the bush!" Rawk Hawk said, cracking his knuckles, then crouched and made a running start toward Mario. "Let's go, punk!"
Mario raised his fists up, ready to show this cheap fighter how a real hero fights. Rawk Hawk threw a punch, only for Mario to dodge to the side with a spin, kicking him hard in the face to cause him to stagger from the impact. Once Mario landed, he jumped forward and gave a combo punch to the avian's abdomen, knocking him back further to ring him out. Rawk Hawk recovered, grabbing Mario's fist, then thrust his beak repeatedly at the plumber's face in retaliation. Mario kept his head away from his sharp beak, managing to wrangle his arm back. While backing away, Mario narrowly avoided an uppercut, his hat getting knocked off his head while leaning into a back somersault, flipping away to avoid anymore surprise blows.
"Oh no! Mario's hat!" Pinkie screeched. "Without it, his defenses are down!"
"The hay are ya talkin' about, Pinkie!?" Applejack questioned.
"...Oh, wait. You're right. That's only in the 3D adventure games," Pinkie said. "But still, NOT THE HAT!!!!"
Mario grumbled, patting his head while catching a glimpse of his hat gently floating down to the center of the ring. Ignoring the hat, Rawk Hawk let out a screech and charge forward again, leaping up and attempted to drop kick the plumber. Dodging his feet by leaping to the side, Mario managed to grasp Rawk Hawk's legs, then used his momentum to begin spinning the champion around. After a few good dizzying spins, Mario stopped, then slammed Rawk Hawk down to the ground stomach first, hearing a wheezing gasp come from his foe. He wasn't stunned for long, getting up on his knees, then swept his leg under Mario, causing him to trip in surprise. Rawk Hawk quickly got up and tried to do an elbow drop on the plumber, but Mario blocked his arm with both hands, then kicked the champion away from him.
Rawk Hawk was a bit surprised to see how tough Mario was, even without his hammer, his friends, or the strange magic he noticed during the newcomer's matches. "You're not that bad, Gonzales," Rawk Hawk said, but the praise was short-lived when he pounded his fists together. "I may not play fair, but I've got plenty of skills that made me champ! TIME TO RAAAAAWWWWWWK!!!!"
First posing to the crowd, Rawk Hawk then jumped up high in the air. He flipped around, then dive-bombed Mario with an eagle-like cry, falling just as fast as Rainbow Dash in her many daredevil dives while flying. Mario quickly dove out of the way, Rawk Hawk sliding to a halt, grunting as he missed and turned to face his opponent. Mario rolled over to his cap, snatching it, then placed it back on his head. Getting back in his stance, Mario taunted the champion, outstretching an arm and giving him a "bring it on" gesture with his hand. Growling, Rawk Hawk took the bait and dove after Mario again, but the plumber leapt over him with ease, slamming his fists down over the avian's head as he flipped, sending the champion sliding across the ring face first.
Rubbing his sore chin, Rawk Hawk stopped trying to use one of his signature moves and tried to wail on Mario, the two fighters getting into a close-quarters fist fight, each one throwing punches and kicks while ducking or blocking the other's. The crowd cheered, most of the audience chanting "Gonzales!", wanting to see him win and take the belt from the arrogant Rawk Hawk. The champion we getting frustrated as Mario kept up with him so easily, getting hit when he thought he blocked his opponent's fists and missing with his own from the heroic plumber's dexterity. Their flurry of blows ended with a hard, swift kick to the gut, knocking the wind out of the champion, then a one-two kick combo to the face and chest, knocking him back while struggling to get his breath back.
The crowd roared and Mario's friends cheered, which aggravated Rawk Hawk as his fans were cheering for his foe. "Go, Mario!" Goombella cheered. "Kick that giant chicken's butt!"
"Who knew he was this talented without any magic or a hammer?" Flurrie said. "Definitely proves his title as a hero of the Mushroom Kingdom."
Rawk Hawk growled, having had enough. "How dare you turn the Rawk back on the Hawk!?" the champion accused. "I should have just dealt with you before our fight. But I'm not going down like a chump, chump!"
Leaping up in the air, Mario expected Rawk Hawk to dive down on him again. Instead, he grabbed the rafters hanging over the ring, then shook heavily, causing some of the light fixtures to fall off and down on Mario. Even though Mario avoided the falling lights, the crowd gasped in shock and jeered Rawk Hawk for his desperation to use the stage in a battle.
"What the hay!?" Rainbow exclaimed. "He's hanging on the catwalk and knocking stuff down! Grubba, he should be disqualified!"
"Uhh, well, technically, he's still in the ring, and we're making plenty of money to replace some of the older lights," Grubba explained, though he could see how cheap of a move Rawk Hawk made because he was losing. "If he steps out of the ring, he's out, but if he's still in the air, he's still fighting."
"Rawk Hawk is a sore loser after all," Rarity said.
"Probably worse than Rainbow," Applejack said, making the cyan pegasus glower at the farm mare.
Mario dashed through the falling fixtures, then made a leap for Rawk Hawk. Surprised by his jumping height, Rawk Hawk couldn't let go in time as Mario punched him in the side, flipping upside down, then wrapped his arms around the champion's torso before pushing off, sending them into a tumbling dive back down to the ring. Mario pile-drived Rawk Hawk on his head as they landed with a hard thud, knocking the champ for a loop as he backed away, watching him fall over, but he wasn't done just yet. Exhausted, Rawk Hawk shakily stood up, his head spinning after the painful drop while trying to focus his blurry vision on his foe.
"Y-You...You can't...stop...the Rawk," he said, stumbling forward and swung widely at Mario.
Mario smacked aside his sluggish punch hard, making him spin around in place, getting him more dizzy in his delirium. Crouching low, he waited for the avian to stop, and once he faced him, Mario gave him a powerful leaping uppercut, his fist constantly connecting with Rawk Hawk's jaw as he sent him flying. The last blow from his uppercut sent the champion spinning backwards in the air, Mario landing first in a crouched position while adjusting his hat, followed by Rawk Hawk with a thud on his back.
With the champion defeated, the audience cheered wildly, deafening the arena with screams and clapping as the newest fighter to grace the Glitz Pit had bested Rawk Hawk. "Wowie, folks! This was a fight for the ages!" Grubba announced as he climbed up on stage, followed by Mario's friends as they came up to congratulate him, handing him back his hammer and Lucky Star. "Technique versus technique! Raw power versus raw power! What a legendary bout between two superhumans! Give it up for your new champion: THE GRRRRREAT GONZAAAAAALES!!!!!!"
More cheers rang as Grubba gave Mario the championship belt. Even though this was a victory on their part, Mario didn't feel like the battle was far from over. Whoever attempted to kill King K. and Andy was still out there along with the mysteries of their friend, Mr. X, or where the Crystal Star was located.
After the match, everyone gathered back in the major-league locker room, where the fighters currently in the locker room congratulated Mario and his spectacular match. Grubba soon came in with a chuckle, along with Jolene and a defeated Rawk Hawk.
"Well done, son! You're the new champion!" Grubba said. "Now, as per custom, you and your battle buddies gather up your stuff! You're going to move into your new room! Ms. Jolene, please take our new champ to his room, won't ya, darlin'?"
"Yes, sir, Mr. Grubba," Jolene said. Grubba left to his office while everyone gathered their belongings. Rawk Hawk grumbled, unable to believe he lost, Mario catching a glimpse of the Dark Koopatrol giving the former champ a smug grin, glad to see him put in his place. Jolene guided the group down the hall and to the champion's room, opening the door for them. Scrappy stared in awe, being the only one of the group who didn't see the room, then ran to the bed and plopped down on it with a sigh, relishing the super comfy mattress. "Make yourselves at home. If there's nothing else you need, I'll be on my way."
Jolene made her leave to do whatever it was she did, still a mystery after losing track of her earlier. "Man, this place is awesome!" Scrappy excitedly said, jumping off the bed and approached the training area in the corner. "If we're gonna defend our title, I'm gonna need to work on the pecs!"
Grabbing the barbell, Scrappy grunted, trying to lift it with the heavy weights set on the ends. With his small body and arms, he could barely lift it an inch off the ground, his cheeks puffing out with strain as his face turned red.
"Umm, maybe you should go with something smaller," Fluttershy suggested, grabbing a pair of pink dumbbells that only weighed one pound each. "Try these. They seem a lot lighter."
"I...can...lift this...Mama Fluttershy!" the Yoshi grunted, his feet skittering while still attempting to raise the heavier bar.
"So, Mario, care to tell us what the heck happened to you earlier?" Goombella asked.
"Yeah! Where'd that guard take you!?" Rainbow added.
Mario told everyone what happened to him, startling the group, along with who "gifted" them the poisoned cake and who plotted Mario's match to be forfeited when he almost didn't make it. "I knew Rawk Hawk was out to get us!" Flurrie said. "What an unfair sportsman that bird is!"
"Thank goodness Mario's Lucky Star caught us getting paralyzed!" Rarity said. "He's lucky neither of us got a hoof in ripping out his feathers!"
"But he wasn't responsible for the threats, and it confirms he doesn't know anything about the Crystal Star," Starlight said. While the group wondered what to do next, going back to the drawing board, Mario's Mailbox SP began to ring, startling everyone. " AHH! Again!? Seriously, is there a way to shut that thing's music off!?"
Mario apologized, but he didn't want to lower the volume in case they got a message from Peach and Twilight. He opened his device and read the message left to him.
fInD tHe GhOsT iN tHe ChAmP's RoOm.
FrOm X
Fluttershy gulped nervously at the mention of a ghost from this world haunting the building. "A g-g-ghost?"
"Well, we haven't seen any Boos taking part in the arena, nor the stands," Rarity said. "What other ghosts are there?"
Mario knew in one of the wonders that there was a ghost in the champion's room, but it couldn't be a Boo since they thrive more in abandoned houses. As the room went silent, they heard what sounded like a voice mumbling above them.
"W-What was that?" Applejack uttered.
"It sounds like...a voice?" Goombella said.
Rainbow hovered up to the vent in the corner of the room above the dresser, holding her ear up to the grate. "It sounds like it's coming through here."
"Must be somepony's voice echoing through the vent," Starlight guessed. "But where does it lead?"
"Let's check it out," Rainbow said.
Mario leapt up onto the dresser, grasping the grate with both hands and pulled hard, using his Lucky Star's magic strength to tear it off the vent. After breaching through, everyone else climbed up and moved in a single-file line through the vent. It lead across the building, the other end connected to Grubba's office, where the Clubba was sitting at his desk, having a chat with himself.
"Hyuk hyuk hyuk! That's in perfect condition, as usual!" he said. "As long as I got that baby workin' for me, this ol' bod ain't EVER gettin' weak!"
"What in Equestria is he talking about?" Rainbow whispered, only to be quickly hushed by Mario as they continued listening.
"Gonna have to watch my tootsies for a bit," Grubba continued. "First I let that King K. ijit walk in on me when I was with...that. And now I feel like Jolene and Gonzales are onto me..." Standing up from his seat, he picked up a piece of paper and looked it over with a smug grin. "...I'll burn that bridge when the time comes. I'll just make them disappear, like I did with the others...Like I did to Prince Mush, the first champ!"
"The first champion?" Scrappy whispered. "What did he do to everyone?"
"He's the one responsible for almost killing King K. and Andy!" Pinkie hissed.
"Hmm...maybe them ponies will be quite useful if they 'disappear', too," Grubba muttered with a small, sinister laugh. "Better make sure this room is locked up tighter than a peanut butter jar at a squirrel convention." He placed the paper he was looking at in a desk drawer, which happened to be the similar one he slipped something in earlier when Jolene walked in on him. "Ya know, thinkin' out loud here...good fighters ain't nothin' to mess with. Even Rawk Hawk lost to Gonzales. This new champ might have to disappear purty soon. For my sake..."
Grubba left his office, locking it up and going off to do whatever errands he needed to do. And those errands didn't sound all that good. Once he left, Mario kicked down the grate, wondering what the Clubba had planned and how he got rid of the missing fighters. He approached the desk as everyone leapt out of the vent, opening the drawer and pulled out what secret documents he was eyeing. The shocked look on his face made the others curious as they looked at the paper he placed on the desk.
"W-What in Equestria!?" Starlight exclaimed. "These are blueprints to some type of machine using a Crystal Star!"
"'Sapping away the strength of others to charge my own?'" Goombella questioned, reading aloud a side note Grubba wrote on this paper. "I may not be a technical science major, but if the Crystal Star we're looking for is powering some sort of device that drains the life out of anyone...Does that mean Grubba's stolen the strength of every missing fighter and using it for himself???"
"But why would he do this?" Koops asked.
The door opened up, Grubba yelping in surprise seeing Mario and his friends sneaking in his office and looking at his private blueprints. "GREAT GALLOPIN' GULPITS!" he exclaimed. "How in tarnation did y'all get in my office!?"
"How about you explain to us just what THIS is doing in your office desk!?" Starlight argued back, levitating his blueprints out for him to see. "What was your plan using something like this by sucking away somepony's strength!?"
"...Uhhhh...I think I hear my laundry calling!" Grubba quickly said before zipping off down the hall.
"Hey, get back here!" Rainbow called out as everyone chased after him. They saw Grubba round the corner, then head straight through the giant doors leading to the arena ring. Slamming through the doors, the audience long gone after the championship match, they surrounded Grubba as he stood in the center of the ring. "You're busted, Grubba! Give up now or get beaten up by us!"
"Y'all got a lot of nerve sniffin' around my business," Grubba said. "I even heard y'all 'rescued' Andy and King K. And now that y'all discovered my secret, I'm afraid you're all gonna be takin' a li'l dirt nap."
Stepping on a hidden switch in the dead center of the ring, the ground began to shake as most of the middle of the square battle ring sank down. Everyone quickly climbed up on the stage, standing near the edge, but they backed up when a cage-like machine came up on a rising platform from beneath the building's secret room. On top of the device, everyone caught a glimpse of the Crystal Star they were looking for, hovering in a spinning bowl-shaped dais, which fed power to the machine. And in the center of the cage-like contraption was Grubba, giving them a sinister smirk.
"He really was using the Crystal Star to power this thing!" Starlight said.
"How do y'all like it!?" Grubba asked with a laugh. "I've been using this baby to suck power from all the fighters out of them! Slurpin' them up like soda through a straw!"
"Why did you do this to our friends!?" Fluttershy asked.
"Why, it's simple, my dear: so I can keep my body young forever!" Grubba admitted, making everyone gasp in shock. "And I ain't as dumb as y'all think I am. I know all about you ponies through the paper, even the magic that comes from your world. And after seein' how strong y'all fought, especially them two unicorns, if my machine can suck out your energy AND magic, I'd find myself the best possible fountain of youth and stay my young, strong, and unbeatable self forever!"
"Y-You were gonna use US!?!?!?!?" Applejack exclaimed.
"Well, what did y'all expect!? Aside from her-" Grubba pointed at Starlight. "-the rest of ya are known as them Elements of Harmony from your world! The package deal might not have had your leader, but I think ol' Glimmer there would be suitable enough to complete it!"
"You're absolutely horrid!" Flurrie exclaimed angrily.
"No one hurts my Mama Fluttershy, and you're not gonna drain her life or magic, you fat jerk!" Scrappy shouted, hopping up and down in front of Fluttershy protectively.
"You're abusing the Crystal Star's power for all of this!?" Goombella questioned. "You're a sick freak, Grubba!"
"Oh, shut your traps!" Grubba scoffed. "I'll use MY Crystal Star however I darn well please!"
"Your power-stealing days are over, Grubba," Starlight growled, her horn lighting up as she prepared to blast the Clubba. "And you're not taking our magic as well!"
"Hmph. Ya think y'all can intimidate me?" Grubba questioned. "Check this out!" Widening his stance, Grubba growled as his body shook, letting out strained grunts as he powered himself up from what energy he stole from previous fighters. He began growing in size, his blue skin turning orange as his hat slipped off his head, his jacket's buttons popping off to look like a vest as his undershirt was torn off by his growing build, his hair turned into a spiky mohawk, and his shell grew sharp spikes. Everyone stared and backed away in shock at Grubba's size, hearing him roar as he unleashed his full strength, stepping out from his machine intimidatingly. "MAAAAAAACHO GRUBBA!!!!!!!!"
"H-Holy cow. H-H-He grew!" Koops exclaimed.
"Far more than that, son!" Grubba said. Starlight fired her magic beam, hitting Grubba square in the face. The massive Clubba flinched as he was struck, but he turned back to face Starlight, barely feeling a thing as he leered at her with a smirk. "I'M INVINCIBLE!!!"
Leaping off the ring, he tried to body slam Starlight, who quickly teleported away before she got crushed. Getting back on his feet, he heard Scrappy yell and charge at him, flutter-kicking up above him, and repeatedly ground-pounded on the Clubba's head. More irritated than hurt, he grasped the Yoshi faster than anyone could blink. He began crushing the Yoshi in his fist, Scrappy letting out a cry in agony, which triggered Fluttershy's mama bear instincts.
"Get your hooves off my baby Yoshi, you monster!!!" Fluttershy screamed, flying into Macho Grubba's abdomen and, to his surprise, knocked him over along with the air in his lungs.
Landing on his back, Fluttershy tried to free Scrappy from the Clubba's hand, but Macho Grubba recovered faster than everyone thought, grabbing the yellow pegasus in his other hand. "Not too bad," Grubba commented, standing back up while holding the now terrified pegasus. "Maybe if I put a few cute critters in the ring for your opponents to harass, I'd see more of THAT kind of power from ya!"
"Let go of my friend, jerk!" Rainbow yelled, swiftly flying around Grubba while kicking his face as she passed.
Mario and Applejack charged together, double-tackling the powered up Clubba, sending him staggering back and dropping Fluttershy and Scrappy. Macho Grubba tried swatting Rainbow Dash away, only to be met with a body slam from Flurrie as she let out a opera-like wail from high above. Sent crashing down on his back again, Starlight and Rarity held the Clubba down with their magic while the others tried to knock him unconscious: Goombella repeatedly headbonking Grubba's forehead, Koops tossing himself at one of his sides, Pinkie and Mario using their hammers to slam down any part of him, even Scrappy got back into the fight by throwing eggs in Grubba's face.
Macho Grubba growled irritably, letting out a yell as his muscles grew, pulsating with enhanced power thanks to his machine. He managed to break free from the unicorns' magic hold, grasped Koops while he was still in his shell, tossed him at Flurrie as she was about to slam back down for another full body slam and sending the two flying into the stands. Slamming his fists down hard, he caused a quake that stunned everyone, then swung his arms, smacking everyone away until they slid to a halt or smacked into a wall painfully.
"I'd say it's not fair gangin' up on me, but I'm a bit surprised how well y'all work together to wrangle me down like a newborn calf," Grubba said. "I love me a good tussle! It won't matter much in the end once I beat y'all and take ALL of your power for myself!" Mario got back up, activating his Lucky Star and enhanced his speed and strength. "Wanna have a supercharged duel, eh, Gonzales?" Grubba bulked himself up again, his body rippling and pulsating more as he flexed his powerful muscles. "Let's get it on!"
Mario zipped off at lightning speed, hammer in hand and jumped in the air. He slammed his hammer down, which was quickly blocked by Grubba, surprising the plumber at his own increased agility and strength. Flipping backward, Mario charged again, avoiding Macho Grubba's swift punches while trying to aim for his own at the Clubba's abdomen. Rainbow growled, watching her friends slowly get up after getting knocked back, then flew up through the skylight high above the arena and dove down, performing a sonic rainboom as the explosive burst of speed shot her down at Grubba. She slammed into the back of his head while still fighting Mario, causing quite a bit of pain while Mario "helped" flip the giant Clubba over across the other side of the arena, where Pinkie was up with her party cannon and her hammer inside the barrel.
"It's hammer time!" Pinkie screamed, pushing the button and set off the cannon, blasting confetti and her hammer in Grubba's face.
The impact sent the Clubba flipping backwards, landing him on his back once again with his face covered in confetti and a red mark of a flat hammer head on his forehead. Mario leapt up and slammed his hammer down on Grubba's chest, his bulkier chest making the blow a bit less painful, but still hurt him regardless. He smacked the plumber off his chest and got up, having enough getting knocked down and bashed.
"Y'all got a lot of spunk, I'll give ya that," Grubba said. "But it ain't over until it's over! I had moves back in the day that would be considered illegal today! Fortune's smilin' upon me in the end, and I'll crush all of y'all until I take my win!"
Unleashing another power-growing roar, Macho Grubba grew even taller, towering the rafters from the floor of the arena. Despite his bigger size, he still moved normally before his newest growth spurt, turning about and performed a backflip body slam on Pinkie. The earth pony shrieked and ran off, quickly grabbing her party cannon before she was crushed under his massive size and her patented cannon of fun from getting destroyed.
"Oh, great. He's gotten bigger!" Goombella exclaimed. "Just how strong is Grubba!?"
"Ah'm still in a bit of a loop when he knocked us back earlier," Applejack uttered. "He's gotta be tougher than Bowser was when he had the Star Rod."
"And he wants to kill us and take away our magic!" Pinkie added. "He even tried to smush my party cannon with his giant, flabby belly! I went the last adventure without my party cannon, and I am NOT gonna not have one in this story!"
"Oh, if only Twilight was here with us," Rarity said. "We could use our new magic together to try to drain the energy out of him and beat him that way."
"We've got to keep fighting!" Rainbow said. "We're outnumbering him, even if he keeps juicing himself up! He's on his last legs if he's gotten this strong!"
Grubba slammed his fists down on Mario, quickly holding up his hammer to block the blow, his legs shaking from the impact. Scrappy growled, fluttering his feet before running up to help Mario.
"Scrappy, what are you doing!?" Fluttershy called out, worried for the little Yoshi's safety.
"I'm gonna help!" he said, stopping a fair distance. Letting out a strained grunt, he felt something within him well up, something he wasn't sure a Yoshi like him had. An aura radiated from his body, matching to Fluttershy's fur color. After this new power was built up, he took in a deep breath, then let out a loud whistle that rang out all over the arena. Within seconds, several hundred puffs of smoke popped out around Scrappy, the ponies, and the other partners, and when the smoke cleared, they were surrounded by an army of ethereal Yoshis. Surprised, everyone stared in awe, Scrappy panting heavily from exerting so much of this latent magical power, but still had enough energy to keep standing. "Da-da-da da-daaaaaaa! YOSHI POWER!!!!!"
The magic Yoshis all let out their unique battle cries, stampeding toward Macho Grubba. The Clubba heard the random Yoshi herd, all of them kicking and headbutting his legs, or climbing all over him to punch or bite the rest of his body.
"AGH! What in the-!? Where did all of these-!? AHHH! GET OFF!!!" Grubba shouted, trying to shake off the ethereal dinosaurs off of him.
"...W-Whoa," Koops uttered.
"Where did all those Yoshis come from!?" Goombella exclaimed, almost squealing at the sight of hundreds of adult Yoshis around them.
"I...don't know how...but I think Scrappy...summoned them with...magic?" Starlight pondered, baffled, intrigued, and amazed by this strange discovery.
"Can Yoshis use magic?" Rainbow asked Fluttershy, who knows more about the Yoshis than anyone else in the group did.
"...Well, not really," Fluttershy said. "But they do seem to adapt to what's in their surroundings when they hatch, at least from what I know. The ones on Lavalava Island mostly live in peace, but Scrappy seems to love fighting and getting into fights since he was brought up here to Glitzville...And, maybe being around us, maybe with me always holding him while he was still in his egg, some of our magic must have also been imprinted when it seeped into his egg...That might...explain it?"
"...You have no idea, do you, Flutters?" Rainbow said.
"No," Fluttershy admitted. "I was...guessing."
"Not an impossible theory, but I'd be willing to try some tests," Starlight said.
"YEAH! Go, my Yoshi brethren!" Scrappy cheered as he watched Grubba flailing about while getting swarmed by his magic army. "Show that mean jerk who's boss! For Mama Flutter-!"
Suddenly, Scrappy fell over on his back, letting out a snore as he passed out. From his exhaustion, the Yoshi herd he summoned poofed away from existence, leaving Macho Grubba battered and panting heavily.
"...Well, he might have a lot of power for a little guy, but he's still a baby Yoshi," Pinkie said. "Reminds me of Spike!"
"And by my guess, depending on how many Yoshis he can make, he'll tire himself out much quicker," Flurrie said. "No wonder he has so much energy."
Grubba grunted, unable to believe a magical Yoshi herd managed to pound their way through his buffed up defenses. "That...That little Yoshi...is really something," he uttered. "He'll...definitely be the first one I'm draining."
Hearing this, Fluttershy looked up to glare at the Clubba, meeting her gaze and feeling a sense of dread in those big blue eyes. "That's it. Pinkie, give me your hammer," Fluttershy demanded, the earth pony quickly giving the pegasus her hammer. "Nopony, and I mean NOPONY, is going to hurt my little Yoshi! If you want him, then you'll have to take him over MY! DEAD! BODY!!!!!!!!!!"
Flying as fast as Rainbow Dash, shocking Goombella, Flurrie, and Koops, Grubba let out a terrified yell before letting out a painful grunt, getting smacked hard in the gut by the enraged animal lover with the hammer. "And this is why nopony ever messes with Fluttershy and any of her animal friends," Rarity said.
"Yeah, like when we got sucked in that enchanted Power Ponies comic Spike had and we were the Power Ponies," Rainbow said. "Even though her superhero was someone who turns into a hulking, rampaging beast when she gets mad, her tipping point was when the Maneiac hurt a small firefly, and she went nuts on her hairspray ray of doom!"
"Gee, thanks for putting THAT image in my head," Goombella said, cringing slightly as she imagined a bulky yellow pegasus acting like a wild bull.
They continued watching as Fluttershy continued bashing Grubba with all her might. He could barely avoid her as she was like an angry hornet trying to sting him, and that stinger was a mallet constantly battering every part of him. She even got him hard enough in the face, causing his glasses he still wore to break and reveal his beady eyes. Dazed, his body swayed before Fluttershy dove back in for one final blow, swinging up and hitting his jaw, sending him flying back and landing painfully against the stage. With a groan, Grubba shrank and returned to normal, defeated and barely able to move.
Fluttershy hovered back down to the ground, picking up the slumbering Yoshi after spitting out Pinkie's hammer. "N-No...How...?" Grubba questioned. "My bod...How could my perfect bod lose to all of you?"
"Because we NEVER lose to anypony as horrible as you!" Rainbow gloated. "Prepare to live in a dungeon for the rest of your life!"
"Mr. champion!" Everyone turned to the big doors stage right from the arena, Jolene slowly making her way toward them.
"Jolene?" Starlight uttered.
They expected to get in trouble after beating up her boss, but the Toad ignored the beaten Clubba. "I mean, Mario," Jolene corrected herself. "Allow me to offer you and your friends my earnest thanks for defeating that foul Grubba."
"What? You mean...you're not mad at us?" Goombella asked.
"I must apologize," Jolene said. "I didn't want you to get involved in all of this...but you all must understand. I had to learn the truth of this arena by any means."
"What do you mean?" Flurrie asked.
"I'll tell you everything." Jolene let out a heavy sigh, her stoic expression finally dropping as her lips curled into a sad frown. "I had a little brother once, by the name of Mush. He would have done anything for me. Our family was always poor, so he became a fighter here to support all of us." Mario was a little surprised. Jolene's younger brother had the same name as the first champion who Grubba had first taken out with his machine. "...But, one day, he just...suddenly went missing. Our family was inconsolable. I had suspected foul play, so I got hired as a manager and investigated in secret. As I looked for clues about my brother, I accidentally saw Grubba transform." She looked at the Clubba, who was still conscious, and he had a look of shock on his face when she claimed Mush was her brother. "Seeing what I was up against, I almost gave up hope...until Mario from the Mushroom Kingdom and five of the ponies who helped stopped Bowser recently appeared in Glitzville...So, I decided to secretly guide you."
It all dawned on the group as Mario pulled out his Mailbox SP, looking over the messages from X. "Ohhh. So, you were our friend, Mr. X," Koops said, then stammered when he realized their secret ally was actually Jolene. "Er, I mean, Ms. X..."
"Correct, I was 'Mr. X'," Jolene admitted.
"And the one who sent us those threats was..." Everyone turned to look at Grubba, the one who really left the threatening emails when Rawk Hawk would rather make threats face to face and Jolene being X.
"After seeing you all fight, I knew you could challenge Grubba," Jolene said, then made her way over to the Clubba. "Now, sir...No. Not sir!" Jolene gave Grubba a hard kick in the side, making him groan in pain. "Grubba, I demand answers, right NOW! What did you do to my little brother!?" Aggressively, she grabbed what remained of the Clubba's jacket, lifting his upper half, shocking everyone with her actually showing emotion, and she was enraged as she confronted her former boss. "And don't backpedal out of this! You know EXACTLY what happened to him: the first champion, Prince Mush!"
"Y-Your brother...He discovered the secret of my power-suckin' machine," Grubba groaned. "I made him...disappear. Any which way you look at it...he ain't around these parts no more..."
Jolene's breath hitched in her throat, the horrible fate that befell her brother shocking the group, understanding why Jolene was so strict. The Toad dropped Grubba as tears welled in her eyes.
"...No...I-I...suspected as much..." Jolene sniffled, mourning the loss of her little brother now that she knew the truth. She began to sob, taking off her glasses as her tears fell. "Mush...My poor, sweet Mush..."
Feeling sympathetic for Jolene, everyone lowered their heads, paying respects for the late champion. Above Grubba's power-stealing machine, the Crystal Star shimmered and began humming with power. Mario looked up, noticing it reacting strangely as it spun rapidly, causing the dais it was hovering in to spin as well. Everyone else looked up in surprise, watching the machine do something until something fell out from the top, landing on the ring near the base of the machine. Wondering what happened, everyone, including Jolene, raced up the steps to see what happened. Jolene gasped when she saw that something was actually someONE.
"Ugh...Where am I?" Groggily standing back up was a Toad, wearing a blue gi, the spots on his mushroom head pink like Jolene's, even with a curled blonde bang just like the manager's. "Am I...back in the Glitz Pit?"
"M-Mush?" Jolene called out in disbelief.
The Toad turned to her, hearing his name, then smiled at Jolene. "Sis? Is that you?" Mush asked. "What are you doing here? I was-"
"MUSH!!!" Jolene cried, running up to her brother and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug, catching Mush off guard. For the first time since they met her, Jolene smiled as she cried, thankful to have her little brother back after assuming him to be long gone no thanks to Grubba and his horrible contraption to give him eternal youth. "Mush...I'm so glad you're back..."
"Uhh, what exactly happened to me?" Mush asked, highly confused. "Last I remember, I was meeting with Mr. Grubba after I won my championship match-"
Jolene shushed him, wanting nothing to do with Grubba while holding her brother tightly. "I'll tell you everything later, Mush," she said. The others were glad to see Jolene was happy, knowing her brother was back safe and sound after the Crystal Star heard her sorrow. Jolene reluctantly let go of Mush, then turned to face the Glitz Pit's current champion and saviors from Grubba's power-hungry greed. "I'm sorry you all had to go through this, but thank you for stopping Grubba."
"It's no problem, Jolene," Starlight said. "We all thought you were kind of harsh, but I can see why you sought us out to help solve these mysteries in Glitzville."
"And you've got your little brother back, so everything's ok now," Rarity added.
Jolene nodded, though Mush tilted his head curiously, completely out of the loop after being gone for who knows how long. "I must repay you all back somehow..." Looking up, she found the perfect reward. Jolene walked over to the terminal near the machine, pressing a few buttons, which caused the Crystal Star to drop down beside her. Picking it up, she approached Mario, holding out the Crystal Star to them. "Mario, you can have this as a reward for all your help."
"Are you sure you want to give it to us?" Koops asked.
"It's better to let you have it..." Jolene looked back at the machine, cringing bitterly at it before giving them a small grin. "So nothing like this can happen again."
Nodding in understanding, Mario took the Crystal Star, letting it float around him before hovering over his head, granting him its power. Three Crystal Stars down, and only four more to go. Before everyone turned in for the evening, they made sure Grubba was arrested for his crimes, losing all of his credibility as a respected fighter and owner of the Glitz Pit. Jolene wished she could do more to Grubba while he was beaten, but that one kick would have to do now that she had her little brother back. She couldn't wait to tell her family the good news tomorrow after checking in on King K and Andy's conditions, even if the Bandit had constantly spied on her while figuring out how to stop Grubba.