---C-H-A-P-T-E-R--T-W-O---
Sign Me Up!

Peach and co made their way back to Sarah's house, telling her about their day and the strange experience with Chloe Milton. After they had dinner, they decided to turn in early and get in a good rest for the Unveiling the following day. They woke up had breakfast and set out for the Glitz Pit.

"Omigosh! Omigosh! Omigosh!"

Brooke was at the very front of the croud jumping up and down screaming. Several other wrestle maniacs had come from all over the Mushroom Kingdom for this one day, the Glitz Pit Unveiling. Jack Burrus looked out from his elevated platform waving at the unruly crowd.

"I can't see anythi- HEY WATCH IT!" said Sam. "Whats going on up there anyway? Can you see Peach?"

Peach stood on her tip toes. "Barely," she said "I see... Jack. He's on this platform waving to everyone. He must be really nervous though. Ummm... Oh! they're Brooke at the VERY front screaming. She's so excited! I wonder how long she's been here. Do you think she camped out? Wow, there's a lot of people here huh? I can't spot anyone else who actually lives here. Including those Milton people."

Maria sighed. "Can we go yet? All these people are making me uncomortable."

"No, not until people are allowed inside, I have to meet all the workers, and then we have to stay here for a couple of days to meet the fighters who will fight here" Peach said. She laughed. "Who knows, maybe we can get season tickets."

Maria sighed again. "Fine. Let's just wait then. Whats the delay anyway?"

Peach stood up high again. "Well, I can't really see much besides Jack up there. I can see through the windows people are running around frantically doing stuff. I wonder when-- Hello?"

A toad with bluish greenish spots and brown bangs had tapped Peach on the shoulder. He was wearing a light tan collared shirt with the sleeves rolled up with a white undershirt underneath, and dark tan... whatever Toads wear instead of pants. He had a crooked smile.

"Princess? We have a special place for you. We know its hard to get through the crowd, and you have to give a report to the king right? Follow me please."

"Oh, thank you, Mr..."

"My name's Ben T. but you can call me Ben."

"Oh, well thanks Ben. Nice to meet you. oh, do you have room for my friends?

"Oh... umm no. I'm so sorry. I'd offer you my place, but I'm trying out to be a fighter, so I have to be up there. They sent me down here to get you."

"Oh well" Peach turned to her friends. "I'll meet up with you guys later ok? Bye."

Peach followed Ben up to the front of the crowd. They walked around the big red tape that Jack was going to cut and sat over by other people with special seats and other pre-fighters. Ben told Peach he was nervous, he had come to be a fighter alone not knowing most of the fighting teams had 2 or more people.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, BOYS AND GIRLS!" Jack bellowed. There was much cheering from the crowd. "WELCOME... TO THE GLITZ PIT!"

The crowd went crazy screaming and jumping. Peach looked for Pete, Sam and Maria but she couldn't see anything through the crowd.

Jack took his giant pair of sissors and cut the tape. The crowd streamed in, through the lobby and into the big arena. Ben, Peach and the other reserved seating people had seats in the very front with their names on them. "Oh look!" said Peach. There were two seats in the north west corner with recognizable names on them. PRINCESS PEACH TOADSTOOL read one, and the other one said BENJAMIN TOAD. "Oh, good. We're right next to each other!" said Ben.

Jack stepped up in the arena. "Well folks, I gotta tell ya, when King Toadsworth read this place's name the other day, I almost fainted. I spent weeks, no.. MONTHS planning and designing what you see here today. I'm so glad all of you could make it tonight... and I have a message for all you wanna-be fighters out there. Sign up now! Our staff is always ready to take names and the master list of "try outs" I guess you would say. A list will be posted in the lobby within a few days. But for now everyone, Enjoy the party!"

Food platters were all over the place with drinks being served by the glass. A band came up and played music and everyone seemed to be having fun. Meanwhile, Pete, Maria and Sam were no where to be found. Peach and Ben looked all over, but there wasn't a trace of any of them.
"Oh well," said Peach, "should we find one of the staff to get you signed up then?"

"OK, that sounds good" said Ben.

They walked around for a bit and saw someone that looked like he worked there. "Excuse me" said Peach. "My friend here would like to be a fighter, could you put his name on your list or whatever?"

"I'd love to Princess" said the man. "Where is he?"

"Umm.. that's me" said Ben. He looked really nervous. "My name is Ben T. but I just go by Ben. I heard there was a contract I need to sign?"

"All in due time Mr. T." said the worker. He wrote a couple of things, taking much longer than it would to write "Ben T." "Well, thank you Mr. T. The list should be up in a few days, please stick around until then. All people wanting to try out are free to stay in our locker rooms until the list is posted. The locker rooms can be accessed from either side of the lobby."

"Um, ok. Thank you sir."

Ben and Peach went around and looked at the locker rooms. They were half clean and comfortable and half dirty and disgusting. Luckily not many fighters had signed up yet, so Ben claimed a bed in a clean locker room decorated in green.

"OK, I'm all set. Let's go look for your friends again."

"Well, you don't really have to help me you know. I wouldn't want to trouble you."

"Oh, don't be silly. I never could have had the courage to sign up myself, I ow it too you."

"How gentlemanly of you. Well.. Sam and Pete are pretty loud.. they shouldn't be too hard to find. I bet they're in the arena somewhere, checking out any girl that walks by. Maria will be harder though.. she is very quiet. Sam or Pete should know where she is, if she's not with them."

"Okey Dokey. Let's go!"

They walked through the hall way and out in the lobby, and faught they're way throug the crowd until...

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKK!"

A Pyro Guy knocked down a toadette with orange spots.

"Hey!" shouted Ben. "You leave her alone! You shouldn't pick on innocent girls like that."

"Yeah? What are you gonna do about it, short stuff!"

"Oh, I'll SHOW you what I'm gonna do about it."

"Ben, be careful!" shouted Peach. The toadette had disappeared into the arena, grateful to flee from the scene.

The Pyro Guy ran up and hit Ben with a burning fist.

"OUCH! It burns!"

"Yeah, that's right punk. Feel the burn!"

Ben got up quickly, and soon he was up in the air. He thrust out his foot and kicked the Pyro Guy hard. Ben tackled him while the Pyro Guy was on the ground, sending him into the wall. He was on the ground, dizzy and barely concious."

The few people that had gathered around left, obviously this crowd was used to a few fights.
"Ben!" said Peach worryingly. "Are you alright? Well, I guess so, if you could do THAT to a person. You're a really great fighter!"

"Oh thanks. Yeah, I'm fine, but that guy sure isn't, hehe." Ben looked around. "What happened to that girl?"

"She ran off when you started fighting. She was unharmed."

"Oh ok, good."

Voices rang out. "PEACH!" "YO, PRINCESS!" "HEEEEY PEEEEEEAAACH!"

Peach looked and saw her three friends. "Hey guys! We've been looking all over for you!"

Sam was grinning. "Well we ran out when we heard the crash but... Us three signed up to be fighters in the Glitz Pit!"

---T-O--B-E--C-O-N-T-I-N-U-E-D---

---C-O-N-T-I-N-U-I-N-G---

"You guys did WHAT?"

Peach jumped back in surprize. Fighters? Pete... yeah ok. Sam... don't think so. Maria! That is so NOT her type!

"We signed up to be fighters in the Glitz Pit!" Maria said enthusiastically.

"You've gotta be kidding."

"Nope, we're for real. So what was going on here anyway?"

"Well this guy.. I dunno who he was.. was beating up on this poor toadette and Ben started defending her. Ben actually laid up a whuppin on that guy though!" While Peach was saying this, Ben looked down blushing. "Oh.. it was nothing," he said bashfully.

"Wow. Nice job Ben!" said Sam, "Actually, we have something to ask you two. Since we're... well... not exactly professional fighters, um..-"

Peach and Ben looked at each other skeptically and turned back to Sam in confusion. "Well.." he continued. He took a deep breath. "Will you guys be on our fighing team?"

Peach was getting a load of surprizes today. "Wow.. I dunno... I have royal duties and such..."

Maria piped up. "Listen princess, you're still young. You don't have very many royal duties that someone else couldn't just take care of. This would be an exelent way of training for your princess-hood. Now, call Toadsworth and make sure its OK with him. Let's get this team rolling!"

Peach looked down, then back up at Maria. "You're right! I've gotta take control of my own life! I'm gonna call Grandpa right now!"

"YESS!" yelled Pete, dancing around in happiness. Sam laughed. "I'll go tell Jack Burrus about our new team. I'm sure he can think of a name for us."

"Yeah," said Maria, "I'll go find a locker room with enough beds for all of us. You should go get you're stuff Ben." Ben nodded and the three of them left.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" asked Pete. Truthfully, Peach was nervous. What would Toadsworth think of all this? Surely he wouldn't aprove. She sighed. Well, there's no harm in trying. Peach took out her cell phone and dialed the castle. "Hello?" Toadsworths strong kingly voice answered, making Peach even more nervous. "Uh.. hi Grandpa. Listen umm.." Peach was talking quieter as she went. "Grandpa, I want to be a fighter at the Glitz Pit." Before Toadsworth started on one of his rants Peach, kept talking. "I know what you're thinking, it's not "princess-like" but I've gotta take control of my own life. And I'm not really in any ACTUAL danger, its just like.. a sport! So what do you say?"

"Well princess.. You've grown, I can tell that much. You're not that little blonde girl who couldn't sleep without her granddaddy tucking her in. You're a young woman now, and you can make you're own dicisions. I'll allow you this wish of yours, and I wish you luck. But don't be thinking you can slack off! I'll be making weekly visists up there, and there is NO way you are staying in those digusting locker rooms. I know! You can set up a royal tent there. You and you're.. team can live there! I'll send up some builder toads and some people to tend to the tent for you. It'll seem just like home! Well, good luck... my granddaughter."

"WOO HOOO!" shouted Pete, still jumping up and down in excitement. Peach smiled as they waited for the others to come back. Sam ran back quickly, grinning. "Hey, guess what our team is callled? 'The Fearsome Five' Isn't it cool? We are totally gonna dominate the ring! I'm am SO PSYCHED!"

Ben and Maria returend shortly after, with Ben's stuff. Peach told the others about the call, and about how they weren't gonna sleep in the locker rooms. Maria sighed with releif.

The next couple of days were farily uneventful. Except for one morning, two days after the unveiling party. The Miltons struck again.

---E-N-D--O-F--C-H-A-P-T-E-R---

Dubba folded his arms. Even with the combined power of his son and wife he STILL needed another person to reach his full potential. He chuckled quietly. With the Gold Crystal Star, he could suck up the power of the entire Mushroom Kingdom. What's one more person added on to the list. The only question was... who?

"Oh no."

Harvey saw his brother Randy was gone for dinner again. This only meant one of three things:

-He was taking a nap
-He was stealing things for their shop
-He was stealing things, but just for kicks

Harvey sighed. He didn't like the way his family was going. He missed his parents... He wondered why they had sent him Randy and Chloe to live with their awful grandfather, Travis Milton. He was totally evil, and worse yet, he had sucked in his brother into doing his bidding. Even his own twin, Chloe, was getting pulled into it too. They ran this awful store, and everyone was blaming them for the whole tricking-the-entire-Mushroom-Kingdom-in-the-contest deal. He didn't want to be the one on the stage, being hated by all those people that week ago. How could he face any of his friends again? He sighed again, heavier this time. If only he could get out of this whole deal...

Jolene smiled as her sister looked at the list of fighters with excitement. Brooke had always been the leader, being the most outspoken of the three sisters. She had always been the shy, quiet and smart one. The eldest sister Tracey was the dignified, beautiful one. Jolene didn't mind it though, she liked having peace. And besides, she had her share of excitement. Her little brother Mush was coming to visit. He was only 10, and he was SOO excited to come up and see his sisters. He also wanted to see the fights, even as much as Brooke did, if not more. Jolene smiled. This city was the best thing that ever happend to her.