Chapter 6: Royal Arena

The pattering of footsteps kept dotting the night sky as Toad kept chase to the Koopa. The landscape had changed from the verdant plains of the Mushroom Kingdom to the fiery badlands of Darkland. Toad was getting tired, despite the mushroom warrior he was.

The Koopa, on the contrary, didn't seem fatigued at all. In fact, it was moving, stride after stride, at the same speed the whole time. Toad finally gave in, stopping and putting his hands on his knees, panting. It was just too hot for him to keep going. Luckily, he could see the castle in the distance, so all he had to do was walk the few miles and he'd be there. However, getting the crown would be significantly harder.

He leant against a dead tree and sat down on the ground, resting for a moment. "Well... Congrats... Toad." He mumbled to himself in between pants. "You let... him get away. Now... how are you... going to catch up... to him?" he asked himself, still tired from all that running. He looked up and saw the sky a stormy red, the way it always was in this disastrous land. He couldn't stop thinking about the crown and the princess it belonged to, and for that reason the sky was a little less menacing in his eyes. Ten minutes later, he looked at the castle with determination. "I'm getting that crown." he told himself, and ran the last few miles to the stronghold. Once he got there, he found himself lucky as the iron gates swung open before him. Instead of the normal long, carpeted hallway to another set of doors like he was used to, Toad was surprised to see an entire stone battlefield, complete with a scoreboard, spectators, and floodlights.

"What in the- what's going on?" he asked himself, because he knew he couldn't be heard over the rowdy audience.

"Ladies and gentlekoopas, I bid you welcome to one of the most daring, most spectacular, most amazing fights that you will ever witness!" a voice boomed over the arena. Toad shuffled to the side, up against a metal grate on one protrusion of the elliptical wall.

"What the..." Toad looked around. "What is this?"

"In one corner, we have the challenger, the self-proclaimed 'Mushroom Warrior', Toad!" A spotlight shone on him and he shied away, a hand over his face. Boos filled the room.

"In the other corner, we have the champion, the juggernaut, the robot of dreams, the MECHAKOOPA!" the announcer yelled in delight, and spotlights shone on the other side of the room, illuminating the very Koopa that stole Peach's crown. He had red eyes and a gray, plated shell. Toad looked at him with ferocity, looking at the crown on a stone pedestal in the middle of the arena.

"The rules are very, very simple." the announcer assured. "Since Toad only came here for a ridiculous crown..." Laughter filled the stadium, while Toad only rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay, settle down. We'll let him have it if he can take it from the Mechakoopa. If not... You guys know what happens." The crowd cheered, and Toad heard them chanting.

"Dungeon, dungeon, dungeon..." the crowd cheered, and Toad winced, really not wanting to think about what that meant, even though it was painfully obvious.

"Fighters, ARE YOU READY?" The inevitable call to start the fight came out, and Toad slowly came forward from his corner, the Mechakoopa doing the same. "Audience, ARE YOU READY?" The crowd cheered in excitement. "Alright then! Let's get this show on the road." A gong sounded, probably to signal the start of the match. Toad warily circled the arena, not knowing what the Mechakoopa would bring to the table. It slowly walked up towards him, its metal feet clanking against the stone floor. Toad looked at it and saw that it had a metal shell, but a normal Koopa underside. The Koopa then picked up speed and tried a punch, but Toad ducked under, delivering an uppercut to its body. The Koopa didn't even flinch, and Toad just stood there in surprise before being socked to the floor. The crowd booed in dissent.

Toad rolled over and got up. 'If I could just outmaneuver you...' he thought. The Koopa just kept walking forward, no emotion, no hesitation. Toad had a feeling it was built for situations like this. Suddenly it ran forward for a kick, and Toad tried to move to the left, but the robot anticipated the movement and connected anyways, its foot sinking into Toad's solar plexus. He got thrown off balance and before he knew it he was down again.

The Koopa deftly turned around and ran. 'What is he- wait, he's getting the crown!' Toad realized. He then popped up and gave chase, and soon it was a sprint much like when they first raced here. Toad tried to speed up, but the Koopa matched pace, its head start meaning that it would always be ahead, and the arena was finite. 'Why is this guy so fast?' Toad asked himself, starting to slow. 'Every move I do, he can anticipate it...' He looked at the crown longingly, seeing the Mechakoopa around twenty meters ahead of him. He narrowed his eyes.

'I don't care. I have to get that crown!' He sped up again, feet pattering against the dry concrete. He was anticipating the Koopa to speed up, but found out he was slowly gaining on it. The crown grew closer.

'Come on, come on...!' Eventually, Toad was close enough to where he could grab the Koopa, the crown coming up fast. 'Gotcha.' He gave a little smirk, then dove low, taking out the Koopa's leg and letting gravity do the rest. They toppled to the floor, the Koopa not moving, having to analyze the new situation it was in. While it was distracted, Toad rose and sprinted the last few meters, prying the crown from its pedestal and holding it up for all to see. The crowd had mixed reactions, some cheering because the underdog had won, and some booing for the same reason. The gong sounded again.

"And it looks like we have a winner! The Mechakoopa has finally been beaten! As promised..." The grate that was on Toad's side of the arena opened with a rusty creaking sound, faint light coming out of it. "Toad is now free to go." the announcer concluded, and the same mixed reaction from the crowd fired up again. Toad admired the crown in his hand, then headed to the exit, looking at the Mechakoopa toppled over before heading out. The grate led to a very short tunnel. Toad continued to look at the crown before hearing the rushing of air. Instinctively he dove for the floor, a well-placed axe swinging past inches above his head. He popped up and continued to the exit, leaning against the outer wall of the castle.

"And now for our main event..." he heard the booming of the announcer, although quieter. He smiled faintly, looking at the jewels of the crown he rightfully took back, before heading out for the castle. He sighed.

'It's gonna be a long walk back home...'

To be continued...