Jimmy looked at her, and looked her over completely, trying to size her up. He had to do this match by himself, without the help of his friends. Esmeralda smiled coyly and said. "Whenever you're ready..."

Jimmy took out all his attack and magic badges and took up a fighting stance and so did Esmeralda. They both lunged at one another and Jimmy took a hit. He turned to his opponent and summoned a gusty blast of wind that knocked Esmeralda savagely into the wall of the battle arena. Esmeralda removed herself and just smiled. Jimmy summoned a blast of flames which Esmeralda used her wings to block completely. Esmeralda was still smiling fearlessly and she brought his arm back, her hand starting to glow a yellowish light. She gained a peridot colored force ball of energy and launched it at Jimmy. Jimmy wasn't fast enough to escape it so he got caught. Jimmy tumbled backward in a very serious way.

"No!!" Goombario shouted and attempted to jump into the ring. Kooper grabbed him. "What are you doing?!"

"Jimmy has to do this on his own..." Kooper said to him and Goombario turned away.

Jimmy got up and summoned a bolt of lightning which Esmeralda deflected. She frowned and said to Jimmy who kept flinging the bolts at her. "You need to be much faster than that to do any damage." She then summoned another forceball which Jimmy blocked but the blow was powerful enough to knock him back some on his rear. "I'm beginning to doubt the battle."

Jimmy got up a little more shakily and combined the Agility and Lightning Badge. He then summoned a barrage of electric beams that shot everywhere and bounced around the room. Esmeralda blocked the bolts coming her way with his wings of white but a couple caught her from behind and she got electrocuted, the currents jumping around her beautiful figure. "Agh! Good hit!"

Jimmy combined the Fire Orb Badge and the Power Jump badge and used them. "Fire Jump!!" Jimmy jumped up and he saw his feet surging with pyro power. He came down on Esmeralda but she put her wings in front of him and blocked the blow. She opened his wings back up to fling Jimmy off of her and onto the cold stone floor. "OW!!"

"It is no use. You aren't prepared to fight me. This battle is over." Esmeralda coldly said as she dashed past Jimmy and with a horizontal slash, her arm tore into the boy. She then took her arm and uppercuts Jimmy and he landed on his knees. Esmeralda struck plucked her wing of a feather. She swung it and with a magic wave, the feather turned into a ring of energy that flew up and tightened it's grip on Jimmy. Jimmy coughed and groaned on the floor, captured.

"You need to get stronger, faster and smarter in order to become a Drakonian. You got a couple of hits but that's not good enough. There's no point in going on in this battle." Esmeralda said frankly.

"I-I lost...?" Jimmy moaned. "Why...?"

"You don't have the ability to become a Drakonian yet...I'm sorry but you failed the test." Esmeralda said and then she turned away and blushed a bit. "I even went easy on you because I liked you. There's another test that you could do in order to get stronger..."

"What is it...?" Jimmy asked weakly.

"You should get the snow orb from the Frozen Fortress in the Shiver Region." Esmeralda replied. "You'll have to travel there and fight some monsters and that's sure to bring up your skills. Also...I want you to have this..." Esmeralda said as she snapped her fingers and in a blast of light, a set of White and Gold ceremonial robes. Jimmy's eyes shimmered as he took the robes and inspected them. Esmeralda continued and said. "These are Drakonian Robes. I want you to have them. I'll also restore your energy." She clapped and Jimmy began to float and he saw several sparkles dazzle around him. They flowed into him and he felt warm and energized. The glowing Drakonian flew backwards. "I hope we meet again..." With a bright flash of light, she vanished.

Goombario, Parakarry, Kooper and Bombette all ran over to him. "Are you okay?"

Jimmy turned to them all and smiled warmly. "I'm okay...We're going to have to become stronger if we're going to beat Bowser and Kammy Koopa. I think I'm going to have to become a true Drakonian in order to do that. We're going to have to go to the Shiver District in order to get a special relic."

"Wherever you go...we will follow you." Parakarry replied earnestly. "We're your friends and we'll help you any way we can."

"Right! We have to help Mario, Peach and Luigi and everyone in the mushroom kingdom." Kooper said. "You're our leader so lead us and we'll follow."

"Thank you everyone. I'm counting on all of you." Jimmy nodded and put on the robes over his outfit. "Let's go!" They turned and saw the center of the arena was glowing with a light blue light. Jimmy approached it and closed his eyes. "It's a warp point. Let's go through it to go back outside." Jimmy jumped into it and they all followed, vanishing and reappearing in the outside.

They began their walk in the Forest and they saw the Crazee Dazees mourning the death of their kindred. They were all taking their growing magic and they made a blossoming wreath over a monument for her. Along with the Dazees, there was a sparkling Amazee Dazee that noticed them and wandered over. "I heard from the Dazees and the creatures from the forest about your valiant deed in slaying Critt Ur. He was lording over the forest folk. Thank you very much...my name is Petunia and I'm the elder of the Dazees."

"It was the least of what I could do for your people." Jimmy replied.

"You're very brave and very handsome...wearing the garments of the Drakonites. I want you to take this badge...please accept it." Petunia said softly.

"Wow! It's the Green Dream badge!" Goombario said. "It's power is to let you utilize the power of nature!"

"Take good care of it." Petunia said softly. "May your Journey be safe and successful."

"Thank you." Jimmy bowed to the elder and they continued on their journey. They walked out of the luscious forest and took a look back. "You know...the fairies would like it here too!"

"They would! It's a beautiful forest!" Goombario commented. "Um Jimmy...?"

"Yes?" Jimmy asked as they walked on the road back to the beach where the whale was waiting for them.

"I'm sorry I couldn't have helped you out during that battle back there." Goombario turned away.

"Please don't worry about it." Jimmy replied. "There wasn't anything anyone could have done. It's my fault for losing...don't worry, I don't even feel bad!"

Jimmy and everyone else climbed onto the Whale. The Whale commenting as they jumped onto him. "Hey, Kid! Spiffy Clothes!"

"Thank you!" Jimmy replied. "I received them from a Drakonian girl named Esmeralda."

"You guys all safely on? I need to head back to Toad Town." The whale said and they shoved off. The ride home to the Toad Town was dull but peaceful. They got another look at the low clouds and the sunset. By the time they got to Toad town, it was dark. "Have a safe journey!" He called to them as they walked away from the dock.

They walked to the Toad house and they opened the door. The Toad greeted them and he left the house and the key to it. Everyone who was in badge form jumped out of it and they all went downstairs. Jimmy sniffed himself. "OH heavens! I need a shower!" Jimmy ran down the stairs and said to everyone. "I'm taking a shower!"

"It's about freakin' time!" Lakilester commented.

"You go first...you need it badly..." Bombette griped.

Bow floated upstairs and took his clothes and threw them into the laundry along with a sheet and a pillow. "That makes a full load... I read somewhere that the washing machine needs to be full or else it'll go nuts."

"You READ somewhere...?" Kooper asked, looking at her strangely.

"Well...what do you do now...?" Bow asked to herself and then she clapped her hands and looked inside and frowned when she saw the clothes were still dirty. "Rats! But doesn't it work like that."

"You put the soap in." Kooper responded.

"How much?"

"1/2 of the cup you're using."

"But his clothes really stink...how about I put in the whole box?"

"NO!"

"Why not?"

"It'll cause the machine to go nuts and get all soapy."

"But isn't that what we want?"

"Yes but not THAT much! You'd better let me do it!" Kooper ran up to her.

"I think I'll put my bows in as well!" Bow commented and started removing them.

"NO! If you put them in, it'll turn all the other clothes pink!" Kooper replied tiredly. "I don't think that Jimmy would appreciate his clothes and Drakonian robes going all pink."

"But pink is a cute color!" Bow replied. "I think he'll like it."

"NO!!" Kooper yelled. "He'll hate it!" He started loading in the soap and commented "If only we had fabric softener..."

"Hey! Jimmy! Do you like the color pink?" Bow asked loudly.

From inside the bathroom he replied. "Yes but I hate pink clothes!"

"Rats...What's that?" Bow asked and Kooper just sighed. He turned on the washer and suddenly he heard something.

"Hey! What happened to the pressure? I can't satisfy my urge to herbal without a steady stream!"

Kooper groaned and called. "Sorry! I have the washer going. Take a bath instead!"

"But I hate baths!" Jimmy sulked while in the shower. "Ugh! I guess I'm stuck." He pushed the shower knob in and the flow changed to bath. He plopped down in the tub, irritated and he growled. "...I hate having roommates..." He gasped and turned the taps off. "Now the hot water's gone!!"

"Then you'll have to wait!" Kooper called. "I'm doing laundry."

"EXCELLENT timing!" Jimmy called back angrily. He sat there, covering himself up, sitting in inch deep in cold water and scowling. "Wait! I don't have anything to wear!! Even if I wanted to kick your butt, I wouldn't be able too!"

"You'll have to wait!" Kooper sighed and in a half an hour, Jimmy could shower and he did. He took a large towel and wrapped it around himself. "And you did ALL my laundry even my underpants?"

"Yeah, it's all in the dryer." Kooper replied. "...Of course I'd do your underpants! They're the grossest of all!"

"Don't tell me you actually touched them... supergross..." Jimmy groaned. "Oh well..."

Jimmy put on his feather and stomped into the Living area and slumped in the couch right next to Lakilester and Parakarry and they watched television. Lakilester turned to him and was about to say something. "You know..."

"I'm in a bad mood..." Jimmy grumbled and smiled at him even though his irritance shined through. "Please don't say anything."

Lakilester backed away from him and after about 40 more minutes, his clothes were ready to come out. He marched over and took them from the dryer and he gained a look of sadness. Kooper and Bow watched it and Jimmy turned to them. "I...I'm sorry I yelled at you two...Thank you for doing my laundry."

"You don't have to apologize!" Kooper replied. "We forgot all about you!"

"I'm going to go to bed." Jimmy yawned. "I'm tired." He ran upstairs and changed into his pajamas and ran back down. "There's nothing on the bed!"

"We did the sheets and stuff to complete the load." Kooper nodded. "Here!" He picked them out of the dryer and gave them to him. "Good night, Jimmy."

"Good night everyone!" Jimmy called again. "I'm sorry I yelled at you guys! Please forgive me!"

"Talk about repressed!" Lakilester commented. "I didn't mind his bitching... everyone's entitled to it once and a while."

"He's so kind..." Goombario mumbled.

"What?" Lakilester asked.

"He's really nice don't you think? He's nothing like that Esmeralda girl..." Goombario said. "I wonder if all Drakonians are like her...or all Drakonians are like Jimmy?"

"Dunno, I've only met Jimmy." Lakilester said. "Who's this girl you talk about?"

"Her name is Esmerelda...she's a Drakonian who beat Jimmy in combat." Goombario replied.

"He was beaten by a girl?" Lakilester laughed. "Ha! We beat all the monsters we come up against and he gets whomped by some girl?"

"The girl was strong...and she was pretty too, but she had no respect for personal boundaries." Goombario said. "She was just like how Merluun said."

"Sounds like my kind of girl!" Lakilester said.

"Shuddap, Lakilester!" Bow said. "You have a girl back in flower fields."

"Whom is the reason I'm here...!" Lakilester said. "And don't call me Lakilester! My name is SPIKE!"

"You're name is Lakilester." Bow replied.

"SPIKE!" Lakilester replied.

"How about a compromise? Lakispike...or...Spikeilster!" Bow asked.

"Why do you want to be called Spike anyway?" Goombario asked. "You don't look spiky..."

"How do you want a spiny in your mouth?" Lakilester threatened.

"I'm going to bed!" Goombario and Bow said. "See you in the morning, Parakarry and Spikilester!"

Everyone but Lakilester and Parakarry went to bed. They were sitting on the couch and staring at the TV. Lakilester and Parakarry were drinking a little something Lakilester smuggled in. Lakilester looked over to him. "What's on your mind, kid?"

"You're only three years older than me!" Parakarry protested. "You can't call me that!"

"Well, the fact of the matter is...I'm old enough to drink these legally but you aren't. You're lucky I was in a charitable mood." Lakilester replied frankly. "Well...what's...on....your...mind? Penny for your thoughts!"

"Not interested." Parakarry said and took a drink. "Ugh! Where did you get this stuff?"

"I'm beginning to think you're hiding something from me." Lakilester said.

"Mph..." Parakarry growled in response.

"Well...what are you thinking about?" Lakilester asked intently. "Well...what's on your mind?"

"What am I going to do after the journey is over?" Parakarry turned away. "I-I hate being a mail carrier..."

Lakilester spit out what he had in his mouth and coughed. "Whoa! Don't spring that on me! It's not funny. You really ARE a disgruntiled postal worker."

"I'm not joking." Parakarry mumbled. "I think I'll give up being a mail carrier. I'm not good at it."

"But it's your responsibility!" Lakilester said. "You can't give up on your responsibilities! Look, I shouldn't talk but..."

"You wanted to escape your commitment!" Parakarry smiled. "I'm going to quit my job!"

"What else are you good at?" Lakilester wondered and then got up. "Whoa, I'm gonna go sleep, G'night." He settled down on the couch and closed his eyes."

"I'm gonna become a body guard!" Parakarry said. "Well...now that I've got that out, I feel a little better. Now I'm going to compete with Goombario for protecting Jimmy's even more!"

"Shut up." Lakilester groaned. "Trying to sleep here..."

They slept well that night and Bow were the first to awaken. Bow flew into Jimmy's room and yelled. "Rise and SHIIINE!!!"

"Whahh!!" Jimmy almost hit the ceiling. "Don't DO that!" He then smiled warmly. "Hi Bow..."

"Hi Jimmy..." Bow smiled. "Guess what?"

"What?"

"Goombario's Birthday is today!" Bow winked.

"What?! Why didn't he tell me?" Jimmy cried out. "Whoa! I have to get him a present!"

"Well I hear he's awfully fond of Shroom Cake." Bow winked. "How about we go make some with Tayst E's help? Let's go there right now."

"Okay..." Jimmy leapt out of bed and changed from his Pajamas into his normal outfit. "Let's go to Tayst E's."
 

That's the End of Chapter 12. What did you think about it? Did you think it was funny?