Birdonna began to juggle the clubs, slinging them high into the air. Daisy watched the spinning projectiles warily, holding her bo staff before her. The Birdos started up their cheering again: "BIRDO-NNA! BIRDO-NNA! BIRDO-NNA! BIRDO-NNA!!" 

"Steady, Daisy," Toadobuki called from the sidelines. Daisy realized that her legs were stiffening up as she warily watched the juggling clubs. She shook them out a little a she continued to circle around Birdonna. 

"What is this, a circus?" Daisy demanded. 

Then, a club was flying towards her face. Daisy lifted up the bo staff, deflecting the attack, and spun it to block another flying projectile. She grinned triumphantly as the two clubs fell to the ground. 

"Keep that up, and you're going to be unarmed," she taunted the Birdo. 

"I only need two to send you to your knees!" Birdonna said. With her two remaining clubs, she launched into a rapid-fire jabbing attack, thrusting the clubs at Daisy so fast that she could barely track them. She stumbled backwards, fumbling to keep up her defense. She blocked one or two, but Birdonna's clubs then slammed into her belly, driving the air out of her lungs. The crowd cheered as Daisy went down, gasping for breath. 

Birdonna picked up Daisy's staff, twirled it, and then held it down to Daisy's throat. "Do you surrender?" she asked.  

"N-no," Daisy hissed, struggling to breathe. The Birdos booed. 

"Give up, measly apprentice! You're no match for our champion!" 

"Yeah, why don't you go home and train some more? You seriously need it!" 

"Training? She should give up martial arts altogether!" 

Daisy's anger escaped its box and washed through her chest, making her teeth clench and her fingers dig into the surrounding dirt. She was really tired of these Birdos underestimating her, regarding her as something pathetic. She was anything but. She could defeat Birdonna, and she was going to show them that she could. 

Daisy kicked out a foot, hoping to trip Birdonna, but the Birdo back-flipped away, taking Daisy's bo staff with her. 

"You're ambitious, I have to admit," Birdonna called to her as Daisy struggled to her feet and shifted back into a battle stance. "Perhaps, after I defeat you, you could become my apprentice, and learn the fantastic arts of my noble village." 

"You're right, Birdonna," Daisy panted. 

Birdonna froze, flummoxed by Daisy's words. "Ex...Excuse me?" she stammered incredulously. 

"I said, you're right, Birdonna," Daisy repeated. "Your gymnastics martial arts are better than traditional martial arts. I realize that now." 

Birdonna glanced back at her supporters, who were giving Daisy funny looks. "She admits it!" the blue Birdo exclaimed. 

"Yes," Daisy said, reaching into her gi. "And I also realize that to beat you...I'll have to fight fire with fire." 

She pulled her gymnastics ribbon out of her martial arts uniform, unraveling it so that it fluttered in the faint breeze. Birdonna cackled. 

"You expect to defeat me with that frayed old thing?" she said as her friends laughed behind her.  

"Yeah," Daisy said, twirling the ribbon into a tornado. "Like this!" 

She snapped the ribbon towards Birdonna, and it lashed around her bo staff. With a yank, she pulled the rod out of Birdonna's hands, back to her side of the ring. Birdonna's clubs came next, one after the other. She thrust the weapons down into the dirt a couple of yards away, effectively out of reach of either of them. 

The crowd cheered at the blue Birdo's empty hands. She scowled at Daisy.  

"Another small victory," she hissed. "But two can play at that game, apprentice." She pulled her own ribbon out of her leotard and snapped it taut between two hands. "Now let's just see who's the better gymnast." 

"Be warned," Daisy said as she twirled her ribbon again. "I was trained at the Chai Kingdom gymnastics academy." 

They launched their ribbons at each other at the same time. The bands snapped against each other like swords. Daisy yanked hers back and then send it back again. Her and Birdonna's ribbons wrapped around each other like hissing snakes, twisting up in bands of orange and pink, biting at each other. The crowd oohed and aahed at the dancing ribbons in the sky. 

Then, Birdonna's ribbon twisted around Daisy's, tying a tight knot right on a frayed section of Daisy's old ribbon. The Birdo yanked it back and, with hardly any effort, snapped Daisy's ribbon in half.  

"Haha!" Birdonna yelled. "What now, foolish apprentice?" She gave Daisy no time to react, and began lashing her ribbon at Daisy, scoring rifts into the dirt. Daisy tossed down her ripped ribbon and bent this way and that, dodging the Birdonna's powerful whips. Even though she was anxious to attack, she held back, patiently evading, waiting for an opening. Speed, not impulse. 

Birdonna's band circled her feet, pulling them out from under her. "Yes!" Birdonna cried. "I'm going to win!" 

"Wishful thinking, shortie!" Daisy cried. She grabbed the ribbon and yanked it hard, pulling the handle out of Birdonna's hands for the second time since she'd met her. She got to her feet, cracking the ribbon like a whip around her.  

Birdonna stood helplessly on the other side of the marketplace, unarmed. "Clubs!" she called over her shoulder to her friends. "I need more clubs!" 

"Oh no you don't." Daisy sent the whip out to Birdonna, sending it spooling rapidly around the Birdo until she was wrapped head to toe in pink bands. Then, she gripped the ribbon handle and pulled with all her might. 

Birdonna twisted wildly, spinning like a top into her crowd of friends. She knocked them all over, sending them squealing and tumbling into the dirt. Birdonna collapsed in the middle of them, flat on her back.  

After a moment, the surrounding crowd wandered over to see if she was all right. The Birdos recovered and surrounded their friend, trying to help her sit up. Birdonna's head lolled back-her eyes were spinning. 

"She's passed out!" one of the Birdos said, appalled. 

The crowd erupted into cheers before flooding the arena towards Daisy. Before she knew it, she was being lifted up on the shoulders of Koopas and toads, all of them calling her name.  

She roared with them, fist-pumping in triumph. She'd done it - she'd defeated Birdonna!

_______________________

A/N: The last chapter along with closing notes wll be posted later today. ;)