(Well, last episode sure was something. Had a lot of new stuff introduced, and now it's time to get back to the game. If you guys aren't getting my hints on the next board, that's fine. Let me know if I need to make them easier for you.
Also, fans of Azama need not despair! If any of you know who Zingbot is, you're going to love what I have planned for that monk.
But enough about that, let's get to the party!)
Episode 3: Moment of Zen
Previously, on Fates Party…
The eighteen contestants got settled into their new digs for the duration of Fates Party. Nothing really interesting happened there, other than Elise complaining she won't be getting much sleep.
The next day, the group followed Flash to their Hell for the day, Goomba's Greedy Gala. The challenge was to collect Stars hidden behind games of chance. Oh yeah, and Team Garu had a 1 Star and 10-minute head start on the other two teams.
Some very interesting things happened - Niles stole Elise's coin purse to try and strike it out on his own, Effie tried to break open a slot machine, and apparently Goombas get nosebleeds.
The Hint Giver made her first appearance in this episode, with Elise finding the phone used to get in contact with her.
Peri, Subaki, and Rinkah fought the Goomba Manager at the end, with Subaki cinching the win to secure Team Garu immunity. Team Agi won 2 out of the 3 Bonus Stars, forcing Team Bufu to vote off one of their own.
Before the vote, Camilla and Elise made a pact to share whatever advice that the Hint Giver would give either one of them, and Takumi lobbied with Rinkah to secure his safety.
At the vote, in a 4-1-1 decision, Azama was the first person kicked out of Fates Party. 17 are still in the running. Who will be eliminated this time? Find out...now!
Team Garu: Effie, Beruka, Hinoka, Kagero, Sakura, Subaki
Team Bufu: Camilla, Leo, Rinkah, Takumi, Keaton
Team Agi: Xander, Peri, Elise, Ryoma, Oboro, Niles
The five surviving members of Team Bufu returned to their rooms, Takumi catching up with Rinkah.
"Thank you for letting me do that, Rinkah," Takumi thanked.
"Ah, think nothing of it. I wasn't in any danger tonight," Rinkah responded.
"Yeah, I let Takumi vote for me tonight. Since I knew Azama was going to go home anyway, and since he didn't want to make Hinoka mad at him, I let him do what he did so he could stay out of any crosshairs. Not sure how well Keaton will take this though." -Rinkah
Takumi went back to his room, smiling as he did so.
"Thanks to Rinkah, I'm in a very good position right now. I could either align with the Nohrian royals for the time being, or align myself with Rinkah and Keaton to get the royals out. But it seems too good to be true…" -Takumi
In Team Garu's rooms, Beruka was quietly observing her Hoshidan teammates.
"As I've stated before, I'm in the minority 4-2. I'd hate to do it, but if I have to throw Effie under the carriage to survive, so be it. I can only hope Lady Camilla wouldn't hold it against me, eliminating her sister's retainer." -Beruka
Sakura and Hinoka were speaking with one another.
"Um...what do you think tomorrow's challenge will be?" Sakura asked.
"Probably something we'll excel at," Hinoka wagered. "Think about it. We did good in today's challenge, so we'll just soar through tomorrow like it's nothing!"
"Yeah...I-I hope you're right…" Sakura meekly agreed.
"It-It wouldn't be very fun to be voted out...but I should be fine, right? I mean...I should be s-safe around Hinoka and Subaki…" -Sakura
In Team Agi's rooms, Elise ran over to Xander. "Big brotherrrrrr!" She called.
"What is it, Elise?" Xander turned around to face her.
"If we lose tomorrow, I wanna get rid of Niles," Elise had a frown, and a face that showed she was upset. "He stole my coin purse today and gave it all to those Goombas!"
Xander folded his arms. "Typical...we'll see what happens, sister. I'm mainly worried about how well Leo will take it."
"Who cares?" Elise mimicked her brother, pouting. "Teammates shouldn't do that to one another…"
"Leo doesn't need Niles to do good in this game. He's got Camilla on his team, and he's really smart to boot! Xander really needs to use his head sometimes. I know he saw right through Charlotte's act, but come on! You're better than this!" -Elise
The next morning, everyone met up out front to see Flash once again at the Dragon's Gate. Team Bufu was the last out.
"Team Garu, Team Agi, take your first look at the new Team Bufu. Azama voted out last Elimination Ceremony," Flash said. Hinoka shook her head.
"I thought that would've happened…" She sighed.
"Anyway, that's enough lamenting on the past. It's time to move onto today's challenge! Follow me!" Flash ran through the Dragon's Gate as the seventeen players followed him, curious what was on the other side this time.
When they got to the other side, they found themselves at the foot of an ancient Chinese mountain mixed with Japanese buildings. An elderly Toad with a tan and brown cap, small round glasses, a purple vest and dress shirt with yellow trim and buttons (respectively) stood next to Flash, holding a walking cane with a mushroom top similar to the cap he had.
It was also worth noting that practically everyone was taller than him, where everyone (except Flash) had to look down to see him.
"Welcome to Pagoda Peak! This mountain is 4,000 years old! You can just smell the history." The Toad greeted. "I'm Toadsworth, and Flash invited me today to help out."
"Today we're at this old mountain, and it looks like something you'd find in Hoshido. I think my siblings will do just fine here today, given the sense of nostalgia the four of us are feeling." -Ryoma
"Toadsworth, if you could explain today's challenge to these wonderful people, that'd be nice," Flash requested.
"Righto! As you climb the mountain to the top, collect as many coins as you can through the various activities here at Pagoda Peak. Do not dally however, as it is a race as well! The first team to get to the top will win fifteen extra coins, second will win ten, and the last team will only win five." Toadsworth continued. "Whoever has the most coins at the end will claim victory."
"And don't forget, second and third place will be decided by Bonus Stars, so really you only need two out of three to get immunity," Flash reminded. "I think that's everything."
"That's correct, old chap," Toadsworth confirmed. "As for the rest of you, it's time to party!" Flash had to pull Toadsworth out of the way to prevent him from getting bowled over by the seventeen players all in a tizzy to win. "...Oh, curses! I should have told them that scoundrel Bowser is certainly out there somewhere."
"They'll find out eventually," Flash added. "All in due time, Toadsworth. All in due time…"
Team Bufu was currently in the town, looking around for ways they could make money, but they were coming up empty handed.
"Find anything, Rinkah?" Keaton called.
"No, but keep searching!" Rinkah called back.
Camilla soon approached a gong that stood out like a sore thumb. An elderly Koopa on a cloud flew down to her.
"Who are you?" Camilla asked.
"I am the Koopa Master," He greeted. "Do you wish to ring the Gong of Fate?"
"Hmm...I suppose it wouldn't hurt," Camilla agreed. The numbers at the top of the gong (that started at 10) began spinning, which the blueblood didn't know what it meant. She rang the gong with a big kick, the number stopping at 20.
"I see your fate...you have a hard fight ahead of you, Lady Camilla. But through it all you will have your head held high," Koopa Master said, giving her 20 coins. He then floated up back to the top of the mountain.
"This Koopa Master fellow said that I'd have a hard fight ahead of me. I don't know what that means, but whatever it is...I'll be ready for it. It's like I once told Keaton, bandits run afoul of me. Not the other way around." -Camilla
Elsewhere, Team Agi was staring at two bottle rockets casually standing about on a platform near the start. Toadsworth was nearby.
"Oh ho!" He exclaimed. "Perhaps you want to ride on one of my special bottle rockets. If you get lucky, you'll fly to the top of the mountain! But if the launch goes bad, you might end up even lower than before!"
"We'd love to!" Oboro responded.
"I see. Unfortunately, only one of you will be able to fit on them," Toadsworth mentioned. "Who wants to do it?"
"Allow me." Xander stepped forward.
"Righto, choose your favorite bottle rocket," Toadsworth said. Xander gestured to the left one. "One moment...let me get ready."
"This might backfire, and I'd rather not let Peri or my little sister be in any danger by this. Hopefully the others can catch up to me, for I would want nothing more than to blaze the trail to glory!" -Xander
Soon, Xander was strapped into the bottle rocket, and by strapped in we mean tied to the bottle rocket.
"Right then. Cheerio!" Toadsworth lit the fuse and sent Xander off. The rocket did several twists and turns in midair before crash landing a few feet from where the whole group started. All of them winced, and Elise instantly raced over in concern.
"Big brother!" She shouted.
"Lord Xander!" Peri cried out with the same amount of worry.
Meanwhile with Team Garu, they were all crossing the bamboo stalks to continue their trek up the mountain. Kagero crossed over first, as everyone slowly but surely followed.
"Some of these activities seems like things that ninjas would excel at. I feel that whatever awaits us at the top won't be pleasant, so I have to conserve my energy." -Kagero
Effie was the last one to get across, what with her heavy armor.
"I swear, if we were allowed to have our mounts this would be so much easier…" Hinoka complained.
What they didn't know was that Toadsworth was nearby at the other side.
"Hello, old beans!" He exclaimed, giving all six of them a shock. "Are any of you interested in a Duel Minigame? Battle another team for a chance to spin for coins!"
"Who wants to do it?" Kagero asked.
"I'll handle it!" Hinoka openly volunteered.
"Without Azama, I'm not going to get this advantage Flash mentioned going into the merge. Since there'd be no love lost if I was eliminated, I've got to prove myself." -Hinoka
"Splendid! Now, which team do you want to do battle with, Lady Hinoka?" Toadsworth asked. Hinoka didn't even have to think about it.
"Team Bufu," She quickly answered.
"Right then, if you'll just excuse me for a second," Toadsworth then did...something, and a familiar yell was heard from the sky. It was Takumi! He landed with a thud, but somehow was fine.
"...Can I retract my volunteer?" Hinoka then asked.
"Well, this is just great. I was hoping to beat Camilla, but instead I have to duel my own brother. This is not going to be fun." -Hinoka
"Afraid not." Toadsworth shook his head. "Confounded machine can't let me choose who has to duel."
Gimme a Sign
Players: Hinoka, Takumi
Description: When Shy Guy holds up a card, that board with that design will sink. Don't be on it when it sinks!
Hint: Sometimes Shy Guy raises 2 signs at once! Keep your eyes open!
Hinoka and Takumi were on four floating rafts in a river, each with a symbol - a red leaf, a blue water droplet, a green flower, and a yellow stump on Takumi's side of the river, and the inverse order on Hinoka's side of the river. In the center was a dock where a Shy Guy stood.
START!
The Shy Guy held up a sign that had the green flower symbol on it, and Hinoka happened to be standing on it. She quickly darted off it as it sunk, and Takumi went to the top most raft and hoped that it wouldn't be picked. The blue drop was next, and Hinoka went back to the wet green flower raft to avoid being out. The yellow trunk went down next, but neither royal was standing on it.
The challenge began to ramp up as the Shy Guy started putting up two signs. The red and blue rafts were next, forcing Takumi to make a run for it in order to stay alive. He managed to get to safety just in the nick of time, only for green and yellow to be next. Takumi groaned as he went back to the red raft, and Hinoka followed. The rafts were now wet and slippery. Red was the next raft to go under again, the royals having to move once more.
Green and yellow were the last two rafts, because as they both moved to safety, they both slipped. But one of them was able to regain their balance while the other fell in.
And that person was…
.
.
.
.
...Takumi.
FINISH!
"I won? I won!" Hinoka exclaimed.
"Splendid work, Lady Hinoka!" Toadsworth congratulated. "Now, spin the Slot of Stupendedness for your prize!" A yellow ! Block appeared above her as well as a disk that showed various coin prizes. Hinoka jumped up and hit it, the spinner stopping on 10 coins, taking those from Team Bufu's total and adding it to Team Garu's.
"So I won against my brother in a minigame, and now I went and got some coins for the team. Not the battle I wanted to fight, but I'm pleased with the results." -Hinoka
And so Toadsworth did...something with the thing again to send Takumi back to his teammates. Hinoka groaned as she rubbed her ankle.
"Those rafts were really slippery..." She said.
Flying around the mountain in his Koopa Clown Car, a very familiar Koopa King, AKA Bowser, was flying around the area with a blue robed Magikoopa flying alongside him. And said Koopa King was not very happy.
He had just gotten word that apparently, there was a large group of people at one of the locations that Mario and friends went to on the cruise he was never invited to.
However, some of these people that were reported were...not who he was expecting. Royalty from kingdoms he's never heard of? A guy who can transform into some sort of wolf creature? Some crazy eyed woman with cotton candy colored hair? Everything seemed so outlandish, especially that last part, that he needed to see this for himself.
"Your Rashness, what's the plan?" The Magikoopa asked.
"It's simple, Kamek! Someone decided to have a party without my say-so, so I'm gonna fix that!" Bowser laughed. He and Kamek flew to the top of the mountain, the former getting out of the Clown Car. Koopa Master walked out of his dojo, a large amount of smoke following him.
"Who dares intrude on these lands?" He asked.
"Only the King of Awesome, that's who!" Bowser retorted. "And he's a bit unhappy that there was a party going on that no one bothered to invite him to. It's not a Mario Party without Bowser!"
"I will only ask you once, Bowser," Koopa Master warned. "Leave this place at once, or you will regret it."
Bowser laughed. "Get real, gramps! After I came all this way, you're telling me to turn back with my tail between my legs? Forget that!"
"You tell him, Your Boldness!" Kamek encouraged.
"And just to show you how much I'm not leaving…" Bowser then jumped off the top, driving his whole weight elbow first into the topmost bridge, breaking it entirely and making a loud sound like a clap of thunder that resonated through the whole mountain. He then landed in his Koopa Clown Car - which conveniently flew under him - and went back to the top.
"...You've forced my hand," Master Koopa said, a little annoyed. "Come, guardian of Pagoda Peak!"
Team Garu was closest to the bridge that was destroyed, as Sakura jumped.
"Eek! W-What was that!?" She shrieked. The younger princess clung to Subaki as this happened.
"Maybe something fell?" Subaki was just as confused.
"I'll go see what that was," Kagero stated. "If there's any danger, you'll be the first ones to know about it."
"Allow me to go with you," Beruka requested. Kagero nodded as the two women went on ahead. They soon returned.
"The bridge ahead has been destroyed," Kagero grimly informed.
"What!?" The other four yelled in shock, pushing past them to see it for themselves. Kagero and Beruka followed close behind. It was noted that Hinoka was slightly limping the whole way.
Team Bufu looked around in confusion as to what caused that noise.
"What in the world?" Rinkah didn't know what caused that.
"It's not ideal for rain…" Leo looked up, no storm clouds present in the sky. "Something must've caused that."
"It sounded like it came from higher up the mountain," Camilla deduced. "Let's not waste any more time." The group nodded and rushed towards the source of the noise.
As Elise checked Xander over for any injuries, Team Agi too felt the effects of what Bowser did.
"Huh? Was that some sort of tremor?" Niles wondered.
"It sure didn't sound natural," Oboro said.
Ryoma didn't like this one bit. "Stay behind me and Xander, everyone," He ordered. "We know nothing of what caused that disturbance." Everyone did as they were told. "Are you hurt, Xander?"
Xander shook his head no to confirm he was fine.
"The royal families have taken to referring to each other in more casual terms. It was Elise's idea; she claims it'll help us be closer as friends. It'll take some time for me to get used to." -Ryoma
Once everyone got to the bridge, to their horror it was totally destroyed. Jumping across was out of the question.
"How did this happen?" Hinoka wondered.
"Whoever did it clearly doesn't want us to be here!" Takumi chimed.
"Mwahahaha! You've got that right, Pineapple Head!" A voice bellowed. It was Bowser!
"Who are you?" Ryoma demanded.
"Only the baddest Koopa around. I'm Bowser, King of the Koopas!" Bowser introduced.
"I see," Leo spoke up. "It was you who destroyed the bridge, wasn't it?"
"Guilty as charged!" Bowser wasn't sorry. "I just heard that someone was throwing a party without me, and didn't even bother inviting me!"
"The contest was supposed to be between Hoshido and Nohr," Camilla interrupted Bowser before he could add anything else. "Nowhere in Flash's offer did he mention a Koopa King."
"Don't butt in, tramp!" Bowser roared.
"Who are you calling a tramp, you scaly churl?" Camilla glared. Despite not having weapons, she wasn't afraid of fighting the Koopa King right here and now.
"You looking for a fight, lady?" Bowser chuckled.
"Oh please. I wear heels bigger than your ego," Camilla scoffed. "If you fight as well as you bluster, I'll have a nice and stimulating battle."
All of the sudden, another roar resonated through the area, but it wasn't from Bowser.
"I'd say you'd have bigger problems than a stupid bridge and me," Bowser said. "Because that giant dragon up at the top of the mountain is looking to get rid of some trespassers."
"You're obviously talking about yourself," Niles deadpanned. "What do you want from us? Other than a captive audience to show off?"
"Nothing! Just thought I'd send a message to whoever organized this thing!" Bowser answered. Suddenly Flash raced onto the scene.
"Hey guys, what's- oh...hello there." Flash's mood dropped when he saw Bowser. "Just what I needed."
"So you're the one that put this altogether?" Bowser asked. "You're nothing more than a teenager."
"Who were you expecting, a lasagna loving plumber?" Flash rolled his eyes. "Look buddy, if you're looking for a fight you're barking up the wrong tree. Now if you're not going to clean up after yourself, get out."
"Fine. I'll be back!" Bowser promised. "Kamek! We're leaving!"
"Coming!" Kamek called, flying off after Bowser.
Toadsworth finally caught up, panting. "Huff...huff...these long treks are sure hard on an old timer such as myself." He saw the destroyed bridge. "I wish I could have warned you about this…"
"What was that guy's problem?" Peri wondered. "If I had my lance I would've already found out what color he bled."
"You see, every time there's a party of the Mario variety, Bowser always shows up. He just loves to ruin your day, though I didn't think he would crash our party this early." Flash explained.
"But how're we supposed to get across now?" Effie asked, her stomach growling. "Ugh…"
All the other players looked to Leo, who had a hand to his chin. "Hmm...none of us have our mounts, so this is going to be a bit complicated…"
"Do you have anything in mind, brother?" Xander inquired.
"I do have a few," Leo answered. "But we're going to have to get through this as one."
"Alright, let's hear it!" Keaton wagged his tail.
"It's nice to work together for a change instead of being at each other's throats. Never did I come into this thinking we'd all be wanting to bring the other side down, and I'm glad that's not the case." -Keaton
"Well, either we're going to have to make our own bridge across, or make some other way across." Leo looked above them. "We could try and lift someone up there to act as an anchor and transport others across by a rope."
"I'll do it," Rinkah offered.
"As for rope, we'll need to knot it and put something down there as a footrest," Oboro chimed. "You leave the rope to me!"
"Flash, can we ask you to get a big enough rope for us?" Leo requested. "And while you're at it, something that will get Effie back to her usual self?"
"Sure thing!" Flash agreed. "Toadsworth, make sure she doesn't start eating the mountain." Flash darted off before Toadsworth could even question it.
And so the group got to work. The royals - minus Sakura and Elise - and Keaton worked together to get Rinkah up to the portion of the mountain where she would hold the rope for the others to get across. Some of the retainers got to helping, and the younger princesses went to grab edible things for Effie to munch on until Flash returned with the things they needed. Even Toadsworth helped Sakura and Elise in that endeavor.
"Everyone was doing something...to help us get through this. I-I'm scared of what...that Bowser guy was talking about...but as long as I-I have my siblings...and my friends, I should be okay…" -Sakura
Eventually Flash returned with a long rope a fresh wooden plank with a hole in the center, just big enough for the rope to go through. He also had a plate of rice balls.
"One giant rope and wooden platform, as you ordered!" Flash exclaimed, handing the rope and platform over to Oboro. Rinkah was already in position at this time. "And for Effie, one plate of rice balls made extra special. Might not look like much but-"
Before he could finish, Effie grabbed the plate and started hounding the treat down.
"They'll...fill you right back up…" Flash finished, shaking his head and chuckling.
"How's that going to work?" Elise questioned the logic. "Effie normally eats a lot more than that."
"I know, and I didn't want to blow the whole budget in a single episode," Flash responded. "I simply told a little lie to the cook about a Yoshi who hadn't eaten anything in two days. I got him to add a special ingredient that'll make the amount of food I bought feel like a feast."
As Flash claimed, Effie was back to her usual self after eating what Flash brought her.
"Huh…" Elise blinked, but opted not to question it.
"Nothing's made sense ever since this contest began," Takumi commented. "Just be thankful."
As for Oboro, she had already gotten to work on knotting the rope. Takumi and Sakura assisted her since it was a long rope. Once that was done, they tossed the part Rinkah would hold up to her.
"I'm doing everyone a huge favor here. Carrying everyone across is going to be a really big chore, but I can be strong as an ox! These abs right here? *points to them* News flash: They're real." -Rinkah
Starting with the royal families, Rinkah began carrying everyone across one by one. After the royals, the retainers were next. Effie was up next, and Rinkah looked to the others. Thankfully, a few other people helped anchor the rope as they carried Effie across.
Keaton was the last of the players to be carried across, and finally Flash and Toadsworth were brought across as well. By the time they were done, Rinkah rubbed her sore arms.
"Whew...that was a workout…" She breathed a sigh of relief, wiping sweat off her brow.
"You did good, Rinkah," Ryoma complimented. "Your tribe would be proud of you."
"Of course they would." Rinkah smirked.
"And the scoreboard is now Leo one, Bowser zilch!" Flash exclaimed. Another roar from the top of the mountain was heard. "Now on that note, you guys might wanna hurry to the top. We'll see you there!" Flash and Toadsworth scurried along, and everyone went off after them.
Team Agi ran across a flaming lion rock, Toadsworth there.
"This was lit on fire when Bowser sent the guardian in a frenzy. There might be coins in there!" He said.
"If you're thinking of fanning out the flames, that'll get nothing accomplished," Niles pointed out.
"Worth a shot anyway!" Peri giggled. Toadsworth gave her a large fan as Peri got to fanning.
"Fanning out a fire was super easy! When I held onto the fan's handle I just pretending I was shaking the life out of someone. Anything to help Lord Xander win, hee hee!" -Peri
Once the flames were somehow put out, Peri went inside and found a treasure chest inside. Niles, sighing as he couldn't believe that worked, cracked the chest open to reveal ten coins inside.
"Alright, every little bit helps," Niles said. "Now let's move!" With that, the group proceeded on to the top.
At the top of the mountain, one by one the teams arrived. First was Team Bufu, followed by Team Garu and then Team Agi.
"So glad you could make it, everyone!" Flash exclaimed. "Team Bufu, you got here first so you get fifteen bonus coins, Team Garu got here second so they get ten bonus coins, and finally Team Agi, you only get five bonus coins."
"As for your scores, Team Bufu is leading with thirty coins, Team Garu has twenty coins, and Team Agi has fifteen coins." Toadsworth added.
"Leading? Don't you mean we won?" Keaton raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, uh…" Flash would have said more, but one last roar echoed throughout the area. A large, thirteen and a half foot puppet looking dragon flew above everyone. It was colored green and yellow primarily, and had pretty sharp looking teeth and claws despite not being a real dragon.
Sakura shrieked at the sight of it, and Elise backed up behind Xander.
"You guys know the drill!" Flash shouted.
"Stay back Elise...I'll deal with this!" Xander stepped forward for Team Agi.
"Don't count me out of it, dear brother," Camilla chimed, stepping forward for Team Bufu. "I wouldn't want any harm befalling our darling little sister just as much as you."
"Lord Ryoma, we may not be on the same teams, but I will fight for you," Kagero spoke, stepping forward for Team Garu.
"Best of luck, Kagero!" Ryoma encouraged.
"Don't get careless, sister," Leo cautioned Camilla.
"Rip 'em up, Lord Xander!" Peri cheered.
BOSS BATTLE
Kagero vs. Camilla vs. Xander vs. Puppet Dragon
Puppet Dragon's Dojo Duel
Players: Kagero, Camilla, Xander
Description: Players will hit Item Blocks as they pop up to launch Bullet Bills at Puppet Dragon. Hit as many blocks as you can to win!
Hint: Puppet Dragon will swoop down on the stage at half health, and breathe fire during the whole battle. Tread carefully to avoid becoming dragon chow!
The three players stood on a circular, floating platform. Puppet Dragon soon arrived, breathing fire to create a ring at the edge around the platform. Letting out a roar, it was ready to do battle. So were Kagero, Camilla, and Xander.
START!
Item Blocks started appearing as Puppet Dragon began spitting gouts of fire at the group. Kagero easily ninja'd away from danger, leaving Camilla and Xander to run out of the way instead.
Camilla was striking Item Blocks and sending Bullet Bills at their foe as she ran under them, much faster than Kagero and Xander surprisingly. She wanted to end this as quick as she could. Her thoughts were shared by the other two fighting with her.
Kagero and Xander weren't about to let Camilla have all the fun as they were hitting Item Blocks too in between attacks from Puppet Dragon.
Eventually, Puppet Dragon started steaming, the green components of its body turning red.
Score
Kagero: 5
Camilla: 7
Xander: 6
All of the sudden Puppet Dragon swooped down towards the platform, turning its head left and right as it tried to catch any of the three in its fire.
"Gah!" Xander yelped, jumping out of the way.
"Ngh…" Kagero winced, nearly getting burned.
"Die already!" Camilla shouted, hitting more Item Blocks. The other two quickly joined her in the endeavor.
Puppet Dragon, not wanting to give up yet, slashed its claws at the group, hitting them all. As Camilla and Xander got up, they spied two Item Blocks. Seeing Kagero slowly getting up, they both nodded to each other and made a run for them.
"Say night night!" Camilla exclaimed.
"Be gone, wretch!" Xander yelled.
It was worth note that they shouted these lines in perfect unison with one another, as their attacks finished the job. Puppet Dragon started exploding as parts of it began falling down towards the mountain. It let out one last roar before its head joined the rest of its destroyed body.
FINISH!
Final Score
Kagero: 7
Camilla: 9 (Plus 3 Final Strike)
Xander: 8 (Plus 3 Final Strike)
"Alright! That's over with." Flash said. "I was going to give out bonus coins, but it wouldn't have been enough. That and I spent them all getting the stuff needed to cross the broken bridge. Camilla, congratulations! You've won it for Team Bufu!"
Camilla took a bow as Koopa Master approached her with something in his hands.
"Lady Camilla, well done. As proof of your achievement, please take this Master Koopa T-shirt!" He said. "They are popular with young crickets." He handed her a white t-shirt with his face on it, prompting Camilla to check if it would fit.
It wouldn't.
"So after climbing up this big mountain, and fighting a giant puppet dragon, I won the challenge for my team and all I got was this stupid t-shirt. *holds it in front of her* It doesn't even fully cover my bosom." -Camilla
"So Team Bufu, head on back to the fort," Flash added, the five players doing just that. They were all happy that they won.
"Which leaves us Team Garu and Team Agi." Toadsworth turned to the two teams that were vulnerable. "What Bonus Stars are we using today, Flash old bean?"
"Today's Bonus Stars are…" Flash started...but paused. "Crap, I forgot." Everyone had an anime sweatdrop as the host began looking through a notebook with a maroon cover. "Lemme just check my notes...ah ha! They are the Shopping Star, Plus Star, and Red Star!"
The two teams were anxious as to who was safe thanks to these stars.
"The Shopping Star goes to...me, because I bought all the stuff we needed for Leo's plan to work," Flash announced. "And the Plus Star and Red Star goes to the same team, which is...Team Garu! Congratulations Hinoka, you saved your team from the chopping block!"
All of Team Garu cheered as they give Hinoka praise.
"Camilla might have won safety for her team, but guess what? So did I! Can't believe I had to sprain my ankle in order to do it, but that was an accident. We might've gotten lucky, but I don't care. I promise you I'll win 1st place for Team Garu next time!" -Hinoka
As Team Garu went back, Flash folded his arms but was still happy. "Team Agi, can't say the same for you guys. You've got till sundown to decide who is going to be the second person kicked out of the party. See ya then." With that, Team Agi headed on back to the fortress to prepare for the vote.
"And so we've lost today. I hope that I can live to fight another day, for if I go out this early, Xander's victory may seem hollow to him. As his equal, I cannot allow that to happen." -Ryoma
Back at the fortress, the six members of Team Agi split off to discuss the vote with one another and plot by themselves.
As Ryoma was speaking with Oboro about what to do tonight, Elise approached them.
"Hey guys," Elise said, waving. "You two want to be safe tonight?"
"What do you want?" Oboro raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
"Initially I was all for voting out Peri tonight because she gives me the creeps, Elise approaches us with an offer that might be the thing that saves me and Lord Ryoma from getting the axe. Odd." -Oboro
"Vote with me and together we can take out Niles," Elise explained. "Yesterday he stole my coin purse, and I want payback."
"So if we vote Niles, we'll be safe?" Ryoma asked for confirmation, and Elise nodded yes. "But I don't see how you'll persuade Xander. This is your brother Leo's retainer you want out."
"Leo's a smart guy. He doesn't need some silly advantage to get ahead." Elise folded his arms, then had a smile on her face. "So would you please vote with me? Pleaseeeeeee…?"
"We'll consider it," Oboro said, motioning for her to go away. As Elise left, Oboro turned to Ryoma. "Lord Ryoma, this has to be a trap."
"Why would you say that?" Ryoma was curious as to why Oboro was so paranoid.
"Think about it. It's obvious she's aligned with her brother. If she goes to Lord Xander, then the plan she just gave us would've been to give us false hope," Oboro explained. "I wouldn't put it above her."
"Oboro, this is Elise we're talking about here. She's just as sweet as Sakura." Ryoma defended.
"I don't understand why Oboro is so paranoid about Elise giving us an opportunity to stay in the game. We're outnumbered four to two, so I'll gladly take the ability to fight another day over the possibility of being eliminated." -Ryoma
"Think of it this way," Ryoma continued. "Should we go along with Elise's plan, worst case scenario is we tie should they all vote together, and best case scenario is the two of us survive."
"Oh, alright." Oboro rolled her eyes. "But I'm still suspicious of her. She might look cute...and admittedly be very stylish, but I bet Lord Leo rubbed off on her."
"Thank you." Ryoma then went off to prepare for the vote.
Elsewhere, Peri and Niles were talking about other things. More like Peri approached him first.
"Ooh, it's Niles! I heard you can make anyone feel bad using only words. I wanna hear it for myself. Do me! Do me!" Peri squealed.
Niles let out a sigh. "How unfortunate that this is what my reputation has become. I'm sorry, Peri, but I don't take requests like that."
"Huh? Why not?" Peri tilted her head to the right slightly in confusion, staring at Niles.
"Because I only insult people who deserve it. If you do something to deserve my scorn, you'll get an earful. Don't worry about that." Niles explained. "Although...I might be willing to make an exception."
"Tell me how," Peri requested.
"First off, who do you want out tonight?" Niles asked.
"Oboro. She's been nothing but mean to me ever since we got put on the same team," Peri answered.
"No points for guessing why…" Niles muttered under his breath. Then in a normal voice. "Tell you what. Vote for Oboro, and if we both make it out alive tonight we can continue this conversation."
"Got it!" Peri giggled, then skipped off.
"Peri might secure me safety tonight, and not to mention she'd blindly follow Lord Xander off a cliff. If anything, I bet you one million gold that she's not going to be the final one. Mark my words." -Niles
Meanwhile, Xander was alone in his room. He had heard both from Elise and Peri on the plans for voting tonight, and he had a very tough decision ahead of him.
"Tonight, I am the man of the hour. I have to choose between siding with my loyal retainer, Peri and vote Oboro, or side with my dear sister Elise and vote Niles. It's not an easy choice to make but...I hope the move I'm making is the right one." -Xander
Once the sun set, the six members of Team Agi went down into the basement and got seated. Flash was on the screen once again.
"Hello everyone! Welcome to your first elimination ceremony. Before we begin, I'd like to start a little small talk. Ryoma. What do you think attributed to today's loss?" Flash opened up the ceremony.
"I believe we weren't as aggressive as we were yesterday, and we paid the price for it today," Ryoma answered. "After this vote, hopefully we can get our act together and not come back down here again."
"Elise, is there anyone in particular that you would like to see be voted out tonight?" Flash asked.
"Yeah. Niles! You team-hurting thief!" Elise exclaimed.
"I can explain," Niles groaned.
"Do it." Elise was standing as she said that.
"I originally intended to steal from the other team to hinder them and help us," Niles explained. "I didn't even have any time to check whose purse it was. I merely assumed it was someone else's."
"Keep digging yourself deeper, buddy," Oboro jeered.
"I'll pay you back after the game is over, but you're making a big deal over nothing Elise," Niles defended. "If it weren't for me, we wouldn't have been safe from elimination yesterday. I got us two Stars, how many did you get?"
"One…" Elise frowned.
"Exactly. And when we went to the roulette in the middle of that casino, you were nowhere to be found until you got there, with your sister," Niles continued. "Now it's your turn to explain yourself."
Elise sat back down, eyes going wide. "Um...well, I saw this gambling table, and I got really curious so I went to see what it was all about. I helped in that challenge too, Niles! I swear I did it for the good of the team! Cross my heart!"
"Xander. What do you make of this?" Flash questioned.
"Yesterday's events are going to be a huge deciding factor in tonight's vote. While I don't doubt Elise had our best intentions at heart, she is behaving strangely," Xander answered.
"But Xander, I would never lie to you. Name one time that I lied to you." Elise responded. Xander fell silent.
"Niles, what about you?" Flash inquired.
"I feel like Elise is clearly hiding something from us," Niles grinned. "And it makes me think that she's got a dangerous leg up on us."
"Oboro, does this change anything?" Flash had to ask.
"It is food for thought," Oboro stated. "As Lord Xander said, her behavior is certainly suspicious." As Oboro was speaking, Niles nudged Peri and whispered 'Change of plans, vote Elise', to which she nodded.
"Okay, this has been a very diabolical turn of events. Will it change plans? Might as well vote to get things over with. Ryoma, you're up." Flash said. Ryoma went to cast his vote.
At the outdoor stage, Azura was present in the same attire, a larger audience present as they let out a cheer. "Hello everyone," Azura greeted. "Welcome to tonight's elimination ceremony. We just witnessed a very intense discussion, and now it seems that Elise might be in the hot seat tonight." The monitor showed Ryoma walking to the voting room. "Ryoma is in an interesting position tonight. Will he accept Elise's offer after what went down tonight, or will his mind change?"
Once Ryoma sat down, he was greeted by Flash. "Hello Ryoma! Please cast your vote to eliminate."
"That argument got my attention, but my vote is this same - Niles." Ryoma said.
"Thanks man, head on back." Ryoma left the room and passed by Peri.
"Peri is voting with Niles so she can be 'scorned'...Hotoke knows why, but her vote should be obvious." Azura commented.
"Hello Peri!" Flash greeted. "Please cast your vote to eliminate."
"I vote to eliminate Elise. Sorry Lord Xander," Peri voted.
"Thanks girl, you can go back now." Peri left the room and passed by Niles.
"Niles revealed that he wasn't the only one who deviated from the pack at Goomba's Greedy Gala. Will his gambit pay off?" Azura wondered.
"Hello Niles! Please cast your vote to eliminate." Flash requested.
"Simple. Elise. She's been shady," Niles voted.
"Thanks man, head on back now." Niles left and passed by Oboro on the way in.
"Oboro doesn't trust Elise, but will she join Ryoma in voting Niles? Let's see how this goes," Azura mused.
"Hello Oboro! Please cast your vote to eliminate." Flash greeted.
"Well, I'm a bit skeptical but...I vote to eliminate Niles." Oboro voted.
"Thanks lady, you can go back now." Oboro left, passing Elise in the hall.
"Elise and her game was put under scrutiny by Niles. Can she survive tonight's vote?" Azura asked no one in particular.
"Hello Elise! Please cast your vote to eliminate." Flash waved.
"I happily vote to eliminate Niles." Elise voted.
"Thanks Elise, you can go back now." Elise left, passing Xander in the hall.
"Xander has said he is the man of the hour tonight. His vote should be interesting." Azura commented.
"Hello Xander! Please cast your vote to eliminate." Flash greeted.
"Well, after considering what I can do...I'd rather keep Elise around to learn what she's hiding. With that being said, I vote to eliminate Niles. I hope Leo can understand." Xander spoke.
"Thanks man, head on back now." With that, Xander headed on back.
"Well, with Xander's vote, Niles' fate has been sealed," Azura said. "Let's go back to Flash for him to reveal the results."
"Alright Team Agi. The votes are in. Whoever is eliminated only has a few moments to gather their things and say their goodbyes, then they must proceed out the staircase to your left. I'll start by revealing those who are safe, meaning they had no votes against them." Flash began. "The people that are safe are...Peri, Oboro, Ryoma, and Xander."
Ryoma looked to Oboro with a soft smile, and Oboro softly said, "I was wrong." Elise grew worried.
"Elise, Niles? As for you two? By a vote, of 4 to 2...Niles, you have been eliminated from Fates Party." Flash announced.
"Ugh, shoulda seen this coming." Niles shook his head. As he went to leave, Peri stopped him.
"Wait! There was something else I wanted to ask you!" She exclaimed.
"What is it?" Niles turned around, one foot on the first staircase out.
"Did you ever break into my house when I was a kid?" Peri suddenly asked.
"How in the world would I know? I broke into a lot of houses." Niles answered.
"Well...I lived in a really big mansion. It was kind of hard to miss. And my parents told me that someone broke in once! So I was wondering if it might have been you." Peri continued.
"Hold on...The mansion you grew up in - was it a nobleman's home? And was it on the corner of a main street, with a prominent blue tile roof?" Niles inquired.
"Yup, that's the one! Why?" Peri was curious.
"Just checking," Niles responded, heading out for good this time. He was greeted by applause and sat down with Azura.
"So good to see you again, Niles," Azura greeted. "Are you surprised to be voted out this early?"
"Eh, not really," Niles said. "I had a feeling once Elise found out I took her money she'd want me out."
"What do you think about Elise as a player?" Azura wondered.
"Immature, but she has a lot of pull with our fellow countrymen." Niles stated. "I think her chances are good, but her overreliance on others will be her downfall."
"Before you left, you were telling Peri you broke into her house once before," Azura added. "Would you care to finish the story?"
"Might as well." Niles shrugged. "See, my 'friends' and I were looking for a special item in particular. Something money couldn't buy. It was a doll, but not just any old doll. It was supposed to be an evil murder doll! Rumor was that her family kept a possessed doll under lock and key. Supposedly, this doll would come to life and eviscerate one's enemies. Me and my...associates...thought it would be a fun toy. However, we found it was just a tall tale. We poked around the house, tipped over a few priceless vases, and left empty handed."
"Fascinating story," Azura mused. "Any idea who might have been this 'murder doll', if at all?"
"Don't know. Haven't had much time to think on it." Niles shook his head.
"Well, with where you'll be staying you'll have plenty of time to think on that. Thank you for playing Niles." Azura commented. Niles was met with another round of applause as he left the stage, going towards the loser's house. When he entered the foyer, Azama was sitting on one of the couches, seemingly waiting for him.
"Hello, Niles. Were you robbed of winning tonight?" Azama asked with a smile.
"Ah...forget it." Niles shrugged it off and went to get settled in.
(Well, this took a while. I don't know when I'll have this up on DA but, I will. So Bowser will be appearing to try and muck up our fun!...Keyword being try. As for the hints to the next board we'll be going to, I'll bold them from hereon out.
Next time we're gonna jam out to a popular Guns 'n Roses song and see if Team Agi can get their act together. See you then.)
