(So this is our last pre-merge episode in Fates Party everyone! I hope you can make some winner predictions because I'm curious to see who you want to see walk away with the title of Superstar! Also, that twist regarding royals and retainers? It will be explained next episode. So look forward to that!

Now it's time to slather on sunscreen and get to enjoying the stock fanservice episode. Are you ready to go a little crazy? Me too, let's do it!)

Episode 7: You Are A Pirate!

Previously, on Fates Party…

Subaki despaired about his bad performance in Airship Central, Takumi came to, and Xander learned from Elise that Hinoka is calling the shots on Team Garu.

The gang traveled to Horror Land, where the teams were tasked with rounding up the Portrait Ghosts that Bowser set loose to ruin the group's fun.

Team Bufu won the challenge, leaving Peri, Elise, Kagero, and Hinoka to step up and do battle with Boolossus, with Peri coming out on top - maybe because murder is second nature to her - and saved Team Agi from voting anyone out, sending Team Garu to their second Elimination Ceremony.

Before the vote, Hinoka wanted to eliminate Effie, but Sakura wasn't sure about voting with her sister. Elise suggested that Kagero be eliminated instead. With Subaki at her side, Sakura knew she was the swing vote.

In the end, Sakura chose to go with Elise's suggestion and sent Kagero out the door in a 3-2 decision. 13 are left. Who will be the next partygoer sent packing? Read and find out!

Team Garu: Effie, Hinoka, Sakura, Subaki

Team Bufu: Camilla, Leo, Rinkah, Takumi, Keaton

Team Agi: Xander, Peri, Elise, Ryoma


Hinoka was completely shocked when Team Garu returned to their rooms, and she knew exactly who flipped.

"Why? Why would my own sister turn her back on me!? The vote was supposed to be easy 4-1, but no. I swear, when I find who gave her the idea, it is going to be on!" -Hinoka

She shoved the door to Sakura's room open, finding her sister hugging a pillow with tears in her eyes and Subaki rubbing her shoulders.

"You!" Hinoka exclaimed. This made Sakura jump a little, and Subaki to stand up.

"Now Lady Hinoka, I know how this looks but please hear us out," He responded.

"Don't 'I know how this looks' me!" Hinoka slammed the door behind her. "Why did you two flip? We're supposed to be family, Sakura! Family has to stick together."

Sakura looked down at the floor, tears in her eyes. "I...I…"

"Lady Hinoka, you're making my liege uncomfortable," Subaki warned. "Please. You are family, but family does not go ordering others around like they are their subordinates."

"I…" Hinoka started, but let out a long sigh. "You're right…" She sat down next to Sakura. "Sis, I'm...I'm sorry if it seems like I'm bossing you around. I really want to win, and I want to win with my family and fellow countrymen. I just...I want what's best for the both of us. Since we've never been in a situation like this, I don't know how I'm supposed to act."

"R-Really…?" Sakura looked up at Hinoka. Hinoka nodded, wiping tears off her sister's cheeks.

"Really and truly," Hinoka answered. "Understand? I still love you with all of my heart Sakura, but I need you to cooperate with me. You, me, and Subaki here? We're an alliance I guess, so of course we need to stick together."

"Hinoka and I...we had a little heart to heart, and um...a-all she wanted was what she thought was...best for me i-in her eyes. When you think about it...it's kind of n-nice of her to do." -Sakura

"A-Alright...but please don't be so mean again...okay?" Sakura requested.

"Promise." Hinoka nodded.


With Team Bufu, Leo found a bottle of ketchup in his room with a note attached. "What have we here…'Dear Leo, I apologize for the Inklings attacking you at Horror Land today. I always felt Pearl was a sore loser, but I didn't think some of those fighting with her in the Splatfest would be like her. To make up for it, I'll give you this bottle of ketchup. Don't use it all in one place. From, Flash.'"

"Flash left a bottle of ketchup in my room as a way to make up for me being attacked today. He didn't have to do it, but he did it anyway. He cares about us at the end of the day; I'm glad to have him as our host." -Leo

Elsewhere, Rinkah and Keaton were conversing with one another. "You know, I've noticed we haven't lost a single challenge ever since we voted off Azama." Keaton mused.

"About that vote Keaton, there's something I wanted to tell you that I never got around to," Rinkah mentioned. "Y'see, I kinda let Takumi vote for me that night, since he didn't want to go against his sister."

Keaton was silent as he processed that. "...Okay."

"But if you think about it, Takumi's kinda in the middle of the pack here on this team. He could very well align with the Nohrian royals and vote one of us out." Rinkah added.

"Yeesh...you think he'd stay with Nohr?" Keaton asked.

"Not a chance," Rinkah responded. "You know how wary he was of Nohrians before?"

"How bad was it?" Keaton raised an eyebrow.

"It was...bad, and let's just not pry any further. But anyway, if we do have to go to another Elimination Ceremony, why not we make the case to vote him out?" Rinkah suggested. "He's in the middle and in a very dangerous position."

"You're a genius!" Keaton grinned. "Let's do that."

"It just dawned on me that Takumi is in a VERY dangerous position on our team. We've got to get rid of him if we lose again - which I'm sure we won't!" -Keaton


Meanwhile with Team Agi, the four of them were wondering what they would do next.

"I think, that the four of us should stick together," Peri suggested. "We're a pretty strong group."

"I was thinking the same thing," Ryoma said. "Although this would mean going against our families, Xander…"

"That is something I'm well aware of," Xander replied. "I've already accepted the fact that if I'm with my siblings in the final four, I'll have to turn on them eventually."

"Haven't we all?" Elise rolled her eyes. "And besides, it's nothing personal anyway. Even if we were to do that Xander, I'd still love you like my brother."

"We've been quite relaxed in this contest, and I am starting to see Ryoma less and less like my rival and more like a friend. If we were to be eliminated, I'd rather we be the ones to do it to each other, rather than scheming behind the other's back." -Xander

"Yeah! It's all in good fun," Peri giggled. "We're not really stabbing each other in the back, after all. Especially since all the knives where we eat aren't metal at all."

"Thankfully…" Elise quietly murmured.


The next morning, everyone met up outside, this time donned in different attire. For the royals, they were all donned in the attire they wore for the Beach Brawl DLC, except Leo just had the swimsuit. As for the others, they were decked out in standard Hoshidan and Nohrian swimwear. Flash was seen in a gray polo tee and dark blue swim trunks.

"Team Bufu, Team Agi, getting your first look at the new Team Garu. Kagero voted out at the last Elimination Ceremony." Flash said.

Ryoma bowed his head with a frown.

"Well, I see you all got the memo about today's challenge," Flash added, smiling. He held a clipboard and checked something off on a list that was on the clipboard. The title? Stock Episodes To Do. The Beach Episode was one of them.

"I hope you have a good reason for this," Leo frowned, unamused.

"As a matter of fact, I do," Flash responded. "It has to do with today's challenge. Follow me through the Dragon's Gate everyone!" The group followed Flash, curious where he was taking them this time.

When they arrived, the group would find themselves at a sunny beach like location set on a peninsula with many Piantas.

"Treasure on the far isle! Pirates on the prowl! Blasting cannons! It's time to run the gauntlet in Goomba's Booty Boardwalk!" Flash exclaimed.

"..." Leo glared at Flash, flipping him off.

"Today we're at the beach! Why couldn't we go somewhere else other than this? A hot springs would've been fine for me. But no, we're here. Ugh, this brings back memories of the time we fought over that stupid ticket..." -Leo

"Oh, don't be upset!" Peri told Leo, doing a slight hop. Elise looked at Peri, then at Camilla, then at herself.

"...How in the...Peri, she's...were they always hidden under her armor? What? You think I'm envious? No I'm not! I wanna grow up to be like my sister. To be all mature looking and stuff, y'know?" -Elise

"Yeah, I think Flash is giving us today to relax," Subaki added.

"Whatever." Takumi folded his arms. "Let's just get to the challenge."

"I wonder if this is why Flash wanted to see us in swimwear…" Camilla mused. "Or maybe he's just pleased to see me?"

"That, and it's mainly for the ratings." Flash answered honestly. "I've been trained not to nosebleed at the sight of fanservice, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy it."

"Ah, I had a sneaking suspicion." Camilla laughed a little, striking a pose for the cameras.

"So um...w-what're we doing today?" Sakura curiously asked.

"Today you're going to be running the gauntlet here on the boardwalk. Specifically, you'll be racing to the end to Captain Goomba, and the first team to get there wins immunity. However...due to some negotiation I had to make with him, in order to win, you'll have to find a Star anywhere on the boardwalk." Flash explained.

"Fine," Leo folded his arms.

"Today's prize, along with immunity...is ketchup." Flash said.

"Ketchup?" Subaki blinked.

"And suddenly, I don't hate being here," Leo perked up. "Bring me my booty!"

"Yeah. Nothing left to say! Happy hunting, everyone!" Flash sent them off to get the job done. As they left, Flash was humming to himself a familiar tune. "Do what you want cause a pirate is free, you are a pirate~"

"Another race, but we'll need a Star in order to win. I have full confidence we'll win today, so long as the girls don't take too long enjoying their fun in the sun." -Xander


Team Garu hit the beach and began searching for a Star. Subaki immediately began scouting around for any sort of dangers, and Sakura began walking around aimlessly, enjoying the solace of the area.

"We're at a r-really nice place today...I think that if I find a Star I'll take it, but...after last night, I just want to relax…and eat fruit." -Sakura

This left Hinoka and Effie doing most of the searching. Effie walked up to a beach lounge chair, turning it over and began digging. She didn't seem to notice that there was a pink Pianta in said lounge chair, who fell face first in the sand.

"Hey! What's the big idea?" The Pianta grumpily asked.

"Oh, sorry about that," Effie apologized. "I'm busy looking for a Star." The Pianta didn't have any real answer for that, taking the lounge chair and dragging it off somewhere else.

"Ugh, you'd think that the Star would be in a more obvious place," Hinoka grumbled. "At least we won't have to worry about money this time…"

"I remember the last time I let my retainers pack for me when I went on a beach vacation. I actually had to get a job while there because they forgot to pack me any money. Yeah, that's going to be the last time I ever let them pack for me." -Hinoka


Team Bufu had similar ideas, but opted to search for less obvious places than under the sand. Takumi didn't look very enthused to be here.

"I don't look like I'm very excited...but the truth is...I always wanted to go to a beach like this. The sun, the waves...this is paradise! Don't tell anyone I said that, okay? Wait, this is going to be aired to a lot of people...crap." -Takumi

"So if I were a Star, where would I want to be hidden?" Rinkah wondered aloud.

"Keaton here has a nose for treasure, right?" Leo mused. "We could let him lead us to any sort of Star we come across."

"You think I could?" Keaton grinned. "I won't let you down!" As Keaton began searching, Rinkah followed after him, leaving the royals to wait for their return.

"Hmm...what do you think, Leo?" Camilla mused.

"Think about what?" Leo inquired.

"Why you sent off Keaton to search for the Star we need," Camilla explained. "Why did you do that?"

"Other than the fact he's a wolfskin, Keaton has shown to know some things about the Hint Giver that could prove threatening to our alliance later down the road." Leo responded. "So, if we lose today, I could easily shift the blame over to Keaton and get Takumi to vote with us."

"Clever." Camilla complimented. "But uh...speaking of Takumi, where'd he go?"

Takumi wandered off to go searching for the Star on his own. He wanted to win for his team today real bad. So bad in fact he didn't seem to notice something got caught on his trunks.

"Huh?" He looked down to see a fishing hook get caught on his swim trunks. As he tried to remove it, he was suddenly lifted up into the air and tossed into the ocean by a blue Pianta who was fishing.

"I hope I get a big one!" The Pianta beamed. Takumi writhed around in the water, frantically trying to get himself free.

"Oh? Is that a fish? Or is that just my tummy rumbling?" The Pianta wondered, reeling his line in. After a few seconds, he had reeled the sopping wet Hoshidan prince in. Breathing heavily, Takumi glared at the guy that fished him up.

"Get this hook off of me!" Takumi yelled, turning around to show the hook stuck in his pants.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" The Pianta apologized, unhooking Takumi.

"Ugh...I just got used as bait on a fishing line...but I did see something glimmer under the waters as I was being reeled back in. Maybe it was a Star, so I'll have to look later...once I'm not completely drenched." -Takumi

"Eh, I'm sure he's fine," Leo guessed.


As with Team Agi, they stuck to the beginning of the boardwalk when they spotted a large amount of fruit and a simple kitchen knife. Peri's eyes immediately drifted to the knife. A blue Pianta spotted this.

"Hello there," He greeted. "I could use some help. I've got to get all this fruit cut...but I'm a bit unable to do that."

"Why is that?" Ryoma wondered.

"I cut my hand." The Pianta showed them his right hand, which was bandaged up.

"Lord Xander, may I help?" Peri pleaded.

"Well, I don't see any harm in it," Xander answered.

"Yay!" Peri instantly took up the knife and started cutting the fruits, juices spurting from them on her other teammates.

"Even though we're getting covered in fruit juice, Peri looked really skilled when it came to the fruit. She wasn't randomly stabbing or slicing it up, she was instead being swift and accurate with the cutting. And then came that watermelon…" -Elise

The last fruit that needed cutting was a watermelon, prompting Peri to start searching for a bigger knife.

"Yeah, I'm really good when it comes to preparing food! I had to teach myself since I always thought one of the servants would try and poison me. Well, that's not the only thing I taught myself how to do. But I'm not telling~!" -Peri

Once she found a bigger knife, she raised it up above her head as high as her arms would allow, and took a downward swing.

The end result was watermelon juice getting on all four of them, but there was something shiny instead the fruit.

"Hey guys, look what I found!" Peri squeed. The shiny thing was…

A Star!

"...How did that get in there?" Xander blinked in astonishment.

"Who cares!? Now we can take our time getting to the finish!" Elise eagerly grabbed the Star and began to skip off with it. Ryoma gave Xander as a shrug as he followed after her and Peri.

"Interesting turn of events...who in their right mind would leave something like a Star in a watermelon? To be fair, not much has made sense since we got here, so I'll have to learn to accept the madness." -Ryoma


Back with Sakura, Subaki returned to her.

"Ah! Subaki...w-what's the result of your scouting?" Sakura asked.

"I've combed the beach up and down, and I can safely confirm that there aren't any dangers here," Subaki proudly responded. "Well, other than this one thing…"

"Oh?" Sakura's curiosity peaked.

"There were these three Goomba with bandannas that shot me out of a cannon back to where we started," Subaki continued. He showed Sakura several scrapes he had sustained on his arms and legs, causing his liege to wince. "But don't worry. I'll be just fine."

"I-I hope so…" Sakura murmured.

Effie and Hinoka soon met up after a while of digging. "You find anything?" Hinoka asked.

Effie shook her head. "'Fraid not."

"Ah, man!" Hinoka folded her arms. The two of them then heard a familiar laugh. "Wait a minute…"

Standing on a lifeguard tower nearby stood Bowser, laughing boisterously.

"Bwahaha!" Bowser exclaimed. "Ready for some REAL fun in the sun? Then feel the burn!"

However, neither Hinoka nor Effie were amused. "You!" Effie bellowed. "I will not allow you to harm Lady Elise on my watch!"

"Or what?" Bowser smirked. "Still feeling tough without that tin can you usually wear?"

"Shut up!" Hinoka snapped. "What're you even planning on accomplishing out of this? There's nothing to gain out of trying to ruin our fun other than to make yourself look like a massive killjoy!"

"I'm only here to make things more interesting," Bowser explained. "AND that one time Mario and his loser friends DIDN'T INVITE ME!"

"You'd be the last person I'd want to invite to a party!" Hinoka countered. "And given what you've done so far, I can see why they wouldn't!"

"Why you little-!" But before Bowser could start attacking Hinoka, the tower he stood on began rocking back and forth. He looked down to see Effie trying to rip part of it off. He tried to stop her, but the damage had already been done. Effie had succeeding in ripping off a section of wood, causing the tower to fall backwards and collapse.

"This is partially why I wanted Effie out. If we merge, she's going to be a huge threat by winning all the challenges. There's also that advantage she'll share with Elise, and I have no idea what it is. That's why she's gotta go." -Hinoka


Back with Team Bufu, Keaton and Rinkah were scouring the boardwalk for any sort of Star, when they came across a shipwreck.

"Beached shipwreck!" Keaton called out. They saw a Goomba pirate standing out front, looking disgruntled.

"Argh, I can't find anything in here!" The Goomba complained. "Shipwrecks are supposed to have plunder in them!"

"Maybe my friend here could look for you," Rinkah suggested. The Goomba got a good look at Keaton.

"You? Find treasure? Don't make me laugh!" The Goomba guffawed. "Fine then! Knock yourself out."

"Leo said I could find treasure, so I'm going to show him exactly what I can do! I've already got a good nose for it. I got lucky earlier, so let's see what I can add to my collection!" -Keaton

Keaton ran inside the shipwreck, eagerly searching for whatever treasure he could gather. After a minute or two of waiting, the wolfskin would return with several various items in his arms.

"Look! Treasure!" Keaton grinned, placing all of his findings on the ground. However, none of the things he found could really be considered treasure. Rinkah facepalmed, and the Goomba was laughing himself sick from this.

"Keaton, that's not treasure," Rinkah bluntly stated. "That's just stuff you want. I mean, why would a broken spyglass be treasure?"

"Oh come on!" Keaton defended. "This stuff would fit in perfectly with my collections."

Rinkah groaned. "I'll go take a look myself." So Rinkah went inside the shipwreck, looking for what could really be considered treasure. After searching for a while, she stumbled across a small treasure chest and brought it back outside.

"What the? How did you- agh, I can't complain. Keep it, lass," The Goomba sighed. "And your friend can keep all the pieces of eight he found." The last part was sarcasm as Rinkah cracked open the chest. Inside were quite a few coins, and something else. It was, of course, a Star!

"Woo!" Keaton cheered. "Nice job, Rinkah!"

"I get that Keaton can be really scatterbrained sometimes, but really? Out of all the things he could've grabbed, he decided to go with a broken spyglass and some dirty clothes? Well, hopefully he finds a replacement for the seat of his pants…" -Rinkah


Back with Team Agi, Elise would run into Sakura, who watched as Subaki continued his search for Stars.

"Hey, Sakura!" Elise waved.

"A-Ah! Elise…" Sakura jumped.

"There's nothing to worry about, Sister," Ryoma spoke. "What are you up to?"

"Um...well, we're l-looking for Stars and...we're not having much luck…" Sakura honestly answered.

"Hmm...hey Xander, can I help Sakura? Please?" Elise requested.

"We already have what we need to win. Why are you getting side-tracked?" Xander stood firm, only for Elise to start making a pouting face, which eventually got Xander to cave. "Alright, fine. But hurry back."

"Yay! Thank you!" Elise cheered. "C'mon, Sakura! We'll find one in no time!"

"I...I hope you're right…" Sakura meekly responded.

So the two girls started to search, coming across a dolphin who appeared in the water next to where they were standing.

"Hey! I know a place where there's treasure better than Cap'n Goomba's stinky stuff. Hop on!" The Dolphin requested.

Elise eagerly got on the Dolphin's back, but Sakura was hesitant.

"U-Um...are you sure we can trust this?" She asked.

"Oh come on! I'll hold onto you so you won't fall off," Elise reassured. "Besides, I want to help you win. We're in this together, remember?" Sakura gave a nod, getting on the back of the Dolphin. The Dolphin went slow for the girls, Elise giggling happily as they went through the water. The girls would arrive at a small isle with a red treasure chest on the other side.

"There's gotta be a Star in there," Elise said. "Ready? I'll walk up there with you."

"T-Thank you…" Sakura smiled. The two then walked up to the chest.

"Elise is...I think I've s-said this before but...she's a really nice ally...I-I want to go to the end with her...I hope." -Sakura

Two Goomba statues were next to the chest. A voice from one of them was clearly heard.

"Wha- Who's there? Who DARES disturb our slumber! The Gods needs their beauty sleep!" The voice boomed.

Sakura flinched. "A-Anno...we do…"

"Princess Elise of Nohr and Princess Sakura of Hoshido do dare," Elise responded, not shaken.

"Princesses?" The voice sounded confused. "Shouldn't you be waiting for a pair of plumbers to save you?"

"What? We're not damsels in distress!" Elise put her hands on her hips.

"Y-Yeah...we're not that…" Sakura added.

"It is Thursday, after all…" The voice thought aloud.

"...Really?" Sakura blinked in confusion. "That's oddly specific…"

"Well, now that you two are here, what should we do with you...Ah, just take this and go!" The voice had the chest open, and out popped a Star!

"Yay!" Elise cheered, handing it to Sakura.

"Now get out of here before we force you out!" The voice exclaimed, causing the two to run back to the Dolphin that brought them to the isle, bringing them back to the boardwalk.


Back with the other three members of Team Garu, Sakura and Elise found that Bowser was being carried away by Koopas, who were all in a hurry to get away from someone. That someone being Effie.

"And if you ever try harming Lady Elise again, I won't hold back on you!" Effie shouted, shaking a fist at him.

"I'll remember this! Ow…" Bowser responded.

"Uh...w-what exactly happened when I was gone, Subaki?" Sakura requested.

"Oh, from my understanding Bowser showed up to try and cause trouble for Lady Hinoka and Effie, but Effie took down the tower that our spiked turtle shell...ahem, 'friend' was standing on." Subaki explained.

"I...see…" Sakura wasn't surprised in the slightest, but still held onto the Star that Elise gave her.

"Where did you find that?" Hinoka noticed the Star's shine.

"Um...well, I f-found this island and there was a um…treasure chest with a Star in it…" Sakura told her sister.

"Sakura, that's amazing! Let's go, guys!" Hinoka told the other two. "We've got to win this challenge!" With that, the four took off, Elise following at a distance to catch up with her team.


Back with Camilla and Leo, they finally found Takumi, who didn't look too happy.

"Takumi!" Camilla exclaimed. "What happened to you?"

"I got used as a fishing lure. You?" Takumi responded, noticing Leo's back was getting red.

"While we were searching for you, I've been getting burnt," Leo stated.

"You poor things…" Camilla frowned, spotting a kiosk nearby. "Wait here, but please find some shade."

The two did as they were told, sitting under a beach umbrella as they waited.

"I don't think Leo gets too much sunlight. Well...given where he's from this doesn't surprise me, but I also think he doesn't go outside all that much. Not that I'm worried about him. He's fine." -Takumi

When Camilla returned, she brought a towel for Takumi and a blue cloak for Leo that would cover his sunburnt back.

"Did you buy these for us?" Leo asked.

"Of course I did," Camilla answered. "With my own money of course. Now, there was this other interesting thing on sale...some 'SNES Classic', whatever that is."

"How much was it going for?" Takumi was curious, drying himself off in the process.

"An absurd price." Camilla folded her arms. "She said she bought it and was reselling it for anyone who didn't get to get one for themselves...but then I asked 'With a price like that, who in their right mind would buy it?'"

"Someone either desperate enough or completely stupid," Leo deadpanned.

At this time, Keaton and Rinkah found the three. "Hey guys! Rinkah found a Star!" It was also worth noting that he was carrying all the 'treasure' he had taken as well.

"Wonderful." Takumi smiled. "Now come on, we haven't got a moment to lose! We need to get to Captain Goomba and fast!" With that, the group rushed towards the northern end of the boardwalk, Leo wincing from his sunburn.

"I can't look weak in front of the other three, since Camilla and I need to survive this round. Once we reunite with Xander and Elise, the rest of the game should be smooth sailing." -Leo


By the time that the teams reached the end of the boardwalk, they found that they had all gotten there at the same time, Flash waiting for them.

"Ooh, it's hard to call this one…" He put a hand to his chin, thinking about how to go about this. Suddenly, he heard a familiar primate appear. Donkey Kong. And he pointed at Flash.

"Donkey Kong!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Woah, hey buddy...what's this about?" Flash held his hands up, confused and a bit nervous. DK's simple response was to grab Flash, dragging him on over to a barrel cannon, loading him in. Captain Goomba merely watched.

"Wait, what did he do?" Keaton blinked in confusion.

"I...kinda deserve this for having you guys find his treasure…" Flash admitted, before DK shot Flash off in the water. While everyone was stunned by this, Takumi just shrugged.

"Eh, he can swim back." He muttered.

"Heh heh heh...now that he can't stop me, hand over all yer treasure, or ye'll be learning the Davy Jones locker combination!" Captain Goomba demanded.

However...this didn't go over well with the group. Probably because they were staring at Captain Goomba like he was an idiot.

"...Really?" Leo facepalmed.

"Really." Captain Goomba nodded.

"Ugh...look, I didn't want to be out here to begin with. My entire back is red from sunburn, and the bottoms of my feet are covered in sand; now this brown mushroom creature is demanding I and the others here hand over all of our valuables. If I had Brynhildr this would've already been over by now, and you would be dead. But...I can already tell we won't need are stuff." Leo folded his arms. "That being said, Nohrian law is blunt on the subject of traitors. There is only one punishment...and the sentence is death."

"I know what's going to happen, so let me assist," Ryoma offered.

"U-Um...I want to help…" Sakura spoke up.

"No, let me handle this," Hinoka responded.

"But sister! I don't want to sit back and watch as we lose again!" Sakura defended.

"Ah, Lady Hinoka...you know that whenever Lady Sakura makes up her mind on something, it's impossible to sway her." Subaki shook his head.

"Alright…" Hinoka frowned.

"Be careful, Lady Sakura!" Effie cautioned.

"I...I will...but…" Sakura noticed Captain Goomba and his crew had boarded their pirate ship. "How are we going to catch them?"

DK pointed to a boat of his own, one that he used to get here.

"That'll work." Leo smirked.


BOSS BATTLE

Sakura vs Leo vs Ryoma vs Captain Goomba and His Scurvy Crew

Captain Goomba's High Seas Showdown

Description: Carry cannonballs over to your colored cannon and fire on Captain Goomba's ship!

Hint: Captain Goomba will stay on the move, so aim your shots carefully.


On the open seas close to the boardwalk, Sakura, Leo, and Ryoma were on the deck of DK's Riverboat as it gave chase to Captain Goomba's ship. There were three cannons port side for them to use, one green, one blue, and one red.

"Prepare for broadside combat, boys!" Captain Goomba shouted, spotting the group. "We'll show these landlubbers how men of the waters fight!"

START!

The group spotted a large pile of cannonballs, and rushed over to get started on the battle. Sakura was first over there, reaching in to grab one, and found they were surprisingly lightweight.

"Hey, these aren't so heavy…" Sakura smiled, hurrying over to load the green cannon, Leo and Ryoma hurrying over as well. Once they were sure they had their shots lined up, they all fired at Captain Goomba's ship.

Sakura's shot narrowly missed, while Leo and Ryoma's shots hit dead on.

They repeated the process, all three hitting on their second volley. However, they had to rush away as the Goombas fired back with broadsides of their own. Sakura dove to the deck as a bit of ocean water splashed on the deck. This proved to be difficult for them to get their shots over, as Leo tried to keep his balance on the wet timbers.

Sakura began to catch up on Leo and Ryoma, with them having trouble keeping their shots on target with Captain Goomba's ship staying on the move.

The trio still managed to keep up the pressure, causing Captain Goomba to get upset.

"Argh! Lubbers! Board them and keep 'em from sinking us!" The Goomba pirate barked out.

Score

Sakura: 4

Leo: 5

Ryoma: 5

Without warning, Goombas in pirate garb landed on the riverboat, trying to rush the players and hopefully force them overboard. Their efforts were somewhat in vain however, as they did their best to sidestep them. As they did this, Captain Goomba continued to fire broadsides as them, more ocean water spraying in their faces and on the deck. Getting to their cannons was now a chore for them.

Regardless of the longer time it took them, they were still able to take their shots at Captain Goomba's ship. Leo missed one having to shake Goombas away from him as they tried to stop him firing at their captain's vessel.

However, after quite some time, one shot made Sakura stumble as she was carrying a cannonball. It was another shot that caused her to fall down and dangle close to the edge. She screamed out in shock, a third causing her to lose balance as she got up, resulting in her falling in the water.

"Sakura!" Ryoma exclaimed. Loading a shot in the red cannon, he looked about as mad as he'd ever been. Leo fought off Goombas, kicking them into the water as his own form of payback.

"No mercy," He told Ryoma.

Directing his rage on Captain Goomba, Ryoma shouted, "You die, NOW!" Taking the shot, dealing a fatal blow to their opponent's ship.

Captain Goomba could only watch in defeat as he sunk in the ocean with his boat.

FINISH!

Final Score

Sakura: 6

Leo: 7

Ryoma: 7 (Plus 3 Final Strike)


Without second thought, Ryoma dove in to get Sakura, who he found treading water just fine.

"Sakura! Are you alright?" He asked with worry.

"Big Brother, t-thank you...I'm fine," Sakura answered, grabbing onto him. They met up with the others on shore, Flash finally reuniting with them.

"Ugh, I kinda had that coming for a few days now…" He muttered. "I guess DK and I are even now."

"Did you see the fight?" Leo inquired.

"Yes I did. As I was swimming back to shore, I watched the whole thing. And, from what I watched, Team Agi are our winners today!" Flash announced. Ryoma gave a nod as the other three cheered. "Enjoy your night off." The four headed on back through the Dragon's Gate as the remaining two teams were wondering what would become of them.

"That's two battles I've won for Team Agi already. I'm aware of the target this puts on my back going forward, but it doesn't matter. I already had a target on my back the second this contest started, so all I'll be doing is taking it in stride." -Ryoma

"And now, for the rest of you," Flash continued. "This is the last time I'm going to be using Bonus Stars, since I have a special announcement for tomorrow. The final three Bonus Stars are the Running Star, the Shopping Star, and the Red Star." He paused for a moment. "Judging on the distance traveled, the Running Star goes to Team Garu. Now, as for the Shopping Star, Camilla, you won that for Team Bufu."

"Speaking of Shopping, what was that SNES Classic that I saw back at the kiosk?" Camilla wondered.

"Oh, that. Yeah, probably someone just bought a bunch of those and is trying to turn a profit. I've seen it happen before." Flash responded. "As for the Red Star…" He pointed to both Takumi and Leo. "Your suffering today has netted Team Bufu safety!"

Both guys let out sighs of relief as Team Bufu headed on back through the Dragon's Gate.

"I got hooked on a fishing rod, and Leo's back is about as red the tomatoes he loves so much. And we survived...I'm pretty positive that Hinoka and Sakura will survive the vote tonight and we'll be united for the road ahead." -Takumi

"Team Garu, I wish I was lying, but you've got a date with me at tonight's Elimination Ceremony. You've got till sundown to figure it out. See you then." With heavy hearts, they all followed the others back.

"This stinks...three losses in a row? We were doing so well before! What happened? Regardless, I think I should be safe since Sakura and I are on good terms again." -Hinoka


Back at the fort, Hinoka met up with Sakura, who was busy drying herself off.

"So...we're good, right?" Hinoka asked.

"Pardon?" Sakura raised an eyebrow, curious. Sakura wrapped the towel she was using to dry herself off around her.

"I'm asking if you've forgiven me," Hinoka answered. "Because going forward I want us to be tightly knit with our brothers."

"Yeah...I-I already forgave you…" Sakura told her sister. "Now, could you let me get c-changed, please?"

"Oh, of course. Sorry about that." Hinoka saw herself out. Sakura got herself changed back into her normal appearance, then went to go see Subaki.

"Lady Sakura, how can I help you?" Subaki asked.

"Um...I think we should v-vote with Hinoka tonight…" Sakura answered. "But I want to see if Elise is o-okay with it…"

"Hmm...do you mind if I speak with her? I want to let her know that I'm in this alliance with you two," Subaki requested.

"By all means, but...don't get caught speaking with her…" Sakura allowed him.

"You won't have to worry." Subaki went off to go speak with Elise. He met up with her in his room and filled her in on the situation.

"So what you're telling me is that Sakura wants to vote out Effie?" Elise summarized. "I get that but...what about the advantage?"

"Think about it this way, Lady Elise," Subaki spoke. "If Lady Sakura and I are to survive this vote, and if this special announcement is about the advantage, whatever it is we would be more than happy to share it with you. From what my liege told me, it is the two of us and you in an alliance. Do we have an accord?"

"That's a good plan...alright, you're in. But I hope this works out." Elise agreed.

With that being said, Subaki left his room to go see what the other two were up to. Effie was busy feasting, and Hinoka was busy watching.

"I am worried that Lady Hinoka might not approve of me making the deal I just made with Lady Elise, but hopefully she'll find it in her heart to forgive me. For now, all I can do is wonder what that advantage is." -Subaki


Once the sun had set, the four members of Team Garu headed down to the basement, where Flash was waiting for them.

"Welcome back, Team Garu. So, third loss in a row?" Flash began.

"Yeah, and it's no fun to keep losing," Effie answered. "Sometimes when we're on a losing streak like this, it's hard to recover."

"Hinoka, last vote really took you by surprise. Do you think there'll be another vote like that happening?" Flash wondered.

"I'm pretty sure it was how I was acting that got Kagero voted out. I already apologized to Sakura about my behavior, and now we're on good terms with one another."

"Sakura, do you think that Hinoka's actions caused a bit of tension in the team, and resulted in this hat trick?" Flash was curious.

"Um...I-I don't want to blame our losses on her, no...but when I f-fell in the water today...and rescued by Ryoma again...I feel like it's m-my fault we lost…" Sakura hung her head, letting out a sigh.

"Sakura, you did your best," Hinoka reassured. "Don't be upset."

"Subaki, going forward, what do you think should happen?" Flash inquired.

"Going forward, the three of us that survive tonight's vote should press on with our heads held high," Subaki answered. "I'm confident that the teams will stick together and work together up to the end of the game."

"Welp, seems like there's nothing left to say. It is, time to vote. Effie, you're up." With that, Effie went to cast her vote.

Outside on the stage, Azura watched on from outside. "Another loss for Team Garu as we are extremely close to the long awaited merge. Hello everyone, and welcome back for another Elimination Ceremony." The monitor showed Effie in the voting room. "We're not sure what Effie is planning her vote off tonight. It should be interesting to see."

"Hello Effie! Please cast your vote to eliminate." Flash requested.

"My vote is to eliminate Hinoka," Effie voted.

"Thanks, you can go on back now." Effie left, passing Hinoka in the hall.

"Hinoka has been causing quite the stir among her team. Will it all come back to haunt her?" Azura wondered.

"Hello Hinoka! Please cast your vote to eliminate." Flash instructed.

"I vote to eliminate Effie." Hinoka voted.

"Thanks, you can go back now." Hinoka left the booth, passing Sakura on the way.

"Sakura is in an interesting position. She's aligned with her sister, but at the same time aligned with Elise. What will her game be like if she survives?" Azura thought aloud.

"Hello Sakura! Please cast your vote to eliminate." Flash requested.

"Um...well, I-I hope she's okay with this, but...I vote to eliminate Effie." Sakura voted.

"Thanks, you can head on back." Sakura left, passing Subaki in the hall.

"Subaki has pledged himself to Sakura and Elise's alliance. His vote should be both interesting and obvious." Azura mused.

"Hello Subaki! Please cast your vote to eliminate." Flash instructed.

"I vote to eliminate Effie. Deepest apologies, but it has to be done." Subaki voted.

"Thanks, you can head on back." Subaki left, heading back to the main room.

"With three votes to eliminate, Effie's fate has effectively been sealed. Now for Flash to reveal the results." Azura said.

""Alright Team Garu. The votes are in." Flash began. "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. Those people are...Sakura, and Subaki."

Sakura let out a sigh of relief, Subaki gently patting her on the back.

"By a vote, of 3 to 1...Effie, you have been eliminated from Fates Party."

Effie got up from her seat. "Well, that's that."

"Effie, I um...want to say t-thanks for helping out all those times you did…" Sakura spoke up.

"It's all part of my job," Effie responded. "Best of luck, you three!" With that, she headed up the stairs and out to the stage, a roaring applause waiting for her, sitting down across from Azura.

"Good to see you again, Effie," Azura greeted. "You've had quite the turnaround since the game began. Are you at all surprised to see yourself be eliminated from the game?"

"Not at all." Effie shook their head. "If anything, those three made a good move voting me out. I would've dominated the whole contest if I stayed."

"How do you believe Elise will fare without you?" Azura wondered.

"Lady Elise can handle herself without me. She's got friends with Lady Sakura and Subaki, and she's really resourceful." Effie answered. "I'll still be cheering for her."

"Do you think the people watching at home will be sad to see you go?" Azura was curious.

"I'm sure they will. I mean, you heard the crowd's cheer just now, obviously me being gone is going to be a sad moment for the people cheering for me." Effie commented.

"Well, all things considered you don't seem all that upset over being eliminated. Why is that?" Azura questioned.

"Eh, it's all about taking things like this in stride. This whole competition is just that, and there should be no bad blood at the end of the day." Effie responded.

"Thank you for playing, Effie." Azura thanked, a second chorus of cheers erupting as Effie walked down the torchlit path.

Effie arrived at the house, finding Azama back in his usual spot.

"Hello Effie," Azama greeted. "Have you been working out? You look different." She didn't have really anything to say to that, as her first thoughts were to get settled in.

(Welp, that's done.

Let's get one thing out of the way right now: I freaking love Effie as a character and as a unit. Whenever I use her she is always useful and always gets the job done. However, in this game, in the event she made it to the merge, it'd only be a matter of time before everyone lines up their shots and votes her out. So I took it upon myself to make Effie as memorable as I could as the final pre-merge boot. Imagine her beatdown of Bowser however you please! He'll be back.

That's right people, we're merging next episode! It's gonna be every man, woman…*glances at Keaton* and wolfskin for themselves. As for the advantage, I already told some people already, so here's what it is: If one person in a royal/retainer pair wins immunity, the other person will be immune as well. This also applies to Rinkah and Keaton, because if I didn't include them it would be totally unfair.

One last thing before I go, I apologize if this episode wasn't as long as my previous chapter, so hopefully future episodes will be as long as that one.

Next time, we're going to be castaways parodying Survivor and wonder how the remaining twelve players will play the game? Will there be betrayal? Cliques forming? Keaton continually collecting stuff that is practically worthless? Stay tuned!)