(Double digits on this story episode wise, woohoo! Now we're moving into the good stuff, let's see the action unfold now!...well, not right away.

Also, before we begin, I'd like to apologize for all the long breaks in between episodes. Most recently, it's been school life, political crap, and other pop culture BS that was going on in life caused me to get burned out. It happens. When I do get burned out, all I ask is that people give me time to breathe and focus on the important things. Distractions don't help, but to be honest some of the time I do that to myself.

But just know, that as Elton John says, I'm still standing. And I have something special planned out as a second season to this so to speak.

What does this mean? I have the boot order, the Superstar, jokes, and everything else all planned out and ready to go. So please be patient with me, but I promise I'll get this done.

One last thing: Apologies if this feels a bit rushed. Had things going on and writing with nasal congestion and feeling like I have a head cold is not the best time to write.)

Episode 10: Sound of Madness

Previously, on Fates Party…

Takumi was livid after Hinoka was blindsided, calling out Leo for being a threat in the process. Sakura and Ryoma formed a little power duo discovering that Elise was the common link in their alliances, and Flash looked into the rumors regarding a female shadow found sneaking around the base.

The challenge was supposed to be gathering up machine parts for a battle royale in Future Dream, but the Rabbids appeared and bit Ryoma, involving beating them up as part of the challenge when it was revealed the Rabbids stole the machine parts.

In addition, there was an egg in an incubator left behind by the Hint Giver, which contained the hidden immunity idol - which Elise and Sakura found with help from Bowser Junior.

Bowser attempted to ruin the challenge once again, this time showing up in his own battle machine. Camilla and Leo were able to stall for time until Flash came back with a forklift to stop his plans. Keaton and Rinkah sent him scurrying when they destroyed his car. Leo won immunity after Camilla gave it to him as a means to protect him from elimination.

Before the vote, Takumi lobbied with the remaining Hoshidans, Rinkah, and Keaton to eliminate Camilla, feeling she needed to be punished for leaving a huge target on her back. The Nohrians planned to eliminate Rinkah, due to her physical strength being a threat. It all fell to Sakura on whose side to pick, as Subaki placed her in the swing position, promising to take the fall for her in an attempt to make her happy.

And at the vote, Sakura's heart sided with the Nohrians, sending Rinkah out the door in a 6-5 decision. 10 are left. Who will be voted out tonight?

Final 10: Sakura, Subaki, Camilla, Leo, Takumi, Keaton, Xander, Peri, Elise, Ryoma

Sakura separated herself from the others, going to her room. She went to shut the door, but a black boot stopped the door from closing. Camilla's black boot.

"O-Oh!" Sakura jumped. "C-Camilla…"

"There's no need to be afraid of me, darling," Camilla cooed. "I didn't come here to spook you." She walked on in, closing the door behind her. "I just wished to speak with you."

"O-Okay...just give me a moment…" Sakura responded.

"Tonight was really exciting! I was almost eliminated, but I knew that Sakura wouldn't kick me out. So, to make sure that doesn't happen, I felt that the two of us needed to talk one on one. That and I want to get to know the sweetheart a little better." -Camilla

The two girls sat down on Sakura's bed, Sakura opting to sit in the elder Nohrian princess' lap.

"Sakura dear, we don't all act according to calculations and cost-benefit diagrams. That's what makes us complicated," Camilla explained.

"I-I know, but…" Sakura looked down. Camilla wrapped an arm around Sakura, bringing her in for a gentle hug; it was something that Sakura appreciated.

"That's why Hinoka was voted out, and that's why Takumi didn't get his way tonight. When you dismiss other people's feelings, it'll always come back to bite you in the end," Camilla continued. "Any mature woman such as myself should understand that."

"Um...y-yeah, but that's n-not why I voted for Rinkah…" Sakura trailed off.

"Oh? Then why did you vote with me?" Camilla wondered. Sakura fell quiet, not sure how to tell Camilla how she was feeling.

"Come on," Camilla encouraged. "Just talk to me like I'm one of your siblings. It's no big deal."

"True, but...you're s-so different from them…" Sakura responded, making eye contact with Camilla. "The...the truth is...I'd like to get to know you Camilla, b-but...you're so intimidating. T-That's why...I voted the way I did…"

"C-Camilla is...is so nice to me...I should feel safe around her. Safe to t-tell her anything...be able to feel p-protected around her...but she's so scary sometimes…" -Sakura

"I do seem to have that impression on people, don't I?" Camilla put a finger to her chin. "I'd like to know you too. I think it's rather sweet that you decided not to vote me out because of that."

"Y-You really mean it?" Sakura asked.

"Of course I do." Camilla smiled. "There's really no reason for you to be afraid of me, Sakura. In fact, I see a little bit of Elise in you." Sakura fell quiet again, but was amazed at the comparison to her best friend. "Think about it. You're both sweethearts, and I don't see how either of you could do wrong. For both Hoshido and Nohr, you're like the lights that we all fight to protect, and both of you want to help your older siblings in any way you can out of the goodness of your hearts."

"Yeah...yeah, we do." Sakura felt happy as Camilla started rocking her gently back and forth. She didn't look nervous, moreso looking at ease.

"And as you already know, I love the both of you with all my heart," Camilla added. "Look, you're not so scared of me right now, are you?"

"Not at all," Sakura responded with a bit of confidence in her voice. Camilla let out a yawn.

"Good," She said. "Well, big girls like me need their beauty sleep and it's getting pretty late. I can tuck you in and kiss you goodnight if you want."

"S-Sure," Sakura meekly accepted the offer. "B-But there's no need to kiss me goodnight…" Camilla softly chuckled, singing Sakura a Nohrian lullaby and watched as the younger Hoshidan princess' eyes drifted shut, softly sleeping. "Ah-phew...ah-phew…" With that, Camilla fluffed the bed's pillow and tucked Sakura in.

"She's so precious…" Camilla smiled, leaving her room to go get some sleep herself.

"There are two reasons why I want to be on good terms with Sakura. Firstly she is vital to my endgame plan to win, but the most important thing is that she is, as I said, extremely precious. How could anyone find it in them to vote her out? I'm making it my mission to make sure my darling girls are with me come finale night. And you can quote me on that." -Camilla

Meanwhile, Takumi let out a sigh as he was meeting with Keaton. "Well that sucked," Keaton said.

"I wanna know who flipped." Takumi grit his teeth. "We had the majority...so what the hell happened?"

"All I know is we're on the bottom." Keaton shook his head.

"Only took one vote to completely screw me over, and yeah. I'm curious to find out who the flipper was. If I can find cracks in the majority alliance, then hopefully I can claw my way to the top of the pack." -Keaton

Subaki approached the two. "Lord Takumi, my deepest apologies…"

"Don't tell me you flipped on us," Takumi growled. The retainer nodded.

"I believed that if I voted out Lady Camilla, it would make Lady Sakura upset," Subaki lied. "That's why I had to do what I did. My liege always comes first, for being a retainer has me follow the 'duty before self' principle - Lady Sakura comes before me, and her happiness and well-being are my top priorities. Again, my deepest apologies for flipping, but in this game I have to do everything I can to make sure Lady Sakura succeeds." With that he walked off, leaving Takumi and Keaton be. Both guys looked at each other.

"...He seemed pretty honest." Keaton scratched the back of his head.

"Sakura comes before him my foot!" Takumi hit a wall. "Ugh...I swear, this is the worst. He's has to be lying!"

"We'll find a way back in power, Takumi," Keaton reassured. "Just gotta hope that something crazy happens."

"I'm staying optimistic here. I don't really care about what position I'm in, because it doesn't matter what hand you're dealt in life. You just need to play it to the best of your ability. Like, I know I'm at the bottom, but with this hand, I'm pretty confident I can get myself out of that spot." -Keaton

Elsewhere in the fort once everyone had gone to bed, Kaze and Silas were meeting with each other just beside the hollow wall Flash discovered the night before.

"Does he know about her?" Kaze asked.

"Not to my knowledge, no," Silas responded. "But as long as we know she's doing okay, he'll be fine with this."

"It's not everyday you find someone deciding to involve themselves in affairs foreign to them," Kaze commented. "But it's nice to know we have fans."

"Yeah, it's a nice thing to know." Silas smiled. "Though I wonder how Flash will react upon seeing an old friend of his…"

"I'm sure Flash won't mind," Kaze commented. "She hasn't done anything to harm anyone, so why should he be mad?"

"You do have a point," Silas agreed. "We'll tell him when she's ready."

The next day, the final ten met outside the fort as usual, Flash waiting for them.

"Well, yesterday was fun. Today is going to be just as fun," He told the group. "Follow me!" The Dragon's Gate was fired up, and Flash ran through. Everyone followed after him.

The group wouldn't find themselves in a large area, but instead outside a home in Toad Town.

"What're we doing here?" Ryoma asked.

"Lemme just see if she's home today…" Flash knocked on the door until it opened, with Toadette answering the door.

"Ah! I heard you were coming today for your show," Toadette greeted.

"Yes indeed," Flash responded with a grin. "Everyone, this is Toadette. She'll be helping us during today's-" Suddenly a roar was heard. "...Challenge." As expected, it was Bowser. Various Toads who were out and about started screaming and running around in circles.

"IT'S BOWSER!" One Toad yelled.

"SCREAM AND RUN IN CIRCLES!" Another screamed.

"What is it this time?" Leo asked Bowser.

"I've finally figured it out!" Bowser exclaimed. "I've finally figured out how to beat you!"

"Oh? And how do you plan on doing that?" Ryoma pressed. It was then Kamek, who Flash assumed was dead, flew down with a cackle.

"By this!" Kamek waved his wand and charged up a burst of magic, then threw it right at the ground. A purple mist was created from the impact, and out from the mist came ten figures. Upon closer inspection, the players would find they were carbon copies of themselves...save for a few changes. The big thing was that they looked like them, but were mainly formed from the purple miasma that Kamek created.

"Go on! See how you fail against yourselves!" Bowser laughed.

"...They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery, but I don't see it," Xander deadpanned.

"What do you mean!?" Bowser roared.

"You seriously just made knock-offs of us because you can't win yourself? That's stupid," Takumi scoffed. "It's just like ripping off someone's hard work and changing it a little."

"You brat!" Kamek shot back. Sakura hid behind Camilla, who wasn't amused by this.

"How cute. You're too scared to face us all by yourselves, even when we're unarmed," Camilla folded her arms. "Even with your sorcery, we're still going to beat you."

"Get them!" Bowser ordered Kamek and the clones. A large scale brawl broke out in the square, Toadette hiding inside her house and Flash dealing with Kamek himself. The Toads in hiding peeked their heads out to see how the fight was going, with the real deal Hoshidans and Nohrians winning by a large margin.

"You can't beat the originals!" Elise stuck her tongue out at Bowser once the fighting was finished. Bowser grit his teeth, but then had a wicked grin.

"I'm not done with you yet," He said. "I've got a special weapon!" He held a magic wand of his own. "The Minimizer!" With a wave of it, he shrunk all of the players and Flash down to smaller sizes in a similar way a Mini Mushroom would shrink someone.

"What the- What did you do to us!?" Keaton exclaimed.

"Aw, now I can't jam out to Avenged Sevenfold…" Flash lamented, remembering that he left his phone and earbuds elsewhere.

"That's not important right now!" Subaki flailed.

"Gahahahaha! Say goodbye, pipsqueaks!" Bowser raised up his foot to stomp on them all, sending a wave of panic through them all. Elise and Sakura clung to Camilla and Subaki respectively, both willing to use themselves as shields for the young princesses, even if it seemed to be a fruitless endeavor.

"Damn...is this the end?" Flash grit his teeth. He didn't show it, but he was afraid of dying here today. There wouldn't be anything left of him to give a proper viking funeral for!

However, that fear would be short lived, as a voice stopped Bowser dead in his tracks.

"That's enough!" Flash recognized the voice.

"Wait a minute...oh Gods, is that who I think it is…?" He and the others turned to the direction of the voice.

They would see a young lady with long black hair that reached to her shoulder blades, wearing a purple dress with Peach's brooch. She also had purple gloves and a crown in the colors of the Unversed, purple high heels and had on eyeshadow and lipstick that was the same color. For any of the Nohrians, with all that royal purple she could've been mistaken for one of them. But this young lady was no such Nohrian.

"Kai!" Flash exclaimed, a smile on his face. "Praise Arceus that you came!"

"Who?" Keaton blinked in confusion. "You know this person?"

"Of course I do," Flash responded. "I remember Kai from my time with this Heores of Light group. Didn't do much back then, but I was just as important as her."

"Ah, I do believe I remember her too," Xander commented. "If I recall correctly, Kai was next in line for the throne of the Mushroom Kingdom, but didn't believe she was ready. From the looks of things, I say she's grown into a fine queen."

"This isn't your business!" Bowser roared at Kai.

"Oh, but it is," Kai objected. "You come into my kingdom, start a fight here, and are scaring my people?" She summoned a weapon in her hand, a Keyblade customized in a fashion that would scream 'This is based off Minish Cap!' "I am not going to stand idly by and let you keep doing this."

Toadette whispered to the small group. "Everyone, get in here now! Kai will handle this."

"Right. We can't afford to get caught up in their fight," Ryoma agreed. "We'll run the risk of getting squished if we do!" With that, the eleven small individuals rushed inside Toadette's house.

"Kai...I so owe you big time for this…" Flash breathed a sigh of relief once they were inside.

"This isn't the first time Bowser used that wand," Toadette said. "Though I wonder how he managed to fix it."

"Anyway, Kai should be able to handle Bowser," Flash added. "If you could follow us…" The group followed Flash and Toadette to another room in her house, which was, to the small players, a large room filled with various normal sized musical instruments - a piano, violin, drums, and even a horn of some sort.

"Welcome to my music room, everyone," Toadette announced. "We were supposed to do this normal sized, but since we're all tiny...we'll just have to make do."

"All these instruments inlies today's challenge. You're going to be split up into pairs again, and will navigate around the room to each of the instruments. Toadette will judge your performance on each one, and if you pass, you will earn a stamp. The first team to earn all four stamps wins." Flash explained. "Easy enough?"

"Yeah, but...we're all teeny!" Peri pointed out. "How're we supposed to play these now?"

"Figure it out," Flash responded. "You're all resourceful individuals. I have faith you'll be able to do this."

And so the pairs were determined - Camilla and Elise, Ryoma and Peri, Takumi and Leo, Xander and Sakura, and Subaki and Keaton.

"Okay! Toadette, you host till I get back. I'm gonna try and find a way to signal for Silas or Kaze to come help." Flash instructed, rushing off to do that. The five pairs split off searching for the instruments.

With Camilla and Elise, the two were taking their time to get to the instruments.

"I love music, so I feel like I'm in my natural element today. Winning shouldn't be hard, but I need to keep my strength up...Camilla can help me out with that, so being paired up with her was the best case scenario!" -Elise

"So...Camilla," Elise started.

"Yes dear?" Camilla was curious as to what was on Elise's mind.

"I was just wondering something...what would happen if there was Christmas every day?" Elise asked, her eyes looking up to Camilla for some sort of answer.

"Hmm...that sounds like a silly idea," Camilla answered honestly.

"Huh? Why?" Elise stepped closer.

"Because Elise, when you think about it, if we had Christmas every day we'd all be lucky to get a single present," Camilla elaborated. "I don't know who would want that when you know that, but odds are they haven't thought that far ahead."

"Yeah, that makes sense…" Elise mused. "But I don't need any sort of presents like that. You, Leo, and Xander are all the presents I need on Christmas Day!"

Camilla smiled, bringing Elise in for a big hug. "D'aww...you're too sweet!" She happily exclaimed. Elise giggled.

"I know what I am, Sis," She responded. "There's something else I need from you."

"Well, if it's needing to keep up your strength for playing the instruments so we can win today, say no more," Camilla cheerfully stated.

"Woah...it's like you read my mind!" Elise was surprised.

"We've been together for...how long now? I know you better than you know yourself," Camilla smiled. "C'mon." So with that, Camilla got Elise on her back to piggyback her around the room to the instruments.

"Being shot with eggs, wrestling with a giant lizard, and carrying around my darling siblings on my back - in this case literally - are all things I'm willing to do for them. This isn't for a game purpose, but because it's just what I do." -Camilla

With Ryoma and Peri, Peri was hurrying ahead, wanting to get stamps for playing well.

"I gotta keep winning things for Lord Xander. If Prince Ryoma and I win today's challenge, then Lord Xander will be safe! Then he'll tell me how good I am to him!...I wonder how Laslow would do in my position." -Peri

"Peri, you ought to pace yourself," Ryoma advised.

"Huh? Why should I do that?" Peri stopped in her tracks.

"You'll tire yourself out before we get all the stamps," Ryoma explained. "I'm positive that the others know this, so we shouldn't have to rush."

"Oh...yeah, you're right!" Peri giggled.

"Peri is...certainly a ball of energy. She's proven her strength in challenges before, and I would say she's a rather valuable ally to keep around. However, I'm worried that she might snap if Xander is voted out before her...hopefully, Xander's siblings will be able to stop her if that happens." -Ryoma

Takumi and Leo did not talk to each other at all as they walked. They instead were planning out their next moves against each other.

"Throwing the challenge is a legitimate tactic I can try to get rid of Leo. I've hated how he acts like he's not a threat, but he's the biggest one out of the Nohrian royal family. There's no way someone like Elise could be bigger. Seriously! She doesn't act her age, how could she be a big player?" -Takumi

"Every single time I listen to Takumi talk about wanting to get rid of me, the more I want to hit him. Of course, I can't do that so the best thing I can do is focus on myself. Getting rid of him will be one less distraction to deal with later down the road." -Leo

Because they did not talk to each other, they were able to reach the drums before anyone else. Toadette was quick to get to them.

"Hey guys," She greeted. "Are you ready to play?"

"You could say that," Leo responded. Before Toadette could say anything else, a loud, punk metal noise began making its presence known from another room in her house, causing everyone in the room to cover their ears.

"GAAAAAHHH! WHAT IS THAT RACKET!?" Takumi screamed.

"I thought I told Ibuki to keep it down!" Toadette responded.

"WHAT!?" Takumi shouted back, having not heard the girl.

"Whatever it is, it's distracting!" Leo cried out. "Go get that to stop!"

"What!?" Toadette didn't hear Leo, but went off to go get whatever that racket was to stop. After a couple seconds, it died down. Toadette then returned.

"Phew...I'm definitely going to get some noise complaints for that…" Toadette breathed a sigh of relief.

"Gods, that hurt my ears…" Takumi complained.

"Give us a minute, Toadette," Leo then said. "We clearly need a moment to recover after...whatever that was."

With Xander and Sakura, the younger Hoshidan princess lingered behind Xander, spooked by the loud music that sounded moments ago.

"It's stopped now Sakura," Xander reassured. "We're fine now."

"Y-Yeah, but…" Sakura trailed off.

"I'm kinda...nervous to be with X-Xander...he's really smart...I can't g-give away my secret alliance...because...if I do I-I c-could be pegged as a threat…" -Sakura

"But what?" Xander was curious to hear what the matter was.

"I'm scared that...um…" Sakura didn't know how to answer. "I-I'm sorry...this is awkward…"

"It doesn't have to be. I swear it," Xander urged. "If you have something to say, please- just say it."

"...M-Maybe later…" Sakura turned away.

"Sakura is difficult to communicate to. I can understand the anxiety in our current situation, along with the cameras being focused on her, but...communication is key. Without it, there could be information missed out on that could lead to complications leading to one of us getting ousted." -Xander

With Subaki and Keaton however, communication wasn't much of a problem. Both guys were rather casual in their tones.

"So last night before we all went out to sleep, I took Lady Camilla out to this graveyard and asked her if I thought it was cool," Keaton said. "Although...she didn't seem to like it."

"You thought given her...ruthless presence in battle, she would've?" Subaki wondered.

"Yeah. Just goes to show you don't really know someone from watching them," Keaton responded.

"It's alright," Subaki said. "Anyone could've made the same assumption."

"Lady Camilla, from what I know of her, has two sides of her character. On one side, she is this absolute kind-hearted soul who always has a seat open for everyone in the kitchen. On the other side however, is essentially how a mother bear would protect her cubs in human form. I'll have to make sure I don't awaken that side of her." -Subaki

"So um...how's Lady Sakura?" Keaton then asked.

"Oh, she's still the same sweetheart that Hana and I know her as," Subaki responded. "This game however has been rather hard on her. I've helped her as much as I could through it all."

"Wow. You must really take your job seriously," Keaton was amazed. "I mean...not to insult her or anything, but you think she would've been gone by now."

"That doesn't bother me," Subaki smiled. "You think it's amazing that we've made it this far in the game, and I thank you for the compliment."

"Hey, don't mention it." Keaton shrugged it off. "Not really fishing for praise here."

"...Speaking of fishing, how do the wolfskin fish?" Subaki then asked. "Assuming you do go fishing, of course."

Back with Camilla and Elise, the pair managed to reach the piano, being the first ones there. Toadette would be over there soon enough.

"Hey ladies," Toadette greeted. "Are you ready to begin?"

"You know it!" Elise chirped. Camilla noticed a name on the piano.

"K. Akamatsu…can't say I've heard of that name." She commented.

"I managed to get this piano from someone who was known as The Piano Freak...I think. I don't remember. It's been some time since I got it." Toadette explained. "All I know is I didn't get it from her."

"Ah, I'm ready to get playing!" Elise folded her arms, getting a bit impatient.

"Ready when you are," Toadette instructed. Elise began scampering up and down the piano, playing the notes that were shown to her. Soon enough, she was finished. She went back over to Camilla, who picked her up in her arms. Since Elise's performance was good enough, they got a stamp.

"Yay!" Elise cheered.

"We got our first stamp, and since I nailed every note, this strategy Camilla and I have is clearly working! If we can keep this up, we've got victory in the bag! Of course, we're all still teeny..." -Elise

Returning to Peri and Ryoma, the two managed to reach the horn. Toadette was nearby, so she quickly came over to judge their performance.

"So...what's the plan?" Peri asked.

"You handle the buttons. I'll handle the harder portion of playing this," Ryoma instructed. And so they did. With Ryoma providing the air, Peri hit the buttons when prompted, earning the duo a stamp.

"Yay!" Peri cheered.

"Good...now...lemme catch my breath…" Ryoma panted.

"Being small and having to play on these instruments? It's far more physically taxing than you'd think. I'm not sure if I'll be able to win this, but as long as I have Peri with me, there's a chance we'll be able to win." -Ryoma

Takumi and Leo were able to get their stamp from the drums, and were moving on to the next thing. Once again, both guys refused to talk to each other. However, Leo decided to speak.

"Remind me why I'm the threat?" He asked.

"Because you're the smart one in your family," Takumi reminded. "Ergo, you're the biggest threat."

"I don't see how intelligence makes me the biggest threat out of everyone to win," Leo countered. "As you can clearly see, some of the challenges have been physically demanding, so smarts alone aren't going to win the title of Superstar."

"Strength alone won't get you to the end, either," Takumi shot back.

"Correct, and I am well aware of this," Leo agreed. "But what exactly is strength to you, Takumi? Physical power? Magical might? Brainpower? Willpower? The definition of strength varies from person to person, as everyone is strong in their own way." Takumi paused. What Leo just said struck a chord with him.

"...He's right. I can't believe I'm saying this, but he's right. All this time, I felt inferior to Ryoma and Corrin because...they had it made! But after hearing Leo, it just hit me. Because right now, I have something that Ryoma doesn't - despite the fact we're at the bottom, I'm not giving up!" -Takumi

Back with Sakura and Xander, the two reached the violin.

"I have a plan in mind for this, Sakura," Xander said. "You go on one side, I'll go on the other. I'll follow your movements."

"O-Okay...if you say so…" Sakura responded.

"Xander is...he's really intelligent, j-just like Leo...but, he's n-not a bad guy...he just, um...can tell things from looking at people. He scares me b-because of that…" -Sakura

Thanks to Xander's plan, he and Sakura were able to easily get the stamp for the violin.

"So what were you trying to say earlier?" Xander inquired.

"I was just p-practicing," Sakura answered.

"Practicing what?" Xander was confused.

"I'm training myself not to be s-so shy. I always get nervous around people. I thought if I could work up the nerve to talk to someone like you…" Sakura confided.

"Someone...like me?" Xander was growing increasingly baffled.

"Well, y-you're the most intimidating person in Nohr!" Sakura exclaimed. After a moment of silence from Xander, Sakura added, "Ack! I'm s-sorry! I didn't mean to blurt it out like that! I'm sure you're actually v-very nice. It's just... you're pretty scary! It's not my fault y-you'd be able to know I work with Elise!" Sakura immediately covered her mouth in shock after realising her mistake.

"...Oh. I see." Xander wasn't stirred by the revelation.

"It's not surprising to hear that Sakura is working with my sister at all. Given how close they were during the incident it's only a matter of knowing Sakura; of course she would align with Elise. I for one do not see the harm in it." -Xander

Sakura then went off to go find the next instrument, Xander following after her.

The teeny players scampered around the music room all working together to get the stamps they needed. Flash on the other hand, was on a mission elsewhere in the house. Tiny he may be, he wasn't going to let that stop him from being able to listen to his music.

As a matter of fact, he remembered now: He remembered that he left his phone at Toadette's house when setting up the challenge, and he was in the mood to listen to his music.

"Now where did I leave it…" He thought aloud. Looking around in the kitchen, he spotted his phone on top of the microwave. Flash then remembered he was tiny. "Well...eh, I'm lazy, I won't use my magic."

He started by trying to climb up the walls, looking for anything he could use as handholds. "Come on, Flashy...it's possible to climb walls in I Am Bread, why can't you do it?" He asked himself, before pausing. "Wait a minute...you're not bread. And that game sucks!" Eventually he decided to try and climb up the lower cabinets to reach the countertop. He found this much easier, but it was no easy task.

Wiping sweat off his brow once he made it up to the top, he saw his earbuds were also next to his phone. "What else did I leave in Toadette's house?" Flash wondered. It was a chore to get his earbuds plugged in and dragged over to begin listening to music.

However, he remembered how tiny he was, as the first song alone was loud enough from the earbuds playing at the standard volume, generated enough force to knock him off the countertop and down on the floor.

By the time Flash got back to the music room, he was covered in dust and dirt, along with his glasses being all smudged.

"What happened to you?" Peri asked.

"Don't even bother asking…" Flash saw that everyone was waiting for him, so he looked up to Toadette. "I take it the challenge has its winner?"

"Yup. Camilla and Elise were the first to get all four stamps!" Toadette reported.

"So...does that mean we win immunity?" Elise wondered excitedly. "Does that mean we can go back to normal now?"

"Don't count on it!" A voice bellowed. It was Bowser! And with him was a Hammer Bro. "You haven't won anything yet, pipsqueaks!" He then chuckled lowly. "I'll tell you what - if you can beat my minion, I'll turn you back." Unknown to all of them, he had two fingers crossed behind his back.

"What happened to Kai?" Ryoma demanded.

"Oh, she's been dealt with…" Bowser grinned.

Outside, Kai was seen lying out on the ground, being carried off by Toads. It was very clear she could've beaten Bowser, but he must've cheated.

"You're on…" Flash shook his fist at Bowser, then turning to Camilla and Elise. "Change of plans you two - whoever wins the battle against Hammer Bro is immune today. Hope you've got some energy left!"

"We can take whatever he throws at us," Camilla mused. "And we don't answer to the help."

"Yeah! What Camilla said!" Elise fist-pumped. "Sister Powers, activate!"

BOSS BATTLE

Camilla vs Elise vs Hammer Bro

Hammer Bro's Chaotic Cacophony

Players: Camilla, Elise

Description: Match the rhythm that Hammer Bro is making by ground pounding on your own drums.

Hint: Both players are working on the same rhythm - speed is the key to success!

Hammer Bro took up position at the drums, Camilla and Elise using a similar four drum set that Hammer Bro was using. Each drum had a color to it - red, blue, green, and yellow. Hammer Bro let out a laugh, prompting Camilla and Elise to exchange a nod with one another.

START!

Hammer Bro began his 'symphony' by badly playing on the drums - red, yellow, green. The two sisters split up to get the first two notes, and Elise was faster on getting to the green drum. With Elise's hit on the green drum, the first rhythm got sent back in his direction to hit him.

Hammer Bro's next movement was a buildoff of the last rhythm. Red, yellow, green, green. Same strategy as last time, but Camilla was able to get the second green before Elise could snatch it for herself.

The next rhythm was new - blue, green, yellow, blue, and red. Elise was faster than Camilla, looking to maintain the lead but lost the round lead on the second blue hit.

It was at this time that Hammer Bro started getting angry - being beaten by two tiny princesses? Quickly, he threw hammers up towards the ceiling, destroying the light fixtures and bringing darkness to the room, save for the one window in the music room.

Score

Elise: 7

Camilla: 5

The good news for Camilla and Elise was that they could see their own drums, but the bad news was they couldn't see Hammer Bro's drums, so they had to rely on their own hearing. Hammer Bro chimed the next rhythm - blue, red, blue, green, green, yellow. Elise, taking careful note of which drum was which, was able to keep up with Camilla, who was able to note which drum was which just as well as she was. Each princess got 3 on this rhythm.

The next rhythm had seven hits, and the challenge was ramping up - red, green, yellow, blue, yellow, green, red. Elise took the lead, but Camilla did her best to stay ahead of her, barely managing to get the majority of hits on the rhythm.

What felt like the last rhythm didn't have eight beats, but nine beats. Blue, yellow, green, red, green, blue, yellow, red, yellow. Camilla took the lead this time, hitting the first three beats, Elise would hit the next two beats, then it would go back and forth between the two, with Elise slamming down on the last one.

"You're going down, scumbag!" She exclaimed, landing the final strike.

Hammer Bro fell on his back, spinning around until he stopped, defeated.

FINISH!

Final Score

Elise: 16 (Plus 3 Final Strike)

Camilla: 17

"Yay! We win! We win!" Elise skipped around happily. "Now we're gonna change back, yay yay yay!"

"And with that, Elise is our big winner of the day - Elise, wins immunity!" Flash announced.

Camilla brought Elise in for a big and motherly hug, the younger of the two giggling like an innocent schoolgirl all the while. Bowser however, slowly clapped.

"Gehahahahaha...so you think you can all be changed back now?" Bowser then revealed he crossed his fingers. "I lied!" He raised up his foot, ready to squish the players and host again. "Say goodbye, for real this time!"

However, this would've happened had it not been for a javelin thrown at the Minimizer. The wand was broken on impact, and suddenly all the shrunken individuals were turned back. Everyone turned to see where the javelin was thrown from. It was Silas!

"Phew! That was a close one," Silas was relieved.

"Well, about time someone came to help us!" Keaton exclaimed.

"Bah! Just when I was about to win!" Bowser growled.

"Give it up, Bowser," Silas demanded, pointing his sword at the Koopa King. "Your meddling has gone on long enough."

"I'm not giving anything up just yet, rookie." Bowser cracked his knuckles. "I have one more trick up my sleeve."

"Hey, if you two are gonna fight, take it outside!" Toadette ordered. Bowser paused for a moment…

Then said, "Fine." Everyone watched from the doorway as Silas got ready to fight Bowser.

"Okay, I got this great gadget for our fight!" Bowser boasted. "Cower before the power of my new Megamorph Belt!" He got a black oval like object with two horns ready, placing it right smack dab on his chest. He turned into a golden block that was surrounded by other black blocks to form what looked like a blocky top.

"On my honor as a Nohrian knight, I will not let any sort of trickery of yours best me!" Silas declared.

Bowser began spinning around the town square, and Silas stayed on the move to remain out of Bowser's way. This phase turned into a real bullfight with fireballs being spewed out in the process. Eventually, Bowser's top form fell over, allowing Silas to get some licks in with his sword, forcing Bowser to take on a second form - a cube this time.

As Bowser rolled about trying to squish the young knight, Silas stayed one step ahead of him and waited for a reprieve. One wouldn't come, forcing Silas to rush in and try to get Bowser to change forms. He was struck with a fireball, but held strong and got Bowser to take on a third form - a snake, with the golden block at the head.

Bowser slithered around in a blocky manner around the square, sticking to the outside and forcing Silas to try and avoid his onslaught. However, as this happened, Silas wondered what would happen if he tried to throw his sword. Taking aim as if he was throwing his javelin, Silas tossed his sword…

And connected. Bowser reverted back to his usual self as the Megamorph Belt was destroyed. He was down, but not out at all. Silas pointed his blade at the Koopa King.

"You're finished," He declared. "Give up."

"Grr...never! You just got luck-"

Bowser was then suddenly cut off by a loud breaking sound - everyone present witnessed a guitar being smashed over Bowser's head, which did knock him out for real this time. They would see the woman wielding it was none other than Ibuki Mioda herself, who Toadette mentioned was at her place earlier.

"Ugh, Ibuki thought he'd never shut up." The musician scratched the back of her head.

"Freaking savage." Flash went over to high five Ibuki. "I should've known you were here with that...impressive performance earlier."

"Impressive? I can still feel my ears ringing!" Takumi shouted.

"Oh, quit complaining," Flash responded.

"Smashed guitars sound way better than unsmashed ones!" Ibuki added with a grin.

"Thank you for the help, miss..uh…" Silas asked for a name.

"I! As in Ibuki Mioda. Buki! As in Ibuki Mioda. Mi! As in Ibuki Mioda. Oda! As in-" Ibuki began.

"Ibuki Mioda?" Silas finished for her.

"Ding ding, we have a winner!" The ultimate laughed. She turned to Toadette. "Thanks for having Ibuki over, Toadette-chan!"

"Ah, don't mention it," Toadette nervously chuckled. Mioda went off, and Toadette finished with, "Ugh, Grambi, I'm gonna get a lot of noise complaints…"

"Godspeed, my friend," Flash sympathized. "Everyone else, we got a vote to do. Let's get back to the fort, you've got all afternoon to figure out who is getting the axe." With that, everyone followed Flash back to the fort.

The final ten began lining up their strategies as to who was getting the boot that night.

Sakura met with Ryoma, hoping he had a plan in mind.

"U-Um...Big Brother?" Sakura spoke up.

"What is it?" Ryoma asked.

"I um….kinda t-told Xander about my a-alliance with Elise...I'm sorry!" Sakura apologized.

"There's no need to apologize for it, for I have a plan tonight," Ryoma explained. "Xander and I only wish to eliminate each other directly, not through backstabbing. So what we're going to do is force a tie. You, Subaki, Takumi, Keaton, and I will vote for Xander, and everyone else will vote for me. If everything works the way I hope it to, Xander and I will face each other in a tiebreaker challenge."

"But, um...what if you l-lose…?" Sakura asked worried.

"Relax, Sister. The people of Hoshido will give me the strength I need to win," Ryoma promised. "Go tell Takumi of what's going on." He went off to find Xander to explain his plan as Sakura went to fulfill her end of the bargain.

"In truth, I'm doing this to protect Sakura and Takumi. I know that the Nohrians will be targeting us soon, so if I can take one of them out now to even the score, then we'll be able to get a foothold we need to survive." -Ryoma

Ryoma found Xander talking with Peri.

"What is it, Ryoma?" Xander asked. Peri stayed quiet, listening intently.

"I wish to duel you in a tiebreaker, so I propose a forced tie vote. 5 of us vote for me, and 5 of us vote for you. And whichever one of us wins, wins." Ryoma repeated his plan to Xander.

"Ha! I like your cunning, Ryoma," Xander complimented. "And I accept your challenge!"

"Ooh! Lord Xander fighting Hoshido's king one on one? That sounds awesome!" Peri squeed.

"If this plan works, of course Lord Xander is gonna crush his equal. He has me cheering him on at all times, so no doubt that we're gonna see him pull out the win! Kee hee!" -Peri

Meanwhile, Takumi did a double take when he heard the plan for Sakura. "Did I hear that right? Ryoma's going to try and force a vote?"

"W-Well, yeah….that's the plan a-anyway…" Sakura then slinked off to her own room as Takumi silently got ecstatic.

"Oh Hotoke, Ryoma, you're a genius! Oh man, I think I can do this now! All I just need is one person to switch his or her vote over to Xander, and boom! He's out! Of course, I could put all my faith in Ryoma but...this is an opportunity. I feel like I need to take it to get out of the bottom." -Takumi

As soon as Sakura was out of sight, Takumi went to go find Keaton.

"Hey, Takumi. Your ears still hurt?" Keaton asked.

"Do you want to flip this game on its head?" Takumi responded. Keaton paused, not sure what he meant by that.

"...Go on…" The wolfskin urged. He repeated the plan that Ryoma formed, surprising Keaton. "Wait, really? They're going to try and force a tie?"

"Yeah, and well...this is the perfect time to get Xander out of the game," Takumi explained. "I know I've targeted Leo and I know I've targeted Camilla, and came so close...but with you, we can make this big move to catch them completely off guard."

"Okay...and all you need me to do is vote for Xander and not Ryoma, right?" Keaton asked for confirmation.

"That's all you need to do," Takumi nodded. "We'll get out of the bottom in no time." He then went off to get ready for the night's vote, extremely giddy, leaving Keaton really confused.

"So...Takumi just gave me all the power tonight for the vote. Why is he saying this is a 'big move'? It's not like there's a jury of our peers we gotta impress...seriously. But I do wanna get out of the bottom...agh, I feel like I'm gonna piss people off no matter what I do, so I just went with my gut here." -Keaton

Sakura was meeting up with her alliance just before the vote. "So...what do you guys think about this development?" Camilla wondered.

"I say we let Ryoma go for it," Elise said. "I mean…" She looked at Sakura. "Either way we split this, we're gonna lose someone...but we all gotta make sacrifices."

"Y-Yeah...we sure do…" Sakura trailed off.

"Lady Sakura, I think I speak for all of us when I believe Lord Ryoma is only doing this to protect you and Takumi. Lord Xander would be doing the same for siblings - it's almost as if they don't want you voted out," Subaki theorized. "At least...not yet anyway."

"Just as Elise said, let's stick with this plan and see how it benefits our game as a whole," Camilla seconded Elise's notion. The four of them all nodded, and went to join the others for this potentially wild Elimination Ceremony.

Once the sun set, the ten remaining players all met in the basement for the voting, Flash once again on screen.

"Hello again folks, and sorry about the shrinkage today," Flash started. "So Leo. We're almost at the halfway mark in the game, we've had some crazy votes already in the merge, do you think this trend will continue?"

"Well, with what I've heard regarding my brother and Ryoma, we're going to keep seeing crazy votes like this for the next few days probably," Leo answered.

"Why? What do you mean?" Flash asked, clearly wanting to know more.

"Ryoma came up with a plan to split the vote tonight between Xander...and himself," Leo continued, surprising Flash.

"...Wow. In all my years of watching competitive reality television, I have never heard such a move like this before," Flash commented. "Keaton, what do you make of all this? Does this seem like a bad idea?"

"I mean, I'm not them so I wouldn't know if this is a good idea or not," Keaton responded. "But uh...if you want my opinion, it seems like they're putting others before themselves."

"So Ryoma. This is a really risky bid you're trying to make here," Flash continued. "If your plan works, and everyone votes the way you want them too, you've still got a 50/50 chance of being eliminated. Also, there's the chance one person could say 'Nah, screw that,' and vote the other way and ruin it all. Are you willing to go all in?"

"For my siblings, of course I would," Ryoma answered.

"Xander, are you in the same boat as Ryoma?" Flash then asked.

"For the same reasons my equal is," Xander nodded. "It's the best way I'll accept defeat from him in this game." Peri giggled.

"Peri, you're clearly excited about this," Flash noted. "Do you have faith that your liege can win this?"

"You're right I'm certain!" Peri answered. "I'm so certain, I wanna vote right now!"

"Takumi, what do you think about this whole vote?" Flash wondered. "I mean...we've got a split vote plan laid out on the line here!"

"All I'm going to say is this…" He turned to Ryoma. "Brother, I just wanted to say thank you for the second chance you've given me in this game." Everyone didn't know what Takumi meant by that, but Ryoma gave a smile as a response.

"You're welcome." He said.

"Alright, I guess we're ready to vote then?" Flash asked. Everyone all agreed. "Alright, it is, time to vote. Xander, you're up."

Outside the fortress on the outdoor stage, everyone in the audience was clamoring with excitement at the possibility of a tie or something else entirely.

"Well, that was probably the boldest plan I've ever heard be laid out. But we know what is said about best laid plans," Azura said. "Hello everyone, and welcome back to another night of excitement." The monitor showed Xander in the voting booth.

"Xander is on board with Ryoma's plan for a split vote. Will it work out?" Azura wondered.

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

"I vote to eliminate Ryoma. May this tiebreaker happen." Xander voted.

"Thanks, you can head back now," Xander left the booth, passing Peri in the hall.

"Peri is confident Xander can beat Ryoma. Her vote should be obvious," Azura mentioned.

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

"I'm voting to eliminate Ryoma for the tiebreaker! Goooooooo Xander!" Peri voted.

"Thanks, you can head on back now." Peri left the booth, passing Elise in the hall.

"Elise wonders how this could benefit her game. How will she vote?" Azura wondered.

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

"My vote's for Ryoma. Good luck!" Elise voted.

"Thanks, you can head on back now." Elise left the booth, passing Ryoma in the hall.

"Ryoma set this whole plan in motion, and he says he's 'all in'. Will he cash out, or go bust?" Azura mused.

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

"I vote to eliminate Xander. May we both have the best of luck tonight." Ryoma voted.

"Thanks, you can head on back now." Ryoma left the booth, passing Sakura in the hall.

"Sakura had Elise tell her she needed to be willing to make sacrifices. Will that be the case tonight, let's find out." Azura said.

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

"Um...my vote is for X-Xander…" Sakura voted.

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

"Subaki's vote should be obvious, but it will be interesting to see how he feels about the aftermath," Azura commented.

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

"I'm voting to eliminate Xander." Subaki voted.

"Thanks, you can head on back now." Subaki left the booth, passing by Camilla in the hall.

"Camilla is with Elise, 'How will this benefit our game?' And we wonder, will it benefit her at all? Let's see," Azura mused.

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

"My vote is to eliminate Ryoma. Sorry darling, but I really want to see this go down." Camilla voted.

"Thanks, you can head on back now." Camilla left the booth, passing Leo in the hall.

"Leo has remained quiet for most the afternoon. Is he on board with Xander's plan?" Azura wondered.

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

"As much as I want to get Takumi out, he'll have to wait. I vote to eliminate Ryoma." Leo voted.

"Thanks, you can head on back." Leo left the booth, exchanging a glare with Takumi as he passed the younger Hoshidan prince in the hall.

"Takumi has a big move in mind to get rid of Xander, but it all hinges on Keaton. Will it work?" Azura thought.

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

"Third time better be the charm, because I'm voting to eliminate Xander!" Takumi voted.

"Thanks, you can head on back now." Takumi left the booth, passing Keaton in the hall. Before Keaton went in the booth, Takumi mouthed, 'Remember, vote Xander!'

"All of the power tonight is in Keaton's hands. Will he follow through with the plan, or side with Takumi for a blindside?" Azura thought.

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

"I've got all the power tonight…" Keaton scratched the back of his head, thinking it over for a moment. "...Agh, what a pain, I'll go with my gut. I vote to eliminate Xander; there Takumi, I said it."

"Thanks, you can head on back now." Keaton then left the voting booth to join the others. A chorus of shocked ooh's and ahh's erupted from the crowd.

"With Keaton's vote, Xander's fate has officially been sealed. Now we wait for Flash to hand down the verdict."

"Alright everyone, 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, Subaki, Camilla, Takumi, Leo, Elise, Peri, and Keaton."

Everyone was anxious to see what would happen.

"Xander? Ryoma? By a vote...of 6 to 4...Xander...you are eliminated from Fates Party."

The results came as a shock to everyone...well, almost everyone.

"Yeah! Take that, Leo!" Takumi taunted in an unsportsmanlike way. While everyone was surprised, Keaton wondered if he made the wrong choice, watching Peri slowly fall to the floor, curling up in the fetal position and crying.

Xander knelt down to her, wiping away her tears. "Peri...dry your eyes. This is not the end." He helped her stand. "Do try to win this for me...okay?"

"O-Okay, Lord Xander…" Peri just started bawling, wrapping her arms around Xander in an iron grip of a hug. After a moment or two of this, he had to let go, before facing Ryoma.

"Some other time we shall cross blades for real," Xander said. "Until then, best of luck to you, and everyone else." Both men shook hands with a shared smile as Xander went up the stairs.

A standing ovation was in order for Xander as he went to speak with Azura.

"Well, that was certainly one way to go out," Azura chuckled. "Sometimes you've gotta risk it all. It's so good to see you again, Xander."

"Likewise Azura," He greeted jovially.

"So...what do you think went wrong tonight?" Azura wondered.

"Obviously, someone flipped," Xander answered. "I have a very strong suspicion that Takumi played a hand in my elimination tonight, since he did thank Ryoma for this 'second chance' he was given in the game."

"Do you believe that what Takumi said was true?" Azura wondered.

Xander shook his head. "As long as Peri is still in there, I firmly believe that she will make his life a living hell until he is out of the game with me."

"Speaking of, this was a concern of Flash's. He was afraid Peri might fly into a homicidal rampage if you were voted out." Azura brought up. "What do you say to that?"

"Peri...she's gotten better," Xander confided. "The war did good for her, as she's starting to learn the difference between right and wrong, but there's always the risk for her regressing."

"One more question, about your siblings," Azura then said. "It was mentioned by Ryoma he was doing this move for Takumi and Sakura, and you said that you were going and doing it for Leo, Camilla, and Elise. If you could turn back time, would you have done anything differently?"

"Not at all," Xander replied. "Maybe would've done something to get me that duel with Ryoma, but things happen. As the king of Nohr, it is my duty to put the people first before myself, as it is my sworn duty to protect and guide them towards glory and prosperity. Likewise, even if we aren't tied by blood, I consider Leo, Camilla, and Elise family. We're tied by something thicker than blood, having survived the concubines together. It was not pretty...but if it meant staying alive to have a successor to the throne, then it had to be done."

"Thank you for your time here, Xander," Azura finished.

"I had fun out here. Maybe I can play again some other time." Xander then got up to go down the torchlit path, one more raucous applause for him.

When he arrived at the lodge, Azama was there to greet him. He was surprised.

"Well well, it seems Xander here was a victim of regicide." The monk said.

"Azama. Witty as always." Xander smirked.

(B-B-B-BLINDSIDE!

Okay, so here's the thing. The original plan was to have Ryoma get eliminated in the tiebreaker, but have it be so epic that the audience at home (in-universe at least), but when I was in Orlando with the fam, I got to thinking what would be a better option. Then I saw the #EpicBlindside from Heroes vs Healers vs Hustlers. JudaiKitsune and I agree that it wasn't the best season out there, so what I decided to do was try and make a better #EpicBlindside than that season did. Lemme know if I did better. Because damn, that felt good!

Next time, we'll get our wah on and see if Peri snaps and tries to kill someone! See y'all then!

EDIT: I have made an announcement on my DA regarding this episode - I cordially invite you to read it once you reach this point.)