Previously on Royal Survivor…

In the Fire tribe, it is the Outcasts who grab the power first…

Ed: If Yoshi and I can take advantage of us being in the alliance cross-hairs, we can smash the Inferno tribe to bits.

"Here's our choices," Yoshi said. "We can side with the smart guys and, for sure, make it to the merge. Or we can side with the predictable girls, and if we make it to the merge, we'll, for sure, make it all the way to the final five or six."

but in the Champion tribe, Wario is the center of the Outcast's world.

Wario: As ironic as it is, I think I'm the outcast in this game. The loner. The traitor.

If we all make it to the finals," Wario began, "Who are they going to vote for, me, or you?"

Bro Mamma: I'd be an idiot to trust Wario. But, like I said, I'll give it a chance.

Funky: Watch out, Wario. Because this is when the real game begins.

Toadette and Daisy form an alliance.

"You and I have to stick together," Daisy said. "If we don't, the guys will take the upper hand."

Toadette: Daisy is smarter than she looks, but that isn't saying much. I think that we both might be sent home at Tribal, but I'll do whatever it takes to prevent that from happening.

Birdo wins a Present challenge, and the other Outcasts react sharply.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Yoshi asked Ed.

"Probably," Ed said. "Birdo, a registered Outcast, has won a challenge, hands-down. Something is terribly wrong."

Bro Mamma: If Birdo really is the only Outcast who can win a challenge, then she could be invaluable. If the curse has lifted for all of us, then halleluiah. But there's really only one way to find out.

And, in a shocking Tribal Council, Toadette proves she has advanced tactics…

"You, my friend, have been played," Toadette said. "I'm not an idiot. Since I had the Outcasts voting for Waluigi already, we might as well have voted for you, BJ."

but Daisy, despite having a chance to win, falls short of beating Bowser Jr in a duel.

Daisy: I'd like to say that my time here has been the greatest moments of my life. But it wasn't. Royal Survivor is Hell on earth. I'll remember it for the rest of my life.

Who will be the next Royal Survivor?

Inferno, Friday

The Survivors of the Inferno tribe, tired from the hectic day of strategy, zombie-walked into the shelter and flopped down next to each other. Toadette seemed to be the most exhausted of the group.

Toadette: My alliance just crumbled, and I'm out of options. BJ and Waluigi's power alliance will vote me out as soon as they can. I'm sunk.

Waluigi: I need to be more careful. If the scales had been tipped any more in Toadette's favor, Bowser Jr. wouldn't be here now.

Inferno, Saturday

In the morning, Ed walked up next to Yoshi, who was testing which stalked of grass made him look cooler when placed in his mouth.

"Any luck?" Ed asked Yoshi.

Yoshi checked his reflection in the river. "I can't make it look anything other than 'Cowboy.'"

"Better than 'Cowgirl,'" Ed laughed. "Anyway, I think I have a game plan set up."

"Hmm?" Yoshi looked around. No other Infernos in sight. "Shoot."

"Because we shattered Toadette's alliance, she'll be desperate to be protected," Ed said. "So we align with her to buy her vote. Then we get rid of Waluigi before he finds out. Then we use an Idol or two to buy us immunity to vote out Toadette, then Bowser Jr, and Presto! We're the only remaining Infernos."

Yoshi tried to let this process in his dinosaur brain. "Wow. And you thought of this all last night?"

Ed nodded. "I think myself to sleep."

Yoshi: How does that even work? I mean, it was like Ed waved a magic wand and got us to the Merge.

"Problem, Edster," Yoshi said. "There are always a certain amount of Idols in play, right? So there's going to be another one in play soon, too."

"If we find it, we'll have three," Ed mused. "Whoa."

"Hate to play Devil's advocate here, but that's a slim to none chance," Yoshi said. "We might not even have to vote out everyone. We could still have a person or two left by the Merge."

"I thought of that," Ed said. "But if we need to, that's the plan we'll fall back on."

Yoshi nodded. "Okay. But still, let's win the next few challenges, alright? I'm sick of not having stuff like we did in the Outcast tribe."

Ed nodded. He was feeling the same way.

Ed: I could tell Yoshi was a bit apprehensive of my plan, and I am too. There's a bunch of different things that can go wrong. But hey, a plan is better than no plan.

Waluigi got up and went hunting. Bowser Jr. woke up and pulled Toadette aside.

"Listen," Bowser Jr. said. "Waluigi is hiding stuff from me. Stuff that might get me eliminated."

"Thanks for telling me that. Do I look like a psychiatrist?" Toadette barked.

"Yes, a lot," Bowser Jr. said. "If we can get serious,-"

"You want to get serious? Ew," Toadette interrupted.

"-We need each other. It's clear that the Outcasts have a power alliance and Waluigi isn't my idea of a good partner," Bowser Jr. said.

"Why do I need you?" Toadette challenged.

"You're on a sinking ship," Bowser Jr. said. "Daisy was voted out just yesterday. Waluigi doesn't like you enough to help you, and the Outcasts would just manipulate you."

"And you wouldn't?" Toadette said.

Bowser Jr. looked at her. "I just want answers. If Waluigi really has a secret agenda he's not telling me, I don't want to be at the receiving end of the backstab."

Toadette nodded. "Listen. Not to put a damper on your sails, but Royal Survivor is a shifty game. Alliances change. You aren't able to trust the people who had your back a minute ago. Don't get all huffy about it. If you ask Waluigi, he'll probably tell you."

Bowser Jr. almost laughed. "So you seriously don't want an alliance with me?"

Toadette held her hands up in defense. "Look. All I want is the Outcasts gone. However that happens, if I'm still in the game, I'm fine. Everyone here, to me and most others, is just a stepping stone to being the Royal Survivor. So if you want to give me a boost, feel free. But I'll muck up your face just like I do everyone else's."

Bowser Jr. shrugged and walked away.

Bowser Jr: I'm not sure if that was a threat, fact, or mission statement, but Toadette put me on edge on how much she looked like she knew. Is everyone in this game more informed than me?

Toadette: Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to chase BJ away, but I needed to speak my mind to him. They are all just hurdles, people in my way. I know it's kind of Rosalina-esque when I say something like that, but it's the mindframe you get into if you play this game for almost a month, with the end not even in sight.

Champion, Saturday

The Champions woke up, and, as usual, got to work.

Peach was a little worried about that.

Peach: I'm a little worried. There's so much work to be done around here, I can't see if any alliances are forming, which is bad, because then I have no idea whether Wario actually got the Outcasts or not or how my alliance with DK is standing.

Wario: As long as I have the Outcasts in my grasp, I'm unstoppable. We vote out the Heroes and then win the rest of the challenges. It's not hard at all.

Bro Mamma was fixing the roof, still. Since that seemed like a never-ending job, Birdo rearranged the schedule and assigned Funky to help with roof duty every weekend. He wasn't happy about it, but it was better than getting rained on.

Funky: It's not that I mind the work, it's just that it never ends. It's a stream of constant labor only broken by breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Since I'm also the best hunter, aside from Wario, I get double duty most of the time. It isn't fair, because since DK and Peach are so afraid of the yellow gambler that they don't want him out of their sight.

Bro Mamma tried to make merry as best she could, but it was cloudy and starting to rain. After the first few raindrops fell, Peach called the campers in.

DK: I was just in the middle of packing up when lighting struck a tree literally twenty feet away from where I was standing. So I left the stuff out. Better than getting electrocuted, y'know?

After everyone was settled in on their beds, they started talking about miscellaneous topics. Peach was rambling to DK about how good Birdo's dishes were, Birdo and Funky were trying to compose a song, and Wario and Bro Mamma were talking about wealth in modern society.

However, like all conversations usually do, they drifted to the topic at hand.

"So, tell us again about the Present Challenge," Wario said. "I think I was too tired to listen well the first time."

Birdo told them about the busts and the numerous presents. She told about how she and Toadette found out numerous things about the current things and went into detail about the mess of alliances in the Inferno tribe.

"That's insane." Bro Mamma shook her head upon hearing the alliance fiasco. "That tribe is a time bomb with a lit fuse. And a short one, at that."

Birdo nodded. "That's what I thought. But then it occurred to me: Yoshi and Ed are over there too, and I hadn't heard anything like this until then. You think they might be the cause?"

"Maybe, maybe not," Funky said. "The Fire tribe was divided already, but Yoshi and Ed coming into the tribe meant they had to change their tactics, and fast."

"I know," Bro Mamma rubbed her temples. "But I just can't wrap my head around the fact that they didn't just band together and eliminate the Outcasts at first glance? Why recruit them?"

"The Fire tribe has never got along very well," DK said. "But still. I makes no sense whatsoever that they wouldn't band together for two measly Tribals to get the Outcasts out of their tribe."

"Wait a minute," Wario said. "You don't think one of them might have an Idol, do you?"

"There were probably Idols already in the tribe," Peach said. "One or two, at least. Maybe, I dunno. But still, Ed is sly enough to hide them. They wouldn't use them if they didn't need to."

The Champions thought on this.

"Hey, guys," Birdo said, "Jeff told me that we have to learn why our tribemates are here."

"We have to or we should?" Wario snorted.

"Well, I dunno, but I think we should, at least. If we learn why each of us are here, on this show, we'll seem more like people and less like animals," Birdo said. "We're all going to do some nasty things while we're here, why not find out why?"

The Outcasts looked at each other.

"Fine, I'll go first," Birdo huffed. "I'm here because I have a hobby. I like to go to foreign countries and help out with the poor and other people. Hand out charity donations, things like that. I can't right now because there's too much to do around the house. But you know about the tremors at LavaLava Island, right? I want to be able to go there to help out."

Funky was next. "I'm here because I need something to kick off my music career. If I can hold a concert on my own, maybe I'll get a sponsorship. I can't be a beach bum forever, y'know?"

DK and the others nodded. "I think I told you why I'm here," DK said. "My great-uncle is dying of kidney cancer. He doesn't have many years left in him, so I want to make sure that he has as much time as he possibly can. It isn't easy, though…"

The others expressed their sympathy.

Bro Mamma: DK looks like he tries really hard to keep his relative alive. It really changes my opinion about him in general.

Wario: I would've kicked DK out before the merge if I hadn't heard that story. I had a few relatives die for various reasons myself, so I know what it's like. It isn't fun, to tell you the truth.

Wario started to tell his tale. "I wish I had a good reason for wanting to win this game, but all I really wanted to do in this game is experience it. If I'm memorable enough, maybe I'll get to play it again. I hope so. But if I did win the money… geez. A thousand grand isn't something I get to think about day to day. I'd probably give it back to the studio, to make this game even more awesome than it already is."

Peach: Wario's reason wasn't selfish, but it wasn't particularly noble, either. I have to give him credit, though. He's probably the only person here who'd actually want to go through this experience just for the experience.

Peach was next. "A lot of the orphanages are failing in Toad Town, mainly for lack of donations. I've been funding them for a while, but this would help a lot. But, for the record, I've always wanted to be on a reality show. I applied to almost all of them."

Bro Mamma was last. "I really want to help support a family, but I'm always away in wars. It's been peaceful lately, but you know there's a war every five or so years… and this Survivor tale would be something really great to talk about on the lam or on a date."

The others nodded. Since everyone had went, they went back to talking about what they pleased.

Funky: It helped to broaden my perspective of everyone here. I also changed who I wanted to vote for.

DK: Most people aren't here just to be here. It's not the case with Wario, though. I almost laughed when he said he didn't know what to do with the money. It's just not something you'd hear from him, y'know?

Inferno, Saturday

The wind and rain was howling and everyone was trying to huddle together for warmth. They were shielded from most of the rain by the shelter, but a trickle still got in, and the wind chilled all of them straight down to their socks.

Yoshi was at the center of the huddle, mainly because he was the warmest at the start, and the others needed his heat. He was fast asleep, though, dormant from the cold.

Waluigi: Yoshi was passed out from the cold, but still had enough warmth to keep all of us from catching hypothermia. I knew we would survive the storm, but the shelter certainly wasn't built with storms in mind.

Bowser Jr: I guess Koopas can generate their own heat, because I never really had a problem with it before. Still, it was pretty damn cold out there, and we were getting desperate.

Toadette: That storm was, by far, the coldest I had ever gone through. It was awful.

Ed: It was terrible, being out there. It only made it worse that the only thing I could think of was our old clay shelter. This wouldn't be a problem then. At all. Sigh…

Later…

The storm had subsided, and the Inferno tribemates were looking at the damage. The shelter was weak, at best, and a tree limb had crushed part of it. Various equipment had been scattered around, also.

But it got worse.

Both of Yoshi and Ed's Idols were missing.

"Holy _," Ed said as soon as he noticed the Idol weren't where he hid them, in the crevice of a tree. Yoshi couldn't his, either. They looked everywhere.

Yoshi: Man, now we're totally defenseless if the others band together against us. This has ruined my entire game.

Ed: So much for the plan. We had two Idols to fall back on, and now they're both on the ground where anyone could find them. And it's only going to go downhill from there.

Toadette, who was nearby, picked up a strange rock in the dirt. Further examination led to her doing a mini squeal upon realizing it was a lost Idol.

Toadette: A stroke of good luck hit me today. In the storm, someone lost an Idol. Ed and Yoshi were looking frantically for something, so it might be them. Anyway, I won't tell Bowser Jr. because he might flip back to Waluigi's alliance, but if I can find out who's voting for whom, I can majorly upset the balance.

Yoshi noticed Toadette putting something in her pocket, and quickly ran to tell Ed.

Yoshi: Crap. If Toadette really has one of our Idols, it's as good as gone. This makes Waluigi our prime target.

Ed: As soon as I found out Toadette had an Idol, I knew I needed to keep a close watch on her. I saw Bowser Jr. talking to her earlier, and I think he might have flipped.

However, the frantic searching was interrupted by Waluigi noticing that there was Tree Mail. He jumped up to grab it. It had one simple line:

Time for Redemption

Waluigi showed the others. "Another Advantage challenge? So soon?"

Bowser Jr. studied it. "Nah. It's probably going to be something like the Roulette challenge, where the game was all mixed up."

"Man, this sucks," Toadette brooded. "Just what we need. Royal Survivor: Scrambled Egg version."

"The game has changed a lot since it's begun," Ed admitted. "Why not change it more?"

"We may not even recognize the game by the time it's done," Yoshi mused. "I mean, Coin Challenges are just a distant memory, right?"

Toadette nodded. "I guess there's no avoiding it. Let's go."

Champion, Saturday

"Time for Redemption," Peach repeated. "What does it mean?"

"That's about as mystifying as a double rainbow," Funky said. "What does it mean?"

"It means we're in for another messed-up challenge," Wario said. "And I'm not looking forward to it."

"No kidding," DK said, "but we might as well just go."

Redemption Challenge

The contestant, all eleven of them, took a boat ride out to the middle of the sea. A giant platform was suspended above the waves. It wasn't much to speak of; it had a smooth, brown metal surface. A fifty feet square of no interest whatsoever.

Except for the contestants. They were about to decide the most major issues of Royal Survivor… who stays and who goes.

And on this simple pad they would compete in three challenges: All of them major. All of them physically and mentally taxing. They would do so without breaks, without pauses, their tiny hearts and minds stressed to the limit by this straining series of trials.

It was time for redemption.

Redemption Challenge, Part One: The Rebirth

The contestants were unloaded onto the metal dock, all wondering what this simple pad had in store for them.

Peach: Royal Survivor has a way of playing with your mind. I mean, the place didn't look like much, but I was getting a little paranoid of challenges.

Bro Mamma: I can't even count the days that I've been out here. Twenty-four? Twenty-five? And it just keeps getting worse. I feel like I have had almost no contact with the outside world, save for when our relatives visited.

Jeff and Ben were waiting for the contestants at the center of the square. The contestants stood and faced him.

"Welcome, Royal Survivors," Jeff said. "Today will shatter your perspective of this game. Most of you would agree that this game is insane, crazy, mind-blowing, exhausting, and downright tough." Jeff laughed, which put the contestants on edge. "Believe me when I say this: You ain't seen nothing yet."

"Yeah," Ben said. "We have several new challenges. We have multiple different ways to make you have to rethink your entire gameplay over and over again. We will bring chaos and disorder to your tribes through this trials and challenges. We will steal from the rich and give to the poor. We will give treasures to those that have everything. You have seen so far only one third of what we have in store for you.

"And today, right here," Ben continued, "We will show you another few percent of the spectacularly terrifying experience we have prepared and ready." Ben signaled to a crew nearby. "Bring them out."

A hatch opened from below deck. The contestants could not believe their eyes when Toad, Luigi, Diddy Kong, Mario, Rosalina, Bowser, and Daisy walked out, in that order. Some even screamed.

"This is called a Redemption challenge. We will have, three, total. These contestants are before you today to come back into the game, at your expense," Jeff said. "One of them will come back because they have a touching reason that will pull at you heartstrings.

"One of them will come back through force in the second part of our spectacular Redemption Challenge.

"One will come back just to make ruckus and mayhem as a self-sufficient Ravager to your lands. Who will they be? You'll find out in a moment," Jeff finished.

"In the first part of this challenge," Ben began, "each of the contestants will tell their story. You will choose one to come back into this challenge. You will also pick in what order they present their cases. You may pick now."

The Royal Survivors formed a quick huddle.

"I'd like to see what Toad has to say first," Toadette said. "How about we just go in chronological order?"

"Yeah, that makes sense," DK said. The others agreed.

"We'll have them present in the order they left Royal Survivor," Funky told Jeff.

"So be it," Jeff said. "Toad, you will present first."

Toad stepped up. "I'd like to win Royal Survivor because I could use the money to help a friend who's in an institution. His family doesn't have enough money to give him therapy, and I don't have any to spare."

The Royal Survivors nodded. It was Luigi's turn next. "Royal Survivor would help me start up a play that I've always wanted to produce. It would help me raise awareness about cancer and heart disease, also," he added.

Then Diddy's turn. "I wanted to win Royal Survivor the same reason DK does: To help our relative in his battle with cancer. It's hard, because he needs thousands of dollars in care a day, and we can't keep it up much longer."

Then Mario's turn. "I want to win Royal Survivor to help out with the LavaLava island evacuation. They won't be able to get everyone out in time because they're so underfunded."

"There's been an evacuation?" Birdo whispered to Yoshi. He shrugged.

Birdo: I had no idea that they were evacuating. I favored Mario instantly in this case.

Wario: Personally, I didn't want any of them back, but I was leaning toward Diddy because of his uncle or Mario because of the evacuation.

Then it was Rosalina's turn.

"The reason I want to win Royal Survivor is to use the money to help prepare for a long journey that would take me to a place where there is rumored to be thousands of lost Lumas. I would love to take those souls under my wing so that they wouldn't be confined to a rock anymore," Rosalina finished.

The contestants considered this.

Waluigi: Rosalina had a solid reason, this is true. But I'd sooner bring Luigi back than risk her coming back into this game, and you know how much I hate Luigi.

Bowser was next. He took a deep breath before he began. "I want to win Royal Survivor for my son, Lemmy, who was diagnosed last month with brain cancer in stage four. He… he'll only live another month or two. He told me that he wanted me to win something on TV. He's only eight years old. I'm… I'm trying to honor his last request."

The contestants were shocked.

Wario: … . I kicked out the wrong person. But I guess… Nah. There's no excuse for that.

Peach: I really hate to say this, but I can't blame Wario for voting Bowser out. I mean, who knew? I might have done the same thing. But… that doesn't really make me feel any better.

Even when it was Daisy's turn, she turned down the opportunity. "Forget it," she said. "I don't deserve to be here as much as Bowser."

Jeff nodded. "Now, contestants, you must vote for the person who you think deserves to be on Royal Survivor most," he said, although it was a blow-out anyway.

Luigi: Yeah, I agree Bowser deserved to be here most of all. But hey, there're still two more chances I get to come back into play, and I'm not wasting them.

Ed: It wasn't a question of morality. I mean, who can argue with a guy trying to fulfill his eight-year-old's last request?

Yoshi: I felt bad for Bowser. Truthfully, though, I wanted Rosalina back in this game more than ever. She would make the rest of us look better. I know, insane idea, right? Wrong.

Bowser Jr: I'm extremely worried that Rosalina might get back into this game. That would be catastrophic news for the rest of us.

It was a unanimous vote for Bowser, unsurprisingly.

"Bowser, since he was brought back in this game, has Immunity until after the next elimination," Ben said. "But this game isn't over yet. There are still two more parts left, don'cha know."

"You're really into three-part challenges, huh?" Toadette asked Ben.

"Just wait until you see our seven-part challenges," Ben said.

Toadette laughed nervously. "You're joking, right?"

Ben chuckled. "Maybe, maybe not. But here's how the next challenge works: First, I'll need each of you to jump into the water, even Bowser."

The water was warm today, so all of the Survivors leapt into the water. The camera crew hovered overhead with Paratroopa wings.

Suddenly, a giant metallic click was heard. The metal covering of the metal dock started to unfold upward slowly, and then sink down next to the water beside the raft. The middle of the raft was now open, and a large rubbery surface started to inflate to fill the gap. After everything was set, the contestants stepped out of the water and back onto the slippery surface.

Redemption Challenge, Part Two: The Fight for Redemption

"Here's how this round works," Jeff began. "This surface is incredibly slippery, as you can imagine. Your job is to stay on it. Throughout the challenge, the rubber bubble will constantly inflate, making the surface uneven, thus making it harder to stay on. Also, water will be dumped from our Paratroopa army periodically, dousing everyone and probably knocking down a few.

"If you're knocked down, you can stand back up, but if you fall off the raft, you're out. The last person standing wins. The winner gets individual Immunity. If that person is a redemptee, then they will be back in the game with individual Immunity. Understood?" Jeff asked.

The contestants and the redemptees nodded.

"Then take your places," Ben said as he donned his own Paratroopa wings. Jeff summoned a broom with his Magikoopa magic and flew off to watch with Ben.

The contestants took their places, a good distance from each other. Everyone stayed a good distance from Rosalina.

Rosalina: They all view me as a threat, which to me, is complementary. But whatever. I have never lost a challenge, and never plan to do so.

Daisy: I know I pissed off Rosalina earlier this season, so I'm not expecting any miracles. There's still a chance I might be picked as a Ravager, though. I wonder what that's like.

"Readysetgo," Ben said.

The bubble started to inflate. The contestants held their ground.

DK: It wasn't fun, being on that rubber bubble. Heh, try saying that three times fast.

Waluigi: The bubble was inflating faster than I cared for. My cleats didn't help much, either.

Waluigi was having a lot of trouble staying on. So was Peach, Daisy, and just about everyone else who wore shoes, except for Toadette.

Toadette: The thing about being a Toad is… well, there aren't many advantages to speak of, but I know that it wasn't me having great balance out there. I have terrible balance, but for some reason, I wasn't having any trouble.

Toadette held her ground as the bubble rose about to about a twenty-degree incline. At this point, Peach had already slipped off, and Daisy had picked herself up once. Waluigi had got up but was struggling to find his bearings. None of the others were having any trouble.

Rosalina hopped up onto the top of the bubble without stumbling once.

"Here comes the insanity," Ed mumbled. His feet were already giving way, because the angle had risen to twenty-five degrees.

Waluigi and Daisy both stumbled and fell off. Luigi was having a lot of trouble now, but Mario was having serious trouble. Bro Mamma was having a little bit of trouble by now, but so was just about everyone else.

Except Yoshi.

Yoshi: Don't ask me how I stayed on that long. I just tried to stay near the top of the bubble without getting too close to Rosalina.

By the time the angle had risen to thirty degrees, Ed, DK, Wario, Funky, Birdo, Toad, Luigi, and Mario were all out. This left Bowser Jr, Toadette, Yoshi, Bro Mamma, Diddy Kong, and of course Rosalina.

Diddy: It's no surprise to me that Rosalina was still here at that point in the challenge. She's the Sith Lord of Royal Survivor. I mean, no one can compete with her in any way.

Bowser Jr: I was proud of myself that I had made it that far. I was in the final six, out of seventeen. That's pretty good.

Toadette: My only focus was to beat Rosalina. That was my first and only priority.

Rosalina surveyed her competition. Green fire lit up in her eyes.

Rosalina: Like I was going to pass up an opportunity to use some of my favorite attacks.

Paratroopa soldiers, with water buckets in hand, prepared to dump the liquid at the center of the bubble, right where Rosalina was standing.

The water fell.

Rosalina, sensing the danger, aimed a burst of green fire directly at the torrent. The water instantly turned into vapor, and a blast of air blew Bro Mamma off the platform.

"That's it, we're dead," Bowser Jr. said.

Rosalina smirked at him. "Well, I'm not going allow the slightest chance that I won't come back in this game, now am I?"

Diddy: As soon as I knew that Rosalina was pulling all the stops on this one, I knew we were toast. All we could do was sit and wait as she picked us off one by one.

Meanwhile, the incline was now at thirty-five degrees, and Diddy and Bowser Jr. were having trouble maintaining their footing. Bowser Jr. actually fell, but managed to miraculously pick himself up before he fell off the stage.

The Paratroopa squad aimed another blast. Rosalina sidestepped this one, and the blast headed straight for Diddy. However, Rosalina sent a burst of heat through the water. It scalded Diddy's feet and he was sent sprawling into the water.

Diddy: Like I said, one by one.

Bowser Jr. was next. Rosalina prepared another burst of heat for the coming load.

Toadette had a plan.

Toadette: I had made it this far. I wasn't going to let Rosalina win.

As soon as the load dropped, Toadette charged. While Rosalina was distracted sending the superheated water at Bowser Jr, Toadette ran up and grabbed her hair, pulling her backward. She then slid down the slide, taking Rosalina with her.

This shortly backfired, however. Rosalina summoned her powers and set her own hair on fire, forcing Toadette to slacken her grip. Rosalina regained her footing, and Toadette slid down to the bottom.

Rosalina quenched the flames, and her hair was still blond and glamorous as ever. She got back on top of the bubble. "Clever little sneak," she said.

Bowser Jr. managed to avoid the blast, but ended up falling off after he had jumped out of the way.

Yoshi was now the only one in Rosalina's way.

Yoshi: This was exactly what I had hoped for.

Yoshi flutter-jumped up to Rosalina. "Listen," he said, quietly, so that the others in the water couldn't hear him. "What say I give you the win, and you form an alliance with me when we're in the same tribe, before or after the Merge?"

Rosalina snickered. "Is there any threat to me losing now?"

"Yes," Yoshi said. "Yes there is. Because if you don't get in a voting alliance with me, you'll be voted out—by either tribe—as soon as you go to Tribal, once."

Rosalina thought over this. "…Hmm… I suppose I could give that a chance. But let's make you losing realistic, okay?"

The other contestants watched nervously.

Ed: Yoshi was clearly talking to Rosalina like she had already come back into the game. All of my senses were screaming, Get Rosalina out at all costs!, but I guess Yoshi had some master plan that I didn't know about.

Mario: Yoshi and Rosalina are like two peas in a pod. They think alike, they do alike, but Yoshi, at least, has some grasp of morality, whereas Rosalina will do whatever it takes to win.

Rosalina kicked Yoshi in the chest, and then took his feet out from under him. Yoshi was sent, prone, into the water.

"Rosalina is our champion!" Jeff yelled. "She will have Immunity at the next elimination. Now, in round three, we will decide the Ravager."

"Round three is called the Final Opportunity," Ben said, "Because it is. It decides the Ravager of this game. A Ravager is, simply put, an annoying bug that zips around the island, setting fire to campsites, stealing food, and doing whatever it takes to make your life miserable.

"In this challenge," Ben continued, "the redemptees will compete amongst themselves for that honor. That would be Toad, Luigi, Diddy, Mario, and Daisy. This is more of a technical challenge. We will take them aboard our famous yacht to participate in it.

"Also… a word of warning. We can't just bring three contestants back into the game without some consequence or another. I mean, the game would last forever, you get me? Just don't be too surprised when we sucker punch you, aight?" Ben finished. "Well then, it's time for you to stay here, and for me to go. Jeff will stay here just to keep an eye on you. Toodles."

Ben and the other contestants boarded the boat to go to the yacht. Rosalina, Bowser, and the Royal Survivors (and Jeff) stayed on the raft, which had shrunk back to being a metal board again.

Rosalina: I'm back! Hee hee! Did you miss me? Of course not. I'm the devil.

Bowser: It's exciting to be back in this game, it truly is. I won't blame Wario for voting me out, because I didn't tell him about my son, but I will try to blindside him as soon as I can.

Peach: It's soooo exciting to have BowBow back! He's my favorite of the contestants, I mean, besides me, obviously.

Yoshi: Trying to manipulate Rosalina is like trying to lasso Cerberus. It's a narrow path I have to travel to avoid being voted out at Tribal or not being selected as Royal Survivor. The way I see it, I'll only be the Royal Survivor if I get both Wario and Rosalina into the finale with me, without the others finding out that I helped them get there.

Ed: I know what Yoshi's planning, sort of. He needs Rosalina to get to the finale with him so that he would be chosen instead of her. That's fine with me… but I'm not sure if I'm included in the equation.

Toadette: There's a lot of strategy going around now that Rosalina and Bowser are back in the game. But what has me worried the most is what Ben said. I need to get Waluigi and Bowser Jr. in on this before it's too late.

However, Bowser Jr. had something else in mind. He pulled Rosalina aside and they went to the very corner of the raft.

"I need your help," Bowser Jr. told Rosalina.

Rosalina folded her arms. "Everyone in this game is more welcoming to me then I thought they would be. Fine, then. Talk to me."

Bowser Jr. inhaled. "Okay. I need your help. Waluigi is most likely planning to backstab me sooner or later. Toadette wants the Outcasts gone and is going to do anything to get rid of them. The Outcasts are trying to do something, but I'm not sure what."

"This involves me how?" Rosalina sighed.

"I can help you to the Merge," Bowser Jr. said. "Whatever it takes for you to get there. And all I need from you is voting support."

"So a voting alliance, then," Rosalina waved him off. "Whatever. You don't get in my way, and I won't get in yours. We're square."

Bowser Jr. nodded, and walked away.

Bowser Jr: I'm caught in a loophole. I mean, what am I going to do to prevent Rosalina backstabbing me, too? Waluigi is distancing himself away from me, Toadette could care less, the Outcasts are suspicious in and of themselves, and Rosalina isn't even serious about the whole alliance thing. What am I supposed to do?

Rosalina: If I need Bowser Jr. gone, then he'll be gone at the next Tribal. But he isn't as much of a worry as Waluigi or Bowser or even Funky Kong. Bowser Jr. isn't a dumb kid, but I can tell he's frustrated with not being able to form a game plan. I can understand that, but the bottom line is I really just don't care.

Ed and Yoshi argued over at another corner.

"Look," Ed said, "I know you made an alliance with Rosalina. It was obvious. Don't try to argue with me on that point. But I really, sincerely think that that's a bad idea."

"How so?" Yoshi asked.

Ed sighed. "Do I really have to explain it to you? Rosalina is a lying, manipulative, cheating, dastardly witch who, may I remind you, wins every single challenge she participates in. If that girl makes it to the Merge, we're all goners."

Yoshi looked unconvinced. "We don't need Immunity to make it all the way to the finals."

Ed tapped his foot nervously. "Yes, but if Rosalina makes it past the Merge, we'll never, ever, be able to get rid of her. Ever."

Yoshi thought for a minute. "…You got me there… but it shouldn't matter as long as nobody finds out we're helping her."

"Yes, but if Rosalina scores Immunity every chance she gets in the game, there's no stopping her," Ed said.

"You're forgetting that Royal Survivor is an incredibly unpredictable game. I mean, if it wasn't, Rosalina wouldn't be a problem. I think we should do what we can, where we are, with what we have," Yoshi finalized.

"It would be a lot simpler with our Hidden Immunity Idols," Ed grumbled.

Ed: Yoshi doesn't seem to understand what a threat Rosalina is to our well-being. Or to everyone's well-being, for that matter.

Yoshi: I have a game plan. Whether the game changes or not, I will still have my plan. And now, I'm surer than ever that I'll be the Royal Survivor.

Yacht, Redemption Challenge Part Three: Final Opportunity

The five remaining redemptees, Toad, Luigi, Diddy, Mario, and Daisy crowded into five podiums. On each podium was a buzzer. Ben was standing next to a screen displaying each contestant's name and the number zero.

"Hello, remaining redemptees. This is your final chance to get back into this game as a Ravager. Ravagers will stay in the game for a total of three Tribals. At the third Tribal, they will secretly have a vote, and then they will join the tribe that was in said third Tribal.

"A Ravager's job is to ravage the gameplay. You will do as much as you can to mess up the other tribes. If a Tribe catches you, however, you will be evicted from the game. They will not know this; but they will try to capture you anyway. It's the nature of Royal Survivors, I guess.

"In this challenge, you will have to answer questions about previous episodes. Some of you will know more than others, so we will place handicaps as necessary. Toad, you will have a +3 bonus, Luigi, you will have a +2 bonus. Mario and Diddy, you will both have a +1 bonus. Daisy, you have been here the longest, giving you a -1 penalty.

"Each question is worth a point. Only one person can get said point, however, so the first person that answers wins. It's complicated, right? No sweat, It'll be over soon enough," Ben said.

"First question," Ben said. "This is an easy one. How many people were in this game at the start?"

Everyone quickly answered, 18, but Daisy scored first.

Daisy: 1

"Next," Ben said. "Who won the first Coin challenge?"

Toad buzzed in quickly and said, "Rosalina."

Daisy: 1

Toad: 1

"Who went to Tribal first?"

Toad buzzed in again first, "Hero. I got voted out."

Toad: 2

Daisy: 1

"Who represented the Fire tribe at the first Auction?"

Mario buzzed in. "Luigi."

"Wrong," Ben said.

Daisy buzzed in. "Waluigi."

Toad: 2

Daisy: 2

Mario stamped the ground. Daisy smiled.

"When did Outcast go to Tribal?"

Diddy buzzed in. "Was it… the second Tribal?"

"Wrong," Ben said.

Daisy buzzed in. "Never. It was a trick question."

Daisy: 3

Toad: 2

"Who represented the Fire tribe in the second Auction?"

Luigi buzzed in. "Bowser Jr."

Daisy: 3

Toad: 2

Luigi: 1

"We are over halfway through this quiz. Our current final scores, handicaps factors in, have Toad in first place with 5, then Luigi with 3, then Daisy with 2, then Diddy and Mario with 1 each," Ben said. "Next question: True or false: Outcast won the Double Elimination challenge."

Daisy buzzed in. "True," she groaned.

Daisy: 4

Toad: 2

Luigi: 1

"Luigi and Daisy are now tied," Ben said. "What did Rosalina give the Outcast tribe in Episode 6?"

Everyone looked at each other and shrugged. Daisy suddenly remembered and buzzed in. "Was it… a… curse, or something? I mean, I saw the bright lights and…"

"That is correct," Ben nodded. "And, in this game, that has more implications than just being a question. Use that information wisely, whoever makes it back into the game."

Daisy squealed and nodded rapidly.

Daisy: 5

Toad: 2

Luigi: 1

"Last question. This one is worth two points: How many Idols are currently in play?" Ben asked. "This is a tricky one."

The contestants thought for what seemed like hours.

Daisy mumbled to herself, trying to remember.

Daisy: I know Waluigi had one, because he played it at the last Tribal. But I dunno about the others.

"Hint: The Outcasts are in possession of the others," Ben said.

"Two?" Diddy guessed.

"Wrong," Ben said.

"One, then," Toad said.

"Wrong again," Ben said.

"…Three?" Daisy squeaked.

"Sorry, that's correct," Ben said. "Daisy, you have won the challenge!"

Daisy jumped up and down.

Luigi: Personally, I don't think it's fair that Daisy got back in right after getting voted out, but… she could probably do a lot more damage than I could, anyway.

Toad: I really didn't want to be a Ravager anyway. I mean, I'm not a sore loser, but it's just not my thing.

Diddy: I guess there are other Redemption challenges, anyway. Sigh…

"I don't have anything for you guys," Ben motioned toward the others. "Better luck next time."

Daisy: I'll try not to mess with Toadette, but… I'll sure as hell up Rosalina and Waluigi. Hopefully they'll be on the same tribe. That'll make my job easier.

Dock, Redemption Challenge

Jeff received a call from his radio. The contestants gathered around.

"Okay, the Ravager has been chosen," Jeff said. "You're just not allowed to know who it is. You'll head back to your respective camps. Bowser, since Inferno is down a member, you'll head back to their camp. Rosalina, you're going to come with me. There's still something I need to talk to you about."

The contestants, except Rosalina, boarded the boat and sailed off. After a few minutes, the yacht was at the dock. Jeff and Rosalina boarded the magnificent vessel.

?

Jeff led Rosalina to a dining hall. He popped the top off of a bottle of wine and poured her a glass.

"So tell me…" Rosalina said, taking a sip of wine. "Why am I here?"

"Coming back into this game, you must have a lot of questions," Jeff said. "And It's my duty to make the game for challenging for everyone else."

"Oh, so you're going to steal from the rich and give to the poor, aren't you," Rosalina grinned evilly. "Well… what is it that you have in mind?"

"I'm going to let you in on a secret," Jeff said. "There is going to be a triple elimination next week. It is going to be an individual challenge, and a few people will be given Individual Immunity. If you or Bowser win the challenge, you will give the Immunity to someone else."

"…And why are you telling me this?" Rosalina asked.

"What you do with that information is up to you," Jeff said. "Keep in mind, though: If you don't rearrange what everyone thinks of you, you have no hope of winning Royal Survivor. You must gather friend—true friends—inside and outside of the Jury. That is all I will say on the matter."

Rosalina nodded, and took another sip of her wine. "Don't be a stranger, Jeff. I'll make sure I follow your advice."

"There's one more thing I have to take care of," Jeff said. "Which tribe do you want to merge with?"

Rosalina thought for a bit. "The Inferno tribe. I want to see my fellow Outcasts."

Jeff nodded. "As you like it."

Inferno, Saturday

The new Inferno tribe was: Bowser, Yoshi, Ed, Toadette, Waluigi, Bowser Jr, and later, as they found out, Rosalina. Not many were happy about their prospects.

Toadette: This game has screwed me over so many ways. I cannotbelieve that we're only a third done.

Ed: This game has evolved from a single dimension to about twelve. We have Toadette, Waluigi, and Bowser Jr, who are all scheming against us, Rosalina, who knows what the hell she'll do, and then I'm losing faith in my own judgment with Yoshi. I mean seriously? You're siding with Rosalina?

Waluigi: Don't worry. I have my own game plan. When things go down, I'll find a way to profit from it, even if it means aligning with Rosalina.

Bowser Jr: You're voted off of this game for a reason. Normally you stay off, too! I guess the only good thing about this whole process is I got my dad back, and he's going to side with me, for sure. But I'm still really peeved about how things have gone down.

Yoshi: I'll have to tread carefully around Rosalina. She'll freely manipulate me. I know, because that's what she's done to me in the past.

Bowser: It's great to be back in this game, even if it means being back with Rosalina, and only God knows what she'll be up to. I'm not going to make myself such an easy target this time.

Rosalina: Try to understand: I'm in it to win it. I didn't really get that at first, but I'm going to have to really change my image if I'm going to win that prize.

The Infernos wearily got back to work. Rosalina, just like she always did, directed traffic. She assigned jobs to everyone, including herself. The Infernos didn't like being assimilated, but they knew it was for the best.

Waluigi: I'm happy to work for Rosalina, at the very least. She knows what she's doing.

"Hey," Rosalina asked Yoshi. "Who built the shelter?"

"Us, actually," Yoshi chuckled. "We rebuilt it after you burned it down."

"Hmm," Rosalina said. "Good job."

Rosalina started making finite adjustments to the shelter. Bowser Jr. and Waluigi started talking quietly to each other about their alliance.

"Listen," Bowser Jr. said. "You're not telling me everything you know."

"So you're mad about what went down at Tribal," Waluigi assumed. "I guess I can understand that. But, in all fairness, I didn't know they would go after you. I thought they would go after the Outcasts. They're the biggest threats in this whole operation."

"Yeah," Bowser Jr. said, "but you're missing the point. I didn't know that there was even going to be a possibility that anything like that would happen. I mean, come on. How Toadette managed to pull a stunt like that is beyond me. That was almost the end of the road for me. I'm not expendable, Waluigi. Remember that."

Waluigi chuckled, as if Bowser Jr. was just a little kid who had a lot to learn, which may or may not be true. "If you want advice, kid, ask for it. I'm here for you."

"No," Bowser Jr. persisted, "you're not."

"Fine, then. Have it your way. But the fact is, if we don't bring Toadette and Bowser into the equation, we're as good as sunk," Waluigi said.

"What, you mean bring them under your iron fist?" Bowser Jr. half-laughed. "You're joking. Toadette won't associate with either of us if she can help in, and you and I have both seen that she can has tricks up her sleeve. Bowser would be the only person able to convince her, and he's only going to listen to me, not you."

"You're misunderstanding the concept," Waluigi said.

"No, you need to wake up and smell the roses, Waluigi," Bowser Jr. asserted. "You're just a player in this game like the rest of us. Any secret plan that you have, any tricks you have up your sleeve, won't get people not to vote for you when the time comes. And if you want protection, you're answering to me.

"It's time for me to take charge of this operation. And I swear, Waluigi. Unless you're a goody-two-shoes to me and the rest of the alliance, after I'm through with the Outcasts, I'm going after you next," Bowser Jr. finished.

Waluigi nodded. "Same here."

Waluigi: Bowser Jr… I can't blame him for not trusting me. I'm not a saint.

Bowser Jr: Waluigi has screwed me over too many times. He's too manipulative for my tastes. That why I dissolved the alliance.

Champion, Saturday

The Champions were a bit fed up with the game. They were all grumbling about how the challenge went.

Birdo: That was a bitter blow... I'm just glad we're not on the receiving end. I mean, having Rosalina in your tribe? Madness. Believe me, I know.

Funky: Zombie Survivors. Just what we needed. As if the game wasn't complicated enough.

Bro Mamma: Y'know, sometimes I wish this was just plain old Survivor. The strategy of the whole thing is killing me. There's just not enough hours in an average day to get everything done.

They all packed up and got back to work. Funky and Bro Mamma had finally fixed the shelter roof, so they went and gathered supplies for dinner. It was a rather uneventful evening after that.

It was one of their last quiet days.

Inferno, Saturday

Rosalina was trying to wrap up the activities at the end of the day. But Toadette didn't want to cooperate.

Toadette: …I was just irritated about the whole ordeal. Sue me. I don't like Rosalina, never will.

"Why won't you just find some more firewood?" Rosalina asked Toadette. "It's easy, and it's the last task of the day."

"We already have plenty," Toadette whined. "It's not like it won't be there tomorrow."

"We only have firewood for two nights," Rosalina argued. "If it rains, we won't be able to get firewood for three or four days. This is the best time to get some more of it."

"Then get it yourself," Toadette said. "It doesn't concern me. We just had a heavy rain before you came into this game. It won't rain until a few days from now, at least."

"It could rain at any time," Rosalina insisted. "I don't think it requires much effort to just find a few twigs."

Bowser Jr. watched the two girls go at it from afar.

Bowser Jr: I agreed with Rosalina on this one. I would've just gone and got the stupid firewood. Toadette was just arguing because she was mad that Rosalina was here in the first place.

"Look." Toadette was fed up. "Fire tribe members are the dominant force in this tribe! We control what goes on around here, not you!" Toadette was steaming mad at Rosalina. "If you don't like it, go cry to your mom! Helluva good job she did raising you, screwball."

All fire in the vicinity instantly went out, and was replaced with a green flame. Rosalina's eyes flared with an eerie green glow. Toadette backed up.

Rosalina picked Toadette up and slammed her forcefully against a nearby tree, sending half a dozen coconuts to the ground.

"My mother," Rosalina hissed, "died when I was nine… years… old. Toadette, if you ever… ever… question my authority in this tribe, you're headed for the abyss."

Rosalina was inches from Toadette's face. "The Outcasts have the numbers in this tribe, make no mistake of that. I'm letting you off easy, this time… but if you ever insult me, belittle me, or back-talk me ever again, I'll show you what I'm really made of. Don't push your luck. You'll need it."

Toadette was trembling. She nodded hastily.

Rosalina let Toadette down, and she slumped to the bottom of the tree. Rosalina dissolved in green flames and disappeared.

The fires nearby reverted back to their original color. Bowser Jr. chuckled nearby.

"You realize," he said, "that you've sealed your own fate in this game. Rosalina isn't the forgiving type."

Toadette didn't answer. She was shaking violently.

Bowser Jr: That was scary… even for a bystander. For a minute, I thought she might literally blow up in Toadette's face. But, overall, Toadette had it coming. I'm just glad Rosalina didn't go light-show on our camp, like she did last time.

Ed: I saw Rosalina threaten Toadette… I was freaking out myself, a little.

Bowser: Junior told me what happened, and for the most part, I didn't care. Rosalina's actions weren't justified, true, but Toadette was a menace to the Fire tribe's sanity all throughout the game, or so I hear. She deserved it, I suppose.

Champion, Sunday

And so another day began, with the same hopes and prospects shining among all contestants.

Funky checked for Tree Mail, like he did every morning. To his surprise, there was actually some at hand.

Bring your whole tribe

So you can decide

Who will leave and

Who'll stay for the ride.

He read the mail to his tribemates, and gathered them up for the challenge.

Inferno, Sunday

The Inferno tribe had woken up early. Toadette was still shaken up from yesterday, though.

Toadette: My prime goal is still to get rid of Rosalina. I underestimated her incredibly, though.

Rosalina: Toadette pissed me off yesterday. I hope I got it through her head that I don't tolerate that.

The Inferno tribe gathered around the fire. It was just before daylight, so it was cold and damp.

"Y'know," Toadette said, "I think we should tell each other why we're here."

Waluigi snorted. "Why do you care?"

"I just think it's a good idea," Toadette said. "Like a bonding exercise. And truthfully, I don't care, if you want to know, but I might after you tell me your story."

"Okay," Waluigi said. "My story is this: Once upon a time, the end."

Bowser Jr. snickered. Toadette glared at Waluigi.

"Fine," Waluigi said. "I need the money for funding. You know how millions upon millions of people die each year because of smoking? I'm thinking about inventing a steam-based cigarette. It'll still kill you a little bit, but it's something like 60% less toxic than a regular cigarette."

Bowser Jr. was next. "I'm not here the same reason as my dad… It's not that I don't care about my little brother, but the million coins will pay for a lot of pet projects I have. I breed Chain Chomps and stuff. I'm also here because I just want something to talk about with normal people. I'm not the best at starting a conversation, y'know?"

Ed was next. "I'm in here… well mainly because my wife made me apply, heh-heh… but I'm here because, at about ten years old, my son, Jacob, got hit by a drunk driver on the side of the road. He died about two years ago because of injury complications. It just stuck me by surprise, and it kind of… well, made me who I am today. I can truly tell you now, that if you lose a child, you lose your soul. I'm half of what I was while Jacob was with us. I'm just no fun anymore."

The Inferno tribes paused, thinking about this. They offered their condolences to Ed.

Next: Yoshi. "I want to win the money to help support Birdo. We figured that if we both got in, one of us would win the game. Currently my parents are watching over the kids, probably spoiling them rotten… but I think that I wouldn't miss this for the world. I'm enjoying the heck out of this game.

"I mean, think about it! Out of the billions of people, Toads, Koopas, Yoshis, and others that live in the Darklands and the Mushroom Kingdom and the chain of Yoshi Islands, we were picked to be a part of this! I would've never dreamed of making it this far into the game. It's insane. I was ecstatic just to get into the game in the first place. Going through it all, the drama, the challenges, the Merge, it's just an experience that almost no one else gets to do in the entire world. I'm more excited about being here than probably all of you put together." Yoshi looked around. "And… I can see I'm losing you."

The Inferno members snapped back into focus. Toadette yawned. Yoshi chuckled, embarrassed.

Since Rosalina and Bowser had already told their stories, Toadette was the last one that had a tale to tell.

"The family business, it's sinking. I mean, I don't really want to be here, but I was chosen, so I've tried to make the best of it. I'm just trying to win the million," Toadette insisted. "I'm not the most likable person, I know, but I've tried my hardest to stay in this game. It might not have looked like it at first, but I had a game plan from the very start. And if I win that million, It'll go straight to my mom's business, no questions asked."

"What's your family business?" Bowser asked.

"We own a bakery," Toadette clarified. "We're in debt because of expansions we made lately. We're not sinking, but we're going to stay in debt for thirty or forty years or so if we don't manage to get a racket going. That's why I'm here. I know it's not the best reason in the world, but I'm going to fight just as hard as anyone else to get into the final. Count on it."

The Infernos nodded. Shortly after the conversation was finished, the Tree Mail arrived. The Infernos went off to compete in the challenge.

?

The challenge grounds were in the middle of a dense forest. It was more or less a hiking path; a crossroads at which both Jeff and Ben stood. A sign covered with a tarp stood behind them.

"Rule of thumb," Ben told the fourteen contestants. "When both Jeff and I are here, it's going to be a big challenge. Just something to keep in mind."

"Here's how today's challenge works," Jeff said. "It's called a Banishment challenge. Before you ask: No, it doesn't involve the Lone Island. That'll be in a week or two. Anyway, you will be asked a series of yes-or-no questions by signs.

"If your answer to the question is yes, go left. If the answer to your question is no, go right. You will answer up to four questions," Jeff continued. "At the end of the path, you will receive a gift that will impact you in the upcoming vote, depending on your choices.

"Some of the gifts are unlimited, but some are. Choose wisely," Jeff finished.

"Also…" Ben began. "Just in case you get tired… there's a rest stop at every sign. Take it and observe your opponent's choices. Remember there's no stopping you from lying in this game, just that it doesn't always pay off, got it? A lot of the upcoming challenges are information-based, so be sure to keep track of what goes down."

"First question," Jeff said as he unveiled the first sign.

It read:

Do you have a Hidden Immunity Idol?

"You may start when ready," Jeff said.

The contestants hesitated.

Funky: We were stuck. If we said yes, everyone would know we had an Idol, if we said no, everyone would know we didn't.

Wario: He said we could lie. I guess I would, because then everyone would fear me a little bit more.

Wario went to the left, which meant he had said yes.

Peach looked on, worried.

Peach: There's no doubt in my mind that Wario could've gotten an Idol. But how? Or was he just lying? Arrgh, brain hurts…

Peach followed Wario. The rest of the contestants soon spread about the path.

Wario

Wario was the first to leave, so we will chronicle him first.

He ducked left at first, then ran along the path for a few minutes before coming to another sign.

It read:

Are you going to use it soon?

Wario was confused for a minute before he realized that it was referring to the last question.

Wario noticed that there was a pitcher of lemonade with plastic cups by the sign, but didn't want to waste time.

Wario went to the right, which meant he wouldn't use it soon. He was safe enough already, and even though his alliance didn't entirely trust him, he was safe for the time being.

Wario soon reached the second sign. A few cake slices awaited him, and he eagerly snatched one up.

Wario: I knew it was a distraction. But hey, I haven't had a snack for a week or two. It drives me a bit nuts.

While he was eating, he read the sign.

Are you in an alliance?

Wario studied the sign. He heard a rustling, and soon Bowser Jr. appeared out of the bushes.

"Cake?" Wario offered. Bowser Jr. nodded and took a slice.

"You look exhausted," Wario remarked.

"Tough… challenge…" Bowser Jr. panted through his bites.

Wario nodded and continued on to the left.

The third path was the shortest of all of them. Wario made it to the next post in under a minute. At the base of this post was a pot of fondue with a loaf of bread on the side. Wario couldn't resist the temptation to indulge himself.

Wario: Yeah… I went a little nuts there.

When the fondue was finally gone, Wario looked up at the sign.

Are you worried?

"How could I be worried with such great food everywhere?" Wario laughed. He went to the right.

The last path wasn't considerably long, but wasn't short, either. At the end of the road, he met DK and Waluigi.

"Where's the treasure?" Wario asked. Waluigi shrugged.

"You missed it. We made the wrong choices, so we get nothing," Waluigi said.

"Wait, so those were yes-or-no answers?" Wario was fuming.

"Nah, it's just that we really didn't need anything," Waluigi said. "No turning back, buddy. We're stuck here until the challenge ends."

Toadette

Toadette had gone to the left along with Wario. She ran after him, trying to catch up, because she didn't want to be the last one to get the gift.

However, it was too late. By the time she had gotten to the second sign, Wario was not only out of sight, but Toadette was physically spent. She went and drank a cup of lemonade to recharge, then read the sign:

Are you going to use it soon?

Toadette said yes, and pushed onward.

Toadette: I said yes because I wanted to play this challenge honestly. Let's face it, I'm one of the most targeted people in the Inferno tribe.

Toadette soon pushed on to the second sign, under which a fruit cup with silverware stood. She took a few bites but resisted to take any more. She read the sign.

Are you safe?

Toadette raised an eyebrow. Didn't they sum that up in the last question?

Toadette put the fruit cup down and continued on the path. It seemed like it would never end, but eventually it did.

At the end of the path, Ben was waiting for her.

"Congrats, Toadette," he said. "You have won Immunity."

DK

DK went to the right, soon after Toadette went left, which meant he was saying he didn't have an Idol. He didn't anyway.

DK, who had boundless stamina, careened through the track like nobody's business. He managed to get tangled in a vine, and someone passed him up in that time, but otherwise he did fine.

He made it to the second sign in no time at all.

It read:

Do you want one?

DK was confused for a minute before he realized that this question was referring to the last one. DK grabbed a sugar cookie from a nearby table and went left, eating it along the way.

DK: They sure know how to stock these challenges. I'm not a big fan of cookies, but that was pretty dang good.

DK saw Bowser Jr. leaving the outpost almost as soon as he arrived. DK read the sign.

Are you in an alliance?

"Yeah… no," DK said. What alliance he had was rapidly falling apart. Peach wasn't really a help anymore.

DK heard Peach careening through the bushes. She stopped at the sign and almost fell over.

"Peach: Zero to sixty in seconds," DK muttered. "You've seen Wario?"

"I was hoping you might have," Peach gasped. She sat down on the ground, trying to catch her breath.

"Keep an eye out. We really don't know where he's headed," DK said.

Peach nodded. DK continued on to the right. There really was no alliance now, just two friends who may or may not help each other out.

The third path was the shortest one. At the end of it, there was another sign, and another crossroads. There was a bushel of bananas at the base of the sign, but DK wasn't that hungry.

Are you confused?

"About what?" DK wondered aloud. About Royal Survivor? About his tribe? About life? About this challenge?

DK realized that he was pretty much confused about all of those, so he went to the left.

At the end of the road, he met nothing. Zip. Zilch.

DK ended the challenge with nothing.

Waluigi

Waluigi went right very soon after DK. Waluigi was following for the most part, but lost him shortly before the sign. Panting, he read it.

Do you want one?

Waluigi decided he might as well wait at the table with the cookies until he got his wind back. He saw three people in that time: Bowser Jr, Peach, and Funky Kong. Peach, Funky, and Bowser Jr. all went to the left.

Waluigi picked up his pace and headed left, following Funky.

When he finally made it to the sign, he saw Peach wheezing at the base of it.

"You look tired," he remarked. "Remember to pace yourself."

"Thanks for that," Peach breathed. "What does the sign say?"

"Hmm… Are you in an alliance?" Waluigi said.

Peach lazily got up and trudged on to the left. Waluigi jogged past her.

The third path was the shortest of all. At the end of it, he saw Wario gorging himself with yellow goo inside some big pot. Deciding he'd rather live than try and get some, Waluigi looked up at the sign.

Are you worried?

Waluigi: I have everything under control. What's to be worried about?

Waluigi continued on to the right. At the end of the road, he saw DK sitting against a nearby tree.

"Do we end this game with a bang, or what?" Waluigi asked him.

DK shook his head. "This is all there is. I've asked."

Waluigi nodded and sat down. He ended this challenge with nothing.

Bowser Jr.

Bowser Jr. had gone right moments after Waluigi. Bowser Jr. struggled to follow the path, as he wasn't the best runner or hiker. He briefly looked at the sign—Do you want one?—and Waluigi before continuing on to the left.

He noticed DK had got tangled up in a vine, and considered helping him, but decided not to. DK was a dangerous competitor.

He took a breather at the second sign post, which Wario was already at.

"Cake?" Wario offered. Bowser Jr. nodded and took a slice.

"You look exhausted," Wario remarked.

"Tough… challenge…" Bowser Jr. panted through his bites. He soon realized that although tasty, the cake was a distraction. He threw it aside.

Wario continued on to the left. Bowser Jr. looked at the sign.

Are you in an alliance?

Bowser Jr. considered going right, but decided not to. He was in an alliance, one way or another.

At the next signpost, he saw Wario gulping down some yellow goo out of a pot. Deciding he'd rather live, he looked up at the next sign.

Are you worried?

Bowser Jr. nodded. He had pretty much worried about every little detail about this game even up until this point. You could safely say he was a bit worried.

Bowser Jr. continued on the path until its end. There was a final sign:

Take this, so you can breath easy.

At the base of the sign, there were three necklaces with big (-1) signs on them. Bowser Jr. decided he'd best put it one on.

Peach

Peach had gone right along with Waluigi, and saw him lazily snacking on an oatmeal-raisin cookie when she got to the second sign. Peach looked at Waluigi. He shrugged.

The second sign read:

Do you want one?

Peach looked at Waluigi suspiciously, but then continued on to the left at full blast.

She almost toppled over when she got to the second sign. She barely noticed that DK was already there.

"You've seen Wario?" DK asked.

"I was hoping you might have," Peach gasped. She sat down on the ground, trying to catch her breath.

"Keep an eye out. We really don't know where he's headed," DK said. He continued on to the right.

While Peach was trying to catch her breath, Waluigi came up to the second sign.

"You look tired," he remarked. "Remember to pace yourself."

"Thanks for that," Peach breathed. "What does the sign say?"

"Hmm… Are you in an alliance?" Waluigi said.

Peach lazily got up and trudged on to the left. Waluigi jogged past her.

Peach took a while to get to the next sign, but she did eventually made it. She saw Wario devouring a yellow glop from inside a giant pot. Deciding she'd rather live, Peach looked up at the sign.

Are you worried?

Peach thought for a minute, which was hard over the disgusting noises. She knew her time in this game was dwindling fast, but she really hadn't thought about it before.

Peach closed her eyes and alternately pointed at the different pathways. "Eenie-miene-miney-moe…"

She eventually decided to go left. At the end of the road, she saw the sign, and Bowser Jr.

"Take one." Bowser Jr. motioned to the sign.

Peach put on the (-1) necklace, then examined herself. "This is so not my color."

Funky

Funky went to the right a few minutes after Bowser Jr. had, seeing that no one else was going.

He followed the path. He didn't have a very good stamina, but he paced himself, so he didn't get tired. However, Ed passed him early into the challenge. Funky didn't let it faze him as he continued onward.

Do you want one?

Funky read the sign carefully and decided his course. An Idol would help him against Wario, he supposed… what the heck? Then Funky noticed Waluigi, grinning at him eerily. Waiting for him to make a decision.

"Creeper," Funky muttered before continuing on to the left.

He saw Peach gasping for breath at the second signpost, but she didn't seem to notice him. He didn't want to waste time, so he read the second signpost.

Are you in an alliance?

Funky shook his head and continued on to the right.

Funky: I'm going to try and get rid of Wario as soon as I possibly can. So no, I guess we're not in an alliance… I guess.

He continued along the path. He got to the third sign, which had assorted candies under it. He took a handful and read the sign.

Are you confused?

Funky though about this. "I suppose I'm not really confused…"

Funky made up his mind and went to the right. When he got to the end of the path, though, he was greeted with another sign.

Here, we'll make everything more confusing for you.

There were three necklaces with a big (+1) on each of them. He put one on, wondering what they meant.

Ed

Ed left to the right soon after Funky Kong. He passed Funky on the way, but didn't spare him a glance. It didn't matter to Ed; he was too focused on winning.

Do you want one?

Ed tried to decide carefully. He knew that Funky was gaining on him, and he didn't want to waste time. Ed wanted the Idol so that he could sleep at night, so he went to the left.

Ed fell down a small hill during his trek, and Funky might have passed him at that point. It took him a few minutes to get back up.

Once he was finally back on the path, Yoshi came up next to him.

"Who's still at the gate?" Ed asked Yoshi mid-jog.

"Rosalina, Bro Mamma, and Bowser," Yoshi said. "I'm not sure what Rosalina's doing. Doesn't she want Immunity?"

"Rosalina always has a plan," Ed said. "She'll get Immunity one way or another."

"Then… where does that leave us?" Yoshi asked.

"Struggling not to get eliminated," Ed said. "I like having her back already."

"Hey, there's no need to be sarcastic. As long as we're with Rosalina, there's basically no way we can get eliminated," Yoshi argued.

Ed nodded. "You go on ahead. I need a break."

Yoshi shrugged. "Suit yourself." Yoshi continued on the path, leaving Ed behind.

Ed finally made it to the second sign. There were a couple cake slices left, so he took one and read the sign.

Are you in an alliance?

"If I weren't, I wouldn't be in this mess," Ed muttered. He heard Bowser coming up behind him.

"Hey, man," Ed said. "Looks like we're near last place."

"How can you tell?" Bowser asked Ed.

"There were a lot more than two cake slices here at the start," Ed said. "Six or seven people already passed through here."

"Better not waste time then," Bowser growled. "Godspeed, man. Don't waste time indulging yourself."

"It's good cake," Ed muttered before setting his plate down and continuing to the left.

The third path was the shortest of all. At the end of it, he saw Wario stuffing himself silly with fondue. Ed decided he'd rather live, and read the sign.

Are you worried?

"Obviously," Ed muttered. He had been worrying all day and night for the past week or two. Ed continued on to the left.

At the end of the path, he saw Peach, Yoshi, and Bowser Jr, each with a -1 necklace around their necks. Ed realized that there were none left for him. He sighed and took a well-deserved break.

Birdo

Birdo recorded the directions of each of the Royal Survivors before continuing to the right.

Birdo tired out quickly on the path. Yoshi, Bro Mamma, and Bowser all passed her.

While she was jogging, Birdo heard a rustle. Suddenly, she was pushed to the ground by a rush of air. She didn't know what from, and she didn't want to worry about it. Birdo continued on to the next sign.

The sign read:

Do you want one?

Birdo thought about this. She took a chocolate chip cookie from the table and tried to decide what she really wanted out of this game.

Did she want a load of strategic rubbish, an insane amount of worries, and a tough burden on her shoulders when she had to consider who stays and who goes? Or did she just want to play the game, having fun in the process?

Eventually, Birdo decided to go to the right. She didn't want an Idol. They made life too complicated.

Birdo made her way to the next sign in five minutes or so.

It read:

Are you safe?

Birdo: I'm safe, as long as Wario doesn't pull anything soon, but I don't feel safe. So I went according to my instincts.

Birdo went to the right. It was a long journey to the next outpost, maybe fifteen minutes.

But when she got there, she saw the most shocking thing since sliced bread.

Yoshi

Yoshi looked at who remained at the starting gate. Bro Mamma, Bowser, and Rosalina. They all looked at each other, anticipating a move.

Yoshi ducked onto the path at the right. No, he didn't have an Idol. Yes, if all went well, he would have one soon.

Yoshi quickly passed Birdo on the path, saying 'Hi' to her as he went on his way. He made it to the second sign with ease.

Do you want one?

Yes, of course. Yoshi eagerly went along the left path.

He met Ed along the pathway, and they started conversation.

"Who's still at the gate?" Ed asked Yoshi mid-jog.

"Rosalina, Bro Mamma, and Bowser," Yoshi said. "I'm not sure what Rosalina's doing. Doesn't she want Immunity?"

"Rosalina always has a plan," Ed said. "She'll get Immunity one way or another."

"Then… where does that leave us?" Yoshi asked.

"Struggling not to get eliminated," Ed said. "I like having her back already."

"Hey, there's no need to be sarcastic. As long as we're with Rosalina, there's basically no way we can get eliminated," Yoshi argued.

Ed nodded. "You go on ahead. I need a break."

Yoshi shrugged. "Suit yourself." Yoshi continued on the path, leaving Ed behind.

Yoshi quickly got to the next post.

The sign read:

Are you in an alliance?

"An alliance to change the course of Royal Survivor!" Yoshi said excitedly. He continued on to the left.

Yoshi saw Wario indulging himself with some strange alien food at the next sign. Yoshi really wanted to try some, but he didn't want to waste time like Wario was.

The next sign read:

Are you worried?

Yoshi thought. He thought hard. He really needed to think about Rosalina, watch her every move. That in itself was a lot to worry about. Yoshi went to the left.

At the end of the line, there was one (-1) necklace left. He put it on, wondering if it was a gift or a curse.

Bro Mamma

There were only three left to go. Bowser and Bro Mamma nodded to each other. They both started along the right path.

Bowser quickly fell behind Bro Mamma, and she also passed Birdo along the way. Bro Mamma thought about who went which way.

Waluigi, Bowser Jr, Ed, Yoshi, Bowser, DK, Peach, Funky, Birdo, and herself had all said that they didn't have an Idol. Wario and Toadette were the only ones who had went left. If Wario really did have an Idol by some means, it was trouble. Big trouble.

Do you want one?

"Of course not," Bro Mamma muttered. All Idols brought to a tribe was corruption. There was nothing to be gained with possessing one.

Bro Mamma, wasting no time, went to the right.

Midway to the next post, Bro Mamma was hit with a powerful gust of wind. She had no idea what it was from, but it didn't matter. She kept her eyes on the prize.

Bro Mamma soon came to the second sign, which had a bunch of mints under it. Bro Mamma took one and looked at the sign.

It read:

Are you safe?

Bro Mamma though about this. She did have a big target on her back because of her performance in challenges, but that didn't really compare to adeptness at strategy…

Overall, she decided she wasn't in danger, but she wasn't really that safe, either.

The last path was the longest, but Bro Mamma conquered in it no time at all.

Of course, she wasn't really ready to handle what happened next.

Bowser

Bowser, who had gone to the right, quickly fell behind Bro Mamma. He passed Birdo and advanced to the second sign in no time at all.

Do you want one?

Bowser thought. He knew what Idols could do in a game. He didn't want to be left behind. As much as he despised the evil nature that Idols carried with them, the benefits greatly outweighed the drawbacks. Bowser started to head to the left, but before he could, a gust of wind nearly blew him over.

Bowser wondered what that could have been, but he wasted no time in continuing on to the left.

He met Ed at the second signpost.

"Hey, man," Ed said. "Looks like we're near last place."

"How can you tell?" Bowser asked Ed.

"There were a lot more than two cake slices here at the start," Ed said. "Six or seven people already passed through here."

"Better not waste time then," Bowser growled. "Godspeed, man. Don't waste time indulging yourself."

"It's good cake," Ed muttered before setting his plate down and continuing to the left.

Bowser looked at the sign. Was he in an alliance? No, he had just got back into the game. He couldn't possibly have an alliance.

Bowser continued on to the right. He saw the last sign and didn't pay any attention to the treats.

Are you confused?

Bowser: Why would I have been confused?

Bowser went to the right. At the end of the road, he saw Funky Kong and the (+1) necklaces. Bowser ended the challenge with an ambiguous prize.

Rosalina

Everyone had gone. Everyone.

Of all of the people who had gone, Toadette and Wario were the only ones who had gone left at the first junction.

Rosalina: I was wondering if there was a shortage of Idols or something. I find it incredibly hard to believe that only two people would have Idols. But oh well.

Rosalina began storing energy in the palms of her hands. The surrounding area took on a greenish tint.

Suddenly, Rosalina shot through the wilderness. A huge jet stream followed behind her. She read each sign instantaneously and rocketed on to her choices.

Do you have an Idol?

No.

Do you want one?

No. Lie. Idols were everything.

Are you safe?

No. Lie. Well, it would be after she finished this challenge.

Rosalina knew there was a pattern in this game. She also knew where everything would be.

Jeff was waiting for Rosalina as she gracefully landed.

"Congrats, Rosalina. A ten-point landing, I might add," Jeff said.

Rosalina curtsied. "Thanks you."

"You have won Immunity," Jeff said.

Birdo and Bro Mamma gaped when they came in shortly and saw Rosalina wearing the Individual Immunity necklace.

"How… How the _ is that even possible?" Bro Mamma gawked.

"Possible like this: I'm Wonder Woman," Rosalina laughed. "Better luck next time, sport."

Birdo wasn't fuming, but wasn't completely calm, either.

Birdo: It wasn't like I was going to blow a fuse, but I was a little upset that Rosalina didn't even give us a fighting chance.

"This challenge," Jeff said, "Is over."

Banishment Hall

Jeff and Ben led the contestants into a small structure off the coast of the island. It was a bamboo structure with a large dining hall in the center.

Jeff and Ben sat at the ends of the table. The others sat where they saw fit.

"Welcome to Banishment Hall," Jeff said. "Here you will decide the course of the game to come.

"Our first order of business is Immunity and the necklaces. Toadette and Rosalina won Individual Immunity. Since Rosalina already has Immunity, she will have to give the Immunity necklace to a person in this room of her choosing," Jeff said.

Rosalina looked around the room. "I guess I might as well give it to Bowser Jr, as to immunize over half the people in my tribe."

Jeff nodded. "It is done. Bowser Jr. now has Immunity until after Tribal tonight. And I might add, this is one of the most important nights to have Immunity. The three people with the highest number of votes will be going home. Also, everyone here, except Ben and I, will submit a vote. You may vote for someone that is not inside your tribe, in fact, it is recommended."

"Second order of business," Ben said. "Those stylish necklaces you have there. If you have a (-1), the first vote against you will not count. That goes for Yoshi, Peach, and Ed. Bowser Jr. now has Immunity, so the right thing to do is to give it to the next person in line, a.k.a. Ed. As for Funky… sorry, bro, but you'll automatically have one vote tonight, making you an easier target."

"If you have nothing, you have nothing," Jeff said. "And, just like any other Tribal, you may play a Hidden Immunity Idol, have you one present. You have until after dinner to plan your voting strategy. I suggest you start now."

Upon Jeff saying now, waiters started carrying uniform plates composed of creamy mashed potatoes, tantalizing steak, and golden corn. The contestant switched seats as necessary to be within their alliance, then chowed down.

"What should we do, Rosalina?" Yoshi asked. "I really want to get rid of Waluigi, before he becomes a problem."

"But first, we need to talk about how safe you are," Rosalina said. "I gave the Immunity to Bowser Jr. so that they wouldn't suspect I was aligned with you. But if they target you, there is nothing I can do to protect you."

Ed nodded. "We'll be fine. Waluigi and the others don't even suspect us, and Bowser Jr. can be manipulated. What we really need to worry about is the Champions targeting either me or Yoshi. They would have strength of numbers then."

Just then, Wario came over and tapped Rosalina on the shoulder. "Beg your pardon, miss."

"Speak," Rosalina commanded.

"I noticed you're in a bit of a fix," Wario said. "I have three Champions ready to vote with me. If you guys vote for DK, I can make sure they keep you out of harm's way."

"Who would you vote for, then?" Rosalina asked.

"My business is my business," Wario said. "Keep your nose out of it. All you need to know is that Ed and Yoshi are safe from me. Unless… you decide I'm not trustworthy enough. In that case, I might as well pick you off one by one."

Rosalina grinned evilly. "I like your style. Fine. I'll vote for DK. Don't get me mad, though. You have no idea what I can do to you."

Wario smirked. "We'll see 'bout that."

Wario went back to his group of Birdo, Bro Mamma, and Funky. "They're voting for DK. All we need to do is pick off Peach."

The others nodded. Then they went back to eating.

Wario: You'd be surprised how easy that was. I mean, super easy. Like taking candy from a baby, if you please. I'm actually looking forward to the big vote.

Peach, DK, Toadette, and Bowser Jr. met and discussed their game plan.

"We need to get rid of Wario as fast as we possibly can," DK said.

"No," Bowser Jr. said. "Waluigi is tons more dangerous. He's not as predictable, either. If we can get info on Wario, we can easily predict his actions. It's not as easy with Waluigi."

"I disagree," Peach said. "We should get rid of either Yoshi or Ed. They're the most dangerous."

"What about Funky Kong? He's won the most challenges so far in the Champion tribe," Toadette suggested.

"No, I agree with Bowser Jr. Waluigi is the person we should go for," DK said. Peach and Toadette reluctantly agreed.

Dinner was finished.

"Time to vote," Jeff said. "This decision will impact the game for awhile to come."

Ben handed out the ballots, and collected them when everyone was done.

Waluigi wrote down Yoshi's name.

Waluigi: I can only hope I live to fight another day.

Bowser wrote down Yoshi's name.

Bowser: I know what you are capable of. You are too suspicious for me to allow you to stay in the tribe. I hope the others have realized this, too. I mean, come on. Everyone saw you making an alliance with Rosalina on the bubble. We know. You're an idiot for thinking we don't.

Rosalina wrote down DK's name.

Rosalina: For now, the situation is out of my control. But I will deal out vengeance as needed. Wario better not have double-crossed me, or else there will be dire consequences. I love saying that so much.

Ben handed the ballot case to Jeff.

"Once the votes are tallied, the decision is final," Jeff said. "If anyone would like to play a Hidden Immunity Idol… now is the time."

Toadette raised her hand. Rosalina's eyes flared when she saw Toadette grin.

"I'm going to favor the lesser of two evils, this time," Toadette said. "I'm giving this baby to Waluigi. You owe me."

Jeff took the Idol and examined it. "This is, in fact, a Hidden Immunity Idol. Any votes against Waluigi will not count."

DK, Peach, and Bowser Jr. glared at Toadette.

Peach: I cannot believe Toadette threw us under the bus like that. And on such an important day, too!

Bowser Jr: Where does that girl keep getting her ideas? She had better not have done anything stupid, or else there will be a big brawl tomorrow.

Ed: There's no doubt in my mind she was using one of the Idols we had lost the other day. She's a clever little devil, and I know exactly who she's targeting.

Jeff started tallying the votes.

"First vote: Yoshi," Jeff said. "Does not count. Second vote: Yoshi. Third vote: Waluigi. Does not count. Fourth vote: DK. Fifth vote: DK. Vote six: Yoshi. Vote seven: DK. Vote eight: Waluigi. Does not count.

"So far, we have one vote on Yoshi, and four votes on DK," Jeff said.

At this point, both DK and Yoshi knew they were goners.

Yoshi: The first time Toadette surprised me, I thought it would never happen again. The second time it happened… I went home. I mean, one vote is enough. I'd need at least four more votes to be on different people to make sure I didn't go home, and that wouldn't happen at that point.

"Vote nine: Waluigi. Does not count. Vote ten: Peach. Does not count. Vote eleven: Peach. Vote twelve: Peach. Final vote: Peach," Jeff finished. "The final tally is: One vote Yoshi, two votes Peach, and four votes DK. I'm sorry to say that you are all going home. Royal Survivor has spoken."

Yoshi, Peach, and DK all got up to say their goodbyes, then they were escorted out of the chamber.

DK: It sucks, man. It really does. But there's no sense in moping about it. I'll be back in the next Redemption Challenge. Count on it.

Peach: I really, reallyreallyreallyreally wanted to make it farther than I did. Wario managed to get rid of his whole tribe, the people who were supposed to have his back. I hope he's happy.

Yoshi: If Rosalina doesn't beat Toadette to the ground after this elimination, then I'm going to kick myself in the nuts for making the wrong choices. Toadette blindsided us not once, but twice! I hope no one disregards her from here on out.

"You have been in this game for a total of four weeks," Jeff said. "Now, out of a starting total of eighteen, only ten remain in this game. Proceed with caution. It only gets harder from here."

Jeff dismissed the Royal Survivors. They went home, some ecstatic, some upset.

Waluigi: I owe Toadette my career in this game. You really don't take something like that lightly.

Ed: Rosalina is pretty much my only friend in this game now… which is pretty sad, when you think about it.

Rosalina: Toadette is now a threat to our survival. Problem is, the numbers are tied. We're going to have to think of something, and fast.

Toadette: Go on. Try and beat me at this game. I dare you. Really, it can't get any harder for me than it already is, so good luck trying to increase the difficulty. I knew that Waluigi would've gotten more votes than Yoshi. It wasn't hard to figure out.

Wario: I am the only surviving Hero member that hasn't been voted out. Which I guess makes me… the Villain. Heh-heh.

Bowser: Toadette is emerging as a fantastic player of this game. I will align with her as soon as I possibly can.

Birdo: No one's safe anymore. If Rosalina couldn't protect one of her greatest supporters, maybe she isn't so powerful after all.

Next on Royal Survivor…

The Ravager creates havoc in the Inferno tribe.

Suddenly, two supports snapped. The shelter teetered at an irregular angle.

"Don't just stand there, grab the vines!" Rosalina yelled. "Quickly, or we'll never be able to use this thing again!"

Wario is backstabbed by his own alliance…

"We just don't need you anymore, Wario," Funky said. "We have the numbers. You're obsolete."

"Good for you. Have a cake to celebrate," Wario said sarcastically.

which proves disastrous for them in the long run.

Wario found an Idol hidden under the table. He quickly took it and hid it in his back pocket.

Wario: Once again, an Idol saves the day.

And the Inferno tribe finally splits at the seams.

"YOU TAKE YOUR LITTLE _ ATTITUDE WHERE I DON'T HAVE TO _ LISTEN TO IT ANYMORE!" Toadette screamed.

"Oh, you're kicking me out?" Rosalina cooed. "How sweet. Well, you listen to me, Toadette! You want to see me with an attitude? Here's my attitude!"

The entire area lit up with green flames. Dark energy coursed into Toadette, who writhed as if she was being possessed.

Bowser Jr: Whatever horrible, terrible, atrocious thing Rosalina did to Toadette… she deserved it.

Waluigi: I'm happy to be back in this game, but… I don't want to align with someone who makes Rosalina so angry all the time.

Ed: If I had to choose between Toadette and Rosalina winning this game… I'm not so sure about the answer as I was before Toadette exploded. Metaphorically, of course.

Who will be the next Royal Survivor?