Unity Tribe

Pit sighed when he reached camp, smiling and rubbing the back of his head. He had been holding that breath in since his name was first read, and it was such a relief to let it go. He stopped suddenly and turned around, which only caused Falco to bump into him.

"Watch where you're going," Falco muttered.

Pit blinked, taken aback. "Sorry, I was just going to say something."

"Well, I don't care," Falco walked away. Pit watched him leave, somewhat sad.

Mario was much friendlier. "What do you have to say?"

Pit saw Bowser and Kirby stop as well. Even Lucario and Marth stayed behind to listen. "I just wanted to thank you guys for sticking by me. I know it might have been tempting to vote with someone else, but you were loyal, and I really am thankful that you guys are."

"Fox was annoying," said Bowser. "He thought he was better than he really was."

"He let the power go to his head," Lucario admitted. "It is a shame; I had expected better from him."

"I promise I won't," said Pit. "I can't. Not after today."

"You can't because you don't have power," said Bowser. "We saved you, and now you owe us."

"Oh, don't say that," said Kirby. He was grinning. "Glad we could help you!"

The others patted Pit on the shoulder and left. Only Lucario remained. He put his face right next to Pit's.

"You did not use your Immunity Necklace," he noted in a whisper. "I am surprised."

"I really didn't think it was necessary," Pit replied. He held his hand to his chest. "I think I should've anyway. My heart's still pumping. That was terrifying."

"It is always unnerving seeing your name on that paper," said Lucario. "Why did you vote for Fox?"

"Why did he vote for me?" Pit muttered. "We had the same idea, I guess. We wanted to target the most dangerous player. That just happened to be each other."

"Why only now do you agree to that logic?" Lucario asked. "The primary reason why our alliance split apart was because they did not want to abide by that logic. Yet here you are, a mere two days later, doing the very thing you preached against."

"Hey, I wasn't part of that," said Pit.

"No, but when we discussed it later, you agreed with them," said Lucario.

"I… I guess I just didn't see things from your point of view," Pit admitted. "I didn't think it was necessary, but I guess it was."

Lucario eyed him closely. "There is more to that than you are admitting. What specifically changed your mind?"

Pit hesitated. But he couldn't resist the piercing eyes forever. "Marth. Marth told me to vote for who I fear the most. I thought he was crazy at first, but the more I thought of it, the more I feared what Fox could do."

"Why do you believe Marth would say such a thing?" Lucario asked. "When he was against you?"

Pit shrugged. "Maybe he wanted to make sure I stayed around."

"Why do you believe he would do that?"

Pit didn't know how to respond. He thought about it. There were a few explanations floating around in his head, but many of them weren't reasons he wanted to believe. "He didn't like Fox."

Lucario didn't believe that that was Pit's only answer. Nevertheless, he played along, "Then why would he ally with him?"

"No other choice," suggested Pit. "Fox probably talked to him first or talked more, or maybe Marth just likes me even less."

"That does not explain why he would harm his own alliance in order to preserve yours," said Lucario. He, of course, already had an explanation, but he wanted to see if Pit could come to it. Pit had already come to the same conclusion; he simply didn't want to admit it.

"You've got me there, Lucario," said Pit, shrugging. "I guess Marth's just more complicated than we thought."

"Pit…"

Pit sighed. "Darn it, Lucario, what do you want me to say? He's playing both sides, right? Trying to keep himself in the game no matter who wins. Is that not a great strategy? How could I fault him for that?"

"Because this is precisely why I had suggested to eliminate Marth two Tribal Councils ago," said Lucario. "Yet here we remain, without Fox and without an alliance, and Marth is still dangerous."

"Then he goes home next," said Pit. "I don't care. We have majority. There's nothing we have to worry about."

"Do not underestimate him," said Lucario. "He is the one player remaining who I truly fear. I have my reasons, and I hope you do not experience those reasons personally."

Marth met up with Falco in a clearing. Falco had kicked a dent into a tree trunk, and he sat on the ground, his head in his arms. Marth cleared his throat loudly.

"I'm sorry about Fox," he said. "I tried my best."

"Yeah, and so did I," said Falco. He glanced up at Marth and shook his head. "It sucks. I was only doing this so Fox could win. I never expected to win myself. Yet, I'm still here, and Fox is gone. What a world."

"You could avenge him," Marth suggested. "There is still plenty of time to accomplish that."

"What can I do?" Falco asked. "It's two against four, and Lucario is a wildcard who wouldn't want to work with us. We've lost."

"Not yet. Not while we remain," said Marth. He looked at the dent. "I hope you took out all of your frustration.

Falco smirked bitterly. "You know they cut off the legs of Arwing pilots? These things-" he knocked his foot. "-is metal. I don't feel a thing."

Marth was shocked. He hadn't heard that before. "I am so sorry to hear that."

Falco shrugged. "Don't be. I'm a bird; I care more if my arms are gone than my wings." And then his smirk widened. "Of course, I could just be screwing with you."

"I would hope you wouldn't tease your only ally," said Marth.

"I would hope you could handle it," said Falco.

The pair of them sighed. "What do you think we should do?" Falco asked.

"I believe we should attempt to manipulate the others into eliminating one of their own."

Falco snorted. "Good luck with that. I'm not the best talker, in case you hadn't realized."

"I will do what I can," said Marth. "I make no promises, but I have an idea at what I can achieve."

"What's the idea?"

"What do you believe they are basing their votes on?" Marth asked. "The present or the future?"

Falco raised an eyebrow. "The present, obviously."

Marth nodded. "Precisely. I believe it is time to get everyone to think about the future. More precisely, the final two."

"Okay, so they think about that. How's that help?"

"Who is the most popular player here?" Marth asked. "The one who has made the most friends and least enemies."

Falco counted on his fingers. "Not me. Not Lucario. Not Bowser. Probably not Mario. Doubt it'd be Pit. Maybe you. Definitely Kirby."

"Kirby," Marth nodded. "Would it be foolish to believe that Kirby would win if he reached the final two?"

Falco shrugged. "It depends. It really depends a lot on how the Jury decides their votes. If they're voting based on popularity, then sure Kirby would win. But if a lot of them vote based on how deserving the winner should be, then it's a whole other issue."

Marth shook his head. "Be sure not to mention that to the others. I would prefer to have them believe that the final vote will be based on popularity until proven otherwise."

"You know they could always just ask the Jury what they're doing."

"By then, it will have already been too late," replied Marth. "If they start thinking about the final two, and if we are convincing enough, they will begin to be threatened by the more friendly and popular players."

"We aren't going to convince them all to turn on Kirby," said Falco.

"Not all," admitted Marth. "However, we only need to convince one."

Day 66

Unity Tribe

While the others were cooking breakfast, Falco woke up late. He lay in his bed, staring at the sky. His view was soon blocked by a giant shadow, and he sighed.

"I'm up, Bowser. I'm up."

"Oh, no, don't bother," said Bowser sarcastically. "We're just cooking breakfast together. No need to exert yourself or anything."

Falco sat up and glared at him. Bowser grinned mischievously. "Anyone ever tell you your breath stinks?"

"That's because I just ate a raw bird," said Bowser. "You should try it sometime."

Falco waved his hand in front of his beak. "I'll pass." He looked down at the ground, and then back up at Bowser. "Hey, Bowser, what's your strategy for the final two?"

Bowser raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"Your strategy for the final two," Falco repeated. "Thought I was speaking clearly. Maybe that chicken got to your head or something."

"I don't have a strategy," said Bowser.

"You should get one. We're nearly there," said Falco. "Two days per elimination, right? Final five or four or so, things are going to speed up. We probably have a week left at most."

"A week," Bowser repeated.

"A week," Falco nodded. "Not much time to think of a good strategy. Start now, and it'll help in the future."

"I'm not planning on making it to the final two," said Bowser. "That's for other people to worry about."

"Oh, come on," Falco shook his head. "If that's your only thought, then you'll never make it."

"Bingo," Bowser muttered. "I'm not going to win. I'd rather just have someone else win for me."

"Funny, up until last night I had that exact same thought."

"Didn't work out for you."

"No, no it didn't," said Falco. "Things don't really work out as you'd expect."

"You implying something, bird?"

"I'm implying that things probably aren't going to end up exactly how you want it," said Falco. "So in the meantime, have some back up strategies or something."

"Nothing's going to happen," said Bowser. "Not for a while. So just keep sleeping your time away, and I promise your elimination will be quick and painless."

"I would hope so," said Falco. He got to his feet. "I'll just help them with the meal."

"Yeah," Bowser said. "You do that."

After breakfast, thinking about what Falco said, Bowser decided he had nothing to lose. He walked over to Mario, who still remained at the fire, and sat down next to him. Mario was somewhat startled to see the looming shadow above him, but he quickly calmed.

"It's good to see you, Bowser," he said warmly. "What can I help you with?"

"You can answer me a question," answered Bowser. "Have you thought about the finale?"

Mario shook his head. "I'm genuinely surprised that I've lasted this long. I never thought I could make it to the final vote."

Bowser snorted. "You and about five of us. I think the only one who had any faith is Lucario."

"He deserved it," said Mario. "What we said last night during Tribal Council, it was really sweet. I'm glad we said it."

"I never meant it," said Bowser. "I don't think anyone else did either."

"Why not? He's done so much."

"But he got by with luck."

"Haven't we all?"

Bowser couldn't respond. Mario was completely right about that. So he switched topics. "I wanted to talk about the finale, though, about getting there. Do you trust Pit?"

"Of course," said Mario. "Back when I joined the alliance, Pit was the only one to be friendly with me. I've talked with him a lot, and I respect him."

"So you'd consider him your only friend?"

Mario looked hurt. "Not my only friend. I have all of you guys, right? You and Kirby and Lucario."

"I wouldn't consider Lucario a friend," but Bowser sighed. "Yeah, we're friends. The four of us."

"That's why we're going to win," Mario smiled. "The four of us until the end."

Bowser couldn't help but smile himself, feeling full of hope from Mario's optimism. "That's what I like about you. You can still smile despite everything."

"I've lost so much, Bowser, but I'm still here," Mario explained. "If there's one thing I can do, it's to smile for those who I miss, and win for them."

"So you want to win for them," said Bowser. "Okay. Then you can't win without me."

"Of course not. We can't win without each other."

"Then let's become allies," said Bowser, quietly. "Even greater allies. The two of us. A secret alliance that no one knows about."

"I don't understand. Why wouldn't we want anyone to know we're allies?"

"Because they think we're enemies," said Bowser. "We have a history, you and I. They all know it. We can pretend to be allies for the alliance, but do it begrudgingly so they don't know we're close. When we're in the final four, and when we have to choose, let's choose each other. We could make it a good old Mario vs Bowser in the final two, just like always."

"That would be amazing," Mario smiled. "I'd love to do that. But what about Pit and Kirby?"

"As much as I love Kirby, I can't see him winning," Bowser lied. "You, though, have a great chance. We'll take down Pit and then take each other into the final two. It's perfect."

Mario seemed convinced. "Okay, I like the plan. I hope it works."

Bowser smiled confidently. "Mario, if there's one thing you should know about me, it's that all of my plans are flawless."

Pit noticed Marth practicing his swordplay at the edge of the beach. He wanted to have a few words, so he made his presence known. As soon as he saw him, Marth sheathed his sword and nodded.

"For what do I owe the pleasure?" Marth asked.

"For… uh… thanks… and merry tidings," replied Pit. He grinned. "Seriously, thanks. That advice you gave me yesterday was really helpful. I don't know if I'd still be here if it wasn't for you."

"It is no trouble," said Marth. "I respect you, Pit, and I did not want to see you eliminated before your time."

"Why?" Pit asked. "I don't know why you would do that?"

"What do you mean?"

"What have I done to earn your respect," said Pit. "Yesterday we were enemies on separate alliances. In fact, since the beginning of the game we've always been on separate alliances. All of a sudden you want to protect me. I don't get it."

"I can reason with you," explained Marth. "You are one of the few remaining players who has the intelligence and leadership to succeed, yet the compassion and understanding to listen to logic and reason."

"We're still enemies," said Pit. "Technically, I shouldn't even be speaking with you."

Marth smiled softly. "I do not believe that you truly believe that."

"I don't," Pit admitted, sighing. "So did you want to reason with me about anything? I guess I'm willing to listen."

Marth looked at the ground, hand on his chin, faking deep thought. He looked up suddenly. "Actually, yes, I believe there is one thing."

Pit's curiosity peaked immediately. "What?"

"Have you thought much about the final vote?" Marth asked. "About who will vote for whom?"

Pit shook his head. "Have you?"

"I have. And I have some concerns. But, perhaps you would not wish to hear-"

"No, no, tell me," said Pit. "I'd love to hear your logic."

"Okay, I will explain. And stop me at any time for questions," said Marth. "During the final vote, it is reasonable to assume that the Jury would not vote for those who have wronged them, correct? They would not vote, for example, for somebody who was directly involved in their elimination."

"Sure, makes sense," Pit nodded.

"Who do you believe has wronged the least amount of players?"

"Oh, that's easy," said Pit. "Kirby. He's a pink ball of fun and happiness. He's barely done anything wrong."

Marth nodded. "Do you recall at last night's Tribal Council? Pikachu said he was rooting for Kirby."

"I remember that," said Pit. "So he has one vote."

"Think about how many other votes he has," said Marth. "Kirby has had nothing but praise for me, so I believe I would be inclined to vote for him should he make it to the final two and I should not. It is likely that I am not the only one who believes that. Bowser, for example, would vote for Kirby. Mario as well. Would you?"

"Yeah, I think so," said Pit. "I like the guy too much."

"This should concern you," said Marth. "It concerns me greatly. Kirby is potentially the greatest threat in the game at the moment. Should he make it to the final two, he is guaranteed to win this game. He will have too many players voting for him."

"Oh," said Pit, realizing what Marth was saying. "Well, I mean, there's a lot of time left, right?"

"Assuming the four of you continue with your plan to eliminate the rest of us," said Marth. "Then he will have a one in four shot of making it to the final two. All he has to do is convince the others not to vote for him. Think about those players. Would they vote for him?"

Pit didn't have to think long to come to an answer. He sounded defeated. "No. They wouldn't dream."

"I believe you have less time than it appears," continued Marth. "Of course, do not consider my predictions to be perfectly accurate. The coming days could just as easily result in Kirby doing something to betray your alliance's trust. I merely implore you to consider this as an option, a potentially urgent option."

Pit nodded and turned around, regretting ever coming up to Marth. He didn't want to admit it, but Marth was right. Lucario was right as well; Marth was trying his hardest to stay in the game, but Marth made an excellent point.

"I need to talk to them," Pit decided. "I need to make sure they're still with me."

Reward Challenge

The tribe reached the planetarium and found it to have rusted heavily over the course of the last few weeks. Parts were falling off, there was a constant grinding of metal, and as they approached a bat flew out of the partially open door, startling them.

"What happened to this place?" Falco asked in disbelief. "This shouldn't even be possible in such a short amount of time."

"Well, they built this in just a couple of weeks," said Kirby. "Maybe they just did it really cheaply."

"But they can't make metal rust that fast," said Falco. "This has to be a joke."

"Hello, Survivors," Master Hand said, floating over the planetarium. He seemed somber. "I have unfortunate news for you. The planetarium will be demolished after the challenge."

"Master Hand," Falco said. "This shouldn't be possible. How did you do this?"

"We abandoned it," was Master Hand's vague reply. "There was nothing we could have done."

Falco shook his head, giving up on trying to explain. Marth patted him on the shoulder.

"It's okay to mourn," he said. Falco glared at him, while he grinned back.

"The challenge will be a rather simple one," said Master Hand. "Climb to the top. The winner will receive a piece of the building as a souvenir as well as an advantage in tomorrow's Immunity Challenge."

While the former reward was ignored, the latter drew some interest. The Survivors lined up on the mat.

"Survivors ready?" Master Hand gave a long, heavy sigh. "Begin."

They ran to the edge of the planetarium. Marth arrived first and began to climb, using the square metal pattern as a handhold. Falco and Mario soon followed and imitated him. Lucario overtook them in a single jump, clinging to the wall before leaping again several feet. Bowser had prepared to drive his claws into the metal and climb, but as soon as he saw Lucario jumping he shrugged and sat down. It didn't take long for Mario, Marth, and Falco to mirror the action.

The only competitors that truly remained were those already in the air. Pit and Kirby had taken off into the sky, the former on wings and the latter using his puffing ability. Pit had a sizeable lead on the puffball, but as soon as Lucario started jumping he quickly closed the gap. The two raced, one diagonal and one nearly vertical, but it became obvious as they approached each other that Pit had much greater speed and a huge advantage. Lucario leapt to the top of the dome and started to run, but he was slower than he could climb, and Pit was soaring overhead. Pit landed on the empty mat at the top of the dome and threw his arms up in victory.

Lucario reached the mat and shook his hand.

"Hey, Master Hand!" Pit shouted. "I won!"

They looked around. Master Hand was nowhere to be seen.

"Huh," Pit shrugged. "What now?"

"I suppose it would be fine if we remained up here for a while," Lucario replied, looking out into the distance.

"Never realized how huge this thing was," said Pit. He stomped onto the mat, and a dull metallic thud was heard below. "Oh… something fell." He giggled.

Kirby eventually reached them. He ran to them excitedly. "Who won? I couldn't see!"

Pit opened his mouth to reply, and then he paused. "I think Lucario did, didn't you?"

Lucario turned to him sharply, eyes wild. He shook his head. "You won," he said firmly.

"Are you sure?" Pit asked, trying to wink subtly. "Aren't you sure you didn't win this advantage too?"

"I'm sure," said Lucario. "Do not attempt to lie to him."

"Why're you lying?" Kirby asked. "I just wanted to congratulate the winner."

Pit sighed. "I wanted to help you," he whispered as softly as he could into Lucario's ear.

"I do not need help," said Lucario. "Let's join the others." He leapt off the planetarium.

"Why're you trying to help Lucario?" Kirby asked.

Pit shook his head. "Never mind. Let's go, Kirby." He leapt off, leaving Kirby confused.

They joined the others at the bottom, seeing Master Hand low to the ground and being consoled by Marth and Mario. Bowser and Falco were off to the side, both in various states of annoyance.

"What's going on?" Pit asked.

"Oh, you came down," said Falco, waving once. "We've just been here with our host, who seems to have become depressed."

"Destroying the planetarium is apparently hurting him a lot," Bowser added.

"Master Hand," Pit shouted. "I won."

"Oh… congratulations," Master Hand said, picking himself off the ground. "You may take whatever piece you'd like."

Pit looked back at the dome, and as he did another piece of metal detached and landed on the ground. It seemed small enough, so he walked over to it and picked it up. "I found it."

"Then it is time," Master Hand said. He snapped himself, and an explosion sounded from inside. The metal dome started to fall in on itself, the metal roof caved in, the walls bent outward from the explosion and then fell back inside. Metal plates bounced off the ground. They could see inside briefly, and there was a roaring fire. Smoke was pouring out of the holes. A second explosion, and the metal structure lost all its foundation and dissolved into a giant pile of metal.

The Survivors had run away long before this point, ushered quickly by Master Hand despite being hypnotized by the collapsing structure. They were safely in the trees, and only after the metal quit moving did Master Hand allow them to observe the wreckage.

"It is time to say goodbye," Master Hand announced. "One stage of your life in this game is over."

"How're you going to destroy the Hole?" Falco asked. "Another explosion?"

"This isn't a time for jokes," said Marth. "This is a time for mourning."

Falco rolled his eyes and walked away. After a while, the rest of the tribe followed him, leaving a smoldering, smoking pile of metal in their past.

Unity Tribe

"That was overly dramatic," said Bowser. "Everything about that."

Falco nudged Pit. "You know, that thing you're holding is the last piece of the famous Survivor Planetarium. That'll be worth a fortune."

Pit smiled at the joke, but he replied, "I'm not going to sell it. I could use a souvenir. It's been an interesting two months. Might as well keep a part of it."

"Suit yourself," Falco shrugged. "I would've made some money off it if I didn't win."

Meanwhile, Marth had walked over to Kirby.

"Could I speak with you in private?" Marth asked.

Kirby glanced over at the others. They were too busy hassling Pit about his reward, so he nodded. The pair disappeared into the trees until they were safely away from camp.

"We made a promise to warn each other if one of us was being targeted," Marth reminded him.

Kirby nodded, suddenly extremely scared of what he was about to hear.

"You're being targeted."

"Who?" Kirby asked. "Why?"

"Pit, because he believes you're a threat," Marth answered.

"What? Pit? Why would Pit… think I'm a threat?" Kirby asked in disbelief. "I'm not a threat. Honest!"

"I understand," said Marth. "But Pit believes that you pose a danger in the future. I believe his reasoning involved your friendship with Mario and Bowser, how he does not see himself reaching the final two."

"But I'm friends with him too," said Kirby, trying to reason with himself. "He can't want to eliminate me! We're good friends! Friends don't attack each other. Why would he tell you?"

"He did not want you to find out," explained Marth. "He did not want to worry you. He wanted it to be a surprise, so that you weren't hurt."

"Well, I did find out! And I am hurt!" Kirby said, nearing tears. "I… I have to go. Thank you for warning me. I hope I can return the favor." He ran off in search of his friend.

Marth watched him go, feeling a pang of regret. "I hope I have not gone too far," he said. "I will certainly regret doing this in the future."

Kirby soon found Bowser, after everyone had split up. Bowser saw tears in his eyes and sat up, furious. "What happened?"

"Marth, he-" Kirby began, and Bowser stormed off. Kirby ran after him. "Wait! Wait! No!"

"What did Marth do to you?" Bowser growled. "What did he say?"

"Nothing, nothing!" Kirby said, trying to defuse the situation. "I swear, he didn't say anything!"

"You're upset," said Bowser. "What happened?"

"I… Marth told me that Pit wanted to eliminate me."

"What! Marth is lying!"

"He isn't!" said Kirby. "Marth doesn't lie! You know that! I know that! Pit is scared of me. He wants to eliminate me because he thinks I'm a threat. I'm not a threat, Bowser! I swear!"

"I know, I know," said Bowser, holding Kirby closely. "Quiet. Quiet, puffball. We need to get to the bottom of this. I don't want to go to sleep tonight thinking that you might be eliminated. No, we're going to Pit and talking to him."

Kirby nodded through the tears.

Marth came out of the trees and saw Lucario waiting for him. He nodded, and Lucario nodded back.

"I heard that you have been speaking to Kirby," said Lucario.

Marth seemed surprised. "Word travels fast."

"Bowser and Kirby were shouting about it," Lucario replied. "I was the only one around to hear. They seemed upset."

"I may be doing something that I regret," said Marth, not sure if he should be divulging his plans. "I am curious. I do not understand why you consider me a threat."

"Why do you believe that?" Lucario asked.

"I haven't done anything to deserve it," Marth replied. "Throughout the game, people have been wanting me in their alliance, yet I do not understand where they get that opinion of me."

"Marth, you are humble," said Lucario. "You are good with a sword. You may be able to hide strategies, hide allies, and hide advantages from everyone. But there is one thing you cannot hide from me: your intelligence. Your eyes are sharp, observant. You are constantly thinking, constantly planning. You are a strong opponent."

"I appreciate the compliment," said Marth, smiling. "But I still do not believe-"

"You are not only a strong opponent," Lucario interrupted, looking directly into Marth's eyes. "You are my strongest opponent."

"I am honored that you think that," said Marth. "I suppose I may be doing this to live up to this great expectation you have of me."

"Doing what?"

"Playing the game."

"Not this game," said Lucario knowingly.

Marth shook his head. "The game you play. The game of manipulation."

Mario and Pit had found each other shortly after they arrived and left camp before Kirby came running out of the trees. They were a fair distance from camp before they began their discussion.

"I've noticed something," said Pit. "Kirby's a threat, isn't he?"

Mario stared at him in confusion. "What? Why are you saying that?"

Pit sighed. "Just something I've been thinking about. Haven't you thought that?"

"Never. I've never considered him to be a threat," Mario replied.

"Guess I'm weird, then," said Pit. He frowned. "You really haven't thought that?"

"No!" Mario exclaimed. "Where are you getting this idea? Pit, I'm worried. You're acting strangely."

"I am? I hadn't noticed. Listen, I'm thinking about voting for Kirby."

"What? Why?" Mario asked. "You haven't given me any reason!"

Pit gave Marth a bastardized summary of Marth's explanation. The summary made Mario even more confused.

"Because people will vote for him," said Mario. "What's wrong with that?"

"I don't want to lose to Kirby," said Pit.

"Why would people vote like that?" Mario asked. "Do you know who's on the Jury? There are so many people who wouldn't vote for who they like the most."

"You think so?" Pit asked, unconvinced.

"Of course!" Mario said.

"Who?" Pit asked. "Who wouldn't vote for Kirby?"

"Snake, Yoshi, Link, Fox," Mario listed.

"Pokemon Trainer, King Dedede, Pikachu, most of us," Pit countered.

"I don't think most of us would," said Mario.

"I would. Bowser would. Marth would. You would."

"A lot of people would vote for him," said Mario. "What's the point?"

Pit sighed. This had been one of the least helpful arguments. He was hoping for a great counterargument, but he had only been getting confirmation of his fears.

"Why don't you want to eliminate him?" Pit asked.

"Because he's our friend. He's our ally," Mario replied.

"And he's a threat," said Pit.

"I don't care!" Mario said. "We aren't Lucario! We shouldn't go for threats!"

"We're at the end of this game," Pit argued. "That is exactly what we should be doing. Eliminating people who threaten us so that we can win."

"You sound exactly like him," Mario said. "I hate that logic. Why does that include our friends? Why should we betray them when there are other people we can eliminate first?"

"Because if we don't strike now," Pit reasoned. "We might not get another chance."

Mario got to his feet. "This is ridiculous. I can't listen to this." He left Pit alone with his thoughts.

Mario soon arrived at camp, seeing a seething Bowser and worried Kirby waiting by the fire. He could barely give a wave before the pair was upon him.

"You've been talking with Pit," said Bowser. "What were you talking about?"

Mario glanced at Kirby. "Just… alliance stuff…"

"See Bowser, alliance stuff," said Kirby. "We'll learn about it soon. Let's just go."

"No," Bowser said, and Kirby sighed in frustration. "Mario, what exactly what you were talking about?"

"I don't want to say."

"You'll want to say when you hear what I'll do to you if you don't."

Mario groaned. "Come on, Bowser, I'm tired. Can't I go to bed?"

"Damn it, Mario, what is going on?"

"Pit wants to vote Kirby out," Mario said. Bowser and Kirby paused, turning to each other slowly.

"Damn," Bowser muttered. "Marth was right."

"What are we going to do?" Kirby asked.

"Strike first," Bowser replied. "Eliminate him before he eliminates us."

"What? Wait, no, no," Mario said, raising his arms at Bowser. "Let's think about this. Why are we trying to turn against each other? There are other people we can eliminate before each other."

"Whose side are you on?" Bowser asked.

"No one's!" Mario said. "Stop doing this, guys. We're friends!"

Bowser scoffed. "Typical. Whatever, Mario. You're not with us. You're against us."

"But… but what about our alliance?" Mario asked.

"Unless you get some sense," said Bowser. "Consider us enemies."

"I'm sorry, Mario. I know this isn't your fault," whispered Kirby. Nevertheless, he followed Bowser as he walked away.

The pair reach Falco, who eyes them suspiciously.

"You two seem happy," he noted.

"We're practically beaming," Bowser replied, glaring. "We need to talk."

"You're breaking up with me?" Falco asked.

"Shut it, bird," Bowser said. He sat down. "We heard Pit's plan."

"Pit has a plan?" Falco asked, having briefly considered making a remark about shutting his mouth and speaking. "First I've heard of it."

"We want to counter that plan," said Bowser. "Pit thinks he can just eliminate one of us after all we've done for him. He's got another thing coming."

"Pit was going to eliminate one of you guys?" Falco asked. He suppressed a grin. "Boy, what a fool."

"No kidding. So are you in?"

"Absolutely. We're just voting for Pit?"

Bowser nodded. "That's our one and only goal."

"Perfect. I can get behind that. Count me in."

"Good." Bowser got to his feet. "Oh, and for the record, we aren't friends. Once we eliminate Pit, you're still my enemy."

"Roger," Falco saluted.

Falco soon found Marth and approached him happily. "You've really done it."

"What have I done?" Marth asked.

Falco explained the situation. With each passing sentence, Marth's expression grew happier.

"This is excellent news," said Marth.

"I don't know what you did," Falco said. "But it was brilliant. And it worked. You have to teach me your ways, because I can't believe you tore apart that alliance."

"I do not believe I should be proud," noted Marth. "It was not the most honorable course of action."

"Who cares? It worked. We aren't the targets anymore. We're the swing vote."

"It seems that way," said Marth. "Do you have a preference?"

"Of course. You're absolutely correct. Kirby should go home."

"I agree," said Marth. "I was not lying. I fully believe Kirby will win this game if we allow him. He is the greatest unseen threat."

"Kirby will win the game?" Lucario asked. Falco and Marth jumped, not seeing the Pokemon approach. Lucario walked up to them. "I admit, I had considered the possibility, but his performance in challenges leave much to be desired."

"What do you want?" Falco asked.

"I am curious how the four of them have gotten so upset at each other," Lucario replied. "It must have taken a lot of careful planning in order to achieve. I do not believe I could have even come up with a strategy."

"Maybe they just trust Marth," Falco offered. "No offense, but you isolated yourself really early on. Marth's still friends with most people here."

"Is that so?" Lucario asked, eyeing Marth carefully. "An intelligent and trustworthy player. Yet you are attempting to convince people that Kirby is the greatest threat in the game?"

"I consider it a well thought out plan," Marth admitted. "I do not believe either of us is in danger in the immediate future, so it is successful as well."

"I'm glad I have Marth on my side," said Falco. "I wouldn't want to be his enemy."

Lucario eyed Marth carefully. "Of course. No doubt you have been rid of all of your enemies."

"Not all of them," Marth replied casually.

"What about you?" asked Falco. "Where are you siding?"

Lucario turned to him. "I will remain impartial," he replied. "I refuse to align with or against my protégé, no matter how much he has disappointed me."

"Disappointed?" Falco repeated. "You'd have to expect a damn lot to be disappointed with Pit."

"I expected him to work together with Fox," said Lucario. "Yet he was the cause of Fox's demise. That has shown that he has learned nothing from me."

"Hey, I don't like the fact that Fox is gone either," said Falco. "He was my only real friend here. But I'm not mad at Pit. It was basically self-defense, and if you worked with us, Fox might still be here."

"At the cost of Pit," said Lucario. "That is a choice I refused to make."

"But you did," said Falco. "I mean, we told you that we needed your vote. We wanted you to vote with us. I doubt it slipped past your observant eyes that it was going to be Pit or Fox last night. You chose Pit."

"I chose impartiality," said Lucario.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Falco shrugged. "I'm just saying don't be disappointed when you're just as much to blame as he is."

Lucario remained silent. Marth decided to switch the topic. "Bowser and Kirby came up to Falco, requesting that he vote for Pit."

"Will you?"

"No, I will be voting for Kirby," said Marth.

"Same," said Falco.

"I will be voting for the greatest threat," said Lucario.

Falco rolled his eyes. "I don't get you. It won't do anything. Why vote for Marth?"

"Because one of these Tribal Councils, the rest of you will understand my fear," said Lucario. "If not, you will regret it."

Lucario walked away. Marth smiled sadly. "I had hoped to convince him to vote with us."

"He's way too stubborn," said Falco, shaking his head. "Whatever. He's one vote, and his vote doesn't mean much. All we have to do is keep Kirby from winning."

"We must also convince Mario and Pit to vote with us," said Marth. "That should be our goal tomorrow."

Day 67

Unity Tribe

At dawn, Bowser grabbed Pit while he was sleeping and carried him into the forest. He splashed water on Pit's face, and a delirious angel was suddenly thrown out of his dreams.

"Whazzgoinon?" Pit said, his head moving rapidly as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. "Where am I?" He soon realized something else. "Hey… why'd you tie me up?"

"To ask you some questions," said Bowser. To Pit, he was a giant, black shadow monster who towered over him.

"Don't hurt me!" Pit shouted. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!"

"Pleading won't work on me," said Bowser. "I want to talk, and I don't want you running away."

"Oh…" Pit said, sense slowly coming to him. "Oh it's you, Bowser. I didn't realize. I thought you were someone else…"

"Who else could I possibly look like?"

"Nothing. Never min- why am I tied up?" Pit asked.

"So you won't run," Bowser repeated. "So let's talk a bit."

"The ropes aren't tight," said Pit, pulling an arm free. "I mean, we can talk, but you didn't have to tie me up."

Bowser sighed. Rope tying was never his strongest ability. "Stay sitting. I want you on the ground."

Pit pulled his other arm free and pulled the bundle of rope off of him. "Where did you get this, anyway? I didn't know we had rope."

"It doesn't matter! Stop asking questions! That's my job!"

"Sorry, sorry," Pit said, rubbing his eyes. "What's up?"

"Why are you trying to eliminate Kirby?"

Pit blinked. "What? Who said I was trying to eliminate Kirby?"

"Mario."

Pit sighed. He had spoken to Mario with confidence that he wouldn't tell anyone else. The trust was broken. "And he told you."

"He told us," Bowser repeated.

"It wasn't my idea," said Pit. "I didn't come up with it."

"You expect me to believe that?" Bowser asked.

"I didn't! Marth did."

"Marth? Marth loves Kirby," said Bowser. "Don't be ridiculous. Next you'll be telling me he was the reason why we eliminated Pikachu."

"What?" Pit asked. "That doesn't make any…"

"The West Tribe, in case you didn't realize, and unlike you South Tribe people, are still loyal to each other," said Bowser. "We wouldn't dream of trying to vote for one of our own."

"But I'm telling the truth!" Pit exclaimed. "Marth and I were talking, and he basically told me that Kirby was the most threatening person in the game."

Bowser put his face right up to Pit's. "You have no idea what threatening truly means, angel. Not until you've seen me mad."

Pit plugged his nose. "Whatever you say, Bowser. I'm trying to convince you to listen to the truth. If you aren't going to listen, then we're just wasting our time."

"I'm not done with my questions," said Bowser. Pit was getting to his feet, so Bowser pushed him down. "So get comfortable. This is going to be a long morning."

Pit yawned. "Can you please quicken-"

"Question two!" Bowser said. "Because it doesn't god damn matter whose idea it really is, Pit. The real question is why were you going behind our back to tell Mario?"

Pit didn't respond. There wasn't much he could say that didn't incriminate him. He tried lying. "Mario wanted to talk to me, saying he wanted to eliminate you because he feared you. I told him that instead, we eliminate Kirby."

Bowser smirked. "Don't expect me to believe that for a second." He suddenly lashed out, clawing the bark above Pit's head. Pit ducked, flinched, and gave a yelp of surprise. "Next time, that'll be your head."

"Watch it, Bowser!" Pit yelled. "You could seriously hurt me!"

"That'll be the idea if you don't tell me the truth."

"Fine! Mario didn't say anything! I told him to vote for Kirby!"

"Why?"

"Why do you think? Because I wanted him on my side! Because he's loyal to me!"

"Who else is loyal to you?"

"Clearly no one anymore," said Pit. "These questions are useless. You just wanted an excuse to kidnap me."

"Question three," Bowser said, ignoring him. "Are the others on your side?"

"I'm sure Marth is," Pit muttered. "He's the one who gave me the idea. Falco is too, probably."

"So you believe you hold the majority," said Bowser. "Interesting."

"You scared?" Pit asked defiantly. "Scared that you don't have any true power? I hope you are. I'm going to tell everyone that you're a monster."

"Old news, angel," said Bowser. "I'm doing whatever I can to keep Kirby in. If you think I wouldn't sacrifice everything to keep him in the game, then you've got a lot to learn."

"I don't care what you're going to do. I just want to sleep," said Pit. "There's nothing you can do anyway."

"Oh Pit, you have no idea what I can accomplish," Bowser replied.

A few hours later, the tribe was eating breakfast. Pit seemed jumpy, flinching anytime Bowser moved. Several players noticed immediately.

"What happened?" Lucario asked.

"Nothing, nothing," Pit said. Bowser reached for some fruit, and Pit moved back instinctively.

"Something happened last night," said Bowser. "I kidnapped him and questioned him."

"Why?" Lucario asked.

"To get answers, obviously," Bowser replied.

"What did you do to him?" Marth asked. He rubbed Pit's shoulder. Pit tensed, and then relaxed. "Everything's going to be alright."

"I know, I know," Pit muttered. "I just… I just need some time to sleep."

"Bowser?" Kirby asked fearfully. "Did you hurt him?"

"Check him," Bowser shrugged. "Check his whole body. I didn't touch a single hair on his head."

"He didn't," confirmed Pit. "He… he… he just wouldn't… let me sleep. All night-" he yawned. "-kept waking me up. Shouted at me, roared at me, destroyed trees."

"So that's what I heard last night," said Falco. "I thought they were building another planetarium or something."

"You can sleep," said Marth. "We'll ensure that Bowser doesn't come near you."

Pit nodded, glanced once at Bowser, and then walked away. Bowser remained calm, acting as if he did nothing wrong, despite the others glaring at him.

"You have no right," said Marth. "No right at all to kidnap him and torture him."

"I consider it punishment," said Bowser. "For trying to do what he did."

"And what did he do?" Marth asked. "That deserved it? Was he merely playing the game?"

"He was playing the wrong game," said Bowser. "A game he shouldn't be playing."

"What other game is there?" Kirby asked.

"Never mind, Kirby, keep eating," Bowser said, smiling.

The moment Mario spoke, Bowser's smile dropped. "Bowser, why would you do this? Pit did nothing wrong."

"You're lucky I didn't bother with you," said Bowser. "You're just as guilty as he is." He pointed at Marth. "As are you."

"I don't understand," said Marth.

"You damn well better, or I'll have to teach you a lesson like I did Pit," threatened Bowser.

"Just because we wanted to vote for Kirby."

"Exactly."

"What?" Kirby asked. He turned to Marth, his eyes full of hurt. "You want to vote for me?"

Marth nodded, his expression unchanged. "If Bowser is going to state the plan, I might as well come clean. Yes, Kirby, I was planning on voting for you tonight."

"Why? What did I do wrong?"

"Nothing," replied Marth. "And that is the point." He pointed at Bowser. "Bowser, for example, did something terribly wrong last night. He may be a threat in challenges, but he fails at the other aspect of Survivor, and that is why he will not win." He pointed to Kirby. "However, Kirby, you are not successful in challenges, but you are very successful in the social aspect, and that is why you stand a good chance of winning."

"Then why do you want to eliminate me?" Kirby asked. "I don't want enemies. I'm sorry if I did something wrong, Marth. I'll make it up to you!"

"We shouldn't be doing this," Falco muttered. "It's too early."

Tears were forming in Kirby's eyes. "Guys? Please don't eliminate me! I don't want to go!"

Marth sighed. "Damn Bowser for doing this."

"Don't blame me," Bowser shrugged. "You made the plan. Or Pit did. I don't care. Point is, you're accomplices."

"This isn't going to change anything," said Marth. "My vote remains unchanged."

"No? You don't think you'll reconsider?" Bowser asked. "Maybe I should work on you, next, and try to change your mind."

"No, Bowser, you are done," said Lucario. "I would prefer if you kept silent for the remainder of the day. I would not want you to dig a deeper hole."

"Try to stop me," said Bowser, confidently.

Everyone got up to leave except Kirby and Mario. Kirby had started to cry near the end of the meal, and while Bowser wanted to help, Lucario physically restrained him and walked him away. The sight of his best friend being led away from him only made things worse. The others patted Kirby on the head, wishing him luck and apologizing, but only Mario stayed behind.

"I don't understand," cried Kirby. "Why me, Mario? Why?"

"It isn't your fault," said Mario. He was hugging Kirby. "You've done nothing wrong. I don't want to do it."

"Then don't! Don't vote for me! Just anyone else!"

"The votes might change," said Mario. "I hope they do. Nobody wants to see you leave."

"But they still want me gone!"

"No, no, I think they just want you not to win."

"There's no difference!"

Mario sighed, wishing there was someone who could explain this better. He wasn't too sure about Pit's reasoning himself. "Everyone loves you, Kirby. Bowser loves you. I love you. Even Pit loves you. But I think that's why they want you to leave, so you don't get hurt anymore."

"That doesn't make sense!" Kirby said. "If they love me, they'd want me to stay, right? I won't get hurt if I stay!"

"But Bowser might be in danger after what he's done. I don't think they want you to see him go."

"I don't! But I don't want to see you guys go too!" Kirby cried. "Do… do they think I'm weak?"

"No, they wouldn't be thinking about voting for you if they thought you were weak," Mario replied. "In fact, it's the opposite. They think you're really strong."

"Really?" Kirby asked. "That's nice of them. But I'm not! I'm really not! I'll tell them all I'm weak so they keep me!"

Mario bit his lip. "I really don't think it works that way. I don't think saying you're weak is going to change their mind."

"Then what can I do?" Kirby asked.

"Win the Immunity Challenge," Mario suggested. That didn't seem to help, so he continued. "I've been thinking about changing my vote. I don't want to see you go either, and I really don't think Pit's right. I think he's just sad he eliminated Fox."

"I'm sad too," said Kirby. "But I don't want to eliminate someone because of it."

"I know, I know," Mario sighed. "Will this give you any relief? If I said I'd vote for Pit instead?"

Kirby sniffed. "Really? You'd do that?"

Mario smiled. "It's the least I could do. You'll have one vote on your side."

Kirby wiped a tear from his eye, but another replaced it. "Thank you for comforting me. You might be the only one who cares."

"Oh, don't say that," said Mario. "Bowser'd be here too if Lucario wasn't forcing him to stay away. I think everything he did was to protect you."

"Yeah, he's great," Kirby said. He wiped another tear from his eye. "I don't want to go, Mario. I really don't."

"I know. I'll try to keep you."

Kirby smiled. "It's nice to have you as a friend."

"Yeah," Mario said. "It's nice."

Lucario led Bowser into the trees. Only when they were far away from camp did he let him go. Bowser immediately turned around, claws raised, ready to strike.

"What's wrong with you?" Bowser snarled. "Kirby's crying, and here I am miles away, not able to help him."

"You've done enough for him and yourself," said Lucario. "I would recommend that you calm down and think before you act. You are treading dangerous ground."

"So's Pit," said Bowser. "He got what he deserved."

"And so will you."

"I don't care. So long as Kirby stays, that's all I care about."

Lucario eyed him carefully. "Is this truly the best way to go about vying for Kirby's safety? Kidnapping players and torturing them?"

"Pit made a dumb mistake, and I'm reminding him of it," said Bowser. "If he still thinks it's smart to vote him off, I'll make sure he regrets it."

"You will do no such thing," said Lucario.

"Oh, suddenly you care?" Bowser asked. "I hyped you up a few days ago. I'm not forgetting that. But if you're using your newfound courage to be my enemy, you'll regret it."

"And I say that if you attempt to harm anyone who fights you, you will regret it," Lucario replied.

Bowser kicked a tree, leaving a giant dent in the toughest part of the trunk. He roared in frustration. "Why are you people doing this to us? What have we done wrong? We don't deserve to be targeted all of a sudden! We've been keeping to ourselves the entire time!"

"You truly don't understand after all this time," Lucario shook his head.

"Understand what? That this game is unfair and stupid?"

"More or less."

"Kirby has not done anything to upset anyone. Kirby is the most innocent, carefree, helpful person I know," reasoned Bowser. "He has no enemies, and everyone is his friend."

"Which is precisely why he is a target," said Lucario.

"This again," Bowser scoffed. "It's pathetic. Pit said the same thing. Kirby isn't a threat! He never was, and he'll never be a threat!"

"You will not listen if I explain," said Lucario. "You are too upset to listen to reason."

"So what? So what if I'm upset? My best friend's going to be eliminated, and for what? Stupid logic and pathetic, scared people." He kicked the tree again. The tree started to wobble; its foundation nearly destroyed. "Let me go."

"No," said Lucario firmly. "You will stay until I deem you have calmed."

"What's there to be calm about?" Bowser asked. "I'm not going to calm down until Kirby's safe. I'm going to do what I can to keep him safe."

"You can do nothing. It is out of your control."

"You are so wrong it's pathetic," said Bowser. "There's plenty I can still do. I've got all day. I can make it work. Just get out of my way."

Bowser made a motion to leave, but he found himself pushed back. He breathed fire at Lucario, but his mouth was forced close. Lucario pushed him again, causing him to crash into the tree, which broke and crashed over. Bowser lay on his stomach, groaning.

"You'll pay for that," he muttered.

"Perhaps, but not now," Lucario replied. He started to walk away. "I trust you will not attempt to attack me again. You will regret it."

Lucario had come back to camp and stood guard by Pit. When Bowser arrived, he sat down next to Kirby and Mario and the trio talked for a while.

"Are you okay?" Kirby asked.

Bowser looked at Lucario, who did not remove his eyes from him. "Yeah, never better," he mumbled. "Only had my ass kicked, and I'm exhausted."

"Why did you do it?" Mario asked. "That was so stupid of you."

"I was mad," said Bowser. "So forgive me for wanting to protect my friend. I've already gotten one lecture today. I don't need another."

"I don't think it helped," said Kirby. "I'm scared. I don't want to go home."

"You won't," said Bowser. "Not if I have anything to say about it."

"What are we doing?" Mario asked. "Is the vote still for Pit?"

"Damn right it is," said Bowser. "Are you in?"

Mario nodded. "I don't want to be your enemy."

Bowser smirked. "Wise choice, plumber boy. Least one person sees sense. We talked with Falco, and he's in. We have four. That's all we need."

"Let's hope so," Mario sighed. "Nothing ever seems to go our way."

"Just as long as I'm not going home," said Kirby. He smiled. "I appreciate everything you've done for me, Bowser. You're a great friend."

Bowser smirk softened into a smile. "Of course, puffball. So long as you're here, everything's alright."

Pit woke up a few hours later. He yawned, rubbed his eyes, and saw Lucario standing guard. Lucario turned to him and nodded.

"What's up?" Pit asked. "What time is it?"

"Mid-afternoon," Lucario replied. "The challenge will be soon. I hope you are well rested."

"I feel great," said Pit. "I needed this. Were you watching me?"

"I was making sure Bowser did not harm you," said Lucario. "I had to force him to calm down."

"Well, I'm still alive," Pit shrugged. "So thanks for guarding me."

"Have you thought about Tribal Council?" Lucario asked.

"Kind of," said Pit. "Think it'd be smart to change my vote?"

"No," said Lucario. "I believe Kirby is the better choice. Bowser is unstable without him. Kirby is the one anchor keeping him sane, as he has proven many times today. Remove Kirby, and Bowser will self-destruct."

"I just hope I'm not the one he self-destructs on," Pit muttered. "I don't need another kidnapping."

"If necessary, I will protect you," said Lucario.

"You don't need to do that," said Pit. "Really, I'm sure I'll be fine."

"I must protect you. I will not let Bowser harm you again."

"Then I should change my vote," suggested Pit. "Best way to keep myself safe."

"I do not believe it will matter what you vote," said Lucario. "You will use your Immunity Necklace tonight."

"I will?" Pit asked. It wasn't a question. It was a statement. "Am I really in danger?"

"You are," said Lucario, nodding at the trio sitting at the table. "They have been speaking all morning. I believe you have lost your ally."

"Mario…" Pit sighed. "Darn. I really thought I could trust him."

"So you will use your Necklace provided you do not win tonight," said Lucario.

"Will you use your advantage?" Pit asked.

"Not tonight," said Lucario. "Perhaps when I am in greater danger. I do not believe tonight is the night."

"Smart," said Pit. He removed his necklace and rubbed his finger softly over its design. "I'm sad I have to use this. I wanted to keep it as a souvenir."

"If you are willing to give up the victory, you can," said Lucario.

Pit smirked. "I don't think it's worth that much. But it's going to be tough moving on without it. It kept me safe, you know?"

"Make sure it is hidden," said Lucario. "You do not want anyone becoming suspicious."

Pit nodded and hid the necklace.

It was late in the afternoon when Marth and Falco met. Lucario and Pit had separated, and everyone was getting ready for the challenge.

"Some crazy day," Falco whistled. "Torture, violence, and kidnapping. If I didn't know any better, I'd say this wasn't even Survivor anymore."

"Are you saying that this does not normally happen in traditional Survivor?" Marth asked, smiling slyly.

"If this happened in other games, I doubt Bowser would even be here. He'd be kicked out," Falco replied. He shrugged. "But I guess we get special treatment or something. I don't care. He's already singled himself out."

"He has indeed," Marth nodded. "I did not expect that out of him."

"Really? I've heard stories about how he acted early in the game," said Falco. "He was crazy."

"He was loud and he antagonized a few of us, but I had thought he had changed."

"I kind of understand where he's coming from. Kirby's his friend, and he's the one keeping him sane. Without Kirby, Bowser'd probably be like he was at the beginning, right? The one who changed me was Pichu. But I wanted to improve because of what Pichu did to me. Bowser… I don't think he wants to improve. I think he just wants things to go his way, and when they don't, he can't handle it."

"That is one interpretation," said Marth.

"Oh come on! I'd say that's pretty accurate!" Falco complained. "I had one cute and cuddly thing to keep me grounded. Bowser has another."

"So when Kirby is removed, Bowser will not remain grounded?"

"Probably not. At least, judging by what we've seen the past few hours."

Marth looked worried. "Is it too late to change our vote?"

Falco shrugged. "We might not have time to talk to Pit before the challenge. You want to run over to him?"

The pair looked around. Pit was nowhere to be seen.

"It's too late," said Falco finally.

"I hope we are not making a mistake," said Marth.

Falco shrugged. "Hey, we're still in. We'll still be here tomorrow. I don't think that's a mistake."

"I am thinking about the future," Marth clarified. "Bowser acted terrifying today. But Kirby is still here and able to calm him down. If Kirby is eliminated, then we do not know how he will act."

"Let's hope he takes his murderous rampage out on Pit and not us," Falco grinned. "Best we can hope for, really."

Immunity Challenge

The tribe met on the mountain range in the northwest corner of the island, in the tunnel that had been drilled into the side of the mountain. They waited by the ropes that still dangled, attached to the wall. The hole in the net had been patched up, and staring at it the Survivors thought only of Popo's perilous fall.

"I don't like this," Falco muttered. "Last time we played here, Popo broke his leg."

"It's okay," said Pit. He pointed at the hole. "They reattached it with some duct tape. It's perfectly secure."

Master Hand took that moment to arrive. He floated outside the net, unable to enter the tunnel.

"Welcome, Survivors, to your next Immunity Challenge," he announced.

Falco waved. "Hey, Master Hand, you don't seem upset anymore. Does this mean you won't be destroying the mountain as well, or are you just excited?"

"We will not destroy the mountain," Master Hand replied. "We are revisiting earlier challenges for one final time. The net and the wooden planks will be torn down once we are completed."

"Or, you know, while we're fighting," Falco shrugged. "Hey, how's Popo doing?"

"He is recovering nicely," Master Hand replied. "I have heard that there was some fighting at camp today."

"Bowser and I had a disagreement," said Lucario. "We resolved it."

"Nevertheless, there was violence, and there must be a punishment," said Master Hand. "You two will be sitting out of the Immunity Challenge. I hope this will dissuade you from fighting each other outside of challenges."

Bowser rolled his eyes and sat down. Lucario nodded and stepped off the mat. The other five waited for Master Hand's instructions.

"Today's challenge will be similar to the last Reward Challenge you all had as four separate tribes," Master Hand continued. "You will each claim a wooden pole and fight to be the last one remaining. If you fall into the net, you will lose. Bowser, if you would please."

Bowser removed his shield and rolled it, where it stopped on the mat. The five players grabbed poles and carefully stepped out onto the platforms.

"Note that despite there being multiple layers, we will only be using this one," said Master Hand. "If you fall onto the layers below, you will be eliminated. Survivors ready?"

The Survivors were a fair distance apart, so they nodded.

"Begin!"

Falco leapt off his beam and landed right in front of Mario, startling him. He swung, and Mario got hit in the stomach, knocking him back. He struggled to keep his balance, but he managed to secure his footing and get into a fighting stance. Falco charged at him and thrust forward, and Mario knocked it aside, then hit him with the other side of the pole. Falco corrected himself, but Mario was ready with another swing. Falco blocked that, and sensing immediate danger jumped back to a safe distance. The two recovered and then charged at each other.

Meanwhile, Pit had flown to Marth and was attacking him. The two were fairly evenly matched, with Pit having a lot more control due to his wings. He was able to maintain his balance and swing faster than Marth was able, and he was quickly gaining an advantage. In one instance, Marth swung forward, but Pit blocked the pole, grabbed it before Marth could rip it away, and held it in place as he swung with his other hand. Having no choice, Marth let go of his pole, and Pit dropped it into the net. Pit ran forward, and Marth was forced to run away. The two came across Kirby, who had been watching the fights nervously. Marth ran to him.

"Help me, Kirby!" He shouted.

Kirby turned to the sound of his voice. He glared. "Don't talk to me!"

"Kirby, help me, and I can help you!" Marth shouted.

Kirby, already nervous about his own situation, didn't need this to complicate things. He didn't think about it, and he ran forward. Marth jumped over him, and Pit was forced to stop to block Kirby's swing. Kirby had a huge disadvantage, but he kept moving forward, forcing Pit to move back. Marth came around, having had to use three other wood planks to circle, and grabbed Pit's pole mid-swing. He took the full force of the impact, but he kept a firm grip on the pole. He fell back, but he caused Pit to fall forward. Pit let go, and Marth fell into the net below. Before Pit could react, Kirby hit him from behind, and then overcut him as he attempted to fly up. Kirby hit him in the head, dazing him so that he couldn't react.

Falco and Mario's sparring match had neared the end. Both were exhausted, Falco even more so having leapt so many times. His showing off was becoming his downfall, because through short, deep breaths, Mario was hitting him faster than he could block or dodge. One swing was his end: Mario blocked his own swing with one hand, tossed the pole to his other hand and swung upwards. Falco was so startled by this maneuver that he couldn't compensate, and he was knocked over the platform.

Mario turned to face Kirby, somewhat surprised to see him the last one remaining, trying to catch his breath. Having not fought anyone seriously, Kirby had plenty of energy to spare.

"Let me win!" Kirby shouted.

Mario looked at him strangely. "Why?"

"Because I'm in danger," Kirby replied. "Please let me win. You're tired and probably hurting. I want to win. Keep me safe."

Mario looked at his dented pole, and then turned nervously to the others on the mountainside. They were too far away for him to gauge a reaction. He stood up straight. "You'll have to earn it."

Kirby frowned. "Oh, Mario, why? I don't want to go home."

"You won't," said Mario. He smiled. "You can trust me."

Kirby nodded, hoping he knew what Mario meant. The two ran at each other. Despite Mario's exhaustion, his size and strength gave him a clear advantage. He moved around Kirby, attacking him from multiple sides. Kirby could only turn around and block, biding his time. He swung once, and Mario immediately jumped into the air and landed right on the pole. Kirby grunted, surprised by the sudden stop. Mario stared down at his legs, and then back at Kirby, who was struggling to pull it out from under him. Kirby stopped momentarily and looked straight in Mario's eyes.

"Mario?" He asked before getting hit in the head with the pole. He fell from the platform, tried to float back up, only to be surprised by his own pole getting thrown at him, knocking him down.

"With that, Mario has won Immunity!" Master Hand announced. "He has secured his place in the final six! Please claim your prize!"

Mario sullenly stepped from the platforms to the mountainside, grabbing his shield without looking into anyone's eyes. Everyone except Bowser congratulated him. Even Kirby, when he reached everyone, shook his hand.

"I'm sorry," Mario muttered. "I should have let you win."

Kirby could only manage a weak smile. "It's okay. I think you're right. I'll be fine."

The tribe walked down the mountainside and headed toward Tribal Council.

Tribal Council

Having retrieved and lit their torches, the Survivors reached the ruins and sat on their logs. Master Hand soon arrived, with the members of the Jury in tow. The familiar seven sat down, and then their newest member entered.

"Falco!" Fox exclaimed, smiling brightly. "Great to see you!"

Falco nodded, still tired. "Good to see you too. You're doing well, I hope."

"Fantastic," Fox replied. "You wouldn't believe the stuff they have! It's amazing!"

Falco grinned. "Can't wait to try it."

"I hope you don't. I never want to see you here. You aren't good enough to enjoy it." He turned to Pit.

Pit nodded. "Fox."

Fox paused, and then nodded back. "Pit. I trust you're doing well."

Pit smiled guiltily. "I made a lot of mistakes. I didn't realize I needed you so much."

"Of course. I was the backbone behind this alliance," said Fox. "Without me, you might as well give up."

"Fox told us about what happened," explained Yoshi. "A lot of stuff happened these last few days. I never thought I'd see the day."

"We're still getting used to it," said Pit. "It's strange not being in a secure alliance."

"Strange?" King Dedede repeated. "Having had two months of experience with unsecure alliances, I could tell you that strange is not the word I'd use."

"What word, then?" Kirby asked.

"Terrifying. Not knowing who's against you and who's with you. Not knowing if you're a target or you're completely safe. Staying up all night thinking about what went wrong and what you could've done better," King Dedede listed.

"That's more than one word," commented Pokemon Trainer.

"I experienced that even with a secure alliance," said Fox.

"That's about right," Kirby muttered.

"You okay, puffball?" King Dedede asked. "You seem worse than usual, and so does your turtle friend."

Bowser looked furious. He refused to look at Mario, and he was staring into the wall intensely. "I'm fine."

"You look like you're thinking," said Snake.

"You can get that from that expression?" Pokemon Trainer asked. He looked back at Bowser and shrugged. "I don't see it."

"Yeah, that's thinking Bowser alright," said Pikachu. "His brain's working overtime."

"Quiet," said Bowser firmly.

"Bowser, please," Kirby whispered. "You look like you're going to hurt someone."

"I might, Kirby, I might," Bowser said. He softened slightly. "Depending on what happens."

"Make sure you direct your anger toward everyone else," said Pokemon Trainer. "I've already experienced angry Bowser, and I don't ever want to see it again."

Wanting to change the subject, Yoshi noted who had the Shield. "Congratulations, Mario, I'm glad you won."

Mario smiled. "Thank you. I'm happy it finally happened."

"What was the challenge?" Link asked.

"You remember the challenge that eliminated Popo?" Falco asked. "It was that one."

"Oh, with the poles?" Fox asked, miming the action. "Damn. I'd have destroyed in that one."

"I thought Lucario was amazing at that one," said Link. "He's always done well."

"I did not compete," said Lucario.

"You holding out for another immunity?" Fox asked.

"I was disqualified."

The Jury looked at each other. "For what?" Fox asked.

"For fighting with Bowser," replied Lucario.

The Jury was beginning to put the puzzle together. "Why did you two fight?" asked Pokemon Trainer.

"We had a disagreement," said Lucario.

Pit wanted to open his mouth, to tell the Jury what Bowser had done to him, but the words wouldn't come. He knew that if he said anything, he would be throwing Bowser's chance of winning the game away, and he didn't think that, despite what he had done, he deserved it.

He was surprised when Bowser did it for him. "Pit was talking about eliminating Kirby. I kidnapped Pit, tortured him, and changed his mind. Lucario didn't like that, so we fought."

There was silence.

"You… tortured," Pokemon Trainer repeated fearfully. Pit could feel several pairs of eyes on him, searching every piece of his body for injuries.

"It wasn't physical," said Pit. "It was…"

Bowser raised a claw. Pit flinched instinctively. "It was that," said Bowser.

"You're terrible," declared Pokemon Trainer. "Pit did nothing to you."

"You're partially right," said Bowser. "But Pit went after my friend, so I did what I could."

"It was worthless," said Pit. He had recovered from that morning's events, but he still felt bitter. It was truly a terrible experience, so he felt defiant. "I'm still voting for Kirby."

Bowser turned to him. He smirked. "Do what you want, angel. You aren't going to win."

Pit kept silent. He raised his hand to his neck involuntarily, feeling the necklace beneath. He stared at Bowser until Bowser, not noticing the gesture, turned back to the Jury.

"So what are you going to do if Kirby goes home?" Fox asked. "Go on a rampage?"

"No, he won't," said Kirby, firmly, staring up at Bowser. "He's going to apologize and try to win. But he won't hurt anyone."

Bowser looked down at Kirby. The two stared at each other in silence, and then Bowser nodded. "Okay."

Kirby sighed in relief. "Can we change the subject?"

"What else is there to discuss?" Marth asked. "There has been a lot of talking amongst all of us, and the dilemma with Pit and Bowser was the most important thing that happened. We must be close to the votes."

Master Hand couldn't agree more. "This was an interesting talk," Master Hand announced. Some players were surprised to see their host was there. He hadn't spoken. "However, it is time for the votes. Pit, if you would begin."

Pit went up to vote.

"I meant it, Bowser. I'm not changing my vote. You don't scare me."

Kirby went up to vote.

Bowser went up to vote.

Mario went up to vote.

"I'm sorry for doing this. You're a friend, but I don't think I can rely on you in the future."

Lucario went up to vote.

Falco went up to vote.

Marth went up to vote.

"You are the player I fear the most. No matter what anyone else believes, that makes you the danger."

As Marth sat down, Master Hand collected the voting urn. "The player with the most votes must exit Tribal Council immediately. I'll-"

Pit stood up. "Wait," he said. He stepped down and removed the Immunity Necklace from underneath his shirt. He gave it to Master Hand. "I'd like to use this."

Master Hand looked at it, grabbed it, and said, "Very well. Pit has immunity for tonight's Tribal Council. All votes toward him will be nullified."

Bowser stared at him in shock as he walked back to his tribe members. Lucario patted Pit's shoulder. "That was wise," he said.

"I hope so," Pit agreed, hoping he hadn't wasted his immunity.

"The first vote," Master Hand announced. "Is for Pit."

Pit sighed in relief, leaning back to look at the sky. "Oh thank goodness."

"The second vote is for Kirby," continued Master Hand. He collected the third vote. "Kirby."

Kirby looked at Bowser. Bowser looked back at him. The two were beginning to tear up.

"The fourth vote is for Pit."

Lucario whispered into Pit's ear, "Keep track of the votes, even if you are safe."

Pit nodded, and he turned to look at the back of his tribe members' heads, judging their reaction.

"The fifth vote is for Pit." Mario shuddered slightly, and Pit noticed.

"The sixth vote is for Bowser."

Pit glanced at Lucario, who made no reaction. Despite this, he had a fairly good idea who that vote was written by.

"The seventh and final vote is for Kirby," Master Hand announced. "With a score of 3-3-1, we would go to previous Tribal Councils to determine the victor. In this case, Pit would have four votes, while Kirby would have zero, which would mean Pit would be eliminated."

He paused. "However, with the Immunity Necklace, Pit is safe for tonight, so all votes toward him are nullified. This means that the true results are 3-1. Which means Kirby, you are the thirty-fourth player eliminated from Super Smash Bros Survivor. Please bring me your torch."

Kirby got up and hugged everyone, even Pit. Even Mario. Even Marth. He hugged Bowser the longest, and he refused to let go. Bowser whispered something into Kirby's ear, and Kirby shook his head.

"I'm going to do it," Bowser said audibly enough for the rest to hear him.

"You aren't," Kirby said. "Please, Bowser, it's too late."

"Master Hand!" Bowser announced. "Could I volunteer to take Kirby's place?"

"No!" Kirby shouted. "Don't let him. I don't want you to let him do this!"

"You cannot volunteer," Master Hand replied. "However, you may quit. You would be able to join him on the Jury."

Bowser looked at Kirby with a smile on his face. He blinked, seeing Kirby looking angry.

"Don't," said Kirby. "Don't do it. You can win. I want you to win for me."

"But I want to join you," said Bowser. "Please…"

"No!" Kirby said. He grabbed his torch. "I don't want to see you leave!" He walked over to Master Hand. "Don't do it!" He watched as Master Hand snuffed it and turned back to the remaining Survivors. His voice dropped to a whimper. "Please, don't."

A tear fell from Bowser's eye. He didn't notice it. "Okay," he finally said. "I won't."

Kirby nodded. "Good luck… Bowser." And with that, he disappeared.

Mario hesitated, and then he patted Bowser's shoulder. Bowser thought about shrugging him off, but in the end let him.

The Jury was stunned, feeling strangely heavy in their heart from the deep friendship they had just seen torn apart. Despite what they thought about Bowser, they knew that he had one of the strongest relationships of anyone on the tribe. They could respect him for that.

After what felt like ages, Master Hand started to speak. "It doesn't get easier," he said. "With only six of you remaining, your days on this island are numbering. Make them last. You will not get another chance. Good luck, and I will see you all tomorrow."

Silently, the Survivors took their torches and left.

"I hope he wins," said Kirby in an overview. He was sad, but he tried to sound as cheerful as possible. "I hope they all win. They all deserve it. They all played better than I did. I never tried to play this game like they wanted, and I think that's why I lost. Whoever did it, whoever's idea it was, that person should win. I… I think they're right. I think I would've won because I was so friendly to everyone. I didn't want to think about it at the time, but I was a really big threat. That makes me happy. I was a threat without trying to be-" he giggled. "Good luck to everyone. And Bowser, you are the best."