Unity Tribe
The tribe arrived still feeling the heavy emotions from the Tribal Council. The only one who was smiling was Marth. Pit noticed this, so he walked over to him as they were settling around the fire.
"Are you okay?" Pit asked. "We won, I understand, but…"
"I believe I have achieved a record in this game," said Marth. "I am the only player to have witnessed three Immunity Necklaces."
"I didn't even know what it was," Mario admitted. "That was the first time I've seen it."
"I used the last one," Pit said. "There were only three of them."
"That's a relief," said Marth. "It was shocking to see the first. I had my suspicions about Snake, and they were all but confirmed when he used his. I had forgotten about them; I did not expect anyone else to have them."
"Surprise," Pit said, shaking his hands and smiling weakly. "I doubt you're the only one. Two strategic geniuses, Lucario and Snake, and then there's me."
"You used yours last," Lucario noted. "That is significant."
Pit shrugged. "It means no one thought I was a huge threat until the last minute, when most of the threats are gone."
Falco snorted. "Please. If you think none of us are threats, I'd love for you to get overconfident."
"I don't mean it like that," said Pit. "Really, I'm sorry, I don't. I think I just meant that a lot of the strongest players were eliminated."
"Again, we're all threats," said Falco. "Or else we wouldn't be here."
"I know, I know," Pit said. He sighed. "I don't know what I'm saying."
"You can't compare yourself to Lucario or Snake," said Mario. "I don't mean any offense, but you just weren't… playing… as hard as they were."
"I wasn't," Pit agreed. "You're right. I was riding in an alliance that kept me safe for most of the game. But now that alliance is gone, and I'm on my own. I had to use something as a last resort just to stay alive. When Lucario and Snake used theirs, they were to eliminate threats, right?"
"I eliminated Ness," Lucario said.
"And Snake eliminated Metaknight," added Marth.
"Huge threats," Pit continued. "Two geniuses, people who had huge alliances if I remember correctly. They used theirs smart, to accomplish something, to beat their opponents, I guess. But I used mine… to save myself."
"Do not overestimate me," said Lucario. "I was in true danger myself. I would have been eliminated had I not had the necklace."
"And Snake would've been eliminated as well," added Marth. He smiled. "So you see, Pit, you are on a level with two of the greatest. You should be proud of yourself."
Pit smiled back. "I guess so. Thanks." He placed a hand on his chest. "My heart's still beating like crazy. I hope I'll be able to go to bed."
"As I said, I will protect you," said Lucario. "You have nothing to fear."
Pit glanced at Bowser, who hadn't moved nor spoken since they sat down. "I didn't mean it like that, but thanks. I appreciate it."
"Time to get to bed?" Falco asked. He got to his feet. "Great. I'm exhausted."
They wished each other good night and left. Mario was among the last to leave, slowly as he noticed Bowser still hadn't moved. Everyone else was heading to bed, and the fire was dimming. He turned back to Bowser.
"Do you want to talk?" Mario asked.
There was a pause, and then Bowser looked up at him. "I wanted to do it. I wanted to quit with him anyway, even when he told me not to."
"You didn't," said Mario.
"I didn't," Bowser agreed. "I don't know if I made the right choice."
"You're still here," Mario said. "You can… you can avenge him."
"I can't," said Bowser. "I can't win."
"Yes you can. I understand what you're going through. This is exactly what I felt when I heard Luigi was eliminated."
"Yeah, and I kicked your ass into gear. So kick my ass." Bowser chuckled at his own words. "Or else I might walk right back and give up anyway."
"You made it so far," said Mario. "You're one of the last six of us. We're the best of the best, Bowser! Everyone else is gone! That must mean something to you."
Bowser's gaze had dropped to the ground, and Mario paused waiting for a reaction. Annoyed that he received nothing, he continued: "We all have people we're playing for. We've all lost nearly all of our friends and allies. But you aren't alone. Kirby believed in you. He wanted you to stay, begged you to stay. Even now he's telling everyone about all the great things you did for him. He's rooting for you."
"I didn't do enough for him," whispered Bowser. "I'm not good enough for him. I should've quit. I should've sacrificed myself for him. I couldn't even do that."
"He wouldn't want you to quit," Mario continued. "He wants the best for you. He doesn't care if you could've done more. He cares that you're still here and still trying to win."
"I can't win."
"You can. You wouldn't want to disappoint him, after all you two have worked for."
"I've disappointed him enough for one game," said Bowser.
Mario shook his head. "You've never disappointed him. Ever. That's why you shouldn't start now."
Bowser snorted. "You think Kirby hasn't told me he's disappointed in me?"
"Of course he never has!" said Mario. "That's just not how Kirby is. You never disappointed him because you never gave up. You stuck by him no matter what. Even when Kirby was at his lowest point, you were there for him. You supported him and made sure he stayed happy."
"I did," Bowser smiled. "That was the best thing I've done."
"It won't be your last," said Mario. "I won't let it. You've gotten too far to give up now. Pick yourself up."
Bowser paused, looking up at Mario curiously. Finally, he got to his feet. "Alright, Mario, you've kicked my ass. We're even." He smiled.
Mario sighed in relief. "I'm glad you saw things my way. We'll get through this. We'll beat them all. The two of us."
Bowser nodded. "For Kirby."
"For Kirby," Mario agreed.
Day 68
Around breakfast time, nearly every member was still asleep. Lucario was wide awake and alert, and he assumed it was late enough to disturb Pit. He nudged Pit awake. Pit yelped suddenly, panicking and falling off his bed. He groaned and rubbed his head after it hit the sand.
"I apologize," said Lucario, helping Pit up. "I did not expect such a reaction."
"It's fine," said Pit. "I guess I'm still not over it."
"I had been meaning to discuss strategy with you," said Lucario. "Is it a good time?"
Pit shrugged. "Sure, I guess. I'd say after breakfast, but I don't know what's going on."
"I saw Mario and Bowser speaking to each other last night," explained Lucario. "And it is obvious that Falco and Marth have aligned. And, I would assume, you and I are allies as well."
Pit nodded. "Of course. Everyone else abandoned me."
"Then we are at a standoff," said Lucario. "Three pairs of allies. We will all be debating which pair should align with whom. The last pair will be exterminated."
Pit gritted his teeth nervously. "So we're in danger."
"We are all in danger," agreed Lucario. "I would say that each one of us has a fifty-fifty chance of being eliminated, but I truly do not believe that would be accurate."
Pit shrugged. "I don't really know. What's your logic?"
"Ironically, our greatest enemy is our only ally," explained Lucario. "The two pairs who ally with one another will choose one of the two remaining players to eliminate. Should we be the losing pair, I will be competing only against you."
"Bet I'd lose that," Pit grimaced. "You may not have made friends early on, but I've made a lot of enemies lately."
"Everyone has," said Lucario. "Do not be concerned with that. Nobody here is friends with everyone."
"Marth?" Pit suggested.
"He knows he is my only threat," said Lucario. "He will be wary of any alliance with me."
"Could we separate a pair, then? Get one person-"
"That would not be wise," said Lucario. "I do not believe that any of them would be willing to abandon their ally at this time. No, if we succeed, we must recruit both players."
"So if we want to talk to any of them, it will have to be two on two?"
"Exactly," said Lucario. "There cannot be any misconceptions about who they would be recruiting into an alliance."
Pit sighed. "Great, so that's our mission." He nodded at the sleeping pair of Marth and Falco. "I don't care if you don't like it. I'm only allying with them."
"Therein lies the problem," said Lucario. "They may be glad to ally with you, but you cannot abandon me, and they would not be keen to allying with me."
"They don't have much choice," said Pit. "This isn't a matter of trust. None of us trust each other, right? So we're all forced into this."
"That seems to be the situation," said Lucario, satisfied that Pit was understanding the state of the game.
Falco yawned and stretched and started, seeing Marth standing above him. "What're you doing watching me while I'm asleep?"
"I wanted to speak with you," said Marth.
Falco looked around. The other four players were around the fire enjoying their meal. He heard his stomach grumble and looked at them longingly. "Can't it wait?"
"It can," Marth agreed. "But it won't."
"Damn… you know this is really suspicious, right?"
Marth smirked. "I believe there is little secrecy among us with regards to our closest ally."
Falco raised an eyebrow in confusion, while Marth explained the situation of the tribe to him. It was nearly identical to Lucario's analysis of the tribe.
Marth concluded with, "I do not doubt that each pair will be attempting to speak to everyone. It would be foolish not to. But we only need to convince one player that our side is the strongest, and the rest will fall neatly into place."
"Then who do we go for?" Falco asked.
"That is an interesting discussion," said Marth. "There are naturally many positives and negatives to both alliances. I would like to believe that I am consistent and target the player who would be the most likely to win the game."
"Okay, sure," said Falco, shrugging. "Who's that?"
Marth chuckled. "I believe it would be myself."
"Oh, so you're saying I should target you?"
"If you wish," said Marth. "I gave you a fair warning."
"I'll take my chances," said Falco. "No offense, but I think I could rally everyone behind me in the final Tribal Council."
"I would love to see that."
Falco thought a moment. "Do you think the others are on the same page as us? Thinking about the future and all that?"
"An interesting question," said Marth. "To be honest, I can only make assumptions. I will admit that I had only recently come to that conclusion-"
"And you're usually ahead of the game," added Falco.
"-so for the others to arrive to similar realizations…"
Marth paused, so Falco continued. "Well, we helped them. We explained to pretty much everyone why we chose Kirby."
Marth nodded. "Agreed. The thought must be with them, even if begrudgingly. I would say we will all be thinking about the final Tribal Council soon. Who would we rather have with us? A friend who is our greatest threat or an enemy who we are confident we can beat."
"D'aw, you're going to make me blush, Marth," said Falco, nudging his shoulder. "You really think I'm a threat. I'm honored."
Marth smiled. "As you said yesterday, we are all threats. It will no doubt be a difficult decision."
"Seriously, can we eat?" Falco asked. His stomach grumbled again. "I'm not going to be able to make that decision if I'm starving."
Reward Challenge
In a relatively early challenge straight after breakfast, the tribe headed to the Hole, which they had not done in weeks. As the tribe arrived, they noticed immediately that the Hole had been modified. The Hole had six planks of wood meeting in the center, their tips seemingly dug into its walls. Looking below, the Survivors saw two more slightly rotated wheels of wood, and then a pink foam at the bottom.
There were two other noticeable pieces of scenery. The first was Master Hand, floating as usual above the Hole itself. The second was a gigantic dump truck that dwarfed everyone, including the host.
"Welcome, Survivors, to your Reward Challenge," Master Hand announced. He again seemed solemn. "I am sure you can deduce that this will be your final challenge at the Hole. After the challenge has concluded, the Hole will be refilled. But there is another reason this challenge is important: it will be your last Reward Challenge of the game."
He paused, giving the Survivors a moment to take that in. They glanced at each other strangely. Master Hand continued: "I believe this is a good time to give you the schedule of these final days. We are on Day 68, the final Reward Challenge. Tomorrow will be your next Immunity Challenge and the Tribal Council. On Day 70, there will be no challenge, but the next day, the final five will go on the Remembrance Walk straight to the next Immunity Challenge. And then the final four will become three on Day 72, and the final three will become two on Day 73. Day 74, your final day on the island, will host the final Tribal Council."
Again, he let the information sink in. "Are there any questions?"
"We're going to end on a boring day like 74?" Falco asked. "Why not 75? Least there's some significance there."
"If you wish to stay on this island for an extra day, I will not stop you. All Survivors are, however, vacating the island in six days."
"No, no," Falco submitted. "I'm fine. I'd rather go home to some good food."
"I take offense to that!" said Pit, who had cooked the majority of their meal.
"You can't make steak like Slippy does," said Falco. He raised his hand again. "Why're we having the walk so early? Isn't that a final four or final three type of thing?"
"Typically, yes," Master Hand replied. "However, similar to how we started the Jury with more members than usual, this is a result of there being more players than usual."
Falco lowered his hand and shrugged. "Fair enough, then. What're we going to do on that free day, then?"
"If you are still here, then you can relax," suggested Master Hand. "Or you could use that uninterrupted time to plan a solid strategy. It is truly up to you."
Falco frowned. "I enjoy these talks we have, Master Hand."
"As do I, Falco. I will miss them." Master Hand motioned to the Hole. "Today's challenge will be a rather short one, I would assume. You will each balance on a separate plank of wood. Your goal is to knock players off the wood and to the layers below. You will be doing so with these poles." He motioned to a barrel of wooden poles nearby. "If you fall off, you must attempt to land on another layer. If you fail and touch the bottom, you are eliminated. If you are the last player remaining on a layer, you will win. There can be up to three winners, one for each layer."
As he finished the explanation, six figures stepped out of the trees. The Survivors watched, stunned, as the familiar people came closer. They stood around the hole, all six smiling brightly.
"What do the three winners get, you might ask?" Master Hand continued. "There is a reason we began this challenge early in the day. The winners will get all day to be with some family members."
"What'd I hear about my steak, Falco?" Slippy shouted. "Did I hear you complimenting it?"
"Watch it, Slippy," Falco shouted back, unable to suppress a grin. "When I win this challenge, I'll be telling you exactly what I think about your cooking!"
"Lady Palutena!" Pit shouted joyfully, waving. "It is an honor to see you again!"
"Pit," Palutena replied, also smiling. "It is good to see you are well." She paused, looking at him curiously. "You look thin. You haven't been eating."
"No, I haven't," Pit admitted. "I'll be more than making up for it when I get back."
Palutena chuckled. "You will eat us out of our temple, then."
Pit grinned. "When I win, I'll just buy us a new one."
"It is good to see you again, Mario," said Peach, waving. "I hope this visit will last much longer than our last."
"Of course, Princess," Mario replied. "I will make sure of it."
"Dad," said Bowser Jr. "You're really here."
"I'm here, son," Bowser said. He tried to remain emotionless, and it was hard to hold back the tears. "I'm fighting as hard as I can."
"You better," Bowser Jr grinned. "I don't want my dad to come home a loser. I'd never forgive him."
Bowser nodded. "Never."
Marth stared at his wife silently, unsure if what he was witnessing was a trick. Caeda chuckled. "It is good to see you too, my King."
"Of course, Caeda, it is amazing to see you." He smiled. "You are as beautiful as ever."
Caeda blushed. "And you as handsome as ever."
Marth swiped a hand through his sun-bleached, dirty, unkempt hair. "I am a mess."
"And yet still my King."
Lucario stared at his trainer silently, and his trainer stared back. Sir Aaron said, "It is good that you are well."
Lucario nodded. He still said nothing, but there was an intensity in his eyes that only Sir Aaron could see. Sir Aaron smirked. "You will win."
With the six family members watching, all of the remaining players had something to fight for. They grabbed their poles and walked out halfway onto the planks. They couldn't help but glance at their family members, some still in disbelief that they were seeing them. Master Hand floated above, shadowing the arena.
"Survivors ready?" Master Hand asked. "No doubt this is the most important challenge for many of you. You have so much to gain and so much to lose. Begin!"
The six players charged forward. Pit soared, being the first to reach the center, and he guarded it carefully, circling to each player as they stepped closer. Mario was the first to strike, running forward as Pit had his back to him. Pit heard the footsteps and turned, managing to block the first strike but unprepared for the force behind it. Mario pushed him off of the planks, and he landed on the layer below. Mario now controlled the center, but he was quickly usurped by Marth. Marth stepped back onto his plank, unwilling to take control of such an unguarded part of the arena, while Mario managed to land on the planks below. Pit ran at him before he could recover and swiped his feet, tripping him, before knocking him once again. Mario fell to the bottom layer, only managing to grab a plank.
Bowser lumbered forward, deciding to take the center for himself. He stood defiantly, wanting the others to attack him. Falco took the bait.
"Hey, Bowser!" Falco shouted. Bowser turned toward him automatically, only to see him leap into the air. Falco soared, his pole above him, ready to strike down, when he was swiped from midair. He spiraled out of control, slipping through the cracks of each layer, crashing into the pink foam. Lucario landed on the plank, the culprit of Falco's demise.
Bowser sighed in relief, but he had little time to relax. He felt himself getting pushed from behind, and he turned swiftly to find Marth striking him. Bowser was forced to move back, making sure to keep himself on a plank, and Marth kept the pressure up. He attacked him again and again, forcing Bowser to move closer to the edge. During Marth's barrage of attacks, Lucario crept up behind him. Bowser pushed him back straight into the hands of Lucario. Marth felt himself getting pushed into the space below and fell. Before Bowser could thank him, Lucario leapt onto Bowser's shoulders and drove the pole straight into his side. Bowser felt himself getting pushed off balance and threw out his arms to save himself. But he was too late, and he joined Marth below.
Pit was attacking Marth as he was recovering. Marth took the first hit in the shoulder, got to his feet quickly and blocked the second. The pair struck each other, keeping fairly evenly matched as before. Then Bowser crashed into the plank, causing the entire wheel to bounce. The pair stopped their spar, staring at the edges of the wall, watching the planks move. Thankfully, the wheel held, and to be honorable the pair moved back to an even distance. Bowser got to his feet, groaning, seeing them facing each other. Then he watched as they charged at each other, and in a flurry of strikes a winner was quickly decided. Marth watched as Pit fell to the layer below, and then he faced his opponent. Bowser frowned, knowing that there was no Lucario to save him this time, and readied his pole. Marth ran at him, and he took the first hit and grabbed the pole with his free hand. Marth wrenched it free quickly, trying to back up, but Bowser leaned forward and struck him in the side. Marth teetered off balance, and Bowser quickly followed up with another strike, sending him below.
Meanwhile, Mario was trying to do to Pit what Pit did to him. Pit, however, was able to float to the planks and was more than ready for Mario's attack. Nevertheless, Mario struck with intense ferocity, determined to see Peach again. However, he was not ready for Pit's mastery of the pole in an even fight. Pit overtook him and sent him off balance, quickly finishing him off and sending him below.
Then Marth fell, and Pit gave him the respect he deserved. Marth got to his feet, recovered, and the two bowed. Then they fought. Pit struck, Marth blocked. Marth struck, Pit dodged and countered. Marth blocked the counter, thrusting forward. Pit leapt to a second spoke of the wheel to dodge, then leapt back to attack Marth from the side. Marth sidestepped, and Pit was forced to jump to the next spoke to keep his momentum. Pit stopped, turned around, and saw Marth was ready for him. He jumped anyway, holding his pole horizontally in front of him. Marth held his up to block, but Pit kept going, putting all his strength into Marth's block. Marth was able to hold, but Pit kept pushing, causing Marth to slowly lose his grip. Marth released the pole and ducked, but he wasn't fast enough. Pit's pole swung around, hitting Marth in the forehead before he could clear it. Marth attempted to recover, but feeling that his pole was free Pit spun around and struck Marth again, sending him off the platform.
"We have our three winners!" Master Hand announced. "Sir Aaron will be joining Lucario, Bowser Jr will be joining Bowser, and Palutena will be joining Pit! Everyone, please come back to the surface and say your goodbyes."
Hearing this, Mario sprinted up the stairs and into Peach's arms as soon as he emerged. The pair whispered quickly, saying their goodbyes, as the others came up. Falco clasped Slippy's hand.
"Sorry, our meeting's gonna be a bit short," Falco said.
"That's fine. You probably couldn't handle my cooking anyway," Slippy replied.
"Oh trust me, if I could, I'd force you to cook for us," said Falco. "Even if you burned it."
"Me? Burn anything?" Slippy asked, mocking shock. "Don't be ridiculous!"
As Bowser was passing them, son in tow, he stopped and looked at them. "Are all of you Star Fox people so snarky?"
The pair glanced back at him. "Not Peppy," said Slippy. "Who knows how he puts up with us?"
Falco shook his head. "We probably took two decades off of him. He worries about us too much."
Meanwhile, Marth and Caeda were silently embracing, Marth's face deep in Caeda's hair. He held her close and did not want to let go.
"We will meet again, soon," said Caeda. She pulled away and smiled softly. "Do not worry. I can wait."
"I wish you did not have to wait," said Marth, but he let her go nonetheless. "I swear I will win this for you."
"I have no doubt, my King."
The six Survivors returned to their mat. Palutena, Bowser Jr, and Sir Aaron were off to the side, excited to see their camp. The remaining three loved ones stood underneath Master Hand, waving to the Survivors.
"Do not worry," said Master Hand. "You will see them again. Return to camp and enjoy the fresh faces. They may provide an interesting insight into your lives. Good luck, and I will see you tomorrow."
With that, and one last farewell, the six and three exited the area. As the Hole disappeared from view, they heard the roar of the dump truck, the screeching of metal, and the sound of tons of dirt falling.
Unity Tribe
Pit took it upon himself to lead the tribe on their walk, happily explaining everything that had happened to him these past two months. He spoke rapidly, wanting to get as much done as possible with the limited time he had with Palutena. As he spoke, Palutena smiled pleasantly, nodding occasionally, but ultimately letting nearly every word slip past her. She was simply happy to see him so excited. Pit finished, panting, and then exclaimed loudly,
"Do you have any questions?"
Palutena kept nodding, and then she blinked. "Oh, no Pit, thank you though. That was all very interesting."
"Great!" Pit said, relieved. "I didn't want to have to explain all of that again."
"I noticed you didn't tell her about the time you broke Bowser's heart," said Falco.
"I… uh… it wasn't important," muttered Pit. "It doesn't matter."
"Doesn't matter?" Falco repeated. "The only reason we're like this is because of what you did."
Pit glanced at Marth. "I didn't do it alone. I didn't mean to do anything."
Palutena sighed and patted Pit's head. "Typical Pit, getting himself in trouble. If only I could help."
Pit smirked, rubbing her hand off his head. "Well you can't. I'm all on my own, and I'm doing well!"
Bowser Jr turned to his father, giggling. "Your heart got broken?"
Bowser grumbled, "It wasn't like that."
"Sounded pretty serious."
"It was," Falco added. "Bowser was practically crying by the end of it." He looked back at Bowser. "Yep, I can still see the sadness in his eyes."
Bowser Jr looked up as well, but Bowser turned away, staring in the trees. "Let me see! I want to see sad Papa! I only see angry Papa!"
"Enough, Jr," Bowser said. "Or else I'll eat you."
"You won't," Bowser Jr shook his head. "You say that all the time. You won't."
"It's not an idle threat," said Mario. "He's done it to me."
"And I still have heartburn," Bowser patted his stomach.
Bowser Jr pointed to Mario. "Why is he still here? Didn't you get rid of them all?"
"I… didn't get rid of any of them," admitted Bowser. "They did it on their own."
"Nice to see you again, Jr," said Mario.
"Hey!" Bowser Jr shouted. "You can't call me that! Only Papa can!"
"What else am I going to call you?" Mario asked.
"Prince Koopa," said Bowser Jr proudly.
"Sounds lame," said Bowser. His son looked up at him, hurt. "Don't look at me like that. You're Jr to everyone. Get used to it."
"Whatever, dad, when I'm grown up, I'll force everyone to call me King."
"Squirt's got a mouth," said Falco. "He takes after his old man."
Bowser smiled proudly at that. "You'll have to pry that title out of my cold, dead claws."
Marth looked around, suddenly noticing something was missing. It didn't take him long to deduce it, and he wasn't surprised. "It seems Lucario has left us."
Nearly everyone else was surprised by this, and they all looked around to see their familiar blue Pokemon. Palutena merely nodded. "He and his trainer left once we exited the arena."
"Really?" Mario asked. "That long ago. I'm surprised he managed to pull it off."
Palutena smiled knowingly. "They may have fooled all of you, but they couldn't escape my sight."
"So you know where they are?" Pit asked.
"They are in the trees in this direction," she waved a hand lazily. "It makes little difference."
"I wanted to meet Lucario's trainer," said Mario sadly.
"Whoever he was, he would have to be strong to have captured Lucario's eye," said Marth. "Did no one else notice Lucario's intensity while battling?"
Bowser rubbed his side. "Yeah. I did."
Bowser Jr giggled. "You got destroyed. I'm surprised you let him win."
"I just wanted to let him feel like he had the upper hand," said Bowser, grinning and fooling nobody.
"Yeah, that's right," his son played along. "Next time is when you don't hold back!"
Lucario and Sir Aaron stood in the middle of the jungle, staring silently at each other. Sir Aaron stared intensely into Lucario's eyes, knowing his friend far too much to let anything slip by. Within minutes, the trainer felt he knew everything that had happened to him these past two months. Lucario could not hide the fear or shame from his friend. Against his will, his eyes revealed everything.
"You are not in the position of power," Sir Aaron finally said.
Lucario hesitated and then shook his head. "I was in power, but it was taken."
"You did not keep the illusion up enough," said Sir Aaron. "You are powerless if you cannot convince others that you have power."
"I put too much faith into my allies," admitted Lucario. "I trusted them when they had not earned it. That was my undoing."
"How will you correct it?"
"I do not see a way. I do not know how these coming days will pass nor who is in danger."
"What is your strategy?"
"I have a single ally remaining and many enemies," Lucario recounted. "I will attempt to convince those enemies to turn on each other, distract them from myself."
"Not enough," said Sir Aaron. "You leave too many variables open. Too much unaccounted for."
"I cannot cover all options in only two days," Lucario said. "I must compete with five other players with their own agendas all attempting to convince one another to save themselves." He paused, and then continued with a tone of bitterness. "Furthermore, these loved ones are a distraction which will prevent any further strategies."
"You have even less time, then," said Sir Aaron, noting that last remark. "If you did not wish to see me, you should have forfeited."
"I…" Lucario hesitated. He looked at the ground. "I need guidance. I have been lost for so long, and I do not know what to do."
Sir Aaron stepped forward. He had not smiled once, but now that Lucario had finally opened up to him, he did the same. He gave a big grin and hugged Lucario. Lucario shared the embrace.
"My friend," Sir Aaron said tenderly. "My true, loyal friend. You have made me more proud than you could have possibly imagined."
Lucario held back tears. "Thank you…"
"If you need guidance," Sir Aaron continued, pulling away. He spoke much more softly. "I will help in any way I can." He patted Lucario's shoulder. "I don't like your stoic act."
"It must continue," said Lucario. "It was easy in the beginning when I did not know these people well. But now that I have spent two months with them, I have grown attached to them all. It is harder every day to maintain the act."
Sir Aaron sighed. "Very well. Then I shall not reveal your true emotional self."
"I appreciate it."
"But you must reveal your strategy to me," Sir Aaron continued. "I cannot help if I do not know what you will do."
"I was honest with you. I do not know myself what I can do. I cannot convince them that I am right; they are too knowledgeable to fall for tricks, and I believe I have lost any semblance of trust. Even if I speak the truth, I do not know if they will believe me."
"You may not have time," said Sir Aaron. "You may have no choice." He thought a moment. "Perhaps it would be helpful to be more emotional. If you have been using this act the entire time, a brand new Lucario may help convince them to listen to you."
Lucario thought about this. He had considered this strategy in the past, and several times had come close to acting it out. But there had not been a good time or place. "Do you believe it is wise?"
"It is not my game," replied Sir Aaron. "I do not wish to accidentally cause your defeat. This can only be decided by you."
Eventually, the tribe reached camp. Palutena's smile dropped, and Bowser Jr started laughing.
"This is…" Palutena said, trying to find any positive descriptions. The camp was barren, with only their makeshift table, their scattered sleeping arrangements, and their fire pit as the only furniture. "…large?"
"You guys live in this trash?" Bowser Jr guffawed. "No wonder you guys are so depressed! You've got nothing to do!"
"We talk," Pit said. "We know each other really well. Like Marth's from Altaria-"
"Altea"
"And Kirby is a Star Warrior!"
Pit stopped, and the four of them turned to Bowser. Bowser's eyes glistened, and he glared at them. "Quit staring at me!" He said.
"Is everything okay?" Palutena asked. "Do we need to step outside?"
"It's fine, Lady Palutena!" Pit said. "Here, let me cook you a meal!"
"That's thoughtful, Pit, but I just ate and-" but Pit, desperate to get away from everyone, had already run off to the food container. "Okay then."
"You're not crying, are you, Papa?" Bowser Jr asked.
"No, Jr, I'm not," said Bowser. "All this damn sand gets everywhere."
"Good! Cuz I'd tell all the Koopalings that you started to cry!" Bowser Jr giggled. "Your reign would end sooner than you'd think."
"I believe Pit is correct in making a meal," said Marth. "It has not been long since breakfast, but you are our guests."
"Hope you guys like fish," said Falco. "Because boy, do we have fish!"
Marth, Falco, and Mario walked off to the food container.
"He seems nice," Palutena said, smiling at Bowser Jr. "How old is he?"
Bowser shrugged. "Ten or so. Hard to say."
"I think I'm nine," corrected Bowser Jr.
Although the two thought nothing of it, Palutena looked at them strangely.
Lucario and Sir Aaron reached camp as they were all sitting down to eat. Lucario took a deep breath, smiled, and walked forward. As he walked, and people began to notice him, he had second thoughts and dropped the smile.
"It is good to see you all," said Lucario. He motioned toward Sir Aaron. "This is Sir Aaron, my trainer."
Sir Aaron nodded. "Hello, everyone."
"Nice to meet you!" Pit said. He looked strangely at him. "Don't I know you?"
"Are you an angel?" Sir Aaron asked. Pit nodded. "I may have passed by your realm." He smiled. "I did die after all."
"You died?" Mario repeated.
"Like, for real?" Falco asked.
"I do not know why you are surprised," said Lucario. "I also died."
"Same time, too," confirmed Sir Aaron. "It was a terribly tragic tale. But we got better."
Pit turned to Palutena, shocked. "Lady Palutena, you aren't supposed to bring people back!"
"I did not," said Palutena, insulted. "I was not involved in their revival!"
Sir Aaron hummed thoughtfully. "Now that I think about it, how long has it been since our revival?"
"Five years at least," said Lucario.
"Has it really been that long?" Sir Aaron shook his head. "Well, we're here now."
Pit was whispering something to Palutena, who only shrugged. "So you don't know who revived you?" Pit asked.
"We merely awoke one day in a grassy field several years ago," said Sir Aaron. "We do not know why, but we were grateful for the opportunity."
"I'm sure it's fine, Pit," said Palutena. "This is not the first time it has happened."
Pit sighed in frustration.
"Are you not happy that I am alive?" asked Lucario.
"Oh, no!" Pit said suddenly. "Sorry, I am! I'm just confused as to how it'll affect Sky World."
"It happened many years ago, and we did not notice," said Palutena. "Let it pass."
Mario wanted to change the subject. "So how do you all know each other?"
Palutena rubbed Pit's head and giggled. "I'm his boss."
"Correction, I am her best worker!" Pit said.
"We met thousands of years ago before a great war," said Sir Aaron. "He was my student in the ways of Aura."
"Thousands of years ago?" Mario repeated.
"There was a war," Sir Aaron said. "During the war, the Tree of Life was in danger of dying. In order to preserve it, I sacrificed myself. Lucario found me thousands of years later in the afterlife, we reunited, and once we were revived, we traveled the world together."
"So you've been dead for thousands of years?" Falco asked. "So all of this technology is new to you, huh?"
"It has been difficult adjusting," Sir Aaron said. "However, I have managed."
"Do not worry," said Marth. "There is nothing like this technology in my world. I still cannot understand it."
"These times make ours look primitive by comparison," said Sir Aaron.
"It is truly a strange experience," Marth nodded in agreement.
"Oh great," Falco sighed. "Two of them."
"Oh, so that's why you like Marth so much," said Pit, smiling. "He reminds you so much of your trainer!"
"I do not know what you mean," muttered Lucario.
"It's the hair," said Falco. "Who else has blue hair in the real world?"
"I know many," said Marth. "Red, blue, green, orange, pink."
Falco waved his hands in front of him. "Alright, I don't need to hear it. I'll just be back here in my normal world."
"Yes," Bowser said. "Your real world with talking animals."
"What's weird about that, giant turtle?" asked Falco.
"Probably the fact that you're a bird," Bowser Jr said. "I'm surprised no one's eaten you yet."
Falco pulled out his blaster. "Anyone tries, they get this."
"Looks like a toy," said Bowser Jr. "I have one of those in my-" Falco fired the blast right above Bowser Jr's head, causing him to flinch. "Watch where you're aiming!"
Falco smirked. "Buddy, if I wanted to hit you, I'd have no trouble with it."
Bowser Jr looked up at his dad. "Papa! He almost shot me!"
Bowser shrugged. "Shouldn't taunt him."
"Teach him a lesson!"
"I think he taught you a good one," said Bowser. "Don't taunt people with guns."
Palutena chuckled. "That's a good lesson. You should listen to your father."
"Don't tell me what to do!" Bowser Jr said, glaring.
"Don't talk to Lady Palutena that way!" Pit said.
"What're you going to do about it?" Bowser Jr taunted.
"Nothing," said Palutena immediately and firmly.
"Nothing!" Pit agreed, getting to his feet. He then paused, realized what he said, and sat down. "Yes, Lady Palutena…"
"So it would appear everyone is getting along," said Sir Aaron. "Why don't we discuss the game as a whole? We have two months to catch up on."
"Oh, don't worry, I already told them," said Pit, looking proudly up at Palutena. Palutena shared the smile.
"Yes, but what about everyone else?" she asked. "I'm sure they all have interesting tales."
"You want interesting, talk to Lucario," said Falco. "He could probably spend the entire day talking about what he's done."
Palutena seemed interested. "He could? I'd love to hear some of it."
"It may be difficult to remember some events," admitted Lucario. "But I am willing to answer any questions."
"What's your current strategy?" Palutena asked.
"Current?" Sir Aaron repeated. "I was under the impression we would be discussing the past."
Palutena patted Pit's head. "You are his friend and ally, yes? I would like to know that Pit is protected."
"That is something I would discuss with you in private," said Lucario. "It is not wise to discuss strategy in the open."
Palutena got to her feet. "Very well. If you would excuse us." She walked away. With little choice, Pit followed her. Lucario and Sir Aaron glanced at each other, excused themselves, and walked away.
"Just like that?" Falco asked. He shook his head. "They haven't even been here an hour and already these loved ones are causing problems."
"What's the problem?" Bowser Jr asked. "They're the enemy. They're working together. You guys work together and win."
"It is more complicated than that," said Marth. "However, I would welcome the opportunity."
"Oh, would you?" Bowser asked sarcastically. "I'm so honored you'd consider us."
"Bowser…" Mario muttered. He put on a smile. "If you'd like to talk with us, we'd be happy to listen."
Marth glanced at Falco. "I believe that is something we should consider alone. I do not see much of a reason to speak at the moment. We will have plenty of time tomorrow."
"Why not?" Bowser asked. "What's wrong with speaking now?"
"There are loved ones," said Marth. "You should spend time with him."
"You kidding?" Bowser chuckled. "I couldn't wait to get out of the house. I'm counting the minutes until this guy goes back home."
Bowser Jr glared at him. "Yeah, well I can't wait to see you back home! Because you'll be doing it! Soon!" He ran off.
Bowser shook his head and smiled. "What a scamp."
"You two have an interesting relationship," said Falco. "He's always like that?"
"Ever since he was born," said Bowser. "He is so much like me when I was his age."
"Seven, right?" Falco asked.
"I think eight," corrected Bowser.
The four settled in a secluded area away from camp. Palutena turned suddenly, hand on hips, leaning down at them. Lucario and Sir Aaron stopped, somewhat surprised, while Pit moved next to her.
"I want Pit to be safe," she declared. "Can you promise that?"
"I will do my best," Lucario replied. "That is all I can offer in this unpredictable game."
"You must have a strategy," said Palutena. "You can make this game predictable."
"Not anymore," said Lucario, somewhat sadly. "I have lost that ability."
"Get it back."
"It is too late."
"We're just going to have to wing it," said Pit. "There's nothing we can do. If we lose, we lose, and that's our fault." He felt somewhat awkward having Palutena attempt to protect him, and he wanted to defend himself. "You don't need to look so threatening."
"You cannot control the fate of this game," said Sir Aaron. "You simply must have faith in them. I do."
Palutena glanced down at Pit nervously. She and Pit stared at each other silently, and then Palutena closed her eyes and nodded. "Very well. I had hoped to listen to your strategy, but I feel that would be prying."
"It would," Lucario agreed. "And I would not tell you."
"You wouldn't?" Palutena asked, raising a suspicious eyebrow. "And why not?"
"You do not deserve to know," was Lucario's simple reply.
"Does he?" She pointed at Pit.
"He's told me," said Pit. "I do."
"He does."
"Do you trust him?"
Pit nodded. "He's the only one I can trust."
"Then protect him with your life," said Palutena.
"I will do my best."
Palutena shook her head. "I want you to do more than that. I do not want to hear that you have outlasted him."
Pit groaned. "Lady Palutena… don't!"
"That will likely not be an issue," said Lucario. He took no offense, and he understood Palutena's emotional commitment to keeping Pit safe. "I have made far more enemies than Pit has, and if they target one of us, it will be me."
"I want your word that you will put his needs above your own," said Palutena. "It sounds to me that you have no chance of winning this game, if you've made so many enemies. You won't win, so Pit should."
"Lady Palutena!" Pit exclaimed in shock. "You're being ridiculous! You can't force him to promise that!"
"Palutena, please," said Sir Aaron. "I am sure that they will be fine. There's no reason-"
"I promise," said Lucario. The three of them looked at him. "I will ensure that Pit outlasts me."
"Lucario…" Pit whispered, his voice mixed with surprise and happiness. "You don't have to do this."
"She is right," said Lucario. "I see that now. I cannot change their vote, but I will not win another Immunity Challenge so long as you remain in the game. That will ensure that, if they have to choose between us, they will choose me."
Pit smiled. "You're the best. If you lose… I'll avenge you." He extended his hand.
Lucario clasped it and shook. "I will hold you to that promise."
"And I will hold you to yours," said Palutena.
Hours later after everyone had eaten dinner, it was time for the loved ones to depart. A Hammer Bro wearing a tie and carrying a clipboard stood by the path, waiting impatiently for the three to separate.
Palutena and Pit hugged, with the former wishing the latter all of the luck in every world. Lucario and Sir Aaron shook hands. Bowser practically kicked his son away, telling him to make sure his castle was in perfect condition upon his return. The three waved goodbye one last time and disappeared into the trees.
Pit wiped a tear from his eye and smiled. "That was amazing. It's given me so much hope, seeing her root for me like that."
"It was okay," Bowser shrugged. "I only want to stay here so that I don't have to listen to his whining when I go home. I don't know how I put up with that every day."
"He wasn't bad," argued Mario. "I liked talking with him."
"He brings an interesting insight into the Mushroom Kingdom," Marth chuckled. "He spent a lot of time speaking about the changes he will make when he becomes ruler."
Bowser snorted. "I'd like to see those changes. Hell, he's the highest rank in the castle. Has been for two months. If he hasn't changed anything by now, he'll never do it."
"He might be scared of you," Marth suggested. "Scared to incur your wrath should you return and see anything out of place."
"Sounds about right. I'd probably throw him into a volcano if he changed anything," Bowser replied nonchalantly.
Falco stretched. "Well, that was a blast. Shame I didn't ask her about her hair, though."
"Her hair?" asked Mario.
Falco nodded. "Who else has green hair aside from half the people Marth knows?"
"Only a few of my close friends have green hair," Marth said defensively. "I would have liked to have gotten to know your friend."
"No, you wouldn't," said Falco firmly. "Trust me. I got sick of hearing his voice from the five lines we had at the Hole. I'd rather see Peppy or Fox again."
"Wonder why they didn't pick Fox," said Pit. "They chose Peach, and she was in the game."
"He's in the Jury," said Falco. "Makes sense. Don't want him influencing things more than anyone else can."
"Then why not Luigi?" Pit asked. "He isn't in the Jury."
"I would have enjoyed speaking with him again," Mario admitted. "But I will get the chance after the game."
"Who knows?" Falco shrugged. "He might've been disqualified because he's in the top 20. It's too soon, or something."
"I doubt it," said Bowser. "He was, what, 18th? That was weeks ago. So much has happened in that time."
"It doesn't matter," said Mario, starting to feel sad. "Can we switch topics?"
"It was nice seeing your trainer," said Marth. "I didn't even know you had one. You never speak of him."
"Most Pokemon do not speak of their trainers to others," explained Lucario. "Pikachu belongs to Red, as he explained, Mewtwo belongs to no trainer. Pichu and Jigglypuff never explained who they belong to."
"Yeah, but it's so interesting," said Pit. "You guys died! He died thousands of years ago!"
"It is not that interesting," said Lucario. "I am sure you have died in the past."
Mario, Pit, and Bowser all nodded in confirmation. Falco and Marth could only glance at each other, both wondering how they could have died and come back to life. The topic wasn't touched upon, however.
"He seemed really nice," continued Marth. "I can tell how he has influenced you."
"He is my teacher, my trainer, and my closest friend," said Lucario. "He is the one person who stuck by me no matter what. We have traveled the world together."
"That sounds amazing," Marth smiled.
"It was."
Day 69
Unity Tribe
With the loved ones gone, the tone of the tribe became more somber and serious. They had lost a lot of time, and so they had to plan quickly. It was early in the morning, and all six members were awake. Nobody was in camp; they had split off into their pairs to discuss final strategy with each other. They hadn't even made breakfast yet.
"I thought we had already decided our plan," Falco muttered sleepily, having been forced away by Marth.
"We hadn't," Marth replied. He had no time nor patience for Falco's attitude at the moment. "I had told you our strategy, not our plan."
"No difference," sighed Falco. He rubbed his eyes and squinted to stay awake. "What's up?"
"Which pair would you rather face in the final four?"
Falco sat in silence for a minute, staring at Marth for so long that Marth repeated the question. "I'm thinking… Mario and Bowser seem weaker."
Marth nodded. "I share the same opinion. If we side with Mario and Bowser and eliminate both of them, we will have an advantage." He paused. "But who is stronger? Mario and Bowser or Mario and Lucario?"
"Lucario's the strongest of all of us," said Falco, confused. "What's your point?"
"That was not the answer I was expecting," Marth admitted. "I was considering their teamwork. Mario has a stronger bond with Bowser than he does with Lucario."
Falco shrugged. "I guess. I never really saw it."
"They have a history," explained Marth. "They are the only ones of us who know each other outside of the game."
"Yeah, mortal enemies," said Falco. "That doesn't mean they have teamwork."
Marth continued nonetheless. "For the purposes of the game at this very moment, they are a pair working together. As are you and I. As are Pit and Lucario. They are strongest with an ally. If we separate the pairs, we weaken the individuals. Our plan is to side with one alliance during this Tribal Council, and then join with the individual player to eliminate that alliance during the next Tribal Council."
It took Falco another minute, but he nodded in realization. "Flip flop. I got you. Good plan. Usually it wo-" he yawned. "-rks… but we can't really guarantee that they'll work with us."
"Then we will simply have to ask them," said Marth. "Both alliances. Whichever seems more willing to work with us, we shall work with them."
Pit and Lucario also met early, with the latter noticing that the previous partnership had already left camp. They didn't stray far from camp; however, they kept their voices down to avoid waking the other pair.
"We will play both sides," said Lucario. "That is the obvious strategy. Whichever is more willing will be the one we side with."
"I wish we had better options," said Pit. "I wish we didn't have to convince both people to ally with us."
"You do not like our odds," noted Lucario.
"I don't. I know you and Marth don't see eye-to-eye, and Mario and Bowser might still hold a grudge against me."
"However, they may also have a grudge against Marth and Falco for eliminating their ally."
Pit paused. "I hadn't thought about that. You're right."
"We all have reasons to dislike each other," said Lucario. "Nobody is in the right. What matters today is convincing the others that we are better than they."
"We should act as the underdogs," suggested Pit. "Convince them that we aren't a threat."
"We will never convince them of that," said Lucario, proudly. "We have played this game too well for too long."
"We could go with Marth's ideas last time," continued Pit. "The reason he eliminated Kirby. He'd get so many votes during the final Tribal Council, he'd win the game. We could tell them the opposite for us. We'd never get votes because we had so many enemies."
Lucario paused in thought. "That is an excellent idea," he said. "It is risky, and I do not know who would believe it. But it may work."
"It worked on me," Pit admitted. "It could work on the other most gullible people."
"If we use this strategy, we can only use it on Mario and Bowser," said Lucario. "We may want to give it some thought before we enact it; we likely will only have one chance."
"I'm willing to risk it," said Pit.
When he awoke, Mario saw the camp deserted and panicked, fearing the worst. He shook groaning and complaining Bowser awake and pointed out the state of the camp to him. This made him alert immediately.
"We're behind," Bowser said. "We're really far behind."
"We should go into the trees," said Mario.
Bowser shook his head. "No point. They're already gone. We can't afford to waste time."
"Then what's the plan?" Mario asked.
"I don't know!" said Bowser. "What's your plan?"
"I can't think of anything clever," said Mario. "I'm not Lucario!"
"And I'm not Marth!"
"Okay, let's think. They're enemies. Marth and Lucario are enemies. They won't want to work with each other."
"Pit and us are enemies," said Bowser. "Same and same."
"So we shouldn't work with Pit," said Mario.
"Sounds good to me," said Bowser. "Bastard eliminated Kirby."
"But so did Marth and Falco, so we can't work with them," reminded Mario.
"Damn, so we have no one to turn to."
"Not unless we only side with Lucario, but I don't think that will work."
"It won't," agreed Bowser. "We can't try. I think this is pair on pair on pair."
Mario nodded. "Which pair would we work best with?"
"I think Lucario and Pit," said Bowser. "We only dislike one of them."
"I don't dislike any of them," argued Mario. "And I don't think they don't like us."
"Then why have they never voted with us?"
Mario couldn't answer, so Bowser continued. "We have to weigh our options. Neither of them like us, but neither of them like each other. Anything we do, no one will want. So let's do the thing that we want the most."
"Which is what?" Mario asked.
Bowser grinned. "We ally with the bird and the swordsman. We eliminate Pit. We avenge Kirby."
Mario paused, thought a moment, and then smiled as well. "You know, I think I want that as well."
While the pair was speaking, however, they were correct in assuming they were far behind. The other pairs had met and were discussing their alliance.
"I am assuming you are aware of the situation," said Lucario.
"Depends on the situation you are referring to," replied Marth. "Are we aware that two pairs must ally against the third for there to be any progress made? Yes. Are we aware which alliance is aligning with whom? No. We have no idea."
"Then allow me the pleasure of explaining the full situation to you," said Lucario. "You have a choice of allying with us or them. Should you choose them, you may have an easier time defeating them in challenges, but you will ruin all pretense of competition."
"Is that right?" Marth asked, amused. "If I side with you, it will be a true competition."
"We are undoubtedly the four strongest competitors," said Lucario. "You and I, the masters of intellect; Falco and Pit, the greatest fighters. What are Mario and Bowser compared to us? They are mere obstacles not worthy of victory."
"So belittling," chuckled Falco. "Wonder how they'd feel if I told them."
"I have no fear," said Lucario. His partner, however, couldn't hide his at Falco's threat. "I do not doubt that you feel the same way."
"I have my doubts as to the validity of your assessment," said Marth. "However, you are correct; a battle of wits would feel far more rewarding of a victory."
"Naturally," agreed Lucario. "What better way to end this game than with a satisfying conclusion between four of the greatest?"
"What do you think, Pit?" Falco asked. "Think your partner isn't talking up his ass?"
"He's right," said Pit. "It just wouldn't be fun with Mario and Bowser. Not that they aren't strong, but you guys are so much stronger."
"I think we can all agree with that," Falco grinned.
"What will you tell them?" Marth asked. "That we will easily defeat them in the final four, so they have little choice but to ally with you?"
"What will you tell them?" Lucario countered. "That we are the strongest pair, so we must be stopped before it is too late?"
There was a pause. A silence. And then both Lucario and Marth smiled.
"I do hope that you and I stand as the final two," said Marth. "It would not be fun otherwise."
"You and I share the same opinion," said Lucario.
Falco and Pit stared at them, and then looked back at each other. "Well, it was nice knowing you," shrugged Falco. "Guess we just aren't worth of them."
Pit smiled. "Don't worry, Falco, you're a rival in my eyes."
Later, after breakfast, Pit and Lucario managed to catch up with Mario and Bowser as they split off from camp. They led them away from camp and met in a secluded area.
"Guys, we were thinking," said Mario. "We think it's time to take down Marth."
Lucario was pleasantly surprised. He had expected them to fight allying with them. Even still, he was wary. "Explain."
"He's smart, right?" Bowser asked. "I know this better than anyone. I was on his tribe most of the game. I know how he works. He doesn't make enemies. I can't think of a single person who doesn't like him."
"Well, Lucario isn't fond of him," said Pit.
"He is a worthy rival," corrected Lucario. "I do not dislike him."
"That's my point," continued Bowser. "You should be the one who hates him the most, and even you don't. He's never agreed with Mario or me on anything, and we still don't mind the guy."
"And you believe this makes him a large threat," said Lucario.
"I remember hearing that he used that logic to choose Kirby," said Mario. "He told us or Pit told us. Someone told us. But I understand that logic. Marth just wanted to save himself. He knew everything that he said about Kirby, he could say about himself."
"You've given this a lot of thought," said Lucario, impressed.
"You think we're just going to throw our vote away at the final six?" Bowser asked. He scoffed. "We're smarter than that. We've learned. We want our revenge."
"Revenge?" Pit repeated nervously.
"Revenge for Kirby," said Bowser, smirking. "Although don't think I don't know your role in his elimination, angel. I hold a grudge. This is just a temporary thing."
"Why would I ally with you if you're talking about eliminating me already?" Pit asked.
"Because it's either now or later," said Bowser. "You don't agree with us, and we vote for you tonight. Or you agree with us, and we wait until the bird and swordsman are gone."
"I don't like either of those!" Pit complained. "You know Marth tricked me, right? I didn't want to vote for him, but Marth convinced me."
"You still made your choice," said Bowser. "You made an enemy."
Pit sighed. "I've already made too many of those. Listen, I'm sorry. I don't want our relationship to affect our potential alliance."
"It won't," agreed Mario. "Not now, anyway. But we've given this a lot of thought, and we think you're the best option."
Lucario seemed satisfied. "Very well. It's an agreement."
After exiting the jungle, they found Marth and Falco standing near the table. The four pairs of eyes met, and they immediately left through the trees together. No words were necessary; they all knew what this was for.
"You have talked with them, I presume," said Marth.
"And you have as well?" Bowser asked.
"We have," said Falco. "We don't want to ally with them."
"Neither do we," said Mario.
"They're too powerful," said Falco.
"More powerful than you?" Bowser asked.
"They've made some good points," added Mario, not mentioning that the idea was actually his own. "They believe you haven't made any enemies and that, in the final Tribal Council, you'd get the most votes."
"I have heard them say this before," said Marth. "However, they also said that it would only be a true, satisfying victory if we eliminated you now instead of allying with you. Because they're stronger than you."
"But none of us trust or really like them," said Bowser.
"So we all stand, not wanting to ally with one another yet having no other choice," said Marth.
Mario sighed. "Remember when times were simple? When we didn't have to talk so much to win?"
"The good old days," said Falco. "When we didn't have to worry about Lucario and his shenanigans. Back when none of us were on this camp but me."
"And now we must worry about him," said Marth. "For if we do not, he will defeat us all."
"So we really have no choice?" asked Bowser. "It's him or us."
"It's him or us," Marth confirmed. "Are we all together on this?"
"I don't see us having any other choice," said Mario.
"It sucks, but we'll worry about it later," said Falco.
"The four of us until the end," said Bowser.
"Until the end," confirmed Marth.
Hours later, after there had been many conversations between the pairs happening, each having the same goal in mind, the six players sat exhausted at the table. Meals were the one time of peace, and they were able to have three in a row without being interrupted by a challenge for a change.
"The Immunity Challenge is later," noted Marth. "This is disturbing."
"We don't have empty stomachs in a challenge for once," said Bowser. "I'll take it."
"It is certainly ominous," said Lucario. "Never before have we had a challenge so late in the day."
"I'll take late over early," said Falco. He shrugged. "I hate playing when I'm exhausted. It always happens."
"Is that why you never win?" Bowser asked, grinning mischievously.
Falco smirked back. "Exactly, turtle. That's a perfect excuse."
"Happy to help, bird."
Pit raised an eyebrow. He turned to Mario. "How are feeling, human?"
Mario looked at him with confusion. "I'm… I'm doing well."
"You aren't nervous, human? You don't think you're going to lose to turtle or bird or pokemon or other human, are you?"
"What are you doing?" Bowser asked.
"Seriously, it's embarrassing," added Falco.
Pit glared at them. "What gives you the right to call us like that?"
"I only do it because he's doing it," said Falco defensively. "Really, I only do it to him."
"It is simply how he speaks," said Marth. "There is nothing by it."
"He calls me Mario," said Mario.
"Because calling you human is just dumb," said Bowser. He nodded at Marth. "Especially since there's two of you."
"Well, you call me angel!" Pit said. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were hitting on me!"
"You're an angel. What's the big deal?" Bowser asked.
"It's ridiculous," said Pit. "Don't do it!"
"I can do what I want, angel. I'll especially do it since it annoys you."
Pit sighed in defeat. "Am I the only one annoyed by this?"
"I've grown used to it," said Marth. "There is no concern. He speaks how he prefers."
"Like Marth and Lucario talk so professionally," said Falco. "And the rest of us talk normal."
"I do speak normally," said Marth. "This is how all of my people speak."
"Oh," Falco blinked. "Sorry. I didn't know. I just assumed you were being pretentious all this time. My bad."
"Did you truly?" Marth asked. "I am sorry I gave off that impression."
"Don't worry, Marth," said Mario. "You never talk with Peach, but she talks exactly the same."
Falco raised an eyebrow. "But Roy never talked like that. Did Ike?"
"Somewhat," answered Mario. "Why?"
"He is insinuating that all people from my universe should speak similarly," said Marth. "Like he and his kin do. However, while you all know each other personally, Roy, Ike, and myself all exist in different time periods. Perhaps the world changed in that time."
"Well, shoot, now I feel bad," Falco said. "I just assumed… never mind. I don't think it's important."
"It isn't," said Bowser. "Blame Pit for bringing it up."
"I can sympathize with Marth," said Lucario. "During my time before I was sealed away-"
"Sealed away?" Pit repeated. "What?"
"It is a long story that I will tell some other time," said Lucario. He continued, "This is how all humans spoke. When my seal broke and I was thrust into this age, speech had turned much more colloquial."
"So you're not being pretentious either?" Falco asked. He was genuinely surprised now. "Wow, now I really feel bad. I just thought it was a genius thing."
"Perhaps intelligence was lost with the times," said Marth, smiling slyly.
Falco laughed. "Maybe you're right."
"It will be sad to see one of us go," said Mario. "We've all talked so much these past few days."
Falco grabbed Mario's shoulder. "Damn right. Tribal Council always sucks. It just gets worse and worse. I mean, I don't care too much about my own hide. It just sucks putting a name down, you know?"
"Couldn't have said it better myself," added Bowser.
"I can't believe there were so many of us," said Pit. "Forty… can you believe it? After tonight, there'll just be five."
"I can say without a shadow of a doubt that I never expected to make it this far," said Falco. "I made a lot of people mad early on. I picked a fight with anyone who I didn't think was strong enough or good enough. Wario and Zelda were people I really got mad at. I eliminated them, but I thought that because of what I did, I couldn't recover. But damn it, I'm here. I don't know about you guys, but I'm so glad I was able to do this."
"You're telling me," said Bowser. "You think anyone expected me to get out of the bottom ten? I've told people this before, I think, but I was voted for in the very first Tribal Council. I was a target so early on, but everyone who voted for me is gone. I also made a lot of enemies, picked a lot of fights. I was a huge bully. But even after all of that, I made it. I'm still here."
"There's me," said Mario. "I may have been Tribe Leader once, but I've made so many mistakes. People always questioned my leadership and tried to eliminate me. I've been a target so many times. But somehow, I always come out on top. I'm here because of the friends I've made and the choices – bad or good – I've made. But I'm here, and I'm glad."
"I think I have the cushiest of us all," admitted Pit. "I was in an alliance from the very beginning. The very first day. And that alliance carried me all the way here. Even if it grew too large for its own good… I survived. I had to do what I had to in order to survive. I had to vote out Fox. But I did it, even when no one was expecting me to. And I survived the last Tribal Council after being a target. I regret a lot of what I've done, but I'm also here."
"I also had an easy time," said Marth. "While I was sent away from my alliance early on, I had one to fall back on, and I had many friends. I was in danger on my time on the South Tribe, but I survived that, returned to my old tribe, and I was safe until the Merge. On the Ice Tribe, it was chaos; I had so few friends to turn to, but many people wanted my help, my guidance, and my friendship. My closest friend was eliminated so that I could survive. Even your alliance that you fought so hard to keep was seemingly torn apart because the others wanted me to survive. And I have."
"I cannot say whether I have had the hardest experience," said Lucario. "But I am proud of what I have accomplished. My alliance took control of the South Tribe and maintained its hold even after I left. My experience on the West Tribe was the lowest point of my time here; I had many enemies, and I only survived – I will admit – because of few lucky Immunity Challenges. Once I moved on from that, I continuously had to convince others not to eliminate me, to accept me into their own. I made many, many enemies as well, but I have beaten most of them."
"No matter what anyone says," said Falco. "We deserve it. We all deserve this."
"Best of luck to us all," said Bowser. "This last week is going to be hell."
Immunity Challenge
The six Survivors reached the East beach, where their next challenge floated in the water. Six long, thin logs stuck out of the water, each wobbling as waves struck them. They were spread evenly apart and were the same distance. To help the Survivors climb up them, wooden rungs had been drilled into the trunk. Master Hand floated just above the shoreline, close to the Survivors rather than next to their challenge.
Before Master Hand could even begin, Falco shouted, "If you're telling me that the beaches are going to be destroyed…"
"The beach will not be destroyed," said Master Hand. "However, there are only four Immunity Challenges left. It is appropriate to have three of them at the individual beaches, with the final Immunity Challenge taking place in the center of the island. We believe it is poetic."
"Just as long as you don't tear them down or anything," said Falco. "You guys have just been on a kick with your destruction."
"I will miss our discussions," said Master Hand.
Falco smirked. "You know me, MH."
"Before we begin, the Shield, please." Mario removed the Shield and gave it to Master Hand.
"Now then, the challenge," said Master Hand. "As you can most likely tell, you will be balancing on these logs for as long as you can. You will be rocking with the waves, so it will not be an easy task. The last player still on the logs will win Immunity. It is as simple as that. Are there any questions?"
Falco raised his hand. Master Hand almost sighed before saying, "Falco?"
"Can we shoot each other?"
"You cannot affect anyone else. Your only true opponent is nature itself. Are there any other questions?"
As usual, Falco had the only one, so the Survivors swam out to sea and climbed the logs. They stood precariously on top awaiting Master Hand's signal. Already they could feel the logs move and sway, and it was difficult to hold on.
"Survivors ready? Begin!" Master Hand announced.
Although the waves were calm, each one that struck the logs rocked them back and forth. It was only a few centimeters, but the feeling of falling unnerved them. Lucario kept calm and still. Pit was using his wings to keep him centered. Marth had pulled out his sword and stabbed the tip into the face of the log, leaning on the hilt to give himself an anchor to hold onto. Falco was intensely watching Bowser, who was only on one foot and waving his arms out to keep himself desperately atop the log. He yelped, drawing the attention of the other Survivors.
"Be careful," Mario called.
Annoyed, Bowser shouted, "I know!"
"There's a big one coming," shouted Pit. "Prepare yourself!"
They turned. Even Bowser. And he lost his balance and fell. Seeing there was no wave, the others turned back to look at Pit only to see Bowser falling and screaming. Bowser crashed into the water and floated on the surface.
Pit winked. "False alarm, I guess."
"There will be waves coming," Master Hand announced. "These you are facing will be nothing compared to what the future holds."
Bowser swam back to the beach and sat defeated on a towel laid out for them. The moment he turned to face the remaining Survivors, he saw a large wave approaching them. He looked from the wave to Master Hand, and then grinned mischievously. Of course, being so far away, the others couldn't tell and remained focused on their balancing.
It wasn't until the wave was nearly upon them did they notice.
"Oh no," Falco muttered, knowing exactly what that sounded like. He dropped to lower his center of balance, keeping his hands on his knees. Lucario reacted similarly. The others couldn't react before the wave crashed into all five of their logs. They were thrown forward. Their logs stopped moving, but many of them didn't. Mario and Marth – his sword dislodged by the force of the impact – flipped off of the log and landed in the water. Pit teetered on the edge, saved only by his ability to fly. Falco and Lucario took the impact nicely, keeping themselves planted firmly on their logs.
Marth and Mario joined Bowser on the loser's blanket, drying themselves off.
"Glad I didn't have to face that," said Bowser, grinning.
Marth inspected the Falchion. "I did not expect such an impact."
"It was rough," Mario agreed. "I'm surprised they were able to survive."
"Well, Pit cheats, and Lucario's Lucario," replied Bowser. "I don't know how the bird survived."
"You do not have enough faith in him," said Marth. "He may surprise you."
"He's going down next," said Bowser. "I can't see him beating both the angel and the super Pokémon. He may be a bird, but his wings were clipped long ago."
The three remaining Survivors had turned around, so they couldn't see that they were speaking. The reasoned that any surprise waves would be appearing from the ocean, so that is where they looked. As expected, a second, slight larger wave appeared not long after the first. Although the impact was worse, all three of them were prepared and were able to survive.
Falco wiped seawater off his brow. "I felt the spray from that one!"
Pit fluttered his wings, frowning. "Darn it… they're wet," he muttered.
"A third wave, guys!" Falco shouted, pointing. "Get ready!"
It wasn't a trick this time. This wave was even larger than the second, nearly three-fourths the height of their logs. They dropped low well in advance and watched the wave as it approached. The crest slammed into the log. Falco and Lucario came dangerously close to falling as the rest of the wave passed, but they managed to hold on. Pit, however, his wings already dampened by the last two waves, wasn't able to hold on. He teetered on the edge as the wave crashed into the beach, sending the eliminated players scattering, and then he fell into the water.
"Just you and me!" Falco shouted. "Let's do this!"
Lucario only had eyes for Pit. He watched him swim to shore in silence, staring without emotion. Falco looked at him in confusion.
"You okay?" He asked. He waved his hand. "Yo, Lucario? I know you and Pit are friends but…"
Lucario turned to him. "Congratulations," he said, and he dove off the side.
"Aw…" Falco said, surprised. "I'm kind of disappointed."
As Lucario, to the others' surprise, landed in the water, Master Hand announced, "Falco is the winner of the Immunity Challenge! He is guaranteed a spot in the final five! Congratulations!"
The survivors on the beach clapped and watched as the others swam back to land. They shook Falco's hand, but nearly all of them were looking at Lucario strangely. Lucario nodded to Pit, and Pit nodded back.
"With that, the challenge is over," said Master Hand. "Please follow me. Tribal Council awaits."
Tribal Council
The Survivors filed in. Master Hand appeared on the other side of the fire, soon followed by the Jury. Upon seeing his partner, Falco waved the Shield. Upon seeing Kirby, Bowser gulped.
"You did it," said Fox, shaking his hand. He stopped and shook his head, causing Kirby to bounce into him. "Oh, sorry. Need a lift?"
Kirby was slightly obscured by the fire. "If you wouldn't mind." Fox picked him up and placed him on his shoulder. He waved happily at the remaining Survivors. "Hope you didn't miss me!"
"Never," said Mario, smiling.
"You caused a lot of drama when you left," said Pit. "I hope you're happy with yourself."
"Naturally," said Kirby. "I'm such a drama queen. I couldn't be happier!"
"How's life on the island?" Bowser asked. "Are you eating well? Are people being nice to you?"
"They're great, and life's great," said Kirby. "Don't worry, Bowser! I'm happy! Are you?"
Bowser smiled. "Now I am."
"Kirby's been a great addition to the Jury," said Fox. "He's so happy and friendly. He told us a lot about what happened." He smirked. "That was really good, Marth. I'm surprised it worked."
"As am I," Marth admitted.
"Everyone's been really nice," continued Kirby. "I've caught up with Pokémon Trainer and Yoshi, and it's great to see King Dedede again. The others have been nice as well."
"We'd love to have you guys here," said King Dedede. He patted the seat next to him. "All you have to do is say the word, and you can join us."
"See, that's why they don't usually let the Jury talk," said Falco. "Too much 'join us' talk. You aren't asking about the juicy stuff!"
"We get all the info we need from the eliminated player," said Yoshi. "What else do we need to ask?"
"I'll do it, then!" Kirby said. "I know what questions to ask. Falco, how did you win?"
"This?" Falco pointed to the Shield. Kirby nodded. "I just survived the longest on the logs. Uh… Lucario jumped off, though."
"He what?" Pikachu asked. "He jumped? So he gave up?"
"Again?" Fox asked. "You better have a good reason for that. I don't want to hear that you gave up after coming all this way!"
"I did not give up," said Lucario. "I made a promise, and I intend to keep it."
Yoshi rolled his eyes. "You and your promises. Do you even know what you've promised anymore?"
"I will admit, many of them have slipped my mind," said Lucario. "But I know for certainty that I have upheld them all."
"So what promise could you have made that caused you to give up?" asked Link. "That doesn't sound like a good one to me."
"I made one to Lady Palutena," Lucario replied. "To keep Pit safe."
"Noble," said Mewtwo. "But futile. You cannot guarantee his safety."
"I cannot," Lucario agreed. "But should things be at their worst, I will force the others to choose between Pit and myself. The choice, I hope, should be obvious."
"That's so sweet!" said Kirby. "I hope it works out!"
Pit smiled. "Even after what I've done?"
"I like you, Pit. You guys had your reasons to vote me out, and I don't hold that against any of you. I just want the best for you, you know?"
"By the way, guys, you're right," said Fox. "When Kirby told us what happened, we had a talk. Most of us would've voted for him over most of you guys."
"Yeah, I'm not exactly happy about that," said Kirby, shifting his gaze to the fire. "I kind of wanted to win. But what's done is done."
Bowser had dropped his gaze. "I'm sorry Kirby. I should've taken your place."
"No!" Kirby shouted. "Bowser, please, stop thinking that. I'm okay. You're still here. Try to win. Don't think about what you could've done for me. Think about… I don't know… think about what you can do for yourself."
"I miss you," Bowser sighed. "This game isn't the same without you."
"I miss you too, Bowser," said Kirby. He smiled softly. "But I don't want to see you on my island."
"Are there any other questions?" Master Hand asked.
"How are Bowser and Pit doing?" Pokémon Trainer asked. "We know what happened, but are you two still fighting or… torturing or whatever?"
"We aren't friends," said Pit. "But I forgave him. I didn't deserve what he did to me. His heart was in the right place. It happened. I don't have any nightmares about it."
"You two are good?" Pokémon Trainer asked.
"We're good," said Pit.
There was silence. Master Hand began the votes. "Would you please come to the voting urn?"
Pit went up to vote.
"I respect you, but you're too dangerous to keep around."
Mario went up to vote.
Bowser went up to vote.
Lucario went up to vote.
"I respect you the most. I would have enjoyed facing you in the final Tribal Council."
Falco went up to vote.
Marth went up to vote.
"You are noble, but nobility alone will not save you."
As Marth sat down, Master Hand collected the voting urn and set it down. "The Survivor with the most votes must exit tribal Council immediately. I'll read the votes."
He picked up the first vote. All of the five unsafe Survivors felt in danger, so they held a collective breath as the first vote was read.
"Marth." Falco grabbed Marth's shoulder tightly.
"The second vote is for Pit."
Pit and Lucario looked at each other. Lucario knew he was safe, but that did not assuage him. Mario and Bowser, however, felt it was safe to breathe again.
"The third vote is for Pit."
Lucario turned his attention to Mario and Bowser now. Marth also had his eye on them. The pair stared ahead, not giving either other pair a sign.
"The fourth vote is for Marth."
This was it. This next vote determined which player Bowser and Mario voted for. The two targets held their partners arms tight, both eyes closed, hoping that the next name that was called was not his own. Master Hand picked up the fifth vote.
"Pit."
Marth breathed. He turned to Mario and Bowser and nodded, and the pair nodded back. Then all eyes were on Pit and Lucario. Pit had dropped his eyes to the ground, his face half hidden in shadow. He was smiling bitterly. He got to his feet.
"The thirty-fifth player eliminated from Super Smash Bros Survivor is Pit. Please bring me your torch."
Pit patted Lucario's shoulder, and then hugged the other five players. He picked up his torch, held it out to Master Hand, and watched the flame disappear.
"Good luck, guys," said Pit. "I don't hold it against you. You all deserve to win." He waved and disappeared.
"With that, we have our final five competitors," said Master Hand. "Marth, Mario, Lucario, Falco, and Bowser, tomorrow you may enjoy your final day without competition. After that, there will be nonstop action. Prepare yourself, for this will be your toughest challenge yet. Good luck, and I will see you next time."
They grabbed their torches. Nobody said a word as they exited Tribal Council. They merely disappeared into the jungle in search of camp.
"I'm probably more forgiving than I should be," said Pit in an overview. "I probably should be more upset, but you know, I did a lot that I'm proud of. I think I should take it as a compliment that they chose me over Lucario. It means I'm more of a threat. I'm okay with that. I did what I could, and it isn't enough. Good luck to them all. If they were able to eliminate me… then they're true Survivors."