Super Smash Bros: Ultimate Survivor

by sarsars

The second season of the intense, cutthroat competition has finally begun! Forty competitors, new and old, will attempt to deceive, outwit, and outplay each other in order to be crowned the prestigious title of Ultimate Survivor.

5. Days 6 and 7: Ruined Expectations

North Tribe

The tribe filtered into camp in two parts. The uninfected strode in first, led by Falco, having congratulated Palutena on her triumph. The corrupted came after, the four of them looking downtrodden. Daisy, furious, glared at her former ally.

"You're ridiculous," she spat. "She did nothing wrong, and you targeted her anyway."

"Heed your tongue," said Corrin. "You will awaken tomorrow with little memory of this awful time."

"I'll remember this forever," said Daisy. "You took everything from us! Our unity! We're going to lose because of you!"

"I just don't get it," said Megaman, more melancholy than angry. "This entire time, and there was never evidence."

Duck Hunt's tail drooped. "I can't do it. I can't be here when Dark Samus is gone. I should quit."

The others had kept quiet, assuming these feelings would fade with the corruption, but that last remark made them pause.

"Hey, careful now," said Isaac. "You wouldn't want to say something you'll regret."

"Yes, there's no need to surrender," said Greninja. "If nothing else, you should fight on in her name."

"There's no fight," Duck Hunt said quietly. "There's nothing."

Corrin stepped forward, hand outstretched. "Come now, that is silly talk-" but as she reached forward, the dog lurched back in fear. "Duck Hunt, please, you'll feel better after some love, will you not?"

"What love?" Duck Hunt demanded. "You've hated me from the very beginning!"

Corrin looked helplessly at his allies. "Then from the others. From Little Mac and Megaman and Daisy!"

Duck Hunt didn't look at them. "I already know they love me."

"Real shame they aren't comforting you, then," said Falco. "Some family you seem to be. Can't even console in each other. Have to put the blame on us instead."

"You are the ones to blame!" Daisy shouted. "You did this! This is your fault!"

"It's Dark Samus' fault," said Isaac.

"You eliminate-" Daisy began.

Palutena slammed her staff onto the sand, and a beam of bright light shot up into the sky. The tribe silenced in awe at the spectacle, and when the light faded, they watched as Palutena approached.

"We're talking in circles," she said. "I suggest we stop this discussion tonight and continue tomorrow, when all of our heads have cleared. That way, no one says something they cannot take back. Is that agreeable?"

The uncorrupted nodded immediately, but the rest were hesitant.

Daisy outright shook her head. "Why should we listen to you?" She demanded. "What if we don't want to drop it? We're furious at you!"

"You seem to be the only one angry," said Greninja. "The rest have accepted this fate. You alone stand defiant."

Daisy turned to her allies and saw sullen face after sullen face. She turned back. "They'll grieve one way. I'll choose to get angry and fight back."

"Fight how?" Falco scoffed. "Your next chance is in two days, unless you want to break the rules and attack us now."

"And, I must remind you, my suggestion was solely to prevent doing anything that we would regret in the nights to come," said Palutena. "It was to give you time to mourn your loss, to come up with a strategy, whatever you wish to move past this. I didn't mean to disrespect you or Dark Samus. That is not my intention."

Daisy opened her mouth to argue again, but she saw the softness in Palutena's eyes and slowly, slowly closed her mouth. She nodded. "Fine. But this won't be the end of this." She turned back to the others, whispered to them, and the quartet moved to the end of the tribe.

When they were far enough away, Isaac let out a huge sigh of relief. "That was excellent," he said. "Truly. I thought they were going to fight us."

"I'm kind of disappointed they didn't," said Falco.

"Yes, we noticed you instigating them again," said Greninja.

"What if this corruption lasts?" asked Corrin. "Will we have to eliminate them all?"

Palutena sighed. "Unfortunately, that may be the case. I hope not. I'd hate to eliminate Daisy after how much she helped me."

"Why was she so angry?" asked Corrin. "Why her of the others?"

"I'd like to believe it is strength of spirit," said Palutena.

"Maybe it was the strength of the corruption," said Falco.

The others paused, considering the idea. "That'd be awful," Isaac concluded. "But why her if that's the case."

"Why not Megaman and Duck Hunt, when they were corrupted earlier?" asked Greninja. Isaac nodded. "Simply because Megaman is a robot and Duck Hunt is an animal."

"What about his duck?" asked Falco. "Haven't seen the little guy since we left for the challenge."

"Yes, he's normally so lively," said Corrin. "It's a shame not to see his flapping wings."

They scanned their beach quickly but came up with nothing. "I really hope he doesn't quit," said Isaac. "That'd be such a terrible way to go."

"I'm sure some of us would feel guilty," said Palutena, giving Greninja an intentional glance. The frog made no motion of noticing, but others did.

"We tried all we could," said Corrin. "Really, we should've lost earlier, but we didn't know how fast it would spread."

"Yes, we thought we had many more days," said Isaac. "Greninja isn't at fault."

"In a way, I am," said Greninja. "I could've stopped him the other day when he sought out Dark Samus in the first place. Others wanted to, but I told you all to let him go."

"That doesn't make it your fault," said Isaac.

"Yes, it was an odd remark at the time, but we all listened," said Corrin. "It's all of ours that he left. Perhaps mine more than anyone," she added sadly.

"I knew what would happen," said Greninja. "I assumed he'd be corrupted, and I voiced that to Palutena in secret. I wanted Dark Samus to act quickly. Either so that those watching us would have no choice but to eliminate her, or so that we would have no choice ourselves but to eliminate her. I used Duck Hunt as a scapegoat."

"That's noble, taking blame for that, but I'm sure we all knew something would happen to him," said Falco. "Really, the dog brought it on himself."

"He wanted to prove himself," said Corrin. "That's all. He wanted to find her and report her whereabouts to us. He got caught because of it."

"A mistake he'll hopefully learn from," said Isaac. "I really don't want him to surrender."

"Nor I."

"He won't," said Palutena. "Give them a day to sleep off the effects, and many of them will feel better."

"Or they'll be more depressed than ever and quit," said Falco.

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that. Let's hope we were right."

Day 6

East Tribe

Geno, due to his inability to sleep, wandered about the beach for a while that night. He studied each player in turn until one sensed him.

"You." Ridley groaned, refusing to open an eye for the puppet. "You insist on bothering me."

Geno, who was several feet away, merely shook his head. "You're paranoid," he said. "You have not yet seen my ability to 'bother' others."

"No, I'm sure a puppet has plenty of ways to annoy people," Ridley said, half-asleep. "I've no need to see any of them. Your vendetta against me is unnecessary."

"I do not wish for another Bowser victory," said Geno. "I've no intention of another evil cretin like yourself being victorious."

That made Ridley crack open an eye. "Cretin, you say?" He slowly rose, facing the puppet. "That's all you see of me?"

"Evil to be vanquished," said Geno, refusing to back down.

"Ah, that explains the vendetta." Ridley shook his head. "Unfortunately, it's wasteful. You've no ammunition against me. They trust your word as little as they trust mine."

"They're far more willing to side with me," argued Geno. "I've sown the seeds of discontent amongst several, and many would no doubt clamor for your head when the time comes."

"Is that right?" asked Ridley. "Maybe they assume your vendetta is unfounded and unnecessary. Maybe they believe they have more important targets than myself."

"Then they'd be fools."

"Is that what you really think?" asked Ridley. "I'm sure they'd love to hear that."

Geno kept quiet. He glared at the purple dragon.

"No, I suppose you wouldn't want to repeat those damning words," said Ridley. "Fortunately for you, I do not consider you a threat. If you wish to oppose me, then feel free to attempt to influence the others. You will fail, and I will waste little time attempting to argue against you."

"How dare you think so little of me?" said Geno.

"You're nothing," said Ridley. "You feel that attempts at mystery and intrigue will give you more purpose, but latching onto someone else as a rival is not a worthwhile strategy."

"You are no rival," said Geno. "You are an enemy, easily destroyed."

"Easily?" Ridley chuckled. "I've love to see how you intend to prove that. Believe that I've no intention of taking victory by force. If a fool like Bowser can coerce others to give him victory, any of us can."

"I have no reason to believe you. Force is all you know."

"Fair," Ridley admitted. "Foolish, but fair. I could easily lie to you. Do you believe I've lied?"

"Of course," said Geno. "You've lied about your choices with King K Rool, about your alliance, about your strategies. I can believe nothing you've said."

Ridley's eye gleamed. "Then I look forward to seeing you disprove me." He walked away, leaving Geno in silence.

---

Robin cooked one of the last of the eggs, frowning sadly at the tiny meal. He'd been keeping track of their food. They'd received so little nourishment these past few days. Even with one of their members eliminated and one not needing food, they were losing supplies quicker than anticipated. He forwent a full meal in favor of just enough to last him until the next.

He turned to see Rosalina sharing a similar plate on a nearby log. She smiled gently at him and raised her own plate.

"To a well-cooked meal," she said.

Robin nodded slowly, then stared at his plate sadly and removed the egg's shell. "Do you think anyone else has kept track?"

"Of what?"

"Our food supply."

"I'm sure Mewtwo is well aware," said Rosalina. "He wouldn't let us starve."

That gave Robin some relief. He smiled at the plate. "Oh, good. Do you know his plan? You seem the closest to him."

"Well, you know Mewtwo as well. Even his greatest confidant would receive little news from him," said Rosalina.

"Right. Unfortunately."

"What is your plan, if you mind me asking?" asked Rosalina.

"About what?"

"The food supply. Your strategy would be acceptable as well," she added with a smile.

"I'd ration more carefully," said Robin, eyeing a Pac-Man who had a full plate, seemingly oblivious to their rationing. "Some eat to fill, and the rest suffer as a result."

"I'll admit, this isn't the first time I've sacrificed a full plate," said Rosalina. "I've also noticed a few who have little care."

"Yes, I'm sure they've made themselves known to those who care."

They sat in silence, picking at their meager meals. Then Robin added, "I feel as though others may be acting in ignorance rather than malice. We should at least make the problem known.

Rosalina motioned forward. "You're welcome to do it."

Robin hesitated at that. "Should I not? I don't understand."

"I just wonder why Mewtwo hasn't told anyone either," said Rosalina. "Is it up to us to make an announcement that our Leader would not?"

"It's a problem we should solve before it's too late," said Robin. "To be honest, it should've been decided a few days ago. We took care of our water problem, but we didn't have the same action with our food. In fact, I'd say that Wii Fit Trainer's plan forced us to get more nourishment out of the food. I certainly snacked on a few more fruits just to survive."

Rosalina smiled. "We're too passive, it seems. A decisive leader would cull these problems immediately."

"Which strikes me as odd that Mewtwo hasn't mentioned them. He has the power, the influence. Everyone would listen to him."

They looked at their Tribe Leader who was meditating off to the side. "It is odd," Rosalina admitted. She stood up and motioned for Robin to follow. He stuffed the rest of the egg in his mouth, and they wandered over to Mewtwo.

Mewtwo cracked open an eye and huffed slightly. "What is it?"

"We've been noticing our food supplies have been running low," said Rosalina. "We were hoping you were aware of the issue."

Mewtwo nodded. "I'm well aware."

"Oh, good! Then you have a plan, correct?"

"No."

Rosalina blinked. "No? What if we run out of food?"

"I've no intention of starving anyone. Addressing the issue after Wii Fit Trainer's plan would only bring similar mistrust. They would accuse me of hiding food to intentionally weaken them."

"That's ridiculous," said Rosalina. "You think so little of them?"

"They'll see you're right when they open those barrels and find no food at all," said Robin. "Why hide it from them?"

"Must I control everything?" asked Mewtwo. "I'm not omnipotent. I am aware of how few days of food we have, but if I attempt to assert my leadership, then I will paint an unnecessary target on myself. If I tell everyone now, and they starve themselves, they will resent me for forcing this upon them. My inaction is intentional."

Rosalina shook her head. "I'm sorry, but that disappoints me. If we all starve, what will we do?"

"We will not starve," said Mewtwo. "That I guarantee."

"An admirable promise. One you've already failed to keep, given your inaction."

"We will not starve," Mewtwo repeated. "No matter what I say or do, we won't starve. It's pointless to prepare for events that will never occur."

He closed his eyes, and his partners glanced at each other and silently left.

---

Later, Richter approached Ryu, who was meditating at the ocean, just above where the waves washed into the sand. Richter twirled his whip around his arm, catching the spiked end with his other hand. He finished by planting the mace ball into the sand at Ryu's back. The fighter barely reacted.

"Alright, there are too many of you guys in this game," said Richter, shaking his head. "You, Mewtwo, Geno. It's always awkward thinking about approaching you guys. You're always doing something on your own."

"Should that not be indication enough not to speak with us?" asked Ryu.

"Unfortunately for you, this is a game of talking. Meditating on your own does nothing."

Ryu slowly climbed to his feet and turned to face the vampire hunter. "Why did you interrupt me?"

"An alliance," said Richter. He shrugged. "Figure being blunt is the best strategy."

"I will be blunt as well," said Ryu. "I've no need of a private alliance with you."

Richter blinked. "Oh? Why?"

"I have arrangements that do not involve you at the moment."

"At the moment? What do you mean?"

"Not for me to say," said Ryu. "It is not my decision alone."

"Well, whose is it?" asked Richter. "If I have a chance of joining an alliance, I'd love to be told who. You clearly know, Mr. Implication."

"I do know," said Mr. Implication.

Richter sighed. "Okay, why not tell me?"

"That is information I shouldn't give," said Ryu. "I'm sorry. I would tell you if I felt I had the control to do so. I'd invite you into the alliance."

"That's perfect! Bend the ear of those in power!" said Richter. "This would be great for everyone!"

Ryu slowly nodded. "I'll mention that the next time we meet. Unfortunately, until then, I've no control."

"That's enough for me," said Richter with a slight chuckle. "My alternative was hoping Mewtwo would take pity on me, because I would refuse to side with our resident villains."

"I'll make sure to mention that," said Ryu. "We share the same resentment."

"Fantastic. At least I'm not lowest on the chopping block. I'll hope to hear from you soon!" Richter gave Ryu a small wave and left.

South Tribe

Early in the morning, before the moon had passed overhead, Metaknight and Bayonetta met on top of the treeline. Both summarized their discoveries from the days prior: Metaknight's interrogation of Incineroar and Bayonetta's inquiry into an alliance with the girls.

When Bayonetta finished, Metaknight shook his head. "I told you inviting them was foolish."

"Yes, well I didn't expect Isabelle to take any initiative." Bayonetta sighed. "A pity, really. They would've been loyal."

"Loyal to whomever is their friend. You give off an air of superiority and condescension."

Bayonetta nodded at that, popped a lollipop out of her mouth, and pointed it at him. "And you a similar superiority, suspicion, and faux-mystery caused by trying too hard."

"All are reasons why an alliance with them was a foolish endeavor."

"And your proposition to Dark Pit only created an enemy. Your interrogation of Incineroar likely drove him away as well."

The pair stared at each other in silence. Then, Bayonetta smiled. "I fear we're too alike. We're destined partners."

"Enough of that," said Metaknight. "Consider alternatives."

"We could bring in Ken. That would solve our greatest dilemma."

"Ken is a fool," said Metaknight.

"Perhaps Chrom, then, as you initially suggested. That would leave room for one more."

Metaknight rubbed his mask in frustration. "It'd be better now to have as many allies as necessary. Our alliance is no secret, so there's little reason in excluding too many."

"How many is too many?"

"We may as well invite everyone, given we've little other choice."

"I see, you're dropping your standards," said Bayonetta, nodding. "But, I'm assuming 'everyone' still excludes those against us. Shadow, maybe Dark Pit and Incineroar?"

"Obviously."

"Obviously." Bayonetta smiled. "The girls will be thrilled, and Ken might be eager to join us as well. You don't expect our alliance to last, though, correct?"

"We'll be broken up during the Tribal Switch," said Metaknight. "That much is obvious. We'll deal with that until it comes. An alliance of seven gives us temporary protection against Shadow's potential alliance."

---

Shadow rested against a tree trunk when he heard a familiar flapping of wings nearby. He opened his eyes to see his closest ally glaring at him.

"You've been quiet," said Shadow, smirking. "We haven't spoken in days."

"I've been keeping away from you, hoping they'd forget we'd ever spoken," said Dark Pit. "Damn you. Because of your outburst, I'm in trouble too."

"However could that be?" asked Shadow.

"Don't mock me," Dark Pit spat.

"Could you have been associated with me despite your wishes? I wonder if that was the plan of someone."

"Damn you!" Dark Pit stomped, sending up a pathetic cloud of dust. "You might've ruined my chances at this game. What else have you accomplished, anyway? Other than 'sown the seeds' that have already died."

"I've spoken to many of the others," said Shadow. "Those seeds have not died. They simply require more stimulation."

"This metaphor is exhausting. What, then?" asked Dark Pit. "What is your plan?"

Shadow pointed behind him, and Dark Pit noticed yellow eyes approaching. The tiger revealed himself, yawning loudly.

"Do you guys always meet this early?" asked Incineroar. "I'm not joining you guys if this is your standard."

"There's no need to meet so early," said Shadow. "This was an impromptu meeting."

"Really? You woke me up and invited me," said Incineroar.

Dark Pit blinked. "What? How did you know?"

"Anyway, I'm trying out the whole 'join an alliance' thing," said Incineroar. "Metaknight kept harassing me the other day, and I got sick of it. If he isn't going to believe me about one small thing, then how can I ever trust him, right?"

"What didn't he believe you about?"

"Losing that Special Event," said Incineroar. "Even though I told him several times, I could tell he didn't believe me."

"Maybe he's scared of the alternative," said Dark Pit. "Robin with a Necklace. We'd all rather you have it."

"Same here." Incineroar shook his head. "That's my luck, though, right?" He looked back at Shadow. "So, this is the alliance?"

"Not the entire alliance," said Shadow. "We've a few others to speak to. Metaknight and Bayonetta may believe they have the strength to win this tribe, but they do not realize how little we trust them."

Incineroar snorted. "Maybe you don't realize, but people don't trust you, either."

"I was the only one to reveal the truth to them," said Shadow. "They would've hidden their alliance until it was far too late. Now it's known to us all."

"Who else can we possibly convince?" asked Dark Pit. "Isabelle and Inkling are under Bayonetta's thumb. Chrom is no doubt with Metaknight. Ken's a wild card."

"Chrom's a prize. Honest, smart, good with a sword," said Incineroar. "He's the only one here who has my respect."

"That's a surprise," said Dark Pit. "Why's that?"

"I just gave the reasons," said Incineroar, as if it was a stupid question.

"Is he your choice, then?"

"Oh, I don't trust him. I just said he's a prize. Other people want him."

"Then that explained nothing," said Dark Pit, exasperated.

"Did it not? Guess I'm not used to this strategy thing." Incineroar smirked.

"Who else, then, Shadow, before I leave," Dark Pit grumbled.

"Inkling and Isabelle," said Shadow. "They're the true targets."

"But Bayo-"

"They will ally with whomever they trust the most. If we're honest with them, they will trust us and join us."

"Good luck with that," said Dark Pit with a snort.

"We shall see," said Shadow, patting Dark Pit's shoulder. "We shall see."

---

Isabelle finished cooking a meal for ten and sat at the tribe's makeshift table and log chairs admiring her work. Not long after she sat down to nibble on her own food, she heard footsteps coming out of the trees. She leapt out of her seat and eagerly awaited the first diner, eager to hand them a plate and cup of water.

To her delight, Ken appeared, yawning and stretching. She clapped her hands and ran up to him.

"Oh, Ken, welcome!"

"Hey, Isabelle," said Ken, taking her hand as she led him to the table. "I'm surprised I'm the first one here, actually. Where's Inkling?" He paused. "Where's Incineroar? He's usually the first."

"I let Inkling sleep today. I felt bad about waking her so early the other day," answered Isabelle, sitting him down and handing him a plate. She hopped into a seat across from him, watching him take his first bite, hiding nervousness. "Uh, and I'm not sure about Incineroar."

Ken nodded and took the first bite. He smiled into his fork as he felt the fish melt in his mouth. He immediately went in for another bite. "You amaze me, you know. I don't know how you sleep."

At the mention of the word, Isabelle felt a yawn come up. She held it down and played it off by quickly saying, "Oh, I find time. How is it? Is there enough salt?"

"It's perfect as usual." Ken swallowed another mouthful. He pointed his fork at Isabelle's untouched plate. "You gonna eat yours?"

"Are you hungry for more?" asked Isabelle. She pushed her plate forward. "Here, you could have mine."

Ken immediately pushed it back. "I'd be a monster to eat your food. Come on, eat."

Isabelle took her plate and took a bite. The pair ate in silence for a while, and when Ken finished his, he set his fork down and stretched. The moment he did so, Isabelle shot off her chair and took his dirty plate to the ocean to wash. Ken opened his mouth to argue, but she left too quickly, so he followed him to the water.

As Isabelle rubbed the bones off the plate and soaked it in the saltwater, Ken shook his head. "Come on. I can do that myself."

"It's fine. I don't mind," said Isabelle, smiling brightly.

"You work yourself too hard."

"This is nothing compared to my job." Isabelle giggled. "I have to do math in the sand to keep my mind sharp. I'm not exercising it enough."

"Jeesh, and in a way I considered this a vacation," said Ken. "I don't get to live like this often. For the most part, it's peaceful. Extremely manageable. I don't know what Master Hand was talking about when it came to this being a tougher challenge. It really isn't."

Behind his back, Isabelle dropped her gaze. He didn't notice. When he turned around, she switched back to her normal chipper self.

"Oh!" Isabelle said, standing up quickly. "I've got great news! Bayonetta asked us to join her alliance!"

"Oh, yeah?" asked Ken. "Which us? You and Inkling?"

"Well, yes, but I mentioned you as well. I wouldn't join an alliance without you, not when I asked you already."

"I appreciate that," said Ken. "Although I think you missed a great opportunity."

Isabelle shook her head. "I made a promise. I intend to keep it. You're part of our alliance. That's final."

Ken smiled. "I bet she didn't take it well."

"She only said she'd have to discuss with Metaknight."

"Then I'm definitely not getting in. I haven't talked much with the guy, but I get the distinct impression that he isn't keen on me."

"Well, he just needs to get to know you."

"I don't think he's interested," Ken muttered. "Well, this might be a stretch, but Shadow actually invited me to join him."

"Oh, that'd be interesting! Was he interested in our alliance?"

"I didn't really mention you guys. I brushed him off pretty quickly. I might've done it too quickly, actually. I thought going against Metaknight and Bayonetta would've been suicide at first, but if there aren't any alternatives…"

"We'll see what they say, then," said Isabelle. She patted Ken's arm. "Keep our options open!"

Ken nodded. "That's a deal. But, hey, let me finish washing the plates. Take a bit of a rest."

"Thank you, but I'm okay. This is my rest. Doing dishes is easy," Isabelle chuckled.

Ken shook his head. "You're a strange one, Isabelle.

West Tribe

When Villager opened up their food barrels, he realized with a jolt that they were far emptier than he thought they should've been. He crouched down and estimated the food levels, and then he checked by looking back into the barrel.

"Darn it," he muttered. "I wish Isabelle was in charge of this." He paused. "I wish anyone was in charge of this, actually. I didn't really give an order."

He grabbed a piece of fruit and half a steak and went over to the embers. He tossed in a couple logs and fitted some dry leaves and struck fire, and then he started cooking his meal. To his surprise, the Chorus Kids waddled up to him and sat down next to him. Quietly. He looked at them and gave them a small nod.

"Morning," he said. "Had a good rest?"

The Chorus Kids slowly nodded, looking down at the fire. "We're okay. A bit tired. Confused. Sad."

"Why're you confused?"

"Trying to figure this game out, really," they replied. They shrugged. "We tried to get an alliance going. We got people, like you, and they all betrayed us."

Villager stared at his meal, struggling to contemplate that. The Chorus Kids looked back up at him. "Were we wrong? What were we supposed to do?"

"I… I feel like you guys just chose the wrong people," said Villager. "I think including Charizard was a mistake. Nobody's included him in their alliance. I don't really speak to him much."

"But you and Lucina were such sure picks!"

"Well… you never gave a good reason," said Villager. "I mean, we might've had five – in theory – but those numbers meant little if we couldn't trust each other."

"Why can't you trust us?"

"You haven't exactly been the most subtle."

"What do you mean by that?" The Chorus Kids practically shouted.

"That," Villager said after shushing them. "Everyone knew about our 'alliance' within days. Everyone. Because you and Bowser Jr wouldn't keep quiet."

"That's not fair," said the Chorus Kids. "Charizard told people. Lucina told people. We bet even you told people!"

Villager hesitated. "I guess that's a fair point."

"Well, how can our alliance be a secret if no one can keep that secret?"

"That's the thing. No one wanted to keep it a secret because nobody believed in it."

"Why not? We had a majority!"

"We had no trust. Remember who stayed with Popo that very first day?" asked Villager.

"We didn't! We voted him out!"

Villager paused. He thought for sure the Chorus Kids were the ones who gave Charizard his second vote. "Well, we felt it was either you or Bowser Jr."

"He didn't either!"

Villager closed his mouth, blinking. He tried reading the Chorus Kids' faces, but all three were fixated on him in determination. He couldn't tell if they were lying. He replied, "As I said, we felt it was either one of you. If neither of you did, then you should've told us."

"Why would we? We knew we didn't vote for him! Why would we tell anyone we didn't? It was obvious!"

"It wasn't… Okay, this is all stuff you should've told us earlier."

"No one asked!"

"Also fair," Villager muttered. He started regretting his initial reservations. All based on miscommunication, if the Chorus Kids were telling the truth. "I guess you just gave the impression of… incompetence."

"That's rude."

"It's blunt, I think. You and especially Bowser Jr don't keep quiet. I'm sorry, but you haven't. You chose the wrong people at the wrong time to invite. I distinctly recall when I was recruited that I never gave a straight answer. I said I'd consider it, and you ran off to tell him I'd accepted, when I hadn't."

"But we thought you had! Why would you need to consider it if you wouldn't agree? Why not just tell us no?"

"Keeping my options open. I… I didn't really want to join you in the first place. Didn't trust you, as I've said before. I'm sorry, but it's the truth. I wanted people I felt could bring me to the end of the game. I don't believe you can."

Silence followed these words, and the Chorus Kids studied him carefully. They silently stood up, nodded, and walked away, leaving Villager with his sizzling, burning food, regretting his honesty.

---

Hours later, Bowser Jr ate a large plate in his Koopa Car as it puttered around the beach. He felt something stop him, and he jumped up to give whoever it was a good insulting. Then he saw it was Cloud.

"What do you want?" He demanded, hiding trepidation. "I'm busy eating!"

"I notice you haven't gotten the memo," said Cloud, nodding at the plate.

Bowser Jr blinked at it, then he smirked. "Oh, yeah, I was told. But I'm hungry."

Villager had warned everyone to eat smaller portions until they got resupplied. Even now, their Tribe Leader was fishing for extra food.

Cloud shook his head. "That's such a waste. Completely unnecessary."

Bowser Jr stuck his tongue out. "What're you going to do about it, huh?"

"Eliminate you," said Cloud. "I've no qualms about getting rid of a pest."

"I'm not a pest! I'm Prince of the Koopas!"

"Means absolutely nothing here."

"It means everything! I'm royalty! I deserve a royal meal!"

"Keep assuming that," said Cloud. "See how long you last." He let go, and Bowser Jr lurched forward as the Koopa Car moved. The plate fell into the sand, the food wasted.

"Why'd you do that? Now I'm going to starve!"

Cloud shrugged. "Thing is, prince, that means nothing to me. I don't acknowledge that title. For all I care, you're a brat who doesn't understand consequences."

"Oh, I understand them plenty!" Bowser Jr stamped his food. "I know when you cross me, you'll be sorry!"

"How's that?" Cloud snorted. "What's stopping me?"

Bowser Jr stomped on a button, and an arm holding a hammer swung out. Cloud stepped to the side, and the swipe missed and retracted.

Cloud tutted. "Careful now. If I hadn't dodged that, you'd be out."

"If you didn't dodge that, I would've felt sorry for you," said Bowser Jr, smirking. "And I would've known how pathetic you were. You get hit, you would've lost. No one would've respected you."

"So, your elimination would've been worth it just to prove a point?" asked Cloud. He smirked. "That kind of gall I respect. But I care little about your attitude. I expect you'll be eliminated soon, anyway, but I respect the commitment."

Bowser Jr leaned forward, balancing on the rim of the car. "Better believe I'm committed. I'm following in my dad's footsteps. I'm winning this."

"Yes, but your dad was respected by everyone. Feared by a few, if I recall. You're at an incredible disadvantage."

"Even better story if I win it, then. I'm proving I'm a good leader."

Cloud raised his hands, motioning to the emptiness around them. "Look at all of your loyal subjects. What kind of alliance have you built?" He smirked. "Or did it crumble."

Bowser Jr glared. "Keep talking. This is a setback, but I'll rebuild. I won't be stopped."

Cloud shook his head and started walking away. "Keep at it, prince. I'm sure you'll succeed."

"I will," Bowser Jr grumbled. "Don't you worry. I will."

---

Charizard rested in the shade of a denser part of the jungle when he heard footsteps approach. He rolled over and saw Simon walking toward him, rigid as always.

Simon nodded. "No need to get up on my account."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

"I'm not here with a proposition," said Simon. "I've given out too many already."

"Well, darn if I'm not disappointed," Charizard muttered. "My only alliance is with the annoying brats."

Simon chuckled. "We could all be so fortunate."

"Yes, that's the word to use."

"I merely wanted to ask how you've been. I don't think people talk to you much."

"Then I've succeeded," said Charizard. "I don't want to discuss anything."

"That's no way to go about this game," said Simon. "What isolationists made it far last time?"

Charizard grumbled. "I have my own plan."

"Oh? What plan?"

"A plan I won't disclose with you."

"Surely you can't expect me to gossip," said Simon. "That's not how I intend to play."

"You can't expect me to believe you," said Charizard.

Simon nodded. "A fair point, admittedly. I've little gossip to offer as well." He started to leave, but he paused at the edge of Charizard's vision. "If you don't mind me asking, is your alliance with Bowser-"

"There's no damn alliance," Charizard growled. "Don't believe anything out of that little twerp. Or the Chorus Kids. They're all idiots."

That made Simon smile. "So, the rumors were false."

"What rumors?" Charizard asked.

"Rumors you created a ruse in order to make the rest of us believe you distanced yourself from the alliance, when in actuality you were with them completely.

"What kind of stupid rumors…" Charizard glared at him. "What idiot told you that?"

Simon paused. He had two choices. He finally decided on a lie, "The Chorus Kids whispered this to me not too long ago."

Flames flared out from Charizard's nostrils. "Damn them. They won't drop it." He jabbed a finger at Simon. "Believe nothing they say. I want nothing to do with them. Spread that rumor to no one else."

"Oh, my mistake, I shouldn't have believed them."

"Of course not!" Charizard shouted, as Simon made to leave. "Why would anyone believe them? Nothing but liars!" He scratched a nearby tree in frustration. "Bunch of idiots. Blathering idiots. Can't trust them." Slashed another. By this point, Simon had long gone. "Damn them! They won't drag me down with them. I refuse!"

Simon heard the echoes of frustration and smiled. With a simple lie, he'd painted a target on one player and angered another. The truth would likely never be discovered, but if there was a chance it would, the outcome would be decided far too late. He was in the clear. He intended to return to his alliance to inform them of his deception, so that they guaranteed a plurality had the same intention. The decision would spread, and that would be that.

North Tribe

Daisy awoke late in the morning, staring at the sky, feeling a strange emptiness. Like a part of her was missing. She slowly raised her head and saw Little Mac, Megaman, and Duck Hunt resting practically on top of her. She nudged them off her and stood up, shaking her groggy head.

She felt a sudden unease. "Oh no." She moved a few feet away and vomited. A stream of dark blue liquid left her, some sputtering off into spheres that floated in the air and quickly disappeared. She stared at it in horror as it was swallowed by the waves. "What… what happened?" She shoved Little Mac.

"Wha-" Little Mac groaned. He raised his head and immediately his face contorted. "What happened?"

Daisy grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the others. "Run to the water."

Little Mac nodded and sprinted. As his feet splashed into the warm water, he dropped to his knees and let loose the corruption. His face froze in a similar horror as he watched it vanish.

Then Daisy moved Megaman. Megaman barely reacted, so she dragged him closer to the water. He raised an arm lazily as he struggled to keep asleep.

"What happened to us?" Little Mac asked, watching her work.

"Just get the dog," Daisy grumbled, setting Megaman at the water's edge. "Hurry. We've got to wash everything away."

"Every-what?" Little Mac asked, taking Duck Hunt in his arms and walking over to the water. Duck Hunt pawed at the air, smiling innocently. "Daisy, what happened to us?"

"What's the last thing you remember?" asked Daisy, as she lowered Megaman in the water. "I remember falling asleep, and then next thing I remember clearly is waking up a few minutes ago."

Little Mac dropped Duck Hunt in the water. "Same here, really. I think I had a good dream about winning the prize money."

"Watch him," Daisy muttered. Little Mac immediately, gently helped Duck Hunt return to the land of the awake. She, meanwhile, patted Megaman's head and whispered for him to let everything out.

"Let what ou-" Megaman let loose a stream of blue. Duck Hunt, after groggily shaking himself awake, did the same. He cried, "What's that?"

When both were finished, the purged dragged them out of the water. They all, breathing deeply, stared at each other.

"Something happened," Megaman muttered, holding his head. "Something bad. I don't… I don't remember anything."

"Anything?" Little Mac repeated. "What was the last thing?"

Megaman shrugged. "Getting here on the boat, I think. I remember Falco on the edge of the boat, Corrin staring at him. I think I remember Dark Samus alo-" He immediately started sputtering. Bits of blue fell out, but instead of falling into the sand as a liquid, they formed as dark blue spheres and floated up above his head. "Why is that inside me?" He shut his mouth tight.

Daisy patted his shoulder. "You should let it all out. Don't want any of it inside you."

Megaman nodded and opened, and more spheres fell out. The others mirrored him, resting theirs mouths agape awkwardly as stray bits fell out.

"Dark Samus," Little Mac repeated in disgust. He shook his head. "So, that's what happened."

"I wanted to find her," said Duck Hunt quietly, his head drooping. "I just wanted to make everyone feel okay. They were all so worried."

"We were," said Daisy. "We were sure she'd do to you what she did to Megaman."

"What did she do to me?" Megaman asked, covering his mouth. "What happened?"

"Corruption," said Daisy. "Plain and simple. Dark Samus did what we all expected her to do."

Megaman blinked. He turned around, staring at the nearest visible camera. "Why'd they let her do it? That's… awful. Cheating. Why?"

Nobody gave a good response. They just shrugged. Little Mac rubbed his head. "So, what we just vomited… was that corruption?"

"Dark blue. It matches, at least," said Daisy. "I'm sure the others will be able to tell us the full story."

"So, wait, does that mean Dark Samus is gone?" asked Megaman.

"If her corruption's gone," said Daisy. "Or she had a moment of mercy and let us free."

"I hope so," Duck Hunt muttered. He looked around. "Where's my buddy?" Nobody could see his duck. "I'm going to go look for him. I hope he's okay."

"Be careful," said Megaman. "Stay close in case you need help."

Duck Hunt nodded and disappeared into the trees. Little Mac rubbed his head. "What happened last? I think we sent four people out to the Special Event, right?"

Daisy nodded. "They came back empty-handed. Isaac and Greninja told us Incineroar and Robin were in the finals."

"I remember that too," said Little Mac.

"I don't," Megaman muttered. "I think I remember us leaving the boat. We were on the island. Then I saw…" He grimaced. "I saw Dark Samus, and she looked at me. That's it."

"Oh no," Daisy muttered. "That was the first day."

"What day is it?" asked Megaman, his face turning to horror. "What did I miss?"

"Six?" asked Little Mac. "I hope she was eliminated that night."

"We'll have to ask the others," said Daisy, as Megaman blinked into his arm cannon. "At least day six. Popo was eliminated day one. Wii Fit Trainer day three. If Dark Samus was eliminated last night, this would be morning six."

"Oh no. I missed so much. I missed everything!" Megaman grasped his head. "How many alliances are there? What did I say? I'm sorry for everything!"

Little Mac raised a hand to calm him. "Thankfully, we figured it out fairly quickly. Everyone did. We all knew Dark Samus' game plan from day one. You displayed signs of corruption from the beginning. Wouldn't say a bad word about her, no matter how we pressed you."

"Well, I will now!" said Megaman. "She's an awful, despicable creature!"

Daisy smiled. "She really is gone, then. You have no idea how frustrating it was trying to get you to say anything of the sort. We spent hours trying."

"I'm so sorry," Megaman muttered. "So, so, so sorry."

---

Not long later, the three reached the main part of their beach, where the others sat around a fire enjoying a meal. The very first thing they exchanged was a smile.

"So, it worked," said Palutena. "Truly, every bit of corruption is gone."

"Forcibly, yeah," said Little Mac. "It was extremely unpleasant waking up and having to get rid of it."

Falco snorted. "Like waking up after an extremely bad hangover, right?"

"I'll know that feeling in a few years," said the underage boxer.

"Eh, you probably shouldn't," Falco muttered. He looked at the robot. "What about you? How do you-"

"Dark Samus is an awful creature," said Megaman immediately.

Corrin beamed. "Oh, thank goodness, you're truly back with us!"

"As awful as it sounds, that's the best thing you could've said," said Isaac. "Welcome back to us, Megaman."

Megaman grimaced. "What day is it?"

"Six," said Greninja. "You don't know what day it is?"

"I remember getting off the boat."

The others glanced at each other. "Damn," said Falco. "You were gone for that long."

Megaman nodded. "I'm sorry. I wish I could make up for whatever I said during that time. I'll never know."

"You'll watch the tapes and find out," said Falco. "In all honesty, you weren't insulting. It was just annoying trying to get anything out of you."

"Extremely," said Greninja. "But it was obvious what had happened to you."

"We hold nothing against you," added Corrin with a gentle smile. "We know what she did."

"That's what everyone else said," said Megaman. It didn't make him more reassured; he was sure he said something horrible he'd regret. "She's gone, though, right?"

"Gone for good," said Isaac. "Palutena defeated her last night."

The recently-corrupted turned to her in admiration, and she smiled. "Yes. Dark Samus challenged me personally. She commanded all of you to vote for me."

"No," Daisy whispered.

"But when it came down to our tiebreaking competition, she attempted to corrupt me," Palutena continued. "It felt bleak at first, but then I heard a voice. A powerful voice that compelled me to withstand this assault and best it."

"It was mine, wasn't it?" Falco asked, smirking. "Your fearless leader."

"My greatest friend," said Palutena. "Pit."

"Oh, him. He's good too, I guess."

"He was your voice of reason?" asked Greninja.

Palutena giggled. "I suppose so. Normally, it's my own, but in that moment, it was my faithful friend. He compelled me to survive. To best that corruption."

"And you did," said Isaac.

"And I did." Palutena nodded, smiling at Daisy. "So, you see, she's gone. And you're free. Is that right?"

"Free forever, hopefully," Little Mac said.

"Where's Duck Hunt?" asked Corrin.

"He's looking for his duck friend," said Daisy. "I hope he finds him."

"We haven't seen him either," said Isaac. "We looked for him, but we found nothing."

"A dog would have the best chance," said Little Mac, tapping his nose. "So, you're telling us that we didn't miss much."

"You barely missed a day," said Greninja. "Yesterday, all we discussed was the tiebreaker challenge between Palutena and Dark Samus."

Corrin giggled. "Yes, Dark Samus was so brazen as to instigate a forced tie in the middle of the day, before the Immunity Challenge had even begun. We essentially gave up that challenge."

"A necessary sacrifice to eliminate a terrible foe," added Palutena.

"We had no idea," said Daisy. "Believe us. We never would've-"

"I fully believe you," said Palutena. "I knew she chose you in order to attack me, because she knew we worked together. She decided to corrupt two of you that night in order to make it an even challenge. She wanted to best me personally."

"Thank god she got cocky," said Falco. "She likely had a chance to corrupt us all."

"Yes, we were lucky she gave us a chance to fight back," said Isaac.

"Was it luck?" asked Greninja. "Mercy? Or a decision on her part to display her power."

"Certainly the latter," said Corrin. "If she hadn't fought, she could never have been declared an honest victor."

"It wasn't even honesty," said Falco. "It was the cameras. The hosts never would've let it go that far. If Palutena lost, fair enough, but beyond that, we would've been protected."

At that, Palutena laughed. "Is that what you think? You think the hosts would've kept you from staying corrupted without my protection?"

"Mind control's illegal, right?" asked Falco. "We spent enough time proving they were essentially mind controlled."

"True, but if it was better for the game, they would've allowed anything."

"It definitely wasn't better," said Isaac. "It was frustrating for everyone."

"For the players, not the viewers."

"No, but that's not a good gauge," said Greninja. "And not something on which we should base all of our choices. Dark Samus decided to challenge us. She lost. The corruption is gone forever, I'd assume. We can play fairly."

"We're at a disadvantage, though," Little Mac muttered. "With the time we lost."

"To be fair, you might be," said Falco. "There definitely was a good vs evil in that last Tribal Council. More than I've ever seen, that's for sure, but there's no one saying you can't make it up. Two of you lost a day. Duck Hunt – wherever he is – lost half a day more. Megaman's the true victim."

Megaman sighed. "Again, I apologize for anything I said. I wasn't thinking like myself."

"We forgive you," said Corrin quickly. "It may be hard to make up for nearly a week of antagonism, but you can do it."

"Can I?" asked Megaman. "You might as well send me out."

"Honestly, if we win the next couple Tribal Councils, you have my word that I will," said Falco. "It's probably worse for you if you stay. At least you'll have a blank slate if you move to another tribe."

Megaman smiled. "That's honorable of you. Thank you."

Falco shrugged. "Not really honorable. Makes a difficult decision easy. Gives you a reset. Win-win."

Reward Challenge

The tribes traveled to the northwestern edge of the island. For some, it took a grueling hour to trek through the thick jungle across an unexplored, unfamiliar path. Eventually, they pushed through, and they were rewarded with a close-up of the massive mountain with an icy summit that watched over the island. They had little time to rest; Master Hand had instructed the other tribes to wait until everyone was together, so as soon as the fourth tribe arrived the remaining survivors scaled the mountain until they reached the snow that stuck to the mountainside three-fourths up. Looking down, they could see most of the island, all the way to their beaches.

"Welcome, Survivors!" Master Hand announced, louder than usual over winds that whistled across the snow. "I do hope you can adjust to the weather. This won't last long. If you'll look to the North Tribe, you'll see that Dark Samus was eliminated last night."

"How do you feel about it, Falco?" Pac-Man shouted. Next to him, Robin nudged and shushed him.

"Feel great, really," said Falco. "Huge relief, really."

"Yes, it was an intense Tribal Council," added Master Hand. "But the dilemma has ended, and there is no need for further discussion."

"Fully ended?" asked Palutena suspiciously. "No more traces."

"No more traces," said Master Hand. "It's over."

While the other tribes silently questioned the meaning behind the exchange, their host motioned to the island. "This is your beautiful home. I'd like everyone to take a good look, as we so very rarely climb this mountain. This will be a wonderful vista for your next challenge."

As he finished, several Miis marched seemingly out of nowhere and formed a massive square with their bodies. None of them reacted to the cold. They stared blankly in front.

"These fantastic helpers have given you all an area to search. Underneath the snow are four objects. Each one signifies a reward. Yes, everyone will get a reward. You will not know what these rewards are until you bring me the object. You may trade with another tribe if you feel you do not need the prize, and only one reward per tribe. Whoever is last to bring me a reward will get the leftovers, as it were. There are no useless rewards; all have their place. Any questions? Yes, Falco?"

Falco hadn't even raised a hand. "Yeah," he said anyway. "So, we just dig with our hands?"

"Well, wings for you," said Master Hand, getting giggles from the others and a smirk from his victim. "Tools are allowed. You may melt the snow if you feel it will help. These objects are fairly indestructible."

"Honestly, MH, we're at the point where you can just predict I have a question. I wouldn't have questions if you just explained things better," said Falco.

At that, Master Hand chuckled. "We've been at that point for a while, now. And I can only memorize so many speeches. Some details slip through my fingers, as it were. You've brought up great points in the past, which is why I tolerate your questions."

"Aw, MH, you're gonna make me blush. We all know I'm only back because we work so well off each other."

"Now then, tribes, get ready to search!" Master Hand announced. "This may go quick. Hopefully, for those who aren't used to the cold, it does. Survivors ready? Begin!"

The Survivors pushed past the wall of Miis and started digging. They trudged through the foot-high snow to get to the center. Some started near the edges, shoveling snow outside the area. Charizard and Ridley hovered overhead, melting large patches to the rock beneath. Robin, Palutena, Ken, Megaman, and Incineroar used their own flaming abilities to melt what little they could. Everyone else struggled or let those more suited to the challenge compete in their stead.

After just a couple minutes, the first to find an object was Ridley. He stopped spewing fireballs near one of the farthest corners, narrowed his eyes at a random spot, and dove at the ground. He snatched something and shot back up into the sky, eying it. Mewtwo noticed, stopped searching, and teleported up to him.

"Barrel," Ridley muttered, dangling a keychain.

"Of food, no doubt."

"Will that quell the masses?" asked Ridley. "I'm sure we've been running low, given our portions."

Mewtwo eyed him carefully. "Unless you disagree."

Ridley dangled the keychain above Mewtwo's hand. He waited a few seconds, and then he let go. "I've no desire to starve myself."

Mewtwo caught it and teleported over to Master Hand, who took it carefully. "Ah, yes, the East Tribe has claimed their prize! They've received a barrel full of fresh fruit and one of fresh vegetables!"

Those aware of their shortage felt immediate relief. Robin and Rosalina met each other's eye and grinned. Pac-Man beamed.

"Your reward will be back at camp by the time you've arrived. You may leave."

The East Tribe gathered together and ran down the mountain, eager to escape the cold. Before they'd disappeared, Charizard had found his own keychain and taken it over to Villager. Nearby, Bowser Jr eavesdropped.

"Is that a bed?" Villager asked, his eyes following the object. "They'd supply us with beds?"

"Or just one bed," said Charizard. "I doubt they'd be that generous."

Villager sighed. "Food would be better."

"Are we running low?" asked Bowser Jr. The other two tried to ignore him, but he moved forward. "You know, Cloud threw an entire plate of mine right onto the sand. Just like that. Wasted everything."

"I'm sure you deserved it," said Charizard.

"Why did you have so much food to begin with?" asked Villager.

Bowser Jr blinked, and then he grimaced. "I was hungry. This one's eaten more than the rest of us combined."

"Wasn't aware we were running low," said Charizard.

"Most aren't, I'm sure, I only noticed this morning," said Villager.

"Should we keep that, then?" asked Charizard. "Or hope someone else finds something food related."

As Charizard finished, Shulk trudged through the snow over to them. He beamed. "I found something," he said. His was a fish, a green bass. The very sight of it made Villager uneasy. "Do you think this will be fishing supplies?"

"I already have a rod," said Villager. He looked between them. "But I'd rather take my chances on it being fishing equipment. We don't need beds."

"Nobody does," said Shulk, nodding. "It's a luxury. Nothing more."

"I dunno, I wouldn't mind resting in a bed," said Bowser Jr.

"You're welcome to. Just join the other tribes," Charizard muttered. He leapt into the air and hovered in the middle. "Incoming!" He let go of the bed keychain, and below Isaac grabbed it.

"I appreciate it!" Isaac said.

"Don't mention it." Charizard flew back to his tribe, and they brought their prize to Master Hand.

"The West Tribe has claimed their prize. They've received a barrel full of fish and fishing equipment for the tribe! Congratulations, and enjoy your food!"

The West Tribe celebrated quietly as they escaped the cold. Meanwhile, Isaac caught most of his tribe searching one of the quadrants.

"A bed?" Falco said. "They sure didn't want it."

"Better than nothing," said Isaac. "Hopefully we'll be able to claim the other-"

"The South Tribe has claimed their prize!" Master Hand announced, as Metaknight flapped his wings next to him. A bucket on a keychain dangled delicately between two fingers. "They've received a full resupply of their water well. Congratulations to them! North Tribe, when you've found your prize, please bring it to me!"

Falco shrugged. "Go gettem," he said.

Isaac nodded and made his way to Master Hand. The host took the keychain and announced, as the North Tribe escaped the snow, "And you, North Tribe, have received a set of three twin-sized beds. This likely means three – or a few more if you fit snugly – will sleep in relative luxury. It isn't food, but you can never underestimate the power of a good night's rest. I'll see you tomorrow for your next Immunity Challenge."

A bit disheartened, the North Tribe left the mountain, trailing shortly behind the South Tribe.

North Tribe

They arrived at camp not long later. The mountain always rose above them, guarding them. Planted in the sand in the middle of their beach were three beds with grey sheets and soft pillows resting against wooden headboards. Falco hopped onto one, testing it. Others joined him, and soon all were on the beds.

"I've got to admit, I'm kind of excited to try it," said Daisy, bouncing slightly, enjoying the firmness. "Maybe it's the princess in me. Sleeping in those hammocks is giving me a bad back."

"How are we to decide?" asked Corrin. "I'll admit, I'd like this luxury as well."

"Would anyone refuse to take one?" asked Falco.

Megaman raised his hand. "I've no need for it."

"That's honorable of you," said Corrin, smiling.

"I think Duck Hunt gets an honorable dropout as well," said Falco. Before the dog could argue, he clarified, "You're small enough to sleep on all of these beds with any of us. You can cuddle with anyone."

Duck Hunt wagged his tail. The duck on his head, having been found just before the challenge, quacked happily. "That's great!"

"That just leaves seven of us," said Falco. "We drew straws last time. Anyone object?"

Nobody spoke up. Isaac grew a few sharp blades of grass, plucked seven of them, cut three down, and shuffled them in his hand. Megaman stepped forward at this point. "Would you mind if I did it? I think I'd be impartial."

"Oh, of course," said Isaac. "I wasn't intending on tricking anyone."

"I wasn't implying you would," said Megaman quickly. "I'd like to think I'd be a fair party for this. Right?"

"Absolutely," said Little Mac. "I'd trust you completely."

That comment got a few uncertain looks from a few members of the tribe, knowing their previous relationship, but the hesitation passed quickly. Megaman turned around, shuffled the blades, and held out his hand with them perfectly even.

"Who's up?" asked Falco.

Corrin nodded. "You, of course, leader."

Falco shook his head. "Oh no. I get the honor of last pick. You go."

Corrin stepped up to Megaman, studied the blades carefully, and delicately plucked one. One by one, the rest took their turn, observing whatever they could. Some even watched Megaman's reaction as they hovered their hands over their choices. But, true to his word, he remained impartial; he gave nothing away. Finally, Falco grabbed the last blade and held it in full view.

He frowned at it. "I have a bad feeling this isn't a short one."

The others revealed their hands. In the end, Corrin had taken a short one, Greninja had a second, and Little Mac had the third. As the victors gleefully looked at their blades, Palutena let out a heavy sigh.

"I save this tribe, and this is the thanks I get?" Before anyone could react, she giggled. "I'm kidding of course. Congratulations."

"I'd have let you take mine," said Daisy, frowning at her loser.

Corrin waved her blade at Falco, giving him a sly smile. "I believe you shouldn't have let me take your place."

Falco shrugged. "The price I pay to be honorable."

Duck Hunt waddled up to Little Mac. "Can I sleep with you?"

"Oh, sure," said Little Mac. "I don't take up much room, obviously. You know, I've always wanted a dog. This is perfect!"

Corrin frowned. "I'd offer my bed as well, Duck Hunt. I'd make plenty of room."

Duck Hunt's immediate reaction was to argue, but then he remembered his brief stint under Dark Samus' control. "Oh, well, thank you, Corrin." He wanted to be more agreeable. Wanted to believe Corrin was genuine. It was all a misunderstanding. He had to believe that. "If I don't feel comfortable with Little Mac, you're my second choice."

"Would anyone want to sleep in a bed after Greninja's been in it?" asked Falco, eying the slimy hands of the frog. "I've seen Slippy's place."

"I'm sure Slippy is far less considerate than myself," said Greninja.

"Well, I'm used to it," said Falco.

"I doubt many are used to you and your bird kind shedding feathers everywhere," said Greninja.

"Easier to remove."

"Just stuff them into the pillow," said Little Mac. "Make it fluffier."

"I feel like that'd be some form of sacrilege," said Falco. "Resting on my own feathers. I dunno."

"I'd like to draw attention to the food supply," said Palutena. "We haven't had anyone in charge of it. The others seemed especially worried about their own. We might want to consider this problem before it becomes unmanageable."

The others nodded in agreement, so they all went over to the food barrels. They measured their supplies and discovered they had more than half the barrel remaining. Then they moved to the water well and – after some careful observation by Palutena and calculation by Megaman – understood they had more than half the well. When they returned to camp, they felt more pleased with themselves.

"How are the others already having food problems?" asked Isaac. "We've had our fair share of meals. Nobody has skipped any, I'd assume."

Megaman raised a hand. "I don't eat."

"Duck Hunt doesn't eat much," added Little Mac, patting the dog. "He's a big boy, but he doesn't require much."

"It's true," said Duck Hunt, wagging his tail happily. "I'm a hunting dog, but I don't eat nearly as much as you humans. My friend doesn't eat much either."

"I take offense to that," said Falco.

"We have an inherent advantage," said Palutena. "Sure, some like Geno and the Chorus Kids don't need to eat, but we have – had - three. A good portion of the tribe. That being said, we shouldn't become complacent."

Corrin nodded at that. "Yes, we should be very aware of our supplies and warn each other if we fear we're running low. We can't harvest much from the nearby jungle, and the fish are difficult to catch without proper equipment. We should take precautions."

"Absolutely," said Daisy. "But who should be in charge of that?"

Falco nodded at Corrin. "You make valid points. You have experience living in the wilderness, right?"

"I think I have the most experience," said Isaac, raising his hand. "I rarely slept in inns."

"Yes, I had the luxury of a princess' tent," said Corrin. "I've learned how to forage, but I'm no expert at managing supplies."

"Admittedly, neither am I," said Isaac. "I managed a team of eight."

"Perfect!" said Falco.

"But we constantly hunted," added Isaac. "We had enough game to satisfy us, as herbs certainly didn't do the job. Here, there's very little. This is a completely different environment."

"Well, none of us are used to this kind of environment," said Falco.

"You are," said Daisy.

Falco shrugged. "I'll fully admit I'm terrible at it."

"That is something we can all agree upon," said Greninja. "May I suggest I be in charge? I can distribute supplies if necessary."

"And he can make water," added Palutena, smirking.

"If necessary," said Greninja.

"To be honest, you're the only one to volunteer. Sure. You get it," said Falco. "Just keep the rest of us warned if we come dangerously low."

Greninja nodded. "Of course. I've no intention of starving us. This is one aspect where we have a clear advantage over the others."

"Thank goodness a good portion of us don't need to eat," added Corrin. "Some tribes have ten full stomachs to feed! I'd assume we were all given the same supplies, so that's such a daunting proposition."

"Got to admit," said Daisy. "I'd rather deal with a Dark Samus problem than deal with starving to death."

"Oh yes," said Duck Hunt. "She promised unity. It was a great ideal!"

Little Mac said quickly, "Unity, yes, but she provided nothing of substance. She couldn't eat, couldn't drink, couldn't sleep. She'd have been useless as a leader."

"Oh, yes, that as well," said Duck Hunt. He snickered. "She can't even eat. What a sad life."

"She probably fed off her own corruption," said Megaman. "She needed no other nourishment other than what she provided for herself."

"As I said," said Little Mac. "Useless!"

South Tribe

The tribe arrived at camp near midday with no visible changes. While Incineroar loudly yawned and walked away to rest his tired feet, Bayonetta checked their water well and confirmed it was completely full. She even filled a bucket and brought it over so they could celebrate a small victorious drink of water.

As Ken downed his in one gulp, he said, "One of the best cups I've ever had. We worked for this."

"I understand why they didn't have many challenges up that mountain last time," said Chrom. "I felt I could've helped more if I wasn't so tired from the climb."

"Should've let us rest more," said Inkling, nodding.

"We were at an inherent disadvantage," said Mach Rider. "It's no surprise we were given such a lackluster prize."

"I'd rather have water than food," said Ken. "At least we can fish and forage if necessary. Can't really make food."

"Well, are we in danger of starving?" asked Dark Pit. "Who's in charge?"

"The only one who cooks, of course," said Inkling.

Isabelle blushed slightly as everyone looked at her. "Yes, we're fine for a while."

Inkling eyed her carefully. "How long's a while?"

At that, Isabelle blinked. She hesitated. "Uh… A few days, maybe?"

"How many is a few?" asked Chrom. He climbed to his feet and started for the barrels.

"Wait!" Isabelle cried. "I think I might've miscounted!"

But Chrom reached the barrels. He took off the lids and looked down into them, frowning deeply. He resealed them and came back. "How long have we had this little?"

"Little?" Inkling repeated.

"We have enough," said Isabelle. "I've done plenty of fishing and foraging to make up for it!"

"Yes, you seem to do little but," Mach Rider muttered. "You've had nothing but fish and foraged fruits since we arrived."

"You haven't skimped on our portions either," said Ken. "I always get a big piece of steak or a large fish. Every time."

"Yes, I'm always full," said Chrom. "I've never not had a full meal. However, is that how we should live?"

Incineroar yawned loudly, stepping back into the circle. "You all talking about food. Making me hungry. Why wouldn't we want a full meal?"

"Because our sustenance now could mean starvation in the future," said Chrom. "Isabelle's feeding us well, but what would happen if we run out?"

"We'd all have to fish," said Incineroar. "Obviously?"

"Would you let us know, though?" asked Mach Rider. "Would your pride let you admit you miscalculated?"

Isabelle blushed. "It isn't pride! I just… I didn't want anyone to go hungry. We've had plenty of food! We still have a lot of food! We won't run out."

"You say that now, but what if something happens?" asked Mach Rider.

"Yes, what if you move tribes?" asked Chrom. "If we hadn't found out, we'd have been at a massive disadvantage."

"Why would I move tribes?" Isabelle asked. "You wouldn't send me away, would you?"

"We don't know what will happen," said Metaknight. "Maybe we have no choice in that regard."

"Or, you're eliminated," said Mach Rider, and the words cut her deeply. She started to tear up.

"You… you wouldn't do that, would you?" Isabelle asked. "I'm not useless! I've tried my best to be useful to everyone!"

Inkling ran over to her and pulled her into a hug. "We're not going to eliminate you." She glared at Mach Rider. "I don't know why he said such an awful thing. You've done nothing wrong."

"We do very much appreciate your incredible work ethic," said Chrom. "But this shouldn't be a burden you place solely on yourself. Not only does it not seem fair to you, but it would make the rest of us complacent, and we'd be at a disadvantage."

Isabelle nodded, sniffing. "Okay," she whimpered. "I'm sorry. I only had the best intentions."

"We know, little pup," said Incineroar, shaking his head. "You cook a meal fish. That puts you on my good side, certainly."

Shadow suddenly nudged Dark Pit. "Yes, we all appreciate you," added the latter, after giving the former a strange look.

"Some of us should learn tact," said Shadow, giving Mach Rider a smirk. The masked man didn't react.

Isabelle giggled softly, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry. I ruined our celebration. I'll try to be more cheerful in the future."

"Nothing wrong with crying every once in a while," said Ken. "Just don't let… him get to you. Shadow's right; he needs to learn tact."

"I've said nothing I regret," said Mach Rider.

"Hey, enough," said Inkling. "Don't make her cry again."

Mach Rider kept quiet, and eventually the conversation died. Everyone moved apart.

Shadow found Dark Pit and Incineroar and led them to a dark corner of the beach.

"I'm assuming there was a reason you nudged me," said Dark Pit.

"We spoke of recruiting Isabelle and Inkling," said Shadow. "Now's the perfect moment, is it not? When they're vulnerable, and when all of us just defended her against a possible enemy."

"Mach Rider's with Metaknight and Bayonetta," said Dark Pit. "I know that for a fact. We don't know if those two are with them or not."

"Best way to find out is to ask," said Incineroar, patting the angel's shoulder. He stepped forward. "Now or never."

The trio returned to the campfire and sat across from the girls. Isabelle gave them all weak smiles, while Inkling barely acknowledged them.

"Again, I apologize," said Isabelle. "I might have just let the stress get to me."

"Nothing to apologize for," said Shadow. "In fact, we don't give you enough credit for the work you've done."

"Yes, you're amazing," added Incineroar. "Like I said, every meal cooked to perfection. Tastes amazing. Perfectly seasoned. I don't know how you do it."

"I'd love to teach you," said Isabelle. "It's really simple. I've learned to scavenge on deserted islands before."

"Another talent to add to the list," said Incineroar. "Incredible!"

Inkling giggled, now facing them. "Careful, Incineroar. Anymore and I'd think you were flirting."

"Feed a man once and they'll love you for life," said Incineroar. "Words of wisdom from someone who loves food."

Isabelle smiled. "Oh, I love all of you."

"Even Mach Rider?" Inkling whispered. "That guy… I thought I wanted to know him, but now I'd just rather never see him again."

"You know, we feel the same way," said Shadow. "We weren't sure who we wanted to vote for, but he just made the top of our list. I don't know if you all had decided on anyone."

"Oh, no, I don't want to eliminate him just for speaking his mind," said Isabelle. "It hurt, but it's a possibility we all have to consider."

"Stop. You're not going to get eliminated," said Inkling. "Right, guys?"

"Absolutely not," said Dark Pit. "Not if we have anything to say about it."

"If that's the case, then may I ask if you have anyone else?" asked Shadow. "If not Mach Rider, who?"

Inkling gave him a strange look. "Weren't you just talking about eliminating Metaknight and Bayonetta the other day."

"I made the tribe aware of their alliance," said Shadow.

"And then disappeared creepily."

"There was nothing more that needed to be said. I wanted everyone to fill the silence with suspicion, two of the strongest allying. I've little doubt they've tried recruiting everyone in the tribe."

The girls glanced at each other. "Bayonetta did talk to us the other day about joining them," said Isabelle. "But, when I mentioned our alliance with Ken, she looked dismissive."

"Guess she didn't respect him, or something," said Inkling. "Which is a shame, because he's a nice guy!"

"Funnily enough, we also spoke to Ken," said Dark Pit.

"Yes, I asked him personally," said Shadow. "He was apprehensive at first, but then he told me that if I could get five on my side, he'd join me." He held out his hands. "Here we are, five. The three of us, the three of you would make six. Then we'd be able to eliminate whomever we felt. We could choose Mach Rider for daring to suggest you'd be eliminated, or we could choose Metaknight and Bayonetta for attempting to use their strength against us."

Inkling bit her lip in thought. "Man… that does sound too good to be true."

"It does sound perfect," Isabelle said, not sharing the same suspicion. "I hope Ken would be okay with it. Would you want me to ask him?"

"Hold on, there," said Inkling, patting Isabelle's arm. "It's too perfect. It's obviously planned."

Incineroar shrugged. "So what if it is? If you would choose Metaknight and Bayonetta instead, you'd be falling for their plan. What're they going to do other than exploit you? Who've they sided with, other than Mach Rider?"

"Those are fair points," said Isabelle. "Is it really so wrong to go along with their plan?"

"If it helps, we're three, and you and Ken would be three," said Dark Pit. "There'd be no discrepancy in power. None of us is Tribe Leader. If you side with Metaknight, you'd be at his mercy when important events happen."

That gave Isabelle the confidence she needed. "Thank you all. I'll accept. Inkling, I want you to be with me."

"Of course I will," said Inkling. "I'm still… a bit hesitant, though. But, I trust you, if you think it's okay."

"I think it'll be a fair alliance," said Isabelle. She smiled. "Ken will see it our way. Don't you worry."

At the girls ran off, Dark Pit let out a heavy sigh of relief. "We did it. I thought it was impossible, but we did it."

"Perfect timing," said Shadow. "That is all that's necessary. A mistake can easily be mended by a perfect coincidence."

"So, who're we targeting?" asked Incineroar. "I mean, no matter who we go after, we're taking down someone strong."

"Metaknight, of course," said Shadow. "The power cannot stay with him. It can go to anyone else. I don't care. So long as it doesn't go to him."

East Tribe

The tribe surrounded their two new barrels. Ridley ripped off both lids, and they peered inside. Pac-Man, half-inside, gave a big whiff.

"Oh, that's fresh," he said, wiping his mouth. "Why do we need that old stuff? Just toss it."

"Yes, throw away our limited supply of food," said Ryu. "As if that wasn't part of the reason we were limited in the first place."

"Hey, I'll have you know I didn't waste a crumb," said Pac-Man.

"You ate more than your fair share," said Geno. He pointed at King K Rool and Ridley. "These two ate the most, however."

"Are we supposed to be surprised?" asked King K Rool, patting his stomach. "I think I need more than you in order to stay alive."

"I don't eat."

"My point still remains."

"I was unaware of our food situation," said Ridley. "I admittedly had assumed Mewtwo knew about our situation and would've warned us if we were running dangerously low."

"Really?" asked Richter. "Couldn't have just looked?"

"Did you?" Ridley countered. "Did you limit your food intake?"

Richter merely frowned, and Ridley snorted.

"Few of us were aware," said Rosalina, coming to his defense. "I myself only discovered last night after our Immunity Challenge."

"Why didn't you warn us?" asked King K Rool, turning to their Tribe Leader. "If we were desperate."

Mewtwo eyed his tribe. "I had no concerns that we would run out of food. We may have been running low for a time, but I knew that we would be resupplied eventually."

"But Master Hand said-"

"Our host may have made those promises at the beginning, but they were baseless. Our hosts would never let ourselves starve."

"That's tempting fate if I've ever heard," said Pac-Man.

"You can't mean that," said Robin. "If we hadn't chosen our prize, we would've starved."

"And Master Hand would've come to our rescue eventually," said Mewtwo. "But, as I expected, we've been resupplied, and we've no concerns."

Robin and Rosalina glanced at each other. Ryu said, "That being said, I don't share the same confidence. I would recommend we all limit our food intake. Starve ourselves if need be."

King K Rool snorted. "That I won't do."

"Attempt to sabotage us, and you will be eliminated next," Geno said, stabbing the same finger at him. "You're already on a time limit."

King K Rool opened his mouth to argue, but the looks of concern, of suspicion, made him think twice. He nodded solemnly, giving the barrel a mournful glance.

"You still talk so much for someone with no allies," said Ridley.

"In all honesty, I agree with Geno," said Rosalina. "There's no need to devour our food supply without cause. That would only create enemies."

"Unless you're thinking of adjusting your initial plan," said Richter, chuckling. "You know, control our food instead of our water."

"Points have been made," said King K Rool. "But I will remind you all that I do need more than the rest of you just to stay alive. Don't glare at me just for surviving."

"How much do you really need?" asked Ryu.

King K Rool looked into the barrel and pulled out three sizeable slabs of beef. "This, twice a day. I'm sure you've noticed this much on my plate the past week."

"Well, that explains why we're running so low," said Richter, shaking his head.

"I need half that," said Ridley. "I've seen Pac-Man devour more than that in a sitting. I've no guess as to why Geno lied about me."

"It's true," Pac-Man giggled. "A couple steaks is nothing. But, can you blame me?"

"Absolutely," said Mewtwo. "You're no Kirby. Your voracious appetite is unnecessary."

Pac-Man shrugged. "I can't help how I'm made."

"I told no lies," said Geno.

Rosalina, sensing conflict, stepped in between them. "Wonderful discussion we've all had. We've learned a lot about each other. Ryu, may you help me carry these barrels to our current supply?"

"Why not let the strong men do it?" asked King K Rool.

"Lack of trust," said Ryu, taking hold of one barrel.

As Rosalina struggled to lift the other, Richter came forward. "Oh, let me help you!"

"Oh, thank you. Are you okay, Ryu?"

Ryu easily hefted the barrel. "Yes."

As the rest of the tribe dispersed, the trio carried the food to the edge of camp, where their old half-empty rested. They dropped both and rested against them.

"That was much more of a workout than I expected," Rosalina chuckled.

"I don't know why you didn't let the others carry it," said Ryu. "I mean no offence, but you aren't the most suited for lifting."

Rosalina frowned and patted her arm. "Oh? I think I could rival you in muscle mass." She smiled. "Of course, I have another reason for being alone with you."

"Well, if it's alliance talk, did you not want to include me?" asked Richter. "I spoke with you earlier, Rosalina, and you seemed happy. And, Ryu, you had your own private alliance, correct? I'm assuming Rosalina is part of it."

Rosalina glanced at Ryu. "Interesting. Were you going to mention this?"

"Eventually," said Ryu. "I didn't know you spoke with him privately."

"I did. I'd intended to bring up his potential alliance eventually."

"Well, great, we're all on the same page, right?" asked Richter. "Is there any reason why I can't be included? I feel I have plenty to offer."

"Is that the only reason?" asked Ryu. "I wonder how much you're telling us."

Richter hesitated. "Well, what do you want to know? Is wanting an alliance really not enough?"

"Admittedly, this early it could be," said Rosalina. "I've no arguments. I'd be happy to include you. Unfortunately, it is not entirely my decision."

Ryu shrugged. "I won't weigh in, either. I have no sway."

"Oh, you have more than you think," said Rosalina.

"This isn't a decision I want on my hands."

"Okay, that's uncalled for," said Richter. "I mean, I can only guess why you aren't the top of the list." The pair stopped and looked at him. "Mewtwo, right? Only explanation." One more glance between them was all he needed. "What's Mewtwo have against me?"

"You aren't his first choice," said Rosalina.

"Who else could be?" asked Richter. "How many others are there?"

"That is information we can't share," said Ryu. "We'll discuss it with him."

"Bah… fine. Best I can get. At least tell me this: I'm not the lowest one here, right? Geno's right in assuming we'd rather choose King K Rool and Ridley instead? There's no secret evil alliance like there was last game."

"Not as far as we can tell," said Rosalina. "Admittedly, we can't keep track of Mewtwo most of the time."

"But he doesn't seem to hedge his bets on those two," said Ryu. "All of us seem to have written them off as losses."

Richter let out a small sigh. "Okay. I can handle that. Please, though, let me know as soon as you can. I'd feel better knowing I had some sort of fallback."

"I can guarantee you will know when we know," said Rosalina.

Ryu nodded and turned to leave. Richter subtly caught Rosalina's sleeve and tugged. She held back, smiling at him.

"Then our private alliance," Richter muttered, watching Ryu leave. "That never was on the table, then."

Rosalina's smile saddened. "I'm afraid so. I hadn't intended on revealing it to Ryu, but now that you've been so brunt, we've no chance of it."

"Oh. Damn. I didn't think. I just assumed…"

"Well, you were correct in assuming I wanted to speak with Ryu privately," said Rosalina. "So, if nothing else, you've postponed that. But, that's beside the point. I'll let you know when we speak to Mewtwo."

"Can't tell me who else is in your alliance?"

Rosalina shook her head.

"Geno? Robin?" Richter guessed.

Rosalina tugged away her sleeve, bowed slightly, and left Richter alone. Richter sighed and rubbed his forehead, frustrated at how many opportunities seemed to be slipping him by.

West Tribe

The tribe found a bucket filled with dirt and crawling, wriggling worms sitting by the smoldering embers of their fire. Next to it, three fishing rods were planted in the sand, and resting next to them was a glass tank filled with saltwater. Villager held up the glass tank, smiling fondly.

Cloud picked up one of the rods. He swung it like a sword, but the line went nowhere. He frowned at it. "Is it broken?"

"You haven't fished before?" asked Lucina.

"Not much water where I'm from," Cloud muttered. "And, when I got to it, I had other things on my mind."

Shulk took another of the rods and unspooled the line. He waggled it, watching the hook as it bobbed back and forth. He looked to Lucina and waved at her.

She waved back, smiling. "Are you really reeling it?"

Shulk blinked, and then he bopped her on the head with the rod. She rubbed her head but kept the smile.

"You'll be our teacher, I'd assume," said Simon. "If we need any pointers."

"Oh, I'm no expert," said Villager.

"Really?" asked Banjo. "Isn't that what you're most known for?"

"I'd like to think it's for being mayor. But, sure, fishing's good enough."

"It's more important right now," added Kazooie.

"How much fish is out there, anyway?" asked Bowser Jr.

"It's an ocean," said Charizard. "What do you think?"

Bowser Jr shrugged. "Maybe they chased off all the fish. Maybe there's a net around the island. How are we supposed to know?"

"Swim out there," said Charizard. "Find out yourself. Satisfy your curiosity."

"You do it," Bowser Jr muttered. "Telling me what to do."

"Alright, guys, I'll help you all fish if you want," said Villager. "Really, it'd ease a lot of pressure off me, anyway, trying to refill our barrel."

"Oh, yes, that whole dilemma," said Cloud. "Best prize we could get, really."

"Really?" asked the Chorus Kids. "We didn't get food."

"You know that saying? Give a man a fish, teach him for life," said Bowser Jr. "We'll get the better deal in the long run."

"That doesn't sound right," the Chorus Kids muttered.

"It isn't," said Shulk. "But, if I may, we may want to figure out that problem for the future. It'd be better for us."

"Wasn't our Tribe Leader supposed to take care of that?" asked Kazooie. Her partner hushed her.

"He didn't volunteer for that," said Banjo. "No one did."

"Didn't think of it," said Cloud. "Honestly, I felt that whole 'you're going to starve' talk at the beginning was just that. Talk. No real substance behind it."

"Is that truly a bluff you'd be willing to face?" asked Lucina. "I'd personally err on the side of caution when it comes to our food supply."

"Fair enough." Cloud shrugged. "But I'm sure he said it last game, too, and they had to destroy camps in order to make it even a slight challenge for the players."

"They've learned their lessons, I'm sure," said Shulk. "They know how to keep us just fed enough, and they know when to take it away."

"What? They're going to snap our rods in half when we have a barrel full of fish?" asked Kazooie.

"Or, they'll scare the fish away," said Villager. "Leave us desperate for a catch. They can certainly do that."

Bowser Jr smirked. "See?" Charizard just shrugged.

"All speculation, of course," said Simon. "I think we should consider ourselves lucky we received such valuable tools."

"And proceed with the lesson," added Shulk.

And so, for the next several hours, Villager taught the tribe how to fish. They caught a substantial amount throughout the rest of the day, enough to fill themselves up for dinner and to fill the barrel near full.

At dinner, Bowser Jr rolled forward, plate licked clean. "Can I say something?" He asked. "Can I ask your thoughts?"

"This should be good," Charizard muttered. Villager, the closest and the victim, gave him a disappointed look. "What?"

"I'm sure it's no surprise to any of you that the Chorus Kids and I-" the Chorus Kids waved sadly. "-tried to create an alliance. It failed, unfortunately, rather terribly."

"Hear, hear!" said Charizard. He was shushed by several people, and he glared at them.

"Don't interrupt when they're learning from their mistakes," Simon muttered.

"They haven't learned," said Charizard.

"I think I've learned," said Bowser Jr. "I'm really, really trying. I probably came across really strong, right? Really sure of myself? I thought I had it in the bag! This entire game! Just get a solid alliance, a really great group of people. I thought I chose great."

At that, Lucina looked at her feet in guilt. Villager also lowered his gaze. Charizard merely smirked.

"But, I'd like to ask everyone… what did I do wrong?" said Bowser Jr. "I… I want to learn."

Charizard immediately raised a claw. "I'll say a few words. You chose the wrong partner."

Bowser Jr blinked. "What?"

Charizard jabbed said claw at the Chorus Kids. "Them. The annoying, lying brats."

"Lying?" The Chorus Kids repeated. "We don't lie!"

"Yeah, they haven't lied," said Bowser Jr.

"They're overeager, certainly," added Villager. "I wouldn't call them liars."

"Oh, I would. I've heard the rumors they've spread. The lies," Charizard growled. "No matter what I say to them, they refuse to understand. It's annoying. Extremely annoying."

"Villager told us what we did wrong," said the Chorus Kids. "We know! We're trying to understand, too!"

"Yes, they may have been overzealous in the past, but they confided in me yesterday," added Villager. "They seem to have leaned their lesson."

"Doesn't help them," said Charizard. "And, apparently, your talk didn't matter. They're still spewing rumors." He turned to Simon. "Right?"

"I'm sorry?" asked Simon.

"What you said to me yesterday about those brats telling you I was still on their side."

"What?" asked the Chorus Kids. "We never said that!"

"You certainly said he was on your side," said Banjo. "I remember that rude interruption."

"I think that was about Villager, though," added Kazooie.

"Was it?"

"It was," said the Chorus Kids. "We'd just spoken to him!"

"It was rude, nevertheless," said Banjo, shaking his head.

"Stop with the distraction!" Charizard growled. "Simon, you told me yesterday-"

"I said there were rumors you were still with them," said Simon.

"You said the Chorus Kids told you!"

"Did I?"

"Yes!" Charizard shouted. "Did they, or did they not?"

"We didn't!" The Chorus Kids cried. "We never told him! We haven't talked to him!"

The entire tribe held their gaze on Simon. He focused solely on Charizard. He smiled. "I apologize. I must've been mistaken."

Charizard blinked. "You seemed really damn sure about it."

"Maybe he was teasing you," suggested Shulk. "Since it was so obvious you never were going to join them."

"Maybe there was a chance," the Chorus Kids muttered.

"Teasing?" Charizard repeated. "That's a terrible excuse."

"You're pretty easy to tease," said Cloud. "You get set off at the slightest-"

"I do not!" Charizard growled. "I get frustrated when I hear lies about me. I know the truth. Anyone spewing bullshit about me deserves my wrath."

"That's perfectly understandable," said Lucina. "But I feel Shulk's right; Simon's rumor was nothing but a tease."

Charizard narrowed his eyes at her. "Standing up for him, are you? I see how that…" He suddenly stopped. Then looked at Cloud and sighed. "Right. A tease."

The others glanced at each other. "Are you sure?" asked Lucina. "I mean, I'm grateful you didn't go off on me as well, but-"

"I'm fine," said Charizard. "It doesn't matter, anyway." He got up and left.

The others sat at the fire in silence. "So, are we going to discuss that?" asked Bowser Jr.

"Do you want to?" asked Cloud.

"Not really."

"Do you know, Cloud?" asked Shulk. "You're closest to him."

Cloud snorted. "Barely. But I have a good idea. It's not for me to say, though. He said it to me in confidence."

Shulk nodded. "Of course. Is it enough of an explanation for you?"

"Yes. He wants to survive for a while. That's all I'll say."

"There's a long line for that club," said Kazooie.

"I think I called dibs," added Banjo.

"You'd let everyone in front of you, passive bear."

"I'd leave you behind me," Banjo argued.

"No chivalry with you."

As the bear and the bird argued, the others finished their meals and headed off to bed.

Day 7

South Tribe

The Tribe Leader's alliance met before dawn in their standard clearing. Metaknight started the meeting by calling attention to their newest member.

"Chrom has agreed to join us," he said. "No conditions. No other members necessary."

"Yes, well, I've few others to suggest," Chrom admitted. "Ken, maybe, if only because we share common interests."

Bayonetta giggled at that. She gave him a wink. "Careful about that particular suggestion. We had many words about that man."

"Is that truly a problem?" asked Chrom. "If he is out of the question, then I've no reason to argue, but I'd like to know why."

"He's a fool," said Metaknight. "One I cannot trust." He then glanced at Mach Rider. "Although, perhaps he isn't the biggest untrustworthy fool here."

Mach Rider noticed. "Meaning what?"

"Meaning I don't understand why you would make Isabelle cry."

"Oh, do you care about her?" asked Bayonetta teasingly. "I didn't know you were so soft."

"Is it soft to consider her feelings?" asked Chrom. "I felt awful for her."

"I reminded her that she can be eliminated," said Mach Rider. "It is a fact of this competition. All of us but one will lose. If she can't handle that fact, she's too weak for this game."

"Unfortunately, that isn't a decision we can make when we don't have a majority," said Metaknight, sternly. "We were discussing a potential alliance with her and Inkling."

"A decision borne out of desperation," said Mach Rider. "Because you've ruined all other options."

"A decision decided for us because of your inability to silence yourself."

"Are you speaking about the right person?" asked Bayonetta. "Never-stops-talking Mach Rider?"

"Enough," said Metaknight, glaring at her. He slowly turned back to Mach Rider. "Desperate or not, it was our choice. We were in the midst of allying. We had even come to an agreement based on her terms."

"Which were what, if you don't mind me asking?" asked Chrom.

"Inviting Ken, funnily enough," answered Bayonetta.

"Huh. And this is no longer an option because Mach Rider made Isabelle cry, is that it?"

"I made no one cry," said Mach Rider. "The truth did."

"Tell that to the other eliminated survivors," said Bayonetta. She tutted. "And I thought including you would help given your blossoming friendship with Inkling. Now we've been sent several steps back."

"Surely, it isn't impossible," said Chrom. "Are they even aware we're aligned?"

"They can guess well enough, thanks to Shadow," said Metaknight. "Dark Pit knows about our recruiting Mach Rider."

"There's still time to abandon us, if you feel we're a sinking ship," said Bayonetta. "I'm sure there's still time."

"No decisions have been made either," said Chrom. "There's also time to save the ship. If we can convince Inkling and Isabelle to side with us, we would have majority, correct?"

"That seems to be our only option at this point," said Metaknight. "We've exhausted the other options."

Chrom smiled. "Then that is our next goal."

Bayonetta stepped forward and patted Chrom's shoulder. "We appreciate your vigor. I'll speak with them alone, however. The rest of you would only ruin my approach."

"Oh, then good luck," said Chrom. He smiled at the others, but he could only see Metaknight's furious eyes. He read nothing.

---

Bayonetta eventually reached Isabelle and Inkling, but true to the former's word, she was relaxing. She hadn't started cooking. Bayonetta immediately got an idea and started on a small meal. As she neared completion, her target approached, yawning.

"Oh, no, let me help you," said Isabelle, rushing forward. "Please, I'm sorry for sleeping in!"

Bayonetta held the pan out of her reach and patted her head. "Come, now, love, there's no need. Go back to sleep. I can cook my own food."

"Oh, I didn't mean to sleep in. Is there anything else I can do to help?"

Bayonetta knelt down. "Sleep. Give yourself time to rest."

"But-"

"Oh, very well," Bayonetta said quietly. She tapped her lips. "Hmm… you could set the table, if you wouldn't mind. Just one spot."

Isabelle smiled brightly. "Of course! I'm on it!" She quickly set their makeshift table and ran back. By this point, Bayonetta had finished cooking and started over to the table.

Bayonetta slid the fish onto the plate and patted Isabelle's head. "Enjoy."

"What?"

"Your breakfast. It's ready. Enjoy it."

"Are you sure? What are you going to eat?"

"Oh, I'll make myself something later," said Bayonetta, walking over to the ocean to wash her pan. "I know it'll be hard for you, but try to eat it and enjoy it as best you can. It cannot be as good as your food, but I did my best."

"Thank you," said Isabelle quietly. She walked back to the table, plopped onto the seat, and started on the meal. She felt a slight crunch in the first bite, discretely pulled out a small scale, and continued as if nothing had happened. When Bayonetta walked back, she smiled brightly. "This is wonderful!"

"Is it really?" asked Bayonetta. "You humor me."

"No, really, it's amazing! Thank you so much for this! I'll be sure to make it up to you."

Bayonetta sighed. "Is there no end to your desire to work? This was a gift. No need to repay me."

"Are you sure? I'm sure I'll think of something."

Bayonetta set the cleaned pan aside and tapped her chin in thought. "I wonder if you've been able to consider our offer," she said, looking down at her. "I know for sure we'd happily accept Inkling and Ken if you joined."

"Really? You'll let Ken join?" Isabelle said quietly, staring at her plate. She felt her heart racing. "I'm so glad. I'm sure he'll be glad, too."

"We'll all be happy," said Bayonetta. She leaned down and whispered, "Well, I say that. I don't know if Metaknight and Mach Rider can be happy." The pair giggled. "But we'd love to have you. All you need to do is say the word, and we'll talk before the challenge."

"I'll have to speak with the others."

"Of course. Let us know!" She smiled, waved, and walked away, leaving Isabelle to the half-eaten fish, to a full stomach and racing mind.

---

When Inkling woke up, she saw Isabelle sitting next to her in her hammock. Isabelle glanced over and smiled sadly.

"Good morning," she whispered.

Inkling yawned and rubbed her eyes. The sun shined bright in the clear blue sky. "You didn't wake me up."

"I couldn't bring myself to," said Isabelle. "I was thinking."

"About what?"

"Bayonetta came up to me this morning. She cooked me a meal and told me that her alliance would accept us and Ken."

"Look at us, popular enough for both sides to want us," said Inkling. She sat up and slid over to Isabelle's side. "So, what's the decision?"

"I was hoping you could decide for me," said Isabelle.

"Well, remember what they told us yesterday? If we ally with Bayonetta, then we have the power of the Tribe Leader, but we'll be under them. They'll manipulate us. Pros and cons." Inkling patted her shoulder. "Say, what does Ken think about all of this?"

"I haven't told him."

"I don't think we even mentioned yesterday's talk with him either," said Inkling. "We kind of just made assumptions. Let's go!"

Isabelle barely got to her feet, so Inkling grabbed her hand and pulled her over to their sleeping ally. Inkling tapped Ken's forehead until the fighter shook himself awake. He saw the girls and frowned.

"Morning, but I don't think it's a good thing you woke me up."

"Actually, it's wonderful!" said Inkling. She nudged her partner. "Tell him!"

So, she did. Ken listened intently to every word as Isabelle described both potential alliances. When she finished, Ken sighed heavily.

"Damn. That's a tough decision. I'm not of a fan of either side. They don't seem to like me, either."

"Which is a shame, because you're wonderful!" said Inkling.

Ken smirked at that. "You're pretty charming yourself, kid, but you're the only ones who think so. Eh, maybe Chrom. What's his role in all of this?"

"We have no idea," said Inkling. "Nobody's talked about him."

"Poor guy. Left out of this. Well, where are you guys leaning?"

"I think Shadow made excellent points," said Isabelle. "I wouldn't want to be at the mercy of anyone. Metaknight would have power over us."

"But Shadow's also sleezy," said Ken. "Dark Pit's good people, and Incineroar's his own enigma. Bayonetta I trust less than Metaknight, and Mach Rider will never see eye to eye with me."

"Just get some stilts or high heels," said Inkling. "Then he won't look down on you."

"Oh, I think I'd have bigger problems if I tried those," said Ken, smiling. "If Chrom were part of either side, I'd trust him. Since he's out, too, I think I'd rather choose the side where we're on even ground once we've gotten rid of the biggest threat."

"I feel the same," said Inkling.

"But, I'm sure that would mean we eliminate Metaknight," said Isabelle. "Are you okay with losing our Tribe Leader so soon?"

Ken shrugged. "It worked well enough for the West Tribe. I see no reason why any of us can't lead." He smiled. "Heck, after everything you've done for us, you'd be a great leader."

"Absolutely!" said Inkling. "You'd be amazing!"

At that, Isabelle blushed and shook her head. "Oh, no, I couldn't."

"It'd be you or none of us," said Ken. "Because I doubt anyone would choose me or Inkling."

"No way. I wouldn't even choose me," said Inkling.

"That's a topic for another time, though," said Ken. "For now, let's just talk with Shadow, Dark Pit, and Incineroar and discuss who we're eliminating. Sound good?"

Both girls nodded, Isabelle far more hesitant, and the trio left to find their new allies. Isabelle could only think about being Tribe Leader, and the pressure she'd face. She might be able to handle it, but it'd be the exact opposite of what she wanted yesterday. She didn't want anyone believing she sought leadership.

West Tribe

Later in the morning, the trio of Simon, Shulk, and Lucina met outside the camp. As the former sat down, the latter pair looked down on him.

"We'd like to know what you discussed with Charizard," said Shulk. "We covered for you, as best as we could, but we feel like we deserve an explanation."

"There's isn't much to explain," said Simon. "I spoke with Charizard yesterday and told him there were rumors that he had committed to the alliance with the Chorus Kids and Bowser Jr. I chose to tell him that the Chorus Kids themselves – believing this to be a valid alibi – told me. I didn't expect it to be brought up in a tribe-wide discussion."

"Well, unfortunately, it was, and it cast a lot of suspicion on us," said Lucina. "I'm not aware of who knows about us."

"Several people," said Simon. "These private meetings are not well-kept secrets."

At that, Lucina hesitated. "Very well. Be that as it may, it still caused suspicion. We defended you, believing you did nothing wrong."

"We're lucky nothing amounted to it," said Shulk. "Charizard gave up before he could argue his full point."

"Yes, a curious decision," said Simon.

"Why did you lie?" asked Lucina. "What was the purpose?"

"I felt that there needed to be an instigation," said Simon. "Not enough to cause a tribe-wide revolt, but enough to cause everyone on the tribe to decide on a single player. I wanted unity."

"I feel that you could've just told everyone to vote for one of them," said Shulk. "We would've supported you if you gave good reasons."

"Would you?" asked Simon. "Both potential victims – Bowser Jr and the Chorus Kids – expressed true growth yesterday. They both learned from their past mistakes and seemed to have grown from it. Would you have felt it justified to vote for either of them?"

Both of his partners hesitated. Lucina responded first, "I feel like they acted too eagerly, sure, but if they truly learned their lesson, then they shouldn't be punished."

Shulk nodded. "Yes. This game is about adapting to failure. Bowser did not play perfectly last game; he had alliances which failed. But, he survived throughout it all, and he gathered enough allies to win."

"Some would argue he didn't gather allies, but he didn't gain enough enemies to lose," said Simon.

"However you phrase it, there's no way to play a perfect game," Shulk continued. "No one will. All plans will fail eventually. If they fail early, and they learn from it, I see little reason to eliminate them solely on that. I've barely heard a peep out of the Chorus Kids in days, and I haven't heard much from Bowser Jr either."

"Nor have I," added Lucina. "Not since you left for the Special Event."

"Unfortunately, the others aren't as forgiving," said Simon.

"Really? Aside from Charizard, and maybe Cloud and Banjo, the rest didn't have much of an opinion," said Shulk.

"And Charizard seems to be an instigator," said Lucina. "It doesn't matter what anyone else believes."

At that, Shulk eyed Simon carefully. "Instigator," the former repeated. "You intend to be that."

"I do," said Simon. "Do you disagree with my results? I fear if we as a tribe are split between our votes, then we may cause an inadvertent elimination."

"There's no guarantee we'll even have to eliminate anyone in the first place," said Shulk.

"All four tribes can say that, and one will be wrong any time," said Simon.

"I get where he's coming from," said Lucina. "Better to have one than to be split amongst two. Less chance of failure. Why the Chorus Kids?"

"I feel they're less useful, more annoying, and have less chance of growth," said Simon. "If you disagree, I'm eager to listen. I feel they're the least valuable members of our tribe."

"There are three of them," said Shulk. "They don't eat, either."

"They're like Mr. Game and Watch," said Simon. "Two dimensional creatures can't interact with much. Their strength wanes quickly."

"I feel that's fair," said Shulk. "I'm… I'm okay with the decision."

"As am I," said Lucina, giving Simon a dark look. "But, in the future, before you spread rumors, discuss with us. This was an easy decision, giving us a scapegoat. It will not be this easy in the future."

Shulk nodded. "We gave you an opportunity to join us. Don't waste it."

"I understand," said Simon quickly. "I won't. This was a one-time decision. I'll confide in you in the future."

---

Villager found Banjo and Kazooie at the ocean's edge, fishing. He walked up to them with his own rod in hand.

"Say, you guys seem to be invested in it," he said. "What's your catch so far?"

"Somewhere between jack and all," said Kazooie, pointing at a random patch of sand.

"Oh, stop, we've barely started," said Banjo.

"Say, Tribe Leader, when does all that fish we caught go bad?" asked Kazooie. "A couple days, right?"

"I'm not sure," Villager admitted. "I'm not used to fish going bad."

"How much salt is in those barrels?" asked Banjo.

"Salt?"

The bird and bear gave each other a strange look. "The stuff you put on food to enhance its flavor," said the bird.

"I know that. Why would you ask how much is in the barrels?"

"Because it keeps food fresher for longer," said Banjo. "We stuffed a lot of fish into the barrel yesterday. If there isn't enough salt, then all of that fish is going to get rotten quickly."

Villager hesitated. "Will it?" He wished Isabelle was here. "Oh, no, I hadn't-" He ran to the food barrels. Banjo trailed behind, watching with amusement.

Villager grabbed a bunch of fish out of the fish section of their meat barrel and ran back to their fish tank. He threw the dead fish inside and stuffed the tank closed. Then he looked back at the pair.

"Okay, is that good?"

"I see like seven fish in there," Banjo muttered. "We caught, what, twenty?"

"We'll cook all of that for dinner, tonight," said Villager. "Then the rest tomorrow."

Kazooie pointed at the tank. "Why'd you stuff them in there? I thought that was for the live fish."

Villager blinked. "Why would we keep a fish alive? Would we keep it as a pet?"

"You're the one who keeps fish in tanks in your house," said Kazooie.

"I also don't eat them," said Villager. "This is different."

Kazooie sighed, and her partner looked to her. "I don't know why it matters if we separate them," he said.

"Okay, I'll admit, I'm new to this," said Villager.

"New to leading?" asked Banjo. "I thought you were mayor."

Villager sighed. "Well, if this tells you something, know that I'm not used to fish aging. My world is extremely generous. Few things age, fish can survive without air for an extremely long time, fossils are plentiful. In some cases, plants never die, or money is everywhere."

"What a dream world," Banjo sighed. "In ours, by magic, we can turn into a walrus."

"And a crocodile," added Kazooie. "Pumpkin. Submarine. Oh, the T-Rex was fun!"

Villager blinked. "In some way, I'm glad I never experienced your struggles."

"Consider yourself lucky," said Banjo. "Do you know how hard it is to listen to someone speaking in rhyme? They think they're clever, but they make everyone miserable."

Kazooie raised a wing. "Consider me always miserable."

"I could get that," Villager muttered. "I appreciate you being understanding. This world is strange. Similar to mine, but far different in many ways. Salt, then? We never received any."

"Then all of our meat will go bad soon," said Banjo. "Some of that probably already is; we have a lot of meat left. And we just stuffed a bunch of fish in there. We can't eat it all. It'll go bad eventually, and that's awful for everyone."

"We might have to feast, then," said Villager. "I don't know. We went overzealous with our fishing yesterday, but is that really such an awful thing? Too much food."

"Fewer fish in the future," said Banjo. "That's all."

"That's a future problem," said Kazooie.

"Everything's a future problem," argued Banjo.

Kazooie nodded, and Villager sighed and walked away. There was no arguing that. They didn't help. They only confused him.

---

As Cloud rested by a tree, he heard the rumbling of tires across sand. He opened an eye and saw the Koopa Car smiling at him. He took a deep breath, and then he looked up at the driver.

"More shade, eh?" said Bowser Jr, leaning off the rim, smiling at him. "Enjoying it?"

Cloud looked back at the smiling car. "I don't appreciate cars looking at me."

The Koopa car frowned, and as Cloud processed that, Bowser Jr spun the car around. "There," said the latter. "Happy?"

"I suppose?" Cloud looked back up at the driver. "Can I help you?"

"What's up with Simon?" Bowser Jr said. "Why'd he just lie like that? He confused everyone last night."

"I don't think there was much confusion. Simon wanted everyone to vote for the Chorus Kids, so he lied to instigate a tribe-wide vote. He knew Charizard had a short temper, so Charizard was the catalyst."

"That's so unfair!" cried Bowser Jr. "Simon can just lie like that and expect to get away with it. I didn't buy his excuse for a second. 'I must've been confused'. Bah!"

"Unfortunately for your ally, Simon didn't need much of an excuse. The Chorus Kids are, by far, the least popular members here. If we go up tonight, I'm voting for them."

"Why not eliminate the liar?"

"Because the liar is useful."

"He isn't part of your alliance, you know," said Bowser Jr.

At that, Cloud smirked. "He could be. There's time for that talk."

"So could the Chorus Kids! So could I! We all could be together. Unite as one!"

"Who is 'we'?" asked Cloud. "If it's you two and me, then we don't have a unified alliance. We have cannon fodder."

"We just need to get more people."

"Who?" asked Cloud. "You've tried with three others already. All said no. That leaves me, Shulk, and Banjo."

"We're working on that," Bowser Jr muttered. "Just you wait."

"Fortunately for you, you have plenty of time," said Cloud. "Unfortunately, the answer will be no. I need others to give their input before I agree to anything with you. You may have learned your lesson, but you haven't proven anything."

"Just give us a chance," said Bowser Jr.

"Your chance is to get both of them to say yes. If they say yes, I'll say yes," said Cloud. "If either of them says no, you can count me out."

"We will," said Bowser Jr, starting to drive away. "We promise you that!"

Cloud smiled to himself. "Good luck with that," he muttered. As he listened to the tracks drive over the sand, he considered Shulk's and Simon's offers to him days ago. Both sounded more promising than whatever Bowser Jr was attempting. And he still hadn't committed. He needed to commit. Otherwise he'd be accosted by the fools forever.

North Tribe

Little Mac awoke the most well-rested since he'd been on the island. He lifted his head off a soft pillow and patted the dog by his feet. The dog's tail wagged in his sleep, and the duck softly murmured.

"Hey, good morning," he whispered. "Feels just like I'm at home."

"I know I'm a good boy," Duck Hunt whispered back.

"Yes, yes you are." Little Mac carefully pulled back his legs and hopped off the bed. He succeeded in not disturbing his sleeping companions, and he walked over to the campfire. It was lit, so he walked to the food barrels and found Daisy sorting through the meat.

She saw him and waved a piece of steak at him. "Morning. How're you feeling?"

"Better than yesterday," said Little Mac.

"How does the bed feel?"

"Amazing. Better than my bed at home."

"That soft, huh?" asked Daisy, huffing slightly. "I'll admit, I find it somewhat ridiculous that we agreed to draw straws just because Falco did it before."

Little Mac shrugged. "We all agreed to it. Even you."

"I did. It might've been a mistake."

"Is it really that big of a deal to you?"

Daisy hesitated. "I suppose not. I might be a bit jealous."

"I don't think we have a right to be jealous," Little Mac whispered. "You, me, Duck Hunt, and especially Megaman. We all have a lot to work up to."

"Which is horrible! It wasn't our choice. We didn't want to be corrupted. No one did!"

"Unfortunately, it happened. It's over. We're free, but we have an uphill battle."

"It's unfair."

Little Mac nodded. "I understand completely. I feel the same. But, again, it happened. If we can't work beyond that setback, then can we really be considered Survivors?"

"No," Daisy admitted. "You're right. Forgive me for complaining, but I had a fantastic alliance before Dark Samus invaded my mind. I was close with Palutena. We were partners. But we haven't spoken since I was freed. Not once. We used to speak nightly."

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Little Mac. "I felt like an outsider at first. I remember being told about your secret alliance. Everyone but me, Duck Hunt, Dark Samus, and Megaman. I felt like my game had ended right there and then."

"It wasn't like that," said Daisy. Then she groaned. "And I called that meeting as well. I woke up Palutena and gathered everyone. I thought I was so clever uniting everyone against her."

"It worked in the end."

"True. Thank goodness for that. But, in the end, it didn't save me from her."

"What could?" asked Little Mac. "The power of a goddess? None of us could've been saved."

"We're lucky Palutena is so strong."

"Are we? She's still our enemy, in the end."

"Not now, she isn't," said Daisy. "She saved us!"

"How long do we play like that? Should she win the entire game, then?"

Daisy hesitated. "Well, no. We owe her a lot. But we don't owe the game to her."

"Goddess or not, she's still one vote," said Little Mac.

"Why're we talking like she's the enemy? She isn't! We have no enemies!"

"Who's your ally?"

"Well…" Daisy frowned. Her immediate thought was, of course, Palutena, but even that name couldn't cross her lips. "I don't know anymore."

"I don't think anyone knows. The corruption faded, but the influence still remains. We're outsiders, like it or not."

"I just need to talk to Palutena," said Daisy. "Get back to where we began."

"Then do it. And invite me when you do. I'm looking for anything right now."

"Oh, sure. I'll try."

Little Mac smirked. "Let me know. I'm sure I won't be disappointed."

---

A while later, Greninja walked over to the food barrels and peered inside. He heard soft footsteps behind him, and he quickly spun around and saw Isaac approaching. He lowered his posture and waved slightly.

Isaac waved back, smiling. "Eager to work your new job, I see."

"Less of a job, more of an obligation," said Greninja. "I volunteered. This must be done."

"You've analyzed it enough, I'm sure. How big of a task is it?"

"Not much of a task," said Greninja. "I've rearranged the food so that the freshest is on the bottom, so less will spoil. We're fine on water."

"Is that really all your job entails?"

"As of now, yes. When our supply lowers, we'll have to have an important discussion. That is for another time."

"Have you done much gathering?" asked Isaac. "I've scoured the trees for a good quarter-mile in every direction. I find scraps."

"Yes, they were exceptionally thorough in removing our food sources." Greninja stepped aside. "If you're hungry."

Isaac peered inside and took the fish on top. He sniffed it. "Doesn't smell bad," he muttered. He reached into the other barrel and pulled out a banana, half-browned. He frowned at it.

"You may be picky now, but when you're facing starvation, you'll wish you ate it."

"I know, I know," Isaac huffed slightly. "It's still edible." He slid the lids back on the barrels and looked back at his partner. "Aren't you eating?"

"I don't need much," said Greninja. He pointed at the water. "I go out there for food."

"Thought the insects were flying on the island."

"Insects are not enough for me. Maybe when I was a Froakie, I could diet on them."

"Do you eat the fish raw?" asked Isaac.

"Occasionally. When there's no one around the fire, or if I'm feeling tired, I'll stay on land."

"It must be great, having that kind of freedom. How far out do you swim?"

"Not far," said Greninja. "Not enough to worry anyone."

"We can't worry about you," came a voice from behind them. They turned to see Falco approaching. "You're probably more capable than the rest."

"You flatter me."

"Do I?" Falco filtered through the meat and pulled out a piece of pork. "Do we have enough to last?"

"Enough for several days," said Greninja.

"How many is several?" asked Falco. "Our supplies rarely dropped this low last time."

"I haven't been in charge long. I don't know how much everyone eats."

Falco nodded, grimacing. "Keep me updated."

"You're concerned?" asked Isaac. "I'm a bit surprised."

Falco hesitated. "Look, I'm leader. Like it or not, I have a kind of responsibility to keep everyone alive. I don't want to be the idiot whose laziness makes his tribe starve to death. We're lucky half of us don't eat much. No Warios on our tribe. We probably have more than the others, if I had to guess. Still, I want to be warned if we're in trouble. Got it, frog?"

Greninja nodded. "I'll inform you."

Falco nodded back, gave Isaac a quick pat on the shoulder, and walked away. Isaac raised an eyebrow at the bird's back. "I didn't expect that. You certainly have an important responsibility."

"Yes. He's putting a lot of trust in me."

"It's not misplaced, is it?"

"Of course not. Causing everyone to starve would entirely put me in danger. I will not do that."

"Oh, just the danger part," said Isaac. "Not the guilt of starving anyone?"

"I can't be responsible for everyone's eating habits," said Greninja. "If they eat too much and starve themselves, it's their choice. I can only do so much."

"Thankfully, no one seems malicious," said Isaac. "I trust if you explain that we need to limit our food, we'll agree."

"Have you faced incredible hunger before?" asked Greninja.

Isaac frowned in thought. "I don't believe so. We never seemed to have enough food for Garet, though," he added with a slight chuckle. "Why?"

"People change when they face devastation. Their true nature is revealed."

"Maybe that's true for normal people. I've seen my fair share of tragedy. Sometimes people worked together; sometimes they fought for scraps. But everyone in this tribe is a hero."

"Hero or not, everyone is capable of darkness. Recall the betrayals from last game. Luigi turning on his brother; Kirby turning on his allies; Mario himself voting against former friends. Would you have expected them to act honorably despite the game?"

Isaac hesitated. "Well… I suppose not."

Greninja nodded. "We're happy because we triumphed over a genuine evil. This comradery will not last. The happiness will fade. Compounded with starvation, the darkness within will rise. I'm preparing as best as I can, but even I can't prepare for all outcomes."

East Tribe

Pac-Man stayed up past midnight and wandered around camp, smiling at each of sleeping tribemates. He eventually stumbled upon Geno, floating atop one of the tallest trees around their camp. He waved at the puppet, but there was no movement.

"Fine. Guess I've got to do this the hard way."

Geno felt a sudden rush of wind. He looked down and came face-to-face with an apple. It smacked him in the head, and he dropped. He spun around and slowed his fall, propelled by miniature stars that shot out of his arm cannon. He stopped his descent near the sand, the stars puttering against the sand. He stopped firing and hovered in midair, searching for his attacker. He found said attacker smiling dumbly at him, waving.

"What thought dared compel you to throws something at me?" Geno demanded, slowly hovering over.

Pac-Man frowned. "I wanted to talk to you. I waved, and you didn't notice."

"I wasn't aware you'd be awake. You're one of the first to fall asleep and last to wake up."

Pac-Man shook his head, tutting. "You should be more aware of your surroundings."

Geno stared at him. "What do you want?"

"To talk. Thought that was clear the first time I answered."

"About. What."

"Oh, your game, obviously!"

Geno immediately started to fly away. Pac-Man ran forward. "You run, I'm throwing something at you!"

"Fine," said Geno. "Get yourself thrown out." Before he could look down to avoid another projectile, he felt something heavy clasp onto him. He dropped immediately and couldn't slow himself before he hit the sand. The heavy object kept holding onto him, preventing him from leaving. "Let me go. Now."

"It's not fair. I can't fly!" Pac-Man muttered, resting on top of the puppet.

"Why am I always being woken up in the middle of the night?" Came a voice from behind them. Both looked to see Richter approaching. "Honestly. Is everyone nocturnal here?"

"Morning, Richter," Pac-Man said cheerily. "How'd you sleep?"

Richter looked at the moon high in the sky. "I haven't." He looked back down. "Why are you two wrestling? And can you keep it down?"

"Pac-Man assaulted me," said Geno.

"Yeah? How high did he fly?" Richter snorted.

Pac-Man snorted as well. "Ignore my friend's dour look. He has no sense of humor. He's a bit wooden, you see."

"That's a bit forced," said Richter. "Alright. Why'd you attack Geno?"

"I just wanted to talk. He wouldn't listen!"

"Again, I was unaware you wanted my attention," said Geno. "Now, get off."

"Promise you won't fly away?"

"Get. Off."

Pac-Man sighed and let go. Geno pushed himself off the ground, hovered above it and dusted himself off. "Does it involve Richter at all?"

Pac-Man shrugged. "Sure. Why not? How's your Game going?"

"Uh, mine's still active, so not the worst, I guess," said Richter. "What do you mean?"

"Geno?"

"I'm not willing to discuss that with you," said Geno.

"Terrible too, then." Pac-Man nodded. "Yeah, I also have no alliance. No one wants to join with me, for some reason, despite all I know."

"Couldn't imagine why," Geno muttered.

"What do you know?" asked Richter, taking the bait.

"The R's are all together," answered Pac-Man.

"R's?"

"Robin. Rosalina. Ryu." Pac-Man pointed at him. "You were talking to a bunch of them, too."

Richter blinked. He felt Geno giving him a look as well. "How- what do you mean?"

"What? I'm no ninja. I thought I was pretty overt," said Pac-Man. "No one's that subtle here."

"I wasn't talking with them," said Richter.

"Begging, then?" said Pac-Man. "For an alliance, of course."

"Stop," Richter seethed. "Why are you saying that?"

"What other alliances have you seen?" asked Geno.

"You're believing him?"

"Depends on what he says. I'm aware of some truths."

"Ah, the one you're most interested in. Ridley and King K Rool. Totally working together. Or, at least, they were."

Geno nodded. "As I thought."

"Well, I knew that as well," said Richter. "I don't think it was that well-kept of a secret."

"Really? Ask the others. See what they think."

Richter hesitated, recalling his earlier decision not to bring up the topic once the moment passed. "Well, it doesn't matter. Why are you bringing any of that up?"

"Because you asked," said Pac-Man. "What? Now you find me interesting? I've only been spouting these nuggets of brilliance all game."

"You've been a pain," said Geno. "Everyone has ignored you."

"The secret of the jester. I can say whatever I want, and it'll be taken as comedy."

"Well, you told us your secret," said Richter. "Now we can tell the others."

"Go ahead." Pac-Man smiled. "Tell them. Tell them I know about your alliance. Will they believe that I happened to spy on them during a perfect moment? Or will they think that you told me the secret yourself."

Richter hesitated. "What?"

"Do they trust you?" asked Pac-Man. "There didn't seem to be any trust between you. Maybe they'll take your claim on good faith. Maybe they'll think you're lying. Is that a risk you want to take?"

"Well… I… I just…" Richter held his head. "I'm going to bed." He added under his breath, "Never should've woken up."

Richter walked away, and Geno looked at Pac-Man. "Perfect moment," the former said. "Last night, as they were carrying the barrels."

Pac-Man nodded. "Didn't take a genius to find out they wanted to talk in private. They weren't subtle about it."

"They would come to the same conclusion, those three."

Pac-Man nodded, smiling brighter. "Exactly. They'd absolutely know I was spying. Maybe they were being obvious intentionally."

"Why the bluff, then?"

"Makes it more interesting. Why keep info to yourself, when you can share it with everyone and see what happens?"

"Knowledge is power in this game," answered Geno. "Revealing secrets gives you nothing to use."

"Depends on how you use those secrets. Use them right, and the entire game gets shaken up. When people know how doomed they are, will they just accept their defeat or try to regain power?"

"You only say that because you have no power," said Geno.

"Too true. I just, as you said, revealed my great secret. I guess my game's over, then?" Pac-Man patted Geno on the shoulder and walked away.

---

Robin took his breakfast into a nearby clearing and saw Mewtwo in his usual meditation spot. He decided to head over and sat down across. Mewtwo opened an eyelid slightly, Robin nodded while holding up his place, and he closed it again.

"Do you mind if I discuss your leadership?" asked Robin between mouthfuls.

At that, Mewtwo fully opened his eyes. "That's dangerous ground."

"Is it? Are you so opposed to criticism?"

"I've decided my style," said Mewtwo. "I see little reason to change."

"Is it the same style from last game?"

"I didn't lead last game."

Robin shrugged. "I'd argue you did for a good portion of that game. Your decisions formed the East Tribe and made it what it became. Mario had little say in that."

Mewtwo slowly nodded at that. "He took my advice, and it benefited him, as I promised."

Robin's smile saddened. "Come now. There are few Marios in this tribe. We trust in your abilities, but we won't be so easily misled."

"What about my leadership do you find worth criticizing?"

"Your passivity," said Robin. "You take little charge and let everyone wander around, talking to each other."

"Do you expect me to teleport around and spy around people like that fool Pac-Man?"

"Well, not spy-" Robin paused. "Pac-Man spies on people?"

"Quite obviously," answered Mewtwo. "It took no insight to spot him amongst the trees. He knows about our alliance."

"And you didn't stop him from spying? Call him out?"

"What good would it have done?" asked Mewtwo.

"But, that's exactly what I mean. You'd do nothing and let others acquire secret knowledge about us," said Robin.

"What power does Pac-Man have? Who would side with him? Who would trust him? He could know the secrets of everyone on this tribe, and it would do him no good."

Robin chewed his food in thought. "I see what you mean about that, but I feel it is a considerable risk even having anyone know about us."

"What does it matter? Our alliance would get revealed eventually, by the Tribal Switch if not the next Tribal Council. Would you expect Rosalina and Ryu to side with someone else?"

"They're intelligent. They may have the same thoughts as me about your leadership style."

"Are you suggesting you'd form a coup?" asked Mewtwo.

Robin shook his head. "It wouldn't benefit us."

"You. Do not speak for the others."

"Me," said Robin. "How would you know what is being formed when you're meditating for most of the game?"

"I'm confident in how I lead. Your criticisms, while noted, will not be considered."

"Careful, then, Mewtwo," said Robin. "I'll stay your ally, of course. I would not break faith so quickly. But if you haven't evolved from last game, then you'll be eliminated swiftly."

Mewtwo slowly nodded. "Don't concern yourself with my evolution. I am not foolish enough not to have learned."

"Okay then." Robin took his cleaned plate and walked away, leaving his Tribe Leader to his meditation.

Immunity Challenge

The tribes' destination was the northeast corner of the island. At midafternoon, the last of the four tribes arrived, one whose tribemates were less than amused.

"Twice in two days we had to trek across that jungle," Incineroar growled. "What kind of sabotage is this?"

Greninja called out to him, "You seem to be tired already. Why not simply sit out?"

Incineroar jabbed a finger at him. "Don't start with me, frog. You had it easy."

"We did, actually," added Daisy. "It was a pleasant walk, wouldn't you agree?" Several others on the North Tribe nodded, many unable to keep smiles off their faces.

Incineroar turned to their host, who floated above the four rows of wooden docks that stretched out from the sand. "Where's the equality?"

Master Hand didn't acknowledge the complaint. At being called out, he simply began his standard greeting. "Welcome, Survivors, to your next Immunity Challenge. Here we are at the Survivor Docks, a seldom-used part of this lovely island. We've given this area some upgrades to allow more variety in challenges."

He motioned to the docks beneath him. "If you would all follow me down the ladders." And he slowly fell beneath the water, leaving barely a wave behind.

There was a pause. Nobody had even seen their host enter water before. "Just like that?" asked Ken.

The tribes slowly climbed onto the docks. They could see something beneath the water, but the drop off was sudden and incredibly steep, and the water wasn't clear enough to allow them to decipher the object. Falco nudged Greninja. "Say, want to dive in and take a look?"

"I'd rather trust our host knows what he's doing," said Greninja.

As she watched her tribemates start down the ladder, Inkling clutched her Splattershot to her chest. "If we've got to swim, I'm going to have a bad time."

Ken came up and patted her shoulder. "Just stick with me. I'm a great swimmer."

Inkling shook her head. "Hope you're a good lifeguard."

"Eh? Just saving people's lives. How hard can it be?"

"Right."

As the Survivors climbed down the ladder, they realized immediately that, while they climbed below the water's surface, they were still as dry as ever. A glass tube encircled them, protecting them from the water. Several people stopped momentarily to watch the fish swim behind the glass, causing slight traffic jams but not ruining their sightseeing.

They climbed for several hundred feet, leading to several more complaints from the most annoyed. Eventually, they reached the bottom and found the floor covered in sand but dry. As most reached the bottom, their host appeared over the glass tubes, hovering over each tribe in turn.

His voice suddenly echoed throughout the tunnels. "Continue down the tunnel, Survivors. It won't be long now."

"Can you hear us, MH?" asked Falco. Silence. He shrugged at his tribe. "Guess not."

"Wouldn't make sense for him to hear all four tribes at once," said Isaac. "He'd have four sets of voices talking simultaneously."

"Would be funny watching him react to that, though," added Megaman, chuckling.

The North Tribe followed the other tribes as they walked through the tunnel. Some, seeing the other tribes neck-and-neck, decided to pick up the pace, which in turn caused others to speed up. Some of the more competitive started to race down the tunnels, sprinting to the end while their tribemates casually walked behind.

The first to arrive, Little Mac, pumped his fist in the air in victory. He watched Ken and Richter run to the end, and he welcomed both of them to the merging point.

Through deep breaths, Richter said, "Bah, you've got less wind resistance."

"Hah, that excuse won't fly here," said Ken, patting Little Mac on the back. "Well done, Speedy. Glad I know how fast you are before any challenge."

"Hey, I have no reason to slow down. No need to pace myself, right?"

"Yeah, sure, pace myself," Richter sputtered. "That's why I lost."

It wasn't long before the rest of the Survivors arrived, and as a group of thirty-seven, somewhat separated by tribe, they traveled to their challenge.

The tunnels merged into a massive underwater dome. Two stories tall, a half-mile long and half as wide. Several sets of arenas, some open, some enclosed in different-colored structures, were scattered throughout. Master Hand, somehow inside the dome, floated over an open arena.

"Production value's through the roof this time, MH," said Falco. "Can't believe you did this."

"You've yet to see the Rainbow Chambers," said Master Hand.

"The what?"

"Last Survivor I believe it was simply referred to as "The Hole". We've come up with a better name."

"What's the name for this place?" asked Bowser Jr.

"Deepsea Dome. We'll be using the various arenas scattered around the island much more, enough so that every tribe suffers with an arduous walk," added Master Hand, a bit cheekily, and Incineroar grumbled to himself. "In the meantime, this is your next Immunity Challenge."

He motioned to the arena before them, a large circle, several feet across covered completely in a dozen rings of small holes. The nearest Survivors peeked into some of the holes but found darkness below. The holes were small enough so that everyone could walk across them safely.

"Today's challenge is fairly simple. It's a survival course in line with a cage challenge we attempted last season," Master Hand continued. "These holes connect to the water outside. Periodically, saltwater will spout from these holes in large enough circles and with enough force to carry any of you upward. If you manage to escape the water and land back on the ground before you're lifted too high, you're still in. However, if you cannot escape, I will call you out, and you'll have to sit out the rest of the challenge. It'll be hard to escape the water, but it's possible.

"The holes rumble slightly before the water comes, so there is some warning for those aware. Additionally, every minute, the outermost layer will continuously spout, shrinking the arena. We'll play until one tribe has been completely eliminated."

When he stopped, several hands shot up. "Falco?"

Falco, again having not raised his hand, smirked. "What's your stance on pushing people out?"

"Avoid it if possible," said Master Hand. "There'll be little time to fight each other."

"What about fliers?" asked Richter.

"Those with wings may hover slightly off the ground," answered Master Hand. "This gives them a slight advantage, yes, but if they fly too high, I'll eliminate them swiftly."

"Where's the line?" asked Dark Pit.

"You'll find out when you get eliminated."

"That's not promising," Dark Pit muttered.

"Survivors, please step into the arena! Spread out or stay together. It's up to you."

The Survivors split off into tribes, each taking a quadrant. Master Hand hovered low to the ground. "Survivors ready?"

"What did you say about pushing?" King K Rool asked quickly, eying the nearby Chorus Kids.

"The water will do enough pushing," answered Master Hand. "Begin!"

The South Tribe heard a slight rumble beneath them, and they dove aside as a six-inch radius circle of water erupted from beneath them. Isabelle, the only one unable to escape, yelped in surprise as she was carried several feet in the air. The water held in place, keeping her upright, and then it dropped. Isabelle pulled out a swing attached to balloons and gently rocked to the ground.

"What kind of surprise was that?" Incineroar demanded.

"Isabelle, you're eliminated," said Master Hand. "And this, appropriately, has evened the tribes."

Isabelle hopped off her swing and walked out of the arena, sitting nearby and cheering on her tribe.

The rest of the Survivors spread out a bit more, seeing how easily the player in the middle of the clumped South Tribe was taken by surprise. The North Tribe was the next to get attacked, but they all easily dodged aside at the rumble.

Immediately after, however, another geyser spouted underneath the East Tribe. King K Rool, so fixated on his target, was swept up by the water and carried to elimination. Then the water attacked the South Tribe again, carrying Chrom away. Then again, toward the West Tribe, eliminating Bowser Jr, who couldn't sense the rumble.

Realizing this, some of the hoverers dropped to the ground. Dark Pit in defiance of Master Hand, stayed aloft. Before he could question Metaknight why he started walking, water blasted beneath him and swept him away. Metaknight managed to dive aside in time.

At that point, the water sprayed quickly; a blast in one quadrant, then less than a second later in another quadrant, and then immediately after in a third. All the while the remaining Survivors had such little time to react and even less time to get their baring. No tribes could stick together. Everyone scattered just to survive. By the first minute, Daisy, Megaman, Palutena and Isaac; Isabelle, Incineroar, Chrom, and Dark Pit; Pac-Man, Rosalina, Richter, and King K Rool; Charizard, Villager, the Chorus Kids, and Bowser Jr were all eliminated.

Then the outermost ring of water spouted and stayed spraying, splashing everyone with water from above as they were forced to dodge water from below. They dove aside and rolled and dodged what they could. Occasionally, someone felt themselves getting carried by a sudden geyser, but they managed to roll away and land on the ground. Mach Rider managed to dodge one attack this way only to get hit with another geyser more directly as soon as his previous attacker disappeared. At this point, Master Hand had taken it upon himself to rescue anyone who'd been eliminated and set them outside the arena.

Another minute passed, and the water refused to let up. Another ring appeared, shrinking the arena even further. Few others had been eliminated in that time – Corrin, Mach Rider, Ryu, and Simon – and there was no clear loser. But there was one clear winning tribe; the one tribe who still hadn't lost.

The first to remember this was Ridley, who after dodging one spout flew over to Bayonetta. She noticed and winked at him, but he only stood above her.

"What's the plan, love?" She asked.

Another few fruitless geysers later, rumbling from beneath them. Bayonetta prepared to dodge, but Ridley maneuvered around her and blocked her way. The geyser shot up, taking both of them with it. The others watched the sacrifice in between their dodges.

"Oh, wow, that was impressive," said Banjo. "Just like that, she's gone."

"Really thought she'd win with those bats of hers," added Kazooie.

"Don't sacrifice yourself to take people down," said Mewtwo to Geno and Robin from across the arena.

"Obviously," said Robin. "There's no point in that."

"Classic monster," said Geno. "Only ruthlessness on his mind."

Another ring formed, pushing the remaining fifteen Survivors together. They'd all recognized the rhythm of the spouts, but the constant movement and waterfall exhausted most of them. Greninja appeared next to Falco and patted his shoulder. "A worthy sacrifice, I think."

"Ah, come on, that's just cruel," Falco barely got out before Greninja disappeared.

Shadow teleported slightly to dodge another spout. As he reappeared, he realized a presence was behind him. He turned around and saw the frog just inches away. Greninja grabbed him. Shadow struggled to teleport away, but water erupted beneath them and carried them away.

"Do your part, West Tribe!" shouted Falco. "We can take them!"

"That's stupid," Cloud replied. "There's no point-"

"I've got it!" Banjo shouted. He ran forward, toward the nearby Inkling. The girl yelped and tried running away, but the bear let his bird friend take over, trotting after her. Everyone else stayed out of their way, but as Kazooie was about to pounce on her, a fist suddenly latched onto the backpack and stopped them.

"Don't pick on her," Ken growled, holding them in place.

"Oh, we've made a massive mistake," Banjo muttered.

"Shows us for getting aggressive," Kazooie added.

Ken let them go, but before they could run away, they were caught from below and eliminated.

Inkling stopped near the edge of the arena, breathing heavily. "Thanks, Ken, you're the best," she managed. Another ring shot up, surprising her, but she managed to catch herself in time. She dodged another geyser, landing at Lucina's feet. She stared up at the woman in horror, and Lucina bent down to grab her.

Then Lucina set her on her feet and smiled at her. "Watch yourself."

"Yeah, you, too," Inkling muttered, and she dodged aside.

Shulk dove away from a geyser and landed near Lucina. "I saw that," he said as he got to his feet.

"Did you, now?"

Shulk nodded. "I respect that. I would've done the same."

"I know you would've," she smiled at him. "Which means we make a-" Shulk's eye flashed blue, and he suddenly grabbed her arm and wrenched her away. She rolled aside just as the geyser took Shulk away. She watched him fly on top of the water and watched Master Hand take him away. She shook her head. "That Monado power worked for that? I wasn't in that much danger."

Robin ran over to her and picked her up. He patted her on the shoulder. "Good to see you again, Lucina."

Nearby, Falco groaned, "Oh, good to know we're so used to this water we can stop for pleasantries!"

Both Lucina and Robin giggled.

Ten Survivors remained: Falco, Duck Hunt, and Little Mac; Metaknight and Inkling, Mewtwo, Robin, and Geno; Cloud and Lucina. These ten managed to survive another two minutes and another two rings. But by this point, they barely had room to maneuver around each other. At this point, many were dodging in the same direction just to survive, falling on top of each other and pushing each other away. Everyone was drenched and exhausted.

A geyser in the direct center of the arena shot up, and everyone was forced to squeeze between this geyser and the outside layer. As the geyser fell, and the ten Survivors faced each other, there was a brief moment of understanding.

"Ridley had the right idea," said Little Mac. "Gotta make sacrifices."

He charged forward, grabbing a surprised Inkling and holding her as the water eliminated them both.

As he watched his Tribemate fall, Falco said, "Okay, guys, get Metaknight, and we're done."

Metaknight took off from the ground, hovering at head height. "You may try."

"Mewtwo, at him!" Falco shouted.

"Don't presume to command me," said Mewtwo, teleporting to dodge another geyser.

Cloud was the one to run forward. He swiped at Metaknight, who flew just outside his range and landed on his head, kicking off to send him off balance. A geyser separated the pair, but Metaknight landed by Geno and Robin. The pair stared at him, and he stared back, but none of them made a move.

Metaknight nodded at them in appreciation and flew to the side to dodge another of Cloud's swipes. This time, Cloud was so surprised that he couldn't stop himself, and he crashed into Robin and sent both flying away.

Falco tried to attack this time, but as he reached Metaknight and tried grabbing him, a geyser completely took him off guard and knocked him away.

Duck Hunt saw eyes turn toward him, and he growled at them. "We're not afraid to fight back!" His duck quacked in agreement.

"Do not attack me, and I will not attack back," said Metaknight.

"Yes, we're all on our last legs," added Lucina, backing up slightly. "Let's let the water take us."

The others watched her move. She noticed and gave them confused looks. Then the next ring shot up and caught the back of her. It lifted her off her feet and sent her falling forward. She flipped and landed on her knees, rolling forward to catch herself, but she couldn't get to her feet in time. The next blast of water caught her squarely in the chest, sending her flying away. As Master Hand caught her, all of the water stopped abruptly, leaving the four drenched Survivors in the center.

Master Hand sent Lucina down and announced, "With that, the West Tribe has lost the Immunity Challenge. They will see me – after drying themselves off, of course – for Tribal Council tonight. The rest of you may enjoy a night of peace. This may be time to consider your choices for the upcoming Tribal Switch. Aside from tonight's elimination, there will only be one other who does not make it. Food for thought, of course. Enjoy your walk back to camp."

The drenched Survivors walked down the tunnels, climbed the ladders, and trekked back to camp. The West Tribe, unfortunately, had an extremely long, depressing walk to camp to grab their torches and then to Tribal Council.

Tribal Council

So, the West Tribe arrived at the stone ruins still looking as miserable as ever. Many had dried off during the long journey. They hadn't eaten nor rested in a long time. A few looked like they were about to collapse.

"Welcome, Survivors, to your second Tribal Council," said Master Hand, facing them from across the fire. "It seems sadly appropriate that you of all tribes arrive twice before the first Tribal Switch. Hopefully this also means that one of you will win the game itself. But, of course, that remains to be seen." He looked at one the of the least-exhausted-looking. "Bowser Jr, what are your thoughts going into tonight?"

Bowser Jr sighed. "I don't know anymore, Master Hand. I really… I thought I did things right at first. I had an alliance. I had allies. I had a plan. But, then it turned out it was all a lie. All of it."

"Not true," muttered Charizard.

"Really?" asked Master Hand. "How so?"

"This little twerp doesn't understand sarcasm."

"Oh, I understand it plenty," said Bowser Jr. "I was just… so excited you said yes. So happy! I couldn't believe it! It was going to be so easy!"

"Of course it wouldn't be that easy," said Cloud.

"I know that now. I got a face full of that stupid revelation."

Villager smiled sadly at him. "I believe miscommunication was the true culprit of your disappointment. I, for one, take partial blame; I wasn't clear at all."

"I thought I was pretty damn clear," said Charizard. "They should've known I never would've thought of joining them."

"Well, we did," said Bowser Jr. "We made a mistake! Why do you keep attacking us?"

"Because it doesn't matter," said Charizard. "You'll be gone, and we can move on."

"Why are you so sure of that?" asked Lucina. "On whose opinion are you gauging that?"

"My own. Has anyone argued against that?"

Silence.

"Is that why you seem so down?" asked Master Hand. "I'll admit: that challenge went on longer than I expected. I was incredibly impressed with your ability to dodge those sudden attacks. We never believed it would go on for more than a couple minutes. You all lasted nearly ten."

"Only ten?" asked Cloud. "Felt like hours."

"Felt like hours from the sidelines, too," said the Chorus Kids.

"It isn't just the challenge," said Bowser Jr. "It's this entire week. My hopes and dreams were ripped away from me."

"That's the thing, Bowser Jr," said Shulk. "Your hopes were based solely on an idealistic hope. They had no chance to be fulfilled because this game doesn't allow for that."

Simon nodded. "Only one of us will win. All other dreams will be crushed, no matter what we've tried."

"Did your father's plans get fulfilled?" asked Villager. "Did he have plans to conquer his tribe from the beginning?"

"I think so," said Bowser Jr. "He doesn't talk much about that… early time. Before he met Kirby."

"There you go," said Banjo. "Just meet your Kirby."

"I thought I did," said Bowser Jr, nodding to the Chorus Kids. The two-dimensional singers waved. "We worked together, didn't we?"

"We had a great give-and-take," said the Chorus Kids. "We loved each other. We worked well off each other!"

Bowser Jr nodded. "Exactly. We had it all from the very beginning!"

"Except a plan," said Charizard.

"We had a plan," Bowser Jr muttered. "We didn't expect that plan to fail so soon."

"Then it was a terrible plan."

"We thought it was great!" The Chorus Kids chimed in. "We had the majority! That's all we needed!"

"No way to maintain it," said Charizard.

"Who needs to maintain it when we have the majority?" asked the Chorus Kids.

Charizard pointed at Villager. "Him."

Villager smiled. "Hi, I'm the plan ruiner."

"Yes, so many plans last season were ruined by Tribal Leaders during the Tribal Switch," added Shulk. "Many alliances fell and were reborn due to the sudden change."

"But we had Villager!" said the Chorus Kids. "We invited him because we knew about that!"

"Yes, that was part of our plan!" added Bowser Jr. "I was told we had him!"

"We thought we did!" The Chorus Kids cried. They sighed deeply. "We were wrong."

"Oh, so wrong," Charizard muttered.

"Do we have a consensus?" asked Master Hand. "As host, I must chime in. I feel as if we're talking in circles. There were clearly failed intentions, but is that enough to cause elimination?"

"It involves other factors beyond that," said Cloud. "We're not so petty to eliminate someone based solely on a failed plan."

"We did that with Popo," muttered Kazooie.

"We had many other reasons than just his failed 'plan'," said Cloud. "His attitude, for one."

"Which, I'd argue, is the main reason for our elimination tonight," said Charizard.

"And you don't feel yourself at risk?" asked Master Hand.

"Absolutely not," said Charizard.

Master Hand added, after a pause, "If that's the case, then I feel there's no more that needs to be said. Charizard, if you'd vote first."

"Gladly."

Charizard went up to vote.

"You're an annoying pain in the ass. My life will be much easier when you're gone."

Lucina went up to vote.

Villager went up to vote.

Bowser Jr. went up to vote.

"Your anger… is just a kick in the teeth after what I've been through. I'll make sure you lose."

Simon went up to vote.

Cloud went up to vote.

Banjo and Kazooie went up to vote.

The Chorus Kids went up to vote.

"Monster! Monster! Monster!"

Shulk went up to vote.

And as Shulk sat down, Master Hand floated over and collected the urn. "When the votes are read, the decision is final. The player with the most votes must exit Tribal Council immediately. I'll read the votes." He pulled out the first vote, read it to himself, and flipped it for the others to see. "The first vote is for the Chorus Kids."

He pulled out another, and another, and another. "The second; third; fourth votes are for the Chorus Kids. If they receive one more vote, they'll be eliminated."

The Chorus Kids clutched themselves, and they held onto Bowser Jr's hand. All had their eyes closed, praying for an upset.

A fifth vote was pulled out. "This one is for Charizard."

Charizard snorted. "Figured. Just like last time."

Master Hand pulled out another. "Charizard." He pulled out a third. He paused slightly. "Charizard."

That made Charizard hesitate. "Really."

"The score is 4-3. I'll read the eighth vote." He pulled out another slip of paper, read it, and flipped it. "Chorus Kids, you've been eliminated from Super Smash Bros: Ultimate Survivor. Please bring me your torch."

Before Master Hand had even finished, the Chorus Kids bawled loudly. It took several minutes and much coaxing from the tribe before they were able to pull out their torch and bring it to their host. Master Hand snuffed it between his fingers and motioned for them to leave.

The Chorus Kids turned to their tribe and held out peace signs. "We're so, so, so sorry if we ruined our friendships with you! We'll make it up to you! We'll sing your praises when you win!"

Bowser Jr held back tears. "We'll keep your dream alive!"

"Please do! Remember us!" The Chorus Kids hugged each other, held up the signs again, and disappeared into the darkness.

As they faded away, their host, Master Hand, added, "With that, you're now behind. As stated earlier, this is an all-too-familiar situation for the West Tribe. I do hope you're able to pull another victory, one of you. It'll be an interesting competition, so don't be discouraged. You're behind for now. Do not except that deficit to last. Good luck, and I'll see you tomorrow."

With that, the eight remaining competitors took their still-burning torches and exited the Tribal Council ruins.

---

"Boy, we messed up," the Chorus Kids said in a voiceover. "Really, we don't know what we did wrong. Somehow, we made enemies of everyone except Bowser Jr and that mystery person who keeps voting for Charizard. Really, we hope anyone wins. We made mistakes, we annoyed people – probably – and we were eliminated for it. We don't have many regrets… maybe choosing Charizard was a mistake, but we were desperate! What else could we do!"