Survivor - Emperors vs Knights
Chapter 38 - Day 31 Part 1
*Deep heavy sigh*
Alright... Had to take a big breather here. Time to calm down after the last Tribal Council. I've just gotta say something. This cast is smart. Let's just leave it at that.
Today, day 31 where we are going to have another challenge. ...I don't have that much to say in the intros at this point, do I? (Lol) Character reveal at the end as usual for Survivor - Mexico.
Derick Lindsey: Yeah, that was actually a mistake that I noticed minutes after your review (I thought I removed that vote earlier but apparently not). Though it was a simple fix, so I just removed who Marth voted for and that was it. But thanks for pointing that out! What I usually do at the end when I reveal the votes, I copy and pasted the names of the castaways from the previous tribal and work from there, and I forgot to edit Marth's name out, so that's probably where it went wrong, so hopefully this clears up everything.
Historyfan15: Yeah. Sheik is a boss. Let's just say that. I bet even she herself didn't even expect to take away Marth's vote knowing that he already had an advantage of hers anyway. I don't think anyone was literally forced to work with another alliance before. But first time for everything, I suppose. Poor Marth probably feels at least a bit of humiliation from that... I wonder what his game is from this point now?
(Just one more thing to say: Survivor - Kodai Island is now my second most viewed fic of all time after me being here for more than eight years. This is quite a major accomplishment. Words can't describe how grateful for all of you who took the time to read it! It has over 18,000 views and it is my longest, most reviewed fanfic of all time. Just... thank you lol.)
~KF
Bikutā
Night 30
Luigi, Bonnie, Sheik, Shovel Knight, Marth, Foxy, Zelda, Knuckles
-/-
...
One would not have wished to be part of the line that was heading back to camp that night from Tribal Council. It would have been quite an intense feeling, for sure.
Yet soon as everyone laid down their torches, it never took long for the group of nine to separate at all.
"Well..." Bonnie was with Foxy and Knuckles by the beach, neither of two having anything to say for the first several seconds he was there in spite of having a million possible things to spill from their mouths.
"Freddy's gone..." Foxy mumbled. "Forget about not only being on the bottom. I'm just on the fact that Freddy's gone..."
Knuckles still refused to utter a word.
"I was too upset that Freddy's gone, more than I was upset that I'm back on the bottom again... Guess it took me the whole night to finally realize that I am in fact on the bottom, now... But I guess given my history with him in the game, I guess it goes to show how much I actually really cared and liked him..." Foxy felt like he just lost someone very closet to him. "I mean, sure I helped him first, but he's helped me as well, but now he's not here anymore..."
Knuckles finally spoke up. "That's it... We're right back where we started... We're gonna get picked off... One by one..."
"Sucks man..." Foxy buried his face in his hands. "He's gone and now I'm next..."
"It does..." Bonnie replied. "I might not have been as much time with him as you did, but I liked that guy too and I did not want him going anywhere yet..."
"Oh, Goddesses... Guess what? I'm not on the bottom anymore!" Sheik laughed. "Like, I myself can't believe it. We didn't even need Shovel Knight's idol tonight because I had my advantage. ...No, I had two advantages. I took Marth's vote so that he had no power to do anything and questioned his loyalty right there. ...Sure, Marth's vote would have already been blocked, anyway, but hey, that's who Zelda wanted to stay. If she wanted Freddy to stay, then I would have took his vote to test his loyalty, because I was not kidding when I told Marth at Tribal Council that if he refused to join us, we all would have voted him out right then and there. So, Marth? I really hope you actually mean it, because if I find out that he's turning on me again, I'm going to follow through and vote him off next. He's kind of like our prisoner here, haha."
"Well, you did it..." Zelda was now sitting down with the ninja in the shelter.
"No..." She shook her head in response. "We did it. You were the one who told me who you wanted to stay, and I followed through with the plan. Marth decided that he was going to work with us, and we made sure he stayed by voting Freddy out instead."
"Alright, but still..." She look at her fellow Hyrulian in the eyes. "...Thank you..."
"No problem."
"With me being a ninja, whenever you're on a mission, you make sure to get the job done. My goal tonight was to pull myself out of the hole my alliance was in since we were at the bottom of the totem pole, and guess what? Mission accomplished. Now Marth has no choice but to stay loyal to us, or else he's gonna be a target, because then we would find out that he's proving to be untrustworthy. Trust was the main topic of the discussion at tribal, anyway."
Unlike everybody else, Marth at the time was the only character by himself, simply eyeing the campfire that Shovel Knight started.
"So clearly, last night never went as planned... I've made a last ditch effort to get Zelda to turn on the Chatan Alliance and send Luigi to the jury, yet it never worked. Now Freddy is gone, and me and Zelda are the only two emperors remaining. Yet for me personally, right now it's the least of my problems..."
"I just can't believe that I was almost sent home... again." Luigi laughed sarcastically with Sheik and Shovel Knight, rubbing his face out of distress. "Was I the safe target to them again?"
"Probably so. They don't know if me or Shovel has the idol."
"Mamma Mia..."
"I felt as if I was pushed into a corner with a sword to my throat after failing to defeat my enemies, I was given an opportunity to either surrender or perish right on the battlefield..." Lowell was silent for a bit. "...And even though I wished to keep fighting, based on the circumstances, I chose to surrender... Now I'm forced to be in with the enemy. Keep in mind, it was a brilliant move. No doubt... But I have to suffer the consequences for it... I... I need to get to sleep. My head is starting to be quite in a bit of pain now..."
BOOM!
"Ugh..." Knuckles's voice sounded as it was now downpouring on the shelter within a time span of ninety seconds. "Not this again..."
Bikutā
Day 31
Although the downpour lasted all the way through the night and for the first few hours in the morning, it only started to simply sprinkle about five minutes prior. The castaways were all huddled up in the shelter, attempting to stay as warm as possible, while either complaining quietly to themselves or in their minds.
"I'm freezing..." Luigi mumbled, him greatly embracing his knees.
"Ditto..." Knuckles replied, curled up as he lied down. "And this is coming from a furry..."
Foxy snickered, in a similar pose as Luigi.
"This is the worst storm I've had for my Survivor adventure. I mean, even though me, Knuckles, Zelda, and Shovel Knight were gloves most of the time, are hands are still soaked. But Foxy, Marth, Bonnie, and Sheik's hands are all water-logged. ...And then, when Mario came back from Kodai Island, he told me that in his season, they only had a major storm like the one we just had once. This season, we've had big storms at least five times. Maybe more, maybe less. I dunno…"
"To be honest, I'm surprised that we were even allowed to bring gloves out here." Shovel Knight admitted. "Knowing the rules, we could only bring so much. I heard that in Pearl Islands, they were only allowed to have the clothes on their backs."
"We'd better get tree mail soon." Zelda suggested. "Right now would be the perfect time to do it in case it's going to come down pouring again."
"Agreed. I'll go with you."
"Strategy wise though, last night was intense. I mean, Sheik already told me about her advantage right before Tribal Council, but I didn't know about the other advantage that she apparently gave to Marth during the swap. And then I guess the other alliance just chose to target me last minute. So as a result, I was almost voted out of the game again. …Like, sometimes I'm surprised that I'm still even here in the first place. If something like this happens again, I don't think that I'll even be their 'safe vote' anymore, because my name has been written down more than Shovel Knight, Sheik, and even Greninja's combined. Shovel and Sheik have even yet to have their names written down! ...I dunno. Maybe if I end up somehow winning the last five immunity challenges until the finals, my name will never be written down again. I'm probably speaking for every Survivor player that's ever been voted off by saying this. Whenever your name comes up at tribal, you are hit with a ton of bricks. My name was written down four times last night, the other five, and the first tribal I've been to, three times. So that would mean that I've been struck..." He did the math in both his head and his fingers standing in the forest. "...twelve times with bricks... Ouch... It's a wonder why I'm still in this game..."
Day 31
"Come on in, guys!"
The final eight of Survivor - Emperors vs Knights made their way to a brand new Survivor challenge, and it appeared to be some sort of obstacle course across the water.
However, at the time, Master Hand had something else in mind that he wanted to discuss first.
"Alright, now before we begin this next reward challenge,... Shovel Knight, ready to see Shield Knight?"
Every last castaway immediately stood there in total silence with looks of astonishment.
"Shield Knight, come on out!"
With Shovel still in a state of shock, with one head turn, there came the one and only partner that he often discussed with his tribemates. Lo and behold, Shield Knight officially made it to the Loved Ones visit on Kodai Island.
And with no words, Shovel actually began running himself until the two happily embraced, emotional looks appearing on the faces of the knight's fellow contestants.
"Feels nice to have a loved one with you, isn't it?" Master Hand asked.
"Hi, Shield Knight!" Sheik introduced. "Welcome to Okinawa!"
"So, Shovel Knight," The Survivor host questioned. "throughout the season I've been hearing rumors that you apparently sit at the campfire at night and tell people all about Shield Knight and the adventures you two shared together. That's true, right?"
When the two finally broke the hug, the blue knight finally formed words to speak. "Absolutely, master. There isn't a single day that I do not think of her. ...You know, I didn't really want to leave her behind knowing that I'm going to be competing out here to try and become the Sole Survivor. ...But Shield Knight actually encouraged me to go for it, because she knows how much this adventure means to me, after I've been out on so many... Uh... Forgive me for sounding selfish."
Absolutely everyone standing around him, including Shield Knight, disagreed in response.
"Thank you..." He replied. "...But basically, what I'm trying to say is that I... almost never go out on adventures alone. And when I don't, when you have close allies you rely on Survivor, this knight right here has been, is, and always will be my number one ally in real life for as long as I live. If it weren't for her, I'd be rather lonely most of the time. So,... bringing her out here is another thing I can check off my list, since we both can't compete on the show at the same time for numerous reasons, this Loved Ones visit proves that she can still be a part of this adventure, especially if I find myself winning this thing, which will be for the both of us."
"Well Shield Knight,..." Master Hand took the time to talk to Shovel Knight's partner directly. "I would like to say that we're simply glad you're out here. I'm pretty sure everybody else here is glad to finally see you as well."
"Thank you for having me out here. I might not be playing, but still in a way, this is a dream that just came true."
She moved over to the bench nearby and sat down as Shovel Knight moved back to his place.
"Alright, Sheik. You're next... Impa, come on out!"
All with curiosity, all eyed the pathway that led out of the jungle where they all witnessed a tall, light blonde haired woman with tanned skin emerge, dashing her way right to Sheik to share a friendly embrace.
"Told ya I'll make it this far!"
A couple castaways smirked and even chuckled a little.
"Okay, let's get right to it. Sheik, why don't you tell us who this is?" Master Hand suggested.
"This is actually... my biggest inspiration of who I am today." The ninja elaborated. "Like myself, she is a member of the Sheikah, too. But I've known her since I was... a little girl, and from the moment I saw her, I knew I wanted to be like her. So since at a young age I was constantly training myself just to become a ninja, and she showed me all of her tricks. It was a struggle at times, but... look at me now."
"And also, I am slowly gaining in years." Impa admitted, having her arm around Sheik's shoulder. "Sheik is one of the best students I've ever had, but I see her more than that, like family in a way. Maybe one day when the timing is right, I can pass my torch down onto her, and she'll continue what she does best."
"She's helped me achieve so much since I became a ninja, now in return I'm bringing her out here on Survivor." Sheik stated.
"Alright, Impa. Take a spot on the bench next to Shield Knight..."
Suddenly Shovel Knight began to feel guilty a bit.
The master was now exchanging glances with the six remaining survivors.
"Okay, Foxy. You're next."
He suddenly began clapping loudly. "Let's do it!"
"Let's get your friend out here!"
Before her name was even called, a white, female vixen came dashing from the trees, with arms already opened. Quickly catching the sign, Foxy's own arms opened in return as the two successfully embraced, even Michaels managing to lift her from the ground a bit sharing a laugh, much to his fellow contestants' own humor.
Knuckles blinked. "...They're not-..."
"Alright, everybody." Foxy knew he had some explaining to do. "I'll introduce her to you guys. This right here is a great friend of mine. She's been my co-worker for the longest, but... we've known each other since we were kids. Her name is Valery Ramos, but I guess for a nickname, you can call her 'Mangle.'"
"Basically what it means is that I will cut down anyone who stands in my way." She joked. "Not literally of course. Great name for a pirate, right?"
Before anyone else had the chance to laugh, Foxy had one last thing to say before anyone thought too much. "And just so you know, we're just friends."
That was when almost everyone giggled out loud, with Knuckles now looking dumbfounded. "Oh..."
"So Foxy, you just said that you two have known each other for quite a bit, and now you all are co-workers... But more specifically, Foxy, you are... sort of an emperor in your own right since you are the boss after all, so you've basically hired her."
"Well, there's more to that story." And he indeed cared to elaborate. "You see, before I successfully managed to get on my feet, Val was there the whole way when it came to doing so. I mean, sure I basically hired her, but, she knew that since I was going to be the boss, she actually volunteered to become my assistant manager, and then, fast forward to now I guess. All I know is that it's safe to say that you shouldn't be afraid to ask for help. I don't know where I'll be if it weren't for her."
"Alright, 'Mangle.'" Master called her by the name she preferred. "You can take a spot on the bench over there."
As she left, the hand was now 'glancing' at Marth Lowell. "So Marth, now it's your turn. I've heard that you really wanted to at least make this Loved Ones visit and here you are. ...Elice, get out here!"
Marth's older sister wasted no time in dashing to her younger brother, nimbly hugging Marth with her eyes filled with tears, causing her sibling to form his own.
"W-What a relief..." He said, finding it rather hard to let go of the blood he shared with, especially given the fact that judging by her reaction of seeing him after a month, she clearly was in an emotional state.
"So Marth, like Shovel Knight, you also came out here for the adventure, as you said it is your biggest priority when it comes to Survivor. ...Would you like to take a moment to share with your sister and what it's like thus far?"
"...T-...This experience..." Being emotional as well, he took some time forming his words, finally calmly letting go of Elice. "It seems that for everyone, we all have our own highs and lows out here that basically define us for who we are. There are some that are used to taking control, while others are used to struggling in order to taking control of their own fate. Over the past thirty-one days, there hasn't been a single day out here where I have not thought about the theme at least once. Based on my personal experience, I've really took the time to learn about myself as well as the people around me of course. This was indeed a perfect opportunity to test myself. My worst fear of course was being the first eliminated from the competition in a battle such as this... So to know that I've made it this far, like all the other adventures I've had back in Altea, once this is over, yet another chapter in my life will be complete. ...Sister,... I apologize for me once again leaving you for so long..."
She immediately shook her head in disagreement. "No need to apologize if you just have the desire to test yourself. I've watched you grow and now look how far you've come. ...And even though I get to myself to think of you, one thing that I always think of is that you've come such a long way... And I wanted you to know that."
"Aw..." Bonnie mumbled with a warm smile with everyone watching two hugging it out once more.
"Well, it's a good thing to know that you will be watching your brother compete in this challenge, Elice." Master Hand reminded her before sending her to the bench. "So Bonnie, based on who you are expecting to be here, there is not just one sibling who is out here for one of you. Let's get your bro. Clyde, you ready?"
He did indeed look like Bonnie, with the exception of the lighter shade of blue, and both a bit smaller and younger in height. Unlike Foxy with Mangle, Bonnie managed to completely lift his brother off the ground to hug it out, setting him down almost a dozen seconds later.
"Just for the record, Bonnie, how old is he?"
"He's fifteen." He replied.
"Haven't had anyone this young out for the Loved Ones visit in a while." He recalled. "...But Clyde, I have something that I wanna ask you too. You're in high school, right?"
"Yeah, I am." He nodded.
"...What did your classmates say?"
"Well,... they're jealous for the most part." Clyde laughed with Bonnie rubbing his shoulder. "And even the ones that had no idea about Survivor now know about Survivor thanks to him, and now they're getting into the show and a few of them are either encouraging their family members to apply for it and waiting until they're old enough to apply for it themselves."
"Okay, well I do have to say that of course, the younger generation also matters when it comes to the fanbase."
Nearly everyone laughed.
"It really does, because without the younger generation, then that basically means that eventually less people are gonna try Survivor out." He explained logically even though it was somewhat humorous to the contestants. "So Bonnie, it was a great thing that we were able to get your younger brother out here to talk about it, because for all we know, there could be someone at his school that would eventually be on the show to experience what you're experiencing right now."
"It really is something, master. Thank you for giving him the opportunity to be out here..." And then he took a brief moment to eye Clyde. "How are our parents doing?"
"They're doing fine."
"Alright, then." He giggled a bit, before his brother was asked to head over to the bench.
"So... three people left..." He noted. "...Let's do Zelda first..."
She put her hands over her mouth.
"And we got someone special... Come on out!"
Zelda's fellow, pointy-eared Hyrulian friend came out, gradually making her way towards her, his eyes focusing on no one else's. Before he even got to her, a major storm was already forming in her eyes, causing his own to do the same as well.
By the time they reached each other, they simply fell into each other's arms, literally every other fellow contestant of Zelda's clapping in reaction.
"Beautiful..." Bonnie commented.
"Link..." Master Hand started to speak. "Welcome back. Fresh out of Survivor - Kodai Island. This is the first time since Survivor - Game Changers where we brought someone back for the Loved Ones visit that has actually played this game... And Link just played last season. What also makes this great, for you, Link, is that you are now standing on the exact island that you competed on when you played Survivor... Brings back strong memories. Doesn't it?"
For the first several seconds, he initially never spoke a word at all, let alone him having a hard time breaking up from Zelda. Though he did eventually. "...Yeah... Strong memories indeed, m-master. ...It feels really good to see you again. I feel like I'm about to begin my second adventure here. But it's not for me. This time, this Survivor experience is all for her."
"I-I'm... I'm just happy that I've made this far." Zelda began speaking herself, starting to wipe her tears away. "Each and every day I'm out here I'm still astonished of myself somehow making it this far despite the obstacles I had to face. I feel like I really had to fight through just to get to this point, and we're only one day thirty-one. Sure, these are the final days of the game, but it's still not over. Sometimes you feel as if you have no idea how you are going to continue to push yourself and fight just to remain one extra day longer in this competition, since there is a certain amount of strength you must have. And I haven't won immunity, nor find an idol the entire time I was out here, yet... here I am... And thanks to Link, I now have just enough motivation needed so that I can continue to push myself and remain out here as long as I can... even if my torch gets snuffed last minute... Bringing Link back out here alone is an accomplishment within itself..."
Link immediately embraced her once her words were spoken. "Just keep hanging on... I'm right here..."
"Alright, Link. You can take your spot on the bench." The hand dismissed him. "...But we are done, yet. Knuckles, I can just tell by the look on your face that you're ready for me to bring him here. ...Get out here!"
With footsteps being heard dashing towards the contestants, a blue blur emerged from the jungle and before one could have even thought, by the time he hugged Knuckles, the echidna was hit was so much force he almost fell down.
"Link isn't the only one from Kodai Island that is out here." Master Hand brought up. "Sonic is very happy to be here, too. Now for the first time in Survivor history, we have more than one former contestant out here for the Loved Ones visit."
"I did it. Didn't I?" Knuckles was already questioning his fellow Mobian. "I made it all the way to eight. Five more tribals to go, right?"
"Well, I expected the Loved Ones visit to be a bit sooner, but you still made it anyway, so I suppose that's what matters." Sonic replied as he soon broke up the hug. "I have a lot to talk about when I get back with Tails on Mobius."
"So, let's get right to it... Sonic, first of all, welcome back of course. You are without a doubt, familiar with this place like Link."
"Oh, yeah." The hedgehog almost forgot, directing his attention to the bench. "'Sup, Link? Been a while."
"Likewise." He commented with a smirk.
"But anyway, yeah. Felt like it was just yesterday when we all started on this island." He recalled immediately. "I already remember hearing you say the word 'go' on day three... Kinda surreal now, but... I guess I got lucky I had the chance to come out here again even though I've played before."
"Yet another memory to add." Master Hand 'nodded'. "I mean, Sonic, you and Knuckles, are not only both part of the Survivor family now, you two have actually been... best friends for over a decade."
That caused quite a few eyes to be widened from a few of Knuckles's competitors.
"What an amazing history they must have together..." said Sheik.
"Well,... just to clarify master, we were basically rivals at first, but then became close friends afterwards." Sonic corrected him.
"...Well okay, that still counts." He responded. "Though I'm pretty sure that you two are aware of how amazing it is to have two close friends, both be out here, not only both playing the game, but both of you at this spot right now. What are the odds? If that's not friendship, I don't know what is."
"Perfect way to put it... I... Sorry..."
Everyone watched. For the first time, Knuckles was seen wiping away a tear.
"Aww..." said Sheik.
Shovel Knight blinked. "Well this is new."
Zelda laughed a little. "Nobody on this island has seen Knuckles cry once."
"He's trying his best to fight it, too..." Foxy noticed.
"Dude, it's okay..." Sonic spoke more quietly. "If you gotta let it out, do it. No one's stopping you..."
"I'm sorry, it's just... I don't wanna say too much when I'm out here like this, but... I... I just wanted to say thanks. Sonic was one of the first few people that shown to generally care for me. I'm sure like some of the others here, my past hasn't been the brightest, but... thanks to this guy right here," He placed on Sonic's shoulder. "...he's one of the people who's making my future brighter. And the future that I see looks quite nice if I do say so myself... whether if I win or not. I wanted to get out here to test myself, Sonic beat me to it, but that was what really made me get out here. ...I... honestly don't know where I'd be if it wasn't for Sonic and I don't tell him this much, but... now seems a good time, you know?"
"Thank you, Knuckles..." He looked at him straight in the eyes. "I really appreciate it. My future looks bright thanks to you, too."
By the time Sonic sat down next to Link, that meant the only person Master Hand had remaining was Luigi of all people.
"Now Luigi, I'm pretty sure we all know who you are expecting to bring out here. Remember when I said this is the first time in Survivor history where more than one former contestant is out here for the Loved Ones visit? Let's get a third former contestant from the same season out here, right now. Now's your cue, Mario!"
Based on his story, obviously it was the grand moment Luigi was waiting for. He was able to get his legendary big brother out on the island for the Loved Ones visit. And the moment he emerged from the trees, the taller one felt as though he could have leapt five hundred feet into the air.
Without a doubt, it was the biggest embrace of all. And to top it all off, other than the noise from the beach and the birds that were passing by, there was nothing but silence...
...until Luigi started to sniff, finally breaking away to introduce his brother to the others at long last.
"T-This is why I-I'm here. This is w-why I decided to come out here. Even though I've told you all of what I need to do t-to prove to myself out here, at the same time, I would literally be nothing if it wasn't for him. ...You know, they say that sometimes the older ones aren't the most memorable because sometimes the older siblings can be bad examples for the younger ones... But as if you can't already tell, my older brother is the exact opposite. He was the one that gave me the extra push that I needed. H-He told me that since he was going to apply, that I should apply as well to increase my chances. ...But we both got called over, and they took him first just so they can save me for this season. ...Though the bottom line is that... He's my emperor in my opinion. There isn't anything Mario can't do. And he will always be my biggest inspiration as long as I live."
That literally earned Luigi a round of applause, as it was now Mario himself who was covering his face to hide tears before he even had the chance to speak at all.
Though Mario knew he just had to say something eventually. "...T-thank you... T-Thank you, Luigi..."
Even if it was all he had to say at first. Sonic and Link watched from afar.
"...I don't know if I... r-really have that much to say, because there are so many words that are flowing through my mind at the moment..." Mario said with honesty. "...So the least I can do is to just take a moment to thank my younger brother... I know why he's out here, and he knows it as well. Whenever we go on adventures and everything, he's... my number one ally in real life. I always come to him first... and part of that is to give him that chance and to give him that courage to keep him going... and Luigi, what I really want to say is that... you've probably heard this before many times, but... it doesn't make it any less important... I love you."
"I love you too."
They embraced once more.
"Brotherly love at its finest..." Master Hand summarized, calmly requesting his former Survivor contestant to head on over to join the other loved ones. "...Now... this has gotta be one of the most emotional Loved Ones visits ever in Survivor. And you know what? Whether what people make of it, it really highlights the growth with each and every one of you of why you were all put here to compete on the show, no matter what your stories are... Are you all willing to show that newfound strength in this brand new Survivor challenge we got here?"
It was almost as if an entire large crowd erupted with anticipation.
"Let's get cracking... For today's challenge, you will each have a partner to perform in this challenge with. Similar to the first immunity challenge this season, you wil both be hooked together by a rope as you go over a series of obstacles in the water. First, you will quickly dash along the wooden lily pads in the water, before you all will balance as you cross a large, rectangular obstacle that will turn over and send you to the water if you're not careful. Afterwards, you both are to balance on a very narrow balance beam where you will approach a combination lock, which you have to solve. Once you figured it out and solved it, you will pull the handle out, head back to across all three obstacles over the water, reach the shore where you will break a tile, confirming your victory. Simple. First pair that finishes first gets to spend time with their loved ones. However, with the exception of the lily pads since they are right on the water, if you fall at any point during the challenge, you have to start with that obstacle, all over again. We'll draw for pairs, and we'll get started."
-/-
"Alright, we have our pairs..." Master Hand was ready. "It is going to be Knuckles with Sheik, Bonnie with Foxy, Marth with Luigi, and Zelda with Shovel Knight. For reward. Survivors ready?"
The fourth pairs were getting in running positions to prepare themselves.
"...GO!"
Right on cue, the survivor's loved ones all began cheering from the bench, all standing on their feet watching them all perform. The leader of the pairs were Sheik, Bonnie, Marth, and Zelda.
"First you gotta run across those lily pads. You sink in the water, you two might as well swim the rest of the way. ...Sheik and Bonnie are flying through this. Their partners are having no trouble keeping up!"
In contrast, Marth, Luigi, and Zelda all fell in, forcing Shovel to fall in as well.
"Ugh..." Marth was already a little annoyed, beginning to swim immediately. "Come on, Luigi..."
"You got it, Marth!" Elice had her hands over her mouth.
"Knuckles, Sheik, Bonnie, and Foxy are already on their second obstacle."
"Good job, Knux!" Sonic voiced.
"Attagirl, Sheik!" Impa shouted. "You go this!"
"Everybody else on their second obstacle. This is where you gotta be really careful..." The Survivor host reminded as literally everyone stuck their arms out to balance.
Bonnie out of nowhere started moving his arms like no tomorrow, making Foxy almost instantly froze in his spot watching his friend.
Clyde from the bench kept his fingers crossed, but in the end, his brother kept going, causing him to sigh in relief.
"Nice save! But Knuckles and Sheik are now taking the lead!"
Marth was attempting at making it across as fast as possible, yet unfortunately, he ended up slipping and falling right into the water, pulling Luigi in with him.
"Marth and Luigi fell! Gotta go back!"
"Keep going, Luigi!" Mario yelled.
"Zelda and Shovel Knight taking their time." The master noted. "Guess for this obstacle for them in particular, slow and steady wins the race."
Meanwhile, the first two teams that were in the lead were already on the balance beam, where balancing became an even bigger priority at the time, unless one actually had to talent to dash their way across it with little to no trouble at all. Unfortunately, since not even Sonic the Hedgehog had the ability to do it, nobody competing stood a chance.
Knuckles clearly was not the best at balancing, yet thanks to Sheik grabbing his arm, he remained balancing safely.
"Great teamwork for Knuckles and Sheik!"
However, within a few more steps, right behind Sheik's back, there went Knuckles, causing her to be yanked right into the water as well.
"And just like that, they are now in second place. Bonnie and Foxy have taken over, but they are in no rush at all..."
"We're way ahead of 'em. Take your time..." Foxy told the bunny.
"It is Bonnie and Foxy in the lead, followed by Zelda and Shovel Knight in second, and then we have Marth, Luigi, Knuckles, and Sheik all neck and neck."
"You know what you always told me, Knuckles!?" Sonic yelled from his spot. "It ain't over 'til it's over! You're still in this!"
"Bonnie and Foxy are now at their combination lock. You all have three pairs of numbers in front of you. All you gotta do is figure what exactly is the right combination here..."
"18-12-07. Let's try that first..."
Bonnie pulled on the handle.
"...Not right!"
Foxy immediately turned around shaking his head in annoyance, actually causing Mangle to laugh.
"It's okay, Foxy!"
"You alright?"
"I'm fine, Sheik. I'm fine..."
"Trying to win this for the both of us..."
"Knuckles and Sheik are moving a little faster, yet they know they need to be very careful after squashing their lead. Their moving past Zelda and Shovel Knight!"
"Uh... Zelda, it pains me to say this..." Shovel Knight stated. "I'm all for good sportsmanship,... but after learning the ways of the game and what Greninja told me, that combination lock? ...We might have to cheat..."
"Guess we'll both be villains for the day..."
"I'm very surprised we're allowed to do it myself..."
"Zelda and Shovel Knight are across! ...Here comes Sheik and Knuckles! Marth and Luigi coming up!"
"Just try it like it's somebody's date or birthday..." Foxy suggested.
"...07-12-18..." Bonnie Roberts tugged on the handle again.
...
"...Not right!"
Foxy Michaels covered his face with both of his hands cursing beneath his breath.
"What did they just put down?" Zelda took a couple steps closer to eye Bonnie and Foxy's work just in time to see their incorrect answer. "Okay, Foxy just told him to try it as if it's somebody's birthday. So..."
The Hyrulian began arranging the numbers and tugged.
12-07-18
"Zelda and Shovel Knight out of nowhere have it! They've taken the lead and are on their way back!"
Foxy immediately dashed over to see their answer, nearly pulling Bonnie, and pretty soon, literally everybody was doing the same.
"Come on, Zelda!" Link clapped his hands.
"Well, looks like there ain't no shame in cheatin' today." Master Hand commented.
In spite of Zelda and Shovel now being in first place, their small lead was nimbly evaporating. Since everyone else ended up getting the right combination quickly, Bonnie and Sheik's teams had no trouble catching up, both eventually passing them, forcing Zelda's team to pick up the pace slightly.
"Looks like we have a three-way battle! Marth and Luigi need to hurry!"
"Just do your best, Marth." Luigi of all people encouraged someone.
"Okay, just jump off..." Foxy suggested to Bonnie to just leap off to the platform the moment he figured he was just safe enough of a distance to move onto the next obstacle.
"Bonnie and Foxy have taken the lead back! We have a challenge! Everyone really wants to spend time with their loved one!"
"Okay this next obstacle is very unpredictable. Just stay close to the center..." Sheik told Knuckles as the echidna followed her lead. Fortunately for the red anthropomorphic Mobian, his sense of balance was willing to cooperate. And from that point, it was her team versus Bonnie's team once again.
"Alright, this is it! Gonna come down to the lily pads and who's gonna smash that tile with the handle!"
Both teams successfully dashed along said lily pads, Foxy swiftly handing the handle to Bonnie, Knuckles giving his to Sheik.
"CRACK!"
"CRACK!"
"BONNIE AND FOXY WIN REWARD!"
By less than a second, it was one of the closest calls when it came to one of the challenges in a while. Bonnie, Foxy, and both of their loved ones were all cheering with happiness, the brother and friend of Bonnie and Foxy rushing over to celebrate with them.
Out of frustration, Knuckles kicked some sand away.
"And what do we do now, Sheik?" Impa asked the ninja. "We keep going, right? Just like back at home."
Her head was hung low.
"Calm down, Knux. You did awesome. You're still in the game and that's all that matters."
-/-
"Alright, so here's how it is gonna work..." Master Hand went right to it. "Foxy, Bonnie, you two are gonna go on a barbecue feast with your loved ones. But of course, to be fair, there are six other people here. And everybody worked at their best to win this challenge. ...What do you think you're gonna do?"
"Choose one person?"
"That's right." He answered Bonnie. "Go ahead."
He eyed Foxy. "Wanna go first?"
"No, you go first. You were the leader."
All six competitors that lost the challenge shot their stares at him.
"...I mean..." Roberts lifted his hands up to lazily bring them down. "Let's just be real here. He's been talking about him all this time, and I feel like Luigi really wants to spend time with his brother. It's the right thing to do."
Luigi widened his eyes.
"Mario Bros., come on over."
Feeling like leaping high in the air again, Luigi reunited with Mario once more as they embraced.
"You need to go." Foxy never blamed Bonnie for his decision. "I would have picked you, too."
"But Foxy, you and Bonnie still have to choose just one more person..." Master Hand reminded. "And keep in mind, by choosing this last person, nobody else will ever see their loved one again until after their Survivor experience is done. They will say their goodbyes, and they will go right back to camp with nothing, while the rest of you are gonna spend time with your loved ones on a feast. I suggest you choose wisely..."
Bonnie looked at Foxy.
"Guess I'm picking, then..."
Knuckles bit his lip, Shovel Knight was not even looking at all, Marth wiped away another tear, Sheik had hands on her hips, and Zelda could not have taken her eyes off of Link.
"Aw, man... Those looks on your faces. You guys know I hate to do this..."
"No pressure..." Knuckles commented.
"..." Michaels finally made his decision, hanging his head back up. "Alright, I've decided. I wanna say something... Shovel Knight, I don't think I can remember a single day you mentioned Shield Knight at least once, and in my honest opinion, it would be a downright shame to not spend time with her the one time you can out here. Would you like to come?"
He could have been any happier. "O-Oh... Thank you so much!"
"Shovel and Shield Knight, come on over!"
Immediately, Shield Knight came on running down from her spot on the bench over to her partner to share a hug once again.
"Sorry..." Marth mouthed to Elice.
"Don't feel sad, Marth. Just fight through it. You fought before, you can do it again."
Zelda was still staring at Link, who had curled up lips, now lowering his head. One could have inferred that he was trying his hardest holding back tears. Not to say he was ticked about Zelda not being picked, yet simply the fact that he knew that it was time to say his goodbyes.
"Okay, so we have four people going on the reward,... and unfortunately..." A sigh escaped from Master Hand. "I'm afraid that the rest of you will have to say goodbye to your loved ones."
And they did.
"Stay strong, Marth! Remember mother and father!"
"You have the strength to get through this, Zelda. You can do it."
"Tough it out for eight more days, Knux."
"You did great, Sheik. I'll see you when you get home."
With that, they all left to begin making their way back to camp.
"Alright. The rest of you, enjoy. Head out that way to my right, and the feast is waiting for ya right over there."
And without a moment to soon, the eight happy individuals began to head out, ready for a grand experience none of them would ever forget.
"I might have been assumed to be rather extremely close to Roy when he was still in the game," Marth sat back a rock back at the Bikutā beach. "yet, I highly doubt that Bonnie and Foxy aren't the closest pair at this point. They are both already on the outs with Knuckles, and time and time again, they have shown that they are each other's ride or die. I know the pairs have been chosen randomly and they have conveniently been put together, though in the end, I am actually fortunate that it happened. ...And I am already aware of my position in the game at this stage, yet I am pretty sure this challenge puts the final nail in their coffins. Perhaps while I am still here, perhaps it is safe to predict that the common goal with the Chatan Alliance is to get rid of either Bonnie or Foxy for the next Tribal Council..."
Okay, just so like the last chapter, this is also one of my favorite chapters in the series. Taking a break from strategizing a bit, now we have the Loved Ones visit for the season, and this really makes me have an even bigger point of view of the Loved Ones visit in Survivor in general. When certain characters talk of their Loved Ones such as Luigi and Shovel Knight, by the time they get to the visit, it really highlights their characters and it's rather satisfying and nice to watch. And yes, Sonic, Link, and Mario, all from Survivor - Kodai Island are here. Kodai Island fans are probably having a field day. And also, "Clyde" is Toy Bonnie btw. And Impa has her Skyward Sword design.
Plague Knight from the Shovel Knight franchise will be join the Brain tribe for Survivor - Mexico! Those of you that have played the game and his story, you can tell that it'd be rather foolish of me to not include him on the Brain tribe.
Questions:
1. So it seems that Bonnie and Foxy are actually being targeted this time as the tightest pair who are both already on the bottom with Knuckles. Thoughts?
2. Does Marth still have a chance of being blindsided at this point?
Vote for your top five players of the season and I encourage everyone to review. See you on Wednesday!