Survivor - Emperors vs Knights
Chapter 45 - Day 37
(Knuckles's Ponderosa chapter has been released! And guess what? I'm went from late to being really early this time. lol)
Hello, everyone! It's officially time to head into the finale of Survivor - Emperors vs Knights! Dang, already!? Last time I checked, this story started on September 25, 2019, barely even five months since it started and it's already ending!? Dang... And Survivor - Mexico is only a couple months or so away (haven't even thought of when that season is gonna start...). But it's too early to think about that right now. So anyway, let's get started.
If this is actually your very first exposure to Survivor (ever), what they do in the actual series is that all the contestants that competed on the season get to return to a live reunion show where the host reflects on the season with the castaways and all the major events that occurred, with details of the next season set to air. For my series, the finale is going to start at five. Some of the modern seasons of Survivor, for the most part, their finales start at six. But the problem is that they are almost always a bit rushed, since they gotta get through three challenges, three boots, four Tribal Councils, and then the reunion show. That is a lot. Having it at five greatly makes things easier, and I'm trying to pretend like this is an actual season LOL.
Now that you have some type of idea, let's officially get things started as we begin to start reflecting on what the season has become...
Historyfan15: Yep. After all this time this might be just what their relationships has come to.
Derick Lindsey: The record for a person having an idol has been for thirty-five days, ten days longer than Shovel Knight (but Shovel might be in top 5 or even top 3 I'm guessing (need to research even more)). But as of the latest season going on in Survivor, there has not been a single soul out there that has found an idol on day one.
~KF
FINALE - PART I
Backstage at the Live-Super Smash Ultimate Studio Center, Master Hand came into view as he began to make his way onto the main stage.
"We are live at SSU backstage in Los Angeles!" He explained to the audience watching from home. "Welcome to the season finale of Survivor - Emperors vs Knights!"
Upon him finally getting to the main stage, the audience that sat in front of him all created a major uproar in the Studio Center.
"And as you can see, we got quite the crowd tonight! All here to not only support the ones that have made it this far, but for all twenty castaways that have competed on this season. You know why? Well, because after the season finale, they will all be here for our live reunion show after our winner is revealed. But first, we gotta finish things off. Let's take a moment to go over some of the events that occurred this season thus far... And when that is out of the way, we will go over the final five contestants remaining in this game. One of them will earn the title of Sole Survivor, as well as the million dollar check that goes along with it. Stay tuned and get yourself comfortable. We have two hours of Survivor waiting right in front of you. Let's go!"
And when the crowd created cheered yet again, the finale officially commenced.
For this season of Survivor, we divided twenty people into two tribes of ten...
"This is Survivor - Emperors vs Knights!"
Ten emperors, ten knights. Both having rather different approaches to life...
Emperors
These ten players are all about taking matters in their own hands and leading others to victory in any way they can based off authority, domination, and positive reception...
"I am aware that it's not everyday where an adolescent such as myself fights with a sword to protect his country, though that was the case for me. Typically it was my father's job of course, since he was the leader. But then he became very ill at the time, so I was called from home in order to fight and take his place. I had to help prevent the continent from suffering from a war. It has already happened once in the past, and neither my father, nor myself was willing to simply let it happen again. Technically, my adventure began when I was fifteen."
"I have a lot to learn out here." She giggled happily. "When I told everyone back in the Mushroom Kingdom that I was going to apply for Survivor, no one could believe it. They never expected a woman like me to be out here. But believe it or not, that's my whole thing. I think people generally perceive me as this sweet, loving 'princess' that doesn't like to get her dress all dirty. Now I am on a reality show with conditions like this. One would think that I would probably quit on day one as soon as I stepped foot on the island."
Knights
These ten players are known for fighting through to the bitter end at any price, whether it is based on their work ethic, personal struggles, and pushing through to get out of tight situations to take control of their own fate...
"The funny thing is that both me and my brother Mario applied for the show. We were both chosen, but they said that they wanted to get Mario out of the way first and save me for this new theme they are doing. Apparently I am supposed to be the perfect underdog here because of my own personal story. Back in the Mushroom Kingdom, people typically don't see me and my brother as two different people. They always perceive me as 'Mario's brother', or at worst 'the guy who is always in his older brother's shadow', or my personal favorite, 'green stache', which of course no younger sibling wants to hear. So I think that if I can do something out here, then perhaps people from back home will see me in a different light."
"Me and my trainer had um, been through a lot ever since we got together back in the day. Back when I was a newborn, both of my parents were nowhere to be found and I was actually half frozen to death. It was the month of January when he found me, and I was struggling in the snow. He found me and then took me in. I know he's still a kid, but I feel like I'm a son to him somehow, when my biological parents are most likely not even... I... All I can say is that without Calem I don't think I'll be here."
Since the start of the game, these two tribes demonstrated completely different strategies out of the gate...
"The Emperors tribe is all over the place to say the least. Myself included. I bet those knights over there are wondering what we are doing and how the heck are we playing the game. Everybody over here is wondering how they can take control of the game, and when you have ten people that all share that trait at one time, we're the ones that are likely to be dysfunctional over here because everyone is used to having things go the way they want. And so, literally every single person over here is playing their own individual game while the Knights tribe is probably all about team effort right now."
"The problem with having a divided tribe is that say if we enter a swap or a merge, the emperors will obviously know what's going on when the people on the bottom explain to them the events that are occurring over here. It is not impossible that the emperors will use it to their advantage and bring them in and use them against us in the long run, and then we're all going to be out of the game. So as tribe, it is our best interest to get rid of them, before they possibly get rid of us."
But despite the different strategies, both tribes had to go to Tribal Council, resulting in shocking blindsides...
"Second person voted out of Survivor - Emperors vs Knights. Cloud. That's five, that's enough. You need to bring me your torch."
"Third person voted out of Survivor - Emperors vs Knights. Ghirahim."
And they didn't stop there...
"Fifth person voted out of Survivor - Emperors vs Knights... Mega Man."
"Seventh person voted out of Survivor - Emperors vs Knights. Krystal. That's two, that's enough. You need to bring me your torch."
At merge, it seems that the roles were reversed. Six emperors, against six knights...
"Seven knights, six emperors... Seems like the merge is pretty sweet. I was just thinking about my swapped tribe of Chatan having just four people, but we all survived. But now, the top dogs entering the merge with numbers would have been expected, and I was preparing myself to deal with being on the bottom for a while, but surprisingly things worked out in our favor."
However, some of the knights weren't exactly planning on sticking together...
"So what are you thinking about?"
"Trying to figure out how the heck are we gonna save Freddy."
"...W-What?"
"...'Hidden Five Alliance?'"
"Win-win. Not only I kept my place in the Knights Alliance, but I've also have my Pirate Crew here... I would rename my alliance that, but then they would all think that I'm running the show... Well the audience can know that I'm calling it the Pirate Crew over here."
Although, the moment where they finally wanted to make a big moves, things didn't exactly go as planned...
"Luigi."
"Tenth person voted out of Survivor and the third member of our jury..."
...
"Shadow."
With Shadow's departure, the Knights Alliance became a broken family...
"Me, Foxy, and Bonnie planned to flip, because we felt that you four were running the show from day one. Greninja and Sheik? This entire time you two have been an all out power couple from the get go, and then Luigi and Shovel Knight joined in so you all can just dictate everything."
As a result, the Pirate Crew slowly became decimated, even if there seemed to be light at the end of the tunnel for them, resulting in even more devastating blindsides...
"I'll go ahead and play it..."
"Wait, really?"
"You didn't know?"
"No, I really didn't."
"Greninja."
"Like Sheik, I also have a Secret Advantage."
"This advantage is being used to... block your vote..."
"I am going to give you a choice. You can either come with us, or I will use this advantage to vote you out of this game."
"Freddy, the tribe has spoken."
And even after Foxy used Bonnie as a sacrificial lamb, he just couldn't overcome the Chatan Alliance...
"Foxy, the tribe has spoken."
"Sad to tell you that I didn't win... But I still had the absolute time of my life."
Now, only five remain...
Zelda
Her entire game has been filled with ups and downs, with her being in trouble quite a bit. Yet every time she was on the chopping block, she survived every time...
"THE KNIGHTS WIN THE FIRST IMMUNITY CHALLENGE!"
"Peach."
"Ghirahim."
"MOTOBU WINS IMMUNITY!"
"Pac-Man."
"Roy."
"You know, part of me feels that I am generally surprised that I have made it this far. I could have been the first person voted out and let Peach take my place, or I could have been voted out again last night, and Pac-Man would have taken my place... But I'm still here, and unlike previously, I have no other options at this point. Perhaps it's the Goddesses that are looking after me at this point."
After all that she's gone through, would it all be for what she's hoped for?
Marth
He was the first castaway this season to find a hidden immunity idol and play it at the right time, even making a big move in order to take control of the game...
"Greninja."
"You're not going anywhere. Trust me..."
But as a severe consequence for his flip, his vote got stolen from him at an epic Tribal Council, forcing him to join the opposing alliance as an extra number. And he was never able to get back in control since...
"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... And even though I wished to keep fighting, based on the circumstances, I chose to surrender..."
In spite of the circumstances he had to face, can he somehow be victorious?
Luigi
His main objective was to escape his older brother's shadow by making a name for himself, causing him to struggle in the early days of the game...
"He's not exactly the strongest of the bunch, and he claims that he's bright at puzzles, using the first challenge to back him up. However, he didn't perform in that role today."
"If they all want Luigi out, then that's who I'm voting for."
"...I really rather see Luigi get his torch snuffed."
However, he made a close relationship with Shovel Knight who became his number one ally. And from that point on, he slowly began to evolve as other targets became a bigger priority for his opponents...
"Since the threats are gonna be targeted first, I think I already know where I stand. So right now for my game, I am gonna try my best to not be on everyone's radar by stepping back and just do what everybody tells me to do so that I won't be seen as a threat."
And since he's still in it, his strategy has paid off. Would him overcoming his personal obstacles be enough for the jury to give him the win?
Sheik
She's managed to make close relationships with alliance, while at the same time helping to make sure her tribe stays together to help get rid of some of the emperors...
"...I really don't want a divided tribe..."
"Even if they say that they're with us, based on what happened last time, they might use it against us when we mix ourselves with the emperors and then they'll flip over, even though we're all bonding as much as we can over here..."
However, what really made her perceived to be a top level threat is when she made one of the boldest moves in Survivor history...
"I am going to give you a choice. You can either come with us, or I will use this advantage to vote you out of this game."
"Have you decided? Are you with us?"
"With me being a ninja, whenever you're on a mission, you make sure to get the job done. 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."
She even attempted to make a turn on her closest remaining ally. But it didn't work out...
"Shovel Knight. Does not count."
In spite the most recent vote not being in her favor, could she overcome the massive target on her back to win it all?
Shovel Knight
He's known for being well liked by everyone, making connections with as many people as possible, while staying true to his alliance.
"And then, by the time me and my partner woke up around seven in the evening, it was getting rather dark out at the time, and we couldn't find our way back because we lost our map a while ago. So to survive we decided that we were going to make a campfire and go from there, and hopefully find our way back home the next day... which of course, we did, because here I am sitting here right now and not being mauled to death by a wild animal."
"...Let us sing that classic song made for children whenever it rains..."
"Shovel Knight is really interesting."
"It would be rather a shame for you to just go and not take one of these few, final opportunities to get to know you."
"You gotta appreciate Shovel Knight. He doesn't come off as if he is forcing himself to make connections. He just realizes that these are the people that he's playing with."
"Alright, Master Hand. That's it."
And with a successful idol play at the last Tribal Council, like his close ally, Sheik, he is also been perceived as a major threat to win. Will his social game and likability win over the jury?
With two more individual immunity challenges, three more Tribal Councils, and two more future jury members, who will have what it takes to Outwit, Outplay, and Outlast all the rest to earn the title of Sole Survivor?
THIS IS THE SEASON FINALE OF SURVIVOR - EMPERORS VS KNIGHTS
Bikutā
Night 36
Final five: Zelda, Marth, Luigi, Sheik, and Shovel Knight.
Two of these players were set to be the ninth and tenth members of the season's jury, while the other three were to make up the finals on day thirty-nine, with only one of them taking the money as well as being the Sole Survivor.
Said five castaways made their return at camp leaning their torches against the tree.
"Well,..." Luigi spoke. "At least Foxy is gone..."
Zelda chuckled a little. "I bet we can all agree on that. We're all in the same alliance, just not on the same page, even though Foxy is out of the picture."
"Good idol play, Shovel Knight." Sheik commented, even grinning respectably.
"Thank you." was all he responded with. "...So... It was you, Marth, and Zelda that put my name down, right?"
"Yeah..." She replied, now staring down at the ground with guilt. "I'm sorry..."
"Oh, no worries, Sheik." He did not know if it was the right response to make, yet he never wanted Sheik to feel bad about her decision. "If you honestly think that I am your threat, then there's nothing wrong with friendly competition. That's why we're all out here."
"...Thanks..." She blinked, suddenly chortling a bit. "This is quickly getting awkward... I guess our friendship is preventing us to separate, since that's what people typically do when they're against someone strategically."
The other three players were standing watching it all.
"Uh..." Luigi scratched his head. "Are we supposed to walk away at this point?"
"Oh no, you can stay if you want." Shovel held a hand out while still looking up to his opponent. "Anyway, um... I guess to avoid things from getting too awkward as you say,... You know what, let's have a handshake for the sake of Survivor."
"Quite interesting to say the least. Let me break it down for the audience." The shovel wielder had the first official confessional of the finale. "I've played my idol at the Tribal Council, negating three votes... which means that I was the one that was supposed to go home tonight, and not Foxy. And it turns out that everyone in my alliance except Luigi flipped, and now I feel like I am the next to go. Though I think Sheik persuaded Marth and Zelda to put down my name and left Luigi out of the loop... So that's basically saying that I was right about Sheik betraying me before we left..."
"I'll gladly take that." Sheik reached her hand out as well, and the two shook. "May the best Survivor win."
He smirked largely. "With all respect."
Marth Lowell facepalmed and laughed to himself.
"And then, by the time we got back to the camp, she was not afraid to own up to her decision. But for a moment, we both kinda just stood there in silence. We were looking at each other straight in the eyes, but neither of us headed off in a different direction. We both just... stayed put... which is in contrast to what most people do in situations like this... And I think it was the result of our long-term friendship that prevented us from separating. And you know what? ...It's sort of amusing in a good way if I do say so myself, knowing that Sheik is most likely going to continue to gun for me. Both of us were well aware of what each other's games are like, so in the end, we did a little handshake. We're going to be at each other's throats strategically for the rest of our days out here, but I believe that our friendship will truly last even outside of this game."
Shovel Knight happened the one that separated himself from Sheik as he prepared to turn in for the night, leaving Sheik alone with the others.
She sighed. "This vote's gonna be the hardest of them all..."
Day 37
"Come on in, guys!"
The castaways all made their way onto the sand, seeing the Master Hand on a bright sunny day, despite it overall being a rather wet season for the show.
"You guys ready to get to your next immunity challenge?" He made his way over to Zelda to unhook her necklace. "First things first, Zelda, even though you just won it yesterday, I still gotta take it back."
With no words, the necklace was placed back on its post once more. "Once again, immunity is back up for grabs. For today's challenge, you guys will balance a small metal ball on a wooden cylinder, while holding the center cylinder in place with two wooden handles. Every regular intervals, new pieces of the wooden rod will be added, making it harder to balance the ball on the center cylinder. The castaway who balances their ball the longest will win immunity, safe from the vote, and will officially earn their spot at the final four. Losers, Tribal Council where someone will be the sixteenth person voted out of Survivor and will then become the ninth member of our jury. We'll draw for spots, we'll get started."
"Let's-a go..." mumbled Luigi.
-/-
"Alright. Let's get this started." He began to gave instructions. "Everybody put your balls in the ball in the center, grab your handles, and raise 'em up."
Doing what they were told, Sheik, Marth, Shovel Knight, Zelda, and Luigi in that order all held their cylinders up, already being focused before the challenge even began.
Yet it was about to start in a matter of seconds. "Alright. Everybody is in position and this challenge is on..."
...
"Nothing but silence... As expected." Master Hand commented. Other than his own voice, the only sounds that were made were when the waves crashed down on the beach nearby. "This challenge first began in Survivor - Micronesia as the final immunity challenge. Here's how it's gonna work: this first round will last for five minutes. And after those five minutes, we will add new pieces of the wooden rod on both ends, making it harder to balance your ball. Keep your focus and you'll be fine."
"Hopefully..." Luigi mumbled under his breath.
Elapsed Time: 5 Minutes
"Alright. Everybody is safe, you can drops your balls."
Upon hearing that announcement, literally everyone was relieved and expressed their feelings in different ways.
"Don't celebrate too long, castaways. Now I gotta count you in for round two." He reminded. "Attach two pieces of the rod. One on each side. I'm gonna count you in. You have thirty seconds to get it attached, and to have your bars lifted with the marble in the center."
When it came to challenges such as those, it was one of the toughest spots to get through, mainly due to quite a few castaways messing up at that certain stage, not being able to fully transition. Even a certain castaway from the previous immunity challenge was never able to transition properly, resulting in his elimination that night.
"5... 4... 3... 2... 1... This challenge is back on."
Yet at the current challenge, everyone made it through without any major problems.
"We will stay in this round for five more minutes, and then we will move onto the final round where we will continue to stay here until we have an official winner for this challenge."
Shovel Knight sighed out of a bit of worry. He just wanted to win.
Elapsed Time: 7 Minutes
...
"...Uh-oh..."
"Luigi is struggling to get that marble under control..."
The plumber's ball was heading off too far to the right, slowly leaving the safe zone, forcing a large knot in his stomach with sweat coming down his face even faster than before.
However, he was not the one that had to worry about being first eliminated from the challenge.
"...Wow... Suddenly Marth's marble drops out of nowhere."
Sighing in defeat, he calmly exited the challenge area to allow his fellow competitors to concentrate.
"Oops..."
"Luigi is now out of the challenge, no shot at immunity. Go and take your spot right next to Marth." He pointed, the plumber a bit saddened by the lost, yet more at the fact that he was literally the only one of the four who never won immunity.
"And just like that, we are now down to three... Sheik, Zelda, and Shovel Knight... One emperor, and two knights."
Elapsed Time: 10 Minutes
"Alright, everybody. You can set your balls down once more. It is time for you all transition to round three."
Being relieved once more, they gladly set their bars down on the table.
"Now, you once again have thirty seconds to make your move. If you are unable to make the transition, you are out of the challenge and the round will continue on. Move quickly and carefully." Master Hand warned, the three remaining survivors attaching new pieces of the rod on both sides, Sheik even using the 'under-hand' strategy when it came to lifting her bar up.
Although, when it came to the situation being easier said than done, Shovel Knight was certainly proving as to why.
"10... 9... 8... 7... 6..."
Then suddenly last minute, the blue-armored warrior chose use Sheik's strategy for his own good during the last few seconds of the countdown, somehow holding everything together in time.
"5... 4... 3... 2... 1..." He watched. "Alright, everybody seems to be safe and the challenge continues. We will remain in this final round until the last person is standing."
...
With no other words, Marth and Luigi simply continued to observe.
Elapsed Time: 17 Minutes
Not wanting to break anyone's concentration, Luigi whispered to Marth in his ear.
"I think if I sit on this bench any longer, I might take a nap for a little bit..."
Marth tried his best not to snicker and be disrespectful for the other competitors. "I... I do not actually blame you. I've heard that there is a record for one challenge back in season ten that lasted for about twelve hours."
"Oh..." He blinked. "I would be both tired and hungry... But it is not as if this is any kind of reward. There isn't any spaghetti around here... So I guess I gotta hope that Shovel Knight can win immunity..."
"..." It was his turn to blink. "You are basically saying that at the next tribal you are planning on putting Sheik's name down..."
"I... believe that it is my only choice..." Luigi actually never really thought about it. Though what Marth was saying might as well be true, he simply had no intention on writing down Shovel Knight at the time. "I mean, he has been my ally from the very beginning... However, I am almost certain that Zelda would want to keep Sheik around, so I'd say both of them have a fifty-fifty shot at surviving the vote..."
Now Lowell was frowning. "...So now you are saying that I am the swing vote for tonight's Tribal Council..."
"..." He shrugged. "Pretty much..."
"...Well,... at least that does make some sort of sense..."
"Sheik drops..."
With the master unintentionally cutting the side conversation off, they both stared to find out that Sheik was no longer in the running to win.
"We are now down the two. ...Shovel Knight and Zelda... Both looking really solid..."
Elapsed Time: 21 Minutes
"Zelda's marble is now wobbling... First time on the move in this entire challenge..."
The challenge was now receiving its full attention from the castaways, the only Hyrulian remaining in the competition seemed to be the one having a hard time with her ball, Shovel's still remaining solid in place.
However, within a dozen more seconds, his own ball began to have a mind of its own.
"Now both of struggling to get that ball under control..."
Both of them attempting at lifting one particular side up in order to get it balanced, yet it was almost as if the balls themselves grew tired of remaining in the same spot for over twenty minutes.
Yet at the end of the day, someone had to drop.
"...And there goes Shovel Knight's!"
"ZELDA WINS IMMUNITY! GUARANTEED A SPOT IN THE FINAL FOUR!"
For the second time that season, the brunette managed to pull off an immunity win.
Sighing in relief, he received a friendly hug from Shovel Knight, the others clapping for her out of respect.
"Good job, Zelda." Sheik commented. "You really deserve it."
"Whew... That felt as if I was there for hours... How long were we up here?"
"About twenty-two minutes." Master Hand confirmed. "But you guys won't be here for that much longer. Zelda, come on over here. Second immunity for this season."
She gladly made her way over.
"Good job, Zelda!" Luigi spoke.
"You are once again, safe tonight at Tribal Council, and you are one hundred percent making it to the final four."
"No reward this time?"
"Nope." He turned his hand side to side as if he actually had a head to shake. "Yesterday was your last reward. But, don't worry. At least you aren't going anywhere. As for everyone else though, for one of you, it might be a different story. I will see you all at Tribal Council where someone will be the ninth person on the jury. Zelda, it will not be you. Congrats."
"Thank you, master."
"Once again, I am in the swing vote position in this game." Marth said with a brief sigh. "Who would've thought. I don't even think I did anything to be in this position. You have Zelda and Sheik on one side, Luigi and Shovel Knight on the other, and then there's me... I don't even know if I am even happy to be in this position, but I suppose I have no choice but to deal it and choose wisely. I go with Zelda and Sheik, I wouldn't be surprised if I was the next to go when we get to the final four. I go with Luigi and Shovel Knight, I'm probably still at the bottom of the final four. I don't know what's worse, especially since it doesn't make anything better for my game in particular..."
Bikutā
Day 37
"Two times in a row, Zelda..."
"Yeah, good job. I might not have won immunity, but I still think it's great to see all of my friends winning one."
"Thank you, everyone. I am surprised I have won not one immunity challenge, but two challenges back to back..." The only female emperor remaining chuckled a bit. "And this is coming from someone that was not the best at challenges pre-merge."
"Even though I am safe at the final four, I believe that it is Sheik who could be in danger tonight." Zelda stated sitting by the water. "...You know, part of me even feels as if I should have dropped and let Sheik win, but that of course was not possible, since had it not been for me, Shovel Knight would have won the challenge, and that would have put Sheik in an even worse position in the tribe. So I guess winning twice in a row was a good thing after all. Sheik has saved my life, now I have to save hers..."
She was now standing in the water with her fellow Hyrulian.
"...I mean... It is you and me versus Shovel and Luigi..." She told her. "Marth is right in the middle and now he has to choose sides..."
"Yeah..." Impa's student confirmed to her that she was in fact aware of the situation. "Sucks... Ever since I blindsided Freddy my name has always been thrown out there by somebody... Now it's Shovel Knight of all people..."
"Well," She could not have helped but laugh a little. "you two have had an amazing story together with Greninja and Luigi anyway. Seems like it's nothing but fate at this point."
"Fate meaning no matter what direction Marth decides to take, anyway. Now I gotta figure out what am I supposed to say to him. I have the rest of the afternoon, and then we leave for tribal at sunset."
"Well, what do you know? Me literally making Marth work with me results in this... But that's alright." Sheik grinned humorously. "I'll take it. It's what I get after all. I tried turning on Shovel Knight, didn't work, now my fate lies in Marth's hands."
As for the hero of Altea, he was conveniently left alone at the camp, lying on his back staring at the roof above him while ignoring the fire.
"You know, whether I prefer to be in the swing vote position or not, this is quite interesting to say the least. It's the emperor deciding which of these two knights should get to boot, as if I am deciding who is more useful for the army." He compared. "...That sounds a bit depressing, though that seems to be the case out here... Now it is time for me to lay down my options."
Shovel Knight and Luigi were wandering along the pathway over to the water well.
"What do you think I should say to Marth to increase his chances of keeping me here?"
"Hmm..." Luigi place a finger beneath his chin. "I am no expert at this, but I help you come up with something if you need it. I don't like the idea of two best friends going after each other but I guess that's how Survivor is at times."
"A major part of what I had to do in order to save my people back in Altea is that I always had to plan ahead for anything. And if I can picture myself doing so, perhaps it could help me influence my decision making. So here are my options... Shovel Knight and Sheik. Both are the two major threats in this game for different reasons. Let us start with Shovel Knight. He has won two individual immunity challenges, has found the hidden immunity idol, and played it successfully. He is highly liked by everyone of the tribe. I've even heard of Shadow saying something positive about him once. Even though he is less likely to win the final immunity challenge than Sheik, at the same time, he has not done anything to anyone on the jury. Sometimes players win by not making anyone mad."
"As for Sheik, she has also won two individual immunity challenges, and... she has probably made one of the flashiest moves I've ever seen to where I... fell victim to before I was held captive by her alliance... I'm still in the Chatan Alliance and I always will be of course at this point, since I can't be in an alliance with myself at the final five... But anyway, even though I do not know if Knuckles or even Shadow would vote for her, and in spite of Shovel more likely to earn their jury votes, Sheik is sounding is the biggest physical threat to get to the end, and her strategy would actually gain respect from the jury. And sometimes, players win for their high level gameplay... So in the end, I feel that both of these... 'soldiers' are just as threatening when it comes down to it. So now that all of my thoughts are on the table, I shall hear the opinions of now only Shovel and Sheik, but their main allies, Luigi and Zelda as well."
A couple hours later, Luigi approached Marth when it was almost set for everyone to grab their torches. Of the four Marth named, he was the last of them that spoke with him of their side of the story.
"Everything alright?"
A sigh escaped from his lips. "...Other than me being pulled from left to right and back again, I suppose things could be even worse..."
"I am sorry..."
"No, no, it is not your fault. You are not one of the two that are in question." Marth shook his head. "I am just looking at the sun predicting when we are going to be called by production to make our way to the Tribal Council..."
"Not only do I like Shovel Knight as a person, but I do not want him to leave out of here. Not after all I've been through." Luigi spoke. "He is the most likely to take me to the end, and I have no plans on hurting my chances. And it is quite unfortunate on my end as well, since this is the one time I can pay Shovel back for all that he's done for me in this game, and I can't even do anything about it because I do not have the power like Marth has over here."
"I mean, the only thing I can say is that Sheik is more likely to win the final immunity challenge, and that she was the main in control with Greninja in the alliance." He brought up. "In my opinion I feel is that people will respect her for staying in control. And... I hate to bring this up, but you know what happened at the-"
"final nine..." He finished for him.
"Exactly..." Curiosity then got the better of him. "What did Zelda tell you?"
"Oh, not long before you came here, Zelda did say what I thought she would say. That Shovel Knight has a strong social game, and that would be enough for him to earn the title of Sole Survivor."
"Oh..." He hung his head down a little. "I am actually not surprised."
"I wouldn't even be surprised if both of them were looking for idols as we speak..."
"Of all the days of my Survivor experience, I suppose this is the part where I am suggested to start scrambling." The warrior himself said. "That idol saved me last time. But if I can't find another one, this could be it for me. My Survivor experience would have to come to an early end. I am interacting with Marth, of course. But I feel if that I overpressure him, then it would push him away and he would not help me at all. And I don't want to overcrowd anybody, even though we are all playing for Survivor. However, everybody wants the same prize. We all want the title of Sole Survivor, so that means that I simply have to fight just as hard as everyone else in order to secure my position. My plea to Marth was that Sheik is the most likely player to win the competition, and if both me and Marth make it to the finals, than it would be a fair shot. Yet, the only problem is that Marth knows that he's not deciding for my fate in particular. The most important thing for him, especially since he is in the swing vote position, that he needs to decide for his own fate. It's whatever his heart wants..."
Night 37
Five players remaining with only two more vote outs. Final three was just around the corner for the season. As much as the people wanted to go home, it was such a shame that the season overall was ending. The thirty-nine days were simply coming and going, as for the people at home, thirty-nine days seemed like thirty-nine minutes. Yet as for the players themselves, it was as if it was thirty-nine months.
Sheik, Zelda, Luigi, Marth, and Shovel Knight all took their seats.
"We'll now bring in the members of our jury..."
Their eyes all turned to their right.
"...Shulk, Roy, Shadow, Greninja, Freddy, Bonnie, Knuckles, and Foxy voted out at the last Tribal Council."
All five of them grinned a bit humorously and the final anthropomorphic animal that got eliminated did the same.
"...Alright..." With a sigh, the host of Survivor began the discussion. "So here we are... Final five. ...Shovel Knight. Last Tribal Council, Foxy was the one on the outs. Even though he did get voted off at the end, he didn't even receive the majority of the votes... You on the other hand..."
He giggled in recollection. "I was the one that was supposed to be voted off, yes. My alliance attempted to make a big move. That's what me and Luigi told Foxy to write down Marth as a way to test Sheik to make sure she wasn't strategizing behind my back to get me out."
Though Foxy shook his head, he still smirked at that.
"I felt that if Sheik was in fact still with me, I didn't want to become paranoid, vote her out for no reason and I'm the guy that ruined everything... But then again, I guess we are both the biggest threats remaining in the game. And we both know it."
"So Zelda, what was Shovel's reaction back at camp?"
"Well, it was a bit... awkward..." She opinionated. "I mean, I don't even blame either of them. Sheik turned on Shovel, Shovel grew suspicious and played an idol and found that her closest ally turned on her. But when he faced her, they... actually shook hands as competitors competing on Survivor. Despite it now being Sheik versus Shovel Knight, they still respected one another and decided to not have this affect their friendly relationship since they've been together for so long. I'm pretty sure Greninja over there wouldn't want them to fight."
The Pokémon smiled warmly.
"So long story short, good sportsmanship?" He questioned.
"Basically." She giggled. "May the best Survivor win... Unfortunately, I can't have a say in this..."
"Why not?"
"...Marth's a swing vote."
Now he was in the center of attention, even raising his hand to confirm Zelda's comment.
"Okay, so Marth's the swing vote..." He understood the situation. "Now Marth, given the events of this game, this isn't your first time being in the swing vote position. You and Zelda were both in the swing vote position before, after you both were on the bottom, and you two chose to vote out Shadow. But then you flipped, Sheik stole your vote making you jump ship, and now here you are again."
"Yes. My game has been rather... all over the place to say the least... But, I guess this time I have to make a decision all on my own." The only swordsman left sighed. "It is Zelda with Sheik, and Luigi with Shovel Knight. Marth Lowell is dead in the center and the emperor now has to dictate who gets their torch snuffed tonight."
"You don't sound too pleased about it..."
"Well, to be honest..." Poor Marth stared down at the ground quivering his head. "it is actually a situation that I didn't want to be in... at least not like this. I am the one emperor that is in a power position, and now I have to choose on which of these two will benefit me the most, and who will I need to get rid of... To decide the future for any individual in this game is rather... cruel in my opinion. I respect each and every one of these players, and it pains to end their life in this way even though that is sort of what Survivor is all about. I've had experiences such as this back in Altea that I do not wish to bring up, but when it comes to this on Survivor, of course I had to figure out what is best for me. And that is how to decide my own fate."
Roy and Shulk both looked a bit saddened by his words.
"I feel that both Shovel and Sheik are just as threatening in their own ways. Shovel Knight has proven to be the social player, while Sheik is the more strategic competitor, and both of them know it. It is a matter of what exactly is right for me, since both of them have their advantages and disadvantages."
"What's best for you." Master Hand 'nodded' understanding where he was coming from. "It's what people commonly say."
"And I understand completely on how they feel. Maybe they don't feel as bad as I am, but I know that quite a few people had to decide their own fate, while basically deciding the fate of other people. So the question to myself is how do I make my decision, and how would that play out for me in the end. Just because I helped vote Shovel out at the last Tribal Council doesn't mean that I plan on working with him for the rest of the game. And even though I've done what Sheik told me to do up to this point, I am now in a position where I could send her home... Very tough spot to be in, master."
"Zelda, like Marth, you have also been in a swing vote position." He pointed out. "But now, it seems that you're on Sheik's side, and now the person who you've worked before, is not only in a position to send Sheik home, but that could also mean that you could very well be out of the loop as far as tonight's vote is concerned. Same with Luigi if Shovel Knight was to get the boot tonight."
"That I am aware of, master. And in comparison to Sheik and Shovel, me and Marth have a close bond as well. And I think it pains Marth because if he is against Sheik, than it could very well hurt my plans, since I also have plans to get to the end." The Zelda character held her hand out to Luigi. "I'm pretty sure Luigi also desires to reach day thirty-nine."
"I do."
"But in the end, this is what we've signed up for. We all applied and we're all contestants of this season. Blindsides and betrayals are simply a part of the game. If anything, is what we ought to expect sometimes, even if we have to make decisions we have no desire to make. So whatever Marth's heart and head lead him, than it is what he should follow when he goes up to that urn tonight."
"Luigi, even though it seems that you never had to deal with being in the swing vote position, how would you feel if you were in Marth's shoes at this moment?"
"...Well, given that I never got to experience personally, I don't know exactly what it feels like." He told him. "However, say if I was in his shoes, even though I would be in a position of power, I would be a bit depressed as well. Sure, you are in a position where you get to control your own fate, however,... these are the people that have been on this island with me for so long, and I like everyone here. And that includes the people over there on the jury."
They all watched him speak.
"The harsh reality is that... I would be the reason why this certain person is not going to win the million dollars." Luigi hated to even say those words, even though he knew it was the truth. "Even if not everyone here cares about the money, being the Sole Survivor is as if it's a million dollars alone. And to end someone's dream, it... it is sort of a hard pill to swallow..."
"Sheik, you're nodding."
"What Luigi said was well put." She backed him up. "I don't know if many people even talk about the consequences of being in the swing vote position. And that also leads to basically every single vote of every single season. We're always voting off people that we might not want to leave even though we have to think for ourselves. ...However, I do agree with Luigi and Marth in the swing vote position. Emotionally, and this is coming from someone who was also never been in a swing vote situation, something tells me that it is without a doubt the worst kind of predicament one can be in. I feel bad for Marth for making this choice, but I'm one of the two that is on the hot seat tonight."
"...Alright. Healthy discussion tonight." Master Hand replied. "And Sheik, you are correct on one thing. In Survivor, when people are believed to be in a swing vote position in the tribe, they typically discuss the advantages that come with it, because you are the least likely to go home, and you are in a position of power. However, it is not that often where survivors actually discuss the disadvantages that go along with it. Emotionally like you say, you'd hate to be the bad guy and vote somebody out for your own benefit, especially if you are fond of that person. So in Marth case, he said that he is fond of everyone remaining in the game. Though at the end of the day, he will have to end somebody's life in the game. ...With that being said,... Marth... Are you ready to that?"
"Might as well be, master..." He nodded, ready to get the show on the road. "I am ready."
"Okay. Final five, get ready. It is time, to, vote. Sheik, you're up."
With a deep sigh, the ninja got up on her feet and wasted no time in getting to the urn to cast her vote, whether she liked him or not.
"Shovel Knight, thank you so much." She wanted to make herself clear. "I'm pretty sure both Greninja and Luigi would want the both of us to stay here, but it's between you and me. I'm glad at what we accomplished out here, and I am proud that the two of us have made it this far. Nothing personal against you whatsoever. Strictly strategic. Maybe by the time this game is done, I will make plans to go to your world and maybe even have a chat with your partner, Shield Knight. I can't wait to meet her."
Luigi was the one that was called up next for the vote, him writing down the ninja's name on his piece of parchment.
Shovel Knight came up next shortly afterwards, making sure he spelt his ally's name right.
"Alright, Sheik... I guess this is it. You or me. Let us put our emotions aside and we'll see how this one goes. May the best survivor win."
With Zelda writing down the name of the shovel wielder, it was now officially time for Marth to make his decision, nearly all eyes staring in his direction.
"..." Shaking his head at the thought of it all, he exhaled, his abdomen already feeling like it was receiving a direct punch.
Regardless of how he was feeling, he had to do it. And he did. He returned to his seat to receive further instructions to the master.
"I'll go tally the votes..."
Upon him going away, now it was Greninja who seemed to be depressed about the situation. Even though Sheik was his number one ally, she did not want either of them to get the boot. It actually made him rather thankful that he was not the one who got to choose who would benefit him most strategically.
Sheik managed to catch his look, who nearly laughed as a result. "It's fine, Greninja."
Master Hand came back.
"If anybody has a hidden immunity idol and you wanna play it, tonight is the last time to do so..."
"..."
"..."
Both Sheik and Shovel Knight appeared to have nothing to offer.
"...Okay. Once the votes are read, the decision is final. Person voted out will be asked to leave the Tribal Council area immediately. I'll read the votes..."
Lowell had no intention on even looking.
"First vote... Sheik."
She curled her lips.
"...Shovel Knight. One vote Sheik, one vote Shovel Knight."
Him exhaling through his nose, Luigi placed a hand on his shoulder for comfort.
Greninja could have never felt more terrible.
"...Shovel Knight. Two votes Shovel Knight, one vote Sheik."
Marth was still not looking up.
"...Sheik. We're tied. Two votes Sheik, two votes Shovel Knight, one vote left..."
"Uh-oh..." Knuckles commented from his spot on the jury.
Zelda paid full attention as Master Hand picked up the final vote, Sheik considering on whether or not she should already grab her bags.
Finally, Marth chose to face his attention to the master as well.
"Sixteenth person voted out of Survivor, and the ninth member of our jury..."
"Shovel Knight."
He breathed out. "Oh well..."
"You need to bring me your torch."
"Guess it's my time to go. I had a marvelous time out here." He got up from his spot and gathered his belongings. "I wish you all good luck for the final immunity challenge."
Before he could make his way over to Master Hand, he ended up receiving a hug from Luigi, before the rest of the castaways embraced him as well one by one.
"I'm sorry..." Marth spoke to him apologetically upon having his turn.
"No, no, it's all good. It's all part of the game. It's alright."
Still, he could be seen briefly wiping a tear from his eye.
"Wait, Shovel, you forgot your torch!" Sheik noticed, grabbing his torch for him and putting it in his hand.
"Oh, thank you. I almost forgot."
That earned a few laughs from the jury, all watching him place it down.
"Say it, master."
If Master Hand had the ability to smile, he certainly would have at that point. "Shovel Knight, the tribe has spoken."
With it being snuffed, the actual knight of the game was officially eliminated.
"Time for you to go."
"Don't worry, everyone." He turned around to wave heading for the stairs. "I'll be back on the jury tomorrow night."
"Bye, Shovel Knight."
"Thanks for everything."
"See ya soon."
"You will be missed."
"Be careful not to fall down the stairs..." Sheik attempted to add a bit of humor to the situation, even if she felt bad for her ally herself.
No other words were spoken as he disappeared from their sights.
"Well, now Shovel Knight is out of the game. But the adventure isn't over yet for the four of you." Master Hand needed to prepare them for their second to last day. "You have all made it this far, but tomorrow you will have your final immunity challenge. I can not wait to find out which of the three of you will make it. You all are gonna need a good night's sleep. Grab your torches, head back to camp. Goodnight."
And with that, the final four Survivor contestants did as what they were told, and exited the tribal one after the other.
"This has been one of the most marvelous experiences I've had in my life. I enjoyed every minute and second of it. For the most part, I've done everything I wanted, and if I could, I'd do it all over again. Now when I go home, I get to add this to one of the many adventures I've had in my life thus far. Thank you, Survivor, for this amazing opportunity."
Votes:
Zelda - Shovel Knight
Marth - Shovel Knight
Luigi - Sheik
Sheik - Shovel Knight
Shovel Knight - Sheik
-/-
3-2
SURVIVOR FINALE
The crowd was cheering louder than ever in support of the recent boot of the season.
"Well, I guess it is safe to say that this is what happens when close allies have to go against each other." Master Hand spoke from the stage. "Shovel Knight unfortunately could not make it to the final four. He had to fall so that Sheik could live and move on to the final immunity challenge. When we come back, we're gonna get to that, and then we will have our final boot of the season, before we have our final three. Don't you go anywhere. We will be right back!"
Honestly, I wasn't expecting this vote to be as emotional as it was. But I guess by the time I actually wrote it, I slowly began to feel sorry for everyone involved, especially everyone who was a part of Chatan Four as well as Marth. Apparently he thought it was best to vote out the more social threat versus the strategic threat. And like he said, both had their advantages and disadvantages.
But anyway, that was part one of the finale. I honestly never expected this chapter to be so long, but actually introducing the finale took more time than I thought it would, contributing to the fact that this is without a doubt the longest chapter of the story so far (will most likely be even longer when the second to last chapter rolls around).
Now it's time to introduce more castaways to you all. The Brain tribe is done, but what about the rest of the tribes you may ask? Well, you may finally have your answer, because the final two castaways that will be on Survivor - Mexico (Brain vs Brawn vs Beauty) are the following: Jet the Hawk from the Sonic the Hedgehog series, and Rosalina from the Super Mario series. Jet for his personality, you know what, both characters for their personality traits. Jet can be more aggressive and competitive, but Rosalina can be known for her social charm with others.
Questions:
1. If you were Marth, who would you pick if you were at that tribal and why?
2. Who is more likely to get the final boot at this point?
As said before, Knuckles's Ponderosa chapter is out! Check it out if you want. Watch my intro for the season on YouTube if you have not already done so, vote for your top players for the season, and I encourage everyone to review! See you all for the final boot of the season!