Survivor - Emperors vs Knights
Chapter 48 - Day 39 Part 2
Well, here it is. The official chapter where the winner is finally going to be revealed. Now in terms of the release dates for this, pther than being five minutes late for this chapter, I've done rather well. Last story I was only late for one chapter in Kodai Island due to laptop charging problems (it wouldn't work right at the time lol). But for this story, not bad at all, even though in case you can't already tell, I do admit I'm struggling a bit to finish this off, with Ponderosa playing a large part of that. (Yeah I know, I have jurors left and here the winner is going to be revealed lol. But hey, I know I have plenty of time to finish those. They will be done no matter what. Regular Survivor series on the TV had Ponderosa videos that are even posted after the reunion show so I am good lol.
So yeah, last time was the introduction of the Final Tribal Council, with the three jurors each making their opening statements to the jury (Shulk, Roy, Shadow, Greninja, Freddy, Bonnie, Knuckles, Foxy, Shovel Knight, and Sheik.) Now with these ten personalities, they will each have their own personal opinions in regards to these finalists. They can either address one of them, or all three of them. And whoever the jury decides to vote for, for whatever reason, they will officially win this season.
And just so you know, last time, the second part of day 39 was officially my longest chapter at the time. Don't be surprised if (or when) this becomes even longer than that. Chapters like these will always be the biggest chapters in this story since it is the moment of truth after all.
With that long beginning author's note out of the way, it is time for us to officially get going. Even more will be stated at the ending author's note when the winner is revealed.
~KF
Final Tribal Council
Night 39
As Master Hand promised, he gave the ten jurors of Survivor - Emperors vs Knights a couple minutes to gather their words together in order to begin addressing the three finalists: Luigi, Marth, and Zelda.
And the host was officially ready to allow them to start once and for all.
"Alright, jury. I believe the final three is ready. Shulk, why don't you get this started?"
"Will do." He sighed getting on his feet before making his way over to stand directly across from the top three finishers of the season. "Okay, guys. Congratulations. Now, before I began addressing, since I'm the first juror here, I feel it's only natural for me to say a couple things first if you don't mind."
"The first thing I wanna say of course, is that I obviously have to give my congratulations to you guys. I'm pretty sure no matter how far everyone went this season including myself, we all really got to finally experience Survivor. I'm pretty sure every last one of us has our reasons to be out here, and the fact that the thirteen of us have this time together alone is everything."
"It's been a pleasure."
"Thanks."
"Thank you, Shulk."
"Now as for the second thing I wanted to say is that to be honest, maybe it was right for me to speak first." He giggled a little. "Because to be honest, I really have no idea who to vote for. There are multiple things that all three of you have that I liked. And I generally enjoyed all three of you. It was worth it spending time with you guys while I was still out there. However, I feel like I have to do something since I'm undecided. So here's some advice to all three of you: in case you don't know already, as much as this game is about lying, cheating, and stealing, since we are going to give one of you a million dollars, that will change someone's life forever, we feel that this is the time to… you know, be honest about your decisions."
"Whatever these guys ask, answer their questions within the best of your ability. You know why? Because all they are doing is their job: they're trying to gather all the information they need to influence their decision. With all due respect to all three of you, I'm pretty sure none of us would desire giving someone the money (and of course, the title of Sole Survivor), when we feel as if somebody is not being truthful, because suppose it was like that, and yet the person sitting beside you was being truthful the entire time, and then we would all regret not giving the money to that person. ...Now I know that clearly none of you are the type to do that."
They all laughed.
"I mean, you all understand what I'm trying to say. Just be confident with your answers and you're good to go. The jury will be doing the thinking from there."
Turning on his heel, he headed back for his spot on the bench.
"Thanks, Shulk…" Time for juror number two. "Roy, you're up."
"Thank you, master..."
Marth was already smirking.
"Well..." The red-haired, Young Lion himself clamped his hands together. "I guess it is time to do my part, now that I have been inactive from the game for a couple weeks. I'd like to take the time to address all three of you. Marth, I'll start with you of course. Early in the game, apparently, Ghirahim made the false assumption that you, me, Peach, Zelda, Mega Man, and Pac-Man were all in this supposed 'Pair Up Alliance', stating that me and you were a pair."
He popped an eyebrow.
"According to Shulk, Freddy, and Shadow, those were his words." He cited his sources. "Yet, even though that clearly was not entirely true, or at least at first, over time, the two of us learned more about each other as the days go on. We are both swordsmen who were both fighting for our lands. And it came to the point where you were indeed my number one ally out here, hence the reason I was eliminated."
"And I had to unfortunately idol you out of the competition." The pain he felt within him was as if it was actually happening again. "It still bothers me that I was the actual target everyone wished to get rid of, only to have you pay the price for my own game..."
He chuckled. "Well if I'm not bothered by it, you shouldn't be either. It is nothing but a game. I'm fine. Really. However, since we were both each other's main ally in the game, you took the time to get to know me, and I took the time to get to know you as well. ...Your game was... kind of a chaotic journey. Was it not?"
"Indeed it was." He nodded. "It is as if it was night and day, hot and cold, up and down, left and right, you name it. My gameplay was all over the place to say the least. One minute things are calm, the next it is the exact opposite."
"And judging by your reaction you clearly never meant for things to turn out the way it did." The younger survivor laughed again. "Though, I have one simple question to ask of you. Simply what were you classified when this game began?"
"An emperor."
"Exactly." He felt there was a point he had to make. "The master stated back on day one that an emperor is always someone that takes matters into his own hands and take advantage of nearly every situation they come across by using any strategy necessary. You even added that it was about taking control of your own fate. And from what I heard from a couple of your fellow jurors here, of... how well you actually lived up to your name."
"Just think about it. You found the tribe's hidden immunity idol, you've been sent to Exile Island multiple times, you have been on the bottom with me and Zelda, only to have the both of you be at the most powerful position at the very next tribal, you flipped from Chatan, you were force to flip back to Chatan, and by the words of my fellow jurors, you apparently used Knuckles in order to increase your position in the Chatan Alliance. And that I believe was what stuck out to me."
Still feeling the shame from falling for it, the echidna shook his head with a sarcastic grin.
"...That was your intention, right?" He just wanted to make sure. "To use Knuckles in order to help your ownself out there?"
"Correct..." The Altean warrior confirmed.
"I thought so. And then to top it all off, in spite of everything that went on in your game, both you and Zelda are sitting at that final three, against all odds that the both of you have faced. The both of you even outnumbered the amount of knights in that final three, when the both of you outlasting everybody despite the circumstances. You say that it was not your intention for things to be that way for you, Marth, though what you probably do not realize is that you basically played the emperor card extremely well out here. You truly lived up to it, and that is pretty much all I have to say."
He smiled warmly with a sigh. "Thank you, Roy. I appreciate it. Perhaps I can invited you to travel to Altea."
"That would be wonderful..." His head then turned to the brunette. "Now as for you, Zelda, like I just told Marth, you went from the bottom of the totem pole, to where you are sitting right now. If I had to be the sacrifice for that, then so be it. Seeing you reach the end of the game was also rather satisfying to watch. You were targeted quite often in this game. Now I will say this: even though that to me sounds more like a knight, I would be downright foolish if I said that was your fault, because it was not. It is Survivor. It is not as if we can predict the future of what our games would become. And also, adjusting from emperor to knight is not bad at all. If anything, that is a great transition. Like you said in your opening statement: sometimes stepping into other's shoes is necessary for something. And what stands out is that you clearly proved to be a smart player out here, both making subtle and big strategic moves in order to get by. You even won a couple immunity challenges, proving even more that you could also be a knight. That being said, you have my upmost respect as well."
"Thank you, Roy."
"Anytime." Finally he went onto the only original Chatan member. "Luigi, like the other two, you had a great story out there. And like Marth, you also lived up to your name really well in your own way. You stepped up in the first challenge, you won the first immunity challenge, you overcame so many personal obstacles, and you bonded with your brother on that family visit reward, who is quite literally your big inspiration. Is that true?"
"Indeed he is. I'll say yes to that a thousand times over." He nodded greatly. "Mario is the reason of who I am today. He always gives me that extra push that I need at times whenever I feel down. So now that I have completed my thirty-nine day adventure here, I can show Mario of how far I have come."
"I'm sure he would love it." Roy reassured him. "Being the last of the knights with a story such as yours is worth looking at. However, there is something that I want to say here."
"?"
"You know, after the merge occurred, specifically after Shulk was blindsided, it took for me to be on the bottom of the totem pole with Marth and Zelda against nine other people to realize that I have been doing something wrong..." He admitted with all eyes staring him down. "And it is something that I regret to this day, since for all I know, this could be both my first and last time playing a game such as this. Since I am only one of the twenty players this season, knowing what it is like to be out here, and knowing how exciting it is that we all had such a rare opportunity to compete in a game such as this, when you're out here for thirty-nine days, you might as well take the time to get to know people... And I believe I have found that out the hard way."
"I realized that I was not actually getting to know my tribemates enough. All I was caring about was getting to the next day with some sort of game plan so that I would not be voted out. Of course I didn't give up on that day, but when I realized that my chances of surviving have greatly decreased after Shulk's departure, it really occurred to me. I should have been bonding with my tribemates heck of a lot more. That's why I approached you and Knuckles that day, because at the time I felt we didn't really had that much of a relationship going. I felt a bit ashamed because in a game like Survivor, it is not really that difficult to share a couple conversations here and there with others, especially since you... have to basically for obvious reasons."
"So for you in particular, I am afraid you share a similar problem. Outside of your core alliance with Greninja, Shovel Knight, and Sheik, you never really bonded or interacted people outside of that, especially with whoever was on the bottom, whether it was the old emperors or... the Pirate Crew alliance..."
Though Foxy's laugh was nothing but a snicker, he really wanted to laugh out loud in front of everybody.
"But really. I mean, if you desire to have the jury vote for you, at least take the time to get to know each and every single one of these people up here, and not just the ones you were closest with. That is... pretty much why Shovel Knight became a threat for his social game. Perhaps it you would have followed his example, than you would have became a bit more of a threat."
Luigi actually took the time to think about it.
"Thanks, Roy." Master Hand watched Roy head backs to his spot. "Shadow, you're up."
"Let's get this over with." He made his way over to face the three. "Alright, here goes. Now before I start, as much as I desire to sit in the finals, I should at least give you the respect that you all have made it when I haven't. That alone should be an accomplishment for all of you."
If that was Shadow the Hedgehog's way of giving his congratulations to the three remaining survivors, they all took note and took them with no hesitation.
"You know the saying of how you could kill two birds with one stone?"
"That I'm aware of..." commented Marth.
"Good, because tonight I'm going for three. I'm going to address all three of you at once and then I'll decide if I want to add any additional comments." He said. "Now, in my opinion, I believe all three of you relied on Sheik in some way."
She had a fist beneath her chin eyeing her former opponent in the game.
"The three of you at different points rode her coattails in such unique ways. However, not saying that it was always a bad thing." Shadow wanted to avoid any potential misunderstanding before he went on. "Marth, for example, he actually played smart. He literally had no choice but to do whatever Sheik says. I would have done the same thing, as much as I might have hated. As long as I didn't get voted out, that was what I would have done. Zelda on the other hand, had nowhere else to go. Her power was taken away when Marth flipped on her, and she had to rely on Sheik for backup to guarantee her stay, with even Marth helping her stay as well, so she was probably never going home no matter what. However, in spite of the two of us not being on the same page, at least I can say that Zelda had to fight to get to the finals in her own way. And she did. I have no problems with her gameplay. Our personalities, gameplay,... but mostly our personalities didn't really seem to connect really well. And I'm pretty sure Zelda knows that.
She blinked.
"I doubt we would ever really get along, but I still gotta pay my respects. You fought hard." He folded his arms and moved onto Luigi. "For Luigi, I felt that he rode the coattails of the one who carried the alliance, which was Sheik. Had it not been for her, I really do not know if any of the final three would be sitting there. But for Luigi, he actually rode the coattails of Shovel Knight more than Sheik. He was his number one ally, yet for the entire game, I do not recall him making a single strategic move of any way, shape, or form. What has he actually done? ...Anything outside of Shovel Knight's permission?"
"...But, that was kind of the point of my strategy. That is exactly why I chose to stay silent and just do whatever people told me to do to avoid being targeted." Luigi defended himself. "I knew that the loudest ones were going to be targeted first, so if I didn't choose to be quiet for my advantage, then I'm Luigi, public enemy number one."
"And you took it too far. I watch Survivor as well; I am well aware that the 'under the radar' strategy exists. Though there's a difference between under the radar and not being on the radar at all. My alliance wanted to blindside you at eleven due to you being the least likely to have an idol in your pocket. And I literally told them that I thought it was not a smart move since you were not a threat... but I decided they were right anyway. I felt that you were never really a threat in the game at all for a reason. At least Shovel Knight found an idol and actually became a threat because there was at least something about him that everyone could relate to..." His eyes pointed at the ground for a moment. "...including me..."
Marth and Zelda looked rather surprised as Shovel Knight glanced off to the side a bit.
"I ended up having a private conversation with him because I needed to vent with someone since I was mad at Marth and Zelda for almost blindsiding me in Roy's place..." He recalled. "I told him that it is almost as if no one is ever satisfied no matter what decision I make, whether it be in game in real life. I would not go into details of the latter, but eventually he told me that no matter what I had to do, he told me to never stop trying to achieve whatever I was trying to accomplish. So basically in other words, don't give up. It's simple, true, but I felt it was what I needed to hear. So, I had to continue to fight and live up to my own game no matter how many times I was targeted. ...But with Shovel telling me that he had to use every ounce in his body to achieve his goals, that was something I could relate to... So overall, I haven't completely decided on who to vote for, though I will be thinking about until I go up to that urn over there. That is all."
"Thanks, Shadow... Greninja?"
"Let's do this..." Up on his feet, he nimbly made his way over to face his fellow competitors. "Alright, everyone. Congrats on you all being the chosen three that made it all the way to the end when everyone else including myself couldn't. I have something that I want to ask all three of you, but you all are getting the same question. Luigi, since we were both in the same alliance, we had a tighter bond than I had with Zelda and Marth, so you are going to be first tonight... And I probably already know at least a bit of your answer, but I'm gonna ask anyway: what obstacles exactly have you gone over?"
"..." He blinked. "You mean in the game or outside the game?"
"I mean, it could be either or, but I'm leaning towards gameplay."
"I guess I'll talk about what obstacles I have overcome in the game." Mario's brother decided. "So during the days of this Survivor adventure, I had feelings of nervousness, anxiety, and a bit of paranoia. Sure for basically everyone here, we are all paranoid at some point since we don't want to be voted off."
"And look what happened to me." He snickered.
"Haha, yeah. But in my real life, since Mario unintentionally gets most of the attention, because of him interacting the people of the Mushroom Kingdom the most, I think it led to me not having as many social skills like he has. And since social strategy and bonding is ninety-nine percent of this game, I knew overcoming my anxiety was one thing I had to do. Thus, I approached Shovel Knight. And he tells me that you and Sheik were the right people to talk to, because you two were the ones that he was already getting along and bonding with."
"And as a result, time and time again it proved that it was the right choice to make, so I went the extra mile and I made sure I stayed close with all three of you, and it... came to the point to where we were called the 'Chatan Four.'"
Some members of the jury laughed including Sheik, Shovel Knight, and Greninja himself.
"And sure, we had to cannibalize each other at times, but for the work we did put in, I am quite proud of, especially since in the end, the Chatan Alliance ended up winning the war (no offense for those who were on the other side of course). But getting back to the point, due to those close relationships that we established, comparing myself from the early days of the game to now, I can say that I have evolved. I know there is no changing overnight, but every night that passes, I feel like I am making great progress. So..." He held his hand out. "I guess I gotta thank you, Greninja. You, Sheik, and Shovel Knight really made my adventure heck of a lot easier."
He actually blushed. "I... I'm glad I had the opportunity to be part of your Survivor life. I have no doubts that our friendship will last forever. ...So Zelda, what about you? What obstacles did you have to overcome?"
"Well,... I suppose as far as that goes, I would have to go back to what my real life was back in Hyrule before I came out here. Perhaps it was the main reason to why I was classified as an emperor in this game. ...Hyrule had... quite a few hardships. There were a couple natural disasters, and even a couple attacks that occurred. And I am not exaggerating when I say that Hyrule suffered quite a bit as a result. I... I just did want to see Hyrule in the state that it was any longer, and I always wanted to best for my people... So it..." She sighed, trying to pull herself together. "I am about to get emotional at the Final Tribal Council..."
"It's okay." Greninja shook his head. "If you need to let something out, go ahead and do it. This is about being vulnerable, so crying is not a crime. We're all with you."
"Thank you..." She went on. "So I became known as one of the main people that helped Hyrule get back on its feet. Not just for giving my fellow Hyrulians enough motivation, but to also show them that the best thing to do was to always look forward. Some of them were not in the best of moods, feeling as if things were never going to get better for us, so I had to show them and give them the extra push that they needed. So when it relates to Survivor,... I felt that I probably had to give my own self the extra push that I needed. Keep going and look forward."
"Never give up." He smiled warmly. "You know what they say... You can do anything if..."
"You can do anything if you set your mind to it."
Almost all members of the jury clapped in applause.
"Exactly." It was time for Greninja to move on to the swordsman of the trio. "Marth. Now out of the three here, I think I don't know as much about you as I want to. Probably because of the fact that I've known Luigi since day one, and I have known Zelda since the swap. Thus, I doubt I am that much aware of the personal obstacles you had to face. So if there is anything obstacle you felt you had to get over, we are all listening."
"Long story short, basically similar to Zelda's." Though Marth Lowell knew he had to elaborate anyway. "I would also need to go back to what occurred in my life outside of Survivor back in Altea. After my father's death, I had to lead an entire army in order to save Altea. It was not something I ever dreamed, or at least not at the time. However,... the last thing I wanted was to see Altea go down. I was never going to allow that on my watch. Thus, I knew I had to do what I had to do. With the extra support of my brothers and sisters in Altea, I was able to give it my all, overcome my enemies and obstacles along the way."
"Thus, when it compares to Survivor, since my game was all over the map, the main obstacle I had to get over is basically a lesson. When you set goals for anything you try to achieve, you must stop at nothing to achieve them. My goal back in the day was to make Altea victorious, my goal out here was to become the Sole Survivor. Though even if I am not the winner for the season, then my goal would have simply been to find a way to reach the end... No matter what it took... And despite everything that happened, I am sitting here."
"Well, I don't know how the votes are gonna be for the season, but from what I heard according to Master Hand, the person who always got sent to Exile Island after a swap, has never won the game. We swapped at sixteen, and you had to head back to Exile Island. So if you are the Survivor Gods' chosen one, you would officially re-write Survivor history."
He nodded with a grin. "That is quite interesting."
"All three of you have given me great answers. I will take the time to think about all three of them."
"Thanks, Greinja..." Now it was time for the first FNAF character to step up. "Freddy, you're up."
Time for juror number five. "Well, hello everyone. Congrats on outlasting all the others out here. Though I really want to give both Marth and Zelda a shout out. Before the Shulk Tribal Council took place, due to me being targeted by the Knights Alliance, my life was on the line out here. Yet thanks to the Pirate Crew, I ended up staying even longer. However, I had to pay the price by flipping on you two and Roy, putting the rest of my fellow emperors in an even more dangerous situation."
Foxy and Bonnie grinned.
"You both were given the option to work with us, or against us, and because of Shadow, you chose the latter because you two thought that he was not meant to be trusted. However, it was not the main highlight when it came to blindsiding him in my opinion. The most interesting part was that you two took him out despite the old emperors already being at a huge disadvantage at the time. By the time he left, you two and I were the only three emperors left... But somehow, against all odds, there are more emperors than knights at the final three. So..." He actually clapped a couple times. "Great job, you two. I'm pretty sure neither of you even expected to be sitting there, but if you made it to the end, you've made it to the end."
"Thank you, Freddy." Zelda stated.
"It was a pleasure starting on the same tribe as you." Marth beamed.
"Now for you, Zelda, I have something that I want to ask you in particular. Of the three of you sitting there, me and you had the closest relationship. I was struggling a bit out on the island where we all started. Not that I was shy or anything, just that I was struggling to adapt because I was curious to what people thought of me basically. That part at the final nine, where Sheik apparently asked you on who would you rather work with since you were on the outs. It was between me and Marth, and apparently you chose to keep him in over me. Kind of unfortunate on my part, since if I stayed, it kind of would have went in an alternate direction for the season, since otherwise, Marth would have been voted out and Sheik would have took my vote, explaining that the bond between you and Marth was stronger than me with you. So was it because of the fact that the both of you being on the outs at first who then became swing votes that strengthened the relationship between the two of you?"
Marth even had the nerve to eye Zelda directly.
"Well, yes." She was not hesitant giving her answer. "Now me and Marth both had our ups and down. And honestly, us two being on the outs with Roy did in fact drew us closer than ever, especially when me and Marth became two crucial swing votes. So because of that history, that was what made me tell Sheik that I'd rather keep him over you."
"Fair enough." Her answer was satisfying in his opinion. "Just don't think I'm trying to be jealous or anything because you chose him over me."
That caused a few giggles from people.
"Now for Marth, we talked a bit, yes. But I don't think our relationship really started to get places until the day where I was set to be voted off. Though as Zelda said, the bond between the two of you was undoubtedly one of the most crucial relationships throughout this entire game. And this has to come up at some point. What exactly were your thoughts on the Greninja blindside where you flipped on the Chatan Alliance? Especially since minutes before tribal, you told me who was the target of my alliance which resulted in me playing the idol correctly."
"Allow me to explain." He began. "Shadow was blindsided out of the game because me and Zelda found him to be too untrustworthy to keep around. He already backstabbed the emperors twice. Though for me, he was the only reason why I agreed with Zelda to vote out someone from your alliance. So I never really thought that we were in a good position at all in the Chatan Alliance. I've tried to get Zelda to turn and flip with me, but we weren't seeing eye to eye at the time. Thus, I chose to flip by myself in order to protect her. I went back in the majority, and I whispered to Zelda that I was going to make sure she stayed in the game given the chance that your alliance brings her up to the surface."
"Alright, then. That's a good answer." Freddy faced the master. "Well, guess that's it for me."
"Thanks, Freddy. Bonnie, you're up next."
"Coming..." Juror number six was up. "Alright. I think this is my time to stand up and speak for all the under the radar players out here. So clearly I am not the most aggressive player up here. But in spite of that, I believe both my biggest move and subtle move was when I threw Luigi's name out there at the final eleven as the target for that Tribal Council."
Luigi widened his eyes. "Wait... You did it?"
"Yep. That was me." He stated with a sigh. "I briefly threw your name out there for multiple reasons. I didn't want to come into the final three with a blank résumé, you were the safest option in your alliance since we had no idea if you guys were gonna get suspicious or not, and I figured that if the Pirate Crew had to cannibalize each other (that is if we actually made it far enough), I would be the last targeted because I wouldn't be seen as the most aggressive player so that I had the chance to make it further the most. How ever, in Cambodia, one of the jurors questioned the final three on what their most subtle move was in the game. So for this season, I will be doing the same thing. I'll start with... Zelda."
"Hmm... I think I remember a few moves that were made so subtly..." She placed a fist beneath her chin in thought. "I'm trying to figure out which one of them stood out the most... I would say that it was probably when after I won the immunity challenge, Master Hand announced that there was going to be one more reward for the season last minute, so I recruited both Marth and Sheik. Due to their unique positions in the alliance, I wanted the two to settle their differences strategically, ensuring that we were all going to be loyal to one another for at least a couple more votes... And... I guess it actually worked until Sheik became too big of a threat to keep around at four."
She chortled a bit from her spot on the bench.
"However, I think the most subtle one of them all was when I was asked by Sheik of who I wanted to keep around: either Marth or Freddy. Since me and Marth had a stronger relationship than I had with Freddy, I figured that he was more likely to stay loyal to me strategically, especially since I was in a bad spot when Greninja got eliminated."
"Good choices." He nodded in satisfaction. "Marth?"
"Alright, I believe my most subtle move was made after I ended up being in one of the most awkward positions when it comes to being in an alliance after the Freddy blindside. I was held hostage by Chatan, and it seemed that there was nothing I could do about it. So in order to increase my power in the alliance, as you all already know, while you were at the Loved Ones visit, I manipulated Knuckles into him thinking that him flipping would mean that the two of us could work together, since I knew that Knuckles still trusted me at the time."
Though smirking, he exhaled through his nose and shook his head out of regret.
"However, the real plan was that the move would benefit me more than it did him, since Knuckles later faced backlashed for flipping as he was called out by Foxy after the Tribal Council." He recalled. "Meanwhile, I informed my alliance of him flipping and we came up with a plan to split the votes between Bonnie and Foxy to ensure my loyalty. And in spite of me only working with Knuckles for one more tribal, overall, I was left undetected."
"Okay, so even though you clearly wanted to work with my alliance a little more, you are partly the reason why I got voted out." The anthropomorphic bunny grinned. "I mean, I blame most of my elimination on my buddy Foxy,"
He even had the nerve to own up to it by beaming the biggest move and bobbing his head up and down greatly, causing a few laughs to be heard.
"but I thought that was a good strategic plan. That's how you play double agent. Good work."
"I thank you."
"Luigi?"
"Honestly, the main thing I can think of is aligning with Shovel Knight, which helped me align with the Sheik and Greninja, forming the Chatan Four altogether. And now, look what happened." It was there was a definition for 'keeping it simple', Luigi's face would have appeared right next to it.
"Well,... can't say that is not true." Bonnie Roberts agreed. "Your alliance did prove victorious in the end, even though you are the only original member of the Chatan Four with two people who joined later. I'll give you props for that... Alright, master. That's it from me."
"Thanks, Bonnie... Knuckles?"
"Let's do this..." The echidna with dreads made his way over. "Well,... Hello guys. I feel like I gotta say something to all three of you. This is the first and most likely only time us four got to play together, depending on whoever comes back for a future All Star season or whatever. Luigi, I'll start with you first. I initially didn't know what to say with you, but thanks to Roy, now I do. I gotta admit it. And it pains me to say this because I'm pretty sure we all want the best for you, since I know what it is like to be an underdog in life, especially given my... 'childhood' past. The other jurors here already know what I've gone through, but I'll tell ya later afterwards since for now I want to get to the point. The viewers will already know about what happened with me since I've explained the details of it in a confessional."
"But anyway, Roy made some pretty valid points about your social game. Now, he wasn't on the same tribe with you until the swap where you two were on Motobu together, so that already cost some time for any relationship between the two of you. However, I started on the exact same tribe as you on day one, and throughout the entire game, I can still say that we never really connected at all that much for the thirty something days we were together. That's why I snapped at your alliance when Shadow got voted off. Though at least your closest allies acknowledged me for at least a bit. Nonetheless, the probably with you four is that it was dead obvious that it was about you four and you four only on the Chatan tribe."
Greninja, Sheik, and Shovel Knight stared at Knuckles directly without uttering a word.
"However, of the four of you, I think that you were without a doubt the most silent. Literally the only people who you have shown to care about are Greninja, Sheik, and Shovel Knight. Most of the time you only spoke to me was when you were spoken directly to, where as your own ally, Shovel Knight, was quite literally the exact opposite. And of the four of you, he was the most social with everyone. So he... gets a small pass."
The knight blinked.
"But with you, I simply can't say the same. And don't get me wrong. Even though I have more of a, um... aggressive personality, at least I am not afraid to have at least a couple conversations with everyone here and there." He allowed the plumber to think it over as his eyes shifted to Zelda. "Now as for you Zelda, even though we butted heads a couple times, you've proven to be a force to be reckoned with. After everything you've gone through, you lived up to be a knight, rather than an emperor. I think that'll be interesting to watch on TV even though you don't have one at home."
She chuckled at that.
"However,... even though you seem to be a good person, I think after the Freddy blindside when you worked with Sheik to decide who you'd rather go out with to the prom and all,..."
Both Freddy and Marth widened their eyes as literally everyone else (including Master Hand) laughed.
"But, seriously." Yet Knuckles had to stay on point. "Even though you were proven to be a strategic player, I believe after that Freddy vote, you... kinda took a step back as if almost completely turned your strategic game down. I mean, sure there was a couple subtle move in places, but basically I felt that the rest of your game was doing whatever Sheik told you to do until you got rid of her last minute. ...But then again, you did get rid of her when you needed to, so... I think I'll let you slide with that. ...But answer this: was turning down your strategy by a few notches your plan the rest of the game?"
"To put it briefly, probably not." She admitted. "And... you are correct. My strategy took a step back a bit for the most part. Though I believe I was more focused on rebuilding my relationship with Marth in order for the two of us to stay in touch strategically. Long story short, for the rest of the game I believed it was more about my social game rather than my strategic game. And also, this is probably because of the fact that back in the pre-merge, it was where I was the most targeted, especially at the Peach vote and the Pac-Man vote. Post-merge, there were bigger threats both alliances had to get rid of."
Nodding as if he thought she had a valid point, for him, Marth was last, but simply not least.
"Marth,... hmm..." Folding his arms, he actually formed a smirk. "I gotta say that in comparison to Zelda, your game actually kicked up. Worst case scenario, you would have just cowardly rode Sheik's coattails to the very end thinking that she would be ticked at you for getting rid of her, and that you would have lost all respect for the jury even though the whole advantage thing wasn't your fault. So we would have been in the wrong for that. And yet, you had the guts to make some decisions to increase your power in the Chatan Alliance not being afraid to work behind the scenes for your own benefit... and going as far as manipulating me. And yeah, I'll admit it. I was a fo-... a Knucklehead as a very wise man have said... countless times. Not just once."
Once again there were snickers that sounded from the jury bench.
"I actually have quite a bit of respect for you. Especially just now when you said that you will stop at nothing to achieve your goal. You may have been down at the time after Freddy's elimination, but you have very much proven that you were not going down without a fight. Just my style. I wasn't going down without a fight after my buddy Shadow got blindsided. Hopefully the producers will put a hashtag, 'Justice for Shadow' at the bottom of the screen again.
Shadow smirked heavily, even with somewhat of an evil look.
#JusticeforShadow
"Judging by how things played out, you are clearly a strong person... And that is... pretty much all I have to say."
"Thanks, Knuckles."
"Thank you, Knuckles..." That actually made Marth so happy, he was struggling to hold back tears. Yet he desired to let Knuckles know how he felt. "I really appreciate it. That means a lot to me..."
"Foxy?"
"Okay..." He stood up and walked over to face the finalists. "Well,... congratulations. The captain of this crew didn't make it, but you three did. My plan for tonight was to direct my comments mostly at Marth and Luigi. However, when it comes to Marth, Knuckles and Roy stole the words right outta my mouth. So Marth, I don't think you need to hear it twice. You are quite the player. Your entire gameplay screamed emperor all over it, and you without a doubt should be proud of that.
His smile was still there. "Much appreciated, Foxy. I suppose it was meant to be when it came to me being on the Emperors tribe after all."
"It was. And for you, Zelda, you do seem to be a hybrid of both an emperor and a knight in a way. You're an emperor in your real life, yet in game, you have proven to be more of a knight, yet still be classified as an emperor. So that was kinda neat. You have every right to be proud of yourself."
"Thank you." She nodded.
He nimbly moved on. "Now as for you, Luigi, now... I wanna say something. Let's get this out the way... So I called out Knuckles the other night after Bonnie had to leave the game because of him making a dumb, pointless move. Big moves are necessary, but sometimes people take it to far, and are blinded by the fact that Survivor isn't all about big moves to begin with, especially in the early seasons. Times have changed now, but people like 'Brussel Hants' fail to understand to this day. You don't have to make ten million big moves and flips in order to get the cash."
"However, I think what some of these people are trying to say is that at the same time, it doesn't mean do the exact opposite by not doing anything at all."
"..."
"Now I understand that for the most part there was not much you could do, but at the same time, your strategic game was almost non-existent, your social game wasn't as strong as Shovel Knight, or probably anyone in the Chatan Four, and you have won no challenges. So there isn't really much to go on here. Sure, we can all say that you had a good story about the relationship you had with your brother and you overcoming your personal obstacles, but that is pretty much all you have. I would like to think of reasons to why you were a threat in the season, but for the most part, outside of being a safe vote at times, people didn't consider you to be a threat at all for a reason. It's not like it as between you and Sheik, but it was between Shovel Knight and Sheik. They were the biggest threats in your alliance. Greninja was already out of the game at the time. But I think the thing is, you were so busy being worried about what people thought of you, as well as evolving your character to overcome your obstacles, you likely forgot that you needed to have some sort of résumé when it comes to facing the jury."
He sighed in reply. "...I... I can take criticism. I don't want anyone thinking that I can't take any criticism, because that's why we're all here..."
"See, the thing is with me, I guess my story out here is of me trying to figure out how can I balance my strategic game with my social game. I wanted to make some moves whenever they were necessary to make, yet at the same time make real, legit friendships out here, and I actually did kill two birds with one stone. That being said, it's all about having some middle ground here. Making pointless, dumb moves don't cut it, but at times, relying on nothing but your personal story isn't enough either."
"Thanks, Foxy... Shovel Knight?"
"I'm on my way..."
Luigi had his gaze on him the entire time.
"Hello, you three!" He greeted happily. "Before I start, I just wanted to say that since it's been well known that each and every last one of us has our own, individual stories out here, my own story revolved around this whole thing being just another adventure for Shovel Knight. You all are already aware of some of the things me and my partner accomplished."
"But if I have to say one thing, it would be this: this game is more than just an adventure. I have to say that it was quite something for me. I have never connected with as many people at once in a while, which is basically the whole thing in the first place. I have made great friendships out here, with ones that I will never forget, while at the same time facing such harsh conditions such as limited food and supplies, competing in brutal challenges, costing multiple people a million dollars every time someone had to be voted off, and surviving under constant paranoia, with barely even getting sleep at night... Not to mention that it rained quite a bit. So... it has been an absolute pleasure on meeting every last one of year. I have stories to tell Shield about every person that I have interacted with out here, and I am sure she'll be glad to hear about all of them."
He received many thanks from not just the final three alone, but also his fellow jurors.
"Now with that out of the way, for my jury duty, not knowing exactly how to vote, I chose to be the listener and the observer for the most of it. Like Shulk, I am a bit undecided. However, I simply have one thing to say, and that is for Luigi... And by the looks of it, you're ready for it. You're smiling already."
Indeed he was.
"I... I don't even know where to start to be honest. I suppose we can go back to the moment you approached me looking for not just an ally in the game, but also a friend. I took you in without hesitance, and suggested that you talk with Sheik and Greninja, and the story went on from there. I didn't even have to be at your first tribal in order for you to survive. And to be honest, while I was on exile, I was actually worried sick about you. It would have been hard on you if you would have been the first eliminated from your tribe. Realistically speaking, thinking logically on there, as much as I wanted you to survive, I actually doubt you would actually make it... Say a twenty-five percent chance..."
He nodded as if he understood. Luigi had no reason to blame him.
"But the moment when I found out that Cloud was eliminated, I was surprised, but glad. You were offered a second chance, and from that point on, we bonded more than ever before, until I had to be eliminated at five. To summarize everything, you really have grown throughout the past thirty-nine days. I am not lying when I said that I was planning on taking you to the end so that the both of us would be sitting there, but perhaps it is more poetic in your case, considering that I had to leave the game. I got voted out, and now you are sitting right there. And one thing that really almost had me emotional is when you compared me to your blood related older sibling... It touched my heart."
The moment after that sentence was spoken, Shovel immediately began to receive looks of empathy from the jury.
"...Overall, to summarize it in one sentence,... I am proud of you."
"Thanks, Shovel Knight." Luigi quickly wiped any potential tears that were set to escape his eyelids. "You will always be one of the closet friends I have ever had."
"...Well,..." He faced the master. "that is it for me, then. It is an honor having me here, master."
"Glad to have you Shovel Knight." Master Hand clearly never had the ability to smile due to his lack of a face. Though anyone with a brain knew that even he had feelings. "Alright, Sheik. Finish this off..."
Placing a hand on Shovel Knight's shoulder as she stood up, she had to make the longest trip over to the same spot where all the other jurors stood.
"Okay, final three." She placed her hands on her hips. "Since I am last in line, I'd figure I would finish this strong. Though I have no questions, I do want to address you guys. Zelda, I'll start with you first... You know, I think it still is something that we have never met."
"I agree." She could not have agreed more. "I absolutely agree."
"I am no stranger to being aware of the 'Downfall of Hyrule' as they call it. But somehow, I have never even heard of your name before. But nonetheless, that was a head start to our connection. The Survivor Gods clearly wanted us to be close allies. That's why we were both on Chatan together post-swap. Although, I know that you know that while we were on Chatan, you were at one of your lowest points in your adventure aside from the three versus nine situation."
"You're not wrong." Zelda knew that Sheik understood what she gone through.
"And then after that, you were in a position of power, and then you saved my entire alliance without us even knowing that we were in grave danger to begin with. I don't know how much you thought of it, but I... felt like I owed ya something, you know? So, we talked about what we were gonna do about Marth and Freddy, and everyone here knows the rest. And like how Shovel Knight bonded with Luigi, I bonded with you as well. So... hopefully we can finally see each other in Hyrule. I'll make arrangements."
She giggled. "Hopefully we'll see each other again soon."
"Luigi," The ninja immediately moved on. "congrats on being the only member from not just the original Chatan Four alliance, but for also being literally the only one of the Knights Tribe in the final three. You outlasted all nine of us... that really is something."
"Thank you." He said with a smirk.
"You really outlasted every one on your tribe, even though you received votes at your first Tribal Council. You really have come a long way. And I would say more, but the rest of what I was going to say, Shovel Knight basically already said." Thus, she moved onto Marth. "Marth... Well?"
He was not afraid of laughing.
"Despite what happened at nine, and despite you 'being held captive' in my alliance, you still outsmarted me in a way... You are just unstoppable. That's pretty much it, really."
"Honestly I am shocked myself that I was able to pull it off in the end in terms of me getting here."
"You really are something." She turned her head from side to side. "I mean, there's pretty much nothing else that needs to be said... People at home are probably gonna say that Sheik made one of, if not the biggest move of the season only to have Marth outlast her in the end."
That proved to be quite humorous to the jury.
"Well,... I guess it is what it is. We're all gonna go to the reunion show and laugh. I'm out."
"Thanks, Sheik." Master Hand was ready to move on. "Alright, jury. You all had your chance to address Luigi, Zelda, and Marth, and now we're going to hear their final statements. And then... we vote. Final three, this is your last chance to say anything that wasn't said already in case you feel that these jurors aren't on your side. Marth?"
"Hmm..." Marth thought for a moment. "Well, I can say that it was a pleasure sharing this experience with every single one of you. The whole living up to your tribe name thing never really occurred to me. I was thinking of more of just my gameplay being pulled in all sorts of directions. I never thought that it was going to be quite chaotic and all over the place... Yet if you all feel that it is how an emperor lives up to his name, than I guess I have to thank you all."
Roy nodded.
"Even though playing the best game is key to getting the votes, honestly speaking, when I started off, it was more about making genuine relationships in my opinion, since I was not the only one that was competing in a season. We all know of the conditions we have to face... And to really make it all the way, I of course can not ask for anything better. So it really is something to be here facing all of you. I can not wait until the finale where all twenty of us would be seated together."
"Luigi?"
"Alright..." He honestly struggled to find his words, yet they came to him last minute. "...I... I appreciate you all taking the time to share your honest thoughts of me and my game. I enjoyed these thirty-nine days out here, yet I would not have enjoyed them as much as it was not for you all. Shovel Knight, Sheik, and Greninja, you guys mean a lot to me, and definitely played a role in making my Survivor experience fun and exciting."
An already proud Shovel Knight was beaming more than ever, as well as his other two close allies.
"It really was worth it coming out here. They saved me for last when it came to me and my brother, and perhaps it really was for a good reason. Of course outlasting all the knights was something that I never expected in a million years, yet here I sit talking to you all in attempt to become the Sole Survivor. And yes, some of you did say that my game could have been a bit better, yet like I told Foxy, I accept criticism, so that if I ever had any chance of returning, maybe it could mean something. So overall, it's been a pleasure."
"Zelda?"
She sighed. "Going from emperor to a knight appears to be what most of you thought of my game, and I might as well take it. Being an emperor and a knight is as if I am living in two different places at once."
"And..." The brunette took a moment to eye both Marth and Luigi individually. "I guess each one of us is unique in this final three. Marth lived up to be an emperor, Luigi lived up to be a knight, and you all think that I lived up to be both when it comes to real life and out here. Yes, clearly this was not my overall plans, nor was it how I intended to play, but whatever happened, happened. I took control at one point, and then I had to fight to stay alive out here multiple times. And to still be here even surprised myself. I do not come into the game expecting myself to reach the final three, yet the moment when I found out that I was going to be part of it, it really is an honor to reach this point, even when my plan was to simply survive day by day just to avoid going home."
"I have learned a lot throughout the past thirty-nine days, yet what I learned the most is that Survivor will live on forever and that it will always have a place in my heart. I really mean it when I say that it's been a wonderful time out here. You all have seen me at my highest highs and lowest lows... And in my opinion, that is what Survivor is all about..."
"...Alright... Jury, final three," The time has come. "great Final Tribal Council. Very healthy discussion here. Jury, you have heard everything you needed from Zelda, Luigi, and Marth, and you three have heard everything you needed in return. This will be the final time you will be voting this season, and keep in mind, you are voting for, a, winner... That being said, for the last time, it is time to vote... Shovel Knight, you're up."
"I suppose this means goodbye..." And the shovel wielder was off, taking his time to get down from the bench and making his way up to the urn, the same urn in which he would never have his hands on again.
Bonnie was called up next to cast his vote, followed by Knuckles, Shadow, and Roy, the latter making sure he wrote his number one ally's name in big letters.
"If I can compare Luigi and Shovel Knight, it would be us two. We also had a sibling like connection out here; one that I will always remember. You've really shown me an example out here. And I believe it is truly an honor to vote for you as my winner. Take care of your people and stay strong."
Afterwards, Foxy, Shulk, and Knuckles had their turn in casting their votes. As a result, Greninja and Sheik were the last one to head up there one by one.
And by the time they sat back down, the final votes for the season were officially cast.
"For the last time this season, I will get the votes..."
Upon him floating away, everyone exchanged glances with one another, including the final three. Luigi placed a hand on Zelda, as well as Marth from the other side of her.
"Finally we get to go home!" Luigi grinned.
"Agreed." Marth nodded. "My sister is probably worried sick again..."
Shortly after, Master Hand returned, placing the urn on the table. "Well,... if there is one thing I'd like to note, this season will go down as one of my favorites. Thank you all for coming out here."
His survivors could not have been happier.
"I would love to read these right now, but for Zelda, Marth, and Luigi, you guys would have to wait just a little longer. I'll see you all very soon."
Without another word spoken, he headed his way out through the entrance of the Tribal Council, all thirteen of them watching his disappear out of their sight.
Zelda heaved a heavy sigh. It was finally over.
SURVIVOR FINALE
Back at the Super Smash Ultimate Arena in Los Angeles, the moment when Master Hand appeared on the stage, the crowed almost instantly erupted into a huge uproar, the hand making his way over to place the urn down on the table. Floating between the final three and the jury in the process with them all of course looking fancier than ever before. the stage lit up.
With them all clapping, the host of Survivor - Emperors vs Knights of course had to calm everyone down. "Alright, alright, settle down. The time has come once again..."
He eyed the jury and the finalists. "Okay... So... This season is the second season where we accepted people from multiple universes. And I gotta say... it has been working out so far. Great season of Survivor, these twenty people including the ones backstage that will be here shortly all got to experience for themselves for the first time, and now it has come to this... Luigi... Zelda... Marth..."
They eyed him back with heavy grins.
"What a great final three we have here..." He said. "And now, I will read the votes one last time for this season. Keep in mind, that these votes are indeed for a winner. They will be for you and not against you. Just so I can make myself clear... I will read the votes."
The crowd cheering once more, he uncapped the urn.
"First vote... Marth."
His heart immediately began beating at a rapid pace, staring all over with the Altean hero showing teeth.
The audience continued to cheer on.
"One vote Marth... Next vote... Marth."
Now the arena's volume began to raise even more.
"That's two votes Marth!"
The jury all sat down and continue to watch.
"...Marth. That's three votes Marth!"
At that moment, the blue-haired swordsman expressed his astonishment with his jaw dropping.
"...Four votes Marth!"
From that point on, he clapped a hand over his mouth to cover it.
"You got this Marth!" A female fan shouted from the audience.
...
"Marth! Five votes Marth!" Master Hand announced. "Just one more vote to read..."
...
"The winner of Survivor - Emperors vs Knights... Marth!"
It was as if time was frozen, with him now clapping both of his hands over his mouth completely staggered, the crowd erupting once more as the Survivor theme for the season beginning to play
"Come on up!"
Slowly, but surely, he rose up from his spot and calmly made his way over to receive his check for a million dollars from Master Hand, the jury and the other two finalists clapping from behind.
And by the time he headed down the steps to meet his close family and friends, he erupted into tears, crying in his big sister's arms.
A few seconds later, starting with Krystal and Pac-Man entering the stage, the rest of the pre-jurors all made their way over, greeting the jury members with open arms once Mega Man, Rouge, Ghirahim, Cloud, and Peach made it through.
"Wow!" Master Hand was now the center of attention. "That was a unanimous vote from the jury! Marth just won Survivor - Emperors vs Knights, making Zelda and Luigi both share second place! But nonetheless, great season indeed. But the fun still doesn't stop yet! We have our live reunion show coming up where all twenty contestants are gonna reminisce the events of this season! Not only that, but we're also going to give someone a hundred thousand dollars for being the most voted player for Survivor - Emperors vs Knights. So don't go anywhere! We will be right back!"
And just before the commercial break, the giant screen that was shown in the arena, replayed a clip of Marth's reaction to his win at a slower speed.
Votes:
Roy - Marth
Shadow - Marth
Shulk - Marth
Freddy - Marth
Sheik - Marth
Greninja - Marth
Knuckles - Marth
Shovel Knight - Marth
Bonnie - Marth
Foxy - Marth
2nd Place (Tie): Zelda
2nd Place (Tie): Luigi
WINNNER: Marth
Boot Order:
Peach, Cloud, Ghirahim, Rouge, Mega Man, Pac-Man, Krystal, Shulk, Roy, Shadow, Greninja, Freddy, Bonnie, Knuckles, Foxy, Shovel Knight, Sheik, Luigi, Zelda, Marth
Well, there you have it! Marth Lowell is the second winner in my series!
I really like this final three! Three completely different gameplays with all three of them living up to their name in some way. I looked at the reviews. Literally, and I mean it. Literally no one expected Marth to win! They all thought of the winner being either Zelda or Luigi. However, I am extremely shocked of the fact that quite a few people predicted Luigi to be the winner here. Zelda I can easily understand, but Luigi? Really? lol.
So anyway, I would have heck of a lot more to say here, but this isn't the final chapter. That's going to be the reunion show that will take place on Wednesday that will officially put an end to the season. With that being said, this is the last chapter on where you guys can vote on your top five favorite players of the season. Afterwards, that's it. The poll will be closed so please make your vote count! It's on my profile (just not on the mobile site so you would have to go to the desktop/tablet version on your phone for mobile users and you have to be signed into your account I believe.) Someone is going to get an extra hundred thousand dollars in cash so I'm pretty sure you want your fav to get some kind of money lol.
Questions:
1. Thoughts on the Final Tribal Council?
2. Thoughts on Marth being the winner?
3. Who would you have preferred to win?
This has been a great pleasure for me to write this guys! I will give more thanks in the final chapter! Challenges will be posted on my profile then, and still lookout for the Ponderosa chapters. They are coming one by one. Watch my YouTube intro for Survivor - Emperors vs Knights, and I will see you for the final, final chapter for this story! Words alone cannot express how proud I am to have written this season, as well as Kodai Island as well! Thank you all!