A/N: It's time for chapter four! In this chapter, the teams will take part in their first immunity challenge…and someone will leave the game! Who will rise, who will fall? Find out on this chapter of…The DreamStakes!
Thanks be to the reviewers!
Yoshpa King: Birdo's so pitiful XD. We'll see if her alliance helps her out, or is more of a detriment D: I hope your five do well!
ultimateCCC: Another Birdo fan! She needs support XD. We'll see if the cards have YoshixBirdo in store…
TCKing12: Thanks for reviewing again! Yes, I had originally planned for Don Pianta to win this challenge due to his local knowledge. You shall find out what happens in our first Immunity Challenge now!
The DreamStakes!
Team Manta: Mario and Peach, Pauline and Birdo, Flurrie and Princess Shroob, Zess T. and Toadsworth, Yoshi and MC Ballyhoo
Team Dolphin: Bowser and Wendy, Kolorado and Lakilester, Noki and Boo, Kammy Koopa and Wario, Don Pianta and Rosalina
"Welcome back!" Brighton said with a sunny smile. "It's a brand new morning here on Isle Delfino, and after our competitors got some wonderful rest…"
"You kept me up all night, you cad!" Kammy Koopa cried at Wario, waving her wand around menacingly.
"Zip it, ugly!" Wario hollered, munching on a clove of garlic. "Your old bones kept on squeaking and creaking all night long!"
"Ahem," Brighton said, clearing his throat. "Regardless of how well the players slept, today is the start of our first immunity challenge! Little do they know, tonight, someone will be voted out!"
"WHAT!?" Boo cried, having been floating invisibly behind Brighton. "Oh gosh! I have to go tell everyone right away!"
"…" Brighton sweatdropped.
After Brighton and Twila sorted out the mess at the hotel, everyone converged in the lobby.
"So it's true someone's bitin' the dust, eh?" Zess T. asked, her eyes warning of aggression.
"Yes, it's true," Twila said sadly. "Tonight, someone's game shall be over."
"Well, sucks to be on Team Dolphin, since Team Manta is guaranteed to win every challenge," Yoshi said with a cocky laugh.
"That's not very nice at all," Noki said quietly, afraid to speak up against the King of the Mushroom Kingdom.
"There, there, you poor, irrelevant shoo-in," Wendy said to Noki. "If we lose, you'll be an easy first vote!"
"Oh dear…," Noki said in reply, biting her nails.
Wendy: I don't have time for pipsqueaks like Noki! I'm here to prove to my seven brothers that I'm obviously daddy's favorite. Trashy wannabes like Noki will only get in the way of my goal.
"So, follow us out the beach, and we'll explain the rules!" Brighton declared. Everyone thought this sounded reasonable, save Lakilester, who floated off on his cloud somewhere. Yoshi too, who believed he had better time to spend re-cataloging the hotel's diner menu, and Princess Shroob, who was on the phone with one of her ambassadors about the destruction of the Waffle Kingdom.
However, as the time passed, everyone found their way to the beach. Ahead of them in the water, a wooden platform bobbed among the small waves.
"Welcome to your first immunity challenge!" Twila roared in delight. "Today, you'll be participating in a knock-out style sumo wrestling tournament!"
"WOO!" Zess T. roared, obviously enthused.
Zess T.: Oh baby! In college, I was the women's wrestling champion! I made it all the way to nationals! If Nina T. is watching, sorry about the kidney replacement, hon!
"Since this is a tournament," Brighton explained, "both teams will have to sit out two players."
Bowser: It was obvious who we should sit out! Kammy's old bones and Noki's weak arms wouldn't last a minute in the ring!
"We'll sit out Kammy Koopa, and Noki!" Kolorado called, taking over authority of his team in the mental absence of Lakilester.
"Well there's no way I'm wrestling," Yoshi commented. "I might damage the moneymaker," he said, pointing to his face.
"Count me out, old bean," Toadsworth said to Mario. "I'm more of a spectator, myself."
"So wouldn't that mean the princess has to…?"
"BY MY GREAT AUNT'S GLASSES!" Toadsworth shouted. "I must enter the ring! Princess, you can't go in there! Think of the danger!"
"Teehee," Princess Peach giggled, tripping over her feet and landing in the sand.
"Oh, how adorable," Mario commented, making puppy-eyes at the daft damsel.
"We'll sit out Yoshi and Peach, I guess," Mario affirmed. Nodding, Brighton began the explanation.
"Alright, when we call your name, swim out to the platform. When the airhorn sounds, you have to do your best to knock the other person off. Everything is legal. Fall into the water, you're out of the tournament. Last person standing wins immunity for the team…and the losing team…they must vote someone out!"
Noki: I'm not in control of my fate…I know Boo will do his best for our team, so I have to hope they win this so I don't go home!
"Our first match up is…," Twila said, checking her notepad. "It's a classic bout! Mario vs. Bowser!"
"Wahahaha!" King Bowser roared. "Time to show everyone who's boss!"
"Master Mario!" Toadsworth cried, grabbing Mario. "Give him what for!"
"Go Daddy!" Wendy cried, waving a flag with her father's face on it that she kept on hand at all times. Both contestants swam out to the platform. With thunderous steps, Bowser stood up.
"Prepare to get crushed, puny plumber," Bowser threatened.
"It's-a-me!" Mario said, giving his team a thumbs-up.
"3…2…1…go!" Brighton cried, sounding the airhorn.
Bowser reached forward with a claw, but Mario rolled under his reach. Performing a backwards flip, the hero in red found himself behind the royal beast. Grabbing the turtle king by his tail, he began whipping the malicious monarch around in a circle. With one expulsion of force, Mario let go, watching with a hand over his brow. With a roar of defeat, Bowser splashed into the water.
"And just like that, Mario proves his worth!" Twila shouted. "Bowser's out!"
"Mariohohoho!" Mario cried, waving his arms in glory.
"Go Mario!" Peach cried in delight. From the sidelines, Pauline shot her an acidic glare.
Pauline: Mario should be rescuing me! I should be cheering for him! He should be laughing when I fall in the sand! I'm going to teach that Peach…
With a dejected sigh, Bowser swam back to shore and flopped down in the sand.
"Round Two!" Brighton called. "Up next is…Zess T. and Wendy!"
"It's alright daddy," Wendy said, patting her father on the head. "I'll destroy this old hag!"
Both combatants swam out to the platform. As the airhorn sounded, Zess T. dropped into a crouch. With a furious roar of energy, the crazed chef grappled Wendy's legs. In one blur of movement, the cook shoved the kooplaing into the water.
"Victory is mine!" Zess T. hollered, waving her hands in the air.
"Zess T. wins the round!" Twila announced. "Team Manta is up by two!"
Kolorado: We were getting trounced, my good eggs! When my name was called, I knew I had to kick it into top gear! Tallyho!
"The next match is…Kolorado vs. Toadsworth!"
"Eh wot?" Toadsworth asked. "I must do this for the princess! Stay safe, Peach!"
Peach tripped on a rock.
"Best of luck?" Kolorado proposed when they reached the platform.
"Tea after, perhaps?" Toadsworth asked.
"I'd be delighted!" Kolorado cried.
"GO!" Brighton yelled in annoyance.
"Alas, now we must duel," Kolorado said with a sigh, breaking out his fisticuffs. With expert precision, the old explorer did in Toadsworth, trashing the aide into the water.
"Kolorado is the winner!" Brighton proclaimed.
Toadsworth: I may have broken my collarbone, but at the expense of the princess' safety, nothing is out of line!
"Round Four is…Birdo vs. Rosalina!"
"Who?" Princess Shroob asked. With a sob, Birdo swam out to the platform. In all her glory, Rosalina removed her clothes, revealing a scantily put-together bikini. Everyone on the beach ogled at her flawless body.
Both reached the platform.
"It's a shame this isn't mud wrestling," Rosalina said with a giggle.
"Uh…," Brighton drooled. Snatching the airhorn from him, Twila shot everyone dirty looks. Not impressed by the cosmic princess, Twila sounded the airhorn.
Birdo ran at Rosalina, but the space beauty decked her in the mouth. Kicking Birdo's limp body off of the platform, she easily won the round.
"I killed the pest!" Rosalina said with a clap. After a cheer from everyone on shore, she swam back. Birdo weakly made her way back to the shore. Breaking down on the beach, she let out a wail.
"Hush now, peasant," Princess Shroob spat.
"Round Five! MC Ballyhoo vs. Don Pianta!"
That round took two seconds. Don Pianta picked up the poor host and flung him into the ocean. It wasn't even worth noting.
"Round Six!" Twila called. This round was Princess Shroob against Lakilester.
"Come down from the sky and face me, knave!" The alien queen screamed at the high cloud creature. Lakilester floated around. Removing a space gun from her dress, she shot him out of the sky.
"Princess Shroob is victorious!"
"Round Seven! Pauline vs. Wario!"
Both combatants made it out to the platform. With one fart in Pauline's face, Wario knocked out the helpless woman.
"Go Boo!" Noki cheered. The vapor ghost was up against Madame Flurrie. Both of them were ethereal, so they could fight.
"Go!" Brighton declared.
"WAHOO!" Flurrie yelled, launching a body slam against Boo. The poor ghost was crushed under her rather large…stage presence. The round ended quickly.
Boo: I was rather dejected I couldn't stop Flurrie. She's old! For a ghost, I'm pretty young! I knew Noki was counting on me…I let her down…
"That settles the first round!" Brighton declared. "Mario, Zess T., Kolorado, Rosalina, Don Pianta, Princess Shroob, Wario, and Flurrie move on!"
Twila held up a cardboard sign that read, "ROUND TWO!"
"It's ok," Noki said to Boo, reassuring him as he came back to the sand. "You did your best."
If ghosts could blush, he would have.
"Round one is…Mario vs. Don Pianta!"
"Come on ya lil' pipsqueak," Don Pianta said with a grin. "Let's put ya heroics to da test!"
"Watch-a-this, Peach!" Mario declared, putting up his fists in dueling style. Mario dove for the Don, but the crime boss sidestepped him. Tipping his fedora, the pianta smirked. With a punch to the gut, he sent Mario sprawling.
"Time to finish da rat," Don Pianta chuckled. Before he could fling Mario in, the plumber poked him in the eye.
"What's da big idea?" Don Pianta asked, blinded. Mario ground his boot into the Don's foot, eliciting a howl of pain. With a shove to the chest, Mario bested the Mafioso.
"Mario wins!" Brighton declared. With a nervous giggle, Mario pumped his fist.
"I saw dat, chump," Don Pianta whispered from the water. "You like to play dirty, eh?"
The second match of the second round was Zess T. against Rosalina.
"Come here, you little tramp!" Zess T. hollered as Rosalina dodged her assaults. The space princess tried to catch the little chef, but Zess was too quick. With a rush at her legs, Zess T. toppled Rosalina. A victorious cheer saw the old cook shove the princess into the water.
Toadsworth: That Zess T. sure is something…
Rosalina: I never seen an old woman with such strength…
"Zess T. moves on!"
Round Three was Kolorado pitted against Flurrie. Unfortunately for the stage actress, the explorer made quick work of her after resisting her body slam in his shell. With a quick shove, Kolorado won the match.
Flurrie: My goodies always crush a man's heart! How positively dejecting!
The final match was Wario against Princess Shroob. The fat man twirled his mustache and jumped into the air.
"My goodness…," Princess Shroob commented. Wario's full weight came crashing down on her, and soon, she was out of commission.
"It's-a-Wario time!" Wario cried with a snarky laugh. With his defeat of Princess Shroob, the final four had been set.
Both teams cheered for their representatives, but Mario against Wario was up first. They dodged and dived, but soon, Wario had Mario pinned down.
"Some hero, eh?" Wario asked with a laugh. Sliding Mario out from underneath him, the pudgy prick kicked Mario in the water Sparta style.
"This is-a-Wario's island!" Wario cried, earning a cheer from his team.
"Wario moves on to the finale!" Twila announced.
"If Zess T. loses here, her team will face elimination by default!" Brighton announced. "What a nailbiter!"
"Quit yer worryin'!" Zess T. spat. "This poor koopa's met his end!"
With a gulp, Kolorado tried to defend, but the ex-wrestling pro served him a loss. The match had been set. Zess T. versus Wario for the title bout.
Zess T.: These young'uns won't know what him 'em when Zess T. takes the title!
Wario: Their strongest teammate is an old woman? Wariahahaha!
"3…2…1…GO!" Brighton cried.
Wario dove for Zess T., but the chef sidestepped his dive. With an elbow drop, she piledrived into his back. Letting out a howl of pain, Wario receded. Coming up with his own punch, he hoped to end the old cook. However, her speed proved effectual, and with a shove to the round gut of Wario, she sent him toppling into the water.
"Just like that, it's over! Zess T. leads Team Manta to victory!" Twila announced.
"What'd I say?" Yoshi asked Kammy Koopa on the sidelines. "I'm a good luck charm."
"Oh, shoo off!" Kammy spat.
Yoshi leaned in.
"Watch your back, old magician. I think your days in this game are numbered." He pointed to where Bowser stood, helping Wendy out of the sand.
"Pick your allies closely," Yoshi commented, rising from the beach. Leaving Kammy in deep thought, he let out a laugh.
"Hmm…," Kammy said to herself, thinking hard on what he had said. Her musings had to end soon…because Team Dolphin had a date with elimination.
Team Manta partied into the night. They ordered a fabulous dinner for their first victory, and while they celebrated as a team, Team Dolphin was lead into the elimination room. Finding their seats, the ten members of the losing team listened as their hosts explained the procedure.
"One by one, you will enter the voting room and cast your vote for someone to leave the game," Twila explained. "The person with the most votes will be asked to leave the game immediately."
Kolorado: Before we came here tonight…I arranged a little something with some of the others.
Noki: Wendy told me I'd be an easy first vote…but she and her father are too much of a threat to go any other way!
Boo: Noki is my closest ally…and after his pitiful performance today, Bowser needs a lesson in reality competition.
Wendy: Noki's so weak! We had to kick her out today! Bye bye, loser!
Bowser: If I could only vote for that Mario…argh!
Wario: I worked the hardest today! If I get any votes, I'll be furious with my team!
Lakilester: Duuude. I'm not voting for anyone. Our team gets along so well. Everyone vibes, dude.
Kammy Koopa: I'm beginning to take Yoshi's words to heart. Could this be the start of a starring role for the beautiful Kammy Koopa?
Don Pianta: I thought dat Mario was a hero. He's a lousy cheata', if ya ask me. If I could only vote for him now…
Rosalina: My vote is based upon who our weakest link is. I think it's the right choice…for now.
"And everyone has voted!" Brighton declared. "Please sit tight…and I will read the votes."
Everyone tensed up. No one wanted to be the first person voted out.
"First vote…LAKILESTER."
"What?" Lakilester asked in protest. "I'm the team captain! Everyone loves me, bro."
"That's not true, according to this vote. Moving on to vote two…WENDY."
"Who voted for me?" Wendy demanded to know. Crickets chirped.
"Vote three…WENDY."
"This is so gonna get someone killed!" Wendy roared, obviously upset.
"Erm…vote four…NOKI."
"Oh my...," said Noki, sharing a mixed look with Boo.
"Vote five…," Brighton read. "LAKILESTER."
"Not cool dudes…," Lakilester said, his eyes a mystery behind his shades.
"Vote six….NOKI."
"We're all tied up," Twila cut in. "Two votes Noki, Two votes Wendy, Two votes Lakilester. This could go any way."
"Thanks, Twila," Rosalina droned. "As if we all can't count or something."
Twila looked ready to kill Rosalina, but Brighton kept on reading.
"Vote seven…WENDY," Brighton read.
Wendy started to actually look nervous.
"Vote eight…," he continued. "LAKILESTER."
Noki breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn't in the clear yet, however.
"Vote nine…LAKILESTER," Ballyhoo read.
"Oh come on guys," Lakilester sounded hurt by his teammates.
Brighton let out a long breath.
"Final vote…LAKILESTER. Lakilester, you received the most votes, it's time for you to leave," Brighton declared.
"Dangit!" Lakilester shouted. With a sigh, he fist-bumped each member of his team.
Lakilester: It sucks being the first voted out, no one wants to be that guy. But, I think Kolorado's a sweet dude, and he's gonna do just fine leading in my stead.
Lakilester grabbed his bag and left, Brighton leading him to the taxi. The pair sojourned down the lobby of the hotel.
"It was real, host bro," Lakilester said, fist-bumping Brighton before ducking into the cab. The taxi pulled away from the hotel, taking Lakilester out of the game.
"Well, that's one way to stage a coup," Brighton said. "Come back next time, where things are bound to heat up! Stay tuned to…The DreamStakes!"
The night settled over the hotel as the taxi peeled away. One competitor had left the game…nineteen remained…
But only one would win.
Vote Summary
Lakilester (5): Kolorado, Don Pianta, Wario, Rosalina, Kammy
Wendy (3): Noki, Boo, Lakilester
Noki (2): Bowser, Wendy
That ends the first elimination! Kolorado secretly staged a coup against his lackluster leader, absorbing de facto control of Team Dolphin! Will Kolorado's clever scheme pan out, or will Kammy's new insight lead her to a new type of leadership? Plus, find out what happens in our next prize challenge! Stay tuned to…The DreamStakes!
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-AdmiralBobbery