The DreamStakes!
Merged: Birdo, Toadsworth, Boo, Noki, Princess Shroob, Wendy
"Good morning, you halfwits!" Brighton cried, bustling into the Hotel Delfino breakfast bar while everyone was trying to have some semblance of a normal morning for once. But, his boisterous antics had numbed his targets, and the six remaining players barely gave him much of an upward look as he entered the room.
"Oh, come on guys, at least show some sort of enthusiasm," Brighton said, "after all, we're headed to a new location today!"
"Eh wot!?" Toadsworth cried, nearly dropping his marmalade toast. "But we've only just arrived here!"
"It's been three days," Birdo said, exasperated, "and this is only the start of the third one."
"That's right," Brighton said with a nod, "but honestly, what's there to do at Sirena Beach? We've already encountered the local monster and used up the only fun thing here: the casino. Besides, as we close down on the finale, switching up the locale makes things…more intense."
Toadsworth: This old bean can't say he's surprised. After all, we've been hit with surprise twist after surprise twist in this game that moving to a new spot so soon loses its shock value after a few minutes.
"Well, where are we going?" Noki asked, seated beside Boo. "We've been just about everywhere in Delfino."
"Just about," Brighton said with a small smile, "just about. Where we're headed is the center of Isle Delfino's culture. Much of the island's main economy – fruit – is grown locally at our next locale. It's also right up there with Noki Bay in terms of age."
"Ah," Boo said, nodding. "I think I know where you mean to take us."
"If you guessed Pianta Village, you're right!" Brighton exclaimed. "So hurry up and eat your breakfast, and then meet me down at the beachfront so we can get this show on the road. Well, more like on the sea, but you get my gist."
Nodding, the six remaining players finished up their breakfast and bustled off to their rooms, packing their belongings to make the move to Pianta Village. Two players had come to Sirena Beach with roommates, but as they packed their things alone, one was quite pleased…while the other was quite sober to the new reality of her game.
Wendy: I'd say my time at Sirena Beach was time well spent. I was able to make a huge move by orchestrating my father's elimination, and since then I've been able to fly under the radar, using Princess Shroob as a shield. But, she's been winning immunity, and if she wins again, those little heroes might turn their oh-so-heroic sights on me. I've got to do something to change that…
Princess Shroob: Well, nothing at Sirena Beach went as planned. While I did manage to add an immunity win to my resume, I lost two allies. Those pesky heroes have been on a roll, but not all is lost. If that slack-jawed fungus holds up the deal we made, Boo or Noki should meet their demise once we reach Pianta Village…
Before long, the six were convened at the dock of Hotel Delfino, where Brighton and Twila awaited them.
"Took you all long enough," Twila said, feigning annoyance as she usually did. "Come on and get in the boat, we don't have all day."
"I wish we did," Brighton said, jabbing her in the side, prolonging their eternal argument over which time of day was better. "After all, it is the better half of the day."
"Do you always have to kick that argument back up?" Twila asked, now actually sounding annoyed. "I thought we settled that."
"When?"
"When we decided night was best," she said with a wink.
"In your dreams," Brighton said, sticking out his tongue as he was the last to board. The Pianta captain driving the boat untied the rope tying them to the dock, and with the roar of the engine, they were soon leaving Sirena Beach behind and heading for Pianta Village.
As they sat on the boat, bobbing up and down in the rolling seas of Delfino, the six players realized how much roomier the boat felt. Before, the bodies of players like Don Pianta and Bowser had taken up room, and the company of Zess T. and Stanley had kept the boat warm. But now, allies and enemies had fallen alike, and the boat now only held the captain, the hosts, and the six remaining players as they neared what seemed to be the final destination of this game.
Noki: Honestly, I can't believe I've made it this far. When I stepped off of that plane on Delfino Airstrip all those weeks ago, I didn't know anyone here, and I felt so insecure and alone. But I've learned a lot about myself and what I'm capable of…and I met Boo. Now, I feel ready to take on the end of this game and reach the finish line…together.
"You alright?" Boo asked Noki, noticing her distant gaze towards Sirena Beach.
She nodded. "Just reflecting, is all," she said. "I'm just thinking about how much we've grown together."
Boo laughed a little.
"I don't think I've changed all that much," the ghost said. "Honestly, I think you just brought out the me I've always been, just a me I've kept tucked inside."
"That is change," Noki argued, smiling.
"I guess you're right," Boo said, nodding thoughtfully. "Well, either way, I'm glad I've been able to spend this competition with you."
She nuzzled up to him. "Me too," she said quietly. "I don't think I could have done it without you."
"I think you could have," Boo said, "really, I do. You're strong Noki, much stronger than you give yourself credit for. Don't doubt your strength."
She gave him a smile. "I guess you're right," she said, mimicking his words.
"I guess I am."
As they continued on towards Pianta Village, Birdo took the time to chat with Wendy, not having spent much time with the koopaling in the past.
"It's hard to believe we're reaching the end," she said, fixing her bow as the wind blew it about.
Wendy nodded. "It's hard to believe I'm still here. Getting dragged around by my father, always following his lead…I thought I was going to follow Wario right out the door."
Birdo laughed. "Sometimes I forget he was even a part of this game, despite how long he stuck around for."
"He was woefully underdeveloped," Wendy said with a chuckle. "Not like you, of course. You've had some pretty drastic changes."
Birdo's laugh faded away. "The same could be said about you, you know. Out of your father's shadow and into the limelight."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Wendy asked.
"Just that, you know, you're playing a much stronger game than you give yourself credit for," Birdo explained. "People underestimate you, and they're foolish to."
Birdo: I can read Wendy pretty easily because I see a lot of myself in her. I was afraid to execute my own ideas in the past, living in the shadows of others and what have you. Never did I think on day one that I'd make it this far. But here I am. And she's still here too, which says something about the way she's played this game.
"For being lumped in with the villains, you've been pretty consistent," Birdo told her. "Not betraying, always speaking your mind plainly. It's respectable, in a way."
"Well," Wendy said, blushing, "thanks, I guess. Honestly, I hate to bring this up now, but what do you think about Boo and Noki? I know you guys have buried the hatchet and are friends and allies and everything…but doesn't their relationship worry you? They could easily grab Toadsworth and vote you out at four."
Birdo was silent for a moment. "I've considered that," she said. "They're wonderful friends of mine, but we can't all win the game. With the end so close…I'm starting to really think I have a shot. But, I can't make a move against my friends before my enemies are gone. Princess Shroob has got to go."
From her seat, Wendy eyed the space princess.
"I couldn't agree more," the daughter of Bowser said. "She's a detriment to all of our games. Her methods are toxic, and until she's gone, she'll keep this dark cloud over the game that I've been working to dispel. Kammy…Don Pianta…my father…Pauline, they've all fallen, but the biggest baddie of them all still remains."
After an hour or two of sailing, the boat finally reached the docks of Pianta Village. Disembarking, the six made a small hike up the mountainside until they reached a gate leading to a rope bridge.
"Beyond this bridge is Pianta Village," Brighton explained, "but before we get there, I'd like everyone to take one of these."
He held in his hand six pieces of paper and six pens.
"Take one," he said, "and write down the name of the person you'd like to see go next."
Silence permeated the group.
"You mean, like, the person we want to go home?" Wendy asked.
"Precisely," Brighton answered.
"That's pretty harsh," Boo said, "but alright. I think the answer is fairly obvious."
Princess Shroob rolled her eyes.
After a few moments of scribbling, Brighton took the papers back.
"Well," he said, counting up the names, "that's pretty straightforward. Five of you wrote down Princess Shroob, and well, one of you wrote down Noki."
"Me?" Noki asked Princess Shroob. "What do you have against me?"
Princess Shroob shrugged.
Princess Shroob: Of course those peasants would all write my name down! What fools! But I've been in this for the long game since the beginning. My making them think I want Noki out, they'll turn a blind eye to the real machinations at work here…
"What was the purpose of that?" Birdo asked, folding her arms.
"Oh, right," Brighton said. "Twila, care to explain?"
The other host stepped forward. "In today's challenge, the person who received the most votes will be playing against the other five. Since the group wants you gone, Princess Shroob, the way you perform in this challenge will determine whether or not you stay in the game."
"Ha!" Boo couldn't help but laugh, receiving a swift poke from Noki.
Princess Shroob kept silent, listening intently.
"Just ahead, Pianta Village is being terrorized by five flaming chain chomps," Twila said.
"What?" Toadsworth asked.
"Don't interrupt," Twila said with a stone cold glare. "Like I said, the village is being terrorized by five flaming chain chomps. However, there are watering holes around the village. The job of you five," she broke, pointing at everyone but Princess Shroob, "is to lead a chain chomp to a watering zone to calm it down. Each of you has to lead one chain chomp to safety."
"And where do I come in?" Princess Shroob asked.
"Your job, princess, is to sabotage their efforts," Twila explained. "Every minute, you'll be allowed to blow your chomp whistle at a certain chain chomp, distracting it and causing it to run towards the sound of the noise. This will thwart the efforts of the other five. But, you may only do this once per minute, to just one chain chomp."
"Sounds fair," Princess Shroob said.
"To lead the chain chomps, you'll each be given bones," Twila said, indicating a burlap sack full of large bones for them to wield. "When I say go, pick a bone out of the bag, run across the bridge, and get started. Here's your whistle," she said to Princess Shroob, tossing her the chomp whistle. "If the five of you are successful in cooling down all of the chain chomps, there will be no elimination ceremony and Princess Shroob will be removed from the game. If not, she'll win immunity and the rest of you will have to vote someone out."
Everyone took a deep breath. The stakes for this one were high.
"Alright," she said. "On your marks…get set…go!"
At the sound of her voice, the five dove at the bag and fumbled for the bones, grasping one a piece after a few moments of struggling. Quickly, they dashed across the bridge, desperate to cool down as many chomps as possible before Princess Shroob could interfere. Watching them hustle, Princess Shroob smirked, taking her time. Hiking up her dress, she sauntered across the bridge, taking one careful step at a time.
Inside the village, chaos was amok. Piantas were running about, trying to stay out of the way or hide from the burning chomps. Bounding down a path, one of the chomps caught Boos eye.
"Hey! You! Big guy!" the ghost shouted, waving a bone. "Over here!"
Sniffing the scent of Boo's bone, the chomp turned around, eyeing the treat. With a roaring bark, the monster hopped towards, approaching at an alarming rate of speed. With a bead of nervous sweat, Boo flipped around and began making a dash away.
"Where's a watering hole!?" Boo cried, looking around desperately for some source of water.
"You mean to tell me you called a chomp before finding a cool-down spot!?" Noki cried.
"I was just thinking about getting its attention before Princess Shroob has the chance to do anything!" Boo shouted back.
"Ten-four, sprouts!" Toadsworth bellowed. "Look alive! Incoming!"
The old toad moved out of the way as the chomp approached. Turning a sharp corner, Boo lead it down the path, noting a spot of cool water at the end of the road.
"Here! Down here!" Boo shouted, trying to get its attention. He was able to line it up with the watering hole, but just as the chain chomp got into position, a shrill whistle tore above the sky.
"Dangit!" Boo cried, nearly throwing the bone down on the ground. Above a treetop, standing on a wooded plaform, was Princess Shroob, whistle in hand.
"Grovel, peasant!" the princess spat. "Feast your eyes on the power of the few!"
Now sporadic, the chain chomp tore about towards Princess Shroob, but she was in the clear due to her sky-high perch. Grinding his teeth, Boo set about to reclaim the course of the chain chomp.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the village, Wendy and Birdo were working together to coax one chain chomp towards a large pool of water.
"They said we each have to be responsible for one of the chomps," Wendy said to the other girl, "but they didn't say we couldn't work together. If we sink this one, we can just give credit to one of ourselves, and then work towards the next one."
"Not bad," Birdo said, liking the plan, "not bad."
Sniffing the ground, the chomp barely picked up the trace of their bones, following them gently down the path. Then as they lined it up with the watering hole, they held the bones high above their heads, calling for the chomp.
"Over here!" Wendy cried.
"Come and get it!" Birdo shouted, waving her bone about.
Now plainly smelling the scent of the two bones, the chain chomp became much more alert and tore down the path. Dashing behind the watering hole, the two girls waited for the beast to fall into the pond. With a splash, it did, throwing up water everywhere. It instantly cooled down, changing from a white-hot red to a cool black. A happy smile lit up its white fangs, and the beast rolled about in the water.
"One down," Wendy said, giving Birdo a smile as she swiped the sweat off her brow. "Four to go."
"Who can take credit for this one?" Birdo asked her.
"You can have it," Wendy said. "With this method, we can sink the other four and get rid of Princess Shroob before the thirty minutes is up."
But already, five minutes had passed. Princess Shroob had used her first five whistle blows to keep throwing Boo of course, agitating the ghost and causing him to grow quite irate.
"Stop messing with me!" Boo shouted up at her. "Go pick on someone else!"
"But it's so much fun to watch you squirm," the princess said with a sick smile.
"This is why no one likes you!" Boo yelled. "This is why we all said we want you out!"
She shrugged. "Bite me."
As Princess Shroob continued to toy with Boo, Toadsworth was busy leading a chain chomp towards a watering hole. But, as he turned to run, he tripped on a root, landing face first in the dirt.
"Owowowow!" Toadsworth cried, trying to scuttle away as the chomp charged him. He was too late, and it smacked him into a nearby set of bushes. When he gained his bearings, the old man looked about, instantly becoming worried.
Toadsworth: I must have let go of my bone when the chain chomp smacked into me, because when I gained my bearings…it was nowhere to be seen.
As Boo fought with Princess Shroob, Noki was helping Wendy and Birdo coax another chain chomp into a watering hole. She had met up with them halfway through the village, and after hearing Wendy's plan, she decided to work with them.
But as they were halfway to the hole, leading the chomp along, Toadsworth appeared.
"Quickly," he hissed, "someone come help. A chain chomp smacked into me, and in the tumult, I lost my bone."
"Are you alright?" Noki asked, concerned.
"I'll be fine," the old man whispered, trying not to startle the chomp. "But my bone! With Boo all tied up and me out of commission, we've almost halved our chances."
"We've got this covered," Wendy said to Noki. "Go help him find his bone. He's right. We can't afford it."
Nodding, Noki took off to help Toadsworth, the two of them leaving to find his missing bone.
Back with Boo, Princess Shroob shook her head.
"You'll never win this way," she said, taking the top of the minute to blow her whistle, disorienting the chain chomp. "You'll have to get creative if you want to beat me, little Boo."
"Fine!" he said, poising his bone. "Take this, you space witch!" He flung the bone towards her, trying to knock her out, but with a quick shot of her ray gun, she blasted his bone to bits.
"Hey!" he cried. "Isn't that like, against the rules or something?"
"There are no rules," Princess Shroob spat. "Now quit whining! You should have thought that one through, for how smart you claim to be. Now you have no bone and no chomp."
He sighed. She was right. He'd have to get inventive if he wanted to beat Princess Shroob, and they were nearing the fifteen minute mark.
After sinking their second chain chomp, Wendy took the credit and then frowned.
"Well, we can't keep this up," she said. "We have to go find Noki or Toadsworth for the next one to count."
"You're right," Birdo said, but before she could look around, the duo was upon them.
"Good news!" Noki beamed. "We found his bone!"
Toadsworth waved the trophy weakly. "We found it alright, tucked in a thorny thistle bush. But that's not important, let's get to work! We don't have much time left!"
Nodding, the foursome set to work, intent on sinking their third and fourth chomps, and hopefully, before time ran out, their fifth.
"This is a battle between you and me," Princess Shroob snarled. "A battle of wits, Boo. Come on, you know we're the smartest two of the bunch. Have been since the beginning."
He grimaced.
"You, the valiant leader of the heroes…or so they think. But I know you're vices. You're smug. Snobby. Arrogant. You give yourself where no credit is due."
"Shut up," Boo snapped. "You don't know me."
"Nor do you know me," the princess quipped. "So? What's it gonna be? Are you going to keep whining, peasant? Or do I have to silence you?" Once again, she fished her ray gun from her pocket. "Like I said…there are no rules."
Gulping, Boo looked about, frantic for some way to coax the chain chomp over before she blasted him. Suddenly, an idea sparked in his way. He disappeared.
"Wait! Where did you go!?" Princess Shroob shouted.
"And that makes three!" Noki cheered as she and her teammates finally coaxed their third chain chomp into the watering hole. "We're on a roll~"
"That one can be yours, Noki," Wendy said with a smile. "One more to go…and then we can help Boo."
They suddenly heard the shrill scream of Princess Shroob's whistle.
"And we've got to move fast," Toadsworth said, checking his watch. "Ten minutes left."
Nodding, the four of them moved out, determined to see this to the end.
"Come back!" Princess Shroob cried, turning about in every direction. "You can't hide from me!" Little did she know, all of the shouting she was doing was drawing the nearby chain chomp to the base of her tree. Not far off was the watering hole.
"You craven little cheat!" Princess Shroob spat. "Show yourself! This is to be a fair right!"
"Really?" came the voice of Boo from a direction she couldn't pinpoint. "Fair? Is that what you call all the dirty tricks you've used to play this game? The way you made everyone feel horrible all the time? How you bullied Birdo into working for you? The same way you bullied Madame Flurrie? The way you discarded Pauline when she was no longer useful to you?"
"You know nothing!" Princess Shroob cried. "Don't lecture me, you idiot savant! My methods are my methods to know!"
But what she didn't know was that the chain chomp was at the base of her tree, and the flames on its body had leaked over towards the stump…beginning to light the tree aflame.
"There!" Toadsworth cried with cheer. "Four in!"
Birdo dusted off her hands. "Woo! We did it! Now, let's go find Boo."
Princess Shroob blew her whistle again, sending panic down their spines. They could hear shouting as well, and it sounded like Princess Shroob and Boo.
"Boo!" Noki shouted, worried.
"Come on," Wendy said, steeling her resolve. "It's time to end this space freak once and for all."
As the base of the tree burned, Princess Shroob realized she wouldn't be leaving the way she came.
"So this was your strategy? Burn me alive?" she asked the invisible Boo.
"Nope," he said, to her left. "You did that to yourself with all your shouting," he said, to her right. "If you really want to know my plan…"
"Boo!" came the voice of Noki as she and the others rounded the corner. "Are you alright?"
"Aha!" Princess Shroob cried, aiming her ray gun square at Noki. "See how you like this!"
She fired away, but before the laser beam could make contact, Toadsworth tossed his cane in the way, intercepting the shot. With a wheeze, he fell forward.
"Toadsworth!" Noki cried as the flames around the tree climbed higher, licking the air around Princess Shroob, creating a ring of flames sealing her exit. At the base of the tree, the chain chomp whined and barked.
"You old fool!" Princess Shroob shouted. "Always playing knight-errant. I was a fool to think I could collaborate with you!"
"Shut up, space freak!" Wendy cried. "We've all had enough of you bossing us around! We've sank the other four chain chomps, so the only thing standing in our way is this last one, and if it means you leave this game for good, believe me I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure you go."
Princess Shroob smirked. "You stupid little turtle. I should have vaporized you when I had the chance…in fact," she readied for another shot, but then, Boo appeared behind her, sticking out his tongue and scaring the daylights out of her.
"Aiee!" she shouted, toppling forward, off of her treetop stand. She hit the ground, and looked up to see a fiery chain chomp glowering down at her.
"N-nice…d-doggy…" she said, holding up her hands.
"Arf!" the chain chomp barked, dashing forward. It picked her up in its mouth, pinning her in between its teeth.
"PUT ME DOWN!" she shouted. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHO I AM!? I AM PRINCESS SHROOB! QUEEN OF PLANET SHROOBOID! SOON TO BE RULER OF THE GALAXIES! OF THE WHOLE UNIVERSE! ALL I NEED IS THIS MONEY! THEN I'LL BUILD MY DEATH RAY! THEN THE WHOLE WORLD WILL SEE!"
But unfortunately, the chain chomp didn't understand a word she said. As the other five players looked on, they watched as the chain chomp carried her to the edge of the mountain village. She kicked and she squirmed and she screamed, but as it approached the edge, she could feel the cool draft of the gorge below.
"PUT. ME. DOWN!" she screamed. "I'LL HAVE YOU BLASTED TO BITS! I'LL HAVE YOU SOLD FOR SCRAP METAL!"
The chain chomp apparently did not like that, because with one giant swing, it lobbed Princess Shroob out of its mouth and down into the deep canyon below. Wide-eyed, the five other players only heard the final screams she gave as she careened to the bottom.
"I…HATE…YOU…ALLLLLLLLLLLLL!"
Then, silence.
"Well," Wendy said, "that's the end of that."
The chain chomp quietly returned to the watering hole, cooling down.
"She's…she's gone…" Boo said, floating down to join the others. "She's gone."
"That's right," Brighton said, walking up with Twila. "After she revealed her plans in a confessional to use the prize money to conquer the universe and build a death ray, we knew she had to be stopped."
"So…you guys planned this challenge?" Noki asked in disbelief.
"We just provided the situation," Twila said, "it was Boo who put it all in motion."
"Well," Boo said, "like you said, she had to be stopped. Death rays and world conquering aside, she bullied everyone here and made us all feel terrible about ourselves. She is…or was, a horrible person."
"Oh, she's not dead," Twila said, "the bottom of the gorge is lined with soft mushrooms. But, she's certainly out of this game. The Delfino authorities are probably cornering her as we speak."
"Well, that's a relief on my conscience," Toadsworth said with a sigh, Birdo helping him up.
"So, what do we do now?" Birdo asked, looking to everyone else.
"Well," Brighton said, giving them a smile, "technically, you guys didn't win. You didn't coax all five chomps into the holes."
"Wait…what?" they all asked.
"He's right," Twila said. "Despite the fact that Princess Shroob lost, you guys didn't win, either."
"So what does that mean?" Noki asked, unsure of the future.
"It means," Brighton said, "that you guys are going to have to vote someone out…right now."
Sharing mixed looks, the five remaining players didn't know what to say. Princess Shroob was gone, but they hadn't technically won…and now, five was about to become four.
Well, that's one way to leave the game. Princess Shroob was bested, but now, the final five will suddenly become the final four! Who will fall victim to this surprise vote…find out next time on The DreamStakes!
Let me know what you thought with a review! Happy Holidays!