“So this is us,” Crescent murmurs to the night-vision camera. “Final Four. You know... I never imagined it would be us.”

**This is not the game I would have expected,** Strongbow confirms. **But I have come to a decision that Final Four does not matter nearly as much I once thinks. In the end, all that matters in who is declared Sole Survivor. And I intend that to be me.**

Crescent: By all rights I should have gone home last night. But Cheipar chose to drop Savin. Why? Is it because he really feels more loyalty to me? Or is he playing the odds that he’ll do better against me in Final Two?

“Bloody... all right! Everyone out on the beach.”

The four elves haul their tired carcasses out to the smouldering campfire, only to find a waiting buffet of picnic chow and corporate-sponsored brand name snacks. “Need to get your energy up, Survivors,” Winnowill explains as she hands Weatherbird a sealed envelope. “I’ll see you at tribal council tonight for a special immunity challenge.”

After Winnowill has departed, Weatherbird opens the letter and reads the excruciating verse aloud. “‘Do you have the knowledge to survive?/Know what it takes to stay alive./ When everyone is watching, your answers must be right./One who is ignorant will go home tonight.... Come to tribal council at sunset.’”

Strongbow:**It appears we’re facing the trite “trivia about other players” challenge in front of the whole Jury. Damn. Wish I had read more of those derivative fanfics.**

“And who are the other Nightfall’s parents again?” Cheipar asks Weatherbird as they lie on the beach, quizzing each other.

“Longbranch and Brownberry. Just like our Nightfall.”

“Even though she looks nothing like them?”

“Uh-huh.”

“And Tyleet was conceived in the Palace just like Spar?”

“Yep. But with Leeath’s help, not Rain’s.”

“Because Rain was killed by Madcoil.”

“Yep.”

Cheipar shakes his head. “Everyone’s dead in this drukkin’ universe,” he is heard to mutter.

**I do no know if I can win immunity,** Strongbow tells Crescent. **I am counting on you, daughter. I know you’ll succeed. If Cheipar wins immunity, we will eliminate Weatherbird. Otherwise we will vote out Cheipar.**

**It will be a tie again, Father. And who knows what tricks Winnowill will use if we have another tie.**

Strongbow considers it. **Then we must look for a fault in their alliance. Can you convince Cheipar that it would be in his best interest to vote out his lifemate? Weatherbird may be a raging Sue, but she is so damned amiable. You could play on his fears that she would sway enough Jury members to her side.**

Crescent shrugs. “I don’t think there is a fault to be found in their alliance. Would you even turn on Mother, no matter how much money was at stake?”

Instead Crescent tries another tactic. “I keep thinking about tonight’s vote,” she tells Cheipar in confidence. “And I keep coming back to the same thing. Tie game.”

Cheipar nods. “And we’ve had an awful lot of those lately,” Crescent continues. “And each time Winnowill does something a little different. Past votes, drawing lots... who knows what she’ll come up with tonight if we have another tie. Any one of us could be thrown out of this game, immunity or no. It... it scares me. I haven’t played this hard to leave my fate in Winnowill’s hands.”

Cheipar continues to listen as Crescent numbers off options on her fingers. “If get immunity, you and Weatherbird will go after Strongbow. If Strongbow gets immunity, you’ll go after me. If either of you gets immunity... odds are you’ll go after Strongbow anyway. And Father and I will be going after you or Weatherbird. I don’t see any way out of this, do you?”

Cheipar shakes his head.

Crescent sighs and stretches. “It’s really not fair, the two of you making it here,” she says. “I mean... suppose you make it all the way to Final Two. They’ll be no real need for a tribal council, will there? You’ll just split the money and call it a day.”

Cheipar smiles. He shakes his head slowly. Crescent lowers her gaze. “Sorry. That was a little too obvious, wasn’t it? I don’t know... I just... I just don’t want it to come down to another game of rock-paper-scissors or something. I want it to mean something. And calling up past votes... that’s the fairest way, but who knows if she’d use it. Who knows what she’d do.”

Cheipar considers his words carefully. At length he speaks. “You have to consider... beyond tonight. You have to consider who you want in Final Two. I know who I want. Because you’re right. I win either way. You have to decide who you want.”

“I want Father,” Crescent says. Cheipar only cocks an eyebrow skeptically.

“I do!”

Cheipar starts counting on his fingers silently. Crescent flushes angrily. “It’s not about strategy, Cheipar! He’s my father. I owe him.”

Cheipar smiles gently. He rises from the driftwood and walks back towards camp and his lifemate. Crescent scowls as she considers her options.

Crescent: I promised Father. I can’t betray him. I can’t. I’ll be nothing more than the snake Tyleet’s accused me of being. I won’t do it. I won’t – why am I even thinking about this? I won’t do it!

Strongbow:**I’m worried about Crescent. Her focus is slipping today.**

“Ahoy, Survivors,” Winnowill says. “The Jury is almost complete – five members now, and another to be added within the hour. Savin – voted out at the last tribal council. Now, I don’t know about her, but I’m damn curious to find out what happened there. Cheipar – I think we’d all be pretty clueless bastards if we didn’t recognize your handwriting. So why did you do it? I would have thought the Alternaverse elves all had a pass at Final Four.”

Cheipar shrugs. “Was it because you felt you owed it to Crescent after she publicly defected from the Warp side to save your life?” Winnowill presses. “Or did you feel Savin was too much of a threat to chance her reaching Final Four?”

Cheipar shrugs again. Winnowill smiles. “Well, we’ll see soon enough. It’ll all come out – everything do. Now on to what I hope will be a very special immunity challenge. In the great tradition of this derivative game, we’re going to be testing your knowledge about your tribemates and their respective universes. Yes, I know we do this every time, Savin,” she says when she hear the pirate elf snort audibly. “It’s not my fault this show jumped the shark ten seasons ago! Strongbow – fork it over. Let’s do this thing.”

Strongbow reluctantly hands over Bearclaw’s wolfhead’s necklace. “Let’s get down to business,” Winnowill says with relish. “You can pick up your jumbo novelty parchment notepads and your magic markers on your stools there. Answer the questions on the paper and reveal when I tell you. The elf with the most points wins immunity and a 1-in-3 chance at being Sole Survivor. Question One: How many children does Rain have – in both universes.”

The contestants pause to reflect, then reveal their answers. Strongbow says: “Two in my world, Three in theirs.” So does Crescent. Cheipar answers: “Three (two known in Warp-verse, but probably others to be revealed in a future prequel)” Weatherbird answers: “My Rain: Rainsong, Pike, Shale/ Other Rain: Pike and Rainsong (maybe Shale?)”

Winnowill: And the correct answer is 3 for Alternaverse Rain, 2 and the possibility of more showing up in a future prequel for canon Rain. You’ll all on the board with 1 point each. Second question: Are the members of Savin’s tribe actually the ancestors of the canon Wavedancers?

The questions continue. Was Swift ever afraid of heights? (No) Which of Swift’s/Cutter’s twins was born first (Venka/Unknown) What is Cutter’s favourite colour? (Brown) Who are both Strongbow’s fathers? (Hawk for Alt/Classified state secret for canon) Who is older, Cutter or Swift? (Cutter. He was born in 1977, and Swift wasn’t until 2001) By the time Winnowill reaches the eighth question, Weatherbird is leading with 6 points to Cheipar’s and Crescent’s 5, and Strongbow’s 5.

“Did Coppersky’s father originally have a crush on Moonshade is both universes?” Winnowill asks. They all answer yes save Crescent. She and Strongbow are now tied for last place. “What was the original working title of Oasis?” Cheipar, Weatherbird and Crescent correctly answer “Son of Return to Blue Mountain.” Strongbow draws a blank. Weatherbird holds the lead with eight points as Winnowill turns to the final question.

“In the distant future of Abode, what human possesses the Lodestone?”

The elves are all stunned by the question. The members of the Jury whisper amongst each other. The contestants scratch their heads. Finally they all scribble something on their pads. When Winnowill calls for the reveal, only Cheipar has answered correctly with “Chandra Davenkee.”

“Who reads the Future Quest crap anyway?” Strongbow blurts out, so outraged he lapses into spoken dialogue.

Cheipar: (embarrassed) Um... yeah... heh... I... kinda like sci-fi.

Cheipar turns his notepad around. Canonverse: They ate it? Alternaverse: They let it live?

Weatherbird turns her notepad around. “What rabbit?”

“And winner, Weatherbird!” Winnowill exclaims. “That’s right, there was no pet rabbit in the Alternaverse, and the rabbit in Canonverse has become such a continuity glitch with the whole “The Wolfriders don’t have pets” diatribe of the Wild Hunt days that everyone prefers to forget it ever happened. Immunity, Weatherbird!”

Weatherbird accepts the necklace, then hands it to Cheipar. Cheipar blushes, then reluctantly puts it on.

Strongbow:**Oh... troll dung*

Crescent: That scheming little...

“Strategy, Winnowill.”

Crescent: (panic) No one has voted against Weatherbird yet, have they? If this is a tie that goes to past votes, Father will be voted out anyway based on past votes.

Strongbow:(holding it up for the camera)**Don’t count your millions until you’ve spent them, little girl.**

She lingers in the voting booth. “Chop, chop!” Winnowill calls from outside. “Let’s go, Crescent.”

Crescent hesitates a moment longer, then writes her choice down. The show cuts to an interminable commercial break leaving the viewers seething with frustration and bile.

Finally Winnowill gathers the votes and delivers the standard spiel. “First vote... Strongbow. No surprise there. Second vote: Weatherbird. Again, understandable. Third vote: Strongbow. And fourth vote...”

She slowly pulls out the fourth vote and unfolds it. “The seventeenth person voted out Survivor: Alternaverse... Strongbow.”

Strongbow looks at Crescent. Crescent bites her lip and hangs her head sadly. Strongbow nods. He leans over and touches foreheads with her. “I’m sorry...” Crescent mouths. Strongbow nods again. He slowly gathers his belongings and walks over to meet Winnowill.

“Strongbow, the tribe has spoken,” Winnowill says. “It’s time for you to leave.”

She extinguishes his torch. Strongbow casts one final glance at his former tribemates, then walks off into darkness.

“From four to three,” Winnowill intones needlessly. “You can head back to camp.”
 

STRONGBOW’S LAST WORDS You did the wise thing, Crescent. They trapped us. You had to sacrifice me or risk Winnowill’s whims during the tie-breaker round. I understand. And I wish you all the best, daughter. I know you can win this game. You’ll always be my favourite child. (pause) What? Have you seen what that boy of mine walks around wearing?

On to Part Two
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