It's time for our competitors to face a completely new change of scenery. And it involves quicksand, swamps, and more.

So who wants to go to Louisiana?

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Chris' recap: "Last time on Total Drama Everything, we received our first few good-luck messages from those who know our competitors best. Then that happiness was shaken by a trip to beautiful Rome, where we had the best chariot demolition derby ever. Seriously, it was all like bam, then pow, then wow, then heck yeah! During it all, one unlucky Moon, our duelist Yusei, had to sit in the sidelines, wear a stupid Roman toga, and blow into an equally stupid horn like there was no tomorrow. It must have been incredibly satisfying when he eventually tore the toga to bits and broke the vuvuzela in two. The challenge was close, but it was the Shooting Stars who won first class, and the Mysterious Moons were forced to eliminate their dragon girl Cynder, who was taken out of the challenge early and branded as a threat. This week will also feature a new spot, where things start getting interesting for an old rivalry. Will Deadpool get over being chased around the plane by Stardust Dragon? And who will take the Drop of Shame? Find out right here! On Total. Drama. Everything!"

*theme song*

In the Economy room, several of the Moons were still asleep. The only one awake was Deadpool, who was doing a headstand to kill time. As he approached his headstand record of forty-five seconds, he heard the door open. He tried to turn around, but wound up falling down (somehow not waking up the others). He looked up to see Nom Nom trying not to laugh out loud.

"You really think this is funny, huh?" Deadpool asked. "Me falling flat on my back? That funny to you?"

The koala nodded. "Of course. It's taking every bit of strength I have not to laugh. Everything you do makes us all laugh, you know."

Deadpool sat up, groaning at Nom Nom's comment. Then he asked, "What are you doing here, Nom Nom?"

"I have a job to do at the cockpit, and I need to cut through here to ge-"

"No, I didn't mean that," Deadpool interrupted quietly. "I meant, why are you here? On this plane?"

His question left Nom Nom confused. "What are you talking about?"

"You really think that spending half a season as your lackey hasn't taught me squat about you? No sirree, bub. Oh, I've wanted to say 'bub' that ever since I first heard Wolverine said it. Anyway, ever since we came back and found you here, you've had the kind of expression you have whenever you're confused, deep in thought, etc. I know there has to be a reason for you to be an intern, working for a jerk like Chris. I would assume it was to still be on the show, but I know that working as an intern wouldn't be worth your fifteen minutes of fame. So tell me. What are you doing here?"

Nom Nom just shook his head. "You've got it all wrong. I do just want my fifteen minutes of fame to continue."

"Three words. De. Ni. Al."

The koala was about to say more when he saw Yusei and Lammy, sound asleep, on the far right corner of the room. Both were sleeping on beds/benches next to each other (the only change between this Economy room and the one from the original plane was that there were several beds/benches lined up on both sides of the room), but their hands were in between them, doing a cutesy hand touch thing (like the one between Ron and Hermione in the seventh Harry Potter movie; if you haven't seen that movie, sorry for the slight spoiler). Nom Nom looked at them and sighed.

Unfortunately, Deadpool noticed. "Oh, so that's it? It must be about them. Now we're getting somewhere. You can tell me, ok? I'm all ears."

"It's none of your business," Nom Nom said. "Now how about you let me go to the cockpit to do that job I was assigned, then you'll drop the subject and forget we ever had this conversation. Got that?"

"If you don't want to talk about it, then fine," the mercenary stated. "But you're lucky I'm even talking to you now, after, you know, getting me eliminated last season?"

Knowing that was true, Nom Nom quickly shook his head again and left without another word.

Once he was out of the room, Deadpool tried to do another headstand. And he managed to break his record, but just as he did, he farted. Loudly.

This time, everyone in the room heard it. And they smelled it too.

"Really, dude?" Ash asked.

"Did you have to do that in here?" Lammy asked.

"Not cool," Gaz seethed.

And those were just some of the complaints that were heard as everyone cleared out of the room, holding their noses.

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"What did they expect?" Deadpool asked. "All we're served in Economy is beans."

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The Moons were all sitting in the cafeteria, waiting for Economy to stop smelling like Deadpool Fart. As they waited, Ruby watched a good-luck message that had just been given to her.

(Ruby's message, submitted by Ninjawarrior08)

"Hey Rubes!" Yang exclaims. "We just want to say good luck, and I know you got this!" She gives a thumbs up.

"Yeah, you are so lucky to be on this show while we have to fight Grimms and deal with Cinder (different spelling than the dragon)," says Blake. "Oh, I forgot a little thing. Weiss has something to say."

Yang and Blake stare at Weiss.

"Ruby, you dunce…..make sure not to screw this up and good luck now," Weiss says. "Now if you don't mind, I have some other things to do." Then Yang suddenly takes both Blake and Weiss between her arms (thanks for giving her both her arms, Ninjawarrior08!) and looks at the camera.

"GOOD LUCK NOW, RUBY!" Yang and Blake both exclaim.

"Uhm, yeah," Weiss says. "Good luck."

*end*

The message had left Ruby in a fit of giggles, especially when Yang and Blake had both looked at Weiss. A few people looked to see what it was about.

"Those must have been your friends," Julie said. "Which one was your sister?"

"Yang. The blonde one."

"Cool."

At the same time, Po was also watching a message from home, from Master Shifu and the Furious Five. Only this time, there was a box next to it.

(Po's message, submitted by Thunderfist)

"Po, I can see that you are in a good way in this show, and me along with the Furious Five want to say good luck," says Master Shifu.

Crane smiles. "Po, I know that you will show that even Kung Fu can win shows like this."

Viper nods. "We, Master Shifu, and along with others in the village are so supporting you to the great finish."

"I know you will win this thing, buddy," says Monkey.

"Yeah, and make sure to kick the other guys' butts like you did with Tai Lung, Shen, and Kai," states Mantis.

Tigress shows a teasing smile. "Hey Po!" she exclaims. "Make sure not to get eliminated too soon, ok?"

"Oh, I forgot to tell you two things, Po," Shifu adds. "One, there is something about that Mandy and Poison Ivy I don't like so beware of them. And second, there is a box besides the message. It's a gift from all of us to you."

Everyone simultaneously shouts, "GOODBYE, PO! WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL WIN THIS!"

*end*

Po quickly opened the box, and was delighted to find a bowl filled with several of Monkey's almond cookies, some noodle soup, dumplings, and bean buns.

"Whoo! Thanks, guys!" He quickly started devouring the food.

As he ate, the Stars all started coming in, but it was clear that something was wrong when Moka practically stumbled into her seat, looking tired and a little sick.

"Uh, Moka?" Julie asked. "Are you feeling ok?"

Moka sighed. "It's nothing," she said. "Just going through blood withdrawal."

"What do you mean?" Yusei asked.

"I haven't had a drop since I got on this plane. I usually got my supply from Tsukune, but he's not here. Tomato juice makes a great substitute, but there's none here either."

Mega Man quickly gathered the other competitors to discuss the situation. "We're going to have to come up with a way to keep Moka's thirst quenched." He turned to the vampire. "Does it have to be mortal blood?"

"Yes."

"Then I won't be able to help. Raise your hand if you believe you count as mortal."

Mandy, Toph, Double D, Gaz, Yusei, Julie, Ruby, Leo, Connie, Deadpool, Ash, and Jak raised their hands.

"Ok, so that's eleven." He quickly looked over the group to figure out their eligibility. "The only one I can't have Moka drink out of is Deadpool."

"Why me?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"True."

Connie asked, "So how will this work out?"

The robot pulled out several sticks, each at different lengths. "Whoever draws the shortest straw will go first. Moka, can you get by on one bite a day?"

"Yes."

"Then the shortest straw will be today's blood bank. The next shortest straw will do it tomorrow, and so on and so on. After the longest straw does it, we do it all over again. If anyone gets eliminated, we just continue the system. This will go until she is eliminated or we get a lot of tomato juice. Any questions?"

Everyone shook their heads.

"Then may each of you draw a straw?" He hit the bottoms of each straw as everyone grabbed one.

The order from tallest to shortest are as follows: Ash, Ruby, Gaz, Jak, Toph, Yusei, Connie, Mandy, Julie, and Double D.

"Double D drew the shortest straw," Mega Man said. "That means he goes first."

The poor guy groaned. "I won't turn into a vampire, will I?"

Moka shook her head. Double D sighed and sat down, letting his neck show so Moka could get it done.

He was expecting pain, but all he felt was a weird tingling sensation as his neck was bitten. "I guess that wasn't too bad," he said. As he stepped aside, Gaz looked a little jealous.

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"Why does she get all the attention?" Gaz asked. "Somehow, she can get any guy she chooses. I admit there are some decent-looking ones, like Double-"

"That was a slip! I swear!"

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"Quick question," Jak asked Leo. "Why are you all in here anyway?"

"Ask the Fart Master," Leo said, pointing at Deadpool, who farted again.

"By the way," Harry told the group, "I also received a good-luck message. Want to see it?"

Several competitors crowded around the device Harry had.

(Harry's message, submitted by Vegetalucard)

(We see Hermione holding a camera next to Ron and Ginny)

Hermione: Hi Harry!

Ron: Hey! We just wanted to wish you good luck mate. It was my idea to make the video actually but-

Ginny: But you can't be trusted with technology.

Ron: That is not true!

Ginny: Remember the toaster incident that destroyed Neville's house?

Ron: I said I was sorry! He should be lucky his Grandma is on a vacation. How is he anyways?

Hermione: Last I heard, he was living under a bridge with wild animals and a psychotic ice cream man who keeps talking about a kid paying him in pennies.

Ron: Well, good thing it's getting rebuilt.

Ginny: Oh Harry, we found a spell that allows cats to talk and we used it on Crookshanks. The results were... unexpected.

Hermione: Well, we should probably go so…

(She picks up Crookshanks who begins to speak in a deep voice)

Crookshanks: Yo Harry man, you win dis thing a'ight. You win dis fo' yo' man Crookshanks.

*end*

"What happened with the toaster?" Connie asked.

"Ron tried to charm it to make it take the bread and pop it into his mouth. He's not exactly skilled in Muggle technology."

A second later, Chris turned on the intercom. "Competitors, we're about to land at our next challenge destination. Look out the windows and take in the sights of beautiful Louisiana."

Several competitors hurried to the windows to see several swamps dot the landscape. Ivy looked at the immense amount of plant life and smiled.

"Finally," she said. "It's no Amazon Jungle, but it will do."

(Later…)

One super bumpy landing later, and everyone was facing the edge of a large forest. Chris climbed out of the plane, followed by Chef and Nom Nom.

"Welcome to the bayous and swamps of Louisiana. Yeah, it smells surprisingly nice." He led them to a large swamp in the middle of the forest.

Nom Nom and Chef quickly returned to the plane and came back with two gargantuan treasure chests. One gold, one silver.

"Inside this chest, there are eleven smaller chests. That makes twelve chests in all. Twelve keys. Your challenge is simple. Search the swamp and surrounding forest area for the keys. Gold keys are for the Shooting Stars to unlock the gold chests, and silver keys and chests for the Mysterious Moons. Once you have a matching color, you may bring it down to your chest set and try to unlock the current chest. The other team may steal your keys if they wish, though. I'm not prohibiting foul play in this. So you may want to assign someone as your guard. First team to unlock all twelve of their chests will win invincibility and first class.

The Moons all groaned. Cynder would have been a great guard for this challenge.

"This won't be an easy task. You have a lot of area to cover to find those keys, and several surprises are throughout the area, from snakes, to alligators, to quicksand."

Connie moaned. "Quicksand," she said. "Perfect."

"I'll give you guys five minutes to decide how you're going to crack the challenge. After that, it's game on!"

The Moons all gathered up. "So who wants to volunteer to guard the keys?" Lammy asked.

"I'll do it," Ruby said.

Julie shook her head. "We need your speed to find those keys quickly."

"True."

Then Yusei came up with an idea. "What about Ash?"

"What about me?"

"Think of this, guys," Yusei told the team. "Ash has Pikachu, who is really the only guard we need. His attacks are powerful. Trust me. I know. I've seen and felt that little mouse's power firsthand. Ash can search for keys closer to the chest while Pikachu does the guarding."

Connie smiled. "He's got a point."

"I guess it may be a good idea," Ash said.

"Then we're all agreed on making Ash and Pikachu our guard?" Lammy asked.

Everyone nodded. Then Gaz turned to face Ash. "Don't mess this up."

"As for where we're all going to search," Deadpool said, "I guess we're volunteering spots."

In the end, the decided for Leo, Julie, Lammy, and Deadpool to check the swamp, while Ruby, Yusei, Po, Gaz and Connie would check the forest.

The Stars were discussing the same thing.

"Anyone on guard duty?" Mega Man asked.

Everyone looked at Toph. "Why me?"

"Because unlike the rest of us, you'll be able to know if anyone's coming from all directions," Double D said. "Unlike us, nothing can surprise you."

"Good point," Toph said. "I'll do my best."

Mega Man nodded. "Now let's decide who's searching where. Perhaps Sonic and Moka can take the swamp-"

"NO! NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT!"

"No thanks. I think I'll pass."

Mandy asked, "What's wrong with you two? Don't you like getting wet?"

Moka shook her head. "You know the weaknesses a vampire has been shown to have in pop culture? Garlic, sunshine, stakes?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't have any of those weaknesses. Except water. One drop will make my powers fizzle out. I can become paralyzed if I'm not careful."

"And you, Sonic?"

"I can't swim. In fact, I'm highly aquaphobic."

Daxter shrugged. "Fair enough."

"Then you guys can take the forest," Mega Man told them.

Soon, it was decided that Mega Man, Mandy, Jak, and Rarity would search the swamp (Rarity only doing so because the forest spots were taken) while Harry, Double D, Ivy, Sonic, and Moka would search the forest.

"Looks like both teams are set," Chris said. "Now start searching!"

The teams split up, and everyone got to their destinations.

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"Time to party!" Deadpool exclaimed.

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"Looks like I'm not the only one now who can't swim," Toph said. "Sonic and Moka, join the club."

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"A place with plants," said Ivy. "I'm finally in my element."

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"Oh yeah," Chris said. "And here's something that will make this challenge more interesting." And the bell sound was heard. "You all know what that means."

Everyone complained.

(Unlike the last two songs, which were from MrTempleguy, this one is a TheMasterKat original. Imagine the kind of song you usually get from a swampy forest. Medium tempo and nice jazzy beat, this is called, "Welcome to Louisiana"."

Ivy: I'm surrounded by plants, and I'm feel like I'm home.

Toph: The Stars are ready to roll, because we're all tough as stone.

Leo: (to Julie) Just give me a chance. It's something you won't regret.

Julie: How many times do I have to say that I'm a girl you won't get? (she finds a key on a lilypad)

Deadpool: I'm ready to roll and impress TheMasterKat.

Sonic: I have a question. Just who the heck is that?

(Sonic finds a key under a bush.)

Gaz: I don't see what I did, so just get out of my face.

Mandy: Don't act so innocent. You're a copycat disgrace!

All: Oh yeah!

Yusei: We're ready to win! We won't be brought down!

Double D: We're going to fly high and never touch the ground!

Ruby: I, I'm ready to roll! Ready to say 'Aha'!

Mega Man: It's time for victory!

All: Welcome to Louisiana!

Chris: Good. Keep singing.

Connie: Why do we have to sing? I'd rather do something but this.

Daxter: The answer is easy. It's because Chris is a-

Jak: JERK!

Lammy: This challenge is dumb. I wish this wasn't so bad. (finds a key under some water reeds)

Po: I really hope we win.

Ash: Or else the Moons will be sad.

Pikachu: Pika!

Rarity: I wish I didn't have to swim in this filthy dirty pool.

Moka: At least you can actually swim (finds a key in a tree).

Sonic: Being on land is so much more cool.

All: Oh yeah!

Jak: We're ready to win! We're not gonna stop!

Lammy: We're never gonna quit 'til we reach the top!

Deadpool: We're on the path to first class! And we'll sock it to ya!

Harry: Let's go find those keys!

All: Welcome to Louisiana!

Chris applauded the song. "That was good. So far, both teams have two keys. Want to see if they unlock the first chest?"

Lammy and Julie gave Ash the keys they found. Julie's key unlocked the first chest, but Lammy's key wouldn't fit the next lock.

"Looks like we have to keep looking," Julie said.

As for the Stars, neither Sonic's key nor Moka's key would open the first chest.

"Here we go again," said Sonic as he sped back into the forest.

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"I find it a little odd how the two teammates who refused to search the swamp were also the first two to find keys," Double D stated.

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Ruby had just managed to find another silver key under the water and was now returning to Ash. As she walked, Sonic appeared next to her, looking excited.

"Race you to the chests!"

"Sure."

Both ran off, hoping to beat the other. Of course, Sonic beat her to it.

"That was fun," he said. "Though I'm astounded to see you're not that tired."

"I have a lot staying power," Ruby said, giggling a little.

She threw her key to Ash, who tested it on the next lock. "Nope." He went back to the key Lammy had brought earlier. Same result.

Yusei and Double D also came back with their keys. Yusei's key also wouldn't fit, but Double D's key unlocked the Stars' first chest. This allowed him to try the first two keys again. Neither one worked for the second chest.

"One down, eleven to go," Toph said. Double D and Yusei ran back into the forest.

Nom Nom, who was spectating, watched as his old rival ran into the forest. "I guess he's doing well," he said.

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"I want to continue hating Yusei and his lamb girlfriend," Nom Nom sighed. "Not as easy as it was before."

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Harry and Connie both brought back a key, and both unlocked the second chests. Yusei's key from earlier unlocked the next chest, but that was as far as the Moons got at the moment. None of the Stars' current keys unlocked their third chest.

"Excellent," Harry said. Connie cheered and went back into the forest.

(Meanwhile…)

Yusei kept walking through the forest, aware that he was starting to go further than the other competitors. He was curious as to why Nom Nom was staring at him as he resumed his search.

Despite Nom Nom not being a competitor, Yusei didn't trust him. He wouldn't put it above or beneath the koala to sabotage him again. After all, he wasn't above or beneath switching the votes last season. They had managed to judge the chariots together in an amicable way in Rome, but as far as Yusei believed, that was a far as they could possibly get when it came down to their history.

He stopped walking for a second. On top of that, his worries also had to do with Lammy. He didn't know if anyone else had noticed, but she had seemed a little off for a few days. She wasn't sick, and she acted as normal as could be. Still, he couldn't help but feel as though something was going on. That necklace that they had found in Egypt looked good though.

After contemplating this for a few moments, Yusei began to notice everything in the forest start slowly rising up, as though he was shrinking. Confused and slightly panicking, he looked down and saw he was already knee-deep in….

"Quicksand?! Crap!"

He started trying to pull his legs out, but they wouldn't budge. On top of that, the struggle made him sink faster. "How could I have forgotten? Don't struggle."

So he started calling into the forest. "Hello?! Lammy?! Toph?! Deadpool?! Anyone?! I'm stuck! A little help here!"

No one could hear him. He was too far away from the rest of the group.

"Not good. Looks like I'll have to stay still and settle in for the long haul."

He looked up and saw a branch hanging over him. It looked sturdy enough for him to hang on to, but he was just out of reach, and he couldn't reach anything that would bring the branch to him.

"This is what I get for wandering in thought," Yusei huffed in frustration. "I wind up too far from the entire group for them to hear me. How could I have been such an idiot?"

(Meanwhile…)

In fact, only one person out of everyone heard Yusei. Nom Nom had been ordered by Chris to get him a pile of firewood, and while picking up some sticks, he had heard the duelist. To make sure, he turned on the video device Chris had given him so he could keep an eye on the competitors. He switched to Yusei's feed and confirmed his suspicions.

He started pacing back and forth, confused. He knew by the map on the device that he was the only one who could have heard it. He had to do something, right? Wait a minute. Yusei's gotten through plenty of jams on and off this stupid show. Surely, he could handle something as simple as quicksand. Then again, most of the time, he got out of those jams with at least some help from…...his friends…

Of course, Nom Nom could always get Lammy. They could get to the spot, and the pretty little lamb would take care of it. How would she not? No. That wasn't the best idea ever. Lammy would help Yusei out without a second of hesitation (yet another step-up from the coward they had met last season), but somehow, Nom Nom felt like this was an issue he had to handle himself. And he knew why.

Deadpool had been right. There was a reason Nom Nom had decided to become an intern rather than stay home. But there was more to it than that.

Finally making his decision, Nom Nom ran in the direction in which he had heard Yusei's yells.

"I hope I don't regret this," Nom Nom said to himself.

(Back to the challenge…)

Ivy delivered her key to Toph, who successfully unlocked the second chest. Then Moka's key from earlier opened the third. Sonic's key was still unusable. Then Ivy turned to see Ash unlock the third chest with Deadpool's key. The Moons were still in the lead, but Ivy had an idea.

She felt the boy and his mouse thing would be trouble for her path to the million. And she wanted that path cleared. So she threw a rock past Ash, and he heard it. Wanting to see what the noise was, he and Pikachu stepped away from the chests. As quietly as she could, Ivy swiped one of the unused silver keys from the ground and took off before Ash could see her.

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"I think I'll hold on to this key," Ivy said, spinning the key on her index finger. "I think silver would go great with green."

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The quicksand was now at Yusei's waistline. He kept trying to find a way to get the branch lower. At one point, he had taken off his jacket to try and pull the branch in. All that did was almost submerge the jacket completely. He was only barely able to retrieve it.

"It had to be a place with quicksand," he told himself. "Why not a place that has a little more civilization? And no sand of any kind? It's not that hard to pick a place like that."

(Meanwhile…)

Lammy was swimming around the swamp, with a makeshift snorkel and a lot of focus. She was still searching for the keys. Heck, everyone was still searching. By this point, both teams were at chest number five. And she was among the several who had noticed both Yusei and Nom Nom being gone.

Empty handed, she surfaced and took off the snorkel. "Still nothing from Yusei or Nom Nom?" she asked Deadpool, who had begun looking.

"Nothing."

"Then keep looking. Get a little further in the forest if you have to."

"I understand that you're worried about Yusei, but why Nom Nom?"

Lammy climbed out of the swamp. "None of your business. Just keep looking."

Rarity, meanwhile, had used her horn to make an air bubble, helping her breathe underwater while keeping her safe from the mud at the same time. She finally spotted a gold key and grabbed it, then brought the key to Toph. They were now on their sixth chest.

Chris checked his watch. "Where are Nom Nom, Yusei, and Deadpool?"

"The koala jerk and duelist went into the woods somewhere," Mandy replied. "Deadpool's looking for them."

"I wonder what Nom Nom's up to," Leo said.

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"Somehow, I don't think Nom Nom's up to no good this time," Lammy said.

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Yusei had managed to keep his arms and hands above the quicksand, which was now approaching neck-deep.

"It's not hopeless," he kept saying. "Someone has to come. Just keep calm." Despite this, he was starting to panic like crazy.

Then he noticed the sound of wood and leaves moving.

"What the heck?"

Realizing it was coming from upward, Yusei looked up and saw the branch above him start to lower. Wondering why this was the case, he quickly grabbed it once it was within reach. "It's probably the wind blowing it downward," he thought, ready to climb out..

That theory was quickly disproved when the branch started rising. Now he knew it was a strong branch because it somehow stayed intact as it rose up, pulling Yusei out of the quicksand at the same time.

Still confused, his eyes followed the path from the tip of the branch to the tree trunk, and there, on the tree, steering the branch, was a familiar face that Yusei was shocked to see.

"Nom Nom?! Why the heck are you-?!"

"Shut up before I drop you back in!"

Neither said a word as Nom Nom brought the branch over the ground, and Yusei let go, his feet finally hitting solid ground.

"Now can you explain to me why-?"

"Before you ask another question, don't you have a challenge to win?" he asked, throwing Yusei a silver key. "I found this on the way here. Looks like you were on to something when you walked this far into the forest. Now move it, will you? I still need to collect firewood."

Yusei didn't have to be told twice. He took the key and ran off to the chests.

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"If anyone calls me soft, nice, or a good guy, I'm going to throw you into your own quicksand puddle!" Nom Nom exclaimed.

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Yusei brought the key back to the chests, and Ash unlocked it. By this time, both teams were on their ninth chests. Lammy quickly noticed that Yusei's clothes were messy.

"What on Earth happened in that forest?" she asked.

The duelist looked to see if anyone was listening. "You're the only person I feel like I should tell," he said. Then he whispered something in Lammy's ear. When he was done, Lammy stared at him with the surprised face Yusei knew she would have.

"Is it true? What happened?"

Yusei whispered the entire story to her. Though surprised, she believed him.

"Did you ask why?"

"He shooed me away before I could ask. It seemed like he didn't want to talk about it."

"Then we'll have to get answers later."

"I'll talk to him after the elimination."

(Later…)

After another half hour of searching and backtracking through keys, and both teams were down to their twelfth and final treasure chests. Both teams were searching areas they hadn't yet looked and going through other places for a second (maybe third) time. Deadpool came back to see that Yusei had returned, and Nom Nom eventually came back with a lot of firewood (he and Yusei noticeably tried not to look at each other). Chef started a fire and everyone had burnt hot dogs (except Mega Man, who doesn't eat; and Lammy, who turned vegetarian after having to eat lamb chops for a dare last season). However, when the Moons looked at the area where they kept their keys, they noticed something was wrong.

"The last key was supposed to be right here," said Ruby. "Where is it?"

Gaz looked around through the glass. "I don't see it."

"Neither do I," said Ash.

Ivy walked over to the group and saw their worried faces. "You're missing a key? What a shame. Perhaps a wild animal took it."

"It does seem likely," Lammy told the team.

"Then it seems this team had a bad security system," Ivy stated, pointing a finger at Ash and Pikachu. "I saw those two leave their post at one point. Blame them."

Ash rubbed his head in nervousness. "I admit that's true, but-"

"He admits it!"

Several Moons started whispering to each other. "Could this be true?" Deadpool asked Julie.

At that moment, cheers roared from the Stars. Jak had delivered the final key, and Toph unlocked the last chest.

All it contained was a note. Mandy grabbed it and read it.

"Congrats. You've won. Woohoo!"

Chris started clapping. "The Shooting Stars have opened their final chest and won the challenge!"

The Stars started cheering. Sonic and Mega Man fist-bumped, Double D reluctantly high fived, and Ivy smiled.

"Mysterious Moons, good luck having another elimination ceremony to get through. See you later."

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"Looks like my plan worked," Ivy said with satisfaction. "My team wins again and a possible threat is going home."

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"Why the heck was Yusei's clothes caked in some sort of mud?" Deadpool asked.

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"I hope I stay," Gaz stated. "I want to beat up Sockhead some more."

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"I'm starting to really hate Louisiana," Connie said.

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Leo was discussing the elimination with Connie and Po. "The way I see it, there are two options for us to eliminate."

"I'm guessing Ash's one of them," said Connie. "Who's the other one?"

"The only other teammate who has a chance of leaving today is Yusei. He was the one who suggested that Ash guard the keys. Plus, he was apparently lost in thought when he went into the forest, causing him to lose his way. He was in there for about an hour before he came out."

Po shrugged. "You have a point. Still, he's one of the nicest people on this team. And chasing Deadpool around with that sparkly dragon thing of his was awesome."

"That's also true," said Connie. "I want to keep him."

"Come to think of it, Ash seems to be the bigger threat," Leo said. "He has that powerful mouse creature of his, and he was last season's runner up. Yusei's smart, but all he has in the way of offense is a bunch of cards that bring out monsters that don't even do any real damage."

"Then I don't see any reason not to eliminate Ash," said Po.

Leo nodded. "Then it's settled. Let the team know."

(At the bonfire ceremony…)

Chris arrived in the elimination room, where the Moons were waiting. "Another loss for the poor Moons. After a day of key hunting, it's time to cast your votes. Let's get this started."

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Ash handed the stamp to Pikachu, who stamped Gaz's passport and zapped it for good measure.

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"Here goes nothing," Lammy said as she stamped Ash.

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Ruby stamped Yusei's passport three times.

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Julie was holding both Yusei's and Ash's passport, trying to decide.

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The votes continued, and once Gaz came back from casting her vote, Chris brought in the peanut bags. "It's time to see who leaves."

"Deadpool."

"Ruby."

"Leo."

"Po."

"Julie."

"Lammy."

"Connie."

"And Gaz."

Gaz caught her bag. Ash and Pikachu sighed, while Yusei seemed composed.

"What are the odds?" Chris asked. "The team's two anime characters. And both have a reason to be up here tonight. Ash, you left your post and let someone or something take your team's last key. Plus, the fact that you were in the final two last season puts a target on your back. Yusei, you were the one who suggested that Ash be the guard in the first place. Not to mention you worried your team, especially your girlfriend, like crazy when you stayed in the forest for about an hour and then came back covered in mud. And you still haven't explained to anyone except Lammy why this was the case. This vote was interesting, and-"

"Just give the bag to Yusei already!" Ash exclaimed. "We all know Pikachu and I are toast anyway."

Chris sighed. "And another dramatic moment goes down the drain. Fine." He threw Yusei the final bag, who caught it and high-fived Lammy. "He only had two votes anyway. You, Ash, had seven."

"That means someone voted for me," Gaz stated. "Which of you was it?"

Ash was suddenly frightened. "Chris, throw me the parachute! I gotta run!"

The host threw him a parachute. "Pikachu, hold on tightly!" And he jumped out of the plane.

"Yeah, you'd better run," Gaz grumbled.

Chris shook his head and laughed. "At least I got a hilarious elimination ceremony," he said. "Moons, it's back to Economy. Enjoy."

(Later…)

Ivy sat down on an armchair in first class. She had succeeded. Ash was out. A veteran threat was out. She couldn't have been more relieved.

"What are you smiling about?" Rarity asked her.

"Nothing."

(That night…)

"Here he comes," Yusei whispered as he looked down the hall.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Lammy asked.

"Lammy, I need answers. I need to know why."

"Then good luck."

Both were in the cafeteria, waiting for Nom Nom. They were the only ones in the room, as everyone else was in the Economy and first class rooms. Lammy snuck back to the Economy room, and Nom Nom wasn't able to see her. Once he had approached the middle table, he heard a voice that made him jump.

"You have some explaining to do."

Nom Nom turned to see Yusei looking right at him.

"Why? Just, why?"

Nom Nom sighed in frustration. "I don't want to talk about it, Yusei. Mind your own business."

"No. I want answers. Why did you help me back there? Why go through so much trouble?"

"Why do you even care?"

"You're not the kind of person willing to do anything for someone you hate. You want them to suffer. You've wanted to see myself and Lammy suffer throughout all of last season. So why did you do it?"

"I already told you I don't want to talk about it! Leave me alone, ok?"

"Why save your worst enemy?"

"Yusei, drop it!"

"Nom Nom, why?"

"BECAUSE I OWE YOU AND LAMMY A DEBT THAT I FEEL I CAN NEVER REPAY! OKAY?!"

Everything became dead silent. Yusei took a step back, almost speechless.

"Nom Nom…"

The koala sighed. "This morning, someone gave me some advice." He remembered the conversation with Deadpool earlier. "He told me that I needed to let someone know why I'm on this plane. I guess now I have to follow his advice. This also goes into why I hate your guts, but I don't hate your guts as much as I did last season. It's a long tale, so sit down and get comfy."

Yusei sat down at one of the tables, and Nom Nom started his story.

"I'm sure you know by now that I've gotten exactly what I wanted for a long time. From the moment my first video hit the internet, I was a star. Nay, I was THE star. Being the Cutest Bear on the Internet has a lot of perks. I'm rich, I'm famous, and I love the spotlight. I never needed the million dollar reward that this show has. The only reason I entered was so I would spread my Nom Nom fame around the world, and hit people who don't even know I exist. Over the course of my life, I eventually decided that I no longer needed to rely on friends. Fame, fortune, and the Internet. What else could I possibly need? There are a lot of things at my mansion that keep me occupied, that are fun and don't require friends for me to use. The only things that have ever truly annoyed me were three bear brothers who stick to each other like glue.

"Despite that, for a while, I doubted there was anyone who could challenge my belief against trivial things like friends. That is, before you came along."

That comment had Yusei curious as to what he meant.

Nom Nom continued, "When I first saw you at the start of last season, I admit that there was something about you that I didn't like. Something that irked me. I was in the dark as to what that was until the snowball fight. When Deadpool and I made fun of Lammy for being a coward, you pegged me in the face with a snowball and chewed me out for calling her pathetic. I'm sure you remember that. You defended someone who wasn't even on your team. You two hadn't even spoken before then, and you still defended her. And I realized why you annoyed me so.

"I watched nearly every episode of your show, and I'm sure you can see we're complete opposites. And not just because I'm a koala and you're a human. You lost everything as a baby. Your parents, your home, everything. Then you get sent to an orphanage in some God forsaken slum. You've spent most of your life fighting to survive, and you've almost been arrested several times (and actually arrested once) in order to protect your friends. That's just it. Friends. You would do anything for them. To you, friends are a person's most precious treasures. You considered Lammy a friend before you had even spoken."

"Well, I had always been able to see the goodness in someone's heart. It's not that hard. And I can tell there's some good in you even though you won't show it."

"As flattered as I am, I'm trying to continue my story. Anyway, after that, I began my campaign to remove you from the equation. I wanted my life, my beliefs, to stay the way they were. I had decided to bide my time until you were vulnerable, but then the fortress battle challenge came, and things became complicated. Because I wanted to defeat you, and you responded by saving me from falling."

"Didn't Superman save both of us?"

"He wouldn't have made it in time had it not been for you. I'm certain of that. You could have run off of that bridge to save your own hide, but you decided to save your rival instead. Well, I guess I saved my rival today, so we're partially even in that sense. But as you've just learned, I don't like to leave debts unpaid. So that's why I turned your team against Superman. I can't say I'm an angel, but I'm not heartless."

"No one is."

Nom Nom laughed slightly. "You forgot about Mandy."

"Ok, you got me there."

"Besides, giving you the axe right then and there would've been hard unless I did something about it. So after that, things went back to normal for me. I still remember chasing after you and your alliance with a stick and then turning you into a work of art. It was challenge after challenge, and after Deadpool was kicked off, I realized that Lammy was your weakness. So Mandy and I tried to split you up. You already know how that turned out, though I saw footage of Lammy bringing out Stardust Dragon, and that was awesome. Still, I saw that after everything, you were winning. Not the competition, but against me. So I panicked. And I switched the votes."

"Yeah. That sucked."

"I know. Even after that, you didn't hesitate to try and stop Snake from beating the ever living crap out of me. That was a decent move, but I was determined to defeat Lammy, thus settling our dispute once and for all. That is, until she beat me in the final three. And then surprised me further by saving my sorry hide. And punching me in the face."

Yusei smiled a little. "When I saw that, I admit that Lammy punching you in the face was cool."

"Don't rub it in. Anyway, she told me that you would have jumped in the water for me if it was you instead of her. And at that moment, I realized something. I had spent last season planning to win this battle of belief between the both of us. The joke's on me. I had won the battle, but you had won the war."

That comment surprised Yusei most of all.

The koala nodded. "I didn't get enough votes in that stupid poll to return as a competitor, but that was fine by me. I wanted to relax in my mansion without a care in the world. But when I found out that you and Lammy were joining this season, I had no choice. I had a debt to repay. And even if I might never be able to fully pay my dues, I can try. So I applied to be an intern on this plane. As hard as the job is, I don't regret it, though the outfit's a bit much.

"But there's a second reason why I'm here. I wanted to learn more about this strange alien term called friendship. To me, it's an alien term. I wanted to see what the benefits were, because believe it or not, I now know you were right all along. And that's my sad story."

Yusei knew everything Nom Nom said was the truth, even if he couldn't tell exactly like Toph could. Still, he was speechless, and surprised.

"That does not mean I'm accepting this friend thing yet," Nom Nom warned. "I know the good that can come out of having friends by other people's sides, but I don't know what good it could be to me yet. I'm still figuring that out. I'm a little lost at the moment, and I hope my luck changes soon."

"For starters, you lifestyle is a little grand for one koala," Yusei stated. "Maybe if you play video games, you could invite other people to play Smash Bros with you or something."

Nom Nom shrugged. "True. And guess who gave me that advice?"

"Who?"

"Deadpool. My conversation to him was my first real conversation to any of you since last season ended. Six months, and the only person who I talked to was Mandy, but that was merely to show me that fake article. And who it said was the one that took my title? Some kid with a huge nose and wearing a bear suit."

Yusei laughed. "I saw that article. His name was Billy, right?"

Nom Nom nodded. "And for what it's worth, I really am sorry for switching the votes that night. It was a rash decision on my part, and I had regretted it for quite some time now."

"Water under the bridge. It happened a long time ago, and it's over and done."

The koala nodded. "Listen, Yusei. After tonight, things go back to the way they were before. At least unless and until I can find my way out of this rut I'm in. You can't tell anyone what I told you tonight. Well, I guess you can tell Lammy. She'll believe you. But no one else will believe anything I say, even if it came out of your mouth. I'm a little surprised you know I told the truth. I want everyone to see for themselves. Got that?"

Yusei nodded. Then Nom Nom held his paw out. "Might as well shake on it."

So they shook on their agreement. "Thanks for earlier, by the way," Yusei said.

"It takes more than quicksand to rattle this guy, though you didn't seem scared."

With a last little laugh, Yusei headed for the door back to Economy.

"Hey, Yusei?"

The duelist turned back to where Nom Nom was standing. "Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"For?"

"Everything. That goes for Lammy as well. Be sure to tell her that."

"Will do."

And he finally walked out of the cafeteria, leaving Nom Nom standing there. The koala walked in the opposite direction, feeling strangely lighter.

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"Well, I think things are going to be more interesting for me," said Nom Nom.

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Yusei quietly walked back into the Economy room. Lammy was the only other Moon awake. She was sitting on her bed/bench, and had been waiting for him to return.

"You guys had a conversation without the plane exploding?" Lammy asked in a teasing tone.

"Ha ha. Very funny."

"What did he say?"

"I'll tell you in the morning. If I tell you now, you'll never get to sleep."

"True."

Yusei smiled and got onto the bed/bench next to Lammy's bed/bench. Both were exhausted after everything that had happened today, and they both fell asleep quickly.

(Meanwhile…)

Nom Nom laid awake in bed, in the room where the interns stayed. He looked out the window at the night sky, a strange smile having formed on his face.

Things were never going to be easy between him and Yusei, but their conversation had made him happier. It had given him hope that maybe, just maybe, his luck could change for the better.

He smiled and thought, "Thank you, Yusei."

And he slept soundly for the first time in months as the plane flew into the night.

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Talk about some impressive character development right there.

Ash is out, sadly. He and Pikachu were fun to write last season, but I felt I gave them too little to do. Besides, runner-ups usually fall early.

Remember when I had said that I had brought Nom Nom back as an intern to bring to life some of the plot elements I had envisioned? This was a huge one. His rivalry with Yusei was something I enjoyed writing last season. To me, they make great rivals. As our resident koala pointed out, they're total opposites. One's had everything handed to them on a silver platter for years, but doesn't think he needs friends. The other has spent most of life in the slums, but know how amazing friends can be. The perfect rivalry, and I was determined to further develop it.

So it was only natural for Nom Nom to come back as an intern, rescue his enemy from quicksand, and tell the world the truth he had hidden for so long.

I never liked Nom Nom, but I can't help but respect him. And this issue is not done with yet.

Ivy finally starts making a real impression and plants the seeds for Ash and Pikachu taking the Drop of Shame. She's got more surprises ready to sprout, believe me. Ugh, I have got to stop thinking about the puns from Batman and Robin.

As for the song, this one was a fun one, especially when Daxter sang. If you don't know what he was about to say when Jak interrupted him, that is just sad.

Next time, we revisit a spot from the original World Tour: Paris, France. Here, everyone will show how fashionable they are. And one person will try to sabotage another, but all it does is get someone else eliminated.

That should be it. Remember to read and review, fav and follow, give me challenge ideas and destinations, and send in good-luck messages.

And remember, kids. Stay away from quicksand.

TheMasterKat out!