Part 9: King of the Hill

Early in the morning, a sleep-deprived Jasmine was outside of her cabin and climbing the mountain for a good place to have some time alone. What she didn't expect, however, was for Izzy to already be sitting atop the ledge she was headed towards. She was just sitting there in a meditative pose with her eyes closed, smiling as usual.

"Oh," said Jasmine, "sorry. I didn't know you were up here."

"Come," Izzy said with more than a hint of mystique in her voice. "Sit beside me. I've been expecting you."

Jasmine raised an eyebrow and looked around in case something was waiting for her when she took a seat. "Um... Okay." She cautiously sat down beside the strange girl as silence ensued. "So... Did you have anything to-"

"Tell me what you see when you look out over the horizon," Izzy said out of nowhere.

"Uh..." Jasmine gazed into the distance to see the long stretch of frozen, wooded land until it gave way into the ocean that stretched as far as the eye could see. The darkness of the black smoke was still looming over the island, blocking out any view of the sun they would have. "I see an island that's already taken far more than it could give back. That's for sure."

"You miss the one known as Shawn, don't you?" Izzy asked. "You're afraid he really was responsible for Zoey being pushed into the ocean. But Izzy knows... It wasn't Shawn."

"Then who was it?"

As she looked beside her, she saw that Izzy was then trying to balance herself on her head while laughing. "I dunno!" she answered, falling backwards. "The truth lies at the top of this mountain! And today you must climb to the top!"

"I wish that were true," said Jasmine. "I wish I could live in your world for a little while and be carefree."

"Jasmine! Izzy!" called Chris from below with a loudspeaker. "I see you've already started today's challenge without me announcing it! Good hustle! I like that!"

Jasmine looked to Izzy again. "How did you know...?"

"Know what?"

"Uh... Never mind."


"That's right, campers!" said Chris in front of both teams as they stood outside the cabins, mostly groggy and not yet fully awake. "Today, you'll be climbing the tallest mountain here! As you can see, the top extends above the smoke, so you'll be able to see the sky again, maybe. Of course that also means that you'll have to pass through the smoke to get to the top, and who knows what kind of smoke that is! I certainly don't! The first team to have all of its members at the top of the mountain wins the challenge! Starting now!"

Both teams started running to the foothills of the mountain, taking separate paths up. Having only four members to their team, the Deadly Seals stayed close together as they began to ascend.

"I've never climbed an entire mountain before!" said Ella. "I usually spend my time in the valleys, prancing and singing with the birds and deer!"

"That's great, Ella," said Gwen, "but we really need to focus on the challenge this time! We can't afford to keep losing people left and right!"

"Look who's full of team spirit today!" teased Heather as she grinned maliciously. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you've been bitten by the love bug!"

Gwen's face immediately reddened as she smiled sheepishly. "Let's just win this... okay?"


The Fearless Penguins made an orderly line as they made their way up a rugged, rocky wall that was barely gradual enough to climb with their bare hands. Bridgette found herself beneath Alejandro, her glaring eyes fixed on every move he made. She was going to be sure that he didn't try anything unusual.

"Hey," whispered Jasmine, coming up beside her. "You seem awfully interested in staring at Alejandro lately..."

"I'm onto him," she replied. "I'm convinced he was behind what happened with Zoey and Shawn."

Jasmine looked surprise for a moment before saying, "You think so? I can't remember him being there with the rest of us last night, but it was so dark I could hardly say who was or wasn't there. I only remember him being there once we got back to the cabins."

"I don't know Shawn or Zoey very well," Bridgette went on, "but I know Alejandro well enough to know that this isn't beneath him..."

"Is that all you have to go by?" said Jasmine, slightly losing her confidence in her accusations.

"Last night..." said Bridgette, lowering her voice even more. "When I pulled Zoey out from the water..."


"Zoey!?" Bridgette said in a panic as she placed herself carefully over the edge of the ice, Zoey's red hair barely visible in the darkness. She reached into the extremely cold water with both hands as DJ slowly crawled his way closer, being careful not to push himself or Bridgette over the edge. The water gave her entire body a shock as her arms were submerged, pulling Zoey's eerily stiff body back onto the ice. "Oh, god..." Bridgette muttered, realizing that she was completely unresponsive. She began pressing down on her chest like she remembered practicing when she was learning how to surf, and she gave a big sigh of relief when Zoey began coughing almost immediately.

"Ah-" Zoey said shakily, still coughing up frigid water. "A-ah." It sounded like she was trying to say something, but at that point her brain must have been nearly frozen solid. After a few more coughs, her neck loosened up and she passed out again.

"Is she gonna be alright?" DJ said, worried.

"I think so," Bridgette answered. She was still breathing heavily from the moment of panic. It had been a long time since she had been that scared.


"So..." Jasmine said as they neared a ledge to climb up on. "You think she was trying to say 'Alejandro' before she passed out?"

"I didn't at first," said Bridgette, "but I do now. It makes more sense than Shawn just slipping and hitting his head after pushing Zoey into the ocean."

"You may be right," said Jasmine. "I really hope you're right, at least..."

"It does mean we have a killer on the island still..." Bridgette reminded her. "Just keep an eye on him for now."

"Got it."

*Confessional*

"I know Bridgette has a bias against Alejandro," said Jasmine, "but she could be right. Either way, I have a feeling this won't end well..."

*End Confessional*


"How much further do we have to hike?" complained Heather. "My feet are already getting sore."

"We're not exactly getting close, if that's what you're asking," said Gwen. She stopped all of a sudden and looked to her left at a small cave opening. "Unless..."

"You don't expect me to go in there, do you?" said Heather. "There are probably all kinds of dirty bugs and animals living inside."

"Yeah, well, we're not exactly up to the same athletic standards as the other team, so we should take any advantage we can get."

"And what tells you that cave isn't just a dead end? And how is Beardo going to fit in there?"

Gwen was already fitting inside the opening, pushing herself further until she ended up on the other side, barely able to see a foot in front of her in the darkness. What stood before her, though, was a surprise. "Uhh," she said, "I think you might wanna come in here."

Heather groaned as she tucked herself inside. "This had better be worth it."

"Is it a hidden garden?" Ella asked as Heather fell flat on her face after pulling herself through. "I've always wanted to find one of those."

"Not a hidden garden," said Gwen.

Once the three of them had made it through with Beardo still left on the other side, they gazed up in wonderment at the giant golden statue of a man with an exact resemblance of DJ, except with fur vestments instead of his usual casual clothes. His expression was resolute, and his stance was proud and adamant, unlike the real DJ. There were small holes high above them that were leaking light down into the cave, illuminating the statue for them to see.

"Why does DJ get a golden statue built of him!?" said Heather. "He hasn't even won any seasons like I have!"

The opening behind them blew open and Beardo rammed himself into it, falling down in a pile of rocks left over.

"I guess that's one way of getting through," said Gwen.

"Oh, this is marvelous!" Ella exclaimed, prancing closer to the statue. "It's beautiful! DJ would be so happy to see this!"

"We should be knocking pieces of it off and keeping it for when we go home," Heather suggested.

"Remember what happened last time we found riches beyond comprehension?" Gwen reminded her. "It all got crushed in an elaborate trap."

Heather wore a devious grin. "Oh, I wouldn't say all of it..."

"Either way, we should be using this statue to get us up higher. That light is sunlight, which means the top of this leads above the smoke."

"That is an excellent plan, Gwen!" said Ella, as happy as ever. "Let us begin climbing this magnificent statue!"

*Confessional*

"Oh, I do love seeing sunlight after cloudy days!" said a smiling Ella. "It's simply magical! Much less magical than rainbows or the gift of life, but it's up there I assure you!"

*End Confessional*


The higher the Fearless Penguins climbed, the windier it became. They had to suffice with taking the walking path instead of climbing cliffs, as it had become far too dangerous. Bridgette and Jasmine continued glaring at Alejandro while Izzy stared off into random directions with a carefree smile on her face.

"Okay, that's enough," said Alejandro as he turned around to face his two observers. "You two are clearly up to something. Spit it out now."

"Feeling a bit guilty?" asked Bridgette. "I would be, too..."

"What's going on here?" asked Tyler.

Bridgette pointed a finger at Alejandro. "He's the one responsible for pushing Zoey into the ocean."

"Do you have any proof?" Tyler continued.

"Uhh..." Bridgette stopped for a second to gather her thoughts, looking around at everyone staring at her. "Well, no, but I know it was him. Zoey was trying to say his name before she passed out."

"Then why didn't you bring this up last night?" asked Alejandro innocently. "Shouldn't that have been the first thing you told someone?"

Jasmine took a step forward. "I know Shawn," she said firmly. "And I know he would never do something like this. Can any of you remember Alejandro being there with us when this took place?"

"I'm sorry, Jasmine," said Alejandro, "but you're going to have to come to terms with the fact that Shawn did this. I'm sure he wasn't doing it out of malice. He probably thought that Zoey had been infected and tried to get rid of her as quickly as possible. It's a shame what fear can do to the mind."

Jasmine began rolling up her sleeves. "I'm just about done with your condescending attitude, ya little cu-"

"Guys!" DJ interrupted. "We shouldn't be fighting like this in the middle of a challenge! We're losing valuable time!"

"He's right," Alejandro agreed. "We shouldn't be fighting each other like this when we're on the same team. I'm sorry if I've said anything to offend you, Jasmine."

Jasmine's fists were clenched tightly as she gritted her teeth. "Fine."

*Confessional*

"There's no doubt he did it," said an infuriated Jasmine. "That lying scumbag is going down."

*New Confessional*

"It's a shame how much love can blind someone," said Alejandro. "It can make someone completely sane and rational into a delusional mess..."

*End Confessional*


"Careful!" Heather called out as Gwen's foot stepped on her hand during their climb. "Do you want me to fall to my death!?"

"Only sometimes," Gwen called back, reaching the top of DJ's outstretched, giving her an easy path to a ledge jutting out from high above where they began. To her right, she was pleased to see a narrow path branching off from the ledge that would lead them exactly where they wanted to go. "Hah!" she exclaimed. "And you didn't want to come this way!"

"Shut up," Heather said as she joined her on the ledge, followed closely by Ella. Beardo was still struggling as all four of his limbs were inching along the length of the golden arm to where they were. "I'll admit you were right when we're standing on the top of the mountain before the other team."

"Shouldn't take long like this."

"This is so exciting!" said Ella. "It's no wonder people climb mountains and explore caves when it can be this much fun!"

"I think we're making an explorer out of her," Gwen giggled as they made their way up the narrow path. "I wish I had a camera so I could take a picture of us when we're standing on top of the mountain. I can't wait to see what my subscribers think of this season when I get home."

"Oh, we're very happy for you!" Ella replied eagerly.

Gwen raised an eyebrow. "I didn't take you for someone who's into the whole social media scene."

"How else would I be able to watch the World Tour song compilations? You and Heather have wonderful singing voices! Oh, it would be simply spectacular to have a group singing event with all of us! That would be a dream come true."

"Well keep dreaming," Heather said. "My singing ended when World Tour did, and I'm never bringing it back."

"Oh..." said a dejected Ella. "But you seemed to be enjoying it. I thought it would be lovely to have a duet between the two of us, but... it's fine if you don't want to."

Heather merely rolled her eyes.

*Confessional*

"Okay, so she's right," Heather said with her arms crossed, "I liked the singing a little bit. Like she said, I've got a good voice. Why squander it?"

*End Confessional*

"Here!" called Gwen as she pushed through a blanket of snow and ice to unveil a radiant sunlight that burst through the dark cave, making the contestants shield their eyes from it.

A loud gasp could be heard from Ella as she rushed forward to bask in the sunlight, her feet sinking into the heavy snow wherever it was they were on the mountain. Below them was the thick haze of the black smoke, looking more like a foggy sea than anything else. "Beautiful sunlight!" she exclaimed. "Oh, I've missed you so much!"

"There's the top!" shouted Heather with a wide grin, pointing up above at the peak of the mountain. "You actually did it, Gwen!"

"Let's get going, then!" Gwen said as they all gradually made their way up the incline with their hands and feet.

With her hand about to pull herself up to the top of the mountain, Heather could hear a low growling sound and a familiar white creature staring her in the face. Practically petrified, she stayed as still as she could as the others behind her watched her in confusion.

"You don't need to wait for us, Heather," said Gwen.

The polar bear gave a mighty roar, nearly knocking Heather backwards down the mountainside.

Ella pranced up towards the beast, humming as she went, until she was standing on the flat surface of the peak. "That's no way to behave, now, is it?" she said, waving a finger in front of the bear's nose. "Your shouting and roaring is crude and abhorring, but I know there's something deep down that you're hiding..."

Gwen spoke up. "Ella, you're going to be that bear's first meal in months if you don't run away!"

"It's true our last meeting didn't go as planned, but this time my greeting is on much higher land!"

"What does that even have to do with anything!?" said Heather.

"We're almost there!" they all heard from below as Tyler emerged from the smoke, coughing and hacking along with the rest of his team.

"Look!" Heather yelled at the bear. "A tasty buffet of smoked pork! Grab a plate and bring a fork!" The polar bear's ears perked up as it turned its attention to the Penguins, sliding down the mountain to go after them. "Make sure to eat the Spanish dork!" Heather added as Ella clapped joyfully.

The four of them stood atop the peak of the mountain victoriously, cheering in glee.

"Congratulations to the Deadly Seals!" Chris's voice could be heard from a loudspeaker as he held on to the side of a helicopter emerging from the smoke. "You've won yourself the rest of the afternoon in the hot springs!"

"Yesss!" Heather exclaimed as she and Gwen immediately went for a hug, then realized what they were doing and let go of each other.

"Good teamwork, you guys..." Gwen said, slightly embarrassed.

"It's all thanks to you!" Ella said cheerfully. "I only wonder why I'm not able to get through to that bear..."

"Who knows," said Heather. "It's probably not even a real bear."


The Fearless Penguins were doing anything but living up to their title, running in terror from the polar bear scattering them all across the mountain. Bridgette was trying to keep her eyes on Alejandro, but he was nowhere to be seen in the chaos that ensued. When she quickly turned around, she was met with a hand around her throat, lifting her up off the ground. Alejandro's face was stern and steady, his eyes as calm as ever as Bridgette struggled to breathe. She looked around her to see if anyone was nearby, but they had been left completely alone.

"All I want to say is that I'll enjoy this," he said to her as he walked closer to the edge of a cliff, leaving her dangle over it by the end of his arm. His grip loosened as Bridgette began to fall down the side of the mountain, but only for a moment before slowing down to a halt. She had reached for a pickaxe that she had stuffed inside her coat and dug it deep into the snow and ice lining the mountain.

Laughing, Alejandro said, "I should have guessed you'd take that off of Shawn!"

"Why are you doing this!?" Bridgette yelled, climbing her way back up slowly.

"Because I get a million dollars if I win, of course! I don't care about the rest of you! I'd strap you all to a bomb and sleep soundly that night if I could!"

"You're a monster!"

Alejandro leaned down closer to her, getting ready to push her down with his foot. "I'd rather be a rich monster than a poor nobody."

Bridgette latched onto his leg tightly before he had a chance to kick her, climbing her way onto him and striking at him with the pickaxe, only to have her arm held back before dealing the blow.

"You're putting up way more of a fight than Zoey or Shawn did! I wouldn't have expected that from a peaceful hippie like you!" He pushed her off of him, throwing her aside where she rolled a couple of times before coming to a stop and picking herself up again.

As Alejandro stood there anticipating a move from Bridgette, she instead turned the other way and began a sprint away from him in search of the others. Alejandro grunted and chased after her, watching bright blonde ponytail bob up and down with each stride. If he could only get close enough he could grab it and pull her to the ground, but she was surprisingly fast for someone who would rather be on the water than on land.

Taking the path leading further up the mountain, Bridgette threw herself into the smoke in an effort to lose him. She knew all too well that she needed to find someone else as quickly as possible to warn them, but she wasn't sure where anyone was anymore. Once she had gotten through the smoke, however, she could see that the winning team had taken off on Chris's helicopter and were headed back down. Though she tried to wave her arms to try to grab their attention, all she got in return was Heather making a rude gesture at her.

"Oh, yes," said Alejandro, startling her. "This will make a much better spot for a murder. Nobody else to witness it and they'll all assume it was the polar bear."

"Please!" Bridgette pleaded. "You don't have to do this! Besides, once Shawn and Zoey wake up they'll let everyone know it was you! Killing me will only further incriminate you!"

"I could care less about being incriminated," said Alejandro. "As long as I'm the last living person on this island, I'll grab the million and take off on Chris's helicopter. From there, who knows. Maybe I'll go out in a blaze of glory. It doesn't matter as long as I get that million!"

Both of them turned towards someone else's footsteps making their way up towards them. It was Jasmine, uncovering her nose and mouth from the smoke as she looked at both of them in confusion. "What's going on here?" she asked.

"He's trying to kill me!" Bridgette shouted before Alejandro had a chance to respond.

Jasmine began rolling up her sleeves with a mean glare. "Not for long he isn't!"

"Great..." Alejandro said under his breath. "Okay, then. Beat me up if that's what you choose. But I wonder what the others will think when they see poor Alejandro ganged up by two contestants of the girls' alliance? I'll get bandaged up and the two of you will be sent home for going out of your minds. In fact, go ahead. I won't even resist."

"Gladly!" Jasmine exclaimed as she stomped the snow beneath her with each step closer. "I'll just beat you so bad you'll have to be sent to a hospital! After what you did to Shawn, I'll risk the million without a second thought if it means taking you down!"

Alejandro merely smirked and held out his arms in a welcoming display. "Go ahead."

Jasmine stopped and looked at him strangely, questioning his motives. "I don't like the sound of that."

"He's just trying to trick you!" Bridgette assured her. "End it now!"

After taking two steps forward, Jasmine felt her foot falling deeper into the snow than usual as her entire body began sinking as well as the snow itself. She grabbed onto the ledge in front of her where the snow wasn't falling through the ground and held on for her life.

"Thank you for making this easy," said Alejandro with his usual grin as Bridgette could be heard running at him with the pickaxe held above her head. Alejandro stomped on her hands and kicked them off the ledge, letting her fall into the pit below. The view of the sky grew smaller and smaller the further she fell until she landed hard, blacking out instantly.


When she came to, she could feel the low rumble of the Rocket of Disgrace at her back as it fired up.

"Wait..." she mumbled, looking beside her to see Bridgette unconscious at her side. "Wait!" she said louder, catching Chris's attention as the rest of her team looked on from a distance. "I'm fine! Don't send me off! It was Al!"

"Yeah..." said Chris. "As much as I'd love to keep this season going on longer, the network gave me pretty strict orders to make sure that the two of you were sent to the E.R. Sorry about that."

The rocket shot up into the sky as Jasmine yelled down at him, but her words were drowned out.

"And that's it for this episode!" said Chris, standing in front of the Fearless Penguins. "It's down to nine competitors, and the teams are nearly equal! Will our contestants stop getting injured!? Can the Deadly Seals make the comeback of a lifetime!? Is it fair that I'm eliminating multiple people at a time for near-death injuries that probably weren't their own fault!? I can answer that one right now! It's no! Stick around for the next exciting episode of: Total! Drama! Aaaaaarctic Tundra!"


"This is a bad idea... This is such a bad idea..." Jasmine loosened rope after rope tying her to the rocket, trying to leave Bridgette's fastened. The last thing she wanted to do was bring a friend into her dangerous plan. After several ropes had been loosened enough, she slipped through and fell several feet, preparing herself for the landing.

A giant splash exploded from the water at her landing, and for a few seconds she remained submerged, until...

"THIS IS SUCH A BAD IDEA!" she screamed as soon as she surfaced, every part of her body felt the freezing water envelop her. "OH GOD WHY DID I DO THIS!" She quickly started paddling herself closer to the arctic island in her sights, hoping she didn't lose all control of her body before she made it there. "I'm coming for you, Alejandro!" she said shakily. "I'm not giving up that easily!"