At long last, a new chapter! I am so sorry for the long wait on this update! I had a bit of a writer's block with this chapter, and had to give myself a break to allow the ideas to pour in. I've had the elimination order planned out since the beginning, it was just a means of getting there. Hopefully it is worth the wait!
Brainy Beetles: Courtney
Brawny Beavers: DJ, Jasmine, Lightning, Sky
Beautiful Butterflies: Leshawna, Sugar
*Last Episode Recap*
"Last time, on Total Drama... the eight remaining contestants got a blast from the past, but that blast hit some harder than others. The Invincibility challenge had campers attempting to hide from their former enemies. Courtney had the pleasure of facing both of her exes, while Sky spent all challenge avoiding the inevitable confrontation with Dave about Lightning. Unfortunately for us, they all made up, with Sky and Lightning now a stronger duo than ever. A miscalculation from Scarlett led to DJ winning Invincibility after befriending Heather, of all people. Dave's outburst at Sky made her a target for elimination, and Scarlett tried to convince Courtney to go back on her alliance with DJ and Leshawna. When it came down to it, Courtney remained loyal, Sky was safe, and Scarlett's reign of terror came to a close in our most shocking elimination to date. Will the alliances keep their word to each other? Or will they be at each other's throats? It's time to see for yourself, now, on Total Drama... Brains! Vs. Brawn! Vs. Beauty!"
*End Recap*
The walk back to the cabins felt much longer than usual. Despite Courtney being the furthest along the path, she was walking the slowest; thinking about her decision and Scarlett's words. It didn't take long for DJ and Leshawna to catch up to her.
"Hey girl, you doing okay?" Leshawna asks.
Courtney smiles lightly and replies, "Yeah, just thinking about everything. I know getting rid of Scarlett was the best move, but I figured it'd feel... I don't know, more fulfilling?"
DJ gives her a light pat on the shoulder. "I mean, that makes sense. You two had been working together since the beginning. It probably feels weird without her here."
Courtney shrugs. "Yeah, I guess that does make things feel a little bit off. Still, I'm glad we voted for her."
Leshawna pulls the two others into a group hug. "That's what I like to hear! Just a few more weeks until Final Three!"
Courtney and DJ hug her back before continuing down the path. As they continue happily discussing their future plans for the competition, they fail to notice Jasmine looking at them from a distance.
*Confessional- Jasmine*
"I've been in a safe position for the entirety of the game. But now it's getting down to the wire, and I need to be more than just safe. As much as it pains me to say it, my game can not afford to keep a trio around with so few players left. Now I just need a plan."
*Confessional Ends*
Sugar comes running up from behind, and greets Jasmine with a loud "HEY!", startling the Australian.
"What do you want, Sugar?" Jasmine asks in an annoyed tone.
"Not much, I saw you starin' off into space and such. What's up? Thinking' about Scarlett? Think ya made the wrong choice?"
*Confessional- Sugar*
"Wth Scarlett gone, there's not much room for me to stand on. I think it's time that ole' Sugar starts making the big moves."
*Confessional Ends*
Jasmine scoffs at the suggestion. "No Sugar, I don't regret it at all. Getting rid of someone so evil was the best choice we could have made. I honestly don't know how she lasted so long."
Sugar points further down the road. "It's cause of her schemin' with Courtney and such. I'm tellin' ya, we gotta keep our eyes on her!"
"Keep our eyes on who?" Sky asks. Both Jasmine and Sugar turn around to see her and Lightning walking up to meet them.
"Why, Sky, we're talking about Courtney of course!" Sugar explains. "We gotta get rid of her soon!"
Sky looks uneasy at the suggestion, while Lightning looks angry.
"Um, well..." Sky attempts to answer, only to be interrupted by Jasmine.
"That's not what I said, Sugar. I said voting off Scarlett was the right choice." Jasmine elaborates. Though it's directed at Sugar, she's looking at Sky and Lightning when she says it.
Sugar looks unamused. "Well, we should vote for her next anyway."
Lightning speaks up for the first time. "Lightning ain't voting for Courtney. She's had my back since we were on the Villains team."
Sugar rolls her eyes. "Oh come on, that's all old news."
"No, it ain't!" Lightning brashly replies back. He points directly at Sugar as he continues his speech. "Why would Lightning team up with you? You tried to get rid of me last week, and you just voted for Sky less than an hour ago! And people say I'm dumb!"
Sugar looks like she's about to retort his claims, but a sudden change of heart leads her to flash the most wicked smirk she can possibly muster.
"You wanna play that way? Fine. You don't gotta like me, but I know you'll vote with me next Campfire Ceremony. Give me a few days, I'll show ya its yer' best option!"
Sugar abruptly storms off towards the cabins, leaving Jasmine, Sky, and Lightning by themselves.
*Confessional- Sugar*
"The only reason they won't vote with me is because they don't know how serious the TDI alliance is. But no matter, I'll show them all when the time is right."
*Confessional Ends*
*Confessional- Lightning*
"There ain't no way that Lightning is gonna team up with Sugar! And there's nothing she can say that'll change my mind!"
*Confessional Ends*
Sky's the first to speak when Sugar's out of sight. "Lightning, you should've at least listened to what Sugar had to say."
Lightning looks shocked. "Oh come on! You two know better than anyone what she's like. Lightning ain't aligning with someone who voted for him!"
The two women look at each other in silent agreement. Despite the truthfulness in the jock's sentiment, they remain unconvinced. Finally, Jasmine speaks up.
"Look, Sugar is awful and shouldn't be trusted. We all know that. But there's seven of us left, and you two have been in the bottom the past two weeks. I'm not saying we should align with Sugar permanently, but would one week really do any harm?"
Lightning lets the words sink in, and silently pouts, not wanting to admit that Jasmine may be right. Sky looks uneasy, so Jasmine talks once more.
"All I'm asking is that you think about it. We have some time to figure it out. Sound good?"
Sky nods. "I think we should definitely give it some thought. What do you think Lightning?"
Lightning mutters out a quick 'fine' to both of them, but his aggravated expression remains.
*Confessional- Sky*
"Honestly, I'm totally on board with getting one of the TDI campers out next. But Lightning's my partner in the game, so I can't go against him. Hopefully I can convince him to have a change of heart."
*Confessional Ends*
*Confessional- Jasmine*
"Well, it's not a guarantee, but it is a start. I had a feeling Sky would be easier to convince, since she's more strategic. Lightning's stubborn, so I may just need some more time. I'm not giving up."
*Confessional Ends*
Suddenly, a scream is heard through a pathway.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" The voice shouts.
Jasmine raises an eyebrow in curiosity.
"You think that's DJ?" She asks the pair.
Sky shakes her head in affirmation. "Definitely. No one else has that high-pitched of a scream. Let's go check it out."
The trio sprint down the trail and reach their cabins in no time. Or at least, what was their cabins. What they find is all of their luggage and other supplies scattered around outside; the cabins themselves are now completely gone. Only three large square patches of dirt remain as a reminder of where they once were.
"What the hell happened?" Sky asks, momentarily out of breath from the running.
Leshawna turns to the new arrivals and explains, "We don't know. When we got here everything looked liked this. Something must have happened while we were at the Campfire Ceremony."
"CHRIS!" Courtney shouts to the sky, hoping that the host will hear. "Where are our cabins?! Where are we supposed to sleep?!"
Chris' voice comes on over the intercom. "Ah, I see you've reached the remnants of your cabins. Not to worry- if you look up, Chef should be lowering your new home down at any moment."
A large gust of wind prompts the contestants to look overhead. The camera moves with them to show a helicopter, manned by Chef, lowering a single cabin in the center of the empty space. Once the cabin is placed firmly on the ground, Chef flies away.
The cabin itself is a slightly larger version of the ones they've lived in all summer. The only major difference is that this one appears to have two floors, instead of the one floor they've grown accustomed too.
Chris' voice comes over the intercom once more. "Soooo yeah, having three cabins with only seven of you left was getting really expensive, so we decided to consolidate. Ladies, you get the bunks on the bottom floor. DJ and Lightning, you'll be sleeping on the second floor. Got it?"
"Ummmm, excuse me? And who is going to help us with our luggage? You know, the ones you threw all over the ground?" Leshawna demanded.
Chris' chuckle was heard over the speakers. "Oh Leshawna, I would never go near any of your disgusting belongings. Nope, that was all the interns' work. But they're off for the night, so... enjoy unpacking. Again. Chris out!"
A switch is heard over the intercom, indicating that Chris won't be responding anymore tonight.
"Well..." Jasmine says as she slings one of her bags over her shoulder. "The sooner we start, the sooner we can go to bed. Might as well find everything now."
The rest of the campers groan, but begin to look for their things anyway. Leshawna's luggage is the easiest to find, due to the loud leopard print. Courtney is appalled by the disorganization of her scattered toiletries. DJ's can't seem to find his duffle bag anywhere. Lightning, being the lightest packer, finds his two gym bags quickly. He picks both of them with one hand and heads over to Sky, who just found her own suitcase.
"Sky!" Lightning shouts. "You need any help? Lightning can carry a bag for you!"
Sky looks at her ally questionably as she lifts up her gym bag with ease.
"I think I'll be okay, Lightning. I'm sure someone else can use the help though." Her voice is a mix of sarcastic and playful.
As Sky joins Leshawna to head into their room, Lightning is hit with a large suitcase.
"Damn, I thought no one would ever offer! I'd hate to break one of my fingernails, I just painted them! Thanks for the offer Lightning!" Sugar yells as she waltz into the cabin.
Lightning looks baffled. "That offer was sha-not for you!" He yells to the pageant queen, but it falls on deaf ears. DJ and Jasmine start snickering at their former teammate's misfortune, which earns a grimace from Lightning.
*Confessional- Lightning & DJ*
"Man, why would you offer Sky, of all people, help with carrying things? There was no way that was going to end well for you." DJ asks Lightning.
"She had a rough day, Lightning was trying to be nice!" Lightning tells him.
DJ snickers again. "I don't think that's going to work with Sky. Maybe be a little less nice and a little more you?"
"Somehow, that doesn't make Lightning feel any better."
*Confessional Ends*
The camera switches to the women's room, where Sky, Leshawna, and Sugar are inside. Jasmine walks in next, with Courtney immediately following her. Lightning appears next to begrudgingly drop off Sugar's suitcase before heading upstairs to his own room. DJ is right behind him.
The women all giggle as Lightning dropped off the bag. Jasmine speaks as soon as the guys are out of sight.
"Sky, mate, you gotta give the poor boy a break. He was trying to be nice." She says, trying to hold back her laughter.
"I disagree. Sky, keep being you, because that was hilarious." Courtney interjects.
Sky chuckles at this before replying. "No way, I'm not going to have him waiting on me hand and foot. Though I wouldn't mind him helping me pick up all the toiletries that are outside. I still have to find mine."
"Crap, I almost forgot about those. And we have to unpack again." Leshawna groans.
"Ugh, let's go get them. But first, since there are five of us, I volunteer to have a bunk to myself!" Sugar announces.
Courtney and Leshawna both roll their eyes. Jasmine replies, "Sure, Sugar. Whatever you say. I'm gonna go let the guys know we're heading outside."
Everyone nods in agreement at this. All of them head outside afterwards, with the exception of Jasmine, who heads upstairs.
*Confessional- Sugar*
"Boy, what a great night this turned out to be! Losing Scarlett sucked, but I got Lightning to carry in my luggage and I got my own bunk bed! Things sure are looking up for Sugar!"
*Confessional Ends*
*Confessional- Courtney*
"I think I speak for all people in the world when I say I would never volunteer to share a bunk with Sugar in any capacity."
*Confessional Ends*
Jasmine heads upstairs to find Lightning and DJ scanning their room. The scrunched up expression on their faces look like they're trying to solve a puzzle.
Jasmine looks around their room, but doesn't seem to find anything out of the ordinary. It's slightly smaller than the girl's room, and has two bunk beds instead of three. Other than that, it's basically a replica of their own living quarters.
Jasmine taps lightly on the door. "Hey guys, we're about to head outside to pick up all our extra things. You good to go?"
Both men nod silently, but continue to scan the room. Jasmine doubts they even heard most of her statement.
"Everything okay?" She tries again.
"Yeah, we're just... uh, DJ brought up a good point, and now we're just unsure." Lightning tries to explain.
"Huh?" Jasmine asks.
DJ elaborates before Lightning can confuse her any further. "I said that it was weird that they gave us two bunk beds, since there's only two of us left. Wouldn't we only need one?"
Jasmine's eyes go wide at the implication. "Well, maybe they just want you both to have your own bed?"
"Since when is Chris ever that nice?" DJ retorts.
Jasmine shakes her head. "Maybe they break easily and they just have both here for backup. It could mean a lot of things. Standing in your room isn't going to solve it. Come on, let's go outside."
Both guys silently agree and follow Jasmine down the stairs. Jasmine's grateful that she's in front, so that neither of them can see a worried expression on her face.
*Confessional- Jasmine*
"I don't know what the extra bed set means, but I'm hoping it's just a fluke. Having so few players left means that numbers are everything, and even the slightest tilt can ruin what I've worked for. All I can do is just focus on the now."
*Confessional Ends*
It takes the campers approximately two hours to collect all their missing items and unpack again. By then it's well into the night, and everyone is exhausted. They fall asleep in their new bunks shortly after.
The day afterwards is spent sleeping in and adjusting to the new space. By the next day everyone is growing accustomed to their new surroundings. All the campers are getting along, and even Sugar has been on her best behavior. This puts Courtney and Leshawna on edge, though no one else sees a reason to be too worried about it.
Their fears turn out to be justified the next morning at breakfast. Everyone is sitting at one table. On the right side sits Lightning, Courtney, and Leshawna. Across from them sits Sky, Sugar, DJ, and Jasmine.
"So, how do you guys like the new cabins?" Jasmine asks.
"Man, having a guy floor is the best thing that ever happened! It's so chill up there." Lightning tells them.
DJ laughs. "Yeah, it's been pretty great. What about all of you?"
"Well, it might be better if Sugar stopped snoring so loud." Leshawna says bitterly.
Sugar rolls her eyes. "Boo-hoo. Get over it, a lil' snoring never hurt nobody."
This time, Courtney interjects. "It's not just a 'little snoring', Sugar. You sound like an elephant it's so loud."
Sugar scoffs at this. "Well of course you would defend her!"
Courtney knows she shouldn't press further, but her anger apparently blocks out what little filter she has. "What's that supposed to mean?"
*Confessional- Sugar*
"I've been waiting for the perfect moment to expose the Total Drama Island campers, and now I finally can!"
*Confessional Ends*
Sugar has the evilest looking grin on her face. She takes a deep breath before speaking again, her voice in a much more even tone.
"Well, Courtney, ain't it just natural to defend an alliance member? Given how long you've all been working together, I'm surprised DJ hasn't jumped in to help you too."
Courtney and Leshawna's jaws both drop in shock. DJ's face freezes up once his name is mentioned, but he can't bring himself to look at anyone.
*Confessional- Leshawna*
"I don't know what that country bumpkin is trying to accomplish here, but I do know she just became Enemy #1."
*Confessional Ends*
None of them say anything, so Jasmine speaks instead.
"Sugar, I'm not sure where you're going with this, but it's unnecessary. I think everyone's noticed that they're close."
Sugar's smile just grows wider. "Well, did you know that they've been working together for weeks? As in, even while we were the Brain, Brawn, and Beauty teams?"
Jasmine's eyes go wide for a brief moment before she snaps herself back into game mode. It's so quick that no one even notices the shift. Sky just looks down at her food, processing what Sugar just told them.
Only Lightning shows any hint of surprise. "SHA-WHAT? For that long?!"
Sugar nods happily. "Yup, since Lindsay was still here, at least. Why do you think Dawn and I voted her out? They were planning on going to the Final Four together."
Leshawna visibly tenses when Lindsay's name is mentioned. If looks could kill, Courtney's glare would've murdered Sugar a hundred times over by now. DJ still has yet to comment.
"Damn..." Lightning mutters. "That's even longer than Sky and I's alli- ouch!" He is interrupted by Sky kicking him under the table, right in the shin.
Before the situation can escalate any further, Jasmine lightly laughs and tells them, "Gotta hand it to you three, that's a pretty good strategy."
Sky nods slowly. "Wish I thought of it. Though I guess I wasn't really friends with anyone outside of the Brawny Beavers."
Sugar looks appalled at their responses. "Wha- what's wrong with all of you? Ya'll are just gonna let-"
"Sugar," DJ says, for the first time since the awkward revelations began. "I'm gonna ask you to stop talking right now, for your own sake. You already have three people writing your name down at the next Campfire Ceremony. One more and you're gone."
Everyone looks shocked at DJ's bluntness. His words were cold and calculated, neither of which suit him. Even Sugar seems unnerved by it. Before anyone can reply, DJ stands up, empties his plate, and heads out of the Dining Hall.
"Well, I can still win Invincibility!" Sugar shouts behind him as an after thought. When she turns around, she finds Courtney and Leshawna standing there.
"You could," Courtney says angrily, "but we promise to do everything we can to make sure that you lose."
The two women leave immediately after that, following the path that DJ took.
*Confessional- Leshawna*
"Sugar may have started this fight, but rest assured that the TDI campers are going to finish it."
*Confessional Ends*
"DJ, wait up!" Courtney yells. Her voice causes DJ to cease walking and turn around, allowing his alliance members to catch up to him.
"Sorry that I didn't do more to defend us. I just didn't know what to say." DJ says with his head down.
"What? Are you kidding me? Boy, that was a prime verbal smackdown you delivered to Sugar back there." Leshawna says.
"... really?" DJ asks, confused if he heard correctly.
Leshawna nods enthusiastically. "Definitely. You scared Sugar, of all people. I think everyone was impressed."
DJ smiles at this, though there is still sadness in his eyes. "Thanks, but I still doubt it will better our spots right now. We have a lot of damage control to do."
Courtney shakes her head. "Agreed, but I think we can do it. Sugar made us look bad, but she didn't make herself look great either. I'm sure we could convince Jasmine to vote with us."
"And what'll happen if she wins Invincibility?" DJ asks.
"Well, Sky and Lightning were both considered last week. If Sugar wins we can always go after them again." Leshawna suggests.
Courtney and DJ both nod. Leshawna gives them both a nudge before speaking again, a full smile panted on her face.
"Don't worry you two. We'll figure this out."
*Confessional- Leshawna*
"It's definitely not looking good right now. But I ain't giving up, not by a long shot. If I go down, I'm going down swinging."
*Confessional Ends*
Meanwhile, Sugar, Jasmine, Sky, and Lightning are all still inside the Mess Hall. Sugar looks incredibly satisfied with herself, Jasmine looks irritated, while Sky and Lightning both look confused.
*Confessional- Jasmine*
"I'm not at all surprised that those three had an alliance for so long. I don't think anyone really is. But I was trying to be subtle about my intentions, and Sugar just ruined all of that. I need to do some serious recovery."
*Confessional Ends*
"Sugar, you shouldn't have done that." Jasmine states.
Sugar looks shocked. "Are ya kiddin' me? Would ya rather find out about their alliance when you were outnumbered?"
Jasmine rolls her eyes. "No, but there was no need to tell them everything you knew. Also, it would've been nice to know about a 3-person alliance before there was 7 people left."
"Guys, please stop." Sky interjects. "I think we can all agree that Sugar's timing was awful. But if any of us want even the slightest chance of winning, we have to vote for one of them now."
Jasmine smirks at this. "I couldn't agree more. But we're going to need everyone here to agree. What do you think, Lightning?"
*Confessional- Lightning*
"So obviously, Lightning can't keep an alliance around that he's not apart of. On the other hand, Lightning still doesn't trust Sugar. If we're gonna do this, then we're doing it the way Lightning wants."
*Confessional Ends*
"Lightning will vote with you, but only if we vote for Leshawna. That's the deal." Lightning states bluntly.
Sugar looks aggravated by his terms. Jasmine is seriously considering it. Sky looks incredibly worried.
*Confessional- Sky*
"Lightning and I are in a very tricky spot right now. The only reason we haven't been targeted this week is because of the drama with the three-person alliance. So I'm not sure if Lightning's response should be to make demands of the people his safety depends on."
*Confessional Ends*
"I think that's reasonable." Jasmine says wearily.
"What, why? You already told us we couldn't vote for Courtney, but why not DJ? Why does it gotta be Leshawna?" Sugar questions.
"Cause Lightning ain't voting out DJ." Lightning retorts.
Jasmine adds in, "I'd... actually prefer to keep DJ in as well. He's more loyal, and Leshawna's more likely to make a big move."
"I still say we should vote out Courtney." Sugar mumbles.
"And Lightning said I ain't voting for her or DJ. Four votes send you home, and the TDI campers already said they're voting for you. You need Lightning's vote more than I need yours."
All three women look shocked at Lightning's statement. Sugar's mouth hangs wide open, and Sky's jaw is clenched with worry. Before Sugar can make anything worse, Jasmine speaks up.
"Look, there's no point in arguing about it. It doesn't really matter who goes as long as its one of those three. So it's Leshawna tonight. We can talk about other options if she wins Invincibility. Sound good?"
Sky and Lightning both nod in agreement. Jasmine gives Sugar a light nudge, causing to eventually mumble a curt "fine".
*Confessional- Jasmine*
"Ugh, I was really hoping that I'd be able to convince them to vote out Courtney. DJ is still a valuable ally, and I believe I could've pulled Leshawna to my side after this vote was over. But since Lightning won't vote for anyone else, this is what I have to go with. No matter, I can work with this."
*Confessional Ends*
*Confessional- Sugar*
"Lightning's gonna get himself into trouble if he keeps makin' all them demands. I may need his vote this week, but after that, he's Public Enemy #1. Or maybe #2... I'll see how I'm feelin'."
*Confessional Ends*
The camera turns back to Courtney, DJ, and Leshawna. They're deep in conversation when Chris' voice starts speaking over the intercom.
"Good morning, campers! I see today's drama has prevented most of you from finishing your breakfast. That's probably for the better. For those of you not in the Mess Hall, you might wanna head back there A.S.A.P. for your next challenge. Chris out!"
The three campers shrug and head back to the place they stormed out of less than an hour ago. Much to their concern, the other four contestants are already there.
*Confessional- DJ*
"Yeah, it isn't that hard to figure out what's going on. There's four of them and three of us, and they're all considering teaming up to vote one of us out. All we need to do is sway one person. I'm sure we can do it."
*Confessional Ends*
As the seven campers get back into their seats, Chris and Chef come storming in.
"Welcome, campers, to our next Invincibility challenge! Courtesy of the one and only Chef!" Chris shouts.
"Oh god." Sky mumbles. Jasmine snickers in agreement.
*Confessional- Sky*
"'Chef' and 'courtesy' do not belong in the same sentence. Needless to say, this challenge is going to be a nightmare."
*Confessional Ends*
"I bet you're all wondering why we're having this challenge in the Mess Hall." Chris says in a mocking tone.
"Because it's an eating challenge?" DJ asks.
Chris rolls his eyes. "Noooo, not because of... actually, yes, it is an eating challenge. But that, DJ, was a rhetorical question, so zip it."
The room is filled with mixed reactions at Chris' announcement of the challenge. DJ looks horrified, Jasmine and Sky seem unsure what to think, Leshawna seems hopeful, and Lightning and Courtney both have a mix of excitement and determination on their faces. But no one seems more excited than Sugar.
*Confessional- Sugar*
"An eatin' challenge? Eating has been my talent in the last six pageants I've done! I got this here challenge in the bag!"
*Confessional Ends*
*Confessional- DJ*
"Yeah, I don't think I'm gonna do too great in this challenge. Then again, I didn't think I'd get Invincibility last challenge either, so we'll see."
*Confessional Ends*
*Confessional- Courtney*
"I have a pretty strong stomach, so I think I'm a good contender to win. But with the human garbage disposal that's Sugar still here, I'm not entirely confident."
*Confessional Ends*
Chris finally continues on. "Chef will explain the rest of this challenge to you."
Chef comes bursting out of the kitchen, which no one saw him go into in the first place. In his hands are a small pot and seven glasses. He speaks as he places a glass in front of each camper.
"This challenge will have 6 rounds. Each round you will be presented with one of my own creations- some good, some bad, some vile. Your challenge is to finish whatever I serve you as fast as possible. The last person to finish each round will be eliminated. Are we clear? Cause I don't have time for stupid questions!"
All the campers nod silently. Chef perks up and begins to pour a murky liquid into each glass.
"Good. That means we can begin the first round, which is... a glass of pond water."
"Ew." Leshawna says curtly.
Chris speaks up. "Yes, very ew. Like Chef said, the last person to finish the water is out of the challenge and ineligible for Invincibility. So campers Round One starts... now! Go! Go! Go!"
Just like that, the campers all hastily pick up their glasses and begin to chug down the dirty water. Some are more successful than others.
*Confessional- Sky*
"Gymnast training means I'm usually on a very strict diet. But if I can zone out and focus on the competition aspect of it, then I might have a shot."
*Confessional Ends*
*Confessional- Jasmine*
"I'm never going swimming here again, that water was so... ugh!"
*Confessional Ends*
To no one's surprise, Sugar is the first to finish her water. Following behind her was Lightning, then Leshawna, and then Courtney.
"Only DJ, Sky, and Jasmine are left!" Chris yells. DJ finishes his water right afterwards.
"DJ's good! And the last person safe in the first round is..."
The camera shows Sky and Jasmine rushing to finish their drink. Sky begins to grow more determined, while Jasmine looks like she's struggling even more. Sky slams her glass down when she's finished, and Jasmine just pushes hers away, fully aware of her loss.
"Sky's in, Jasmine's out! Now, on to Round Two! Chef?" Chris says.
Chef brings out a large serving bowl filled with a yellow substance.
"So, I hear my scrambled eggs have been getting rave reviews this season."
"We've had worse." Courtney mutters.
Chef ignores her. "Anyway, since you all like them so much, I figured the next round will be a serving of leftover scrambled eggs..."
Lightning brightens up. "Sha-bam! That ain't too bad!"
"... from last week." Chef finishes.
"Sha- never mind." Lightning remarks.
Chef places a serving of old eggs in front of each camper. Upon closer inspection we see that there are shades of blue and green mixed in with the usual yellow.
*Confessional- Leshawna*
"Oh hell no, I don't even like the normal scrambled eggs."
*Confessional Ends*
Once Chris signals them to start eating, the race is back on. Sugar finishes her plate first yet again. Shortly afterwards, Courtney is also done, followed by Lightning. Sky finishes next, leaving it down to Leshawna and DJ.
"This is disgusting." Leshawna comments. She has just a spoonful left now, while DJ has about a quarter of his serving left. Painfully, she shovels the last bite in her mouth to put them both out of their misery.
"And Leshawna is the last person safe! Sorry DJ, but you are ineligible for Invincibility."
DJ doesn't respond. He just presses his forehead to the table and groans.
*Confessional- DJ*
"I don't know whether to happy that I don't have to eat anymore or sad that I can't win Invincibility. I'm leaning more towards happy."
*Confessional Ends*
"Can we get a break please?" Leshawna pans out. You can tell she's struggling to keep the food down.
"Yeah, can we?" Sky asks.
Sugar scoffs. "I don't know whatcha all are complaining about, I feel fine!"
"Fuck off, Sugar." Leshawna pants out again.
*Confessional- Sugar*
"Best challenge ever! They've fed us more meals here than they have all season! And winning Invincibility won't be too shabby neither."
*Confessional Ends*
Chris snickers at this. "Well, we're on a schedule, so I can't give you all a break... but this next round is pretty close to one. Chef?"
Chef brings out five large bowls of berries and gives each contestant one. To everyone's surprise, they look fairly normal.
"So... what's wrong with them? Are the poisonous? Do they make you sick?" Courtney asks.
"Nope, just normal berries. We told you some of them would be good. It's just in a larger portion than the others. Same goal though; last person to finish them all is out." Chris explains.
Leshawna, Sky, and Lightning all look relieved at the break round. Sugar appears to be less interested at the bowl of fruit than the other meals. For the first time in the whole challenge, Courtney looks nervous.
*Confessional- Courtney*
"My strong stomach definitely gives me an advantage with the more disgusting foods- but with eating normal foods faster? Yeah, I might be in trouble here."
*Confessional Ends*
"Alright campers... ready, set, GO!" Chris shouts.
For the first time all challenge, Lightning is the one who finishes first, practically inhaling the berries in front of him. Sugar finishes second not too long after Lightning. Sky and Leshawna are at about the same pace, with Courtney much further behind. The former two finish in quick succession with each other.
"Sky's third to finish, followed closely by... Leshawna! Sorry Courtney, that means you're out!" Chris announces.
"Damn it!" Courtney yells.
Before anyone else can comment, Chef barges in with a steaming pizza box in his hand.
"Ooh, pizza! I thought you'd never offer!" Sugar exclaims.
Chef laughs and tells the four contestants, "I hope you're all hungry, cause I been working all day on this here pizza."
"Oh god, what's in it?" Leshawna asks.
"I call it, Chef's Dumpster Pizza." Chef announces as he lifts the lid of the pizza box. When the camera zooms in, it shows a pizza with random scraps baked in with it.
Sky's determined face drops when she hears the name. "And it's called Dumpster Pizza because...?"
Chef replies with an evil smirk, "Where do you think I got the ingredients?"
Sugar laughs at Chef's revelation, while Leshawna looks grossed out. The same can be said for Jasmine, DJ, and Courtney, who are all internally relieved that they won't be partaking. Sky and Lightning's faces, however, look to be a whole new level of traumatized.
*Confessional- Sky*
"I don't know if I can do this, that dumpster's disgusting. I would know, I've been inside it!"
*Confessional Ends*
*Confessional- Lightning*
"Man, all Lightning can think of when he sees that pizza is the hours it took to wash off everything after the Hide and Seek challenge. And that smell- oh, Lightning's gonna be sick."
*Confessional Ends*
Chef places a slice in front of the four contestants remaining in the challenge.
"Last person to finish their slice is out!" Chris tells them. "Ready... and... GO!"
Given the size, this challenge takes a little longer than the others. Still, it's to no one's surprise that Sugar comes in first yet again. Leshawna begrudgingly finishes second, leaving it down to Sky and Lighting. Both are struggling to finish.
*Confessional- Sky*
"Just gotta remember, it's for the competition."
*Confessional Ends*
Sky finally edges out Lightning and finishes the remainder of her slice. As soon Chris declares Lightning as out, he runs to the trash can and vomits.
"Man, that was disgusting. I think that was our first vomit of the season, huh?" Chris observes.
"We'll have to change that." Chef adds in.
Chris replies, "Yes we will! Sugar, Sky, and Leshawna... congratulations, you're the last three of the challenge!"
Sugar smiles at Chris' announcement while the other two just groan.
"Just bring... next meal... already." Sky stumbles out.
"It can't possibly be worse than the pizza." Leshawna mutters.
"You silly campers underestimate me." Chris says before yelling "CHEF!" at the top of his lungs.
This time, when Chef comes barging through the kitchen door, he's not holding any food; only a blender.
"Your next meal is a smoothie... of a combination of the last four meals you had!" Chef announces.
Sugar squeals in excitement when she hears the news. Everyone else squirms in disgust.
*Confessional- Jasmine*
"I know I shouldn't be happy I got out so early... but if I had to pick a challenge to be out first, I'm glad it was this one."
*Confessional Ends*
*Confessional- Courtney*
"On one hand, I should be scrambling to figure out the fourth vote. On the other hand, given the challenge, we very well may have a medical evacuation instead."
*Confessional Ends*
The camera goes back to Chef, who is loading up the blender and narrating as he goes along.
"Let's see... some berries, old scrambled eggs, extras from that pizza... and some pond water ice cubes to finish it off."
With that, he closes the lid and pushes the button to blend his concoction. The final product is puréed light brown substance. Each remaining woman is poured another glass full. When they all have their portion, Chris speaks once more.
"Aright, ladies... two of you will advance to the last round, and one will have put up with all of this for nothing. And... begin!"
With that, Sugar, Sky, and Leshawna immediately start to drink. Sugar gulps the entire thing down easily; it doesn't take her more than five seconds to do so.
"Andddd Sugar will be advancing to the final round! It's all down to Sky and Leshawna!"
The two women are pretty even in terms of the amount of smoothie they have left. Leshawna winces as her mind starts processing the taste. Sky makes the same face shortly after, and begins to pound her fist on the table as she forces herself to finish the last few sips.
The camera zooms in to show an empty glass being slammed on the table. When the shot moves up, we see that it was Sky who did it.
"And Sky is our second contestant in the final round! Sorry Leshawna, but you're out!" Chris declares.
Leshawna drops her glass on the ground as soon as her loss is announced. She spits some residue or if her mouth for added effect.
*Confessional- Leshawna*
"Boy, if there was a challenge I needed to win, it was that one. Still, I can't help but be relieved that it's over; no telling how bad that final round will be."
*Confessional Ends*
*Confessional- Sugar*
"Wow-we! Just one more round and I win Invincibility! Sky's barely been safe in a few of these rounds, so I got this in the bag!"
*Confessional Ends*
*Confessional- Sky*
"Eating disgusting foods seems to be the only thing Sugar's best at. So yeah, I'm not exactly getting my hopes up."
*Confessional Ends*
As the static fades, we're back to Chris, who is standing at the end of the table. Sugar and Sky are now facing each other on opposite sides.
"Alright campers, at long last we've reached the final round. Sky. Sugar. One of you will win Invincibility, the other will win nothing but a stomach full of garbage. Chef... bring out their last meal."
"Sha-damn, you don't gotta say it like they're dying." Lightning points out.
Chris shrugs. "Meh, just keeping an open mind... Chef!"
This time, Chef brings out two trays, both of which are covered. He settles them down and places his hands on each cover, pausing for dramatic effect.
"I don't think I can look." DJ tells the table of losers, squirming in his seat as they wait.
After a moment of anticipation, Chef unveils their final meal. However, instead of something overtly gross and sloppy, there's only two items on the plate; a shriveled red pepper, and a glass of milk.
Sky raises an eyebrow in confusion. "A... pepper?"
Chris smirks at the gymnast. "Oh no, not just any pepper... but a Ghost Pepper! A.K.A., one of the hottest peppers know to man."
Sky, and surprisingly Sugar, looks incredibly worried about their next meal.
*Confessional- Sugar*
"We don't got a lot of spicy foods back home. We're more known for our lard and grease. I think I ate some jalapaeno poppers before... can't be too much different, right?"
*Confessional Ends*
"So they just have to eat a pepper? That's it?" Jasmine asks aloud.
Chris rolls his eye. "No, that's not 'just it', Jasmine. Let me do my job and explain. The winner of Invincibility will be whoever can eat the pepper and go the longest without drinking from the glass of milk in front of you. If you can't eat the pepper, or you're the first person to take a drink to cool down, you're out. Got it?"
Sugar and Sky both silently nod their heads.
"Alright... Ready... Set... EAT!"
Neither women hesitates to shove the pepper in their mouth, though the look on their faces moments later show just how uncomfortable they really are.
*Confessional- DJ*
"Sky needs to win this challenge. Sugar's the only one that I might be able to convince others to vote for."
*Confessional Ends*
Sky and Sugar are both struggling to keep the pepper- and its excessive heat- down in their stomachs. For the first time in the entire challenge, Sugar looks to be the same level of uncomfortable as Sky. The uncomfortable look turns into straight pain the longer the heat soaks in.
"You got this, Sky!" Lightning shouts.
"Come on Sky, earn your win!" Courtney joins in.
Sky begins to pound her fist on the table again to cope with the pain. When the heat starts to reach unbearable heights, she slowly begins to reach for the glass of milk that will mark her defeat.
That is, until Sugar beats her to it.
"Wholly cow, I can't take it no more!" The pageant queen shouts. She swiftly grabs her glass of milk and begins to chug it down in record time. Once Sugar has finished her glass, Sky begins to drink as well.
"Ah, much better." Sugar says soothly.
Chris laughs. "Glad you're feeling better Sugar, hopefully it'll make up for your crushing defeat. Congratulations Sky, you have won Invincibility!"
Sky smirks happily at the announcement of her win, though she still looks groggy from the challenge she just endured. Everyone else, with the exception of Sugar, begin cheering and congratulating her on her win.
Lightning pulls her into a hug and says, "Good job, Sky. You sha-earned it!"
"Lightning..." Sky mutters out.
"Yeah?" The jock asks hopefully.
"Please let me go before I throw up on you."
Lightning needs no more prompting and releases her immediately, much to the dismay of the campers around them.
*Confessional- Jasmine*
"I was hoping Sky was turning red because Lightning made her blush. Now I'm thinking it was food poisoning."
*Confessional Ends*
Chris speaks up again. "Alright campers, enough of the show. I'll see you all tonight at the Campfire Ceremony, where Sky is safe from the vote. Use this time to think about who to vote off."
The contestants all nod silently, only sparingly quick glances at their competitors. Sky's the first camper to leave, possibly to go throw up. To no one's surprise, Lightning immediately follows after her. Jasmine and Sugar awkwardly leave shortly afterwards. Now all that remains in the Mess Hall is DJ, Leshawna, and Courtney.
Courtney breaks the ice first. "You guys know this could be it for us. For our alliance."
Leshawna lets out a deep sigh. "It was never really the same once Lindsay left. But... I'm glad I had this opportunity with you guys."
Courtney smiles back. "Me too."
DJ groans at this. "Man, you two can not just give up! We have a few hours left, I'm sure we can convince at least one person to switch their vote."
"I'm not giving up, I'm just being realistic. We got lucky with Sky's Invincibility win, so let's use it to our advantage." Courtney tells them.
"Well, now we can vote for Sugar, so let's do that. I still have some faith that we can convince Jasmine to switch her vote." Leshawna says.
"I might be able to convince Lightning...he looks ready to snap anytime Sugar speaks." DJ throws in.
"That's dangerous. Lightning won't change anything without telling Sky. You can mention it to him, but I wouldn't expect anything from it." Courtney tells him.
"Well, should we go to Jasmine first?" DJ asks them.
Leshawna sharply says. "No, that'll only remind her that us three are a team. Only one of us should go talk to her. And it's gonna be me."
DJ looks weary at the last part. "Why you? I mean, I was on the Brawn team with her, I think I have more pull."
Leshawna bluntly replies, "Because DJ, who do you think they're voting for? It certainly ain't gonna be their former teammate or the one who saved them two weeks in a row."
DJ and Courtney give each other a side glance, slowly processing the information. The longer it settles in, the more they realize that Leshawna's right.
When neither of them have a counter-argument, Leshawna calmly tells them both, "It has to be me, and you both know it."
*Confessional- Leshawna*
"No one's gonna fight for my safety more than me. If I'm going home today, I need to know I at least did everything I could have to try and stop it."
*Confessional Ends*
The next scene shows the other four campers in front of their new cabin. Sky and Lightning are sitting on the steps, with Sugar and Jasmine leaning on the railings next to them. Sky still looks pretty out of it from the challenge, with Lightning gently rubbing her back to ease her discomfort.
"Alright, so we still gonna vote for Courtney tonight?" Sugar asks.
"Lightning said he'd only vote for Leshawna." Lightning said angrily.
Sugar giggles. "Shoot, I was hoping that would work."
Jasmine rolls her eyes. "Sugar, stop teasing, we've all had a long day. We're all set to vote for Leshawna tonight, right everyone?"
Everyone nods, though no one seems to thrilled at the moment.
Sky abruptly stands up and says, "That's fine with me, I really don't care right now. I think I gotta- ugh!" She grasps at her stomach and runs inside, presumably to the bathroom.
Lightning looks unsure of whether to follow her or not, until a light nudge from Jasmine encourages him to go on.
Once he leaves, Sugar stretches her arms out and announces, "I think I'm gonna go take a nap."
Jasmine nods. "Have fun. Still don't know how you feel okay after that challenge."
Sugar merely pats on her stomach and replies, "You gotta have an iron stomach to survive back home!"
"Yeah, I don't think I need to know anymore." Jasmine cringes.
Sugar just shrugs and heads inside. Jasmine's about to head in herself before she hears her name being called. She turns around to see Leshawna running up to her.
"Hey girl... can we talk?" Leshawna asks.
Jasmine gives her a sad smile. "Of course, mate. What's up?"
"It's about tonight's vote."
"Oh... well, what about it?"
Leshawna wastes no time beating around the bush. "Who are they voting for?"
"I can't tell you that." Jasmine says uneasily.
Leshawna sighs. "You don't have to, I know it's me. I just wanted to see if you would say it. Or if you would lie."
Jasmine thinks about denying it, but she knows there's no use at this point. So instead she just says, "I'm sorry."
"You know there's another option."
This peaks Jasmine's interest. "Which would be?"
"Vote with Courtney, DJ, and I to take out Sugar. I know it might not seem it right now, but she's way too dangerous and unpredictable of a player to keep around."
Jasmine thinks about this for a moment before replying. "I'm not gonna lie, it is tempting. But I can't give you a guarantee either way."
Leshawna nods, knowing beforehand that was as good of an answer as she was going to get. "I understand. Honestly, I wouldn't believe you if you did give me a guarantee."
"But I promise I'll think about it."
Leshawna takes a deep breath before saying her final piece. "That's all I ask. I know you're gonna do what you think is best for you, and my input won't convince you either way. But Jasmine, please know that if you keep Sugar around for much longer, you're going to regret it."
Jasmine pauses at this, thinking about her experiences with Sugar, especially last season. Not wanting to give anything away, she merely replies "I'll keep that in mind."
*Confessional- Jasmine*
"So I can go with the original plan to vote off Leshawna, or I can vote off Sugar. The final decision comes down to me, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Leshawna's right, I'm going to make the choice that's best for me, and me only."
*Confessional Ends*
*Campfire Ceremony*
"Campers, welcome to the latest Campfire Ceremoney!" Chris announces.
The campers are all sitting close together due to the dwindled size. No one looks happy tonight, for one reason or another.
Chris frowns at the lack of response. "Gotta say, you all look awful. Usually at least one of you cocky bastards look a little smug. But no one looks worse than Sky, who ironically has Invincibility. So Sky, you get the first marshmallow tonight."
Sky, looking no better than she did a few hours before, doesn't even attempt to catch her marshmallow.
"The next camper that is safe is... Jasmine. And then... Lightning."
Chris tosses marshmallows to the announced contestants, both of whom catch their marshmallows easily.
"Following them is... DJ, and... Courtney."
The duo both happily grab their marshmallows, but are saddened to look over and see their ally empty-handed.
The camera momentarily focuses on Leshawna and Sugar before turning back to Chris. He starts speaking once the camera is focused on him.
"Sugar and Leshawna, our last two Beautiful Butterflies. You are our bottom two tonight. Leshawna, your game got blown up by Sugar telling everyone about your alliance. Sugar, you've been a pain to Leshawna and the other campers for weeks now. And our sole surviving Beauty camper, the one to receive the last marshmallow, will be..."
The dramatic music plays once more, building the suspense between the two. Leshawna looks to her alliance members, then to Sugar, and then to Jasmine. Jasmine appears to be incredibly nervous. Sugar just looks angry. Finally, Chris announces the name of the safe contestant.
"...Sugar."
Sugar jumps up and hollers in celebration. She snatches her marshmallow from Chris and continues her boisterous attitude. Everyone else, including the three that voted with her, look devastated.
Chris turns to Leshawna and speaks again. "Sorry Leshawna, but you've been eliminated. If it makes you feel any better, literally no one wanted this. We actually considered rigging the votes."
Leshawna chuckles at this, and then stands up from her spot.
"I can't be mad at anyone, I'm proud of how I played." She proclaims confidently.
Chris solemnly nods and tells her, "Time to say your goodbyes."
Leshawna gives him a sad smile before turning to say goodbye to everyone. She doesn't even bother with Sugar. Lightning and Sky both receive light hugs. Jasmine gets a tighter one, followed by the words, "No hard feelings."
DJ and Courtney are pulled into a group hug by their ousted ally. When the hug dissolves, she looks them both in the eyes and gives them her final message.
"Do what you have to do."
We don't see their reactions, as the next scene is Leshawna being placed in the Slingshot of Defeat.
"Any final pearls of wisdom, Leshawna?" Chris asks.
Leshawna turns to the remaining contestants and gives them all a genuine smile.
"Good luck to all of you, and thanks for the fun times. Jasmine, remember what I told you."
Jasmine gives her a firm nod. A moment later Chef releases the Slingshot and sends Leshawna off.
The camera turns to the campers, who all seem to have bittersweet feelings about the night. Finally, the camera turns to Chris for his final message.
"Another day, another ousted favorite! Will DJ and Courtney get over losing their ally? Will Sky get over her food poisoning? We'll find out on our next episode, of Total Drama... Brains! Vs. Brawn! Vs. Beauty!"
•End of Episode Thirteen•
And now, our TDI trio is officially a duo. Though to be honest, DJ and Courtney have always been a duo in this story... now it's just more official. This was Jasmine's chapter to put some effective strategizing to good use, and I think she made the right choice game wise. Sugar may have been the one to call people out, but Jasmine laid the groundwork for Leshawna's eventual elimination. And, as she predicted, she ended up being the deciding vote in it all.
Here is the voting lineup:
Courtney- Sugar
DJ- Sugar
Jasmine- Leshawna
Leshawna- Sugar
Lightning- Leshawna
Sky- Leshawna
Sugar- Leshawna
Part of this chapter's purpose was to address just how much was known about the TDI alliance. It was clear that Sugar knew almost everything, but I wanted the readers to know how aware (or unaware) the other campers were to it. Basically, they knew that there was some type of partnership, just not that they've had this alliance for so long. Jasmine had an idea, but again, was not fully aware of the seriousness of it. Sky and Lightning were probably the most in the dark about the alliance, but given how close they are, they can't really be too upset about it.
As for their reactions, I think they made sense given the context. Sugar is a good villain, but she also has a huge flaw in her lack of hindsight. She was expecting a lot more drama to occur by revealing the seriousness of the TDI alliance, and that's not what happened. Unfortunately for her, Jasmine, Sky, and Lightning are showing a higher level of maturity here. They were able to respect the others' gameplay, but recognize that they needed to take actions themselves. Now Leshawna is gone, but Sugar's position in the game really hasn't improved.
The major reason it was a TDI camper going home was because it was the perfect moment for Jasmine to strike, as we saw in the beginning of the chapter. She knew that, with 7 contestants left, having a 3-person alliance is no good, as that's almost half the players. One of the three had to go, and Leshawna was in the worst social position. As I said before, DJ has made the strongest connections out of anyone there, so I don't think he's an ally that Jasmine would easily give up on.
While sending home Courtney over Leshawna would've certainly been the more shocking of the two, I didn't think it would add up with the interactions Courtney's had with Sky and Lightning. Yes, they're both competitive and would probably have voted off Courtney if they had to, but they have a certain degree of loyalty to her that doesn't exist with Leshawna. Courtney bonded with Sky over having to deal with their exes last challenge, and she chose to align with Lightning while they were on the Villains team. So while they can't pretend the TDI alliance never happened, they can at least keep the players they trust more.
Another reason I took out Leshawna at this point was because while I wanted her to go far, I didn't want it to feel like she was losing momentum in this story. I love her character, but Leshawna's already a strong, well-rounded player, and the other six contestants have more storyline left. In this story, Leshawna was best when she was the leader of the Beauty team. I want to keep that impression of her, rather than derail all of her great work with some unnecessary blunder to justify her elimination.
Unlike this chapter, the next one is all planned out. I am really excited for this upcoming one. Remember the special chapters I mentioned in 'The Devil You Sew'? 'EX-treme Paintball Deer Hunter' was one of them, and this next chapter will be the second one.
As an apology for the long wait for this chapter, I'll give you the title of the next one- it's called 'All's Fair in Love and Pairs'. It does hint at what's to come, but not by much.
Please continue to favorite, follow, and review on this chapter and the work as a whole. Also, some readers have been telling me their predictions for the work, which I highly encourage! I absolutely love hearing from you all, so please keep it up!
Stay beautiful, I'll do my best to post soon!
~VintageMadame
Eliminated: Harold, Topher, Anne Maria, Justin, Shawn, Brick, Jo, Cameron, Leonard, Eva, Lindsay, B, Dawn, Scarlett, Leshawna