Author's Notes: Well, we're at the second to last chapter. I've been waiting quite a long time to actually get to writing this particular chapter and write what I consider the heartfelt moment of closure between Duncan and Courtney. I hope to capture the essence of what makes their relationship one of the most beloved on the show. Screw season three. Screw DxG. Screw canon. THIS is couple will always be the one that defines what Total Drama is- a mix of comedy, competition, and romance. To be perfectly honest, the only reason I watched Total Drama Island was because I watched a cute DxC video on Youtube and wanted to see who the characters were and what the show was about. Thank goodness the first episode I watched was the Phobia episode. God, did I fall hard for the show after seeing all that craziness.
But yeah, all you reviewers, you guys rock. Seriously, I love all you for reading this, faving it, and reviewing. Thank you guys for all the support you have given me during the entire course of writing this story.
Let me tell you, the absolute best comment that anyone has ever given me about this story (and quite a few readers have told me this) was that it was this story that has kept their faith of DxC strong after season three. Everytime I hear that it just touches my heart and makes me feel as if writing this story was worthwhile.
Once again, thank you…all of you- the readers, the reviewers, the fans….
This chapter is for you.
Beth and Duncan separated lips, staring at one another in horrified disbelief. Still cupped in Trent's hands, Courtney felt her heart drop into her stomach. It couldn't be true…she and Duncan couldn't be stuck as tarantulas for the rest of their lives! Neither she nor Duncan felt a single tingle of magic run through them at the kiss.
"It didn't work!" Harold cried out in disappointment. All that heroic build up wasted…
"Okay, first off, kiss between Beth and punk- completely disgusting." Heather gagged in disgust. "Second, why did it happen?"
"Because Beth has a Total Drama Princess Doll, duh! A kiss from Beth was supposed to change Duncan and Courtney back! Gosh!" replied Harold, acting as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Beth was beginning to look flustered at the horrible predicament. "Umm…maybe a second kiss might work?"
"Uh…I think one kiss is good enough…wait, no, no! No!"
Beth picked up the struggling tarantula, ignoring his loud protests, and planted another sloppy kiss on his tiny, spider lips. Duncan stuck his tongue out and gagged afterwards.
Still no transformation…
Suddenly, Duncan was whisked out of Beth's hands by Lindsay. The bubbly blonde said, "Maybe you're doing it wrong Beth! Let me try! I can be a princess!" With a big smile on her pretty face, Lindsay leaned forward towards Duncan's confused one and planted a long, passionate smooch on the delinquent.
In the audience, Cody and DJ had to quickly pull an angry-looking Tyler back into his seat. Courtney didn't look too pleased either. She raised a curled front leg and looked as if she was going to go on a full-fletched rage rant, but Trent quickly muffled her by gently covering the little tarantula under his hand.
Lindsay broke out of the kiss and frowned, seeing that there was still a spider in her hand. "Aww, it didn't work. Sorry Doug."
"Hehe, no problem at all." Duncan said, smiling goofily with a dreamy look on his face.
Izzy somersaulted on stage next to Lindsay, and whipped the mohawked tarantula out of the beautiful blonde's hands. She cackled madly, "Hahaha! You two are doing this all wrong! I'll show you how a real princess kisses a spider!" She held Duncan out at arm's length and said, "I'll just use the same technique I used to kiss the rattlesnake prince of Persia!" She hissed, wriggling her long tongue, and smashed her lips onto the lips of an extremely terrified Duncan.
When Izzy pulled away, Duncan looked mentally scarred. Oh god, did that woman use tongue?
Then Katie and Sadie ran up on stage, shouting out one after the other.
"Oh, let us try next!"
"Yeah, we can totally like be princesses!"
"Yeah, like totally!"
Izzy gave wide, fanged grin. "Of course!"
The tarantula in her hand glared. "Don't I get a say in this?"
"NOPE!" With that, the insane redhead tossed the delinquent spider over at the two BFF's, who each, at the same time, planted kisses on both Duncan's blushing cheeks.
Still no transformation.
However, the Total Drama girls kept trying. Hoping to help change her best friend and Duncan back to normal, Bridgette volunteered to kiss Duncan next. He was then passed over to Eva; then to LeShawna, who, despite being terrified of spiders, gave the little delinquent a small peck. Meanwhile, the rest of the boys just watched the entire scene with jealous and bewildered stares.
"May I volunteer to be the next one transformed into an animal by voodoo spirits?" Cody asked wistfully watching as Duncan received kisses from every girl on the show. Damn that lucky spider.
"I'm not doing this." Heather spat, glaring spitefully down at the tarantula in her hands. Duncan was glaring in return, liking this even less than the bald girl did.
LeShawna pointed a threatening finger at the selfish contestant. "Oh, witch, you're doing it! You changed Juvie and his girl into creepy-crawlies, and you're going to help change them back!"
Heather threw the black girl a hateful glance, but reluctantly raised the tarantula up to kiss him rather than face LeShawna's wrath. When he was close to Heather's face, Duncan bared his large spider fangs and gave a scary hiss. Heather gave a shriek of fright and quickly tossed Duncan over to Gwen, forgetting all about the kiss.
Gwen was the last girl left. She looked down at her tarantula friend in her hands and asked, "So do you really want me to try?"
"NO!" Both Trent and Courtney shouted at the same time. When everyone stared at them, the two gazed innocently around the stage, looking quite embarrassed.
Gwen gazed down at Duncan, who was staring up at her with sad, teal eyes pleading. She was his and Courtney's last hope of changing back to human. With a sad sigh, Gwen leaned down and planted a small kiss on the top of Duncan's green, mohawked head.
A long moment passed with everyone staring expectantly up the stage at Duncan, waiting for a twinkle of magic to shine, for a heavenly glow of light to rain down and transform Duncan and Courtney back to the normal punk and prep that they all have grown to love and hate.
But there was nothing…
Nothing at all.
Gwen's large dark eyes swam with sad tears at the realization. "I'm sorry," she apologized, looking down at Duncan's crestfallen face. "I'm really sorry, Duncan."
"It's okay." Duncan said, looking depressed. He then brightened for a moment and said, "But just to make sure, could I try kissing Lindsay again?"
Gwen frowned and flicked Duncan on the side of the head with her finger. "Ow!"
Everyone on and around the stage looked glum at the hopeless situation. Even Chris looked upset, though that was solely because his camera was still broken and thus unable to film any of the previous excitement or the teens' endless misery. Such a tragedy.
Owen tried to brighten the mood. "Well, hey, dudes, at least there's some good news!" the giant blonde ball of cheer proclaimed. "So what if you two are still spiders? At least you're the richest spiders in all of Canada!"
"That's right! Duncan, you still have the million dollars!" Bridgette agreed.
Both Duncan and Courtney looked greatly cheered by the reminder, Duncan especially. Even if the two of them remained tarantulas, then at least he would still be able to make sure that Courtney got into her law school and that they both lived comfortably. He'd pay his princess back for getting her into this mess in the first place.
At last, Chris finally spoke up, momentarily abandoning his mournful lamenting over the destroyed camera. The host stood up with an angered expression on his handsome face and pointed a finger at Duncan.
"No way! Thanks to you, the entire season final and my chances at winning a Gemmy were ruined! RUINED I TELL YOU! No way, I'm giving you the million dollar reward!" The host shouted.
His announcement sparked outrage among the contestants.
"That's not fair!" Courtney cried out in outrage. "He won that money fair and square!"
"The contract says that I have the reward the money to the teenage contestant that won the competition." Chris explained, smirking evilly. "Duncan was a teenager in human years. But he's a tarantula now! They only live like…twenty years? He's sixteen! You and him are practically ancient in spider years!" He let out a cruel chuckle at the disappointed looks on the tarantula couple's faces. "But hey, look on the bright side! If you two want, you can join the rest of the contestant in winning back the million by competing in the next radical season…." He paused to build up the suspense before raising his hands up and shouting in a musical voice.
"TOTAL….DRAMA….WOOORRRRLLDDDD TOOOOURRRRRR!"
"AWWWWWHHHH!"
Every contestant let out a loud, long groans of annoyance and anger at the thought of having to compete in another horrible season filled with Chris and his sadistic, dangerous challenges.
Duncan alone remained silent. Still resting in the palm of Gwen's hands, the mohawked tarantula turned his back away from everyone else, especially Courtney, and bowed his head in the deepest of shame. He didn't have the heart or courage to face her. It was all because of him and his stupid kiss that Courtney had gotten pulled into this horrible fiasco along with him. The delinquent had done many bad acts and made several terrible mistakes in his life, but this was the only one he felt true guilt over. He hadn't just screwed his life over, but he had screwed up Courtney's as well. Thanks to him, she was going to be stuck as a horrible tarantula for the rest of her life, she'd never able to go to law school and become a successful lawyer, or find a guy to date and marry. She'd never be able to live a normal life- all thanks to him. The only girl he'd ever loved probably hated him right now.
A painful lump rose in the back of his throat at the thought, and the back of his eyes prickled with pain in a way that he hadn't felt since he was small boy.
"Duncan." Duncan heard Courtney's concerned voice calling from somewhere behind him.
He squeezed his teal eyes shut and remained with his back to her, unable to bear seeing her angry face. Swallowing the tightening lump, Duncan finally managed to speak.
"Look, Court, I…I understand if you don't want to see my face again."
None of the contestants or Molotov and Bunneh, dared speak a word nor take in a breath. They all watched, looking at Duncan who was in the palm of Gwen's hands, and then at Courtney, who was still resting in Trent's. They all watched expectantly, waiting to see what drama unfolded between the long-feuding couple. It was finally time to hear the truth.
Courtney looked surprised by Duncan's assumption. "I don't understand." She replied, "Why would I never want to see your face again?"
"Because all this is my fault!" Duncan shouted, eyebrow furrowed in frustration as he glanced back glare at Courtney. "Thanks to me, both you and I are stuck as tarantulas, completely broke, and, it gets even better, we have compete in another crappy season again! Even I hate myself now!"
"This was not your fault, Duncan. Heather was the one that started everything, not you!" Courtney reasoned, shooting the bald girl a hateful glare.
"I was the one stupid enough to fall for Heather's trick in the first place." Duncan argued, turning his dark back to Courtney once again.
Courtney couldn't take the guilt anymore and yelled out in a shame-filled voice, "But I was the one that drove you to going to Heather in the first place!" Courtney saw Duncan's back stiffen up with surprise at her words. "Heather told me everything." The CIT admitted, slightly bowing her head, "If this entire mess is anyone's fault…then...it's my fault."
The brunette spiders swallowed up her pride and continued, "If it wasn't for the horrible way I acted during season two…if I hadn't acted so….so…." Courtney faltered, very reluctant to list out any of her faults. However, the rest of the contestants weren't hesitant in the slightest.
"Mean!" shouted Lindsay.
"Bossy!" added Beth
"Like a complete and total bi-" began Noah before being abruptly cut off by Courtney.
"Thank you!" Courtney snapped in annoyed tones, glaring at the people that had spoken before addressing Duncan again. She could tell by how rigid he was that he was listening attentively. "The point I'm trying to make is that if I had treated you better, then none of this would have happened. I…" Courtney paused and looked up at Trent. "Do you mind moving a bit closer?"
Trent looked over a Gwen, who was holding Duncan, and looked a bit nervous. Gwen's expression turned quite worrisome as well. However, Trent dutifully moved a couple of steps towards Gwen and Duncan for Courtney.
On the sidelines, LeShawna gave a pleased grin.
"Thank you." Courtney thanked Trent and turn back to Duncan. Her expression had softened to one that was uncharacteristically nervous. "Look, Duncan, I know that you and I don't always agree on things…okay, we fight on about everything. I get annoyed about how you always hang out with Gwen…"
Trent glanced up as he listened to what Courtney was saying to Duncan, and his green eyes found their way to Gwen's pale, beautiful face.
"…and I know that you get annoyed about how obsessive I get about things."
At this, Gwen raised her head and found herself looking over at Trent. Both seemed to be lost in each other's searching gaze as the words that Courtney were saying to Duncan slowly stirred something within their rapidly beating hearts.
"But when you really care about someone, it doesn't matter because their faults are part of who they are. You shouldn't let a person's faults blind you to the great, wonderful person they are inside."
Looking over the tarantulas in both their hands, Gwen and Trent each shot the other a small, sweet smile that clearly spoke, "I'm so sorry."
"I shouldn't have let all your faults blind me to how wonderful you were, Duncan, or had allowed the competition get to my head like it did." Courtney took a deep breath and in a tender voice said, "Because the absolute truth is, winning a million dollars would mean nothing to me if I couldn't share it with you."
Hushed gasps rippled through the listening onlookers at Courtney's words. Duncan slowly turned around, hope shimmering in his brilliant teal eyes.
Courtney gave him a loving smile, dark eyes full of emotion. "I love you, Duncan."
For a passing moment, Duncan was still with shock. As Courtney's passionate words sunk in, a warm grin spread across the tarantula's delighted face.
"Hey Gwen…do you mind?" he asked, gesturing towards Courtney and Trent.
With a content smile on her face, Gwen walked towards Trent, who looked just as pleased. Both Gwen and Trent extended their hands until they touched so that Duncan and Courtney could embrace.
"Eight legs and all?" Duncan teasingly asked, hugging Courtney close.
Courtney lovingly nuzzled her head underneath Duncan's chin. "Eight legs and all."
There was a few sniffling and wiping of eyes from the surrounding onlookers. Sadie, Katie, and Beth were all teary eyed. Molotov sniffled and smiled happily. Bridgette and Geoff were hugging as LeShawna wiped away a stray tear. Bunneh sobbed and Owen was wailing, raining tears upon Noah and Cody.
"I-It's so b-beautiful!" Owen tearfully bawled. He picked up Noah and loudly blew his runny noise on the bookworm's red sweater. "Oh, sorry little buddy." The giant apologized, "I thought you were a tissue."
"No problem at all." Noah growled, glaring as his sweater dripped with green snot.
Duncan withdrew from the embrace and gazed deeply into Courtney's shining eyes, grinning. "I love you too, Princess."
Courtney didn't reply, but the happiness on her face said it all. Without another word, the two tarantulas leaned towards one another, blue and dark eyes filled with all the love and joy in the world, and finally…after all the fighting, all the obstacles, all the distractions…
Finally, Duncan and Courtney kissed….
…And that's when the magic finally happened.
The moment their lips touched and their eyes closed with bliss, golden light seemed to bubble up from out of nowhere, all around the couple- popping and sparkling in a lovely, delightful splendor. The spider webs that covered the ceiling of the stage suddenly floated down from the heaven, glowing like beautiful golden thread, and, as if alive, began to circle around the kissing spider couple.
Trent and Gwen let out gasps and scrambled backwards in surprise, but Duncan and Courtney remained where they were, floating in midair, lips still locked as the golden threads began to cover them.
Everyone in the audience stared, in awe and amazement, at the spectacular, magical display before them. Bathed in the golden light, Izzy stood up and madly cackled with joy, "Ooooh! THIS IS GOING TO BE GOOD! HAHA!"
Duncan and Courtney had disappeared inside the cocoon of light. It shone and glistened, dazzling everyone with its beautiful golden light. Finally, the golden orb began to melt away, its fragments drifting away like wisps of fog. And standing where two tarantulas had been were now Duncan and Courtney…
Fully human and still kissing, oblivious to everything that had occurred.
The couple opened their eyes slowly at first, but they soon shot open, wide and shocked as they stared at their significant other in disbelief and amazement.
"I don't believe it…" Courtney murmured, patting herself down as if making sure what she was seeing was real.
"We're human again!" Duncan cried joyously.
"And you have new clothes!" chirped Lindsay, pointing. "You two look all pretty like a real prince and princess!"
It was true. Both Duncan and Courtney had on new, beautiful clothes, that, to be perfectly honest, looked as if they had been spun out of a fairy tale. Courtney was wearing a purple ballroom dress with beautiful spider web patterns of silver thread and a shining tiara rested on her brunette head. Duncan was wearing a black waistcoat along with green cape pinned around his neck by a skull-shaped pin. All in all, Courtney looked stunningly beautiful while Duncan cut a very dashing figure.
"You two are normal!" Harold shouted happily, running up towards the fairy-tale dressed couple. To the nerd's complete surprise, he was swept into a tight hug from Courtney. She pressed her lips to his freckled, blushing cheek.
"Thanks to you." She sincerely said. "You were a great help, Harold."
Harold was blushing madly and only managed to mumble out a happy, "Gosh."
"But how?" Duncan asked, sounding puzzled. "I kissed you before and that didn't happen!"
A deep voice answered the delinquent. "It's like I said before, maggot! You got to kiss a princess to break the spell!"
Chef came walking on stage, much to everyone, especially Duncan and Courtney's surprise. The large, frightening man threw a pair of keys over at a shocked-looking Chris. "Plane's ready to go." Chef then turned to Duncan and Courtney and explained.
"Since ponytail girl is no longer the princess, then bossy spider goes back to being the main princess of the series." The black man chuckled deeply, "At least according to the fan base."
Courtney narrowed her eyes, still confused at the meaning of his words. "I don't understand. I'm not a real princess! I don't have a doll or anything."
Duncan's puzzled face suddenly lit up with realization. "Your nickname! You're considered a princess because of the nickname I always call you!" The delinquent let out a loud, hilarious laugh at the look of surprise spread across Courtney's face. "Haha, looks like you can't get mad anymore whenever I call you 'Princess', huh, Princess? Haha!"
Once the shock wore away, a feisty, devious expression spread across Courtney's face. Smirking, Courtney grabbed Duncan by the collar and pulled him down to face level.
"Shut up," she grinned teasingly, "and give this princess another kiss."
Duncan smiled and chuckled.
"As you wish, Your Highness."
The delinquent spider prince pulled Courtney into another passionate kiss that caused cheers to erupt from all who watched. When the kiss ended, Duncan took Courtney in his arms and two spun around, laughing with endless happiness, surrounded by the cheers and applauds of their cheering friends and comrades.
I know I have tons of college homework to do, but I don't care. I just had to finish this chapter. This scene hasn't really changed much since the beginning of the story. I had Courtney's speech revealing her love for Duncan memorized pretty early on. I also designed it so that it would show how similar Gwen's and Trent's relationship was so that hearing it would bring them back together as well. Kill two birds with one stone all that junk.
And ah yes, the different outfits, lol, Well, they made them wear different outfits when they transformed back to human in the movie! Can't have them naked. Plus, Courtney wore a princess outfit in the show so I just HAD to let Duncan have a princely outfit. I have both their outfit designs drawn out and, when I get enough time, I will outline and color them and put them up on my Deviantart page. Just please be patient for I have started art college and am very busy at the moment. Homework comes first.
Hehe, having all the girls kiss Duncan to try and change him back was a joke I've had planned from the very beginning. Just to poke fun at all the shippings that revolve around Duncan. Izzy would so French a tarantula if she had the chance.
I hope all of you enjoyed this chapter. There's only one left! Help me make it to 200 reviews! Thank you!