Total Shuffled Island Chapter 26 - The Very Last Episode, a total drama series fanfic

Author's Note

Finally, it's here, the much-awaited finale of Total Shuffled Island! As expected, I managed to get halfway through the special episode in six days, and hopefully I'll manage to finish it up in another six. It hasn't been too difficult to write so far, but that's mostly because the first third of the episode is just Funny Playa Moments, Announcing the Challenge, and Establishing Teams. I still have the meat of it left to complete - not only setting up the hows and whys of the inevitable tie (which admittedly hasn't been entirely decided yet), but also a few things for next season as well. It's an interesting challenge, but one I'm more than up to doing - and doing well.

And now, on to the many, many reviews!

Gwent Forever: Thanks! Good to know some people won't mind how it turns out either way.

BuckJohnson: Good to see such an avid supporter of his!

Cole D. soul: Nice analysis, and no, Shawn isn't crushing on Bridgette - they're just friends.

Meeeeeee: I'm glad you liked it! As for the Gwen-Duncan-Courtney triangle...well, you'll just have to wait to find out.

80jj: Thanks! And I sure hope I get at least halfway through World Tour - the halfway point of the overall series, specials and all, is about the fifth episode of that season. Of course, I hope even more that I make it all the way to the end of Pahkitew, if only because I already have ideas for the later seasons and I'd hate for them to go to waste.

Sleep Arypsure: Yup! Just a little bit more before I can mark this fic as complete!

Jinxup116: Good to hear it! And yeah, hard to believe this fic began six months ago...

Krazzeekman: All I can say to this is yup, and thanks for the review!

ultrablud2: Good to hear by dare twists went over so well! And some good guesses on who will be supporting who, though you'll have to read on to see exactly how good you did.

Star Saber21: Pretty much, yeah. Glad you liked it, and thanks for the review as always!

Ddynamo: Not necessarily - Heather also threatened to sue in the canon episode, and of course she qualified for Action normally. And huh, didn't notice that with Amy and Scarlett's positions.

Madison Wooten: Yup, both of the endings are present in this chapter, which is why it's so long. Oh, and despite having an amazing number of reviews, I doubt my series will ever be as popular as the canon series - heck, it isn't even in the top 50 TD stories on this site yet (right now, anyway).

acosta perez jose ramiro: Well as long as it didn't involve the undead. And even with other dares, he's not gonna be quite as gung-ho as Owen, but you're right otherwise.

FOWLKON: Glad you enjoyed the dares! You were actually the only one who sent one in, meaning the rest were either modified canon dares or ones I came up with by myself. And I did consider having Alejandro have some gratuitous Spanish cursing after his elimination, but since Heather ended the canon episode ranting, I wanted to try something different.

Impoik: Hah, glad I continue to surprise my readers. And I liked some of your suggestions, but just remember that the two World Tour newbies were randomly chosen at the start along with everyone else, and I'm not about to change them - maybe you'll like who got the spots, maybe you won't, but it isn't something I'm gonna be persuaded to change. Thanks for the continued reviews!

bruno14: Good to hear, and thanks for the review!

Knifez: Hmmm...well, I did have the finalists figured out pretty early (before several of the other eliminations in fact, if memory serves), it was just that Bridgette was the second one to get the spot. And hey, I'm glad you like the story so much!

XxRin-sanxX: Hah hah, yeah, I kinda got that. And as for your general disinterest in Bridgette...well, there's not much I can about that now, especially by the time you read this. And good to know I've been keeping a fairly consistent level of quality in my writing. As for the scene you influenced...well, hopefully you have a better idea what it is by now.

TheCashewChef Hatchet: I'm glad I surprised you! I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone's reactions to this chapter, the next, and of course next season...

theblondeknight45: Well, hopefully you've made it here as well! Also, uh, you have a really weird understanding of human sexuality. Like, that isn't how it works at all - people are attracted to who they're attracted to, and abuse doesn't change that.

Guest: Yeah, not that big on Mike - he's easily the most poorly-handled character in the series, and that's saying a lot.

Identification: Great to hear! And remember that I'm only adding two new contestants (and Blaineley) for TSWT, and they've already been randomly chosen - I'm fine hearing who you hope gets in, but don't expect me to change it.

Lowland Warrior: Well, as of the time I write this response, you've only gotten one of your reviews up. Still, your storm is just gonna be one part of the hurricane of reviews I'm expecting after this chapter gets posted. As for B...well, sometimes you just gotta go the simple route I guess. And yeah, he's a difficult character to write, especially when he's still part of a larger cast - you can't give him lines, so you have to find other things for him to do. Also, your last review was actually easy to find, since the horde can be sorted by the chapter they were posted for, and I know you were gonna pick up where you left off - meaning your last review was on chapter 19. I have no idea if I meant that remark from Bridgette to be a jab at canon though.

Whew, that's over with! For now, anyway. For those who somehow forgot, our finalists are Bridgette and Shawn, and now it's finally time to see who will win Total! Shuffled! Island!

- Fangren

Episode 26 – The Very Last Episode, Really!

A light, lilting tune began as the shot opened up on the Dock of Shame as seen from the nearby beach, the sun just barely at the level of the surrounding hills. "Ah, morning in Muskoka," Chris said calmly. "The birds chirping," two purple-colored birds were shown atop a rock near the pier, "the loon calling," the waterbird gave its cry, "the majestic, gentle sounds of beautiful northern Ontario." The camera panned across the camp facilities, the morning chorus of birds filling the air until a sudden shout of alarm from a familiar voice in the trees was followed by a loud crash.

"Welcome," Chris announced excitedly, popping into view with a pink-and-teal party hat on his head, the lilting morning tune getting replaced by the reverent music used for important moments throughout the season, "to the most dramatic, thrilling episode yet!" He blew a purple party noisemaker, and the scene cut to him standing next to the totem pole. "It's been a long eight weeks at Camp Wawanakwa, and Total Drama Island is about to come to an end." The scene flashed again, now showing the handsome host on the mess hall roof, leaning up against the chimney. "Today, two campers remain. By sundown, only one will be left standing."

"That camper," he continued as the scene cut to him by the campfire pit, "will go home with a check for one-hundred-thousand dollars! Who will it be? Klutzy friendly surfer chick Bridgette?" A clip was shown of the blonde young woman's arrival on the island, nearly hitting people with her surfboard as she swung it around. "Or the zombie-obsessed survival-junky Shawn?" The now-bald young man was shown covered in self-made camouflage paint and standing flush to the wall of a cave, nervously eying a sleeping bear.

"Go grab a snack," Chris advised as one final cut put him in his usual position at the end of the Dock of Shame. "Have a pee if you have to. Sit your butt down and get ready for! The dramatic final conclusion of! Total! Drama! Island!" The final three words were punctuated, as they nearly always had been, by the camera zooming out further and further until the entire island was in the shot.

xxx

(Fade to Opening Theme)

Dear Mom and Dad, I'm doin' fine;

You guys are on my mind!

Ya asked me what I wanted to be,

And now I think the answer is plain to see!

I wanna be...famous!

I wanna live close to the sun!

Well pack your bags, 'cause I've already won!

Everythin' to prove, nothin' in my way;

I'll get there one day.

'Cause I wanna be...famous!

(Na-na nanananaa, nanana-nanaa, na-nananananaa)

I wanna be! I wanna be! I wanna be famous! (Na-na nanananaa, nanana-nanaa, na-nananananaa)

(Fade to Episode)

xxx

The episode opened with Chris McLean sitting on one of the stumps at the campfire pit. "Welcome back," he told the camera. "We asked our finalists to record their thoughts in our confessional booth before going in to the final round."

xxx

"How was it?" Shawn said as if repeating a question he'd been asked before tapping his chin in thought. The footage briefly cut from the outhouse interior to a montage of clips of Shawn: him screaming upon seeing a bear in the sixth episode, him fighting off a horde of 'zombies' in the seventh, and him lying on the ground with fake antlers on his head and a tranquilizer dart in his shoulder from the seventeenth episode.

"Meh," he said with a shrug as the flashback ended, "it coulda been worse."

xxx

"What was it like?" Bridgette said in her turn to confess. As with Shawn, several clips of her time on the island were played in quick succession: her stumbling around after a bat flew into her face from the sixth episode, covered in bees during the fifteenth episode, and leaping out of the water after a snapping turtle nearly bit off her toes in the twentieth episode.

"I gotta say," she told the camera, "it's could've been better."

xxx

It was Chef Hatchet who appeared in the confessional next. "You think it's easy cookin' for twenty-two ungrateful teenagers?" the hulking cook complained, placing a hand on his forehead and closing his eyes. "Man, I've had better jobs in prison!"

xxx

"The food wasn't too bad," Shawn continued over clips of him getting splattered when Chef hit the wiggling mess on his tray with a meat hammer from the first episode, eating the grasshopper-and-jellyfish pizza from the fourteenth episode, and eating cat food during the previous episode.

xxx

"At least someone's halfway appreciative of me slavin' away all day over a hot stove!" Chef added grumpily.

xxx

"The food was horrifying," Bridgette said, eyes wide as her confessional resumed. The surfer was shown protesting over the dolphin wieners in the fourteenth episode, sitting with Sammy, B, and Scarlett as the latter two inspected their paste-like meal during the twentieth episode, and finally drinking out of the toilet in the previous episode.

xxx

"Less rat droppings," Chef said in a mocking tone before putting his hand on his hips. "Does this look like a five-star restaurant to you?!"

xxx

"The people were...umm...," Shawn began, visibly struggling to think of something to say. "...okay, I guess? I kinda kept my distance for most of the game, so I don't know what else to say about them."

xxx

"Fortunately," Bridgette's confessional butted in, "most of the people here were great! Easily some of the nicest," Beth happily greeted the surfer on the Dock of Shame, "sweetest," Dakota gasped as she listened to Sammy and DJ's tale during the sixteenth episode, "most creative," B was shown assembling a scale-model of the island out of garbage during the fifth episode, "compassionate," DJ was shown stroking Bunny on the head, "talented," Beardo was shown making sounds next to the campfire during the third episode, "devoted," Sam, covered in bee stings, burst through the back door to the mess hall kitchen during the tenth episode, "selfless," Sammy entered one of the communal bathroom's stalls with a clip on her nose and a mop in her hand during the twentieth episode, "dedicated," Shawn was shown talking about his plans for a zombie-proof bunker in the previous episode, "passionate," Sierra gave Chris a sudden hug at the end of the tenth episode, "insightful," Dawn gave Jo a palm-reading during the fifth episode, "and courageous people I've ever met!" Geoff drew the Sasquatchanakwa's attention with a few thrown rocks during the sixteenth episode before leading it away from a concerned Bridgette.

The surfer's smile faded into a scowl as she continued her confession. "Well, I guess there were a few people I couldn't stand." A shot was shown of Alejandro, Jo, Lightning, Amy, and Scott all pushing and shoving each other to get into the center of the screen.

xxx

"The one thing I'll be remembered for?" Shawn echoed, raising an eyebrow as a montage of him saying "zombie" or "zombies" in a wide variety of tones and situations began. "To be honest, it'll probably be my ability to survive a zombie apocalypse," he admitted once the confessional footage resumed.

xxx

"What will I be remembered for?" Bridgette repeated before tapping her chin in thought. As with Shawn, a montage of some of her moments began to play, this particular one focusing on the several times she said "Oh crap!" or something similar during the season.

"Well, I guess it would have to be my ability to keep calm under pressure," Bridgette told the camera with a smile.

xxx

The scene finally cut to a shot of some pine trees before zooming out and showing Shawn, Chris, and Bridgette standing in a clearing and facing the camera. Behind the three of them was a long white line, and behind that were two sets of bleachers with banners above them – the one on the left had Shawn's face on it, and the one on the right had Bridgette's.

"Now it's time to welcome the twenty campers who did not make it to the finals!" Chris announced, motioning to stage right as the former contestants filed into the area – Staci, Ezekiel, Sugar, Scott, Beth, Sierra, Topher, Sam, Beardo, Dawn, Amy, Geoff, Dakota, DJ, B, Sammy, Scarlett, Lightning, Jo, and Alejandro. The two finalists waved at their former competition as they passed by, and Bridgette blushed when Geoff sent a wink and a finger pistol her way.

"Would everyone who's walked the Dock of Shame," the host instructed with a light chuckle, "and left camp on the Boat of Losers, kindly take a seat in the Peanut Gallery of Failure. The side you choose should represent who you would like to cheer on to victory in today's final competition." As he spoke, eleven campers took the surfer's side: Staci, Ezekiel, Sierra, Dakota, Geoff, B, DJ, Dawn, Sammy, Topher, and Scarlett. Once they were seated, the camera panned to the nine walking into the survivalist's side of the gallery: Sugar, Scott, Lightning, Amy, Jo, Alejandro, Sam, Beth, and Beardo. Only the latter three looked at all enthused to be there.

"Well," Shawn gulped as he looked over the six scowling faces, "that doesn't really fill me with a lot of confidence..."

"I guess they had to sit somewhere," Bridgette added in an uneasy tone.

xxx

"I actually haven't spoken to the, uh, others about this," Alejandro explained in the confessional, his missing tooth still very visible, "but I imagine they feel the same as me. Namely, that Bridgette needs to lose. If that means we are forced to support that smelly woodsman Shawn, then so be it."

xxx

The scene cut back to Bridgette as she looked over her own supporters, her smile turning into a frown as she noticed Scarlett sitting in the lower right-hand corner. "Uhh, I thought you were mad at me for voting you off?" Bridgette asked her redheaded former teammate hesitantly.

"I...," Scarlett began, pausing as she decided what to say. "apologize for what I said that day. The stress of the competition finally got to me, and caused me to say a number of things I didn't truly mean, and have since come to regret. I still don't appreciate you voting me out, but as you were the one who gave Alejandro both the dare that I created, as well as the one that led to his elimination," the camera quick-panned to the charmer as he crossed his arms and huffed, "I'm willing to overlook your previous transgression."

"Uh, thanks!" Bridgette said, resuming her smile.

"Incidentally," Scarlett continued, this time addressing the host with an irritated tone, "I believe I speak for the majority of us when I say that we were expecting this game to be decided by a vote among the eliminated contestants. Why is there going to be another challenge?"

"Oh yeah," Chris answered her with a shrug and sly grin, "right...see, I kinda lied about the whole 'voting' thing. I figured it would be a great final twist if the winner was decided by a challenge instead, and the producers agreed with me! Plus, it'll be way more exciting this way." Both Scarlett and Alejandro were shown glaring at the host before the handsome man continued. "But hey! At least you can still help the camper of your choice to win!"

xxx

"If I had known this would happen," Scarlett confessed, pinching the bridge of her nose and sighing, "then I would have adopted a much different strategy during the competition! Curse him and his purposely-obscure rules."

xxx

"Shawn, Bridgette" the host announced, "this is your chance to tell the Peanut Gallery of Failure what you would do with the money if you won, and why you deserve it."

"Well," the surfer began thoughtfully, "I think I've done pretty well for myself for getting this far. I stuck to my beliefs and proved that you don't need to stab people in the back in order to get ahead in a game like this, and that's gotta count for something." Most of the people in her section of the bleachers smiled and nodded happily to one another while the majority on the other side shook their heads and rolled their eyes.

"Wooo~!" Geoff stood up and cheered. "That's my Bridge, stickin' it to the man!"

"Ha ha, yeah," Bridgette giggled and blushed, "thanks, Geoff. And if I win the money, I'd probably donate a lot of it to charity to help save the environment, and then maybe go to university too." She paused, spotting her boyfriend's expectant look as he motioned for her to continue. She smiled and rolled her eyes before adding "Oh, and I'll throw a big party too, and all of you are invited."

She chuckled at Geoff's repeated "Wooo~!" and the cheers it heralded from the rest of her supporters – with Scarlett's the most subdued by far.

"Well I guess you got my vote," Sugar announced, standing up and walking across to the other set of bleachers. She was joined shortly thereafter by Beth and Beardo, leaving only six people on Shawn's side of the stands.

"Wow," Chris told her, "that's really sweet, and not as boring as I thought it was gonna be. Shawn?" He turned his attention to the bald young man, who awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.

"Uh, well, I guess I can't really top that," Shawn said. "See, it's been my goal for a while now to build a completely zombie-proof bunker underground," he explained, taking out his blueprints and looking at them proudly. "I'm gonna need a lot more than a hundred grand, though, so if I win I'm gonna use some of the money to start buying the materials and land I'll need, and invest the rest."

"Question!" Sugar interrupted, sticking her hand up into the air and waving it around. Shawn quirked an eyebrow and pointed to her, and the pageant queen continued. "Are you gonna be havin' any parties at the bunker once it's finished?"

"Uh, no?" Shawn answered with a raised eyebrow.

"If the zombie apocalypse does happen," Sugar followed up immediately, "can I hide in the bunker with you?"

"Sorry," the survivalist told her, "but it's kinda meant for personal use only."

"Rats," Sugar said, snapping her fingers and crossing her arms in disappointment. "Looks like I'm goin' with the surfer after all."

"Alright!" Chris interrupted, the camera zooming out to get the entire cast in the shot. "It's time for the final challenge! The Rejected Olympic Relay Race!" A clip was shown of Chef Hatchet in a red track suit running along with a flaming toilet plunger in his hands. "Each of the three parts was pitched to the committee," the host said as his assistant stopped running and raised the plunger high, "but sadly, rejected as an Olympic sport." Now next to a toilet on top of a three-level podium, Chef thrust the flaming plunger into the toilet bowl, dowsing it in a puff of steam.

"First," Chris said as the shot cut back to him and the two finalists, "each of you has to put on one of these." He held up a pair of animal hats and tossed them to the campers – a cow hat for Shawn, and a chicken hat for Bridgette.

The bald survivalist looked over his hat with a suspicious eye, and finally asked "Why?"

"Is this supposed to be a joke?" Bridgette added in an equally suspicious tone.

"Dressed as a cow and a chicken," Chris continued without acknowledging the questions, "run to the first location," the camera panned over to a pair of flag poles, orange on the left and purple on the right, "and shimmy up the pole to retrieve your flag. If you don't have the flag," he said as the camera cut back to him, "then don't bother comin' down off that pole!"

"Dang," Geoff said from the stands, "looks like Bridgette has a major disadvantage versus my tree-climbin' brother."

"Next," the host continued as the shot moved to a pair of long planks suspended across a wide gap, "you will cross a three-hundred meter balance beam, suspended across a massive gorge," the camera began to zoom out slowly, revealing the faint shape of a nest in the rocks on either side, "while carrying an eagle's egg!"

Shawn and Bridgette looked stunned. "Sounds simple enough," the blonde young woman said faintly.

"And that's not all!" Chris replied quickly. "Below," the camera panned down to show water at the gorge's bottom, "your friends, the rare-but-real, man-eating freshwater sharks!" A pair of the fish in question stuck their heads out of the water, and one licked its fishy lips.

"Not lookin' so simple now," Shawn admitted nervously.

"The final leg of the race," the host continued, "is a long-distance run, returning to the finish line, here. First camper to arrive wins!"

"Well good luck," Bridgette said as she and Shawn put on their hats. "If I have to lose today, then I'm glad it'll be to you."

"Thanks," the double-hatted young man replied, "and same here. You've done pretty well, and I won't mind it too much if you beat me."

"Go Bridgette!" Geoff cheered again. "I know you can do it babe, and then we're gonna party!"

"We sure will!" Bridgette answered excitedly, and her supporters cheered again.

"Go Shawn!" Sam countered enthusiastically. "Follow your dream, and kick some butt!" The gamer paused, then looked at the five sitting behind him. "C'mon, guys, show some support!"

The five rolled their eyes and crossed their arms for a few moments before Jo finally shouted "Don't mess up!"

"Thanks," Shawn said dryly as the camera cut back to the starting line. "Still, good to know someone wants me to win." He grinned at Sam, who cheered again.

"On your marks," Chris announced once the cheering died down, Chef walking up in his regular uniform. "Get set," the two campers got into a running position as the host raised a hand high, "GO!" The hand was waved down, and the two campers were off.

A tense and fast-paced tune began as Bridgette and Shawn raced towards their flags. Geoff suddenly ran up alongside his girlfriend and gave her a wink, while the survivalist was joined by Jo, Alejandro, and Lightning.

"You can do it, amigo," Alejandro told him, "we're counting on you."

"So get moving already!" Jo added with a bark.

xxx

"Yeah," Shawn confessed, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "I'm not really comfortable with this kind of 'support'. I'd almost prefer a pack of ravenous zombies as a motivator."

xxx

The static ended and Shawn came to his pole and started to shimmy up it. His unwanted entourage lingered below him, the two jocks growing visibly irritated while Alejandro watched Bridgette as she and Geoff approached.

"Hurry it up!" Jo barked. "We don't have all day y'know!"

"Yeah," Lightning added, "sha-Lightning woulda already been up there by now!"

Shawn looked down and scowled. "Well sorry for not being able to climb as quickly without any handholds!" He shot at them even as he pulled himself higher and higher.

The camera quick-panned over to Bridgette, who had just begun her own climb as well. "You got this, Bridge!" Geoff told her with a grin.

"Th-thanks!" the surfer told him, keeping her eyes focused on the flag. She started to pull herself up again, but while trying to slide her legs up one of her feet lost it's grip and accidentally hit Geoff in the face. "Sorry!" Bridgette gasped at the sound of the impact and looked down in concern, finally noticing that she'd been joined by more than just the party-lover.

"And with that tremendous blow," Topher told the camera, "Bridgette's shot at winning is in peril. Will she be able to recover?'

He was quickly shoved aside by an annoyed Sierra. "She doesn't need you to narrate everything y'know," the tall girl said, "she just needs our support."

"That's what I'm doing," Topher said, brushing off where she had shoved him. "What better support is there than having someone telling you how well you're doing after every move you make?"

"I dunno, eh," Ezekiel answered plainly, "but I bet she'd like gettin' a boost up better."

"Like you would know," Topher scoffed.

"Umm, well, I think he's right...," Sammy spoke up nervously.

"Uhh, thanks a lot for trying help," Bridgette told them, causing the four to turn their attention up to her, "but I got this, don't worry."

"Yeah, babe, you kick his butt!" Geoff cheered as the surfer began to climb faster, a confident smile on her face.

A triumphant sound was played as the camera focused on a hand grabbing an orange flag, before pulling out to show Shawn smiling proudly. "Okay," he called to those waiting below, "I'm comin' down!" Tucking the flag into his shirt and his hands into his sleeves, he quickly slid back down – right on top of Jo, who had been distracted watching Bridgette.

"Hey, watch it!" the jock-ette barked after she and Shawn fell to the ground.

"Well I did say I was coming down," the boy told her with a nervous chuckle before she violently shoved him off.

The camera quick-panned back to Bridgette as she, too, grabbed her flag. "I got it!" she cheered excitedly, looking down and noticing that Shawn was already running off.

"Just jump!" Geoff told her when he noticed her frown. "I'll catch you, you can trust me!"

"Right!" Bridgette called back, failing to hide her nerves. "Her goes nothing..." she muttered before letting go of the pole. She fell quickly, but before she started to scream she was caught in her boyfriend's arms.

"Told ya you could count on me," Geoff told her with a smile.

"Thanks," Bridgette said with a blush, giving him a kiss on the lips.

"And with that touching moment," Topher interrupted, "Bridgette falls just slightly more behind."

"R-right!" Bridgette said in embarrassment, hopping back down to the ground and running off. Geoff frowned for a brief moment before grinning again and following after. Ezekiel and Sammy gave chase too, while Sierra gave Topher another shove before they headed off also.

xxx

"Kinda bummed that our kiss got cut short," Geoff confessed, "but it's no big deal. I don't wanna hold Bridgette back like that, and besides," he flicked his hat and grinned, "there'll be plenty of time for that later. Boo-yah!" He ended his outhouse time with a fist pump and a cheer.

xxx

The scene cut to the second leg of the challenge, where Chris and a young white male in a tank top, shorts, sunglasses, and fedora stood looking over the gorge. "Okay new intern," the host addressed the other man, "I know it's weird that you're starting on our last show, but, all the other interns died already."

If the intern made any comment about the alarming mortality rate of his predecessors, it was edited out.

"All you have to do," Chris continued, "is test out this final challenge and make sure it's moderately safe." The nameless intern looked down at the water below, as one freshwater shark jumped into the air and snapped its jaws, and another beckoned to the tasty humans with a toothy grin.

The background music became tense as the intern silently began to walk forward along one of the balance beams. "Don't look down, dude!" Chris called from the safety of the cliff, distracting the intern and causing him to lose his balance. He swayed a few times before falling with a whistle and a splash, the sounds of him getting eaten by sharks audible even where Chris stood. "Wow," the handsome host said, his frown turning into a shrug, "that looks safe enough."

Shawn, still wearing the cow hat over his regular cap, was shown running in a group with Lightning, Jo, and Alejandro. "Uhh, can you guys stop following me?" the survivalist asked. "I'm pretty sure I can do this on my own."

Jo scoffed at him. "Please, like I'm gonna count on you not to get spooked by a squirrel or something and run off thinking it's a zombie."

"Zombie?!" Shawn cried suddenly in alarm. "Where?!"

"Calm down, amigo!" Alejandro said quickly, snapping his fingers to get his former teammate's attention. "Neither our boorish associate nor anyone else has seen one," Jo pursed her lips and glared. "so just focus on beating Bridgette. Let us keep an eye out for anything that might hinder you, okay?"

"Uhh...okay?" Shawn said uncertainly. "Although I still don't get why Lightning's here."

"Well," the athletic overachiever answered, "guess once everyone all started to run, Lightning couldn't help himself, he had to get ahead of the pack! Ain't nobody faster than he is!"

"In your dreams, Jockstrap!" Jo countered, pulling ahead of their group; Lightning immediately sped up as well, and the two jocks locked glares.

"Oh yeah," Shawn deadpanned, "real grateful for all your 'help'."

The footage skipped ahead, showing the two freshwater sharks circling in the water at the bottom of the gorge as a dramatic tune began to play in the background. The camera rotated up to show Shawn looking down from the top of the cliff, then shifted over to the opposite side as Chris, Chef, and Sam walked up.

Shawn gulped, then went to grab an egg from the nearby nest. "Well be waiting for you up ahead," Alejandro told him.

"Yeah," Jo added, "so make it quick so we can get this over with."

"Thanks," Shawn muttered.

The camera followed the bald boy as he took a few tentative steps onto the balance beam, then cut back across the gorge. "Okay," Chris narrated, "Shawn has his eagle's egg and is starting the second challenge!"

"Uh, what are the eggs for anyway?" Sam asked.

"Oh, you'll see," Chef answered with a dark smile.

The camera cut back across just as Bridgette and her entourage arrived. "Oh...," Bridgette murmured nervously as she laid wide eyes on the gorge she was expected to cross, "oh wow..."

"Just take it easy," Geoff told her, placing his hands on her shoulders and spinning her around to face him, "and, uh, don't look down. Or, y'know, think about the man-eating sharks that are waiting at the bottom. Just focus on the party we're gonna throw when you win, okay?"

Bridgette took another glance at the gorge and gulped. "Y-yeah. I'll try. Thanks." She picked up her egg, and began to inch across the board. The music was tense as the camera shifted from one competitor to the other as first Shawn then Bridgette fought to maintain their balance.

"The fates of both contestants are literally in the balance," Topher narrated in a dramatic tone. "One wrong move could spell their doom. Will either of them be able to pull ahead in this death-defying challenge? It truly is an appropriate challenge to end Total Drama Island, and kudos to Chris McLean for coming up with it."

"Thanks, Toph!" the host called from across the way.

Topher grinned and shot a pair of finger pistols back at the holder man, oblivious to the frowns he was getting from the others still on the far side of the gorge. "Dude, quit it!" Geoff told him. "Can't you see you're distracting her?"

"Fine, fine," the pretty boy answered with a wave of his hand. "I'll tone it down. Just wanted to set the right mood, you know?"

"Yeah, well, things are tense enough as it is, dude," Geoff told him. "Bridge doesn't need anything else to distract her. Now c'mon, let's go over to the other side."

The two finalists were shown sliding their feet slowly along their respective balance beams, the surfer having nearly caught up, when a sudden series of screeches startled them.

"What was that?!" Shawn exclaimed, nearly fumbling his egg.

"Oh crap," Bridgette cried out, pointing a finger upwards, "look!" A pair of screeching bald eagles was shown approaching before the camera cut over to Chris as Jo and Lightning came back into view.

"Angry eagle parents, anyone?" the host quipped to the two ex-contestants.

"Not too bad," the jock-ette said with a small smile. "Looks like this might actually be interesting."

"Just make a run for it, dude!" Lighting shouted. "It's just a bird, it ain't nothin' to be scared of!"

Chris snorted and began to laugh. "Yeah, you should totally do that!" he advised the survivalist. "That would be awesome to watch!" Shawn just scowled at the laughing host and kept moving at the same slow pace he'd been going at.

"Oh, my!" another voice exclaimed, the camera panning left as Dawn seemed to slide into view. DJ was a few feet behind her, looking down at her out-of-camera feet and raising an eyebrow. "Those poor birds!" the mystic said, pointing at the eagles as they swooped between then two finalists.

"Yeah, man," the gentle giant added, "why'd you have to get those eagles involved? Ain't this challenge already dangerous enough?"

"Not really," Chris told him. "It's more exciting if there's something that could knock them over. And," he chuckled again, "it's funnier, too."

xxx

"I can only hope that neither of those eggs is dropped before being returned to their rightful homes," Dawn told the outhouse camera. "Chris McLean is truly despicable."

xxx

"Hey," Chris shrugged happily, "I do what I can!"

xxx

The eagles screeched and made to dive again. "It's coming for another pass!" Shawn shouted in warning, and the two finalists managed to duck as the angry raptors swooped right over their heads.

"Maybe we really should go faster!" Bridgette shouted in suggestion.

"I guess so!" Shawn called back, and the two picked up their pace – still not fast enough to be walking, but noticeably swifter than their previous shuffle.

"And yet another quality twist," Topher commented as he and the surfer's other supporters reached the far side of the cliff.

"Thanks again, dude," Chris said with a brief smile towards the boy.

"I believe in you, Bridge!" Geoff suddenly shouted, pushing past Topher and Alejandro and dashing up to the end of his girlfriend's balance beam. "You're totally amazing! And watch out for the eagle, it's comin' back again!"

Sure enough, Bridgette looked up in time to spot the bird as it began to dive, and managed to duck. Shawn wasn't so lucky, and was forced to quickly lean backwards to avoid getting hit. This caused him to briefly lose his balance, allowing Bridgette to get in the lead.

The bald survivalist managed to regain stability, though, and breathed a sigh of relief when he stopped swaying.

"Nice recovery!" Sam told him encouragingly. "Just keep going and you'll be here in no time!"

"But 'no time' won't be quick enough, I'm afraid," Alejandro murmured as he stepped closer to the edge of the cliff. "Oh Bridgette!" he called as he grabbed the edges of his partially-opened shirt. "Why don't you take another look at this!" In a swift motion he revealed his chest, the camera zooming in on his well-toned muscles and lingering for a few moments as a Latin riff was briefly added to the music.

The shot cut back to Bridgette, who paused in a wide-eyed and gaping stupor long enough for an oblivious Shawn to catch back up. The surfer shook her head and glared at her shirtless ex-competition. "That's not gonna work!" she told him. "You're too much of a jerk, and besides, Geoff's right there!"

"Hah!" the party boy shouted at the charmer. "In your face, dude!"

Alejandro shrugged and put his shirt back on. "Well, it was worth a shot, and more than a couple others have done," he said with a brief look of disapproval towards Jo and Lightning, the former of which returned the glare.

"And hey," Topher nudged his arm, "it's not like it was completely unappreciated!" He pointed at one of the eagles that was circling above; it had paused to look at the attractive human, but in doing so forgot to get out of it's mate's flight path. The two birds collided and fell all the way into the water below, where they were immediately snatched up by one of the sharks and eaten.

"Oh, no!" Dawn gasped, dashing to the edge of the cliff and looking over. "Those poor eagles!"

"Dude!" DJ chastised the charmer, tears beginning to form in his eyes. "Those eggs are orphans now 'cause of you!"

"I didn't mean to!" Alejandro said defensively. "How was I supposed to know that would happen?"

"Aww, who cares about those things?" Jo interrupted. "It's just a couple birds, they would've been eaten sooner or later." She promptly ignored the glares from DJ and Dawn, and the camera panned right to show the finalists at the end of the second leg of the challenge. Shawn got back on solid ground a few steps ahead of Bridgette, but the surfer was closer to the nest so they managed to place their eggs down at about the same time.

"Good luck," Bridgette said as she ran off with Geoff and most of the others hot on her tail.

"You too," Shawn replied as he also began running, soon joined by his four supporters.

The scene cut to the remaining campers milling about at the finish line. A slow and patient tune began to play as the camera passed over each former contestant in turn: Scarlett reading a large book in silence; Dakota texting on her cellphone; Sugar giving Staci a slap when the brunette opened her mouth to speak; Beardo, Beth, and B waiting calmly; and Amy and Scott, the only ones left on Shawn's section of the gallery, looking bored.

"Psst!" Scott suddenly hissed, scooting closer to the cheerleader as she filed her nails. "Hey!"

Amy looked over at the farmer and scowled. "What do you want?"

"I was thinkin'," Scott told her, "that maybe we should go out there and give Zombie Boy some extra support, if you know what I mean."

"Uh, why would I do that?" Amy asked snippily. "I only cheer for judges and people I like, and Baldy's neither."

Scott rolled his eyes. "I don't mean cheering," he whispered, "I mean we go out there and sabotage Bridgette and make sure she loses!"

"Hey! Now there's an idea!" Amy said, her face lighting up into a smile. "Ooh, can we do it in front of my sister? I want Samey be there to see her pathetic friend's failure."

"Fine with me," Scott smirked. "Now let's get goin', we don't have much time." The cheerleader and farmer promptly left the stands, the camera panning over to show Scarlett watching them with a raised eyebrow.

xxx

"Scott and Amy are obviously up to something," the brainiac told the confession camera. "Presumably, their goal is to prevent Bridgette from crossing the finish line first. But if I foil their no-doubt pathetic plan, then Bridgette should be grateful enough to either give me a share of the money, or provide some other favor."

xxx

Back at the Peanut Gallery of Failure, Scarlett shrugged, closed her book, and quietly followed Scott and Amy away from the stands.

The footage cut back to Shawn and Bridgette as they ran through the woods, only Geoff still accompanying them.

"I'm gonna stay by your side cheerin' you on all the way to the finish, babe!" the party-lover said before turning his attention to the other finalist. "Sorry dude, but you're goin' down!"

"Thanks, Geoff, that's really sweet" the surfer smiled. "And...hey, where'd everyone else go?"

"I think they probably took a shortcut back to the finish line," Shawn informed her. "The route Chris told us to take winds around a lot, remember?"

"Oh yeah," Bridgette answered, "I forgot about that. I'm happy they want me to win, but it was getting kinda crowded."

"At least you have more than one person actually rooting for you," Shawn told her. "I'm pretty sure all of my supporters are only in it because me winning means you losing."

"Yeah, that's gotta suck," the chicken-hatted young woman replied. "Still, at least it wasn't a vote like we were expecting it to be, right?"

"True," the cow-hatted young man admitted as the three began to pass by the buildings of Camp Wawanakwa – the mess hall, communal bathrooms, and sole remaining cabin were visible in the backround. "At least this way we both have a chance."

"For real, bro," Geoff said with a nod. "Watching you and Bridge compete like this is way better, and I know she's still gonna-" he was cut off when he suddenly tripped over a large rock and fell flat on his face.

"Geoff!" Bridgette cried in anguish, stopping in her tracks and doubling back to her fallen boyfriend.

"Ooh, it hurts!" Geoff said, clutching his left leg and rolling on the ground in agony. "It huuuurrrts!"

"Don't worry," Bridgette told him in concern, "I'm here for you..."

"No!" the party boy cried, grabbing onto her shirt. "You can't...stay back! You have to go on...without me! Don't let Shawn...get ahead!"

"Uhh, I'm actually still here," the survivalist interrupted, abruptly drawing both blonde's attention to him. "I don't wanna win because my opponent's boyfriend tripped."

"Thanks," Bridgette told him, "that means a lot to me."

"Yeah, dude," Geoff added in between stuttered breaths. "Now both of you, get goin'! I'll be fine, I don't think it's that serious!"

"A-are you sure?" the surfer told him, still concerned.

"Absolutely positive," the party boy answered. "Now go, I'll try to meet you back at the finish line!"

Bridgette bit her lip uncertainly, but after Geoff made another pleading motion to leave she finally turned. "C'mon," she told Shawn after a quick sniffle, "let's get going."

"Right," the bald boy said with a nod. A moment later, their race had resumed.

"Okay," Scott whispered to Amy as they ducked behind a large bush, "once Bridgette runs by, we'll start making yeti sounds to scare her and get her to run in a different direction."

"That's your plan?" Amy asked incredulously.

"Hey, you try coming up with something on such short notice!" Scott shot back in defense. "Besides, it's not like we wanna get caught."

"Uggh, fine," the cheerleader grudgingly replied. "But don't blame me when this doesn't work."

"I'll blame whoever I wanna, Blondie," the farmer said with a roll of his eyes.

As Amy gasped and growled at her current partner in crime, neither were aware of Scarlett watching behind them some ways away. She was partially hidden behind a tree, quickly scanning the area for something she could use to disrupt the plan being prepared before her eyes. The camera focused on a dead branch of decent size suspended just above the would-be plotters, then cut back to the redheaded genius smirking.

The camera lingered on the shot of her as she began to concentrate, eyes moving rapidly around and eventually settling on the trunk of a nearby tree. She smiled and walked over to it quietly, then gave it a strong kick.

The shot cut back to Scott and Amy as they heard a rustling coming from above them and looked up to see the dead branch, now dislodged and falling. The promptly screamed and tried to run in the direction of their partner, resulting in their swift collision and the branch hitting them on the heads. They fell to the ground in a heap, the two failed saboteurs lying next to each other under the branch.

The scene moved back to Bridgette and Shawn as they raced through the rather open part of woods that had been designated as their course. The two finalists seemed evenly matched, constantly jockeying for the lead.

"Hey, good job on keeping up with me," Shawn said. "I honestly never took you for a strong runner!"

"Thanks!" Bridgette told him. "I'm usually not, I guess it's just the thrill of being in the finals. Well, that and I don't wanna let Geoff down."

"Yeah, adrenaline sure works wonders, huh?" the bald survivalist chuckled. "Although I guess love can be pretty powerful too. You really like him, huh?"

"Yeah!" the surfer told her rival with a smile. "I really, really do!"

"Then I hope you two stay happy together!" Shawn added before darting forward with a sudden burst of speed. Smirking happily, Bridgette pushed herself to go faster as well.

The footage flashed over to Geoff as he slowly dragged himself across the ground. "Okay," he said with a pant as he paused his movement, "time to stop messin' around. Bridge is gonna want me there when she wins, so I gotta...," she pushed himself to his feet and stood there wobbling for a moment.

"Sh'yeah!" he cheered once he'd finally gotten himself steady, before immediately setting off at a limp.

Back at the stands, nearly all of the former contestants had returned to their seats, the only exceptions being Geoff, Scott, and Amy. The others waited in expectant silence while Chris and Chef stood a few steps past the center of the finish line. The camera panned from the nearly-empty bleachers reserved to Shawn's supporters to the nearly-packed space reserved for Bridgette's, just as faces began to light up with excitement.

"Hey look," Sammy said, standing up and pointing into the distance, "they're coming!"

The background music picked up the pace as Bridgette and Shawn were shown racing towards the finish from a variety of angles. "There they are," Chris announced as the camera briefly cut back to him and Chef before moving back to the racers in their cow- and chicken-hats, "two real competitors, and if I may say, truly personifying the spirit of the Reject Olympics."

Bridgette's supporters began to cheer loudly as she and Shawn were shown getting closer, and the camera panned over to the other section of the gallery to show Sam also cheering in excitement. Behind him, Alejandro was leaning forward with an expectant look on his face, while Jo and Lightning seemed to have gotten into a silent rock-paper-scissors match and were only occasionally paying attention to the race.

The two finalists had begun to pant and sweat heavily as they kept trying to pass each other. "Maybe we should've paced ourselves better?" The chicken-bearing surfer suggested.

"Probably," the cow-wearing survivalist answered, "but it's too late for that now."

They continued in silence for a few more meters before Bridgette noticed who was cheering for her in the Peanut Gallery – or rather, who wasn't.

"Hey, I'm sure he'll get back okay!" Shawn told his rival upon seeing her face fall.

"I know," Bridgette replied, "I was just hoping he'd be there when I cross the finish line."

"Yeah, well, I'm not gonna slow down now," Shawn told her, "heck, I'm not sure I even can!"

"Guess we better get this over with then," Bridgette said with a hint of sadness in her voice.

The camera quick-panned back to the finish line, showing the cheering campers before focusing in on the two who seemed to care the least.

"Hah!" Jo laughed. "Scissors cuts paper, I win again!"

"Aww, man!" Lightning moaned. "C'mon dude, best seventeen outta thirty-three? Lightning knows he can win if he just keeps goin'!"

Jo rolled her eyes. "Just admit that you lost to a girl already, jeez!"

"Girl?" Lightning asked, perking his head up in confusion. "What girl? Lightning don't see no girls up here!"

"Me!" Jo barked at him angrily. "I meant me! I'm a girl!"

"Sha-what?!" the jock exclaimed. "You are?! I thought the other guys were just jokin' about that!"

"Yeah, well, they weren't," the jock-ette glared. "You're the only one who didn't know, Brightning!"

"To be fair," Alejandro said, turning his head to smirk at his former competition, "nobody blames you for your mistake, amigo."

Jo pursed her lips and stood up. "Y'know what," she declared, "I've had about enough of you, Al."

"Oh, really?" Alejandro replied, eye twitching at the nickname as he, too, stood up. "And what exactly are you going to do about it?"

"This," the jock-ette said bluntly before landing a swift and hard kick between the handsome boy's legs.

The impact was loud enough to gain the attention of nearly everyone around, and Chris and Chef in particular were shown wincing in pain.

"Mis cojones...!" Alejandro squeaked, bringing his hands to the affected area and falling to his knees.

"Like I told you on the first day here," Jo told him as she grabbed the tall boy by the collar and dragged him off the stands, "stay out of my way if you value your kiwis, got it?" He could only whimper as the jock-ette carried him all the way to the outhouse confessional, kicked open the door and threw the charmer inside. The point-of-view briefly cut to the interior camera as Alejandro, eyes wide and starting to tear up, watched helplessly as the door was slammed shut. Back outside, Jo stuck a long stick through the handle, preventing the door from being opened even as Alejandro began to pound at it from inside.

"Let me out!" he demanded, voice returning to normal. "You can't do this to me!"

"Can and did, hombre," Jo smirked, dusting her hands off and jogging back to the stands.

"Huh," Shawn muttered as he raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I wonder what that was about?"

"Who knows," Bridgette responded with a small shake of her head.

A sudden rustling in the bushes ahead and to their left turned their attention and caused Bridgette to gasp.

It was Amy, walking oddly and with a noticeable lump on her forehead. "Uggh," she groaned, "what hit me?" She quickly shook her head and noticed Bridgette and Shawn running closer. "You!" she exclaimed once before beginning to wobble again. "I...I'm not gonna let you win, you...you dolphin-lover!" She pointed menacingly at Bridgette and broke into an unsteady run on an interception course.

"Uhh...," the surfer said for lack of anything else.

"Umm, just so you know, I had nothing to do with that," Shawn stated.

"Didn't think so," Bridgette told him in increasing shock and alarm as the growling cheerleader drew closer to them. "We should probably-"

"NOT SO FAST, LADY-DUDE!" A familiar voice shouted, eliciting another gasp from the two finalists and causing Amy to give pause just long enough for Geoff to leap out of the bushes and tackle her.

"Geoff?!" Bridgette exclaimed as both runners stopped out of shock as the party boy and mean twin began to wrestle in an incredibly one-sided fashion.

"Keep goin', Bridge!" Geoff told her as he grabbed Amy's arms and pinned her on her stomach. "You gotta win this thing, I know you can do it!"

Bridgette quickly wiped a tear from her eye, and nodded. "Thanks!" she smiled, turning and sprinting towards the finish line.

"Ah, crap," Shawn muttered, taking off just a few moments after and having to catch up. The background music picked up the pace again as he fought to first close the gap and then gain a lead, but each time they heard Geoff's loud cheers over the din of everyone else's support Bridgette managed to pull ahead just a little bit further.

Still, it was a close race to the end, to the point that Sam and even Jo were still cheering for Shawn in their own ways up until seconds before somebody crossed first.

"BRIDGETTE WINS!" Chris announced with a cheer, joining the celebration along with Chef Hatchet.

"I won?!" the surfer repeated in shock as her friends began to come down from the stands to congratulate her. "I won!" She stood in joy for several moments as she looked at those cheering for her; even Shawn and Sam had joined in.

"You did it, babe!" Geoff said, finally crossing the finish line at a fast limp. "Aww, Bridgette, you were amazing!"

"Thank you so much!" Bridgette replied, throwing her arms around his shoulders and giving him a big kiss on the lips.

The camera quickly cut away to show Beth and Sammy saying "Awww~!" at the loving moment.

"Seriously, thanks for everything," Bridgette told her boyfriend when they finally broke their kiss. "I don't think I could've won without you, and...hey, wait, what happened to...?" She furrowed her brow and tilted her head to get a look over Geoff's shoulder at the race course.

The camera quick-panned over to show Amy lying on the ground groaning, bumps on the front and back of her head. Another quick flash showed Scott getting to his feet near the large bush he and Amy had been hiding behind. "What happened...?" he groaned, rubbing a bump on the back of his head as well as a swollen eye.

The camera quick-panned back to Geoff and Bridgette looking into each other's eyes. "Who cares about that, babe," the young man said softly before breaking into a grin and turning to address the others, "when we got a party to look forward to!"

Immediately, the ex-contestants broke out into another, louder cheer.

xxx

Alejandro, examining his missing tooth in a hand mirror , heard the cheering from outside and looked around frantically. "Who won?!" he asked loudly, eyes darting around the outhouse. "Can someone please let me out now, I want to know who won!" He looked around for another moment before adding "Is anybody even listening?!"

xxx

A calm, yet triumphant piece of music played as the island was shown from a distance, the full moon high in the night sky. The camera zoomed in on the glow of a campfire just visible in the shot, and cut to a panning shot across the campers. Twenty-one had assembled on the stumps seats: Beth and Beardo; Sam and Dakota; Sierra and Staci; Sugar; Scott and Amy and Lightning giving them a suspicious glare; Ezekiel and Topher; DJ and Dawn and Sammy; B and Scarlett; Jo and Alejandro; and lastly, Shawn – sans cow hat – and Geoff.

"Here we are," Chris announced in a grandiose tone, cupping his hands together as he walked past the fire, "at the last bonfire ev-er! After eight brutal weeks, it is my pleasure to announce, the winner of Total Drama Island," a drumline began to roll, "Bridgette!"

"Yeah!" the now-hatless surfer cheered, raising her fist into the air and stepping forward. The vast majority of the other campers joined in the celebration, and Geoff left his seat to grab Bridgette and swing her around. She laughed, and gave him a deep hug. "How's your leg? I hope you didn't hurt it too bad, considering I owe my win to you."

"It's fine, babe," the party-lover told her. "And you should give yourself some more credit, you're the one who got you this far, not me. The most I did was cheer you on. And you don't have to throw a party just 'cause of me either."

"True," Bridgette told him with a smile, "but thanks anyway, and I'm totally gonna throw a party next week, and everyone is invited!" She looked out over the others as she finished speaking and they started cheering again, lingering longest on Alejandro who closed his eyes and smirked.

"Bridgette," Chris announced suddenly, drawing all the attention back to him and the sole marshmallow resting between his fingers as reverent music began to play, "at this time, I give you the ultimate symbol of survival: the Final Marshmallow." He placed it in the surfer's waiting hand, and she smiled at it proudly.

"Go on, babe," Geoff told her, "you deserve it."

"I do, don't I? Bridgette replied, and as the music reached a triumphant peak she bit into it, earning another round of cheers.

"Hey dudes," Geoff told the other ex-campers, "you know what it's time for?" He turned a devilish grin towards the host as Shawn and DJ rose from their seats, grinning similarly enough to give Chris McLean a worried look.

The footage skipped forward to the Dock of Shame, the Boat of Losers nowhere in sight. "N-no! No, guys! My hair! DUDES!" the host protested, the camera panning left up the pier to show the man being carried by Geoff, Shawn, and DJ. They were accompanied by Bridgette, Sammy, Dawn, Scarlett, and Alejandro, all five laughing as the group reached the end of the dock.

"One," the guys chanted together, "two, THREE!" With a mighty heave, the 'Host with the Most' was launched into the air over the lake. He flailed wildly, but fell into the water with a mighty splash all the same. He surfaced quickly, spitting out a mouthful of water as the campers laughed.

"I've been wanting to do that all summer!" Chef Hatchet said, joining in the festivities near the three boys, not noticing the impish looks they gave him. "How do you like that, pretty boy? Huh?"

"Oh, Chef~!" Geoff sang mischievously, causing the cook's eyes to go wide.

"Sorry dude, but you're next," DJ told him, placing a hand on the older man's shoulder. The others were shown laughing again as Chef was chased past them. Dawn and Sammy left, leaving only Bridgette, Scarlett, and Alejandro.

"Hey, did you mean what you said earlier?" Bridgette asked her former teammate. "About being sorry for what you said before you were voted out?"

Scarlett looked at her silently for a moment before answering "Yes. I deeply regret my actions that day, and I will be careful not to repeat those mistakes in the future."

"Cool!" Bridgette smiled, a gesture that was returned by Scarlett before she turned to leave.

She only took a step before pausing and looking back. "Oh, and one other thing..."

"Yes?" Bridgette said expectantly.

"Ah...never mind," Scarlett answered after a moment, "it was just an idle thought that didn't turn out how I predicted it would. Forget I said anything." Bridgette shrugged in acceptance and Scarlett continued walking away, the camera catching an ugly scowl on the redhead's face before cutting back to Bridgette and Alejandro.

"All things considered," the handsome boy said, absentmindedly touching where his missing tooth should be, "you were a more worthy adversary than I expected."

"Thanks, I guess," Bridgette replied with an amused smirk. "Does this mean you'll rethink how you treat other people?"

Alejandro paused a moment, then shook his head and chuckled. "Next time we meet, señorita, things will be much different, I assure you. But until then, good night!" He turned and made his way back towards camp.

Bridgette sighed, but smiled when she heard Chef's cries behind her. Tucking her hands into the central pocket of her hoodie, she turned and walked back as well. The camera zoomed up and out, showing Shawn, Geoff, and DJ still chasing after Chef Hatchet, and the flickering lights against the buildings of Camp Wawanakwa.

((THAT IS WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED))

((BUT WHAT REALLY HAPPENED IS...))

"Huh," Shawn muttered as he raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I wonder what that was about?"

"Who knows," Bridgette responded with a small shake of her head.

A sudden rustling in the bushes ahead and to their left turned their attention and caused Bridgette to gasp.

It was Scott, stumbling around covered in dirt and leaves and with a noticeably swollen left eye. "Urrgh...," he groaned as he shambled out into the open part of the forest ahead of Bridgette and Shawn. "Urrrnggh...!" He noticed the two finalists approaching him, and stumbled towards them with his hand outstretched.

"What's wrong with him?!" Bridgette exclaimed.

"Oh no," Shawn gasped, "it's finally happened! It's a z-z-z-z-ZOMBIE!" His eyes went wide with alarm, and Scott's subsequent grunt of confusion sent the paranoid survivalist running faster than he had all day, arcing around the shambling farmer and straight for the cheering stands. "Gotta warn the others!" he shouted, and began waving his arms frantically.

"Wait, what?!" Bridgette said, still in shock. She looked at Scott who was watching the boy run off with a confused grin. "Oh crap," the surfer cried out suddenly, "the race!" She dashed forward, shoving aside Scott without a second thought as she desperately tried to make up for lost ground.

The scene cut back to the crowd, the cheers having long become confused murmurs as they watched Shawn sprint towards them, wildly waving his arms around and pointing behind him, and trying to tell them something while Bridgette pushed herself to close the gap between them.

"I have no idea what he's saying," Sam said, "but he's winning! Yeah!" The gamer quickly resumed his cheering, and was soon joined by Jo.

"ZOMBIE!" Shawn shouted again, now gasping for breath. "Everybody run!" Though his cry did give everyone pause, it was ignored the moment he stepped over the finish line.

"AND SHAWN IS THE WINNER!" Chris announced with a cheer as he and Chef Hatchet joined the small celebration.

The camera cut to Bridgette, who slowed to a stop a few yards from the finish line and fell to her knees. "No! I was so close!" she cried, pounding the ground in sadness and frustration.

xxx

Bridgette stayed there on her knees and sighed, only lifting her head when she heard someone walk up behind her.

"Man, it really sucks that you lost like that," Geoff told her, offering her his hand. "But hey, who coulda guessed that he'd suddenly have that kinda messed up motivation, right?"

"I guess," Bridgette said glumly, allowing him to pull her back to her feet. "I just wish I could've done something to stop him."

"Hey, don't worry about it!" the party lover said, putting an arm around her shoulder and walking back towards the finish line with her. "I mean yeah, you didn't win the hundred G's, but second place ain't so bad!"

"You know what?" Bridgette said, a smile forming on her face as she put her arms around her boyfriend's waist, "you're right. I should be proud of myself for getting this far." The camera lingered on their kiss.

Back at the finish line, several of Bridgette's supporters had joined in the cheering – Beardo and Beth; DJ, Sammy, and Dawn; Sierra, and Staci. Their added cries of jubilation were drowning out Shawn's attempted warnings until the panicking boy finally shouted "STOP!" It stunned the crowd enough that they went silent for several seconds, allowing Shawn to at last get a word in. "Why are you people celebrating?! There's a zombie coming, we have to run!" He gestured behind him wildly without taking his eyes off the crowd, and the viewpoint shifted to show Scott walking up behind him, his eye still swollen and a large bump on the back of his head.

The crowd gasped, and Shawn turned around. "Z-Z-ZOMBIE!" he stammered, quickly backing away from the injured farmer.

"What are you talking about?!" Scott asked irately. "I'm not dead, I just got hit in the head a couple times!"

"...really?" Shawn replied, panic being rapidly replaced by confusion. "How the heck did that happen?"

Scott went pale, and rubbed his head sheepishly. "Well, uh, Amy dragged me off to try and sabotage Bridgette earlier. I tried to stop her, but then we got hit in the head by a falling branch!" Only the camera caught Scarlett crossing her arms and frowning at the remark.

"Wait," Lightning said, dashing forward, "Amy's hurt?!"

"Uh-" was all Scott said before Lightning shoved him aside and ran off in the direction he'd come from, passing Bridgette and Geoff as they rejoined the group. The shot briefly cut over to the bush she had been hiding behind as she began to groan and stir, pulling herself to her feet. She touched the bump on her forehead, and winced.

"Hey, congrats on the win," the surfer told her friend and rival once the camera moved back to the finish line. "You deserve it!"

Shawn looked at her, blinked once, and gasped. "I-I did it?!"

"You sure did, dude!" Chris told him. "And what an awesome finish, too!"

"I did it! I won!" Shawn cheered, thrusting his arms up and jumping up and down in excitement. "I really won! WOOHOOO~!"

At that, most of the campers began to cheer, with Sugar being one of the exceptions. "Aww, shucks," she said, snapping her fingers and slumping forward. "There goes the party..."

A calm, yet triumphant piece of music played as the island was shown from a distance, the full moon high in the night sky. The camera zoomed in on the glow of a campfire just visible in the shot, and cut to a panning shot across the campers. Twenty-one had assembled on the stumps seats: Beth and Beardo, Sam and Dakota, Sierra and Staci, Sugar, Scott and Amy and Lightning giving them a suspicious glare, Ezekiel and Topher, DJ and Dawn and Sammy, B and Scarlett, Jo and Alejandro, and lastly, Bridgette – sans chicken hat – with Geoff by her side.

"Woohoo!" Shawn cheered as the camera moved to him, now without his cow hat but still quite bald beneath his toque. The others cheered with him to the extent they were each inclined, and the loner looked happier than he'd ever been on camera.

"Shawn," Chris announced suddenly, drawing all the attention back to him and the sole marshmallow resting between his fingers as reverent music began to play, "at this time, I give you the ultimate symbol of survival: the Final Marshmallow." He placed it in the survivalist's waiting hand, and he held it up proudly.

"You deserve it, Shawn!" Bridgette told him happily before turning her smile to Geoff. "So how's your leg, anyway? It wasn't hurt too bad, was it?"

"Nah, it's fine," Geoff told her. "Kinda bummed we won't be having a party though."

"Well, about that," Shawn spoke up as a jaunty guitar tune began to play, "after the initial purchases and investments, there might be enough left over for party – that is, if you guys want one!" He gave the gathered teenagers a sly look, and they immediately broke into another cheer.

"Oh?" Bridgette said with a smile. "Aren't you afraid that zombies might attack during a party?"

"Yeah," Shawn told her, "but that doesn't mean I shouldn't at least try to have fun. And besides, I bet can make it pretty safe!" Bridgette just shook her head and chuckled.

"Hey dudes," Geoff told the other ex-campers as he and DJ rose from their seats, "you know what it's time for?" They turned devilish grins towards Chris McLean as Shawn did the same, giving the host a worried look.

"Oh, Chef~!" Geoff sang mischievously, causing the cook's eyes to go wide.

"Hey, did you mean what you said earlier?" Bridgette asked her former teammate. "About being sorry for what you said before you were voted out?"

Scarlett looked at her silently for a moment before answering "Yes. I deeply regret my actions that day, and I will be careful not to repeat those mistakes in the future."

"Cool!" Bridgette smiled, a gesture that was returned by Scarlett before she turned to leave.

She only took a step before pausing and looking back. "Oh, and one other thing..."

"Yes?" Bridgette said expectantly.

"All things considered," the handsome boy said, absentmindedly touching where his missing tooth should be, "you were a more worthy adversary than I expected."

"Thanks, I guess," Bridgette replied with an amused smirk. "Does this mean you'll rethink how you treat other people?"

Bridgette sighed, but smiled when she heard Chef's cries behind her. Tucking her hands into the central pocket of her hoodie, she turned and walked back as well. The camera zoomed up and out, showing Shawn, Geoff, and DJ still chasing after Chef Hatchet, and the scattered lights flickering against the buildings of Camp Wawanakwa.

(Fade to Credits)

Author's Note - Post Script

And there you have it, folks. Just so we're clear, for the purposes of this series' continuity, Shawn is the winner of Total Drama Island. Sorry to all you Bridgette fans, but while I really enjoyed taking her this far and writing her ending, I knew from the beginning that Shawn was gonna be the winner, simply because he has the greater incentive to agree to the challenge that leads up to next season.

Granted, I could have gotten the special to work with Bridgette as the winner, but honestly I feel like there's enough going on during that episode already without having to figure out exactly how Chris could still make the challenge work, and I wanted to get the finale out sooner rather than later. Sorry if you were disappointed by my decision.

That said, I do like the view that the first special was deliberately set up by Chris to encourage a tie and thus justify a second season, so I will attempt to make that more explicit in my own version of the event.

As for this chapter, I hope you all liked my point of divergence between the two endings. In canon, it really all came down to where Izzy decided to stand with the plate of brownies that caused Owen's last surge of speed - if she stood behind the finish line, Owen won, but if she stood in front of it, Gwen won. I didn't want my finale to hinge on something so...anticlimactic, I guess is the word I'm looking for? At any rate, I decided to make it more complex - the point of divergence is who managed to get up first between Scott and Amy.

Other than that, I think I did a decent job of wrapping up some of the loose threads from this season, setting up a few things for Action and giving most of the antagonists what's coming to them - with the notable exception of Jo, at least for now.

I hope you've all enjoyed the finale, and the season as a whole! It's been one hell of a ride, and it's almost over.

Until next time,

- Fangren

Appendix: TSI Eliminated Contestants

Staci - (22nd Place)

Dakota - (RETURNED)

Ezekiel - (21st Place)

Sugar - (20th Place)

Lightning - (RETURNED)

Amy - (RETURNED)

Scott - (19th Place)

Beth - (18th Place)

Sierra - (17th Place)

Topher - (16th Place)

Sam - (15th Place)

Beardo - (14th Place)

Dawn - (13th Place)

Amy - (12th Place)

Geoff - (11th Place)

Dakota - (10th Place)

DJ - (9th Place)

B - (8th Place)

Sammy - (7th Place)

Scarlett - (6th Place)

Lightning - (5th Place)

Jo - (4th Place)

Alejandro - (3rd Place)

Bridgette - (RUNNER-UP | Alternate Winner)

Shawn - (WINNER | Alternate Runner-Up)