Ash Summers, D3

Shark tasted as good as any other fish. Better, really, since the only fish I'd ever eaten was some soggy fish sticks. Also because I was currently near starving and any meat would have tasted good. We had fish, we had rice, and we had fruit. All in all, it wasn't that bad.

"Does anyone else feel really dirty?" Sparkil asked, holding out her stained shirt.

"Yeah, I'm getting a little... crusty too," Cain said. I hadn't had much of a wardrobe at home, but at least I'd had more than one shirt.

"This is probably TMI, but it would be really nice to change my panties," Aliara said.

"Just wash them in the ocean," Bailey said.

"With my butt hanging out? There are cameras!" Aliara said.

"You just kinda have to wrap up in banana leaves or go commando for a few minutes," Bailey said.

"I've been alternating between my panties and my swimsuit," Hannah said. We'd all been provided swimsuits before we came, which was nice. I'd never had one before. My only experience with water was the wash tub.

"That's a good idea," Aliara said. "You brainiacs figure out a way to make soap too?"

"No, I just scrub it with leaves and rub flowers on it so it smells pretty," Hannah said. The challenge notes interrupted us.

"Shoot. Now we have to wait," Gael said. "Let's see what Caligula has in mind this time." We got up to move, but then I noticed a parachute in the air.

"Hey, I thought we weren't doing sponsors," Sherman said. Gael hooked it and read the note.

Please report to the beach for this challenge and bring your swimsuits, the note said, and it provided a map to the right location.

"Welcome, tribes," Titian said when we arrived. Behind him in the water, there was a giant log floating between two platforms. "Today we'll be testing your balance. Two at a time, one member from each tribe will stand on either end of the log. At my signal, you will step onto the log, which will begin to sway under your weight. Whoever remains on the log longer wins the match. First tribe to win six matches wins immunity. Losers go to tribal council. In addition, you will be playing for this," he said, whipping a tarp off of a pile of stuff. "Comfort, in the form of pillows, blankets, and cushioned chairs. You also have a metal pot. This should make camp life much more bearable. Your opponents have been randomly selected. Line up and we'll begin."

Abrexa James Jr, D2 (opponent: Angora)

After my performance in the last challenge, I hoped I had some credit with my tribe. More likely, they now wanted me out because I was a Career and also because I was a threat. My best bet was if Fonu never lost again, so I needed to do my best.

I'd never had to balance on a log before. We had unconventional terrain training in the Academy, but not on a floating log. When Titian gave the signal, I stepped on the log and almost fell off right away. Angora lurched as well, and I bent my knees to get a lower center of gravity. As I did that, Angora leaned to one side. She came out of the gate a lot faster than I expected, and I went into the water before I could form a plan. This one was out of my hands.

Heilala 1, Fonu 0

Lancia Audren, D6 (opponent: Manny)

This was just what I needed. The balance beam required total concentration. If all my thoughts were on the log, there was no room left for... something I didn't want to think about. As soon as Manny got on the log, I started to jump around and stutter-step with total confidence in my quick moves. Manny held out for maybe three seconds, them tumbled in. I tried to keep thinking about the log even after I got off.

Heilala 2, Fonu 1

Cain Pander, D3 (opponent: Sammy)

Sammy looked like the sort of person who would have good balance, with her dodgeball and sportiness. I was surprised when we both got on the log and started lurching like drunkards. Once I almost fell just as she did, but we fell opposite ways and balanced each other out. We stayed stock-still for a few minutes, neither daring to make a move that might backfire. I stepped forward and to the side suddenly, and the log twisted under us. Sammy stumbled but caught herself, then pushed the log to one side with her foot to try to catch me off guard. I windmilled my arms wildly and got back into the middle of the log.

I switched sides to face out into the ocean instead of towards her. I started to walk forward, moving the log along with me. Sammy wavered and turned to face the same way. She leaned back to try to stop the log, and when that didn't work, she leaned forward to speed it up. I jogged a step to find the right pace, and we both started to speed up. I slipped backwards slightly on the log and had to walk uphill. We were both starting to fall, and Sammy's foot caught as she lifted it. She tried to catch up, but it was too late, and she slid backwards into the water.

Heilala 2, Fonu 2

Hannah Dandelion, D9 (opponent: Ruby)

It was intimidating to be up against a Career. I couldn't help but think that if I won, Ruby might take a more permanent victory by drowning me or something. I faced the beach just so I didn't have to look at her. I tried to pretend it was someone else as we started. Someone easy, like Potato.

Ruby wouldn't expect me to make a move. She knew I was afraid of her. I took a risk and started to run on the log. Ruby ran along with me, and I picked up the pace even more. It was hard to keep up, so I started to jump with every step, keeping my feet off the treacherous log for longer and longer stretches. Ruby's foot slid on the wet log and she slipped forward, landing on her stomach and rolling into the water.

Heilala 2, Fonu 3

Cross Spauldings, D8 (opponent: Sparkil)

Sparkil and I both opted for a face-to-face stance. She went one way and I went the other, and both of us almost fell, since the expected movement didn't happen. I tried to right my crooked stance by shifting my feet, but as I pulled up one foot, Sparkil leaned sideways and pushed. My leg went almost down into the water, and when I tried to pull it up, it hooked into the curve of the wood and I was pulled in.

Heilala 2, Fonu 4

Rahina Herrington, D11 (opponent: Deme)

Deme was a lot taller than I was, but unfortunately, he wasn't a big muscular guy. He was thin enough to make delicate movements, but I did have one advantage: I had a lot lower center of gravity. I hunched over as I faced him, lowering myself as much as possible. I started to make small, quick movements back and forth, jiggling the log. Deme swayed back and forth as he defended his position. His long arms started to windmill and after some struggle, he simply toppled off the log.

Heilala 2, Fonu 5

Charming Goodwin, D1 (opponent: Bailey)

I couldn't rest on my training this time, because I'd never trained in not falling off a log. I didn't want to lose for obvious reasons, but I also hoped I didn't end up looking like a total idiot in front of everyone.

I didn't look like an idiot.

Heilala 3, Fonu 5

Reefe Mordecai, D4 (opponent: Aliara)

We sucked. We were getting our butts kicked. If they got one more win, that was all she wrote. I, however, was in an ideal position. I wouldn't get blamed if we lost, since we lost by so much. A lot of us shared the blame on this one. I was, however, in a position to be the hero.

I went all in, shaking and jumping on the log like a cat on a hot tin roof. The log went all over the place, and I almost fell off half a dozen times. Aliara also almost fell off half a dozen times under my onslaught. Then she really did fall off, just once.

Heilala 4, Fonu 5

Trent Buchanan, D6 (opponent: Gael)

One more win and we had this. I could be the hero that won it all. I had the advantage, being into parkour and all. Gael didn't have anything to jump off but a bunch of hay bales.

I remembered my skills and kept my feet light, focusing my weight in my trunk so my limbs were unencumbered as they moved. Gael wasn't giving up, and he'd done the wise thing by opting for a defensive strategy while he waited for a good moment. I danced back and forth on the log, jolting it one way and then another with no pattern to follow. Out of nowhere, I jumped backward to the very edge of the log. Gael didn't know what to make of the movement, and I took advantage of his distraction to give the log one huge shift, sending Gael's feet out from under him and him into the water.

"That's six! Fonu wins the challenge and the prize!"

Ha ha, I didn't alternate the winner this time. I just didn't want to make it too predictable, but I'll still make sure it's even. Since you also know I don't want to pulverize one tribe, this probably ruins the suspense for next challenge *cough* *cough* but you never know, maybe I'll have three in a row. It could conceivably happen. I also used small POVs for each bout, obviously. Those POVs are too small to be credited as an appearance, so Ash is the only one who gets marked as having a POV in this chapter. That's only important because I try to keep them equal. Camellia also didn't get a credit for her short confession cam spot.

I hope there aren't goofs in the bouts, but there might be- especially in Cain and Sammy, since I kept losing count and having to switch back and forth between who won, so the pronouns might be wrong. I'm just a little dyslexic and I have a really hard time with left and right and numbers in order, so it was hard to keep track of who was on which tribe and how many bouts were won by each.

Someone has found the immunity idol! It was hidden at Uluru, which: 1. Is in the Southern Hemisphere 2. Is red. 3. Has two names (I would have taken Uluru or Ayers Rock. The guesser listed both anyway) The idol can be used on anyone the holder chooses and is used before the votes are counted, as per Survivor convention.

Remember to vote if you're in Heilala! Someone helpfully reminded me that some Tributes are now dead and their voting status wasn't explained. Dead Tributes don't vote in tribal councils, but I'm working on a way their submitters can still be included somehow.