.Harsh winds stormed across Spooky Island. The trees rocked violently, their roots coming dangerously close to being released from the ground. Thunder rumbled through the air filled with thick black clouds. The host shack squivered under the raging assault. Pieces of the wood were stripped off and torn away. Suddenly, one of the nearest trees was blown over, causing it to crash down and demolish the building instantly.

"WHOA CHEF!" Chris exclaimed from a nearby hill. "It's a good thing we weren't in that. Bless scheduled bathroom breaks."

"We should probably check on the kids," Chef remarked.

"Huh, why? The challenge isn't for another few hours," Chris pointed out.

"If our base is down, their cabins might be in for it too." Chef said.

"Bah, who cares, they got what they signed up for," Chris dismissed. "Let's talk about the last episode! After a flip on Sybil, there was a minority of Emily, Zach, Rory, and Bailey. Emily tried to get in good with the others in power, mainly Terra, but her antics backfired, and she was sent packing in a unanimous vote."

"Embarrassing," Chef remarked.

"What comes next for these kids?" Chris continued. "You'll have to wa-AAAAH!"

A sudden gust of wind launched Chris into the air and tangling into a tree.

"He was gonna say, keep watching Total Drama Legends vs Nobodies!" Chef finished.

(Merge Camp)

The storm raged on across the clearing where the shaky cabin somehow managed to hold together, just barely. Branches off of trees were snapped off and sent spiralling through the wind. Onslaughts of rain came and went with no rhyme or reason. Mimi tossed off her blanket and made a groggy progression towards the door of the cabin.

"I haven't been able to get a minute of sleep," she groaned. "How can anyone sleep through this?"

"I feel the same way," claimed Seth, who had been standing by the door, staring outwards at the ravaging storm.

"Have you...have you been up here all this time?" Mimi asked with slight concern.

"Correct," Seth replied. "Without the option of enjoying sleep, I have decided to enjoy waking and take in the beautiful savagery presented by nature."

"Well...you do you," Mimi remarked. "Some of us here are still human and need a full night's rest."

Most of the remaining cast chose to stay indoors as the elements raged on. Despite the shaking of the poorly attached planks of wood, and gusts of winds seeping through the cracks, the building managed to still offer some shelter. Marky glanced around and shuffled over towards Mimi.

"Hey," he said in a hushed voice, "have you seen where Terra went?"

Mimi shrugged, but Seth pointed outwards.

"She went out there...during this storm?" Marky exclaimed incredulously.

"True beings of power often attract their own kind," Seth replied.

"What's she going to do, lecture the storm into dying down?" Mimi scoffed.

"Perhaps she simply feels most at home in the heart of chaos," Seth replied.

"Well, I want to check in with her," Marky said. "So looks like I'm going to have to brave the storm."

"Good luck," Mimi offered.

"Certain doom is iminent, but challenging the fates laid out for us is nature's way of seeking evolution and growth," Seth said with a nod. "Unless you die. Then evolution was simply not the path for you."

"I'll take my chances," Marky decided.

Within the swirling gusts of wind, Terra was marching with determination, despite her hair and skin being whipped back with the bellowing breezes.

"That's right, don't even think about turning and run, you pathetic camera crew," Terra barked. "You are obligated to follow me into the heart of the danger, and show the whole world the very real, very drastic effects of climate change! Take a good look around you, innocent, wide eyed, viewers!"

A log propelled by the storm torpedoed past Terra and shattered to pieces as it collided with a tree.

"Does this look natural to you!? Are you going to duck your heads and say that the world's the same as it's always been? HUH! Is that what you're going to do now!?" Terra sneered. "Oh I know, that's far away, I'm nice and safe at my cozy home where nothing ever happens, right? WRONG! It could be you next! Unless we make a change! Right! Now!"

The camera suddenly tumbled, rolling along the grass and bouncing on the ground, just showing Terra's feet as it came to a rest.

"Oh yeah, just roll over and die in the face of danger, real courageous of you!" Terra spat. "Get back up and face the truth, you coward! It's only going to get worse!"

"Uh Terra...Terra!" Marky called as he fought against the winds to reach the activist. "I was hoping we could talk."

"Exactly!" Terra exclaimed as she grabbed Marky by the arm and dragged him with her. "The time is now to talk! For too long, we have failed our planet and refused to address the problem that's killing off at a fearful rate. No longer can you stay silent though, now you must speak up, you must address the monster we've unleashed upon us all!"

"Uh...I don't-" Marky tried to say.

"That's right, it's on YOU!" Terra said, while jabbing her finger against Marky's ribs. "The onus is on your now! Take a look around! All of this is your fault! Do you see where your choices have brought you!?"

Terra gestured outward at the row of shaking trees just as a lightning bolt struck one of them and caused it to burst into glowering flames.

"What did I do!?" Marky exclaimed.

"Exactly the question, isn't it!?" Terra sneered. "What did you do!? What did any of you do to stop this oncoming disaster!? You had the time! You were warned! You saw the signs! But what did! You! Do!? A whole lotta nothing, and look what that's got us!"

Behind the two,a pair of shrugs shuffled along the ground and disappeared into the trees. Rory and Bailey hopped out of their hiding spots, and ducked into a small ditch in the grass, out of view.

"Do you think she saw us?" Rory stammered.

"Nope, our disguises were perfection," Bailey assured. "That's some top notch stealth that comes with sneaking in and out of villainous fortresses to save Princess Kokomo. Right, Your Majesty? Remember that time when we had nowhere to run and lava was pouring in from all sides? Oh that was a close one alright!"

Thunder clapped in the sky again as another flash of lightning burst in the distance.

"Ooooh, I don't like this at all," Rory shivered. "But I'll take the storm over having to risk running into Terra."

"You know, I would normally support facing your fears," Bailey said. "But this time...well I think even Princess Kokomo can agree that just steering clear till things blow over has its merits as well."

Confessional:

Mimi-Obviously this place has never been a paradise resort, but this storm is one of the worst we've seen. I couldn't get a wink of sleep with the howling wind battering at every wall. It better calm down before the challenge, or else we're in for some serious hazardous conditions.

Marky-I thought this might be a good chance to touch base with Terra since even though we've voted together for two rounds now..,I still know very little about where she stands and what her plans are. Unfortunately uh...communicating strategy with Terra isn't the easiest of feats I'm finding.

Rory-Oh eeh ah eek, Terra is still like a walking time bomb. Yesterday was scary enough, I thought she was going to sock me in the face and turn my skin inside out! Aaaaah! There's no way I was going to just sit around in that cabin like a waiting target. I will take the storm over her!

Bailey-(With Princess Kokomo Pillow propped up next to him) Oh don't get me wrong, Your Majesty, a true knight should always rise to the occasion and face whatever danger awaits him or her...I'm just saying, you know, sometimes if that danger could result in total oblivion of bones, and she's not really hurting anyone if left to her own devices...maybe just taking a step back isn't the worst call.

Chloe glanced out the window at the pouring sheets of rain. The girl tilted her head, as if trying to make sense of the outside scene.

"Never seen anything like it, eh?" Mimi remarked as she slid next to Chloe.

"Looks like I won't be getting the chance to get in some laps before the challenge," Chloe remarked. "Though it's tempting to consider it...but probably for the best to stay safe."

Mimi glanced back to see Zach focused on snapping photos of the carnage caused by the storm.

"Look, I'm glad we've got the chance to spend some time together, you know, talk the real talk," Mimi said in a hushed voice to Chloe. "I know we may not have met till the merge, but you've really come through and you know what? I admire you. You've got some real strength behind you."

"Oh uh...thank you," Chloe said with a modest glance to the floor. "I think you're pretty impressive as well."

"Well, you know...I know," Mimi laughed with a wave of her hand.

"And don't worry about us meeting later," Chloe assured. "It's clear we've both fought hard to get where we did. I'm not worried about how long we've spent together, but how we use that time. Right now we've both been able to make a lot happen just by helping each other out."

"And I have loved that, believe me!" Mimi exclaimed. "But I get that you've probably got to have your own fears, right? Feel like you might be the odd man out here."

"I haven't felt that way, no," Chloe replied with a shake of her head.

"Well, I wouldn't blame you if you did," Mimi continued. "And I just want you to know that you don't have to worry about that. This isn't some boys' club, us girls can stick together and bring the fight too!"

"By us girls, does that include…" Chloe asked while directing her eyes to Grace who had been standing beside the two the entire time.

"Hello, I may not have anything to contribute to this conversation, however, creating a sense of inclusion will yield benefits to my game, for that purpose, I request that you acknowledge my involvement in this discussion," Grace stated.

"Okay….hi Grace," Mimi said with an awkward wave.

"Hi Grace," Chloe added.

"Thank you," Grace said with a smile and a nod. "Proceed."

"I just want you to know, Chloe," Mimi continued. "You took a chance coming on over to help me out, and I will return the favor. I will have your back even into the nitty gritty."

"I appreciate it, Mimi," Chloe replied with a smile. "But you don't have anything to worry about. You can depend on me."

Chloe took another glance out the window to see a tree, uprooted and tumbling along the ground.

"Oh my, it's really getting bad now," she remarked with a grimace. "I should probably head out and make sure the others get back to safety."

"You sure?" Mimi asked. "It looks dangerous to step outside."

"That's why I ought to make sure the others are okay," Chloe said. "Be back in a flash."

Chloe stepped outside and immediately was blasted with the raging winds, causing her hair to wave through the air wildly. Surprisingly, her hat stayed in place. Fighting against the fierce breeze, Chloe gradually stepped through the woods. A hand reached out from a bush and tapped her on the shoulder. Chloe twirled around to see Bailey waving her over.

"Bailey?" Chloe said in surprise.

"This way," Bailey beckoned. "Don't worry, it's uh...mostly safe."

Bailey guided Chloe back to the ditch where Rory was currently cowering under the cover.

"Oh Chloe, uh hi….yes...uh yes it's uh...I'm happy to uh...well you're here," Rory stammered.

"I think what we're trying to say," Bailey picked up, "is that we'd just like to talk."

"Yes! Talk! Talk is good, that's exactly what we would like!" Rory took over. "Just the three of us, you know, no pressure or anything, just to uh...well to discuss...the thing is...well you know with the game being the way it is, the two of us were kind of thinking...you know, just throwing it out there, but uh...well when it comes time to vote maybe uh...it's just if we put our votes together and uh…"

"I'm sure you'll think about whatever decision you have to make very seriously," Bailey added. "But well...maybe just consider, if you keep sticking with that same group...you know, it might not...exactly end...super great for you…"

"Guys, guys, guys," Chloe assured raising her hands, "I know."

"You know," Bailey echoed with an uncertain nod.

"Right, of course, obviously since you're so clever," Rory added. "Of course you would know...know what exactly?"

"Everything that you're saying." Chloe answered. "You guys don't need to give me a pitch. As much as it's worked out for me to work with the Legends so far...I know that can't be my only plan. Just now, Mimi was trying to sell me on not flipping, that tells me that they're already starting to consider me a flight risk. I'm not prepared to go down that road without a fight."

"Oh uh well...good," Rory replied. "That's uh, good right?"

"Yeah that saves us some time," Bailey remarked. "Though Zach made it sound like you wouldn't quite be so quick to convince."

"Well that's Zach," Chloe replied with a slight grimace. "I just know how smug he would be if he felt like he won me over with his tactics. Let's let his ego suffer a little longer. You guys though have been nothing but good and patient with me."

"Okay then, so uh...we're good," Rory remarked. "It's all good?"

"I think this is good," Bailey agreed.

"You know, I did have a full pitch prepared," Rory added.

"Yeah, I think for your own well-being it's probably best that I let you do as little talking as possible," Chloe replied.

Confessional:

Chloe-I can't afford to let my guard down, even for a minute. It's easy to let emotion take over, to think of people as friends, but if I do that, I lose. No one here should care about me, if they want to win, so when people like Mimi suddenly decide they want to say something nice...there's an agenda behind that. I'm still here, but if I want to keep it that way, I'm going to need to keep playing my best.

Mimi-I just want Chloe to feel like she's an included part of our little team here. I'm guessing that she has her doubts about her fate with us, but the way I see it, she put her faith in with this group, and I want to return that level of trust.

Bailey-Rory and I have had to sort of lay low lately, but we're running out of space if we don't turn things around. We decided to appeal to Chloe, I still think of her as a friend, and she's a smart girl, so we're going to hope that she'll think long term and realize that having us around might be what she needs.

Rory-Chloe was acting very nice and calm just now, but uh...I've seen when she gets intense. Like really, really intense. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad we got this side of her, but I just got a feeling that the second things aren't going her way, it won't be so pleasant anymore.

Mimi laid on a bunk while Grace paced from side to side near her.

"Should we...discuss further strategy?" Grace asked.

"What more do we have to discuss?" Mimi pointed out. "We're sequestered in here until it clears up, and as far as I'm concerned, we already have a pretty clear plan of attack."

"Mm," Grace replied with a nod, "That is true. I simply hope that you remember that should the need for strategic discussions arise, I am at your service to provide my input."

"I appreciate it, but I think for now we just take it easy," Mimi said.

"Understood," Grace said, standing still and gazing at Mimi.

"Uh...are you okay?" Mimi asked nervously.

"I am taking it very easy," Grace answered.

"Right…," Mimi remarked. "Okay how about we play a game to kill some time?"

"If you so desire," Grace said.

"Alright...I'm thinking of a movie, ask me 20 questions and see if you can guess which one," Mimi offered.

"Hm...was the movie released in 1975?" Grace asked.

"No," Mimi answered.

"Hm…" Grace said in deep thought, taking up pacing again. "Was the movie released in 1976?"

"...No," Mimi sighed.

"Hm…" Grace mused, furrowing her brow and wracking her mind, "was the movie-"

"It was not released in 1977, I'll give you that one for free," Mimi sighed.

"Drat," Grace cursed, returning to pacing.

"Maybe try some broader parameters to start out," Mimi suggested. "You only have 20 questions after all, and going through the last 45 years isn't the most efficient use of them."

"Ah...well, you say that," Grace noted, "but it seems to me that my goal is to solve this puzzle, and yours is to keep me from guessing successfully, for the brief yet satisfying feeling of accomplishment that comes with selecting a film that confounded my abilities of deduction. Therefore, I must seriously consider any suggestion you may offer, and maintain that it could very well serve your benefit more than my own."

"I promise you, I'm not trying to trick you," Mimi insisted. "The only goal is to have a little fun while we wait."

"I'm sorry, Mimi, but since the game has begun, I must take everything you say under heavy scrutiny," Grace replied. "It's only practical, if I am to survive this battle of wits."

"I think you're taking this a little too seriously," Mimi laughed lightly.

"Well, you're the one who's trying to manipulate me by pretending to offer advice," Grace retorted. "If anyone's taking this so called meaningless game too seriously, I think it's you."

"Just forget the game," Mimi said.

"Never," Grace retorted. "1978!"

"No!" Mimi denied.

At that time, Marky returned to the cabin. The boy was completely drenched, his hair sopped down over his face, and his sweater clung to his skin.

"Ah, my friend, I see you have braved the storm and returned stronger for it," Seth noted as Marky entered. "You shall thrive in the world that awaits."

"I feel like death," Marky breathed.

"That is natural, but you will bloom once more, twice as vibrant as ever before," Seth exclaimed.

"Was it worth it going out there?" Mimi asked.

"Not sure," Marky replied. 'If anything, I just think I got more confirmation that Terra is...well, not exactly someone you can work with. Work around maybe at best."

"Like the volcano that looms before the river," Seth remarked. "The water has no choice but to flow around."

"Volcanos and rivers? Those don't exactly go together," Marky pointed out.

"Precisely, the waters go around…a very, very wide berth around," Seth stated.

"Um...okay, well the point I'm getting at is that Terra is going to just be a ticking time bomb for us," Marky stated. "I don't think she's 'with us' so much as it so happened that we voted with her. There's no telling when she'll decide to flip on us again, and honestly no way to know how her mind even processes these decisions."

"All this feels like jumping the gun a bit," Mimi spoke up. "You're right, we don't know what Terra is thinking...but why assume the worst?"

"That's how you stay alive," Marky replied. "You have to be ready to prepare for the worst."

"That just sounds like a self-fulfilling prophecy to me," Mimi protested. "If we push Terra away, she might push back. Or we can just offer her trust and faith and keep things going good."

"Aren't you the one who was saying that Terra absolutely cannot be trusted after she made an alliance without you then betrayed said alliance?" Marky pointed out.

"Ooh I remember that," Grace exclaimed. "She was very mad."

"I believe she compared Terra to a blood sucking parasite," Seth added.

"Okay shut up!" Mimi snapped. "A person can change their mind when presented with new facts, and right now the facts are that Terra has not given us any reason to doubt her, other than not wanting to talk strategy. Let's not ruin what we have here though!"

Outside of the cabin, the winds raged on, though Rory and Bailey remained safe in their protected niche. Chloe returned, dragging Zach behind her.

"So, pray tell, what's so important that you had to risk my life like this?" Zach remarked as he joined the group.

"I don't want anyone listening in on us, this is important," Chloe insisted. "Just imagine you're one of those action reporters diving into active volcanos or impending tsunamis."

"Those guys might get some nice photos, but what you might not realize is that a lot of them end up with life long injuries too," Zach pointed out. "No thanks."

"Let's just...let's just all focus on why we're here," Bailey offered.

"And why exactly are we here?" Zach asked. "That's what I said before and I'm still none the wiser."

"Well…" Bailey stated, before getting up to place his Princess Kokomo pillow atop a shriveled stump. "Now that the Royal Court is in session, we may all join together, setting aside all differences, united for one common greater good."

"Mhm," Zach remarked while gesturing for him to hurry up.

"The four of us are voting together," Rory spat out. "That is uh...if you're all okay with that. I think...well we think...well it's just...it would seem...it just makes sense that we vote out one of the Legends….don't you think?'

"Well, if I recall, we tried that already," Zach remarked with a snide glance at Chloe. "It didn't exactly work out. Who knows why!"

"Alright, we're doing this on my terms this time," Chloe stated. "You guys need me if you want to pull this off, and I'm not stupid enough to let this chance pass by. It needs to be right now if we're going to make it happen."

"I think that sounds agreeable to all of us here," Bailey said, glancing at the others and then back at the mounted pillow. "The Legends all seem like some pretty nice people, but you know, we can't exactly blame them for sticking together, just ourselves if we let them get through with that chance."

"Exactly," Chloe replied. "We've got four votes here, we just need to get Terra with us, and set five votes right at Seth."

"Wait, Seth?" Zach asked. "Why does it have to be him?"

"Seth is an under the radar flight risk for all of us," Chloe stated matter of factly, "No one ever pays him any mind, they just let him do his thing, floating through the game without detection."

"He could be watching us right now!" Rory gasped frightfully.

The four glanced around nervously.

"Well...it doesn't seem like he is," Bailey concluded.

"All that being said," Chloe picked up again, "Letting Seth continue to slide by would absolutely be a mistake for all of us, since if anyone's going to slide through the cracks of chaos, it will be him."

"Now hold up," Zach called out. "Let's step back and review here. The person who is the biggest threat to all of us is without a doubt, Marky. He's the glue that's holding the rest together, I mean, come on, don't tell me you think those other three hooligans could arrange a plan without him to walk them through it. Why aren't we just taking him out now and putting a stop to any chance of him scheming his way further?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, maybe you misunderstood," Chloe growled testily. "This is not a negotiation, this is me telling you what is going to happen, and you are going to do it, because without my vote, you have no shot at success, so the plan is what I say it is, or there's no plan at all!"

Chloe was glaring directly in Zach's face and practically pushing him back down to the ground with her vision. The group remained in a tense silence, before a sudden gust of wind knocked Princess Kokomo off her post and sailed her away.

"Your Majesty!" Bailey cried as he chased after her. "Come back, oh please, I didn't mean for that to happen. Forgive me!"

The pillow ended up colliding with Terra who was walking in the woods nearby.

"What the hell!?" Terra grunted.

"Oh uh, sorry about that," Bailey said timidly as he approached. "Her Majesty was just sent for an impromptu trip your way. I'll take her back to safety now though."

"Ooh, this is exactly the problem with the monarchy!" Terra fumed. "Just thinking that they're above the law, above common decency, shoving aside the lowly common folk such as myself, without a second thought of the consequences! Take a look around, Queenie! Do you see what's going on!? Not exactly great weather for a promenade, no? You're not Queen of the Weather so SUCK IT UP and crawl back to the safety of your palace that many poor souls would KILL to have a single square foot to hide in while the world trembles! But you never thought of that, did you, huh!?"

Confessional:

Mimi-Mmm, I do not like this, I have a very bad feeling, let the record show that I have a bad feeling! You know what this is? Manufactured adversary! Whenever the studios ran out of ways to keep the drama alive, they'd make my characters inexplicably illogical. Like when they wanted another season of my hit RomCom Bella in the Big City, and decided the only way to keep the plot alive was to have Bella cheat on the love of her life, Johnathan, with the bookish shopkeeper, Jorge, which by the way she would NEVER do! I reject that version of events as canon!

Chloe-The reason I flipped to the Legends in the first place was because my original team didn't seem to be considering my wants. So now they're going to have to do things my way if they want a chance to survive. I need Seth gone though. Marky is the big brains, and he's got Grace as an automatic plus one, along with Mimi who's just a hot hot mess. There will always be reasons to target them. But Seth? He'll slip right by if I don't put my foot down.

Zach-Chloe…(chuckles and shakes his head). She hasn't learned anything. Sure, we need her vote, but she needs us as well, and as stubborn as she wants to act, she said it herself, she's not going to let the four Legends make up half the vote. I'm not going to let her get away with calling the shots so easily.

Bailey-(brushing off Kokomo Pillow) So sorry, Your Majesty, it will never happen again! What's that? Yes that girl was quite rude to you, but don't even think about it, she doesn't know what she's talking about. You're a great and benevolent ruler, and one day you WILL reign over the weather, I know it!

(Later)

A bright red flare shot up into the sky, lighting up the woods briefly. From the cabin, the group could see it had been launched from a decent distance.

"I...guess that's our cue to head out," Mimi remarked, not sounding entirely certain.

"Out like this?" Rory asked. "Are you sure it's not the...challenge is cancelled signal. Someone could seriously get hurt!"

"Please, when has Chris ever cared about our safety," Zach sighed.

"We can take this, guys," Chloe assured. "Just...be mindful of falling trees, or strikes of lightning."

The group glanced around at each other nervously, but one after another stepped out of the cabin and journeyed into the woods. Eventually they spotted Chris and Chef waiting atop a crest.

"Took you long enough!" Chris complained while tapping his foot. "Have you seen this weather? I'm waiting out here risking my life and health, the least you could do is be punctual!"

"Wow, how brave of you," Marky said dryly.

"You know, if it's killing you so bad, maybe you could just get on with it," Zach suggested.

"You kids are all so witty," Chris scoffed. "Chef, why do we have so many sarcastic kids on the cast? Make a note, next time we're only bringing in people who appreciate all I do for them."

"Good luck getting anyone to meet that criteria," Chef muttered under his breath.

"As I was saying-" Chris tried to continue before a large branch was blown from a tree and came swirling towards him.

The host ducked and allowed the hazard to collide with Chef, who remained unflinching upon collision.

"You may have noticed the weather has been a little bit aggressive today," Chris finished.

"You don't say," Mimi remarked.

"Again with the dry wit," Chris grumbled. "Well, Chef and I have put in the research to all the deep lore at our access…"

"You mean this one book?" Chef asked, holding up a dusty tome, which appeared to have screaming faces carved into its casing.

"That's right, and from what I can gather, it seems as though we may have angered some primordial demon presence of the island. Not sure why, hosting our show is the greatest honor...but for whatever reason, we've thrown off the juju here and need you kids to help. Please the beast. Or kill it. Whatever it takes to make this natural disaster stop. Do that and you'll win immunity."

"So just so we're clear...is this like...real?" Marky asked.

"It's always real," Chris protested. "Spooky Island is a mysterious place where reality and nightmares blend."

"Yeah we all know the spiel, but like...is it real-real, or studio real?" Marky asked.

"It's as real as your mind makes it!" Chris replied uselessly.

"I think we're going to need more to go off of here," Chloe brought up. "What exactly are we supposed to be doing here?"

"Well I can't give you the answers," Chris scoffed. "You're free to check the lore for yourselves, though I think that my concise recap was very informative. Now then, I've got to seek some shelter. Good luck, everyone, try not to take too long, I'd like for there to still be some island left when we're all finished tonight."

Chef placed the cursed book down in front of him before following after Chris. The group of teens quickly rushed to fight over the single tome. Terra and Chloe collided with each other as they both found for the book. Zach reached over the two and tried to flip through the pages before having the book snatched from his hands by Marky. Marky tried to flee before crashing into Mimi's extended palm. Marky tossed the book in the air as he was knocked to the ground, but Seth caught it from his position upon a branch.

"Guys, guys, guys!" Bailey exclaimed. "Uh...well Princess Kokomo just wants you all to know that it kind of feels like we're going about this the wrong way. Nothing can get done if we don't know what we're dealing with. Let's all read through together...and then we can start the every man for himself free for all."

The other eight all glanced at each other tensely.

"I suppose that could work," Zach said, darting his eyes from side to side at Mimi and Terra both seeming ready to bolt at any second.

Seth flipped through the pages.

"Hm...yes, yes," he noted.

"What's it say!?" Chloe demanded.

"Indeed we appear to be trespassing on the kingdom of the Lord of Darkness," Seth noted. "Very dangerous being, very powerful, very hateful. Nature itself would shun him away to the shadows."

"How do we put a stop to him though?" Mimi asked.

"Hm...mhm...hm," Seth continued as he perused the pages. "It doesn't say."

Everyone sighed in frustration.

"But it would seem as though sacrifices to appease the Lord of Darkness could be offered...at an altar...that way," Seth stated while pointing.

"Then let's get a move on!" Chloe exclaimed.

"What do we even have to sacrifice?" Zach asked.

"You," Terra suggested.

"Gaaah...I do not like all this talk of sacrifice," Rory said shakily. "This does not sound like it will have a very pleasant ending."

"Y'know it's times like these when I wish Michelle were still here," Bailey remarked. "She wouldn't be afraid to kick some demon butt."

"It's times like these when I wish Ada were still here," Rory replied. "So she would tell us that it's all not real and there's nothing to worry about."

"Would you have believed her though?" Bailey asked.

"Gaaah! Probably not," Rory sighed.

"Well we can figure out what we need to do once we get there," Mimi said. "Right now this is the only lead we've got, so I'm not wasting any more time."

"Wait!" Grace suddenly called.

Mimi stopped in her tracks.

"Was the movie released in 1980?" Grace posed.

"This isn't the time for that," Mimi scoffed.

"I'm afraid I have to disagree," Grace replied. "The gauntlet has been thrown, my mind has become fixated on this goal, every second that passes could be a lost opportunity-"

"The movie was released in 2013, put your mind at ease," Mimi said.

"Hm...so a piece of the puzzle...falls into place," Grace mused with a pensive nod.

Confessional:

Rory-Oh gee, this is bad! I mean, it's always bad, but this time it's really really bad! A sacrifice!? That doesn't bode well for me! Look at me, I'm skin and bones, in olden times I'd be offered up to vengeful gods...assuming disease didn't claim me first! (sobs)

Seth-You know, man, a lot of people...think the world is, the way it is...but it isn't...sometimes. There's some big burly entities out there that are bigger than even nature. Don't believe me? Then how do you explain the hairs of my arm standing on end? It's cause we're getting too close to something we don't want to tangle with, and it's gotten me all zonked out.

Zach-We've encountered a lot of freaky things out here, a lot of it can't be explained, and honestly I'm not interested in explaining it. Could be totally rational, could be something out of this world, that doesn't change the challenge we've been given, and I don't intend to let it make a difference here.

Chloe-I don't care what we're up against, throw your worst at me! If there's some wicked ancient demon out there then I will take him head on just like I've done with every other challenge! It's going to take more than that to stop my drive!

The group of nine trudged through the thick forest, having to swing their arms from side to side just to clear a way through the tangled plants that marred their course. Chloe tried to hold the lead, Zach came up from her side though, with Terra looming not far behind. The others scattered somewhat slower but still following the same direction.

"So uh…" Bailey breathed as he leaned against a tree. "What exactly are we looking for here? Any defining landmarks to keep an eye out for?"

"We are searching for a space that emanates a raw and primal energy of fear and malice," Seth stated.

"Okay well….not feeling anything like that now," Bailey noted while lifting a finger to the air.

"I am!" Rory cried.

"Yes, but that's every day for you," Bailey pointed out.

The group came up to a clearing as they reached the top of a small hill. The grassy area was strewn with mossy boulders clumped together.

"I'm...not seeing anything," Chloe remarked.

"Maybe you're not looking hard enough," Zach replied.

"Shut it, you don't see anything either," Chloe grunted.

The group slowly gathered around the same area and began to spread out in search of any new clues. Mimi dropped to her knees and began to investigate what seemed to be a hole in the ground, hidden between a joining of jagged boulders.

"Next question," Grace announced, as she placed herself atop the stone structure, "does the film prominently feature baseball?"

"What?" Mimi replied, glancing up to the girl.

"Ah, my apologies if you are unfamiliar with the terminology I am using," Grace said. "Baseball is a popular sport that has been the focus of many successful and well loved-"

"No, the movie does not feature baseball," Mimi declared. "Now move over, I think there may be something down here."

Mimi groaned as she used all her strength to roll the rocks aside and clear enough space to examine the deep gaping hole in the ground.

"Well...only one to find out what's down there," Mimi said as she started to worm her body into the ground.

After fitting her legs and waist through the opening, Mimi found herself sliding into the space much quicker. In an instant she had disappeared from view.

"Wait! I still have more questions!" Grace exclaimed, diving in after her.

"Hey, guys…" Marky remarked with concern as he watched the two girls sink into the earth.

As the boy reached the space though, he could only watch as the ground sealed up and weaved back together as if there'd never been anything there to begin with.

"What the!?" Marky gasped, dropping to his knees and trying to dig up the ground.

He pulled up nothing but dirt in his fists, showing no indication of a hidden hole to be discovered.

"What...what just happened?" Marky asked.

"Sacrifice," Seth said with a solemn nod.

The ground gave a low tremor which everyone noticed. Following the rumble, the top of the hill continued to shake as part of the ground sank into the earth. The pit began to take form, revealing a staircase leading downwards.

"Well...okay then," Zach noted. "That's not so subtle."

"Move it, I've got a demon lord to punch in the mouth," Terra barked as she made her way down the steps.

"Not before I do!" Chloe exclaimed, following after her.

"You're all going to die!" Rory sobbed.

"Not if I have anything to say about that!" Bailey exclaimed as he charged down the steps next.

"If Grace and Mimi are in trouble, then we're already past the point of no return," Marky said with determination. "I know what I'm doing."

Soon Rory was the only one left on the surface.

"Okay, okay, deep breaths, deep breaths, I am brave I am...I am not going to think about what I'm doing!" the boy told himself before closing his eyes and walking down the steps after the others.

Confessional:

Mimi-(slaps forehead) Duh, Mimi, first rule of horror movies is you never want to be the first one in. I got so caught up in wanting to get a jump on this challenge...and away from Grace...that I let myself slip up.

Terra-I don't care if you're human, demon, alien, whatever the hell your deal is-if your purpose is causing strife, then I WILL put a stop to you! (glares)

Marky-This just got serious. I know it's easy to scoff in the face of danger out here, but something about this feels different. I'm worried about Mimi and Grace. Not just the challenge, I want to make sure they're okay. Because I need their votes of course...it's not like I (Seth opens the door and shakes his head silently) Okay fine, I care about them! Happy!?

.The group of seven descended deep into the pit of the earth awaiting them like a gaping void. Chloe couldn't help but shiver as they were submerged in darkness. With a silent flicker, a set of torches lit up on either side of them. Despite the dancing flame, the torches gave off very little light or heat, they almost seemed to give off an icy breeze.

"That's not natural," Chloe remarked.

"Nothing about this place is," Seth replied.

More torches lit up the deeper the group traveled. Eventually the steps transformed into a straight path, leading them further into the shadows.

"As far as evil lairs go, I've seen better," Marky remarked, though it was a hollow comment, more intended simply to break up the silence.

The others could tell his words lacked his typical playful nature and remained silent. Eventually, the torches illuminated a branch in the path ahead of them.

"Well now what!?" Chloe sighed. "Do we split up?"

"That sounds like a good idea for us to all die," Zach remarked.

"Not really," Terra said with a shrug. "Being stuck with the rest of you won't change my intention to kick ass, and don't think I'm going to be bothering to keep any of you safe when the dung hits the fan."

"Wonderful censorship job there," Zach remarked.

"Well, nothing much we can do but take a stab in the dark," Bailey said. "Come on, Rojo! Let's see what's waiting for us!"

Bailey charged down the path that led to the right.

"Wait for me!" Rory wailed as he chased after his friend.

"Hm," Seth mused as he paced between the two paths.

The boy walked up to the left and seemed to be overcome with an unpleasant feeling. He paced over to the right and paused. He then returned to the left.

"Something wicked awaits us this way," he stated.

"Then that's where we're going," Chloe stated.

"Something wicked had better get ready to meet its match because I'm coming too!" Terra growled.

"Yes, you ladies go ahead, and I will let you handle all the scary stuff," Zach said as he followed behind.

Seth glanced towards Marky.

"You go ahead," Marky said to Seth. "Do your thing. I need to find our friends. If there's a chance they're trapped down here, in danger...I can't leave them."

Seth nodded as Marky made his way down the right.

Confessional:

Seth-How quickly we marched towards certain doom. Hmm...bleak, but I suppose the planet as a whole must linger upon that one simple fact that we too shall face the cold unforgiving cold that is to come.

Zach-The girls are raring to go and you know what...that's fine with me. That's why I'm the background dude, let someone else jump head first into the fire and I'll grab what's left as they're burning up.

Marky-Right now, splitting up is our only option. Mimi and Grace could be anywhere down here, and I don't know how much time they have. We need to cover ground fast!

Mimi burst through mounds of dirt that had swallowed her up. After her sudden tumult, she found herself buried in an underground chamber.

"Well, that wasn't very pleasant!" she exclaimed as she pulled herself up, seeing only darkness around her.

She did hear a muffled groan from behind her though.

"Grace?" she remarked as she turned back.

The actress dug through more of the dirt, eventually uncovering Grace's submerged head. From there, Mimi was able to find her hand and help to pull her free. Grace coughed up several small rocks roughly.

"Alright so...this is not good," Mimi stated as she paced nervously. "We're trapped...deep deep underground, who knows how far, with nothing around except for…"

Mimi grabbed something off the ground in frustration, only to quickly toss it away.

"Was that a bone!? Oh my god, please tell me that was not a bone!" Mimi sobbed.

"Hmm…" Grace mused as she grabbed the slender white object and slid it between her fingers. "I would say-"

"I do not want to know!" Mimi cried, covering her ears.

"But you just asked-" Grace tried to say.

"DO NOT WANT TO KNOW!" Mimi declared with a stamp of her foot.

"I suppose we could explore," Grace suggested.

Mimi glanced out at the inky blackness surrounding them.

"I guess that is our only option," Mimi said. "But let's just be careful, we can't see a thing out here."

The two girls stuck close together as they cautiously ventured through the cavern.

"Mimi…" Grace said, "does the movie feature baseball as a plot point?"

"Oh my god.." Mimi groaned.

"Take your time to consider it," Grace assured.

"Didn't you already ask me that?" Mimi said.

"No I asked if the movie prominently featured baseball. That doesn't rule out movies with other focuses that still may involve baseball," Grace stated. "It is a very popular sport after all, it seems careless to not cover-"

"No! There's no baseball," Mimi insisted.

The two were suddenly interrupted by a slow grinding sound.

"That had better not have been something evil," Mimi sighed.

"I think we both know full well that it is," Grace replied.

"I know," Mimi breathed in defeat, "but just once, can't the spooky sound just be something harmless."

A spear flew between the two girls, narrowly missing Mimi's head.

"I suppose that answers that question," Grace stated. "It's no/ No the spooky sound cannot just be something harmless."

"I got that," Mimi sighed before shouting out at their attacker, "Alright, show yourself, whoever you are! But I'm warning you, I have been trained in Krav Maga!"

"Really?" Grace asked.

"Well...I had a trainer show me a few moves for a scene once...I never really mastered it...or grasped it...but I was trained!" Mimi explained.

Several figures emerged in a slow clunky manner. The beings looked to be human bones that had become fused with clumps of dirt and rock.

"Oh please, I've seen better effects than that," Mimi scoffed.

The creatures each raised a weapon, their hands of rot and filth clung to rusted swords and spears.

"Uh Mimi…?" Grace said tentatively. "Is there any mention at all of baseball in the film you are thinking of?"

"What did I do to deserve this?" Mimi sobbed.

Confessional:

Mimi-I will take whatever you throw at me! Hordes of beasts, undead, monsters, just please get her to leave me alone!

Grace-I think I'm onto something with the baseball here, but how does it all fit together?

Rory crept close behind Bailey as the two travelled through the dank passage.

"So uh...er well...do we uh...have a plan for if we do...meet this evil scary demon kind?" Rory stammered.

"Fight to the dying breath, and have faith that good will triumph!" Bailey replied.

"I don't know about that plan," Rory remarked. "Can we have one that….you know, doesn't involve the phrase 'dying breath?'"

"Hm…" Bailey mused while drumming his fingers along the side of his head, "charge with noble cause and collide with destiny!"

"Surely there's got to be some knight's code about there being appropriate times to hide," Rory suggested.

"Huh," Bailey remarked as he pulled out Princess Kokomo, "You know anything about that, Your Majesty?"

Bailey nodded silent for a few seconds before turning back to Rory.

"Nope, nothing like that," Bailey admitted.

"Wait...you hear something?" Rory suddenly exclaimed. "Something is coming...we're doomed, please just make it quick!"

"Um...hello," Marky greeted as he caught up with the two.

"Are you going to kill me?" Rory quivered while covering his face.

"Well no, that wasn't quite what I had in mind," Marky replied. "The others branched off the other way. They seem to think that path will take them to the demon king. I'd rather cover as much ground as possible, though."

"Oh uh...yes me too...for exactly that reason," Rory said. "Let's keep moving...in this direction. Far away from the other path. To cover as much ground as possible."

"Works for me!" Bailey exclaimed.

The three continued on the same path they had been following. Rory seemed to have the slightest improvement in confidence in his stride now. The ground they walked seemed to slope downwards as their journey deepened. The boys began to notice their feet slipping as the incline increased. Rory's feet shuffled upon loose rocks, struggling to keep his balance. As they ventured further, the air seemed to chill with a cold crispness looming within the shadows.

"This has bad feeling written all over it, very very bad," Rory shuddered.

"We can't turn back now," Marky insisted, "We need to-"

Marky took one step forward and the ground beneath him slid away, causing him to roll down the now incredibly steep slope. Bailey chased after him, soon tripping and tumbling as well, and Rory had no choice but to throw himself after the two. Marky landed in a shallow pool of water. Bailey came crashing down with a larger splash, Rory followed shortly after.

"Come on, Rojo, time to work that doggy paddle," Bailey instructed as he floated in the underground pool.

"Oh no! We're going to drown down here! Help! HELP!" Rory cried.

"Don't panic," Marky said. "It's not that deep, no one is drowning so long as we remain cool and find a way out of here."

"Okay, okay...how do we do that?" Rory asked.

"I...don't know, I can hardly see a thing," Marky admitted. "But let's span out, see what we can find."

Before the boys could spread out though, they heard the sound of a low moan. Parts of the cavern seemed to open up like gaping mouths of pure darkness. The sound continued and as it grew louder began to resemble more rushing water. Streams of water began to pour out from several openings, slashing down into the small pool and causing the level to rise quickly.

"Uuuuummm….so much for not drowning?" Rory whimpered.

"Just stay calm, just say calm," Bailey insisted, clearly not following his own advice.

"It's hard to stay calm when we've got a few minutes before we're completely submerged!" Rory panicked.

"There's….there's got to be a way out," Marky groaned as he pushed himself to the edge of the pool, yet only found slick rock, completely unclimbable.

"There is no way out!" Rory sobbed. "This is it, this is the end!"

"Okay, impromptu powwow!" Bailey exclaimed as he revealed Princess Kokomo, Gentle Spring, and Rojo in front of himself. "Team, I'm going to need all of our best ideas on this brainstorm. It could be life or death!"

"Bailey…" Marky said with a concerned grimace, "I'm not sure if this the-"

"That is a great point, Gentle Spring!" Bailey exclaimed. "Often times heroes find themselves faced with what seems like an impassable object, when all that's really holding them back is...themselves! Find your personal realization, reach your defining epiphany, and the answer will present itself!"

"What?" Marky replied. "We don't have time for that!"

"Okay, I'll do it!" Rory cried, as the water floated up to his chin. "I'm no hero, I'm pathetic, that's the truth!"

"Amazing realization, I'm shocked to my core," Marky sighed sarcastically.

"The truth is I never should have come out here, I fail at everything I ever try!" Rory continued. "The lesson I need to learn clearly is to stop fooling myself! I should stop pretending like anything I do will make a difference, like I stand a chance out here. If I survive this, I'll return home and never leave my room, at least there I can't drag anyone else into my disaster."

"How about instead you get a grip?!" Marky snapped as he struggled to keep his face above the water.

"What?" Rory whimpered.

"That's not a realization, that's an admission of defeat and just affirming whatever's easiest to tell yourself," Marky said. "You keep insisting that you're worthless, pathetic, what does that prove? Maybe instead stop being so hard on yourself? You're still here, you've outlasted a number of fierce competitors, people like you, you are going to be just fine!"

"How can you know that?" Rory sniffled.

"Because you're..you're just...because you're a good guy!" Marky insisted. "You're more cowardly than anyone else out here, and yet you didn't let that stop you from coming out here. You didn't back down from the challenges, even with every complaint, even with how hopeless it feels. You make an effort to do the right thing, to get strong, to improve even in the face of impossible odds.

"I guess...I guess that's true," Rory replied.

"Stop hating yourself for who you are," Marky urged. "Because believe me, you could be a lot worse. You could be someone that no one ever notices, or remembers. Someone who doesn't matter. Someone who no one could love, so it was easier to tell yourself that you must be evil. That at least then you might have a purpose, then you wouldn't need anyone else because you could pretend the rest of the world didn't matter to you."

"Is that...you?" Rory asked.

The water was coming dangerously close to engulfing the trio entirely.

"I don't think it is," Marky answered after a pause. "Not anymore."

"And that's what we call...a heroic epiphany," Bailey remarked with a smile.

Nothing happened.

"Oh come on!" Bailey snapped, swinging a fist against the rock surface, which actually caused it to crack and crumble away.

The water instantly began to rush through the new opening. As it flooded out, the boys were swept up in the flowing current, pulled through the crevice and swept deeper into the caverns.

"That's more like it," Bailey noted.

Confessional:

Rory-I'm uh...I'm not exactly sure what just happened, or if anything is gonna change. But I guess it's true...I have made it this far, even when I thought I was going to die every single day. That's got to count for something!

Marky-That wasn't supposed to turn into some sappy, melodramatic speech. I guess I had to just get all those feelings out there though. It's easy to tell yourself you want to be the bad guy and not give a damn about the trouble you cause...when you're alone and feel like you always will be. I guess it took finding some actual friends for that to suddenly sound nothing but foolish.

Bailey-When in doubt...heroic epiphany. (nods)

Mimi and Grace sprinted through jagged passages as they were pursued by the sluggish army of undead. Despite their slow pace, the ghoulish beings remained steady and undeterred by any obstacle in their way. The girls meanwhile stumbled through the dark, often tripping over the uneven passage. Mimi couldn't help but glance back periodically at the army close behind.

"I don't know if we can keep this up," Mimi sighed. "They're not slowing down."

"Mimi...did the film cast any former or current baseball stars?" Grace asked.

"Not now!" Mimi snapped.

"Hm, not now...so it casted future baseball stars," Grace deduced. "Tricky."

"Look!" Mimi instructed as she pointed to a chamber that opened up to a vertical passage. "If we can get up to those ledges I think we might be able to ditch these goons."

Grace stretched her arms up, but couldn't come close to the lip of the edge they needed to reach.

"Here, let me give you a boost," Mimi offered.

The actress assisted the other girl in lifting her up high enough to climb up. All the while her eyes continued to dark back to the shadows indicating the approaching army. Grace managed to scramble up to reach the higher ground safely. Mimi could tell she wasn't going to have the same, the horrific legion was upon her already, raising their weapons menacingly.

"Uh Mimi…" Grace called.

"Not...now!" Mimi growled as she swung from side to side to avoid being cleaved by a rusty axe.

Mimi circled around her opponent. She kept her eyes focused on the rotting creature that gripped its weapon tight. From behind her another soldier tried to jab at her with a spear. Mimi stepped aside though and allowed it to impale the skull of the axe wielding skeleton.

"Aha! I told you not to mess with me!" Mimi exclaimed.

"Mimi, something is coming!" Grace called again.

"Grace?" A voice said from above.

Grace tilted her head to the source. She looked up to see Marky, Rory, and Bailey, all soaking wet, emerging from another portion of the chamber.

"Marky?" Grace exclaimed.

"Grace!" Marky echoed. "You're okay!"

Mimi grabbed a large stone and smashed it against the skull of the spear-wielding skeleton, who was distracted trying to retrieve its weapon.

"Guys, maybe a little help?" Mimi called.

A skeletal soldier with a sword charged at Mimi. The girl sidestepped, but her foot got caught in a divet in the ground, causing her to lose her balance and fall over backwards. The soldier raised its sword, ready to impale its victim.

"Noooooooooo!" Bailey bellowed as he leapt from his position.

With a sickening tear, the sword pierced through the heart...of Princess Kokomo, held outstretched by the shaking boy.

"Princess….Princess Kokomo…" Bailey breathed. "No…..noooooo! Your Majesty!"

The skeleton fiend seemed perplexed at what had just happened. It stepped back, which allowed Grace to kick a large stone directly onto its skull. The being collapsed to a heap of earth and bones.

"Come on, we need to get out of here before more show up," Mimi insisted as she tugged at Bailey's shirt.

The boy dropped to his knees to mourn his fallen cushion, though.

"Princess Kokomo...you sacrificed yourself...why? Why did you do it!?" Bailey sobbed.

"I think he needs this," Rory said solemnly to Mimi.

"What's that...a true ruler must be ready to lay her life on the line for her people?" Bailey whimpered, while wiping away a tear. "I will...I will carry on your legacy. I won't forget everything you taught me!"

"I'm just glad you guys are okay," Marky remarked.

"Hey, we can handle ourselves," Mimi assured. "But...if we're all here...then where's this Demon King?"

Confessional:

Bailey-(eyes closed, hand over heart) Princess Kokomo, First Of Her Name, Herald of Joy, Lady of Peace...her sacrifice shall be memorialized through song. Her legacy shall live on through the lessons she taught all of us. No one is ever truly gone if we keep living on in their name.

Rory-Okay...I guess someone else will have to deal with the Demon King. Too bad. Hey, I never said I was going to go head first into this whole courage thing.

Mimi-Well...that was close. I definitely owe a huge thank you to Bailey. He saved me, and lost his uh...princess pillow, in the process. Hey, I may not understand it, but I can't judge. It's the same for me when I have to watch a character die in one of my scenes, I know it's not real...but that doesn't make it feel any less gutting.

The group of Chloe, Terra, Seth, and Zach found themselves climbing upwards. The path became more and more uneven, revealing jagged rocks and structures that required them to awkwardly climb over them if they were to make any progress. Chloe offered a hand to Zach, pulling him up along with her. Seth moved with a careful meticulous pace, but managed to avoid any awkward collisions. The boy paused though and wavered warily.

""You alright?" Chloe asked.

"None of us are alright," Seth replied. "We should all be afraid. Very, very afraid."

"Bah," Terra scoffed. "That's how everyone should feel every single day. The world is on a fast track route to uncurable poison, plagues will be claiming our children within the next five years, entire ecosystems will be wiped out. I live in constant fear of insurmountable evils every moment of my life, this is no different!"

"Okay then," Zach remarked dryly. "I guess we can all take some reassurance that if we don't die today, we probably will fall to disease in the near future."

The group continued and the area around them began to open up and expand. They found themselves climbing over less rock clusters and were able to walk smoothly again. A sweeping chill rushed over the four. They could all tell that the others had sensed it as soon as it passed.

"Guys…?" Chloe remarked.

"This is…." Seth breathed. "He's here."

"Where?" Terra asked.

With the sound of a depleted breath, torches around them began to light up. The illumination allowed the group to realize that they had walked onto a smooth, clear circular section that loomed above a deep drop from almost all ends. At the end of the area stood a series of rotted bones fashioned into a jagged throne.

"Helloooo!? Anybody home!?" Terra called.

"Look...what's happening?" Zach remarked.

The shadows danced upon the flickering of the flame, yet seemed to move with some will of their own, slowly seeping together to form a silhouette upon the throne. The shadowy figure began to take solid presence, details appearing before their very eyes. The last to come into being was the deformed face, like a human skull, twisted and warped beyond anything natural. The same chilling sense coursed through the room, emanating from the towering monstrous body. Despite not moving or speaking a word, the group of four could feel themselves overcome with a foreboding sense of dread.

"Well? Are you the Demon King!?" Terra demanded.

"Oh who else could it be?" Zach remarked sarcastically. "Ominous shadow being sitting on a throne of bones?"

"Then get ready to die!" Terra barked.

The towering figure rose from its throne. Extending one arm, it seemed to pull something from the shadows itself, revealing a long black blade.

"You don't scare me!" Chloe challenged. "Let me tell you, I've spent my life training for some of the most elite sport events in the world. Failure has never been an option, no matter who I'm up against!"

"Oh pathetic," Terra scoffed. "I'll have you know that the Olympics causes irrevocable damage to the economy, exploiting struggling infrastructures, for some trumped up farce-"

"I wasn't talking about the Olympics," Chloe replied.

"Oh yeah right, one of the other most elite sporting events on the planet, give me a break," Terra scoffed.

"Ladies!" Zach cried out.

The Demon King brought down his sword with murderous intent. Terra and Chloe each rolled in opposite directions to avoid being impaled.

"Die scum!" Terra shouted as she charged with her fists raised.

The shadowy figure moved with inhuman speed, clutching her wrist and tossing her backwards. Terra rolled towards the looming edge, and was only stopped by Seth managing to throw himself on top of her to stop her momentum. Chloe came up from behind her demonic opponent. The being swung its blade in a wide arc, slicing off a strand her hair as Chloe bent backwards to avoid the sudden movement. Chloe tried to plan her next move, but the Demon King moved far too fast. He continued to swing the blade, each time coming deadly close to his target as Chloe had no choice but to keep shuffling backwards. The girl found herself running out of room as her heels came up against the edge of the drop.

"HEY!" Terra barked. "I'm not finished with you!"

Terra lunged again. Once more the Demon King reacted swiftly, repositioning to prepare to impale Terra. The girl skirted to avoid the attack though. Unfortunately the Demon King seemed to predict this movement, extending his arm to smack Terra to the ground. The creature raised its sword.

"Terra!" Zach shouted, having pried free one of the iron torches to toss to the other girl.

Terra caught the weapon and managed to deflect the fatal blow just in time. The shadowy sword clashed with the iron mesh. Terra gritted her teeth and grunted as an incredible force was brought down on her. She twisted her one weapon though, breaking her attacker's grip and knocking the sword away from his reach. Still without speaking, the hellish being managed to convey a solemn sense of fury, glaring its twisted face at Terra. Before the girl could even pull herself up, the Demon King was upon her, revealing a set of twisted clawlike hands that wrapped around her throat in an icy grip. Then just as suddenly, the grip went limp. Its own blade bursting through its body.

"AAAAH!" Chloe roared, wielding the blade to attack without any hesitation.

The being crumbled and then seeped back into the shadows along the ground. The air seemed to clear of any tension and dread. One by one the torches extinguished. The group was left in the darkness with a simple silent tranquility.

"I think it's over," Chloe breathed.

Confessional:

Seth-Hm...it's not just us who may breathe in relief. A great evil...something unnatural...was put to rest today. Perhaps life may return to this island...one day.

Zach-Well done to those girls. No shame at all for sticking to the sidelines, that looked like a very real danger, and I'd much prefer to keep my body in one piece, thank you very much!

Chloe-Chris...that really had better not have been an intern in a costume.

(Later)

The group of nine had emerged from the catacombs and returned to a clear and sunny day. Chris and Chef approached from the beach and joined the group.

"Well I'm guessing one of you did something right, since all the crazy hijinks just stopped all of a sudden," Chris said. "Of course I wasn't at all worried! I knew you could do it!"

"Uh Chris," Chef whispered, "I'll cancel that emergency evacuation jet you called for."

"Chloe is the one who did the job," Zach announced. "The Demon King was no match for her."

"Oh sure, give her all the credit," Terra scoffed.

"Then in that case...Chloe wins immunity!" Chris announced. "You'll be safe at this vote! The rest of you? Not so much! Better figure something out!"

Confessional:

Chloe-There's definitely something...unnatural about going through that, and then still just returning to the game. But that's what we're doing, and I can't lose my focus now.

Bailey-Make sure...you dedicate this episode to Princess Kokomo...who gave her life so that the rest of us could be here.

Marky-And so the battle wages on. I think we're all feeling a little bit shaken, a rest would be nice...but it's not like any of us can expect anything nice from this show.

The campground had become strewn with fallen branches and unearthed patches. Yet the storm had passed and a gentle calm now covered the land. Marky, Mimi, Seth, and Grace had gathered around a tree, each happy to rest against its base.

"Well I am glad that's over," Mimi exclaimed. "That was intense!"

"I'm just glad that nothing happened to you guys," Marky said. "As scary as that was...it really gave me a chance to think. You guys all mean a lot to me...more than just a number in the game. I mean that."

"Wow that's...uncharacteristically sincere," Mimi remarked. "But I'm glad nothing happened to you either."

"A great burden has been lifted from this place," Seth stated. "The land still needs healing...but now it may start."

"I didn't think it was all that different from any other challenges," Grace noted.

"I guess we still have to figure out how we're playing this vote now though," Mimi said.

"I guess we do," Marky replied, rolling backwards to lie in the grass.

"We shouldn't have anything to worry about," Mimi noted. "At least I hope not. These last two rounds have gone our way, Chloe is immune. Maybe now I can finally break free of that pesky photographer and all his false claims about me."

"So long as Chloe and Terra are willing to see that through," Marky said. "We need to keep in mind that we're still hanging in balance. Those girls helped us out but they could just as quick flip again."

"They won't. Believe me, trust goes a long way," MImi said.

"Yes, that is why they're not here in this discussion. We trust them so much to already be with the plan. Trust is a beautiful thing," Grace remarked with a nod.

"We should...probably check in with them," Mimi realized.

"Probably," Marky replied.

Meanwhile, Bailey was giving a eulogy at the cabin, while Chloe, Zach, and Rory had gathered around.

"Today we bid farewell to a true hero. Someone who had a dream for a better world, a world where love reigns supreme. And she was willing to sacrifice herself in the name of this world, without a second thought," Bailey poured out.

"I know we all grieve in different ways," Zach whispered to Chloe, "but we should probably figure out this vote at some point."

"Now is our chance to strike at Seth," Chloe replied. "Nowhere for him to run or hide."

"That's still up for discussion," Zach insisted. "I know you think you get to call the shots here, but that doesn't mean the rest of us aren't allowed to have thoughts of our own."

"...a kingdom isn't a place, nor is it defined by a single ruler," Bailey continued to mourn, "No, no, Princess Kokomo's Kingdom...was in the hearts of all of us. It wasn't a domain of power and control, but rather a spiritual land based on the belief that we all can be our best selves if we are willing…"

"Seth is never going to cause a problem for us, he lives in his own world," Zach insisted. "There is one person who is the head for that group. Marky. It's clear as day. How do you not see that?"

"I don't need to explain myself, I've told you my thoughts since this morning, and you continue to rebuff me," Chloe scoffed. "Right now, I do call the shots. I am immune. It's my vote that you need, so you can stick with what I'm saying, or lay in the burning bed you've left for yourself."

"Umm...guys...I think you may be forgetting something," Rory squeaked. "Technically, no matter who we vote...we're still missing someone: Terra."

"Ugh...Terra," Zach sighed. "Now I know why she got along with Michelle so much, she's so determined to just let us all play the game around her."

"We can get her on board, she's not locked in with anyone," Chloe assured.

"But she's also a loose cannon, we need to approach her with extreme caution," Zach pointed out. "There's nothing to say she won't just sell us out if something sets her off."

"What we need is for her to think it's her own idea," Chloe mused, "What if we told her that the others were voting for her?"

"There's no promise she'd believe us," Zach said with a shrug.

"But what if they were…?" Chloe continued to think. "What if I were to make sure that they had their sights set on Terra, and her only option to survive was to work with us?"

"That sounds incredibly complicated," Zach replied, "And like it just might work."

Confessional:

Grace-It would seem as though we are right back at where we started today. I believe that Mimi has the right idea, given that I have involved myself in female unification, there should be zero reason for Chloe and Terra to cause any problems for us. That would not be progressive of them.

Chloe-It's not my intention to be mean to anyone here, but I intend to get what's best for me here and accept no less. We're in a competition, and when you're competing you can't allow to back off and think about anyone but yourself.

Zach-I do not like this. The fact that Chloe has one target only in mind just demonstrates that she's going to continue to try to monopolize the middle of this game. How does Seth going serve any of us? It doesn't, it serves Chloe because she can't work him into her pocket.

Mimi and Grace had branched off from their group and made their way back towards the cabin.

"Alright, when we see Chloe let's just try to make her feel included," Mimi said, "I think we've been doing a pretty good job, we've had some great talks...but if she's at all uncertain we've got to squash those doubts."

"Mm, yes, and we have the advantage through a shared gender," Grace replied with a nod. "All of our shared problems, we can finally open up about without the scrutiny of man."

"Uh...sure...like what kind of problems?" Mimi asked.

Grace paused to think before suggesting, "Menopause."

"Maybe just follow my lead," Mimi offered with some slight concern.

"I shall garnish your words with silent support, and occasionally vocal support," Grace promised.

The girls reached the campground clearing and found Chloe already headed their way.

"Chloe, hey girlfriend!" Mimi exclaimed gladly. "Just the girl I was looking for!"

"I as well was hoping that our paths may cross, as it would seem as though we are stronger together, metaphorically of course," Grace added.

"Hey guys," Chloe greeted. "Glad to see you too. I just had to deal with getting Zach off my back-"

"Oh that guy! What a pest," Mimi exclaimed with a shake of her head. "But forget about him, you kicked butt today! So glad you were able to win that challenge...and apparently save us all from an ancient being of pure evil."

"Thanks, it's all kind of a blur to tell you the truth," Chloe replied with a laugh. "I guess it was a pretty big deal, but I just gave it my all and came out alive."

"We all face our own obstacles, let it bond us," Grace replied solemnly. "I have trouble using can-openers, I just can't figure out how to get them to latch. It is an ongoing fight. Your fight inspires me to do better though. We are bonded."

"Uh...you're welcome?" Chloe replied.

"I am," Grace stated.

"Let's get to this vote though," Mimi said. "No big surprise, I'd like to be rid of Zach once and for all. But if you feel differently, feel free to share."

"Yes, your opinion will influence one fifth of my decision in casting a vote, seeing as we all hold equal value within this working alliance, completely united, completely balanced, completely fair. We are all valid," Grace stated.

"Let's meet up with the boys," Chloe said, "We'll figure out our best play together."

Marky and Seth meanwhile had found Terra within the woods.

"Terra!" Marky called. "Hello!"

"Well, well, well," Terra remarked. "Come crawling back, eh?"

"I uh...well no...crawling back from where?" Marky asked.

"So lost and confused, typical!" Terra scoffed.

"That is indeed quite typical," Seth consoled as he put his hand on Marky's shoulder. "We are all lost and confused in the cosmic mosaic that is existence."

"Not me! I see the world plain and clearly for the stinking trash heap that it is!" Terra exclaimed.

"I hope that one day you may see beneath the rotten surface and uncover the beauty that awaits you," Seth replied.

"Hopes and dreams are worthless without action!" Terra spat back.

"Okay, okay, this is all...riveting stuff," Marky said, "but-"

"Oh, I'm sorry, am I boring you with my truths!?" Terra sneered. "Would it be more convenient for you to ignore the rotting state of our planet? Shall we talk about some silly little televised game because that takes the burden off your feeble shoulders?"

Marky just turned to Seth and gave a helpless shrug. Seth returned the gesture.

"Perhaps we could-" Seth tried to say.

"Perhaps is the weak man's word! There is no middle ground, there is no maybe! You can act, or you can die!" Terra insisted.

"Look, Terra, I get it-" Marky tried again.

"You don't get anything! If you did, you'd be out making a difference before it's too late, instead of flaunting yourself on TV," Terra scoffed.

"Can we sidebar for a minute here?" Marky said to Seth.

"Oh sure, run away! You can't run forever!" Terra called.

Marky pulled Seth into the bushes.

"It's like we're dealing with a completely illogical animal here," Marky sighed.

"Not true," Seth replied. "Most animals follow a very consistent manner of life. What we're dealing with is the equivalent of a hornet attacking a nest of honeybees for not stinging a harmless badger."

"Uh...what?" Marky asked.

"Never mind," Seth replied,patting Marky on the shoulder again.

"How are we supposed to get through to her if she won't even let us speak though?" Marky asked.

"Talk really really fast?" Seth suggested

Marky and Seth jumped back out of the bushes to face Terra again.

"Terra, hi, I know I know, I'm trash, he's trash, we're all trash, but just let me speak, we want to help you," Marky insisted. "I know we haven't had the chance to really talk-"

"Ah yes, and whose fault is that!? No one ever wants to talk about the hard hitting topics," Terra accused with a glare.

"Well we got a little farther that time," Marky sighed to Seth.

. "Will you vote for Zach?" Seth asked.

"Yeah sure, he sucks," Terra agreed.

"Great, love to hear it!" Marky exclaimed, eagerly backing up to depart.

Confessional:

Terra-Oh don't think that just because the game is afoot that I'm going to let people feel comfortable. Humankind is wonderful at finding means to distract themselves, and I am here to be that grim throbbing reminder that they can't turn away from the ugly truth!

Marky-The truth is, Terra has never really been with us. She's a complete wildcard, so there's never been any guarantee of what she's going to. It makes relying on her vote...quite stressful.

Grace-I have now engaged in shared empowerment founded through mutual experienced as founded through gender. If successful, this should strengthen the relationship between the three of us at least twofold.

The group of Chloe, Mimi, Grace, Marky, and Seth all met up in a grassy grove between a cluster of trees.

"Hey guys, how did it go with Terra?" Mimi asked.

"Uhh…" Marky replied. "Not exactly great...she says she'll vote Zach though."

"Perfect!" Mimi exclaimed.

"If I may just throw something out," Chloe spoke up, "maybe this might be a good chance to just be done with Terra?"

"I can't help but feel the same way," Marky agreed.

"Guys, guys, we talked about this!" Mimi insisted.

"We did?" Chloe asked.

"We cannot just throw Terra away based on something she hasn't even done yet," Mimi continued.

"It's not about what she hasn't done yet," Chloe said, "it's what we know of her so far. We can make a prediction on how someone will act based on their habits. From what we've seen so far, she's not exactly the most stable. I'm pretty sure the whole game could get behind just taking this chance to get rid of her."

"Better to get her out before she screws us over," Marky agreed.

"I don't know, guys, I don't feel great about this," Mimi sighed.

"Sometimes the ant that strays from the colony can do more damage than the anteater," Seth mused.

"Again I will ask...what?" Marky remarked.

"Collectivity only works in harmony, a fracture can cause a complete rupture," Seth explained.

"What about my fellow feminist here?" Mimi asked.

"If Terra supported women, then why isn't she here right now?" Grace asked.

"I think I heard her rant something about how sexism is just a world wide victim complex, so I wouldn't expect any rallies from her," Chloe added.

"Well if you guys all feel this is best then I won't mess up the plan," Mimi conceded. "But it feels like this could blow up."

"Mimi, I just have one question for you," Grace brought up, "Does the movie feature a soundtrack that is primarily in A Minor."

"It's Frozen, okay! The movie is Frozen! There, game over!" Mimi snapped.

"Hm...I see...I win," Grace said with a calm nod. "I believe you may have misunderstood some fundamentals of this game however. GIving away the answer so freely defeats the purpose, don't you think?"

Unbeknownst to the group, a log rolled itself away from the grove until it was out of earshot. Terra and Zach emerged from the log, both ruffled from the close quarters.

"Well?" Zach remarked. "What did I tell you?"

"Those...little...scabs!" Terra growled. "They will pay for this!"

"I know, getting thrown away like that can't be easy," Zach sighed. "It's just a good thing I had my suspicions. Chloe has always been duplicitous though, willing to throw anyone away to get ahead. It's just a shame she's immune."

"I can't believe they thought they could get away with this, after everything I've done!" Terra growled angrily while breaking a branch over her knee. " You don't come for me, I come for you!"

"It sounds like Marky is at the head of the movement though," Zach remarked, "Might be best to take him-And you're already gone."

Zach glanced back to see Terra already storming off in rage, kicking whatever was in her path. Chloe, Rory, and Bailey soon joined up with Zach.

"Well, did she take the bait?" Chloe asked.

"Hook, line, and sinker," Zach replied. "She's all set to vote for Marky."

"Marky!? That's not the plan, you were supposed to get her to vote for Seth," Chloe insisted. "I'm the one who is having to be the 'traitor' here, it's fine if she hates me, but we are doing things my way!'

"Hey, you know how stubborn she gets," Zach said with a shrug.

"Then march back up to her and show her how stubborn you can be," Chloe ordered. "Go go go, now now now!"

As Chloe marched Zach back into the woods, Rory and Bailey just glanced at each other.

"Well...this has been quite a day," Bailey sighed. "I think I am ready for it to be over."

"You know, I was just thinking…" Rory stammered, "What if...well what if we were to just vote for Terra?"

"What's that, little buddy?" Bailey asked.

"Well it's just...if the others already have four votes on her...we know she doesn't really like us," Rory said, "Why not just...take her out now?"

"Hm...we could do that," Bailey agreed.

Confessional:

Marky-I don't really think we owe Terra anything. She didn't vote with us to help us, it was because she decided she hated someone else more. I think we're better off cutting her off while we can.

Mimi-It sounds like everyone is just plain over Terra. Don't get me wrong, I'm far from her biggest fan, but I've said my bit. We'd still have the majority next round, it just feels like making things more complicated than they need to be.

Zach-Hey, two can play at this game, Chloe, don't think it will be quite so easy as telling us what to do and falling in line.

Rory-I don't like to ruin the plan for anyone, but well some of the points made about Terra kind of make sense when you think about it…

(Elimination Ceremony)

The group of nine arrived at the ominous elimination ceremony. Some of the torches seemed to have been knocked over by the storm, along with a series of rocks and branches that had been strewn over the edges. Chris and Chef stood waiting for the group to file in.

"Welcome, Final Nine!" Chris greeted. "You guys defeated the great evil of the Island today!"

"And uh...thanks for that," Chef added. "It was looking sort of grim for a few minutes there."

"All part of the fun of playing on Spooky Island!" Chris exclaimed. "I bet you all feel accomplished for now."

"I feel more accomplished besting Mimi in a battle of wits," Grace added.

"Good for you," Chris said dismissively. "But all that being done, it's now time to have a vote! Last round we saw a clear and unanimous decision. Can we expect the same?"

"You can never expect anything, Chris," Seth replied. "The world is a chaotic fractal, spiraling outwards forever with no answer in sight."

"Anyone else?" Chris asked.

"Let's just say that some people today are going to learn that actions have consequences, so you better be sure you made the right one!" Terra declared.

"Sounds ominous!" Chris exclaimed. "Anyone scared?"

"Not really," Zach said with a shrug. "She says something like that almost every round."

"Well I'm scared," Rory shivered. "It feels like there's getting to be less and less places to hide, my time could be coming!"

"It's a strong group here, Chris," Chloe said, "I think we're all here to win, and going to play like it too. No one should feel safe, but no one should be afraid to make the move they need."

"Pfft, you say that now," Zach scoffed.

"Got something to say, punk?" Chef asked Zach.

"Eh," Zach said with a shrug, "I always do. I just think the people that have dealt with Chloe know that as easy as it is to preach following your heart, she only wants people following her."

"I certainly don't mind if they do," Chloe remarked with a coy smile.

"Let's get this over with and see where we land," Chef said. "Bailey, get up here and vote!"

(Later)

Chef returned with the now full pot of votes.

"You punks know the deal," Chef barked, "Get the votes, you get the boot!"

"Let's start it off," Chris announced, "first vote...Terra!"

"Hmph!" Terra scoffed.

"Second vote….Terra!"

"HMPH!" Terra growled, glaring at various people.

"Third vote...Terra!"

Terra jabbed her finger around at the cast in an accusatory fashion.

"Fourth vote...Seth!"

"As fate has determined for me," Seth said with a nod.

"Fifth vote...Seth!"

"Sixth vote...Seth!"

"My fortune be favorable to you, Terra," Seth remarked.

"I hope you die!" Terra snapped back.

"Three votes left," Chef declared, "Seventh vote….Terra!"

"Eighth vote...Seth!"

"Final vote…"

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"Seth!"

"HA!" Terra roared, standing up triumphantly while clapping in Seth's face. "That is what you get, THAT IS WHAT YOU GET! You tried to come for ME!? Big mistake! This is what happens to those that spit in the face of progress! Get out of here!"

Terra grabbed Seth and tossed him head first into the abyss.

"Well that's certainly one way to go," Chris remarked. "Eight of you remain. Head on back home and get ready to do it all again next time!"

Votes:

Marky-I'm voting for Terra. You like to talk loud, but you're not helping anyone, least of all yourself.

Chloe-I am voting for Seth. Nothing personal, purely practical. I need to move on up.

Terra-I will be voting for that sniveling little rat, SETH! You think you can come for me, after my crusades in the name of the planet!? You are nothing but a phony little poser!

Grace-Terra, you seem to have your own way of being, and I respect that. I cast this vote with respect for you.

Seth-Terra, you've done us some great help, but it is a fool who relies on lightning to strike the same place twice.

Mimi-I don't love it, but I'm voting for Terra. You just put too many people off, can't be helped here.

Zach-Ugh, I hate to let Chloe have the last laugh, but we need this move to work out . So I will be voting for Seth.

Bailey-Sorry to Seth, I just think it's the right call to make.

Rory-As much as Terra does scare me...I think I've got to be more afraid of an alliance with no place for me. Sorry Seth...this is for my own good.

(Conclusion)

"Chef, I have a feeling that Spooky Island is about to get a lot less Spooky," Chris remarked to his cohost, "in fact...ggaaaaah WHAT IS THAT!?"

Chris ducked in terror as a small bat flew overhead.

"Sure, Chris, whatever you say," Chef replied.

"As I was saying…" Chris said, pulling himself back up. "What lies in store for our eight remaining victims!? After a unanimous vote, we're back to a razor thin split. Will the numbers turn again, or is the hammer going to crash down on one of Mimi, Marky, or Grace? You'll have to return next time for Total Drama Legends vs Nobodies!"