"And we're back to Total Drama Shuffle Party!" Chris said as he sat within the military helicopter. "In the last episode, our final three duked it out in a battle of endurance to see who could stand the longest on two uncomfortable pegs and keep their hand on a totem pole for the longest amount of time. It sounds simple, and it is, but it pushed our contestants to their absolute limits! Hehaha.

"Wisdom dropped about an hour in, leaving Godfrey and Hildegard in charge of their own fates. Deals were proposed, accusations were fling, claims were made, but neither of them could give up. Literally, Godfrey only won the challenge after Hildegard's body gave out, and she collapsed onto the ground. Gnarly. This left Godfrey with the decision on which of the girls to take to the final two with him. He deliberated, and even asked for their input, but in the end, he settled on Wisdom, sending Lady Hildegard on a one-way trip down the Elevator of Losers.

"And now here we are, with our final two. In one corner: Godfrey Wakeman, a roboticist who went into the game claiming to have lost his memory. In reality, he was keeping an eye on his robot Ginger, who, incidentally, he programmed to believe that she was the roboticist, and he was her robot. Pretty confusing. Hehaha. Throughout the game, he's made connections with whoever he's needed to in order to keep himself from getting voted out, schemed to take out those who threatened him, and pulled out challenge wins when things got dire.

"In the other corner: Wisdom Cho, a strange girl who always seems to have a question about everything. In reality, her low self-esteem causes her to second-guess herself on the off chance that she's wrong or misinformed about something. Despite this, she's pushed through her anxiety and fears to secure her spot in the final two. Throughout the game, she's made connections with whoever she's needed to in order to keep herself from getting voted out, schemed to take out those who threatened her, and pulled out challenge wins when things got dire.

"Both our contestants have overcome and learned a lot, but only one of them can walk away with the ultimate win. What's going to happen? I can hardly wait to find out! So let's find out! On Total! Drama! Sh-Sh-Sh-SHUFFLE PARTY!"

It was morning, and Godfrey and Wisdom entered the Tent of Banquets to find a massive breakfast spread on the tables within. Scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, waffles, toast, cereal, and all kinds of hot sauce, salsa, jam, and syrup to go with them. There were also cartons of juice and milk as well as a coffee pod machine with several coffee pods.

"Well, this is something, isn't it?" Wisdom asked, taken aback in awe.

"I'll say. Not a bad way to start off the morning," Godfrey agreed.

The two set up their plates, bowls, and cups with what they wanted and sat down across from each other at a small portion of the tables that weren't covered in food.

"How are your feet?" Wisdom asked.

"In perfect shape," Godfrey grinned.

"Is that so?" Wisdom doubted.

"As far as you know," Godfrey told her. "How are the scrambled eggs?"

"Needs more salt," Wisdom admitted.

"Yeah, that's the thing with scrambled eggs made in bulk. They really skimp on the flavor," Godfrey said. "At least we have salsa."

"That's true," Wisdom recognized. "What do you think the challenge will be?"

"I have no idea. I don't know a whole lot about this show," Godfrey admitted. "What could we do on such a small mountaintop?"

Wisdom shook her head. "The final challenge is often a footrace, usually with small challenges interspersed. If I had to guess, wouldn't it make sense for us to go back to the previous islands and do smaller challenges on each island?"

"That would make sense," Godfrey nodded. "I didn't realize you knew so much about this show."

"I'm usually hesitant to talk about my interests because most people don't care too much about whatever show I'm watching," Wisdom confessed. "Although it's kind of weird that I'd even feel that way on Total Drama, huh? Either way, I'm feeling strangely confident today. Maybe because I'm in the final two."

"It's surreal, making it this far," Godfrey smiled. "Well, let it be known that final two is as far as you're going."

"Is that so?" Wisdom smirked.

Confessional:

Godfrey: Winning this game was only partially the goal, going in. My main purpose for being here was to monitor Ginger, of course, but the million dollars, as I've said time and time again, could go toward so much progress in robotics. I've done a fair amount of underhanded things to make it this far, and I won't settle for second place now.

Wisdom: I've always been a fan of this show, but I never thought I'd actually get to compete, you know? I won't claim to know why they saw my audition out of no doubt hundreds and chose me to compete, but I'm grateful. I finally feel like I can come out of my shell. I've made friends out here - genuine friends. All it took was this long, difficult game, huh? (She giggles.)

Godfrey: The friends I've made out here? I definitely couldn't have made it this far without them. I guess that sounds kind of obvious since making friends is how you make sure you don't get voted out. I'm grateful to Virgil in particular, though, for sticking with me ever since we met in that first shuffle, no matter what. Bunko was someone I felt like I could always rely on, even after we were separated on the second island. And, of course, my bond with Ginger is something precious to me.

Wisdom: My first alliance really did come together because everyone else on that team had their own alliance, huh? Well, either way, I'm glad I got to work with Gretchen, and Jeremy, and... Dean. I found myself really trusting them and enjoying their company over time, you know? Dean, in particular, taught me a lot about how I view myself, and how others view me. ...I'm really looking forward to seeing him again.

Godfrey: As far as the enemies I've made out here... Gretchen was pretty annoying, of course, and Shadya and Rhiannon were people I never felt like I could trust, mostly because they were so deeply rooted in the alliances they already had by the time I met them. And... you know what, I shouldn't call Roxie my enemy. I hurt her, and she reacted accordingly. I deserve to feel bad about that.

Wisdom: I have to imagine Jim was pretty upset with me tricking him, huh? Virgil sure was, throughout most of the game, wasn't he? And then Elmer definitely didn't like me after I voted Louise out. Not sure what else I was supposed to do in that situation? Bunko also didn't like me there, for a while. Why was that, again? Was it because I sided with the other alliance in a vote? It might have been. Man, Shadya, Rhiannon, and Hildegard were scary together.

Godfrey: As far as people I wish I knew better... I think about Hiram sometimes, wonder if he's doing alright. I don't think he was ready to be so independent so quickly. Liberty and I got along alright, I think, at least for as long as she was awake.

Wisdom: Louise was pretty sweet, though, wasn't she? Even after I voted out her ally, she was still nothing but friendly to me. And I still feel bad that Kun got thrown under the bus as hard as he was, you know? I think I could have worked well with him.

Godfrey: It's been a hell of a journey, and, even if I don't win, I think it was absolutely worth it. Wisdom mentioned that people who have already played this game are invited to play again sometimes. If I'm offered, I'd love to do this again.

Wisdom: Wow... what else is there to say? The final round. No matter what today's challenge is, I'm going to give it 110%! I didn't make it this far to lose! And I'm... okay, I'm not fully confident in that, but I'm pretty confident.

"Are you two ready for your final challenge?" Chris asked as he entered the Tent of Banquets.

Godfrey downed his cup of coffee and Wisdom shoveled the rest of her waffle into her mouth.

"Cool... Anyway, meet me at the Elevator of Losers once you're ready," Chris instructed.

After swallowing the last of their breakfast, Godfrey and Wisdom followed Chris outside and towards the Elevator of Losers.

"At the bottom of this elevator, if you'll recall, is where the losers have spent the remainder of their time in this game," Chris reiterated. "They're not down there right now, but what is down there is a boat that will take you to Kairi Island. I'll meet you there to explain your challenge."

"Kairi Island? Why there in particular?" Wisdom asked.

"You'll see!" Chris said exasperatedly. "Jeez, it's a good thing your parents didn't name you Patience."

"It sounds slightly better than being called 'Whizz' all my childhood," Wisdom mumbled.

"Let's get going!" Godfrey said excitedly.

The two contestants stepped into the Elevator of Losers, and Chris lowered them down. At the bottom of the Elevator's path was the camp that the losers had set up throughout the game: several shelters, a large campfire, and a lot of duffel bags could easily be seen, as well as a dock on the other side of the camp which had the Boat of Losers anchored there.

"Wow, they really had some time on their hands, huh?" Wisdom commented.

"Not much else to do when you're out of the game, I guess," Godfrey figured.

A helicopter flew from the mountaintop towards Kairi Island.

"Better not leave him waiting, right?" Wisdom decided.

"I bet the others are all there, too," Godfrey smiled.

Godfrey and Wisdom made their way across the camp, over the dock, and entered the Boat of Losers, which began driving towards Kairi Island.

Confessional:

Wisdom: It's been so long since I've seen so many of these people, huh? How have they all been doing? It seems like they've had plenty of resources over here, but what else have they been up to besides working on camp? How do you pass the time?

Godfrey: I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone again, and to meet some people for the first time. Of course, the top priority is winning. I can worry about catching up with everyone after the gold medal has been awarded.

The Boat of Losers stopped at the strange sloped dock of Kairi Island. The final two made their way up the dock to see the twenty-two eliminated contestants sitting in the bleachers break into a round of applause. Chris stood on the dueling platform, and the bridge between the Dock of Shame and the dueling platform was extended.

Godfrey and Wisdom smiled as they set foot onto the dueling platform. They looked around at those who had fallen.

"Welcome, final two, to the final challenge of the season!" Chris announced as the applause died down. "Your goal is to... locate and cross the finish line!"

"Is it right here?" Wisdom asked as she looked down at the dueling platform.

"Heh. I told the other producers that you guys would guess that instantly," Chris boasted. "No, it's not that obvious. At the start of the challenge, I will give you guys one hint to point you in the right direction. That hint will eventually uncover more hints until you're able to find and cross the finish line."

"But it is possible to find the finish line before finding all the hints?" Godfrey made sure.

"I mean, I guess, maybe," Chris answered vaguely. "Oh, and before I forget... You guys remember the confessionals you made this morning?"

"About our relationships with the other conte- ...Wait a minute," Godfrey realized.

"Hehaha. Yep!" Chris laughed. "It wouldn't be Total Drama Shuffle Party if we didn't introduce new teams! During this challenge, you two will be accompanied by eight of the people you mentioned in those confessionals!"

The bridges between the bleachers and the dueling platform extended.

"Virgil, Bunko, and Ginger, you three are people that Godfrey cited as good friends," Chris said. "Come join him."

The three named stood up from their respective seats and stood by Godfrey.

"Long time no see, Mystery Pop," Virgil smirked.

"I simply could not function without you, Master!" Ginger joked dramatically.

"You seemed fine to me," Bunko said, confused.

"I missed you guys," Godfrey smiled as he brought them in for a hug.

"Meanwhile, Gretchen, Jeremy, and Dean are all people that Wisdom cited as good friends," Chris continued. "You three get to accompany her."

Those three came from the bleachers to right beside Wisdom.

"I can't believe you're the damn hero of this season," Gretchen chuckled.

"The others may have written you off, but I always believed in you!" Jeremy told her.

"I-It's great to see you again," Dean stammered. "And you didn't even have to be voted off. N-Not that I thought you were going to get voted out, er, I mean realistically there was a good chance, but I mean that in a way that someone has to go every round, and-!"

Wisdom hugged her three friends at once, cutting Dean off.

"Wisdom also mentioned that Louise and Kun were two people she wanted to work with more than she did," Chris stated. "Those two will also be joining Wisdom's team!"

"Aw, thanks!" Louise beamed. She stood up and jogged down to the dueling platform.

"Normally, I'd, um, insist on taking charge of this, but, um, this is your challenge, Wisdom," Kun told her as he approached her.

"Now, Hiram and Liberty were two people that Godfrey mentioned he wish he could have worked with longer," Chris said. "So you two get to come with him as well!"

Liberty snored loudly. Kirkland, who was sitting next to her, nudged her awake.

"Huh? Who won?" Liberty asked.

"You've been summoned to go help Godfrey in the challenge," Kirkland told her.

"Gross," Liberty yawned. Regardless, she trudged over to where Godfrey's group was. Hiram was already there.

"How have you been holding up since I last saw you?" Godfrey asked Hiram.

"Better than when I was in the game, that's for sure," Hiram said with a weak smile. "I'm... really sorry for what I did at elimination."

"Water under the bridge," Godfrey assured him. He paused. "Wait a minute, they asked about our friends and people who we wanted to work with more, but they also asked-"

"Of course, it's not all sunshine and rainbows on Total Drama!" Chris continued. "Godfrey mentioned Shadya, Rhiannon, and Roxie as his greatest enemies of the season!"

"I specifically hesitated to call Roxie my enemy!" Godfrey insisted.

"Regardless, those three will also be on your team," Chris decreed.

"And if I refuse?" Roxie snorted.

"What, and give up an opportunity to screw him over?" Chris coaxed.

"...Fine," Roxie relented as she, Shadya, and Rhiannon joined Godfrey's team.

"Nothing personal. We just worked against each other all game," Godfrey told Rhiannon and Shadya.

"Even if Ginger forgives you for what you did, it still doesn't sit well with me," Rhiannon said bluntly.

"I will take any opportunity to continue playing this game which I had no business losing," Shadya stated.

"And on Wisdom's end, it sounds like she wasn't too fond of Jim, Elmer, or Hildegard!" Chris chuckled.

"I didn't have anything against Hildegard!" Wisdom insisted. "Sure, we were in opposite alliances for most of the season, but..."

"Fear not, sweet Wisdom! I've no quarrel with thee," Hildegard assured her as she joined the team.

"Well, that makes one of you," Elmer said as he and Jim joined the team.

"Yeah, Wisdom cost me too much for me to just look past it," Jim agreed.

"Are you guys going to try to screw me over?" Wisdom frowned.

"No, they aren't," Louise assured her as she looked sternly at Elmer.

"And, for the hell of it, I'll even let the final two name their teams!" Chris decided.

"What should I name us?" Wisdom thought aloud. She looked over those on her team: Gretchen, Jeremy, Dean, Louise, Kun, Hildegard, Elmer, and Jim. "...There are nine of us, right? How about the Divine Nine?"

"A wonderful name!" Jeremy agreed.

"Seems kind of basic if you ask me," Godfrey teased. He looked over his own team: Virgil, Ginger, Bunko, Liberty, Hiram, Roxie, Rhiannon, and Shadya. "Alright, you guys, I christen us... the Robot Riot!"

"That's so cool!" Bunko gushed.

"It's a bit childish, isn't it?" Wisdom mentioned.

"Hey, what about the rest of us?!" Steve Jenkins called from the bleachers. Sure enough, he, Nestor, Fred, Kirkland, Rowan, and Tegan all remained on the bleachers.

"I guess you guys didn't leave a strong enough impression on the final two," Chris shrugged. "You guys can watch what's going on on the big screen, though!"

"That's not fair! I was voted out before I could meet them!" Tegan whined.

"Speak for yourself! I was on homeboy's team and I still got shafted!" Fred chimed in.

"It is unfortunate, but we do not always get what we want in life, I'm afraid," Rowan told them disappointedly.

"I discovered that when the universe refused to let me spend more than forty-eight hours away from this gremlin," Kirkland commented as he jerked his thumb in Tegan's direction.

"Oh, just screw already, why don't you?" Nestor quipped.

"Alright, so it's the Divine Nine versus the Robot Riot! Sounds great!" Chris confirmed. "Are you guys ready to hear your first hint?"

"Yes!" Godfrey and Wisdom confirmed in unison.

"Alright, this one's simple:" Chris said. "Finalists, head to the camp you stayed at on Kairi Island."

Chris could barely finish his sentence before the Robot Riot ran for the Brilliant Beaches' camp, while the Divine Nine ran for the Tough Tundras' camp.

"Good luck, babe!" Nestor called at the Robot Riot.

"Better luck to you, Gretch!" Steve Jenkins called at the Divine Nine.

Confessional:

Ginger: Man, it's good to be back in the heat of it! Apoy Island's whole pairs thing was dumb and I hated it. Being on a proper team, and with that million dollars on the line in this challenge? That's what it's all about, baby! I don't think I can get adrenaline since that sounds like an easy way to overclock, but I'm still hyped!

Dean: I'm so proud of Wisdom for making it to the final two! Er, that sounded patronizing, didn't it? As if she needs my approval. Uh, what I mean to say is that I'm super glad Wisdom was able to make it when big scary threats like Shadya couldn't. And I'm glad I get to help her out in this last challenge, too.

Jim: I spent a lot of money just on the flights out here. Money that could have gone towards baby food, or diapers, or toys... A strong part of me wants to make sure Wisdom loses because she deceived me and cost me the game, but I also realize that I want to set a better example for my kid. ...Still, though. What she did ain't right.

Roxie: Ugh, I just realized that there's no easy way to cost him the challenge. The best I can really do that I can think of is simply not help, and even then, the others are probably going to bug me to help anyway like they do to Liberty back at the loser camp. Do you think I give an iota of a fuck about making peace with him? After how badly he hurt me?

The Robot Riot arrived at the Brilliant Beaches camp.

"Damn, this place is almost nostalgic," Virgil claimed as he stuck a lollipop in his mouth.

"Should you have that in your mouth if you're going to be running around?" Hiram fretted.

"You underestimate my capabilities," Virgil dismissed.

"Alright, guys, what should we do from here?" Godfrey asked. "Chris said that one clue would lead to another, right? What could our next clue be?"

"Is it this?" Liberty droned as she pointed to a sign right next to the shelter.

"It might be! Good eye, Liberty!" Godfrey praised.

"Anyone could have found it," Liberty said, blushing in embarrassment.

"Are you that unused to getting a compliment?!" Bunko gasped.

"What does it say?" Shadya asked.

"It says... 'Godfrey, your next hint is at... the Tough Tundras camp.' Are you serious?"

Roxie snickered.

"'One particular member of the Tough Tundras had a favorite hangout spot. Check there.' Anyone know anything about that?"

"Now, hold up," Ginger interrupted. "Isn't it likely that Wisdom has the exact same hint, where her next clue is in a favorite hangout spot of a Brilliant Beach?"

"We already checked the shelter, though..." Liberty mentioned.

Godfrey looked at Roxie. "That isn't the only place it could be."

"I'm not helping you. If you don't recall the place... that's your own damn fault," Roxie told him.

"What's he talking about?" Rhiannon asked Roxie.

"I had a particular spot in the forest where I would smoke alone," Roxie explained.

"The forest, huh?" Bunko caught.

"Well, if you won't help me find it, I'm sure the rest of the Beaches here can oblige," Godfrey leered.

"Isn't that kind of risky?" Hiram asked. "Breaking the rule like that? Shouldn't you go for your own hint?"

"Besides, we don't know for sure that Wisdom will be looking for anything over here," Shadya mentioned.

"I can't imagine they'd give us hints that differ too much, in order to keep it fair," Godfrey thought aloud.

"I remember exactly where Roxie's spot was," Ginger offered. "Let's just go there, and if there's nothing, we can go to the Tundra camp."

"Sounds good," Godfrey agreed.

Godfrey, Bunko, Virgil, Shadya, Hiram, and Liberty followed Ginger's lead into the forest.

Rhiannon was about to follow them when she noticed Roxie staying behind. "Look, I know you're upset with him, but at least try to be the bigger person."

"I am not obligated to waste any more thought on him than I already am," Roxie insisted as she lit a cigarette.

Rhiannon sighed as she followed after the others.

Confessional:

Godfrey: Chris hinted at the possibility of sequence breaking in this challenge. I don't think figuring out this clue meant for Wisdom is going to get me in trouble or anything.

Ginger: Heh. I guess you could say I've got an eidetic memory of sorts.

The Divine Nine arrived at the Tough Tundras camp.

"I definitely didn't miss, um, the cold," Kun commented.

"How were they able to keep a beach and tundra on the same island, anyway?" Wisdom wondered.

"Climate control? Or something?" Dean suggested.

"'Climate control' just means air conditioning or heating!" Gretchen guffawed.

"It could be that on a larger scale!" Dean doubled down.

"Guys, focus, please?" Wisdom requested.

"Lord McLean said that our next clue should be around here!" Hildegard reminded the team. "Begin thy searching!"

"I see what you mean about Hildegard when she's away from Shadya," Elmer told Kun.

"Be nice!" Louise poked Elmer in the ribcage.

"Guys! The shelter!" Jeremy called as he gestured for the others to see the sign planted by the Tough Tundras shelter.

They all ran up to the sign, and Wisdom began to read. "'Wisdom, your next hint is at the... Brilliant Beaches camp'."

"Well, that's annoying," Gretchen pointed out.

"'One particular member of the Brilliant Beaches had a favorite hangout spot. Check there'," Wisdom kept reading. "Dean, Gretchen? Do either of you know anything about that?"

"I was a Beach for only a day. Sorry," Dean apologized.

"Hey, wait a minute..." Jeremy glanced at the mountain he would frequently climb. "I see something up there!"

"Perhaps, um, Godfrey has a similar clue, and he's mean to check at, um, the top of the mountain Jeremy liked to climb," Kun suggested.

"I wonder if it's got the same clue as the one at the other camp," Jim proposed.

"But what if that's cheating, and Wisdom has to suffer a penalty?" Dean brought up. "Just because someone doesn't tell you not to do something doesn't mean you can't get in trouble for doing it!"

"What did you do to get in trouble without trying?" Elmer asked.

"You're going to have to be more specific," Dean said.

"For what it's worth, I remember Roxie would always smoke in one particular part of the forest at the Beaches camp," Gretchen brought up.

"Let's just do what the sign says, alright?" Wisdom decided. "Gretchen, how well do you remember the forest?"

"Hopefully well enough," Gretchen answered.

Wisdom led the Divine Nine back down the path to the arena.

Confessional:

Wisdom: There's no sense in trying to game the system now, right? It just isn't worth the risk of getting a penalty. There's too much on the line, you know?

Elmer: Chris, producers, if I may make a suggestion if you plan on doing this twist again in the future: put the contestant's enemies on the other team. I think it'd make more sense.

The Robot Riot, sans Roxie, made it to Roxie's smoking spot. Sure enough, there was a sign there.

"'Congrats on finding your next clue, Wisdom!'" Godfrey read from the sign. "'Not that we don't trust you, but just to make sure, your next clue is locked behind an eight-digit padlock. The combination is your birthday'." Sure enough, a plank of wood covered the bottom half of the sign, secured in place by a nail on one side and an eight-digit padlock on the other. He turned to Virgil. "I don't suppose Wisdom ever told you her birthday."

"Bruh, I don't even know your birthday," Virgil responded.

"Bunko? Shadya? Rhiannon? You guys were on the Tundras with Wisdom," Godfrey pressed. "Hey, wait a minute, where's Roxie?"

"She opted to stay behind," Rhiannon explained. "Also, I don't know Wisdom's birthday."

"We should just go to the mountain Jeremy liked to climb!" Bunko suggested.

"Yeah, I should have figured they'd do something like this," Godfrey admitted. "Thanks for the tip, Bunko."

"You got it!" Bunko grinned proudly.

The eight ran back down the path to the camp.

Confessional:

Bunko: It's a good thing I was friends with Jeremy and he took me on all those hikes! They were exhausting, but it was a fun bonding experience. And now it's helpful information!

The Robot Riot made it back to the Brilliant Beaches' camp.

"Roxie isn't here..." Hiram noticed.

"She was right there when I left," Rhiannon promised.

"It definitely stenches of cigarettes," Liberty pointed out as her nose wrinkled.

"I'll follow the smell and go get her," Shadya suggested.

"Why you specifically?" Virgil asked.

"Nobody else will be able to force her to follow us," Shadya said bluntly.

"Do we even need Roxie?" Ginger asked.

"We'll probably need all nine of us in order for me to win," Godfrey figured. "After that birthday lock thing, you can't count out the possibility."

"Fair enough," Ginger decided.

The Divine Nine arrived at the Brilliant Beaches' camp.

"What are you guys still doing here?" Wisdom asked.

"Getting a move on," Godfrey said as he looked at his teammates and went down the path to the arena. The others, sans Shadya, followed, while Shadya ran towards the smell of cigarettes.

"What's Shadya up to?" Elmer wondered.

"No good, I bet," Dean worried.

"Do one of you want to go investigate?" Wisdom suggested.

"I'll do it," Jim offered as he ran after Shadya.

"Alright, I think it was this way?" Gretchen tried to recall as she led the team down the forest path.

Confessional:

Gretchen: Man, I went to Roxie's dumb smoking spot maybe once or twice. It didn't really seem like important information to retain at the time!

The six losers who were not selected to participate in the challenge had split up into two groups in order to keep Kirkland and Tegan separated. Fred, Rowan, and Tegan sat on one end of the bleachers.

"I mean, I get that you guys are big into fashion and stuff to express yourself, but it's just not worth the effort for your boy," Fred said. "I can't even see whatever the hell it is I'm putting on. I need to just be able to grab whatever shirt or pants I have."

"Just get a buncha cool T-shirts!" Tegan insisted. "And and and accessories! You has no excuse, Frederick von Frederick!"

"I do understand that it might be difficult to put as much effort into your appearance as Tegan and I do," Rowan smiled. "Still, as Tegan said, you can still ask for help from others to pick out clothes. Seeing people do this a lot. In fact, my friends usually come to me for advice. Even though hairdressing is more my forte. Incidentally..."

"Naw, I keep it short on purpose, dawg," Fred insisted. "I don't gotta worry about it looking jank without me knowing."

"...Fred, this question isn't of much importance, but do you know what ethnicity everyone is?" Rowan asked.

"Yeah, that doesn't sound important," Fred agreed. "Frankly, I don't really care."

"Teh future is now!" Tegan proclaimed.

"I assume that, at the very least, you know that you're white," Rowan figured.

"Well yeah, duh," Fred frowned. "What are you getting at, home skillet?"

"...Like I said, no importance," Rowan decided.

The seven Robot Riot members ran across the dueling platform and towards the Tough Tundras' camp.

"Go Rhi-Rhi! Go Libby!" Tegan cheered.

"Wait, is it nighttime?!" Fred gasped.

"Er, no," Rowan answered.

"Then why is Liberty awake?" Fred joked.

Tegan laughed uproariously. Rowan looked at her with concern.

Confessional:

Rowan: Maybe I should have sat with Kirkland.

The Divine Nine, sans Jim, arrived at Roxie's smoking spot.

"What's the sign say?" Louise asked.

"I need to put my birthday in the lock in order to get the clue," Wisdom relayed. "I presume the sign on the top of the mountain in the Tundras' camp is similar, but with Godfrey's birthday."

"What's your birthday?" Dean asked.

"Um, wow. Don't you know it's rude to ask a woman her age?" Gretchen scolded.

"I-I didn't mean it like that!" Dean cried. "Also, wait, we're all teenagers, why does it matter?!"

"That's the kind of problematic thinking that's letting the patriarchy win!" Gretchen accused.

"Ah! I don't want to be problematic!" Dean cried.

Wisdom input the code: 20010122. The padlock opened. Wisdom slipped the lock out from the holes it latched together, and she pivoted the plank by the nail, revealing the next clue.

"'Cool, it really is you! There's a boat over by the Dock of Shame. The key to the boat is near the dueling platform. Your next clue is on Apoy Island'," Wisdom read.

"To greater heights!" Jeremy proclaimed.

"Actually, 'heights' might not be inaccurate," Elmer figured. "There is a volcano."

"There is no time to waste!" Hildegard declared.

"Shouldn't we, um, wait for Jim?" Kun asked.

"Maybe he's back at camp by now?" Wisdom thought aloud. "Let's just get back to camp first, alright?"

"Sounds good!" Jeremy agreed.

As the Divine Nine ran back to camp, Louise and Elmer hung back a bit behind the others.

"You're helping," Louise pointed out.

"...I may not have gotten along well with Wisdom, but damn it, I love this game," Elmer admitted.

"That's the spirit," Louise beamed.

Confessional:

Louise: Losing early sucked, but I'm glad that I get to participate in at least one challenge with Elmer. I'm glad he came around on it, too! Now, let's win it!

Shadya found Roxie sitting at a secluded part of the beach, staring at the ocean.

"I'm not helping him. And you can't make me, either. So just go get lost," Roxie said.

Shadya picked Roxie up by the waist and slung her over her shoulder.

"What the?!" Roxie gasped.

"You are almost an adult. Act like it," Shadya told her.

Shadya ran back towards camp, not even noticing Jim hiding behind a tree.

"I guess Roxie wouldn't want to help Godfrey out," Jim figured. "I'd better get back to the others, myself."

Confessional:

Shadya: I will not have a team of mine weighed down like this. Even if I am out of the running for the million dollars, I still refuse to lose this. If that means I have to carry Roxie the entire time, then I will. I've carried heavier backpacks up Mt. Everest.

The seven Robot Riot members made it to the top of Jeremy's favorite mountain.

"You weren't kidding about this being a hell of a hike..." Godfrey panted as he looked to Bunko.

"Hilde told me about your challenge last night," Rhiannon brought up.

"Yeah, that definitely isn't helping," Godfrey groaned. He approached the sign, which was also covered with a padlocked plank of wood. "Yep, this one needs my birthday."

Godfrey input 19980916 into the padlock. The lock opened, he removed it, and he pivoted the plank of wood, revealing the next message.

"'Cool, it really is you! There's a boat over by the Dock of Shame. The key to the boat is near the dueling platform. Your next clue is on Whenua Island'," Godfrey read.

Liberty yawned. "Wait, 'near' the dueling platform? What the hell does that even mean?"

"We can figure that out once we get there," Godfrey decided as he headed back down the mountain.

"Maybe on the bleachers. Maybe they gave it to one of the guys who are sitting out," Virgil guessed as he and the others followed Godfrey.

Confessional:

Virgil: It does kind of suck that Blueberry and I can't do one last challenge together. Especially knowing how much he loves this show, why did he have to be one of the handful who don't get to do this last challenge? It ain't fair.

The Divine Nine, including Jim, made it back to the arena. Shadya, with Roxie still over her shoulder, stood on the dueling platform, waiting for the rest of the Robot Riot.

"Alright, they said the key for the boat was at the dueling platform, right?" Wisdom asked.

"You're the only one who, um, read it," Kun pointed out.

"Well, it clearly isn't on the platform itself," Elmer pointed out. He glanced at Shadya. "Unless you kicked it into the water or something."

"I did not," Shadya said. "As if I would need to resort to that to win."

"You resorted to that to win when you dueled me!" Roxie snapped.

"Actually, it might be under the water!" Gretchen realized. "Like when I dueled Fred and we had to look for the colored balls at the seafloor!"

"An excellent idea!" Jeremy complimented. "To the depths below!"

Jeremy leaped off the dueling platform and into the water.

"Might as well all look together," Louise encouraged before jumping in after Jeremy.

Elmer, Wisdom, Dean, Gretchen, and Jim all followed suit. Hildegard took the time to remove her armor, and Kun took the time to remove his glasses before they joined in.

Confessional:

Jeremy: I'm really looking forward to getting to explore all the areas I never got to when I was in the game. There are so many cool sights to see!

The rest of the Robot Riot arrived at the arena.

"Shadya! You found Roxie!" Godfrey acknowledged.

"Did you doubt me?" Shadya scoffed.

"Of course not," Godfrey assured her. "Anyway, Virgil, you guessed that the people sitting out might be holding a key?"

Virgil had already made his way up to Nestor, Kirkland, and Steve Jenkins.

"Hey, babe. Miss you," Nestor winked.

"I've been gone for like half an hour," Virgil blushed. "Er, anyway, I don't suppose Chris entrusted any of you with a key."

"Bingo!" Nestor confirmed. "But only if someone on your team can correctly answer a question."

"Hit me," Virgil prompted.

"That's domestic abuse," Steve Jenkins said.

"It's a figure of speech, imbecile," Kirkland said.

"Uh, who do you think you're dealing with? I'm Steve Jenkins. I know literally everything," Steve Jenkins scoffed.

"Guys!" Nestor interrupted.

"Hey, what's going on?" Godfrey asked as he, Hiram, Ginger, and Bunko joined Virgil.

"I guess we need to answer a question right to get a key," Virgil relayed.

"What's the question?" Godfrey inquired.

"I'm trying to get to it," Nestor said. "Anyway: What is Liberty's middle name?"

"Megan! Jackie! Georgia! Violet!" Bunko rapid-fire guessed.

"Why don't we just ask her?" Virgil recommended flatly.

"I think she's still on the platform," Hiram mentioned.

"Aubrey! Fran! Angela!" Bunko kept guessing.

The group turned to see Liberty asleep on the platform, with Rhiannon sitting next to her.

"Hey! Liberty!" Godfrey called.

"Liberty, sweetie, it's time to wake up," Rhiannon prompted as she shook Liberty lightly.

"Ugh, geez," Liberty groaned. "Where are we going?"

"Liberty! We need your help with a question!" Godfrey called.

"Me, specifically, of all people?" Liberty asked as she made her way up to the bleachers.

"Liana! China! Wendelle!" Bunko guessed. She gasped. "Is it Bunko?!"

"Somehow I doubt it," Ginger remarked.

"What is it?" Liberty groaned as she made it to the group.

"Nestor won't give us the key to move on unless we can tell him what your middle name is," Godfrey explained.

"It's Kate," Liberty answered.

"Shoot! I was getting to Kate," Bunko pouted.

"Here you go," Nestor chuckled. He put his hand in his pocket to find nothing there. "Oh no. Did I drop it?"

"Heh heh heh," Kirkland snickered as he took the key from his own pocket and handed it to Liberty.

"Boy, when did you do that?!" Nestor snapped.

"What, and tell you when you're vulnerable?" Kirkland smirked.

"Well, no sense in wasting time," Godfrey decided as he headed for the Dock of Shame, his friends following.

"No time spent with Steve Jenkins is wasted!" Steve Jenkins insisted.

Confessional:

Godfrey: Alright, we're already off to the next island before Wisdom is. That ought to make up for the blunder with the birthday sign. I've got this!

Liberty: It's still way too early for me to be awake. (She yawns.) But I'll do whatever I can, I guess.

Steve Jenkins: I get that giving the key to the most important person not participating in the challenge would be too obvious, but it still feels wrong that I didn't get to hold it. How often do you get your key blessed by the touch of Steve Jenkins?

As Kun surfaced for air, he noticed the Robot Riot all running down the Dock of Shame.

"Um, guys?" Kun began. He turned to Wisdom, who had also just come up for air. "Godfrey's team is, um, moving on."

"What?!" Wisdom gasped. "There's no key down here, is there?"

"Evidently not," Gretchen groaned as she surfaced. "Let's climb back up. The others will notice and follow us."

Wisdom nodded and swam towards the nearest ladder. She climbed it, followed by Gretchen and Kun.

"You'd better not be looking up my skirt, Kun!" Gretchen warned.

"I'm, um, not," Kun said as he had been looking to the side.

Sure enough, Dean, Jim, Louise, Elmer, Jeremy, and Hildegard all took notice of what was happening and began climbing the ladder themselves.

"Alright... any ideas?" Wisdom asked her team.

"Clearly it's, um, somewhere above water," Kun mentioned. "Since, um, Godfrey's moving on."

"He is?!" Dean panicked.

Sure enough, a boat departed from the Dock of Shame.

"It might be on the bleachers. That's the only other place I can think of to look," Elmer figured.

"Yeah, let's check there!" Louise agreed.

The Divine Nine all ran to the bleachers and looked as hard as they could.

"I don't suppose any of you guys have the key," Jim mentioned to Rowan, Tegan, and Fred.

"I just might," Rowan winked.

"She totally does!" Tegan chimed in.

"But you have to correctly answer a question," Rowan continued.

"Hey, Wisdom?" Jim called. "Rowan has the key, but you need to answer a question!"

"Oh?" Wisdom ran up to the group, alongside Dean, Hildegard, and Gretchen. "What's the question?"

"What... is Kun's middle name?" Rowan asked.

"Kun?" Wisdom parroted. "Um, Kun? Can you come here?"

"Is something, um, the matter?" Kun asked.

"Rowan has the key, but will only give it to us if I can tell her your middle name," Wisdom explained.

"It's Shun," Kun informed.

"Your name is Kun Shun?" Fred chuckled.

"Shun the nonbeliever!" Tegan exclaimed.

"Here you go," Rowan handed the key to Wisdom.

"Let's go!" Wisdom declared as she and the rest of the Divine Nine ran for the Dock of Shame.

Confessional:

Wisdom: We lost some time, there, didn't we? I still think it made a lot of sense to look underwater. Oh well. We can still make up the time, right? I'm not screwed, right?

Kun: I may not be, um, officially in charge of this team, but I'll do whatever I can to keep things, um, organized and progressing.

Tegan: I wanted to be teh keymaster, but Chrissy said that he was ascared that I'd swallow the key on accident if he gived me it. I've only done that once, and that was two whole years ago! Get off my back!

Godfrey drove the speedboat he had unlocked towards Whenua Island. The other eight members of the Robot Riot were also onboard.

"Whenua was a pretty big island, if I recall correctly, which I do," Ginger mentioned.

"Yeah, we should be prepared to split up if need be," Godfrey agreed.

"Into how many groups?" Rhiannon wondered.

"Here, can you drive this for a second?" Godfrey asked Virgil.

The sweet tooth nodded in agreement as he took the wheel while Godfrey stood up and looked over his team.

"Alright... Roxie and Shadya will be a pair, obviously," Godfrey prefaced.

"You really do just see me as an object, don't you?" Roxie grunted.

"Liberty and Rhiannon, you guys will also be a pair," Godfrey continued. "Bunko and Hiram, of course, should go together. And that just leaves Ginger and Virgil, who will be going in a group of three with me."

"No objections here!" Bunko saluted.

"What are we splitting up for, exactly?" Liberty asked.

"Were you not paying attention?" Hiram quipped, annoyed.

"No," Liberty confirmed.

"If the clue is going to make us search the entire island, it'll pay for all of us to know where to go," Godfrey explained. "In fact... Roxie and Shadya will check the northwest where The Best Team's camp was, Bunko and Hiram will check northeast where Team I Don't Know's camp was, Liberty and Rhiannon will check southeast where the Knights of Goodness camp was, and Ginger, Virgil and I will check southwest where the Luscious Lollipops camp was."

"Watch the clue be incredibly straightforward," Virgil chuckled.

"It could be, but just in case..." Godfrey insisted.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Ginger piped up. "Why is Wisdom driving to Apoy Island?"

The others turned to see a similar speedboat on its way to Apoy Island.

"You probably misremembered which island to go to," Roxie said.

"That, or they're having Godfrey or Wisdom go in two different directions," Shadya said. "Like when we split up on Kairi Island, but on a larger scale."

"Does that mean we should be heading for Apoy Island if they're just going to pull a bait and switch like Kairi Island?" Virgil asked.

"Best not to assume. That's what cost us time on Kairi Island," Rhiannon said.

"I agree with Rhiannon. Let's just do as the signs say," Godfrey decided.

Confessional:

Rhiannon: Having to work to help Godfrey is... weird... but I wouldn't feel much better going out of my way to cost him the game. I'm still not thrilled about losing, but... I don't know, maybe this will give me some closure.

The Divine Nine were en route to Apoy Island as Wisdom drove her speedboat towards the volcanic island.

"Are you, um, one hundred percent sure that we're supposed to go to the volcano island?" Kun made sure as he saw the Robot Riot's speedboat heading for Whenua Island.

"Haveth thee no faith in our stalwart ally?!" Hildegard accused.

"We're already almost there, right?" Wisdom figured. "If we try to turn now, it'd cost us about as much time as if we stopped at Apoy Island and then drove to Whenua Island, yeah?"

"I trust Wisdom. I think we're going the right way," Dean brought up.

"When you're traveling with friends, there is no wrong way!" Jeremy declared.

"What about off a cliff?" Gretchen snickered.

Jeremy looked to be deep in thought about this.

"You know, this is almost a Luscious Lollipops reunion," Louise mentioned to Jim near the back of the boat. "Too bad we're missing Virgil."

"The guy who named the Luscious Lollipops, no less," Jim chuckled.

"I hope I can be a suitable replacement," Elmer said.

"You're the most suitable human being on the planet," Louise told him.

"W-Well, I wouldn't go that far, but..." Elmer blushed.

"Guys! We're almost here!" Dean announced.

"We have eyes, you lamer," Gretchen responded.

"'Lamer'? Isn't that what Steve Jenkins-"

"He is not rubbing off on me! You shut your mouth, virgin!" Gretchen interrupted.

Dean hung his head.

"Hey, that's, um, not representative of good team synergy," Kun told Gretchen.

"Neither is your simpering attempt at taking charge of Wisdom's team," Gretchen snipped back.

"She has thee there," Hildegard chuckled.

"Gretchen, can you go for longer than five minutes without starting something with someone?" Wisdom sighed. "Are you that desperate for attention?"

Gretchen's mouth fell agape. Several of the Divine Nine stifled laughter as best as they could.

Confessional:

Hildegard: I understand not why everyone believes themselves to be the rightful leader to the party. This is Lady Wisdom's fight! E'en I understand this, and I hate being told what to do!

The Robot Riot's boat docked at Whenua Island's Dock of Shame.

"We're here!" Bunko cheered.

"Alright, there's got to be a sign or something..." Godfrey thought aloud as he exited the boat.

"There was a sign by the dock at Makani Island," Hiram mentioned.

"You mean like this?" Liberty pointed out as she stood by a sign where the dock and the island itself met.

"Let's see," Godfrey smiled as he ran up to the sign. "'Hey there, Godfrey! Your next clue is hidden at one of the campsites you guys inhabited during your time here on Whenua Island.' Seems simple enough. Break into the groups I already assigned!"

"How will we know if someone else has found the clue and/or if we're all ready to go?" Virgil wondered.

Rhiannon experimentally pressed on the steering wheel of the boat, which let out a loud honk. "Will that work?"

"It should," Shadya nodded. "Let's go."

"Can you at least put me down?!" Roxie growled as Shadya still had her slung over her shoulder. "I won't run off, just put me the fuck down."

Shadya looked to Godfrey as if to ask his input.

"Put her down," Godfrey told Shadya.

Shadya put Roxie down. Roxie immediately took a cigarette and her lighter from her pocket and began to smoke.

"If you find the clue, return here and honk the horn," Godfrey told his team. "Tell me as much as you remember, or, if you can't remember what it said, lead me to it. If you hear the horn, meet back at the boat and stay here until it's time to go."

"You heard the man! Let's move!" Ginger declared.

The Robot Riot ran towards the camps they'd already agreed on.

Confessional:

Godfrey: It's kind of weird taking charge of so many people after I spent most of the game trying to stay relatively under the radar, but it's also kind of fun. Imagine that: playing a game is fun. (He chuckles.)

Hiram: I don't like this place very much. It reminds me too much of... well, the night I got voted out. At least I'm with Bunko.

The Divine Nine's boat stopped at the Dock of Shame on Apoy Island.

"What a neat location," Jeremy commented as he and the others stepped off the boat.

"I've located the next clue!" Hildegard announced as she stood by a sign over where the Dock and the island met.

"What's it say?" Wisdom asked nobody in particular as she ran up to read it. "'Hey there, Wisdom! Your next clue is buried somewhere within the circle of sword pedestals'."

"I'm guessing that'd be the, um, circle of sword pedestals over there," Kun deduced as he pointed to a circle of sword pedestals from the previous sword-drawing challenge in the distance.

"As opposed to the other circle of sword pedestals?" Gretchen snarked.

"What are we supposed to use to dig?" Dean wondered.

"Maybe we're meant to search for something to use?" Wisdom guessed. "Everyone spread out around the island until you can find something, alright?"

"Sounds good to me!" Louise complied.

The nine teenagers all made their way to different parts of the island in order to look for something with which to dig. Elmer, with Louise not far behind, made a beeline for the path up to the top of the volcano.

"I always suspected there'd be something of note up here," Elmer said.

"Good thinking!" Louise praised. "I don't know how many shovels or whatever there'll be, but I'll help you carry them down."

"I appreciate it," Elmer smiled.

Jim took notice of the two as he and Wisdom looked around the confessional booth. "Is there anything at the top of the mountain?"

"The volcano?" Wisdom asked. "The path doesn't lead anywhere but the top of the volcano, if that's what you're asking. Maybe they left the shovels there? I thought it'd be too obvious to look there, you know?"

Gretchen and Dean, meanwhile, began to search the mud pit from the tug of war challenge. Rather, Dean had the rope left over from the challenge tied around his waist as Gretchen held onto it.

"You're sure I'm not going to suffocate or something?" Dean quivered.

"I'm kind of sure," Gretchen assured him.

"W-Well, that's a relief," Dean said with a nervous smile.

"Good. Now get searching!" Gretchen commanded as she pushed Dean into the mud pit.

Hildegard, Jeremy, and Kun looked around the circle of swords itself.

"What if the shovels we need are within these sword block things!" Jeremy guessed before pulling a sword out of its pedestal. The weapon was, indeed, a sword rather than a shovel.

"Canst thou still dig with such a blade?" Hildegard asked.

"Never say never!" Jeremy insisted. "If you put enough passion into it, anything is possible!"

Jeremy began digging at the ground with his sword.

"While he's, um, doing that, why don't we pull the rest of the swords, just in case," Kun suggested to Hildegard.

"That seems a large waste of time," Hildegard told him. "I'll check the shelter!"

"O-Oh," Kun said as Hildegard ran off. He took to the nearest sword pedestal and began tugging on the sword lodged within.

Confessional:

Wisdom: So our clue is definitely in such a small area, but the means of getting that clue is difficult to find? Interesting take. I just hope Godfrey's task on Whenua Island is equally as time-consuming.

Dean: (He is covered in mud.) I don't suppose there are any showers available that I can use? And a washing machine, too?

The six non-participating contestants sat in camp chairs on the dueling arena back on Kairi Island, watching the action on the big screen. The screen's display showed Godfrey on the left side and Wisdom on the right.

"What a final two," Nestor smiled. "I can't say I expected either of them to have made it to the final round, let alone both of them."

"I learned not to take your expectations for granted when I was voted out as early as I was," Rowan mentioned.

"Amen, sister," Kirkland sneered. "Being good at this game does not guarantee results."

"What's that gotta do with you, though?" Tegan giggled.

"I got you voted out, didn't I?" Kirkland scoffed. "If I didn't singlehandedly salvage this season through that alone, I don't know what to tell you."

"No way. The one and only Steve Jenkins being here is what salvaged it," Steve Jenkins insisted. "Everything after that is going to be literally unwatchable."

"Even the episodes that still got Gretchen?" Fred asked.

"Okay, maybe those ones might still be good," Steve Jenkins conceded.

"Oh, believe me, babes, I'm going to have so much to say in Talking Drama With Nestor when I get home," Nestor grinned.

"I imagine that being here with firsthand experience is very illuminating," Rowan said.

"Oh, absolutely," Nestor confirmed. "I've written off so many early boots in the past as not worth talking about. Like, Katie, literally who cares about her? But I've actually met all of you. Even if other people might write some of y'all off, I'll be here to tell everyone how great y'all are."

"D'AWWWWWWWWWW!" Tegan gushed.

"Good luck convincing anyone that she's worth remembering," Kirkland growled as he picked his ear.

Confessional:

Nestor: Watching this show and playing this game are two very, very different things. Even knowing as much as I do about it, it was still one of the most difficult things I've ever done. Of course, it was also one of the most fulfilling. I know people always say that, but they say that because it's damn true!

Bunko and Hiram arrived at the Team I Don't Know camp.

"It's our old home," Hiram smiled.

"Yes, but there's no time to get nostalgic!" Bunko reminded him. "We need to find... what are we looking for again?"

"The next clue?" Hiram reminded her.

"That's right!" Bunko recalled. "Now, where could it be?"

"Godfrey said it was at a campsite, right?" Hiram remembered. "So, if it's at this one, it can't be too far away."

"I don't see it," Bunko frowned.

"Let's keep looking until we hear the boat horn," Hiram suggested. "Maybe it's in the shelter itself."

"Ooh! Good idea!" Bunko agreed. The two ran towards the shelter.

Godfrey, Ginger, and Virgil, meanwhile, arrived at the Luscious Lollipops camp.

"And here's the old digs," Virgil told his friends. "Sorry about the mess; I haven't really had a chance to clean up."

"You should see my basement," Ginger joked. "Wait, is our basement as I remember it?"

"Pretty much, yeah," Godfrey confirmed. "Unless Mom started cleaning it while I was gone."

"She'd better not!" Ginger snapped. "Wait, is she my Mom too, or...? Is she actually my grandma?"

"I feel like we can figure all that out later when there isn't a million clams at stake," Virgil said.

"He's right. We've got to focus," Godfrey agreed. "Virgil, can you think of anywhere in particular around here where a clue might be?"

"If it isn't by the shelter, it's probably at the beach nearby," Virgil figured.

"Alright, let's spread out around camp and see if we can find anything," Godfrey instructed.

Roxie and Shadya arrived at the top of the mountain that housed The Best Team's camp.

"How did you guys stand to keep going up and down a damn mountain every time you had to go anywhere?" Roxie panted.

"None of us smoke, for one thing, so our lungs are in better shape than yours," Shadya stated.

"Oh whatever, bitch... You think you're better than me... Get out of my face..." Roxie scowled.

"I am better than you. I'm better than most people," Shadya claimed. "Now that we've established that definitively, help me find the clue."

"Or else what?" Roxie challenged.

Shadya looked Roxie dead in the eye. "Pushing others away because you fear the emotional pain that comes from them pushing you away is one of the most basic and juvenile coping methods for low self-esteem that one can employ. All you're doing is begging for attention while being unnecessarily rude to anyone who shows you even a little because you think it places you above them somehow. Trying to do this with me is foolish on multiple levels. Your issue is with Godfrey, not with me. You do not want to have an issue with me. Am I clear?"

...

Roxie silently moved towards the campfire pit and began searching.

Meanwhile, Liberty and Rhiannon arrived at the cave of the Knights of Goodness camp.

"Ah, cave, sweet cave," Liberty smiled. "Even when we had bamboo beds, nothing really beat the sense of comfort in sleeping in a cave behind a waterfall."

"There's definitely nothing else like it," Rhiannon couldn't help but agree. "It doesn't look like there's anything in here, though."

Liberty yawned. "Ah well. Might as well take it easy until we hear the horn..."

"No, we still haven't looked very thoroughly outside," Rhiannon told her. "You check the general outdoor area. I'll check the top of the waterfall.

"The top?" Liberty asked.

"Yeah, Kirkland figured out a way up there," Rhiannon explained.

"If you say so," Liberty relented. "I'm definitely napping on the next boat ride, though."

"Don't expect a long nap," Rhiannon told her as the two exited the cave.

"Better to rest for a little bit when there's nothing to do than to pass out when I'm actually needed," Liberty rationalized.

Liberty looked around the old campfire pit, moving long-extinguished pieces of firewood over. "Nothing."

"I found it!" Rhiannon announced from atop the waterfall.

"What's it say?" Liberty asked.

"It's just a loose plaque that I can carry. Come on, let's get back to the boat and honk the horn!" Rhiannon decided.

Liberty yawned. "Alright."

Confessional:

Liberty: Everyone else being diurnal really is a pain in the ass. (She yawns.) If I could fix it, I would, believe me, but I just don't get tired at night until it's already the wee hours of the morning. Sleep aids are... useless, too... (She dozes off.)

Elmer and Louise made it to the peak of the volcano. Sure enough, three shovels rested against the lip of the volcano.

"Well, there we go," Elmer smiled.

"Alright! Let's get these back down to the others," Louise grinned.

The couple ran back down the volcano path with the shovels in hand.

By the mud pit, Gretchen took notice of Elmer and Louise as they returned to the bottom of the volcano. "Oh, hey, you found some."

"Yeah! Let's get digging," Louise decided as she handed a shovel to Gretchen.

"Alright," Gretchen decided. She let go of the rope Dean was tied to and accepted the shovel.

"What was that rope?" Elmer asked.

"Just Dean. Nothing to worry about," Gretchen dismissed as she made her way over to the circle of swords.

Elmer sighed, took the rope, and pulled Dean up out of the mud pit.

"I-I could have kept going! I promise!" Dean cried.

"We found the shovels," Elmer told him.

Dean wiped some mud off of his eyes. "It looks like Jeremy's already made some headway."

Sure enough, Jeremy managed to get a small hole established with the sword he'd been using to dig. Gretchen had also begun to dig.

"Dude. You want a shovel?" Louise offered.

"I don't need one, but I appreciate the offer!" Jeremy laughed jovially.

"None of the swords, um, seem particularly built for digging," Kun mentioned as he gestured to all the unsheathed swords on the ground. "But, um, saying that out loud, it sounds kind of obvious."

"Sorry," Dean apologized. "Wait, no, it wasn't me saying something obvious this time. ...I'm going to need a minute to process this."

"Are we to assume that thou have found shovels?" Hildegard asked as she, Wisdom, and Jim ran up to the circle of swords.

"Yep!" Louise confirmed. "Here, you take one, too!"

"I shall steel my shovel!" Hildegard declared as she joined Gretchen and Jeremy in digging.

"Are there only three?" Wisdom asked.

"There were," Elmer confirmed. "Probably to make up for us searching on a smaller island than Godfrey is."

"Fair enough," Jim figured. "If anyone's arms get tired, let me know and I'll be willing to switch in for them."

"You can go ahead if you want," Elmer said as he handed Jim the last shovel. "I'm still a... little winded from the run up and down the volcano path."

"Can do," Jim complied.

"It's kind of weird that I'm not doing any work even though I'm the finalist, right?" Wisdom figured.

"We are, um, a team," Kun reminded her. "This is not just, um, Wisdom versus Godfrey. We are the Divine Nine. We're here to, um, help."

Wisdom smiled and blushed.

"Found it!" Gretchen announced as she held up a square plaque. "Finally, the protagonist's moment to shine in the finale."

"Can you still be the protagonist if you placed ninth?" Dean asked.

"Dean, I swear to god," Gretchen seethed.

"What's the plaque say?" Jeremy asked.

Wisdom took it and began to read. "'Alright, Wisdom! Great work.' I didn't really do much of the work, but... 'Your next clue is over on Whenua Island. It's at the top of one of the towers from your very first challenge.' ...Towers?"

"I know which towers they're talking about," Jim mentioned. "I did that part of the challenge."

"As did I!" Hildegard recalled. "Let us away to yon towers!"

Confessional:

Wisdom: It's okay to rely on your friends for help, right? But am I doing it too much? I feel like I'm not contributing much to my own challenge. Should I be doing more? (She bites her thumbnail nervously.)

The Robot Riot had all arrived at the Dock of Shame on Whenua Island.

"Who found the clue?" Godfrey asked.

"We did," Rhiannon smiled. "Here, read it for everyone." She handed him the plaque.

"Ooh, that's convenient," Godfrey smiled. "'Alright, Godfrey! Great work.' Great work Liberty and Rhiannon, more like. Heh. 'Your next clue is over on Apoy Island. It's buried behind the confessional booth.' Alright, gang, let's head out!"

The nine all entered the boat, and Godfrey began to drive it towards the volcanic island.

"Do you suppose we're winning?" Virgil asked Rhiannon.

"It's really hard to gauge," Rhiannon figured. "But at the same time, that makes it easier to assume we are winning, and keep riding the momentum."

"That's an interesting way of thinking about it," Hiram chimed in.

"It certainly helps me ride my own momentum of success," Shadya agreed.

"I like to think we're winning right now," Virgil smirked as he discarded his lollipop stick into the ocean and opened a new one.

"That's littering!" Bunko gasped.

"Oh, well, if my paper lollipop stick ends up destroying the entire ecosystem, I apologize in advance," Virgil snarked.

"Apologizing won't fix the damages you've done!" Bunko cried.

"Yeah! How could you?!" Hiram snapped.

Virgil looked to Rhiannon and Shadya for help. Neither of them seemed particularly interested in helping Virgil out, and began their own conversation. Virgil sighed.

"So, Ginger, obviously we're family, but what would you say our dynamic is akin to?" Godfrey wondered as he drove the boat.

"I've still got conflicting ideas of you being my robot and me being your robot," Ginger admitted. "That makes it difficult to pin down exactly."

"Cousins?" Godfrey suggested.

"Maybe," Ginger answered. "What would this mean about Mom and Dad, though? Am I going to have to start calling them Aunt Belinda and Uncle Kevin?"

"Maybe we'll talk it over with them, too," Godfrey figured. "A fair word of warning: you know them as well as I do, but they don't know you very well. That's probably going to be weird."

"Oh, geez, yeah," Ginger frowned. "That's going to be a depressing hurdle to overcome."

"Well, no matter what, I'll be here to help you work through your feelings," Godfrey smiled.

"Ugh. 'Family' my ass. They're clearly in love," Roxie grumbled from the back of the boat.

A sleeping Liberty, who lie right next to where Roxie was sitting, snored unhelpfully.

"I don't need you to judge me!" Roxie growled as she lit another cigarette.

Confessional:

Godfrey: It's really nice to be working with so many people again. It was lonely being on the outs for as long as I was, even when I did have the couple of allies that I had. Still, I'm glad to have everyone back.

The Divine Nine's boat docked at Whenua Island.

"Alright, where's the tower?" Wisdom asked as she and the others left the boat.

"I remember where it is relative to where we started that challenge... I think," Jim answered. "It's been a while."

"Verily. T'will be a search, but a search the party conducts together!" Hildegard declared.

"Well, where did the challenge start?" Wisdom brought up.

"Near the big oak tree, wasn't it?" Dean answered.

"That's right! Truly an underappreciated landmark," Jeremy lamented.

"I definitely remember how to get from here to there... I think," Louise said. "Let's go!"

The Divine Nine ran towards the giant oak tree.

"If I recall, there were signs pointing to each of the three stations in that first challenge," Elmer thought aloud. "Which one led to the towers?"

"Yellow," Jim answered. "I vividly remember following the yellow sign."

"I followed the blue sign, which did not have a tower," Wisdom mentioned.

"I followed the, um, red sign, so the yellow sign must be the right way," Kun added.

The Divine Nine arrived at the giant oak tree.

"Geez, where are the signs?" Gretchen looked around. "They'd better not have taken them down!"

"They're over there," Jeremy pointed out as he glanced to the other side of the tree.

Gretchen made an annoyed deadpan face.

"Alright, so the yellow sign, right?" Wisdom confirmed. "Let's go!"

The nine followed the path that the yellow sign pointed to. They eventually ended up in a clearing with the three towers and three control panels.

"What in the world...?" Wisdom asked.

"The colored stairs will come in and out of the tower when someone else presses the corresponding button," Jim explained.

"Which tower is the clue on?" Dean asked.

"We have nine people. There's no reason why we can't climb all three of them at once," Elmer figured.

"Oh my gosh, that's so smart!" Louise gushed.

Elmer blushed awkwardly.

"Alright, why don't we have Elmer and Louise on one tower, me and Dean on another tower, and... Kun and Jeremy, I guess, on the last one?" Wisdom suggested.

"Sitting out the protagonist?" Gretchen scoffed.

"I can take the buttons for us," Elmer told Louise.

"Sounds good," Louise agreed.

"I assume that, um, you'd be more comfortable climbing the tower," Kun said to Jeremy.

"That's right. I trust you on these buttons!" Jeremy complied.

"Would it be okay with you if I ran up the tower?" Wisdom asked Dean.

"Hey, you're the, uh, you're the one in the final two, not me," Dean chuckled. "I'll do whatever you want me to. Uh, within reason! Like, if you wanted me to jump off a bridge-"

"Dean," Wisdom interrupted.

"R-Right!" Dean smacked his forehead and headed for the buttons.

Confessional:

Dean: It's so strange that Wisdom is in the final two. Uh, not that I think she's incapable! But, like, she and I are friends, and then here she is in this upper echelon of people in this game. What if she wins?! Then everyone else would want to be her friend too, I bet. And then... No, if she heard me say that, she'd remind me that I should value myself more highly. Then again, realistically...

The Robot Riot arrived at Apoy Island. All members except for Liberty and Roxie exited the boat.

"Alright, it's buried behind the confessional booth," Godfrey reiterated. "Easy breezy.

"Is there anything around here we can use to dig?" Hiram asked.

"That's the question, isn't it?" Godfrey chuckled.

"That big group of swords from that one challenge seems suspicious," Rhiannon pointed out.

"Good point," Godfrey conceded.

He ran towards the circle of sword pedestals to find several shallow holes within the circle, as well as one shovel.

"Anyone want to do the honors?" Godfrey asked.

"It's your challenge," Shadya told him.

"That is true," Godfrey agreed as he picked up the shovel. "I hope you don't take my offer as me trying to pass work off to somebody else. I just wanted to make sure nobody was feeling left out or like they wanted to participate more."

"You're good, Mystery Pop," Virgil assured him.

Godfrey smiled as he ran towards the confessional booth. The rest of his team followed behind.

"Go Godfrey go!" Bunko cheered.

Godfrey arrived at the confessional booth and began to dig directly behind it.

"The earth is looser here. I think we've got it!" Godfrey grinned.

"Dig! Dig! Dig!" Ginger hyped. "Think about that cash prize! Think about all the cool stuff we can buy!"

"'We'? What's all this 'we' stuff? I'm doing all the hard work," Godfrey teased.

He unearthed a plaque in very little time.

"Nice. What's it say?" Virgil asked.

"'Good going, Godfrey! Your next stop is behind Makani Island.' Seems simple enough," Godfrey commented. "Let's go!" He ran back towards the boat.

"You're bringing the shovel with you?" Ginger questioned.

"Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it," Godfrey figured. "I'm fairly sure there was more than one shovel here to start given how many holes were over by the swords. Wisdom probably took the rest."

"How many shovels must she have in her boat?" Hiram thought aloud.

Confessional:

Bunko: I didn't know there was anything on the other side of Makani Island! Is that where the interns have been staying all this time?

Louise, Wisdom, and Jeremy all neared the top of their respective towers.

"Red!" Louise called.

"I'm also red!" Wisdom called.

"Blue!" Jeremy called.

Elmer, Dean, and Kun all concentrated on pressing the right buttons.

"I changed my mind. This looks stressful and lame. I'm glad I'm not doing this," Gretchen said to Hildegard and Jim.

"Imagine doing this challenge with little Tegan," Hildegard mentioned.

"Oof. Yeah, I remember you having trouble with that," Jim recalled.

"She's an ally of mine, yet her mind is more scattered than the dalmatians across the different worlds of Kingdom Hearts," Hildegard said.

"Wow. What a clever analogy. I'm in awe," Gretchen droned.

"I'm at the top!" Louise announced. "It looks like the plaque is over on Jeremy's tower!"

"...So, I should head back down and wait for him to get it, huh?" Wisdom asked.

"Probably a good idea, yeah," Elmer agreed. "I'll head down as well."

"I won't fail you, Wisdom!" Jeremy proclaimed. "Kun! Yellow!"

"Um, right!" Kun complied.

Louise began to drop down from one portion of stairs to the ones below.

"Louise! Are you sure that's a good idea?!" Elmer worried.

"Blue!" Jeremy called.

"It's a fast idea," Louise chuckled.

"Just... don't get hurt." Elmer clenched his teeth.

Wisdom, meanwhile, silently followed Louise's example.

"Wisdom?" Dean asked.

"Red!" Jeremy called.

"Wisdom, if you hurt yourself, you won't be able to finish the challenge!" Dean panicked. "N-Not that I think you, uh, I mean... Please, just call the colors you need!"

"Blue!" Jeremy called.

"Not you!" Dean shouted.

"But he, um, needs to make it to the top," Kun pointed out.

"Wisdom!" Louise called from the ground. "Jump and I'll catch you!"

"I'm really not sure that's a good idea," Dean worried.

"Agreed," Elmer nodded.

"Yellow!" Jeremy called.

Wisdom continued to drop in between the gaps in the stairs. She managed to make it to the bottom with no injury.

"Red!" Jeremy called.

Kun let out the red stairs. This allowed Jeremy enough height to pull himself up to the top of the tower and retrieve the plaque.

"Go long!" Louise called.

Jeremy tossed the plaque like a frisbee. Louise caught it.

Confessional:

Jeremy: That wasn't the toughest mountain I climbed by any means, but it was one I could only climb through teamwork! And that, boys and girls, is what life is all about!

"Hey, Wisdom? What's up?" Dean asked.

Wisdom began to cry. "I'm so useless," she sniffled. "You guys are doing all the work on the challenge and I feel like, even if I won, I wouldn't have earned it."

"Hey, none of that is true," Dean assured her.

"Wisdom! The plaque says we have to go behind Makani Island," Louise relayed.

"Alright, let's head for the boat," Dean said. He glanced at Jeremy leaping across the spaces between the red stairs, not bothering to ask Kun to change the colors. "Jeremy can catch up to us."

"Is everything, um, okay, Wisdom?" Kun asked as Elmer, Louise, Gretchen, Hildegard, and Jim all ran back to the Dock of Shame.

Wisdom shook her head.

"Well, we should, um, head for the boat," Kun suggested as he followed after the others.

"I agree!" Jeremy declared as he appeared by Dean and Wisdom and then followed Kun.

"Come on, Wisdom, let's go," Dean pleaded.

Wisdom slowly walked towards the path.

"...Wisdom, I'm sorry," Dean prefaced. He took Wisdom by the hand and ran down the path.

"...Why are you sorry?" Wisdom asked.

"I don't know. I've never held a girl's hand before," Dean admitted. "N-Not that it's like that or anything, but..."

"...Let's go," Wisdom decided. She wiped her eyes with her free hand and joined Dean in running.

Confessional:

Wisdom: If Dean was feeling as sorry for himself as I was for myself back there, I'd tell him that he should stop obsessing over his own self-esteem and to just win this challenge already! So I need to do the same!

The Robot Riot's boat ended up behind Makani island. There was an alcove in the mountain with a small dock coming from a curved stone ramp that led up to two doors. The boat docked and everyone exited. The nine arrived at the two doors, each of which had two square-shaped indents to the side. In between the two doors was a plaque.

"'Bring everything you think you might need,'" Godfrey read.

"Well, the indents are clearly for the two plaques we've already gathered," Shadya deduced.

"Might need the shovel, too," Godfrey figured.

"You and the damn shovel," Virgil chuckled.

"I'll get it!" Bunko volunteered as she ran back to the boat.

"The plaques are back there, too. I'll get those," Rhiannon offered as she followed Bunko.

"If it's dark on the other side of the door, I can't guarantee that I'll be able to stay awake," Liberty mentioned.

"This is the first remotely cool thing to happen all day. How are you not going to stay awake?" Roxie commented.

"Because I got two hours of sleep. Bite me," Liberty growled groggily.

"Finally decided to play along, huh?" Ginger asked Roxie.

"Not because I want to help him. Just because it's something to do," Roxie said, avoiding eye contact with everyone.

"I have the shovel!" Bunko announced as she held the digging tool aloft.

"And I've got the plaques," Rhiannon said. She handed them to Godfrey.

"Alright, let's see what we've got," Godfrey said as he stuck the two plaques into the square recesses.

The door opened. A voice began to sound. "Ten... nine... eight..."

Godfrey immediately ran through the door. Rhiannon, Virgil, and Ginger were not far behind.

"...five... four... three..." the voice continued.

Shadya and Bunko were able to get through the door. Just as Hiram was about to enter, the door slammed shut.

"Bunko!" Hiram cried.

"Relax. We can just take the plaques out and put them back in," Roxie told him. She began to pry at one of the plaques, which did not move. "Or not! Okay!"

"Isn't it ironic?" Liberty yawned. "The one time you want to participate, you can't."

"I will throw you in the ocean," Roxie threatened.

Confessional:

Godfrey: So I got separated from some of the others. That's fine. As long as I literally cannot proceed if I don't have all nine of us, I can still win.

The Divine Nine's boat docked at the alcove. Hiram, Liberty, and Roxie had retired to their team's boat to wait, so Wisdom's team was able to make it up the ramp and to the doors.

"It looks like we need both of the plaques to get in, huh?" Wisdom figured out.

"It also looks like Godfrey's already been here," Gretchen pointed out as she knocked on one of the plaques that Godfrey had left behind.

"Was pointing that out strictly necessary?" Hildegard asked.

"Well then, we should hurry up, shouldn't we?!" Wisdom said with determination.

"I got the plaques!" Jeremy announced. He stuck them in their indents.

The door opened, and the countdown began. "Ten... nine... eight..."

"Eep!" Wisdom jumped. She ran through the door, followed immediately by Jeremy, Hildegard, Louise, and Elmer.

"...four...three...two..." the door continued.

"Move it!" Gretchen commanded as she pushed Dean aside as she ran through the door.

"Hey!" Dean objected.

The door shut.

"Well, that's, um, unfortunate," Kun commented.

"And yet, not unsurprising," Jim sighed.

"We can keep rooting for her from out here," Dean said. "That, that sounded lame. Once I said it out loud, I realized... Yeah. Ignore me."

On the other side of the door was a short pathway that led to a room with only a ladder that led downward.

"Not a whole lot of options, here," Elmer chuckled.

Wisdom began her descent down the ladder, as did the other five present members of the Divine Nine. Once they reached the bottom, they found a long corridor lit by torches.

"Gross, running?" Gretchen griped.

"Why did you push Dean aside if you didn't want to participate?" Elmer asked.

"What, and lose out on more screentime?" Gretchen scoffed.

"Ignore her. Let us proceed!" Hildegard interrupted.

"Yes, let's," Wisdom agreed.

The sixsome began to run through the corridor.

Confessional:

Elmer: I gave up a long time ago on trying to rationalize with Gretchen. Just let her go on about her desperate cries for attention, or whatever, and she'll eventually tire herself out.

The six present members of the Robot Riot ran through the corridor.

"Come on, don't tell me you guys are getting tired!" Ginger pep-talked.

"Some of us have lungs that wear out," Virgil told her.

"Speak for yourself," said Shadya, who was ahead of everyone else.

"We took our breathers on the boat, guys," Godfrey told his teammates.

"He's right," Bunko agreed. "Full steam ahead!"

"Let's run at a comfortable pace," Rhiannon suggested. "So we don't burn ourselves out."

"What if the finish line is at the end of the path?" Bunko mentioned.

"We can go full steam ahead if we confirm that to be true," Godfrey said.

"Pfft. Humans," Ginger remarked smugly.

"I thought robots were supposed to just be inorganic humans!" Virgil objected.

"And isn't making an unnecessarily big deal about the differences between people a very human thing?" Ginger posited.

"I know you're against tampering with her brain, but Mystery Pop, I am begging you," Virgil said to Godfrey.

"I'll talk to her about it later," Godfrey handwaved.

"So, is nobody else concerned that this place has been here the entire time?" Rhiannon mentioned.

"Why is that a cause for concern?" Shadya asked.

"It seems kind of excessive to have this entire secret area for just one part of one challenge," Rhiannon pondered.

"This is an excessive show," Shadya said.

"You know what? Fair enough," Rhiannon conceded.

The group made it to the end of the long hallway and into a room that had glass tiles with a few statues of Chris taking up the width of where some tiles would be. One tile directly in front of the group was it up.

"If this is what I think it is..." Godfrey thought aloud.

"It's one of those puzzles where you can only cross each square once," Shadya deduced. "I've done a few."

"So this should be easy for you guys, right?" Virgil suggested.

"I've only done them from a birds-eye view," Godfrey admitted.

"Yes, I've never encountered a version of this puzzle from a first-person perspective," Shadya confirmed. "Sounds like an interesting challenge. If I may."

"You may," Godfrey allowed.

Shadya studied the layout of the room for about a minute before beginning the puzzle. She began on the lit-up tile and then stepped on an adjacent tile, which also lit up. She quickly stepped across one tile after another, lighting them all up along the way.

"There's no way she can do this in one go," Virgil bet.

"If anyone can, it'd be her," Bunko commented, annoyed.

Confessional:

Virgil: It is kind of annoying how much better the folks from The Best Team think they are than everyone. I think Jeremy is literally the only one who I haven't seen outright claim to be better than someone, and even then he'll talk about all the mountains he's climbed and all the cool camping trips he's gone on.

The members of the Divine Nine who managed to make it through their door ultimately arrived at a very similar room to the one the Robot Riot had encountered.

"What have we here?" Wisdom thought aloud.

"Ah! Link hath tackled such an obstacle in the past!" Hildegard exulted.

"...What?" Wisdom asked.

"Link, from The Legend of Zelda?" Elmer guessed. "I've definitely seen this puzzle in a video game or two."

"Great, so your nerd powers will finally contribute to something," Gretchen goaded.

"You're just jealous because you'll never have a boyfriend as cool as Elmer is," Louise leered.

"I should hope not," Gretchen retorted, disgusted.

"Conflict between teammates is not the way to surpass that which stands between us and certain victory!" Jeremy interjected.

"He is correct," Hildegard agreed. "I shall make mine attempt at this labyrinth. Gretchen, do shut thy pie-hole." Hildegard stepped on the first glowing tile.

"My pie hole will be so open, you'll be able to fit like five pies in there!" Gretchen reacted indignantly.

"I bet that's not all she could fit in there," Elmer murmured to Louise.

Louise burst with laughter. "You are so bad!"

"Be hanged! Thou art distracting me!" Hildegard scolded, having crossed several tiles.

"Let's keep quiet so she can concentrate, huh?" Wisdom suggested. "That way we can win faster, you know?"

"I do like winning," Gretchen complied.

"Frankly, I'm impressed that anyone can do a puzzle like this," Jeremy admitted. "This looks really complicated."

"I bet Elmer could do it on his first try," Louise insisted.

"I mean, maybe if I studied the layout of the room for a good half hour," Elmer blushed.

"Don't be so modest." Louise poked Elmer in the side playfully.

"Especially when you've never acted modestly for as long as I've known you. It's weird," Gretchen added.

Hildegard continued to make her way across the puzzle room. "Let's see, if I were to go that way... Nay, t'wouldn't work. But that way..."

Confessional:

Gretchen: Elmer and Louise have always nauseated me when they're together. I mean, Elmer's always been annoying, but those two get so cutesy with each other and it's genuinely insufferable. I'd almost rather spend time with Dean. ...Okay, that might be taking it a bit far, I apologize.

Shadya only had three more tiles to step on before all of the tiles in the room were lit up. She stepped on them one after another, successfully making it to the other side of the room while stepping on each tile exactly once.

"Child's play," Shadya said.

"Now what?" Ginger asked.

A big, cartoonish key fell down from the ceiling and landed in the middle of the floor.

"Ooh, a key!" Bunko beamed.

"Is that all we get?" Virgil asked. "No more clues or anything?"

"I guess I didn't need this shovel after all," Godfrey admitted. "But then why did that plaque say to bring everything I'd thought I'd need?"

"It looks as though the door has opened," Shadya pointed out as she gestured behind the group. Light shone from the other end of the corridor.

"Maybe the key will make more sense once we get out," Godfrey figured.

"We should keep an eye on the walls while we're on our way out, too," Rhiannon suggested.

"Good call," Godfrey agreed.

"I'll keep an eye on the left wall if you keep an eye on the right," Virgil offered.

"Deal," Rhiannon affirmed.

The six ran for the other end of the corridor.

"We have to be nearing the end of the challenge," Ginger claimed. "There aren't many other places for us to look."

"Chris did say that it was technically possible to cross the finish line without doing the whole thing, or at least something to that effect," Godfrey recalled. "Maybe it's behind a door that we need this key to open but could be broken down if you were, I don't know, the Hulk or something."

"So, Shadya?" Bunko joked.

"Even if I could have broken down such a door, which is very likely, we never found it before now, so the point is moot," Shadya stated.

"Well, where haven't we looked yet?" Ginger asked. "Is the top of the Makani mountain accessible? Could we use the elevator?"

"The elevator was only operable from the top of the mountain," Godfrey denied. "Unless they messed with something while we were gone."

"See anything, Virgil?" Rhiannon asked.

"Just a bunch of wall. I assume the same for you since you haven't stopped us," Virgil answered.

"Yep," Rhiannon confirmed.

"We're almost out!" Bunko announced.

The six exited the corridor and found themselves back at the alcove. Both speedboats were still parked at the dock, but none of the six contestants who didn't cross the timed doors were present.

"Where's Hiram?!" Bunko worried.

"We don't have time to worry about the others," Shadya said bluntly.

"She's right," Godfrey reluctantly agreed. "I'm worried about them, too, but maybe it's a part of the challenge. Let's see if there's anything of note on the other side of the island."

The six entered the speedboat and Godfrey began to drive it out of the alcove. Once out of the alcove, the Robot Riot noticed the yacht that had transported the contestants between islands in the past was floating in the middle of the archipelago.

"That might be important," Virgil mentioned.

"Wisdom's boat was still at the dock, so we're in the lead. We can probably afford to check Makani Island for a little bit," Bunko figured.

"I doubt there's anything there, and I'd rather keep the lead," Godfrey said. "Let's go see what the yacht is all about."

Confessional:

Godfrey: I wonder where the yacht was all this time, if not behind Makani Island. Either way, I'm certain that that's where we need to go next. Why else would it just be in the middle of all the islands like that?

Hildegard had just successfully completed the light-up tile puzzle, and a key similar to the one the Robot Riot received fell from the ceiling.

"A key?" Wisdom asked as she picked it up. "Does anyone remember anywhere where we might need a key?"

"To power on the speedboat," Gretchen joked.

"This one might be too big for that," Jeremy offered.

"You don't say?" Gretchen deadpanned.

"It looks like solving the puzzle also opened the corridor," Elmer pointed out.

"Alright! Let's go!" Louise encouraged.

"But where are we meant to go?" Wisdom asked. "Is there another clue that's been revealed?"

"None that I can see," Hildegard admitted.

"Maybe Jim or one of them has a clue?" Louise offered.

"That is a possibility, isn't it?" Wisdom figured. "Should we check outside?"

"If there's nothing else here, we might as well," Elmer agreed.

The Divine Nine ran for the exit.

"Can anyone remember anywhere we've already been with a keyhole where this might work?" Wisdom asked.

The others all denied having seen anything.

"It's probably for somewhere we haven't been yet," Gretchen figured.

"Where haven't we been yet?" Wisdom asked.

"We've yet to set foot in the loser camp or the top of the mountain since the challenge has begun!" Hildegard recalled.

"That could be a start, huh?" Wisdom nodded. "Assuming one of the others doesn't have the clue, you know?"

"Even if the odds are stacked against us, we will succeed as long as we put our all into it!" Jeremy proclaimed.

"What if Godfrey's team puts their all into it?" Gretchen asked.

"That isn't helpful," Elmer reprimanded. "What could you possibly have to gain by asking that?"

"More screentime, baby!" Gretchen laughed.

The others all rolled their eyes.

The six eventually made it out of the hallway. Much like the Robot Riot, the three members of the Divine Nine who didn't make it through the door were no longer present.

"Where are they?!" Wisdom cried.

"More importantly, Godfrey's boat isn't here anymore," Elmer noticed. "We should get going."

The team hurried to their speedboat and began to depart from the alcove. They, too, noticed the yacht in the middle of the archipelago.

"That's new!" Louise pointed out excitedly. "I bet that's where we're supposed to go!"

"It seems as though our opponents are headed there as well," Hildegard noticed.

Wisdom nodded as she went full speed towards the yacht.

Confessional:

Wisdom: This challenge has to be nearly over, right? Like Gretchen said, there just aren't many more places to search. Besides, the yacht has such an air of finality to it, doesn't it? Like it just feels right for it to be the last part of the challenge. Either way, I'm in this to win it!

The Robot Riot pulled up to a part of the side of the yacht that had staple-shaped ladder rungs leading up to the deck.

"It looks like Wisdom's team is catching up. We'd better hurry," Rhiannon mentioned.

"Right. On the double, guys!" Godfrey commanded as he hurried up the ladder.

Godfrey's teammates also hurried up the ladder until all six made it to the deck.

"Alright, where to?" Virgil asked.

"Everyone, split up!" Godfrey ordered. "If you find a keyhole, find me and lead me to it!"

"Sir, yes sir!" Bunko saluted.

"I've never seen you so assertive," Shadya mentioned.

"This is the big one, I can feel it!" Godfrey insisted.

"You heard the man! Spit up!" Ginger backed up.

The six split up. At around this time, the Divine Nine's boat made it to the same ladder.

"Onward and upward!" Jeremy declared.

Jeremy was the first to quickly climb up the ladder. Wisdom, Gretchen, Louise, Elmer, and Hildegard were all quick to follow.

"We should split up," Elmer suggested. "Whoever finds the keyhole first, report to Wisdom. Wisdom, where will you be searching?"

"...I don't know. Wherever I guess?" Wisdom half-answered.

"How about the girls search the bottom deck while the guys stay up top?" Louise suggested.

"I'd think Elmer would be used to bottoming, but if this works out better for everyone else..." Gretchen remarked.

"Forgive me if I can't contain my laughter," Elmer said dryly.

"Let us commence!" Hildegard decided.

The group split up accordingly.

Confessional:

Godfrey: I noticed Wisdom's group showing up not long after mine did. I thought I had more of a lead than that. Still, I won't let that deter me. I can't let anything deter me!

Wisdom: Wait, so Godfrey and I are about neck-and-neck, right? That means... I can still win this! He had a big lead for a while there, but... I will win this!

Godfrey and Virgil looked around the upper deck for the Robot Riot, while Elmer and Jeremy looked up there for the Divine Nine.

"Come on, there has to be some kind of secret compartment somewhere..." Godfrey told himself as he moved life preservers off of their hooks.

"That doesn't seem safe," Jeremy commented.

"I'm not particularly worried about safety at the moment," Godfrey dismissed.

"Well, if you hurt yourself, don't say I didn't warn you," Jeremy tsked before stepping over the life preservers and towards another part of the deck.

Jeremy moved aside a box of life vests towards the stern, found nothing, and returned it to where it was.

"Find anything?" Virgil asked.

"Even if I did, I'm afraid that that information is for Wisdom's ears only," Jeremy told him.

"What would you do if I just followed your every movement, waiting until you find something so I could tell Mystery Pop?" Virgil smirked.

"I'd take advantage of my athleticism to outspeed you, and outmuscle you if I have to, in order to let Wisdom know first," Jeremy responded.

"...I see," Virgil said, annoyed. "Well, that makes all six of y'all. Cool."

Virgil walked away and ended up at the bathrooms. He checked the women's restroom first

"I thought they were supposed to have tampon dispensers in here," Virgil commented as he looked around the small room. "I can't believe I've been lied to."

Virgil entered one of the stalls and decided that there was nothing of note. He did the same to the second stall. He inspected the sinks and found nothing there as well. He exited the women's restroom, just in time for Elmer to see him.

"Is this a coming out, or are you just a creep?" Elmer jibed.

"I'm just a creep," Virgil played along, unimpressed. "I mean, hey, it's just guys up here, anyway, right?"

"If you say so," Elmer figured.

He studied along the construct in the center of the deck when he accidentally bumped into Godfrey.

"I'm starting to suspect that the keyhole might not be out here," Elmer told him.

"Yeah, nice try," Godfrey doubted.

"How do you know I'm not attempting reverse psychology on you by telling you that?" Elmer followed up. "Forcing you to keep looking here on the top deck by saying that I don't think there's anything when in reality I suspect that the keyhole is on the bottom deck."

"I'm going to ignore you either way," Godfrey told him. "Alright, where was I?"

Confessional:

Godfrey: This part of the challenge is unnecessarily frustrating, not helped at all by the fact that it gave Wisdom time to catch up to me. I feel like either one of us could find the keyhole completely at random. Like, what was the purpose of the rest of the challenge if it's just going to bottleneck us here?

Wisdom, Gretchen, Hildegard, and Louise searched the bottom deck for the Divine Nine, while Bunko, Ginger, Rhiannon, and Shadya searched the bottom deck for the Robot Riot.

"Where would they hide a keyhole behind a bar?" Wisdom asked Hildegard as the two searched behind the bar.

"There's but one way to find out!" Hildegard declared as she moved and replaced several bottles of soda.

"If you say so..." Wisdom complied. She moved a few drink glasses to the side.

"Ginger! Help me lift this couch!" Bunko requested as she stood by a sofa.

"Huh. That's actually not a bad idea," Ginger conceded. She moved to one end of the couch.

Bunko watched Ginger expectantly.

"Well, are you going to take the other side, or just keep wasting oxygen?" Ginger quipped.

"You can do it!" Bunko insisted. "Use your super robot strength!"

"Ugh, for the last time, I don't have super strength," Ginger grumbled. "I'm only slightly stronger than an organic person of my build. I'm going to need you to grab the other side of the couch if you want me to move it."

"Huh. Godfrey really should do something about that," Bunko said.

Regardless, she took the other side of the couch and helped Ginger move it. This revealed nothing but dust.

"Where's the keyhole?" Bunko frowned. "Ginger! Use your laser eyes to burn one into the wall!"

Ginger slapped her forehead.

Rhiannon and Shadya looked along the staircase that led in between the upper and lower decks.

"If I were in charge of the challenge, I'd hide the way forward here," Shadya said. "Nobody would think to look here thoroughly."

"Nobody except you, apparently," Rhiannon tittered.

"And that's why I would have already won this game if it were me in the final two rather than Godfrey," Shadya stated.

"I don't doubt it. But hey, at least we get to contribute," Rhiannon smiled.

"You've certainly come around," Shadya noted.

"Since I was eliminated? Yeah, it sucks, but I've always looked on the bright side of things. You kind of have to," Rhiannon said. "You've come around as well."

"How so? I still think you made a colossally idiotic move in putting me in danger, as evidenced by your immediate exit from the game following mine, but I always would have done whatever I could in this challenge, regardless of who was in the final two," Shadya claimed.

"I see..." Rhiannon nodded, her mouth a thin line.

Gretchen and Louise, meanwhile, searched the other side of the large room.

"The boat is definitely bigger than this one room. The keyhole has to be down here," Gretchen told herself.

"I don't see any outlines for a door anywhere," Louise mentioned.

Gretchen knocked on the wall. "It sounds thin. Could you kick a hole in it?"

"I can certainly try!" Louise grinned.

She took a running start, ran towards the wall, and drop kicked it. Sure enough, she broke a hole in the wall.

"Holy shit..." Gretchen said in awe.

Confessional:

Wisdom: Did Gretchen and Louise just find the way forward?! Holy cow... Do I have this?!

Chris, Dean, Hiram, Jim, Kun, Liberty, Roxie, Nestor, Steve Jenkins, Fred, Kirkland, Rowan, and Tegan all stood on the other side of a black-and-white checkered line in a locked room.

"Oh my. It sounds like a commotion out there," Rowan noted.

"Finally, can someone win this farce already so I can get out of this room?" Kirkland snarled.

"G-Go Wisdom!" Dean cheered.

Liberty yawned. "Go, Godfrey..."

The door unlocked, and someone immediately dashed through the door and across the finish line. Confetti rained down from the ceiling, and several contestants cheered.

"Congratulations!" Chris announced. "You have just won Total Drama Shuffle Party!"

"What happened? Who won?!" Fred asked.

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"YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES!" Godfrey shouted.

"How about that?" Virgil smirked. He took a lollipop from his jacket pocket. "This is for you, Mystery Pop. You've earned it."

"I still can't believe there was a hidden ladder in the men's room," Godfrey said as he caught his breath.

"You did it!" Hiram beamed.

Louise kicked more of the flimsy wall down, allowing Wisdom access. Wisdom looked crestfallen when she saw Godfrey already across the finish line.

"Hey, Wisdom! Get over here!" Godfrey called over.

Wisdom slowly, silently made her way into the room, looking at her shoes the entire time as she fought back tears.

"I want to give a shout-out to Wisdom!" Godfrey told everyone. "Making it this far was no easy feat, and you easily could have won this if Virgil didn't get lucky in finding the way for me. You really had me on the ropes near the end, there. Let's give a hand to our worthy runner-up!" Godfrey handed his lollipop to Wisdom.

Most of those present, as well as several of the contestants who had entered the room through the hole Louise made, applauded.

Wisdom smiled through the tears.

Confessional:

Godfrey: Holy shit... Holy shit! There's no way this is real. I... I won! I wasn't even sure I'd make it longer than maybe five rounds before being found out as a liar who literally programmed one of the other players. But here I am! Oh my... I still can't grasp this. I will make excellent use of my winnings, I promise.

Wisdom: ...I really overhyped myself back there, didn't I? I guess that's what happens when I'm too scared to take charge, huh? ...No, I shouldn't blame myself. It was a close race, and, like Godfrey said, I nearly won. That's a lot better than I expected to do going in, you know?

The last of the contestants' belongings were loaded onto the yacht, and it began to drive away from the archipelago. Godfrey leaned against the railing at the stern and watched the islands grow smaller.

"Man... what a journey," Godfrey smiled.

"...Mark," prompted a voice behind him.

"Hm?" Godfrey turned around to see Roxie standing there. "Roxie?"

"...Good job winning," Roxie said, averting her eyes from him.

"That means an awful lot," Godfrey thanked. "So... do you want to talk?"

"No," Roxie said. "I mean... I'm not ready to, yet."

"That's fine," Godfrey nodded. "For what it's worth, I'm really sorry about lying to you like that. I knew it was going to hurt you, but I still led you on."

"I..." Roxie sighed. "I still don't get what's so necessary about all the pointless lying. But..." Roxie took a cigarette from her pocket and lit it. "I could have handled it better."

"It did hurt, having you suddenly go from being my best friend to, well..." Godfrey confessed.

"Well, I was hurt, too!" Roxie insisted.

"I know. And you had every right to be," Godfrey frowned.

Silence.

"Can I bum a cigarette?" Godfrey requested.

"Why?" Roxie cringed.

"I'd be lying if I said that I didn't see the appeal and felt curious," Godfrey admitted.

"Trust me, you don't want to get started," Roxie groused. "Nicotine is a drug. I thought winners weren't supposed to do drugs."

Godfrey laughed. "I don't know if I've heard you crack a joke like that before."

"W-Well!" Roxie blushed. "I'm still mad at you!"

"I'm still mad at me, too," Godfrey told her. "Letting myself let a good friend like you go."

"You're an idiot!" Roxie flushed. She stormed off.

Godfrey sighed. "Might just be best to let her go."

Wisdom and Dean remained in the finish line room.

"Sorry you didn't win," Dean told his friend.

"...I think it'll be alright," Wisdom said with a small, sad smile.

"That's good," Dean smiled back. "I was cheering hard for you, ever since my elimination. Hell, probably before my elimination."

"Before?" Wisdom asked.

"Oh, you know how I get," Dean said. "Classic Dean, feeling sorrier for myself than I should."

"Dean, do you understand something?" Wisdom asked.

"I mean, there are a lot of things I don't understand. What specifically do you mean?" Dean asked.

"Dean, you were... my rock in this game," Wisdom told him.

"M-Me?!" Dean stammered.

"You were the person I felt I could be myself around, you know?" Wisdom told him. "You were the person who inspired me to look past my own insecurities and better myself."

"Haha. That's strange. You were kind of the same thing for me," Dean admitted. "I always tried harder whenever I knew you were watching, because I didn't want to disappoint you." He paused. "Wow, that sounded lame. I totally just killed the moment, I'm sorry."

"...Dean, do you want to prove to me that you can be confident in yourself?" Wisdom asked.

"Huh? I mean, yeah, of course. Isn't that what I just sai-"

"Kiss me, Dean!" Wisdom commanded, her face bright red.

"Gh!" Dean choked, his face also bright red.

"I was scared of admitting my feelings for so long, but I'm taking initiative for once!" Wisdom proclaimed. "I want you to kiss me!"

"Wow, that's awfully sudden," Dean said. "N-Not that I don't want to kiss you, but I'm all muddy, and..."

Dean gulped, stepped up to Wisdom, and kissed her lips. Wisdom returned the kiss.

"Wisdom, would you p-please be my girlfriend?" Dean mustered.

Wisdom giggled. "Well, I might as well, since you kissed me and all."

Virgil and Nestor hid in the men's' room and ate from Virgil's bag of snacks.

"I don't think I've even seen the bag before," Nestor said.

"I don't show my bag to just anyone," Virgil joked.

"Pervert," Nestor teased.

"Wow, I was being one hundred percent chaste," Virgil said in mock offense. "Who's the pervert, here?"

"The guy who brought a bag of gummy boobies," Nestor said as he held up the aforementioned bag.

"They're the only ones I could find where the whole bag was grape flavor," Virgil claimed. "Sometimes you're just in a grape mood, you know?"

"I'm in a grape mood when I'm with you~" Nestor flirted.

"Oh my god," Virgil reacted. "I still can't believe I've got a boyfriend."

"Take it at whatever pace is most comfortable to you," Nestor assured his boyfriend.

"I'm still working through all these feelings about the fact that I even like guys," Virgil reiterated.

"That's just internalized homophobia. It happens to all of us," Nestor told him. "And there's nothing to be ashamed of. Even I had to take some time to process that, hey, Greg from PE really do be looking kind of fresh though. Why, that's not how I'm supposed to be thinking."

"It does sound kind of goofy when you say it out loud," Virgil admitted.

"You're valid, babe," Nestor said. "The fact that you agreed to be my boyfriend on international TV shows that you're more okay with it than you think."

"I guess," Virgil conceded.

"Plus, you initiated our first kiss," Nestor winked.

"What, that quick peck on the cheek from Apoy Island?" Virgil scoffed. "That hardly counts as a first kiss."

"Why don't you show me what does count?" Nestor purred.

Virgil nearly choked on a gummy breast. He managed to force it down. "Damn." He smirked. "The first time you've made me choke."

Nestor burst into laughter, interrupted by Virgil turning his head and planting a kiss on his lips.

"Did that count?" Virgil asked.

"I don't know. Let's try another one, for reference," Nestor chuckled.

Elmer, Louise, and Jim all sat at the bar with glasses of juice.

"Come on, Jim, surely you can have some say in what your kid's going to be named," Louise insisted.

"Sapphire's the one who's carrying it. I'd say she's earned full right to name them whenever she wants," Jim said.

"It's still your child. You're going to be raising them and everything," Elmer added. "Just because you aren't squeezing it out doesn't mean you shouldn't get any input."

"'Squeezing'? Gross," Louise grimaced.

"You can't tell me you haven't at least thought of names to pitch to Sapphire," Elmer prodded.

"I mean..." Jim rubbed the back of his head. "Realest of talk: if it's a boy, I like Elmer, and if it's a girl, I like Louise."

"Oh my gawwwwwwwd!" Louise gushed.

"I wouldn't even want you guys to name your kid Elmer. It's an awful name," Elmer said.

"It is not," Louise denied.

"You're just saying that because you love me. You're biased," Elmer joked.

"I'm serious. You guys have been great and supportive friends to me out here," Jim doubled down.

"At least pick Virgil over Elmer," Elmer continued.

"I actually do like the name Virgil," Jim conceded. "But at the end of the day, it's Sapphire's call."

"Has she pitched any names to you?" Louise asked.

"I've mentioned she's an artist, right? So she really likes color names," Jim explained. "I think she said Cobalt if it was a boy, and Emerald if it was a girl."

"Those names are so goooood!" Louise said excitedly.

"And fitting that she'd pick gemstone names, considering her own name," Elmer agreed.

"She's mentioned non-gemstone names, too," Jim said. "I think Fuchsia was on the table for a girl. Either way, I feel like the odd man out. Just Jim."

"Tell people it's short for Jimbalaya," Elmer joked.

"That's... the lamest thing you've ever said," Jim chuckled.

"It kind of is," Louise told her boyfriend.

Ginger and Shadya stood over in another corner of the lower deck.

"Obviously, it'll have to be male-presenting to balance out my own existence," Ginger said. "Would he be the Adam to my Eve? I'd have to make him ace, too, just in case."

"Why are you telling me all this and not Godfrey?" Shadya asked.

"I want to pitch my ideas to you while I still can," Ginger huffed. "I can get his input anytime I want."

"My expertise on AI is not as well-honed as my expertise and skill in other things," Shadya dismissed. "It still far surpasses most people, but..."

"But Godfrey and I are better than you?" Ginger grinned cheekily.

"I will never be caught dead admitting such a thing," Shadya glowered.

"Look, at the end of the day, you still know what I'm talking about. No one else does," Ginger pestered.

"I also don't particularly care about your future projects with Godfrey," Shadya said point-blank. "Unless one of you ends up on another season of this show with me, I doubt we'll ever even see each other again."

"Damn, you're just cutting us off like that?" Ginger winced.

"I'm incredibly busy. Being human perfection takes time out of my schedule," Shadya said.

"But not so much time that you can waste a month of it playing a game show for teenagers," Ginger remarked.

"This was meant to be another award for my wall, to prove myself," Shadya claimed.

"To whom?" Ginger scoffed.

"...I've spoken with you about this. I will not repeat myself," Shadya insisted.

"Oh, right, daddy issues," Ginger joked.

"Make fun all you want, but I will still be more accomplished than you by the time we both die," Shadya swore.

"Somehow I doubt that. Bringing robots to the world sounds like kind of a big deal," Ginger grinned.

"This conversation is over," Shadya grunted as she walked away.

"Heh. Maybe I'll make Shadya an equally-'perfect' boyfriend in order to loosen up. That'd be hilarious," Ginger snickered to herself.

Rhiannon stood between Hildegard and Kun as the two debated.

"Thou truly believeth that thou would take control of the Tundras if Shadya were not present?!" Hildegard scoffed. "Hast thou met thyself?"

"Well, um, you can't say that you aren't aware that your, um, abrasiveness turned a lot of people off," Kun argued.

"Bunko and Jeremy didn't seem to care!" Hildegard retorted.

"They voted for me because of, um, Shadya's influence, no?" Kun posited.

"Guys," Rhiannon stepped in. "Kun, I played a part in your elimination, remember? Shadya is not to blame here."

"That is true..." Kun recalled. "Okay, um, new topic: what if Rhiannon was not on the Tundras?"

"Irrelevant! Thy simperingness would damn thee regardless," Hildegard claimed.

"Now, now, you don't think that I couldn't, um, work over the others?" Kun asked.

"Frankly, nay, I doth not," Hildegard claimed.

"Even despite my grasp on the Knights of Goodness?" Kun brought up.

"Thy so-called 'grasp' came from Kirkland making an alliance, not thee!" Hildegard refuted.

"I have to agree with her, there," Rhiannon admitted.

"Perhaps, but, um, he could have made an alliance with you, Hildegard, yet, um, he did not," Kun stated. "Could that be because he found you annoying?"

"Of course he did! He thinketh everyone annoying!" Hildegard dismissed.

"Well, I certainly didn't get the, um, impression that he thought so low of me," Kun continued.

"Guys, does this argument really matter?" Rhiannon asked. "You can't change what happened in the past, but you can work towards a better future."

"Wise words, Lady Rhiannon!" Hildegard smiled.

"...You can call me Jessica," Rhiannon said.

"You do make an excellent point, um, Jessica," Kun agreed. "Er, can I call you that, too?"

"You know what? Everyone can start calling me Jessica," Jessica decided. "I'm done being Rhiannon."

"Is it that easy?" Hildegard asked.

"No, but... I'll work towards a better future," Jessica smiled.

Bunko, Fred, and Hiram stood out on the upper deck.

"Fred! Truth or dare?" Bunko challenged.

"Dare, obviously," Fred answered readily.

"Do a handstand for ten seconds!" Bunko challenged.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Hiram asked.

"Dawg, it's my eyes that don't work, not my hands. I'll be Gucci," Fred insisted indignantly.

Fred attempted to do a handstand while the other two backed up to ensure they weren't in the way. Fred held the position for about two seconds before falling on his back.

"Close enough," Bunko giggled.

"...What? Who's there? Tara Spencer-Nairn?" Fred asked.

"It's... It's Bunko," Bunko told him.

"Hahaaaa! I know, I'm just yankin' your chain!" Fred laughed. "Hiram, truth or dare?"

"Uh, truth," Hiram decided.

"Bruv, you always pick truth," Fred complained. "Grow some balls!"

"He doesn't have to do anything he isn't comfortable with!" Bunko scolded Fred.

"No, you know what, I will do a dare," Hiram decided. "Mommy wanted me to break out of my comfort zone. How bad could a dare be?"

"That's the spirit!" Bunko gushed.

"Let Bunko give you a haircut," Fred grinned.

"What?!" Hiram gasped. "Wait, what makes you think I need a haircut? You're blind!"

"Damn, bruh, that hurted," Fred frowned.

"Hiram! Be more sensitive to Fred's disability!" Bunko reprimanded.

"Oh, come on! He's always up in arms about how everyone's always underestimating him," Hiram ranted.

"Yeah, and you underestimated me, dawg," Fred said as he ran his fingers through Hiram's hair.

"...Rowan has hairstyling equipment, right?" Hiram conceded.

"I'll go ask her!" Bunko perked up.

Bunko ran off.

"Alright, but real talk, Rowan's always talking about how you need to get your hair done," Fred said.

"Why didn't you just tell Bunko that?!" Hiram snapped.

"Because it was funny," Fred chuckled.

Hiram did not look impressed.

Jeremy and Rowan cuddled on the couch in the lower deck.

"Are you sure it's alright to let Bunko look through your bag and take your hairdressing stuff?" Jeremy asked.

"If anything happens to it, I have more at home," Rowan assured him. "Besides, this might be the last time we'll be able to spend time together in person for a while."

"I guess so," Jeremy blushed. "This is awfully nice."

"You know, even though I was voted out early, I'd still say it was worth coming all the way out here," Rowan told him.

"Oh, it was definitely worth it for the adventure alone!" Jeremy proclaimed.

"...And?" Rowan prompted.

"And?" Jeremy asked.

"Anyone, in particular, you're glad you got to meet?" Rowan clarified.

"Oh yeah, all sorts of people!" Jeremy agreed. "Dean and Wisdom were real nice, Ginger was pretty cool..."

"I see. You're just messing with me," Rowan giggled.

"Come on, I'm not that oblivious." Jeremy suddenly looked concerned. "...Is this a summer fling, or is there something here?"

"Well, that depends," Rowan said. "To be perfectly candid, the idea of a long-distance relationship does not appeal to me."

"Well, what does it depend on?" Jeremy asked.

"If you can change my mind," Rowan smiled.

"Why don't I fly you out to Yosemite next time I go?" Jeremy offered.

"Do you go often?!" Rowan gasped, taken aback.

"Once every couple of years. I was planning on having that be my next trip," Jeremy told her.

"Wouldn't that be expensive?" Rowan asked.

"Oh yeah, tickets are not cheap," Jeremy confirmed. "Not to mention food and lodging. But, damn, the experience of it all. Absolutely worth it."

"...I look forward to it," Rowan smiled. "I'd be willing to contribute as much of my own money towards this trip as you'll allow. I'd hate to bruise your ego."

"Come on, Ro. How could I have a bruised ego when I'm being accompanied by you?" Jeremy laughed.

Rowan hid the flattered embarrassment on her face with her hands.

Liberty had curled up to sleep in a corner of the lower deck. Kirkland sat next to her.

"So, even as we're about to see everyone for the last time, you're sleeping," Kirkland commented. "What sort of post-interaction galaxy brain must you have? I'm almost jealous."

"God, you're a prick," Liberty muttered. She sat up.

"You just hate us all that much that you're pretending to sleep so you don't have to talk to anyone," Kirkland hypothesized.

"Look, just because I let you steal my hat over and over to sate your urges doesn't mean we're friends," Liberty told him.

"Eugh. You make it sound so perverted when you word it like that," Kirkland groused.

"Maybe you are perverted," Liberty said. "I bet you knew who Rhiannon was before this show."

"If I'd seen any of her videos in the past, I couldn't tell you," Kirkland claimed. "And, please, as if you haven't taken notice of the boys, here. Bunko told me how flustered you got when Godfrey praised you on noticing something during the challenge."

"Maybe I don't get praised a lot," Liberty huffed.

"Probably because you're asleep when most people are awake, and vice versa," Kirkland said.

"Probably because I don't have any practical skills and only do okay in school," Liberty told him.

"Please. I know you're smarter than you let on," Kirkland told her.

"You might know that, but if I downplay that, then people won't expect so much of me. So don't go telling people," Liberty yawned.

"Or else what?" Kirkland scoffed, amused.

"Or else... I don't know. Too tired to think of anything," Liberty admitted.

"Sleep. Your secret is safe with me," Kirkland assured her.

"You're arrogant as all hell, but you know what, you're not the worst person I've ever met," Liberty said before going back to sleep.

"You know what? That's better than most people will say about me. I'll take it," Kirkland accepted.

Gretchen and Steve Jenkins leaned over the railing on the bow of the boat.

"This is going to be an all-time amazing season," Steve Jenkins claimed. "You know how I know that?"

"Because Steve Jenkins was on it?" Gretchen guessed.

"Damn, you are smart!" Steve Jenkins said, impressed.

"...I'm remembering something Nestor told me on day one," Gretchen mentioned.

"Nestor? Ah, forget him. He's a lamer," Steve Jenkins said.

"No, this is actually good," Gretchen assured him. "He said that the protagonist of a season never actually wins. And he isn't wrong. Unless you count Mike, which, ew, no."

"Who's Mike?" Steve Jenkins asked.

"My point is: even though I didn't win, I am still the protagonist of it all," Gretchen smiled. "Godfrey winning basically invalidates any status he might have had. And Ginger, please. Who is she compared to me?"

"Literally a top five lamer of this season," Steve Jenkins agreed. "I do wonder how they're going to salvage the episodes after the one where you get voted out."

"I genuinely have no idea. The final eight was trash," Gretchen claimed. "Eh, except Wisdom. She was alright."

"I barely know her, but if you say she's good, I believe you," Steve Jenkins figured.

"You're a strange one," Gretchen told him.

"If by 'strange' you mean 'on another plane above the rest of humanity', then yeah, I guess I am strange," Steve Jenkins winked.

"Well, regardless of what everyone thinks, this was our story," Gretchen told her friend confidently. "I bet I'll even get the last word of the season. As the protagonist should."

"Muffins!" Tegan proclaimed to no one in particular as she appeared out of nowhere.

WINNER:

Godfrey - The Mysterious Roboticist

Runner-Up:

Wisdom - The Question Asker

Eliminated Makani Island:

Hildegard - The Paladin

Virgil - The Sweet Tooth

Rhiannon - The Porn Star

Shadya - The Multi-Talented Braggart

Eliminated Apoy Island:

Ginger - The Snarky Robot

Nestor - The Total Drama Blogger

Gretchen - The Self-Proclaimed Protagonist

Bunko - The Ditzy Caricaturist

Elmer - The Brainy Boyfriend

Steve Jenkins - The Inflated Ego

Eliminated Kairi Island:

Dean - The Eternal Loser

Roxie - The Edgy Haiku Poet

Jeremy - The Passionate Mountaineer

Liberty - The Sleepyhead

Fred - The Energetic Blind Boy

Kun - The Insecure Leader

Eliminated Whenua Island:

Louise - The Brawny Girlfriend

Hiram - The Timid Mama's Boy

Kirkland - The Cynical Klepto

Rowan - The Lesser Target

Tegan - The Scene Girl

Jim - The Expecting Father

A/N: And that's the end of that! Total Drama Shuffle Party has crowned its winner! Actually, fun fact: neither Godfrey nor Wisdom were originally going to make the final two. Yes, this means that Godfrey was not the original winner I had planned when I had started writing the season. I'll let you all speculate on who the original winner was going to be, but for now, let's talk about the final two we did get.

After I finally unveiled Godfrey's true identity, I knew that, all along, this really was his story. Even when he was still Mark, a lot of the dynamics on both Team I Don't Know and the Brilliant Beaches revolved around him. The ultimate twist that he was Ginger's creator was, of course, going to bring even more attention to him, and since he was always going to outlast Ginger, I knew he'd need to play even harder for that to happen. Things just picked up from there, and I knew I had a real ~winner~ on my hands. As I've mentioned before, he was a part of a scrapped season that I'd teased on deviantART, but he wasn't even meant to win that. I am glad that I chose to tell his story in spite of his original season being scrapped, and I think I'm ultimately glad that I selected him to be my winner. Readers seemed to like him, and I definitely enjoyed writing him.

Wisdom was always going to make it relatively far in the game. I think 7th or 8th place was the lowest I'd ever had her. I wanted her to be such obvious gimmicky early boot fodder that ended up making it to the endgame in spite of everything, because I feel like I have a tendency to have my endgamers be kind of obvious, at least for the most part. Having her frame almost every sentence as a question did prove to be a challenge, but it's one that I was happy to take on. As for why she made it to the final two over apparent fan favorites like Hildegard or Rhiannon... Honestly, I think a big part of it is because not a lot of people wanted her to win compared to the others on Makani Island, if that makes any sense. A few people did think she was going to win, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't consider it when I started second-guessing my original winner. She may have been an underdog of sorts, but I don't think she ever had it in her to really win, at least not as much as Godfrey did.

So what's next? If you remember what I said at the end of Virtual Party, that still holds true. Now that Shuffle Party has concluded, it's going to be All-Stars! So keep your eyes peeled for that!