Because Chris loves to mess with everyone he can, especially Ridonculous Race host Don, he's becoming a total copycat.
And this time, the challenge has some changes. Sorry, Don. Chris is just a jerk.
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Chris' recap: "Last time on Total Drama Everything 2, three of our Moons were dealing with the consequences of their bet and Deadpool's actions, while Ivy was ready to make another big move. All she had to do was hypnotize Jak and lock Daxter in the cargo hold. Then, our two teams were sent to the Pokémon world, where each competitor was paired up with a cute, adorable destruction machine. Some duos kicked butt. Others just sucked. One person even got to keep their new friend as a pet. Aww….I wish I could pet little Muffy. Anyway, ultimate victory eventually went to Leo, who was practically given the win by hypnotized Jak. Leo then celebrated by trying to win over Julie. Then he was brutally turned down. Oooh, icy. As for Jak and Daxter, Jak's negligence eventually sent the dynamic duo off the plane, but not before exacting sweet revenge on Ivy, thanks to Mega Man. Lastly, Yusei may have found a new wrinkle in his deal with Lammy, as it turns out she had a legitimate reason to dump him like that. Who's getting their heart broken today? Will anyone even emerge from the challenge unscathed? Find out right here, right now. On Total. Drama. Everything 2!"
*theme song*
Mega Man looked down on his list. He had written down the things that he had been tasked with doing from his good-luck message from the future. The box next to "Give Toph a Hug" had already been checkmarked. Taking his pen, he then looked at "Give Daxter the Dirty Diaper".
After a second, he checkmarked that one too.
"I still have to give Harry the mice, give Sonic the ice pack, give Double D the roses, and somehow walk two steps to my left," he thought. "Just how the heck am I going to use these to protect potential Ivy targets?"
"You seem worried about something," said Moka, who happened to walk past. "Is something wrong?"
Silently, Mega Man shook his head. "Nothing."
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"Ivy had promised she would be good from here on out," said Mega Man. "The problem is that she has excellent persuasion skills. And from what I can tell, she's an expert in lying. I may have a tough task in my hands."
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At the same time, Mandy was watching a good-luck message from a familiar fan. It also came with a small package.
Mandy's good-luck message (submitted by Storygirl0000)
(We open up in what appears to be Unova's White Forest. Story is there, a belt of multicolored pokeballs around her waist.)
Story: Hey, Mandy! Congratulations on joining yet another villainous alliance this season. This guarantees either you or your partner will make it to the final three. I have a question, though...don't you think your rivalry with Gaz is a bit pointless? I mean, just because she's identical to you doesn't mean you have to hate her more than you usually hate people. Also, could you pass this on to Ivy?
(She holds up a green Friend Ball)
Story: Inside this pokeball is a Foongus that I've named Shroomy. I was hoping that Ivy could teach her that awesome pheromones trick in order to...um...advance my own plans. She'll follow her around until she learns the trick, then instantly teleport back to me. Thanks in advance!
*end*
Mandy took the Friend Ball out of the package. Looking at it, she looked at Ivy and beckoned her to follow her outside the room.
"Okay, what's this all about?" Ivy asked.
"I may have found us a willing student and partner in crime," Mandy replied, handing her the capsule.
(Meanwhile…)
In first class, Julie, Yusei, Double D, Ruby, and Sonic (who had been invited by Ruby) were all playing Monopoly at one of the tables. Currently, it was Julie's turn, and she was moving her top hat eight spaces.
"I do believe you just rolled on my property, Virginia Avenue," Double D pointed out. "You can pay the rent, I assume."
Julie nodded and readied the correct amount of Monopoly money, but as she did, she couldn't help but notice Leo on the other side of the room, reading a book. She sighed a little.
"Julie, are you okay?" Ruby asked. "You look a little distracted."
"It's nothing," Julie said. "Here's the rent, Double D."
Double D took the money, but also noticed Julie's sadness. "You've been like this for a couple of days. Clearly, something's on your mind."
In fact, Yusei already knew what. "You're still thinking about Leo, aren't you?"
Julie looked back at Leo, knowing Yusei was right. Ever since she had brutally turned Leo down like that, both of them were completely ignoring each other. So far, that was fine by Julie. Still, she HAD indeed hurt his feelings.
"You guys don't think I was too harsh on him, do you?" she asked the group.
"So you are still thinking about it?" Sonic asked.
Julie nodded. "I mean, I wasn't too harsh. How could I be? After all, he didn't sink into a deep depression like Yusei did. Oh, sorry, Yusei."
"It's fine."
"Considering that, there's no way I could have done Leo any harm. Right, guys?"
Sure enough, Julie expected to see everyone completely agree with her, and tell her their assent. She was disappointed when she noticed everyone playing Monopoly with her was silent. No one wanted to say what they thought.
Julie shook her head. "Let's not worry about that right now. Ruby, it's your turn."
Ruby nodded and took the dice. Meanwhile, Leo continued to read his book. As he did, he took an occasional glance at Julie. Luckily, he was too engrossed in reading to have heard the conversation that had just taken place.
As he read, Connie walked up to him. Soon, he noticed, and looked at her.
"Can I help you with anything, Connie?" he asked.
The sword wielder just shrugged. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay, after what happened with Julie."
"Is it really a concern to you?"
"Well, we're on the same team, so it is nice to know if you're alright. Besides…."
Leo finished for her. "You want to make sure I don't pull a Yusei and wallow in tears?"
"Pretty much."
"I heard that!"
"Sorry, Yusei."
Leo looked at Connie. "You don't have to worry about anything. I assure you, I'm over it. No heartbreak here. I'm perfectly fine."
Connie nodded. "Okay. Just checking." She looked over at Gaz, then back at Leo. "You know, at least you were brave enough for you to admit your true feelings to someone whom you like. You weren't shy about it at all."
This comment predictably angered Gaz, but she managed to keep her cool. "Excuse me while I get some air," she said as she exited the room, passing by Nom Nom as she went.
"Sheesh, what's with her?" Nom Nom asked.
"Boy troubles," Connie replied.
"Gaz? Boy troubles? Hilarious. Anyway, the Nohrian has a good-luck message." Nom Nom handed Leo the familiar device, then headed out to the cockpit.
Before he exited, he passed by Yusei. "You have a moment?" he whispered, barely loud enough for only Yusei to hear. Yusei nodded. "I'll be right back," he said to the rest of the Monopoly players.
After Yusei and Nom Nom closed the door, Leo turned on the device to start the message.
Leo's message (submitted by Storygirl000; also, Leo now holds the record for most messages over one season)
(We open up inside what appears to be an ordinary-looking warehouse. Story is there, sitting on a crate.)
Story: Hey again, Leo. I'm gonna get straight to the point here. (sighs) I saw what happened with Julie, and...it's not your fault. She broke up with her longtime boyfriend right before coming here, and is pretty confused on what she should do now. Just give her some time, maybe lay off the flirting for a bit...she'll come around eventually. Oh, and my previous offer still stands. I doubt you'll want to go home postgame anyways...
(An orange mouselike creature (Alolan Raichu) floats in, telekinetically holding a large set of blueprints titled "PLANS TO UTTERLY DESTROY THE NOHR KINGDOM". He points to something on it.)
Pikahuna: Rai rai?
Story: No, Pikahuna, the dynamite comes AFTER we poison their wells with Smile Dip.
Pikahuna: (nods) Rai. (floats offscreen)
Story: Anyways, good luck, Leo. (realization hits) Um, can we edit that last bit out?
*end*
Leo then made a mental note to find this fan and point out that he didn't want Nohr destroyed. He loved the kingdom he came from, though he wasn't exactly fond of the man ruling it, who just so happened to be his father.
As for Julie, he figured he would hear that. To tell the truth, he had stretched the truth a little when he told Connie he was fine. True, he wasn't going to let sadness get to him. He had already seen what heartbreak had done to Yusei. But still, he truly believed he had a chance with Julie. She was the first girl he had ever known who had resisted his attempts to charm her.
Then he thought of something Story had said. She broke up with her longtime boyfriend…
From what he remembered watching last season, that was this guy who had the interesting watch. Some guy named Ben.
Leo paused. Had Julie truly broken up with Ben? Is that why she shut Leo out?
(Just outside…)
"You actually believe that after everything, Leo has no chance with Julie?" Yusei asked.
"She's a tough girl," Nom Nom told him. "I know this because of how much she annoyed me last season. Leo won't stand a chance winning her heart any further."
"She's my friend. And I trust she'll do the right thing," Yusei said. "I fully believe she'll get over what happened with Ben."
"Wanna bet on it?"
"Last time I was involved in a bet, Deadpool nearly destroyed the Nohr castle throne room."
"Then we'll just bet five bucks each on whether or not Leo will finally win over Julie."
"Sounds fair. You're on."
They shook hands to seal the deal, the the intercom came on. "Everyone, we're about to land at our next destination. And since the runway is short, you guys are all going to have to jump."
"Oh no," Yusei and Nom Nom both said. Nom Nom went to the cockpit, and Yusei went back inside first-class to prepare to jump.
The plane landed on the runway, and one by one, the competitors all jumped out of the plane. When it was Double D's turn to jump, he hesitated. "Is everyone sure this is safe?" he asked.
Then, Gaz rolled her eyes and pushed him off. "Big baby," she said as she jumped after him.
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"I am going to kill Moka for making me realize it," Gaz seethed. "And Connie too, for making me admit it."
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"Couldn't you have just gotten us to a better runway?" Harry asked.
"Why would I?" Chris asked. "This was too fun to resist. Heh heh."
Everyone looked around. "This place seems familiar," Double D said.
"It is a familiar place, Double D," Chris told him. "Everyone, welcome to Zimbabwe."
"Now I remember," Julie said. "I watched the Ridonculous Race, and they came to this very place."
Chris nodded. "In fact, because I feel the need to make a certain someone suffer, I am going to redo the Selfie Safari challenge, but with some changes."
"I feel so bad for Don right now," said Moka.
"Here's how this is going to go. If you look to your left, you will see two Jeeps. The silver one is for the Moons, and the gold one goes to the Stars. Both teams are going to race their Jeeps to the Zambezi River, where two inflatable rafts will be waiting for them, along with a simple waterproof camera.
"The teams will then ride their rafts for several hundred feet until they reach Victoria Falls, which is twice as long as Niagara Falls."
He faced the camera. "Hear that, North America? Just like Don had said, your waterfalls are getting OWNED!"
He cleared his throat. "Anyway, once you've reached the waterfall, you're going to go down the waterfall while one person takes a wicked picture of your entire team. If you are unable to take the picture, the whole team will have to climb back up WITH the raft and try again.
"The next part is a little complicated. After you have the picture, you'll ride downstream for a bit, until you get to a set of camping supplies. There is a set for each team, and you'll know which one's yours. Take the supplies, and you'll set off for an overnight trip to the finish line. A GPS will be provided. During the journey, you will use your camera and take pictures of seven different animals that you find. Each team member also has to be in one picture each. And you are not allowed to hurt any of the animals out here. Being in jail only once is enough for me. Shooting Stars, since you're one member short, one of you will have to be in two pictures."
The Stars all groaned.
"The first team to make it to the finish line with every team member accountable, and with every picture you need, will win invincibility and first class. Any questions?"
Everyone raised their hands.
"No questions then? Alright. Everyone, move it."
Both teams then ran to the Jeeps.
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"Is anyone else a little nervous?" Moka asked.
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"Great, a waterfall," said Sonic. "More water."
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Soon, both Jeeps were speeding down the road, neck and neck. Ivy was driving for the Stars, and Yusei was driving for the Moons.
"Is this as fast as this thing can go?" Gaz asked.
Yusei checked the speedometer. "Pretty much."
At the same time, Mandy was getting impatient. "This tin can runs too slow. It's going to take ages to get to the waterfall."
"What do you want to do about it?" Mega Man asked. "Run them off the road?"
"Yes!"
That was the only excuse Ivy needed. Right away, she started driving to her left. As quickly as possible, she used the Jeep and rammed the Moons, who all held on as they were almost pushed off the road. Luckily, Yusei regained control.
"So that's how you guys want to do it?" Gaz yelled. "Bring it on then."
"Yusei?" Ruby asked.
"Got it." Yusei then rammed the side of the Stars' Jeep, and they were also almost pushed off the road.
Double D was groaning. "Can't I ever have a peaceful car ride?"
"This is more fun than bumper cars at the amusement park," Ruby said, laughing.
"Then this will be thrilling!" Ivy exclaimed. Then she had Mega Man take the wheel while she climbed over the Jeep. Soon, several vines were sprouting up from the ground and lashing at the Moons, who had to swerve back and forth to avoid them.
"Will you quit that?" Leo asked. "You're going to drive us off the road!"
"That's the idea!"
Soon, it was an all-out battle. Leo was using his tomb to conjure boulders as obstacles, Ruby was firing in front of the Stars with Crescent Rose, Mega Man was trying to hold the Moons back with a black hole, Harry was firing Stunning Spells, and several other things were happening all at once.
"Why does this remind us of something?" Mega Man asked.
"This scenario does seem like it's happened before," Mandy added.
Yusei looked at the Stars. "Julie, take the wheel."
Julie nodded. At the same time, Ivy was still using her vines.
"I haven't had this much fun since last time I broke out of Arkham Asylum!" she cackled.
Harry looked. "Ivy, you might want to look out."
"Why?"
"Because the Moons just brought out the cavalry."
"What cavalry?"
"Go Scrap Fist!"
Hearing this, Ivy looked, and a giant metal fist was speeding to her.
"Eeep!"
She jumped out of the way just in time, them popped up in fury.
"I would appreciate it if Junk Warrior stayed out of this!"
"Too bad!"
Ivy then shook her head. "Alright, then." She then grew two vines out of the ground and extended them to grab onto the back of the Moons' Jeep, pulling it back as the Stars drove past.
"Connie, cut the vine," said Double D. Connie grabbed her sword and easily severed the vines, freeing the Jeep so it could keep going.
By this point, the Stars had made it to the river, where they found the liferafts and the camera.
"Whoever's in the back will have to take the picture," Mega Man told the team. "Everyone, let's do this."
While they were getting onto their raft, the Moons were arriving at the area too.
"We probably shouldn't pick another fight right now," Yusei said. "Let's get this over with."
With that, both teams were on the raft and headed towards the waterfall. On the Stars' raft, two teammate were taking extra precautions.
"You brought your own life jackets?" Harry asked Sonic.
"There isn't another life jacket stronger than this one."
"Okay then."
As for Moka, she had asked Harry to cast a water-repellant spell on her..
"I think this is the most peculiar request I've ever had when it comes to using my magic," Harry said.
"And I'm sure you'll have more bizarre ones," Mandy said. "Now, since Harry is at the back of the raft, he's taking the picture."
Harry nodded. "In fact, I have a way for this to be easy." He looked at the camera. "Wingardium Leviosa."
The camera started to float in the air above their heads. "I also cast a nonverbal spell on it so I can take the picture when we're ready."
"Not bad, Harry," said Mega Man.
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"Hermione said that spell would come in handy," Harry said. "She was right. Again."
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The Moons were getting their life jackets on while the raft was traveling down the river. "There's a lot of competition," Julie said, "but I think this is going to be the most dangerous thing I've done on this show."
"Anyone else scared?" Connie asked.
"Not me," Gaz said. In fact, she was more worried that she was sitting in the back with Double D (there was plenty of room for both, since they were the smallest on the team).
Double D was shaking. "I'm about to go down a giant waterfall. And we'll have to take a picture for the ride. Someone here is seriously not nervous?"
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"If I die, I have a few things to say," said a very scared Double D. "To my mother and father, I'm sorry I accidentally placed that shirt in the wrong drawer right before I left for this season. Ed and Eddy, you two are the best friends and comrades I have ever had. But Eddy, I hope you paid Nazz back for wrecking her living room during that last scam."
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Soon, both teams were nearing the waterfall. "When we go down there, everybody hang on tightly," Mega Man said. "If not, you're toast."
"Easy for you to say," said Harry. "You're a bloody robot."
"Touché."
On the Moons' boat, they were also nervous.
"So I guess I'm taking the picture?" Double D asked.
"Oh, give me the camera," Gaz said. "You're too much of a wuss to do this."
Double D shook his head. "I'm already about to go over Victoria Falls. There's not much else I can be afraid of."
"I highly doubt that."
"Will one of you just decide who takes the picture?" Julie asked them.
Gaz glared at her. "Better me than this crybaby over here."
At this time, the Stars were about to go over. "Is everybody ready?" Mega Man asked.
Everyone nodded.
"Harry, do you have the camera ready?"
"Yes."
"Then let's hope we don't die. Here we GOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Click!
The picture was successfully taken, and it showed the Stars all screaming. The raft, and its passengers, all landed in the water.
After a second or two, everyone surfaced, still holding onto the raft.
"If I had the choice of doing that again and going on a date with Amy…." Sonic said.
"Yeah?" Moka asked.
"Let's just say I don't want it to be a simple walk through a park."
(Back on top of the falls…)
"Gaz, I can do this."
"I beg to differ, sockhead."
Leo snapped, "Guys, we're about to go over the falls. Hurry it up."
Double D nodded. "Gaz, what makes you think I can't do this?"
"Your track record speaks for itself."
"I'm not that weak!"
"You had to ask for my help to open a pickle jar the other day. Just let me take it."
"I'm sure I loosened the jar for you."
"Keep telling yourself that, and one day, you'll believe it."
At this point, the team was just about to go over. Twenty feet...ten feet…
"JUST TAKE THE PICTURE!" the rest of the team exclaimed.
Even Gaz was startled by this. Both were so shocked that just as the team went over, they both grabbed the camera and took the picture.
Click!
And every single member screamed as they went down, holding onto the raft for dear life.
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"We here at Total Drama care for the health and, uh, well-being of our competitors," Chris said, reading from a script. "All safety precautions were made to make sure they didn't get hurt."
He quickly opened the window and threw the script out, then closed it again. "If I ever have to read that again, I'm going to freak out."
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The raft eventually surfaced, with all the Moons still holding on.
"I thought we were done for," Double D said.
Then he and Gaz noticed their hands were both still on the camera. Both stared for five seconds before Gaz slapped Double D.
"Will you quit touching my hand before I snap it?" she asked. Connie saw this and shook her head.
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"Why won't she just tell him?" Connie asked. "She likes him, and I know he likes her back. Why won't she just tell him how she feels?"
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"I guess all we need to do now is head downstream, get the camping supplies, and take more pictures?" Ruby asked.
"Pretty much," Yusei told her.
(Meanwhile…)
The Stars were all traveling by the steady current down the Zambezi river, looking for their stuff.
"Moka, can I ask you something?" Sonic asked.
"Sure, what is it?"
"Do you think I stand a chance dating Ruby?"
Moka smiled. "I knew you like her."
"How could I not? She and I have so much in common. Fast, free-spirited, goes wherever the wind blows. When I first met her, her last name made me nervous. I thought she would be too much like Amy. Yet, I can't really say anything bad about her."
"Well, if that's the case, all you need to do is do what you do best. Just act normal. There has to be something about you that made Amy fall for you in the first place, after all."
"Did you have to remind me of that?"
"Sonic, I'm sure you'll be fine."
Soon, they came to a large set of bags, holding various survival stuff. On top of the set was a small golden flag with the Stars' logo.
"Let's take some pictures," Mega Man said. "Everyone grab a bag."
As he said this, the Moons also arrived at their designated spot with their stuff (which was several hundred feet away from the Stars). Theirs was marked with a silver flag bearing the Moons' logo.
As they disembarked, Ruby tapped Leo on the shoulder. "What is it, Ruby?"
"Imagine you were in love with a hedgehog who happened to be very fast. How would you try and get their attention?"
Leo raised an eyebrow. "You like Sonic, don't you?"
"Is it that obvious?"
"Yes, actually. Why are you asking me about this?"
"Because from what I understand, you know everything there is to know about love."
Leo couldn't argue with that, but he said, "Actually, I apparently know less about love than I originally thought." As he said this, he looked at Julie, who was checking what was inside the bag she had picked up.
"For what it's worth, I'm really sorry about Julie," Ruby stated.
"Don't worry about it. As for Sonic, you two are so alike that you can be yourself and it won't be too hard. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he liked you right back."
"Hey, is everyone ready?" Julie asked the rest of the team. Everyone gave the thumbs up.
(Back at the Stars' spot…)
"Who's ready to go?" Mega Man asked. The team all nodded.
With that, both teams set off into the African wilderness.
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"I really hope I don't have to be the one to take a picture with a lion," said Double D.
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After an hour of searching, the Moons finally came across their first animal: an antelope.
"Who wants to volunteer for this one?" Julie whispered.
Just as she said this, Ruby took the camera and sped to the antelope. Then, she went right next to it, and before the antelope could react, she took a selfie with it, leaving it blinded. Ruby then hurried back to her team.
"I guess that's one way to do it," said Yusei. "One down, six to go."
(Meanwhile…)
Mandy walked up to a large rhino. "Let's see if you are really as tough as you look," she said. The rhino soon looked at her, ready to charge.
But Mandy didn't move. She just stood there, unflinching. And remember how that stare had scared Fang the shark?
Well, the rhino soon started crying at the fact that this devil child was staring at him with murderous intent. In fact, he was so scared that he was the one that took the picture of himself and Mandy, then ran away, crying.
"Pathetic," Mandy said as the rhino ran off.
"Why didn't you do that to the minotaur at Yokai Academy?" Harry asked.
"Because I didn't care. Besides, didn't Miss Split Personality handle it well?"
"Good point."
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"Miss Split Personality?" Moka asked. "Has she called me that any other time?"
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The challenge proceeded pretty much that same way. After three hours, both teams had their second pictures: Yusei had been able to take a picture with a giraffe, and Mega Man had also found an antelope and taken a picture with it easily.
"Anyone want to guess who I'm thinking of to pass the time?" Sonic asked.
"We have nothing better to do," Ivy told him. "Have at it."
"Okay. I'm thinking of a man. Early thirties, a television show host, is a complete jerk."
Mandy raised an eyebrow. "Chris?"
"Yep."
(Meanwhile…)
Chris was sitting in the video room of the plane. Clearly, he was unamused.
"You're one funny hedgehog," he said through clenched teeth.
(Back with the Stars…)
"Now I'm thinking of someone else. She has reddish-black hair, wears a cool dress with a combat skirt, and wields a scythe/sniper rifle hybrid."
"Will you stop thinking of Ruby?" Ivy snapped. "We need to focus."
Sonic sighed. "Okay, okay! What am I thinking of now? I got it. Has several black and white stripes, is related to a horse, and is-"
"A zebra?" Harry asked. "I thought you were thinking about people?"
"I was, but we just passed a whole herd of zebras, and they popped into my head-oh."
Mandy facepalmed. "Why didn't you tell us?" she asked as they ran back and saw the herd.
Sure enough, there were a lot a zebras. "Who wants to take a picture?" Mega Man asked. "Go out and pick one."
"I'll do it," said Sonic. Then Mega Man handed him the camera, and as fast as Sonic could, he got to the closest zebra and took his picture with it, then ran back to the team.
"You gotta love speedsters," Moka said.
Sonic cheered in victory. "YEAH!"
"Uh, Sonic?" Mega Man said.
"Yeah?"
"We have a problem."
The flash from the camera had startled several of the zebras, and Sonic's cheering had startled the rest. And now the entire herd was charging at the Stars.
"Should we run?" Moka asked.
Mega Man muttered, "Yeah."
And everyone started running as fast as they could, away from the herd and to a tall rock. Sonic was at the rock in a split second, while the rest of the team just barely made it. Everyone hurried behind the rock just as the herd ran past.
After several terrifying seconds, every last zebra had gone past the team.
"That was way too close," Harry said.
"Maybe we should keep it down around the animals from here on out," Sonic said.
Ivy nodded. "You think?"
"Where do you think the herd went?" Moka asked. "Should the others be worried?"
"Probably," Mega Man said. "I hope they're okay."
(Meanwhile…)
Julie had just finished her picture with a rhino, which, luckily, didn't have a care in the world.
"And another one down," she said. "So who's left?"
"Myself, Gaz, Connie, and Leo," Double D replied.
Ruby was fidgeting with Crescent Rose. "And we haven't found anything too scary yet. That's good."
They kept walking for several minutes, looking for another animal to take a picture of.
"Wait….do you guys hear that?" Yusei asked.
Most of the team nodded. There was something going on in the distance.
And it was getting louder…..
"Anyone else scared?" Double D asked.
"Double D, you're always scared," Gaz said.
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"She does have a point," Leo said.
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"She's right," Double D groaned.
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The team reached a high rock just as they saw the same herd of zebras the Stars had encountered earlier.
"What happened that caused them to go so crazy?" Connie asked.
"I don't know," said Julie.
"Most likely, it might have been a loud noise that startled them," Double D said. "Maybe a bright flash. We can only guess."
The herd got closer to the rock, and as it did, the rock started to vibrate more and more. Everyone had to hold on to the rock. "Why didn't we crouch behind this thing?" Gaz asked.
"You don't have much time to think when a bunch of zebras are coming after you," Leo replied.
"Uh, I believe it's called a herd," Double D pointed out.
The rock was vibrating a lot at this point, and as the herd reached the team, Julie suddenly slipped.
"Julie!" Connie exclaimed as the team tried to grab her, but they were too late, and Julie fell off the rock.
Fortunately, she landed on one of the zebras, which protected her from getting trampled on, but now she was being carried further away from the team.
"Guys, I am freaking out here!" she called out.
"Julie, just hang on!" Yusei called. "Any ideas?"
Leo nodded. "I got one. Guys, cover me!"
Everyone looked at him, thinking he was crazy. But then Leo got out his tome and raised the rock the Moons were standing on, protecting the rest of the team from the zebras. Then he jumped off the rock and landed astride one of the zebras. Of course, he had the camera, so he quickly took a picture of himself on the zebra, then threw the camera at the team. Then he quickly used his tome again to make a giant barrier, splitting the herd into two groups.
(Author's Note: Toph would be proud.)
Then he manipulated the barrier so that it pulled Julie off the zebra she was on, then it pushed her to the rock where the rest of the team was. Leo was about to get to the barrier and do the same thing, but as he did, the zebra he was riding suddenly jumped, startling him and making him drop his tome.
"Nuts," he said. He managed to get the zebra to ride away from the rest of the herd, but then it went out of control and started running far away from everyone else, who couldn't do anything about it because they couldn't see him past the herd.
By the time every last zebra had left the area, Leo was nowhere to be seen.
"This is not good," Julie said. "Where did he go?"
Double D checked the GPS. "I see him on this, but he's too far away."
"You don't think he got hurt, do you?" Julie asked.
"He's too skilled to get hurt," Gaz said. "Besides, I thought you didn't care about him."
Yusei turned on his walkie-talkie (each member of both teams was given one, just in case). "Leo? Are you there?"
All he got was static. "Nothing," he said.
Julie was biting her lip. "I hope he's okay."
"And he is," Yusei reassured her. "I'm sure of it. The only thing we can do now is search for him while getting the rest of the pictures." He looked at the camera. "Looks like he managed to take one while the zebras were running past."
"In the meantime, we should all check our walkie-talkies and try to reach him," Double D said.
The team nodded, then they all climbed off the rock and continued. Everyone also noticed how worried Julie looked as she picked up Leo's tome off the ground.
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"The same girl who brutally turned Leo down is now worried this much about him?" Gaz asked. "We knew she liked him, but this is surprising."
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Julie was banging her head on the wall. "Why, why, why?"
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"Can you stop now?!" Leo was screaming as he held onto the runaway zebra for dear life. "I'm feeling sick over here!"
After a few seconds, the zebra suddenly bucked Leo off his back, and he landed face first on the ground, twenty feet away, the zebra then ran off and left him behind.
"Thanks for nothing," Leo groaned as he got up.
After he dusted himself off, he looked around to see where he was. The first thing he noticed was that he couldn't see his team. Of course, this fact worried him. He didn't have the GPS, so he had no idea where he was. He still had his walkie-talkie, so that was good. And the team had the camera, so they could continue the challenge. The only wrinkle in that was that the entire team had to be present at the finish line, but Leo figured he would worry about that later.
However, what also worried him was that he only had a small backpack containing a water bottle and some snacks, which might not last long out in the wilderness.
The scariest fact, however, was that he didn't have his tome, Brynhildr. Of course. He had dropped it when the zebra dashed.
While Leo was fairly skilled with a sword, his tome was usually what he relied on when it came to most situations. Not having it spooked Leo a little bit. Besides, he didn't have his emergency sword with him. He had left it on the plane.
"Okay, Leo," he told himself. "Don't get freaked out over this. Freaking out isn't going to get you back to your team. The only thing to do is find the team."
He looked at his walkie-talkie, then turned it on. Thankfully, it worked.
"Guys, can you hear me?" he said.
(Meanwhile…)
"I got something!" Connie said. Leo had reached her own walkie-talkie. Everyone ran to listen in. "Leo, are you okay?" Connie asked.
"I'm fine," said Leo from the other end. "Is everyone else okay too?"
"We are all okay," Double D said. "Where are you?"
"I wish I knew. That zebra just carried me to the middle of nowhere. I don't have my tome, and the amount of supplies I have is not very promising."
Yusei asked, "Do you think you will still be able to find us?"
"I think so."
"Then do whatever it takes," Ruby said. "We'll continue the challenge. Don't worry about us. Just make it back and don't die."
Leo sighed. "Okay. I'm on it. I'll see you guys la-"
Leo's batteries ran out at that moment, and Connie's walkie-talkie ran silent.
"Chris gave his walkie-talkie cheap batteries," Connie said. "Dang it."
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"I didn't have enough good batteries," Chris explained. "So I had to use some old ones for one of the walkie-talkies. Don't blame me. I got them from my TV remote, and let's just say Chef hogs it too much."
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"Old batteries," Leo said. "Wonderful."
Luckily, the zebra had left some decent footprints. "Okay. At least I have a trail."
So he started following the trail of footprints. "Usually, when I picture my life, being all alone in Africa and following a zebra's footprints never comes to mind."
As for his team, they were all frustrated. Especially Julie.
"I'm going to throttle Chris when this challenge ends," she said.
"We'll worry about that later," Double D said. "Let's go."
Julie nodded. Then she muttered to herself, "Leo, if you die out here, I'm going to kill you."
(Later…)
"And that's our double picture taken care of," Mega Man said. He had just taken a picture of an elephant.
Ivy smiled. "That looks like four photos are done. Now all we need is myself, Moka, and Harry."
They continued walking, and this gave Mandy the chance to have a conversation with Ivy.
"Sonic and Ruby. I can tell they're starting to get closer. They played Monopoly together earlier today."
"I heard. Very interesting. Two speedsters, very similar in personality. Could be very dangerous down the road."
Mandy nodded. "Think we should go after them?"
"No. For them, we'll bide our time. After what happened with Deadpool, everyone will become suspicious if we get involved. We'll do better to wait until everyone realizes what we think will happen."
"That this duo will work together? There's strength in numbers, and if these two become a couple, they may become too strong, and may wind up as the final two."
"Exactly. Once everyone else realizes this, we'll strike."
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"Personally, I only hope to eliminate one of the speedsters for my own protection," Ivy said. "Mandy can take care of herself."
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Leo was mimicking his father while he was walking. "'Leo, I must ask you a favor.' 'Of course, Father. What is it?' 'I have heard of a reality show that's getting popular throughout the kingdom, and The Great Anankos advised that one of the royal family should compete.' 'And?' 'I have decided it shall be you who will compete and bring glory to the family and the entire kingdom of Nohr. And Leo, I order you to come back with victory in your hands.' 'Of course, Father'. 'And what business do you have that requires your shirt collar to be inside out? Fix it at once!' 'Yes, Father.'"
He sighed. "I have to remember to talk to Anankos when this is over."
Then he looked at his shirt collar. It usually popped out on its own, and he was usually embarrassed by it, but he had recently kept it like that, hoping it would make him look cooler to Julie.
Julie.
The only reason Leo still wanted to play the game at this point. That, and the wrath from his father should he lose, especially after the Deadpool incident.
In fact, now that Leo thought about it, he wound up lost in Africa in the first place because he was protecting the rest of the team from the zebras, especially Julie, who had wound up in the middle of the herd.
Even after what had happened, there wasn't anything Leo wouldn't do for Julie.
(Later…)
After a few more hours, both teams had managed to get their fifth pictures taken care of: Gaz had the luck of taking a picture of a leopard while it was sleeping, and Moka got a giraffe. However, there was no way they would be able to take another picture for the day, as it was soon getting late.
"Yep," Double D said. "We only have a couple hours of daylight left, so we're going to have to find a place to camp."
Julie nodded. "But we can't just pick any spot out in the open," she said.
"And I don't think the chances are likely that we'll find a cave out here," Yusei added.
"Hey, guys," Ruby said. "I found a cave."
She pointed to a dark cave not far from where they stood.
"How about that?" Yusei asked in disbelief.
They walked to the cave, where Yusei brought out Junk Warrior again just in case there was something in the cave. Luckily, there wasn't.
"This place is as good as anywhere, I guess," Connie said.
Once they put down their bags, everyone sat down. "Ruby, does Leo still register on the GPS?"
Ruby checked. "Yes."
Julie noticeably sighed in relief, but then everyone stared as Double D pulled something out of his hat. He started typing something on it, then out popped a label, which he put on the cave wall.
"Cave wall?" Gaz asked, reading the label. "What are you doing, sockhead?"
"Apologies, but I prefer my sleeping arrangements to be perfectly labeled."
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"So that's why I always have to peel off those labels near where Double D sleeps every night," Chef said.
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(Author's Note: I never mentioned this in the first story, but every part of Double D's bed last season had been labeled by him.)
A few people shook their heads. "I think I'm going to get some firewood," Gaz said.
"I'll help," Connie said.
Gaz sighed in frustration. "Fine." Both walked out of the cave.
After about a minute of gathering sticks, Gaz asked. "Okay, Connie. What do you want?"
"I want to know why you haven't admitted to Double D that you like him."
"For the last time, it's none of your business. Now will you focus on the firewood?"
Connie shook her head. "I just thought, that after everything that's happened, you would tell him by now."
"Such as?"
"Ruby and Sonic are head over heels for each other. They haven't admitted it to each other yet, but they aren't exactly hiding their feelings either, unlike you. Then there's Julie and Leo. Leo may have gotten turned down, but at least he told Julie how he felt. Besides, the reason he got lost is because he was protecting Julie from the zebras. And don't even get me started on Lammy and Yusei."
Gaz was getting furious. "Why is this such a big deal?"
"Because I know, deep down, that Double D feels the same way about you."
Finally, Gaz cracked. "Do you really want to know why I haven't told him, nor will I ever want to?"
She sat down. "It's because this isn't supposed to happen to me. Not me. I'm not supposed to fall in love. I'm me. I'm supposed to win the million dollars so I can rub it in my stupid brother's face. I spend my time not caring about anything except pizza and video games. I'm the kind of girl who strikes fear into whoever crosses me. I do not exaggerate when I say that the whole world will fall out of balance if I do not get whatever I want. That's me.
"And the kind of person is who I want to stay as. That kind of person shouldn't fall in love. It's just not me."
Connie stood silent for several moments.
"Now do you understand?" Gaz asked. "I'm just not that person. I hope this answer satisfies your curiosity, which you have way too much of."
Both went back to gathering firewood. "I do understand," Connie said. "But you have it all wrong. If you think love's going to change you, you're mistaken. I happen to believe love is for everyone. If you weren't cut out for it, you wouldn't have fallen in love with Double D in the first place."
Connie then took her firewood and brought it back to the cave, leaving Gaz standing there.
"If only I believed that," she said. Then she followed Connie back to the cave.
(Meanwhile…)
"How could I have lost the zebra trail?" Leo asked himself, panting. "This is insane."
By this point, Leo had used up all of his supplies, which wasn't hard to do with the climate. And he was exhausted. On top of that, he had, of course, lost the trail of zebra footprints.
"If I make it out of this alive, I'm going to pay Xander the five dollars I owe him when this is all over."
He was starting to run out of energy. In fact, he knew that he would have to get out of the open before he would pass out.
Luckily, he soon spotted a large tree. He started walking towards it, and five minutes later, he was under the branches. He stood with his back to the trunk, panting.
"At least I can sleep for a bit," he said. He then lay down on the ground and was out within seconds.
(Back at the cave…)
Every inch of the cave had been labeled by Double D by the time Connie and Gaz had gotten back with the firewood. "I'm not even going to comment," Gaz said as she and Connie dropped the wood at the cave center. Ruby checked the bags and found a pack of matches.
"We should also still have plenty of food left," Double D said. "That's good."
Suddenly, they heard footprints outside. "What's going on out there?" Yusei asked.
The entire team went outside to check it out, expecting a lion or something. What they got was a much more welcoming sight, despite it including Ivy. It was the Stars.
"This cave's already taken?" Sonic asked. "Dang it."
"There's actually plenty of room," Ruby said. "We can share."
(One hour later…)
All twelve competitors were sitting around the fire. "I just noticed," Harry said. "You guys seem one short. Where's Leo?"
The Moons told the Stars the whole story, with the zebra stampede, Julie winding up in the middle of the herd, and Leo getting rushed out of sight. By the time they were done, the Stars all had guilty looks, especially Sonic.
"I may have started that stampede," he told the others. "Sorry."
"It's fine," Julie said.
"It was just one mistake," said Ruby.
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"I once tried to take out a Deathstalker on my own and wound up in over my head," Ruby said. "Believe me, Sonic's in good company."
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"We've been checking his location on the GPS," Connie told the Stars. "He's still okay, but he's too far away for us to do a proper search."
Julie was looking at the ground. "Who knows what he has dealt with?" she asked. "If anything, there might be something out there killing him."
Leo was missing, and Julie knew it was all her fault.
(Meanwhile…)
The first thing Leo could instantly tell was that he wasn't lying on dirt and rocks. No, he was on something nice, not too soft but reasonably comfortable. Maybe a mat of some sorts. The next thing he realized was that he wasn't under that tree anymore.
And the last, most crucial thing, was that he was not alone.
He opened his eyes, and found himself in a small hut, where a fire was blazing right next to him. Nearby, there was an old man sitting down on another mat, not paying attention to him.
Leo then sat up. "Hey, where am I?" he asked.
The man looked over and smiled. "Good to see you bright eyed. Don't worry, exhaustion gets to everyone out here. How are you feeling, Leo?"
"Fine, I guess. But how do you know my name?"
(Author's Note: This old man is actually an alien from another planet. I made him up myself for this chapter. His name is not revealed into this chapter, so let's call him "The Old Man".)
"I know all there is to know about all things," said the Old Man as he handed Leo some water. "So let's see if I have this right. Leo, youngest son of King Garon of Nohr, and a competitor on the reality show Total Drama. Am I correct?"
Leo nodded. "Pretty much."
"I found you asleep under that tree, so I brought you here, to my little hut. I figured this might be a better place to sleep than dirt and rocks. Personally, I hope your relationship problems get better."
"You know about that too?"
The Old Man nodded. "In fact, she also has feelings for you. I can tell. As for why she has shut you out, I think that's up to her to find out."
"If she ever wants to talk to me again."
"And what are you going to do about your father? I understand you two have always been at odds, and an incident with another competitor made things worse."
The memory of Deadpool's night of crazy came right back to Leo. "Thanks for reminding me."
"It's not a pleasant thought, is it? Well, I understand you have an invite from a fan to stay at their place."
Leo nodded again.
The Old Man smiled and said, "It's nice to know people care about you. Your father will not be happy if don't win."
"No, and that's why I really want to win that money. That, and Julie."
"Love. A worthy motivation."
Leo looked out the window. "It is."
He then looked at the Old Man. "Thanks for your help, by the way."
"My , it's dark, so you won't be able to set out for your friends until the morning. Until then, I suggest you sleep."
"Okay." Leo then lay down on the mat, thinking.
Julie…..she does like him…..he smiled as he fell back asleep.
(Back at the cave…)
"So then, the couple hears this weird sound coming from outside the room," Gaz said, telling a scary story to the others. And it was working, as everyone else was pretty scared.
"The girl asks 'What was that?', and the guy shrugs. Deciding to check it out, they both walk slowly to the doorknob. And the guy reaches out to turn it so they can open the door."
Double D was shaking. "Don't open the door. Don't open the door."
"So they open the door, and at first, they see nothing out of the ordinary. Both assume there's nothing to be afraid of, but then, another door swings open, and both the guy and the girl scream. Right there, in front of them, is a dead body. Not a stitch of clothing on, covered in blood-most of it his own, but not all of it-and with its face ripped out.
"No one ever saw those two again. And they say this killer roams the earth, hunting for its next victim. So be wary, for if you are not careful, this monster may just come out and-"
"RRRRRRROOOOOOAAAAAARRRRRR!"
Everyone (except Mandy) screamed. And Double D wouldn't get out of the fetal position for fifteen minutes after that.
"You guys are so gullible," Gaz said. She pulled out a camcorder. "I may have recorded Shrek's roar from when you guys did that talent show. A few adjustments to the sound level and quality, and you have a pocket Shrek roar."
"Not funny, Gaz," said Moka. "When you're able to scare a vampire, you know you've done well in scaring."
Everyone nodded.
"It wasn't that scary," Mandy said, rolling her eyes.
"Like you could do better," Gaz snapped.
"I could, but I don't want to."
Julie looked at them. "Hey, you've been a little off today," Harry said. "Is something wrong, Julie?"
"It's nothing. I'm fine."
The others didn't believe her. "Come on," Mega Man said. "What's wrong?"
Julie looked down on the ground. "It was all my fault."
"What do you mean?" Connie asked.
"It's my fault Leo's missing. If I hadn't turned him down as brutally as I did, he wouldn't have felt the need to protect me from the zebras. Yusei could have done it without endangering himself. All he had to do was bring out Stardust Dragon, and they would all get scared. In fact, he was trying to do the very same thing before Leo beat him to it."
Yusei nodded. "She's right."
"And now, Leo's in danger, and it's my fault. First Deadpool leaving, and now this?"
The group realized just how much stuff they had all gone through on this show. Heck, some people have already been through a whole season's worth of drama.
"Why the heck did I even sign up for this show in the first place?" Julie asked. "If I had, Ben and I would still be together, and I wouldn't be feeling so guilty right now."
This raised a certain question. "Yeah, why did you enter this show?" Sonic asked.
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"Oh great," said Mandy. "Bring on the share fest."
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"Ben and I simply entered so one of us could win the money and make new friends," Julie said. "I did make new friends, but I lost something too. Ben. This makes me wonder. Why did we all enter?"
"I hope to win the money so my father/creator, Doctor Light, could better expand his research," Mega Man explained. "We could find so many incredible new things that could make the world a better place and keep Doctor Wily from taking it over all the time."
Gaz shrugged. "I just wanted to get away from my stupid town. Everyone I know there is an idiot. The only person back home who I truly love is my dad, and even that's problematic, since I rarely see him in person. Only on a monitor screen. He's a scientist, so he's always working."
"Your dad's a scientist too?" Mega Man asked.
"Yep."
"Same here," Yusei said.
"Oh? What does he do?"
Yusei hesitated. "I don't want to talk about it."
"I joined the show so I could use the money and help out Yokai Academy," said Moka. "Their funds have been a little low recently."
Sonic nodded. "I go where the wind takes me. In truth, I only entered this show for the fun of it. And to get away from Amy."
"And that worked so well," Mandy said, sarcastically.
"Funny."
Connie looked at her sword. "I wanted a place where I could see how the Gems' teachings could serve me outside of fighting Gem Monsters."
"Ed and Eddy talked me into it," Double D said. "They want to use all the money to buy all the jawbreakers they want. They really didn't have to beg that hard. I love jawbreakers, and so does the rest of the cul-de-sac. Though I think it would be better to buy the entire jawbreaker factory and work from there."
"For me, it was either this or another stint in Arkham Asylum," Ivy said.
"I guess this show would be a pretty good punishment," Harry said. "I entered because Ron loves this show, and wanted me to win the money."
Mandy said, "Who could say no to a little bit of money? Besides, I needed a reason to get away from Billy for a little bit."
"I just wanted to make new friends and have some fun," Ruby said. "There's so much outside Remnant that I want to explore, and this show gave me the chance to do that."
"As for me, my reason for being here is like Sonic's," Yusei stated. "I entered because I wanted to be somewhere in which I could never expect what happens next. Where there's always a surprise. And if I were to win the million, that would merely be a bonus."
Mega Man looked at the fire. "Whatever the reason, this is what we signed up for."
"Definitely the craziest reality show ever," said Double D.
"We should probably get to bed," Gaz said. "One of us should probably stand watch in case Leo or anything else shows up. We'll switch every forty-five minutes. Any volunteers to go first?"
"I'll do it," Julie told her.
Gaz nodded. She knew Julie was anxious about Leo. Julie took her tennis racket and walked outside.
Within minutes, everyone else was in their sleeping bags and fast asleep.
(The next morning…)
The Old Man was handing Leo his bag. "I have stocked it with more supplies than you originally had," he said. "These should keep you going until you find your friends. And I can tell you'll find them."
"Thanks."
"So, you never really told me your name."
"Was that really important?"
"I guess not."
Leo put the bag on his back. "I hope they're all okay," he said.
"You're worried about the girl called Julie?"
"Yes."
"She's fine. I'm sure of it. I feel you shouldn't have to worry about her all the time. She's a strong girl. She has to be, to be on the show you're on."
"True."
The Old Man shook Leo's hand. "I hope everything works out for you," he said.
Leo nodded. "Thanks again for everything."
But as he was about to walk out of the hut, the Old Man stopped him. "Wait."
"Yes?"
"I need to ask of you a favor before you go."
"What is it?"
"I need you to relay a message to the one called Yusei."
"What do I need to tell him?"
"Tell him….to look after the lamb girl. Because despite what's happened between them, they will soon need each other more than ever."
Leo sighed. "I don't know what that means, but okay."
With a last wave to the Old Man, he walked out of the hut headed straight.
As opposed to yesterday, he was fresh and rejuvenated this time, and soon found the zebra's tracks again, a little faded but still legible.
"Here goes," he says.
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"This may be the most interesting challenge I've been a part of on this show," Leo said.
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At the cave, Connie was doing the last watch shift. She was sitting on the ground, with her hand firmly grasping the handle on her sword. She was wondering how much time she had left when she heard a low growl. Suddenly alert, she turned and slowly walked to the side of the cave, sword ready. Chris had said not to hurt the animals in Africa, but she could at least scare it away.
Then, she turned the corner and found the source of the growl. Standing on top of the cave was a large male lion. Too scared to get it to move, Connie slowly walked back around the corner and into the cave.
"Guys, wake up," Connie said. "We have a problem." She started lightly shaking everyone to wake up.
"What is it?" Julie asked, still a little groggy.
"Is anyone afraid of lions? There's one on top of the cave."
Because everyone was still sleepy, it took a few seconds for the realization to hit. Once it did, everyone was alert and up, but still quiet.
"What do we do?" Harry asked. "Chris said we couldn't hurt these."
"Well, we still need two pictures left from each team," Double D told him. "And I haven't taken one yet."
Gaz raised an eyebrow. "You're taking a picture with the lion?"
"Might as well. Anyone from the Stars?"
Harry nodded. "Okay."
Gaz smirked a little. "I'm impressed, sockhead."
Double D and Harry both climbed to the top of the cave, where the lion was resting. Both had their cameras at the ready.
"Be careful, guys," Ruby whispered.
Soon, they were right behind it. "On the count of three," Double D whispered to Harry, who have a thumbs up.
"One...two...three...now."
Both immediately popped up next to either side of the lion and took their pictures, blinding the lion with their flash. Then, they both climbed down as fast and as quietly as they could.
Unfortunately, Harry was moving so fast that he tripped on his robe, and while he managed to recover, he accidentally pulled the lion's tail. This snapped him out of the blindness, and he got angry.
Both Harry and Double D made it inside the cave, but everyone knew things were about to get bad when the lion suddenly roared. Loudly. Everyone covered their ears.
"RRRRRROOOOOOAAAAAARRRRRR!"
"Gaz, I think that just put your Shrek roar to shame," Sonic muttered.
The lion jumped off the roof and looked into the inside of the cave. It glared at everyone, growling slightly as it crept towards them.
"I don't mean Po or Shrek any offense," said Ruby, "but I wish they were here so that guy would eat them first."
"Maybe we should worry about not getting eaten instead of who will get eaten first," said Mega Man.
"This coming from the robot," Mandy whispered.
Connie looked around the cave, hoping for an idea. Then, she got one so crazy it just might work.
Without a second thought, she took her sword and ran away from the group, then started making silly faces at the lion. Everyone else stared at her, puzzled.
"Guys, go," Connie whispered. "Go, while it's distracted. I'll be fine. Just go."
The competitors understood what she was doing, then each of them quietly, but quickly, ran out of the cave.
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"That may have just been the craziest thing any of us have ever done on this show," Yusei said. "And considering I went toe to toe with a serial killer/demon hunter, Moka beat up a minotaur, and Deadpool's who he is, that's saying something."
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Gaz was the last person to leave the cave before Connie was supposed to, while she was still making those faces. But as Connie made her way out, she suddenly tripped, dropping her sword and her ruse. Gaz was almost out of the cave, and had heard the noise, but wasn't thinking of anything else but surviving, so she didn't look back.
Connie looked around. The lion was now looking at her, growling.
"Guys?" Connie called. "Anyone?"
The lion still looked at her.
"Oh, nuts."
(Outside the cave…)
Everyone was running as far away from the cave as possible. Julie was running so fast that she wasn't looking where she was going, and she bumped into someone.
And that someone was Leo. Julie gasped. Everyone turned and saw.
"What's everyone running for?" Leo asked.
Julie didn't answer. She just walked up to Leo and hugged him. Surprisingly, Leo blushed.
Once Julie let go, she then slapped Leo. "What the heck happened to you out here?" she asked.
"It's a long story," he said. Then he looked around. "Hey, where's Connie?"
That's when a sickening feeling came to each of the other competitors. They were so focused on escaping the lion that they forgot about Connie.
"Oh no," Gaz muttered.
Everyone ran back to the cave, where Ruby shot the wall with Crescent Rose to frighten the lion away (the reason she didn't do this earlier was because the close proximity might have hurt the lion; that, and everyone was too scared to do anything). It worked, and the lion ran off. They ran to where Connie was lying. And she was pretty messed up.
"Connie, are you okay?" Julie asked.
"Is this real life?" Connie groaned.
"Guys, contact Chris!" Mega Man exclaimed.
(Later…)
Chris had immediately ended the challenge early and called a doctor to patch up Connie. And while it was certain she would make a full recovery….well….remember when Cody was mauled by a bear in the very first season?
To make a long story short, Connie was in a full-body cast and in a wheelchair.
"I think this may have been the most insane challenge we've had yet," Chris said. "Zebra stampedes, lions, and heart-to-heart chats between teams. Ratings are going to go through the roof with this episode."
"Our teammate got mauled by a lion, and you only care about the ratings?" Leo asked.
Chris said, "Chill. At least she didn't die, right?"
"Jerk," Gaz muttered.
"As for the pictures, since we ended early, both teams were one picture short. However, I've analyzed both sets, and I've decided to pick a winner based on how good they were. And by a very slim margin, the team with the best pictures was….the Shooting Stars!"
(Author's Note: Don't ask why theirs were better.)
The Stars all cheered and high-fived each other.
"That means the Mysterious Moons are hitting the elimination ceremony tonight, and-"
"Wait," Connie said (her voice was slightly muffled because the cast covered her mouth).
"What is it, Connie?" Double D asked.
"I'm quitting."
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"What?" Double D asked.
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"Dang it," said Ruby.
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"She probably has a good reason to," Leo said. "But I still can't believe it."
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"*censored*," said Gaz.
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"Let's face it," Connie told her team. "I'm not going to be of any use to you guys in this state. In fact, I'm sure you guys would have voted me off anyway for that same reason."
Ruby shrugged. "She has a point."
"It'll stink to leave, but I have to. I'll miss you guys."
The Moons all nodded, and some went to hug her, even the Stars. Then, a helicopter arrived to take Connie home.
"So who wants to wheel her on that thing?" Chris asked.
"I'll do it," said Gaz. Though she would never admit it, she felt guilty for what happened to Connie.
Gaz then started wheeling Connie to the helicopter. "I can probably guess what you're thinking," Connie said. "You don't need to blame yourself for it."
"Will you shut up?" Gaz asked.
"If it were me, I probably would have been too preoccupied with running away too."
"I said shut up."
"As for Double D, I hope you consider what I said. You need to tell him how he feels."
"You never keep your mouth shut, do you?"
"Just saying. You have a heart. I say, let it tell you what to do."
"Don't worry about it."
Gaz finally wheeled Connie onto the helicopter. "Good luck, Gaz," Connie said.
"Yeah, whatever," Gaz told her as she stepped out. Everyone watched as the helicopter left Africa, with several competitors waving at Connie as the copter flew off.
As they watched the helicopter fly out of sight, Leo tapped Yusei on the shoulder. "Yes?" Yusei asked. Leo then whispered something in his ear.
(Back on the plane…)
Gaz was looking out the window in Economy. She hadn't looked back when she heard Connie trip. If she had, Connie might not have gotten hurt. The only thing that lessened her guilt was trying to convince herself that it was Connie's fault for distracting the lion and putting herself in harm's way in the first place.
But she couldn't convince herself. She just couldn't.
As for Double D, she was thinking about him too. About what Connie had said. Was Gaz really making a big mistake by not telling him?
"Connie, I am never going to forgive you for this," she muttered.
For now, Gaz could push that out of her mind. What she still needed to worry about was Ivy and Mandy. They didn't have any role in what went on this time. What were they planning?
(Meanwhile…)
Leo was in the empty cafeteria, reading a book. As he read, he noticed Julie coming into the room.
"You sure were worried about me today," he said. This made Julie pause.
"I worry about all my teammates. So what?"
But this time, her ruse didn't work. "I know for a fact that you like me. Don't ask where I learned it. What I want now is an explanation. What happened between you and Ben?"
Julie knew there was no escaping it this time. So she told him everything she had told Deadpool several days ago. About the troubles that had sprouted between her and Ben, and the nasty break up. No detail was held back. She told him everything.
Leo nodded. "So if you were free to date, and if you liked me, why did you always shut me out?"
"Because I just didn't, and still don't, feel ready to be in another relationship. It's just too soon."
"Julie, don't you think you've let your heart heal enough?"
She sat down. "Even after the past couple of days, I still don't know. What if this ends just as badly as Ben and I?"
"You'll never know, unless you try. Look, I've gotten to know you thanks to your friends. I'm head over heels. And I want to give us a try. But only if you can trust me."
"I...I-I.."
Ding! Ding! Ding!
"You know what that means," Chris said.
"How did he get in here?" Leo asked. "And I can't believe he remembered the singing."
"Less talk, more music."
(Author's Note: Did you really think Chris or myself would forget? Heck no. We just waited a little longer on this one. As most love songs go, this one is slow and nice, a song about Leo getting Julie to finally trust him. Hence, this song is called, "Trust Me".)
Leo: You've won my heart and my soul
Loving you is my true goal
But your full optimism has faded.
I know it's hard to mend a heart
That's been twisted and broken apart
Fixing yours, I don't know why I've waited.
Julie: I can say I do like you
There's no doubt, that much is true
But what's broken cannot easily be mended
The truth is how I cannot forget
The sadness that I sorely met
When Ben and I so bitterly ended.
Leo: I know it's hard to trust new people
But I have one thing to ask
That you never think of me again
As just like that other guy
I'm not like Ben, I'll never break your heart
I'll never say goodbye
You've grieved too long, it's time to move on
That much I can see
I only ask one thing
That you finally trust me
Julie: Are you sure?
Leo: Deadpool was trying to help you
And we all know Yusei was too
In telling you to finally let it go
For too long, you've been this way
What else can I say?
Except I can help you mend your woes
Julie: I know you're being sincere
You're truthful and very clear
And I feel you'll never let me down
But I have gone through so much
And my heart has been broken such
I need to know if you'll never let me hit the ground
Leo: I know it's hard to trust new people
But I have one thing to ask
That you never think of me again
As just like that other guy
I'm not like Ben, I'll never break your heart
I'll never say goodbye
You've grieved too long, it's time to move on
That much I can see
I only ask one thing
That you finally trust me
Julie: Leo, I-
Leo: Unless you open your heart, it will never heal. Please, I ask that you trust me, finally. That your heart finally lets me in.
(Julie, after seconds of thinking, steps in front of Leo and kisses him. They break apart, and Leo realizes.)
Leo: Does that mean…?
Julie: I know it's hard to trust new people
But now I understand
That I'll never think of you again
As just like that other guy
You're not like Ben, you'll never break my heart
You'll never say goodbye
I've grieved too long, it's time to move on
That much I can see
Both: I am so glad
That you actually trust me
I am so glad
That you actually trust me.
They kissed again, then walked back into Economy. Chris stood there, wiping a tear with a handkerchief.
"That was beautiful," he said, crying with joy. "I have to tell Chef this." He walked to the cockpit, tearing up.
The cafeteria was empty again. Or was it?
Nom Nom and Yusei then popped their heads out from behind the serving counter (they had snuck in upon hearing the song).
"I told you," Yusei told Nom Nom. "Now pay up."
Nom Nom groaned and begrudgingly handed Yusei five dollars.
0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
This chapter may have been one of my best, in my opinion. Certainly one of my longest.
I didn't have it in me to eliminate Connie by a proper elimination this time. So I gave her a Cody-esque departure. Just switch bear with lion, and team voting her off with her quitting, and there you go.
Don't worry, though. Connie will make a full recovery, and her friends and family have been told of this, but while she will be in the next Aftermath when it comes out, she will unfortunately not take part in the big event that happens during that episode.
But it looks like she has given Gaz a lot to think about. One, because Gaz feels guilty for letting Connie get mauled by a lion. Two, because Gaz has begun to rethink her decision to keep away from Double D. There were some cute moments between Gaz and Double D in this one. Especially at the waterfall.
Leo's fateful meeting with the Old Man was something I really thought interesting. And it gives us a certain question: what did he mean by Lammy and Yusei soon needing each other "more that ever"?
Continuing with Leo, Julie has finally admitted her feelings for him, and he finally got her to get over what happened between her and Ben. This may be my most adorable scene I've written yet.
And everyone opened up about why they entered the show in the first place. Some just entered for the thrill. Others wanted to get away from it all. And, of course, there's still the money. And it turns out, three of our competitors has scientists for fathers. That's neat.
This chapter had me the most worried about the accuracy of how I displayed the environment, particularly the animals, and mostly the zebra stampede and the lion. If I got anything wrong, I'm sorry.
Well, guess where they're going next….
It's off to Hollywood, California! Here, the two teams will channel their inner Charlie Chaplin. While everyone tries to find out if they can act, clouds are brooming. Two people become less and less focused on the game itself. Another person finds a shocking truth. And a surprise elimination will have someone wanting revenge.
All that needs to be done now is read and review, fav and follow, give me challenge ideas and suggestions, send in questions to the eliminated competitors, and give me some good-luck messages and audition tapes. Also, for this chapter only, I'll like to see get-well cards for Connie, either from competitors, former competitors, friends and family of competitors, just you guys, etc.
We'll see you in Hollywood. TheMasterKat out!
