Happy May Day! I hope everyone is doing okay in these challenging times.

Today's chapter is the one where Sammy last appeared in the canon. This means every chapter from here on out will be new territory we get to cover, and I am really excited to share what I have in store. I'm also just a touch nervous regarding some of the decisions I've made in this chapter and the next couple, but like I said before I'm hoping people will keep an open mind when reading this. This story is just a fun little experiment I wanted to work out, since any fanfic I've written in the past (whether on this account or others) had never been finished aside from a handful of one-shots. I'm well on my way to finishing this one, and I'm really happy with how it's turning out and where it's going. I'm just hoping that everyone reading will enjoy it the same amount that I do.

I will say this now in relation to the above: there is a pairing in this story, one which I haven't officially talked about yet and one that won't actually get together for a while yet. If you've been paying attention, you might be able to pick out who it involves. And if you've watched the A Blast from the Past episode, then you'll know where the starting point of everything is, even if nothing officially happens yet. I'll talk about it more down below.

Anyway, I've wasted enough of your time. Enjoy!


Chapter 5: Saved by the Belle

Sammy woke up, saw Ella turned towards the wall in her sleep, and exited the shack with a sigh. The blinding light of the morning hit her square in the face, and she had to squint as she attempted to locate the breakfast bags.

"Morning," came Sky's voice quietly. She was off to the side near the edge of camp, currently stretching. She appeared to be getting ready for a run, if that fact that she had taken off her shirt and was in her sports bra meant anything.

"Hey, morning," Sammy replied, doing everything in her power to not zero in on her abs of thunder. "You, uh, going for a run?"

Sky threw her arms up and arched her back, and Sammy hastily busied herself with finding those bags. "Yep. I've been doing this every day since day two. I just get up early enough for no one to be awake. Kind of a habit."

So it's earlier than normal… No wonder. I didn't sleep very well.

"Hey, you said you run too, right?" Sky asked.

Sammy looked at her. "Yeah, I did. Not very often now, but still. Why?"

"Wanna come with?" she offered with a smile. "Running with someone is always more fun. And, uh…" Her gaze briefly flicked towards the shack. "Who knows, it might help you get your mind off of stuff."

She was probably right about that. "What about foraging, though? After Shawn ditched me yesterday I don't know if he'll show up today at all."

"Then I'll help you once we're done," she offered. "Most times I tend to go all over the place before getting the water, but I can cut it short so we have enough time to do everything."

"You sure?" She finally found the bags hidden under some bushes, though she wasn't sure why they were hiding in the first place. "I don't want to throw off your schedule."

"It'll be fine! I probably shouldn't be pushing myself so hard just before a challenge, anyway."

"Hmm… Well, alright then." Finding a better spot for the bags, Sammy took off her uniform and left herself in her blue and pink nightwear. She did a few stretches of her own, nowhere near as robust as Sky's but enough to get her through the run, and shook herself loose for a second before declaring she was ready.

Sky nodded, though she took a look at her feet. "Running in heels isn't going to be easy."

"You're telling me," Sammy groaned, examining the mustard stain that was still on there. "But it's not like I have much of a choice. I'd rather these than bare feet."

"I suppose it's the better option, yeah." Humming in thought, she then said, "No need to go at a full sprint then. We'll take it easy."

That made Sammy feel bad. She rubbed her arm uncomfortably. "You don't have to accommodate me, you know. I'm just going to slow you down."

She gave her a patient smile. "But that's what friends do, silly. They're there for each other when they need it the most. Doesn't matter if it slows them down; if they want to be there, then they will be. And I want to be there for you. Okay?"

"Y-Yeah, but-"

Sky placed her hands on Sammy's shoulders. "Sammy," she started. The smile never left her face, though she was being rather firm now. "It's okay."

Sammy let out a deep breath, and nodded. "Okay."

"Good." She let go and started for the edge of camp.

Following after her, Sammy hesitantly said, "S-Sorry. This whole… 'friend' thing is still new to me."

"No worries," Sky said. "We're here for you no matter what."

At least until the merge. Then you'll probably ditch- She slapped her hands over her eyes a few times. No, no! Stop thinking like that, stupid! She's your friend and she's not going to ditch you! God, you need to get those negative thoughts under control.

"Ready to go?" Sky asked her.

"Totally," Sammy said, trying to be a bit more enthusiastic than normal. "Let's do this."


True to her word, Sky took it easy on Sammy. She was half expecting her to suddenly burst on ahead and challenge her to a race, but she stuck by her the whole time, even when Sammy asked for a quick break a couple of times. By the time they returned to the camp, Sammy was tired, but invigorated, and ready to tackle the day's challenge.

But first, there was breakfast. And shockingly, next to the sacks were a few perfectly usable baskets that could definitely hold more fruit. They were also definitely not there when they left, which left the girls confused. Unsure where they came from but assuming it was Shawn, Sammy and Sky put their proper clothes back on and went out hunting for fruit.

At some point after finding a good spot, they started chatting about different things, and eventually Sky began talking about her Olympic aspirations.

"I've already mentioned, but 100 meters and 100 meter hurdles are what I'm aiming for," she explained. "I've also been interested in trying something longer, but that'd be for later on. Right now I've actually got to get into the Olympics, and what better way to do that than to start small and work your way up?"

"Oh, I understand that all too well." She looked up from the bush she was kneeling in front of and over to her friend. "What got you interested in the Olympics, anyway?"

"Actually, that would have been my older sister."

That caught Sammy off guard. "Wait, you have an older sister too? I had no idea."

Sky shrugged. "I guess I never mentioned her before now. She's in university, but she's also training for rhythmic gymnastics. Actually, she almost made it last time the Olympics were held, but just barely missed the criteria. She's been practicing like crazy ever since."

"Whoa," Sammy said in awe. "Rhythmic gymnastics is tough. Your sister must be really skilled if she almost made it."

"She is." Sky's grin widened. "Her name's Hope, and she's basically my role model. She's smart, fun, and pretty, and I want to be just like her some day."

"That's incredible. I hope you manage to do that." Sammy couldn't help but feel the tiniest pinprick of jealousy from that.

"What about you?"

She halted her berry picking. "What about me?"

"Do you have any role models? I'm assuming your older sister is a definite no. What about your mom or dad? Or anyone else?"

"Um… Can't say I do, actually."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I haven't really thought about it 'til now. Never really had a chance to. Or a reason to, I suppose."

"And what about now? Now that you have the chance."

She put her hands on her lap and thought it over: if there was something she wanted to be, it was confident and happy. She wanted to be the opposite of what she was now, and though she was getting better it wasn't anywhere she wanted. If what she desired was to be able to smile naturally and not have to worry about things all the time, then the person who was most like what she aspired to be was-

Sammy snorted. The answer was so simple.

"Ella," she answered. "Easy."

"You know," Sky said with a chuckle, "I can't say I didn't see that coming."

Unable to stop herself, Sammy continued. "She's just so… positive and bubbly and happy all the time. Plus she's a good friend and a great person in general and just wants everyone to do their best. That's honestly something I can really look up to. It's… not something I've seen very often in my life. Not many positive influences where I'm from…"

"Well, I guess that's changed now, huh?" Sky said.

"Yeah…" Sammy let her grin go wide. "I guess it has." Now all that needs to happen is for her to be okay again. I hope it happens soon, for her sake.

After a bit more scrounging, the two decided they had enough food, and began the trek back to camp. Before they got too far, though, they started hearing something. At first Sammy thought it was a wild animal, which would be weird because outside of challenges there didn't seem to be any wandering around, but the more she listened the more it sounded like… muttering.

And then she recognized the voice.

Sammy clicked her tongue. "Aw, shit."

Sky looked at her. "What's wrong?"

"It's Amy. Unfortunately. Jasmine said yesterday she was out foraging for her team. ...Weird that she decided to stick with it for the second day."

"What do you want to do?" Sky asked. "We can approach her or leave her."

Sammy tried to listen better to the muttering, though it was pretty much exactly what she had expected. 'Gotta show I'm the better twin', 'Can't let Samey get the best of me', 'This'll shut Jasmine up'... It's like she's trying to get everyone to hate her. ...Except Topher, apparently. Which is still super weird to me.

"Maybe we should just leave," Sammy suggested, taking one step forward. "I'd rather not let her know we-"

"Wait, don't step-"

A loud crack sounded out, and Sammy glanced down to see she had inadvertently stepped on a branch.

The muttering instantly stopped. "Who's there?!" Amy called out.

"Seriously?" she hissed loudly. "Now of all times?" She pointed accusingly at the branch. "It's like someone planted this here!"

Rustling came from a nearby bush, and before Sammy and Sky both could make a break for it, Amy pushed her way through. She immediately scowled when she saw who it was. "Oh, great. It's Spareamy and the gnome. What do you want?"

Sky gasped, offended, but Sammy looked her right in the eye. "'Spareamy'?" she repeated, deadpan. "Don't tell me that's a new version of Samey."

"Yeah, it is! And it's what you are!" She took a step out of the bush. "Just a useless, spare copy of- Gah!" Suddenly she tripped and fell to the ground, her hands flying to her leg. "Damn it!" she cursed through grit teeth.

That's the leg the wolf bit… Sammy frowned at the sight. If one were to ask her why she did it, she wouldn't be able to give an answer, but all the same she reached out to her sister. "Are… you okay?"

Amy's eyes flew over to Sammy and she swatted the hand away. "What's it matter to you?! Huh?!"

Sammy rubbed the hand that was hit and sighed. "Nothing, I guess."

Amy spat at the ground and rose unsteadily to her feet. "That's what I thought. Now get out of my way." She walked a few paces more, readjusting the burlap sack over her shoulder, before stumbling once again and supporting herself on a tree.

Sammy was keen on letting her go, but Sky had other ideas. "What exactly is your problem, anyway?" She stepped closer to Amy. "Sammy is one of the sweetest, one of the most thoughtful and hardworking people I've met. How did she end up with such a monster of a sister? The only reason I know you even come from the same mother is because you're identical. Otherwise, you're worlds apart in terms of similarities!"

Amy crawled to her feet and glared at Sky. "How is it that Spareamy of all people managed to get people to defend her? She's a waste of space! A good for nothing! You're better off just voting her off! It'll save you trouble in the future!"

"You keep saying that, but you know what? I think Sammy's been more helpful to our team than you've been to yours. And now that you two are separated, she's doing it without you forcing her to. So tell me, Amy, what have you contributed to your team since you got here?"

Her glare never faltered. "Uh, duh? It should be obvious! I got us two points yesterday, and I managed to get your dumb beatbox guy out in the balloon challenge! So there!"

"But," Sammy spoke up once more. "You didn't actually win those challenges."

Amy whirled on her. "What does that matter?! I still helped!"

"What about the first two, then?" Sky asked. "The shelter building and pig challenges. What did you do there?"

For the first time, Amy actually hesitated. "W-Well, I got the pig through the tubes!"

"Wasn't that more Sugar than you?" Sammy asked. "From what I remember you were just following her while she carried the pig."

She pointed a finger at her sister. "You shut up! You didn't see everything that happened!"

"And the first challenge?" Sky insistently repeated.

Amy glared to the side and clenched her fists. "You… you know, wood and nails and crap like that. Look, who cares about this?!"

"Jasmine got the nails, not you," Sammy said, her tone of voice rising. She walked up next to Sky and right in front of Amy. "How about you stop lying to make yourself look good for once in your life?"

"Wha- How did you-"

"Because I was there! She showed me where they were!" Sammy got right into Amy's face and pushed a finger at her chest and, for the first time in either of their lives, Amy was the one who shrunk in front of her. "You do this all the time! You lie to try and make yourself look more important and responsible than you actually are! You're doing it here, and you've always done it back home as well! Do you know how much of the credit you take for all the crap I do for you? All of it! You get everything, and I get nothing! You steal everything from me! Not just credit, but my stuff as well! I'm missing, like, five brushes that you wanted but didn't get, you know! Oh, and speaking of stealing, don't even get me started on school stuff! The reason you get good grades? Because you make me do your homework! I'm almost positive you'd get held back if I wasn't there copying all of my answers onto your work. Plus, chores, meals, everything I do is because you don't want to do it! I'm shocked you figured out how to walk without me helping you do it! You're a spoiled, entitled brat who's bad attitude and terrible behaviour is going to bite you in the ass so hard one of these days that you won't be able to sit down! And I am absolutely shocked and appalled that you've managed to get away with it for this long! But I promise you, Amanda, that I will never, ever, be doing anything you force me to do ever again!"

She hadn't realized how little breath she had until she finished. By this point she had gotten so close to Amy that her sister had pressed against the tree and slid down to the ground. There were a myriad of emotions on her face - rage, fear, embarrassment, maybe even a hint of shame if Sammy bothered to look hard enough. The one thing on her mind right now, though, was that Amy was forced to realize that no matter what, Sammy was done with her and everything she made her do.

And in Sammy's mind, she realized something. Doesn't matter how harsh it is. She freaking deserves it.

Amy looked like she had something to say, if her opening and closing mouth were any indication, but she didn't get a chance to do it as Chris started the speaker phone and announced it was challenge time.

"We should go," Sky told her. "We need to get breakfast to the others."

Sammy had forgotten that detail. She looked down at Amy one last time and said, "Just so you know… those were only some of the reasons why you suck. There are so many more that I wouldn't even be able to begin listing them before the challenge started."

They left her there, sitting against the tree, and made their way quickly back to camp. It wasn't even a few seconds after they were gone that they heard Amy scream in pure fury.

"Not gonna lie," Sky said once the screeching died down. "That was pretty epic."

It felt epic. "I think I'm gonna have an easier time standing up to her from now on. Now that it's obvious how much of a child she really is."

"Oh, no doubt about that."

"And… I don't think I've said it out loud yet, but it's good to actually have people who have my back for once. I think that in order for me to be able to do this myself, I needed someone else to guide me along the way. You and the others really helped me on this. So… thanks, Sky."

She grinned. "I told you. That's what friends are for."

Sammy gave her a toothy grin. "I'm starting to seriously believe that."


As they walked to the challenge, Sammy was elated to find out that Ella was… better. Not perfect, but better. She was smiling and being talkative, but she still seemed a bit more subdued than normal. Sammy considered this progress nonetheless, and decided to keep herself quiet for the time being until Ella really let her know she had gotten over it. It wouldn't do any good to rush things, after all.

They were all brought to a beach, different from the one they landed on when they first arrived, where instead of being surrounded by rocks there were trees and open plains around them. In the water not too far out from shore were two sets of docks, with long bridges connecting two square platforms each, one red and one green for both teams as per the norm. On the discoloured squares were large piles of big sticks with even bigger padding on the ends. They were the sort you'd see on TV shows where the contestants have to fight each other and knock them into the water.

Seeing those, Sammy had an idea for what this challenge was going to be about.

The weirdest thing was, Chris seemed… shinier than usual. And his grin was so much wider than before. Quite frankly it was unnerving, but no one aside from Topher really seemed to care, so she just left it be.

Of course, Amy was there too, but like the last few times Sammy stood her ground she opted to just ignore her entirely. Was she embarrassed for letting Sammy get the best of her, twice now? If so, she could get used to this.

"From the looks of it," Sky said suddenly, "it seems like they voted out Rodney."

Sammy would admit, she hadn't really noticed. But Sky was right, the big farm boy was nowhere to be seen, and now only Jasmine stood towering over her teammates. "At least we don't have to deal with the extra muscle today," Sammy said with a shrug. Sky nodded in agreement.

The challenge was as she predicted - two people had to cross their respective bridge and grab a stick at the other end, then make their way back to form an X on the hooks at their homebase. Two sticks make an X, three X's will win the game, so that was a total of six sticks that were needed. And, as it wouldn't be Total Drama without it, the players were encouraged to wail on each other as they passed by; if they or their sticks fell in the water, they'd forfeit the point.

"So it's like water jousting, kinda," Beardo mused. "'Long as you don't get caught off guard, you should be fine."

Probably having overheard, Chris continued. "There will also be a surprise if I feel that the game isn't exciting enough! Just keep that in mind."

Beardo sheepishly laughed at the people looking at him, and mimicked zipping his mouth closed with a realistic zipper noise.

Surprise or no surprise, Sammy groaned in frustration. "This whole time, you've been blowing us up and shooting at us and electrifying us… Just what is your fascination with making us get hurt?"

Chris's demonic grin stretched even wider, somehow. "Easy question! The more pain we inflict, the more people enjoy it! More enjoyment, better ratings! Plus, I don't like you guys, so it's a win-win for me!"

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. Somehow that answer was not unexpected.

Everyone was instructed to swim out to the platforms themselves, despite Chef driving a speedboat nearby. Sammy pulled herself up on her team's red platform and let the water drip from her clothes. "If I wanted a bath, I would've gone to the waterfall," she muttered.

"Perhaps we can get one once we're done?" came Ella's voice. She was holding on to the side of the platform, and without really thinking Sammy bent down and helped her up. "Thank you."

"Welcome. Um, yeah, that wouldn't be a bad idea." She knew she should wait, but her nerves had flared again, and before she could stop herself she said, "Ella, I-"

Ella shushed her, and she stopped talking immediately. The serene smile didn't leave her face. "After the challenge, okay?"

"Oh." She nodded. That was better than nothing. "Okay."

Beardo then pulled himself up and started wringing out his hair, while Shawn practically leapt out of the water and shook himself off like a dog, right in front of the girls. "Being waterlogged just makes you a slower and easier target for zombies," he explained, not noticing that they were soaked even more now. "But thankfully I managed to learn a basic drying technique from our neighbor's German shepherd. It comes in handy!"

"Yeah, I bet," Sammy said dryly. Ella only laughed behind her hand, which caused Sammy's smile to return.

When everyone was settled, Chris gave one final rule: everyone had to go at least once before restarting the running order, though technically the order didn't matter. With that out of the way, he started the challenge. When Topher announced to his team that he'd go first, Beardo stepped up for the Bears. "I'll go first for us!" he declared. In a whisper he added, "That guy doesn't seem very capable, so maybe our stronger players should hang back for Jasmine or someone."

"Good thinking," Sky approved. "Go knock 'em out!"

He gave them finger pistols and realistic gunshot noises, and he took off at a sprint, though it wasn't all that fast considering. Both boys reached their sticks at the same time and took one, and on the way back was when things got interesting. Though Topher was screaming angrily, he didn't actually look like he was going to bother to swing, oddly enough. And so Beardo, noticing it and grinning, swung his stick like a baseball bat right into his gut, complete with the sound of a ball cracking against it. With a grunt, Topher flew back and into the water, and the Bears cheered, with Beardo himself mimicking the sound of an audience.

"And Team Maskwak takes the lead!"

"Nice, Beardo!" Shawn said with a hand held out.

Beardo accepted the high-five happily. "It's honestly like he wasn't even trying." They looked at the Salmons to see Topher pulling himself up, to the glares of the rest of his team. "Heh. Not that I'm complaining."

"Anyone want to go up next?" Sky asked.

"I might as well go," Shawn volunteered. "I want to see how effective a weapon these sticks would be against the undead. If they're good, I may need to invest in them."

"Just remember to come back here when you're done," Sammy told him.

"No worries," he said casually. "This'll be a piece of- Aw, crud."

Jasmine was stepping up to the plate for her team. She gave Sammy, and probably Shawn, a wave, and though she was more than happy to return it, the zombie boy was hesitant to do so.

Sammy picked up on that. "You, uh, you good, Shawn?"

"I, uh-" He looked between Sammy and Jasmine, and gulped. "No, no, I'm good. I think. Maybe."

"And, go!" Chris yelled into the megaphone.

"There's no time for 'maybe'!" Sky shouted, and pushed Shawn from behind. "Go! Go!"

"Ah! Alright, jeez!" Shawn ran down the dock, and as he passed by Jasmine she tried sending him a smile, but he must have ignored it as she quickly donned a confused frown.

When Jasmine reached her team's sticks, she took a second to look at Sammy. "What's eating him?"

Zombies, probably. Pfft. "N-Not sure!" She hated lying, but telling your friend's crush they had a crush on them wasn't something you just blurted out. That said, Sammy wanted to help as best as she could. "You should try asking him!"

"Good call!" And with that she doubled back just as Shawn did. When they met in the center, they locked their sticks together and Jasmine attempted talking to him. They were speaking just quietly enough that Sammy couldn't hear, but then Shawn blushed hard, which basically confirmed everything Sammy had been thinking. When Chris demanded more action, Jasmine apologized, managed to get her stick underneath Shawn's and sent both man and weapon flying into the water, several paces away from the docks. His scream was… high-pitched, to say the least.

"And it's a tie game!" Chris called out, as Jasmine put her team's first stick on its hook.

"Girl's got some muscle on her, doesn't she?" Beardo asked with a low whistle.

"I know I wouldn't want to be caught in a dark alleyway with her," Sky said.

"Sorry, guys," Shawn said to them sadly as he pulled himself from the water. "I, uh, got distracted."

It was Ella who helped him to his feet, and also helped straighten out his clothes and hat. "We forgive you. So, what did she say? I saw how you looked when she spoke. I think you two would be adorable together!"

"I- Huh?! What?! No! I mean... maybe. I mean, no! I can't risk falling for her because love is a liability in the apocalypse! You try to save someone from having their brains eaten, then yours is the one turning into a snack!"

Sammy let out a gasp. "So you do have a thing for her! I knew it!" There was nothing cuter than two friends getting together. Now all Shawn needed to do was get over this zombie thing and everything would be perfect.

Shawn covered her mouth with his hands, a wild look to his eyes. "Shhhh! Don't let her hear you! I'm not ready for anything yet!"

"But you do like her, right?" Ella asked.

"I- I don't want to answer that right now!"

Sammy sent a glance at Ella, who likewise looked at her. She knew what the other girl was thinking - Shawn was definitely into her.

"Hey, Maskwaks!" Chris shouted from his own platform. "Quit Ma-squawking and get to running! And to beating each other up! Time is ticking!"

Sammy glanced back to the other team, and felt her jaw set when she saw Amy stepping up. "I'll go next."

"Uhh… You sure about that?" Beardo asked her. "Not gonna lie, she looks like she's out for blood."

She began to roll her shoulders to loosen them up. "That's good, because so am I."

He let out another low whistle. "Dang. That could be, like, a line from a movie, y'know?"

"I believe in you, Sammy!" Sky shouted encouragingly. "Kick her butt!"

"Take her down a notch!" Shawn said.

"Try not to get hurt!" Ella called out.

Sammy grinned at her team - her friends - and gave them a peace sign. "No worries! I got this."

She took off down the bridge. Amy did the same, and though she tried to hide it she was still limping somewhat. They didn't say anything, didn't even look at each other as they passed. She reached the other end of her dock, ignored the taunts coming from Max, and grabbed the nearest stick and raced back. Amy was also making her way across, and Sammy knew what was coming.

Channeling 11 years-worth of anger, she heaved her stick over her head and swung it down with all her might. Amy, however, managed to catch it on her own stick, and though she fell down onto one knee, she managed to hold her ground, and the look she was giving her was one of absolute murder.

"You're a rotten, ugly horse!" Amy shouted at her, teeth gnarled.

Oh, trash talking? That's how we're playing this? Alright, fine. "Yeah? You're a bossy blonde cow!"

"You're an attention hog who smells like a hog!"

"You're a lying snake who can't even do basic math!"

"You pissed the bed until you were 13!"

"You suck your thumb to this very day!"

"Your whole life is worthless!'

"Mom hates you!"

"Topher thinks you're fat!"

"You-" She paused. "Wait, what? Why would I care what Topher thinks of me? He's a snake just like you! No wonder you two are perfect for each other!"

That threw Amy off, and she stuttered out an incoherent reply. With her distracted, Sammy pulled her weight away from Amy, causing her to fall forward, and with as much strength as she could muster slammed her rubber padding on the back of her sister's head. Amy went straight into the water between the bridges with a gargled cry, and without a second glance Sammy dashed back to her team.

"I did it!" she cried as she returned. She propped up her stick, forming the Bears' first X, and revelled in the cheers her teammates gave her. I… can get used to this.

"That was awesome!" Shawn told her, slapping her on the back roughly. "You've got a nice swinging arm. Perfect for fighting against the creatures of the night!"

That was definitely a Shawn compliment. She was starting to get just a tiny bit tired of it, but she knew that what he said was sincere coming from him. "Thanks!" she replied to him, and honestly meant it.

"I knew you could do it!" Sky said, patting her one the back. She then started cracking her knuckles. "Now, if you guys don't mind, I think I'm ready to-"

"Um, actually, Sky, would it be alright if I went?" Ella asked, cutting Sky off. If this was Ella's attempt to get completely out of her funk, then Sammy was more than willing to allow her. Hopefully Sky felt the same.

"You sure? Looks like you're up against…" Looking over, everyone watched as Max performed leg stretches quite… elegantly. That's something I'll need to scrub from my mind. Sky grimaced and turned away. "Uhh, actually, you should be fine."

"Wonderful!" Without another word, Ella took off down the stage in a skip, and when Max saw her he hastily did the same. Minus the skip.

"Uhh, you sure she'll be okay?" Shawn asked. "Max may be diminutive, but I don't think he'll have any problem smacking Ella off the platform. And considering what happened yesterday…"

"Well, everyone has to go once," Sky explained, "and since Max will likely be an easier target than Scarlett, this is our best bet."

"Hey, uh, speaking of Scarlett…" Beardo mentioned, and pointed out at her.

For some reason, the redhead on the other team had taken their one stick and was fishing for something in the water. It didn't look like her teammates had noticed, too focused on Max as they were. She found whatever it was she was looking for, and with a cough that suspiciously sounded like a spoken word, she chucked whatever it was in Max's direction.

To Sammy, Scarlett was one of the more… down to earth people here, or so it felt. She hadn't actually had a conversation with her yet, and could only base it on what she had done or said during the challenges. She seemed like a decent person, if somewhat withdrawn and indifferent to what was happening around her, but from the few bits of activity she had witnessed, Scarlett seemed like someone who knew what to do, looked out for her team, and helped whenever she could without causing trouble.

When Sammy saw that the thing Scarlett threw to Max was an electric eel, her opinion of her flew right out the window.

"Wh-" Sammy couldn't believe what she was witnessing. "What the hell?!"

"No way!" Shawn shouted. "I was swimming with that thing?!"

Max, gripping the stick by its rubber padding, raised it above his head and grinned wickedly when the thing managed to wrap around the metal rod. He screamed in what he probably thought was a menacing tone, but it was just coming off as nasally. It didn't change the fact that he still had it held over his head like a weapon of mass destruction, and ready to slam it down on poor, unaware-

"Ella!" Sammy screamed, running to the edge of the red platform. "Don't! Get away from him!"

"Huh?" She had stopped in the middle of the bridge, focus shifting entirely to Sammy, but when Max drew closer to her she looked back and reflexively raised her stick. "Um, please don't hurt-"

Max struck his electrified stick onto Ella's.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGHHH!"

Whatever voltage that eel was working at, it was apparently leagues more powerful than the shock collars from yesterday. Ella was shaking, convulsing, and it looked like she was trying to let go of the metal rod but wasn't able to, all the while Max cackled evilly from his side of the docks. Sammy had her mouth covered in horror, unable to take her eyes away from what was happening.

She had no clue how long it lasted - it couldn't have been more than five seconds, but it felt like 30 minutes. The eel soon let up and the sparks stopped flying. What terrified Sammy even more, though, was that Ella was still screaming and shaking.

With everything that happened, it made sense that she forgot where she was. Which was probably why she took one step back. And then another.

And then the currently out-of-commission Ella fell into the water.

"ELLA, NO!"

Boots came flying off without a care, and before Sammy knew it she was leaping over the dock and into the eel-infested waters after her friend.

She looked in the direction she had fallen, and once the bubbles dispersed she saw Ella, clutching the stick like a lifeline but being too frazzled to try swimming to the surface. Wasting no time, Sammy swam towards her. In the back of her mind, she realized it had been years since she last went swimming anywhere, but with her cheerleading physique it proved to be no problem.

She reached the songstress, and did a very quick check. Her eyes were open and she was holding her breath, thankfully, but her pupils were very dilated and she had an iron grip on the metal stick. She just barely looked up at Sammy when she drew near, but otherwise she didn't react at all. Realizing they were going to run out of air soon, Sammy put her hands under Ella's arms and took off for the surface. She also managed to snag one of Ella's shoes that must've slipped off, and tucked it under her arm.

Before they broke the surface, a weird, distorted mechanical noise sounded out, and if Sammy was hearing it in the water then it must have been loud. She glanced down to the ocean floor, and was shocked to see that a hole was being opened up in the bottom, sort of reminding her of a secret laboratory entrance.

That's when a bear burst forth from the hole. A bear in scuba gear, sure, but nonetheless a bear.

Sammy held back a scream and kicked with all her might to make it to the air. Ella hadn't sunk very far before Sammy had grabbed her, so it was only a few moments before they made it. Catching her breath while making sure Ella's airways were above water, she quickly made for the dock, where both Sky and Shawn were waiting for them. They grabbed Ella's arms and pulled her up, and Beardo did the same for Sammy right next to them.

She stayed on her hands and knees, breathing for air, and was happy to receive a back rub from Beardo. His hand was big and warm and very welcoming, considering how cold the water was. She gave him a lopsided smile, but it faded just as quickly. "How is she?" Sammy asked, crawling over to Ella.

She looked incredibly uncomfortable. Her eyes were now screwed shut and her mouth was pulled at the edges. She had finally let go of the stick, which was lazily drifting away in the water, but her hands were still clutching at each other, and if she hadn't been wearing gloves Sammy was sure that she'd see her knuckles turning white. Despite that, she was breathing, so no water had managed to fill her lungs. Guess being a singer has its perks. Larger air capacity. That'd be nice to have.

Her focus squarely on Ella, Sammy didn't notice the raw anger on Sky's face until she shouted in rage and sprang up. "Cheaters! Lousy, rotten cheaters! You can't just do that and expect to get away with it! In my world, you'd be penalized and taken off the team!" She took off down the bridge, easily surpassing Scarlett's pace. She reached the end and grabbed a stick, then bolted back at breakneck speed, entirely fitting for an aspiring Olympian. Scarlett hadn't even reached her team's sticks yet, and was almost caught off guard by Sky's attack.

Almost.

Scarlett then casually ducked under where Sky's swing would've connected, and the lack of contact made Sky lose all traction and fall flat on her face. Unfortunately, her stick landed in the water, and no longer counted for a point.

"No! Seriously?!" Sky called out, attempting to reach for the stick, but it was too far out for her to grab.

"I suggest planting your feet on the ground the next time you swing," Scarlett told her, walking back to her team with a stick in hand.

Sky growled and slammed the bridge with her fists. She wasn't going to let her get away, however. "Scarlett!" Sky cried, rising and turning back around. "I'm not done with you yet-"

She never got to finish, as something burst from the water and landed in front of her. Shooting her head fully up, Sammy saw the scuba-clad bear from under the water roar in Sky's face, brandishing its claws menacingly. Naturally, Sky shrieked and booked it back to her dock.

"And here's the surprise I mentioned!" Chris yelled to them. "Everyone, meet Scuba Bear! He's going to do everything in his power to keep things rolling smoothly. Even if that means one of you gets eaten. So watch out!"

Sky growled once more and stomped her foot in anger. Beardo noticeably backed away a step. "This isn't fair! How can that be alright for them to do?!"

Chris shrugged, his smile still creepy beyond all belief. "Ella got hurt, so I'm allowing it! You guys really overthink this stuff, don't you?"

Sky muffled another scream and turned on the opposition. "You better not do anything like that again! I'm on to you guys!"

There were probably more verbal beat downs from Sky planned, but every action stopped when Ella stirred for the first time. She groaned, her eyes slowly opened and her hands gradually let go of each other. Her eyes immediately found their way to Sammy's, who couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.

"W-What happened?" Ella asked. Her voice was hoarse but she seemed otherwise unharmed.

"You doing okay?" Shawn asked. "You, uh… you took quite a shock. Sammy here had to dive in and save you."

The two looked at each other. "You did?" Sammy nodded. It looked like Ella was trying to remember that. "Oh, yes. I recall." With Sammy and Shawn's help, Ella rose and sat sitting on the edge of the dock. "I'm… I'm sorry everyone. I didn't realize something like that was going to happen."

"This is Max we're talking about," Shawn said. "I don't think any of us saw that coming."

"Max and Scarlett, let's not forget," Sky reminded. "They've been buddy-buddy for a while now, it's no wonder they're working together."

"Listen, I'm glad you're not really hurt," Beardo told her, "but I'm gonna jet before Chris gets mad again."

"Yes!" Sky said, attempting to push him towards the bridge. "Go! We've got everything covered here."

Sammy started rubbing Ella's back in what she hoped were comforting motions. The smile she gave her was reassuring at the very least. "How are you feeling?" Sammy asked.

"Um… okay. I think."

"Are you able to stand?"

"Let's see." Taking one of Sammy's hands, Ella swung her feet up onto the dock, but was surprised to see one foot bare. "Oh? Shoot. Did I lose it?"

"Ah, right, I had forgotten that. No, I have it here." She had placed it aside when they had reached the dock and promptly forgot about it. She might still be a little out of it, so I'll help. "Here, let me."

"Oh! Why thank you." Sammy took her foot and slid the slipper on, causing it to make a weird squelching noise. She couldn't help but laugh a bit at it.

Ella found it ridiculous as well, if the giggle was anything to go by. "My hero," she said, a dash of sarcasm in her voice. But from what Sammy could pick out, only a dash. Sammy helped her to her feet, and after a bit of wobbling she managed to stay upright without any assistance. "I think I'll be okay for now," she said.

"Okay enough to go again when your turn comes?" Sky asked her, just as Beardo returned with his second stick.

Everyone cheered for him before Ella answered. "Perhaps just a bit more rest will do the trick."

Sky nodded. "Of course. Shawn, you're up again!"

He took a look out and sighed. "Hoo boy."

Jasmine was gearing up for round two, but she didn't look particularly thrilled. In fact she had been glaring at an innocent-looking Max and Scarlett the whole time. She definitely didn't approve of their methods, but they did get a point, which probably explained her silence.

To Shawn, Sky said, "Just evade her this time. Use those zombie-dodging skills you've mastered!"

"We'd still be tied though," Shawn said. "Four sticks each, and that'll put them closer to winning."

"But it'll do the same for us!" Sky said. "Look, Jasmine's a powerhouse and will definitely overpower you if you go in head-on. You'll have to get around her somehow, preferably while taking her out, but don't sweat it if you can't. We'll pick up the slack if need be. Okay?"

"Well, alright." He shook himself loose and took off down the way.

Jasmine did the same, once again stopping and speaking to them when she made it to the sticks. "Is your girl alright?"

"I'm… okay, I suppose," Ella answered her.

She looked visibly relieved to hear that answer. "That's good. Listen, none of us had any clue that was going to happen. I'll have to give Max a good talking to once this is done."

"That's all I ask. Thank you."

Jasmine ran back and wound up to fling Shawn off the bridge again. "No hard feelings, mate!"

"Same to you!" Shawn shouted back. Jasmine swung low, aiming for his feet to literally sweep him off them, but Shawn seemed to anticipate this and leapt clear over it. Surprised, Jasmine just barely managed to right herself, but when Shawn he smacked her along the face, finally causing her to topple over and fall into the drink.

"Nice one Shawn!" Sammy cheered for him. He placed the stick on the hook, forming their second X.

Surfacing the water and shaking it off her face, Jasmine looked up at Shawn. "Hey!"

He immediately started panicking. "Ah! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hit you that hard!"

"What?" She waved a hand and scoffed. "Don't apologize! That was righteous! Wasn't expecting that at all!"

"Oh. Really?"

"Yeah, man! I'll let you have this one but don't expect me to go easy on you anymore!"

Shawn laughed nervously, but even from behind him Sammy could tell he was grinning widely. "I'll, uh, hold you to that!"

Jasmine swam back to her platform, and Sammy let out a deep breath. It was her turn again, if this was going to be the set order, so she needed to ready herself. Twice now she was forced to deal with Amy that day, but with how things were going she figured she'd be able to keep it up for another little bit.

She turned to Ella and took a hold of her hands. "Will you be alright?"

Ella nodded, her hands tightening around Sammy's comfortingly. "Yes, I will be. You do what you have to do."

She nodded and grinned, and readied herself for round three of confronting her sister. Choosing to keep her boots off, she took off down the bridge and grabbed her stick. This time it was Amy who struck first on the way back, and Sammy was left on the defensive.

They were each struggling to get the upper hand, and while she tried to think of a way out of it, another thought occurred to her. "Hey."

Amy glared, but didn't let up. "What?" she spat.

Sammy's glare never left her face. "I always used to ask this when we were younger, but I never got an answer." She'd been waiting for so long to try again, and now that she'd found her courage she figured she'd might as well give it a shot. "So… why?"

"Why what?"

"Why everything? Why have you tormented me so much in my life? What motivates you to keep doing it? Why did you start in the first place? Do you know how much I've been through because of you? You've made my life a nightmare and I don't know the reason for it. So I'm asking again, because for some reason you refuse to tell me: why do you insist on doing it?"

A pause. Amy seemed to be deliberating what to say, though she didn't put any less weight behind her pushing. And with the venom of a snake in her voice and her eyes glaring hatred at her, she answered simply:

"Because you were born."

Sammy scoffed and rolled her eyes. "That's not even an answer! How does that even-"

This time, unfortunately, it was Amy who got the upper hand. Sammy, too caught up in that pitiful excuse for an answer, stumbled forward when her sister pulled her stick back. With her positioning, she was able to swing it around and bop Sammy in the eye with the padding. Momentarily stunned, she received the other end to the gut, and was sent backwards a bit and to the wooden board, her head hitting it hard. Her stick dangled on the edge, and though she scrambled to retrieve it Amy kicked it away and into the water.

"It is an answer." Walking towards her team, Amy shouldered her stick and ignored her sister's gaze. "You're just too stupid to figure out why."

"Argh! Damn it…" Holding her head, she looked longingly at her overboard stick, and trudged her way back to the dock. I know I've been making good progress, but getting set back like this hurts.

The part of her brain that seemed intent on knocking her down was expecting to be met with criticism upon returning, but as the realistic part of her brain reminded, it was anything but. She received 'Nice try out there', 'You'll get her next time', and her personal favourite, 'Remember, this doesn't change how we feel about you'. How just a few simple sentences could put her at so much ease was a mystery she likely wasn't going to figure out soon. She just really wished it hadn't taken this long for her to be subjected to them.

Ella was next, and she was insisting that she was fit to go. No matter how many times the others would ask her to make sure she actually was, she swore she was okay and refused to change her mind. "I need to make up for that… embarrassing display from earlier. I promise, I'll come back with a stick, and we'll take the lead once more!"

"We keep saying, we won't think any less of you, you know," Sammy tried to tell her.

"And I keep saying, let me do this."

Ella didn't normally get quite so adamant about the challenges, but with a confidence in her voice and a fire in her eyes Sammy was more than willing to drop her worries. "Okay. You got this."

"Thank you."

When it was time for the next people to go, Ella took off at a run rather than a skip. It seemed despite her continued happy-go-lucky exterior, she was just as determined to win as anyone else, and knew when it was time to get serious. Maybe not so much in the 'willing to hurt someone' part of her mind, but at least she knew now that something had to be done.

Or maybe she was pissed at Max. Ella was human, and she didn't need to be cheerful 100% of the time. Yesterday had proven that.

Whatever her plans were, though, she never got to see them through. Max stopped part way down the bridge and began gloating. "You've returned again!" he shouted, pointing at Ella menacingly and causing her to skid to a stop and stare. "So you must be aware that the time has come for you to-" It was at that very moment that Scuba Bear chose to crash the party. He did so by jumping up out of the water and behind Max, roaring, and chucking him off of his platform.

"Oh come on!" Amy screamed from her side. She appeared unconcerned for Max as he landed in the water some distance away. "That's not fair!"

"The surprise can tamper with the match as he sees fit," Chris said. "As such, this is allowed."

"Ugh! Stupid host changing the stupid rules!"

Scuba Bear roared again, and everyone started shouting at the one remaining runner. "Ella, be careful!" Sky cried out to her.

"Go under its legs!" Shawn suggested. "Make it confused! Like our team name!"

"Forget about that, girl, come back!" Beardo yelled. "It's not worth it!"

"Wait!" Sammy said, but not to Ella, rather to her team. She held an arm out in front of them all, and got them to stop. "She's… She's doing something."

Instead of running in any which direction, Ella instead stood her ground, staring up at the bear as it glared at its prey. It wasn't that she was frightened on the spot - rather, it looked like she was trying to control her breath. And in a few seconds, it became obvious why.

"A beary rare treat from you to me,

"I've received an offer to sit down for tea.

"With a side of cookies and muffins for two,

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be than right here with you!"

Miraculously, Scuba Bear loved the song. He sat down, started swaying to the tune, and once Ella finished he actually rolled over on his back and demanded belly rubs. Sammy swore, if she wasn't allowed to run out on the bridge when someone else was on there, she would've given him those scratches. He looked adorable.

"Aww, who's a big huggy buddy?" Ella cooed, rubbing her hands all over his giant underside. Scuba Bear growled happily, his tongue lolling to the side of his snout. "You are! Yes you are! Yes you are!"

"Nnnnnnooooo!" Chris suddenly shouted, rising from his beach chair and stomping his foot in frustration. His permanently smiling face made it all the freakier. "I've had it with the singing and the taming of the animals! Ella, your ability to get the animals on your side has gone too far!"

"What?!" she cried, turning her full attention to him. "But I've only done that once before now!"

"That doesn't matter! If you so much as sing to a ladybug any more, let alone at all, you can kiss your keister cannon fodder!"

"B-But I was only-"

"Don't care, so shut it! Scuba Bear, do your job and eat the girl!"

He punctuated this by angrily throwing his coconut cup at the bear, which was perhaps not the greatest idea. Instead of at Ella, Scuba Bear picked himself up and instead roared at Chris.

"Uh oh…" he said worryingly as the bear launched himself off the platform and over to his. Not wanting to see how a bear exactly eats a man, Sammy turned her gaze back to Ella, who was looking around both in her direction and at the other team.

"Ella, now's your chance!" she called out to her.

"R-Right!" She ran, but not at a sprint seeing as how there were no further distractions. She ignored the glaring of some of the Salmons, and hurried back with her prize. With the first stick of the last X in place on its hook, this meant the Bears were one score away from winning the game, and if they were able to earn themselves a winning streak, that would be icing on the cake.

Three wins to Amy's two… Sammy couldn't contain her grin. If we're able to do this, that'll prove I'm not just some spare copy!

Unfortunately for the Bears, the lead did not last. With Sky going against Scarlett again, the brainiac proved trickier and more cunning than anyone else would think she was capable of. She managed to not only sidestep Sky's swing, but gently tap her behind the leg and send her down to one knee, after which she swung for the head and hit her right into the water.

"Ugh, why can't I get around her?" Sky bemoaned as Sammy and Beardo pulled her up. "She's slipperier than she looks."

"Yeah, you wouldn't think someone who looks like a school librarian would be able of dodging and weaving like that," Beardo agreed.

"We're down to the wire here, folks!" Chris exclaimed. He seemed absolutely none the worse for wear after getting set upon by a bear. Oddly, said bear seemed to have mysteriously disappeared. "Both Kinosewak and Maskwak are at five sticks each! One more will seal the deal! Who's going to take the win home? And who's going to be going home?"

"So, who's up?" Sky asked them after huddling together. "We're at the top of the list again, and even though we've been keeping it steady throughout, I think we can send someone who wouldn't normally be going now."

"I'm cool with that," Beardo said. "Pretty sure the only reason I got two so far was because of Topher. Either that or dumb luck."

"But we can't guarantee they'll actually send Topher," Shawn countered. "They could send someone a lot more competent out in his place."

"I, um, I'm not sure if I should be the one to go again," Ella said. "I'm worried they're going to send someone like Jasmine. And she… easily beats me in terms of strength."

Shawn began to offer to go, but was shot down when Beardo mentioned Jasmine could get in his head. As the two began to argue, Sammy looked out to the Salmons, and was surprised to see Amy looking at her team.

Actually, it was more like she was looking right at her.

She's looking for a fight. Sammy frowned. Again. She looked at her still arguing team, to Amy's team also in a discussion, and finally back to Amy herself staring her down. Without a word to anyone, Amy broke from her group and stood at the edge of the dock, waiting to start.

Also, probably to try and scare her, Amy took her thumb and drew it over her throat.

Sammy scoffed at the gesture. Wow, dramatic much?

"I'm going," she said simply, and separated from the group.

"What?" Sky asked, looking between her and Amy. "Are you sure?"

"Positive. Right now…" It was about to get cheesy, but regardless it was something she needed to say. "I need to be able to prove I'm capable of doing this. Not just to you guys, or to my sister, but to myself. If… If I'm able to do this, to win for us against Amy, then I'll know that I can do it any other time. That I'm able to do things away from her, by myself and for myself." She took another look at them. "And if I don't try now, I don't know when I'll get another chance."

"And if you can't do it?" Shawn asked.

"Then…" We lose and we vote someone out. And that someone will no doubt be me. …And that's not the negative voice talking this time. "We cross that bridge when we come to it."

Ella walked up to her and put her hands on her shoulders. Sammy thought that was where she'd end the contact, but after a moment she got wrapped into a hug. "I believe in you," she said. A second longer, and she pulled away. "Make us… and yourself, proud."

"That," Beardo started, wiping a solitary tear from his eye, "was the most inspiring thing I've heard all week. You've got this girl!"

Sky nodded, nothing but confidence on her face. "Show her what you're made of."

"Thanks guys," Sammy said, and turned back to her personal demon. "I won't let you down."

They got themselves into position, and Sammy did her best to focus and not worry about her nerves shooting through the roof. A tough act she put on, sure, but her anxieties were once again getting the better of her. You can do this, you can do this! Don't worry about failing, just… don't think at all!

With this being the last round in the game, Chris decided to up the flare by giving the sisters a countdown. Sammy psyched herself up as best she could, and when the host shouted 'Go!', she took off as fast as she could.

The boards were slippery from continued use, and she did her best to avoid any large puddles. She was still bootless, figuring heels would've been more of a hindrance than an advantage in this situation. And either she was right, or Amy decided to copy her and ditch her own boots. Her wounded leg was wrapped tightly with bandages, though there wasn't any trace of blood on them, so they had likely been changed recently.

They eyed each other as they ran by, and like every other time they doubled back when they grabbed their sticks. Now, it was the moment of truth.

They didn't exchange words this time. There wasn't a need to. Instead, they both slammed their metal rods together and glared at each other. When neither of them would give way, they simultaneously drew back and struck again. And again. And again. Over and over this went on - Sammy from below and Amy from above, from the left and to the right, multiple times with the padded sections. It was obvious Amy felt the need to prove she was the superior one, otherwise she wouldn't have been trying this hard.

Then Amy chose to spice it up a bit. Rather than block Sammy's swing, she went for a swipe at Sammy's legs. Sadly for her, she made it quite obvious what she was about to do - subtlety was never her thing - and Sammy managed to leap over the stick and land without issue. Amy growled in annoyance and went right back on the attack.

The two swung at each other so many times, and blocked just about the same number of them, that Sammy idly wondered if the audience at home would believe this to be a choreographed performance when the episode aired. She decided to chalk it up to that whole 'twins know what the other is thinking' superstition, since there was no good explanation as to why none of her swings were hitting.

But then a thought occurred to her - something she hadn't thought about at all until now. On their second run, Amy had stolen her idea from the first run, and had managed to startle her into stumbling and getting bashed aside. That was a very Amy thing to do, no doubt about that.

But what if I did that to her?

Sammy took a single moment to eye her bad leg, and she just barely managed to notice that it seemed to be shaking. There was a part of her telling her not to do it, but desperation was beginning to win over, and so she went for it.

She pushed back Amy's stick and aimed for the legs. With her momentum, she had to spin around for it to be any effective, but unfortunately, it was too big of a windup. Amy saw it coming and leapt into the air. She grinned when she jumped, but the grin morphed into a look of pain the moment she landed.

When she did, she cried out and toppled to the bridge, clutching her bad leg.

This is it, her mind said in disbelief. You can end the suffering right here and now.

She wound up, like a golfer would, and aimed for the head.

But then she had one final thought.

You can end the suffering… at least until Amy tries to get back at you again.

And that was the one thought that caused her to stop just inches away from her sister's face.

This entire time, Sammy had been trying to get out of Amy's shadow. That was a given, of course, she had made it her goal since the very beginning. But now that she thought about it, was the way she had been going about it the right way to do it? This whole time she'd been loudly and angrily declaring she was done with her sister, calling her out on the things she'd done, insulting her, and now physically fighting her in order to come out on top.

But… won't this amount of anger and violence just keep escalating?

Once she was done with this, Amy would definitely try to find a way to retaliate, whether here on the island or back at home. Then Sammy, having discovered her newfound confidence, would get back at her, and then Amy would strike back after that, and the cycle would just keep going and going.

Unless one of them stopped it.

Amy was a bitch with a capital B, there was no denying that. But did that mean Sammy had to be one too to escape her grasp?

Instead of kicking her while she was down and prompting Amy to keep firing back, what if Sammy just… didn't?

Would that stop Amy? Chances were, no. But Sammy wanted to change, and changing into someone like Amy wasn't acceptable. She wanted to be her own person, not the spare copy her sister claimed she was. But going down the path of anger and violence would lead to her being just that - another Amy, another bully.

And she didn't want that.

So instead of hitting her sister in the head and sending her into the water, she backed up without a word and took off towards her team.

They were understandably confused at first, but when it was obvious that Amy wasn't in any position to make it to her team before her, their cheers grew exponentially. Sammy placed her stick on the last X, and allowed the smile growing on her face to evolve into a wide, toothy grin.

"And that's the game!" Chris loudly announced, though Sammy barely heard him over the shouts of her friends. "Team Maskwak takes the victory!"

Everyone was congratulating her, singing her praises, and Sammy couldn't be any happier. She had originally wanted to join Total Drama to get away from Amy, and if these foreign feelings of bliss, excitement and acceptance meant anything, she was pretty sure she had managed to accomplish that goal.

Suddenly she was taken under her legs and back, and thrown up into the air by Beardo. She screamed, but it turned to laughter when he, Shawn and Sky caught her and tossed her into the air again and again. They gave three cheers for her, which Sammy felt was way too cliché, but she wasn't going to let it ruin the moment.

At the apex of one of the throws, Sammy looked back over the docks and at Amy, who to her surprise hadn't moved from the middle of her bridge. She was looking at her again, but this time there was no trace of anger. Instead it felt more like… melancholy and confusion. Like she wanted to know what just happened, but was forcing herself to keep from asking. Though there was a part of Sammy that wanted to ask her what was up, she knew she would be ignored and told off, and chose instead to focus on the fact that she helped her team win.

Or she would've, if the next throw hadn't been one that tossed her into the water.

With a splash and a flounder, she broke the surface and coughed up water. "What was that for?" she shouted to her team, but their relieved and laughing faces took the wind right out of her sails, and she found herself laughing with them too.

It was Ella who bent down and offered her a hand. "Let me help," she said, and the smile she wore was the warmest yet.

Sammy grinned right back, and took her hand without any hesitation.


This was a fun chapter to write. There was a lot going on in the challenge, and there were quite a few differences between this chapter and canon. Namely, Amy is still around, which meant she didn't return to the island looking like a zombie, which meant Shawn didn't have a freak out and run away, which meant that he didn't return at the last minute and didn't think the enemy team was full of zombies and hit Jasmine hard in the head. So they're still looking strong, which I'm glad about because that means I don't have to write up five whole chapters of Jasmine being pissed at Shawn.

Writing Sammy's speech to Amy about how much she sucked was very entertaining, and the poor girl really needed to let off some steam. But she also knows from experience that she doesn't want to be Amy, and being Amy means to be mean, manipulative, and offensive to pretty much everyone around you. Sammy wants nothing to do with that, and that's why she spared Amy in the end. (Spared Amy… Spareamy… I really wanted to put that joke in somewhere but nothing felt right, lol).

And now, the shoe scene. We all know what happens in canon during this scene, and really the only thing that's changed here is the person receiving Ella's affection. That said, it'll take a bit before anything happens - rather than have Ella immediately fall for Sammy (like she did for Dave in canon… which I'm not particularly fond of, they handled that really poorly), it'll be more of an incentive, or motivation for her to discover herself. So while there will be hints, nothing will happen right away.

I've been planning for this since the story barely started, and truth be told I'm a little nervous about it. I've never really written anything like this before, and I'm wondering what exactly the reaction will be to the pairing. The story will still mostly focus on trauma and becoming a different and better person by working through it, but a relationship between Sammy and Ella is still something I want to explore based on how I'm characterizing them here. I won't update the pairings on the fic summary yet, as nothing has really happened yet, but within the next chapter or two it'll become more apparent in the story.

Like I said - please keep an open mind. I've been working very hard on this story and I'm excited to share with what I've come up with. Remember to leave a review, stay safe out there, and I'll see you all next time!