The sailors and newcomers stood apart in two groups, each standing across from their respective co-hosts.
"Where's Ms. Rhonda and Mr. Zac?" Melissa asked.
Mana gulped. "Um...they're...busy. We'll be filling in for them today."
"I hope your intern is better than our co-hosts," Tessa whispered to Damien.
"He's certainly cuter," Damien teased.
"The network loves the idea of a crossover," Mana said. "They think it's great promotion for the Total Drama brand."
"Shouldn't they be more worried about us being on the run?" Viola asked.
"Guess that's great for the brand too," Jenny teased. "They think this Total Drama Crossover can get viewers interested in each others seasons, so they can start airing Tides in America."
"Genesis already airs in Canada," Mana added. "But this will make it even more popular!"
"The crossover maybe good for international markets," Toby added.
"Our season is more popular in Canada than its home country?" Ignacio whispered to Riley, who just shrugged.
"So both casts will participate in today's challenge!" Mana stated.
"Obviously," Yasmin replied. "Who hadn't figured out that?"
"Together?" Vance gasped.
"Total blindside man," Kalino agreed.
"I know not all Americans are idiots," Yasmin stated. "Thomas Edison, Nikola Tessa, Henry Ford, Mark Twain, B.F. Skinner...but some of these contestants are making me question this. Is it in the air? Is it contagious?"
"The network also sees this as a good opportunity to promote their other interests," Toby added.
"If you can say anything about network execs," Tessa said, "it's that they have no shame in their shameless promotions."
"So today's challenge will also be tying into an upcoming reality show," Mana said. "Twin It To Win It!"
"So today's challenge is about being a twin?" Malia asked.
"Ooh!" Weston cheered. "Does that mean I win?"
"No," Jenny replied. "The show is about pairs of people traveling around the world, competing in a race."
"How original," Sam whispered.
"But it's being hosted by Katie and Sadie," Mana said. "The BFFFLs from Total Drama's first season from forever ago, Total Drama Island!"
"The giggling ones?" Viola asked.
Mana nodded. "It also features a bunch of former reality show contestants, including from Total Drama's past seasons."
Only Ness seemed that impressed, awwing and clapping.
"So what is this lame challenge?" Cherry asked. "Being annoying like Katie and Sadie?"
"I think you've already got that covered," Trixie said.
"You'll being doing your very own mini Twin It To Win It race through Washington D.C. and beyond," Mana explained. "A race that features challenges representing both Tides and Genesis!"
"So we'll be killed by pirates and serial killers?" Viola asked.
"The winners not only get invincibility and to share the penthouse suite," Toby said. "But also to watch the first episode of Twin It To Win It at a private, catered screening tonight."
"You guys really go all out for your rewards," Andre said. "I wonder if anyone from Frozen is on it…"
"Of course each cast will be having an elimination ceremony tonight too," Jenny snickered. "You'll each vote off a new loser, with one sailor and one newcomer saying goodbye."
"Thanks for the downer reminder," Sarah sighed.
"To make this crossover extra special," Mana continued, "The pairs for this challenge will be one sailor and one newcomer!"
"Dibs on Ignacio!" Cherry, Sam, and Malia cried out. The three tackled the model.
"We're randomly assigning the pairs to keep it fair," Mana said.
Toby pushed out a cart, with a red and blue top hat on it. Mana went over and pulled out a name from each. "First we have...Alfie and Weston!"
Alfie and Weston stepped forward, inspecting each other.
"So wait...is this alternate universe me or my new twin?" Weston asked. "Does that mean Easton and I are now triplets?"
"While you figure that out," Jenny said, "we'll continue. The next pairing is...Viola and Melissa!"
Viola's eyes widened. "I-"
Before she could finish, Melissa's arms were thrown around her neck. "Ooh, won't this be an exciting cultural exchange and chance to make new friends?"
"Probably...not…" Viola replied, gasping for breath.
"Then we have...Trixie and Vance!" Mana said. "The cowgirl and the cowboy together, nice right?"
Vance winked at Trixie, who rolled her eyes.
"Sarah and Riley," Toby said. The singer and the bro stepped forward, Riley initiating a fist bump.
"Malia," Mana said, reading the first card. "And…"
Malia crossed her fingers and whispered, "Please be the hot one, please be the hot one…"
"...Lita!"
Lita smiled and walked over to her shorter partner. "You ready?"
Mailia blushed and nodded.
"I didn't mean that hot one…" Malia admitted.
Jenny snickered. "Ignacio...and Sam!"
Ignacio immediately felt someone grab his hand and pull him close. Viola raised an eyebrow at her old teammate, but said nothing. Cherry rolled her eyes.
"Two of the sexiest guys getting paired together?" Sam teased. "It can't be a coincidence."
"At this point it really can't," Ignacio replied, although he was looking at the ceiling as he said it.
"Damian and Tessa!" Mana stated.
The two nodded and smiled as they stepped closer together.
Yasmin looked around at the remaining newcomers and sighed at her remaining options. "Please don't let it be-"
"Yasmin and Kalino!"
Yasmin shook her head and sighed again as Kalino strolled over. He smiled and threw an arm around the brainiac, almost knocking the book out of her hands.
"Yeah," Kalino said, "I'm not a fan of Yasmin. Honestly she just reminds me too much of...my sister. Thinks she's the smartest thing since the written language or indoor plumbing. Obsessed with control. She always has to be right; she's never been wrong. So ambitious she's self destructive. But I'm going to try to work with her. I just don't think she's gonna be my twin."
Mana reached way down in the hats until he pulled out two notes. "Now we have Andre...and Ness!"
Ness tried to contain her squeal, letting out a strange gasp, blushing and walking over to the confused Andre.
"You mean my teammate gets to be Andre!?" Ness asked. "One of my favorite musicians? A Total Drama veteran? An adorable hunk? I really, really don't want to jinx it but...I've never been this lucky!"
She finished her confessional by finally letting out the squee she'd been holding. It lasted for almost three minutes.
"Um, like what about me?"
Cherry, the only remaining sailor looked around for a newcomer, but couldn't find a one.
"You're with Jasper," Toby stated.
"Who?"
"Um...hi again."
Cherry nearly jumped again. "Oh yeah, I remember you. But wait...why am I stuck with the intern?"
Jasper sighed. "I'm actually a contestant. Haven't we already done this?"
The other sailors, and a couple of newcomers, raised an eyebrow.
Like I honestly couldn't remember if he was a contestant on Tides or not," Cherry admitted. "To be like far though, I was sacrificed to Incas before I knew the other teams that well. Wait...he wasn't like on the Screaming Sirens was he?"
"Now that we've paired you off," Mana said. "Let's get to it. The goal is to cross the finish line first after doing all the challenges. To find where to go you'll need these!"
Mana held up a sparkly pink card that looked homemade.
"Made by Katie and Sadie themselves," Toby said, hardly putting the effort to toss one to each team.
"They call them Cutie Clues," Jenny explained. "It'll give you a hint on where to go. You'll need to do challenges to earn some...but first you'll have to find them. Here's a freebie, just to get things started!"
"On your mark, get set...go!"
The teens raced out of the hotel door...only to all get stuck in it together. Mana, Jenny and Toby snuck out the back.
"Let's get to our spots," Mana stated.
"You go on without me," Jenny replied. "I just remembered I have to...get something ready for the elimination ceremony tonight."
"Aww," Mana said. "I was hoping we could all do it together."
"Oh don't worry your hairy little head," Jenny replied. "I'll join you shortly."
Mana smiled and nodded. Toby turned to look at Jenny. "What are you really doing?"
"What makes you think I'm lying?" Jenny asked.
"Because you said you were going to do work," Toby answered. "And I know you can't, considering you've never done it before."
"YOUR MOM!" Jenny shouted.
She grabbed Toby to her level. "Listen, you distract Rhonda's old friend. I'm going to 'accidentally' let Zac and Rhonda out. Then I'm going to make sure they never, ever makeup…"
"...so Rhonda never leaves," Toby stated. "That's actually a smart plan...for you."
"See, this is why you're the sidekick," Jenny stated. "Now go!"
"The first clue was a little confusing," Weston stated. "But my new detective intuition made it easy."
He held up the sparkling clue and read. "To newcomers this is the genesis challenge of Genesis. To sailors it's the ancient one's home that you don't want to miss!"
Weston smiled. "Our first challenge was a race to the Lincoln Memorial! Not to mention the show kind of always reuses that location. So we have to head there!"
"The Ancient One is a nickname for Abraham Lincoln," Yasmin stated. "I spent time this morning using Pentagram's library to study the area for the challenge. With the target I have, I need every win I can get."
Most of the newcomers easily solved the clue for their team, with pairs hailing taxis to get themselves there.
In a surprise lead, Weston and Aflie reached there first...and found a giant blue tank taking up most of the space nearby.
"Is that normally what monuments look like in your world?" Alfie asked.
Weston shrugged. "Not that I remember. My gut is telling me it's a challenge."
"Wow!" Alfie exclaimed. "You're really good at this detective stuff."
Weston blushed. "Aww, thanks! I try, but I'm not a real detective yet. I'm missing something."
Alfie clapped his hands. "A hat!"
"A hat?" Weston asked.
"Important people have hats," Alfie said. "If you had a hat, you'd had authority like a detective."
"You're right!" Weston replied. "Policemen, firefighters, astronauts all wear hats! Wizards even have those pointy caps. I need a hat!"
Alfie sniffed the air. "Do you smell...maple syrup?"
The two ran up the stairs, revealing the tub to actually be a giant swimming pool of maple syrup.
"Wow," Weston said. "Your nose knows...just like almost all the great detectives I know!"
"Really?" Alfie asked. "We really are alternate versions of ourselves!"
"Sweet!" they cheered, high-fiving.
"Move it," Yasmin demanded, shoving them aside with a martial arts like chop. Kalino casually strolled after her.
"Weston does realize that most detectives he knows have great noses... because most detectives he knows are dogs, right?" Kalino asked. "Eh, I won't spoil his and his mini-Wes' fun."
Yasmin grabbed a Cutie Clue suspended from one of ten diving boards and read aloud, "Fun For One?"
Mana and Toby paddled on a giant flapjack in the syrup pool. "A Fun For One is a kind of challenge where only one teammate participates in it. Usually pairs will alternate between doing them."
"Obviously meaning they'll be another my so called partner must do," Yasmin decided.
"Is she always this likable?" Kalino asked.
"A 'Sticky Swim'," Yasmin stated. "We have to swim out and retrieve a syrup bottle, then bring it back. Only a few will have a cutie clue in it. Now then who should-"
Kalino pushed Yasmin forward, sending her into the pool. "Ahhhhh! What was that for?"
"You should do the challenge," Kalino stated. "If this one is Canadian themed, then I'll be more useful in the American themed one, right?"
"There is logic in what you say," Yasmin stated, eyeing Kalino suspiciously, before swimming off.
"I'll cheer you on from here!" Kalino shouted, before lying down and taking a nap.
/
Ignacio ran up and began to read the clue. Sam popped his head between Ignacio's arms, causing Ignacio to fall back in surprise.
"A swimming race," Sam stated. "Crap, Alfie's got this one."
"How so?" Ignacio asked.
Sam pointed to where Alfie dived into the pool and zoomed through the water. "Little guy's a swimming expert or something."
"Would you care to do the honors?" Ignacio asked.
"Yeah I'd love to except...I'm terrified of water," Sam replied. "So you do totally dive in."
"It isn't water, it's syrup," Ignacio replied. "And doesn't your season take place on the ocean?"
"What I mean is that I'm terrified of swimming after just eating," Sam said. "So you should do it. And probably strip so your clothes don't weigh you down."
Ignacio rolled his eyes and opened his mouth, but stopped as he heard Ness giggling. Out of the corner of his eye he saw her chatting with Andre and glared. "Fine, I'll do it."
"Strip?" Sam asked.
"The challenge," Ignacio replied. He stood on top of the platform and tossed off his shirt, letting the sunlight hit his abs. Sam gasped falling to his knees, staring at the hunk. Ignacio turned and smiled towards Ness...but she was already swimming away in the pool. Ignacio sighed and jumped in.
Ignacio maybe one of the hottest guys I've ever seen," Sam stated. "In person or not. I mean even for an American. Like, Colin who?"
Alfie raced back to the start with his third bottle and opened it, a Cutie Clue falling out.
"Sweet!" Aflie cheered, picking it up. "Let's see. 'To reach the beach you may have to travel far, so go to this point and we'll give you a car.' Ooh, there's an address too!"
Weston picked up his syrup coated partner and dashed off. "You did it little buddy! Let's book it!"
"Wait," Mana called. "We have complimentary towels so you can...and there gone."
"Less work for us," Toby replied.
"I guess," Mana replied. "Speaking of, where's Jenny?"
"Uhh...probably just using the bathroom…"
/
Jenny tiptoed down the hallway, until she heard screaming.
"You spent a good amount of the budget on your favorite hair gel!"
"I'm supposed to look good on camera! It's my job as a host. You still haven't learned that!"
"I didn't learn anything from you!"
Jenny moved away the chair blocking the handle and threw open the door.
"Jenny?" Rhonda asked.
Zac pushed her away and jumped outside. "Finally! Where's Mana? He is going to be on deck cleaning duty for the next month…"
"He is...uh…"
"And where are the contestants?" Rhonda asked. "We have a challenge to do!"
"Never heard of them," Jenny replied.
"Jenny!"
"Okay, so Toby and Mana are hosting the challenge," Jenny replied. "Less work for you, am I right?"
"That's true," Zac stated. "More time for me to go to the spa."
"Well I'm going to do the real job of a host," Rhonda said. "And go to the challenge!"
"Then I'll go to," Zac replied. "It'll give me a chance to remind you how it's done."
"Uh, wait!" Jenny said. "Uh...don't you want to know why I let you out?"
"I don't really care," Zac replied.
"But it's super, duper, mega, ultra important!" Jenny whined.
"What is it?" Rhonda asked.
"Uh...I'm...um...hungry?" Jenny replied.
Rhonda facepalmed. "Go order a pizza then! We might still have enough time to reach Sandy Point."
"But, but...I want fresh cooked food!" Jenny spat out. "So instead of going where Mana is, not that I don't want you to see him, you should...make me dinner! I'm super hungry!"
"That does make sense," Zac said. "I mean, America doesn't even have a good doughnut place."
"Don't you start with your Tim Hortons!" Rhonda yelled.
"Tim Hortons is vastly superior and you know it!" Zac shouted.
"You guys should settle it," Jenny said. "Once and for all, America vs Canada! You should do a cook-off of traditional foods and I'll decide whose better!"
"Easy," Zac stated. "Hayden's always loved my cooking!"
"He never mentioned it," Rhonda replied. "You know, the little he was actually here. He did love the meal I made though."
Zac hissed. "That's it! Let's do this, but on a bigger stage! For a whole audience to see whose better!"
"Just an audience?" Rhonda asked. "I say we broadcast it live!"
"A broadcast was implied!"
"No it wasn't!"
"Phew," Jenny sighed. "Thank gosh I came up with that plan. At least I got a free meal of it…"
/
First to leave, Alfie and Weston rushed into their taxi. They started driving away as Vance and Trixie arrived. Alfie sighed.
"We're in the lead!" Weston cheered. "...What's wrong buddy?"
"Weston," Alfie said, "do you think you can help me? Since you're such a smart detective?"
Weston blushed. "Smart...well I don't know about that. But I can try."
"Well there's this girl," Alfie said. "Trixie. I really, really liked her."
"The white haired girl?" Weston asked. "I understand; I'm in love with a white haired girl too! So I get it. Sometimes love is scary."
Alfie nodded.
"And you're not totally sure you can't trust her," Weston added.
"Exactly!" Alfie admitted.
"And inside you're a little worried that one day she'll bury your maimed, mangled body in a backyard to never be found," Weston continued. "But that's love."
"I wasn't worried about that," Alfie said. "Until now. Part of me wants to try to be with Trixie again, I think she wants it...but part of me is afraid I'm going to just get hurt again."
Weston scratched his head. "I get it, but like I said...I think that's love. You could always get hurt. But if you really think it could work and she wants it to work, you should give it a second chance."
Alfie shrugged and Weston patted him on the back.
"I hate to interrupt this moment," the taxi driver said. "But did you exactly want me to drive somewhere?"
Alfie blushed. "There went our lead…"
I love my partner!" Malia admitted. "She might be stronger than Emmett. She nailed the swimming challenge for us. I wanted to do the American one for myself. I wonder if she can do my hair after the challenge?"
Now in the lead, Malia and Lita arrived at a car lot where ten cars sat in parking spots. Racing out of their taxi, Malia immediately went to the purple car. "It's perfect! I love purple and it matches your scarf!"
Lita nodded tossing aside the door and heading in the front seat. "The keys are inside. Let's book it honey!"
"Yes, let's 'honey'," Malia giggled. "So where are we going?"
Malia and Lita stared at each other for a moment. "...Uhh…"
"You don't know?" Malia asked.
"There aren't exactly a lot of beaches in the city," Lita replied. "There was an indoor one in that hotel…"
"So we go there?" Malia asked.
Lita shook her head. "They wouldn't give us car for down the street. It must be a beach somewhere."
"Maybe we should go look for someone with a smartphone?" Malia suggested.
"Gurl, good idea," Lita replied.
"Wasn't it Cherrilicious?" Malia asked.
"Uh...more Malialicious, right?" Lita replied.
Malia gasped and squeed as she fell against the seat. Lita raised an eyebrow and started driving.
"Malia's a cutie," Lita stated. "She's friendly and excited, but also a little innocent and naive. You just want to protect her, like a baby bird or a bread bowl of good soup. I'm little worried she's too desperate for others to like her though…"
"Sandy Point State Park," Yasmin read from a smartphone in the back of their taxi. "Just as I theorized, it's the nearest beach to Washington D.C. Enough time to stall for this last minute challenge, but close enough it won't take too long."
"Is there a reason you have to figure everything out?" Kalino asked.
"Knowledge is power," Yasmin replied, writing down directions from the phone. "Especially in a game like this. If I can predict this game, I can predict any outcome. I'll drive."
The two raced out as the entered the parking lot. They ran to the closest car, a black car. Yasmin started the car, but gasped. "Stick? They want us to drive stick?"
"You didn't predict that?" Kalino teased.
"I can learn how to drive stick," Yasmin replied.
But by that point, Kalino was already climbing into the front. "Scoot over rover, I know stick."
"I'm surprised you know how to drive," Yasmin stated.
"And I'm surprised you can stand with how big your head is," Kalino replied, forcing Yasmin in the passenger seat.
"It's called a brain," Yasmin said.
"Or just a lot of hot air."
/
Eventually, all the teams finally got on the road and were in Maryland, approaching Sandy Point State Park.
"We're here!"
Lita slammed on the breaks, right in front of a sunbather. In the distance, Mana and Toby were sitting on a towel, talking and sharing drinks from a cooler.
"Really?" Mana asked. "Canada actually loves your season. I'm sorry to hear the network's been down your throats."
Toby shrugged. "Doesn't sound half as bad as what y'all have been dealing with. By the way, did you ever figure out what was up with that mystery of Floria?"
"Actually I-"
"We're here!"
Lita slid in front of the co-hosts, kicking sand onto them. Malia trailed just behind her.
"Where's the Cutie Clue for us cuties?" Lita teased.
"Check the cooler," Mana coughed.
Malia reached in and pulled out a Cutie Clue. "A Quick Pick? Is that like a selfie?"
"A Quick Pick is another kind of challenge," Mana replied. "In this one, you can pick from two different kind of challenges for you clue. In this case, you get to pick your season."
"You mean I could switch to Genesis?" Malia asked. "It's been fun but I don't know if I could-"
"We don't need any more of you," Toby stated. "Then neither of these fanfictions will ever get finished."
Malia looked at Lita, who just shook her head.
"Winter or summer," Toby stated.
"Or to be more specific," Mana continued, "Sand or Snow?"
Malia and Lita looked at the clue.
"Snow," Lita read. "We have to head to a nearby blue building where you've made it snow inside?"
"Or Sand," Malia added. "Which is at the other end of the beach."
"That's the only hints you get," Toby stated. "If you suck at one, you can do the other…"
"...but there's only enough equipment for five teams to do a challenge at a time," Mana added. "Each have their own advantages though."
"Which one should we do?" Malia asked.
Lita shrugged. "I don't care. Which one do you want to do?"
"Me?" Malia asked. "I usually don't pick...but I do want to be more independent. Let's pick...Sand!"
Malia raced off, with Lita following after her this time.
"I guess we should head to our next places," Toby sighed.
"I'll take Jenny's place at Snow," Mana said. "Is she still busy?"
"She probably stopped for a bite to eat," Toby replied.
"Do you think she'd get us something to?" Mana asked.
"Ha ha...oh, you were being serious?"
/
"Are you ready?"
Jenny stood against a crowd in the middle of a makeshift stadium made of bleachers. She spoke into a microphone as a crowd of onlookers cheered. On the stage behind Jenny were the two competing hosts, each wearing a chef's hat that had a print of their respective country's flag. They each stood behind a kitchen.
"Let's get to it," Jenny stated. "Here it is, our International Platinum Cook-Off! Our competitors will each make a dish for yours truly to represent themselves and their country. They'll have to cook me breakfast, dinner, and desert! Whichever is the tastiest to my taste buds wins! Zac, what will you be cooking for us?"
"I'll start with my Zactastic flapjacks," Zac replied. "Topped with authentic maple syrup. Then from beautiful Quebec, Je vais cuisiner la poutine! French fries topped with cheese curds and gravy. And for desert, a British Columbia nanaimo bars; chocolate wafer bars filled with my homemade strawberry icing."
"Fancy and foreign," Jenny stated. "Rhonda, what's your counter?"
"For breakfast it's eggs benedict," Rhonda replied. "That's an english muffin topped with bacon, ham, a poached egg, and hollandaise sauce for you viewers up north. Except instead of an English muffin, I'll be using doughnuts. Since doughnuts are American, originating from Dutch immigrants in New York."
Rhonda cast a look at Zac who sneered. She then proceeded to drop an entire grill on top of the counter. "Then I'll follow that up with an American cheeseburger, freshly grilled and all the fixins. And for desert something as American as good taste; apple pie. You'll slap your grandma over the last bite."
"To be fair I'd probably slap a grandma for any food," Jenny replied. "But that sounds delicious."
"It sounds like a heart attack," Zac scoffed.
"If I have one then Rhonda will totally lose," Jenny replied. "But if not, then it'll be up to taste. So, let's..get...cooking!"
The crowd erupted into cheers again as the hosts started preparing their dishes while glaring at each other.
/
Damien and Tessa ran up a hill a snow covered hill.
"Remind me again how your co-host was able to make it snow inside?" Damien asked.
"Something about reengineering air conditioners or something," Tessa replied. "I'm not sure, I wasn't here for the snow fort challenge."
"He certainly made it cold," Damien joked. "I didn't sign up for Tides to get frozen."
"Hey, I was right," Tessa stated. "Look!"
At the top of the hill sat a cardboard promotional cutout of Twin It To Win It, with Katie and Sadie in eskimo outfits. In the cutout were clues. On the left were five sleds fashioned into different colored stations. On the right was a stable where barking could be heard.
"No one else picked it yet," Tessa stated.
Damien grabbed the clue from the cutouts. "Awesome, it's a straightforward race down the hill to the finish line...via dog sledding!"
"So it's farther than Sand but likely a simpler challenge," Tessa guessed.
"You get the dogs," Damien stated, "I'll grab the sled…"
/
Honkkkkk….
"Woo!" Riley cheered. "Okay, so that hotel wasn't the beach. But I think we're making great time to Sandy Point."
Sarah nodded, wearing two seat belts and grabbing the safety handle of her car so tight it snapped. "Good...uh Riley?"
Crashhhhh.
"Yeah?" Riley asked.
"Have you actually driven before?" Sarah asked.
"We did a go-kart challenge like almost a week ago," Riley stated.
"I just meant like an actual car," Sarah replied.
"Nope, never had one," Riley said. "Why do you ask?"
Sarah turned around, seeing multiple wrecks as Riley swerved again.
"No reason…do you think we could listen to some music?"
"Smart thinking," Riley replied. She turned on the radio and started blasting rap music. "Oh sweet, there's a little mirror here to look back!"
Riley adjusted her rearview mirror and noticed Sarah sighing. Turning down the music, she asked "Are you alright Rah-Rah?"
Sarah shook her head. "I'm really nervous."
"Dude, we can totally turn this around," Riley stated. "We're in the middle of the pack but-"
Sarah shook her head. "Not the challenge. Riley, can I tell you something?"
"Of course dude," Riley replied. "What's on your mind?"
"It's about Eylar," Sarah replied.
"Ohh, the boy toy they voted off?" Riley asked.
Sarah shook her head. "I don't like him. But...basically he's been forced by some bad people to work for him. And now to help set him free, I have to do something for them."
"Oh crap," Riley stated.
"I'm not sure if I can do it," Sarah stated. "And I don't really want to do it!"
"Then don't," Riley replied.
"But if I don't then Eylar will never be free!" Sarah sighed. "I either do this or he won't be free."
"Who says those are the only options?" Riley asked.
"Huh?"
Riley shrugged. "I mean if these are bad mochachos do you think they'll really let him go after this? They won't keep their word...and might ask more of you."
"I guess you're right," Sarah sighed.
"Would Eylar want you to do this?" Riley continued. "If the answer is no, then you probably shouldn't."
"So what do I do?" Sarah asked.
"I'd talk to Eylar first," Riley replied. "Then I'd pick answer C; you and Eylar work together to stop them."
Sarah nodded.
Suddenly, Riley swerved her car as they barely missed a seagull. "I think we're here!"
"Riley sounds right," Sarah admitted. "But...what can I do to stop an agency like that? Maybe if it was Yasmin or Wing or Zania...but it's just me. I know what I have to do. I'm sorry Andre, I know you wanted to win so you and Dania could be together but that's not possible anymore…"
At the beach, Ignacio and Sam reached the next stage. Toby sat by, dressed in a Hawaiian shirt, swim trunks, flip flops, and sunglasses. The colorful attire didn't match his pale skin or frown. Lita and Maila, Yasmin and Kalino, and Alfie and Weston were sculpting in the sand. Toby handed the new arrivals their next clues.
"We have to build a sandcastle?" Sam asked.
"A sand white house," Toby corrected. "Your clue comes with a photo for reference, but it's got to be at least semi-accurate looking and solve the equations for the proper dimensions."
"Wait...you mean math?" Sam asked. "As in math during summer? That's medieval!"
Sam turned to see Ignacio had already written down the dimensions in the sand.
"You can grab a bag with pails and shovels from over there," Toby stated. He pointed to under an umbrella, where color coordinated bags sat. Sam nodded, grabbing the yellow bag and returning to a rectangle that Ignacio had outlined.
"So you're sexy, smart and strong," Sam purred. "Anything you don't do handsome?"
"I don't play for the same team," Ignacio replied. "Sorry to disappoint."
Sam pouted. "Fine. But I'll have you know my last boyfriend said the same thing...till he swapped to my team."
"Do you actually want to date me?" Ignacio asked.
"Date, makeout for a few hours, whatever," Sam replied. "Why, you interested yet?"
"You said last night you broke up," Ignacio stated. "I figured you wouldn't want to start a new relationship so soon."
Sam sighed and sat on the ground. "Not really...not after he cheated me."
"Oh," Ignacio said. "I'm so sorry to hear that."
Sam shrugged. "I should be use to guys breaking my heart with how often I fall for them."
"So why are you looking for someone else so soon?" Ignacio asked.
"I just can't deal with these feelings right now," Sam admitted. "How sad I feel about Grayson and how guilty I feel about...how it went down. I just throw myself at the next guy to move on. It's not great, but it's what I'm good at."
Ignacio sighed. "It sounds like maybe another guy isn't what you need. You need a friend."
"You're probably right," Sam sighed.
"After this challenge, how about we get ice cream together?" Ignacio asked. "Platonically, of course."
"I'll still call it a date," Sam teased. "But sure. And maybe I can help you talk to that blonde girl you keep staring at."
Ignacio blushed. "What? I don't-"
"I'm not oblivious," Sam replied. "Apparently she is though. But you don't have to worry about Andre. He's head over heels for his girlfriend back home."
Ignacio sighed. "Thanks goodness...um not that I'm jealous or any similar theory."
Sam rolled his eyes and laughed. "Sure sweetie…"
/
Tessa ran back to the sleds leading a trail of sled dogs on reins. "You will not believe how these...what are you doing?"
Damien held a sleigh in his hand, using a coin to slowly loosen the nails of a sled's rudder. He placed in back in it's light blue station. "Oh…I'm just making adjustments to this sled."
"Why?" Tessa asked.
"This color is exactly the color of Dania's dress," Damien answered. "Andre's girlfriend. They were right behind us. With this we can-"
"-Sabotage them?" Tessa asked.
"It's not sabotage," Damien replied. "It's all fair in the rules."
"I said something like that once," Tessa admitted. "But this doesn't feel right."
Damien shook his head. "It's not personal. Truth is Andre was one of my best friends. He was captain of our old team, the Screaming Sirens."
"That makes it sound way worse," Tessa admitted.
"He's a threat and I'm just worried he's getting too close to Sarah," Damien said. "Who may I remind you, wants to vote off my alliance."
"Your alliance?" Tessa asked.
"With Cherry and Yasmin," Damien replied.
"Wait...you mean the mean popular girl and the hyper aggressive gamebot?" Tessa asked. "You have a final three alliance with them?"
"Yasmin is a good person," Damien replied.
"She judo chopped Weston and that little blonde boy's face," Tessa reminded. "I mean you being in a final three alliance that's sabotaging others? That kind of sounds like…"
"It's not like Heather's alliance," Damien stated. "Yasmin is my friend. I care about her...a lot. If I can't win, then I want her to! She deserves it."
"That's sweet," Tessa said. "And Cherry's your friend too?"
Damien bit his lip. "No...she's actually the worst. But I wouldn't let someone as undeserving as her actually make the final three."
"So that's a lie?" Tessa asked. "Meaning you plan on betraying your alliance member, just like-"
"-It's not personal," Damien replied. "It's part of the game. Heather shouldn't be vilified for playing the game. Our alliance is nothing like hers. Now, let's go already."
Damien rushed ahead. Tessa glared at him as Andre and Ness ran up.
"Phew," Ness sighed. "I was worried I cost us that lead in the syrup race."
"You did amazing," Andre replied. "Especially for a non-Canadian."
Ness giggled. "Thanks! So now what's our snowy challenge?"
"I hope you like fleas and slobber," Tessa teased.
"You mean...puppies?" Ness asked. "Aww, I knew we picked the right one! I bet they're so cute!"
"Tessa! Let's go!"
Tessa sighed, looking at Ness and Andre start untangling their harness. She grabbed the sled closest to them and tossed her sled to Andre. "See you down there…"
/
"We're looking amazing," Malia cheered as she sculpted another side. "Who knew all that sandcastle building I did with Angel would pay off?"
Malia reached for her bucket, but it wasn't there. She looked over to see it behind Kalino. She ran towards him, but he looked up and came to her. "This yours?"
Malia nodded. "It must have rolled away."
"No biggie," Kalino replied. "Go kill it little mama."
He winked, causing the girl to blush as she skipped away with her pail. Back at her side, she dug up more sand and packed into their white house...only for a crab to bust out of their sculpture and destroy a fourth of it as it went.
"Oh no!" Malia cried. "I must have dug up the crab, I had no idea…"
"Crap," Lita replied. "Relax Malia, it ain't your fault. But I have feeling it might be someone else's."
From afar, Kalino shook his head. "That sucks for them."
"I saw that," Yasmin stated.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Kalino replied.
"The crab," Yasmin continued. "You stole her bucket when you thought no one was looking, then put that crab inside it. You sabotaged their whole structure."
"Like I said, I have no idea what you're talking about," Kalino replied. "Now let's hurry; we almost have the lead."
"So you're not as dumb as you act," Yasmin said. "Or look."
"It's called being subtle," Kalino replied. "It's not a multisyllabic word like you'd prefer, but you'd be surprised what it can do. It might even prevent you from constantly making enemies."
"I'm start realize you might be the smartest newcomer," Yasmin said. "Not saying much from what I've seen today, but still. I underestimated you."
"I don't want to lose today either," Kalino stated. "I've got my own plans cooking, and I want to be safe if some kind of twist happens."
"You're predicting a twist?" Yasmin asked.
Kalino nodded. "I don't know about y'all, but I wouldn't be surprised if Rhonda tried to capitalize on the crossover with this. With our schedule changed due to an unexpected returnee, I could see a double elimination. I'm not risking that."
"That's entirely possible," Yasmin stated. "Zac could even do something so ridiculous as triple elimination or another twist, just to show up Rhonda."
Kalino jumped up. "Done!"
Yasmin smirked. "I can't believe I'm saying this...but I think this is the beginning of a wonderful partnership Kalino."
/
Trixie and Vance panted as they ran up the snowy hill.
"How are we not last?" Trixie asked.
"Don't question it,' Vance sighed. "Just be glad we got through the traffic."
"Where did that horse even come from?" Trixie asked. "And why is it destroying downtown?"
"Uh...no one really knows, "Vance replied.
Trixie and Vance gasped as the watched Ness run by screaming, as a team of sled dogs chased after her and Andre chased after them.
"A sled race," Trixie stated. "That should be easy let's-"
Trixie was interrupted as Vance threw her on the sled and pushed off.
"We need slay dogs," Trixie cried out as they dashed off.
"Psh," Vance said. "Not with me you don't my lady. Observe."
Vance fashioned the reins into a makeshift lasso and twirled it, landing on a branch of a nearby tree. He grabbed the sled as he used the lasso to swing forward, sending them forward. He yanked back at the lasso, returning it to their hands.
"That was pretty ingenious," Trixie admitted.
"I'm known for being an ingenius and an outgenius honey," Vance replied.
Trixie rolled her eyes, grabbing the lasso and using it to reach a rock and pull them forward again.
"She can lasso too?" Vance asked. "God, she may have just lassoed my heart as well. Rawrrrr…"
Damien looked back to see Trixie and Vance slowly gaining.
"I don't think so," Damien stated. He grabbed snow as they sailed down, making it into a snowball. He flung it forward nailing Trixie in the face.
"You dirty, low down coward!" Vance cried out. He tried to make a snowball but was pelted by another from Damien before he could even finish.
Trixie growled, grabbing another and sailing it right at Damien's face. "It's going to take more than a few snowballs to slow us down!"
"Like losing your reins?"
Trixie and Vance looked to see their reins were gone. Trixie facepalmed as their sled slowed down, having no lasso or huskies to continue their momentum. Damien snickered.
"Let me guess," Tessa said. "She was a threat to your alliance?"
"She could be," Damien admitted. "Especially if she convinces Malia to leave Cherry…"
"You know how earlier you said your alliance wasn't like Heather's?" Tessa asked.
"It isn't," Damien replied.
"You're right," Tessa said. "It's worse; it's an alliance of three Heather wannabes."
"Heather wasn't a bad guy," Damien stated. "I thought you would understand that."
"Maybe she isn't," Tessa replied. "I do understand making choices I wish I could take back...but I can't. I can only make the right choices now. Are you doing that?"
"Huh?" Damien asked.
"How are you hoping to redeem Heather's name?" Tessa asked. "By winning Tides? By sabotaging your old best friend? By using your alliance of jerkwads to dominate the game? I mean gosh, the only way you three could be more evil is if you called yourselves something like the Axis of Evil or…"
"We don't call ourselves that," Damien replied. "We're the...Unholy Trinity!"
"That's so evil!" Tessa replied. "You are such a Heather!"
"Heather was not a bad guy!" Damien yelled. "I know my sister better than anyone. She stood up to bullies for me. She always played with me. She always accepted me. Sure, she changed when she lost all that weight and moved schools…and we fought for along time."
Damien sighed. "I admit it, I used to prank her. We were at each other's' throats. And then after the show I saw all the hate she got. She won't admit it, but I know it gets her down. But I know that she's still that sister who was good to me."
"Who are you trying to convince?" Tessa asked. "The audience or yourself?"
Damien glared at Tessa. "My sister was nothing like this show made her seem. She wasn't a bad person. Not you like were, like you admitted."
"Yeah," Tessa sighed. "But don't you see, you're acting more like Heather was portrayed. That's all your own choice! That's why I can't let you win this challenge."
"And how do you intend to stop me?" Damien asked.
"Wheeeeeeee!"
Damien snapped his head back to see Andre and Ness racing past with their sled dogs. Andre flashed his former friend a peace sign as they passed.
"Wait, if their sled is working then-"
Tessa smirked. Her and Damien's sled immediately snaps. They fell and started tumbling to the ground as their dogs ran off without them.
"Really?" Damien asked. "Did you have to actually grab the sabotaged sled?"
"It seemed like a good idea at the time," Tessa snapped back, as she tumbled through a prickly bush. "I'm still calling this a win for me!"
"What a win," Damien sighed as he and her body sledded through a snow mound.
The two ended up crashing into each other, tangling and becoming a giant snowball...that fell off a cliff. "Ahhhhhhh!"
/
"Isn't this fun!"
Viola sighed as she and Melissa worked on the sand white house challenge. "I knew we should have picked Snow."
"We can still do that one if you want to try it," Melissa replied. "But I think our sand house is super cute. Maybe some nice crabs or other little critters will move in!"
"Yeah, and get swept back into the shore when it's eventually destroyed," Viola replied.
"I suppose so," Melissa admitted. "But I guess that's the nice thing about sandcastles. They don't last forever, which is why you have to appreciate them while they're here."
"Does anything get you down?" Viola asked.
"Of course things do," Melissa replied. "But not everything. Only really harsh things. But you can't stay down forever."
"How are you so...like this?" Viola asked.
"Like what?" Melissa asked. "Sandy?"
"Optimistic," Viola replied. "It's almost admirable...if it wasn't gross. I mean life can be so terrible and cruel."
"It can," Melissa replied. "But that's why I'm so happy. Because everything good that happens, even if it will change, is proof that there are good things. Proof that it can get better."
"I don't know if I could ever see things that way," Viola replied.
Suddenly, Cherry and Jasper ran up.
"Stupid horse and it's like stupid traffic jam," Cherry whined.
Jasper ran over and grabbed the last bag of sand tools, only to return to Cherry sunbathing.
"What are you doing?" Jasper asked.
"I didn't work on my Cherrylicious tan yesterday," Cherry replied. "Listen Jello or whatever your name is, we've already lost. There are already about four teams ahead of us, not including like whose snowing. So I'm going to make the most of my beach day."
She pulled out a pair of sunglasses and sighed as she laid back down. Jasper shook his head.
Cherry yawned, but accidentally swallowed sand that was being tossed. She coughed it up and turned to see Jasper beginning work.
"Like really?" Cherry asked. "After all I just said?"
"I was voted off once," Jasper replied. "Maybe we've lost already, but I got to try. I didn't think I'd even have the chance to do this, so I'm going to take it. I want to do it."
He turned his back and started working again. Cherry sighed, but stood up and start digging as well.
"I guess you have like a point," Cherry replied. "And it would super lame for me to bail on my partner."
Jasper smiled and nodded as the two got to work.
/
"We have ten minutes left till the tasting," Jenny teased as the crowd cheered again. Zac and Rhonda shared another glare. "Who's it going to be; Canada vs America?"
"Almost finished," Rhonda said. "Now I just have to put the egg on the dough...ahhh!"
Rhonda tossed aside a box of doughnuts to the ground. She turned to Zac in fury. "Did you replace my doughnuts with Tim Hortons?"
"You're welcome," Zac replied.
He started laughing...until an egg landed on his head. Rhonda started laughing now.
"You did not just mess up my hair," Zac stated.
"I call it an improvement," Rhonda replied.
"That's it!" Zac yelled.
"Bring it!" Rhonda shouted.
The two charged and tackled each other, fighting each other on the ground. The audience cheered them on as Jenny watched.
"You think you're some pro host," Rhonda stated. "But this is still your first show! Before this you were just an executive."
"I still had experience hosting other venues." Zac replied. "More experience than someone like you. I still tried to take you under my wing!"
"Under you wing?" Rhonda asked. "You call that under my wing? You were lazy and mean."
"But I didn't fake my death," Zac said. "I was so upset when I thought you died...and it was my fault. Even though I know you didn't like me, I thought we were friends."
Rhonda stopped and stood up. "Really?"
Zac nodded, wiping his face. "Duh. Why didn't you like me?"
"Because...because...because you always reminded me of everything I'm not," Rhonda admitted. "Always saying you wanted to give me a makeover or what I needed to improve, I just felt like I still wasn't good enough. Even after everything I did to get here, I still wasn't there. I guess I went a little crazy because of it."
"I just meant that stuff as advice to help you," Zac said. "I just wanted to help you, because I wanted us to be friends."
"I wanted to be friends too," Rhonda admitted. "I was so excited to be working on Tides at first, cause I loved Frozen. I'm sorry. I'm not proud of a lot of things I did to get here. But I admit the thing I regret most...was not being your friend."
"You mean that?" Zac asked.
"Yeah!" Rhonda replied. "I mean we're two big fans who are living the dream of hosting our fave show! We should be teaming up and doing fun crossovers like this was supposed to be."
"I'm sorry too," Zac replied. "And your totes right! And listen, you turned into a good host. Your show is all the rage in Canada. It's...Rhondatastic!"
"Really?" Rhonda asked. "You mean that?"
"I said it, didn't I?" Zac asked. "And these people are idiots for not liking it."
"We can hear you," one of the audience members yelled.
"This is a private conversation," Zac replied.
"So...do we want to try to be friends now?" Rhonda asked.
Zac pulled her into a hug.
"Boo! Boo!"
"I came here to watch senseless violence and nationalistic rhetoric!"
The crowd started booing and tossing things at the hosts, who dunked behind counters.
/
Yasmin and Kalino raced to their next stop, where Mana stood waving and waiting at a large table.
"Welcome to the first to arrive," Mana said.
"Obviously," Yasmin stated. "Am I right to presume this is the next Fun for One?"
Mana nodded. "Yup! It's our American themed portion...the Cheeseburger Chowdown!"
Mana pulled out a tray and lifted the lid to reveal a plate stacked with burgers. There were all kinds, from one patty to three, all different toppings and cheeses and even different buns.
"The first person to eat all of their burgers wins the final Cutie Clue," Mana said. "Which will lead to our finish line!"
Kalino sat down at the table and tied a bib around himself. "Easy peasy."
"I'd say we've already won," Yasmin stated.
"Not yet!"
Ness and Andre ran up to the table, with Riley and Sarah following close behind. "It isn't over till it's over."
"Good luck," Kalino replied in the middle of eating a burger.
"You got this Andre!" Ness cheered as the musician took his seat.
'Don't worry Sarah," Riley said. "I've got a little something that'll help me; my special hot sauce...as soon as I can find it."
Riley turned to Sarah running over and setting it down next to her. "Huh?"
"You...dropped it back in the snow," Sarah replied. "I didn't want you to lose it."
"It does make everything taste better," Riley joked.
Mana placed an open tray in front of Andre, then lifted the next tray for Riley.
All three began chowing down. Kalino had an obvious lead, but Riley was gaining as she poured hot sauce on each burger. Andre tried to catch up, but was coughing violently.
"Andre! Andre! Andre!" Ness cheered.
"Are...are they all suppose to be this spicy?" Andre asked. Mana shook his head.
"Compliments to the chef," Kalino joked as he finished a large one.
"Less talking, more winning," Yasmin stated.
Riley frowned as she shook an empty sauce bottle. "Already but that...Sarah?"
Sarah shot her partner a pitiful look, almost begging her without saying a word.
"I know you can do it Andre!" Ness cheered.
Yasmin scoffed. "Andre? Really? Are you just shouting rhetoric or-"
"Done," Andre said in-between violent coughs. He held up his empty plate.
"Me too!" Kalino shouted, tossing his plate at Toby's face.
"Same," Riley said before belching.
"You're all good!" Mana cheered. "And here are your final Cutie-"
The teens tackled the intern as they grabbed their cards and ran off.
Yasmin tore open the clue. "The finish line is close but can't be found. Something can help you see that it's around…"
"We need to find a giant pair of glasses!" Sarah blurted out.
Kalino grabbed Yasmin's hand and started running.
"Where are they going?" Ness asked.
"No idea," Andre replied. "But when in America, do what the Americans do."
The other two teams started racing after them. They followed them to the shore, where rowboats sat. Off in the distance there was…
"A lighthouse," Yasmin exclaimed. "I see; a lighthouse uses its light to help ships see the closeby shore. That's what the clue was trying to hint at."
"Duh," Kalino replied. "Also, it's like the only landmark in this place."
The dastardly duo hopped into a rowboat and pushed off the shore, their competitors approaching the sure as they did.
/
Mana and Toby parked a speedboat behind the Sandy Point Shoal Light, where a heart shaped mat and a camera were waiting.
"We did it," Mana stated. "We actually hosted a challenge all on our own!"
"No thanks to Jenny," Toby added.
"Where is she?" Mana asked.
"Right here."
Jenny stepped out from the other side of the lighthouse.
"What are you doing here?" Mana asked.
"I'm here to stop you and your nasty, mean plan!" Jenny shouted.
"My...what?" Mana asked.
"Don't play coy fish head," Jenny said. "You're here to whisk Rhonda away back on your pirate ship so the two of you can sail away into the sunset and host all the future Canadian seasons together!"
"What?" Mana asked.
"Rhonda is our best friend," Jenny stated. "She's staying with us!"
"I'm not trying to take Rhonda away," Mana said.
'Wait...what?" Jenny asked.
"Hear Mana out," Toby said. "He's actually really nice."
"I don't want to be an intern forever," Mana said. "I actually want to teach English in America. Zac promised to help me do that; that's why I'm on the show."
"Then why did you trick Zac into coming here?" Jenny asked.
"Because I miss Rhonda," Mana said. "We were in the same position and she managed to always put a positive spin on everything. She was just so excited she was about to host her own version, or was hosting on Total Drama at all. Things have been rough since she left, especially with Zac. I thought if they made up, maybe we can take some of that positivity with us. Maybe things would be better."
Toby shook his head. "I don't know. This show might have killed what Rhonda was. At least that's how I see it. She's changed."
"She has a little," Mana admitted. "But she's also still her. That's what I think."
Toby shrugged while Jenny frowned. "So...you really aren't here to take her away?"
Mana shook his head. "I know what this means to her. Besides, I wouldn't want to take her away from her friends. I mean you guys really care about Rhonda, huh?"
Jenny blushed. "Yeah...just don't tell her that. Okay?"
"Sure," Mana laughed. "But I do wish Zac and Rhonda could makeup."
"It's a long story," Jenny said, "But you probably shouldn't worry about that anymore…"
"Really?" Mana asked.
Jenny and Toby nodded. Mana pulled them into a hug, before Jenny shoved him away. "Okay, okay, let's just finish this challenge already!"
/
Out in the water, Kalino and Yasmin took the lead.
"They're gaining on us," Yasmin said. "We need to do something."
"I'll take care of them," Kalino stated.
Kalino stood up, holding his paddle into the air as Andre and Ness approached.
"Sorry Nessie," Kalino said. "But I need a win. You can understand right?"
Kalino swang his paddle, almost knocking Andre out of the boat.
Ness growled, grabbing her paddle and jumping up. "Have at you then. On guard!"
The two began sparing with their paddles, clashing like fencing swords as they swung at each other. Finally, Ness tossed her paddle. Kalino ducked and winked.
"You aimed a little too hard."
"I wasn't aiming for you."
Kalino looked behind him to see Yasmin, knocked overboard. He turned back, only to meet the end of a paddle that sent him falling into the water with his partner.
"And that's for earlier," Andre added, twirling his paddle in his hands.
The two partners high-fived and left the two behind.
"Now what," Yasmin sighed.
Kalino shrugged, lying back and floating on the water. "It's a nice day for a swim, right?"
Yasmin gawked. She splashed him, before a wave came and swept both of them away.
/
"...and that's how we meet each other," Toby finished.
"Wow," Mana stated. "I was not expecting that."
"The really crazy thing is what happened after," Jenny replied. "You see-"
Mana pointed ahead. "Wait! Someone's coming! It looks like..."
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Sarah and Riley ran up the stairs and raced across the finish line. "Riley and Sarah! The winners of our Tides/Genesis crossover challenge!"
"Yesssss!" Sarah cheered, tackling Riley. Riley only looked down at the ground.
"You both will be staying in the luxury suite tonight," Mana stated.
"Along with invincibility tonight," Toby added.
"Which will be real useful if there's a twist," Jenny teased.
"Twist?" Riley asked. "Tobster, is there a twist?"
"That was supposed to be a secret," Toby stated. "Just another thing Jenny can't do right."
"YOUR MOM!" Jenny shouted.
Riley shook her head. "No, no, no."
"Riley?" Sarah asked.
"I'm sorry Rah-Rah, but I can't do this," Riley replied. "We can't win invincibility. We cheated!"
Andre and Ness raced up the stairs and stared. "Wait, what's going on?"
Mana gasped. "You cheated?"
"And you actually admitted it?" Jenny asked. "Lame…"
"What?" Andre asked. "That doesn't make any sense. Sarah is way too nice to try cheating."
Sarah looked down at the ground. "I...I put hot sauce on your burgers. I hoped it would slow you down. And it kinda did...for a bit."
"That's why they were so spicy," Ness gasped.
"But why?" Andre asked.
"Sarah, this isn't about Eylar is it?" Riley asked.
Sarah opened her mouth, but said nothing. She ran off.
"The guy who always wears sunglasses?" Andre asked. "Even at night? I don't think we've even talked before…"
"The rules in the Cutie Clue strictly forbid messing with anyone else's cheeseburgers," Mana stated. "So that means Sarah and Riley get an hour penalty. That also means that the winners of this challenge are whoever crosses the finish line next...ahem..."
Andre and Ness share a look, then immediately run over the finish line.
"Ness and Andre!" Mana announced. "Congrats on winning invincibility, the luxury suite, and being the first person to ever watch Twin It to Win It! You're our Tides-Genesis crossover champions!"
"We did it!" Andre cheered. "We actually did it!"
"I can't believe it!" Ness squealed.
"It's all thanks to you," the partners said to each other before hugging.
"They said I'd be the first gone," Andre sang. "Again I would say so long. I wouldn't reach the halfway point. That all I would do is disappoint. Here I am! Here I am! I'm getting my first win! I'm no longer that first out has ben! Here I am! Here I am…"
"I won a challenge," Ness sighed. "Me. Miss trips into the garbage can. Miss wears a dog cone. Miss gets attacked by crows. I won invincibility. I just...I can't believe it! Maybe I got lucky with Riley and Sarah but...I don't feel like I got lucky. I feel like me and Andre earned it. Eeeeeeeeeeee!"
Riley caught up to Sarah, who was singing alone to herself.
"I'm sorry Sarah," Riley stated. "I just couldn't do that."
"I didn't think I could either," Sarah admitted. "Which makes it worse! I actually went that far. But Eylar…"
"I told you," Riley said. "You have another choice. There's always more than two choices."
"To go against this agency?" Sarah asked. "What could I do? I'm just a music geek. An ugly duckling. I can't help Eylar...even now."
"Are you kidding?" Riley asked. "You've battled pirates. You helped restore a queen to her throne! You survived band camp!"
Sarah giggled and finally broke into a smile.
"The point is you don't know what you can do till you try," Riley stated. "There are a lot of things I didn't think I could do before I joined this show. And I'm still proving myself wrong. And you're not alone."
Sarah glomped her friend, who returned her hug.
/
The scene cut to Ness squeezing a pillow in excitement. The teen was sprawled out on the California king bed. A quilted blanket entangled her. Andre sat at the end of the bed, his back pressed against the headboard. He was softly strumming the chords on a white guitar.
Ness turned to Andre. "Aren't you excited!? You get to see Dania after all this time!"
The musician stopped. "Only a recording of her." He looked down at the guitar in his hands. "It's like listening to your favorite song on your phone, instead of live in concert."
His eyes locked onto the black television screen. "Besides, what if she's off having fun and she's already forgotten about me?"
Ness tossed a handful of popcorn at Andre. "Why do you have to be such a downer!" She squeezed the pillow more. "I just won my very first merge challenge!"
"Well, with you of course." She corrected when Andre gave her a questioning look. "And now we get to watch the very first episode of a brand new competition show!"
She squealed. "We get to see all kinds of new faces. We're going to experience the kind of awe and wonder that only happens when a bunch of teenagers meet for the first time!"
She pulled out the whiteboard from under the covers. "And we get to rank them all of course!"
She tossed Andre a green marker. "I already ranked your number 1 for you."
She pointed at Dania's name.
The black screen immediately cut to a bubbly pop version of "I wanna be famous" sung by none other than Katie and Sadie. The two girls flashed across the screen in bright pink explosions. They marched down the catwalk, every few seconds their outfits changing. One second they're wearing the Canadian Mounties uniform, and then the next they're dressed like traditional geishas.
The pair posed at the end of the catwalk.
"Twin It!" Katie shouted.
"To WIN IT!" Sadie finished.
The pair are lifted into the air and then appear in the pilot's cabin of a plane, wearing stewardess uniforms.
The scene fasts forwards to show Ness finishing her rankings as the end credits play. "WOW!" Ness exclaimed. "So many of my favorites! From so many different seasons!" She gasped. "And it was so…. So…"
"Cheesy?" Andre teased. "But it works." He nodded. "Oddly enough."
Ness revealed her rankings to Andre. Dania was at the top of her rankings too. "Dania's amazing! I mean I always thought she was a little boring in Frozen… But the way she just sticks it to her dad? That's so awesome!"
Andre blushed. "Yeah she's pretty great isn't she. Too great."
He sighed. "She's losing everything because of me. And I'm not even going to win Tides for her."
Andre slid into bed and hid his face in the pile of pillows.
"Don't say that!" Ness shouted, crawling over to wrap her body around Andre's. "You made it this far! Everyone here, and on your show loves you! You have a solid chance!"
"I'm just a loser," Andre groaned. "Her dad's right. That's all I'll ever be. I'll never be good enough to deserve her."
"No." Ness refused. "You deserve each other. You know why? She's literally competing with the person she hates the most right now, all because she wants to have a chance with you! She wants to convince him that he was wrong. And I believe in her!"
Ness offered a smile to Andre. "There's no better love story on reality television right now than the story of Andre and Dania."
She tucked Andre into bed.
"Just make sure it gets a happy-ever-after okay?" She whispered turning off the TV.
"Promise." Andre whispered pulling Ness in for a group hug.
"Thanks Ness. Really. For everything. I'll miss you when I leave here." The musician mumbled as he drifted off to sleep.
The camera panned away revealing Ness's smile.
"So yesterday's challenge was super fun!" Weston exclaimed. "Me and Alfie had a lot of fun. I think everyone had fun. Rhonda and Zac did! So much that they decided they were going to wait for elimination. So we spent all day with the sailors at the hotel. I showed Alfie all the sights...and the best sweets shops. But then at dinner...I guess the fun had to end sometime."
At dinner, the sailors and newcomers were chatting with one another.
Riley and Sarah were apologizing to Ness and Andre. Cherry was bragging to Jasper. Lita was styling Malia's hair, while Yasmin and Damien were talking to Kalino.
Trixie and Tessa were chatting, as Ignacio and Sam were laughing with Melissa. A slightly less grumpy looking Viola sat next to Sam.
At the end of the table Vance, Weston and Aflie were playing poker, using candy as poker chips.
Even Mana, Jenny and Toby were talking in the kitchen. Rhonda stood in the doorway and laughed as Zac strutted up.
"Where have you been all day?" Mana asked.
Zac blushed. "Oh you know…"
"You've been to see Hayden haven't you!" Sarah exclaimed. "I can see it on your face."
"Okay, yeah I have!" Zac bragged. "We had a romantic day out on the town! Thanks Rhonda."
"My pleasure," Rhonda replied.
"I hate that we have to leave," Zac sighed.
"Do we have to?" Malia asked. "Can't we stay just a little bit longer?"
"I still need to use that spa like five more times," Cherry added.
Zac shook his head. "The network wouldn't let us. Not to mention I can't let Tides be brought down in the ratings by being with Genesis."
"Excuse me," Rhonda replied. "But Genesis is killing it's primetime slot and beating Tides in Canada."
"I mean it's good," Zac said. "But we'll still have the most Zactastic ratings. As long as Tim Hortons is delicious."
"It never was," Rhonda stated.
"There they go again," Toby sighed.
"Yeah, but I think it's a little less angry," Mana stated.
"And what of the eliminations?" Yasmin asked.
"You had to remind him," Damien whispered.
"There are quite a few people I'd like to be rid of," Yasmin replied.
"We haven't forgotten," Zac replied. "We'll be having ours in an about an hour once we get back to the ship."
"We'll have ours about the same time," Rhonda replied. "So say your goodbyes...and decide who you're sending home."
"What do you think we've like been talking about all day?" Cherry asked.
Rhonda and Zac shared a smirk, like conjoined twins.
"Oh crap," Sam stated.
"The twist," Riley sighed.
"We had to do something special to celebrate an international crossover," Rhonda teased. "So Zac and I put our heads together and decided we needed a twist."
"Like we said earlier," Zac continued. "You'll each be voting off a new loser...just not one of your own."
The collective teens gasped, except for Vance who seemed very confused.
"So there isn't an elimination?" Vance asked.
"I think Zac means we're voting off one y'all," Trixie replied. "And you're voting for one of us."
Zac and Rhonda nodded eagerly. "The sailors will vote for off a newcomer and the newcomers will vote off a sailor."
"Let's see if these new friendships you've made pay off," Rhonda teased. "You've got an hour to talk. To the sailors; it's been wonderful to see you all again. Good luck on the Forgotten Seas!"
"And it was a joy to meet you newcomers," Zac added.
The hosts and their sidekicks walked off as the teens began to pair off...
Kalino looked around, now back in the elevator confessional. "Not gonna lie, I'm going to miss the giant clam shell..."
The newcomers sat in their Haunted Internet Café, not sure if they should read each others faces or not.
Lita forced a smile. "Everybody tried to talk to their partner for a little bit. But we didn't have a lot of time. It was hard for us Genesisters and brothers to pick who to vote for; it was mostly for who our partners wanted. We can only hope they did the same…"
"Apparently some partners didn't like each other at the challenge," Weston said. "I think some of the others are worried about that biting them in the butt. But I'm not! Alfie and me gotta along like water and oil; two liquids chilling together. I voted for what was best for him, and I think he's doing the same for me. I'll miss you little me. Safe travels back to your dimension!"
"Just add Damian's name to the list of people who hate me," Tessa stated. "If he has any friends, like his bookworm pal, then I'm probably dead. You know, for once it'd be nice to not be worried I'll be voted off…"
"Poor Trixie," Vance sighed. "She's probably heartbroken that she has to leave me. Happens to the women I meet on the road for the rodeo all the time. Usually I'm leaving them though. I tried to tell her names, but she didn't really listen. Probably too tore up about leaving me."
"We didn't plan on having an elimination like this," Ignacio admitted. "I think after Tessa averted that automatic elimination, we didn't think we'd have another unusual elimination like this. It's impossible to read what's going to happen. I know what I told Sam and I suspect what the others informed their partners but...I have a sinking feeling...
The newcomers sat quietly as Rhonda walked out with a plate of nine coffee cups. She studied her casts faces; remembering this was her final ten.
In truth, she had missed Mana and the contestants of Tides. Even if it was only a little, she had missed her former boss. She missed being liked and seen as the good guy. She had made friends with them. She couldn't say that about the Genesis contestants.
But seeing her newcomers' faces, she knew that this was her job. They hadn't looked as nervous as they had at other eliminations, or as sad. They looked like someone waiting to open a present and not sure if they should be glad…or disappointed…or upset.
It was this reaction she wanted. It was her job as hostess and she was getting it. It was her job to torture them; she was the bad guy. She nodded to herself, accepting this fact. It worried her a little bit, that she might actually like being the bad guy, but it was the truth. She gave everything away to be the bad guy. Now looking at their faces, she could tell she was good at it. It's who she was now.
"Let's see what fate our foreign friends have in store for you," Rhonda said. "The first coffee cup obviously goes to Ness. Congrats. A maple syrup themed beverage just for you!"
Ness beamed as she got her coffee cup, not even phased that it had a leak in the bottom and most was on the floor. She sipped it happily.
"Next is…Riley and Weston."
The two smiled as they caught their cups.
"Jasper and Ignacio."
Jasper sighed heavily like every time his name was called as Ignacio nodded.
"Melissa."
The sweetheart nodded and caught her cup.
Rhonda shook her head. "I've got three coffee cups left. You've all gotten votes, but only one of you got enough to seal your fate. Blame Canada, blame the other newcomers, blame me…or blame yourself. Because today's big loser is…"
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…Lita."
Lita's whole demeanor fell. It was clear from her face she wasn't expecting this. She was still processing it. Before she even realized it, she was crying.
Ness had already beaten her to it. She had been trying to contain her sobs when Rhonda first said she was announcing the loser right away. The other Fireworks hadn't reacted well. Ignacio looked furious, Riley frowned and Tessa sighed. Jasper was heartbroken.
Melissa was already patting Lita on the back, though the knockout didn't react. The others were somewhat surprised.
Only Kalino smiled as he sipped his coffee.
"Yasmin and I didn't get along," Kalino stated. "But we found common ground on one thing; we have people we want gone. I agreed to get me and the old Eagle boys to vote for whoever she wanted, and she got her alliance to vote for who I wanted. Weston and Vance asked their partners to vote for Lita. And it all worked out peachy keen for everyone."
He beamed. "Oh…I guess not for that little girls' alliance. I mean that's why it had to be Lita. Sure she's strong, but she's also the key to defeating a girl's alliance. How? Simple."
Kalino held up two fingers. "I need to do two things. First, I need a guy's alliance. But Ignacio and Jasper wouldn't commit. Which can only be for one reason; they're in love. I know what that's like; you want to work with them even when it's not in your best interest. It wasn't hard to figure Lita was the love bug that bit them…so I called an exterminator to squash her.
"The second thing I need to do is break up the girls. If they don't vote together, they can't get the numbers to stop the guys' alliance. But how does Lita going home do that? Hehehe…"
Ness wiped her eyes from her sleeve, looking up to glare at Tessa.
"That witch!" Ness screamed. "She was pretending like she wanted to make up with Lita. Then this special elimination comes along and finally gives her the chance to what she's always wanted; eliminate Lita. That stuck-up, fake, two-faced, full of herself, spoiled, little…****!"
Ness' glare quickly faded back into a frown. "I jinxed it…didn't I? I thought today was a dream come true. But it was actually my worst nightmare."
Not knowing what else to do, she started crying again.
Back in the Tides confessional, Yasmin reread over her notes. "Someone in particular is working to undermine me. This is the perfect chance to get rid of them. The fact they've had payback coming is just an added incentive. I don't know why Kalino wants that girl gone, but I told Cherry and Damien. Let's see if he held up his end of the bargain."
Alfie munched on a chocolate bar. "Weston wasn't really sure why I should vote for her, but he says it's because she's super strong. Malia did say she was stronger than Emmett. So I hope that eliminates a threat for you! I really don't care who he votes for it...though I did tell him not Trixie."
Malia sighed. "I don't want to but...I have to vote Lita. Cherry told me it was best! If I wanted to prove I'm Cherrilicious and independent, then I have to be willing to get rid of baggage. She said I have to show America what's what and I have to prove I don't need someone protecting me. I'm sorry Lita, but I have to do what's best for the new me!"
"I don't understand," Lita said.
"I'm sorry, but you got the most votes," Rhonda explained. "I can't really say anymore than that."
"I...I didn't even pack."
"We'll have your bags sent to you. But the Public Transportation of Losers will be here any minute."
Lita groaned, standing up. "I guess I did something wrong..."
"No," Ignacio said. "You couldn't have."
Lita shrugged. "It's been real y'all. I had a lot more fun that I thought I could. Keep at it."
She nodded at Tessa, waved at Jasper and Melissa and patted Riley as she exited. She and Ignacio hugged; he tried to force a smile, but she didn't reply. She hugged Ness, wiping away tears, but Ness didn't react. Lita exited the Revolving Doors of Shame, when...
"Wait!"
Lita turned to see Jasper running up to her.
"I just...I...um...I'm..."
Lita forced a laugh. "You don't say?"
"Sorry," Jasper replied. "I just don't know why you're going. But I'm really glad you were here."
"Fat good I did," Lita replied. "I didn't win it for my family; I got close but still so far. All I did do was get rejected twice."
"That's not true," Jasper replied. "You won a challenge! You gave your family a free trip to D.C. You meant a lot to a lot of people. Including me. So you didn't get a boyfriend; doesn't mean you're not worth dating. That's why I wanted to tell, I've been wanting to tell you for a really long time..."
"Yeah?"
"I um...thank you."
Lita hugged Jasper. "Thank you for being the sweetest. Now go show everyone how kick-butt you are."
Jasper nodded and blushed. As he left, Ness came out too.
"I guess this it," Lita said.
Ness ran up to her and glomped her. "Please don't leave Lita! Please!"
"I don't really have a say," Lita replied. "But...you don't need me here."
Ness shook her head as Lita wiped Ness' face with her arm. "No, you want me here. But you don't need me."
"I've never had a friend till I met you," Ness admitted.
"Me neither," Lita stated. "And I couldn't have gotten a better one."
Lita held up her arm, showing off her friendship charm bracelet. She grabbed Ness' arm and did the same. "Me and Seraphina may not be here physically, but we're still with you. And all three of us know you can do this."
Ness nodded, hugging her friend one last time. "I'm glad you came on the show."
"Me too," Lita replied.
The Public Transportation of Losers honked repeatedly.
"Alright, alirght!" Lita shouted. "I hear ya, I'm coming."
/
Lita winked at her BFFFL one last time before stepping on the bus. She sat in the front seat and waved as it departed, waving until the hotel was out of sight. She sighed, leaning against the seat. Lita stared out the window at the city. She grabbed her scarf, but dropped her hand.
She opened her window, lowering it and sticking her head out. The breeze blew through her hair. She unwrapped her scarf and tossed it out the window. "I don't need this thing anymore."
Author's Note
Wow. A lot happened over these two chapters.
I feel like this kind of a weird chapter. There's a lot of character development, revelations, and important plot moments while also devoting time to introducing new characters and having this big crossover. My hope was that it wasn't confusing and distracting. I'm bias, but I love it. It was fun! Re-reading it there are so many moments that got me. I also just really love Mr. Oddy's series and characters and so happy that our fics can be connected 3
We knew we wanted to focus on our cast meeting and interacting. So we thought of the challenge featuring pairs. We quickly noticed a lot of characters were similar or really different and started making dynamics around them. The challenge itself, based off a Katie and Sadie themed Amazing Race rip-off, is based off an idea for a collab fic series we had. (We may still do it someday, but we've been focusing on our own series).
As for other stuff that happened, we finally found out Rhonda's backstory. It's a little weird, and not what I planned initially, but I like the implications. I didn't mean for Rhonda to have such a big part in this crossover, but she was a big character in Tides, and I think it worked.
We also have the girls and guys joining forces...maybe?
And then we have Lita. Lita was the first character created for Genesis and hasn't changed that much. Readers either love her or aren't a fan. I admit I have very complex feelings on her. Re-reading Genesis though, I'm more fond of her. I like her story about wanting to find love, but finding it in her friends. I think she makes some bad decisions, a lot, but I like the struggle. I think her story is a little dramatic, but I like role she plays for a lot of characters and their stories.
I think it was fair to say she was a big character, but her elimination will open up moments for other characters. The elimination method made a perfect way to do that. (If you're curious who the Genesis characters voted for, you'll have to read Tides and find out).
I think that's everything? If I missed something or you had a question, let me know! Thanks for reading. I can't wait to share what's next.
Appendix: Elimination History
Bethany (Eagles)- 22nd
Diamonique (Eagles)- RETURNED
Jasper (Fireworks)- RETURNED
Tessa (Fireworks)- RETURNED
Zipporah (Fireworks)- 21st
Hayden (Eagles)- 20th
Frannie (Eagles)- 19th
Aiden (Eagles)- 18th
Pascal (Fireworks)- 17th
Easton (Fireworks)- 16th
Seraphina (Fireworks)- 15th
MERGE
Cynthia- 14th
Griswold- 13th
Xidorn- 12th
Diamonique- 11th
Lita- 10th