An hour or so had passed since dinner, and the boys were sitting around a roaring campfire, enjoying their reward.
"-and that nearly got me suspended. Stopped bringing my board to school after that," Andy smiled as he finished up his story. "Shame, too, 'cause the nearest skatepark is like, on the other side of town. I really miss that parking lot."
"Oh, kind of a troublemaker, huh?" Adam teased. He placed a marshmallow on the end of a branch he had found, holding it out to the fire. "Well, hey. If you win, maybe you can open your own skatepark."
"Troublemaker? Nah." Andy shook his head, chuckling a bit. He frowned as his own marshmallow was engulfed in flame, pulling it out of the fire and blowing on it, though not fast enough to save it from becoming a blackened crisp.
"Aw, man..." he sighed. "But, nah. Well, not any more than any other highschooler, I guess. Though, my own skatepark does sound pretty nice... I always thought I'd open up a skate shop if I won the money. Well, that, and travel."
"Skate shop, huh?" Kyle glanced over, stroking his chin. "That sounds fun. My family owns a toy shop, so I always kind of figured I'd use the money to help out with that."
"Wellll, million dollars would get you a lot of toys," Andy agreed. "What about you, Adam? What would you do with the money?"
"Easy," Adam smiled. "Buy my own house, fill it with tonnnnns of movie merchandise! Maybe I could even afford my own private theater."
"Yeah, had you pegged for a film buff. You know, 'cause of the clothing and movie references," Andy teased.
"Well, my grandpa introduced me to them. He owns a theater in my town- in the mall," Adam explained. "I was actually staying with him before I came here, but... well, long story short, my parents are making me move out unless I can last three challenges."
"Oh, man. That's rough." Andy frowned, shaking his head. "But you're doing good so far, right?"
"Yeah, I think I can make it!" Adam nodded. "I came here for an adventure anyway- doing this proves I can make my own decisions. It's like my own sort of movie!"
"A TV movie," Simon reminded him. "Me personally, I think I'd just donate most of it to charity. But I guess everyone says that before they get the money, huh?"
"Not at all! I'd do the same, with most of it anyway," Leon grinned. "Half to charity, half to help me with my MMA career!"
"You're in MMA?" Peter asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes!" Leon puffed out his chest proudly, throwing a few jabs out to the air. "Well... I'm not pro, yet. But I plan to get there soon! That's why I joined Total Drama. To get stronger! If I can make it here, I'll make it pro, too!"
"Oh, I wish I could say I was here for something that interesting." Peter gave a meek smile. "I don't think I have a good shot at winning against you guys... but, if I did, I'd love to use that money for college someday."
"Ah, don't sell yourself short, friend!" Leon gave Peter a few unintentionally forceful pats on the back. "I'm sure you'll do fine with that wit of yours, huh?"
"Thank you. I hope you're right," Peter said, smiling back.
"College, huh?" Ash chimed in. "Same here. Med school isn't cheap, unfortunately."
"Oh yeah. You're gonna be a doctor, right?" Andy asked, looking over at him. "That's pretty cool."
"Eh. Sports Medicine," Ash shrugged. "It's a lot of basic first aid and stuff now, but I'm aiming for an athletic trainer of physician."
"Oh? Does your cane have something to do with that?" Peter asked, eyeing the cane over as it leaned on the log Ash sat on.
Ash was hesitant. "...sssssort of. That's a story for another time."
"Whaaaat? Come on. Here we are spilling our guts out," Simon scoffed playfully. "Adam gave his story, Kyle gave his, you can't do that to us!"
Ash shook his head. "I'll tell you another time. It's really not that interesting."
Ash looked away, noticing Gael shuffling off by himself as he did so. "Hey, where are you headed, Gael? You haven't spoken much all evening. Why not come join us?"
Gael stopped, his attempt to sneak away thwarted. He turned, raising a hand to the group, and shaking his head. "Oh, that's okay," he said. "I'm headed off to bed a little early. Don't worry about me."
"If you're sure..." Ash waved back. "Night, then."
Gael gave one more quick wave, before disappearing down toward the resort. Simon popped a marshmallow into his mouth, uncooked, before turning to Aaron; the only other person to be notably silent all evening.
"So, what about you then?" Simon asked, mouth full of marshmallow. "C'mon, fess up, Aaron. You're the only other person who hasn't said anything. Chris said you're some kinda royalty or something?"
"What?" Aaron's eyes widened a bit, shocked both at being called on, and at the accusation of being royalty. "N-no! Nothing like that! My dad just... he's just in charge of a business back home in Germany. It's just a small one, really. Not even a big deal."
Aaron looked away, eager to change subjects.
"Aww. Here I was hoping you were the son of a mob boss or something," Simon sighed wistfully, eating another marshmallow. "Ohh, or a deposed royal, those're pretty cool too! So what business is it?"
Aaron fidgeted a bit, looking even more uncomfortable than before. Picking up on this, Ash cleared his throat. "You know guys, maybe we should call it a night, too," he suggested, standing up. "Gael had kind of a point. Challenge tomorrow morning, right?"
"Yeah, maybe you're right," Andy admitted, standing up and yawning. "Still... this was fun though. Maybe we should do it again, even without a reward. Like a bro-bonfire or something," he joked.
"Sure. I'm down," Kyle agreed, with a nod.
"That sounds fun. Maybe a weekend thing," Ash smiled.
"Its settled, then. Weekly bro-bonfires it is!" Andy turned toward the resort, stifling another yawn. "But... time to go crash now, yeah."
The boys began to pack up, finishing their snacks and starting to head toward their lodge. As they did, though, Aaron was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. He let out a startled yelp, turning around to see who it was; Rosella.
"I'm sorry. Did I startle you?" she asked, pulling her hand away, tone low and apologetic.
"Um... a little bit." Aaron frowned, rubbing the back of his neck. "Um, I think only the boys are supposed to be here..."
"Oh, I know! I wasn't trying to intrude on your party," Rosella assured him, before presenting him with a folded up paper towel.
"Thanks?" Aaron took it, uncertainly. He held it in his hand, Rosella giving him an encouraging smile and a nod. He unfolded it, revealing a few cookies from that night's dinner had been tucked inside.
"A few of the girls didn't want theirs," Rosella told him, waiting for a reaction. "I didn't eat mine, either... I just wanted to repay you for the kindness you showed me, earlier."
"Kindness?" Aaron stared at her, a bit confused. He wasn't quite sure what she was talking about, at first. Then he remembered their encounter during the challenge earlier that night. "Oh, right. That wasn't really a big deal. I was just trying to help out."
"I know you see it that way. But... I just want you to know what it meant to me. I'll let you go back to your cabin, now. I don't want to keep you from a good night's rest." Rosella bowed slightly, before turning, and hurrying off. "Good night, Aaron!" she called, quickly vanishing into the woods.
"Good...night," Aaron called back, perplexed.
"Ah, already hitting it off with the ladies, eh?" Leon asked.
Aaron spun around, surprised; he thought everyone had left by that point. "You saw that?"
"I did! You must be quite the charmer to have a girl doting after you already, eh?" Leon walked up, nudging him playfully with his elbow.
"Not really." Aaron shook his head, glancing over to the spot Rosella had disappeared. "I really don't know what all the fuss is about..."
CONFESSIONAL: ROSELLA
Aaron is so kind and considerate... and so humble. I bet he'll grow into a wonderful man. I just... hope he sees me like I see him. I wonder if I brought him the right cookies, or if he even likes them? Maybe I should have baked them myself. I wonder if chef Pierre would allow me in his kitchen...
CONFESSIONAL: AARON
I'm not really sure what to say about Rosella... she's... um, w-well, really not my type. A-at all, but... she seems nice enough. I'm sure she's not that into me, anyway. Maybe she just wants to be friends?
END CONFESSIONALS
Things were quiet at the resort that next morning. Birds chirped peacefully as the sun rose over over the lake, shining over the water with beautiful hues of orange and red. It was tranquil- blissful, even. The sort of morning even the most reclusive of shut-ins could appreciate. The campers slept peacefully through, the boys in their luxury beds, and the girls in their... well, you could call them beds, at least, enjoying a reprieve from the excitement of the previous day.
So of course, no one should have been surprised when "Boogie Wonderland" suddenly kicked on from the PA speakers at a deafening volume, ripping everyone from their sleep.
"What the-" Stephanie yelped, scrambling around and falling out of bed, hitting the floor with a loud thump.
Ingrid let out a scream, startled as she bolted upright, Shelbi poking her head out from under Mitsy's bed and beginning to bark and howl. Felicity pulled her covers over her head, closing her eyes and covering her ears, shaking a little.
"Will somebody turn that racket off?" Maya yelled, to no real avail; her voice was easily drowned out by the music, only a muffled shouting coming through. Thankfully, the song cut out after the first verse, leaving everyone in complete silence. Well... only if you don't count the ringing everyone was currently hearing in their ears. After a few moments, the campers began to groan and mutter to themselves, a few even ready to go back to bed, when there was another crackle over the intercom.
"How's that for a wake-up call, huh?" Chris laughed, voice unmistakable. "Ohhhh the looks on your guys' faces! We only had enough in the budget for like, forty seconds of the song, but totally worth it!"
"I'm hearing a lot of laughing, but I'm not seeing what's so funny," Miriam hissed, glaring at the speaker in the corner of the cabin.
"Yeah, I can't really hear you from where I'm at, but looks like a looooot of complainers from the camera," Chris continued. "If you guys think that was tough, oh, just you wait!"
The host snickered to himself, more proud of the joke than was deserved. "Anyway, told you guys you'd have to be up early! That was your morning wake up call, crack of dawn! But don't worry- breakfast is already ready in the dining room!"
"Breakfast? Alright! Can't work on an empty stomach, can we?" Maxine asked, already perking up and beginning to gather her clothes for the day. "Guess Chris isn't so bad!"
"Yes. Yes he is," Miriam correct, her tone flat.
"So, get your butts over here and eat up. Today's challenge decides team captains, remember? This is something you can't afford to lose! McLean out!"
"He can't be serious," Mitsy groaned, running a hand through her hair. She pulled a pocket mirror from seemingly nowhere, holding it in front of her face and examining herself. "He almost blew our hearing out! I can't believe the... the..." she trailed off, her eyes catching sight of Shelbi, peering up at her from underneath her bed.
There was a long pause, before Mitsy yelled, "Why are you sleeping under my bed, you freak?!"
"Sorry, sorry! Shelbi just feels safest sleeping under a shelter," the feral girl apologized, crawling out and scratching her ear with her back leg. "And you snore the loudest. The noise would scare away other animals!"
"Do it again and animals are going to be the last thing you'll have to worry about, you creep!" Mitsy spluttered, red-faced and fists clenched.
"Well, I dunno. She has a point. If I was an animal, I'd sure be scared-a you," Maya teased, sitting on the edge of her bed and stretching out.
"Ha-ha. I'm absolutely dying of laughter," Mitsy frowned, rolling her eyes.
CONFESSIONAL: MITSY
Ugh. I have GOT to win team captain. If for no other reason than to make sure a few campers, who I will let remain nameless, are off of my team and away from me.
END CONFESSIONAL
A few minutes passed, the girls getting dressed and ready for breakfast, Ingrid passing by Felicity as the two were on their way out.
"Are you okay?" Ingrid asked Felicity, the girl looking a little nervous after the morning's wake up call.
"O-oh, um, yes. I'm alright, thank you," she nod, giving Ingrid a smile. "But, that wake up kind of spooked me a little. It was so loud and sudden..."
Ingrid fidgeted a bit, not quite sure how to comfort or reassure the girl. That sort of thing was just outside her realm of expertise. "Um... yeah," she settled on after a little bit. "Chris is a jerk, huh?"
Felicity smiled, nodding a bit, before another awkward silence fell over the two. After a pause, Ingrid finally asked, "...want to go grab breakfast together?"
Felicity seemed to perk up immediately, a wide grin spreading across her face as she nodded, standing up. "Definitely!"
"You guys becoming friends already, huh?" Stephanie observed from the next bed over, currently lacing up her shoes. "You know, when I win, I can put you both on my team if you want!"
"Oh, thanks!" Felicity smiled sweetly, nodding a bit. "It's nice of you to off-"
"Pff, your team?" Maya asked, cutting Felicity off. "I think you mean, they'll be lucky to be on my team~"
The three girls looked over, the cowgirl wearing a cocky smile as she flipped on her hat. Stephanie raised an eyebrow, unable to help a smile herself. "Oh yeah? Think you're winning?"
"I know it. But, don't feel too bad about it. I'll leave some room open for 'ya!" Maya put her hands on her hips, posing confidently- mind seemingly free from any doubt that she could lose the challenge.
"Well, why don't you both just be team leaders?" Felicity suggested, still smiling. "I mean, there has to be two captains anyway, righ-"
"Oh yeah? You're on!" Stephanie grinned, nodding her head at Maya. "I bet I'll win today's challenge in half the time you could!"
"Try me! I'll win it in half that time, then!" Maya countered, the two focused on each other.
"...I'm gonna go eat," Ingrid murmured, quietly slipping out, Felicity shrugging and following after.
CONFESSIONAL: STEPHANIE
You know, Maya talks big, but I kinda like her! It's nice having someone be as pumped-up as I am!... Buuuuut, I've been playing soccer a long time. I practically breathe sports! If there's anyone who can lead their team to victory, its me!
CONFESSIONAL: MAYA
Gotta say, glad there's someone who sounds like she can actually keep up with me! I mean, I'm still winnin' the challenge today though, don't get me wrong!
END CONFESSIONALS
It wasn't long before the dining room was filled with the usual sounds of a busy cafeteria; plates and utensils clanking against one other, the contestants talking and laughing as various waiters brought them their food. Oddly, the dining service seemed to be overhauled from the usual Total Drama experience. They simply sat down, and the kitchen staff took care of the rest. Though, perhaps there even being a kitchen staff was the most surprising of all, though the contestants didn't complain about having their food served to them. It was decent enough- a typical meal of eggs, bacon and toast, perhaps a little on the bland side even if it didn't taste particularly bad. Chef Pierre oversaw all of this from the kitchen. The campers didn't ever see him move to cook; he simply stood at his window, staring out at them, an intent expression on his face.
"Yeah, that guy's a creep," Andy remarked casually, munching a piece of toast as he watched the kitchen window. "I don't think he's touched a single dish that's come through those doors."
"Well, maybe its better that way. We don't have to worry about fake mustache hairs in our food," Ash mused, sticking a piece of egg with his fork.
"You think its fake?" Simon smirked. "Mayyyybe one of us should go tug on it. Just to check."
The boys were surprised when Maxine appeared, taking a seat across from them. "Mind if I sit here?" she asked. "Mitsy said I eat too loud, and I should go sit with the boys. I was gonna tell her off, but I figured, you know what? Why not make some new friends!"
The guys glanced at each other, Kyle giving a shrug. "Sure, we don't mind."
"Thanks!" Maxine grinned, beginning to dig in. "Eat too loud, pfffft. Gotta stay healthy, right?"
This was immediately followed up by the loud sound of Maxine cutting the metaphorical cheese, as it were, the smell soon hitting the unfortunate boys at her table.
"Eheh. Whoops," she snickered. "Aaaaactually, that might be the real reason Mitsy told me to sit with you guys~"
CONFESSIONAL: MAXINE
Alright, so mayyyyybe I could work on my manners a bit... but better out than in, right? Besides, around food, I can't help it! I've gotta keep up my strength, anyway. If I win, I'm donating to a lot of charities to help out the hungry! Well, donating AFTER I have a killer party, anyway! Or, uh, donate first, haha!
After a while of eating, the door to the dining hall finally opened, and in walked Chris, a smug, self-satisfied smile on his face.
"Sleep well, campers?" He mocked. "I hope you're ready for today's challenge, because boy is it an important one! The two winners will get their chance to pick their teams for the season. As anyone who's watched Total Drama before knows, the right team can get you far. You've seen some of your fellow contestants in action, gotten to know each other; so it'll be up to the two team captains to devise the strongest team they can. After all, you can end up like Team Amazon... or Team Victory."
This didn't really get the reaction Chris was hoping for. It didn't get a reaction at all, actually, the contestants just staring blankly at him.
"Uh... World Tour?" He frowned, glancing around. "Anybody?"
"Oh, what. Was that another season?" Mitsy asked. "That was like, years ago. Must have missed it."
"Wow. Okay, suddenly liking you guys a lot less," Chris huffed, shoulders slumping a bit. "Point is, you're only as strong as your team, so what happens today will affect the rest of the game."
"That's great, but what is the challenge?" Stephanie asked eagerly. "You still haven't said, yet!"
"Oh, I'm getting to it. But for me to explain... I'll need to bring you to where we're holding our challenge." Chris opened the door, waving the contestants out. "So, finish eating, and let's get going, we're wasting daylight!"
The contestants hurried to finish their food, soon shuffling out of the dining area. It wasn't long before the host was leading them through a familiar trek of woods- to the girls, at least.
"Oh, hey! We were here yesterday!" Felicity smiled as they came within view of Snow White's cabin, the dwarfs staring at them as the group entered.
"You guys were here already?" Peter asked, frowning a little bit. "I hope that doesn't give you an advantage..."
"Wait. What do you mean, you were here yesterday?" Chris asked, freezing midway to the cave, turning to face the contestants.
"You know. For the challenge?" Miriam asked, raising an eyebrow. "Did you really forget? This is where we found the second map."
Chris stared at her, puzzled. "But... wait. I thought the first map was supposed to lead you guys to the lagoon."
"Lagoon? There was no lagoon," Miriam replied, crossing her arms. "...are you messing with us?"
Chris just shook his head, visibly confused by this point. He didn't seem to be putting on an act. "No... I'm pretty sure the invisible ink part was supposed to lead you to the lagoon with the alligator," he murmured, scratching his head. "Then that led you to the resort. Okay, which one of you interns screwed that up?"
Surprisingly, none of the crew fessed up to the mistake, all looking as puzzled as the host himself. Felicity, however, lit up a bit.
"Wait, there was invisible ink?" she asked, Maya looking away and whistling nervously.
"Doesn't matter!" Chris huffed, shaking his head. "We're getting way sidetracked here, people! The point is today's challenge! Which, by the way, is simple. It's in here."
Chris unhooked the chain fence, getting annoyed. "Well, if you guys wandered over here, it's a good thing we had it marked off, anyway. Because your challenge... is in those mines."
He turned back to the contestants, reaching into his pockets. He withdrew a huge, glistening diamond- a few gasps following as several of the campers admired it.
"Woah! Is that real?" Maxine asked.
"Ha! No, its not real. Pfft." Chris rolled his eyes. "Just a fake! If we could afford a diamond this size, we wouldn't need to be doing reality TV! So! The challenge is simp-"
There was a short burst of static from a dwarf nearby, causing Chris to jump, the 'diamond' falling out of his hand. "Simple!" Came the unmistakable voice of Franz. "See that diamond Chris fumbled around with and dropped on the floor? Well, there's two of those hidden in the cave. It's pretty easy stuff- the two people who find the diamonds, grab them and bring them out are the winners, and the team captains for the season!"
"Oh. Great." Chris let out an exaggerated sigh, glaring at the dwarf. "You can talk through those, too. Here I was hoping you wouldn't be interrupting today."
"Yeah, fun fact, I didn't even think this would work!" Franz laughed. "I'm just back here, hitting buttons!"
"So, just grab the diamonds?" Simon asked, smiling. "That doesn't sound too bad! As long as there's no creepers or skeletons popping out at us, I mean."
"I don't understand that reference," Franz answered, "buuuut, no. Lots of traps in that cave. Just like, a metric ton of them. But hey, look, you'll just have to figure that out as you go. No fun if I explain everything that could happen in there."
"I wanted to talk about the traaaaaps!" Chris whined. "Are you seriously going to pop up and steal my thunder every time there's a challenge?"
"Yes," was Chris' immediate, and only response. The dwarf statue went silent after, Franz not speaking any more.
Chris turned back to the contestants, looking uncharacteristically flustered. "I started today in a good mood, I really did. Well, whatever! Go ahead in, grab the diamonds, come back out. Your challenge starts... now!"
With that, the contestants poured into the tunnel, all eager to try and win the position of team leader. Well, most of them, anyway. Stephanie stood outside of the mine, staring in, wide eyed and nervous. Maya, who had been about to run in, paused when she noticed this, turning to Stephanie with a smirk on her face.
"Somethin' wrong?" the cowgirl asked. "Thought you were gonna beat me, weren't you?"
Her tone was good-natured teasing, more than anything, but it was a second before Stephanie even reacted, snapping her glance away from the cave and over to Maya.
"Uh... yeah, yeah!" she said, nodding quickly. "I uh... was just giving you a headstart! Cuz... you're totally gonna need it!"
CONFESSIONAL: STEPHANIE
I wouldn't say I'm AFRAID of the dark, or small spaces... just... you know. Uh... cautious. I'm cautious about the dark. And small spaces. Both of which a mine has. Not that that's a problem. Because like I said! Not afraid! I just... wasn't feeling good at the moment, needed a second to get myself together, that's all!
END CONFESSIONAL
The inside of the cave was a sight to behold. As the contestants entered, they found themselves in a wide corridor that got more cramped as it went in. There were tracks running through the center, and on the left immediately as they entered was a platform. It would seemingly have been some sort of roller coaster, though there wasn't a car to ride in anywhere in sight. But that wasn't what was impressive. That came further in. Inside, as the cave got dark, the walls began to glow- they were lined with all sorts of gems. Though they were artificial, that didn't make them any less beautiful, each gem giving off just a faint light. The cave was illuminated by all sorts of brilliant colors- streaks of blue and green, white and red cutting through the darkness, lighting the path ahead.
"Oh, man!" Adam smiled, looking around. "This looks amazing! This must have been a roller coaster or something... I wish we could have gotten to ride it!"
"Pfft, no time for rides, friend!" Leon called, running past. "Make way!"
A few competitors charged past Adam, nearly knocking him over. "Oh, hey! Wait for me!" he called, running after.
Further in, the mine tunnel began to split off into different paths, the contestants being forced to split up into different groups. Some breaking off into intentional groups or pairs, others... not so intentional. Mitsy was in the unfortunate, latter group, trudging down one of the paths with Simon behind her, humming to himself. Mitsy stopped once, glancing at the wall, plucking off a gem, glancing on it, and tossing it aside.
"Ugh. This is so much less interesting knowing they're fake," she muttered, glancing along the wall.
"Whaaaat, you mean looking at rocks isn't your favorite past time?" Simon asked with a grin. He gave her a wink, sticking out his hand. "Name's Simon by the way. Don't think we've been introduced~"
"Hi, Simon," Mitsy said, a wide smile spreading across her face, extending her hand for a moment. "I'm 'Not Interested'."
Her smile immediately dropped, pulling her hand away, immediately turning away from him and beginning to walk off.
Simon gasped, his eyes began to water. "How could you... be so rude? I... I..." He asked, voice wavering, on the verge of tears... before he began to giggle and snicker.
"Nahhh, just messing with ya. But hey, don't worry. I'll just stay here then, alone."
"Sounds good to me." Mitsy waved a hand dismissively, wandering off.
In the next tunnel over, Aaron was roaming cautiously, examining each of the gems carefully, trying to keep a quick pace. It wasn't that he wanted to be the team captain very badly, but... it just seemed better than doing nothing at the time. He nearly jumped out of his skin, however, when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Ah!"He gasped, spinning around to see Rosella standing behind him, a faint smile on her face.
"Hello again, Aaron," she greeted, pulling her hand away. "I'm glad I found you. I've been looking."
"Oh... its just you..." Aaron murmured, gulping a bit. "Um, hi, Rosella. Thanks for the cookies last night... but, um... maybe you could stop sneaking up on me like that..."
"Oh. I'm sorry." Her smile faltered a bit, looking away. "I just... thought maybe we could look for the diamonds together. I don't want to be captain, but... I'd be happy just to give my diamond to you, if I found one."
Aaron stared at her, not exactly sure how to respond. "Uh... thanks. But... maybe I'd better... go on alone a bit," he suggested, slowly backing away. "Thanks for... offering, though!" He began to quicken his pace, before turning and scurrying off in the opposite direction.
Rosella stared after him, dejected.
CONFESSIONAL: ROSELLA
I don't understand... what am I doing wrong?
CONFESSIONAL: AARON
Okay... so this Rosella thing is getting a little weird. I... I hope she's not just being nice to me because she knows my dad has money...
END CONFESSIONALS
Elsewhere, Andy and Kyle were roaming one section of the cave, chatting as they searched for the diamond.
"Y'know, I bet this place is haunted," Kyle said after a while, a slightly amused expression on his face as he tapped his chin.
"...what?" Andy blinked, looking over at him in confusion. "Where did that come from?"
"I dunno. Was just thinking about it," Kyle shrugged, there having been no real segue into the conversation. "But I see shows about abandoned places like this all the time. Plus those weird animatronics around... I bet its totally haunted."
"Well... I guess it could be," Andy agreed, shrugging. "Its definitely creepy enough."
"We should come back to these caves, do some exploring!" Kyle suggested. "Could be fun after the camera crew has gone to bed, eh?"
"Uh, I dunno that I think creeping around here after dark, alone, would be fun," Andy laughed, shaking his head. "But whatever, I'm down."
The two rounded a corner, colliding with a pair of familiar figures.
"Woah!"Andy scrambled backward, shaking his head a bit as he saw who they had bumped into; Ingrid and Felicity. "Uh, sorry, guys!" Andy apologized. "Didn't see you there!"
"Oh, its no problem! Its pretty dark in here, huh?" Felicity chuckled, shaking it off.
"Yeah, no kidding," Andy agreed. "Plus, I feel like this place is gonna collapse any minute. Not claustrophobic, but man."
"Oh, don't worry. There's only about fifty four deaths because of cave-ins a year," Ingrid remarked. "...why are you looking at me like that?"
"Not it... not it... still not it," Miriam muttered to herself. The girl was on the other side of the cave, fairly deep at this point. She was searching fruitlessly through the various gemstones, not able to find much. Well, unless you counted the heaps of artificial rock, anyway. She heard an odd footfall from behind her, turning to see Ash limping along, smiling and holding up a hand when he saw her.
"Hey. Miriam, right? Any luck?" He asked, pausing, and leaning on his cane.
She eyed him over warily, before giving a shrug, turning back to her search. "Maybe. Hope you're not looking for an alliance, or something. I'm not looking for something that would slow me down," she told him bluntly.
"Ouch. Noted." Ash shook his head, smile not fading- he didn't seem bothered by the comment. Or, if he was, he was at least doing a good job at hiding it. "But no, the whole evil, scheming alliance thing isn't really my speed. Not that speed is my strong suit, anyway," he joked.
"Well... alright. Just as long as you don't try anything," Miriam shrugged, easing up a bit.
"Don't worry, Miriam! Shelbi has an eye on him!"
The two turned, watching as the wolf girl... well, sat there. They weren't sure when she had shown up, exactly, but Shelbi was currently behind the two, sniffing the cave wall. She leaned in, examining a particular gem with great interest, before extending her tongue, tasting it, and grimacing. "Blech."
"Oh. Those rocks not tasting very good, huh?" Ash asked, unsure whether to be concerned or amused. "That's weird, I don't think I'd have guessed."
"Shelbi can help you guys if you want!" the girl offered suddenly, turning to the two. "Shelbi was raised by wolves, so she's used to not leading the pack."
"Heh. I appreciate the offer, but I think I'll be okay," Ash told her, moving forward. "You two be safe- hope the best man, or woman, or... wolf, wins."
He began to hobble along down the path... though, Ash wouldn't end up getting very far.
Travelling alone, Gael had made it the furthest. He was deep in the cave by this point, unscathed, and it was for that reason he was surprised to find the first diamond. He hadn't encountered a single trap or set back on his way in, and was getting suspicious; but there it was, embedded at the end of the tunnel. He looked around, hesitant, before slowly approaching, reaching a single hand out and taking the diamond. It was embedded firmly in the wall, refusing to come loose at first, but after a bit of prying, Gael was able to yank it loose from its alcove, a deep indent left in the wall where it had been.
He looked over the diamond, a frown etched on his face. Something about it didn't feel right.
"Couldn't have been that easy... could it?" he murmured to himself, looking around.
His answer would come in the form of a low rumble. Quiet, at first, but slowly beginning to send vibrations through his entire body, the walls of the cave shaking around him. His eyes slowly widened as he realized what was happening, looking up at the ceiling, beginning to back away toward the wall.
"Oh no..."
"Hm, anyone find anything?" Leon called, digging through a small pile of rocks. Despite his slightly competitive nature, he had ended up sticking with a few of the other competitors anyway, Adam, Peter, and Maxine all wandering around nearby, the four having found a relatively large chamber to explore.
"Nothing over here!" Maxine called back. "I don't think this is the right part of the cave. Maybe we all better move on!"
"Hmm, I dunno," Adam frowned, looking around. "This seems like some kind of main chamber. I mean, if I were designing a movie, or a ride, I'd definitely put something here."
As the other three talked, Peter paused, brow furrowing as he noticed something. He knelt down, laying a hand flat on the ground. "...guys?" he called.
"Hmm, I see where you're coming from," Leon shrugged, giving Adam a nod. "But, if we were to find something here, I would think we'd have done it already. Moving on may be for the best."
"Guys?" Peter said again, turning to the group, a note of urgency in his voice.
"Yeah! C'mon, let's go... that way!" Maxine suggested, pointing down a random tunnel.
"GUYS!" Peter yelled. The other three campers turned, looking at him.
"Something wrong, Peter?" Leon asked, concerned. He stopped, his gaze travelling back and forth to either side of the chamber. "...why is everything vibrating?"
"That's what I've been trying to tell you!" Peter groaned. "CAVE-IN!"
Outside the cave, Stephanie bounced in place, trying to get herself pumped up.
"You can do this," she told herself, staring at the entrance of the cave. "You can do this... you can do this! Just charge in there... running and screaming, grab the diamond, run back out! Don't even open your eyes!"
"Don't see how that helps with the darkness," Chris remarked, casually sipping a mug of coffee from nearby.
"You can do this... you can DO this!" Stephanie repeated to herself, ignoring Chris. "I can do it! RAHHHHH!"
With one last battle cry, Stephanie went charging into the cave, eyes closed, arms flailing wildly, sprinting at full speed. She didn't notice the ground rumbling, at first, but she noticed it when the entrance suddenly collapsed behind her, entombing her in darkness... the gemstones beginning to flicker and dim around her.
"Wait... what?" Stephanie opened her eyes, looking around. "I'm s-stuck? I can't be... oh no. Oh no, oh no oh no oh no oh no... CHRISSS-"
Outside the cave, Chris closed his eyes, inhaling through his nose, exhaling through his mouth. A smile crept across his lips, taking another long swig of coffee.
"Ah... I love the smell of unbridled terror in the morning!"
To Be Continued...
(A/N: Well... did not intend for this to be a two-parter, all truth told. But I had a lot of fun writing the interactions at the beginning, and the episode didn't show any signs of wrapping up when i got into the cave, so eh, why not? At least everyone gets to last one more episode this way, right? :p
So, our campers are left in a rather precarious predicament, hmm? Split off into groups, the cave and various tunnels collapsing, and who knows what other tricks Chris... and Franz... has in store? The battle for team captains is just beginning, and so is the season! thank you guys for reading- I know I missed my update last week, but hopefully I can make that up to you soon. Nothing special really happened, was just busy with work. Don't know if I've said this, but my job usually goes one of two ways; I either have nothing to do and basically get paid to sit on my butt and play Pokemon on my phone, orrrr I'm super busy, have no spare time at work and get called in a bunch. Last week was one of the examples of the latter XD Anyway, I'll see you guys soon, take care!)