Hey everyone! I finished the second chapter sooner than expected. It's up only one day after I posted the first, but wasn't rushed at all; I just simply got lots of ideas down quickly and wanted to write those out before I forgot about them. With enough time on my hands, they could get finished sooner plus it's a story I'm highly motivated to work on since once the idea of Courtney going back in time to undo her season 5 mistakes came up, I just couldn't get it out of my head and simply HAD to flesh that out.
Time for review responses!
xtremexavier15: Many thanks, and I thought it's a nice change of pace as well.
Frostbite100: Glad you liked the opening! I don't think Scott is too bad either (at least not in season 5 where he's much kinder than before, and you can read my one-shot "A Life-Changing Attack" for my theory on why he toned down his mean antics). All I can say about him now without spoilers is that he'll play a pretty prominent role within this fic. It is too bad "Harold's Hunt for Redemption" got abandoned after only 2 chapters, but I assure you I won't leave this fic incomplete, even if it takes a while to finish. Courtney is admittedly someone I have mixed feelings on overall, though felt it would be interesting to see how she'd try to right her wrongs.
StarHeart Specials: Nice to know I fulfilled someone's wishes, and I do hope you enjoy.
CosmicWarrior: I was wondering how long it would take for you to find this (apparently just several hours). Also, see my response to Frostbite100 regarding "Harold's Hunt for Redemption" and Courtney as a character. While TDAS was flawed if you ask me, I personally wouldn't call it outright bad, though what comes up could leave some viewers more satisfied than what canon had.
GlitchWarrior: No doubt about that!
I wake up in the morning to find I'm back in my parents' home. What the hell just happened!? Sure, it's nice change of pace not to have to hear Alejandro and Heather have sex or get into spats, but how did I end up here? I regardless feel hungry and need some breakfast. After getting dressed, I walk downstairs to the kitchen.
On the kitchen table, I find a note from my mom and dad. Here's what it read:
"Courtney, we hope you enjoyed becoming an adult yesterday and it was fun celebrating your 18th birthday. Both of us unfortunately had to leave for our flight early this morning before you woke up. Enjoy one last meal at home before going back on Total Drama! We of course hope you win and will help you move into your apartment after the season ends."
This feels strangely familiar. Both of my parents are lawyers (which is why I also hope to become one) and unfortunately had to fly off to somewhere in the United States for a court case the day I left home to go on All-Stars. The winnings could help me pay for my apartment, college, and later law school. They also left me a good-bye note that morning and had agreed to help me move into my apartment later (so I could start to learn how to live on my own before going to college and then law school) as well as pay for some of the rent, keeping in mind I am only 18. I would try to get a job to earn my own money in case I left Total Drama empty-handed. It was just bad luck that Heather and Alejandro happened to move in close to mine afterwards. Before this morning, I worked at local grocery store as a cashier close to my apartment. The money from that would also help pay for my future education.
Wait a moment. I re-read the note. It said MOVE INTO my apartment, meaning I still lived at this home instead, AND said my 18th birthday was YESTERDAY. My jaw drops in shock when I realize what has happened: I somehow have gone back in time to when Total Drama All-Stars began (which was literally the day after I turned 18)! That would explain how I woke up here rather than in the apartment. It looks like that falling star granted my wish after all for starting over with Scott. Not what I had in mind, but I may as well make the most of it and redeem myself.
In the meantime, my stomach is growling and needs to be filled ASAP. I grab some bread and put it in the toaster before pouring myself a cup of coffee. After that, I think about what time travel can do for me. First and foremost, it means that idiotic elimination chart never happened and that I can bond with Scott and Gwen again! It'll obviously take some chatting to reconcile with the goth, though I already feel so much better than I did before travelling back to this day. Secondly, I clearly have a major advantage over everyone else by already knowing what the challenges this season will involve. I just can't let anybody else know that of course or I'm fucked.
The toast pops up and I butter it before quickly eating. I know Chef Hatchet will land his helicopter here soon for picking up contestants if he hasn't already and will come to this house afterwards to gather me. After drinking the last of my coffee, I start to brush my teeth. I then hear a knocking at my front door.
"Time to get going; the fifth season of Total Drama is starting up!"
That of course was Chef calling for me. Time to start my redemption.
"I just need to clean my teeth first!" I tell the cook.
"You only have ten minutes, CIT, so make it snappy!" he tells me.
I quickly finish brushing and flossing my teeth before I grab my belongings. Thankfully those were already packed. Stuffing my toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss into a bag with everything else, I open the door with five minutes to spare. Hatchet walks me over to his helicopter and opens the door for me as I make my way inside. Everyone from the season except Alejandro is already there exactly as they were the first time I lived through this.
Something I know from re-watching Total Drama episodes (as well as already living through the fifth season) that he still is in that robot suit McLean placed him to heal in after getting burnt by lava in season 3 (similar to Anakin Skywalker getting his Darth Vader suit during Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of The Sith) and already at Camp Wawanakwa, but obviously can't tell anybody about his whereabouts without raising suspicions. Feral Ezekiel is also unfortunately with us in the helicopter. While I know he's not actually competing this season (quite a relief) and that Chris was just pulling a prank on him, this is also something I must keep to myself.
Just like before, it's awkwardly quiet until Chef Hatchet starts up the helicopter. He tells us all to buckle up. We comply as the helicopter takes off and travels to Wawanakwa. I have the following priorities:
1. Apologize to Gwen for what I did to her in season 3 once we have the chance to speak alone.
2. Re-introduce myself to Scott with a clean (or at least cleaner) slate when I get the chance. Maybe we can start dating even sooner this time once he knows me well enough.
3. Get as close as possible to the finals without damaging my connections to others. I still would like to win even though I know not to let that get in the way of relationships or friendships.
As I looked around the helicopter, I noticed Mike, Zoey, and Cameron were all chatting about something, and I know for certain this is the real Mike as Mal hadn't got unleashed yet. A thought then occurred to me; perhaps I can help Mike out to an extent with Mal and his other personalities, preventing Mal from creating so much chaos! While I don't know every single moment Mal was in control instead of Mike even after re-watching the season multiple times to study the Mike vs. Mal moments, I do know that it was Mal who tried to interfere with Scott and me by pushing Cameron towards my lips. That's not at all something Mike would make his friend do.
Scott thought I was cheating, and we called things off after arguing over the matter. Deep down, it broke my heart seeing him so upset because I knew how bad it felt to be cheated on. He later even started eating dirt out of sadness while crying. We got back together after I promptly set the record straight that it was Cameron who kissed me and not the other way around, but then my chart quickly ended our reconciliation. I obviously won't make that idiotic chart again. As you might remember, that chart exposure was a moment I could never quite tell whether Mike or Mal had been in control. Regardless, I'm glad Mike was able to conquer Mal somehow even if he had to for some reason sacrifice all four of his other alternate personalities, which were Manitoba Smith, Svetlana, Vito, and Chester. The poor guy shouldn't have had to suffer like that with something so evil taking over his body.
I'm trying to think of how Mal got unleashed in the first place while Mike was competing. Was it when Scott accidentally hit his "Manitoba Smith" persona in the head with a shovel? Better keep a watch on him and his alternate personalities either way. Multiple Mike doesn't deserve to suffer such agony. I know the real him is a kind-hearted guy, and Zoey is a caring and dedicated girlfriend who cherishes their relationship. They're lucky to have each other. I will give them that even if I didn't get along that well with the pigtailed girl when we competed together.
Suddenly, I noticed Scott glancing at me with a small smile, and I hide my excitement to avoid raising suspicions. Did he do that the first time as well when I wasn't looking? Is it when he first became attracted to me? As his eyes drifted elsewhere, I figured he was just looking around, but maybe that's how he first noticed yours truly when we competed. Either way, we didn't really interact until after I was switched over from the Heroic Hamsters to the Villainous Vultures.
That reminds me of another thing: while I was the season 2 antagonist and admittedly deserved to be on the villains' team all along when I first entered this season after all the vile things I did before, I'm going to prove myself more of a hero this time around or at least try to once McLean places me on the heroes' team. Gwen honestly should've been on that team then instead of me no matter how much I initially pretended otherwise out of spite. When Chris had Duncan switch teams with me, though (prompted by the leech challenge where delinquent had taken a leech to protect Gwen while I selfishly used Sam as a human shield against the leeches), it was amusing seeing Duncan's reaction to being on the heroes' team. Sorry Scott, but it doesn't look like we can bond much so soon on opposing teams (at least without raising eyebrows) and will probably have to wait until the merge. I know you'll be worth the wait, though. Same goes for making up with the goth.
My thoughts shift towards the other contestants. As I mentioned before, Al is in the robot suit at Wawanakwa. He and Heather do of course like each other even if they try to pretend otherwise. She has an anxious look on her face (probably out of concern for him) and can have that douche all to herself as I've long since been turned off to him for what he did to me. I'm not quite sure how serious they were before this season started up, though, and only know that they officially called themselves a couple after getting axed when money wasn't in between them.
When I first met the guy in season 3, he was largely a male version of what Heather was like in season 1 aside from how he faked interest in other girls (including me) and shamelessly exploited the genuine attractions they had to him. Both have also toned down their cunning and mean sides over time to some extent, but neither have entirely become kind-hearted or I probably wouldn't recognize them. Noah once told Owen to take caution then since Burromuerto was "an eel dipped in grease" and "like Heather, only with social skills". He was on the money and warned "beware of eels!" after Al orchestrated his elimination in response. If only I recognized that sooner.
Elsewhere on the helicopter is Duncan. He has his arm around Gwen and they share a kiss before her eyes fall upon me and she moves away from his lips. I know she feels guilty for doing that in front of me. This sight angered me when I saw them do that here as I first entered the season, but I don't show any emotion right now when I already know she'll dump him later for trying to get my attention and make me jealous instead of focusing on her. What a sleazebag. We will NEVER get back together. The goth's look of worry in turn seems to fade, but then shows confusion when she notices the delinquent smiling, obviously because he knew I saw what happened just like last time. Not giving you the satisfaction of saying so aloud, though, Duncan. Just fuck off. His smile wasn't as big this time because I didn't show any anger unlike before.
Time to look in another direction. I see Sam playing some video game and Sierra on her phone. How did those electronics survive getting wet when we were in that lake the first time around!? Maybe they had some sort of waterproof casing. Anyway, Lindsay is holding a mini mirror while applying some lipstick, Jo and Lightning are having an arm wrestle (they hate each other's guts and want to prove who's stronger or something), and then Ezekiel is in a corner by himself making unintelligible sounds. Nobody wants to be near him (especially after he went feral), not even Chef who kept him as far away as possible from the helicopter's controls. Smart move on the cook's part.
Since it'll be a long ride to camp, I pull a law book out from my bag and start reading. Good way to pass the time until we arrive. Reliving this season should be one hell of a ride. Having learned from all my past mistakes AND already lived through All-Stars, I feel more prepared to compete again than I ever did when previously returning to the show.
The game is about to begin again. How will our CIT perform this time around? Only one way to find out; stay tuned for upcoming chapters of course! You might be shocked by what follows.
Chapter posted: August 4, 2018