Originally written in Spanish by kunashgi448

Adapted and edited to English by Firestorm808

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Chapter 3: A Walk in the Forest

After leaving the beach, Cody went to his room with a somewhat uncomfortable feeling. He felt that something or someone was watching him. 'Maybe it's just in my head... Anyways, I really should spend more time relaxing than worrying. I'm on an island resort for God's sake.' He closed the curtains to secure his privacy in the room. Placing the computer on the table, he started to play online with other friends he had in League of Legends. With headphones on, he played a few matches, worked on his personal programs that were still in development, and listened to some music. Time passed, and he grew quite tired. It wasn't until he decided to take a nap and turn off the computer that he became surprised. When he opened the curtains to get the cool night breeze, he was greeted by the sun rising over the horizon.

"I can't believe that I was awake all night without noticing? Whoa, I might need to disconnect a bit." It was still early in the morning, so he had enough time for a quick nap before doing his morning routine. Two hours later, he washed up and got a change of clothes. He went out to do a little run in the forest. After all, moderate exercise helps relieve stress. It wasn't until he reached about half a mile into the woods that he could drown out the screams of the race between Jo and Brick, even with his headphones on. People didn't have to be a genius to know those two would end up together in one way or another.

Unfortunately, the peaceful sounds of the forests were soon interrupted by another conversation. "Please, leave alone, Sky," Cody heard a male voice ask. Out of curiosity, Cody decided to listen in.

"Dave, please stop being like that. I already apologized to you. I know what I did that season was wrong, and I'm trying to make up for it. I even broke up with Keith and came on this trip to see you again." The girl didn't sound angry. In fact, she sounded more pleading. Upon closer inspection, she seemed to be Native American with an athletic build. The most striking things about her were her red feather earnings and her short black hair.

The other guy, possibly Indian, mirrored the amount of distress back. "I know, Sky. I've heard you this entire time. It's just that things have changed so much since I first met you." His face grew more solemn. With a deep breath, he sat and slumped on a nearby rock.

"Dave..." Sky slowly moved toward him and took a seat beside him. Silence filled the scene for a while before she spoke up again. "We... We really can't start over. Can we?"

Dave slowly nodded. "I'll be honest, Sky. What I felt isn't something that I can quickly move on from.

She became more downcast. "A lot happened on Pahkitew Island..."

"Yeah..." He stared back at the clouds. "I can't help but think that I pulled a Cody."

Cody who was watching from the tree line nearly tripped at how he was referenced.

Sky gave Dave a confused look.

"Oh, yeah. You didn't watch season one." Dave continued. "Well, in layman's terms, I was lovesick."

Cody couldn't find it in him to deny that description. His fixation on Gwen at the time was just wrong, and it continued on to season three.

Sky nodded at Dave to continue.

Dave put a hand on his face. "I was trying so hard to impress you that I lost sight of everything else. When I got rejected by you, it felt like my entire world shattered." Sky frowned at the memory. "You remember what happened next. As stupid as it sounds, I just lost the will to continue playing in the game. I wanted to be eliminated afterward."

"I know... Before the finale, I tried to cope. You know about my anxiety issues." She nodded. "Well... you know how that went. The resentment I had for you built up, and I just let it all out during the finale. At the time you kissed me and talked, I really did believe that you liked me back, but when I learned about Kieth, I... I just snapped."

Sky couldn't help but feel remorse.

Dave continued. "Figuratively speaking, the little light of hope in the veil of my own self-doubt was snuffed out."

Sky slumped after being reminded again. "The show... changed us. Just like everyone before us, it brought out the worst in us that only cared about ourselves."

He sighed and continued. "All of you guys just left me on that island to get mauled by the robot-bear... I was never better than you guys..."

Sky gave him a look for an explanation on that last part.

"I watched the show before I sent in my audition. I really thought that I could do better than the seniors. I thought that I was normal. I called the other contestants freaks. What I said about Ella..." He shook his head. "It only proved that I was just as bad as anyone else. She was a bit... eccentric, but at least she was sincere about herself. I used her like you used me."

She placed a hand on his shoulder. "We both did things that we're not proud of... I didn't exactly leave a good impression when the show ended. Some people at my school still hold it against me..."

He removed the hand from his shoulder and held it with care. "I don't hate you, Sky. I'm too tired to feel angry. Now, I'm just disappointed."

"I want to make things right with you, Dave. I really do care about you."

"I still care about you too, but with what happened, I need time. I don't think I'm ready for a relationship right now. If you really do care about me, you'll understand."

Sky wasn't sure on what to say.

At this point, Cody decided to step in. He soon walked into their field of vision, surprising the two. "Sorry for eavesdropping, but I couldn't help but want to offer my opinion on the matter.

"Who are you?" asked Sky.

Before Cody could answer, Dave spoke. "He's Cody. The alumni cast member I mentioned before." Dave turned to Cody. "What are you doing here?"

Cody rubbed the back of his neck. "My full name is Cody Anderson, but you guys can call me Cody. Anyways, I was on a morning jog, and I overheard your conversation. I wanted to help."

Dave blinked. "Well, I'm Dave, and she's Sky. We were on Pahkitew do you want to help us?"

Sky nodded "Yeah?"

Understanding their concern, he answered rather embarrassingly. "Well, we bear attack survivors have to stick together."

This surprised Sky. "You got attacked by a bear too?" Dave stayed silent but at attention.

Cody nodded. "Yup. The first season, and on the same day, I got eliminated. Anyways, I want to give you guys some advice from what I've heard."

Sky looked to Dave and said, "It'll be good to have a trusted outside opinion." A bit hesitant, Dave agreed.

"First off, I understand where Dave is coming from. I was head over heels with my co-star Gwen for a long time. I was understanding enough when she started dating Trent because he seemed like a good guy. When she was single again during World Tour, I really thought I had a shot with her. When I found out about her secret relationship with Duncan of all people. I just lost it for a while. After the show, I finished high school, and I'm currently in college. I had some time to improve myself such as my hobbies and my braces. Things felt better, so I understand why Dave needs some time to sort himself out."

Sky and Dave blinked at the rather good advice. "Dave, is this really what you want?"

Dave solemnly nodded and held her hand with care as he looked into her eyes. "I really like you, Sky, but right now, I need time to get my life back together. Everything is so confusing. Like I said, if you really want to be with me, you'll understand."

"If that's what it takes, I'm willing to wait," she replied.

"It'll likely take me a few months or a year at most, so I don't want you to be held back by me."

She blinked in confusion. "I don't understand."

"What I mean is that I want you to still be open to meeting new people. It would be selfish of me to keep you on the edge of when I'll be ready."

"But, what if I find someone else?"

Dave grasped her hand softly. "Then I hope you'll be happy anyways."

Cody smiled at the two. "I'm glad you guys could work this out. In any case, we should get back to enjoying our vacation here.

Once they reached the camp, twenty minutes have passed. Dave had to go talk to some other friends, leaving Sky and Cody on their own.

It started to get awkward, so Cody tried to start a conversation. "So... Tell me about yourself. I haven't watched the latest seasons after World Tour."

Sky smiled and replied. "Well, I'm actually a National Athlete. One of the reasons I joined the show was to get some physical practice, meet some friends, and earn money to help further my career."

Cody smiled. "That's really ambitious of you. Your parents must be proud."

"Yeah, they have really high expectations for me. It sometimes gets overwhelming," Sky replied a bit downcast.

Noticing this, Cody spoke. "Hey, that's what parents do. They want what's best for you. You enjoy what you do. Right?"

"I've been doing it since I was young, and it's a huge passion for me."

"Hold onto that feeling. If things ever get rough, just take your time. I'm sure others will understand. I'm sure you'll do great."

She blushed a bit at the compliment to her skill and goal. "Thanks." Her phone rang, and she received a text from Jasmine. She turned back to Cody. "My friends invited me to go jet skiing. You want to join us?"

"Thanks, but I still have some stuff to do. If anything, I'll see you guys later." They exchanged numbers before parting ways. 'She seemed nice.' It took him another fifteen minutes to return to his jogging route and another twenty minutes to finish it. He could honestly say that he did pretty well, considering the time.

Suddenly, the bushes behind him started to rustle. 'Maybe some of the other guys had the same idea for a jog.' "You enjoying the forest?" he yelled out. A figure approached the clearing, and Cody's face paled. A huge brown bear was now standing on its hind legs right in front of him. Even with his recent growth spurt, the beast made him feel like an ant. He couldn't help but have flashbacks to his first mauling when he was dressed as a deer. 'I can't outrun a bear. I definitely can't fight it. Why didn't I look up bear safety tips after the mauling!? I'm screwed!'

By the time the bear crept up to him nearly a foot from his face, a voice had distracted the bear from Cody.

"Jerry, where are you?! We were supposed to be looking for food together." She came upon the clearing that they were at as was a bit shocked at the scene in front of her. "Mr. Bear! It's rude to scare someone you just met." Her request made the bear calm down.

'How on Earth did she do that?' Cody finally got a good look at her. She was a young blond girl with pale skin. She also wore a green sweater over a blue garment and a black skirt with purple stockings that covered her legs.

She continued to scold the bear. "I know that they are technically on your territory, but I told you several times to not hurt them. They don't know any better. That's a bad Jerry. Go back to the cave and think about what I said. I'll bring you some fruit and berries when I'm done here."

The bear with low head left through the bushes and the tree line.

Cody sighs loudly. 'Oh, thank God that's over.' He was about to thank the girl, but he saw no one there. He was confused. 'Wasn't she just there? Where'd she-" Hs thoughts we cut off when he turned around seeing her right in front of him. He grew nervous at the strange look that she was giving him.

Like a confused animal, she tilted her head to one side. "That's interesting. Your aura is quite nice."

"Um... thanks?" He had no idea what was going on. She must have been from a later season.

"The color is unique as well. Not many people have such a bright golden radiance. It's quite fitting for you, Cody."

Cody was about to reply back on the aura thing, but something else caught his attention. "Uh... I'm sorry, but how do you know my name? Have we met before?" 'Is she a fan of the Drama Brothers or Total Drama?' "Also... thanks for saving me from the bear. One bear mauling is enough for my lifetime."

"Oh, my apologies. I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Dawn. I regret your unfortunate history with nature, but there is nothing to be afraid of Jerry. They are very territorial and prefer to keep unknowns out. Also, the bees told me that you were talking to Sky and Dave."

He decided to ignore the bee thing. "Why didn't... Mr. Bear... threaten you?"

"Oh, he was intimidating at first, but we had a nice talk about honey and various tree. He's an excellent conversationalist when you get to know him."

"Wow, you can actually talk to animals. I've seen that sort of thing on TV but never in real life. I hope that I didn't leave a bad impression on him."

"Oh, no. You'll be fine. Jerry already knows your scent as friendly. I'm actually spending some time in the forest helping the wildlife adapt to our temporary presence."

Incidentally, she was saving other people from getting mauled by bears. "That's really nice of you."

"It's nothing really. I talk to nature quite often." She blinked. "Actually, are you lost? You're pretty far from the resort."

Just as Cody was about to say yes, he paused. He looked around and realized that he indeed was lost. "Uh... I'm gonna have to say yes," he said embarrassingly.

She showed no negative reaction. In fact, she smiled. "In that case, let me take you to the right path. Follow me."

The path back was long. Cody didn't think that the natural side of the island was so big. While the sound of the birds was nice, he felt awkward just walking there in silence. So, he tried to start something. "Hey. Dawn. When you first met me, you said that my aura was golden. That's a good thing. Right?"

She nodded. "Everyone has a general aura around them. They greatly reflect our personalities and intentions. For example, people with strong malevolent thoughts radiate a sickening aura. That's why some people get that uneasy feeling around strangers sometimes. In your case, it tells me that you are a positive and friendly person with a touch of youth by your addiction to candy".

Cody was amazed. The first two things could have been guessed, but the one about candy was the kicker. Hardly anyone knew about that or remembered from World Tour. "Whoa. You got that just by reading my aura. That's amazing! You're like a comic book character." Dawn's expression went to a smile, but it soon went somber. 'Good job, Cody. You made a girl sad with compliments.'

"While I truly appreciate my connection with mother earth and her animal children, some people don't have the same positive reaction that you do. My practices can come off as pagan, but modern media sometimes portray it as heresy or witchcraft. It didn't help that some of my teammate on the show saw me as weird or creepy. At least B understood enough at the time." She stopped walking to continue her thoughts. "After the show, I thought people would be more understanding, but some still saw me as a devil child. Before I came on this trip, a mother pulled her child away from me and called me a witch when I was helping him with the duck at the local pond."

At the end of her story, Cody placed a soft hand on her head. It was easy since she was shorter than him. Her blonde hair was softer than he thought it was. It was the sort of pat the cut her off from her rather depressing train of thought.

Her hair was somewhat out of place, but it fit her natural nature look. She didn't get upset, but she was confused by the action. "What was that for?"

"To get you to stop thinking that way. Not everyone is going to like you. I know that first hand. You shouldn't really care about what other people think. You and I both know that you're as innocent as..." He looked around and pointed at a flying object. "That butterfly over there."

She chuckled at the impromptu comparison.

"I was never the most popular guy at my school. If anything I hung out with the geeks and nerds at my school." He leaned against the nearby tree, and Dawn followed suit. "I'm honest enough to say that I was harassed and ostracized once in a while." He shook his head at the memories of running away from pissed off jocks.

"It's hard for people to accept things that are different from their worldview. Sometimes I think it would be better if I blended into the crowd like a wallflower."

"Perks of being a wallflower?" Good story, but not the message you want to follow. When I joined Total Drama, I tried to be something that I'm not, and it didn't work out well. The pressure from others can be hard, but that doesn't mean that you have to conform to them. If you aren't hurting others, you have the same right as anyone else to express themselves. Learn from my mistakes and be who you want to be."

"It's hard to make friends when some of them are wary of you from the start..."

"If that's the case, then they aren't real friends in the first place."

"Yeah..." She looked to the brown-haired young man. "Thanks for cheering me up, Cody." She paused before she continued. "Hey, I don't have many friends on the resort right now, but it would be nice if we could be friends. If you want..." Her voice fell silent in both shyness and embarrassment. She really hoped that the aura wasn't lying to her.

Cody did something that stumped her. He started laughing. She briefly frightened that she made a horrible mistake. It only lasted for a few seconds, but when he stopped, he made his signature cheeky grin. "Come on Dawn. You don't even have to ask. Of course, we're friends. In fact, I considered you a friend as soon as you helped me with Mr. Bear."

Her eyes slightly widened, and she smiled. "Splendid! I made a new friend!"

They continued to walk for a while until a robin appeared and tweeted into Dawn's ear. "What? Really?" The red bird soon flew away with grace. "Thanks, Vanessa!" said Dawn as she waved back.

"What did she say?"

"Here, this way." She grabbed his hand and pulled him through the brush.

It didn't take long until they reached the area. "Dawn, where are we..." He cut off his question at the sight of the freshwater lake. "Wow…"

It was a small but cozy body of water. Beams of sunlight pierced through the canopy and glistened across the surface. It looked perfect for swimming. In fact, Mr. Bear could be seen on the other side having fun. Without saying anything, Dawn took off her shirt and jumped into the water. Dawn smiled and laughed at Cody apparent blush. "Come on in!" she called to him.

He stood at the edge debating. "Uh..."

"Got you!" she shouted and pulled him into the water. She laughed for a bit before she saw Cody's head surface. With a flat stare, he spits out a long flow of water from his mouth.

She got worried that she messed up... again. "I'm sorry, Cody! I was so excited after Vanessa told me about the lake that I acted on impulse. I-" She was cut off b a large splash of water to her face. When she got her sight back, she clearly saw Cody laughing while entirely soaked. It didn't take long for her to start laughing too. In retaliation, she pushed Cody head down into the water and began to swim away.

Their fun would continue for a while. Even Jerry stopped by to join in. He must have come back from his cave, looking for Dawn. Who knew that a bear could perform a near perfect water routine? By the time they stopped, the sun was already high in the sky. It was time for them to leave. While they waited for their clothes to dry, they continued to talk to each other.

Dawn decided to teach Cody about meditation. Contrary to popular belief, meditation is a fairly broad term. The term meditation refers to a broad variety of practices that includes techniques designed to promote relaxation, build internal energy or life force (qi, ki, prana, etc.) and develop compassion, love, patience, generosity, and forgiveness. A particularly ambitious form of meditation aims at effortlessly sustained single-pointed concentration meant to enable its practitioner to enjoy a strong sense of well-being while engaging in any life was the perfect position for meditation, promise him to meditate together in another time.

It was a lot to take in, but Dawn was open to helping him practice.

Once their clothes dried, they finished the rest of the way back to the resort and were about to part ways.

Dawn smiled at the retreating form of Cody. "I'm glad that I got to meet you, Cody," whispered Dawn with a little blush on her pale cheeks. She didn't expect him to turn around.

"I'm sorry, Dawn. Did you say something?"

"Um... Nothing. I better get to my meditation and my other friends. I look forward to seeing you again very soon." she said with a smile.

"Don't worry about it, Dawn. If anything, I'm gonna get some food. You want-" He only looked away for a second only to realize that she was gone. 'Not again.' He looked around to try and find her. 'At this point, should I really be surprised?' The growl of his stomach brought the main problem back up. It was time to eat. "I'm sure she's fine. Time for that all you can eat buffet!" Cody jogged back to the hotel, hoping that the day would be good to him.

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