Writen by Zangoose28, PaperLink13 and me.
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Gweneth Hayes sat at the desk in her bedroom, looking into her mirror as she applied the last bit of makeup and lipstick and admired how her 'Misery Blue' lipstick finished her look. The alt girl had lessened her reliance on her standoffish persona, but she still had a fondness for the look that had come with it. She had picked out a variety of one of her more classic outfits, with her long-sleeved low-cut t-shirt with navy blue and dark green detailed top and dark skirt with her dark pantyhose and army issue boots.
She got up from the desk when she heard her mother calling her from downstairs. The art student had been going to a nearby college and had been living at home to save money, though she didn't mind that too much. Today was somewhat special, as her eccentric and princess-emulating younger cousin Ella was coming over for a visit.
She went downstairs and had a quick breakfast with her brother Leon and mother Ashley, glancing solemnly as ever at the ashes labeled Vincent on the mantel. After they left and she did a few quick things she heard a knock on the front door, and of course, standing outside was the princess herself. When Ella saw her older cousin, she squealed with joy and pulled the slightly surprised girl into a huge hug.
"Oh Gwen dear, it is so very good to see you! I have missed you oh so much!"
Gwen hugged her cousin back, slightly awkwardly, but with clear affection.
"Hey El, it's good to see ya too. Whatcha been up to lately?" Gwen asked as she swept some hair out of her eye.
Ella giggled sweetly as she walked inside the abode of the Hayes family "Well, since I have recently graduated from my institute of learning, I have decided to take more time for myself and follow my heart's truest passion, and help teach and guide the young people of this world. I've been assisting at a local library with story time and miscellaneous tasks. I've also been taking classes that will let me have a profession in teaching the little ones as well! It is quite lovely. Now what has your time been occupied with Gweneth?"
Gwen smiled widely at Ella's genuinely kind and loving nature, in admiration of how pure and good-natured her perception of the world was. She was trying to improve herself, but her past both before and on the show made that quite difficult for her. "Well, I've been enrolled in local college classes, majoring in Art and Art History, and it's pretty cool. Also been doing some volunteer work on the side, helping out you know."
Ella seemed like she wanted to reply when Ashley and Leon came in and greeted them, and she was swept into a meal and game with her family. They spent the morning and early afternoon catching up and hanging about with one another, but soon Gwen's mother had a Book Club meeting and afternoon with some friends, and Leon headed over to spend some time at a friend's house, leaving the two cousins alone. Ella suggested soon that the two should go out themselves, with Gwen taking her up on that suggestion. The two began to stroll to the park, chatting and generally enjoying the warm fall afternoon. The girl clad in the garbs of the princess finally brought up the thoughts that had been stewing in her mind since this morning and inquired as they walked toward the center where the old fountain was.
"So Gwen dear, when we were discussing what you have been doing lately, I could tell something is a bit off with you. Are you truly satisfied with your life choices?"
Gwen looked at her for a moment before sighing and responding with her head turned to the ground. "Well… I guess I kinda do regret some of what I've done with my life. I don't hate the fact I'm in art classes, or even that I'm still living with mom. There was just a whole lot I would've done differently, especially when I was on Total Drama itself… especially with Courtney" she sighed, remembering the girl that had been her rival then friend then rival, and then friend again, before the two finally seemed to end their friendship for good with that stupid mess of an All-Stars season.
Ella gave her a look of sympathy and understanding. "I can't deny that I am satisfied with my life as it is now, but I sympathize with you, and there were always things I wish could be real, like being a princess in reality, or finding true love" Ella pulls her into a hug, with Gwen sighing but hugging back.
"Thank you, Ella, but it doesn't matter, can't happen anyway, we can't go back in time, as they say, 'Time's Arrow neither stands still nor reverses, it only marches forward.'"
Ella looked up at her distraught before walking up to the fountain, trying to cheer herself up by calling out to Gwen. "Why don't we hope for a better future, and throw a coin into the fountain!"
Gwen shrugged, "Sure, why not." before taking out two coins, and giving one to her cousin. Both muttered their wishes for their futures before they threw their money into the fountain, not knowing the metaphorical ripples it would create.
"There! May those wishes come true, and we can have the futures we desire" Ella said happily. Gwen smiled at her cousin's optimism "Yeah, maybe we will"
The two soon went back to their walk and spent the rest of the day together, their minds rarely turning back to the wishes they made in the park and not knowing how they would drastically change their lives. Later that night Ella went to the guest room and Gwen laid in her pale and bare form down on her bed. As they drifted off to bed, they had no inkling of the new world they would see when they next opened their eyes.
In the kingdom of Wawan, there was a king. King Chris McLean to be precise, claimed to be the rightful heir to the throne of Wakan after his parents died in a mysterious accident. He ruled with an iron fist over his people; setting up terrible punishments to those who broke the law that were quite enjoyable to watch to those in the street. To many, he was a just but harsh king while many others considered him a total madman.
He opened his eyes as he woke up from a nap, rising from his bed just wearing a delicate and expensive navy blue robe with nothing else underneath. He yawned, putting on his sandals and going to look out his window. He could see his minions building his large colosseum, some of them getting crushed by the huge rocks that they had to carry.
"Ah, I love this! Who knew being a king would be so much fun?" Chris closed his eyes as he enjoyed the sounds of screams, groans, and moans as the minions constructed the ominous building, trying to stay alive.
A black, tall, and brawny man appeared before him. It was the chef of the castle and right-hand man of the king, only known as Chef Hatchet. "Chris!" exclaimed the man.
"Ah, Chef, good morning my man. Look at this view. Isn't this amazing?" The king said with a relaxed attitude laughing as he saw the many men and women in agony constructing the humongous structure.
"It is…" Chef said with his always stoic look. "Anyway, here's your coffee." Chef hands a chalice full of coffee to his king.
"Thank you, dude, it's delicious. Now, what do you think of my project? I call it 'reality entertainment'."
"It has potential, but who would want to participate in this dangerous and deadly game?"
"Who said anything about consent? hehe." Chris said while taking a sip of his coffee.
"I like the way you think, still we need a big attraction for the show."
"Don't you worry about that, my contacts in the land are getting ready, and we'll have a special guest from another kingdom."
"Who?"
-Spoilers, dude... spoilers." Chris said with malice in his eyes.
The chef looked at Chris confused but shrugged it off, as they contemplated the kingdom for some time Chris finished his coffee. Hatchet grabbed the chalice and prepared to leave to continue doing his kitchen labors before stopping to ask "Chris. What will you actually call the new show?"
"I was thinking... Total Drama: Dramatasia!" Exclaimed the king with vigorous enthusiasm.
The chef only nodded and wandered off to do his job in the kitchen. Chris then went to sit at a table, shuffling some papers before opening a contraption that magically allowed him to communicate with and transmit his voice to anyone at his castle "HOT GIRL WITH RED HAT, COME HERE RIGHT NOW!"
After a few minutes, a cute girl with brown skin and long, straight purple hair appeared; wearing a red linen coif, a wine-red colored kirtle with a short skirt, a long-sleeve shirt underneath, dark green pants, and black leather boots. Her name? Angela was the only one of Chris' minions that he rather liked, but like any other minion, he didn't remember her name, instead making up lazy descriptions of her when he called for her services.
"You called, oh powerful king Chris?" Angela said nervously.
Chris finished shuffling the papers and went to greet her just as his robe opened showing off his naked body to her.
"Yeah, I need you to do a special thing for me," Chris said winking at her with a sly smile across his face.
"Yes sir?" The poor minion said with fear trying to be calm. "What is it that you need?" Trying not to look at his cock dangling down there.
"Just need you to go to the city and give some of these papers to the people on the streets. We need to advertise the new show that I'm making." Chris said while giving her ten little papers.
"Oh… I'm on it, sir!" Angela said with relief while walking off.
"Hey, wait sweet cheeks, where do you think you're going?"
"I beg your pardon, sir?"
"Look behind you, heh"
Angela did that just to discover a humongous pile of thousands of papers just for her to carry with her own hands, her expression was of shock when she saw it, with open mouth and eyes as big as saucers.
"Have fun, sweetie, NOW MOVE!" Chris yells and slaps her hard across the ass as she turns to leave, with Angela yelping and running off with the massive pile of papers.
Then he sent two other minions to do the same, but they would have to go to the other two kingdoms on foot.
Finally, at peace, Chris went to his private chambers to relax, thinking about the day that he would rule over all the kingdoms of the world, and have any woman he desired, thinking no man or army in the world could stop him, not knowing that the cause of his eventual demise was just awakening in this world.
"Ugh, five more minutes…." Gwen grumbled and rolled over in her bed as a hand shakes her awake.
"A lady of House Arkengem must not be seen lazing about. Up, up!" The owner of the hand speaks urgently.
The room is flooded with light as the curtains are opened, forcing Gwen to cover her eyes as she sits up groggily…. And finds herself in a plush and massive bed, with her mother dressed in an extravagant red dress frowning at her as her brother walks by and out of the room.
Gwen rubs her eyes while looking baffled at her mother. "Arkengem? Since when have we been anything but Hayes? And what's with all this fancy stuff?"
"Oh, dear…" Ashley Arkengem casts her daughter a concerned look as she pulls down the covers around Gwen, revealing she is wearing an elegant dark green nightgown. "Did you hit your head that hard the other day? Well, that's a matter for a different time, the princess is waiting for you and you can't go looking like that!"
Before she can move, her mother is upon her and pulls the nightgown off in a hurry, revealing her naked form underneath as she tosses it aside and pulls open a nearby clothing cabinet.
"GAH, MOM!" Gwen covers herself instinctively, taken aback by the suddenness of it. She was used to sleeping naked and was fairly comfortable with nudity, but that didn't mean she was used to her mother stripping her like a child!
"Oh hush, the maid's busy today so I'm filling in. Not the first time I've seen you, and your curves are filling in nicely. You have nothing to be ashamed of dearie." Ashley holds up a dark green and black dress with accents of purple and visible pockets. "You liked this one, didn't you?"
"I…" Gwen finds herself oddly remembering the dress. Practical and yet beautiful, with great mobility. "Yeah, that's the best one. Does it work for… whatever I'm supposed to do?"
"Oh yes, the princess has said her people should be comfortable as well as fashionable, and this fits the bill for that. Now hurry, stand up. You know this is a two-person job." Ashley slips an arm under hers and forces her to stand, uncovering her breasts in the process.
"AAAAAA!" Gwen screams out at first and awkwardly tries to cover with one hand, but seeing her mother's expression and the overall coziness of the room causes her to relax and lower her arms to her sides.
"What has gotten into you, dearie?" Ashley's concern returns as she combs her messy hair, working fast to get out all the knots.
Gwen stands patiently, not wanting to give her mother more to worry about, and notices a mirror on the far wall. She still looked like herself, right down to the green hair and shades of color on her face. Her modest-sized breasts stood at attention, chilled by the cold of the room, and her neatly trimmed green pubes twinkled with slight wetness. It was still her, right down to the smallest details…. so what was going on here?
"Your hair is so soft today Gwen. Did you just wash it?" Ashley finishes with her hair, letting the green locks swing loose… to her shoulders? It didn't even reach her chin last night, how did it grow that quickly? And all dyed at that.
"Yeah, must have…" Gwen runs a hand through her hair thoughtfully before turning to her mother with a smirk growing. "Guess I'll go see the princess then, shouldn't keep her waiting."
"GWENETH ARKENGEM!" Ashley grabs her shoulder forcefully as she turns to leave, frowning at her naked form distastefully. "Where do you think you're going dressed in such a manner?"
"To the princess?" Gwen said innocently as she stuck her tongue out a little. "You said she likes her people being comfortable."
"..." Ashley slaps her shoulder as she pulls her close and starts putting on her dress. "Honestly dear, you've lived here your whole life and still don't remember where nudity is and isn't accepted? Draminia may be loose on its clothing guidelines, but going naked in front of the ruler of Pahkit? That might fly in Wawan, but not here young lady."
"... Yes Mom…" Gwen looks down bashfully, saying nothing as she's quickly dressed. She wasn't sure why she did that, kind of just came to her. Spur of the moment, getting bolder, seeing how much she could get away with in this strange place? Yeah, that was it. She had gotten more daring after her time on Total Drama, and trying something like that in a world without the rules she was used to seeming like a fun idea. Guess not though.
Ashley smooths out wrinkles in the dress before stepping back with a slight smile. "There, you look presentable now. Go on, don't keep our gracious leader waiting much longer."
Gwen nodded and looks at herself in the mirror quickly, smiling at how good she looked in the dress that looked like a medieval version of her usual attire…. just much longer. That would take some getting used to, she was not a dress girl.
"Thanks, Mom, guess I'll see you later?" Gwen jogs to the door before turning back and kissing Ashley on the cheek. "I think that may have helped."
Gwen pulls open the doors leading to the throne room moments later, finding it easily by following the crowds. As she enters, two extravagantly dressed people approach her, one of whom she recognizes quickly despite his bold dark green suit.
"Oh look, the less fabulous Lady Arkengem has decided to show herself. Dakota, would you deal with this one? My vocal cords can't handle a conversation with someone this average."
Justin walks off, somehow making a smirk look captivating, as the woman named Dakota turns to face her. Gwen didn't recognize the long-haired blonde in the pink dress at first, but hearing her name brought the whiny celebrity from Revenge of the Island immediately to mind.
"So you're the one who came back from Muskok recently, eh?" Dakota sneers at her, looking very full of herself. "Well go on, don't keep the prettier Arkengem waiting. That would be so not cool."
Dakota walks off in a smug huff before Gwen has a chance to respond, leaving her annoyed and unsatisfied from the brief encounter.
"What got up her ass…. wait, other Arkengem? Is this princess….."
Gwen walked briskly to the throne and sure enough, there was Ella. The Princess Arkengem was her Ella? It looked like her, just in a much fancier pink dress than usual.
"Gwen! So good to see you after all this time!" Ella smiles widely, gesturing at a smaller empty seat beside her throne. "Come, have a seat. We must make briskly with the talking!"
"Oh, hi Ella…. Am I supposed to bow or something? Cause that's not really my style."
"Oh no no!" Ella shakes her head, frowning slightly at the guards by the door. "That won't be required for my dear cousin. Now please, sit."
Gwen sits next to Ella after a brief moment of shock, looking at the girl she used to know so well. At least so she thought.
"So how was the…" Ella stops mid-sentence after noticing the guards step outside to give the two privacy. Immediately she breaks into a happy smile and grabs Gwen's hand energetically. "It actually worked! I'm a princess now! And I think you are too."
"... Excuse me, what? Did you hit your head too Ella?
"My maid said something like that when she was dressing me…. But Gwen dear, I think I've pieced together what happened. People are quick to answer the princess, regardless of how silly her questions are."
"You… you know what's going on here?" Gwen squeezes Ella's hand, looking right at her. "Please tell me I'm not going crazy."
"Well, this might sound a little crazy…" Ella laughs nervously before continuing. "We're in the land of Draminia. This place is a medieval kingdom with magic, races we'd call fantasy back home, and rather…" blushes profusely "loose guidelines on wearing clothes."
"Yeah….. I've found out about that last one already…." Gwen smirks knowingly, causing Ella to blush harder.
"Oh my goodness, Gwen! We've barely been here a day, what did you do?"
"I might have…. tried to come here naked."
"How lewd! Although from what I've heard, you wouldn't be the first."
"Right, sorry… continue?
"Yes, where was I… oh yes. It seems versions of us existed here before, and the coin toss put us in this world in their bodies." Ella smiles as if what she had just said was the most normal thing ever.
"..." Gwen looks at her in silence for a long moment, aware of nothing but blinking. "... Huh?"
"... I know, it's a lot to unpack." Ella sighs and looks out the nearby window. "But what I make of it is that the Gweneth and Ella Hayes we used to be no longer exist, we are Arkengem now. Gweneth and Ella Arkengem were people in this land who were living their lives, and we seem to have taken their places… I can only hope it was a swap and they took our places as well."
"So we swapped places? I think I saw that in an anime once…."
"Yes, I am quite convinced that is the case. How it happened…. I haven't the foggiest. Maybe we got lucky and someone heard our wish and this land could answer it?" Ella looks down at her dress and giggles. "It already did for me!"
"You have a point there…. wait, that awful woman said I came from somewhere called Muskok. That was this world's me then?"
Ella nods and reaches behind her throne, pulling something off the back of it. "Yes indeed. I was here, doing princessy things, when you were in Muskok delivering a present to Princess Courtney."
"Okay, that…. did you just say, Princess Courtney?"
"Oh yes, I forgot to mention that, didn't I?" Ella turns back to face her, holding a large book in her lap. "The land of Draminia is split into three kingdoms: Pahkit, Muskok, and Wawan. And the residents of this land? Everyone we knew back on Total Drama."
"E-everyone? So Courtney's here? And Heather, Duncan, Zoey, Trent… all of them?"
"That is what I've gathered from reading this, yes." Ella props the book up vertically, smiling at Gwen. "The Complete History of Draminia: A Pop-Up Book!... Okay, I may have skimmed. I may be an early riser, but not that early!"
"Ugh, seriously….." Gwen groans at the sight of another pop-up book, having flashbacks to the Awakeathon. "Can I have the quick version?"
"Well, you're in luck!" Ella giggles as she opens the book and a pop-up of Draminia sprouts out of it. "I read enough to give you a quick summary…. It was kind of dry, yes."
"Great, where are we starting?" Gwen leans forward and studies the terrain carefully.
"We are right here, in this beautiful castle." Ella points to the easternmost castle, a small pinkish structure overlooking a modest village. "We are the smallest of the three, but our people are happy enough. This cute little hamlet is Forst Village, you'll see it quite soon I should think."
Gwen looks at the village and glances over to the other kingdoms. "Kind of small, yeah. I'm more used to large cities, so that'll be weird."
"Oh, I rather like it but I can understand. I think you'll find even the biggest towns here to be quaint compared to our old world though."
"Right….want to keep going?" Gwen wasn't sure how she felt about this, as while she kind of enjoyed the quiet life, she liked the big city life too. Settling for just one was hard.
"Of course, got distracted there…" Ella points to a decent-sized town by the sea, with a strange fin sticking out of the water. "This is Aquaport, the largest town in Pahkit. I saw something about snobbish nobility and mermaids, but I didn't look too closely."
"Hmm, that kind of just sounds like Florida."
"What? It…" Ella laughs, interrupting her own sentence. "No, don't think there are mermaids there. But Aquaport there seems to be."
"Okay, hmmm…." Gwen points to a vine-covered ruin in the northern reaches of Pahkit. "What's this place?"
"That…" Ella frowns, reading the faint label on the map. "is The Lost City of McLean. Or at least its presumed location. No one's been there for centuries it seems."
"And it didn't strike anyone as odd that it shares a name with Chris of all people?"
"Oh, it definitely did, just…. it's lost for a reason Gwen dear. Northern Pahkit is a confusing place. The records suggest some of the older residents know where it is, but they don't want to give that information up."
"Great, that's not ominous at all."
"... Shall we go over Muskok now?"
"Right, sorry. I'm listening."
Ella taps her finger on a small building on the Pahkit border. "This here is Aut Farm. Supposedly that means something in Elvish, but the language is fuzzy to me."
"It means foolish or clumsy, something like that."
"... How did you know that Gwen dear?"
"I…. huh, it just came to me. Something from the other me?"
"Hmm perhaps, but why would I not know it as well? Surely the princess of Pahkit was educated in the land's native tongue."
Gwen shrugs and tries to speed her along. "Beats me."
"Hmmm…. yes, Aut Farm. It is simply a source for the three kingdoms' food supplies." Ella points to three locations; a rustic-looking town, a rocky mountainous area, and a frozen tundra. "These are Muskok's territories, smaller settlements overseen by the crown. Ruinain is much like the American Old West, the Drumhel Pass is a mountain village that used to be inhabited by many dwarves, and Yelwanada is so cold only idiots would go naked there."
"Meaning someone has at one point…. but considering you said everyone from the show is here, I have a bad feeling about who lives in some of those."
Ella nods, looking at her frightfully. "Chris' minions, from what I've heard. It sounds like they're everywhere, even here. And…" Ella points at Muskok's large purplish castle and the town below it. "here. Castle Muskok and the town of Oka."
"Courtney's kingdom…."
"Yes, the largest in all the land…" Ella stops and looks up at Gwen, suddenly grinning. "Are you okay Gwen dear? You look a bit red."
"Red? I'm…. gah!" Gwen jumps suddenly, hiding her face behind her hands. "Did I really just do that…."
Ella giggles, patting Gwen gently on her knee. "Not to worry, it was rather cute."
"Cute….." Gwen buries her face in her hands, not wanting to look at Ella. "Kill me now."
"GWENETH ARKENGEM!" Ella speaks harshly, causing Gwen to peek out in surprise. "Such behavior is hardly fitting for a lady, and you want to win a princess's hand? Shame on you!"
"Ella? I…" Gwen lowers her hands and sits up properly again, looking at Ella once more. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right Ella. If I want Courtney and me to work out I need to be less, well, me." she chuckles nervously. "Especially here."
"That's the spirit Gwen dear! Now this world's you just came back from Muskok, but we'll find a reason for you to get there again. For now…" Ella points to a dense forest on Muskok's western border. "This is the Forest of Forn. Home of the dryads and neutral territory. You could call it the fourth kingdom, as they listen to no crown except their own."
"The Forest of…." Gwen breaks out in laughter. "Forn? I know it's another Elvish word but that's unfortunate."
"Well, from what I've read about the dryads, that may be intentional…" Ella blushes red as a tomato.
"... I'm not sure I follow."
"Oh, um…. it seems the dryads and their leader Dawn take nature to their extreme. To the point of refusing to allow any clothes in their forest at all. I don't know the details but yeah, they're nudists."
"... Oh my." Gwen gets a bit lost for a moment as she tries to picture it and who she knew who might be there. "And you said they're the original people of Draminia?"
"Precisely. The dryads, the mermaids, and a few others. But aside from the dryads, most only have a scarce few left." Ella looks at western Draminia, to the dark lands. "Because of him."
"Let me guess, Chris?"
"Yes…. Wawan is a dark place for those who don't follow the Dark Lord McLean." Ella points to an island in the southern reaches of Wawan. "Chris keeps the people he really doesn't want to get away here on Boney Island. The rest rot in Wawan's dungeons."
"Wait, there's good people in Wawan? Why don't they leave?"
Ella sighs, looking at the blue Castle Wawan. "If only it were that simple. Wawan and Nakwa are constantly guarded by Chef and Chris's monsters and minions. The people and creatures he has there are never getting out without our help…."
Gwen looks over the map of Draminia. "Our help…. Wait, something's not sitting right with me. You're the ruler here, Courtney is in Muskok… and yet Chris is in Wawan? He doesn't feel the type to be the third ruler, does he?"
"Ah good, you picked up on it too!" Ella claps and closes the book, looking at Gwen happily. "About that, no. I don't think he is at all…."