Chapter 4

After the loss of the challenge, tensions were high at the Bote camp. None of them had expected the loss, and no one was prepared to let go of one of their own tribemates. Immediately after returning to the camp, the players knew that there was some strategizing that needed to be done.

Everyone gathered around the fire in the middle of camp for a group discussion. Ursula stood up to make an announcement. "Now, everyone, I know this was a highly unfortunate loss, but I trust in all of you that you'll make the appropriate decision tonight." She seemed to be speaking more in the direction of Pooh and Kuzco. "What we need most right now is to win more challenges so that nothing like this will happen again. Let's remain a strong unit." The tribe nodded in agreement, before heading off in their separate ways.

After going down to the ocean to wash off, Flynn got a chance to talk about his plans with Mulan and Abby.

"Alright," Flynn said, shaking the water out of his hair. "Tonight, we've got a chance to do something big. We can really shake this game up."

"How?" Abby questioned, looking puzzled.

"This is a big gamble," Flynn explained, "but I think we can get the votes to kick off Ursula." Looks of shock came across Mulan and Abby's faces. "Abby is good friends with Hatter and Pleakly, and it won't be hard for me to convince Pooh and Kuzco to vote with us. Ursula is really getting on everyone's nerves, and it's hurting our morale. Right now, she's trying to be the leader of this tribe, when we need it to be a group effort."

Mulan nodded her head in agreement. "That makes perfect sense, I don't know why I didn't think of that myself." She looked back in the direction of the beach. "I'll go help sway the others. Now let's go back before everyone gets suspicious."

As those three plotted, another conversation was taking place in the woods between Ariel and Hercules.

"We can't risk losing anymore challenges," Hercules stated.

"Exactly. That's why we need to make sure the tribe votes out a weak player," Ariel explained. "But I'm worried that Ursula is starting to rub people the wrong way, and as much as I hate her, she's helping us move forward a lot more than Pooh and Kuzco were today."

"That's a tough spot we're in, then," Hercules said. "Do you think you could work some of that mermaid magic of yours and get the weaklings to target each other?"

"I could definitely try talking to them," Ariel replied. "I should go do it soon, though, we've only got a couple hours before we need to head off." She began to walk away, but turned back quickly. "Oh, and by the way, mermaid magic isn't real."

Ariel found Hatter, Pleakly, Pooh, Abby, and Kuzco just as Flynn was walking away from them. She opened up with some small talk, before approaching the matter of Tribal Council delicately.

"We've all decided we're getting really tired of Ursula bossing us all around," Abby stated matter-of-factly. "We think we'll all be happier and better at challenges once she's gone."

"I really feel uncomfortable sleeping near her, too," added Kuzco, shuddering at the thought.

Ariel sighed, knowing this was going to be hard work. "As much as I hate to say it, Ursula is helping us all get the job done around camp, and she's efficient in challenges. The rest of the tribe is all targeting weak players, and I just wanted to warn you guys, since you're probably first on the chopping block."

Pleakly gasped. "Wait, so no one else is voting for Ursula?" he yelled.

Ariel put a finger to her lips. "Be quiet. I have to go now, but if you vote for Ursula, you're just wasting a very important opportunity to save yourself," she added as she turned away.

"Oh dear, oh dear," Pooh exclaimed before dashing off in another direction.

"What do I do?!" Kuzco screamed into the sky.

Abby pulled Pleakly aside and whispered, "You know she was just trying to scare us, right? If we all vote for Ursula, she'll be going home!"

Pleakly sighed. "I just don't know anymore. How do I know if I can trust Flynn and Mulan at all? For all I know, they're voting for me!"

"Pleakly, you have to believe me, you're safe tonight!"

"That's exactly what you'd be saying if I was in danger," Pleakly growled before going off on his own path.

As the night fell, the tribemates grabbed their bags and began the hike to Tribal Council. Not one word was muttered from the moment the castaways left their camp to the second they sat in their seats at the huge temple.

Mickey stepped in from the other side of the structure. He took his place on a podium facing the players. "Fun bunch, aren't you?" he chuckled. "Now before we vote, let's start with some questions. Hercules, why do you think your tribe lost the challenge?"

"Well, I'm just gonna come out and say what everyone is thinking," Hercules laughed, "Pooh and Kuzco royally and single-handedly screwed up our chances of winning."

"So, does that make it an easy choice of who to vote off for all of you?" Mickey questioned.

"Basically, it's a no-brainer," Hercules said slyly.

"Maybe it's not all their fault, though," Flynn interrupted. "I think the loss was more of an effect of poor leadership."

"That's an interesting theory," Mickey replied. "Pooh, did you think you were capable of handling the keys before the challenge started?"

"Hmm, well," Pooh thought for a moment. "I actually wanted to be one of the people putting the puzzle pieces together, but Ursula insisted that she could handle it herself."

"So you don't think you're completely to blame?"

"Not at all."

Mickey tapped his chin. "Very, very interesting. Ursula, I'm assuming you've taken a leading role in the trive, so what was going through your mind as you were planning out people's positions in the challenge?"

"Well, Mickey," Ursula ranted, "before the challenge started, I knew who my strongest swimmers were-"

"Wow, you don't own us, you know," Mulan scoffed.

Ursula ignored the comment. "I knew who the tribe's strongest swimmers were, and I knew who the smartest were. I honestly had strong faith in our tribe that no one would be foolish enough to fail at such a simple task as putting keys into locks. Forgive me for that, and call it bad leadership, but if two of my players can't hold onto a few keys to save their lives in the game, I don't want them doing anything more than that in a challenge."

Everyone's jaws had dropped. "Wow," Mickey muttered, "I think you've definitely made your point." He straightened out his shirt. "Okay, time to vote, ho ho! Ariel, you're up first."

One by one, the members of the tribe walked across a bridge to a table on the other side. On the table were 10 sheets of parchment, along with a large wooden urn. Each player wrote down the name of who they wanted eliminated on a piece of paper, before folding the paper and placing it in the urn. A few minutes after everyone finished casting their votes, Mickey returned from the other side of the bridge with the urn, holding everyone's fate in his hands. "If anyone has a Hidden Immunity Idol, and you'd like to play it, now would be the time. Remember, the idol can only be used within two Tribal Councils of it being found, or else it will be rendered useless." The tribemates all looked around at each other, all trying to not look too nervous or suspicious, but no one stood up. "Let's count the votes."

Mickey reached into the urn, and pulled out the first piece of parchment. He held it up for everyone to see what written on it. "Ursula."

The next piece of parchment, however, read "Kuzco."

Then, once again, "Ursula." The octopus-woman's face was filled with anger.

This was followed by another vote for Kuzco, and then a third vote for Ursula. Ursula's glare could've killed a young child. "That's 3 votes for Ursula, 2 votes for Kuzco," Mickey announced.

But the next vote Mickey pulled out of the urn was a different one, this time reading "Pooh," followed by two more reading the bear's name.

Flynn began to look around questioningly at his allies, but everyone else's eyes were glued to the floor.

Mickey's tiny hands reached into the urn again, pulling out the second to last piece of parchment. He held it up for everyone to see. "Pooh. That's 4 votes for Pooh, 3 votes for Ursula, and 2 votes for Kuzco. One vote left."

The tension was so high it could be cut with a knife. Not literally, of course, because tension is not a physical entity. It is merely a concept, or a collective emotion, if you will.

Mickey held the final vote in his shaking hands, opening it slowly. "First person voted out of Survivor: Disney," A few people gasped; "Pooh."

Pooh grabbed his bags and said his goodbyes before walking off in the opposite direction of camp, stumbling on the steps on his way out.

"If we've learned one thing tonight, it's that the power in your tribe definitely doesn't lie exactly where everyone thinks it does. Go back to your camps, I'll see you tomorrow," Mickey announced.