AN: Hey, guys, DarkShockBro here! Sorry this chapter took so long. Trust me, I've been pretty damn tired as of recent, and even made a journal about it on DeviantArt. Plus, I had to balance school with a general funk I was in... it was a mess. But hey, I'm better now, and ready to upload this very important new chapter of Letterredo! Things are starting to unravel, and Kim is beginning to show more complexity. So, I really hope you enjoy it, everyone!

Spider and Quana were standing side by side in front of the forest, and after a few seconds, Spider spoke. "Welcome back to Total Drama Letterama! If you're just joining us, VayVay has arrived and is now a member of Team Savannah! Any thoughts on her, Quana?"

Quana cocked her head. "She seems really nice, honestly. She's a bit 'out there', certainly, but I do think she's nice, even though I barely know her yet."

Spider nodded. "I agree. Well, today's challenge is chopping down trees, and I hope Irene doesn't get angry."

The Hispanic girl gave a reassuring smile. "I'm sure she'll understand. We're planting two for every one cut down, right?"

The sick redhead nodded. "Yeah, you're right, Quana."

(Confessional: No, you're not.)

Irene: If these lumberjacks want a war, I'll give em one! We're gonna find out how much wood a woodchuck could chuck if that woodchuck could chuck wood! Uh… down with the tree killers! Yeah.

Zed was chopping a tree next to Alice and seemed to be making a lot of progress on it. When he was about halfway done, he wiped his brow off and said, "This ain't so hard. One of my chores back on the farm is gathering firewood for the fireplace, 'cause it can get mighty cold in the winter."

Alice rolled her eyes. "Wow, great observation, genius. Most people use central heating. You realize that, right? Or do you not have any electricity back in Hickville?"

The farmer shrugged. "Nah, we do, but we need it to watch our Antenna TV. How else would I've learned 'bout this show?"

The professional girl groaned. "Ugh, just stay out of my way, OK?"

After Zed saw Alice wasn't making much progress, he said, "Not like that, m'lady, take it slow and steady. Concentrate on one spot and use your full strength."

Alice facepalmed. "Wow, you just did three things wrong with that single statement! One, when a girl tells you something, it's polite to listen. Two, I don't need advice from a hick. And three, never imitate Bishop! Now get the hell out of my way!"

The farmer sighed. "As you wish."

He then chopped the tree once more, causing it to fall over before yelling, "Timbeeer!"

(Confessional: It's goin' down.)

Alice: (groans) "Ugh, getting outdone by a hick already makes my blood boil, but knowing that Bishop actually has influence on our team… yeah, I'm pissed off now."

Zed: Y'know, I don't think Alice likes my background. Maybe people woulda preferred it if I was from the city.

In an area close to Zed and Alice, Bishop seemed content to not do anything and grumble, "Spider and Quana are really pissing me off. How dare they make me do the work of a poor peasant?"

Eddie, who was right by him, shook his head, groaned, and said, "Please stop complaining. You already have things that most of us can only dream about, your motive for joining this show is ludicrous, and your attitude is truly starting to aggravate me. So, I'd like to propose an ultimatum. Either start chopping, or you'll get eliminated. It's as simple as that. We're on a winning streak right now, and if you decide to sully that streak because of your attitude, I, and the rest of your team, aren't going to be happy."

The rich snob snarled. "You've got a lot of nerve, peasant. This challenge is beneath me, and I demand you treat me with a little more respect!"

The detective sighed, shook his head, and resumed chopping.

(Confessional: Respect is earned, not given, buddy.)

Eddie: (sighs) "I don't mean to be rude, but as a detective, I cannot stand mean rich people who whine and brag about how good they have it. I have come across people who have had to fight for everything in my investigations, and to see some people just swim in money as if nothing else mattered… it's terrible. That's one of the reasons I became a detective-in-training: to help those who may be unable to help themselves. And I hope I can get a big case with Kasimar and Nakia roaming around the island."

Bishop: (growls) "That peasant is going to pay for mocking me! I deserve the utmost respect due to my status, dammit!"

Zed: Bishop's pretty mean; I reckon he's got a bit of an ego.

Cherry was chopping a tree for a few seconds before taking a brief break to wipe her forehead, catch her breath, and say, "Wow, this is tough! I'm a speedster, not a powerhouse. Still, this beats Geography class any day of the week."

Subsequently, Opal span around, whacked a tree, and chirped, "Naw, Geography's fun! You get to learn about Oompa Loompa Land! And this is as fun as the time I flashed my panties in front of the school in the 9th grade!"

Sasha, who was right by them, cocked her head. "Why did you do that?"

The crazy Chinese girl stuck her tongue out. "I don't know!"

Suddenly, Eddie stumbled towards Cherry and Opal while a voice in the distance shouted, "And don't come back, you obnoxious peasant!"

Opal was the first to speak. "You alright, Eddy weddy?"

The detective got up, brushed his clothes off, and said, "I'm fine. Bishop had a temper tantrum, essentially, but at least he's chopping trees now."

Sasha sighed. "Again? Geez, he's like Moneybags from Spyro."

Eddie chuckled. "Good comparison. Perhaps a similar fate will befall him, but I'm not a huge fan of wishing negative things on people unless they are clearly proven to be guilty."

Cherry smiled. "Good on you."

The detective returned the grin. "Thank you."

He blushed slightly. "...By the way, has anyone seem Kim?"

Opal chuckled. "Hey, Eddy weddy, looks like you've got a crushy crush! Ha ha ha ha!"

Eddie frowned. "I do not! She just… piques my intrigue as a detective, is all."

Cherry giggled. "You aren't very good at this, Eddie."

The detective sighed. "Could you answer my question, please?"

The gamer girl nodded. "I haven't seen her in a little while, Eddie."

Eddie put his hand under his chin. "Hmm… I wonder where she could be?"

(Confessional: The Disappearing Kim!)

Cherry: "Eddie and Kim, huh? Heh, this race just got crazier!"

Opal: (grins) "I ship it!"

Sasha: (sighs) "Looks like Eddie and Kim are starting to bond. And while I am happy that Eddie is branching out… I can't help but feel a little sad. Plus, I'm not sure I'd be compatible with any of the guys on my team. Bishop's kind of a jerk, and Zed and Opal seem to have a thing. ...So I may want to look outside my team. Hey, it's worth a shot, I guess!"

After her team got into groups, Kim carefully walked off away from her group, double-checked to make sure no one was within her hearing range, smirked, and said, "It's lumberjack time, ya tree-hugging dyke nigger. And you can't do jack *bleep* about it!"

With that, Kim walked up to the first tree she found and slammed her axe into it with a malicious laugh before saying, to a spot containing absolutely no one, "Oh, what's that? I hurt your 'friend'? Then let me do it again!"

The axe collided with the tree with an amazing amount of force as the angry flirt chuckled. "Your *bleep*ing friend doesn't look so damn hot, nigger! Guess I'll have to fix that with my axe!"

Once more, the axe crushed the tree with force as Kim laughed with almost malicious glee before roaring, "Cry, bitch, cry! You're *bleep*ing terrible! All of your foul, disgusting, perverted kind are!"

The axe met the tree with a ridiculous amount of force once again, and subsequently, Kim's smirk twisted into a snarl as she growled, "Stay down, nigger! I'll hurt you before you can hurt me, got it?!"

Kim continued her assault on the tree while roaring, "You'll never gain control over me! I won't let you ruin me again! I have the power now! Me! Me! Me! Now fall!"

With that, Kim have one final strike to the tree, and that proved to be the felling blow that caused the tall oak to topple thanks to Kim's chops. Then, she used her remaining energy to point to the empty spot and growled, "And don't you *bleep*ing forget that, you tree-hugging dyke nigger."

The angry flirt then spat on that area, turned her head, and used her remaining strength to walk to another area where she promptly got down on her knees and tried to catch her breath.

(Confessional: ...Damn.)

Kim: (eyes widen) "...Holy crap!" (sighs) "I really lost control there, but the sheer catharsis that coursed through my body… it felt good. I know I can't do this again, but be damned if I don't take what opportunities present themselves to me. Trust me, I really don't like getting mad, but better now than later..." (takes a few more deep breaths and then puts her hand under her chin) "OK, now that I've gotten a nice chunk of anger out, I think now's the time for me to make some plans. Hmm… I remember my team doing exceptionally well in this challenge, so I don't think I need to chop all the time. So, what else could I do? Hmm… what were the rules? We couldn't hurt each other with the axes… and that was it." (eyes widen) "Ah ha! They never said I couldn't spy, did they?" (smirks and chuckles) "Let's do some undercover work, shall we?" (winks, blows a kiss, and giggles)

Xyly swung her battle axe at a tree and almost chopped it down with a single strike before saying, "Xyly thinks this challenge is pretty easy."

Quarla nodded. "For us it will be."

She then scowled at Paul and Yannis before saying, "But those two will just slow us down. You two can sit this one out."

Paul frowned. "But we're a team! We're supposed to work toget-"

The aggressive girl roared, "This is a physical challenge, dammit! I don't need you two *bleep*ing up the team with your weakness!"

Winnie sighed. "Come on, Quarla, give them a chance."

Quarla growled, but nonetheless went up to Winnie and whispered, "Look at it this way. Without Paul and Yannis, you could really prove yourself as strong and earn my respect. Trust me, I won't bully you if you're in my good graces."

The cat lover sighed. "OK! I'll be strong, Quarla, I promise!"

The aggressive girl nodded. "Good. Paul and Yannis will not be competing. Everyone else get to it, we are not losing again, alright?!"

(Confessional: Because that's a totally effective strategy.)

Paul: Am I really that useless? Just because I'm a complete germaphobe who never leaves his house and has a fear of all kinds of dirt doesn't mean I'm not a force to be reckoned with… I'm not good at this, am I? (sighs)

VayVay: Quarla is as mean as a Minotaur, dude. I say that because she's bull headed and hates the essence of all good in the world: cheese.

Tyson: Not letting somebody help because they aren't strong? That's just uncool.

Irene quickly finished chaining herself to one of the trees in the Team Savannah section and felt confident that this would prove a point. However; she couldn't help but wince at the screams of the trees around her that only she could hear for some unknown reason.

A few seconds later, she said, "Don't worry Mr. Tree, I won't let them chop you down."

Subsequently, Quarla walked up to Irene, facepalmed, and said, "Are you *bleep*ing kidding me?! Get off that tree so I can chop it down, you insane, tree-hugging bitch!"

Irene defiantly responded, "Never!"

The aggressive girl smirked. "Fine, I'll just chop it down anyway. You have until I finish chopping it to move your scrawny, bitchy self out of here!"

As Quarla started chopping, the tree-hugger pleaded, "No! Ack! Stop it! Can't you hear him screaming? It's horrible!"

The aggressive girl chuckled. "Oh, you can hear him scream, can you? Then let me make him scream even more!"

However, while this scene was going on, another person away from the scene had a big smirk on her face.

(Confessional: Oh dear...)

Quarla: Irene is retarded and insane. Trees can't talk, bitch!

Irene: (wipes away a tear) That poor tree! He had a wife and seven kids!

Kim: (smirks) "Ah, dear me. Could you be breaking the rules, you tree-hugging dyke nigger? You are? Well, I guess I have no choice but to report you then!" (laughs as she exits the Confessional)

While Quarla was continuing to yell at Irene, Kim, who was spying on all of this, ran back to the edge of the forest where Spider and Quana were waiting.

As Kim caught her breath, the sick redhead's eyes widened as he said, "Uh, Kim? T-There's a challenge going on right now…"

The dangerous flirt sniffed. "I k-know, but I have terrible news to report! One of your interns is cheating!"

Quana's eyes widened. "W-What?!"

Kim sighed. "I know a challenge is going on, but I can't let this happen! Irene has chained herself to one of the trees in Team Savannah's area, and she won't get off of it! She's distracting them from the challenge!"

Spider looked dumbfounded. "What?! Even after we agreed to plant two trees for every tree that was chopped down?"

The dangerous flirt nodded. "See for yourself! She's in Team Savannah's area!"

Quana nodded, but before the two went out, the Hispanic girl smiled and said, "Thanks for pointing this out, even when Irene wasn't distracting your team, Kim. That's really honorable."

Kim blushed. "Aw, thanks! I just want this to be a clean, fair game, where the best camper wins. Nothing more."

The two smiled at Kim before heading off to the forest, and when they were out of Kim's hearing range, the dangerous flirt smirked and gave a mighty laugh.

(Confessional: ...She's good.)

Kim: (smirks) "Thanks for making me look good, you tree-hugging dyke nigger! Damn, it feels good being this powerful! I'll never be a sub again so long as I can help it!" (giggles)

About a minute after Spider and Quana entered the forest, Quana's eyes widened as she said, "...Do you think Kim is lying about Irene, my little arachnid?"

Spider shook his head. "I doubt it. She may be a flirt and a bit manipulative, but I don't think she's a liar."

The HIspanic girl nodded. "I think that's fair."

The sick redhead returned the nod. "Yeah. ...Oh, hey, looks like she wasn't lying!"

With that, Spider gestured to Irene strapped to a tree. Additionally, Quarla was busy yelling at Irene while chopping the tree the tree-hugger was strapped to.

The instant Quana saw this, she yelled, "Stop!" in an attempt to get the attention of Quarla and Irene.

The aggressive girl breathed a sigh of relief after seeing the hosts. "Oh, thank *bleep*! You can get her off of this tree, right? And I'm pretty sure interfering with a challenge is against the rules, right?"

Spider sighed. "It is. Quarla, would you mind chopping down another tree for now? We'll take care of this, and in a few minutes, we'll leave and let you finish. Sorry about that…"

Quarla chuckled. "Damn, you suck at this. Pick better interns or challenges next time."

Quana's eyes narrowed. "Hey, we're the hosts! We could disqualify you at any time."

The aggressive girl sighed. "Whatever. I'm out of here."

(Confessional: Thank you and goodnight!)

Quarla: (sighs) "This is the *bleep*est thing I've ever seen in my life! Stupid hosts and their retarded interns… why the hell did I audition for this crap show anyway? Ugh, whatever. Just a few more days and some Social Darwinism can take place… if the figure wasn't lying. And if he was, he's leaving in a bodybag. I'll make sure of that."

After Quarla left, Spider turned his attention to Irene, saying, "Irene, we're going to need you to detach from that tree."

The tree-hugger pouted. "No! He has a wife and seven kids! I'll never let him be killed!"

Quana's expression became somber. "Irene, you've already violated your contract as an intern by doing this. And plus, we promised to plant two trees for every one tree the campers chopped down."

Irene shook her head. "No! If you want to get me off of this tree, you'll have to do it with your cold, tree-killing hands!"

The sick redhead sighed. "I really wish I didn't have to do this, Irene, but if you refuse to get off, we have the authority to get bodyguards to yank you off. Additionally, you're already in trouble. If you don't listen to us, we may have to fire you and send you back home. We understand that you're so connected to your tree friends, and we're sorry, but we have a job to do. And that does mean we have to disqualify and punish people if need be."

The tree-hugger started to tear up. "No… please no!"

The Hispanic girl sniffed. "Please, Irene. This is really difficult for us. Tell you what, if you get down now, we won't fire you, OK? Disrupting the competition is against the contract which you signed, Irene. I'm sure you know that…"

Irene burst out into full-out tears. "It's not fair! All of these trees are dying because of your stupid producers!"

Spider sighed. "Look, we aren't perfect hosts, Irene. We already botched up the fear challenge, so we don't want to come off as too soft in a situation like this. We empathize with you, Irene, but we can't allow you to do this without proper punishment. After all, you signed that contract, I'm afraid…"

The tree-hugger sighed, crestfallen. "...Fine. I'll get off to satisfy the sick lust you get for killing tree moms, tree dads, and tree babies! You will all pay, trust me!"

Quana sighed as Irene unstrapped herself. "...Sorry to do this, Irene, but we can't let this go unpunished. From now on… your intern duties include scrubbing the underside of the Boat of Shame, getting all of the barnacles and algae out that accumulate under it. I'm really sorry, Irene, but we're hosts now. We can't let this stuff happen again."

Irene groaned. "No! I hate you all! I just wanted to protect Mother Nature… I guess that isn't enough though! Goodbye!"

With that, the tree hugger turned and cried her way out of the forest.

(Confessional: Oh boy…)

Irene: (through tears) "Meanies! Jerks! Tree killers! I'm sorry I couldn't save you all from those horrible lumberjacks, all my fellow tree friends! I… I really tried!"

Spider: (sighs dejectedly)

Quana: (sniffles)

After Rheneas gave his trees a few chops, he said, "It's a shame we can't burn the trees down because that would be real effective. Still, it's way too dangerous."

Lankston rolled his eyes. "The pyro thinks this is too dangerous. Call the police."

The pyromaniac narrowed his eyes. "I may like fire, but I wouldn't want anybody to actually get hurt. A death by fire is one of the most horrible deaths imaginable."

The condescending one shrugged and continued chopping at his tree. A few seconds later, Rheneas sighed and said, "Dude, you can chop a little quicker than that."

Lankston then overdramatically wiped his brow and said, "No, I can't. I'm meant for mental challenges, which this show has been stupid enough not to provide me with."

Before the pyromaniac could counter the condescending one's statement, they heard Fripp from the distance yelling, "Peas and carrots! Peas and carrots!"

Subsequently, Rheneas smirked and said, "Hey, look, it's your best friend!"

Lankston gave Rheneas a death glare. "Don't. You. Dare."

The pyromaniac seemed about ready to smirk and turn his back, but at the last minute, he decided to stay and said, "...Yeah, let's just steer clear of him, OK?"

The condescending one wiped his brow. "Couldn't have said it better myself."

(Confessional: Yeah, OK then.)

Lankston: (sighs) "Damn. Nothing is working out for me! I failed to get eliminated in the second episode, and I failed to take advantage of the opportunity to throw the toy challenge, and now here, I can't even throw this challenge! ...Maybe I am…" (shakes his head violently) "No, I am not useless! I am not useless!"

Rheneas: (sighs) "Jeez, I can't believe I almost just walked away like that. I'm no delinquent, but I can be impulsive, I guess. You know what? When Fripp goes away, I'll just walk up to Donny and Max and apologize to 'em, 'cause yelling like that, even if they were invading my privacy… I just went a little too far, and I want to make sure I have a good dynamic with the rest of my teammates."

After about a minute consisting of nothing but Rheneas and Lankston chopping down trees, Rheneas had moved on in his team's area enough for him to come across Donny and Max, who were also hard at work on their trees.

A few seconds later, the pyromaniac sighed and said, "Hey, guys."

Donny was the first to turn around and speak. "Oh, Rheneas! 'Sup, man?"

Max spoke up next. "Rheneas! It's great to see you! But… are you still sore about last night?"

The pyromaniac sighed. "Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you guys about. Look… I overreacted a bit and kinda laid into you harder than I wanted to, so sorry about that."

The uber-nerd sighed. "I guess we owe you an apology too for digging into your personal stuff like that, huh?"

Rheneas shrugged. "Either way, it wasn't the best night for any of us. So… forgiven?"

The pyromaniac held out his hand, and after a few seconds, both Donny and Max shook it. Subsequently, Rheneas gave a thumbs up and said, "Cool. Let's chop some trees down!"

Donny smirked. "Hell yeah!"

(Confessional: Friendship is m-*shot*)

Rheneas: "Well, that was pretty easy. Glad we're cool now, and hopefully I can control myself a little more in the future."

Donny: (shrugs) "Hey, I said Rheneas was my best friend on the island, right?"

Max: "I'm glad everything is totally high-technical now!"

Imanda and Jill were each chopping their own trees for a few minutes before Jill wiped her brow off and said, "Wow, we're lumberjacks now. Is there anything this show can't do?"

Imanda shrugged. "Well, there aren't many things we don't award badges for."

The sarcastic chick rolled her eyes. "Shocker."

The girl scout sighed. "I thought you said-"

Jill interrupted her. "I remember, I remember. Sorry, but I just find the badge thing intrinsically ridiculous."

Imanda shrugged. "I guess I can't help that, then…"

The sarcastic chick turned to Imanda. "Look, I know I'm cynical. But I'm not insulting you, Imanda. Like I said, being a girl scout isn't your whole personality, and it never will be. So… do you mind if we talk about other things?"

The girl scout smiled. "OK, sure! So… have you ever gone camping before?"

Jill facepalmed.

(Confessional: Oops.)

Imanda: (sighs) "I tried…"

Paul and Yannis were sitting side by side, away from the action. Paul was the first to speak. "This isn't fair, Yannis! We're part of this team as well! Sure, I'm kinda weak, but I'd at least like to have a go at this! And you know what the worst part is?"

Yannis shook his head.

The germophobe sighed. "Quarla's right, about me at least. Back home I almost never leave the house. I hardly go into the back garden for pete's sake! Maybe I am useless..."

Yannis wrote something in his notebook and passed it to Paul, causing the germophobe to read, "Don't let her get you down, be happy for who you are."

Subsequently, Paul smiled and said, "Thanks, Yannis! ...Wait, there's something on the other side."

Paul turned the paper over, blinked and then saw a very good drawing of Winnie surrounded by little hearts. This caused the germophobe to smile, pass the paper back, and promise, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

Yannis could only blush heavily in response.

(Confessional: Someone's caught the love bug.)

Yannis: (looks embarrassed).

Paul: Winnie and Yannis, huh? That seems kinda sweet! Maybe I could help! ...If Quarla doesn't kill me first. (gulps)

After a few chops, Winnie wiped her brow. Then, she turned to see Xyly, smiled, and chirped, "Good job, Xyly; you're chopping trees faster than my kitties drink milk!"

The viking girl smiled."Thanks, Xyly appreciates that. Plus, Xyly thinks this challenge is a good workout."

VayVay decided to chime in. "Before work out, we must ask ourselves what a workout is: is it when we exercise and sweat like a frog? Or is it when we try to solve a tedious Math problem? The wonders of the world are as numerous as the Starlings in the sky back home, dude."

Xyly narrowed her eyes. "Err, Xyly thinks it is when we sweat. Still, good job, new girl."

The hippie smiled. "It's VayVay, dude. But, is that really my name, or just the name I was given? I wanna solve mysteries of life such as that, 'cause life's a great thing, dude."

Subsequently, Winnie giggled and said, "You know what else is wonderful? Kitties!"

VayVay nodded. "I agree, dude. So, out of curiosity, why doesn't the girl with piercings let Paul and Yannis compete?"

With that, Xyly stepped in. "Xyly will explain. Her name is Quarla. She's a strong player but she's kinda mean, and she really doesn't like people who aren't very strong. She tolerates most of us, but she's really mean to Paul."

The hippie nodded. "Dude, she must be mean as a lima bean, because those are the vilest things in the world."

(Confessional: Makes perfect sense.)

Xyly: Although VayVay is a bit weird, Xyly likes her a lot more than Quarla.

VayVay: Dreams, memories, hope... where do they come from, and where do they go?

Winnie: I like VayVay; she seems like she could easily be my gal pal for this competition! That'd be great!

After a few chops, Alice turned her bright red face to the rest of her team and yelled, "Come on! Work faster! We are not going to lose this, got it? I wanna keep our numbers advantage!"

Cherry sighed. "Alice, please relax. I think we're doing well. We're on a winning streak, and no one seems to be lazing around, so I think we could pull out another victory."

The professional girl seemed about ready to retort, but instead shrugged and said, "Alright, fine, but keep it up, OK? We can't stop now, Bishop!"

Bishop chuckled. "Oh dear. She seems to be calling me out. I wonder why that is?"

Eddie rolled his eyes. "Because you aren't doing any work. And in order to get back into the Champions' Cabin, we'll all need to contribute. We are a team, after all."

After the rich snob shot the detective another glare, Alice's eyes widened, but she nonetheless nodded and snapped, "You know what? I may not like to say it, but he's absolutely right. Get to work, Bishop! You can't only be a rich pervert who has no business being in this game!"

Bishop growled, but then quickly recovered by taking a deep breath, smirking, and adding, "I'm not. And do you know what you aren't, Allison? Better than 'the hick' in this challenge, that's for sure."

The professional girl snarled, "Screw you! Nobody is better than me!"

(Confessional: Like an old married couple.)

Bishop: That comment had two purposes; to get Alice angry so people will hate her, but also to get her to work harder. I'd say it worked pretty well overall. It's good to be back on top, where I belong.

Alice: (groans) "Bishop is an asshat. At least everyone else hates him, so if we have to lose in the future, he'll go first."

In another section of Team Mongolia's area, Zed was chopping down another tree while Opal was bouncing up and down and chirping, "Go, Zeddy, go! Chop chop!"

Zed cocked his head. "What 'zactly do ya mean?"

The crazy Chinese girl grinned. "I mean, you're chopping down the trees quicker than I eat doughnuts! Mmm, doughnuts!"

The farmer scratched his head. "Why thank ya kindly, Opal."

Opal cocked her head. "Soooooo, where did you learn to chop trees like this? Do you go to a lumberjack academy?"

Zed shook his head. "Not 'zactly, I live near a forest and I'm in charge of bringin' home the firewood. We need it for the winter."

The crazy Chinese girl began jumping before saying, "Oooh, I bet it snows a lot in the winter! I love making snow angels and eating snow cones, because there's just so much snow!"

The farmer lightly chucked. "Yep; we get a fair bit of snow. It makes it harder to get around, but farmin's about patience and luck. It's the cross I've gotta bear."

Opal continued jumping. "Cool! I didn't know you had crosses! So, what's your favorite food? I bet you grow all kinds of stuff! And I love Bonbons!"

Zed smiled. "Glad to hear that. And I like corn on the cob with a bit o' butter."

(Confessional: Butta!)

Zed: (smiles warmly) Heh, Opal's really sweet. I don't quite get everything she says, but she's still sweeter than my mom's apple pie.

Opal: Zed's hat is the nicest hat I've seen since I saw that army helmet in the museum a few weeks ago!

Eddie and Sasha were chopping down trees; one across from the other, and Sasha was looking rather exhausted.

A few seconds later, she said, through heavy breaths, "Eddie… could I get some of your water, please?"

The detective turned around and said, "Sure. Here you go."

After Eddie handed her the bottle and the gamer girl took a nice swig, Sasha said, "Thanks, Eddie."

The detective smiled. "My pleasure."

Sasha smiled for a few seconds, before sighing and replying, "So… you're starting to fall for Kim, huh?"

Eddie's eyes widened. "I… wouldn't say that, Sasha. Still, the air of mystery surrounding her… it's bothering me. Do you mind if I share something with you?"

The gamer girl nodded. "Of course, Eddie."

The detective smiled. "Thank you. ...So, last night, I heard a 'thumping' noise, and went to check it out. And what I found was Kim laying down on the couch with the moonlight shining down on her. It was… truly a beautiful scene, and since I was worried that someone else would have seen Kim's vulnerable state and take advantage of it, I felt like I had to carry her to her bed. And, although it was a difficult task, I managed to complete it without giving into my hormones."

Sasha's eyes widened. "Really?! Wow… I bet Kim was really grateful, huh?"

Eddie frowned. "Actually, she hasn't said anything about it, and didn't even ask me or anyone about what happened. I don't know if she's already figured it out or if she doesn't realize what happened… but it troubles me."

The gamer girl shrugged. "I hate to say it, but maybe she doesn't care about you, Eddie."

The detective sighed. "Unfortunately, that doesn't make sense either. She clearly flirted with me during the toy challenge, so if she was attempting to butter me up, she probably would've taken this time to really wrap me around her finger. ...It's so strange…"

Sasha sighed. "So… you're going to keep hanging out with her, Eddie? ...OK then…"

Eddie returned the sigh. "Sasha, just because I'm trying to find out more about someone else doesn't mean that we won't be the best of friends after the show is over."

The gamer girl replied, "I know that, Eddie. ...I'm just worried no one will see me as attractive, and thus, worthy of a relationship. I'm too plain…"

The detective's voice got more intense. "Don't say that, Sasha. You never know until you try. Besides, I think there a few guys here that would love to have you as their girlfriend, such as Ulric, or maybe even Tyson."

Sasha looked to be in a ponderous state. "Hmm… maybe I could try talking to Tyson. He seems pretty nice, and he definitely could be into games. ...Still, he's not on our team."

Eddie smiled. "I'm sure you'll find a way. Give it a try, and we'll see what happens. Nothing is certain yet."

Sasha returned the smile. "Thanks, Eddie. I will."

(Confessional: An uncompromising compromise.)

Sasha: (sighs) "I really don't want to be controlling or anything like that, but trust me, Eddie hasn't had the…. best experiences with love before. I am worried about my own image, yes, but I also don't want him to fall too hard and have Kim break his heart…

Somehow, after hitting a tree with the handle of the axe for a long period of time, Fripp managed to chop the tree down, causing to jump around and chirp, "Yay! I chopped down the free! Just like Gorrest Fump!"

Jill facepalmed. "How in the name of intelligent humor did you manage to chop down that tree with the handle?!"

Fripp giggled. "Because it worked, Jilly Lilly! Now it's time to chop down another! Yay!"

With that, the blockhead skipped away, causing Jill to shake her head and mutter, "Where the hell did the producers get these people? An insane asylum?"

(Confessional: Maybe. You never know.)

Fripp: (holds up a square) Triangles are cool!

As Rheneas, Donny, and Max were chopping down trees, Lankston yawned, walked up to them, and droned, "Oh, good, it's you three. Has anyone seen Dumbass McGee? I want to be certain I stay far away from him."

Rheneas sighed. "He has a name, you know."

The condescending one nodded. "Exactly. Now, could you answer my question?"

Max shrugged. "I certainly haven't seen him in a while."

Lankston nodded. "Excellent. Thanks for being such a wonderful help to my glorious self, you three."

Donny frowned. "This is a challenge, Lankston, and I'm going to be pissed if you don't pull your own weight."

The condescending one smirked. "I'll certainly pull more weight than you, shorty."

Rheneas and Max had to hold Donny back while the short dude screamed at Lankston while the condescending one simply smirked and turned around.

(Confessional: How to kill your team in three seconds, starring Lankston!)

Lankston: (smirks) "Much better. Now that they hate me, I can throw the next challenge and get the boot. Hey, better late than never."

Donny: (growls) "What. An. Asshole."

After Irene was forcibly removed from the tree, she begrudgingly walked over to the Boat of Losers, where the people who removed her from the tree gave her cleaning supplies and gloves and requested that she remove the barnacles lodged under the rather inexpensive, murky boat.

A few seconds into her work, Irene groaned and muttered, "Mother Nature is great… but these barnacles are just… ugh!"

After a few more minutes of cleaning, Yessica walked up to the tree hugger with a concerned expression on her face. After a gulp, the swimmer asked, "Are you alright, Irene?"

The tree hugger frowned. "People are killing trees, Yessica! I can't be alright!"

The swimmer cocked her head. "Um… not to sound rude, but we're planting two trees for every one cut down."

Irene sighed. "It's the principle of it that matters to me."

Yessica shrugged. "Fair enough, I guess. Sorry you had to get punished for that, though. ...Do you need any help?"

The tree hugger smiled. "That'd be fantastic!"

With a nod, the swimmer then took a pair of gloves, some cleaning supplies, and began cleaning the barnacles off the boat. In doing this, she also bent over, giving Irene a great view of the swimmer's butt. This caused the tree hugger to softly gasp and blush heavily, and a few seconds later, Yessica turned around, cocked her head, and asked, "Um… why are you blushing, Irene?"

The tree hugger turned around before saying, "N-No r-reason. T-Thanks for your help!"

The swimmer scratched her head. "Err… OK."

(Confessional: And fun times were had by all.)

Irene: (sighs) OK, I have a confession to make. I haven't said anything about this because I know some people would surely hate me for it, but… I'm a lesbian. Yeah, if Kasimar knew then he'd tear me to shreds… but I can't help but smile when Yessica is around; she's such a good friend. But I'm she doesn't like me in that way...

Yessica: "Why did Irene blush just then? How strange…"

Paul was spraying his air freshener around while roughly scrubbing a tree stump, and once it was clean, he sat on it before sighing in boredom. A few seconds later, VayVay walked up and asked, "Hey, dude. Why aren't you participating?"

The germophobe sighed. "Quarla forbade me and Yannis from helping, and Yannis went to talk to Xyly and Winnie, so I'm pretty bored. I'm kind of at the bottom of the team's pecking order, sadly enough."

The hippie nodded. "That's not groovy, dude. Sorry about that. So, to change the topic, why are you wearing a neckerchief around your head? It looks cool."

Paul shrugged. "It's so I don't breathe in any germs or infect anyone else with germs in my breath."

VayVay nodded. "Germs are everywhere, just like grass. Say, why are you so afraid of germs anyway, dude?"

The germophobe tensed up. "...That's something I'd rather not talk about."

VayVay smiled. "I understand, we all have things we don't want to talk about, but why don't we? Is it that they are socially unacceptable? Or is there a deeper meaning to the sound of silence? It keeps me awake at night sometimes, dude."

Paul sighed. "That's cool, but shouldn't you get back to the challenge? I wouldn't want you to be voted off on your first day here if we lose."

The hippie nodded. "Thanks, dude. It was nice conversing with you. Also, don't let Quarla boss you about. She's not your celestial ruler."

With that, VayVay skipped off and Paul smiled.

(Confessional: Insert MLP reference here.)

VayVay: I can sense that Paul has a dark cloud of bad dreams and volley ball shaped scars around him. I'm hoping he'll conquer his germaphobia, dude.

Winnie, while chopping down a tree, said, "It's a shame that Quarla didn't let you help us, Yannis, because I enjoy working with you in the challenges."

After Yannis smiled, Winnie wiped her brow off and said, "I need a break…"

With that, the cat lover dropped her axe, sat down next to Yannis, and said, "You know, Xyly has chopped down quite a lot of trees, so I think we stand a chance at winning this one. I'd like to sleep in the Champion's Cabin again."

Yannis nodded and silently sighed before Winnie said, "Yeah, you haven't slept there have you Well, today might be the day our team finally wins first place!"

Yannis nodded, but then gestured towards Quarla who was a distance away chopping at a tree, causing Winnie to reply, "Yeah, Quarla doesn't really like you much. I don't really know why, you're super nice!"

Yannis blushed and sheepishly scratched the back of his head before Winnie smiled and said, "Hey, don't worry about it, you deserve the praise. Also, off topic, I really like your bow tie. It reminds me of the one Spooky wears."

Yannis raised an eyebrow, causing Winnie to continue, "Oh, Spooky is one of my kitties." Explained Winnie. "I miss all five of them; Spooky, Henry, Baby, Cornflake and Emerald. So, if I win, I'm going to buy them a lifetime supply of tuna!"

Yannis then gave Winnie a thumbs up.

(Confessional: Tuna? Really?)

Winnie: Yannis is such a good friend, and for some reason he makes me feel very giggly! Well, more than usual that is.

Yannis: (sits in a relaxed position and smiles to the camera).

After a minute or two, Quana yelled, "Ok, everyone! Drop your axes because your time is up!"

With that, everyone dropped their axes and crowded around in front of Spider and Quana. A few seconds later, Spider said, "Well, everyone, you all tried hard today. We all know that chopping down large amounts of trees isn't easy. But which team chopped down the most trees? To answer this question, our human computer is counting the number of trees each team chopped down as we speak."

Max cocked his head. "Human computer?"

Quana then replied, "We mean Hector."

A few seconds later, Hector walked up with a sheet of paper and passed it to Quana, allowing the Hispanic girl to say, "Alright, here are the results!"

(Confessional: Get on with it!)

Quarla: "We'd better *bleep*ing win…"

After clearing her throat, Quana proclaimed, "In first place with a grand total of fifty chopped trees is Team Mongolia!"

After Kim gave Eddie a thumbs up, Opal chirped, "Good job, Zed!"

The farmer smiled. "Just doin' what comes naturally, m'lady."

With that,the Hispanic girl continued, "Team Everest scored a grand total of thirty three chopped trees, but is that enough to beat Team Savannah's score?"

Quarla smirked. "Obviously. Team Savannah has me and Xyly."

Quana bit her lip. "Oh, dear… I'm so sorry. Team Savannah's grand total of chopped trees is thirty-two; just one away from tying the score. I'm afraid Barney will be seeing you guys later."

Quarla began to curse loudly and recklessly.

(Confessional: How lovely.)

Lankston: "Oh, come on! One tree? One bloody tree?!" (groans)

Quarla: "No! No, no, no, no, no! Crap, I could seriously go home after this! I *bleep*ed up by getting those weaklings to sit out! Ugh… that masked figure better help, or so help me…"

Kim: "Wow, one tree. That… was a close one. Still, either way, a team killer is probably going to go home today, and that sucks. I'd love to be able to convince Team Savannah to vote off Paul or Yannis, but Quarla clearly screwed up and is the expected boot. And I would tamper with the votes, but trust me, I'm no cheater. ...Or, at least, I thought I wasn't, before I lost control after that stupid note…" (Kim's eyes slowly become glazed, and she looks genuinely depressed) "I just wanted to play the game I've loved for so long…" (slaps herself) "Gah! Holy *bleep*, did I just relapse?! This early?" (sighs) "Crap, this is really bad…"

After the teams disbanded, the masked figure, once again, beckoned Quarla to follow him into the forest. Only this time, the aggressive girl had a very nervous expression on her face and was much quicker in following the figure.

About thirty seconds later, Quarla gulped and said, "OK, I really hate to swallow my pride like this… but I need your help. I'm going to get the boot if you don't do something!"

The masked figure chuckled before responding, "Why, are you absolutely certain you need my help? You seemed to do so well on your own, you know."

The aggressive girl growled, "Stop that! I screwed up, OK? I should've let Paul and Yannis help the team out! There! You happy?"

The masked figure smirked. "Very. Well, since you know your place now, I will do my part to assist you, Quarla. You will not be going home tonight, I can promise you that much."

Quarla breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank *bleep*! So, do you need my help with anything else? Also, who are you going to send home?"

The masked figure lightly chuckled. "Patience, Quarla. All will be revealed in due course. Now, go. I am about to put my plan to descend the island into chaos in motion."

The aggressive girl nodded, smirked, and said, "Can't wait to see it."

With that, she headed off, causing the masked figure to laugh, pull out a device, and say, "Can't resist a little… chaos."

And, with one push of a button, all the island's cameras went out after Team Savannah had cast their votes.

(Confessional: wH8t 79f k!&)

…

...

After the sun went down and the moon was high in the sky, the eight members of Team Savannah were sitting around the Bonfire Ceremony area. Some looked confident and others looked nervous. After a couple of minutes of sitting in silence, Barney arrived with a tray of eight Golden Letters, set it down on the oil drum, and turned to face Team Savannah before saying, "Welcome back, ye scallywags! I guess today just wasn't your day, yaaaar, you were so close to being safe!"

Ulric rolled his eyes. "Well, maybe if someone had let everyone on the team participate we might not be here in the first place."

Quarla chuckled. "We'll see who's going home, tough guy."

Barney sighed. "Scallywags! Anyway, before I will declare who is safe, I'd like to ask one of ye scurvy dogs a question."

With that, he turned to VayVay and asked, "VayVay, me heartie, you were just introduced to this island, and now it be time for your first Bonfire Ceremony, how do you feel about that, yaaar?"

The hippie smiled. "Well, Barney, I feel as though today's challenge has been a philosophical metaphor for where we are now. We stood firm to begin with, but like the trees today, we will be chopped down one by one and all that doodah."

Barney nodded. "Very wise words, me heartie. Now, if I call your name, ye may come and get a Golden Letterrrrr. The crew member who doesn't receive a Golden Letter will be voted off and have to walk the plank over to the Boat of Losers, yarrrr."

With that, the pirate picked up the first Golden Letter and said, "The first Golden Letterrrr goes to Xyly. Winnie, VayVay, Tyson, Ulric, and Paul, ye five scurvy dogs be safe too, yarrr!"

Subsequently, Yannis and Quarla were still sat on their stumps without a Golden Letter. Quarla crossed her arms and smirked smugly while Yannis sat silently with a bit of a confused expression on his face. A few seconds later, Barney said, "Well, me hearties, you two are the only ones that received votes tonight. Quarla, you bossed the team around, threatened Irene and Paul, and are generally not very nice, yarrrr."

Quarla smirked. "It was only for my own amusement, don't you worry."

"And Yannis, you didn't do much, but maybe that's because Quarla didn't let you, yarrr."

Yannis shrugged, causing Barney to say, "In any case, the final Golden Letter goes to…"

All of a sudden, the pirate appeared to panic, muttering, "No, no, this can't be right, yarr! Ye scallywags must have come down with scurvy!"

Most of Team Savannah looked to be majorly confused, except for Quarla, who just smirked and bluntly said, in such a way to pierce the silence with a sword, "Give me my letter, Barney."

This caused Team Savannah to gasp and murmur amongst each other before Barney sighed and replied, "She's… right. The final Golden Letter goes to… Quarla."

The aggressive girl chuckled as she slapped Yannis behind the head before going up to collect her letter. Once she returned, she ate the letter and whispered, "I'm here to stay, bitches, whether you like it or not."

The pirate shook his head before saying, "I'm really sorry, Yannis. I wish I didn't have to do this, but I'm afraid you must walk the plank tonight. Yarrr..."

The silent dude was stunned and looked at his team to find despondent expressions, Winnie appearing to tear up, and Quarla with a malicious smirk on her face. A few seconds later, he turned around and sulked over to the Boat of Losers. And, after Yannis left, Barney couldn't find the strength to say anything more and simply turned around, leaving Team Savannah in complete shock.

(Confessional: Unbelievable...)

Quarla: (laughs maniacally) "Perfect. That team-up was the best move I've ever made. I can't wait to see what else the masked figure can do. Heh heh heh." (smirks)

Winnie: (crying)

Ulric: "...Oh god…"

Spider and Quana were standing on the Dock of Shame holding hands with stunned expressions on their faces. They stood in silence for almost a minute before Spider said, "So… after that… unexpected elimination, Quarla ends up staying on Team Savannah. Um… how will this impact the game? How did Yannis get the boot? And who will be the fifth person voted off? Find out next time on Total Drama… Letterrama… I guess…"