Author's Note: Hey, you guys! Welcome back, I hope you're doing well.

So, judging by the comments you guys left last chapter, it seems people think Junko herself rigged the votes. Interesting...

Okay, last thing before we jump into the chapter: reviews!

Dunsparce519: Okay, I totally meant to respond to your reviews last chapter, but I forgot to. Sorry about that! (Chapter 1): I'm glad I managed to draw you in with the first chapter! (Chapter 2): Thanks! I'm trying to give every character their moment, especially since this season has a large cast. I'm not sure if I'll be successful, but I'll try my best. (Chapter 3): Thanks, I'm glad you thought I wrote the elimination and conflict well. (Chapter 4): Fair enough. But yeah, like you said, there's always a chance he could come back during the merge. (Chapter 5): Yeah, Celestia's and Kokichi's interactions were pretty fun to write, so I'm definitely looking forward to writing them in the future.

Now, with all of that out of the way, I hope you enjoy!

"Last time on Total Drama Island, a talent contest brought out the worst in our campers. It was awesome! A new rivalry sparked between Celestia and Kokichi. Speaking of sparks, Leon and Sayaka seemed to be hitting it off this time—at least, until Leon accidentally dropped a stage light on Sayaka's head, sending her to the infirmary. Haha. However, it was Junko who really dropped the ball, when she unwittingly gave the win to the Gophers when her make-up caused Komaru to have an allergic reaction. In a shocking turn of events, though, it was Ibuki who got voted off!"

The camera switched over to Chris, who walked down the Dock of Shame. "Who will be the next one to walk off this dock? Find out tonight in the most dramatic campfire ceremony ever, on...

Total...

Drama...

Island!"

Episode Five: The Despair-Inducing Outdoors

The sun was already high in the sky as the episode started. The camera panned down to show all of the remaining campers, along with the host, gathered at the beach.

"Campers," Chris started, "today's challenge will test your outdoor survival skills. I'm not gonna lie to you, some of you might not come back alive."

A few campers gasped at that last statement.

"Just joking!" Chris laughed. "All you have to do is spend one night in the woods. Everything you need is in your team's campsite in the forest. You just have to find it."

He tossed a map and compass to each team, caught by Kaito and Junko respectively. "Oh, and watch out for bears. Lost a couple of interns in pre-production. First team back for breakfast wins invincibility!" Chris sounded an airhorn and waved for the teams to leave. "Well, off you go!"

"D-Did he say there were b-bears out there?" a terrified Mikan asked as she stood up.

"Not to worry!" Kaito assured, patting Mikan's shoulder. "As long as you're with the Luminary of the Stars, you'll be just fine!"

Mikan's shoulders seemed to relax, just slightly, at those words. "O-Oh? W-Well, if you say so..."

With that, both teams set off into the woods.

A flash transitioned the scene to the Gophers as they walked along a trail.

Kaito wore a confused expression on his face as he fiddled with the map and compass. "Uh... Does anyone know how to use these things?"

"Here, let me see," Rantaro, who was walking beside Kaito, spoke.

Kaito passed the map and compass over to Rantaro, and the green-haired boy studied the two for a moment before grinning and pointing ahead. "Good news, we're on the right path. We should reach the campsite in about fifteen minutes."

As the camera cut to the Bass, it showed Leon and Sayaka walking together. Sayaka's head seemed to be healed, as it was no longer wrapped in bandages.

"Hey..." Leon began, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "So, uh... Sorry about dropping that light on you and all. My bad."

"It's fine," Sayaka replied with a smile. "It wasn't your fault."

"So, no hard feelings?"

Sayaka giggled. "Nope."

"Sweet," Leon grinned.

CONFESSIONAL - SAYAKA:

"Leon is...an interesting guy," Sayaka admitted with an amused smile. "We could probably be good friends, if I'm being honest. I mean, we both like music, and he can be pretty funny sometimes..."

Another flash returned the focus to the Screaming Gophers, who were still heading down the trail at a steady pace.

The camera focused on Mikan, who was in the very back of the line. Focused more on the surroundings in front of her, she didn't notice that a tree branch that had managed to snag onto part of her clothing. As soon as Mikan tried to take another step, a sharp tug pulled her back.

"Huh?"

Mikan whipped around, finally noticing the tree branch. She moved toward the branch to try and free herself, only to proceed to get her arm bandage snagged on another one. At some point during her struggle against the branches, Mikan lost her footing and fell backwards into a bush, and the tree branches releasing the grip they had on her—although her bandage and part of her apron were ripped in the process. "Ow..."

None of the other Gophers noticed the ordeal that just took place.

The camera switched back over to the Bass, the team still continuing down the trail.

Junko examined her surroundings as she led, a grimace on her face. "Jeez, why'd we have to spend the night in the woods, of all places? It's, like, super creepy, and who knows what is out here?!"

"Yeah, and all of this dirt is messing up my kimono!" Hiyoko whined.

"You know..." Kazuichi spoke up, quickening his pace so that he was now walking next to Junko. "I actually have some camping experience myself. In fact, I even shot a bear once!"

Hiyoko snickered from behind them. "Yeah, sure."

Kazuichi briefly glared at Hiyoko before grinning at Junko again. "As long as you're with me, things will be a-OK. Maybe I can tell you the story about that bear later?"

Junko gave him an amused smile. "Sure, why not?"

CONFESSIONAL - JUNKO:

"Yeah, not gonna lie," she started, "Kazuichi is a weird guy. I think he has attachment issues. Or abandonment issues. Maybe both."

The camera switched over to the Gophers, minus Mikan, who had finally reached the campsite.

Rantaro turned to face his fellow teammates, presumably taking headcount, and frowned. "...Are we missing someone?"

The Gophers glanced at each other in confusion, and Ryoma spoke up. "Yeah, I think that Mikan's gone."

"Ah." Rantaro rubbed his chin in thought. "Okay, who wants to go back and look for her?"

"Looks like this is a job for me!" Kaito volunteered. "I'll be back in a snap!"

"You need the map?" Rantaro asked, holding it out to Kaito.

Kaito shook his head. "Nah, I've got this. I'll be right back!"

After Kaito disappeared back into the forest, Rantaro redirected his attention to the map. "Okay, according to this, we need to find our food. Who's up for some hunting and gathering?"

Kirumi raised her hand. "Before I arrived at this island, I researched as many non-poisonous berries and nuts as I could. Assuming that they exist in this forest, I could gather some for dinner."

Rantaro nodded. "Alright, then. You'll gather the nuts and berries."

"Mind if I go with you?" Ryoma asked Kirumi.

Kirumi smiled. "Of course not."

"I'll catch some fish," Rantaro said. "You know, add some variety to our diet."

"Need any help?" Maki asked. "I'm actually pretty good at hunting and catching stuff."

"Sure," Rantaro replied with a grin. "Anyone else coming?"

None of the remaining Gophers spoke up, prompting Kaede to say, "Alright, the rest of us will stay here and set up camp!"

Satisfied with their groups, the Gophers split up to complete their assigned task.

Meanwhile with the Bass, they had also reached their campsite and were beginning to settle in.

"So..." Sayaka started. "What are we gonna do about food?"

"I don't see any here..." Junko commented, looking around before sighing. "Guess we're hunting for it. Hiyoko, Sayaka, you two are with me. We're gathering nuts and berries. Kazuichi, use your bear-hunting skills and help Leon catch something for dinner. The rest of you," she pointed to the unnamed Bass for clarification, "will stay here and set up camp."

If anyone had any objections, they didn't voice them, as the Bass began to split into their respective groups.

The camera cut to Mikan sitting on a large log in a clearing.

She had just finished plucking out the last of the twigs that managed to latch onto her when she fell into the bush earlier. She suddenly froze, though, as she noticed a figure walking around nearby. Upon closer inspection, she noticed they were heading in her direction. Already frightened and confused, Mikan didn't know what else to do but hunker down in attempt to hide herself (though unsuccessfully).

The figure grew closer and closer, then...

"...Mikan?"

Mikan shot to her feet, a look of surprise mixed with relief on her face. "Oh, K-Kaito! Wh-What are you doing here?!"

"Hey, Mikan," Kaito grinned. "I was looking for you, actually. We noticed you were missing."

"A-Ah, I'm so sorry!" Mikan immediately exclaimed. "I-I didn't run off on purpose, I-I swear! M-My clothing got st-stuck on a branch, a-and...and—!"

"Mikan!" Kaito interrupted, causing Mikan to cease her rambling. "It's fine, I promise. But, jeez, you really gotta stop doing that."

"D-Doing what?"

"Y'know, apologizing and whatnot. Unless you've done something really wrong, you don't owe an apology to anyone! Including me! You got that?!"

Mikan seemed slightly shaken up by Kaito's sudden outburst, but she nodded nonetheless.

CONFESSIONAL - MIKAN:

"I-I don't understand," Mikan said, as she fiddled with her fingers. "Kaito is s-so nice and k-kind to a disgusting pig like me! I m-mean, sure, he helped me up during th-that dodgeball challenge, but... I don't know. M-Maybe we could become f-friends? ...Ah! Is that too presumptuous?! I-I'm sorry!"

Kaito chuckled. "Alright! Then let's head back to the campsite, the rest of the team is waiting on us."

Mikan nodded. "R-Right!"

"We just have to go..." Kaito scratched his head as he looked around. "Er...uh...that way!" He pointed in a random direction, and he and Mikan set off.

CONFESSIONAL - KAITO:

"Okay, so maybe I wasn't completely sure where we were going," he admitted, "but that was just a minor setback. I was sure we'd figure out the way back to the campsite eventually!"

The camera switched over to another pair of Gophers; namely, Maki and Rantaro. The two had found a lake to fish in, and were doing just that. Or trying to, anyway.

"Is there even any fish here?" Maki asked as she stared down at the crystal clear water. She furrowed her eyebrows in annoyance. "I don't see any."

"Should be," Rantaro replied. "There's a whole bunch of them when I come out here." He turned his head to face Maki, a teasing grin on his face. "Maybe you're just impatient."

Maki huffed and turned to Rantaro. "I am not impatient. I just wanna hurry up and get back to the campsite. These bugs are driving me crazy." She swatted her hand a few times to prove her point.

"Want some bug spray?" He pulled out a small can of spray and held it out toward her. "I always keep a can on me."

Maki raised her eyebrow. "Why?"

"I travel a lot."

"Oh." Maki stared at the spray in Rantaro's hand for what seemed like forever. Eventually, she took the spray and spritzed it all over her body before giving it back to Rantaro. "Thanks."

"No problem."

CONFESSIONAL - RANTARO:

"Maki's pretty cool," he smiled. "A bit quiet, but I guess nobody's perfect."

Meanwhile, Junko, Sayaka, and Hiyoko were in a different part of the forest, gathering the nuts and berries for their team.

Hiyoko was searching through some bushes, a few nuts already in her hand. As she began to reach into one particular bush, she was stopped when a small grey bunny hopped out of it. The bunny stopped and seemed to stare at the girl.

Hiyoko stumbled back in surprise, but quickly regained her footing. She took a good look at the bunny, blinked, and raised her foot right above it. Then...

"Hiyoko, what are you doing?"

Hiyoko quickly retracted her foot back and turned to face Junko. "What? I'm just collecting berries like you told me to. It's not my fault this stupid bunny got in the way."

"Okay... But why kill it?"

"Why not?"

"I mean, you could probably keep it as a pet or something."

"And why would I do that?"

Junko shrugged. "You seem like the type who doesn't have any friends. Maybe having a pet would be good for you."

Hiyoko pouted and crossed her arms. "What are you talking about? I have tons of friends!" Junko raised an eyebrow at her and her expression faltered. "...Okay, maybe I don't have a friend friend, but that still doesn't mean I'm gonna keep some dumb animal."

Junko shrugged again as she started to walk off. "Hey, do it or don't. It was just suggestion."

Once Junko was completely out of view, Hiyoko pursed her lips and stared at the bunny, who still stood there. Eventually, after sneaking a quick glance in the direction Junko had left in, Hiyoko scooped up the small animal in her arms before continuing with her search for food.

Back with the Gophers, the teens who were setting up camp had finished and were waiting for the rest of their team to arrive.

"Hey, Komaru," Kaede spoke, putting a hand on the girl's shoulder. Komaru craned her neck to look at Kaede. "How's your cheek doing?"

Komaru raised her hand to her cheek. The large rash that had been there was now merely a tiny red patch. "It's doing a lot better now. And now I know to avoid make-up from now on."

Kaede smiled. "That's good."

"Hey, guys."

Kaede and Komaru turned their attention to the voice, Rantaro, who had returned, along with Maki who was behind him.

"We got fish," Rantaro said, holding up a bundle of fish tied together with twine.

Kirumi and Ryoma entered the clearing moments later, with berries and nuts in hand.

"We apologize if we kept you all waiting," Kirumi said, noticing that Maki and Rantaro were already there.

"Nah, we just got back here ourselves," Rantaro replied before furrowing his brows again. "Mikan and Kaito still haven't come back yet?"

Komaru shook his head. "No... Should we go out and look for them?"

Rantaro shook his head. "Too risky. We'll just have to hope they make it back before sundown."

A tense silence settled over the group as the focus switched over yet again.

"Guess who has food~?"

The Bass who were in charge of setting up the tent directed their attention to Junko and Sayaka, who walked into the clearing with a handful of nuts and berries each.

"Nice going, you two!" Tenko exclaimed, jumping up to get a closer look.

"Hey guys, look what I found!"

Hiyoko walked into the campsite with a bright smile; she held the small grey rabbit she had found earlier in her hands. She patted the animal on its head, causing it to let out a rather deep cough. "I'm calling him Bunny!"

Junko smirked. "So you decided to keep that bunny after all, huh?"

Hiyoko pouted and looked away. "It wasn't because of you. I just thought it would be nice to have company that isn't you losers."

"Right..." Junko replied with a grin.

"A rabbit, eh?" Yasuhiro commented, eyeing the bunny from where he was sitting. "Not exactly what I usually eat, but what the heck? I'll try anything once."

"Huh?!" Hiyoko, along with Junko, gave him a horrified look. "You better keep your dirty hands off my pet!"

"Sheesh, sorry..." Yasuhiro said, putting his hands up defensively.

Junko rolled her eyes at him before turning to Hiyoko with a smile. "If you're really gonna keep that bunny, you gotta make sure you keep him happy and healthy, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," Hiyoko replied dismissively as she poked the bunny with her finger. "I've got this."

Kazuichi and Leon entered the clearing shortly thereafter, looking rather scratched up and barely able to keep their grip on the fish that were trying to squirm out of it.

Junko raised her eyebrow. "What happened to you guys?"

Leon scowled. "Kazuichi—"

Kazuichi covered Leon's mouth and chuckled nervously. "We decided that we should have fish instead. Who knew they could be so aggressive." At that moment, one of the fish used their tail to slap him across the face. "Ow!"

The rest of his team gave him a weird look, causing Kazuichi to step forward.

"Well, let's eat!"

"...And the whole thing ended up covered in punch. So, naturally, me and my buddy was in pretty big trouble. I was grounded for a month, and I'm still not allowed to have people over at my house..."

An intense shade of orange painted the sky, signaling that it was almost nighttime. Kaito and Mikan still had not found their campsite campsite, and were aimlessly walking through the forest. Kaito passed the time by telling a story, while Mikan was only half-listening, her eyes darting worriedly around their surroundings.

Kaito chuckled. "Haha, fun times. So, Mikan, what about you?"

That question directed Mikan's attention back towards Kaito. "Huh?"

"What about you?" Kaito repeated. "Got any cool stories from home?"

"Oh, um..." Mikan looked down and fiddled with her fingers. "I-I don't have...any of those. People don't talk to me that much..."

Kaito gave her a look. "Really?"

Mikan nodded.

Kaito frowned and fell silent for a moment. Suddenly, he clasped Mikan's shoulder. "You know what? I'm gonna be your first friend!"

"E-Eh?!" Mikan suddenly grew flustered, waving her arms around wildly. "Y-You really don't have to do that! I—"

"Hey, it's all cool!" Kaito interrupted, gripping both of Mikan's shoulders. "Trust me."

"O-Okay." Mikan allowed her arms to drop to her sides and Kaito let go of her. "U-Um, so what do we do now?"

"Well, first, we gotta get back to the campsite. Which should be..." Kaito looked around with a perplexed look on his face before pointing in a random direction. "...That way?"

Mikan gave him a look. "Kaito, are we lost?"

"N-No, of course not! I was just...confused for a second, that's all! C'mon, let's go!" Kaito set off in the direction he had pointed in, and although she looked unconvinced, Mikan followed him.

Nighttime had officially fell over the island, and the Bass had settled in now; their tent was completely set up off to the side, and a moderately-sized fire crackled as the flickering flames illuminated the Bass' faces team as they sat around it.

"While we're all still here..." Kazuichi suddenly spoke up. "I might as well tell you guys about the time I shot that bear, yeah?"

The rest of the team exchanged glances with each other, some looking interested, while others rolled their eyes, and Junko shrugged. "Why not?"

Kazuichi smirked and stood up, standing next to the fire. All eyes on him, he cleared his throat. "So, about five years ago, I was out camping with my Pops. We were walking along this trail, when we suddenly saw this massive bear up ahead! It was huge, and staring right at us!"

There were gasps from the group, and Kazuichi paused for effect.

"Luckily, I was carrying the shotgun we were gonna use for hunting, so I used to shoot the bear until it went down! Yep. It was terrifying, but I pulled through it."

Kazuichi's teammates showed varying of emotion, from amusement to outright awe. Or just straight-up denial, in Hiyoko's case. "Yeah, right. There's no way you shot down a bear. I mean, have you seen yourself?"

CONFESSIONAL - CELESTIA:

"It pains me to say it, but I agree with Hiyoko," she admitted. "It is pretty obvious Kazuichi is lying about his encounter with a bear. Honestly, it baffles me how the rest of them can even believe that."

"I-It's totally true!" Kazuichi shot back.

"I'll believe it when I see proof," Hiyoko said, crossing her arms. Suddenly, a rustling bush behind her caught her attention, along with the rest of the Bass's. Hiyoko smirked at Kazuichi. "Well, here's your chance to show off your supposed "bear-hunting skills."

Kazuichi stared at her in disbelief. "How do you even know if that's a bear?"

"Well, Chris did say that there were bears out here," Sayaka pointed out.

"Even if it was a bear, I don't even have a shotgun!" Kazuichi exclaimed. "How am I supposed to—"

"What?" Hiyoko interrupted, smirk growing wider. "Don't think you can take on a bear?"

"Of course not! I..." Kazuichi trailed off, glanced at his teammates, and his expression grew determined. "You know what? Fine." He began to stalk toward the mysterious bush.

"W-Wait," Makoto said, eyes wide. "Are you sure that's a good idea?!"

"It'll be fine!" Kazuichi assured, pulling apart the leaves. "It might not even a bear!" To his surprise, however, a huge brown bear emerged from the bushs on its hind legs, growling loudly, causing him to jump back.

"B-B-Bear!" Yasuhiro shouted immediately.

The Bass froze in fear, unsure what to do.

"H-Hey, buddy..." Kazuichi started nervously as he started to carefully step backwards. Even then, he did not keep his eyes off the animal. "How are ya—AUGH!"

Kazuichi had tripped over a stray branch, sending himself, and the few berries he had in his hand, to the ground. The bear took that as its cue, and charged at the teenagers.

Kazuichi yelped and scrambled to his feet, making a dash for it.

"Scatter!" Junko yelled, and the team did just that.

Kazuchi ran and ran and ran until he couldn't hear the growls and snorts of the bear anymore. Halting to a stop, he let out an out-of-breath laugh and turned around. "Hey, that was pretty wild—Guys?"

To his dismay, nobody was behind him. Or in front of him, when he checked. Or on either side of him.

Panic started to ride within Kazuichi, and he tried to retrace his steps. He soon realized that every tree looked the same, and he had no idea which way to go. He was well and truly lost.

"Kokichi, could you please stop playing with the matches?"

Kirumi walked up to Kokichi, who was twiddling a lit match between his fingers. Kokichi glanced up at her, and gave her a knowing grin. "I'm not playing with it, I'm..." He raised the match to his lips. "Smoking."

Kirumi frowned, obviously not finding it as funny as Kokichi did. "Those matches could seriously hurt someone. Or yourself."

Kokichi pouted, then sighed. "Fine." He tossed the match, still lit, aside. The moment it hit the dry ground, it went ablaze, effectively burning down the tent that happened to be sitting next to it.

Kirumi, and the rest of the Gophers who eventually noticed, could only helplessly watch as their sleeping quarters were reduced to nothing but a pile of ashes.

Kokichi gave a sheepish smile as Kirumi shot him a harsh look. "Hey... I mean, it could be worse. At least nobody got hurt."

After he said that, a single raindrop fell on his head, which evolved into a heavy downpour.

"Yes, Kokichi," Kirumi deadpanned, "it could be."

The focus switched to Kazuichi, was creeping through the woods with an expression of absolute terror on his face as he used his arms to (ineffectively) shield himself from the rain.

"G-Guys..." he called out, voice trembling. "A-Anyone?"

CONFESSIONAL - KAZUICHI:

He sighed. "This is all my fault. I just wanted to impress some chicks, and now I'm fucking lost. And my team probably hates me now..."

"...Is the bear gone?"

Sayaka and Makoto crept behind Leon as he scouted the general area of their campsite for the bear. He soon spotted three figures standing in the distance, causing Leon to turn around and face the other two. "Come on, the bear's gone."

"Oh, thank goodness," Sayaka spoke as the trio made their way over to where the other trio was standing.

"Oh, hey guys," one of the figures, Junko, greeted as the three approached. Standing with her was Hiyoko and Tenko.

"Hey," Leon replied.

Mere moments later, Yasuhiro and Celestia entered the campsite, a grimace on the latter's face.

Yasuhiro chuckled. "Whoa, I was not expecting that! Haha. Definitely crossing this one out on my bucket list! ...Right after I make a bucket list."

"...Where's Kazuichi?" Sayaka asked as she stared at Yasuhiro and Celestia. "Wasn't he with you two?"

"Huh?" Yasuhiro replied, scratching his stubbly chin. "We thought he was with you guys."

A few moments passed. Then five. Then ten. At that point, the Bass started calling out for Kazuichi and searching the campsite for him, but alas, there was no sign of the boy.

"We have to go out and look for him!" Makoto exclaimed.

"Oh, please," Hiyoko snorted. "I bet he's just embarrassed that we all know his bear-hunting story was a sham."

"Still, but that doesn't mean we should just leave him out there all night!" Makoto countered. "What if it was you?"

"I know you wanna find Kaz, Makoto," Junko said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "But it's too risky. We might get lost, and that bear's probably still looking for us. He'll just have to ride it out until morning and hopefully make it back to camp before the other team does."

Makoto looked in the direction of the forest in contemplation, then sighed.

A short montage showed where everyone was sleeping for the night; the Gophers took refuge in a conveniently large tree, Mikan and Kaito hid out in a cave, the Bass were sleeping in their tents, while Kazuichi merely laid against a random tree.

A pink bird chirped against the morning sky as the panned out to show the Gophers stirring from their sleep.

"Jeez, how do animals do it?" Komaru asked, stretching from her spot in the tree. "I feel so stiff."

"Come on, guys," Rantaro said as he hopped down. "We should head out now."

"What about Kaito and Mikan?" Kaede asked with a hint of worry in her voice, hopping down as well. "Did they ever come back?"

Rantaro looked around the campsite. "I don't think so. Maybe they're making their way to camp?"

"I sure hope so..." Kaede replied.

A shot inside of the hotel restaurant showed Chris and Chef sitting at a table together, eating breakfast and sipping on coffee. Overall, it was peaceful.

"Was," because not even a moment later, the Bass barged in, out of breath.

"Yes!" Tenko exclaimed, pumping her fist. "We're first!"

The Gophers ran in a few moments later, mortified to see who was already there.

"They beat us here!" Komaru cried.

"Whoa, not so fast!" Chris interjected. "It seems both teams are missing a few players!"

"Oh, Kazuichi?" Hiyoko asked matter-of-factly. "I'm pretty sure he got eaten by a bear last night."

At that moment, Kaito came running into the restaurant, followed by Mikan. Kazuichi trudged in after them, covered in mud and leaves.

"Thanks for not noticing I was missing all night!" Kazuichi spat at his team as they stared at him.

"Alright, Killer Bass!" Chris announced through the stunned silence. "One of your fishy butts is going home. Gophers! You're going on an all-expense-paid trip to... The Tuck Shoppe!"

The sound of a cash register dinged, and the Gophers broke out in cheers, while the Bass groaned in defeat.

Sometime that aftenoon, the Gophers were hanging out at the hotel's pool, eating snacks and playing in the water. Mikan, in particular, was sitting by the edge, fully clothed but her bare feet in the water.

"Chocodiles?"

Mikan looked over to see Kaito, swimsuit-clad, holding out the bag of sweets to her with a grin.

Mikan shook her head. "No thanks."

"Suit yourself." Kaito took a seat next to the girl, setting the bag beside him. "Hey, uh, so... I just wanted to say sorry. For getting us lost and all that."

"Ah, no!" Mikan quickly exclaimed. "It's f-fine! I forgive you. I mean, that's what friends do, right? W-Wait, we're still friends, right? You said we were, but—"

Mikan was stopped by Kaito playfully pushing her. "Mikan, relax. We're friends."

"O-Oh, okay." Mikan let a small, but genuine smile make its way onto her face as she stared down at her lap. "I'm glad."

Nightfall hit once again, and the Bass were at the beach, gathered around the campfire pit. Chris stood in front of them, as usual, plate of marshmallows in hand.

"You've all cast your votes," Chris spoke. "The camper who does not receive a marshmallow must immediately hit the Dock of Shame, grab the Boat of Losers, and get the heck outta here! And!" He thrusted a finger into the air before tapping it on the makeshift podium. "You can't come back. Ever. Now, I can see that you're all tired, so tonight, I'll just throw them to you. Savvy? Celeste."

"Leon."

"Sayaka."

"Junko."

"Tenko."

"Makoto."

"Hiro."

"Kazuichi, Hiyoko." Chris looked between the two campers without a marshmallow. Kazuichi looked nervous, while Hiyoko just smirked while she petted her bunny. "This is the final marshmallow of the evening. It goes to..."

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

"Hiyoko."

Kazuichi's jaw practically dropped open when Chris tossed the final marshmallow to Hiyoko. "What?! You're getting rid of me? I was practically carrying this team! You guys will never win without me!"

"Yeah, well, we weren't winning with you," Hiyoko snarked, popping her marshmallow into her mouth. "So no big loss there."

Kazuichi sputtered, trying to figure out a comeback, but eventually just begrudgingly stood up and made his way to the Dock of Shame.

After Kazuichi left, Chris turned to the camera. "And poor Kazuichi ends up getting eliminated. Tough break, kid. So, who will be voted off next? How will things change now that Hiyoko has found a furry companion? How will Mikan and Kaito's newfound friendship develop? Find out next time on...Total! Drama! Island!"

Killer Bass - Celeste, Hiyoko, Junko, Leon, Makoto, Sayaka, Tenko, Yasuhiro

Screaming Gophers - Kaede, Kaito, Kirumi, Kokichi, Komaru, Maki, Mikan, Rantaro, Ryoma

Eliminated - Toko, Mondo, Shuichi, Ibuki, Kazuichi

Author's Note: Heyo! So, what did you think about this episode? It was a pretty fun one to write, overall.

So, yeah, that's it for now. Please tell me your thoughts, and I hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading, I'll see you next time. Have a good day.