A/N: sithlorde1988 here! I bet many of you are wondering why I'm posting a Total Drama story when I said I was working on Pokemon: Shuffled Journeys. Well, I'm still working on that story too. I'm just giving a couple of days for people to read the first chapter of that story and offer feedback if they wish to do so before I start in on chapter 2, so that I can answer any reviews within Chapter 2's opening A/N. As for why I'm re-writing A Mine Is A Terrible Thing To Waste Redux, I re-read it recently and realized that while it wasn't bad perse, I think I could've done a lot better in many aspects of how it was written, plus I had some people express interest in seeing it expanded into a multi-chapter story. So I figured, why not? I'll give that a go on the side while working on Shuffled Journeys. And to the reviewers of Frozen 2 that wanted more actual chapters of that story, I'll also consider continuing that as well once I recall where I was headed with that story's plot. But enough going off-topic, you're here to read the rewrite of A Mine Is A Terrible Thing to Waste Redux, not to read yet another A/N centric update. As an aside, I'll explain a few more plot points at the end of the chapter. Keep in mind that if this rewrite seems a but unpolished and/or rusty to start, that's because I haven't watched any of TDROTI in several years so my knowledge of that season might be slightly rusted, but I'll do my best to keep the characters in character. However, one or two might be a bit OOC, and if so I apologize ahead of time but I don't think I can remember how all the characters are, but I'll do my best to keep everyone in character. That being said, there's no pairings for now since this is a one-shot, but that could change later if it becomes a multi-chapter story. This story will be rated T for mild swearing, a bit of fluff, and some mild character peril. Not to mention, lots of douchebaggery from various characters. That said, let's begin with the story which for now will be a one-shot like before, but if enough people ask for it in reviews, I'll continue it as a multi-chapter story. So without further ado, here's A Mine Is A Terrible Thing To Waste Redux Rewritten!

TOTAL DRAMA REVENGE OF THE ISLAND

A MINE IS A TERRIBLE THING TO WASTE REDUX (rewrite)

(recap of TDROTI episode 6)

"Last time on Total Drama Revenge Of The Island, the Rats and Maggots were given their next challenge: to dress up a pre-assigned model in whatever fashion they could come up with. The Maggots got a maggot for their model. Hehe a maggot for the Maggots, so ironic. As for the Rats, rather than a rat, their model was none other than Sasquatchinakwa, to the collective surprise of the Rats. At first, things seemed to be going well for the Rats, but then disaster struck when a well-intentioned bit of advice from former Rat contestant Dakota wound up causing the Rat model to go on a rampage, kidnapping Lindsay, the guest judge. In the end, the Maggots wound up winning when Sam's last-ditch attempt to play hero by attempting to stand up to Sasquatchinakwa gamer style ended up giving Jo the chance to scare off Sasquatchinakwa with her failed attempt at make-up, saving Lindsay and winning the Maggots immunity. At the elimination ceremony, despite Sam being the reason the Maggots lost, no one ended up going home due to the challenge being a surprise reward challenge. What, you may ask, was the reward? The winning team got to pick a Rat of their choice to switch to the Maggots, and pick a Maggot to send to the Rats, leading to a team swap between Jo and Scott, and much shock for both teams. With this team swap enacted, and the Rats being given a brief reprieve from their constant whittling-down of their team, can the Rats use this momentum to actually send the Maggots to an elimination ceremony for once, or will they keep losing members until they either go extinct pre-merge or get down to two players, whichever happens first? Find out the answers to these questions, and more, on Total! Drama! REVENGE...OF THE ISLAND!"

(end recap, and theme song plays)

(with the Maggots, outside the Maggots cabin)

"So now instead of having Jo on our team, who was definitely an asset, we get Scott?" Cameron said to Mike and Zoey, clearly skeptical of Chris' idea of a reward. But at least he didn't make them choose a Rat to eliminate. Mike and Zoey shrugged, both as confused by the reward as Cameron.

"If I had to guess, Chris wanted to shake things up and used a reward as a cover to mask his intention to do a team swap. As if this show wasn't being compared to Survivor enough." Zoey said, rolling her eyes as she recalled all the times her sister made said comparisons when they watched TDI together when they were younger.

"I'm more inclined to be worried about Scott honestly. I mean, look at how many challenges in a row the Rats lost while he was on their team. What if that starts happening to us now that he's a Maggot?" Mike said uncertainly, frowning. None of them noticed the ginger-haired ex-Rat they'd been discussing sitting behind the cabin door, eavesdropping on their conversation.

(Confessional Cam- Maggots)

Scott- "So, my teammates are wary of me? I'm not sure if I should be flattered that my reputation from the Rats is preceding me, or concerned that I could have a target on my back because of it. Luckily there's at least one other Maggot I can try to make an alliance with. And I think if it came to it, I could probably split up Mike, Zoey and Cameron in a pinch, though I'd rather not have to in case I have to flush my idol if the attempt backfires on me." Scott said, as the camera panned down to a wooden object sitting next to Scott which was conveinently shaped like Chris McLean's head.

Zoey- "I agree with Mike's concerns, though I think we should be more careful where we have our discussions. After all, Dawn made that mistake, and she got lucky not to get booted thanks to Brick's self-sacrifice to keep her in. Nevertheless, I think I need to make sure that the three of us take more care where we gather for discussions." Zoey said, crossing her arms and frowning at the camera as she recalled how close Dawn came to getting eliminated two episodes previous.

Cameron- "Maybe I should formalize an alliance with Mike and Zoey, rather than it just being an unspoken understanding that we'd try for a 'friendship finale', so we can try to keep each other safe to the final 3. Though I will admit that Scott and Ann Maria are total wild cards that I should probably be careful of. Decisions, decisions..." Cameron said, trailing off into thought as he looked at the camera, gently rubbing his chin thoughtfully while he strategized.

Mike- "As if having Ann Maria on my back about Vito was bad enough, now we have Scott on our team. I stand by my previous statement. He could be a big hassle to the rest of us if left unchecked." Mike said, gasping before seeming to contort as his voice changed. "Hmph. In my day, we didn't beat around the bush with problems. We just beat the bejeebus out of them instead." Mike said in an odd voice before shifting back to normal. "That was odd. Did Chester come out or something? I thought I felt him try to take control for a second. I should really try to get a handle on that in case it causes problems for Zoey and I down the line." Mike said frowning.

(End Confessional Cam)

(Meanwhile with the Rats, outside the Rats cabin)

Outside the Rats cabin, the Rats team was all outside, doing various things, whether they be meditating (Dawn), sneaking a quick level on a game (Sam), or arguing over which of them is superior (Jo and Lightning).

"Face it, jockstrap! The only reason your team didn't send home yet another member last time was because Chris felt sorry for you, so much so I got sent over here in place of that ginger-haired sleazeball that was here previously. I get that he might have been your friend, but I very much doubt he was genuinely interested in your friendship, so much as how much use your vote could be to him as an ally. But far be it from me to criticize how you play your game." Jo said to Lightning, rolling her eyes at how obtuse the jock could be. Lightning frowned at Jo's words.

"Say wha? While Lightning appreciates your input, you're still just a newbie to the Rats, man! Granted, I will agree we were losing an awful lot of late. Nevertheless, Lightning lets himself be used by no one. Now, if you were wanting to possibly align with Lightning, that is something that we could discuss. But Lightning makes no promises." Lightning said to Jo, who frowned at Lightning calling her a man, but said nothing, wisely biting her tongue on that topic, as Lightning's alliance comment had given her a lot to think about.

(Confessional Cam-Rats)

Jo- "As much as it shocks me to say this, Lightning actually had a point. I AM techincally the newest member of the Rats, and with the way they keep losing challenges, I'm not exactly in a strong position to last long if we keep losing. As much as I despise him, aligning with Jockstrap could be a good move for me. Otherwise, the alternatives are Circus Thumb or Dawn, and I'm not exactly sure how much use either one would be as an ally long-term. Granted, Dawn does seem to have her perceptive moments. But she's still really weird. Like, we're talking weirder than Jockstrap and Circus Thumb combined, and they're both pretty weird. Though I suppose Jockstrap is moreso annoying. And how hard is it for him to realize I'm not a man? I get that my wardrobe is masculine to a point, but I think he'd realize I'm not a man if he actually used his eyes." Jo said, huffing as she briefly swept a hand across her chest to emphasize the just-visible signs of feminity protruding through her sweater.

Dawn- "Hmm, it occurs to me that I've yet to have a line this episode, until now. If I'm being honest, I'm just thankful to the great Earth Mother that I wasn't eliminated two episodes ago despite that weasel Scott trying to get me eliminated. If not for Brick sacrificing himself for me, I'd not be here right now. So if you see this Brick, thank you very much for being gentlemanly enough to give up your spot to keep me in. I appreciate it!" Dawn said smiling at the camera, before getting a serious look on her face. "Yet, I can tell by a simple aura scan that just because Scott's on the other team now doesn't mean I'm in the clear. I should really try to make nice with at least Sam, since I'm not sure how likely Jo is to even take me seriously, much less be around me long enough to strike up a conversation. I get the impression she rather dislikes me, which is sad as I feel she could've been a strong ally. Oh well. Hopefully we win this next challenge for once." Dawn said, sighing, before assuming a meditative pose until the camera cut away.

Lightning- "How dare Jo suggest I'm easy? Yes, I may seem dumb and easily manipulated, but Lightning is smarter than that. Just wait. I may humor Jo and help him get a ways in the competition, but at the end of the day, only one man will be left standing, and that man shall be Lightning! SHA-BLAM!" Lightning said, flexing his muscles as he finished speaking, looking pumped up for the challenge.

Sam- "Heh, beat my highscore on Speedboat Runner finally. So glad I still have some games to play." Sam said, before frowning. "Oh wait crap, I wasn't supposed to say that on camera, was I?" Sam said, before the camera panned to him trying to pry open the camera. "GIVE ME THIS FILM! HOW DO I GET IT OUT OF HERE?" Sam said, clearly trying to remove the footage of him mentioning his games, which were thought all confiscated by Chris. Eventually the camera cut to static after a few unsuccessful minutes of Sam trying to remove the tape.

(End Confessional Cam)

"Attention, all campers! Everyone report to the Dock of Shame for your next challenge! Repeat, all campers to the Dock of Shame for your next challenge! That is all." Chris' voice could be heard saying over the intercom to both teams, who slowly assembled at the aforementioned Dock of Shame for the next challenge. After all the campers made it to the Dock of Shame, Chris addressed the campers.

"Good afternoon, campers! Welcome to another challenge here on Total Drama Revenge Of The Island! I bet you're wondering what the challenge is." Chris said, prompting eye rolls from Scott, Jo and Ann Maria, all of whom found the host's antics annoying. Chris ignored the eyerolls however.

"Anyways, the challenge is simple. One of our interns went into the abandoned mine near the island recently, and on his way out he accidentally dropped two of my precious Gilded Chris statues inside the mine, one in each of your team colors, Red for the Maggots and Green for the Rats. The first time to go into the mine, find their statue, and get all team members BACK out of the mine in one piece will win immunity! The losers will be seeing me for the bonfire where one of them will be sent him in the most dramatic campfire ceremony yet! Also, beware while going in the mine, as supposedly there's monsters inside that attack people, though I disagree with that. Still, better warn you so you can be alert and not get hurt. After all, last thing any of us want is for the ratings, I mean you campers, to be damaged if something were to happen. So good luck and get going!" Chris said as the teams headed towards the mine.

(Maggots)

"Am I the only one who noticed how casually Chris described the challenge, much less his apparent disregard for us?" Mike asked Cameron and Zoey as the three walked towards the mine together.

"No, I noticed that too. But that's just how Chris is, I figure. At least Chef didn't say much so far." Zoey replied, shrugging.

"I rather think Chef actually does care about us, even if he doesn't seem like it at times. But that's just my opinion. More importantly, what do you think Chris meant by monsters in the mine?" Cameron asked Mike and Zoey, seeming nervous about the idea of monsters.

"Knowing Chris? He probably lied about that to scare us. Still, at least I know we have big strong Vito to protect us, should the need arise." Ann Maria spoke up from behind the trio, speaking for the first time in the episode, ignoring the annoyed huffs Mike and Zoey gave at her comment about Vito. Scott chuckled.

"Nice. At least I'm not the only one with the 'gift' of being a pariah on my team." Scott said laughing slightly before looking at Ann Maria, who frowned at Scott.

"Say, since neither of us really has anyone else, what say we work together to keep each other safe for awhile, say until the final 3 or so?" Scott suggested to Ann Maria, hoping she'd go for it so he had at least one ally on his team. Ann Maria paused, about to yell at Scott for his pariah remark, but then realized Scott had a point. Techincally, with Jo now a Rat, she had no allies left, unless she somehow got Vito out of Mike full-time, but that was unrealistic, so Scott might well be her best chance to possibly not be out next if the Rats were to win the challenge. She sighed, before turning to Scott.

"As much as I dislike this, you have a valid point. So if you want an alliance, and I really hate that I'm doing this, you have a deal. But no double-crossing me." Ann Maria said, reluctantly extending her hand out for Scott to shake, which he took, shaking it amusedly as they sealed the pact between them.

(Rats)

"Why did the challenge have to be so physical? I'd have much rathered it was more game-based stuff since I kinda felt in my element last time, even if I did lose the challenge for us before." Sam said to Dawn, who happened to be walking with him by chance, not really paying attention to the uncertain look on her face. Dawn shrugged.

"I have no idea honestly. I've kinda given up on trying to read Chris' aura to understand him. Some auras just aren't for me to understand, as much as I hate admitting that." Dawn said, frowning. Sam chuckled as he gently clapped Dawn on the shoulder.

"Don't be so down, Dawn. You've been more of an asset to the team than you realize. If not for bad luck, we might've won the last 2 challenges thanks to you. So don't sell yourself short. You've got potential. Granted, I'm not sure that I understand all that magicky type stuff you do, but I don't judge others on their quirks. I judge them on their merits." Sam said, smiling wanly at Dawn.

However, before Dawn could reply, both Dawn and Sam heard a creaking sound under Dawn, before an audible 'CRACK!' could be heard as the walkway gave out under Dawn, giving her just enough time to blink owlishly before she plunged into the darkness below with a brief shriek of surprise, leaving a stunned Sam to stare down toward where Dawn disappeared. Unfortunately for Sam, Jo and Lightning had gone on ahead without him or Dawn, both having entered the mine already. Sam shrugged, deciding to head on to the mine, hoping Dawn would be okay.

(inside the mine)

As all of the previous events took place aboveground, inside the mine underground, a colony of what looked like giant moles could be seen walking in and out of a dimly-lit room where the lighting just would enable one to see a figure crouched in the darkness, standing on their knuckles like a gorilla as they looked around the area, almost as if patrolling the area. Before the figure could react, a faint shrieking could be heard as moments later, Dawn came crashing down through the ceiling to land in the figure's area with a light thud, seemingly passing out from the pain of the impact.

This had the result of prompting the figure to briefly run around confused before getting ahold of themselves and walking over to Dawn, seemingly looking her over before turning her over to get a better view, seemingly being shocked when the figure realized what he was looking at was a girl their age. At this, the figure looked into the nearby mirror they'd put up, frowning as they looked at their unkempt appearance, from their hooked claw-like hands to their bare feet, briefly looking over their tattered and torn green hoodie and tattered jeans, briefly being reminded of what they'd lost recently before ending up where they were. After a bit of thought, the figure gathered up a blanket that they'd kept put away, put together a make-shift bed, gently scooping Dawn into their clawed hands before carrying her to the bed and laying her on it before draping the blanket over her, and disappearing into the shadows to try and find some first aid for Dawn in case she was hurt. Say what you will about the figure, but even when they weren't feral, they would never leave an injured person on their own. At least they had that much humanity left in them.

(Back with the Maggots)

"So this is the mine? Certainly seems creepy enough." Ann Maria said to Scott, shuddering. Scott shrugged.

"Meh, I've seen worse. Still, I suppose we should be cautious in here. Never know what could happen." Scott said as he and Ann Maria walked into the mine. Not far behind the two, the trio of Zoey, Mike and Cameron approached the mine.

"Huh, for an abandoned mine, it doesn't look that scary. Or am I just being over-optimistic?" Zoey asked Mike and Cameron, frowning.

"Nah, I agree with you. Still, I get a feeling we should keep our guard up as you know what they say about empty mines and haunted places." Cameron said, shuddering as he walked inside the mine with Mike and Zoey.

"You worry too much, Cameron. Still I agree we should be cautious while trying to find our team's statue." Mike said as they went inside.

(Over with the Rats)

"Is it me, or does it seem like we're missing a couple teammates?" Lightning asked Jo, frowning when he realized Dawn and Sam hadn't spoken in several minutes. Jo shrugged.

"Eh beats me, maybe Circus Thumb and Dawn decided to go to the mine themselves. Then again knowing Circus Thumb, maybe he chickened out and hid under his bed because he can't handle physical challenges. He's kind of like Bubble Boy in that regard, actually." Jo said, comparing Sam to Cameron. Lightning frowned.

"True, but didn't Chris say it was the first team with ALL members back wins? What if they got lost and end up costing us another challenge because they couldn't find their way to the mine or possibly even back FROM the mine? I may not like either of them, but they're still our teammates." Lightning said, surprising himself with his concern for others.

"Relax. Even if they do cost us the challenge, we just vote one of them off. After all, I recall they're both desperate to stay in the game. So what's to say we couldn't just manipulate them into voting each other while we take our pick of which of them to eliminate if they cost us the challenge?" Jo suggested, surprising Lightning with her devious logic.

"That...makes a surprising amount of sense actually. Still, I doubt Dawn would be dumb enough, blonde or not, to fall for that sort of ploy. But I suppose it's worth a try at least." Lightning said, either ignoring or not noticing Jo's annoyed glare at the blonde part of his comment. The two of them walked into the mine. However, had they hung back for a couple more minutes, they'd have seen a worried and exhausted Sam racing towards the mine alone without Dawn. Eventually everyone (minus the hosts) made it into the mine.

(back with Dawn and the figure)

The figure from before eventually made their way back into the room they'd left Dawn in with some rudimentary first-aid supplies, ready to heal her once she came to if needed. However, they weren't expecting her to be coming to as they walked back into the room. Dawn groaned as she slowly sat up, blinking as she adjusted to the lower lighting of the room. "Wh-where am I?" Dawn asked, not seeing the figure at first. The figure then walked up to her, looking at her.

"You not hurt?" The figure asked Dawn with a masculine-sounding voice, their English clearly broken slightly due to not having spoken in some time. Dawn was surprised, not by the figure, but by the broken English it used.

"I'm okay, I think. Just took a bit of a nasty tumble through a hole in the ground, and I assume I landed in wherever we are." Dawn replied, trying to figure out where she was.

"Good. Me glad you not hurt. Me not good at first aid, but me at least willing to try if needed. Why you land in Zeke's cave? Zeke thought Zeke alone here." The figure, who was apparently named Zeke, or more accurately Ezekiel, said to Dawn, who blinked.

"You live here? Do you know if we're still on Camp Wawankwa?" Dawn asked Zeke, not seeing the surprised look on Zeke's face at the mention of Wawankwa.

"Zeke not sure. All Zeke know is he made a base in some abandoned mine on an island he got to after following Chris McLean to try and get back at him for what he did to Zeke." Zeke eventually answered Dawn, making Dawn frown as she suddenly remembered something she'd seen online before coming to the show about one of the previous season's contestants seemingly going feral after being booted out early. If this figure was that contestant, then she was looking at none other than Ezekiel. But Dawn was confused, since last she heard, Ezekiel wasn't even capable of speech, just indecipherable grunts and growls. Maybe seeing her shook something free in him? Dawn looked at Zeke.

"Chris McLean? Tell me, is Zeke short for Ezekiel by any chance?" Dawn asked Zeke, wanting to test her theory. Zeke blinked, not expecting that question.

"Ezekiel? Zeke not hear that name in much long time. Then again, Zeke be left for dead by everyone last time Zeke saw people." Zeke, or Ezekiel as Dawn now knew his name to be, replied, shuddering as he recalled being shot out of a volcano recently before crashing into a boat as it tried to get away, almost getting the occupants caught in a lavafall as it sped towards them.

"I'm not surprised, considering the last anyone saw of you, you fell into a volcano and got shot back out on fire before almost sinking the ship people were escaping on. Not that I'm judging you, since I imagine you've had it pretty rough since then, Zeke. Honestly, I feel bad for you. Sure, you could've chosen not to stow away, but you just wanted another chance. I can understand that. But I think you realize by now that there's much safer ways of achieving that. In case I haven't already said so, my name is Dawn." Dawn said, holding out her hand for Ezekiel to shake. Ezekiel looked at Dawn in confusion.

"What that? Why Dawn offer Zeke her hand? Zeke no need an extra hand. Zeke still have two working ones." Ezekiel said to Dawn, who giggled at the innocent misunderstanding Zeke had had.

"It's for a handshake. I think we could get along quite well and even help each other, Ezekiel. Or would you prefer I call you Zeke?" Dawn said to Ezekiel, smiling at him as she cleared up his confusion.

"Ohh, that why. Zeke not care if Dawn call him Zeke or Ezekiel. Zeke not used to people being nice to him, but Zeke agree we work better together than apart." Ezekiel said shrugging as he shook Dawn's hand gingerly, trying not to dig his clawed nails into her hand too much. Had Ezekiel looked at that moment, he'd have noticed the tiniest hint of pink dusting Dawn's cheeks as she shook his hand. But he figured since he wasn't sure where Dawn thought they were, but maybe he could at least get her to safety since he gathered she was still in a season of Total Drama.

"Zeke wonder why Dawn find herself here if she's on Wawankwa. Wouldn't that mean you're on a season of Total Drama?" Ezekiel asked Dawn, confused. Dawn blinked as she remembered something important then, facepalming.

"Crap, you're right. We're in the middle of a challenge. Chris wants us to find statues of our team's color and get them back to him in one piece." Dawn said frowning as she remembered the challenge.

"Statues?" Ezekiel asked Dawn confused. Dawn blinked before realizing why Ezekiel was confused.

"Yes, statues. Or maybe you'd realize what I mean if I said they looked like Gilded Chris awards?" Dawn said to Ezekiel, prompting him to recall an awards ceremony he'd attended shortly before season 3 with the others.

"Do these statues look like this?" Ezekiel asked, walking over to his stash and producing a pair of Gilded Chris statues that he'd found in the mine and spirited away for his own gain, one with green on the base and the other with red. Dawn gasped as Ezekiel pulled the Gilded Chrises out.

"Yes, that's them exactly!" Dawn said, looking at the statues. She then frowned as something occurred to her.

"Wait, how is it you have them, Ezekiel?" Dawn asked Ezekiel, frowning. Ezekiel smiled.

"Would you believe they literally fell on Zeke and hit Zeke in head?" Ezekiel replied, making Dawn groan at his answer.

"Actually, I would. That seems like something Chris would do, having an intern drop stuff in here that probably hit you on the head. Come to think of it, maybe that's why you can speak so much now where you were only able to grunt and growl before supposedly." Dawn replied, looking embarrassed as Ezekiel looked at her contemplatively.

"Perhaps. Would explain why Zeke felt less primal when Zeke come to after being brained by statues. Dawn really smart for a girl." Ezekiel replied, not noticing Dawn's frown at his comment.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dawn asked, slightly hurt.

"Nothing, just that Zeke not have much previous experience where girls not try to hurt Zeke for Zeke's remarks. Maybe it because Zeke no realize Zeke was being sexist?" Ezekiel replied, frowning as he realized the error in his previous statement, looking ashamed at possibly hurting Dawn.

"Considering you're supposedly homeschooled, I can believe you'd have a mixed up perspective of the world. So I won't be mad at you this time. Though maybe you should open up your mind to the possibility that you need to rethink how you look at females in general. But that's just my opinion." Dawn said to Ezekiel, smiling at him. She then tried to stand up only to end up falling back down, wincing in pain as the effort made her ankle hurt.

"Dawn okay?" Ezekiel asked. Dawn smiled at Ezekiel before frowning slightly.

"I'm fine, but I think I might've hurt my ankle falling down here. It really hurt just now putting pressure on it." Dawn replied, sighing. Before Ezekiel could reply at all, another voice could be heard.

"Dawn, is that you?" called what Dawn recognized as Zoey's voice. Surprised that someone from the other team had found her Dawn blinked.

"Zoey? Is that you? Are you alone?" Dawn called back, to Zoey's surprise, as she walked into view, followed by Mike, Cameron and Sam. The foursome then gasped in surprise as they saw Ezekiel with Dawn.

"Dawn? Who's that with you? I thought you were alone." Sam said to Dawn. Before Dawn could reply, Cameron beat her to it.

"Is that Ezekiel from last season? I thought he was feral? Yet he's here with you acting almost normal?" Cameron said, confused.

"I think maybe Dawn might've tamed him? At least that'd be my guess?" Mike said, also confused. Zoey rolled her eyes at the two.

"You're both clueless. Clearly Ezekiel found her and nursed her back to health, clearly suggesting he's not as feral as people think. Are you, Ezekiel?" Zoey said, looking directly at Ezekiel with a bit of sympathy in her gaze. Dawn frowned at Mike and Cameron.

"Stop being rude, you two! Yes, Ezekiel's not entirely normal, but he's still a person too, even if he's a bit broken from what he's been through. And frankly, I'm grateful to him for saving me. He could've left me to suffer, but he brought me here and nursed me back to health. Though he isn't the greatest with first aid, as he himself admitted. So I'll probably have to set my ankle before I can walk on it to find my way out of here." Dawn said, going from admonishing Mike and Cameron to speaking to Sam and Zoey.

"Your ankle? Did you hurt it in the fall?" Sam asked, looking concerned for his teammate.

"If that's the case, we'll help you get back outside. That is, if Ezekiel doesn't mind us taking you from him." Zoey said, smiling as she playfully teased Ezekiel a bit while answering Dawn.

"Dawn's friends seem nice, even if they don't think much of Zeke. Therefore, Zeke let them take Dawn to safety. In fact, Zeke even help you find way out so nothing else happens. Also, Dawn take these. You deserve them." Ezekiel said, handing her a wrapped bundle, which she carefully cradled in her arms. Zoey then walked up to Dawn after seeing the first aid kit Ezekiel had brought out.

"This might sting a bit, but I can at least set your ankle so we can carry you out of here, Dawn." Zoey said to Dawn, her eyes seeming to sparkle mischiveously as she smirked.

"And maybe with some luck, your new friend there can also get help so he can see you more often. Or are you two more than that?" Zoey said, giggling as she teased Dawn and Ezekiel.

"That's not funny, Zoey. Ezekiel and I are just friends. Besides, I sense Ezekiel's not in any fit state for anything more just now. Though I do sense that his aura is shifting more towards a sociable one than a loner one." Dawn remarked, confusing Ezekiel.

"What Dawn mean by 'aura'? Zeke no get it." Ezekiel said, frowning at Dawn's remark about his aura. Dawn giggled again, the sound making Ezekiel unusually comfortable and at ease. He'd have to ponder why that was later.

"Silly Zeke, an aura is what makes us who we are. I'd explain further, but as we're in the middle of a challenge, there's not really time I'm afraid. But maybe if we meet again, I can explain it more then?" Dawn said, looking apologetic at having to leave Ezekiel's question unanswered. To her surprise she found herself surprisingly relaxed and content around Ezekiel. But she knew this was no time to look into it too far.

"Say, have you ever thought about getting help to correct your feralness, Ezekiel?" Sam said to Ezekiel, surprising him.

"What Dawn's friend mean? There's help for feralness?" Ezekiel asked Sam, frowning.

"Oh right, we didn't introduce ourselves to you, did we Ezekiel? I'm Sam, the redhead over there is Zoey, and the boys with her are Mike and Cameron." Sam said, realizing they'd not introduced themselves to Ezekiel.

"Ah, ok. Zeke glad to meet Sam, Zoey, Mike and Cameron. And to Sam's previous remark, Zeke thought Zeke was stuck feral permanently?" Ezekiel said.

"Not necessarily. I've heard of people who can treat feral symptoms and help the person make a full recovery. But that's up to you if you want to get help. I'm sure if nothing else, it might make Dawn happy to see you get better." Cameron said to Ezekiel, making Ezekiel pause to think as Zoey fixed Dawn's ankle before hoisting her up so she and Mike could carry her carefully, Dawn cuddling the bundle Zeke handed her close to her chest protectively.

"While I don't agree with Cameron's using me as an example, I do think you'd be better off if you got help to feel better. Who knows, maybe it could even lead to another chance for redemption?" Dawn said to Ezekiel, waiting for him to walk up to her before carefully hugging him, then surprising him by giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

"That's for saving me, Ezekiel." Dawn said smiling as she saw the tinge of embarrassment on Ezekiel's cheeks.

"Zeke think about it. But Zeke not sure Chris let Zeke get better, since Chris think Zeke better ratings as feral Zeke. But Zeke no agree." Ezekiel said, sighing before smiling at Dawn and her friends.

"You all go now. Good luck with challenge. Zeke have much to think about while we walk back to outside." Ezekiel said, thankful it was so dim in the room so no one could see the blush on his cheeks from where Dawn had kissed him. Dawn and the others left without a word, realizing that time was short for them.

(Outside the cave)

"So, let me get this straight. You two couldn't find your statue, AND lost your two teammates. And YOU guys managed to lose over half your team in the cave AND also came back emptyhanded. Give me one good reason not to send both teams to elimination?" Chris asked the campers gathered outside.

"Maybe because you can't afford to have too many people eliminated in one episode? After all assuming you disqualify our missing teammates, adding a double boot would mean only 5 of us would be left in the game. Though I bet you don't care as long as you get paid, do you?" Ann Maria replied, rolling her eyes at how callous Chris was being at that moment. Scott chuckled softly at Ann Maria's assessment, agreeing with her.

"Quiet, Snooki! I for one think an early final 5 wouldn't be that bad. Granted, it'd be sad how it came about, but that's the way the cookie crumbles sometimes." Jo said, crossing her arms as she glared at Ann Maria.

"Besides, techincally the Rats would win since more of their team is here, wouldn't they?" Lightning pointed out, to Jo's surprise.

"Hey, you're right. We do win! Awesome!" Jo said, pumping her fist happily.

"Gee, nice to know that's your priority, Jo." A voice came from behind Jo, as everyone present spun around to see the rest of the campers walking out of the cave, and had anyone been looking when they exited the cave, they'd have spotted a certain not-as-feral ex-contestant going back into the mine after the others had exited it. To Jo's surprise, the dry remark had come from Dawn, who she noticed was being carried by both Mike and Zoey.

"Ah, so the rest of the teams are here. However, I don't see any statues. So unless one of you has a statue, I think we might be looking at both teams losing." Chris said, crossing his arms. Dawn frowned, as Chris' remark reminded her of something, and she pulled out the bundle Ezekiel had given her, sitting it on the ground after Zoey and Mike sat her down, unwrapping it to reveal a Gilded Chris with a green base falling into her hands. And to everyone's surprise, especially Chris, a Gilded Chris statue with a red base landed next to the other one. Chris and the others gaped.

"Well, this is unexpected. Looks like Dawn found both team's statues. However, since she has both teams' statues, this means that the Maggots lose seeing as how they didn't find their own statue. So it looks like for one of the few times this season, Rats win immunity! Maggots, I'll see you at the ceremony!" Chris said, not even bothering to check on Dawn. Chef sighed, glaring at Chris before helping Dawn to the infirmary.

(Confessional Cam- Maggots)

Scott- "How the hell did Fairy Princess of all people find the statues? Seems kinda fishy to me. Still, I guess now I have to start working on who to target. I think, though, I have the perfect target in mind to sway Ann Maria. And I have an ace-in-the-hole to fall back on to make sure the target goes." Scott said, grinning, as he revealed the idol in his hand, laughing evilly.

Zoey- "Well crap, not only did we not find our own statue, we managed to lose the challenge when Mike, Cameron and I stopped to make sure Dawn was okay after Sam approached us to tell us that she'd fallen down a hole. Personally, I think she could sue Chris if she wanted to since he probably sabotaged the hole for ratings. But I have no proof of this." Zoey said, crossing her arms, her eyes full of concern for her friend on the Rats.

Ann Maria- "Am I mad that Mike put himself in danger needlessly and lost us the challenge? Yes! But, I'm more furious that our team was beaten by that freaky witch girl of all people! Scott had the right idea, trying to get her out! She freaks me out." Ann Maria said, frowning as she crossed her arms after spraying her hair to keep it straight.

Cameron- "Yes, we lost. But, at least we had the decency to make sure Dawn was all right. After all, who leaves another human being to suffer for a challenge? No one with a heart, that's for sure. Luckily, we have the perfect person to vote out so I'm not worried." Cameron said, adjusting his glasses, unaware that the person in question was up to their old tricks, eavesdropping on him.

Scott- "Perfect person to vote out, eh? Be careful what you say, bubble boy. Luckily for you, you're not my target THIS time. But this might put you on my list for next time. So be careful." Scott said, crossing his arms and glaring at the camera, imagining it was Cameron.

Mike- "I get a bad feeling about this vote. Granted, if all goes to plan, it shouldn't be me, Zoey or Cameron out, but given this is Scott we're referring to, I don't think we can be sure of anything at this point. I mean look at how close he came to getting Dawn out while he was a Rat." Mike said frowning, before gasping as he shifted personalities. "But no matter, even if that weasel slips his way outta being voted out this round, he can't keep escaping forever. He'll fall down eventually. I know this, or my name's not Vito." Mike/Vito said, crossing his arms with an arrogant smirk on his face before shifting back into Mike.

"Whoa, that was weird. Did Vito take over for a moment or something? I hope not. Last thing I need is him popping up and causing problems for me and Zoey." Mike said, a worried expression on his face, unaware that a certain fangirl of Vito's had been outside the confessional when Vito took over, fangirling when he spoke and walking off after Mike took back over.

(End confessional)

(At the bonfire ceremony)

"Maggots, welcome to the campfire ceremony." Chris said, addressing the Maggots who were there and ignoring for the moment the presence of the Rats. He then held up a marshmallow.

"You've all cast your votes, and on this plate is four regular marshmallows, but there's 5 of you. Meaning one of you will not get a regular marshmallow. That one will instead receive this." Chris said, opening up a box to reveal a glowing green marshmallow.

"Behold, the Marshmallow of Toxic Loserdom. This marshmallow will be given to the person who gets eliminated. But first, the regular marshmallows. If I call your name, you're safe. Ann Maria, Mike and Cameron, all of you are safe with zero votes." Chris said, tossing three of the four regular marshmallows to the aforementioned Maggots, leaving just Zoey and Scott marshmallowless for the moment.

"Scott, Zoey, this is the final regular marshmallow of the evening. One of you two will get it, and the other will not. And honestly, I see good reasons for both of you to be up here. Scott, you did nothing to help your team in the challenge, instead ditching them to hang with Ann Maria all challenge. Zoey, you encouraged Mike and Cameron to go AWOL on the challenge to help a member of the other team out. While very admirable normally, during a challenge, not a good idea. The final marshmallow goes to...

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(camera pans from a wide-eyed, nervous Zoey, to a confident, smirking Scott, both looking at the last regular marshmallow)

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...Zoey, you're safe with 2 votes!" Chris said, finally tossing Zoey the last regular marshmallow, surprising both Zoey and Scott, or so it seemed. However Scott wasn't beaten yet. He reached into his pocket.

"Not so fast, Chris. THIS bad boy says otherwise." Scott said, producing the hidden invincibility statue, to the shock of Mike, Cameron and Zoey. Chris smirked as he looked the statue over.

"Yep, this bad boy is 100% authentic, unlike the knockoff someone tried using to save themselves when they thought they were out." Chris said, glaring at the Rats section of the bonfire, particularly at Dawn, who glared back, embarrassed at the reminder of being duped by Scott's fake statue two ceremonies ago.

"That said, Scott is safe and Zoey is out and gets the Marshmallow of Toxic Loserdom. However, there's a reason why the Rats are also here as well." Chris said, bringing up the other team's presence as he tossed the glowing green marshmallow to Zoey, who shrieked as it hit her in the chest, burning a hole in her shirt, eating part of it away, leaving a hole in it that exposed her stomach. Chris then tossed Scott the last regular marshmallow.

"Rats, I called you here because I saw that one of you broke the rules during the challenge. Sam, you got members of the OTHER team to help you save Dawn instead of saving her yourself, stopping them from finding their own statue and allowing Dawn to find both statues. The only reason I didn't declare the Maggots the winners automatically is because the Rats have been losing way too much lately, plus it makes more sense to punish you specifically instead of your team. Henceforth, you are disqualified and eliminated alongside Zoey. Any final words, either of you?" Chris said, shocking the Rats AND the Maggots at the surprise double boot.

"Hey, that's not fair! Why am I getting booted when it was YOUR faulty landscapers that made Dawn fall into a hole in the ground during the challenge and sprain her ankle? If you ask me, not only should I not be disqualified, YOU should be in trouble for recklessly endangering one of us with your shoddy upkeep of the island!" Sam said, crossing his arms as the other campers (minus Scott, Ann Maria, Jo and Lightning) glared at Chris.

"You can't prove anything. And besides, even if we ignore what you did, I saw your confessional where you mentioned still having games, despite me confiscating them all. So that in and of itself is techincally disqualification worthy as that means you broke into my quarters to get your stuff back. So I don't want to hear it, Sam." Chris said, loading Sam and Zoey into the Catapult of Losers.

"I may be out, but at least Scott flushed his idol in the process. So he's very much vulnerable should the Maggots lose again. I hope getting me out was worth it." Zoey said, smirking at Scott before Chris pulled a lever, flinging her and Sam off into the distance screaming. After the remaining seven campers finished gaping at the brutal exit Sam and Zoey had made, Chris chuckled.

"As for the rest of you, consider yourselves lucky i only disqualified Sam. I could've easily eliminated the whole Rats team. So pray this is the last one of you to lose from here on since there's now just three of you left." Chris said, glancing over at a suddenly wide-eyed Dawn who realized that Chris was not only correct but that she was now in a dangerous position now that her best chance of an ally was disqualified. Chris then turned to the camera.

"Now that both Sam and Zoey are out of the game, can the Rats manage not to lose any more teammates, or will they go into the merge at a minimum? And what if anything will become of Dawn's apparent new friendship with Ezekiel? And yes I saw all that. To find out, keep watching TOTAL! DRAMA! REVENGE...OF THE ISLAND!" Chris said, signing off the episode.

End of episode

Votes

Scott-Zoey

Ann Maria- Zoey

Zoey- Scott (voided by idol)

Cameron-Scott (voided by idol)

Mike- Scott (voided by idol)

Zoey-2

Scott-3 (voided by idol)

Elim order

1st out/13th place- Staci (Toxic Rats)

2nd out/12th place- Dakota (Toxic Rats)

3rd out/11th place- B (Toxic Rats)

4th out/10th place- Brick (Mutant Maggots/Toxic Rats, quit)

5th out/9th place- Zoey (Mutant Maggots)

6th disqualified/8th place- Sam (Toxic Rats)

Remaining campers:

Toxic Rats- Dawn, Jo, Lightning

Mutant Maggots- Scott, Ann Maria, Cameron, Mike

A/N: Wow, who saw that ending coming? And to those who are going to complain about the lack of resolution for Ezekiel, let's just say this is a one-shot for now, and I'm saving that for if I keep continuing this season as extra chapters. But I'll leave that up to the reviewers to decide. Feel free to read and review with your thoughts! Or even PM me as I always enjoy hearing from people what they think. Either way, until next update, sithlorde1988 out!