Replies, scrubbed off and cleaned:

Space Zodiac- Eliminations are definitely starting to hurt more as we run out of people. I think a lot of the plots are definitely starting to come together, and I think we'll see that even more today! I think the challenge result twist was a bit of a mixed bag for people, but I like how it worked out. I love the idea of Persephone going away again and coming back instantly, I definitely got a giggle out of that.

lordgemini- Honestly, I totally missed the chance for the Winslow/Alessia fighting in the cages scene. Another reason Alessia made that choice was yes, because Nicolette was the only one she knew for sure she couldn't influence. It was purely selfish elimination for her, and how the others on her team didn't see that coming...I don't know. Diving really deep into Persephone's character has been a highlight of the season for me.

Okay! Nine left, who will join them?


Episode 11: What Were We Here For Again?

The episode opened up with Chris and Chef sitting in the cabin above Crevice, where Chef did not look pleased. "All I can say is at least Croshia seems to be asking more questions. You need to can it with the speakers and recording the recaps down there."

Chris yawned. "Chef, my buddy, we're not going to get caught. Even if they figure out we're not here to only help, they don't know what TV is, they don't know what reality shows are, and they don't know my name. Everything is cool still, and I don't wanna hear your worries about this anymore. We still have a show to run."

"Yeah, yeah," Chef relented. "But when this goes south, I will make sure I'm not thrown into the mix."

The host chuckled. "Oh, Chef. You know that'll happen no matter what. Anyway, let's get moving!" He turned to the camera. "Last time, on Total Drama, Ancient Abodes, Shion found himself very upset that Monty was gone, like, really upset. Zev tried to calm him down, but it clearly wasn't working." Clips began to play of Zev admitting the truth behind Monty's elimination and Persephone joining the conversation. "With Alessia acting as a secret fourth vote, Persephone has gained total control over the team. Speaking of Alessia, where did she go? What about Winslow? Where did they- oh, there they are." Clips began to play of Winslow working with Gregor in the shaman temple. "Setsuna found that she was late to the punch, except Winslow's more flirting with shamanism than the actual Shaman. Oh, there Winslow goes." The clip finally played of Winslow being dragged off.

"Teams had to go through a bunch of puzzles to get back their missing teammate, with the ominous warning that the stakes would be huge! Some solutions to our puzzles were creative!" A clip played of Nicolette flooding the area with the robotic squirrels. "And, some solutions were much more...barbaric." Another clip played of Chander spiking the squirrel into a rock. "But solutions are solutions. In the end, Team Gorgeous won again, meaning the fearsome six would be cutting another off of the flawed four- quite literally. Sole decision of this vote went to Alessia or Winslow, whoever won, which meant Alessia got the choice!" A clip played of everyone recognizing how much power Alessia had.

"Shion made a last-ditch effort to help out Chander and save him from elimination by making a deal with Alessia, while Sasha and Zev tried some more logical approaches." Clips played of Chander making a deal with Alessia and Zev and the team talking over who to pick. "In the end, threatened by her popularity and her massive connections to all of the possible returnees, Alessia spared her nemesis and eliminated Nicolette instead, making her even less liked within the cast than before. But with her alliance with Persephone, that may not matter." The final clip played of Nicolette being selected for elimination before switching back to Chris. "We have nine left! Are we gonna merge today? What will Shion have to do for Alessia? Can Team Persephone really win a challenge? Find out right now, on Total! Drama! Ancient Abodes!"


Opening Sequence

[Various cameras and other director equipment came popping out of various points of Crevice. The first camera appeared as it popped out of the window to the blacksmith's workshop. The next one popped out of the ground in the training arena, where the spear promptly severed it from its wires. Finally, a camera emerged from the dock that was connected to a small hut, this camera falling right into the water.]

Dear Mom and Dad, I'm doing fine,

[The camera zoomed from the top of the cliff all the way down into Crevice, where Chef was seen lifting a heavy piece of stone into place on a house, putting it into place, only for it to be knocked out by a rogue explosion from one of Chander's pranks. Chef sighed heavily as Chander laughed nervously at the result. Nearby, Klase watched this all unfold apprehensively.]

You guys are on my mind,

[The camera turned to the blacksmith, where Harvey could be seen wielding a giant sword he had crafted. He performed a pretty terrible swing at a target, and turned to look at a confused-looking Alessia, who merely sighed in frustration.]

You asked me what I wanted to be, and I think the answer is plain to see,

[The camera switched to the middle firepit, which Nicolette was assisting with the cleanup of. Nearby, Setsuna was pitching in on a rock move with Monty, the archeologist clearly saying some things that made Nicolette nervous and Monty angry. The bassist lost his temper, punching a hole into the rock which startled all three of them.]

I wanna be famous!

[The camera moved from the firepit to the meeting hall behind it, where Syd was tampering with a machine she had created. Meanwhile, Persephone watched her to the side, grinning excitedly as the machine began whirring and lighting up some of the lights that had been placed in there.]

I wanna live close to the sun,

[At the bridge connecting the village to the forest, Shion stood proudly, and acknowledging the camera, gave a wink. He then stared out into the forest, where a pair of eyes could be seen in the shadows.]

Go pack your bags cause I've already won,

[The eyes startled Shion, causing him to quickly turn around, and he ran into Winter, who had followed Shion out to the bridge. Shion sighed and helped Winter back to the village, the bandwagoner confused as to why they needed help.]

Everything to prove, nothing in my way, I'll get there one day,

[The camera flipped to the abandoned shaman temple, where Winslow was digging around in search of something. They encountered an odd staff that was still glowing, which only intrigued them further on what was going on with it.]

Cause I wanna be famous!

[Back in the meeting hall, Chris was having a discussion with Zenthus inside the leader's quarters. Zenthus was accompanied by the other three villagers. The room itself had a dark shadow inside it.]

Na na, na na na na, na na na na, na na na na na na!

[Out by the dock near the hut, Zev was fishing with a very old rod as Sasha poked her head out of the hut, looking around for something, and then sitting down to relax. As soon as she did, Kaif appeared out of the water with a makeshift heart, which Sasha took. As soon as she did, Kaif went from flirty to confused.]

I wanna be, I wanna be, I wanna be famous! I wanna be, I wanna be, I wanna be famous!

[The camera transitioned to night, where Faye was gazing up at the stars. At one point, the camera zoomed in on one of the stars, which turned into a ball of fire. As the camera zoomed out, it revealed the firepit at night.]

I wanna be famous *whistling*

[The camera panned out further to show everyone circled around the campfire, which the villagers were present for as well, all very confused at the whole situation. Everyone whistled the theme song as Chris stood on the side, holding up a sign that the villagers could not see, which was entitled: Total Drama Ancient Abodes.]


WOODS, CREVICE

Out in the woods, Alessia wandered around on her own, bored of being stuck in the crusty village all the time. "What if there's an idol or something out here?" she asked suspiciously to the open air. "Eh, probably not. If the villagers found that they'd think we're insane. Like some of these people aren't anyway." She laughed. "One person coming back so...what, nine days left? Then I get back to making real money, unless I win this thing, which I am so in a good spot for."

The streamer began turning around to head back, but when she turned, she found herself face-to-face with Croshia, who had been waiting for the perfect time to approach her. "Ah, finally, you noticed me," the blacksmith mentioned. "I wanted to ask a few questions if that was okay. Rodin and I have noticed some odd events, and we were simply hoping to figure out exactly what is going on."

The streamer winced. She'd have no problem lying to Croshia, but she needed to make sure she solved the problem too, or else she might ask someone who wasn't okay with lying. "Sure thing," she said energetically, "if you have any questions about us, I can answer as best as I can! Let me know what you need!"

"I am grateful for that," the blacksmith responded graciously. "I wanted to speak to you specifically, because you seem to have some amount of control over who goes away per our deal with Chris. I was wondering how something like that came to be."

Alessia tilted her head. "I have as much control as everyone else. I'm not really sure what made you think that, but I'm doing the same thing everyone else here is doing."

Croshia sighed. "I was hoping you may provide some sort of answer that was more clear. My reasoning for asking this is because I secretly watched your nighttime ritual yesterday." Alessia's eyes widened instantly. She had watched the elimination, and on the night that the streamer made the choice to send Nicolette home without any other means to stop her. "Could you go into a bit of detail on that?" The streamer groaned.


Alessia: "Why? Why me?" she complained as she threw her hands on her head. "Why am I getting the secret-keeping questions? Why am I getting asked instead of Winslow or Setsuna or Sasha or literally anyone else who cares?" She sighed, regaining her composure. "But, I wanna win, and that means keeping the story straight with everyone. So...time to work my magic."


"Oh, that!" Alessia replied. "You see, that was an odd night. Normally, the person who contributes the least to Crevice is sent away, but there was a rumor going around about Nicolette that she has contact with the people who were sent away already. I believed it, and I was chosen that night only to make my choice. If you watched any other one, you'd see that's not how it normally goes."

Croshia nodded. "I appreciate that," she said. "Perhaps I could attend the next one as well? Rodin and I have been having some suspicions and hopefully they can be put to rest. I understand if the answer is 'no' though, cultural experiences are important to keep sacred."

Alessia laughed nervously. "Oh...you know? That's sorta not my call. You should speak to Chris or Chef about that if you think it is important for you to watch. Like I said, I'm just a little pawn in this thing, just like the others. Anyway, could I go? I wanted to talk to some people soon before the activity today."

Croshia nodded. "Ah apologies, I probably have taken up a large portion of your time. It seems talking with Chef will be necessary. See you soon." Croshia left, letting Alessia scamper off with a successful lie, but it seemed the blacksmith was not fully convinced. "If Rodin does not care anymore, maybe speaking to his greatest adversary may be my next move. I still think I can figure this all out."


Alessia: "And that is how it's done," Alessia said as she gave a light wave of the hand. "It was nothing, you know? And mostly true too, even the part about Nicolette. I still think whoever comes back would have been great friends with her unless it was like, Harvey. Chander's attached to me and Shion, Winter's still loyal to me, I can tell, and Winslow has no friends. I have my secret alliance with Persephone, her extra Shion and Zev votes, which means I have Chander too, and that alone is five, which is all I need." She put up her hands and started counting down. "So, that means the order from here on out will be Winslow or Winter when they lose again, whoever doesn't go there, then Sasha, Setsuna, Shion, Persephone, Zev, Chander, and I'll take whoever returns to the end- they won't win." She laughed. "Game over."


TEAM GORGEOUS

Zev, Shion, and Persephone were meeting secretly in Shion's shack. "I may have made a big mistake," Shion admitted sheepishly to the other two. "Last night, I told Alessia if she kept Chander in I'd owe her big time, and she did...so we might need to pick whoever she wants if it's not one of us."

"That's not how the deal I made with Persephone works," Zev retorted. "She picked Monty, and I'm picking next. What we need though, to save ourselves the problem of being found out, is to make this elimination happen with the least amount of votes possible. We can still be allied and vote differently. I think having Persephone or you voting separately could be good, and if you're stuck with this Alessia issue, then maybe it can be you."

Persephone let out a scoff. She was not impressed with either of their arguments. "Pff, that won't be an issue. Let me speak to my roomie and get that handled. There's a chance you don't even get to vote out someone with her favor. She might ask you to take a dive in the merge during a challenge or something. You wouldn't know." She laughed. "You don't really get how it goes until you get eliminated and get to think about your actions."


Persephone: "I'm the only one here who knows what being eliminated is like," she stated factually. "It's not fun, and the only way to stop that from happening to me again is to make sure someone else goes every time. It's not just about this final four alliance. It's about realizing my place in it. By keeping Alessia a secret from them, I keep only her trust, and that's how I know I'm on top here. Hopefully Shion doesn't realize he's on the bottom. As long as Zev picks Sasha or Setsuna to go, we're safe. If he picks Alessia..." she groaned. "I have explaining to do."


"I really think we should focus on just winning today, anyway," Zev mentioned. "The fewer people they have in a merge situation, the more we can prevent people from flipping over and making a stronger alliance. If we lose today, it becomes five to three. It takes one flip to make it tied up, and Alessia, Sasha, or Setsuna could all easily flip."

"True that," Shion agreed. "I think Winslow and Setsuna are getting along pretty well. Chander says the two have been in the shaman temple a lot at the same time."

Persephone shook her head. "Setsuna wouldn't go for the owl child. She's working on snatching up the shaman himself. Plus, someone comes back. We need to make sure that it's one of ours, which means if we do lose, we need to send someone who can win a challenge and come back. We have big competition like Monty, Faye, and Harvey over there."

Shion couldn't help but snicker. "D-did you just say Harvey? Like, the big guy who went home first?"

"He was my biggest threat to coming back," Persephone stated humbly. "He was the only one who thought to target me, and while Klase was the last one standing besides me, he's too meager to fight in a comeback challenge." She huffed. "Don't you forget, I went home second and made it back. Who's to say Harvey doesn't come back too?"

Zev nodded. "She has a great point. We got this far because we haven't underestimated anyone. I would think that once someone comes back, the merge is well within our reach." He shrugged. "But, if today is actually just a cleanup day, maybe we don't have to worry about challenge-related things for a while. I mean, how could there possibly be enough content in a cleaning episode for a challenge?"


Zev: "I spent the whole first half of this game doing nothing," he noted. "If it kept going that way, Persephone would have joined Sasha and voted off Monty, then probably me, and Shion right after. Now I sit comfortably in control of the team...and Alessia, Sasha, and Setsuna don't know it yet. I just have to figure out which one of them isn't Persephone's fourth vote, and get rid of them. Let's hope nothing shakes those plans up."

Shion: "I'm so worried! Chander's still in the game, which is awesome. But, Alessia's expecting me to do something for her. I don't know what happens if I don't do it, and honestly? I'd rather not find that out.


Meanwhile, Sasha and Setsuna were sitting alone in Sasha's shack. "Don't you think it's odd?" Setsuna asked into the open air. "Yesterday, no one talked to us about a vote in the morning. We won, so it wasn't a problem, but now we could lose again, and we're still not being spoken to. Not only that, but Nicolette is gone instead of Chander, she was someone we could have gotten on our side."

"I agree, it's concerning," Sasha admitted. "I don't like that Persephone appeared on our team and started controlling it. But, I doubt Nicolette would be with us. We did get rid of Faye, and she knows that. On the bright side, we orchestrated a great vote-out against Monty, and if we target Shion next, we could probably stay in the game. Zev will vote for whoever as long as he stays in, and he made that really clear when we took out Monty."

Setsuna's eyes lit up. "Oh...I have an awesome idea. Okay, so Persephone's running the show, right? What if she and Zev are allied? That makes it so there's three pairs on the team- us, them, and Shion and Alessia. If we tell Alessia and Shion that Persephone's running the show, they'll vote her out. We can get Zev to think that's the majority, and split up their votes, then we can take out Shion easily with Alessia!"

Sasha groaned. "That will take a lot of convincing. I will see what I can do. Rodin has officially given up trying to spy on us, so I think we're in the clear on that. I'm still gonna go and fish with him though, so I'll be off. If you want to try and flirt with your shaman friend, you should do that."

The archeologist nodded. "Oh, for sure. I just hope Winslow's not there again. They're always actually learning and whatever! I just want to have some alone time! When we merge and Team Gorgeous is forced to stick together, we should target them first."

Sasha nodded, and began walking off to Rodin's hut, which was not too far away. When she got there, the fisherman lazily threw open the door and handed her a rod. "You tell any of your friends you have been catching their dinners for the past week yet?"

The temptress simply laughed and shook her head. "No, just Setsuna, but she doesn't know that I do most of the catching. She still thinks that I'm here to be your spy for the rest of us. I saw Croshia head to the woods this morning, where Alessia was, does that mean she's not done spying on us?"

Rodin nodded. "She thinks she saw something crazy last night regarding that girl picking whoever left or something. I decided that I am done with her crazy hunt. Regardless if you are here for some malicious reason or not, you gave us the help we needed. I will not sit here and act like that did not happen. Even on activity days, I still see the kid with the owl mask, or you and your dinosaur-obsessed friend out fixing something. Things are changing here, to the point where staying may be an option. So, unless your plan is to ransack everything on your way out, I have decided to step out."

Sasha nodded. "I appreciate that. I don't think anyone is here for a bad reason. But, Croshia is still investigating? Do you think she may end up speaking with Gregor?"

Rodin's position instantly shifted. "There is no way, to be honest. He will feed her lies and delusions he claims to see through his stick." His own statement didn't seem to please him. "But, if you see that, that will be my last request of you. Alert me if Croshia does speak to that false prophet."

"Will do."

Sasha began to leave, but there was one more question he asked. "Know that your answer to this last question has no bearing on my actions. Are you all here to actually have a leadership retreat, or is it something more material than that?"

"You will tell no one?" Sasha could see on his face that what Rodin said was the truth. "Far more material. You cannot share that information with anyone. Not Croshia, not Zenthus, and certainly not Thea."

Rodin shrugged. "I have no need to. I am truly done caring." As Sasha left, Rodin made no other actions, he simply cast his line back out and sat quietly, like he had totally forgotten the conversation already.


Sasha: "Rodin has bowed out. If we can keep Croshia's investigation from turning anything up, and get her off of Alessia's scent, that keeps her away. The big one is Thea. She's been so secretive and hardly comes out of her house during the day unless she's hunting or running the challenge. Is she afraid of us, or has she been gathering her own stack of evidence?" She sighed. "Somehow Chris's sloppy secrets have fallen to me to clean up. I'm certainly not getting eliminated over it. I pacified Rodin, maybe Thea should be next."


TEAM PERSEPHONE

Winter woke up again to no one in the shack. Every day now, since Gregor's return, Winslow had been out of the shack before she even woke up, and they left quietly too, without a single trace. "It's so lonely here," they said aloud. "I was going to talk to Nicolette about stopping the trend thing, but now she's gone..." They sighed. It was definitely not going to be a good time to track Winslow down. "There has to be someone else I can talk to- oh, our leader!"


Winter: "I'm a little scared," they admitted. "Nicolette was the closest I have to a friend. Winslow and I are sorta friends, but they go off and do their own thing a lot. Now I need someone who I can consider an ally, or it might just mean I go back to Alessia and be her vote until she doesn't need me anymore. Hopefully Chander knows some cool trends- or, trends to not do."


The bandwagoner knocked on the door to Chander's shack. "Hold on, Shion, one second!" he called out from behind the door. Winter waited a second, deciding not to say anything. "Good morning- oh, Winter." Chander's face fell for a second upon realizing who it wasn't, but this didn't seem like a bad option either. "Sorry, I totally thought it'd be Shion again. He must be busy this morning. Come in."

Winter came in graciously. "Thanks, I didn't know you and Shion were so close, is everyone making friends with people on the other team?" She paused. "Oh, probably not, since I'm not and Winslow's definitely not."

Chander blushed for a slight second. "Oh, I guess we're close. He just stops by and we talk a lot. I don't think it's something anyone else is doing though." He glanced out the window, like he was expecting him to show up soon too. "Anyway, what did you need?"

"Well, I wanted your help," she said plainly. "The spirits told me to stop being obsessed with trends and to do my own thing, you know?" She sighed. "But I don't really know what I like doing. I mean, I have some ideas, but I'm not sure if they're the same as everyone else's. I wanted Nicolette to help, but she's gone now."

The acrobat nodded. "Yeah, now we're not in a good spot for sure. But, do your hobbies need to be the same as the others? I mean, I love to do pranks and juggle stuff. I can't do a ton of that since we're here, but like, it'd be weird if everyone liked that. You don't have to just do something because everyone else is doing it. I mean, when you spent the first half of the season with Alessia, did you care that she wasn't spending time with everyone else?"

"Wasn't she spending time with you too?" Winter asked obliviously. Chander sighed. That might have been a bad question.

Chander shook his head. "Bad comparison, my bad. But, sometimes enjoying something else is okay. What are some things you do at home?"

The bandwagoner thought about it. "Oh, um...well, I did whatever my siblings did. I have a lot of siblings, so it was easier to just get what they wanted and play with it. Plus, at school, everyone thinks I'm kinda cool because I'll do anything they want."

The acrobat struggled to find good arguments for what was going on. "Okay, well, maybe we can do something that you like. Just you. I think you mentioned on the first day you play the flute?" Winter nodded. "That's something. What's something you would do to kill time if you were sitting around by yourself?"

Winter shrugged. "I don't know, maybe, like solitaire or something?" A sad response. "I kinda like cards."

Chander's eyes lit up. "That's great! Monty left behind a ton of card decks and Shion gave me one in case we wanted to play in here!" He reached over to his bed and grabbed the box of cards that was sitting at the foot of the bed. "Do you have a game you like the most?"

The bandwagoner looked excited for a second. "Um...do you know the game golf? It's a card game where you have to try and get the lowest score. I can teach you." After quickly learning, Chander and Winter played golf for a bit.

Winter won every single round.


Chander: "Winter's a good friend, probably my best friend on the team. If we lose again and there isn't some crazy twist, I might have to keep them. She's been trying so hard to break free of all the toxins Alessia poisoned them with at the beginning of the game." He put his hands up defensively. "Metaphorically. Alessia didn't actually poison Winter...probably."

Winter: "I'm glad Chander's helping me. I didn't think it'd be so hard just to do whatever I wanted. I guess I don't know what I want." They smiled. "But I think I have my first real friend! I really hope so, at least."


SHAMAN TEMPLE, CREVICE

"You're joking!" Setsuna complained as soon as she saw Winslow back in the temple, actively learning from Gregor. "I should've worked harder to have Alessia get rid of them." Putting that behind her, she waltzed in the temple, excited to see her new friend. "Good morning, Gregor! I feel really good today, so I really wanna try and get the retribution, or whatever it was."

Winslow shook their head. "One of little focus would surely not succeed in a Reckoning, do you not think so?" Setsuna's face fell as she shot the masked person a deadpan stare. "On the other hand, perhaps the spirits will see you are in desperate need of a Reckoning and provide you with one."

Gregor chuckled. "Setsuna, you can take it easy. I have a second staff you may use. Or, perhaps Winslow is willing to give up theirs so we can work on this together? They were able to summon a Reckoning this morning without any additional help, quite the impressive progress."

The wanderer sighed. "If I must. I suppose my success does warrant that Setsuna requires extra time to learn how to summon a Reckoning." They sat in the spot Sasha normally watched from. "Perhaps I may simply observe today."

"I guess Sasha isn't joining you today?" Gregor asked the archeologist. "She didn't seem too interested in this part of Crevice anyway."

Setsuna shook her head. "Nah, she's fishing with Rodin again." She suddenly remembered something. "Oh, she said that Rodin sort of hates you, did you know that?"

Gregor hesitated for a second before sighing. "I am quite aware," he admitted. "Rodin was unhappy with a Prophecy that was summoned for him. I do not blame him for the anger. The avalanche was something that was unknown to even myself. I was off gathering materials when it struck, and Rodin has built my absence for the avalanche as a thought that I knew it would happen. But, that is not important."

He handed the archeologist the staff. "I would like you to really try. Focus as hard as you can on your experiences. Think about everything you have been through on this...retreat, I believe it is being called."

Setsuna focused in. She channeled all of her thoughts into that moment. But, despite everything, the most she could do was make the stick glow a little bit. She dropped it, almost out of breath. For a second, she had forgotten Gregor was even there. "What am I still doing wrong?" she asked, disappointed with her results.

"Not everyone is set out to be a shaman," Gregor responded calmly. "Thea and I learned how to be a shaman around the same time, but it was clear from the start that she never was going to be one. Some people communicate with spirits, and others do not. It's my job to bridge that gap." He glanced out at the sun for a second. "Perhaps you two should head back. It is almost time for the activity today I believe."

The archeologist frowned. "Man, I just got here..." she smiled at the shaman. "Thank you, Gregor. This place is always so exciting to learn about. I guess Winslow's pretty impressive if they can get that Reckoning. See you soon!" As she turned to leave, Winslow had already disappeared. "They're so weird," Setsuna muttered under her breath, heading back to her shack to get ready.


Setsuna: "What a bummer," she said with a frown. "I really didn't want to fail that. It's not even about flirting with Gregor at this point. I just wanted to be able to do something. But at least I got the stick to glow a little without the extra help. That's worth something."


Once the two kids were out, Croshia entered. "Good morning, Gregor," the blacksmith said with a polite tone. "I was wondering if you had learned anything from the spirits or the kids who are in here about what they are really after."

"The spirits have made nothing known to me specifically. A lot of the knowledge they communicated to me in my unconscious state has begun to slip as I add more knowledge from current times. An expected outcome, but unfortunate. Winslow and Setsuna both are here exclusively to learn about shaman arts, though. I sense no ulterior motives in either of them, and both have achieved some levels of success."

Croshia wasn't expecting such a level-headed answer. "Perhaps I am overthinking it," she admitted. "Thank you. Please do not share with Rodin that I am here, and if Thea approaches you, please say nothing to her at all. We cannot afford to let her unleash her paranoia upon the village."

Gregor nodded. "Understood. I will see if a Prophecy or Advisory can lead to some revelations. I can keep you in the loop." Croshia nodded, leaving the area.


MEETING HALL, CREVICE

The final nine contestants gathered after some time at the meeting hall, where Chris and Chef were off to the side. Zenthus was standing in front of all of them for some time. In the corner, Thea stood silently and stared at everyone who had entered. The other villagers were nowhere to be found. "Good morning, all of you," Zenthus said politely. "I understand that we have been doing a large number of activities recently, but we do need to remain focused on the task at hand. There are a large number of things that need to be done today."

Zenthus pulled a piece of parchment out and laid in on the table. On it were a large number of tasks. The guardian's handwriting however, was not very clean, and it was clear that he had outdated letters and words present. "Essentially, we will keep the Northern Group together, as they are smaller. The Southern Group will be divided into two, where half of you will participate with me, and half of you will leave now to go assist Thea with gathering food. If three of you will volunteer for that task now, that would be ideal."

Without any explanation of a challenge or anything, a lot of Team Gorgeous did not want to say anything, since they had no clue how long they would be gone. A lot of them looked over to Chris for guidance, but he simply looked back at them, saying nothing. None of them wanted to go, except for one.

"I'll go. Should be easy for me."

Persephone took the lead, stepping forward without fear. "I will be just fine hunting. I did it for a while a few days ago on my own anyway, so it should be complete child's play." Her arrogant smirk was annoying to the rest of the team, but it wasn't like anyone was going to argue.

But the battle wasn't over. Zenthus was still waiting for two more people to volunteer from the team. Alessia looked over. Zev and Shion weren't budging, and Setsuna and Sasha were not budging either. She groaned. "Fine, count me in. I trust Persephone enough not to accidentally kill me."

Upon seeing that Alessia had volunteered, Zev very quickly stood up. "I'll go too. Hunting is a rather physical task."

Thea stepped away from the wall and pulled her spear out. "Wonderful. You three will follow me into the woods right now. We will be back at the end of the day." Without any knowledge of what was about to happen, Thea led Zev, Persephone, and Alessia out into the woods. Sasha watched them all carefully.


Zev: "Persephone's fourth vote, if I had to guess, is Alessia. They live in the same shack, meaning they can conspire all they want without anyone knowing. The fact they hardly interact otherwise is also very telling. I just want to confirm my suspicion and see how they behave while I am there."

Sasha: "Zev is forgetting that we need physical ability here as well. Without him and Persephone, we might be in trouble for whatever this challenge is. The plan was to get the easy out on Shion, but if the merge is approaching, Zev might be a smarter move."


Once the three Team Gorgeous members were gone, Zenthus turned to the others. My remaining six, we will be working on cleanup of the North and South small shacks, where you have been staying. We would like to condense down to a smaller amount in the next few days, so having some readily available for use will be ideal. Your job will be to create the 'glass' objects I have learned about...ah, Chef, what was the word?"

"Windows," Chef explained. "These will also keep you warmer at night. Croshia's shop is available to use the furnace for, and she will produce the glass you need, but you are responsible for her firewood and for the sand she needs. You all will make Windows and doors to keep the cold out, so when winter comes again, they're ready and living with some more comfort."

Zenthus nodded. "Right, thank you. I will be around to supervise, as will Croshia and Gregor when they are available. If you have any questions, speak to myself or Chef. Thank you, all. I hope for a productive day." Zenthus walked out of the meeting hall, leaving Chris, Chef, and the six who stayed.

Chris laughed. "Oh, that was amazing! Team Gorgeous, to keep things fair, I sat in silence and let Zenthus remove three of your members. Sasha, Shion, and Setsuna, you three will be in charge of competing for your challenge today."

"And now Alessia's sat two challenges out," Shion complained.

"Hardly my problem," Chris retorted. "But, windows are boring. That's also not a challenge. Your real challenge comes from this bucket!" Chris held up a bucket of shiny coins. "There are a ton of these scattered throughout Crevice, all in spots that require things to be lifted or moved. You won't see them regularly. The team who brings me back the most coins at the end of the day wins! And one more thing- if a villager of any kind catches you with a coin, all coins you are carrying with you no longer count, and you are done looking for the day. We need to keep a low profile, so don't get caught."

Chef nodded. "That's true. Croshia specifically is on high alert. Be warned. See you at the end of the day. Good luck!" He turned to Chris. "Run that bucket back up to our cabin." He then looked at everyone else. "There are thirty one coins hidden, so you can't tie if they're all found. If you do tie...I don't know."


Shion: He had a look of relief. "Well, at least this challenge isn't physical. With Zev and Persephone gone, Chander is probably the most physical player here. I don't want him to lose, but, you know, I also really don't wanna lose."


TEAM GORGEOUS

"This is so annoying," Setsuna complained as she began gathering sand in a bag by the end of the river. As she picked up sand, she ran it through her hands in case a coin was in the sand at all. Meanwhile, Sasha sat quietly and began prepping the first shack, Shion's, to have windows put in. "We have to make eight windows and clean up all the stuff, and Persephone gets to just go hunting! Half of us do that anyway."

Shion dropped off a bag of sand at the beach for Setsuna. "Maybe it won't be awful," he said optimistically, holding something in his hand. "I mean, look! I already found one! We've got one coin, fifteen more and we can have over half."

"Keep that secret," Sasha told him sternly. Shion quickly obeyed and threw the coin in his pocket. "But, I agree, Persephone and Alessia are kind of getting a free ride. I don't care for Persephone's arrogance either."

Shion smirked. This was his chance to save himself. "Oh, really?" he asked condescendingly. "Well, if you were interested, we could try and target Persephone. She's the most likely to flip in a merge situation. I know you're probably trying to get me out now, so I think you should consider the other option."

Setsuna laughed. "Shion, we're not targeting you, what would we gain from-" The archeologist looked up and saw Shion's disapproving look. He wasn't buying any of that. "Okay, fine, we're so targeting you. That's just how it has to go. Plus, you and Chander are close, who's to say you don't flip too?"

Sasha brushed off more of the windows as she spoke. "We can't afford to be talking strategy," she reminded them. "Thea is out with the others, but Zenthus is still patrolling. We can't just openly argue like this. Shion, if you have a pitch, we will hear it out later." Setsuna pouted, but that seemed like the right answer. "Is that fair?"

"Yeah," Shion admitted. Setsuna nodded in agreement, then found another coin sitting in the sand. "Nice," Shion remarked. "We'll keep looking for those as well. If you want, I can take the sand to Croshia. It should be enough for one or two windows."

"That'd be great," Setsuna said with a smile. She handed the two bags, and Shion made his way to the blacksmith's shop. "Careful," Setsuna said quietly to Sasha, who had already noticed the approaching presence. "Zenthus."

"Ah, I finally found some of you," the guardian spoke with a polite tone. "I was hoping that I could speak with you a bit as you work, would that be okay? I wanted to see how things were progressing here."

Sasha nodded. "Of course. I must say that the hospitality we have been shown is amazing, even though we are supposed to be helping you. I thank you a lot for that."

"Yeah, everything's been super neat for sure," Setsuna complimented. "I mean, both of my parents studied ancient things, and now I get to do some of that myself. It's literally a dream come true."

Zenthus nodded. "I appreciate hearing that. I even heard that you two have been interacting with the other members of Crevice quite a bit. Winslow informed me that Setsuna, you have also been interested in the shaman arts, and Sasha, Croshia mentioned your closeness with Rodin. That is not an easy feat to accomplish."

Setsuna rolled her eyes. Somehow even when Gregor was mentioned with her, Winslow was still involved. Sasha merely shook her head. "Rodin simply noticed my aptitude for fishing, and I find it calming. I have had no qualms with assisting him during my time here. I am also happy that I have something that I can participate in to make this place better."

"Rodin says you have been the one procuring most of the food," Zenthus noted. Setsuna looked shocked to hear that. "And Setsuna, Gregor mentioned you did better than nearly everyone in his year when he started off to potentially be a shaman. Of course, not better than him, he was quite the prodigy."

"He said that?" Setsuna asked excitedly. "Oh, that's amazing! I felt like I wasn't doing so well, but I guess that makes me feel better about it. Anyway, is there anything that I can help you with?"

Zenthus shook his head. "I am simply observing today. I feel as though people have made astounding progress, and I wanted to make sure they recognized that themselves. I will be off to speak with the others. Be well." With that, Zenthus moved north to try and find some others.

Sasha waited until he left before revealing something big to Setsuna. "Setsuna, I told Rodin that we were here for very material reasons today," she confessed, much to Setsuna's surprise. "I understand the risk, but we need to recognize that there are good things we can do here."

Setsuna groaned. "Sasha, that's gonna wreck everything!" She ruffled through the sand much more forcefully now. "It's not just what happens when the villagers find out- they will anyway. It's about when Chris finds out that- oh, another coin." She put the team's third coin in her pocket. "When Chris finds out, he'll disqualify you."

"It will not happen," Sasha told her. "Rodin is done prying, and I believe him. We just need to keep that information away from the others until we can pacify them as well. I think Croshia needs to be our next target for that. Will you help me?"

The archeologist sighed. "Fine, but only because if you go down, Shion stays longer than me, and let's face it, I've done way more than either of those boys."


Setsuna: "What a pain!" she complained. "But, I can talk to Croshia, no problem. I don't plan on going anywhere. Not when we've got this power alliance going."


TEAM PERSEPHONE

Near the more northern part of the river, Winslow was quietly gathering sand. Chander and Winter were also busy preparing the first shack, the one that originally belonged to Alessia and Harvey. "Honestly, I'm really glad that we're finally doing a challenge that just helps people out," Chander admitted. "We can only do so much on days where there are challenges, so having one that's integrated right in helps a lot, and this will be big."

"I'm more impressed that Croshia learned glass blowing in like, two days," Winter mentioned. "She's really good at picking up skills too. I wonder if I could figure out how to do that so quickly also."

Winslow nodded. "It is what makes you an ideal teammate, Winter," the wanderer mentioned. "Your ability to acquire new skills is second to none." They grabbed a rock to hand over to the other two. When they did so, they uncovered two coins. "Ah, lucky, I suppose. How many of these coins do we require?"

"Um, there's thirty one, so I think we need sixteen," Winter said, grabbing the rock and the coins from Winslow. "This window sill is ready by the way, we can move onto the next one."

Chander's eyes lit up. "Hold on, we don't really need all sixteen. If we get that, it's great, but didn't Chris say we just need the most? That bucket he showed us was filled with the coins. What if there's more than that? Should we keep looking around for more?"

"I enjoy the thought of that," Winslow suggested. "However, with Zenthus observing us closely today, I doubt that will go well." They then noticed someone approaching the three of them. "Ah, and speaking of the man." He gave a wave to the guardian. "Zenthus, pleased to see you. What can we do for you?"

Zenthus gave a polite wave back to the owl mask person. "I am simply observing how the smaller groups are functioning. At this rate, we will be done with the recovery process soon, and you all will be heading back." A thought suddenly came into their head. "Out of curiosity, how is it determined who goes home?"

Winslow clearly was not ready to lie to Zenthus, and Chander noticed that. "It's based on who isn't helping," the acrobat explained. "That's why that troublemaker Harvey left so early, we wanted people who could help out here, not hurt Crevice." Winslow gave a silent nod to the unofficial leader.

"How interesting," Zenthus decided, content with that story. "I also wanted to ask you all about your time in Crevice. Have you been enjoying it?"

Winter spoke up first. "I'm really liking it!" they said excitedly. "I was worried I wouldn't fit in, but I think that I'm doing okay now. I think the shaman day helped me out a lot with figuring some things out."

"Me too," Chander admitted. "I really got a chance to see how my leadership could grow here. I was worried I would do a poor job with it, but I think it's going much better now. We are a small group though, I hope it will stay that size for some time."

Zenthus turned to Winslow next. "I did not care much for the leadership aspect," they noted. "I was much more interested in what stories and history your village offers, and how you lived without the technology we currently possess. I am happy to report that I have learned a lot."

"Wonderful to hear," Zenthus told them. "Winslow, I had heard from Gregor that you have been performing quite well, and that you even managed a Reckoning on your own." Chander and Winter looked confused until they recalled the previous challenge where they asked about a Reckoning. "I believe he has high hopes for you, and he wanted to know if you were interested in remaining here in Crevice after your retreat is finished."

Winslow looked rather surprised to hear that. "While Crevice offers many unique things, that would be an offer I have to consider immensely. Would you be able to stay here and talk more about it?" Zenthus nodded and took a seat near the wanderer. While he did that, Winslow gave a look over to Chander and Winter.

The bandwagoner took Chander and guided him away from the two. "Winslow's buying us time," Winter explained. "If we want to grab that bucket, it may be our best chance to do it now. Zenthus already spoke to us, so we're off the hook."

Chander hesitated. "Look, I know what you're trying to do, and I appreciate it, really, but I don't know if it's a good idea now. I mean, we thought bringing Gregor back would win us that challenge, and it didn't. What if this ends up the same way."

Winter turned to see Winslow actively speaking with Zenthus now. "Then...then I won't vote you off. You're like, my only real friend here anyway. Besides, you're a prankster, right? You've done no pranks all season! I wanna see you do one on Chris and Chef!" Chander's solemn expression suddenly became very mischievous.


Chander: "They're right...it's been a while since I've done a solid prank. Plus, we see Chris and Chef leave to go to that cabin all the time, we know how to get there. I just gotta find a way to make it flashy." He gasped. "Got it!"


WOODS, CREVICE

Thea marched forward, with the three other people following behind her- Alessia, Persephone, and Zev. Each of them was armed with a spear as well. "Stay far enough behind me," Thea ordered. "I do not trust any of you to keep me safe or not injure me with your incompetence."

Alessia and Zev obeyed, taking a smaller step to be further away from the huntress, but Persephone instead skipped forward. "I will have you know I am more than capable of participating," the princess said arrogantly. "You have nothing to fear with me around. If you recall, I did very well at the spear-training activity a few days ago."

"Sure, and then you disappeared later that day as well," Thea reminded her. "I do not know why you are back, and I would rather not know. For your information, I am gathering my own set of information against you all. I am only bringing you with me because Zenthus ordered me to."

Zev seemed interested in the fact Thea had been secretly investigating, but decided pivoting the conversation would be better. "Why do you trust Zenthus so much?" he asked her. "Obviously we've seen he's a capable leader, but your trust is on another level."

"It matters not," Thea shot back. "Zenthus thawed me before anyone else, and reminded me of my duty to keep going for the people we lost. With that in mind, I will protect anyone else who requires it, and that includes protecting us from you."

Persephone laughed. "Cute. But, I think you'll find I'm more than capable of being helpful, it's part of the reason I'm back." The princess aimed her spear at a tree and launched it with immense speed, the object successfully skewering a bird and pinning it against the tree. "See? I'm not all talk."

Zev focused his attention on the other girl that was with them now that Persephone and Thea were busy trying to constantly one-up each other with various spear shots. "So...why did you vote Monty off?" Zev asked the streamer.

"Um, because the girls are gonna get rid of all of you," Alessia shot back sternly. "It's a solid strategy, and if Kaif came back instead of her, we expect you four would have done the same thing."

Zev shook his head. "Here's the thing...I don't really believe that. I think you did it to help Persephone out. I mean, you knew you were a goner unless you got her on your side, but I got her too, and our alliance voted Monty out because he would have been a giant problem in the merge."

The tall boy glanced over to Alessia to see her reaction to that, and saw nothing at all, just her usual casual stare. That sealed it. "You didn't react as much as I thought you would. You're not shocked by an alliance I talk about because you're already in it, aren't you?" Again, Alessia said nothing. "You can't stay silent forever."

"Yeah, because I would knowingly get in alliance with the tallest and strongest boy here. We're not stupid. We all know you're gonna steamroll us if we merge. So we're making Shion think he's out next, and we're gonna target you. I'm telling you that because we have the numbers." She clicked her tongue. "Shame, though. If you weren't so adamant about having a girlfriend, I would have let you in an alliance with me. Now you'll lose."

Zev sighed. "I still don't believe you," he said sternly. "You are making too many things up. I don't care that you're her secret fourth vote, I just need to know who it is. Now I can decide between Sasha and Setsuna for our next loss." He glanced back at Crevice, which was invisible due to the trees. "I wonder what the challenge is. Are we supposed to be doing anything?"

"No, obviously," Alessia snarked back. She had a scowl on her face that definitely meant business. She stayed silent for a lot longer.


Alessia: "Who does he think he is?" she asked with an angry tone. "Does...does Zev think he's running the game? With four votes? Maybe I'll teach him a lesson. Persephone's loyal to me and only me at the end of the day. Like I said before I voted Monty off, should have been easier to flirt with. Why do you think Winter's still here?"

Zev: "Knowing Alessia is on my side is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, I know who I'm working with." He pinched the bridge of his nose with an annoyed sigh. "On the other hand, I know who I'm working with."


TEAM GORGEOUS

The half of the team that was still in Crevice was still making solid progress. They had found six coins without being caught at all, and on top of them, Shion and Monty's shack, along with Setsuna and Zev's shack now had windows. "Zenthus has been gone for a while," Shion noted. "I thought he'd be patrolling around all day. What do you think has got him so distracted?"

"Probably got stuck speaking to Chef? Do you think that Chef and Chris came back from their cabin yet?" Setsuna put her hand to her chin. "I haven't seen them either. Hey, at least we're halfway done with the windows. A few more and we can go into all coins and no pain."

Sasha nodded, looking at the pitiful six coins in her hand. "We have to find at least ten more for a guaranteed win, but there's no telling how many Team Persephone will find. If they've only found five, we win already."

Setsuna laughed. "Then we're in good shape. I mean, Winslow's way too invested in Crevice to actually look for coins, and Chander has to stick around as their leader. Then, Winter will just do what they're doing. Alessia said that's all she does."

"Funny you should mention that," Shion said. "Did you realize that the original Team Persephone outnumbers us right now? It's five to four. If you get rid of Alessia, we tie that up, and I know you all don't like her."

"Still just scrambling for votes," Sasha reminded him. "Shion, now isn't the time. Like I said, we'll hear you out later, but right now, we need to find more coins. Maybe doing well enough will stop you from having to scramble."

Shion sighed. "You're right. Maybe underneath some of the extra rocks there's a few." He started to dismantle the pile of rocks that was sitting nearby to make window sills. Underneath, he found a nice stack of three coins. "Hey, here's some!" He quickly swiped them and put them in his pocket. "So, we're at what, nine now? That seems a bit more manageable." He handed the coins over to Sasha once the coast was clear.

Setsuna ran over to the west-most shack, the one currently holding Alessia and Persephone. "I got another one!" she sighed. "I can't believe she still gets a free pass. It's so annoying, but at least we know she won't win a single challenge." She laughed and walked back, as she did, she ended up bumping into someone- someone she didn't want to. "Oh, Zenthus!" she said nervously, fidgeting with her hands. As she did, the coin flew out of her hands and fell onto the ground.

Zenthus picked up the coin, much to everyone's dismay. "What an odd piece of metal," the guardian mused. "What kind of object is this? It seems to be well made, and it has a face on it, and...numbers."

Setsuna sighed. She had to take the fall to stop the others from being out too. "It's an American quarter, I think. It's a type of money we can trade for...well, not much, but you can trade a lot of them for things like food."

"How unique," Zenthus said with an interested look. "If its value is as low as you say, do you mind if I hold onto it? It would be a souvenir for me." Setsuna sighed and nodded, letting Zenthus take the coin. "Apologies to you all, I had just been involved in a lengthy conversation with Winslow, I will be seeing you all shortly for dinner, I suppose. You have done wonderful work today."

Once the guardian left, Chris and Chef emerged from the woods. "Oh, that was awesome!" Chris said with a laugh. "Anyway, Setsuna, you're out of the challenge, so get moving on those windows. When you're done here, you can help Team Persephone. Winslow's gonna need all the help they can get. The other two went missing."

"You're joking...stuck with Winslow again? What did-" the archeologist paused. "Wait, what do you mean, missing?"

Chef shrugged. "They ran off somewhere. We sure can't find them, and we can't go back to cook our dinner until we do, so hopefully we find them soon. Wonder where they went..."


TEAM PERSEPHONE

While Winslow struggled on their own down at the bottom of the hill, their two teammates were finally at the top of the cliff. "We haven't been here since the first day," Winter pointed out. "Hey, if there were stairs the whole time, why didn't we just take those instead of the whole drop out of the sky thing?"

"I think it was because we got launched in the air," Chander reminded her. "But, hey, we're here. Now we just need to get in somehow." He peered in the window and saw the bucket of coins sitting on a table in the main room. "Breaking the window is the easy option, but that's definitely going to get us eliminated knowing Chris. How will we manage this one?"

Winter thought of an idea rather quickly, but frowned when it came to mind. "Um, I think I have a plan, but...it's kind of trend related. I still think it's cool, but it's something I did because of trends."

Chander laughed. "Winter, just because you're trying to be your own person doesn't mean you have to do only original ideas. That's why they're called ideas. What did you have in mind?"

The bandwagoner pulled a hairpin out from her pocket. "Do you remember the ClockTock trend from a few years ago? The one about people stealing things? They called it devious licks or something. Well, I learned how to pick locks so I could be really good at that. I even have a road sign in my room to prove it!" She grinned and then stared at the camera. "I um, allegedly have a sign in my room. Hypothetically, even."

The acrobat laughed. "Okay, well, go for it, then if they catch on, they'll just think they left the window unlocked. I'll be right back, I'm gonna add a little pizazz to the steal." Chander rushed off into the woods and began to do his own thing, leaving Winter alone. The bandwagoner got to work on picking the lock, making pretty quick work of the window lock.

"Windows are a lot easier than doors," Winter mentioned to herself. "I should have picked more of those." They eventually got the latch unhooked and threw the window open. "Chander! I got it!"

"Nice work!" Chander cheered on the bandwagoner. He then produced a bucket made of wood with sand inside. "That'll really get them, like we're swapping out treasures in a temple!" Chander quickly climbed into the window, being super careful and agile with his movements. He effortlessly swapped the coin bucket with his fake one, and exited the cabin, shutting the window on his way out. "Done."

The bucket itself had well over fifty coins in it. Even if some were to spill out, it was way more than the required amount to win the challenge.

Winter grinned. "We finally got to put our skills to use. Let's just hope we don't get caught with the bucket before we need to give it away." The two began to sneak down the mountain again, hoping to avoid getting caught by anyone.


Chander: "Ever since Alessia strong-armed me into that vote, I've felt like I wasn't really in this game one hundred percent, but now, with strong allies like Winter, Shion, and maybe even Winslow, I feel like I might actually have a shot at winning this!" He grinned. "Look out, everyone, because here I come!"


When they returned, Winslow was waiting for them. "You have finally returned," they pointed out. "And, it seems your journey was fruitful. Well done." They then pointed to the other person nearby. "Team Gorgeous has finished with their windows, and Setsuna has been assisting me." They looked and saw the archeologist putting in the last window for the shack that was originally Syd and Persephone's. "Would it not be smart to remove that bucket from the vicinity for now?"

Chander quickly ran the bucket inside his shack, under the bed. The slam from the door on his way out alerted the archeologist. "Oh, you're back," Setsuna said with a bored tone. "We've been doing your windows, since that's not actually the challenge. Zenthus is busy prepping for dinner now, so whatever you did doesn't matter." She shrugged. "Just give me a hand with these last two." Winter and Chander gladly helped out finishing the windows.

As they worked, Setsuna looked back at her team's area. "Come on, Shion. Come on, Sasha. We need this win."


WOODS, CREVICE

After a grueling day, the three removed contestants made their way back. Zev was carrying a medium-weighted bag, filled with the animals he managed to find on their outing. Alessia's bag was much smaller, and other than the one or two lumps, it looked nearly empty. The big difference was Persephone and Thea. Both had giant bags filled to the brim with fresh meat.

"We should weigh these when we get back," Persephone offered. "Tie a rope to the two bags and hang it over a tree branch. We'll be able to see who caught more meat today."

Thea scoffed. "We would need to skin the animals first. Fur is a useful item, but it is not food. I bet your animals were simply furrier. You are insane if you think you actually caught more than me." She was silent for a while. "But...your assistance is still appreciated. If you are interested, I would be okay teaching you some additional fighting techniques to survive against larger animals."

Persephone smirked. "You would be willing to do that? I will humbly accept, but you should know there's not better teacher than me. I self-taught myself all the techniques you witnessed within the week. I am quite skilled."

"It hardly matters," Thea mentioned. "Your work was efficient for trapping small creatures, but against a larger animal like a bear or deer, your lack of fundamentals would put you in danger. That is where I come in."

The princess laughed. "So be it."


Persephone: "I managed to befriend Thea," she said with a cocky grin. "No one else has come close. It was quite simple too. I impressed her with my skills, and she had enough of a brain to recognize the greatness I have. The others haven't caught on yet."


Behind them, Alessia and Zev still sat in bitter silence. They were not happy they were in the woods together, they weren't happy that they were on the same team, and definitely weren't happy that they were stuck on the same alliance. "I don't get Persephone's reasoning for keeping your existence a secret," Zev said in a quiet voice to keep Thea from hearing.

"Because she's loyal to me, not your dumb team," Alessia pointed out. "We're the only ones who have been on both teams, and we don't like each other. So, I said that no one would see it coming, and you sure didn't. That means no one else will." She smirked. "I'd watch your back tonight. It takes one flip for a tie to happen, and if I really want to see you squirm to stay in this game, I can make it happen."

Zev groaned.


Zev: "And just as quickly as she was on my side, she isn't anymore," he complained. "I would have preferred Sasha or Setsuna, but now I need to decide which one of them is more dangerous to me. I truly don't think they won whatever challenge it was. If it was anything physical, Chander probably cleaned up."


MEETING HALL, CREVICE

The six challenge participants were already gathered in the meeting hall, waiting for the others to return. "I can't tell how many coins they have," Shion said, trying to investigate the other team. "Maybe our eleven will be enough."

"Fifteen makes a tie now," Sasha pointed out. "With Zenthus holding onto that last coin, there's only thirty."

Just then, the three others entered the room with Thea. "Give me those, now." Thea held out her hands. Zev, Alessia, and Persephone handed over the animals they had caught. "Bye." Thea carried the bags out with haste, making a small note of the coins sitting near Team Gorgeous before leaving.

Chris gave the three sit-outs a smile. "Welcome back, great providers!" he said with a laugh. "Isn't that fun, you got me food!" He cleared his throat. "Anyway, let's do this fast. Team Persephone, all three of you stayed in the challenge the whole time. Team Gorgeous, you lost Setsuna, but it only cost you one coin. Let's see who had the most coins."

Sasha stepped forward. "We managed to find eleven coins. Had we gotten that other one, it'd be twelve, but no use complaining about it now." She handed the coins over to Chris, who counted them up and nodded.

"Well done, Team Gorgeous," Chris applauded. "A few more would have guaranteed the win, so you better hope Team Persephone did worse than you. Team Persephone, how many did you get?"

Winter chuckled. "Um, so...you kinda just said that the most coins wins, not out of the pile, so we had a solid idea, I think." The bandwagoner then produced the bucket of coins Chris had shown them at the start, much to the surprise of everyone in the room but Chander and Winslow.

"Woah!" Chris said with a shocked face. "I was just up there and didn't notice a thing! Since it was worded in a way that allows this rule change, I'm going to allow it. That means today's challenge goes to Team Persephone!" The two bucket thieves high-fived, while Winslow had a satisfied look on their face.

Team Gorgeous did not look as happy. Shion glared at Sasha, who carefully looked over at Setsuna. Zev and Alessia glared at each other, and Persephone just looked entirely confused at what had happened to her team and why it was suddenly collapsing."


Persephone: "What happened today? I thought we had a four-way alliance to take people out, and the other two thought they were safe. Why are we all so tense?" She groaned. "Whatever. I'm just talking to Zev and voting with him. I do not have time for these children to bicker at me."


TEAM PERSEPHONE

Two of the three winners for the day were relaxing in Chander's shack. "Chris said he didn't even realize that the bucket was fake!" Chander said excitedly. "I mean, that means it was super good. And, we won the challenge because of it. Thanks for encouraging me to do that, Winter."

The bandwagoner grinned. "I'm glad I could help. I was worried that if I pushed an idea that no one else wanted to do it'd go bad, but it actually went really well." She sighed. "Too bad we have a tiny team. I think we're going to get picked off unless we can win the next two challenges too."

Chander shook his head. "We might not be totally gone. We need two people to flip. From what Shion told me about Monty's elimination, we can deduce that Zev, and Persephone are working together, and that Sasha and Setsuna are working together. I think without a doubt, one of those pairs split. We can convince Shion and Alessia to play with us."

Winter nodded. "Okay...Shion I get, since you two hang out a lot, but how are we going to convince Alessia to work with us? She's only looking after herself."

"Because she believes that you'll fold if she flirts with you again," Chander told the bandwagoner. "All you need to do is convince Alessia that you're still into her, and she'll be on our side. She won't like working with Winslow again, but it'll get us all to the end, so when she turns on us, we can just vote her off."

"I like that plan, I think," Winter said nervously. "But I don't think I'd be good enough at lying that long. I mean, I could probably trick her for a day, maybe, but I don't think it'd go well if she caught on."

Chander sighed. "I kinda thought you'd say that. That's okay, we'll figure something else out." He pulled out a deck of cards. "Wanna play some poker? It wouldn't be great with two people, but it'll at least keep our minds sharp."

"Sounds good," Winter said, as Chander began dealing out a round.

Once again, Winter won every single round.


Chander: "They are good at bluffing," Chander noted. "I think Winter just isn't confident in her own skills yet. But, between the presentation challenge, the lock picking, and a bunch of small things in the rescue challenge, they're definitely one of the most skilled people here."


SHAMAN TEMPLE, CREVICE

Winslow wandered into the temple again, this time with only Gregor present. Setsuna was likely back talking strategy. "Ah, Winslow, you've come back," Gregor said amicably. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I had heard of the kind words you had offered to Zenthus regarding my abilities," Winslow mentioned. "However, it has led to quite a curious offer. Would you be willing to discard a lifestyle if something interested you enough? Do shamans need to stay in one spot?"

Gregor shrugged. "Not really. I think if you're concerned about what he asked you, you should consider spending more than a few hours thinking about it. Obviously, this is a large decision that should not be taken lightly. I am surprised to hear that Zenthus offered you a place permanently in Crevice. I guess that means he plans on staying around and not moving."

"That appears to be the case," Winslow agreed. "However, would you not seek advice from a higher council if you had the ability to do so? I believe that is my greatest chance of success." They stared at the shaman staff laying against the wall. "I would like to attempt to summon an Advisory."

The shaman gritted his teeth. "Winslow, Reckonings are hard enough, and you only managed your first today. The spirits...don't tend to enjoy the presence of non-shamans. But, I can't just get their advice about you for you, any Advisory I summon would only be for me. So, I can try and assist you. But, I have to warn you, this isn't your basic summon, it requires immense willpower."

Winslow nodded. "So be it."


Winslow: "I have never been one to stay in one place very long. However, with this show nearing its halfway point, perhaps even past it, I must consider where I will go next. Crevice is not something that can be explored to completion within two weeks, but perhaps in two months. I do not know if I wish to stay in that spot so long. There is much to consider, and if this is my path, the spirits should say so."


TEAM GORGEOUS

The scrambling of all scrambling had begun on the losing team. Instantly, Shion approached Sasha and Setsuna, who were relaxing in Sasha's shack. "Thank you for waiting," Sasha commented as the cover artist made his way in. "Now, you've had time to prepare your thoughts. We're willing to hear you out, but know we have a counter prepared."

"Right," Shion agreed. "Thanks for at least listening. Not everyone's so good at that. I heard Persephone locked herself in her shack, and now that there's windows, we can't just shout in." He shrugged. "I know you two are targeting me or Zev tonight, and Zev assured me he thinks we're safe, but I don't really believe him. So, I was hoping...you'd consider voting off Zev instead of me."

Setsuna smirked. "I kinda like that idea, actually," she said. "That was going to be a counter offer. We sort of thought you'd focus on Alessia, but you actually thought this through. Obviously, we're sort of stuck without Alessia here to finalize things, but it's something we'd like to think about. But, if you're set on voting for Zev, I think you'll be just fine."

"Agreed," Sasha commented. "Persephone is certainly the wild card, and the fact that she hasn't done anything after the challenge means she is set on her decision and not changing it. But, with us three and Alessia, it should be a done deal."

Shion smiled. "Thank you, and I promise that if we keep winning, whenever we merge, I'll stick with the team. I really don't want to lose because I flipped."

Shion left the room, and like a revolving door, someone else entered. "There you all are!" Alessia said with a cocky grin. "I was hoping we could have a little talk about the vote." She smirked. "I know we were set on taking Shion down, but what if we shifted. I think Zev got a little too comfortable after the Monty vote. This oughta knock him down a peg."

To her surprise, her suggestion was met with total confidence. "We're in," Setsuna agreed instantly.

"Shion actually just stopped by, and he wants in on that too. That makes it four votes, so whatever Persephone has decided does not matter," Sasha explained. "That settles our decisions then. I suppose the scrambling can stop."

"Cool, I'm gonna rest before the vote then," Alessia mentioned. "See ya later!"

Once Alessia left, Setsuna turned to Sasha. "This almost feels too easy. What's the catch?" She put her hand to her chin. "Four votes, which means a tie even if one of them was lying, and they're coming to us about a vote." She groaned. "What's the problem? Why don't I feel like we have the power?"

The revolving door continued. A few minutes after Alessia had left, Zev knocked on the door. "I suppose this will be our answer," Sasha commented. She shouted to let Zev in. "Come in!"

Zev stepped through the shack. "Look," he said, "this news brings me no joy, but I decided I'm not ruthless. I wanted to share that one of you two is being eliminated tonight. I can't share who exactly yet." Neither of the girls looked like they believed him. "Shion was in here a bit ago, right?"

"Yeah, he was," Sasha agreed. "But the conversation may not be what you think. He said that if he was spared he would join us in-"

"Join you in voting me off," Zev finished. "Yeah...nothing personal, but you are the tightest alliance in this game. It has to be separated, and that means the other four of us are working together tonight. Alessia is not happy about it, but unfortunately for her, it isn't her decision. Persephone is voting with me, and so are Shion and Alessia. Without any idols in the game, that's just how this will go."

Setsuna smirked. "Yeah, I still don't buy it. Alessia was-" A hand wave from Sasha cut her off. Setsuna promptly went quiet.

"Alessia was what?" Zev asked curiously. "Finish that statement for me."

"Alessia was allied with Persephone?" Sasha asked. Zev nodded. "That is troubling. Well, thanks for sharing. We won't quit, but this may cause whoever is left to flip," she warned.

Zev nodded. "I get that. Sorry for the bad news." With that, the cold stone left the shack, making it just the two allied girls again.

"Zev has no reason to know about Alessia," Sasha explained. "We will have to test ourselves against him in a tie, assuming that Alessia was not lying for her own personal gain."


Shion: "I still feel like I'm gonna get a ton of votes tonight," he admitted. "Maybe even all five. I have to go with whoever I trust the most...but Chander's on the other team. Who do I trust here?"

Sasha: "I am starting to believe Zev," she explained. "We won't beat Zev in a tiebreaker, but we will be Shion. That might be a better option. I just don't know if Alessia will do that."

Zev: "All the pieces are in place," he said confidently. "That just leaves dealing with the aftermath."

Alessia: "Time to turn the tables," she said with a smirk. "Once that large pest is gone, the tiny one will be no problem."


ELIMINATION X, TEAM GORGEOUS

More on guard tonight, Chef was patrolling the circle around the fire to make sure a scenario like the day before did not happen. Meanwhile, the six Team Gorgeous members entered the fire circle, and sat on the logs. Sasha, Setsuna, and Alessia made their home on the left side, while Persephone, Zev, and Shion went to the right. Chris stood in the middle, holding five rocks. "What a fun day!" Chris said excitedly. "You installed windows, you dug for coins, or, if you were Alessia, Zev, and Persephone, you...got food? What exactly happened today?"

"I got food with Thea," Persephone defended. The princess then pointed at the others. "Those two bickered about who-knows-what all day."

Chris shrugged. "Huh. Well, anyway, because you all couldn't think of a strategy that Chander and Winter managed to figure out, you're sitting here. You had a team double their size and still couldn't win."

"Our team was the same size," Sasha explained. "And, we lost all of our physical players. That was a large miscalculation."

Chris laughed. "Don't care. It's time to reveal our votes! Remember, if you don't get a rock, it's right to the boat, and Chef will escort you over there, drop you off at Loser Island, and you better hope you think you're in it to win it." He held up the first rock.

"The first rock of the night goes too...Shion." Somehow, despite the multiple times he had been told he was safe, Shion looked shocked to be getting the first rock, meaning he had no votes against him. Zev gave him a reassuring smile, but looked nervous now himself.

"Persephone." The arrogant princess smirked as she caught her rock, tossing it up and down in her hand.

"Alessia." The streamer also looked unsurprised by her safety, and stuck her tongue out at Zev, who finally realized what was happening.

"Sasha." The temptress let out a giant sigh of relief, happy to see she was still safe, but looked over nervously at Setsuna.

Chris held up the final rock. "Setsuna, you're a physical threat with a lot of strong connections, and Zev, you're a physical threat with a lot of connections. Both of you definitely scrambled hard to get the results you want, and now we have to see who scrambled the most. Tonight's loser is...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...not decided yet!" Chris pulled the final rock back to his side, leaving a stunned Setsuna and Zev. Zev shot a harsh glare over to Alessia who giggled innocently. "Look, we could do a revote, but do any of you really plan on changing? I've seen this team act." No one responded. "Yeah, about what I thought. Let's not waste our time, and get right into the tiebreaker!"


Persephone: "I knew Alessia was an easy switcher, but with such a locked-in vote, she still chose to double-cross us? She'll pay for that for sure. No matter how this tiebreaker goes, this magical final four is clearly not happening."


Chris brought forward two buckets of coins and a small platform for each participant. "Zev, Setsuna, your challenge will be stacking the coins Winter and Chander brought back to me. I will tell you to pick from the small coin bucket, or the large coin bucket every minute. The first person to have their coin tower fall is eliminated and sent to Loser Island."

Setsuna took the spot on the left, while Zev took the spot on the right. "Let's start off easy, with a large coin," Chris ordered. Both participants put a large coin on their platform, which was about waist height for both. Both had no problem with that, as it was impossible to spill a coin tower of one.

"Small coin next," Chris told them. Again, no issue. Chris then called out: large coin, small coin, small coin, large coin, large coin, small coin, small coin. Once that next small coin was on there, the towers both began to wobble. Both used the small windows when stacking coins to try and fix any balance problems.

Setsuna was laser focused, but still nervously looking over at Zev's tower every minute or so to check on it. Zev kept his eyes down, only working on what he needed to see. "Large coin." Both placed the next coin on their tower, definite wobbles coming from both sides. "Large coin." At this one, one of the towers finally fell over...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...Setsuna's tower had fallen down. "Setsuna's tower has fallen, she's out of the game. Zev, you are safe." Chris tossed a rock over to Zev, who looked relieved.

Setsuna sighed. "That stinks...and on a challenge I could have beat Zev on too." She laughed. "Well played, Zev, at least I can leave knowing your alliance isn't as strong as you thought it was."

Zev sighed. "Yeah, I was thinking about that too. I'm glad I was able to eliminate you for being a giant threat, and not for the first few days. Thanks for being a good shack partner."

The archeologist smirked. "Oh? You're acting like I'm going home and not to Loser Island. That's right, I'm gonna win, and I'm gonna be right back here. See you soon, Sasha." Sasha gave her a warm smile before the archeologist and Chef walked off to the boat near Rodin's hut, and just like that, she was gone.

Chris turned to the others. "The five of you are still safe. Get some rest, because tomorrow is a big day!" With that ominous warning, they all went back to their shacks.


Zev: "Well, look at that, I don't have to worry about Alessia anymore. Shion, Persephone, and I are just going to vote her off next. Her reign of terror ends here."


"Things are collapsing even more at Team Gorgeous!" Chris said excitedly. What's in store for everyone tomorrow? Can Alessia bounce back from her flip? Can Sasha bounce back from losing Setsuna? What will Winslow decide to do? Find out all that and more, next time, on Total! Drama! Ancient Abodes!"


LOSER ISLAND

As Setsuna pulled up to the island, Chef followed her off. "Sorry, forgot something here last time," he said with an annoyed tone. "Let me grab it and be on my way." The two made their way over to the main beach, where everyone was gathered to see who got eliminated.

"No way..." Klase muttered. "These eliminations are getting crazier and crazier. I would have thought you were coming to this place a week from now."

Setsuna grumbled. "Well, at least I took Zev's alliance and tore it up before I left. But Persephone told us what happens here." She instantly eyed up the sign:

Welcome to the new round of Loser Island. This is not your end. There may still be one last chance to redeem yourself.

"Well, this competition is gonna keep getting fiercer and fiercer," Monty told her. "Because I'm not one who's gonna give up my shot at going back there for a million bucks."

"Me neither," Faye told them. "I need that money, and if we get a shot, I want it."

Setsuna turned to Faye and Monty. "Good, I love a fun match!" A rock got thrown at her, courtesy of Harvey. "Ow! Really?" Regaining her focus, she looked back at Chef. "What'd you forget here anyway?"

Chef walked up and grabbed the sign that had greeted everyone, and chucked it into the water. "One of you fools," he said boldly. "That's right, get ready, because your last chance to get in this game starts right now."


Vote Confessionals:

Alessia: "Zev is so out of here! The fact Shion was in on it too is just all the sweeter! I really hope Persephone doesn't screw this plan up somehow."

Persephone: "This should be an easy vote, and I'm going to be livid if it isn't. Sorry, Setsuna, you are the biggest threat in the game."

Sasha: "Part of me wants to vote for Setsuna, because I'd rather she do a tiebreaker instead. But, I'll just have to have faith. I'm voting for Zev."

Setsuna: "Zev has to go. He's gaining numbers fast, but if Shion and Alessia weren't lying, we should be in good shape."

Shion: "I think I tricked them. I hope I did, at least. I'm voting for Setsuna, because it'll keep me in the game longer."

Zev: "This vote should be the easiest one yet, with no downsides except keeping Sasha loyal to Team Gorgeous. Oh well, cross that bridge when we get there. I vote for Setsuna."


Current Teams:

Team Gorgeous: Alessia, Persephone, Sasha, Shion, Zev

Team Persephone: Chander, Winslow, Winter

Eliminated: Harvey, Kaif, Syd, Faye, Klase, Monty, Nicolette, Setsuna


What a big chapter! Once again, this is the longest one so far. I feel bad it took so long, but the plan is to have the next one out by the end of the year. Plus, you are getting a slight double feature as the next mini is coming! With Setsuna joining the terrifying group of Monty, Harvey, and other super strong competitors, it's anyone's game for who could be coming back in! That will be the final Loser Island challenge, so from now on, it's all pain, no gain for the people who are eliminated. The elimination chart will be updated next time to show off final places too.

Setsuna takes the fall in the most comically boring challenge I think I have ever done. She is such a fun character and I am really glad that she and Sasha both have a giant history nerd side that I could explore more in a season like this compared to other seasons where it's more flirt and no dirt. I am also willing to bet that nobody else has even ever written a window installation challenge. Hopefully some of the antics with the hunters and Chander and Winter were enough to keep you entertained.

Anyway, I will save you the long author's note here, since I'm sure you're eager to see who's coming back in the game. I hope the Loser Island mechanic doesn't feel super unfair. I did want it to serve as an idol replacement and have people plan eliminations around something that wasn't just 'who's allied with who'. Let me know what you thought of today's episode in the reviews! See you soon for our second comeback challenge!