"WELCOME TO THE TEAM SISTERS!" Kylie declared.
"Pleasure to be here!" Chestnut and Bitty curtsied.
Amelia whispered fearfully, 'One day... seven to go.'
'Too bad, she understood the duty of an object better than anyone,' thought the candy.
Lilly hugged herself, seeing her fellow cat girl be obliterated (which wasn't usual cat-girl behavior), even if she was a stuck-up...
"Well that was surprising."
Henrietta seemed to appear out of nowhere behind Keith.
Keith startled and whirl around at the teenage witch.
"I was sure that Chester was going to last at least to the semi-finals. After all, the leeches who run this TV station need at least one heel for the audience to boo against until the final round so they cheer the 'hero' victory... But such surprises come with the territory I suppose. So boy-"
"You're no longer than me!"
"-as I saying boy. Since you managed to topple Chester, I'll curse you with some truth, and bless you with a warning. For my curse, Chester's cat girl maids, having been reborn as blank slates, would have eventually evolved their own sense of self, identity, regardless of their own revulsion to it. Freed totally from the burdens of their former selves. What Chester fought for, regardless of his own words, was peace, calm, and serenity. His sisterhood would have reached a state of harmony unseen by any.
"And for my blessing of information, beware Brady. That neanderthal is determined. All of us who played this game of personality-death are of course, but he isn't fighting just for himself. He is fighting for the sister he has conjured back into existence. There is no greater force in the mortal world than for a beast to fight to protect its pack. Avoid challenging him at all costs if you wish to extend what time you have left as the self you are now."
"What about you?" Keith pushed his lips together.
"I fight for power BEYOND the mortal world. No matter that cave man's undying love for his family, it won't eclipse my darkness. But he is a wary opponent, so I'll save him for the final round."
"You sound like some trite evil overlord."
"Well, my favorite cartoon IS, 'What if I Woke Up One Day And Was an Evil Overlord.' Well, that and Patisar The Friendly Poltergeist."
The host should have called time for the next game before this, but the audience was eating up this drama.
"I'll go next Mr. Announcer," called Henrietta. "After all, with Chester gone, and the spoiled brat didn't even make it passed round one, and I took care of that stupid 'totally eighteen' myself, you need SOMEONE to act as the 'villain' for this episode am I right?"
"W-well if you are offering! But please do not delay in picking an opponent or the computer will chose for you."
"Please, you know your audience love a bit of tension. I'm actually curious what kind of what kind of 'big cat' harem girls Randal will create next so I'll leave him be for now. And I have no desire to commit suicide by facing the big surfer ape right now. So do I eliminate the pathetic nothing, the cowboy? Or the gamer? The nothing I'll leave for someone else to munch on, or see him continue to slither his way to victory. The gamer girl is amusing, so I'll leave her to someone else to deal with. That leaves the cowboy. I'll challenge Buck."
Again, the host should have called time, but Henrietta was hamming it up so completely that the audience just wanted more.
"Alright ya wicked witch of the west! Time for ya to melt!"
"I'm not that kinda witch you buffoon."
"You're getting yours all the same!"
"Oh yes. I'm certain I'll get everything I've earned for myself. 15 sacrifices to my benefactor earned. Your dreams of your ranch growing beyond its station, end here."
"I challenge ya to taming the-"
"Nuh-uh. You can't make the same challenge you've used before in the same episode, isn't that right?"
The Host responded, "Yes, yes it is true."
"Dangnabbit really?! Ah musta missed that part!"
"I challenge you to a game of 'catch the fire ball!'" Henrietta declared.
"NO WAY!"
"Humph." Henrietta laughed. "Oh well. I wanted to see if the trend of everyone accepting obviously unwinnable contests was going to continue! Or remembering they can say no to them."
"Well I challenge you to a lasso contest!"
"Not interested."
"Sir! Miss! I must inform you that if you cannot chose a contest, then the computer will chose one for you!"
"Laser tag." Henrietta said simply.
"Ya think Ah don't know to be a sharp shooter? Bring it!"
The walls of a laser tag arena appeared. Along with a fog machine. The zappers and target vests appeared on them. The two were directed to opposite sides of the arena, and a buzzer sounded. Buck crept along, keeping his eyes on the ground in case the witched hide along the ground, and above in case she tried to climb on the walls, and in all directions when he could in case she went for the direct approach.
He was so set for any surprise that the moment he saw the dark figure he fired at once. In the darkness and fog, it took him a moment to realize it was Henrietta's cloak propped up on her slits. And that was all Henrietta needed to come out of her hiding spot and fire.
In a flash the arena and the toys were gone.
In the center of the arena that had been buck was replaced with a cute nekomimi cat girl with bright brown hair. Her eyes were large and blue, and she was the picture of 'innocent child sacrifice.' She wore a plain white dress with a rope belt. Her hair was long and combed, and a crown of flowers in her hair. Ropes were tied around her arms and legs.
"Ooooooh! Thank you mistress!" She hopped up and down. "I can wait to be a tasty morsel for a demon to get you even more power! You're the greatest witch to ever live!"
"Not yet." Henrietta grinned and patted the sacrifice on the head. The sacrifice purred in response.
Carly meanwhile, in the same flash of light, had turned into a life size chocolate devil's food cake. Laying on her back, no arms or legs. Exaggerated breasts and hips, with a oversized frosting grin on her face. A glass dome was placed around her, with a 'demon's only' message with nightmarish symbols engraved in the silver frame of the base, making it impossible for any but a demon to open.
'Welcome to the demon food club sister!' The candy said.
'It's an honor to be the desert for main course!'
'Hey! Then what am I?' The candy asked indignant.
'The after treat of course candy.'
'Oh, right cake, of course.'
"I don't wanna be a demon cake!" Lilly gasped.
"Don't worry, you can be a cookie instead!" Henrietta laughed.
And Keith realized, no, Henrietta was way worse than Chester had been.
And Brady became all that more determined to protect his sister.