Survivor: Okinawa
Episode #13b- The Three Samurai
by Mario Lanza



Miyagi Tribe (red): Mike Ruff, Isabella Smith, Amy Twieg




Day 37 - Late Night



Mike Ruff walked alone, a solitary figure walking all by himself through the dark Okinawan forest. He cut through trees, ducked under vines, and plodded his way through patches and patches of mud... all with the sole purpose of getting himself back home again. Mike had to get back to camp, he had to meet up with Amy and Isabella, and he had to get himself back into the action.

Because medical condition or not, it was time for Mike to get himself back into this game.

Although his trip to the infirmary tonight had only been a precaution, Mike was still more than a little bit worried about his current physical state. Because passing out at Tribal Council tonight was -not- something he had expected to do, nor was it something that happened to him on a routine basis. And whether it had been caused by the stress of the game... the complete lack of nutrients in his body... or the shock at seeing Michelle take a dagger to save him... Mike knew that something was wrong. And he knew that tonight had just been a warning. It very well could have been much worse.

"Well, I just got back from the med lodge," he admitted sheepishly, as he waited for the boat that was going to take him back to Yamako. "Because when Michelle drew that dagger tonight, I got woozy and almost passed out. Something to do with low sugar levels... and my heart racing... and just a little too much stress all at once." Mike shrugged, still looking embarrassed. "I'm fine now though, don't worry about me. I guess I'm just not as tough as I've been trying to lead everyone to believe..."

Mike stood there, silently staring out to sea as his boat came nearer and nearer to shore. His taxi was almost here, and that meant it was time to once again put on his game face. It was time to go finish his mission to the end.

"All medical issues aside...," he chuckled, "I -definitely- have some opinions about Emma's little stunt at Tribal Council. Don't think I wasn't gonna comment on that." He glanced over towards Yamako, where he could see the fire that Amy and Isabella had started for the night. He could see it all the way over here on the mainland. "I always had a feeling that Emma would pull something sneaky like that. I always knew she might try to force a tie. Because while it may have hurt, it certainly wasn't much of a surprise. After all, she'd already backstabbed Kamiya at least once... if not twice... before."

Mike scowled, thinking back to the many times Isabella had promised there wouldn't be a tie vote. Man, she had set them up... and she had set them up -good-. This had probably been her plan all along.

"I have to give her credit though," Mike admitted, "Because it -was- the right move. It was the right move for her to make... even if it -did- screw me over once again. But, hey..." He shrugged. "At least my luck held true in the end, and for that I'll have to be grateful. Not to mention grateful to Michelle..."

He sighed, already missing his friend Michelle. Because he still couldn't believe she had risked taking a dagger, just to stick up for Mike. She had done it. She had kept her word and she had stood up to Isabella. All on -his- behalf. And he wouldn't ever be able to forget that.

"Michelle was a woman of her word," Mike remarked, "And though Emma has already told me that Michelle wanted me out... deep down it doesn't really make a difference. I don't -care- what Michelle wanted. Because the truth is that Michelle could have said anything she wanted, but she -never- acted on it. She never acted on it, but Emma did. -Twice-." Mike darkened. "Emma has been responsible for knocking out my two closest allies in Okinawa, Michelle and Ryan. And for that... she's -never- going to win this game."

Mike turned to the camera now, grinning slightly. And it wasn't a happy grin at all. The look on Mike's face was as cold as the water was deep. It was Mike's "vengeance grin."

"One of the things you don't know about me," he finally said, "Is that revenge is one of my strongest driving factors. I always get vengeance, I always win in the end, and it's now time that I have to do something about Emma. Because she -can't- get away with this, I simply won't let her."

He paused for a moment, watching as his boat finally came into shore. The driver hopped out and started to moor it to a rigging on the beach.

"Ultimately," Mike continued, "I just want to make sure Emma doesn't make it to the final two. That would be the sweetest revenge of them all." He chuckled. "Because right now... if I win immunity tomorrow... I can choose to take Emma or Amy to the end. And while Emma is the much smarter choice, I can't completely rule out the option to take Amy with me... just for spite. And this is going to be a -tough- decision for me. It's not one that I will take lightly. At all."

With the help of the driver, Mike boarded the boat back to Yamako. He sat down, smiling as he leaned up against the side of the boat. Because no matter what happened, win or lose, he was going to go back and he was going to take his revenge on Isabella. Because no matter what happened at the end of this game, Isabella was going to realize that she had crossed the line. She was going to realize that she went -too- far tonight. And Mike was going to make sure that she would -never- forget.

"The plan when I get back," he finished, "Is that I won't be allowing Emma to sleep in my shelter. Because that's right, it is -my- shelter. I built it, I maintained it, and she can sleep her butt out in the sand for all I care tonight. She can sleep out there and catch pneumonia. And I won't have pity for her at all." He grinned. "And sure, it's childish and immature, but I need to make some kind of a stand. I need to teach her some sort of a lesson."

He paused for a moment, then laughed.

"But as always, there -is- a method to my madness. I mean, come on, I invented the gnome strategy! I always have a hidden agenda!" He smiled. "Because while Emma is sleeping on the cold, wet sand, she'll also wake up weak and worn down tomorrow for the challenge. She won't get a good night's sleep, she'll have no energy tomorrow, and this should be a factor in making sure she doesn't win that final immunity."

He turned back to look at Yamako, as the boat finally pulled away from shore.

And he had a smile on his face.

A vindictive one.

"I will stop at -nothing- to win," he promised. "The game is now on, and Emma's about to find that out. Because I am -so- ready for tomorrow."



^^


Mike came back to camp just after midnight. And he was greeted by the sight of Amy and Isabella, who were both sitting next to the campfire. Both of them were trying to stay warm, and both of them had been concerned about Mike's health. So both of them had waited for him to return.

"Hey Mike," Isabella smiled, "How are you feeling?"

"Hi Mike," smiled Amy.

But Mike was in no mood for chitchat. He simply turned his gaze to the Kamiyan traitor, Emma, and he started right in on her. He didn't even say hello.

"I think it really sucked what you did tonight, Emma. And I will -never- forgive you for this."

"But Mike..."

"That tie was totally uncalled for and I hope you're happy with yourself. I -really- hope you are."

Isabella paused for a long moment, not really sure of what to say. Because she knew Mike was furious... and she also knew that Mike could be unstable when he was upset. So she was going to tread very cautiously here.

"Don't be mad, Mike," she said finally. "You should just be proud of Michelle instead. Because my loyalty was to her... but hers was to -you-. And she did it for you..."

"I -am- proud of her," Mike said. "I love Michelle. She's the greatest. But I can't say the same about you."

Isabella looked down at the sand, trying to diffuse this as best as she could. Because this wasn't how she had planned for all this to happen. This wasn't the outcome she had intended at all. Damn that Michelle for screwing all this up tonight!

"I understand," she said quietly.

"Do you?" Mike bellowed. "-Do- you understand? Do you even really give a crap??"

"I just did what I thought I needed to do," Isabella said sadly. "I did what I thought it would take to get to the final two." She paused, then looked up at Mike. "But now it looks like I might not make it anymore."

"Maybe you won't."

"But I knew...," Isabella explained, "That if Michelle won final three immunity, she would take you. And I knew that if you won, you would take her. Because she made deals with both of us, Mike. She had deals with -both- of us."

"Well you just did what you had to do," Mike said sternly. "You did, and you'll have to live with it. Because I don't forgive you. Nor do I respect you."

"Alright," Isabella sighed.

"You have ridden my coattails -all- game," Mike suddenly screamed. "You've coasted along behind me all game, and you've repeatedly voted off the only people I even -care- about!"

"Oh?" Isabella said, somewhat snidely. "Is that right?"

"You are -dead- to me," Mike poked a finger in her face. "I don't even want to see you anymore."

"Mike but..."

"YOU ARE DEAD TO ME!"

Amy winced as Mike yelled this last line into the night sky. But so far, she was just happy she was sitting over here to the side. Mike and Isabella both seemed to have forgotten that she was even here. And Amy had -absolutely- no problem with that at all.

"Well listen to this, Mike," Isabella said, "You care about Michelle, right? And you think she was your best friend?"

Mike just glared.

"Well Michelle wasn't loyal to you at all," Isabella said. "She wanted to vote you off at final seven. And it was -me- who got the vote turned around against Hogan. I did it single-handedly. It was supposed to be you instead!"

"That's nice," Mike sneered.

"It's true!" Isabella said. "You can ask Amy. Or when the game is over, ask all of them. Anybody can verify this, everybody knew but you."

"Oh no. Don't bring me into this," Amy said, quickly standing up. She started to walk away. "This is between you two. I'll be down at the beach if either of you need me."

But Mike didn't even hear Amy speak. He was still focusing on Isabella. So Amy was able to slip away quietly and into the darkness. She figured she would come back when all this was over. Hopefully the damage would be done by then. Hopefully some bridges would be burned by the time she got back.

"I can't believe a word that comes out of your mouth anymore," Mike said to Isabella. "Because I'm just so pissed at you.'

"I can see that," Isabella said, "And you have every right to be."

"And I'm going to make sure you don't win," Mike promised. "That's all I can do at this point. I can make sure I avenge what you did to Ryan and what you did to Michelle. Because you no longer deserve to win."

"You can do anything you want," Isabella retorted, "But I -am- telling you the truth. -Nobody- here has been loyal to you. Michelle was no saint. She wanted you gone as much as anybody else!"

Mike scoffed.

"It's true!" Isabella implored. "You would have been gone at final seven if it hadn't been for me!"

"So let me get this straight," Mike laughed. "You're saying you once saved me from Michelle and now I should be grateful??"

"Of course not," Isabella sighed. "I tried to vote you off tonight, you don't owe me anything. I'm just telling you not to deify Michelle. She didn't have any sort of deal with you, Mike. She only forced a tie tonight to keep me from getting my way again. She didn't do it for -you-. She did it for -herself-!"

Mike just glared.

"She isn't your friend, Mike. She tried to vote you out..."

"BUT SHE NEVER CAST A VOTE FOR ME!" Mike now bellowed, in a very Rupert-like manner, "SHE -NEVER- DID. BUT YOU DID. AND YOU DID IT TONIGHT!"

Isabella knew this was going to be pointless. Because while Michelle had been a pushover, Mike was nothing of the sort. Michelle could be bullied... Michelle could be cajoled... but Mike was just going to have to let off some steam. She knew she wouldn't be able to sway his opinion at all, no matter how hard she was willing to try.

"So you want me to forgive you," Mike asked, "Because you were bad... but Michelle was bad too. Is that it?"

"No," Isabella sighed. "I just want you to respect my vote. And know that it wasn't -personal-. I was only trying to get to the final two..."

"Well I understand that," Mike said, "But I can still be pissed. And I can still hate you."

"Sure," Isabella smiled. "But just keep in mind that Michelle wasn't always good to you. And neither was I."

Mike said nothing.

"And chances are," Isabella shrugged, "You're probably going to win this game now, because Michelle more or less ruined it for me. She was my only chance to win in the final two." She started to laugh. "So if you want to hate me too on top of that, well please just go right ahead."

"Michelle was good to me when it counted," Mike said, "And we're done talking about Michelle. This is between you and me now. Let Michelle rest in peace."

"Well just wait 'til the game is over," Isabella said, "Wait till you see it on TV. Wait till you see what she thought of you."

Mike just crossed his arms and glared. He wasn't going to discuss Michelle anymore. Because he knew that his alliance with Michelle had been real. Her actions tonight had proved it. Nothing Isabella said was ever going to change his mind.

"Well you might hate what I did," Isabella now sighed, "But be aware that I -knew- you would have taken Michelle to the final two. Over me. You would have voted me off if Michelle had still been there." She paused, then added. "So I just did what I had to do."

"I understand."

"And you know you can't beat Amy in a final vote," Isabella added softly. "You can hate me all you want, but you know I'm your best bet in that final vote."

Mike said nothing.

"You say you don't want me to win," Isabella continued, "But I don't really think I can. Michelle threw away my chances when she picked that dagger, and I'm not all that pleased about it either." Mike was still silent, so Isabella continued. "If you take me to the final two, Mike... all you're doing is assuring me a second place finish instead of a third. But taking Amy could be the decision that costs you the win..."

"I don't want to talk about this," Mike said. "Now is not the time."

"You're the only player left that Kamiya wants to win," Isabella added, "They hate me and they sure don't like Amy much. So I think they are depending on you to win now. And you taking Amy to the end is going to kill them... especially if you lose. What will Michelle's sacrifice mean then? What if Amy ends up winning? "

"Well I'll sleep on it," Mike said. "Because I -am- going to win it for them. I'm going to win it for Ryan and I'm going to win it for Michelle. And I'm going to win it just so -you- won't."

"Good," smiled Isabella.

Mike sat down now, wearily. It had already been a long night. He was just looking forward to going to sleep.

"I'm sorry that you hate me, Mike," Isabella smiled as she came over to sit next to him. "I'm really sorry that it came to this. But please be aware that I've always liked you."

"I've always liked you too," Mike said softly. "That's why tonight hurt so much."

"But I -did- save you at the final seven," Isabella added. "And I only did what I had to tonight. None of it has ever been personal. After the game you're going to see that."

"I know."

"And I hope we're still going to be friends," Isabella smiled. "No matter what happens."

"Oh I'm sure we will," Mike said. "After the game, anyway. But for the rest of the game I'm going to be pissed at you. I just wanted you to know that."

"I understand."

"And after all this, after all that happens tonight and tomorrow," Mike smiled, "We can be friends again. I promise."

"Good." Isabella smiled. "I'd like that."

"But that being said..." Mike grinned. "For tonight, how about you take your clothes... and your backpack... and go sleep down by the beach. How about you get your stuff the hell out of my shelter... because I don't want you in there anymore."

Isabella was caught off guard by this. "Wh... what?" she stammered.

"You heard me," Mike turned to smile at her, coldly. "We can be friends after all this is over. Sure. But for tonight, I don't want you in my shelter. So get your stuff and get the hell out. And be quick about it..."

He stood up and walked away.

"...Because I'm only giving you ten minutes."


^^


After Mike left Isabella back at camp, he walked down to the beach to go catch his breath. Because even though it was after midnight, he was still all revved up from the events that had taken place at Tribal Council. Mike was still pumped up, he was still angry with Isabella, and he doubted he would sleeping a wink tonight at -all-.

"Hey Mike, are you okay?"

It was Amy.

"Oh hey Amy," he said, not realizing she had been sitting here all alone by the shore. He had been so distracted by Isabella that he had barely even noticed her.

"I didn't get a chance to tell you earlier," she said, "But congratulations. Congratulations on making the final three!"

"Heh," he chuckled. "Well thanks. Congratulations to you too."

"And I'm so sorry about Michelle," Amy sympathized. "I feel bad. I know you two were close. She was close to you like Lance was for me. I know how hard that must have been for you. "

"It was," Mike sighed. "That was partly why I passed out, I think. It was just awful to see her go. Especially like that."

"Well I just hope you can understand," Amy smiled, shyly. "I just hope you can understand why I had to vote for you like that. You know I didn't have much of a choice."

"I know."

"And you're feeling alright?" Amy asked. "You're fine now?"

"I am. They said it was just stress. They said I'll be fine."

Mike sighed, then he sat down. And Amy was concerned. She asked him what was wrong.

"It's just Emma," he complained. "She's getting on my nerves and I'm just sick of her. I'm just so tired of her crap. And I don't feel like talking to her for the rest of the game." He turned to look at Amy. "Frankly, I think I'd just rather have her gone."

Suddenly Amy felt a small ray of hope. Just a small bit of sunshine, peeking out from behind the clouds.

"Oh really?" she asked. "Well I can understand. I mean, what she did was pretty crappy..."

"It was."

"Though by that rationale, I'm surprised you would talk to me," Amy shrugged. "After all, I -did- vote for you too."

"Nah," Mike scowled. "Just forget about that. You only did what you had to. You had no other recourse whatsoever. -She- did. She's the one I'm so pissed at."

"I didn't want to vote for you," Amy said, "You know that too. The -only- reason I did is because Emma said she was going to. I only did it to go along with her." She paused, then added. "And it all happened right before we left for the vote. Otherwise I would have warned you. Emma didn't give me much of a chance."

Mike nodded.

"I just wanted to make sure you knew that," Amy said. "I felt like it was important that you knew."

"So what now?" Mike asked, sighing with his head down. "Where do we go from here?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean what if you win immunity tomorrow," Mike asked. "If you manage to pull it out, which one of us are you going to take?"

"I can't win tomorrow," Amy said. "You know as well as I do that I'm spent. I have no energy. I have no strength. I've been a dead woman walking since the merge."

"But what if you -do-?"

"Fine," she grinned. "If we're talking science fiction, then okay... if in some alternate universe I manage to win..."

"Who do you take?"

"I take Emma," Amy said. Then she shrugged. "That's not the answer you want to hear but it's the truth. Because that was the promise I made to Emma last night. I said if she helped me force a tie, if she got me to the final three... I would promise her my loyalty to the end. And she did... so I will. I would have no choice but to vote you out."

Mike said nothing.

"But Emma has made -no- such deal with me," Amy added. "She has -no- loyalty to me and she owes me nothing. And she knows that too."

"All she does is stab people in the back..." Mike sighed.

"Yeah."

"I could -never- have done that to Michelle," Mike said. "I could -never- have blindsided Kamiya like that. Emma is beyond low for what she did to us. And that's the truth."

"I agree."

Mike was silent for a good, long while. He just appeared to be staring out to sea. And Amy said nothing. She knew he was thinking things over, she could tell just from the look in his eyes. Mike was thinking over the most important decision he would make in the game. He was making a life or death decision in his mind, and Amy knew not to bother him until he was ready. You didn't talk to Mike unless he was in the mood to talk. That's just the way it had always been around here.

"Amy," he finally said, "I'm being completely honest here..."

Amy waited.

"... And I just wanted to tell you ahead of time..."

Amy waited some more.

"... That I may give up my chance of winning. I may give up the easy win, just to take you to the finals instead of Emma. I may do it just to shove it right in her stinking face."

Suddenly, Amy wanted to dance with joy. But she just smiled, and nodded. And tried to look as unemotional over this as possible.

"Emma has ridden coattails -all- game," Mike added, "She's done nothing except sneak around and backstab the people who have been protecting her all game. And you know me, I'm not like that." He turned to look at her. "I've actually tried to do the right thing with people. I've tried to treat people with respect, and I think that's something you appreciate."

"I do," nodded Amy. "I try to do the same thing myself."

"I've always said you and I should have started on the same tribe," Mike grinned. "Anyway, If you feel like you owe Emma for forcing the tie... don't. Just remember that she did it for her own selfish reasons. She did it for Emma, not for Amy. You were only a pawn to get her to the end with Michelle."

"Oh I'm -well- aware of that," Amy smiled.

"So don't forget about me," Mike said. "Don't forget that -I- was the one who got you to the final four. -I- was the one who got them to vote out Joni instead of you. And I had no ulterior motive at all. I did it because I liked you, and that's the absolute truth. I just liked and respected you too much to get rid of."

"So if I win immunity," Amy laughed, "Then you want me to take you to the end?"

"Well what challenge would it be to beat Emma? Wouldn't you rather have some competition?"

"That's right!" Amy laughed. "And I would ask the same thing to you. If you win tomorrow, wouldn't you rather face some competition? What fun would it be to walk all over Emma? What kind of ending would that be?"

"I told you I was thinking about it." Mike nodded. "And I am."

"Well good."

"But believe me," Mike said, "I have only one goal in this game right now. After all the crap that's happened lately, there's only one thing I want to happen. And it's one thing I want to happen very badly."

"You want to win."

"Nope," said Mike. And he surprised her with the malicious gleam in his eye. "I just want bad things to happen to Emma. That's all I want right now. I just want to make sure that -nothing- good happens to our little Kamiyan traitor."

"Wow."

"And I will do -everything- in my power to ensure that"



^^



As the evening came to a close, there was one little confrontation that still had yet to take place. There was still one little battle that had yet to be fought. Because Mike might have decreed something.... Mike might have ordered Isabella out of his shelter.... Mike might have threatened her with physical violence.

But that didn't mean she was going to do it.

"No!" Mike said, the minute he had returned to camp. Because he had seen Isabella standing there, lounging around outside the shelter. He saw her standing there, apparently waiting for him for return. And she didn't look like she was going away.

"GET OUT OF HERE!" Mike bellowed. "You aren't wanted here! You're not sleeping in my shelter!"

"Yes I am, Mike."

Amy had no choice but to watch as Mike walked to insert himself in the shelter doorway. Mike just stood there, arms blocking both sides of the entrance. And he stared down at the defiant little woman before him. From Amy's vantage point, he appeared to be nearly twice Isabella's size.

"Move," was all Isabella said.

Mike stood firm.

So Isabella took two steps forward, coming so close that the two of them were nearly touching. Then she looked up at him. She stared him directly in the eye.

"I'm going to duck under your arm," she said, "And I'm going to walk right past you into our shelter. And then I'm going to lay down and I'm going to go to sleep."

"Just try it," Mike growled.

"And if you so much as touch me," Isabella explained patiently, "Not only will they throw you out of the game, but I will file a lawsuit on you so fast that your head will spin. So please Mike, just think about it before I go inside and sleep in my usual spot."

Mike glared down at her.

Isabella glared up at him.

And Amy watched, fascinated... as Isabella calmly ducked her head down and walked right past Mike into the shelter. She laid down, closed her eyes, and soon fell fast asleep.





DAY 38




Isabella Smith was the first one up, as usual. After a few hours of semi-restful sleep, the young student from New York woke up and stole down to the beach, intent on yet another session of early-morning yoga. Because she knew that Jeff was coming to their camp early today, and she wanted to make sure she was up and ready to go when he arrived. And that meant it was time to do some yoga, here under the early morning sky of Okinawa.

But there was something a little different about this morning. Because unlike most mornings, today Isabella was not down here all alone. Today she was not the only one on the beach. Today she had company.

Because on day thirty-eight... for the first time all game... Isabella Smith had actually been followed.

"Hey Emma," smiled Amy, as she walked down the sand towards the beach. She looked groggy. "Doing some yoga?"

"Oh, hey!" smiled Isabella, quickly trying to not act surprised. "Amy! What are you doing up so early?"

"I just wanted to talk to you before the challenge," Amy said, still looking half-asleep. "I wanted to at least have a word with you before Mike got up and we all set off."

"Sure."

"First off... what the heck happened last night?" Amy asked coyly. "Why didn't Michelle switch her vote to Mike? Because she was supposed to do that, wasn't she? You expected her to switch her vote."

"I did!" Isabella exclaimed. "And I just don't understand. I don't know what she was doing. Because she had a final two with me, Amy, and that had -always- been the plan! I have no idea why she shot herself in the foot like that. She had a clear path to victory... and she blew it!"

"It looked to me like her -real- deal was with Mike," Amy shrugged. "And I bet that caught you off guard."

"I guess," said Isabella. "Although I was afraid of that too. I was worried those two might be closer than they appeared." She shrugged. "That's why I tried so hard to win immunity. I didn't want them to catch me off guard."

Amy smiled, knowing that Isabella had forgotten to go into her "stupid act" for just a split second here. Maybe the early morning surprise attack had caught her off guard. Maybe she was really seeing the -true- Isabella for a change.

"But you and Mike still have a deal together," Amy asked, "Right? So you two should be good to go today. Even if Michelle -did- screw up your plans." She grinned. "But now you and Mike just go to the end together instead. Nothing changes. And a Kamiyan is still going to win this."

Isabella said nothing. She just smiled, sweetly.

"Ah well..." Amy shrugged. "Anyway, I just wanted to wish you good luck today." She reached out to shake Isabella's hand. "And congratulations on making it to the final three."

"Congratulations to you too," Isabella said, shaking Amy's hand with a smile. "I'm glad both of us got to the end here. I just wonder what our final immunity challenge is going to be..."

And this was where Amy hit her with the bombshell.

It was time to sucker punch Isabella right between the eyes.

"So tell me..." Amy asked, coyly. "Who are you, really?" She still held on to Isabella's hand, shaking it. "What's your real name, anyway?"

Isabella's blood ran cold. -Shit!-

"What do you mean?" she asked, trying to remain calm.

"I just mean... are you really Emma?" Amy cocked her head, slightly. "Are you really Emma, the coffee shop worker from Georgia?"

"Of course!" Isabella tried to force out a giggle. "Why? Who else would I be?"

"Oh I don't know," said an evilly-grinning Amy, "It's just that out of -all- the people here, I don't know a thing about you. I don't know -any- details about your life. You've hidden away all the relevant details about yourself and nobody has really bothered to ask why..."

"Ah," nodded Isabella. And her mind whirred into action. What did Amy know? And how did she know it?

"Like... what's the most interesting thing about you?" Amy asked. "What do you like to do?"

"Well I've talked about my life a lot," Isabella said, "I thought I had to you too. I guess I hadn't..."

"No, I guess not."

"Well what do you do for fun?" Amy asked. "Back home I mean. What does Emma the coffee shop worker like to do back in Georgia?"

"Well... ah..." Isabella tried to smile. "Mainly I like the arts. I'm real creative and that's something I like to do as a hobby. I like to paint."

"That makes sense," said Amy. "Since you've proven to be so creative out here with us..." She giggled, mockingly. This was too much fun.

"And I love to work with kids," Isabella said, "I love to shape their little minds. In fact I'm thinking of maybe becoming a teacher some day."

"Well, you -were- great with Alex and Brandon," Amy smiled. "They loved you."

"Awwww," Isabella smiled. "Well when you see them again, just tell them that Emma says hi."

"I will," Amy nodded. Then she paused. Then added a very sarcastic, "Emma."

And though Isabella was freaking out on the inside, Amy wasn't going to push this issue any further right now. All she had wanted to do was prod a little, maybe make the girl panic, and give her something to think about before they headed out for their last immunity challenge. Because she didn't yet know -who- Emma was. She had no idea that Emma was one of the greatest players the game had ever seen. But Amy -was- sharp enough to know that Emma was a fake. Amy had been sure about that for a long time now.

And she had been waiting for -just- the right time to use it.

"Well good luck in the immunity challenge," Amy smiled, once again shaking the younger woman's hand. "And I hope you pull it off."

The tactic Amy had just used is commonly known as a psyche-out, and there had never been a better time to try it. After all, today's challenge was going to be for all the marbles. So why not try to rattle Isabella's cage a little, right before the big showdown? Because Amy's back was to the wall... Amy knew she was in trouble... and Amy was going to use -every- advantage she could right about now. She was going to use every weapon at her disposal. She was going to try every trick in the book.

"So best of luck.... Emma."

She just hoped it was going to pay off.


^^


Jeff arrived at the shores of Yamako just after dawn. And unlike most seasons, this time he did not have to wake anybody up. Mike, Amy and Isabella were all standing on the beach, waiting for him and ready to go. None of them had really slept much at all.

"Wow," Jeff joked, as he hopped down from the boat to the sand, "I -knew- it was a good idea to cast a bunch of early morning people. You guys are making me proud."

And the players smiled eagerly at their host... because Jeff was not alone. Today, he had come bearing gifts.

"I have with me..." he said, revealing a silver platter full of pastries, "Breakfast. For you guys to start the day off right."

The three hungry castaways cheered.

"I also have three full carafes of orange juice," Jeff added, "To wash it all down. Because you have a -long- day ahead of you today. And I wanted to make sure you were strong and ready to go."

The three Miyagis dove into the platter of food, and had demolished it to nothing within minutes. The food simply disappeared. And as the players took a moment to make peace with the newfound feeling of "fullness" in their bellies, Jeff took the opportunity to retrieve some supplies from his boat.

"Mike, Emma, Amy, congratulations." he smiled. "Because you three are the -final- three. You have made it further than thirteen of your fellow castaways, and have essentially gone as far as you can go. Because today is your last showdown, and today we'll be cutting your number down to two."

He pulled out a basket from the boat.

And set it down in the sand.

"Today," he finished, "We have a little ritual for you. And it's a ritual you will both enjoy, as well as remember. Because it will be -your- job today to honor those who have fallen in combat before you. Per the traditions of the samurai, you will be paying tribute to those you have conquered in battle..."

He opened the basket...

... And revealed at least ten small canisters of paint.

"This is body paint. And it is -your- job today to decorate yourself as a samurai warrior would before battle. Because the three of you will not only be honoring your fallen adversaries today, you will also be engaging in one... last... combat."

Jeff grinned.

"At the end of the day, you will be squaring off in one final epic struggle. So it is now -your- job to prepare for this. Take some time by yourself. Reflect. Wander the island. Think about your time in this game."

He looked down at his watch.

"I'll be back in two hours," he said, "And then our day will begin. So take this time to prepare, both mentally and physically, for the challenges you have yet to face. Because your journey may indeed be ending, but it has not yet -ended-. The true path of the samurai does not end until the battlefield is clear."

He nodded.

"Just remember -that-, and I'll be back to pick you up in two hours."


^^


*******
9:30 AM
*******


The players had spent the past two hours in various stages of reflection around Yamako. Some had been nervous (Amy), some had been anxious (Mike) and some had been at perfect inner peace (Isabella). And now, as they saw Jeff's boat approaching shore, the three of them stood in a single-file line, awaiting the challenge that they knew was yet to come.

Amy stood on the far left, having painted herself up in colorful combination of purples and greens. Wide ringlets of color snaked around both arms, as she stood and waited patiently on the beach. She had spent a good deal of the last hour floating lazily in the ocean, just staring peacefully up at the sky. Amy had been mainly trying to calm her already-jumpy nerves.

Mike stood in the center, the big man having painted his chest and arms with a very dark combination of blue and black. He towered over his two female opponents now, like a tree sticking up between two bushes. Mike had spent most of the past hour in his old Fallen Comrades garden, just sitting in the tranquil silence around him, trying to clear his mind and prepare for battle.

Isabella stood on the far right, the young woman having painted herself up in almost the exact same pattern she had used in Tonga. Red flames darted down her arms and small, yellow suns were dotted across her face and shoulders. She had done her reflecting down on the beach, alone on a sheltered corner of the island with nothing but her thoughts and her prayers to guide her.

And now Jeff had arrived.

"Come on in guys," he summoned, as the three noble warriors walked across the beach and onto his boat. One by one they took their places and sat down. Amy. Then Mike. Then Isabella. The three of them all sat down and stared out to sea. Although Isabella still had -one- last thing she had yet to do before they set off on their journey...

"Take this, Mike," she whispered. And into his hand she pressed a small, red object. It was a wrapper. And inside it contained...

"It's my power bar," Isabella whispered. "I won it in the food auction. And I want you to have it."

"Why?" Mike looked suspicious.

"Because it might be the difference between you and Amy winning," Isabella whispered. "So just shut up and take it. It's a gift."

"Ah." Mike grumbled something under his breath. It sounded like a thank you.

"And good luck," Isabella smiled up at him.

The three players sat in silence as the boat set out to sea. And they sat in blissful peace as the ocean breeze whipped through their hair. It whipped across their skin, filling their senses with a combination of spray and salt, the common experience of any fisherman in Okinawa.

A long while later, after about ninety minutes of sea travel... a small island came into view. The players had no idea what it was, none of them had seen this particular place before, but this was the island home of the Tanshi monks. This was the island that Joni came to visit last week, and this was the site of the monastery. This was the home of the monks.

"Okay guys," said Jeff, as the boat steered its way towards shore, "We're here. So please get ready to begin."

The boat docked at 11:00.

Jeff helped the three players out of the boat and onto the soft sand. And now they stood before him, three Survivors, three Miyagis, prepared to enter their final round of combat.

Amy on the left.

Mike in the middle.

And Isabella on the right.

"Welcome guys," said Jeff, once everybody was in place. "To the island of Tanshi. Where, today, the three of you will become samurai warriors." He smiled. "Although more importantly... you'll be doing something that -every- samurai would experience before he went into battle."

He turned to look at each one of them as he spoke.

"Your ritual today is called the "Thirteen Steps." And, basically, you guys will be recreating the traditional thirteen stages of preparation a samurai used... before he entered mortal combat."

The players nodded along with this, solemnly.

"But we -also- have a small twist attached today. Because one of the -other- tenets of the samurai is this: When you kill a man in battle, you inherit part of his soul. In essence, he becomes a part of you." Jeff nodded. "So to help you along your way will be the same thirteen castaways -you- helped vote out of this game."

All three players tried to suppress a smile.

"Your former castaways will be there on the path," Jeff finished, "And they'll be there, one for each stage, helping you prepare for your last epic combat. And each one of them -is- now a part of you... so be sure to treat this ritual with the respect and solemnity that it deserves. You only get as much out of this as you put in. So please do keep that in mind."

Amy nodded.

Mike nodded.

Isabella nodded.

"So your journey begins here," Jeff said, stepping aside. " All you have to do is follow the path."

He pointed to a small dirt path, which lead from the beach... up a hill... and into a meadow. That was the path on which they would be walking.

"And I'll see you when you reach the end."

With that, their final journey had begun.



^^


********
11:30 AM
********


The three samurai of Okinawa set out on their journey in a single file line, one person directly behind the next. And they didn't make -great- time, as the day was far too nice and peaceful to be rushing. This was just more of a leisurely stroll. But it was a -quiet- leisurely stroll, as nobody said a word. The walk was deathly quiet as the three noble travelers wandered their way down the path.

About ten minutes into the journey, a lone figure appeared on the horizon.

Upon further glance, Amy identified the figure as a female. A young female. And as they neared, it became evident that this was indeed Elisabeth. It was the young girl who had been the first one voted out of Okinawa, the first member of Sato to have been eliminated. And the young soccer player was today dressed in a black kimono, the traditional Okinawan garb of mourning. Elisabeth's face had been whitened with makeup, also giving off the illusion of death. It was the illusion of somebody who was no longer here. And in her hand, she held something.

She held three headbands.

"Welcome," she said, as the players neared. Then Elisabeth bowed slightly, never making eye contact with the players. She simply stared at the ground. Then she held out one of the headbands. She held it out, she stepped forward, and then she tied it around Mike's forehead. Mike had to bend down to help her out.

"May you have the foresight," said Elisabeth, "To fight with valor and honor. And to do what needs to be done."

Elisabeth repeated the process on Isabella, again uttering the same phrase. Then she repeated it on Amy. No other words were exchanged. And after the third headband had been fastened, Elisabeth simply folded her hands and looked at the ground. She said no more, and it was apparent that the players would be moving on. Their time here with Elisabeth was done.

The players moved on and... ten minutes later... a new figure appeared on the horizon. The players neared, and it turned out to be Danielle. The young Asian woman was dressed exactly the same as Elisabeth had been, in traditional robes of death. Her long black hair cascaded down over her newly-whitened face. But -unlike- Elisabeth, Danielle held something different in her hands. She had three very different items indeed.

They appeared to be three folded-up kimonos.

Danielle handed the first kimono to Isabella. It was silk, and it was red in color. It appeared to be very delicate.

"May the security of your faith," Danielle said, bowing slightly, "Protect you in combat."

Isabella wrapped the kimono around her, nodding in silent reverence. Then Amy accepted a blue one and Mike accepted a larger green one. Now the three of them wore kimonos and headbands. Danielle simply bowed her head and stared at the ground. Their time here with her was done.

The three players left Danielle and walked along the path for a good fifteen minutes. As with before, they walked in perfect silence, none of them daring to say a word. They really didn't even know what to say. And about fifteen minutes later, they finally came to the third station of the samurai.

Around noon, the three of them approached Henry.

The young writer from Cambridge stood to the side of the dirt path, dressed in a black kimono. And his was a male-style kimono, but it was essentially the same style as the two females had on. Henry waited for the players to arrive, then he bowed his whitened face towards the ground.

In his hands he held three pairs of sandals.

Amy was the first to approach. She stepped up to stand before Henry. So Henry knelt down, held out one of the waraji (straw sandals), and Amy stepped into it. He helped her to lace it up.

"May you always tread on the correct path," he said.

Henry helped her with her second waraji... then he repeated the process on Mike and Isabella. He repeated the same phrase for all three, then he stepped back and waited silently, head bowed to the ground. Henry was done, so again they moved on.

The three travelers moved faster along the path now, owing to the fact that they now wore traditional samurai footwear on their feet. And if they hadn't seen it before, it was all quickly becoming apparent what was going on. They were being dressed as samurai. They were being prepared for an actual combat. They were literally suiting up for battle.

And this became even -more- apparent when they reached their fourth station.

David McDaniel stood next to a rock, three coats slung over his right shoulder. He was dressed in the now-familiar black robes, his face whitened by powder to a deathly hue. And as the players approached, David held out one of the jackets. At this point the players realized it really wasn't a jacket, it was actually a vest. A sleeveless vest. A -samurai- vest. And it was supposed to be worn over their kimonos.

"May you be protected," said David, "From the dangers that yet await you."

David helped Isabella into her kataginu (vest), and then he did the same for Mike and for Amy. And now the players looked much bulkier. Suddenly, they were starting to look armored. They were starting to look powerful. So David stepped back and bowed his head, quietly.

It was time to move on.


^^


********
12:30 PM
********


The players walked across the grassy plains of Tanshi, moving a bit more slowly now due to the weight of their armor. And after about thirty minutes, they finally came to the fifth station. It was Murtz. And like those before him, Murtz was dressed in a black kimono, with a face as pale as the moon.

Murtz bowed silently, and held in his hands three folded up pairs of trousers. These were hakama, traditional wide-legged pants of a samurai. And they were wide-legged for a reason, as hakama were designed to hide the movement of the legs... as well as to give off the illusion of flying.

Murtz handed a pair of hakama to each player, then added the following comment:

"May your grace and stealth carry you past your enemies in battle."

The three players slipped into their hakama wordlessly, as Murtz stepped back and bowed. And now, the players were on the move again.

Walking in the wide pants was a bit cumbersome, especially for the smaller Isabella. She struggled to move much at all. So the players were grateful when they saw Christopher waiting at station six. Because the tall actor held in his hand three obi, or belts.

The players approached silently.

Then they stopped.

They waited patiently as Christopher handed each one of them an obi.

"May you be secure," he said, "In your actions and intentions."

Mike wrapped the obi tight around his waist, and then tied it in the front. Now it held his pants up properly, and now he would be able to walk in comfort. Isabella and Amy did the same... and then they moved on.

Within minutes, they had reached stage seven.

Beth stood by the side of the path now, her hair tied back and the traditional black robes adorning her body. And in her hand, Beth held three objects. Three paper objects.

"Welcome," said Beth, bowing slightly. She was the first person to have greeted them since Elisabeth. Beth walked forward, took one of the paper objects, and tucked it into Isabella's belt. Isabella looked down and saw that it was a fan. A paper fan, all folded up. And now it was part of her ensemble.

"May you avoid all shame and dishonor," Beth said.

Beth moved on to Mike, and then she moved to Amy. Soon all three had a fan tucked into their belt. And then Beth stepped back, bowing her head slightly. She said no more.


^^


*******
1:00 PM
*******


The walk had finally started to grow tiresome. The three players had been out here for ninety minutes... and now they began to struggle under the sun. Their pace slowed to a near crawl. They still hadn't spoken a word in nearly an hour, and their outfits were starting to become a burden.

And then Mike stopped.

He paused for a moment, and then he pointed.

Because he had seen something waiting for them on the horizon.

Amy and Isabella looked up and saw a large gold and ivory structure up ahead. It was a building. Or a temple, to be more exact. It was a replica of the actual Tanshi temple, the place where the monks came to pray. The place where they came to be born. And the place where they came to die.

This golden temple was where the players were headed right now. It would be the site of their final Immunity Challenge. And they would be there in less than an hour.

Seeing their final destination, the players finally sped up the pace. They walked briskly over the dirt path, Isabella in front, Mike bringing up the rear. And soon, they had reached Ryan. They had now reached the eighth station of the samurai.

Ryan was dressed in black, just like the others.

But Ryan held something different in his hands.

Ryan was actually holding something quite lethal.

Ryan stepped forward. He bowed. And he held out his right hand. In his hand were three daggers. -Tanto- daggers. Suicide daggers, just like the ones they had seen last night. Only these ones were real.

Ryan took another step forward, then he tucked a tanto into Amy's belt. It slid into place, the cold metal resting up against her hip. And now she was armed. Now she could -officially- call herself a samurai.

"May you have the weaponry," said Ryan, "To strike down your foes."

A chill ran through Amy's spine as Ryan uttered these words. But then he moved on to Isabella, and he repeated the process. Then it was to Mike, and then Mike was armed as well. Once all three players had daggers, Ryan stepped back, head bowed in silence. It was time for them to move on.

The ninth station came up much faster, as the gaps between the stations were beginning to shorten. The end was now in sight, and the pace was definitely starting to speed up a bit.

Matt Carter stood to the side of the road, waiting patiently for them to approach. And the tall teenager seemed out of place in his costume of mourning... his white face staring out from under bright red hair. But Matt bowed his head as the others had, and waited for the three of them to stand before him.

Matt stepped forward now, and walked over to approach Isabella. In his hand he carried just two things: A small cup of water. And three hairclips.

Isabella stood there, stoically, as Matt reached down to touch her hair. He wet his hand in the cup first... and then he drew a tuft of her blonde hair into a perfect topknot. He tied it off with the clip... and now Isabella wore the traditional hairstyle of the samurai. Now she wore the shonmage.

"May you look and act," said Matt, "The part of the warrior."

Matt expertly repeated the process on Amy and then, as best as he could, he reached up to tie what he could on Mike. And now... all three players were starting to look like samurai. They were starting to look like -real- samurai. So Matt stepped back and bowed, as the players moved on along the path.

The tenth station was manned by Hogan.

The young Eagle Scout stood under a tree, and he held three wooden objects in his hand. And as the players drew closer, they saw that what he held were necklaces. Purification necklaces. Necklaces meant to protect the warrior from harm in battle.

Hogan approached Mike, and the big man leaned down. Hogan slid a small beaded necklace over Mike's head and dropped it around his neck. Then he bowed.

"May you be safe," Hogan added.

Mike stood up, and Hogan repeated the process more easily on the two women. Then he stepped back, task completed. All three samurai would hereby be protected from harm.

And there were just three more stations to go.


^^


*******
1:30 PM
*******


With just three stations remaining, the excitement was definitely starting to build for the players. They could see the temple up ahead, they -felt- like they were warriors, and the momentum and excitement were really starting to mount. Energy and confidence were beginning to build up in their veins like water behind a dam.

Because the final showdown was just about ready to begin.

And now they saw the eleventh station, located just before the entrance to the temple. Lance stood there, next to a small cluster of torches. And the pre-school teacher held in his hand three kasa... or traditional straw hats of the traveler. As the players came near, he bowed.

Lance walked over to Amy and placed the pointed straw hat upon her head. He helped her tie it underneath her chin.

Then he stepped back and bowed.

"May you be healthy and wise."

Lance repeated the process on Mike, and then he repeated it on Isabella.

And minutes later, the three of them arrived at the temple.

Amy, Isabella and Mike approached the golden doors of the temple, two large rectangular objects which loomed just before them. And the doors had been closed... but the minute the travelers arrived, the golden doors started to swing open. They opened slowly. And then a small man appeared from inside. A small man peeked his head out and stood before them with a smile.

It was a monk.

Next to the monk stood Joni. And like the others, she was dressed in the familiar black robes and white face. She said nothing, she simply stared at the ground as the monk walked forward to inspect his three newest samurai.

Amy stood silently as the monk looked her over.

Mike stood silently as the monk looked him over.

Isabella stood silently as the monk looked her over.

And after a brief moment of silence, the monk produced a small black vial from inside his robes. It contained holy water. Purification water. Because they wouldn't be let inside the temple until they had all been purified. That was rule number one around here.

"Welcome to this most holy place," said the monk. "Welcome to our temple. And as you enter... let your mind be cleared. Let your heart be cleansed. And let your soul be pure."

He dipped a scarf into the vial and pulled it out, wet with holy water. He handed the scarf to Joni and she stepped forward, emotionless. And now... for the first time... she finally looked up. And the players could see that Joni had a small black teardrop, painted delicately under her right eye. But she said nothing. Joni just walked over to Mike, reached up, and touched the scarf to the big man's forehead, blessing him.

"May you be cleansed."

Joni repeated the process on Isabella.

Then she repeated it on Amy.

And with that, Joni and the monk stepped aside. The three players had now been cleansed. The three players were now ready for battle.

And the three samurai were allowed to enter the temple.


^^


*******
1:45 PM
*******


Amy, Mike and Isabella entered the temple, and all three saw an amazing sight. Because the inside of this temple had been designed as an -exact- replica of their usual Tribal Council set. It was almost a carbon copy.

A fire burned in the middle. A small stone firepit, which kept the temple awash in colors... as well as shadows.

Jeff's podium sat to one side. It was empty, as these three had been the first to arrive.

Six jury seats lay off to the other side. And these seats were -also- empty, as the jurors were likely going to be filing in sometime behind them.

In fact the only -real- difference here was in the seats for the three finalists. Because they were not seats. They were more like boxes. They were large wooden boxes, in which each of the finalists would be seated. And they appeared to be isolation boxes. They appeared to be set up to isolate the final three from seeing or speaking with one another...

But for now, the players just looked on in awe. Because this set was majestic. This set was grand. And this set was truly...

Michelle appeared out of nowhere.

Michelle represented the thirteenth... and final... station of the samurai. She was dressed in black, as had been the others before her. She also wore the eerie white makeup. The only different was that Michelle was smiling.

In fact, Michelle was -grinning-.

"Welcome," she said, bowing deeply before them. The three players all bowed in return.

Michelle walked up to face Amy.

She looked Amy directly in the eyes.

And then Michelle reached down to get something. Without looking down, Amy immediately knew what it was going to be. The clink on clink of metal told her all she needed to know. Because what good would a samurai be... without a sword?

Michelle took the samurai sword (still in its sheath) and affixed it to Amy's belt. It hung from the left side, per tradition, and now Amy was officially ready to kill. She could feel the power suddenly flowing within her. Her body started to surge with confidence and determination.

And Michelle stepped back.

"May you strike down your foes with determined fury."

Michelle and Amy locked eyes, then they both bowed. And still smiling, Michelle moved on. She took another one of the swords and affixed it to the belt of Isabella. Like Amy, Isabella also felt a sudden onrush of power, as if the power of the sword was suddenly filling her tiny body. And she smiled, as Michelle bowed humbly before her.

"May you strike down your foes with determined fury."

Michelle then moved on to Mike. And like before, she affixed the large samurai sword to the left side of Mike's belt. And like the two women before him, Mike was suddenly filled by an awe-inspiring sense of power. He gripped the hilt of the sword firmly, as he and Michelle exchanged a bow.

"May your strike down your foes with determined fury."

With that, Michelle was done. And the ritual was done. She bowed one more time, still smiling, and then she turned to walk away. She left behind her three fierce looking warriors. Three samurai. Three gladiators, armed to the teeth. waiting for one last chance to do battle.

And as the jurors started to file into the temple, the players moved over to take their seats. One by one they walked to their own little isolation boxes, armor clanking and swords clinking as they moved.

Amy took her seat first. She sat down on the seat to the far left. And the thick wood paneling around her prevented her from seeing anything but the host's podium directly in front of her.

Isabella walked over and took her seat in the middle. And like Amy, she was also isolated from anything but a view of the podium directly in front of her.

Mike walked over to his seat on the far right. He adjusted his sword, squeezed into the box, and sat down in his own little isolation chamber as well. And as he sat there, he stared straight ahead. He just stared, waiting for the host to arrive.

The jurors filed in... one by one... and took their seats. All six of them wore black, and all six of them had whitened faces. It was like looking at a jury full of ghosts.

And then Jeff arrived.

And the final challenge was ready to begin.


^^


Inside each box, the players had all been given a pen and a tablet of paper. And Mike scowled, because apparently this was going to be a written challenge. His strategy to save up energy and tire out Isabella wasn't going to make a difference whatsoever. This was going to be brains against brains. Mastermind against mastermind.

Because just like the puzzle challenge before... the final immunity challenge featured three geniuses going head to head for all the gold. It was as if last time had only been a dry run. -This- was the mental challenge that was really going to count. And this one promised to be a heart-pounder. Especially when Jeff announced the name of the challenge that they had all seen played before...

"This challenge is called, simply, -Elimination-."

All three players' hearts sank at this very familiar name. Because this was the same challenge that had been featured in the finale of All-Star Survivor: Alaska. And all three players knew the Alaska season as well as they knew their own names. This was possibly the most brutal challenge of them all. And much to Isabella's chagrin... it also happened to be virtually unthrowable.

"The goal of Elimination," Jeff explained, "Is to eliminate two of your fellow players. And it is -far- more difficult than it appears, so just be warned. Because I will be asking you questions based on your time in Okinawa. I will be asking you questions based your past thirty-eight days in this game..."

Amy scowled. So did Mike.

"I will ask you guys one question at a time," Jeff continued. "If you answer it correctly, great. You will be in no danger. But if you answer incorrectly..." He paused, then grinned. "Well, pick up the colored circles under your seats."

The three players reached under their seats, and each picked up a stack of brightly colored discs. There were sixteen discs for each of them... each one representing -one- player who had started the game. A name was written on each disc in big black ink.

"If you answer the question incorrectly," Jeff went on, "You will be put in the hot seat. You will stand up and, without looking at anyone else, you will be forced to pick one of these names. So pick whatever one you want... and hold it up. Each player who missed the question will hold up a disc."

Jeff paused.

"Now the trick..." he smiled, "Is not to pick the same name as anyone else. Because if you miss a question... and somebody else does too... it is your job to predict which disc the -other- player will hold up. Because if you both hold up the same name," Jeff jerked his thumb, "Both of you are eliminated. You both lose, the third player wins immunity, and -that's- the way we play this game. The only goal is not to be eliminated."

"What if all three people hold up the same disc?" asked Mike.

"Then we all start over," said Jeff.

"So if we just keep answering right," asked Amy, "We can never lose?"

"That's correct," smiled Jeff.

"What if you're the only one to miss a question?" Isabella asked.

"Then you hold up a disc and nothing happens," Jeff said. "The only drawback is that we remove that disc from the game... so you're just lessening the pile by one each time you do that. You're just making the game harder down the road."

There were no other questions, so it was just about time for the mindgames to begin. And now Jeff announced the final twist. The final little rule they had to work around. And it was going to make the game that much more stressful, right here right off the bat.

"One small thing," he explained, "Is that only -you- can hold up your own name. Mike and Emma may not hold up the Amy disc, and Amy, you cannot hold up their names. It's a bit of strategy you might want to use later on. Basically a "Get out of Jail Free" card, if you will. So use your own disc wisely."

The players nodded.

"And with that being said," Jeff smiled, "Amy... toss out your Mike and Emma discs. Emma, throw out your Mike and Amy discs. And Mike, you do the same for Emma and Amy. You guys aren't starting with sixteen discs. You are now starting with -fourteen-."

The players did as they were told. Then they were ready to begin. The three samurai sat in their boxes, each trying to clear their mind and prepare for the biggest mental showdown of them all. Because it was time to see who was the smartest of the smart. Amy took a deep breath, trying to relax and remember the flow of the game. Isabella closed her eyes, trying to remember back to day one as best as she could. And Mike fiddled with his pen, staring at the ground, trying to clear his mind.

And then Jeff held up the first question.

"You guys ready?"

They were.

"This is for immunity."

The players nodded.

"Here we go..."


^^


"Question one," asked Jeff, reading off a blue notecard. "Who were the first two players voted out of Survivor: Okinawa?"

This question was easy, as nobody had to think twice about writing down "Elisabeth" and "Danielle." They all answered within five seconds, and all three of them had been correct. No sweat.

"Question two," asked Jeff. "Who was the seventh person to be voted out of the game, the last player gone before we started to pick the jury?"

The answer was "Beth" and all three answered it correctly, without hesitation. Jeff nodded at them, emotionlessly, and then moved on.

"Question three," asked Jeff. "In the first immunity challenge... the relay race... who were the rowers for Sato as well as Kamiya?"

Amy had the answer immediately. She wrote down "Chris and Henry." She would never forget how Henry had blown that first challenge for Sato. Never.

Mike had to think about it for a second, but eventually came up with the same answer as Amy. Chris and Henry. And Mike was once again correct.

But Isabella became the first casualty when she wrote down the wrong names. She wrote down "Chris and Lance," which was of course incorrect.

"I'm sorry Emma," said Jeff, "But you're now in the Hot Seat. Please stand up and select a disc."

Isabella looked down into her pile of names. And since there was no real strategy here yet, she simply held up the first name that popped into her head.

"Christopher," she said, holding up a blue-colored disc.

"Christopher's name is removed from the game," said Jeff. "Please remove it from your stacks." All three players did so, and the pile was down to thirteen.

"Question four..."

Questions four and five went by smoothly, then Amy blew question six. She had forgotten that Lance was from San Diego, as she answered "San Francisco" instead. And even though she was in no danger, she was forced to remove another disc from the stack. Amy chose the "Michelle" disc. And their piles were now down to twelve.

The tension in the temple was palpable as questions seven and eight went by without a hitch. But Isabella was stumped on question nine, not knowing that Hogan currently resided in the state of Kansas. She had left her answer blank. So she stood up, held up the "Beth" disc, and lessened their piles down to eleven.

"Question ten," said Jeff, "Which Okinawan player was almost thrown out of a Christian college for excessive drinking?"

Mike and Isabella knew this one almost immediately. The answer was "Michelle," and they both scribbled down her name. They were correct.

But Amy was stumped. She guessed Ryan. She was wrong. She then held up the "Ryan" disc while in the Hot Seat.

And their piles were down to ten.

The next question was again missed, this time by Mike. He had forgotten who Michelle had defeated to clinch the final round of Kendo Wars. So Mike stood up, selected the "Hogan" disc, and it was removed from all of their piles.

Now their piles were down to single digits. They only had nine left to choose from.

Questions twelve and thirteen went by without a hitch, but the players were starting to sweat from the pressure. The heat in the temple was starting to become unbearable, as nobody want to miss a question at this stage in the game. Well, except for maybe Isabella. She was still debating throwing this, even though she knew it wasn't going to be easy to do. This challenge was unthrowable for a reason. And it was beginning to piss her off.

"Question fourteen," asked Jeff, "In the final round of Icebreaker... which three females competed in the speed round tiebreaker."

All three players wrote down their answers.

But one of them had made a careless mistake.

"I'm sorry, Mike," said Jeff, "But that is incorrect." Mike had included Emma when the correct answer was Joni. And it had been a careless, stupid mistake. He slammed his fist against his thigh.

Mike stood up, held up the "Murtz" disc, and their piles had now been dropped down to eight.

The end could now come at any time. A wrong answer was now likely to be fatal. And the players were very much aware of this fact. Especially when Jeff gave them a killer for question #16.

"Hogan was the youngest Eagle Scout in the history of which state?"

The three players just stared at him, blankly.

Because nobody knew the answer.

"You have thirty seconds," Jeff said.

All three players wracked their brains for some tidbit of knowledge that maybe they had heard at some point. Where was Hogan from? The kid had lived in like eight states, hadn't he? So which one was it going to be?

Mike scrawled down "Kansas."

Isabella did the same.

Amy wrote down "Nebraska."

And Jeff smiled. Because all three of them were wrong.

"I'm sorry," he said, "But you are -all- incorrect. The answer was Washington." He paused, then added. "-All- three of you are now in the hot seat. So please stand up, pick a disc, and hold it up. And be careful, because this very well could be the end of the game..."

The jury looked on in fascinated silence as all three players reluctantly rose to their feet. None of them looked pleased about this process, and you could see in their eyes that they were all debating whether to select their own names or not. They were all debating whether this was the time to do so. How early was too early to be safe?

Mike shook his head sadly as he held up his own brightly colored disc. Mike was taking the safe route. He wasn't about to take a chance. Not right now, anyway.

Amy closed her eyes as she held up the "Henry" disc. And she really hoped it wasn't going to be an omen. Because being eliminated by Henry would just be the icing on the cake in Okinawa. Though why she picked his disc she really couldn't say.

But Amy was in luck. Because Isabella had tried to pick the same disc as Amy, and Isabella had chosen incorrectly. She had chosen the "David" disc instead.

All three players had gotten lucky. All three players were still in the game. And all three discs were hereby removed from their piles. The piles were now down to six (five for Mike). The players sat down, the jury sat back and waited... and the game was about to reach new heights of tension. Because the challenge was going to be ending soon. It was just now a matter of time. It was just now a matter of for -whom?-

"Question seventeen," asked Jeff, "What is Joni's last name?"

And from the way Mike buried his head in his hands, the jury knew that he was stumped. Mike had never even learned Joni's last name. He sheepishly wrote down "Thompson," even though he knew it probably wasn't close. And it wasn't.

"I'm sorry," said Jeff, "Both Emma and Mike, you are incorrect. The correct answer was "Newman." Only Amy got it correct."

Isabella smiled to herself as Jeff read off her answer. Because of -course- she had known it was Newman. But she had expected Amy to get it wrong too. She had been trying to miss on purpose, and she had wanted to match answers with Amy. As with before, she was trying to throw this challenge for Mike. But now... with both Mike -and- her vulnerable, she wasn't going to take a chance on screwing this up. She held up her own disc, Mike held up the "Matt" disc... and both of them were now down to four.

"So here's where we stand," Jeff stopped to explain. "Emma and Mike, you both have four discs in your pile. And -no- freebie picks left of your own name."

Both of them nodded.

"And Amy," Jeff turned, "You have -five- discs left. Including your own name."

Amy smiled, nodding.

"So here we go..." said Jeff.

Jeff pulled out the card for question number eighteen. And he knew it was going to be a killer.

"What is the first name," he asked, "Of Ryan's girlfriend/common-law wife?"

And Jeff watched with amusement as all three players stared at him, blankly. Nobody had a clue. Mike shot a glance at Ryan in the jury box, but Ryan just smiled and shrugged. They weren't going to get any help at all.

"Thirty seconds..." Jeff reminded them.

Mike scrawled something down on his paper. Hell, he didn't know if it was right. He didn't even know Ryan -had- a girlfriend.

"Twenty seconds..." Jeff said.

Isabella didn't have a clue, so she just wrote down the most unlikely name she could think of. Because win or lose, she really didn't think this mattered. Either one of them would be taking her to the end, so why worry?

"Ten seconds..."

Amy sat with her pen in her hand for the longest time. She had been brainstorming, but soon realized that no answer was going to be coming. And with just five seconds to go... she wrote down a name. She hoped it was right. But she doubted that it was.

"Time's up," said Jeff. "Okay guys, let's hold up your answers."

Mike was the first to reveal. He held up his tablet. He had written "Bunny." It was incorrect.

Isabella held up her tablet. She had written "Gertrude." And like Mike, she was also incorrect.

Amy now held up her tablet. She had written "Tiffany." And she exhaled angrily as Jeff told her she was incorrect as well.

"The correct answer was Brandi," Jeff explained. "So that means -all- three of you are now in the Hot Seat. -All- three of you please stand up and select a disc."

With the game now on the line... Amy wasted no time in picking her own disc. She stood up, held up the "Amy" disc, and slumped her shoulders in frustration. Because if Mike and Isabella didn't pick the same disc, this game was about to become intolerable. And she was just about to lose her freebie disc...

Mike remained seated for the longest time. And he stared at the four remaining discs in his pile... going over each one in turn... trying to predict which one Isabella would be selecting. Finally he had no choice but to decide. Taking a deep breath, he stood up. In his hands he held the "Lance" disc.

And amazingly, he and Isabella hadn't matched. Because she had selected the "Elisabeth" disc.

"We have -no- matches," Jeff announced, with a wry smile. And he could see nervous chuckling from the jury as the players removed the three selected discs from their piles. Amy's whole body appeared to be defeated. Mike looked like he may pass out again. And Isabella just shook her head with amusement. This game was going to go down to the wire.

And they all had just -two- discs left in their piles.

But those two discs didn't last long, as Mike was the only person to miss the very next question. He didn't know that Murtz's fake mother had been named "Beth." And Mike was now responsible for dropping the pile to one. He stood up, held up the "Joni" disc, and that was that.

Now they all had just one.

"All three of you," Jeff explained, "Have just -one- disc left. You all have in your hands the "Danielle" disc, and that's -it-. So if any two of you miss a question... the game will end on the spot."

The players nodded.

"If one of you, or all -three- of you miss a question," Jeff explained. "Then we start back over with fourteen discs. And that could be a good thing or a bad thing... depending on your situation."

The players nodded again.

"So here we go..." Jeff nodded, "With just one disc to go. Because it's now sudden death for all of you."

He held up a notecard.

"Question twenty. What is Michelle's brother's name?"

The tensions were high... but all three players knew it was Scott.

"Question twenty-one. Who finished in last place in the Tomato Basket Challenge?"

The stress levels were now unbearable... but all three correctly answered Joni.

"Question twenty-two. Which tribe won the tag team relay reward challenge?"

Isabella thought about blowing it... but then she changed her mind and wrote down Sato instead. Like Amy and Mike, she was correct. All three had once again answered correctly.

"Question twenty-three. At the food auction, who won the juicy T-Bone steak?"

Isabella and Mike answered almost immediately. Because Mike would -never- forget how close he had come to winning that steak. But Amy had to think about this one. The answer wasn't coming to her right away.

"Amy, you have ten seconds."

Amy wracked her brain.

"Amy, you have five seconds."

Then, almost as a guess, Amy wrote down the first name that popped into her head. She wrote down "Michelle." And this time, she happened to be right.

The players answered #24 correctly...

Then they answered #25...

Then they answered #26...

Under an inordinate amount of pressure, all three players found themselves to be successfully rising to the challenge. They were now on a winning streak, and they were doing it under the highest amount of stress they had faced all game. Jeff was impressed.

But then... as if on cue... he pulled out the fateful question number twenty-seven. This one was going to be the game ender. And he didn't even realize it when he read it off the notecard.

"The day that Matt left," Jeff read, "Was day twenty-seven. How many votes did he receive at Tribal Council that night?"

The jury watched as all three players thought about it for a moment. They all thought back to that fateful night in the rain. They all thought back to that highly contested vote. Because that had been the night that Hogan turned on Kamiya. That had been the night that Sato officially lost this game. And that had been a tricky vote that only one of the three players remembered down to the very last detail. Only one of the three players was about to get this correct.

Amy held up her tablet. It read "Five."

Isabella held up her tablet. It read "Seven."

Mike held up his tablet. It read "Four."

Jeff just paused.

He let the moment draw out in silence, then he made his announcement.

"This challenge is officially over," he said, as he saw surprised looks on the faces of the three finalists. "Because only one of you got it correct."

All three of them looked down at their tablets.

"The correct answer..."

Jeff paused.

"... is four. And that means that..."

Mike had already let out a cheer of triumph.

"... Mike is the only one who answered correctly."

Mike pumped his fist happily in the cubicle to the right. And he was almost beside himself, he was so happy. He had actually beaten Amy. He had actually beaten Isabella. He had actually outwiited them both, and when it counted too! Because only Mike had remembered that he had thrown a meaningless vote at Hogan that night. The vote had been 4-3-1. Amy had forgotten about that last vote, because she had mistakenly assumed that Mike had voted for Matt too. That was the mistake that could very well cost her this game.

And she knew it, too.

"So Emma," explained Jeff, "You have no choice but to hold up the Danielle disc. And Amy, you have no choice but to do the same. And both of you... have now officially been eliminated."

Both women nodded, solemnly. Amy looked crushed. Isabella had a mischievous little grin on her face. But both of them had now lost the game. Mike had won the final battle of the minds, and Mike had pulled it off when it had really counted.

And Mike was now on his way to the final two.

The three players exited their boxes and came out to congratulate one another. Both women gave Mike a hug, as the big man grinned from ear to ear. Jeff handed him his immunity amulet, Mike thrust it into the air happily... and then the celebration died down. All three players took their seats now... took their places on -normal- Tribal Council seats... and it was time for Mike's big decision to be made. Because he still had a choice left tonight... and it wasn't going to be an easy one to make at all.

"Congratulations Mike," said Jeff, nodding at the big man in the armor. "Well done."

"Thanks," said Mike, almost breathless. "But that was rough. These two ladies were unbelievable competition, Jeff. They are both -amazing- competitors."

Amy and Isabella both nodded, though Amy looked incredibly frustrated with herself. She just stared at the ground as Mike spoke, listening as the two men talked about tonight's vote.

"So do you know who you're going to vote for?" Jeff asked.

"No," Mike said, shaking his head. "And honestly... I'd kind of like to hear both of them say something before I decide. Because I really haven't made up my mind yet."

Jeff nodded.

"So can we have a minute to discuss this?" Mike asked.

"Sure," Jeff took a step back. "You guys can take all the time you want. I'll just stand over here, you guys talk it out... and let me know when you decide."

And with that, the negotiations were ready to begin.


^^


"First off," Mike said, "Emma, thank you so much for the Energy Bar. I know it didn't make a difference in the end, but I really appreciated it. It meant a lot to me."

Isabella smiled.

"No problem," she said softly.

"Even after I tried to make you sleep outside," Mike joked.

"Well I understood..." Isabella said.

"So anyway..." Mike said, clearly enjoying his newfound sense of power. He looked at Amy. Then he looked at Isabella. "I guess I should hear both your pitches now. Anything you guys want to say in your behalf?"

Neither woman said a word. Isabella had a pensive little look on her face and Amy just stared at the ground. Neither one really knew what to say.

"Amy," Mike asked, "Is it true you're out of energy? And that you couldn't have won an endurance challenge? Or were you just trying to sucker me in."

"No way," Amy shook her head. "That was never a ploy. I've been running on empty ever since the merge, Mike. I couldn't have outlasted you in anything." She paused. "I was being honest."

"Well I have to admit..." Mike said sheepishly, "That I expected it to be endurance today. And that's why I wanted you to sleep outside, Emma. I wanted both of you to be run down so I would be able to win. I didn't even want it to be close."

"Ah..." Isabella smiled, "Good idea."

"But I was also mad as hell," Mike smiled. "And what you saw last night was my vindictive streak. Because I'm a nice guy until somebody wrongs me. And then I always get my revenge."

Isabella just smiled. She wasn't about to comment on that. Not now, anyway. Amy just looked on, curiously.

"But anyway...," Mike said, "I need to hear from you guys now. Because I think I know who I'm gonna pick, but I want to give you guys a chance to speak first. It's only fair if you both get to say something in your defense."

He turned to Isabella.

"Emma?"

Isabella smiled as the spotlight was suddenly turned towards her. But she knew what she was going to say. She had known all day what she was going to say. She knew exactly how to lay it out to Mike, she knew what buttons she needed to push. And best of all, it wasn't going to take that long at all. All it would take was one simple argument that she knew he was going to respect.

"I think you should keep me," she explained, "Because there are a -lot- of people mad at me on the jury. From Ryan right down to Michelle, most of the people over there hate my guts. And I'm the easiest win you're ever going to face."

She paused. And that was it.

She just hoped he was going to take the bait.

"Anything else?" Mike asked after a short pause.

"Well sure..." Isabella was only happy to comply. "Because I think all three of us have played good games. All three of us deserve to be in that final two. But Amy has played a -really- good game, and the jury knows that. They all like her, they all respect her, and she'd slaughter either one of us in the final two." She paused. "Plus I'd kind of like to see a Kamiya win..."

"Wait a minute," Amy interrupted, "The jury knows that I've been nothing if not lucky. Because if it hadn't been for the Wheel... I'd be gone by now. If it hadn't been for you and Mike... I wouldn't be here. So don't build me up as some megapower when you know I've been the luckiest one here."

"But they all like you so much..." Isabella said.

"Well they all liked Lill too!" Amy retorted. "Don't build me up as the sweetheart here, because it doesn't make any difference." She turned to Mike. "Emma doesn't want a Kamiya to win, Mike. Emma wants Emma to win. And -don't- forget what she did at the last vote. She voted for you, she tore Kamiya apart... just for the sake of getting herself closer to the end."

"That's true," Isabella nodded, "But it was for the sake of me and Michelle. I did it to get Mike out of the picture, because I knew he would win the final immunity. I knew he'd win it and he would pick Michelle over me..."

"Emma isn't the easy win you think she is, Mike," Amy interrupted. "Her gameplay has been cunning. She's known what was going on every step of the way and she's trying to sucker you into letting her walk right into that final vote. Because if you bring her along tonight, Mike... all you've done is walked right into her trap. She's trying to con you into helping her."

Suddenly, Isabella felt like she wanted to snap and go off on Amy, just for interrupting her. But now wasn't the time to do that. So instead she remained as calm as humanly possible. She simply restated her case once again to Mike, as calmly and as rationally as could be.

"I never did anything to hurt Kamiya," she explained, "I only did what I could to make the path safer for me to the end..."

"And that's why you blindsided Joni?" Amy spat.

"Yes."

"Whatever." Now Amy was getting mad. "That's garbage." She turned to face Mike again.. "Emma has ripped all of Kamiya apart and she's done it with no remorse or pity whatsoever. She's done -everything- she can to destroy her team, she hasn't given two craps about any of you, and you'd be nuts to give her a chance to win after that."

"And that's exactly why you -should- pick me," Isabella smiled coldly at Amy. "Because I have a -lot- of enemies in that jury."

Mike simply sat back and watched as the two feisty females went at it. He didn't comment, he didn't even say a word. He just watched, along with Jeff and the jury... as Amy and Isabella now fought for their very lives in this game.

"The jury is just like me," Amy said. "They will see your gameplay, Emma, and they will commend it. Because I know I'm not the only one who's been impressed. They'll all know you played the best game here."

Isabella just sat there, listening, that calm little happy smile on her face. She hadn't even dropped the veneer for a second. And Amy was finding out that attacking Isabella was like trying to punch raindrops. You just couldn't ever get in a good hit. You just never seemed to get a reaction.

"Amy," Isabella said patiently, "You're a fast talker and you like to talk over people. You say what people want to hear, and you're very good at it. And you also know that you'll win this vote in a landslide if you manage to make your way into the final two..."

"I've been too lucky to win! I haven't done anything on my own since the merge!"

"All you're doing right now," Isabella just ignored her, "Is trying to get Mike to think he can beat you. Because just like you accuse me of doing... all you want is for Amy to win. You don't care about me... or about Mike... at all."

Amy said nothing. She just glared.

"And you talk about luck," Isabella said, "But don't forget that I had immunity for five votes in a row. I'm not here because I conned anybody, or because I was the best strategist, or any of that. I'm here because nobody could ever vote for me. And because I was also very, very lucky in Okinawa..."

"Whatever, Emma," said a disgusted Amy. Then she paused. "Anyway, I'd just like to plead my case to Mike now, if you'd give me half a chance."

"Well you're the one who interrupted me," Isabella said sweetly.

"I'm sorry then." Amy held up her hands in apology. "I thought you were done."

But Isabella really -was- done. She had said all she had really needed to say, and that was it. She wished Mike luck, turned back to face Jeff, and just waited. She waited to hear how Amy thought she was going to save herself. Because Isabella knew it was likely to be good.

"Mike..." Amy started. "I know you'll do what you want with this vote. And I know very little I say will have -any- effect on me trying to change your mind..."

Mike just stared.

"... But I'd like to remind you of what you said this morning," Amy finished. "And why you didn't want to reward Emma with a trip to the final two." She paused. "Because you told me you wanted to avenge Michelle and you wanted to avenge Ryan. And you wanted to do it by not giving Emma a chance to win this game."

Mike nodded, slightly.

"Also..." Amy said, "Remember the deal that I have in place with Emma. Because I owe her one for forcing that tie at the final four. And if I go to the jury... she ends up getting my jury vote. That's a promise I made to her that I intend to keep." Amy saw the anger that quickly crossed Isabella's face and it made Amy almost laugh out loud. Finally, she had gotten a reaction out of her. "Anyway Mike... I just bring that up to remind you that she -isn't- as easy a win as she's trying to lead you on to believe..."

"If you want to play dirty like that," Isabella retorted quickly, "Then go ahead. Because if you can talk Mike into taking you to the final two then... hell... you probably deserve -all- the jury votes!"

"I'm not playing dirty," Amy smiled sweetly at her nemesis, "I'm only giving him everything he needs to know."

"By threatening him?" Isabella looked angry now. "You don't even plan to listen to his final answers! You're just going to vote for me out of spite!"

"I'm not threatening -anything-," Amy said. "I just happen to have a deal with you and I intend to keep it."

"That -is- blackmail, Amy," Mike said softly. "And you know it."

"Okay, fine..." Amy looked flustered. "Emma, do you want to release me from our deal? Do you want to cut me loose and say I hold no obligation to vote for you anymore?"

"I don't have a deal with you," Isabella said softly.

"Well then fine," Amy snipped. "So be it, I'm now a free agent again. I no longer have any promise to Emma. Now I'm just going to vote for who's the best player." She paused. "But Mike, I'm telling you that it's still probably going to be for Emma..."

"Enough," Mike said sternly. "That's enough."

"Okay," Amy nodded. She realized she had probably gone too far. "Anyway Mike, no matter what you do tonight, I just want to say thank you. Because you saved me at the final five, you never held me to any obligation after that, and you've been a good friend all along."

Mike nodded.

"And I'm done now," Amy said. "So thank you both. And best of luck to both of you."

"Thank you too," Isabella added.

The air was silent once all the debating and bickering had finally died down. And the jurors looked on in silent fascination as the three samurai sat on their logs in the front. The two smaller females on either side, and the bigger, more powerful one in the middle. And it looked like it was just about time for Mike to make his choice.

It was just about time to decide who he would be facing in the final two.

"I have been honored..." Mike said, slowly, "To get to the final four with the three other best players in the game. Because all three of you... Amy... Emma... and Michelle... have all played a great game."

No one said a word. This was Mike's stage now. And Mike's turn alone to speak.

"However," he added, "Only -two- of you had games that I respected. Because Emma took -every- opportunity to stab me and my friends in the back. She did it with malice, she did it with glee... and ideally that kind of behavior should -not- be rewarded..."

Amy scowled at the sound of these words. Because she knew right away there was going to be a "but." She just knew it. There was no way Mike was taking her to the final two tonight. No. Way.

"....But..."

And there it was.

"... While I respect you, Amy, and the way you played the game... I am afraid everybody -else- will respect the way you played the game too. And that's something that worries me quite a bit."

"Mike, no..." she started. But it was clear he had already made up his mind.

"And something Emma told me yesterday is what eventually made up my mind," Mike explained to Jeff. "She told me that if I didn't do -everything- I could to win... if I didn't do everything I could to take this game home..."

He turned to look at the jury.

"... Then Ryan, Joni and Michelle will have given themselves up in vain."

Amy sighed. -Damnit-.

"So even though I don't want to reward her for her treachery," Mike explained, "I have no choice but to take Emma with me to the final two. I just don't want to take the chance of losing to Amy. Kamiya has been through -far- too much for me to sacrifice myself like that at the end."

Mike turned to Amy, who was staring at the ground in disgust.

"Amy, you deserve to be there. And you would make better competition. But my vote is going to be cast for you tonight." He paused. "I'm sorry."

Amy said nothing.

"I hate this part," Mike said softly, "I really do. Because yesterday I was going to spite Emma... and take you instead..."

"It's okay," she quipped.

"... And you deserve it more than anyone..."

"Thank you for respecting my game," Amy said, very softly.

But with that, the decision had been made. Mike and Amy shared a hug. Then Amy and Isabella shared a hug. Then Isabella leaned over and whispered a quick "thank you" into Mike's ear. She patted him on the knee. He had done exactly as he was -supposed- to have done. Good boy.

"Well..." said Jeff, "Before Mike goes up and casts the vote... does anyone have any last words to say?"

And though he expected there to be none, he was surprised when Amy raised her hand into the air.

"Amy?"

Amy stood up now, still clad in her samurai gear. Her sword clinked gently against her seat as she turned to face the final two. She peered out from under her hat.

"The three of were dressed as samurai today for a reason," she explained. "We were given life lessons on the way here, and they were all given to us for a -reason-." She paused. "Because honor was supposed to be a -big- part of this game. Honor was supposed to have been a part of our game since day one..."

She paused for a long moment.

She stared directly into Mike's eyes.

Then she stared directly into Isabella's.

"And I just hope," Amy finished, "That -both- of you think about that."

Amy sat down.

And now it was time to vote.


^^


The vote was really not going to be a surprise. Nobody thought Mike was going to change his mind, nor did he really intend to. He simply wrote down Amy's name, held it up to the camera, and said the words Amy had been trying to avoid since day one.

"I hate to do this," Mike explained, "But I came to Okinawa to win. And Emma is my best chance right now... even if she -did- screw me every chance she got."

The big man folded up the ballot, staring into the camera while still in full samurai regalia.

"Love you Amy," he finished, "But I don't think I can beat you."

Mike came back to the stage and he brought the ballot box along with him. Inside was one vote. And as the jury looked on, Jeff opened the box... he pulled out the ballot... and he looked at it.

"The fourteenth player voted out of the game.... and final member of our jury..."

He paused, then turned it around.


"Amy."


Amy reached over to hug Mike one more time. Then she reached over to hug Isabella. She wished them both luck and then she reached back to grab her torch. Still clad in full samurai gear, Amy stood up, walked over to Jeff, and placed her torch in the ground. She then stood before him, waiting for the fateful words to be spoken.

"Amy... In this case, -Mike- has spoken."

He lowered the snuffer and just like that, Amy Twieg had been eliminated from the game. And the Sato tribe had officially been put to rest for good. Sato had just been killed.

Before she left, Amy had one last thing she had to do. She simply kissed her hand and then quickly touched her hand to her torch. She then uttered four words under her breath.

"Well done, honorable Sato."

Amy turned, exited the set, and walked down the lonely dark trail out of the game. She didn't look back, because if she did she would have seen Matt and Lance looking crushed. But Amy walked out, she left the game, and then she was gone.

And the game had finally reached its conclusion.

Because only two more Miyagis remained in the game.

Jeff turned to now face the final two. He turned to look at Isabella and Mike. And the two of them sat on their logs, both smiling happily. They both felt like they had just won this game. The two of them were even holding hands.

"Congratulations to both of you," said Jeff. "Because Emma and Mike... you are the -final- two. You have come as -far- as you can on your own... and the game is now out of your hands for good."

He turned to face the jury.

"Because from here on out, the two of you no longer control this game. The fate of this game now rests in -their- hands."

Several jurors nodded.

"So tomorrow..." finished Jeff, "We will have one final Tribal Council. You will face the seven jurors... you will speak your piece... and you will have a chance to answer for your past actions in this game. Both the good ones, as well as the bad."

Several jurors grinned.

"So rest up," smiled Jeff, "Because tomorrow night, one of you two will become the Sole Survivor. And one of you will win the prize... of one million dollars."

He nodded. Then he sent them away.

"And good luck tomorrow to both of you."

Mike and Isabella stood up, exchanged a hug, and walked out of the Tribal Council set together. They were still dressed as samurai but deep down they didn't even notice. Deep down they were just thinking about tomorrow. They were already fast-forwarding ahead to the day that would follow. And already starting their jury speeches in their heads.

For Mike, this was an unbelievable ending to an unbelievable game. He had started strong, he had run the game, he had been a leader and... remarkably... a leader had actually ended up in the final two. And he knew he had a good chance to win tomorrow. He would be up against the hated Emma... he would finally get to explain the brilliance of his "Gnome Strategy", and he would be dealing with a handpicked group of jurors who all happened to think he was the greatest guy in the world. In short, he thought the vote could possibly be unanimous. After all, with Amy out of the picture, and Emma without a friend in the world, how could it possibly go wrong...?

But what Mike -didn't- know was the true identity of the person he had just allowed to snake her way into the final two.

And what Mike didn't know was that Isabella Smith had been preparing for this moment for a long, long time.

Because she had been here before. Isabella had made the final two in Survivor: Tonga, while playing a solid game from start to finish. And then she had blown it. She had never understood why, she could never really explain how... but for some reason Isabella had chosen not to come out as a strategist during her final moments in front of the jury. She had failed to come out, she had been crucified by the Tonga jury, and she had lost.

But she had also learned.

Because for every mistake she had made in Tonga, Isabella had corrected it in Okinawa. For every deficiency in her game before, she had improved upon it her second time around.

While she had been very passive in Tonga... she had played as aggressively as possible in Okinawa.

While she had been a challenge pushover in Tonga... she had dominated the challenges like no other in Okinawa.

While she had been called lucky in Tonga... no one could deny that she influenced nearly each and every vote during her time in Okinawa.

And most importantly... while she had failed to come out as a strategist to the jury in Tonga... she was -not- going to make the same mistake here in Okinawa. She had been writing her jury speech in her head almost since day one, and she knew -exactly- what she was going to say tomorrow. She was going to be calm. She was going to be persuasive. She was going to be charming.

And then she was going to tell them who she was.

And as Mike and Isabella took their final boat trip back to Yamako, both of them smiled happily. Both of them were content. Both of them had all the confidence in the world.

Mike was happy because he thought he had this game all wrapped up. He had the jury in the palm of his hand, he had a hated opponent sitting next to him, and he more or less thought this game was in the bag. He and the gnome were already planning how to spend their million dollars.

And Isabella was happy because she knew this was her second chance. This was her big chance to right past wrongs. It was as if fate had decreed she should get to do it over, and this time do it right. And she was happy not because she had made it. She was happy not because Mike could be beaten. No, she was happy simply because she was Isabella. And Isabella just had faith that things were always going to work out.

Especially when Mike realized the Pandora's Box he had just opened...

Especially when Mike realized what he had just done...

Simply by letting Isabella sneak her way back into the final two.

Again.










Visit the Okinawa Official Homepage for Amy's final words and all the cast bios. Also check out the Official Okinawa Message Board for behind-the-scenes info, trivia, exit interviews, cast interaction... and to submit questions for Amy's Early Show appearance. Her post-game interviews will be posted in a few days!

Episode 13c ("Showdown") debuts in less than a week. Make your final predictions on the board!