I, ah, don't own Survivor - the song featured in this chapter... um... I don't actually know who the artist is, to be honest... but all credit goes to said artist!


51: Sports

Sarah awoke a few hours later to her new hotel room with Dan poking her in her side in full Samurai garb.

"Get up," he whispered. "Time to begin training."

"Samurai training?" Sarah asked, and he nodded. "Fine. What first?"

"We'll start with sit-ups and flexibility," he said sternly. "That was the first rule of the battlefield was to be able to get out of your opponent's way. Also, we'll need to work on the reflexes that involve the foolish method of putting your arm up while screaming out the phrase 'don't hurt me', as it really doesn't work more than twice."

"Move out of the way, fight back, and make sure you're fit and able to swing a sword," she said nodding and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "Sounds easy enough, I guess."

"While wearing sixty-four pound armor," he said emphasizing his point, and she looked up at him as if to ask if he was serious. "I mean it. People used to live and die by the art of sword-fighting."

"You're the expert," she said getting out of bed and following him to the large living room area of the suite. "Where do we start?"

"Fifty sit-ups, or in this case as many as you can do," he said getting onto the ground and putting the edges of his feet underneath the couch. "After that I'll go downstairs and get you your own wooden stick so we can get you started by taking you around to all our panels."

"No samurai outfit? What's with the belt?" she asked pointing at his waist.

"Oh, that was to hide another weapon behind the flap in the back," he said pulling out a chain with two tiny rods on the end. "That was in case of an emergency in the home after he'd put his sword away, or in the cases of you and Jillian, she."

"There were girl Samurai?"

"There are now," he said beginning to do crunches. "Less talk, more work."

Sarah assumed the crunches position and began doing crunches alongside her new adopted father. As she did, she felt the strong urge to sing for the first time since she'd come to America. she began singing, and Dan was looking at her in shock as it never once caused her to break her stride, or even take her breath away for very long as she sang in her usual soprano.

Now that you're out of my life, I'm for much better.
You thought that I'd be weak without you, but I'm stronger.
You thought that I'd be broke without you, but I'm richer.
You thought that I'd be sad without you, I laugh harder.
You thought that I wouldn't grow without you, but I'm wiser.
You thought that I'd be helpless without you, but I'm smarter.
You thought that I'd be stressed without you, but I'm chillin.
You thought that I wouldn't sell without you, sold nine millions.

I'm a Survivor.
I'm not goin give up.
I'm not goin stop.
I'm goin work harder.
I'm a Survivor.
I'm gonna make it.
I'm a survivor.
Keep on surviving.

I'm a Survivor.
I'm not goin give up.
I'm not goin stop.
I'm goin work harder.
I'm a Survivor.
I'm gonna make it.
I'm a survivor.
Keep on surviving.

You thought that I couldn't breathe without you, I'm inhaling.
You thought that I couldn't see without you, perfect vision.
You thought that I couldn't last without you, but I'm lastin'.
You thought that I would die without you, but I'm livin'.
You thought that I would fail without you, but I'm on top.
You thought it would be over by now, but it won't stop.
You thought that I would self-destruct, but I'm still here.
Even in my years to come, I'm still goin be here!

I'm a Survivor.
I'm not goin give up.
I'm not goin stop.
I'm goin work harder.
I'm a Survivor.
I'm gonna make it.
I'm a survivor.
Keep on surviving.

I'm a Survivor.
I'm not goin give up.
I'm not goin stop.
I'm goin work harder.
I'm a Survivor.
I'm gonna make it.
I'm a survivor.
Keep on surviving.

Wishing you the best, pray that you are blessed
Much success, no stress, and lots of happiness.
I'm not blast you on the radio.
I'm not gon' lie on you and your family.
I'm not gonna hate on your in the magazines.
I'm not gon' compromise my Christianity.
And no I'm not goin diss you on the internet,
Cause my Sensei taught me better than that!

I'm a Survivor.
I'm not goin give up.
I'm not goin stop.
I'm goin work harder.
I'm a Survivor.
I'm gonna make it.
I'm a survivor.
Keep on surviving.

I'm a Survivor.
I'm not goin give up.
I'm not goin stop.
I'm goin work harder.
I'm a Survivor.
I'm gonna make it.
I'm a survivor.
Keep on surviving.

Sarah continued on with the rest of the song, and never once messed up on the lyrics, pitch, breathing, or crunches. Dan marveled at how strong she was emotionally now that she'd gotten all the tears out of her system, and Jillian walked out of the room and Dan shared confused at Sarah's singing only to gape at how the young girl was able to sing and keep up the crunches pace with Dan at the same time with seemingly no training at all.

"She's eight, should be really be doing this?" Jillian asked herself as she went back into her room and shut the door. "Ah, who am I kidding, if it keeps her from going insane, what should I care?"

Dan and Sarah continued doing crunches just before he began working with her on different methods of keeping her flexible and strong in her body's own way. He was about to stop her as she began running out of energy, but one look into her eyes told him that this was her way of drowning out her sorrow and pushing it out of the way at any and all costs possible.

He decided he'd let her be and begin training when it came time to time to do their first demonstration and using Jillian as a punching bag instead of him.


Um... review, please? I-I thought I'd make music Sarah's continuing motivator since that was what Erik taught her... is that okay? If not, please let me know!

Did I ask for a review already? Oh, I did, okay, sorry!