Survivor: Konoha

by Gomamon

Sixteen castaways, all from different anime series, will embark on the adventure of a lifetime. For the next thirty nine days, they will have to survive the wilderness as well as each other. Who can outwit, outplay, outlast? Who will be the Sole Survivor?

10. Episode 10: Waiting for a Friend

Survivor: Konoha
By: Gomamon

Last Time on Survivor:

A mysterious third vote at the last tribal council instilled paranoia in the Jiraiya alliance. Mai became a natural suspect. Despite Harley's protests, Faye and Holland both plotted to blindside the blonde. The actual culprit was Kari, who used her vote as a catalyst to improve her position in the tribe. Meanwhile, Faye guaranteed Roy power and security, but he went behind her back and informed Mai about Jiraiya's plan. She fought back by recruiting Roy, Kari, and Shannon in a counter alliance. The four of them forced a tie at tribal council. Bulma and Harley feared the purple rock tiebreaker and changed their votes, leading to Holland's demise.

Seven castaways remain. Who will be voted out next?

Episode Ten: Waiting for a Friend

Sarutobi Tribe : Bulma (Dragonball Z), Faye (Cowboy Bebop), Harley (Pokemon), Kari (Digimon), Mai (Yu-gi-oh), Roy (Fullmetal Alchemist), Shannon (Scrapped Princess)

- - -

DAY 28

All morning, Faye Valentine had been waiting. Waiting for an apology. Waiting for an explanation. Waiting for a justification of some sort. But no matter how long she waited, the answers never came. Then, she became aggravated with waiting and told herself she would wait no more. Except five minutes later, she was waiting again. Waiting for him. Waiting for Roy Mustang.

Not once did he approach her.

Not once did he even look her way.

Faye sat from a safe distance and watched that wretched man, quite intently, observing his every move. She didn't know which stung more – either Roy was being unintentionally negligent, or he was ignoring her on purpose. It was a sharp contrast from all the attention he showered upon her in the past. Faye wasn't used to the sudden change. In fact, she was amazed at how much of a stranger he became overnight. Although from her perspective, it felt more like she was the stranger in his eyes. She thought she knew Roy Mustang. But now he wouldn't talk to her. He wouldn't even look at her.

It was like she never existed. Like she was a nobody. Nobody Valentine.

Sitting on the other side of the camp, Roy was also waiting. He was waiting for the right timing, the right opportunity, and the right moment. He knew if he approached Faye too early, that would give her the satisfaction of knowing he was desperate. He really wasn't, of course. It was just an expression. Desperate wasn't the right word to describe somebody in a powerful alliance of four, presumably the final four. Over the span of one night, he was now controlling the game. Not Faye. Not Harley. And certainly not Holland. Roy called the shots. Just like how it should have been from the start.

Yet, power meant nothing in Survivor if the million dollars was rewarded to another player in the end. As it stood right now, Roy had little chance of winning against his current allies. Mai was a dominant social player, Shannon was a well-respected hard worker, and Kari was just too darn likable for her own good. In comparison, Roy was nothing more than a foolish man who aligned with people he cannot beat. Although he believed he was the most deserving player by a long mile, a lot of potential vindictive jurors will be upset with his style. They'll probably vote out of spite, and not respect Roy as the puppeteer who masterminded their boots. It wasn't his fault if some people were bitter.

Roy: I can't win against Mai. Or Shannon. Or even Kari. My alliance with them was a fun diversion for one tribal council, but I don't have any prospects of going to the end with them. At least not all three of them. This alliance was just a stepping stone so I can get Holland out of the game. Now that he's gone, my options are free again.

What Roy needed most was a Final Two partner. On the final night, he wanted to sit beside somebody he can easily beat in a jury vote. Faye Valentine was obviously the ideal candidate, since she had done herself no favours over the past few days. She hated Tsunade and they hated her back. There were at least three players who will not give her the million dollars even if somebody held a gun to their heads. If Roy could have his way, he would protect Faye from the next few tribal councils until they were the final two. Unfortunately, there was one huge obstacle in his way.

Harley.

As long as the Pokemon Coordinator was still in the game, Faye will remain loyal to her friend until the bitter end. Despite her reputation, Harley was the one person she would not betray in this game. She remained forever indebted to him ever since he threw that sixth immunity challenge. Roy, sadly enough, was demoted to her number two. That meant she wouldn't mind going to the finals with him, but he came after Harley on her wish list. And that really frustrated Roy. Harley came with Faye like a two-in-one package. He was the extra baggage that had to be carried along if Roy wanted to go to the end with his ideal Final Two partner.

Roy: I would love nothing more than to vote off Mai or Shannon next, but I'm not sure if I'm ready to take that risk. Right now, there're two options for me. Either I take the safe route and stick with my current alliance, or I could pull another fast one by aligning with Jiraiya again. My biggest concern is whether it's a smart move to vote with them, when I know for a fact that Faye and Harley are almost inseparable in this game…

Faye will never be his final two partner unless Harley was out of the picture. But on the flip side, voting out Harley meant keeping Mai and Shannon longer in the game. Which also meant he was giving them more opportunity to turn against him at a future tribal council. It was a lose-lose situation. Roy perceived all three of them as threats. He just had to decide who intimidated him the most.

One thing was for certain: Roy needed Faye Valentine as much as she needed him. He was just too much of an egoist to ever admit this fact. Besides, it was important that he didn't come across as too desperate. He still wanted some control over her, so she would be the one begging him for help. Power was a beautiful luxury in this game. And Roy knew exactly how to use it to his advantage. So for now, he decided to play the waiting game. He will wait until Faye was desperate enough to forgive him, and also to accept his help again. Judging by her body language, he predicted it wouldn't take too long. The bounty huntress looked on edge all morning.

It was only a matter of time before Faye came running towards him, with her tail tucked neatly in between her legs.

Unfortunately, this meant Faye's agony was prolonged until further notice. Roy wasn't giving her the time of the day, and neither were her tribe members. Everyone evaded her like she was a ticking bomb waiting to detonate at anyone in proximity. Had she been a friendlier person, perhaps they wouldn't be so cold to her. But they were all scared of the feisty bounty huntress. They sensed she was pissed off after last night's results. Nobody wanted to provoke her snide remarks and scornful blather, so they wisely avoided Faye, hoping she wouldn't cross their territory until she was in a better mood.

Separated. Alienated. Ostracized. All morning, Faye Valentine had been waiting. Waiting for companionship. Waiting for someone who liked her enough to say 'good morning' or simply a 'hello'. But no matter how long she waited, nobody came her way.

Except for one guy.

"Good morning, m'lady. Would your highness care for some breakfast in bed?"

Startled at first, Faye looked up at the first person who spoke to her this morning. Why of course. It couldn't be anybody else but Harley, who imitated a swish accent today for no reason in particular. Faye smiled thankfully at the Pokemon Coordinator. Even when she hit rock bottom, she could always depend on him for a good laugh.

"What's on the menu today, peasant?" Faye played along.

"The cuisine is exquisite as always." Harley held up a mango in each hand. "Ah yes, these tropical fruits are specially imported from an exotic and mysterious locale called Konoha. Commonly known as a mango to the working class, rumour has it the sweet nectar of these fruits can cure sore throats, stuffed noses, and the occasional smelly farts."

The bounty huntress burst out laughing. No matter how lonely she felt at the moment, Faye was grateful (if somewhat surprised) that she had an unconditional friend by her side. It was why she could never betray him even for a million dollars. At least one person in this tribe didn't view her as an enemy, a bad guy, or a total stranger.

Thank goodness for Harley.

Her only friend in this tribe.

- - -

It was almost noontime when Roy made his move. Faye's head immediately perked up as she saw the colonel approaching her. He walked in a swift, confident stride, which she didn't mind, because she found it attractive when a man believed in himself. Except she wasn't supposed to have feelings for that backstabber anymore. Stop. Stop. Stop. She averted her eyes and focused on Harley instead. The two friends stayed inside the shelter for the past few hours – strategizing, gossiping, and occasionally sulking. While he was an amusing distraction, Faye knew about her priorities in this game. So, she whispered a few words into Harley's ear, he nodded his head with a slight smile, and then he was gone from the shelter. The bounty huntress was alone again when Roy made his arrival.

He sat down next to her on the floor. Their knees touched for a moment, but Faye consciously pulled away. She felt so tempted to touch him again. Stop. Stop. Stop!

"Leave me alone." Faye turned away, letting a strand of dark hair fall over her face.

Roy smirked. He thought these words seemed contradictory to somebody who instructed her friend to leave just as Roy was arriving. It seemed clear that she wanted a private chat with him.

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry." Roy apologized right off the bet. It was what she wanted to hear the most. "Will you ever forgive me?"

"I'll never trust you again." Faye muttered.

"How can I make it up to you? Tell me. I'll do anything," said Roy.

"For starters, you can go fuck yourself." Faye clenched her fists. "Then, I don't care what you do anymore, Roy Mustang. You're dead to me."

Roy let out a small sigh. He had hoped it would be easier than this. Of course, he didn't expect her to be all chummy with him at the drop of a hat, but that woman can sure hold a grudge. Was there any need for her to be so rude? Probably not, but that was just the way Faye was. Well, if she was going to be a vindictive little bitch, then two can play that game. Time for a different strategy.

"Strong words for somebody in your position." Roy sneered a little at her. He leaned in closer so she can hear his voice loud and clear. "You really want to get voted out, don't you?"

That got a reaction out of her. Faye spun her head so fast that he thought her neck might break from all the intensity. Then, she shot him the deadliest look, as if one glare from her soulless green eyes could rip him into a million pieces. No words were even necessary. Roy knew from instinct this was the expression of a seriously pissed off woman.

"If I was you, I wouldn't be talking smack to my final lifeline in this game." Roy continued, baiting her. He will keep going until her last button was pushed. Hey, she asked for it. He tried to be nice at first. "If I was you, I wouldn't be giving attitude to the only guy who can change the outcome three days from now."

How dare that arrogant piece of shit talk down to her like that!

"You're not me, so shut the hell up!" Faye yelled.

But she also realized every word out of his mouth was true. Faye hated it when he was right. He was always right. Reluctantly, she softened her tone of voice.

"What are you trying to say?" Faye asked, a little quieter this time.

"I don't know." Roy shrugged his shoulders and offered her a cheeky smile. "My mind wanders."

Now the guilt started to overwhelm her. She shouldn't have yelled at him like that. Even though he acted like a big jerk. Roy was her last hope – her only hope – in surviving the next tribal council. She knew there was no way Mai, Kari, or Shannon will help her. Roy might, but only if she cooperated. Perhaps she shouldn't view him as her worst enemy from now on.

"I can save you, Faye, but only if you let me help." Roy now had a gentler smile on his face. Yet, she can't tell the difference between his expressions anymore. "I'm sorry, but I did what I had to do to advance. And so should you. Let go of your grudges. Free your demons. Play the game."

"If you think I'll forgive you just because you opened your pretty mouth, you can think again. I'm not weak like that," said Faye.

"I don't expect you to forgive me." Roy shrugged.

"I…I helped you so much in the past. You wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for me."

"Allow me to return the favour."

Faye sighed.

Well, who was she to say no to an offer like that?

"You better."

"I promise." Roy put an arm over her shoulder. She didn't flinch like she thought she would. "I promise you won't go home at the next tribal council."

He crossed his fingers behind his back.

It only took a minute, but he had already won her over again. Faye didn't want to forgive him, not this soon, but it wasn't like she had any other choice. Just as he had predicted, Faye felt far too powerless and desperate to deny his support. She hated him, yet she also loved him. But more importantly, she needed him.

So, Faye waited.

She waited for Roy Mustang to seduce her again.

Faye: Every time I look at Roy, I see a different man. I don't recognize him anymore. He's like a whole new person. I'm an idiot for ever trusting him in the first place. Nothing good ever happened to me when I trusted others. Yet, Roy is also the only one who can save me. He's willing to change his vote at the next tribal council, if the circumstances are right. Technically, he's my last shot to stay in the game.

The usual triumph and confidence was lacking in her voice. This was a very quiet, very reflective Faye – an introspective side of the bounty huntress very few had the chance to see.

Faye: Right now, I feel really helpless. Really hopeless. I just feel less and less with each passing moment. It's like I'm in Tsunade again. I can't do anything but wait for my impending elimination. There's nothing to look forward to. There's nobody to talk to. There's no anything absolutely at all.

- - -

While Roy and Faye reconciled, another pair was clearing up any misunderstanding between them. Actually, it wasn't so much of a misunderstanding as it was facing the dire consequences after last night's vote. When Harley woke up this morning, he knew he had some explaining to do. The powers had shifted, and like always, Harley moved fast to get with the program.

"Are you still mad at me? You know, for voting against you?" Harley asked with a look of uncertainty in his face.

"I should be asking you the same thing." Mai smiled, sheepishly.

The blonde was wary about this conversation at first, fearing yet another unpleasant quarrel with a good friend (shades of Meryl remained in Mai's head). Fortunately, Harley was not the argumentative type. Despite his flamboyant personality and extroverted personality, Harley didn't appreciate public confrontations. This was why he didn't get along with outspoken characters like Asuka and Guy, who thrived on exactly that. The Pokemon Coordinator was more of a behind-the-scenes kind of guy. When he needed to gossip, he did it behind people's backs. And when he needed to resolve a problem, he did it behind closed curtains. There was no need to make this talk with Mai a vivid spectacle for the world to see. And for that, she was very thankful.

"I tried to talk them out of it, but they wouldn't listen to me. Especially Holland. It was so frustrating!" Harley explained, "If I had any other choice, I wouldn't have voted you out. And you don't know how happy I am that you got to stay. That was why I changed my vote in the first place!"

Mai watched Harley's animated expressions as he spoke. His face was like an extravagant performance sometimes. He put extra emphasis on every other word, and he enunciated every syllable like he was reading a dramatic soliloquy from a script. At the same time, Harley was quite a convincing talker, even though Mai was sceptical of his words. She didn't know whether to trust her friend's intentions or not. How hard did Harley fight for her to stay? It couldn't be that much if he voted against her anyway.

"It's alright. It's all in the past now." Mai said, tossing her hair back casually. "I'm cool with it. Let's put this misunderstanding behind us."

"I always knew you were an understanding person!" Harley grinned. It was never too early in the morning for a little brownnosing. And a little lying. Harley didn't switch his vote yesterday because he wanted to save Mai. He did it to save his own skin, fearing a purple rock tiebreaker.

"Now that's out of the way, I've a proposal for you," said Mai.

"I don't want to vote for Faye!" Harley gasped. He immediately jumped to the worst assumption. "She's next, isn't she!?"

"You don't have to. We get the honour of voting her out." Mai flashed an impish grin at the Pokemon Coordinator, even though he didn't find her remark all that funny. "By the way, it'd be a whole lot easier to campaign if you're willing to sell out Faye. Just so you know."

Harley's smile faded a little, but he worked hard to sustain it on his face. He pressed his lips together and breathed in some air through his mouth.

"I know what you're thinking, Harley. But I can't save both of you. I'm sorry. It's just not possible."

"If you vote with us again, it'd be possible…" Harley suggested.

"Never." Mai responded immediately. "I never walk into the same pothole twice."

He bit his lips, not looking convinced.

"Surely there is a way…" Harley began, but he got cut off.

"Actually, that's not what my proposal is about." Mai interjected. She wanted to get back on track. "Look, either Faye goes or you go. Here's my proposal to you, Harley. What if I keep you safe at the next tribal council? In return, will you do me a favour?"

"I guess so." Harley's shoulders slumped in defeat. That didn't sound like a very reassuring answer to Mai, so he injected some fake enthusiasm into his voice. "Sweetheart, if you can guarantee me safety, I'll do you more than just a favour!"

Mai smiled. That was more like it.

"I need your help to vote out Roy, two tribal councils from now."

"Done."

Harley's response was so quick that it almost startled Mai for a second. Soon, the two of them exchanged knowing smiles with each other. She knew she could depend on her friend Harley for a vote. Taking down Roy would be a much easier feat than she imagined. Mai already had four willing votes all lined up. Roy Mustang was done alright.

Mai: I don't trust Roy. Never did. I guess part of the reason is because his strategy is so identical to mine. We know how to work wonders on the opposite sex, and we both backstabbed a lot of people in the past. I know sure as hell that I can't be trusted, so I've my suspicions about Roy. He's probably looking for a way out of this alliance. Roy is a rat. He's always scrambling for a better opportunity, a better position, and a better alliance. Just like me.

She smiled sheepishly at the camera.

Mai: I think I want to take out Roy sooner than later. Not at the next tribal council, mind you, but may be the one after that. Because the longer he stays in the game, the antsier I feel about a knife in my back. Remember rule number one of Survivor: backstab the backstabber before he backstabs you.

"Don't tell anyone about this, okay? It's a secret between you and me." Mai put an index finger over her lips.

"Keeping secrets is my specialty!" Harley winked.

"No, I'm serious. I know your shit, Harley. If you tell anyone about this, the deal is off. And I'll vote your ass out." Mai warned.

"You can trust me!"

Harley was telling the truth this time. He had no intentions of spilling the beans to anyone. Like a child given a set of privileges, the Pokemon Coordinator felt tempted by his newfound power, but ultimately decided to remain grateful to his saviour. He didn't even want to share this good news with Faye. His best friend. His partner in crime. His alliance buddy to the end. Harley was looking out for himself now, and he knew he must stay in Mai's good graces. She already promised him final five or beyond. If he stayed put and listened to her orders, he can go a long way in this game.

So, the deal was sealed. Faye Valentine had a three day life expectancy until she will be inevitably voted out at the next tribal council. The object of her affections, Roy Mustang, will follow soon after.

And then, Harley smiled giddily. In his head, he could already picture a secret three-person alliance between himself, Shannon, and Bulma. All it takes is a little future planning and a lot of patience, but the game will belong to me again.

- - -

Bulma felt worried about her odds of surviving the next tribal council. She didn't know why she was worried, especially since her name hadn't been mentioned anywhere yet. And surely there had to be bigger fish to fry than a harmless woman with no alliances and no loyalties. But she was still worried, and she had every right to be. After all, both Harley and Faye were guaranteed safety from the people in power, which put Bulma's position in the game at peril. She was definitely vulnerable, and worst of all, she had no idea how much danger she was in.

"So, what did you guys talk about?" Bulma asked the Pokemon Coordinator after he finished his not-so-discreet conversation with Mai.

"Nothing groundbreaking." Harley waved his hand in dismissal. "I think she's still angry at me. I'm so screwed."

"Come on, Harley! Give me the scoop! Who's their next target? Is it Faye?" Bulma pleaded.

"I honestly don't know. That bitch wouldn't tell me anything!" Harley gave a devastated sigh. "I was supposed to be her friend, so she felt really betrayed by me. I'm screwed, Bulma! More screwed than Kari was when she got caught double-crossing Holland! More screwed than Guy in a barber shop!"

Harley stayed true to his word for once and didn't leak one word of information to Bulma. Bless her heart, but he knew she can never be trusted with a secret. And if he wasn't going to tell Faye about the big news, he sure as hell wasn't going to tell blabbermouth Bulma. The inventor felt really frustrated, because she knew there had to be some gossip he was withholding from her. She can sense it. Harley wasn't being entirely truthful with her.

And that pretty much summarized the biggest problem in Bulma's game: she didn't have any honest allies or useful connections, so she always remained uninformed until it was too late. Nobody would tell her anything important unless they needed her for an ulterior motive. In her tribe members' eyes, she was either Bulma the extra vote, or Bulma the non-entity.

After spending a few minutes talking in circles with her Coordinator friend, Bulma finally gave up and left him alone. Fine, if he didn't want to tell her anything, then she will just have to create something for everybody to talk about. A scandal. A nasty rumour. A totally untrue piece of gossip. Anything to get people talking. She was the queen of stirring the pot, after all. Trouble practically flowed in her blood.

The inventor thought about her plan of attack for a while, but then smiled when she identified little Kari from a distance. The petite DigiDestined was returning to camp after retrieving treemail for today's reward challenge. She wasn't accompanied by anyone. And Bulma's smile grew wider. Perfect. Now was the best time to prey upon the vulnerable and defenceless young girl.

"Care for a walk?" Bulma asked, running up to the DigiDestined. Kari seemed surprised that somebody had been waiting for her.

"But I already got the treemail." Kari was puzzled with the innocuous request.

"Let's take a walk." Bulma smiled. She linked arms with Kari and steered her towards the direction of the forest. "We don't talk enough."

"Bulma, what is this about?" Kari narrowed her eyes at the older woman.

"Honey," Bulma flashed a maternal smile. "I think you need to know all the bad things Harley has said about you in the past…"

- - -

Iruka Umino wasn't a family man, but not by choice. He lost both his parents while they were protecting the village of Konoha. He never forgot what they looked like. Every now and then, the image of their compassionate smiles would flicker in front of his eyes. Then, it would fade away and reality sank back in again. Despite his tragic childhood, Iruka grew up as a cheerful and relatively normal young man. Yet, his heart was always flooded with emotions whenever he witnessed a family reunion.

Now, imagine how overwhelmed he must feel to introduce not one, not two, but seven family reunions at all once.

He wasn't bitter though. He wasn't angry either. He wasn't even upset. In fact, Iruka was actually overwhelmed with joy. He was genuinely happy for these players. Loved ones reunited at last. He couldn't picture a more fulfilling scenario. A smile crossed his face just by thinking about it. They didn't call him the nice guy of Konoha for nothing, after all.

"Today, you're playing for love!" Iruka announced.

He exclaimed it in his most enthusiastic voice, hoping the other players will react the same way. Most of them didn't get it at first. They just stared at their host with blank expressions. They didn't understand what he meant by 'playing for love'.

Until a certain goggle-head leader with big brown hair came running out of the forest.

"Kari, meet your brother Tai!" Iruka exclaimed.

A few voices screamed out in joy, just for the sheer surprise of the news. Kari shouted the loudest. She began jumping up and down excitedly, almost like a maniac, but she didn't care how crazy she looked right now. Because there was Tai! Tai! TAI! TAI!

The two siblings ran up to each other and embraced in a friendly hug. Iruka looked on with a satisfied smile. His eyes were already getting a little misty.

"Wow. Just wow. You look like hell." Tai bit his lips, which formed a tiny concerned frown. "Why are you so skinny? Aren't they feeding you properly?"

"Tai, this is Survivor!" Kari laughed.

"I know, but still…" Tai's voice trailed off for a moment. He then shook his head and grinned – that big, goofy, familiar grin. "Well, it's really great to see my little sis again. We'll talk later. First, we win this challenge."

"We'll see, we'll see." Kari smiled as humbly as she could.

Mai's good friend Joey came out next. He was a tall, goofy looking blonde with a thick Brooklyn accent. A few players eyed him suspiciously. He seemed harmless enough. But given her notorious reputation, they didn't doubt for a second that 'friend' was a very loose term used here.

Then, there was Shannon's younger sister. Pacifica Casull, seventeen-years-old, was a beautiful girl with silky blonde hair, big bright eyes, and a radiant white smile. She looked absolutely nothing like her older brother, a fact that surprised some of the players. Nonetheless, the two siblings seemed very close. Shannon even cracked one of his rare smiles when his sister walked out, after almost clumsily tripping over a rock.

Harley's companion was Jessie, dressed in her infamous Team Rocket outfit from head to toe. She walked – no, strutted – with utmost confidence, almost like she was posing in front of the cameras. Of course, Jessie was not a reality television virgin, nor was she a stranger to the Survivor franchise. Harley was kind of glad they brought a fellow Coordinator out here, even though they weren't the closest of friends. He took solace in the fact that at least it wasn't May.

"Next up…" Iruka teased the antsy castaways with a short pause. "Bulma, I know you're dying to see your son again. Here's Trunks!"

Trunks emerged from the forest with a confident smile on his stern looking face. Bulma proudly smiled back. Her son carried an air of maturity despite being just eighteen-years-old. Tall, handsome, and muscular – he looked like the whole package. He was a man's man, but also a ladies man as well. Once Bulma retired, she'll pass the Capsule Corporation to her responsible son. She had no worries about putting her business into his hands. Trunks had his father's hands.

To demonstrate what a cool mom she was, Bulma didn't give her son the obligatory hug. Instead, they just exchanged high-fives in the air. The other players looked on, impressed.

"Wow, Bulma. I didn't know you've such a hot son. Is he single?" Mai whistled.

"Mai Valentine, you bettah mind your mannahs!" Joey hollered.

"Hands off." Bulma beamed, "My son is going to marry some nice girl of a respectable education and a reputable background."

"Ooooh, snap!" Tai chuckled, eyeing a slightly offended Mai.

Only two left. Roy waited patiently for his loved one. He wondered about which visitor will come for him. It was probably a subordinate of his, no doubt, but which one? Behind his back, he crossed his fingers for the one.

Riza Hawkeye looked tense and stiff as she marched forward – yes, she marched as if she was still wearing her military uniform. She wasn't accustomed to the cameras. But like a trooper, she never lost her composure. The respectable Riza extended her hand forward for a respectful handshake with her respected colonel. Roy stared at her hand with an amused expression.

"Everyone, please welcome Roy's girlfriend, Riza!" Iruka declared.

"No. I'm merely a lieutenant under his command." Riza was quick to correct. She dismissed the looks of disbelief amongst the crowd. Mm-hmm. As if anyone would believe her word over Mustang's well-known womanizing background.

"Come here, you." Roy, without warning, grabbed his girlfriend by the waist. He embraced her in a deep and affectionate hug. Smiling, he whispered into her ear, "I miss the feel of your body, Riza."

"Please, sir. Not here." Riza pushed him away immediately. She had her no-nonsense persona to maintain. Roy just shrugged his shoulders, looking a little hurt.

Finally, out walked Faye's companion – Jet Black. He was a big, burly man with a thick beard, a bald head, and an intimidating face that can scare off small puppies. Jet was actually a rather gentle man, but one couldn't deduce that on first glance. He and Faye exchanged nods of acknowledgement to each other, and that was it. The silence which passed between them was almost chilling. Jet just wasn't keen on talking. And Faye wasn't keen on talking to him.

"Last but not least, we have Mr. Jet here with us. He is Faye's boyfriend, I believe?"

"What!?" Jet sharply turned his head to snap at the host. "Hell no! We're just friends!"

"Roommates." Faye corrected.

"Coworkers." Jet added.

"More like acquaintances, really." Faye finished with a nod.

To Faye's horror, the other players were staring at her in the same way they perceived Riza earlier. They all thought she was lying. They didn't have any reason to believe otherwise. Oy vey.

"Oh my word! Girl, I didn't know you were into that type of guys!" Harley whispered loudly.

"Shut up. Just shut up." Faye hanged her head in shame.

- - -

After the families and friends were reunited, Iruka proceeded to explain today's reward challenge. It was a simple game of catch. The castaways will throw wicker balls from the left side of the field, while their loved ones attempt to catch them in their baskets on the right. In the span of three minutes, they will try to score as many catches as possible. Dropped balls were obviously not included in the final tally, nor were balls thrown from any other players. A victor will be determined by whoever has the most balls in the end.

"The winner and his or her loved one will get to ride on a hot air balloon across the beautiful village of Konoha. Snacks and tea are provided. Afterwards, your loved one will stay at camp overnight and share with you part of the Survivor experience." Iruka smiled at the castaways. "In addition, the winner of this reward challenge will get to bring one guest of their choice. That guest will enjoy all the same benefits. Worth playing for?"

"Yeahhhhh!"

"Okay, let's get started! Players, to the left; loved ones, to the right!"

After all fourteen people got into positions, Iruka began the challenge. Wicker balls were immediately launched into the air and tossed to the other side. Loved ones scrambled back and forth to catch the balls with their large, clunky baskets. Riza caught her partner's first throw, as did Joey.

"Mom, you have to throw the ball a little higher!" Trunks instructed. "I can't catch it if it's already on the ground!"

Bulma followed her son's advice for the next throw. He caught it in his basket with ease. They too were on the scoreboard.

This was a challenge that required communication from both sides of the parties. Those who cooperated well naturally succeeded in the challenge. Mai and Joey surprisingly took the early lead. She barked out the signal, while he scrambled to chase after the wicker balls. They developed an efficient system after a while, and it showed in their results. Bulma and her son were also doing very well, but that was more accomplishment on his behalf. Trunks was quick enough on his feet to catch most of his mother's bad throws.

"Over here, Kari!" Tai raised his basket high in the air. "Throw it on the count of three! One! Two! Three!"

The Kamiya siblings worked well together, and Tai caught nearly all of his sister's throws, but they were moving too slowly compared to the other teams. They took their sweet time arranging their positions, while everyone else just threw their balls left and right without order. Kari only hoped her patience will pay off in the end. She really wanted to go on this reward with Tai.

On the other hand, Shannon was struggling to connect on the same level as his sibling. He threw the balls perfectly in the air, but she just wasn't able to catch them. His sister was never much of an athlete.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Pacifica repeated over and over again after each missed throw.

"It's alright. Let's try one more time." Shannon sighed. Whatever hope he had for winning this challenge at the beginning was long gone. There was no chance they could catch up now.

Another team that struggled was Roy and Riza, which annoyed her to no end, because she was supposed to be her colonel's other half. What kind of henchwoman did she make if she couldn't even get in sync with her commander? In reality, Roy was discreetly throwing this challenge. If he wanted, he could have won this in a heartbeat. He and Riza easily had the besst cooperation out of everyone. But Roy had no desire to leave camp for a few hours, and he refused to let the other players plot behind his back. So, he aimed to lose this challenge much to his partner's dismay.

"To the left! To the left! To the left!"

"Catch it! CATCH IT! CAAAAATCH ITTTT!!"

"No, take a few steps backwards! Yeah, that's right! Now, stand still!"

"I'm sorry!"

"Hey! Watch where you're throwin'! I almost lost an eye ovah here!"

The three minutes quickly came and go. Iruka gave the signal to end the challenge. The last few balls threw across the air, but none made it into their respective baskets. Then, the challenge was officially over. All that was left to do was for Iruka to tally the results.

"We'll start with Shannon and his sister's basket." Iruka walked over to the two Casull siblings. Pacifica appeared quite nervous while the host counted. "One, two, three…"

Seven wicker balls in total. A few more than Shannon originally thought. Yet, he didn't know how well he had done until he compared the results to everyone else.

"Next up – Roy and Riza. One, two, three…"

Ten. Even though the colonel tried to throw the challenge, he still managed to score more points than Shannon. Roy flashed a half-smile at his partner. Bless Riza. She looked so disappointed with herself. If only she knew the whole truth.

Mai and Joey surprised everyone when Iruka announced they caught an impressive total of twenty balls. Who knew the two blondes could work so well together? Even Mai seemed a little shocked, but Joey was already grinning like an idiot. They had this. They had this in the bag. Literally.

Kari and Tai scored fifteen points. It was a respectable number, but not enough to beat the current leaders. Tai frowned and apologized to his sister.

Faye and Jet came short with twelve, while Harley and Jessie did astoundingly bad with just three balls between them. That was precisely a rate of one ball per minute. Harley shrugged it off. He didn't want to spend the day with Jessie anyway. He only hoped the other players will see what a horrible competitor he was.

Finally, it was down to Bulma and Trunks, the formidable mother and son duo. The number to beat was twenty wicker balls. Bulma, who never won a single individual challenge yet, could only hope her athletic son was able to cover for her shortcomings.

"One, two, three…"

Bulma muttered a quick prayer under her breath.

"…fifteen, sixteen, seventeen…"

Iruka then pulled out the final wicker ball from the basket.

"Eighteen. That's not enough to beat Mai and Joey." Iruka looked up at the inventor with a sad smile. "Congratulations! We have a winner!"

"YAHOOOOOOOO!" Joey hollered in excitement.

"Hail the reward queen, Mai Valentine!" Roy remarked. He held up four fingers in his right hand. "Four. That's four rewards she participated in. You're the reward queen indeed!"

Mai just laughed and did a little mock curtsy.

Iruka then reminded the blonde she can choose one additional player to join her on the reward.

"I'm going to pick Kari. She looks like she really wants to see her brother." Mai smiled.

"Thank you!" Kari buried her face in her hands. She felt so overwhelmed with gratefulness. Tai wasted no time running up to his sister and giving her a big brotherly squeeze. "Mai, thank you so much!"

Now came the sad part. The other loved ones had to say goodbye to each other. It was an emotional farewell, especially with Pacifica crying into her brother's arms. Bulma also looked quite upset. She was so close to winning, but no cigar. Oh well. She gave Trunks a slap on the back and sent him on his way home. She had promised her son that she won't embarrass him by crying.

"Win this for me, Mom." Trunks waved one last goodbye.

"No worries. I definitely will." Bulma grinned. "It's a promise!"

- - -

Late afternoon, a light blue hot air balloon soared across the cloudless Konoha skies. Inside, it contained four passengers, all of them absorbing the beautiful view from above. Kari wished she had a camera with her, so she can capture this picturesque moment and treasure it forever. She never thought much of Konoha as a locale until now. The forests, the mountains, and the village all came together as one. It was like watching a miniscule civilization right in front of his eyes. All those little people and little houses with big dreams and big spirits. Oh, how she wished she had a camera!

"No strategy." Kari made one guideline very clear at the beginning of the reward. "I just want to have a good time. That's it. I don't ask for much."

Mai nodded her head in complete understanding. She respected Kari's wishes and never mentioned about the game once during their ride. Those conspiracy theories about Roy will have to wait for another time.

"Look, there's the hot springs I visited the other night." Mai leaned over and pointed her finger at a particular direction below. The others followed her gaze. "And there's the inn I lived in a week ago. Hell, I've been to a lot of places! I'm becoming quite the Konoha tourist, aren't I?"

"You can almost work as a tour guide." Joey joked.

After enjoying the scenery for a while, the four of them sat down for a nice afternoon snack and tea. As promised, there was a picnic basket provided, consisting of chocolate, cookies, and biscuits. It wasn't much, but Kari thought this might be the best food she ever tasted. She made sure to ration some of it so she can bring leftovers back to the tribe. Tai dismissed the silly idea. He encouraged his frail sister to each as much as possible.

"You have to fatten up! Here, you can have my portion." Tai dropped a few chocolate cookies onto his sister's face. She stuck her tongue out at him. "I'm worried about you, sis. You're so skinny. You don't look healthy!"

"Don't be so embarrassing, Tai!" Kari sounded flustered.

"Your asthma hasn't been acting weird, right?" Tai asked.

"No, I'm not made of glass! I can take a little beating!" Kari raised her fists in the air and shook them a few times. "My body is fine. I'm not dying out here. They won't let me die."

Tai nodded his head. Then he put a couple more cookies on her plate. Just to be on the safe side.

"Kari is a good girl. She stays out of trouble's way." Mai put in her two cents although nobody asked her for it. "We all take care of her. Not that she needs to be taken care of. Hell, she's probably more responsible than most of the players."

"Mai is like a big sister to me." Kari smiled.

"Yeah lady, you better look after Kari's well-being. Or else."

"Tai!"

Kari: He didn't say it out loud, but Tai seemed very surprised that I've lasted this long. I don't blame him. I wake up every morning and I wonder to myself, how am I still here? There're times I feel like I'm out of my league. I don't like backstabbing. I don't like lying. I don't belong here at all. And unlike Tai, these people aren't looking out for me. Actually, I don't expect them to. I may be the youngest one, but I never asked to be babysat. I think I'll be fine on my own.

She sat cross-legged on the ground, with both hands clutched around her knees. Kari looked up at the camera with a tiny smile.

Kari: Hey, I lasted this long, right? I can't be that bad at the game!

For the latter part of their reward, Joey and Tai will spend one night living with the Sarutobi tribe. This didn't sound like much of a reward, joked Joey, who later added he didn't sign up to sleep with a bunch of bugs and critters. As the group hiked back to camp, he grew more and more anxious about the living conditions. He was even beginning to regret winning the challenge in the first place.

"What's your damage, Veronica?" Mai shot a dispassionate glance at her friend. "You've camped before. This isn't your first time living in a forest."

"Hey, it ain't camping unless there're tents, sleeping bags, and insect repellent! I'm a city kid! I never claimed to be frickin' Tarzan heah!" Joey argued.

"Don't worry, our camp is safe. It's very nice too. We put a lot of time into it." Kari smiled reassuringly.

"Are there any wolves around this joint?" Joey questioned.

"No, don't be silly! There aren't any wolves!" Kari paused for a moment before adding, "There're snakes though."

"I'm outta heah." Joey instantly lost a little colour in his face. He pretended to turn around, but Kari grabbed him by the hand, laughing hysterically.

"I'm teasing you! It's fine! It's fine!"

While Kari and Joey goofed off in the front, Tai loitered cautiously at the back of the pack. He watched his sister's figure with a concerned gaze. Despite her reassurances, she still looked too ghastly skeletal in his eyes. She hadn't the best of health in the past and he was afraid her body will break down in the final days of the game. Mai, with her womanly intuition, sensed Tai's distress over his little sister, so she walked up next to him for a quiet chat. Kari's actual brother and symbolic sister chatting together – it seemed appropriate enough.

"Is she doing alright in terms of the game? How's she getting along with everyone?" Tai asked, biting his lips. "I'm afraid people might bully Kari because of her age. And she's too nice for her own good."

"We're allies. You can count on me." Mai nodded.

"Yeah, I trust you. You seem like an honest lady. Kari really likes you too, I can tell." Tai nodded his head a few times. He pressed his lips together to form a thin smile. "Just take care of my sis, okay? I hope you and her can go to the end together or something."

"I have every intention to do so," said Mai.

Sighing, Tai shifted his focus back to the young girl in front of him. He wasn't even a contestant in Survivor, but he was already cutting deals for his little sister behind her back. He felt it was his duty to do so as a brother. Tai didn't really trust Mai one hundred percent, nor did he trust any of the shady characters in her tribe. The biggest problem was so many people gave off a bad vibe. They all had eyes on the money and will do anything to win. Tai was worried these ruthless players will take advantage of his little sister. He feared that Kari's incessant optimism will lead to her eventual downfall in this game.

Poor Kari, who always saw the good in people. Even though most of them can only see the bad in her.

Tai was amazed that such a naïve little girl survived this long.

- - -

Mai and Harley were friends again.

No sooner after the Pokemon Coordinator proclaimed they were on rocky terms with each other, he immediately hanged onto Mai by every word that comes out of her mouth, like he used to back when they were in Jiraiya together. Old habits sure were hard to go away. It didn't help matters that Mai brought back to camp her two handsome gentlemen friends, who looked like the types to pass out overnight after a few sips of alcohol and wake up the next morning without any memory of what happened. Harley knew right away that he'd get along with Tai and Joey.

"Can we get some alcohol ovah here!?" Joey hollered.

"Somebody fetch this boy his drink!" Harley echoed.

"You want beer? You just ask the Queen." Mai said jokingly, gesturing her thumb to herself.

The two new visitors had no problems fitting in with the Sarutobi tribe. Tai kept everyone entertained with his funny stories, while Joey's enthusiasm echoed across camp. Currently, they were doing a stand-up comedy routine together. A small group of players gathered around them, and everybody was in hysterics. Harley spent the rest of the night laughing at their jokes, and getting buddy-buddy with them in hopes of something more. As a result, he also spent a lot of time rekindling his friendship with Mai again. He didn't even mind that he had to mingle with that annoying little Kari in the process.

"Harley, be honest. On a scale of one to ten, how much of a catch am I?" Joey asked.

"Six, if I'm being generous." Harley replied cheekily.

"Pfft." Mai made a dismissive noise. She motioned a thumbs-down gesture. "Joey downgrades to a three every time he opens his mouth. And the number gets lower with every word he says."

"Whaaaaat!? Shut up, Mai!" Joey exclaimed.

"See? I think he just hit a negative number right there." Mai grinned. And Harley, sitting beside her, giggled uncontrollably. The blonde could snark with the best of them. Tonight reminded him how much he appreciated his friendship with Mai Valentine. She's great, bless her. He told himself that any animosity between them must be forgotten and forgiven. How on earth could he have ever voted for her?

Harley: Mai is an enormous bitch for betraying Jiraiya, but hey, who can blame her? We started the witchhunt first and it backfired in our faces. Now we have to pay. I'm not too worried about going next, but Faye is in a lot of trouble. She's like on everyone's shit list! I want to save her, but I don't want to get my feet wet either, you know? Oh dear heavens. Look at me. Talking as if I have any say in the final decision!

He gave a light chuckle at the camera.

Harley: You know what they say…if you can't beat 'em, join 'em! I simply adore Faye, she's my girl, but this weasel has to look out for himself. She's a goner and there's nothing I can do about it. How can I save anyone when I can't even save myself?

Then, Faye walked by them. And the laughter immediately died away. A solemn and unwelcoming silence replaced the previous jovial atmosphere. Faye could catch a hint. She felt more and more unwanted with each passing second. Rolling her eyes, she thought – just for a brief moment – how awkward it would be if she just joined their little clique whether they invited her or not. She ultimately decided against the idea of making herself any more unpopular with the tribe. Of course, she had nothing to lose even if she tried.

Harley shot a forlorn look at the bounty huntress. He wanted to invite her to join the festivities, but he also understood she was not a popular woman right now. As much as he adored Faye, he also needed to watch out for his own reputation too. Harley tried to spend time with the much alienated woman, though he could only do so much without raising suspicions. He was Faye's friend, yet he also wanted to be Mai's friend. It was not an easy position for the Pokemon Coordinator.

Instead of joining the others, Faye just retreated inside the shelter and sulked. Bulma was there as well, laid down on her back. She wasn't asleep even though she had her eyes closed. Unlike Faye, the inventor wasn't shunned by the group, but rather chose not to participate with the group. Normally a sociable person, Bulma just wasn't in the mood today. She couldn't keep up with the young people sometimes, even for a cool mom like her. Besides, Bulma was feeling a little depressed ever since she lost the reward challenge. She had been looking forward to spending some quality time with her son.

"Mai blows." Bulma opened one eye when she noticed Faye's presence in the shelter. She had been waiting for her 'venting buddy' to arrive. "In more ways than one."

"Still bitter about that second place, huh?" Faye turned her head towards the inventor. She caught the not-too-subtle dig.

"I came so close to winning. So damn close." Bulma sighed, also unenthusiastically. "But of course, Mai won. Like she always does."

"At least she earned it for once. She didn't have to suck off some guy to go on the reward." Faye muttered.

The two women met eye to eye for a moment. Then, both of them snickered together at what seemed like a very naughty joke.

"Cheap shot." Bulma grinned for the first time in hours.

"My specialty." Faye admitted, shamelessly.

"I don't like her either. I think she's trash. What kind of self-respecting woman goes for every swinging dick out there?" Bulma made a face. "After the game is over, Mai Valentine needs to crawl back to the trailer or wherever she came from, 'cause she ain't gonna get a dime out of me!"

"Harley is licking her ass at the moment." Faye shot a bitter glance at the pair, laughing so happily by the campfire. She was so spiteful that woman stole her best friend away.

"Harley is Harley. This should come as no surprise." Bulma smirked a little. "He told me that Mai was angry with him this morning." She rolled her eyes. "Yeah right."

"They probably made a deal or something." Faye seethed.

"You think so?"

"I know so. I know Harley inside and out. Trust me, he made a deal with Mai the first chance he got. Otherwise, he would have been bitching about her right here with us." Faye smirked smugly. "Can't blame him for saving himself though. Just wished he didn't have to suck up to Mai."

Bulma appeared somewhat pensive about that remark. She made a mental note to herself. That little bit of information might come as useful later on in her smear campaign against Harley.

"We're gunning for her at the next tribal council. I don't care if it's a smart move or not. This is personal. Eff Mai!" Faye snickered.

"It won't matter. We don't have the numbers." Bulma sighed.

"Who said we don't have the numbers?" Faye tossed her an odd look.

"What? Is there something I should know?" Bulma gasped in delight. Her face practically lit up upon hearing those hopeful words. "Tell me, tell me, tell me!"

"Two words: Roy Mustang." Faye smiled confidently at the inventor. "He'll help us vote out Mai at the next tribal council."

Roy Mustang… Bulma repeated the name in her head. He seemed like a charming and likable guy, from the casual conversations they shared so far. She never discussed strategy with him though, mostly because he was not in a position of power. The dynamics changed since then, and he possibly held the most control over the tribe at the moment. The King of Sarutobi. He was probably running this game. Bulma had no doubts that he was capable of doing so. What an interesting man…

And so, come tomorrow, she decided to make a new friend.

- - -

DAY 29

A small gust blew gently against the leaves on the tree branches. Birds were chirping. Insects were buzzing. Mai was peeling a mango by the campfire, alone. Despite the peaceful atmosphere, something ceremonial was about to take place in Sarutobi. But nobody will know it happened except for two tribe members.

None of this would have occurred if Mai stayed at the campsite and kept an eye on her surroundings. However, Joey and Tai were leaving Konoha this morning, which meant she must depart camp to give them a proper send-off. Kari, naturally, accompanied her. The two girls grew quite close over the past few days. People were beginning to take notice of their close bond. But for now, their friendship was still perceived on a harmless level. No one thought about breaking up the pair for that reason alone.

Alone.

Bulma opened one eye, waking up from her pretend slumber. Almost everybody was absent from camp by now. Mai and Kari were seeing off their loved ones. Harley and Faye were out somewhere strategizing. And Shannon was working his ass off, as always. Yes, she was alone with just one other person at camp. This was her time to strike.

Bulma: When I'm not happy with my position at camp, I only know how to do one thing. I stir the pot. I stir it like crazy. And I'll keep stirring until the plans finally go my way.

She often referred to herself as the third forgotten member of Jiraiya. Everybody remembered Faye and Harley, but seldom had the inventor's name registered on anybody's radar. Looking back, Bulma admitted she didn't make a lot of impact in this game. Not even the time she voted against the norm (thanks Kari!). Since her one and only gutsy move failed ages ago, she hid behind the shadows, waiting for a big opportunity to come. Although her passive strategy worked so far, Bulma wasn't impressed. And the jury won't be impressed either. Unless she wowed them in the final days of the game.

Bulma: Right now, things are definitely not going my way. I'm expendable in this tribe…meaning that if anyone brings up my name, nobody will defend me and I'm a goner. Uh, I think Faye is the current target, but what if she wins immunity? Or what happens after she is voted out? Unfortunately, Harley is more popular than me, which is why I've been subtly influencing people to vote him out instead. I've worked on Kari so far, but she's kind of useless in the grand scheme of things. I need to work on the big guns. I need to convince Roy that I should stay over Harley and Faye.

When the inventor made sure nobody else was present, she nudged Roy's shoulder with her foot. The colonel was still asleep. Bulma nudged him again. His body stirred for a moment.

"Just a little gentler, Riza." Roy mumbled in his sleep.

Bulma made a strange face. Then, she nudged him again.

"Roy, we need to talk."

"I don't want to."

"This is urgent."

"File it under next Tuesday."

Grumbling, an annoyed Bulma jabbed her bare foot onto Roy's hand. He immediately sprang up, yelping in pain. Bulma rolled her eyes. This was how she used to wake her husband back at home. All men were the same.

"I'm sure this is considered injury with intent." Roy muttered under his breath.

"Now that I got your attention, mister…we need to talk politics." Bulma clapped her hands together. Oh yeah. She meant business alright. "Is it true that you're voting with us? I've been talking with Faye…"

Roy rubbed his forehead and chuckled.

"Women talk. Oh, how they can talk."

"Come on, answer me. I wanna know. Are you voting for Mai tomorrow?" Bulma asked.

"I don't know. I haven't made up my mind." Roy raised an eyebrow. "What do you think I should do?"

"I think…you're too scared to vote out Mai and you're definitely not going to vote out Faye. So, that leaves Harley and me on the chopping block." Bulma sounded pretty confident in her prediction. "And I'm here to make a pitch to you why I should stay over Harley."

Bulma had no idea if she was on the mark or not, but she kept on speaking anyway. Roy simply smiled at her, intent on listening without comment.

"Harley has been acting very evasive around me. I see him talking with Mai all the time, but he never tells me anything. Which is strange, considering he never shuts up." Bulma continued, "It makes me think Mai and Harley are plotting together. I don't know what they're plotting about, but they definitely made some sort of pact. It may be a Final Six pact. A Final Five pact. Or hell, may be even a Final Four pact."

"I catch your drift." Roy nodded his head.

"Mai and Harley are close friends. I know them. I've lived with them. I've watched them interact. They're both very clever schemers." Bulma said, shaking her head a few times. "If you leave the two of them in this game, I can guarantee that Mai will turn against you sooner than later."

"So, you want me to vote out Harley?" Roy looked amused.

"I prefer Mai, but it won't happen. Faye may think otherwise, but I know better." Bulma continued shaking her head. "If I was in your shoes, I wouldn't betray my new alliance one tribal council later. I don't think Kari or Shannon will ever forgive you. That's two potential jury votes right there."

"You know, people normally just say 'good morning' as a greeting. They don't spew this much bullshit." Roy joked with a tongue-in-cheek tone. "It's almost like you're reading my mind."

"I'm right?" Bulma sounded genuinely surprised.

"I never said you were." Roy grinned. "But you did raise a lot of good points. You've a strong argument. I must admit, I'm quite persuaded after your pitch."

"Ha, keep me around and you'll find out that I'm full of good ideas." Bulma boasted, "We're the two smartest people in this game. Just think what great plans we can come up with if we teamed up together."

"I'm willing to work with you. How about an alliance?" Roy asked with a dainty smile on his face. He asked this question so casually, almost like he was asking about the weather. How about an alliance? How about that rain, huh? Only Roy could pull off a question with so much ease and confidence. He was such a charmer.

"Boy, you should know I never do alliances." Bulma patted him on the head, almost like she would to a dog. "This is more than just an alliance. It's a partnership of circumstances."

"Ah yes, that sounds lovely to me." Roy grinned.

"Perfect." Bulma smiled. She looked rather relieved after the whole ordeal. "So, tell me your plans. How do you prevent Mai and Harley from colluding together?"

Roy laughed. He was laughing like the answer had been obvious all along.

"It's very simple. We need to make sure Faye Valentine stays in the game. That'll be more than enough to thwart their plans."

Roy: I don't know how much I can trust Bulma, but I know I definitely can't trust Mai. She's a conniving one, that woman. And I'm not at all surprised if she's plotting to take me out. She has the brains and balls to do such a thing. You see, I've come to learn that Mai is like toxic in this game. Her poison spreads fast, and where it spreads is out of my control. I'll gladly admit she's a dangerous player and also a worthy competitor.

A thoughtful look crossed his face.

Roy: But the problem with Mai is she doesn't play very discreetly. At least she isn't discreet enough to hide her secrets from me. She's only an amateur backstabber at best. I'm onto her. She's on my radar and she's going to pay for her mistakes. Am I worried that her little plan to overthrow me will succeed? No, not really. Mai may be toxic, but I am untouchable.

- - -

Unaware that his good name was being tarnished at the moment, the Pokemon Coordinator spent his morning by the waterfall. More precisely, he was at the waterfall washing yet another batch of laundry. Harley was learning firsthand how tedious it was to befriend a workhorse. Not that he was complaining. He did enjoy his time and companionship with Shannon, somewhat. The fellow didn't say much, but sometimes silence can be the most intimate sound.

Yet, Harley found the silence terribly frustrating this morning. Shannon wasn't in a talkative mood, so the two men worked in near silence for over an hour. Wash. Rinse. Dry. Repeat. Over and over again. Harley was slowly losing his mind from this dreadful process. And unsurprisingly, he soon began to daze off. His eyes wandered everywhere, until they settled downwards. Harley caught a glimpse of his own reflection in the water.

The image didn't affect him at first. Then, a horrible awakening jolted him.

No, the reflection hadn't changed from all the previous times he had seen it. But he now saw something beyond just the appearance: Harley saw the hideous face behind the mask. The mask itself was cracking. Hidden underneath, the face looked haggard, tired, and fatigued. Twenty nine days of little food and comfort can do that to even the most beautiful of faces. Harley stared at his own reflection for a long time. There are wrinkles frowning at him from the corners of his eyes. He never noticed these wrinkles before. He never noticed how hellish he looked until today.

Harley soon recognized all his effort in playing this game was etched out on his face. Every wrinkle, every pimple, every sore, and every blemish originated under the excruciating stress of strategizing. They symbolized his pain and sorrow, his alliances and plotting, as well as his work and effort. And it was then Harley realized he had sacrificed too much – twenty nine days, to be exact – for him to go home a loser. He invested too much in Survivor to depart at seventh place, or sixth, or fifth, or any rank but the ultimate Sole Survivor.

Harley didn't ask for much. He just wanted to win this game.

With that in mind, the Pokemon Coordinator spoke up for the first time in hours.

"You seem a little down today. You're even less talkative than usual, if that's even possible." Harley glanced at his silent companion beside him. "What's bothering you, big guy?"

It took a while for Shannon to reply back. The swordsman rarely answered questions right away. He was the type of guy who thinks over his responses before saying them out loud. Unlike Harley, who just shot out every spontaneous thought in his head, relevant or not.

"Homesick." Shannon replied. It took him around twenty to thirty seconds just to come up with a one word response. That was how frustrating it can be to converse with the quiet swordsman. One needed to have a lot of patience. Faye called him hopeless. Bulma dismissed him as boring. But Harley found this characteristic quite appealing. He always liked the strong, silent types.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Yesterday's challenge was bittersweet." Harley nodded his head. "Pacifica is simply gorgeous, by the way. Is she your only sister?"

"No, I have a twin sister as well. Raquel." Shannon replied.

Harley immediately burst out in laughter. He knew this was an inappropriate gesture, but he couldn't help it. He tried picturing a female version of Shannon in his head, complete with the same personality and a dull monotonous voice to match. Nope, couldn't do it!

"What's so funny?" Shannon gave his companion an odd look. He didn't get the joke as always.

"Um, is she as…charming as you?" Harley asked, attempting to contain his laughter.

It took another twenty to thirty seconds for Shannon to process the thought. He was an intelligent guy with wisdom beyond his years, but he just didn't understand wit whatsoever. And wit was the one thing Harley came in abundance with. After finally understanding the joke, Shannon looked up at his friend with a smirk.

"Hey." Shannon grunted. Slowly, he grabbed a handful of water and splashed it in Harley's face. "Who's laughing now?"

His face soaked with water, the Pokemon Coordinator dropped his mouth open in surprise. For Shannon to actually react to a joke, well, that just sent Harley over the edge! Now, he was rolling on the ground and almost dying out of laughter. Shannon stared at his friend, smiled for a split second, and then returned to his work. He admitted that Harley can be kind of funny sometimes. (If Shannon even knew what the definition of that word meant.)

"I was counting the days last night and I realized I missed Pacifica's birthday." Shannon explained in a quiet voice, "It was a week ago. She didn't even tell me yesterday. That's why I was upset earlier."

"Oh really?" Harley's grin faded away. "That sucks."

All of a sudden, a stroke of genius jolted Harley. He had what seemed like a brilliant idea in his head. The Coordinator turned to Shannon, after a few seconds of waiting for the right timing, with his big lie of the day.

"Hey, you know what? You can make it up to me." Harley smiled, "It's my birthday tomorrow."

"Really?" Shannon turned his head over.

"Yeah, I'm serious! I didn't want to make a big deal out of it…I don't like revealing my age." Harley laughed for a moment. "But it's true. My birthday is tomorrow. I was just going to celebrate it by myself. Now one more person knows. Yippee!"

Then, he waited. Timing was important whenever he had to deliver a line. Especially with Shannon, who took quite a while to think over every word. After a couple of moments passed by, Harley cleared his throat. Because here came the clincher.

"But it would suck if I got voted out on my birthday."

And that, right there and then, was the motivation behind Harley's lie. Getting voted out on his supposed birthday. The overwhelming irony of it will guarantee that nobody vote him out at tomorrow's tribal council. Harley thought this was the perfect scenario. Of course, it was a complete fabricated lie, but Shannon didn't need to know that little detail. Harley told a harmless little lie to play on Shannon's emotions in order to save himself. He didn't think there was anything wrong with that.

"I'll take that into consideration," said Shannon with a nod. "I won't ask you to do laundry tomorrow."

Harley chuckled out loud. The swordsman had such a dry sense of humour sometimes.

The two men returned to their work. Harley seemed a lot more relaxed after their light-hearted conversation. Lying about his birthday wasn't exactly the most honest of remarks, but it was never meant to be anything more than a harmless little white lie. However, the Pokemon Coordinator underestimated Shannon's ability to take a minor detail very seriously. And come tomorrow, Harley will find out what consequences this one birthday lie would bring.

- - -

Iruka welcomed the seven castaways to their tenth immunity challenge. First things first, he asked Faye to return the headband she won at the last challenge. How ironic it was that she won at a time when she wasn't in danger, but now she needed immunity more than ever. May be she can win two times in a row. That was probably the only thing that could save Faye from her imminent doom.

"Today's challenge involves wicker balls and baskets yet again." Iruka held up one of those balls used at the last reward challenge. "You're about to a game of basketball!"

"I hope I know what a hook is." Bulma grinned cheekily.

"One by one, you'll step behind the marked line and shoot the wicker ball into the basketball net." Iruka gestured his hand at the said item. A wooden basketball pole was structured just for this occasion. "Either you score or you miss. If you miss for two consecutive times, you're out of the challenge. This process continues until we're down to one. The last player standing is our winner. Takes home immunity. Guaranteed a few more days of safety."

All the players nodded their heads. The challenge sounded simple enough. They knew what they were playing for.

"Without further ado, let's shoot some baskets!" Iruka smiled as he tossed the wicker ball to Shannon. "We'll start in the order of your heights. So Shannon, you're up first."

As any basketball player would know, height was definitely a favourable advantage in this game. Being the tallest castaway of the group, Shannon was technically the odds-on favourite for winning the challenge. His Achilles' heel, however, was the fact he never played basketball in his life. The swordsman was a man of little hobbies after all, and that included no sports. Still, he didn't think it could be that difficult to shoot a ball into a basket. Shannon walked up to the marked line and adjusted his position. Then, he threw the wicker ball towards the net.

It slammed against the backboard and bounced off. He missed.

Harley was next. He played basketball before, sucked at it, but that didn't matter because he had no intentions of winning this challenge. As part of his plan to become the least threatening player ever, he was going to throw the ball in the same way he was going to throw the challenge. Casually, he tossed the ball in the air with no expectations attached.

The ball didn't even come close. He missed with great pleasure.

Third was Roy, who finally made the first connecting shot in this challenge. With relative ease, he threw the wicker ball and it went whooshing down the net. A few players clapped politely, while others tensed their expressions. Roy just demonstrated to everyone that he, and not Shannon, was the man to beat.

"And that is how you do it." Roy grinned.

Standing at the back, Shannon grumbled with mild annoyance.

Mai came next. She was the tallest of the four women, even without wearing high heels. She held the wicker ball in her hands, kissed it for good luck, and then threw to the best of her capabilities. It touched the rim of the basket, but fell short from scoring a point. She missed as well.

The next three shots were all misses, respectively from Faye, Bulma, and Kari, which made Roy the only person to make a successful shot this round. He was already in the lead.

Shannon marched up to the marked line again for his second throw. Learning the mistakes from his first time, he held both hands on the ball with a firm yet flexible grip. He dipped his knees a little, and then launched his shot. It connected. Shannon had redeemed himself. He was still in the challenge.

On the other hand, Harley fulfilled his objective of losing the challenge and missed his throw again. He was the first player eliminated from the challenge.

Roy scored another shot. And his cocksure smile grew a bit more confident after each time.

Mai missed. She was out of the challenge as well.

As Faye walked forward to take her shot, she understood the importance of making the next throw. Her entire fate in this game rested on this throw. If she missed the basket, she might as well sign her own death warranty. No pressure, right? Faye smiled nervously to herself. She took another step forward, until Iruka warned her that she crossed the marked line. Grumbling, Faye retracted her steps. And without stalling the moment any longer, she threw the ball. It soared across the air in a graceful, calculated angle. Faye can finally sigh in relief as she watched the ball swirl down the net, keeping her alive in this challenge. She was in. She was still in the game.

Bulma also made her shot, luckily enough. She seemed surprised that she made it through to the third round, as were most of the spectators.

Kari went up for her second throw and missed again. She was eliminated from this challenge, just like how she was eliminated from so many of the challenges in the past. By now, she was used to losing. She shrugged her shoulders and joined the others on the bench.

"Here's where we stand at the moment. Shannon, Roy, Faye, and Bulma are still in the challenge." Iruka stated the obvious. "Everyone made their last shots, so we're on an even playing field again. Let's begin the third round!"

Shannon started the third round with a bang. SWOOOOOOOOSH! His wicker ball flew in the air and landed perfectly in the basket. Another score. For an amateur basketball player, he was starting to get the hang of this sport. Of all things, he was a fast learner. That odds-on favourite prediction at the beginning might just turn out to be true.

Roy didn't share the same fortune. Third time wasn't the charm as he finally missed his first throw in the challenge. Cursing himself, he returned to the back of the line with a deflated ego. Meanwhile, Shannon merely smirked at the result, although the swordsman was getting a bit cocky himself.

Faye and Bulma also made their shots. The former scored, whereas the latter missed. Faye was safe for at least another round, but the pressure was on Bulma to bring up her game next time around.

Shannon missed his fourth throw. Just barely. The ball circled around the ring for a second or two, but fell on the wrong side of the net unfortunately.

Roy missed as well. It was as if his earlier mojo had simply been a fluke. Since this was the colonel's second consecutive miss, it meant he was the fourth player eliminated from the challenge.

Faye continued her dominant streak, scoring her second point in a row. In fact, she actually connected with three out of her four shots, which gave her the best track record so far. Bulma also got lucky with her next throw, successfully scoring a shot at the most opportune time. Once again, she was kept hanging in this challenge by a thread. She was still a contender. Somehow.

"After four rounds: Shannon, Faye, and Bulma are still in it!" Iruka announced, "Shannon needs to connect with his next shot in order to stay alive!"

The pressure was on Shannon. He grimaced as he walked up to the marked line. If he followed the same strategy as before, this should be a piece of cake. He grabbed the wicker ball with a firm clutch. The positioning of his wrists was also important. Basketball was all in the wrists. Shannon launched his shot. Then, he realized this challenge involved an external factor: the wind. Nature wasn't in his favour today, as a small gust of wind suddenly blew the wicker ball out of its intended path. As a result, the ball missed the basket. And Shannon missed his chance at immunity.

Faye aimed her ball at the basket, tossed, and it connected again. Four out of five. The bounty huntress almost seemed unbeatable. Her other contender, Bulma, missed on her fifth try. She had missed every other shot in the challenge so far, but still remained alive by a dash of luck. However, her beginner's luck was bound to run out sooner or later. Faye only hoped it will happen during Bulma's next shot.

"Only two ladies left." Iruka updated the progress report. "Who wants immunity more?"

Faye, obviously, needed this immunity more than anyone. Her neck was on the line. She almost wanted to ask Bulma to lose on purpose, but her pride stood in the way. The bounty huntress took a deep breath as she approached her sixth shot. With fewer competitors every time, she grew more nervous about her chances after each following round. The nerves finally got to the best of her, since Faye's throw was off-target. But that was okay, she reassured herself, since Bulma must score her next shot to stay in the game. Either she was in or she was out. There was a fifty-fifty chance of failure, or more precisely, a sixty percent chance according to statistics. The odds were in Faye's favour. Now if only luck was on her side too.

Faye closed her eyes and prayed. Please miss the shot. Please, Bulma. Please. Please!

But the gods of fortune smiled upon Bulma today, because her next shot was a success. The wicker ball went in the basket, almost miraculously, and Bulma squealed out in joy. Saved on the verge of death. Again!

"Bow down to the next Michael Jordan, bitches!" Bulma exclaimed giddily.

In her mind, Faye was out of it. Technically, she still had a decent chance at a comeback, but she felt so discouraged by Bulma's throw that she had lost all concentration. And concentration was the most integral part of basketball. Without aim, focus, and concentration, the player will have no way of making a successful shot. Faye knew this; however, she was so discouraged. So disoriented. So disgusted with herself. This was unfortunate, because she had been doing so well prior before. But a torrent of negative energy suddenly washed over her peace of mind. These negative thoughts, in turn, were converted to the actual reality.

She missed. Missed for two consecutive times.

"Bulma wins immunity!" Iruka declared.

Faye was out.

Out of the challenge.

And out of the game.

- - -

I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead;
I lift my lids and all is born again.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)

The perpetual darkness consumed her. She was falling deeper into a bottomless pit of desolation and despair. All she saw was pitch black. So empty and lonely. It was a chilling reflection of her own soul. When Faye opened her eyes for the first time in hours, she realized she must have dozed off under a tree. It had been a lazy afternoon when she returned from the immunity challenge. Now, the sky lit up into a glorious red and golden sunset. Faye stared upwards with a forlorn smile. Sunsets in Konoha were always the right shade of melancholy. They also symbolized the end of an era. The end of Faye Valentine. How poetically fitting.

Faye continued smiling at the sky. It was a beautiful sight once she overlooked the sad sentiments attached. Was this how the end felt like? She felt so numb with herself. In any case, she certainly knew her game was coming to an end. The fact was established three days ago, even if she didn't admit it at the time. And now, it was over. She didn't even have a hidden immunity idol to surprise everyone at tribal council. She will go out tomorrow night, not as a blazing fighter, but with a pathetic whimper. The end.

The stars go waltzing out in blue and red,
And arbitrary blackness gallops in:
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.

Her loss at the immunity challenge today pushed Faye over the edge. Prior to her upsetting defeat, she thought there was some hope in the horizon. She believed she had a reason to keep fighting. Then, all her dreams and hopes came crumbling down. It wouldn't have felt so crushing if she hadn't come so close to victory. Immunity was in her hands for a few fleeting moments, but it slipped away along with the rest of her motivation in this game. Afterwards, her outlook towards Survivor had been bleak and uninspired. Often, she just felt like lying down by a tree and drifting off to a long, tranquil sleep.

Faye was doomed. Perhaps it was for the best. She didn't have a lot of friends anyway. Even if she made it all the way to the end, her odds of winning ranged from slim to none. She will have to go against the least popular player ever in order to stand a chance. For that reason, Faye thought she should be kept around as an ideal goat. In fact, she probably could make an argument around that point. But Faye was so tired of making endless pitches that went nowhere. She was so over campaigning for a lost cause. And she was so finished waiting for false hope that never delivered.

I dreamed that you bewitched me into bed
And sung me moon-struck, kissed me quite insane.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)

Her only hope rested in Roy Mustang.

Faye wasn't totally doomed in this game, like she made herself believe. Yes, she was still the number one target on the chopping block. Yes, she was still disliked by almost everybody in the tribe. But she also had a crucial lifeline on her side. Roy was working overtime to keep his Final Two partner alive. And he was just the type of man who always got his way.

"I don't think we should vote out Faye." Roy said, slowly and surely. He spoke in this manner when he wanted to get his point across. "It'd be smarter if we went after Harley instead."

After he uttered those daring words, the colonel stood back and studied his alliance members for their reactions. They didn't freak out yet, which was a good sign. But they definitely weren't impressed with him. Shannon, in particular, shot a nasty glare at Roy's direction. As expected, the swordsman didn't like the sound of this new plan whatsoever.

However, it was Mai who spoke up first.

"Well, I still want Faye gone. Why are we changing it all of a sudden?" Mai placed both her hands on her hips. She looked slightly annoyed, but also opened to persuasion. "Harley is less of a threat in challenges. He's also less of a nuisance around camp."

"Harley is a social player. He's on friendly terms with almost everyone. That makes him far more threatening in my eyes." Roy explained, "Faye has nobody in this game. She's in a strategic dead end. We can drag her from vote to vote and she won't do us any harm."

"No. Faye must go." Shannon grunted.

"Agreed. I refuse to vote out Harley," said Mai.

"Well, I refuse to vote out Faye." Roy folded his arms across his chest. "And this gets us nowhere."

"No, you're getting us nowhere. The three of us want Faye gone from the beginning. You're the one who changed your mind because you're thinking with your dick." Mai smirked.

Roy's lips twitched with intrigue. He didn't expect his alliance would give into his demands this easily. But of course, the colonel prepared for a worst case scenario. He had a trump card in his back pocket.

"Here's the bottom line. If you don't agree with my decision, then fine, may be somebody else will be interested in my vote." Roy shrugged his shoulders casually. "May be Jiraiya will be more supportive of me. Do you catch my drift?"

"You wouldn't!" Mai glared at him.

"You left me no choice." Roy shrugged again.

"That's game suicide! You'd be handing the game right back to Jiraiya after everything we've been through!" Mai was getting really aggravated just at the thought of that happening. "If you do that, I'd lose all respect for you. Like, all respect."

"Why don't we all compromise a little and just vote out Harley?" Kari suddenly spoke up. She was afraid it would come down to this. After one tribal council, they were already falling apart. More than anything, she just wanted her alliance to put aside their differences and vote as a unit. She worked too hard gathering the four of them together in the first place.

"See! Kari agrees with me!" Roy snapped his fingers conclusively. "Let's listen to Kari. She's the voice of reason around here."

"I don't really care who goes. I just want the four of us to vote together," said Kari.

"Roy, you suck." Mai made a face, looking very disgruntled. She couldn't tell her tribe members about her undercover deal with the Pokemon Coordinator, especially not in front of Roy. But there was no way out of this. She didn't have an exit plan. Either she backed down and surrendered to Roy's demands, or she risked getting voted out at tomorrow's tribal council.

I should just go after Roy this turn. That'll show him. Mai thought to herself. But no, she could never do that. Even if she did have Harley's vote in her pocket, it would be a horrible strategic move. The powerful trio of Bulma, Faye, and Harley must not stay intact after the next tribal council under any circumstances. Even if it meant sacrificing Harley before his time was due. If only Bulma didn't win immunity. She would have been the easiest target for all of them to go after.

While Mai seemed open to the idea of voting out Harley, Shannon Casull didn't look like the earth can shake him from his convictions. He wasn't going to vote out a friend. He wasn't going to let Roy walk over him. He wasn't going to surrender.

"Harley is celebrating his birthday tomorrow. It's despicable if we voted him out on the same day." Shannon muttered in a stern voice. Unlike Mai, he actually honoured his friendships in this game.

Roy thought that was the most ridiculous reason he ever heard in his life.

"You aren't thinking logically! The four of us must vote together!" Roy argued.

"Shut up. This problem wouldn't exist if it wasn't for you." Shannon glared intensely at the colonel.

"Because it's his birthday!?" Roy asked.

"No, because I just don't like you calling the shots." Shannon muttered.

Kari closed her eyes and winced. She didn't understand why they were making such a big deal over with this. From her perspective, this should have been an easy and straightforward vote. Faye or Harley. It didn't matter to her. Just choose one already!

"We can't vote for different people." Kari said meekly, "If we split our votes, we're just making ourselves vulnerable at tribal council. None of us will win in the end."

"He's making it difficult." Roy gestured his hand towards the swordsman.

"You started it!" Shannon exclaimed.

"C'mon, how old are you guys again?" Mai chuckled, while shaking her head with disbelief.

Both Roy and Shannon glared at her. Like she thought, the two guys didn't enjoy her feistiness in midst of their squabbling. At least they shared one thing in common.

"Hey, you know what, may be Jiraiya will be more appreciative of my vote." Roy threatened.

"What makes you think that I won't go to Jiraiya and do the same thing?" Shannon snapped. That comment really got to him. He didn't like being blackmailed. "In fact, I'm tempted to change my vote just to spite Roy."

"You…you can't do that! You're S-Shannon!" Kari gasped.

"We aren't that different, you know. He isn't the only one with options." Shannon muttered in a chilling voice, "May be you should tell Roy two can play that game."

Left speechless, Kari dropped open her mouth but no words came out. She was left gaping at the swordsman in pure astonishment. Mai also looked a bit overwhelmed, yet impressed at the time. She found his little outburst strangely attractive. As for Roy, he just smirked in defiance. Survivor just got a whole lot more interesting for him.

This was the first time any of them saw Shannon Casull as a serious threat.

- - -

DAY 30

On the day of tribal council, Mai Valentine found herself at a dead end.

Shannon didn't want to vote out Harley, Roy didn't want to vote out Faye, and their third choice Bulma was immune from the vote. Mai had no idea how to compromise, but she knew she was in trouble if the four of them didn't vote together tonight. Roy already threatened that he'll realign with Jiraiya if he didn't get his way, as did Shannon, which left Mai scrambling all morning to appease the two men.

Actually, there was a third man in her equation. Early this morning, Mai had a quick chat with Harley (and wished him a happy birthday), where she asked him if he would vote out Faye tonight. The Pokemon Coordinator refused to betray his friend. He might have changed his mind if she told him the full story, but Mai didn't want Harley to know about the true dynamics of the tribe. He would have a field day if he thought there was a chance to save both himself and Faye. So, she asked Harley a simple question, he gave her a flat-out 'no', and she didn't pursue the matter any longer. Mai was back to square one.

Men!

Can't live with them, can't live without them. Why were the men always causing so much trouble to her in this game!?

The only consolation Mai had right now was the fact that Kari stayed completely loyal to the alliance. At least she wasn't fighting this battle alone, even if the DigiDestined couldn't do much to change the tribe dynamics. It was comforting to Mai that she had somebody else to talk to. A sounding board. A sane person. A friend.

"We should vote for Harley." Kari said, decisively. It was both a strategic and personal decision on her part. All the time she spent with Bulma over the past two days left an impact on the young girl's impression of the Pokemon Coordinator. She thought he didn't mind her all that much, but now she realized how much he resented her underneath the friendly façade.

"You too, huh?" Mai sighed. Great. Another point for Roy. Now they were at a deadlock. Two of them wanted Harley to go, while the other two preferred Faye. What should she, the figurative leader of this alliance, do in an impossible situation like this?

"I think Faye kind of gave up on the game already, whereas Harley is…" Kari didn't know how to describe the Pokemon Coordinator. "Harley is playing it really hard."

But I made a deal with him! Mai thought in her head, exasperated. She already broke one with Meryl and promptly voted her out afterwards. It was not a fun experience. The blonde didn't want to repeat it again.

"I'm afraid that Roy will approach Jiraiya about the vote. That's where everything can go wrong," said Kari.

"He won't. It's a bluff." Mai appeared confident in her words.

"But what if he does?" Kari bit her lips.

"Screw Roy. I say we just pull in Harley and the four of us vote out Faye anyway." Mai clenched her fists together. All this thinking was making her head hurt. "Roy can kiss my ass."

"But Harley would never vote against Faye," said Kari.

Mai sighed. Damn. She almost wished she forgot. That was the core problem after all. Harley won't vote against Faye. Roy won't vote against her either. Shannon won't vote against Harley. And Mai didn't know what to do.

Should she vote out Roy? It was a thought that crossed her minds many times. Too many times. She almost wished she had the guts to do it. But essentially, she hesitated at the thought of leaving Harley and Faye as a pair in this game. Harley would never cooperate with Mai as long as his bounty huntress buddy was still here. And that even made Harley more worthless than Bulma from a strategic point of view, because he came along with extra baggage that Mai did not want around. At least Bulma was just one vote to worry about. Harley and Faye were two.

There was just no other choice. She didn't have the numbers to take out Faye either - Harley and Roy simply would not budge. And Bulma? Forget it. The moment she won immunity, that woman wanted nothing more to do with Mai, and vice versa. Mai's most important priority was to break up the Jiraiya alliance. Faye and Harley, under no circumstances, can stay together after tonight. And if the numbers weren't there to take out Faye, then her little friend Harley will have to take the fall. Mai didn't necessarily enjoy backstabbing another person, but that was how the game dictated. That was how she rolled.

"I think we can convince Shannon." Kari continued, speaking in a rather optimistic voice. "He might be really, really stubborn, but I don't think he'd betray us like Roy would."

"Roy might actually vote with Jiraiya if we don't give him his way. Shannon, however, I just don't call his bluff." Mai agreed with a nod. She folded her arms across her chest. "But how are we going to convince him to change his mind?"

"I have no idea." Kari sighed.

"Hmm. I'll talk some sense into Shannon after the party." Mai said, nodding a few more times. "Because if we don't resolve this issue by tonight, things are going to get ugly..."

And it was settled. With Kari's help, Mai finally made up her mind about who should go tonight. As much as she didn't want to betray Harley, especially not after they just reconciled, Roy pretty much forced her to play this way. Damn him. And damn her for giving into his demands. But Mai was used to the backstabbing by now. She was used to losing another friend. She was used to playing the bad guy.

Here we go. First Meryl, then Holland, and now Harley. Mai shot a bittersweet smile at the cameras. Victim number three…

- - -

The 'party' Mai referred to earlier was, of course, a birthday party. It was Harley's birthday today. Apparently. At least the whole tribe thought so. The Pokemon Coordinator almost forgot about his little white lie yesterday, but Shannon did not. In a rare demonstration of thoughtfulness, he informed the other tribe members about the special occasion. People started talking, and soon it was decided they'll throw a surprise party in his honour. Shannon will cook an extravagant meal, Mai will supply the sweets from her reward, while everyone else will chip in with the birthday presents. An unsuspecting Harley didn't know what was happening until–

"SURPRISE!!"

Harley blinked a few times.

Oh my.

"I hope this isn't a farewell party, you guys." Harley joked.

"Happy birthday!" Mai cheered out loud. The blonde ran up to Harley and gave the Coordinator a big friendly hug.

"How old are you turning today, birthday boy?" Roy teased.

"Shh. A gentleman never reveals his age." Bulma grinned cheekily.

Harley didn't know how to react, other than a conscious smile that naturally appeared on his face. He was overwhelmed, really. He never imagined his lie would get so out of control. Several people wished him a happy birthday today, but he never expected a party to take place. A party in his honour. Over his fake birthday.

Everybody looked at him with such eager glances. They were waiting for him to do something Harleyish – may be jump up and down like a giddy schoolgirl, who knows? He didn't give them the satisfaction of fulfilling their stereotypes. Harley just buried his face into his hands and laughed. This whole thing was so hysterically bad. And somehow, he was still genuinely touched.

"You guys shouldn't have done this." Harley shook his head. "No, REALLY, you shouldn't have!"

One by one, his tribe members handed Harley his gifts. Roy recycled one of his signature roses, Bulma gave a pair of her designer sunglasses, and Faye simply gave him another hug. These gifts were nice and simple, but nothing could be compared to what Kari had in store. Surprising everyone, the petite DigiDestined personally handcrafted him a bracelet – made out of leaves and flowers she collected in the forest. One look at this item and it was obvious that she put a lot of effort into making this accessory. Everyone oohed and aahed as Harley slipped it around his wrist.

It felt too tight. And the leaves were itchy. But Harley didn't mention it out loud. Instead, he just put on a forced smile.

"It's gorgeous. Thank you." Harley nodded his head in acknowledgement. He glanced at the bracelet. Well, it was a nice thing to do, he admitted.

"You should thank Kari again." Roy put a hand on the young girl's shoulder. "She was the one who came up with the idea of a birthday party."

"No, that's not true!" Kari laughed modestly. "We all contributed to the big idea! It's a big day for Harley, after all!"

Harley glared at the petite DigiDestined. Look at her, so proud of herself for doing something so essentially pointless. And look at everybody else, praising that little girl for being so thoughtful and kind. What bullshit. What a hypocrite. Harley never forgot the fact that Kari betrayed the Jiraiya alliance in the first place. If it wasn't for her selfish actions, neither he nor Faye would be leaving tonight. Foolish girl. Foolish, hypocritical girl. Harley can't believe he almost forgave her because she made him a stupid bracelet. At least he remembered her shtick in the end.

He still hated Kari Kamiya. Some things will never change. Just like Harley will never change his true colours, even on the day of his fake birthday.

- - -

Shannon's conscience was haunting him. Ever since celebrating Harley's birthday this morning, the swordsman felt a huge burden of guilt following him for the rest of the day. What was supposed to be a joyous occasion will soon be ruined by the proceedings of tribal council tonight. People like Roy and Mai enjoyed the immense irony in the situation, but Shannon didn't share their sense of humour. They didn't understand his predicament. Unlike the swordsman, Roy had never been close friends with Harley. And Mai…well, she would have laughed about it even if she got voted out on her own birthday. But Shannon was different. He was an extremely honourable person who always believed in doing the right thing. Voting out a good friend on his birthday was a cowardly move, and Shannon knew it.

He can't vote for Harley tonight.

He just can't.

Mai, of course, couldn't give two damns about the burden of guilt on Shannon's shoulders right now. She already washed the blood off her hands for betraying a friend, and she believed that he should do the same thing.

"Shannon, you aren't really thinking about voting with Harley and Faye, are you?" Mai asked in a private conversation with the swordsman. "Because that would defeat everything we've been fighting for. We worked so hard to gain a majority in this game, and you're blowing our chances away."

"Save that for Roy. I haven't decided yet." Shannon grumbled.

"I understand that voting out Harley on his birthday is a bad thing…" Mai nodded her head.

"It's downright despicable." Shannon added brusquely.

"But do you want to hand the game over to Jiraiya again?" Mai frowned, "If Faye knows we're splitting our votes, she'll have all the power again. That's like game suicide!"

"I'm not happy about Roy making the decisions for us," muttered Shannon.

"Me neither, but so what? Both Faye and Harley have to go at some point. We're just switching up the order." Mai shrugged her shoulders. "Don't let Roy get to you. He likes to press our buttons. He puts people on edge because that's what he does best."

"If we vote out Harley, we're doing exactly what he wants."

"And if we don't do what he says, we'll give the power back to Jiraiya."

Shannon sighed. He knew she had a very valid point. He had always been a very rational person. He knew this was an important vote that will determine how the rest of the game will carry out.

"We can't split our votes, Shannon. We'll lose our numerical advantage," said Mai.

Numbers. Shannon hated that stupid word. It always came down to numbers. People, emotions, friendships, honour, human decency, and everything else were reduced to a couple of meaningless digits. Everything was a statistic in Survivor.

"I never knew you were such an emotional player." Mai added as a quick afterthought.

"I'm not being emotional." Shannon retorted.

"Then why are you tripping, dude? You're acting like a total puss. I don't get it."

"Because I consider Harley my friend. How do you vote out a friend without feeling any remorse?"

"That's easy." Mai laughed out loud. "You don't think about it. You just write down their names at tribal council and let the magic happen. It's that simple!"

Shannon knew she wouldn't understand him. He was talking to Mai Valentine, after all. She had a notorious history of backstabbing her friends in the past. She must be used to the routine by now.

Shannon: Roy can't be trusted, that's a fact. However, I also have some reservations about Mai. If actions speak louder than words, she cannot be trusted. At first, I thought she was just misunderstood. Now, I realize the rumours are true. Mai is a very conniving and cutthroat competitor. While I admire her determination, she isn't somebody I'd associate myself with under normal circumstances.

He phrased his words as diplomatically as possible, but the message was still evident: he thought Mai Valentine was a sneak, just like everybody else.

Shannon: Sometimes, it amazes me how I went from aligning with Meryl and Zolo to people like Roy and Mai. I feel like I'm working with the devil. Except there's more than one of them.

Mai can tell he wasn't buying into her argument, so she gave a more enticing offer to the swordsman.

"Just one more round, Shannon." Mai said, putting on a brave smile. "We work with Roy for one more round and then we chuck his ass out of here. I promise you. Roy Mustang is gone next, guaranteed."

"How will you get the numbers?" Shannon sounded skeptical. He hated using that dreadful word, but it got the point across.

"I'll figure out a way." Mai winked.

"You promise?"

"I promise! Sooner or later, I assure you that Roy's gonna get burned."

- - -

Vote for Harley tonight.

Roy whispered those words into Faye's ears, urgently and discreetly, right before they headed to tribal council. Like always, he kept his messages cryptic and vague. There was enough information to keep her guessing, but she was far from understanding the full picture. Even as she arrived at the tenth tribal council, she was still in a state of confusion and anxiety. She was confused because something consequential must have happened behind the scenes. And she felt anxious because she kind of predicted what the details contain. After all, it can't get any more obvious than Roy instructing her to vote out Harley "for her own good". At the very least, Faye had the slightest inkling that her fate was not set in stone.

To his surprise, she was shaking her head.

"No."

"What?"

"NO!" Faye exclaimed, almost a little too loudly. "I don't want to do it. You promised me that I won't be going home tonight!"

"But you aren't…" Roy looked confused.

"And Harley is?"

"Yes. That's what I'm trying to tell you." Roy said in an amused manner. "Boy, do you need to catch up! Welcome to the rest of the game, Faye."

"It's not funny, and I won't vote for him." Faye hissed.

"Why?"

"Because it's his birthday today."

Roy gave her a blank stare. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. It was that damn birthday excuse again! What was with these people and their odd admiration for birthdays? The colonel was beginning to think that he should also claim he had an upcoming birthday, if it meant he could get a free ride in this game.

"Do you want to get voted out?"

"I doubt my vote will make a difference anyway." Faye said defiantly. And she was right to a certain extent.

Roy just lowered his head and sighed in exasperation. Sometimes, he wondered why he fought with his alliance in order to keep an ungrateful woman. He thought Faye would be thankful that she won't be going home. Instead, she transferred all her frustration onto him.

"Look, Faye. I want you to know that I've a plan." Roy hastily grabbed her hand. Their fellow tribe members were beginning to assemble. They were leaving for tribal council now. This was the last chance for them to talk in privacy. "At the next tribal council, we're going to take down Mai. But first, I need to know if you'll cooperate with me."

"Of course, why wouldn't I?" Faye nodded her head. "I'm not stupid, you know."

He certainly hoped so.

"Prove that to me by voting out Harley tonight."

But she didn't reply back.

"Faye?"

And that was when Roy knew he couldn't depend on her for a vote.

- - -

Iruka asked the usual uninteresting questions in tribal council. He tried prodding Faye to make some dramatic statements, but she was on her best behaviour tonight, just in case. Naturally, the host turned his attention to other hot topics, such as Bulma's unexpected win ("Hey, I stumbled upon a victory on my third try!" Bulma joked), Kari's reunion with her brother, and Harley's birthday. They gave bland, generic answers. Faye wasn't paying any attention to them. She just wanted this night to end. She was tired of waiting.

Harley could sense a disturbance in the air. He first suspected something was wrong when Iruka asked him a question about his bracelet, and he joked that the best birthday present was actually three more days in this game. It was supposed to be a funny and light-hearted comment, but nobody laughed. In fact, Harley noticed some odd reactions from his fellow players.

Shannon cringed.

Roy cleared his throat.

Kari's lips trembled.

Mai lowered her head in shame.

And Harley immediately panicked. Because something in their guilty faces hinted there might be a surprise he didn't see coming tonight.

After the questions came the voting. One by one, they crossed the rope bridge and cast their respective votes. Shannon took the longest time, which was odd because he was usually very quick and efficient in crushing his competitors' dreams. Hence, Harley interpreted this as his second warning sign. Something definitely wasn't right. He just didn't know what yet.

A while later, Iruka returned with the voting urn. The results had been tallied. Once the votes were read, the person voted out will be asked to leave tribal council immediately.

The host pulled out the first vote.

"Kari."

Harley recognized his own handwriting on the ballot. This was another danger sign. His vote was read out first. Of course, he cast this as a meaningless throwaway vote. He just didn't want to vote out a friend. Surprisingly enough, he stayed loyal to Faye until the bitter end.

Iruka turned over the second parchment.

"Mai."

This vote belonged to Faye. She, too, cast a throwaway vote that made no impact in the final outcome. She ignored Roy's vague instructions before tribal council. Screw him. Screw the majority. Screw them all. Faye had nothing to lose anyway. She simply will not vote out Harley. Because, just like the Pokemon Coordinator, the bounty huntress was also a faithful friend. And true friends don't vote out each other, no matter how tough the circumstances were.

It wasn't until Iruka read out the third parchment before everything became crystal clear.

"Harley."

The Pokemon Coordinator looked startled, but was not totally in shock. He had his suspicions before, but seeing this vote confirmed all his worst fears. Harley immediately glanced over at Mai, sitting on the other side of the bench. She turned her head towards him for a brief moment. And then, she smiled sadly at her ex-friend.

Oh. My. God.

He sat back and shook his head in disbelief. This was ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.

Are you kidding me!? Harley angrily mouthed the words to the blonde.

I'm sorry. Mai shrugged her shoulders.

Harley closed his eyes, still fuming. No, he can tell that she was not in the least bit sorry.

"Harley." Iruka read out the fourth vote. "That's two votes for Harley, one vote for Mai, and one vote for Kari."

His eyes were still closed. He already knew the results for tonight. It was over for him. He will get the distinctive honour of being voted out on his fake birthday. That will either go down in the history books or a bad punchline.

"Harley."

Opening his eyes again, Harley cringed at the sight of his name. This wasn't the first time it appeared on a vote, but it will be probably be his last. He gave one final glance at Mai's direction. She looked at peace with herself. Like she was just going through the wheels of motions. There wasn't any remorse evident in her cold, calculated face. Only now can Harley see how cutthroat the blonde can be.

In a matter of seconds, he was about to learn what Kurz Weber, Meryl Stryfe, and Holland Novak all discovered – a little too late – on the night of their eliminations:

Mai Valentine will backstab her friends without batting an eye.

"The tenth player voted out of Survivor: Konoha," Iruka flipped over the deciding vote. "Harley."

Harley uttered an audible curse word, but that was the extent of his dramatic antics for the night. The show was over. Scene closed. Curtains drawn. Harley made his exit to the left, grabbing his torch and saying a few quick goodbyes. Goodbye Shannon, even though he voted with the majority. Goodbye Bulma, ditto that. And goodbye Faye Valentine, the only person who defied the consensus and prevented a unanimous decision. Harley made sure he had enough time to give her a farewell hug. She was his one true friend in this game.

"The tribe has spoken." Iruka quickly snuffed out the flame. "Harley, it's time for you to go."

Harley hesitated. Suddenly, he felt compelled to make one last scene as part of his departure. He wanted to do something memorable. Anything that will cause a big stir. He thought of confessing about his false birthday, and he even considered throwing Kari's bracelet into the fire. That will show them!

But in the end, Harley left without commotion, almost in an uncharacteristic fashion. No bangs. No spectacles. No bitchy remarks. He decided to save all that for the final tribal council.

Faye watched her only friend disappear behind the shadows.

She wasn't quite sure how she should feel right now. On one hand, she was obviously relieved and totally shocked that she was still in the game. But that only made her feel guilty afterwards, because Harley was her substitute scapegoat instead. For now, Faye settled on feeling thankful. Make no mistake, she only survived this tribal council because of Roy. She hadn't forgiven him for betraying her in the first place. Not that it mattered anyway. He had all the control. But how long can he keep her in the game when everyone out there was gunning for her? As far as she was concerned, Faye was still a marked woman. She was still the biggest target at the next tribal council.

God topples from the sky, hell's fires fade:
Exit seraphim and Satan's men:
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.

After tonight, Harley was added as part of the ever growing jury. And three nights from now, he would attend tribal council and sit across from the players, where he will be waiting.

Waiting for the next person voted off.

Waiting for a friend to join him.

Waiting for Faye.

- - -

Harley's Final Words

Hey bitches. It has been a fun ride, but it's a shame I couldn't make it further. I'm annoyed that May and Drew have a better Survivor record than me, ugh, but at least I know I'm the better Coordinator. Anywaysssss, I'm glad I made a few good friends in this game, but the only person I'm rooting for is Faye. If she gets herself out of this pickle, she deserves to win more than anyone. I'm not too worried about her though. She's a resourceful gal. She'll manage by herself.

- - -

Next time on Survivor: Konoha –

Mai makes a move on Faye's man…
(Mai whispers something into Roy's ear. He laughs.)
Faye: She's entering dangerous territory.
(As she watches them, Faye seethes with anger.)
Faye: This is war.

A threatening storm destroys the camp…
Mai: Get out! Everyone! Now!
Bulma: It's gonna fall!

And Kari breaks down…
Kari: I…can't…can't breathe.
Mai: She's having an asthma attack.
(Kari lies on the ground, choking for air.)
Bulma: Call the medics!

All this and more on – Episode 11: Brains and Brawn

- - -

Author's Notes: Thanks for reading and reviewing the story, everyone! Only three more episodes to go!