Rediscovery EP: The White Flag of Tomiko Higa

[The Ancient Warrior]

Author's Note: This is one of the episodes of my independent project, Legends: The Rediscovery.  More information on the project can be found by following this link.

Episode 103px]

The camera swerves through a thick rainforest, and after multiple turns, it eventually stops in front of an ancient temple.  The eyes of giant stone head next to the temple gate light up red as he begins to speak:
"LEGENDS OF THE HIDDEN TEMPLE!"
The show's logo forms as two halves of a Pendant of Life come in from the sides of the screen and merge; the show's name appears above the logo as the camera pans across the entire temple.
"With your guide, Kirk Fogg! And here he is NOW!"

On this final word, Kirk emerges from a thick patch of jungle plants and shrubs, then runs into the foreground and up a wide set of steps to greet the crowd. "Thank you! Thank you very much! Nice to see you! Thank you, Olmec! Welcome to Legends of the Hidden Temple.  The rooms are filled with lost treasures that are protected by mysterious Mayan Temple Guards.  Only Olmec knows the legend behind each of the treasures of his temple.  Which one are we gonna hear about today?"

Faint orange lights underneath Olmec turn on, and the camera cuts to a close-up of him as he replies:
"The legend of the White Flag of Tomiko Higa."

"Oh, the White Flag of Tamika Higa!" Kirk says in response as the camera cuts back to him, "Well, the adventure is set, and one of these six teams will have a chance to retrieve the White Flag so we can return it to its rightful owner.  Will it be:
"Stephen and Diana of the Red Jaguars?" the camera pans to each team in order, their first names briefly appearing at the bottom of the screen?
"Mitchell and Randy of the Blue Barracudas,
"Spencer and Erin of the Green Monkeys,
"Casey and Veronica of the Orange Iguanas,
"Derek and Amy of the Purple Parrots,
"Or Travis and Sabrina of the Silver Snakes?"

"They'll have to pass some tough physical and mental tests," says Kirk, "and in the end, only one team will get the right to enter Olmec's Temple.  But first, they?ll have to cross the Moat, and here's how they'll have to do it today?
"Each team is standing in front of a balance beam.  When I say 'Go,' one player from each team will start to walk onto it and try to make their way to the other side, but if they fall in, they gotta go back and start walking it all over again."
"As soon as the second player steps onto the deck, it's his job to run over here and hit the gong." He hits the top button on the Red Jaguars' gong? which lights up red? to demonstrate. "The first four teams to hit their gongs are going into the next round! Are you ready, teams?"
The players all cheer and shout in response.
"Are you ready, Olmec?" asks Kirk.
"Ohhh yeah!" Olmec replies.
"All right!" Kirk shouts in response. "On your marks, get set, GO!"

As soon as Kirk says ?Go,? the boys on each team? except for the Purple Parrots, who send out their female player? get on the balance beams and start to cautiously make their way across the Moat.  After about fifteen seconds, although no players have made it across, the male Red Jaguar has a bit of a lead.  However, a few moments later, both he and the female Purple Parrot lose their balance, fall into the water and have to restart. ?Looks like this is harder than they thought! They had to keep their balance, now they gotta go back!? After almost thirty seconds, the Green Monkeys and Orange Iguanas are the first teams to get one player across the Moat; the Silver Snakes closely follow their lead.
?Teams falling left and right!? Kirk declares forty-five seconds into the round, when the male Red Jaguar falls again and the female Orange Iguana does the same. ?We need four teams? here?s our first team, it?s the Green Monkeys!? As he says this, the female Green Monkey lights up her team?s gong. ?We still need three teams, who?s it gonna be?? After fifty-four seconds of the challenge, the girl on the Purple Parrots falls into the drink and has to start over.  The girl on the Blue Barracudas manages to get to the other side not too long after, however, and lights up her team?s gong exactly a minute after the round began.
?Blue Barracudas are in, but we?re still looking for two more teams!? The other teams? players are almost even at this point, thanks to the players on the Orange Iguanas and Purple Parrots slowing down and becoming a little more careful and the female Silver Snake moving a little faster.  Eventually it comes down to a race between the teams other than the Red Jaguars to get to the gong first; the Orange Iguanas and Silver Snakes hit their gongs at the same time, but the female Purple Parrot is a split second behind.  The Moat crossing ends a minute and thirteen seconds after it began.
?And that?s it! We got our four teams!? Kirk announces, and the camera cuts to him celebrating with the Blue Barracudas around their gong.  He high-fives the boy on the team before continuing. ?Blue Barracudas made it across no problem, and they?re going on to the Steps of Knowledge, along with the Green Monkeys?? the camera goes down the line to show each of the qualifying teams, with Kirk introducing them and then holding for applause? ?and the Orange Iguanas? and the Silver Snakes! The Red Jaguars and the Purple Parrots gave it a great effort.  We got a great gift for them and here?s what it is.? Stephen, Diana, Amy and Derek will each be receiving a backpack provided by Eastpak.

[The Ancient Warrior]

When the camera cuts away from the consolation prize, Kirk and the four remaining teams are at the top of the Steps of Knowledge. "As the quest continues, and it's time for Olmec to tell us about the White Flag of Tamika Higa.  But pay attention, because your knowledge of the legend can bring you a step closer to the Temple."
Olmec begins to tell the legend:

"One of the bravest children in history was a Japanese girl by the name of Tomiko Higa.  In the early 1940s, the United States and Japan were fighting in World War II, and American soldiers stormed the beaches one island at a time.  Eventually they got to Okinawa, where Tomiko and her family were living.  The American soldiers couldn't tell who was part of the Japanese army and who wasn't, so they shot many civilians by mistake.  In the spring, monsoons and rainstorms flooded the villages and made escape difficult.   When Tomiko's father was called to fight in the war, she and her brothers and sisters had to run for safety.
" 'We have to get out of here!' said the eldest. 'We're not safe without Father-san!'
" 'I hope we'll see him again,' Tomiko thought as they fled the house? but legend has it they never did.  Tomiko and her siblings were soon separated, and she spent the next few months trying to avoid getting caught by the Americans.  She slept in abandoned gardens, but otherwise was constantly on the move, narrowly dodging soldiers at every turn.  She survived by eating food that was left behind in dead soldiers' knapsacks.
"Eventually, Tomiko was found by an old couple who took care of her, but it wasn't long before they were forced to run away, and they, too, got separated.  She hid in a cave, but when she heard soldiers approaching, she tore off a part of her white dress, tied it to a stick and marched out, waving it like a white flag as if to say: 'I surrender.' The soldiers didn't have the heart to shoot her, and not too long after, the war was ended, the Americans left Japan and the White Flag ended up in the Temple.  Your quest is to find the White Flag of Tomiko Higa and bring it back here."

"Thank you Olmec," Kirk replies as soon as Olmec finished telling the legend, "so tell us: Where is the White Flag?"
Olmec answers:
"The White Flag of Tomiko Higa can be found in the Pirate's Cove." The camera zooms in on the white flag leaning on the front railing of the Pirate's Cove, then fades back to Kirk.

"Okay, teams," Kirk begins, "in a moment, Olmec will ask you a question.  If you think you know the answer, I want you to stomp down on the ancient marking in front of you.  If you're right, you're gonna move down to the next level, but if you're wrong or run out of time, I'll give the other teams a chance." Kirk starts walking down the steps at this point, then turns around to face the teams. "The first two teams to make it to the bottom level will be one step closer to Olmec's Temple.  All right, Olmec, we?re now ready for your first question."

Olmec begins:
?Which of these wars did Tomiko Higa survive as a child: World War I, World War II???
Casey hits the marking first: ?World War II.?
?Correct,? says Olmec in response.
?Nice job, Orange Iguanas, step down!? Kirk encourages, and the Orange Iguanas move down onto the second step. ?Next question.?
Olmec asks:
?Which of these Japanese islands did Tomiko live on: Hokkaid?, Iwo Jima or Ok???
A stomp from Randy interrupts Olmec this time: ?Oki? Okinawa.?
?Correct.?
?Blue Barracudas, step down!? Kirk shouts out, and the Blue Barracudas join the Orange Iguanas on the second level. ?Olmec, next question.?
Olmec now asks:
?In our legend, did Tomiko and her siblings leave their home when: Soldiers came looking for them, Their father was captured by Americans or Their father was called to fight??
After a moment, Travis gongs in: ?They left home when? their father was? he was called to fight in the war.?
There is a brief pause.
?Correct.?
?Silver Snakes are on the board!? remarks Kirk as the Silver Snakes similarly move down a step. ?Green Monkeys can catch up.  Next question.?
Olmec asks:
?According to our legend, did Tomiko make the White Flag out of: A stick and part of her dress, A stick and a piece of parchment or A stick and a blanket??
Travis rings in again: ?A stick and? a part of a blanket???
?Incorrect.?
Randy buzzes in: ?A stick and a parch? uh, a piece of parchment???
?Incorrect,? answers Olmec. ?She used a stick and part of her dress.?
?All right, tough question Olmec,? comments Kirk, ?but let?s keep going.?
Olmec?s next question is this:
?Tomiko survived by sleeping in which of these locations: Empty cellars, Abandoned gardens or Dark caves??
Travis stomps down and guesses: ?Dark caves.?
?Incorrect.?
Randy attempts to answer: ?Abandoned gardens???
?That is correct,? says Olmec in response.
?Blue Barracudas, step down!? a voice-over declares as the Blue Barracudas move down to the third level.  The music then skips and the voice switches back to live. ?Next question, Mr. Olmec.?
Olmec then asks:
?World War II ended shortly after which of these events: The bombing of Pearl Harbor, The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki or The Battle of Okinawa??
The camera pans back to the Steps, where the Blue Barracudas are on the second level and the Silver Snakes on the third.
Erin steps in: ?The bombing of Hiro? shima and? Nagasaki.?
?Correct,? replies Olmec.
?Green Monkeys on the board!? Kirk declares, and the audience bursts into applause. ?This match is heating up.  Next question, Olmec!?
Olmec continues:
?Did she survive by eating: Wild berries and animals, Flowers or Food from dead soldiers? knapsacks??
Travis hits the marking first: ?Wild berries and animals???
?Incorrect.?
Erin buzzes in: ?She ate out of? um, dead soldiers? backpacks.?
?That is correct.?
?Green Monkeys now just one step away from the Temple Games,? Kirk comments; ?they?re tied up with the Silver Snakes! But the Blue or Orange Iguanas can catch up.  Next question.?
Olmec asks:
?When Tomiko decided to give up, was she hiding in a: Ghost town, Forest or Cave??
Erin hesitantly hits the marking: ?Uh? a cave???
?That is correct!? bellows Olmec in response, and the Green Monkeys jump down onto the final step.
?We got our first team going on to the Temple Games!? Kirk declares as the Green Monkeys high-five and jump up and down on the bottommost step. ?It?s the Green Monkeys! We still need one more team, who?s it gonna be: the Blue Barracudas, the Orange Iguanas or the Silver Snakes? Olmec, continue.?
Olmec does so by asking:
?In the battle, did American soldiers have a tendency to: Shoot civilians, Hold families hostage or Stay clear???
Travis gongs in: ?They? shot people that weren?t soldiers.?
?THAT IS CORRECT!? Olmec shouts, and the Silver Snakes jump down beside the Green Monkeys on the bottom step.  Kirk promptly runs up the middle of the step before the teams start celebrating with one another, then turns around to face the camera, allowing the players to high-five and shake each other?s hands.
?We have our two teams!? he announces. ?The Green Monkeys and the Silver Snakes! Blue Barracudas, Orange Iguanas, they gave it a great effort too, and we got a great gift for them and here?s what it is.? Casey, Veronica, Randy and Mitchell will each be receiving a custom Legends of the Hidden Temple watch provided by Armitron.
When the camera cuts away from the consolation prize, only Kirk and the two remaining teams are still present at the base of the Steps of Knowledge. ?These two teams will be playing for the right to enter Olmec?s Temple? right after this!? The camera pans out, then zooms in on the snake jars in the Viper?s Nest.  Over them, the show?s logo reappears and the camera then fades to commercial.

[The Ancient Warrior]

When the camera fades in from commercial, the show?s title card is placed over a shot of the ship wheel in the Pirate Cove.  The pendant logo splits, the title fades into the distance and the camera segues to Kirk standing in front of the Cave with the last two teams.
?Welcome back to Legends!? he says. ?Now the glory goes to the fastest and the strongest? so let?s hear it for Spencer and Erin of the Green Monkeys!? The audience briefly applauds for the average-sized boy with short brown hair and hazel eyes, and the slightly shorter girl with straight brown hair and brown eyes. ?And Travis and Sabrina of the Silver Snakes!? The boy with slightly greasy-looking brown hair and hazel eyes framed by thin, oval-shaped glasses, and the girl with brown eyes and long dirty blond hair tied back in a ponytail, high-five as the audience cheers for them. ?All right, you guys ready to play??
"YEAH!" return the players.
"All right! Girls, go get set up for the second Temple Game," Kirk says, pointing in different directions. "Guys, you can go get set up for the first game." The players walk offscreen as Kirk faces the camera again. "And I?ll tell you what?s gonna happen here.  In the Temple Games, each team is competing for?" he opens a pouch and pulls out a small gold medallion to show to the camera? "Pendants of Life.  The winning team's gonna need those Pendants to protect themselves from the dreaded Temple Guards as they make their way through the Temple.  There are three Temple Games, and Olmec? tell us about Temple Game #1."

Olmec begins:
"During World War II, Tomiko Higa was always on the run from American troops, and she went through a lot of difficult territory while trying to find food to survive.  She might have had to cross a mountain pass, and in this game, you will do just that.  When Kirk gives the signal, climb the mountain using the rope in your hands.  When you reach a bunch of berries, grab it and stuff it in your pack, then keep climbing.  When you reach the top, turn around and climb down the other side."
"The first player to reach the ground on the other side of the mountain with all their berries? or the player that's further along after 60 seconds? wins."
The camera segues to Kirk. "I've never seen a mountain like this," he comments. "Let's set the clock for 60 seconds." A countdown clock appears in the bottom-right corner of the screen. "On your mark, get set, GO!"
?There they go! Up the mountain? no, they gotta get the first grapes first!? Kirk narrates as Spencer and Travis grab the first bunches of berries and put them into their packs.  Travis finishes a second sooner, then starts climbing with 54 seconds to go.  Spencer manages to catch up during the climb, however, and by the :47 mark, both players are even, and just finishing putting the second bunches of berries in their packs. ?It?s gonna be hard to call! I can?t tell who?s gonna win it? what do you think?? The game remains even a little longer, but Spencer picks up the pace by the time he finishes stuffing the fourth bunch of berries a bit sooner, with 33 seconds to make it down the other side of the mountain. ?Green Monkeys might win this, they just gotta come on back down!? Finally, Spencer touches the floor at the other side of the mountain with 22 seconds to go, a few moments before Travis.
?That?s it!? Kirk declares, running onscreen to meet the players as the countdown clock disappears. ?Both gave it a great effort, but Spencer?s the rock climber, he made it back first so he gets the half a Pendant of Life? for the Green Monkeys!? The audience cheers briefly, and Kirk high-fives Spencer before continuing the narration. ?Silver Snakes can catch up in the next game, it?s worth a half Pendant.  Olmec, tell us about it.?

Olmec continues:
"Tomiko Higa narrowly escaped the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but in this game, you'll be trying to hit some targets of your own.  When Kirk gives the signal, put a rock between your legs, grab the trapeze, swing out over the grid and drop the rock into the grid.  Then, swing back, grab another rock and try again.
"The first player to drop a rock in all nine holes in the grid? or the player that's dropped rocks in the most holes in 60 seconds? wins."
"It's bombs away for our players here," Kirk comments as the camera segues to him standing in the middle of the equipment for the game. "Let's put 60 seconds on the clock." The countdown clock reappears in the bottom-right corner of the screen, and a green half-Pendant appears in the upper-left corner as Kirk dashes off to the side to continue the commentary. "On your marks, get set, GO!"
?There they go! This is tough!? Kirk comments as Erin and Sabrina swing out over the grids, but fail to drop the first balls into the grids.  It isn?t until :50 that either player scores? in this case, Sabrina, landing a ball in the upper-left corner of her 3?3 grid.  Erin fails to catch up on her next attempt, however, allowing Sabrina to add to her lead by scoring in the center-left hole of her grid as well with 43 seconds to go.
?Green Snakes? Green Monkeys can?t get the hang of it, that might cost ?em!? Kirk comments around :35, when neither player is scoring.  Sabrina finally scores again with 24 seconds left, dropping a ball in the bottom-center hole. ?Silver Snakes moving along, they got a good lead already! Can they keep onto it?? With twelve seconds to go, Erin finally scores by dropping a ball in the upper-right corner of the grid. ?Green Monkeys on the board!? The audience starts counting down when the clock reaches :10, and a few moments later, Erin scores again, this time at dead center. ?Just got a few seconds left?? With four seconds to go, Sabrina drops a second ball in the bottom-center hole.  Shortly after, the clock hits zero and disappears, and the half-Pendant in the upper corner of the screen also disappears.  A pattern of ceiling spotlights flashes to indicate the end of the Temple Game, and Kirk runs onscreen and calls the girls over.
?Time?s up! C?mon over, let?s see how you did!? Kirk calls, and Erin and Sabrina walk over. ?Green Monkeys got?? he gestures to the Green Monkeys? grid? ?two holes? Silver Snakes got? three holes! They get a half-Pendant! It?s all tied up!? The audience applauds as Erin and Sabrina side-five. ?A half-Pendant apiece? The third and final game, it?s worth a full Pendant.  Olmec, tell us.?

Olmec narrates:
"Tomiko got separated from her family during the war, and she had to survive on her own.  In this game, you and your partner have to make your way to freedom together.  When Kirk gives the signal, climb along the wall and maneuver the chain along the slot until you reach the exit, then pass through to freedom.
"The first team to set themselves free? or the team that's further along at the end of 60 seconds? wins!"
"This is for the Temple!" Kirk declares as the camera transitions over to him. "Let's put 60 seconds on the clock?" The countdown clock reappears in the bottom-right corner, a green half-Pendant in the upper-left and a silver half-Pendant in the upper-right.  Kirk dashes off to the side to do the commentary without being in the camera's way. "On your mark, get set, GO!"
On ?Go,? the team players make their ways around the vertical maze at two distinctly different paces.  After only ten seconds, the Green Monkeys are starting to maneuver through the first metal loop, while the Silver Snakes are one turn away from getting there. ?This game takes a lot of communication, they gotta know which way they?re goin? and go on through!? The Silver Snakes move a bit faster through the loop itself than did the Green Monkeys, but the Monkeys keep their lead as they move through the second loop with about 36 seconds to go. ?Just one more! Can the Silver Snakes catch up?? A little more time passes, and although the Silver Snakes are almost at the metal loop with 25 seconds remaining, at that exact same time, the Green Monkeys finally escape.
?That?s it!? Kirk comments, reappearing onscreen to meet the players as they emerge from the maze; the half-Pendants and clock on the screen disappear. ?That was fast! But the Green Monkeys made it out first, so they get the half? excuse me, the FULL Pendant? they?re goin? to the Temple!? Spencer and Erin temporarily hug and high-five before celebrating with the Silver Snakes as well. ?Silver Snakes gave it a great effort too.  We got a great gift for them and here?s what it is.? Travis and Sabrina will each be receiving a $100 U.S. Savings Bond provided by Skechers.
When the camera cuts away from the consolation prize, only Kirk and the Green Monkeys are still standing in front of the equipment for the third Temple Game. ?We?ll see if the Green Monkeys can make it through Olmec?s Temple and retrieve the White Flag of Tomiko Higa,? he says, ?right after this!? The camera swerves away and zooms in on the foam blocks in the Pit of Despair before the show?s logo reappears over them and the camera fades to commercial.

[The Ancient Warrior]

When the show returns from commercial, its logo is placed over a shot of the head of the statue, lying on a shelf in the Shrine of the Silver Monkey.  The camera eases out as the pendant splits and the title disappears into the distance, and then the camera segues to Kirk standing in front of the Temple's stairs, with Spencer and Erin to his right. "Welcome back to Legends!" he says to the camera. "Erin and Spencer have proven themselves worthy and earned the right to enter Olmec's Temple.  But before we get started, Olmec's gonna give them some information to help them retrieve the White Flag of Tomiko Higa."
Olmec begins to give the rundown:
"You could start by running up to the Room of the Ancient Masks! Push in the correct mask, and pass into the Pit of Despair.  There you must choose your next path.  You could race up into the Observatory, read the instructions on the far wall with the telescope and follow them to open the door to the Central Dock.  Assemble the ship, and pass into the Den of Totem Poles.  Turn all the faces forward; that may take you below or lead you into the SHRIIIIIIINE of the Silver Monkey! Assemble the statue, and you may be headed toward the Pirate's Cove! Place the torch in the correct holder to go back, or spin the ship's wheel and enter the Graveyard of Ships.
"Stand on the correct grave to go upstairs? but beware the Temple Guard that might be haunting one of the graves! Or, plow through the wall and into the Viper's Nest.  Reach into the snake jars and find the key, and you'll enter the Bamboo Forest! If you escape, you might have a chance to enter the Cannon Room, where you can grab the White Flag of Tomiko Higa.  If the correct door is unlocked, you'll be able to crawl back through the Pit and finally climb through the Cave, rrrrace down the STAIRS and back through the Temple Gate.  The choices are yours and yours ALONE!" Olmec pauses for a second. "You won 1 ? Pendants in the Temple Games.  Who's going first?"
"I am," says Erin.
"Very well, Erin!" replies Olmec as Kirk hands out the Pendants of Life. "When Kirk gives the signal, you'll race through the gates into the Temple and make your way towards the White Flag.  Hidden inside the Temple are three secret passages that may lead you into the Bamboo Forest, and Temple Guards assigned to protect three specific rooms.  You can trade your Pendant for an extra life and go on BUT? if you're caught without a Pendant, you'll be taken out of the Temple? and it'll be Spencer's turn to enter and try his luck.  Hidden somewhere inside the Temple is the other half of your Pendant.  If you can find it and you're carrying the other half, you will get an extra life.  If you can reach the White Flag, all the doors of the Temple will instantly unlock and the Temple Guards? will vanish.  Return through the gates with the White Flag of Tomiko Higa in three minutes, and you will both be handsomely rewarded? and here's how!"
?   For just getting into the Temple, they're both going to get a skateboard provided by Vans.
?   If they can grab the Flag in three minutes, they're both going to get camping gear courtesy of Outdoor Products.
?   And if they can get the White Flag out of the Temple before three minutes is up, they'll both be going to the Bahamas! The Bahamas Princess Resort, on exciting Grand Bahama Island, offering tennis, swimming and international entertainment.  Fun for the whole family, from Bahamas Princess Resort!

"Let's see if we can get these Green Monkeys to the Bahamas!" Kirk says before turning to Spencer. "So Spencer, tell us: How're you gonna get to the Flag?"
"Well," he answers, "we're gonna just try to go through the top as fast we can, but if that doesn't work, she's gonna look for the Pendant and hopefully I'll find it? we're just gonna see which way we have to go and try to get there as fast as possible."
"And hopefully that'll get you to the Flag and that vacation.  Let's see," replies Kirk before turning to Erin. "Erin, you're gonna be going first, so let's get you out in front.  Mouthpieces in.  Set the clock for three minutes?" The clock appears onscreen. "Olmec, will you lower your gate?"
Olmec groans gutturally as he lowers the gate; the faint orange lights under him dim as he does so, and are ultimately turned off.
"On your mark, get set, GO!"

?There she goes! Up into the Temple!? declares Kirk as Erin trots up the stairs into the Room of the Ancient Masks. ?They?ve got a Pendant and a half, how far can that take ?em?? Erin hits the two masks on either side of the Temple Guard door in the back of the room; the stage-left mask opens the door into the Pit of Despair, and Erin starts to head down the staircase connecting the two rooms with 2:40 on the clock. ?All right, she?s into the Pit of Despair! Is she gonna go up, down? She can go any way she wants?!? Erin carefully walks across the further-from-the-foreground of the two balance-beam-like planks connecting the side ledges of the Pit, in order to get to the Observatory door.  From there, she starts hitting actuators. ?She hits the Observatory, that doesn?t open.  She tries the Center of the Dock, that doesn?t open.  Looks like she?s going down? down into the Room of the Lost Treasures!? As Kirk says this, Erin jumps down into the Pit of Despair, then hits the actuator for the Cannon Room.  The door opens and she heads through with 2:20 to go.
?Okay, she?s into the room where? The room where she?s gotta load up the cannon? with three balls!? Kirk slowly explains as Erin looks around in the Cannon Room.  After a few moments, she starts searching around the dimmed room for the three cannonballs. ?It?s hard to look around in there?? Erin crosses behind the ladder leading upward? which has a half-Pendant hanging from one of the rungs? and trips and falls (2:12). ?Oh! She slips and falls, but she?s all right? and she found a cannonball!? Erin soon finds the other two cannonballs and loads each into the cannon as she finds it.  When the cannon is fully loaded with 2:02 remaining, the tip of the fuse on the cannon lights up and the door leading up into the Central Dock opens, and a shaft of light from above indicates the open door.  Erin looks up and climbs up the ladder without signaling back to Spencer, and she sets foot in the Central Dock with 1:55 on the clock. ?Now she?s gotta put that ship together?!? Erin looks around for a moment. ?She?s gotta get the ship parts!? She finally sees the two masts and crow?s nest scattered around the room, and grabs the crow?s nest and tries to place it right on the ship. ?No, she?s gotta put the mast first, then the bucket!? Erin runs around and picks up the two masts of the ship, then goes back to place them on the ship (1:43).  She then places the crow?s nest on one of the masts, and with a quick flash, the doors leading out of the room open? including the door-sheet in the back of the room, which reveals the ladder leading upward, as well as the first?
?TEMPLE GUARD!? Kirk declares. ?Give ?em the Pendant, and you can go on!? Erin hesitates for a moment, but hands over the Pendant of Life.  The Temple Guard gets out of Erin?s way, and she climbs up into the Observatory with 1:28 to go. ?She?s gotta check out the telescope, see what she sees?? Erin walks over to the telescope and puts her eye up to the lens.  During that time, the camera briefly cuts to a shot of the writing on the wall above the audience? ?Spin Saturn and Venus? (1:20)? and then back to Erin, who soon after takes her eye off the telescope. ?I think she knows what to do now!? She reaches over to the altars in the front of the room and spins the Venus model on the left altar, then the Saturn model on the right altar.  The slab blocking access to the Den of Totem Poles lowers, and Erin walks down the staircase into the room (1:08).
?She?s just two rooms away from the White Flag! Can she do it all by herself?? exclaims Kirk as Erin looks around, observing the totem pole on the right side of the screen. ?Turn the faces! You gotta face the faces out toward us!? Erin kneels down and gets started turning the faces to the front of the room, starting with the stage-right pole (1:02). ?Oh, she?s gotta move if she wants that camping gear?? With fifty seconds to go, the first totem pole is complete, and Erin moves over to the other pole. ?I think she?s got it! Will she make it? She?ll still have to put a monkey together?? The stage-left totem pole is completed with 36 seconds to go, and the door to the Shrine of the Silver Monkey opens.  She heads through, but shortly after Erin enters the room, the second Temple Guard appears and takes her out with 32 seconds remaining.
?Oh, Temple Guard! Go Spencer!? Kirk remarks, and Spencer races into the Temple, setting foot in the Room of the Ancient Masks with 26 seconds to go. ?Into the Pit!? Spencer arrives at the side ledge of the Pit of Despair with 21 seconds left and jumps in. ?Into the Cannon Room!? He grabs the half-Pendant from the ladder rung (0:12!) and climbs on up into the Central Dock. ?He?s got the other half-Pendant, but he?s gotta hurry!? The audience starts counting down as Spencer crawls through the Central Dock-Den passage (0:06!!).  He makes it into the Den of Totem Poles and runs into the Shrine of the Silver Monkey? but time?s up!
?Agh, we?re out of time!? Kirk laments, Erin by his side. ?They did a great job, Erin cleared out a major path? Spencer got to the Shrine of the Silver Monkey, but they were just one room away! Good job by both players, and they get the skateboard package, but we gotta get outta here.  Join us again for another great Legends of the Hidden Temple! Buh-bye!? The camera shows rooms such as the Den of Totem Poles, the Observatory and the Pit of Despair, along with Spencer rejoining Erin and Kirk, while the credits roll.

[The Ancient Warrior]

Episode Summary
Episode 103px]

Name of Artifact: The White Flag of Tomiko Higa
Season: 3
Layout: 2 (12 overall)
Result: Failed acquisition
Team: Green Monkeys
Pendants Won: 1 ?
Location of Artifact: The Pirate's Cove



I thought this Temple Run would be a great one, but so much for that theory.  The Green Monkeys came first in both the Moat and the Steps of Knowledge, and won two out of the three Temple Games with a respectable amount of time left on the clock, but the performance in the Temple wasn't up to par.  I at least expected Erin to be much faster than she was, and not only that, but she unnecessarily went up into the Observatory from the Central Dock? after she was taken out with only thirty seconds to go, Spencer would later take the Central Dock-Den of Totem Poles shortcut.  He was a much faster player than Erin, but didn't have enough time to work with; the clock hit zero just after he made it to the Shrine of the Silver Monkey.

Trivia and Records:
A very odd edit occurred during the Steps of Knowledge, following the fifth question? during the question, the Silver Snakes rang in first and were considered wrong, and then the Blue Barracudas rang in second and were considered right.  But when the camera cut back to the Steps, the Silver Snakes had stepped down! My guess is the question was deemed faulty with two correct answers, and the Steps of Knowledge had to be reset to that point, with the Silver Snakes given credit for correctly answering the question first.