The Anime-zing Race

Episode Six

Author’s Notes
Sorry about the delay tonight. I’ve been extremely busy, and my writing over spring break wasn’t as good as I was hoping. To give you an idea of the way things have been going, I finally get everything ready to post this (the website, the contest stuff, the mailing list), and I realize I hadn’t even proofread the thing yet. Wow. Anyway, I’ll need a minor reprieve, so I’m delaying this one week. This gives you an extra week to get back ahead in my writing, and an extra week for you to get your picks in. I don’t have the luxury of delaying this any further, since the weekend of the last episode is Anime Central, and most likely where I’ll find the fabulous prize for the winner of the contest.

Recap

Hare: (VO) Last time, on the Jungle wa Itsumo Hare Nochi Guu leg of the Anime-zing Race. Heh heh, trying say that three times fast.

Guu: (VO, quickly) Last time on the Jungle wa Itsumo Hare Nochi…

Hare: (VO, angry) I WASN’T SERIOUS!!

(Various recap of highlights from Episode Five, showing whatever is appropriate.)

Hare: (VO) An alliance between Yukino & Arima and Kiyone & Mihoshi produces instant results.

Kiyone: (VO) We finally got some R&R while everybody else had to do the scrambling. This alliance is really paying off right now, and we haven’t even reached the first clue!

Hare: (VO) Takato helps Sakura get a flight to the jungle, causing tensions with him and Henry.

Takato: (VO) Henry barely spoke to me at all during the flight. I guess I can kinda see why he’s a little upset, but I think he’s taking this a little too seriously. I want to be friends with Sakura while we’re racing against them. Is that so much to ask?

Hare: (VO) To ensure their place in the race, Ash and Brock convince two teams to go for the Fast Forward. Syaoran and Meiling got it… and finished the leg in first place.

Meiling: (VO) Man- the things we do to win this stupid race…

Hare: (VO) But Misato and Ritsuko get the other end, and become the fifth team eliminated.

(Rapid shots of the six teams in various positions along the fifth leg.)

Hare: (VO) Six teams are left…

(Shot of the Pit Stop mat in the jungle, and nobody standing around it.)

Hare: (VO) Who will be eliminated tonight, on the Battle Athletes leg of the Anime-zing Race!

**** THE ANIME-ZING RACE ****
11 TEAMS OF 2:
TAKUYA & ZOE (The Digi-Destined- Digimon) {ELIMINATED}
SAKURA & TOMOYO (The Best Friends- Cardcaptor Sakura)
SPIKE & JET (The Bounty Hunters- Cowboy Bebop) {ELIMINATED}
ASH & BROCK (The Trainers- Pokémon)
AEKA & SASAMI (“Team Princess”- Tenchi Muyo) {ELIMINATED}
MISATO & RITSUKO (NOT “Team Pen-Pen”- Evangelion) {ELIMINATED}
SYAORAN & MEILING (The Cousins- Cardcaptor Sakura)
TAKATO & HENRY (The Tamers- Digimon)
YUKINO & ARIMA (The Dating Couple- Kare Kano)
KIYONE & MIHOSHI (The Police Officers- Tenchi Muyo)
GARY & SAMUEL (The Grandson/Grandfather- Pokémon) {ELIMINATED}

12 LEGS…
15 SERIES…
5 COUNTRIES, 2 PLANETS, 3 DIMENSIONS, AND A SPACE STATION…
**** THE ANIME-ZING RACE ****

Leg Six
(Various shots of the jungle, including Hare’s house and the outpost where the Pit Stop was. Hare is in front of the school.)
Hare: This is the jungle. My friends and I all love it here. The air is sweet, and we don’t have to worry about the things that plague the city- like shoes. This removal from reality is the fifth Pit Stop in the race.

(Shot of Kiyone and Mihoshi arriving, both in a good mood.)

Hare: (VO) Teams arrived at the end of the last leg for a required rest period…

(Shot of Arima chomping on his pokute.)

Hare: (VO) …that allows them to eat…

(Shot of Mihoshi sleeping on a bed, stretched out unbelievably so that she’s taking up the whole queen-size. Kiyone is wisely sleeping on the floor.)

Hare: (VO) …sleep…

(Shot of Henry and Brock trying out that DDR machine.)

Hare: (VO) …and mingle with the other teams…

(Hare is now in front of his house, standing next to Guu. Guu looks stoned as always.)

Hare: Now, supposedly it gets a little weird at this point, because the next leg takes place in the year 4999. But I’m not really sure how they get there. They can’t time travel by finding clues in sealed envelopes.

(Hare turns to Guu.)

Hare: Can they?

(Guu cracks a faint smile. Hare begins to panic. Guu’s smile grows wider. Hare begins to scream.)

Hare: Guu?? Guu?? Guu??!!

(A flash of white as Guu launches everybody and everything into the future. We get some strange visualizations as Guu disrupts the space-time continuum. It’s hard to picture, but work the thousand-legged cat in there somehow. When they come back… they are in a frozen, barren wasteland. Hare is panting, then realizes it’s cold and starts to shiver.)

Hare: Guu! What the hell happened?

Guu: Accidentally tilted the Earth’s axis. Should I try again?

Hare: No! Just leave me to die.

Guu: What’s the fun in that?

Hare: Huh?

(Guu picks up a stick and starts poking Hare.)

Guu: Are you a popsicle yet?

(Hare screams.)

(Shot of Syaoran & Meiling hugging after stepping on the Pit Stop in the jungle setting.)
Hare: (VO) Syaoran and Meiling, who were the first to arrive at 10:50 AM…

(Syaoran & Meiling are now on the mat in the tundra. Meiling is freezing. To make matters worse, it’s night. Hare sneezes before continuing.)

Hare: (VO) Will depart 2,996 years later… at 10:50 PM.

(Syaoran rips the clue open and reads it.)
[SYAORAN & MEILING- Cousins- First to Depart]
Meiling: Man… we better be going someplace warmer.

(Syaoran shakes his head and hands the clue over. Meiling looks at it.)

Meiling: ANTARCTICA??!!

(Yep. Rapid shots of a taxi hovering to the airport, and a shuttle taking off towards sunny Antarctica, and a training facility. Russian athlete Ayla Roznovsky has more.)
Ayla: (VO) Teams must take a shuttle to the United System Sports Academy training facility in Antarctica. After the ice caps melted, Antarctica became the ideal location for training aspiring athletes.

(Syaoran and Meiling brave the weather to find a cab to take them to the airport.)
Syaoran: (VO) I’m almost ready to thank Ash and Brock for asking us to use the Fast Forward. We needed something like that. Our spirits are high, and we’re going strong heading into the halfway point. Right now, the only thing that can stop us is ourselves, and we have to make sure that doesn’t happen.

(Kiyone rips open the envelope.)
[KIYONE & MIHOSHI- Galaxy Police Officers- 2^nd to Depart]
Kiyone: Antarctica? What are we supposed to do there?

Mihoshi: Forge a new civilization while battling the elements and each other?

Kiyone: You watch way too much television, Mihoshi.

(They head out.)

Kiyone: We’ve improved our position on almost every leg so far. On our first Pit Stop, we finished eighth. And we’ve steadily climbed our way up into second. That’s amazing progress. Some of the teams that finished hours ahead of us on that first leg are now gone. Looking back on that first leg, and how well teams like Spike and Jet or Takuya and Zoe did… and how we outlasted both of them… it’s really uplifting.

(Henry looks over the clue.)
[TAKATO & HENRY- Digimon Tamers- 3^rd to Depart]
Takato: Antarctica. Why not?

(They too begin their adventure.)

Henry: I guess you could say that the whole thing with Takato helping Sakura has been forgiven but not forgotten. There’s no way I can stay mad at Takato while we’re trying to run this race. The competition’s too fierce and the consequences are too disastrous to have bickering between teammates. I’m just going to hope that we can keep working together as effectively as we were before all this began. We don’t have much of a choice.

(Kiyone and Mihoshi have retrieved a cab. The cabs are much larger in this time period, and when Takato and Henry arrive right behind them, they notice the possibility to squeeze two more in.)

Takato: Hey! Room for two more?

Kiyone: Uh… er…

Henry: We’re just going to get bunched up at the airport anyway, so there’s no sense to have a taxi race. Saves money anyway.

(Kiyone relents, and slides over.)

Kiyone: Fine…

(Arima is counting the money, which is in some funky denomination.)
[YUKINO & ARIMA- Dating Couple- 4^th to Depart]
Yukino: Antarctica? That’s a new one…

Arima: Let’s do it.

(They go out and hail a cab. Yukino’s impressed at the taxis of 4999.)

Yukino: Stylin’.

Yukino: (VO) I’ve slowly begun to realize that maintaining the lead through the entire race is probably not possible. This deviates from my plans dramatically. Last time we got first, I celebrated as if I was supposed to be up there. But I’ll be more capable of savoring it the next time we finish first. And believe me- we will finish first again.

(Sakura and Tomoyo are next. Sakura is seriously cold.)
[SAKURA & TOMOYO- Best Friends / Classmates- 5^th to Depart]
Sakura: Hoe… I’m freezing. Let’s get out of here.

Tomoyo: Don’t worry Sakura. We’ll be in Antarctica in no time.

(Tomoyo walks away.)

Sakura: Hoe? Antarctica?

Sakura: It’s hard to stay calm with all of this going on. Everything’s moving so fast, and everything’s trying to trip you up, so staying focused is really difficult. But when I don’t let things bother me, then I tend to do a lot better, so I’m going to try to keep control whenever something scary happens.

(Kiyone, Mihoshi, Takato, and Henry are surprisingly tolerating each other pretty well.)
[KIYONE & MIHOSHI / TAKATO & HENRY- Currently Tied in 2^nd Place]
Takato: This is nothing. This is the third team we’ve worked with. Right?

Henry: We shared a hotel with Gary & Sam, a cab with Sakura & Tomoyo, and now you girls.

Kiyone: Man, is there anybody you haven’t worked with?

Takato: Not really. The NERV Girls kinda scared me. They kept asking me all these questions about how psychologically messed up I am after bio-merging with Guilmon… but they didn’t call it bio-merging .What did they call it?

Henry: Something about four hundred percent of something. I forgot.

Kiyone: Did you work with Spike & Jet?

Henry: Did Spike & Jet work with anybody?

(They all laugh.)

Mihoshi: Did you work with Aeka & Sasami?

Takato / Henry: Who?

Takato: The relationships we develop are very important. We don’t want teams disliking us, so we try to be pretty easy to get along with. We’ve been with just about everybody, with one notable exception- Ash and Brock.

(It’s as good a place to cut to our heroes Ash and Brock, leaving the Pit Stop.)
[ASH & BROCK- Pokémon Trainers- Last to Depart]
Brock: I can’t believe we’re still in this thing.

Ash: I can’t believe your crazy Fast Forward idea actually worked.

Brock: You know, Ash and I make a good team, but after getting my first glimpse of the competition, I was honestly skeptical about getting very far in the race. But we’ve come together very well. We haven’t had any problems getting along, which I think is the most important thing at this point.

(They hail a cab.)
Ash: (VO) I think this is the third time we’ve started in last place. Three times we’ve just barely missed being eliminated. Some people could get discouraged. But I’m not. Way I see it, if everything that happened already couldn’t eliminate us, nothing can!

(Inside the cab, they talk more strategy.)

Ash: So what’s the brilliant plan for today?

Brock: I don’t think we need one yet. We’re going to get to the airport, and it’s going to be another crazy mob scene and we’ll have just as much chance of scoring good tickets as the next team.

(The shuttle station. They’re shuttles now, instead of planes, but the same rules apply… sort of. Syaoran and Meiling hustle to a desk.)
[SYAORAN & MEILING- Currently in First Place]
Syaoran: This, uh, may sound a little strange, but we need to get to Antarctica.

(The woman at the desk begins typing.)

Meiling: Hello?

Clerk: How soon do you need to be there?

Meiling: ASAP!

(The clerk continues typing.)

Meiling: Hey! Did you hear us?

(The clerk prints something out and hands it to Meiling.)

Clerk: There you go. Next shuttle is at six o’clock. Sign there please.

(Syaoran is absolutely shocked, but signs the form.)

Clerk: And enjoy your trip!

(They walk away, at a loss for words.)

(Kiyone/Mihoshi and Takato/Henry arrive. Kiyone/Mihoshi and Takato/Henry reach desks. Same result- piece of cake. Yukino and Arima get the same deal. Yukino walks up to Kiyone.)

Yukino: How easy was it for you two to find tickets?

Kiyone: No trouble at all. I’m a little scared.

Yukino: No kidding.

Arima: We were amazed how easy it was to find tickets. After going crazy in Tokyo and Xining, we thought we’d be in for an even greater hassle trying to find a flight to Antarctica. It ended up being the easiest one yet.

(Conference! The front four teams are at the station chatting. Sakura & Tomoyo walk up to them.)

Kiyone: How’d you girls do?

Sakura: It was easy. I’m a little scared.

Mihoshi: I think we all are.

Henry: You mean it doesn’t work this way up in space?

Kiyone: For civilians, it’s even more complicated in space… at least in our time.

Yukino: I’m not going to question it. They probably fixed a broken system and we’re all reaping the benefits. When we get back to the present, I’m sure we’ll have to deal with the insanity once more.

Meiling: Well, I’m still a little freaked out by all this. This is the craziest thing that’s happened yet! And I turned into a leopard once!

(Syaoran suddenly drags Meiling away.)

Meiling: What? What is it?

(Once they are far enough away from the crowd, they talk.)

Syaoran: You know, we shouldn’t tell them what happened back there.

Meiling: I know it’s embarrassing, but I got cured remember?

Syaoran: Still! You were turned into a leopard. It’s sort of a weakness. We shouldn’t let them know our weaknesses.

Meiling: Look- the old lady cured me. No more leopard. Even if the leopard comes back, I have that Nyannichuan stuff that will fix it.

(Ash is walking by, and catches part of that.)

Ash: Hey… did you say you turned into a leopard?

Syaoran: See what I mean? Now nobody will take us seriously.

Meiling: What’s it to you?

Ash: Well… how did you get down the river? Didn’t you get splashed with water?

Meiling: It doesn’t matter! That old Amazon lady fixed everything and gave me some stuff to make sure it doesn’t come back.

Ash: Wa? How come she cured you but didn’t cure me?!

(Meiling and Syaoran tilt their heads.)

Syaoran: You turned into a leopard too?

Ash: No! I turn into an ox! I did last leg too!

(Syaoran and Meiling stare at Ash for awhile. Then Meiling erupts into laughter.)

Ash: That’s not funny!

Meiling: Yes it is! And you didn’t tell the grandma! Now you’re stuck with it!

(Ash starts fuming. Meiling puts an arm around Syaoran’s shoulder and leads him away.)

Meiling: C’mon Syaoran, we have five hours before the plane takes off. Let’s find a nice bench to sleep on. You’ll keep me warm, right?

(Ash steps forward and grabs Meiling’s wrist.)

Ash: So what’s the stuff that makes sure it doesn’t come back?

(Meiling turns around. Now she’s annoyed.)

Meiling: I’m not giving it to you! Don’t even ask.

Ash: But!

Meiling: Why should we help you? What have you done for us?

(Ash is still holding her wrist, and steps forward even closer.)

Ash: It’s not fair that your curse was cured and mine wasn’t. I don’t want to fight with you, but if you’re not going to hand it over, then…

(Now, Syaoran steps in.)

Syaoran: (angry) She doesn’t have to give you anything. So back off, okay?

(Brock notices this all and walks in.)

Brock: What’s going on?

(Ash stares at the cousins. Both have fierce looks. Neither are giving him anything.)

Ash: Nothing.

(Ash is still peeved, but walks away.)

Ash: I think it was very rude that Meiling wouldn’t hand over whatever she has that can help me. I mean, this isn’t even part of the race- this curse is a serious problem for me, and could remain a problem after all this is over. Meiling says she has the cure, but won’t give it to me. I just don’t understand why anyone would do that.

Meiling: Why should I hand it over? This thing’s getting really competitive and Syaoran and I have to do whatever it takes to keep up. Ketchum made a mistake in not telling the old lady about his curse. I did, I got cured, and I’m better off for it. Like hell am I going to help him. I don’t care if he tries bossing me around- Syaoran will always stick up for me.

(Sakura, Tomoyo, and Takato are chatting. Or rather… Sakura and Takato are chatting. Tomoyo is videotaping Sakura chatting.)

Sakura: What are we doing in Antarctica?

Takato: I’m not sure. Could be anything. At least nobody has an advantage. I doubt anybody’s been to Antarctica.

Tomoyo: Actually, Misato-san and Ritsuko-san have been there.

(Sakura nods.)

Takato: Well they’re gone, so it doesn’t really matter.

(Syaoran and Meiling, both still rattled from the previous encounter, walk by.)

Sakura: Hi!

Takato: Something wrong, Li?

Syaoran: It’s… it’s nothing.

Meiling: Yeah, if you call being threatened by a pipsqueak like Ketchum nothing.

Takato: Ash? Why?

Syaoran: Never mind.

(Syaoran glances at Meiling. She returns eye contact.)

Meiling: Yeah. You’re our opponent.

Sakura: Well, now that we’re together, can we work together again?

(Syaoran and Meiling both are skeptical. Tomoyo puts the camera down.)

Tomoyo: There’s no sense in being opponents at this point. We are all entering unfamiliar territory, so it would be best if we could work together.

(At this point, Takato quietly ducks away. Syaoran considers the offer for quite some time.)

Syaoran: I guess so.

Sakura: Great!

(Sakura and Tomoyo both smile.)

Syaoran: I don’t know. When we were struggling to stay in the game, and they were in the front pack, they didn’t really do anything to help us, even when they could. It probably won’t hurt to have them with us, but I hope they pull their fair share.

(They go on to discuss the situation about Ash.)
Tomoyo: (VO) It’s nice to be working with Li and Meiling, but I’m surprised they are so angry at Ash. I don’t think it’s fair for Ash to have his curse, and if Meiling has the cure, then it’s not right for her to not share it.

(Yukino talking with Kiyone while Arima is talking with Brock elsewhere.)

Kiyone: I didn’t see it myself.

Yukino: Right… Arima’s trying to figure out what’s going on. Anyway, you can get to this facility on your own, right? Like we said, we can’t be joined at the hip.

Kiyone: Hey, no problem. Just… let us know if you need help or something.

Yukino: Of course!

(Kiyone walks away. “Inner” Yukino glances to the side.)

Yukino: (bitter) What do you mean if *we* need help?

(She returns to normal as Arima walks back.)

Yukino: So what did Asaba say?

Arima: Ash and the Li’s are arguing about something. Sounds like it’s about something they have, but he needs. Whatever it is, all parties seem to be bitter about it.

Yukino: Let’s just stay out of it then. They can squabble all they want, we have a race to win.

(Arima nods.)

Yukino: I think Ash is a complete moron, and I hope that those kids give him what he deserves. But I’m not taking sides. They’re creating a needless rivalry, and I know from experience that it’s a bad thing. As much as I want Ash to die a painful, painful death, I’m not going to be his rival. I’ll worry about Arima and I winning, not someone else losing.

(One more shot of Ash directing a scornful look at the Li’s.)

----

(A few hours later, the six teams board the shuttle and it departs for sunny Antarctica. Ayla is standing in a track facility with the route marker on the high jump area.)
Ayla: All six teams are on a shuttle traveling to the USSA training facility in Antarctica. They will find the route marker inside the track facility.

(The shuttle lands directly at the facility. Boy, things are a lot more efficient in the future. Anyway, everybody leaves the shuttle. Yukino/Arima and Takato/Henry run off in one direction. Ash, Brock, and Kiyone run off in a different direction. Mihoshi runs in a completely different direction. Again, Tomoyo checks the map, while her allies wait.)

Tomoyo: Found it!

(They take off again.)

Meiling: (VO) I have to get used to being back in this alliance again. I must keep reminding myself that it worked pretty well last time.

(Kiyone finally stops when she realizes that Mihoshi’s nowhere in sight.)

Kiyone: Mihoshi?

(After some searching, she finds her, still by the terminal.)

Kiyone: Mihoshi! What are you doing?

Mihoshi: I’m hailing a cab!

Kiyone: You don’t have to hail a cab!

Mihoshi: But Kiyone, how do we get to the training facility from the airport?

(Kiyone slaps her forehead, then points to the big USSA Training Facility sign right above them.)

Mihoshi: Wow… good thing you noticed this Kiyone. I can just picture all the other teams getting ripped off by crooked taxi drivers right now!

(On the contrary, Yukino and Arima simply run around, following the signs and asking enough people to reach the track first. Arima heads to the route marker.)
[YUKINO & ARIMA- Currently in First Place]
Arima: Road Block.

Yukino: (surprised) Road Block?

Arima: I guess so. This person must be able to work well with others.

Yukino: Why don’t you take it?

Arima: Sure.

(Ayla is now standing by a large board standing in the infield of the track, facing away from the first route marker. The board has markers for the six teams remaining.)
Ayla: A Road Block is a task that only one person may perform. And no- it doesn’t always have to be after the Detour. We are outside the box. In this Road Block, the chosen person must come here and choose an opposing team to be on their side. After everybody arrives, they will have formed two sides of three teams each, and they will find out what the task is.

(Arima arrives at the board, a little bewildered.)

Arima: Is this it?

Ayla: Yes. Choose a teammate. You won’t know which person you will have until they arrive.

Arima: Okay. I’ll work with Kiyone and Mihoshi.

Ayla: Very well.

(Ayla moves both the Yukino/Arima and Kiyone/Mihoshi markers to one side of the board.)

Arima: It’s one more twist in the game, but I’m not worried by it. We have been getting along with most of the other teams, and high school requires a lot of teamwork to survive. Therefore this doesn’t scare me that much.

(Takato and Henry are at the Road Block. Takato is walking toward the board.)
[TAKATO & HENRY- 2^nd at Road Block]
Henry: Takato! Pick somebody athletic!

Takato: Okay!

(He arrives and sees two already signed up.)

Takato: Uh… ooh… tough one… we’ll go with Syaoran and Meiling.

(Ayla puts the Takato/Henry and Syaoran/Meiling markers on the other side.)

Takato: (VO) We figured that since we’re at this athletic facility, it’s going to be something athletic. I think Syaoran and Meiling are the best to work with.

(Sakura, Tomoyo, Syaoran, and Meiling are next at the Road Block.)
[SAKURA & TOMOYO / SYAORAN & MEILING- 3^rd at Road Block]
Tomoyo: Since we’re at a track, I think this is going to be physical.

(Tomoyo looks at Sakura and smiles.)

Sakura: I guess that makes sense.

Meiling: Nobody can outrun me! Syaoran, let me do it!

Syaoran: All right.

(Sakura and Meiling go to the board.)

Ayla: Meiling, Takato already selected you for his team, but you may choose to add the third team to your side.

Sakura: Can I be with Meiling?

(Meiling thinks for a second, then agrees.)

Meiling: Yeah, stick them on.

(Ayla adds Sakura/Tomoyo to Meiling and Takato’s side.)

(Ash and Brock are quick to make a decision.)
[ASH & BROCK- 5^th at Road Block]
Brock: Why don’t I do it?

(Brock reads the instructions, and walks over to Ayla.)

Ayla: Since one side is already filled up, you will automatically be put on the other side.

(Ayla moves the Ash/Brock marker to the same side as Yukino/Arima and Kiyone/Mihoshi. Brock is pretty cool with it.)

Brock: Not too bad. So, how about dinner?

(Ayla raises an eyebrow. She’s pretty unmoved by the offer.)

(Finally, Kiyone and Mihoshi walk in. Kiyone’s pretty peeved.)
[KIYONE & MIHOSHI- Last at Road Block]
Kiyone: Every time things are starting to go well, you always find a way to screw it up.

(Mihoshi isn’t listening. Instead, she opens and reads the clue.)

Mihoshi: Road Block. This person must be able to get along with others.

Kiyone: (mumbling) I don’t feel like getting along with anybody right now…

Mihoshi: (cheery) Great! Then I’ll do it!

(Kiyone realizes her mistake and turns around. Too late- Mihoshi has opened the envelope.)

Mihoshi: Join the other teams in the infield of the track and await further instructions.

(Kiyone’s confused.)

Kiyone: That’s a pretty easy Road Block.

(They walk over and join everybody else, lined up on a small set of bleachers. Kiyone and Mihoshi sit near Yukino and Arima. Ayla greets them all.)

Ayla: I’m sure you’re wondering why you are all being stopped, and every team is being brought together.

Yukino: I’ll say. We were in first place!

Ash: Yeah, by only a couple minutes!

Yukino: (annoyed) Hey, it’s a game of minutes, Ketchum. You should have known that since your run-in with Team Princess.

Ayla: Perhaps it says something that despite racing over thousands of miles in seven days, you are merely minutes apart. You all have a competitive spirit, and the ability to take you far. This is what has brought you here, to the halfway point of the race. You should be proud that you have gotten this far.

(Some congratulatory applause from a few members of the group.)

Ayla: But it isn’t over. From here on, the tasks become more difficult, and you will need to bear down to make it the extra mile. To some of you, this Road Block may be the toughest task yet. Because after five legs of competing against your fellow teams, you will now have to work with them in order to succeed.

(Ayla brings in the board. Now the markers only have who is doing the Road Block, not the teammate. They are in the same position as before.)

Ayla: This is the training facility, where we train prospective athletes for a possible trip to University Satellite. And right now, you will all become prospective athletes. The Road Block… is a four by four-hundred meter relay race.

(Some nod in understanding, especially Henry and Tomoyo. Others like Kiyone and Yukino are more surprised. Ash is in complete confusion.)

Ayla: You have already selected the teams. On one side will be Arima, Mihoshi, and Brock. On the other side… Takato, Meiling, and Sakura. As a group, each team must determine the running order. Also, since there are only three people on each team, one person must run twice. It is up to you to determine who it is.

(Most of the teams are semi-bewildered by now.)

Ayla: (OS) The race will start in one hour. You’re now free to set up your team properly. It is crucial that you do so, because the winner of this race will have a decisive advantage in the big race.

(The twelve look around at each other. By now, all are a little hesitant.)

Yukino: Working with Kiyone and Mihoshi isn’t a problem. But suddenly, I have to work with Ash and Brock now? It’s a crazy thought. Caught me off guard. Well, I guess it’ s another challenge we’ll have to get past.

(Team Arima is trying to set up a gameplan.)

Brock: (VO) Finally! An excuse to work with beauties like Kiyone, Mihoshi, and Yukino! This is my chance to prove my worthiness to them.

Mihoshi: (VO) I don’t think it’s too big a deal. We’re already working with Arima. I can work with Brock too!

(Team Takato is also discussing things amongst themselves.)

Sakura: (VO) We already worked with both our teams so this isn’t going to be bad at all! This could be fun!

(Team Takato is now onto the biggest decision.)

Henry: Yeah, the biggest thing is picking the right person to run two legs.

Meiling: I can do it!

Takato: How do we know you’re faster than Sakura and I?

Meiling: I just am!

Sakura: Let’s have a race! Whoever wins can run twice.

Syaoran: It’s not that simple. We need someone who has the stamina to make it two laps.

Tomoyo: The other team is older, and probably has more endurance.

Takato: Well, who’s faster between Sakura and Meiling?

Syaoran: Meiling’s faster, but I think Sakura can last longer.

Henry: Perhaps, but Tomoyo’s right. They’re older, and if we want to beat them, we’ll have to put our best runner in for two laps. If Meiling has two laps to rest, so I think she’s our best bet.

Meiling: Thanks Henry! I second that!

Takato: I guess that makes sense. I don’t think I can make it two laps against someone like Arima.

Sakura: You can go second Takato. I’ll go third, and Meiling-chan can go first and last.

Henry: Yeah. Let’s do that.

(A group cheer, and they’re ready to go.)

Henry: I still don’t know how much of a chance we have against the likes of Arima and Mihoshi, but at the very least, I’d rather be working with the cardcaptors than the others. It’s a lot easier to get along with them. I don’t have any problems with the other teams, but I’m on pretty good terms with Tomoyo, Sakura, Syaoran, and Meiling.

(Meanwhile, Yukino and Ash are trying not to destroy each other with mind bullets as Team Arima has their meeting.)

Kiyone: I’d just feel a lot better if Arima ran two laps instead of Mihoshi.

Mihoshi: Why? What did I do wrong?

Kiyone: Well… besides the fact that I’m afraid of you getting lost during the race, nothing.

Arima: I can do two laps. I’m on the track team. It’s no big deal.

Yukino: Arima’s our star. He’ll get the job done.

Brock: No arguments here. I’ll run second, and Mihoshi can run third.

Kiyone: Yes. That works. I’m getting some lunch.

(Kiyone leaves, with Mihoshi following. Brock follows them for reasons unspecified… although you can probably guess. Arima starts to walk away, followed by Yukino.)

Ash: (to Yukino) You’d better be right about Arima.

(Yukino turns around angrily.)

Yukino: Why wouldn’t I be?

Ash: I don’t know. You’ve been getting in my way since Okinawa. And now I really want to beat those Li’s, so your boyfriend better not let me down.

Yukino: Look, I don’t know what’s going on between you and the kissing cousins, but leave Arima and I out of it.

Ash: I can’t leave you out of it. We have to work together whether we like it or not.

Yukino: I don’t have a problem with it! I think you’re an annoying brat, but I’ll work with you if I have to.

Ash: How am I an annoying brat?

Yukino: Simple. I can tell you didn’t have to put any effort into anything you do.

Ash: Wa?

(Ash opens his jacket, showing off his stash of badges.)

Ash: Look at all these gym badges! I had to work for every one!

(Yukino is unimpressed.)

Yukino: And I’m sure that’ll impress… nobody when you get to high school.

Ash: Look Yukino, we may be rivals, but…

Yukino: Hey, you should watch your vocabulary, Ash. We are not rivals. I have never expressed any interest in you being my rival. I’ve had rivals before. And I can tell you aren’t my rival, because I actually get along pretty well with my rivals. Just ask Arima!

Ash: Well, you’re my rival.

Yukino: No, your rival got his elimination announced to him by an eleven-year-old in pigtails. I would prefer to avoid that fate. Now I have to go hunt down Arima and get some lunch. Care to join us?

(Yukino smiles as she extends the offer. Ash shrugs it off.)

Ash: No thank you.

(Yukino isn’t offended at all by the spurned offer. She turns around and walks off.)

(As we let Mrs. Taylor get a drink of water, Takato is practicing his handoffs with Syaoran while Sakura and Meiling stretch.)

Meiling: Are you ready to kick some butt?

Sakura: Mm!

Meiling: Great. We should probably go change.

Sakura: Oh no… I just realized that I don’t have any gym clothes.

Meiling: Why are you worried? You know Daidouji probably has five track outfits just for this.

Sakura: No! We have to pack lightly! There’s no way that Tomoyo-chan could bring costumes.

(Tomoyo walks in, smiling.)

Tomoyo: Sakura-chan is right. We need a light load. It wouldn’t be possible for me to bring five costumes with a running motif.

Sakura: See…

Tomoyo: I only brought two!

(Tomoyo pulls them from behind her back. They’re both wildly elaborate track outfits that look like something out of… well… Battle Athletes. Sakura and Meiling face fault.)

(Just about every team is just inside, waiting to step out onto the track for the Road Block. Sakura and Tomoyo join the other ten.)

Mihoshi: Nice get up!

Tomoyo: Thank you!

(Ayla joins them.)

Ayla: Alright. We’re ready.

(The twelve aren’t sure what the delay was for, but they all walk out. The bleachers are now packed full of aspiring Cosmo Beauties. Of course, none of them are important characters to the series, but with over a hundred in attendance, it’s enough to make a few people- like Mihoshi and Sakura, nervous. Yukino grabs Arima’s hand and raises it, basking in the spotlight. Brock, meanwhile, begins to panic.)

Brock: Arima? Mihoshi? We are definitely winning. I can’t let these girls down!

Kiyone: Relax, Brock, just pretend they aren’t there and you’ll do fine.

Brock: Pretend… they aren’t there? Whatever do you mean Kiyone?

(Takato is the farthest behind. As he looks up at the crowd, it’s clear that he’s the most nervous of them all.)

--

(The six who aren’t in the race stand in front of the bleachers with Ayla. Tomoyo’s camera, naturally, is ready and white-balanced. The six in the race are standing on the track.)

Kannonji: (OS) Welcome to the Leg 6 Road Block at the USSA Training Facility in Antarctica!

(Kannonji, the Osaka-flavored announcer, walks out with a microphone.)

Kannonji: We’re down to six teams, and what better way to settle their differences than through a relay race! They’ve split into two teams of three. Each player will race around this 400 meter track once, although one on each team will run twice. Whichever side wins will carry a big advantage in the second half of this leg! Let’s meet the teams!

(Cheers as Kannonji announces each one.)

Kannonji: First off, a kendo sensation from Hokuei High School in Kawasaki. He runs first, and he’s the anchor- Souichirou Arima!!

(Arima smiles and waves as the crowd, which is of course entirely female, swoon.)

Yukino: (OS) Just for the record, he’s mine!!

Kannonji: Secondly, Pewter City gym leader… Brock!

(Brock is all excited at the prospect of dozens of girls cheering for him.)

Kannonji: And the final member of the first team- she’s a First Class Detective of the Galaxy Police- Mihoshi Kuramitsu!

(Mihoshi is raising her arms in victory. Kiyone can’t help but join in the applause.)

Kannonji: And their opponents- opposing Arima on the first and last legs, Hong Kong martial artist Meiling Li!

(Meiling bows, clearly enjoying the attention.)

Kannonji: Digimon Tamer extraordinaire from West Shinjuku- Takato Matsuki!

(Takato is a little bashful, but waves politely.)

Kannonji: And finally, an elementary schooler from Tomoeda. She also works for the great Keroberos- Sakura Kinomoto!

(Sakura is a little nervous, but smiles proudly.)

Kannonji: We’re ready, so would the first two runners get into positions!

(Meiling and Arima get into their positions. Arima is on the outside, and to correct for the curvature of the track, a little farther forward. Both hold batons. In the future, the starting pistol has been replaced by an automated voice of the track.)

Track: (VO) On your mark.

(Meiling and Arima crouch down.)

Meiling: Time to kick some ass…

Track: (VO) Ready… GO!

(And they’re off… wait… better idea… Kannonji covers the action.)

Kannonji: (VO) And they’re off! Nobody from Osaka in this race so we’ll just have to stay neutral! For the first leg, Meiling is on the inside track while Arima takes the outside. After the first turn they’re free to run the inside, and after the first they’re neck and neck. Arima has a slight lead, but Meiling’s closing in.

(On the straightaway Arima is slightly ahead.)

Kannonji: (VO) They’re going into the second turn. Arima seems to be slowing down… could it be… YES! Meiling takes the lead and cuts to the inside track. If she can hang onto it, it’s an advantage, as she’ll have the rights to the inside during the first exchange.

(Both Takato and Brock are waiting on the track for the handoff. Takato is on the inside.)

Brock: C’mon Arima!!

(Meiling is actually starting to build on her lead against Arima.)

Kannonji: (VO) Meiling’s starting to increase her lead as they come to the first exchange. As everybody knows, this can make or break a relay! Takato starts running… and gets the clean exchange! Arima hands off to Brock with no trouble and the second leg has begun!

(Both Arima and Meiling walk off. They receive water from Yukino and Syaoran.)

Yukino: Good work Arima. Ready to do it again?

Arima: You bet.

(Meanwhile, Henry is cheering on Takato as Tomoyo videotapes Sakura getting ready.)

Henry: C’mon Takato! You can beat Brock!

(Henry turns to Tomoyo.)

Henry: Think we have a shot at this?

(Tomoyo is too pre-occupied with Sakura and Mihoshi flashing peace signs at the camera to turn towards Henry.)

Tomoyo: Well, you have to pick an upset!

(Takato is holding his own, but Brock is catching up.)
Kannonji: (VO) Coming off the final turn, Takato is still holding a slight lead over Brock. They’re getting ready to hand things off to Sakura and Mihoshi for leg number three!!

(Takato’s hands are a bit sweaty, and has to slow down to make sure he gets it off to Sakura cleanly. However, Mihoshi initially fumbles the baton after receiving it from Brock.)

Kiyone: Mihoshi! Don’t screw this up!!

(Despite nearly giving Kiyone a heart attack, Mihoshi gets it together and gets a secure grip on it… about halfway through the turn. Sakura has taken the opportunity to get some of the lead back.)

Kannonji: (VO) Mihoshi recovers from the close call, but Kero’s true cardcaptor has started to increase the lead.

Kiyone: RUN, MIHOSHI, RUN!!

(She didn’t have to be reminded, since Mihoshi’s starting to put on the jets. She may have an empty head, and she may be a little clumsy, but she’s still in shape, and she catches up to Sakura by the end of the second turn.)

Kannonji: Mihoshi’s caught up… and… and… she takes the lead! Mihoshi gains a slight lead on Sakura heading into the final leg. Are Arima and Meiling ready for another go at it?

(Thankfully, Mihoshi has no trouble handing off to Arima while Sakura passes to Meiling cleanly.)

Kannonji: (VO) Two clean tags take us into the final heat. Arima has the slimmest of leads, and Meiling is keeping it close!

(They’re running at about the same speed into the second turn.)

Kannonji: They are still neck-and-neck heading into the home stretch! Who has the extra ounce of strength and determination to take them into the final run! Who will it be??!!

(Arima starts to speed up, increasing his speed and gaining a little ground over Meiling. Meiling was already at her top speed, and is powerless to counter. Arima wins by a half-second.)

Kannonji: (VO) SOUICHIRO ARIMA CROSSES THE LINE FIRST! He, Brock and Mihoshi have won!!

(Yukino, Ash, and Kiyone were all holding onto each other in anticipation. As soon as Arima crosses the line, all three erupt into cheers, and chase him down. Brock and Mihoshi pile on as well. Meiling is exhausted and upset. Sakura is too, and Tomoyo tries cheering her up. Takato and Henry are fairly neutral- they don’t know what it means yet.)

Arima: (VO) I held back just a little bit on the first leg. I knew that if I ran full speed the first time, I wouldn’t have anything left for when I needed it.

Mihoshi: (VO) It was an amazing feeling. After spending so much time as opponents, to put it all aside for this little race, and then to actually win it! It was so much fun. Especially with all the people cheering!

Meiling: I feel beat. I was right next to him, and he just started to go faster. I… I tried to go faster… but I just couldn’t. I was powerless. I feel awful about it.

(Now that things have settled down, and the crowd is starting to dissipate, Ayla rejoins the group. Most of the runners have towels around their necks and cups of water in their hands.)
Ayla: Good effort, everybody. We now have three teams on the winning side, and three teams on the losing side. Now it’s time to find out what it all means.

(Ayla hands a clue envelope to every team, with Arima last.)

Ayla: Arima, would you care to read it?

Arima: Sure thing.

(Arima hands his water to Yukino, then opens and reads the clue.)

Arima: Congratulations- you’ve just completed the Road Block. Now it’s time to take the race to new heights.

(Arima is starting to raise his voice, getting a little excited about the news.)

Arima: All six teams have tickets reserved in their names for the six o’clock shuttle to University Satellite, orbiting the Earth!

(All of the teams are excited to hear the news, including Kiyone and Mihoshi.)

Arima: The next route marker can be found on the arrivals terminal as soon as you walk in.

Brock: What about this Road Block?

Arima: Right here… the three teams that won the Road Block will sit in the First Class section of the shuttle and will be the first group to leave. The other three teams will depart twenty minutes later.

(Yukino is clearly happy to hear that, as is Ash. However, both cardcaptor teams are a little down. Worst of all is Takato and Henry. They’re both incredibly concerned.)

Kiyone: It’s great to be going up into space. This is where I thrive. This is where I make it happen. Earth is fine, but I think we’re going to have a big advantage once we get into orbit.

Tomoyo: I am a little nervous about going into space. But I think it will be a great adventure for Sakura and I. We both did our best here, so now we’re going to do our best in space too!

Henry: Suddenly, without warning, we’re thrown into the rear pack. We’ve been in the front of the group for pretty much this whole race, so it’s really a shock to us to be twenty minutes behind the leaders. Takato and I aren’t ready to be eliminated, so it’s time to make sure it doesn’t happen.

(Takato and Henry are walking through the halls of the facility, well away from the other teams.)

Takato: So what do you think?

Henry: I think we should do the Fast Forward.

(After a little bit of contemplation, Takato nods.)

Takato: Good call. But what if Sakura & Tomoyo want to go for it? You know what happened to the NERV Girls.

(Henry holds out the Fast Forward envelope.)

Henry: I also saw what happened to Syaoran and Meiling. Ready?

Takato: Let’s see what we have.

(Henry opens the envelope.)

(A hand, ordained by bracelets, opens the Fast Forward envelope. We now turn to Kris Christopher for the scoop.)

Kris: (VO) There’s only one Fast Forward on each leg of the race. The first team that finds it can skip all tasks and go directly to meet Akari at the Pit Stop. With such big incentive to use it, there lies a catch- once a team uses the Fast Forward, they are forbidden to use it a second time in the race. They’ll need to let the spirits guide them in order to determine the best time to use it.

(Rapid shots down the maze of dorm rooms at University Satellite.)

Kris: (VO) To earn the Fast Forward on this leg, a team must make their way through the dorms of University Satellite, and find one particular dorm- the one belonging to the great Cosmo Beauty Akari Kanzaki, myself, Kris Christopher… and of course, my pet cow Gyubei. Anna-chan lives here too. They will find the Fast Forward clue strapped to Gyubei’s collar.

(Takato and Henry finish reading the clue.)

Takato: I’m just thinking that Sakura’s probably going to consider it too. They haven’t used it yet, and the last thing they want is to be against us and the Li’s for elimination.

Henry: Well, we just have to make sure that doesn’t happen. Let’s leave no doubt.

Takato: And how do you suggest we do that?

Henry: Follow me.

(Henry walks away, followed quickly by Takato. They approach a desk.)

Henry: Excuse me, do you have a directory for University Satellite?

Secretary: Let me check… yes I do. Do you need to borrow it?

Takato: Please.

(The secretary hands them a book. They head off to a couple chairs and start looking through it.)

Takato: Hmm… looks like it’s sorted by where they’re from instead of by name.

Henry: Well, Kris Christopher. Sounds American. Look under United States.

(After some searching, they finally notice that there’s no United States entry. Instead…)

Henry: There’s no U.S. entry. Only thing here is… Uranus.

Takato: That makes it easier. Look under Earth.

(They flip back. Finally, they find Christopher, Kris.)

Takato: Bullseye, baby. So is she from America?

Henry: Try the Moon.

Takato: Eh, close enough. What’s her room number?

(They rifle through, continuing to look for information.)

(Syaoran and Meiling are getting a light snack at the cafeteria.)

Meiling: So what’s the plan? This isn’t the first time us and the other two had to team up to take out a Digimon team.

Syaoran: But it’s more complicated this time. I doubt Takato and Henry are going to mess up like Takuya did. And the other teams each can use the Fast Forward, but we can’t.

Meiling: What do you suggest? Should we tell Kinomoto and Daidouji to use it?

Syaoran: Then we’re stuck with Takato and Henry. We can’t take that chance, Mei.

Meiling: Then we’ll tell Takato and Henry to use it too! Then they’ll both be out of our hair.

Syaoran: You know we can’t do that to Kinomoto and Daidouji.

Meiling: Fine. Then I have a better idea.

Syaoran: What’s that?

Meiling: Let’s just run really fast… and see what happens.

(Takato and Henry are still looking stuff up when Sakura stops by.)

Sakura: Takato-kun!

(Takato almost slams the book on Henry’s palm. He looks up.)

Takato: (nervous) Sakura! Hi!

Sakura: What are you doing?

(Henry leans over.)

Henry: Distract her, I’ll keep working at this.

(Takato stands up and leads Sakura slightly away from Henry.)

Takato: Nothing. We’re, uh… trying to find out more about this Satellite place.

Sakura: Oh! Isn’t it fun that we’re going into space?

Takato: Uh, yeah. Sounds like fun.

Sakura: I’m a little nervous about going up there, but that’s okay. What really bothers me is that we’re behind the others.

Takato: Yeah. I know.

Sakura: In fact, Tomoyo and I are thinking of maybe going for the Fast Forward.

Takato: (yelping) NO!

Sakura: Hoe?

(Takato tries to recover.)

Takato: I mean, uh… don’t you want to save it? And, uh… what about Li and Meiling?

(Sakura turns away sadly.)

Sakura: That’s the problem. If we get it, then they might have to leave. Or maybe you might have to leave. I don’t want that to happen.

(Takato puts a hand on Sakura’s shoulder.)

Takato: Don’t worry. I mean, there’s no sense worrying about what we can’t change. We lost the race, so if one of us has to go… then one of us has to go. Heck, maybe we’ll be lucky and it’ll be one of those non-elimination legs.

Sakura: Yeah… you’re right!

(Sakura turns around and smiles.)

Sakura: We should just keep fighting and hope for the best! Thanks!

Takato: Yeah… just uh… save that Fast Forward for some other time. Please?

Sakura: Mm!

(Sakura skips away, having been thoroughly cheered up. Takato, meanwhile, has gotten a little more depressed. Henry walks over.)

Henry: I think I figured it out. The design’s a little crazy, so it’s a good thing we did this ahead of time. As long as we stay on course, it’s ours.

Takato: (half-hearted) Awesome…

(Henry goes to return the directory. Takato looks at where Sakura exited.)

Takato: Sorry, Sakura.

--

(The group is boarding the shuttle. Three teams are being strapped in at the front of the ship, while the other three are with the bulk of the passengers. Takato is glancing at Sakura now and then, a little nervous and a little ashamed.)
Ayla: (VO) All six teams are aboard a shuttle flying to the University Satellite, where Cosmo Beauties are crowned. Three teams- Yukino & Arima, Kiyone & Mihoshi, and Ash & Brock, will have first class seating, and will depart the ship first. The other teams- Takato & Henry, Sakura & Tomoyo, and Syaoran & Meiling, will depart twenty minutes later.

(The shuttle docks. The first group takes off. After weaving through the terminal, Kiyone and Mihoshi find the route marker. Mihoshi takes the envelope. They walk off to the side before Mihoshi opens the envelope as Kiyone enjoys the view.)
[KIYONE & MIHOSHI- Currently in First Place]
Kiyone: Yeah, this feels so much more natural.

Mihoshi: Find the hallway leading to the Zero-Gravity chambers.

Kiyone: Zero-G? Fine by me…

(Kiyone and Mihoshi run off as Yukino & Arima and Ash & Brock arrive simultaneously.)

Yukino: Zero-G? This is starting to get crazy.

(For an explanation, here’s the mighty coach Mr. Miracle! He’s standing in front of the Zero-G chambers munching on a bar of chocolate.)

Mr. Miracle: Teams must advance through the expansive University Satellite space station and find these zero gravity chambers. It is in these chambers where all events requiring weightlessness are held.

(While Ash and Brock run ahead, Arima hangs back and analyzes his map.)

Yukino: Can you find it?

(A small personal cab drives by.)

Driver: What are you looking for?

Arima: Zero-Gravity Chambers.

Driver: Hop on. I need to get around there anyway.

(Yukino and Arima get on the apparatus and they start to move down the hallways. They reach Kiyone and Mihoshi in no time.)

Yukino: See ya!

Kiyone: What the?

(Yukino waves as they go by.)

Kiyone: I didn’t even see those!

Mihoshi: Don’t worry, let’s just follow them!

(Before they get to the next clue, twenty minutes have elapsed and the second team takes off. Sakura & Tomoyo and Syaoran & Meiling are in front, and reach the route marker first.)
Syaoran: Zero-G chambers? Interesting.

(Takato and Henry run by without checking the route marker.)

Sakura: Hoe?

Tomoyo: They seemed to have missed the clue.

Meiling: Nah. I bet they’re going to Fast Forward.

(Meiling looks at the clue, then at Syaoran. Then they both look at Sakura & Tomoyo. In a flash of realization, all four start running at full speed down the hallway.)

Meiling: You’re going down Kinomoto!!

Tomoyo: (VO) It took a couple seconds for it to sink in that the alliance was pretty much over. Unless we managed to catch up to one of the higher teams, it was unlikely that both of us would make it through unless it was a non-elimination leg.

(At the Zero-G chamber, Mr. Miracle is waiting quietly by the route marker with three girls- a tomboyish Osakan, Kaolla Suu’s African cousin, and a certain blonde American. Yukino and Arima run up to the route marker. Yukino reads the clue.)

Yukino: Detour- Speed or Accuracy.

(Mr. Miracle springs into action, giving the explanation right there.)

Mr. Miracle: A Detour is a choice between two tasks- each with its own pros and cons! In this Detour, teams will need to demonstrate one of two fundamental traits for any athlete- Speed or Accuracy.

Yukino: No kidding…

(Rapid shots to a roller coaster track.)

Mr. Miracle: (VO) In Speed, teams need to follow directions to a small coaster track on the space station. Once there, they will need to bike along the track in what looks to be… and probably is, a dangerous ride. It will scare the pants off of them, but with no opposition, they’ll be done quickly.

(Back to the hallway. Yukino has put the card aside and is listening to Miracle’s spiel.)

Mr. Miracle: In Accuracy, teams can stay right here and play a game of zero-gravity lacrosse. They’ll have to score a goal against either Jessie, Ichino, or Tanya.

(Jessie smiles and waves. Ichino flashes a pair of peace signs. Tanya jumps up and down wildly. Mr. Miracle ignores all three.)

Mr. Miracle: The goals are larger, and teams will have a two-on-one advantage. But with the sheer athleticism of the three… nothing is guaranteed.

Yukino: But we’ll give it a shot anyway! You’re up.

(Yukino points at Ichino. Ichino throws a fist into the air.)

Ichino: Alright! Ichino is in action!!

(Takato and Henry arrive at Kris’s dorm. Kris is waiting inside with Gyubei.)
[FAST FORWARD- Find Kris and Gyubei]
Takato: Knock knock.

Kris: Greetings. I greet you both and hope the spirits are on your side.

Henry: Thank you.

Takato: Yeah.

(Takato whispers to Henry.)

Takato: Nutcase?

Henry: Shut up and be open-minded.

(Gyubei walks up to them.)

Gyubei: Moooooo.

(Takato searches and finds the envelope strapped to Gyubei’s collar.)

Takato: Got it.

Henry: Well, we’d love to stay, but…

Kris: You’re leaving so soon? But I had a ritual all lined up for…

Takato: Nope, we’ve gotta run!

(Takato and Henry make themselves scarce and duck outside.)

Takato: Sorry for not being open-minded, but I was a little afraid of what that ritual would entail.

Henry: That’s fine, what’s it say?

Takato: Congratulations, you have won the Fast Forward. Check in at the Pit Stop- the main field of University Satellite.

(Rapid shots to the wide open courtyard, and the main facility of the satellite. The headmaster of the station, Grant Oldman, narrates.)
Grant: (VO) Having won the Fast Forward, Takato and Henry can proceed directly to the Pit Stop- the main field of University Satellite. This field is where the final Cosmo Beauty race was held, and serves as the Pit Stop for this leg of the race.

(Kiyone and Mihoshi arrive, and decide to tangle with the wild African Tanya Natdhipytadd. …and my spell-check just exploded.)

Tanya: I get to float with space ladies? Yay…

(Inside one platform, Arima is struggling to keep his balance in the atmosphere. Yukino, meanwhile, is flying, and enjoying every minute of it. Both have lacrosse sticks.)

Yukino: This is awesome! We have to get one of these at school!

Ichino: Hey. You guys ready or not?

Yukino: Well, are you ready?

(Ichino is floating upside-down.)

Ichino: Yeah, yeah… to be perfectly honest, I’ve never been up here.

(Ichino struggles to correct herself. She does and tosses Yukino a ball, grabbing a stick.)

Ichino: Ready when you are slowpokes!

(Yukino catches the ball with her stick, twirls once, and hurls it right back.)

Yukino: Slowpoke this!!

(Ichino catches it easily, and throws it back.)

Ichino: You call that a shot? Where are you kids from?

(Arima goes in for a shot. Again, blocked easily.)

Ichino: C’mon. That throwing’s worse than the Bay Stars’ bullpen!

Yukino: Let me guess, you’re a Tigers’ fan.

Ichino: Born and raised!

(Yukino and Arima look at each other, and then begin to work together, throwing the ball back and forth between each other. Yukino takes a shot, which Ichino manages to knock away, but Arima gets it and immediately puts it back in.)

Yukino: Yeah!

(Arima swims to Yukino and they high-five.)

Ichino: Damn… nice move.

(Ichino jumps out to shake hands with them.)

Ichino: Now that’s the kind of determination I like to see! What got you to do that?

Arima: Simple… don’t dis the Bay Stars.

(Both Yukino and Ichino give Arima a strange look.)

(They reach the hallway. Mr. Miracle hands Yukino the clue.)

Yukino: You’ve proven yourself worthy- check it at the Pit Stop- the main field. Thanks!

(They run off, although Arima returns after a second. Mr. Miracle and Ichino point out the right direction.)

(Same spiel as before, but this time, Cosmo Beauty Akari Kanzaki takes the helm.)
Akari: (VO) Teams will now go to the main field, where most of the normal events are held. It’s the Pit Stop for this leg of the race, and the last team to arrive… will be eliminated.

(Takato and Henry have reached said field. They run down a two-lane track and step on the mat. The screen on the route marker reads “BATTLE ATHLETES” in large green letters, with “UNIVERSITY SATELLITE” in small white letters. Grant and Akari are waiting for them.)

Grant: Welcome! To University Satellite!

(He smiles. There’s a glint in his teeth.)

Akari: Takato and Henry? You are team number one.

(Takato’s still a little guilty about it all.)

Henry: No looking back now, right?

(Takato turns to Henry and nods.)

Takato: I guess not.

Takato: Now it’s all or nothing. We used our Fast Forward, and it’s up to us now to hang in with the pack. It’s only going to get tougher from here on it. But you know something- I think we can do this.

(The wooded coaster track. Ash and Brock have full safety gear, and are being supervised by Ling-Pha Wong. Hopefully no relation to Henry Wong.)

Ling-Pha: Just hang tight, and pedal like hell. Who goes first?

(Ash slowly raises a hand.)

Ling-Pha: Awesome.

(Ash brings his bike to the foot of the coaster.)

Ling-Pha: Just remember- you break it, you buy it!

(Ash scoffs.)

Ash: That would be getting off easy…

(Kiyone and Mihoshi are doing battle with Tanya. Tanya is bouncing around aimlessly, but somehow deflecting all of Kiyone and Mihoshi’s shots.)

Mihoshi: How is she doing that?!

Kiyone: I don’t know… Mihoshi! One-timer!

(Kiyone whips Mihoshi the ball… which sails right past Mihoshi’s stick.)

Mihoshi: A what?

Kiyone: Never mind.

Tanya: I get it!

(Tanya zooms after the ball, picks it up with her mouth, and starts swimming around with it.)

Kiyone: Hey! We need that!

(Tanya continues to bounce around with the ball in her mouth, pursued by the two.)

Kiyone: In the name of the Galaxy Police, I order you to stop!

(Tanya says something muffled, turns around, and spits the ball back at Kiyone. Kiyone smiles, catches the ball, whips it around, and hurls it directly at the goal.)

Kiyone: Yes!

(Tanya, in another amazing burst of speed, actually goes faster than the ball, and catches it, sending it to Mihoshi.)

Kiyone: No!

Tanya: This is fun! Do it again!

(After an extended period of unsuccessful shots, they finally get smart. Mihoshi bounces a pass off the wall, which Kiyone one-times into the goal.)

Kiyone: Finally!

(Mihoshi hugs Kiyone.)

Mihoshi: Good work, partner.

Kiyone: Let’s get out of here.

(They head for the doors, while Tanya is completely oblivious. She lands and scratches her head with her left foot.)

(Yukino and Arima are at the Pit Stop. Yukino is waiting with baited breath.)

Akari: Yukino and Arima? You’re team number two.

(Yukino lets out, angry.)

Yukino: Two? Aw, one of those bastard kids used the Fast Forward, didn’t they?

(Akari chuckles until Yukino grabs her collar.)

Yukino: DIDN’T THEY??

(Akari panics for awhile, then nods. Yukino releases.)

Yukino: Damn… I could feel this one.

Yukino: Felt like we had it there. Technically we did have it, but it just doesn’t feel right unless you’re name’s up there next to the number 1 on the scoreboard. But we’re not worried. We still have our Fast Forward… and don’t forget that either.

(Meanwhile…)

Ash: Waugh!!!!

(Ash is desperately trying to hang on. The physics are carrying him through the massive roller coaster, and with no loops, it seems feasible enough. Sort of. Ash finally winds his way through and gets through it. He breathes a sigh of relief… but forgets to stop and crashes into the wall. There is a route marker nearby.)

Ash: Ow…

(He recovers quickly, and stands up to hear Brock screaming. Brock too is simply pedaling like crazy and manages to get through it in one piece.)

Ash: We did it!

(Brock lifts his helmet.)

Brock: Remind me never to do that again.

(Ash gets the clue.)

Ash: No kidding. Let’s see… check in at the next Pit Stop. We’d better go.

Brock: Right.

(They open a nearby door and walk out.)

(Meanwhile, Kiyone and Mihoshi check in.)

Akari: Kiyone? Mihoshi? You’re team number three.

(Both clap, satisfied.)

Mihoshi: We feel like we’ve succeeded already. We’re out in space, we’re on our home turf, and nothing’s going to stop us now!

(Syaoran and Meiling arrive at the Detour.)
[SYAORAN & MEILING- Currently in 5^th Place]
Syaoran: Hmm… the bikes would be the safest way to go.

Meiling: Aw, come on Syaoran. I want to try this zero-gravity. It sounds like fun.

Syaoran: Mei! We can’t think about having fun. We have to stay ahead of Kinomoto and Daidouji!

Meiling: We’ll just have to kick butt then!

(Syaoran looks at Meiling’s cute little smile, and relents.)

Syaoran: Fine.

(Meiling turns to their opponent, Jessie Gurtland.)

Meiling: You’re going down fast, and you’re going down hard!

(Jessie smiles.)

Jessie: Well, it’s the right attitude. I’ll give you that much.

(The three head into a chamber as Sakura and Tomoyo arrive. Tomoyo reads the clue.)

Tomoyo: Let’s see… we’re either biking a roller coaster or playing lacrosse against a skilled athlete.

Sakura: Let’s bike. I know I can do that!

(Tomoyo smiles as they run off.)

(Inside, Syaoran and Meiling are having some problems. Jessie is capable of reading everything they attempt, and has no trouble keeping the ball out of the goal.)

Syaoran: Mei! We need a strategy!

Meiling: We need a prayer against her!

Meiling: We were crap for awhile against her! I mean, I didn’t think it would be easy, but I thought Syaoran and I could handle it!

(Meanwhile, Sakura and Tomoyo have arrived at the coaster. Sakura takes one look at the winding course.)

Sakura: HOE??!!

Ling-Pha: Hoe is right! Let’s see if you can master my favorite event!

(Ling-Pha begins her uproarious laughter as Tomoyo puts on her gear.)

(Ash and Brock check in at the Pit Stop.)

Grant: Welcome to University Satellite.

Akari: Ash and Brock- you’re team number four.

(Ash and Brock smile and high-five.)

Brock: (VO) I’ve been doing things here that I wouldn’t have thought of doing back home. I mean, riding a bike down a roller coaster. I really feel like a little kid again. It’s great.

(Meiling and Syaoran are still taking on Jessie. And Jessie is still winning. She blocks a one-timer attempt by Syaoran, hurling the ball back to the other end of the court.)

Meiling: Damn!

(Meiling goes after it, as does Syaoran. They confer as they do so.)

Syaoran: We need to do something against her.

Meiling: Like what?

Syaoran: I don’t know… anything…

(Tomoyo is a bit apprehensive about taking the plunge.)

Tomoyo: Are you sure I should go first?

(A still-nervous Sakura nods rapidly. Tomoyo closes her eyes and sighs as she embarks. She is nervous, but hides it well. Ultimately, she’s left panting as she reaches the end. As she recovers from the trip, she turns to watch Sakura as she takes off screaming.)

(Jessie is watching closely as Syaoran and Meiling attack simultaneously, passing the ball back and forth. Jessie smiles.)

Jessie: This should be interesting…

(Meiling has it and charges. She shoots high and to the right. Jessie doesn’t even go after it. But the ball bounces up and off the ceiling. Syaoran climbs after it, and flips around, guiding the ball back towards the goal. Jessie is ready for it, and is in a perfect position to block it… until Meiling bounces off the side wall, charges back towards the ball, and redirects it towards the part of the goal Jessie wasn’t covering. Even Jessie’s reflexes can’t get her into a position to stop the ball from sailing into the goal. In case you didn’t understand what just happened, I’ll summarized- IT LOOKED REALLY COOL. Meiling is all over Syaoran. Even Jessie is impressed.)

Jessie: That wasn’t half-bad…

(Syaoran and Meiling head back to the hallway and get the clue.)

Syaoran: The last team to arrive will be eliminated.

(They make a run for it.)

(Sakura screams the entire way, and finally reaches the end, completely out of breath. After a few second, she finally looks up to Tomoyo.)

Sakura: That was fun. We should do that again.

(Tomoyo finishes reading the clue.)

Tomoyo: Maybe we should go to the Pit Stop first.

Sakura: Right!

(They too make a run for it.)

(Montage of shots of both CCS teams running at full-speed through the crowded space station hallways. Grant and Akari smile as one team approaches.)

Meiling: Take my hand Syaoran!!

(Syaoran does so as they each run down one of the lanes of the 100-meter and cross the finish line… stepping on the mat.)

Akari: Syaoran and Meiling?

(Meiling continues to hold Syaoran as Akari draws it out for suspense. Akari smiles.)

Akari: You’re team number five.

(Meiling continually hugs Syaoran. Syaoran is exhausted, but amazingly even he is forced to smile.)

Syaoran: Meiling is continually surprising me. We are making it through this. Every time we run into something that could stop us, we get through it, and we survive. I do feel a little sorry about Kinomoto and Daidouji. But it was something we needed to do. It’ll be tough making it without them. We’re on our own now… and we’ve never felt better.

(Sakura and Tomoyo are holding hands as they reach the Pit Stop mat. Both are nervous.)

Akari: Sakura? Tomoyo?

(Akari tries to hold back tears. Amazingly, she succeeds.)

Akari: I’m sorry to say that you are the last team to arrive.

(Sakura and Tomoyo don’t change their position or expression for awhile.)

Akari: You have both been eliminated.

(Finally, Tomoyo reacts. She smiles at Sakura.)

Tomoyo: Want to do the biking again?

(Sakura smiles back.)

Sakura: (VO) I don’t want to think about being eliminated. We had too much fun to worry about that. Instead, I want to think about all the fun times we had, all the interesting people we met, and all the places that we got to go to that we’d never get a chance to see back home. I’m sad that it’s over, but it was still a great time.

Tomoyo: (VO) Seeing everything and having this experience was only fun because Sakura was with me. We did so much together, and we got to travel on this incredible journey together. As long as I can be with Sakura, I wouldn’t ask for anything more.

End Episode Six

Author’s Notes
It’s never stated in the series that Guu has the powers of time travel. But it’s never stated in the series that Guu *doesn’t* have the powers of time travel. Given that she has the power to swallow oceans, create snow in the jungle, and turn into a controllable mecha, time travel isn’t far-fetched.

Yes, Ayla does have a Russian accent, but I didn’t feel like incorporating it into her speech.

In case you hadn’t picked up on the vibe, that was a really weird Road Block, unlike anything they’ve ever done in the series. In fact, I don’t think they’ve ever done a Road Block before a Detour in any of the three seasons. But bringing them together was for the best, as flights to University Satellite are regulated enough so that whether or not they’re on is out of their control, and I didn’t want a six-team melee up there.

Between Arima and Maho, Yukino does have a strange tendency to become close friends with her rivals.

Kannonji, being the biased journalist that he is, has a tendency to show favoritism towards anything Osaka, hence the constant references to Kero-chan. Kero speaks with an Osaka accent (apparently he picked it up while he was sleeping there), and Kannonji knows it. Naturally, there’s a seiyuu reference in there too- naturally Kannonji favors Ichino more than anyone else, and both she and Kero have the same seiyuu… who also does Azumanga’s Kurosawa-sensei and Ami from Sailor Moon interestingly enough.

Had to sneak a few AA references in there. It’s still not the same canon, but I can still afford a few Mole 2 references here and there. Heck, I had Mole 2 references in Level 1!

The Tigers and Bay Stars are both teams in Japan’s Central League for baseball. Ichino, as evidenced by the big-ass poster in her room, is a Tigers nut, as all stereotypical Osakans are. Generally, they’re loud, fanatical, and will annoy millions with their chants, cheers, and oh yes- singing the Tigers’ fight song. If this reminds you of a certain Pokémon character, that’s good, because Casey is one big joke at their expense. Incidentally, in that episode, Ash makes reference to other teams in the league, such as the Staryu and the Spearow, which obviously refer to the Yokohama Bay Stars and the Yakult Swallows. Since Yukino and Arima live near Yokohama, I’d imagine that if they did follow baseball, they would cheer for the Bay Stars.

Next Week on the Anime-zing Race:
* The space odyssey continues with a trip to Mars.
* Whether jumping, driving, or flying, the local transportation causes serious headaches.
* And yes, it’s time for the obligatory mecha-flying challenge.