ANIMAZING RACE 4 – CHAPTER 2
Chapter 2: IN THIS
GAME, DON’T TRUST ANYONE…ESPECIALLY THE ONES YOU EXPECT CAN BE TRUSTED…
*
Onto leg 2, and who will be the next time to bite the dust? We have speed in this leg, but unlike the high action of Haruhi, this show has a lot more of a cool aura despite the bikes and guns involved. Yet, this gem of a dark horse is so good it even became Mr. Pulver’s second anime of choice to use in an AMV – so you know it’s damn good on that fact alone…
Usual disclaimer: Don’t own Amazing Race, the right to use Phil unless he’s Amelia’s father in AR5, all the series in this, and specifically Kino’s Journey.
O.K, let’s motorrad!
*
(Cut shot of 12 teams open their clues…)
Yuko: 12 teams set forth into unknown destiny, finding themselves first in a field where nothing was what it seemed…and then driving to find the next clue in an electronic shop. The pressure did get to a few teams right off the back…
Kaname: Slow down
Sousuke! Speed limits do exist here!
Sousuke: I was under the instruction that we needed to get to this location as fast as we can…
…and they were led to a mystery destination after taking times from some figurines, leaving at three separate times. Some teams immediately had a unique bonding…)
Hughes: …and this
is my daughter Alicia, isn’t she the cutest thing!
Sara: She is Mr.
Hughes…but why does everyone around you look so…
(Cue montage shot of everyone else with the look of ‘we’ve heard this
10 times already’ look…only Roy is unaffected…)
(…whilst others seeked to
destroy the competition…)
Izumi: They are
being way too friendly here…it’s something we need to disregard throughout our
race…
Keiko: I don’t see
that being a problem…just play the game we always do my dear.
Izumi: Indeed….
(The gap was too much for the oldest and
youngest person on the race, Saga and Reggina, who took the Fast Forward to
avoid elimination…)
(Fairy chasing
aside, the cat jumps down the rails to avoid Saga but straight into the arms of
Reggina. Saga runs down and grabs the fast forward from it’s collar…)
Saga: Got it!
(…however, the team who jumped on the mat
first, were Sousuke and Kaname…but messed up…)
Yuko: However…you
have received a penalty for going above the speed limit – which has invoked a
30 minute penalty.
(…allowing Bob and Nagi to take 1st
place. But at the back, it was a two horse race between Sara/Yakumo and
Tamayo/Kotarou…and due to a lax in judgement by Tamayo…)
Yuko: Tamayo and
Kotarou…
(Dramatic pause…)
Yuko: …you’re the last
team to arrive.
(NOW 11 TEAMS
REMAIN…WHO WILL BE GONE…NEXT?)
*
TEAMS REMAINING;
BOB/NAGI – BEST
FRIENDS – TENJHO TENGE
GAI/ROCK LEE –
MASTER/STUDENT – NARUTO
KATSUHIKO/NANAMI
(THE JINNAIS) – BROTHER AND SISTER – EL HAZARD
KEIKO/IZUMI –
MOTHER/DAUGHTER – PRINCESS NINE
MIYU/YAMATO –
ENGAGED – SUPERGALS
TAMAYO/KOTAROU – CHILDHOOD FRIENDS –
ANGELIC LAYER
RALLY/MINNIE MAY –
WORKING PARTNERS – GUNSMITH CATS
ROY/HUGHES –
FRIENDS IN THE MILITARY – FULL METAL ALCHEMIST
SAGA/REGGINA –
GRANDAUGHTER AND GRANDMOTHER – TINY SNOW FAIRY SUGAR
SARA/YAKUMO – BEST
FRIENDS – SCHOOL RUMBLE
SOUSUKE/KANAME –
CLASSMATES – FULL METAL PANIC
TYLOR/YAMAMOTO –
CAPTAIN AND LIETUENANT – IRRESPONSIBLE CAPTAIN TYLOR
*
(We get a cut shot of the mansion off in the middle of nowhere, one of Koizumi’s homes. A rather extravagant place, it was also where an infamous ‘murder’ happened (no, Anna didn’t commit it this time).)
(Shot of Yuko…)
Yuko: This is the Itsuki Mansion, one of many homes of the Itsuki family, lavish and bright, it was the first Pit Stop in a race around the anime world!
(A quick montage of the 11 teams arriving at the Pit Stop…)
Yuko: Teams arrive at the Pit Stop for a mandatory rest period…
(Shot of the lavish spread brought by workers of Koizumi – everyone including Haruhi is salivating at the meal, even Izumi and Keiko look impressed…)
Yuko: …that allows them to eat…
(…shot of an exhausted Tylor snoozing away in the men’s room…)
Yuko: …sleep…
(…shot of a pillow fight between Sara, Saga, Kaname and Haruhi. Eventually, they coax Kyon, Yakumo and Bob to join in and Nagi enters with a belly flop, feathers flying…)
Yuko: …and mingle with the other teams. The 11 teams here have no idea what’s in store for them…they’ll have to figure out how to get to the next yellow and red route marker…by solving clues in sealed envelopes.
*
Yuko: Due to a 30 minute penalty by Sousuke and Kaname, Bob and Nagi were the 1st team to arrive at 11.18am…
(Cut shot of a dark sea with Bob and Nagi in windy weather and looking cold…)
Yuko: …will depart at 11.18pm.
Nagi: Rock and roll Bob!
(Bob rips the clue up…)
Bob: Find the marked path using the boats provided to escape into…the Beautiful World?
*
(Cut back to Yuko who acts a little somber saying this…why? Let’s find out…)
Yuko: Teams must follow a marked path with buoys in the ocean, navigating a speed boat in this choppy water. Once they get to a specific spot, they will be…transferred…
(Shot of Yuko herself, but now we see Koizumi and Yuki with her…)
Yuko: …with some help, to a new world, known as the Beautiful World. They will land in the port of the city called ‘The Land of Adults’ a world that has much to be known for…and not for the right reasons. Here, they will take a working motorrad and drive to the volcano where the ashes remain of the land now dubbed ‘The Kind Land.’ In the midst of this now inactive volcano, will be their next clue.
*
Bob: Sounds like my kind of thing…let’s go.
Nagi: We’ve had fun here already…whilst I like to
train, Maya taught me that sometimes the best way to train is relax. On the
race, I’m training, battling out with German kids in a battle of pillows, I’m
still training. Being in 1st however is all game on…
(Bob and Nagi get into one of the speed boats, fortunately a torch is supplied as well as a boatman provided by Koizumi. Bob and Nagi begin to navigate as Nagi yells out…)
Nagi: KICK ASS!!!
Bob: (smiles) He’s enjoying himself way too much…
*
ROY/HUGHES – 11.33PM (2ND PLACE)
Roy: …beautiful world? Not what I’m used to…
Hughes: It won’t be beautiful when your mug arrives there…
Roy: Ha, tell that to all my ladies waiting back…
(Hughes just smiles and shakes his head as they board the speedboat…)
Hughes: Roy is getting into this…as much as he hates to admit it, he’s into competition as much as his nemesis, one Edward Elric. And he’ll pull out all his charms and tricks to make sure he gets to the top…
*
(Shot of Nagi and Bob, who are making good time, when they get to what appears to be a whirlpool. Bob and Nagi are obviously a bit unsure, yet Bob notices the whirlpool is not very powerful…and…)
Bob: Do whirlpools shine red and yellow?
Nagi: Not last time I checked…
Bob: Go fast…
(The two speed through, and a flash of red and yellow blinds them for a second. Once their vision has been returned, the waters turn a bit calmer, and just ahead, where previously there was nothing in sight…)
Bob: A town?
Nagi: I wonder if…
(Bob and Nagi look at each other…)
Bob: What the f…
*
(We cut back to the Pit Stop. Sousuke and Kaname rip their clue…for those who forgot, Sousuke and Kaname who originally arrived 1st were docked 30 minutes due to speeding during the initial surge out of the closed space…so now they are leaving third.)
SOUSUKE/KANAME (11.38PM (ORIGINALLY 11.08AM – 30 MINUTES
DOCKED DUE TO PENALTY) – 3RD PLACE)
Kaname: Let’s go…
(Sousuke doesn’t speak and just follows Kaname…)
Kaname: Last night, I took out my frustrations on a few teammates in the ancient battle of pillow fighting. Fortunately, Sousuke didn’t interfere here and it was stress relieving. However, we can’t make mistakes like that again…
(Sousuke and Kaname board their boat…the ride is very quiet…)
*
(Shot of Bob and Nagi preparing to dock in the city, the ‘World of Adults.’ They however have to go through the annoying task of their entry into this city, an unusual routine to say the least…)
Doorman: And how long do you intend to stay?
Nagi: As long as we need to keep ahead in this race…
Doorman: Race?
Bob: Probably tonight I’m going to hunch and that’s it.
(The Doorman seems suspicious but he lets the ‘travellers’ in. Being late at night, there isn’t much activity so it’s a swift run to the motorrad shop with the red and yellow marker. Unfortunately…)
Bob: Opening hours – 9am to 9pm.
Nagi: And there went our lead…(punches a wall)…DAMMIT!
Bob: Doing so well…and then bam! Lead vanishes…never take anything for granted here because the dreaded ‘level playing field’ haunts us here…
*
11.42PM – YAMAMOTO/TYLOR – 4TH PLACE
Yamamoto: …O.K, we’re going to a new world.
Tylor: It won’t be as beautiful as the world on the Soyokaze…
Yamamoto: Considering the sights in space, I have to agree Ca…
Tylor: Yuriko, Eimi, Yumi, Harumi…don’t forget Azalyn…
(Yamamoto nearly falls into the ocean hearing that…)
Yamamoto: How we’re here is a shock. A lucky break at the detour and moving way up the ladder after Tylor somehow managed to get ahead…it’s a miracle I tell you…but keep throwing them our way please…
*
11.50PM – GAI/LEE – 5TH PLACE
Gai: …and a beautiful world awaits us Lee!
Lee: Not as beautiful as the beautiful land protected by the handsome devil Rock Lee!
Gai: Indeed!
*Thumbs up pose before they realise they need to get their skates on, they head on a speedboat*
Gai: We’re still getting used to the setting this race has for us – however, once we’re in the zone, there will be no stopping us, guaranteed!
*
(11.53pm)
Roy: O.K…I’ve seen everything…
(They’ve now approached the whirpool, and not really liking it, but are almost forced into it. Like the Tenjho team, they are temporarily blinded by this ‘after-effect’ where they are surprised by the view of the town they could barely see a few moments ago…)
Hughes: Blood…what was…
Roy: Our destination….
(They head up there, as a watching Bob shakes his head in disappointment…)
*
11.54PM – SAGA/REGGINA (6TH PLACE)
(Saga tears the clue)
Saga: O.K…we ride a speedboat!
(Saga’s cute face is lit up with excitement…)
Saga: We know using the fast forward wasn’t a move we wanted, even with it we were only half way in the pack. However, our mission isn’t to win…it’s to LAST. Every chance we are still in the race it’s a success for us, and gives us a chance to try new things. Speedboat in the dark? That’ll do for starters!
*
11.58PM – MIYU/YAMATO (7TH PLACE)
Miyu: (rips envelope) O.K Yamato-kun, let’s go!
Yamato: Right behind you Miyu…
(Shot of the two on the speedboat, Yamato has an arm around Miyu as they watch the stars…)
Miyu: It’s a bit of an early honeymoon for us…speedboat under a starry night sky going who knows where? It’s an adventure we are living up and can’t wait for the next stop…as long as we’re not last of course…
*
(Right on midnight, Sousuke and Kaname have reached the whirpool, and they get the same effect and we see them entering the town. Yamamoto and Tylor also make it before the next team head into the dark ocean…)
*
00.03AM – RALLY/MINNIE MAY (8TH PLACE)
Rally: O.K, let’s race!
May: One come back served without pizza or Chinese!
(Two gunslingers head off into the dark abyss…)
Rally: A slow start, but we knew we are gonna have problems to start with. Starting in Japan, where pretty much everyone bar a couple of teams has a huge advantage on us…yet a Japanese team was eliminated and we’re still standing. We’re not defeatists, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that once we’re overseas, it will be level pegging, and we’ll start to show what we can do…
*
Gai: We’re here!!!
Lee: But Gai-sensei, why were those guards so afraid of us?
Bob: Stupid question really…but to be honest, I think they’ve been afraid of all of us so far…travellers in question…
(The aura is bad, as the traveller’s curse seems to hit them…)
Kaname: It doesn’t help that we’re not exactly the most welcoming looking people here…if Saga-chan or Sara and Yakumo were here, maybe they’d be a bit lighter but…
Tylor: You saying I’m not a charming face?
(…silence…)
*
(The next team probably won’t get a good travellers welcome either…)
00.11AM – KEIKO/IZUMI – 9TH PLACE
Keiko: A beautiful world huh?
Izumi: Let’s go mother.
Izumi: Both of us are no nonsense people…and winners. We had a dreadful time in this leg, and both of us don’t want that to be a repeat to say the least. Not the best of starts, and if we’re going to win this race, we need to start climbing from the bottom. Fortunately, that’s something both my mother and I are good at…
*
Saga: What was scarier? That whirpool, the dark or these people?
(Saga seems a little shaken…this wasn’t an experience she is used to…)
Reggina: Come on dearie…
(Kaname looks a little concerned, as does Bob and Hughes at her…)
Bob: She can’t handle this…
*
Miyu: Shh…there there…
(Shot of Miyu hugging Saga, who seems to have fallen to sleep…)
Reggina: She’s normally such a strong girl…
Lee: Anyone can be strong…but when faced with something impossible…
Yamato: Miyu’s always been good with kids…she’s training to be a kindergarden teacher…
Reggina: I think that’s perfect for her…
*
Rally: Gah…you wouldn’t be so rude to me if I had my guns!!!
May: They have rules here Rally…much as we hate to abide by them…
(All the teams are trying to relax, knowing that they can only move when the shop opens anyway, but it’s not too comfortable. No-one awake and it’s basically sleeping sheets out and hope for the best…)
Rally: All together huh?
Roy: Even playing field again though.
Rally: Good…revenge for the get ahead at the start of the last leg…
Roy: Ah…you remembered…
Hughes: Take it from me Roy…the girls that remember are the scariest ones…
*
00:25AM – JINNAI/NANAMI – 10TH PLACE
Nanami: Brother…I don’t care what you do, but make sure it works, I’m not coming near the chance of elimination again…
Jinnai: Ah dear sister, that won’t happen again – the bugs of this race will be utterly destroyed by the end of the game…
Nanami: Just make sure you remember it is a game…that Sousuke kid got penalised already – and considering your mind…
Jinnai: I am insulted sister!
Nanami: The truth hurts huh?
Nanami: Having Katsuhiko as a partner is a double edged sword. On one hand he is without doubt, the most egotistical annoying person anyone can have. On the other hand, he is sneaky and smart, and has a do what it takes attitude. And in this race, those attitudes can do well…and I’m willing to go and ignoring his annoyance for the sake of a million pounds…
(They drive off…)
*
Izumi: I think we scared them…
(A ‘why am I not surprised look’ greets Izumi and Keiko when they seemed to get into the city without too many problems…)
Keiko: Well, either we’re tied for first or last now.
Izumi: Get comfortable mother – this will be a long night…
(Keiko is obviously not looking forward to this – neither is Izumi to be honest, it’s a quiet little atmosphere despite 9 awake teams…)
*
00:35am – SARA/YAKUMO – LAST
Sara: …O.K, let’s go Yakumo!
Yakumo: O.K…
(The two head out…)
Sara: Being in last isn’t a good feeling, but it was better than the alternative. We got through by the skin of our teeth due to some luck despite my poor athletic skills. I don’t want to burden Yakumo in physical challenges and hopefully, forgive the joke, that was just a pit stop on our way to start going through to the top…
*
12.45PM
(The quiet atmosphere was quickly ruined…)
Jinnai: Ah ha, everyone is here!!! We will now take our lead ahead…
Nagi: Pipe down runt – we’re trying to sleep and you’re not going in until tomorrow anyway…
Jinnai: Is there a line, I don’t see one so…
Kaname: Well, I’d speak to our line master here…Sergant Sousuke Sagara…
(It seems they were expecting this and have coaxed Mr. Sagara to make sure anyone cutting in line…)
Sousuke: Affirmative.
(Jinnai gets a hasty retreat…)
*
12.55PM
Jinnai: SO HOW COME SHE’S ALLOWED TO CUT IN LINE?
(Kaname goes to him threatening with her harisen…)
Nanami: Trust me Kaname-san, I won’t mind one bit…
(Shot of Sara cuddling with Saga who seems a lot more relaxed, as the two speak in German…)
Yakumo: Sara is just helping Saga-san on the advice of Miyu-san and Yamato-san…we will be at the back when we enter the shop…
(Jinnai seems pissed, but with all the teams, even Izumi and Keiko backing them up here, he’s forced to retreat…again. After a couple of hours, the teams are in line and drifting in and out of sleep…)
Jinnai: I’m sure they’re all out to get me, it’s a
conspiracy I tell you!
Kaname: Look…none of us, even Saga herself, probably
believes that she and Reggina are going to last long. Even with the fast
forward they barely made it in 6th, and Sara herself agreed that
she’d go to the back of the line when the race was in motion!
Miyu: Miyu helped, yet only Sara can speak German as
Saga-chan can speak Japanese, but she does feel intimidated. Yet Jinnai was
being an ass for such a trivial matter…he hasn’t made friends here…and he won’t
continue to do so at this rate…
*
(Times passed by as an uncomfortable sleep greets the 11 teams until the morning…suspicious glares are many for the travellers, and some seem to be a bit too inquisitive, especially to young Saga (considering what this country does to ‘children’ she has every right to be scared)…)
8.34AM
(All the teams are awake and awaiting in line in the order they arrived…)
Bob: It’s a motorcycle shop right? Then we ride…peace of cake…
Nagi: The race has been made for us to start with…
(The teams behind see the possibly riding of a motorcycle, and a few, notably Reggina and Lee seems a bit surprised and worried of what to do…)
Miyu: Miyu is looking forward to a lovey-duvey ride with Yamato!
Yamato: …you’re embarrassing me!
May: Ah…stop it, you’re making me miss Ken!
(Miyu bobs her tongue out as Rally chuckles as May pouts…)
Reggina: …being the two senior members of the group kind of puts a unique stand on things…
Yamamoto: Indeed…though I think your granddaughter is a lot more mature than my captain…
(Saga giggles as Tylor, (whose busy scaring Yakumo with his thoughts) looks around, wondering if someone was talking to him, but friendships end once the race begins…)
*
9.00AM
(The shop opens – Bob and Nagi are first in as they have to hire out the motorrad…)
Nagi: (handing money over) Swindlers…
(Seems like they have no problems to traveller’s money…)
(Bob and Nagi get the motorrad outside…but as Roy and Hughes enter, they discover a problem…)
Bob: How do you start this thing?
Nagi: Huh?
*
(Time for our new host, rather appropriately, being a motorrad itself, is Kino’s faithful companion Hermes. The motorad shows the immediate uniqueness of this member of the motorcycle family…it can speak.)
Hermes: Teams must figure out to get to their next destination that using these motorrads isn’t easy…to do this, they need to be ONE with the motorrad, in body and soul. Teams who are able to do this will find things a lot easier…
*
Nagi: A bike’s a bike right?
Bob: I wish I could say…there is no ignition or anything…have we been swindled?
(Perhaps…in the sense that the next two teams also have problems realising the trick…)
Roy: Have you gained weight?
Hughes: Hey! I may have put sympathy weight on for my wife but it’s gone now…we just don’t know how to…
Sousuke: This device doesn’t appear to have a start mechanism…
Kaname: So what the heck do we do?
(Tylor and Yamamoto are also not having any luck as Tylor wonders where the ‘on’ switch is…)
Tylor: Not quite like piloting the Soyokaze…
Yamamoto: Like you did that anyway…
(It isn’t until Miyu and Yamamoto get their motorrad when things become clear…)
Miyu: There must be a method here…
(Yamato goes on front as Miyu clutches him from behind. Suddenly, a voice sparkles…)
(Miyu nearly jumps off in shock.)
Motorrad: Hey lady, how bout some respect and give a motorrad a name? Then we’ll be on our way!
(Miyu recovers…)
Miyu: Then…(thinks)…Yume…
Yume: Yume…that’s a good name. O.K, I’ll help you through…just direct me where to go…
Yamato: You’ve been thinking about baby names again haven’t you?
(Miyu just blushes, but Yamato takes the motorad. They strap on helmets provided and begin to move…other teams look on in shock…)
Bob: How did they…
MIYU/YAMATO – 1ST PLACE
Miyu: Our hearts are always one Yamato-kun, that’s why we’re here…and we’ve just got ahead of everyone!
Yamato: Excellent! Miyu, direct…er…Yume to where we gotta go…
Yume: Yes, anything or nothing…
(Miyu does as they search for the Kind Land, where the former city is now a wasteland of ash…)
Yamato: Sometimes the smallest things can catch a good break. Miyu and I are always happy in our hearts, and in unison. The other teams that were ahead of us obvious don’t have that 100% complete partnership…
*
Roy: So the cop and his girlfriend figured it out huh?
(Rally and May, Saga and Reggina, Rock Lee and Gai and the Jinnais are also struggling. Izumi and Keiko get theirs…)
Izumi: What did they do?
Keiko: They just got on…and well…embraced…
(..Pause…)
Gai: Lee!
Lee: Right!
(The two jump on their motorad, and embrace…)
(…nothing.)
Gai: Eh?
Lee: I get that wasn’t the way…
Izumi: It can’t be the bikes…it must be ourselves. What did those two have that we didn’t…
(Shot of Sara and Yakumo exiting their bike…)
Sara: (smiles) A bond.
(They look at the nun in training…)
Izumi: Bond?
(Sara and Yakumo get on there. Yakumo looks a bit embarrassed with her arms around Sara but the two relax and get calm.)
Yakumo: The Kind Land…we’ll show you the way…
(Yakumo pauses and smiles…)
Yakumo: Iori.
(The two leave 9 other teams in shock…)
SARA/YAKUMO – 2ND PLACE
Yakumo: We were last…but knowing that we trust and care about each other more than anything, that seems to be what the motorrad was telling us. With my experience with Harima-san, this seemed to be natural for us…
*
(The teams seem to understand what Sara was saying, because soon they are relaxing on their bikes to see if the bike picks up on their own energy….)
Nagi: Well, we’re focused on getting rid of a certain student council member…
Bob: …and we have the experience in riding…
Bob: (smiles) Chiaki.
Nagi: You sap!!! But I guess it means you can take care of her…
BOB/NAGI – 3RD PLACE
*
Motorrad: You two are well in tune.
Saga: Hmmm…family has that feeling, especially when you need it the most.
(Reggina seems a little uncomfortable on the bike, but hey, it’s different shall we say…)
Saga: Let’s go Sugar!
Reggina: Interesting name dear…
(Saga just smiles…)
SAGA/REGGINA – 4TH PLACE
*
Rally: If we had followed them first…
May: Just go for it Pussycat!
Rally/Pussycat: WHAT?!!!
RALLY/MINNIE MAY – 5TH PLACE
*
Roy: I can’t believe I had to be calm and be pretending I actually liked you for a split second…
Hughes: It worked! Besides, I just pretended in my case…
Roy: Wife and daughter eh?
Hughes: Well…
ROY/HUGHES – 6TH PLACE
(The other five teams however seem to still be struggling…)
Kaname: I guess all that smacking over his head probably didn’t do us favours here…
Gai: But why? My relationship with my cute student should be over everyone here!
Tylor: You’re supposed to be my most trusted officer – why isn’t this working?
Jinnai: Sister, what have you done? Why? WHY?
(Keiko and Izumi just remain silent from this…)
*
(Shot of Miyu and Yamato breezing through on their motorrad, Yume. Miyu is enjoying the breeze through her pretty face as Yamato speeds up…)
Yamato: I guess I don’t see speed signs on a land so free…
Miyu: Keep it up Yamato-kun…
Yamato: How far is it?
Miyu: Looks quite a while yet…we may be forced to go and get stuff in case Yume runs out of fuel…
Yume: We’re O.K for the moment – we can last around 2 days on what we’ve got so don’t worry your little heads.
Miyu: O.K…
(Knowing the journey could take a while, the two simply let the wind fly them…)
*
(Back at the motorrad shop…)
Gai: Maybe we were a bit too much for this?
Lee: Gai-sensei, it always worked before…
GAI/LEE – 7TH PLACE
Gai: Because it fits both you and us to a tee!
Lee: Yosha, let’s ride!
(Gai, being ever cool takes the riding position and Lee takes the map. They begin to ride off as another team finally realises what they have to do and gets it working…)
Sousuke: It…worked.
Kaname: Y-yeah…
(Kaname is embarrassed about holding onto Sousuke as the motorrad, named simply ‘Home’ is mounted and ridden…)
Kaname: It took us a while to really connect on that motorrad…however, we do have our moment where we are an unbeatable team. One of the moments must have hit us at our worst otherwise we may have still been praying for it to work…
SOUSUKE/KANAME – 8TH PLACE
(A few more moments and Tylor and Yamamoto are also on their way…)
TYLOR/YAMAMOTO – 9TH PLACE
Tylor: I guess we do have our moments when we can work together…
Yamamoto: Works for us…
(As for the other two teams, things not looking good…)
Nanami: We just don’t have that bond! We’re screwed!
Jinnai: One team is still here…come on sister!
(Keiko and Izumi are not speaking, but the signs of frustration are hitting…)
*
(We get quick montage shots of some of the riding teams, Sara and Yakumo are doing well on the roads due to Yakumo’s navigation, but they hear company…)
Yakumo: Sara…
Sara: I hear them!
(Shot of Bob and Nagi trailing behind…)
Bob: (smiles) No-one can beat me on a bike…
Chiaki: Settle down, you’re being too rough!
Nagi: These bikes are a pain…they have opinions!
Bob: Well, we’ve caught up with the two girls…
Nagi: Pass them!
Bob: The roads are a bit narrow at the moment…just hold on, we’ll pass them when we get the chance…
Nagi: Yeah…I’ve been plagued by a couple of girls back home, don’t need the same thing here…
Sara: (shouting) FOR THE RECORD, I CAN HEAR YOU Y’KNOW?!
(Nagi freezes slight as Sara begins to increase her speed. Bob smiles…)
Bob: Sneaky little girl…
Nagi: And she’s a nun! If you can’t trust a nun, who can you trust?
Sara: (shouting) IN THIS GAME, DON’T TRUST ANYONE…ESPECIALLY THE ONES YOU EXPECT CAN BE TRUSTED…
(Sara turns and winks before speeding up as Yakumo looks a bit embarrassed…)
Yakumo: Sara…against those guys…
Sara: Heh…I know I can’t beat them, but nothing wrong with a little fun Yakumo?
I rarely get the chance now…
Yakumo: (goes red) You’re so outgoing…
Sara: Aw, you’re just too cute!!!
(Shot of a red faced Nagi…)
Nagi: Hey w-w…
Bob: And Maya will have you for supper…
(Nagi nearly falls off but the two teams begin to jostle for position…)
*
(Back at the two remaining teams, finally the Jinnais get a compromise…)
Jinnai: I will conquer the race…for myself!
Nanami: As will I!
Motorrad: Different reasoning really for why you will, but close enoygh…though…why Groucho?
Jinnai: Well…
Nanami: Never mind, haven’t got the time to argue…come on!
(Nanami takes the front as they begin to ride…)
NANAMI/JINNAI – 9TH PLACE
(Lastly, the Himuros are really getting annoyed…)
Izumi: This is why I was afraid of this race…
Izumi: My mother and I have never really become close, even in recent times. This was the worst challenge they could have come up for us, and we are blowing it.
(It takes another 5 minutes, but Izumi and Keiko finally get it working after the two seem to relax and like the Jinnais, work their hearts into achieving a common goal. One name of Fifi…)
Izumi: Let’s just say we could do with her help now…
Keiko: Who is…
Izumi: Don’t ask mother…
(Izumi beginning to drive this as they get more clutches of the racing teams…)
*
(Shot of Rally/May catching up with Reggina/Saga. Surprisingly, Reggina seems to be holding her own…)
Reggina: Not bad for an old lady right?
Saga: Go grandma!
(But they are up against the worst team they could face on the road…)
Rally: Sorry grandma, but in a race, you’ve got to be quite ahead to get the best of Rally Vincent!
May: Sorry Saga!
(The two pull ahead as Saga pouts. Reggina just keeps at a good pace…)
*
Roy: How are they catching up?
(Shot of Sousuke getting behind the FMA team – the speed limit here fortunately seems to be non-existent, and Sousuke is going as fast as Kaname has pretty much allowed him to (her grip getting tighter and tighter around Sousuke’s waist)…)
Sousuke: Chidori, permission to pass them!
Kaname: Oh hell yeah!
(Sousuke does so as Hughes tuts…)
Hughes: Beaten by a Sergeant Colonel? Not good for your hopes for promotion…
Roy: Oh shut up…
*
(It seems their catch up was due to a slight problem on the ninja’s behalf…)
(Shot of the ninja not really looking at the map and just trying to move ahead. They’ve stopped for a moment to look at their surroundings…but in the end, Gai spots Tylor and Yamamoto in the distance…)
Gai: We just have to follow them I’m afraid…
(Lee shakes his head as they watch the captain and lieutenant pass…)
Tylor: Good work there! The ninjas don’t have a clue!
Yamamoto: The one thing I can do here is read maps…as long as you don’t fall asleep on the job…
Tylor: Well, I was getting kinda tired…
Yamamoto: Captain!!!
(Tylor just laughs and speeds up, aware of the ninjas behind them…)
*
(We fast forward to about an hour and a half later – the black ash of the dead volcano covering the former city is quite a sight.)
(Shot of Miyu and Yamato departing and looking at the sight…)
Miyu: So many people…
Yamato: A true disaster…
(Miyu and Yamato bow their heads for a moment before heading up to the red and yellow marker on the blackened soil. It’s a bit of a walk there with the steps and blackened hard rock, but they make it easily…)
9.35AM – MIYU/YAMATO – 1ST PLACE
Yamato: Head over to the Land of Visible Pain where technology rules where humans fear…
*
(Back to Hermes, as he/she/it speaks again…)
Hermes: Teams must travel another long distance, this time to the land of visible pain, a land which is rather intriguing to say the least. Once there, and once they get inside, they will find their next clue in the city square…
*
Miyu: This map has all the major cities right?
Yamaoto: Yeah…that means though we need to get on Yume again for a while…
(Miyu nods…)
Miyu: We’re tough.
(The two do so as Miyu clutches Yamato as they are powered up again for their beautiful journey…)
*
(A quick shot of the Jinnais and the Himuros a fair part apart, but Jinnai keeps looking back and sees them in the distance…)
Jinnai: Sister, hurry the hell up! Being in the back two legs in the straight is not benefiting us!
Nanami: You think I don’t know that?!
(Shot of Izumi with her game face on as she speeds up…Keiko holding on tight…)
Keiko: This is…surprising.
Izumi: Mother…you know I hate to lose…
Keiko: That…and you hate that guy ahead…
(Izumi ignores that, and just steadily increases her speed…)
*
(Shot of Bob and Nagi the next team to arrive…)
BOB/NAGI – 9.41AM – 2ND PLACE
Bob: Still in the top 2 Nagi…
Nagi: Yeah, come on let’s hurry up before that scary nun comes…
Sara: (distant) TOO LATE!
Nagi: How can she hear me all the time?
Bob: You’re too damn loud…(rips envelope and reads)…Land of Visible Pain…interesting.
Nagi: Hurry before some physical pain is dished out!
Bob: You’d hit her?
Nagi: Hit a pawn of God? Hell no…
Sara: …then maybe I’ll smite you…
(Nagi freaks out as Bob chuckles as Sara and Yakumo slow down. Bob holds his hand out to Sara who accepts it…)
Bob: That’s for being able to embarrass Nagi…though we still need to work on shutting him up…
Sara: O.K, I’ll work on that!
Nagi: Bob!!!
Yakumo: (giggling) S-Sara…Bob-san…
Bob: We’d better go though…
(The two as Sara gets the clue…)
Sara: …land of…right. Sounds inviting…
Yakumo: Do you want me to drive…I’ve always wanted to see how Harima-san feels…
(Sara gives her best friend a coy look…Yakumo blushes but before she goes into details, a distant motorrad sound quick gets a hasty retreat…)
*
4TH PLACE – 9.44am
(Shot of the next team to make it…)
Reggina: Dear, you were wonderful!
(Saga puts a triumphant smile…)
Saga: No one can beat me in terms of directions. It’s true that we aren’t fast, but we’re smart. And we were able to navigate the map easily and we got ahead of May and Rally..
(Reggina opens the clue…)
Saga: O.K, let’s…
Rally: HOW THE HELL DID YOU GET AHEAD?!
(Shot of Rally and May in the distance, though Rally’s voice could be heard a mile away…Saga just stands there looking cute for a moment before grabbing her grandmother’s back and scuttling out there…)
Rally: Geez…I lost to a grandmother and a kid? *chuckles evilly* They are going down…
May: (sighs) And here we go…
SAGA/REGGINA – 4TH PLACE AND RALLY/MINNIE MAY
– 5TH PLACE
May: O.K…if you want to deliver pain to an old lady and a cute little girl…
(Rally looks at May who is only a little taller than Saga….)
May: …I’ll shut up now.
*
6TH PLACE – 9.47am
Roy: How we got there is an understatement…
Hughes: Just think of our friends and family guiding us…
Roy: For some reason, I don’t see Ed doing that for me…Riza maybe…
Hughes: Just open the damn thing…
(Roy does…)
Roy: Land of invisible pain…sounds like somewhere where alchemy was first used?
Hughes: Let’s put that to the test…
(Hughes grabs the map, one arm around Roy’s waist for obvious yaoi innuendo, and off they ride…)
*
7TH PLACE – 9.51am
Kaname: Unlike the last leg, Sousuke didn’t have a speed limit, so whilst we screwed up at first, we started getting ahead bit by bit…
SOUSUKE/KANAME – 7TH PLACE
Kaname: Visible pain…sounds familiar…
Sousuke: Remember, I will be here to make sure it doesn’t happen to you Chidori…
(Kaname actually smiles…)
Kaname: Yeah, I know.
(Again, they race off…)
*
(The ninjas lack of direction and unable to use their own skills made it pretty good for Tylor and Yamamoto…)
Yamamoto: …Captain, would it kill you to go a bit faster?
Tylor: On this bike, yes…
Tylor: Never mind, there’s the clue…
(Tylor opens the envelope and cringes…)
Tylor: I hate the word ‘pain…’
Yamamoto: Really…sometimes I think it’s the best word for you Captain…
Tylor: I should have you court marshalled for that Lieutenant…
Yamamoto: You wouldn’t…
Tylor: Let’s win the million pounds and then I’ll think about it…
Yamamoto: Captain!!!
(Tylor and Yamamoto drive off, though it’s a bit quieter on the western front…)
*
(A bit later, we see team number 9 get the clue..)
9TH PLACE – GAI/LEE – 10.10am
Gai: How did we get lost?
Lee: Our connection with this…device…must have hampered your reasoning skills Gai-sensei!
Lee: The roads are really not agreeing with us – learning to use the map was our main problem as it’s something we don’t need to do normally.
Gai: Visible pain…a bit like your training Lee…
Lee: Right, if we don’t get ahead, I will do a thousands thumb press ups!
Gai: No fear Lee!
(The two scamper off…)
*
(With the drives between cities quite long, the back two are able to still get their clue before the front pack arrive…)
NAMAMI/KATSUHIKO – 10TH PLACE – 10.16am
Nanami: Quickly brother!
Jinnai: Right, let’s obliterate that team!
(The Jinnais are just ahead of a determined Izumi, the two meet eyes for a moment as Jinnai races off laughing…)
Izumi: He will die.
Keiko: He won’t if we’re last Izumi – just get the clue and hurry…
(Izumi rips it open…)
Izumi: O.K, let’s go.
Keiko: Lead the way.
(The tough job the teams have in map reading on a talking motorcycle is obvious, as we fast forward showing teams struggling on the roads to get to this far away city…)
*
Roy: This isn’t quite the roads of Ish…
Hughes: We don’t want to bring that up again…
Roy: Fair point…the fact I can’t blame it on the nationality either – nobody has a clue here!
*
Tylor: If you are my subordinate, you should be helping me here!
Yamamoto: I would, but I don’t know how to navigate this map!!! Help me here Captain!
Tylor: I would, but looking at any paper that doesn’t have models in it makes me fall to sleep…a very common affliction…
(Yamamoto in his mind gives up mentally as he grits his teeth at both the map and his captain…)
*
(Teams however with skills with the maps, or in one teams case, very good with bikes…are more than capable of getting good time on the teams…)
(Shot of Miyu and Yamato entering The Land of Visible Pain, better known as the first country that Kino visited during the anime. Miyu and Yamato hop off…)
Miyu: What a long trip…
Miyu: (smiling) Right, right!
(The two are greeted by a mechanical device to allow them passage. Both are confused but quickly realise they want money…after a few coins, they are allowed passage.)
Yamato: Cheap…
Miyu: Let’s hurry Yamato-kun!
(The two run to the centre. Much to their surprise as they approach the clue box, there are no other humans there. However, there are a lot of machines…)
Miyu: Weird…
1ST PLACE – MIYU/YAMATO – 11.45AM
Yamato: Detour…Fear…
Miyu: …or feast?
*
(We cut now to a new host – and in a show where only 2 characters are prominent, our second host is quite obviously Kino HERself – I emphasise the her because she is fairly androgynous – dressed in a more comfortable attire of white shirt and brown pants, she does still have her trademark cap and goggles on. She explains this interesting detour.)
Kino: A detour is a choice between two tasks, each with their own pros and cons. In this detour, teams must choice between two tasks that I indulged with whilst in this country…fear or feast.
(Cut shot to just outside of town, there is a small village showing – yet even hear there are very few signs of life…)
Kino: In Fear, teams must take a pair of binoculars and search out the nearby countryside for signs of human life. There, once they’ve found someone, they must confront them and convince that they are friendly and not reading their minds. If they can calm a member of the public long enough, they will be grateful enough to give them the next clue. The task is potentially mentally draining, but teams with the right touch may finish fast.
(Cut back to the square, where they head into a nearby restaurant. All the ‘staff’ there are moving machines. Kino explains…)
Kino: In Feast, teams must head over to this local restaurant, where they must complete a full course meal set up by the robotic assistants there. Once they have eaten and paid, they will receive their next clue from the cash assistant robot. The task isn’t draining and teams will get a really good meal at a good price, but they will only complete the task at the speed their stomachs will allow them to…
*
Miyu: Eat?
Yamato: We don’t have Ran’s stomach…
Miyu: True, and this could be good training for my kindergarden experience…
Yamato: …and as an officer of the law, I cannot allow citizens to be afraid of me!
Miyu: (chuckles) Of course…let’s do fear.
(The two head over to outside of town after taking a pair of binoculars…Yamato’s eagle eyes spot someone outside a house taking garbage out…)
Yamato: Found someone…we’d best be careful, I get the feeling from what this clue indicated that this may be difficult…
(The two move in the direction…)
*
Woman: Keep away!
Yamato: It’s O.K, it’s O.K…we’re not from around here!
Woman: But…you can…
Miyu: Can what?
(The woman pauses…)
Woman: No, it’s a trick! You can see what I’m thinking right? Go away you evil…
Miyu: (to herself) If I was the Miyu of old, this would end bloody…
Yamato: Madam, I’m a police officer…(Yamato shows his badge)…but not from these parts. I’m not sure what made you so afraid of us, but trust me, you have nothing to fear…
Miyu: I’m this big guy’s girlfriend – we are harmless…
(Miyu embraces Yamato as this unique approach seems to get to the woman…)
Woman: So…you can’t read my mind?
(Both of them seem puzzled at that…)
Miyu: Er…no…
Yamato: How could we?
(The woman seems surprised…)
Woman: You are telling the truth…nobody around here would be surprised at that
question…you’re travellers right…
Miyu: Yes ma’am, on a lovey-duvey date around the world!!!
Yamato: (embarrassed) Oh come now Miyu…
(The atmosphere these two bring seems to be perfect for this woman as she smiles.)
Woman: Oh thank you…it’s been a long time since I’ve had visitors here…I want to cry in happiness. Tell me a bit about yourselves…
(Miyu and Yamato do so, Miyu avoiding some of her more unpleasant issues about her street past and her mother, but it’s obviously making an impact with the woman…)
Woman: Oh, such a sweet story…I think you deserve something…
(The woman reaches into her pocket and reveals the clue and hands it over to them. Miyu takes it with gutso, bows as does Yamato, and the woman waves them goodbye…)
Miyu: (opens) Let’s see…take your motorrad now to the land of books where nothing is written…
*
(Back to Kino, who is now sat with Hermes as they explain the next route marker…)
Kino: Teams must head now over to the Land of Books, a country whose library gathers together all the books in the world, but locks away those considered ‘harmful', leaving only the most wholesome and inoffensive out on display. Here, they must locate a specific underground library symbol led by it’s nearly burned down features but books still retained, where these rules are not taken in all seriousness, where the librarian will hand them their next clue.
Hermes: They won’t get in trouble for this right?
(Kino is quiet…)
Kino: I think that woman will make sure of that…they gave her some books didn’t they and no-one can come to bother them since then…
*
(Whilst we marvel at Yuko’s powers, Miyu and Yamato look for a shop to give Yume some power…meanwhile…)
*
11.51AM
(Shot of Bob and Nagi paying to get in…)
Bob: This is…unusual…
Nagi: Well, we got ahead again – you rock on the bike…
Nagi: Well, that’s how he is with Ch…
Bob: Don’t go there or I’ll get scary nun on your back…
(They quickly look behind and breathe a sigh of relief…)
Nagi: We lost them for the moment…but let’s get outta…
(Cue the distant sound of a motorrad as Yakumo ploughs through the roads…)
Bob: …you just had to jinx it.
Nagi: Shut up and run!
(The two get inside and head to the route marker…)
Bob: Detour…
(They read…)
Bob: …people are scared of us – we trying to remove fear is kinda…impossible…especially with you around Nagi.
Nagi: Yeah…
Nagi: Seeing the detour reminded me of my childhood and how everyone was afraid of me and my mom…it wasn’t obviously intended to open old wounds, but it was part of the reason why we took the other one…
Bob: …and we were hungry.
(Indeed, Bob and Nagi head over to the restaurant. As they do, Miyu and Yamato have done their shopping…)
Miyu: Ah, it’s Bob and Nagi!
Nagi: Crap, it’s the cop team! Run!
Yamato: The way he said that…
Miyu: Never mind, let’s feed Yume and get on…
Sara: Aw…and you’re not gonna stop and say hi?
(Shot of Sara and Yakumo running to them to the marker. Miyu smiles and gives Sarah and Yakumo a hug…)
Miyu: Aww…as long as you guys aren’t beating us we’ll talk to ya!
Yakumo: Thank you…
Yamato: Sorry ladies, but we must dash!
(Miyu waves as the best friends grab the clue…)
Yakumo: Fear or feast…
(Yakumo seems a little concerned…)
Yakumo: Not sure if fear is a good bet…but eating a large meal…
Sara: Definitely…but considering my profession, this is kind of part of the job description you know?
(Yakumo nods…)
Yakumo: Fear then…but can I ask something?
(Sara takes the binoculars…)
Sara: Sure…
Yakumo: Can…we try and find a woman for this?
Sara: Of course!
(Yakumo breathes a sigh of relief…)
Yakumo: I have a unique problem…I CAN read thoughts of people who either I care about…or are interested in me. This detour indicates that they fear people because they believe that have mind-reading abilities. However, doing the other detour was also a hard choice, so I’m hoping we can using our calming skills on someone who won’t be interested in me…
*
(Shot of Bob and Negi being ‘welcomed’ by the robotic
waiters who then hand them a menu…)
Bob: We get to choose?
Nagi: As long as it’s a full course I guess…
Bob: I’m liking this detour…
(Once they’ve ordered, they then realise the problem…)
Nagi: Oh yeah…they have to cook it…crap…
Bob: It’s O.K, the other one seemed impossible for us and probably for most of the teams…
Nagi: Yeah…though not sure if those two girls will have any problems…
*
Sara: …it’s O.K, I’m a training nun – I can understand your fears…we’ll be calm.
(As per Yakumo’s request, they found a female, and both Yakumo and Sara’s own auras are pretty calming, though the woman was as panicked as Miyu and Yamato’s. However, Sara’s proof of her profession (the cross on her neck) seems to work wonders…)
(Shot of the two praying as a part of peace and serenity transcends around the three women…)
Woman: Thank you for that sister.
Sara: You’re welcome.
(Their reward is the clue as Yakumo bows to the woman as they take it…)
SARA/YAKUMO – 2ND PLACE
Sara: …O.K, land of books…
Yakumo: Iori needs feeding…
Sara: As always…
(Yakumo smiles as they need to stock up on the mottrad…meanwhile…)
*
Nagi: This is really good…
Bob: I know…just wish there wasn’t so much of it…
(Nagi and Bob are on their appetiser, smoked salmon piece with lemon and ginger…the dish is expertly crafted and their mouths are cramming the food in as quickly as possible…)
Nagi: I just hope the other dishes are as good…and fast…
Bob: Specifically the fast…take a look out the window…
(We see Sara and Yakumo coming out of a shop and heading to the exit…)
Nagi: Nuts…
*
11.58AM
Yakumo: O.K, we’re ready Iori…
(Yakumo and Sara head on and they notice another motorrad in the distance…)
Sara: It’s Rally and May, let’s go quickly!
(Map and bike at the ready, they head off as Rally and May notice them…)
Rally: It’s Sara and Yakumo…they must have done whatever they had to do there…
May: Well, hurry up Rally! The gutsy granny and Saga sweetie are just behind us!
Rally: Heh, nice to see you’ve researched the show…
(Shot of Saga and Reggina in the distance…they also see Sara and Yakumo pass (Sara and Saga wave) as Reggina seems to be having the time of her life…)
Reggina: I’m an old lady, yet this old lady was able to keep up with young pups like Rally and May at what Rally does best – driving. The wind sailing on us with my wonderful granddaughter – I’m loving it.
Reggina: We’re not too far behind them Saga!
Saga: If we can just keep ahead here, we can stay in this…
(Shot of Rally and May entering the city and heading straight to the route marker…)
Rally: Fear or Feast…
May: Tough…but on the grounds of our feeding habits and the fact we usually scare people away…
(The two smile…)
May/Rally: No pizza and no Chinese!
(The two high five and head to the restaurant…)
*
(Nagi and Bob are enjoying some marinated chicken as Rally and May enter…)
Rally: You guys still here?
Nagi: Yeah…would moan about the time but the food is pretty damn good…
May: Well, we live on junk food so would be nice for a change…
(The two girls sit down to take their order as Bob and Nagi finish as quickly as they can to take the third course…)
*
SAGA/REGGINA – 5TH PLACE
Saga: Detour…fear or feast?
Reggina: I don’t know if we can eat a big meal on that bike…besides, who can fear a sweet grandchild and a grandmother?
Saga: Oh grandma!
(The two take a pair of binoculars to do fear…the first person they see is the same gentleman that Kino found way back in Episode 1 of this great series…)
Saga: Found someone!
Reggina: Let’s go!
*
Man: Agh!
(The man stands back ready to head inside…but stops sensing…)
Man: C-can you r…
Saga: Grandma?
Reggina: I’ll handle this dear.
(Reggina slowly walks up to the man who seems ready to run away…but Reggina smiles.)
Reggina: I’m harmless young man – and my granddaughter wouldn’t hurt a fly…
Man: Grandmother? Granddaughter? (thinks for a moment) You can’t be from around here…
Saga: That’s right, we’re travellers!
Man: Of course…(sadly)…there is no-one as young as you in this area…considering how we’re living…
(A quiet moment…)
Man: Anyway…you can’t see anything in my mind?
Saga: (sly chuckle) Of course not…that would be like me seeing winter fairies who can produce snow with a piccolo…
(The man laughs…)
Man: You’re a creative young lady!
(Saga nods, though looks a little sad…)
Man: Anyway, thank you for that. I wish you could stay, but…I know you have to be somewhere, so…
(The man hands Reggina the clue…they nod and run.)
SAGA/REGGINA – 3RD PLACE
Reggina: …land of books…got the map dear?
Saga: Of course!
Reggina: Then let’s get this granny some juice for Sugar…
(Saga smiles though again, seems a little sad. Again, all the motorrads seem to inform the racers to get some stuff to make sure they’re O.K…but back at the restaurant…)
*
(…4 racers are getting their own feeding…)
Bob: …always had a bit of a sweet tooth.
(Shot of the two enjoying a chocolate sundae. Rally and May have both opped for a beef stew each.)
Nagi: …this seems embarrassing eating this…
Bob: It’s small, it’s good and we’ll eat fast…
Rally: (slurps) Ah, this is the life!
May: You don’t hold back much do you?
Rally: Hey, good food is good food…
Nagi: I’m gonna eat this fast now Bob, because if I watch her eat any more, I may just throw up…
(Nagi, good to his word finishes off the sundae and they call for the bill. They are stunned when they realise it’s just the equivilent of 900 yen…)
Nagi: Cheap…I don’t care if we lost a few places now…
Bob: Yes, but keep in mind we’ve just been overtaken by a grandmother and her granddaughter…
Nagi: You’re joking…
(Shot of just outside, and as Bob pointing out, Reggina and Saga are on their way out after giving Sugar some power. Nagi smiles.)
Nagi: Sometimes I wonder if it’s actually good to be the good guy…
Bob: Considering that Jinnai, probably…
(Nagi and Bob get the clue…)
NAGI/BOB – 4TH PLACE
Nagi: …urgh…books…
Bob: Just don’t throw up on the motorrad, Chiaki doesn’t like mess…
(The two head off leaving Rally and May to stew…well…eat stew…)
*
(It’s taking quite a while for other teams to make it as the current 4 teams who have finished the detour have a fair ways to drive…allowing Rally and May just enough time to finish their main course of guinea fowl and potatoes…)
May: I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW THERE WAS SUCH A MEAT!
Rally: *mouth full* DON’TMOANJUSTEAST…
(…finishing off with a Mexican style Almond and Walnut ice cream, they pat their stomachs content and again, the price a mere 900 yen makes the slow detour seem worth it…)
Rally: Just hope no-one caught up…
May: Rally, we’re gonna be so slow outta here anyway…
(They get the clue…)
RALLY/MINNIE MAY – 5TH PLACE
Rally: …head over to the land of books…
May: O.K, let’s hope our ‘pussycat’ isn’t bearing it’s claws…
(Again, May and Rally have to purchase equipment to keep their motorrad in shape for the long drive. However, they do so and exit the city, with time to spare over the 6th team…)
Rally: No-one was insight and we were the last team to leave of the early bunch. This proves really who has the better teamwork and friendship by their links with the bikes. Unusual, but a good indication…
*
12.17PM
(5 teams are gone, and now our 6th team finally approaches the land of visible pain…and it is…)
*
Kaname: This time, going fast worked…I hope…
(Unaware they’ve overtaken Roy and Hughes, they head up and park their motorad *named Bonta for obvious reasons* before entering the city. The route marker is easy to spot and they race to it…)
Sousuke: Chidori, there are 6 left…
Kaname: That’ll do…
SOUSUKE/KANAME – 6TH PLACE
Kaname: Detour…fear or feast…
Sousuke: Putting the fear in someone is what I have been trained in…allow me…
(Harisen smash!)
Kaname: It says we have to calm someone down, and trust me, you’re the LAST person who can do it…gah…best hope we can eat quickly…
(By default, Kaname half dragged Sousuke over to the nearby marked restaurant…where they order quickly…)
*
12.24PM
7TH PLACE – ROY/HUGHES
Roy: It’s official…I’m never trusting you in directions…AGAIN…
Hughes: Hey, we got here right?
Roy: The fact the talking bike named after your daughter agrees with me hopefully hasn’t escaped you…
(The two rush in after Alicia warns them to make sure they get supplies for it and they head to the marker, noticing how quiet it is…)
Roy: Interesting…*rips clue* Detour…Fear or Feast.
Hughes: We’re military – we need to make sure the public realises that we are harmless…
Roy: Trust me, I don’t think your photos of your daughter will help us here…besides, a meal sounds far more inviting…
Hughes: Aww…
(They head over to the restaurant…but Hughes sees something enter…)
Hughes: Quick…another team…
(Shot of Tylor and Yamamoto enter literally a minute behind…)
Roy: Where did they come from?
TYLOR/YAMAMOTO – 8TH PLACE
Yamamoto: How you found that short cut is beyond me…
Tylor: If we’ve caught you, you won’t be complaining…
(They spot Roy and Hughes seeing them, then quickly duck into the restaurant…)
Tylor: Ha! (opens clue at route marker) Fear or Feast…Fear…
(Yamamoto reads…)
Yamamoto: I dunno, but your blind luck may be useful here…then again, you could just as easily scare people away…
Tylor: Well, those guys headed to the restaurant…how hungry are you?
Yamamoto: Well…we want to save money…
Tylor: (seriously thinks) Let’s take the binoculars…I’d prefer the meal but if we can find a young lady…
(Tylor and Yamamoto look over in the distance…however, there are only a few people out there now…two middle-aged men and a woman in her early 40s.)
Yamamoto: Captain, shall we do this?
Tylor: Suddenly, I’m reminded that about the food on the Soyokaze…a good meal suddenly sounds inviting…
(The two quickly switch detours…)
Tylor: It not I don’t doubt my bargaining skills, but not much chance of people there and if it doesn’t work, we’d probably be eating anyway….
(When the two enter, they see Sousuke and Kaname on their mains and Roy and Hughes just taking an order…)
Sousuke: The sausage is quite adequate I must say…
Kaname: Better than your rations then…
(Sousuke just nods as Roy and Hughes finish their order and the Captain/Lieutenant sit down…)
Yamamoto: Unusual place…
Roy: I know…no humans here…
Tylor: There were at the other detour…but looks pretty impossible…(goes to Kaname)…and how are…
Kaname: Please, you don’t want to make me throw up…
Roy: Nice try Tylor…I failed as well…
(Hughes just puts his head in his lap, wondering what he’s got himself into…)
*
12.30PM
(Shot of an exhausted Gai and Lee outside of town…)
Gai: We nearly fell off a couple of times, and going around this unknown world really hampers everyone, but we felt we could handle it! Problem is, we have to use these machines which is something we can’t do at all…
(They enter as they see the marker…)
Gai: Ah, the clue!
(They run and rip…)
Gai: Detour…fear or feast…
Lee: (reads) Fear! With our youthful energy everyone will smile at us!
Gai: That’s the spirit Lee!
(They take the binoculars, but it doesn’t take long to find someone outside trying to get the rubbish in…they rush off with their mad ninja speed…)
*
Man: G-go away!
Gai: But we are the men who enjoy their youth, come join us on the way to…
Man: Y-You can’t be normal!!! You moved in so fast…is this some ability advanced from mind reading…
Lee: Mind reading? Well, Neji can pretty much come close to doing that…
Man: Y-YOU KNOW A READER? GO AWAYYY!
(The man locks himself inside…Gai pounds on the door…)
Gai: Open up, we just want to…
(It’s no good. Gai looks set to break the door…but doesn’t…)
Gai: No…Naruto messed up like that once and they nearly got eliminated…we just need to find someone else…
Lee: Let’s move on…
(Gai and Lee suddenly realise that whilst they are good, they aren’t good in the ways of SMS (Saga, Miyu and Sara)…and they are beginning to realise why this is a risky detour…)
*
12.35PM
Kaname: You know you can pound that stuff quite quickly when you want to…
(Kaname is having a strawberry tart as Sousuke, not familiar with deserts, enjoying a good old fashioned bread and butter pudding. He does seem to enjoy it as well…the two all male teams are just finishing off their starters (duck and crackers for Tylor/Yamamoto and cheese and fruit for Roy and Hughes…))
Sousuke: Indeed Chidori…
Kaname: I guess military rations aren’t the best…
Tylor/Yamamoto/Roy/Hughes: Trust me…we know…
(Yep, all the teams are getting into their meal, and Kaname and Sousuke finish up and pay their way…)
Sousuke: I think we paid too little…
Kaname: I know…but they say it’s O.K…
KANAME/SOUSUKE – 6TH PLACE
Kaname: …land of Books…O.K, time for some die or read…
(The two head off…and as they also head over to the supplies shop…)
Kaname: Hey, that’s…
*
12.36pm – NANAMI/KATSUHIKO (THE JINNAIS)
Jinnai: Did it work or not?
Nanami: (sighs) Yeah, you lost them. I don’t know how, but you lost them…
Jinnai: See, insignificant bugs are squashed, right Groucho?
Groucho: I hate you.
(As one Groucho says what
another wishes, Kaname and Sousuke exit the supplies shop as the Jinnais head
over to the route marker…)
Jinnai: Fear of feast…we
should revel on other’s fear…or feast upon the delights of victory!
Nanami: Actually,
considering with your voice alone you scare, we do feast.
(Nanami half drags her
brother over to the restaurant as Kaname sighs with relief…)
Kaname: We got out of
there in the nick of time…
*
FEAR
(Meanwhile, Gai and
Lee…have a problem…)
Lee: No-one is coming out
Gai-sensei…
(Gai sighs…)
Gai: I know…we’ve tried, but
they are convinced we’re bad people. Why? All we did was smile brightly, give
thumbs up and burn with the passion of youth!
Lee: I know it’s a
mystery…
(Lee sighs…)
Lee: I hate giving up,
but maybe we should take the other detour…
Gai: Yeah…this moping has
made me hungry anyway…
(Lee and Gai cut their
losses and head back to the second detour…)
*
RESTAURANT
(…where the atmosphere has done a one-eighty…)
Roy: Joking aside, me and Tylor seem to get along
pretty darn well and Hughes does with the Lieutenant over there. We were trying
to forget the race and then…
Tylor: …that bastard Jinnai shows up. O.K, so his
sister’s hot, but even she can’t save her brother from a dinner party
experience…
Jinnai: The best and only
the best!
Nanami: Something light
and quick…
(Gai and Lee enter as
Tylor grabs a hold of Gai…)
Tylor: Never thought I’d
be so happy to see you guys…
Lee: What’s happened
young Captain?
Hughes: They did…
(Nanami seems upset but
the two are away from the other teams as Jinnai’s laughing alone is pissing
everyone off. Fortunately for the other two teams, their desert is already here
and the shared roast they’ve had has given them at least a good taste…)
Roy: This is the time I
curse I joined the race…
Hughes: Because of
competitors like that?
Roy: That…and I’m not
allowed to use my powers…
(Even Tylor is quiet
enough with Jinnai’s mere presence that he isn’t hitting on Nanami, Yamamoto
seems thankful, though his shakes of the head indicate otherwise…)
*
12.40PM
IZUMI/KEIKO – LAST
(Finally, team Himuro make it to the entrant, Izumi looks pissed…)
Izumi: The Jinnais went around a dust corner and we
couldn’t find them. We went ahead and didn’t find them…turns out, there was a
dusty corner path which could have gotten here faster, but we didn’t notice it.
I think we could have braved a bit of dust…
(Izumi storms into the
area, Keiko slowly behind…)
Keiko: We need to calm
down…
Izumi: Well, I need to
vent my frustration somewhere…
(She opens the clue…and
looks even more pissed…)
Izumi: Damn…wanted it to
be a physical detour…
Keiko: Well, what do we
have?
Izumi: Calming people
down or having a long meal…
Keiko: Dear, you can’t
calm yourself down at the moment…
Izumi: Mother…
(Keiko’s stern eyes hit
Izumi’s. Neither Himuro budges but the two trudge over to the restaurant…)
*
(…and Izumi smirks.
Frustration relenting time.)
Jinnai: Where’s the
caviar? The foie gras? The…
Izumi: Shut the (bleep)
up.
(A chill fills the room.
The four guys in their minds probably go in unison (we don’t have Yakumo here
so let’s just guess) ‘thank god she said it…’)
Keiko: Izumi, this…
Izumi: I’m just echoing
the thoughts of everyone in this room who are too scared to raise their voice
at this imbecile…and in fact, the whole race.
Jinnai: How DARE you say
that to me? Do you know who I am?
Izumi: No, and I don’t
care. Shut up and do the world a favour…but I guess asking you to drop dead
would be too much of a stretch…
Nanami: She’s pissed
off…and my brother got the worst end of it…
Keiko: You don’t know the
half of it…
(Izumi grabs her mothers
hand and the two leads to the opposite table of Jinnai, never taking her eyes
of the Bugrom leader. Jinnai looks pissed, however he doesn’t retaliate, and
just shovels food in his mouth…)
(…which the other two
teams do so quickly…forgetting it’s desert…)
Tylor: BRAINFREEZE!
(The two teams quickly
run out of the restaurant, pay for the meal and go back inside remembering they
had to get their clue…Lee and Gai have just started and ready to get their
next…)
TYLOR/YAMAMOTO AND
ROY/HUGHES – JOINT 7TH
Yamamoto: Land of Books…
Tylor: Bored already…
Roy: Let’s go!
(Back inside the
restaurant…Gai and Lee try to lighten the mood, but Lee’s way of thinking…)
Lee: This isn’t the way
to act in battle…
(…is no match for Izumi
and Jinnai’s death glare sparks (circa Ayeka and Ryoko) as Gai instructs him to
just eat and try not to get into their affairs…at least the beef curry and
spaghetti is good…)
*
(Quick montage of the
nearly silent three teams going through their meals…fortunately, speed is of
the essence and Gai/Lee have that in spades…)
Gai: Finished!
Lee: Yosha!
(The two pay, get their
clue and open…)
GAI/LEE – 9TH
Gai: …land of books…ah
ha! So we get to learn on this trip, Lee, this is a chance to broaden your
horizons!
Lee: Yes sir!
(The two leave…and head
straight for their bike…)
*
Hard Work: Look, you guys can call me the explosion of youth or whatever, but the only thing that’s going to explode is my engine if you don’t go back…
(Shot of Gai and Lee just
starting up and up the first road, but were interrupted by their motorad...)
Gai: But you have the
power…
Hard Work: Yes…when I’m full. If you guys get to eat, why can’t I? Besides, if we are trucking for another 3 hours, we’re not going to make it…
Lee: We need to get back…
Gai: Darn it…
(The two ninjas ride back
into town…)
*
Nanami: Finally, your big
mouth was useful!
NANAMI/JINNAI: 10TH
PLACE
Jinnai: Hurry, I now have
a person I want to destroy and this will be as delicious as the melting
strawberry sundae in my mouth!
Nanami: I just won’t
laugh at you for ordering that…
(The two get their clue,
Jinnai smirks at Izumi and they run off…)
Izumi: Dammit…
Keiko: Just eat…
*
(As the Jinnais head over
to stock up, Gai and Lee drive back in. The Jinnais see the ninjas and are
stunned…)
Jinnai: Quickly!
(The two enter as the
ninjas speed is not going to help against the line. Fortunately, at least they
can pass them after they get their supplies…but unfortunately…)
*
IZUMI/KEIKO – LAST
Izumi: Let’s get out of
here.
(Izumi and Keiko have
finished, and Izumi is royally pissed. But as they head to the supplies, Keiko
spots both the Jinnais and Gai/Lee racing…)
Keiko: Izumi, we can
still catch up…two teams are there…
Izumi: Huh?
Keiko: Someone must have
made a mistake and had to get back here – come on daughter, we’re Himuros. We
don’t lose faith that easily.
Izumi: (sly smile) Always
aim for the goal right? O.K mother…
(Izumi still looks a bit
pissed, but she’s doing the sinister Izumi smile now. They get their motorrad
power for Fifi, and rush…)
Keiko: As long as there is a slightest chance, we’ll
grab it. I’ve done it in business, and recently in creating a certain girl’s
baseball team. I’m not going to throw in the towel this early…
*
(The drive is a long
drive, and teams with direction and the right energy are moving forward.
However, along the way, the inevitable ‘getting lost’ syndrome comes and
tiredness hits…)
(Shot of Sara and Yakumo
stopping for some water…)
Yakumo: Glad we picked
this up as well…
Sara: This is tiring…
(Shot of Roy/Hughes and
Gai/Lee both having to stop for directions…)
Roy: I hate this place…
Hughes: Hey, you’re gonna
upset Alicia…
*
Lee: This isn’t working
Gai-sensei…
Gai: Keep trying, someone
will help us!!!
(Even Lee looks a bit
annoyed now…)
*
(At various points,
everyone has to have a little pit stop to rest as the dust and heat can get to
them on a long journey, but finally, the reward is there…)
LAND OF BOOKS
(Shot of the first
team approaching the entrance…)
*
MIYU/YAMAT0 – 3.15PM
(Shot of Miyu rubbing her
eyes…)
Miyu: That was
tiresome…but you were awesome Yamato-kun!
Yamato: (smiles) I guess
all that riding on my bike with no brakes came in handy after all!
(Miyu and Yamato now head
into the country and are amazing at the amount of book gathers are here …)
Miyu: Wow, bibliophiles
everywhere…
Yamato: Yes…it just seems
that it’s not exactly literature that we’d really be used to though…
Miyu: Now we need to
find…ah…
(Fortunately, the
underground library has two distinct factors…the nearly burned down building
and the red and yellow marker flag fluttering about in the wind. Miyu spots it
and they head over there. They navigate down a staircase…)
Miyu: It’s creepy…
Yamato: Bare with it
Miyu…
(Miyu holds Yamato’s
hand…the two go down slowly as the arched staircase leads into brief light.
There, two people are there, a young lady with glasses and a short, mysterious
looking man.)
Woman: Ah, are you the
one’s that have been asked by Yuko-sama to play this game?
Miyu: Ah…er…yeah?
Yamato: O.K, what does
this Yuko do…
(The woman hands over the
next clue…)
Miyu: (opens) Ha, a Road
Block!
Yamato: This person must
not get depressed easily…
*
(We return to Kino and
Hermes, outside somewhere familiar to her as she recites what is going to be an
interesting Road Block…)
Kino: A Road Block is a
task that only one person can perform. In this Road Block, that person must
first locate one of the marked poetry books hidden inside the library. Once
they have found the book, they must find a line from the book given to them by
the librarian. However, what they are reading, is the infamous ‘poem’, called
‘The Song of Sadness.’ Once they’ve found the line, they need to quote the page
and line it’s on…once they have it correct, they will get their next
clue…HOWEVER…if they get the line WRONG, they will be given a different line
and have to find the location for the new line, which could cost them precious
time…the language also is all written in English, so teams who don’t know it
have to rely on their copycat skills of the line, otherwise, they could be in
trouble.
*
Miyu: Hmmm…well…
Yamato: I’ll do it.
(Yamato doesn’t even take
no for an answer, as he gets the line…Miyu smiling.)
Miyu: Miyu has had…a rather depressing past…and some
present as well. If it wasn’t for Yamato and Ran…I don’t know where I would be.
I don’t know if I can take anything even remotely depressing…
(Yamato looks at the
line…)
Yamato: Make it a cruel
judge which delivers the final blow…(pauses)…O.K, let’s find this song…
(He begins search the
library (it’s the YamiBou leg all over again) where the poetry books will all
be rather obvious due to the red and yellow binder showing. Yamato goes through
an aisle about three times before striking lucky though…)
Yamato: Good job no-one
else is here…yet…(takes a book)…O.K…it’s pretty big…
(He opens it…)
Yamato: The edges of my fading memories…your distant frozen, unreachable warmth…
(Yamato gulps…)
Yamato: This could take a
nasty while…
Miyu: We’re alone now,
but we had two teams on our back, so be as quick as you can Yamato-kun!
(Yamato realises this
song is quite large…and depressing…the problem is with the threat of redoing it
if he gets it wrong, he’s being very careful…)
Yamato: You’d have
probably been better at the speed reading…
Miyu: Is it that bad?
Yamato: Let’s just that
the person who wrote this wasn’t in a happy mood…
*
(The sound of a
motorcycle however outside the book world are heard as we see a second team
dust themselves off…)
Bob: Do I rule or what?
Nagi: Well, you lost
them…for now. Let’s just get this done!
BOB/NAGI – 3.21PM
Nagi: That was a long
ride…
Bob: You get used to it…
(The two street fighters
look for the library, and blatantly miss the flying red and yellow flag…)
Nagi: Where’s the damn
marker?
(Used to the markers,
they are missing the obvious clue as back inside…)
*
Yamato: O.K, just use the
first part…
(Yamato has just stuck to
using the first part of the line and going through the book as quickly as
possible now, Yamato reaches pay dirt…)
Yamato: O.K, this page…
(Page 32 of 55 pages…he
reads down to the fourth line.)
Yamato: 32…Line 4, right.
(Yamato goes over to the
‘Author’ (the smaller man) who smiles sinisterly.)
Yamato: Page 32…Line 4
sir.
(The man smirks a little
more…but then reveals his arm…to show the clue. Yamato bows, grabs it and
reunites with Miyu…)
Miyu: Yay, Yamato-kun!
(The two hug as Yamato
rips the envelope…)
MIYU/YAMATO – 1ST
PLACE
Yamato: Drive yours to
the next pit stop…
*
(Shot of a quaint cabin
in a forest where Kino and Hermes are riding. A middle aged woman is in the
background as Kino smiles fondly before speaking.)
Kino: Teams must now
travel to this forest area located on their map simply as ‘Shishou’. This is
where they will find a cabin, home to my master and teacher who everyone calls
Shishou. A former traveller, and the person who taught me marksmenship, she
will greet you at this 2nd pit stop. The last team to arrive here…may
be eliminated.
*
Miyu: …last team…yeah we
get it, come on!
(The two leave the
library, but see a lost Nagi and Bob…)
Yamato: They can’t see
the marker?
Miyu: Quick, let’s make
sure they don’t see us…
(Miyu and Yamato sneak
off to the side, where Bob and Nagi miss them…Nagi is getting pissed off…)
Nagi: Where the hell is…
Bob: Crap.
Nagi: What?
(Bob indicates the
outside of the city. Two problems – one is Miyu and Yamato leaving…and the
second…)
*
Miyu: Bob and Nagi
haven’t found the marker yet…just keep your eyes open!
Sara: Oh, so you won’t tell us then?
Miyu: Se-cr-et!
(Sara bobs her tongue out
as Miyu waves as they move to the pitstop. The two girls exit their motorrad
and enter the city…)
(…Bob and Nagi aren’t too
pleased…)
Nagi: Come on, where is
it?
(Yakumo immediately sees
the flag…no, not Eri and Harima…)
Yakumo: Sara…
Sara: They’re gonna
follow us anyway, come on…
(The girls rush into the
library. Nagi wonders why, and then Bob notices…)
Bob: Nagi. It’s the red
and yellow flag up there…it wasn’t a marker. We were idiots.
Nagi: Crap…let’s just
pray it’s a physical task in there…
Bob: It’s a library…we’re
screwed.
*
SARA/YAKUMO – 2ND
PLACE – 3.34PM
Sara:
Roadblock…depressing?
(Neither girl seems to
like that task…)
Yakumo: I’ll do it…I can
read fast at least…
Sara: Yakumo…
(Yakumo takes it, reads
the clue and gets her line from the librarian…)
Yakumo: Sleeping cold under the grave of misfortune…
(Yakumo goes running as
Nagi and Bob head down…)
Bob: (smiles) We just
can’t lose you…
(They get the clue…)
BOB/NAGI – 3RD
PLACE
Bob: It won’t faze me,
I’ll do it…
Nagi: Yeah, books ain’t
my thing really…
Bob: Have fun with the
scary nun…
(Nagi then realises…)
Nagi: You ba…
(He stopped as Sara looks
innocent.)
Sara: What?
Nagi: N-Nothing…
Nagi: For some reason, I can’t be myself with Sara
around – she must have some holy aura around her, because I just can’t say or
do anything bad around here…which sucks…at least she’s cute…no what, WHAT AM I
SAYING?
*
(Bob is searching for the
line ‘as brazen death strikes from the sky’ the two look surprisingly relaxed.
Yakumo is flipping through calmly, whilst Bob seems to not be bothered by the
words…)
Bob: Different styles,
but it works…
Yakumo: R-Right…
(Yakumo doesn’t look too
comfortable, but is using a similar method to what Yamato did, albeit slightly
faster. Bob seems to not enjoy the reading as his furrowed brow suggests, but
he’s cool and calm…)
(…shot of Sara and Nagi,
Nagi looking a little uncomfortable…)
Nagi: For the record, the
girls I know kick my ass on a regular basis, so don’t think your nun tricks can
fool me!!!
Sara: (angelic smile)
O.K!
(Nagi faints…his demonic
anger no match for Sara’s politeness…)
Nagi: She maybe…my
most…difficult…opponent…
(Back to the reading,
finally we get a winner…)
Yakumo: O.K, Page 27…line
4…
(Yakumo rushes as Nagi
crawls up from the floor as Yakumo tells the ‘Author’ her answer…)
(…author smiles and gives
her the clue. Yakumo bows…)
Yakumo: Sara…
Sara: Done?
Yakumo: (to Nagi) Are you
alright?
(In Yakumo thoughts
Nagi’s are ‘Damn, one is cute and one is a stunner…but I don’t have feelings
for women…oh crap, if Maya gets a hold…’)
Sara: Yakumo?
(Yakumo turns red a
little before grabbing her best friend’s hand…)
Yakumo: Let’s go…
(The two leave as they
open the clue…)
SARA/YAKUMO – 2ND
PLACE
Yakumo: Pit Stop…let’s
go…
Sara: O.K, see you guys
later!
(Nagi shakes his head…)
Nagi: This is a different
type of training isn’t it?
(Bob just smiles at his
poor companion…but as he does, he finds the line…)
Bob: Ah…let’s see…page
41…and line…(counts)…15…no…16. Yeah.
(Bob goes over to the
author and gives him the line. It’s correct and he gets the clue…)
Bob: Time to beat the
girls again…
Nagi: Twice, let’s make
it 3 times…
(The two get on Chiaki
and head off to escape the city after reading the clue…)
BOB/NAGI – 3RD
PLACE
*
(Shot of the 4th
team to arrive, just as Nagi and Bob move to chase the Rumble girls…)
Bob: Hey that was…
Nagi: No
way…(smiles)…well, power to them I guess…
(Shot of Reggina and
Saga moving into the Land of Books…)
Saga: Hey, that was Bob
and Nagi…we’re doing well grandma!
Reggina: Watch this old
lady ride!
(Nagi and Bob left behind
Saga and Reggina, but obvious got ahead on the motorrad. However, the
grandmother and granddaughter stayed ahead of Rally and May, and quickly enter
the land…)
Saga: A marker?
Reggina: Look around…
(Saga’s eagle eyes catch
the shot of red and yellow…she runs up to the large library building, but as
she does…)
*
RALLY/MINNIE MAY –
3.48PM
Rally: These roads…suck…
May: Well, this
pussycat’s claws are starting to wear thin…and we could do with a bit of luck…
(As they enter, they see
Saga entering the library…)
Rally: That
works…ignoring the fact that a kid and her grandmother beat me here…
May: Ego second, get clue
first.
(Rally and May rush in,
quickly behind the German girls…)
*
Saga: Roadblock!
Reggina: Let’s
see…(reads)…depressing reading?
(Saga and Reggina look
for a moment as they shake their heads…)
Reggina: Do you want me
to do it dear?
Saga: I can read quite
fast…and I think I’ve had enough depressing things recently…
Reggina: With your mom…
Saga: (whispers) Not just
that…
(Reggina smiles…)
Reggina: I’ll do it.
(Reggina takes the clue,
and then gets her line from the librarian…)
Reggina: Neverwords strike at the heart of demon soil…
(Reggina looks inside the
library for one of the remaining red and yellow poetry books. She finds one in
the lower halves, just as Rally and May head in…)
Rally: Saga…you two are
pretty tough!
Saga: (smiles) Don’t
underestimate u…urk!
May: SHE’S TOO CUTE, I’M
TAKING HER BACK TO CHICAGO WITH ME!!!
(As May glomps (and
scares) Saga, Rally takes the clue…)
Rally: If you’ve had
enough harassing the only person smaller than you…
May: HEY!
Rally: …Road Block…it
basically means reading something depressing…and as I’m sure you want to kidnap
her whilst I’m not looking, I’ll do it.
Saga: Rally…she’s scary…
Rally: (smiles) Actually,
you don’t want to see her when she’s scary…
May: Touché…
(Rally heads over and
quickly finds one, as Reggina is already reading…)
Rally: Any good?
Reggina: Let’s just say
the author should spend some time in my hometown…
(Rally begins reading,
looking for the line ‘bloodthirsty fiends quench the hunger of the angry
soul…’)
Rally: O.K…I sense no
happy pills here…
(Shot of Saga and May,
talking…)
Saga: …we had to use it,
we wouldn’t have beaten anyone physically…
May: But you know a lot
of the race will be like this…
Saga: I’d rather spend a few extra moments enjoying the race rather than be
taken out quickly. I feel bad for Tamayo and Kotarou who had to suffer that…
May: Kid, normally I’d
say you’re being too soft…
(May then glomps Saga who
panics…)
May: …but as you’re so
darn cute I’ll forgive you…
Saga: Rally-san!!!!
Rally: Just elbow her kid
until she let’s go…if all else fails, she’s ticklish on the waist!
May: HOW DID YOU KNOW
THAT? ONLY KEN K…
Rally: Gotcha.
(As May stews in anger,
the two continue to read but no teams come in until we gets our next winner…)
*
Reggina: Ah, there we go…
(Reggina gets her line,
as her slow and steady method worked ahead of Rally’s flick through and hope
strategy. Actually, she’s getting more annoyed and depressed…)
Reggina: Considering what
was wrote, glad Saga didn’t take this detour…
(Reggina goes over to the
‘author..’)
Reggina: Page 21, line
32.
(The ‘author’ nods and
hands the old woman the next clue…)
Reggina: Saga, we’re
done…
Rally: Nuts…May, you now
have permission to not let go of her!!!
May: Got it!
Saga: RALLY…MAY!!!
(May giggles as Saga does
‘escape’ and heads outside to read the clue…)
Saga: …cabin…last
team…O.K, let’s get that map!
Reggina: See you two
later…
May: We’ll be right
behind you Saga!
Saga: That’s what
frightens me…
(The two German’s leave
as Rally just smiles.)
Rally: It’s O.K, they
won’t beat me on the bike…problem is, how the heck can I catch up with them if
I can’t find what I’m looking for?!!!
(Rally does a quick flick
again, using just the first part of the line this time. Fortunately, no-one
turns up by the time she does find her line…)
Rally: (to the ‘author’)
I officially hate reading…it’s Page 39, Line 21…
(The ‘author’ and the
librarian seem a little miffed at Rally’s comment, but the author gives Rally
the clue.)
Rally: O.K, we’re done.
May, let’s find the German girls and you get a TIGHT hold on Saga and don’t let
go.
(May snickers evilly…)
May: With pleasure…
(Rally sweatdrops…)
Rally: O.K, Saga was
right…you ARE scary…
*
(With the Pit Stop still
a good drive, we cut to Sousuke and Kaname driving through the dust, as Kaname
clutches tightly on Sousuke’s waist…)
Kaname: This leg, despite early problems, the fact
that Sousuke had no limit to his speed, we were able to get ahead of the middle
of the pack. If we can somehow catch the teams ahead of us…
(Shot of Sousuke and
Kaname parking outside the Land of Books…)
SOUSUKE/KANAME – 6TH
PLACE – 4.07PM
Sousuke: Chidori, we need
to find…
Kaname: Already ahead of
that, look up there Sergeant.
(Kaname spotted the flag.
Sousuke nods…)
Sousuke: Head over there
Chidori…
Kaname: Duh…
(The FMP duo head into
the librarian as Sousuke opens the clue…)
Sousuke: Roadblock…
(They look…)
Kaname: Depressing
reading? Gah…can you speed read?
Sousuke: When necessary…
Kaname: (puts her hand on
his shoulder) It’s all yours buddy.
(Sousuke doesn’t seem to
comprehend, but he looks through the Road Block.)
Sousuke: Chidori, I need
to ask…
Kaname: JUST…DO…IT…
(Scary Kaname emerges, as
Sousuke moves to the librarian and asks as normally as possible for the
line…fortunately it works and he gets the line…)
Sousuke: Blades of
thunder wreck the chasms cold…
(Sousuke quick finds one
of the poetry books and commences reading…and he is fast. He goes through the
book as quickly as possibly can outside of being in the ROD series.)
Sousuke: Got it Chidori.
Kaname: Crap, that was
fast…
(Is it right?)
Sousuke: Page 18, Line 9
sir!
(The ‘author’ gives a wry
nod and hands over the clue…)
Kaname: Damn Sousuke,
that was awesome!
Sousuke: I just followed
the clue as quickly as possible, that what was told…
Kaname: Trust me, it was
awesome.
(Kaname rips the clue…)
Kaname: O.K Pit Stop
time, let’s get our butts in gear!
Sousuke: Affirmative.
(Back to the motorrad…)
*
4.24PM
Roy: Why are those guys
following us?!!!
Hughes: Because it might
have been the right move to make?
Roy: True…still bites my
ass…
(Actually, Team Tylor and
Team FMA have taken a much longer route than Sousuke/Kaname did and have lost a
fair bit of time…however they both arrive at the Land of Books…)
(…and then they split
away to avoid the slower Tylor and Yamamoto following them…)
Roy: Find this marker…
(Unfortunately, they fall
into the same trip as Bob/Nagi did and focus simply on a marker, not a
yellow/red item. The luck of the Irish however…or should I say…the luck of the
Tylor…)
Tylor: Isn’t that yellow
and red?
Yamamoto: Yeah, but it’s
not like the markers previously…
Tylor: Close enough…
(The captain runs into the
building, Roy and Hughes not seeing it as Yamamoto chases after him…)
Yamamoto: Captain, this
is wr…
(Shot of Tylor with the
clue…)
Tylor: Huh?
Yamamoto: Never mind…
YAMAMOTO/TYLOR – 7TH
PLACE
Tylor: Road Block…(reads
it)…ugh…I don’t like reading full stop, unless it the ones the guys have…
Yamamoto: With all due
respect Captain, the ‘books’ of ladies that the crew have hardly qualify as
reading…
Tylor: Feh, then it’s all
yours…
Yamamoto: (sighs) Fine…
(Yamamoto takes the
clues, nods and goes over to the librarian, gets his line (Winds scythe past
skin like knives slicing the flesh) and commences his search…)
(…outside…)
*
Roy: Where is this thing?
Hughes: They’ve been all
so obvious so far…maybe it just isn’t this time…
Roy: Look around…is there
anything that could resemble a route marker?
Hughes: No…
Roy: See…
Hughes: …apart from that
red and yellow flag there I guess…
(Roy stops…)
Roy: Red and yellow flag?
Hughes: Up there…
(Roy now sees it…)
Roy: When did you spot
this?
Hughes: A couple of
times, but thought nothing of it. Why is that?
(Roy seethes with rage,
but runs over to the flagged building. Hughes follows as Roy curses every step
his on…)
Roy: Idiot, idiot, idiot…
*
(Shot of the two entering
as Yamamoto seems calm under the circumstances. Tylor doesn’t pay the
alchemists too much attention…)
Tylor: Bit late aren’t
you?
Roy: Shut up.
Hughes: Roy, I didn’t it
was…
Roy: Just never mind…
(Roy opens the clue…)
Roy: Road Block…I’ll do
it.
Hughes: But what if it’s…
Roy: After that, I’m not
risking you screwing this up.
(Hughes seems
(rightfully) hurt at this, but shakes his head.)
Hughes: You shouldn’t
speak to an officer like that…
(Roy ignores him and
reads it more…he doesn’t seem to like the RB now…)
Roy: Fine…
(Roy’s line ‘Blood of
angels drowns my sorrow like hell’s tears’ gets more of a problem as now they
are only a few books, and with his temper as it is, he begins to not see what
is in front of him…)
(…and worse…)
Yamamoto: Got it.
(The Lieutenant stands up
confidentially, and steps up to the author…)
Yamamoto: Page 16, Line
10.
(Author smiles and gives
him the clue. The Captain and Lieutenant salute each other.)
Tylor: Good work.
Yamamoto: And to you.
TYLOR/YAMAMOTO – 7TH
PLACE
Tylor: O.K, we’re cabin
hunting…leave them to line hunting…
Yamamoto: Hurry Captain!
(As the two leave, Roy
finds a poetry book, kicks in anger and sits down grumpy, as he begins to
read…)
Roy: This is stupid…
(Hughes shakes his head…)
Hughes: There were only 3 clues left, meaning only 3
teams left. This can’t be good…especially with Roy pissed…unrightfully…as he
is…
*
(No-one else turns up as
Roy is reading…he then finds the page with the line…)
Roy: Right, Page 36…
(Its on the LEFT page
though…)
Roy: Line 2…
(Roy runs over to the
author…)
Roy: 36, 2.
(The author puts his arm
to his chest…and then reveals…)
(…a second line.)
Author: Incorrect, try
again.
(Roy is pissed, he looks
at it again and is about to argue, but then sees it’s page 35.)
Roy: Shit…
(Roy breathes in…)
Hughes: Roy, this isn’t
like you…calm the hell down and try again, we’ve still got time…
Roy: Yeah, yet those
other three teams weren’t too far behind us…let’s pray…
*
4.35PM
(Shot of the cabin area,
as a team cuts into it…)
Miyu: That wasn’t so bad
Yamato-kun…
Yamato: Yeah, nice
ride…thank you Yume.
Yume: Sure…I think I got one of the good teams.
Miyu: We hope so.
(The two park outside as
they run inside to the smiling faces of Kino, Shishou and Yuko. Hermes might be
smiling, but like we can too. The pit stop mat with the words ‘KINO’S
JOURNEY’ plastered on…)
Miyu: Three, two, one…
(The two jump on the mat.
Shishou bows.)
Shishou: Welcome to my
cabin home in the forest.
Miyu: Thank you!
Yuko: Miyu and Yamato…
(dramatic pause)
Yuko: …you are team
number one!
Miyu: OH MY GOD!!!
(Miyu is lifted up by
Yamato who hug each other and scream happily. Yamato looks really happy…)
Kino: Good then?
Yamato: Oh, just a bit!
We proved here how well we can work together…if we’re on the right mind, we
will plough through this!
Miyu: Yamato-kun, we just
kick butt…
Yamato: Being on that mat in 1st was a
thrill I was surprised at. It made me realise how much I actually want to
win…that’s the Kotobuki blood for you…now we need to keep at this position…
(Miyu and Yamato kiss as
return back to Roy and Hughes…)
*
Roy: O.K, calm down…
(Roy trying to read a
book which isn’t to do with either alchemy, reports or girls phone numbers, and
he realises this isn’t working for him…)
Hughes: Roy, don’t let it
get to you…just keep calm…
(Calm however quickly
ends when outside…)
*
9TH PLACE –
NANAMI/JINNAI
(Jinnai’s speed and
Nanami’s navigating has allowed Team Jinnai to get ahead of the ninjas, who you
can see just in the distance…)
Lee: Gai-sensei, it’s not
over yet!
Gai: Right, we can do
this!
Jinnai: Fools! Their
muscle brains are no use in this desolate wasteland!
(Katsuhiko and Nanami
jump off as they head into the land of books, they need to find the marker
quickly because Lee and Gai are hot on their trail…)
Nanami: Look!
(Nanami sees the yellow
flag, and the two run into the building. Unfortunately, Lee saw them enter…)
Lee: They went into that
building Gai-sensei! Follow them!
Gai: Alright!
(Inside, Roy is not
pleased at the Jinnais arriving…)
Roy: Crap…
(…and royally pissed off
when the ninjas follow…)
Roy: Double crap…
(Shot of the Jinnai’s
looking at the Road Block…)
Nanami: I’ll do it –
being your sister has made me unable to be fazed by ANYTHING…
(Jinnai ignores that as
Gai takes it for the Naruto team…)
Gai: Nothing will faze
me, and that I would not let my cute student suffer anything depressing!
Lee: (trademark tears)
Gai-sensei…
(Gai and Lee hug but
Nanami is already looking for the book. Gai breaks the emotions as he uses his
speed to look…)
Roy: Ignore…just ignore…
(Gai finds the book
first, as he tries the flick technique. Nanami however carefully studies the
book for her line…)
Nanami; Winters pain echo
and crash…
Gai: Burning like the
wretched souls of hell…whoever wrote this needs to spend the day training with
me…
*
IZUMI/KEIKO – LAST
PLACE – 4.40PM
(Shot of the Himuros
outside the Land of Books…Izumi runs as fast as she can as soon as she spots
the marker…)
Izumi: Mom, hurry up,
we’re last…
Keiko: I’m being as quick
as I can…
(Izumi is impatient, but
waits for her mother who does seem to kick it up a gear, when she hears the
word ‘last’. Inside the library…)
*
Roy: O.K, now is it Page
22, Line 14?
(The ‘author’ reveals…)
(…the clue.)
Roy: Thank the heavens.
(He and Hughes reconvene
and read the clue…)
Roy: Pit Stop…let’s go…
Roy: I got angry with Hughes for a mistake and yet
when I made an error, he didn’t get in my face about it. I was frustrated, but
it shouldn’t have clouded a colonel’s judgement. I’m hoping this doesn’t cost
us…
(They pass the Himuros
coming down and the presence of them immediately sees Jinnai look a little more
nervous but still smirking…)
Keiko: Last clue…
(Rips it open…)
Keiko: …depressing
reading. I’ll do it.
Izumi: Are you sure?
Keiko: Dear, you’re not
happy. In this state, you will rush things.
Izumi: But we need to be
fast…
Keiko: Just trust your
mother, O.K?
(Izumi relents as Keiko
reads the clue. She nods, and gets her line ‘Pitch black as rats feed on the
remaining bones’ as she has to search for the last remaining book…)
Jinnai: So how does it
feel that you’re screwed?
Izumi: The only way I’m
finished is if I’m given a penalty.
Lee: What for?
Izumi: Murdering annoying
megalomaniacs.
(You can cut the tension
with a knife…)
*
4.46PM
Bob: Ah, there it is!
Nagi: Turn in…
Bob: Nagi, you do suck at
directions…
Nagi: Hey, at least we’re
here and…
Yakumo: Sara, quickly…
(Shot of Sara and Yakumo
parking just ahead of them at the cabin area. The two get off quickly knowing
that they can’t beat Bob and Nagi in a running race…)
Nagi: Crap…again?
Bob: Just run!
(The two streetfighters
run at top speed, but the distance is just too much. Sara and Yakumo hit the
mat about 5 seconds before Bob and Nagi do…)
Shishou: Welcome to my
forest cabin.
Sara/Yakumo: Thank you!
Yuko: Sara and Yakumo,
you’re team number two.
SARA/YAKUMO – 2ND
PLACE
(A huge whoop as the two
embrace…)
Sara: From last to
second, not a bad leg to say the least!
Yuko: (smiling) Move your
pretty faces girls, two more gotta hook in…
(They do as Bob smiles
and high fives Sara. Yakumo hesistates, but also does so. Nagi pretends to not
care but you can see him smirk and shake his head.)
Kino: My turn…Bob and
Nagi, you’re team number three.
BOB/NAGI – 3RD
PLACE
Nagi: Hey, still top
three Bob.
Bob: But back home, Maya
is going to make fun of us that these two beat us to the mat.
Sara: Sometimes speed
isn’t all boys…
Bob: Yeah…having a
partner that has a brain helps.
Nagi: HEY!
(Bob and Sara laugh at
poor Nagi, Yakumo smiles as Nagi blushes and curses inwardly…)
*
(The first to finish back
at the Road Block is Gai as he gives the answer…)
Gai: Page 14, Line 12.
(The ‘author’ gives him…)
(…another line.)
Gai: WHAT?
(Shot of Gai’s line –
Right page, but the line was 6. It seems Gai tooks the gaps in between
as lines as well with the double spacing. Gai races back wondering what he did
wrong…)
*
4.54PM
(Shot of Saga and Reggina
parking outside the cabin as they head to the mat…)
Yuko: Saga and Reggina,
you are team number 4!
Saga: You’re serious?
SAGA/REGGINA – 4TH
PLACE
(Saga jumps into her
grandmother’s arms in absolute joy…)
Saga: We moved two
places! We can do this race!
Reggina: Settle down
dear…(chuckles)
Saga: We even beat two
road queens in Rally and May…you’re a super gran!
Reggina: Well…that was
exhilarating I must admit…
*
(Shot of Nanami giving
the clue…)
Nanami: Page 30, Line 28.
(The ‘author’ reveals…)
(…the clue.)
Nanami: Thank you.
Nanami: Even with someone like my brother on the team,
I can concentrate on anything 100% if it’s to win a million pounds. That Road
Block was perfect for me.
(The Jinnais leave,
Katsuhiko with a smirk to Izumi who watches her mother battle with Lee’s
sensei…)
Lee: Come on Gai-sensei…come
on Gai-sensei…come on Gai-sensei…
(You can see Izumi get
more and more annoyed…)
*
4.56PM
Rally: That
grandmother…beat me in a road race?
Yuko: I’ll repeat it to
you…Rally and Minnie May, you are team number 5…
RALLY/MINNIE MAY – 5TH
PLACE
Rally: That’s it! May,
get Saga out and we’re gonna tickle torture her!
May: Yes boss!
(You can hear Saga
screaming already…)
*
(Back at the library, Gai
is again at the author…but again…)
(…another clue.)
Gai: What am I doing
wrong?
(Izumi has a huge sigh of
relief…and then Keiko calmly stands up and moves to the author…)
Keiko: Page 14, Line 32.
(The ‘author’ smiles…and
hands Keiko the clue. Lee’s face is in despair…)
Keiko: Thank you.
(Izumi smiles, not her
usual scowl, it’s a nice smile, and one of relief. She almost looks apologetic
to Lee, but not enough to run out of there with haste…)
Izumi: We can’t beat
those two in a race mom, we still need to get there as fast as possible…
Keiko: Direct me daughter
to the Pit Stop.
Izumi: Yes!
*
5.06PM
Sousuke: We’re here
Chidori.
Chidori: You really
busted ass there Sousuke!
(The two run off to the
Pit Stop…)
Kino: Sousuke and
Kaname…you’re team number 6.
SOUSUKE/KANAME – 6TH
PLACE
Kaname: No penalty?
Yuko: No penalty.
Kaname: Considering how
close the pack was behind us, glad of that.
Sousuke: We did well
Chidori.
Kaname: Yeah, lost a few
places but if we can haul butt like we did there we can still win this thing.
Sousuke: Affirmative.
*
(Finally, Gai realises
the lines just refer to the lines in writing, and strikes it lucky the third
time…)
(…the author gives him
the clue as Gai opens it quickly…)
Gai: Pit Stop…
Lee: We can still do it
Gai-sensei, we’re gonna speed and fly!
Gai: It’s never over – we
don’t give up until you know you’ve lost…and we certainly haven’t lost yet!
Come on Lee!
Lee: Yes sir!
(The two race back to
their motorad, as the race for last place is heating up…)
*
5.15PM
Yuko: Tylor and Yamamoto,
you are team number 7.
TYLOR/YAMAMOTO – 7TH
PLACE
Tylor: Lucky!
Yamamoto: I guess we did
work well together captain…
(The two salute each
other…)
*
(Shot of Roy and Hughes racing like madmen, as Hughes does his best job navigating…)
Hughes: This is where all my work studying in the office and library pays off!
Roy: Yeah…not the times you keep Sheska on overtime to see your family…I DO read the reports you know…
Hughes: Oops…well, it is Alicia’s birthday coming up…
Roy: Yeah, you’d think it was her last birthday you’ll see or something…
*
Nanami: Just drive and listen to me, that’s all you need to do!
Jinnai: Listening to you is never high on the agenda, but just this once…
Nanami: Here’s incentive…you want to see that baseball girls’ face when she’s eliminated right?
(Jinnai suddenly drives faster…)
*
Izumi: Atchoo…
Keiko: Caught a cold?
Izumi: It’s all this sand and dust…we don’t know where the ninjas are, so we just need to get to this cabin as fast as possible because if they are just a little bit behind us, we cannot beat them in a foot race.
Keiko: Fortunately, this isn’t a foot race.
(Keiko puts her foot down and speeds up…)
*
Gai: Damn, if this was on foot we would be all over this leg!
Lee: Gai-sensei, that’s just how it is…we’re just going to get there and speed through to the mat and prove that we can come from behind…
Gai: Indeed. We never give up.
*
(We fast forward to the teams arriving at the cabin…the first one…)
Roy: O.K fine, you got us here, now let’s make sure we’ve survived.
(Roy and Hughes hit the mat…)
5.55PM
Yuko: Roy and Hughes…you are team number 8.
Roy: (breathes out) That’s fine.
Hughes: Well done Roy.
Roy: Yeah…guess I owe you an apology.
(Hughes smiles…)
Hughes: Well…
Roy: I said I’ll do an apology – that’s not an excuse to admit your love for your wife and daughter…
Hughes: Awww…
*
(Shot of Gai putting the pedal to the metal in a cut shot with Keiko doing the same…)
*
6.02PM
Yuko: Jinnai and Nanami…you are team number 9…
Jinnai: Not good…
Nanami: We’re still in it, that’s good for me.
Jinnai: Conquest of this race doesn’t come easy…
*
(We get the dramatic montage of the mother/daughter skidding through a tough road, as Gai and Lee go through a tunnel…and then the camera skids out to see the Pit Stop…)
*
6.10PM
(Shot of Izumi and Keiko getting off the motorrad…)
Keiko: I don’t see the ninjas.
Izumi: So we’re either here or not…let’s find out from the space witch.
(The two move into the cabin and see the three ladies and the motorrad Hermes awaiting them…)
Shishou: Welcome to my cabin home.
Keiko: Thank you.
Kino: Izumi and Keiko…
(…pause…)
Kino: …you are team number 10.
KEIKO/IZUMI – 10TH PLACE
(The two sigh with relief. Keiko puts her arm around Izumi – she flinches slightly but smiles.)
Keiko: This race is harder than anything in the business world, but we’re hanging on, and we will get ahead, mark my words.
Izumi: We’re tough. People don’t want to cross us, and if they do, they see why we’ve got to the top of our worlds.
Keiko: This isn’t over yet, not by a long shot.
*
(But it is…for two ninjas.)
Gai: We’re here Lee, let’s see what fate has in store for us.
Lee: Lead the way Gai-sensei!
(Shot of the two, about 5 minutes behind the Himuros. They step onto the mat…)
Shishou: Welcome to my cabin home.
(The two nod and bow.)
Yuko: Gai and Rock Lee…you are the last team to arrive.
(Lee seems shocked. Gai not so much but you can tell they are disappointed….)
Yuko: I’m sorry to tell you, that you have been eliminated from the race.
Gai: It wasn’t our thing. The legs we had…neither of them were suitable for our skills. If we had got through these and the next leg was a physical leg, we would have flown by…but…we couldn’t use our foot speed in this leg which relied on machines and memory skill.
Lee: (crying) It’s…not…I wanted to see this world…with Gai-sensei…
Gai: Lee…
(Suddenly Gai send a fist into Lee’s check…he’s sent flying a few feet…)
Lee: Gai-se…
Gai: YOU IDIOT! JUST BECAUSE WE LOST HERE, DOESN’T MEAN WE’RE LOSERS! WE WERE JUST BEATEN IN SOMETHING WE WEREN’T USED TO AND BY OTHER WORTHY TEAMS! SO DON’T YOU CRY HERE!
Lee: GAI-SENSEI…
(Gai does his trademark thumbs up…)
Gai: Listen…you of all people would know how defeat feels…and how you want to be stronger…well, we’ll learn from this, we’ll get stronger, and we’ll return to Konoha, stronger than ever!
Lee: O-Of course…
Gai: (pearly smile) So now, feel the mountains of youth call us! Look out world!
Lee: Gai-sensei!
Gai: Lee!
(Cue the hug, the joint waterworks, and rather appropriately, the sunset in the background…)
Gai: I won’t say I’m not disappointed. I am. We could have dominated, but this leg, everything was against us. The bikes, the locations, both the detour and the road block…nothing helped us. Yet, I can still feel enlightened about the journey and that we do have something to take back to us in Konoha.
Lee: It’s just a minor stop on my journey to be a
great shinobi- Gai-sensei is the best partner in the world and we are not going
to let this be a setback. We are going to be strong as ever and even more so.
Gai: That’s the spirit Lee!
Lee: Yes sir!
*
NEXT TIME ON THE ANIMAZING RACE;
*
I can see a few jaws being pulled off the ground…yep, you read that right. Gai and Lee, the powerhouses…eliminated.
Yep, shocker, but it was always planned. The leg itself is not to their strengths – their over enthusiasm isn’t for the people in the first world, they couldn’t use their speed due to the motorrad, unfamiliar territory and a mistake at the Roadblock did cost them dearly.
Gai and Lee are indeed a very fun team though, and it’s a shame I couldn’t use them for future antics, but fortunately, there are still 10 teams I can be evil to and see if they can be just as fun.
Not too much in terms of notes due to so few characters in
Kino’s Journey, but you should have all bought the thinpack now to watch this
awesome series….right?
With Rally and May being American, it makes sense they may have seen the original Amazing Race, hence May’s comment about Reggina being a ‘gutsy granny’ obviously in reference to Season 2’s Peggy and Claire. They lasted to Leg 3…will Saga and Reggina do one better though?
Already mention the flag reference last chapter – not repeating myself.
Next ep – chilly Hokkaido and the obligatory airport chaos. See you next time!