Who’s ready for a return trip to the Digiworld? A two day race that’ll please almost any fan of the series... will the teams work well together, or will they fall so far apart that they won’t survive two days roughing it in the wild? Find out today on Roomies! Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Pokémon, Digimon, Cardcaptors, or Tenchi Muyo! Please remember that! I’ve been saying that for four months now! * * * * * * * * * * Layla: (VO) Last time, on Roomies... Madison: It’s a video scavenger hunt! Cool! Layla: (VO) Just as Madison said, the girls compete in their fifth prize challenge... The teams grab their camcorders and envelopes and head down the hill and out the front gate. Sora: Highton View Terrace! That’s where Digimon appeared in the real world for the first time... seven years ago! Mimi: But how do we get there? It’s a good half an hour from here. Nikki: Should we risk it? Sora: I think we should. Mimi: But it’s too far, Sora! Sora: Mimi, listen to me for once! Chelsea: (viewing the team through the camera) We could always take the subway, you know. The charlie team heads off for the nearest subway station. Layla: (VO) It unfortunately sparks a rivalry between teammates and best friends... Mimi steps back to get a wider shot of Sora, Nikki, and Chelsea. All of a sudden, she trips over herself, causing her to fall backwards. The others look back and motion to go over and catch Mimi, but it’s too late. Mimi lands on the ground, on her back. Sora: You’ll be fine, Mimi. (to Nikki) How’s the camera? Nikki: (gulps as she notices something) We’ve got a problem. Nikki points to the lens on the camera, which now has several cracks in it. The eyepiece is also damaged, as it is hinging partially off from the camera itself, as if it could easily be pulled off. Kari: What happened to you guys? Sora: Mimi dropped the camera. Mimi: I said it was an accident! How many more times do I have to apologize? Sora: (CC) Mimi dropped the camera! Can you believe it? How clumsy can she be? Mimi: (CC) This wouldn’t have happened if Sora would’ve just let me lead the way. Layla: (VO) But in the end, only the bravo team could complete the challenge... Sakura and Madison quietly shake hands in glee. Sasami pumps her fist in the air. Duplica has a smile on her face. We can’t say the same for everyone else, including Sora and Mimi. Layla: (VO) What will happen next? Stay tuned! Roomies begins right now! * * * * * * * * * * Sixteen young girls Four different anime shows Forty-two days living alone in a mansion One lucky soul walks away with up to one million dollars in cash (Begin theme song, showing each of the contestants, two at a time via split screen) Casey, getting on a bike for the first time, with Zachary helping Chelsea, smiling after beating Nikki and Rita at ‘Super Smash Brothers’ Duplica, telling Giselle about the water gun fight Giselle, talking to an out of breath Misty after she had completed the first prize challenge Jun, talking to her parents on the phone Kari, struggling to resolve the conflict between Misty and Sora Madison, giving Yolei the Digiworld costume she recreated Meilin, trying to scare Sakura just before they go for their final dive Mimi, whining that she didn’t get a chance to play the virtual laser tag game at the mall Misty, commenting to herself to make sure she doesn’t have any relatives in Hong Kong Nikki, telling about Madison’s knack for designing clothes for fun Rita, noting how easily she’s gotten alone with her roommate, Sasami Sakura, celebrating after winning the bicycle race prize challenge Sasami, complaining that she’s doing all of the work around the house Sora, comforting Mimi after she got yelled at by Misty Yolei, happily hugging her Digimon, Hawkmon Some of these girls will form long lasting friendships Others will develop intense rivalries But only one will walk out with up to a million dollars in cash and prizes These girls are... roomies! (Four group shots, each featuring one of the anime shows being represented, flashes on the screen for about two seconds each) - Cardcaptors - Rita, Nikki, Chelsea, Meilin, Madison, Sakura - Pokémon: The Johto Journeys - Casey, Giselle, Duplica, Misty - Digimon - Jun, Yolei, Kari, Mimi, Sora - Tenchi Muyo! - Sasami (End theme song, with a picture of all sixteen contestants in front of the mansion) * * * * * * * * * * Roomies Story Written by Freedom Fighter * * * * * * * * * * Episode Sixteen - The Race to Infinity Mountain Day Thirty Two Kari steps outside of the mansion on a rainy Thursday morning. She stays under the porch, but she’s out there to get some fresh air. Misty and Giselle had gotten into one of their little spats again, so she had to break them up. She’s well aware that they’d pound each other into the ground if they had the chance. Kari: (CC) I know that in these reality shows, you’re supposed to bring your grudges against others to life. That’s why there’s been so many potential fights. Somebody says one thing wrong and half the house could be breathing down your neck in seconds. Kari continues to stare out into the rain filled sky as Yolei comes outside and joins her on the porch. Kari: Yolei? Yolei: Hi Kari. You know, we haven’t had much time for a real conversation. Kari: With everything that’s happened in the past few days, I’m surprised we’re having one now. Yolei: So, what do you think? Who’s going to win it? Kari: Personally Yolei, I have no clue. Yolei: Really? ‘Cause from what I’ve heard, a lot of the girls are thinking about voting for you. Kari: Me? That can’t be! Yolei: Think about it! Who’s been keeping this house together almost single-handedly? Kari: Me, I guess, but I’m not the only one! Yolei: Maybe not. That doesn’t seem to matter, though. Kari: Have you ever thought that you might win this? Yolei: Me? You’ve got to be kidding. After everything that happened between Madison and I, I’m lucky I’m even still in the mansion. Kari: What do you mean? Yolei: At first, Madison and I were good friends. She was giving me fashion tips and offering to make some clothes for me. But then when she admitted her love for Sakura, it’s like everything went topsy-turvy. I still don’t understand her reasons for doing that, but I’m finding it hard to reconcile with her even though she’s now regretted her admission. Kari: I’m sure you’ll both come around. This has been a very trying month so far, huh? Yolei: (sighs) Yeah. I’m ready to get out of here and go back home. Kari: Me too. It’ll be nice to only have to worry about myself again. Yolei: I’d take my older brothers and sisters over most of the girls in this mansion, hands down! At least I can stand my own siblings. Kari: (laughs) I’m lucky I only have to worry about Tai... though he can be a handful as well. Yolei: Speaking of friends... what happened exactly between Sora and Mimi yesterday? Kari: (sighs) They got into this argument yesterday when Mimi fell and accidentally broke the camera they were using for the challenge. Sora practically brushed her off as her best friend right then and there, and now they’re not even talking to each other. Yolei: I guess we should help them resolve their differences. Kari: We’re going to have to. Like, who’s going to anyway? Yolei: Good point. Kari: (CC) After four and a half weeks, it’s weird to see two roommates and best friends go at each other’s throats like Sora and Mimi have. The duo goes upstairs to Sora and Mimi’s bedroom... only to be startled when they discover the condition of the room. Yolei: Unbelievable! They’ve actually divided the room in half! Kari: There’s a white line splitting the room? Now I’ve seen everything. Sora: Stay off my side of the room, okay? Mimi: Fine! As long as you stay off my side! Sora: Fine! Mimi: Fine! Sora: Fine! Mimi: Fine! Sora: Fine! Mimi: Fine! Yolei: (slapping herself on the forehead) Oy vey! Kari: Sora, Mimi, can we talk? Sora: This is just between the teenagers, Kari. Mimi: Yeah. You’re too young to be solving our problems. Kari: Excuse me, but I’ve already done that several times! Don’t give me that crap! Yolei: Mimi, you used to be so nice! Why this sudden change of attitude towards Sora? Mimi: Oh, I’ll be nice to everyone. Except for Sora, the whore I have for a roommate! Sora: Excuse me? I don’t think a slut should be calling me a whore! Kari: Come on you two! You used to be best friends! Now you’re calling each other names! Tell me, what’s wrong with this picture? Sora: Mimi isn’t athletic enough to be a real force in the challenges. She slowed us down when she broke the camera yesterday. Mimi: I don’t even know why you picked me for your team! Oh, I remember now. If you helped me out, it would make you look good, so you would gain a vote or two! Yolei: Maybe we should get Jun in here to resolve this. After all, she is the oldest girl in the house. Kari: Yeah, but Jun hates Sora’s guts, remember? That wouldn’t be fair. Yolei: You’re right. I guess I forgot about that. What about Rita? She’s mature for her age. Kari: Of course, but she’s never dealt with a situation like this. Yolei: Well, we’ve gotta do something! If we leave these two alone, they might tear each other apart! (crying) And I don’t want Mimi to get hurt! Kari: Tell you what... we’ll go one scale lower than that house meeting we called last week. Yolei: Huh? Kari: We’ll have a roundtable discussion. Madison, Sakura, Duplica, and Sasami usually have the coolest heads in the mansion, besides us. Go get them and tell them to meet me in the dining room downstairs. Yolei: You got it! (to Sora and Mimi) Don’t worry you two! We’ll find a solution to this! Sora: Why bother? The solution’s simple... move Mimi out of my room. Mimi: Your room? Last time I checked, this was our room! Then again, maybe it’s time for you to go! Kari sighs as she leaves the room, hoping that those two would still be alive when she got back. She heads down to the dining room. Eventually, all of the people she called for arrive, and she starts the meeting. Kari: First it was Misty and Sora... Madison: Then it was Meilin, Giselle, and Jun... Sakura: Followed by Madison and practically everyone else in the house... Duplica: Next came Misty and Giselle, just a few days ago... Sasami: But now, there’s this. Yolei: Sora and Mimi. Unbelievable. Kari: We’ve got to figure how to calm those two down and make them best friends again. Duplica: The easiest way would be to figure out what caused the conflict in the first place. You can work from there. Sakura: I don’t know. I’ve been watching them all day and they don’t look like they want to talk about how it all started. Madison: Maybe we can invite them to go out on a private night with us... but we don’t tell them that the other is going. Sasami: We did that with Sora when she had that conflict with Misty. You know, the whole ‘I hate Digimon ‘cause I’m from Pokémon’ thing? Yolei: (screams) Aaaaaahhhhhhh! I wish we could solve problems the same way you and I did, Kari. Kari: That would be nice, only I don’t think they’d appreciate slapping each other in the face. Sakura: Huh? Duplica: What’s all this about slapping each other? Yolei: Well, you see, as Kari and I were trying to find a way to get our Digimon to DNA digivolve. In the process, we ended up slapping each other across the face before we finally snapped back to reality and realize the bond between us, despite our differences. Kari: Yes. We used to be polar opposites. I was always the shy one, keeping all of my problems bottled inside of me. Yolei was the complete opposite; she was never afraid to speak her mind. If you did something she disapproved of, oh, she’d come out and let you know! Sakura: (sweatdrops) Great... Sasami: You know, you two would make great sisters! Yolei: No way! The only girl I even consider close to being my sister is Mimi! Duplica: Geese... attached to her that much, are we? Madison: How about you, Kari? Do you side with Sora on this or Mimi? Kari: I really don’t like picking sides. They’re both good friends of mine. Sakura: That makes me wonder how they got through the night. Madison: Kari, how were they when you saw them at Highton View Terrace yesterday? Kari: Well, Sora was upset because Mimi broke the video camera. But that’s all could figure out from the scene. Other than the fact that they were no longer talking to each other, of course. Duplica: That seems like the breaking point of it all. Which means that there must have been some sequence of events that has occurred in the past few weeks. But what? The girls continue to evaluate Duplica’s theory... just what could have led to this tragic separation of best friends? * * * * * * * * * * Day Thirty Three After almost a day of discussion by the so-called ‘panel’ and a night’s sleep to give it some thought, they still couldn’t come up with a solution as to how the friendly relationship began to break up. They wouldn’t get much time today... the mailbox was once again full, signifying a challenge of some sorts. Sasami goes out to get the envelope. But that’s not the only thing she finds in there. Two D-3s, Kari and Yolei’s of course, a compass, and an old map of some sort have also been stuffed into the mailbox with the envelope. Sasami: (pulling all of the stuff out) Looks like we’re going back to the Digiworld. I wonder if we’ll have to find a certain location there. The girls gather in the first floor recreation room and take a glance at the items. Kari and Yolei reach for the D-3s and start hugging them as if it were their favorite stuffed animal. Yolei: Digiworld, here we come! Again! Kari: This is so cool! Another chance to visit Gatomon! Misty: Let’s just hope we’re not in for another quiz. I’m not in the mood for mind challenges. Duplica: You might be out of luck, Misty. The compass and map means that we’re going to have to find something in the Digiworld. Sasami fishes the tape out of the envelope and heads for the VCR. As per usual, everyone takes a seat as the tape starts playing and Miss McKenzie appears on the TV screen... not suprisingly, dressed in a safari outfit. Layla: Some of you have probably spent a lot more time inside the mansion than you’d like. Well, here’s you chance to visit the great outdoors! Back to the Digiworld you go! This time, it’s a big race! But surviving means much more than just winning. Prepare to follow in the footsteps of the original Digidestined! The tape then comes to an end. Everyone in the room then turns to Sora and Mimi, who are sitting next to each other in the center of the room, yet they aren’t facing each other. Kari: (CC) I have an idea of what Miss McKenzie means. Something tells me Sora and Mimi are going to be at the helm and it’s going to be utter chaos. Casey: (CC) I don’t think either of them are focused on this game right now. Sasami opens the main envelope and starts reading the instructions for the challenge. Sasami: (reading aloud) Upon reading this, you are to split into two teams and head to the Digiworld, using the D-3s to access the portal. Make sure that the D-3s are set to land you at Primary Village on File Island. Further instructions will be given there. Do not bring anything with you... materials and supplies needed for the challenge will be provided. By the way, the team captains for this challenge are Sora and Mimi. Good luck! I’ll see you soon! Meilin: (CC) Quick, someone elect new captains! Sora and Mimi would definitely not make good ones right now, especially with them at each other’s throats. [The team assignments (picked in random order): Yellow - Sora, Madison, Sasami, Meilin, Nikki, Casey, Giselle, and Misty Pink - Mimi, Rita, Kari, Jun, Sakura, Duplica, Chelsea, and Yolei] The teams head over to the computers. Kari decides to stay behind to help transport the yellow team to the Digiworld. Casey takes her place as Yolei opens the Digi-port and sends the pink team and Casey into the computer. Moments later, after the Digi-port closes behind them, Kari reopens the portal with her D-3 and guides the yellow team in. All of the non-Digidestined take in the sights and sounds of Primary Village, where the lives of all Digimon begin. Many of them are excited at the sight of young, new Digimon being born. Sakura and Chelsea get a bit overexcited as they head right for a few of the unhatched eggs. Sakura: Wow! This is so neat! Chelsea: (shaking the egg gently) I wonder what kind of Digimon is in here? Suddenly, a bolt of electricity lands between the two girls. They jump back, causing Chelsea to release her grip on the Digiegg. It floats into the air for a split second before beginning to come down. Gasping, Sakura and Chelsea make a dash to catch it before it hits the ground. At the last second, a mysterious Digimon jumps between the two girls and catches the Digiegg. Unfortunately, this distracts Sakura and Chelsea long enough that they don’t watch where they are going. They end up bumping heads hard. The two hit the ground, rubbing their heads as little yellow birds spin around them. Meanwhile, the others look to the Digimon who saved the Digiegg. It turns out to be Elecmon, the caretaker of Primary Village. He is not happy with Sakura or Chelsea. Elecmon: Trying to steal these Digieggs, huh? Listen! Only I can touch these eggs, got it? Chelsea: (coming to) Ouch! What did he say? Sakura: (rubbing her head) Who’s that Digimon? Elecmon: I am Elecmon, the guardian of Primary Village. And no one may handle these eggs other than me. I am responsible for taking care of these Digieggs until they hatch. I also feed them, burp them, and keep them healthy until there are old enough to go out on their own. Understand? Mimi: Elecmon, it’s okay. They’re with us. Elecmon: (turning his attention away from Sakura and Chelsea) Mimi? Wow, long time no see! Mimi: (smiles) It’s good to be back. Layla: Ah, you’ve arrived. Miss McKenzie appears behind one of block shaped buildings. She walks up to the girls. Layla: Follow me, girls. Sakura and Chelsea quickly apologize to Elecmon before running off after the others, who are making their way to the outskirts of the village. There, they spot sixteen small camping backpacks, with sleeping bags tied to them. Giselle: (with a hint of fear in her voice) Those bags there. They don’t mean what I think they mean, do they? Meilin: If you’re thinking the same thing I’m thinking, I’m with you sister! Layla: The task at hand for the sixth physical challenge is simple in nature. But the road to complete it is long and winding. Duplica: No offense, but can you get to the point? Layla: (sighs) Basically, the team that gets to the top of Infinity Mountain first wins. Sakura: Infinity Mountain? Nikki: That doesn’t sound too good... Layla: But, before we begin, we’re going to do something special. I need the teams to split into two factions. Once you do that, send one person from each faction to me. The teams do so. Eventually, Misty, Madison, Mimi, and Sakura make their way over to Miss McKenzie. She hands Misty and Madison one map and Mimi and Sakura another. The map is an updated one of the Digiworld... File Island, to be exact. Layla: This is a map of the Digiworld. There are three locations circled on the map. One is Primary Village, where one faction from each team will start. The other faction will start at Toy Town, which is much closer to Infinity Mountain, the third area circled, which is your final destination. Misty: So you mean the whole team won’t stay together? Layla: That’s right. But both factions must finish before the team is declared the winner. Mimi: This sounds like something that’s going to take more than one day. Layla: That’s why we have the sleeping bags. Sakura: How do we decide which team goes where? Layla: The factions in which the team captain is will be the ones that stay here. Madison: Will we be available to keep these maps? Layla: Nope. We’re giving you five minutes to memorize the maps and then we’re burning them. You’ll have to find your way to the top of Infinity Mountain by memory. The four girls begin to panic. They begin going over the map, trying to remember as much about the territory and where certain villages are. Five minutes later, the girls return to their groups as Elecmon goes off to destroy the maps. They explain the situation to their teammates. Casey: You’re kidding? Giselle: (crying) I have to sleep on the cold, dirty ground? Meilin: Oh, shut up! The backpacks are split up among the teams. They strap them to their backs as Miss McKenzie gives final instructions. Layla: At this point in time, the two factions who are making the trip to Toy Town will take the two helicopters there. In exactly forty five minutes, those factions will start their journey from there. Meanwhile, the two factions that will start here at Primary Village will begin in fifteen. Note that all of the backpacks have the same materials in them. Unfortunately, there is only enough food in each pack for one decent meal. You will have to somehow have to get food from that point on. I hope you’ve chosen your teams wisely... the challenge begins shortly! Madison, Nikki, Casey, Giselle, Sakura, Duplica, Rita, and Kari follow Miss McKenzie to two waiting helicopters. The girls then split into their teams and onto separate helicopters. They then take off, heading for Toy Town. Miss McKenzie then heads back to the others, who are waiting to begin. Sora: Prepare to go down, Mimi! Mimi: As if! Jun: Sora is such a sore loser. She loses three challenges in a row and she’s taking it out on her roommate. Yolei: You shouldn’t talk about Sora behind her back, Jun. Jun: I’m serious! She had no right to get angry with Mimi! I say we get her back for it! Chelsea: I don’t know. Shouldn’t we try to win fairly? Jun: This game has gone beyond the point of no return when it comes to being fair. Meilin: I don’t know about this guys. This could be messy. Misty: It’s gonna be our job to keep it from getting messy. Sasami: I hope everything turns out to be alright. The two teams line up at the exit to Primary Village. Standing tall in the distance is Infinity Mountain, a good fifty five miles away. Layla: (raising a starting pistol into the air) Here we go ladies! Good luck! Sora and Mimi stare at each other once last time as Miss McKenzie prepares to pull the trigger. Layla: On your mark! Get set! (pulling the trigger) Go! The gun blasts an empty shell into the air as the two teams take off. Sora, with the faster team, pulls ahead of Mimi and the others. Sora: (VO) At the start of this challenge, our best bet is to get as far away from Mimi’s team as quickly as possible. Soon enough, as the teams make their way through the thick jungles of File Island, the two teams separate. Sora stops for a minute for her team to catch up and figure out where they are going. Sora: Okay Misty, which way are we to go? Misty: I think that our best bet would be to find a village or something. I think there’s one about two miles away, in the direction we’ve been heading. Meilin: Misty’s got a point. I think we need to fill our stomachs before we go any further. Sora: Good idea. Saving whatever food we have is essential, because we might not know how far is it between towns. Layla: (VO) As Sora’s team heads out to the northwest, Mimi’s team makes a beeline straight for Infinity Mountain. Mimi: If my memory serves me right, we’ll hit the village soon. We can get some rest there and some food as well. Yolei: Wow Mimi! I’m surprised how seriously you’re taking this captain business. Mimi: Well, how else am I going to show Sora’s who the better Digidestined? Chelsea: (facefaults) I knew there was an alterior motive. Jun: Just make sure we win. I have a streak to keep, you know. As they continue their trek, the other two factions make their landing just outside of Toy Town. A Numemon awaits them there. Numemon: Greetings ladies! Welcome to Toy Town! Giselle: (screams) Crap! What is that dang thing? Sakura: (nervously) It looks like a green glob of some sorts. Nikki: Is it a Digimon, or some virus that’s come alive? Kari: Don’t be silly. That’s Numemon. He may not be the cutest or cleanest Digimon, but he’s got a heart of gold. Numemon: Speaking of hearts... Numemon glances at Sakura. He’s got hearts in his eyes as he blushes profusely. Numemon: How ‘bout a date first? Just you and me? Sakura: Are you joking? Seriously, did you just ask me out? Numemon: What? Are you deaf or something? Sakura: He’s not joking, is he? (to Numemon) No offense, but I only date humans. Numemon: (turning to Giselle) How about you, sweet cheeks? Giselle, still scared of the slimy Numemon, would’ve squished the small Digimon with her own high heels if Madison hadn’t stepped in and held her back. Casey: If Giselle’s the top student at Pokémon Tech, I hate to see who graduated underneath her. They must be very weird if they can’t even stand tall in front of a slimy creature such as that Digimon. Rita: Enough with the arguing! Can we get started already? Numemon: If you insist. Sheesh, no one around here ones to have any fun. The two factions take their place on opposite sides of Numemon. The green Digimon takes out a small green flag and raises it into the air. Numemon: Okay... when I drop this flag, you take off. Got it? An affirmative nod came from the group. Seconds later, Numemon drops the flag and away the two factions go! Quickly, they head off in different directions. Madison and her group decide to head out towards Infinity Mountain, while Sakura and her crew head into Toy Town to find a place to strategize before leaving. Layla: (VO) Time passes by. The two factions that started at Toy Town are already at the foot of Infinity Mountain by four o’clock, several hours before nightfall. Madison, Nikki, Casey, and Giselle have about a forty one minute, fifty two second lead on Sakura, Duplica, Rita, and Kari. But the former team has not yet stopped, while the latter has already made a stop for food and water in the nearby Yokomon Village before attempting to ascend the mountain. Casey: (looking up the mountain) You mean we have to climb all the way up there? Giselle: Oh, stop being such a wuss. Madison: Look who’s talking... weren’t you trembling in fear in front of that Numemon? Giselle: (shudders) Don’t remind me. When the other faction arrives, they do not spot the first team anywhere on the mountain. Sakura: Do you think we beat them? Kari: Maybe. We’d better start climbing, just to be safe. Duplica: Please tell me we’re not behind, please tell me we’re not behind... Further back, the location of the two main factions is unknown, as they continue their search through the jungles of File Island. Misty: Keep it movin’, guys! We’ve just got to win this! Sora: Don’t worry, Misty. We will. With the other team... Jun: We’ll never get there if you guys keep sitting down to take breaks. Jun is yelling at her teammates, who are all sitting on some large rocks. Chelsea: I’ve never walked this much in my entire life! Yolei: We need a way to get there faster! Jun: We would if you guys would stop taking a rest every five minutes! Mimi: Stop complaining! We’ll get there! Trust me. * * * * * * * * * * Night Thirty Three As the sun begins to fade in the Digiworld, Madison, Nikki, Casey, and Giselle decide to take a short break to eat dinner. It’s almost seven thirty and there are just over halfway up Infinity Mountain. Madison: (opening her backpack) Let’s see what we’ve got in here. Giselle: (pulling out a small box of energy bars) This is a joke, right? I’m not fat! Casey: (pulling out a 12 ounce bottle of water) Does anyone want to trade this for a Hawaiian Punch? Nikki: (pulling out two sandwiches wrapped in plastic) Sandwiches! Cool! Madison: (pulling out a mini-flashlight) Kinda small for a flashlight, don’t you think? Casey: (rubbing her eyes with her free hand) I’m tired. Can we stop for the night? We’ve been walking up this mountain for hours! Nikki: Three hours and thirty-one minutes, to be exact. Giselle: I say we keep going! Who knows? They’re might be a hotel waiting for us at the top! Madison: In the Digiworld? You can’t be serious! Giselle: Well, it could happen! Casey: I guess we’d better set up camp. Anyone know how to start a fire? Giselle: (pulling a matchbox out of the backpack) Step aside! Giselle’s here! Elsewhere on File Island, one of the factions find themselves lost. Chelsea: I think we’re lost. Yolei: Nonsense! Mimi knows exactly where we are, right? Mimi: Well, to tell you the truth, I’m not sure myself. (laughs nervously) Imagine that. Jun: (growling) You’ll never beat Sora at anything if you keep losing these challenges because of your stupidity! Yolei: Hey! For someone who was weeping a few days ago because his dopey younger brother got hurt, you sure seem confident of insulting people again. Jun: Oh, shut up! I know you love my brother! Don’t lie! Yolei: (gasps in shock) Where did you hear that? Davis is too dumb to have any girl pick him as a boyfriend! Jun: Is that how the new class of teenagers lie about their loves these days? Yolei: Stop picking on me because Matt chose Sora over you! You’re not exactly the perfect girl, you know! Jun: Look who’s talking, four eyes. Yolei: (clenching her fists) You want to fight? I’ve got all of this energy inside of me that I’d like to release! Preferably on you! Mimi: Yolei! Jun! Cease this at once! I’m tired of Jun complaining that she didn’t get Matt. I’m tired of Yolei stalking me ‘cause she’s infatuated with me! And I’m definitely tired of Sora getting all of the attention because I moved away to New York! Well, I’ll show her. I’ll show you all! (pointing towards Infinity Mountain) We’re going to win this challenge, even if we have to walk all night! Yolei: All night? Jun: No way! Chelsea: (raising her hand) Can I have a say in this? Mimi: (running off) Let’s go, girls! Infinity Mountain, here we come! As darkness begins to cover the landscape, most of the teams decide to bunker down and find shelter. One team decides to keep going, at least for a few hours. Pulling out the mini-flashlights, Sora leads Sasami, Misty, and Meilin through the thick jungle. There is absolutely no chatter going on between the four, as they hope to sneak past some of the most dangerous Digimon while they are asleep. Up on Infinity Mountain, another team sneaks their way past a distant cave. One of the members swears that she saw someone moving inside, but her teammates tell her to ignore it. Once the group turns the corner and gets out of sight, the so-called figure comes out of the cave. It happens to be a young Tsunomon, who is curious about the noise that he had heard. The little Digimon shrugs it off and heads back into the cave. Day Thirty Four Atop Infinity Mountain, Miss McKenzie, Gennai, and Piximon await the arrival of the girls. It is just about ten thirty in the morning. Suddenly, Piximon spots four figures running up the remaining half mile or so of road to the top. Duplica is in the lead, hopping happily along. Her teammates, Sakura, Rita, and Kari, are lagging behind, all holding their stomachs. A few minutes later, Duplica, already at the top, helps her teammates along the final few feet as they approach the trio. Gennai: Ah, good morning! Welcome to top of Infinity Mountain! Piximon: That’s right! Yep yep! Duplica: (with the others breathing heavily behind her) Hi! Are we the first ones here? Layla: (noticing Sakura, Rita, and Kari) Yes, you are. Duplica: Great! Gennai: What’s up with your friends? Duplica: They ate a few wild mushrooms that they found yesterday, just outside the Yokomon Village. Unfortunately, they made them a bit sick. The three girls collapse on the ground. Kari is lying down flat, breathing heavily as she lays her left hand of her chest. Rita is kneeling on the ground, acting somewhat incoherent as she looks straight up into the sky. As for Sakura, she’s holding her throat with her one hand and supporting herself with the other, looking as if she’s about to puke right in front of all of them. Duplica sweatdrops in embarrassment as she watches her teammates in pain. Piximon: You must be very smart if you decided against eating them. Duplica: Actually, I’m allergic to mushrooms. Miss McKenzie, Gennai, and Piximon facefault on the spot. Meanwhile, Sora and her team arrive in the Yokomon Village, with Misty continuously dusting herself off. Obviously, she was freaked about something. Meilin: You’re pathetic, Waterflower. You know that? Sasami: I’ve never seen anyone so deathly afraid of bugs. Misty: Well, you’d be scared if one was crawling up your leg! Sora: (VO) Yokomon Village. The place where Biyomon digivolved to champion for the first time. I’ll never forget that day. Sora waves to the Yokomon as she introduces them to Misty, Sasami, and Meilin. They then decide to stick around for breakfast. Back at the peak of Infinity Mountain, Madison, Nikki, Casey, and Giselle drag themselves to the finish line. They gasp in shock when they find Duplica waiting for them as well as Miss McKenzie, Gennai, and Piximon. Layla: You’re the second team to arrive. Giselle: (turning to Duplica) How did you guys beat us? I could’ve sworn we were ahead of you! Duplica: We set up camp at six o’clock in the evening, slept until one o’clock in the morning, then trotted up the mountain for about five hours. We then took another two hour nap before spending another hour and a half getting here. Nikki: Where’s the rest of your team? Duplica: They’re off resting. Madison: I see. That must have been tired after carrying all of that stuff for so long! Duplica: (scratching her head) Well, that’s one way of putting in. Several hours pass. Somewhere on Infinity Mountain, Sora and her group stop to take a lunch break. Sora: This sandwich they made for us isn’t too bad. Ham and provolone. Cool. Misty: (eyes wide open in surprise) You mean you haven’t eaten that yet? Sasami: The cheese’s probably gone bad already. Didn’t you check? Sora: Nonsense! It tastes fine to me. Meilin: If you’re just eating your sandwich now, then what did you eat for dinner last night? Sora: I just munched on some berries, that’s all. Meilin: That’s crazy, girl! After all the walking with these elephants that Miss McKenzie’s calling backpacks, I’m surprised you haven’t collapsed yet. Sora: It pays to be an athlete, I guess. Sasami: But wouldn’t that make you more susceptible to fatigue? Sora: I’m fine, guys! Stop worrying about me! Let’s just finish eating so we can win this challenge and go home. Misty: It’s always about winning, isn’t it? Sora: (as Misty stands up) Huh? Winning’s not the only thing I think about. Misty: Yes it is! After going six-for-six in challenges, you’ve lost the last four straight! I bet your ego can’t take another loss! Sora was speechless. She was aware that she hadn’t had the best of luck lately, but she didn’t think anyone would notice her focused state. Misty: I think you’re to used to that competitive spirit that got you to the top of the soccer ranks a few years ago and the cream of the crop of the female tennis players today. You’ve got to stop being so serious! Sora: I’m not always serious! Misty: See! You sounded serious when you responded to me! Sasami: Relax Sora! We’re here to have fun, remember? Sora: (plastering a fake smile on her face) Okay, I’ll relax. Meilin: Yeah! Does that mean I can lead us up the rest of the mountain? Sora and Misty: (simultaneously) Of course not! Meilin: No need to throw a temper tantrum! I know when I’m not wanted! Sasami: (sweatdrops) So much for asking myself... A couple more hours have passed. At the top of Infinity Mountain, Miss McKenzie, Gennai, and Piximon await for the arrival of the next faction, which would determine which team wins the challenge. The eight girls who had arrived there earlier were also there, including Sakura, Rita, and Kari, who were all feeling much better. Not too far down the mountain, the girls began to make out several figures getting closer. Misty: (whines) Are we almost there? Sora: (wiping the sweat off of her forehead) We should be there any minute. Meilin: (rolling up her sleeves) Why is it so hot? This heat is unbearable! Sasami: It must be pretty hot. (squinting her eyes) I swear I see someone getting close to the top. Sora: Where? Sasami: (pointing towards the top) There! Misty glances in that direction and immediately spots Yolei’s unmistakably long purple hair hanging down over her back. Misty: That’s Yolei! No mistake about! Sora: (breaking out in a sprint) We’ve got to beat them up there! Misty: (chasing after Sora) Wait up! You can’t beat them without me! Meilin: (sarcastically as she and Sasami follow suit) Oh, great. Up ahead, Mimi, Yolei, Chelsea, and Jun are peacefully walking along the trail, only a minute or so away from reaching the top. Mimi: (sighs) I’m sorry you guys. I bet Sora and them have been there for hours already. Maybe we should just give up and quit. Yolei: (gasps) Mimi! I’d never expect you to say that! Jun: That Sora’s a nobody! Even if she did beat us, who cares? Now that she has her own friends, what does she need you for? Chelsea, bringing up the rear, just remains quiet as she takes in all of the sights. While she does, though, she notices four figures running up the mountain, not too far behind. Chelsea: Guys, look! I think that’s Sora and her team behind us! And they’re coming up fast! The three Digimon girls turn quickly in the direction where Chelsea is looking. Sure enough, Sora, Misty, Sasami, and Meilin are running up the last part of the mountain. Yolei: I bet they’ve already seen us! That’s why they’re running! Jun: Quick! We can still win! Let’s get to the top and fast! The four girls take off in a mad sprint, as they race to get to the top before Sora’s team. Up above, Piximon and Gennai comment on the action. Piximon: Look at them go! They’re running like they’ve got bees up their skirts! Gennai: I must be getting old. I don’t see any bees. After a few minutes, Sora and her team close the gap. But it’s too little, too late, as Mimi and Chelsea gasp for air as they join Yolei and Jun at the top. Miss McKenzie is there to declare them the winners. Layla: Congratulations, Mimi. You and your team win the sixth physical challenge. The pink team gathers around their captain as they cheer her on. Mimi, stunned by the fact that her team actually won, is speechless as the cheers continue. A minute later, Sora, Misty, Sasami, and Meilin reach the top. They hang their heads in defeat as they walk over to their teammates, who console them. Afterwards, the two teams go over to shake hands. But when Sora and Mimi meet in the middle, they skip over each other. Several of the girls notice this and take note. Something tells them that this friendly competition didn’t do anything to renew the ties of friendship between the oldest of the Digidestined. Night Thirty Four Back at the mansion, Sora goes to the confessional room with two letters in hand. Sora: (CC) When we got back from the Digiworld, I found that Tai and Matt had both replied to my letters. Fortunately, their responses made it much easier for me to decide. (takes one letter and slowly rips it in half, down the center) Sorry Tai, but if you’re not going to put the effort into a situation like this, then why should I feel compassion for you? With that, she walks out of the room, throwing Tai’s letter, now in two pieces, into the garbage can. End Episode Sixteen Layla: (VO) Next episode... Four shots flash on the screen for about a second apiece. The first is one of Misty, fixing her hair in front of the mirror in her room. The second is of Giselle, talking with someone on the phone. Third comes a picture of Sora, kicking a soccer ball out on the front yard. The last one is of Mimi, walking around downtown. Layla: (VO) Misty, Giselle, Sora, and Mimi... Misty: Giselle needs to chill out for once. Mimi: It’s about time you made up your mind! Layla: (VO) Next time, one of these four girls will go off the deep end... Sora: That’s the last straw! Giselle: How can you say that at a time like this? Layla: (VO) Who will it be? Yolei: This is perfect! Just perfect! Chelsea: (CC) Personally, I think of all of the Digidestined girls have gone crazy. Madison: Anyone up for cupcakes? Jun: Cupcakes? (in a low voice) Really? Layla: (VO) The answer comes your way, right after this prize challenge... Sakura: (reading the clue aloud) It is not one of the four element cards. Chelsea: Earth, fire, wind, and water, right? Meilin: (sarcastically) Thank you, Chelsea. As if we didn’t know that already. Layla: You have been eliminated from the game. Duplica: (CC) Miss McKenzie’s being particularly harsh today. Sasami: (CC) It’s time to separate the Daphnes from the Velmas. Layla: (VO) The final week of the competition begins next episode, here on Roomies! Copyright Date: 9/25/01