The Amazing Race: A Merged World
Hyrule Castle Town, 12:00 PM
(A helicopter flies over the capital city of the beautiful kingdom of Hyrule. The city is filled with people. Most are humans – some with pointed ears and some with round ears – but some are large brown humanoid creatures whose bodies seem to be made of rock. And there are others, with the physical figure of a human, but blue in color with fins on their arms and legs. Standing in the northern part of the city, in the courtyard of a glistening white castle, is a short old man in a brown vest, purple shirt, and white pants. Oddly enough, he is wearing a brown-spotted tan mushroom on his head and instead of having legs, his body rounds out at the bottom where his feet are.)
"...This is Hyrule Castle Town. This capital city of the magical kingdom of Hyrule is about to play host to eleven teams in a race around the world. I'm your host, Toadsworth. Currently, eleven teams of two are being transported by taxi to the starting line here at Hyrule Castle. These teams each have a special relationship, and vary in size, species and age." The camera panned out over Castle Town to show eleven taxis, bound for the castle courtyard. "These teams are…"
CJ & Shaylene: Dating
"CJ and Shaylene. Dating best friends, one of whom is Hyrule's Sage of Shadow and also its king, the other is Hyrule's Sage of Light." Toadsworth narrated.
(The camera then shows a brown-haired, blue-eyed young man around 28 years old and a blond-haired, green-eyed girl around 18 years old. The young man is wearing jeans and a black t-shirt with the "Amazing Race" logo on it – a globe with the word "Race" across it in a big black letters and "The Amazing" above it in small yellow letters. The girl has straight hair that's tied into a ponytail by a green hair tie, short bangs that fall into a sideways crescent shape, and she's wearing jeans and a pink t-shirt. Tied around each of their wrists is a red bandana.)
"I've been a huge fan of The Amazing Race since I was around 18 or 19." The young man, CJ, said. "Back long before everything that's happened over the past two years. So after everything that happened, I was able to work together with Peach and the other governing forces around this new, magical world, and organize our own version of the Amazing Race."
"Just like CJ, I've been a fan of the race for a long time too." The girl, Shaylene, said. "We've been best friends for about 13 years, and dating for almost a year, so when he started setting this up, I knew we had to be one of the first teams to compete."
Athena & Janey: Engaged
"Athena and Janey. Engaged couple from Pandora. Athena is a former Vault Hunter, and Janey is a mechanic working out of the Pandoran city of Sanctuary." Toadsworth said.
(The camera shows two women: One with shoulder-length blue hair and blue eyes. And one with short blonde hair that comes down just past her ears and blue eyes. The blue-haired woman is wearing a gray bodysuit, red breastplate, red kneecap on her right knee, a brown vest and a blueish-gray scarf. The blonde haired woman is wearing gray pants, a black crop top, and red vest with a furry neckline. Around her neck was a small necklace with a tooth on it, and around her head was gray headband. Various scars were visible scattered around her body. Tied around each of their upper left arms was a light blue bandana.)
I've traveled all around Pandora and Elpis, fighting all kinds of monsters. I think I can handle a race around the world." The blue-haired woman, Athena, said.
"Athena and I have had some bumps in our relationship, and I think this is a great way to strengthen our bonds." The blonde, Janey, said with an Australian accent. "And of course, weddings are expensive."
"Especially with Janey's taste." Athena said.
Alex & Aubrey: Friends
"Alex and Aubrey. Friends, one of whom is the Sage of Earth in Hyrule, and the other is the Sage of Wind."
(The camera shows a young man and young woman, both in their early/mid 20s. The young man has a dark complexion, brown eyes, and very short, curly black hair. He is wearing a black t-shirt and ripped jeans. The young woman has light brown eyes, reddish-brown hair slightly longer than shoulder length, almost about halfway down her back, and is wearing a black t-shirt and leggings with a design made to look like outer space. Both wear an orange bandana around their head.)
"I've always liked the idea of getting out and traveling the world, so I figured The Amazing Race is a great way to do that." The young woman, Aubrey, said.
"It's a once in a lifetime experience, and I definitely don't want to pass up on an opportunity like this." Stated the young man, Alex.
Mario & Luigi: Brothers
"Mario and Luigi. Brothers, heroes of the Mushroom Kingdom, and residents of Toad Town." Toadsworth said.
(The camera shows two mustached men. Both are wearing blue overalls. One is wearing a red t-shirt and hat. The other is garbed in a green t-shirt and hat. Both have brown hair and blue eyes, and they each have a black bandana around their neck.)
"My brother and I are heroes in the Mushroom Kingdom. We can take whatever they throw at us." Said Mario, the one in red. "And it'll be great, because we've never really done much adventuring together."
"I'm so excited for this race. My brother and I hardly ever have adventures together, and so this will be a great opportunity to learn each other's strengths and weaknesses and work off of them." Added Luigi, the man in green.
Yoshi & Yoshi Jr: Father/Son
"Yoshi and Yoshi Jr. A father and son team hailing from the tropical islands of the Mushroom Kingdom. Yoshi helped Mario in his quest for the Star Spirits, and Yoshi Jr was hatched from an egg, and then helped Mario win it all in the Glitz Pit and obtain a Crystal Star."
(The camera shows two green dinosaurs. One is quite smaller than the other. Both are wearing a red saddle with white edges. The bigger dino has orange curved-spike-like scales going down its back. The other has spiky orange hair on top of its head. Both are wearing red boots, and green bandanas are wrapped around their left ankles.)
"Not too long after Mario came to Lavalava Island and found one of the Star Spirits, this weird pig guy came to visit, and I found one of my eggs missing almost immediately after he left." The bigger dino, Yoshi, said.
"But lucky for Dad, Gonzales… I mean, Mario found me in Glitzville and rescued me before that pig turned me into a hot dog topping!" The smaller one, Yoshi Jr, said. "Now, Dad and I are gonna own this race!"
Fox & Krystal: Married
"Fox and Krystal McCloud. The former is the leader of Team Star Fox, a team of mercenaries who have allied with the Cornerian Defense Fleet. The latter is his wife, and member of his team."
(The camera shows a male, green-eyed red fox in a white t-shirt and blue jeans standing next to a female blue fox in a black bodysuit. Both have a purple bandana wrapped around their tail.)
"Krystal and I first met when my team and I went to Sauria to defend it from being destroyed, back when it was its own planet." The red fox, Fox, said. "She was trapped in a crystal, and when I found all six of the planet's magic Krazoa Spirits, she was set free."
"Fox and I have had our bumps in the road, but hopefully, through this race, we can overcome those bumps and strengthen our marriage." The blue fox, Krystal, said, with a British accent.
Slippy & Peppy: Friends
"Slippy and Peppy. Friends from Corneria, and members of Team Star Fox. One is a genius inventor and the other is an excellent cartographer."
(The camera shows a toad and a hare, both male. The hare is gray, significantly old, and is wearing glasses, a brown jumpsuit and white jacket. The toad is wearing a white cap and yellow jumpsuit. Each is wearing a gray bandana. The toad on his hat and the hare on his right wrist.)
"With my intellect and Peppy's knowledge of maps and map making, we shouldn't have any trouble winning this race!" Slippy the toad said with confidence.
"Of course, we'll have to beat Fox and Krystal to win." Peppy the hare said. "And sure, some may look at my age as a disadvantage, but I want to prove that just because you're old, it doesn't mean you can't have fun."
Kirby & MetaKnight: Star Warriors/Friends
"Kirby and MetaKnight. Former rivals from Dream Land, who have since become good friends."
(The camera shows two round creatures, both male. The first is a pink puff with blue eyes and red sneakers. The second is blue and is wearing a silver mask revealing only his yellow eyes, navy blue shoulder pads, purple sneakers and a dark blue cape. At his side is a golden sword with a blade shaped like a lightning bolt. Each one has a pink bandana tied around their right ankle.)
"I chose to race with Kirby because we've become closer over the years." MetaKnight, the blue creature, said, with a suave Spanish accent present in his voice. "Of course, I do worry about Kirby's eating habits getting in the way of our success…"
The pink creature, Kirby, who had been fitted with a special device so that others could understand his speech, simply chuckled. "(We'll be fine, MetaKnight…)" He said as the taxi drove by a fruit stand. Kirby hung out the window and inhaled several apples, as well as a few loaves of bread from the nearby bakery stand as well.
Donkey Kong & Diddy: Best Friends
"Donkey Kong and Diddy. Best friends hailing from the Kongo Bongo Jungle." Toadsworth said.
(The camera shows a brown gorilla in a red tie with the initials "DK" written on it. Next to him is a brown chimp in a red hat and shirt with a gold star on it. Each has a brown bandana on. The gorilla's is tied around his upper right arm and the chimp's is wrapped around his hat.)
"I'm really excited to race with Diddy. I mean, we've had adventures together before, but we've always been either protecting our friends or protecting our home, never really competing in a race around the world." DK, the gorilla, said.
"I'm hoping that this race will be a good bonding adventure for me and DK." Diddy, the chimp, said.
Ash & Pikachu: Trainer/Pokémon
(Like Kirby, Pikachu has been fitted with a special translator so everyone can understand him.)
"Ash and Pikachu. Pokémon trainer from Pallet Town in Kanto and his most trusted Pokémon."
(The camera shows a black-haired, brown-eyed boy in a black t-shirt, blue jacket, jeans and a red cap. Standing at the boy's feet is a small mouse like creature about a foot and a half tall. It's yellow in color, has long pointed ears with black tips, red cheeks and a tail shaped like a lightning bolt. At the end of its tail, where it attaches to the body is a patch of brown. Wrapped around the boy's left wrist is a yellow bandana, and a yellow bandana is wrapped around the base of the mouse's tail.)
"Pikachu and I are gonna win it all! I just know it! Isn't that right, Pikachu?" Asked the boy, Ash.
"(You know it!)" The yellow mouse, Pikachu, chirped with excitement.
Stacey & Tiny Tina: Friends
"Stacey and Tina. The first is Hyrule's Sage of Water, and the second is Pandora's youngest explosives expert."
(The camera cuts to a pair of blonde-haired, blue-eyed girls. The first is in her early/mid 20s and the second is around 14 or 15 years old. The older one has shoulder-length hair and is wearing a white t-shirt bearing the face of a Boo, a ghost in the Mushroom Kingdom, a pair of blue jeans, and purple framed glasses. The younger one has hair just shorter than shoulder-length, tied into two small pigtails that hang down along the sides of her face, tied with pink ribbon. She is wearing a pink tank top, orange pants, a brown apron with a pink patch bearing a picture of a rabbit and mismatched shoes: one a white-and-gray sneaker, the other a blue Mary Jane. Wrapped around the younger girl's right ankle and the older one's upper left arm is a light blue bandana.)
"Tina and I met during an adventure with my friends on Pandora. I saw a lot of myself in her, and we became quick friends." The older girl, Stacey, said.
"These teams ain't got nuthin' on me and my big sista Stacey!" The younger one, Tina, said with enthusiasm.
(The camera cuts back to Toadsworth in front of Hyrule Castle.)
"Which of these teams will be able to pull out the right amount of mental strength, physical stamina and teamwork to be able to win it all? How will the relationships of these teams handle the stress of traveling to unknown places together? Who has the strongest will to brave the difficult challenges? And who will cross the finish line first to win one million coins?" Toadsworth asked. "These are the questions weighing most heavily as we get ready to begin... The Amazing Race."
The eleven teams were lined up in front of the castle. Standing in front of them was Toadsworth, and beyond him, in the town square, were twenty-two backpacks. They were divided into eleven groups of two, each with a clue and a black fanny pack on top. Across the fanny pack was a yellow stripe along with the "The Amazing Race" logo: a globe, marked with the words "The Amazing Race". In one corner of the logo was a white-spotted red mushroom. In another was a green gem, known as a Rupee, the currency of the kingdom of Hyrule. And under the words was a line of gold coins.
"In a few minutes, you are all about to embark on a race around the world. But first, I need to give you some basic rules. The race is divided into several parts called legs. At the end of each leg is a rest area called a pit stop. You want to get to the pit stop as fast as you can, because all but three of these legs are elimination points. The last team to arrive will be eliminated." Toadsworth warned. "At the beginning of each leg, you will receive a small amount of money that will have to cover all expenses except airline tickets. Any money that you save can be used in future legs. Remember, if you run out, you can get more from locals, but don't break the law there. In the end, the final leg will consist of three teams battling it out to the finish line. The first team to cross it will win the one million coins."
The teams erupted in cheering, which could be heard all around Castle Town.
"And, remember... the race isn't just a matter of speed. Along the way, you'll run into challenges that you'll need to complete," Toadsworth continued. "Some challenges require individual strength, but most require the power of both teammates. Now when I say so, you'll run over there..." Toadsworth pointed beyond the castle courtyard, to the fountain in the center of town. "And find your packs in front of the Castle Town fountain. There you will open your first clue to begin the race. From there, it's up to you what you do."
Toadsworth raised his hand.
"The world is waiting for you... remember to keep to the restraints of your powers..." Toadsworth said.
"Travel safe..."
"GO!" Toadsworth shouted, and the teams rushed by him in an attempt to grab their packs first.
Leg One: "I make explosives. I've got this."
Toadsworth raised his hand.
"The world is waiting for you... remember to keep to the restraints of your powers..." Toadsworth said.
"Travel safe..."
"GO!" Toadsworth shouted, and the teams rushed by him in an attempt to grab their packs first.
Mario & Luigi: Brothers
"Drive by marked car to Gerudo Fortress in Gerudo Valley. You have 245 coins for this leg of the race." Mario read.
"From the starting line in Castle Town, teams must take one of these marked cars..." Toadsworth stood in front of eleven cars parked just west of the fountain. "And drive themselves far west of Castle Town to Gerudo Valley and find Gerudo Fortress. This ancient stone fortress is home to a race of all-female thieves, and is said to have once been home to the legendary King of Evil. Once they reach the fortress, they will find their next clue."
"I see the cars!" Luigi called out. "Let's go."
CJ & Shaylene: Dating
Alex & Aubrey: Friends
Stacey & Tiny Tina: Friends
"This is an easy trip." CJ said. "We're off to Gerudo Valley. Kinda wish Hyrule was still merged with Haverhill. This would be a short trip..."
"Following a lot of the adventures my friends and I went through after Earth merged with the other worlds, Stacey, Shaylene and I used the Triforce to move Hyrule to its own continent not far off the U.S. East Coast, and my friends and I moved there." CJ said (Post-Leg Interview)
"West, right?" Alex asked. "Beyond Lake Hylia?"
"Yeah." CJ said.
As the teams rushed to grab their clues, the Sages and Tiny Tina scored a quick lead over the Mario Brothers, with the Yoshis leading close behind.
Yoshi & Yoshi Jr: Father/Son
"Sweet! We're going to Gerudo Valley!" Yoshi exclaimed.
"This is awesome! We're on the Amazing Race!" Jr chirped.
Fox & Krystal: Married
Peppy & Slippy: Friends
"We're off to Gerudo Valley." Fox said.
"I hope my old bones can handle the heat." Peppy groaned.
"Come on, old man." Slippy said. "Pep up."
Athena & Janey: Engaged
"Drive by marked car to Gerudo Fortress." Janey read.
"The desert will be nothing." Athena said. "Certainly a lot tamer than the deserts of Pandora."
(Gerudo Fortess)
Three cars pulled up outside a large stone fortress not far from a canyon on the edge of a desert. Sitting outside the fortress was a clue box. The three teams jumped out of their cars and rushed toward the clue box.
CJ & Shaylene / Athena & Janey / Yoshi & Yoshi Jr
"Roadblock... Who's got a steady hand?"
"A Roadblock is a task that only one team member may perform. In this Roadblock, that person must go to the Gerudo Fortress Archery Range and shoot the targets to get 300 points in two minutes. The targets consist of jars, which count as 30 points, and round targets, starting at 10 points at the rim going to 100 points in the center. Once a team member scores 300 points, they will receive their next clue." Toadsworth narrated.
"A steady hand? I've got this." CJ said.
"This sounds like my kind of task." Athena said.
"I'll do it, Dad." Jr said. The three teams opened the rest of the clue.
"Sweet! Archery!" CJ exclaimed.
"I can definitely handle this." Athena said.
"This sounds like fun." Jr said.
Two more cars soon pulled up in front of the fortress.
Alex & Aubrey / Mario & Luigi
"Roadblock..." Alex read.
"Who's got a steady hand? You got this, bro?" Mario finished.
"Yeah, I can do this." Luigi said.
"Go for it." Aubrey said.
CJ / Athena / Yoshi Jr / Alex / Luigi (Gerudo Fortress Archery Range)
CJ fired an arrow, striking the center of a target, as Athena shattered a jar, and Jr's arrow curved a bit, barely striking the outer edge of a target.
"This doesn't look too hard." Alex said, as he and Luigi entered the range and each walked toward an empty station at the end of the archery range.
"Time!" Shouted a Gerudo woman who was standing nearby. Everyone put down their bows and a couple more Gerudo stepped out onto the range to check everyone's scores.
CJ – 270 points
Athena – 260 points
Yoshi Jr – 130 points
"I'm sorry. You must all try again." The Gerudo said, as Alex and Luigi were each handed a bow.
"So close..." CJ said.
"Ready! Aim! Fire!" The Gerudo shouted
Stacey & Tiny Tina / Ash & Pikachu (Gerudo Fortress)
"Roadblock... Who's got a steady hand?" Stacey read.
"I make explosives." Tina said. "I've got this."
"I'll do this, Pikachu." Ash said.
CJ / Athena / Yoshi Jr / Alex / Luigi / Tiny Tina / Ash (Gerudo Fortress Archery Range)
"Time!" The Gerudo called out, as everyone put down their bows, and Tina and Ash walked into the range. Once again, the Gerudos headed out to check everyone's scores.
CJ – 330 points
Athena – 360 points
Yoshi Jr – 210 points
Alex – 250 points
Luigi – 280 points
"Here is your clue." The Gerudo said, handing a clue to CJ and Athena.
"Damn." Alex swore. Tina and Ash stepped up to their stations as CJ and Athena rushed out of the archery range.
CJ & Shaylene: Dating – Currently in 1st
Athena & Janey: Engaged – Currently in 2nd
"Drive yourselves beyond the Haunted Wasteland to the Spirit Temple and find your next clue." CJ and Athena read.
"Teams must now leave Gerudo Fortress and head out into the Haunted Wasteland, bound for the Spirit Temple, located in the Desert Colossus. This is temple is where Hyrule's Sage of Spirit often goes to pray to the gods. When teams arrive here, they will receive their next clue."
"Do you think Jennette will be there?" Shaylene asked.
"I doubt it." CJ said, as the two teams hopped into their cars and raced off.
"I was frustrated with myself not being able to complete the Roadblock on my first try. I have Gerudo blood in me, and Gerudo are known to be master archers in Hyrule." CJ said (Post-Leg). "But being tied with someone like Athena was somewhat calming though."
Kirby & MetaKnight / DK & Diddy (Gerudo Fortress)
"Roadblock..." MetaKnight read.
"Who's got a steady hand?" DK finished. "You do it, little buddy. You've got amazing aim with your peanut gun. I'd wager dollars to bananas that this is an accuracy challenge."
"Kirby, I'll handle this one." MetaKnight said.
Yoshi Jr / Alex / Luigi / Tiny Tina / Ash / Diddy / MetaKnight (Gerudo Fortress Archery Range)
"Time!" The Gerudo called out as Diddy and MetaKnight ran into the range.
Yoshi Jr – 310 points
Alex – 290 points
Luigi – 320 points
Tiny Tina – 340 points
Ash – 230 points
"Damn. So close." Alex muttered.
Yoshi & Yoshi Jr: Father/Son – Currently in 3rd
Mario & Luigi: Brothers – Currently in 4th
Stacey & Tiny Tina: Friends – Currently in 5th
"Drive yourselves beyond the Haunted Wasteland..." Stacey began.
"...to the Spirit Temple..." Yoshi continued.
"...and find your next clue." Mario finished.
Fox & Krystal / Slippy & Peppy (Gerudo Fortress)
"Roadblock... Who's got a steady hand?" Fox read.
"I'll do it." Krystal said.
"I've got this one." Slippy said.
Alex / Ash / Diddy / MetaKnight / Krystal / Slippy (Gerudo Fortress Archery Range)
"Time!"
Alex – 320 Points
Ash – 240 Points
Diddy – 330 Points
MetaKnight – 280 Points
"Finally..." Alex sighed.
"Got it!" Diddy exclaimed.
Alex & Aubrey: Friends – Currently in 6th
DK & Diddy: Best Friends – Currently in 7th
"Drive yourselves beyond the Haunted Wasteland..." Alex read.
"...to the Spirit Temple and find your next clue." DK finished.
"I started getting really annoyed because I kept coming so close to 300 points, but I was constantly coming up short by a single shot or two, and I was starting to doubt that I'd get through the challenge." Alex said (Post-Leg)
CJ & Shaylene / Athena & Janey (Spirit Temple)
Two cars pulled up in front of a large stone formation in a desert oasis. Carved into the stone was the figure of a woman sitting on a throne. At the base of the formation was a doorway, and in front of that was a clue box. The two lead teams rushed up to the clue box and grabbed their clue.
"Detour... Present or Past." CJ read.
"A Detour is a choice between two tasks, each with its own pros and cons. In this Detour, teams must choose between two tasks directly related to the ancient Hero of Time's adventures in the Spirit Temple... Present or Past.
In both challenges, teams must navigate through the Spirit Temple and reach the inner prayer chamber following a marked path.
In Present, teams will simply follow the marked path to the inner chamber.
In Past, any adult team members must first step into this magic chamber..." Toadsworth stood in front of a strange looking box that gave off a blue aura. "...which will magically send their body back in time to what they looked like as a child. The then-child-aged team members will follow the specially marked path to the prayer chamber.
Although Present involves simply following a path, what teams don't know is that the adult-sized passageways are twice as long as the child-sized passageways.
Once teams reach the prayer chamber, they will find their next clue."
"Ooh, CJ! Can we do Past?" Shaylene asked. CJ laughed.
"We'll do Past." CJ said.
"Let's do Present." Athena said.
Ash / MetaKnight / Krystal / Slippy (Gerudo Fortress Archery Range)
"Time!"
Ash – 270 Points
MetaKnight – 380 Points
Krystal – 370 Points
Slippy – 230 Points
"Here is your clue." A Gerudo said, handing an envelope to MetaKnight and Krystal. MetaKnight rushed off, back toward the fortress, and Krystal turned toward Slippy.
"Slippy! Do you want us to wait for you?" Krystal asked.
"Given the fact that we're all so close, I think Slippy, Peppy, Fox and I have all kind of formed our own little alliance in the race." Krystal said (En Route to Spirit Temple)
"No it's okay! Go ahead! We won't be far behind!" Slippy called out.
Kirby & MetaKnight: Star Warriors/Friends – Currently in 8th
Fox & Krystal: Married – Currently in 9th
"Drive yourselves beyond the Haunted Wasteland..."
"...to the Spirit Temple and find your next clue."
Yoshi & Yoshi Jr / Stacey & Tiny Tina (Spirit Temple)
The Yoshis and the girls rushed up to the clue box.
"Detour... Present or Past." Yoshi read.
"Past sounds fun... I mean, I'm already a kid, but yeah." Jr said.
"Past." Stacey said without hesitation.
"I was very athletic as a kid, and I definitely feel like I was in better shape than I am now." Stacey said (Post-Leg). "So any opportunity to race in that shape, I'll jump at."
Ash / Slippy (Gerudo Fortress Archery Range)
"Time!"
Ash – 290 Points
Slippy – 260 Points
"Crap!" Ash exclaimed.
"Almost..." Slippy sighed.
CJ & Shaylene / Yoshi & Yoshi Jr / Stacey & Tiny Tina (Detour – Past)
"How much farther?" Shaylene asked.
"I don't know." CJ said. "The passageways are different. They've managed to somehow change the layout of the temple."
"Come on, Dad!" Jr shouted, running down the passageways full speed.
"Go go go!" Tina exclaimed, as she and Stacey rounded a corner.
Athena & Janey: Engaged (Detour – Present)
Athena and Janey ran into a large room with three doors.
"Which way, Athena?" Janey asked. Athena scanned the room.
"There!" She said, pointing to a door marked by a red-and-yellow flag.
Ash / Slippy (Gerudo Fortress Archery Range)
"Time!"
Ash – 330 Points
Slippy – 300 Points
"Finally!"
Ash & Pikachu: Trainer/Pokemon – Currently in 10th
Slippy & Peppy: Friends – Currently in Last Place
"Drive yourselves beyond the Haunted Wasteland..."
"...to the Spirit Temple and find your next clue."
Mario & Luigi / Alex & Aubrey / DK & Diddy (Spirit Temple)
"Detour... Present or Past."
"Present." Luigi said.
"Present." Alex said.
"Present." DK said.
Team ? (Spirit Temple Prayer Chamber)
(The camera shows a high square platform in the center of a large chamber. On each side of the platform is a smaller square platform. In the center of the middle platform is a symbol comprised of three small golden triangles, standing point-to-point to make up a larger triangle, known in Hyrule as the Triforce. In front of the platform is a clue box.)
"Dad! There it is!"
"CJ! We found it!"
"Athena!"
Yoshi & Yoshi Jr: Father/Son – Currently in 1st
CJ & Shaylene: Dating – Currently in 2nd
Athena & Janey: Engaged – Currently in 3rd
"Drive yourselves to the Pit Stop!" Jr exclaimed.
"The Carpet Shop in the Haunted Wasteland." Shaylene read.
"Once teams complete the Detour, they must drive themselves back across the Haunted Wasteland and find this place..." Toadsworth stood in front of a wooden platform that extended out over a sand pit. Floating over the pit was a flying carpet. Seated atop the carpet was a robed man. "...the Carpet Shop. The last team to check in here... may be eliminated."
"Warning: the last team to check in may be eliminated." Athena read.
Kirby & MetaKnight / Fox & Krystal (Spirit Temple)
"Detour... Present or Past."
"Present." Krystal said.
"(Let's do Past!)" Kirby said.
"It won't change much, but okay." MetaKnight said, as the two stepped into the magic chamber and quickly emerged looking no different.
(Prayer Chamber)
"I found it!" A childish voice sang.
Stacey & Tiny Tina: Friends – Currently in 4th
The two racers emerged from the Spirit Temple, now returned to their current ages.
"Drive yourselves to the Pit Stop... The Carpet Shop in the Haunted Wasteland. Warning: the last team to check in may be eliminated." Stacey read.
"Let's do this!" Tina cheered.
Team ? (Carpet Shop)
A car pulled up to a flag not far from the Carpet Shop and a team jumped out. Toadsworth stood on the mat at the edge of the wooden platform. Standing next to him was a green-eyed young woman in her early 20s with wavy blonde hair, dressed in a pink-and-white-striped t-shirt and jean shorts. The lead team rushed forward and excitedly jumped onto the mat.
"Welcome to Gerudo Valley." The young woman said.
"Thank you."
"Yoshi and Yoshi Jr... You're team number one."
Yoshi & Yoshi Jr: Father/Son – 1st Place / 6:55 PM
"No way!" Yoshi exclaimed.
"Yeah! Way to go, Dad!" Jr cheered.
"I have more good news." Toadsworth said, holding out a small yellow card with the words "Express Pass" written on it. "As winners of this leg of the race, you've won the Express Pass. This will allow you to skip any challenge on the race, and can be used at any point until the end of Leg 6, but you can only use it once."
"Coming in first and winning the Express Pass is definitely awesome. Knowing that we can skip over a challenge that we don't feel comfortable doing is a good feeling, and I definitely feel like it gives us a bit of a leg up on the other teams." Yoshi said (Post-Leg).
Ash & Pikachu / Slippy & Peppy (Spirit Temple)
"Detour... Present or Past."
"(Present.)" Pikachu said.
"Past." Peppy said.
"I'm certainly not as young as I used to be." Peppy said (Post-Leg). "I used to be a lively little hare, so I jumped at the opportunity to be young... Pun not intended."
Team ? (Carpet Shop)
A team pulled up to the marker just beyond the Carpet Shop and jumped out of the car. They ran toward the pit stop and jumped onto the map, where one racer beamed with excitement.
"Welcome to Gerudo Valley." Said the young woman.
"Jennette!" One of the racers exclaimed, hugging the woman standing with Toadsworth.
"CJ and Shaylene... You're team number two." Toadsworth said.
CJ & Shaylene: Dating – 2nd Place / 7:17 PM
"Awesome!" CJ cheered.
"Congrats, guys." Jennette said.
"Thanks, sis." Shaylene smiled.
"Being from Hyrule, I was really hoping to come in first this leg, but second place is still pretty good." CJ said.
"And it was awesome seeing Jennette almost essentially out of the starting line." Shaylene said.
"Originally, there was some talk among the race execs and I about me hosting the race, and had that been the case, Shay would have raced with her sister Jennette." CJ said. "But I'm glad that I decided to compete in the first season of the race instead."
(Spirit Temple Prayer Chamber)
"There's the clue!" Someone shouted as a team entered the prayer chamber and ran up to the clue box.
Mario & Luigi: Brothers – Currently in 5th
"Drive yourselves to the Pit Stop... The Carpet Shop in the Haunted Wasteland. Warning: the last team to check in may be eliminated."
"Let's go, Mario!"
Team ? (Carpet Shop)
Toadsworth and Jennette waited on the mat as another car pulled up. The team inside quickly jumped out and ran to the mat.
"Welcome to Gerudo Valley." Jennette said.
"Thank you."
"Athena and Janey..." Toadsworth said. "You're team number three."
Athena & Janey: Engaged – 3rd Place / 7:25 PM
"That's not too bad." Athena said.
(Spirit Temple Prayer Chamber)
"There it is!"
"Over there!"
Two teams raced over the clue box and quickly grabbed their clues.
Alex & Aubrey: Friends – Currently in 6th
DK & Diddy: Best Friends – Currently in 7th
"Drive yourselves to the Pit Stop... The Carpet Shop in the Haunted Wasteland." Alex read.
"Warning: the last team to check in may be eliminated." DK finished.
Team ? (Carpet Shop)
Toadsworth and Jennette watched as another team rushed forward and hopped onto the mat.
"Welcome to Gerudo Valley." Jennette said.
"Thank you."
"Master Mario... Master Luigi..." Toadsworth said. "You're team number four."
Mario & Luigi: Brothers – 4th Place / 7:46 PM
"Let's-a go!" Mario said.
Team ? (Carpet Shop)
Not long after, another team came running toward the Pit Stop.
"Welcome to Gerudo Valley." Jennette said.
"What's good, girl? Are we first? Did we win? Let's DO THIS!"
"Stacey and Tina..." Toadsworth said. "You're team number five."
Stacey & Tiny Tina: Friends – 5th Place / 7:56 PM
"Make it RAAIIIIIIIIN!" Tina shouted.
(Spirit Temple Prayer Chamber)
Two more teams rushed into the prayer chamber, each entering from a different chamber.
"Over there!" Shouted one racer.
"There it is!" Another shouted with a childish voice.
Kirby & MetaKnight: Friends/Star Warriors – Currently in 8th
Ash & Pikachu: Trainer/Pokemon – Currently in 9th
"(Ooh! Pit Stop!)" Kirby shouted.
"(The Carpet Shop. I wonder if they sell carpets...)" Pikachu said.
Team ? (Carpet Shop)
Two teams rushed toward the Pit Stop, racing each other to be the first of the two. They jumped onto the mat within seconds of each other.
"Welcome to Gerudo Valley." Jennette said.
"Thanks, Jennette." One racer said.
"DK and Diddy... You're team number six."
DK & Diddy: Best Friends – 6th Place / 8:05 PM
"Right in the middle... I'll take that." Diddy said.
"Alex and Aubrey... That would make you team number seven." Toadsworth said.
Alex & Aubrey: Friends – 7th Place / 8:05 PM
"Yikes..." Alex said.
"That could've been better." Aubrey said.
Team ? (Carpet Shop)
Another team soon rushed toward the mat and hopped up nervously to the Pit Stop.
"Welcome to Gerudo Valley." Jennette said.
"(Are we last?)"
"Kirby and MetaKnight... You're team number eight."
Kirby & MetaKnight: Friends/Star Warriors – 8th Place / 8:18 PM
"We must do better next time, Kirby." MetaKnight said.
Fox & Krystal: Married – Currently in 10th (Spirit Temple Prayer Chamber)
Slippy & Peppy: Friends – Currently in Last Place (Spirit Temple Prayer Chamber)
"Oh! Pit Stop!" Slippy exclaimed.
"Let's go!"
Team ? (Carpet Shop)
Toadsworth and Jennette watched as the next team rushed to the mat.
"Ash and Pikachu..."
"What place are we in...?" Ash asked nervously.
"You're team number nine."
Ash & Pikachu: Trainer/Pokemon – 9th Place / 8:45 PM
"Yikes..." Ash said. "We've gotta do better next time."
Fox & Krystal / Slippy & Peppy (Carpet Shop)
The two trailing teams pulled up to the Carpet Shop and jumped out of their cars.
"Guys... we're the last two teams..." Slippy said, counting the other cars. The two teams quickly broke into a reluctant run to the Pit Stop, neither one wanting to lose, but also not wanting to win over their friends. They quickly reached the mat, lit only by a single lamp at the end of the wooden platform, the only light piercing the frigid nighttime desert sky.
"Welcome to Gerudo Valley." Jennette said.
"Thank you kindly." Peppy bowed.
"Thank you." Krystal said with a weak, nervous smile.
"I have good news for one of you and bad news for the other..." Toadsworth said with a sad tone. "Fox and Krystal... You're team number ten. Unfortunately, that means that Slippy and Peppy... you're the last team to arrive..."
Fox & Krystal: Married – 10th Place / 9:17 PM
Slippy & Peppy: Friends – Last Place / 9:17 PM
"Of course..." Slippy said.
"I'm sorry to tell you that you have both been eliminated from the race." Toadsworth said.
"I was afraid of that." Fox said.
"It sucks being the first team gone." Slippy said (Post-Leg). "Especially since it all came down to a short foot race with two of our best friends."
"I wish I could say my age didn't slow us down, but I know it was a factor." Peppy said (Post-Leg). "I tried to talk Slippy into racing with Falco instead of me, but he insisted on me as his partner."
"I wish it hadn't been down to our two teams at the end." Fox said (Post-Leg). "I didn't want to see my friends go home, but at the same time, I didn't want to just give up the foot race to the Pit Stop and get eliminated myself."
"We gave it our all, and in the end, Fox and Krystal outraced us in that final stretch." Slippy said. "I don't regret a single bit of it, short lived as our time on the race was. Someone had to go home first, and though I wish it wasn't us, I'm still glad we had this opportunity."
(The camera slowly backs away from the Pit Stop mat as Slippy and Peppy exchange hugs and handshakes with Fox, Krystal, Toadsworth and Jennette. The camera zooms out over the Pit Stop, showing a wide view of the clear night sky over Gerudo Desert before fading to black.)
"Stay tuned for scenes from our next episode…"
"Next week on The Amazing Race… Teams travel to Mushroom City, where they find themselves taking a temporary job as waiters and waitresses..."
"I'm sorry, that is not my order." A customer said.
"Wait what?"
"Here you go." Stacey said, placing her orders down on the table.
"I didn't order that."
"Me neither."
"… Before trying to stomach an eating challenge unpleasant for some…"
"Ugh, and I thought fried Tork was disgusting..." Janey said.
"This is gross..." Aubrey said.
"Aubrey, just think of the race!" Alex said.
"This could use some bananas..." DK said.
"Thank God that's done." Stacey said. "Hold on." She ran over to the nearest trash can and threw up. "Yeah, that didn't agree with me."
Leg 1 Trivia:
- For those of you who've followed my earlier works, and have been reading my TAR fics since I first started, you'll obviously notice that most of these teams have raced before and that this leg consisted of all the same clues and challenges as Leg 3 of my very first TAR fic. Well, since I've created a whole new universe for my stories, and I've established everything prior to "The Man with the Crystal Wii-mote" as non-canon, I'll be re-using old racers and old challenges in this fic, as well as any more TAR fics I come up with. Of course, there will be new stuff sprinkled in, since I had some challenges and race locales planned for fics that never made it past the planning stage.
- For anyone who didn't know, Athena and Janey are characters from the Borderlands franchise, and are confirmed as engaged in "Tales from the Borderlands" by Telltale Games. Not only that, but as I wrote this, I realized that Athena and Janey are, if I recall correctly, not only the first same-sex couple to compete in one of my Amazing Races, but they are also the first same-sex couple in my stories overall.
- The original Detour in this leg, back in my very first TAR fic, was the same, except the options were "Now" or "Then". As I was writing this, I opted to change it to "Past" and "Present" because I felt not only did those options sound better, but it fit better for the explanation of the challenge relating to the Hero of Time's journey through the Spirit Temple in Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
- As anyone who's read my other works would know, and as referenced by Shaylene's reaction upon arriving at the Pit Stop, Jennette, the local greeter, is Shaylene's older sister, and the Sage of Spirit in Hyrule. Originally, when I first started writing this, I had planned for the greeter to be a nameless Gerudo woman, but after changes to the team (placing Stacey with Tiny Tina and Shaylene with CJ, due to recent events in my fics), I was able to put Jennette in as the local greeter, since she was no longer racing with her sister.
Author's Note (6/13/16): Oops. Accidentally wrote Fox as "former leader of Team Star Fox". Fixed. Also noticed parts where racers were directly addressing the camera weren't underlined. Also fixed.
Author's Note (8/17/16): Don't be afraid to give feedback. I love to hear it. Favorite team(s)? Least favorite team(s)? Who do you want to win? Who do you want eliminated early? Constructive criticism? Things you like? Things you don't like? Ways I could improve this?