Author's Note: Just a quick explanation of the various text types I use while writing this fic, in case they weren't already clear.

Bold text is used to identify racer names, relationship, current location and current placement if applicable. Typically, it's there to identify that we've switched and are now viewing another team completing a certain challenge or driving to a destination or checking into the Pit Stop.

Italicized text is used to identify when Toadsworth is narrating/doing a voice-over. This is typically used to go into further detail after a new clue is read.

Underlined text is used to show that a racer is speaking directly to the camera, usually adding commentary of some type to explain their thoughts or decisions about a significant choice they made during the leg. The text in parentheses afterward (Before-Leg, During-Leg, After-Leg) describes when during the leg the racer is speaking to the camera. After-Leg is after checking into the Pit Stop, Before-Leg is before departing from the Pit Stop, and During-Leg is during the leg at a break in the action (typically while at the airport waiting for a flight, but could also apply to cab rides, one partner talking to the camera while the other performs a Roadblock, etc.).

Also, just a quick note, since it happens in this chapter, but in terms of labeling flights, I label them via departure time. So just because a flight is labeled as "Flight 1" does not mean it will be the first flight to arrive at the destination.

Without further ado, back to the race!

Leg Two: "Of course the first time I get pulled over is on the Amazing Race."

"Previously on the Amazing Race..."

"Eleven teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, departed Hyrule Castle Town, bound for Gerudo Valley, in the first leg of a race around the world for one million coins…"

"Drive by marked car to Gerudo Fortress in Gerudo Valley. You have 245 coins for this leg of the race."


"This is an easy trip." CJ said. "We're off to Gerudo Valley."

"West, right?" Alex asked. "Beyond Lake Hylia?"


"Sweet! We're going to Gerudo Valley!" Yoshi exclaimed.

"This is awesome! We're on the Amazing Race!" Jr chirped.


"We're off to Gerudo Valley." Fox said.

"I hope my old bones can handle the heat." Peppy groaned.

"At the Roadblock, racers found themselves faced with an archery challenge, the sport of the desert-dwelling Gerudo people..."

"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.


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.

"I'm sorry. You must all try again." The Gerudo said, as Alex and Luigi were each handed a bow.

"Some racers found themselves completing the challenge within no time..."

"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.

"Here is your clue." The Gerudo said, handing a clue to CJ and Athena.

"I was a bit 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."

"While others struggled..."

"Damn." Alex swore.


"Damn. So close." Alex muttered.


"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)


"Time!"

"Crap!" Ash exclaimed.

"Almost..." Slippy sighed.

"At the Detour, teams had to race through Hyrule's ancient Spirit Temple, choosing to do so as they were through long winding passages..."

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.

"...Or racing through different passages after being magically transformed into child versions of themselves..."

"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.

"I found it!" A childish voice sang.

"Father and son team Yoshi and Yoshi Jr stayed near the front of the pack throughout the leg, managing to beat out frontrunners CJ and Shaylene at the Detour to come in first..."

"Welcome to Gerudo Valley." The young woman said.

"Thank you."

"Yoshi and Yoshi Jr... You're team number one."

"...And win the Express Pass..."

"I have more good news." Toadsworth said, holding out a small yellow card. "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."

"Dating couple, and residents of Hyrule CJ & Shaylene, were met with a pleasant surprise at the Pit Stop despite not coming in first..."

"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.

"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."

"...While friends and members of Team Star Fox, Slippy and Peppy had trouble keeping up with the other teams, and made it to the Pit Stop last, along with their friends and crew mates, married couple Fox and Krystal..."

"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..."

"Of course..." Slippy said.

"...and they were ultimately sent home."

"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."

"Ten teams remain... Who will be eliminated next?"

Father and Son Yoshis hit the mark; Star Fox members miss their shot

(The camera flies over Gerudo Valley, past the stone fortress and zooms down toward the Carpet Shop, where Toadsworth stands waiting.)

"This is Gerudo Valley. And on the western end of this desert is the Haunted Wasteland, a haunted section of desert that's home to this place... the Carpet Shop. This special shop, situated on a flying carpet above a quicksand pit, was the first pit stop in a race around the world. Teams arrived here at the end of the last leg for a mandatory rest period before heading back out on the race. The ten teams waiting here have no idea what's in store for them in the next leg. Can frontrunners Yoshi & Yoshi Jr hold up their lead? What of the remaining members of Team Star Fox, Fox & Krystal? Can they recover from last place to stay in the race?

Due to a sandstorm in the desert during the pit stop, teams' departure times were delayed by 3 hours while they were housed at the nearby Gerudo Fortress. Yoshi and Yoshi Jr, who arrived at 6:55 PM, will depart at 9:55 AM."

Yoshi & Yoshi Jr – 1st to depart / 9:55 AM

(Yoshi and Jr are standing on the mat, just beyond the Carpet Shop. Both are wearing tan flap hats, and have a water bottle in a pouch hanging over their shoulder. Yoshi waits for the signal and rips open the clue.)

"Drive yourselves to Castle Town Airport, then take a plane to Mushroom City. Once there, take a taxi to the Mushroom Garden restaurant. You have 300 coins for this leg of the race."

"From the Pit Stop in Gerudo Valley, teams must drive themselves to Castle Town Airport and take any available flight to fly to Mushroom City. Once there, they must take a taxi to the Mushroom Garden restaurant, where they will find their next clue."

"Nice. We're heading to the Mushroom Kingdom!" Yoshi said with excitement.

"Being in first place right off the bat is definitely exciting, especially since we beat a couple teams from Hyrule to get to first." Yoshi said (Before-Leg). "So knowing that we outraced someone in their home country is a good feeling."

"Let's go!"

CJ & Shaylene: Dating – 2nd to Depart / 10:17 AM

(CJ and Shaylene stand on the mat, both wearing jean shorts. CJ is wearing a green shirt bearing a picture of Hyrule's legendary hero, Link, along with the phrase "Call me Zelda one more time". Shaylene is wearing a white t-shirt with a single letter "H" on it. The H is split diagonally from the top right to lower left. The top of the H is brown and the bottom is gold. Upon receiving the signal, CJ tears open the clue.)

"Drive yourselves to Castle Town Airport, then take a plane to Mushroom City. Once there, take a taxi to the Mushroom Garden restaurant. You have 300 coins for this leg of the race." CJ read.

"Come on, let's go!" Shaylene said, quickly running toward the nearby marked cars.

Athena & Janey: Engaged – 3rd to Depart / 10:25 AM

(Athena and Janey are standing on the mat. Both are wearing tan pants, along with brown t-shirts bearing a picture of a hillbilly-esque man and the phrase "Catch A Ride!")

"Drive yourselves to Castle Town Airport, then take a plane to Mushroom City. Once there, take a taxi to the Mushroom Garden restaurant. You have 300 coins for this leg of the race." Athena read.

"Athena, I see the cars!" Janey said, pointing to the marked vehicles.

(Castle Town Int'l Airport)

Yoshi and Yoshi Jr rushed into the airport and ran over to the nearest airline counter, labeled "Kong Airlines".

"Can you tell us what Airlines have flights to Mushroom City?" Yoshi asked.

"Mushroom Airlines has a 12:15 PM flight, connecting through Washington Dulles, and arriving in Mushroom City at 3:45 AM." The clerk said. "Jet Shrooms has a flight leaving at 1:15 PM, connecting through JFK Airport, and arriving in Mushroom City at 4:15 AM."

"Any others?" Yoshi asked.

"Let's see... Yes, Hyrule Airlines has a direct flight leaving the latest at 2:00 PM, arriving earliest in Mushroom City at 2:30 AM."

"Awesome. Thanks."

(Hyrule Airlines Counter)

Yoshi and Jr rushed up to the counter.

"Hi, can we get tickets on the 2:00 PM flight to Mushroom City?" Yoshi asked.

"No problem." The clerk said, printing tickets and handing them to the Yoshis.

Yoshi & Yoshi Jr: Father/Son – 1st on FLIGHT 3 (Hyrule Airlines)

"Awesome. Thank you." Yoshi Jr said.

Mario & Luigi: Brothers – 4th to Depart / 10:46 AM

"Luigi, we're a-going to the Mushroom Kingdom." Mario said.

"What city?" Luigi asked.

"Mushroom City." Mario replied.

"Oh yeah!" Luigi cheered.

CJ & Shaylene: Dating (Castle Town Airport, Hylian Airlines Counter)

The two dating Hylians rushed into the airport and quickly turned to their right, running over to the nearby Hylian Airlines counter.

"Excuse me, when's the next flight to Mushroom City?" CJ asked.

"We have a direct flight leaving at 2:00 PM that arrives in Mushroom City at 2:30 AM." The clerk said.

"Are there any flights arriving earlier than that?" CJ asked.

"Nope." The clerk said.

"Cool. Can we get tickets on that flight?" CJ asked. The clerk printed tickets and handed them over to the Sages.

CJ & Shaylene: Dating – 2nd on FLIGHT 3 (Hylian Airlines)

"Sweet!"

Stacey & Tiny Tina: Friends – 5th to Depart / 10:56 AM

"Drive yourselves to Castle Town Airport, then take a plane to Mushroom City. Once there, take a taxi to the Mushroom Garden restaurant. You have 300 coins for this leg of the race." Stacey read. "Oh cool! We're going to the Mushroom Kingdom!"

Athena & Janey: Engaged (Castle Town Airport)

Athena and Janey rushed into the airport and scanned the area.

"Since we're going to the Mushroom Kingdom, Mushroom Airlines might be our best bet." Janey said. The two quickly ran over to the Mushroom Airlines counter.

"Hi, we're looking to get on the earliest flight to Mushroom City." Athena said.

"Well, we have a flight leaving at 12:15 PM which gets in to Mushroom City at 3:45 AM." The clerk said.

"Are there any flights that leave earlier?" Janey asked.

"Air Lakitu has a flight leaving at 11:25 AM." The clerk said. "But that flight is booked."

"Could we get put on the waiting list?" Athena questioned.

"You'll have to go to the Air Lakitu counter." The clerk said.

"Okay. Could we still book tickets for the 12:15 PM flight just in case?" Janey asked.

Athena & Janey: Engaged – 1st on FLIGHT 1 (Mushroom Airlines)

"No problem." The clerk said, before printing tickets and handing them to Janey.

(Air Lakitu Counter)

Athena and Janey ran up to the counter where a turtle like creature was sitting on a cloud.

"Good morning! What can I be doing to help you?" The clerk asked.

"Could we possibly be put on a waiting list for the 11:25 AM flight to Mushroom City?" Athena asked.

"Despite the empties being gone and the flight being filled to the bulk, I can do what I maybe see." The clerk said.

"Um... thanks, I think?" Janey said.

DK & Diddy: Best Friends – 6th to Depart / 11:05 AM
Alex & Aubrey: Friends – 7th to Depart / 11:05 AM

"Hey little buddy, we're going to Mushroom City." DK said.

"Okay... so we'll find our next clue at Mushroom City's Mushroom Garden Restaurant." Alex said. "300 coins. Cool."

Kirby & MetaKnight: Friends/Star Warriors – 8th to Depart / 11:18 AM

"(Where are we going?)" Kirby asked.

MetaKnight ripped open and read the clue. "Mushroom City." He stated. "We must find the Mushroom Garden restaurant."

Mario & Luigi: Brothers (Castle Town Airport)
Stacey & Tiny Tina: Friends (Castle Town Airport)

The two teams rushed into the airport. The brother made a beeline for the Mushroom Airlines counter, while the girls turned and headed toward Hyrule Airlines.

(Mushroom Airlines)

"Hello, we need to get on the earliest flight to Mushroom City." Mario said.

"Okay. We have a flight leaving at 12:15 PM, but it's filling up fast." The clerk said.

"We'll take that." Mario said.

"Here you go." The clerk said, handing tickets to the brothers.

Mario & Luigi: Brothers – 2nd on FLIGHT 2 (Mushroom Airlines)

"Thank you." Luigi said.

Stacey & Tiny Tina (Hylian Airlines Counter)

"Hey girl, we needs a plane to Mushroom City." Tina said.

"Well, our next available flight leaves at 2:00 PM getting into Mushroom City at 2:30 in the morning." The clerk said.

Stacey & Tiny Tina: Friends – 3rd on FLIGHT 3 (Hylian Airlines)

"Shawty, you da best." Tina said as the girls walked away.

DK & Diddy / Alex & Aubrey (Castle Town Airport)

The two teams rushed into the airport and looked around.

"Where should we go?" DK asked.

"Well, Mushroom Airlines is straight ahead. Let's try them." Alex said.

"Since we were tied at the Pit Stop, Diddy and I decided to form somewhat of an alliance with Alex and Aubrey." DK said (During-Leg). "We're hoping between the four of us, we can work together to kick some major butt this leg and pull ahead."

The two teams rushed up to the airline counter.

"Excuse me, when's the next flight to Mushroom City?" Alex asked.

"12:15 PM." The clerk said. Alex checked his watch.

"That's just a little more than a half hour from now." He said. "Are there still seats available? The four of us absolutely need to get on that flight."

"Please!" Aubrey begged.

DK & Diddy: Best Friends – 3rd on FLIGHT 1 (Mushroom Airlines)
Alex & Aubrey: Friends – 4th on FLIGHT 1 (Mushroom Airlines)

"Awesome! Thank you so much!" DK said.

Ash & Pikachu: Trainer/Pokemon – 9th to Depart / 11:45 AM

"...take a taxi to the Mushroom Garden restaurant. You have 300 coins for this leg of the race." Ash read.

"(Mushroom Kingdom? Sweet!)" Pikachu chirped.

Kirby & MetaKnight: Star Warriors/Friends (Castle Town Airport)

"Over there." MetaKnight said, as the two rushed over to the nearby ticket counter.

"(When your next flight to Mushroom City?)" Kirby asked.

"12:15 PM." The clerk said. "But it's fully booked. However, Jet Shrooms has a flight leaving at 1:15 PM."

"Let's go, Kirby!" MetaKnight said.

(Jet Shrooms)

"Excuse me, we need tickets for the 1:15 PM to Mushroom City." MetaKnight said.

"Not a problem." The clerk said.

Kirby & MetaKnight: Star Warriors/Friends – 1st on FLIGHT 2 (Jet Shrooms)

"(Thanks!)" Kirby exclaimed.

FLIGHT 1 (Mushroom Airlines) – Departure (Mushroom City) / 12:15 PM

"This is the first flight leaving Castle Town for Mushroom City, connecting through Washington Dulles International Airport, and carrying engaged couple Athena & Janey, brothers Mario & Luigi, best friends DK & Diddy, and friends Alex & Aubrey."

Fox & Krystal: Married – Last to Depart / 12:17 PM

"Okay. We're off to Mushroom City." Fox said.

"It's disheartening to be leaving the Pit Stop last, and it sucked watching our friends get eliminated in the first leg." Krystal said (Before Leg). "But at the same time, it's a good motivator to do our best this leg."

Ash & Pikachu: Trainer/Pokemon (Castle Town Airport, Jet Shrooms Counter)

"Excuse me, we need to get on the next flight to Mushroom City." Ash said.

"Well, we have a 1:15 PM flight, connecting through JFK Airport, arriving in Mushroom City tomorrow morning at 4:15 AM." The clerk said.

"(Awesome! Could we get tickets on that please?)" Pikachu asked.

"Of course." The clerk said, printing tickets.

Ash & Pikachu: Trainer/Pokemon – 2nd on FLIGHT 2 (Jet Shrooms)

"Thank you." Ash said.

Fox & Krystal: Married (Castle Town Airport)

"We need tickets on the next available flight to Mushroom City." Fox said.

"You want Jet Shrooms. They have a 1:15 PM flight, arriving in Mushroom City at 4:15 AM after a connection through JFK Airport." The clerk said.

(Jet Shrooms Counter)

"Sir, could we get tickets on the 1:15 PM flight to Mushroom City?" Krystal asked.

"Not a problem, ma'am." The clerk said, printing the tickets.

Fox & Krystal: Married – 3rd on FLIGHT 2 (Jet Shrooms)

"Thank you very much." Krystal said.

FLIGHT 2 (Jet Shrooms) – Departure (Castle Town) / 1:15 PM

"This is the second flight leaving Castle Town, connecting through New York's JFK Airport and arriving in Mushroom City at 4:15 AM," Toadsworth narrated, "Carrying Star Warriors and Friends Kirby & MetaKnight, Trainer/Pokemon team Ash & Pikachu and married couple Fox & Krystal."

FLIGHT 3 (Hylian Airlines) – Departure (Castle Town) / 2:00 PM

"This is the final flight leaving Castle Town, flying directly to Mushroom City, carrying father-and-son team Yoshi & Yoshi Jr, Dating couple CJ & Shaylene, and friends Stacey & Tiny Tina."

(Mushroom City)

A plane flew towards a large metropolis aglow with lights in the night sky. Various cars, trucks and taxis could be seen driving down the streets, as well as long buses shaped like blue-spotted green caterpillars. In the distance was a large building shaped like a white-spotted red mushroom.

FLIGHT 3 (Hylian Airlines) – Arrival (Mushroom City) / 2:30 AM

The Sages, Yoshis and Tiny Tina rushed out of the airport.

"Taxi!" CJ shouted, waving down a cab.

"Yo! We gots to go!" Tina jumped up and down, as another cab pulled up to the airport. Yoshi and Jr quickly hailed a third cab.

"Take us to the Mushroom Garden restaurant please." Yoshi said.

(Mushroom Garden Restaurant)

The three teams pulled up to the restaurant within minutes of each other.

"Great... Now everyone's gonna be caught up." CJ said, noticing a sign on the door that read "Your clue will be here at 11:30 AM"

"It sucks getting to the restaurant so early just to find out that it's closed until late morning." CJ said (During Leg). "Now we're stuck waiting for seven hours. Of course, it's a restaurant, so I guess I shouldn't be too surprised."

FLIGHT 1 (Mushroom Airlines) – Arrival (Mushroom City) / 3:45 AM

The Pandorans, the plumbers, the Kongs, and the Sages rushed out of the airport, all flagging for cabs as the reached the street. The Sages and Pandorans were quick to score cabs, leaving the plumbers and the Kongs waiting.

"To the Mushroom Garden Restaurant, please!" Aubrey said.

"Mushroom Garden! And step on it!" Athena said.

The Pandorans and Sages sped off. Within a few minutes, the plumbers hopped in a cab, with the Kongs grabbing a cab not long after.

(Mushroom Garden Restaurant)

Two cabs pulled up to the restaurant, and the Pandorans and Sages jumped out.

"Closed until 11:30 AM..." Alex said.

"Of course." Janey said.

Within moments, the Kongs and Mario brothers arrived at the restaurant and saw the sign on the door.

"Figures." Mario said.

"Just our luck, little buddy." DK said.

FLIGHT 2 (Jet Shrooms) – Arrival (Mushroom City) / 4:15 AM

The final flight landed at Mushroom City, and the final three teams rushed out, all managing to quickly catch a cab.

(Mushroom Garden Restaurant)

"Get our clue at 11:30 AM?! Aw man!" Ash said.

"Kirby, it looks like we must wait until morning." MetaKnight said.

"Well, it looks like we're all caught up." Krystal said. "I guess we should find somewhere to rest for a few hours."

(Mushroom Garden Restaurant – 11:15 AM)

The ten teams stood outside the restaurant.

"So, we're waiting for the restaurant to open. The sign says our clue will be here at 11:30, so we're assuming that means it's inside the restaurant." CJ said.

(11:30 AM)

The restaurant doors opened and the teams funneled in. Mushroom people were scattered around the restaurant, seated at various tables, and just inside the entrance was the clue box.

"(Roadblock...)" Pikachu read.

"(Who's got a good stomach?)" Kirby finished.

"A Roadblock is a task that only team member may perform, and no one may perform more than 6 in a race. In this Roadblock, that person must go into the Mushroom Garden Restaurant and take the orders of and serve ten customers, at five tables of two. Once they have served the correct orders to the correct tables, they must sit at one of the marked tables and eat a plate of liver & onions. When they have finished the liver and onions, the chef will give them the next clue." Toadsworth narrated.

"(I'll do this one.)" Kirby said.

"I've got it, Athena." Janey said.

"Good stomach?" Shaylene asked. "Definitely you, dude."

"Ok." CJ said.

"You're up, Dad." Yoshi Jr said.

"You did the last one. I'll do this one." Aubrey said.

"I got it, bro." Luigi said.

"I got this one, Pikachu." Ash said.

"Girl, I did the last one. You're up." Tina said.

"I'll do it." DK said.

"My turn." Fox said.

"Ew, I have to eat liver and onions?! Gross!" Stacey said.

"This isn't gonna be pleasant..." Aubrey said.

"Liver? That sounds disgusting!" Ash said.

"Dude, you've got this! If you can get those orders done fast enough, you'll crush the eating part!" Shaylene said. "Just watch out for Yoshi and Kirby." The ten racers rushed into the dining area, where the manager greeted them.

"Each of you will take 5 assigned tables." the manager said, handing a list of tables to each racer. "The orders have already been prepared, and are being held in those warming ovens." He pointed to the kitchen. "You simply have to take the 5 tables' orders, and come grab the correct orders and take them back to the correct tables." The racers rushed to their tables and started taking orders.

"What can I get you?"

"I'm getting the Mushroom Mac and Cheese with the Koopa Shell Crispy Chicken Salad." One customer said.

"And I'll have the Bowser Buffalo Burger, Fireball French Fries and Goomba Gouda and Goat Cheese Salad."

"Okay, that's a lot to remember, but I think I've got it."

Several racers ran food to their first tables.

"Thank you." One customer said.

"Thank you very much." Another said.

"That's not my order." Said a third customer.

"What? Is it yours?" The racer asked the other customer at the table.

"No."

"Crap... What did I mess up?" The racer questioned.

Within moments, several of the racers had finished their first tables and were getting their next set of orders.

CJ

"What can I get you?" CJ asked.

"I'll get the Chain Chomp Cheddar Burger, a side of Spike's Spicy Fries and a Pokey Parmesan Pasta Salad."

"And I'll have the Poshley Heights Shrimp Scampi, Garnet Crystal Star Garlic Bread and Shiver City Caesar Salad."

"Got it." CJ then rushed off to the kitchen.

Kirby / Ash / Stacey / Janey / Yoshi

"Here is your order." Ash said, setting two plates down at one of the tables.

"I'm sorry, that is not my order." A customer said.

"Wait what?"

"Here is your food." Janey said, setting down food.

"Thank you."

"Thanks."

"Here you go." Stacey said, placing her orders down on the table.

"I didn't order that."

"Me neither."

"Wait, seriously?! What the f**k!" Stacey shouted.

"(Here you go. I'm jealous. It looks good.)" Kirby said.

"Thank you."

"Order up." Yoshi said.

"Thank you very much."

CJ / Luigi / Aubrey / DK / Fox

"Table #2." CJ said.

"Thank you."

"I was worried you were gonna mess up. I'm starving!"

CJ – Orders Served: 2

"Here-a you go." Luigi said.

"Sorry, that's wrong."

"Oh come on! It was such a simple order! What's wrong with you?"

"You don't have to get mad..." Luigi said.

"Order up." Aubrey said.

"Thank you."

"Oh, it looks so good!"

Aubrey – Orders Served: 2

"Waiting for this?" DK asked, setting food down at his table.

"Um... no."

"That's not correct."

"Damn..." DK said.

"Please tell me I got it right..." Fox said.

"Yup, that's my food."

"You got it."

"Awesome. On to the next one."

Kirby / Ash / Stacey / Janey / Yoshi

"(I'm so hungry.)" Kirby said, as he placed the orders on the table.

"Thanks."

"Awesome! My food!"

Kirby – Orders Served: 2

"Please tell me I'm right this time." Ash said.

"You got it."

Ash – Orders Served: 1

"I hope this is it..." Stacey said.

"Sorry..."

"Not correct..."

"Damnit!" Stacey said.

"Here's your food." Janey said.

"Thank you."

"I'm sorry, I didn't order this."

"Crap!" Janey said.

"Here you go." Yoshi said.

"Thank you."

"Thanks, green dude."

Yoshi – Orders Served: 2

"Progress." Yoshi said. "Awesome."

CJ / Luigi / Aubrey / DK / Fox

CJ walked out of the kitchen, carrying a tray with six plates. He placed two plates at each of his three remaining tables and returned to the manager.

"Good job. Please take a seat over there." The manager said, directing CJ to a nearby table.

CJ – Orders Served: 5

"Are you kidding me?" DK asked.

"How is he done already?" Janey questioned.

"That was way too quick!" Ash said.

"Yay! Go CJ!" Shaylene cheered.

As CJ was handed his plate of liver and onions, other racers were serving more of their orders.

Kirby – Orders Served: 3
Ash – Orders Served: 2
Stacey – Orders Served: 1
Janey – Orders Served: 2
Yoshi – Orders Served: 4
Luigi – Orders Served: 1
Aubrey – Orders Served: 3
DK – Orders Served: 2
Fox – Orders Served: 1

"Almost done..." Yoshi said.

"(Getting close.)" Kirby said.

"CJ, you gotta plow through this! Kirby and Yoshi are close to catching up!" Shaylene called out.

CJ swallowed a large bite of liver. "I know, kiddo!" He said. "I've got this! Relax!"

Within a few minutes, CJ had swallowed his final bite as other racers served more orders.

Kirby – Orders Served: 4
Ash – Orders Served: 2
Stacey – Orders Served: 2
Janey – Orders Served: 3
Yoshi – Orders Served: 5
Luigi – Orders Served: 2
Aubrey – Orders Served: 4
DK – Orders Served: 3
Fox – Orders Served: 2

Yoshi sat down and was handed a plate of liver and onions as CJ was handed his clue.

CJ & Shaylene: Dating – Currently in 1st

"Dude you smoked that!" Shaylene said, high-fiving her partner.

"You know how much I love liver and onions." CJ said. He ripped open the clue. "Drive by marked car to the Great Mushroom Fountain, where you will find your next clue."

"Upon completing the Roadblock, teams must take one of these marked SUVs…" Toadsworth stood in front of 10 SUVs. On the windshields of the SUVs was a red-and-yellow sticker. "And drive themselves to the Great Mushroom Fountain, in the center of Mushroom City, in Central Mushroom Park. Once there, they will find their next clue in front of the fountain."

"I wanna drive!" Shaylene said, jumping into the driver's seat.

Yoshi

"Done!" Yoshi called out, finishing his liver and onions, as Kirby served his final order and Janey managed to serve two more orders.

Kirby – Orders Served: 5
Ash – Orders Served: 2
Stacey – Orders Served: 2
Janey – Orders Served: 5
Luigi – Orders Served: 2
Aubrey – Orders Served: 4
DK – Orders Served: 3
Fox – Orders Served: 2

Kirby and Janey sat down and were given their liver and onions while Yoshi was handed his clue.

Yoshi & Yoshi Jr: Father/Son – Currently in 2nd

"Drive by marked car to the Great Mushroom Fountain, where you will find your next clue." Yoshi read. "Perfect, I know exactly where that is."

"Then let's go!" Jr said. As the Yoshis hopped in their SUV, Kirby swallowed his liver and grabbed his clue.

Kirby & MetaKnight: Friends/Star Warriors – Currently in 3rd

"Great Mushroom Fountain..." MetaKnight said. "Good work, Kirby. We can make up some ground here."

CJ & Shaylene: Dating (Central Mushroom Park)

Shaylene pulled the car up to the edge of the park, and she and CJ quickly jumped out. In the center of the park was a beautiful fountain. In the center of the fountain, spouting water, was a stone statue of a mustachioed Mushroom Person. Surrounding the fountain were twelve kiddie pools filled with gold coins. The fountain itself was also filled with gold coins. In front of the fountain was both a clue box and a table holding ten coins. Next to the coins were several small strips of paper, a small wooden box and several pens. Standing next to the table was a Mushroom Person with a purple-spotted mushroom cap.

"Over there!" Shaylene exclaimed, pointing out the fountain. The two rushed over and grabbed the clue.

"Detour… Gold Coins or Gold Wishes." 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 based around something the Great Mushroom Fountain is famous for: making wishes on gold coins. Their choice; Gold Coins or Gold Wishes.

In Gold Coins, teams must search the 12 kiddie pools for a single gold coin with bearing their team's picture. However, what they don't know is that each of the pools are filled with 30 to 40 coins, and each pool only has 1 team's coin in it, with the exception of two, which hold no teams' coins, so it will be tough for teams to find their coin.

In Gold Wishes, one team member must write a wish down on a piece of paper and place it into this small box…" Toadsworth motioned to the box on the table near the fountain. "They must then throw their team's coin into the big fountain. Their teammate must then search the box, filled with several different wishes, for their partner's wish. After finding the wish and confirming it with their partner, they must find their team's coin in the fountain. While they only have to search the fountain rather than 12 kiddie pools, people throw coins into the fountain on a daily basis, meaning they will be searching through hundreds of gold coins.

Once they've found their coin, they must hand it to the Mushroom Person next to the fountain to receive their clue."

"What do you want to do?" CJ asked.

"Gold Wishes." Shaylene said. "I trust that you'll be able to identify any wish I make."

"I hope so." CJ said. Shaylene ran over to the table, scribbled her wish down, dropped it in the box and shook the box. She grabbed their coin and tossed it into the fountain.

"Go for it, dude." Shaylene said.

Ash / Stacey / Janey / Luigi / Aubrey / DK / Fox (Mushroom Garden Restaurant)

Janey gagged as she took a bite of liver. She quickly stood up, rushed over to a nearby trash can and vomited.

"Ugh, and I thought fried Tork was disgusting..." Janey said.

"Ew..." Athena mumbled from the sidelines.

Meanwhile, DK served his final order, and Aubrey had already sat down and was waiting on her plate of liver and onions. The manager led DK over to a nearby table, as a waiter brought out two plates of liver and onions.

Ash – Orders Served: 2
Stacey – Orders Served: 2
Luigi – Orders Served: 2
Aubrey – Orders Served: 5
DK – Orders Served: 5
Fox – Orders Served: 2

"This is gross..." Aubrey said.

"Aubrey, just think of the race!" Alex said.

"This could use some bananas..." DK said.

Yoshi & Yoshi Jr: Father/Son (Central Mushroom Park)

"Detour... Gold Wishes or Gold Coins."

"I'm okay with digging through little pools to find a coin." Jr said.

"Let's do it." Yoshi said.

CJ & Shaylene: Dating (Central Mushroom Park)

CJ pulled out a handful of wishes and began to read them.

"'I wish I had more money.'" He read. "No, that's not it... 'I wish the postal service was more efficient.' Well, that seems like a silly wish. Definitely not that one. 'I hope I can spend forever with my best friend.' That might be it." He ran the wish over to Shaylene.

She looked down and her face turned a bit red. "That's it." She said. CJ kissed her on the forehead and turned and ran to the fountain.

"Now comes the hard part." CJ said. "Finding the damn coin."

Ash / Stacey / Janey / Luigi / Aubrey / DK / Fox (Mushroom Garden Restaurant)

"That was gross..." DK said, as he finished his last bite of liver.

"Ew. I never want to eat that again." Janey said.

"I'd become a vegetarian if I meant never having to eat liver again." Aubrey said, taking another bite. The manager handed a clue to DK and Janey.

DK & Diddy: Best Friends – Currently in 4th
Athena & Janey: Engaged – Currently in 5th

"Drive by marked car to the Great Mushroom Fountain..." DK read.

"...where you will find your next clue." Janey finished.

As the Kongs and Pandorans rushed out of the restaurant, all the other racers successfully served another order.

Ash – Orders Served: 4
Stacey – Orders Served: 4
Luigi – Orders Served: 3
Fox – Orders Served: 3

"One more..." Ash said.

"Girl, move yo badonkadonk!" Tiny said.

"Come on, bro! You've got this!" Mario cheered.

"Almost done, Fox!" Krystal said.

Kirby & MetaKnight: Friends/Star Warriors (Mushroom City – Streets)

"Just our luck..." MetaKnight was standing on the edge of the car, hood popped, over the steaming engine.

"(What do we do now?)" Kirby asked.

"Should a car break down under no fault of the team, they can request a replacement car. However, they will not be compensated for time lost while waiting for their new car." Toadsworth narrated.

CJ & Shaylene / Yoshi & Yoshi Jr (Central Mushroom Park)

CJ reached into the fountain and pulled out a gold coin with a picture of flower on it.

"Fire Flower..." He said. "This might be harder than I thought..."

"It was basically luck of the draw." CJ said (After-Leg). "With the water pouring out of the fountain itself, the water in the pool was constantly rippling and parts of it were kinda foamy, so it was a guessing game. You couldn't make out the coins through the water, so you just had to keep grabbing until you got the right one. Looking back, I should've gone with searching the kiddie pools."

"Any luck, Dad?" Yoshi Jr asked.

"Not yet!" Yoshi said. "I found Ash and Pikachu's coin though."

Ash / Stacey / Luigi / Aubrey / Fox (Mushroom Garden Restaurant)

"I never want to eat that crap again." Aubrey said, finishing her last bite.

"Sorry, that's not my food."

"Yes that's what I ordered. Thank you."

"Awesome! My eats!"

"Um… I did not order that."

Ash – Orders Served: 4
Stacey – Orders Served: 5
Luigi – Orders Served: 3
Fox – Orders Served: 5

Stacey and Fox sat down to their liver & onions, Ash and Luigi ran back in to try their orders again and Aubrey was handed her clue.

"This is so gross…" Stacey said.

Alex & Aubrey: Friends – Currently in 6th

"Drive by marked car to the Great Mushroom Fountain where you will find your next clue." Aubrey read. "Let's book it!"

DK & Diddy / Athena & Janey / CJ & Shaylene / Yoshi & Yoshi Jr (Central Mushroom Park)

The Kongs and Pandorans rushed to the clue box as the other two teams continued to dig for their coins.

"Detour…" Diddy read.

"Gold Coins or Gold Wishes." Janey said. "Which one, Athena?"

"Gold coins shouldn't be too hard.' Athena said.

"Let's do Wishes." DK said.

"Ok, I'll search." Diddy said.

"Okay, buddy." DK ran over to the table, scribbled down his wish, dropped it into the box and then tossed his coin into the fountain as Athena and Janey rushed over to two of the kiddie pools.

"Anything yet, dude?" Shaylene asked.

CJ reached into the fountain and pulled out a coin with a star on it. "Nope." He said.

"I can't find it, Dad!" Jr shouted.

"Me neither!" Yoshi said. "Maybe try another pool?"

"Good idea!" Jr said, as the Yoshis each switched to a different pool.

Ash / Stacey / Luigi / Fox (Mushroom Garden Restaurant)

"Please tell me I got it right…"

"Is this your order? Please say yes."

"Yup."

"Sorry, that's not it."

Ash – Orders Served: 4
Luigi – Orders Served: 5

"Go bro!" Mario cheered.

"(Come on, Ash! You've got this!)" Pikachu said.

"Hey, this isn't half bad." Fox said, swallowing a bite of liver.

"Ugh, I think I'm gonna puke." Stacey said.

"Girl, you gots dis!" Tina shouted.

Luigi sat down and was handed his plate of liver and onions.

Kirby & MetaKnight: Friends/Star Warriors (Mushroom City – Streets)

MetaKnight breathed a small sigh of relief as he and Kirby climbed into their replacement car.

"(Drive, MetaKnight, drive!)" Kirby said.

"We have to make up our lost ground." MetaKnight said, flooring the gas pedal.

Alex & Aubrey / CJ & Shaylene / Yoshi & Yoshi Jr / Athena & Janey / DK & Diddy (Central Mushroom Park)

Alex and Aubrey rushed into the park and grabbed their clue.

"Detour… Gold Wishes or Gold Coins." Aubrey said. "Think you know me well enough to identify my wish?"

"Yeah…?" Alex said, puzzled. "You doubt me?"

Meanwhile, Diddy pulled a wish out of the box.

"'I wish I had more bananas.'" He read. "Come on, DK, too easy!"

"I'm sorry! I really do wish I had some bananas!" DK said. Diddy couldn't help but chuckle. He then dove into the fountain and began digging for his team's coin. Aubrey ran over to the wish box, scribbled down her wish, tossed it into the box and threw her coin into the fountain. Meanwhile, several people walking through the park tossed coins into the fountain as well.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Shaylene said. "You mean people will throw coins in while we're doing this?"

"Don't worry, Shay! I can find it!" CJ said.

"Dad, I've got it!" Jr shouted. The Yoshis rushed over to the purple Mushroom Person and Jr handed him the coin.

"Good job." He said, holding out an envelope. "Here is your clue." Yoshi grabbed it and the two ran to the edge of the park.

Yoshi & Yoshi Jr: Father/Son – Currently in 1st

"Drive yourselves to the Pit Stop… the Mushroom Hotel." Yoshi read. "Warning: the last team to check in may be eliminated."

"Upon completing the Detour, teams must drive themselves three-and-a-half miles through town to this place, Mushroom Hotel…" Toadsworth stood in front of a four-story hotel shaped like a white-spotted red mushroom. "…This five-star hotel in the heart of Mushroom City is the Pit Stop for this leg of the race. The last team to check in here… may be eliminated."

"I'll drive!" Yoshi said. "I know where the hotel is."

Ash / Stacey / Luigi / Fox (Mushroom Garden Restaurant)

Ash nervously carried two orders to his last table. He placed them down and the patrons at the table smiled and nodded as the rest of the restaurant began clapping. Ash sighed heavily. Ash rushed over to one of the tables and sat down and a plate of liver was quickly carried out to him.

"(You got this, Ash! You've got the appetite of a Snorlax!)" Pikachu cheered.

Fox took his last bite of liver as Stacey rushed over to a nearby trash can and threw up.

"Girl, dat's nasty." Tina said. "And I've seen some gross stuffs."

Luigi took a small bite of liver with several pieces of onion.

"It's no spaghetti, but I've had worse." He said as Fox shoveled onions into his mouth and held up his empty plate. The chef walked over and handed him a clue.

Fox & Krystal: Married – Currently in 7th

"Drive by marked car to the Great Mushroom Fountain, where you will find your next clue." Krystal said. She approached a Mushroom Person walking down the street. "Excuse me, how can I get to the Great Mushroom Fountain?"

"Oh that's easy." The Mushroom Person said. "Just head straight down Main St here until you get to the intersection with Mushroom Way. Turn left onto Mushroom Way and drive until you see the POW Block Hotel. Take your next right and follow that street. The fountain is in Central Mushroom Park. You can't miss it."

"Thank you!" Krystal said.

Kirby & MetaKnight / CJ & Shaylene / Alex & Aubrey / DK & Diddy / Athena & Janey (Central Mushroom Park)

Kirby and MetaKnight rushed into the park and over to the clue box.

"Detour… Gold Coins or Gold Wishes." MetaKnight read.

"(Gold Coins)." Kirby said.

CJ pulled up a handful of coins. "Come on, come on… It's gotta be here… Damn!" He dropped the coins back into the fountain.

"Don't give up, dude! You can do this!" Shaylene said.

"Janey, anything?" Athena asked.

"Nothing yet." Janey replied.

"Yo! I… oh wait." Diddy said.

"What'd you find?" DK asked.

"Nothing." Diddy said, dropping a coin with CJ and Shaylene's picture on it back into the fountain. Diddy moved around to another section of the fountain and continued fishing for coins. CJ walked over to where Diddy was digging and grabbed a handful of coins.

"I figured Diddy had done one of two things: Either thought he found his team's picture on a coin but didn't, or found someone else's coin in the fountain." CJ said (After-Leg). "So when he walked away, I decided to dig through that section of the fountain."

"Boo ya!" CJ cheered, as he found his team's coin in the pile he fished out.

"Did you get it?" Shaylene asked.

"I got it!" CJ said, as he stepped out of the fountain and rushed over to his partner. He handed the coin to the Mushroom Person and received his clue.

"We were the first team to leave the restaurant, and the first team to the park, so I had a pretty good feeling that we were the second ones to finish the Detour." CJ said (After-Leg).

CJ & Shaylene: Dating – Currently in 2nd

"Drive yourselves to the Pit Stop… Mushroom Hotel." CJ read. "Warning: the last team to check in may be eliminated. Let's go!" He and Shaylene rushed to their car, with CJ jumping into the driver's seat this time.

"'I wish I was more athletic.'" Alex read. "No, that's not it."

Ash / Stacey / Luigi (Mushroom Garden Restaurant)

Stacey swallowed her last bite of food and gagged as Ash took a big chunk of liver and Luigi swallowed a scoop of onions. The chef walked over and handed Stacey a clue.

"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."

Stacey & Tiny Tina: Friends – Currently in 8th

Tina ripped open the clue. "Drive by marked car to the Great Mushroom Fountain." She said. "I can't drive. This one's on you."

Stacey burped. "Ok. Just gimme a sec." She reached into her backpack and pulled out a bottle of water. "I need a drink."

CJ & Shaylene: Dating (Mushroom City – Streets)

CJ and Shaylene's car was pulled over to the side of the road. Behind them was a car resembling a white-spotted black mushroom. Atop the car were flashing red and blue lights and the side of the car had the words "MCPD" painted on it.

"Of course." CJ said. "Had my license for eight years, and the first time I get pulled over is on the friggin' Amazing Race." A Mushroom Person police officer walked up to the driver's side window.

"License and registration, please." The officer said. CJ handed him the necessary paperwork. "Do you know why I pulled you over?"

"No, sir." CJ said.

"You were going 40 mph in a 25 mph zone." The officer said. He scanned the registration and the license. "I'll be right back, sir." The officer walked away.

"Well this sucks." CJ said. "This will screw up some of our lead." The officer came back to the car.

"I'm going to let you off with a warning, since this is your first offense." The officer said. "But please, do be more careful next time."

"Thank you, sir." CJ said. The officer handed him back his documents and they soon went their separate ways.

? (Mushroom Hotel)

Toadsworth stood on the world map in front of the hotel. Next to him was a pair of Mushroom People, one male and one female. The male wore white pants, an open blue vest and had a red-spotted white mushroom cap. The female wore a pink dress, open red vest, a white-spotted pink mushroom cap, and had pink hair that was tied into two braided pigtail by two small pink mushroom-shaped hair ties. A car pulled up out front and a team anxiously rushed forward and jumped onto the mat.

"Welcome to Mushroom City." Said the two Mushroom People, Toad and Toadette.

"Thanks, guys."

"Yoshi and Yoshi Jr…" Toadsworth said. "Once again, you are team number one."

Yoshi & Yoshi Jr: Father/Son – 1st Place / 4:17 PM

"Twice?!" Yoshi asked.

"No way!" Jr cheered.

"Congrats, guys." Toadette said.

"Thanks." Yoshi said.

"Are Mario and Luigi still in?" Toad asked.

"Yeah." Jr said. "Oh wait… Are we allowed to say?"

Toadsworth chuckled. "Of course. They'll have to check in to this Pit Stop at some point."

Ash / Luigi (Mushroom Garden Restaurant)

Both racers swallowed their last bite of food. The chef walked over and handed each of them a clue.

Mario & Luigi / Ash & Pikachu – Currently in Last Place

"Drive by marked car to Great Mushroom Fountain." Luigi read.

"Do you guys know the way there?" Ash asked.

"Yeah." Mario said.

"(We're fighting for last. Want to work together?)" Pikachu said.

"Sure. The fountain's in Central Mushroom Park." Luigi said. "Follow us and we'll lead you there."

"With it only being the second leg of the race, we didn't see any reason to make any enemies yet." Mario said (After-Leg). "In the long run, it was better to make alliances and friendships. So we figured it was a good idea to help Ash and Pikachu find the park."

Stacey & Tiny Tina / Alex & Aubrey / Kirby & MetaKnight / DK & Diddy / Athena & Janey (Central Mushroom Park)

Stacey and Tina rushed over to the clue box. Stacey ripped it open.

"Detour… Gold Coins or Gold Wishes." She read. She and Tina scanned the choices.

"Let's do Wishes." Tina said. "I wants to know your juicy gossip." Stacey ran over to the table, scribbled down her wish and dropped it into the box. She grabbed her coin and threw it into the fountain. Meanwhile, Alex pulled out another piece of paper.

"'I want to have my own library attached to my house.'" Alex ran over to Aubrey and showed her the wish.

"You know it." Aubrey said. Alex ran back to the fountain and jumped in. Meanwhile, Tina ran over and started digging through the wishes.

"Athena, I found- Oh wait, never mind. It's Stacey and Tina's."

"Butts." Tina said. "We'd gots this if we did the other one." She pulled out a piece of paper. "'I wish he was mine again.'" She ran over to Stacey. "Girl, is this it? 'Cuz if it is, you gots to move on."

"Nope." Stacey said. "Not mine."

"Good." Tina said, running back to the wish box.

"Kirby, any luck?" MetaKnight asked.

"(Nope!)" Kirby said.

"Man, why is this so difficult?" Diddy asked. A group of Mushroom People walked by and threw more coins into the fountain. "Can we not throw more coins in?! Come on!"

CJ & Shaylene (Mushroom Hotel)

Toadsworth pointed to the nearby intersection as another marked car turned the corner. The car pulled into the hotel parking lot. The dating Sages jumped out and rushed toward the front of the hotel, leaping onto the mat.

"Welcome to Mushroom City." Toadette said, curtsying.

"Thank you." CJ said.

"CJ and Shaylene… I heard you had some trouble on your way here." Toadsworth said.

"Yeah. Got pulled over for speeding." CJ said. "First time I've ever been pulled over."

"Well, I have some good news." Toadsworth said. "Despite that setback, you guys are team number two."

CJ & Shaylene: Dating – 2nd Place / 4:55 PM

"Thank the goddesses…" CJ sighed.

"Two in a row." Shaylene said. "I'll take it."

Fox & Krystal / Mario & Luigi / Ash & Pikachu / Stacey & Tiny Tina / Alex & Aubrey / Kirby & MetaKnight / DK & Diddy / Athena & Janey (Central Mushroom Park)

The final three teams rushed into the park together and grabbed their clues.

"Detour…"

"Gold Coins…"

"…or Gold Wishes."

"Coins." Krystal said.

"Let's do Wishes, Bro." Luigi said.

"(I'm cool with Wishes)." Pikachu said.

"(MetaKnight, I found it!)" Kirby exclaimed.

"Sweet coconuts, finally!" Diddy shouted. The two racers ran over to the Mushroom Person, coins in hand, and were handed their clue.

DK & Diddy / Kirby & MetaKnight – Currently in 3rd
"Proceed to the Pit Stop… The Mushroom Hotel." MetaKnight read.

"Warning: the last team to check in may be eliminated." DK finished.

"(Pit Stop! Let's go!)" Kirby said.

"Time to move, DK!" Diddy said.

Stacey & Tiny Tina / Alex & Aubrey / Athena & Janey

Tina ran over to Stacey and read her a wish. "'I wish I owned a hundred ferrets.'"

"Ohmygod, they're so cute!" Stacey said.

"Girl. Listen. That's a lot of ferrets." Tina said. She ran off and leaped into the fountain, splashing water on Alex.

"Oh come on!" Alex shouted. "You got me all wet!"

"Dude, you're digging through a water fountain! Shut up!" Aubrey said.

"Athena, I can't find it!" Janey said.

"Just keep looking! One of us is bound to- Found it!" Athena said. She and Janey jumped out of the pool and ran over to the Mushroom Person. Next to them at the table, scribbling their wishes were Ash and Luigi. The Mushroom Person took the coin from Athena and handed her a clue. She and Janey stepped away from the other teams and ripped open the envelope.

Athena & Janey: Engaged – Currently in 5th

"Drive yourselves to the next Pit Stop… Mushroom Hotel." Janey said. Athena began running to the car. "Warning: the last team to check in may be eliminated."

? (Mushroom Hotel)

Toadsworth, Toadette and Toad watched as another car rounded the corner, rushed into the parking lot and semi-haphazardly parked. The team rushed out and ran full speed to the mat.

"Welcome to Mushroom City." Toad said.

"Thank you."

"Kirby and MetaKnight…" Toadsworth said. "You're team number three."

Kirby & MetaKnight: Star Warriors/Friends – 3rd Place / 5:48 PM

"That's quite a change from the beginning of the leg." MetaKnight said. "We owe a lot to that Roadblock."

"With everyone tied at the Roadblock, and Kirby's gifted eating abilities, we were able to gain significant ground on everyone, which helped us gain enough of a lead to get out of the bottom of the pack." MetaKnight said (After-Leg).

Fox & Krystal / Mario & Luigi / Ash & Pikachu / Stacey & Tiny Tina / Alex & Aubrey (Central Mushroom Park)

Mario and Pikachu ran over to the wish table and began reading wishes, while Fox, Krystal, Tina and Alex fished through the water for their coins: Fox and Krystal through the kiddie pools and Tina and Alex through the fountain.

"('I wish I was a Pokemon master.')" Pikachu read. He ran over and showed it to Ash.

"You know it." Ash said.

"'I wish I was great like my brother.'" Mario read. "That's Luigi's." He ran over to his brother. Luigi nodded. Pikachu and Mario jumped into the fountain and immediately grabbed a handful of coins.

"(Hey, I found it!)" Pikachu said, picking his team's coin out of the handful. He ran over to the table and handed the coin to the Mushroom Person in exchange for the clue.

Ash & Pikachu: Trainer/Pokemon – Currently in 6th

"Drive yourselves to the next Pit Stop… Mushroom Hotel. Warning: the last team to check in may be eliminated."

"Damn. They got here after us!" Alex said.

"Make it RAAAIIIIIN!" Tina said, throwing a handful of coins in the air. One of the coins landed in her shoe. She reached down and pulled it out, looking at it in the process. "Ooh, I found it!" She rushed over and handed the coin to the Mushroom Person.

Stacey & Tiny Tina: Friends – Currently in 7th

"Pit Stop, girl!" Tina said.

"Finally! I'm so tired!" Stacey said.

? (Mushroom Hotel)

Toadsworth pointed to the parking lot as two cars rushed in. The two teams jumped out and rushed to the mat.

"Welcome to Mushroom City." Toadette said.

"Athena and Janey… You're team number four. DK and Diddy, that makes you team number five." He said.

Athena & Janey: Engaged – 4th Place / 6:08 PM
DK & Diddy: Best Friends – 5th Place / 6:08 PM

"Not bad. Not bad at all." DK said.

"Worse than last leg, but we're still near the top, so I'm not complaining." Janey said.

? (Mushroom Hotel)

Another team rushed to the mat.

"Welcome to Mushroom City." Toad said.

"That Roadblock was the worst."

"Stacey and Tina… You're team number six." Toadsworth said.

Stacey & Tiny Tina: Friends – 6th Place / 6:27 PM

"I guess we could've done worse." Stacey said.

"Here comes another team." Toadsworth said, pointing to a car pulling into the parking lot. The car pulled into a nearby spot, over the line and up on the grass a bit, and Ash and Pikachu rushed out and ran to the mat as Stacey and Tina stepped to the side.

"Welcome to Mushroom City." Toadette said, trying not to stare at Ash's parking job.

"Ash and Pikachu… You're team number seven." Toadsworth said.

Ash & Pikachu: Trainer/Pokemon – 7th Place / 6:28 PM

"(It's better than last leg.)" Pikachu said.

"We'll get 'em next time, Pikachu!"

Fox & Krystal / Mario & Luigi / Alex & Aubrey (Central Mushroom Park)

The three teams continued to dig through the fountain. The Mushroom City skyline was painted hues of reds and oranges as the sun began to set. The scattered clouds in the sky almost appeared blue or purple.

"We're the last three teams here and it's starting to get dark." Aubrey said (During-Leg). "I can tell it's starting to get to Team Star Fox and the brothers, but Alex seems to be dealing with it fine."

A group of Mushroom People walked by, tossing a handful of coins into the fountain near where Alex was searching.

"Can you f**king stop!"

"Okay, maybe not." Aubrey said.

"I would've rather eaten the liver." Alex said.

"Hey, we're the last three teams, want to work together?" Mario asked.

"Might as well." Krystal said.

"Sure." Alex said.

(Central Mushroom Park – 8:30 PM)

"We've been here for… close to five hours now." Aubrey said. "And the park's not the most well-lit, so I'm sure he's getting frustrated."

"Finally!" Alex said. He jumped out of the fountain and rushed to the Mushroom Person, who handed him the clue.

Alex & Aubrey: Friends – Currently in 8th

"Drive yourselves to the Pit Stop… Mushroom Hotel. Warning: the last team to check in may be eliminated." Alex said. "Let's go!"

The Sages quickly jumped into their car and sped off.

Mario & Luigi / Fox & Krystal

"What was that all about?" Fox asked.

"We felt like it was rude of Alex and Aubrey to just run off after finding their coin when they said they were going to help us." Krystal said (After-Leg). "We weren't planning on making enemies this early on, but that was in bad taste. They didn't need to do that."

Alex & Aubrey: Friends

Alex and Aubrey rushed up to the mat, where Alex hunched over a bit, catching his breath.

"Welcome to Mushroom City." Toad said with a smile.

"Alex and Aubrey." Toadsworth said. "You're team number eight."

Alex & Aubrey: Friends – 8th Place / 8:49 PM

"Ouch." Alex said.

"Yeah, that leg could've gone better, but at least we're still in it." Aubrey said.

Fox & Krystal / Mario & Luigi (Central Mushroom Park)

"We knew we were probably the last two teams there, but we wanted to stick to our word and help out the brothers." Fox said. "Especially after what Alex and Aubrey pulled."

"I got 'em both!" Luigi said. "No way!"

"You're kidding?" Krystal asked.

"No." Luigi said, tossing Team Star Fox's coin to Krystal. The three racers rushed over to the table where the Mushroom Person waited. He took the coins and handed them each a clue.

Fox & Krystal / Mario & Luigi – Currently in Last Place

"Pit Stop." Fox said.

"This might be it." Luigi said.

(Mushroom Hotel)

The final two teams pulled into the parking lot and jumped out of their cars. The teams rushed to the mat, one team just inching out the other.

"Welcome to Mushroom City." Toad and Toadette said in unison.

"Thanks, guys." Luigi said.

"Thank you." Krystal said.

"Fox and Krystal, you're team number nine." Toadsworth said. "Master Mario… Master Luigi… I'm sorry to tell you that you are the last team to arrive."

Fox & Krystal: Married – 9th Place / 9:55 PM
Mario & Luigi: Brothers – Last Place / 9:55 PM

"We had a feeling." Mario said.

"I'm sorry to tell you that you have been eliminated from the race." Toadsworth said.

"It sucks getting eliminated. Especially in the Mushroom Kingdom." Mario said.

"We should have had some kind of home team advantage." Luigi said. "But searching that fountain really got us. For the most part, that just came down to a lot of luck, and we just didn't have it."

(The camera zooms out from the Pit Stop as Mario and Luigi walk away, zooming out to a shot of the city. A farm can be seen in the distance, and a light drizzle is beginning to fall on the city. On the horizon, the skies occasionally brighten with flashes of lightning.)


"Next time on The Amazing Race…"

"Teams depart for the spooky Boo Woods, where some bask in the ambiance and gawk at the locals…"

"Take a taxi to Mushroom City Airport, then get on a flight to Boo Woods." Stacey read.

"Haunted? Ooh ooh like ghosts?!" Tina asked.

"Once in Boo Woods, take a taxi to… Boo's Lookout Tower?! Ohmigod!" Stacey finished. "You have 375- yeah, whatever. Boos!"

"And one team gets hit with the race's first U-Turn…"

"Sorry guys, but you asked for it after what you pulled last leg."


Leg 2 Trivia:

- The Roadblock is this leg is based off of the fact that food challenges are basically a staple on the race, and usually involve weird food. So, I chose liver and onions. And in case anyone's wondering, yes, I do actually like liver and onions.

- Athena and Janey's shirts are a reference to Scooter from the Borderlands franchise. He's a Pandoran mechanic, Janey manages one of his shops, and his catch phrase is "Catch-A-Ride"

- Speaking of shirts, the brown-and-gold "H" on Shaylene's shirt is the logo for the high school she attended.

- The clerk at the Air Lakitu counter that Athena and Janey went to is a throwback to my original TAR series. In TAR 4, Link and Zelda went to Air Lakitu and dealt with a clerk who also spoke in an unusual fashion. I intended this to be the same clerk, though he wasn't an employee at the Castle Town airport in that story.

- The POW Block Hotel, mentioned by a local giving directions to Fox and Krystal, is a location from milesyoshidino34's "Amazing Race II: Paper Mario: TTYD Edition" and I also used it back in TAR 4 of my first series of TAR stories.