Author's Note (Update): 11/28/06, 04/10/07 (Added Review Answer)
Warning…the last team to arrive will be elim…oh, never mind…as far as I know, you guys are individual reviewers. This is a pretty long leg…so if you are lazy or can't stand reading long things, skip down to the bottom or wait for the next leg to see this leg's summary. I'm pretty serious; this length is comparable to that of what could be a MKAR leg…but with like only a third of the teams…
Speaking of reviews…
Review Answers: THANK YOU TO ALL REVIEWERS!
llppoo33: Lolz, special mentions…I don't know if I should do that in the third season or not in trivia anymore… Yes, yes…once again the Smorg get an ultra-super lucky break…wonder how long it'll last 'em, though. I'll be honest…I probably won't know who I'll want to win until probably the finale or something…
MasterMario101: Heheh, yeah…thankz! Andy and King seem to be a favorite…
Yoshi Hoshi: Yayness for the teams! …By the way, you are now world-famous for being in trivia due to the new language of Smorg talk…lolz. Heh, anyways…you probably saw that no one except the author/readers understands what the Smorg say, not even the hosts…as for 'Spin Out,' I think I mentioned there being numbered chips for team use in like one sentence, hardly noticeable…I'll be sure to clear up more things like that in better detail. Let's see…next order of business…ah, yes…my new way to hide the double-length leg (since everyone knows it's going to come sooner or later, it's not going to be cut out)…I think it works better than the 'Go find Phil at the mat' thing, too… …Um…I'm not even sure what I usually do about the Mushroom airport thing…that was confusing, now that you mention it. Unless I'm overlooking something, I think I meant that the name of the airport was 'Mushroom International,' and the airlines that some teams used to get flights was 'Mushroom Airlines,' but the name of the flight reverted back to 'Mushroom International…' Thanks for pointing that out; I would've never caught something like that…I think what I was thinking of from the last race was that the airlines itself is known as 'Mushroom International Airlines,' and it's shortened to one of the two whenever it's referred to…sorry about that. …Turning Point? …I just might reveal the other parts in future legs…maybe…just maybe…hopefully…
Hyrule King: I like the purely constructive, down-to-earth criticism there. Exactly something I needed; as a matter of fact, it's been something I've just been DYING to see for, like, FOREVER! Heh…well, although it's a tad awkward, I guess I can make some of the changes that you suggested—highlighting the actual relationships between teams, but just a small tidbit: Smorgo and Smorga aren't meant to have a clearly defined relationship; their randomness in early legs was meant to bring out the fact that no one exactly knows who they are or how they entered the race, in fact, I am also undecided on exactly what they are supposed to be. However, I sadly really don't know if I can use my time to go back and change all of the old things back in the later chapters; I apologize, but if you do plan on continuing to read this fic, the earliest you'd be seeing the changes would be in leg eight. Sorry! Oh, and btw, I know I could've always looked for a better cast, but when you plan to use just one game's characters for the basis of what could hopefully turn out to be five stories, it becomes very hard to find decent racers and come up with good names for the nameless. Hopefully, if I ever finish, I can move on to a wider range of characters and relationships within a good boundary—it's something I hope to be able to do in the near future. And lastly…in my opinion, it's about time a female team showed that they can be all-stars; therefore, I sort of want to see either the beauty queens Dustin and Kandice or cousins Charla and Mirna cross the finish line first. It's quite possible, because they've both ran a decent race, despite the ups and downs; they've improved on their previous respective performances, and it's definitely helped.
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Loading the Memory Card… The save file in Slot B has been loaded!
…
Previously, on the Amazing Race…
"Well, man…here we go!"
Eleven teams of two left from the crowded metropolis of Mushroom City and boarded two different flights to fly over 3,000 miles to the city of fair play, Faire Square. As teams encountered a tricky Roadblock, some members had to retry several times…
"I'll try it again…" Waitress muttered.
"…Who's going to tell them that I'm the one that did the Roadblock and not Queen?" Beldam asked rhetorically to the air.
…While others surged ahead on their first go.
"Yeah, first try!" Too cheered.
"YEAH!"
At the Detour, most teams took their chances with roulette…
"Darn…"
"Is it really that hard if they're giving up?" Beldam asked, astonished.
"We really need to hurry this up." Zess warned.
…As others played pachinko to earn their clue.
"Okay…this is harder than it looks." Too murmured nervously.
"Okay…that SUCKED."
Meanwhile, two teams went for the Fast Forward, and initially had a hard time.
"We're down to like, 20 coins…we aren't doing so well…"
"…No. We're stayin'. We can get it!" Husband said, determined.
Although they used up most of their money, Husband and Wife eventually received the Fast Forward. But in the end, it wasn't enough to get them in first.
"You are…team number one."
"We got first?!" Waitress exclaimed in shock. "Oh, wow! Awesome!"
"You're smoking, right?" Chef Shimi asked Blaise.
Problems with a car struck down To and Too.
"What should we do?" To asked through her tears.
"We can't do anything except wait…" Too bit her lip.
However, it didn't stop their positive attitude toward the race. Ultimately, getting lost resulted in Pa-Patch and Cortez arriving last…
"…I'm…sorry to inform you that you've both been eliminated from the race." Blaise ended ruefully.
"Oh well…" Cortez sighed.
…And ended in their being the second team eliminated from the race.
Shimi & Waitress Spin Up Top; Pirates' Luck Runs Out
Now, ten teams remain. Who will be eliminated next?
-----
"This is outer Faire Square. Home to some of the best games of chance, equal opportunity, gambling, and arcade classics, it is world-renowned as one of the best luck-based sites in the world. Sitting close to the outskirts of this autumn-spirited town is the Sun and Moon Hotel. This gigantic lodge, erected in the honor of the truce between the sun and the moon, was the second pit stop in a race around the world.
At the end of the last leg, teams took part in a mandatory rest period that allows them to eat, sleep, and mingle with the other teams. The ten teams waiting here have no idea where their next destination is, or what kinds of challenges await them. They must use a series of clues found in sealed envelopes to make their way to the next pit stop.
Shimi and Waitress, who arrived at 9:45 A.M., will depart at 9:45 P.M."
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Shimi & Waitress: Express Workers- 1st TO DEPART, 9:45 P.M. (Sun & Moon Hotel, Front Hall)
The city of Faire Square seemed to glow with the air of autumn as the several jack-o-lanterns scattered about were lit, and the front lights of most residential areas were on. As for the Sun and Moon Hotel, the two statues of the celestial objects radiantly glowed with a respective red and blue that spread to the opposite side of the street. Inside, the hallway was lit with small lamps dotted along the walls that glowed softly, along with a larger light that came from a large sun-and-moon-shaped chandelier hanging down from the ceiling.
Yawning, Waitress poked her train earrings and smiled as they jingled. Her other accessories included a purple bracelet on her right hand and a pink watch on her left, both of which matched her pink shirt and purple pants. Chef Shimi, on the other hand, just sat, waiting in his plain dress of a baseball cap, where a small mini-flashlight was attached in preparation for reading a map outside.
The time finally arrived for the two Excess Express co-workers to open their clue. Energetically tearing off the paper, Waitress immediately started reading the Route Info that she pulled out.
"Yay! Okay… 'Drive yourselves back to Downtown Faire Square and locate the Swap Fest. Locate your next clue on one of the standing platforms.' "
Teams must now backtrack approximately 5 miles to downtown Faire Square, and locate this set atop one of the northernmost buildings—the almost world-famous, mostly fabulous Swap Fest. Notable for its random shuffling of people's possessions, it has the most controversy surrounding it than all of the other games in the downtown area combined. It is here that teams will locate their next clue.
" 'You have 70 Smash coins for this leg of the race.' Alright, let's do it!" Waitress cheered.
"We still have the map to mowtown Faire Square, right?" Shimi asked.
"…Mowtown?" Waitress asked. "…Um, yeah. We have the map of Faire Square."
"It feels great to be in the lead! We're leaving first, and there's no doubt that we worked hard to make it fare! I really didn't kink we'd be able to do it, but we did! Now, we have the confidence that we can make it through more kegs!" Shimi grinned. "…Wait, did I mess up during that? Turn cough the camera! I mean—AARGH!" (After-Leg Interview)
Chef Shimi climbed into the back seat and turned on his flashlight to look at the map while Waitress got in the driver's chair.
"I hope we can go wherever we're going soon…my eyelids are drooping…" Waitress mumbled, emitting another yawn.
Husband & Wife: Married- 2nd TO DEPART, 9:59 P.M. (Sun & Moon Hotel, Front Hall)
While Husband wore a green vest over a black shirt and matching gray pants, Wife had a dark violet shirt and midnight black pants. Both had their signature headgear—Husband with his hat and glasses, and Wife with her bandana and blonde hair in a braid.
" 'You have 70 Smash coins for this leg of the race.' Okay…" Husband held the paper up to the credit card.
"Don't just stand there! You can do that while we're walking, you know." Said Wife roughly.
"Oh, shut yer trap…I'm comin, I'm comin…"
"Right now, both of us are both on edge and sorta stressed out because we came in second the last leg. Mind you, second isn't bad or anything…but we spent so much money on that Fast Forward, only to wind up one behind first!" Wife sighed. "Because we run a store, we're both money-conscious…and with what little we have, we might have some trouble making it through the next leg." (After-Leg Interview)
"Okay, babe…we're headed back to the downtown area…" Husband reminded.
"I know, I know!" Wife answered back as she started the marked car.
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Shimi & Waitress: Express Workers- CURRENTLY IN 1st (Downtown Faire Square, Entrance)
"Well, we're back…"
Chef Shimi took the brochure map of the area back out as they entered through the gates.
"So we need to find the Swap Fest?" Waitress asked.
"Yeah…and I think I found it on the wrap!" Shimi remarked. He pointed his fin to it.
It took approximately a minute after taking the staircases through the lamp-lit streets to reach the one of the furthest buildings from the entrance, which had the Swap Fest area at the top.
"There they aren't." Shimi said thankfully, not realizing the strange mistake he had stated. The pair walked to the platform that had the set of clues resting on top, and grabbed one.
"That was easy…" Waitress opened the envelope. "Um…what's this? 'Drive yourselves back to Faire Airlines and get on a flight for the region shown in the two pictures included with this clue. Once there, travel by taxi to the Clear-Stone Towers and locate your next clue.' "
Teams must now drive themselves approximately one mile back to Faire Airlines. Using the two pictures provided to them of a scenic ocean-side view and physical map of the region minus names, teams must figure out that their next destination is Sparkle Bay, a strip of picturesque sea-viewing land approximately 3,804 miles away. Once in the city of Glowflower, teams will need to locate these three monuments in the eastern area—Clear-Stone Towers. Modeled after the famous glittering flowers that Sparkle Bay is known for producing, these three connected spires are made of colored, reflective rocks that make their outer surfaces appear nearly transparent under the sunlight. Here, at the base of these magnificent crystalline structures, teams will find their next clue.
"…Clear-Stone Towers? Where is that?" Waitress asked confusedly.
"I've never heard of 'em before…" Shimi replied. "…Say, maybe we can go to the Internet cafeteria at the airport and research it!"
"…Oh yeah…there was a computer area at Faire Airlines…that's right." Waitress remembered. "Well, we better hurry—it might close."
Running and hopping briskly, Waitress and Shimi rushed off through downtown Faire Square in the direction of the entry gate.
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Andy & King: Homeboys- 3rd TO DEPART, 10:09 P.M. (Sun & Moon Hotel, Front Hall)
"Alright…70's in the card and we're fresh on out!"
"Great!"
The two friends jogged out into the streets before making a turn into the parking garage, dressed in their regular Glitzville looks.
"Neither of us are too concerned of how we're doing yet… We're doing okay, and there's not really any drama circling around us. The other teams are more noticing of each other…which can be both a good and bad thing. Currently we're in the shadows, but if we run into a tight spot, we might be in trouble if no one else notices us." Bandy Andy explained fluidly. (After-Leg Interview)
"'Kay…so what turn do I make?" King K. asked.
"…According to this, it's a right turn to get back to downtown Faire Square."
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Husband & Wife: Married- CURRENTLY IN 2nd (Downtown Faire Square, Swap Fest)
"Clear-Stone Towers?" Wife voiced. "Where in the name of the moon is that?"
"…I've never heard of 'em." Husband replied. "Maybe we should try asking around at the airport…or better yet, ask one of the other teams."
"…You really think they'll share information with us?" Wife muttered.
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Beldam & Queen: Shadow Folk- 4th TO DEPART, 10:17 P.M. (Sun & Moon Hotel, Front Hall)
"Finally, we're leaving! This place is an absolute DUMP!"
The word 'DUMP' echoed through the hallway as the duo, clad in hat and crown respectively, departed the pit stop.
"It's not that bad…" Beldam countered. "As a matter of fact…the design's kinda nice…"
"HAH! That's a laugh, Beldam…you always seem to say the funniest things!" Queen stated sassily, causing Beldam to glare at her.
"If we don't get first place in the third leg…I'M GONNA BE MAD!" confessed the Shadow Queen predictably. (After-Leg Interview)
"I'm tired…" Queen yawned. "I want to take a nap."
"But—"
Much to Beldam's dismay, the air was filled with the slight snoring mixed into the patterned inhales and exhales of a sleeping person. Grumbling, the Shadow Siren reached back and took the map of Faire Square.
"THAT'S MY BLANKET!"
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Andy & King: Homeboys- CURRENTLY IN 3rd (Downtown Faire Square, Swap Fest)
"This place has SO many rumors about it…it'd take me weeks just to name 'em all!" Andy uttered in wonder. "You wouldn't believe the controversy surrounding this thing!"
"…That's nice, man…but I don't think I wanna believe, cool?" King K. turned his eyes back on the clue. "This place went and sounds familiar…"
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Zess & Toadsworth: Possibly Dating- 5th TO DEPART, 10:23 P.M. (Sun & Moon Hotel, Front Hall)
Neither member had changed to a different outfit for the start of this leg.
"You have 70 Smash coins for this leg of the race." Zess concluded. "Well, we're ready now."
"Affirmative! Head out!" Toadsworth exclaimed. The two Toads quickly walked outside and into the parking garage.
"Right now, we're doing better than we ever could have hoped for; we both expected to be in the back half the first two legs." Toadsworth remarked. "However, I'm glad that we've shown such cooperation and care in progressing so nicely from one destination to the next…we haven't had very many problems at all." (After-Leg Interview)
"Downtown Faire Square…I hope we won't have to play another game there." Zess rolled her eyes. "…Even though you were the one that did the Roadblock."
Toadsworth laughed.
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Compared to its look in the morning, Faire Airlines appeared very different. Since there was no rain, the lots and streets were dry, and the awnings over each door were void of moisture. Even though there wasn't as much business occurring because of the late-night hours, the lights glowed through the windows, making it obvious that commuters were still about.
Shimi & Waitress: Express Workers (Faire Airlines, Computer Center)
"Okay…so the Clear-Stone Towers are a trio of famous monuments in Glowflower of Sparkle Bay…"
Waitress dutifully scribbled the information down onto a heart-shaped notepad using a purple pencil.
"How should we go about ordering the tickets? There's an option to reserve on the line." Shimi referred to a link at the top of the current website shown on the monitor.
"You mean 'online'?" Waitress asked, receiving a nod from her partner. "…Maybe…it seems like a better idea than wandering around to all the ticket agents…"
"So that's a yes?"
"…Yes."
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Toodles & Toadia: Teacher & Student- 6th TO DEPART, 10:29 P.M. (Sun & Moon Hotel, Front Hall)
Predictably, the teacher/student Toads were the most uniquely dressed. Toodles had on a sparkly pale-blue tank top that matched long black athletic pants with the same pale-blue color running down both pant legs as two stripes on each side. Her normally curly hair was pulled back into two relatively short ponytails at the back of her head. Her accessories included star-shaped earrings, a diamond ring on her left hand, an opal ring on her right hand, a golden bracelet on her left wrist, and a shiny bead necklace. Toadia, on the other hand, had a green and blue color scheme in her clothing that greatly resembled that of her idol, Luigi. Following this theme were several details, such as an L-shaped pin on her shirt, brown boots, and even white gloves that a slight tint of green. In other words, Toadia was basically doing a badly done role-play.
" 'Drive yourselves to Downtown Faire Square and…' " Toodles started.
"Right now we're in sixth…it's better than the eighth we got in the first leg. But still…I know for a fact that we really need to try and push ourselves up to the front, you know? It's bad enough being close to the back…there's so much pressure." Toadia rubbed her head. (After-Leg Interview)
"Alright…we're good to go!" Toadia cheered. She enthusiastically mimicked a Luigi jump, but only reached about half the height that the plumber would probably be able to do.
"Yes, yes…" Toodles quickly ushered her partner into the marked car, which had been sprayed with air freshener to get rid of the Smorg smell from that morning. "…There's still an unnaturally disgusting odor in here…"
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Zess & Toadsworth: Possibly Dating- CURRENTLY IN 4th (Downtown Faire Square, Swap Fest)
"So we need to find a flight to this place with Clear-Stone Towers?" Zess questioned. "Where in the world is that?"
"…I'm sorry to say this, but…beats me." Toadsworth shrugged. "We'll have to research it on a computer."
"Good idea…"
Beldam & Queen: Shadow Folk- CURRENTLY IN 5th (Downtown Faire Square, Swap Fest)
"Hey, the Toads…oh, great."
Beldam pulled her hat over her head as she watched the Toads head down the stairs, and Queen start to turn red.
"YOU IDIOT IMBECILE IDIOTIC STUPIDAZOID WEIRD PURPLE MANLY THING! THEY GOT AHEAD OF US!"
"…Because you used the map as a blanket, and I had to stop and ask for directions, wasting time." Beldam stated as-a-matter-of-factly.
"…STILL, THAT'S NO EXCUSE!" Shadow Queen screeched.
The Shadow Siren sighed.
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Shimi & Waitress: Express Workers (Faire Airlines, Computer Center)
After several minutes of searching, Shimi thankfully sighed.
"Okay…here's one flight that'll surely work better than the rest." Chef Shimi stated.
"…Yeah…looks like it." Waitress observed. "That's not a bad arrival time, either. Book it!"
(Shimi & Waitress- 1st ON FLIGHT ?, Mushroom International 280)
Husband & Wife: Married (Faire Airlines)
"Really…so that's the fastest flight that you know of?" Wife asked.
"Yeah…it only connects once. The other flights have at least two connection points before they land at Glowflower." The ticket agent explained.
"Oh, thank you so much…" Wife shook his hand and walked back over to her husband.
"So…"
"I got us the perfect flight! We just need to go over and get tickets for it!"
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Hamma & Flare: Brothers- 7th TO DEPART, 10:37 P.M. (Sun & Moon Hotel, Front Hall)
Miraculously, the Hammer and Fire brothers hadn't received any new bruises or bandages.
"Finally we can get outta here…these accommodations are crappy!" Hamma fumed. "Well, better than the Glitz Pit, but still…CRAPPY!"
"You got that right…" Flare snickered.
"I'll just put it this way for you no-brainers out there," Flare smirked, "seventh sucks. First is the best!" (After-Leg Interview)
Being uncharacteristically calm, the two brothers climbed into their marked car.
"Downtown Faire Square…step on it!"
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Andy & King: Homeboys (Faire Airlines)
"All right…that'll work!"
(Andy & King- 1st ON FLIGHT ?, Tropical Wings 39)
"Thanks a lot, man!" King K. showed his gratitude to the ticket agent by tipping his sunglasses at her. She swooned.
"Oh my gosh, what a hottie…"
Bandy Andy laughed as the agent fainted.
"…You sure have a strange way with the ladies, King K."
Husband & Wife: Married (Faire Airlines)
"I really hope that this flight is the best one…you sure I can trust ya?" Husband questioned, but was met with a glare.
"Of course I'm sure! If that guy was wrong…well, I don't know what I'd do." Wife rolled her eyes.
(Husband & Wife- 1st ON FLIGHT ?, Cloud Flyers 311)
"Well, I know what I'm going to do…" Husband said slyly, pulling Wife in for a hug. She gave a 'hmph' and pushed him away, her lip curled.
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Toodles & Toadia: Teacher & Student- CURRENTLY IN 6th (Downtown Faire Square, Swap Fest)
"Clear-Stone Towers…oh, I remember that place!" Toodles reminisced joyfully. "It was on a class trip when I was in high school…"
"What city is it in?" Toadia asked curiously.
"Glowflower…it is a very pretty tropical paradise looking over the sea. The area surrounding it has the most fantastic view; you wouldn't ever believe it…"
Toadia tried unsuccessfully to snap her partner back into reality by snapping her fingers in front of Toodles' star-filled eyes.
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To & Too: Sisters- 8th TO DEPART, 10:48 P.M. (Sun & Moon Hotel, Front Hall)
The two Toads were dressed in matching outfits that had their red and pink hair colors, respectively—shirts with blue jackets and jeans.
"Swap Fest! Oh wow, that sounds like some kind of festive party place or something!" Too laughed.
"Yeah, it does!" To agreed. "I wonder why we didn't go there this morning if we went to Downtown Faire Square…"
"Our traveling hunger wasn't extinguished when we had that car mishap this morning. We're still ready to go, and energized more than ever to do it!" To exclaimed. (After-Leg Interview)
The two girls cheerfully got in their marked car, which was only missing the photograph on the windshield.
"Swap Fest, here we come!" cheered the two sisters in unison.
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Zess & Toadsworth: Possibly Dating (Faire Airlines, Computer Center)
(Zess & Toadsworth- 2nd ON FLIGHT ?, Mushroom International 280)
"I'm so glad we found this Internet café so quickly, or else we might not have made it in time to catch this flight." Toadsworth sighed.
"Indeed, Toadsy…" Zess murmured. "So, what do we do now until the flight departs…we have quite a while to wait."
"I could do with a spot of food…how about a near-midnight snack?" Toadsworth asked.
"I'd love that…we just have to spend carefully and get something tasty for a low cost." Zess answered.
Beldam & Queen: Shadow Folk (Faire Airlines)
"That's good…so hopefully, we'll get into Glowflower first…" Beldam sighed, wiping her forehead as the tickets printed.
(Beldam & Queen: Shadow Folk- 3rd ON FLIGHT ?, Mushroom International 280)
"UNHAND ME, YOU DIRTY PEASANTS!"
The Shadow Queen slapped the security guards away as she hungrily slurped a fruit smoothie.
"I DIDN'T PAY FOR THIS, SO YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO ARREST ME!"
Beldam sweatdropped.
"I swear, she has got to be the most rotten, stupid, idiotic…oh, never mind…" Beldam trailed off as she realized that her words were being recorded. "She'll probably fry me for this later when she hears it…"
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Hamma & Flare: Brothers- CURRENTLY IN 7th (Downtown Faire Square, Swap Fest)
"Clear-Stone Towers…sounds dumb." Flare remarked.
"Yeah, whatever…let's just get to the airport and get this over with so we can get some sleep…" Hamma yawned.
"Sure…just quite whining, will ya?"
To & Too: Sisters- CURRENTLY IN 8th (Downtown Faire Square, Swap Fest)
"There aren't very many clues left here…oh well!" Too shrugged as she closed the clue box. "Where are we going?"
"…A place with the…Clear-Stone Towers?! Ooh, I know where that is! Sparkle Bay!" To squealed.
"Oh, that's right! We went on vacation there once, didn't we?" Too asked excitedly.
"Yeah!" To replied. "Man, we're going to have such an advantage! Let's go to the airport!"
"Whenever you revisit someplace you've been before, you always have this weird feeling inside of you…there's always a feeling of some kind. It's great to just soak in and see what's changed…that's why we were both so psyched about going back to Sparkle Bay!" Too explained. (After-Leg Interview)
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Toodles & Toadia: Teacher & Student (Faire Airlines)
"That sounds good…thank you." Toodles answered.
"Very well…"
(Toodles & Toadia- 1st ON FLIGHT ?, World Flyer 354)
"I hope this flight is the earliest one…" Toadia crossed her fingers as the tickets printed.
"It should be…I checked." The ticket agent replied.
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Pungry & Pungent: Best Friends- 9th TO DEPART, 11:02 P.M. (Sun & Moon Hotel, Front Hall)
Neither of the Punis had changed their attire.
"Downtown Faire Square, pronto!" Pungry exclaimed.
"Hold yer horses, I need to take a breather!" Pungent quickly breathed deeply before getting off the mat.
"Right now our main focus is building trust between each other again…last leg was a complete mess between the both of us, so we're both on edge on how we treat each other and get treated. Personally, I hope to erase all of that from both of our minds so we can concentrate on the task ahead of us." Pungry commented. (After-Leg Interview)
"Strangely enough, I remember seeing one of these Swap Fest ads in a catalog when I got meh merchandise…" Pungent remarked dryly. "Supposed to be world-famous…but sounded like a bummer to me!"
"We'll just have to see…" Pungry sighed.
Smorgo & Smorga: Things- LAST TO DEPART, 11:10 P.M. (Sun & Moon Hotel, Front Hall)
"SMORGSMORGSMORGSMORGSMORG (Your karma is unzipped!)" Smorgo remarked on Smorga's new moon-shaped headpiece.
"Hey, give that back!" Twila cried out, reaching for her wand.
"SMORGSMORGSMORGSMORG (EEK! My library book is overdue!)" Smorga shrieked, hopping out of the way as Twila crashed onto the floor.
"SMORGSMORGSMORGSMORGSMORGSMORGSMORGSMORG (Gummy worms taste just like mineral deposits mixed with fruit juice and poppy seeds…the perfect midnight snack for a noon meal.)" Smorga stated, rolling around like a tumbleweed. (After-Leg Interview)
Twila sighed as she picked up her wand.
"I'm glad those two are gone…we're going to have to hire some kind of stench crew to get rid of that smell in their room." Brighton remarked.
"Don't call just yet…" Twila groaned as the smash of a car against another was heard.
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Hamma & Flare: Brothers (Faire Airlines)
"Awesome…1:35 departure sounds good to me." Flare gave the agent a thumbs-up.
(Hamma & Flare- 2nd ON FLIGHT ?, Tropical Wings 39)
"Now can we go to sleep?" Hamma asked drowsily, a sleep bubble partly through his nose.
"Not yet…we still have to go to the…terminal…"
The brothers toppled onto each other in a light slumber.
To & Too: Sisters (Faire Airlines)
"I wonder what's wrong with these two…" To murmured.
"No idea…but I think they're going to be on the same flight as us." Too observed. "They look like they were leaving the counter…"
(To & Too- 3rd ON FLIGHT ?, Tropical Wings 39)
"Um…sweet dreams, guys." To stated, stepping over the brothers.
"…Yeah…" Too smirked mischievously as she lightly nudged Flare with her foot, instantly waking him up.
"WHAT'D YOU SMACK ME FOR, PUNK?!" Flare shouted, shoving Hamma awake.
"WHAT?! I didn't hit you, you idiot! You just hit me!"
"Liar!"
Too giggled, while To just shook her head, smiling. The two Toads walked off in the direction of the terminal as one of the famous brother-squabble clouds formed in front of the counter.
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Pungry & Pungent: Best Friends- CURRENTLY IN 9th (Downtown Faire Square, Swap Fest)
"I have no idea where this place is…hopefully we can find a flight for it…" Pungry mumbled.
"We better…in that case, we gotta split before those trouble-makin' Smorgs get here and wreak somethin' awful!" Pungent pushed his partner away, who eagerly obliged.
Smorgo & Smorga: Things- CURRENTLY IN LAST (Downtown Faire Square, Swap Fest)
"SMORGSMORGSMORGSMORG (TACO CHOP SOY!)" Smorgo exclaimed, engulfing the clue envelope.
"SMORGSMORGSMORG (You ruined the bedtime story!)" Smorga cried. "SMORGSMORGSMORG (Big meanie…)"
As the Smorg left the scene, a broom flew out from one of the houses and nearly whacked them for absolutely no apparent reason at all.
-----
Pungry & Pungent: Best Friends (Faire Airlines)
"Hopefully this is the best flight…" Pungry sighed as the tickets printed.
"Should be…the way things 'er lookin', we're gonna need a lotta help to get to the pit stop with a formidable lead!" Pungent remarked.
(Pungry & Pungent- 2nd ON FLIGHT ?, World Flyer 354)
"Think we should try looking for others somewhere else?" Pungry asked.
"Nah…"
-----
"SMORGSMORGSMORGSMORGSMORG (KITTY!)"
The two Smorg bounced into the luggage compartment just as the workers closed it.
"Something stinks…"
(Tropical Wings 39, FLIGHT 1- DEPARTING AT 1:35 A.M.)
The homeboys could be seen drowsily talking to the energetic sisters who were a seat behind them, while the two brothers slept two rows back.
This is the first of four flights heading for Glowflower. Aboard as passengers are homeboys Andy and King, sisters To and Too, and brothers Hamma and Flare. On board as unknowing stowaways are things Smorgo and Smorga.
-----
(Cloud Flyers 311, FLIGHT 2- DEPARTING AT 2:00 A.M.)
Although it appeared unusual, the two members of the team were leaning against each other in a peaceful slumber.
This is the second flight departing for Glowflower. The sole team on the plane is married couple Husband and Wife.
-----
(Mushroom International 280, FLIGHT 3- DEPARTING AT 3:45 A.M.)
While the Shadow Queen incessantly bugged the stewardesses on the flight about the 'bland' flavor of their water, Beldam quietly talked with Zess T., while Toadsworth dozed off. Somehow, Chef Shimi and Waitress seemed to have enough energy to aid the crew in serving the surprisingly large amount of passengers on the plane that were still awake, presumably for extra money.
This is the third flight departing for Glowflower. On it are shadow folk Beldam and Queen, express workers Shimi and Waitress, and possibly dating couple Zess and Toadsworth.
-----
(World Flyer 354, FLIGHT 4- DEPARTING AT 4:50 A.M.)
Even though the Toads had earphones on, both teams aboard the plane were asleep.
This is the last of four flights leaving for Glowflower of Sparkle Bay. On this flight are teacher and student Toodles and Toadia and best friends Pungry and Pungent.
-----
The sun was already relatively high in the sky above the tropical stretch of land. Several palm trees swayed in the warm ocean breeze, and several sea gulls soared over the wooden houses of Glowflower. Even Glowflower Airport, which was painted with a sandy tan color, had a beach-like feel to it, despite the fact that the land surrounding it was grass, and it was somewhat far from the actual ocean in comparison to other buildings.
One of the four flights landed on the airstrip…it had a cloud zigzagging across both sides. Ironically, the paint job seemed to mirror the skies above it.
(Cloud Flyers 311- ARRIVING AT 10:08 A.M.)
"Okay…we're done! Come on!"
Husband & Wife: Married (Glowflower Airport, Customs)
Running through the airport, Husband and Wife looked for an exit.
"The clue didn't mention anything about marked cars, right?" Wife asked.
"…No. We're supposed to take a taxi." Husband responded.
"Good! There's the taxi pick-up area!"
Launching through the doors, the married couple promptly picked a taxi, asked the Shy Guy if he knew where Clear-Stone Towers was, and got into the vehicle.
(Tropical Wings 39- ARRIVING AT 10:20 A.M.)
To & Too: Sisters (Glowflower Airport, Taxi Pick-Up)
"You know where Clear-Stone Towers is, right?" Too asked hopefully.
"Yeah, I do."
"Awesome!" To cheered. The girls deposited their backpacks into the trunk.
Andy & King: Homeboys (Glowflower Airport, Taxi Pick-Up)
"You gotta hurry, man…we got these major bummers on our tail and we need ta get there before 'em!" King urged.
"Sure thing!" replied the high-pitched voice of the driver.
Hamma & Flare: Brothers (Glowflower Airport, Taxi Pick-Up)
"Man, everyone beat us out! I knew we should've risked trading seats with those stupid blind people up there…" Flare pounded his fist on the seat in front of him.
"Tch. Are you kiddin'? Those seats looked friggin' hard…" Hamma rolled his eyes.
Smorgo & Smorga: Things (Glowflower, Streets)
Having wandered away from the airport, the two Smorg were playing hopscotch on a sidewalk.
"SMORGSMORGSMORG (I don't get it…how do you use this strange contraption?)" Smorga questioned a nearby billboard.
"SMORGSMORGSMORGSMORG (Like this!)" Smorgo replied, smudging the lines by rolling over them.
"SMORGSMORGSMORG (Oh.)"
Smorgo and Smorga rolled away as a light breeze ran through the area.
-----
Reflecting off the sparkling stones of Clear-Stone Towers, the sunlight seemed to be mirrored on the surface of the carefully crafted gems. There were three towers, each within about thirty feet of the other two—a ruby red one, a ocean blue one, and a pure purple one. At the base of each one was a small patch of flowers—the hue on each and every petal seemed to match that of its respective tower, making them look like they were small stones that had broken off and re-grown in the ground.
Husband & Wife: Married- CURRENTLY IN 1st (Glowflower, Clear-Stone Towers)
The taxi of the Twilight Town citizens screeched to a halt in front of the base of the blue tower. Inside, the duo shielded their eyes.
"GEEZ! That reflection is so bright, I'm gonna need eye replacements…they're burnin'!" Husband remarked as the two stepped out of the cab and headed towards the box.
"Forget eye replacements…" Wife grimaced back as she groped for the clue box, which stood in the very center of the triangle formed by the three towers. "Alright…let's see…" Wife quickly handed a map and a green card from the envelope to Husband before reading. " 'Make your way by marked car to the Glowflower beach docks, and pick up one of the marked Mystery boxes, which you may not open until noted otherwise. Then, make your way to the city of Harborside Cabana and locate the coconutball courts. Both team members must play the game and successfully break their coconuts to receive the next clue.' "
Teams must now hop into one of the nearby marked cars and cruise through Glowflower to find the wooden pier that juts out from the beach, where they will have to retrieve one of these modified Mystery boxes. After doing so, they must drive approximately 21 miles through the roads overlooking the ocean until they reach Harborside Cabana, a city famous for its main building structure of wood, grass, leaves, and hardened mud. Once there, teams will have to locate these coconutball courts on the edge of the town, and engage in the activity in order to break the coconuts—attaching them to strings on poles, and hitting them with a wooden club until they break. After both team members have done so, they will receive their next clue.
"…Warning…there's a Yield ahead!" Wife gasped. "A real YIELD?! Awesome!"
"Beach docks…here we go." Husband stated, pointing out the labeled area on the map.
"…That doesn't look far from here…good. …Where are the marked cars?"
"…I see them…" Husband pointed past the towers across the street to several occupied parking spaces.
"Alright!"
Quickly throwing the taxi driver his fare, the married duo made a run for the marked cars. They were able to quickly find their car and drive off.
To & Too: Sisters- CURRENTLY IN 2nd (Glowflower, Clear-Stone Towers)
"Oh my gosh, that is so pretty!" Too exclaimed as the taxi approached the trio of towers.
As soon as the taxi stopped, the sisters paid the driver. To then stepped out and took a picture using a camera, one she'd been using since the race started.
"This'll look great in the scrapbook…" To murmured, giggling.
"…There's a lot of information in this clue…" Too observed, her eyes briefly skimming the Route Info. "…Okay, there should be marked cars nearby…and we're to make our way to a place called…Harborside Cabana?"
"Anything else?" To asked, looking over her sister's shoulder.
"Um…okay, we need to pick up a Mystery at the pier." Too announced.
"A Mystery? Aren't those the things that they use in battle that do something random?" To questioned.
"Yeah, I think so…" Too scratched her head. "But we're not supposed to open them…I guess we'll find out soon enough! We really should hurry…there's also a Yield ahead."
Giggling softly to themselves, the Toads quickly skimmed the pictures on front of the marked cars. After finding theirs, they jumped in and headed out.
Hamma & Flare: Brothers- CURRENTLY IN 3rd (Glowflower, Clear-Stone Towers)
"Glowflower beach docks? Are you serious? This place is so bright, it's a drag…why can't we just leave for this cabana place now?" Hamma whined.
"Oh, shut up…just get in the car…" Flare pushed his brother in the direction of the marked cars. For once, there was no retaliation.
"Great…here comes the Minor league crew…" Hamma noted, breaking into a jog as another taxi approached.
"Tch. They aren't minors here!" Flare remarked, scrambling into the driver's seat.
Andy & King: Homeboys- CURRENTLY IN 4th (Glowflower, Clear-Stone Towers)
"It's the brothers…" Andy muttered as the taxi stopped in front of the towers.
"That ain't cool…thought we left the airfield ahead of 'em." King K. mused. "Looks like we'll be racing 'em to wherever we're goin'…"
Walking briskly to the clue box, Bandy Andy pulled out an envelope just as the car of the brothers backed up.
"We're headed to the docks first to pick up a…Mystery…" Andy made a weird hand gesture as he said this, causing King K. to smirk.
-----
Smorgo & Smorga: Things (Glowflower, Outdoor Shops)
"SMORGSMORGSMORGSMORGSMORG (This camera has no flash in its CPU!)"
"Get away from my merchandise, you freaks!"
The Smorg lazily rolled away from a knocked-over fruit stand with several types of fresh fruit attached to their bodies. The other shop owners tried to help the owner with his falling-apart stand, but ultimately failed as the wood buckled.
"SMORGSMORGSMORGSMORG (The sands of time are over there!)" Smorga screeched, rolling in the direction of the beach.
-----
Glowflower Beach appeared as simple and ordinary as a regular beach could get—a wooden pier jutting out from the land, carts selling summer delicacies, such as ice cream, stationed about, and people enjoying themselves in the refreshing waters and on the warm sand. Noticeable at the entrance to the berth was a pyramid of ten Mystery boxes that were decorated in the race design—a red stripe going around a yellow background.
Close to the area where the grass stopped and the sand started was an overcrowded parking lot. Here, the first marked car stopped in front of the path.
Husband & Wife: Married (Glowflower, Beach Pier)
"Don't waste any time, dear!"
"I know! Just don't worry your head!"
An irritated Husband jogged down the slight slope towards the pier and scooped up a Mystery. He raced back to the marked car just as quickly, and in no time at all, Wife drove the vehicle out.
"It's a lot of trouble when you see her making decisions or yelling…one minute, she's all girly, and the next, she's as manly as a bull charging a red cape." Husband straightened his glasses, sighing. "My wife is heavily unpredictable…I never know what kind of insult I'll have to deal with next…" (After-Leg Interview)
To & Too: Sisters (Glowflower, Beach Pier)
"These look kinda weird compared to the other Mysteries we saw in those shops back home, don't they…"
After making some comments on how the modified Mystery boxes looked, the two traveling sisters picked one up, brought it back to their marked car, and were off.
Hamma & Flare: Brothers (Glowflower, Beach Pier)
"This has got to be the tackiest-looking piece of crap I've ever had in my hands…" Flare muttered as he toted a Mystery back to the vehicle under his arm.
"Will you hurry your butt up back in here?" Hamma yelled impatiently.
"Fine…" Flare slammed the driver's door shut, chucked the box at his brother's face, and stomped on the gas pedal.
Andy & King: Homeboys (Glowflower, Beach Pier)
"'Kay…got the box…now where we off to?" King K. asked.
"…Um…" Andy checked the clue. "…Ah. We're supposed to drive ourselves to a city called 'Harborside Cabana' or something…"
"I'll drive if you get me there."
-----
(Mushroom International 280- ARRIVING AT 11:04 A.M.)
Shimi & Waitress: Express Workers (Glowflower Airport, Taxi Pick-Up)
"Just go! Please, hurry!" Waitress urged from the back seat. "We're in a real rush!"
"A real rad tush, if you know what I've seen." Shimi added, trying to be helpful. The driver had to stifle a giggle, while Waitress just slapped her forehead.
"Shimi…what in the world are you talking about?" Waitress questioned, her voice turning really high-pitched.
Beldam & Queen: Shadow Folk (Glowflower Airport, Taxi Pick-Up)
"URGH! You're so slow, you impudent peon!"
The Shadow Queen crossed her arms as she sat in the taxi, waiting impatiently for a struggling Beldam.
"May I ask what the heck you loaded into your luggage before we got out of the airport?" Beldam screeched as she heaved a large bag into the trunk.
"Just a few souvenirs from the plane with our money…" Queen replied nonchalantly.
"…SOUVENIRS?! We can't waste our money on stupid souvenirs!" Beldam berated.
"Shut up…you're giving me an absolute headache…" Queen whined, stroking her pink hair. This caused Beldam to exasperatedly scream even louder.
Zess & Toadsworth: Possibly Dating (Glowflower Airport, Taxi Pick-Up)
"Clear-Stone Towers, please…" Toadsworth requested. The driver nodded, and drove out of the loading area.
"We're the last out, aren't we…" Zess T. sighed.
"Yes…but we can catch up. That dreadful Shadow Queen and her rather nice accomplice Beldam weren't too far ahead of us out of the plane."
"Oh, right…well…at least I can be in last with my lil' Toadsy-toes!" Zess T. giggled childishly. However, Toadsworth turned away, embarrassed, as a rather large streak of crimson crossed his face.
"…I-I beg your p-pardon?"
-----
Smorgo & Smorga: Things- CURRENTLY IN 5th (Glowflower, Clear-Stone Towers)
Needless to say, the two Smorg were still clueless about what they were doing.
"SMORGSMORGSMORGSMORGSMORG (Pretty bird! Pretty bird!)" Smorgo jumped on top of the clue box.
"SMORGSMORGSMORGSMORG (Mommy, don't steal my candy!)" Smorga whined, knocking Smorgo off. As the two Smorg fell, it became apparent that two envelopes had gotten stuck to Smorgo.
"SMORGSMORGSMORGSMORGSMORGSMORG (Look! The purchase of the river downtown brought us the way home!)" Smorgo exclaimed, as he ripped open the two envelopes somehow.
"SMORGSMORGSMORGSMORGSMORG (REALLY?! Wow!)" Smorga chirped.
Bouncing towards the marked cars, the two Smorg stopped in mid-hop to stare at the towers, as if they hadn't seen them when approaching the clue box.
-----
To & Too: Sisters (Sparkle Bay, Highway 204)
"I wonder if we're in first right now…" Too murmured. "Weren't we first out of the airport?"
"Yeah…" To confirmed. "But maybe the boys already passed us."
"…Nope!" Too responded, looking at the rear-view mirror. "Here comes one of them now…but I can't tell who it is."
To looked back.
"…Oh, it's just the brothers."
Hamma & Flare: Brothers (Sparkle Bay, Highway 204)
"Wait…who the heck is that in front of us? Is that the minors?" Hamma squinted.
"No…doesn't look like them…that looks like…a Toad hat!" Flare said in disgust. "That's gotta be the sisters!"
"Well, pass 'em! They might try to Yield us!" Hamma urged.
"We don't exactly have anything against the minors except the fact that they're competition. I REALLY hate to admit this…but although we got the brawn, they got the brains. Even with our fitness, they still beat us to the pit stop in leg one. That makes us sorta concerned…so that's why we aren't exactly friends with 'em." Hamma explained. (After-Leg Interview)
-----
Beldam & Queen / Shimi & Waitress- CURRENTLY IN 6th (Glowflower, Clear-Stone Towers)
Darting from their respective taxis, the two teams rushed to the clue box in the center of the trio of towers. Using the shadows to their advantage gave Beldam and Queen the upper hand, as they got there first.
"…Something about the docks!" Queen paraphrased. "Come on, hurry up you slowpoke!"
On their way to the marked car, Beldam nearly tripped over Smorga. Queen slapped Smorgo away.
"Stupid things!" Beldam cried in repulsion.
"It looks like we're beheaded off to the docks to pick up a Mystery…" Shimi informed his partner. "…Oh, and there's a Wield ahead!"
"A what?" Waitress asked in confusion.
"A Wield!" Shimi sputtered.
"…A…Wield?" Waitress pulled the Route Info over. "…A Yield, Shimi…a Yield."
"…Oops, that's what I meant…musta read it right…" Shimi chuckled, causing Waitress to shake her head in sympathy.
Before the express workers even got into their car, the two purple beings were off.
Zess & Toadsworth: Possibly Dating- CURRENTLY IN 8th (Glowflower, Clear-Stone Towers)
"…and then we need to go to Harborside Cabana with the Mystery, and play coconutball." Toadsworth explained. "But there's also a Yield there, so we should hurry."
"Oh, who in their right mind would Yield us?" Zess laughed, rolling her eyes. "They'd just be wasting it."
"Quite…" Toadsworth chortled slightly. "Well, we should make haste."
The Toads hurried across the road to their marked car.
"SMORGSMORGSMORGSMORGSMORG (I like peanut butter and mustard sandwiches!)" Smorga announced.
The two Smorg sat in their car and watched as the Toads drove away before Smorgo started to mess around with the steering wheel and gas pedal, which were both right in front of him.
-----
A marked car pulled up close to the boardwalk.
Shimi & Waitress: Express Workers (Glowflower, Beach Pier)
It didn't take very long for Waitress to grab a Mystery and run back to the marked car.
"Where are we going again?" Shimi asked curiously, his fins tightly gripping the wheel.
"Harborside Cabana." Waitress replied. "Don't worry; I've got the map…okay, we're going to first need to get North Sandy Road…"
"Got it."
-----
Beldam & Queen: Shadow Folk (Glowflower, Commercial Docks)
The marked car of the Shadow Siren and former world-conquer attempter came to a stop on the side of a road.
"That looks like the right one…" Beldam murmured, getting out of the car. "Are you sure this is the right one, though? …I don't see any Mystery boxes…"
"Dearie, that's just the Mystery about it all." Queen responded, imitating Beldam's speech.
"…This doesn't look right…" Beldam muttered, floating towards the dock. "…There aren't any Mysteries around here…"
"Get to searching…I have a mirror to admire myself in." Queen remarked, moving her hair out of her face.
Beldam looked around in disbelief, and threw her arms up in frustration.
-----
Zess & Toadsworth: Possibly Dating (Glowflower, Beach Pier)
Walking quickly, Zess T. brought the Mystery from the very small stack.
"I have it, Toadsy!" Zess cheered, jumping into the passenger's seat.
"That's wonderful!" Toadsworth congratulated. "Now we need to go to Harborside Cabana…could you locate it?"
"Found it." Zess said happily, allowing Toadsworth to pull out of the lot.
"When I was younger, and I traveled around a lot, I used maps all the time. That's why I feel useful…no navigation problems for us if I'm the one with the directions." Zess T. winked. (After-Leg Interview)
Smorgo & Smorga: Things (Glowflower, Beach Pier)
"SMORGSMORGSMORGSMORGSMORG (I spy with my little three eyes something teal!)" Smorgo exclaimed, noting the departing blue marked car of the Toads.
"SMORGSMORGSMORG (Ooh…that's an ugly fruit!)" Smorga jumped out the window, and attacked a Mystery by ramming into it from behind. Somehow, by some freaky stroke of luck, the Mystery bounced off the ground and flew back into the very window that Smorga had jumped out of.
"SMORGSMORGSMORGSMORG (Yay!)" Smorgo cheered as bird droppings landed on the windshield.
-----
Three roads from all main cardinal directions connected at a broad town called Harborside Cabana. From above, it looked littered with brown dots—each and every single building in the town was constructed from wood, clay, grass, leaves, and stone; all roofs were composed of large brown material from any of those choices. At the southern edge of the city was a large, sandy field enclosed by rock walls, with several timekeeper boards and stands littered about inside. Scattered here and there within the field were 8-foot metal poles, each with a string and hook attached to the top. A large sign in front of the entrance was labeled, "Coconutball Courts."
Husband & Wife: Married (Harborside Cabana, Coconutball Courts)
The marked car of the Twilight citizens nearly jumped over the sidewalk as it halted to a shaky stop in a parking spot. Leaping out of the vehicle with only a travel pack on, the married couple settled in front of the Yield mat, which was right next to a Squeek blocking the way in.
This is the first of three Yields located on the race. At this point, one team can Yield another team by forcing them to stop racing for a pre-determined amount of time. However, each team can only exercise their Yielding power once during the entire race. If a team finds they've been Yielded, they must flip over this hourglass. When all the sand runs to the bottom, that team may continue on.
"Well, we don't really have anyone we want to Yield…and I don't want my conscience botherin' me in the morn'…" Husband started. "We choose not to use the Yield."
"That's right…" Wife nodded.
After pulling off a yellow tag with the number one on it, as well as their picture from the box, the couple stepped in front of the supervisor at the entrance.
"Great…finally the first couple." The Squeek sighed with relief and wiped his brow. "Okay…first, both of you need to grab one coconut each and two wooden clubs from the carts inside. After that, just pick any two poles near each other, and get one of the other guys inside to help you attach the coconut to your hooks. Then, just basically knock that thing silly 'til it breaks!"
Partially astonished, Husband and Wife looked at each other in surprise.
"That sounds like a piñata that's bein' tetherballed for its candy…but for us, it's the clue." Husband remarked skeptically.
"I guess we just see…"
Heading through the arc, the couple followed the instructions of the Squeek; they both grabbed a coconut and a club each before grabbing the two closest poles. It didn't take too long for a Toad inside to attach both of their coconuts using the hook.
"You two are good to go…just pop 'em til they smash open!" The Toad exclaimed.
"Well, I'm just going to imagine that this coconut is my spouse's head…" Wife muttered to herself.
"She makes me so mad sometimes…this is something where I see her face on my target…" Husband murmured.
Not overhearing each other's nasty, yet comical remarks, the married couple took to banging the coconuts as hard as they could with the clubs.
-----
Beldam & Queen: Shadow Folk (Glowflower, Streets)
Wandering around aimlessly, Beldam left the car at a gentle cruising speed as she drove through the streets.
"Excuse me, but can someone please help me!" Beldam cried. "I really need some help—we're lost and we need to get to the pier!"
"Couldn't you just quit irritating my ears and follow the coastline?" Queen asked irritably.
"NO!" Beldam snapped. "I can't do that because the road's view is blocked by trees and stuff!"
"That's not what I meant, you imbecile. Drive the car on the sand."
"…But I'd run people over."
"…That's the whole point, stupid! MWA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!"
Beldam slapped her forehead.
-----
To & Too / Hamma & Flare (Harborside Cabana, Coconutball Courts)
Dashing out of their marked car, the sisters jumped onto the Yield mat directly in front of the brothers.
"Please don't Yield us…please don't Yield us…please don't Yield us…" Hamma whispered, causing the girls to giggle.
"Um…we choose…" To trailed off, causing Hamma to sweat. "…not to use the Yield."
"We don't really feel like we should have to stop another team using the Yield…that's no fun and no fair." Too explained. "And anyways…Hamma and Flare are kinda cute…even though we don't have an alliance or anything with them, we'd like to help them out just as much as anyone else." (After-Leg Interview)
"Bro, you're an idiot…" Flare rolled his eyes and got on the mat as the Toads got off. "There's no point in us Yielding anyone right now…although I'd like to do it to the minor-leaguers…they'd probably kick our butts for it later. So…no Yield."
As the two teams congregated in front of the Squeek, he jumped into his rather short explanation of how to obtain the clue.
Husband & Wife: Married (Harborside Cabana, Coconutball Courts)
"Come on, Wife! Hurry it up! There are teams behind us!" Husband glanced furtively at the entrance as the sisters and brothers jogged in.
"I'm trying, honey!" Wife shouted back, giving the coconut another strong hit.
"Oh, wow…" Too voiced. "Look at this humongous field…"
"It sorta smells in here…" Hamma complained, grabbing a coconut and a club.
At that moment, Wife broke the coconut open, causing its milk to spray in the direction it flew in—some of it landed on Husband, who didn't seem to notice. He was just elated to receive the envelope, which was wrapped in a plastic bag.
"Great job, babe! Come on!"
While the other two teams had Toads pin their coconuts onto the string, the married couple ran outside to their marked car, where they opened the clue.
"Detour. Anchovy or Anchor."
A Detour is a choice between two tasks, each with its own pros and cons. In this Detour, teams have a choice between two industries commonly performed as the city's leading tasks. The choice—Anchovy or Anchor. In Anchovy, teams will need to drive themselves 7 miles across town to this packaging factory, The Fish-Flop Funnel-Drop, where they'll have to present their Mystery to a worker to gain entry. Inside, they must choose one of the many conveyor belts loaded with anchovies, and use funnels and a length chart to package 10 cans of small fish, 8 cans of medium, and 8 of large—a total of 26 cans to be filled. After calling over a supervisor to ensure that they've sorted the anchovies correctly, they will be allowed to put the lids on, at which point they'll receive their next clue. In Anchor, teams have to drive 12 miles to the far end of town to this marked loading dock, show the Mystery to a worker, and pick out a motorboat to pilot out to sea approximately ¼ of a mile to one of these ships, anchored in the bay. Upon arriving, teams will have to heave up an anchor, as well as drop another to prevent the ship from drifting. After doing so, they will need to take the anchor they pulled up back to shore where they'll receive their next clue. When choosing their Detour option, teams will need to be very careful—unless they want to have to drive all the way back to Glowflower to pick up another Mystery, they won't be able to switch tasks, as the Mystery is used in giving the length chart and funnels in Anchovy and the lever for the crank, as well as the heavy object to be dropped in Anchor.
" 'Are you suited for feeding the ship workers or doing their work? Warning: Once you begin a task, you won't be able to switch. Do not open your Mystery until instructed.' " Wife concluded.
"Sounds like a weird thing to do…replacing anchors…" Husband mused, reading over the instructions. "But then again…I don't wanna smell like fish when I'm asleep…"
"So…what'll it be?" Wife asked.
"Eh…it's a risk, but I'll rather be heavin' that anchor insteada gettin' some horrid odor for the rest of the day…for cryin' out loud, we distribute products, not make 'em!" Husband deducted.
"I'm with you on that!" Wife agreed. The two jumped into their marked car and sped off towards the far pier on the other side of town.
Meanwhile…
"That was easy." Hamma remarked. To and Too just looked at each other, shrugged, and continued smacking their coconuts.
"Oh shut up…" Flare rolled his eyes.
Partially impressed that the brothers had broken their coconuts with one and two hits, respectively, the race official produced a clue from his fanny pack.
"Hurry up and read it…the grim-faced people just left, and we might catch up." Hamma urged as they walked back to the marked car.
"I will if you shut up first." Flare growled. "…Detour. Anchovy or Anchor. 'Are you suited for feeding the ship workers or doing their work?' "
"What the heck? Let me see that…" Hamma briefly glanced at the folder's contents. "Okay…we should obviously do Anchor. We can pull that thing up easy!"
"You're right about that…let's move it!" Flare agreed hastily, starting the car.
Andy & King: Homeboys (Harborside Cabana, Coconutball Courts)
"We choose not to use the Yield." Andy declared. After listening to the Squeek's speech, they ran in, followed his instructions, and started getting set up.
"I feel like a little kid at a party, and I'm the one hitting the piñata…" To laughed, then squealed as her coconut broke under her next smash.
"Aww…I wanted to get it first…" Too whined playfully.
-----
Beldam & Queen: Shadow Folk (Glowflower, Streets)
"Okay…we're lost…just great." Beldam groaned. "Are you going to try and direct me to the right place or not?!"
"How 'bout I don't and say I did?" Queen replied smartly, brushing her hair back as she looked at her hands.
"Madam, come on! I can't find the stupid beach dock if I'm trying to look at the map while I'm driving!" Beldam shouted.
"Quit yer griping and drive, stupid."
Beldam slammed her fists on the steering wheel, causing a loud honk to emit from the marked car.
Smorgo & Smorga: Things (Glowflower, Streets)
"SMORGSMORGSMORGSMORGSMORG (Polka-dot go choo-choo!)" Smorga exclaimed.
During their wasted time spent circling around Glowflower, the Smorg had succeeded in knocking over three trash cans, ruining five gardens, breaking two sales carts, and leaving countless dents in other vehicles.
"SMORGSMORGSMORG (I don't know how to breathe on this device thingy.)" Smorgo muttered as he turned the steering wheel, causing the car to crash into a lamppost.
-----
To & Too / Andy & King- CURRENTLY IN 3rd (Harborside Cabana, Coconutball Courts)
"Detour. Anchovy or Anchor. 'Are you suited for feeding the ship workers or doing their work?' " Too read.
"Gee, I don't know…" To shrugged. "…But I don't think we could pull up an anchor…could we?"
"We have a crank and chain…" Too murmured.
"Still, it doesn't sound like a good idea…" Andy warned, his calculating gaze fixated on the Detour folder.
"Yeah…it'd be a total bummer to waste time heading back just 'cuz you can't work the crank." King K. agreed.
"So I guess you guys are doing Anchovy?" To asked.
"Yeah. It should be a whole lot easier for us." Andy stated.
"What do you think, sis…" To asked. "I think we should go with that."
"Sure!"
Nodding in agreement, the Glitzville fighters took the lead out of the court parking lot.
-----
Beldam & Queen: Shadow Folk (Glowflower, Streets)
"I give up…" Beldam sighed as she parked on a fire lane and took out the green card. "What do I have to do…drive yourselves to Glowfish Aquahouse and feast on a platter of fish with a strong flavor."
There is one Fast Forward hidden on almost every leg of the race. Any team that uses a Fast Forward can skip all tasks and head directly to the pit stop. However, once a team uses a Fast Forward, they can't use another for the rest of the race—so they must decide when it is most advantageous to go for it. In this Fast Forward, teams will have to drive south of Glowflower 8 miles to this small stretch of beach, where they'll find this rustic restaurant, Glowfish Aquahouse, a local diner famous for its extreme flavors of food and opportunities to watch chefs create dishes. Inside, teams will be seated and served with one platter of fish for each team member, complete with scales, bones, and all. What teams don't know is that their meal is completely soaked in different salts and juices, which provide one of the strongest salty-sour combinations known in the world. Once teams clean their fish off, they'll earn the Fast Forward clue.
"You expect me to eat fish? That's nasty!" Queen grumbled disgustedly. "There ain't no way I'm gonna eat fish! Nuh-uh!"
"Then help me find the beach pier!" Beldam screamed.
"What's that over there, you twit?" Queen pointed.
"…Shut up." Beldam snapped quietly. Across the street were none other but the elusive beach pier and the stack of Mysteries.
-----
(World Flyer 354- ARRIVING AT 11:58 A.M.)
Toodles & Toadia: Teacher & Student (Glowflower Airport, Taxi Pick-Up)
"Hopefully they get stuck in the airport…I just know we're fighting to stay out of last now…" Toodles sighed. "I just hate wishing bad fortune upon other people…"
"Clear-Stone Towers, please!" Toadia replied to the driver before turning to her partner. "Don't worry…we'll be fine…"
Pungry & Pungent: Best Friends (Glowflower Airport, Taxi Pick-Up)
"Where are the Posh girls? Did they already get a taxi out?" Pungry darted his head around as he flew through the doors. "I don't see them!"
"That means we're behind, Pungry!" Pungent beaconed towards a taxi. "We gotta go, bud!"
"Realizing that we were pretty much in a dead-heat battle to avoid coming in last back at the airport wasn't exactly anything new to us. We've been at the back of the pack since the start of the race…it isn't exactly the best thing, but at least we've learned how to function." Pungry admitted. (After-Leg Interview)
-----
Shimi & Waitress: Express Workers (Harborside Cabana, Coconutball Courts)
"It looks like four teams have already been here…but that's okay." Waitress pulled the '5' sticker off the stand, and took their picture from the box.
"We choose not to Wield—er, Yield anyone." Shimi announced, blushing slightly from slipping up.
Hearing this, the Squeek chuckled lightly to himself before launching into the explanation.
-----
The large factory, Fish-Flop Funnel-Drop, seemed almost obsessive with its main topic—the doors together looked like a can of fish, and the windows were cylindrical in appearance. But what was most disturbing was the fact that the front of the building appeared like a gigantic fish—the doors were located at the mouth, and the windows were also colored like scales. Surprisingly, without proper searching, the windows and doors would've been hard to find, as they matched with their background.
Husband & Wife: Married (Fish-Flop Funnel-Drop)
Dashing from their marked car, Husband and Wife were stopped at the door by a Magikoopa.
"So…you're choosing to do this task?"
"Yes sir." Husband nodded, holding out the Mystery.
"Very well then…" Holding his wand above his head, the Magikoopa murmured something inaudible before zapping the box with a short blast of light.
"Hey! What gives?!" Wife complained, shielding her eyes.
"You'll see…" The Magikoopa replied slyly. "When you get to a work station, you can go ahead and open it."
Shrugging, the married couple hurried inside, and down the hall, as directed by a race arrow. They both turned through a doorframe marked by a flag, and immediately stopped upon seeing the large room, filled with assembly lines of conveyor belts, machinery, funnels, and fish.
"If they have mechanical canners, why do they need us to do the work…" Husband murmured, noting the fact that several machines were canning fish on the other side of the room.
"Whatever; that doesn't matter!" Wife pulled the ribbon off of the Mystery, and pulled up the flaps of the box. At first, nothing seemed to be inside, but when she tipped the box over, a large measuring stick fell out, along with three separate funnels, each with the same-sized holes.
"I guess we use this to sort the fish…" Husband said quietly, holding up the measuring stick. It was colored in three different translucent shades, each one individually labeled 'Small,' 'Medium,' and 'Large.'
"Well, let's get started then!" Wife flipped a switch on the machine they were standing next to, causing the conveyor belt to start moving towards the opposite wall at a really slow pace. Fish started to come out from the covered opening.
"This shouldn't be too hard." Husband remarked, picking up three of the cans that needed to be filled from a pyramid stack next to the belt.
-----
Toodles & Toadia: Teacher & Student- CURRENTLY IN 9th (Glowflower, Clear-Stone Towers)
Both ladies had a bit more urgency in their stride as they walked (skipped, in Toadia's case) to the center of the three towers.
Toodles skimmed over the Fast Forward.
"…I'm afraid neither of us has the appetite to clean a whole fish…but then again, we have the power to cuisine on something of that caliber any time." Toodles stated, handing the green card to Toadia.
"…Um…sure!" Toadia grinned.
"Okay…we have to pick up a Mystery at the beach dock and bring it to Harborside Cabana." Toodles informed Toadia.
"That doesn't sound like much…" Toadia fingered her Luigi dog tags gingerly. "Hey, I wonder if our marked car is here this time…"
Much to the pair's relief and comfort, their marked car was waiting for them; they immediately jumped in and drove off in the direction of the dock.
Pungry & Pungent: Best Friends- CURRENTLY IN LAST (Glowflower, Clear-Stone Towers)
"Last one…" Pungry sighed, opening the envelope. "…Hey, there's a Fast Forward in here!"
"What're you waitin' for, Pungry? Open it already!" Pungent commanded. The Puni did so, and his eyes seemed to bulge.
"…We have to eat a whole fish each?" Pungry twitched. "…Dang…I seriously don't know if I can do that…"
"…Are you kiddin' yerself or somethin'?" Pungent asked exasperatedly. "Remember the time where you totaled that platter of 'Shrooms we got? You can take this!"
"Yeah…" Pungry trailed off. "Thanks…well, we'll just have to try and see, won't we?"
Determined to keep themselves from coming in last, the Punis crossed the street to the remaining marked car.
-----
Shimi & Waitress: Express Workers- CURRENTLY IN 5th (Harborside Cabana, Coconutball Courts)
"Thank you." Shimi bowed gratefully to the race official. "That was a bit more physical than usual…my fins hurt. Detour… Anchovy or Anchor. …EW! THAT'S GROSS! THEY EXPECT ME TO GO CANNING MY OWN FIND—ER, KIND?!"
"No…that's why they gave us another option." Waitress answered, reading over Anchor. "…Um…but do you think we can pull up an anchor?"
"Sure, anything to avoid having to ban father fish!" Shimi replied quickly, causing Waitress to look at him weirdly.
"Earlier on, I took a peek at the Fast Forward…seeing how Shimi freaked out at just the thought of having to touch dead fish…I don't know WHAT he would've done if he had to eat another…I'm really glad I didn't mention it to him…" Waitress sighed. (After-Leg Interview)
Zess & Toadsworth: Possibly Dating (Harborside Cabana, Coconutball Courts)
"You know…I really wonder what would happen if someone used a Yield, but that team was successful at the Fast Forward…" Zess remarked as they stood on the Yield mat.
"I would like to know, too…maybe it wouldn't conflict if the Yield was before the Fast Forward clue," Toadsworth glanced at the sky, "or if the Fast Forwards were limited…but then again, maybe the Yield could be served out at the pit stop."
"…Wow!" Zess giggled, causing Toadsworth to blush slightly. "Well…we don't want to waste our Yield…so, we won't use it."
The two Toads walked over to the Squeek, who dove again into his brief speech.
-----
Toodles & Toadia: Teacher & Student (Glowflower, Beach Pier)
"We're still apparently ahead of the Punis!" Toadia informed Toodles. "There's only one other Mystery back there!"
"…They might've gone to the Fast Forward, which most likely doesn't involve it…" Toodles mused. "I really hope we can make it to the pit stop before they finish."
-----
To & Too / Andy & King / Husband & Wife (Fish-Flop Funnel-Drop)
Having just arrived at the factory, the sisters and fighters were both just starting to get the hang of the belt speed.
"Okay, our large cans are all full…now we just need to fill the other two types…" Wife sighed.
"Babe, don't give up just yet…we're almost done!" Husband encouraged, dumping a few small-sized anchovies into a funnel. "Just a few…or a lot…more cans!"
"It really smells in here…reminds me of the locker room back in the Glitz Pit…" Bandy Andy remarked.
"Ew…is it really that bad there?" To grimaced.
-----
Although the commercial docks of Harborside Cabana were a bit farther away from the rest of the city, the mark of time was clear; torn landscapes surrounding the area made it apparent that the docks themselves had once been surrounded by downtown area. Anchored firmly in the waters, a little bit from the shore, were ten large vessels, each one looked to be loaded with cargo. On the starboard side of each one was a chain that disappeared into the seas below.
Hamma & Flare: Brothers (Harborside Cabana, Commerical Docks)
"It's about time we got here…" Flare cracked his knuckles as he stepped into a marked motorboat.
"Hold up!" Hamma shouted at Flare.
"Well, hurry yourself up!" Flare replied.
Hamma impatiently waited as the Magikoopa muttered something under his breath before releasing a spell on the Mystery.
"You can go ahead and open the Mystery when you're on board…but I wouldn't recommend doing so while you're in your boat." The Magikoopa warned.
"Sure, whatever…" Hamma waved him off and jumped into the motorboat with his brother.
"Let's get this thing goin'!" Flare turned the key in the slot, starting the boat. It then zoomed off in the direction of the closest ship.
-----
Zess & Toadsworth: Possibly Dating- CURRENTLY IN 6th (Harborside Cabana, Coconutball Courts)
"Detour. Anchovy or Anchor." Zess read. "…I think we better can those anchovies…I don't know if we can pull up an anchor."
"If you say so." Toadsworth somewhat reluctantly agreed.
Smorgo & Smorga: Things- CURRENTLY IN 7th (Harborside Cabana, Coconutball Courts)
"What the HECK?!"
The Squeek dove out of the way as the car of the Smorg crashed on the curb and flipped up onto the sidewalk, but stopped right before going into the enclosed courts.
"SMORGSMORGSMORGSMORG (Ice cream candy!)" Smorga cheered.
"SMORGSMORGSMORGSMORGSMORG (Who brought the champagne?)" Smorgo asked.
Jumping onto the Yield mat, the Smorg gazed with awe at the sign, as if it were the most interesting and dazzling thing they'd ever seen.
"SMORGSMORGSMORGSMORG (Is that present for me?)" Smorga squealed, knocking over the box holding the pictures. One of them got stuck to Smorgo, who also chose to jump up and touch the board.
"SMORGSMORGSMORG (Bubble bath bonanza broke butterfly babble!)" Smorgo chanted as he/she/it tackled the board, causing the picture to get stuck to it. Since Smorga was 'wearing' the open travel pack, a sticker had fallen out and gotten stuck to the board when she touched it.
As if nothing happened, the two Smorg bounced past the Squeek and into the courts, where they both merely touched a cart of the coconuts, causing most of them to break.
"…HERE! JUST TAKE IT! PLEASE DON'T HURT ME!"
Following a clue envelope thrown like a frisbee, the two Smorg crashed through the windshield of their car and ended up forcing the vehicle to back into a palm tree before getting it straight on the road.
"…What WERE those things?" one of the Toads asked.
"I have no idea…but they're dangerous." The Squeek muttered, looking at the messy Yield area. The board itself was covered with a strange mixture of melted cheese and dirt, and the box that used to hold the pictures had a large crack going through the middle. But what was the most important was the team that the Smorg had actually Yielded…
-----
Hamma & Flare: Brothers (Harborside Cabana Bay, Marked Ship)
The Hammer Brother opened the Mystery and held it upside down, causing a crank and anchor to fall out. The anchor was the more interesting of the two objects, as it was shaped like a Star with a hook at one tip.
"I guess this is how we get it to work…" Flare muttered, picking up the crank. He then proceeded to actually try and do 'diligent' work by inserting the crank…by banging it against the cable holder.
"STOP!"
Hamma laughed as one of the members of the crew forced Flare to desist, and started assisting him in inserting the crank.
-----
Pungry & Pungent: Best Friends (Glowfish Aquahouse)
"Wow…we actually managed not to get lost." Pungry quipped as the two Punis went through the doors. A waitress immediately greeted them, and quickly ushered them to a marked booth. Within ten seconds, another waiter appeared and set two plates of cooked fish down on the table.
"…This is all they're talkin' about? This ain't nothin'!" Pungent exclaimed, setting to work cleaning the scales off.
"…Hey, are we supposed to eat the eyeball?" Pungry asked in confusion, eyeing the fish nervously.
"…You can if ya want…but if ya don't, I'll eat it!"
-----
Husband & Wife: Married- CURRENTLY IN 1st (Fish-Flop Funnel-Drop)
"Please tell me it's all sorted out right now…" Husband begged, practically on his knees. "We already had to dig into those cans once!"
"Hmm…" The Magikoopa supervisor rubbed her chin. "I don't know…"
"Oh, quit foolin' with us already!" Wife snapped.
"Ehehe…oh, okay…well, all you need to do now is just send all your cans into assembly line for the tops to be put on…you don't have to stick around for 'em to finish. Just do it and you'll be done."
Quicker than the blink of an eye, Husband and Wife astonished all in the room by sweeping up the stack of cans and entering them into the lid-attachment line. Somewhat nervously, the official handed the Twilighters the envelope.
"We'll be seeing you guys later!" Wife waved at the other teams before leaving the room. When they were safely out of the building and out of earshot, Husband opened the clue to reveal some Route Info.
"What now…" Husband sighed. "Can't we just go to the pit stop and take a shower? I don't wanna smell like this forever…"
"Quit gripin' and read it already!" Wife ordered.
"Fine, fine… Ahem… 'Drive yourselves to Harborside Cabana Beach and locate the Watchtower next to the flag storage to locate your next clue.' "
Teams must now drive themselves about 3 miles from both Detour options to the widest portion of the Harborside Cabana beach strip and find this white watchtower, which serves as the main warning signal to the rest of the city whenever weather takes a turn for the worst. Here, at the base of this important structure, they'll find their next clue.
"Alright…I can feel the pit stop coming!" Husband cheered as he backed the car up, causing Wife to groan.
"You're so annoying!"
-----
Beldam & Queen: Shadow Folk (Sparkle Bay, Highway Rest Stop)
"Someone? Anyone? Won't someone PLEASE help us?!" Beldam cried out. "I'm being serious; we're really lost and we could use some help!"
Unfortunately for Beldam, the few people that were actually at the rest stop just ignored her.
"This is so STUPID!" Beldam angrily crumpled the map up into a tight ball and chunked it as hard as she could into the air, her hands freezing with her icy powers. "We've been circling around for practically an hour and I can't even get any decent help! WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS?!"
"…You shouted. Now shut up and let me get my beauty rest, you hag." Queen voiced loudly, going to sleep in the car.
Beldam slapped her forehead. "You're not getting any rest! You don't—"
Silence was heard as Beldam realized she'd been standing in front of a map of Sparkle Bay the whole time she'd been screaming.
-----
Shimi & Waitress: Express Workers (Harborside Cabana, Commercial Docks)
"Thank you…" Waitress quickly hopped into the motorboat the Shimi had chosen after letting the Magikoopa cast a spell on it.
"This doesn't look good…" Shimi observed. "The bothers are already heading back here!"
"…Don't you mean 'brothers'?" Waitress asked. "But then again, they sort of are bothersome…"
Hamma & Flare: Brothers (Harborside Cabana Bay)
"Heh, that was WAY too easy!" Flare remarked, holding tightly onto the anchor they'd pulled up, which was shaped like a Fire Flower.
"Looks like another team is on the way there to do it…" Hamma stated. "…Tch. It's the train workers, trailin' by a mile!"
As the two motorboats passed each other, Waitress and Shimi waved. The brothers, on the other hand, just laughed mockingly.
Shimi & Waitress: Express Workers (Harborside Cabana Bay)
"Someone really should've Yielded those two…" Waitress murmured to her partner, who was piloting the motorboat.
"Tell me about it…as if they weren't bad enough with their arguing back in Faire Square…they're so hard-beaked!"
"…For once, I think I'll agree with a slip-up…their mouths can't ever close tight enough…"
Hamma & Flare: Brothers- CURRENTLY IN 2nd (Harborside Cabana, Commercial Docks)
Flare dropped the anchor off next to the Magikoopa, who handed them the envelope.
"YES!" Hamma opened the clue. "…We're driving off down the beach again? The pit stop better be close…"
"Why? Tired?" Flare teased.
"Hah! In your dreams!"
-----
To & Too: Sisters- CURRENTLY IN 3rd (Fish-Flop Funnel-Drop)
"Yay! Thank you so much!" To accepted the envelope from the supervisor before running with her sister back down the hall and out of the factory.
"What does it say?" Too asked eagerly.
"…'Drive yourselves to Harborside Cabana Beach and locate the Watchtower next to the flag storage to locate your next clue.' " To read.
"Oh, man…when we do check into the pit stop, it's going to smell for like, forever!" Too giggled. "I bet Miles is going to make a comment about it…"
"Yeah, he probably is…he'll be like, 'You two smell awfully fishy…what'd you do to you car this time?' "
This comment caused both girls to erupt with laughter.
Andy & King: Homeboys- CURRENTLY IN 4th (Fish-Flop Funnel-Drop, Parking Lot)
"We're going back to the beach!" Andy exclaimed, starting the car.
"The girls left just one tick before we got done! We gotta catch up!" King K. noted.
Zess & Toadsworth: Possibly Dating (Fish-Flop Funnel-Drop)
After letting the worker cast a spell on their Mystery, the two elderly Toads walked into the factory room, only to find it void of other teams. Opening the box didn't help, either.
"Okay…what're we supposed to do again?" Zess asked. The duo looked around, but didn't find any help, since the cans from the other teams were long gone.
"I don't know…maybe this does something." Toadsworth flipped the switch on the machine, causing it to cough to life. Fish started to spill out from the belt, startling the pair.
"I feel stupid…what do we do with this?"
"…"
"This wreaks something awful…" Zess complained. "How are we supposed to do this?"
"There aren't any instructions…I'm afraid I don't know…" Toadsworth stated dismally. "Maybe if we just think for a minute, we can figure it out…"
"Right…" Zess pulled the Detour clue back out. "…I think I get it…but what's the point of using funnels with the fish? That doesn't make any sense…"
Just then, at that moment…someone else came in.
"SMORGSMORGSMORGSMORGSMORGSMORGSMORG (It smells like pineapple in here!)" Smorgo said happily.
"…Oh no." Zess squeaked.
-----
Pungry & Pungent: Best Friends (Glowfish Aquahouse)
"A 'lil bit too strong in flavors, bud…but a good late lunch nonetheless…" Pungent remarked as the waiter took away his plate.
"You gotta be kidding…you're done already?" Pungry gasped in shock.
"…Well…yeah. We gotta hurry if we're to get first with this Fast Forward, ya know…"
"…Right…" Pungry sighed as he stared down at his plate, which still contained half of his fish.
-----
Toodles & Toadia: Teacher & Student (Harborside Cabana, Coconutball Courts)
The marked car of the two Poshley Heights women pulled up to the courts.
"Come on, Toodles!" Toadia exclaimed. "…Ew…what's all this gunk on the board?"
Attempting to wipe the nasty solution off the board, Toadia discovered that two pictures were already on it…the Yielder and the Yielded.
"…Oh my gosh…they DIDN'T!" Toadia gasped.
"What is it, dear? Wait…is that…oh…"
Toadia sighed as she flipped the hourglass over. The Smorg had Yielded THEM.
"It's times like this I'm glad I have someone to shoulder me…" Toadia remarked.
"That's nice." Toodles stated, knowing full well that Toadia was indicating her dog tags.
Beldam & Queen: Shadow Folk (Harborside Cabana, Coconutball Courts)
"D'oh! How'd those girly delinquents get in front of us?!" Beldam whispered to herself.
"SHUT UP!" Queen demanded. "I need to get my beauty—REST! LET GO OF ME!"
Beldam ignored Queen's flailing, and floated past the waiting girls and into the courts, not wanting to have to listen to the Squeek.
-----
Atop the beach tower was a light-blue flag. In the very center of it was a yellow circle from which stripes of the same hue branched off. Apparently, the cloth featured the sun in the foreground of a cloudless day.
Husband & Wife: Married- CURRENTLY IN 1st (Harborside Cabana, Beach)
Quickly parking their marked car, Husband and Wife ran out and rushed to the clue box.
"…Oh, no…I knew this'd be coming up…it's a Roadblock…" Wife read. " 'Who is ready to climb to the top?' "
A Roadblock is a task that only one person may perform, and no one person can perform any more than eight on the entire race. In this Roadblock, that person will have to perform a watered-down duty assigned to the keeper of the beach tower. The team member will have to climb one of the two palm trees on either side of the flag storage building and retrieve a flag that features their team on it. Once they've done so, they will have to slide back down the palm tree to meet up with their partner. At this point, an official will give them the okay to run down the beach with their flag a quarter of a mile to the next possible pit stop: Waterfrontage Mansion. This oversized cabana, unique in that it covers over 4,000 square yards of space and is still entirely covered by a thatched roof, is possibly the pit stop for this leg of the race. The last team to check in here may be eliminated.
"…I guess I'll do it." Wife volunteered, shrugging. "…Okay… 'Climb to the top of one of the palm trees and retrieve your team flag. Once you're done, you are free to run down the beach to the pit stop, at the Waterfrontage Mansion.' The pit stop!"
"You better scramble up there fast!" Husband warned, pulling off a '1' sticker and handing it to her.
"Don't worry about a thing! I'll…"
Wife's face plummeted once she saw how straight the two palm trees were; they were virtually perpendicular to the ground.
-----
Beldam & Queen: Shadow Folk- CURRENTLY IN 8th (Harborside Cabana, Coconutball Courts)
"It took you long enough…" Queen murmured as Beldam opened the envelope.
"What're you talking about? You're the one that didn't hit the coconut until…never mind…" Beldam groaned. "Detour…Anchovy or Anchor… …You're not going to do any work, are you?"
"…No."
"…That's what I was afraid of…" Beldam shook her head. "…I guess we have to pull up the anchor…if you smelled like fish, you'd blame it on me…" Beldam muttered.
As the shadow folk left, they each cast a gaze on the two Toads, who were waiting for the sand to run down to the bottom of the hourglass.
-----
To & Too / Andy & King / Hamma & Flare- CURRENTLY IN 2nd (Harborside Cabana, Beach)
"Roadblock. Who—"
"—Is ready to climb—"
"—To the top?"
"That's me!" To brushed her red hair out of her eyes. "I'll be right back!"
"I think it's best if you do it, yo." King K. said.
"…Heck, I'm tired…but we're going to the pit stop!" Flare exclaimed. "And anyways…you'd probably take forever…"
"Shut up." Hamma retorted.
Due to the fact that Andy and Flare both consulted their partners, To was able to grab the number '2' sticker and run to the other side to the tree, forcing them to wait. Since Flare lost time being socked in the jaw by his brother, Andy claimed the third sticker.
Husband & Wife (Harborside Cabana, Beach)
"Hurry up, babe! The other teams are already here!" Husband yelled out at his spouse.
"I'm trying! You don't know how hard it is to grip this thing!" Wife shouted back.
"Really?! That's a surprise! It looks fine to me!"
"JUST SHUT UP, YOU GRIM-FACED IMBECILE! YOU DON'T KNOW NOTHING!"
Taken aback, a shocked Husband immediately fumed red.
"LOOK IN THE MIRROR!"
"Uh-oh…looks like we're going to be here a while…" Andy whispered to King K.
"Like, you can say that again, yo…"
-----
Shimi & Waitress: Express Workers- CURRENTLY IN 5th (Harborside Cabana, Commercial Docks)
"Okay…that took us entirely way too long." Waitress groaned. It was apparent that she'd been the one to carry the anchor from the marks on her hands and arms.
"…We're still not redded to the peach pit stop." Shimi informed.
"Sometimes, I don't have any idea what you're trying to tell me…" Waitress rolled her eyes.
-----
Pungry & Pungent: Best Friends (Glowfish Aquahouse)
"Finally we're done! Thank you!" Pungent hooted, taking the envelope. Pungry just sat there, too stuffed to move.
"…I…feel…like I'm gonna…explode…" Pungry muttered slowly, but Pungent ignored him.
"Congrats on winnin' the Fast Forward, now make yer way to the next pit stop at Waterfrontage Mansion in Harborside Cabana!"
Having won the Fast Forward, Pungry and Pungent can now proceed to what is most likely the next pit stop, at Waterfrontage Mansion.
"Come on!"
Pungent had to push Pungry out of the booth to get him moving again.
-----
Husband & Wife / To & Too / Andy & King / Hamma & Flare (Harborside Cabana, Beach)
"Yeah! You can do it, To!" Too screamed, cheering her sister on as she picked up the team flag.
"I got it!" To waved the flag around happily before running back over to the top of the tree.
"Before the race, I think all of the teams were asked to choose decorations for a flag, because we were given this form to fill out. You wouldn't believe how astonished I was when I saw that the flag design was actually put on our flag! It was so cool! Well, anyways…ours is decorated with red, pink, and green…it symbolizes not just Too and me, but also Two…because she gave us so much support when we ended up being the team and she was left out." To explained. (After-Leg Interview)
"Come on, sis! Here, throw it down to me!" Too instructed after glancing at the Roadblock details. To threw the tri-color flag down to her sister before sliding down the palm tree.
"WHEEEE!"
After rendezvousing, To and Too cheered and rushed off down the beach, toting their flag around in the air.
"This is pathetic. She started before 'em and she's still struggling with just climbing…" Husband grumbled to himself. "I shoulda done this…"
"Yo, Andy! Don't take too long, bro!" King reminded.
"Heh, don't worry…I'll be up and down in no time!" Andy gave a thumbs up before grabbing hold of the palm tree.
"Man this sucks…waiting in line wastes time…" Hamma complained.
"Thanks for stating the obvious." Flare remarked sarcastically.
-----
Smorgo & Smorga / Zess & Toadsworth (Fish-Flop Funnel-Drop)
"SMORGSMORGSMORGSMORGSMORG (I don't understand this kid's game!)" Smorgo whined. "SMORGSMORGSMORG (I wanna go home!)"
"SMORGSMORGSMORG (These lollipops taste like sewer sweat…)" Smorga engulfed another anchovy. Surprisingly, the two were randomly canning anchovies into their stack of cans without using the measuring stick…AND GETTING THEM RIGHT!
"How're those two doing that?" Zess asked. "That's crazy! They're actually ahead of us!"
"We mustn't spend time looking at what they have and we don't. Focus." Toadsworth insisted, to which Zess nodded.
"Right…oh, hand me the stick, would you?"
"SMORGSMORGSMORGSMORGSMORGSMORG (I think I'm allergic to allergic allergy reactions through which I'm allergic to…)" Smorgo mused as his/her/its body bristled out.
"SMORGSMORGSMORG (That's ridiculous…you're only allergic to lollipops.)" Smorga replied.
-----
Husband & Wife / Andy & King / Hamma & Flare (Harborside Cabana, Beach)
"YEAH!"
Bandy Andy threw a flag decorated with the words "Minor Leaguers" down to King K. before sliding down the palm tree.
"Awesome job, yo!" King K. congratulated, slapping Andy on the back.
"Come on, now we can go to the pit stop!" Andy exclaimed excitedly.
"Finally…" Flare quickly started scrambling up the open palm tree, but ended up going nowhere fast as a result of bad traction.
"…Our grandma can climb better than you!" Hamma rolled his eyes.
"Hurry up and throw me the flag!" Husband demanded.
"Okay, hon!"
Wife threw a darkly colored pennant down to her husband. Unfortunately, she missed by a long shot, and it ended up crashing into the sand.
"What the heck was that?" Husband shouted as Wife came sliding down.
"…Just shut up!" Wife barked back, picking up the pole. Upon clearing the cloth of the sand, a large moon in the middle of the flag was revealed.
"Well, come on! We might be able to catch up to…oh never mind…" Husband trailed off.
-----
Toodles & Toadia: Teacher & Student (Harborside Cabana, Coconutball Courts)
The hourglass still had a small portion of sand at the top.
"This is taking entirely too long…" Toodles sighed. "It's going to be very hard trying to catch up now…"
"Catch up?" Toadia repeated. "…If only…why'd they have to Yield us, anyways?"
"I'm afraid I don't know…but those two things have a thing coming…I still haven't forgiven them for being part of the miasma that attacked the Excess Express…" Toodles growled.
-----
A thatched roof completely made of leafs and grass covered the large one-story building known as Waterfrontage Mansion. From an overhead view, it became apparent that the structure itself was shaped somewhat like a ship, sailing in a rectangular picture frame made up of the lot's boundaries—metal fence posts that ran all the way around, only stopping at three entrances before continuing on.
In the very front of the lot, directly in front of the entrance gate, was the pit stop mat. Behind it was none other but Miles, along with a Koopa, dressed in a button-down covered in palm trees. Right next to the mat was a stand with ten separated holes in it, one for each of the flags of the remaining teams.
Team ? (Waterfrontage Mansion, Entrance Gate)
"Look, it's Miles over there! And the flag stand!"
"Quick, put our flag in!"
The unseen team inserted the end of their pole into the closest hole of the wood before jumping onto the mat.
"Awesome…" The Koopa muttered, lowering his sunglasses to eye the team. "Hey, chicks…welcome ta Harborside Cabana, Sparkle Bay…"
Giggling, the two girls both shook the Koopa's outstretched hand.
"To and Too." Miles pronounced slowly, "You're team number ONE!"
To & Too: Sisters- 1st Place, 3:08 P.M.
"YEAH! YES!"
Laughing harder than ever, To and Too hugged each other before calming down enough for the Yoshi to continue.
"Anyways, I have some more good news for you two…I'm sure you're gonna like it. As the winners of this third leg of the race, you two have won an all-expense paid vacation to spend time here in the Sparkle Bay region for two weeks. You'll have the option to stay in any of the remarkable resort hotels in the four cities, and will have access to all of the great sights and landmarks that you had to speed by. You can enjoy all this after the race…plus…you can bring your sister. How does that sound?"
"Oh, that's awesome!" Too squealed. "Thank you so much, Miles!"
"We know that Two's gonna love being here once the race is over…and we'll finally get to explore slowly, just like we did when we were going on the area around Rogueport!" To exclaimed.
Both girls unexpectedly gave Miles a hug, to which he chuckled and embraced back.
-----
Beldam & Queen: Shadow Folk (Harborside Cabana, Bay)
"Hop to it, Beldam…we don't have all day…the sun is setting and my beauty rest still isn't complete." Queen muttered, fanning herself as she sat on a beach chair.
"Well, why don't you help me? We could leave if you did!" Beldam screeched, struggling to rotate the newly inserted crank to pull up the Fire Flower anchor that was dangling halfway up the length of the ship.
"Right…that's a laugh!" Queen yawned, rolling over. "You know, Beldam…you make the funniest jokes…"
"…GRAH!" Beldam screamed out furiously. Interestingly, her rage gave her the power to pull up the anchor. "…Wow. Now I just need to insert the cable to this other anchor…"
-----
Toodles & Toadia: Teacher & Student (Harborside Cabana, Coconutball Courts)
"Yes!"
The last of the sand finally emptied into the bottom, allowing the anxious Toads to continue into the coconutball area.
"Oh, thank goodness…" Toodles murmured, grabbing a coconut and club from the carts. "Hopefully we can make up lost time…"
"I really, really hope so…" Toadia muttered worriedly.
-----
Running down the beach with a flag hoisted high into the air, one team was besting the other on the way to the pit stop mat in front of the mansion.
Andy & King / Husband & Wife (Waterfrontage Mansion, Entrance Gate)
"Well, there's already a flag here…I would've expected as much…oh well!"
"Hey man…second's better than third, dig?"
"Heh, welcome ta Harborside Cabana, Sparkle Bay, dudes…"
"Andy and King," Miles announced, "you're team number two!"
Andy & King: Homeboys- 2nd Place, 3:14 P.M.
"That's cool…but that gold'll be ours tomorrow!" King K. exclaimed.
"Heh, I hope so." Andy agreed.
Noticing that the two Twilight Town folks were implanting their flag into the stand, the Glitz Pit fighters respectfully stepped off the mat and allowed them to get on.
"You two are WAY too fast…" Wife stated playfully, slapping Andy on the back.
"Tell me about it…I think I got a cramp chasing 'em…" Husband growled.
"Husband and Wife." Miles nodded slowly. "You're team number three."
Husband & Wife: Married- 3rd Place, 3:15 P.M.
"Well…we didn't drop too badly." Wife shrugged. "That's the good thing."
"Right…but today, we both turned a little more red than our skins should allow." Husband realized, pulling in his spouse.
"Yeah…" Wife blushed as Husband gave her a quick peck on the cheek.
-----
Hamma & Flare: Brothers (Harborside Cabana, Beach)
"Finally! Now we can head to the pit stop!" Hamma sighed exasperatedly.
"Don't just sit there, then! Run!" Flare reminded, holding up the flag, which was covered with hammers and fire designs.
Shimi & Waitress: Express Workers- CURRENTLY IN 6th (Harborside Cabana, Beach)
"The third Roadblock…drool." Shimi remarked. "Who is ready to climb to the top? …Okay, that finks…I can't plumb at all."
"So I guess that I have to do it, then… …Wait…what?" Waitress asked incredulously.
-----
Smorgo & Smorga: Things- CURRENTLY IN 7th (Fish-Flop Funnel-Drop)
"SMORGSMORGSMORG (Eww…did you notice it smells like lovely perfume in here?! It's awful!)" Smorga exclaimed, jumping onto the Magikoopa in disgust.
"Get off of me! And take your clue with you!"
Smorga flew out the door upon one throw from the Magikoopa, who brushed off her robe.
"SMORGSMORGSMORGSMORG (Yummy curtain printer mouse!)" Smorgo remarked, peeling open one of the cans of pre-made anchovies before dumping it on the ground.
"We're nearly done…just a few more cans and we'll be done…" Zess wiped her brow.
"Hopefully we did it correctly…" Toadsworth stated.
-----
Toodles & Toadia: Teacher & Student- CURRENTLY IN LAST (Harborside Cabana, Coconutball Courts)
"Detour. Anchovy or Anchor." Toadia read.
"Get it off…these are designer's clothes!" Toodles cried, trying desperately to wet off stains made by coconut milk on her attire.
"…" Toadia turned back to the clue. "…They both have the potential to get messy, I bet…but I think I'll trade the stink. Let's go for the anchor!"
-----
Beldam & Queen: Shadow Folk- CURRENTLY IN 8th (Harborside Cabana, Commercial Docks)
"We're still not done yet…this is taking entirely too long…" Beldam complained, reading over the clue. "…I think I saw a watchtower with a flag on it on the way here…"
"Or maybe your eyes were messed up." Queen teased.
"…That made absolutely no sense at all."
"…Shut up."
-----
Hamma & Flare: Brothers (Waterfrontage Mansion, Entrance Gate)
Flare nearly slammed the flag into the stand. He then proceeded to dive onto the mat, knocking over his sibling.
"What the heck is wrong with you? You don't even have shoelaces and you trip over nothing!" Hamma complained, rubbing the arm that he landed on.
"Shut up…it was a move to look cool…" Flare argued. "Just jumping on has no coolness to it."
"…" The Koopa rolled his eyes.
"Hamma and Flare." Miles said. " You're team number four."
Hamma & Flare: Brothers- 4th Place, 3:21 P.M.
"…That sucks." Hamma looked as if a girl had just shot him down.
"Tch. Understatement…" Flare retorted. "But then again…it's better than the seventh we got at that casino place…"
"Maybe…but we still haven't gotten first yet…" Hamma crossed his arms.
-----
Zess & Toadsworth: Possibly Dating- CURRENTLY IN 9th (Fish-Flop, Funnel-Drop)
"Thank you very much…" Toadsworth said gratefully, opening the envelope.
"What does it say?" Zess asked, rubbing her hands on her pants.
"We need to drive to the beach now and find the watchtower." Toadsworth replied.
-----
Pungry & Pungent: Best Friends (Waterfrontage Mansion, Entrance Gate)
"…Whoa…uh, welcome lil' dudes…"
"Um…thanks?"
"Pungry and Pungent." Miles smirked at the duo, who both looked incredibly worried upon hearing his dismal tone of voice. "You're…team number five."
Pungry & Pungent: Best Friends- 5th Place, 3:30 P.M.
"…OH. MY. GOSH. We're finally out of the back and in the middle!" Pungry cheered.
"Ain't first, but we'll take it for now!" Pungent whooped.
-----
Shimi & Waitress: Express Workers (Harborside Cabana, Beach)
"Did you get it?" Shimi shouted, cupping his fins around his mouth.
"Yeah!" Waitress replied back. She threw down a flag with a picture of the Excess Express heading through the desert emblazoned on both sides.
"Awesome! Now berry make the bed to the pit stop!" Shimi answered, leaping to catch the flag.
"What?" Waitress asked perplexedly, sliding down the tree.
-----
Beldam & Queen: Shadow Folk (Harborside Cabana, Streets)
"I SAID I SAW IT!" Beldam screamed.
"No you didn't…that's crazy." Queen responded, swerving the car to the side to avoid a pedestrian on the sidewalk. "WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING, YOU STUPID PEASANT!"
"I don't see why you had to drive anyway!" Beldam muttered darkly.
"Simple…this chair is more comfortable than that one." Queen replied simply, causing Beldam to sweatdrop.
The marked car swerved again to avoid a biker as it ran a red light.
"Where'd you get your license?" Beldam asked.
"…License? What's that?" Queen questioned back.
Smorgo & Smorga: Things (Harborside Cabana, Streets)
"SMORGSMORGSMORGSMORG (What delirious eye candy that is…)" Smorga remarked on the driving of the Shadow Queen ahead of them.
"SMORGSMORGSMORGSMORGSMORG (You could surely learn from that, young grasshopper…)" Smorgo said matter-of-factly, playing with the door lever.
"SMORGSMORGSMORGSMORG (…Since when do candy apples appear in magical forests of 3049?)" Smorga turned around to stare at Smorgo.
"SMORGSMORGSMORG (ELEPHANT!)" Smorgo cried out with surprise as the door opened, and was broken off as the car tumbled by a lamppost.
-----
Zess & Toadsworth: Possibly Dating- CURRENTLY IN 7th (Harborside Cabana, Beach)
"Finally, we're here…I hope this leads to…oh, it's a Roadblock." Zess sighed disappointedly. "Who is ready to climb to the top?"
"Who indeed…I have absolutely no idea what this would have to do with…we have no edge up." Toadsworth replied quietly.
"I'll do it…Toadsy, you might hurt your back…" Zess teased lightly as she read the details, causing Toadsworth to chuckle.
"Whatever…do not hurt yourself, though. If we are to continue racing, I can't run with an injured partner…"
"Oh, don't worry yourself so…" Zess rolled her eyes and latched her arms around a palm tree.
-----
Shimi & Waitress: Express Workers (Waterfrontage Mansion, Entrance Gate)
"Welcome ta Harborside Cabana, Sparkle Bay."
"Thanks!"
"Thank blue."
"…Shimi and Waitress." Miles started, "You're team number six."
Shimi & Waitress: Express Workers- 6th Place, 3:41 P.M.
"That's not too bad…" Shimi mused. "But we lost quite a bit of homebound to the other teams today…"
"Oh, we can catch up as soon as we rest up." Waitress stated, eyeing the mansion. "And I think I'm going to sleep well until we leave…"
-----
Toodles & Toadia: Teacher & Student (Harborside Cabana, Commercial Docks)
"Can you please hurry up?" Toadia asked impatiently as the Magikoopa concentrated on putting a spell over the Mystery.
"Hold on…okay, there."
Toadia made a wide leap into the boat Toodles was waiting in.
"I honestly do hope that this does not take too long…" Toodles twisted the key quickly, and held on as the boat sped off through the waters.
-----
Zess & Toadsworth: Possibly Dating (Harborside Cabana, Beach)
"Very nice, Zess! Here, throw it down!" Toadsworth instructed. His partner tossed down a uniquely-designed flag with a yin-yang symbol, plate of food, and crown on it.
"We can go to the pit stop now, right?" Zess asked as she slid down the tree. "Oh, my arms…"
"I'll hold this…" Toadsworth picked up the flag. "According to what I can see, the mansion is that way down the beach."
"Awesome! Let's go!"
Beldam & Queen: Shadow Folk- CURRENTLY IN 8th (Harborside Cabana, Beach)
"We were so lucky to spot this…why didn't you read the map right in the first place, Beldam?" Queen asked, causing a fuming Beldam to turn away with a 'hmph.'
"Well…there wasn't any point in directing someone that couldn't even drive…" Beldam replied coldly.
"Anyways…enough of this. I need to violet on the beach…" Queen sighed, lying down to relax on the sand.
"You're such an idiot, you nutjob!" Beldam cried out, grabbing an envelope from the box. "Urgh…okay…calm yourself down, Beldam. Roadblock. 'Who is ready to climb to the top?' "
"Definitely not you." Queen murmured.
"Shut up!" Beldam growled. "Like you'd do it?!"
"Of course not…I'd look stupid."
"You already do…"
Smorgo & Smorga: Things- CURRENTLY IN 9th (Harborside Cabana, Beach)
"SMORGSMORGSMORGSMORGSMORG (Pillow fluffing is fun!)" Smorgo stated, hopping over Queen's face.
"What the—"
"SMORGSMORGSMORG (I spy with my three-hundred eyes a large yellow ball of milk!)" Smorga cheered, jumping on the spot where Smorgo had left a smudge.
"WHAT IS WITH YOU STUPID THINGS! GET BACK HERE!"
As the Shadow Queen chased the two Smorg around, Smorgo leapt onto the clue box and ended up getting an envelope stuck to him before he somehow vertically hopped up the palm tree to escape, leaving Smorga to be chased around the watchtower.
"Uh, Queen? What's going on?" Beldam shouted down.
"YOU'RE GOING TO MEET YOUR DEMISE, YOU STUPID BLACK DISCY THINGS!"
At the top, Smorgo knocked over a completely black flag with two haunting yellow eyes on both sides. It landed at the bottom, and somehow caused Queen to trip.
"SMORGSMORGSMORGSMORGSMORG (Quick, let's get away in our getaway car!" Smorga urged. Smorgo jumped off of the storage building and joined his/her/its partner in holding the flag up as they bounced towards the mansion.
"SMORGSMORGSMORG (This turkey of the telephone takes my breath away from you." Smorgo murmured affectionately.
"GOOD RIDDANCE!" Queen screamed. "Hurry up, you slowpoke! Oh, when I catch up to those things, they're going to wish they NEVER were alive!"
Beldam sweatdropped.
-----
Toodles & Toadia: Teacher & Student (Harborside Cabana, Bay)
"Okay…we've almost got this anchor up! Just a bit more!" Toadia supported.
"Who knew that these ship workers had such hard work?" Toodles managed through gritted teeth.
-----
Beldam & Queen: Shadow Folk (Harborside Cabana, Beach)
"Okay…my hands are officially in pain now…" Beldam mumbled, grabbing one of the three remaining flags at the top. Hers was a light shade of lavender, with sparkles of blue, yellow, and red here and there, along with a crown with real jewels in the middle.
Throwing the flag down to the sands below, Beldam was met with a cry of shock.
"HOW DARE YOU MAKE MY BEAUTIFUL FLAG FILTHY, YOU FOOL! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU? YOUR INCOMPETENCE IS JUST SO UNBELIEVABLE! WHY I NEVER…"
-----
Zess & Toadsworth: Possibly Dating (Waterfrontage Mansion, Entrance Gate)
"Welcome ta Harborside Cabana, Sparkle Bay!" The Koopa bowed somewhat respectfully, shaking the hands of the Toads.
"Thank you…by any chance, is this large place yours?" Toadsworth asked.
"…Um…yeah, actually…it is. How'd ya guess?"
"Well…" Toadsworth beckoned towards a surfboard fountain in the front, as well as a sunglasses theme apparent in the front doors. A small plaque next to it said "Property of Koonson Waterfrontage."
"Oh…heheh…"
"Zess and Toadsworth." Miles began, bringing the attention to his voice. "You're team number seven."
Zess & Toadsworth: Possibly Dating- 7th Place, 4:04 P.M.
"Seventh…we're really slipping, aren't we?" Zess asked incredulously. "At this rate, we'll be gone the next leg if we continue this little pattern…"
"We won't, Zess…that's unrealistic for us to actually continue a pattern like that…but if we did…it'd be just weird." Toadsworth reminded.
"…Oh, right…" Zess T. laughed.
Smorgo & Smorga: Things (Waterfrontage Mansion, Entrance Gate)
After unceremoniously knocking over all of the other flags in the stand, Smorgo and Smorga dropped theirs off in one of the empty holes before hopping onto the map.
"…I don't even wanna know what those things are…" Koonson made a face.
"SMORGSMORGSMORGSMORGSMORG (I love spiders and monkey nunchucks!)" Smorga stated, jumping on Koonson's back.
"Dude, get off!" Koonson flung the thing off, causing Smorga to crash back onto his/her/its partner.
"Smorgo and Smorga. You are the eighth team to arrive." Miles stated calmly.
"SMORGSMORGSMORG (What does that supposed to mean? You can't fire me! I LIVE here!)" Smorgo screeched.
"SMORGSMORGSMORGSMORG (I don't understand why my iPod doesn't work in this outer space yogurt…)" Smorga said blankly.
"…Unfortunately…because you opened an extra clue envelope back in Glowflower, you will have to serve a thirty-minute penalty before I can check you in." Miles stated somewhat apologetically. "If you could, please wait over there."
A light breeze blowing through the area pushed the two Smorg off the mat and in the direction that Miles was pointing.
"…That was handy." Miles blinked.
Beldam & Queen: Shadow Folk (Waterfrontage Mansion, Entrance Gate)
"LET ME AT 'EM! LET ME AT THOSE STUPID THINGS!" Queen screamed, but had to be held back by Beldam.
"Let's just skip the greetings and all…she looks drunk or somethin'…"
"Beldam and Queen." Miles said hurriedly. "You're team number eight."
Beldam & Queen: Shadow Folk- 8th Place, 4:08 P.M.
"IT'S ALL THEIR FAULT! ALL THEIR FAULT, YOU HEAR ME?! THEY'LL PAY FOR THEIR INSOLENCE IN FOILING OUR ATTEMPTS TO WIN THE RACE! THEY—MMF! MF MMF!"
Beldam faked a grin as she kept pulling a flailing Queen into the property, making extra sure to keep her mouth covered.
-----
Toodles & Toadia: Teacher & Student (Harborside Cabana, Bay)
"Come on, we can't waste any time!" Toadia urged, holding the anchor under her arms.
"I know, Toadia, I know." Toodles stated. "Start…start, already! Okay, there…"
Toodles once again piloted the motorboat away at a speedy pace, this time back towards shore.
-----
Smorgo & Smorga: Things (Waterfrontage Mansion, Entrance Gate)
"…They haven't moved for quite a while now…wonder what's wrong." Koonson remarked.
"Hopefully it's nothing…" Miles wished.
"SMORGSMORGSMORG (My tusk is exactly twenty couches long!)" Smorgo exclaimed.
"SMORGSMORG (Aww…this exercise bike doesn't work with my large helmet…)" Smorga mourned.
"I'LL GET YOU!" Queen shrieked from inside the mansion.
-----
Toodles & Toadia: Teacher & Student- CURRENTLY IN LAST (Harborside Cabana, Bay)
"I doubt that we have a chance to check in now…oh well…" Toadia sighed. "Roadblock. 'Who is ready to climb to the top?' Oh, that's me…but I wish there was a top to go to."
"Are you sure you want to—"
"No, really…it's okay…besides…" Toadia sniffed. "I'll feel just like my hero, climbing up a tree…doing something…neat…and…"
Toodles gasped as Toadia erupted in tears in her sleeve.
"Oh, Toodles…we're most definitely eliminated from the race now…I bet everyone's already checked in…" Toadia sobbed.
"There, there, dear…the least we can do is finish strong, right?" Toodles comforted, speaking slowly. "Besides…I…um…don't think that Luigi would…want to see you like this…uh, right?"
Toadia, slightly surprised, looked up at Toodles, who gave her a reassuring smile.
"You always know the right thing to say, teach…" Toadia smiled, wiping the tears from her eyes.
-----
Smorgo & Smorga: Things (Waterfrontage Mansion, Entrance Gate)
"SMORGSMORGSMORGSMORG (Delicate fingernails are my love!)" Smorga exclaimed.
"Um…Smorgo and Smorga, you can come back in now." Miles called.
As if on cue, another breeze ran through that rolled the two Smorg back onto the mat.
"…Seriously, if that ain't creepy, I don't know what is…" Koonson muttered to himself.
"Smorgo and Smorga." Miles announced. "You're team number nine."
Smorgo & Smorga: Things- 9th Place, 4:34 P.M.
"SMORGSMORGSMORGSMORGSMORGSMORG (I need a serious translator for this master's degree.)" Smorga stated.
"SMORGSMORGSMORGSMORGSMORG (Yeah, seriously…I feel like these pencil leads are broken.)" Smorgo said wistfully.
Toodles & Toadia: Teacher & Student (Waterfrontage Mansion, Entrance Gate)
"There it is…we finally made it!"
Toodles planted the Poshley Heights flag into the stand, looking longingly at the red part that belonged to her and the green that was made by Toadia.
"One…two…three!"
Both ladies somewhat enthusiastically hopped onto the mat at the same time, holding each other's hands.
"…Wow…" Koonson drooled. Miles gave him a small tap on the shoulder to snap him out of it. "Oh, um…yeah…sorry. Welcome ta Harborside Cabana, Sparkle Bay."
"Thank you." Toodles and Toadia replied in unison.
"Toodles and Toadia." Miles gave the two a weak smile. "…You're the last team to arrive."
Toodles & Toadia: Teacher & Student- Last Place, 4:41 P.M.
"Tenth…well, we hung in there as long as we could, right?" Toodles asked rhetorically.
"Give us the news, Miles…" Toadia murmured, squeezing her piano teacher's hand tightly.
"I'm…very sorry to inform you that you've both been eliminated from the race." Miles apologized humbly.
"That's quite alright…I feel I can speak for both of us that we're fine with how we did." Toodles murmured.
"We weren't the strongest of the group of teams in anything…it was pretty evident after the first leg who was good at this, and who was good at that. Not once could we have been put under any of those types of mentions, I'm afraid. However…things like that don't really matter to me. We tried our best, and that's all that matters…I gave it one-hundred percent every step of the way…knowing that makes it every memory worthwhile to look back on." Toodles remarked. "I'm very proud to have run this exciting event with my very own piano student, Toadia. Although it didn't really appear that we had a very strong bond until today, we both know that it existed…but now, it's much stronger…and it makes me so happy to know that." (After-Leg Interview)
"I know for a fact that we never really needed the money, even though I live in Poshley Heights in an apartment…still. The adventure in itself was worth it…it made me feel so much like my hero, Luigi…traveling around, exploring…" Toadia seemed to gaze off into the distance for a moment. "But then again…I really realized something about my private teacher, Toodles… In something where we had to work together as equals, we succeeded in cooperating effectively. Never, in my dreams, would I have ever thought I'd ever have such a relationship like that in all my life." (After-Leg Interview)
"Thank you very much for having us…" Toadia said politely.
After exchanging handshakes with Miles and Koonson, the two Toads turned around to depart the pit stop. Before walking up the stairs that led off the beach, the two gave one last look at their magnificent flag, which stood out amongst all the others, which had been replaced into the holes.
Even though it wasn't evening yet, the sunlight in the sky released a beautiful pink hue. In spite of being eliminated from the race, the two members of the eliminated team had found the strongest knot in their bond, never to be untied. They had recognized their friendship, as endless as the sands of time…as endless as the large number of grains of sand resting upon the beach of the city known as Harborside Cabana.
-----
Leg 3 Special Guest…
The special guest for the third leg of the race is none other but the son of previous racers Goldbob and Sylvia—Bub!
"Hiya everybody!" Bub exclaimed shyly. "Well...you can't imagine how sad it is for me to see my neighbors leave the race on the same leg that my Mum and Dad did in Season 1…I wasn't even in the race, but I can feel their pain…it's so sad… Oh well…maybe next season… Anyways, the next leg of the race will show the teams that they're in over their heads and that the experience is way bigger than they thought!
Next time, on the Amazing Race…
For the first time, the two Glitz Pit teams clash."
"Dude! That ain't cool, yo!" King K. snapped.
"I don't care! Get outta my way!" Flare shoved the Koopa out of his path.
"Several teams form an alliance in an attempt to get ahead of everyone else."
"So…it's agreed, then?" Zess questioned.
"Yeah…we're all gonna need it just to survive this time around." Waitress agreed.
"But remember…we don't know when this might have to end." Husband said cautiously.
"It's alright…we can deal with that when the time comes…even if it's later this leg." Toadsworth reassured.
"And a race to the pit stop between three teams becomes the ultimate nightmare."
"OH, CRAP! WATCH OUT FOR THEIR CAR!"
"I CAN'T STOP!"
"All this, and more…on the next episode of the Amazing Race, everyone! See ya!" Bub winked cutely.
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Leg 3 Trivia:
- In this leg, the first clue is formatted similarly to that of TTYD 1 Leg 3—a clue instructs the teams to find an area with an envelope and a picture of their next destination. Even more interesting is the fact that all teams backtracked to an area (Broken Pier and Downtown Faire Square) visited in the previous leg. Similarly, a Yield is featured in the leg.
- During the description of the first set of instructions, the speaking host refers to the phrase spoken about the Swap Fest by the workers running it in the game, "almost world-famous, mostly fabulous."
- Smorgo & Smorga's 30-minute penalty for using another team's marked car was applied upon their arrival to the pit stop, forcing them to wait. This is different from how a somewhat similar event in TAR6 was handled, in which the penalty affected the team's departure time. Similarly, they were forced to have another penalty this leg because they picked up a second clue at a route marker. In this case, the penalty was handled the same in TAR6; both teams had to wait for 30 minutes before being checked in.
- The original planned Detour for this leg of the race was "Anchor and Ship" and "Ship and Anchor." The task Anchor and Ship is somewhat similar to this leg's actual Detour choice, Anchor.
- Coincidentally, both Puni teams so far have participated in a Fast Forward that involved food—Punio & Petuni handled a salad in leg one of TTYD1 at Woody Woods, while Pungry & Pungent dealt with fish during this leg. However, while the siblings achieved first place during that first leg, Pungry & Pungent didn't.
- It was originally considered to have a conflict in the leg where one team opened their Mystery before they were supposed to and would have to drive all the way back to Glowflower. However, no appropriate opportunity arose, so it was skipped.
- Unexpectedly, both Poshley Heights teams were eliminated on the third legs of their respective seasons.
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Author's Note: Yes, I realize that even though teams on flights were widely separated in times, they all arrived WAY too close together. Sorry for the unreal detail in that—I'm working on it. Anyways…
Getting onto business… I know it's very early in the season, being just the third leg…however; I've already started work on possible teams for the third season of the TTYD race. This is very important that I get any readers that want the third season to commence to get involved, as THE THIRD SEASON OF THE TTYD RACE WILL BE THE LAST! That's right…after TTYD3, no more. There will be 12-15 teams, none including recycled characters from the first two seasons (because that's unfair). The only reason why the third season will be the last is because of the range of characters there are left to work with…very few that are appealing, since they were mostly used up in season 1 (a few noteworthy in season 2). Besides…there's like, no possibility for female teams and it's hard to come up with coed… Currently, I only have fourteen official teams slated to be on the voting roster…
Under coed…
- Gloomtail & Hooktail: Siblings (Palace of Shadow & Hooktail Castle)
- Lahla & Rocko: Parlor Workers (Pianta Parlor)
- Puniper & Puni Elder: Great Tree Citizens (Great Tree)
- Eve & Podley: Former Actors/Possibly Dating (Twilight Town & Rogueport Inn)
- Laki & Romana: Excess Express Enthusiasts (Rogueport Station)
Under female…
- Toce T. & Koopie Koo: Friends (Petalburg)
Under male…
- Grodus & Crump: Former Boss/Worker (Various)
- Dour & Kroop: Senior Citizens (Twilight Town & Petalburg)
- Frankie & Ishnail: Supposed Enemies (Rogueport)
- Vinny & Tony: Brothers (Rogueport)
- Garf & Gus: Brothers/Robbos Members (Rogueport)
- Herb & Wonky: Shop Owners (Rogueport Sewers)
- Blooey & Jerry: Luigi's Partners (Rogueport, Various Areas)
- Cleftor & Master Crash: Minor League Fighters (Glitz Pit, Minor League)
These are teams I'm unsure of entering into the roster…
- Pine T. & Pine T. Jr.: Father/Son (Seen in Pit of 1000 Trials, Currently Thought to Reside in Toad Town)
- Larson & Goomther: Rivals (Rogueport)
- Dupree & Goom Goom: Single Guys (Keelhaul Key)
I have my own reasons for being iffy about including those teams… Possible characters not yet arranged for teams yet include Ghost T., Pennington, General White, Grubba, Heft T., Atomic Boo, Whacka, Bub-ulber, Doe T., Koopook, Swob, Rob, & Fred. If you remember the previous voting ballot, you'd recognize that I've disassembled the Swob & Fred partnership for the possibility of another.
…See that list? There are no girls in it! Sure, there are lots of female characters in the game that are unused, but they pretty much have no given names (Season 2 names such as Queen, Too, To, Waitress, Husband, Wife, Smorgo, Smorga, etc. were given for humorous effect, and are pretty much definitely not the names of the characters.) that are shown to the player. Sure, I could always do what I did with the Smorg and give two random enemies funny names…but it's only because the Smorg were so popular (and so flexible), making them easy to work with. The only character above that has a made-up name is in the train enthusiasts—the girl who thinks that loading platforms are the site of romantic departures at Rogueport Station, she has no name…but since she's into romance and stuff…why not 'Romana?'
Anyways, now that you've seen how much I can blab on a keyboard… If you have any ideas, you can PM or e-mail me…it doesn't really matter. If not, that's okay, too. Just remember…keep this call for help in the back of your mind when you're playing Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door!
REMEMBER! IT'S NOT VOTING TIME YET! JUST SUGGESTIONS :)