The Amazing Anime Race

(Introduction: Before the Race)

Series: The 16 teams will come from the following anime/manga: Sailor Moon, Pokemon, Cowboy Bebop, Saiyuki, Cardcaptor Sakura, Yami no Matsuei, Trigun, Gravitation, Weiss Kreuz, Getbackers, Naruto, Fruits Basket, Inuyasha, Rurouni Kenshin, Digimon Adventure, and Yugioh. (Whew!)

Rated: Eh, for the most part, PG. I don’t think it’s going up anytime soon.

Disclaimer: I own none of these anime/manga (well, I either own video cassettes, DVDs, or manga books but I didn’t create any of them). I didn’t create Amazing Race either. And all the places they will visit are going to be real as will the airlines that they use.

* * *

Los Angeles, California. 12:23 PM

A lone, air-conditioned bus rolled down the streets of downtown Los Angeles. Outside, it was quiet. And inside the bus it was quiet. Not because there was no one on it. On the contrary, the bus was packed with people who were hanging with their own groups. Occasionally, someone would speak up with a chorus of “Oro?”, “Why is there no bathroom on this bus?”, “Who stole my loofa?”, “I’m hungry.”, “Giant donut!”, “LEEKS?!”, and “Shut up already!” But no one had a conversation because they were scared of what would come. More than half these people looked nervous and confused. About three were sleeping, two were listening to music, one was reading a dirty porn magazine, one was eating meat buns, and the rest just looked blankly out the window. All the while, none had any idea about what would happen. But they knew one thing.

Today was the day.

No one knew why they were here yet they were all summoned by the same person, whoever that person was. Everyone was divided into groups of two, three, or four. And they all had a red and yellow envelope containing the following instructions.

Dear (names of the people chosen),

Congratulations! You have been chosen to participate in THE AMAZING RACE! What is the Amazing Race? Well, you will be given a certain amount of time to travel around the world and race against other teams. In the end, the team comes in first will be richly rewarded. Now let me explain:

During the race, there will be a series of tasks for you to complete or obstacles standing in your way. These will be known as Detours, Roadblocks, Fast Forwards, or Yields. I will give more explanation of each of these things when you get to Los Angeles, California. (Los Angeles in the year 2004, I might add). This race is divided into 16 legs. 11 of these legs happen to be elimination legs. If you come in last on an elimination leg, you are out of the race. The other five aren’t elimination legs so you’ll still be in the race. I cannot tell you what leg is what though. That you will find out much later.

At the end of each leg, you will come to a Pit Stop. Here is where the last team to arrive in an elimination leg will be eliminated and where the rest of you can take time to relax. You can eat, sleep, do a little touring, and mingle with the others at the Pit Stop. Then you will set out again for the next leg depending in what order you arrived and at what time. More explanations will be given later.

I do hope you accept my invitations. Those of you living in the Meiji period or any time before/ beyond 2004, you have extra instructions on how to get here. You have two weeks to arrive. Please take as few personal items if you can. You will each be given the following when you arrive:

A backpack

Clothes, winter and summer

Suntan lotion

A map

Flashlights

Batteries

Money

A credit card

Extra shoes

First-aid kit

Aspirin/medicine

Hats

Some food/drinks

A Japanese/English dictionary

Pens, pencils, paper, highlighters to mark stuff down

A camera and film

Towels, washcloths, and other toiletries

A toothbrush, toothpaste, and hairbrush

The following will not be allowed:

Swords/ knives/ daggers/ scissors/ letter openers/ nail cutters/anything sharp

Guns of any kind, bullets, blow guns

Matches/Matchbooks/Lighters/Flamethrowers/Candles/Incense Sticks

Bow and arrows

Giant boomerangs/small boomerangs

Nunchuks/throwing stars

Darts

Crossbows

Metal claws

Pets/mascots

Spears

Wooden staffs/bokkens

Scythes

Slingshots

Slings to throw rocks with

Whips/chains/belts for sexual pleasure

Electrical wires

Poison

Laptop computers/cell phones/video games

AND NO MAGICAL POWERS CAN BE USED! ESPECIALLY NOT FOR THIS RACE!

I look forward to seeing you!

Sincerely,

X

No one knew who X was but they all accepted the invitation. It was hard for some of them to leave behind beloved pets and mascots that had followed them everywhere. But alas, ‘pets’ was part of the ‘no’ list.

None of them had been given their ‘supplies’ either. Apparently, they wouldn’t know what they got until they reached their destination. And it wouldn’t be very long. Eventually those who were staring blankly out the window fell asleep. Another chorus of sentences and questions rose up: “Are we there yet?”, “Where is my loofa?!”, “Sessha doesn’t feel good!”, “Are we there yet?”, “What, no more meat buns?!”, “Did I forget to pack a towel?”, “Kumagoro, look at how shiny that diner is! It’s called the Shiny Diner! SHINEY!”, “Are we there yet?”. “Great, now I’m hungry!”, “What if evil crosses our path? Can we use magic powers then?”, “Are we there yet?”, “Shut up!”

Then it fell quiet and for good reason. One of the questions would soon be answered. They were almost there. And a big change would take place.

In another hour, these groups would start the greatest challenge yet. They would take part…in the Amazing Race.

* * *

(Cue the Theme Song)

Naruto Team- Naruto, Sakura, & Sasuke (Ninjas/Friends)

Pokemon Team- Ash, Misty, & Brock (Pokemon trainers/Friends)

Trigun Team- Vash, Meryl, & Millie (Outlaw/ Insurance Girls)

Inuyasha Team- Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, & Sango (Two Dating Couples)

Yugioh Team- Yugi, Jounouchi, Honda, & Anzu (Friends)

Gravitation Team- Shuichi, Yuki, & Ryuichi (Lovers/ Rockstars/ Novelist)

Sailor Moon Team- Ami, Rei, Makoto, & Minako (Sailor Senshi/ Friends)

Digimon Team- Yamato, Sora, Koushiro, & Mimi (Friends/Digi-destined)

Rurouni Kenshin Team- Kenshin, Kaoru, Sanosuke, & Misao (A Dating Couple/ Friends)

Fruits Basket Team- Tohru, Yuki, & Kyou (Possibly Dating/ Cousins)

Weiss Kreuz Team- Aya, Ken, Yohji, & Omi (Florists/Assassins/Possible Lovers)

Saiyuki Team- Sanzo, Gojyo, Hakkai, & Goku  (Priest/Demons/Possible Lovers)

Cowboy Bebop Team- Spike & Faye (Bounty Hunters)

Yami no Matsuei Team- Tsuzuki & Hisoka (Shinigami/Possible Lovers)

Getbackers Team- Ban & Ginji (Retrieval Agents/Possible Lovers)

Cardcaptors Team- Sakura, Shaoran, Meilin, & Tomoyo (Dating/Once Engaged/Friends)

16 Teams if two, three, or four…in the biggest race around the world…THE AMAZING RACE HAS BEGUN!

***

TBC…

(I have chosen these teams and people at random. Misao was picked in place of Yahiko for 1) I need more girls and 2) I just like her more than Yahiko. There is no Usagi because I can’t really write in Usagi’s POV and I’d feel bad if I left one of the other Senshi out. I also added Ryuichi because he would be loads of fun to have on a trip ^_^. I know that Amazing Race normally has teams of two but the more, the merrier. And rest assured I will pull it off.)

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Email me: sweetandsourcyanide@excite.com