[In the underwater cavern Sukeyuay is frantically swimming around in search for another string of doubloons.]
Yusuke voiceover: Oh come on! This is so stupid! How could they run out? What am I supposed to do now? Stupid treasure, there has got to be a hidden stash somewhere. Where are they? [gulps]
[Sukeyuay grabs his throat and face turns from blue to a more purple shade.]
Yusuke voiceover: I’ve got to get out of here quick, or I’ll drown.
[Sukeyuay swims out of the cavern and up to the surface.]
Yusuke voiceover: Over there is where I came out of after the hot coals, but there is light above, so if I go straight up, it should take me to the outside…
[Sukeyuay’s eyes role up as air bubbles escape from his mouth. His body goes limp, but he still floats upward. A shadow lurks nearby.]
* * *
[An air bubble is released from the shadow and floats to the surface in a washtub outside with Kazuki sitting in it wearing swim trunks. The bubble pops, causing Kazuki to giggle and bring his hands together. Across from him, Atsuko sits on the grass with a straw in hand. She takes a breath and blows another big bubble underwater that rises to the surface. This time Kazuki extends a hand to catch it but looses balance and falls forward.]
Atsuko: [laughs] Careful there, slugger.
[Atsuko reaches to sit Kazuki back up. Kayko comes out carrying a basket of laundry.]
Atsuko: He reminds me so much of Yusuke when he was his age!
Kayko: Hopefully he won’t be as troublesome. [sets basket down] He’s been a handful without Yusuke here to help out.
Atsuko: Don’t worry Yusuke Jr.! We’re gonna raise you right this time!
Kayko: [closed eyed smile] That’s true! [thinks] “Barely.”
* * *
[Lying on the shore, Sukeyuay wakes up. He coughs a bit and water spurts out of his mouth. Sitting up, he finds a mermaid on his lap and hands slip from his chest.]
Sukeyuay: Whoa! Did you just give me CPR?
Mermaid: [giggle] We could go back in the water and drown you again if want some more. [winks]
Sukeyuay: Um, can I take a rain check? I’m kind of in the middle of something right now.
Mermaid: Oh come now, don’t keep me waiting.
[Sukeyuay thinks about Risho laughing at beating him then sees Kayko with an angry face and arms akimbo.]
Kayko’s voice: [shouts] Yusuke!
Sukeyuay: Eh, [smiles and sweatdrop] Look, I really have to get going, sorry.
[Sukeyuay rises, letting the Mermaid slide off, but she grabs his shoulders and pulls her face to his and screeches, while eyes start glowing, teeth grow sharp, and hair flies wildly.]
Mermaid: [growls] Come with me!
Sukeyuay: AH! [attempts pushing her off] Oh like I’d want to after that!
Mermaid: [wraps tail around Sukeyuay’s waist] I saved your life, so now your life is mine!
Sukeyuay: [struggles] I…Think…NOT!!!
[Sukeyuay grabs her tail from around his waist and pulls her off of him. Then starts spinning her above his head and releases his grip, letting her fly off and splashing back into the water.]
Mermaid: AHHHH!!!
Yusuke Voiceover: [sighs] And here I imagined mermaids to be more tempting…but now what?
[Sukeyuay walks up the shore and collapses into a sitting position. He starts running a finger through the sand.]
Yusuke Voiceover: Those doubloons had the clue to where I go next etched on them, but stupid Risho stole it from me. I have covered earth, fire, and water. Just air and life are left, and life seems like a big finale deal…so I probably need to do something with air, but what? hmmm…What would Jin do?
[Sukeyuay looks at his sand doodles.]
Yusuke Voiceover: Hey, could this be...some of the markings from the doubloons? This one looks like the air symbol from the Zerka mark and this one is a cloud…is this last one supposed to be a fly? So do I need to find a way to use air to fly up to a cloud? How am I supposed to do that? Hmm…there’s also grass that goes that way that is a bit flatter than the rest, I bet everyone else went that way, I might as well check it out.
[Sukeyuay follows the faint trail until it stops in a swampy area. Lots of flies and gnats swarm around. Sukeyuay looks grumpily disappointed. Gargantuan flies come out of the swarm and attach themselves to Sukeyuay.]
Sukeyuay: Hey! Let me go!
[Sukeyuay tries swatting, but cannot get the flies off of him. They lift him up and carry him off in the distance.]
* * *
[Ehay stands on the cliff where he started, along with Zerk, Modaruk, Initiation Demon and other prominent figures of the order.]
Initiatory Demon: Look, there’s a dolt who couldn’t keep balance on his cloud!
Zerk: Weed out the weaklings. [to Ehay] I do believe you have completed the course in record time. That is impressive, but unfortunately you will have to be patient until the others are done as well before proceeding to the final task.
Ehay: As long as those fools don’t take too long.
Zerk: Ambitious too I see. That will help you go far.
Initiatory Demon: One of the griffins tricked a delinquent into eating the poison berries instead.
[Another demon arrives after finishing the tasks with a second close behind.]
Hiei voiceover: [Ehay facing the course] There’s plenty you can do to mess this up Yusuke, but don’t!
* * *
[Gargantuan flies land Sukeyuay on top of a white cloud then buzz away.]
Yusuke voiceover: This is surprisingly solid. Can they really condense air to sit on it?
[Sukeyuay crosses his legs and rests his hands on his knees. He looks around at the landscape below.]
Yusuke Voiceover: [mumbles] I guess from here I’m supposed to see what to do next. Let the air be my guide huh? Finally an easy task. Become one with the air…
* * *
[In the elemental foxes cave, Kurama is alone, pondering. Remayolo enters.]
Remayolo: Hello…brother.
Kurama: [without turning to face Remayolo] Hello.
Remayolo: [walking around Kurama] You know it is not considered family bonding time when you are by yourself, brooding. [pause] It surprises me how you are such an ingrate with your talents. What a true and utter waste.
[Kurama remains silent. Remayolo stands cool and collected in front of Kurama. Suddenly Remayolo’s arm shoots out to clench onto Kurama’s throat and jaw.]
Remayolo: [low, seething] You know you should have never been born. [flings Kurama back] All life should have been bestowed upon me. [sighs] Once there were 4 elements and a 5th to rule them all…
Kurama: [rises and dusts self off] And so you must share that power with me.
Remayolo: Unfortunately. However, animals are under my jurisdiction, and you, dear brother, are an animal.
Kurama: In my Yoko form, I am. But as a human I still have my own free will, is that why you desire me to change back so bad? To rule me again?
Remayolo: Heh. Even humans have animal instincts…
* * *
[Yusuke is looking up in a daydream then suddenly envisions Yokira turning to him laughing.]
Yusuke Voiceover: Whoa! Where did that come from?!
[In a ghosted layer over the clouds Yusuke sees a partial Flashback from Episode 3]
Kurama Voiceover: We all specialize over a different element. Yokira’s is over “Earth,” and if you couldn’t guess by now, mine is over plants or “Flora” as it were.
Yokira Voiceover: Yeah, the others have “Fauna” which is animals, “Water,” “Fire,” and “Air.”
Yusuke Voiceover: Hmmm…Kurama’s pack’s powers are based from the elements, but there were six of them total. There are only five elements here. I’ve covered Earth, Fire, Water, and now Air. That leaves me the flora and the fauna… [slight breeze, looks to where it is blowing] which combines into life. [spots a griffin napping by a berry bush in a small forest clearing] And there it is!
[Sukeyuay jumps off of the cloud as the wind carries him to the spotted griffin and berry bush. He grabs a branch and swings into a land at the edge of the clearing. He walks up to the griffin and crouches down to pet it.]
Sukeyuay: Hey there fellah, it’s time to wake up and have a snack.
[Sukeyuay reaches over to the berry bush and snaps off a twig with some berries on it. The Griffin opens its eyes then screeches as it rises in an angry force.]
Sukeyuay: Whoa! Hold on there, this will be simple; I just want you to take a nibble of this. I won’t let it kill you, really!
[The griffin yells some more and starts kicking Sukeyuay, who in turn blocks with his arms.]
