"Ugh…man, do I hate plane rides…especially ones that are slow."

Sonic the Hedgehog stepped off an airplane and onto the pavement in Beijing, China. Stretching, he grabbed his suitcase.

"Ah…that feels better. Guess I just needed to stretch my legs." The hedgehog looked around after passing through the security and entering the grounds. "Hm, I wonder where this hotel that we're staying at is…?"

Beijing was flooded with people there, however. Many fans had come far and wide to witness Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games at Beijing. And Sonic couldn't blame them. For years Mario had always been one of his rivals, and they were going to square off, right here.

"Oh Sonic! There you are, you little darling!" Sonic turned around just in time to be body-slammed by an enthusiastic Amy. Sonic smiled under her grip.

"Uh, Amy? I can't breathe."

Amy let go of the blue hedgehog. "Oh, I'm sorry. It's just that it's been ages since I've seen you! I can't believe that we were actually invited here, at the Olympic Games this summer! Can you?!"

Sonic clenched his fist. "I'm just happy that we'll be facing off against Mario. It's time him and I settle things, and I prove that I'm the best that there is!"

Amy clenched her fists as well. "And I'm going to show that stuck-up Princess Peach that I can top her at anything!"

Sonic shuddered as he noticed an aura surrounding Amy. But then he noticed something else.

"Hey, Ames…where's all your luggage and junk?" Amy looked back near the guards.

"Well, the bellhops are supposed to be here by now with my stuff…" Sonic looked surprised.

"Bellhops? As in more than one??" Amy shrugged.

"I dunno, they said that if one man tried to lift all my stuff then they would likely suffer serious back and/or arm injury…guess they're just insane."

Sonic sighed and felt a sweat drop slide down his spine. "So, any idea where we're supposed to crash at?" he asked.

Amy shook her head. "I think that the opening ceremonies will be tomorrow. Tails would know."

Sonic looked around the busy Olympic grounds. "Where is that little fur ball anyway? I wanna say hey to him."

Amy looked back near the airport. "Well, he was doing some research in Africa or something whenever he was called. How quickly can you get from Africa to Beijing?"

"About as quickly as a snail on a splintery board. I had to wake up at 2am just to catch the plane."

Amy and Sonic turned around to see Tails with a suitcase. Sonic smiled.

"Tails! What's going on, my main man?"

Tails sighed. "Unfortunately, not much. I've been stuck on a plane for six hours with absolutely nothing to do."

Sonic stretched again, popping his back. "Yeah, well you're not the only one, Tails."

Tails pulled out a map from his suitcase. "It says here that the on-campus hotel for us is just over this hill."

Amy nodded. "OK. But how are the others supposed to know that?" Sonic sighed.

"Amy, you better stay here and wait for the others before you go to the hotel." Amy snorted.

"How come I'M the one that has to stay all of a sudden?!"

Sonic leaned over and whispered in Tails' ear, "Cuz' I'm scared to be alone with her for too long!"

Amy whipped out her Piko-Piko Hammer. "I heard that! Wanna say that to my face?!"

Before Sonic could reply, he grabbed Tails and sped off. "Thanks Amy, see ya later!" he called back.

Amy sighed. "He's such a brat sometimes."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Olympic grounds, Mario stepped off an airplane from the Mushroom Kingdom. He paused and waited for his brother Luigi to come off of the plane as well.

"Are you ready to do this Mario?" Luigi asked, gripping a suitcase in each hand. Mario nodded.



"It's time that I show that hedgehog what-a for! Woo-hoo!!"

"Don't get too crazy, Mario," a voice said behind Mario and Luigi. "We haven't even had the opening ceremonies yet."

Luigi turned around. "Princess Peach! I didn't-a even see you get on the plane."

Peach crossed her arms. "I was sitting right in front of you, Luigi. You didn't see me?"

Mario chuckled. "He couldn't have. He was-a too busy reading his latest issue of 'Mustache Monthly'."

Luigi stuck his tongue out at Mario. "Hey, you subscribe to that magazine too."

Peach looked up into the sky. "When do you think Daisy will get here?" she wondered aloud. Mario shrugged.

"Whenever the plane coming from Sarasaland gets here."

Luigi drooled over his suitcase. "Daisy's hot."

Peach rolled her eyes. "Is that all you can think about, Luigi? Daisy being hot?"

Luigi put his hands on his hips. "Oh-a please. You don't think that that's all that Mario thinks about? The only difference is that he daydreams about YOU."

Peach blushed. "Well, heh heh…that's different…oh look, here comes Toad."

Toad walked up to the three heroes. "They wouldn't let me through security!" he spat, looking back towards the plane. Luigi chuckled.

"Well, yeah. Wario's probably in deeper doo than you for having a human being in a suitcase." Toad crossed his arms.

Yeah, well, that's his own fault. I could've bought my own plane ticket. But NOOOOOO…" he said, emphasizing the 'no'. "SOMEONE (Luigi) had to save money in the Kingdom's bank account!"

Mario sighed. "Y'know, Luigi, you're too stingy with your money."

Luigi blushed. "I know."

Peach looked over to the plane again. "Hey! Look! The Sarasaland plane is flying in!"



Mario gazed up into the sky. "So it is, Princess. I'm still wondering where the others are though. What's-a holding them up on the plane?"

Peach looked thoughtful. "I dunno…I guess border security is tight here, considering our competition are our sworn rivals."

Luigi popped his knuckles. "Not-a for long! Soon those hedgehog wannabes are gonna eat dirt! Yeah!!"

Mario gazed at the ground. "Yeah…let's hope so…"