The next morning, Sonic and Tails elected to join each other for breakfast at Molly's, as they'd always done during these Games. No sooner had they done so than Robotnik and Snively had joined them.

"Oh hey, Robuttnik!" said Sonic. "What brings ya to this table?"

"Well, I just wanted to have a congenial little chat with my greatest foe before I partook in motocross with him!"

"Well, that's nice of ya! You don't mind, right Tails?"

Tails shrugged. "Well, since we're all on the same side for now, I'm good with it."

"As am I," said Snively.

"So, how are you two doing today?" asked Robotnik.

"Oh, I'm just groovy!" said Sonic. "I can't wait to whoop that turkey Shvartsman!"

"I'm hoping to do well in the intermediate class myself," said Tails. "Then again, I have an '82 Suzuki, so I should do well."

"That's the spirit!" said Robotnik.

Just then, a waitress – a purple hedgehog with blonde hair – showed up.

"Hi, welcome to Molly's! My name is Janice! Can I start you off with some drinks?"

"I'll have a Coke," said Sonic.

"Orange juice for me, please," said Tails.

"I'd like some green tea, please," said Robotnik.

"And I'll have a hot coffee, one cream and one sugar," said Snively.

"You got it!" Janice left to get their drinks.

"Sonic, I never knew you drank soda for breakfast!" said Robotnik.

"Why not?" said Sonic. "Anytime's a great time for sugary, bubbly goodness! Besides, Coke's the real thing!"

"But are you not concerned about your dental health?" asked Snively.

"OK, maybe a little, but believe me, I brush and floss every day! Even ask Tails!"

Tails nodded. "He does, especially since his dentist once found a small cavity."

Sonic flashed a nervous smile. "Heh heh…Tails…I think we might not wanna…"

Just then, Sonic's Hedgehog Sense acted up.

"Sonic, why is your ear twitching like that?" asked Robotnik.

Sonic lost his smile. "Don't look now, but we might have ourselves a little company…"

No sooner had Sonic said that than they were being approached by a famous athlete: Grigoriy Shvartsman. At 6'7" and 245 pounds, he even dwarfed Robotnik, and having read up on him, it became apparent to Sonic why the brown-haired Roseinian had earned the nickname "Big Grig".

"Excuse me, gentlemen," said Shvartsman. "Is it permissible for me to seat myself at this table?"

Sonic put on his best smile and gave a thumbs up. "Go right ahead!"

Since everyone else at Sonic's table also gave affirmative responses, Shvartsman seated himself on Sonic and Tails' side, having just enough room to do so.

"I know you," said Shvartsman. "You are the famous Sonic the Hedgehog."

"That I am! You're…"

"Grigoriy Shvartsman, yes."

"Nice to meet ya!"

Sonic shook hands with Shvartsman.

"Why, this is an honor, Mr. Shvartsman!" said Robotnik. "I'm…

"I know you, too," said Shvartsman. "You are Doctor Ivo Robotnik, alias Doctor Eggman. My government has heard much about your crimes. However, that is none of my business. My sole quarrel with you is on the motocross track."

"And I do wish you the best of luck!"

Robotnik and Shvartsman shook hands with each other. By this time, the waitress returned with drinks, and everyone who got theirs thanked her.

"Hi, hon, welcome to Molly's! My name is Janice. Can I get a drink for you, too?"

"I shall have a black tea," said Shvartsman.

Janice went back to get Shvartsman's tea.

"I have heard much about you two, Sonic and Ivo," said Shvartsman. "You two have an admirable competitive spirit. Unfortunately, I must break you two and your motorcycles."

Sonic laughed. "Bring it, man! I'm pretty sure that CZ of yours is a pile of mismatched bolts compared to my Yamaha!"

"Whether or not those bolts are mismatched, the fact remains that CZ motorcycles have earned me three consecutive championships in the MIMC. Perhaps you should examine your words carefully."

Sonic rubbed the bottom of his nose with his index finger. "Hey, did ya forget who you're talkin' to? They don't call me 'The Fastest Thing Alive' for nothin'!"

Shvartsman nodded slightly. "The fastest on your feet, yes, but on the track, with me and my motorcycle, you will be broken."

"Ah, you may have heard of Sonic's exploits on his feet, but did you also know that he's bested some real professionals in two separate Extreme Gear championships?" asked Robotnik.

Shvartsman crossed his arms. "Be that as it may, I am yet to be convinced of his motocross skills. I doubt his orange fox companion will fare much better against my countryman Zheleznyak in the Intermediate class."

"I've heard of Makariy Zheleznyak before," said Tails. "I heard he's supposed to be really good."

"Your words do not play to his skills, fox," said Shvartsman.

"My name is Tails, by the way."

Janice returned with Shvartsman's tea plus an extra menu for him.

"Are you gentleman all set to order or do you need some time?"

"I'm good if the rest of these cats are!" said Sonic.

Everyone else nodded.

"What would you like?" asked Janice.

"I'm gonna have the Molly Special!" replied Sonic.

"And you'd like white toast with that, right?"

"Right on!"

"And you want your eggs sunny side up?"
"Yeah, Mama!"

"I'll have the 2-2-2, please," said Tails.

"Raisin toast and bacon, right?" said Janice.

"Yep!"

"And you wanted your eggs over easy?"

"Sure did!"

"I shall have the Hungry Man, please," said Robotnik.

"And how would you like your steak cooked?" asked Janice.

"Medium, please."

"And do you want that with waffles or pancakes?"

"Waffles, please."

"And how would you like your eggs?"

"Sunny side up, please."

"I'll have the French toast and home fries," said Snively.

"And how would you like your eggs?"

"Sunny side up, please."

"I shall also have the 2-2-2," said Shvartsman.

"Would you like that with ham, bacon or sausage?" asked Janice.

"I would like sausage, please."

"And what kind of toast do you want?"

"Have you any rye bread?"

Janice nodded. "We do."

"I shall have that, then."

"And how would you like your eggs?"

"Is boiled an option?"

"It is."

"I shall have them that way."

Janice left to put the order in.

"Your Western restaurant menus are most curious," said Shvartsman. "Roseinian menus do not have as much variety."

"Hey, Mobius is a diverse country!" said Sonic. "Odds are, a lotta different people are gonna want a lotta different things, ya know?"

"Perhaps so, but in some cases, less is more."

And so, the five men continued to chat while waiting for their food.

Things were different at the Mobius Royal Coliseum today. Many dump trucks worth of dirt had been dumped onto the playing field and shaped up for one reason and one reason only: motocross. This was perhaps one of the most hotly-anticipated events of the Games, particularly since some famous names – including Shvartsman – were expected to compete. After the men's and women's Junior class motos were done with, it was time for the men's Intermediate class moto. This one was for two-stroke bikes of up to 250cc displacement or four-stroke bikes of up to 450cc displacement. Here, the mix of two-stroke and four-stroke machines seemed to be about even.

Among the 32 racers was Tails, who was indeed riding a 1982 Suzuki, an RM250, to be precise, which he'd nicknamed the "Mud Fox". His helmet was a white Bell "Moto-3" helmet with a thick red/blue stripe running down the center, and he also had blue/yellow Scott goggles. Having done well at motorcycle grand prix yesterday, he was pretty well assured of his success here. However, the one wildcard that he was concerned about was Makariy Zheleznyak. He had heard quite a few things about the Roseinian Empire's MX riders, and while Shvartsman was indeed the most notable, it seemed as though others were very competent with their bikes, so he vowed to keep his cool and do his best. He figured that Sonic would most definitely want that.

Soon enough, everyone started their bikes, and the air of the Coliseum became filled with the acrid smell of two-stroke oil. The gate dropped, the nonsense stopped, and the race was on. Thanks to the power of the Mud Fox, but also thanks to his own nicely-honed reflexes, Tails was the fastest out of the gate, but Zheleznyak – who was riding a 1978 Honda CR250 "Elsinore" – wasn't too far behind. Tails managed to get the holeshot, and Zheleznyak was holding on tight like ELO. However, it was in a series of ruts that the boys were separated from the men, and it was the Two-Tailed Wonder who managed to gain a good lead. A couple of jumps and turns later, he had to navigate a mud pit. However, thanks to the fact that he'd put on plenty of throttle beforehand and was doing his best to be smooth on the throttle and hold the bike steady, he made it through all right. Another challenging aspect of the track for Tails was a set of double jumps that came after a hairpin turn. Not helping was the fact that his bike was meant for someone taller than him and that he'd had to modify it so he could ride it. However, thanks to his Suzuki's Full Floater single-shock rear suspension, he took those jumps like a champ.

Overall, Tails was putting in a great showing. However, he did have quite the challenge not only from Zheleznyak, but also Columbia's Marty Hannah on a 1980 Yamaha YZ250 and Flandoon's Gaston DeCoster, who was riding an RM250 as well, albeit a 1981 model. Even so, Tails wasn't the kind of guy to give up easily. Sonic had always taught him that if he put his mind to it, he could accomplish anything, and he certainly had accomplished plenty during these Games. At one point, Hannah and DeCoster had accidentally had a run-in with each other, so it was pretty much down to Tails and Zheleznyak. Unexpectedly, Zheleznyak got ahead in the first of the two final laps, but Tails put in some precisely-timed throttle twists and shot out ahead, and by the time the checkered flag was waving, he had won the moto.

After the women's Intermediate class moto, during which Princess Peach won on a 1983 Honda CR250, it was the moment that a lot of people were hotly anticipating: the men's Open class moto, made for two-stroke bikes of up to 500cc displacement and four-stroke bikes of up to 650cc displacement. Unlike the Intermediate class or even the Junior class, two-strokes seemed to be in the majority here. Sonic was riding a 1978 Yamaha YZ400, while Shvartsman was riding a 1978 CZ 400. Robotnik was also here, riding a 1983 Honda CR480 with a CR500 engine plus some other trick mods. Mario was also here with a Honda, a 1982 CR480.

Once again, the gate dropped after a bunch of people had gotten that distinct whiff of two-stroke oil, and the race was on. Much to Sonic's surprise, Shvartsman had gotten the holeshot and seemed to be getting an appreciable lead. This frustrated the Blue Blur, who was used to being known as "The Fastest Thing Alive" on any mode of transportation and would be damned if anyone somehow proved faster than him. Robotnik wasn't too far behind, and neither was Heikki Pielinen, riding on a 1978 KTM MC5 400 for the Helsinian team. No matter how hard Sonic tried, Shvartsman seemed to hold the lead for more than a few laps. Ol' Blue's response to this was to lay on more throttle, but this wasn't always easy because he had to contend with a serious case of "Yamahop" from his bike – that is, the tendency of the rear end to kick around a bit at higher speeds. Even Tails' additions of a DG-style swingarm and custom-made shocks could only do so much. In spite of his frustration, Sonic persisted in his grand quest to overtake Shvartsman.

Being used to running really fast, Sonic was unfazed by the speed of his Yamaha. Still, he had to do something if he was going to topple Shvartsman. He paid careful attention to Shvartsman's lines and did his best to cut them shorter, but also tried to sense what his bike was going to do depending on which line he took and how much throttle he laid on. Slowly but surely, Sonic was gaining on Shvartsman, and with one mighty push after a triple hairpin turn, he overtook his Roseinian rival around the 27-minute mark. Shvartsman, however, was still determined to break Sonic and his bike, and kept riding like he wanted it. In doing so, however, he didn't pay much attention to either Robotnik or Pielinen, and nearly collided with the latter going through a particularly sandy turn. This was enough to cost him some time, and in the final lap, Sonic earned another victory for Mobius.

After the race, during which Shvartsman had placed second and Pielinen third, Sonic took some time to congratulate Big Grig.

"Man, that was some tough fight ya put up!" said Sonic. "Now I see how ya earned four MIMC championships!"

"You performed admirably, too," said Shvartsman. "Had Mr. Pielinen not almost caused an accident with me, I would have surely regained my lead."

"Hey, there's always next time! I look forward to racin' with ya again!"

"As do I."

Sonic and Shvartsman shook hands.

"Now if you'll excuse me, there's somebody else I gotta catch up with," said Sonic. "Check ya at the next race!" He waved at Shvartsman as he ran off.

"Yuf vidanzeyn, yozhik." Shvartsman waved at Sonic.

Soon enough, Sonic caught up with Robotnik.

"Hey Robuttnik, good job!"

Robotnik smiled. "Ordinarily, I would proclaim how much I hate you, but in the interest of Olympic goodwill, I must congratulate you on a fine showing out there!"

"Thanks, man!"

Sonic and Robotnik shook hands.

"Now, about that week's supply of chili dogs…" said Sonic.

"Oh ho ho, just wait until after these games!" said Robotnik. "I guarantee I'll make you the best chili dogs you've ever eaten!"

"No jive?"

"No jive!"

Sonic gave a thumbs up. "Yeah, I can dig it!"

And so, Sonic and Robotnik headed off to their next events.

Later in the day, Shadow was in his dorm, trying to beat all the blues and confusion he'd been grappling with recently. After giving it some thought, he popped open the tray of a Panasonic portable CD radio he'd brought with him and put in a copy of Megadeth's Peace Sells… But Who's Buying? However, before he could close the tray, he heard knocking on his door, so he walked over and looked through the peephole to see who it was, and since the lower peephole only showed the person's legs, he grabbed a step stool to look through the upper one. Seeing Peach there, Shadow stepped down, set the stool aside and opened the door.

"Good afternoon, Princess. What brings you here?"

"Well, I haven't talked to you in a while, so I wanted to see how you were doing!"

"Actually…now that you mention it, I wanted to see a neutral third party about something, so if it's all right with you, I'd like to talk with you in my bedroom."

"Of course!"

Shadow stood aside and let Peach in, closing the door behind her. They went to Shadow's bedroom and sat down on one of the beds, Shadow crossing his arms, Peach placing her hands beside her.

"So, what's on your mind?" asked Peach.

Shadow let out a brief sigh. "Right now, I'm dealing with a difficult situation."

Peach's facial expression turned serious. "Oh? What's the matter?"

"I never thought I'd say this, but…I'm in love."

Peach smiled again. "Oh, nice! Who is it?"

"Promise not to make fun of me if I tell you?"

"I promise!"

"As unlikely as this may sound…I'm in love with Sonic."

Peach put a hand on Shadow's shoulder. "Shadow, it's OK to be in love with another guy! We of the Mushroom Kingdom value LGBTQ rights!"

Shadow loosened his stance a bit. "I'm glad to hear that, but…see…the thing is, I've never considered myself gay. However, Sonic is different."

"How?"

"Even when I was facing off against him after being released from stasis, I'd always found him somewhat attractive for a guy, but as time went on, as I got to know him better, I've fallen for him more and more. When I see or hear about him saving the world, I see part of Maria in him. One time, when he died, I felt like I lost Maria again. He means so much to me, but I feel really nervous about telling him."

"It's OK to be nervous, too! That's part of being a person! I have faith in you, Shadow, and I'm sure Sonic would love to be with you!"

"You really think so?"

"Very much!"

Shadow uncrossed his arms. "Thanks, Princess. This means a lot to me. There's also something else I'd like to ask of you…"

"Yes?"

"Can I hug you?"

Peach didn't respond verbally. Rather, she smiled and gave Shadow a big hug, which he gratefully returned. Shadow didn't mind hugging humans, and he especially loved hugging Peach because – like many women – she was just so soft, warm and cuddly. The real cherry on his sundae was the fact that he was holding a real princess in his arms, and even if he wasn't in love with her, he still felt like a king.

Similarly, Peach got a real buzz out of hugging Shadow. Even if she had heard a few things about his dark past, she recognized that he had a very good heart and was happy to comfort him when he needed it. Besides, given his state of relaxation, she was better able to enjoy his soft, fluffy quills. If this was what all hedgehogs felt like, she was looking forward to hugging Sonic, Silver and Amy as well. After about a minute, they let go.

"Feeling better, Shadow?"

Shadow nodded. "Very much. Thank you, Princess."

"You're welcome! Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Not that I can think of, but if something else comes up, I'll let you know."

"OK! Have a nice day, Shadow!"

Peach got up from the bed and waved goodbye to Shadow as she left.

"Hold on!" said Shadow.

Peach paused and turned around. "Yes?"

"There was one more thing I wanted to tell you…"

"What is it?"

"You're one of the most beautiful women I've ever met. I hope you and Mario live happily ever after."

Peach giggled. "Oh, thank you, Shadow! Goodbye!"

After Peach exited his room, Shadow went back to his CD radio and played his Megadeth CD while thinking about how he was going to woo Sonic.

Criticism is gold. Negativity and nitpicking are pyrite.