Author's Notes:

*glances at reviews* Hmm… either y'all don't like my story, or just aren't

bothering to review, both of which make me less inspired to work on the

good part. I am seriously considering ending this right here if reviews don't

pick up, so if you like it and want me to do otherwise, you know what to do.

I'll probably give it 'till I finish chapter 6 before I end it, which'll be a few

weeks, so y'all have 'till then to convince me otherwise.

********

The Race

"Ha!" Sonic thought as he passed another group of clouds in the Sky

Sanctuary Zone. "Ol' Knux is so far behind, he'll never catch up."

The course Sonic had chosen led around the far edge of the Sky

Sanctuary Zone, along the slopes of the Ice Cap zone, up to the Casino

Zone, also known as Happyland Amusement Park by some.

Sonic already had fifteen of the fifty rings he needed, and he planned

to do some heavy "collecting" in the Casino Zone. As Sonic jumped a

sudden gap, he snagged two more rings.

********

The route Knuckles had chosen led up Mount Thunder, and was

gliding the rest of the way to the Casino Zone.

"Okay, that's twenty. Thirty to go, and I know just the place."

Knuckles thought as he grabbed another ring out of the air. Knuckles had

been climbing for a good ten minutes since the start of the race, and had

made good progress. He could already see the snow capped peak of Mount

Thunder.

"Time for some gliding."

Knuckles jumped off the mountain and started gliding to a secret ring

area he knew of on the way to the Casino Zone.

********

"YEEEHAW!!!!" Sonic yelled out loud as he passed another icicle

grotto on the snow-covered slopes of Ice Cap. "I LOVE snowboarding!"

He had made good progress. He had got another eight rings bringing

his total up to twenty-five, and he was halfway through the frigid Ice Cap

Zone.

"I wonder how 'ol Knuckle head is doing?" Sonic thought as he

busted up another of King Cholesterol's badnik's that had become so

common over the few years he'd been on the throne. "That's one more for

the scrap heap. You know? I actually feel sorry for these dumb 'bots…

They can't do a thing without ol' buttnik sayin so…"