It was the next day, the day both Olympic teams would go home. Though would have liked to see more Chinese culture, Beijing was simply not enough to cure their homesickness.

"Hmmm!" grunted Yoshi with many suitcases placed on his saddle. Even with the experience of being rode by plump Mario, this weight was more than the dinosaur could bear.

"Here, let me help" offered Toad, picking up the luggage with relative ease. "Okay, whose the wise guy who decided to make Yoshi a pack mule?"

"Who do you think?" shouted Bowser, Wario, and Waluigi.

"You guys are so cruel!" Peach said. When nobody was looking, she took her suitcase off of Yoshi.

Just then Tails walked by. "Hi guys. I was wondering if you seen a pink hedgehog a few minutes ago."

"I'm right here" says Amy with gift bags in hand. "I just had to make a last second shopping spree before we left." Her arms were tired so the pink hedgehog places the bags on Yoshi's saddle.

"Hey Tails" shouted Knuckles from a distance "Robotnik needs help with his hovercraft!"

The fox rolled his eyes "again? For a man with an IQ of three hundred, Eggman can't seem to fix anything by himself." Tails flew off to aid his usual nemesis.

Bowser smacked his forehead. "I just remembered I came here with a ride of my own. Looks like I'll have to call the Koopalings to pick me up."

"Mind if we come along?" asks Lakitu.

Shy Guy says "we have no transportation of our own. We don't even remember how we got here."

"Alright, as long as you promise to become my mindless minions!"

The cloud-riding turtle and heavily-cloaked character looked at each other, then back at Bowser. "Meh, sure."

"Great!" the Koopa King chuckled. "TO THE PAY PHONE!" And the three of them walked off.

"Well at least he didn't bother kidnapping Peach again" said Daisy.

-

"…and that's how I managed to walk here into this dimension" Blaze finished explaining to Cream.

The little rabbit was fascinated by the information given to her. "Wow, who knew going grocery shopping would lead to a series of events that led you to our world?"

Suddenly, Luigi ran by screaming as a ghost was chasing after him. When the spirit flew near Shadow, the ultimate life-form pulled off the white sheet to reveal Charmy.

"Aw you're no fun!" the bee pouted.

The one that was being chased felt stupid. "I can't believe I fell for a silly disguise like that. No airports have…" Something invisible tapped Luigi's shoulder. "GHOSTS! AHHHH!!"

Espio got out of his camouflage when the Italian ran away. "Sorry, I couldn't resist the opportunity."

"Hey you guys, our flight is ready!" Vector announced to the others. "Hurry up before we miss it!"

-

"Well, I guess this is-a where we part ways" Mario sighed.

Sonic nods. "Indeed it is. But at least I'll go home knowing that there's someone saving the world on the other side of the world."

"MARIO!" shouted the people from the Mushroom Kingdom.

"SONIC!" shouted the furries from Mobius.

"I hope-a to have a rematch one of these days-a! the plumber said as he ran off.

"Ditto!" Sonic replied before speeding out of there.

-

And so our Olympic tale ends as Team Mario and Team Sonic flew back to their own homes. Their lives resumed on like before, having fun or going on adventures. The memory of Beijing etched on the everyone's brain, because it was certain that was the last time Mario and Sonic would work together ever again.

Then Super Smash Brothers Brawl came out a few months later.