"On your mark… Get set… Go!"
As soon as the announcer gave the signal, the audience filled the stadium with loud pale as the race began.
It was barely any contest, however, for one contender. Sonic had managed to make his first lap in the time it took Mario to go five hundred yards. The hedgehog was nothing but a blue blur as he zoomed around the track. His great, intense speed made the plumber's efforts to run look pitiful in comparison. It seemed to be clear which of these two contenders - who held a lifelong rivalry with each other - was going to take home a gold medal for this Olympic event.
"Mamma Mia!" Mario groaned. "That hedgehog is-a literally running laps around me!"
"Sonic! Sonic! Sonic!"
The stadium was filled with chants of the blue hedgehog's name. Mario wasn't the least amused to hear them cheering for his rival. He was certain they were only rooting for Sonic because he was the faster of the two and therefore more likely to win.
"What-a can I do?" Mario asked himself. "I can no let that spiky pest a-beat me!"
Mario stopped, no longer racing along to the track. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully with his gloved hands- before a smile flashed across his moustached face.
"I a-got it!" he cried happily. "It's-a beautiful plan!"
With no time to waste, Mario darted away from the tracks, disappeared from view as he hastily left the arena.
"Would ya look at that, folks?! It looks like Mario's realised Sonic's going to beat him and has decided to throw the race!"
The words that the announcer bellowed into his microphone made Sonic glance all around him. He realised he was all alone on the racetrack with his Italian opponent nowhere to be seen.
"That dofus plumber must've come to his senses!" he snickered as he continued to run. "Even a moron like him should know he has no chance of winning a running contest against me! He should stick to jumping down pipes and leave the speed to me!"
"Sonic! Sonic! Sonic!"
The crowd were continuing to chant the hedgehog's name. All had their eyes glued to him as he darted around the course as fast as light. None of them could see how he could possibly lose this event, since he was now the only one left on the track.
"I'm gonna win, I'm gonna win!" Sonic told himself smugly. "That gold medal is all mine!"
"Oh, Soniiiiiiic!"
Sonic's ears perked up. He'd just heard Mario calling his name. He hadn't been expected his opponent who'd seemingly ditched the race to return. The hedgehog turned towards where his rival stood in the middle of the arena - before screeching to a stop upon seeing what the plumber had.
"Look-a what I a-got for you!"
With a broad grin, Mario held up a large plate in his hands. It was piled high with piping hot, steaming, sizzling snacks - which were able to instantly make Sonic's eyes widen and his mouth water.
"CHILLI DOGS!"
Forgetting the race, Sonic zipped off the track. He paid no attention to the outraged, angry cries of the crowd. He charged towards Mario, snatching away the plate which held his favourite food.
"GIMMIE THOSE!"
Sitting down in the ground, Sonic began to stuff his face. He shovelled fistfuls of the chilli dogs straight into his mouth. They were enough to send him into an intense state of ecstasy. He smiled as he munched away in bliss, no longer thinking about the contest.
"I don't believe it, folks!" the announcer bellowed. "It looks like it's Sonic who has abandoned the race! Never thought I'd see the world's fastest hedgehog stop running to throw away the chance to win by doing what he does best!"
All around the stadium, the crowd were beginning to call to Sonic. They were no longer cheering for him, but were now trying to encourage to get back into the contest. Such urges and yells were coming from certain associates of his who were also competing in the Olympics.
"Sonic!" Amy wailed. "What are you doing?"
"Put those stupid chilli dogs down and get back in the race, you moron!" Knuckles roared.
"If you don't get back to running, Mario's gonna win the gold medal!" Blaze cried.
"Those chilli dogs he's eating are stopping us getting through to him!" Silver whined. "It's no use!"
"Hmph!" Shadow frowned in disgust and folded his arms. "What a fool!"
"I hate that hedgehog!" Eggman growled, disappointed in his enemy for throwing the contest instead of foiling his evil plans for once.
While Sonic cheerfully chowed down on the chilli dogs, Mario returned to the track. He proceeded to run along it again, feeling very pleased with himself. Now that his rival was distracted by his favourite food, there was nothing to stop the plumber from winning the race himself.
"It's-a no contest now!" he chuckled. "That gold medal is-a good as mine! It's-a all mine!"
"Hey, Mario!"
Mario had barely gotten halfway around the track when he heard his name being shouted from above. He peered up to see a certain twin-tailed fox flying through the air down towards him.
"How'd you like a nice plate of spaghetti?" Tails asked.
Mario stopped. His blue eyes widened as they fixed onto what his rival's best friend had. The plate which Tails was carrying was indeed overflowing with freshly cooked noodles - which were nicely coated in a rich pasta sauce.
"SPAGHETTI!"
Failing to realise his own dirty trick was being placed on him, Mario reached up towards Tails. He was no longer running on his way to victory, instead trying to jump up to swipe his favourite meal from the fox.
"GIMME THE SPAGHETTI!" he hollered. "LEMME HAVE IT!"
Tails smiled and nodded. He was happy to oblige Mario's demands - before dropping the plate of spaghetti straight onto the plumber.
BONK!
SPLAT!
Mario groaned as he was struck in the head by the plate. Long noodles tangled all around him while thick sauce trickled over his face and clothes. The plumber staggered around the race track, losing his balance as he fell off his feet to crash onto his back.
"Mamma Mia…" he groaned weakly before passing out.
All throughout the stadium, the crowd yelled and shouted. They were bewildered over what had just happened to Mario.
This included his fellow teammates who were competing alongside him in the Olympics.
"Ai-ai-ai!" Luigi cried. "That brother of mine issa no winning this race!"
"Oh, Mario…" Peach sighed, shaking her head at her hero who was better at saving her from Bowser than racing against Sonic.
"What a moron!" Wario and Waluigi chorused.
"Leave it to that pipsqueak plumber to mess everything up!" Bowser growled, seeing that Mario had wrecked his own efforts to win a medal as easily as he foiled the Koopa King's evil plans.
"Yoshi!" Yoshi cried as he jumped up from his seat. The little green critter floated down into the arena to where his unconscious master lay covered in spaghetti and sauce - so as to hungrily lick it off him.
While Yoshi was eating the food Mario was covered in, Tails was trying to lift Sonic up to his feet. He was having no luck getting his best friend to, for all the chilli dogs he'd devoured had sent the hedgehog into a food coma.
"C'mon, Sonic!" Tails grunted, his tails spinning behind him as he unsuccessfully tried to take flight to stir his blue buddy. "Get up! Wake up! You got a race to win!"
Sonic didn't answer. He just lay motionlessly where he had passed out. He was just as out cold from his favourite food as Mario was.
"Well that's it, folks! It looks like there's not going to be a winner in this contest to hand a medal out to! Both our contenders are completely out to!"
The words of the announcer brought out angry boos and yells from the crowd. They were disgusted that the exciting contest they'd turned up to watch was to have no victor. All in the audience felt the mood to take out their anger - by proceeding to attack one another as they began to riot.
As everyone gathered in the stadium seats brutally slugged it out with each other, Mario and Sonic lay motionlessly in the arena, completely oblivious to all the trouble they'd caused amongst their furious fans.
Neither of them were going to take home a gold medal for the running contest
In this particular event of the Olympic Games, they had both gone from being a pair of legends to a bunch of losers!
THE END