Another Sonic fic. This is beginning to get old. Haha. But anyway, with the recent announcement of Mario and Sonic The Tokyo Olympics, this fic came to mind and I decided to take a crack at it. So, I hope you enjoy. Oh and before anyone says, what about Smash? I left it out.

An Awkward Reunion:

With the opening ceremonies coming to an end, the crowd of contestants from both Mobius and The Mushroom Kingdom began to file into a waiting room where they would relax until the first event started. Quickly, old friends found themselves catching up with each other and it was nice.

For the world renowned hero of the Mushroom Kingdom, he couldn't help but smile at it all. The Olympics were here and he couldn't help but love the festivities of it all. But the best part had to be the fact that he could see his old rival turned friend after such a long time. Mario scanned the crowd, hoping he could catch a glimpse of him.

"Yo, M!" A voice called out.

Mario turned to the source to find nothing other than the familiar face of Sonic the Hedgehog. He was wearing a big goofy grin on his face and wildly flailed his arms about trying to get the plumber's attention.

Mario couldn't help but return his smile as he crossed the gap and enveloped the hedgehog in a hug. "Sonic!"

"Mario! It's been so long! Haven't seen you since Rio!"

The plumber nodded. "Oh yes, we-a celebrated your-a anniversary that-a year!"

"Yeah, thanks for the party, man." Sonic smiled.

"It was-a nothing, anything for-a old friend."

The two sat down at one of the tables set in the room.

"I like-a the shirt." Mario told him. "Nice to see you-a really into the-a swing of it."

"Thanks, man. I really wanted to go all out on the Olympics stuff this year. I hope nobody minds too much."

"A-nonsense. You look good."

"Thanks. I gotta say, you look great with all the athletic get-up too. And your stache! Did you get something done with it? It's like I can see every little hair."

"Well, I decided to-a switch things up and get-a new barber. I'm-a still impressed with his work, the amount of-a detail is great!"

"I'll say. So, what have you been up to since we last met up?"

"Well, I-a played some-a tennis, had another one of-a my Mario Parties. You should-a come by the way, we have-a good time."

"Dude, I always want to but I'm always busy."

"Maybe-a next time, then?"

"I hope so. If whatever mystical force keeps stopping me from coming, I'll be there for sure."

"I'll-a see you there. But anyway, I also-a went on another adventure!"

"Oh? Tell me about it."

"Well, Bowser-a kidnapped Peach."

"What?! No way!" Sonic gasped absolutely dripping with sarcasm.

Mario didn't pick up on it and nodded. "Mhm, he tried to-a marry her and so you-a know me, I go up-a to him and try to-a stop him but this-a time, I lost!"

Sonic's eyes widened in shock. "Wait, for real? But I thought you were the best. What happened, Jumpman?"

"I don't-a know but he-a kicked me off his airship. I lost-a one of my-a good hats!"

"Oh now he's crossed the line!" Sonic got up from his chair. "Where it the Koopa Kreep? I'll knock him into next week for that!"

Mario rose too and put a hand on his shoulder, ushering him to sit down. "It's-a okay. Things are-a fine now."

Sonic looked into the calm blue orbs and let out a sigh of relief. "Fine, but I got my eyes on him." He glared at Bowser who was having a rather loud conversation with Eggman, Metal, Infinite, Zavok, Kamek, King Boo and his son.

Mario let out a laugh at this and continue. "I was all alone after-a that until I met-a Cappy who had-a lost his sister to-a Bowser. He's-a here, you may have seen him."

Mario looked all over the room before his eyes landed on the tophat ghost who had his hands on his hips –or at least where they would be- and a proud smirk on his face while an incredibly curious Gadget the Wolf poked at his ghostly form.

"He seems nice."

"Mhm. We went on a world adventure, saved-a Peach all is-a well. Next I hear Luigi wants to-a go to a mansion or something."

"Uh… The last times Luigi was in a mansion you guys got haunted."

"Eh, it'll be-a fine."

"IF you say so, M."

"So, what goes on with-a you?"

"Well, my alternate dimension selves had some adventures."

Mario let out an awkward chuckle at that. "Oh, a-yes. That-a stuff. All of that is-a little too-a complicated for me."

"Tell me about it, I wish things were as simple for me as they are for you."

"No, but I-a wish I had some of your depth."

"Maybe we should both meet in the middle. Not too complicated and not too simple."

"Oh yeah!"

Mario then looked at him. "But enough about the other yous. Tell me about-a you."

Sonic smiled only for his face to fall. Suddenly, it seemed there was a chill in the air and a certain heaviness fell on the room.

"I was defeated by Doctor Eggman and he took over the world."

"Oh no. A-Sonic, I'm so-"

But he didn't even get the chance to finish as Sonic ignored him, his eyes sort of staring off into space as if he were in some sort of trance. From nowhere, the deep emotional strings of The Theme of the Resistance started playing, confusing the plumber further.

"From there, Doctor Ivo Robotnik threw me into a floating prison in outer space where I was met with nothing but the sight of the cold metal that bore into my soul like the energy cuffs around my hands and feet. Every so often, I would be able to see my reflection thanks to the dim glow of the electric field that kept me isolated from the world and every time, I was disgusted in what I saw. For the first time ever, I did not see myself, but a failure who wasn't able to protect the world and the people he lived for."

"Wow-a Sonic, that's really intense…"

Still in his trance like state, he continued. "Of course, it always wasn't like that. For the first two or three weeks, I had hoped that somehow, I would escape. But like a child slowly coming to face the harsh realities of the world, my hope dwindled until there was none left. The depression I fell into was a never ending abyss that I only sunk furth3er and further into with every passing day. And that didn't even account for the madness."

"Sonic…?"

"For six months, I heard the constant buzzing of the electrical field as it dug its way into my mind. It only became worse when my mind began to associate it with the same mechanical hum of the Doctor's robots. Just out of reach and with my limited movement, I could never, ever destroy it. Just as I failed to destroy the monster that had taken my entire world away from me those months ago. My lack of movement was the worst of it all. Running is more to me than a simple sport of means of getting around, it is a part of who I am and having that stripped from me enabled the doctor to steal my identity."

"I- uh… think you need some help."

"It was only after six long months that I was finally freed and allowed to breathe. But the desired rest did not come as I was thrust into a three day battle for the planet where all looked to me for the hope that I no longer possessed. I had to force myself to smile as I faced the demons of my past and nearly lost my life within the soul crushing void of Null Space. If not for the companionship of a lone wolf, I would have been destroyed. Whether that have been by the doctor's forces or by my own crippling depression, I do not know."

At that, Omochao's voice boomed from the intercom above. "Attention, the hundred meter dash is about to begin!"

Immediately Sonic snapped out of it with a grin. "Aw yeah, my specialty! Ready to lose, Mari- woah."

Mario sat on the chair, curled into the fetal position and stuck in a trance of his own by the words of his friend. A medical team had to be called in as Mario was sent to therapy and delayed the games by a few days.

"W-was it something I said?"