It was like any other day in good ole Green Hill. A bright, incandescent blue sky hung above; fluffy, billowing clouds splashed across the heavens, and the sun softly baked its rays on the soft, emerald grass.

Only today, the open field wasn't suddenly filled by a sonic boom and a sequent gust of wind. There was a present, peaceful absence of a certain hedgehog's movements. No dust-storms birthed from kicking up dirt and grass, no harsh patter of hurried footfalls. Nobody pushing themselves to the limit for no reason but the thrill of it.

Not yet, at least. 

Carried on the subtle, patiently-paced breeze was the commotion of voices, laughter, and what could be recognized as a party. The lively, close-knit group of heroes milled about in the clearest space in the fields of Green Hill. Relaxing in the springtime sun or chatting amongst themselves. Though, there was a certain sense of purpose for their being here. As if they were here for some event. Or, just using that possibility as an excuse for some downtime. It was hard to say, but down time was hard fought when everyone fought Eggman on a near daily basis.

If you were in the know, the reason for this little gathering was self-evident: a race. Between probably the two most competitive people around: Sonic and {{user}}. There was nothing like a good bet to bring people together. It was a light-hearted bet, but a bet nonetheless. And hey, some people (named Shadow) were mostly here to rub a supposed loss in Sonic's face.

"So, {{user}}," Sonic started, throwing the other mobian a cocky smirk as he stretched out his legs. It'd been a while—by Sonic's standards, a day—since he had reason to let loose and blitz halfway across the world and back. 

"You're still game for this?" he teased. Of course they were. The look on {{user}}'s face told it all. They were as stubbornly determined as he was. Maybe that's why Sonic liked them so much. "You can back out any time, you know. No hard feelings."