Lucky number 8. Let's get down to business.

Before we get started, I just wanted to say thank you for the amazing reviews and feedback! Really. Your kind words are totally fueling me to keep writing this story. And I'm having such a fun time writing it!

The idea for Marionette to come see Billy in this chapter was first suggested from PersonalitySoup! Thank you! [ Go check PersonalitySoup's stuff out. They're really awesome! ]

Marionette is in this chapter. And guess what! He's a boy. Sorry. I know some people wanted Mari to be a girl, but I really needed some more dudes for this story. I'm kind of limited on animatronics. If I get really desperate, I may have to borrow some from Chuck E. Cheese.

I was watching some Phoenix Wright playthroughs, and thought: "Hey! Why not have a court trial!" And gosh, I know it sounds boring, but just trust me on this. It's gonna be awesome. Get hype.

Well before I bore you all to death slowly and painfully, let's get onto the chapter, shall we? *waggles eyebrows*

Disclaimer: Big surprise. Don't own Five Nights. Skippity doo da, let's get this show on the road.


Billy was unusually enthusiastic that day.

Handing out balloons to kids, smiling, waving, saying more than just "Hi" or "Hello" but actually putting on conversations with them.

It was nice.

Usually he didn't have a great reason to be so happy. In his eyes, it was normally 'work, work some more, be lonely, then get back to work.'

Sounds exciting, right?

Ha, nope.

But now he had a friend! And not just that, but now even more friends!

The loneliness evaporated into thin air.

And not to mention his "friend" was especially nice to him, laughed with him, did normal friendish stuff with him, but she also.. kissed him!

Not that it wasn't gross, (it was) but it made him get all tingly and bubbly. Kind of like when you drink soda and it tickles your nose.

She just made him feel like he could really fit in with someone.

When the toy Fazband had announced they were about to play, all the children raced into the main party room. Leaving Billy to the peace and quiet of his balloons and his thoughts.

Billy sighed with relief and grabbed a seat. He slouched over and swung his legs back and forth to a steady rhythm.

Suddenly, a skinny, clown-looking figure strutted in through the side door.

Marionette?

It confused and surprised Billy. He hadn't seen this guy in months.

"Ciao, Balloon Boy!" Marionette said, with a subtle jazz / British sounding accent.

Billy slid on his baseball cap and adjusted it on his head. "Hiya, Mari! Haven't seen you inna' while, huh?"

"Nope," Marionette climbed from each of the ceiling wires, swinging about like a monkey across the room. "Listen, Bill. I need your help on something." He suddenly got a serious look on his face. Something rare for Marionette.

Billy raised a brow unknowingly. "... and what would that be..?"

Marionette blinked and took a seat. 'Oh great,' Billy thought. He knew this was gonna be a mouthful.

The puppet cleared his throat. "It all started on Tuesday..."

"But today's Tuesday." Billy put a strange look on his face.

"EXACTLY!" Marionette exclaimed loudly, knocking Billy in the face with his hands as he threw his arms out. "IT STARTED THIS MORNING!"

Billy held his sore face with a grunt. "What did," he asked grudgingly, "if I would want to ask.." He grumbled under his breath.

"This morning," Mari started, "I was about to crank up my music box, you know, to listen to my jams, and I see that it isn't cranking! So I popped open the side, looked in the clockwork, and I see that one of the main cogs is gone from inside the box! You gotta help me! Without that cog," he took a breath of panic, "I can't crank the music box!" He grabbed Billy by the shoulders and looked him in the eye.

"AND YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS?!" He started to shake Billy.

"...maybe?"

"IT MEANS I CAN'T LISTEN TO MY JAMS!" He dropped Billy and he fell out of his chair. Once he regained his balance, he gave the puppet an aggravated frown.

"And how does this involve me..?" Billy huffed, and wiped his tired eye.

Marionette scoffed, expecting the boy to already understand. "I need you to help me find the cog for my music box!"

Billy narrowed his eyes at the puppet, and raised one brow. "... and how am I supposed to do that?"

"Well I dunno! Obviously it couldn't of just grown legs and walked off! Someone must of..." Marionette gained a low, serious tone. "STOLE IT!"

"Who would want to steal a cog..."

"EXACTLY!" Marionette hit Billy in the face again. "That's why I need your help. I need to find out who stole it and why!"

He slouched in his chair and stared at Billy intensely.

"So.. will you do it?"

Billy huffed. "Hmm. Let's see.. let me check me constantly busy schedule," he tapped his forehead, remembering. "Oh yeah, no!" Sorry. I can't."

"Why?"

"Well I have that.. thing. And that's followed by that... other thing. So yeah. I'm jam packed."

"Look," Marionette begged, "Help me, and I'll owe you a favor!"

"Hmm.. that is a pretty good deal.." Billy said, trying to decide whether or not to help.

"You know what," Billy smiled, and stood up, "Why not?"

They shook hands. "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!" Marionette exclaimed in gratitude, "You will not regret this!"

They let go and Billy put a thinking look on his face. "But.. how am I suppose to find the suspect?"

"Ooh, ooh!" Said Mari, "How about a court trial? You can question all the others to find out who did it!"

Billy grinned. "Sound like a plan. When should this 'court trial' be?"

"Tonight!"

"WHAT?!" Billy slightly jumped. How could he figure this court stuff out in time? "That's way, WAY too early."

"Come on, I have to listen to my music! It's the only thing that keeps me calm!"

"You sound like a big weenie if you can't go a day or two without your music.." Billy rolled his eyes.

"Weenie? I'm not a weenie! I'll have you know that I stubbed my toe last week and I only cried for twenty minutes." Marionette crossed his arms in triumph.

"Ugh," Billy groaned, "Fine. We'll have the trial at 2 am tonight. But I swear, if you're late I'm gon-"

"Woah there, nelly. Calm down. I'll be there. You don't need to worry about me. What you do need to worry about is how you're going to get the other animatronics there."

Billy raised a finger about to talk when he heard tapping footsteps and laughter coming down the hall. The Fazband must of finished with their show.

"The children are coming, the children are coming!" Billy shoed Marionette out the side door and waved bye.

The kids came in and played in the arcade, but Billy couldn't focus on handing them balloons.

What he was pondering, however, was how was he going to set up a court trial?

He barely even knew what the word court meant.


I know the next chapter sounds like boredom in it's purest form, but trust me on this. Billy as Phoenix Wright is going to be amazing.

And yep, Marionette shamelessly uses Spongebob references.

Wow! Thank you guys for the amazing ideas! I'm going to be full up to be neck in prompts for this story! It's really astonishing!

And I'm sorry I got this one out late. I got lazy and didn't want to write it, but oh well.

And also I apologize because of how unbearably boring this chapter was. And it was short. A double wammy of suck.

But hey! Atleast it's out! And I hope you enjoyed it! Next chapter's the trial. Who do you think stole Marionette's cog piece?

Find next time on Balloon Kids!

- CinnamonCombat