Author's Note: Sorry this took forever. Got busy with school and stuff.

Super Mario Sunshine Adventure

Episode 8: Roller Coaster Balloons

Contemplating deeply, Sonic the Hedgehog blew out a sigh and knew that this was their last day in Pinna Park. They'd head on back to Delfino Plaza and leave Baby Daisy and Baby Peach with Toadsworth and the other Toads after they found the last Shine Sprite on Pinna Island. Sonic wondered where they'd go next, but he was also wondering about Amy and how she was doing. He recalled the time when she was acting rather weird around him. She wasn't behaving like herself and it seemed as if she wanted to tell him something, but not at that moment. The last time he saw her, he didn't even get a chance to talk to her because Shadow Mario took her and Peach away to Corona Mountain, which was a place they could not access yet. Shrugging, Sonic vowed to ask her again what was bothering her that time and he would definitely get answers.

While he watched Baby Daisy and Baby Peach have great fun on the Clam Cups, Mario couldn't help but wonder what was going on with Peach and Amy. The red plumber was still very much worried about the two females, but he knew that they'd be just fine, seeing as how Bowser's son thought that Peach was his mama and that Amy was his aunt. Surely nothing direful would happen to them. Why would Bowser's son want to harm his own 'mama' and 'aunt'? That didn't make any sense whatsoever to the red-capped hero. Besides, Peach and Amy were fine the last time they saw them, which confirmed Mario's past beliefs.

Pauline ran a hand through her dark hair as she sat on a rock randomly lying about. She let her eyes travel upwards and she spotted Bowser Jr. shaped balloons floating around the Roller Coaster. The woman wondered what that was all about as she sipped on some fresh lemonade. It was certainly odd, that's for sure…

"SONIC!"

"What, Silver? What?!"

Silver pointed a finger at the blue hedgehog. "You still owe me a cotton candy for bumping into me and making me drop MINE! You better go buy me one right NOW!"

"Whoa, who said I had to buy you another cotton candy, huh?" Sonic asked the hedgehog from the future, turning around so his back was facing him.

"Don't you dare turn your back on me!" Silver shouted suddenly.

Ears perking up, Sonic looked over his shoulder at the other male hedgehog, curiosity burning in his emerald green eyes. "You know, that sounded a lot like the first time we met!" Sonic pointed out, amused.

"What do you mean?" Silver was baffled.

"The way you said that sentence and those exact same words!" Sonic elaborated.

"Oh. Oh!" Silver caterwauled. "I get it!"

Pauline was very amused by the hedgehogs' banter and really didn't want to interrupt it because she was enjoying it, but the balloons floating around the Roller Coaster were really bugging her. "Guys, maybe we should do something about those giant balloons that just showed up out of nowhere," she commented, suggesting.

"What balloons, Pauline?" Mario queried as he walked on over with Baby Daisy and Baby Peach.

Pauline lifted a slender finger and pointed at the sky near the Roller Coaster. "Over there. Don't you see all those balloons floating around?"

"Oh, I see it," Mario remarked.

"Hamtaro, we want balloons!" Baby Peach and Baby Daisy both complained simultaneously.

Mario sighed. "You can't have them."

"Pauline, why don't you take care of them since you're the first one who saw them?" Sonic suggested, walking over to a concession stand to buy Silver some more cotton candy. The silver hedgehog was right on his heels, looking very eager with large eyes.

Pauline was surprised. "M-Me?"

"Yeah, you," Mario answered for Sonic. "You can do it with your wind abilities. We know you can do it. Besides, I have to watch these two troublemakers," he explained to her as he gestured towards Baby Daisy and Baby Peach who were both trying to pull their hands out of Mario's grip.

Pauline appeared to be very reluctant, but she hesitantly nodded while being unsure. "Okay, if you say so. I'll do my very best to get rid of those balloons," she got up from her seat and quickly finished her lemonade. Next, she waved to her friends and then started making her way up to the entrance of the Roller Coaster where people could get on.

When she reached her destination, there were Nokis up there and waiting for their turn to get on the Roller Coaster attraction. "You know, maybe this isn't such a good idea after all," one of the Nokis, a female, claimed nervously as she gazed at the Roller Coaster. There were a few people currently on the ride now and they were all screaming their heads off as if they were being murdered.

"Boy, I haven't ridden one of these in quite a few years," a middle aged Noki man said with some uneasiness evident in his tone. He wore glasses and there was an uncomfortable expression dancing on his facial features.

Pauline listened to the words that floated around her, but didn't dwell on them too long. She was about to just stand back and wait her turn to get on the Roller Coaster, but one of the Nokis, a male, greeted her with a massive grin spreading across his face.

"Welcome to the Grand Re-opening of the Roller Coaster!" he chirped like a magnificent bird on a beautiful morning. "We've got a balloon-popping water rocket game going on!"

"Is that so?" Pauline talked back softly.

"It is so!" responded the Noki. "Wanna try?"

"Yes."

"If you can hit all of the balloons with water rockets before the Roller Coaster makes three loops, you win!" the Noki joyously informed her. "And then we will give you a prize! Good luck!"

Shaky and not wanting to do this, Pauline was shoved into one of the seats on the Roller Coaster. Getting comfortable, the dark haired lady let out a trembling sigh. She was starting to have second thoughts. She remembered the first time she got on the Roller Coaster and she recalled the queasy and uneasy feeling she had in her tummy.

"Here are your water rockets," the Noki handed her a couple of water rockets she could use to pop the balloons floating about in the air. "I don't know how you're going to launch them, but do your best!"

Pauline gratefully took them without a word and the Roller Coaster started up. As the Roller Coaster bounded on ahead, the female used her windy abilities to launch one of the water rockets at one of the balloons, watching it pop with ease. It was then that Pauline realized how easy this was going to be! She repeatedly and expertly got rid of each and every balloon with the water rockets she had. In the end, she eventually destroyed every single balloon before the Roller Coaster made three loops.

Pauline received her prize, which was a Shine Sprite and then journeyed back to her friends. She could see Silver enjoying two large cotton candies and dancing around because of it. She also caught Sonic chatting with Mario while the babies had a blast on the Yoshi-Go-Round once again.

"Guys! I got the Shine Sprite! Now we can go back to Delfino Plaza and see where we have to go next!" she announced jollily, a smile playing on her lips.

Sonic whipped his head in her direction, abruptly ending his and Mario's conversation. They had been discussing on what they'd do once this whole cleaning Isle Delfino fiasco was over. "Pauline, hey!"

"Hey, Pauline!" Mario greeted her.

"Welcome back, pretty lady," Silver gave Pauline a smile while his mouth was filled with delicious cotton candy.

Pauline giggled at their greetings.

"That's cool that you got the Shine Sprite and everything," Sonic confessed with a thumbs up. "I'm surprised you didn't get all queasy and stuff on that ride!"

As if on cue, Pauline froze and her face began to turn green. She brought a hand up and clamped it over her mouth, eyes going wide.

"You just had to say something, Sonic!"

"Oh, what-evs, Mario!"

"What-evs, to you too, hedgehog!"

"That's my line! Why don't you go over there and make sure your girlfriend is feeling alright!"

"For the last time, she is NOT my girlfriend!" Mario exclaimed, throwing up his hands.

Sonic snorted. "Yeah, RIGHT!"

Mario introduced his face to his palm.