Author's Note: Sorry this took so long. :'(

Super Mario Sunshine Adventure

Episode 4: The Sand Bird is Born

Lounging on the sand, Sonic luxuriously sipped from a wide, glass cup of freshly made lemonade with actual lemons inside. In his other hand, he held a chili dog that he seemingly found from absolutely nowhere. He was just relaxing while he ate his scrumptious chili dog and drank his delicious lemonade. The blue hedgehog decided to stay on Gelato Beach while his friends left to go back to Delfino Plaza for some reason. Yup, this was the life for the blue speedster.

Suddenly, Mario, Pauline, Silver, and Blaze all returned simultaneously. With his green eyes, he could see them approaching from afar. Mario, however, stopped to see a dancing Pianta. "What're you so happy for?" he asked the male Pianta that was joyously dancing.

"Hey! Guess what!" the Pianta vivaciously remarked. "The Sand Bird…it finally hatched!"

"Whoa, really?!" Silver looked highly interested.

Blaze seemed interested as well. "Where is it?"

"Yeah!" Pauline chirped like a bird on a glorious morning that was prepared to take flight.

The Pianta dude shook his head. "Don't bother looking for it though. It flew off right away."

"Darn!" Silver slammed a fist into his open palm, disappointed. "I really wanted to see the Sand Bird too! Darn it all!" he shouted to the sky.

"How disappointing…" sighed Pauline.

Mario wasn't really disappointed. As long as the Sand Bird was safe from crazed Wigglers and demented Cataquacks, he was perfectly fine. "Hey, it's no big deal."

"Sonic was here the entire time," Blaze informed them while coming to a logical realization. "Maybe Sonic saw the Sand Bird hatch and fly off."

Everyone totally agreed with her!

As one, they all marched towards the blue hedgehog, who had quickly finished his meal and beverage. He was just getting to his feet when everyone got in his face suddenly! Sonic raised his hands and gave them a look.

"Whoa now…back off."

They refused.

"Sonic, did you see the Sand Bird hatch and take off?! I've got to know!" Silver exclaimed in a rushed tone, hopefulness shining in his orbs.

"Yeah!" Pauline yipped. "Did you see the Sand Bird?!"

"We want to know," put in Mario.

"We need to know," added Blaze.

Sonic grinned at them and backed away from the four individuals. "I sure did! I saw it. It hatched and it flew away into the clouds!" he responded with a nod of his head. "It was REALLY big and it was made completely out of sand!"

"How's that possible?"

"That's so illogical…"

"Nothing's logical in Mario's world, you know…"

"Wow!"

Sonic shrugged at their responses and pointed up at the tower. "Want to go up there and see the egg it burst out of? I think it looks pretty cool."

Everyone agreed.

So the quintet started making their way up the hill so they could access the tower much more quickly. They found some stairs with a Dune Bud on it and Mario used FLUDD to spray it with water, making the sandy stairs rise up so they could continue their progress. Once they made it to the top, they found a Pianta woman, a green Pianta child, and a Noki.

"This kid keeps talking about jumping into that hole down there," the Pianta woman murmured, obviously displeased with what she told them about. "It isn't just unsafe: it's impossible!"

"Oh, you're exaggerating!" Mario scoffed. "I can do it!"

"Huh? YOU can do it?" the Pianta woman grew a skeptical look.

"I wanna slide down and dive onto that platform down there," the Pianta kid commented. "I think I might be able to bounce from there right into that hole!"

Pauline gazed at the two Nokis, wondering if they also had something to say, which they did…

"You know, I was a pretty wild child back in my day," began the Noki woman. "Even so, I find myself yelling at the kids to QUIET DOWN!" she blared out that last part, almost breaking everyone's eardrums.

"I…I can't hear anything…" Silver stuck a finger into his ear, wearing a worried expression.

"I can't either…" trailed Sonic uncomfortably.

Blaze frowned and blinked furiously. "That lady sure knows how to yell."

"Tell me about it!" Mario stated dramatically.

"Goodness…!" huffed Pauline.

The Noki child beside the female Noki turned his head to look at the five characters. "Sliding down the patch of odd-colored sand there is tons of fun. But I think sitting here and enjoying the view is nice, too."

Sonic gave the kid a thumbs up. "Can't argue with ya there, kid!"

"I don't know about you guys, but I want to go in there!" Silver pointed at the giant hole below and at the trail of coins leading to the trampoline that would propel him into the hole. Without waiting for a response, the silver colored hedgehog leapt forward and landed on his belly on the ground, sliding down and collecting all of the coins. He jumped up, landed on the trampoline, bounced up, and then flung himself into the hole, disappearing from sight.

"Silver!" Blaze exclaimed, shocked by what he just did. "He is SO naïve!" she dashed forward and did the same thing Silver did, slid on her belly, got onto the trampoline, and then bounced into the hole.

Mario gawked. "Why are they doing this?!"

"Who knows? But I'm following!" Pauline retorted and repeated the actions Blaze and Silver did, getting into the hole with complete ease.

"Wait up!" Sonic did the same thing.

Mario blew out a large sigh before following his comrades into the hole below, causing the Nokis and Piantas to gasp in surprise at what they all committed.

[…]

Opening his eyes, the red-capped hero immediately noticed that something was entirely different. He was on top of something that was moving. All he could see were clouds and sky, but he was definitely moving!

"The legendary Sand Bird!" FLUDD exclaimed from Mario's back, excited. "It is climbing around the tower. Watch your feet!"

Sitting up, Mario looked around and realized that he was on top of the Sand Bird that was flying around in the endless sky. Shocked and full of awe, the male got to his feet and could see his friends roaming the bird's back and collecting coins and whatnot. There were Red Coins around too, which made Mario think that they had to collect all of those to receive a Shine Sprite.

"We're actually atop the Sand Bird!" cried Pauline with her eyes sparkling in interest and happiness. "This is so truly amazing and everything!"

"And…it's actually made of sand!" Silver shouted as he picked up a Red Coin.

Blaze stood with her arms folded, trying not to sway and topple over with the Sand Bird's movements. The purple feline was really amazed by the Sand Bird's majesty. It felt archaic and wonderful. She was amazed that it was actually flying around when it was clear that it was made out of sand and nothing else.

"Hey, I know the Sand Bird is wonderful and all, but we really should be getting all of these Red Coins," Sonic announced as he sped over onto the Sand Bird's left wing. "Silver got one, so we have seven more to go!"

"But they're in difficult places!" Pauline shot back, a little concerned.

Sonic snagged two Red Coins that were hovering on the Sand Bird's left wing and the Sand Bird released a loud and tremendous squawk as it flew. The blue hedgehog turned to look at the ravishing woman and smiled. "We'll just have to make it seem un-difficult, right?"

Pauline stared at him, but couldn't help but smile. She bobbed her head in a nod. "Alright then!" she sauntered over to the Sand Bird's neck and grabbed a Red Coin that was there, making them have four altogether. Now there were only four more Red Coins to go.

Mario, who was still a bit dazed about suddenly appearing on the glorious Sand Bird, spotted a Blue Coin resting atop a cloud. Without really thinking about it much, the plumber dashed forward and jumped off of the Sand Bird and towards the white, fluffy cloud.

"MARIO, WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE SAND BIRD ARE YOU DOING?!" Silver howled like a maniac, hands pressed into his cheeks as he witnessed Mario commit this dangerous act!

"Relax!" Mario rolled his eyes as he landed on the cloud safely, grabbing the Blue Coin. "These clouds are very sturdy, much like the leaves of those trees back on Gelato Beach."

"And Bianco Hills!" added Sonic as he stood next to Blaze and Pauline.

Silver sighed in relief.

"That's not logical at all…" Blaze muttered out, wondering how a cloud could keep someone standing.

Anyway, Mario got back on top of the Sand Bird with Silver's help, of course. Sonic and Pauline grabbed two more Red Coins that were on the Sand Bird's right wing while Blaze stood and observed. Mario found another Blue Coin as soon as he was back on the Sand Bird.

"Okay, there's a Red Coin on the Sand Bird's tail…" Pauline pointed out a bit uneasily. "Who's going to get it? Doesn't look so safe to me though…"

"I guess I'll get it!" Silver stated, trudging over.

"Be careful, Sil," warned Sonic.

"Don't worry! If I fall, I can levitate!" Silver boasted with a massive smile.

"Not for a long time!" Blaze shot back, worried.

Silver shrugged and made his way over to the tail of the Sand Bird, approaching the Red Coin that was delicately placed there. As soon as he reached the Red Coin and grabbed it, making them have seven, the Sand Bird started making a turn, completely turning its body over so its right wing was facing up.

"WHOA!" Sonic bellowed as he clutched onto the wing of the Sand Bird, trying not to fall. Pauline had somehow clung to the blue hedgehog's back and was holding on for dear life. Mario, however, was using FLUDD's Hover Nozzle to float for a few minutes while Blaze held onto one of his hands.

They wouldn't be able to float forever, however…

Once that happened, Mario and Blaze started falling down while Silver levitated towards them. When the Sand Bird corrected itself, everyone landed on the tower above and were safe, but shaken up.

"We almost died…" Pauline whispered.

"But we got something out of it!" Sonic piped up, grabbing the Red Coin that was resting on the tower. He spun the eighth Red Coin on his index finger and grinned.

Right after he touched the Red Coin, a Shine Sprite made itself known and they took it without a second thought!