Author's Note: Updates are every Sunday. Sorry. Life.
Super Mario Sunshine Adventure
Episode 2: The Hotel Lobby's Secret
"Look, I'm sorry. So very sorry. Really, awfully sorry. I just work here. I don't know anything. So, please don't yell."
"Listen to me! We're not going to stand for this! No no NO!"
"Wha…what? We STILL can't go in? What's going on?"
The husband and wife Piantas were still rambling and ranting on and on, but this time they were screaming and yelling in choleric rage to one of the Pianta employees. The employee didn't know anything of what was going on or why they couldn't enter Hotel Delfino yet, but they simply didn't want to listen!
"Please, I don't know anything! I'm sorry!"
"Sorry DOESN'T cut it! I WANT TO GO IN RIGHT NOW!"
"What in the world is going on? Better tell us!"
Sonic suddenly cut in front of the screaming married couple and the employee, holding up his gloved hands in both of their directions. "Would you all just calm down for a moment? Yelling isn't going to get you anywhere!"
"Agreed!" Pauline piped up from where she was, running her fingers through her own hair in an attempt to comb it out. "You're constant yelling is hurting my ears!"
The Pianta woman looked outraged by Pauline's claim and balled her hands into tight fists at her sides. "You don't understand anything, you wench! WE HAVE TO GET IN THERE! I'M NOT GOING TO HAVE MY VACATION RUINED!" she screamed furiously.
Pauline appeared to be very offended. "What did you just call me?"
"A wench!"
"What?!"
"What? Do you have cotton in your ears or something? I called you a WENCH!"
"How dare you?!"
"How dare me? HOW DARE ME?! Ha! Go throw yourself over a cliff, you broad!"
"Oh no you didn't!"
"Oh yes I did!"
Hearing them bicker about something completely unnecessary and useless, Silver introduced his palm to his face and breathed out a dramatic sigh. "Is this ever going to end?" he asked his comrades.
"Who knows?" muttered Mario.
"This arguing isn't going to get anybody anywhere…" trailed Sonic.
"This is ridiculous!" Blaze exclaimed while throwing up her hands. "This is so pointless and it doesn't make any sense whatsoever. This has to be stopped because this is a complete waste of time!"
Silver nodded. "I so agree with you, Blaze!"
Blaze said nothing to that.
Turning away from the sight and trying to block out the bickering of Pauline and the Pianta woman, Mario peered at the hotel manager in a very questionable manner.
"Hey! Ummmmm…It's Mario, right?" the hotel manager asked. "Yeah. Mario."
"That's-a me! Mario!" the red plumber confirmed with a big grin.
The Pianta simpered. "Listen, I, uh, have a feeling you can help me out again…" he revealed a bit nervously with uncertainty in his tone of voice. "See, the hotel, it's…Well, it's full of…It's full of ghosts!"
"Ghosts?!" Mario yapped.
"What about ghosts?" Sonic questioned as he walked over, eyeing the hotel manager.
"He just told me that the hotel is full of ghosts!" Mario responded rapidly.
"That's scary!" talked Silver as he approached them.
"That must be the reason why they won't let anybody in," Blaze figured it out.
The hotel manager nodded. "So, well, could you maybe…Look, just come inside, please. I can tell you're a miracle worker. Don't be so modest."
"Modest?" Sonic snorted. "I'm the Blooper-surfing legend AND the fastest thing alive!"
Everyone groaned at this, but entered the hotel. Silver had to drag Pauline away from the Pianta woman because they were about to get into a brawl.
Once they were in the hotel, their vision was instantly met with the sight of numerous Boos floating around the hotel lobby. There were pink ones too and all of the Boos looked like they were in some kind of trance with drool constantly dripping down from their hideous mouths. They looked similar to the Boos that had occupied Luigi's fake mansion.
Silver suddenly pulled away from the group and spun around in a circle while gesturing everywhere with his hands. He gave them a big smile and started talking, "Welcome to Hotel Delfino!" he started in a loud voice. "This glorious hotel features several rooms, a pool room, a fruit bar, restrooms and a big casino which can also be visited. There is also a mazy attic from which more rooms can be accessed!"
Everyone gave him a look.
"How in the Chaos Emeralds did you know that?" Sonic wanted to know, tapping his foot on the ground impatiently while expecting an immediate response.
Silver chortled. "I read it from a brochure I obtained before Blaze and I arrived at Isle Delfino!"
"Oh…"
"Yep!"
Huffing, Pauline gazed around at all of the Boos in mild fear and disgust. Fear because she didn't like Boos and disgust because of the drool that constantly poured from their nasty mouths. "Wh-What are we gonna do about these Boos?" she asked her comrades.
"Darn! If only we had the Poltergust 3000 Luigi told me all about!" Mario complained, bringing a hand up to his chin in deep rumination.
"Why don't you try squirting it with water?" FLUDD suggested out of the blue.
Shrugging, Mario did just that, spraying one of the Boos with FLUDD. The water did nothing to cease the Boo's movements and it just kept on floating around. Mario tried jumping on its head and it seemed to do something, but Mario suffered some damage during the process. He lost one piece of his Life, but he found a coin that replenished what he lost.
"I am not trying that again…" Mario mumbled out.
Sonic darted all over the lobby, searching for clues and everything. "There's nothing out of the ordinary here. Well, except for the freaky Boos flying all over the place!"
"Hey, I'm gonna use the bathroom real quick," Pauline declared while hurrying over to one of the restrooms that the hotel lobby contained.
"Me too…" Blaze remarked as she followed the ravishing woman into the bathroom.
Once inside, the girls did their business and then washed their hands side by side in the sinks. "This adventure has been so long, but fun," Pauline commented with a small and serene smile as she washed her hands.
"I agree," Blaze said through a sigh. "Still, I was just hoping for a nice and calming adventure with Silver. I didn't plan for any of this nonsense to happen."
"Which reminds me…" Pauline started as she turned the sink off. She grabbed some paper towels and began drying her hands. "Are you and Silver an item?"
Blaze almost choked on her saliva at the sudden and unexpected query from the black haired female. Shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other, Blaze gave her a dangerous expression. "No, we are not," she replied firmly and shook her head. "Silver and I are not an item and we never will be."
"But don't you want to be?" asked Pauline while raising her eyebrows. She was through with washing her hands and she tossed the paper towels into a trash bin. "I mean, you and Silver seem so close. You two would look so cute together and everything, you know."
The purple feline sighed through her nose and started drying her hands off, giving Pauline a look. "Look, Pauline, Silver is my best friend. It…it would be too weird if we were suddenly together. Besides…" Blaze muttered out. "…he doesn't like me in such a way."
Laughter escaped Pauline's lips and she shook her head in amusement. "Blaze, Silver likes you more than a friend! I've spoken to him and it seems like it is so!" she informed the cat. "I know he likes you in that special way. It's so obvious!"
"He…does?" Blaze felt vivacious inside. Her heartbeat increased in its speed and she experienced lightheadedness. She really didn't know how to explain this feeling she got from just so little information.
Pauline bobbed her head in a nod, smiling widely. "Yup!" she answered, popping the 'P' in the word. "Silver really does like you. His feelings towards you go beyond friendship. I can very much tell."
"How so?" Blaze wanted to know, putting her gloves back on and folding her arms.
"I used to be in love once," Pauline responded, shrugging.
Blaze frowned. "Used to?"
"Yes," Pauline answered. "Didn't anyone tell you that Mario and I used to be an item? We were in a romantic relationship once."
"Oh…"
"Yup!" Pauline shrugged.
Blaze reluctantly asked, "What happened?"
"Nothing happened," Pauline replied simply with immense nonchalance. "He and I both just realized that our relationship wasn't going to work out. Sure, we were in love, but…it wasn't true love. So we broke it off and decided to be close friends instead."
"And you're fine with that? Both of you?"
"Perfectly fine!"
Blaze thought that was pretty interesting, but her mind went back to Silver. Did he really like her in that way? Blaze was sure her feelings went beyond friendship as well, but would their relationship not work out like Pauline's and Mario's? Blaze really didn't want that to happen if they did get into a relationship. Thinking about relationships made the cat's head hurt!
"Ugh…" Blaze's features morphed into a frown.
"You okay?" Pauline asked in concern.
"Let's talk about this later…"
"Huh? Oh…okay then!"
Then the two females exited the bathroom.
[The guys…]
Mario, Sonic, and Silver all found a way to get up to the second and third floors. Mario found that if the pink Boos were sprayed with water then they'd turn into pink platforms. They used these pink platforms to get up to the third floor and found a golden Boo statue with an open mouth. There was something odd about it, too. Anyway, the males all jumped into the golden Boo statue's mouth and found themselves in a Secret Stage! Shadow Mario had taken FLUDD once again from Mario.
"Do you think the girls are looking for us?" Silver wanted to know as he gazed at the stage ahead of them. "I mean, they might leave the bathroom and realize that we're gone! They might freak out!"
Sonic held up a finger. "Blaze doesn't freak out!"
"Pauline does!" Mario added, remembering the time when they were in Ricco Harbor and there had been a spider on Pauline's back. She went berserk!
"Okay, okay. Let's get this over with!" the hedgehog from the future remarked and jumped onto some Brick Blocks. He immediately started running along the Brick Blocks, having a blast and fully ready to face the challenges ahead!
Sonic instantly followed. "Wait for me, buddy!"
"Don't leave me behind!" yipped Mario as he followed right behind Sonic. He wasn't able to keep up because of Sonic's crazy speed.
Along the path, Strollin' Stues were present. When their eyes made contact with the three heroes, they immediately started bounding towards them, squeaking and everything.
"Hah!" Silver let out a wordless cry as he performed his Psycho Shock move on the Strollin' Stues. The Strollin' Stues were all immobilized by the attack.
Sonic came in with a chuckle and finished the Strollin' Stues off with a Homing Attack. Coins were left on the ground and Mario picked those up, stashing them away in his invisible pockets. Next, there was no more path to follow and they were forced to go up. Flipping in the air, Mario reached the Brick Block above and stood on top of it. Silver levitated up to it and helped Sonic up there too.
Now they were faced with a big Watermelon Block. The red-capped hero climbed on top of the Watermelon Block and used a Ground Pound on it, destroying it. Watermelon insides splattered across everyone, including Mario, Sonic, and Silver.
Licking the watermelon juice off of his lips, Silver said, "Yummy!"
"Thanks a lot, Mario! Now I'm all sticky!" complained Sonic as he shook out his blue fur.
Mario shrugged. "It was in the way!"
"We could have easily jumped over it and left it alone!"
"…so?"
Sonic stared at him. "Let's just keep moving…"
So, the trio ran along some more Brick Blocks, coming across some Soarin' Stues! The Soarin' Stues were flying about back and forth, trying to hinder their progress. Silver, however, wouldn't let that happen!
"How about this? Take this!" Shirubā za Hejjihoggu threw a couple of Psychic Knives at the Soarin' Stues, obliterating them right on the spot!
The Soarin' Stues were never to be seen again…
"Looks like I'm on a roll!" Silver chortled happily.
Sonic watched Silver thoughtfully, hands on his hips. "You know, I noticed that you've repeated lines from previous video games that we were in."
"Huh?" Silver gave him a flummoxed look.
"Nothing!"
Anyway, there was now a gap in front of them. Silver used a Teleport Dash to get across while Sonic simply jumped. Mario used his acrobatic skills to get across. Then they had to go up again. Mario smashed some Brick Blocks and then they were able to jump from wall to wall to get to the top. Once up there, the red plumber Ground Pounded into some more Watermelon Blocks for no reason.
"Look! Sand Blocks up ahead!" Silver announced, pointing a finger in front of them.
"This should be easy!" Sonic remarked, stretching out his legs and getting ready for a super duper run!
Anyway, the trio of males reached the end in no time. The stage wasn't all that hard for them, honestly. At the end, the Shine Sprite waited for them as well as a Strollin' Stu. Sonic easily got rid of it with a Sonic Wind and Mario grabbed the Shine Sprite with a large smile stuck on his face.
"Yahoo!" Mario cheered in elation.
"Too easy, piece of cake!" Sonic did some breakdancing on the ground.
"Not bad all in all," Silver commented, nodding his head in pure satisfaction.