Super Mario Sunshine

Chapter 38 - Petey Piranha Strikes Back

By the time the white clay buildings and lazy windmills of Bianco Hills came into view, the sun had already climbed past its zenith in the open sky.

Trekking across the rolling highlands of Isle Delfino, Mario and Fludd spent the greater part of the next hour crossing the verdant plains of the dolphin's back, making their way from the dorsal fin (where Noki Bay was tucked) to the livelier hill region of Windmill Village, overlooking the southern sea from its perch near the base of Corona Mountain. As they traveled, the heat from the sun not only grew stronger and more merciless, but the volcano to their left also grew slowly more large and impending.

Swinging his nozzle in slow circles above Mario's head like a radar, Fludd was directing him towards the town using his internal maps. Every so often, when his owner would complain about the humidity, he would send a splash of water down over his head, dousing his hair to stay cool. Either he had gotten pleasantly spoiled in the shade of Noki Bay, or the sun was definitely more intense than it had been yesterday. Dragging a bare arm across his sopping forehead, the tiny human in the vast green expanse drew a heaving breath and trudged over the millionth small hill.

   "It's about time," he grunted as he replaced his cap atop a mop of wet hair. "I'm starting to wonder if maybe this is too much sunshine."

   "Surely you don't mean that, on Isle Delfino!" Fludd exclaimed. "I don't think there is such a thing when you are on vacation."

   Grinning ruefully as he paused to gaze down at Windmill Village, Mario shook his head. "Well, I guess that's the trouble. I'm not on vacation."

"Isn't that the entire point of finding the shine sprites?" Fludd remarked.

"Sure," his owner replied, beginning to descend at last into the valley where the vibrant little town lay. "But now, it sure is making this place a lot hotter."

"Well, that is the goal," his machine reminded. "The shine sprites guard the Shine Gate and bring the light to the island. It is the reason Delfino is renowned for its perpetual summer."

Thinking about that a minute, Mario jumped down from one grassy ledge to a lower one, never slowing his pace. Nearby to his right, the small river that snaked across the village outskirts and through the hills into the lake beyond flowed peacefully, giving a sense of calm. A false sense?

"How do the shine sprites 'harness the light' anyway?" Mario asked now, sliding down to the ground at last. "Doesn't the sun shine whether they're here or not?"

"In reality, yes. The trouble is that Isle Delfino, due to its location, is prone to tsunamis and tropical storms year round," Fludd explained as the pair began making for the neat little buildings of the settlement ahead. Rotating his head around to scan the area, he continued talking. "But that is not ideal for tourism and the lifestyle of the islanders, of course. So, that is where the power of the shine sprites comes in."

"They protect the island from danger," Mario realized aloud, passing through a large patch of pink flowers that grew on the hillside.

"Correct. The Shine Gate, where they often gather, amplifies their power, which in turn repels the cloud covers that could otherwise threaten the island. So they do indeed bring more sun—and security."

"Wow, I never thought of that," the human said, albeit absentmindedly. "Guess it's a good thing we acted quickly."

"Indeed, it would have been most pitiable," Fludd agreed. "But fortunately you are on the case!"

Mario nodded, too wrapped up in his surroundings now to appreciate any veiled jokes. Windmill Village looked about the same as it had the first time he came, with a scattering of hexagonally-shaped houses and buildings sitting beneath the namesake windmills. Strung over the small unpaved paths that wove among them, the high wires he had remembered—laundry lines, as he now saw—wobbled in the gentle breeze that powered the windmills overhead, filling the large white canvasses with just enough air to rotate on their wooden frames. Lush and alive with more flowers than Mario had seen in a while, the quaint village almost screamed of the lovely neighborhoods of home. How had he never noticed that before?