Super Mario Sunshine

Chapter 28 - Last Express to Pianta Village

"You can forget all of your troubles on a day like this," the mellow pianta man remarked from his beach chair, talking to seemingly no one. "Yup. The relaxing air... the power of the sea... Fantastic. I love just sitting and staring out at the waves, you know? All the small details of life just don't seem to matter that much." Leaning back, he kept a steady gaze on the rolling breakers before him as they gently crashed to shore on the beach a distance ahead.

   Around him, the agitated little crowd to which he had probably directed his speech made no indication they had listened, as most of them seemed intent on being impatient and uncooperative.

   "It's about 45 steps from there to there, wouldn't you say?" asked the bored pianta woman nearest him, who was pacing laps in the sand below. The nicely-dressed noki girl in a posh pink hat, sitting on the stone ledge of the wall near his feet, shook her head in exasperation.

"I've had it with this hotel," she said, as if that finalized the question.

Another pianta woman, standing tentatively on the edge of the fountain close by, added, "I wonder what's happened?"

The noki guy parked next to her shrugged. "Do you think it could be more ghosts, or what?"

"I don't know what on earth could have happened in there, if they felt the need to evacuate everyone again!" the noki girl replied. "We deserve to know, at least!"

As the irritated discussion went on all across the courtyard in front of Sirena Beach, the relaxing air and the powerful sea kept on uninterrupted, perfectly unconcerned with people's troubles. In a similar fashion, listening to all the idle chatter without imposing a word, an older toadstool sat on a beach chair by the outdoor fountain around which the complaining guests were now gathered. He didn't think they knew each other at all, but they seemed content enough in sharing their troubles.

Quickly tired of their conversation, Toadsworth gazed up at the empty hotel building behind them. As if they knew what real trouble was!

It was only minutes after they had parted with their human friend and gotten to their long-awaited hotel rooms that the alarms were sounded, ordering all guests to vacate Hotel Delfino immediately. Despite the initial concerns of a fire or such danger, it became clear that there was no problem of the kind. Instead, dozens of already-impatient people were forced to stand outside once again as employees guarded the doors so they could secure the building.

Secure it from what?

That was where Toadsworth wasn't as disappointed as the others. For one thing, he knew that the danger on Sirena Beach might still be present, however invisible. Secondly, Mario was still inside. He was nowhere to be found among the crowds now covering the plaza.

As everyone had dispersed, most people preferred to stay close to the doors for updates, but Toadsworth hadn't bothered. The beach was lovely in his opinion, and since it was quieter near the shoreline, he had soon found himself a nice place to sit there and try to unwind. Now, the sunset was slipping slowly closer and closer to the horizon, with the orange sun already dipped halfway into the sea. Soon it would be nightfall.

A short distance away, the rest of the toadstools were out on the sand, listening to a trio of piantas who were attempting to entertain with dancing and a ukulele. The more lighthearted people were running around on the beach and enjoying the music, but the vast majority stayed by the doors to pester the staff with questions.

Toadsworth didn't want to take part in any of it. The evening was beautiful, certainly; the place was calm despite the commotion and the island appeared at peace. But he knew it wasn't. Not for him.