The rhythmic sounds of the distant surf did little to calm the atmosphere in Delfino Plaza late that afternoon.

It wasn't that anything bad was currently going down. In fact, it seemed quite peaceful. But so much had happened in the past twenty four hours that it was hard now to appreciate the ambience.

Toadsworth kept an even gaze on all of his surroundings, moving his knobby cane along before him as he strolled aimlessly down a side street near Delfino Town Hall. Around him, all up and down the street, the rest of the toadstools meandered like lost puppies in a similar manner, gazing into storefronts and trying to conceal their worry.

Such had been the state of things for what felt like hours — and it was probably nearing it at this point. Such had been the state of things since their human counterparts had left with a bang and the thief had last shown his ugly face...

Or — no, not exactly ugly. Toadsworth doubted the boy would approve of calling the doppelgänger so.

Nevertheless, it was the doppelgänger who had caused all their current worries — and stolen Princess Peach.

It wasn't that Toadsworth had no faith. It was just that he was becoming more and more aware of all this wasted time.

Pausing for no particular reason outside the window of an electronics shop, the older toadstool glanced in at a small running TV set. Just a local newscast or something. Time passing, things happening... With a sigh, he turned as if to implore the cloudy sky. Oh, where is our beloved princess??

   She worked so hard on the throne. She rarely had chances to get out and do things. Toadsworth was ever beside himself with her safety, even at home.

This had been her long-deserved getaway. Just a couple of weeks... They had planned it all out so well. Then —

   How had all of this happened?

A look-alike in blue... an arrest and a trial... a gigantic mess!

Just their luck — and yet, how could he have not suspected? Trouble like this always followed her highness around, in some form at least. He supposed they should've known better than to think they could really make a clean getaway.

Stopping for a second, he chuckled bitterly. A clean getaway... far from it!

   Toadsworth might not have been so concerned at the present if he knew the kidnapper's intentions. It was never good; but there was always a small consolation when it was Bowser. The princess' rival monarch wouldn't dare to hurt her; for that, at least, the older toadstool could always be grateful. But there was no assurance of that now.

   Where on earth was —?

As if reading his thoughts, Freddy suddenly appeared at his side. "How're you holding up?" he asked quietly.

   Turning to the blue toadstool in mild impatience, Toadsworth shook his head with a grunt. "As well as I can — as well as I can!"

   Freddy made a face and turned to the window of the store beside them. What was he supposed to say?

   "I don't want to call police," Toadsworth went on, more to himself. "They're really the last people who need to get involved!"

   Freddy, now staring into the shop with attentive interest, didn't immediately reply.

   "Though it's not like I believe they're busy," the older toadstool said. "What else could possibly be happening on the island anyway?"

   "Uhh... maybe that," Freddy said, pointing to the glass he stared into.

   Surprised, Toadsworth followed his gaze to the news channel on the television just inside. They couldn't hear anything of what was being said, but the images and headline were enough:  A SERIES OF ACCIDENTS STRIKES PINNA PARK.

    "Amid Ferris Wheel troubles and predator infestations, park director says things are still running smoothly," Freddy read the subtitle. "Pinna Park... that must be where the criminal went! Right? Across the water!"

   "Oh dear," Toadsworth murmured. "Then where is —

   "Mario!!" A chorus of joyous toadstool voices raised behind them, causing the two to whirl around anxiously. They couldn't have finished his thought more aptly: sure enough, there the man was, real as life!

"What took you so long?"

   "Where were you??"

"How'd you survive the canon blast?"

   "Where's Princess —

   "Master Mario!!" At Toadsworth's bold voice, the excited crowd instantly fell silent, parting as if by magic to let the older toadstool nearly charge right up to the human in overalls. The boy with the water pump, which still appeared operational and intact, was a good bit higher than Toadsworth's head, but Peach's steward still made his authority felt.

"What happened??" he demanded.

Mario, clutching a large and mysteriously-shaped bundle wrapped in a leaf, at first could only stare at the toadstools in surprise. His second's pause was all Toadsworth needed.

"Speak, boy! Where is the princess?"

Mario blinked, getting up to speed, and then he realized: That's right... they don't know yet. They don't know...

Taking a deep breath, he shifted the yoshi egg in his arms and sighed. "Oh, boy..."

"Master Mario!" Toadsworth prodded.

The young Italian squinted into the distance, suddenly appearing oddly uncomfortable; Toadsworth was getting ready to knock him with his cane when he finally spoke.

"Princess Peach is going to be alright," he said slowly. "I don't think Bowser will hurt her."

There was a pause as the toadstools traded glances. "...Bowser??" Benji was the first to ask. "Did you say Bowser?"

   "Bowser's here??" Oscar squealed as the others widened their eyes.

"Man, what happened over on that island??" Alexander demanded.

Mario nodded slowly, feeling each toadstool's gaze boring into him like lasers. "I uh... I don't know how to tell you this, but pretty much, Bowser is the one behind all this. The goop, the kidnappings... everything."

   "The one and only?" Freddy asked. Mario nodded in reply.

   "Yep. It's... it's Bowser."

For a second there was an almost exasperated silence. Internally, he knew that some of the toadstools were shivering in their shoes, still frightened at the thought of the great koopa in the vicinity. But personally, Mario felt that there was no real reason for them to be upset; didn't they plan to just sit back and watch him take care of it all? After all, with the kingdom's rival king on the offensive again, it was only reasonable that Mario would do the same — and win. It was merely the same old game once again!

   ...Or was it?

   At first Toadsworth, still a bit disbelieving of the news, didn't know whether to be relieved or upset. "And — and what happened? Didn't you find the princess?" he managed at last.

"I did... and then she was taken away." Pointing upwards to the volcano looming overhead, Mario said, "They took her to the mountain. We had a pretty... explosive battle in Pinna Park."

   "I could gather," Toadsworth stated, shaking off his surprise to glance at the shop window. "But — you say it was Bowser? Then who was that shadow man?"

"Shadow Mario," Fludd spoke up suddenly from Mario's shoulder. "Otherwise known as Junior."

Toadsworth shook his head. "Master Mario I demand a further explanation."

Mario took a deep breath and caressed the egg in his arms, as if the slumbering reptile inside might be as nervous as he was. "Yes... you see... that blue guy was only a disguise. The one who's responsible for the vandalism — my arrest and everything — it's Bowser's son."

The gulls nearby suddenly seemed to be cawing loud enough to start their own singing group.

Toadsworth tilted his head at the human suspiciously. "I do believe my hearing is going, Master Mario," he said carefully. The rest of the group looked at each other in wild confusion, too afraid to dare speaking now. Their eyes said it all: What?!

All at once Mario turned away. "Bowser has a son, alright??" He didn't have to look to feel the toadstools' stares piercing into him as if he'd just dropped a bomb.

"You... A son??" Toadsworth whispered.

"A son," Mario repeated.

"Like, a baby boy?" Oscar asked.

"A little older than that, yes."

"As in the 'I'm your Papa' kind?"

"A prince of the koopas," Mario stated blandly, fixing his gaze on the fountain in front of the Town Hall.

Toadsworth was even more speechless than Mario had envisioned. "But... Bowser? A son??"

   Jonathan jumped up. "How, how'd he know where we were and how'd he get here and how on EARTH —

"I don't know the details, alright?" the human sighed now, turning back to them in frustration. "All I know is that he took Princess Peach up to Corona Mountain," he said, pointing, "and I can only get there if I find enough shine sprites to open the entrance!"

Tiny eyes blinked back at him.

"Well gosh, Mario," Alexander said. "What are you gonna do now?"

The human shrugged in indignation. "I'm... I'm gonna find more shine sprites, that's what!"

"Master Mario," Toadsworth spoke up at last, adjusting his glasses and grasping at composure. "If all this is true as you say, do you realize the implications for the kingdom? Our monarchy — his monarchy — it's all just ridiculousness! If Bowser has a... son. How did—?"

"I don't know," Mario interrupted, then sighed. "I really don't know. Best guess is he's been keeping it secret for quite a while."

There was another small silence, this one more sorrowful than anything else.

"Well... I'm certainly sorry to hear that. I'm also sorry about all that you went through over there on the island, of course," Toadsworth finally said. "I hope the amusement park is still standing after Bowser's rampage."

"Oh, it is," Mario said, a slight grin returning to him at the thought of his tasks past. "Yeah. They'll be fine, I think."

The toadstools shared a few more glances, and then Benji stepped forward. "So what did Bowser's son look like?" he wanted to know. "What's his name?"

"Alright, guys," Mario said, stepping back. "I really don't have time to be answering all these questions now. I promise we'll figure it all out later —

"But Mario, this is serious!" Alexander exclaimed. "And by the way, what are you carrying?" he added, eyeing the spherical package he still held onto.

"Oh... this!" Mario said, remembering the yoshi egg. Shifting the leaf in his arms, he exposed the bright-spotted treasure just a bit, like a secretive merchant. "Take a look."

"Oh, a yoshi!" the toadstools exclaimed nearly as one. "Where'd you — where'd you find it?"

"On the beach," he replied. "It was just outside —

"D.E.B.S. Alert!" Fludd's voice cut in sharply, causing them all to jerk upright. Holding the egg more carefully, Mario instantly turned back.

"What is it, Fludd?"

"This just in. There have been several reports of a large wiggler causing an uproar on Gelato Beach. Beach-goers say it appeared from the direction of Corona Mountain and is in a rather agitated state. Police have been unable to get ahold of animal control thus far... all citizens are instructed to stay away from —

"It's back!" Mario gasped, not caring to listen to his pump's news reel anymore. "Alright, listen!" Scrambling forward, he shoved the large egg into Alexander's arms.

   "Here we go again..." the red toadstool rolled his eyes with a grin.

"Just watch the egg!" he instructed, already looking ready to bolt. "Just... keep it away from police!"

"And where are you going?" Toadsworth asked, though he already knew the answer.

The jumpy human was already halfway up the street. "Where else? I'm going to finish taking out that big bug!"

~

   The sun fought valiantly to break through the clouds over Gelato Beach late that afternoon.

   That was more than could be said for some of the other Delphic regions. So far the sun had done an impressive job keeping the seaside toasty, as the watchman Billy observed now as he absentmindedly kept an eye on the sky; still, the beach was sorely lacking in pedestrians now. The reason for that wasn't difficult to gather, however — nearly the entire beach had emptied into the Sand Cabana.

   Perhaps emptied isn't quite the right word, the brown pianta thought as he glanced at the crowd surrounding him. Packed like sardines is more like it. The place was filled with a low, agitated hum as excited beachgoers murmured among themselves concerning the state of affairs. He couldn't expect them to keep their mouths shut — he had plenty on his mind as well — but they didn't quite seem to grasp the true seriousness of the situation.

   Nearby, the shop owner Mrs. Carp worked frantically to secure her loose glasses and paraphernalia, simultaneously arguing with her son Jimmy to stay hidden under the counter. The small noki boy grumbled in compliance.

   Not that there was much space left in the wooden hut for him anyway. Shifting against the outer edge of the bar, Billy turned his head and asked, "Anything?"

   "Not for the past minute or so," came the reply from someone by the railing. "All quiet above and below."

   In the corner near him was an older pianta, seemingly ignoring the hubbub all around him while anxiously searching upwards. Knowing full well what his deal was, Billy called, "Hobbs! How you holding up?"

   The old man shook his head in disbelief, barely hearing him. "I can't believe it... I just can't believe it!"

   With too many things going on, Billy turned away with a grunt. He knew it was a lot to take in — he could scarcely believe it himself — but what was one man supposed to do about it? Walk right out into the open beach?

   "Hey! What's going on here??" an Italian accent abruptly questioned, managing to cut through the crowded hut.

   Like you can't tell? Pausing for just a second, Billy turned to find the owner of the voice which most of the patrons ignored. He did sound vaguely familiar and unusual... Why, it couldn't be that —

   "You!" he exclaimed, spotting a tiny human wedge his way into the back of the cabana. "You're the guy who fixed the tower, right??"

The man in red quickly pushed his way to the drink counter and nodded. "Yeah, I'm back. What's going on here? Where's the wiggler?"

Billy panted for a breath in the stuffy crowd. "Here, there, everywhere? It's not gone, trust me. He's around."

   "I'm so disappointed that thing is here today," a nearby lady complained aloud. "I don't get down to Gelato Beach all that often, you know!" The man next to her, an older pianta who was attempting to shut out his surroundings by reading a menu card, glanced at her and tried to smile politely.

"Beach access is pretty much shot thanks to that big bug," a pianta waitress put in, helping Mrs. Carp behind the counter. "First the Shine Tower, now this. On the other hand, we've sure got a lot of customers!" she added, hoisting a couple of large drinks with a chuckle.

   The human briefly glanced around, not catching her humor. "Strange, I didn't see anything when I crossed the beach." He decided not to mention exactly how he'd gotten there in the first place.

   "Seriously? Not even the Sand Bird?" Billy asked now, some disbelief on his face.

   The tourist frowned at him suspiciously. "Sand Bird... What do you mean?"

Mrs. Carp, seeing him now, gasped. "Oh Mario, it's you!" the friendly shopkeeper exclaimed. "Did you see it?"

The young man shook his head in bewilderment at the familiar face. "See...?"

   Abruptly, the old pianta in the corner, who had seemed oblivious to them until now, whirled around in a frenzy. "Yes, the Sand Bird! The Sand Bird was here!!"

   The human blinked, startled by this development. "Professor Hobbs! ...You mean it hatched?? Wha... Where is it??"

   The old man seemed to deflate all in one moment. "Oh, it flew off," he said matter-of-factly. "It's gone now."

   The incredulous look on the boy's face would have been a real laugh in a less serious situation.

   Meanwhile, the noki boy Jimmy had crawled out from hiding at the sound of the overhead conversation and suddenly his blue-shelled head popped up from the corner. "Mr. Mario! Are you here to take care of the wiggler again?" he asked in excitement.

   Billy did a double take. "What—? Come on, don't be ridiculous!"

   But before anyone could say another word, there was a profound thump, shaking the very floor on which they stood. Then there were screams from the front of the hut.

"It's baaaaack!!" someone hollered.

"Everyone stay down!" Mrs. Carp cried.

Billy turned. "That thing woke up on the wrong side of the bed, that's for sure. Whatever you do, try to avoid eye contact with —

He stopped. The human was nowhere to be seen.

   Billy groaned and rolled his eyes. "Tourists. They think they know how to do everything. Well you can't blame me!"

   Next to him, Jimmy raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms over the counter.

~

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

A low, steady rumbling took over the sand across Gelato Beach as Mario sprinted out into the sun, a lone man against the impending threat; a single target in the open.

Here he was again.

It hadn't taken nearly as long as it could have to get back to Gelato Beach, thanks to the funny rainbow portal that still stood unobstructed on the side of the lighthouse back in the plaza. After a quick, stealthy trip through that convenience, he was already meeting up with his friends in the Cabana and rushing headlong into danger before the toadstools could even say shroomed shakes.

Now, treading on the open shore, Mario detected the tension on the air. It felt a little bit like standing over a fault while a distant earthquake picked up, but this was a very distinct feeling; he recognized every footfall, every swift step of the approaching enemy —

"Fludd... what exactly are we looking at?" he asked the pump he hauled on his back, stepping a careful distance away from the rest of the buildings on shore. The place was still lovely, warm and inviting; the paradise he'd hated to leave a while ago. But now it all faded to the background as the latest problem merged into view. It seemed like the ground on which he stood was always shaking, always dangerous; when was the floor ever trustworthy? Or to put it differently, when was he ever not under fire?

His eyes were riveted now to the creature of interest, the living terror that had chosen the beach as its target; and right now, it looked angry enough to be part of a really bad dream.

"I would say we are looking at some sort of mutant wiggler," the machine said at last, watching with Mario as the subject emerged from behind the palm trees at the opposite end of the beach. "It looks upset and quite powerful."

Tell me something I don't know. Slightly aghast at the lack of useful information, Mario attempted to size up his enemy.

Ordinarily Mario didn't think of wigglers as monsters. They were large, sure, and the nice ones could easily carry about a dozen people. But the enormous, segmented worm, crawling now into view as the locals had promised, was beyond anything Mario had imagined. The reports were true all right... Hardening his brow, he managed to keep a straight face without even losing a breath.

It was definitely the same one he'd driven from its sleep off the Shine Tower earlier, what with its unmistakeable rounded green body parts decorated with red and yellow rings — he would've guessed it had maybe six or seven individual segments — and its blue, suction-like feet which had to be at least double that in number. But this time he could see its head, huge enough to easily crush a pianta flat, with the angriest yellow eyes he'd ever seen and an enormous, bulbous red nose to match.

   And it was barreling onto the open beach with the power of a steam engine.

"Oh mama," Mario muttered, slowly reaching for Fludd's handles. "It's a wiggler alright... but I've never seen anything like it!"

   "A local variety," Fludd observed as his owner began to dance in place. "As far as I can understand. Unless it is also an abomination of the shine sprite calamity."

   Mario was beyond replying. It hadn't taken long for the angry caterpillar to notice him, and from the first instant he appeared as nothing more than a sitting duck on the wide sandy expanse.

   The watchful crowd in the Sand Cabana all held their breath as one as their unknowing captor thundered again onto the beach, this time heading straight for the lone tiny human who had unwisely places himself right into its path. The overall feeling of horror grew as yards turned to inches until —

   "Oh my gosh, I can't watch!" cried a pianta woman near the rail, covering her face.

   "What is he doing out there?!" another screamed.

   Their cries didn't reach the ears of the one whom they lamented for. All in one moment, with the colorful beast setting upon him, reality came alive; and as sand churned in a whirlwind around him, Mario dove aside and just missed being run over by the incoming freight train wannabe.

   Right... so he means business.

   The distant gasps from the Sand Cabana did nothing to deter the young man on his mission. There was a certain comfort he found in this kind of one-on-one combat that almost made the rest of the world disappear, spectators included; but then, there was also something about knowing they were watching that gave Mario all the more drive to compete. As Mr. Peppers would have said, might as well give them a good show.

   Scrambling to his feet, Mario stared for just an instant as the agitated wiggler circled hastily around in the other end of the beach to make another round. He had maybe three or four seconds tops.

   "Well," he remarked. Then he tore in the opposite direction.

   "I have never encountered an angry wiggler before," Fludd commented as his owner ran like there was no tomorrow, desperately trying to outrun the pursuing creature in question. "Perhaps it is territorial as we thought?"

   Great time for conversation, Fludd!

The worm, as if to agree, suddenly let out a strange, deep utterance of some sort behind them. Its rhythmic feet pounded the earth like drumbeats in a giant rain stick, threatening to flatten them if the human lost any ground. As long as he kept focus...

Nothing to worry about.

   "I've dealt with 'em before," Mario huffed, coming now near the boardwalk that led to the Surf Cabana out on the water, to the western side of the beach. For a minute he nearly slowed, wondering if it would be wise to risk luring the wiggler onto the boardwalk, but he quickly decided he'd have to take a chance. Breaking speedily away onto the built path, he was soon relieved to find that it actually had no interest in pursuing him past the water's edge; so there was a refuge then.

   "Clever; the walk is too small for him anyway!" Fludd observed, watching with a front row seat as the wiggler slowed behind him, glared as they gained distance, turned away as quickly as it had struck. If that had been a warning gaze — as likely it had — it promised nothing good if Mario dared return to shore.

   As a panting Mario arrived at last un-pursued at the smoothie counter of the hut on the waterfront, he was slightly surprised to find a couple of piantas hiding out there as well. One of them was the bartender who'd helped him earlier, who was more than a little surprised to see him.

   "That was a close one there, bud!" he exclaimed in greeting. "What are you doing out there? That thing could demolish this shack in one hit!"

   Mario leaned briefly against the counter. "I know, I know." But he won't.

   "What is that guy's problem?" the man asked, more to himself than to the boy. "Won't let anybody step foot on his turf!"

   Mario shrugged slightly. "I don't know — he doesn't seem to like settling differences over tea."

   That thought made him wonder for a minute. Some wigglers could communicate, a fact which Mario was well aware of; so he was definitely right that this one didn't seem to want to talk even if it had the capability. He was more of a 'fight first, ask questions later' person.

   At that Mario suddenly chuckled to himself. Can't say I don't relate.

   "I hope the proprietress and her son are okay," the guy behind the bar went on now, seeming to have dismissed his comment. Looking anxiously towards the Sand Cabana, he suddenly seemed distant.

   Mario nodded. "You mean Mrs. Carp? Yeah, they're fine..." Pausing, he did a double take and raised an eyebrow at his wistful gaze. Was he perhaps...?

Just then the pianta caught his questioning eye. "What? I'm just wondering!" Clearing his throat, he went on, "So, can I get you something before that wiggler destroys the place?"

"No... no," Mario said, stopping for a moment in confusion. "What are we supposed to do about him?"

"What, are you serious? Well, have you ever seen a wiggler up close before?"

"Plenty," Mario replied. "But those were different... although..." Putting a thoughtful hand on his chin, he turned to the tables and chairs spread out on the small dock. "If you can get 'em flipped onto their back, that leaves them pretty vulnerable..."

"So? How did you do it before?" Fludd wanted to know.

The bartender jolted. "That thing talks?!"

Ignoring him, Mario walked up to the edge of the pier and grabbed the back of a chair, gazing over the water towards the rampaging monster on shore. It seemed to have forgotten him completely, and now seemed pleased with simply ramming its head into every hard surface he could find.

"If I could knock him out," Mario mused, playing with his collar. "I'd need a force strong enough to — of course!"

"The dune buds!" Fludd cried, catching his meaning at the same moment.

"Dune buds? You're still messing around with those?" the bartender asked in the background, but it was useless.

"Of course," Mario repeated, turning in a sudden excitement. As he did, he found himself running smack dab into another pianta.

Glancing up in guilty alarm, he was soon even more startled to find that he recognized the man, in a showy admiral's cap and jacket. The air-headed captain?

"Hey now, my boy! Haven't we met somewhere before?" the older man chuckled with a knowing wink. "What brings you to Gelato — more monster fights?"

"Captain Jenkins? ...Isn't it obvious?" the boy asked with a sly grin.

"Gah haha! You go give that caterpillar what for!" the sailor laughed, slapping him unexpectedly on the shoulder. Momentarily collapsing under the force of it, Mario stumbled forward in surprise.

"Uh... right," he said, helping himself towards the boardwalk. As the human departed once again for the dangerous open beach, the captain turned to the bartender and remarked, "That one there's got a lot of potential — five coins he wins!"

Mario panted for air as he dashed across the sand, nevertheless using every opportunity to think out loud. "Alright... so we want to lure him over a dune bud... while it explodes," he told Fludd breathlessly. Nearing the giant worm for a second time, he quickly realized that wouldn't be as easily done as it was said.

   The wiggler spotted him before Mario had even quite figured out where he was; and in no time flat they were at it again, like a pathetic — albeit persistent — gnat running from a gargantuan snake. At least, that was how it sort of looked. Mario didn't for a second share the sentiment that he was pathetic against it.

   Brain moving swiftly as always, he scanned the beach as he fled and was able to pick out several of the small, inconspicuous buds peeking from the sand. He remembered briefly how someone had told him to respect the plants and not step on them, but that was the last thing he cared about right now. Ready to make a move, he aimed straight for one.

   Pressing forward full speed now, careful not to slow down as he grabbed Fludd's handles at his sides, Mario prepared to strike. All he had to do was gauge Fludd's shooting range. Almost... now!

   Jamming it perhaps harder than intended, he sent the stream of water shooting ahead of him onto the sand, managing to hit the tiny sprout in the process. He fleetingly saw it swell up in his spray before he overtook it and it was past. Fully aware of the maddened wiggler hot on his heels, he prayed, Please run into it, please run into it...

   Boom! He heard the distinct sound of the sand formation popping from the earth like an explosion behind him only a moment later, and for a second he did slow up. Did that work—?

   "Mario, we didn't hit it—!" Fludd managed to cry before the human partially turned, received a faceful of harsh sand, and was knocked sideways, hard, into the ground. For a tense second all stood still save the wiggler careening past, thundering feet barely missing the tiny human below. Knowing in that instant how vulnerable he was, Mario squinted against the pelting sand and uttered a word in English that he would not have been proud to repeat.

   Fludd, not understanding, immediately yelped, "Mario! Are you alright? You just barely missed being run over!"

   Scrambling up once again, the man tossed his head and grasped for his bearings quick. "Yeah," he breathed, "here's the plan, Fludd." Watching with monumental calmness as the stampeding creature circled around and started barreling for them once more, Mario held onto his pump firmly.

   "Hold on tight!" he shouted, before launching himself into a reckless circle where he stood. Simultaneously activating Fludd full power, he sent a scattered spray of water in every direction, covering an impressive radius with a sufficient soaking.

   "Mario..." Fludd said warningly as his owner came out of a dizzying three-sixty. Just ahead, the mean, green angry machine was fast approaching.

   "Wait..." Mario muttered hopefully, not moving an inch and frankly looking too frazzled to do so.

   "Mario—!"

   Fludd's concerned cry was cut off with a bang as all at once, the beach shook with the sound of tons of explosives going off, erupting from the sand in all directions. The pair were nearly lost in a sea of flying sand particles as mountain after mountain sprang from the surface, filling the place at once with an impressive art display. Great swirls and heaps rose toweringly above Mario's head as the moist dune buds gave, creating a barrier around them of seashells, starfish and other shapes unknown.

   And then it was like the quiet after the dynamite.

   Shielding his eyes searchingly, the young man now crept forward, watching with bated breath for his enemy. There were no footfalls, no tremors now —

   "There! You have flipped him!" Fludd exclaimed suddenly, lifting his nozzle head. Jolting forward, Mario stumbled ahead — they had done it!

   There, a few good feet outside the contestable forest of sand structures, the giant wiggler lay, squirming a bit laughably on its back like a helpless beetle. The behavior was natural enough, but it seemed especially odd on a creature of such size and caliber. Still, Mario knew that was wigglers' flaw: they couldn't roll over very easily.

   Racing forward, entirely unafraid, Mario stopped beside the writhing animal. For a brief moment he stood up on his toes, as if trying to size up the whole thing in one glance; and then, realizing at the same moment that they didn't know where to go from there, Fludd said, "Quickly! What now?"

   Mario didn't take long to improvise. "Up top!" he declared, grinding a foot to get traction for a good jump.

   In all this time the folks in the Sand Cabana had watched the show with hopeful expectation — at least for those of them who had encountered Mario's antics previously. Some of them had still been too preoccupied with their own thoughts to even bother looking at the human with a death wish below, opting instead to keep their eyes peeled above; and it was these who first spotted it coming.

   Its approach didn't make itself as quickly apparent as they might have expected. At first it was only a little howling wind, followed by a faint shadow that grew across the way as of a large cloud. Frowning in consternation, the agitated spectators watched as Mario prepared to mount the wild beast.

   Suddenly a cry rose from the back of the hut. "It's back! It's back!! It's returned!!" Professor Hobbs shouted like a madman.

    Stirring in confusion, the crowd in the hut tore their gaze from the episode before them to the darkening sky above — and jaws dropped all around at the sight there waiting for them.

   Mario didn't think much about the difficulties of disposing of the wiggler or how he would make sure it didn't return this time. In that moment, all he was focused on was getting on top of its belly — and what he would do then was just icing on the cake. In other words, it didn't quite matter.

   But another moment proved to present an entirely different answer.

   Mario hadn't paid much attention to the other things surrounding him, and it was no real fault of his that he didn't notice the darkening shadow that began to cover the entire beach. He was only concerned with getting a grip on that wriggling wiggler — and it was only when he had just done so that he perceived a shift in the wind, and a great, powerful air current swept through that almost threw him to the ground.

   And that was not all — it was suddenly accompanied by a low, rhythmic beating sound that filled the air around him, as if a giant ceiling fan had just been turned on.

   And it was only then that he heard the shrieks of terror and delight from the hut in the distance, and the individual wing flaps that struck — whoosh, whoosh! — overhead.

   The following instant the entire air was filled with a resounding cry, the whistling screech of a wild bird like a hawk echoing off the cove's cliff walls and traveling miles through the ocean air.  Mario might have been able to forget that — but he would never be able to forget the moment after, when a great sandy talon crashed down on the beach, grasped the wiggler only feet from where he sat, and launched the entire package straight up into the air.

~

If Mario could have likened his beach experience to anything that had happened previously that same day, he definitely would have chosen the time he was launched through the air at breakneck speed to Pinna Park.

It wasn't that there were any cannons that he knew of on Gelato Beach; it was just that one second he had been straddling a fallen wiggler quite calmly on the shore, and the next he was being hurled skyward as the sea and the clouds and the sand and the mountains span around him.

With his heart being yanked into his throat, for the first wild few moments Mario could think nothing save for one thing: Hold on!! Clinging for dear life onto the wiggler's rounded body, which was the only thing that wasn't flashing madly before his eyes, he tried to breathe and straighten up.

The whole worm was moving — and not in an entirely normal, natural way — because it was still upside down, and he was still sitting on its belly, as he soon realized; though it was certainly squirming beneath him, it was quickly apparent that the wiggler had not just learned to fly.

No, it was something else that carried the two of them together.

The ocean wind that was blowing in from the south came piercing by him almost blindingly, making any reasoning difficult; but it was when Mario looked up that he caught a glimpse of the great contender, and his breath caught in spite of himself.

There above him, only feet and yards away, enormous golden wings spread out on either side of him, wide enough from tip to tip to span countless vehicles.

Huge and sheltering like a canopy of palm trees, the unearthly wings beat the air once, leaving an angelic dusting of sand sprinkling down to the planet below. Briefly following its path, the tiny human was only barely alarmed to see it disappear downwards to the great wide ocean.

Returning his gaze upwards as the wind began to steady, Mario could not find a mouth for his first thoughts: Mama mia....

Looking back now in awe at his plight, he was treated to the magical sight of a long, tawny tail, trailing sand particles that may as well have been magic dust and sparkles after it. The wiggler was long forgotten; the beach far away.

He had known that the creature was supposed to be hatching soon. He had also been curious as to how the wiggler's intrusion might affect the silent egg's incubation. He had even been told this had happened, and for the few seconds he'd had to mull over it he had scarcely been able to believe he'd missed it entirely.

But now none of that mattered. Now, it was left all to Mario.

"The legendary Sand Bird!!" Fludd's artificial voice exclaimed above the wind, hammering Mario's excitement further into place. "Quick, we are gaining altitude!"

"I know!" Mario finally found his voice, holding carefully onto the spherical shape of the worm. "What do we do??"

The breezes swirled around them as the great beast's giant wings worked steadily overhead, carrying them higher and higher from the minuscule beach below. Looking back, the human began to inch forward.

"...I do not know," Fludd replied after a moment, voice shrill over the wind. "Enjoy the ride, I suppose!"

The nonchalance of the machine was so unconcerned that Mario turned back. "Really?! Then let's get up top!"

Facing forward, he quickly got down onto his own stomach and clung to the wiggler's body, beginning to inch himself along towards the bird's giant grainy talons nearby, keeping them all afloat by clutching the wormy prey. He could have no other intention than to climb its leg.

For once, Fludd surprisingly did not disagree with him. "Perhaps best to get away from the wiggler," he observed loudly so the human could be sure to hear him. "I've a feeling its punishment may be none too kind!"

   Working carefully and effectively, Mario moved along to the bird's great foot that held the wiggler fast. He could suddenly see that Fludd must be right — the wiggler was only a worm, a lovely snack to a bird with such a view. Perhaps its nap on the Shine Tower wasn't going unpaid after all.

   The earth rang with another magnificent shriek as the Sand Bird let out another great caw above them, but Mario barely heard it this time. Now, he was close enough to pull himself up; and the funny sensation he got as he laid a hand on its skin was the oddest, and perhaps most magical, that he'd had in a while.

   Right from the first instant it felt like something unnatural and otherworldly, maybe like solidified sunlight. On the surface there was sand, of course, as he'd been told to expect; but still, there seemed to be something else... Something that held it together as a being, something that gave it substance, made it real.

   Mario knew it was a mystery, and he couldn't hope to completely understand it; but he knew there was a magical Sand Bird, and here it was, and that was all that truly mattered, wasn't it?

   Whatever he was touching now beneath his glove, it was something he could never quite grasp with words. But could it carry him?

   Wasting no time in experimentation, Mario held on to the solid sand leg and pulled himself to his feet. Ignoring the hundreds and possibly thousands of feet below between him and the planet, he stood and boldly planted a foot into the creature's giant claw.

   Seems sturdy. Encouraged, Mario held on tight and all in one bound hoisted himself up entirely.

   "How is the footing?" Fludd wanted to know as Mario worked his way steadily upwards towards the chest.

   "Great — I don't even sink in at all!" he replied, focusing on clinging to tiny foot and handholds. Realistically, he didn't know what would have been more ideal — he just knew he didn't want to accidentally hurt or dismantle the majestic creature.

   And majestic was right: hadn't the professor said these things only hatched on very rare occasions? He could see why — he had no idea how a creature of this type and magnitude was formed. And now here he was, he and he alone, climbing like an ant up its golden body in flight! He'd only first heard of them this afternoon; what had he done to warrant this?

   Struck again with the awe of it all, Mario almost wished he was merely an observer from far away, able to see the bird's likeness more completely; however, a moment later when he pulled himself struggling to the top of the shoulder, he wouldn't have traded this with anyone.

   Tumbling like a helpless infant onto its broad back, he managed to crawl to the base of its long, slender neck; and situating himself there like a tiny, regal dragon rider, he sat and looked out to the world at his feet.

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

   Opened before him was a vast sea, immeasurable, pure drops of lapis lazuli spreading out below the paler void of the sky. The atmosphere that hung above almost seemed as nothing more than a light mist, wispy actualizations of the deepest color blue; and reaching up an arm almost absentmindedly for the entirety of it all, Mario nearly swore he brushed a cloud in his hand.

   The very air felt different up here, more carefree and weightless; inhaling it like a meal, he sensed it surging with a newfound passion through his veins. Somehow there was still sky enough left above him, so that they hadn't hit the reaches of space just yet; but for Mario they might as well have. He had discovered an entirely different world up here; and as he always did when flying, he felt utterly and fantastically alive.

   Somewhere far behind and below him, he was faintly aware of a ground from which he hailed, a place called Gelato Beach; but now, in this moment, even all the other islands were only green shapes on a small portion of the cerulean earth. It was freer than the windmill; freer than the Ferris wheel; and utterly lost in this world without secrets, without limitations, Mario lifted his head to the breathing wind and laughed out loud. He could feel the mysterious power flowing through the animal beneath him too, the energy that charged each wingbeat.

   He might have sank backwards to lie down, too, if it hadn't been for his accompanying friend reminding him then of his presence.

   "Mario! Do you see the island?"

   His owner's reply might have been expected, though a little exaggerated. "Does it matter right now?"

   Fludd might have raised his eyebrows pointedly if he'd possessed any.

   From the truly incredible view on the bird's neck that Mario had acquired, he could see nearly it all; the great, expansive wings that glided effortlessly over invisible currents, dwarfing the body in comparison. Somewhere up ahead was the creature's delicate head, mostly hidden from sight as it bobbed up and down among cloud tufts. And tracing a sandy path far behind them was the long, whip-like tail that looked more mammalian than feathery. The Sand Bird didn't seem to have any real feathers.

   Fearing that the human might choose to stay lost in the clouds forever, the machine decided to take a stand. "Mario! We have to get back! We cannot just let this bird take us off!"

   He heard Mario faintly sigh below the whistling wind. "I know... I think it's circling back to Delfino, alright?"

   Fludd wasn't sure for a minute if he was just saying so to get him to calm down, or if it was true; but either way the boy seemed hesitant to leave their dream ride.

   For a couple of minutes which Mario would later say felt like mere seconds, the pair rode in silence on the back of the long-awaited Sand Bird, listening to nothing more than the howl of the wild air and the bird's piercing calls over the great deep.

   Ahead, another wild creature emerged into view, ancient, graceful and mysterious all on its own; a jade dolphin that leapt and dipped among the azure waves.

~

The watchful gathering of people scattered across the now-vacant sands of Gelato Beach were mostly silent as they gazed once again to the heavens, shielding their eyes as if waiting for their next meal to come falling down. The place was still alive as it had been before, but in a different kind of way; now they muttered amongst themselves mostly in hushed disbelief, though occasionally someone shouted here or there. One thing was for sure: they were all agreed on that they hadn't a clue what to do.

After the Sand Bird had suddenly reappeared and snatched the rampaging wiggler off the beach right before their very eyes, the crowd was left in a kind of shocked daze. They were grateful for their liberation, for sure, and utterly astounded at another chance to lay eyes on the legendary creature. But now, with the brash little human having been stolen away along with it, the entire population held their breath.

They could still see the Sand Bird from where they stood on shore, soaring about on high at various distances; but it was far too vague to hope for any signs of the tiny man who had disappeared. For a few minutes they could only watch and pray, marvel and stare; until at last, it became apparent against the odds that the Sand Bird was returning once more.

It was heading back for the island!

The crowds fell even more speechless as the angelic shape grew, growing steadily ever-closer to their sun-kissed shore; and almost as one the people who had ventured out of hiding began to turn back to take cover in the Cabana. It was coming; the shadow was growing, it was going to touch down!

What was it's intent? Hoping against hope, wide-eyes piantas watched in motionless stupor as the colossal creation descended, gracing their eyes with a sight few could pray to see; and up close, witness to every avian detail, they were held mesmerized to the scene on the shore.

Enormous sunlit wings beat the air, tossing the trees and grass roofs as they churned; but right in the very center of it all the Sand Bird let down its glorious neck, lowered an elegant beak almost to the ground —

And a small figure slid down like a marble and jumped to the earth.

Then, rearing it's neck again like a golden arch, the magnificent bird seemed to pause, hovering intently over the sand where they were; and all at once, it let out an ear-splitting shriek that could have broken windows, cocked its head, and stabbed its beak straight into the sand.

   And again; and again, and again, and again! Until it seemed that there was a priceless worm laying somewhere just below the surface, the great Sand Bird made a marvelous show of itself, as one after a prize; and finally, seemingly without any final consensus, it lifted its head once more, swept its wide wings, and took for the sky.

   Like a gilded cyclone it shot straight up like a missile, then paused for a suspended moment, seemed to unfurl before them in one final spectacle. It sent sand like stardust raining down over the human's head below; then, as if to say a resounding goodbye, it launched away.

   The whole beach stood frozen as it looked after the mystical creature one more time, none's eyes ever leaving it until it was but a speck in the far distance; but it's eagle-esque cries filled the skies for a good time longer.

   At the end of it all, when the sight could be soaked in no longer, a dazed and wind blown Mario lowered his gaze at last to the ground before him; there, just inches before his feet in the destroyed sand, a golden shine sprite sparkled from the earth.