Chapter 3: Touring the Island
Kirby, Tiff, Link, Yoshi, and Detective O'Connor looked at the large, golden tower that stood in front of them. It had two yellow posts (one on each side) which met at the top to cradle what appeared to be a small sun. It was hard to tell exactly what type of thing the sun was, because it was covered in a dark black substance.
"There you go!" the boat driver said as he began to back the boat away. Kirby tossed him a coin for his trouble and the Pianta man was off to shuttle others from their planes to the Plaza.
"Well, here we are!" Link said. They all seemed rather confused at where to go next.
"I'm rather confused about where we should go next," Detective O'Connor said (What'd I tell you?).
"I can help with that," a Pianta woman said. It appeared that she had been watching them the whole time. The heroes, the interpreter, and the detective looked at the short female wearing a black dress and similarly shaded glasses wondering who she was. "I'm Maria, a tour guide. I couldn't help but overhear, and I think that I can help by showing you around Delfino Plaza, for a small fee.
"Thanks!" Yoshi said, obviously forgetting about the "small fee." "Let's start now!" Kirby promptly smacked the dinosaur.
"Poyo Byo?" he asked.
"How much is it?" Tiff translated.
"Fifteen coins," Maria replied. All five of them looked for spare change in their pockets, or various other money storage places. Although a few of them could only discover lint or magnifying glasses, there were enough coins in the group's pocketbooks for a tour.
After paying the woman what was owed her, she ran off with their money. Despite a long chase, Maria got away.
Okay, not really.
In reality, Maria started to speak:
"Hello," Maria began, "My name is Maria, and I'll be your tour guide today."
"Uh, we know," Link said, "You just told us.
"Indeed," Detective O'Connor agreed, "Why did you repeat that, when you had not a minute ago informed us of your identity? Perhaps, if you have a condition involving memory loss, could it be possible that you have also performed vandalism against the state of Isle Delfino, and then forgotten? Quick! What is the first thing that comes to your mind when the term "goop" reaches your ears?" The other four new arrivals to the luxurious island found their mouths open yet again.
"You're crazy, aren't you?" Maria proclaimed with a playful glint in her eye. The other members in the group closed their mouths and nodded, their eyes growing larger, anime-style. Due to the body language, you could assume that they were trying to say: "Get him our of here! He's gone insane, and is driving us to the same weird place his mind exists in!" Of course, some more colorful words might have been used.
"Well, anyway," Maria began, slowing her voice down the way many people do when they say, "Well, anyway," in such a manner. "Right now you're standing in Delfino Plaza's harbor area, where the fruit boats come in several times a day to bring supplies to the island."
"Pyo biyoh?" Kirby questioned.
"He wants to know what the fruit boats are," Tiff interpreted.
"Ah yes, the fruit boats," Maria answered, "They are little vessels that, as I said, bring supplies to Delfino Plaza. I'm not quite sure why they're called the fruit boats, as they don't carry much fruit. However, they aren't running right now."
"Why not?" Yoshi questioned.
"Honestly, I don't know. They've only been out for a day. No need to worry though. Our island has many other sources of supplies." The tour guide turned to slowly walk around the harbor. Due to her lack of speed, the semi-tourists in her group could examine their surroundings a bit.
The water itself was a small section of the ocean which cut into the Plaza through a small canal barely wide enough for a boat to pass through. A ship also had height limitations, because an arch stood above the canal, greeting those who entered. Once inside, a surrounding of wooden walkways followed by concrete group rushed out at you. Following the ground, Delfino Plaza's low skyline emerged. The golden Shine Gate was easily the highest structure, but some of the other buildings could rival the likes of even Hyrule Castle. Their roofs were colored bright red, sunshine yellow and mango orange. In fact, they looked fit to be eaten, even at the stingiest king's table (especially through Yoshi's eyes, as the dinosaur had to use all his might not to drool). The ceilings leaned downward and were made of what looked like aluminum. It couldn't be that old fad, however, because something just told you they were made of stone. Rock composed the walls as well, but this mineral had only one hue: gray.
"Some residents come here to ask others to help them collect local fruit, or to simply visit some small businesses," Maria said with a lull in her voice, "Others hang out on the other side of the harbor under those umbrellas. There is a storage business in the same area, and a legend says that an employee there will give you a prize if you can break all his boxes in forty-five seconds." Maria laughed. "A likely story! I mean, how could you break a wooden box using only your hands and feet! But, forget about that. Most people come to the harbor to just watch the fruit boats or stare at the water. The harbor can be very beautiful when the sun hits it in the right spot." Link only half-listened to Maria's explanations. He was more interested in the Island's scenery. While glancing around, he noticed a strange creature, different than the Piantas. It was small, and similar to the toads of Mushroom Kingdom. The creature had a shell on its back, with skin (or possibly clothing) colored a cool blue.
"Who, or what, is that?" Link asked the guide.
"She is one of the Noki, who along with the Piantas, originally inhabited Isle Delfino," Maria answered. "Their ancestral home is Noki Bay, but most have moved away to Isle Delfino's main residential area of Melokia.
"Melokia?" Tiff asked, "I don't remember hearing about a place called Melokia."
"That's only fitting," Maria began, a slight chuckle in her voice, "Melokia is normally overlooked by everyone. Nothing interesting ever happens there, and tourists normally don't bother to come. It's not even on most maps! I tell you, if they ever made a movie, or even a video game about Isle Delfino, Melokia would have absolutely nothing to do with it!"
Hi! This is the author. I just wanted to jump in and say that what was in the above paragraph was my explanation for creating a new place that wasn't in the game. I will probably pop up like this again some time, so be ready!
"Wait, so if Melokia isn't on the map, where is it?" Link asked, finding it hard to believe that a map could ever be wrong.
"I'll show you," Maria replied as Link pulled out his handy-dandy guide to all places Delfino (it was a map). She pointed to an empty field slightly east of Delfino Plaza, and at the foot of the volcano that loomed over everything, Korona Mountain. After showing where Melokia was, Maria exited the harbor area via an alley, and the group entered into an adjacent area right behind a few buildings. There was a large, gray statue in the center of a stone plaza. Behind that was a line of trees preceding the ocean, and opposite to the sea were a small fountain and the aforementioned buildings. On the party's left and right, the buildings turned at 90-degree angles.
The statue was what caught their eyes. It was a carving of a Pianta man standing on top of a block of granite. The heroes, and the 'brilliant' Detective Connor O'Connor, thought this man must have done something grand to deserve a statue as nice as that. The detective was the first to put their thoughts into words.
"Excuse me, Miss," he spoke to Maria while every one else rolled their eyes. "Who is the fine gentleman of which this beautiful piece of art depicts? And while I have your ear I offer my sincerest apologies concerning that horribly incorrect assumption I recently made."
"I accept your apology." Maria stated. "Now, as to your question," the tour guide continued, "That is a statue of the Grand Pianta."
"Pyo?" Kirby questioned.
"Um, this one's tricky," Tiff began, "I think he's trying to ask what the Grand Pianta did to get himself a nice statue; or that there are too many potatoes in Puerto Rico. Probably the first one."
"Well, I don't know anything about the number of spuds in the Caribbean," Maria said, "But I can tell you all I know about the Grand Pianta's deeds." The group leaned in towards her. "The Grand Pianta … did something grand."
Five disappointed tourists hung their heads.
Before anyone could question her further, Maria continued her tour, slowing the party at a nearby fountain where cool, blue water gently flowed out from the top and into a small pool. "We call this the Fountain," she said, stating the obvious. Suddenly, Yoshi noticed something strange by the fountain. It was a shimmering of faint light most people would dismiss as a trick of their eyes. This group was giving the Fountain an entire inspection, however, so anything out of place would definitely bring about questions.
The party all looked at this for a split second, pupils locked on what seemed as if it were there, and yet was not there, wondering what in Mario's name it could be.