The Shine set me down in Town Square again, then it flew to the Shine Gate and joined the other one in circling around it. The world got a bit brighter.

"Why does it bring me back here every time?" I asked FLUDD.

FLUDD scanned the area for intel. "Sources tell me that it can only find its way home by tagging along with someone who knows where it belongs. Like a kid walking through the woods with his parents."

I was about to question if the Shines were alive (they did have eyes, now that I think about it), when the Pianta cop came back, his walkie talkie going berserk with panicked voices on the other ends.

He awkwardly began, "So, uh, funny story… We may have just learned that the shadow Mario is real."

I looked at FLUDD, excited.

Then I got concerned. "Wait, what happened that proved it to you?"

"While you were in that paint splotch, he appeared from the sewer, and he may have captured Princess Peach."

"What?!" FLUDD and I shouted simultaneously.

"He grabbed her and headed for the Blue Coin Shop on the west side of the city. I –"

Before he could finish, I began running to the location. When I got there, there was another paint portal on the side of the building. Without hesitation, I jumped in.

I found myself standing on a large concrete platform on the west side of a large port. Before I asked FLUDD, I looked around for a sign, and spotted one. It said, "Welcome to Ricco Harbor, Delfino Island's largest (and only) port city."

"Ricco Harbor, eh?" I looked up at the impressive display before me. There were docks, a cargo ship, shipping containers, a water tower, and a ton of cranes, gurders, and scaffolding randomly built over the water, which was polluted with paint. Normally, I would've been intimidated by the amount of platforming I'd have to do to get anywhere, but with FLUDD on my back, it should've been a piece of cake.

"Mario, look!" FLUDD shouted, pointing his nozzle towards the cargo ship. Standing atop it was the shadow Mario, Peach tied up and struggling beside him.

"Let me go!" She shouted at her assailant. "I was A-tier in Melee; I know how to kick your butt!"

Shadow Mario only laughed silently.

I began to run towards him. Vaulting over the side of the ship, I leapt onto scaffolding that was forming a cage on the deck. Shadow Mario, who was in a much better position movement-wise, leapt onto a nearby gurder and began to run down it. I followed suit, trying to spray him with water as we went. He leapt over a gap much higher than any human could've managed, landing cleanly on the other side, and ran towards a maze of grates and gurders (How anyone got any work done there, I'll never know).

I leapt, switched FLUDD to his hover nozzle, and hovered the rest of the way over the gap, nearly slipping on the other side. I tried to spray him with more water, but he bluffed me and ran a different direction than I'd thought he would.

Then I got an idea. I sprayed the gurders until they were slick with water, then carefully continued chase. When he ran over the wet area, he slipped and fell off, straight into the water below. I looked down as his form started to melt away, and —

Suddenly, an unmarked boat zoomed in from the west and stopped right over him. After a moment, it roared off, Shadow Mario on board.

"Who was that?" I wondered, then remembered that Peach was still tied up on the ship. I made my way back (making sure not to slip) and landed on the ship, untying her.

"Where's that no-good kidnapper?! I'll teach him a lesson!" She was fuming. I'd never seen her this mad, not even during the 20-or-so Bowser incidents!

"I made him fall into the water, but a boat came and rescued him."

Peach made a 'hrmph' sound, crossing her arms.

"We should probably get back to Delfino Plaza; Toadsworth must be worried sick!"

"He went to the hotel just before I was captured. If I know him, he'll be sleeping, completely oblivious to everything that just happened."

I chuckled. Then, I noticed something shiny caught in the cage on the ship. It was another Shine, almost completely hidden by some boxes!

"Another Shine! FLUDD, why didn't you detect it?"

"I was too preoccupied with helping you rescue the Princess."

I led Princess Peach to the cage, where I found a panel that I could open and use to get in. We both touched the Shine, did poses, and it lifted us both away (luckily, the panel was directly above the Shine, so we just went through it).

When we returned (this Shine setting us down right next to that Portal), we saw a crowd of Piantas waiting for us, which included Judge Kukui, the Pianta Cops, and a Pianta in a suit.

The latter came up to us. "I'm Mayor Palmer. Are you Mario Mario?"

"That's-a me!" I replied, internally chuckling at my in-joke.

"Well, with recent evidence, it has come to our attention that you are, in fact, not responsible for the graffiti, or the Shines' disappearance. And so, on behalf of everyone that has wronged you, I'm officially Pardoning you."

"Really?" Peach and I said simultaneously.

His assistant brought forward paperwork, and he signed it. "It's official. You're free to go."

Peach and I cheered, then I thought for a moment. "Actually, I'd like to finish the work I started."

The crowd, including Peach, gasped.

"This 'Shadow Mario' is targeting us specifically. I need to find out who or what he is, what he wants with Peach, and why he tried to ruin my reputation. I'll happily help collect the Shines and clean the island while I'm at it."

The crowd cheered, amazed that I was still willing to help them. Peach, understanding, nodded.

I continued, "Until I figure all this out, please keep Peach safe."

The cops nodded. "We'll post cops outside her hotel room, and have one with her whenever she goes out. Oh, and take this:" He handed me a radio set so that I could learn of any developments.

I saluted them, and they saluted back. Then I nodded to FLUDD, and we jumped back into Ricco Harbor.