A Study of the Fauna of Termina [For kasumu_sekai]

[feathered_mages]

The next time the younger Rydia sees the little Black Mages, they may seem a bit more prepared for a trip. At least judging from the new little grade-school-type backpacks they're sporting. Blaze had picked those up for them at the Nexus Mall, being of the opinion that visiting other worlds was a great opportunity to pick up Shiny Things and that it might help to have something to carry them in. He couldn't use a backpack himself, what with the wings, but he has no doubts about their usefulness.

Comments

[mage_hatchlings]

"Ok!" they all chirp. And they will stick very close indeed for as long as they're in town.

There are a lot of pre-holiday things to see, even with the issue of the Moon, but not a lot of holiday crowding. Apparently, impending doom is keeping some people as far away as they can get, festival or no festival.

[feathered_mages]

They'll follow without hesitation, and while the close don't interest them greatly they do find an assortment of colorful ribbons that do. Ribbons, to Magelets, are lots of fun for tying on pointy hats or lacing up little jackets. Pretty ribbons are even better. The shopkeeper has brief issues with the following hiploop, but relaxes when its proven to be so obviously tame - the Magelets use it to stand on, one at a time, to reach the ribbons.

Good thing Mistral thought to bring rupees with him. As they exit, he's thinking about the surrounding area, and trying not to look at the Moon. "There are four main areas outside of town, and we've already been to the swamp. We had a look at the canyon last time, and it's full of things my bell wouldn't work on... so that really leaves two areas to look for more pets.

[feathered_mages]

While Mistral thinks about that, the Magelets seem to have forgotten all about the Moon in favor of playing with their new ribbons. They even try to tie some on the poor Hiploop, only giving up when they can't figure out just where on a Hiploop you can tie a ribbon.

"There's mountains, or the seashore," says Mistral, looking to the Magelets, "which would you like to see." He, personally, has a preference for the mountains. But then, he tends to be biased in favor of anything frozen and snowy.

A flurry of suggestions from the Magelets follow, mostly in favor of the seashore. They haven't seen one of those before, and they saw mountains the last world they visited.

[feathered_mages]

Happy Magelets, still playing with ribbons, will try to find their way to the town exit on the ocean side. Mistral will just try to herd them and the Hiploop in the right direction.

Just outside is a tiled area with a fountain to each side. Ahead of that can be seen an area where the grass starts to give way to sand. The ocean can't quite be seen from here, but it can't be too far away.

[feathered_mages]

They don't get very far onto the sand before they'll be able to see that someone has built a wall blocking the way to the seaside. The Magelets, though, remember that ice slide from the swamp and will try something similar here - ice steps up one side of the wall and a slide down the other side.

While they're busy with that, though, they might not notice the Leever that bursts out of the sand and slides towards them.

[feathered_mages]

The Magelets look, and slip on the ice, and then wobble around in panic.

But the Leever has stopped where it is.

"Hmm, this is a new one," says Mistral. They hadn't had a chance to see the beach area before.

[feathered_mages]

The Magelets all nod agreement on that.

"We didn't even see it," says Luca.

"It popped up out of the sand," adds Lono.

The Leever is largish and rubbery, bigger than the Magelets but shorter than an adult human. Mistral, out of curiosity, decides to see if there are any others on the sand. A quick spell creates a three foot ice block a short distance above the sand. When it smacks down, a nearby Leever bursts out of the sand and slides towards it in a straight line. It slams into the ice block and then dives back under the sand as quickly as it appeared.

Mistral chuckles at this, and checks to make sure the Hiploop doesn't wander off. "I think it would be good for that."

[feathered_mages]

"Why would you want to scare someone?" asks Juro, while the rest of the Magelets are working out a new way to get over that wall and to the beach. Stairs won't work for the Leever, and a slope both ways looks way too slippery... but maybe not for the Leever and it could push them up it?

As for petting, petting it on the rubbery sides and staying away from the top seems the best option.

[feathered_mages]

Once over that wall, there's not really anything else to block their passage to the seaside. There are a few other walls, but none of them completely block the path.

It's a nice stretch of beach, with some rock formations out in the water and, a bit closer, an odd round building on a platform in the water between the rocks and the beach.

[mage_hatchlings]

"Okay!" chirp most of the Magelets at once, also curious about the building. And they'll start waddling that way, intending to dogpaddle out to it as soon as they hit water.

Mistral at least realizes the Leever and the Hiploop might have problems with swimming, but luckily there are a couple small boats tied nearby. Surely no one will mind if he borrows one for transporting pets in.

[feathered_mages]

There's little need to sneak, as the beach is oddly deserted. The boats might even be there expressly for going out to the little building - it's doubtful everyone wants to dogpaddle there like the Magelets are doing.

Once the pets are loaded, Mistral will fly towards the building, tugging the boat along. He doesn't swim as well as the Magelets, since his wings tend to interfere.

[feathered_mages]

It's just barely far enough to require a little swimming, but they're soon there. The pets might have to stay down on the lower platform though, since neither can climb a ladder.

If they want to learn about Termina's ocean, though, they're definitely in the right place. This building is the Oceanside Laboratory.

(Missed this one somehow)

[feathered_mages]

Mistral is reluctant to leave his Hiploop as well, but he's able to convince it to guard one end of the platform and leave the Leever alone. It will stalk back and forth from one corner to another of one side of the square platform and wait.

Once inside, Mistral and the Magelets seem to share Rydia's inability to decide what to look at first. There are diagrams on the walls, cases of seashells and other aquatic samples. There are tanks with various fish - including one near the door with a fish that looks almost big enough to swallow a Magelet whole. Thankfully, there are safety bars over the top to prevent anyone falling in.

And there's another huge tank taking up most of the far wall. Kaze, having decided to start the furthest away first and then work his way back to the door, heads over there. And gets a surprise. "These fish look like the Zora we met!"

Looking up from his notes, the researcher here just chuckles. "They are, they are. Baby Zora, very recently hatched."