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

[feathered_mages]

Hiploops aren't really shaped to be easy to ride on, and Mistral slides off by the time he's rejoined the others. But by then there's a line of Magelets lined up and wanting to try. It should work to coax them into the temple if they want to have a look around.

[feathered_mages]

There isn't a great deal to see, but what there is is interesting. The door wasn't the primary entrance despite its appearance, and gives access to only two rooms of the temple. The first one is stone, like the rest of the structure, and across from the door is what seems to be a dead tree that grew through the stone. Or more likely it was carefully transported here and reassembled.

A doorway carved in the trunk of the tree, ringed with decorative thorny vines, is the entrance to the second room in the dead tree's trunk. Compared to the damp stone of the first room it's almost cozy, with painted walls and more decorative vines.

There doesn't seem to be anything here, and the Magelets poke around for a bit before Galen says, "I'm hungry..."

[feathered_mages]

"That sounds like a good idea," agrees Mistral, nodding. Two rooms seemed odd for the size of the structure from the outside, but he had the feeling there wasn't going to be a whole lot more of interest here. And he was getting hungry as well. "Do you want to catch one of these big bugs or the flying ones on the way back?" He's planning to keep the hiploop he caught, and may add a dragonfly as well. Mistral acquires new pets like a dropped lolipop catches dustbunnies.

[feathered_mages]

"I don't know what I'd use them for either," Mistral admits, a bit embarrassed. "I just like having a lot of pets. He thinks maybe he should forget the dragonfly for now. But he just has to keep the hiploop. The Magelets are already wanting to try to ride it again.

[feathered_mages]

Mistral nods. "And we know the coordinates for this world," he says. It's not like he has to collect one of everything, really. "But I really think I should keep this one," he says, giving the hiploop a pat. And they can be on their way back to Clock Town. Mistral will make it easier by letting them bypass most of the spiral route by making a slide out of ice once they're back through the most recent tunnel. He's careful to make the sides curved up so that none of the Magelets, himself, or Rydia go sliding off the side.

[feathered_mages]

The real trick was getting the hiploop on the slide, but soon they're all at the bottom.

"It seemed better than walking and hopping all the way," says Mistral. Not that they don't still have a few lily pads in their future before they'll get back to solid land and the route back to Clock Town.

The Magelets are a little uneasy about getting closer to where the Moon can be easily seen again. It really does seem bigger the closer one gets to Clock Town... as if it's right over the town.

[feathered_mages]

"Just don't look up unless you have to," adds Mistral with a nod.

The guard won't have any problems letting them in. Clock Town is decorated for some kind of holiday - the walls are painted and decorated with posters, and there are banners and other decorations everywhere.

"Are they having a party?" asks Luca.

[feathered_mages]

"Why would it be weird," asks Lono. And before they can be stopped the Magelets waddle towards a pair of twin jugglers practicing.

"Hey, Misters?" asks Luca. "Are you having a party?"

"We're practicing for the big carnival. It happens once in a blue moon," says the one in the blue shirt.

"Or in this year's case, once in a really, really scary, red-eyed moon," jokes the other in the red shirt.

[feathered_mages]

Mistral nods. "Yes, it could be. I just hope there's time before it to see any other animals. But maybe someone will bring animals to the carnival, too. Ones that might not be easy to find."

A couple Magelets give uneasy glaces up at the Moon.

"I hear it's gonna fall harder than the way my clumsy brother is always dropping our juggling balls," the twin in blue is saying.

This makes all the Magelets jerk and look up at the Moon, frightened.

"It's going to fall?" says Juro.

"How can you joke about it?" asks Kaze.

"We're entertainers," says the twin in red. "We must keep people smiling. No mater how things get, we must remain optimistic."

"... then, again," Mistral mutters, with a wary glance of his own at the Moon.

[feathered_mages]

Mistral nods at that. "Or at least stay out from under it and be ready to PINPoint away," he whispers back, watching the moon for a few moments. "If it is falling, it isn't falling very fast."

[feathered_mages]

Mistral nods. "With PINPoints, we can get away in a second if we have to."

"It's still scary," Juro says quietly, tugging the brim of his hat down a bit to help block any view of the Moon.

[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.