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]

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."

[mage_hatchlings]

Outside the tank, seven little Magelets line up to look at the baby Zora. Inside the tank, seven little baby Zora line up to look at the Magelets.

Mistral just chuckles at the sight, although he does wonder why baby Zora would be here and not with other Zora.

[mage_hatchlings]

After a few moments of the mutual watching, it's Juro that finally asks, "If they're baby Zora, why aren't they with bigger Zora?"

"Because," the researcher says, "something has been affecting the oceans lately. It's made the water warmer than usual, and Zora eggs and newly hatched Zora are very sensitive to water temperatures."

[feathered_mages]

And that's about when the Magelets realize there's a ladder up the wall, and they can climb up to the top of the tank. Soon there will be Magelets trying to pet baby Zora. The researcher watches closely, but as long as it doesn't look like the Zora will be harmed, he'll let them be.

Mistral, meanwhile, has questions about some of the sketches and samples in the building. The researcher should be able to answer any questions they have about this world's aquatic life and where to find various kinds of it. Including identifying the creature they'd found in the sands as a Leever.

[feathered_mages]

The baby Zora seem to really enjoy the attention, swimming up against hands and occasionally play-nibbling at fingers.

Mistral eventually runs out of questions and goes to have a look at the baby Zora himself. "Most of the water monsters here sound like they'll be hard to catch unless you can swim. The Zora bring most of his samples to him. We might be able to find something called a Like Like on the beach, or we could try to find a Zora to ask to bring us things like the last time."

[feathered_mages]

"There should be some of them living further up the coast," says Mistral.

Which means back to the shore, if one can pull the Magelets away from petting the baby Zora. They've even pulled off their little gloves while they're doing this.

[mage_hatchlings]

It takes a little doing, but the Magelets eventually leave off petting to climb back down so they can all be on their way.

Outside, the Hiploop has taken to guarding one side of the square platform the building is on. It will skitter one way, look around, and then skitter back the other way. It can't really go anywhere because of the water.

[feathered_mages]

The Magelets happily flop into the water to start paddling for shore, while Mistral will try to get the pets loaded into the waiting boat. Once back on shore it's not hard for him to know which way to go based on the instructions he was given.

He'll head up the coastline a bit, until he sees a cave-like passage not far ahead. Somewhere to the right, among the rock outcroppings in the sand, is what looks like a strange tube-shaped orange sponge nearly the size of a small house.

Since it's perfectly still at the moment, Mistral hasn't glanced at it or matched it up to descriptions he was given of a LikeLike. It's waiting for something to get closer.

[feathered_mages]

The LikeLike, stretched up to twice its normal height, jiggles for a moment. Then, with nothing in its range, it settles back down, surface rippling slightly.

Mistral compares this to what he was told earlier. "That must be a LikeLike. They swallow people and then spit them back out, stealing things from them when they do. They really like to eat shields, for some reason. Hmm. It doesn't really look like something that eats metal, does it."

He watches it for a bit, making sure the Magelets stay back and being careful not to get too close himself. "It's a shame it's so big, and that I don't think it's mobile..."