Granblue Fantasy: A Skyfaring Were-shark in Auguste

The crew are seated on a set of benches in the main square facing the water fountains, where Ursula has started splashing around once more to cool off after the earlier excitement.

 

“How are you feeling, Meg?” Mari asks as she sits next to her, concerned about whatever came over her partner earlier when the primal beast showed up.

 

“I think I’m okay, yeah.” She answers, holding a hand to her head. “Still got a bit of a headache, but it’s starting to fade.”

 

“I’m glad to hear it. Just let me know if you need anything, okay?” Mari then turns to the rest of the crew. “So, does anyone have a clue what that thing was doing down there?”

 

“Beats me.” Vyrn says, lying on top of Djeeta’s head. “Sure didn’t seem happy to see us though.”

 

“Actually, I’m not certain it was actually upset with us, at least not at first.” Vira speaks up. “If you ask me, I think there were other factors going on, even before we arrived. Up until it started confronting Meg and Mari specifically it almost seemed quite distressed, and even disoriented at times.”

 

“Maybe it had something to do with how weird it looked?” Vyrn asks. “I didn’t get the feeling it was meant to be all split up like that.”

 

“Were you able to find anything out, Lyria?” Vira turns to the blue haired girl.

 

“Well, I’m fairly certain it was a primal beast after all, but there was still something strange about it.” She starts to explain. “I wasn’t able to get through to it at all when I tried talking with it. We’ve met a lot of primal beasts who didn’t want to listen to me before, but this time it didn’t seem to hear me in the first place. It almost seemed like something was missing, and that was stopping me from reaching out…”

 

“Could something be wrong with its core?” Djeeta wonders aloud.

 

“Perhaps, a faulty or malfunctioning core would explain both its behaviour and Lyria’s inability to communicate with it…” Vira responds. “What do you think, Lyria? You’re the most well versed in primal beasts out of all of us here.”

 

“Well, you might be onto something there, but…” Lyria stops to think for a moment. “It didn’t feel exactly like the primal beasts we’ve met with cores like that. If I had to describe it, it almost felt more like some of the core was missing entirely…”

 

“Can that even happen without basically killing it?” Mari asks. “I thought the core was like, really important.”

 

“Yes, a primal beast’s core is crucial to its survival, it’s hard to imagine one could function at all if it were incomplete.” Vira pauses to think. “But theoretically, if only a small piece had gone missing it may still survive to some degree, although I cannot imagine it would be a pleasant existence, a piece of your very being having disappeared, along with the aspects of yourself contained within… And I suppose this primal didn’t exactly seem to be the image of good health, did it? It’s not impossible that a part of the beast’s core splintered off after entering a slumbering state inside due to a serious injury of some sort, and the form we saw is the result of it being unable to properly heal itself…”

 

“Maybe that’s it then?” Mari says. “I mean it’s not like we have any other theories. Do we even know if it’s still alive down there?”

 

“I’m pretty sure it survived the cave in.” Lyria says. “I can still feel it just as strongly as I could before. The presence would be much weaker if it had to go back into its core.”

 

“I can’t imagine it would be particularly happy about its new predicament, though.” Vira notes. “Not only is it likely still dealing with the issues it was already facing, but now it’s also trapped underneath an enormous pile of rubble.”

 

“If that’s the case, I actually feel pretty bad about hurting him back there...” Meg says sadly. “Sure, he tried to hurt us first, but it’s a different story if he was sick and not really in control of his actions.”

 

“He?” Djeeta asks.

 

“Yeah, couldn’t you tell? I thought it was kinda strange you were all calling him an it.” Meg answers.

 

“I think most of us were too busy trying not to be killed to notice something like that...” Vyrn remarks.

 

“Well, is there any way we could help him?” Lyria asks. “Maybe he’d feel better if we found that missing piece.”

 

Mari sighs. “It would be nice if we could help him out, even if just to make sure he doesn’t cause any problems for the district, but I don’t even know where we’d start. If what Vira says is true then that piece is probably pretty tiny, and for all we know it broke off hundreds of years ago, it could be anywhere in the ocean by now, maybe even down in the crimson horizon.”

 

“Indeed, I doubt there's a reliable way to track such a piece down. Even Lyria would likely struggle to detect the energy coming from a shard of that size” Vira says. “In addition, if we were to somehow find this missing piece, that cave in has ensured that we’d have no small amount of trouble returning it to its rightful owner.”

 

“Yeah, sorry about that...” Meg says apologetically.

 

Vira looks in her direction. “Don’t let it trouble you. Yes, it would have been wise to employ some amount of restraint in a location such as that, but none of us knew what we were getting into when we found that cave. Besides, things were looking quite dire indeed before you jumped in. I must admit I was unsure if we would have been able to get everyone to safety with just the captain and I holding the front lines.”

 

“Yeah! And it’s not like you were the only one bangin’ on those walls.” Vyrn points out. “Big Boy was already doing that before you got your hands on him.”

 

“Yes, I took notice of that behaviour as well.” Vira looks down as she thinks. “It almost seemed like he wanted to escape from the cave, no?”

 

“How’d he even get down there in the first place?” Mari asks. “I didn’t see any passageways something of his size could have fit through.”

 

“Not in that form, at least…” Djeeta notes.

 

“Yeah, maybe he was moved down there while he was inside his core?” Lyria wonders. “I’m not sure who would have done that, though.”

 

Vira shrugs. “Yes, at the end of the day we know very little about this primal beast, let alone how he found itself in such a sorry state, trapped in an abandoned cave. The entire situation with that building and the sealed passageway is still a mystery as well…”

 

“It’s so sad to think about, suddenly waking up with part of yourself missing, in a cave you can’t get out of. We never even learnt his name…” Lyria says sadly.

 

“Huh? What do you mean? His name is Ukupanipo.” Meg says casually, and everyone suddenly turns towards her.

 

“Meg, how do you know that?” Mari asks.

 

“What are you talking about? He was yelling it pretty much the whole time we were down there.” She answers, suddenly looking quite confused. 

 

The rest of the crew looks to each other for a few moments before turning their attention back to Meg.

 

“Yeah, I don’t think any of us know what you’re talkin’ about.” Vyrn says. “You heard him talkin’ back there?”

 

“Wait, all of you really couldn’t hear it?” Meg asks.

 

“No, he roared at us a few times, but not like the whole time we were down there or anything. And it definitely didn’t sound like talking either.” Mari says with some concern. “Wait, is that why you were saying something was too loud earlier?”

 

“Yeah, after that first roar he didn’t shut up until he fell in the water.” She explains.

 

“Did he mention anything other than his name?” The captain asks.

 

“I don’t know…” Meg puts a hand to her head again. “Now that you mention it, I can’t remember what any of it actually sounded like, but somehow I still know he kept saying his name… I think there was some other stuff, but… I couldn’t tell what…”

 

“Weird, I guess that’s also how you knew he was a guy as well.” Vyrn notes. “But why was that happenin’ in the first place? How come only Meg could hear all this yellin’?”

 

Vira turns to Meg. “You said it started after he let out that first roar, correct? At the time it was quite obvious that the roar was having some kind of an impact on you and Ursula, while the rest of us were fine. With that in mind, it seems reasonable to assume that your condition at the time was connected to the voice you were hearing. Unfortunately, we cannot ask Ursula if she also heard it, however. The question is, why did it only affect the two of you, and not anyone else?”

 

“Oh, that’s probably because of the shark stuff.” Mari answers, to which Vira raises an eyebrow.

 

“I’m afraid I don’t follow. Considering that this Ukupanipo appeared to have been created in the image of a shark, it stands to reason that it might possess the ability to communicate with them. This could explain how Ursula may have been affected, the beast's attempts to communicate were somehow corrupted by his incomplete core which led to the disorientation, perhaps, but I do not see how Meg could also fall victim to such a thing.”

 

“Oh, that’s right!” Lyria suddenly says. “Didn’t that Ellen lady say something about this when everyone turned into zombies?”

 

“Yeah.” Meg confirms. “My body has… shark particles in it or something?”

 

Vira waits for further explanation, but several moments pass without any such thing, and she’s forced to press for further details herself. “Shark… particles…?”

 

Meg nods. “That’s what she told me. I don’t really remember what she said about it at the time, there was a lot of other stuff going on with the zombies and all that, but apparently it’s why I can do the mergy thing with Ursula.”

 

“Okay, and what exactly does it mean to have these particles in your body?” Vira asks.

 

Meg and Mari look at each other for a moment, and simply shrug.

 

Vira’s confusion only deepens, there must be more to it, right? “Is there anything you can tell me about them? How long they’ve been there, perhaps, or whether they’ve affected your biology, or the implications of you having them in the first place?”

 

“Sorry, a normal girl like me wouldn’t really know much about those kinds of things...” Meg sheepishly smiles as she scratches the back of her head. 

 

I hardly think someone who can throw a giant shark around meets any definition of normal… Vira thinks.

 

“Oh, oh, I know!” Lyria raises a hand. “It means she can’t be turned into a zombie!” She says confidently, to which the rest of the group nods.

 

“...You haven’t looked into this at all since first learning about it, have you?” Vira says flatly.

 

“I mean, I didn’t really think I needed to. I was never in pain or anything because of it so it never seemed like that big an issue. This is the first time it’s ever been relevant since the zombies, honest.” Meg answers.

 

Vira lets out a quiet sigh. “Well, regardless of the lack of details regarding your condition, I suppose it does lend credence to the idea that Ukupanipo was trying to communicate with you and Ursula. Personally speaking, I would rather have more information before coming to such a conclusion, but it’s not my place to pry if you do not wish to find those answers yourself.”

 

“So what do we do now?” Djeeta asks.

 

“Well, that primal’s not gonna be bothering us anytime soon while it’s buried under all those rocks, but I’m still gonna have to talk to the mayor and tell him what happened. Can’t say I’m looking forward to that conversation.” Mari sighs. “If someone does find the missing part of the core I’ll be able to get an excavation team in to start clearing out the cave as well, but that’s going to be a slow job. There’s not much point having them go through the trouble unless we get the piece first anyway, we wouldn’t want our new friend causing any more trouble.”

 

“Is there anything we can do to help with the search?” Vyrn asks.

 

Mari shrugs. “All we can really do is ask the town to keep an eye out, so unless it does show up, I guess we can just get back to our holiday.”

 

“Hooray! We get to keep searching for the secret treasure!” Lyria cheers.

 

“We’ll help ya talk to the mayor first though, it’ll help if we’re all there to explain.” Vyrn says.

 

“Thanks, there’s one thing I need to do first, though.” Mari gets up and walks over to where Vira’s sitting.

 

“Vira, I’m sorry for what I said earlier.” She starts, bowing deeply. “It doesn’t matter if you were invited or not, you’re still a guest of mine while you’re here. I never should have treated you like that and questioned your reasons for coming. I screwed up, as a host, a tour guide, and a chairperson.”

 

Vira nods, and smiles softly. “Thank you, Mari. I understand you may have already overheard this when I mentioned it to Luminiera earlier, but while your words did hurt, I myself understand the place they came from. It would be incredibly hypocritical of me to not offer you the same forgiveness that others once offered me.” 

 

“Also, thanks for saving me back there, even after everything I said.” Mari continues before she stops bowing.

 

“Yeah, I need to thank you for that too.” Meg gets up and stands behind Mari. “I… I don’t know what I would have done if something had happened to her.”

 

“You needn’t think anything of it. What sort of knight would I be if I let a personal matter like that get in the way of helping people?” Vira holds a hand out. “With all of this in mind, I would be more than happy to start anew, Mari, and put our earlier exchanges behind us.”

 

“Yeah, I’d like that too.” Mari smiles back as they both shake hands. “I promise I won’t doubt your feelings for that Katalina lady.”

 

“And I shall keep my earlier promise. It seems fair to say we’ve reached the end of the tour, so I shall continue my thorough investigation of the district on my own so that you and Meg can have the rest of the week to yourselves.”

 

“S-So we can what…?” Meg quietly stammers.

 

“Actually… about that.” Mari starts. “I do want some of this week to just be for Meg and I, but considering everything that’s happened… I don’t think I’d mind spending a bit more time with everyone else as well. And yeah, we’re pretty much done with all the tour stuff, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few other spots I can show you guys.” She says with a wink.

 

“That would be delightful, Mari. As long as you’re certain you’re willing to entertain the four of us for a bit longer. I shall try to convince Luminiera to be on her best behaviour as well.” Vira giggles.

 

Mari grins. “Yeah, it’s all good. Consider it thanks for finding that primal beast before he had a chance to cause any real problems.”

 

Vira nods. “Very well. In that case, let us speak with the mayor so that you can return to enjoying your vacation as soon as possible.”

 

“Sharrrk…” Ursula rejoins the group, having heard the talk of leaving the square.

 

“Is she okay? She sounds a little out of it.” Mari asks.

 

“I think she might have the same headache from that roar that I do.” Meg says. “I’m sure we’ll both be fine before too long.”

 

“Okay, just let me know if either of you aren’t feeling better later, we still don’t know what exactly caused it.” Mari says with a look of concern as she starts to lead the group once more.

 

Everyone sets off for the mayor’s office in high spirits thanks to having solved Auguste’s latest problem in record time, with the possible exception of Meg, who still seems to be unusually nervous as she trails behind the others.

 

“H-Hey Mari…” She says as she starts to catch up. “What were you two saying back there about me and you spending time on our own?”

 

“Don’t worry, Meg.” Mari practically beams, grabbing Meg’s waist and pulling the much stronger woman as close to her as possible as they walk. “I’m just making sure we’ll both get to make the most of this week.”

 

“O-Oh…” Meg starts going red the moment they come together, as Mari’s much softer body presses against her own.

 

Off to the side, Vira smiles as she watches the exchange.

 

I’m glad to see that the situation with Ukupanipo hasn’t stopped them from enjoying their holiday together. I can only imagine what sort of trouble he could have caused if Meg hadn’t dealt with him so swiftly. She thinks to herself. Still, with so many unknown variables I can’t help but wonder if the situation really has been resolved. But, I suppose there’s no point fretting about it when there’s so little we can do…

 

Vira decides to put the matter aside for now. After today’s excitement the crew are more than ready to take it easy for the rest of the afternoon once they’ve taken care of meeting with the mayor, but they’re all looking forward to properly starting the vacation tomorrow.