The beach was long and curved, with light golden sand. At the north end was a cliff, and waves had carved a cave into it. At the south end was a set of stone platforms which curved out into the ocean, creating a crystal-clear pool.

  It was the perfect beach.

  Apparently. Maki wasn't an expert on what made beaches perfect, but he trusted Echo when she said this was the beach for them.

  They pulled their wagon into some trees, doing the bare minimum to hide it before Cali unhitched the horses and told them to make noise if anyone got too close. Then Maki and Luke took their shirts off and wandered down to the water while the girls changed.

  Maki stopped as a wave came up and splashed water up to his knees. He twitched his tail up, then laughed at himself for not wanting to get his tail wet two minutes before he’d be fully submerged.

  And then, as the water pulled back, an earthquake hit.

  It was a fairly big one. The ground beneath his feet turned to quicksand, and he sunk down as the beach shook. Maki fell to his hands and knees, flailing to keep himself above the sand. The water splashed and sprayed, heading in all directions at once.

  Finally, almost as suddenly as it started, the earthquake stopped. Maki scrambled to his feet, looking around to check that Luke was ok.

  Luke caught his gaze, nodded, and they ran back up to the wagon.

  “Everyone ok?” Maki called, getting close.

  “Anyone hurt?” Luke asked.

  The girls all called they were fine. Slowing down, Maki checked on the wagon. One of the eight levitation stones had broken. The wagon could move with seven, so he wasn't too worried about that. The horses, per Cali’s instructions, had sat down; they were lazily nibbling on the plants around them.

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  Having verified everyone and thing was safe, Maki allowed himself to relax.

  Cali jumped out of the wagon in shorts and a bikini top. “So far there hasn’t been more than one earthquake a day. I’m glad we got this one over with early,” she decided.

  “I think we should wait a few minutes before going into the water,” Luke warned as she headed down the beach.

  She turned around to walk backwards. “I’m gonna talk to crabs!” Then she spun around and skipped to the ocean.

  Maeve was the next one out. In Maki’s opinion, she was trying way too hard. She’d found a bikini that was the same color as her eyes, and had probably used some kind of magic to get her hair into an insanely complicated braid knot thing. Maki wasn't particularly impressed, but Luke sure was, and Maki was begrudgingly happy for his friend.

  Maeve flashed Luke a smile and took his hand, and Maki was sure she could have led him into an active volcano without him noticing. He certainly didn't notice her leading him towards the still-agitated water.

  Finally Echo climbed out of the wagon, in a much more standard-looking bikini than whatever Maeve was wearing. Also, she was an elf now.

  Maki helped her down. “Wet wings must be terrible.”

  “I actually don't know,” she admitted. “I haven't used that disguise a lot. Most of the time I look like this.”

  “You look about the same,” he said. “Just a little taller and no wings.”

  “Yeah,” she said thoughtfully, pulling the bag of surfboard fins out of the wagon. “I went with fairy because there were more fairies than elves in Mouse, but in Nineport there weren't hardly any of either. I think I’ll stick with this from now on.”

  “Turn into a neko; we’ll teach you all the mannerisms,” Maki offered.

  Eco flinched slightly. “I… can't. True changelings can become any race they’ve touched, but I’m half elf, so I’m… kinda limited in how much I can change.”

  “Neat. I mean, it probably kinda sucks for you, but the way that works is interesting.”

  “It really hasn't come up until now,” she shrugged. “Honestly, I'd rather be an obvious outsider than get details wrong and have people think I’m a super weird and wrong-acting neko.”

  Maki thought it over, starting to walk down to the water. “Yeah, same.” He scanned the beach, spotting his cousin sitting in front of an array of attentive crustaceans, and his sister sitting in her boyfriend’s lap. He looked back at the person he was currently least ashamed to admit he knew. “So! Surfboards!”

  Echo grinned, skipping slightly. “Right! Surfboards!”