The Black Mage Village isn't far from Conde Petit, and you run into footprints just to the north anyway. This gets you Abandoned Beach, and also nearby is a forest with the ladybug. Give her 2 ore, and she'll say to tell the Yeti she said hello.

Now head around into the deep forest for the Black Mage Village. Keep going on whichever path doesn't have an owl and shortly you'll get there. There are a few rooms in here - a cemetery where they realize they're not alive forever, an inn, people raising an egg. Mogryo the Moggle is here near the egg-people to the right.

There are a horde of ATEs here. There is Life on the Run, Visitor not Invader, Different Language, Gourmand's Nose, and Life Cycle.

You learn about Zidane looking for a blue light, and about a silver dragon near Conde Petit. Once you go through those things, you can head back to Conde Petit in preparation for going to Madain Sari. Note that the forest to the SE has the pop quiz in it.

Final Fantasy IX Walkthrough Index