Lumi's Stargazing Adventure

Lumi the starfish had always loved sightseeing, scouring the ocean for new landmarks and scenery. She often searched the sea floor with Hiraya for new shells or rocks, and listened to tales of breathtaking views from Story. But, even the seven seas can get mundane after seeing your 142nd coral reef.

 

Lumi’s bucket list of sights to see used to span numerous pieces of kelp, seeming to have no end. However, it has now dwindled down to one last sight! 

​

Visit Mariana trench

Check out Bermuda triangle

See 50 coral reefs

Go stargazing

 

As a sea floor dweller, Lumi had always wanted to see the surface, to see the fluffy clouds and refreshing breeze Hiraya always gushed about. And now was the chance, with the Geminid meteor shower coming up! Lumi had done all her research, like how the Geminids is one of the most reliable meteor showers, with meteors from the asteroid 3200 Phaeton!

 

With her gear packed from shell binoculars to seaweed blankets she was ready to watch those sparkling stars and meteors!  

 

“You ready Lumi?” Hiraya asked excitedly.

“Yep, let’s go!” Lumi exclaimed.

 

Lumi hung on tight to Hiraya’s tail as Story led the way with his glittery fins. Past the colorful reefs, schools of fish, and smacks of jellyfish with ribbon-like tentacles, they made their way up the layers of the ocean. The water grew warmer as they rose in altitude, seeing rays of sunlight gleam along the surface.

 

At long last they made it! Laying on Story’s fins Lumi gazed at the vast sky.

The clouds resembled puffs of cotton candy, lined with pink and purple hues as the sun winked out on the horizon, the moon rising to take its place. The ocean was traced in orange light as warm tones overtook the blue sky.

 

“Wow, who knew the sky could be so pretty!” Lumi laughed, staring in awe, even though starfish are colorblind.

“It’s beautiful isn’t it?” Story agreed.

They glided along at a leisurely pace in silence, a serene atmosphere accompanying their excitement. The trio was much too early for any stars to be seen, only an occasional bird or two passing by as they waited for night to come.

 

After a long while the once colorful hues were replaced with dark blue, almost black shades. Stars started to come into view, like lights flickering on. They watched in wonder, connecting the dots of constellations as the air grew colder. However, not only did stars come into view, but thunderous grey clouds soon arrived too, shrouding their line of sight. 

 

“Maybe the storm will pass?” Hiraya contemplated.

“Hopefully!” Lumi said, not letting the dreary weather get to her.

 

They continued to wait as the rain continued, the clouds seeming to have no means of leaving soon. The storm grew stronger in contrast to Lumi’s unwavering optimism, with the waves crashing them back and forth aggressively.

 

“It doesn’t seem like the clouds will leave anytime soon, and the weather’s getting too dangerous for us to stay.” Story reasoned.

“Story’s right, we should head back,” Hiraya added.

Lumi nodded slightly, her usually upbeat demeanor dampened after their failed adventure. Her spirit was dulled as she latched on to Hiraya’s tail again, heading back down to the sea floor.

 

“I’m sorry we couldn’t see any meteors Lumi, we can always try another time?” Hiraya consoled.

“No need to apologize, it’s alright,” Lumi replied sullenly, obviously crestfallen by the outcome, “Well, I’ll see you guys next time, it was fun either way,” she said as she left to return home.

 

Hiraya and Story were left there, wondering how to cheer up Lumi. The next visible meteor shower isn’t going to be for a while, and the Geminids only happen every 1.4 years.

 

“What can we do?” Hiraya sighed, at a loss.

“What if we make our own meteor shower? We can ask some of the jellyfish we saw on our way there to act as stars and Ivy could use his bioluminescent ink,” Story pondered.

“Wait, that just might work!” Hiraya exclaimed, rejuvenated with joy.

So off they went, gathering jellyfish to outline constellations and spreading glittery mucus in the background. Even the neighboring school of fish they met was willing to help, tying glowing algae to their tails to swim across their scene as meteors.

 

Soon their plan was in place, ready to surprise Lumi.

 

“Lumi! We have something to show you!” Hiraya called out.

“Hm? What is it?” Lumi inquired, trudging out to meet them.

“Just come along, you’ll see,” Hiraya replied, “Oh, and close your eyes! It’s a surprise,”

 

Hanging onto Hiraya, Lumi followed her and Story, waiting in anticipation.

 

“Alright, open your eyes!”

 

Lumi opened all five of her eyes to be met with an array of lights, alike to the night sky she caught a glimpse of earlier that day. The jellyfish were arranged in constellations like Gemini and Auriga, and even Ivy floated up there posing as Jupiter! The fish swam through Lumi’s line of sight every now and then, leaving a trail of algae in their path. The scene was vivid and bright as Lumi watched in awe, at a loss for words.

 

“How could you arrange something so spectacular so soon?” Lumi asked in astonishment.

“We all saw how disappointed you were, and we hoped that this scene might at least cheer you up a bit!” Hiraya explained.

“Thank you so much you guys! This is by far the best sightseeing adventure I’ve ever had!” Lumi beamed.

 

They sat there together admiring the sight long after the jellyfish left and the fish departed. The clusters of bioluminescent ink had now dispersed, now sprinkled around flickering in and out of sight. Although the plan of stargazing didn’t go quite as Lumi expected, she realized the importance in finding happiness in the spontaneous little moments that come in life.

 

Credentials: 

Release Date: February 28, 2026 

Made By: The Ever Foundation

Writer: Aria Reynolds