Submission (#4040) Approved

Mizuki and Galileo check out the colorful rain and feel feelings (and eat food they're always eating)!

Regional Affinity: Ealei
Elnin: https://worldofeyre.com/character/MYO-ELN293 (Mizuki)
1473 Words

The world seemed like it was opening up for young Mizuki. There was a time when he couldn’t fathom the idea of leaving his home in Strynhalde, but he’d seen a number of different places since starting his journey. And they were all beautiful! Well, when the weather was nice.

 

Ealei had been very welcoming, both with its people and with its grand overarching canopy. While the weather hadn’t been perfect while Mizuki and his caravan had been there, the leaves above did wonders to keep him dry; or at least made it easier to hide from the storms and falling rain. The older elnin made fun of him for his fear of the rain and of the inclimate weather, which weighed heavy on him, but he really couldn’t explain his fear and his longing for his usual snow of Strynhalde. 

 

With the skies becoming a bit overcast during Starfall, he was worried that this year’s festival would be absolutely terrible for him… Soon they’d be headed elsewhere, but he didn’t want his last few days in Ealei to be filled with bad weather.

 

“Are you hungry, little one?” The elnin that had been kind enough to guide him so far offered him a manaberry jam sandwich, which Mizuki happily accepted.

“Thanks, I really thought I’d be tired of these, eating them so much, but they’re really delicious even now!” Mizuki chirped happily, already forgetting about the weather outside–at least until he heard the rumble. He was mid bite, choosing to wander over to the window and peer fearfully from the leaf-woven blinds. 

 

But what he saw didn’t make him cower. Instead it made him snap down his sandwich in a few quick gulps and head for the door. 

 

“Where are you going?” his host asked, but he had already thrown the door open and padded down the wooden pathway, his shoal tail swishing behind him. His pale, dual-colored eyes were focused on the sky so much so he almost walked clear off the walkway and plunged into the rocky waters below. He caught himself (just barely), choosing to instead safely lean on one of the rope railings.

 

Above him, through the leaves of the canopy he could see an eerie but beautiful speckling. Like colorful stars. The leaves above had a light glow; a tickling of colorful glowing paint appearing bit by bit as time passed. Mizuki had been here for days and seen nothing like it…. But a slow glance around him told him what might be the cause.

 

Looking toward the horizon, he could see gentle streaks of rain–no, colorful light gliding their way toward the open water. As each droplet of light hit, color seemed to spread through the ocean like watercolor and pulsed like a magical heartbeat.

 

“Oh, are you scared, Mizuki, dear? Hurry back inside and I can make you some cocoa–”

 

“No thanks,” Mizuki ignored his host once more, confused about where all this confidence and wonder was coming from. Maybe it was pure curiosity, but next thing he knew he was rushing through the village, spiraling his way down the trees and tumbling along every wooden bridge he failed to keep his balance on. At one point he even fell head first into a barrel of berries, but abandoned the scene quickly. All he could focus on were those streaks of light escaping the canopy…

 

By the time he reached the very bottom, not too far from the docks that protruded a bit from the safety of the Great Tree, the leaves of that very tree had taken on an almost rainbow hue, no doubt the pools of glowing light collecting on top bleeding through. But to sand among the falling light and color, it was scary but also…

 

Mizuki could feel his fur stand on end as a speck of light landed square in the middle of his forehead, his eyes growing wide and his mouth prepared to facilitate his ear piercing scream. But instead of wet he felt… warmth. Instead of running for cover he put out his paws, hoping to catch another mote. His Pomu, which had come out to check on him, ended up screaming for him as it ran behind him and ducked back into his shadow. 

 

“It’s… ok! It’s just light…” Mizuki tried to explain, to which his pomu shook its little head. 

 

He felt bad. That was what the adults tried to tell him about the rain.

 

‘It’s just water, Mizuki. It’s like snow but melted when it falls.’

 

‘There’s so much to fear in this world boy, why the rain?’

 

Things like that. And here he was telling his Pomu not to be afraid.

 

Slowly he reached down and scooped his Pomu up, carrying it further out onto the dock. With a plop Mizuki sat down, gently cradling the little shadow and sheltering them both with his floppy ears. When the Pomu looked up at him curiously, he smiled and then looked up too. 

 

It was a short but colorful storm, and he knew he missed most of it while running, but it was still a beautiful sight. One he’d never forget. He’d seen lights in the cold air back home but this was like a liquid spray of it–one that could touch the earth beneath it. 

 

His ears perked up a bit when he heard a familiar voice.

 

“Didn’t expect to see you out here of all ‘nin.” Small footfalls approached, and his new friend Galileo sat down beside him. He peered down at him with those luminous purple eyes of his. They still freaked him out.

 

“The lights were…”Mizuki began, but wasn’t sure how to put it. Why was he out here? What made this different?

 

“Pretty?” Galileo finished for him. Mizuki nodded, not quite what he was looking for but he didn’t want to try to find the right words. Unsatisfied, Galileo tilted his head, squinting at Mizuki at though he were trying to read his mind.

 

“I’m… usually afraid of rain but this rain was… nice. It makes me think of home.”

 

“The place with all the snow everywhere? Strynhalde?”

 

“,,,Mm. Yeah.” Mizuki pat his pomu on its head, giving it small soothing strokes. “But my pomu is scared this time… it usually is the one comforting me when it rains. I don’t know why it doesn’t like this rain.”

 

“Probably because it’s light falling from the sky. Trust me the first time I saw it I thought it was the end of the world. I sold my favorite toy and everything,” Galileo sighed, pulling a snack from nowhere and offering it Mizuki’s way. Mizuki had just ate, but the snack wasn’t a manaberry so he figured some diversity in his diet couldn’t hurt.

 

“I’m… thinking of leaving Ealei.” Galileo offered after a moment, and Mizuki’s eyes widened. 

 

“But… you’ve–” 

 

“I know. But you inspired me. Maybe I should… I don’t know, see more places. Do things. Meet other elnin. Find something cool or whatever.” Galileo looked at him, reading his face. He always did that… Mizuki put on his best soft smile.

 

“If you need someone to travel with, I’ll go with you. Or… you can join the caravan that I’m with, they’re really nice. And they keep me safe.”

 

“Thanks, Mizuki. I’ll.. think about it. Someone else invited me to travel with them, but I don’t know… he’s kind of…” Galileo trailed off, and Mizuki leaned forward to look into his face this time. It wasn’t much but it prompted Galileo to continue, “He’s different than you. He’s all about the adrenaline. Pretty angry too. And loud. And I’m not sure I want to… deal with that?”

 

“Oh.” Mizuki thought he had an idea of who he was talking about–they’d only ment briefly–

 

“Feng.” Galileo finally said his name, scritching at his ear in frustration. “He’s my friend, like you are… I’ve known him longer, but you… you’re different.”

 

Okay, Mizuki was starting to feel offended… “Call me different one more time and I’ll leave.”

 

“No! It’s not a bad thing! It’s a good thing. A good thing!” Galileo hopped to his feet, blushing as he tucked his head into his large collar of a mane. “Oh, forget it. If I see you in the morning we can talk more then.”

He turned, ready to walk off, but Mizuki timidly claimed his friend’s hand and held firm. He didn’t ask him to stay, but Galileo sighed and sat back down. Unsure of what to say exactly, Mizuki looked up at the sky again, and as though it knew he needed the comfort, the fleeting storm of light started back up again.

 

Mizuki and Galileo watched it in silence, but there was an aura of awe between them throughout, and not all of it for the rain.