Submission (#7905) Approved

The morning sun over Palu'au was warm and comforting, casting golden streaks of light over the rolling waves that lapped at the sand. Mavis sat cross legged on a soft towel, still watching the sky where the last of the prismatic lights had faded. The memory of them lingered like the scent of sea salt on the breeze. She hugged her knees to her chest, eyes wide with wonder and curiosity.

"I need to write this down," she whispered to herself.

Without wasting a moment, she stood, brushing stray grains of sand from her fur. Her pomu blinked up at her from her shadow, chirping softly as it followed in her footsteps. Mavis gave it a reassuring smile and set off toward the small collection of colorful shops that lined the nearby boardwalk.

The walk was short but filled with wonder and fun. Stalls with fresh fruit stacked in pyramids, necklaces made from seashells and coral, and bright fabrics blowing in the breeze greeted her at every turn. Tropical flowers hung from windowsills, heavy with amazing tropical planty smells. One of the vendors called out a cheerful "Aloha!" and Mavis waved back with a grin and a wave.

She ducked into a tiny stationary shop tucked between a shaved ice stand and a hut selling handmade sandals. Inside, the scent of paper and wood shavings filled the air. Mavis scanned the shelves quickly until she found a small spiral bound notebook with a sea turtle embossed on the cover, and a smooth, sturdy pencil with rainbow striping along its sides.

As she approached the counter, the elderly shopkeeper behind it smiled at her. "You look like you've got something important to write down," he said warmly.

"I do," Mavis replied. "I saw something amazing this morning. I don't even know what it was."

The man nodded as if he understood. "The islands have their own magic. Good to record it when it shows up."

With her purchase in hand, Mavis thanked the man and made her way back to the beach. The sun had risen higher now, casting deeper a warmth across the sand, and the sound of children playing echoed faintly in the distance. She found a quiet spot under a palm tree, its large leaves casting shifting patterns over her as the breeze played with them. Her pomu rolled beside her, settling into the sand with a chirp.

Mavis opened the notebook carefully, smoothing the first page. She clicked her pencil against the edge of the paper a few times, gathering her thoughts.

"This morning," she began to write, "I saw something that I don't think anyone could explain. A light shower, but not rain. Not anything I've ever seen before. It started while I was swimming. The water was cool, and the sun was warm, and then, light. Not just white light, but every color. It poured down from the sky like falling stars, slow and silent.

At first, I was scared. It looked so strange. I ducked under the water, unsure if it would hurt. But when I floated back up and let it touch me, it didn’t burn or sting. It just felt... warm. Tingly. Like being wrapped in a dream.

The lights had different stages. First, they were like streaks in the sky. Trails of soft color falling like ribbons. But when they hit the ground, or me, they exploded. Not with a sound, but with a burst of tiny lights, like a thousand fireflies bursting into life all at once.

They lingered in the air for a second before drifting down like dandelion seeds. And then they faded, leaving a shimmer in the air.

I think the sky still remembers them. I think I will too."

Mavis paused, chewing on the end of her pencil. She glanced up at the sky, half hoping to see another cascade of color. Nothing yet. But the memory of the light still clung to her thoughts.

She turned to the next page and began to sketch.

Her first drawing was a simple one, just the shape of a falling light, a streak with a glowing tail. Then she drew the explosion, a burst of tiny dots that danced around the figure of herself, floating in the water. She shaded the dots to represent different colors, pale green, rose pink, violet, even a pale orange like the inside of a seashell.

Her pomu crawled into her lap, peering at the notebook with a curious chirrup.

"It's not perfect," Mavis told it, ruffling the pomu’s tiny ears, "but it's close."

She flipped to another page and began to list the questions now bubbling in her head.

How long do they last? Do they always happen over water? Does it mean something? Has anyone else seen this before?

As the questions filled the page, Mavis felt the thrill of wonder tightening in her chest. She didn't have answers yet, but maybe this was the beginning of something. Maybe this vacation wasn’t just a break, but the start of a cool and intersting mystery.

"We'll figure it out," she told her pomu. "One way or another."

The wind tugged gently at the pages of her notebook, as if the island itself was eager to read what she’d written. Mavis was excited to begin her hourney to unravel what the mysterious and mystic light shower was that she experienced. Hopefully she'd see another one soon.