[MarMar_Awakening]

“Are you seriously gonna choose that name, Diane?” huffed Calisto, wishing she had arms to cross.

Her younger sibling eagerly nodded, ears flailing. “Pipsqueak sound sweet, just like food.”

“I thought you had more of an idea. I mean, we have so much life, and the planet is stunning from afar,” Calisto coughs, mumbling, “as if you even looked back when we explore…” To her surprise, she turned to see the lithe pink Lumplen by her side glaring at her tail— on the ground. Could she be paying attention to her surroundings now?

Diane’s silence broke, “it IS really colorful and pretty. Planet names are hard. Can’t we ask someone else?!”

“Darling,” the orange Lumplen signalized for Diane to climb on her back. The kitten did exactly that. One of the many gestures Calisto’s parents taught to show affection, that was. “There is nobody else here. This planet is special to us. Our own. Isn’t it great?”

Diane anxiously shifted. Calisto went on, “but we aren’t alone at all. The sparkles, bugs, trees, everything. And I’m here with you.”

True. The sky was always there, the ground, every other star filled with life and wonder. Not even the universe shall feel lonely. Calisto was never touched by a pang of solitude since she found Diane. Diane never had to meet loneliness.

“Then how about… Ioria? Like iris? Iris is the colorful part of the eye, right?” Diane mewed.

The cogs in Calisto’s head halted a bit to turn again. Diane did not listen. Though, afterwards she guessed her words weren’t in vain, either. Someone, something, somewhere, may have heard her talk, too. “Yes it is, and what a wonderful name, love,” a smile broke through her teeth.

.

..

…

“Is that a Lumplen?”

Linux blinked emotionlessly upon spotting a pair of tails in that eye-straining floating rock. Did it have a name yet?

.

..

…

Meanwhile, Cosmo could barely contain her tears. They got flung as soon as they detached from her eyes— what an unstable atmosphere she caused Ioria to have! It seemed like the reign of anxiety had ended, to see other of her kind settling in her home. They were, in fact, not the first. You can say they were late by a couple billion years. Despite that, Cosmo has no wish in revealing her coat to any of them. They don’t have to know.

Once again, the vegetation engulfed the rainbow Lumplen entirely, who was now to continue tending to her everything— Ioria. The wind sang its farewell.

[appleschloss]

I love this story so much <33 glad you had time to submit!

Congrats! You got 2nd place!