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Gillion had always been told about the stars and taught their importance to his people— how they influenced his destiny, the prophecy, and just overall undersea life. Even though he had been told everything about them, he had never actually seen stars in person before. He had spent his entire life in the northernmost ocean of Mana, never going up to the surface to see them himself. Until he was exiled, of course. He had spent countless days just drifting in the ocean, no specific destination in mind. Where would he go? He had to leave his whole life behind. Gillion had no place to call home outside of the palace.
That was until the day he met them.
He had been drifting as usual when he decided to peak above the water. The sun hit his eyes, temporarily blinding him as he squinted in response. Gillion shielded his eyes, looking around. There was water in all directions— and one small, wooden boat with two figures on it. Gillion had taken immediate notice, and darted back under the water as he swam over to the boat. He could hear a faint conversation, and he stuck his eyes above the water to see. There were two humans on the boat, one man with short, brown hair, and one woman, with fiery orange hair. Gillion looked between the two of them, trying not to be noticed. But, I mean, it was hard not to notice him. There was nothing but water everywhere, and he was the only thing that wasn’t, besides the boat and the two people themselves. The man was the first to spot Gillion, and he called the woman over.
“Jay, come get a look at this!”
The woman, presumably Jay, came walking towards the railing. She tilted her head when she saw him.
“Huh. Uh… hello?”
She spoke, both humans looking down at the fish man.
“I am Gillion Tidestrider! Champion of the Undersea, Hero of the Deep, and the Chosen One!”
Gillion declared pridefully, a smile across his face.
“May I come onto your floaty thing?”
He gestured towards the boat, and the man and Jay looked at each other. They exchanged a few various facial expressions, seeming to quietly decide if they should let this random fish stranger onto their boat. The brown haired man shrugs.
“Why not, cmon. I’ve been needing to find more crew members anyway.”
He extended a hand towards Gillion, which Gillion gladly accepted. He pulled the fish man up, helping him get onto the boat. Gillion had a bit of trouble standing, not used to being out of the water and having to actually walk. He got the hang of it quickly though.
“So, Gillion, right?”
The man crossed his arms, leaning on the railing. Gillion nodded.
“Champion of the Undersea, Hero of the Deep, and the Chosen One!”
Gillion put his hands on his hips.
“Oookay then… Well, I’m Chip, and this is Jay. Welcome to the crew!”
Chip gestured towards himself and Jay, Jay letting out a soft sigh.
———
The three had spent the rest of the day getting to know each other— well, Gillion, as Chip and Jay had already become acquainted with each other, having been at sea for a week or two at that point. Gillion told them about the prophecy and his destiny, telling them about how it was “his destiny” to meet them both. The trio let the day pass, filling their time with pointless banter. Eventually, night started to roll around.
Jay was busy fixing up her bow, and Chip was talking to Gillion. Gillion had been in the middle of speaking when he finally noticed the night sky. When he looked at the sky, he saw millions of small dots, and noticed many familiar constellations. It looked so ethereal, so majestic. He had never seen anything like it before. Sure, his Grandpeepaw had told him about his adventures to the surface and the things he had seen before he disappeared, but Gillion always remembered being told about seeing the stars for the first time. “Nothing compares to it, Gill,” he always said, “you’ll never see another thing like it.” So, when Gillion finally laid eyes on them, he was in awe.
“Uh… Gillion?”
Chip raised an eyebrow, and he gave Gill a confused look.
“Oh, sorry… I spaced out. Are.. are those always there during the night?”
Gillion had a look of clear astonishment on his face, admiring the stars. Chip was still a little confused.
“Yeah. Have you never seen the stars before?”
Chip had let out a little chuckle before speaking. Gill nodded, and he smiled at Chip.
“Mhm. I’ve spent my entire life living under the sea, so I’ve never gotten to see the stars. They’re beautiful.”
The two kept talking about the stars for a while, and Jay eventually joined them. Gillion taught them about the stars, what they represent, and various different constellations. He pointed out his favorite constellations, giving the two humans backstories on each of them. Jay asked a few questions, and the fish man provided her with sufficient, detailed answers. The trio talked about the stars late into the night, and eventually the sounds of their voices died out.
The waves were the only sound filling the trio’s ears. It was quite calming, really. The background noise of the waves and the beautiful stars on display in front of them made for a tranquil environment, leaving them to await for their upcoming adventures.