Chapter 12: The World of Luma

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The air on the new planet smelled like candy clouds and fresh leaves. Everything shimmered as if dusted with glitter. The friends decided to name the planet Luma, because it seemed to glow from inside.

They started to explore.

Porcupine was the first to notice that the grass made soft musical notes when you stepped on it. Every step went ping, pong, ting. Soon they were dancing through the meadows, laughing and creating songs with their feet.

Skunk found a tree that whispered when the wind blew through it. “Hello,” it murmured softly. “Who are you?”

“I’m Skunk,” he said, jumping back. “Did you just… talk?”

“I whisper, not talk,” the tree corrected politely.

“Same thing,” Skunk muttered, and ran back to tell the others.

Meanwhile, Hedgehog discovered floating stones that let you jump from one to another like trampolines. He bounced so high he almost did a somersault in the air!

Puffer Fish stayed in her rolling dome of water, which floated gently over the ground like it was riding a cushion of air. “This place is amazing! It’s like Earth, the ocean, and a dream all mixed into one.”

Then, they found the Glow Falls—a waterfall that shimmered in all colors of the rainbow. But instead of water, it flowed with something thicker—like glowing jelly. They dipped their paws, fins, and noses in it. It was warm and soft, and it made their skin sparkle for hours.

As they moved deeper into Luma, they saw more strange and beautiful things:

• A forest where every tree had glowing fruit, and when you bit into it, it changed your voice for a few minutes (Porcupine had a singing voice like a pop star for a while).
• A hill where gravity went sideways, and they had to crawl like crabs to climb it.
• A river that flowed up, instead of down, carrying leaves and tiny fish into the sky.

Everywhere they went, the land welcomed them. It was like Luma was happy to have visitors.

That night, they made a camp under a starflower tree that lit up when they laughed. They looked up at the sky, where Earth and Mars twinkled like small, distant fireflies.

“Do you think we’re the first creatures to ever live here?” Hedgehog asked.

“Maybe,” Porcupine said. “Or maybe Luma was waiting for the right friends to arrive.”

“I think,” Skunk said, “this place might be magic.”

Puffer Fish spun in her tank. “And it’s ours now.”

They smiled, watching fireflies paint pictures in the sky. For the first time in a long time, they weren’t running, hiding, or planning an escape.

They were home.

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