Submission (#1353) Approved

The sun was high, casting glitter across the pond’s surface like it always did, but something about that day felt different. She could feel it in her tail, in the way the breeze carried the scent of salt and something bright, like citrus and stardust.

That’s when she saw him—bounding along the path just beyond the mossy stones, paws seeming to barely touching the ground, fur rippling in golden hues and cool blues like waves meeting sand.

His mane was tied in loops and braids, and beads clacked softly as he moved, jingling like tiny bells. Two striped horns glinted in the sun, and his grin looked like it could split the clouds.

Yuki blinked. Her own reflection rippled in the water as her heart gave an excited flutter.

“Who… is that?”

The stranger bounded right past her before skidding to a dramatic stop, his back legs flinging up little tufts of soil. He turned, nose twitching, electric-blue eyes narrowing in on her.

“Hey!” he shouted, as if they were already in the middle of a game. “Did you see the frogs in the river? They’re HUGE today. I swear one tried to eat my braid.”

Yuki’s ears twitched in confusion.

“I—what? No?”

He tilted his head. “Oh. You’re new. Or I’m new. Or we’re new.”

He squinted at her like trying to solve a puzzle, and Yuki giggled despite herself.

“…I’m Yuki,” she said softly, brushing her tail against the grass. “And I think you’re definitely new.”

The other crederian grinned so wide it made Yuki’s chest flutter with nervous delight.

“Kai!” he beamed. “Well, Yuki, nice to meet you. Wanna go see the frogs with me?”

Just like that?

Yuki hesitated. She wasn’t sure how to make friends. She had never tried before. What if she said the wrong thing? But Kai was already bouncing toward the glade again, tail waving like a banner.

She took a deep breath and followed.

The river was a buzz of life—buzzbugs drifted lazily in the sunbeams, and, true to Kai’s word, the frogs were enormous. One let out a belch so loud it echoed like a drum, and Yuki burst into laughter.

Kai hopped beside her, mimicking the frog’s croak with exaggerated flair. He was loud and silly and full of stories about things that may or may not have actually happened. Yuki listened in awe.

But it wasn’t until they came to the river’s edge that things really changed.

Kai tried to jump across a set of slippery stones and immediately slipped.

Splash.

Yuki squeaked and ran to the edge—only to see him pop up with his mane plastered over one eye and a grin still plastered across his face.

“…That,” he said dramatically, “was a test. To see if the water was cold. It is.”

Yuki giggled and reached out with a small ribbon of Okwi magic, her pearls glowing faintly as she gently lifted a swirl of water from around him, drying his fur.

Kai blinked, eyes wide with wonder. “Whoa. That was so cool.”

Yuki blushed. “It’s just a little magic.”

“It’s your magic,” he said, grinning. “Can you teach me?”

Yuki’s heart leapt. No one had ever asked to learn from her before. She nodded, eyes shining. “Only if you teach me how to make those twisty braids.”

Kai beamed. “Deal.”

That evening, the two sat side by side in the tall grass, swapping stories and snacks.
And in that moment, under the slowly setting sun, Yuki realized something:
She hadn’t just made a friend—
She’d made a ripple in her world.

Reward	Amount
✨ Coins	7