On their journey through the cosmos, the two friends discovered a planet that instantly captivated them. Colorful rainbows, fleeting yet so vivid, cast a mesmerizing display of colors across the landscape. Fascinated by this place, they let the Gordan hover above a mountaintop, taking in the breathtaking view.

  “It’s incredible up here!” Artemis said excitedly. “I used to look up at the mountains, but I never thought that one day I’d be looking down on them from above.”

  After enjoying the view for a while, they decided to explore the surroundings more closely. A narrow path winding among the rocks invited them to descend to the valley below.

  As they reached the foot of the mountain, the air was filled with a delicate scent reminiscent of freshly fallen rain.

  In the distance, they noticed a majestic being approaching them slowly. It was an ancient Niod. It seemed as though it was made from pure water and resembled a long-necked dinosaur. Its movements were fluid and graceful, as though it was in perfect harmony with nature itself.

  The impressive creature stopped before them in a shallow riverbed, introduced itself in a deep voice, and asked, “Did you, too, hear the call of the rainbow?”

  Artemis looked up with a smile. “The rainbows look absolutely magical!” she said enthusiastically. “I’ve often wondered what secrets they hold, but unfortunately, I can’t hear them. Do they have something to teach us about life?” she asked curiously.

  The Niod lifted its head toward the sky, letting its gaze wander across the colorful arcs, and began to speak, as if echoing their words: “Life is a brief, precious moment. Like a raindrop that falls from the sky, enjoying its flight, until it finally lands in a puddle and becomes part of something new.” The huge creature paused for a moment. “Soon, I too will change.”

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  Hearing this, the young turtle thought of the butterfly she had met. “This great creature will change? Will it grow wings, too?” she wondered.

  Helios also remembered an experience from his past and asked with concern, “Will we still be able to learn from you after this change?”

  The Niod closed its eyes, as if in readiness for the event to come. In a gentle voice, it said, “I have learned that it’s best to experience everything for oneself.” No sooner had it spoken these words than it began to dissolve into a fine mist, which the wind carried up into the sky. In the midst of the warm sunbeams, a new rainbow formed above the two friends.

  In silent awe, they watched the display of colors. This rainbow shone more brightly and vividly than any of the others, as if it carried the life force of the Niod within it. Feelings of admiration and loss washed over their hearts.

  Artemis’s mind filled with questions: “Will the creature return one day when the rain falls again? Or will it take on another form? Will it remember meeting us?”

  Helios placed a comforting hand on Artemis’s shell and looked at the spot where the Niod had stood just a moment ago. “I am grateful for the time we had with this remarkable being. I only wish it could have been longer.”

  Then he added cheerfully, “But who knows, maybe we’ll meet it again one day in another form or in another place.”

  Back on the spaceship, they saw that the Kensho stone was shimmering in the colors of a rainbow – a symbol of the eternal cycle of life and the many mysteries it held.

  As Helios leaned back in his seat, preparing the Gordan for their next journey, he said thoughtfully, “So many of our encounters remind me of my father. He often encouraged me to have my own experiences and find my own way. Even though he’s no longer here, he lives on in my memories.”

  Artemis settled into her seat, which had by now perfectly adjusted to her shape, and smiled sympathetically. “He must have meant a lot to you.”

  The Linea nodded. “He gave me the Kensho stone back then and encouraged me to follow my heart, and that’s exactly what I’m doing now.”

  With deep respect for life, the friends continued their journey, determined to discover all that the universe had to offer.