Under the Stars

The journey through the Sea of Stars was going to be a long and harsh one, but Atlas was ready. Waiting for her at the harbor was her grandfather's trusty boat, looked better than ever under the starlight. Not that there wasn't at least one butterfly in her stomach: this would be the first time she drive the boat alone, after all.
"Be careful. The sea can be chaotic this time of year," her grandfather advised.
"I will be, grandpa,"
She hugged her grandfather one last time before she walked down the dock.

The trip went smoothly in the first week. There was no day-light cycle in the Land of Night, which the Sea of Stars was a part of. Instead, the people divided the year based on the movement of the constellations in the sky. One could look up what day and month it was on the handy celestial calendar; but any self-respecting captain, like Atlas, should know the stars by heart. Still, she brought a pocket celestial calendar with her. It gave her some comfort while alone in the sea. For food, she had had a jar of star biscuits - coated with the finest stardust; a jar of pickled star fruits - packed with all of the vitamins a sailor may need; and a jar of glow worms - not to eat, but to be used as baits to catch the plentiful of star fishes in the sea. Next to them, there was also a fourth jar covered by fanciful fabric. No one could see what was inside it.

In the break of the eight day, Atlas caught sign of a shooting star above the horizon. She extended her spyglass and took a closer look. It wasn't just a shooting star, a meteor shower was coming. She pulled up her hood and secured the important luggage on the boat. "Hold on tight!" she shouted as if she had a crew to hear her. It wasn't her first time experience a meteor shower. She remembered looking at her grandfather's back countless times before. Now it was her turn to fight. A big meteor struck the water on her right sign in a white explosion, sending a shock wave through the water. She could hear the smaller fragments hit the boat behind her. She held onto the wheel and rode the waves, keeping the ship balance through the ordeal.

In the ninth day, the meteor shower stopped. She examined the boat: she couldn't continue the trip with it in this condition. She drove it toward a nearby island to get it repaired.
"Atlas! Nice to see you. Send my hello to your grandfather," the shipwright greeted, "Rough day, huh?"
"Yes, but nothing I can't deal with!" Atlas replied, "How is the weather forecast?"
"Shooting stars with a chance of comet, if you continue with the regular route. Driving through the Capricorn zone might be quicker, but you know those greedy goats,"
"I think I might take a chance with that, to make up for the lost time,"
"Well, good luck with that, if you do. And about the repair fee..."
"How about this jar of glow worm? They make great star fish bait,"
"That will do," the shipwright nodded and took the jar.

In the thirteenth day, the boat was good as new and once again set sail for its destination. Atlas reached the Capricorn zone in less than a day. It didn't take long for the first capricorn to show up.
"I shake, shake and shake!" it leaned its hoof on the boat and bleat, "If you don't give me something, I will tip over the boat!"
"Ok, I will give you this delicious biscuit," Atlas took a biscuit from the jar, "Can you let me go through here?"
The capricorn sniffed the biscuit and took a bite, "Biscuit is delicious, you can go!" it said and swam away with the treat.

With more and more capricorns came and asked for biscuits, in the sixteenth day, Atlas found herself with an empty jar. Still, another capricorn hindered her trip. "I shake, shake and shake! If you don't give me something, I will tip over the boat!" it bleat.
"Hey, I recognized you! You're the first capricorn I met. Didn't I already gave you a biscuit?" Atlas said.
"Biscuit is delicious. I want more biscuits," it demanded.
"I'm out of biscuit, the only food I have left is pickled star fruits,"
"What about that other jar?" the capricorn pointed to the covered jar.
"Sorry, you can't have that, it's not edible,"
"Then I will tip over the boat!"
"If you do, I will hit you with this pickled star fruit!" Atlas grabbed a star fruit from the jar.
"I don't like it. Smelly, nose itchy!" the capricorn put his hooves off the boat.
"Then leave, or I will pour this entire jar of pickled star fruit on you!" she bluffed. Atlas still needed food for the return trip so she couldn't possibly threw all of her star fruits away. Luckily, the capricorn believed her. It wailed one last time then disappeared under the waves.

In the twentieth day, Atlas finally saw light at the horizon. She knew she had arrived at the Sunrise Waterfall, where the Sea of Star poured into Earth and transformed into sunlight. She removed the cover from fourth jar. Inside it was hundreds of tiny orbs of light, each one was a wish waiting to be delivered to its owner on Earth.
"Go on, your destination was here," Atlas tapped on the jar.
Feeling the signal, the orbs flew out one by one. After a while, there was still a single orb lingered in the air. 
"Are you afraid?" Atlas asked, her hand touching the orb, "It's alright, you can do it. You know where you need to go,"
The orb flew around her, as if to say goodbye, then followed its siblings.

All of the wishes had been delivered. This trip was another successful one.