OTAKO-TAN
There was once a tiny octopus at the bottom of the sea.
For as long as it could remember, it had been alone.
It called and called into the darkness, but as many time as it did- only silence answered.
For ages it wandered, never encountering another soul.
Until one day, it saw a glimmer in the distance.
A tiny red stone tucked into the sand, cut into a sharp point.
The octopus took the tiny red stone into its arms, pulling it close it heard it speak:
"Take me to the surface, and We will grant you the wish of your heart."
And so the little octopus swam, up and up with the rock cradled in its arms.
As swam it could feel the stone shaking and shivering, quivering in its excitement.
The little octopus quivered with it, the memory of the rock's voice filling it with joy.
Finally, finally not alone!
Once they reached the surface it would never be alone ever again.
It lifted the stone in its little tentacles to raise the stone out of the waves and into air above.
"Yes!" The rock exclaimed, "Thank you little octopus, for setting Us free. We will now give the wish of your heart to thee."
The tiny octopus could only stare at the surface as the stone ascended and grew, the sky above swirling red and purple and blue.
The lights from the stone reached out with its cold hands and scooped the little octopus from the ocean.
It opened its giant maw and swallowed the little octopus whole.
"Little octopus how you searched and searched, with a loneliness that was never cured.
On this day we have granted the wish of your heart, for from us you will never part."
