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Mila loved her rainbow reef. But while others explored, she stayed close to her cozy shell. New places made her tummy flutter.
The reef’s colors were fading! ‘The Rainbow Pearl has drifted back to its garden,’ said Pip. ‘Its light can help our home shine again.
I’m scared,’ Mila whispered. ‘We can go slowly,’ said Pip. Mila took a breath and swished her tail. One small step.
Swish, swish! Something whispered nearby. Mila stopped. Then she looked closely. It was only kelp, dancing in the gentle water.
Beyond the kelp, Nori the turtle peered beneath a fallen branch. ‘That gap is too small for my shell,’ he sighed. ‘I’ll help you find another way,’ said Mila.
Mila spotted a wide path around the rock. ‘This way, Nori!’ Soon, he was swimming freely. ‘Thank you!’ he cheered. Mila’s smile grew.
A bubble tunnel led to the Rainbow Garden. Mila’s tummy fluttered again. ‘Will you stay beside me?’ she asked. ‘Of course,’ said her friends.
At last, the Rainbow Garden shimmered before them. In a blush-pink shell rested the pearl, glowing with every color that Mila’s home had lost.
Mila reached forward and gently lifted the pearl. Warm rainbow light danced across her hands. ‘I did it,’ she whispered. ‘One small step at a time.
On the way home, Mila recognized the tunnel and the dancing kelp. ‘I know this path!’ she said. This time, she led the way.
Mila lowered the pearl into its shell. A ribbon of rainbow light rippled through the water. Pink, yellow, green—the reef’s colors were coming home!
Mila beamed. She had felt afraid—and taken small steps anyway. ‘Tomorrow,’ she told her friends, ‘let’s explore a little farther.
“Take one small step, even when you feel afraid”