Sparkle was a tiny firefly with a very important job: making sure everyone in Sunny Meadow had sweet dreams. She zipped and zoomed, lighting up flowers and whispering goodnights to sleepy bunnies. But tonight, she noticed a shadow much larger than usual. It was Cinder, a young dragon, and he wasn’t sleeping at all. He was huddled under a willow tree, looking very glum.
“What’s wrong, Cinder?” Sparkle asked, her light blinking with concern. Cinder sighed, a puff of smoke curling from his nostrils. “I… I don’t like bedtime,” he mumbled. “It’s too dark. And quiet. And I worry about… well, everything!”
Sparkle had never met a dragon afraid of the dark! Dragons were supposed to be brave and strong. But she knew everyone felt scared sometimes. “But Cinder,” she said gently, “you *are* a dragon! You can make your own light!”
Cinder shook his head. “I can breathe fire, yes, but it’s… too bright. It scares the little glow-worms. And it doesn’t feel cozy.” He tried to puff out a tiny flame, but it flickered and died. He felt even more discouraged.
Sparkle thought for a moment. “Maybe you don’t need a big, bright fire,” she suggested. “Maybe you need a gentle glow, like mine.” She flew closer, her light illuminating Cinder’s scales. “Close your eyes,” she instructed. Cinder hesitantly obeyed.
Sparkle began to fly in slow circles around Cinder’s head, her light creating a soft, swirling pattern. “Imagine your scales are collecting my light,” she whispered. “Imagine it warming you, calming you, making you feel safe.”
Cinder concentrated. He imagined Sparkle’s light sinking into his scales, turning them a warm, golden color. He felt a strange sensation, a gentle tingling all over his body. He slowly opened his eyes. He wasn’t breathing fire, but his scales *were* glowing! A soft, warm, golden light emanated from him, not too bright, not too dim – just perfect.
“Wow!” Cinder exclaimed, looking at his glowing scales with amazement. “I… I did it! I’m glowing!” He wasn’t scared anymore. The darkness didn’t seem so frightening when he could create his own comforting light.
“You see?” Sparkle said with a cheerful blink. “You are brave and strong, Cinder. And you are special. You don’t need to be like other dragons. You can be a glowing dragon!”
Cinder smiled, a genuine, happy smile. He curled up under the willow tree, his golden glow illuminating the leaves. “Thank you, Sparkle,” he said sleepily. “You helped me find my own way to shine.”
Sparkle zipped around him one last time, making sure he was comfortable. “Sweet dreams, Cinder,” she whispered. “And remember, even dragons need a little help sometimes.” She then flew off to light up the dreams of everyone else in Sunny Meadow, knowing that Cinder would have a peaceful, glowing sleep. And from that night on, Cinder wasn’t afraid of bedtime anymore. He knew that even in the darkness, he could always find his own light.