Windy Hollow was glowing with spring blossoms, and Elia wandered the forest path with a basket of wildflowers. Just as she rounded a bend near the Crystal Glade, she spotted something strange—a trail of tiny glittering hoofprints that suddenly stopped.

Curious, Elia tiptoed through the bushes and gasped.

There, curled beside a quiet pond, lay a beautiful young unicorn. Her coat shimmered faintly, but her horn—once bright, was dull and gray.

“Are you okay?” Elia asked softly.

The unicorn looked up, eyes full of tears. “I’m Starla. I used to sparkle… but now I don’t.”

The Fading Light

Elia sat beside her. “What happened?”

“I don’t know,” Starla sniffled. “One day, my horn just stopped glowing. I tried twirling and galloping and wishing on stars, but nothing worked. What if I’m not special anymore?”

Elia tilted her head. “Do you have to sparkle to be special?”

Starla blinked. “I’m a unicorn. Isn’t that the only reason people believe in me?”

Elia smiled gently. “I believe in you because you’re kind and brave. Maybe your magic isn’t gone, it’s just hiding.”

The Star Path

Later that week, Starla and Elia made a “star path” through the woods: painted stones led to a clearing filled with their creations. Curious creatures came from all around—foxes, owls, even a shy gnome.

They marveled at the colors and sounds.

“This is beautiful,” whispered a little sprite.

“Who made this?” asked a deer.

Starla stepped forward. Her horn shimmered gently in the dusk. “We did. Together.”

Cheers and laughter filled the glade. Starla smiled, her eyes shining brighter than her horn ever had.