Mina stood at the edge of the crater playground, watching moon rabbits bounce on springy rocks. She tucked her paws close to her chest and listened to the crunch of lunar dust under her feet. Feeling too small to join, she slipped into the shadows.
Mina hopped toward a group playing star-tag, but her legs wobbled and she tumbled into a patch of soft moss. She pressed herself against a crater wall, ears drooping, as distant laughter echoed. That's when she spotted a dark tunnel winding toward the school.
Mina crept into the tunnel, and suddenly her fur began to glow—a soft, pulsing light that lit the path ahead. She gasped, watching the glow bounce off the rocky walls. It was enough to see all the way to the classroom door.
Mina emerged from the tunnel, her fur blazing like a tiny moon, and the other students cheered and gathered around. She stood tall, her earlier shyness replaced by a quiet pride. The teacher clapped her paws and announced that Mina would guide everyone through the dark tunnel each day.
The next morning, Mina led the class through the tunnel, her glow steady and sure. The students followed in a neat line behind her, their footsteps soft against the tunnel floor. She imagined the starlit classroom waiting for them, and for the first time, she didn't feel small.
One by one, the students filed into the starlit classroom, their silhouettes bright against the glowing entrance. Mina stayed at the doorway a moment longer, looking back at the dark tunnel that now felt like hers. The teacher gave her a warm nod. Each day, each day, she would lead them through.
Mina hopped with confidence, her glow steady and sure, as the students followed in a line behind her. The starlit classroom waited for them, and she knew, she knew, that she belonged.
Mina reached the starlit classroom, her glow steady and sure, as the students gathered around her. She hopped with confidence, feeling the starlit classroom waiting for them. Now she knew she belonged.
