The reef sparkled with color. Rainbow Fish swam past a school of blue tangs, his scales flashing like diamond shards.
He tried to hug a blue tang. It darted away from his sharp glitter.
The water felt cold and empty around him.
An old squid drifted close. 'Beauty shines brightest when it is shared,' she whispered, pointing at a dull rock.
Rainbow Fish frowned, looking down at his shiny armor.
He took a deep breath and pulled hard on a single silver scale.
It popped loose with a loud *ping*, floating toward a lonely hermit crab.
The crab caught the scale, and its shell suddenly glowed with soft light.
He kept pulling scales, handing one to a shy seahorse.
And one to a grumpy starfish.
Each one sparkled, and the reef filled with happy bubbles and laughter.
Rainbow Fish swam among his friends, no longer alone, surrounded by warmth and light.