In the Valley of the Sun, Fifi, Mia, and Gustav meet under their favourite daisy. Then a strange glowing ball appears, and each friend feels something different.
In the Valley of the Sun, flowers opened wide in the morning light, birds trilled from the branches, and the little animals scampered through the grass. Fifi the bunny loved the fragrant meadow, Mia the mouse darted through the forest raspberries, and Gustav the owl watched everything from the old oak tree.
Every morning, they met under a big yellow daisy. It was their special place. Today, Mia arrived first, spinning with laughter. Fifi stopped short when he saw the bright new pebble tucked beside her paw. It was shiny. It was lovely. And nobody had looked at his pebble yet.
Gustav came down from the oak tree a little more slowly than usual. He was supposed to lead the game today, and his wings felt prickly with worry. He tried to smile anyway.
Then they heard it.
A soft rustle came from the bushes near the daisy. Mia froze. Fifi leaned closer. Gustav lifted his head. The leaves shook once more, and a tiny glow slipped out from the green shadows.
It was a ball of light, no bigger than a plum. It floated just above the grass, turning and turning, silver and gold and blue all at once. The three friends stared. Mia’s ears twitched. Fifi’s nose quivered. Gustav felt his wings go very still.
The glowing ball drifted nearer, brighter and brighter, until tiny sparks flickered inside it like stars waking up. Nobody knew what it was.
And then it began to move toward them.