Dawn was approaching, and the light from the rising sun was throwing up pink and orange into the sky just above the horizon.

After a long night, the frogs felt weary but also relieved. The collective had banded together to keep safe during the storm, so a more subdued set of activities was playing out this morning. Some frogs were engaged in early chats, while others sought an extended rest either perched in trees or nestled snuggly among the waterlogged reeds.

Others were up and about as normal. Ruby, with her vibrant red coloring and light green eyes, was determined to continue her early morning ritual of swimming across the pond and back.

The embankment remained soggy, but the water was cool and refreshing. Though calmer now, the delicate water lilies and pads bore the marks of the aerial assault of hail. Ruby plunged into the pond and began her graceful movement upon the surface, noticing that debris and sediment had clouded up the water more than usual.

This was her quiet time, and she savored the tranquility of the dawn pond. She efficiently reached the other side and began her return journey as the sun started to peak over the horizon, turning up the day’s dimmer switch just a little.

As Ruby again reached the middle of the pond, she decided to switch to backstroke and take in the colors of the fresh sky. Suddenly, she spotted a hungry heron flying overhead and swiftly turned over, diving into the depths to evade its glare. As she descended through the haze of the cloudy pond, she noticed a faint blue glow. Intrigued, she kept diving, and the glow grew brighter, to her surprise.

Upon reaching it, she brushed away some sediment to reveal a radiant object: a diamond-shaped gem as big as herself, too large to retrieve alone. Its blue hue was captivating.

Returning to the surface, Ruby completely forgot about the heron and swam directly back to the bank to share her discovery. Approaching a group of frogs admiring the early morning mist on the hill, Ruby exclaimed, "Hey, I found something! Something is shining on the bottom of the pond."

"Shining?" Dex interjected after hearing the news. "That sounds a bit unusual."

"Yeah, but I can't bring it up by myself. Who's willing to help?" she asked.

A few croaks emerged from the crowd, but most frogs seemed disinterested or were already in sleep mode.

"Come on, you..."

Suddenly, a couple of nimble frogs leaped from a nearby tree branch and landed beside Ruby. With dark eyes and skin, they looked almost identical, except one had remnants of a meal still protruding from their mouth. “Let’s do it,” Zee and Kee said in unison.

“Alright, thanks,” Ruby replied, still amazed by their display of agility.

She led the way back to the middle of the pond and disappeared beneath the surface, with the others following suit. After a few minutes, they resurfaced, grasping the diamond-shaped object that was indeed glowing a light blue. With a concerted effort, they heaved it onto a nearby lily pad and began towing it to shore. A gathering of curious frogs who witnessed the watery salvage had assembled, now eager to assist. Before long, a lively discussion ensued about the mysterious object.

“Is it hot?” came a question from the crowd.

“No, and it’s not cold either,” Ruby confirmed.

“Where did it come from?” another inquired.

“The ground? The sky?” suggested by others.

“Perhaps neither. I suspect it was washed into the pond during the storm,” Dex suggested. “From where, I don’t know.”

“What is it for?” another queried.

The croaking and murmuring continued as splinter discussions erupted everywhere.

“I hope it’s not dangerous.“ a frog from the back said.

“It hasn’t made us feel sick,” Ruby responded. “On the contrary, croaking from my brief experience, it seems to make those close to it feel great.”

Zee and Kee croaked with agreement before performing a synchronized backflip to the crowd's delight.

“Well, what should we do with it?” Dex asked.

“Keep it,” echoed resoundingly from the gathering.

“So, where exactly should we put this… pond light?” Dex inquired.

Looking around, Ruby spotted a hollow in the trunk of the willow that would be perfect. “There!” she pointed. A round of croaks endorsed the proposal.

The Light was ceremoniously carried over and placed within the hollow where all frogs could see it. It was a diamond-shaped object, discovered amidst the pond depths in sediment, that now cast a glow upon the community. No one knew what it was, its origin, or its purpose. However, all seemed to agree that it was exceptional.

to be continued…