Everlee was a little ballerina in the BioDome. The BioDome was warm and round. It had green trees, pink ponds, soft moss, and bright windows high above.
Every morning, Everlee put on her blue shoes. Tap, tap, tap! She danced beside her best friend, Flower.
Flower was not just any flower. Flower had a sunny yellow face and five purple petals. When Flower was happy, the petals wiggled. Wiggle, wiggle!
“One, two, twirl!” said Everlee.
“One, two, wiggle!” said Flower.
Then, one day, the BioDome became gray.
The red berries were gray. The blue pond was gray. Even Flower’s purple petals were gray.
“Oh,” said Flower softly. “I do not feel shiny.”
Everlee gave Flower a gentle hug. “We will find the colors.”
From behind a tall fern came Witch. Witch wore a big hat and held a tiny silver spoon.
“I mixed a gloomy soup,” said Witch. “Plop! It made the colors hide. I did not mean to make everyone sad.”
Everlee was a little scared. But she stood tall in her blue shoes.
“Can we help?” she asked.
Witch blinked. “You want to help me?”
“Yes,” said Everlee. “Flower needs purple again.”
Witch pointed to three little doors in the BioDome. “Bring me a red berry, a blue drop, and a golden leaf. Then we can make a color song.”
Everlee and Flower went to the berry door first. A sleepy snail sat in front of it.
“Please move,” said Everlee.
“I am looking for breakfast,” said Snail.
Flower found a tiny green leaf. “For you!”
“Munch, munch. Thank you!” said Snail. He moved aside.
Behind the door was one red berry. Everlee picked it carefully. “Red!”
At the blue-drop door, a little frog was crying.
“My ball rolled into the pond,” he said.
Everlee did a brave tiptoe dance. Tiptoe, tiptoe, splash! She reached the ball with her long ribbon.
“Ribbit! My blue ball!” said Frog.
A blue drop jumped from the pond and landed in Everlee’s cup. “Blue!”
At the golden-leaf door, the wind blew hard. Whoosh, whoosh!
Flower bent low. Everlee held Flower’s stem. Together, they were strong.
A golden leaf floated down. Plip! It landed on Flower’s head.
“Golden!” laughed Flower.
Back at the fern, Witch put the berry, the drop, and the leaf into her little pot.
“Now we need a dance,” said Witch.
Everlee took Flower’s leaf-hand. “One, two, twirl!”
Flower wiggled. “One, two, wiggle!”
Witch tapped her spoon. “Clink, clink, color!”
Red flew to the berries. Blue flew to the pond. Purple flew to Flower’s petals. Green, orange, pink, and gold zipped all around the BioDome.
The BioDome sparkled again.
Witch smiled. “I will make happy soup next time. With apple bits.”
Flower’s petals wiggled faster than ever. “Look, Everlee!”
On the moss was a small treasure box. Inside were rainbow ballet shoes, with tiny shining stars.
“They are for you,” said Witch. “For your kind, brave dance.”
Everlee put them on. Tap, tap, sparkle!
She danced with Flower under the bright BioDome windows. And every color danced too.
“One, two, twirl!” said Everlee.
“One, two, wiggle!” said Flower.
And nobody was gray anymore.