Whew! Chapter one is here! Not a whole lot of action in this one, but enjoy seeing Young Adult Meta interacting with a sane person and a maniac.

Chapter One: Not Quite Romeo and Juliet

"Every girl has this male friend who is just a friend, but the whole universe thinks he is not just a friend." - Unknown

You know what makes for a good morning? Clear skies, a temperature that's warm but not too warm, and a good harvest. And, that's exactly what nature has given us. I pull my straw hat tighter on my head and carry my basket out to the field, wondering where I should start.

The chi-chi peppers have grown much larger than they usually do, which is pretty impressive, considering how this the end of their season. They're also a nice, neutral blue, which means that they're just spicy enough.

Then again, maximatos are well-known for their healing properties, so perhaps those should be a priority.

Then again...nectarberries are a personal favorite of mine. My mother hates them because of how sweet they are, but I confess that anything overwhelmingly sweet has always been a bit of a guilty pleasure for me.

I could fly up to the butter tree and pick some of its fruits, but they're pretty soft and I always manage to squeeze them too hard.

And, that's just the tip of the wingspan. So many fruits and vegetables, so little time. There's just something fun and rewarding about growing your own food. Sure, Mom and I sell our produce at the farmers' market, but we don't sell all of it. And, honestly, freshly grown food just tastes better somehow.

The life of a farmer is a fairly simple one, but it's mine.

My feathery wings shiver slightly in excitement. This has to be the best harvest in years! I turn back to the open door of our cottage. "Hurry up, Mom!" I call.

I don't wait for her before rushing to the nearest crop: nectarberries. The small, pink berries are so ripe and so...tempting. I pluck one off the bush and pop it in my mouth. The soft, almost fuzzy skin tickles the roof of the mouth. Then I bite down, letting the sweet, sweet juices coat my tongue. I allow myself the tiniest of moans before swallowing and plucking more berries, this time putting them in the basket. Well, most of them.

"Don't eat them all, Meta," my mother scolds playfully. She knows me too well.

Like the...obedient young man that I am, I turn around and smile innocently at her. She smiles and rolls her eyes from where she's standing in the butter tree. As butterflies flutter about the treetop, she continues picking its fruits and putting them in her own basket as she says to me, "You've had your wings for three months now, son. That means you can stop acting like a child."

"Okay," I tell her, knowing full well that my eyes likely turned pink at that comment. "I'll do that just as soon as you stop hoarding all my old baby stuff."

She pouts. "You're still a baby to me."

"I'm an adult, Mom. I have wings, and you have a problem."

At first glance, you probably wouldn't know my mother and I were related. I'm dark blue with purple feet, she's dark purple with orange feet. I have silver, feathery wings, she has brown, moth-like wings. I'm bald, she has wavy, black hair- Okay, the hair-thing is just the difference in our genders, but even so. The only real similarity in our appearance is our matching pink cheek marks and yellow eyes, and I'm the one with the rainbow iris (or the eyes-that-change-color-with-your-mood-for-some-reason) gene. Seems to me that I got my personality from my mother and my looks and eye genetics from my father. Of course, I only know that from pictures. Dad died of Star Sickness when I was a baby, so I don't really remember him.

As Mom and I continue gathering our crops, my mind wanders to the farmer's market. We would be heading down there this afternoon to sell our wares and perhaps purchase someone else's. Nothing unusual in itself, but today is different. Tonight is the Children's Festival, the most important time of the year, and the Stars know that the market will be busier because of it.

As predicted, the farmer's market is bustling with activity. Pufflings from all over the village come here for food and whatever else they can find. Rainstein appears to be showing off the wood carvings he made, but I am quite certain that he's actually just flirting with Lillie. (I find myself wondering when Lillie will get a clue.) Aleeshia and Tones are trying to keep their son from stealing candy from the stand next to them. Travelers are trying to bargain with whoever they can. Typical farmer's market things.

So far, Mom and I are making a nice profit on our crops. Though, we seem to be mysteriously low on nectarberries. Not that I would know anything about that… Eh, not many people buy them anyway. Someone has to eat them, right?

Just as Mom is reprimanding me for my snacking, I hear someone calling me. And, by "calling me," I mean that there is a person screaming my name and shoving people aside to get to me quicker. Despite her...vibrant personality, everything about her physical appearance is extremely pale. Her pink skin, her white feet and cheek marks, her sandy hair, her creamy yellow cape, even her eyes are a milky blue. As if her screaming and flailing didn't make her stand out enough.

She pushes a potential buyer out of the way, slams her hands on the table in front of me, and grins at me, her pale eyes wide and excited. "Meta, you need to see this!"

I raise my brow at her antics. Urilia may be my best friend, but that doesn't mean she gets special treatment. I clear my throat and address her using my salesman voice. "Forgive me, Miss, but I'm helping someone else right now. But," I raise a hand to my baffled mother next to me, "I am certain that my colleague would be more than happy to assist you."

"Uh, no. You...handle that." Mom says awkwardly. It's not that she doesn't like Urilia (I think); she just...doesn't know how to handle my friend. Can't say I blame her. "As for you, sir," she addresses the confused buyer and leads him away from us, "why don't I help you out over here. Sorry about my son's friend."

As I sigh and pinch between my eyes, Urilia waves at my mother. "Hi, Hirsho!" Then she slams down on the table again. "Meta, you need to see this!"

I roll my eyes and fight the smile that's trying to pull at my mouth. Polar opposites in every way except species, yet we've been close since we were still saying "poyo." Sometimes I wonder how we've managed to be such great friends for so long. I also wonder how her own mothers haven't been driven insane at this point. "Very well, Urilia," I say, knowing I'll just end up giving in to the madness whether I want to or not. It's the dance we do. "What stupid thing do you plan on dragging me into this time?"

Urilia tilts her heads and pouts, her long bangs flying over her eyes. I'm not sure if she's trying to grow out her bangs or if she simply needs a haircut. "C'mon, Meta. This is cool." I place one hand on my side and twirl my other hand in front of me, silently asking her to continue her tirade. She smiles again, showing off those pearly whites of hers, and claps her hands. "Okay. So, do you know anything about the crazy building?"

This peaks my interest, as I have seen alien workers on the outskirts of the village. "A...building, you say. Is that what's been going on out there?"

Urilia nods. "Yep. Looks like it's almost finished. Wanna go check it out?"

Over the past week, I have been hearing sounds of construction foreign to my Lightstarian hearing. From a distance, I would see strange machinery that I couldn't put a name to, silhouettes that did not look like those of the puffling race. I have asked around, but no one else seems to know anything about it either. While I have learned long ago to not question the ways of the alien travelers that occasionally arrive on my beloved planet, my curiosity is most certainly piqued. Trespassing is frowned upon no matter where you go, but nothing says we can't get a bit closer. Just to make sure that nothing...untoward is happening, yes?

My mind made up, I nod. "Very well, my friend. But, let's wait until later." I spread out my arms, indicating the crowd around us. "Business is, as they say, booming at the moment. It wouldn't be proper to leave my mother alone with the crowd. The Stars know how wild it gets this time of year."

Urilia pouts again, but she knows that arguing with me would be a wasted effort. "Alright." She points accusingly at me. "But, if we miss the Children's Festival because you insisted we wait, it's your fault."

I waved dismissively. "Yes, yes, whatever. Now run along, and I'll see you when the market closes."

Three guesses as to what all that alien stuff is about. I feel like it's both obvious and not obvious. I don't know. Review!