Gentle Green

Chapter One

"Love makes the impossible possible." - Indian proverb

The soft strains of an ancient lullaby, passed down from generation to generation, echoed against the brick walls of a warm, basement-level kitchen. The clink of delicate dishes being washed in a tub of water accentuated every bar of melody. In the background, burning firewood crackled inside the bowels of an oven.

Of the three sounds, the clinking was the first to stop. The squeak of fabric on ceramic replaced it as two hands started wiping the newly rinsed china. Slim, elegant fingers and palms that smelled of citrus soap worked diligently to dry them.

When all the dishes had been cleaned and dried, the same hands stacked them back inside the cupboards.

As the last plate touched the stack it belonged to, a chirrup interrupted the pleasant lullaby. A small, feathery head with two pairs of blue, beady eyes popped out from behind one of the cupboard doors. The rest of the feather-headed creature's eight-legged body, covered in downy blue and indigo fuzz, came into view as it crawled onto the cupboard shelf.

"There you are, Po! I was wondering where you'd gone."

The fuzzy creature, whose long, ribbon-like tongue unfurled for a moment before curling back into its mouth, chirped at its human. Then it spread the membranes between its limbs and glided off the shelf. It landed on the checker-patterned sleeve covering its person's round, relaxed shoulder.

"I'm all finished now. Should we head back up to the bar together?"

Little purrs escaped the antula's muzzle as it cuddled into its human's slender neck.

The human smiled at her pet's adorable antics.

She had raised her faithful companion since the day it hatched out of its spotty egg. It never left her side unless something interesting happened to catch its attention. It would always come back to her, though.

Now that they were once again reunited for the night, the human and her companion left the kitchen together. They ascended the metal steps of an intricate, winding staircase to the ground floor. They emerged behind the wood-topped bar of the only traveler's inn in Alola.

Here, no noise from the oven below could be heard. Instead, the giggles of three young ladies seated at the round table nearest the front window dominated the bar. They had smiles on their faces and excited gleams in their eyes.

"Are you finally done working, Sua?" The girl with braided brown hair waved her over. She leaned heavily onto the table, wrinkling the bodice of her pink dress against the linen tablecloth. "We've been waiting for ages."

"I don't think I was gone for that long," Sua replied as she carefully lifted her antula from her shoulder and allowed it to explore the wooden countertop. "What are you in a hurry to tell me about anyway? Is it that important, Guyaba?"

Another girl from the group turned in her seat and motioned for Sua to make haste.

"Only the most important news you'll hear tonight." She pushed back her wavy curls, revealing the freckles that graced her soft cheeks. "It'll beat whatever gossip the old crone down the road will have harped about by tomorrow morning."

The third member of their gathering lightly slapped her freckled friend's hand.

"Now that's not a very nice thing to say, Batani." Her frosty blue eyes rolled as she scolded the other girl. "Nana Aba's only two years older than your own mother."

"Are we here to talk about something important," Sua interjected, "or are we here to discuss the ages of every living woman in Alola? Because if it's the second, I'd rather head to my room and rest up for the night. Spirits only know how many people will be pouring through the door for breakfast tomorrow morning."