Worldwide Secrets - The Rewrite

2: Hawai'ian Secrets

When the Ancients left, the projector whirred to life and a remote appeared next to it. As promised, the doorway to the kitchen opened up as well. The screen lit up with a list of information for the nations that went as follows:

1) Everyone must be present before the memories can start
2) The memories will pause whenever multiple people are speaking or when someone leaves
3) There will be a minute pause after each memory for the witnesses to process it.
4) The memories will start at 9:30 am and stop from 1:00 to 2:00 for lunch, and 7:00 to 8:00 for supper.

The nations read over this before Denmark grabs the remote.

"Let's get this show on the road!" The Nordic exclaims, using the American phrase with gusto.

The remote is promptly taken from him by Sweden, making Denmark pout, but he doesn't try to take it back. Sweden looks over at the other forty or so nations gathered and, seeing nods and gestures for him to get on with it, he presses play. The projection flickers before beginning to show a scene. 

There's a little girl, a young Hawai'I, sitting alone on an island.

"This is not my land," she says to herself quietly. She knows right away that she is a nation, a personification of a land and people. It's something nations know innately

She stands, beginning to walk in a specific direction, as if she is following a line only she can see. She walks for a few hours, if the changing position of the sun is any indication. Finally, she comes along a village. She enters it, stopping a woman to ask for help.

"Where am I?" She asks, but the human looks at her oddly. She doesn't understand Hawai'I. She tells the young personification as much, and Hawaii understands her, but for some reason she can't understand Hawai'I. Hawai'I shakes her head and walks away from the woman, following the invisible line. She starts running through the village, but doesn't make it very far before she bumps into someone and is sent to the ground.

"You!" The person she ran into, a young boy her age, gasps. "You're like me!" The language he's speaking isn't like the one the woman was. Instead, it sounds like the one she was speaking.

"You're a nation!" He exclaims proudly. Once Hawai'I gets a good look at him, it becomes obvious that this boy is New Zealand, though his skin and hair are darker than his modern-day appearance. He looks more like the villagers around him.

"Yes, but I don't know where my land is, or where my people are," she tells him.

"That's okay! It happened to me too! I still don't know where my land is yet, but Mama says that I'll find out when my people go there!"

"Who's 'mama'?" She asks curiously.

"This is Mama's island! She takes care of everyone here until they leave! Come on, I'll take you to her!" New Zealand stands up and holds his hand out for Hawai'I to take. She does and he helps her to her feet.

The two walk for a while longer before he leads her into a hut. "Mama's in here," he says, ducking inside and gesturing for her to follow. Inside is a woman dressed like the other women in the village. She has long, dark hair and a wide nose. Hawai'i's eyes widen in adoration.

"I am Anuata, the island of Tahiti," she introduces herself. "Do you have a name young one?" Hawai'i shakes her head 'no'.

"I do!" New Zealand exclaims. "My name is Tane, like the god of forests! Mama says she named me after the god because she found me in a forest!"

"Oh," Hawai'I says softly. "Will you give me a name too?" she asks Tahiti. The older nation nods, and begins to think.

"I will name you Leilani," Tahiti says, reaching out to touch the flower in Hawai'i's hair.