"Makuahine?" She didn't look up. Hika speaks a little louder, trying to get her mother's attention. "Makuahine!"

Hi'iaka doesn't budge, still ignoring Hika. Hika sighs and forms a tiny ball of light resembling a tiny star between her cupped palms. Then she sets it down in front of her mother and lets it go into supernova.

Hi'iaka jerks and looks up with her face set in a glare. When she sees that it is Hika, her face softens. "That's a new trick, what is it?"

Hika grins. "I made a tiny star and started its supernova."

"How'd you learn that?"

"'Anakala Lono showed me how. It's very similar to how he makes thunder."

"That's very smart Hika, now what did you need to talk to me about? I'm assuming that's why you blew up a star in my face."

Hika smiles sheepishly. "I was wondering if I could travel. I want to see the rest of our 'ohana."

"I'm confused Hika, what do you mean? You've met the 'ohana."

"No Makuahine, I've met our immediate family, our Hawai'ian 'ohana and our Native American 'ohana. I want to go meet the rest of the ohana, the ones from other cultures. I want to meet our 'ohana holo'oko'a."

"How much do you want to do this, Hika?"

"Very much Makuahine. I love Hawai'i, but I want to go to new places and meet new people."

"Very well, you can go . . ." Hika starts jumping up and down before she can finish speaking, a wide grin upon her face. "Hika!" Hi'iaka speaks sternly but there is a tiny smile on her face. "As I was saying, you can go, but you have to wait for the 'ohana here to see you off, alright? The world is big and dangerous, especially when you can interact with the magical side of it. You mustn't underestimate it."

"Yes, Makuahine."

Hika giddily runs out of the room and down the hall towards her own room. She grabs her honu amulet from the nightstand and moves toward her wall mirror. She stands in front of it and lifts up her honu until it's at eye level. She sends her starlight inside the amulet and watches in the mirror as her hair darkens slowly from bright, glowing gold to a rich, dark brown. She fastens the honu around her neck, the moonstone forming the back of the primarily sunstone turtle glowing faintly with the starlight.

Hika runs out of the house and up the slopes of Hakeakalā. She slows to a stop outside of her aunt's home, the one she's been frequenting as Hika has grown up. Poli'ahu wanted to be close to her niece while she grew, so she moved to Maui instead of remaining in her home on the slopes of Mauna Kea. Hika doesn't really know why Poli'ahu is her favorite aunt, since Hika is a fire demigoddess. Logically, her favorite aunt would be Pele, Goddess Of Volcanoes instead of Poli'ahu, Goddess Of Snow. Pele is her second favorite aunt though. She taught Hika how to bring up magma from deep within the earth using firesticks.

"'Anakē Poli'ahu! Are you there?"

"I'm in the cave!"

Since her aunt's home is right on the slopes of the mountain, she created a cave on the side. The house blocks it from view as you can only get to it from the backyard. Hika calls back to her.

"I'm coming 'Anakē Poliʻahu!" Hika steps into the cave.

It is formed so that there is a large antechamber. In the antechamber, her aunt has essentially installed a living room. There is a fridge, microwave, oven, and other kitchen appliances in one corner. Her aunt also likes to make wintery treats over there. Then there is a couch and armchairs in the middle with a fluffy white rug on the floor and lots of blankets.

There is also a TV, which Hika knows has every movie and TV show available on it. On the other side of the room is a large arch. The arch leads into the sledding tunnel. Next to the arch is a smaller tunnel, which is a path that leads from the bottom of the sledding tunnel all the way back up.

Half of the tunnel floor moves, so you don't have to trek it if you don't want to. The tunnel also has windows shaped into it so you can see the sledding tunnel. Then next to that tunnel is a conveyor belt for the sleds. What can Hika say? Her aunt loves sledding. Her aunt's other home doesn't have the sledding tunnel, the slopes of Mauna Kea get snow in the colder times of the year, but it is very rare that snow comes to Haleakalā.

Hika shakes her head out of her thoughts and plunks down into her favorite armchair after retrieving a glass of ice-cold lemonade. She is halfway through the glass when she can finally hear her aunt coming up the passage. She reaches the chamber and gracefully sits in the armchair beside Hika with a mug of peppermint cocoa. She waits to speak until after Hika finishes her lemonade, not wanting to disturb the comforting silence.

"Do you want to go down, Hika?" Hika looks over at her to see that Poli'ahu is hiding a smirk. Hika's eyes narrow.

"'Anakē Poli'ahu, are you planning something?"

"No, I'm not planning anything Hika."

"Alright then."

Hika still glances at her distrustfully. She grabs her favorite sled and walks over to the sledding tunnel. She places the sled on the snowy path and climbs onto it, making herself comfortable before she starts to lean forward. The sled tips into the slope of the tunnel and begins to move forward, gaining speed as it goes.

As Hika races down the tunnel, she cries out in joy. Her cry echoes back up the tunnel, causing her aunt to laugh when she hears it. Hika stares down the tunnel and watches the ground flit by. When she gets close to the end of the tunnel, she sees something shimmering at the end. Hika squints, frowning to herself, and sees that it is a pool of icy water.

"No, no, no, no!" She frantically tries to pull the sled back and slow down, but she fails miserably. With a large splash, Hika's sled goes into the pool.
——————————————————-–——————-
'Anakē= aunt
'Anakala= uncle
'Akahi= 1, as when you are counting
Makuahine= mother
'Ohana= family
'Ohana holo'oko'a = extended family

What do you think of this first chapter? What do you think of the trick at the end of the tunnel? What's going to happen next? Tell me your thoughts!

Happy reading and I'll see you next chapter!

~ Goddess Of Fate, signing out