Moana in Easter Island

Aloha, makamaka! Moana here back with another post, this time revolving around Easter. (Even though I know it is not Easter anymore.) It's not surprising to hear that I didn't know what Easter meant. I only knew of the place, Easter Island, but I never figured it could be a holiday. But it was, and this year Magneto wanted to be sure that I knew of it. He and I have become good friends since the day he stole my necklace, but I couldn't figure out why. You would think the person who stole your most prized possession for the fun of it would be far from a friend. But he was to me, so much so that we actually did our morning workouts together. On the morning of April 16th, I found myself in the dead-quiet room she lives in alone. I was actually just about to climb, which was his favorite part. Magneto was my belayer, and he loved holding the scarf below me and giving it a little tug every once and a while to see if I could handle the change. Since it was unusual for me to be found in a place without any humans or dolls around, I skipped climbing long enough to grab my oar off the dresser and investigate.

I knew better than to call out for anyone just in case humans were present, so I tiptoed quietly as I could out of the Room She Lives In and down the hallway. However, I didn't make it very far.
"I feel that this is not the first time you had that paddle pointed at me." said a voice from the darkness.
"Gah!" I yelled, jumping back, but only stepping farther forward when I realized who was there. My belayer stood concealed in the shadows of a railing post, baring his teeth and raising his arms to look scary.
"Hey, you scared me!"
"Good!"
I groaned. "What are you doing out here in the hallway? I thought you were going to join me for my morning workout like usual."
"Today I've got something much better than a workout."
I raised an eyebrow as if to say "go on".
Magneto tossed something my way, and I caught it with both hands. I held it like a coconut, but instead it had an oblong shape to it, an egg, maybe, but eggs are usually not this color or size.

"What is this?"
"Your first clue. Have you ever done an Easter egg hunt, Moana?"
I didn't know what he meant. "No."
Magneto feigned surprise. He should have known I was without much experience, being the latest doll to She's collection. "You haven't? It's time we changed that, then. You have thirteen more eggs to find, and they are hidden all around the house."
"Okay," I looked down at the "egg" in my arms. "I didn't think eggs looked like this, though."
"They don't. We painted them to make them look festive. And they will be easier to find. Maybe." Magneto grinned smugly again. He liked that I was confused. "Each egg corresponds to a different doll. Find all the eggs, and you find all of your friends."
I was wondering where everyone was. Turns out they were hiding from me- just like these strange eggs.
"Can you tell who painted the egg you're holding?"
I knew it had to be Olaf with it's orange base and brown sticks design, to mimic the three hairs on his head. "Olaf." I said.
"Very good."
Magneto didn't usually complement me, or anyone. Someone was in a weird mood today. "What's the point?" I asked.
"Does there have to be one?"
"I guess not." I said, trying to keep my voice steady and cool. I didn't want to let Magneto see that I, too, was enjoying this. My legs itched in encouragement to start an adventure.
"Well, you better get moving. The humans may have gone out Easter shopping, but that doesn't mean they won't be home soon. And we wouldn't want them to see any dolls roaming about, would we?"
"That would be bad," I agreed, even though I had always felt that the Code of Dolls was something beyond me. "If they're really thirteen eggs like you said, how am I going to carry all of them?"
"Ah, I almost forgot. Here's your Easter basket." Magneto pulled a large woven basket from out of the shadows. It made me wonder how many things he kept that I couldn't see.

"Thanks." I said, even though my head was spinning with all these new Easter traditions I didn't quite get. But the egg hunt sounded fun at least. And Magneto was right in a way. It sure would beat going up the same chest of drawers over and over again.
"Would you like a hint for where you should start?"
I pretended to be mad, but really I was only excited. "No. I can handle myself, thank you very much."
He did that smug smile again, the kind that looked down on me despite Magneto not even being taller than Pua. "Okay, good luck."
When I had left the upstairs hallway and started my search for the second egg, though, I began to regret my prideful ways. I really could have used something, I don't know, maybe the color of the next egg, or what room it was in, or a game of hot and cold that we play when boredom strikes. Because I was completely and utterly clueless. It's not like I couldn't ask for one now. Magneto was tagging along behind me, enough so that I could still hear him snickering, but also enough so that I had my own space to work. But so far I had gone through three rooms and nothing was working. They must have hidden these eggs well. If only I had a-
"Hint?" Magneto suggested. "Would you like one?"
"No," I said sternly, frowning. "I want to figure this out on my own."
But he coughed anyways, and somehow I knew that was reason enough to stay upstairs for now. Something called me to the guests' room, the one place in the house the humans rarely visited. I crawled under the bed, found nothing, and crawled back out. I went into the bathroom, which was connected to the bedroom, but still nothing.
Magneto coughed again.
"Excuse me, I don't need any help!" I snapped, rolling my eyes, but as soon as they were pointed upwards, my sights caught on another tiny egg.
"Say something about how you don't need any help again?"
I groaned, but tried not to smile. The egg was located at the very top of a chest of drawers, similar to the one I liked to climb in She's room. Since we weren't that far away, I was able to run back to She's room to grab my climbing scarf.

"Hold these, would you?" I tossed my oar and basket down to Magneto on the floor as I looped the scarf around one of the rings and making sure it was nice and tight. I made it to the top in seconds flat, proudly holding the egg in my free hand.

"This one must be Bell's," I commented, noticing the light green color to match her dress and the glittery blue sparkle design to match her personality. "So Dorothy's must not be that far away." Even though I'd only been here a few months, I knew how close the two of them were.
I could have sworn I saw Magneto nod as I thrust open the top drawer, which had been left open wide enough for me to see another egg inside. This one was contained in a woven basket, and it had a creamy white color, with light blue checks all around. It was definitely Dorothy's.

"This isn't so bad." I whistled, tossing each egg so Magneto could catch it in the basket.
"I wouldn't say that. You haven't gotten to the other ones yet."
"True. But how hard can they be?" I said all too confidently.
The next stop was back the way we came, to the upstairs hallway. There was an egg I had missed there before thanks to Magneto blocking my view from it.

The dark blue squares and shimmery silver paint gave way that it was Benny's, but it was the location, the site of the smaller Christmas tree, that made it obvious.
"Should we go back into She's room now?" I asked, pointing my door towards the door.
Magneto shrugged. "I don't know, should we?"
That let me know that I should. Upon returning, I let out a frustrated growl at my previous blindness to two eggs! How could I not have seen two brightly colored Easter eggs while I was climbing earlier?

I went over to Loki's first. He had a green egg with a black Nordic symbol on the front, and was very fittingly set onto She's bookshelf. I had learned by now how much he liked to read- and how good he was at it.

"Loki was pretty smart in hiding his egg." Magneto remarks.

"How so?" I ask, settling myself down on the second shelf so my feet dangled over the side. 

"This collection is one of She's favorites. No wonder he hid it here."

I shook my head. I still didn't understand.

Magneto looked at me through a lowered helmet. "Loki has a massive unrequited crush on She."

"Oh." I said, but I didn't really get why that would constitute Loki putting his egg near She's favorite books. But it was none of my business, so I grabbed the egg and leapt off the shelf, pacing over to the closet.

This light blue and soft, darker blue zigzags had to be Idina's. Although she can't wear too much variety herself being an itty bitty plush, Idina delights in making new styles for everyone.

Going down to the first floor let me see another Easter tradition I hadn't before... Easter baskets. According to Magneto, a giant rabbit will sometimes sneak into human's homes on the night before Easter, leave candy in their baskets, and eat carrots from their supply. I don't know, that sounds a little scary and unusual to me! But as it turns out, Nessa didn't find this so strange, seeing that her bright pink and blue spotted egg was placed in She's basket and well hidden among candies called jelly beans.

I don't think either of us were surprised to see that Elphaba placed her egg by an unfinished puzzle! Hopefully the thoughtful ornament hadn't done most of the puzzle herself, or she might break the Code of Dolls! (Something I'm still trying to wrap my mind around.)

Magneto lead me to the living room and I nearly jumped up in surprise when I saw where the next egg was hiding.

"Whose idea was it to put their egg near one of the dogs?" I muttered, trying to make my steps as quiet as distant waves as I made my way over to the ottoman where the first dog was laying.

"Steve," Magneto shrugs. He points to the red and blue-squared egg. "He likes a challenge."

"Good thing I do, too!"

Climbing up onto the ottoman was easy, and it was easier than expected to get the egg from the dog. As it turns out, the ottoman was the perfect bed for the size of the humans' dogs, and the eldest was napping at the time.

I found Napoleon's shimmery gold and red-squared egg by the fireplace, the spot in the house where both the stockings and the big Christmas tree were kept. 

...And I found Elsa's in the freezer.
"Why am I not surprised?" Magneto grumbled disapprovingly when he saw the light blue and glitter-spotted egg sitting on top of the ice machine.
"It suits her," I commented. "I just wish it were more within reach."

Her sister, Anna's egg was placed artistically in a white lily, which Magneto told me was a symbol for Easter. This was one of my favorite finding places of the entire day. In addition to sharing close finding days, Anna and I both love the warmer seasons, though she more greatly prefers spring to summer.

"That's it then, right?" I asked, smoothing back my hair and walking confidently away from the lily. "That's all the eggs I need to find today. So where did you hide my friends?"

Magneto laughed. "Relax. I didn't do anything to them. They're my friends, too. But you still need to find too more eggs."

My eyes widened. "Two more? Oh right, I haven't found yours yet, lolo."

Magneto looked like he didn't know whether to be offended or complimented.

"It means I just called you crazy."

Magneto folded his arms. "I suppose I have to be a little crazy to hide my egg where I did."

"Where did you...oh..." I looked up, my head nearly parallel to the ceiling when I saw my newest challenge.

Magneto had hidden his red and purple egg at the very bottom of a tall glass of water all the way up on the human's kitchen counter.

"Oh, you sneaky, slimy, son of a-"

"AHEM."

"You just wanted to see my do my powers again."

Magneto looked sheepish. "Maybe."

"Fine then. I will."

What I didn't tell Magneto was that I wasn't sure if I really could command the ocean again. The ocean is a force of nature, it does what it wants. Last time it only worked probably because it took pity on me for missing my prized necklace so badly. 

But it was better to try and fail than to not try at all. Once I was standing up on the counter, I grabbed the side of the water glass with one hand and held my other over the icy still waters. I smiled Mangeto's way to keep myself from sucking on my bottom lip (a nervous habit) and tried talking to the water below, coaxing it forward.

"Please, ocean, if truly chose me, bring this object to the surface."

Magneto sniggered. "Talking to the water, are you?"

My brow furrowed. "You don't know. It might work."

Amazing, and to both of our surprises, it did! The water in the glass seemed to give a curt nod before swirling the egg around at the bottom and bringing it to the top. I snatched it up, my fingers barely grazing the water as I shook it around in the air triumphantly.

"Haha, see? I did it!"

Magneto still looked smug. "So you had zero doubts?"

"Yeah... yeah I did," I was happy for a quick subject change when I remembered there was one more egg. "Let's go in the basement! We haven't been there yet."

Magneto did not make a gesture or disagree, so I made my way down the carpeted stairs a second time since my finding day. This time I wasn't afraid. I was just excited. And I was almost certain the final egg lay in the large cookie tin deliberately in the center of the room.

I ran towards the container, tossing my oar and basket over my shoulder for Magneto to watch.

"It's stuck," I grunted, trying and failing to pull upwards on the lid. The tin was a little taller than me, but it should not be heavy. "Guess the egg can't be in here after all."

I looked to Magneto for help, but he wasn't meeting my eye. Instead he was frantically searching the room, for the egg, maybe, but then, turning up empty, went back to me and the tin.

"Stand back." He commanded, raising his arms.

Even though I had several questions, especially if Magneto was really lolo or not, I took my hands off the tin and stepped back against the wall.

He shot another quick glance over his shoulder before breathing out and raising his arms. A tremor went through the air, and suddenly, the stubborn lid lifted into the air and levitated gently downwards until it leaned against the side of the container.

I stood there awestruck, not moving until Magneto's arms were at his sides again.

"I've told everybody I had magnetic powers," Magneto explained. "But I've never used them. That must have been the first time in ages. I must be a little... rusty."

I groaned at the pun. "You have magnetic powers, Elsa can produce ice and snow out of thin air, and I can control the ocean. Is that all?" I still found my jaw hard to close after seeing that.

"I believe so."

"But... why did you never use your ability before?"

Magneto paused. "Why don't you check for an egg in the tin?"

I sighed out my nose, figuring Magneto could tell me whatever it was later. For now I had an egg to find.

And there it was, a light yellow egg with two orange zigzags was at the very bottom of the tin. I almost had to jump inside to retrieve it.

"Here it is!" I proclaimed, crawling out of the tin and holding the egg in the air. "The final egg. Now to find everyone else."

But as I went over to put the egg in with the others in the basket, I realized something didn't add up.

"Wait a minute... there's thirteen eggs here. That should be everyone, and unless we're counting Sven and Pua and HeiHei, this one doesn't belong to any doll."

"Are you sure about that, Moana?" Magneto says. "You counted correctly for the most part, except you forgot yourself."

Really? I stared down at the egg in my hands. It did look like it would be made in my image now that I thought about it, the pale yellows and jagged orange mimicking the pandana overlay in my skirt.

"Do you like it?"

"I can't imagine why I wouldn't," I smiled. "I wasn't expecting you guys to make an Easter egg for me. That's really sweet."

"Oh, there's something bigger than that. Come on, follow me upstairs."

"Are we going to see the other dolls?"

"Yep." Magneto agreed, as I picked him up as I was starting up the stairs. But there was something about the tone of his voice that made me think the eggs and my friends were not the only things hiding from me.

It turns out, and as Magneto explained to me on our way, everyone was back in the Guest Room where we'd first started the egg hunt, waiting in the closet in that same room until I'd left with Dorothy and Bell's eggs. But when I opened the door, I noticed they weren't there. They were probably downstairs where they were normally kept, so I'd have to remember to thank them for a fun time later.

"She's here!" Napoleon cheered.

"Was this a surprise?" Olaf asked, rushing forward with his arms wide to give me a big happy hug.

"No, unfortunately not, Olaf. Magneto gave it away."

"Aw..." the snowman whined.

"Not so fast, Olaf," Anna giggled. "We still have something up our sleeve for Moana."

"Oh, right!" Olaf backed away and grinned at Idina. She only blushed.

"What? What's going on? I can't imagine what else there could be besides the egg hunt."

I waited as the group went silent and Elsa extended both arms, holding a ring decorated in shredded leaves and pink flower petals and mini seashells in front of her. Could it be they'd made a circlet for me?

"Go ahead, take it. It yours." Elsa coaxed.

 I reached out and took it gingerly, placing it upon my head. It was a perfect fit.

"Idina made it." Olaf blurted.

I smiled down at his girlfriends, Idina's pink cheeks darkening from being in the center of attention. "It's absolutely gorgeous. Thank you, Idina."

"Eet is nothing," she said. "Nessa helped in gathering ze supplies, and Elphaba found ze hot glue gun."

"Thanks, girls." I waved over at the ornament sisters, who only nodded in reply.

"They wanted to crown you queen of Easter." Magneto explained, almost like he had been reading my mind in wonderment at why I was given such a gift.

But queen didn't sound right to me. That was Elsa's job.

"Could I be chief of Easter?"

Loki shrugged. "You can be whatever you want. The crown doesn't come with the title. You could be trickster god of Easter if it suits your taste."

Steve chuckled. "Or soldier of Easter."

"Patriot of Easter!" Napoleon exclaimed, stamping the end of his flag on the ground.

"Guardian of Easter." Benny added.

"Princess of Easter," said Nessa. "Unless you're not a princess, either."

"Hero of Easter," Mangeto finished, striding back to the Guest Room door. "We should probably be going back to our positions soon."

Everyone agreed that was a good idea, so they started packing up and leaving. I made sure to shake each one of their hands in a final thanks.

"Alright, pets, it's time to go." I said once the room was clear, excepting Pua and HeiHei and Magneto. I bent down so Pua could leap into my arms, but HeiHei thought my crown would be a tasty treat as he started pecking at the front conch shell.

"I don't think you can eat that, silly chicken." Not wanting my special present to be devoured, I decided to let HeiHei walk on his own back to the Room She Lives In.

Magneto was still waiting for me at the door when I decided Pua better walk, too. We were in no hurry, but better to be safe than sorry, as I could drop the poor pig while still trying to balance the Easter basket and then my oar.

"Want to hitch a ride?" I asked, holding the handle of my oar out to Magneto so he could fasten his key-chain clasp onto it.

"I was hoping you'd say that." Magneto looked exhausted and grateful to get a break.

"Well there's only so fast you can run on those two little legs." I joked.

Magneto bared his teeth at me and rolled my eyes. "Let's go home."

Once we were back in She's room, it seemed most of the dolls stationed there were busy... taking naps.

"Not a bad idea." Said Magneto.

"Yeah, I might take one myself." I agreed. I climbed up onto the dresser, helped Pua and HeiHei along, then unclipped Magneto from my oar and settled him down to rest in his box bed.

"I know it was you who did most of the planning for today, so... thanks for that," I whispered. "But I expect to hear more about these magnetic powers, lolo."

"I suspected you would." Magneto yawned.

Once he rolled away from me, I stretched out on a spot on the dresser not already taken by the other dolls (namely Elsa and Anna, since they're sixteen inches each) and closed my eyes. I considered making a sleeping mat, and maybe more than one for the others in the future, and that's the last I could remember before passing out in a satisfied sleep.

Ioihi makamaka,

Moana of Motunui