Joyful chatter and bright colors spilled out of the rift, erupting from the blackness of the memory change. The young focus of these memories was giggling up a storm, being carried around by one of her older brothers as he danced around. Bright laughter filled the Native American village as the sun's golden rays turned bronze.
"I wonder what they're celebrating," China thought out loud. A series of curious hums from various nations were his unsolicited responses.
Canada tilted his head thoughtfully before a small grin split his lips apart. "Oh, I remember this," he muttered, playfully elbowing Diego. The Mexicos traded looks, Diego shrugged at his sister, he knew they hadn't been born yet, so why did Matthew look at them? Did he forget that he and 'meils were the oldest? Diego gave his older brother a deadpan look, but he wasn't looking so his eyes trailed over to the rift, a grumpy slouch overtaking his features.
Maria was confused by her older brother's reaction to the memory as well, it was just some party--one that she hadn't been around to see. So why had Matthew looked at them expectantly, like he thought they would remember it and react with him? A look of understanding slowly bloomed on Maria's face. Oh, so that's what this was.
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Amayeli couldn't help but giggle as her brother began to swing her around. A smile so wide that it made her cheeks hurt was stuck on her face. Her hair flew every which way as her older brother adjusted his grip on her legs and began to spin in a circle. He was holding her by her ankles now, the soft breeze whipped across her face as she flew through the air.
Their other siblings cleared away from the shrieking child. A few of the younger children saw this display and immediately climbed onto their older siblings, despite some protests. Others laughed and cheered, jumping in and out of Amayeli's path as she playfully attempted to grab them.
Eventually, Amayeli was put down in a pile of giggles. Childish laughter came from above her, joining her in her glee. She swiped the dark curls from her face to see her twin standing over her.
"Come on, everyone's going to the river," Kanata forces out between giggles. His sister's laughter was contagious, and he was ashamed to say he had no immunity.
The small girl leapt up, smile stretching so wide it looked to be centimeters from splitting her face in half. However, instead of running towards the woodland path, like her twin would have expected, she dove for his knees. Kanata's shriek pulled yet more giggles from the girl as she hoisted him up, her arms wrapped around his knees. He was draped over her shoulder backwards as she began to run. Everything he could see was upside-down, even the laughing figures of his siblings walking behind them.
"Ama!" Kanata shouted as he craned neck to look at the back of his sister's head. His only response was the shifting of black curls to reveal the playfully mischievous glint in his twin's bad eye and another flurry of giggles.
With much effort, Kanata managed to pull himself up to sit on his sister's shoulder. She adjusted her grip on him in response, holding him up with both arms wrapped securely around his thighs. Picking up speed, Amayeli weaved around their siblings, excitedly running along the path.
Soon, they made it to a clearing where many of their siblings had already gathered. Amayeli stopped near the center of the clearing and looked around. Many of her siblings sat on the ground or on rocks, a few had even found spots in the trees. The youngest of her older siblings were over by the river, playing in its waters that glowed a golden hue--stolen from the sun's last rays.
Amayeli was practically vibrating with excitement, jumping up and down in place. A panicked hand on her head reminded her she was still carrying her brother, and she quickly dropped him on his feet in front of her. He gave a weary sigh and pinned her with a tired look, that she returned with another animated smile.
Her eyes scanned the trees around surrounding the clearing, her eyes finally landing on one in particular. It was a grand tree with branches that stretched over the canopy above them as well as out across the river it leaned towards. Without skipping a beat, she grabbed her twin's hand and pulled him towards the base of the tree that had caught her eye.
She was suddenly glad all over again that she had convinced her mother to let her wear pants. Climbing trees was a lot more fun when she didn't have to worry about her dress catching or showing too much. Amayeli had to make her own clothes if she wanted to wear pants, but that was fine with her. The girl liked how securely they hugged her body towards the top, but hung more loosely at the ankle--almost like her skirts. Fresh air tickled her midsection, below the piece of hide wrapped around her chest, as she ascended into the tree.
The child could hear her brother begrudgingly following her as she scaled the trunk like a squirrel. Once she had gotten to the tree's main fork, she climbed up the left trunk, jumping from branch to branch like some of the creatures she had seen in the spirit realm. Finally, she dropped down to the lowest sturdy branch that stretched out over the river. She sat on the branch directly over where the river's waters met the sandy dirt of the clearing.
A slight bounce shook the branch as Kanata dropped down beside Amayeli. Instead of sitting next to his twin, however, he opted to lay down on the branch, stretching out above their older sister who sat on a rock merely an arm's length below.
They waited there for merely a moment before their mother emerged from the path. All fell silent, even the birds and crickets had ceased their evening chirping in respect as Native America gracefully swept through the clearing, adorned in her ceremonial attire.
Amayeli wiggled in excitement, bouncing the branch until Kanata's fist met her arm in a request for her to stop. Their mother smoothly came to a stop at the water's edge, surrounded by her children on both sides.
Hopi and Cherokee, their oldest sister and brother, rose to their feet as Native America lifted her arms to reach out on either side. The two walked towards the water, receiving a gentle push from their mother as they passed her--Hopi on the right and Cherokee on the left.
The two siblings waded into the river, pushing onwards until the water reached midway up their chests. They stood several paces away from each other in the cool water, holding their hands out to the mass of magic that had formed overhead. The different hues of magic roiled and writhed in a large cloud as a young body began to form. It strengthened and solidified within the great mass, only to be joined by another as the size of the glistening purple cloud was doubled. Citrus orange wisps joined the golden streaks that decorated the churning purples as the second body grew.
Gasps broke out among the siblings and Amayeli crawled farther out on the branch, craning her neck to get the best view of her new siblings. Wasn't this like what she had been told Kanata's and her birth was like?
"Wow, another set of twins! I wonder what gave the spirits baby fever?" Anasazi murmured below the older twins as every tribe's eyes were stuck on the forming children.
It took a painfully long time for the two tiny bodies to finish forming within the swirling cloud of magic. Amayeli found herself unable to sit still, absentmindedly bouncing in place and, by extension, shaking the branch as well. The churning streams of colored magic dissipated to a storm of wisps, putting the children on full display. Everything stilled, even the hyperactive fidgeting of the girl in the tree stopped and the branch on which she sat slowly stilled, its bouncing movements eventually ceasing entirely. Not even the wind blew, leaving the foliage of the trees to hang limply from their branches.
Once the last wisps of purple, orange, and gold had pulled away from the two tiny bodies, the twins began their descent. All at once, the wind returned, nearly knocking the older twins off of their branch. A glimpse of the other side of the clearing showed Amayeli that her siblings opposite from her were pushed back towards the woods as well. It was as if the clearing had been split in half and the wind had pushed outwards on both sides in its assault on them from the dividing line.
Amayeli quickly twisted her head back in the direction of her new siblings, securing her grip on the tree beneath her. The two children had already made it halfway through their descent. They seemed to have been hit by the wind as well, each of them falling in the opposite direction from their twin. Hopi caught the child with a golden trim on their birth garment and held her above the water, keeping her little sister close to her chest as she brushed her short curly hair out of her face. Cherokee caught the child with an orange trim on their birth garment. He immediately gave a hearty shout and lifted his little brother over his head in celebration before settling him on his shoulders for the ride back to shore.
The two newest additions to the giant family were carried over to their mother and deposited safely by her sides. Native America turned to face the rest of her children, lifting the children and setting them on her lap. She smiled at the new arrivals, gently squeezing them closer as she looked them over. They both had darker skin than the previous set of twins, though not as dark as some of the older states, and appeared to be two years old physically. The girl's eyes were as bright as the greenest emeralds and her hair was dark and curly.
Native America tapped her daughter's little nose, earning a giggle as bright as the sun. "You, my daughter, will be Mihewi."
She turned to appraise her son with the same loving gaze. His eyes were a dark amber color, and his loosely curled hair an even deeper black than his sister's. He did not have as happy of an expression as his sister, who was exploring the decorations of Native America's clothing while the woman's attention was on her brother. It was a rather watchful look, not expressing either side of the emotional spectrum as he gazed back at his mother.
"And you," Native America began as she threaded her fingers through her child's hair, "my son, will be Chesmu."
Native America looked up once more to address her older children, "Come meet your new siblings."
With that, Amayeli sprung forward, and the memory faded to black as her shadow advanced on the children.
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As soon as she saw the orange wisps of magic join the gold ones in the purple ball of magic, Maria elbowed Diego. "See?" She leaned in, closing the gap between their heads as she muttered to her brother, "I told you I was older."
Diego scoffed, "Yeah, by like a fraction of a second," he grumbled, crossing his arms loosely over his chest.
"Oh no, there was definitely a several-second difference," Maria pressed.
There was a slight pause before Matthew leaned in from the other side of Diego, "Y'know, I was there, and there was one-hundred-percent at least a thirty-second difference."
Maria gave a low cackle and reached over Diego to give Matthew a fist-bump. The youngest of the three simply slouched farther into his seat, "It still doesn't matter, it's not like the difference between Aimes and Matty, thirty seconds doesn't mean anything."
"You're just sore you're officially the youngest." Maria dismissed her twin with a smack of his arm, slumping back into her seat with a satisfied smirk.
Spain watched from the opposite side of the table. His gaze switched between the children he had claimed as his own who were in front of him and the images of them when they were born. He had never considered that they had names other than the ones he had given them and distantly wondered if he should call them by those names instead. A grimace twisted his lips as he thought about it, calling them by those names would probably just be awkward for all three of them--besides, he had already forgotten what the old lady in the rift had called them. His names fit them better anyways.