Pavlova.

In 1926, Russian Prima Ballerina Anna Pavlova toured both Australia and New Zealand. They were so impressed with her artistry and light as air dancing, that a dessert was created and named after her. A meringue covered in whipped cream and fruit…and who came up with it first has been one of the bigger bones of contentions between the two…until recently. England stepped in and confirmed for the record that New Zealand can lay claim to the dessert as theirs. Not that Australia is going to let a little thing like fact get in the way of their claim or anything.

New Zealand rolled her eyes for what seemed like the hundredth time as Australia whined about catching a cricket ball with his face…again. She was leading him back to his house to apply yet another plaster to his re-broken nose and putting up with him whining like a two year old.

"I just got the bloody thing all fixed too," he whined. "And you go and bowl at my face."

"Not my fault your nose gets in the way, mate," she retorted.

"No…you can't play cricket for shit," Australia grumbled.

New Zealand smiled. "Maybe, but I can kill ya at rugby."

"Bloody cheat at that too," he muttered as she smirked. "Here, hang on?" Australia said as they came to his house and saw England coming out of the front door.

"What's the Pommy doing over here?" New Zealand asked, spying the books in England's arms.

"Ah, there you are!" England greeted cheerfully. "I hope you don't mind, your door was wide open and I assumed you were in," he continued.

"What did you want?" Australia asked.

"I needed the cookbooks from your library…what there is of it, for a bit of research," England replied.

"I've got cookbooks in there?" Australia puzzled.

New Zealand snorted. "Now there's a surprise! Your idea of cooking is tossing it onto open flame."

"Says the girl who buries food in the ground," Australia shot back.

"Didn't hear you complaining at my last hangi," she retorted.

"Oh nah love! That was beauty tucker!" he grinned. New Zealand just shook her head as England looked on in confusion.

"Yes well…" England continued after a moment. "I just need some dates from these and I will return them to you."

"Oi! That's my Edmund's cookbook!" New Zealand suddenly cried out after spying her beloved cookbook in England's arms.

"For research I assure you," England placated. "I am checking dates to look for word origins."

"Eh?"

England's shoulders slumped at the two confused countries. "I am updating the definitive dictionary of the exquisite language we are now conversing in," he muttered.

"Yeah, guttural French," New Zealand teased. Australia laughed with her as England glared.

"No! English!" England admonished. "And while I have accepted the often drunken or indigenous additions you two have contributed into the language, there is one that is puzzling me."

"Wot's wrong with indigenous words?" Australia asked.

"And what 'drunken' ones?" New Zealand added.

"Never mind!" England snapped. "I am trying to update the dictionary with your contributions to the language."

"At least we didn't do what the Yank did to the language," Australia chortled. England twitched while New Zealand had to sit down she was laughing so hard. "We didn't change the spellings or call it Australasian English, or Anzac English," Australia continued.

"Enough!" England snapped again. "What that airheaded Neanderthal has done to my beautiful language is beside the point! I just want to see which one of you came up with the dessert Pavlova first!"

"Ah that's easy!" Australia answered. "I did!"

"You lying sack of…" New Zealand was cut off by England before she could finish.

"Actually, 'pavlova' appears in her cookbooks first," England said as he flipped through the various books looking for their published dates.

"Ha!" New Zealand crowed, jumping up and punching the air in triumph. As she did so, she hit Australia in the face and knocked him out. "That'll teach ya, ya thieving bastard!" she continued to cheer.

"Is that how his nose got broken last time?" England asked in bewilderment, as Australia started to come too.

"Nope," she grinned. "We were playing cricket and I bowled the ball to his face."

England perked up. "That reminds me!" he chirped as he tossed the books aside and went back into Australia's house. The two southern countries looked at each other and shrugged. England came back out carrying a small trophy. "I almost forgot! I get to take this home again after our lovely match the other day!" England grinned with pride.

"You scrawny, pale, pasty English GIT!" Australia roared, coming to his feet and glaring. "You bloody cheated at the Ashes!" he added, grabbing the cricket bat from New Zealand and chasing after England.

New Zealand watched as England fled in terror for a moment before shrugging. "Oh well," she sighed. "May as well do something useful…like make MY favourite dessert," she added with a grin as she picked up the books England had tossed aside.

Hangi – Maori equivalent of the luau. All Polynesian cultures have some form of feast where a pit is dug, rocks get tossed in, and a fire built on top. Once the fire is little more than embers, food is laid out on the hot rocks, covered in leaves or cloth and buried.

Ashes – Cricket tournament between Australia and England that can get quite hostile…at least where the rivalry is concerned.