It's the Day of Infamy
Warning: this chapter contains blood and violence. If this isn't for you I suggest you not read it.
The lightly brown-skinned girl walked across the silent town, her usual outfit of a grass skirt and coconut bra was replaced by an old navy uniform. Her hair was tied with a hairpin on each side, splitting her long black hair into two different ponytails.
She walked to the harbor, where a small boat was waiting for her. She smiled when she saw the old captain, who was a good friend of hers. He waved, and she picked up her pace. She reached the boat, where the captain pulled her up.
"Hey, lookin' good as always!" The captain exclaimed. Hawaii grinned as she twirled around, showing off her sailor uniform, her handkerchief fluttering in the air. "Are you sure you're not just reminded of your wife?" She teased. The captain howled with laughter. "Sure got that right! My Betty was the best WAVE in the entire country!"
Hawaii stepped onto the boat, and the boat began to chug forwards, with the captain at the helm. Hawaii watched him, and realized he was wearing his uniform as well, his medals glinting in the harsh sunlight. He was whistling as he turned the steering wheel. To be in such high spirits, he sure is a strong man...Hawaii thought to herself, He lost his best friend back then. Then again, we all have…
"We're almost there, missy!" The captain yelled out. Hawaii, deep in her own thoughts, continued to stare out into the sea.
"Missy!" The captain shouted, and Hawaii jumped up. "Huh? Yes?" She asked, her eyes wide. The captain chuckled. "You jumped up like a cat," He teased, and Hawaii turned red. "Stop, stop it," She mumbled, turning away from him.
"We're almost at the memorial, missy. All the boys are waiting for you, so get yourself ready," The captain said.
Hawaii gripped her sailor's hat as the boat shuddered to a halt, reaching the USS Arizona Memorial. Hawaii smiled faintly as she remembered her friend Arizona's elation at the Commision of the battleship, her birthday present for her admittance into the Union. But likewise, she was also the most devastated by its sinking.
Hawaii became overwhelmed by memories as she stepped onto the memorial. The reverberating sounds of her feet walking against the white marble took her back seventy years in the past.
It was just like any other day- the palm trees were swaying in the wind as the sun slowly crept up the sky. It was a sunday, a day of rest and ease. The streets were empty as people were sleeping in.
Except for Hawaii. She always woke up early, no matter what day it was. She wore a simple white dress and a straw hat. She skipped through the town, breathing in the air she knew and loved.
A sudden gust of wind blasted the hat off of Hawaii, and she watched with panic as it sailed away. She started chasing it, trying to catch up. But it was too fast, quickly drifting towards to sea.
Then a man in a navy uniform jumped up and caught it before it hit the water. He walked over to Hawaii and put it back on her head. "Here you go," He said. Hawaii smiled. "Jack!" She exclaimed with a squeal. "What are you doing here? Aren't you on duty?"
"Hey, It's a sunday morning. The Sarge won't notice my leave until at least noon," Jack bent down and kissed Hawaii's hand, who blushed and pulled away.
"Anyways, you seem to be in a happier mood than usual," She noted Jack's wide grin. He nodded enthusiastically. "Yup. I finally met the girl of my dreams," He declared, "Her name's Nancy, she's the sweetest girl on the entire island," A look of joy radiated from his face. "We're engaged, and well, she's pregnant."
"Wow, congratulations!" Hawaii hugged Jack tightly. "What's the baby's name?"
"If it's a boy, we'll name him Daniel," Jack said, "And if it's a girl, She'll be Samantha."
"Congratulations again, Jack." Hawaii repeated. Jack hugged Hawaii tighter. "Thank you," He whispered, "It means a lot to me."
Then there was a loud roar above them, and a large shadow flew above them. Hawaii looked up to see a large formation of planes flying all across the sky.
"What the-" Hawaii muttered. As the lead plane flew in front of them, the pilot made eye contact with her, and waved. Instinctively Hawaii waved back.
"I didn't know they were going on exercises this early in the morning…" Jack muttered in amazement. "They look odd."
"They look familiar," Hawaii said, looking at the insignia on the white planes-a large red circle on the fuselage. They continued watching the formation of planes buzz past them.
Red circle….Hawaii thought to herself. She had seen it before, but just couldn't place it. She remembered all the different countries that visited her after she became a territory of America: France, England, Spain, Germany...then her eyes widened as the gears in her head clicked together.
The peace was broken when a series of explosions rippled through the morning air. The ground below the two trembled, and they nearly lost their balance.
"What the hell?" Jack cried out. "That came from Battleship Row!" Jack turned around and began to run.
"Hey, wait up!" Hawaii called as she followed him.
They reached Battleship Row, and what they saw horrified them. The entire harbor was in flames; the sky was buzzing with planes as they strafed and dive-bombed the line of defenseless ships. There were dozens of plumes of black smoke pouring out from the holes torn through the hulls and decks. Sailors screamed as they were cut down, bewildered and unorganized. The sea was filled with oil, debris and bodies. More bombs and torpedoes smashed into the ships, filling the entire harbor with a loud boom.
"Holy shit…" Jack muttered, "What the hell is going on?" He looked on with shock as a plane dipped towards him, and was frozen with fear when it began firing its machine guns.
"Get out of the way!" A man slammed into Jack, and they both fell over as the bullets hit the ground where Jack stood seconds before. The plane soared away, finding new targets at the airfield beyond them.
"Are you okay, soldier?" The second man stood up, and pulled Jack back up to his feet.
"Yeah. Thanks. What the hell is going on?" Jack demanded. The man wiped his brow. "What do you think? We're being attacked! On a sunday no less!" He hissed, "We were completely unprepared. All of our planes are lined up on the runways, and the AA guns don't have their ammo. God damnit, who could have done this?" He noticed Hawaii for the first time. "Little girl, you shouldn't be here. You must evacuate!" Hawaii ignored his order, keeping her terrified gaze on the slaughter before her. The man stomped towards her. "Girl, this is no place for a civilian!"
"Japan," She whispered, and the man stopped. "What?" He inquired. Slowly, Hawaii turned to face him. The man could clearly see the distraught on her face.
"Japan," Hawaii choked out, "Japan is doing this."
"Of course, those sneaky devils," The man growled. Hawaii looked down at the ground. "Why are you doing this?" She asked, to the surprise of the man and Jack. "Why are you doing this! Stop it!" She screamed at the planes, who continued to bombard the ships, who were now finally starting to return fire, spitting out AA shells into the swarm of Japanese Zeros, Kate bombers and Val dive-bombers. "Please…" She crumpled to the ground, hands over her face. She was now sobbing. "Please stop."
"Sailor, get the girl out of here," The man ordered, and Jack put his arm around her; she let herself be picked up.
There was a loud enormous boom, and all three looked up to see a red, orange and grey mushroom cloud sprouting out from the magazine of the battleship Arizona. The explosion rocked the ship, sending dozens of sailors into the sea. The funnel and foremast groaned and creaked as it toppled over. Fires began to spread rapidly throughout the entire ship, rapidly engulfing it in a huge inferno. Sailors screamed as they burned, throwing themselves into the water to put themselves out, but the oil in the water only spread the flames even further. Within minutes the Arizona was covered with black smoke.
"My God…" The man whispered, taking a step back. Hawaii began to scream uncontrollably, and Jack had to hold her back as she tried to run towards the harbor.
"Sailor!" The man shouted, and Jack whipped his left hand into a salute, "Yes, Lieutenant…"
"Lieutenant Marlin," The man introduced himself, "I'm going to go down to the harbor. You take that girl to somewhere safe." He ordered.
"But…" Jack started, but Marlin stopped him. "We both have our duties to fulfill, son. It seems you two have a close relationship, so I'm leaving her to you."
"We don't have that kind of-" Jack sputtered, and Hawaii turned red. Marlin laughed. "Heheh, don't worry son. I can't let the young ones get hurt. And I have some buddies to save," With that he ran off, leaving Jack and Hawaii alone, their shadows mixing as they were illuminated by the explosions.
"Hey, lil' Missy!" Hawaii snapped back to reality, and she realized the crowd of old men around her.
"Oh, sorry!" She laughed, and the old men laughed with her.
"Blank-minded as always, eh?" One bald man shouted.
"No wonder we were always so successful with our pranks in our younger days!" A man with an eyepatch exclaimed.
"Aw, don't say that!" Hawaii laughed.
"Hey now, don't bully her. She's the sweetest girl on the entire island," The captain put his hand on Hawaii's shoulder.
"What about your wife?" Hawaii asked mischievously. The captain's eye twinkled as he let out a chuckle. "Except her, of course."
"Hey, Jack, long time no see!" One of the men shouted. "Out of your little hidey-hole now are you?"
"You bet!" Jack hollered, pumping his arm into the air. "I want to have a cold one with the boys."
"How's Jamie?" The eye-patched man asked.
"She died a few weeks ago," Jack explained, "Died in her sleep. Died the best way one could possibly be." He stopped, before looking up at the group. "I was thinking, I want her to be interred in the Arizona."
The group looked amongst themselves. A man with a toupee stepped forward. "Sure, why not? Jamie was always a part of our group. She joined us in our shenanigans on base. She's a part of your, and our family."
"Thank you," Jack said, tears in his eyes. Hawaii watched them with nostalgia. "You guys have been friends for so long."
"Well, we're brothers-in-arms after all." The toupeed man said. "And while we've been withering away, you stayed young and pretty."
"Or is there something else going on behind that face?" The man with the eyepatch smirked.
"Hey, you do not question a woman's age!" Hawaii pouted, and the men all laughed.
The group chatted in the memorial, catching up and reminiscing old memories.
"Hey, why don't we hit up the bar?" The bald man exclaimed. The other men hooted and hollered at that suggestion.
"How about you join us?" Jack asked. Hawaii shook her head. "No thanks. I want to stay here a little bit more." She replied.
"Oh, we understand. You have things to sort out." The toupeed man said. "But why don't you escort us out to the boat?" Hawaii nodded, and proceeded to lead the group of veterans out of the memorial.
As they went outside Hawaii noticed the little bits of oil shimmering in the water.
"Even the Arizona is crying," Jack said, and the group stopped to look at the oil. "Our boys down there are watching over us."
"Men!" Hawaii shouted, and the men snapped to attention. "We have gathered here to commemorate this solemn occasion. Let us have a moment of silence to honor their sacrifice!" Hawaii saluted, the old men following suit. They stood for a minute, standing like statues.
"God bless their souls," The bald man muttered.
"Let us go drink in their memory!" The toupeed man exclaimed. The other men nodded in agreement.
As the old men began to board the boat, Jack looked back at Hawaii. "Take care, Little Missy. I hope to see you again," He said. Hawaii leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. "Of course we will, Jack." She replied. Jack smiled as he stepped on the boat. The engine sputtered, and it sailed away. The old men waved at Hawaii, who watched them disappear.
Hawaii walked back into the memorial to find a lone man standing in the shrine, looking at the plaque of the dead. He wore a business suit and a wide-brimmed hat. His short black hair covered his face. Hawaii froze. "Ja-Japan?" She stammered.
Japan slowly turned to face her. "I thought I could sneak in here, but I guess not," He let out a faint chuckle, but it was replaced by a sad look. "I shouldn't even be in here." He stepped away from the plaque. "I-I'm sorry. I'll go."
Hawaii marched up to him, and put her finger on his chest. "No, stay for a bit longer," She said. "The fact that you came means so much."
Japan looked surprised. "Are you sure about that?" He asked. "Doesn't this make you feel, angry?"
Hawaii shook her head. "I always feel a bit emotional at this time of year. So you being here doesn't really affect me much," She wrapped her arm around Japan. "Come on, finish what you came here for."
The pair stood together in front of the plaque.
"This might seem inappropriate, but I only regret one thing in my life…" Japan whispered.
"I believe you, I know you're an honest person," Hawaii said, "We all do something we want to take back later."
"I thought you would hate me after that," Japan added, "I betrayed our relationship." A look of guilt came over him. "I only learned this after the war, but when I found that when America put all the Nisei in internment camps, you refused to round up your Japanese population." He covered his face with his hand, his voice cracking. "I never felt more ashamed of myself."
"We all suffered back then," Hawaii responded, "But it's all in the past now."
Japan smiled. "If only I could be as forgiving," He said. Hawaii flicked his forehead. "You're the most forgiving country in the world," She said. Japan bowed and turned around to leave. He took a few steps before stopping. "Thank you, I feel a weight lifting from my heart." He added, before walking out of the memorial.
As he walked to the waiting boat his face darkened. "Of course, if I hadn't attacked you I would still have my empire," He mumbled, leaving Hawaii alone once again.
Hawaii stood by the plaque for what seemed like hours, placing a finger on each of the inscripted names. She knew each and every one of them, recalling memories she had with them. Her heart grew heavy as she went down the list, and her eyes began to mist. Tears trickled down her cheek, but she remained silent. She leaned her head against the plaque and let the tears drop to the floor.
"You kept up such a facade until now, I see," Hawaii turned around to see America, or what looked like America walk towards her. "New York," She muttered, "How did you-"
New York, who was a carbon-copy of America save for the brown hair and lack of the "Nantucket" hair put his hand on her shoulder. "I used to be a detective, so I'm good at concealing myself," He said. "You did a good job in front of Japan and the veterans, you kept your cool."
"I'm not trying to act cool though-" Hawaii protested but New York shushed her. "It's alright. You can let out your emotions now." He told her.
Hawaii stared up at him with wide eyes. Then she burst into tears, latching onto New York. "The memories keep coming back!" She cried, "I always remember everything!" She dug her head into New York's chest. "Nobody else understands how I feel! They don't feel the pain! They didn't see their friends, they didn't see them die!" She wailed.
New York stroked her hair. "I do," He whispered, "I suffered the same thing." Hawaii looked up at him. "Oh god," She sniffled, "I'm so sorry! I forgot that you too-"
New York pulled her in tighter. "I had to go to therapy for almost a decade, and I still have nightmares. But it must be nothing compared to you." He murmured.
"Don't say that!" Hawaii cried, "Please don't say that. You make me feel worse…"
"It's alright," New York caressed her cheek.
"No, it's not!" Hawaii shouted, "What happened to you was much more recent. I had time to accept things. Not you."
New York let out a laugh. "You underestimate me, Hawaii," He smirked, "I've been here a lot longer than you have, and I've seen many things."
"Then why are you crying?" Hawaii demanded. New York touched his face; there was a stream of tears going down his face. "Oh," He snorted, "I guess you were right after all." His voice cracked as he began crying. He crumpled down on the ground, and it was Hawaii's turn to cradle him.
There they sat, crying together on the floor for hours.
The sun was setting when they both wiped their tears away. "Oh man, it's this late already? I didn't mean to stay this long," New York exclaimed, starting to walk away. "I need to get on my plane."
"Wait!" Hawaii called, and New York wheeled around. "Why don't you...stay at my place for the night?" She asked, face blushing.
"Oh, alright. Sounds good to me," New York said, and Hawaii ran over to him. They got on the boat, and their hands locked together as they rode out into the sunset.
Well, this is a solemn occasion, the anniversary of Pearl Harbor. This has some significance to me not because I live in the US(and a history buff), but I'm also part Japanese. I know very little about my Japanese part of the family, so for all I know a relative might have been a part of the force attacking Pearl Harbor. I hope this doesn't come off as insensitive, that sure isn't the intention. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this more serious chapter. Spoiler Alert, there's going to be more chapters like this.
Hawaii had a substantial Japanese population, and when Executive Order 9066(the internment of Japanese Americans) was issued, Hawaii was exempt from it because of how many Japanese people lived there.
New YorkxHawaii, the first ship of this story. I call them the "Tragedy Pair" because both of the states suffered the worst terrorist attack on US soil and Foreign attack on US soil respectively. I know, morbid, but I like it. They understand each other's pain, you know? Anyways, once again I hope you like this chapter, and until next time, Adios!