Date: February 5th, 2019
Time: 07:00
Location: Tikiri'i River, Ha'Hani, FiHami


It had been a while since there was time to enjoy a sunrise once again over the river, but that time had finally come once again.  The early morning sun broke through the trees and illuminated the water like the scales of a fish, creating the illusion of the river being a giant oceanic dragon cutting through the dense jungle.  

The dock was just long enough for any fisherman to sit close enough to the best waters and fish, relaxed and unaware of the endless passage of time.  It was made of sturdy Kasukasu wood, chopped down from the surrounding forest and crafted into planks by a careful carpenter.

Plop.  The line dropped once again into the water, and the patient fisherman leaned back, admiring the peaceful morning.

The fisherman wiped his forehead with a rag that he kept nearby, then set it down once again.  He secured his fishing rod between his legs, then moved to tie back his long, smooth hair into a ponytail.  He grabbed his rod once more after he finished the task, and resumed his peaceful morning.

A short figure emerged from the jungle behind him, slinking until she was right next to the fisherman, then sat down.  She watched curiously, jumping back a bit when the fisherman began to reel in his latest victim.

"Morning, Fi."  Sikupa smiled peacefully, skillfully pulling the line until a large silvery fish emerged on the end of the line.  "What's up?"

"There was nothing to respond to today, so I shall join you, while Puani and her wife care for Lilly."

"And you're going to trust them with the child?  Alone?"

"It is the one thing those two are experts at.  Have you not seen how they care for the child?"

"I haven't seen, no.  But if you say so..."  Sikupa finished unhooking the fish, and tossed it into the bucket a bit of a way off.  He then cast his line once again.

"Puani may be an idiot, but she is good with people, very caring, and extremely cautious."  Finix shrugged, gazing to the river, taking in its morning majesty.

"It's gorgeous, isn't it?"  The fisherman smiled, happy to be taking in the view with someone else.  Finix smiled as well, nodding in agreement.  "Perhaps you'll join me in the mornings more."

"Perhaps I will.  I am tired of being cooped up all day long with work and stress.  I miss just being out here."

 

---

Time: 09:00
Location: FiHami Maximum Security Prison, Ha'Hani, FiHami


"So, they released almost everyone from the prison, killed plenty of guards, and got away with it."

"There are people still in?"

"The isolated cells, which include the surviving members of the White-Cormic family."

"Oh."  The two guards sighed, knowing that the possibility of remaining neutral in the Reizen Civil War was growing slim, and they had only just begun enjoying their peace.  The decision to pursue the Antarchi escapees ultimately lay in the hands of the Chief.
 

---

Time: 15:00
Location: Shirikani Public Square, Ha'Hani, FiHami


The ancient hilt felt cool in Finix' hands, as she prepared for the public execution she was about to perform.

Hopefully, the last time this sentence is ever used.  I'll outlaw it.

"Welcome to the final performance of public execution, and the last time anyone will die for their crimes in FiHami.  The last public execution by the Finixi people was performed under Ha'Coron' Kukani of tribe Fi'Shi in the 1700s, as documented by public record.  I shall now read the long list of crimes performed by the White-Cormic family, beginning with the first Emperor, and ending with the actions that these people in front of me have committed."

Finix stepped up front, watching the crowds grow as more people came to observe.  She began reading off every infraction of human rights committed by the family, beginning with the violent takeover and ending with the 3 cousins' leadership in the most recent struggle.  She shivered at the long list as she read them off for an hour.  When she finished, she turned to face the three prisoners.  The female seemed to be the only one left with a shard of a fighting spirit, for she spit in Finix' general direction.  One of the guards watching over the prisoners dealt a swift kick to her back, which she hardly reacted to.

"John Cormic, Kelsey White, and Henry White.  You are hereby guilty of all the above."  Finix lifted the sword up to point to the prisoners, and then lifted it to the direction of the sun in the sky.  

"Ki Ha'Finix, I send to you these monsters who have hurt us for so long.  May your choice of punishment to these monsters be truly just, in proportion to how we have suffered."  Finix prayed.  When she finished, she lowered the sword once more.  She turned to the first man, a relatively feeble-looking man in his 20's.

"Last words, now."

"This is all a bunch of lies spun by the Finixi people and pushed everywhere by the likes of you.  We only ever fought for our own rights."  John Cormic sighed, resigned to his fate.  Finix dealt the killing blow, feeling satisfied upon hearing him drop to the ground lifelessly.  She turned to the woman, who glared directly at Finix' face, unwilling to resign to her fate.

"Last words, now."

"[Censored] you.  I hope that you and your species all die in flames.  The Antarchi will rise again, and we will see to it that none of our deaths are in vain! You..."  Kelsey White cursed, becoming increasingly aggravated until she began attempting to escape the chains that bound her.  Finix, having had enough and ready to see these royals dead, quickly dealt with the woman.  However, the cut had been interrupted, leading to the woman shouting in pain, and breaking out of her chains.  She very quickly lunged at Finix, who didn't have enough time to dodge.  Finix' sword dropped a few ways away from the ground, just out of reach.  The woman threw punch after punch, though Finix did her best to block and throw the woman off of her, but this woman very clearly outweighed her by at least 100 pounds, and had more than a few centimeters of height than Finix did.  She continued reaching for her sword while she was being pummeled, until she finally grabbed hold of the hilt of her sword.

We'll make this fun, then.

Finix stabbed the woman, and some guards helped get the woman off of Finix.  She drew her sword out from the woman's belly slowly, leaving the woman to bleed out for a few seconds before properly ending the woman's life.  The act of vengeance only brought satisfaction to her, as she recalled all those who had died because of their rebellion.  Finix moved on to the last one, ready to strike the man as soon as he says his last words.

"Last words, now."

"We've made mistakes, but so have you.  It is but my sincerest hope that there will be peace between our people one day.  I would like to apologize for my actions taken during this war, and for the actions of my family.  Go ahead, deal with me."

Finix nodded, feeling the smile immediately leave her face.  She stared at the middle aged man in front of her, who stared at the ground.

"I would agree.  I admit that in my younger years I was much more zealous to the extermination of all.  I would also argue that I am nothing except the product of your family's actions.  However, who knows if the actions of your family was nothing but a product of my family's actions."  Finix run her free hand along the now-bloody blade of her sword, looking into the blade then back at the man.

"I am aware."  The man only hung where he was, preparing to take his last breath.  "This all could have prevented, I think."

The man quickly looked up when he heard the sword drop to the floor, to see that Finix had dropped the sword to the side.

"I would like to extend apologies as well.  There was probably so much more that could have been done to prevent all the bloodshed, on our behalf."  Finix knelt before the man, so that they were about level.  A sudden wave of guilt washed over her as she gazed upon the face of a human, not just a monster.  "I will not kill you.  I cannot, my conscience will no longer allow me to."

"Are... you showing mercy?  After what my cousin just did to you?"

"Let him go.  He is a free man, no longer guilty of crimes."  Finix hung her head low, unable to look back up.  The guards undid the chains of the man, who remained where he was, his pose now mimicking that of Finix.  

Disgusted onlookers shouted their disapproval as they walked away from the area, eventually leaving Finix, Henry, and the guards alone.

"I won't ever be able to thank you enough, miss.  I will make sure to use my new freedom to attempt to mend the mistakes I and others have made.  I would only hope that you would do the same."  Henry stood up, looking at the guards, who only moved out of the way, allowing the man to go free.  He looked back to Finix, who merely stayed there.

"What are you waiting for?"  Finix looked up, composed once again.  "I am sure you don't wish to stay for clean-up."

"They are still my family, I would like to say goodbye to them."

Finix paused, thinking for a moment.  

"Very well, then."
 

---

Time: 20:00
Location: Ha'Hani, FiHami

"Finix, what happened to your face?"  Both Puani and Sikupa jumped up when Finix walked into their home, away from the small infant, who remained with Puani's wife, playing an intense game of Peek-A-Boo.  

"Not to worry, just a crazy fat lady."  Finix shrugged, allowing herself to be annoyed by the sudden presence of two people examining the random cuts and bruises on her face.  "The lady had no strength to her.  This is nothing to worry about."

"Dangit Fi, always getting hurt one way or another."  Sikupa sighed, walking away to grab a few items from the first aid kit Eti would always keep in case of small injuries.  Finix suddenly felt nervous when she felt Puani grab her body tightly so that she was unable to move at all.

"This is entirely unnecessary it's just-"

"This is just so that fisherman can fix your face a bit, without you protesting... and perhaps a little bit extra, too."  Puani chuckled mischieviously.  Sikupa himself laughed a little bit.
 

---

Two hours flew by like a turtle for Finix while Sikupa and Puani worked to slather Finix' face with tons of makeup, hair product, and the like, while all Finix could do was endure it all and dream of creative ways to get her revenge on the pair.  Puani quickly slipped a pretty little dress over Finix' normal clothes, and Sikupa then snapped a picture of the chief of FiHami, who looked miserable in every way.

"You both will regret this so much..."

 

---

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Date: February 8th, 2020
Time: 17:00
Location: Ha'Hani, FiHami

In the days since the public execution and the subsequent charity event where people went around and presented "Princess Flu-Killer" in an effort to raise money for terminally-ill children and go around visiting some children who benefited, many citizens of FiHami have expressed their disgust at Finix' presentation of mercy on Henry White in the form of angry letters, public protests, slander campaigns, and more.

Finix had found that fervent people have egged her home, shouted her down, and even try to attack her, though she stopped going out without someone else with her. Despite this, parliament had rejected her pleas to pass a bill to completely eliminate the power of the chiefdom, and everyone was still going to her to solve every problem they faced.

Is there any escape from this?

"Hey, you got 10 more letters. Probably more angry people." Puani walked into Finix' office, dumping a stack of letters on her desk. "Have fun!"

"There is nothing fun about this. I've always hated this job, but now it's INTOLERABLE!" Finix slammed her head on the desk, where she was working on yet a 3rd proposal to cut the chiefdom off. "I just wish to be free, I didn't ask for this!"

"You were destined for it, so you have to. You're basically worshipped like Ha'Finix, there is no escape except death itself."

"Worshipped like Ha'Finix one day, kicked around like a ball the next. All when I'd much rather be ignored, like a worm in the ground."

"Well, that's not gonna happen now, is it. So you're just gonna have to deal with it."

Finix cursed, lifting her head just to slam it down once again on the desk. Puani shrugged, turning back around to leave the room. Before she did, however, Puani was interrupted by a small toddler running into the office, screaming loudly. Puani picked her up and looked out of the room, where a massive bird had broken through the window, and was perched on a chair. Its long tail feathers nearly touched the ground, and it its beak, it held a torch.

"Finix, you wouldn't believe who's in the house right now..."

"Who is it this time?" Finix heaved herself to a standing position, making her way to the door cautiously. Upon seeing the bird, Finix stormed to the bird, shouting angrily and incoherantly. The bird, of course, retaliated by attacking, dropping its torch on Finix.

"Uh, when you're done with your little spiritual battle, Lilly and I will be... uh... at the mall perhaps?" Puani awkwardly said, grabbing a purse and sneaking through the door with the toddler.

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Date: February 9th, 2020
Time: 09:00
Location: Huah-Huah Port Logistics Center, Huah-Huah, FiHami

"I need you to work harder on passing the bill through FiHami parliament. These foreign businesses anchored in FiHami are hurting my business."

"Sir, I am doing my best. But you know that a large portion of the Finixli-i parti does not support it. It will be extremely difficult to get it to pass."

"Let me explain to you a thing. If these foreign businesses continue getting a stronger and stronger hold of FiHami, my business will continue losing money, until I am no longer able to pay for your mother's treatment. As much as I hate to say this, Mrs. Aikura will pass away, if you cannot stop it."

"I already cut the mininum wage as much as I could."

"That isn't enough-"

"Sir, As much as I'd like to help by passing all your proposals, as long as Finix is still head of FiHami, you're not gonna be able to do much."

"Hmm..." The well-dressed business man looked around the building they occupied, seemingly preoccupied. Kilaui stood, keeping her arms crossed and gaze upon the man. "... Well, in this case, she has already given us the sword to cut the ties with the chiefdom."

"You're not going to kill the poor girl!"

"Of course not, I am not a monster, I am just trying to support my family. My little girl is around the chief's age, Kenna is such a bright rising star. She's 19. Dreams of being a politician."

"Oh, good." Kilaui sighed, relaxing a little. "I did tell you that Finix has submitted 4 pleas at this point to retire, but parliament continues rejecting those pleas."

"Yes. Not to mention that her choice to spare the last member of the imperial family was extremely unpopular. She has made it easier for us to tale her absolute power away."

---

Time: 12:00
Location: Ha'Hani, FiHami

The window was a relatively simple fix, and aside from the charred floor, the house seemed unaffected. Of course, Finix had narrowly avoided becoming fire falcon food, and the bird itself narrowly avoided becoming a feast for the inhabitants of the home. Lilly and Puani were nowhere to be found still, which worried Sikupa a little, but not enough to leave Finix alone to search for them. Puani's wife had offered to look for the missing chief and the toddler, and swiftly left, but she hadn't returned in several hours now.

Suddenly, the door slammed open, followed by Puani, Shifia, and the toddler they were all in charge of. They were laughing, and Lilly seemed to be enjoying a new toy. Sikupa relaxed in his chair, flicking on the television set, flipping channels until he settled on a fishing channel.

"Is there no international news on right now?" Finix quietly muttered, startling Sikupa initially.

"Oh, didn't realize you're awake. News outlets are covering football right now, since it only finished last Thursday. In fact, most channels are covering the football championship."

"Oh."

---

February 6th, 2020
Time: 22:00
Location: Ha'Hani Solar Stadium, Ha'Hani, FiHami

"And number 8 has the ball... and now number 10, oh wait! That's number 9! Number 9 shoots... and..."

"... And the kick was BLOCKED by Azure number 1!"

The stadium exploded in cheers and applause, almost deafening to those on the field. Azure Federation's goalie tosses the ball to the referee, who runs to the center of the field. Both teams realign themselves once again, determined to finally break the tie. Both teams were at 1 point each, after an intense match with many spectacular plays from each side.

Falcon Unity's couach had long since given up on trying to control the team, having walked out of the stadium by quarter 2. The team had begged to remain allowed to play, and the referees reluctantly obliged.

"And the ball is now Azure Federation's..."

Azure Federation slowly but surely snaked their way down the field, doing their best to avoid Falcon Unity's defense, who only kept the pressure high, which kept the tension high in the stadium.

"... And we see number 9 grab the ball, and shoot for the goal!"

"Wait, what's Falcon Unity's number 1 doing???"

"Number one is just running through the Azure Federation's offense- the ball is passed to number 7, who passes it back to the goalie, who throws it back to number 9... who kicks it back to number 1..."

"Number 1 shoots..."

The stadium went quiet once again. Azure Federation's goalie leaps to block the sudden kick from the opposing team's goalie. The ball flies right past the goalie's outstretched hands, and he lands on the ground. The ball strikes the net, and suddenly horns blare throughout the stadium.

"GOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL!!!"

The crowd goes wild as the teams line up right back at the center of the field to shake hands.

"Tie is broken, 2-1! Falcon Unity wins this year's championship!"

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Date: February 10, 2020
Time: 04:00
Location: Ri-Ha'Fi-Nix National Park, near Ha'Hani, FiHami

Two hikers climbed through the pathway up the north side of the Volcano. They seemed to climb urgently, almost as if they had a meeting to get to up the sturdy granite and obsidian mount. They stopped when they arrived at a relatively flat area, which housed a few tents. A few cloaked figures emerged from their tents with candles in their hands, humming softly until one last figure emerged, with a long, fire-colored cloak. The figure's arm was the only visible feature, which wore a leather gauntlet. A massive bird sat on the gauntlet, its wings and leg bandaged up as if it had been gravely injured.

"Sisters, how goes the world below us?" The cloaked figure who wore the gauntlet asked.

"Ki Ha'Finix, thank you for the life you have given us." The hikers bowed. "The world below has fallen into chaos, for the falsely appointed Ha'Coron' continues to walk on Pacifica. The true Ha'Coron' tries to hide it, but her health is in decline. She is attempting to rid herself of her annointing. This 'Men's Rights' movement seems to gain support daily."

"I see. We must first execute the false chief. Then, we must continue trying to bring the true chief here and allow her spirit to be rebirthed. After that, we may be able to convince the true chief that Men's Rights is a terrible offense."

"Hai, Ki Ha'Finix"

"I wish for this to be done as soon as possible."

---

Date: February 14th, 2020
Time: 09:00
Location: Ha'Hani General Prison

"You are free to go, Mr. Owens. By executive order."

The guard unlocked Benjamin Owens' cell, allowing him to go free. Benjamin nodded, thanking the guard, then made his way to the first place he thought to go, hoping to see his own daughter for the first time in months.

When he arrived at the location he wanted to arrive at, he could see a young man walking out of the door of the small but cozy home, walking up to the mailbox.  The young man spotted Benjamin, and eagerly waved.

"Hello, Mr. Owens!"

Benjamin waved, walking closer up to the young man.  He wiped the sweat off his forehead from his long walk, smiling happily.

"You must be looking for Lilly, am I right?  She's inside, with Finix and Puani."

"I apologize for my ignorance, but who's Puani?"

"Oh, the most recently-elected chief."

"How's everyone been?"  Benjamin asked, somewhat concerned when the young man mentioned "recently-elected chief."

"Well, Eti died, unfortunately.  She died at war.  Finix has been... fine enough.  I've been well, Puani and her wife have been well as well."

"Eti is dead?  War?  What war?"

"So the Antarchi decided to regroup and attack again-"

"Is there a draft right now?  Am I going to-"

"The war ended with a decisive victory on our side.  Two members of the Imperial Family were executed, and one remains free on Finix' request."

"Wait, on Finix' request?  Are you sure that's Finix?  If it is, are you sure she's OK?"

"Yes, and yes.  There is actually a report just uncovered from an unknown 'Ms. White' where she complained that Henry began sympathizing young and had been doing nothing but trying to escape the family for years.  If proven as a valid source, our Henry's case for freedom will be further strengthened."

"Somewhat similar to my brother, I guess."  Benjamin sighed happily, relaxing a bit.

"Come inside, you must be tired.  Finix will want to see you too."
 

---

Time: 23:00
Location: Ha'Hani, FiHami

Finix had awoken from her slumber to hear sharp tapping on the window of her room.  She yawned, slowly standing up and making her way to the window, where she peeled back the curtain to see a mysterious person standing outside, wearing a cloak that covered everything except her face and neck.  The woman's face smiled gently, waving.

"What do you want?"  Finix whispered angrily, glancing briefly behind her shoulder to make sure she didn't disturb her mate's sleep.  Finix felt reassured when she saw Sikupa still fast asleep.

"I need you to come with me, my child."

"Why?"

"It is important for your destiny."

Finix stood quietly, thinking of whether to ignore the woman or call the police.

"You're crazy.  Go home, lady."

"You must come."  The cloaked woman suddenly smashed in the glass, reaching inside to snatch Finix by the collar of the shirt she wore, dragging her out of the window.  The woman suddenly procured a syringe from inside the cloak, rapidly putting Finix to sleep, running off back towards the direction of the Volcano.

And of course, no one appeared to even notice the commotion that had just transpired.

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Date: February 16th, 2020
Time: 04:00
Location: Unknown

The sun still hadn't risen, but the women of the camp were already awake and around a large bonfire, dancing and singing as the leader of the group watched.  They suddenly bowed low and sat down, keeping their eyes on their leader.

"I am pleased with your worship.  Thank you."  The leader of the group lifted her hand, gestured towards the prisoner of the camp, who glared with intense hatred towards everyone.  The prisoner left them no choice but to ensure that she was tied down as well as possible, for she would do anything and everything to escape.

"My child, whom I have chosen to lead my creation, why do you fight so?  I see the intense hatred you hold in your eyes, as if you blame me for everything."

"You are a liar and a faker.  You kidnapped me and are trying to tell me that it is for the best that men remain uneducated.  And, if you really are, in fact, Ha'Finix, then you stole my life from me and put me in this position with no escape, and have lead me down a life of hardship and suffering."

"You are the best person for the job that needs to be done.  FiHami needed you, as you are a legendary figure from the time you were a toddler.  But now, as FiHami is now free, she is turning to the evils of the outside world.  You must stop this, now.  As much as I hate to agree with an outspoken, rebellious man, I must say that Texeteti' is correct in many ways.  Rather wise for a man, I think-"

"You have GOT to be kidding me."  Finix shook her head in disbelief, watching the woman walking towards the bonfire, yet avoiding the flames.  Suddenly, Finix had a bold idea, though she was positive that the women there would want her dead if she spoke up.

"If you truly are Ha'Finix, then why don't you rest in the fire?  The fire would heal your body's wounds and your feathers would absorb the heat."

"I do not wish to."  The woman huffed, glaring at Finix.  "I do not need to prove my identity to you."

"Yes you do.  Prove to me that you truly are the magical, holy fire falcon that you claim to be, right now."

"The Sisters of Ha'Finix do not acknowledge your blasphemy, young child."
 

---

Time: 12:00
Location: Ha'Hani, FiHami

"I wish Finix would have invited me to her journey, I would have loved to learn some things about being chief of FiHami without the constant hustle and bustle of... well, everyday FiHami."

"Those are generally taken alone, Puani.  She will be home again soon enough."

"I know."

Puani shook her head, taking her seat to the side, as Parliament once again came into session, this time discussing the increasing protests over men's rights.  Kilaui nodded to the room, walking up to the podium.

"Thank you everyone for coming to discuss this..."

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Date: February 17th, 2020
Time: 11:00
Location: University of Ha'Hani Administration Building, Ha'Hani, FiHami

The group of young men and women sat down at the steps of the building once again, picking up their books once again and reading. They made sure that their signs were visible, and that every student walking into the area could see the obvious statistics. Most people didn't bother them, a few sat down with them, but there was, of course, the occasional argumentative naysayer.

A few hours into the protest, Law Enforcement officers arrived. They talked to each other for a bit, then approached the young men and women of FiHami.

"Time to go home, there's been several reports that your group is disturbing the daily function of this university."

"With all due respect, all we're doing is sitting here and reading."

"You have been asked to leave."

The students began looking up from their books more, to the growing group of armed Law Enforcement Officers. The air became thick with tension, lingering over the protestors and officers.

"We have the right to remain here until the university closes."

"We will begin making arrests if you don't leave the premesis."

A few protestors stood up, holding their arms out. One officer decided to fire upon one young man, named Mumo Hastofi, an aspiring doctor. His body dropped to the floor, along with hopes of a continued peaceful protest.

At the end of the brawl, 5 others had died, and most other protestors sustained some form of injury. The officers left the premisis with their arrests, leaving behind bloodstained ground and 6 lifeless bodies.

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Date: February 18th, 2020
Time: 03:00
Location: Unknown

"Child, our group has been around for thousands of years. You are correct that I am not Ha'Finix, but I was chosen at birth to represent Ha'Finix. This bird you see here isn't quite Ha'Finix either. She's a gift to me from Ha'Finix. I hope you understand?"

Finix watched the woman pour over anxient looking scrolls with the bird on her shoulder, staring Finix down. She herself remaind bound in rope, but no longer tried to escape.

"I understand. Why go through the trouble of pretending to be Ha'Finix then?"

"Because, I know you're not going to like this, and no one else will if they hear..."

Finix leaned in a little closer, causing the bird to squack and attempt to fly away.

"... Ha'Finix is dead. Ha'Finix was killed a while ago by the Shaishaixi tribe-"

"Who are they? And who are you, I would lile to know."

"Yes, child. Shaishaixi and Finixi are 2 tribes that fractured off from Fi'Shi years and years ago, almost immediately. Named after the youngest 2 sons of Fi'Shi. They say that these two sons were given a special power to be able to see and communicate with Ha'Finix in an everyday fashion, so they took their families up to Ri-Ha'Fi-Nix and settled. However, they began questioning one anothers power early on, and split. And we have been at war ever since."

"Oh-"

"Which is why learning about you made me very excited. Previously, we had thought that the Sami village raid had taken the last of tribe Fi'Shi in the public sphere, but you somehow survived. I knew you were certainly to be FiHami's leader. I saw the spirit of Ha'Finix in you when I first laid my eyes upon you."

"OK, that could make sense I guess. But, the Shaishaixi?"

"Yes. So, Some of the sisters you find outside actually had engaged the opposing tribe almost 20 years ago now. In the fray, Ha'Finix emerged to force peace on us, but the Shaishaixi warriors hit the bird with her arrow, and Ha'Finix was found dead. The Shaishaixi quickly retreated, leaving us with the body."

"Understood. If you allow me to return home, I promise to ensure your tribe is protected."

"You must learn first that Men's Rights has no place in FiHami."

"I thought we were all equal, are we not?" Finix moved in a little closer, staring at the woman in front of her bewildered.

"Yes, that is true. We cannot have men trying to create patriarchies, however?"

"Are you actually aware of the situation down in FiHami? Men don't have the same rights, they are socially oppressed."

"Explain how, child."

"Many women constantly bar men from education and force most of them into the lowest jobs. There is no equality in FiHami."

The woman sat in stunned silence, as she listened to Finix continue on about the situation. She thought while Finix was speaking, deciding to suddenly cut the ropes from her body.

"Child, go restore equality. I will pay you visits in your own home later on and teach you other things I meant to teach you."

Finix stared at the bundle of rope that fell off her body, then to the woman. Finix smiled, bowing to the woman before making her way down the volcano and into Ha'Hani once again.

---

Time: 11:00
Location: University of Ha'Hani Administration Building, Ha'Hani, FiHami

Once again, protestors lined up at the building, grabbed their books, and began reading in front of the administration, where Officers had fired upon the protestors unjustly. This time, they would include a new message, as displayed by several signs, "Free our brothers".

Once again, Law Enforcement showed up, this time openly threatening the protestors with violence.

"Excuse you."

The officers turned around to glare at Finix, who appeared to have been running.

"We have been ordered to-"

"You all are being ordered to leave these protestors alone- why are your guns out? These people are unarmed!"

The officers rolled their eyes, putting their weapons back in their holsters and leaving the area. Finix nodded to the protestors, and left the premisis as well.

The protestors resumed their books until the campus closed, when they made their way back home.

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Date: March 16, 2020
Time: 19:00
Location: Ha'Hani, FiHami

"GI-LAND IS SPREADING THE EGGRARIAN FLU TO FIHAMI!  WE HAVE OVER 100,000 CONFIRMED CASES IN FIHAMI!  IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME, YOU'VE BEEN BRAINWASHED BY THE GI-LAND AND VALKYRIA MIND CONTROL PACT!"  A deranged man limped up and down the streets of central Ha'Hani, his long dark-brown hair unceremoniously covered by a makeshift tin foil hat.  The man wore a t-shirt with the words "TEXETETI' FOR PARLIAMENTARY SPEAKER" printed in red and orange; old, ragged jeans with mysterious stains all over; the sandals he wore appeared to have been stained with dirt.  He carried two signs with him, and a few other people carried signs as well.  He appeared to be strung out and drunk, as he stumbled around.

"THE EGGRARIANS HAVE PARTNERED WITH GI-LAND TO INFECT FIHAMI WITH THEIR FLU!  HA'CORON' FINIX AND HA'CORON' PUANI-"  The man shouted into the ears of one woman who happened to be passing by, her nose stuck in her phone.  She merely pushed the man down, shaking her head.

"This is what we get if we let men speak."  Was all the woman said, walking away.

Texeti' stood up once again, taking a massive swig of his flask, targeting a poor family next with his "campaign".

"OPEN YOUR EYES! THE EGGRARIAN STOMACH FLU IS A MIND CONTROL DEVICE!  OVER 100,000 ARE INFECTED WITH THIS THING IN FIHAMI!"  Texeteti' shouted, his words becoming more slurred.  The woman gasped, holding her newborn child close and backing away in fear.  The man that was with her stands in between the woman and Texeteti', ready to throw the drunk man down while the woman ran away with her baby.  

The world continued to spin while he preached his messages, drawing a large crowd around him.  A few people held their cameras up, clearly recording the man.  

Suddenly, Texeteti' dropped to the ground, clearly unconscious.  Within minutes, an ambulance arrived, taking the man in.  The crowd dispersed, though his few supporters continued campaigning as they had been.
 

---

Time: 21:00
Location:  Outskirts of Ha'Hani, FiHami

Ever since the Men's Rights massacre that claimed several lives, including that of her mate, Finix saw no more ties to living in a house.  She was about to be 18 in a few months anyways, and she had no other close friends she was willing to trust enough to live together.  She sold all the things that belonged to Eti and Sikupa, sold the house, sent Puani back to her home, gave the money to a family of 6 on the other side of the street from the family of 8, then went to the first place she lived in after the revolution: a tiny shack just across the street from the capital building.  She was initially dismayed to see that the place had basically been destroyed, and after a few minutes of reflection, decided that the area was too high-risk and open anyways.  She hiked in the middle of the night, until she came across a semi-open plot of land in the outskirts of Ha'Hani that was just close enough to everything.  The only issue was Wi-Fi, but the area had decent-enough cellular service, so it didn't matter.  She built up a little shack, surviving off the land just like she used to, before all the trouble with society.

That was last month, but Finix never anticipated ever feeling lonely.  Not having anyone to really talk to began to wear away at her, though most of these days, she was too busy responding to the GID-20 crisis internationally, preparing for the Rainbow Islands Summit, and with the various day-to-day issues that the FiHamian government refused to deal with on their own.  And on top of that, she had to worry about the Parliamentary Speaker elections, specifically that two candidates which she had initially barred from running were still running.

Suddenly, her cellphone began ringing, which Finix promptly responded to.

"What."  

"Ki Ha'Coron', Parliamentary Speaker hopeful Texeteti' Kilaweioni has been found to have been intoxicated, high quantities of Meth, Cocaine, Heroin, Adderall, and LSD have been found in his bloodstream.  He is in the hospital right now, recovering."  The voice of the Minister of Domestic Affairs rang in her ears.

"I honestly don't know why you're telling me, I'm retired."

"No, you're not retired, FiHami needs you.  And I tell you because it's my job."

Finix sighed, feeling the frustration rise in her bloodstream.

"Fine."

She hung up, tossing her phone aside.  She laid down in her makeshift bed, never having felt lonelier than she did at this moment.

You don't know what you don't have until you have it, and you don't know what you have until it's gone.

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Date: March 22, 2020
Time: 15:00
Location: Ha'Hani, FiHami

"Everyone, order!  Order!"  Finix shouted in the parliament hall, waiting for the ruckus of 50 men and women to finally quiet down enough.  Once everyone went silent, Finix stood up, motioning for Puani to stand up right next to her.

"Today's first order of business I would like to address is the oldest bill on the table, the travel bill.  I will refresh your memories right now.  Everyone listen well, we shall be here all day and all night if necessary."

A few people shifted uncomfortably in their seats, others audibly groaned.

They've grown soft.

Finix began reading the text of the bill in detail for parliament despite many initial complaints, which Finix dealt with by restarting until everyone remained quiet in fear of having to hear the bill read out for the 5th time.  When she finally finished, she sat down, and Puani took her seat as well.

"I open the floor to debate."

"Why do we need a bill like this?  Do we not want to allow people to travel if they have the means to do so?"  One member of the Upper Parliament said into her microphone.  "I feel like this would heavily restrict people from their freedom to travel.  What's to stop us from enacting this on a domestic level?"

"Aria, this bill states that the only requirement to a getting a passport is passing what is basically a basic decency test.  While I would hope that FiHami citizens would know basic decency, it seems a small minority isn't capable of that.  Do we really want these bad eggs from going to another country and further embarrassing FiHami on the public stage?  For Ha'Finix, we are absolutely dependent on a child, to the point where we can't even let the child retire and do what she wants."  A member of the Lower Parliament retorted.

"We are dependent on a child chosen by Ha'Finix itself.  There is no retiring from a calling like that.  And, as for the bill, I agree that we do need to provide this test, but to do so costs money that our government doesn't have."  Yet another member of the Lower Parliament retorted back.

Finix sat back, nodding.  She couldn't help but feel a little proud that Parliament was actually discussing things rather than sitting back and gossiping for the first time in months.  As soon as the members of parliament were done and motioned for a vote, Finix stood up.

"All in favor of passing this bill, push the green button on your seats."

The large screen behind Finix switched to show a bar graph, and the green bar began rising as people voted.  When the votes stabilized around 29 votes, Finix raised her hand.

"All in favor of rejecting this bill, push the orange button on your seats."

And an orange bar suddenly appeared from the screen, settling around 21 votes.

"And I hereby announce that this bill is now law.  I will turn discussion on setting up the testing committee for next week's agenda.  Now, Next on today's agenda..."
 

---

Date: March 23rd, 2020
Time: 11:00
Location: Ha'Hani Commerce Square, Ha'Hani, FiHami.

Monday in Ha'Hani Commerce Square was always Market Monday.  The vendors would all come in and sell their fresh catches, their produce, and other products they made, proudly maintaining their stalls in true Finixi style.  This was always a lively day in FiHami, filled with the sounds of traditional Finixi music played by musicians who set up shop around the square.  Artists proudly displayed their galleries, tapestries in true Finixi style hung all over the place like a quilt.

Since the Men's Rights massacre almost a month ago, one stall that used to be filled with fresh catches from the Tikiri'i River was now a monument to the movement.  In the front, instead of the prices of various fish the man who used to run the stand would put, it was now a list of every individual who had been killed during protests.  Instead of various fish on display, it was now various signs that activists carried in these protests.  The other fish vendors began a ritual of putting a rose on the counter every Monday before they set up shop.  Where the man once stood, was now the Wings of Ha'Finix, with an image of the man with his mate.  The other vendors deeply missed the young man who was so kind to everyone, helping people out selflessly.  

Now, every Monday, the Chief of FiHami would make her way to the stall, holding silent vigil from sunrise to sunset.  A few of the vendors would try to offer the Chief any sort of help they could offer, from a glass of water, to emotional support, only to be denied.

There would also be the midday protests, where a bunch of men would gather and sit in silent protest at the stand, carrying various signs detailing the social abuse they face.

But this Monday felt different.  The air around the stand was tense, as a gathering of women stood contrary to the Men's Rights Activists.  The ringleader of the group stood shouting Matriarchy propaganda, demanding to restrict the rights of men in the government, in social spheres, in work, and more.  It got to the point where the young Chief left her usual Monday meditation, keeping a close eye on the groups, in case things got violent.  

Hakuatai shrugged, turning back to tending to his own stand.  He was familiar with the Matriarchy Fundamentalists, his mate was a member of the group, after all.  Other vendors also minded their own business, helping customers out when they came up to them.  

Suddenly, a man ran into the middle of the square, clutching his stomach.  His stomach was fairly bloated, and he smelled.  He suddenly shouted, "I HAVE THE EGGRARIAN STOMACH FLU!!!", and began running around, hugging everyone he could hug, touching everyone he could reach.  People in the market suddenly began screaming, running around, trying to avoid the man.  The protesters quickly left the Square, doing their best to avoid everyone in fear of contracting the disease.  The Chief refused to move from her post, eventually being targeted by the sick man, where she quickly drew a dagger out from its sheath.

"I dare you to get closer."

The man shrugged, and lunged for the Chief.  She quickly stepped aside, trying to avoid contact with the man.  She was quickly trampled by a sudden wave of people as a few law enforcement officers wearing hazmat suits finally captured the man, bringing him in.

Hakuatai quickly ran from his stall into the crowds, helping the Chief escape the crowd.  She bowed her head, then went right back to her original spot.  He suddenly found himself one with the crowd, forced to run with the pandimonium.

By the time everything had calmed down, the Square looked like a tornado had struck.

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Date: 27 March 2020
Time: 11:00
Location: Hospital of Ha'Hani, Ha'Hani, FiHami

While the initial disease didn't hit too hard, things got worse very quickly.

The Firivirus, or Firivirus Multisystematic Viral Infection, as the researchers called it, "FMVI-2020", seemed to start out like the flu.  A bit of fever, lots of aches, pain, weakness.  But unlike the flu, there is no cough, no stuffed or runny nose.  196 patients seemed to have recovered after a few days of managing the high fever.  However, 125 patients seemed to only get worse.  The nausea began, hypotension, bruising easily.  The fever became more difficult to manage.  A handful of patients became delirious as the infection spread to their brains.  It was unsettling to hear the once-strong Ha'Coron' of the Island cry about Antarchi soldiers as if she were an infant.  Another patient became adamant that his dead mate would come back to him, in tears from the pain, despite the drugs that the doctors administered.  A few others forgot what year it was.  

The doctors were kind and sympathetic towards us, doing their best to make sure that we were as comfortable as possible.  They took blood samples as they could from the healthier patients, studying the virus, trying to make a cure.  Trying to find a way to make a preventative vaccine.  But without knowing where the virus even came from thanks to patient zero being an unhelpful fool, the job would be very, very difficult.

I'd imagine that we'll get much less tourism because of this incident.  My poor shop might go bankrupt after this.

All I wanted was to buy some Kairisi* to make Tamuta*.

Signed, 
Sa'ami Laikifi
Age: 34

*Kairisi- A large, leafy vegetable known for its intense spicy flavor, used in Finixi traditional soups, biscuits, curries, and teas.  High in vitamins and minerals, often regarded as a superfood.
*Tamuta- A Finixi dish involving: Kairisi, A few other FiHami native vegetables, Coconut shavings, Ma'atuma fish, coconut milk, and palm-sea oat flour cooked together.

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