She took a step forward and the waves hesitated. The water churned unhappily, watching as its closest friend wept. Moana fell to her knees in the surf, her eyes red with the salty air and salty tears. Her chest ached as she coughed, and a new sob broke from her.
"It's not fair!" she screamed, hitting the water and bawling like a child. "I did all this for you, and yet you fail to save the only thing I care about?"
In an effort to appease her, the water placed a pretty shell on the beach next to her toes. She tossed it back in and snarled, "I'll drown myself. You aren't all powerful, are you? You can't stop me from dying!"
She spoke the truth; though the water wished for her to survive, it was powerless when it came to life and death. A fallen child could be washed up on a beach, but a capable woman could not be torn from the waves if she refused to comply.
Standing, Moana stormed off in search of rope. Distressed by her intention, the water let out a silent cry.
Maui squawked as he was torn from the air by a violent wave. His wings beat helplessly against the water, and the feathers turned to scales. A moment later a gasping fish was on the sand, and then an irritated Maui.
Piercing the ground with his fish hook, the demi-god stomped over to the water's edge and frowned down at it.
"What's the deal?" He cried, throwing his hands up and brushing the sand from his hair. "I thought we were cool!"
It splashed innocently, and he was just about to turn away when a flower washed up on the beach. The blossom was pink and wilted, dull with water and salt. He scooped it up and stared at it until his memory clicked.
Moana wore flowers like this. He had caught glimpse of this very one in her hair last time he had visited, and now it was resting here in his palm.
"Moana?" He said softly, his tone heavy with worry. He looked out at the sea and then grabbed his hook. "I'm coming."
She took a gasp of breath and then swam down to the coral at the bottom. They were sharp, and she nicked her foot on it. Hissing at the pain, she untied the rope and wrapped it around her ankle, attaching herself to the coral that was now stained with blood.
Her chest was already beginning to hurt from lack of oxygen and Moana knew it wouldn't be long before the last of the air left her. Her hair floated around her head, sheltering her from the sight of the life swimming around her.
A small fish brushed her cheek, and she smiled at the feeling of its tail on her eyelid. A small bubble escaped her lips, her last breath.
She sighed.
Maui pulled her up on the beach, holding her tight. She landed on the sand with a wet thump, and he began pressing on her stomach.
"Moana, don't you dare die."
His lips met her own, giving her the air that she lacked. She tasted of salt and lingering sickness. When he came up for breath, Maui caught sight of the many graves littering the beach. Moana's hands were rough with calluses, and he felt his heart plummet.
He breathed into again and again, until she threw all the water up onto his chest. It smelled terrible but he was far too drunk with relief to notice. Grabbing her in an embrace, he buried his face in her hair.
Moana stared at the sky, her eyes becoming wet. Lip trembling, she began crying softly into the only shoulder she had left. Maui only held her tighter.