The stars are shining brightly tonight, Moana mused to herself as she stared up at the black speckled tapestry above her. Her back was pressed against a small sleeping pallet on her canoe while she admired her guides. She was a day or so from Montinui, returning after helping a group of her people set up a village on a new island. She let out a content sigh before gently turning to her side so as not to rock her canoe and cause the water of the ocean to move.

It was one of the calmest nights she had the pleasure of sailing in some time. She loved how the glassy surface of the water reflected the sky above it almost perfectly. It was times like these where the heaven's and the earth seemed to have no border; no walls and one could simply walk between the two if they chose.

After a few more moments of staring at the peacefulness around her, a stark comparison to her life as chief, she closed her eyes and began to drift off. She was moments away from sleep when there was a resounding bang, louder than thunder. She jerked from her half sleeping state, heart pounding, eyes wildly searching for the cause of such a roar. A sudden burst of light along the horizon startled her more than the sound but she soon lost her fear and was mesmerized by the sight. It was a resplendent dancing of lights of all colors across the edge of the sea and sky. Vibrant purples, greens and blues moving to a rhythm she could not fathom. Then as suddenly as they appeared the lights where gone.

Moana blinked and sat silently unable to make sense of what she had just witnessed. After a good 10 minutes or more, unable to form a coherent thought about the sound or the lights she decided she must have gone longer without sleep then she should have. Despite Maui's comments of a true wayfinder never sleeping she found she had her limits where lack of sleep was concerned. She let out a snort as she thought of the demigod's teachings. Most of it had been absolutely pertinent knowledge but he was a trickster and loved to tease so some of what he had told she had to trust about as far as she could have thrown him, which was not far.

Moana let out a yawn and decided to get some rest before she had anymore strange hallucinations. She lay back on her pallet and closed her eyes. This time as she drifted to sleep she was not woken by strange thunder or lightening.

…

Moana opened her eyes to find herself somewhere strange. She looked around at the strange plants, some resembled coral, while others looked like the carnivorous flowers she had encountered on… She gasped and quickly glanced above her, up into sea. LALOTAI! How in the world had she ended up here?

"I must be dreaming…" she murmured to herself.

"Well how about I pinch you and we find out," a familiar voice said behind her.

"Maui?" She turned just in time for a large hand to pinch her cheek. "HEY!" she squawked indignantly shoving his hand away and realizing it hadn't hurt in the slightest. She also was surprised to see Maui. She hadn't seen him in five years. "I guess I am dreaming."

"Try again princess. This here is my dream," Maui said with a smiled. Moana frowned at him then promptly reached out giving his arm a hard pinch. He didn't even flinch.

"See," he said with a smug grin.

"Well if it didn't hurt me and it didn't hurt you, who's dream is this?" Moana asked crossing her arms over her chest. Maui opened his mouth to reply but paused and looked around.

"You got me there," he said then began to wander off towards Tamatoe's lair. Moana not sure of what else to do followed him.

It didn't take long for them to reach the lair of Tamatoe and once they did Moana gasped, the once vibrant and treasure filled clam was dull and gray. They shared a look agreeing that this added up to nothing good and proceeded forward. As they entered the lair a rank air hit Moana's nose and she held back a gag. This once lustrous cave smelled of death and decay. Looking ahead Moana saw why.

"Is that… Tamatoe?" she stammered, her eyes falling on the hollow rotting husk that barely resembled a crab.

Maui was silent a dark expression on his face as he viewed the giant dead crab in front of him. He circled around; Moana a few steps behind, and came to Tamatoe's head. It seemed the only part of the crab relatively untouched. His once shiny eyes now seemingly made of glass stared blankly ahead.

Moana felt as though she may be sick, dream or no dream she was about to vomit. Before she could expel the contents of her stomach a voice behind spoke, "Moana, Maui I come on behalf of Tangaroa." Moana whipped her head up to she the simmering blue figure of her grandmother before her.

"Gramama?" Moana questioned skeptically, "Is this a dream?"

"In a sense," Tala said with a smile. "Dear child I know so much has been asked of you but the gods and the world have need of you again, both of you," she said glancing at Maui. "A great beast has escaped from his prison in the heavens and threatens the safety of the entire world."

Moana's head was reeling. The gods had need of her again? For another save the world quest? This was absolutely crazy. Then it clicked. This would explain the strange sound and lights she had seen before she fell asleep!

"But what are we to do," she said shooting her gaze to Maui who was uncharacteristically silent. He held a very serious expression on his face.

"You must come here," Tala said gesturing around her. "to Lalotai. Here lies a weapon hidden. Thought by Tamatoe to be yet another treasure, this weapon can be used to defeat the evil that has escaped into the world."

Tala's voice began to fade and Moana struggled to hold onto the dream, to ask her grandmother for more guidance but she was being pulled back to the waking world. The last things she saw before she awoke were glowing read eyes and bright white fangs.

…

Moana jerked awake, breathing heavily. What in the world had that dream been about. Was it a dream or had it been a vision. She would have attributed it to an over reactive imagination mixed with seawater but her dreams weren't usually so detailed or realistic. The feeling in her gut and heart told her all she needed to know. She would travel to Lalotai and investigate to be certain.

Setting her sails for a course back home, Moana mentally began to prepare herself for her next journey. She would need supplies, lots of them. Her last trip to the realm of monsters hadn't been easy. This time without a less than cooperative Demigod teaching her wayfinding it might be smoother sailing. She shook her head at her own pun and set her mind on making it home.

She sailed without interruption till the sun began to set again. She worked nonstop, making sure she caught ever gust to carry her faster. At this rate she would make it home by dawn. It was at that moment that her stomach decided to protest the all day sailing with no stopping for food. She let out a sigh and decided to concede to her stomach's grumbling. Letting the sails fall and the canoe slow she sat down and began to search the storage compartment for dinner. Settling on dried fish and coconut she began to eat her meal.

"You know a real wayfinder doesn't stop for anything, including dinner," a voice behind her chimed.

A smile lit up her features and she dropped the remainder of her dinner on the deck. "Maui!" she exclaimed as she ran towards him jumping into his outstretched arms for a hug. He pulled her in close holding her tight. When he let her down she immediately slugged him in his overly muscled arm.

"Ow!" he exclaimed rubbing his bicep. "What was that for?"

"For being gone for so long," she said glaring at him then let it melt into a playful smile as she punched his arm a bit lighter, "I've missed you, ya big goof."

"I've missed you to, princess," pulling her into another hug.

She laughed and struggled against him "Hey! Not a princess remember?" He let her down and they grinned at each other.

"So…" she began, "Why come back now, after all this time?"

His expression turned a bit more serious at this, "I would guess you already knew. If I'm not mistaken your Grandmother said we were Both needed," he said with a small smile.

Her eyes widened. "So it wasn't just a dream!" She exclaimed.

"Nope," Maui said then plopped down into a sitting position, rocking the canoe a bit. "So heading back to Lalotai for another adventure are we?" he said raising an eyebrow.

"Yes but first back to Montinui. I need to give a report to my dad and the council on how the new village is coming along and we need to restock on supplies," Moana told him as she opened the sails back up. Maui lifted his legs back onto the canoe and began to help her.

Moana had no trouble sailing on her own but couldn't deny it was nice to have helped. She also had to admit it was fascinating to watch him sail. He worked with such ease and grace, muscles bulging and relaxing with ever pull of the ropes. As she watched his toned back flex improper thoughts began to flood her mind and she blushed shaking her head to clear it. Where and the world had that come from? She had begun to notice men on her island some years ago and wouldn't deny she had briefly thought of Maui that way but quickly pushed those fantasies out of her head. He was a Demigod and she was a mortal woman, it just wasn't realistic.

Pushing such thoughts from her mind she set herself back to sailing. They found a good breeze to catch and could relax a bit. Moana made sure they stayed on course, putting her hand up to measure the stars. As she lowered her hand she saw that Maui was staring intently at her. His eyes were a bit darker than normal with some other emotion she couldn't quite place.

"Mo…" he began quietly, taking a few steps towards her. "Earlier, you said I had been gone a long time, exactly how long?"

She looked at him in surprise. Did he really not know? She supposed time for a Demigod moved differently but she hadn't realized he might completely loose track of time.

"Five years," she told him with a cough and saw his eyebrows shoot up.

"Five years," he murmured looking her up and down, she shifted a bit uncomfortable not sure why he was studying her so hard. "Twenty-three years old… even since eighteen you sure have grown a lot," he said shaking his head. "I'm sorry."

He turned back away from her but not before she caught a look of guilt in his eyes. She stepped away from steering for a moment and put a hand on his shoulder. He stiffened but didn't turn.

"Hey, you really didn't miss all that much," she said. "Maui look at me," she told him placing a hand on his cheek to turn him towards her. He finally turned, his guilt filled eyes meeting hers. "Really all you missed was me and my people sailing to new islands." He smiled at that. "Oh and a couple failed suitors, but other than that…"

"Wait what?!" he interrupted surprise clear in his face and voice.

She gave a mirth filled laugh. "I plan on settling for the best and they weren't it," she said with a wink. He smiled at this, seeming to believe he was forgiven but she could still see the bit of guilt in his eyes. She would tackle that problem later, for now she allowed them to fall back into a comfortable silence sailing together in perfect rhythm.