Maui looked on in disappointment at the scene in front of him. It had only been a couple of days since the dragons had returned to Tatakona. While many of them were grateful for being able to return to their home they still were very much afraid of him. What was worse was that they had rejected Makana as their chieftain. Everyone in the colony had gathered in an antient amphitheater like structure. While much of their culture and traditions had been lost from time everyone still respected and listened to the elder dragons. Five of them, two males and three females, sat at high points while Makana stood at the center of everything. "A female cannot be our chieftain. It is not the way things are done!" a female elder earth dragon called Kahele protested. "Only the strongest is worthy!" a male elder storm dragon called Hekili stated. Maui had heard enough. He leapt to Makana's side. "That's not your decision to make!" Maui challenged causing many of the dragons in the crowd to growl. "Maui!" Makana gasped but he ignored her protests. "Te Fiti chose her to lead." Maui reminded them. "So you say destroyer!" the elder water dragon called Anuhea challenged. "For all we know you want her to lead because she is the weakest among us." "You want her to prove that she's strong then give her the chance." Maui suggested. Every dragon grew silent. "No female could survive the kaua. The elder male wind dragon called Kaiwi stated. "She would do better to find a mate and give him control." "Wow seriously?" Maui shook his head. Everyone began talking at once.
"Maui, can I talk to you for a second?" Makana requested. "Sure kid." Maui shrugged following her to a quieter place. "What are you doing?" she demanded. "I'm trying to get them to recognize your role as chieftain." Maui smiled. "I know your trying to help but you're making it worse. Do you even know what the kaua is?" Makana asked. Maui shook his head. "It's a last dragon standing battle with any number of challengers only using teeth and claws." Makana informed him. "So you're the last one standing. No big deal." Maui shrugged. "it wouldn't be if you were the one fighting. I'm not a warrior like you are. I don't know the first thing about combat and I won't stand a chance." Makana stated. To her surprise, Maui only smiled. "I watched you take on a dragon twice your size and you survived in Lalotai for three years." He reminded her "You have the best chance of winning." "That was luck." Makana stated. "Look kid Te Fiti wouldn't have sent you into this knowing you couldn't do this. Trust me she's not that kind of goddess and I've got your back." Maui assured. Makana smiled. "Sorry Maui dragons only. You can't participate." She said. "Not what I meant." Maui laughed as they walked back.
Makana returned to the center to address the everyone. "You say I'm not strong enough yet none of you have stepped forward to challenge it directly. I invoke the kaua." She stated. Everyone gasped at her sudden boldness. "Any takers?" Makana challenged. Several males rose and leapt down to the center near her including Kaimana. The elders glanced at one another. The final elder a female moon dragon called Naeva spoke up "Very well the kaua begins at dawn. I suggest you prepare yourselves."
"I can't believe you talked me into this." Makana sighed walking alongside Maui. "What happened to all that confidence you had?" Maui asked. "It was a bluff." Makana stated. "You got this!" Maui assured. "What makes you so certain?" Makana asked. "There are about ten dragons in this thing including you. The other dragons don't see you as much of a challenge so they'll go after each other before they go after you." Maui told her. "Except for Kaimana. He's going to make it a point to go after me." Makana stated. "Kaimana?" Maui questioned. "He's the water dragon my mother wanted me to choose for a mate and he thinks he owns me." Makana growled. "That's good." Maui said. Use that anger to give you strength. You are one of the bigger dragons. Throw your weight around." "Is that your way of getting back at me for you thinking I called you fat when we first met?" Makana joked. Maui laughed. "So you think you can take him?" he asked. "I guess I'll find out.
Maui let Makana rest for her big fight while he walked around the island. For a guy as big as he was he was surprisingly quiet and none of the dragons noticed him. He couldn't help but listen in on their conversations but one in particular caught his attention. "Who does she think she is trying to be the chieftain?" a dragon asked. "She acts too human especially with that demigod by her side." A second stated. "When I win the kaua I'm going to make all the humans beg for mercy before I eat them." The first laughed. Maui couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You should eat the demigod too." The second joked. Maui was tempted to reveal himself and show these dragons that he was no easy meal but he backed away instead. These were not the only dragons with this opinion. He was beginning to see a clear difference in Makana from the rest of her kind.
It was still dark when Makana awoke. She stretched digging her long sharp claws into the ground before making her way to the kaua ground. There were a number of other dragons already there. They gave her looks of contempt but she did her best to ignore them. "There you are!" Maui said running up to her. "Maui what's wrong?" Makana asked. "Makana you have to win this!" he insisted. "I know." She assured. "No you don't understand. Some of the others in the kaua are planning to massacre the humans if they win." Maui informed her. "You've got to be kidding me!" she sighed. Makana knew many of her kind didn't like humans but this was taking it to a whole other level. "Not while I'm still breathing." She growled as she attempted to take off the necklace as not to damage it but to her surprise it would not come off. "Uh Maui I can't get this thing off." She informed him. Maui didn't look at all surprised. "That's Te Fiti for you." He shrugged. "Right." Makana sighed. She began to move towards her opponents but a second dragon stepped in her path. "Hello mother." Makana greeted. Rayen gave her a disapproving look that she was all too familiar with. "Don't do this Makana." She begged. "You still have a chance to choose a mate. Kaimana is still willing to have you." "Never will I ever allow him to take me as his mate." Makana stated moving past her mother. "Makana please! I can't watch my only daughter get hurt." Rayen begged. Makana stopped. "Then don't." she said without even turning around and walking off. Rayen turned to Maui. "If she gets hurt the wrath of the gods will be nothing compared to mine demigod." She growled.
The ten gathered parallel to one another while the rest of the colony encircled them waiting for the sun to rise. Makana closed her eyes listening to the beating of her own heart. She felt the light of the sun peak over the horizon signaling the kaua to begin. Like a flash the dragons attacked one another. Kaimana leapt on top of Makana forcing her onto her back. "When I win this, you will be mine." He whispered. Something snapped inside of her and she kicked him hard sending him crashing into two other dragons. One of them, a wind dragon, turned to attack her but Makana was quicker. Before he could react, she had him by the back of the neck like a mother carrying her young, forcing him to go limp. She quickly knocked him out before moving onto her next opponent using the same trick until she was the only one left. Makana roared in victory. The sun appeared to illuminate her scales even brighter and the chieftain necklace seemed to resonate with a soft green glow. The entire colony was in shock at this as she stood proudly. One by one they lowered their heads in respect. This seemed to bring her back to reality and made her feel incredibly awkward at this. "Ok you can stop now." She said. The elder dragons approached her and they did not look happy. "Despite your victory, you cannot be the chieftain." Hekili stated. Makana was a bit surprised by this. "So much for your tradition of the strongest leading." She declared. Whispers erupted among the colony. "As elders I do respect your experience but in this case I have more than earned the right to lead and the rest of the colony will agree." Makana stated. "I am the strongest and most capable of anyone in this colony." "She's right." One of her fallen opponents admitted. "She defeated all of us on her own and we need to respect that." Much to her surprise most of her opponents now stood behind her. The colony whispers became louder and the elders knew they were not going to win this and backed down. Makana sighed in relief before turning to her supporters. "Thank you." She nodded. "If I may how did you get so strong?" one of them asked. "A few years in Lalotai will do that." She commented. Makana jumped to a higher point to address the colony. Everyone grew silent. "Listen up! From now on humans are off limits as prey." She ordered. There were a number of groans and growls at this decree. "Let's be honest for those of you who have eaten a human they don't taste all that great and seafood is way better." Makana challenged. There were several nods. "I thought so." She smiled. "Now go enjoy the rest of the island." Makana leapt down to where Maui was as the rest of the dragons dispersed. "I knew you do it kid." He smiled.
Back at the fourth wall
Mini Maui danced around excitedly much to Maui's annoyance. "Hey let me do this please?" Maui asked. Mini Maui slumped in disappointment. "I wondered if you were going to show up again." The writer said not looking up from her laptop. "Of course I am. I'm Maui." Maui boasted. Moana smacked him on the head with her oar. "We know!" she stated. "You need to stop doing that." Maui said as she walked over to the writer. "Aw good Moana you're here too. I might need your expertise." the writer requested.