A refreshing breeze blew itself into the sail, and the fabric billowed outward with a satisfying crack. Tossing her wayward hair from her eyes, Moana felt a smile tug at her lips as she gave a hearty reef on the lines and tied them off, leaving the sail open to catch the wind. The boat began to veer westward; she felt the playful push and pull of the waves and surrendered herself - and her vessel - to its whims. She could afford to drift for a little while, couldn't she? The luau wouldn't begin until sunset, but Pua would need extra coddling and reassurance before she could allow herself to indulge in the succulent taste of the kalua pig. Most likely, the tiny, floppy-eared pig - who usually accompanied Moana everywhere around the island - would sulk for the entirety of the evening, far from the festivities. For such a small animal, he wasn't terribly clever when it came to utilizing his size to hide himself away in nooks and crannies. Still, he could be incredibly stubborn. Moana could distinctly remember spending one afternoon pausing at every rock and clump of fronds, pointedly ignoring the snickers of the tribe as she begged Pua to come out of hiding.
Lazily, she trailed her fingers in the warm ocean waters as she frowned, wondering where Pua would tuck himself away this time. Finding him could take hours. The wise thing to do would be to head for the shore now, track down Pua, and calm the wee thing before the sun set and the luau began. Yes. She would get up, turn the boat around, and go find Pua. The ocean could wait... couldn't it?
But as she groaned and hauled herself upright, a light spray of salty water splashed gently against her cheeks, and instead of using her oar to direct the boat back towards the island, she laughed aloud and allowed the water to pick up the vessel and deposit it safely on the other side of the reef.
Oh, how it sparkled! The ocean, she had come to realize, most certainly had a mind of its own. Playful, mischievous, calm, angry - its range of emotions were as wide as any human's. And, sometimes, more deep and intense than anything she'd ever felt.
It seemed to wink at her as she studied it, glittering in the light of the sun and tempting her with its clear blue waves that promised peace and tranquility beneath the surface. It was an entirely different world under there - vibrant and colorful, bursting with life and a myriad of bodies and forms she couldn't begin to put names to. It was a society that functioned at its own pace, with its own rules and hierarchy, drifting through the days and nights as though nothing that happened beyond its realms even mattered. Scores of colors and twinkling shades decorated this underwater village, and sometimes - Moana wrinkled her nose - it was shiny.
As if to mirror her thoughts, a ray of light shone brightly from under the waves, momentarily blinding her with its brilliance. Rubbing her eyes, Moana scowled, thinking of the giant crab who'd nearly crushed her in his grip - and had the audacity to tell her she looked like seafood!
Angrily, she shook her fist at the water. The ocean bubbled, as if laughing in reply, and calmed once more. With a sigh, Moana turned and reached for her oar, noting with a mild flare of alarm how the sun's rays were beginning to darken and shine lower in the sky than before. Time seemed to have a sense of humor where the rules of village life couldn't reach it. When she was on the water, it seemed to fly until the day was nearly done, and she was not nearly ready to return to the island.
A gentle wave nudged the boat, sending it gliding towards home. The closer her vessel came to the shore, the stronger the tantalizing scent of the kalua pig became, and the louder her stomach began to rumble. Was that... laulau she could smell?
As she impatiently tugged her boat up onto the sand, away from the reach of the water, the sounds of drums and the joyful cries of her people reached her ears. She smiled, eager to join their throngs and celebrate the return of life to their island with them. She winced, thinking of Pua and the apologies she would have to make later, but for now, she would be happy.
Behind her, the ocean bubbled and showered her with spray, and somewhere in the distant skies, the cry of a bird echoed through the clouds. Laughing, Moana brushed her hair from her face and planted a hand on her hip, shielding her eyes from the sun as she searched the sky for a glimpse of Maui. And even when she couldn't see the feathered form of the demigod she'd come to call friend, she couldn't keep the smile from her lips as her heart soared within her breast. She lifted a hand and waved, knowing he'd laugh, and - in pure Maui fashion - make a joke about high-fiving the sky. And then she turned, plunging through the fronds and onto the familiar trails that would lead her back to the village. Her people were waiting.