Author's note: Couldn't help myself but this one will be short, I promise. I really liked Moana and for good reasons. It has given me hope again in Disney films, although I did already liked Zootopia, but it's been years since I liked a princess story.

1) I have watched Disney since I was a kid and I'm a big fan of Ron Clements and John Musker so win-win.

2) I first heard of Maui when I was eight years old and I'm thirty, mind you! It was a book about animals but Maui was mentioned as part of the lives of the Polynesian people with nature. So I was quite happy to see him again and Dwayne does a pretty good job.

3) Moana has the positive message for girls that Frozen doesn't have and has a lot more logic. For example, Maui can only shape shift when he has his hook. It's a rule that stays through the entire story. Elsa's powers work with love, come from who knows where and function in several parts according to the rule or mere whims from the referred girl like when she builds a bridge, a castle, a dress and… hair style? I mean c'mon! This is called coherence and Moana has coherence.

4) And finally, Moana does have a dumb sidekick but I liked Heihei better than Olaf. And the villains are more interesting. Tamatoa has a short time on screen but enough to make us want more of this sly crab and Te ka makes a wonderful fire spirit.

But enough of this and let's get to the chase!

1. Haili Mua

For one thousand years, he had kept eyes on the horizon. Hoping, dreaming, pleading that humankind would eventually pay off his many gifts and help him out of that lonesome island but nobody came. Men had forgotten how to sail. They feared that without their hero, the many monsters and creatures of the waves would leave no boat. And so it was that, little by little, he gave up hope on humans. They were just like his mother and he, a demigod who had given his everything for them, couldn't forgive that. His exploits meant nothing. Maui, demigod of the Wind and the Sea, was exiled for good with no hook or way out of his hell. His only company was the tiny version of himself that lived in his tattoos and sometimes, the Ocean itself even if neither of them spoke a word.

He watched the sun come and go millions of times, almost feeling its fiery eyes on him for putting him up with his hook. The gods were still mad. The whole world was against his persona and that only increased his already big lack of self-confidence. It's true, he always gave the brave face and seemed cocky, almost arrogant, but deep inside all was fragile. He never felt lover or needed by anyone and that was driving him crazy. There were even times when Maui wished he wasn't immortal. Things wouldn't hurt so much.

Sitting on the beach, waiting like so many other days to see sails with the falling sun, he fixed a glance on the ocean. The liquid creature rose from his massive body of water and stared at the demigod. It seemed to get that the child of the gods was desperate.

"Happy? I've been rotting here for ages and thanks to that, men no longer cross your body, caress your skin. You are lonely, just like me. I have no hook, you have no ships so what's the use?" Maui snorted and got up. Another day was coming to an end. "All I need is another chance but why do I even waste my breath? There are no sails and you can't give me a sign. So forget it!" he sighed and walked inside his cave to get some sleep, his human part catching up and with it all the weariness and sadness. Sitting on the hole of the ceiling was the statue Maui had been working on, in hopes to remind himself that he was still number one. It was going slow but anything was good to keep his mind busy or maybe, not so busy. He started counting the days and drew a hook, made a statue and it was him with his hook… Ka mea! He was losing it for sure! Were Talagoa, his grandfather, and the others that mad? After a thousand years? Some family they were! Oh, well! Maui shook his head and went to his usual sleeping spot. Mini-Maui was giving him a sympathetic look but the man ignored it and closed his eyes. For a thousand years and that night, his dreams were plagued with visions of Tamatoa making fun of him, the island of Te Fiti and Te Ka crushing him from the sky. He always woke up at this point but something was different on that particular night. Instead of opening his eyes when his body crashed against the sea, he followed his hook into the depths of the ocean along with the heart. It all felt strangely quiet, peaceful. The waves carried him through miles after the green light, a light-headed feeling shipping him. Before he could realize, Maui found himself standing on a seaside. It was a quiet place, a nice one. The demigod breathed in. He could stay there for the rest of his immortality. A giggle interrupted his chain of thoughts. Maui looked around and noticed a small child coming from the path hidden behind the bushes. It was a little girl, one or two years old. She seemed happy to see the sea. The waves moved to reveal a beautiful seashell and the child ran to get it. Maui snorted. That was nothing new. She was cute but still human. "You can do better than that, old salt" he began to consider waking up when they noticed a pair of cormorants trying to eat a small sea turtle. The child saw this with concern, doubted a little but quickly ran to help the baby. Maui was now surprised. Someone who actually cared, that was new. The ocean playfully took a closer look at the child and even gave her more seashells, but when it decided to give her the Heart of Te Fiti, Maui scowled. "Are you crazy?! You want her dead?!" the answer came with an adult voice calling. The sea put back the girl who dropped the stone by accident and walked to meet her father. The demigod watched her go but did notice that she was looking his way and smiling. Maui was taken aback but something happy reached him. She was happy to see him or so he thought before waking up all of a sudden. He was back in his cave, alone but something told him that that was a vision of a real event. That child was real and she had somehow gotten the favor of the sea and… his. If that was true, then perhaps there was still something worth fighting out there.

Ok, so this is AU. No question about it but I think Maui knew the Ocean from before.

But there'll be time for more.

Cheers!