Moana stat on the shore, staring out into the sunset. In the years after her return from her adventures with Maui, her tribe had grown and spread. Now, her people were flourishing on four different islands, her duties as master wayfinder were getting easier as the people grew more comfortable on the sea. Her little brother was learning what it meant to be the village chief relieving her of those pressures too.
But something was wrong. Nobody had heard anything from the island of Sasa in many months. A small group had set out to find the reason and had not yet returned. Moana herself would have gone but an ocean storm had swept up and hurt some of the fisherman from the main island. They were short handed so she had stayed to help with the harvests. Now, staring out to the sea, she wondered if she had lost even more of her people.
"Any sign?" Loto asked, coming to stand next to her; gazing out to sea, clearly worried. Loto was a well built and level headed man. Deeply devoted to his people, and caring more for Moana than she cared to admit. Had she been any other girl, she would count herself both blessed and lucky to have won the affections of such a striking young man. He had courted her with all the honesty and devotion a chief's daughter deserved. Both her parents approved of him and encouraged her to consider settling down. Had her brother not been born, it would have been required of her. Thank the gods for small favors. Moana couldn't put her finger on just what was missing. She had tried to make it work, she really had. Tried to force herself to look on Loto as more than a friend, even allowed a few fumbling attempts of intimate interactions. Every time, she pulled away with an apology and ran to the ocean. Running away in her canoe, frustrated and confused. It's not HIM. A little voice whispered inside her head. Him. The demigod. Maui.
Maui had made frequent visits since their adventures. Cocky as ever he had patiently helped her teach her people the nuances of way-finding, catching the deep sea fish, and all things deep ocean. He had been there in their first major triumph of finding the first of the new islands, although Moana had a sneaking suspicion that he might have had more of a hand in their finding one so perfect and close to their main island than what he let on. That first night he had entertained them all with boastful tales of his exploits. The tired but enraptured audience nearly worshiping the colossal demigod. It had been a few months since Maui had visited. She expected him to pop up soon, he always seemed to whenever she really needed him. Maybe he knew what was going on with the sister island.
"No." She replied to Loto. She bit her lower lip.
"They'll show" Loto replied. "Maybe they got hit harder by the storm than we did."
"Maybe." Moana agreed halfheartedly. "Or, maybe I should just go look myself."
"You worry too much." Loto said, placing a concerned hand on her shoulder. "Let me make you dinner tonight. I found some breadfruit this morning. Perfectly ripe. You could use the evening off. What do you say?"
Moana smiled. I really don't deserve the devotion this guy dotes on me. "Maybe some other time."
Crestfallen, Loto said "ok. Sure. Open invitation, ya?"
"Yeah." Moana said, and hugged him.
"Hand me that rope." She called to Vaematua as she tried to keep a particularly unwieldy stick in place.
Vaematua hadn't seemed to hear her.
"Hey!" She hollered.
"Huh?" He started. "What? Oh!" He jumped as he realized she'd been talking to him.
"What's got your attention?" Moana laughed as he scrambled to get her the rope, repeatedly dropping and picking it up again.
"I just... I think I saw... Only... Is that... Maui?" He stammered, pointing.
"Maui?" Moana said, more excited than she should be. She lost control of the stick, which shot away from her, knocking over some nearby baskets. Giving it up for a bad job, she looked down the beach. Sure enough, Maui stood amidst a gaggle of kids, flexing and showing off. Moana suppressed a grin.
"Could you... I mean... Maybe... It's only... I've never really met him... Face to face... And all..." Vaematua blushed.
Only too happy for the excuse to see Maui, she laughed and led the way at a jog down the beach.
"Maui!" She called happily.
"Princess!" He replied. Playfully brushing off the armful of kids clambering all over him.
Rolling her eyes, she reprimanded "Just the chief's daughter. Not even future chief, now." She threw her arms around the big man's neck, burying her face in his fluffy curls, breathing him in deep.
Maui laughed his jovial laugh as he hugged her back, lifting her up off the ground. "Whatever you say, princess."
Slightly breathless, heart beating a rapid staccato, Moana introduced Maui to his admirers.
They sat around the fire that evening, enjoying full tummies and good company, laughing good naturedly at the adventures of Maui. During a lull in the conversation, Moana asked if he had seen or heard anything from the sister island. Maui thought a moment, then shook his head slowly. "I came from the south. Things are pretty quiet in that direction. Well, NOW they are, thanks to this demiguy!" He slapped his chest, pointing his thumbs at himself while flashing a cheeky grin.
Before she could reply, a frantic call came from outside the group. "Chief! Chief!" A man came running up to her father, out of breath, pointing in the direction of the beach. "Back!" Was all he could say.
They clustered near, but not too near, the man on the beach. He looked ragged and half crazed. His boat was barely floating, the sheet torn, lumber cracked and hastily bound together with what looked like whatever was readily available. Was that seaweed? The man himself was stammering and jumpy. Raving nearly incoherently one word over and over.
Taniwha.
"Take him to the main hut. Get him some food and see to his wounds." said Moana, taking control of the situation. "You." She said, snatching one of the more alert children. "Get him some fresh water." After seeing that all was in motion, she turned to Maui. "Do you know what he's talking about?"
"Yeah. Taniwha is one of the monsters from Lalotai. He's a big octopus with a bad superiority complex."
"Hmm." Moana chewed her lip. "Is this... Something you could... Y'know... Take care of?" She asked hopefully.
Maui gave her a mischievous grin. "Maybe."
"Maybe?" Moana asked, staring at him incredulously.
"I might need a sidekick. Y'know. Someone to watch me work, cheer me on, sing of my great deeds." He flexed, giving mini-Maui a fistbump.
"Really..." Moana gawped at him in exasperation.
"Hey, it's tiring to always have to recount my stories. There's so many I'm losing count! Time you paid me back, anyways. For all the teaching and stuff I've done for you. For free I might add!"
Rolling her eyes, Moana turned and headed back to the village. She didn't want to admit it, but the idea of going on another adventure with Maui excited her.
The next morning Moana said her goodbyes, then got her supplies and canoe ready. Maui was lazily eating a banana and one arm bench pressing three giggling kids, watching her. She had grown into a very beautiful woman, he noticed. Confident as ever, her heart hadn't diminished or become jaded in the years. He caught himself staring at her often. Her laugh lifted his heart. Her smile lit up the world around her. He was happy they were voyaging together again. "So, you about done? Said goodbye to the husband and kids, ready to get this party started?"
"I never married. I have said my goodbyes. I am ready to go."
"Great!" Maui tossed the kids playfully to the sand and strode towards the canoe. He couldn't explain why the knowledge that she hadn't married gave him a guilty twinge of pleasure. He wanted Moana to be happy, but a part of him cringed at the idea of another man touching her. Marriage would ruin the girl. He thought. Her spirit is too wild to be tainted with that settling down business. With a jaunty wave at the crowd he scooped her up, dumped her unceremoniously on the canoe and shoved off into the water.
Author's note
I would like to say first and foremost, thank you for reading. I do not mean any offense by my writings/musings. I was just recently so enraptured by the movie 'Moana' and haven't been able to get it out of my head. I don't know much of the Polynesian culture, but what I've dug up I find fascinating. Constructive criticism and critiques are very welcome and sought after. This is the first time I've gotten the courage to allow someone else read my work. I'm sure there are flaws/issues galore.