The sea was blinding, not a cloud in the sky and the sun was high. Moana squinted as much as she could without having to shut her eyes, her lashes creating spidery breaks in her vision. Sweat trickled down behind her ear, causing an involuntary shoulder roll of irritation, a rough sigh escaped her throat.

Her journey to Te Fiti took longer than expected. A storm forced her into the lagoon of an unknown island for two days, living under the thick palms like a crab, and the last stretch of her voyage to The Mother Island was surviving off of one mango and one coconut full of water. However Moana made the trip once a year, a lone, leaving her family to reminisce on her time with Maui.

Maui.

The name was bittersweet, lukewarm on her skin, but burning in her mind. The Demigod of the Wind and Sea had become "Hero to All" again. Yet, where was he? Part of her knew what he was, a trickster and wild like his elements, like the animals he was made of. What else did he have to owe her since their journey was over. Maui didn't have to visit her, check on her or see if she wanted to go on more grand adventures. But the other half? She would gladly take him by the ear and board her canoe just to spend time with her closest friend.

What was her closest friend.

It had taken her years to bury down the hope she would see him one day, walking up from the lagoon, hook in hand. Months to destroy the dreams where they were sailing on a canoe in open waters, bickering, joking, laughing. And in the warm nights, where she slept alone on her mat, her mind always drifted towards him and how his sweat shimmered in the sunlight, his tattoos moving with the bulk of his body. A dark focused gaze out to sea, which was quick to turn into a cantankerous, goofy smile. Many times she caught herself smiling like an idiot to the roof of the fala at a memorized conversation, only to frown until she finally fell asleep.

The coconut fiber rope slipped in her hand, and Moana winced as it rubbed the blisters under her fingers. The wind was strong, another tropical storm was coming and was her blessing in disguise by providing more than adequate sailing speeds. Islands that were passing by were ones she recognized, ones she helped her people visit as they began voyaging again, leading them as their Master Way finder. Moana smiled, picturing the tattoo of herself just under Maui's left collar bone waving, and Little Maui saying good bye. Her very own tattoos would be begun soon, she would need them before she finally became Chieftess of Motunui.

Moana put her stone on the mountain just after she came back from her journey, but wanted to lead her people with her mother and father. She wasn't ready for the full responsibility, Moana wanted to stay on the sea, to see the islands that were yet to be discovered. To see Maui in her journeys was just the highlights. If he soared by as an eagle he would scream to her, as a whale he would blow water, as a little starling bird he'd swing by and brush her cheek with his wing tips. Eventually, years later, her expeditions began to be missions to see if he was still out there.

The wind was favorable enough that she could tie the sheet and sit with oar in hand, giving her grip a break. Kneeling on the end of the canoe she dipped her hands in the salty water, feeling the spray as the boat knifed through the wide expanse of blue. Motunui was close, the current was warm, and if she focused on the horizon long enough she could see a ridge line that reminded her of home.

A slick skin passed under her palm in the warm water, Moana pulled her hand back quickly and looked down to see a large disappearing shadow into the depths. Her heart beat wildly in her chest, and her frustration began to boil. Was that Maui as a shark? That was the biggest hello he could give her? Or was it Gramma Tala as her spiritual ray? Closing her eyes, gripping the oar, Moana took a few calming breaths and buried the ball of nervous excitement, anticipated hope, and love in her gut.

"Lets go home Moana," she mumbled, standing with the wind at her back she pulled the sail and let the belly of it fill causing the small canoe to hurtle forward. Motunui growing larger and larger by the moment on the afternoon horizon.

Evening had just began to fall as Moana came over the reef and into the lagoon. The fires of her village were lit and she knew her people were eating their last meal before bed. She slacked the sail of her canoe just in time for it to come to a halt halfway on the shore, but she moored it to a large log washed ashore just in case of a high tide in the morning.

When she stepped off onto the sand, her body swayed with the sound of the ocean. Not being used to solid ground her equilibrium fought the change causing her arms to move excessively and her feet to stagger. There was unpacking of her canoe to do, but it was growing far too dark and she was beyond tired, it could wait until tomorrow. The smell of food and the sound of laughter reached her ears and Moana was grateful to be back home. Smiling brightly back at the sea, Moana turned to head into her village with a straight back, and head held high.

Thank you for reading my first chapter of my Moana FF. I will post as often as I can, and if you could all be kind as you leave me comments I would greatly appreciate it. As the story goes on, it will become more intense ;)