Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Moana. All belong to Disney and the story's creators. I only own Lahela. I hope you enjoy the story. Reviews are greatly appreciated. - Shadowmoon


Chapter 2

Years passed by for Lahela as she watched Moana from a distance, keeping out of sight, even when the chief-in-training would go out of her way in order to stop the goddess around the island. She had no intention of being seen by the human though. There was no need to see her or get to know her. The time would eventually come and Lahela planned on testing the girl to see her worth. Each time Moana had been allowed to see the goddess, her determination to find her again grew more and more. The goddess would be damned if she let some girl get to know her for no reason. She cared little about why Moana was after her and was content with never knowing.

She couldn't help but think about a time several years ago when Moana had gotten the chance to meet her a second time. The girl had been so determined to stick around. Of course, Lahela had no desire of revealing her powers, so she was left with little to do but entertain the girl until she finally grew too tired to remain.

Time always moved at a different pace for immortals. After all, it was all relative when there was no reason to count the time. It surprised her at times though, when she looked at Moana and realized she was already a young lady by human standards. Their lives always passed in a blink; something she forgot when she wasn't giving her attention to humans over an extended period of time.

Head held high, Moana traipsed the well-known path she had learned to take through the woods. If it weren't for the single set of steps that periodically made their way through – pashing plants into the dirt, bending back flowers and ferns – there would be no path at all. To anyone else walking by, it looked like hardly a path at all.

Despite how often Moana tried to visit, more responsibilities were being left to her. Time spent wandering was harder to come by. And of course, she couldn't deny herself visits to the ocean. All things that kept her away from the goddess.

This was not one of those days though. Lahela could see Moana coming closer to the temple as she ducked under a particularly crooked tree that cut through her path.

Lahela had to admit, she did enjoy the visits on occasion. She may have lived a solitary life for the most part, but even she gave in to the need for social interactions time to time.

With the decision made, Lahela walked away from the temple into a grassy opening. Moana, however, had no idea who now stood behind her.

"Moana, you seem to wander a lot."

The unexpected voice caused the girl to jump as she stalled her steps, pivoting in place as her eyes landed on the crimson haired figure that was giving her a lazy smirk.

A victorious smile lit up Moana's face. "I was right!" She took a brief step closer to the goddess. "I knew you would be here still." She paused as she looked at the goddess, giving her a calculated look, a look that made her seem wiser than she was. "You know… I mentioned a lady named Lahela to my grandmother a while back. She thinks you're the goddess Lahela. Is it true?" she questioned. Though her stance tried to show confidence, her voice betrayed how unsure she was.

Moana honestly wasn't sure what answer she wanted. She would always believe her grandmother's words. If it weren't true, she couldn't deny that she would be disappointed. On the other hand. A goddess? How does one react to finding out that they are standing in front of a goddess? Excitement, surely, if Moana's feelings were anything to judge from.

Lahela raised an eyebrow and tilted her head, avoiding the answer. "Do you believe it to be true?"

Moana nodded without a second thought. "Absolutely. While I don't know why you would be here if you're really a goddess, I do. I believe what she said."

Lahela smirked as she turned around, walking towards the line of trees surrounding them. "Perhaps your grandmother is crazy then. You have a valid point." She turned to face her over her shoulder, tucking her hair back. "If I were that powerful, why hang around here?"

"No," Moana said as she shook her head. "You have to be her. Gramma Tala wouldn't say that otherwise! It has to be true." As if to make a point, she stomped her foot in emphasis of her belief.

A look of realization crossed her eyes then as she stepped closer to Lahela. With all the training she had started, thoughts always popped into her mind that concerned the village. And a goddess could answer so many of their prayers. Her eagerness nearly left her bouncing on her feet as she looked at Lahela, almost ready to latch on to her. "You control the weather. That means you can help the island when we need it! I bet there's so much you can do."

"I'm not here to play," Lahela said shortly, annoyed with her sudden idea. Just a moment too late to realize the admittance she gave. "And I don't answer prayers."

"Okay," she replied with a nod of acceptance before plopping herself onto the ground where she was. "Can you tell me how you ended up here? And why don't you answer prayers anymore? Gramma mentioned that as well." When Lahela made no indication of responding, she clasped her hands together, looking up with wide eyes. "Come on, I bet you have some amazing stories. I wanna hear them all."

Lahela shook her head. "No. Maybe another day if you're lucky." This had not been the encounter she was expecting. Of course, if Moana was so sure about her existence, there was no harm in confirming it. Not wasting more words, she gave a nod in farewell before she snapped her fingers and disappeared in a streak of lightning, appearing elsewhere while Moana sat gapping at the spot she had just been standing.


The disappointment that filled Moana was seen from a distance as Lahela hid amongst the woods. It wasn't a constant, but Lahela could see it on her face from time to time. A fleeting thought somedays, and consuming focus on others. It was something she would move past though. Time had that effect on people. She knew Moana's focus would be shifted as well. There were too many things to that would draw her attention away from the handful of meetings that had occurred between the two. Each passing day, Moana took up more responsibilities around the village, showing her growing abilities to be the future chief.

Trainings weren't the only occurrences to catch people's attention. It was during all the daily activities that trouble, one that had been lingering for quite some time, was brought to attention. A slow death was spreading through the island and Moana was in the middle of it with her family, trying to find solutions. Fish were nowhere to be found, fruits were dried out, and food was harder to come by. Lahela knew exactly what it meant and what it was linked to.

Lahela walked along the shore by the far side of the island, kicking sand as she shuffled her feet through the hot powder. "I take it that you knew something would cause Moana to leave the island," she said quietly as she shot a suspicious look at the ocean. "She can't face this though. It is much too big for a simple human. Maui won't help even if she can find him. There is a reason why this darkness is still spreading."

In reply, the ocean waves picked up, crashing against Lahela's legs as they crossed the few feet between them.

"You know as well as I do what she would need to face," she scolded as she lifted her skirt up a few inches, scowling at the blue soaked trim. "A human cannot get past Te Kā. Maui would be needed as well. Even then," she scoffed. "How much could he truly help? I will never understand the faith you have in the demigod. This quest will fail and this island will die. Moana will die out there if she doesn't die here."

Lahela looked out as she felt the water pull away from her feet before a larger wave pushed her inland, completely soaking the bottom of her skirt, her efforts wasted. "I stand by what I said, push all you want," she snapped before glancing over in the direction she was moved in. There, settled between some towering trees and tall blooming flowers, the path that led to the village. To Moana.

"I am not helping," she stated firmly, looking at the ocean. "That is not my role. People do not pray to me for assistance, they pray for mercy. The story says that a human and Maui are the ones to do this, not me." And she left the conversation at that. She snapped her fingers, letting her lightning take her away from the shore.


The sun had shifted in the sky, casting shadows over much of the temple Lahela resided at, courtesy of the mountain and trees surrounding it. She hardly noticed the fading light as she grumbled to herself, pacing back and forth across the ground, occasionally digging her feet into the dirt out of frustration. Regardless of what the ocean thought, she would not help. It was not her problem. The islands could continue dying. It wasn't the end of her world. As a goddess, life went on.

But a thought lingered at the back of her mind. She had spent so much time walking amongst the earth and watching humans. Could she really let the world go like that? The humans certainly weren't the worst things out there.

A sigh escaped her lips as she realized what she was considering.

She would help Moana. But only if she proved herself. There wasn't much for her to expect from a human, but perhaps she would be surprised. She would just need to wait and see. As far as she knew, Moana wasn't even away that she was chosen to take on this task. It was hardly something she would be able to prepare for when unaware.

Lahela knew she would simply have to keep an eye on the girl. Sooner or later, something would happen and she would find out if she was ready.