Author's note: Moving on before I go away for a few days! It's time to see how is our big honcho faring. Will Moana get her recognition? Where is Tamatoa? And how come there are no coconuts with little umbrellas and straws? GEEZ! Let's go! A small one before leaving town!
InuBunnygirl:*Blushes* Ok, I'm going to HAVE to look up that song by the Samoan group.
FINALLY! A realistic story about girls marrying BEFORE age 18.
Ooh, what an interesting twist...Tama coming in soon?
Me: About time too we get some realistic view of that. I read about the song in the Disney Wiki page of Tamatoa and presto! We both got real happy about it! I put the lyrics on the translator and the song talks about the treasures of the Pacific but, it's still cool! And as for the marriage, yes! People DID get married at that age back then and very frequently for other purposes that were not love. In Moana's case, it was a political matter most of the times. Always nice to read you, Inu!
Tamatoa: How come the song doesn't talk about me?
Me: Cuz they didn't know you were still around, big guy. Still, they DO cheer your name, right?
Tamatoa: YAY!
Stitch: Ba'aq-quasr!
Me: Just a little.
Kakamora: (Playing the song)
3. Treasures
"O te Tamatoa
Tamatoa o te Pasifika
O te Tamatoa
Tamatoa o te Pasifika"
Te Vaka
"OUCH!"
"For the third hundredth time, STAY STILL!"
"Am trying but this freaking hurts!"
"Big baby… If you don't stay still, the sap doesn't works"
"You've been putting this stuff for who knows for how long and it still doesn't work!" Tamatoa was lying in a corner of his cave while the ever-patient 'Skull Bird' Mabarowa took care of the cracks in his shell. Every since that incident in the island, the coconut crab feared for his invincible armor and despite his first doubts, he had no choice but to let the bird put his pieces back together. It was a hard task and Tamatoa's size didn't make it easier. The energy of the hook had almost penetrated into the crab and had started a few changes that, for now, weren't visible but the worst of the damage was mostly under control and the cracks were almost all sealed.
"I think I don't need to remind you who's the doctor and who's the patient" Skull Bird sighed. He knew everything about the monsters in Lalotai but one thing was to know them and other was outstanding them. The bird sighed and went on with his choir until all the cracks were covered with his special sap. "If you weren't so reckless, this mess could have been avoided" grumbled Mabarowa.
"You tell that to Maui. Stupid demigod!"
"What he did had some logic, at least. Drain the hook's power so that it doesn't corrupt you and get away from there. For someone as clueless as Maui, he did use his head… unlike you" grumbled the bird. "You can't trust Ilaila about those matters"
"Hey, it WAS a great plan"
"Ugh, fine. Just hold still, ok?" Mabarowa grunted and went on with his work until all the shell was covered. "Well, that's it for today. Just try to keep together for a while, ok?"
"…Right, right" Tamatoa replied but he seemed bugged by something.
"What is it?" Skull Bird stared at him.
"I dunno what you are talking about"
"Yes you do. Something's bothering you, Red"
"Well, uh"
"Go ahead"
"You said that 'so that it doesn't corrupt you'. What did you mean?"
"… I'm not going to hit around the bush. Let's list the facts, ok? You are a coconut crab, not a man. Obviously. You are a monster, not a god. You are ageless and this is your realm. Rock facts so far. Now, for the tricky part. The hook works with divine mana, you don't and due to this, they must not mix. Only half-breeds like Maui can have both and not without risks. Each of these energies, without a balance element, contaminates the others. Your mana can't work with a god's. The consequences could be disastrous and right now, your body is trying to adjust to the effects of the residue. These cracks are part of those effects but who knows"
"But, when I was down here, nothing happened"
"Egg-xactly. Down here. This is our realm. Your mana is stable in this place but not outside. Same happens with the blue energy" Skull Bird was dead serious and Tama knew it. "I can't predict what is doing to you but it won't be pretty"
"…" Tamatoa went quiet and waited for Mabarowa to be gone before letting out a long sigh. Did that mean that he was changing somehow? Into what? Something uglier and not shiny? The crab shrank a little bit more with that though. Under his shell, he felt bubbling and growling. Tama only curled tighter.
"Why does that make you sweat?" a female voice said. Outside his cave, his only neighbor was resting against the wall. Not far from the giant oyster, lived a sea monster that went by many names but everybody called her J.J "Jolly". Long neck, eel look-alike with her horse-like mane, four limbs, tail and a shiny caring nature, she was perhaps the less-ill-hearted creature in Lalotai. Rumor had it that Jolly ended up in the Realm because she lost her previous partner. Tama and her had never been friends but respected each other. "I've told you hundreds of times to ignore the slug, Toa. You should have listened"
"I'm not worried about him right now"
"No, you're worried because you might turn into something uglier or mindless" they shared a glance. "Tama, you might not have noticed but you're a monster, man. That will never change" she softened her expression. "Take me for example. I'm always going to be me, no matter what they call me or how I look"
"You don't get it, woman"
"I'm getting it better than you, that's for sure. Ok, so Skull Bird has give you the Heebie-Jeebies so what? You're still the same big ol'crab. Don't freak out so much, mate. You always say you're tough, it's good time to prove it"
"…"
"Well, anyway, I'll be around if you want to talk. And, Tama, try not to get obsess over this, ok? Maui is your rival but not the one responsible for things you decide" Jolly decided to drop the topic and returned to her place, leaving Tamatoa to his thoughts. It was true that in the outside he was still the same but he felt different inside. Something was off about him and that couldn't be good. He knocked the side to close the shell and turned on all his bright colors. He had never been afraid of the dark but for once, he was afraid even of himself. His treasures shone blue and bright but good were they if his problem was not how he looked but something deeper.
Tamatoa played with fire and now, he gets burnt.
I decided to have Jolly playing as his conscience for a while. It must be a relief to have her among all those monsters.
More to come in a few days!
See you soon, guys!
