"Honestly," Sina said, as she was twisting Moana's hair to drain all the water out and placed a warm, dry towel over her shoulder."You need to be more prudent, young lady. You could catch a cold going out in that kind of storm with no cloak."

Moana had no direct response to her mother's lecture. In fact, her brain hardly listened to her words at all. Intense apprehension began clawing up her throat as her sight fell on the colorful pikorua bracelet that laid neatly next to her grandmother's necklace.

Maui….

Behind her lids, the bitter-sweet nostalgic memory replayed. The story began by a strange darkness that seemed to swallow the life out of the island, turning the fertile soil into ashes and destroying every breathing creature around. Everything deteriorated quickly after the departure of her beloved grandmother. But then….amidst all the crisis, Maui stumbled into her life (or more like she purposely stumbled into his), and those tear-filled moments had burst into laughter and crazy adventure, far more wonderful and fulfilling than she'd ever dared to dream.

I can't lose him. Moana thought desperately, panning her blurred vision across the sea that swayed gently after the storm subsided. Blinking past the tears that threatened to fall, Moana reached Sina's hands, stopping her from drying her hair. "Mom, I...I need to speak to Dad."

She rose with urgency, not giving a chance for Sina to react.

Moana found her dad in the front room, reading some of the correspondences from another island.

"Dad, do you have a minute?"

"Yes, what is it?" Tui placed the parchment down, raising his brows imperceptibly taking a mental note of his daughter's disheveled state. After avoiding him for a few days, he wondered why suddenly Moana approached him, looking bedraggled and depressed.

With trembling voice, she reiterated the dialogue between Rangi and Tane. Tremors shot through her spine and anger lashed violently in her chest. Tui was left aghast at Moana's revelation, but it confirmed that his initial suspicion about Tane's ill-intent towards Maui and Motonui were valid. It was then that Tui felt it was the right time for Moana to know the real reason he had consented to Maui's appeal to leave the island.

"What do you mean Maui couldn't hurt Tane?" she said, completely baffled after the explanation.

"Moana, Maui's strength was capable of pulling an island and lassoing the sun. Do you think any mortal would survive such astronomical assault if they weren't some sort of monsters or protected by some black magic?" Tui replied. Moana fell silent.

"Yet, his attack bore nothing on Tane's skin, not even a mild bruising," he continued. "Our village healer, Atama, confirmed this. And who knows if Tane had some other trick under his sleeve beside just being impervious to Maui's aggression."

"But I don't think Tane had some protective power in general, Dad," Moana bit her lips before telling Tui about the incident during the bridge restoration endeavor that nearly killed her―How Tane valiantly caught her even though he scraped his back brutally as a result.

"This is strange," Tui became thoughtful,"...this phenomenon seems to only apply when Maui attacks him."

The silence between them was tense and thick with dread.

"We have to do something Dad, we can't let them kill Maui, perhaps hold you in prison...or hold me hostage for ransom...and then they will overtake the entire island! And who knows what's going to happen to Mom… to the villagers… ―!"

Intuitively, Tui pulled his perturbed daughter into his embrace, trying to stop her from spelling out her entire vocabulary in a panic-induced rant.

"I agree with you, Sweetheart. But we have to treat this delicate matter cautiously," he replied her with calm, soothing voice.

"But time is ticking Dad. My wedding is less than two month from now," she stated her fear. Who are these people actually? Moana felt the twinge of unease blossoming in the pit of her stomach.

"Why did they...―? And why Tane...―why did he―?" she couldn't finish her sentences; a strike of pain pierced her chest, hot and vicious.

Tanemahuta… that wonderful gentleman had stolen her attention, captivated her mind in perpetual and fanatical admiration. But, all of his caring gestures, his endearing smile, his affectionate cues had been nothing but a lie..! A big fat lie!

Tears began skirting the corner of her eyes as she realized she had surrendered her heart to a man who deliberately broke her romantic dreams. Moana felt so stupid for innocently falling for such a man; letting her heart to be enamored with his rugged handsomeness, infatuated by his sweet words and beguiled by his empty promise. This clearly wasn't how she had imagined how the taste of first love should be―it should be exhilarating, wonderful, engulfing her soul with blinding spell of passion no words could describe, but unfortunately for Moana―her life was no fairy tale, and Tanemahuta was no prince charming.

I let you inside me, you monster! Inside my heart! I weaved you into the fabric of my soul, stitched all your promises to the depth of my mind, to do what?! To tear it apart! How could you...―?!

She could've cried into her skirts; pouring her anger and disappointment until her eyes run dry. But no! She blatantly refused to admit her defeat―Tane wasn't the man worth crying for.

Tui understood his daughter's struggle when he witnessed unusual sadness enshrouded her bright eyes and her crestfallen posture when Tane's name was mentioned. She was heartbroken, and this was her first.

He rubbed her back comfortingly."I don't have all the answer," his voice was faint and conflicted."I was once... fell in love with a woman who was betrothed to someone else," he chuckled unexpectedly, reliving the memory.

"You… you did?" Moana ventured, unconvinced.

"Yes, I told your Grandma about it, she answered me with this: The risk of love is loss, and the price of loss is grief―but the pain of grief is only a shadow when compared with the pain of never risking love," Tui smiled, sighing pensively.

Moana reciprocated his smile, rubbing her teary eyes with the back of her hands, feeling consoled.

Tui lips pressed gently on her forehead before continuing, "Even hundredfold grief is divisible by love, and someday my child, I pray to gods this love will find you… as it had found me," Tui said in closing.

"Thanks Dad," Moana smiled with rebounding courage.

Then a comfortable silence fell on them, each running different things on their head.

"However, we have to keep this knowledge about whatever you've eavesdropped a secret," Tui sobered, returning to the topic. From the authoritative tone of his voice, Moana knew her father had made his final decision.

"But Dad, I am capable of bringing this subject to Tane... diplomatically of course," she stuttered. Moana wasn't sure who she tried to convince here―herself or her Dad. "And perhaps Tane will consider a… ―"

"No Moana," he reinitiated firmly. "Once the word is out there, there is no going back," Tui pulled a long, steady breath, keeping his intonation as composed as he could. As an experienced leader, he knew how words could serve as a powerful tool, moving nation from war to peace, from glory to ruin from prominence to extinction.

"But… but you can help me, right?" Moana went on to persuade him."You could assist me to craft words into delicate sentences but powerful ones. Can't you Dad?" Moana said pleadingly, but Tui shook his head.

"We can't risk it Moana. Motonui is not ready for war," he replied firmly before taking a deep, heavy breath.

"Oh...," Moana quieted.

"You must understand this problem is not as simple as trying to negotiate a better term with them…..or uncovering their evil stunt. There are wider repercussions if we are not wise in what we do or say. Perhaps, our first move now is to get to know our enemy better."

"Get to know them better?" Moana detangled herself from her father to look at him.

"Yes, we hardly know anything about this citizen of Kailua, let alone a guess of their real intentions behind pursuing Maui."

A visceral fear shot through her at the mention of the grim life prospect of her demigod mind flooded with the image of Maui―his cheesy smile, his crazy joke, and over-confident antics. Suddenly, her grief over Tane's betrayal overlapped with the fresh feeling of dread for Maui's safety. Her mental trauma over her broken heart seemed so marginal compared to her island's fate, yet Moana knew she would still marry that awful man if that could save everyone she held dear.

Maui would be livid if he knew. She thought, imagining her massive friend blurt out 'I told you so,' and 'my demigod intuition never fails' kind of phrases. Some part of her was relieved to know Maui wasn't here to testify all these.

Moana turned her eyes towards the horizon, wishing she could find a glimpse of him there, just a fraction of assurance that he was safe and sound. However, there was no sign of him―It was a still night, perfectly clear, the smell of the storm still lingered, but the ashen gleam of moonlight sweeping a broad beam creating a magnificent sparkling display on the surface of the ocean.

He'll be fine. He can take care of himself. He is a demigod after all. She conferred with her mind. But… he couldn't even escape that damn island for thousand years! What if, they killed him out there without any of us knowing?

"Dad, I have to go….I can't let them get away with this," she said with finality, standing up from where she was seated. All the sadness, anxiety and indignation was transformed into an eager sense of determination.

"Wait―! What―? What are you going to do?" her father's voice became wary and tight.

"I am going to find out the truth." Moana said resolutely."I shall travel the ocean to Kailua."

After the shocking discovery over Tane's despicable ruse, Moana returned to her usual post and pretended nothing had happened. As promised, Tane and Rangi taught the villagers how to build a large, sturdy boat and even took a few of their fisherman for a short fishing trip on it. A few days after that, the last strand of Kailua's citizen officially left Motunui before returning again for the wedding.

This was when Moana's real mission started.

"Clear sky, calm water. It seemed like the gods knew I would be sailing today," Moana smiled, casting her eyes towards the spotless sky. She bounced her sight to her parents. Neither of them listened to anything she said; their minds were clearly elsewhere.

A few men hauled the moored canoe from the water towards the beach for final inspection.

"Kai, please make sure my daughter's canoe is seaworthy." Tui commanded one of Motonui's most renowned carpenter, attempting to examine the sturdy cruiser with critical eyes."Double, no―... triple check for loose ropes, holes, torn… ―"

"Dad, I'll be fine," Moana tried to reassure him. Her old canoe, although was given by Te Fiti, had since undergone major cosmetic restoration. It had turned into a beautiful, sleek creation, equipped with a billowing white sail and strong mast."This is not the first time I did this on my own… remember?" she reached his hand, trying to alleviate his worry.

After the islanders followed their ancestor's footstep as sea voyager, Tui thought he would be able to let his mind at ease sending his daughter away. It's an innocuous thing: Moana had done something far more dangerous than this, he coaxed himself. While next to him, Sina looped her hand on his forearm, feeling her cold finger and taut grasp clung unto him in silence. Fear and anxiety flashed in her eyes as she saw her daughter mounting some basic supplies for the journey.

"You don't have to do this, Darling," Tui's voice was strained and subdued. A sudden wave of long-dormant sorrow washed over as the memory of him and Sina, standing on the same shore a few years earlier, brushing their teary eyes as they were hoping their only daughter stayed alive and came back to him.

"Dad," Moana looked up to her parents, sighing as she was rebuffed,"Don't worry, I promise I'll be fine. Besides, I can pretend this visit to Kailua is a show of good faith and diplomacy that we reciprocate their friendly gestures."

"I know." Tui drew his breath heavily, knowing Moana had made her final decision."Why don't you stop by Kabara, to see our extended family and send our correspondence," Tui pulled a tapa that he had prepared and handed it over to Moana."Please send my regards to them."

Moana smiled broadly,"I will Dad." It was then a spark of mischief bubbled in her mind, causing her smile to grew a fraction wider."And you two could have the house in peace and do stuff without worrying anyone would interfere."

"Moana!" Sina flushed and shot her girl an irritated glare. Next to her, Tui didn't exactly know how to react, while their daughter just muffled her unrepentant giggle behind the curve of her hand."I am not too old for a sister or a brother," she added unabashedly.

"You'll be sorry you said that," Tui rebutted smugly, deciding to join the game,"But you have to promise to come home safely if you wanted to see any result."

Moana laughed, launching herself towards her parents who embraced her in grateful comfort."Don't worry. I promise. I will be back before you guys can say coconut," she said, giving them a quick squeeze and a hongi before pulling away.

"Moana, be safe," her mother said, failing to keep a thread of fear from staining her voice watching her retreating form. Moana gave her canoe a push, before perching herself and pulled her sail open.

"I will!"

Notes: apparently the chapter is longer than I expected, so... split it in two, next chapter will be uploaded in a couple of hours.