The next day, they decided to take a detour to a different island just to make sure the guards couldn't easily find them. Maui wanted to mention that he suspected Tane had stolen the pendant from someone influential that lived on that island, but decided telling so would dampen Moana's mood―which girl wanted to hear that her betrothal gift was actually a loot from a robbery? Thus, he revoked his intention.

Before leaving, Maui took the initiative to change the dressing on Moana's injured leg. Her whole face was pinched, her mouth twisted down at the corners as he washed the laceration with salt water. It would almost be cute if Maui didn't know she was in terrible agony.

Her leg was definitely healing well; she could stand up with minimum support and walked slowly. However, she wasn't comfortable yet accepting Maikai's assistance to walk her to the boat, so the young man often just had scooped her up, ignoring her empty threats and loud protest (which eventually died down as Moana realized Maikai's strong headedness could easily rival hers).

After cleaning their traces, both of them were ready on the boat and set sail before the sunrise.

Sliding a hand through his hair, Maui cleared his throat. "So….You said you are heading towards Kailua? Yes?" he began as their boat started to set sail towards their next destination.

"Yes, but I need to make a stop in Kabara for a few days to meet my relatives," Moana explained. Her eyes fixed on Maikai who was busy fussing over his tangled hair through the reflective surface of the water. Moana pondered; this weird guy seriously had a chronic vanity disorder.

What she said kindled the Demigod's curiosity, he had no idea Moana had family in the different island far from Motunui. "And who are they exactly?"

"My Mom's brother and sister," Moana replied.

"Okay, that isn't far off from here. We need to stop later on this afternoon to replenish the herb for your wound and tomorrow we would be in Kabara guaranteed!" Maui stated confidently.

Moana watched as the sinister cloud that began looming over the sky in a far distance, creeping slowly towards their direction. "Are you sure about that?"

"Hey, relax!" Maikai replied dismissively, pulling his classic cheesy, over-confident smile. "You are with the best wayfinder on earth!" he waggled his brows animatedly. Moana wanted to say something else but hampered her intention when she realized doing so was only going to encourage him to boast further.

"Right, here we are. Bang on time for lunch!" Maikai announced, zealously rubbing his tummy in circular motion. "Man! I am hungry."

Nonchalantly, he plucked Moana neatly from her driftwood perch and slung her onto his shoulder like a sack of barley. This time Moana didn't even bother with showing any objection towards his actions.

"You wait here, I'll find lunch," he said, helping her to sit on a good spot under the shade of the coconut trees. Moana hummed her approval.

First, Maui checked the vicinity for a sign of other creatures (or human) which could be dangerous, before disappearing into the depth of the woods.

As an experienced wayfinder, Maui wasn't a novice in foraging. In addition to that, having lived for a long time and been to many places, he had an extensive knowledge of what was edible and what was not (often times he had to learn it the hard way).

As the Demigod in disguise scaled the depth of the coppice, it became apparent that the island was uninhabited. There was no sign of civilization, and no trees or shrubs appeared to be disturbed by human hands.

Well, almost.

Just as he planned to retreat to the shore, his eyes caught orchards of wild Tutu berries, leaning low, their branches heavy with loads. His sight drew to the other side of the shrub that appeared to be fruitless. Inexplicably, the ground underneath still flecked with fallen fruits, suggesting that the bush used to bear fruits not long ago. However…. something must have eaten them.

He sniffed the air, but there was no evidence of a rotten smell. So, whoever had taken this highly toxic fruits didn't consume them.

Hmm….. footprints. Maui thought as he examined the dry juices on the ground, the size of a human's feet. He decided to investigate further. Soon, he found most of the Tutu berries on the island had been reaped, and by the look of whatever was left. They were picked not too long ago, perhaps a couple of weeks―which coincided timely with the arrival of those warriors from Kailua in Motunui.

The cogs and wheel in his mind began to turn. Did this imply Tane and his men came here to harvest these fruits? Was it true they'd planned to kill him from the start even before his relationship with Tane deteriorated? The Demigod felt sick at the thought. He had been trying to push aside those thoughts and convinced himself it was nothing deeper than misunderstanding and a temporary act of jealousy.

It wasn't impossible for them to come there purposely to collect the berries. That empty island happened to be right on the path of their travel. Maui gritted his teeth to channel his frustration. Why did things have to be this complicated? He wasn't sure what he could conclude from this new revelation, but of course, whatever it was, he couldn't share this piece of information with Moana without revealing who he was.

Fearing the thunderstorm would strike during the night, Moana made a contingency plan to spend the night inland instead of risking getting buffeted by the roaring sea (not that she didn't trust the ocean).

Perhaps it was their lucky day because soon, they found a decent sized cave not very far from the shore. However, despite the snug, warm and dry resting place, Moana didn't have a peaceful sleep.

In her dreamscape, she was back in Motunui preparing for her wedding. Everything went on smoothly to the point where the ceremony was just about to begin. Suddenly, the happy occasion turned sour when Tane realized the unwanted presence of her best friend, Maui, as one of the wedding guests. They were involved in a vicious altercation that quickly escalated into physical combat.

Everything after that moved in a vague blur. Suddenly, with a wicked smile curling on his lips, Tane withdrew his taihia, driving its sinister spear on Maui's abdomen. Moana's heart stopped that instant, witnessing the Demigod succumbed on his knee with rivulets of blood pooling underneath. By her side, her newly wedded husband smiled contentedly and Akoni patted his back was a way of congratulating him. "Now, Motunui would be ours," he said and both men laughed maniacally.

"Maui! Nooo…!" Her breath spilled from her lungs in uncontrollable heaves.

Thankfully, as soon as she opened her eyes, she found herself right inside the cave, clutching the edge of her own skirt tightly. Her body tensed, dripping in cold sweat. The version of her nightmare was very much alike Maui's recurrent dream that he had told her. What was the meaning of all this? She buried her face in her palms, groaning in frustration.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. Fearing it belonged to an intruder or a member of the guard who finally found her, Moana nearly landed her lethal punch. Thankfully she stopped herself―it was just Maikai.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly, eyebrows slanted in worry. Moana's body trembled wildly and her breath came in short, fearful, gasps.

"You were shouting in your sleep," he added, pitching his voice with gentleness that Moana had never heard from him before.

Moana had tried to rein in her emotions, but Maikai's concern gaze and his simple yet sincere question seemed to unlock all her mental trouble within a second, causing her eyes to well and their floodgates to break abruptly.

"Ugh, sorry… did I say anything wrong?" the young man stiffened, fearing his words had kindled the wrong kind of emotion within her.

"No, no…," Moana quickly wiped her nose with the back of her hand, feeling embarrassed with her mental breakdown. "Sorry," she mumbled, between choking sobs. "Just… it's just a bad dream. Did I―did I wake you?"

Maui smiled apologetically."No, I was already awake," he replied, inwardly wrestling against his desire to offer his shoulder for her to cry on. In truth, Maui wasn't sleeping at all, anticipating if any of the guards still hot on their heels were pursuing after them. It wasn't a nonsensical speculation. After all, those people looked terribly aggravated when the two of them managed to abscond.

He retracted his hand from her shoulder, giving her time to collect herself. It surprised him―he had never seen Moana so broken and desolate before. If he were Maui, he would have the privilege to pull her into his arms and offer her a wordless consolation, but he was Maikai now, and Maikai had to keep his distance, observing, and not acting.

Moana tried to gain her vigor, telling herself that it was merely a nightmare. But somehow the sense of fear was getting harder to ignore. Instead, it compounded tenfold every time she sought to shove it on the back of her mind. All she could do was to sit there and cry as the vivid recollection of that terrifying fantasy took over her mind: Maui's bloodied body, Tane's satisfied smile, and Akoni's maniacal laughter. She had to swallow the bitter truth of her unstoppable fate of marrying the man that caused of her nightmare, which she would gladly do so for her people. She just wished Tane would be merciful enough to spare her father's life from Akoni's revenge and benevolent enough to pardon whatever unpaid debt between him and Maui.

Unwittingly, her sight fell upon her mysterious savior, who was immediately shifting his attention to attend the fire by the cave's orifice, but Moana had captured his lingering stare. Moana was positive he was observing her closely in silence when he thought she wasn't looking.

It was Moana's turn to examine the man in front of her analytically. The golden spark from the fire illuminated the lower part of his face where she could see his distinctive looking nose and full lips. He was quite handsome: his bronze complexion glowed under the perusal of the ebbing light, delineating his rippling biceps, massive chest, and toned leg. But unlike many other fighters she met in her life, Maikai's skin was clean from any mark of ink, suggesting he wasn't a man with a powerful position or any sort of warrior. Not to mention that morbid looking pink necklace; did he know it made him look utterly ridiculous? Perhaps he was an unsophisticated peasant: a manual laborer like a hunter or a fisherman, or even a slave, Moana speculated. But something in him stroke her inquisitiveness―he was interesting, in an unexplainable way.

"What is it?" he asked.

His voice cut her from her stupor, a second too late to realize that she was staring openly at him, which was almost rude.

"Maikai… are you… ―?" she hesitated."You are not a criminal on exile are you?"

"What? No!" he bristled. Moana cringed and cowered in response.

"I...I'm sorry," she avoided his eyes and focused her sight on her toes, face flushing in shame. How could she judge people based on their appearance even if it was the only thing she could work with right now?

"Maikai, I know we've just met, and I don't expect you to answer this honestly," she said, "but have you ever felt helpless watching something terrible unfold while you are facing a hard choice and don't exactly know what to do?"

There was a contemplative silence before he answered, "Yes, I suppose. Why?"

"Did you...did you do anything at the end?"

The Demigod reminisced the moment he left Moana to fight Te Ka alone. How much he was conflicted to choose to help her and risked losing his magical Fish Hook, or letting this insane, indomitable mortal to fight alone to her death. He huffed guiltily.

"At first, I didn't. But at the end, I realized that trying and failing isn't a mistake, but it's a big mistake to fail to try. So, I did."

"What do you mean?"

"You see… I―I am an orphan," he began with voice faltering in reluctance, as though he was afraid to share it out loud. "I spend the majority of my life in the sea alone, feeling lonely and unwanted. Throughout my life, I covet other's affection, attention, and approval…sounds so foolish I know," he chuckled humorlessly.

"Before I realized it, I had become so obsessed to be the hero that everyone loved and determined to earn the acceptance that very much lacked in my life. I did everything….anything," he sighed. "But it was...never enough."

"And then one day, I made a terrible mistake. I betrayed someone's trust, causing many people to suffer," he added, lowering his gaze in remorse. "And my action haunted me for a very long time. People began to despise and mock me. I fell into the hole of loneliness and felt my life worth absolutely nothing. I thought I would be like that forever―until I met this girl." A ray of positivity entered his voice, and his lips fell in a dreamy smile.

"She was… she was a remarkable woman, and she… uh, well.. ―", he paused, glancing his sight on her and clearing his throat apprehensively before resuming his story.

"She befriended me and helped me to see my past mistakes, made me feel like I could be a better person despite what had happened before: my unfortunate background, my past transgression, and every misfortune. She restored my confidence and courage to make things right; I owed a lot to her."

In a moment of silence, Maui risked stealing a glance, just to see how Moana was reacting to his revelation.

Moana was left awed at Maikai's insightful story, but what left her intrigued was obviously the girl persona who held a pivotal role in his story.

"Well, what happened to her?" Moana raised her brows curiously. There was something very moving on the way he narrated his story, as though―this girl, whoever she was―must have meant the world to him.

The disguised Demigod quickly tore his eyes from her, worried that Moana could read the rawness of his emotion that suddenly became tangled in a confused knot.

"We parted ways, eventually," he replied. "She was destined for greatness, while I was…. well, my path is….different. I knew it wouldn't be right to force our fate, to ask her to be with me. So I left her to her responsibilities while I departed… to… to look for answers."

Moana stared at him. She was almost tempted to press more information from him, but she felt such audacity would only do bad than good. They had just met after all.

"I met someone who changed me like that once, too," she replicated his intonation. "I always doubted my calling to be the Chief my father wanted me to be―I found it hard to fit into the mold of the tranquil island life, then… one day, I met him. I'd never thought we'll be friends at first because...―well, it's hard to put into words, but due to circumstances, it wasn't the most friendly meeting I had ever had. But once we did, things began to change. I began to accept myself: discovering my passion, discerning my dream and eventually followed my calling," her lips fell into an easy smile. "And I began to see something I couldn't see in him before: he is a kind, selfless and very much a loyal friend, and it's been the greatest privilege to know him."

"You are talking about the guy that gave you that right?" Maui looked pointedly at Moana's jade pendant. Instantly, her demeanor changed, but not towards the direction Maui had predicted.

"My fiance?!" Moana blinked completely shocked. Subsequently, her brows curled viscously in undisguised hatred. "Of course not!" she exclaimed. "He just wanted to marry me for the sake of vengeance, a savored conquest! How could you even think of that?" Moana blustered full of spite, remembering her inescapable destiny in the hands of her future husband.

"Uhm, dunno… " Maui cowered slightly, didn't expect Moana exploded in a sudden angry tirade over the mention of her husband-to-be. "I bet he is a noble chief himself right?" Maui added, coating his sentence as if he wasn't knowledgeable about the whole truth.

"He is," Moana replied dryly.

"I thought... a valiant, beautiful girl like you would make an excellent companion for a nobleman like him, not to mention you'll be the latest addition to his list of accolades―a match made in heaven."

"What?! You think I am some sort of an accessory or something?" Moana snapped caustically, her sentence seared with heat. "You have no idea what he has put me through," she began hyperventilating, unmistakably outraged. "He was an accomplice of a man who wanted Motonui to surrender under his reign by using me to force my father into subjugation―he even planned to ki.. ―"

"Yes?"

"Ugh, forget it," Moana buried her face in her palms, feeling it burning in shame. She shouldn't be yelling at a stranger like this, throwing her entire vocabulary and nearly telling him the whole saga of her life after her unwanted betrothal. What could she possibly gain (and the stranger to benefit) from telling her story anyway? It's not like Maikai could magically fix all her problem.

"I guess we should rest," Moana exhaled before finally laid on her side, lifting her bad leg into a comfortable position.

"Here use this," Maui pressed a blanket on her shoulder. "I don't want you to catch a cold," he said.

"How about you?" Moana swiftly retaliated.

"Ah, no worry… I'll be fine," he shrugged dismissively before turning away to sleep a respectable distance from her.

Moana's brows climbed to her hairline. This stranger had fed her, nurse her wound, and now he was even giving his only blanket to her?

"Thank you," she replied. Her hand grazed his accidentally when she retrieved the item from his hand. The young man quickly withdrew them as if it was on fire.

"Good night, Maikai."

"Good night, Moana."

Placing his head down on the sand, Maui desperately tried to stave off the thought of Moana. But her story echoed persistently in his mind. Heck, he had never thought he liked her this much, neither had he planned to have her in his mind this often.

"...he is a kind, selfless and very much a loyal friend, and it's been one of my life's greatest privilege to know him."

Adrenaline pumped through his veins and Maui felt breathless on the recollection of her words that inevitably stirred his optimism.

If it wasn't Tane that she was talking about, was it...me? He reflected thoughtfully as he stared at some imaginary point in the sky. It wasn't an impossible guess. His mind was exhausting the memory of them spending the nights on her canoe, teaching her to sail and to read the stars in the manner of wayfinding. He reminisced how radiant her smile was when she saw him returning to aid her facing Te Ka, and her worried expression when Tamatoa nearly ended his endless existence.

Does Moana care that much about me?

Maui couldn't help to feel a slight hopefulness growing inside him, perhaps, deep down, she felt the same special connection as he was. The realization makes his heart leap in excitement, but it dwindled as he snapped from his daze, shaking his head and quickly slapped himself to expel the thought―that was Maui talking. Not Maikai. Maikai didn't come here to find out if Moana loved him or not. Maikai distanced himself from wistful sentiments, knowing the truth would only hurt him at the end―besides, despite her preference or feeling, Moana had to marry Tanemahuta to save her island and her people. It was the unfortunate sacrifice she had to make.

Moreover, it was him who had told Moana that god and man should never be together. He reminded himself of their conversation right after Moana broke the news about her engagement.

Just until she reaches Kailua and returns home safely, he promised to himself as he turned to his side, shutting his eyes. Just a few weeks of keeping silent, putting on a phlegmatic facade and acting like a perfect stranger, and then he would return as Maui, who perhaps she despised forever for leaving without a trace, but that was a blessing in disguise―they'd never need to cross path again. Ever.

Frankly, there was a throng of village girls that were romantically interested in him. With his good looks and a long list of accolades, Maui knew he was quite heartthrob material among the mortal and immortal alike. True, Moana wasn't the only girl in the universe, but for him...she was the only one that mattered. It killed him to think that she would end up with someone else, but he loved her too much that he couldn't hate her for hurting his feelings.

Maui bit his lip on the thought, part of his heart ached more than he ever ready to admit. Losing Moana was like losing part of his life, taking a great portion of his heart with her.

Honestly, he didn't know why he liked her. He just did.

You are just serving an escort, Maui. If you ever gave your identity away it would screw up everything―friendship included. His brain scolded him.

Then, his thoughts wandered to Moana again. She didn't sound like she was willing to marry Tane at all―undoubtedly, something may happen in his absence. But nothing would measure up to knowing she denied her own happiness, living in loveless marriage for the rest of her life, cursed under the claim of duty and bounded by obligation. Maui clenched his fist. Unquestionably, the thought would torment him far worse than a thousand years spent in solitary confinement could ever inflict.

Watch out what you are doing you―deceitful, filthy, mortal crook! I am watching you. He thought darkly, even though he couldn't hold any logic to his reason… well, not yet anyway.

After secretly unraveling where Tane and his men had sourced for their Tutu berries, Maui decided to make a stop on the next island in the vicinity with the hope that he may find more clues.

With the excuse that he had consumed all their supplies from the previous day, Moana had no other option than to capitulate Maui's suggestion to make another pit stop for their lunch.

"You and your deplorable belly," Moana chided as they anchored her canoe good distance away from the beach to avoid anyone from seeing them approaching.

"Hey, listen Young Lady! My nice muscle isn't made of air! It needs maintenance!"

The island was one of the largest islands around, and undoubtedly there would be several good-sized villages inland.

Having such a bad encounter with her previous visit, Moana wouldn't repeat the same mistake. This time, she prowled stealthily while her eyes were watching any suspicious shadow with great vigilance. Maui followed her, and both of them carefully penetrating into the depth of the coppice like entering enemy's territory.

For a while, there was no sign of anything… no single human nor civilization to be found. After a good one hour of covering the dense forest, they came to an uncharted village at the foot of the hill. By the time they arrived on the border of the village, their sight was greeted with a mortifying scene.

The place was riddled with broken houses, the walls of the huts gauged with weapon marks, some even burnt to ashes. There was a large marae that had been all but demolished. The air was sour with decay, despicably eerie and grim with the smell of death.

Sweeping her eyes around, Moana frowned. The village would have been habitable once. Moana still could witness the sign of bountiful life on their deserted barley fields and coconut farm, kids toys still lying scattered around the clearing, and all sort of fishing equipment had been neglected hanging dry for a good few weeks. The evidence of massive incursion was indisputable.

Both of them trod through the kill zone, the charcoal and ashes collecting under the sole of her feet as she followed a short distance behind him. They saw the spices storage was empty, all grains and preserved were gone, together with all valuables like feather cloaks, jewelry, and whalebone armaments. Thankfully, there were no dead bodies among the carnage.

"What do you think happened here?" she asked with a low, subdued voice.

Maui shrugged tentatively, but Moana could see the unmistakable apprehension in his tense posture.

Suddenly, Moana's attention was drawn on the spear that left embedded on the side of the wall. She pulled it out to examine the weapon closely; it bore a symbol that she recognized all too well, a pikorua.

Could it be…. Tane and his men… ―?!

A taiaha (Māori pronunciation: [ˈtaiaha]) is a traditional weapon of the Māori of New Zealand; a close-quarters staff weapon made from either wood or whalebone, and used for short, sharp strikes or stabbing thrusts with quick footwork on the part of the wielder.

The marae (meeting grounds) is the focal point of Māori communities throughout New Zealand.

Thank you to theatreinspired for the beta :-)