Keys to the Kingdom

by MiniJen

Thirteen Keys, scattered across the worlds. Whoever holds them all is destined to rule the heart of all worlds: Kingdom Hearts. As both light and darkness scour the worlds for these keys, Sora finds himself caught between standing alongside his friends as they fight for the light and struggling against the encroaching darkness invading his own heart. KH3 AU.

19. Chapter 18: Know Who You Are

Oof well welcome to the newest longest chapter of Keys yet everyone! Didn't mean for this one to be so massive but there was a LOT of ground I had to cover in it so I just decided to roll with it and have fun and this chapter is quite a lot of fun if you ask me. Hope you enjoy it too! Let's get started!

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Chapter 18: Know Who You Are

I have crossed the horizon to find you
I know your name
They have stolen the heart from inside you
But this does not define you
This is not who you are
You know who you are

If there was anything that Maui made sure to reiterate to the others over and over again, it was that he had no intentions of going anywhere near Te Kā without his trusty magical hook. And it just so happened that the demigod had a strong suspicion as to where it would be. Which was why he deftly took command of the boat, sailing it directly toward his intended destination and ignoring Moana and Sora's continuously shared pleas for sailing lessons all the while. At the same time, he didn't really bother to answer anyone's persistent questions about where they were going either, aside from the terse, obvious explanation that they were going to get his hook.

However, as the next morning broke and the boat's tiny "crew" awakened, they were soon met with the looming sight of their approaching destination, a tall, mountain of an island that reached high into the sky, its rocky exterior jagged and sinister from just about every angle.

"We're here," Maui announced as the boat made a beeline to the unknown island.

"Gawrsh, where is 'here'?" Goofy wondered, slightly nervous.

"Here," the demigod said, pulling the boat up to the island's small shore as he began to tether it down. "Is where we're gonna find my hook. If anyone has it, it's Tamatoa."

"...Tama-who?" Sora asked, confused.

"Tamatoa," Maui said, glaring up at the top of the towering mountain. "The beady-eyed bottom-feeder. He's a scavenger. Collects stuff, thinks it makes him look cool. And for Tamatoa? Trust me, my hook is the coolest collectible."

"And he lives… up there?" Moana asked, looking to the mountaintop herself warily. A mountaintop that would likely take an exhausting, treacherous climb just to get up to in the first place.

"No, no, no, that's just the entrance," Maui clarified, a wry grin spreading on his face as he passed by the others. "To, uh… Lalotai."

While the trio exchanged a wondering glance at this, Moana gasped in shock, her eyes growing wide with wonder at the legendary locale. "Lalotai?" she asked incredulously. "As in… the realm of monsters? W-we're going to the realm of monsters?"

"We? No, me," Maui turned from the climb he had just started making. "You four are gonna stay here with the other chicken." His teasing smirk widened as he nodded down to Heihei, still sitting as oblivious and absent-minded as ever on the boat behind them.

"Hey! We're not chickens!" Donald squawked angrily.

"So let's prove that we're not," Sora said with a brazen smile as he stepped toward the towering mountain. "C'mon, let's go!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait," Moana interjected much more hesitantly, dropping her voice down to a whisper so Maui in particular couldn't hear as he continued climbing upward. "Do I need to bring up the whole 'realm of monsters' thing again? I know you guys aren't from this part of the sea, but most people who go to Lalotai… don't make it out alive."

"Then we'll be the first," the Keybearer grinned as he confidently began scaling the mountain himself. "It's just a bunch of monsters; they're no match for any of us!"

"That's what you always say…" Donald grumbled, though even so, he was the first to trail after Sora with Goofy not too far behind.

At the same time, Moana stood by, completely baffled by just how absolutely undeterred the Keybearer seemed to be by the prospect of such immense danger. But as she considered the impressive power he had displayed, apparently by accident at that, back at the abandoned island to take out the Unversed, she realized that such bravado might not be so out of place after all. Well, for Sora, at least. When it came to herself, Moana knew whatever strength and skill she possessed couldn't really compare to his, or to Maui's for that matter. And yet, as she cast another apprehensive look to Lalotai's lofty entrance, she couldn't help but feel that familiar resolve stirring deep within her. The very same resolve that had pushed her to leaving her island, her home, out onto the vast unknown of the great ocean in the first place. Which was why she knew that no matter how treacherous the journey might turn or how incredibly out of her depth she might be, she still had to see just how far she could really go all the same.

By now, Maui had already easily heaved himself up the mountain quite a ways, confident that he'd make it to the top in no time. Yet, as he perched himself on a sizable ledge to take a small breather, he was quite surprised to find the boat had been abandoned several feet down below. As he squinted down for any signs of his unwanted companions, however, what he failed to notice was that they were steadily climbing alongside him until they all managed to pass him altogether.

"Ugh…" Maui groaned, noting the slight struggle the group was having as they helped each other up the rugged, stony mountainside. Even so, the demigod continued to climb it himself, albeit much easier given his innate supernatural strength, opting to make casual conversation with the others all the while. "So… daughter of the chief..." he began, addressing Moana first, more for the sake of setting her off more than anything else. "I thought you stayed in the village, you know, kissin' babies and things." Moana said nothing to this, instead shooting him an annoyed glare before going right back to climbing. "Hey, I'm just trying to understand why your people decided to send… how do I phrase this? ...You."

"My people didn't send me," Moana clarified sharply. "The Ocean did."

"The Ocean?" Maui asked with an incredulous smirk. "Makes sense. You're what, eight? Can't sail? Obvious choice."

Moana couldn't help but falter a bit at this, her former insecurities and doubts slowly starting to creep back in. At least until she happened to receive a timely reminder that there was more to her mission, more to her, than what met the eye.

"Hey!" Sora called down from his spot further up the mountain from the others, his expression stern as he looked to the demigod squarely. "The Ocean chose Moana for a reason. And even if none of us know what that reason is yet, I still think it made the right choice." He offered a warm smile down to Moana, extending a hand down to help her up onto his higher perch, a hand that she readily, gratefully accepted right alongside his kind encouragement.

"Right," she agreed, letting those doubts drift away as she looked out toward the wide ocean surrounding them on all sides. Deciding to trust both it and herself along the way.

"Geez, no wonder you two get along so well," Maui scoffed rolling his eyes as he pulled himself onto the ledge alongside them. "You're both chock full of that 'wide-eyed, innocent optimism'. It's so hokey I could, and honestly might just lose my lunch."

"Tell me about it…" Donald deadpanned from further down below, Goofy chuckling in amusement as he did.

"Speaking of which, what's your story anyway, kid?" Maui asked, looking to Sora this time. "What, are you and your buddies curly's life coaches/bodyguards or something?"

"No, we're her friends," Sora corrected. "And even though we are going to help you guys restore that heart, Donald, Goofy, and I are actually here looking for-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, that 'Key' you three wouldn't shut up about on the way here," Maui huffed, annoyed. "And for the last time, I don't know anything about something like that. Unless that Key and my hook are one and the same, in which case, finders keepers."

"Um… well, I don't think the Key would be a hook…" Sora frowned down at his companions as they caught up. "Would it?"

"Shucks, the last two didn't look much like hooks, did they?" Goofy asked.

"Well… no…"

"Then it's pretty safe to say this Key won't be a hook either," Donald remarked, offering the Keybearer a dry, knowing glance as they all finally reached the top.

Lalotai's entrance was just as dry, rocky, and desolate as the rest of the mountain itself, towering flat and barren miles above the ocean's surface. Any gateway to the supposed realm of monsters was either out of sight or nonexistent altogether, a possibility that perplexed a majority of the group as they looked around the seemingly empty peak. "So…" Moana began, looking to Maui expectantly. "Not seeing an entrance…"

"Yes," Maui's tone and expression suddenly grew quite serious as he approached the others ominously. "Because it only appears… after a human sacrifice."

Needless to say this frightening news aptly startled Moana and Sora alike as they exchanged an anxious glance, at least until Maui quickly broke into a bout of playful laughter. "Nah! Kidding! So serious." The demigod kept up his smirk as he unleashed a mighty gust of air, blowing away the rising dust covering the stony-faced visage covering up what had to be the true entrance to Lalotai itself.

From there, Maui burst into a brisk, powerful shout, catching the others off guard even more as he began to deftly perform a ceremonial war dance, one that ended with a mighty ground smash that sure enough opened up the way to the realm of monsters. A passageway in the form of a deep pit that led to some unknown deep darkness in the untold depths below.

"Don't worry," Maui assured, noticing the mutual concern on his companions' faces. "It's a lot further down than it looks." Upon flashing the others one final smug grin, the demigod fearlessly cannonballed right into the bottomless pit, his enthusiastic cheer echoing even as he disappeared into the mysterious void below him.

"Gawrsh… seems like a long way down…" Goofy frowned fretfully.

"Oh no," Donald glowered, noticing the daring grin spreading across Sora's face before anyone else had. "I know that look. I don't care what you're thinking, we are not going to-"

"Jump!" the Keybearer shouted, grabbing both the magician and the captain's arms before doing just that. Moana gasped as she watched them disappear into the pit in a mix of excited laughter and fearful screams, though as she did, she steeled herself as she planned to do the exact same thing.

"O-ok, you can do this," she breathed tensely, securing the heart of Te Fiti before ultimately taking the plunge into the unknown herself.

Said plunge ultimately led into a watery vortex, one that sparked with a bizarre sort of energy as the world above shifted to the world far below even the sea itself. Naturally, Maui was the first to arrive in Lalotai itself, its dense, colorful strangeness hardly new to him since he'd ventured here many times before. "Aaaand he sticks the landing! What do ya have to say about that, huh?" he asked Mini Maui, who simply offered him a knowing smirk as he crossed his arms and shook his head. "What? Dumb-dumb, they're not even here. No mortal's gonna jump into the realm of-" The demigod stopped short as his tattooed self pointed upward, or rather, toward the group that was falling straight toward him from above. "Huh?"

Maui didn't even have time to react before he ended up breaking each of their falls, Sora, Donald, and Goofy all landing on him first before Moana landed on top of them.

"D-did we make it?" Goof asked, nervously uncovering his eyes.

"I-I think so…?" Moana replied, glancing around their surreal new surroundings fearfully.

"Sora!" Donald snapped, glaring over at the Keybearer. "When are you finally going to stop making us jump from ridiculously high places?!"

"When it stops being fun," Sora shrugged with a wry grin. "So basically, never."

"Augh! Would you all get off me already?!" Maui interjected, throwing the group off his back as he sat up. "What are any of you even doing down here? You're all gonna get yourselves killed."

"No, we're going to help you get your hook back so you can help us restore the heart of Te Fiti," Moana reminded, hands on her hips.

"Yeah!" Sora readily agreed, summoning his Keyblade as Donald and Goofy called upon their own weapons in turn. "Just point us in the direction of this Tamatoa guy and we'll take care of him, no problem!"

"Tch, yeah, right, he'll completely destroy-" Maui stopped short upon noticing the glittering cavern they just so happened to be standing right outside of. And as he spotted a familiar item resting within that cavern from afar, a perfect plan came to the demigod's mind. "Actually… that sounds like a great idea," he said with a broad smile. "As a matter of fact, his lair is right over there."

"Really?" Moana asked, surprised. "Well, that was easy."

"A bit too easy if you ask me…" Donald remarked, eyeing Maui suspiciously.

"Hey, you guys were the ones who volunteered to grab my hook for me," Maui said, urging the group to the edge of the cavern. "So… get grabbin'."

The others all stopped short just before entering the cavern, awestruck by the massive horde of beautiful, golden trinkets and treasures within. And, resting squarely at the top of that sparkling mound was the most acclaimed trophy of them all: Maui's magical fish hook.

"You… weren't kidding…" Moana noted quietly. "This Tamatoa guy really likes his treasure, huh?"

"Hmph, just as much as he likes himself, which is way too much," Maui rolled his eyes.

"Well, it looks like nobody's home," Sora noted, peering a bit deeper into the cavern. "So, let's just go in and get it."

"Ugh, no, you can't just waltz right in there like its nothing," Maui huffed, pulling the Keybearer back before he could do so. "He'll see you and smash you flat in seconds. No, what you need to do is…" The demigod trailed off as a particularly sparkly shell lying on the ground nearby happened to catch his attention, one that just so happened to give him another timely idea entirely. "What you need… is a disguise…"

Said disguise was one Moana in particular wasn't a huge fan of, especially since Maui had decided she was going to be the one to go out in it first. Even so, she begrudgingly clad themselves in all of the scraps of treasure they could find before venturing out into the open in the hopes of intentionally garnishing Tamatoa's attention, wherever he might be.

"Wow! A shiny, glittery cave!" Moana called dryly, beating on the golden drum the demigod had managed to supply her with. "And just like me, it's covered in sparkly treasure… Sparkle, sparkle, sparkle…"

"You're not selling it!" Maui called from the coral he was hiding behind alongside the trio, who, much like Moana, didn't particularly see much of a point to this rather bizarre plan he'd come up with.

"Uh, how is this supposed to work, exactly?" Sora asked dubiously as he looked between Maui and the pile of treasure before them.

"It's not!" Moana snapped back in a frustrated whisper. "This is stupid! I'm just gonna go up and get it!" She motioned to the hook, which was sitting just a few mere feet out of her reach.

"You go up there, he'll kill you," Maui scowled firmly. "Just stick to the plan." Annoyed, Moana did so, banging her drum once more as she sent the demigod a particularly aggravated glare. "Oh! And when he shows up," Maui spoke up once again. "Keep him distracted. Make him talk about himself. He loves bragging about how 'great' he is."

"You two must get along swell," Moana huffed, rolling her eyes.

"Eh, not since I ripped off his leg."

Moana stopped short at this, looking back to the demigod incredulously. "Y-you ripped off his-" she paused, noticing that Maui was nowhere to be seen, having tucked away back into hiding, even though the trio still stayed in her sight. Sora offered her an affirming nod that they'd provide any backup she might need even if Maui didn't, something Moana readily welcomed, especially as the ground suddenly began to rumble violently under her feet.

She panicked, tripping over herself as she started slipping away from the treasure horde as it somehow rose up from under her. In fact, she nearly fell entirely until she was miraculously-or rather, haphazardly-caught by one of the shining shells she was wearing from above. Though when Moana finally got a good glimpse of who actually had 'saved' her, she quickly wished she hadn't.

As it turned out, the immense pile of treasure had been resting squarely on top of an equally sizable shell, one that belonged to the massive, monstrously sparkly crustacean that called this cavern home: Tamatoa. The giant crab rose up with a greedy, booming laugh, still easily gripping Moana in his measurable claws as his beady eyes focused in on the prize in his clutches. "What have we here…?" he wondered with a curious grin. "It's a sparkly, shiny… wait a minute." Without warning, Tamatoa tossed Moana upward, discarding her disguise altogether before catching her once more. "Ugh! It's a human! In the realm of monsters?!" he scoffed in disgust as he narrowed his eyes at the terrified girl in his claws. "You're a funny-looking little thing, aren't you?"

Moana gasped as the giant crab honed his other claw in on her necklace, though remembering what was hidden away inside of it, she was quick to slap that claw away as hard as she could. "Don't! That's my grandma's!"

"'That's my grandma's!'" Tamatoa mocked unsympathetically. "I ATE my grandma! And it took a week 'cause she was absolutely humongous."

As the crab continued sullenly interrogating Moana, Maui motioned to the trio to provide him with the backup he'd need as he snuck in to reclaim his hook while Tamatoa was distracted. Both Donald and Goofy nodded, agreeing with the plan, though as they looked behind them, they quickly realized that Sora had no intentions of following through with it as he instead rushed out into the open to go to Moana's aid instead.

"Sora!" the captain and the magician both fearfully called as Maui simply facepalmed in annoyance.

"Ugh! Dumb kid is gonna ruin everything!" the demigod groaned, exasperated. "Is he always this-"

"Reckless? Nah," Goofy shook his head.

"Usually, he's much worse," Donald added, perturbed.

At the same time, Sora continued his fast approach, his Keyblade at the ready as he prepared to face the monstrous crab head-on. "Hey!" he shouted up at Tamatoa as he took up a defensive pose before him. "Let her go!"

Startled, Moana turned to look down at the Keybearer with wide, fearful eyes, though Tamatoa did the same only with a much more irritated glare instead. "Another human?" he asked in appalled disbelief. "The place is infested with them! I'll need to call a good exterminator just to-wait." The giant crab stopped short, awestruck as he happened to notice the Keyblade Sora was holding. The very shiny Keyblade, to be exact. "What… is that?" Intrigued, Tamatoa snatched the Kingdom Key, pulling Sora up along with it as he refused to relinquish his grip on it even as he struggled to pull it out of the crab's tight hold. "Ohoho… I see…" Tamatoa grinned widely as he looked the Keyblade over. "You little humans have come all the way down here to bestow the finest treasures your kind has to offer to me! Like this beautiful key here!"

"What?" Sora asked, baffled as he continued trying to reclaim his Keyblade. "N-no, that's not-"

"T-that's not all!" Moana interjected, thinking quickly and acting even quicker. "You're right! W-we mortals have heard the tale of the crab who became a legend! S-so we thought we'd honor you with gifts! R-right, Sora?"

For a moment, the most the Keybearer could do was look over at her in apt disbelief, shaking his head until he happened to catch onto exactly what she was trying to do here. Especially as he spotted what she already had: Maui, supported by Donald and Goofy, sneaking in from behind in an attempt to snatch the hook straight off of Tamatoa's shell when he wasn't looking. "Um… y-yeah!" he agreed, playing along. "So now that you have our, uh… 'gift', we just had to know… how you became so… so… um…"

"C-crabulous?" Moana ventured with a hopeful smile, hoping to save this ploy before it could completely fall through.

"...Are you just trying to get me to talk about myself?" Tamatoa asked, suspicious. The pair exchanged a worried glance at this, hoping that their plan wasn't absolutely ruined, especially as the crab dangerously leaned in toward them both. "Because if you are… I will gladly do so! Though maybe…" The crab's grin turned to his pair of struggling captives with an appatized grin. "After a quick snack first…"

At this, Tamatoa began pulling both Moana and Sora in, much to their shared alarm given his obvious intention on making them his next meal. However, just before he could, the crab stopped short upon catching another closer look at the Keyblade still tight in his claws. "Oh you've got to be kidding me!" he growled angrily down at the startled Keybearer in particular. "What kind of a joke do you take me for to bring me BROKEN treasure?!"

"B-broken?" Sora barely had time to get the distraught word out before Tamatoa suddenly threw both him and the Kingdom Key hard across the cavern. He hit its sturdy wall sharply, hard enough to knock the wind out of him and send the Keyblade tumbling out of his grip as he fell to the ground, limp and injured.

"Sora!" Moana called worriedly, though she did get a small bout of relief as she spotted Donald and Goofy from afar, already rushing to their listless companion's side. As for herself, however, she couldn't spare the same relief, especially as Tamatoa focused back on her.

"Now that the trash has been thrown out…" he began with a hungry, leering grin as he hoisted her back up into the air. "Where were we…?"

"Hey, crab cakes! The only one who's about to be 'trashed' around here is YOU!" Tamatoa froze, turning his eyes completely around to find none other than Maui, standing tall and proud atop his shell. The demigod flashed a brazen grin as he finally reclaimed his hood, more than happy to feel it's familiar weight in his hands once again. "I'm back," he said, kissing his weapon gingerly before raising it high into the air. "It's Maui time!"

The demigod relished in the look of absolute shook that overtook Tamatoa's face as he finally abruptly dropped Moana altogether. With a bright, brazen grin, Maui heaved his hook, spinning it swiftly around before using its magic to shapeshift himself into the form of a mighty hawk so he could take his old foe head on. However, instead of a hawk, in reality, Maui actually ended up taking on the form of a tiny fish instead. Confused, he tried again, switching between several shapes and sizes, none of which were what he actually wanted, before finally landing back on his usual form, absolutely confounded by his inability to control a power he thought he'd mastered long ago.

Maui wasn't the only one to take notice of this failure however, as Tamatoa's surprise quickly shifted into a smug, goading grin. "Ohoho! Looks like little Maui's having trouble with his look!" the crab teased mirthfully, spinning around to throw the disoriented demigod off balance. "It's been what, a thousand years? Tch, what a shame. You just don't swing it like you used to back then!"

With another sadistic chuckle, Tamatoa gladly took the opportunity to toy with his foe, grabbing Maui by the hook as he aggressively, violently swung him around. At the same time, the most Moana could do was watch in apt alarm as the crab tossed the demigod to the far side of the cavern, much like he'd done with Sora moments ago.

Speaking of the Keybearer, by now he'd managed to pull himself into a sitting position, beaten and bruised by the harsh impact against the cave wall, though that was hardly his greatest concern at the moment. No, instead all Sora could focus on was his Keyblade lying on the ground before him, noticeable cracks still splintered across its silver surface. Ominous, undeniable proof that it was just as Tamatoa had said: broken.

Which was exactly why Sora made his weapon disappear as soon as Donald and Goofy arrived at his side, the latter helping him up while the former quickly healed his injuries. And just in time too, for as Tamatoa continued throwing the helpless demigod in his grip around, Moana managed to get the trio's attention, making it quite clear she had a plan in mind to put a stop to this disaster once and for all.

At the same time, Maui landed hard against the cavern floor yet again, his hook falling out of his reach to the point that he couldn't even try to use it to fight back. "You crawled all the way down here with a bunch of human decoys to try and steal this from me?" Tamatoa laughed, ripping the hook away from the demigod once more as he tossed him aside. "I knew you were a trickster, but this is too much! Hilarious! And pathetic. What, are you back to doing more favors for them because they make you feel wanted, loved for a change? Ha!" The crab brutally beat Maui down once again, slamming him against the cavern wall as the cave turned dark, allowing a brilliant bioluminescent glow to overtake both Tamatoa and his surroundings. "Face it, man, your 'armor's' just not hard enough. And it's nowhere near as shiny as mine!" Tamatoa tossed Maui high into the air once more, opening wide in an attempt at devouring his longtime foe once and for all. However, the demigod stopped himself squarely in the monster's maw just in time to give him exactly the sort of distraction he needed to avoid his demise.

"Hey!" Moana shouted up at the crab, flanked by the trio to support her if need be. "We've got something shiny for ya!"

Upon so much as catching a glimpse at the glistening green stone in her hand, Tamatoa instantly spit Maui aside, realizing that a much better prize was now on the line instead. "The heart of Te Fiti... Give me that this instant! You can't run from me!" Naturally, as soon as the crab said this, the group took off, acting on their plan as they split up throughout the cavern. "Oh! You can. You keep surprising me!"

Tamatoa took off after them, pursuing Moana in particular since she had the heart in her possession. At the same time, Sora, Donald, and Goofy discreetly circled around behind the crab, poising their weapons for a surprise attack as Moana intentionally released her hold on the heart, allowing it to fall into a nearby crevice as Tamatoa continued to chase after it.

With the crab distracted, she hurried onto his shell, heaving the reclaimed hook off of it before nodding back to the trio on the ground as soon as she'd retrieved it. As soon as Moana was in the clear away from Tamatoa, Sora and Donald discreetly began tag-teaming to magically freeze the crab's back legs in place, with Goofy offering them a line of defense just in case the crustacean noticed. At the same time, Moana hurried over to Maui, shoving the hook back into his grip as she helped him back up.

"We gotta go," she whispered to him sharply, sparing a brief anxious glance back at Tamatoa as he continued digging for his sought-after treasure.

"W-what about the heart?" Maui asked, winded, injured, and confused.

"He can have it," Moana smirked, opening her necklace to reveal the true heart of Te Fiti still inside it. "I've got a better one. C'mon, you guys!" she called to the trio, who finished their work just in time to hurry after the pair while Tamatoa finally retrieved the 'heart' he was after.

"Yes! I have the-wait a minute!" the crab stopped short, squinting at the stone pinched between his claws to get a better look at exactly what he'd found. "Ugh, I see. They took a barnacle and they covered it in bioluminescent algae as a diversion!" Infuriated by the deception, Tamatoa attempted to turn and chase after the group. That is, until he suddenly tripped over his own two somehow frozen back legs, inevitably ending up tipping over onto his sparkling shell altogether just in time to see the group get away by using one of Lalotai's many powerful geysers to return to the world above. "Hey!" Tamatoa called angrily after them, unable to right himself to follow suit as he sullenly accepted his embarrassing defeat. "...Would it have been better if I had sung?"

---

Despite their triumph at Lalotai, there was hardly any celebration as the group set sail from the realm of monsters to continue on their voyage. Though most of the others were still in relatively high, hopeful spirits, Maui had been laid quite low, and not just by Tamatoa either. Despite trying for several hours, even as night began to fall over the sea, the demigod still couldn't seem to get a hang on the shapeshifting powers his hook bestowed him with, to the point that he eventually gave up altogether. Depression overtook him as he essentially sprawled flat on the boat, singing an empty, dejected reprise of his formerly upbeat tune.

"What can I say except we're dead soon, we're dead soon…" he sighed, his hook resting near his head, completely unusable at least as far as he was concerned.

"Uh… Maui?" Sora ventured, mutually concerned alongside the others for the demigod's emotional wellbeing.

"Hey, it's ok, it's ok, we're dead soon…"

"...Ok, we're getting nowhere like this," Moana remarked dryly, marching over to Maui with an oar in hand. "All right, break time's over. Get up."

"Why?" Maui scowled, sitting up somewhat. "You gonna give me a speech or something? Tell me I can beat Te Kā 'cause 'I'm Maui'?"

"You can," Sora assured, coming to stand alongside Moana. "We all can if we-"

"What, 'work together'?" Maui scoffed tiredly. "Tch, gimme a break, kid. Like I said, that whole endless optimism kick really isn't my thing. Which is why I can pretty much guarantee this mission's cursed. Might as well face it now so it won't catch you by surprise later on; we go against Te Kā, and we all go down."

As the demigod flopped back down, the others all exchanged a worried glance, briefly fearing that Maui might actually have a point. True, none of them really knew what to expect out of the fearsome lava monster, but if even Maui himself severely doubted their chances against her, then did they really stand much of a chance in surviving, much less winning against her at all?

"Golly, what do we do now…?" Goofy wondered fretfully.

"Give up, go off and finally look for that Key like we're supposed to be doing?" Donald suggested, though Sora was quick to shoot the insensitive idea down as he shook his head in disapproval of it.

At the same time, Moana paused, deciding to take a different, softer approach entirely as she took another curious look at the tapestry of tattoos branded across the demigod's skin. "How do you get your tattoos?" she asked, going off on a seemingly unrelated tangent entirely.

"The show up," Maui answered tersely, sitting up and turning away. "When I earn them."

"How'd you earn that one?" Moana asked, pointing out a rather large tattoo near the top of his back. One that seemed to depict a woman tossing what almost looked like a child into the sea. "What's that for?"

Maui's expression darkened at this, knowing exactly what tattoo she was referring to. "That's man's discovery of Nunya."

"Nunya?"

"Nunya business."

Moana pouted briefly, but even so, she persisted, tapping the demigod with her oar in the hopes of getting some answers. "I'll just keep asking until you tell me. What's it for? What is it?"

"Back off!" Maui snapped, suddenly standing as he grabbed Moana's oar and offered her a severe glare.

"Just tell me what it is!" she protested firmly.

"I said back off!"

"Is it why your hook's not working?" she barely had time to ask before Maui tossed her overboard once again. The trio rushed over to help her as Maui sullenly passed them, though the Ocean beat them to it as it brought her back onto the boat just as it always did. Even so, the group exchanged a defeated glance, realizing that they were still getting nowhere with the demigod, especially not in the mood he was currently in. "...You don't wanna talk? Don't talk," Moana finally sighed sadly. "You wanna throw me off the boat? Throw me off. You wanna tell me I don't know what I'm doing? I know I don't. I have no idea why the ocean chose me. But… my island is dying… so I am here, with you. And I want to help you, we all do, but we can't if you don't let us…"

Despite her sincerity, Moana ultimately let out a morose sigh as Maui remained silent, even if she did accept the small smile of solidarity Sora sent her as she began to turn away. However, as she did, Maui suddenly spoke up to at long last unravel his unknown tale.

"I wasn't born a demigod," he began quietly, sadly as he stared off toward the sea. "I had human parents. They took one look and decided… they did not want me. They threw me into the sea… like I was nothing… Somehow, I was found by the gods. They gave me my hook, made me 'Maui, demigod of the wind and sea'. And back to the humans I went; I gave them islands, fire, coconuts, anything they could ever want."

"...You took the heart for them…" Moana whispered in soft, sympathetic realization. "You did everything for them… So they'd love you..."

"It was… never enough," Maui shook his head in solemn defeat. "Not even the power to create life itself… I stole the heart for them and look what happened: a thousand years trapped on a deserted island and nobody ever even cared or came looking for me…"

"We did," Sora earnestly pointed out, catching the demigod admittedly off guard.

"That's right. And maybe… the gods found you for a reason," Moana added, echoing her own belief. That much like Maui, she'd been chosen for a purpose she didn't quite understand yet, but was destined to uphold. "Maybe the Ocean brought you to them because it saw someone who was worthy of being saved. But the gods aren't the ones who make you Maui… you are."

The others all offered Maui one final, warm, encouraging smile at this, allowing the demigod a moment to think it all over. And as he did, he couldn't help but realize just how right they were. The gods had given him his start, true, but all of the courageous deeds and daring feats he'd ever done were his own to claim. And those deeds, his own strength, they were all things to be proud of. The very things that made him a hero, that made him Maui in the first place.

Which was why, as he reclaimed his hook once more and turned to his companions, or rather, his friends, he decided it was finally time to start living up to that legendary name once more.

---

As the next leg of the voyage began, one thing was immediately clear; to take on Te Kā, Maui would have to reteach himself everything he once knew when it came to his magical hook. Though none of the others were very well-versed in such forign magic, they all agreed that it was best for him to start small, which was exactly what the demigod did, transforming into easier, tinier forms first before gradually working his way up to bigger, more complicated ones. From a beetle, to an iguana, to a shark, to a hawk, to even a whale, over the span of a day, Maui regained not just his mastery over his hook, but his usual verve, joining the others in their bold determination to face the danger ahead to restore the heart of Te Fiti to where it rightfully belonged.

However, Maui wasn't the only one mastering new skills along the way. As the boat's sails turned to the distant island of Te Fiti, the demigod finally allowed new sets of hands to take up control of those sails. As thanks for helping him with his hook troubles, Maui finally agreed to both Moana and Sora's persistent requests for sailing tips, showing both of them the ropes and even passing along a few pointers to a curious Donald and Goofy along the way. From steering along with the wind to following currents to navigating using stars, the demigod supplied them with every skill they'd need to know when it came to wayfinding, skills the pair was more than happy to learn as they set sail toward Te Fiti. All the while, the trio kept a keen eye out for any leads they could find on the Key they were still searching for, finding little but still enjoying the journey all the same, something that could be said for all of them as they crossed the great ocean, drawing ever nearer to their destination every step of the way.

Said destination seemed closer than ever before as they passed into a stretch of foggy waters late one night. As the others kept the boat steadily on its path, Maui held onto his usual perch near the top of its sail, keeping a solid lookout until he turned his attention down to Moana instead. She noticed the almost proud grin he was sending her way and returned it, even if she was somewhat confused by it. "What?" she spoke up, handing the sail's rope back over to Sora as he easily pulled it taunt this time.

"Are you impressed by our amazing sailing skills?" the Keybearer asked with a bright grin.

"Pfft, don't get too cocky, kid," Maui retorted just as easily. "The only reason you're any good is 'cause you had a great teacher."

"Oh, good point," Sora agreed, playfully nodding. "Remind me to thank that teacher for all the help next time we see him, ok?"

Maui took this joke in stride, smirking at it as Moana, Donald, and Goofy all let out a small bout of laughter. At least until Moana couldn't contain her earlier curiosity any longer. "So what are you so happy about anyway?" she asked the demigod.

"I've finally figured it out," Maui said, jumping back down onto the boat. "You know, the Ocean used to love when I pulled up islands 'cause your ancestors would sail her seas and find 'em. All those new lands, new villages, it was the water that connected them all. And if I were the Ocean… I think I'd be looking for a curly-haired chief's daughter to start that again…"

Moana readily perked up at this, warmed by the demigod's rare show of true, encouraging sincerity, even if such sentiments had been a bit easier to come by from him over their past several days of sailing together. "That is literally the nicest thing you've ever said to me. Probably should have saved it for Te Fiti."

Maui's smile widened at this as he looked toward the sea ahead. "I did." The others all looked, amazed as the fog cleared to reveal the shape of a large island laying on the horizon before them. The island they had been looking for all along. "Moana of Motunui-and friends-" Maui boldly proclaimed. "I believe you have officially delivered Maui across the great sea."

"Wha-we're here?!" Donald asked in disbelief.

"Already?" Goofy asked, equally baffled.

"Yeah!" Sora cheered excitedly. "Let's do this!"

"Ah ah ah," Maui interjected. "Let me do this." At this, the demigod turned, holding a hand out to Moana, who was quick to understand his intent. Dutifully, she took the heart of Te Fiti and carefully placed it into Maui's awaiting hand, entrusting him with this great mission, one that carried all of the hopes of her people, the fate of the very ocean itself on its success.

However, that success soon rose into question as a bright burst of flame began to build up surrounding the barrier islands blocking Te Fiti away. Islands that they'd have to cross to get to it, despite the danger rising to meet them.

"Te Kā…" Maui muttered, steeling himself for the battle ahead.

"You go put that heart back," Sora assured, summoning his Keyblade. "We'll back you up."

"Yeah," Moana readily agreed. "Go save the world, hero."

Grateful for their help, Maui nodded, leaping high into the air with the heart in tow as he swung his hook, taking on the shape of a powerful hawk before taking flight toward Te Fiti. At the same time, the others kept on sailing along behind him, even as dark clouds of billowing smoke and flame began to take shape the closer he got. Until at last, Te Kā herself emerged, ready to claim the heart as her own.

Te Kā certainly lived up to her fearsome reputation, massive in every way as she towered high above the barrier islands. Her skin was made of molten rock and flowing lava, her hollow, empty eyes and mouth glowing with unquenchable, burning flames. She let out a booming roar as she lashed out, her large hand hitting Maui squarely and knocking him out of the sky. Panicking, Moana and Sora worked together to pull the boat into action in the hopes of saving the demigod, though he managed to do so himself, reclaiming both the heart and the hook before taking off through the skies yet again.

As Maui began on his next approach, however, an all new threat soon became apparent. For as Te Kā raged against the demigod, chaos emerged from the depths of the surrounding sea and sky as a deluge of dark, all too familiar creatures began to appear.

"Unversed!" Sora, Donald, and Goofy alike all let out the initial warning cry as the shadowy creatures swarmed, surrounding both their boat and Maui as he tried soaring around Te Kā yet again. This was by far the biggest group of Unversed to attack them yet, coming from just about every angle and in every form. They quickly overtook the boat as the trio rushed to confront them, leaving Moana to try her best to steer the boat against the frantic fray. At the same time, as Te Kā struck Maui back into the ocean once more, he was soon met with a frenzied school of aquatic Unversed, ones that rushed straight for the heart as soon as it slipped out of his hand on accident. Even so, Maui was quick to reclaim it, rushing to surface once more as he slammed his hook against the creatures, taking several out so he could focus on the bigger obstacle once again.

As he did, Te Kā geared up for yet another fiery blast to take him out, only to slip against the islands she had propped herself against in the process. The monster let out a sharp cry of pain as her flaming hand hit the water instead, something that both Sora and Moana took notice of, albeit for entirely different reasons.

As Te Kā recoiled, unleashing another agonized roar as she looked around for any sign of the heart, Sora stopped short, the ongoing brawl with the Unversed more or less forgotten as he stared straight at the monster instead. He hadn't noticed it before, but it was undeniable now: the secondhand feeling of intense, burning fury, of rage and hate and grief and loss and sheer and utter desperation for something unknown. It was like he was experiencing all this through a veil, removed from it, but still impacted by it all the same, especially when he realized exactly where those feelings were all coming from: none other than Te Kā herself.

Moana, on the other hand saw an opportunity as Te Kā picked herself back up again, a quick idea forming in her mind just as Maui happened to land on the boat after another series of brutal blows from the monster and the Unversed alike. It was enough to shake Sora back into the moment, especially as he realized Donald and Goofy clearly needed his help in warding off the still heavily-attacking Unversed surrounding the boat.

At the same time, Moana solidified her idea as she rushed to Maui's side, spotting an opening in the barrier islands up ahead as she did. Exactly the in they'd need to make the final approach past Te Kā and toward Te Fiti itself.

"W-what are you doing?" Maui asked, startled as Moana pushed the boat forward at a rapid pace.

"Finding you a better way in!"

Incredulous, Maui looked between that opening and Te Kā, who was far too close to it for comfort. "We won't make it!"

"Yes, we will!" Moana assured, refusing to back down when they were so close to victory.

"Turn around!"

"No!"

"Moana, stop!"

"We can't!"

"Look out!" Goofy's warning shout caught the pair's attention, particularly alerting them to Te Kā towering high above them as they honed in on the barrier islands.

Time seemed to slow and speed up all at once as everyone reacted differently to the devastating blow the monster was preparing to unleash upon them. Donald and Goofy bravely poised their weapons to defend against it the best they could, even though they knew they'd be realistically be able to do very little against it. Moana steeled her resolve, still pushing the boat as fast as it would go in the slim chance they'd actually make it past the islands as she hoped. Sora gripped his Keyblade tightly, feeling a sharp burst of energy rush through him as both darkness and light began to coalesce around his free hand once more. But Maui was ultimately the only one of them to meet Te Kā's attack directly, swiftly bringing his hook up at the very last moment as the monster's first came down in a heavy burst of deadly flame.

What happened next, no one really knew. An explosion of incredible power, of fire and magic, mingled with hints of darkness and light rippled across the surrounding ocean. And on that explosion, everything and everyone even remotely within its wide radius was tossed and torn away from each other, thrown into the unknown depths of the raging sea once more.

---

The sky was just as dark and overcast as it had been over Te Fiti, rumbling with distant thunder that almost seemed to harmonize with the gentle waves quietly lapping onto the island's shore. Donald and Goofy watched those waves wearily as they sat on the shore alongside Sora, waiting for him to awaken from the bout of unconsciousness they'd all fallen into thanks to that momentous final blow between Maui and Te Kā. When he finally did awaken, he did so with a start, still largely caught up in the adrenaline of the climactic encounter, at least until he caught sight of the much calmer sea surrounding the small, lush island they had somehow landed on.

"You ok, Sora?" Goofy asked with a concerned frown.

"Yeah…" Sora said, shaking his head to properly clear it. "Where are we? What happened to Moana and Maui?" he asked, immediately noticing that the pair, and the boat for that matter, were nowhere in sight.

"We don't know," Donald replied fretfully. "After that huge blast, we ended up here, but there's no telling where they could be! If they even made it after all that…"

"I'm sure they did," Sora said, standing with resolve. "They're not about to go down that easily, and neither are we. Now c'mon, let's find a way off this island so we can catch up with them."

"But how are we gonna do that?" Goofy asked, confused. "The boat's gone too…"

"Then we'll build our own!" the Keybearer exclaimed with a determined grin.

"Do you even know how to build a boat?" Donald asked dryly.

"As a matter of fact, I do," Sora crossed his arms and sent the magician a knowing grin. "Me, Riku, and Kairi built one before. But… we didn't really get a chance to use it, much less try it out…"

"Just as long as the boat we build doesn't sink, then I'll consider that a win," Donald concluded, turning his beak up stubbornly.

"Well, look on the bright side, fellas: at least there's plenty here we can use to put it together with!" Goofy noted, turning to the patch of jungle claiming the second half of the tiny island behind them.

"Right, so let's split up and get looking!" Sora grinned, ready to do just that.

"And let's hurry!" Donald huffed impatiently. "We still need to find that Key too, remember?"

"Like you could let us forget," the Keybearer smirked over his shoulder as he headed off on his own, leaving his companions to do the same.

Despite its rather small size, the jungle was surprisingly dense, its thick canopy blocking out most of what little light the already dull sky provided. Initially, Sora didn't pay that low light much mind as he forged a path through the forest, looking for anything that could prove useful in building a makeshift boat. Unfortunately, any actually downed trees were in a disappointingly short supply, and though he was tempted to use his Keyblade in the hopes of knockin a few down, he wasn't too keen on the possibility of damaging his weapon any more than it already was.

Even so, as he thought of that weapon, Sora couldn't help but pause, letting out an uneasy sigh as he summoned it, hoping, just as he always did whenever he called upon it, that those damaging cracks would somehow magically disappear entirely. And yet, sure enough, there they were, still tarnishing its once-pure surface, hinting that something much deeper and more alarming might be wrong with it, wrong with him.

Yet as he stared at it, he couldn't notice that familiar surge of darkness and light, mixing and mingling together around his hand, just as it had done twice before now. "What is this anyway…?" he muttered, allowing his Keyblade to disappear as he tried to make sense of this strange new magic. The skin on his hand was still shadowy, worryingly so as it seemed to have spread somewhat. And yet, the hints of warm light peeking through the darkened energy weaving gently between his fingers only served to make him curious about exactly what this newfound power really was, and even more than that, how it could be used to his advantage.

So, after taking a cursory look to make sure neither of his companions were watching, Sora unceremoniously decided to test it out, just to see what it could do. Carefully, he slowly swept his hand out toward the ground before him, letting that magic flow out of him. Immediately, he noticed that it felt quite different than any of the other spells he usually used in tandem with his Keyblade; cold and warm all at once as it channeled itself through only his hand instead of through his weapon. And as it hit the ground, it left behind a heavy, scorching mark, one that hung with dark, heavy ash and glistened with a quickly dying sort of light at the exact same time. Darkness and light, existing perfectly together and contradicting each other all the while.

Intrigued by this contradiction, Sora tried something else, swinging his hand out higher and wider this time, letting his magic fly with a much heavier amount of force behind it this time. The effect was immediate as a strong wave of darkened light struck a nearby line of smaller, shorter trees squarely, tearing through them and slicing through their sturdy trunks to the point that they all instantly toppled over on top of each other. Such a powerful blast both startled and fascinated the Keybearer, though he admittedly began leaning more toward the latter reaction as he realized just how useful this new skill could be to getting the trio out of their current predicament.

After glancing around the surrounding area one last time for any signs of Donald or Goofy, Sora got to work, throwing both of his hands out widely and watching with wonder as his magic effortlessly cut through another swath of trees. That feeling of contrasting warmth and cold rushed through him once more but this time he welcomed it, relished it as he pressed onward, amazed by just how much this power could really do, just how much he could do. Ever since the aftermath of his failed Mark of Mastery exam, one thing that Sora hadn't been able to deny no matter how hard he tried was that he had been feeling weaker, that his strength had been diminished to an embarrassing, almost disgraceful degree. And yet, here and now he couldn't help but believe that, with the emergence of a strange, yet incredible ability such as this, that strength was finally starting to return. And not just return, but far exceed any strength he might have had before.

However, as caught up in the excitement as he was, Sora didn't even notice that he wasn't as alone as he hoped he was. For sitting atop a sturdy branch of a taller tree a good distance away was a figure obscured by the natural surrounding shadows, casually reclining against his perch as he silently watched Sora willingly partake in such thoughtless destruction. For the briefest of moments, he was somewhat interested by the unique kind of power he was bearing witness too, until he quickly reminded himself of his ultimate mission. His near-twin was really just a means to an end after all, an end that he was more than ready to finally obtain, especially since the Keybearer was noticeably, and at least for him, quite fortunately alone.

And yet, just before he could make his move, he recoiled, a sharp burst of blinding agony suddenly spiking through his chest. He let out a hushed hiss of pain, glaring hatefully down at Sora as he noticed the flash of glowing yellow spring into his twin's eyes, tendrils of darkness wreathing his arms as he gladly unleashed another burst of his potent power. A brief glance down to his own covered hands revealed they were enveloped in the exact opposite: light, crisp, harsh light that burned his brittle, darkened heart in every way imaginable. Light that he hadn't even felt the faintest glimmer of in quite some time, not since…

He shook his head, a hand still pressed to his chest in an attempt to ease the pain as he turned his sights back toward the Keybearer down below. Sora, however, finally stopped as he emerged onto the far shore of the island, his hands falling to his sides and his magic practice all but forgotten as he spotted, or rather sensed something resting in the sand just a few feet ahead. It's radiant green glow practically beckoned him forward, pure power brimming from it, just as it always did. As captivated by that power as he was, he slowly, carefully retrieved the small stone from the sand, knowing that it wasn't where it was supposed to be. And somehow, it knew that fact as it almost seemed to whisper the same sentiment, though it seemed oddly meant for him as it echoed through the depths of his heart:

You're not where you belong…

"Sora!" The Keybearer's mesmerized focus was quickly broken the moment he heard his companion's shared call for him. Sure enough, Donald and Goofy hurried down the short shoreline to meet him, hauling various pieces of scrap to use for their ship along with them. However, they instantly stopped in alarm the moment they saw the trail of heavy destruction leading through the jungle up to exactly where Sora was standing.

"Gawrsh, what happened over here?" Goofy asked as both him and Donald looked between the downed and damaged trees and the Keybearer in apt concern.

"Um… i-it… it was…" Sora hesitated, hiding his hands behind his back as he tried to think up some sort of excuse. His first thought was to actually tell the pair the truth, if only for the sake of preventing himself from harboring yet another dangerous secret from them on top of the already lengthy list of secrets he'd been accumulating as of late. And yet, despite his better judgement, the truth was ultimately something he quickly decided against, especially when he remembered just how strong his newfound powers made him feel. Powers that he wanted, that he needed at a time like this, that he couldn't just let be taken away so easily, not even by his well-meaning companions who could very well come to fear that power simply by seeing the aftermath of what it wrought. Which was why, through his own fear that they'd forbid him to use it, he decided, just this once, to let one more measly lie slip through the cracks. "U-Unversed!" he exclaimed, throwing out the best thing he could think of on such a short notice. "A whole bunch of them, t-they just came out of nowhere and started going crazy, s-so… I took care of them."

Sora paused tentatively, hoping that this was somehow convincing enough for the pair to actually believe. And yet, with no given reason to not buy this ruse, Donald and Goofy fortunately did, much to the Keybearer's immense relief.

"Well, they sure did leave a mess behind, didn't they?" the magician remarked before turning back to Sora with a curious glance. "What are you hiding behind your back…?"

Sora flinched at this, briefly checking over his shoulder to make sure the darkened light surrounding his hands had died down completely before he revealed the shining stone he'd been holding onto. Albeit in a way that didn't reveal the shadows still spread across his palm regardless. "It's… the heart of Te Fiti," he said, holding it up for both of them to see.

"Wha-! B-but how'd it end up here?!" Donald asked, baffled.

"I thought Maui had it last," Goofy added, scratching his head in confusion.

"I did." The trio was equally caught off guard by this call, one that clearly came from the demigod himself, albeit from a distance. And indeed, Maui was steadily flying toward the group from the sea in the form of a hawk, though as he landed on the shore, his expression twisted in agony as he returned to his usual appearance. That pain lingered as he leaned against his hook for support, said hook bearing the brunt of the scar from the blast he'd blocked from Te Kā, burnt and heavily cracked as it sparked with unstable energy.

"Maui!" the trio exclaimed in alarm, rushing over to help him. And yet, as soon as Sora spotted the damage the demigod's hook had taken, he stopped short, eyes wide as he realized just how familiar that damage really rung.

"Y-your hook…" he muttered softly, though Maui still clearly heard him all the same.

"I know... " the demigod scowled, standing upright on his own as he glared down at the nearly-broken weapon. "I told Moana to turn back, and she didn't. So… here we are."

"And… where's Moana?" Sora asked, worried.

"Don't know, don't care," Maui shook his head, stewing over his quiet rage. "All I know is, we're done here."

"Done?" Goofy asked with a fretful frown.

"B-but what about the heart," Sora ventured, holding said heart out to the demigod. "And Te Kā and Te Fiti, and-"

"And nothing," Maui interrupted bitterly. "I already told Moana: I'm not going back. There is no way to fix my hook. It was made by the gods. One more hit and it's over."

"S-so that's it then?" the Keybearer asked, a certain edge of challenge in his tone. "You're just giving up?"

Maui said nothing at first as he walked past the trio sullenly. But when he did speak, his voice was low, dejected, defeated. "Without my hook, I am nothing."

"That's not true-"

"Without my hook, I am nothing!" Maui snapped, swiftly turning around to silence Sora's protest altogether. Donald and Goofy looked at each other, startled and concerned at this, especially as they realized that there would be little chance at changing the demigod's mind especially when he already believed they were doomed to fail all over again. And yet, Sora wasn't about to back down so easily. Not when the fate of an entire world was at stake.

Which was why he looked to Maui squarely, his expression hard and resolved as he held his hand up silently. He hesitated, for just the briefest of seconds as he considered the fact that Donald and Goofy were both standing right behind him, knowing what both of them would finally see if he did this. And yet, at that moment he didn't care, he couldn't care, not when he considered the radiant heart his free hand was still holding onto. A heart that was practically pleading to be returned to where it truly belonged. Which was why he allowed the Kingdom Key to flash into his grip, cracks and all, for everyone to clearly see.

"Look at this," Sora began sternly, the mere sight of his Keyblade catching Maui off guard. "My Keyblade is cracked; it's damaged, just like your hook is. I don't know why or how it happened, but it is."

"W-what…?" Donald balked with a shocked whisper as he took in the alarming sight, Goofy doing the exact same.

"Sora…" the captain began worriedly, though the Keybearer largely ignored both of his companions as he continued.

"And even despite that, I know I have to keep on fighting," he said, taking in a steadying breath as he continued to hold onto the Kingdom Key, however marred it might be. "For all I know, my Keyblade could break at any minute, but even if it did, I still wouldn't stop fighting because my friends-everyone I care about-they're all counting on me. Just like how Moana, how the rest of the world, is counting on you. So," he closed his eyes, allowing his Keyblade to finally disappear even though its weight still seemed to hang heavy in his heart. "What are you going to do?"

For what seemed like ages, Maui said nothing to this, instead staring silently down at his damaged hook, his expression largely unreadable all the while. For almost his entire existence, he'd relied on his hook to grant him not just his shapeshifting powers, but his famous strength, his very identity, all tied to the gift he'd been bestowed by the gods. And yet… without it, he'd managed to survive, though perhaps not thrive, for 1,000 years. And just because he hadn't had it through those years didn't mean that he'd ever stopped being Maui. Because perhaps it was just as Moana had told him before: "The gods aren't the ones who make you Maui… you are."

And as the demigod remembered this, he knew that Sora was right as well: hook or no hook, Moana was counting on him. To restore the heart and save the world, perhaps the most important, and most dangerous feat he'd ever set out to do amidst his countless daring deeds of the past. Which was why, if his hook really was at stake, Maui saw no better way for it to go out on than on his most important mission alongside his most important friends.

"I guess I'll keep on fighting," Maui finally replied, offering the Keybearer a warm, thankful smile.

Likewise, Sora returned that smile as Donald and Goofy let out a shared sigh of relief behind him. "Spoken like a true 'hero to all'."

"Well, gee, fella, it's great that we're all rarin' and ready to go, but there's still one problem?" Goofy asked with a frown. "How are we even gonna find Moana in the first place?"

"Or get off this island!?" Donald added, noting the much more immediate issue.

"We're gonna build a boat, remember?" Sora pointed out, motioning to the cluster of downed trees that they could use to do so.

"Build a boat?" Maui scoffed. "What, do you wanna waste an entire week out here? Nah, as usual, I've got a better idea." At this, the demigod marched over to the water, calling out toward it as loudly as he could. "Yo! Ocean! Hook us up with a boat, will ya!?" Though he waited for a moment or two, Maui was quick to grow impatient when the Ocean showed no signs of answering whatsoever. "Aw, c'mon, cut me some slack for a change. We're trying to help your 'chosen one' here, you know."

"Let me try," Sora ventured, coming to stand alongside the demigod as he addressed the Ocean much more patiently. "Um, hey, Ocean? Do you mind maybe finding a boat for us to use please? We really need to find Moana so we can-" Before the Keybearer could even finish, the Ocean readily complied, rippling in wide, broad waves as it dredged up a formerly-downed raft from the depths before gently depositing it onto the shore, completely ready to be used once again.

"Wha-how did you do that?" Maui asked, looking to Sora incredulously.

"I guess it's all just a matter of how you ask," the Keybearer shrugged with a small laugh. The demigod smirked briefly at this remark before heading over to the raft to prepare it for the voyage ahead, though before Sora could join him, he happened to catch a glimpse at the mutually baffled look Donald and Goofy were both sending his way.

"Oh no…" he took in a deep breath, already anticipating what they'd have to say in light of what he'd just incidentally shown them.

"Sora... " Goofy began with a genuinely fretful frown. "Y-your Keyblade… what happened to it?"

"And why'd you try to hide it from us when you knew about it the whole time!?" Donald snapped much more angrily. "The scar was bad enough, but this?! Why do you keep lying to us!?"

"Look, we can talk about this later, ok?" Sora said with a disgruntled sigh, preferring to not talk about it at all, though he knew his companions wouldn't let it go that easily. "We need to-"

"We need to talk about this now!" Donald demanded firmly.

"Later," Sora protested once more, just as sternly as he began to turn away. "We will talk about it later, I promise."

"You keep on promising things like that to us and then you never follow through!" the magician accused harshly.

"Do you really mean it this time, Sora?" Goofy asked, always the gentler of the two, though his rare melancholy expression and tone alone were enough to convey that he was every bit as upset as Donald was.

And really, the way both of his companions were looking at him at that moment, with clear distrust and doubt, things they'd never truly bared toward him or ever had reason to before, was almost enough to make Sora cave completely. Almost.

"Hey, are you guys coming?" Maui called from the raft, having pushed it out into the shallows so it would be ready to go.

"Yeah!" Sora answered before briefly turning back to Donald and Goofy. Their shared suspicion toward him slowly suffocating him as he threw on yet another spurious smile all the same. "Like I said, we can talk about this later. And this time… I do mean it. I-"

"Don't say promise," Donald said coldly as him and Goofy passed the Keybearer by. "Especially if you don't really mean it."

Sora started at this, prepared to stand by his claim that he did mean it this time. That he was finally going to tell them the truth in whatever way he really could. And yet… in the end he didn't say anything, knowing that if he did, it would ultimately be just another lie to add on to the list.

---

"And the call isn't out there at all,

It's inside me!

It's like the tide, always falling and rising!"

Moana's heart soared above the grief that had hung over it mere moments ago, her song ringing clear and proud across the ocean as she watched the spirits of her ancestors sail past her. The voyagers of her people, beckoning her to follow in their footsteps and pick up the mantle of her mission once again. The very same hopeful, encouraging sort of message her grandmother's own spirit was offering her as she stood, smiling warmly and lovingly at her all the while as she decided to embrace that mission and everything it meant.

"I will carry you here in my heart," Tears of joy filled her eyes as she turned to her grandmother once more, knowing that even though she was gone, she'd always be with her where it mattered most.

"You remind me-

That come what may I know the way!

I am Moana!"

With no further doubts in her mind about herself or her destiny, she hoisted her sail high, ready to let the wind and sea guide her to where she wanted to go. As she set forth, the visions of her ancestors and her grandmother gradually disappeared, though the brimming warmth they had filled her with never left as she began her journey anew, determined to find and restore the heart of Te Fiti and save her people, just as the Ocean, just as her very own heart, had called her to do.

And fortunately, that was something she wouldn't have to do alone.

For as her boat sped across the sea toward Te Fiti, she soon caught sight of another vessel doing the exact same in the distance. Confused, she squinted to try and get a better look at the sailless raft, only to realize that not only was the Ocean itself pulling it toward her, but that a very familiar group was all crowded onto it as they drew closer to her.

"Sora! Donald! Goofy!" Moana happily called, waving to the trio as she noticed them first.

"Moana!" they all eagerly shouted back, glad to see that she was safe and sound after the fight against Te Kā.

At the same time, Moana pulled her own boat to a stop, allowing the raft to approach it. And in the process, she happened to spot who the trio had brought along with them, her eyes widening in surprise as she spotted the demigod and the apologetic frown he was sending her way. "M-Maui?" she asked somewhat apprehensively, lest another severe falling out erupt between them once more. "You… you came back."

Maui let out a small, somewhat humble chuckle as they all boarded Moana's boat once more. "Well, I couldn't let you get all the glory, curly. So… you ready for round two?"

"I would be but…" Moana sighed, clutching her now-empty necklace. "I lost the heart... "

"You mean… this heart?" Sora grinned, holding the shining stone up with a bright smile.

"Sora! You found it!" Moana exclaimed, elated as the Keybearer handed it back over to her.

"Actually… I think it was more like it found me," Sora grinned, scratching the back of his neck.

"So we're really gonna try and fight Te Kā again?" Goofy asked, aptly nervous as the skies above grew ashy as they approached the monster's domain.

"That didn't really go so well the last time…" Donald added, shaking his head.

"Well this time, I have a plan," Moana said, resolved as she pulled the boat's sail taunt. "Te Kā is made of lava; she can't follow us into the water. We make it past the barrier islands, we make it to Te Fiti."

"But… what about Te Kā?" Sora asked, largely out of nowhere.

"What about her?" Maui raised a curious eyebrow. "Once we get that heart to Te Fiti, ol' lava-breath will be out of our hair once and for all."

"Well, yeah, but..." the Keybearer trailed off, noticing that none of the others shared his hesitance in going through with this plan. "N-none of you felt it, did you?"

"Felt what?" Moana asked, confused.

"Last time we went up against Te Kā, it was almost like I could feel what she was feeling," Sora explained earnestly, his hand gently skimming over his heart while he spoke. "She was… angry and upset a-and… and she wanted that heart more than anything."

"Yeah? So does every single other monster in the sea," Maui remarked as he kept the sail steady. "Don't see why one of the ones who actively tried to kill us should get any special treatment."

"You don't have to feel sorry for her, Sora," Donald agreed. "She is just another monster after all."

"Well, you know Sora, Donald," Goofy said, trying to bring a bit of levity in the form of a small chuckle. "He's always had a knack for knowin' just what other people-or monsters, this time, I guess-are feelin'!"

"For better or worse…" the magician grumbled, crossing his arms.

"Sora?" Moana spoke up, noticing as the Keybearer turned away from his companions, apparently frustrated. However, he wasn't really, instead pensively placing his focus on the billowing smoke ahead. Smoke that signaled the emergence of Te Kā once again.

"Look alive, everyone," Maui said, gripping his hook fightly for the fray ahead.

"B-but… what about your hook?" Moana asked worriedly. "One more hit and…"

Maui simply grinned at this, that brazen smile widening as he noticed the lava monster pull herself upon onto her island perch once again. "Te Kā's gotta catch me first." With that, the demigod swung his weapon, taking on the form of a hawk before he took to the skies to offer a distraction, though not before sending one more encouraging call back to Moana as he did. "I got your back, chosen one! Go save the world."

Even so, Te Kā's initial focus was on the boat swiftly sailing her way. Moana and the trio exchanged a simple nod to reaffirm their resolve, even as a returning horde of Unversed soon began to make themselves apparent, just as they had the last time. Sora, Donald, and Goofy were quick to call upon their weapons, ready to ward off the creatures in order to let Moana keep control of the boat. She did so deftly, pulling against the sail hard as Te Kā reeled up her first fiery attack. The boat swerved hard in turn, and though the trio was just as ready for it as Moana was, every single Unversed that had happened to latch onto it was abruptly thrown off. And, as expected, as soon as Te Kā threw her fist down at the boat, she missed, instead painfully extinguishing the flames gloving her hand as she brought it back quickly.

The clever maneuver clearly caught the monster off guard as the boat easily glided past her, though she didn't have much of a chance to pursue it as Maui flew in. Annoyed, Te Kā swatted at him, though his swift wings worked perfectly in helping him dodge the attacks. All the same, the monster decided to ignore him for now, sensing that the heart was still with the group on the boat as she followed them across the barrier islands in a blind rage. Yet Moana stayed her course, ignoring the swarming Unversed as the trio readily took care of them for her, even as they neared the very opening in the island wall she had been looking for. Te Kā unleashed a flurry of flaming attacks at them as she made her way to that gap, inevitably blocking it off entirely as she soon lost sight of the boat amidst the smoke she was creating. When it cleared, however, she was met with a shocking sight the moment she found the boat had turned when she wasn't looking, leaving her behind as it skipped across the sea to an entirely different gap in the islands instead.

Desperate to stop her foes, Te Kā lashed out with another burst of flame, lobbing it at the boat just as it began to cross through that rocky opening. The resounding explosion rattled the narrow strait, throwing the boat and its passengers forward roughly. In the process, Moana's tight grip in the heart of Te Fiti was broken and the stone was sent tumbling across the deck. However, despite everyone's shared panicked attempts at retrieving it, ultimately Heihei was the one to nab it in his beak in the last second before it could fall into the sea.

"Nice work, Heihei," Moana grinned as the dim-witted chicken delivered the heart back into her hand.

"Look out!" the trio shouted unanimously, alerting Moana to the next bout of danger they were about to face. Between the crowds of Unversed hovering about the boat, a large boulder was plummeting toward the boat as it neared the edge of the straight. Acting quickly, Moana pushed the boat forward hard, clearing the passage just in time for the inevitable momentous splash to push them past it altogether, leaving their ultimate destination finally in clear sight.

"Te Fiti…" Moana said, taking in a steading breath as she continued sailing straight toward it. Te Kā, on the other hand, had other plans in mind.

The monster exploded in a deafening, raging roar, blasting through the barrier islands and sending the boat and everyone on it flying forward once more. Though they all landed apart from each other in the water, however, none of them stayed down long, instead swimming as fast as they could to reclaim the overturned canoe before Te Kā could come in for another attack. And yet, even with all four of them working together to right the overturned boat, they simply didn't have enough time as the monster aggressively reached forward, ready to bring this to an end once and for all.

At least, until Maui stopped her dead in her tracks. The demigod flew in fast, swinging his hook as hard as he could to slice through Te Kā's outstretched hand, severing it entirely. As the monster recoiled, the demigod landed squarely on the boat, using his hook to quickly turn it upright, much to the group's immense relief.

"Maui," Moana stopped him before he could head back into the fight, so, so glad to have him standing by her side in this battle after all. "Thank you."

The demigod grinned, offering her a knowing wink as he raised his hook high once again. "You're welcome."

And with that, he was off, shapeshifting into the form of a beetle in the hopes that he'd be too small for Te Kā to take notice of. At least until he came face-to-face with her, only to switch into the form of a whale without warning. While in that massive shape, he splashed down into the sea hard, the immense wave that followed dousing the monster's flames as she let out a fierce, agonized scream. And though the others stayed the course and continued fighting and sailing, Sora winced as he once again felt a dulled-down echo of that agony, aching in his heart as he watched the monster writhe and struggle to succeed. Still, even as that pain continued to linger, he forced himself to ignore it, instead opting to continue the fight against the Unversed alongside Donald and Goofy as Moana sailed ever closer to Te Fiti.

All the while, Maui continued distracting Te Kā, switching between different forms seemingly every other minute just to confuse and disorient her. Along the way he cut through her other molten hand, though as soon as he did, she immediately lashed out, striking the demigod clean out of the sky. Maui barely managed a rough landing on a small islet near Te Fiti, though as he did, Te Kā turned her attention away from him and toward the boat all too quickly approaching the much larger island ahead.

Maui let out a startled gasp as he quickly picked himself up, noticing as Te Kā poised herself to unleash an absolutely devastating attack. "Moana! Sora!" he let out a warning shout, though the group on the boat had no time to react before the Ocean itself got involved. A large swath of sea did the best it could to block the ball of flame, though most of it still got through, slamming into the water just behind the boat. The immense impact broke most of the canoe apart as it catapulted its passengers into the sea, though once again the Ocean came to their rescue to carry them all the rest of the way to the shore.

Yet even though they'd reached their destination, they were hardly out of danger. The Unversed were as intent on getting ahold of the heart as ever, materializing in droves the moment they touched down on solid ground.

"T-there's too many of them," Moana shook her head, realizing that the creatures were basically barricading the path forward. "What do we do?"

"We'll take care of 'em!" Goofy boldly proclaimed, shield raised for the fight.

"Sora, you help go help Moana with the heart!" Donald agreed, firing a powerful wind spell to clear out a few of the Unversed.

"Right," Sora nodded, turning to Moana, who was every bit as resolved as he was to see this mission through to completion.

"Go!" Maui shouted to them from his distant spot as he watched the pair begin to make their way up the mountain. "Get the heart to the spiral!"

Clearly, however, Maui wasn't the only one who had noticed their approach, for Te Kā watched them with rising fury, flames curling around her massive form as she readied herself to take them down once and for all. The demigod, on the other hand, was not about to let that happen. His cracked hook sparked with broken power as he slowly picked it up, bracing himself for whatever was about to happen. And, as he steeled that courageous resolve, he leapt forward, raising his hook high for what could very well be his final blow.

Te Kā met it squarely in another explosion of incredible power, the fallout of which instantly rippled across the sea. The wave of devastating energy pushed the Unversed, as well as Donald and Goofy fighting them, back against the mountain, and knocked Sora and Moana over entirely as they continued climbing it. At the same time, Maui crashed onto the islet once again, pain reverberating through both his body and his heart as he caught sight of his hook. Or rather, the very little that was left of it. The weapon had all but been destroyed, only its handle remaining as Te Kā's attack had obliterated it completely. And yet, even despite this devastating loss, Maui was true to his word and kept on fighting, catching Te Kā's attention once more with a fearsome war cry. He knew it wouldn't do much good other than buying some much needed time, but even so, he broke out into a brazen ceremonial dance, fearlessly glaring the monster down all the monster down all the while, even as she began to prepare a flaming attack that could very well end it all entirely. And yet, this time, that didn't matter to the demigod, knowing that the fate of the world and his friends was far more important than whatever fate he might meet instead.

However, at that very moment, Moana and Sora just so happened to finally reach the top of the island, the former taking the heart out in the hopes of restoring it and putting an end to this devastating struggle once and for all. And yet, as they cleared the mountain's peak together, they were instantly met with an incredibly disheartening sight.

"No…" Moana gasped, her eyes wide with disbelief as she stared at what lay before them, or rather below them. Rather than the rest of the island or the spiral Maui had spoken of, there was nothing there. Nothing but bare, empty ocean and the vague, shadowed silhouette of the sleeping goddess who had once laid there. "Te Fiti… it's gone…"

"Wait," Sora interjected, letting out a small gasp of realization as he turned back toward Te Kā. His heart still rang with the same sort of desperation, the same sort of distraught fury she was feeling. Yet as both him and Moana happened to spot the vague shape of an unfinished spiral caved deep into her chest, he finally, finally understood where those feelings were coming from in the first place. "...She's a Heartless…"

"A what?" Moana asked, confused.

"A-A Heartless," the Keybearer explained as quickly as he could. "They're what people turn into when they lose their hearts. Te Fiti's heart was stolen, right? Then that means-"

"That means… Te Kā…" Moana whispered, looking to the heart in her hand first then back to the monster who wanted it back so very much. The monster who was also more than ready to unleash the worst of her flaming fury onto Maui down below. At least, until she caught even the smallest glimpse of the radiant light coming from the mountain's peak.

The entire area soon fell into silence, even the Unversed diminishing and disappearing as Te Kā abandoned her attack entirely, focusing only on the heart and the heart alone as Moana held it up high for her to see. After exchanging a resolved nod with Sora, Moana stepped forward, holding onto the heart as she began to slowly make her way down the mountain alone. Maui, Donald, and Goofy alike all watched in muted confusion and equal concern as she reached the shore, the Ocean awaiting her command as she spoke it simply and softly. "Let her come to me," she said. And so the Ocean did.

The waters peeled back, forming high walls on both sides as it crafted a path of solid ground for her to walk through, ground that led straight to Te Kā herself. And down that path Moana began, unfettered by the danger, even as the monster unleashed a furious scream. With no water in her way, Te Kā slammed to the now-dry ground, clawing her way forward in a fit of unbridled rage to at long last take back what was rightfully hers.

As Te Kā made her violent approach, Sora felt that rage clearly, letting out a strained cry of pain as it brutally pounded through his heart. And yet, even despite it, all he could think of as he remained atop the mountain was Moana, brazenly walking straight toward her vicious demise. Once again, he felt that pang of heat and cold amidst the pain, to the point that he didn't even need to check to see if darkness and light were surging around his hands, he just knew. And as that power and the strength it offered him flooded his senses, he slowly rose his hand in preparation for an attack, one that he desperately hoped would be enough to save Moana before it was too late.

And yet..

"I have crossed the horizon to find you…" she was singing to the monster, even as it raced toward her with clear, destructive intent.

"I know your name…" Her approach was steady and slow, a clear contrast to Te Kā's frantic, erratic rush to meet her.

"They have stolen the heart from inside you…" The monster's fury seemed to flourish at this, something that Sora clearly felt, though he didn't move, even despite the immense flush of power surrounding his hand. Power that, for some reason or another, he was hesitating to unleash.

"But this does not define you…" Moana stopped, ready to face whatever happened next as Te Kā finished her own fearsome approach.

"This is not who you are…." Te Kā slowly stopped, her anger starting to dissipate into something else, something that, once again, the Keybearer could clearly feel: yearning. The grief that came from being torn apart for so long. The need to bring the broken pieces back together again.

The desire to finally be made whole.

And as he felt that, as he truly understood it, his hand slowly drifted downward, the magic swelling from it disappearing altogether.

"You know who you are..."

Those words seemed to gently echo through the Keybearer's heart as the ashen skies flooded with brilliant golden light, the sky and sea disappearing all around him. He knew what this was, expected it at this point, and closed his eyes, taking in a calm, quiet breath as the next question posed itself to him.

"Can you connect with the hearts of others?"

Sora opened his eyes at this, admittedly somewhat confused by the question. The first two had been very easy and straightforward to respond to, yet this one almost seemed like some sort of strange riddle. And yet… despite how odd it was, it was a question his heart somehow knew the answer to all the same, especially as he realized just how many hearts he'd managed to bridge the gap between, not just in this world, but in countless others.

"Yes…" he said with a small, confident smile, hoping that his earnestly would be rewarded. And sure enough, it was as that mysterious light flashed away again, returning him to the present and leaving behind only one thing: the sparkling, shimmering Key now resting in his hand.

And yet, for as radiant as that Key was, Sora only paid attention to it for a brief moment, instead, opting to turn his focus back toward Moana and Te Kā once more. The girl and the monster were now face-to-face, and yet still Moana did not waver. Instead, she stepped toward the now-doused Te Kā, placing a gentle hand against her stony face as she finally succeeded in quelling the last of the monster's anger and anguish altogether. "Who you truly are…" she whispered and Te Kā understood. In fact, she stayed perfectly still as Moana stepped up to the spiral on her chest, carefully restoring the heart to exactly where it was meant to go.

The effect was immediate, the heart's power pulsating life across a form that had been devoid of it for a millennia now. Slowly, Te Kā's rigid, stony exterior began to crumble away, revealing the true face that laid beneath: Te Fiti herself.

Without her hallow, rocky shell suffocating her, Te Fiti was radiantly beautiful, lush and green once more, her entire body adorned with flowers and fauna, all springing back to vibrant life as the goddess offered the human standing before her a warm and grateful smile. Moana readily returned it, watching in amazement as Te Fiti rose, a floral halo blooming to life around her head as she began to move back toward her island home as the Ocean picked Moana up so she could follow suit. As the goddess reached her island, offered another kind, cordial smile to Sora as he stood on its highest peak, noting the Key he was holding onto and nodding knowingly, almost as if she was entrusting it into his care. The Keybearer was more than happy to accept it, but even more amazed as both him and Moana got a front row seat to Te Fiti restoring life to her barren home with just a single gentle touch. From her guiding hand, the once-brittle earth flourished, plants and trees of all kinds springing up and filling the entire island with beautiful, vivid color, restoring what had been lost and, in much of the same way, breaking the pall of darkness and death that had spread from here across the sea.

As the Ocean brought Moana to the island, it likewise tossed Maui, Donald, Goofy, and even Heihei up to the same perch, as Sora ran down the hill to meet them. The entire group shared a mutual air of excitement and relief, their daunting mission finally complete in more ways than one as they reunited to celebrate their victory.

"W-we did it!" Moana exclaimed, elated.

"You did it, chosen one," Maui corrected with a wide, proud grin.

Moana warmly accepted the adulation, though her smile did fall a bit as she realized the demigod was missing something. "I'm… sorry about your hook," she said earnestly.

Maui, however, took it in stride, remembering well the advice that both Moana and Sora had given him as he offered them both a thankful smile. "Well, hook or no hook… I'm still Maui."

The pair was more than happy to hear this, proud of just how far the demigod had come. Proud of how far they all had come.

"Wait a second…" Donald spoke up, surprised as both him and Goofy noticed what Sora had claimed.

"Is that…?" the captain trailed off, amazed.

"Yep, it's the Key," Sora smiled, holding said Key up proudly.

"That's what you've been looking for?" Moana asked, absolutely mystified by the beautiful relic.

"Some Key," Maui noted, equally impressed as he curiously reached for it. "Mind if I-"

Before the demigod could finish, the ground beneath the entire group suddenly startled to rumble. Or rather, the hand of the goddess they all just so happened to be standing on. Te Fiti slowly brought them all up to her level, smiling silently yet happily all the while, even as Moana quickly reverently bowed before her, the trio quickly following suit as they urged Maui to do the same. Speaking of the demigod, as Te Fiti looked to him, her smile finally fell, something that Maui noticed immediately as he made a rather awkward attempt at smoothing things over with the goddess he'd once stolen from.

"T-Te Fiti!" he greeted with a forced laugh as he stood. "H-hey! I mean, h-how ya been?" The goddess still said nothing, only looking to him flatly, clearly not appreciating his casual manner in light of the circumstances. So instead, Maui cleared his throat, taking on a more serious, earnest tone as he decided to own up to his 1,000 year old mistake instead. "Look… what I did was… wrong. I have no excuse. I'm sorry."

Fortunately, Te Fiti accepted with apology gracefully as she brought her other hand in close, showing the demigod she harbored no hard feeling as she offered him a miraculous gift in exchange for his determination to set things right: a brand new hook, brimming with every bit of reliable power as his previous one had.

Maui let out a delighted gasp the moment he saw the weapon, though he hesitated in taking it until Moana playfully urged him onward. "You know, it would be rude to refuse a gift from a goddess…"

Maui instantly agreed, taking the hook as he let out a mighty cheer before testing its shapeshifting abilities out. Of course, they worked perfectly as he took the form of a beetle, gleefully taking to the skies as the others watched him with shared amusement as Te Fiti began to lower them down to the shore. As they reconvened with Maui there, the goddess poured out her restorative power once more, this time to bring Moana's broken boat back into existence in a wave of flourishing flowers, much to her immense excitement.

With her work completed, Te Fiti stretched out far across her island, sending the group far below one final, thankful smile for their shared valiant efforts. And then, the goddess finally, happily took her rest as she became part of her island home, returning to her peaceful slumber so her heart could spread its vibrant power of life across the sea once more.

As soon as the goddess grew still in her slumber, Moana turned to the trio in particular, a bright, grateful smile spread wide across her face. "Sora, Donald, Goofy," she began earnestly. "Thanks for all your help; I wouldn't have been able to do any of this without you."

"Aw, shucks, we were happy to help," Goofy said with a humble grin.

"Like we said, we're experts when it comes to restoring hearts!" Donald proclaimed much more proudly.

"And when it comes to saving worlds-er, I-I mean, the world." Sora quickly corrected himself, eliciting confused glances from Moana and Maui. At least, however, until Donald and Goofy could no longer hold back the shared bout of laughter over the Keybearer's near slip-up, laughter that soon enough Sora himself joined in on. Likewise, Moana and Maui got in on the fun as well, even if they didn't quite understand exactly what was so funny, though the sense of levity was still riding high between them all the same, especially in light of their recent victory.

"Aw, such a touching little moment. What a shame it has to come to an end…"

The entire group was immediately caught off guard by this rather cold statement, one that came from the lone figure approaching from the far end of the shoreline. Said figure was clad in a fit, black bodysuit, his face completely obscured by the dark, masked helmet he was wearing, even if the glass that mask was made of bore a small yet stark crack strewn across it. Even so, there was a clear, negative aura radiating from this mysterious being, one that Sora noticed immediately, more than any of the others as he took a step forward, looking to him distrustfully.

"Who are you?" Sora asked, staying on guard as the masked figure continued making his way toward them.

"Hmph, figures you wouldn't know…" he remarked haughtily as he finally stopped several feet away. "Gotta say, that strange getup nearly had me fooled at first, brother."

"Brother?" Maui frowned, glancing over at Sora in confusion. "I didn't know you had a brother, kid."

"I don't," the Keybearer shook his head, just as bewildered as he kept his sights trained on the masked boy all the while. "And who are you to call anyone strange?"

"Say, do we know this fella?" Goofy asked Donald, aside in a whisper.

"Uhh…" the magician frowned, uncertain.

"We've never met in the flesh," the masked boy informed easily, finally offering the group a proper introduction. "I am Vanitas."

Donald and Goofy balked at this, instantly recognizing the name, though Sora was still rather out of the loop as he maintained his stern, unflinching manner all the same. "Let me guess," he began, glaring at Vanitas suspiciously. "You're with the Organization, right? Because you sure come across as someone who would be. All that's missing is the black coat."

"Tch, that's because I tossed mine out," Vanitas said, a hint of disdain in his already quite contemptuous tone. "Didn't want to send out the wrong message that I was still running with that pack of gullible losers."

Sora was admittedly quite surprised to hear this, understanding the implication instantly, though he was still quite perplexed by what it really meant. "Wait, y-you… left the-" he quickly cut himself off, shaking his head before getting things back on track. "Whatever, doesn't matter. This is the part where you spout some mumbo-jumbo and disappear, right? 'Cause if you think you're gonna get your hands on the Key we just got, you can just-"

"Please," Vanitas scoffed, crossing his arms. "I couldn't care less about your precious 'Keys to the Kingdom'. At least not yet. What I'm after is a much bigger prize."

Needless to say that such an alarming statement only served to set the Keybearer on edge even more than he already was. Briefly, he considered if, in the event of a possible confrontation breaking out, he might need to utilize his newfound powers to ward off whatever threat Vanitas might possibly pose. And yet, strangely, the masked boy showed no immediate interest in fighting as he instead turned his attention to Te Fiti's resting form towering over them all.

"This entire world is kept alive by the heart of only one being," he mused almost thoughtfully. "Without that heart, this ocean began to crumble as darkness crept its way across it. And her rage," he nodded over at the slumbering goddess almost callously. "Fueled that darkness and pushed it along. It was as rich of a source of negative emotion as we'll ever find."

"Te Kā-Te Fiti wasn't doing that on purpose!" Moana interjected firmly. "She was suffering, she wanted, needed her heart, and so did the rest of the ocean! That's why we came here, to give it back to her."

"You did, didn't you?" Vanitas asked almost mockingly. "But it sure took you long enough to get the job done. And before you did, that gave me more than enough time to find exactly what I needed…"

"Ugh, alright, this is getting old," Maui grumbled, annoyed. "Can you just speed this up and get to the point already?"

Surprisingly, Vanitas nodded, apparently agreeing to do just that. "My heart is made of just one thing," he explained ominously. "And before now, I never even knew the Unversed could come from anywhere but there. At least, until I got a taste of just how much raw, untapped fury the monster your precious goddess used to be was feeling."

"The Unversed… came from you?" Sora asked in appalled realization.

"Not this time." The masked boy looked toward Te Fiti once more. "They came from her."

"Y-you used her!" Moana accused angrily. "You took advantage of her pain just so you could make your stupid monsters! That's horrible!"

Even so, Vanitas hardly seemed to care about the ethics of his actions as he looked to the group before him once more, finally taking another step toward them. "And yet… even with all that negative emotion, my heart is still incomplete… I need something else." As he drew in closer, he suddenly, swiftly summoned none other than a Keyblade, a dark and sinister one at that, which he pointed directly at Sora before he could even think to react. "The half of me that sleeps on… inside of your heart…"

"Vanitas!" Sora exclaimed, though the angry shock that rippled through him clearly came from someone else. He gasped as that part of him remembered, as it knew exactly who the masked boy really was, exactly what he wanted, exactly what he had tried to claim. And exactly how his attempt to claim it had nearly cost them both their very existences, their very lives. And yet, despite some piece of his heart bearing that knowledge, it didn't share it with him as he remained baffled and alarmed by the sense of fearful familiarity he couldn't quite place.

"Ventus…" Vanitas remarked with a clear sense of satisfaction in his tone as he lowered his Keyblade and began reaching a covetous hand out toward the startled Keybearer. "What a strange place to slither off to, you insignificant speck."

Sora was quick to block whatever attempt Vanitas had in mind, quickly slapping his hand away as he took a stumbling step backward. Yet all the while, his heart continued throwing him back into a memory that wasn't even his, of a violent, devastating battle against a figure whose face he couldn't clearly see. Jet black hair and sharp golden eyes were all he could make out as their Keyblades clashed in a fight that he ultimately knew would have no real winner. Even so, he forced himself to break out of those confusing, disconverting memories, his heart still aching with them as he looked back to the masked boy incredulously. "W-what… what are you talking about?" he asked, much weaker than he had meant to.

At the same time, Moana keenly noticed Sora's clear distress, just as much as Donald and Goofy also had. However, as she took a bold step forward in an attempt to defend him, Maui suddenly stopped her with a firm hand on her shoulder, shaking his head sternly against whatever impromptu plan she might have in mind. For a moment, all she could do was look to him in confusion, at least until the demigod nodded toward the Ocean, silently communicating his own idea to put an end to this once and for all.

"Oh, you wouldn't remember," Vanitas answered Sora, his manner as coldly calm as ever. "When you were little, you formed a special bond, with a boy named Ventus who joined with your heart."

"Ven!" Donald exclaimed, remembering the supposedly lost boy well.

"Is he sayin' that one othe missing Keyblade wielders we're lookin' for is inside of Sora's heart?" Goofy asked, aptly bewildered and concerned.

"H-how is that even possible…?" Sora barely managed to ask, practically crippled by both the revelation and the overwhelming storm of memories and feelings swirling through his heart. At the same time another unknown memory surfaced, one that forced him to stand, abandoned and alone for what seemed like ages, stirring in inescapable hate and misery and emptiness so intense that it was unbearable. So agonizing that the only thing he could even try to do to fill it was recklessly destroy the very embodiments of his own horrendous emotions, trapping himself in a cycle of pain and suffering that simply refused to break. And all the while, he kept it going, desperate to fill a void he could never hope to complete, at least… not on his own.

The second he was finally, almost blissfully pulled out of that awful memory, tears suddenly started welling up in Sora's eyes, though where they were really coming from he scarcely understood. Vanitas himself seemed to start as he noticed them, almost as if he'd been caught off guard by something himself, but even so, he forced himself to stay his course, darkness swelling around him as he raised his Keyblade to attack yet again.

"Now…" he growled bitterly, ready to finally, finally end this. "You will return Ventus to me!"

As soon as Vanitas swung his Keyblade out into the open air before him, the already palpable pain pounding through Sora's heart seemed to spike tenfold. He gasped in agony as he collapsed to his knees, one hand digging into the sand as his other pressed tightly against his chest as flashes of faces and places danced across his vision. Of the warm, welcoming smiles of his two closest friends and his respected master. Of a desolate graveyard and the disapproving scowl of the cruel and callous man he had no choice but to follow. Yet as he narrowly managed to ground himself back into the present once more, the first thing he noticed were his companions, boldly coming to stand between him and Vanitas to prevent any further harm from coming to their young ward.

And yet, what none of them, not even Vanitas thought to pay any mind to was the pair that was discreetly skirting around the entire encounter by way of the forested cover the island's other side provided them with. All for the sake of carrying out the plan they had formed, one they could only hope to carry out before it was too late.

"Donald… Goofy…" the Keybearer breathlessly choked out, trying his hardest to remain focused on the pair and their valiant efforts to protect him. Lest he slip back into another hectic round of conflicting memories that weren't even his to begin with.

"The King told us about this!" Goofy exclaimed, holding his shield steady against the encroaching darkness. "Ventus wasn't able to defeat Vanitas. They struck each other down and then the King said that Ventus' heart never returned to him!"

"But you're not about to let you hurt Sora!" Donald exclaimed to Vanitas angrily, his staff raised and ready to attack. "Not on our watch!"

The wave of darkness Vanitas was sending out stilled at this, though only so he could fire off a much more powerful one at the pair instead. "Stay out of this!" he shouted, his power easily sweeping Donald and Goofy aside, effectively removing the only two obstacles that stood between him and what he was truly after.

As his companions were tossed to the wayside, Sora quickly did his best to pick himself up off the ground, struggling to so much as even summon his Keyblade, though the moment he did, a single heavy swing from Vanitas' sent it flying out of his hands. Defenseless and disoriented as he was, there was little the Keybearer could do to stop the masked boy from aiming his Keyblade straight for his heart. Little, that is, aside from draw power from a different source instead.

Sora let out a small, shuddering breath as he slowly began to raise a shaking hand, one that was wreathed in equal shadow and equal light. And yet, despite his best efforts to remain discreet as possible, Vanitas still noticed his intentions all the same. "Don't even try it," he hissed harshly between gritted teeth, apparently in pain as he held his own free hand high. Sora froze as he saw the power swirling around that hand, starkly realizing that it was largely identical to the very same magic currently converging around his own.

"W-what…?" he wondered in barely a whisper, his own hand falling as his eyes widened in shock.

"Who's the shadow now…?" Vanitas asked, a twinge of sadistic satisfaction in his tone as he raised his Keyblade a bit higher, ready to deliver the final blow. "It's time to end this… Join your heart… with mine!"

Sora faltered, bracing himself for what would very likely be an incredibly painful, if not completely fatal blow. And yet, it was a blow that miraculously, never came.

"Hey! What can I say except-" Maui stopped the starting lines of his song just as Vanitas turned to face him, completely caught off guard, especially as the demigod offered him a knowing smirk. "Made ya look."

"Back OFF!" Moana shouted as she rushed in from Maui's other side, swinging her oar down at the masked boy hard. As unexpected as the attack was, Vanitas was unprepared for it, and even though the oar instantly shattered against his Keyblade, the weapon was still completely knocked out of his hand regardless. And as soon as it was, Maui kept their plan going, his strength serving him well as he easily hoisted the masked boy up into the air, completely ignoring his outraged attempts at struggling against his hold.

"Augh! Let me go!" Vanitas shouted furiously, but Maui still paid him no mind as he watched Moana run over toward the sea instead.

"Moana, now!" he called and she complied, whistling to the Ocean for its aid just as Maui threw Vanitas hard toward it. The Ocean easily caught him though it didn't stop there, not just submerging him, but sending him flying once more, several times over in fact. Like a stone skipping across a lake, so too did the Ocean swiftly continue to toss Vanitas across its surface, over and over again until he inevitably disappeared over the horizon, far out of sight.

With their plan successfully accomplished, Maui and Moana exchanged a celebratory high five. Even so, no one was more impressed by it than Sora as he quickly recovered, forign memories and persistent pain no longer pulling on his heart as he went to join the pair, immensely relieved. "That was awesome!" he exclaimed, as Donald and Goofy hurried after him to ensure he was alright. "Thank you."

"You're welcome!" Moana sang, mimicking Maui playfully.

"Hey! That's my line," the demigod teased with a wry grin. The others all got a much-needed laugh out of this, their former levity finally returning in the aftermath of what had been quite a harrowing situation. However, that levity was still tinged with something bittersweet: the steady realization that it was finally time for all of them to head their separate ways.

Maui was the first to prepare for his departure, though not before making sure Moana's boat was stashed with all the supplies she'd need for the long voyage home. Of course, as he piled the sizable bounty of fruit into the canoe's compartment, Heihei clumsily fell into it, just as he always managed to do. "Heh, I'm gonna miss ya, drumstick," he remarked to the chicken as he set him upright on the boat once again.

"You could come with us, you know," Moana offered as she prepared the boat for the trip. "My people are gonna need a master wayfinder to help us get back to voyaging again."

"They already have one," Maui smiled warmly, pulling his necklace aside to reveal a new tattoo taking shape on his chest, one that depicted Moana, Sora, Donald, and Goofy alike, all sailing the seas alongside the demigod.

"Whoa, cool!" Sora exclaimed, amazed.

"Gee, I don't think we've ever been a tattoo before," Goofy noted with a bright chuckle.

"I'd say we've earned it," Donald grinned proudly.

Moana, on the other hand, couldn't contain herself, rushing to embrace the demigod in a hug he readily, happily returned. "You three take care," Maui said, turning to the trio as the embrace disbanded. "And don't forget, everything you learned about sailing-"

"We learned from Maui," Sora finished with a laugh. "Don't worry, we won't."

Maui nodded confidently at this, backing up toward the shore a bit, though not before allowing Mini-Maui a chance to wave his own sad farewell to the group, one that they were all sure to return with reassuring smiles. "See you out there, Maui," Moana said, sincerely hoping that their paths would cross again someday.

"See you out there, Moana," Maui agreed, certain that they would. And then, with a single swing of his brand new hook, the demigod transformed into a mighty hawk, taking wing to the sky as the Ocean saw him off with a spectacular aquatic show. The others all waved to him fondly, calling out their last farewells until Maui finally flew away, letting the wind and sea carry him to wherever they wanted him to go next.

Once the demigod had disappeared into the sky, Moana turned to the trio once more, her heart still heavy yet light all at the same time as she stepped onto her boat. "So… you guys ready to go?" she asked, extending a hand out toward them. A hand that none of them moved to accept.

"Actually, Moana…" Sora began with a small, sad frown. "This is actually where we say goodbye too…"

"W-what?" Moana asked, surprised at this.

"We got one of the Keys we're looking for," Sora explained, letting said Key flash into his grip once again. "But… there's still more we need to find."

"Which means we gotta keep lookin' for 'em," Goofy added just as devoutly. "Wherever they might be."

"W-well, then I could look with you!" Moana eagerly volunteered. "We could sail across the sea, from island to island, until we finally find them all! How does that sound?"

The trio exchanged a fretful glance at this, appreciating the girl's intentions, but knowing full well that her plan was, by all accounts, an impossible one. "But what about your island?" Donald fortunately countered just in time.

"Yeah!" Sora agreed with an encouraging smile. "Didn't you say you wanted to help your people get out to explore the ocean again? You can't really do that if you're traveling with us, you know."

"...I guess you're right…" Moana nodded in bittersweet acceptance. "Still, I'm really gonna miss each of you. I had a lot of fun sailing with you guys, fighting monsters, saving the world… I don't think it's something I'll ever be able to forget."

"Neither will we," Sora assured, Donald and Goofy readily nodding in solid agreement. "Safe sailing, Moana."

"Same to you, Sora," Moana smiled, hoisting her sail to take to the sea once more. Though even as her boat set out upon the water, she still turned back toward the trio, offering them one final warm wave as she set sail for her island home, treasuring the time they'd spent together all the while.

Likewise, the trio continued to fondly wave her off, or at least Sora did, until he heard his companions pointedly clear their throats behind him. And when he turned to face them, their expressions were crossed between icy suspicion (from Donald) and clear concern (from Goofy).

"Alright, Sora," the magician began, crossing his arms. "It's later."

Sora let out an anxious sigh at this, immediately knowing what this was about and the conversation they'd have to have, as much as he didn't want to have it. Which was why he decided to save them all some time by simply summoning the Kingdom Key, not saying a single word as he allowed his companions to look over the cracks torn across it for themselves.

"Gawrsh... it really is cracked, isn't it?" Goofy asked with a fretful frown. "And you said ya don't know how this happened?"

Sora shook his head, glad that he could at least be honest about that, even if he hadn't been about really anything else lately.

"When did this start happening?" Donald asked, raising an eyebrow up at the Keybearer.

"Um… w-well…" Sora hesitated, still struggling to give them the truth as he looked away from both them and his Keyblade. "The first time I noticed it was… a-around the time we left Twilight Town, a-actually…"

"What?!" the magician gasped, both him and the captain balking in disbelief. "You knew about this for that long and you didn't say anything?! Why?!"

"Ugh, because I knew this is how you guys would react!" Sora snapped, largely without thinking. Yet even despite his frustration, he knew this was only half of the real reason why. "That's why I didn't tell you about the scar either. Because… because you both worry way too much!"

"And you don't worry anywhere near enough!" Donald countered just as harshly, though Goofy made an attempt at calming him down by placing a level hand on his shoulder.

"Sora, we just…" the captain trailed off with an earnest sigh. "We all heard what Ansem and Xemnas said, 'bout the Organization still wanting you as one of their vessels. And even though we don't know for sure, your scar and what's happened to your Keyblade could have somethin' to do with that."

"But they don't," Sora said, even though he really didn't know that. He certainly hoped they didn't, and yet…

"But they could be," Donald pointed out, his anger finally simmering down somewhat.. "And that's why we're so worried, Sora. W-we almost lost you during the exam, we don't want to lose you again."

"You won't," is what Sora wanted to say. And yet he couldn't quite bring himself to do so, his heart sinking with both dread and shame as he let his Keyblade disappear while he looked away. "I know…"

"Now, c'mon," Goofy encouraged with a small smile. "Let's go to Master Yen Sid's to see if he can help us fix your Keyblade!"

"Yeah, and we can call Riku and the King to fill them in along the way," Donald added, turning to leave.

"W-what? No!" Sora immediately protested, absolutely opposed to letting anyone else in on his once well-kept secrets. Not that he wanted to admit that to Donald and Goofy. "I-I mean… what's the use of bothering them when they're all busy doing their own things? It's really not that big a deal after all…"

"Yes, it is," Donald countered, shaking his head disapprovingly.

"W-well, still," the Keybearer let out a steadying breath, desperate to keep all this under wraps. Especially from Riku. "We don't need to get them involved. We can figure out how to fix my Keyblade and heal my scar on our own, right?" Donald and Goofy exchanged a doubtful glance at this, but even so, Sora continued his appeal. "Besides, we're really busy too! We still need to find the rest of the Keys, remember?"

"Hm… you do got a point…" Goofy noted thoughtfully. "Plus, if Ventus's heart really is inside of yours, Sora, then we gotta find a way to help him out!"

"You really believe what Vanitas said?" Donald asked, suspicious.

"Well, shucks, it's all we really have to go off of…" the captain pointed out with a shrug.

"It's good enough for me," Sora nodded, resolved. "We'll find a way to help Roxas and Ventus, and fix my Keyblade and my scar and find the Keys and we'll do it all on our own!"

"Sounds like a pretty tall order…" Goofy said with a dubious frown.

"Well if there's anyone who can fill that order, it's us!" Sora exclaimed with a determined grin. "Now, come on. We have a lot of work to do."

"Fine…" Donald said with a relenting sigh as they prepared to leave this world for whatever one came next. "But only if you finally stop lying to us."

"We wanna be able to keep on trusting just like we always have, Sora," Goofy added sincerely. "But we can only do that if you trust us first."

"...R-right…" Sora sighed, knowing that even as he said it, he was telling them yet another lie. For there was still the matter of the growing shadows he'd been concealing on his hands, still the matter of the tantalizing new power he'd recently discovered. Still all of the growing doubts and worries and fears about the frightening possibility it all could be pointing toward, still things he hadn't told his devout companions, his trusted friends. Still things he wanted to tell them, things he knew he needed to tell them, before it was too late.

But this point, he wasn't sure if he ever really could.

---

So yeah, a SUPER long chapter but a really fun one with a lot going on in it (a lot of which factors into the story later on of course) all the same! Now, usually I like to put in interval chapters between the Disney worlds, but next time around we're actually gonna dive right into our next adventure in the big city for... reasons ;) Anyway, if you liked this then please let me know what you thought in the REVIEWS! Until next time! :)