Peace.

Tranquility.

The pleasant pull of the waves in their eternal dance.

A dance with each other. A dance with the winds. A dance beneath the grand stage of the endless sky. The rocks of the nearest landmass would be less likely to show great enthusiasm to this forever partnership. Year upon year the ever-swirling white-laced tresses would wear them away little by little.

But not all was a perfect symphony of harmony between the elements. Far below in a world apart from, yet woven within, the world all was not harmonious. In fact, any antonym for 'peaceful' you could thinking of would likely be accurate. Far beneath the calm waves a cataclysmic battle was taking place between a titan, a champion and a Master.

The trail of destruction following the battle would have certainly made a tornado tip its proverbial hat in respect. Most of the damage was caused by the monster crab, Tamatoa. Furious at being tricked and, at least in his mind, lied to, showed no mercy to anything that got in his way. Demi-god Maui looked to be enjoying the opportunity to engage the monster crab in true combat. Rachel was stuck between focusing on the immediate danger and trying hard to understand how this could be possibly her fault.

Needless to say the ruckus hooked the interest of every resident of Lalotai. Most of the larger, older monsters knew of Tamatoa and his disposition and paid little attention to what they perceived as a tantrum. Others were not so shy about their interest. Despite being the Realm of Monsters, life beneath the world could be surprisingly predictable most of the time. An upset like this could literally be the event of the century and they weren't about to miss it. A mass of bizarre creatures moved around the battle like an amoeba. Nothing joined the fight but were certainly keen on watching.

That is, except the Heartless.

Drawn to the sudden violent outburst in Tamatoa's Heart the dark creatures began appearing in every shadow. No monster stopped them. However their attempts to capture the raging Heart were about as futile as catching the wind with a butterfly net. And it was hardly because of the interference of Rachel or Maui either! Naturally any Heartless that came within attack of either was dealt with. But even focused on them, Tamatoa wasn't letting anything get in his way. Heartless were just irritating ants that were easily crushed or swatted away. Organized chaos at its finest might be considered a good way to describe it.

Reasoning was out of the question. Fleeing did not appear likely. Technically they had the Heart. Amazingly Tamatoa hadn't noticed. Good thing too. Last thing they needed was Armageddon on top of Pompeii. But would the other monsters let them pass? Would they join the fray too? Maui looked to be enjoying himself too much to even consider retreat. Rachel wasn't left with much time to evaluate alternate options.

The battle lead itself to the edge of a very wide and very dark ravine. A spray of crushed rocks and strange corals rained over the edge after a powerful swipe from Tamatoa's claw. A swarm of horrid bat-like creatures rose up in a screeching mass as a result. Thankfully one glance and the din and discord made them think better about exacting revenge on a nap disturbed.

Evading a swing Rachel found herself hovering over the chasm gap. Teeny dots of bioluminescent something glowed at what she presumed was the bottom. Staying there for a moment felt ideal. It's hard to reach what's hanging over a giant hole. Even though Maui could shape-shift into something with wings, as he had been frequently doing, he still seemed too on fire to be asked to slow down. Maui glanced behind him to the ravine. He grinned.

"What do you say we make this dance a little more private? Yeeeaah-hooo!"

Without warning Maui let out a battle cry and dramatically leapt off the edge. Even in the short time she'd known him, Rachel was hardly surprised. Tamatoa skidded to a stop at the ravines' edge. He briefly glanced down to where Maui had jumped but then looked back up to her. *Gulp* That bulbous-eyed glare could have frosted Agrabah at high noon. Rachel had sensed early on Maui and Tamatoa had some kind of beef with each other but circumstances did not seem appropriate to inquire further. However, whatever ugliness that lay in their history mattered little compared to the bone he had to pick with her. And she didn't even know why!

Rachel tucked her feet under herself and nose-dived after Maui. Another cry of frustrated rage was followed by the grinding, crushing and scraping of a large body quickly moving against the rocks. Of course he'd easily follow. How couldn't something with that many legs spider-climb with the best of them? From the bottom of the ravine, Rachel could see a glowing blue something moving in a deliberate waving motion. The symbols and etchings on Maui's fishhook were glowing brightly, illuminating him and the nearby area in an eerie blue light.

"What took you so long?"

"This is not the time to be smarmy. He's right on my tail feathers and not happy."

The large violet orb at the end of her first Keyblade, Moonlit Majesty, lit up with white light. When the battle first began Rachel felt a pang of horror when she realized the Keyblade she had equipped had been Treasure in You, a weapon born of jewels and was made of gold, gems and pearls. Going against a prolific treasure collector didn't not seem to be the best idea with it. So she quickly switched to the most magical of all her Keyblades. Only they did it register she was doomed from the start of something shiny could redirect Tamatoa's attention. ALL her Keyblades had some kind of sparkle! Moonlit Majesty? Studded with jewels. First Laugh? Glittery like the pixie dust that had created it. Innocence? Glistening silver-white. Though meant to emulate ice, Frozen Heart still looked like it was carved from a chunk of solid diamond. Even Ocean Song had a jeweled starfish and a frozen water spray that looked like crystal. But thank all the stars on all the worlds the sparkle had not-wait, no! Going from murderous to just aggressively greedy would have been a great improvement!

"What the-!?" Rachel took her stance beside Maui and looked up.

"Oh, yeah. He also glows in the dark."

Ordinarily creatures that are bioluminescent are regarded as things of wonder and beauty. Fireflies, though simple little bugs, make children believe magic could be real with their blinking lights. Though hardly a cute little glowbug, Rachel might have regarded Tamatoa's intricate neon markings as wickedly cool if his raging expression didn't make him look completely demonic.

Between the three of them the space at the ravine's floor was well-lit. Eerie, but well-lit. However, Rachel still worried about the Heartless. Out of her peripheral she could just see the edge of the ravine walls moving from above. Instinct told her it wasn't just the other monsters crowding in for a better look.

"Been waiting a long time for this," Maui rolled his shoulders and gripped his hook with both hands.

"There doesn't have to be a 'this'! The only thing this is is a big misunderstanding."

"Liar! I know your face! I know your name! You said we were friends yet now you deny me. I gave you a special treasure that you forgot about so easily!"

"Ppfffttt! You? Give anyone anything? You have no idea how crazy you've been sounding but now I know you've finally lost it."

"Shut up, Maui! This never concerned you to begin with." Tamatoa turned his glare back to Rachel. "Though I suppose this proves I wasn't wrong to have kept my treasures close and look out only for myself. Imagine how much more I would have lost to false 'friends' if I had followed your example."

"I promise this is the first time I've ever met you! I don't know how else to say it! But we'll all have much bigger problems if the Hea-."

"Spare yourself and stop trying to convince him out of his own delusion. The only thing harder than his shell is his head."

Tamatoa growled. "Then it will be my pleasure to crush you both."

With another roar of rage the monster crab lunged forward. Maui also let out a great battle cry before engaging. Rachel hesitated. She'd been trained well and apart from magic felt second-nature. But fighting now didn't feel right. Yeah, the insistence they'd met before was crazy. Yet she couldn't shake the feeling the anger displayed now had a root in genuine sadness. Maui would be no help to find out more since he was too blinded by whatever ugliness lie in their history. No other choice presented itself than to also engage in the battle. Rachel took up her blade but stayed mostly on the defensive.

The ravine echoed the sounds of battle. Mighty blows from the primary fighters demolished any corals or stones unlucky enough to be in the way. Maui, or what Rachel could see in the uneven light, took his blows in stride and continued fighting strong almost like this was a game. But Rachel took notice of something the others hadn't. The Heartless were gathering in the safety of the darkest shadows. She could see the glowing dots of their eyes as the lights moved around them. Tamatoa's rage had to be their main draw. She'd seen what could happen when fury mixed with Darkness. Years ago Madam Mim caused her own downfall by calling on more and more Darkness in blind rage. Complete combustion didn't seem likely in this instance. But, oh boy. It might be worse. If the Heartless were to overshadow his Heart when he was this focused? Mrs. Jumbo had the same thing happen to her grieving Heart and she went on the fast track to tearing the whole circus down to find her son. And she was only a third the size of Tamatoa!

"Maui! We need to leave!"

"You're not going anywhere!"

Tamatoa brought down his claw like a massive hammer. Thankfully an experienced pixie dust flyer made for great agility. It wasn't like she had a lot of hope for the plan of retreat. Maybe with them out of play Tamatoa might take his frustrations out on the Heartless before they had a chance to influence him.

"Don't worry! We got this!" Maui called back before transforming into a giant hawk and lunging.

"That's not what I-ugh!"

The situation felt so senseless and had to be diffused quickly before Heartless decided to make a move. Rachel took a deep breath. Time to turn to what she knew best.

The young Master landed gently and gracefully on the sand. She held her Keyblade before her. The glowing orb lit up brighter as magic channeled through it. Maui and Tamatoa took notice of this. The pause of confusion and curiosity provided all the time she needed to complete the spell. The orb of Moonlit Majesty strobed every color of the red spectrum. Hazy orbs of light formed around Tamatoa, blinking in sync with the Keyblade. Before the monster crab could open his mouth to demand and explanation, the lights flashed blindingly in unison.

Heartless retreated in haste. Maui, not knowing what to expect, braced himself behind his fish hook. If anyone had looked even Mini Maui tottered in a daze with blinkies all round his head Loony Toons style. Rachel opened her eyes. The brightness made the ravine floor look darker for a second. Her eyes quickly adjusted. She looked around. The Heartless kept their distance. The atmosphere had changed. Good. Maybe most would leave now that the bait was no longer so juicy. But there was still the matter of…

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME!?"

"Eh?" Maui looked around. "What did you do? Where did-? Oh. Oh-ho!" Confusion quickly turned to a knee-slapping giggle-fit.

Standing in his exact same place was Tamatoa: in perfect miniature.

If the peals of laughter were anything to go by Maui clearly thought this was hysterical. Rachel felt a little embarrassed that in a pinch her choice was the best she could come up with. Tamatoa looked mortified. Hardly surprising. At his current size he wouldn't have been able to fully wrap his legs around a coconut.

"You are full of surprises!" Maui eventually wheezed. "So how long does this last? He straightened up and took a few deep breaths to stop laughing."

"It's not permanent. It will last a while though. Maui, we-."

"A while is more time than I'll actually need."

"What? Need? What we need to do-."

"This will only last a second."

Maui shouldered his fish hook and strode over to his old enemy.

"Don't! Don't you come any closer or I'll-!"

"Oh yeah, please tell me what you'll do, Tiny-toa."

"Hey, leave him be. We still have an important-Maui!"

Tamatoa never stood a chance to out-maneuver Maui. In one swift motion the demi-god knocked the crab on his side and scooped him up by two back legs. Naturally Tamatoa made to defend with his claws but with his other hand Maui held out his hook in position for a dangerous swing.

"This has been a long-time coming," Maui said triumphantly.

"No! Nononono! Let go of me!"

"Maui! For real, he's not a threat anymore. Put him down and lets go."

"Listen to her! Listen to her!"

"Clam it, crab! You don't know him like I do."

"That may be but it doesn't feel right to-."

"In addition to be a long-standing thorn in my side he's done plenty to deserve this. Nobody is making you watch. Think of this as long overdue justice."

"Justice? But he's not even-Maui!"

Before she could do anything the demi-god threw Tamatoa straight up and held the fish hook in both hands, poised for a powerful swing. Panic and disbelief stabbed Rachel in the stomach.

"Maui, STOP!"

Just like the first time Rachel ever used the power of Time, the magic just released from her without her control. However, the unintentional spell did not hold a demi-god the way it would have anyone else. But that didn't mean it wasn't effective. Maui's powerful swing was slowed to half-speed. Tamatoa hadn't been touched by the spell so he fell in accordance to the rules of gravity. Startled by what she'd accidentally done but not robbed of her senses because of it Rachel made a quick hand motion for another spell. Immediately an orb of pearly green light formed around Tamatoa. It landed on the sand at about the same the spell on Maui lost its hold. The tail of the swing continued at normal speed. But since there was nothing to hit Maui stumbled from the swing-gone-wide. But he wasn't standing discombobulated for long. Maui rounded to face Rachel.

"Did you just cast a spell on me?"

"I-you-you weren't listening! I wasn't-I-I didn't do it on purpose! It's been a long time since my magic got away from me like that. But I'm not sorry. He can't hurt us right now. There's no reason to keep fighting. Let's go."

"Go? No reason?" Maui shook his head, scowling. "You have no idea what he's done."

"You're right. I don't. But even if I had witnessed guilt beyond refute, I would never strike an unarmed enemy."

Mini Maui had been fired up but then looked guilty. Maui looked furious in the face of a valid point.

"Look, you're new here," He tried to say calmly. "You saw his lair. How do you think he got all that treasure? How much of that could you just find? Imagine, if you will, all the voyaging ships brought down to steal their shiny cargo? Huh? How many people would that be? Do you think he saw them to safety after pirating them? I can tell you four sure the answer is no. And who knows what else! He-he was going to eat my friend! He nearly broke your arm!"

"But are you the one to pass such judgement?"

"I'm a demi-god! I am Maui!"

"You're also losing sight of the bigger picture! If he's guilty of those crimes then fine, he should be made to answer for them. But not now. Not when he can't defend himself. And not when the rest of your world is in danger. Once the crisis is dealt with I'll have no say in what happens after. But I hope it won't be driven solely by a personal vendetta."

"Personal? You-!"

"I'm not blind. It's good to seek justice on behalf of those he's hurt but don't think I haven't been able to read some ugly history between you two. And before you try to deny it, tell me why they're still here."

Rachel pointed to the shadows beyond the still-glowing light of her Keyblade. Beady yellow eyes moved in the darkness. The Heartless were massing along one wall like bees on a honeycomb. They did move aggressively but certainly with interest.

"There are always drawn to Hearts but not usually like this. Tamatoa's rage is no longer enticing them. I don't feel any negative emotions right now from myself. But look where they're looking. It's not at me. It's not even at Tamatoa. What does that say about you in this moment?"

For most, pride is a tough pill to swallow. For some, the pill can be enough to choke a horse. For others it could incapacitate an adult blue whale. Where Maui fell on this scale Rachel couldn't tell. There was a struggle going on with its roots in pride but she couldn't see the depth. From her distance Mini Maui looked only looked like a flickering shadow. What the living tattoo was trying to get across was outside Rachel's vision but Maui's subtle responses hinted he agreed with her.

"I'm not saying you're wrong to be angry or your dislike is unjustified. Just…for the moment, leave it be. We have what we came for. Your world is in danger. But not from him."

An eternity seemed to pass before Maui at last took a long, deep, stress-relieving breath. No sooner had he released the vice-grip on pride and personal feelings the Heartless scuttled about as though confused. There were still desirable Hearts near but the emotions that excited them were gone.

"Let's get out of here," He said flatly.

Held tension released from Rachel's shoulders. "What is the best way to leave the realm of monsters?"

"C'mon."

Maui transformed into the giant hawk and crouched. No doubt there would be words about this later but at the moment she had no intention to upset the status quo. Well, almost.

Rachel looked around. Tamatoa hadn't gone far in his protective hamster ball. She picked it up, ignoring is protests, and held it under her arm. Hawk-Maui did not look pleased.

"There is need to conversate," She said, indicating between the ball and herself.

The hawk rolled his eyes but did nothing else as Rachel laid low on his back. Heartless tried to swipe at them as they exited but Maui was quick and agile as a hawk and never ventured close enough to be worried. Out of the ravine Maui soared over the still-gathered monsters, quickly leaving them behind. Whatever he was looking for he honed in on fast.

Scattered throughout the realm were geyser vents. Their size belied their strength. Some didn't go very high but others shut up water and missed all the way to the ocean ceiling. After locating the most powerful, Maui circled it, ready to make a move the second it showed signs of activity. Picking up on this, Rachel cast Aeroga around Maui. The tight ball of Wind magic would soften an impact blows and hopefully keep them dry.

The ground rumbled. Maui dove. The second the first spray of mist could be seen Maui pulled up so not to get the vertical torrent in the face. In the span of a few short seconds they went down fast then up even faster. Rachel didn't see much of the transition. Without much to hang onto she lay as low and flat as she could, Tamatoa tucked up under her arm.

The dark and glowing world vanished to shades of blue then finally the brightness of the clear sky. With powerful wingbeats Maui righted himself immediately and turned to the bizarre rock island gateway.

Rachel slipped off Maui's back before he landed, catching herself with pixie dust before landing. With a quick flash the demi-god returned to his true form. Rachel could tell he was deliberately not looking at Tamatoa in the protective ball.

"So what now?" He asked stiffly.

You didn't have to be the most insightful person in the room to pick up on he wasn't just asking about the mission.

"Just…give me a few minutes."

Rachel walked around Maui. A distance away she found a formation of the odd stones that had a great improvised chair. She looked at Tamatoa in the ball in her lap. He hadn't said much. Currently he was resting on his back legs with his claws crossed, not looking at her.

"Can we please try to clear the air without resorting to violence and mayhem?"

"Can you get me out of this thing?" He asked sourly.

"Can you promise not to pinch me?"

"No."

"Figured as much. I'm sorry if this arrangement is a bit undignified but can you understand why I did it?"

"Hmph."

"If it helps, talking to you wasn't the only reason I brought you with me. I didn't think the other monsters needed to see you like this."

"Oh, she wanted to help me save face. How kind. Do you want to take a coin off my back as a thank you? Not like it would be worth much at this size.

"You're bitter, I get it. Humiliation is a hard thing to recover from. I assure you thought it was not done with malicious-."

"How can you be so understanding?" Tamatoa snapped, shuffling to face her. "You sound just like I remember. Look around. There's on one here at all. Nothing is going to happen if you confess that we've met before." He looked up to her impatiently expectant.

Rachel exhaled heavily. "Tamatoa, I'm sorry. I will swear the honest truth on whatever you want me to but this is the first time I've met you."

He glared daggers at her before shuffling around so he was faced away from her.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what-."

"She was the first person I considered a friend." Tamatoa cut her off without turning around. "For the first time I thought others might like me too and not think collecting was strange. But the ridicule didn't stop. She didn't come back. That was a long time ago. I learned since then friendships weren't real. All you can do is take or get taken from. I started to hate her for getting my hopes up. She ended up proving me right by never coming back. I've lived this long without the help of anyone. Depending on others only leads to disappointment. Friends only get in the way. I have a treasure. That's all I need to be happy."

"It's…it's sad to hear you think that. I've found a lot of pleasure and fulfillment in the same things you seem to scorn. Giving even a little, especially if it's of yourself, can go further than the imagination can stretch."

"Mmph!" Tamatoa grunted. "Fancy way of telling me you think the path to happiness is giving away my precious treasures? Not a single coin is leaving its place in my lair. Now release me. This has been a humiliating enough day as it is."

"Alright. I've said all I needed to."

"Good."

Rachel stood up and turned to place the ball on the rocks. But before she put it down, she stopped.

"Hey! No more tricks!

"No tricks. I still intend to let you go. I just thought of something you will do for me."

"Will? Not likely."

"Ya-huh. You may recall Maui had every intention to tenderize you into an undefinable mush. I stopped him. I protected you. I saved your life. Now you owe me a life debt."

"You cannot be serious."

"As a heart attack. It's not like it was that long ago for you to have forgotten the details. I saved your life and now I invoke the honor-bound laws of a life debt."

"What do you want? Me to follow you until I save your life then we're even?" Tamatoa sounded truly disgusted with the idea.

"No. Your task, I think, will be much harder."

"Oh joy," He said dryly.

"I want you to do one kind thing for someone else."

"…what?"

"You don't have to necessarily save someones' life. But I want you to repay me by helping someone in need of it. No, the first person, man or monster that is in need in some way you will do all you can to help them."

"Tell me you're joking."

"Nope."

"And how will you know if I complete this ridiculous task?"

Fib. Fib and make it good.

Rachel placed the ball on the rocks, stepped back and called her Keyblade. The orb of Moonlit Majesty shown an intense powder blue. Tamatoa shrunk away from it as she held the light directly over the ball. In another blink the light was gone.

"Now I will."

Never before had Rachel seen anyone or anything so frustrated and disgusted with their situation. Tamatoa looked on the verge of wanting to say more than a few choice words but the pressures of a rising temper prevented them from coming out.

With a simple hand motion the protective ball vanished. Her Keyblade was dismissed.

"The size spell will wear off soon," She said before making to leave.

It felt a little awkward but what else could she say? And the world was still in danger so she wouldn't have had time anyway. Surprisingly from what she'd learned of Tamatoa in such a short time he didn't make any sour last-word-in comment either.

Maui had barely moved from where she'd left him. He straightened up when he saw her coming.

"So?"

Rachel took the Heart from her pocket. "We got what we came for. Let's go."