Part 1: Tetala

Gramma Tala once told her that the voice whispering inside her heart was the voice of her true self, that's who Moana really was. Moana had followed that voice and the call of the ocean, she had traveled across the sea. She had met Maui, demi-god of the wind and sea, warrior, trickster, shape-shifter (hero to all), and together they returned the heart to Te Fiti. Upon placing the heart in its rightful place the Goddess of Life spoke to her mind and inside soul:

'Moana of Motunui, daughter of Chief Tui and Chieftess Sina' the goddess' voice reverberated through her bones and filled her with a warmth so deep and thorough Moana had never felt its like. 'Moana, it is time for you return to your people. Your path is with them for now, but when you're ready for what comes next you will come find me.'

Moana didn't understand what that meant. Or even if those words spoken in her soul were really from Te Fiti. It wasn't a language in the same way that she spoke with other mortals. It was more like a series of pictures and emotions and her head ached as she tried to remember how it felt and what it sounded like.

Back on the beach with her new camakau, she had spoken with Maui about the experience of hearing Te Fiti in her bones. The large man laughed and she felt it rumble through the sand beneath her feet as she pushed her new canoe into the lapping waves.

'That's a Goddess for you,' he had chuckled, but didn't elaborate on what he meant by that.

They had ended their adventure together and said goodbye to each other on that beach, below the mountains that raised up out of the ocean where the giant Te Fiti had stood, her feet anchored into the bottom of the ocean and her green crown raising up toward the sun. Maui had extended his hand for a formal farewell, but he had been tugged forward by his small tattooed version of himself. Moana stifled a laugh of her own as Maui rolled his eyes and leaned in for an embrace with the young mortal.

'Thank you,' Moana had said, her cheek pressed against the images which danced and moved across his chest. 'Thank you for coming back.'

At that the demi-god pushed her back to arm length and took a knee so he was able to look her directly in the eyes.

'No,' he said firmly. 'It is you that I should be thanking. Thank you, Moana of Motunui. Thank you for sailing across the sea and returning the heart to Te Fiti. Thank you for making me a demi-god again, and thank you for giving me a purpose again.'

His words of thanks rumbled in her mind and body in a way it hadn't before. She felt his godly powers for the first time since meeting him. She didn't have long to think on this change, though, because with that he stepped back and transformed his body from his large human form into that of a giant hawk which took off from the beach and let out an echoing screech as he rose up into the sky and disappeared into the bright mid-day sun.

Moana had said a silent prayer to Te Fiti before setting off for Motunui. Her love for her people and her island coupled with Maui's way-finding lessons led her back home. In the years that passed since the day her canoe reached the sands of Motunui, her love only grew.

She taught countless villagers the way-finding techniques she learned from the demi-god. She told her people the continuation of the story they'd learned as children from their elders. How Maui returned to the ocean, and he was out there again. He was busy pulling up more islands from the sea which were given life by Te Fiti, who in turn had been returned to her former prowess with the assistance of a mortal girl and the demi-god who had learned humility.

Moana was the master way-finder for her people. She was there for the discovery of two islands by her people. The first island was home to a village much like her own. She was an emissary for her people. Moana taught them the arts of way-finding, and in exchange she established a trade route between their islands and their peoples. Moana presided over a ceremonial meeting of the Chieftess Auli'i and her father, Chief Tui, where the two peoples forged a formal alliance and trade agreement. A short time later Moana and a small crew aboard her camakau made landfall on a second island which they found to be uninhabited but with fertile soil and great potential.

Moana named the island Tetala, after feeling her grandmother's spirit when she stood silently on the sand. Moana had stayed with a few of her crew-members to establish a camp and she sent word back to Motunui with the rest of her crew aboard her canoe. They returned a few weeks later with joyous news of the Chieftess being with child. Chief Tui and Chieftess Sina welcomed twins shortly after Moana's 18th birthday. Moana was filled with more joy and love than she could have possibly imagined.

Chieftess Moana traveled frequently between Tetala and Motunui over the next twelve years. She got to see her siblings grow into adventurous youths, and see her people grow stable and happy on both of their islands. Motunui had some lean years after the blight took out more than half of their crops, but the trade alliance with Chieftess Auli'i and her island came along at the right time and it kept their people alive and fed until the crops started coming back after they rotated their fields. Moana loved her brother and sister deeply, but she could tell that they were not called by the ocean in the way she was.

The twins were now twelve years old. In Moana's last visit to her parents' home on Motunui her brother, Tama, had chattered enthusiastically to Moana about how he had begun his tattooing apprenticeship under their mother's father, Mai'i. The sacred art of tattooing was often passed down through heritage. When Moana was being trained to be the next leader of their people, her maternal grandfather had kept his desires for passing on the family art silent. But when Tama expressed an interest in the spiritual art, their grandfather had nearly leapt for joy. The boy was an artistic genius, according to Mai'i, and will serve their people well.

Tama had watched at their grandfather's side when Mai'i expanded Moana's tattoo. Her first tattoo was gifted to her upon her return home to Motunui after returning the heart to Te Fiti. Her grandfather had graced her upper back with a beautiful design showing a stylized spiral representing the heart of Te Fiti returned and a small stingray swimming behind her left shoulder, she still reached up with her right hand and ran her fingers over the raised scars where the stingray was marked. Even long after the ridges of the picture had faded into her warm brown skin, she still would find herself absentmindedly stroking the stingray while deep in thought.

This time Mai'i and Tama were adding some details on her right shoulder representing the future she provided her people by expanding their reach to Tetala. The image representing two small islands in the endless sea.

Moana's sister, Ngaio, was a born leader. Ngaio listened to their father's stories and teachings with a level of focus and purpose that Moana was never able to muster. Ngaio truly sought to lead their people into the future, and Moana already could tell that she will do an amazing job one day. Moana listened to Ngaio chirp happily about the importance of crop rotation patterns and the new structures proposed by a young man in their village with a keen eye for building. These new buildings stood up against winds and storms better than any previous design.

As her sister talked about wind and rain Moana felt the cold water of the ocean being blown into her face by a harsh wind. She felt the rope grow taut in her hands and felt the currents beneath her feet vibrate the wooden planks that made up the deck of her boat. She anticipating shifting her weight and leaning into the wind, swinging the sail around to catch the trickster wind and lunge her forward into the gale.

"Moana?" Ngaio's sweet voice broke through her reverie. The rope disappeared from her hands and was replaced by Ngaio's black curls. She was still half-way through the braid she was putting into the young girl's hair.

"Sorry, tuahine", Moana said, resuming the braid, "my mind was elsewhere. Tell me more about this architect. What did you say his name was?"

The twelve year old blushed and Moana saw the back of her sister's neck glow with youthful embarrassment.

"Kahurangi," Ngaio said, and then hastily added on: "He's fourteen."

Moana grinned behind her sister's back. She remembered being that age. Moana had recently turned 28 and she had grown used to the whispers and gossip of Motunui and Tetala theorizing on when and with whom Moana would eventually 'settle down'. But Moana didn't want to 'settle down', there was still so much drawing her forward.

Moana bid her parents and siblings farewell the following morning and shared an embrace with them before setting off into the morning sun, setting the ocean ablaze with the blinding light of a new day. The sunrise over the ocean never failed to set her heart on fire. The potential of a new day on the ever-changing horizon filled her with hope and a giddy excitement of her own. Tetala filled the horizon a few days later and Moana was back to leading her small village. She was greeted at the beach by her second in command, friend and adviser, a young man named Anaru.

"Rangatira Moana, welcome back. How is your family?"

Moana smiled as she handed Anaru a crate of letters and favors from Motunui. "They are well, Anaru. Tama is almost ready to start tattooing and Ngaio has her eyes set on leading Motunui into the future. My parents are tired, time creeps ever closer to them, but both are still in good health." Moana hefted up a second crate and began walking up the beach toward the village. Anaru joined in step beside her.

"How have things been here over the last weeks?" Moana had been on Motunui for just over a month, but she never worried about leaving Tetala in Anaru's capable hands.

"Our nets are pulling in fish, our trees are growing mangoes, bananas, and coconuts, our fields are yielding grains… We received a gift of oranges from Rangatira Auli'i last week. Our people are happy and growing." There was something in his voice that made Moana glance at her friend's face. A small smile was playing around his lips.

"That's all good to hear, Anaru, is there anything else I should know?"

A broad smile broke through his efforts to keep it under wraps.

"Mere's belly has grown firm with child. We weren't sure at first but the midwife met with us, shortly after you left for Motunui, and confirmed that we shall meet our baby before the rainy season."

Moana's eyes widened and a smile spread across her face. "That's wonderful, Anaru! You and Mere will be such good parents."

Their conversation returned to their village as they passed through the small settlement on their way to Moana's hut. Anaru set the crate down in front of the doorway and bid her farewell. Moana gave her friend a firm hug and congratulated him once more before he left her alone to unpack. She took a deep breath before stepping into her hut and slipping back into her role as Chieftess of Tetala.

Unbidden, her thoughts drifted back to Te Fiti. Moana reached her hand up and rubbed at her stingray tattoo absentmindedly. "When you're ready for what comes next, you will come find me." That's what Te Fiti had spoken into her soul. "When you're ready for what comes next," she had felt the words deeply then and felt the echo of the message reverberating within her now. "You will come find me." What did that mean? "Come find me."