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!
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's anything that Maui makes sure to reiterate to the others over and over again, it's that he has no intentions of going anywhere near Te Kā without his trusty magical hook. And it just so happens that the demigod has a strong suspicion as to where it might be. Which is why he deftly takes 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 doesn't really bother to answer anyone's persistent questions about where they're going either, aside from the terse, obvious explanation that they're going to get his hook.
However, as the next morning breaks and the boat's tiny "crew" awakens, they're soon met with the looming sight of their approaching destination, a tall mountain of an island reaching high into the sky, its rocky exterior jagged and sinister from just about every angle.
"We're here," Maui announces as the boat makes a beeline to the unknown island.
"Gawrsh, where is 'here'?" Goofy wonders, slightly nervous.
"Here," Maui pulls the boat up to the island's small shore to tether it down. "Is where we're gonna find my hook. If anyone has it, it's Tamatoa."
"...Tama-who?" Sora asks, confused.
"Tamatoa," Maui says, 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 asks, looking to the mountaintop herself warily. A mountaintop that will likely take an exhausting, treacherous climb just to reach the top of in the first place.
"No, no, no, that's just the entrance," A wry grin spreads on Maui's face as he passes by the others. "To, uh… Lalotai."
While the trio exchanges a wondering glance at this, Moana gasps in shock, her eyes growing wide with wonder at the legendary locale. "Lalotai?" she asks incredulously. "As in… the realm of monsters? W-we're going to the realm of monsters?"
"We? No, me," Maui glances back over his shoulder at the group. "You four are gonna stay here with the other chicken." His teasing smirk widens as he nods down to Heihei, still sitting as oblivious and absent-minded as ever on the boat behind them.
"Hey! We're not chickens!" Donald squawks angrily.
"So let's prove that we're not," Sora says with a brazen smile as he steps toward the towering mountain. "C'mon, let's go!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait," Moana interjects much more hesitantly, dropping her voice down to a whisper. "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," Sora proclaims as he confidently starts 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 grumbles. Even so, he's the first to trail after Sora with Goofy not too far behind.
At the same time, Moana stands by, completely baffled by just how absolutely undeterred Sora seems to be by the prospect of such immense danger. But as she considers the impressive power he'd displayed, apparently by accident at that, back at the abandoned island to take out the Unversed, she realizes that such bravado might not be so out of place after all. Well, for Sora, at least. When it comes to herself, Moana knows whatever strength and skill she possesses can't really compare to his, or to Maui's for that matter. And yet, as she casts another apprehensive look to Lalotai's lofty entrance, she can't help but feel that familiar resolve stirring deep within her. The very same resolve that had pushed her to leave her island, her home, and venture out onto the vast unknown of the Great Ocean in the first place. Which is why she knows that no matter how treacherous the journey might turn or how incredibly out of her depth she might be, she still has to see just how far she can really go all the same.
By now, Maui has already easily heaved himself up the mountain quite a ways, confident that he'll make it to the top in no time. Yet, as he perches himself on a sizable ledge to take a small breather, he's quite surprised to find the boat has been abandoned several feet down below. As he squints down for any signs of his unwanted companions, however, what he fails to notice is that they're steadily climbing alongside him until they all manage to pass him altogether.
"Ugh…" Maui groans, noting the group's slight struggle as they help each other up the rugged, stony mountainside. "They're a persistent bunch of mortals, I'll give 'em that…" Even so, the demigod continues to climb as well, 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 addresses 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 says 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 clarifies sharply. "The Ocean did."
"The Ocean?" Maui asks with an incredulous smirk. "Makes sense. You're what, eight? Can't sail? Obvious choice."
Moana can't help but falter a bit at this, her former insecurities and doubts slowly starting to creep back in. At least until she receives a timely reminder that there's more to her mission, more to her, than meets the eye.
"Hey!" Sora calls down from his spot further up the mountain from the others, his expression stern as he looks 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 offers a warm smile down to Moana, extending a hand down to help her up onto his higher perch. A hand that she readily, gratefully accepts right alongside his kind encouragement.
"Right," she agrees, letting those doubts drift away as she looks 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 scoffs, rolling his eyes as he pulls 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 deadpans from further down below, Goofy chuckling in amusement as he does.
"Speaking of which, what's your story anyway, kid?" Maui asks, looking to Sora this time. "What, are you and your buddies curly's life coaches/bodyguards or something?"
"No, we're her friends," Sora corrects. "And even though we're 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 huffs, 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 frowns down at his companions as they catch up. "Would it?"
"Shucks, the last two didn't look much like hooks, did they?" Goofy asks.
"Well… no…"
"Then it's pretty safe to say this Key won't be a hook either," Donald remarks, offering Sora a dry, knowing glance as they all finally reach the top.
Lalotai's entrance is just as dry, rocky, and desolate as the rest of the mountain, towering flat and barren miles above the ocean's surface. Any gateway to the supposed realm of monsters is either out of sight or nonexistent altogether, a possibility that perplexes the majority of the group as they look around the seemingly empty peak. "So…" Moana begins, looking to Maui expectantly. "Not seeing an entrance…"
"Yes," Maui's tone and expression suddenly grows quite ominous as he approaches the others. "Because it only appears… after a human sacrifice."
Needless to say this frightening news aptly startles Moana and Sora alike as they exchange an anxious glance, at least until Maui quickly breaks into a bout of playful laughter. "Nah! Kidding! So serious." The demigod keeps up his smirk as he unleashes a mighty gust of air, blowing away the rising dust covering the stony-faced visage covering up the true entrance to Lalotai.
From there, Maui bursts into a brisk, powerful shout, catching the others off guard even more as he deftly performs a ceremonial war dance. That dance ends with a mighty ground smash that sure enough opens up the way to the realm of monsters, a passageway in the form of a deep pit that leads to some unknown deep darkness in the untold depths below.
"Don't worry," Maui assures, 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 cannonballs right into the bottomless pit, his enthusiastic cheer echoing even as he disappears into the mysterious void below him.
"Gawrsh… seems like a long way down…" Goofy frowns fretfully.
"Oh no," Donald glowers, noticing the daring grin spreading across Sora's face before anyone else does. "I know that look. I don't care what you're thinking, we are not going to-"
"Jump!" he shouted, grabbing both the magician and the captain's arms before doing just that. Moana gasps as she watches them disappear into the pit in a mix of excited laughter and fearful screams, though at the same time, she prepares herself to do the exact same thing.
"O-ok, you can do this," she breathes tensely, securing the heart of Te Fiti before ultimately taking the plunge into the unknown.
Said plunge leads into a watery vortex, one that sparks with a bizarre sort of energy as the world above shifts to the world far below even the sea itself. Naturally, Maui is the first to arrive in Lalotai, its dense, colorful strangeness hardly new to him since he's ventured here many times before. "Aaaand he sticks the landing! What do ya have to say about that, huh?" he asks Mini Maui, who simply offers him a knowing smirk as he crosses his arms and shakes his head. "What? Dumb-dumb, they're not even here. No mortal's gonna jump into the realm of-" The demigod stops short as his tattooed self points upward, or rather, toward the group falling straight toward him from above. "Huh?"
Maui doesn't even have time to react before he ends up breaking each of their falls. Sora, Donald, and Goofy all land on him first before Moana falls on top of them.
"D-did we make it?" Goofy asks, nervously uncovering his eyes.
"I-I think so…?" Moana replies, glancing around their surreal new surroundings fearfully.
"Sora!" Donald snaps, glaring over at him. "When are you finally going to stop making us jump from ridiculously high places?!"
"When it stops being fun," Sora shrugs with a wry grin. "So basically, never."
"Augh! Would you all get off me already?!" Maui interjects, throwing the group off his back as he sits 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 reminds, hands on her hips.
"Yeah!" Sora readily agrees, summoning his Keyblade as Donald and Goofy call 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 stops short upon noticing the glittering cavern they just so happen to be standing right outside of. And as he spots a familiar item resting within that cavern from afar, a perfect plan comes to the demigod's mind. "Actually… that sounds like a great idea," he says with a broad smile. "As a matter of fact, his lair is right over there."
"Really?" Moana asks , surprised. "Well, that was easy."
"A bit too easy if you ask me…" Donald remarks, eyeing Maui suspiciously.
"Hey, you guys were the ones who volunteered to grab my hook for me," Maui says, urging the group to the edge of the cavern. "So… get grabbin'."
The others all stop 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 is the most acclaimed trophy of them all: Maui's magical fish hook.
"You… weren't kidding…" Moana notes quietly. "This Tamatoa guy really likes his treasure, huh?"
"Hmph, just as much as he likes himself, which is way too much," Maui rolls his eyes.
"Well, it looks like nobody's home," Sora notes, 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 it's nothing," Maui huffs, pulling him 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 trails off as a particularly sparkly shell lying on the ground nearby catches his attention, one that gives him another timely idea entirely. "What you need… is a disguise…"
Said disguise is one Moana in particular isn't a huge fan of, especially since Maui decides she's going to be the one to go out in it first. Even so, she begrudgingly adorns herself in all of the scraps of treasure they can 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 calls 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 calls from the coral he hides behind alongside the trio. Who, much like Moana, doesn'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 asks dubiously as he looks between Maui and the pile of treasure before them.
"It's not!" Moana snaps back in a frustrated whisper. "This is stupid! I'm just gonna go up and get it!" She motions to the hook, sitting just a few mere feet out of her reach.
"You go up there, he'll kill you," Maui scowls firmly. "Just stick to the plan." Annoyed, Moana does so, banging her drum once more as she sends the demigod a particularly aggravated glare. "Oh! And when he shows up, keep him distracted. Make him talk about himself. He loves bragging about how 'great' he is."
"You two must get along swell," Moana huffs, rolling her eyes.
"Eh, not since I ripped off his leg."
Moana pauses at this, looking back to the demigod incredulously. "Y-you ripped off his-" she stops, noticing that Maui is nowhere to be seen, having tucked away back into hiding, even though the trio still stays in her sight. Sora offers her an affirming nod that they'll provide any backup she might need even if Maui doesn't, something Moana readily welcomes, especially as the ground suddenly begins to rumble violently under her feet.
She panics, tripping over herself as she starts slipping away from the treasure horde as it somehow rises up from under her. In fact, she nearly falls entirely until she's miraculously-or rather, haphazardly-caught by one of the shining shells she's wearing from above. Though when Moana finally gets a good glimpse of who actually has 'saved' her, she quickly wishes she hadn't.
As it turns out, the immense pile of treasure rests squarely on top of an equally sizable shell, one that belongs to the massive, monstrously sparkly crustacean that calls this cavern home: Tamatoa. The giant crab rises up with a greedy, booming laugh, still gripping Moana in his measurable claws as his beady eyes focus in on the prize in his clutches. "What have we here…?" he wonders with a curious grin. "It's a sparkly, shiny… wait a minute." Without warning, Tamatoa raises Moana upward, discarding her disguise altogether before catching her once more. "Ugh! It's a human! In the realm of monsters?!" he scoffs in disgust as he narrows his eyes at the terrified girl in his claws. "You're a funny-looking little thing, aren't you?"
Moana gasps as the giant crab hones his other claw in on her necklace. Remembering what's hidden away inside of it, she quickly slaps that claw away as hard as she can. "Don't! That's my grandma's!"
"'That's my grandma's!'" Tamatoa mocks unsympathetically. "I ATE my grandma! And it took a week 'cause she was absolutely humongous."
As the crab continues sullenly interrogating Moana, Maui motions to the trio to provide him with the backup he needs to sneak in to reclaim his hook while Tamatoa is distracted. Both Donald and Goofy nod, agreeing with the plan, though as they look behind them, they quickly realize that Sora has no intentions of following through with it as he instead rushes out into the open to go to Moana's aid instead.
"Sora!" the captain and the magician both fearfully call as Maui simply facepalms in annoyance.
"Ugh! Dumb kid is gonna ruin everything!" the demigod groans, exasperated. "Is he always this-"
"Reckless? Nah," Goofy shakes his head.
"Usually, he's much worse," Donald adds, perturbed.
At the same time, Sora continues his fast approach, his Keyblade at the ready as he prepares to face the monstrous crab head-on. "Hey!" he shouts up at Tamatoa as he takes up a defensive pose before him. "Let her go!"
Startled, Moana turns to look down at Sora with wide, fearful eyes, and Tamatoa does the same only with a much more irritated glare instead. "Another human?" he asks in appalled disbelief. "The place is infested with them! I'll need to call a good exterminator just to-wait." The giant crab pauses, awestruck as he notices the Keyblade Sora holds. The very shiny Keyblade, to be exact. "What… is that?" Intrigued, Tamatoa snatches the Kingdom Key, pulling Sora up along with it as he refuses to relinquish his grip on it even as he struggles to pull it out of the crab's tight hold. "Ohoho… I see…" Tamatoa grins widely as he looks 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 asks, baffled as he continues trying to reclaim his Keyblade. "N-no, that's not-"
"T-that's not all!" Moana interjects, 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 Sora can do is look over at her in apt disbelief, shaking his head until he happens to catch onto exactly what she's trying to do here. Especially as he spots what she already has: 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's not looking. "Um… y-yeah!" he agrees, playing along. "So now that you have our, uh… 'gift', we just had to know… how you became so… so… um…"
"C-crabulous?" Moana ventures with a hopeful smile, hoping to save this ploy before it can completely fall through.
"...Are you just trying to get me to talk about myself?" Tamatoa asks, suspicious. The pair exchanges a worried glance at this, hoping that their plan isn't absolutely ruined, especially as the crab dangerously leans in toward them both. "Because if you are… I will gladly do so! Though maybe…" The crab's grin turns to his pair of struggling captives with an appetized grin. "After a quick snack first…"
At this, Tamatoa pulls both Moana and Sora in, much to their shared alarm given his obvious intention on making them his next meal. However, just before he can, the crab catches another closer look at the Keyblade still tight in his claws, or rather, a barely noticeable detail about it. "Oh you've got to be kidding me!" he growls angrily. "What kind of a joke do you take me for to bring me BROKEN treasure?!"
"B-broken?" Sora barely has time to get the distraught word out before Tamatoa suddenly throws both him and the Kingdom Key across the cavern. He hits its sturdy wall sharply, hard enough to knock the wind out of him and send the Keyblade tumbling out of his grip as he falls to the ground, limp and injured.
"Sora!" Moana calls worriedly. She does get a small bout of relief as she spots Donald and Goofy from afar, already rushing to their listless companion's side. As for herself, however, she can't spare the same relief, especially as Tamatoa focuses back on her.
"Now that the trash has been thrown out…" he begins with a hungry, leering grin as he hoists 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 freezes, turning his eyes completely around to find none other than Maui, standing tall and proud atop his shell. The demigod flashes a brazen grin as he finally reclaims his hood, more than happy to feel it's familiar weight in his hands once again. "I'm back," he says, kissing his weapon gingerly before raising it high into the air. "It's Maui time!"
The demigod relishes in the look of absolute shock that overtakes Tamatoa's face as he finally drops Moana altogether. With a bright, brazen grin, Maui heaves his hook, spinning it swiftly around before using its magic to shapeshift himself into the form of a mighty hawk so he can take his old foe head on. However, instead of a hawk, in reality, Maui actually ends up taking on the form of a tiny fish instead. Confused, he tries again, switching between several shapes and sizes, none of which are what he actually wants, 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 isn't the only one to take notice of this failure however, as Tamatoa's surprise quickly shifts into a smug, goading grin. "Ohoho! Looks like little Maui's having trouble with his look!" the crab teases 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 takes the opportunity to toy with his foe, grabbing Maui by the hook as he aggressively, violently swings him around. At the same time, the most Moana can do is watch in apt alarm as the crab tosses the demigod to the far side of the cavern, much like he'd done with Sora moments ago.
For his own part, by now Sora's managed to pull himself into a sitting position, beaten and bruised by the harsh impact against the cave wall, though that's hardly his greatest concern at the moment. No, instead all Sora can focus on is his Keyblade lying on the ground before him, noticeable cracks still splintered across its silver surface. Ominous, undeniable proof that it's just as Tamatoa had said: broken.
Which is exactly why Sora makes his weapon disappear as soon as Donald and Goofy arrive at his side, the latter helping him up while the former quickly heals his injuries. And just in time too, for as Tamatoa continues throwing the helpless demigod in his grip around, Moana gets the trio's attention, making it quite clear she has a plan in mind to put a stop to this disaster once and for all.
At the same time, Maui lands hard against the cavern floor yet again, his hook falling out of his reach to the point that he can'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 laughs, ripping the hook away from the demigod once more as he tosses 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 beats Maui down once again, slamming him against the cavern wall as the cave turns 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 throws Maui high into the air once more, opening wide in an attempt at devouring his longtime foe once and for all. However, the demigod stops himself squarely in the monster's maw just in time to give him exactly the sort of distraction he needs to avoid his demise.
"Hey!" Moana shouts 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 spits Maui aside, realizing that a much better prize is 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 says this, the group takes off, acting on their plan as they split up throughout the cavern. "Oh! You can. You keep surprising me!"
Tamatoa takes off after them, pursuing Moana in particular since she has the heart in her possession. At the same time, Sora, Donald, and Goofy discreetly circle around behind the crab, poising their weapons for a surprise attack as Moana intentionally releases her hold on the heart, allowing it to fall into a nearby crevice as Tamatoa continues to chase after it.
With the crab distracted, she hurries onto his shell, heaving the reclaimed hook off of it before nodding back to the trio on the ground as soon as she retrieves it. As soon as Moana is in the clear away from Tamatoa, Sora and Donald discreetly begin 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 notices. At the same time, Moana hurries over to Maui, shoving the hook back into his grip as she helps him back up.
"We gotta go," she whispers to him sharply. She spares a brief, anxious glance back at Tamatoa as he continues digging for his sought-after treasure.
"W-what about the heart?" Maui asks, winded, injured, and confused.
"He can have it," Moana smirks, 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 calls to the trio, who finish their work just in time to hurry after the pair while Tamatoa finally retrieves the 'heart' he's after.
"Yes! I have the-wait a minute!" the crab stops 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 attempts to turn and chase after the group. That is, until he suddenly trips over his own two somehow frozen back legs, tipping over onto his sparkling shell 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 calls angrily after them, unable to right himself to follow suit as he sullenly accepts his embarrassing defeat. "...Would it have been better if I had sung?"
Despite their triumph at Lalotai, there's hardly any celebration as the group sets sail from the realm of monsters to continue on their voyage. Though most of the others are still in relatively high, hopeful spirits, Maui's laid quite low, and not just by Tamatoa either. Despite trying for several hours, even as night begins to fall over the sea, the demigod still can't seem to get a hang on the shapeshifting powers his hook bestows him with, to the point that he eventually gives up altogether. Depression overtakes him as he essentially sprawls 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 sighs, his hook resting near his head, completely unusable at least as far as he's concerned.
"Uh… Maui?" Sora ventures, 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 remarks dryly, marching over to Maui with an oar in hand. "All right, break time's over. Get up."
"Why?" Maui scowls, sitting up. "You gonna give me a speech or something? Tell me I can beat Te Kā 'cause 'I'm Maui'?"
"You can," Sora assures, coming to stand alongside Moana. "We all can if we-"
"What, 'work together'?" Maui scoffs 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 flops back down, the others all exchange a worried glance, briefly fearing that Maui might actually have a point. True, none of them really know what to expect out of the fearsome lava monster, but if even Maui himself severely doubts their chances against her, then do they really stand much of a chance in surviving, much less winning, against her at all?
"Golly, what do we do now…?" Goofy wonders fretfully.
"Give up, go off and finally look for that Key like we're supposed to be doing?" Donald suggests. Sora is quick to shoot the insensitive idea down as he shakes his head in disapproval of it.
At the same time, Moana pauses, deciding to take a different, softer approach entirely as she takes another curious look at the tapestry of tattoos branded across the demigod's skin. "How do you get your tattoos?" she asks, going off on a seemingly unrelated tangent entirely.
"They show up," Maui answers tersely, sitting up and turning away. "When I earn them."
"How'd you earn that one?" Moana asks, pointing out a rather large tattoo near the top of his back. One that depicts a woman tossing what almost looks like a child into the sea. "What's that for?"
Maui's expression darkens at this, knowing exactly what tattoo she's referring to. "That's man's discovery of Nunya."
"Nunya?"
"Nunya business."
Moana pouts briefly, but even so, she persists, 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 snaps, suddenly standing as he grabs Moana's oar and offers her a severe glare.
"Just tell me what it is!" she protests firmly.
"I said back off!"
"Is it why your hook's not working?" she barely has time to ask before Maui tosses her overboard once again. The trio rushes over to help her as Maui sullenly passes them, though the Ocean beats them to it as it brings her back onto the boat just as it always does. Even so, the group exchanges a defeated glance, realizing that they're still getting nowhere with the demigod, especially not in the mood he's currently in. "...You don't wanna talk? Don't talk," Moana finally sighs 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 lets out a morose sigh as Maui remains silent, even if she does accept the small smile of solidarity Sora sends her as she turns away. However, as she does, Maui suddenly speaks up to at long last unravel his unknown tale.
"I wasn't born a demigod," he begins quietly, sadly as he stares 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 whispers in soft, sympathetic realization. "You did everything for them… So they'd love you..."
"It was… never enough," Maui shakes 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 points out, catching the demigod off guard.
"That's right. And maybe… the gods found you for a reason," Moana adds, echoing her own belief. That much like Maui, she's been chosen for a purpose she doesn't quite understand yet, but is 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 offer Maui one final, warm, encouraging smile at this, allowing the demigod a moment to think it all over. And as he does, he can't help but realize just how right they are. The gods had given him his start, true, but all of the courageous deeds and daring feats he'd ever done are his own to claim. And those deeds, his own strength, they're all things to be proud of. The very things that make him a hero, that make him Maui in the first place.
Which is why, as he reclaims his hook once more and turned to his companions, or rather, his friends, he decides it's finally time to start living up to that legendary name once more.
As the next leg of the voyage begins, one thing becomes immediately clear; to take on Te Kā, Maui has to reteach himself everything he once knew when it comes to his magical hook. Though none of the others are very well-versed in such foreign magic, they all agree that it's best for him to start small. That's exactly what the demigod does, 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 regains 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 belongs.
However, Maui isn't the only one mastering new skills on their journey. As the boat's sails turn to the distant island of Te Fiti, the demigod finally allows new sets of hands to take up control of those sails. As thanks for helping him with his hook troubles, Maui agrees 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 supplies them with every skill they need to know when it comes to wayfinding, skills the pair is more than happy to learn as they set sail toward Te Fiti. All the while, the trio keeps a keen eye out for any leads they can find on the Key they're still searching for, finding little but still enjoying the journey all the same. Something that can be said for all of them as they cross the Great Ocean, drawing ever nearer to their destination every step of the way.
That destination seems closer than ever before as they pass into a stretch of foggy waters late one night. As the others keep the boat steadily on its path, Maui holds onto his usual perch near the top of its sail, keeping a solid lookout until he turns his attention down to Moana instead. She notices the almost proud grin he sends her way and returns it, even if she is somewhat confused by it. "What?" she speaks up, handing the sail's rope back over to Sora as he easily pulls it taunt this time.
"Are you impressed by our amazing sailing skills?" he asked with a bright grin.
"Pfft, don't get too cocky, kid," Maui retorts just as easily. "The only reason you're any good is 'cause you had a great teacher."
"Oh, good point," Sora agrees, playfully nodding. "Remind me to thank that teacher for all the help next time we see him, ok?"
Maui takes this joke in stride, smirking as Moana, Donald, and Goofy all let out a small bout of laughter. At least until Moana can't contain her earlier curiosity any longer. "So what are you so happy about anyway?"
"I've finally figured it out," Maui jumps 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 perks up at this, warmed by the demigod's rare show of true, encouraging sincerity. Even if such sentiments have become 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 widens as he nods toward the sea ahead. "I did." The others all look, amazed as the fog clears to reveal the shape of a large island laying on the horizon before them. The island they've been looking for all along. "Moana of Motunui-and friends-" Maui boldly proclaims. "I believe you have officially delivered Maui across the great sea."
"Wha-we're here?!" Donald balks in disbelief.
"Already?" Goofy asks, equally baffled.
"Yeah!" Sora cheers excitedly. "Let's do this!"
"Ah ah ah," Maui interjects. "Let me do this." At this, the demigod turns, holding a hand out to Moana. Dutifully, she takes the heart of Te Fiti and carefully places it into Maui's awaiting hand, entrusting him with this great mission, one that carries all of the hopes of her people, the fate of the very ocean itself on its success.
However, that success soon rises into question as a bright burst of flame starts to build up surrounding the barrier islands blocking Te Fiti away. Islands that they'll have to cross to get to it, despite the danger billowing to meet them.
"Te Kā…" Maui mutters, steeling himself for the battle ahead.
"You go put that heart back," Sora assures, summoning his Keyblade. "We'll back you up."
"Yeah," Moana readily agrees. "Go save the world, hero."
Grateful for their help, Maui nods, leaping high into the air with the heart in tow. He swings his hook, taking on the shape of a powerful hawk before taking flight toward Te Fiti. At the same time, the others keep on sailing along behind him, even as dark clouds of smoke and flame begin to take shape the closer he gets. Until at last, Te Kā herself emerges, ready to claim the heart as her own.
Te Kā certainly lives up to her fearsome reputation, massive in every way as she towers high above the barrier islands. Her skin is made of molten rock and flowing lava, her hollow, empty eyes and mouth glowing with unquenchable, burning flames. She lets out a booming roar as she lashes out, her large hand hitting Maui squarely and knocking him out of the sky. Panicking, Moana and Sora work together to pull the boat into action in the hopes of saving the demigod, though he manages to do so himself, reclaiming both the heart and the hook before taking off through the skies yet again.
As Maui begins on his next approach, however, an all new threat soon becomes apparent. For as Te Kā rages against the demigod, chaos emerges from the depths of the surrounding sea and sky as a deluge of dark, all too familiar creatures appear.
"Unversed!" Sora, Donald, and Goofy alike all let out the initial warning cry as the shadowy creatures swarm, surrounding both their boat and Maui as he tries soaring around Te Kā yet again. This is by far the biggest group of Unversed to attack them yet, coming from just about every angle and in every form. They quickly overtake the boat as the trio rushes to confront them, leaving Moana to try her best to steer the boat against the frantic fray. At the same time, as Te Kā strikes Maui back into the ocean once more, he's soon met with a frenzied school of aquatic Unversed, ones that rush straight for the heart as soon as it slips out of his hand on accident. Even so, Maui rushes to reclaim it, swimming to the surface once more as he slams his hook against the creatures, taking several out so he can focus on the bigger obstacle once again.
As he does, Te Kā gears up for yet another fiery blast to take him out, only to slip against the islands she's propped herself against in the process. The monster lets out a sharp cry of pain as her flaming hand hits the water instead, something that both Sora and Moana take notice of, albeit for entirely different reasons.
As Te Kā recoils, unleashing another agonized roar as she looks around for any sign of the heart, Sora stops short, the ongoing brawl with the Unversed more or less forgotten as he stares straight at the monster instead. He hadn't noticed it before, but it's 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. He experiences all this through a veil, removed from it, but still impacted by it all the same, especially when he realizes exactly where those feelings are all coming from: none other than Te Kā herself.
Moana, on the other hand, sees an opportunity as Te Kā picks herself back up again, a quick idea forming in her mind just as Maui lands on the boat after another series of brutal blows from the monster and the Unversed alike. It's enough to shake Sora back into the moment, especially as he realizes Donald and Goofy clearly need his help in warding off the still heavily-attacking Unversed surrounding the boat.
At the same time, Moana solidifies her idea as she rushes to Maui's side, spotting an opening in the barrier islands up ahead. Exactly the in they need to make the final approach past Te Kā and toward Te Fiti itself.
"W-what are you doing?" Maui asks, startled as Moana pushes the boat forward at a rapid pace.
"Finding you a better way in!"
Incredulous, Maui looks between that opening and Te Kā, who's far too close to it for comfort. "We won't make it!"
"Yes, we will!" Moana assures, refusing to back down when they're so close to victory.
"Turn around!"
"No!"
"Moana, stop!"
"We can't!"
"Look out!" Goofy's warning shout catches the pair's attention, alerting them to Te Kā towering high above them as they hone in on the barrier islands.
Time seems to slow and speed up all at once as everyone reacts differently to the devastating blow the monster prepares to unleash upon them. Donald and Goofy bravely poise their weapons to defend against it the best they could, even though they know they'll realistically be able to do very little against it. Moana hardens her resolve, still pushing the boat as fast as it can go in the slim chance they'll actually make it past the islands after all. Sora grips his Keyblade tightly, feeling a sharp burst of energy rush through him as both darkness and light begin to coalesce around his free hand once more. But Maui is 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 comes down in a heavy burst of deadly flame.
What happens next is unclear. An explosion of incredible power, of fire and magic, mingled with hints of darkness and light ripple across the surrounding ocean. And on that explosion, everything and everyone even remotely within its wide radius is tossed and torn away from each other, thrown into the unknown depths of the raging sea once more.
The sky is just as dark and overcast as it had been over Te Fiti, rumbling with distant thunder that almost seems to harmonize with the gentle waves quietly lapping onto the island's shore. Donald and Goofy watch those waves wearily as they sit 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 does awaken, it's with a start, still largely caught up in the adrenaline of the climactic encounter, at least until he catches sight of the much calmer sea surrounding the small, lush island they'd somehow landed on.
"You ok, Sora?" Goofy asks with a concerned frown.
"Yeah…" Sora says, shaking his head to properly clear it. "Where are we? What happened to Moana and Maui?" he asks, noticing that the pair, and the boat for that matter, are nowhere in sight.
"We don't know," Donald replies 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 says, 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 asks, confused. "The boat's gone too…"
"Then we'll build our own!" Sora exclaims with a determined grin.
"Do you even know how to build a boat?" Donald asks dryly.
"As a matter of fact, I do," Sora crosses his arms and sends 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 concludes, 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 notes, 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 grins, ready to do just that.
"And let's hurry!" Donald huffs impatiently. "We still need to find that Key too, remember?"
"Like you could let us forget," Sora smirks over his shoulder as he heads off on his own, leaving his companions to do the same.
Despite its rather small size, the jungle proves to be surprisingly dense, its thick canopy blocking out most of what little light the already dull sky provides. Initially, Sora doesn't pay that low light much mind as he forces a path through the forest, looking for anything that can prove useful in building a makeshift boat. Unfortunately, any actually downed trees are in a disappointingly short supply, and though he's tempted to use his Keyblade in the hopes of knocking a few down, he isn't too keen on the possibility of damaging his weapon any more than it already is.
Even so, as he thinks of that weapon, Sora can't help but pause, letting out an uneasy sigh as he summons it, hoping, just as he always does whenever he calls upon it, that those damaging cracks will somehow magically disappear. And yet, sure enough, there they are, 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 stares at it, he can't notice that familiar surge of darkness and light, mixing and mingling together around his hand, just as it's done twice before now. "What is this anyway…?" he mutters, allowing his Keyblade to disappear as he tries to make sense of this strange new magic. The skin on his hand is still shadowy, worryingly so as it seems to have spread somewhat. And yet, the hints of warm light peeking through the darkened energy weaving gently between his fingers only serves to make him curious about exactly what this newfound power really is, and even more than that, how it can be used to his advantage.
So, after taking a cursory look to make sure neither of his companions are watching, Sora decides to test it out, just to see what it could do. Carefully, he slowly seeps his hand out toward the ground before him, letting that magic flow out of him. Immediately, he notices that it feels quite different than any of the other spells he usually uses in tandem with his Keyblade; cold and warm all at once as it channels itself through only his hand instead of through his weapon. And as it hits the ground, it leaves behind a heavy, scorching mark, one that hangs with dark, heavy ash and glistens 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 tries something else, swinging his hand out higher and wider this time, letting his magic fly with a much heavier amount of force behind it. The effect is immediate as a strong wave of darkened light strikes a nearby line of smaller, shorter trees squarely, tearing through them and slicing through their sturdy trunks to the point that they all instantly topple over on top of each other. Such a powerful blast both startles and fascinates Sora, though he admittedly leans more toward the latter as he realizes just how useful this new skill can be to getting the trio out of their current predicament.
He glances around the surrounding area one last time for any signs of Donald or Goofy before getting to work, throwing both of his hands out widely and watching with wonder as his magic effortlessly cuts through another swath of trees. That feeling of contrasting warmth and cold rushes through him once more but this time he welcomes it, relishes it as he presses onward, amazed by just how much this power can really do, just how much he can do. Ever since the aftermath of his failed Mark of Mastery exam, one thing that Sora hasn't been able to deny no matter how hard he tries was that he has been feeling weaker, that his strength has been diminished to an embarrassing, almost disgraceful degree. And yet, here and now he can't help but believe that, with the emergence of a strange, yet incredible ability such as this, that strength is 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 is, Sora doesn't even notice that he isn't as alone as he thinks. For sitting atop a sturdy branch of a taller tree a good distance away is a figure obscured by the natural surrounding shadows, casually reclining against his perch as he silently watches Sora willingly partake in such thoughtless destruction. For the briefest of moments, he's somewhat interested by the unique kind of power he's bearing witness to, until he quickly reminds himself of his ultimate mission. His near-twin is really just a means to an end after all, an end that he's more than ready to finally obtain, especially since that twin is noticeably, and at least for him, quite fortunately, alone.
And yet, just before he can make his move, he recoils, a sharp burst of blinding agony suddenly spiking through his chest. He lets out a hushed hiss of pain, glaring hatefully down at Sora as he notices the flash of glowing yellow spring into his twin's eyes, tendrils of darkness wreathing his arms as he gladly unleashes another burst of his potent power. A brief glance down to his own covered hands reveals they're enveloped in the exact opposite: light, crisp, harsh light that burns his brittle, darkened heart in every way imaginable. Light that he hasn't even felt the faintest glimmer of in quite some time, not since…
He shakes his head, a hand still pressed to his chest in an attempt to ease the pain as he turns his sights back to his near-twin down below. It's all the more reason, he thinks, to finally severe the unwanted, unexplainable connection between the two of them, once and for all. To stop the sparks of light from his lookalike's heart from spreading any further through the shadows of his own.
For his part, Sora finally stops as he emerges onto the far shore of the island, his hands falling to his sides and his magic practice all but forgotten as he spots, or rather senses something resting in the sand just a few feet ahead. It's radiant green glow practically beckons him forward, pure power brimming from it, just as it always does. As captivated by that power as he is, he slowly, carefully retrieves the small stone from the sand, knowing that it isn't where it's supposed to be. And somehow, it knows that fact as it almost seems to whisper the same sentiment, though it seems oddly meant for him as it echoes through the depths of his heart:
You're not where you belong…
"Sora!" His mesmerized focus is quickly broken the moment he hears his companion's shared call for him. Sure enough, Donald and Goofy hurry down the short shoreline to meet him, hauling various pieces of scrap to use for their ship along with them. However, they instantly stop in alarm the moment they see the trail of heavy destruction leading through the jungle up to exactly where Sora is standing.
"Gawrsh, what happened over here?" Goofy asks as both him and Donald look between the downed and damaged trees and their young companion in apt concern.
"Um… i-it… it was…" Sora hesitates, hiding his hands behind his back as he tries to think up some sort of excuse. His first thought is 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's been accumulating as of late. And yet, despite his better judgement, the truth is ultimately something he quickly decides against, especially when he remembers just how strong his newfound powers make him feel. Powers that he wants, that he needs at a time like this, that he can'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 is why, through his own fear that they'll forbid him to use it, he decides, just this once, to let one more measly lie slip through the cracks. After all, what can it really hurt?
"U-Unversed!" he exclaims, throwing out the best thing he can 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 pauses tentatively, hoping that this is somehow convincing enough for the pair to actually believe. And yet, with no given reason to not buy this ruse, Donald and Goofy fortunately do, much to his immense relief.
"Well, they sure did leave a mess behind, didn't they?" the magician remarks before turning back to Sora with a curious glance. "What are you hiding behind your back…?"
Sora flinches at this, briefly checking over his shoulder to make sure the darkened light surrounding his hands has died down completely before he reveals the shining stone he's been holding onto. Albeit in a way that doesn't reveal the shadows still spread across his palm. "It's… the heart of Te Fiti," he says, holding it up for both of them to see.
"Wha-! B-but how'd it end up here?!" Donald asks, baffled.
"I thought Maui had it last," Goofy adds, scratching his head in confusion.
"I did." The trio is equally caught off guard by this call, one that clearly comes from the demigod himself, albeit from a distance. And indeed, Maui flies toward the group from the sea in the form of a hawk, though as he lands on the shore, his expression twists in agony as he returns to his usual appearance. That pain lingers as he leans 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 sparks with unstable energy.
"Maui!" the trio exclaims in alarm, rushing over to help him. And yet, as soon as Sora spots the damage the demigod's hook had taken, he stops short, eyes wide as he realizes just how familiar that damage really rings.
"Y-your hook…" he mutters softly, though Maui still clearly hears him all the same.
"I know... " the demigod scowls, standing upright on his own as he glares 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 asks, worried.
"Don't know, don't care," Maui shakes his head, stewing over his quiet rage. "All I know is, we're done here."
"Done?" Goofy asks with a fretful frown.
"B-but what about the heart?" Sora ventures, holding said heart out to the demigod. "And Te Kā and Te Fiti, and-"
"And nothing," Maui interrupts 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."
"So that's it then?" Sora asks, a certain edge of challenge in his tone. "You're just giving up?"
Maui says nothing at first as he walks past the trio sullenly. But when he does speak, his voice is low, dejected, defeated. "Without my hook, I am nothing."
"That's not true-"
"Without my hook, I am nothing!" Maui snaps, swiftly turning around to silence Sora's protest altogether. Donald and Goofy look at each other, startled and concerned at this, especially as they realize that there's little chance of changing the demigod's mind this time. And yet, Sora isn't about to back down so easily. Not when the fate of an entire world is at stake.
He looks to Maui squarely, his expression hard and resolved as he holds his hand up silently. He hesitates, for just the briefest of seconds as he considers the fact that Donald and Goofy are both standing right behind him, knowing what both of them will finally see if he does this. And yet, at that moment he doesn't care, he can't care, not when he considers the radiant heart his free hand is still holding onto. A heart that's practically pleading to be returned to where it truly belongs. Which is why he allows the Kingdom Key to flash into his grip, cracks and all, for everyone to clearly see.
"Look at this," Sora begins 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 balks with a shocked whisper as he takes in the alarming sight, Goofy doing the exact same.
"Sora…" the captain starts worriedly.
But for his part, Sora largely ignores both of them as he firmly continues. "And even despite that, I know I have to keep on fighting," he says, taking in a steadying breath as he holds 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 closes his eyes, allowing his Keyblade to finally disappear even though its weight still hangs heavy in his heart. "What are you going to do?"
For what seems like ages, Maui says nothing, instead staring silently down at his damaged hook, his expression largely unreadable all the while. For almost his entire existence, he's 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's managed to survive, though perhaps not thrive, for 1,000 years. And just because he didn'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 remembers this, he knows that Sora is right as well: hook or no hook, Moana is counting on him. To restore the heart and save the world, perhaps the most important, and most dangerous feat he's ever set out to do amidst his countless daring deeds of the past. Which is why, if his hook really is at stake, Maui sees no better way for it to go out than on his most important mission alongside his most important friends.
"I guess I'll keep on fighting," Maui finally replies, offering Sora a warm, thankful smile.
Likewise, Sora returns that smile as Donald and Goofy let out a shared sigh of relief behind him. "Spoken like a true 'hero to all'."
"Well, gee, fellas, it's great that we're all rarin' and ready to go, but there's still one problem?" Goofy asks with a frown. "How are we even gonna find Moana in the first place?"
"Or get off this island!?" Donald adds, noting the much more immediate issue.
"We're gonna build a boat, remember?" Sora points out, motioning to the cluster of downed trees that they can use to do so.
"Build a boat?" Maui scoffs. "What, do you wanna waste an entire week out here? Nah, as usual, I've got a better idea." At this, the demigod marches over to the water, calling out toward it as loudly as he can. "Yo! Ocean! Hook us up with a boat, will ya!?" Though he waits for a moment or two, Maui is quick to grow impatient when the Ocean shows 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 ventures, coming to stand alongside the demigod as he addresses 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 he could even finish, the Ocean readily complies, rippling in wide, broad waves as it dredges 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 asks, looking to Sora incredulously.
"I guess it's all just a matter of how you ask," he shrugs with a small laugh. The demigod smirks briefly at this remark before heading over to the raft to prepare it for the voyage ahead. Though before Sora can join him, he happens to catch a glimpse at the mutually baffled look Donald and Goofy both send his way.
"Oh no…" he takes in a deep breath, already anticipating what they'll have to say in light of what he'd just incidentally shown them.
"Sora... " Goofy begins 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 snaps 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 says with a disgruntled sigh, preferring to not talk about it at all, though he knows his companions won't let it go that easily. "We need to-"
"We need to talk about this now!" Donald demands firmly.
"Later," Sora protests once more, just as sternly as he turns 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 accuses harshly.
"Do you really mean it this time, Sora?" Goofy asks, always the gentler of the two, though his rare melancholy expression and tone alone are enough to convey that he's every bit as upset as Donald is.
And really, the way both of his companions are looking at him, with clear distrust and doubt, things they've never truly bared toward him or ever had reason to before, is almost enough to make Sora cave completely. Almost.
"Hey, are you guys coming?" Maui calls from the raft as he pushes it out into the shallows.
"Yeah!" Sora answers before briefly turning back to Donald and Goofy. Their shared suspicion toward him slowly suffocates him as he throws 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 says coldly as he and Goofy pass their young companion by. "Especially if you don't really mean it."
Sora starts at this, prepared to stand by his claim that he does mean it this time. That he is finally going to tell them the truth in whatever way he really can. And yet… in the end he doesn'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 soars above the grief that had hung over it mere moments ago, her song ringing clear and proud across the ocean as she watches 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 offers her as she stands by, smiling warmly and lovingly at her all the while as she decides to embrace that mission and everything it meant.
"I will carry you here in my heart," Tears of joy fill her eyes as she turns to her grandmother once more, knowing that even though she's gone, she'll 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 hoists her sail high, ready to let the wind and sea guide her to where she wants to go. As she sets forth, the visions of her ancestors and her grandmother gradually disappear, though the brimming warmth they fill her with never leaves as she begins 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, has called her to do.
And fortunately, that's something she won't have to do alone.
For as her boat speeds across the sea toward Te Fiti, she soon catches sight of another vessel doing the exact same in the distance. Confused, she squints to try and get a better look at the sailless raft, only to realize that not only is the Ocean itself pulling it toward her, but that a very familiar group is all crowded onto it as they draw closer.
"Sora! Donald! Goofy!" Moana happily calls, waving to the trio as she notices them first.
"Moana!" they all eagerly shout back, glad to see that she's safe and sound after the fight against Te Kā.
At the same time, Moana pulls her own boat to a stop, allowing the raft to approach it. And in the process, she happens to spot who the trio has brought along with them, her eyes widening in surprise as she spots the demigod and the apologetic frown he sends her way. "M-Maui?" she asks apprehensively, lest another severe falling out erupt between them once more. "You… you came back."
Maui lets out a small, somewhat humble chuckle as they all board 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 sighs, clutching her now-empty necklace. "I lost the heart... "
"You mean… this heart?" Sora grins, holding the shining stone up with a bright smile.
"Sora! You found it!" Moana exclaims, elated as he hands it back over to her.
"Actually… I think it was more like it found me," Sora grins, scratching the back of his neck.
"So we're really gonna try and fight Te Kā again?" Goofy asks, aptly nervous as the skies above grow ashy as they approach the monster's domain.
"That didn't really go so well the last time…" Donald adds, shaking his head.
"Well this time, I have a plan," Moana says, resolved as she pulls 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 asks, largely out of nowhere.
"What about her?" Maui raises 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..." Sora trails off, noticing that none of the others share his hesitance in going through with this plan. "N-none of you felt it, did you?"
"Felt what?" Moana asks, confused.
"Last time we went up against Te Kā, it was almost like I could feel what she was feeling," Sora explains earnestly, his hand gently skimming over his heart. "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 remarks as he keeps 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 agrees. "She is just another monster after all."
"Well, you know Sora, Donald," Goofy says, 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 grumbles, crossing his arms.
"Sora?" Moana speaks up, noticing as the Sora turns away from his companions, apparently frustrated. In the meantime, he pensively places his focus on the billowing smoke ahead. Smoke that signals the emergence of Te Kā once again.
"Look alive, everyone," Maui says, gripping his hook tightly for the fray ahead.
"B-but… what about your hook?" Moana asks worriedly. "One more hit and…"
Maui simply grins at this, that brazen smile widening as he notices the lava monster pull herself upon onto her island perch once again. "Te Kā's gotta catch me first." With that, the demigod swings his weapon, taking on the form of a hawk before he takes to the skies to offer a distraction, though not before sending one more encouraging call back to Moana. "I got your back, chosen one! Go save the world."
Even so, Te Kā's initial focus is on the boat swiftly sailing her way. Moana and the trio exchange a simple nod to reaffirm their resolve, even as a returning horde of Unversed soon begin to make themselves apparent, just as they had the last time. Sora, Donald, and Goofy are quick to call upon their weapons, ready to ward off the creatures in order to let Moana keep control of the boat. She does so deftly, pulling against the sail hard as Te Kā reels up her first fiery attack. The boat swerves hard in turn, and though the trio is just as ready for it as Moana is, every single Unversed that's happened to latch onto it is abruptly thrown off. And, as expected, as soon as Te Kā throws her fist down at the boat, she misses, instead painfully extinguishing the flames gloving her hand as she pulls it back quickly.
The clever maneuver clearly catches the monster off guard as the boat easily glides past her, though she doesn't have much of a chance to pursue it as Maui flies in. Annoyed, Te Kā swats at him, though his swift wings work perfectly in helping him dodge the attacks. All the same, the monster decides to ignore him for now, sensing that the heart is still with the group on the boat as she follows them across the barrier islands in a blind rage. Yet Moana stays her course, ignoring the swarming Unversed as the trio readily takes care of them for her, even as they near the very opening in the island wall she's been looking for. Te Kā unleashes a flurry of flaming attacks at them as she makes her way to that gap, inevitably blocking it off entirely as she soon loses sight of the boat amidst the smoke she's creating. When it clears, however, she's met with a shocking sight the moment she finds the boat had turned when she wasn't looking, leaving her behind as it skips across the sea to an entirely different gap in the islands instead.
Desperate to stop her foes, Te Kā lashes out with another burst of flame, lobbing it at the boat just as it begins to cross through that rocky opening. The resounding explosion rattles the narrow strait, throwing the boat and its passengers forward roughly. In the process, Moana's tight grip on the heart of Te Fiti is broken and the stone is sent tumbling across the deck. However, despite everyone's shared panicked attempts at retrieving it, ultimately Heihei is the one to nab it in his beak at the last second before it can fall into the sea.
"Nice work, Heihei," Moana grins as the dim-witted chicken delivers the heart back into her hand.
"Look out!" the trio shouts unanimously, alerting Moana to the next bout of danger they're about to face. Between the crowds of Unversed hovering about the boat, a large boulder plummets toward it as it nears the edge of the straight. Acting quickly, Moana pushes 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 says, taking in a steading breath as she continues sailing straight toward it. Te Kā, on the other hand, has other plans in mind.
The monster explodes 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 land apart from each other in the water, none of them stay down long, instead swimming as fast as they can to reclaim the overturned canoe before Te Kā can come in for another attack. And yet, even with all four of them working together to right the overturned boat, they simply don't have enough time as the monster aggressively reaches forward, ready to bring this to an end once and for all.
At least, until Maui stops her dead in her tracks. The demigod flies in fast, swinging his hook as hard as he can to slice through Te Kā's outstretched hand, severing it entirely. As the monster recoils, the demigod lands squarely on the boat, using his hook to quickly turn it upright, much to the group's immense relief.
"Maui," Moana stops him before he can head back into the fight, so, so glad to have him standing by her side in this battle after all. "Thank you."
The demigod grins, offering her a knowing wink as he raises his hook high once again. "You're welcome."
And with that, he's off, shapeshifting into the form of a beetle in the hopes that he'll be too small for Te Kā to take notice of. At least until he comes face-to-face with her, only to switch into the form of a whale without warning. While in that massive shape, he splashes down into the sea hard, the immense wave that follows dousing the monster's flames as she lets out a fierce, agonized scream. And though the others stay the course, Sora winches as he once again feels a dulled-down echo of that agony aching in his heart as he watches the monster writhe and struggle to succeed. Still, even as that pain lingers, he forces himself to ignore it, instead opting to continue the fight against the Unversed alongside Donald and Goofy as Moana sails them ever closer to Te Fiti.
All the while, Maui continues distracting Te Kā, switching between different forms seemingly every other minute just to confuse and disorient her. Along the way he cuts through her other molten hand, though as soon as he does, she immediately lashes out, striking the demigod clean out of the sky. Maui barely manages a rough landing on a small islet near Te Fiti, though as he does, Te Kā turns her attention away from him and toward the boat all too quickly approaching the much larger island ahead.
Maui lets out a startled gasp as he quickly picks himself up, noticing as Te Kā poises herself to unleash an absolutely devastating attack. "Moana! Sora!" he lets out a warning shout, though the group on the boat has no time to react before the Ocean gets involved. A large swath of sea does the best it can to block the ball of flame, though most of it still gets through, slamming into the water just behind the boat. The immense impact breaks most of the canoe apart as it catapults its passengers into the sea, though once again the Ocean comes to their rescue to carry them all the rest of the way to the shore.
Yet even though they've reached their destination, they're hardly out of danger. The Unversed remain just as intent on getting ahold of the heart as ever, materializing in droves the moment they touch down on solid ground.
"T-there's too many of them," Moana shakes her head, realizing that the creatures are basically barricading the path forward. "What do we do?"
"We'll take care of 'em!" Goofy boldly proclaims, shield raised for the fight.
"Sora, you help go help Moana with the heart!" Donald agrees, firing a powerful wind spell to clear out a few of the Unversed.
"Right," Sora nods, turning to Moana, who's every bit as resolved as he is to see this mission through to completion.
"Go!" Maui shouts to them from his distant spot as he watches the pair begin to make their way up the mountain. "Get the heart to the spiral!"
Clearly, however, Maui isn't the only one who's noticed their approach. Te Kā watches them with rising fury, flames curling around her massive form as she readies herself to take them down once and for all. The demigod, on the other hand, refuses to let that happen. His cracked hook sparks with broken power as he slowly picks it up, bracing himself for whatever is about to happen. And, as he steels that courageous resolve, he leaps forward, raising his hook high for what could very well be his final blow.
Te Kā meets it squarely in another explosion of incredible power, the fallout of which instantly ripples across the sea. The wave of devastating energy pushes the Unversed, as well as Donald and Goofy fighting them, back against the mountain, and knocks Sora and Moana over entirely as they continue climbing it. At the same time, Maui crashes onto the islet once again, pain reverberating through both his body and his heart as he catches sight of his hook. Or rather, the very little that's left of it. The weapon's 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 stays true to his word and keeps on fighting, catching Te Kā's attention once more with a fearsome war cry. He knows it won't do much good other than buying some much needed time, but even so, he breaks out into a brazen ceremonial dance, fearlessly glaring the monster down all the while, even as she prepared a flaming attack that could very well end it all entirely. And yet, this time, that doesn't matter to the demigod, knowing that the fate of the world and his friends is far more important than whatever fate he might meet instead.
However, at that very moment, Moana and Sora 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 clear the mountain's peak together, they're instantly met with an incredibly disheartening sight.
"No…" Moana gasps, her eyes wide with disbelief as she stares at what lies before them, or rather below them. Rather than the rest of the island or the spiral Maui had spoken of, there's 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 interjects, letting out a small gasp of realization as he turns back toward Te Kā. His heart still rings with the same sort of desperation, the same sort of distraught fury she's feeling. Yet as both him and Moana happen to spot the vague shape of an unfinished spiral caved deep into her chest, he finally, finally understands where those feelings are coming from in the first place. "...She's a Heartless…"
"A what?" Moana asks, confused.
"A-A Heartless," Sora explains as quickly as he can. "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 whispers, looking to the heart in her hand first then back to the monster who wants it back so very much. The monster who's also more than ready to unleash the worst of her flaming fury onto Maui down below. At least, until she catches even the smallest glimpse of the radiant light coming from the mountain's peak.
The entire area soon falls into silence, even the Unversed diminishing and disappearing as Te Kā abandons her attack entirely, focusing only on the heart and the heart alone as Moana holds it up high for her to see. After exchanging a resolved nod with Sora, Moana steps forward, holding onto the heart as she begins to slowly make her way down the mountain alone. Maui, Donald, and Goofy alike all watch in muted confusion and equal concern as she reaches the shore, the Ocean awaiting her command as she speaks it simply and softly. "Let her come to me," she says. And so the Ocean does.
The waters peel back, forming high walls on both sides as it crafts a path of solid ground for her to walk through, ground that leads straight to Te Kā herself. And down that path Moana treads, unfettered by the danger, even as the monster unleashes a furious scream. With no water in her way, Te Kā slams to the now-dry ground, clawing her way forward in a fit of unbridled rage to at long last take back what's rightfully hers.
As Te Kā makes her violent approach, Sora feels her rage clearly, letting out a strained cry of pain as it brutally pounds through his heart. And yet, even despite it, all he can think of as he remains atop the mountain is Moana, brazenly walking straight toward her vicious demise. Once again, he feels that pang of heat and cold amidst the pain, to the point that he doesn't even need to check to see if darkness and light are surging around his hands, he just knows they are. And as that power and the strength it offers him flood his senses, he slowly raises his hand in preparation for an attack, one that he desperately hopes will be enough to save Moana before it's too late.
And yet..
"I have crossed the horizon to find you…" she sings to the monster, even as it races toward her with clear, destructive intent.
"I know your name…" Her approach is 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 seems to flourish at this, something that Sora clearly feels, though he doesn't move, even despite the immense flush of power surrounding his hand. Power that, for some reason or another, he hesitates to unleash.
"But this does not define you…" Moana stops, ready to face whatever happens next as Te Kā finishes her own fearsome approach.
"This is not who you are…." Te Kā slowly stops, her anger starting to dissipate into something else. Something that, once again, Sora can clearly feel: yearning. The grief that comes 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 feels that, as he truly understands it, his hand slowly drifts downward, the magic swelling from it disappearing altogether.
"You know who you are..."
Those words seem to gently echo through Sora's heart as the ashen skies flood with brilliant golden light, the sky and sea disappearing all around him. He knows what this was, expects it at this point, and closes his eyes, taking in a calm, quiet breath as the next question poses itself to him.
"Can you connect with the hearts of others?"
Sora opens his eyes at this, admittedly confused by the question. The first two had been very easy and straightforward to respond to, yet this one almost seems like some sort of strange riddle. And yet… despite how odd it is, it's a question his heart somehow knows the answer to all the same, especially as he realizes just how many hearts he's managed to bridge the gap between, not just in this world, but in countless others.
"Yes…" he says with a small, confident smile, hoping that his earnesty will be rewarded. And sure enough, it is as that mysterious light flashes 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 is, Sora only pays 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 now stand face-to-face, and yet still Moana does not waver. Instead, she steps toward the now-doused Te Kā, placing a gentle hand against her stony face as she finally succeeds in quelling the last of the monster's anger and anguish altogether. "Who you truly are…" she whispers and Te Kā understands. In fact, she stays perfectly still as Moana steps up to the spiral on her chest, carefully restoring the heart to exactly where it's meant to go.
The effect is immediate, the heart's power pulsating life across a form that's been devoid of it for a millennia now. Slowly, Te Kā's rigid, stony exterior begins to crumble away, revealing the true face that lies beneath: Te Fiti herself.
Without her hollow, rocky shell suffocating her, Te Fiti is radiantly beautiful, lush and green once more, her entire body adorned with flowers and fauna, all springing back to vibrant life as the goddess offers the human standing before her a warm and grateful smile. Moana readily returns it, watching in amazement as Te Fiti rises, a floral halo blooming to life around her head as she moves back toward her island home while the Ocean picks Moana up so she could follow suit. As the goddess reaches her island, she offers another kind, cordial smile to Sora as he stands on its highest peak, noting the Key he holds and nodding knowingly, almost as if she's entrusting it into his care. He's more than happy to accept it, but even more amazed as both him and Moana get 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 flourishes, 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 brings Moana to the island, it likewise tosses Maui, Donald, Goofy, and even Heihei up to the same perch, as Sora runs down the hill to meet them. The entire group shares a mutual air of excitement and relief, their daunting mission finally complete in more ways than one as they reunite to celebrate their victory.
"W-we did it!" Moana exclaims, elated.
"You did it, chosen one," Maui corrects with a wide, proud grin.
Moana warmly accepts the adulation, though her smile does fall a bit as she realizes the demigod is missing something. "I'm… sorry about your hook."
Maui, however, takes it in stride, remembering well the advice that both Moana and Sora had given him as he offers them both a thankful smile. "Well, hook or no hook… I'm still Maui."
The pair is more than happy to hear this, proud of just how far the demigod has come. Proud of how far they all have come.
"Wait a second…" Donald speaks up, surprised as both him and Goofy notice what Sora has claimed.
"Is that…?" the captain trails off, amazed.
"Yep, it's the Key," Sora smiles, holding said Key up proudly.
"That's what you've been looking for?" Moana asks, absolutely mystified by the beautiful relic.
"Some Key," Maui notes, equally impressed as he curiously reaches for it. "Mind if I-"
Before the demigod can finish, the ground beneath the entire group suddenly starts to rumble. Or rather, the hand of the goddess they all just so happened to be standing on. Te Fiti slowly brings them all up to her level, smiling silently yet happily all the while, even as Moana quickly, reverently bows before her. The trio swiftly follow suit as they urge Maui to do the same, though as Te Fiti looks to him, her smile finally falls. Maui notices immediately as he makes a rather awkward attempt at smoothing things over with the goddess he'd once stolen from.
"T-Te Fiti!" he greets with a forced laugh as he stands. "H-hey! I mean, h-how ya been?" The goddess still says nothing, only looking to him flatly, clearly not appreciating his casual manner in light of the circumstances. So instead, Maui clears his throat, taking on a more serious, earnest tone as he decides 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 accepts with apology gracefully as she brings her other hand in close, showing the demigod she harbors no hard feeling as she offers 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 lets out a delighted gasp the moment he sees the weapon, though he hesitates in taking it until Moana playfully urges him onward. "You know, it would be rude to refuse a gift from a goddess…"
Maui instantly agrees, taking the hook as he lets out a mighty cheer before testing its shapeshifting abilities out. Of course, they work perfectly as he takes the form of a beetle, gleefully buzzing up to the skies as the others watch him with shared amusement while Te Fiti begins to lower them down to the shore. As they reconvene with Maui there, the goddess pours 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 stretches 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 takes her rest as she becomes part of her island home, returning to her peaceful slumber so her heart can spread its vibrant power of life across the sea once more.
As soon as the goddess grows still in her slumber, Moana turns to the trio in particular, a bright, grateful smile spreads wide across her face. "Sora, Donald, Goofy," she begins 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 says with a humble grin.
"Like we said, we're experts when it comes to restoring hearts!" Donald proclaims much more proudly.
"And when it comes to saving worlds-er, I-I mean, the world." Sora quickly corrects himself, eliciting confused glances from Moana and Maui. At least, however, until Donald and Goofy can no longer hold back the shared bout of laughter over his near slip-up, laughter that soon enough Sora himself joins in on. Likewise, Moana and Maui get in on the fun as well, even if they don't quite understand exactly what's so funny, though the sense of levity still rides 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 is immediately caught off guard by this rather cold statement, one that comes from the lone figure approaching from the far end of the shoreline. Said figure is clad in a fit, black bodysuit, his face completely obscured by the dark, masked helmet he wears, even if the glass that mask is made of bears a small yet stark crack across its surface. Even so, there's a clear, negative aura radiating from this mysterious being, one that Sora notices immediately, more than any of the others as he takes a step forward, looking to him distrustfully.
"Who are you?" Sora asks, staying on guard as the masked figure continues making his way toward them.
"Hmph, figures you wouldn't know…" he remarks haughtily as he finally stops several feet away. "Gotta say, that strange getup nearly had me fooled at first, brother."
"Brother?" Maui frowns, glancing over at Sora in confusion. "I didn't know you had a brother, kid."
"I don't," he shakes his head, just as bewildered as he keeps his sights trained on the masked boy. "And who are you to call anyone strange, showing up here out of nowhere like this?"
"Say, do we know this fella?" Goofy asks Donald, aside in a whisper.
"Uhh…" the magician frowns, uncertain.
"We've never met in the flesh," the masked boy informs easily, finally offering the group a proper introduction. "I am Vanitas."
Donald and Goofy balk at this, instantly recognizing the name, though Sora is still out of the loop as he maintains his stern, unflinching manner all the same. "Let me guess," he begins, 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 says, 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 starts, quite surprised to hear this, understanding the implication instantly, though he's still quite perplexed by what it really means. "Wait, y-you… left the-" he quickly cuts 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 scoffs, 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 serves to set Sora on edge even more than he already is. Briefly, he considers if, in the event of a possible confrontation breaking out, he might need to utilize his newfound powers to ward off whatever threat Vanitas could possibly pose. And yet, strangely, the masked boy shows no immediate interest in fighting as he instead turns 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 muses almost thoughtfully. "Without that heart, this ocean began to crumble as darkness crept its way across it. And her rage," he nods 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 interjects 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 asks 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 grumbles, annoyed. "Can you just speed this up and get to the point already?"
Surprisingly, Vanitas nods, apparently agreeing to do just that. "My heart is made of just one thing," he explains 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 asks in appalled realization.
"Not this time." The masked boy looks toward Te Fiti once more. "They came from her."
"Y-you used her!" Moana accuses angrily. "You took advantage of her pain just so you could make your stupid monsters! That's horrible!"
Even so, Vanitas hardly seems to care about the ethics of his actions as he looks 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 draws in closer, he suddenly, swiftly summons none other than a Keyblade, a dark and sinister one at that, which he points directly at Sora before he can even think to react. "The half of me that sleeps on… inside of your heart…"
"Vanitas!" Sora exclaims, though the angry shock that ripples through him clearly comes from someone else. He gasps as that part of him remembers, as it knows exactly who the masked boy really is, exactly what he wants, exactly what he had tried to claim before. 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 doesn't share it with him as he remains baffled and alarmed by the sense of fearful familiarity he can't quite place.
"Ventus…" There's a clear sense of satisfaction in Vanitas' tone as he lowers his Keyblade and begins reaching a covetous hand out toward Sora. "What a strange place to slither off to, you insignificant speck."
Sora is quick to block whatever attempt Vanitas has in mind, quickly slapping his hand away as he takes a stumbling step backward. Yet all the while, his heart continues throwing him back into a memory that isn't even his, of a violent, devastating battle against a figure whose face he can't clearly see. Jet black hair and sharp golden eyes are all he can make out as their Keyblades clash in a fight that he ultimately knows will have no real winner. Even so, he forces himself to break out of those confusing, disconcerting memories, his heart still aching with them as he looks back to Vanitas incredulously. "W-what… what are you talking about?" he asks, much weaker than he had meant to.
At the same time, Moana keenly notices Sora's clear distress, just as much as Donald and Goofy also have. However, as she takes a bold step forward in an attempt to defend him, Maui suddenly stops 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 can do is look at him in confusion, at least until the demigod nods toward the Ocean, silently communicating his own idea to put an end to this once and for all.
"Oh, you wouldn't remember," Vanitas answers 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 exclaims, remembering the supposedly lost boy well.
"Is he sayin' that one of the missing Keyblade wielders we're lookin' for is inside of Sora's heart?" Goofy asks, aptly bewildered and concerned.
"H-how is that even possible…?" Sora barely manages 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 surfaces, one that forces him to stand, abandoned and alone for what seemed like ages, stirring in inescapable hate and misery and emptiness so intense that it's unbearable. So agonizing that the only thing he can even try to do to fill it is recklessly destroy the very embodiments of his own horrendous emotions, trapping himself in a cycle of pain and suffering that simply refuses to break. And all the while, he keeps it going, desperate to fill a void he can never hope to complete, at least… not on his own.
The second he's finally, almost blissfully pulled out of that awful memory, tears suddenly start welling up in Sora's eyes, though where they're really coming from he scarcely understands. Vanitas himself seems to start as he notices them, almost as if he's been caught off guard by something himself, but even so, he forces himself to stay his course, darkness swelling around him as he raises his Keyblade to attack yet again.
"Now…" he growls bitterly, ready to finally, finally end this. "You will return Ventus to me!"
As soon as Vanitas swings his Keyblade out into the open air before him, the already palpable pain pounding through Sora's heart seems to spike tenfold. He gasps in agony as he collapses to his knees, one hand digging into the sand while his other presses tightly against his chest as flashes of faces and places dance 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 has no choice but to follow. Yet as he narrowly manages to ground himself back into the present once more, the first thing he notices are his companions, boldly coming to stand between him and Vanitas to prevent any further harm from coming to their young companion.
And yet, what none of them, not even Vanitas, thinks to pay any mind to is the pair discreetly skirting around the entire encounter by way of the forested cover the island's other side provides them with. All for the sake of carrying out the plan they've formed, one they can only hope to carry out before it's too late.
"Donald… Goofy…" Sora breathlessly chokes 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 aren't even his to begin with.
"The King told us about this!" Goofy exclaims, 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 scowls at Vanitas angrily, his staff raised and ready to attack. "Not on our watch!"
The wave of darkness Vanitas is sending out stills at this, though only so he can fire off a much more powerful one at the pair instead. "Stay out of this!" he shouts, his power easily sweeping Donald and Goofy aside, effectively removing the only two obstacles that stand between him and what he's truly after.
As his companions are tossed to the wayside, Sora quickly does his best to pick himself up off the ground, struggling to so much as even summon his Keyblade, though the moment he does, a single heavy swing from Vanitas' sends it flying out of his hands. Defenseless and disoriented as he is, there's little Sora can do to stop Vanitas from aiming his Keyblade straight for his heart. Little, that is, aside from draw power from a different source instead.
Sora lets out a small, shuddering breath as he slowly raises a shaking hand, one that's wreathed in equal shadow and equal light. And yet, despite his best efforts to remain discreet as possible, Vanitas still notices his intentions all the same. "Don't even try it," he hisses harshly between gritted teeth, apparently in pain as he holds his own free hand high. Sora freezes as he sees the power swirling around that hand, starkly realizing that it's largely identical to the very same magic currently converging around his own. Darkness mingled with light, just like his own light mixed with darkness.
"W-what…?" he wonders in barely a whisper, his own hand falling as his eyes widen in shock.
"Who's the shadow now…?" Vanitas asks, a twinge of sadistic satisfaction in his tone as he raises his Keyblade a bit higher, ready to deliver the final blow. "It's time to end this… Join your heart… with mine!"
Sora falters, bracing himself for what will very likely be an incredibly painful, if not completely fatal blow. And yet, it's a blow that miraculously, never comes.
"Hey! What can I say except-" Maui stops the starting lines of his song just as Vanitas turns to face him, completely caught off guard, especially as the demigod offers him a knowing smirk. "Made ya look."
"Back OFF!" Moana shouts as she rushes in from Maui's other side, swinging her oar down at Vanitas hard. As unexpected as the attack, he's unprepared for it, and even though the oar instantly shatters against his Keyblade, the weapon was still completely knocked out of his hand regardless. And as soon as it is, Maui keeps their plan going, his strength serving him well as he easily hoists Vanitas up into the air, completely ignoring his outraged attempts at struggling against his hold.
"Augh! Let me go!" he shouts furiously, but Maui still pays him no mind as he watches Moana run over toward the sea instead.
"Moana, now!" he calls and she complies, whistling to the Ocean for its aid just as Maui throws Vanitas hard toward it. The Ocean easily catches him, though it doesn't stop there. It not only submerges him, but sends him flying once more, several times over in fact. Like a stone skipping across a lake, so too does the Ocean swiftly continue to toss Vanitas across its surface, over and over again until he inevitably disappears over the horizon, far out of sight.
With their plan successfully accomplished, Maui and Moana exchange a celebratory high five. Even so, no one is more impressed by it than Sora as he quickly recovers, foreign memories and persistent pain no longer pulling on his heart as he goes to join the pair, immensely relieved. "That was awesome!" he exclaims, as Donald and Goofy hurry after him to ensure he's alright. "Thank you."
"You're welcome!" Moana sings, mimicking Maui playfully.
"Hey! That's my line," the demigod teases with a wry grin. The others all get 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 is still tinged with something bittersweet: the steady realization that it's finally time for all of them to head their separate ways.
Maui is the first to prepare for his departure, though not before making sure Moana's boat is stashed with all the supplies she'll need for the long voyage home. Of course, as he piles the sizable bounty of fruit into the canoe's compartment, Heihei clumsily falls into it, just as he always manages to do. "Heh, I'm gonna miss ya, drumstick," he remarks to the chicken as he sets him upright on the boat once again.
"You could come with us, you know," Moana offers as she prepares 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 smiles warmly, pulling his necklace aside to reveal a new tattoo taking shape on his chest. One that depicts Moana, Sora, Donald, and Goofy alike, all sailing the seas alongside the demigod.
"Whoa, cool!" Sora exclaims, amazed.
"Gee, I don't think we've ever been a tattoo before," Goofy notes with a bright chuckle.
"I'd say we've earned it," Donald grins proudly.
Moana, on the other hand, can't contain herself, rushing to embrace the demigod in a hug he readily, happily returns. "You three take care," Maui says, turning to the trio as the embrace disbands. "And don't forget, everything you learned about sailing-"
"We learned from Maui," Sora finishes with a laugh. "Don't worry, we won't."
Maui nods 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're all sure to return with reassuring smiles. "See you out there, Maui," Moana says, sincerely hoping that their paths will cross again someday.
"See you out there, Moana," Maui agrees, certain that they will. And then, with a single swing of his brand new hook, the demigod transforms into a hawk, taking wing to the sky as the Ocean sees him off with a spectacular aquatic show. The others all wave to him fondly, calling out their last farewells until Maui finally flies away, letting the wind and sea carry him to wherever they want him to go next.
Once the demigod disappears into the sky, Moana turns to the trio once more, her heart still heavy yet light all at the same time as she steps onto her boat. "So… you guys ready to go?" she asks, extending a hand out toward them. A hand that none of them move to accept.
"Actually, Moana…" Sora begins with a small, sad frown. "This is actually where we say goodbye too…"
"W-what?" Moana asks, surprised at this.
"We got one of the Keys we're looking for," Sora explains, 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 adds just as devoutly. "Wherever they might be."
"W-well, then I could look with you!" Moana eagerly volunteers. "We could sail across the sea, from island to island, until we finally find them all! How does that sound?"
The trio exchanges a fretful glance at this, appreciating the girl's intentions, but knowing full well that her plan is, by all accounts, an impossible one. "But what about your island?" Donald fortunately counters just in time.
"Yeah!" Sora agrees 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 nods 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 assures, Donald and Goofy readily nodding in solid agreement. "Safe sailing, Moana."
"Same to you, Sora," Moana smiles, hoisting her sail to take to the sea once more. Though even as her boat sets out upon the water, she still turns back toward the trio, offering them one final warm wave as she sets sail for her island home, treasuring the time they'd spent together all the while.
Likewise, the trio continues to fondly wave her off, or at least Sora does, until he hears his companions pointedly clear their throats behind him. And when he turns to face them, their expressions are crossed between icy suspicion (from Donald) and clear concern (from Goofy).
"Alright, Sora," the magician begins, crossing his arms. "It's later."
Sora lets out an anxious sigh at this, immediately knowing what this is about and the conversation they'll have to have, as much as he doesn't want to have it. Which is why he decides to save them all some time by simply summoning the Kingdom Key, not saying a single word as he allows his companions to look over the cracks torn across it for themselves.
"Gawrsh... it really is cracked, isn't it?" Goofy asks with a fretful frown. "And you said ya don't know how this happened?"
Sora shakes his head, glad that he can at least be honest about that, even if he hasn't been about really anything else lately.
"When did this start happening?" Donald asks, raising an eyebrow.
"Um… w-well…" Sora hesitates, still struggling to give them the truth as he looks 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 gasps, both him and the captain balking in disbelief. "You knew about this for that long and you didn't say anything?! Why?!"
"Because I knew this is how you guys would react!" Sora snaps, largely without thinking. Yet even despite his frustration, he knows this is only half of the real reason why. The other half is something he can't even begin to try to explain. "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 counters just as harshly, though Goofy makes an attempt at calming him down by placing a level hand on his shoulder.
"Sora, we just…" the captain trails 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 says, even though he really doesn't know that. He certainly hopes they don't, and yet…
"But they could be," Donald points 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 wants to say. And yet he can't quite bring himself to do so, his heart sinking with both dread and shame as he lets his Keyblade disappear while he looks away. "I know…"
"Now, c'mon," Goofy encourages 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 adds, turning to leave.
"W-what? No!" Sora immediately protests, absolutely opposed to letting anyone else in on his once well-kept secrets. Not that he wants 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 counters, shaking his head disapprovingly.
"W-well still," Sora lets 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 exchange a doubtful glance at this, but even so, Sora continues 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 notes 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 asks, suspicious.
"Well, shucks, it's all we really have to go off of…" the captain points out with a shrug.
"It's good enough for me," Sora nods, 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 says with a dubious frown.
"Well if there's anyone who can fill that order, it's us!" Sora exclaims with a determined grin. "Now, come on. We have a lot of work to do."
"Fine…" Donald says with a relenting sigh as they prepare to leave this world for whatever one comes 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 adds sincerely. "But we can only do that if you trust us first."
"...R-right…" Sora sighs, knowing that even as he says it, he's telling them yet another lie. For there's still the matter of the growing shadows he's 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 hasn't told his devout companions, his trusted friends. Still things he wants to tell them, things he knows he needs to tell them, before it's too late.
But at this point, he's not sure if he ever really can at all.
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! :)
