Moana was floating. Far off, distantly, she heard a man's agonized cries. Maybe she heard her name; it was impossible to be sure. Everything was dark . . . and oddly cold. How did she get here? Where was here, anyway? Every thought drifted away from her as quickly as it surfaced.

Rope in one hand, oar in the other, Maui deftly steered Moana's canoe toward the only person . . . well, deity that could help him now. For someone who was immortal, every minute was particularly agonizing. Maui couldn't help but let his eyes fall to Moana, as much as the site of her pained him. He thought he had been protecting her by staying away, yet his actions may have doomed her instead. The thought was enough to drive him mad, but he pushed it from his mind. No, this would be set right.

The sun was setting as the island appeared on the horizon; he'd know it anywhere. It was one of the biggest he pulled from the sea, and he had labored for days to do it. It had since become the home of one goddess in particular. If Te Fiti possessed the power to create life itself, she could not do it without the fiery power of Pele. Even now, miles away, he could see her glow in the darkening sky.

"Pele!" he roared as the canoe made it to shore. "Pele! If you could get your flaming rear down to the beach, that would be great."

Gazing sleepily around the peak of the great volcano, Pele's ruby red eyes regarded him with some degree of annoyance. Even to a demigod like Maui, she was truly an awesome site. Generally about the same size as Te Fiti when in her natural form, great rivers of magma ran down her shoulders from the crown of her head like flaming locks of hair. Her flawless skin glowed a deep red. She was at once both beautiful and terrifying, however she and Maui went way back.

"Really, Maui," she sighed, pushing her hair out of her face. "The drama isn't really necessary."

"Afraid it is," Maui gestured to the frozen form beside him.

"What in Te Fiti's name is that?" Pele began to shrink, slowly transforming to a more human-sized form. Or a Maui-sized one, at least. "Set off Poli'ahu again, have we?"

"Something like that," Maui glanced uneasily down at Moana, and gingerly lifted her from the canoe. He set her kneeling form down gently on the sand before Pele. "Meet Moana."

"Oh wonderful!" Pele clapped her hands and giggled sarcastically. "It's about time I met your girlfriend!"

"Pele," Maui growled.

"Oh, stop. Just having a bit of fun," Pele knelt down to have a better look. "I take it this was recent?"

"I think so, I just found her this morning. Can you do anything?"

Pele sighed, standing up straight. "I'm not sure," she said, her voice more gentle this time. "To be honest, I've never thawed a human before."

"She's gone too far this time," Maui twisted his hook in his powerful hands. "She knows better than to target a mortal."

"If only we were all so wise as to avoid mortals," Pele shot Maui a leveling glance. "The lines do get blurry sometimes, don't they?"

Maui shrugged, silent for a moment. He lifted his gaze to Moana. Even frozen, her beautiful face still tugged at his heart. "She was different."

"Now let's not sink into past tense, shall we?" Pele placed a burning hand on Maui's arm. He winced, which elicited a deep laugh. "I'll give it my best shot."

Hefting Moana's frozen form in his arms (somewhat awkwardly, given her kneeling position), Maui followed Pele up the coast and toward the volcanic mountains where Pele made her home. The land was blackened with fresh magma, little shoots of plants popping up here and there. They approached a clearing lined with trees; Pele waved her hand and the ground parted, magma spurting up and forming a table-like platform. It quickly hardened and cooled, and Maui placed Moana upon it.

"Okay," Pele rubbed her hands together, glancing around the clearing. "She'll need to keep warm for a while after she is thawed. Grab some wood and leaves from those trees."

Maui took off for the trees. Back in a flash, his arms full of the requested items, he dropped them at Pele's feet and quickly assembled a bonfire. With a touch of her fingertips, Pele quickly set it ablaze. "Those leaves," she gestured to the pile of leaves that had been untouched. "See if you can fashion her a skirt or something. Her clothes will be destroyed." Maui's mouth fell open at this, prompting a giggle from Pele. "Oh come on, you act like you've never seen a woman before."

"Not this w-woman," Maui practically choked on the word.

Pele lifted an eyebrow quizzically. "Oh no? Wasn't she your lover?"

"Not the time, can we just get on with this?" Maui hissed impatiently. He twisted the large palm leaves in his hands, quickly forming a skirt not dissimilar to his own.

Pele rolled her eyes. Wordlessly, she gently placed her hands on Moana's frozen shoulders. A warm glow began to spread from where she placed her palms. It spread down her body, until Moana's whole form was engulfed in a magical flame. Pele's brow was furrowed in deep concentration, her eyes shut tight. Maui watched with fists clenched. A deep fear was struck in his heart. Could a mortal even hope to survive this? All he could do was trust that Pele knew what she was doing.

Pele removed her hands and stepped back, the magical flame slowly dissipating as Moana returned to view. Completely thawed yet still unconscious, Moana began to slide from the stone table. "Quick, catch her!" Pele cried. Maui darted forward and did so, grabbing her just before she hit the hard ground. "Is she breathing?"

Maui knelt down, Moana held tightly in his massive arms. He studied her face intently, waiting for any sign of life. As if on cue, her lips parted slightly, a small sigh escaping. "Yes!" Maui grinned, burying his face into Moana's slightly singed hair. As he held her, he felt her chest rise and fall against him with steady breaths. Her body . . . all of it. Maui felt his face go as red as Pele's. He gently pulled back from Moana, forcing his gaze to not go below her neckline. "The skirt, please?"

Pele smirked at him, waving her fiery fingertips at him. "If I touch it, I'll set it on fire. Sorry!"

Maui groaned, setting Moana back on the stone table. He grabbed the leaf skirt and tied around her waist, all the while definitely sure that he would die from embarrassment (although Moana would surely kill him first once she came to and realized what happened). The skirt in place, Maui looked around helplessly, not quite sure what to do with the . . . uh . . . upper portion.

Pele rolled her eyes at him. "Her hair, dummy."

Maui gently brushed Moana's long hair forward, covering her chest with the long black locks. His hand inadvertently brushed one breast as he did so, and despite himself, he felt a stir deep in his gut. It had been so long since he had seen her, so long since he had touched her. How many nights had he thought of her, dreamed of her, desired her? How many times had he wished he could just fly to Motunui and tell her everything he felt for her?

"I'm here, Curly," he whispered in her ear. "I won't be leaving you again. Not ever."

Floating, floating. The darkness was red, and then it was all black again. So cold, yet warmer now.

I'm here, Curly. I won't be leaving you again. Not ever.

At last.