All of his self-control tossed to the wind like the embers of the fire before them, Maui pulled Moana ever closer, her small yet firm frame held securely in his massive hands. Shakily, she brought her arms around his neck, burying her fingers in his hair, deepening their kiss. Her trembling brought him back to earth, even for just a moment.

"Is this okay?" he asked breathlessly. Their kiss momentarily broken, he was aware of how she was shivering. "You're shaking, you're still so weak . . ." Still cradling Moana in his arms, he shifted closer to the fire, the glow illuminating her features. Gods, the way she was looking at him right now. If he wasn't so concerned with her condition, he would take her right then and there.

"Yes, this is okay . . . Great, even," Moana smiled with uncharacteristic shyness. "I'm just cold is all . . . and sore. It feels like someone dropped me off a cliff." She hugged herself, rubbing her arms vigorously. "And I'm a little . . . I don't know . . ." Moana dropped her gaze, the smile slipping from her face.

"Awestruck to be held by Maui, hero to all? Completely natural."

Moana chuckled, punching Maui in the arm while wincing at the effort. "No, dum-dum," she lifted her eyes to Maui's once more. "I'm . . . overwhelmed, I guess. Motunui is frozen, I was frozen, turns out some goddess has it in for me for some reason. I wake up in your arms after not seeing you for two years. It's . . . a lot." Moana began twisting her hair once more. "Oh, and that was my first kiss, by the way."

"You have got to be kidding me," Maui stared at her dumbfounded. "All this time, you mean to tell me that nobody-"

"I didn't want anyone else. How could I? I couldn't take my eyes away from the horizon long enough for anyone else to matter. And then I was just angry . . . falling in love again was the last thing on my mind. Although I did accept a suitor right before leaving Motunui," Moana regarded her bare wrist with a frown. "Looks like his gift didn't make it." Maui raised an eyebrow suspiciously, Moana giggled at him. "It was Lasalo, calm down. Nothing happened. He gave me a bracelet and asked if he could begin courting me." Moana shrugged, shooting Maui a playful grin. "I don't know, maybe I should still give him a chance."

"He has considerable competition now," a mischievous grin spread across Maui's face. Pulling Moana closer, Maui swept her hair behind her back and kissed her beside her ear. Her body pressed completely against his, Maui reveled in the feel of her skin, the scent of her hair. She smelled of the sea air and coconut oil, a most intoxicating combination. "And I tend to get what I want," he growled lowly, trailing kisses down Moana's neck and shoulder. A small moan escaped Moana's lips, and that was all Maui needed. He returned his attention to her lips, his kiss heated and heavy with desire. Moana responded fervently, her tongue meeting his in a passionate frenzy. Her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, Moana shifted her position so that she was facing him head-on, a leg on each side of his waist. Maui moaned, a sound that lit a fire in Moana's belly. She tightened her legs around him as he deepened their kiss, her breath catching as his hands slipped lower down her back, gripping her buttocks and pulling her ever closer.

"Gods, please," Pele groaned, peaking out from behind her mountain. She had reverted to her natural size, similar in height to Te Fiti. "If I have to live the rest of eternity with the sound of Maui making love to his girlfriend rattling around my memory, I'll go drown myself in the sea." She rolled her eyes and rested her chin on the mountain's peak. "Do that on your own island, Maui."

Maui and Moana sprang apart, Moana settling herself on the ground beside the bonfire and Maui shifting awkwardly where he sat. "Sorry, Pele," Maui chuckled, running his fingers through his hair. "Just been a long time coming, ya know?"

"I know," Pele replied pointedly. "She's all I've heard about for years."

"Oh really?" Moana lifted an eyebrow, a grin spreading across her face. "I'd love to hear what he's had to say-"

"Okay maybe we can have storytime later," Maui interjected quickly, springing to his feet. "Anyway, we should probably be thinking about what to do about Poli'ahu and Motunui."

Moana chuckled at Maui's embarrassment while Pele shifted on her mountaintop, resting her chin on her hand. "I can sort out Motunui," she said calmly, twisting a flaming lock of hair around one massive finger. "I can thaw it out with no issues, however until Poli'ahu is dealt with, I imagine she'd just refreeze it. Or she'll do worse, who knows. She does have a taste for the dramatic, doesn't she? I'd say you have to confront her, Maui."

"Right," Maui hefted his hook onto his shoulder, gazing up at the stars for bearing. "Her island isn't far, I could probably fly there within a day."

"Fly? I don't think so," with some difficulty, Moana pushed herself to her feet. "You're not leaving me alone on the shore again. I'm coming with you. She's attacked me and my people, she's going to have to deal with me as well."

"Moana, she could kill you. I can't let that happen."

"Excuse me, I've lost count of how many times I've saved your butt."

"You're out of your league, Curly. You don't know Poli'ahu like I do."

"I think she's right, Maui," Pele interjected, ignoring Maui's exasperated groan. "I think you both need to confront Poli'ahu. I think seeing you two together may be the only way that she sees she won't get what she wants."

"What does she want?! How did this all start, anyway?" cried Moana.

"She's in love with me," Maui grunted, seemingly embarrassed by the admission.

"What?"

"Yeah, can you believe there are two people in this world who are into this guy? I'm shocked that there's one!" Pele grinned mischievously, and Moana giggled despite herself.

Ignoring Pele's teasing, Maui continued, "I pulled up her island for her, a doozy by the way. You think this one is great? You should see Poli'ahu's home. I was a new demi-god then, just showing off."

"Really? Showing off, you? I don't believe it-"

"Okay, knock it off Curly. Don't think I'm above tossing you into the ocean again." Maui gave Moana a playful shove before resuming his story. "And I guess you can say I was a little too flirtatious, a little too charming . . . I came back to visit her a lot. I liked the attention, I guess. But things started going south when I got friendly with Pele."

"She doesn't like me," Pele said cheerfully, as if the thought couldn't make her happier. "Of course, she didn't have to worry, I don't date demi-gods. They're beneath me . . ."

Maui rolled his eyes, causing another giggle to erupt from Moana. She could see how the two were friends; they sounded like a brother and sister with their constant banter. "Also the fact that you could burn my skin off just by touching me is a bit of a downer."

"It wouldn't have mattered," Pele shrugged. "And Poli'ahu should have realized her feelings didn't matter in the grand scheme of things, either. Especially after the heart of Te Fiti was restored. The deal was sealed. We all knew."

Moana furrowed her brow, not catching on to what Pele was insinuating. "I don't get it, what deal was sealed?"

Maui ran his fingers through his hair uncomfortably, "I don't know if I should say-"

"She deserves to know, Maui. Stop beating around the bush; she should have known years ago." Pele tossed her hair impatiently, sitting up straight on her mountaintop. "Moana, when Maui stole the heart of Te Fiti, he wasn't put on his island by chance. He was banished there as punishment for such a heinous crime against the gods. That's why none of us came to his rescue." Pele paused a moment, choosing her next words carefully. "Have you ever heard of the Red Thread of Destiny?" Moana shook her head. "In short, it's the idea that two people can be joined by fate and are destined to be together, regardless of time or space between them. Since the moment Maui was banished, over one thousand years ago, you were destined to find him. Your destiny was written by the Gods way before you were born. You weren't just meant to restore Te Fiti's heart, you two are fated; you are meant to be together." An uncharacteristically soft smile spread across Pele's beautiful features. "That's why you are tattooed over Maui's heart."

In stunned silence, Moana sat on the raised stone table upon which Pele had unfrozen her hours before. Slowly, she looked up at Maui. "Did you know?"

"I learned shortly before your father's death," Maui replied, diverting his gaze from Moana's. "It scared me, Moana. In learning that I was meant to have you, all it felt like was that I was meant to lose you. I've been around for millenia . . . a human lifespan is like a blink of an eye for me. How could I be happy if I knew that one day I'd turn around and there you'd be, on your deathbed, while I had to go on every day without you? I'm not proud . . . I should have told you. And running away was the coward's way out."

Moana was quiet for a moment, turning it all over in her mind. To think that all of her life, every choice she had made, she was simply following a predetermined path. The call to the sea she had felt within, all of her life . . . it was the pull of destiny that she had no choice but to follow. It was both unnerving and somewhat calming. Yet with this realization came so many questions bubbling to the service. She was the chief of Motunui while Maui was the demigod of the wind and sea. She was mortal, and he would never die. She was expected to lead her people, produce an heir. Her life had been laid out for her on two completely opposing paths.

As if reading her conflicted thoughts, Pele spoke again. "All will be made clear, Moana. There is still so much that must come to pass. But first, Poli'ahu." Pele stood from her mountaintop and made her way toward them, shrinking down to Maui's height as she moved. "Come, follow me to the shore." Moana and Maui followed. While her first few steps were stiff, Moana found that her joints were loosening up pleasantly with the effort.

As they reached the shore and Moana's canoe, Pele gestured toward the oar. Moana picked it up and brought it forward. "A gift from me, to the Princess of Maui." Before Moana could correct her on calling her a princess (Poli'ahu called her "Princess of Maui" too, what gives?), Pele touched the tip of the oar, near where Maui had carved his fish hook and a heart years ago. The hook began to glow in blue flames, yet Moana's hands did not burn at the contact. They tingled pleasantly at the warmth. Markings began to appear up and down its handle, similar to those on Maui's fish hook. As the glow faded, Moana looked up at Pele questioningly. Pele smiled that gentle smile yet again. "Your magical oar wields the power of the ocean. While before the ocean merely helped you when called upon, it now bends to your will."

Moana gasped, staring at the oar completely dumbfounded. "What?! I can't-"

Maui chuckled beside her. "Didn't you once tell me it would be rude to refuse a gift from the gods?"

Moana's mouth snapped shut, biting down on the protest that was about to surge forth. "Thank you," she said instead. She clutched the oar to herself tightly; it still tingled in her hands. "I hope I can prove myself worthy of your gift."

"You will," Pele said simply. "Now, I'll head to Motunui and unfreeze the island. Good luck taking on Poli'ahu. Take your time, Moana. Get all of your strength back, and practice with your oar." Her solemn nature abandoned, Pele punched Maui playfully in the arm, causing him to wince at the burn. "Try not to mess anything else up, knucklehead!" In a plume of smoke and ash, Pele ascended into the sky, moving like a dark cloud in the direction of Motunui.

Alone again, Moana and Maui gazed after Pele's retreating cloud in silence. Glancing down, Moana traced the markings on her oar. "The power of the ocean,"she whispered. "I can't believe it."

"I can," Maui smiled warmly down at her, hefting his own hook onto his shoulder. "Who better to wield such power than the chosen one who saved the world?" He effortlessly lifted Moana onto the canoe and pushed it into the water, jumping aboard beside her. "Come on Princess, just need to make a quick pit stop before we pay Poli'ahu a visit."