AN:
I'm sorry for the late update... I had some personal stuff going on and I lost a special person in my life too.
So I hope you enjoy the chapter. It's a long one. :P
"The bartender did what?!"
Moana was hearing about Taih'i and Julia's night out. Completely in shock of how the bartender had saved Julia from the drunk man.
"You should have seen him Moana. He was so fast and so strong. I think he is training alot from those muscles he has *whistle* Let me tell you. Damn."
Moana looked over at Taih'i who was sitting very uncomfortable on his chair. "What happen then?" Curiosity had taken its hold on Moana.
"He let the drunken man go and when he was this close *pinches two fingers* to the door, he tried to threaten the bartender. He just looked at him and had the most terrifying face I have ever seen. Stood there for a minute or two and out of nowhere he shouted BUH!" Moana almost fell down of her chair.
"I tell you the drunken man screamed like a little girl as he ran out."
Moana cried from laughing. "Hahaha I can't take it. Please stop. My stomach ow ow ow."
Julia had joined Moana in the laugh, Taih'i sad back with a smile and just chuckle at the sight of them having fun. He was glad to see how Moana and Julia had bounded as friends, while she had taught the foreign girl their language. As their laughter died down, he remembered something.
"Hey Julia? Didn't I invite him for dinner this Friday? I can't quite remember. Think I might have a bit too many drinks last night." Taih'i asked shyly.
"Oh yeah you did, but what should we make?"
"Well he did say he was from the same parts as me and Moana so maybe you could give us some ideas?"
"Yeah sure. You could make some mango juice, shrimp in coconut milk. *drool* Mmmmmhm that's a long time since I made that." Moana looked away with drool running down. *cough*
"Ehm sorry." Realizing she had made a pool on the table, wiping it away she continued.
"Remember the roasted mango I talked about last night? You should make those too. And maybe chicken as the main course." The couples look at Moana with interest and a bit scared face.
"Tell you what. What if me and Julia go and buy the items and I'll help you make it?"
"That would be really great Moana."
Taih'i looked at Moana. She could see how the relief washed over him. He had tried to make that with his mom back at his island but it had been when he was 6 and before they had moved to the city. His step dad had got a new job so they had to move so he could be closer to his job and not take the flight 6 hours per trip. Signed happily Moana looked out at the window to the sea.
"If you will excuse me I have date with the ocean. You wanna come?" Moana didn't need to look at her friend cuz she knew the answer.
"Yaaaay. I'm up for it." Julia squealed.
"Taih'i what about you?"
"Nah I'm staying home and feel sorry for myself a bit more. You go and enjoy it." Winking at the girls, Taih'i got up and wobbled to the couch, laid down and turned on the tv. Moana never had been interested in that box, sure she had seen a movie or a show, but her head was pounding painfully afterwards.
"Shall we?" Julia was really excited.
"Yeah. Just need to change first. So give me five minutes."
"Slowpoke!" Julia teased. Moana glared back playfully at her and headed to her room to change, when she was done she ran out.
"Ready!" Moana shouted as She was coming down the stairs.
"Took you long enough! I would have sat roots if it took longer." Sticking out her tongue as Moana walked pass Julia.
It was high noon when they got down to the beach.
"Phew." Julia wiped her forehead as She put down her bag under a palm tree.
"Maybe we should have waited a bit before we walked out in this oven." Looking up at the sun Moana could only agree.
"But we can take a nap as we wait?"
"You do that. I have my book with me." Julia had already sat down with her book in hand. Shrugging she laid down on a blanket the had bought. Moana wasn't quite sure of how long she had been out, but listening to the ocean as is lapped at the shore had put her in a relaxing stage and she enjoyed the warm breeze rolling over her now and then, eventually she had fallen asleep.
"That's one hell of a bird."
"Where Julia?" Moana sat up and tiredly rubbed her eyes.
"There!" Pointing at the direction. "Over the trees."
Moana tried to see the bird but she couldn't find it.
"Oh it's gone now." Disappointed for not catching just a glimpse of it, Moana got up and headed to the sea.
"You coming?"
Just as She had said it she saw something in blur running right pass her, Julia had run to the sea and dived in. Chuckling Moana ran after her.
"Heey there ocean. Thanks for the dance last night."
Moana ran her fingers through the water as she walked in it. Julia coming up for air stood and watched how Moana had a living look on her face when she ran her fingers over the surface.
"I forgets sometimes that you are from another time and you have this deep connection with the ocean and talks to it as if it was alive."
"Well yeah. You would feel the same if it had saved you multiple times from drowning and a huge fireball from Te Kā." Moana laughed at Julia, she could see that the facial expression of disbelief of what Moana just had said.
'Saving her from drowning and a fireball? She never mention that before. Only that she and this so called demigod put the heart back.' "Sooo, what got you to come down to it again after being away for three years?"
"Well honestly, I realized I missed it when I told the story of Te Fiti the other day at work." Sighning Moana continued "The tale got me thinking of how long I had been away from it cuz I was so focused on all the new around me. Learning a new language, NOT running in front of moving cars *winked*, the job at the museum etc. etc. And trust me I got scolded for it."
"By who? Taih'i?"
"No silly. From the ocean!" Moana ran her hands over the surface once more.
"How can you get scolded by an ocean?" Julia wondered looking down at the water, had she looked at Moana she would have seen a smirk beginning to appear and a small nod to the small wave behind her. Julia looked up at Moana again but a steam of water hit her face with such force that she was knocked back under.
"Haha ocean be nice. She has a right to wonder." The ocean had got offended by this friend for disbelieving and stood now in a semi large wave in front of Moana. Julia came back up coughing out some of the water she had swallowed, wide eyes as she looked at it.
"I-it's real!" She whispered in statement.
"It's real alright." Moana went around it with her hand gently stroke the side. "It came to me when I was a toddler. Gave me the heart of Te Fiti, but how can a small toddler save the world? And when my dad called I unfortunately dropped it in the water. My grandmother kept it safe for me until the time was right. It helped me find Maui and *sad sigh* we became best friends, for a long time." Looking out at the horizon as she ended.
"You miss him huh?"
"A lot." Moana turned back to Julia. "As much of an ego that man could be, he had his good sides too. He was the kind of guy you could count on if something happened. You just knew he had your back no matter what. Even though he was over three thousand years when I met him, he could be such a child sometimes." Chuckled Moana thought back at Maui standing with a pouting mouth and puppy dog eyes pleading to chase the kids one last time before dinner. "It makes room for the food." He had said. Moana had simply not the heart to say NO to him when he was like that and he knew it aka trickster.
"Must have been nice, to have such a friend like him."
"It really was. And I'm sure he is out there somewhere telling how awesome he is and of course of his many deeds, really living his demigod life. Don't look at me like that. It's how it should be, I'm a mere mortal and he is immortal, destined to keep us safe from harm and battle great monsters. Sending them back to where they belong in Lolatai." Moana stood with her arms out to show how great she thinks it would be for him. The ocean wrapped around her hand, bringing it down and gave it a squish, letting her know that it was here for her and would always be. Smiling as the reassuring gesture, Moana began to walk out of the water, she had lost the joy to swim now. The former chief made it to spot under the palm tree where their stuff still where, Julia had walked after her. Moana found a brick of juice, taking the straw out, she thought about how she had been lost on how to open it the first time she had seen it.
She had tried to open it like with a coconut that had only resulted in a lot of cleaning afterwards. Taih'i had shown her how the straw was used to open it, she took a sip.
"You like him don't you?" Julia leaned over her shoulder with her hands behind her back.
Spurting out the juice, she wiped her mouth. "Excuse me?"
"I see how you have looked at the horizon when you speak of him, or how you're watching the beach as if you are waiting for something to happen." Her mouth dropped and formed like a big O (:O).
"I thought I kept it to a minimum, so you didn't saw it." Sighning in defeat.
"Ah ah ah." Julia waved her index finger in front of her. "You should know me by now that this nose *pointing at it* has done it's fair share of sniffing stuff out."
"Yeah your right. And can we stop talking about me now and just enjoy the rest of the day here?"
Maui had flown over the beach without thinking about the people that might have been there.
'Great work there great Maui. Stupidity on its highest.' Sighning, he basket his wing harder.
'I should have been further out over the sea. Stupid stupid stupid.' He mentally slapped himself and to make it worse the hero of men felt a small pain on his feather covered chest, from his mini.
'I KNOW OKAY! Don't have to make it worse tiny.' He prayed to the ancients gods for not to be shot down or captured from a hunter or worse. Being displayed in cages in some sort of park with other animals. He was a pretty big bird and it wouldn't surprise him if he did hear a gunshot. He had seen how people didn't appreciate the wild life anymore. Seen how they were kept in large cages for their own "protection", but what had saddens him the most was when he had tried to free some of them, they had just looked at him with a confused look, turned around and went back in, telling him that they didn't want to leave their prisoned life, so Maui had them be, knowing that he couldn't change how it was for them.
Maui got closer to Motunui, he wondered what the chief would do this time. He was a proud man, reminding him of Tui in his way to lead his tribe. Hard and righteous, but good hearted, always there to help his people. With that describing of the new chief, Maui knew he liked to play a trick or two on the demigod. Last time he had gotten some of those blasted little fire crackers. Lightning them up behind the alter so Maui had nearly trashed it from pure shock and stood ready with his hook, raised over his head, if something decided to jump out.
After Tui had died, from a very old age, Maui and Nalu had decided to keep the demigod for the chiefs family only. The island had become popular, over the years that it was almost over crowded when Maui was visiting. As the years past, the crowed had gotten smaller and smaller and in the end they had stopped coming, expecting to see the famous giant of a man with his magical fish hook. Sure in the beginning it was hard for the demigod to not show off, so he had done it to the high family instead, meeting him in the cave with a small feast to enjoy.
Many years before he had even thought about buying the bar, Maui had leaded some explorers to an island, where he had carved in his and Moana's history on the walls. All the gods, so they could see what world Moana's people believed in at that time. He had made a great deal out of carving the history on the walls. Making Moana look like the ink version on his chest, made his own history as he pull up the lands and yeah you get it, all the deeds he had done for the humankind, even how he had stolen the heart from the mother goddess, cuz if he left that one out, Moana's story couldn't have begun.
The explorers stood in awe, when they finally had found the cave. Running their fingers over the work, they toke in all the details. Maui had taking great pride in when he left them to take records of their story.
'Now they will never forget who saved the world.' He had disguised himself in iguana form, with a smirk on his face.
Maui could see how Motunui took form as he neared the island. It stood in it full glory of how that had mixed up the old and new, together. The huts had been replaced with small houses, but it was still a awestruck sight, nearly taken his breath away every time he came closer. The village had grown over the years and Maui had seen it blooming every time he came to the island.
He flew over the small city and watched how the kids where outside, playing with each other. He headed off to the cave, where Moana's ancestors boats had been and landed on the small sand beach, inside. Looking around to see if anyone had snuck in, he quickly shifted back to his regular, handsome self.
He and Sina had made a alter for Moana mostly, but he used it now to pay his respect to her parents too and to the other chiefs afterwards. It stood near where her boat had been, the first time she had sailed out in her quest for him. Maui had made it more solid over time, but it still had all the stuff Sina had placed on it, when she had come to mourn. The powerful man had made sure they could never leave its place. (Yay for the invention of super glue.) And kinda scared off the people, that had tried and come to steal by saying there was a ghost watching over it.
So legend was told now that Sina's ghost lingered in the cave, waiting for her lost daughter to return home. He went over to the alter and put the orchid, he had been carried in his talons while flying, in the vase that stood empty. Stepping back, he placed his hand and one knee on the ground, while bending his head in respect, he began mumbling a small prayer to them. Completely lost in his prayer, Maui didn't hear chief Chelan of Motunui, snuck in the caves opening.
Feeling like a kid again, the chief crept closer, until he was behind the demigod. Placing himself on a small rock, Chelan sat and took the sight of the bulging man before him.
"Hallo Maui."
Maui jumped into the air, screaming and almost tipped the alter over in the process. His hand flying up and clinched to where his heart was beating like crazy.
"ARE YA TRYING to give me a freaking HEART ATTACK?!"
The chief laughed broadly at how Maui looked back at him. Wide eyes and breathing heavily from the shock.
"Ah we wouldn't want the great shapeshifter to die from that." Chelan kept looking at the demigod with a smirk.
"Har har. Very funny little chief." Maui glared back at him, while trying to get his heartrate under control again.
"So how'd you been? Did something interesting happen in the town of yours?"
"Nah not much, the usual." Shrugging. "Served some booze and kicked a drunk man out from the bar."
"What why?"
"Meh. He was too much for one of the guest. A damsel in distress you could say." The proud demigod flipped his hair over his shoulder over the last three words.
"Ohhh." Chelan raised a brow. "You didn't do anything stupid now?"
Maui stood with his mouth open and closed it again. He could feel a sweat dropped from his temple.
"Pffffft why would I *points at himself* EVER do something like that?" He felt like a little kid that had been busted with the hands in the cookie jar, so he tried to get out of it by acting innocent. The chief clearly didn't buy the act.
"Maui what did you do to the man?" Sighning in defeat Maui mumbled something the Chelan couldn't quite hear. "-red him." Was all he got.
"What?" He leaned closer to get a better hearing at what the man with godly power tried to say to him.
"I SCARED HIM!" Maui roared.
"Okay I think you just cleared my ear canals there. Thank you very much" with a finger in his ear he tried to stop the buzzing noise by wiggle it a little a few time to see if that helped, but sadly it didn't.
"That what ya get, for scaring the crap out of me, little chief."
"Fair enough." Chelan smirked at the demigod. "But you gotta admit it was a good scare I gave you." Chelan winked back. He took great pride in knowing the great Maui from the legends he had been told as a kid. Now standing here upfront, he thought back how he had met the God as kid. Standing behind his mother as she and Maui talked about the Village. He had been scared to see the humongous man. Maui had winked at him and giving him a smile.
"Don't be scared hon. Come out and say hey to him." He had looked up at her and seen how she was smiling comforting in his way. He dared to step a bit more out. Still holding on to his mother skirt, he dared to take his head a little more out to see the largest man he had ever seen in his short life. Smiling, Maui crouched down so he didn't seem so intimidating for the kid.
"Heey there kid. I hear ya gonna be the next chief in line, some day." The demigod took his hand out and placed it over Chelan head, His whole head disappeared under it.
"Uh huh." Came a small voice from underneath the hand.
"Well ain't that just peachy." Tipping his large hand so he could see him again, the little chief look back at him with frightened eyes.
"Don't ya worry, I don't bite. I already have filled my tummy for today." *clapping his stomach* the large demigod laughed so it boomed through the cave.
"Hallo?" Maui was in front of the chief, who was looking straight into the wall, spacing out and was waving his hand in front of his face.
"Okay." A smirk crept on the demigod. He took a few steps back, inhaled and roared loudly. A whelp came from the chief. He stumbled down from the rock and rolled a few meters back.
He hit the head a little when he stopped, rubbing his head. "Was that really necessary Maui?"
Maui stood proud with the same smirk on his face, before he had yelled at the poor man with his arms crossed. The chief where looking at him with pointing daggers. "Orw come on little chief, ya where the one who started it." Chelan let out a puff of air and dropped his shoulders.
"Yeah you're right..." glaring up "Well now that this is over I believe you want to hear the same story of how it's going?" Chelan waved his hand around with eyes closed. "Why don't you come out and see it for yourself?" He nodded his head over to the entrance to make his point. He crocked his head to look back, see if he had been able to persuade the man to come out with him.
"Another time Chelan." Maui really didn't want to face it. He wasn't ready for it. Not yet. He flipped on his feet and took his hook from where he had placed it earlier. He gripped it tightly.
"Okay. But don't be a stranger. You know that. Drop by sometime and I will pour up some kava for us to enjoy." Wide eyes Maui flipped his head back to the chief behind him.
"Ya still make that? I thought it died out long ago." Ohhh Maui did not like the smirk that was creeping up on the chief normally stern face.
"Oh we do. My wife is making some right now for later. We are having a big celebration in a few months." Maui's mouth was dropped to the sandy floor. "Ya gotta teach me how to make that someday."
'Gotcha Demi.' "She will. But YOU have to stay here for some time to learn the recipe though." Chelan chuckled at his little plan. 'Let's see how he will take this on.'
"Okay. When?" That was blurted out way to eager.
"Next time you come here. You'll be staying for the time being to learn it." Chelan replaced his smirk with a victorious smile. 'It's gonna click any minute now...!' Maui snapped out and thought about what he just agreed to, his face dropped.
"Ya sneaky little mortal." Squinting his eyes. "Ya knew I couldn't say no." Chelan turned so his face back the great demigod.
"Maybe." Was all he said while he waved goodbye to him.
"See you around Maui." Left alone in the cave, Maui now stood, snorted and folded his arms. A smile quickly came over, he couldn't stay mad at him. Turning around he jumped up and shifted to a shark. Diving head on into to the sea and headed home.
Julia and Moana sat in the bus on the way to a market. They had been talking about it for days and now they both had the day off together.
"I can't believe you haven't been here before. You have lived here for three years now Moana." Julia was over exited to get out there again and to show Moana what she had been let out on.
"Oh my god. Look look." Julia had spotted a nice looking man who had been starring at her friend. Groaning Moana turned her head to where her friend was pointing very obviously.
"Could you stop pointing?" She had a good idea of what this was headed. Julia had tried to get Moana hooked with some guys in the past year. She was determining not to give up her quest any time soon. She saw the guy winked at her and couldn't stop the snort from coming from her.
"Yeah he's a real catch." Looking unimpressed back out the window. Julia shrugging to the very handsome guy and turned to Moana.
"What's up with you? You haven't been interested in to at least get to know one. There gotta be one out here, who makes your head turn 180 degrees." Moana snorted again.
'The one who ever made me do so *sigh* is long away from here.' Moana felt how her heart beaded faster at the memory of a man, standing with his raven curly hair whirling behind him in the wind. Arms folded and had that smirk on, for how he had once again thrown her off the boat. She remembered how she almost could see the gap between his teeth, lips was slightly parted. She still could see in her inner mind of how well toned he was when he stood like that. Beaming with strength but could be gentle when he gave in and help her up again with a shift motion. Or how he stood with a sad expression on, when he had to leave after he had been staying for some time in her village and helped. She could tell even then, that he didn't want to leave but she could never ask him to stay. She knew he had to go out again on the vast sea. So when he had been around she would make sure to spend as much time she could with her friend. It had mostly been in the afternoon and had almost always ended in her falling asleep, leaning up against his shoulder. She never knew how she had ended back up in her hut but she had a very good idea of who had brought her back. She sure missed her friend.
Shaking her head she remembered that Julia was still sitting beside her and was waiting for an answer. "I don't know. I just don't think I'm ready for such thing yet." Squinting her eyes, Julia looked at Moana with skeptics.
"What? It's true." Her friend raised a brow, not buying it.
"URGH!" The former chief tugged her hair in a little frustration.
"Can't I just enjoy my new life style for a bit longer?" Truth be told, Moana needed time to get use to the fact that she'd never got back to her own time again. This whole thing was still so surrealistic for her. Moana still woke up thinking that her mother would come in, like she always had, saying good morning and tell her of what the chores might was going to be that day. And she needed time to realize that seeing Maui again was just as big as seeing Tamatoa alive, in Lolatai again.
"Of course." She could hear how defeated Julia sounded there and watched how her shoulder dropped a little.
"I just don't want you to be alone more than necessary." Moana felt sorry for putting a sad mood on Julia. She meant well by trying to get foreign girl to see some others than just her and Taih'i. Sighning she made Julia look back at her.
"I just don't think there is one out there who can handle me just yet. Hmmm that sounded a bit wrong. Let me rephrase that. I don't think there is one who can handle one that is not from around here. Still getting too exited of how the phone is working. It's sooo impressive that you can talk with one and not see the person. Or the way you get all the clothes washed. It just turn around and around. I got dizzy one time I had been looking at it."
"Moana you are babbling."
"Sorry." Embarrassed Moana looked away a little flushed. "Point is that I'm still a bit new in all of this and I just need more time to get used to it. That's all. Julia had been watching Moana the entire time she had talked. She could sense that there was something Moana was holding back, but didn't have the heart to press on so she dropped it.
"Yeah I don't think they would want to have anything with you when they learned that you have an ocean as a pet." She tried to lift the mood again and silently decided to let her be with the whole, get a guy for Moana so she wasn't alone, deal. It worked cuz Moana was giggling from her comment.
"You're properly right." Sighning in amusement, Moana looked back out the window. "Bet you still a virgin." Nudging an elbow in her side.
"By Te Fiti what does that have to do with it?" The foreign girl had whipped her head and her cheeks gotten crimson red in no time. Julia was about to say something else when the bus stopped.
"Uh look we're here!" Moana jumped over Julia and headed out with the crowd. Left behind was Julia with a knowing smile lingering. When the last people behind her, had got up and was on the way out, she headed the same way. 'She can't escape it forever.'
Outside stood Moana and looked over the market. It was bigger than the village where she had grew up in. It stretch out longer then her eyes could see to both sides. Food, clothes, vegetables and more the heart could ever desire was gathered in one place.
"Wait! Hold up Moana." Julia watched how she was running over to a booth with sun glasses and found a pair, bright red ones with cheap looking diamonds on them. When she had put them on Moana turned around with a big grin on her face.
"How do I look?" Out of breath Julia was bending over, trying to gain back her breath. "Forgot how fast you could run girl. And those glasses are a big no no. Waaaaay too big for you."
Conning back up Julia headed over and quickly scanned the others that was placed in front of them. "Ah ha. Here." She turned back to Moana and took off the red ones and put on some Neon yellow, star shaped on instead.
"Suits you much better." She could help but laugh when she watched Moana. Raven hair was hanging over her back, curled and with those glasses on, was just a shore sight. Moana found a mirror to look in and frowned at the sight. Quickly she took them off and placed them back from where Julia had taken them.
"Come let's go on." Moana began to walk away which lead her friend to take some quickly steppes to follow her, Laughing at her reaction.
"Moana please wait. I don't want to look all over for you if we split up. And considering that you don't know how to use a phone, well we have to stick together." She stopped her hurry padding and sighed.
"Sorry." Julia trapped her arm in Moana's and followed.
"No worries. So where do you want to start?" Julia didn't need Moana to answer when she heard her growling stomach coming from her.
"Okay we start with food then." pulling Moana over to a food station. Hours went by and Moana had taken the lead in the market. Julia's feets was beginning to hurt from all that walking.
"C'mon Moana. Let's go home." Moaned Julia "My feets are killing me here" She wasn't about to give up.
Moana laughed and kept walking. After the 30th booth they had walked passed, she had taking the lead. Moana looked over her shoulder with a grin.
"You tired already? We haven't even seen the half of the market yet." She blink at Julia with a devilishly glint in her eyes.
"I'll bet you wouldn't survive one day on my island in my time by how much you have complained the past hour." Moana turned back and found a station with clothes in. Mostly dresses where showing and her eyes fell on two she immediately felt in love with. Deciding that she wanted to try them before they left to catch the bus and the same time gave her whining friend a must needed rest. Moana strode over and look at the red one and beside it, was an orange one. The red reminded her of Te Fiti when she was the lava monster. And the orange, she trailed her fingers over it. It reminded her of the nights on Motunui when the big bonfire was lit and how her people danced around it.
"Like what you see dear?" An elderly woman came up to her. Her hair was Gray and was pulled back. It was only being held up with a used rubber band.
"My granddaughter have made these." Moana could see how proud the old woman was, when she looked over the dresses Moana stood in front of. She was reminded how her grandmother Tala had been showing off a wristband Moana had made when she was a little girl. The proud voice and smile Tala had on when she walked in the Village.
"She must have put alot of work in these. They are beautiful." The way a golden string was gently weaving in and out creating a pattern. Starting from the right, trailing all the way down to end on the left side right above the where the knee would show.
"Nah." The elderly woman waved off. "Today it's more like a quick job for her. But it has taking her years to get where she is today. But nowadays she makes them to earn some extra beside her job." The old woman gave Moana an elbow in her side and winked.
"I want to try them. Would it be okay if I did?"
"Well of course dear. Give me a second to grab my extra arm." And she was off. Julia came up beside Moana.
"I want to try these before we head home. It won't take long." She could see how the relief washed over Julia's face.
"Yeah you do that. Then me and my poor feet can rest." Moana nodded smiling back and watched how Julia limped over to sit in an extra chair.
"Don't be that dramatic Julia." She teased when Julia let a sigh of relief escape her lips and sunk down into the chair.
"You try and keep on walking for hours with no rest. Then we can talk together." Moana simply shook her head. 'She would NEVER survive a week in my time.'
"Ohhh more customers." The old woman came out with a metal stick with a small hook in the end of it and a huge smile was plastered on her face. She quickly came over to where Moana stood. From the help of the stick she managed to take down the dresses and gave them to Moana.
"The dressing area is round the back dear."
"Thank you." And was off in the way the woman had pointed to her. The last thing she heard before she turned was the woman asking Julia if she wanted to have something to drink. After spending three years with Julia, Moana had a pretty good feeling of what the answer would be. But she hoped that Julia wouldn't take too much advantage off the sweet lady. Entering the room Moana quickly stepped out of her own clothes and took the red dress on first. It was like it was meant for her. The small thin string on her shoulders just hangs loosely on her. Not boring down in her skin she had seen some of Julia's had. It had an open back and was showing off her bossem, but it wasn't as much as she had feared when she first had seen it, just enough to show the cleavage. It reached her to the knees and was hanged loosed, giving her the feeling of freedom around her legs she had felt with her old skirt. Happy with the result she pulled off the dress and tried the orange on. It was longer, tingling her, above her feet. The result was the same with this. Moana turned around to get the feeling of how good it was on her. She couldn't make up her mind of which one she would buy so she would just have to buy them both. She had the money for it.
Moana had been saving up for her own place but it didn't mean that she wasn't allowed to get new stuff to herself. It just meant that it would take her a little bit longer to get the place she would like to have. It had to be near the ocean. So it would mean that she had to build it from bottom.
Julia had been enjoying her cold water she had gotten from the owner of the booth. Now after her feet's had been resting she was walking around and looked at the stuff that was displayed. Neckless, earrings and sculptures. Her eyes landed on a white dress with light blue flowers on. It would reach her to the knees if she tried it on that's for sure. So busy at looking on the on it she didn't hear how a large man was sneaking up behind her with a smirk. When he was close enough he put his mouth just beside her head. "Hallo buttercup." Julia flinched so fast that she almost dropped her drink she was holding
"Jesus do you live to scare people?" Her hand was on her chest. A deep chuckle came from Maui.
"Nah only those who gets so scared that they are clinching to their chest." He looked over her shoulder to see what had taken her focus from hearing him coming.
"Ahhh so you are looking to bring up the mood for ya Hero?"
"Yeah…. What! No I'm not." She shook her head. "I'm waiting for a friend of mine while she is of trying some for her own."
"Well that's a pity." Maui shrugged. "It would have looked real nice on you." Julia thought at what Maui said. She glanced back at it and frowned.
"You think he would like it?" Maui nodded.
"Definitely." She looked back at him for confirmation. She waited to see if Maui really meant it or he was joking with her again. He didn't budge one bit. All he did was looking at her with honesty.
"*sigh* Okay suit ya self. I'll have to get back to ma bar." Maui winked "if I don't get back then I'll have many unhappy customers. And I won't them down, especially when tonight is karaoke night." Julia was in deep thought of whether or not she should buy it or not so she only gave Maui a grunt when he turned and left her to decide what to do. When Julia finally made up her mind to try it out, Moana came from the corner.
"Who did you talk to?" She went over to Julia and looked out over the crowd, trying to get a glimpse of the person.
"Hmm?" Julia looked over to her friend who stood scouting. "Oh that was the owner of the bar from the other night." Julia smiled and took the dress down.
"I'll quickly try this one and then we can go." "Ooookay. I'll just buy these while you do that then." Julia quickly went behind to the changing area. Moana was standing in place.
"That voice….." She was mumbling to herself. It had sounded familiar to her. She had been behind so she couldn't hear the voice that well. She glanced back over her shoulder. 'It might have been someone I have met at the museum?' After a while she shock it off and turned back to find the elderly woman so she could pay for the dresses.
She had never in her life on her island seen so many people been gathered in one place. Moana had visit many island after the heart had been restored back and seen alot of people been in some larger villagers than Motunui. She made a note to herself that she would see how much it would cost to buy a boat and go sailing out again someday. First she would see if they still made boat the way she was use to so she didn't have to relearn it all over again.
"Moana you coming?" She looked over to where the earlier whimpering friend, had spoken from. Julia stood and waved and smiled.
"We need to catch the bus before it leaves."
"Right. Coming."
Maui returned to the bar, arms full with stuff for the karaoke night. Also a tradition he had taking to him. Once a month his bar was full of people with poor singing voices but he didn't complain. Much. Some had potential to go further but some sounded like they were choking a poor cat. 'Some are just not meant to sing.'
He didn't have a problem to go and buy the alcohol he needed. He had once gone back to Tamatoa's lair to see if his treasure was still there and borrow some to start off with. Oddly enough, all the treasure was still there. Nothing had been taken since the last time him and Moana had been there all those years ago. It had left him with a good chunk of money. Enough to buy the building and to decorate his apartment, he still had the pendant for Moana. Maui had tried to get rid of it, many times. It brought a tingle of sadness when he open his nightstand and saw it but something always kept him from getting it out of its place and sight. He couldn't get himself to do it. Putting his items down Maui heard some voices that made his ears peak. Looking up he saw three men stood and surrounded a young girl. He dropped his head. 'Not again.' He exhaled deeply and walked over to the group.
"Orw come here honey. Don't be afraid." Said a bald man with a scar, running over his right cheek. He took a step to the girl.
"We won't hurt you." A smirk sneaked up on. "Much." She was looking very pale and was scared.
She had long light brown hair that was hanging over her back and shoulders and with a pink top and white pants on. She took a step back . Then another and another, so her back suddenly hit the wall behind her.
The three men that were around her took the same steps towards her so she would get away.
"Leave me alone. Please." A small shaken voice was all Maui could hear when he slowly approached the group. She had tears in her eyes that were threatening to spill any moment.
"Come on sweetie. All we want is to have some fun." Maui could hear how the voice from the scared man was leaking with poison.
"And why would we leave such a pretty thing like you? I mean look at you." He looked back to the two others beside him. "Am I right?" They nodded with predatory glint shining their eyes. Maui cleared his throat.
"Can I help you?" Maui asked as he had stopped a few feet away from the group. All of them turned and looked at him with surprise written all over. It took some time for the scared man to get in motion.
"What the fuck do you want asshole?"
'Okay obviously he is the leader.' Maui thought.
"Can't you see we're busy?" Maui crossed his arms at the statement.
"Yeah asshole. Can't you see we're busy?" The leader closed his eyes and sighed frustrated.
"I just asked him that, you IDIOT!" He smacked the other man behind his head so he almost tripped forward. Quickly he came back in his place and looked embarrassed.
"Sorry boss."
Maui watched the show with wide eyes as the man who had just blurted out the same question, stood with his head now hanging. He had for some reason, a warm hat in so that his blond hair just peaked out under it. Piercings was hanging from his nose in a chain that connected to another piercing in his upper lip. Pinching his nose bridge Maui shook his head.
'These mortals.' He shook his head amused
"And who said I was asking ya?" Cracking one eye open, he looked at the leader who wiped his head from the pierced man with a dumb look on his face. He quickly gained his hard face expression and growled.
"Ah I see we have a cocky one here." It was now Maui's turn to look a bit dumbfounded back at the scared man.
"Who?" He looked over his shoulder to see if one was standing behind him well aware that there was none. He turned back and could see a vain was beginning to pump in the head of the man in front.
"Oh." Maui took a hand up and pointed at himself.
"Ya mean me?" The corner of his mouth was lifted so the group could see the smirk was taking place. When Maui could tell to five times the vain had pumping in the leaders head, he dropped his hand and crossed his arm again. He kept his smirk on.
"Now! Why don't ya leave this pretty lady alone and head off somewhere else?" Maui made sure he had eye contact with each one of the males. When he got to the woman in distress he winked at her. He was trying to let her know that she was gonna okay. So he looked back at the others.
"As I can see it. She doesn't wanna be with any of ya." Taking his arms down Maui continued.
"Well ya could MAYBE go." He pointed at the guy in the back with wild white hair and eyes that looked like a cats.
"If ya didn't have those creepy eyes. Hmmm that's a big no with that. And you!" Maui pointed his finger to the blond man with the warm cloth over his head.
"That's a hell of a big NO. What's up with all the metal in ya face? It's so uncool ya know? Chicks don't dig that."
"And you think that she would go with you?"
"Of course." He grinned to the scared man and whipped his head so his silky hair was tossed back behind over his shoulder.
"Who can resist the hair." flexes so his shirt was on its brink of being torn to pieces.
"Or this bod." A laugh made through to the posing demigod. The leader was holding his stomach while he tried to speak.
"You're trying to tell me that she wants to go with a pumped steroid user who only has a way of using his mouth?" He roared with even more with laughter from that.
The scared man finally calmed down enough to look back at Maui who just stood with his arms now resting down at his side. He still held his grin towards the leader.
"Fuck off." The leader turned back to the woman.
"Turn that steroid pumped ass around and walk away before you'll get hurt." He hissed at Maui.
"Okay." He turned and took two steps when he heard a slight chuckle coming from behind.
"On a second thought." He looked over his shoulder.
"Why don't ya leave before y'all get hurt?"
"What?" The leader turned back.
"You can't be serious!" He gritted his teeth and pulled his long leather coat aside, revealing a long blade that was hidden underneath it. The demigod widens his eyes when he saw the weapon. The leader took the surprised look as a scared one so he smirks back triumphantly. When he suddenly heard how the large man busted out in laughter of his own. It was the scared man turn to make huge eyes. He surely hadn't seen that coming.
"What the fuck are you laughing at?"
"Oh I'm sorry. That is just cute that ya need to have that to be feared." Pointing at the blade, Maui wiped a year away and inhaled. That seemed to piss the leader off even more than before.
"For fuck sake. This is not funny dude. You are supposed to be scared for life for seeing this. Screaming like a little girl and begging me not to kill you!" Maui made one quick move so he only stood a few feet's away from the leader.
"ARGH! Please don't kill me." Scarface now stood with on one leg and with his hands up protecting him from harm. Maui laughed had his reaction.
"PRICELESS!" Taking some steps back and watched how the man's vain pumped more violently than before in embarrassment of how he just had sounded like.
"Don't ya know what they say with men and big swords?" Maui smirked. The demigod brought his hand up wiggled his little finger.
What really made the leader lose his temper was the next thing the larger man in front of him said.
"Ya should really keep that temper under control. It's not good for ya health."
It made him laugh once more and this time he clutched his abdomen while doing that. The leader charged at the highly laughing demigod. He had taking his blade out and held it high above his head, ready to hit his target right in front of him. Maui waited, so when the leader was close and wielded his weapon at the demigod with such force that if a regular person had been standing in Maui's place, they would have cut the arm clean off.
Maui looked up, not laughing anymore and simply took a small step to the side. The blade sang when it hit the ground. The amused demigod stood and smirked back at the surprised man beside him. He could see how the man's eyes twitched in annoyance for the miss. He quickly got up again and tried to swing the weapon up at the demigods head. Maui tipped his head to the side so he missed again. A chuckle made it through his lips. Maui crossed his arms and waited for the next attack. They came one after another. Once, second, third and fourth time Maui tipped his head to the side and took steps to the side when the leader tried to stab him in the chest. Now breathing heavily the leader stood and watched the man in front. Not even breaking a sweat, Maui unfolded his arms.
"Ya done?"
Cocky was one of his many treats so before the leader he a chance to answer, he was met with a fist to the head so he had a twisted look. He was send flying only to land behind the two other men that had been glued into place. They look back at Maui with terror written all over their faces. The demigod took his hand down and began to walk to them. They looked at each other then back to Maui.
"You go." The blond man with all the piercings said.
"What the fuck? Hell no. You saw how he send boss flying." The other man with eyes like a cat took steps back in an attempt to create a gap between him and the approaching man.
"And you think it would go better of I went?"
"Well yeah. Then I don't need to get beating to unrecognizable." The cat eyed man look back at his supposedly friend with shook. Maui shook his head at them at changed his course to the woman instead. The men still argued of who should be the next when Maui reached the woman.
"Ya okay miss?" He stood with some distance from her so she wouldn't be frightened of him. Slowly she turned her head to look. He could see the panic that ran in her eyes when she saw him that close. He stood still and waited for her response.
"Y-yeah. I-i think so." He relaxed his pose a bit.
"Good." He glanced over his shoulder to see how far the men where. They were tossing their arms up, still arguing.
"You got to be shitting me. You think you are better than me?"
"Well yeah." The blond man made it sound like he was way better then he actually was. 'This is gonna be a long night if they keep that up. Maybe if I'm lucky they will beat the shit out of themselves without me helping?'
"Look" Maui turned his head back to the woman.
"Ya can go to the bar over there and use the phone if ya need. It's behind the counter. Ya can't miss it." The woman nodded and gave him a faint smiled when her face got paled and BONK came right after making Maui biting his lip from the impact. Maui exhaled.
'Great that will soar mark in the morning.' Opening his eyes. "Just a sec miss."
Behind him stood the man with the eyes of a cat, sweat was running down over his face.
'He is scared. Good.' Maui gave his most deadly smirk. He took up his leg and thrusted hard back the man hard in the abdomen that send him rolling across the ally and hit the wall, knocking him unconscious. The demigod just looked over at the blond that had followed with his eyes, how his so called friend, had ended up against the wall.
"Shit!" Came it in a high pitched voice. Maui waited patiently for the blond man to look at him. Slowly he did, with terror of what maybe would happen to him if he tried. Maui counted twelve sweat drops that were running over his face.
"P-please d-don't hurt me." He had taken his arms up, trying to cover himself so the demigod couldn't see him. When he looked over his arms Maui took a quick step forward. The last man screamed, turned on his heels and ran away from the sight screaming all the way with a trail of dust behind him. Maui shook his head and chuckled when he turned back to the woman.
"Well it seems like they won't bother you anymore." He was proud of his work so when his eyes landed on the woman he quickly dropped his arms and tried in a softer tone.
"Ya wanna call someone to pick you up?" She nodded.
"Okay then let's head to ma bar and you can make a call there." It's was her turn now to figure out if she wanted to follow him or not so he began to head over to where he had placed his stuff down before the fight. 'It was hardly a fight. More like showing off.' Maui thought about what he could resemble it with. He unlocked the door to step inside when he heard some very quick steps were made. Glancing over he noticed the woman standing only a few feet away from him. He smiled with reassuring to her and went in.
"HA. Of course." He had made it to his stocking when it popped in his head.
"The three little pigs, me as the wolf with the blowing part. NOT about killing them." He muttered and chuckled. A can was dropped to the floor and rolled a little, bringing Maui back to what whom standing behind him. He looked at the can rolling passed him and stopped when it hit the shelving with alcohol on it. He looked up wondering. The brown haired woman behind him stood with her head low.
"Sorry."
"Nah no worries." Maui waved off and took the can and placed it on the shelf to his right.
"Come. I show you where the phone is." When Maui had showed her the phone she hesitated to make a call so Maui went back out to put place his stuff to give her some space to call. He could hear her walking around in the room and talking after a while.
"I'm fine baby. No he saved me from them. Yeah I'll stay here until you are coming. Yeah see you in a bit. Love you too." And then silence again. He peaked his head out and saw her sitting by the counter with the phone lying next to her. She was still a bit pale so he went out with some bottles to set them in line behind the counter.
"Everything alright?" He stood with his back turned hoping that it would seem like wasn't trying anything.
"Yeah. I called my boyfriend. So it will be some time before he'll be here." Maui nodded.
"No worries. There is still time before the bar opens so you have plenty of time to get some colors in your cheeks again." Maui winked over his shoulder. He was trying to get her mood up. No harm had come to her but he could tell the way her eyes held an empty look that it might have taking a toll on her mentally. She didn't response to his friendly teasing so he grabbed a glass and poured up some wine and glided it over to her.
"Here." She looked up at the glass, then at Maui and back to the glass. She then scrambled to find her purse.
"Heey. It's on the house." He could tell that she hesitated at that.
"I mean it. It's on the house." He gave a stern look to prove his point and went back to place the remaining bottles. He didn't want to pressure the poor woman into talking so it was a relief when he heard her get up and went over to sit in one of the booth in the corner and looked out the window.
Time passed and when Maui was out of thing to do other than set up the speakers for the evening the front door suddenly open, a man in black suit with a hearing piece in his ear came in. Even though it was only beginning to dark outside, the bodyguard didn't take off his sunglasses. Maui was up at the so called scene for the night, when he had come in. Out of the corner of his eye he watched the black suited man walking around, checking in every corner if one should be hiding. Maui snorted at the man.
'So she IS a classy lady.' He went back to pluck the wires in the speakers. He knew that it would do no good if he didn't let him do his job.
"Mark. Stop. No one is here beside me and the owner of the bar." The body just grunted and walked out again.
'Okay. Now what?'
In came a man with black hair tied back into a ponytail. Maui almost burst of laughing at the sight. He wasn't an old man but if he had been, the hair would have helped him keeping all the wrinkles at bay. He had blue pants on and a white shirt with some of the bottoms open. All that was missing in that picture was the jacket to the suit. It looked like he came from a meeting but at the same time it look like wore it like that all the time.
"Susan?" He looked around and found the woman was already rushing over to him. Clinging herself to him when he grabbed her in is arms.
"You okay?" She whimpered and only nodded in his chest. He pulled her more into the chest and let her cry for a bit.
"Did any of them hurt you?"
"N-no this man came just in t-time to s-safe me." For the first time him and Maui made eye contact. Maui stood leaning up at a wall and gave him a nod.
"Thank you sir. I don't know what I would have done if something had happened to her." Maui knew the look he had in his eyes. It was the same he had felt when Moana had been ripped away from him.
"Keep ya girl safe from now on." He held the look to the man and made sure he understood what he was talking about.
"I will. Thank you." He was about to turn when Susan tore herself from his hold and walked over to where Maui stood. He was a bit surprised and took at hand out so she could shake it but it never made it far before she hugged him.
"Thank you for saving me again." Let go and ran back to her boyfriend who was waiting in the door for her. He hadn't seen that coming so when they were out of sight he shook himself into gear again.
"Better be done soon Tiny. We gotta open soon." He could feel the tingling when his mini was crossing over his chest. When it stopped he knew exactly where he was.
In the boat with Moana.
Hope you enjoyed it :)