(( So after proofreading this chapter I realize that the colour scheme is very similar to jadewolf's Mo'o in Future Legend and for that I apologize *slams head into desk for not realizing sooner*
Anyway, sorry for not updating lately, I've been drowning in college homework. :'D I probably won't be very consistent over the next few weeks, as finals are coming up and I still have much I need to do, bUT HERE YOU GO HAVE A SHITTY OC DRAMA EDGELORD IN THE MEANTIME
(Also sorry that Mana'aihue's motivations/tactics don't seem clear yet, I swear it'll make more sense soon *sobs*)

And lastly, a shoutout to Crow for all their reviews! Thanks man, I really appreciate them! :D ))

It didn't take the crab long to reach his destination. Tamatoa knew the way to his lair better than anyone else, after all. He also knew all the best hiding places along the way, and he kept himself expertly hidden on the way there. Well, as "expertly-hidden" as a 50-foot dazzlingly shiny monster crab could be, at least.

As he got closer to the lair's entrance, his antennae perked at the sound of thrashing nearby. There was a fight going on. Tamatoa couldn't see the ordeal past the Lalotai plantlife, but he swore he could make out a flash of blue.

Maui.

Protective instincts skyrocketing, all caution went out the window as Tamatoa barged into the clearing, claws snapping. His expression went blank, however, upon the sight that greeted him.

… T… Two Mauis?

Oh, this is not good.

The scene was confusing, to say the least. The first Maui, the one wielding the fish hook, was relentlessly beating on the second one. The second Maui was bound and gagged with what looked like remnants of that vine monster they had fought all those years ago. Despite Maui's usual immense strength, the vines would regenerate too quickly for the man to break them all off. He must've been very weakened from this beating. Or this one wasn't the actual Maui.

"Crab cake!" The first Maui exclaimed upon seeing the crustacean. He started to walk over to Tamatoa, but stopped in his tracks when the crab let out a chorus of warning chirps and snapped his pincers together. This could very well be his friend, but it could also be Mana'aihue. He couldn't tell for sure at the moment.

"Hey, no need for that…" The shapeshifter said with a frown. "Look, I… I get that I was wrong, and I'm really sorry, but…" Turning to face the second Maui and gesturing threateningly with the hook, he went on, "Look! This is the guy that framed you!" With a furious snarl, he proceeded to kick the downed Maui, earning a grunt of pain and a hostile glare from him. The attacker looked back to the crab, angling for a reaction. "He's got Moana hidden somewhere!"

Tamatoa narrowed his eyes slightly. Something didn't feel right about this, but he couldn't tell what was off. He took a few moments to stare at the first Maui, noticing something strange.

… Interesting.

Keeping a suspicious eye on the first Maui, he slowly walked towards the second. Tamatoa lifted his chin with a pincer, looking him over.

This Maui watched Tamatoa with somber, tired eyes, unable to say anything past the vines, but looking like he desperately wanted to.

Tamatoa kept his expression neutral and distant. It wasn't the eyes he was focused on, anyway.

"… So you've been trying to get him to surrender her location, eh?" The crab asked finally, turning his head slightly towards the armed Maui.

Concealing a cold smirk, the shapeshifter strode over to Tamatoa's side. "That's right."

"Heh… I see." The crab narrowed his eyes further, a slight smirk of his own stretching across his face as he eyed the beaten Maui. Taking a step forward, he continued, "Surely you wouldn't object to allowing me take a shot at 'im, would you?"

"Be my guest." The being beside him encouraged.

With that, Tamatoa raised a claw, movements full of intent to squash this pathetic bug. However, instead of bringing his claw down on the injured one, the crab whipped around and smacked the first Maui full-force, sending him flying and causing him to drop the hook.

Not wasting a second, Tamatoa snatched the hook up off the ground and went to Maui's side, using the tool to slice off all the vines. Despite the slight awkwardness that came from using such a tiny tool, he managed to remove all the restraints.

As Tamatoa supported Maui to his feet by letting him lean on a claw, the demigod looked up at the crab with surprise. "H-How did you… know it wasn't me…?" He asked breathlessly.

"Yes, how?" The other creature growled as it recovered from the blow, glaring at Tamatoa with glowing now-amber eyes. "My recreation was flawless."

"Not quite." The crustacean chirped, staring down his opponent. "Don't get me wrong, you did pretty good… but there was just one teensy little problem. Y'see, it's probably been a while since you've heard of Maui's 'accomplishments' recently, huh? You didn't take into account any new tattoos." With a smug smirk, Tamatoa moved Maui's necklace slightly to display his tattoo of Moana. "So you missed the most important one."

The creature's eyes widened. He glanced at his own chest, then looked back to Tamatoa and Maui with a snarl. In the blink of an eye, the creature lunged at the duo, a blaze-like flash of light enveloping him as he took on his true form. Reacting quickly, Tamatoa brought the claw that wasn't supporting Maui in front of them to block the attack, clashing with the beast as it made contact.

The creature was indeed like the rumours described him, but seeing it up-close was something else. His spreaded wings were massive, bedecked with shimmering black scales and thorny spikes lining the edges. His body was coloured like fire, sharp-ebony markings striping his skin. Two sets of horns protruded from the creature's head, the lower set like that of a ram's while the higher set more resembled that of an antelope's. He was indeed a reptilian-like creature, but his face almost looked human, aside from the lack of a nose and the terrifyingly chilling yellow-gold eyes. To top it all off, he seemed to be adorned with some kind of dark cloak.

Tamatoa could tell right away that this guy was either going to be some kind of huge edgelord, or the most dramatic of drama kings (next to himself, of course).

The fact that the creature only stood at half of Tamatoa's height didn't make the thing any less intimidating. It held such an air of dominance, amber eyes radiating a soul so dark that it felt like you could suffocate under his gaze alone. Tamatoa was already starting to feel uneasy, and took a few steps back.

"Clever crab…" Mana'aihue hissed, voice ice-cold. "It's a shame that you'll have to go to waste." Immediately after that last statement, a bright shimmer overtook his dark wings.

Huh. Dramatic and edgy.

With a flap of his wings, a flurry of blade-like scales were shot at the pair. A trick he must have gotten from Nafiira, Tamatoa realized. He shielded Maui and himself with his shell, then went to make his next move.

Plucking the Kakamora tranquilizer darts off his back, he darted at Mana'aihue and shoved the darts into his skin, wanting to stun the beast for as long as possible. The poison quickly took effect, making it much easier to wrestle the creature and shove him down the edge of a nearby ravine.

Not wasting any time, Tamatoa went back to his injured friend's side, carefully picking him up with a claw.

"T-Tamatoa… I'm so… s-sorry—" Maui started to say, but the crab cut him off with a chirp.

"Yeah yeah, you were a jerk." He said curtly. "Don't really have time to talk about this right now. Moana's in there?" Tamatoa inquired, gesturing to his old, broken home.

When he got a weak nod of confirmation from the deity, Tamatoa placed him and the fish hook on his shell, then proceeded to head inside. They'd have to get out of here fast, as the crab was certain that the small dose of poison wouldn't inhibit Mana'aihue for long.

And he was right. Already, the creature was slowly but surely crawling back up the ravine, lights flickering around him as he tried using his newfound shapeshifting ability to better recover from the darts. The way he moved was beyond disturbing, as continuing the excessive shapeshifting made him look like a mass of disfigured, grotesque, squirming monster limbs from a distance.

Well, this was going to be fun.