Hey…

Sorry for delaying my update! School was demanding today.

I can't believe this is the last chapter. My first fanfiction story done! Thank you to those who have read the story all the way through and even those who just read the first chapter. Your beyond kind comments have propelled me to finish this.

I'd like to especially recognize these people: thepurplewriter333, Guest, Guest/ToLazyToLogIn, crocfarmer, and Grace. Your reviews were all sent at the right time, and I wouldn't've finished Taken without you.

So… Chapter Five. Has some feels in it. Hope you all like it!

Chapter Five: Stories

Maui landed on the canoe.

Moana still hadn't woken up on the ride back, which worried the demigod. He knew head wounds could be serious, and the way Curly's head looked… she wouldn't be waking up anytime soon.

He immediately turned back into a human once his feet touched the wood. He was holding Moana and his fish-hook in his arms. Moana looked so lifeless… bleeding… still… peaceful… he tried to chase his anxious thoughts away. Moana was alive. Breathing. Warm. She wouldn't die. He wouldn't let her die.

Maui set her on the boat, wiping a cold sweat from his head. "Alright… now to fix Moana." Whatever arrogance he had crumbled. "How do I do that? I don't know the first thing about injuries…"

He looked over his friend. His tattoos tugged at him.

"But I have to," he said. "Or Moana…"

He didn't finish that sentence.

Maui worked in silence. He tore some extra fabric they had in the storage room below and made a better, stronger bandage. This would definitely clot the wound, but Moana was still passed out from the blood-loss. He needed to replenish her supply.

If only he knew how to do that.

Fortunately, he had an idea. Well, an idea of an idea, but it counted as an idea itself. Maui turned to the sea and called, "Ocean? I need your help."

The ocean didn't respond to his plea. Maui sighed. Gods, this would be harder than he first thought…

"Okay, you're right! I don't need help. But Moana does. The one you chose, you know when she was a cute little toddler, to save the world. Ring a bell?" Maui knew he was being disrespectful, but worry was stressing him so that he had to express some of his frustration.

Maui was stunned to his bones when the ocean's unique head formed and cocked it in annoyance, like, What now, demigod?

He gestured to Moana's limp form. "Curly… she's lost a bunch of blood. She needs it back, but I've got no clue of what to do." It was hard admitting that. After all the incredible feats he had done, of course it was Moana who made him realize that he wasn't omniscient.

The ocean seemed concerned about the girl. Maui frowned. Could water have feelings? Huh. After all he had experienced in his thousands of years life, it wasn't that hard to believe.

He was wrenched from his ponderings when the ocean jerked its head to something on board. Maui looked around and saw the water pouch that Moana had offered him about two hours ago now lying inanimate on the boat.

"What?" said Maui. "You think water will heal her?" He snorted a laugh, but stopped when he saw the ocean practically glaring at him. "Oh- no offense."

The bodiless head shook itself, then indicated the fresh water again. It took awhile for Maui to understand, but he finally realized, "Oh! Moana lost a lot of blood, or fluid. She must need more to supply her body with enough of it."

Vigorously, the ocean nodded.

Maui stumbled over to the water canteen. It felt about two thirds full. Was that enough? If it wasn't, he hoped that they had more stocked below decks. He came back over to Moana and tried to get her to drink from the pouch. It took a couple of minutes to force it all down.

The demigod looked up after Moana had drank what she needed too. He was surprised to see the ocean still watching the two with its signature cocked head.

"Huh? What are you still doing here?" he asked.

The ocean would've huffed if it could, but Maui could sense it was waiting for something... for Moana to wake up? No, the ocean knew she was strong and hadn't stuck around when Curly needed help other times... maybe to just make Maui nervous? But he was trying to help its Chosen One.

Maui crossed his arms, standing. "What? You need something?"

Silence. Could Maui really be this daft?

"You just look like you want something..." The answer dawned on him. "Ooohhhhh. Uh. Thanks. I guess I owe you one, ocean."

The ocean gave a decided nod and dribbled back into its element. Maui, still not sure what else he should do, went below to the storage area to get more water. He was a little startled to see that Heihei was still pecking at the deck, but he just left it down there. The chicken would hurt itself if Maui did let it above ship, and everyone knew that a fat, cooked chicken was better than a drowned one.

He managed to get Moana to drink half of another pouch of water, along with resetting the course back to Motunui. Moana needed help that Maui couldn't provide, and she needed to get to her island as quickly as possible. Fortunately, a little color had returned to her paling face and the fluid seemed to be helping her.

But she still didn't wake up.

No matter what he did, she wouldn't show his favorite brown eyes. He yelled. He shook. He even sang a catchy song all about himself and everything great he had done(which was more like everything he had done). It didn't work. Maui felt defeated. If hearing the amazing list of his accomplishments didn't wake Moana up, what would?

"Ocean?" he said to the sea. "Any tips?"

Nada. He was on his own. Sighing, he sat down next to his friend.

"Curly...," he began. "Sometimes I don't know what to do with you." He stared adamantly at the horizon, where the sun was marching down towards. "You've got to wake up, Moana. Who else is going to annoy me half to death?"

Curly stirred a little, groaning in her sleep. Maui glanced at her, hoping, hoping- but she was out cold again in seconds. But it was something. She had woken up... because he was talking to her. With a deep breath, he tried again.

"Remember when I came back to Montunui a few months ago, after the quest? Well, I didn't tell you guys the entire adventure of the flawless demigod Maui's seizing of the giant octopus that hides in only the deepest depths of the ocean..."

And Maui started to talk. He told Moana of his adventures, what had truly gone down, and what he wanted to do. He talked and talked until the sun was on the brink of a magnificent sunset.

"Look, Moana," said Maui, pointing at the beauty. "Look at the horizon."

His eyes weren't watering.

They weren't.

She was facing Te Ka again, the demon's fiery body warming her to a point where it was uncomfortable. This time, she was unable to run from the monster. She was trapped. Helpless. She wanted her demigod.

She wanted her friend.

And then came his voice, from an abyss of fire. It was surprisingly gentle, with a touch of humor to it. He was talking about a giant octopus he had defeated. She listened, clinging to every word. She had to, or Te Ka would return and finish her. She'd be alone again, and she didn't want that.

So she kept on listening.

Her friend's stories seemed to go on forever, but she was grateful. Through the burning fires that nearly scorched her, she saw a thickly muscled demigod lassoing the sun and dragging it across a blanket of blue sky. She watched in suspense as he took the sky itself in his hands and lifted it. She was amazed. She was hooked. She was terrified.

Keep talking, keep talking.

Eventually, though, the voice stopped. She was left to burning again. But then, in a different, hollower tone, he came back.

"I miss ya, Curly," he said with a heaving sigh. "Didn't know how much I depended on your sass till I was left with this kind of quiet. Not that it isn't nice. You can be such a chatterbox, you know."

She hissed in annoyance. Maui... was that who was speaking?

He continued. "Moana, I'm gonna tell you something I haven't told anybody before. You ready?" She wanted to answer, but couldn't speak. Maui, to her relief, still went on.

"My first memories," he said. "Are questions. Where was my family? Why did my mother shun me? I asked myself and others that again and again. Everyone was irritated by me. They only wanted me to do my job. Get it done, get it done. I was viewed as some superman- which of course, I am- who wasn't supposed to want to talk. Just save the world. But I always wished that I had someone I could speak to who listened without mocking me and had patience to actually care. And then, one day, I met a curly-haired princess who thought she could single-handedly drag me across the ocean to return a god's heart. And she won in the end. I'd always thought she was like a bothersome fly. Always there, buzzing around. Impossible to get rid of. But, as time went, I realized that this princess had a big heart that was open enough to listen to me."

She awaited his next words in hungry silence.

Maui sounded sad as he spoke. "This girl and I became quite the pair. Even though I was a lot better than her- I was a demigod, after all- I found myself spending a lot of time with her. It was really fun, I admit. I felt like she was my sister or something. We made each other mad and fought over the stupidest things... but we also loved each other more than words could say."

Her heart was pounding hard. Why? It was just a story the man- Maui- was telling her... right?

"That girl was family," his voice whispered through the simmering heat. "You are family. And I need you to wake up now... Moana."

A tremor shook her. She hadn't known who she was. Where she was. What was going on. But now, she understood. She remembered. A smile cracked her lips.

She was Moana.

Maui watched the drowning sun with a wistful gaze, like he was wishing he could run over to it and pull it around again. Be in control of just one thing. But Moana needed him right now... and Maui wouldn't run this time.

"Ungh," someone grunted beside him.

He whirled his head around. Could it be true...?

Yes! It was! Moana was awake!

She was still lying prostrate on the canoe, but her eyes were open and mouth fumbling for words. Maui could hardly believe it. His friend was alright. She'd be okay. His chest felt strangely stiff. Was it his tattoos? He glanced down, but they weren't doing anything to harm him. They were just cheering and hugging each other.

"Curly?" he breathed.

Moana rubbed her eyes. "Maui...?" Her voice, usually loud and bossy, was now faltering from weakness. "Hi."

Maui's chest tightened again, and he was choked with emotion. "You- you really gave us a scare. All of us." He gestured to his tattoos, who waved back energetically.

Curly, of course, rolled her eyes. "Uh-huh..."

"You feel okay?"

Moana gave him a look that made him chuckle. "Oh, yeah. I only feel a little like I was almost clawed to death."

With a big smile, Maui couldn't take it any longer. He encased his friend in a swelling hug. Moana leaned into it after a still moment of surprise. They didn't pull away for awhile.

"Hey," said Moana, trying to sit up. Maui gave her some more water, and it was already helping her feel better. "You knew I'd pull through, right?"

Maui gave what he thought was a convincing nod. "Yeah..."

"C'mon. Nobody can lie worse than that. Maui, I'm not going to let some bird end the great Moana. Nah-uh. I'll decide who deserves the privilege of finishing me off. Few do. We'll have to see."

Maui snorted, double-checking that they were still sailing towards Motunui. "You know, normal people prefer not to be killed. But you're not normal. So..."

His friend looked like she would've shoved him if she weren't so weak at the moment. "I wouldn't be the one to talk, Maui... but, just so you know, I like talking with you, too."

Maui looked at her, surprised. "You, uh, heard that? Thought you were unconscious..."

"I was. Sort of. But what really matters is that I heard," she said. "And, also- you compare me to a fly?!"

Oops. Guess she had heard that, too. "Not compare. Compared. Past tense. Do they not have that on Motunui? Geez, Curly, thought you were smarter than that... guess we can't all be intelligent, huh?"

This time, Moana had enough energy to lightly shove him. He chuckled, but he was rubbing the spot. Even Moana's soft hits hurt.

Maui sat next to Moana on the canoe. "Hey, Moana?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

Even though Maui never quite made it clear just what he was acknowledging her for, Moana smiled at the demigod in a mutual understanding. "You're welcome."

And together, they sat and watched the last of the sunset fade.

And DONE.

Gosh, I can't believe it's over. It feels like it's been forever, but it's actually only been three days. 0_0

So, someone asked me in the reviews if I was going to do a sequel to this. Well, that all depends on what you guys want. I don't know how I could continue this story, since it was originally supposed to be a one-shot (but I'm so glad it wasn't). If you have any ideas, please leave a review or PM me! But, just so you know, I'll never do MauixMoana. I just... *shudders* I see them as brother and sister in my mind. And plus, I'm awful at romance.

Well, I guess this is it. So long, my precious viewers. You mean so much to me. Let me know if you want another Moana fanfic and what you would like to happen! I am soon going to post a story for How to Train Your Dragon, if you want to check that out.

THANK YOU ALL FOR VIEWING. I CANNOT EXPRESS HOW MUCH I ADORE READING YOUR REVIEWS OR SEEING THAT YOU FOLLOWED OR LIKED THIS STORY.

See you all next time!