They reached the shore, and Vahi'a saw that the rock wasn't so much a mountain as it was just a tall thin jutting stone planted in the middle of a decaying piece of land. She wasn't hugely impressed.

"You're sure this guy's gonna have your hook?" Moana asked eyeing the cliff, wondering why anyone would live on top of it.

"Tamatoa? He'll have it. He's a scavenger – collects stuff, thinks it makes him look cool," he said tying off the canoe so it'd be there when they go back.

Vahi'a craned her neck to see the top wondering what up there made it so terrifying to bear the name "realm of monsters." It seemed to her that it should be bigger, and probably a lot scarier. Either way it didn't matter, she'd be staying with the boat because it wasn't as if she could climb.

"And he lives up there?" Moana just as clueless as Vahi'a.

Maui turned to her with a confused, "what?" before he realized she had no idea where they were going. He chuckled mostly to himself at the thought of her face. "Oh no, that's just the entrance. To Lalotai."

"Lalotai?" Moana repeated, though with more fear in her voice. "The realm of monsters. We're going into the realm of monsters?"

Of course they were, Vahi'a thought watching Hei Hei with mild annoyance as he pecked at the boat instead of the seeds. She didn't notice Maui moving behind her.

"We? No. Me." He paused looking down at Vahi'a's auburn head. "And fish stick," he said easily plucking her from the boat and throwing her over his shoulder. "You're going to stay here," he said turning to Moana. "With the other chicken. Bkwok." He laughed to himself and turned to Mini Maui with arm strapped around her wriggling tail holding his hand up for a high-five. "That's what I'm talking about – gimme some." Little Maui wasn't having it. "Nothing? That was a good one."

She gave up after only a few moments not gaining even a centimeter. For the moment being she wasn't going anywhere. Except for with Maui, who continued to talk to the tattoo of himself. She rested chin in hand watching as they climbed higher. Even when Maui did loosen his grip, to better climb, she was now trapped by the crushing fall beneath her. "I don't understand why I'm going," she mumbled jostling on top of his massive shoulders that flexed and strained as he climbed.

"Don't worry there's water. You're just here to help me find my hook," he said using his chin to hold her in place as he reached for a rock. For most of it she balanced on his shoulder, if she moved at all she would've slipped and even she wouldn't have survived the fall. He wondered if that meant she trusted him.

Those were thoughts she did not share. "This is stupid."

He released a breath shaking his head. "Lets try something different," he told her. "Have we met before?"

"We met yesterday."

Her toneless responses were beginning to grate on his nerve. "No, before that. You seem familiar."

She shrugged, watching amused as Moana quietly climbed a ways beneath them. "Maybe you've heard of me," she answered, tapping impatiently on his shoulder.

"No. No. People have heard of me. An irritating fish stick, not so much."

She glared irritably at the horizon wishing to hit him again. "How bout my father?" she asked hearing his, huh. "Tangaroa, maybe you know him."

God of the sea. Maui's momentum stalled as he realized who he was carrying over his shoulder. "That make you a princess too?" he asked getting over it as he continued climbing.

"Try a goddess," she informed him. "Which if you're keeping score is above a demigod. Especially a useless one without his hook."

His hand hovered over the next stone feeling the sting of her words. A thought came to him and a smile curled on his mouth. "Oh no," he said, his shoulder going limp beneath her. "I feel my hold on you slipping. Whatever will I do?"

"Maui!" she cried slipping down his back, catching nothing more than a leaf in his skirt – nothing that would save her.

His hand caught the end of her tail feeling it wrap around his wrist and he laughed pulling her up. She reached for him grabbing at his leg, his waist, and then under his arm where she wrapped herself around him. "Come on," he said flexing to find that with her slung on either arm she actually fit comfortably, like a pack, "I wasn't gonna let you fall." He chanced a glance at where her head was, her cheek against his arm. "Geez, when was the last time you were on land?" he asked before climbing onto a ledge for a break.

"Before my uncle stole my legs."

"Oh," he said, his voice quiet. "Forgot about that." He looked at her again, feeling how tight her little arms were wrapped him. "Hey," he said. "Fish stick," he said louder forcing her to look at him. And when she did he told her, more gentle than he'd ever been toward her, "I wasn't gonna let you fall." He stared hard at her waiting for her nod, small as it was.

She met Moana's eye as the girl climbed passed them, saw her small encouraging smile. Vahi'a didn't feel encouraged. She was clinging to her life support and if she let go she'd fall. Times like these legs were more useful than a fin. Movement in her peripheral caught her eye and she turned to see Mini Maui who drew a heart over his left breast and puffed out his chest grinning. It made her smile.

Maui felt her smile and Little Maui on his shoulder by her head. "Hey, quit flirting with her."

"Why?" Vahi'a asked. "He's doing a better job than you."

Maui turned from the top of the cliff to see the smile she was hiding pressed against his arm. Giving her a hard look he climbed the last step and stood at the highest point staring at the endless sea surrounding them. Moana stood at the edge staring thoughtfully at the water. "If you start singing I'm gonna throw up."

"Maui," Vahi'a scolded.

He flexed his shoulders pulling her with him. "Come on babe, ride's over."

"So," Moana said turning to him with a scoff, "I'm not seeing an entrance."

Maui lowered Vahi'a to the stone, rather than unceremoniously dropping her, and stepped toward the center of the circle. "Yes, because it only appears after a human sacrifice," he told her somberly, watching her eyes widen. "Kidding!" He turned to Vahi'a feeling her hand smack his leg. "So serious."

He sucked in a large breath, and Vahi'a quickly shut her eyes and brought a hand to shield her face as he blew. She dusted herself off hearing Moana coughing on the other side. It revealed a rather crude looking face, its nose a boulder Maui stood on. Vahi'a found herself sitting on its eye, Moana at its chin. She startled at Maui's sudden haka, his voice booming like thunder before he gracefully leapt in the air and landed hard on the nose. The ground beneath them quaked as the doors slid open.

Vahi'a pulled herself to the edge peering into the dark cavern, a faint purple glow far away at the bottom. Now that, looked like something worthy of being called the realm of monsters. And she did not wanna go in, she'd never been the least bit curious.

"Don't worry," Maui told the two girls wearing mirrored looks of horrified curiosity, "it's a lot farther down than it looks." Without much effort Maui suddenly lifted Vahi'a and tossed her, unceremoniously, into the empty void.

"Cheeee-hooooo!"

She was falling on her back, her hair reaching for the sky she was quickly leaving behind – or maybe for Maui who was cannonballing above her – "I am still falling," he yelled. Water, he said there'd be water. She had to hope, to trust. Arching her back she extended her hands so that she dove, her palms breaking the surface of the water letting the rest of her pass smoothly.

It was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. The vortex glowed a warm purple, its spirals shimmering as she passed through their center. Maui's large, much heavier form, quickly passed by her heading down down down. Where were they going, surely there was an end.

She broke the surface of the water, or the end, and found herself simply falling. Her arms reached for something, anything, to grab to slow her. She only found air. Suddenly her body struck two large sturdy arms and hers were quick to wrap around his broad shoulders. His laugh was deep rumbling in his chest. "What'd I tell ya?" he said leaning closer so that his nose brushed her cold now pale cheek. "Wasn't gonna let you fall."

With short breaths she stared at his smug cherub face feeling her own laughter bubbling, though hers was more out of fear than amusement. He didn't give her time to react, to stop him or hold on to him. One second she was noticing the color of his eyes and the next she was spinning. And then he let her go. She shot like a cannon through the air hitting the water with a stinging crack and spun a little ways before slowing. Indignant she turned raising a very unkind gesture to where he still stood.

He blew her a kiss still laughing to himself. "Told ya she liked me," he said looking to Mini Maui to find him standing with the tally board, where he drew another line for Moana. "What? Dum dum, she's not even here. No mortal's gonna jumping into the real of," Mini Maui jerked a thumb to the sky and Maui looked up in time to see Moana before she crashed into him flattening him.

Vahi'a watched with wide eyes Moana tumbling down the cliff, hitting each side harder than the last. She swam lower trying to keep an eye on her. There was a long minute where she lost the girl completely. And then she spotted her running on the ground narrowly escaping a bat's claw.

Moana looked around seeing where the sky was supposed to be the sea, finding in the big wide blue water Vahi'a – Moana felt a moment of peace at knowing she was there, still seeing to her safe travels. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. And then she noticed what she thought was a dark plant turn its head revealing a horrifying painted mask. It walked toward her on uncoordinated legs, its head twisting, its fours arms spreading revealing sharps claws. Moana cried out pushing herself back frantically as it stalked forward. It stepped over a series of geysers and one glowed beneath it bubbling before it burst. Moana watched the creature as it was shot through the air and up into the sea above. She found Vahi'a at the surface, her hand extended past the water reaching for something. Had she done that, Moana wondered.

Vahi'a returned the girl's small wave straining to stay above the surface. Maui wasn't there this time to catch her. She slowly followed Moana to a shimmering cave, her pace sluggish and tired. Pulling herself along the slick rock her hands grabbed at the edge of its opening hauling herself up so she could see inside. If she could have a moment to rest, to just breathe, maybe she'd feel better. Catching her breath she stared down at the second most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. There was so much gold. It wasn't even the gold she liked, it was how it shined and gleamed no matter which way she turned. She just wanted to touch it, to hold everything just once. How many treasures had she collected lost to the sea, it was nothing compared to this.

She sank against the stone with a content sigh watching it glitter. She didn't even notice the hook. And then she saw, decked in shiny shells, Moana come into view. Shaking herself she sat up, seeing the large hook for the first time in the center of the gold, and Moana walking around it. Why wasn't she trying to get it, why wasn't Maui. And then it hit her – Moana was bait. Oh when she got her hands on that demigod she'd carve her own tattoo for him to bear the rest of his ill begotten days.

From her perch Vahi'a watched the ground rumble beneath Moana, watched it rise and her fall, until a claw reached out and caught her. With a gasp Vahi'a realized the gold was a shell, Tamatoa was massive. And now he had Moana.

"What have we here?" Tamatoa said with glee. "It's a sparkly, shiny," he looked closer. "Wait a minute." With a flip the shells fell off and he caught Moana.

Vahi'a watched useless from above. This one had to be Maui, she had to trust he could be heroic even though he hadn't shown an ounce of heroism since she'd met him. Well, she could trust Moana. The girl was resourceful. She got the giant crab talking about himself, or rather singing about himself.

Well Tamatoa hasn't always been glam. I was a drab little crab once. Now I know I can be happy as a clam – because I'm beautiful baby

Vahi'a ducked out of sight when the crab flipped a gold piece into the water, and watched amazed as gold flecks shimmered. Eyes wide with awe she swooned catching her cheek in hand watching the crab strut along the cave floor. He was magnificent.

Fish are dumb dumb dumb. They like anything that glitters.

"Hey crab cake!"

Her daze was shaken by Maui's loud voice and she looked to see Tamatoa had been about to eat Moana. Get a grip, she told herself – she didn't know if it was the tail but she'd always loved treasure. Maui had his hook, he'd shapeshift into something bigger than Tamatoa and he and Moana would escape Lalotai. She sighed relieved that things were finally looking up.

"It's Maui time," he cried holding the hook high in the air with pride. He swung the hook and transformed…into a fish.

"Seriously?" she asked the fish around her, who'd taken note of her long hair and swam around it playfully. He gave another bellowing cry and transformed into everything but what he wanted and ended up as himself, a small now uncertain man against a giant crab. "This demigod," she groaned. Even with his stupid hook he was useless.

Well, well, well, Little Maui's having trouble with his look. You little semi-demi-mini-god. Ouch! What a terrible performance. Get the hook (get it?) You don't swing it like you used to, man

This time when he started singing, and the light caught on the gold of his shell reflecting around him, she wasn't dazed. She watched him fling Maui about, he was so small in comparison. Even if he hadn't been heroic he'd at least felt it, watching as he was thrown into the ceiling beside her, shaking the stone she was under, he didn't seem much like a hero.

Tamatoa knocked a claw against the wall and she looked up seeing the shell of a clam begin closing the opening she inhabited. There was a choice to be made: one, she could stay out there where it was safe and see how they fared – or two, she could jump and try to help them. Taking a breath she leapt breaking the surface of the water and fell through the air landing on the crab's back. She grabbed the hook, which was stuck in the crab's shell, clinging to it as the shell shook and quaked threatening to buck her. As the last bit of light was snuffed out the cave was illuminated by a strange glow. Tangaroa was coated in a pale blue, though she couldn't see his face, and the plants growing along the inside of the cave glowed deep blues or greens, some even purple. Vahi'a didn't know where to look as the crab spun.

You try to be tough but your armor's just not hard enough. Maui! It's time to kick your hiney.

Maui was kicked onto the shell, and dazed he looked up seeing with double vision his hook. Wrapped around it was Vahi'a reaching for him, her face earnest and desperate as the crab spun still singing - taunting. Raising a heavy hand he tried to reach her, felt her soft hand grazing his larger one before he was torn from her grasp and flung to the ground.

"Maui," Vahi'a cried still reaching for him. A claw squeezed around her waist tearing her off of the hook, and without much thought or care that he had himself the only sea woman, he flung her against the wall. She fell limp to the ground.

Tamatoa plucked the demigod from the god tossing him into the air and caught him between his teeth. "Hey!" Tamatoa turned to see the human girl holding a glowing green stone. He spat Maui from his mouth and said in awe, "the heart of Te Fiti."

In a last moment of valor Maui grabbed one of Tamatoa's legs trying to slow him as he chased after Moana. But he was flung to the side. To his left he found Vahi'a crumpled on her side an arm outstretched as though still reaching for him. He crawled to her wrapping a large hand around her shoulder watching her head fall to the side. Looking for Moana he found her dragging his hook toward him.

"We gotta go," Moana heaved lifting the heavy hook and handing it to Maui.

It hit his middle knocking the breath out of him. Using it at a crutch he bent tying the end of Vahi'a tail to it and let Moana help him limp away. "What about the heart?"

Moana reached a hand to her necklace showing him the glowing heart inside. "I've got a better one."

Consciousness, Vahi'a found, was her lying on her back with her arms outstretched as she was dragged along the ground by an unsteady Maui who was held up by a panicked Moana urging him faster to a large geyser. She should've just stayed in the water, she decided.

The ground under them shook and they turned to see Tamatoa charging. Reaching the geyser Moana looked at it waiting for it to glow and the water to surge sending them up into the sea above. It remained dark. "Come on," she said as the earth quaked the closer the crab came.

In a last moment of bravery Vahi'a pulled herself to the edge of the geyser and stretched out a weary arm calling the water. "It was you," Moana breathed as the water surged and the geyer glowed.