I'm afraid to directly answer some of the reviews and risk spoiling what happens next, so I'll try to answer a few. I'm sorry if I don't respond to yours I just... I might need to let the chapter speak for itself.

Guest: Ah he's gone, sorry. And he also knows what he has done so... I don't know, keep reading?

jhalpernkitcat: Now that is one way to be a great writer. Keep all readers in suspense with a cliff hanger every chapter (or at least that can only work for a little while).

Using the ocean as a deus-ex machina WOULD have been too easy, but there was still a high risk of drowning Moana. (Actually the cinema sins video for Mad Max: Fury Road mentions its use of anti deus-ex machinas and maybe I was opting for some in that chapter. Moana actually uses a few too, like in 'Shiny'.)

Tamatoa has enough sense to realize he screwed up and that he pushed Maui's berserk button a little too hard than he intended so he doesn't want a repeat of the past to happen again. Who knows what waits for the crab...

Yeah, I try to go for realism when I think I can use it and Moana got the full force of it (well Maui too). Maui isn't fully human, which explains how he didn't die in the film but... yeah welcome to the teen rated version of that song. Though I HAD to make Moana whack him in the eye–it was begging to be a weak spot *laughs*.

You might be onto something with that deja vu from chapter one... keep reading.

OfficialWhiteFireTheDragon: Oh trust me, you don't want to know what Maui was planning to do. One limb torn off? That would have been the first step after the warm up. I also have to make do with what I know, since I don't know what it would be like to get smacked around by a giant crab... probably like getting hit by a large truck I suppose. And I love using description and details to heighten the visuals, so thanks. :)

Child of Dreams: You know there is a video by the SuperCarlinBrothers (I think thats how it is spelled) on youtube with a video that claims Tamatoa a reincarnation of Ursula. Maybe he's Sebastian's cousin and Facilier's previous reincarnation.

Subuku no Jess: Not the first time I used that gag XD. My real name DOES end with an 'a' though, like half the cast of the film (no seriously, they all end with 'i' or 'a'). I'm pretty sure Tamatoa would have liked that speech. It looks like there are a few that are glad I kept him alive and I wanted his exit to have some significance and being defeated (in many ways) by a mere human he used as a pawn is pretty ironic.

I loved making the Moana v. Tamatoa fight and letting her kick some sparkly butt. Also yes–that's what I did with Shark Merman over there :D.

Moana's words to Tamatoa screwing up the deal and her laugh came from one version I had in my head where she opted to allow herself to die/commit suicide by dropping into the coral reef as a way to stop him and save Maui and her people which was TOO much and I decided on something else. I wanted to go dark, but not TOO dark.

*Bows at the applause and accepts roses in a sparkly dress before giving some to the others*

Nausicaa of the Spirits: I lucked out in seeing it twice with family and friends. I didn't cry but there were some things in the film (especially near the end) that were really sad. Also Gaston was SUCH a *CENSORED* creep. Funny yes, but a bit more unhinged than his 1991 counterpart. I liked both songs but I liked how Evermore was done (and Dan Stevens is a good singer... and also really handsome and charming to boot. Even if he's already taken).

Shiori Kudo: Oh. Ok then. Oh and I'll pass that message to Tamatoa since he vanished.

DiWitch95: I love AUs that use both story-lines, but not to the point that it feels like your reading a script version of what the AU is based on with only a few changes but basically the same exact dialogue. Its hard to explain, but I like it when both worlds can blend together to honor both their stories (one great example I can think of was a Corpse Bride AU fan fic for Phantom of the Opera), so I really appreciate your review. Thank you. :)

So... did anyone see that video on youtube by the SuperCarlinBrothers that says who Tamatoa is the animal reincarnation of? Give it a look and I guarantee you that it makes this fan fic even more amusing... oh wait.

Yeah I left you guys on the worst of the cliffhangers thus far, didn't I?

I'm saving my notes for later to avoid spoilers. You'll know why afterwards.

Chapter 14: Land and Sea

The storm that surrounded Motonui and trapped everyone on it finally came to an end. The nightmare seemed to be over when the clouds parted to reveal the stars and a small amount of the moon. Despite the destruction that had been caused upon the island, everything else seemed to be fine once more.

Tala observed the stars and noticed something she had not seen in quite awhile–a constellation in the shape of a fish hook that had been missing for quite sometime was almost right over Motonui. She smiled at the sight until she heard the sound of a bird crying out in distress and looked down to see a large hawk like creature approaching one of the many shorelines. She took that as her cue to try to find Tui and Sina as she had a strong feeling that Moana had returned back to the island.

When Maui let out the cry, it was because his shoulder couldn't take it anymore and he felt a twist in it that caused him to almost dive into the ocean and nearly let go of Moana before he caught her in time. This caused Moana to tighten her grip as she felt a twinge of pain in her side and she cried out in protest before she let out another cough that sent blood out of her mouth. In fact it was the third cough she had since the journey back to her home began and it made her wonder what exactly the coral managed to pierce inside her body. Already blood had seeped out of her other wounds and fell into the ocean in many drops like rain.

Maui then realized he couldn't fly to the village anymore unless he wanted to risk dropping Moana. Just as he reached the shoreline, he was forced to shift forms and quickly caught Moana in one arm before he fell and then collapsed to his knees in the wet sand and used his hook to keep himself upright. The impact could have shattered his knees if he had been mortal and he did let out a groan and screwed his face up at the pain, but he forced himself to get up as best as he could while Moana struggled to hold onto him with one arm around his neck and her free hand clutching the wound to try to stop the bleeding. Every sudden movement seemed to push the coral farther into her or else widened the gash it was stuck in.

Maui tried to force himself to run to dry sand before the water could knock him over, but he only got a few feet across the dry sand before his body gave up on him. He found his grip slipping on the hook before he was on his knees again while trying to keep a hold on Moana.

"No, no, NO!" Maui yelled in frustration before hissing in pain. He could not give up now, he had to get Moana to someone who could save her in time! He struggled to get back on his feet, but his internal injuries protested more so than ever. Unknown to him, Moana could sense what was wrong and she herself realized that he was not going to be able to make it to the village, no matter what form he would take. The damage he suffered on the outside–all those bruises and bleeding gashes–was nothing compared to the injuries on the inside.

"Don't," Moana pleaded as she tried to hold onto Maui. "Don't push yourself." She winced when she tried to turn her body to face him, but the coral inside her would not let her do so without adding to her discomfort.

Maui tried to grab his hook to prop himself up, but once he had it propped up and he was able to force himself up by a few inches, his arm gave away on him. He almost slipped right into the sand and had to quickly grab onto the hook again.

"Its ok!" Moana tried to protest. "Maui–"

"No its not ok!" Maui snapped in anger as he tried one last time to get back up. "I can't let you–!" He tried using all his strength to stand, but he felt his knees were shaking and he let out a frustrated yell as he was forced to let go of the hook, sit in the sand, and found himself turning to face the ocean.

He struggled to breathe as he felt his anger rise inside him and he held his head with his free hand while still keeping a hold on Moana, who was half laying in his lap and half propped up and resting against both his his good arm and chest.

He could see that Moana's injury in her side was already bleeding out quite a bit around the coral fragment. In fact, thanks to her other injuries she was already starting to look rather weak, even as she tried to wipe the blood off her mouth with the back of her hand before it dropped in her lap. At least in this position she wouldn't choke on her own blood, but it was clear it wouldn't be enough. She was losing her color and she just looked so frail that it just seemed wrong. Even after regaining his demi-god status, she still seemed a little stronger than most humans, but now she just felt too light in his hold to the point that maybe she could easily break in half with one wrong movement.

But the worst part? He could sense the fear of death in her eyes and yet she gave him a look of grim acceptance to her fate and it killed him. She knew better than him what was going to happen and she was able to handle it far better than he ever could.

He came so far to the point that he had to force himself with all of his being to get here. Why did his body have to give up on him right before he could get her to safety? Why couldn't he save this one person? Why...

"Why?" He half demanded, half pleaded. "Why did you come after us? Why did you try to take the blow for me?!" Why would she do this after he made it clear he would grant her the freedom she rightfully deserved and make it so that she would never have to be bothered by him or Tamatoa ever again? Why would she be so willing to try to sacrifice herself in his place?

Moana looked into Maui's eyes as his hand moved away to hold onto her. She had no idea how she could explain the entire reason in a short amount of time. She could feel her life draining out of her injuries and even within her own body.

"I didn't want him to go after my island." She began. "But...I did it because..." She closed her eyes for a moment and when she smiled, she opened them again. "It's also because you're my friend."

That was it. Just simple and to the point.

She watched as Maui's waiting look had changed to utter confusion and disbelief. "I'm sorry... I wasn't able to grant your wish." Her smile became a regretful one. "But I didn't want anything bad to happen to you." She gulped and smiled again. "So I'm glad I was there in time... I guess I was able to make it up to you." She let out a small, weak laugh that slightly hurt her side.

She turned her head to look at the ocean. The now gentle waves were soothing, like a song, and the dark sky was illuminated with stars, and it all gave her a sense of peace. She didn't deny that she was afraid of dying, no matter what she had been told about a life after death, but the ocean was able to calm those fears somewhat for the moment.

Unknown to Moana, Maui was processing what Moana just told him. Despite everything that had happened to her, she still willingly chose to try to help him and even risked giving her life away for his own sake–something he could not recall anyone doing for him in living memory–and still called him a friend. He didn't know what to make of it–there was a part of him that was happy, relieved, and thankful to her, but now there was a deep pain inside him that he rarely felt that hurt worse than any physical injury.

He gained a friend... a true friend in every sense of the word... and now he was going to lose her forever and there was nothing he could do about it. He was going to have to say good-bye to another mortal but it was not just any mortal. It was someone he had placed high above himself, had actually tried to open his heart to, and who didn't turn her back against him or try to put him down. It was someone who genuinely cared about him and had been brave enough to come help. It was someone who didn't need him to do anything drastic to gain their life long appreciation and who had given him the compassion he didn't realize that he appreciated until now.

But now she was going to die at an all too young age instead of a natural, peaceful death.

As Moana stared at the ocean a thought came to her. "Was..." She began. "Was this the same shoreline? The one all those years ago when I first met you?"

As that pain rose inside Maui, he looked up and glanced around. "Yes... maybe?" His voice cracked as he tried to hold what he was feeling back. "I... I guess it is... I don't know." He felt horrible not knowing if he had it right or not as he shook his head.

"Oh," Was all she could say as she stared at the ocean. She had no idea what to do as she waited and she just could not think of any final requests other than to see her family one last time. She never gave too much thought about death, nor what form she would take in the next life, but she didn't want to think about it while she still could. Instead she made to reach for the fragment inside her and tried to pull it out as there was no point in leaving it in there anymore–at least it would be painless afterwards. She tried to fight back a cry as she did so and shut her eyes in pain until she felt a hand around hers and helped her pull the fragment out.

She had to fight back the final cry but failed as the hand moved away from her and tossed the fragment away into the ocean as far as its owner could throw it. The coral no longer hindered her, but she could feel that her blood was slowly flowing out of the remaining wound. She found herself humming a song through the pain as her hands clenched up into fists until–

"See the line where the sky meets the sea, it calls me..." Her voice came out in a weak melody in her desperation to keep her mind away from the throbbing sensation within her side and Maui couldn't hold it anymore as he took in a sharp breath of air and bought his hand back to his face. "And no one knows, how far it goes."

"If the wind in my sail on the sea stays behind me..." She paused as she could hear Maui's breath come out in an uneven stagger that was recognizable and she realized why. She struggled to reach up to hug Maui, even as her body protested against it and when he opened his eyes long enough to see what she was trying to do, he helped her up so that she could wrap her arms around his neck and bury her face in his shoulder and held her as carefully as he could.

She didn't need to look to know that he was crying.

It was like this for a few moments and Maui refused to let Moana go for as long as he could as he experienced an all too human emotion that he rarely felt, had never wanted to feel, and now he couldn't stop himself. As he held her, he bowed his head and sobbed as he let the tears fall.

It took Moana a few seconds before she herself buried farther into Maui and allowed her own tears to fall. She didn't want to let go and she wished it hadn't come to this, so all she could do was hold on for as long as she could. This may not have been the same hug she missed, but she could still feel that same feeling of being safe, along with a friendly familiarity of something that was uniquely his own.

Moments later, Maui heard the sound of someone running towards them. Maui turned his head and saw Tui panting out of breath and staring desperately at him from a slight distance. It only took a few seconds for Tui to look at his face to realize that something was wrong and Maui could not bring himself to see how he would react before carefully moving Moana. He held Moana's head and pressed her forehead against his own for a few seconds with his eyes closed. She pressed her forehead farther into his when she recognized what he was doing and her hold tightened up just a little more.

He wanted to stay with her for a little longer, but he had to return her to her family like he originally meant to do. He couldn't think of any final words for her (he doubt he could have anything to say as his final words to her), other than offer this one final gesture that meant so much to her and her people.

Maui then shifted himself so that he could face Tui when he knelt beside him with a horrified look on his face at the sight of his dying child. All the while, Maui could only give Tui a mournful and apologetic look as there was nothing he could say to the man. With as much care as he could, Maui maneuvered Moana and gently passed her to her father until Tui placed his arms under her.

Moana was momentarily unaware as to what Maui was doing and as she felt his hold slip away from her, she tried to reach a hand out for him. Don't go. She pleaded as she watched Maui struggle to move away from her with a look of regret on his face as well as a sadness that reached her heart and made her cry more tears. Don't go! She internally begged. Please come back!

When she heard the sound of her father crying and let out a painful "Moana?" she realized who was now holding her as well as the reason why Maui gave her up to him.

"Dad?" She whispered as she turned to took up at her father while Maui backed away from them as far as his body could allow him to, even if he wanted to just get out of there and couldn't because his hook was near them. He could see Sina help guide Tala towards the shoreline somewhere in the distance and he could do nothing but turn away and hold his face in his hands. He wanted to be with Moana, but he had no place with her family and she needed to be with them–not the person who lead her to her death. His body couldn't let him get up and leave, so he was forced to sit through her final moments.

Tui was already crying as he didn't know whether to hug his daughter or simply hold her so that her injury wouldn't be anymore painful. "I'm sorry." Moana could only try to say as she recalled what almost happened earlier that day. "I didn't mean to–what I did earlier–"

"No." Tui firmly spoke as he shook his head. "I failed you as a father. I shouldn't have allowed any of it to have happened because of–" He let out a deep sigh as he hugged his daughter as carefully as he could. "I should be the one who is sorry." He gently placed his hand on her head and buried his head into her. "You are far braver than I could ever dream to be." His voice shook.

"Moana?!" Sina gasped as she saw her daughter and hurried to join her husband on Moana's other side. She gasped once more as she placed a hand over her mouth as she realized the nature of Moana's fate and could only stare before she let out a soft "No."

"Mom?" Moana turned her head and gave her mother a smile. It was too much for Sina, who grabbed her daughter's hand and held onto it for dear life as if to never let her go. Sina sobbed as her own tears began to develop as Tui held his daughter in a manner similar to how Maui did earlier so that she could see her mother. "Yes," Sina struggled to say. "I'm here."

Tala then finally joined the rest of them and knelt beside Sina, blocking Maui from Moana's view, though Moana was more focused on her family.

"Everyone is safe right?" Moana asked. "I was able to save them... I was able to save my friend." She gave Tui a knowing look as best as she could. Even now she could feel that everything was starting to fade and it was growing colder by the second.

"Everyone is safe." Tala confirmed as she was about ready to come to tears. She knew Moana was brave and determined–she would always be proud of her–but it was still too much to see her granddaughter dying before she did. It just wasn't right.

"Good." Moana smiled as her eyes drifted to the ocean, whose gentle, yet mournful waves upon the sands of the shoreline and upon itself were more like a lullaby now. "That's good."

"Moana." Sina pleaded as she saw her daughter's eyelids struggle to stay up and her grip on her hand tightened. "Stay with us!"

"Please don't blame Maui... please..." Moana asked as she felt herself grow tired. "I... I made my choice." She didn't see Maui tighten up or his body shuddering when she mentioned him. "I don't regret it."

"Moana!" Tui's arms were trembling and he squeezed Moana as if that alone could keep her awake.

Moana looked at the ocean that she loved so much, but she knew that there were other things she loved just as much. "I love... you all." Moana struggled to stay awake as it grew colder by the second and everything was starting to blur. "I love..." She struggled to say one last time as she felt her heart slow down and she struggled with all her might to stay awake. "you... and... I..."

She closed her eyes and after her head collapsed into her father's body she became still.

"Moana!" Sina pleaded as she grabbed Moana's body from Tui. "Moana wake up! Please wake up!" She pleaded, but it was no use–Moana did not wake up and her heart ceased beating.

Sina froze in horror. "No," She shook her head. "No!" she buried herself into Moana and hugged her body close to her own as Tui hugged both his wife and his daughter's body. "No, no, no, no!" Sina cried as she tightened her hold, which caused Tui to tighten his hold on his wife while he struggled with his sobbing and pressed his head against hers. "Come back! Please come back!" Sina begged.

Tala placed her hands over her mouth and her body shook as her own tears came out while she let out deep sobs. She never wanted to see this moment for as long as she was still alive, but it came almost without warning. The chain that had started the day before–the one she could have prevented if she had yelled out to Moana when she was on her boat–finally came to its end and it was too late to change it. She took a deep breath and held her face in her hands as her tears flowed out.

All these reactions were more than enough to tell Maui that Moana had finally passed away. It was too much for him and he couldn't stop his own tears as he tried to hold himself as tightly as he could to the point that he didn't want to let go no matter how much it hurt. He gripped his arms to the point that his nails nearly broke the skin. He couldn't think straight and he couldn't bring himself to leave.

I didn't even finish teaching her how to be a wayfinder.

There was nothing he could do to bring her back. It was something he knew he could never be able to accomplish, no matter how tempting it would be.

There was much sorrow on that shoreline as Moana's loved ones mourned for her. Nothing else mattered as they became caught up in those emotions and memories of the girl who meant something special to each one of them.

Yet none of them noticed the woman in white garments, with long flowing dark hair and a crown of flowers on her head. In her arms was both Pua and Heihei and for once both creatures were aware as to what was going on and what just happened.

Pua let out a mournful squeak and gave the woman a pleading look as Heihei clucked in confusion. Did the human who kept insisting on picking him up... was she gone? He couldn't sense her anymore. It didn't feel right to the rooster who let out a mournful clucking sound.

The woman looked down at Pua and smiled at him before setting both creatures down. Pua hurried past her to join Moana's family while Heihei trailed after the woman as she walked her way towards the small group, but not before stopping behind Maui.

She watched as the demi-god cried for his lost friend and she frowned in deep sympathy before placing a gentle hand upon his shoulder. The moment she did, the injuries he had sustained in his long fight began to fade away and heal and the blood he carried upon him vanished as if it all was never there to begin with, but her touch could not reach the pain that was within his heart.

Seconds passed and his crying slowed down as if he had become aware of her and she looked up in time to see a blue orb of light hovering between him and the girl's family. Heihei was staring at it almost transfixed, but there was a look in his eyes as if he was prepared to guard it with his life.

"Please," Maui begged in a quiet voice without looking up at the woman. "Save her."

The woman smiled and moved away from Maui and to the orb with careful steps. Heihei suddenly shot a warning look at the woman when she got too close to the orb, but then he calmed down and even Pua turned away from Moana's family to watch the woman with a cautious glance when she stopped at the orb. She could sense all animal life upon and around Motonui and she could sense a few that were once humans in their former life that were ready to either protect the soul or help guide it to the afterlife (including a shark who was once the previous Chief and also the grandfather of the owner of this soul).

The woman gave both creatures a reassuring glance and then carefully cupped the orb in her hands and pressed it against her forehead in a hongi.

When Moana awoke, she was on her boat in the middle of the ocean with no land in sight. There was no more pain inside her and she could feel the warmth of the sun on her skin but something didn't feel right. She was alive and yet not quite.

Am I... dead? She wondered as she stared up at the bright blue sky before getting up. Or am I dreaming?

"Hello again, Moana." Moana turned to see the woman from her dream sitting near the sail. She gave Moana a loving smile while her green eyes were filled with compassion.

"You!" Moana nearly gasped in shock.

"We owe you our thanks." The woman went on. "It is thanks to you that you ended the cycle of revenge. There was no telling what either of those two could have done, but in Maui's case..." She let out a sigh. "He means well when he works to help the humans. He can be both hasty and prideful to a fault but he can also be capable of a dark nature if pushed too far. There is no telling what could have happened if he continued to go on unchecked." A dark look was in her eye. "And as you found out, even he cannot resist temptation."

"But none of this was all Maui's fault!" Moana felt herself get angry as she forgot to ask the woman what was happening or why she was here with her. "Yes he makes mistakes but if you were so concerned about him then why weren't you clear to me the first time around?!"

"I wanted to give him a chance." The woman gave Moana a sympathetic look. "You have had to endure so much because of this, yet you deserve to know the answers."

"Maui's heart was in a place of confusion and it is true that he was being taken advantage of by a few mortals over the years." The woman began. "We may not see everything, but the ocean learned much as a pattern began to form. And Maui might live longer than most mortals but his heart is still as human as it was when he was born. That human side desired the love and appreciation from mortals in a way that we don't necessarily need as much as you do. A moment of praise is nothing compared to the reassurance of friendship or love, no matter how brief. Of course a lifespan that is almost as long as the gods lead to him having to witness more than a human could take... too many died before him and he began to realize what he was missing... and I'm sure you gathered all you needed to know from both him and Tamatoa."

"He was born of mortal parents who didn't want him." Moana closed her eyes in pain at this memory as she sat down beside the woman. "And he was trying to gain the love and approval of mortals to make up for that, but you can't if it's a never ending cycle with each generation and you always feel like you have to prove yourself."

"Yes, I'm afraid so." The woman shut her eyes and frowned. "No child deserves that fate. All deserve the right to know of love and family, no matter who they are. We gave him a second chance because we could see someone capable of greatness and compassion. You know of this too, but as I said, his heart is still human and it yearned for something we could not give, nor easily understand as you would. Something that Tamatoa recognized and took advantage of.

There was a time when they were good friends, but Tamatoa's own insecurities were getting the better of him and you know what that lead to." She sighed. "I am glad you were able to stop the cycle and that Maui chose to spare Tamatoa, but I may still need to have a word with that creature when I get the chance. Or at least one of us will need to do it."

Moana began to have an understanding that the woman was of divine power during this discussion, but she was still focused on her words. "You took away Maui's constellation... you could have stopped Tamatoa." She pointed out.

"It was too late for us when Maui reverted back to his mortal state and we did argue about his actions." The woman admitted. "Yet we made a compromise and the more sympathetic side–including myself–wanted to give him a chance to see if being a mortal again would make him happy and if it was the best outcome for him, should he otherwise go down a dark path. We hid the constellation to protect him and those he would encounter from his enemies. We did not foresee the consequences." The woman gave Moana an apologetic look. "I already learned why that became a problem and how Tamatoa was able to find your island. The ocean tried to stop him as best as it could and as I had said before, I would not have been able to reach you in time."

"The ocean was trying to help Maui." Moana recalled how it obeyed her wish to get to him. "But I don't understand something. Why bring him to my island?"

"Because," The woman began "the ocean remembers all that happens within it, including one important moment. There was one human Maui opened his heart to a few years ago and the ocean decided to help Maui and take a risk with both him and this human. The ocean decided to see if that human–who had the right personality to handle a former demi-god and a trickster at that–could be the one to grant Maui's deepest wish and hopefully teach him some humility. Someone who he would try to take a chance with. Someone the ocean had been keeping an eye out for quite awhile and had already adored even when they were still in infancy." She turned her head to the girl.

Moana stared in shock. "M...me?"

The woman smiled. "The world needs more people like you, Moana. You have displayed the qualities ideal for a leader to your people, but the quality within you that resonates the most–that of compassion–has always been your strongest quality from the moment you came to this world. Your bravery, your careful thinking, and the love of your heritage... that is a deep love that I don't see or hear of very often. One which you have been willing to make sacrifices for, for more times than the ocean could count." The woman placed a hand on Moana's shoulder. "You are far stronger than you know, you put others before your desires and safety, and nothing, not even a curse or the face of death, can stop you. Many who know you recognize your qualities and Maui was drawn to you for that reason."

Moana gave the woman a weak smile. "Thanks... but... I didn't grant Maui his wish." She then frowned with much regret. "I mean, I would have accepted him no matter what form he took but I wish there had been a way to help him." She sighed in frustration. "If I hadn't let Tamatoa distract me before I told Maui I would have liked it if he stayed–"

The woman chuckled. "No Moana–you did grant Maui's wish. What did he really want? Why do you think he gave up the chance to become a human again when he had it? Why did he offer to sacrifice his life in exchange for your freedom?"

Moana thought for a moment and remembered what she had learned. "He... he wanted to feel accepted. He wanted to feel wanted–genuinely wanted." She frowned. "He wanted someone who wanted him for himself."

"That is correct." The woman answered as she let go of Moana. "And though it is within my power to remove his status as a demi-god, he doesn't want that anymore."

"What?!" Moana gasped.

"You made him feel like he could belong and you proved to him that someone cares deeply for him, even despite that he is a demi-god who could have survived that attack and would outlive you. In fact his willingness to sacrifice his happiness and his life in exchange for your own and your own sacrifice and compassion for him was enough to convince the gods that Maui would not be a threat to the world anytime soon and that he could atone for his actions."

"He will not be punished; he will retain his powers and I believe his renewed faith in your kind will encourage him to continue aiding the humans." The woman added. "Plus he made it clear to me in his own words that there wouldn't have been a point to becoming a mortal again if it had lead to your demise."

Moana felt herself about ready to cry as the woman explained this all to her, but for a number of reasons.

"I'm glad he's safe... and so is everyone else." Moana confessed. "But I wish I could have stayed longer. I guess I might see them again as a spirit... I never really thought about what I would come back as." She felt frustrated. "I want to be there for them as I am, but I can't if spirits can only be there to guide us... guide the living." She felt her throat tighten up when she realized she had to make that correction. "This wasn't the freedom I was seeking." She wasn't even sure where she would go after this. Would she become a spirit, go to the underground, go up into the heavens? Was this vast ocean without any friendly face in sight (besides the woman) what she had desired after all?

She sighed as she hugged her legs to her chest and fought the urge to cry. "And if Maui can do what makes him happy, I'm glad for him. But I don't want him to feel lonely or miserable again. I don't want him to do something he'll regret later because–" I could have told my people to always welcome him as if he were one of us. She thought with regret as she stared out into the ocean. And now its too late. "No one deserves that. He doesn't deserve that."

The woman looked at Moana with understanding. She already missed her family and it was true that one day she would reunite with them in death. Yet there would be no peace in the girl's heart over the matter as she deeply cared about the demi-god's happiness. In the end she truly saw him for who he was and had accepted him into her heart, flaws and all.

The woman paused and thought for a moment before smiling. "I think that, due to these extraordinary circumstances–for all that you have sacrificed and for how far you went to protect all that you love–you deserve a gift. I can bring you back to life as you are now."

Moana stared at the woman in shock but she felt herself grow hopeful. Did she hear this correctly?

"There is, however, a catch." The woman admitted. "You will retain your human form for at least four or five more years, but then you must take on a new form."

"Oh," Moana was disappointed at this. "I guess that would give me time to decide on an animal form." She didn't want to deal with that sort of time limit. She could already see the restrictions and pressures that would come with it.

The woman chuckled. "I didn't say it was an animal form."

Moana was confused. "What other form then? A plant, rock, a spirit, or–" She stopped when the thought hit her. "Wait... wait... no way. Are you saying..." Moana could not believe this. "Are you... are you offering to make me... like Maui?"

The woman smiled and nodded.

"Why?" Moana was surprised at such a powerful offer. "Why offer someone like me such power?"

"Because the world needs more people like you and I cannot deny your people a great and promising leader, however long you choose to hold that position." The woman told her before frowning. "And honestly I probably won't be able to step in to stop Maui from doing anything reckless like this again. It would help us greatly if there was someone there to keep him in check once in awhile." Despite her kindly nature, there was a twinge of annoyance in her eyes.

Moana was still amazed and she smiled before she remembered what Maui had said about being immortal.

"If... if I accept, then I'll outlive everyone else." Moana said with a slight pain in her heart. "Mom, Dad, Grandma, Pua, Heihei, our people..." If she accepted, she would risk going through what Maui went through.

"By the time I could remove the power of a demi-god from you without any risk of killing you, they would all be long gone." The woman admitted with genuine regret. "You would still be too young and new if I did it too soon."

"It is an offer, but what you do with it is only up to you." The woman told Moana. "You deserve to have a choice Moana, and I will not make it for you. Your story was not supposed to end all too soon, but it will continue on. And I will not deny that this choice will come with a price, but I can think of many reasons why you would want it–some of which you are not quite yet aware of. If not, then I understand and if you wish to continue onto the afterlife, I will stay with you until your ancestors come to you with their boats. They too have been watching over you and wish for your happiness."

Moana thought for a moment before she saw the necklace on her neck and held onto the shell. Whatever happens, whatever path you choose, know that you will always be my granddaughter…We will always love you. Her grandmother's words rang in her head.

She knew what she truly wanted deep down in her heart.

"They miss me," She stated. "I want to go back." She shut her eyes as a tear escaped out of one of her eyes. "We all have to say goodbye at some point... but I'm not ready to do that just yet. I don't care about what happens in the future right now. I just want to go back to them." She felt more tears escape.

She wanted to go home.

She wanted them back.

She turned to the woman and opened her eyes. "Can I be able to have both land and sea in my life?" She asked.

"It is your life Moana. Do as you wish–I know you will use this gift wisely and I have my full trust in you. Be with them for as long as you want and need to be and always be yourself."

Moana gasped as she went over to hug the woman. "Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you so much!" She cried as she felt the warmth of the woman's body in her embrace and buried her head into the woman's shoulder and her long hair.

The woman accepted Moana's hug and caressed Moana's hair in a motherly way. "You're welcome, my child."

The woman smiled as she heard Moana's laugh at her words from within her head. She turned to Moana's family and as they continued to mourn over the girl's empty body, she walked towards them while carrying her soul within her hands.

Maui took a breath and finally turned to watch the woman in stunned silence as she approached the family. Even Moana's animal companions watched as they waited to see what would happen.

The girl's grandmother was the first to notice her and she ceased her tears when she sensed the true nature of the woman, who could see that Tala's own time would end soon at some point in the near future. Tala stared in amazement at the woman, who turned to Tui and Sina–the latter was carrying a life inside her, with full promise of a safe arrival into the world when its time would come. The woman patiently waited as Tala placed a hand on Tui's shoulder and the man turned to see the woman holding the soul.

Not sure as to what was going on, yet daring to hope for a miracle, Tui grabbed Sina's shoulder and the woman turned to look at her husband before looking at the woman.

The woman knelt before the body of Moana and one hand reached out for her while the other held onto the soul. She gave the parents a smile of reassurance and waited as they looked from her to each other before Sina finally guided Moana's body to the woman. She held a hand over her mouth and ceased her crying as Tui wrapped an arm around her–he could do nothing, but try to hope harder than he ever had in his life for something incredible to happen.

The woman stared at Moana as she gently held her body. "There's something I still don't understand." She could hear Moana. "Who are you? Why did you of all the gods care so much about all of this to the point you offered me this choice?" The woman merely smiled as she placed the soul into the body and watched it fade back into the chest.

"Because I am one who can grant life and rebirth." The woman responded back to Moana as she pressed her forehead against her own. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply into Moana, filling her with her breath of life with all her capacity and love.

Moana closed her eyes and breathed it in. She felt herself be filled up with something wondrous and almost unexplainable besides feeling like she was taking a breath of air after being in water for too long, and yet she felt as if she were in the water at the same time.

Because her eyes were closed, Moana did not see the glowing green spiral that was exactly where the woman's heart was.

I grew up on Disney and I refuse to believe in sad endings. Not all endings are happy, or maybe they are bittersweet, but if I must have a happy ending then I will make it happy. So this was my way of incorporating the original ending of the Little Mermaid, but with an important twist and reinterpretation to make it happy instead of bittersweet.

Also, every time a reviewer wanted to see Tui get punished or hated him, I kept thinking of Moana's future death and refrained from saying anything about it. Oh he got punished alright... in the most horribly tragic way possible.

...

For those of you who are wondering where the coral damaged Moana... I'm tempted to say that it might have cut into or punctured her spleen, if nowhere else. Otherwise the stomach and lungs would be somewhere near that same area... but I'm not a medical expert and I'm guessing the injuries there would have to be more agonizing. You can survive without your spleen for a bit, but you would die faster from the internal bleeding, according to my research. Otherwise you would probably die from infection from a coral wound and especially one that deep inside you (which is why its advised to get treatment from such injuries as soon as possible).

This is why its important to do your research on the human body if you are going to injure a character somewhere in particular. I'm not even sure if a damaged spleen equals coughing up blood anymore, unless internal bleeding equals... ARGH!

...

Creating this chapter was tricky because I realized I needed to make sure I had my research correct about possible resurrection in Polynesian culture and I double checked after I wrote the majority of it, but the best I found was that (in some cultures) if you caught the soul of the dead, you could bring someone back to life if you returned it to their body. There is a LOT of variation on the afterlife in Polynesian culture, from making a journey to an ancestral island, an underworld, waiting on a shoreline for a tree to take you to the afterlife, an animal guarding a soul until its ready to move on, etc.

Speaking of an animal guarding the soul, I saw something about how an animal spirit or 'Aumakua' (which I think can be a human in a previous life) protects its family and some of them include sharks and octopuses. Which explains a few things.

In the case of this fic, its a matter of considering how is death represented in Moana, combined with what aligns with the storyline I'm using, and an interpretation for a certain character and a certain action. If I messed something up big time, I apologize.

That said, we have one last chapter to go. It shouldn't take long since its mostly complete at this point... unless I get a bunch of reviewers saying they were wanting Maui to turn into a human and for Moana to survive and stay mortal. I can write that as an alternate ending after the final chapter but that depends on HOW many want it.