The stars were shining full force, the moon was far above her, and Makani had nearly resigned herself to a sleepless night on the ocean when the next island came into view.

Again, it was just a hulking mass on the horizon, but it woke Makani up enough for her to effectively steer the boat once again. She realized that sleepiness and a small boat on the open ocean was a very bad combination.

Maybe everyone will be nice and happy on this island, she thought hopefully, although a cynical part of her could not believe it.

She soon arrived at the island, sailed into the gulf, and scanned the beach for figures as she approached it. She saw none, but a small part of her warned her to be cautious.

Once she had landed and secured her boat, she stood with her back to the ocean and surveyed the land in front of her. Unlike all of the islands she had previously been to, there wasn't thick brush or trees guarding the paths to the village. Instead, there was a wide, open plain with incredibly tall grass that swayed gently in the breeze. There was also no mountain on this island. It seemed boring to Makani, but strange enough to be interesting at the same time.

On the island's horizon, several lights glowed steadily, unmoving. The village, Makani thought. All she would have to do was cross the tall grass field. The thought alone was nerve-wracking. What creatures hid in the grass, waiting for newly arrived, unsuspecting girls to travel their way? She would be no good to anyone if she was killed in a field of grass, miles from home.

But she had no other choice. She needed a comfortable place to sleep and her boat just would not do. Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself and waded into the grass.

Nothing grabbed at her ankles or nipped her calves. Courage boosted, Makani moved faster, spreading her arms in front of her to bend the grass and carve a path for herself. She glanced behind her to see the grass springing back up again, save a few stalks that she had accidentally stepped on.

Soon, she reached the edge of the village. These huts were small but looked securely made and comfortable to live in. Makani's heart lifted hopefully. Such a comfortable-looking village couldn't be all bad - could it?

Since the lights in a few of the houses were still on, Makani held hope for a kindly soul giving her shelter for the night. She walked up to the largest building with cheery candles flickering in the window and knocked on the door.

After a few seconds, it was opened by a rather large woman in a grass skirt, her chest covered with a cloth top. "Hello," she said pleasantly, surveying Makani. "Can I help you?"

Makani took a deep breath, quickly running over her words in her head before speaking aloud. "I am Makani, granddaughter to Moana. I come from another island, far away from here. I am looking for someone. May I have a place to sleep for the night, and possibly some food to take on my journey?"

The woman's eyes had widened at Moana's name. "You're Moana's granddaughter?" she breathed.

"One of them," Makani said nervously. At this point, she would either be accepted like a hero or turned away with scorn.

The woman clapped and laughed with delight. "Oh! Oh, how wonderful! Yes, come in. I've someone you simply must meet!"

Makani grinned at the woman's enthusiasm and wondered who the woman could possibly want her to meet. She didn't know that Makani was here for Maui, so it couldn't be the demigod, although a small part of her hoped it was. But as long as the woman was this happy about her identity, things couldn't go too badly.

A cheery fire blazed in the house, the smoke leaving through a pipe that led out of the roof. Still, the room smelled smoky and felt very warm.

Two small children were sleeping wrapped in each other's arms in a pile of blankets in the corner, under a short flight of stairs that led to a small outcropping that looked like it was mainly for storage. Makani wondered how they weren't overheating in the blankets until one of them shifted and she realized that they were both naked, save for cloths tied around their waists and between their legs.

Another pile of blankets lay opposite their corner. It was much larger and neater, so Makani assumed it was for the children's parents.

A safe distance away from the fire, two uncomfortable looking chairs sat, one of which was occupied by a large man who was staring deeply into the fire. At the woman's entrance, he was snapped out of his daze and squinted at Makani.

"Why, hello there, little one," he said warmly, the skin by his eyes crinkling as he smiled. "Another stray, Haunani?"

Haunani shook her head, smiling. "Not this one. She's just staying for the night."

"I'll grab the blankets," the man said, standing and making his way over to the stairs.

Now, Makani was burning with questions. The man seemed very accustomed to his wife bringing strange people into the house. Perhaps just children? Is that what he had meant by another stray? And did he honestly have no questions about her?

"Our island is in the center of several islands," Haunani explained, shaking Makani from her thoughts, and Makani nodded as she remembered her map. "More strangers show up here than you would imagine. And seeing as we're the biggest house and we stay up late into the night, people often come to us. Our chieftain has given us the task of caring for any strangers to appear in town, for as long as they need it."

Haunani did not seem put out by receiving this job without discussing it with the chieftain, but perhaps she had and just neglected to share that portion of the story.

"Are many of them children?" Makani asked curiously.

"A fair number of them. Elikapeka and Kilikina were." Haunani gestured to the two children sleeping in the blankets. "Washed ashore amidts a broken boat. We took them in and they've lived with us ever since."

Makani marveled at the kindness of these people as she watched Haunani's husband set up another makehshift bed in the corner of the house left of the door. "There you are," he said, smiling.

"Now, we must talk," Haunani said excitedly. "Konane, you'll never guess who this girl is granddaughter to!"

Konane looked Makani up and down and shrugged his shoulders. "I'm at a loss. Who?"

"Moana!" Haunani said, as though the name had burst from her in a joyous bubble of sound.

Konane's eyes widened. "No," he whispered, a smile spreading over his face.

"Yes, sir," Makani said, unsure as to why this was such a large production. Moana had probably started the civilization on this island, but this seemed a more personal connection to her gramma -

"Moana was my mother," Konane said breathlessly, and Makani could barely process the words.