Before we get into this chapter, here are a few answers to some questions that I have received:

- Is Moana's husband still alive?

Unfortunately not. He died when Makani was little.

- How old was Moana when she had her kids in your story?

Konane is years older than Moana's later children. She was in her early twenties with Konane, early to mid-thirties with her other children.

- What is your favorite song from the movie?

Oh, certainly "How Far I'll Go."

- Who is your favorite character?

From the movie? Heihei :) From my book? Makani

- Is Moana going to be alive when they return or will they find out that she died early?

Now, this is just asking for spoilers. Naughty, naughty.

Maui sat across from Konane and Makani. Even though it was warm, the middle of the day, he had lit a roaring fire. It was so large that Makani almost couldn't see Maui's brooding face through the flames.

"So," she said awkwardly after the silence had stretched on for much too long, "Maui. It's an honor to meet you."

"I know," Maui muttered. Makani was taken aback by his lack of modesty until he clarified, "I know you think it's an honor to meet me, that is. It's really not."

"What?" Now Makani was thoroughly confused.

"I used to think I was a great demigod, that's all," Makani said breezily, barely masking the pain in his voice. "Then I found out I wasn't."

"What do you mean?" Makani asked, still not understanding.

"I made a human mistake. For a demigod to do such - it is humbling for all involved." Maui sighed, adjusting his seating. Makani was once again amazed at how huge the man was.

"Was I your human mistake?" Konane asked bitterly.

"Yes."

Makani sucked in a breath and laid a hand on Konane's shoulder. He brushed it off. She felt the snub like a knife pricking at her skin.

"I don't regret you. That's the biggest mistake," Maui said quietly.

"Maui, please. We just have a few questions and - and bad news."

"Start with the questions. I'm sure they're bad news as well." Maui's voice held the pain of a prisoner, a man who had been running for years only to get caught when he was lulled into a sense of security. Makani supposed the feeling was valid - after all, living on an abandoned island obviously meant you didn't want company.

"What happened to all the people on this island?" Makani asked after a moment, deciding to keep it simple.

"They died, long ago. A disease in their coconuts."

Makani hid a smile behind her hand at the phrasing - it made it sound somewhat like the villagers had gotten a brain disease and Maui was explaining it to a child. She swallowed her laughter and asked a sobering question: "Why did you disappear?"

"Which time?" Maui asked wearily.

Makani took a moment to consider this. Imagine, she thought, trying to vanish over and over, so often that you're not even sure which time is relevant to those who have found you. She shivered at the idea of that lonely existence.

"I met Lulani. She told me your story," Makani said gently.

"Oh, Lulani. She was a fiery one. How are they all?"

"You disappeared right before a disease struck their island." Makani suddenly made the connection and gasped. "The same disease that came here!"

Maui groaned, dropping his head into his hands. "It came right after I left?"

Makani struggled to remember. "I think so. Maybe even the same year."

Maui groaned again. "They blame me, don't they?"

"Not all of them," Makani tried weakly.

"Lulani blames me. She's that kind of child," Maui said firmly, as if he wanted Makani to tell him how much he was loathed.

"She does," Makani responded, her voice almost a whisper. From Maui's long silence, she wasn't sure if she had been heard over the loudly crackling flames.

"Is that why you have come?" Maui asked, then held up a hand as Makani began to reply in the negative. "No, no, of course it's not. You've come because of Moana. She finally told you what happened so long ago."

Makani and Konane exchanged glances. "Actually, no," Makani said slowly. "Something much different happened. Something worse."

"Is she dead?" Maui demanded almost before Makani finished her sentence. She flinched at his loud, harsh tone.

"You still care for her," Konane said wonderingly.

"What? No! Why do you think I'm hiding out on an abandoned island? To get away from her."

"To get away from your feelings," Konane corrected. "You're scared because she was a human and you were a demigod and she was going to die and you couldn't take that kind of pain. But then she got pregnant and everything got worse, because now you had a son, a son who was half human, half demigod, and that son was going to live for even longer, so instead of just waiting out Moana's death and shoving those feelings into a deep, dark, little corner, you now had to deal with the guilt and jealousy of knowing that your only child was growing up with another father who was not you, loving him and playing with him. So you went to live with other children, hoping they would make you feel better, but instead they made you feel worse - maybe they reminded you of that son you abandoned - so you packed up and moved to this island to wait until everyone was dead and you could just start over. Am I right? Tell me I'm wrong." Konane's eyes flashed with a challenge and Makani's eyebrows skyrocketed at his ability to so quickly put the pieces together.

From the look on Maui's face - what she could see through the dancing flames and shadows - Konane was spot on.

"Let me show you something," the demigod finally said, rising, grabbing a burning stick from the fire, and beckoning the duo to follow him into a back room.

Makani entered first. Maui held the torch aloft, and she gasped at the sight before her.