Once again, this chapter has only gone through a very quick edit at all so if forgive me if there are any missing words.
I will thoroughly edit this chapter at a later date. So don't be surprised to see some changes.
So I recommend you read "The Chief's Wife" by Bad Octopus if you want some laughs before/after reading this.
Or you need more romance/angst then I recommend reading "Our Future Together" by CartoonJessie! :D
(You can find them both in Ao3)
Once again, I'm not Polynesian (although their culture has a few similarities with my own) so please prepare for a few inaccuracies. But I did the best I could to keep things as accurate I could with what research I conducted. Oh, and of course possible OOC warnings are up too.
With that said,
I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as you can!
Chapter Four: Kanohi Hautoa (Part Two)
Morning slowly turned to sunset,
And the group consisting of a Demigod, a twelve-year-old boy, and a four-year-old girl sat down on the ground watching seven-year-old Hinatea as she was performing her Warrior Face for... how many times she'd done it?
Maui stared at her, his cheek resting on the palm of his hand as he sighed, "Lower."
She got lower and it still didn't look right. She bared her teeth too hard and the way she hunched her back forward made her look…well, he didn't want to go there.
"Stronger." She tried that again, this time putting more strain onto her face and it still was off. Tala yawned before she crawled up to her father's lap, sat up and laid her head against his chest.
Hiapo took a deep breath as he stood there staring at her with bored eyes.
Maui looked down at Tala and saw an opportunity to take a break for a bit. "Okay! I'm gonna go and put her down for—"
"I'll do it." Hiapo cut him off before pulled Tala away from him and stood up, balancing the four-year-old against his hip before he headed away. Had Maui been in a good mood, he would've laughed at the sight of his youngest daughter's head leaning back, drool escaped her lips and her back curved backward while her arms dangled from each side of her body.
Instead, the Demigod quickly turned with an irked look on his face but Hiapo kept his back to him as he walked off, leaving Maui to his fatherly duties.
"Do you even know how to get back?" Maui called after him. The twelve-year-old boy ignored him and kept going.
Maui had an obvious scowl on his face as Hiapo abandoned the team. He let out a soft scoff and muttered, "So much for sportsmanship." Mini-Maui glared and then elbowed him in the chest before he pointed to Hina, telling his host to pay attention to his daughter and then he saw what the problem was.
She was thinking too hard. Maui stood up and walked over toward waving his hands in front of him, "Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop!"
Hina immediately dropped her arms and turned to her father with confused shock as he came over.
And the next two words he uttered only confused her even more.
"You're thinking."
Hina looked up at him with her right eyebrow raised as she replied with a "Um...yeah?" She looked up and saw Mini-Maui wagging his finger at her and then Maui cut him off,
"Hey! Let me take care of this please." Mini-Maui slumped down in disappointment and then Hina giggled and lifted his spirits once more. Mini-Maui jumped to his feet with a wide happy grin on his face.
Maui raised an impatient eyebrow as he asked,
"Can I continue now?"
Hina and Mini-Maui eyed each other sheepishly before they both nodded.
"Thank you. Now, thinking is a big no when making a Warrior Face." He knelt down to his daughter's height and explained before he thumped his fist to the left side of his chest.
"It's not about using your mind. It's all about bringing out everything that makes you, you," He smiled before he lifted his daughter's chin with his fingers, and looked her straight in the eye before he added pressing the finger he'd used to cup her chin to the left side of her chest right where her heart was, "And telling all your challengers you're a Warrior and you're not somebody they can mess with. Put all that in and use your face as your weapon."
Hina looked up at her father in consideration before she asked,
"Do you really think I can do it, Daddy?"
Maui smiled before he replied, "Do I think you can do it? No." Her shoulders immediately slumped. He leaned forward and told her with obvious fatherly confidence,
"I know you can." Hina smiled and quickly ran to give him a hug. Maui chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled his daughter close.
"Thank you, Papa."
"You're welcome, Shark-bait."
Their moment was interrupted by the sounds of a SQUAWKING seagull from above. Maui and Hina immediately pulled away from one another and saw the bird hovering in midair. Then they looked at the reddening sky. Hina, realizing that she going to be late for her challenge, ripped herself from her father's arms and quickly ran down the path Hiapo had taken.
Suddenly she felt the ground shaking beneath her feet and a pair of large hands scooping her up. She found herself sitting on her father's shoulders, her chin resting against his hair bun as he sprinted down the path and ran past Hiapo and Tala on the way.
Hina half turned and waved at him shouting, "See you there, guys!"
Hiapo shook his head as he carried her now conscious sister on his hip, "And to think she'll be Chief one day."
"Nope. She's gonna become something prettier than she already is." Tala suddenly spoke.
"Uh huh...?" Hiapo turned to the little girl, expecting to see some form of jealousy on her face. But instead, he saw compassion and incredible insight on her little face.
She was doing that odd thing again, the part where she could so overtly switch personalities from a stereotypical little sister to someone who appeared wiser beyond her years.
"We gotta go—" She suddenly shouted before pointed to the right and said, "That way!"
Hiapo was bewildered by how specific she was and he turned to look down at her.
"How—" He'd barely got the word out of his mouth before she cut him off with an urgent shout,
"Hurry!"
"Okay! Okay!" Hiapo pulled her onto his back and raced off, piggybacking her the same way he would his young nieces and nephews.
IIIIIIII
Maui raced through the trees "Hold on tight we're almost there—"
Waiola stepped out from hiding spot with arm out and her hand held up in a stop gesture about ten feet in front of him.
"WHOA!" The Demigod exclaimed before he pressed his feet harder on the ground forcing him to skid to a stop right in front of the woman.
He chuckled nervously as he slowly got down to give her a hongi but she thought it better to grab his ear and tug on it instead.
"I'm not here for small talk. Where's my son?"
"He's good—Ow!"
"I've had it up to here—" She lifted her hand over her head, indicating just how much she'd tolerated him. "—With you and your antics! Faletua or not...if I don't see my boy here within in the next five seconds—"
"We're here!" Tala screamed from behind them as she and Hiapo finally appeared, with her standing on his back and him leaning forward to catch his breath. Maui and Waiola turned to the two children, both their eyes widened in shock; clearly the two were surprised by the sheer coincidence of their timing.
"You made it!" Hina shouted as she slid down her father's back. Hiapo slowly straightened up and got back to carrying Tala on his back.
The twelve-year-old boy was shocked to see his mother there, "Mom?" Waiola let go of Maui's ear and sighed in relief. Hiapo lifted Tala off his back and set her down on the ground as his mother approached them both.
The two exchanged the hongi before Waiola pulled away and sighed in relief as Tala made her way toward her father. "What are you doing here?" Hiapo asked, "How did you know where to find me?"
Waiola smiled and said, "I have my ways." She turned to Maui and had half a mind to hit The Demigod where it hurts, but she wouldn't do such a thing in front of the girls she'd help Moana bring into the world.
"I outta give you a beating—"
"Mother, please." Hiapo put his hands on her shoulders, "He didn't mean any harm. But Maui, I'd appreciate it you ask next time." Waiola looked up at her son with a proud smile on her face before she reached over ready to brush some of his messy hair off his face, but not wanting to baby him, held herself back.
Hiapo turned to his mother and linked his arm with hers,
"Let's go home."
Hina quickly climbed down her father's back and walked over toward him. "Wait, you're not gonna come and watch Hiapo?"
"I'm sorry Hina, but I got chores to do and I think I've made my mom worried enough. So I'll see you around okay?"
Waiola then added as she turned to Hinatea,
"I hope you're not referring to that whole fiasco yesterday young lady."
Hina bit her lower lip and slowly turned to look the other way, and that was the answer Waiola needed.
"Well, I'll be more than happy to inform you that your mother and the visiting Matai have resolved the issue, so there will be no challenge tonight."
"What?!" Hiapo, Maui, and Hina all exclaimed.
Then Hina grunted while crossing her arms together, "Great! All that hard work for nothing." Hiapo looked up and saw that Maui had a very similar huffy expression on his face.
"I don't know what you're complaining about?" Waiola spoke out her voice tone was mixed in-between wisdom and dogmatism, "At least your mother can rest easy without having to worry the threat of possible war over her head."
Those words did put Maui's mind at ease somewhat. But he felt bad for Hinatea and Hiapo at the same time—especially after all the effort they both put in today.
"This sucks," Hinatea grumbled before she plopped herself down to the ground and crossed her legs.
Waiola shook her head in shame at the girl's reaction before she muttered looking up at Maui, "Well it's official you're gonna ruin her with all your conceit."
Maui cast a look of complete displeasure her way as he spoke on his daughter behalf, "Uh no. My daughter will not be conceited in any shape or form. She'll be confident."
Hiapo sucked in his breath to hold in his laughter but the Demigod turned and glared at him and that shut him up. Waiola had a blank look on her face as she stared with one eyebrow raised as she added.
"Well, she's going to be conceited if she becomes too confident in herself."
Hina knew what that word meant and she was proud to be so sure and strong like her father was. So she responded to Waiola's words the only way she knew how. With hostility.
The little girl stuck her tongue out and let out a long spattering exhale making a THHBBBBBBBBTTT! Sound through her lips as she leaned forward with her eyes closed, legs spread slightly apart, her arms drawn back and her hands clenched into fists.
Finally, she straightened up and crossed her arms over chest as she stood looking completely proud of herself before she stated, "I am confident and there's nuthin' you can say 'bout it! You old stupid stick in the mud!"
That look of pride completely changed to confusion when she saw the expressions on their faces. Her father looked mortified and so did her little sister. Hiapo was furious and his mother Waiola had a whole of emotions mushed together. There was anger, offense, shock and most of all hurt.
"What?" Hina asked shrugging.
Hiapo took a step forward with his fist held high ready to hit her for disrespecting his mother. But he closed his eyes and took a deep breath before slowly drew his hand back. He slowly opened his eyes and saw confused round eyes looking back at him. He looked up and saw the apologetic look in Maui's eyes as he opened his mouth to speak.
Hiapo bit the left corner of his lip and took a deep breath before he raised his hand up at Maui to keep him from saying what he wanted to say.
"Can Mom and I go home now, Lord Maui?"
The Demigod spoke nodding while he swallowed the emotional lump that started forming in his throat, "Sure. Go ahead."
With that said and done Hiapo turned around and linked his arm with his mother's before he led them away.
Hinatea looked up at her father still confused and then saw the sad look on his face.
"What's wrong, Daddy?"
Maui turned to her to say something but immediately closed his mouth back up—deciding against it and said instead,
"Let's... just go home." Tala walked over in front of him and raised her arms to him. Maui leaned down and picked her up with his left hand.
Hina walked over and wrapped her fingers around his before she looked up at him and saw him taking a deep breath. He looked down at her and she was shocked to see the genuine shame on his face before he turned away.
Her heart skipped a beat and she immediately felt she needed to fix whatever she did wrong.
"Daddy I'm—"
Maui quickly pulled his finger away from her hand and held it up to silence her for a moment as he fought to keep his shame-filled temper under control.
He told her his voice straining to keep a calm tone,
"We'll talk when we get home."
Hina looked down at her feet and replied, "Yes Daddy." Before she marched ahead of them. Tala looked up at their father and saw the mixed look on his face. As she could feel his anger and guilt building up.
She reached over and placed her tiny hand against his cheek and said,
"It's not good to be mad, Daddy."
Maui closed his eyes and sighed, muttering,
"Yeah I know, Kiddo. I know."
IIIIIIII
Maui watched Hinatea like a hawk the whole walk from the thick tropical forest to home. They walked passed the villagers who stopped and said hello.
Tala politely waved back at them while she sat on her father's shoulder. They all headed down the slope toward their fale and passed Moana when she came by to escort toward the malae. She stopped in her tracks and turned around as her family walked on by heading toward the maota tofa.
"Chief Moana."
She turned around to see Hiapo walking up to her with a serious look on his face as he said; "I need to talk to you about Hina."
IIIIIIII
"I hope you're proud yourself," Maui spoke as he sat down with his arms and legs crossed. Hina sat down in front of him with her legs folded under her in an acquiescent position as she looked up at him and said,
"I'm really sorry—"
He narrowed his eyes and unintentionally yelled at her, "I'm not one who needs to hear that!"
Hina's eyes quickly diverted to the floor as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he continued,
"Y'know, I thought your mom and I taught you better."
"You di—"
"I'm not done yet." She remained silent, and his mind went blank for a moment. Where did they go wrong?
He tried to wrack his mind around it. Their daughter was a rude, disrespectable, daring little girl and he had no idea where she got it from?
Suddenly Moana cleared her throat from the entrance as she stood there observing the scene before she asked,
"Do you need me to talk to her?"
"I got it," Maui replied. Moana put her hands on her hips as she stared at him.
"Are you sure?"
"I got it. Just—Just lemme do what I need to do, okay?"
"Okay...if you say so. Come on Tala it's time to eat." Their four-year-old daughter stood up from where she sat on the edge of the fale and ran over to join her mother.
Moana pressed her hand against Tala's back and gently pushed her outside before she turned and followed. The pola sheet draped down and fluttered before it became still.
Hinatea's stomach grumbled but despite the obvious urges from her belly, she had no appetite. She felt too bad to even think about hunger at that moment. She heard her father let out a loud sigh and then turned to look at him.
The next words that came would leave a bitter taste in his mouth and a permanent crack in his heart, "I never thought I'd say this... but I'm so ashamed of you right now."
A shocked gasp escaped her lips as her eyes widen as the tears welled up. Maui wanted to turn away and avoid having to see her tears, but he already saw them forming and his instincts were telling him to make them stop.
Hina sniffled and wiped her nose with her arm before she looked down at the floor. "You're mad at me, right?"
Maui stared at her for a moment and his heart panged at the sight of his first-born looking so down.
The words came out automatically from his mouth, "No, Shark bait, I'm not mad—"
"So you don't hate me?"
"What?" He looked over and saw her changing her posture as she pulled her knees up to her chest to hide her tears.
"Oh, no, no, no, no. 'Course not. Hey, c'mere." Hinatea looked up and saw her father opening his arms to her. She crawled and climbed up to his lap. He wrapped her arms around her and started patting her back as he continued, "I could never hate you."
She looked up at with her tears slowly streaming down her face, "But you said you're 'shame of me."
Maui took a deep breath as he continued patting her back and then he continued,
"Okay. Listen, Kiddo, I'm not ashamed of you. But what I am ashamed of is your actions. See the difference?"
She sniffed and pulled her head away from his chest and looked up at him as he wiped her tears with his thumbs,
"Yeah..."
"Yeah? Do you really get it or are you saying to avoid The Tickle Monster!" He turned her to lie her down on the floor as he tickled her sides and belly.
She immediately burst into laughter, as she started squealing, kicking and laughing. "Stop it! Dad, stop it! No more Tickle Monster!" Maui kept doing till she started coughing. He quickly pulled away and patted her back to loosen her airways.
Once her airways were cleared the leftover bits of Hina's laughter escaped and she turned and looked up at him. Maui leaned down and lifted her chin with his right hand. "You feel better now?"
She smiled and replied, "Yeah."
"Good. Now gimme a hug."
Hina smiled, stood up and tried to wrap her arms around his broad shoulders. Maui wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close before he whispered to remind her, "You know Mommy and I love you right? And we always will."
He felt her hand curl up against the back of his neck as she replied softly, "I know, Dad. I love you too."
He pulled away the minute he felt himself starting to tear up from her words, and the Demigod cleared his throat before he looked back down at her with his arms crossed over his chest. "Alright, enough of that. You're still going to say sorry to Waiola, understand?"
Hina immediately nodded. Maui then jumped to his feet and said as he lifted her off the floor and settled her on his shoulders,
"Good! Now, the sooner we get this done sooner I can eat."
She leaned over and pressed hands against the back of his head, scolding him. "Daddy!"
Maui turned to look over at her as he innocently asked hiding the lopsided smile on the left side of his face. "What?"
She scolded him again and exclaimed, "This isn't about you!"
He retorted, "Uh, since when is it never about me?"
Hina raised an eyebrow and warned him grumpily. "Dad."
The Great Demigod turned father simply chuckled and replied,
"Okay, okay, I'll stop."
IIIIIIII
Hina looked over father's bun and saw Waiola's house a few feet in front of them. She took a deep breath and looked down at her father, "You can put me down now."
Maui raised an eyebrow as he turned to look at her over his shoulder. "Sure you don't need me to come with you?"
She crossed her arms over chest as she gave an exasperated stare,
"Dad..."
A proud smile appeared on his lips before he pulled his arms back and lifted her off his shoulders and set her down the ground. Hina turned around and wrapped her arms around his waist. Maui smiled and patted her head with his left hand while his right settled on his hip.
Hinatea pulled herself away from her father and ran toward Waiola's fale.
He stood there watching with a proud smile on his face and listened as his daughter shouted as she continued running, "I'll be right back!" Maui shook his head and muttered,
"Kids."
IIIIIIII
Hinatea climbed up the three steps to the top of Waiola's home and stopped for a moment feeling a moment of doubt before she turned around to face her father as he was leaning against a palm tree.
Maui mouthed the words, 'You're doing great.' Before he gave her an encouraging wink. Hina smiled back at him before she turned back to Waiola's entrance and took a deep breath before she slowly approached it.
"Waiola?" She pushed the pola sheet to one side and entered the dark fale and heard the sounds of someone crushing leaves in the corner. She sighed in relief to see that she was home.
The little girl carefully approached her and said, "Waiola, I came here to say... sorry."
The sound of the crushing leaves stopped and Waiola straightened up from where she sat with her legs folded beneath her body. Hina stopped in her tracks as she could see Waiola moving her hands to her lap as the older woman's back continued facing her.
"I'm sorry for calling you a 'Stupid old stick in the mud' Waiola. I really am." The only response the little girl got out of her was a long deep sigh.
Hina looked down for a moment and took a step forward before she asked, "How—How can I make it up to you?"
Waiola's eyes slowly opened and her posture eased. She asked without even looking at the girl. "Do you really mean it?"
The older woman heard the remorse in Hina's voice as the girl replied, "Yeah."
"Then you can start by sitting down when you're a guest in another person's fale."
Hina quickly sat down with her folded knees under her. Soon Waiola got up and turned around to face the girl for a moment. Hina had her head down the whole time in a submissive pose. Waiola turned toward the clay jars she had on the corner of her circular home.
Soon the young seven-year-old girl felt something being draped around her shoulders. She looked down and saw a white lei around her neck.
Waiola lifted her chin up and added, "The second thing you can do is make it up to Hiapo tomorrow—" She cut Hina off, "The third thing you can do is continue being the sweet, kind, gentle girl you truly are..." Hina smiled for a second before she cried out after Waiola gave her a backhanded smack to the back of her head and exclaimed while the poor girl rubbed the back of her head, "And for the love of all that is sacred don't follow your father's example!"
IIIIIIII
Hinatea kept her promise and early the next morning—at the crack of dawn and she headed over to Waiola's fale, completely eager to earn both their forgiveness. She climbed up the steps to their paepae and slowly peeked through their sheets.
Without any warning, a large hand grabbed her hold of the top of her head and another one covered her mouth to stop her from screaming. She found herself lifted off the ground and slowly turned to see that her father was standing behind her with a suspicious look on his face as he asked, putting her down and taking his hand away from her mouth.
"You mind explaining to me why are you sneaking out so early in the morning?" Her father asked having secretly followed her all the way.
"Because I promised Hiapo's mom that I would help him with his chores today."
Maui looked down at her with one eyebrow raised,
"Not till you work on your Warrior Face you don't."
Hina immediately opened her mouth to protest but he slung her over his shoulder and carried her off toward their training spot.
IIIIIIII
Maui lifted Hina off his shoulder and plopped her to the ground. "Okay, now show me what you got?"
Hina took a deep breath and cried as her round eyes went wide as her mouth formed into an O as she cried out while he father circled around her.
"HOOO!"
"Pathetic."
She kept her eyes wide and bared her teeth while raising her hands. Maui stopped right in front of her and said,
"Weak."
She hunched forward still with her hands raised in the air and cried out, "RAWR!"
Maui continued standing in front of her as he stared her down with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Not seeing a lot of effort on your end, Kiddo." He continued circling her and stopped right behind her and put his hands on her shoulders as he reminded her, "Remember what I told you yesterday. No thinking. It's all about intimidating your enemies. Like that kid the other day. How did that little twerp make you feel?"
Her eyes immediately narrowed as she felt her anger building up. What did her father tell her yesterday? 'Take your fear, pain, joy, rage and mix 'em up together into something the world still hasn't seen.'
Not wanting to leave her father unimpressed Hina took a deep breath and allowed her rage to built up before quickly turned around and gave him the most frightening face she could come up with.
"RARRR!"
Maui screamed, wide-eyed as he flinched back in fear as he stood there with his left knee up.
Then he saw her eyebrows and eyes were narrowed. He straightened and leaned forward and drew her eyebrows up and opened her eyes more so they looked wide and warrior-like.
He pulled himself back and said smiling proudly at her,
"Better. Now do it again but this time keep your eyes wide open."
IIIIIIII
Maui and Hina practiced till the sun started to rise. And she stopped to point at the reddening sky. Her father sighed and said, "Okay. You can go now."
She smiled before she ran over and gave him a quick hug, which he gladly returned. Hina then pulled away and ran off, heading back to the village before her father called out,
"Remember same time tomorrow!"
She half turned toward him only to reply,
"Got it, Dad!"
Before she turned back and continued on running through the thick jungle.
IIIIIIII
Hiapo was down on the beach with his brothers-in-laws readied the fishing canoes to set sail when all six of them heard Hina yelling as she ran to the shore. "Hiapo, what can I do to help?!"
The twelve-year-old boy let out an exasperated sigh and told her as he tying up the ropes to his sheet, "Go home, Hina."
Hina crossed her arms over her chest and told him,
"No. Your mom told me to help you so I'm here to help. Just tell me what to do?"
Hiapo finished up the sheet and told her as he was loosening the sail, "You can help by going home. Now go home."
She took a step forward and told him,
"Your mom told me that I gotta help you. So just tell me what to do!"
He kept his back to her as he continued on fixing the sail. Ikaika, the eldest of Hiapo's five brother-in-laws turned to the twelve-year-old boy and crossed his arms over his strong chest as he stared at the little girl.
"You heard Hiapo. Go on home, Hinatea."
The little girl pouted and grumbled before she turned around ready to head home when she suddenly realized that she could use this moment to her advantage. She then said in a sing a long voice, "Okay... I guess I'll go and see your mom and let her know that you refused to accept my apology."
Her pace slowed as she heard Hiapo's uncomfortable grunts in the distance but she could tell that he was still hesitating so she added,
"Gee, I wonder how your mom would feel—"
"Fine," Hiapo growled, his shoulders slumped in defeat, "You can help."
She turned around trying not to smirk in triumph. But she couldn't help but curl up the corners of her lips a bit.
IIIIIIII
Within an hour, Hina, Hiapo, and his sisters' husbands sailed off, traveling in three fishing canoes to collect fish that morning. Hina could hardly keep herself away from the edge of Hiapo's vaʻa-alo as looked down and saw the school of dolphins and fish that swam under them.
Then Ikaika called them from his vaʻa-alo. Hina turned to him with a confused look as Hiapo steered his canoe near his brother-in-law's and stood up. Ikaika turned to Hina and added, "That means you too." She stood up looking even more confused.
"Why?" She asked.
Hiapo's second brother-in-law explained to her from Ikaika's canoe, "So we can ask for Tinirau's blessings for the fish we're about to collect and Tangaroa to bless us with smooth waters."
Hina cringed in further confusion and she added, "Um... that's stupid. You got my dad Maui—The World's Greatest Demigod remember? Whaddya need to pray to those Gods for—"
"Hina enough!" Hiapo scolded her having grown impatient of her imprudent behavior, "You might not respect our traditions but that doesn't mean we don't. If you don't want to pray then don't. Just—Just sit at the edge of the boat and be quiet."
She glared at them all and marched over to the edge of the canoe and sat down with her knees up to her chest as she said loud enough for them to hear, "You're all suckers anyway!"
Hiapo rolled his eyes and shook his head in disbelief before he walked to the hollowed edge of his canoe. He and his brother-in-laws and began reciting the ancient prayers.
"Puh..." She went as she sat down with her elbow on her knee, her cheek against the palm of her hand and her bored eyes gazing into the horizon.
Ten minutes was like an eternity to her and what felt like forever ended when she felt the canoe moving again. Hina quickly stood up and rushed over as Hiapo rowed.
She shouted as she picked up the second oar in the middle of the canoe, "I can help! I can help!"
Ikaika turned to face her moment from his own canoe and spoke to her like he would his own daughter,
"This isn't a task for you girls like yourself, Hina." She narrowed her eyes in response as she looked up at him and declared holding up the oar,
"I'm the daughter of the Demigod Maui there's no task I can't do!"
Hiapo and brother in laws turned to one another with obvious skepticism as they all raised their eyebrows.
"All right." Hiapo's fourth brother-in-law said from the last canoe, crossing his arms and covering the tattoo on the left side of his chest. "If you think you're strong enough to do anything then try hauling the fish."
Hina smiled before she dropped the oar and walked over toward the net.
Hiapo stopped her. "Not here. We're about an hour away from the fishing spot."
She let out a frustrated growl before she let herself fall flat on her back on the middle of the fishing canoe with her arms crossed over her chest as she looked up at the sky with an annoyed pout on her face.
Hiapo ignored her and continued rowing.
IIIIIIII
Some time later, after Hiapo released the sails as the winds picked up.
Hinatea saw him weaving the new coconut fibers into the net. She asked, "Why don't you just make a new one?"
Hiapo looked up at her for a moment and went back to working. She gave him a blank stare.
Ikaika looked at him from his canoe and told his youngest brother-in-law. "Hiapo, our future Chief just asked you a question."
The twelve-year-old boy sighed and reluctantly gave her an explanation, "It was my Dad's."
Hina slowly sat up and crossed her legs as she stared at him with her head tilted to one side. She watched as he methodically weaved the fiber into the net one strand at a time. "I didn't know you had a dad."
"Everyone has a dad. If I didn't have a dad my sisters and I would've never been born."
Hinatea then crawled over and sat down next to him before she added still bearing a confused stare,
"I thought we only came from our moms?"
Hiapo closed his eyes and sighed before he opened them and gazed down at her as he started to explain,
"When a man and a woman love each other very much—"
Ikaika gave him a stern stare before he warned him, "Hiapo. It's not your place to have this conversation with her." Hinatea raised an eyebrow and stared at him.
Ikaika then cleared his throat and gave this simple explanation, "Your parents will tell you when you're older."
She stared at him, her eyes flat before she muttered,
"Spoil sport."
IIIIIIII
Less than an hour later the rain started to appear. Hina wriggled her nose when a water droplet hit the right side of her nose and she looked up to see light gray clouds in the sky.
He got up toward the edge of the boat and dipped his hand into the water. Hina cocked her head to one side and asked, "Um… what are you doing?"
Hiapo sighed in irritation and turned to look at her over his shoulder and said, "You can't be serious."
"What?" She replied shrugging her shoulders.
Hiapo shook his head and got up and said to her with a half mock tone in his voice, "I thought you were the daughter of the Moana Waialiki one of Motunui's Greatest Wayfinders, remember? How can you not know what I'm doing?"
Ikaika stood up and turned to his youngest brother-in-law, "Hiapo, enough. Why don't you go secure your sail?"
The twelve-year-old fishermen walked passed her, headed toward the back of the canoe, and pulled the rope to the main part of the sail to fold it. He then walked over to the mast and tied the middle part rope of one of the hooks there and then tied the end of the rope on the sheet.
Hiapo's second brother-in-law walked over to the front of Ikaika's canoe and stood next to him, listening as his eldest brother-in-law spoke out, "Looks like there's a bit of a storm on the horizon."
The Second brother-in-law turned to him and asked,
"Should we turn back?"
Ikaika looked deep in thought as he paused while trying to listen to his instincts. They've all faced minor storms before and they all made it out alive. But now they have one setback. The Chief's eldest daughter and her lack of Wayfinding skills were so apparent she probably had no idea how to survive a minor storm. He didn't want to risk it.
Ikaika announced, "We're turning back."
Hina quickly stood up from where she was sitting,
"What? Why?"
Ikaika turned to her and explained, "There's a storm coming and you obviously never handled on before—"
She protested, "I can too!"
Her brown eyes looked over and saw the mast on Hiapo's canoe. A determined smile came to her face as she sprinted past, grabbed, pulled the rope from the hook and climbed up to the top of the mast.
Hiapo grew even more exasperated at her hardheadedness and ordered. "Hina, come down here before you get yourself killed!"
She put the rope down on the top and sat on it with her legs crossed and her crossed arms over her chest,
"I'm not coming down till we get to the fishing spot! So, THBT!"
The twelve-year-old boy closed his eyes and took a deep breath while he prayed to the Gods to give him patience.
Ikaika shook his head and turned back to his other brother-in-laws before he gave them the order, "We keep going."
Hiapo looked up and swore he would wipe that smug smirk off her face.
IIIIIIII
The minor storm grew worst and worst by the time they all arrived. The strong winds nearly blew all their fishing nets and baskets away. The waves rose and rocked threatening to knock their canoes upside down. The lightning flashed and thunder roared as Hiapo and his brother-in-laws struggled to keep their boats afloat while Hina screamed and cried for her parents as she tried holding onto the slippery mast.
Suddenly a huge wave came their way from behind and knocked their fishing canoe over. Hina screamed as she fell from the top of the mast and sunk into the water below.
The baskets floated upward but the nets were pulled into the sea and one of the nets managed to wrap around Hina, preventing her from swimming up. Panicked, Hina struggled to unwrap herself from the net but managed to free one of her arms as she started trying unsuccessfully to pull herself toward the surface as the ocean's current was dragging her back down.
One by one each of the six brother-in-laws popped their heads out of the surface and made way toward Hiapo's overturned boat. Being their wives' younger and only brother Hiapo's five older brother-in-laws put his safety above everything else and told him to grab onto the edge and pull his boat while they push.
Hiapo held on the edge and grabbed the rope to the top of the mast and pulled it to one side. Finally, his boat was turned and he climbed over to the other side and started pulling his sisters' husbands to the canoe. And to their horror, his third brother-in-law called out,
"Where's Hinatea?!"
Hiapo quickly turned around to face the water and made a run for it. Taking a deep breath, before he dived into the ocean ignoring his brother-in-laws' pleas for him to stay onboard.
He swam down, down and down into the dark depths of the sea. His brown eyes then narrowed when saw the remnants of nets floating mid-water. Soon he saw what looked like to be a silhouette of a child's arm aimlessly stretched out toward him. He swam faster but realized that he was quickly running out of breath. Then he saw someone zooming past him and saw it was Ikaika.
His eldest brother-in-law quickly made his way down toward the strange silhouette and grabbed it before he quickly swam back up.
He grabbed Hiapo and a net tangled Hina by their arms and kicked his legs, swimming back up toward the surface.
Once up Ikaika lifted Hina on top of the canoe before he pushed Hiapo back up. The other two brother-in-laws pulled him up and Hiapo and the third brother-in-law cut and pulled the net off Hina's motionless body.
Hiapo rushed to the little girl and pulled down her top slightly before he laid his head on her chest and to his horror, he wasn't able to pick up a heartbeat.
He quickly went into action and started pressing his hands against her chest while he also made sure her airways were aligned before he started to give her mouth to mouth while he ignored his newest brother-in-law as he was screaming in sheer panic at the situation.
There was a loud SLAP in the background and his brother-in-law finally stopped screaming.
Ikaika quickly knelt beside him to offer his assistance and Hiapo instructed him to start the compressions on Hina's chest and to keep it in sync the rhythm of his own heartbeat. Ikaika listened to his heartbeats and immediately started pressing his hands on her chest.
Hiapo's second brother-in-law quickly loosened the sail and held onto its main rope as the storm's winds hasten their journey back to Motunui.
IIIIIIII
An hour had passed since his daughter had gone to help Hiapo with whatever chore he needed to do, and so on this fine hot and sunny day, the Demigod decided to reward himself with a couple more hours sleep inside his shaded, cool fale.
He lay down on his sleeping mat and in fact did not snore as he slept and for once he was glad to get some relaxing sleep—such luxuries were rare since he had kids—so anyone could imagine his irritation when Tala decided to wake him by jumping on his stomach several times till he grunted in annoyance and pushed her off him before he turned to lie on his side.
The little girl fell on her rear with a gasp before she got up and slapped him on the back of the head.
"Ow!" He cried as he quickly sat up raising his hand with one finger in the air, ready to scold her. "Okay! You do not get to do that—"
His youngest daughter cut him off and spoke with such urgency as she started hyperventilating, "Daddy!Daddy!Wegottagotothebeachit's—!"
Maui clamped his hand over her mouth and took a deep breath, "Breathe and slow down."
Suddenly the pola sheet flapped as a flustered Sina ran inside heaving as she stared at her son-in-law with terrified shock in her watery eyes. He immediately stood up and the words barely formed in her mouth as she rushed over, grabbed his hand and pulled, silently urging him to come with her. Maui, out of respect for his mother-in-law allowed her to pull him along.
All the while sinking feeling of dread grew from the pit of his stomach and rose to his chest and finally to his throat. Tala ran beside him and wrapped her fingers around his index finger and pulled to help her grandmother get him to the beach faster.
Once there, he spotted the large crowd that gathered down at the shore, and in the middle of the crowd was Tui, Hiapo, and his five brother-in-laws, and there kneeling below them was Waiola, Moana, and Waiola's eldest daughter.
And there right below the three women was his little ashen skinned Warrior... lying motionless on the sand.
List of Terminology:
Vaʻa-alo: A small fishing boat.
First, let me say, I'm sorry for ending it with a cliffhanger... so please don't kill me! I can't write chapter five if I'm dead LOL! XD