Hello, fellow readers!
Wow... that was a pretty long wait!
Sorry about that, but I'm sure some of you know how busy school can be? :/
Anyway, here's chapter eight!
Just a head's up for those of you have read this fic in Ao3, I've edited some things from the prologue to chapter seven! For my readers here on , I'm still working of re-editing Chapter 1 onwards, so I'm sorry if this chapter will leave you scratching your heads.

With that said, OOC warning is still up! Regardless of that, I hope you enjoy!

Chapter Eight: Huranga (Part three)

Moana bowed her head first as a sign of respect, and Matai Vasa bowed his head next as a sign of admiration and their equal ranks before he stepped forward the same time she did. Ancestor and descendant greeted each other with a proper hongi.

Maui stood there, looking around nervously at the sight of all his ancestral-in-laws when something unexpected happened…

Matai Vasa approached him, put his right hand on the back of his head and pulled him down, pressing their foreheads together for a few seconds before they finally pulled away from one another, Maui looked up and saw that the rest of the ancestors had disappeared. Matai Vasa then turned and waved his hand over toward where Moana stood, directly in front of Marama as the sounds of the moon's mournful resonating groan echoed as he held out his arms toward her, cupping something in his fingerless hands. She took a step forward and he gradually lowered his hands to unveil the hidden object in his hands.

There was a pull—a sudden urge of recognition the very second she laid eyes on the marquise-shaped rock with the image of an eye at its center.

The twenty-seven-year-old mother, chiefess, and hero looked up at Marama. Moana could sense what he wanted, but not his motives… in fact, the more she thought about it, the more her uncertainty grew, so she asked him in a soft, polite, but anxious voice, "Why did you bring us here?" Gathering her courage Moana then asked her second question, "Do you need help?"

Marama leaned closer to her, her brown eyes met his. Marama's eyes bore no pupils or irises, instead they glowed a soft whitish hue that appeared menacing but entrancing as well, and in that moment, Moana was entranced as her spirit stood there, searching his eyes, his past, his motives—everything about him, while all she could sense was sadness and pain.

Maui saw the blank—entralled expression on her face and his feet reacted with his urge to snap her out of whatever control Marama had over her. He took the first step but was stopped by Matai Vasa himself.

Just then, two soft, gentle, hands clasped the lower part of his shoulders and he looked beside him to see his dearly departed second grandmother-in-law, Tasi looking up at him with a reassuring smile on her lips, before her hand reached up—attempting to pinch his chin the very same she would back she was alive.

This time Maui didn't even try moving his head away—no, this time he enjoyed the moment knowing that he would most likely never get this chance again… when he finds and deals with the man who'd put this spell on Moana and him.

IIIIIIII

"AHHHHHH!" Hina screamed as she rolled down the slope, having just run and slipped down from the edge of the bats' cave only to come to a rough stop, landing face first in the sandy dirt. Hina lifted her head up and lifted her hand up to shake the sand off her shoulders––her eyes widened and she looked down and saw the glowing and fading state of her hands and turned around to see her feet were mostly faded. She started heaving in shock as the knowledge finally hit her. Finally, her starry sparkling tears rolled down her cheeks, "I'm dead! I'm dead! I'm dead!"

The ground rumbled beneath her feet and Hinatea turned to look over her shoulder, gazing at the bats' cave thirty feet behind her but before she could make sense of what was happening? Rona came running toward her and picked her up and carried the girl under her arm before she fled the scene.

The bat's cave the burst, spewing out water and ash around the area. Rona remained unaffected by the blast and managed to get away in time.

IIIIIIII

A few seconds passed and Marama broke her from his entrancement, having finished showing her what he wanted to show her. A big smile came to her lips as she looked up at him and she stood on the tips of her invisible toes and pressed her forehead against the top of his mask and whispered a very grateful, "Thank you."

Maui stared on two five feet away, completely dumbfounded and worried by whatever secret Marama didn't want to share with him… or whatever information he'd told Moana.

Moana then looked down at the stone he'd given her and handed it back to him, "I can't take this. It's not meant for me, and you'll need it more than I do." Marama let out a soft resonating groan; Moana smiled and said as she put the stone back in his tendril-like hands, "You need it."

Suddenly, a loud boyish scream from above them the two looked up and saw two objects falling before them. Five seconds later the two saw Hiapo and Maui's fishhook hurling down.

THUD!

Hiapo's spirit slammed face first on the sandy ground with Maui's fishhook landing beside him. He laid still for a few seconds before his left shoulder shifted, and then his right. Slowly, he pushed himself up and lifted his head, finally Hiapo let out a loud gasp before he quickly doubled back and fell on the ground right on his backside.

His eyes went wide at the sight of all the spirits around him—he didn't recognize any of them… except for two. Maui and Tasi.

"This is… impossible…" He whispered just before he felt two strong hands on his shoulders, carefully pulling him up to his feet. Hiapo whirled around and his mouth became agape as he took several steps back, too afraid to blink, too afraid to go near.

Standing in front of him was a forty-year-old man, with a thick dark beard that covered his chin and the space between his mouth and nose, dressed in a pandanus leaf wrapped skirt, with a belt of ti leaves overlapping his sailing attire. Hiapo couldn't believe who he was seeing… it couldn't be him. His eyes traveled and stopped when he saw the tattoos stretching down his right should down to the middle of his elbow. Spearheads, shark teeth… and fish.

It was him; it was really him.

"Dad!" Hiapo could barely contain himself and ran straight to his father's opened arms. His father put his arms around his sobbing son as Hiapo whispered, "I'm sorry, Dad… your ne—"

He felt his father's hand on his shoulder and listened to his words, "You have nothing to be sorry for. A net is just a net, but a life is irreplaceable, especially the life of a Chief's daughter."

Hiapo looked down for a moment and muttered, "And I couldn't even save—"

Hiapo's father then told him, "All of this was planned, the very minute she insulted Tangaroa, and angered Rona."

"Wait, what?" Maui exclaimed as he approached the two and stopped once he saw Moana's stern gaze upon him. Her message was clear, do not interrupt.

Hiapo looked up as father and with a heavy heart asked, "So, she's down here?" His father nodded and that was all Hiapo needed to know. His hands shook, a sign that he didn't want to pull away—but he had to and he did.

"Can you take us to her?" Hiapo asked him.

His father replied, "It's not our place to do, but don't worry. Rona will bring her back to you when she's done."

A watery smile made its way to his face—and then he remembered. Hiapo turned around to face the demigod. "Oh, Maui, Tala wanted to me to let you, she's sorry that you didn't have time to take your hook with you down here."

Maui stood there, even more, stunned at his statement—and he made no attempt to hide. His eyes squinted in confusion as he stared at the thirteen–year–old boy in front of him, and that's when Hiapo figured it out. "You don't know?" He stated more than asked.

Maui leaned back his eyes still squinted in suspicion, "Don't know, what?"

"Tala did this," Hiapo answered simply.

Immediately, Moana and Maui's eyes went wide as they looked at one another and exclaimed in shock at the same time, "Tala?"

IIIIIIII

Tui and Sina turned to their youngest granddaughter in awe as Tui's late father, Soba appeared behind Tala, letting her sit right on his lap. Soba nodded his head politely toward the two.

Sina sat down, with her knees folded beneath her and respectfully bowed her head while her husband knelt on one knee with his head down as an expression of their respect.

Tala turned when she heard a very familiar, Shhhh…
An awestruck smile peered her lips before she exclaimed happily, "It's you!" Tui and Sina immediately turned to her with an alarmed look on her face and watched as their young granddaughter walked over toward the entrance of their daughter's fale, where a boy's spirit appeared and pointed toward the inlet. A sudden strong breeze came and blew down the small shrubs and trees that blocked the beach's view from the maota tofa. The loud crashes of the fallen trees alarmed the sleeping villagers, and the sight of the large manta ray swimming in a circle close to their shore only added more to their fright.

Tala, on the other hand, took everything the best she could as she continued staring out into the ocean and listened to the splashes. It took till the third splash for her to understand.

"We gots to bring them to the water!"

Tui looked down at his youngest granddaughter as she looked up at him, smiling with clarity in her eyes as she said, "We gots to bring them to the water!" Tui looked down at the villagers, and then he turned to Tala, who stared at him with worried eyes, while he debated with himself. A few seconds later he felt his granddaughter's fingers curled around his.

He then looked to the men and gave the order.

IIIIIIII

Fifteen minutes later, Hinatea had come to her senses and was trying to break herself free anyway she could, through screaming, thrashing, kicking, and crying for her parents, but the woman ignored her tactics till they'd reached her destination. Finally, inside the cavern, she lifted her arm and dropped Hinatea, letting the little girl fall flat on her face.

Hina quickly lifted her head and glared at her savior and made a declared her identity as she jumped up, "I am Hinatea—"

The Masked Woman cut her off, "—Of Motunui, the eldest daughter of Chief Moana and The Demigod Maui."

The Masked Woman turned around, lifted her hands to her cover and slowly removed the mask from her face while Hinatea stood there completely puzzled for a moment, finally she rapidly shook her head—ridding herself of any form of confusion before she spoke out, making her statement loud and clear, "When my mom and my dad get here, they're gonna—"

"They're not coming little one. Not till I let them come."

"Well, my dad's the greatest demigod of them so I say—oof!" Hinatea fell straight to the ground after being knocked off her feet. Hinatea immediately sat up with a dangerous scowl on her face as she stared at her offender as she had her back to her.

Hinatea screamed, "Who do you think you are, lady?"

Finally, The Woman turned around to face the impudent little girl and asked, "And who do you think you are, child?"

Hina immediately stood up and spoke out, "I'm—" But once again she was knocked off her feet and fell, her back slammed to the ground as The Woman stood above her, staring her down with the end of her top end of her taiaha pointed straight at her, just so the little girl could stare straight at her whalebone arero.

The Woman continued, "Who are you to speak to your elders like that?"

Hinatea glared as she sat up.

The Woman then told her coolly, "You, can call me Rona." A sudden sense of familiarity lit up in Hina's eyes as she heard the name… but where had she heard it before?

Rona then lifted her taiaha to stand it upright. Hina immediately flinched pulling her knees up and planting her feet flat on the ground as she immediately lifted arms up to cover her head, bracing herself for the attack.

Rona raised an eyebrow and said abruptly before she nonchalantly started walking, "Come with me."

Hinatea jumped up and stood there, crossing her arms and declared, "I'm Hinatea of Motunui, daughter of the awesome demigod Maui, and I follow my own rules, lady… and I say I'm not going anywhere till my dad comes here and kicks your butt!"

Rona stopped in her tracks and slowly turned around with her left eyebrow raised as she stared coolly at the young girl before her and said, "I didn't give you permis—"

Hinatea immediately turned around, plucked her fingers in her ears, swung her little hips mockingly at Rona as she chanted, "Blah! Blah! Blah! Nyah! Nyah! Nyah! Nyah! I can't hear you!"

Rona slowly narrowed her stern eyes at the disrespectful little girl, before she took her authority back when, for the third time, Hina was knocked off her feet and again fell under Rona's mercy.

"Sit down."

Hina, sniffing in protest, sat down with her arms crossed over her chest and her head turned away to express her dissatisfaction further. Rona reached out and pressed her fingers against the girl's chin and slowly turned the child's head, so she could look the girl in the eye and reinstated the dynamic, and silently made it clear that she was the leader and Hina was the follower and she was going to listen to her story whether she liked it or not.

IIIIIIII

A gust of ash and rock came rushing toward them, followed by loud ear-piercing feminine screeches in the distance. Maui pulled his grandmother-in-law close to him and lifted his left arm, using his limb and his giant fishhook to shield them both from the strong winds.

Hine-nui-tepō's screeches had come to a stop as the dust settled and revealed the group of spirits before her. A look of complete and utter shock appeared before her expression changed to outrage as she let out a wild cry and slammed her fist down the ground, cracking the terrain below them. The crack grew and grew.

Hiapo's father pushed him out of the way and screamed with urgency, "Run!" Hiapo was too frightened to move, and his father gave him another push and said, "Hiapo, you have to go, now!" But he was still stunned, and Hine-nui-tepō's shadow overcast them as her hand was slamming down toward them both. Hiapo's father had assumed a defensive position as he stood in front of his son.

Moana quickly ran over toward him, grabbed him and pulled him away. Finally snapping to his senses, Hiapo realized what was going on and said, "No, no! I gotta help my dad!" He wrenched his hand free from Moana's, turned around, ignored her calls, and ran the opposite direction where Hine-nui-tepō stood before gathering all the spirits she could see.

He caught sight of his father in the goddess' clutches and in his desperation, ran faster toward them both. He was so close.

Suddenly, Matai Vasa grabbed him by the shoulders and held him in place, then Maui's voice rang out from a top of the remnants of the broken cave, "Hey Granny!"

Hine-nui-tepō whirled around just in time for Maui to holler out his favorite phrase, "CHEEEHHOO!" As he leaped up, brandishing his fishhook above his head as he glided down toward her, full of thrill at the prospect he was fighting the old cro—The Goddess of death herself.

Not even a few seconds passed when an unexpected glow appeared on her back. Then the tattoo Maui kept hidden under his hair started to glow and a hot, seething pain overcame them both.

Moana watched in horror as Maui missed his target and was free falling toward them at an angle and hit the ground—skidding several feet away while Hine-nui-tepō slouched forward crying out in pain as red embers flew up her back as Moana ran over and knelt by her consort, put his arm around her shoulder while he put his free arm on the ground and carefully pushed himself up, before the both of them made their escape.

"You…" The goddess began, her voice full of venom, before she lunged her arm forward toward her—unaware of the glow emitting from Moana's stomach till her hand was two feet away from the pair, and she felt the same burning sensation in her hand and saw the embers flying up from her ashen skin.

Suddenly she heard Hiapo's father call out his name and turned to see Hiapo running forward to grab Maui's hook. Her hollowed eyes narrowed and she drew her arm back, ready to take the boy.

Hiapo had just grabbed the fishhook's handle when the shadow of Hine-nui-tepō's hand loomed above him. He pushed him forced himself to move faster and faster and he cried out, "Maui!"

IIIIIIII

Hinatea then began to pull at her wild curly hair before she let out a groan and exclaimed in a whiny voice, "Ugh... Why, are you doing this to me!" She stood up and said, "I just wanna go home!"

"And you will," Rona told her cooly as she went over to one of the cavern walls and placed her hand on it, everything lit up in whitish-blue and illustrations appeared on the rocky surface.

Hina slowly turned her head at the greenish glow emitting to her left and became wide-eyed at the sight of the colorful pictures before her. "Whoa..." She walked over and stood beside Rona.

Rona continued as the images shifted to illustrate her story, "A long, long, time ago on a large island surrounded by tall mountains, peaks, and lush green scenery. There lived a daughter of Tangaroa and his wife Te Anu-matao."

Hina eyes squinted at the island for a moment—it looked familiar—it looked like Motunui, but it couldn't be, but before her mind could even ponder whether or not this island was really Motunui or not, Rona kept going, "This daughter was the eldest of their ten children––and like her father, she had the ability to control the tides." The island changed to form into a drawing of a young woman with long hair holding a taiaha. Hinatea slowly turned to Rona as the realization slowly started coming in. "And as the eldest," Rona continued, "She was the one who had to set an example for her younger siblings to follow."

Rona waved her hand over the drawing and soon three more people appeared, a man and two children. From there on, she carried narrating the events that led up to the infamous abduction, and that's when Hinatea finally got her validation.

"You're Rona from Rona and the moon!"

She stood there with one eyebrow raised and a small amused lopsided smile on her lips as she leaned forward against her staff, remarking, "I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to figure that out?"

Confused Hina then muttered while repeating part of Rona's words, "If I was ever going to…" Realizing her implication Hina immediately shouted, "Hey!"

Rona ignored her and keep going with her story, "Yes, it's true, Marama took me, but only after I forgot my place and dared him to do so, out of anger." Hina turned her head back to the cave wall and the moon's image appeared on the wall, pulling her image, along with her water gourd and the tree she gripped from the illustrated ground and up into itself.

Hinatea looked up, the look in her eyes bordered between sadness and confusion as Rona carried on with her story, "Centuries passed as Tangaroa's eldest daughter remained on the moon. Trapped as the story is told. But, now only four people know the truth." She paused and took a deep breath to ease the heaviness gnawing at her, "One of them would be you, and the other is your sister."

The little girl's nose scrunched to one side in confusion and she couldn't help but ask, "Why Tala?"

Rona replied with a smart tone, "Well, unlike you, she knows how to listen to everything and everyone around her."

Hinatea looked up at Rona, her eyes flat as she stated, "Okay, now you're rubbing it in."

Rona made no qualms to hide it and she carried on explaining, "It's important to listen to your elders little one, and know your limits––"

Hina's eyes immediately went wide and she couldn't believe what she was hearing. She turned to Rona and began to point at herself with her thumb while she declared, "My dad's a demigod, lady, I have no limits."

Rona retorted, "And it's those thoughts that landed you down here in the first place." The little girl's eyes narrowed at her answer till Rona added, "And it was those same thoughts that caused your father to lose his fishhook and got exiled all those years ago."

"How would you know?" Hina retorted, crossing her arms as she declared with a smart tone in her voice, "You weren't there—so," She stuck her tongue out and blew raspberries at Rona, not even a second passed when she was suddenly knocked off her feet and fell back to the ground. Rona's shadow loomed over her as the goddess' spirit looked down at the little girl.

"I might've not been there, but I could see everything, hear everything and feel everything." Rona paused for a moment to reach over and help Hinatea off the ground, "I felt Hiapo's sorrow, his mother's, as well as his sisters' and I felt your parents' grief, not just for you, but for the child that would've come before you."

Hina quickly became confused and rebutted her claim, "That's impossible, everybody knows that I was the first bo—"

"You might have been the first one who lived—but they had another one before, who only lived within your mother for three months." A look of disbelief filled the girl's face and then wonder arose as she turned away.

Rona saw everything and said, "Your sibling mourned for you and your parents. Your grandparents prayed for you, your mother prayed for you, Waiola prayed for you and though he won't admit it, your father prayed for you to survive long enough to be born. Your ancestors, from Matai Vasa to the sibling who came before you, prayed for you to survive past birth. I heard their prayers and answered."

She then looked Hina dead in the eye and added, "And when you were brought down here, Hiapo prayed for you, beseeching forgiveness for you to Tangaroa himself. I heard his prayer and I answered."

Hinatea then came back to her senses and looked up at her with confusion, "Wait… what makes him so important?" Rona put her hand on the girl's back and turned her to face the cave wall, where the painting of Rona, her husband, and two children appeared and within a split second, Rona was pulled up to the moon's depiction, and her children's likeness quickly became bereft.

Soon, the ocean's imitation suddenly rose up into a huge wave on the wall and crashed down on the village. Hinatea let out a horrified gasp as she watched the scene unfold—suddenly there came a flash and Hinatea could see the events in its entirety.

The island—and everyone in it disappeared into the ocean. The tears were ready to run down Hina's face when the scene changed to the white sandy beaches of an unfamiliar island. Hina's eyes shifted to the lone figure of a boy lying on that very same beach, and a sad look came to Rona's eyes as she gazed upon the boy before them as stirred and raised to set his eyes on the island, and then the scene changed again. This time hours had passed and the boy was eventually brought back into the village, inhabiting the island.

Rona then took over and explained, "The villagers here, found my son and brought him to their chief and his family." She took a deep breath and continued, "And out of the goodness of their hearts, my child became their hānai child," Rona then pointed to a twelve-year-old boy with medium curly-wavy hair, who sat next to the current chief, "See this boy here, this was Matai Vasa, Motunui's founder, and your ancestor."

Hina paused for a moment, still confused and unintentionally interrupted, "What does have to do with—"

Rona continued, "My son and Matai Vasa grew up together as brothers, they traveled together and they voyage to the newly pulled Motunui together, bringing with them their families, forming their bloodlines on your island. You descended from Matai Vasa, and Hiapo and his sisters, and their children descended from my son, Kaikoa."

"Wait…" Hina began, "Doesn't that make your son, a demigod?"

Rona replied, "It did—however, he chose to live, grow, and die with those who loved him and who he loved in return…" Once again she took another breath and said to remind Hina and herself, "Now, we're getting off track. I brought you here, because my descendant prayed for your forgiveness, and I've forgiven you—"

Hina immediately opened her mouth without realizing that Rona hadn't finished, "However, there's still a lesson that needs to be taught." Rona lifted her staff and very gently laid the tip of her arero against Hina's left shoulder. A few seconds passed and a bluish light stretched out from the spot where her heart once was and was drawn into her are—causing the little girl's spirit to feel strangely fatigue. She slowly got down on her knees. Rona looked down at her with stern eyes as she replied, "I'll be keeping part of the power I had instilled in you till you're ready." Hina looked up at Rona with confusion, "To make up for them, I'll give you another gift once you've reached your sixteenth ye—"

There came a loud CRASH and a new hole had formed as a blur of blue, white and faint pink hurdled into the cavern.

Hinatea quickly recognized the individual and immediately ran to him, screaming, "Hiapo!"

The thirteen-year-old boy got up and froze for a moment in disbelief, till he saw her getting closer, and that's when he realized it was really her.Hiapo immediately ran over to her. The two hugged each other tightly, and he pulled away but kept his hands on her shoulders. Hiapo gave her one more hug before he pulled away, looked her straight in the eyes and replied, "I'm so sorry—"

"Me too." Hina replied sincerely before she looked down at the ground, "I shouldn't have called your mom an old stupid stick in the mud."

Hiapo reached over and tilted her chin, "Yeah, that was wrong… but I should've accepted your apology in the first place. So, truce?"

She giggled and replied, "Truce." Suddenly she gasped turned to look over at Rona and exclaimed as she grabbed Hiapo's hand and started to drag him along with her, "Hiapo, c'mon there's someone you gotta meet!"

THUMP… THUMP… THUMP…

Hiapo quickly looked up at the hole with terror in his eyes and quickly moved to grab her hand—but he'd barely curled his fingers on her wrist when the cave's roof was torn open and Hine-nui-tepō peered down at the group and spotted her young target. Suddenly she turned her toward Rona, just as she was about to use her taiaha and quickly swung her giant arm at Tangaroa's eldest daughter—sending her flying to a cave wall, and her weapon out of her hands.

Hina and Hiapo looked over in horror as Hine-nui-tepō grabbed Rona's taiaha and broke it in half, weakening most of Rona's power.

The tide controller's spirit immediately got down to her knees and glanced over at her broken staff, then her eyes moved toward the arero, and in her desperation, she began to crawl toward it, but she barely made it one step when she too fell under Hine-nui-tepō's grasp.

IIIIIIII

Moana gripped Maui's feathers tight as she and Marama rode on his back as they followed Hine-nui-tepō's ash trail. Slowly, Marama reached up and placed his hand on Moana's shoulder before he let out another low sounding, resonating groan. The twenty-seven-year-old Chiefess smiled reassuringly at the moon's spirit when her daughter bloodcurdling scream. Moana and Maui were filled with a strong sense of dread, and Maui immediately tilted his eagle body and quickly flapped his wings to add more momentum to his flight and he heard her screams growing louder and louder.

Hinatea and Hiapo heard Maui's hawkish screech as they were trying to break free from Hine-nui-tepō's grasp. Moana quickly got to her feet and spread her arms out beside her, to help her balance.

Hinatea managed to pull one of her arms out and reached to her parents as she screamed while reaching desperately for them, "Daddy!"

"Now!" Moana commanded and a split second later, Maui changed back to his human form and brandished his fishhook up high while Moana hung on his back with her arms wrapped around his shoulders as they were free-falling toward Hine-nui-tepō.

The burning sensation started up on his back and Hine-nui-tepō's as grew stronger as they got closer and closer. But his desire to save his daughter outweighed any pain he felt.

With one powerful swing of his magical fishhook—there came a sudden burst of light and the echoing of Marama's horrified screeches.

Notes:

List of terminologies:

Taiaha: A six to five-foot tall Maori fighting staff, that could also double as a spear or a baton.
Arero: The carved head of a taiaha.
Hānai: A Hawaiian form of informal adoption in which the adopted child is shared between his or her adopted family and biological family.