Together, Eyarr and I worked with Eir on understanding his magic. It was about finding the right access point to communicating with the gods.

Then one day, Maui showed up. It was a pleasant surprise, though. I was happy to tell him about our progress. He, however, didn't exactly share the same sentiment.

"I found a way." Maui finally blurted. I blinked in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"While the two of you have been chilling with the Celts and doing stuff, I was off conversing with the gods." Eyarr and I glanced at each other.

"You mean, my gods?"

"Both of yours."

"What?"

"What does that mean?"

"It means I have an understanding of why Laeli was brought here… and a possible way for her to see her family again, see home again." I was in shock. My legs felt heavy, ready to give out. I slumped down on a rock to process Maui's words.

"Please. Tell us. We deserve to know." Maui stuck his hook into the ground and unloaded everything he'd learned. Eyarr was notably surprised upon the mention of the Norns and Njord.

"Who's Njord?"

"Basically, my counterpart. Fun dude." Maui said. He continued explaining how specific gods from mine and Eyarr's respective pantheons worked together in a way that allowed us to meet. And that the Bïfrost, the magical rainbow bridge that the Norse gods used to travel to Earth, was what brought me here. This information blew my mind. I couldn't help but think back to the story of how Mom and dad met, with some mild godly interference. I would never have been born if it wasn't for Fetia.

"Just like Fetia…" I breathed out. Eyarr raised an eyebrow.

"What are you talking about?"

"Remember when I told you about my family? How my paternal grandmother became the goddess of the stars? Her role is to write people's destinies in the stars. Without her, my parents never would have met."

"So… what you're saying, the gods wanted us to meet? We were meant to?" Maui nodded.

"Did they say why, though?" Eyarr inquired. Maui shook his head.

"They said something along the lines of "That is something they must reveal themselves," Maui replied, faking a godlike voice.

"Great. Very helpful." Eyarr sighed, exasperated.

"Hey, I'm just the messenger."

"Nothing against you. I just don't get why the gods think it's fun messing with mortal lives? Like, they're the reason why humanity exists, so why can't they leave us alone? I'm not a pawn in their game. I live life the way I choose."

"But don't you get it? That's how it's supposed to work. The Norns know how your life works out. They know you live your life independent of society. But the gods… they always know." I spoke up. I still didn't heavily worship the Norse pantheon, but I understood it and how the deities functioned.

"Look, that's not the point." He replied.

"What is the point then?"

"That they chose to bring you here for whatever reason."

"I do need to mention one last thing," Maui spoke up.

"What?"

"They did say… if Laeli so chooses, she will be able to return home," My eyes widened at the mention of this, "but you cannot jump back and forth between here and Motunui. It's a final decision either way. You choose to stay here, and you don't see Motunui again. But if you go back… you'll never see the friends you've made here ever again. And everything will be reset."

What?

"What?! What kind of choice is that?!" Eyarr exclaimed.

"That's what the Gods said. That's how they envision it working out."

"But… what about the afterlife? Even if I stay here… could I see everyone again in the afterlife?"

"It's… complicated. I don't know the answer to that." I remained sitting on the rock to process Maui's words. If I stayed, I would never see Motunui again, and who knows what would happen in the afterlife? But if I went back to Motunui, I would be forgotten here. It would be like I never existed. It was a harsh reality… and I never imagined I would have to choose, but it was a tough call.

"I… I don't know. I don't know how to make that choice." I glanced over at Eyarr, who stood like a statue. After everything we've been through, I could only imagine how nervous he was to know what I was thinking.

At least without going back to Motunui, my family wouldn't forget me, right? That was the most important thing. He knows how much my family means to me. And if I couldn't see them again in life, there was a chance of seeing them again in death.

"Laeli… I-… I don't want you to make the wrong choice. But I don't want to forget you…" I don't think I've ever heard Eyarr stumble over his words like that.

"Like Hell if I don't either! I hate these options as much as you do."

"I feel a but coming." I pursed my lips, thinking about my parents… my sister. My sister… I knew for a fact that she was forced to take up the role of chief without me there. And I felt guilty about it.

"But yet… I feel like there are unresolved things with my family. Things I never got to say."

"But you'll have the chance in the afterlife."

"You heard what Maui said! There's no guarantee!"

"You don't know that."

"Neither do you! Of all the choices in my life, I have to choose between you and my family!"

There was an uncomfortable silence as my words sat in Eyarr's ears.

"So, is that what I am? A choice?"

"I mean-… isn't everything in life?" Our back and forth soon turned into an argument.

"I don't want you to leave!" Eyarr shouted, "After everything we've been through, everything we've done, you just intend to leave?"

"I want to see my family, Eyarr! I shouldn't have to defend that!"

"At least you have a family that wants you back! I never had that! I finally thought that with us traveling together… I'd have someone by my side!"

"What are you saying?"

"I'll be alone again, Laeli! You've become everything to me… I almost lost you when you fell through the ice. And now… I could lose you again. You finally helped me understand the future is worth it if it has you in it."

I blinked.

"…What…?"

"I love you, Laeli! I have for a while! I didn't know how else to tell you or make you realize it! I never wanted to force it on you either!"

"Eyarr…" He held a hand up, shaking his head.

"No. Forget it. I know how you are once you're set on something."

"Eyarr… no. That's… that's not what I meant!"

"Then what did you mean?" Before I could answer, a strong gust of wind blew around us. I glared at Maui.

"Maui, now is not the time!" He shrugged.

"It's not me." Eyarr and I stood as the wind blew stronger and stronger to the point that it was slightly pushing me around. Suddenly, I heard the sound of water. Looking down, I saw a familiar swirl pattern of water circling us.

"Laeli? What's happening?" Eyarr asked in a panic.

"I don't know! Maui!" The swirl suddenly surrounded us in a sphere of spiraling water and wind. And to my surprise, it looked like the wind was… glowing? I could see various symbols swirling around. I recognized one as a symbol of Tangaroa. Out of curiosity, I reached out and touched it, and upon doing so, a burst of light exploded, and then there was white.

I opened my eyes, groaning. As I refocused, my senses reignited. I felt around me, expecting cold dirt and grass. I did not feel either. I felt… sand.

Warm sand slipped through my fingers, the grains catching underneath my nails.

The air felt warm, and I could feel the sun on my skin. Blinking, I whipped my head around.

A brilliant blue sea, white sands, a clear sky, and a warm sun shining on me. Turning around… palm trees. And a village.

I felt my heart drop out of my body when I recognized the village.

"Motunui…?" I choked out, "I'm… home…?" I scrambled to get on my feet and realized my clothes were different. They were my voyager clothes. The outfit I wore when I left home almost four years ago. I was missing the woven shoulder piece and headband, but everything else was normal.

"This can't be real," I whispered. I pinched myself hard with my nails, "ow!" No… no, no, no. This was real. It literally was not a dream. In my head, I swore at every god under the sun.

My boots were gone, and I was barefoot again. I took two cautious steps forward towards the soft earth of the village. I could hear the sounds of my people in the distance. I couldn't make out what they were saying, it sounded like a Haka chant, I think. I made my way forward, looking around, taking in my surroundings. Absorbing the changes that had occurred since I left, plenty of new buildings, new farm fields…

Never, in my wildest dreams, could I have imagined that I'd actually be… home.

I was home. But now… I felt like a stranger.

"We'll catch up with her later. Let her have fun." A voice came—an all too familiar voice.

Mom.

I felt my heart begin to race faster than the winds that carried me into the sky on Riptide's back. My hands shook and became sweaty. I didn't know if I had it in me to turn around.

"Oh, do you-…" A second voice said, trailing off. Dad… I sucked in a sharp breath, turning around, only feet away from my mother and father.

My mother's face twisted into a flurry of emotions all at once. Relief, concern… confusion, worry… Every emotion a mother could feel. She tentatively stepped forward, placing a hand on my cheek.

"E moni o oe?" She choked out. I nodded slowly, feeling my eyes become hot with tears. Her eyes became glassy as reality hit her… both of us.

"O a'u, tina," I replied with assurance. She bit back a sob as she pulled me in for the tightest hug, her fingers running through my hair. After taking a moment to process that this was real, I glanced up at my father, who joined the hug as well. I don't know how long that hug lasted, but it didn't matter. The feeling of being in my parent's embrace again was unlike anything I'd felt. It made me realize I had never experienced a hug from Eyarr… And the crushing reality of being home meant I would never see him again. That rush of emotions pained my heart, causing a new rush of tears to spill. No more words were spoken as Mom and Dad rushed me home to comfort me.

"Where's… where's Aihe?" I asked through hiccuping sobs.

"She's hosting a Luau right now." I sniffled, wiping at my cheek.

"… That sounds… like… fun."

"I know. But don't worry about that. Please rest. I know you have a lot on your mind." Mom assured, "We'll stay here with you." I nodded, falling back into Mom's embrace, who ran her fingers through my hair like when I was a child. I reached back to pull out the wooden pin that held my hair up; as I took it out, I looked at it sadly. Hiccup's mother, Valka, gifted it to me for my first Snoggletog with them. It was a deeply cherished gift, and I didn't want anything to happen to it.

Together we sat in our fale, relishing in the reunion. It still felt so… surreal, like a trick of the gods. Mom ran her hand through my hair, and Dad rubbed my back. I had noticed that Dad had grown out some facial hair on his chin and under his bottom lip, reminding me of when I was very little, around the time Aihe was born, when he had the same style. So many memories…

Acceptance finally sank in when I heard my little sister approach the fale.

"Mom! Dad! You won't believe how well-" I scrambled to the front steps, wanting to be the first to greet her. Upon seeing her, I saw how much she'd grown up since I'd left, her curly hair was longer and half down, a pink flower decorating her bun. She'd also filled out a bit more and had a new tattoo covering her upper chest, connecting to and around her shoulders, trailing down her stomach past her navel. Her big brown eyes became even bigger when she saw me. She opened her mouth to say something, but no words came. I saw her eyes glass up with tears as she slowly stepped forward.

A cry broke as she lunged forward and tackled me in a hug.

" O'u atua... o oe...fale?! Ou te le talitonu i ai!" I fought back more tears as I nodded. I felt our parents embrace us as well. My first family hug in so long.

"This is real," I said.

So, Laeli gets what she wants... right? We'll see...