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bo-bo-bean · 4 years

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Octonauts Game Night

(Since there are no requests, I wrote something for Octonauts!! Hope you all enjoy!)

(Warning; LOOOOONG)

Octonauts Game Night

It was a calm night in the octopod. Everyone was lounging around, nothing to do. Dashi went through her old photos while Captain Barnacles was watching the window, seeing fish and aquatic mammals flowing through the water in peace. He would typically be happy there was no trouble… but today felt oh so slow. Kwazii seemed to have agreed, letting out a long groan.

“There has to be some sort of adventure, matey!” he told no one in particular. Everyone only made a noise in agreement, Shellington looking up from his book that he has read for the fifth time today, giving a nod.

“I wish there was some sort of creature to examine, maybe a new seaweed. I’d even take a new type of rock…” he huffed out, his bang fluttering with his head tilting backwards.

“Now, Octonauts,” the captain settled everyone down. “I’m sure there will be something.”

“Well, let’s hope so,” Kwazii whined. “I’ll be ready for anything! Swashbucklin’ with the swordfish! Finding a new monster or beast!”

“That are fictional…” Shellington could only mutter under his breath. Captain Barnacles could now tell things were going to get tenser and tenser until a fight breaks out, so he made a decision, sprouting out words.

“Game night!” he clapped his hands. This got everyone’s attention, interests peeking. “Yes! A game night sounds wonderful…!”

“I agree!” Peso beamed, happy it’ll be something where no one would get hurt. But he had his first aid kit with him, just in case.

“Ah, what shall we play then? Checkers?” Professor Inkling offered.

“Charades, perhaps!” Dashi stood up, putting her camera down.

“Maybe pictionary!” Shellington beamed.

“Arrgh, lancing sounds like a suitable game!” Kwazii stood up on the table. Peso gulped and held his first aid kit close to his chest.

“M-maybe something less dangerous…?” he asked. “Like… hide and seek!”

“Ah, I’ll find ya’ll in under five minutes if we play that,” Tweak bragged a little. “I should suggest, tag, though! Get the blood pumpin’!” The mention of blood made Peso turn pale. Tunip chirped an option, all heads turning to Shellington for a translation.

“I don’t think we can play tug of war, Tunip,” he giggled. “We haven’t a strong enough rope.”

Everyone began to clamour about their opinion on what to play, the polar bear scratching his chin in thought, then his eyes lit up.

“Ah, everyone! Idea!” he shouted. His deep voice roared through their own voices, everyone turning to face him. “Deep Sea Adventure!” With those three words, everyone’s eyes lit up and all agreed. The vegimals went to make snacks with Shellington’s help, Kwazii and Captain Barnacles bringing out a large table from storage. Peso brought in a mat covered in squares, having the design of islands and villages and caves. Tweak and Dashi brought in the chairs, Mr. Inkling getting the rule boards and books from his library.

Deep Sea Adventure was a game played by the Octonauts many times. It was like a roleplaying game where they make their characters and their actions are depended on by two dice.

“Has anyone seen the dice?” Dashi wondered. Looking under the table. Everyone began to search around, Shellington even searching his own satchel, just in case. This gave Kwazii a gasp as he ran to his chest in his room. He dug through some old treasure maps, little gold doubloons, and his great grandfather’s Calico Jack’s telescope and eventually fished out some dice. He slid down the octotube and presented them as if they were some sort of rubies.

“I got some, me hearties!” he proclaimed. The vegimals cheered, Kwazii seeing a display of fish biscuits, five varieties of kelp cakes, muffins, a bowl of popcorn, another of peanuts, and mugs of cocoa scattered on the surface. “Well, this looks like a night fit for a pirate on his night off!”

“Well let’s start, shall we?” the bear clapped his hands again. We’ll need to split into teams of two.”

Shellington and Professor Inkling beamed at each other, high fiving each other with tentacle and paw. Barnacles nodded at them. “Shellington and Inkling are one. Kwazii, want to be on my team?”

“‘Tis be an honor!!” Kwazii nodded.

“I call Dashi on my team!” Tweak raised her hand, Dashi laughing, them both holding hands.

“Girl power!” Dashi cheered.

“Right on that!”

“And then Peso and Tunip?” Barnacles asked them. They both nodded, Tunip trilling with excitement.

“Do the other vegimals want to play?” Shellington asked the little creature. Turnip chirped and shook his head. “Ah, too busy gardening? Well, we’ll at least save them some snacks.”

“And the loot once the captain and I win it!!” Kwazii laughed.

“Ohoho, you want to bet, do you?” Inkling playfully jeered.

“Don’t think you want to take that bet, Kwazii,” Shellington giggled, taking his seat. Inkling took his seat next to him, them both already whispering.

“Well, let’s do our best and have fun, Tunip!” Peso cheered on his own team. Tunip cheered in agreement, taking a seat and Peso plopping himself next to him. Captain Barnacles sat at the front, Kwazii taking the chair next to him. Dashi and Tweak sat together as well and soon, everyone was quiet. Barnacles took out a cardboard folded five times mat and looked at it, looking at a scenario. He rolled the dice, counted it, and then nodded.

“Okay! Here’s the scenario,” he started. “Inkling and Shellington are holding the treasure.” Everyone turned their heads to them, the two laughing hysterically. “It’s up to us to get it while they can set up any traps or travel to wherever they want. But, it all depends on the number of dice rolled. 2 means failure, 3 going on to be a fail, but tried attempt, and so on. Twelve means they get automatic privileges to whatever they wish to do.”

“Aaargh, last time, didn’t they bamboozle us with a ship full of monkeys…!?” Kwazii groaned.

“Well, it was funny, so I’d say it was worth it,” Inkling added his input, making Shellington laugh more.

“R-remember when you wanted to fight but rolled a three…!?” he wheezed out. Kwazii’s cheeks and ears flushed with embarrassment. “You fell into the wahahahater hahahahaha!!!”

“M-mayhaps, matey!” He quickly gained composure. “Just wait, though! Soon, you will be fighting the monkeys!” This sent everyone into fits of laughter, the captain smiling. This was a wonderful sight, seeing his crew laugh and be happy. It truly warmed his heart. He looked at the mat and looked at Dashi and Tweak.

“If you two can answer a question about marine biology, then you will go first. But if you answer incorrectly, then someone else gets the chance to steal.”

“Shoot!” Dashi beamed. Tweak seemed as excitable as she was.

“What male aquatic animal has babies?” he asked. Shellington almost blurted out the answer, but covered his mouth. Of course, the marine biologist was close to bursting with knowledge.

“Um… I think… that’s a seahorse, right?” Dashi asked.

“Correct!” he nodded. “Everyone gather your pieces and Dashi and Tweak may.. Well… what’s your team name?”

“Girl Power!!” they both answered with glee. He chuckled and looked at Kwazii.

“We should call ourselves the Swashbuckling Pirates of Red Beard’s Cursed Ship of Treasures and Glory!”

“... maybe just Pirates of Red Beard will be suitable,” he chuckled, his attention focusing on Peso and Tunip.

“We’ll be the Small but Fierce!” Peso answered for them both.

“Ya got that right, matey!” Kwazii approved of their name. Peso giggled in response, Barnacles looking at Shellington and Inkling. They both whispered and then looked at the captain.

“We were going to say The Winners, but perhaps Marine Match will suit better!” Inkling proposed.

“Okay! We have team names! Get a piece everyone and let’s start!”

Girl Power took a pink squid piece, Pirate’s of Red Beard taking a red Seahorse piece, Small but Fierce taking a blue shark and the Marine Match grabbing a green Sea Turtle piece. Dashi and Tweak both talked as everyone set up their pieces. Inkling put their piece at the end of the mat where the X is since they had the treasure. The goal of the same was to defeat everyone on the board. The others were supposed to take the treasure.

“Okay, we want to move…!” Dashi said. She took the dice and rolled it, seeing seven. Tweak moved their piece seven squares. The dice also allowed movement, but you could only move and not act in the same turn.

“Oh, our turn, Tunip!” Peso smiled. “We’ll be safe and move.” Tunip took the dice in his little hands and tossed them down, getting a twelve. “Good roll, Tunip!!” The creature cheered as Peso moved their piece. Barnacles looked at Kwazii, who was the KING of Deep Sea Adventures.

“Captain, I say we launch an attack to the Marine Match!” he proudly said. Barnacles chuckled and nodded, grabbing the dice and tossing them within his paws.

“And how do we attack?” he asked. But, out of sheer luck, he knew the answer. “Canons?”

“H-how did you know!?” he gasped.

“Heh, captain knows his crew,” he winked, tossing the dice down.

“Also, you use the same move as the first move every time,” Dashi giggled.

“I-I do not!”

“Fifteen,” Shellington pointed out, holding up a piece paper, where at the top it said ‘Times when Kwazii attacked a team with a canon as his first turn.’ and underneath were fifteen talleymarks.

“Shiver me whiskers, that can’t be right!” Kwazii lifted his eyepatch in shock.

“... oh you’re right,” Shellington smiled, adding another talleymark. “Sixteen. Thank you for pointing that out..!”

The cat grumbled and looked at the dice as they chose a side. It rolled to… two.

“Canon backfires and hits the Red Beards. They deal five damage points.”

“What…!? I call treason!” Everyone laughed, even the captain and eventually, Kwazii joined along. Shellington took the dice and looked at Inkling, them both whispering.

“They are always the same team,” Dashi noticed.

“Well, they are the brains,” Peso smiled. “And they are very good at the game.”

“Oh, not this time, mateys!”

“We choose to make a barricade around our area,” Shellington smiled. “With concrete and bricks.”

Professor Inkling rolled the dice, rolling it to a nine.

“You both build a structurally sound barricade, but it will need nine hits to be taken down,” Captain announced. They both nodded and high fived each other.

“... aye… they be smart…” Kwazii scoffed. “We’ll need nine canon turns now!”

“Um, Kwazii, I think it would be smart, and safe, to use the rest of our turns not trying to kill ourselves,” Barny laughed.

“No risk, no win!”

“... big risk, big lose,” the captain corrected him. Kwazii groaned as Tweak rolled the dice.

“What should we do, Dashi?” she asked.

“Hmm… let’s go to the village by boat,” she smiled. “So let’s keep moving.”

Tweak tossed down the dice, getting eight and moving eight spaces. Just five more until the village. Kwazii took the dice, Barnacles speaking out before Kwazii could say canons again.

“U-um, how about we move, Kwazii?” he suggested.

“Ooouggh, fine, but we will get this booty if it’s the last thing I do…!”

He rolled, getting ten. They moved ten spaces, Peso rolling the dice. Tunip chirped, Peso glancing at Shellington.

“He wishes to attack us using a ram,” he answered, to which Tunip spoke to Shellington. “Heh, it’s alright, Tunip, no need to apologize. It’s just a game.”

With that permission, Peso tossed down the dice, getting ten.

“Ooh…!” Captain beamed. You ram into their barricade with success! Roll again to see how much you hit.”

Peso let Tunip roll, him getting three.

“Three hits, barricade is now down to six hits away…!”

“Ha! Now we only need SIX canons!” Kwazii laughed heartily.

“What is with ya and canons?” Tweak questioned. Shellington took the dice, the duo both whispering again and then nodded.

“Heh, sorry, Tunip and Peso, but we choose to attack,” Shellington spoke.

“With canons,” Inkling finished.

“My signature move!!” Kwazii yelled out. The otter tossed the dice down, rolling a twelve. Tunip fainted, Peso gasping.

“Hits are directed and do twice the damage. Roll again.”

Each team was given twenty health points, so it was a big risk. Inkling took the dice and rolled it, the sides each landing three. “Six, so Team Small but Fierce take twelve damage.” Tunip had just woken up to the news, fainting again.

“Grrrgh, pure luck, I say!” Kwazii made an excuse. Shellington giggled and tossed the dice to the girls.

“Well… we’ll get revenge, Kwazii!” Tweak laughed. “What do ya say, Dash?”

“I agree! We attack with clubs!”

“Haha, get them!” Kwazii cheered. However, the dice rolled to a four.

“You attempted to attack with clubs, but they fall in the water.”

“... well we tried,” Tweak shrugging, leaning back and munching on a carrot. Kwazii sighed, hearing Shellington’s giggle again. He sneered and took the dice.

“I attack with tickles!!”

“Ti-what?” Captain Barnacles blinked. Kwazii rolled the dice, not caring what it landed on and pounced on Shellington, squeezing his sides. The otter erupted in bubbly laughter, kicking his legs.

“K-Kwahahahzeeheehee hahahaha!! Staahaahahap it’s nahahaahaaht part hahahahahaaha!! Of the gaahahahahaame!!”

“It is now, me hearty!!” the playful cat moved his paws up to his ribs, Shellington squealing and trying to push away Kwazii.

“Nooohahahaha pleeheeheease!!! Hahahaahaha!!! C-cahaahan’t breheeheeheeheeathe!!!! Caahahahap hehehehelp!!”

Captain Barnacles laughed and went over, pulling Kwazii up from Shellington, who was lifted by Professor Inkling. He let out little giggles as Kwazii looked mighty proud of himself, sitting back down.

“... well that was our turn,” Barnacles chuckled.

“Are you okay, Shellington?” Peso wondered.

“Y-yeahahah…” he giggled out. Peso nodded, happy his friend was okay, and rolled the dice in his flippers.

“Tunip, I say we move closer,” he told the vegimal. Tunip nodded in agreement. Peso tossed the dice down, getting twelve again. “Flappity Flippers! Another twelve!”

“Ya got the lucky streak, me hearties!” Kwazii pumped his fist. They moved twelve spaces, close to a cave.

Inkling took the dice and whispered to Shellington, then he looked at his captain.

“Captain, we choose to fix our barricade.” Barnacles nodded as Mr. Inkling rolled a nine, the barricade now fifteen points strong. The polar bear took the dice and rolled it, deciding to move, Kwazii agreeing. So far, it seemed Peso was getting closer and closer to the treasure. The girls moved to the village and rolled to get items, which they succeeded.

“What did we get…!?” Dashi eagerly asked.

“Two apples, three suits of armor, an unknown box, and you both gained any health you lost.”

The two high fived with both paws, whooping. Peso rolled, looking at Tunip… and gulped.

“I want to explore the cave,” he said. “Or… we would.”

“You sure?” Captain Barnacles wondered. They both nodded, Peso rolling the dice down, it going to four.

“Hmm… you tried to explore, but it was too dark for you, so you evade the cave.”

Peso let out a sigh of relief, but also a little disappointed. Although, he knew what he was going to do next turn. Shellington took the dice, whispering to Inkling again, however, this whispering session seemed to be taking longer.

“I wonder what they’re planning,” Captain Barnacles wondered.

“I’ll tickle him again if he takes longer,” Kwazii promised. A few minutes later, they nodded and looked at the captain.

“We choose to stay.”

“Wh-all of that for staying!?” Kwazii gawked. Since they didn’t attack or move, they didn’t need to roll, but Shellington didn’t give the dice back.

“But we do wish to send supplies to heal Small but Fierce,” he smiled. Peso gasped with a smile, Tunip cheering. Captain Barnacles smiled fondly as Shellington rolled the dice, getting a nine.

“They get nine points in health…!” he announced.

“Wow… thank you, Shellington!” Peso smiled. Shellington nodded back.

Kwazii took the dice and looked at their piece and at the mat with the x mark. He tapped his chin.

“... captain, I say we attack,” he said.

“Again?” Barnacles wondered.

“Ah, but this time! I got a plan!” he beamed. “I want to attack.. With monkeys!!!!” With that, he threw the dice down, them tumbling around… and landing on twelve. Shellington and Inkling gasped, looking up as Barnacles was even surprised. He read out the situation.

“... well, we send out a boat of monkeys. They take down the barricade Marine Match make.”

“Drat…!” Inkling groaned.

Tweak quickly took the dice and rolled.

“We choose to attack with monkeys!!” she shouted. It rolled to a nine, Shellington and Inkling looking at each other.

“The Marine Match take nine damage!”

“We choose to attack with monkeys!” Peso also cheered.

“Oh, this seems hardly fair now…!” Shellington stuttered. Peso rolled the dice and got a twelve. Barnacles looked at the open mouthed otter and dumbo octopus, him shrugging.

“Marine Match are defeated.”

“Noooo!” Shellington yelled out. “Ah well… good team effort, Inkling!”

“And to you, Shellington…!” Professor Inkling shook his paw, wrapping his tentacle around it.

“The treasure is up for grabs…!” Barnacles proclaimed. "Everyone roll, except Shellington and Inkling.” They both shrugged, eating after all of that excitement. “Whoever gets the highest number… gets the treasure.”

“Me first!!!” Kwazii yelled, grabbing the cubes and tossing them haphazardly. They landed on five. “Haha, beat that, me hearties!”

Tweak took the challenge and rolled it, but got four. Barnacles rolled after, getting seven and Dashi getting six. Peso took the dice… but gave it to Tunip.

“I choose Tunip to roll for both of us…!” he smiled. Tunip chirped excitedly and rolled. They all watched the dice flail on its corners and sides… and land both sixes. Peso screamed in delight as Barnacles proudly announced.

“Team Small but Fierce wins the game!!!”

They all cheered and clapped, Barnacles chuckling and looking at the time. “Oh wow…! It’s near midnight!”

“It… it is?” Shellington checked before following with a yawn.

“Well, time passes by with fun…!” Tweak chuckled, stretching.

“Well, let’s clean up and then let’s head to bed. Congratulations, Peso and Tunip…!”

And so, everyone began to clean up, putting away the table and mats, Shellington and Tunip offering the rest of the snacks to the vegimals and everyone went to their rooms, but not before Kwazii turned to Barnacles.

“We’ll get ‘em next time, cap!” he pumped his fist. The captain chuckled with a yawn.

“Perhaps, Kwazii, perhaps,” he smiled. “But… maybe less canons and tickling, hm?”

“I’ll think about it.”

He left, the captain laughing and turning off the lights and heading to bed. There may have been no critters to save… but they sure did have an adventure.

@fading-bisexual-queen-milkshake

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pengychan · 7 years

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Te Rerenga Wairua - Ch. 14

Title: Te Rerenga Wairua Summary: Found by the gods drifting at sea, Maui always assumed he had been thrown in it to drown. When that assumption is challenged, there is only one way to find closure: speaking to his long-departed family. But it’s never a smooth sail to the Underworld, and he’ll need help from a friend - plus a token that fell in the claws of an old enemy long ago. Characters: Maui, Moana, Tamatoa Rating: K Prologue and links to all chapters up so far here.

Tupuna had absolutely no idea what to make of that kid.

She’d been sceptical from the start, to be completely honest. Larvae were always tiny, of course, but the one that had come out of Tīaka’s surviving egg was even smaller than average - a rickety thing she wouldn’t have expected to live past a week, really. She had wondered, though not aloud, whether the egg had been damaged in the fight with the eel that had eaten the rest.

“Ah well,” she remembered saying. “Can’t win them all. I’m sure you’ll have better luck with the next clutch.”

It had seemed like the best thing to say given the circumstances, and she had shrugged off the way her daughter had turned her head away. Tīaka had always been a bit funny in the head, after all, and of course losing her first clutch - not to mention both of her claws due to her very questionable choice of a mate - had been a blow, but she’d come to see things her way eventually.

She wasn’t the first nor would be the last to lose her eggs; Tupuna herself had lost plenty back in the day, and Tīaka was the only one of her brood she’d seen surviving into adulthood, except for a son who had done his duty and then had been consumed by his mate, as every self-respecting male should. Shame that none of his offsprings had survived, but that was how life went.

Given some time, Tīaka would come to her senses, shrug it off, and leave the doomed offspring alone - or eat it, though it wouldn’t make much of a snack - before moving on to look for another mate. Life without her claws wouldn’t be easy, but Tupuna was willing to share meals and watch her back for as long as it took, if it meant ensuring her line wouldn’t end there.

Except that Tīaka was stubborn as a rock and dumb as a barnacle, and she hadn’t come to see things her way at all. She stayed in the back of the lair, hardly talking and eating just enough to survive and limbs folded around her only offspring, for weeks. Tupuna had known they were in trouble when she decided to give the larva a name, because naming things is the first step to getting unnecessarily attached.

Defying Tupuna’s expectations, Tamatoa did live past a week and even began getting slightly bigger, if at a slower rate than one would expect. He would remain easy prey for a long time in Lalotai, and there was simply no way Tīaka would be able to protect him for that long, maimed as she was. That would certainly force her to face the facts and give up, Tupuna had thought.

Gods, had she been wrong.

“You can’t be serious! Are you even listening to yourself? Leaving Lalotai! We’re not supposed to–”

“There is no way Tamatoa can survive here until he’s big enough. I can’t protect him from most of what lives here, and you can’t watch us all the time. If we find someplace safer to be until he’s grown, then he’ll have a chance.”

“This is beyond stupid, even for you - you really got your father’s brains. It’s a runty larva. It’s not worth the hassle. You need to have another clutch of eggs and forget all about– Where do you think you’re going? Don’t turn your back to me, young lady! You come back here right now! If you do this I won’t be coming with you, you hear me? You’ll be on your own out there, you and that–”

“Gran! Look! Look what I found!”

Tamatoa’s frankly annoying voice rang out suddenly, snapping her out of the memory. Tupuna allowed herself a moment to roll her eyes behind closed eyelids before she opened them and glanced down. Tamatoa, still smaller than one of her eyeballs, was waving a claw for attention, yet another piece of mother-of-pearl in his other one. Just how many of those useless things did he have to find before the novelty wore off?

“You have an entire pile of those,” she pointed out.

“They’re so shiny!”

“It doesn’t make them any more useful, small stuff.”

That caused Tamatoa to huff. “I’m not small!” he protested, and Tupuna snorted out a chuckle almost in spite of herself. To be fair the boy was growing quickly enough, at a rate that came remarkably close to their species’ standard, and would likely hit a growth spurt soon. Maybe he wouldn’t stay a runt after all, but he was still so tiny compared to her.

“Oh yes, you are,” she said, flicking an antennae at him. “Tinytoa.”

“I’m getting bigger! This seashell is almost too small for me, see?” he added, spinning on the spot to show her. “I’ll need a bigger one soon!”

Oh Gods, not again. Last time he’d changed seashell - a necessary measure until he became old enough to harden his own shell - he had been absolutely insufferable: no shell seemed to be good enough for him. He’d refused to get into perfectly fine ones, claiming that they were too ugly, and for some reason Tīaka had agreed to look for better ones until that fussy little nuisance saw one he liked. And then he’d insisted on keeping the old one, too.

She was spoiling him, that was it. Who even cared what the shell looked like, as long as it did its job? It was for protection, not for something as pointless as decoration. Back in her day she had to fight her clutch mates for decent shells, sometimes to the death. It was eat or be eaten, siblings or not. That at least ensured that the strongest would come out on top; she had little doubt that, had Tamatoa had to go through the same, he wouldn’t have lasted–

“Oh! Can I have one with mother-of-pearl in it? That would look perfect!”

Gods, he must have taken after his father.

With a sigh - why, why had she agreed to leave with them? - Tupuna leaned her head down and closed her eyes. “Ask your mother when she comes back from her evening stroll. Until then, how about a fun game of keeping quiet?” she added, hoping he wouldn’t start singing like he had last time she’d been trying to take a nap. No self-respecting giant crab would waste their breath on something as pointless as singing, but since he’d heard some human fisher singing Tamatoa had gotten into his head that he should do it, too. And, somehow, he seemed to think he was good at it. “First one to make a noise loses and–”

Her words were covered by a sudden rumbling noise, which was nothing new: there were occasional eruptions in the archipelago, but they generally resulted in a little noise and nothing more. However, what followed that time was new: before the echo was even faded there was another rumbling noise, much louder and much closer, and something caused even their cave to shake, the pool of water connecting it to the ocean suddenly rising in ripples and small waves.

Tamatoa let out a shriek, dropping the piece of mother-of-pearl to go hiding behind one her limbs; Tupuna, on the other hand, immediately stood. The cave stopped shaking within moments, with no damage to be seen anywhere, but something had happened outside… and all of her instincts were now telling that something was wrong.

“Gran?” Tamatoa called out, voice shaking, when she stepped towards the entrance. She turned to glance at him with one eyestalk, not breaking her stride.

“You stay here.”

“What was that?”

“How would I know? Just stay where you are.”

“Where’s Ma?” he asked. Tupuna didn’t bother replying to that last question before leaving, because of course she could only repeat herself - “How would I know?” - and that would be pointless. She would know once she was out, anyway.

And, as it turned out, she didn’t need to get very far from the cave to figure it out. The peak that turned one side of the island into a steep cliff had halved in height, and the tons of rocks, boulders and other rabble that were now into the water, explained everything: a collapse, caused by the tremors of a nearby eruption. All said and done, nothing to worry about.

Except that Tīaka, who never wandered far from the cave’s underwater entrance, was nowhere to be seen. With a renewed feeling that something was not right, Tupuna slowly approached the mass of rocks that had fallen down into the ocean. She only realized exactly what she’d been looking for when her eyes found it.

One of Tīaka’s limbs was poking out of it, limp and still. Tupuna didn’t really need to approach any further to know she was dead, but she did either way, and smacked it lightly with her claw. It stayed limp, and she let out a long sigh.

“Of all evenings to go out and stretch your legs,” she muttered, reaching to get the rocks off her daughter’s body. Her shell should have been tough enough to withstand even that crushing weight, and indeed it was barely cracked, but her head, thick as it had always been, simply wasn’t thick enough. With no pincers left to shield it, she’d had no chance.

It had been quick if nothing else, Tupuna supposed. It wasn’t something she’d had ever wished to see, but death was part of life, and she’d seen too much of it in to let it take her aback for long. She had tried her best to keep it at bay for as long as possible, but the time comes, sooner or later, with no distinction for the old or the young. It had happened, so she may as well make the best of it. She dragged the body in shallow water closer to the cave’s entrance, used her pincers to widen the cracks on the shell to expose the flesh beneath, and walked back into the cave.

“Gran? What was it? What happened?”

For a few moments Tupuna said nothing, staring down at her grandson. Leaving Lalotai to give him a chance had been Tīaka’s idea, one she’d gone along with rather grudgingly and for her daughter’s sake alone. Giving him a chance at all had been Tīaka’s idea, her wish, but now she was gone and nothing was left to keep her there. She could leave him to fend for himself, and return to Lalotai. Even on his own, he’d have more chances to live than he would in the realm of monsters; that wouldn’t be going entirely against Tīaka’s wish, all things considered. His mother’s body would provide nourishment for a time. If death claimed him regardless, then it was meant to.

I can go home.

He’s all that’s left of your line. Tīaka is gone, but he’s still here.

He’s weak.

He’ll grow stronger.

Unaware of her thoughts, Tamatoa took a few hesitant steps forward. “Gran?” he called out.

Tupuna stared down at him for a few more moments, a tiny little thing with a fancy seashell and no clue of what had just happened, no clue of her musings. Finally, she sighed and turned back to the exit.

“Come, boy,” she finally said. “It’s time to eat.”

***

“Human, we’re out of food.”

“I know.”

“If we just stop for a bit to catch some fi–”

“We can’t stop.”

“So, can I eat–”

“Both chicken and pig are off-limits.”

“Aw, c’mon! How about a compromise? I just eat the chicken’s wings. I mean, it can’t even fly, so why would it need them?”

“Tamatoa. You’re a decapod, aren’t you?”

“Of course.”

“So correct me if I’m wrong, but you happen to have a pair of limbs you have absolutely no use for, either.”

“Well, I guess– Hey! That was a low blow!”

“I know. My chicken’s wings are off limits.”

“Fine, fine,” Tamatoa grumbled, and rested his chin down on his claws again. “But I’m still hungry. Aren’t you– Oh. I guess you’ve got to be. You look terrible.”

“Noted,” Moana said, her voice flat. Truth be told, she wasn’t just hungry: she was also bone tired. While the Ocean pushing the boat forward was making their journey faster, she still had to maneuver it to make sure it stayed on course - which meant she couldn’t take a minute’s break. Stopping wasn’t an option at all, not with time so tight and Maui’s life hanging on how quickly they could get to him.

“No, really. I am sure that if you turned me back my size, I chewed you some and then spat you out, you wouldn’t look half as bad–” Tamatoa paused when Moana gave him one single, long look. “… Right. Not a nice thing to say.”

Moana managed a ghost of a smile. “You’re getting the hang of it,” she said, reaching to tug at the sail. Her limbs felt stiff and heavy as wood, but she forced herself to ignore it. She would rest later, she thought. After they caught up with Maui she’d hit him with her oar, then sleep for a couple of days, and finally resume hitting him with renewed energy. She refused to imagine a scenario in which she didn’t get to see Maui again.

“Would you like me to sing?”

“Huh?”

“To help you stay awake.”

Oh no. Please, don’t.

“Talking will do just fine,” Moana said quickly, raking her brain for something to say in order to distract him.

“Oh. By the way, you never told me if you liked–”

“Is the entire island an entrance to the Underworld?” Moana blurted out, causing him to trail off and blink at her for a few moments before he shook his head.

“Nah, not really. The island is big - and I do mean, big. What we’re looking for is the cape at the northwestern tip. You can’t miss it, because there’s this big cliff - Te Rerenga Wairua.“

“The leaping place of spirits?”

“Yep. It’s quite a drop, and word has it that spirits have to leap from this cliff to get to the Underworld. No idea why. Maybe to make sure they’re dead? ‘Cause if not, they can be certain they’ll be deceased when they get to the bottom.”

“And that’s all they need to do to get in? Leap?”

“And then climb down the roots of some old tree. Hine-nui-te-pō is usually hanging there - like, not from the tree, just around there. And by usually I mean all the time. If you’re dead, no problem - she’ll let you through and then come and go as you please. If you’re alive, she kills you and then lets you through. Unless you’re the Manaia, of course. They got on well - she chose them as the messenger and all.”

“… Any chances she may be off for a stroll?”

“While I like your optimism, human, there is literally not a chance in hell. She never leaves the entrance unguarded. That’s how Maui managed to get away when she caught him trying to sneak in - she couldn’t follow him.”

“If he got away once, he could do it again,” Moana pointed out, gaining herself a rather unimpressed look from Tamatoa.

“Because he ran off when he realized he couldn’t win, babe. Do you think he would run off now, after coming this far?”

No, Moana knew, he wouldn’t: this time it was personal, not just a stunt like many others before. “So our only hope is to catch him before he tries.”

“Exactly. Also, you’re gonna have to watch it when we approach. Two seas kinda meet right off Cape Reinga and that creates some pretty strong currents. Not a problem for me, but for your boat…”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” she said, adjusting the sails slightly. “Do I keep going this way?”

Tamatoa glanced up at the stars, tilting his head one way and then the other. “Yes, this direction for a while more, then we turn south. I’ll tell you when.”

Moana glanced up at the stars herself and, through the veil of exhaustion, she thought she’d seen something familiar. “… I’ve sailed these waters before.”

“Oh, right. If you go north instead of south, you’ll wind up at Te Fiti’s island. It’s… maybe a day and a night of navigation away? I could say something corny about life and death not being too far apart, but I’m too hungry to bother. By the way, if you still had the heart of Te Fiti we might actually have a chance against the Goddess of Death, but noooo, you had to give it away, huh?”

“I didn’t give it away. I returned it.”

“Pfft. Semantics,” Tamatoa muttered, and leaned his head down on his claws again. Too tired to even begin to argue - what would be the point? - Moana just focused on staying on course, occasionally glancing up at the sky. Stars were still there to guide her, only a few of them hidden by a veil of clouds, but it wasn’t stars she was searching for, not really. What she hoped to see, each time she lifted her gaze, was the outline of a hawk flying against the moon. She had no such luck.

Maybe he’s already there. Maybe he’s already dead.

Moana’s grip on the rudder tightened, and she forced herself to chase away the thought. She would find Maui on time, and she couldn’t allow herself not to believe as much, even for a moment. “If he dies on me, I swear I’m going to kill him,” she growled, causing Tamatoa to snicker. Somehow, the sound made her feel a bit better.

At least until he began humming a suspiciously familiar tune.

***

It was just dawn when Maui finally came within sight of Cape Reinga.

The ocean below him raged, as always in the meeting point of two seas, but soaring through the air he was unconcerned. He had plenty to fear, sure enough, but not from the ocean - not that time. He flew past the raging waters, onto the island, and came to land at the very top of the steep cliff. Te Rerenga Wairua, the leaping place of spirits. Maybe he would take the leap that day, after all, but not without a fight.

Never without a fight.

Maui let his gaze wander across the horizon, taking in the sight, and finally drew in a deep breath. Trying to sneak past the entrance was a far more attractive strategy, but one that was doomed to fail. He would know: he’d tried before. And besides, last time he’d gone all sneaky on a goddess, he’d sort of almost broken the world. He’d rather not make that mistake again.

This is on my head, and finally called out.

“Hine-nui-te-pō! Great woman of night!”

Nothing happened for several moments: there was only the sound of the waves and the wind, but Maui did not move. Nothing happened in Cape Reinga that Hine-nui-te-pō could not hear; she must have heard him, and she would soon show hersel–

Maui had no time to finish that thought: all of a sudden the wind stilled and, with the faintest sound of splashing water, she rose within his sight. Tall as a mountain, feet firmly planted before the entrance down below, Hine-nui-te-pō towered over the cliff Maui stood on, blocking out the sun and causing a cold, cold shadow to fall over him.

Her skin was red as the earth she’d been made from, her eyes black as night and her mouth too wide - a cut from ear to ear, filled with sharp teeth of black obsidian. Mouths opened on the palms of her hands as well, and those palms were now upturned, as though she was accepting an offering. Her hair was a tangle of dead seaweed, which fell onto her shoulders and down her back like a shroud.

“Maui of the Men,” she spoke. Her voice was the gargling of the deadly riptide, the last breath of a drowning man, and it held no small amount of mockery. “No longer trying to sneak your way in like a thief?”

Maui gave a somewhat sheepish grin. “Yeah, about that… I’m sorry. That wasn’t a nice thing to do, trying to sneak past you and kind of subvert the laws of existence. I figure I do owe you an apology.”

A tilt of a massive head, and a sneer. “Why, you are capable of this much. Very well. Apology accepted. Shall you do it the right way and throw yourself to your death?”

Well, she was about as pleasant as Maui remembered her. He made him best to grin and make himself look as nonthreatening as possible while still holding onto his fishhook. In the end, he resolved to lean on it. “We both know the fall wouldn’t kill me,” he said. “But hey, thanks for the suggestion. Nice to see you’re still so friendly. It’s been a while since last time.”

“Not long enough,” was the remark. Her eyes, black as the blackest night, narrowed to slits; even her eyelashes looked much like fangs. Maui shrugged.

“Fair enough. Look, I know we didn’t part in friendly terms, and I know there is a good reason why I’m not exactly on top of the list of your favorite people…”

“Oh, don’t flatter yourself,” Hine-nui-te-pō spoke up. Her voice was different now, she caress of water rising to cover your nose and mouth. “I’ve disliked you from your first breath. It had nothing to do with your actions - fools must be expected to act like fools.”

Well, Maui thought, that was new. He opened his mouth to ask what exactly had he done before he was even born, but she resumed talking first, and the reply chilled him to the bone.

“Saved by the gods. You think they saved you from the brink of death, but you were past it, Maui - you were dead. You were mine, as all of the stillborn are. You came into this world too early to survive . ”

Stillborn. Something about that word was terrifying, but in a way there was relief there, because it confirmed everything he’d suspected and hoped since Tamatoa had revealed him what he’d witnessed one day, long ago. It gave him a certainty he’d been desperately looking for.

I was not abandoned. I was buried at sea.

“And yet here I am,” Maui heard himself saying. Hine-nui-te-pō spread her arms. Yes, she seemed to be saying, here you are.

“Your soul was on its way to me before the Ocean took you and the other gods decided you should live - though the reason why is a mystery to me. Why you of many? And what right did they have to take what was mine, without even consulting me? Death is my domain, not theirs. That was a slight I could not ignore. That first breath you drew was stolen from me, like all those you’ve drawn since. To make you a demigod was adding insult to injury.”

From this moment on, every breath you take is a gift from me.

His parting words to Tamatoa after he had ripped off his leg echoed in Maui’s memory, but of course that had been different. He had taken the decision to spare him; Hine-nui-te-pō had to bow to a choice someone else had made. And that someone had not been him.

“It wasn’t my decision, either,” he finally said, and to his mild surprise the goddess nodded.

“No, it was not. I am saying your very existence is an insult, not that I blame you for it.”

“Ah. Thanks?”

“Should you decide to forfeit your life and take your place in my realm, you’d be welcome in it. But,” she added, her unnaturally large mouth stretching in a smile, “I suspect that is not what you’re here for.”

All right, Maui thought, that was it. “I am here with a plea,” he said, gaining himself an unimpressed look. Between that and Te Fiti, it seemed that getting unimpressed looks from goddesses was what he did best those days.

“I do not listen to pleas. Other gods may be prayed upon for good winds and currents, for good harvest and nets full of fish. With them, you can bargain. Death does not bargain. It grants no boon, it heeds no prayer.”

“Just hear me out. I only ask to be let through for the shortest time. There is someone I need to find, and once I do–” Maui began, and trailed off when the goddess laughed, with a sound like crack of thunder. He sighed. “Can’t you at least let me finish before you laugh your head off?”

More laughter. Maui rolled his eyes and threw his fishhook over his shoulder. “Okay, really. Glad to see you have a sense of humor after all, but– sheesh, are the mouths on your hands laughing, too?”

The laughter finally died down, and Hine-nui-te-pō looked at him, fangs still bared in a grin. “You cannot truly think, even as a joke, that I will allow you to come through alive. No living, breathing being can cross this entrance. Not humans, not monsters or animals, not gods and certainly not you. Other gods may have made exceptions for you, but I will not do the same.”

“The Manaia could cross,” Maui pointed out, and the smile immediately faded from Hine-nui-te-pō’s face. When she spoke again, her voice was icy. Not a surprise: if there was anybody she had been in truly good terms with, except for the souls of the dead - her children, as she put it - that had been the Manaia.

“The Manaia is the messenger. They–”

“I hear they’ve vanished.”

“No one else alive will cross the entrance,” the goddess bristled. “Which begs the question - how desperate are you to get in? Because that can be arranged, at the price of your life. You cannot gain access without losing it first.”

Oh well, Maui thought, that had been worth a shot. It wasn’t like he’d expected it to work, but sneaking in undetected was impossible, and at least he had tried to be polite about it first. “I see. I am pretty desperate, really, so I guess I’m going to have to go through you.”

A snort. “Do you truly think you have any chance to best me?”

“Not really, but I might surprise myself. I did that a couple of times lately,” Maui said with a shrug, and lifted his hook. “And if I can’t, then I die and get through regardless.”

“That is the only possible outcome.”

“Can’t blame a guy for trying, tho–” Maui began, but he didn’t get to finish that sentence: the next moment Hine-nui-te-pō let out a drum-shattering shriek, the kind that could almost split the sky, and lifted a hand to bring it down on him, the mouth on its palm wide open. She was almost fast enough to get him.

Almost.

“CHEE-HOO!”

The hand struck the ground he’d been standing on, but missed him; all that those teeth got to bite into were rocks. In his hawk form, Maui darted away - and barely managed to avoid being hit in mid-air by the goddess’ other hand, and yet another set of teeth. She had more teeth than anybody had any right to, and not only on her face and hands: she had teeth on the back of her head, too, and in other weird places.

Being pierced by any one of those meant death, and Maui was all too aware of it. With a screech, covered by Hine-nui-te-pō’s own, he flew up above, blood rushing in his veins. He may be dying soon but at the moment, in the heat of the battle, he felt wonderfully alive.

It’s Maui time.

***

When the horrifying shriek reached her, cutting through the air and mist like a knife and making her feel as though her heart had suddenly stilled in her chest, Moana instantly knew who it had to be. One look at Tamatoa, who had stilled as well and was looking up at her in what was nothing short of horror, confirmed what she feared: they were too late. Hine-nui-te-pō had been roused.

No, Moana told herself, exhaustion suddenly gone. It was late to stop that fight, but it wasn’t too late: it would have been worse yet to arrive to find only silence, the signs of a battle, and no Maui. That would have meant it was over.

But it’s not. It’s not over until–

“It’s over,” Tamatoa croaked, taking a few steps back. As though that would get him any further away, with the boat still sailing forward through the fog. “Human, turn the boat and– oh, wait. You’re not going to turn the boat are you?”

“Nope.”

“You’re going to head straight for Cape Reinga and in the middle of the fight.”

“Yep,” Moana said, and glanced at Pua - who seemed paralyzed with terror. “Pua, get in the hold with Heihei.”

No reaction.

“Pua–” Moana started, but was cut off when Tamatoa suddenly took it upon himself to open the latch, push Pua in - causing both him and Heihei to protest loudly - and slam it shut.

“There. Not that your pig is any safer now, unless you listen to me and turn this boat!”

You don’t have to come, Moana wanted to say, but she had no time to: the next moment there was another shriek, carried by a sudden gust of wind that caused the mist to finally, finally lift.

And there, before them, was Cape Reinga.

In any other circumstances, it would have taken Moana’s breath away - not out of terror, but simply for the sheer magnificence of that place: above raging waters stood a majestic, steep cliff under an iron gray sky. It had an otherworldly beauty to it, and she could very easily believe that was where the world of the living and that of the spirits were connected. At the moment, however, there was no time for her to marvel, because all he could focus on was the gigantic form of red earth form towering over the cliff, lashing out at something - someone - who flew and danced and shifted just out of her reach. Maui.

“He… he’s holding his own,” Moana muttered, breathing out a sigh of relief.

“Great. Amazing. Looks like we’d actually hinder him. So how about we sail away and let him do his thing?” Tamatoa spoke, a hopeful note in his voice, only to groan when Moana shook her head and kept maneuvering the boat towards the island. Hine-nui-te-pō was still trying to strike Maui, causing stones and rocks to rain down into the raging waters below. “Human! Seriously! Turn this boat! There is nothing we can do that Maui can’t!”

“We’ll just get closer, so that if Maui needs any help we can intervene!”

“And get ourselves killed!”

“We might not need to do anything! Unless something goes wrong–”

Another furious shriek caused them both to recoil, and they turned just in time to see Hine-nui-te-pō striking out at the sky in a vicious backhand… and, this time, hitting its target. Maui was struck out of the sky, once again in his human form, and hit the ground violently while his fishhook plummeted down the side of the cliff, into the churning ocean below.

“… You mean, something like that?” Tamatoa spoke, deadpanned.

“Yes,” Moana heard herself saying. “Exactly like that.”

***

Losing his hook again was, to put it mildly, a gigantic pain in the butt. And more pain would be on the menu if he didn’t get his hands back on it as quickly as possible, because of course he had absolutely no chance without it as opposed to having about one in a million with it.

And I was doing so well.

He had taken one hell of a blow in mid-air and the impact with the rocky ground hadn’t been much better; if he lived long enough to bruise, he was going to feel that for a week. It might even have been enough to make him lose consciousness if not for the fact good old Hine wouldn’t stop shrieking, keeping him from blacking out even if he’d wanted to.

He saw the jaws in her palm coming down at him with a triumphant cry, and he rolled aside just on time, avoiding being crushed by a hair’s breadth. He ducked under another attempt at swatting him with the other hand, and ran as quickly as he could towards the cliff’s opposite edge. He’d seen his fishhook falling there, and he could only hope he hadn’t fallen someplace where the water was too deep, because without shapeshifting powers there were limits to how deep down he could go. It was a desperate attempt, because he knew Hine-nui-te-pō would almost certainly get him before he could even try finding it, but it wasn’t like he had any other choice.

At least I’ll go with a bang and without dragging anybody else with me. If Moana had come with me, she’d be–

Maui reached the edge of the cliff, ready to leap, expecting to see churning ocean below. And he did see just that, raging water and sea foam barely covering rocks as sharp as fangs… plus something else, something in the middle of all that chaos that really shouldn’t have been there.

A familiar sail with the symbol of a spiral in the middle.

… Well, of course Little Miss Wayfinder had found the way. It was what she did best, other than reading minds and proving him dead wrong. He never learned a lesson, did he?

Momentum working against him, Maui very nearly stumbled down the cliff and into the ocean, but he was able to stop himself by throwing himself on the ground. He rolled aside just one time to avoid yet another blow, mind scrambling to come up with another course of action.

That’s where the hook fell. She’s trying to get to it. And if Hine-nui-te-pō sees her, she’ll kill her where she stands.

All right, he decided, new plan - keep the her attention well away from that particular area. It wasn’t much of a plan, and it was seriously lacking in the ‘how not to die’ department, but it wasn’t like he could be picky at that point. He’d improvise. Shapeshifting may be his main ability, but ‘sort of winging it’ came a close second or third. Definitely in the top five, anyhow.

With a leap - he didn’t need his hook for those - he landed well away from that side of the cliff, and turned back with a grin. He would have never thought he’d be pleased to have the undivided attention of the Goddess of Death, but then again life was unpredictable, always a surprise behind the corner.

All things considered, he didn’t think he was done with life just yet.

“Come and get me, lady,” he called out, shifting his weight and ready to leap out of reach again. “You’ll have to be faster than that.”

***

“Can’t you go faster?”

“I’m trying!”

“If she sees us, we’re so dead.”

“I know! I got it the first ten times you said it!”

If you really got it you would have turned this boat around, Tamatoa thought, but he didn’t say anything; at that point, it had become clear it was useless to insist. Instead he just clung to the mast, and tried his best not to throw up.

The ocean around them was raging, pushing back against them, and there seemed to be rocks everywhere they looked. He had no idea how the human could manage to keep that boat afloat without it capsizing or being thrown against the rocks or the cliffside by one of those violent waves, but it made his admiration for her go up another notch, if somewhat grudgingly. After all, she was getting them on the path to certain death.

Or, more accurately, slightly to the left of it.

Tamatoa refused to turn, he refused to see just how close they were to Hine-nui-te-pō as she shrieked and howled, hitting and clawing at the cliff where Maui was, surely trying his best not to be turned into demigod purea. He seemed to be holding her off for now, but without the hook he had no chance.

“I can’t get any closer!” the human groaned in frustration. “The current is too strong, and–”

A rumbling sound caused her to trail off, and Tamatoa looked up just on time to see a couple of boulders and a rain of smaller rocks falling from the side of the cliff to plunge down into the ocean, clearly dislodged by Hine-nui-te-pō’s onslaught. They missed the boat, but not by much, and the impact raised enough water to throw them back. As the human struggled to overcome the backlash, Tamatoa peered up at the cliff above them.

You’re not blind, are you?, his Gran’s voice echoed somewhere in the back of his mind. Half a cliff crumbled on her, that’s what happened. Stop asking questions with your mouth full.

Tamatoa shuddered and flattened himself against the floor, feeling immensely tiny, like he had been that day millennia ago. After all, right now he was only a little bigger than he’d been–

… Wait. Wait a minute. Why am I still small?

Tamatoa stood again, frantically looking around, and he saw what he needed just moments later: the tip of a rock just above the surface… and little to the right of the boat, close enough for him to leap on it. Which was precisely what he did.

“Wha– Tamatoa! What are you doing?” Moana’s voice reached him a moment later as he struggled to hold onto it despite the waves crashing against him. Two sets of pincers came in handy for that kind of thing, but he really could have used another leg to hold on. Clinging to the rock with all he had, he looked back at Moana.

“You can’t get through here with the boat. Get away from here - out the current!”

“But the hook fell–”

“I know where it fell, I’m not blind! Just get further away and then turn me back my size! I’ll get the hook for you!”

Comprehension dawned on her face the next moment, and she immediately nodded, maneuvering the sail to get out of the rough spot. It took her less than a minute to get to a safe distance and, once she did, the lifted a hand to point at him. Tamatoa didn’t hear the word - she wasn’t close enough for him to hear through the raging water, inhuman screeching and whatnot - but he felt its effect, and how. The next moment there was that indescribable sensation of being inflated, and he found himself sinking beneath the raging water and towards the bottom of the ocean, the rock he’d been clinging onto hardly large enough for him to rest a limb on.

It was a good drop down to the bottom of the ocean, maybe a hundred feet, but it worked fine for him. Down there the current was less strong and, despite the sand being raised by Hine-nui-te-pō’s movements - Tamatoa preferred not to wonder just how close she was, and was inwardly thankful of the fact she hadn’t spotted him before he sank into the churning water - he could see around easily enough if he squinted a bit. And, thankfully, he didn’t have to look far.

Back when he’d found it, almost a thousand years earlier, Maui’s fishhook had been stuck in the middle of a coral reef, and getting it out of there had been kind of a pain, especially since it had gotten him into a heated argument with a Megalodon who happened to live nearby. Now it was resting on sand, thank the gods, and it was easy to pick up. Which was good news, since the moment he stepped away a huge boulder crashed into the sea and sank right on the spot he had been moments before.

It wouldn’t have been anywhere near enough to hurt him through his shell, especially underwater, but– half a cliff crumbled on her, that’s what happened – Tamatoa still didn’t like how close it had been. He moved quickly, away from the cliff and well away from Hine-nui-te-pō. He had no idea what they next step may be, but hopefully the human had a plan. She usually had one, and hey, he’d recovered the hook, hadn’t he?

As far as he was concerned, he’d done his part.

***

Moving away from the worst of the currents was a struggle, especially since she didn’t dare move too far away from the island: should the wind change, it may have been nearly impossible to get ashore quickly. So Moana just moved along the coast, and maneuvered her boat closer when she finally saw a spot where she could get her boat on the ground. She couldn’t seen Hine-nui-te-pō now, as she was hidden by the cliff itself, but she could hear her all too well… as she could hear Maui’s shouts and jeers, unmistakable even though he was too far away for her to grasp the words.

Please, just hang on a bit more. Only a bit longer. I’m sure Tamatoa will–

There was another shriek, a crash so violent that the entire cliff seemed to shake, and then a rumble that Moana immediately recognized as trouble. She looked up to see several boulders falling off the side of the cliff… and plunging down straight at her.

For a moment, it was as though time had frozen. She knew in a split second that there was simply no way for her to move away quickly enough, that even jumping off the boat wouldn’t be enough to avoid them, and she found herself unable to move at all, the hands holding her oar suddenly numb.

Grandma–!

“Hey! Human!”

Moana recoiled when something huge suddenly blotted out the sun, coming between her and the falling rocks so quickly she had barely enough time to register what was happening. The realization hit her the same moment the boulders hit Tamatoa’s shell, causing him to stagger and give a noise that sounded a lot like all air had been blown out of him. They bounced off along with more than a few handfuls of trinkets, raising huge splashes, but Moana hardly even noticed.

“Tamatoa! Are you all right?”

“Uugh,” he groaned before stepping back. He shook his head and looked down at her, the grimace turning into a grin. “Sure I’m all right, babe. My shell’s tough,” he said, but his voice sounded somewhat shaky despite his best efforts. Still, Moana had no time to wonder about that. “Let’s… just get out of the way before this whole thing collapses on us, okay? I think we can get ashore on that spot over there.”

“Did you find…?” Moana began, and to her relief Tamatoa held up a pincer, Maui’s hook firmly in its grasp. “Yes! You’re the best!”

“Oh, I know.”

Getting ashore was mercifully quick: there was a small sandy spot at the base of the cliff, with a path that led right up towards it, and that was where Moana drove her boat. She jumped off onto the sand the same moment Tamatoa stepped out of the water and put the fishhook down.

“Okay, how do we get it to him? I was thinking I can try throwing it, but I’m not sure it’s such a good idea, because I can’t really see the top of the cliff. What if I miss and throw it back in the ocean? Or hit Maui? Or I could hit Hine-nui-te-pō, and I think that would only make her madder…”

“It’s all right. You’ve done enough for us,” Moana said, kneeling down to grasp the hook. “Stay here. I’ll take this to Maui.”

Tamatoa blinked. “Wait, what? Let’s pretend for a moment that’s not suicide, but there is no way you can drag that thing all the way up to–”

“Iti haere.”

“… Oh, right. You can if you cheat, I guess,” he muttered while Moana stood again, the hook now small enough to fit in her hand and mercifully easy to carry. “But my point that it’s suicide still stands. The moment Hine-nui-te-pō sees you–”

“No point in getting his hook back if I don’t give it to him,” Moana replied, and turned to run up the path that led to the top of the cliff, praying the gods yet again that she wouldn’t be too late.

She didn’t get very far.

“Wha– no! Hey! Stop running!”

Moana let out a cry when a huge claw grabbed her by the waist and pulled her up, keeping her from going any further. She tried to squirm out of Tamatoa’s grasp, but her efforts were entirely fruitless. “Let me go!”

Tamatoa scoffed, holding her before his eyes. “To have you go die for sure? Nope. There is no way I’m letting you–” he began, and suddenly trailed off when Moana pointed at him with the hand wearing the bracelet. His eyes widened a fraction when she spoke in a hiss.

“Let me go. Now.”

“Human–”

“I’ll shrink you if I have to, and then you’d never get to return your normal size should I die there. Good luck getting the bracelet back from Hine-nui-te-pō,” she said, causing him to recoil. For a moment he looked genuinely hurt, and she sighed. “I don’t want you to risk your life, but I’m going. So please, let me go. I don’t want to do this.”

For a moment, Tamatoa just stared at her, looking utterly confused. When he spoke again, it was in a whine. “I don’t want you to get killed, babe,” he said, and Moana bit her lower lip.

“Believe me, that makes two of us. But I’ll never be able to live with myself if I do nothing and Maui dies,” she pleaded. Above them the sounds of the battle - shouts and drum-shattering shrieks, cries of defiance and the sound of shattering rocks - seemed louder than ever, covering the low rumble of thunder in the distance. “And besides,” she found herself adding, forcing herself to smile, “I made it past Te Ka, and everyone said it was impossible. I might just get lucky again.”

You’re not getting past this one by singing at her, Maui’s voice echoed somewhere in the back of her mind. But Tamatoa, who had no idea yet how she had exactly dealt with Te Ka, hesitated. Then, finally - and slowly, in a way that bespoke all of his reluctance - he put her down.

Thank you, Moana wanted to say, but every word she uttered was wasted breath, every moment she lingered wasted time. So she just nodded at him, turned, and ran as quickly as he could up the path. As she ran, the shrieks and the wind and her own rushing blood filling her ears, she failed to hear Tamatoa’s mumbled plea.

“… Please be back.”

***

In case anyone’s wondering what the jab about a useless pair of limbs was about, here you go.

***

[Back to Chapter 13]

[On to Chapter 15]

#moana #maui #tamatoa #moana waialiki #oceania

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