Moana

Chapter Twenty

Smiling, Te Fiti made her way to her island as a crown of flowers appeared around her head.

Picking up Moana, the ocean carried her so she could better see. Te Fiti ran her hand along the dark sand of her island. Immediately, grass, flowers, trees, and anything that grew began to sprout out of the ground.

The ocean gently set Moana down on the reformed island before barfing out Maui and Hei-Hei.

"The chicken lives," Maui laughed.

"I'm sorry about your hook," Moana apologized.

"Well, hook, no hook... I'm Maui. Again, I'm sorry about Aukai."

Just then, the ground beneath their feet began to rumble. Looking down, Moana and Maui both saw they were standing on Te Fiti's hand. The goddess carried them up to better look at them.

Smiling, Moana knelt in respect, gesturing for Maui to do the same. Te Fiti looked at the demigod, causing him to stand back up.

"Te Fiti!" Maui said rather nervously with sheepish laughter. "Hey, I mean, how you been?"

Te Fiti said no words, but the annoyed look she gave him with a raised eyebrow was enough to say, "Really?"

Maui cleared his throat.

"Look," he said, "what I did was... wrong. I have no excuse.

"I'm sorry."

Her smile returning, Te Fiti brought up her free hand and opened it. A gift rested in her palm. A brand new fish hook.

Maui gasped excitedly and reached for it, but held himself back. He didn't need a fish hook to be Maui.

"You know," Moana laughed, "it'd be rude to refuse a gift from a goddess."

Excited, Maui grabbed the hook and yelled, "Cheeeehoooo!!!" in victory before Moana cut off his celebration.

"Thank you," Maui said to the goddess with a bow. "Your kind gesture is deeply appreciated. Cheehoo."

In a flash of blue, Maui transformed into a bug and flew away.

Smiling, Te Fiti brought Moana closer, pressing their foreheads together one last time before setting her down.

Maui turned back to normal, joining Moana as Te Fiti opened her arms. Green swirls spiraled from her heart and into the sea. Flower petals swirled down the beach before vanishing, revealing Moana's boat, good as new.

Moana smiled as she turned back to Te Fiti, who grew in size and went back to sleep.

"Moana," Maui whispered, looking away from the island goddess, "look."

Moana followed his gaze and what she saw caused her to gasp and cover her mouth.

Laying at the edge of the water, just a few meters away, was an unconscious boy.

Moana ran up to the boy and knelt at his side. His shaggy mess of wet brown hair was plastered to his face. He seemed to glow from the water droplets on his sand-colored skin. His strange clothes were also soaked, his previously stained shirt was now pure and white.

Moana brushed some hair behind her ear as the boy groaned. His sea-blue eyes fluttered open and met hers.

"Moana?" he asked.

"Aukai?" Moana asked. He brushed his hand along her face and hair as he asked another question.

"Can we please find a way to meet where I'm not unconscious on a beach?"

Moana laughed. Aukai was back.

"Aukai!" she said in joy as she threw her arms around him. Aukai smiled into her shoulder as he returned the hug.