The Stars and The Sea

Chapter 11

Keoni observed the magical dolphin for a few short moments and then turned in Moana's direction, calling her name. He knew she needed her rest, but she just had to come see this!

Moana groggily sat up, rubbing her face.

"Bleh... what is it, Keoni?"

"There was... there was this dolphin! And it was glowing!" He said in a tone mixed with confusion and utter fascination, pointing in the direction he saw it. But it was gone now, but there was a glowing trail that it left behind, glittering like pure starlight in the water.

Joining his side, Moana did see the trail. It reminded her of when her grandmother first came to visit her in the form of her spirit animal, the manta ray. She also recalled how brilliantly the ray lit up the ocean at night, and she got chills just thinking about it. And while she did believe Keoni had seen something, it was gone now.

"C'mon Keoni, you need rest too," she attempted, but then her attention was snagged by the incredible sight of the glowing dolphin swimming into view and approaching the shore. Together, the pair watched as the dolphin shifted into a more human form, and soon, features became apparent.

The two watched in awe as the spirit fully materialized before them, and Moana felt a fleeting moment of slight disappointment that it wasn't her gramma. That said, she was a bit perplexed by who this could be.

I'm glad you're finally off that gods-forsaken island. The figure said, startling Keoni. What an introduction.

Moana noticed how the spirit actually resembled Keoni, though the features were strong and slightly rounded. The spirit bore two moles below his right eye and one larger mole on his right shoulder. She had a sneaking suspicion...

"And... you are?" Keoni questioned.

Lawai'a.

Keoni silently echoed the name back to himself as if it was familiar. And it was. The fleeting mentions of his father in passing by his mother, only a few times had he heard her utter his name.

Lawai'a.

In sheer disbelief, Keoni stared at the spirit of his father that stood before them. As if they shared a mental link, Lawai'a held a hand out to his son, and Keoni took it, pulled into an embrace Keoni never got to know as a child. And in that moment, Keoni felt a void in his heart he didn't know he had filled and become whole again. An entire childhood spent without a father taken by forces beyond their control, and now here was the closure he needed and deserved.

It was a tender moment, and Moana couldn't hide the beaming smile on her face. The joy she felt for her friend was immeasurable as she understood the deep feeling of reuniting with a lost loved one. Though, she knew Keoni was far more deserving of this reunion, having never known his father.

Lawai'a pulled away first, admiring his son.

You've grown up well, so much like your mother. You have her eyes and her hair!

Keoni lit up at the complimentary comparison. But almost immediately, his expression shifted to one of focus. He looked his father in the eyes and finally asked him the one burning question that had plagued Keoni for as long as he could remember.

"What... happened? What happened to you that day you went fishing and never came back?"

Lawai'a face also changed, his to something more solemn and regretful.

I should never have left shore that day... Lawai'a turned to face the sea, remorseful and longing, I was one of the few fishermen who dared to sail beyond the reef during the time of the Darkness, as it was dangerous and the sea more violent than it had been for our ancestors. I defied the chief and was blown off course. I was extraordinarily capable on my own, but I should have taken someone with me... but I didn't.

Not having an extra hand made controlling the canoe difficult. And it seemed as if once I left the border of the reef... it was like crossing a boundary I wasn't prepared for. Instantaneously, the sea changed to that of sheer power and violence I could not handle on my own. I realized my mistake and tried to turn back, but it was as if once I crossed the reef, I would not be able to return. And so... to pay the price of my foolishness, the sea took me.

Lawai'a turned to face his son and Moana again, and Moana could both see and feel the pain on Lawai'a's face. A man troubled by his own determination, costing him his life and never seeing his children grow up.

In a way, she understood. By defying her father and crossing the reef of Motunui, she changed everything, but for the better.

"On my behalf, I'm so sorry the sea treated you the way it did." Lawai'a brushed aside her apology.

While your empathy is appreciated, it's not necessary. In watching the past 18 years go by and seeing what the Darkness did to the island... it was truly only a matter of time.

"What do you mean?" Keoni asked, confused by his father's words. The spirit sighed, his proud stature appearing defeated.

The farmers and other fishermen had told our chief that they had caught signs of a blight beginning to take hold. They had seen the inky black roots of the Darkness killing the fields and chasing fish. They would find dead pigs and chickens in the jungle, seemingly at random, as the animals had shown no signs of illness. They would sometimes drop dead. Looking back on it, I doubt there was anything our chief could have actually done.

The exodus he ordered when you were sixteen was the only viable option, as that was when the Darkness had truly taken hold. That storm you encountered... was cruel. It was a cruel act of the gods to inflict that upon fleeing villagers. And being separated from your mother and sister... I truly wish I had been able to do something.

Keoni could only shrug, as he knew the lamenting on the past in that manner did nothing. Sure, he learned from prior actions and how to be better, but wishing to undo past damage was a moot point. He'd grown since the Darkness. Even though he was literally alone and quite lonely, his forced return to his island allowed him to grow and become independent. He taught himself different skills that he otherwise would've had to wait much longer to learn from the elders and teachers in his village.

His true skill was in fishing. He always knew he was meant to be a fisherman and help provide for his village with his bounty from the sea. From netting to spearfishing, he honed or acquired all the necessary skills. He knew different fish preferred different bait. The best times of the day or the right size hook so as to not cause too much damage to the fish itself.

He never caught more than what he needed and always released the young. He used the whole animal, down to the bones that he would keep for sewing needles and the rest of the bones he would find other uses for.

And up to this point, it was all he considered himself to be. Yet, now he was beginning to wonder if there was more to life than just catching what Te Fiti provided him. And Moana changed his perspective.

He thought back to her prior offer of teaching him how to sail on the canoe and how to wayfind. Before, he kept shrugging it off, especially when his injury was still fresh. It had been some time since the incident, giving him time to think. And, of course, now, with his father's presence shifting something in him, he began to wonder.

Keoni the Wayfinder had a way nicer ring to it than Keoni the Fisherman...