Whare Potae (The House of Mourning)

Chapter Thirteen

Author's Note: Sorry for the late update. I'd hoped to have two chapters out today, since I theoretically had the whole day to myself...but unfortunately, the morning did not go as I had hoped. I'm afraid the hospital trip was not a success.

You don't want to hear about that, though; you want to read fanfiction, and so let's get right to it, shall we?

Chapter Thirteen

Moana woke up uncomfortable after a couple hours of fitful sleep. Everyone else was gone.

She found her mother outside at the hearth, preparing the already steaming earth oven for dinner.

"Ah," Moana. "Mom smiled and got up as her daughter approached. "Feeling better? I thought you'd have wanted to sleep a little longer. Your father's still out; dinner won't be ready for a little while, yet. If you think you're up to it, would you mind getting me some of the washing? I left it next to the bed; didn't want to disturb you, but I'd better get started on it, or we're all going to smell like three-day-old mold by tomorrow morning. Can't have that."

"Uh...yeah, sure." Moana took a quick look around. "No problem, but...where IS Dad? And, uh...where's Maui?"

Moana's Mom opened her mouth to respond, but at that moment, the familiar, triumphant cry of a hawk came from somewhere over near the beach.

"Ah," said Moana's Mom, nodding. "I think that's him, now."

Moana turned just in time to see Maui, in the form of a giant hawk, gliding into the village with a huge net in his claws, teeming with every color of shining saltwater fish. He circled once, cried out again, and then landed in the middle of the village square, depositing the fish neatly on the ground before spreading his great wingspan and transforming himself back into his human form with the help of his magical fishhook.

"Oven's ready," called Moana's Mom, nodding at him. "Goodness, that's a lot of fish...we'll have to dry some for later. Moana, don't just stand there staring. Go be useful, won't you?"

Maui turned and gave Moana a genuinely self-important grin, holding up the net full of fish.

For the first time since they'd gotten back to Motunui, he was looking and acting just like his old self. Moana felt something in her chest relax, and she smiled back at him.

"Wow," she said.

"Right?" Maui laughed. "Motunui is gonna feast tonight!"

A lot of these fish, thought Moana, sighing to herself, are going to go to waste...but it was a nice idea, Maui, it really was.

All around the village, people were beginning to stop what they were doing to pay attention to Maui and his hoard of fish. The whispering and pointing began again, but this time, far fewer people were giving Maui dirty, deadly looks.

"Huh," snorted Maui, still grinning, completely in his element. "It's almost like they've never seen a giant demigod hawk before."

Moana rolled her eyes. "Let's just get some of these on the fire," she suggested, "before the birds come for them. I'm starving."

Just as Maui had predicted, there was a village-wide feast that night, with plenty of fish for everyone, and with several to spare once the meal had ended. Maui sat between Moana and her Dad, and helped to prevent wasted food by eating four or five helpings, before a stern look from Moana discouraged him from going in for a sixth.

"Hang on," she said. "Do demigods even need to eat? I thought you were immortal."

"Well, yeah, technically," returned Maui, shrugging and sneaking another whitehead fish into his bowl. "I mean, it won't kill me to go without food, but it sure doesn't feel great. I get hungry. I get seriously hungry, and trust me, being your village's go-to hero today has worked up an appetite. What's the problem, anyway? There's plenty."