Whare Potae (The House of Mourning)

Chapter Twenty

Author's Note: Thank you so much to everyone who has sent me the encouraging comments about my new job search! I am really touched.

I have promised myself that if I finish the first ten things on my to-do list before one o'clock, I can have Chipotle for lunch. With that motivation in mind, let us get immediately to Chapter Twenty (which is, by the way, bullet point five on my to-do list, so I am, admittedly, skipping ahead a little.

Wow...seriously, we're already on Chapter Twenty? Time flies when you're having fun...

Chapter Twenty

Hine-nui-te-po sighed. Her smile changed, became even more slightly malicious as she leaned towards him, gently shaking her head.

"You're losing your touch, Maui of the Wind and Sea," she told him. "You? Give up? Never. I don't believe it. You've been playing tricks and escaping by the skin of your teeth for thousands upon thousands of years...so why give up now? Because you got bored with running? Your story just doesn't add up...and I'm not nearly as stupid as you seem to think I am."

Damn, thought Maui, although he kept his face completely impassive. No, I guess you're not.

"I think," the goddess went on, "that you're still trying to be a hero. Here you are, sacrificing yourself bravely so that the mortals won't have to suffer any more at the hands of the cruel goddess of the dead. You couldn't get them immortality, but at least you'll end their torment, isn't that right? It's noble, I'll give you that, but it really doesn't suit you. Haven't you learned, after all these years, that the humans aren't going to be grateful? They're not worthy of your sacrifice. You'll get nothing, not even a legacy of heroism. In a few thousand years, maybe even a few hundred, they'll forget about you. They'll find a new savior, a new hero, and they'll tell new stories...and you'll no longer even exist, not even in story and song. I'm honestly surprised that you've let it come to this. I thought you were...more savvy. I thought you were starting to really understand them."

The water burbled, splashed gently against some object in its path behind him, and again, Maui glanced over his shoulder to see what it was.

There was nothing there.

"Nah," he told her, smiling bitterly to himself. "Actually, I'm surprised at you. I mean, come on, you've been dealing with human souls since, seriously, the dawn of time, but you're still the one who doesn't get them. They're not so bad. They've got things we don't have...things we never learned, because we're too busy being all-powerful, I guess. There's things we can learn from them...things I could've learned earlier, maybe. Guess it doesn't matter, now."

For a moment, Hine-nui-te-po looked genuinely incredulous.

"What has become of you, Maui?" She raised an eyebrow at him. "You've turned into some sort of sappy piece of human trash. I'm surprised at you...and a little disgusted. How disappointing."

Maui shrugged.

"I met somebody," he admitted. "Somebody who taught me something kinda important. 'The people you love will change you,' she said. Guess that can be true. Doesn't matter now, does it? You're gonna kill me, so my philosophy and potential redemption is kind of a non-issue at this point, am I right?"

Hine-nui-te-po's eyes flashed.

"You...you met someone," she hissed, half-rising from her chair. "A mortal?"

"'Fraid so." Maui snored a laugh. "Shame it took so long. Might have been better if I'd met her, oh, a couple thousand years ago, but there's not much point in crying over spilt milk. 'S done, now."