The Heart of Tangaroa✔️

Chapter 4: 8 Years Old, Mortal and with a Hero Complex

If there was one thing Moana had forgotten, it was that when Maui got involved, it was always a mistake to go after him. Not only had she been nearly killed by Kakamora in the first few minutes of meeting him, but she had also nearly got eaten by Tamatoa, and burned to a crisp by Te Kā the fire demon upon reaching Te Fiti. Maui was a trickster, and had lots of enemies.

So it came as no surprise to find him trapped in a cave with an eel the size of a coconut grove. The thing was slick and slimy, glowing luminescent like the rest of Lalotai as its eyes (and fangs) were trained on Maui. He looked fine, as he always did, but his hook was nowhere to be found. Slipping to the cave unnoticed, Moana began to search for the instrument as she held her oar close to her,

"Really, tuna breath, I didn't mean to take your girl from you. Really I didn't,"

Maui wasn't really making the situation better as the eel's throat rattled, and there was a yelp as Maui was electrocuted by its horrible tail,
"R-really, Sina wasn't even that in to me! Honest,"

Moana stopped at the mention of her mother's name, but shook her head from side to side. It was impossible. Her mother Sina was not the same Sina from the legend Grandma Tala had told her as a little girl. Frowning, Moana glanced over the top of a low rock. This was probably the eel from the story, the one which had fallen in love with Sina, but was killed and buried by her lover after he stared at her the wrong way,

"Maui must have been Sina's lover," Moana whispered to Mini Mo, who was shaking her head from side to side. Moana agreed and continued forwards around the cave, searching for Maui's hook as he continued to make the situation worse with the eel,

"Come on tuna breath, we had tons of good times, right? I mean, coconuts are pretty tasty am I right-yip!"

Moana winced slightly as Maui was shocked again, and wiggled in the eels grip. She did feel partially sorry for Maui, but she also felt sorry for the eel. Rolling her eyes, Moana nearly cried out as she tripped on something unseen, causing the conversation to go quiet as the eel turned in her direction. Moana didn't even want to breathe, holding two hands over her mouth as the eel listened,

"I-I think you're just hearing things," Maui stuttered, yipping again as the eel was once again preoccupied,

"At least I'm not the bait this time," Moana whispered to her shoulder, looking down at what had caused her to stumble. Maui's Hook. It was a bit dirty, and had probably been tossed aside during some kind of fight, but here it was. Now all Moana had to to was get it to him. Squinting at him from a distance, Moana noticed a particular figure missing from a space on his chest,
"Ok Mo, I have a plan,"

Leaning in, the little tattoo girl listened to Moana carefully before nodding and hopping into her canoe. Soon, she was gone from the circle on Moana's shoulder. Watching Maui, Moana could see her arrive on his chest, where she snapped the border of her tattoo to get his attention. Immediately the man looked confused, then shocked, then confused again as he looked at the rock where Moana was hiding. Carefully, she pushed his hook out into the open with a foot,

"Oh, great eel, I swear I didn't like Sina for more then a day," he said, turning back to the creature as Moana ducked along the stones behind it. Finally, she was staring at the curve of its neck, as it was floating back first. Grasping her oar, Moana flew from behind the stone,

"CHHHEEEHOOO!"

Moana's mighty cry (and terrible imitation of Maui) echoed through the cave as she smacked the creature into the nearest wall, causing stones to collapse down on him. In the excitement, Maui had been dropped and quickly hurried to pick up his fish hook, transforming into a hawk and flying towards Moana. Before she could protest, her shoulders were being grabbed by monstrous talons as they soared upwards and splashed into the ocean ceiling.