The Heart of Tangaroa✔️

Chapter 8: Rapa Nui

"Before Maui leaves next time, I'll be sure to tie his sorry butt to the bottom of the ocean," Moana mumbled angrily that morning, yanking uselessly at her sheet as the wind tucked it towards the right side of her canoe, "demigoddess of the ocean, pfft. Once I return this heart to Tangaroa, I'll just be normal Moana again. Then maybe Maui will stop avoiding me,"

Mini Mo didn't seem impressed, sitting on the shores of a small inked island and holding a coconut in one hand. The poor tattoo girl had been listening to Moana's frustrated ramblings all morning, and had taken up a sitting position a few hours before.

Meanwhile, the young wayfinder was currently wrestling with the ocean. Even as a demigoddess of the waves and sea, Moana figured out she had little control over the weather. In fact, there was a dark, merciless looking cloud coming upon the horizon now, tossing the waves like grains of sand as Moana prepared herself. It was certainly nice that she didn't have to put as much effort into her wayfinding as before, as the ocean seeming knew where Maui had gone. But she still had to put some effort in to keep from capsizing in bad weather.

Even as an experienced wayfinder, Moana found herself out of her element during storms. She could navigate them of course, and wait it out till the anger passed by, but she couldn't help but think of before her adventure to Tē Fiti. Her father lost his best friend to the ocean. Though, it wasn't technically the ocean's fault. If Moana had learned anything about her greatest ally in the past few years, its that weather and sea didn't mix well.

"Things are about to get rough, Mo," Moana stated, pulling in her sail to keep it from shredding in the wind as a harsh wave broke over the deck, "hold onto something,"

The little tattoo girl did as she was told as Moana clutched to her ropes and leaned off the back of her canoe, rising up on a harsh lull. On top, she could see the horizon rising and falling, the morning air crackling with fresh electricity. Groaning as they fell back down into the trough of the next wave, Moana took the time to tuck her neckless under the hem of her shirt as sharp water droplets splashed across her face,

"I am Moana," the wayfinder growled out, ducking and gasping as water stuck in her long dark curls, "demigoddess of the ocean - woah,"

Moana stumbled slightly as a wave lifted the right side of the canoe into the air, nearly causing her to go overboard as she shifted her weight to the opposite side of the raft, "I am the Chief of Motunui, and ally of Maui,"

Moana pulled her sheet as the white foam of another surge took over the canoe, the wind catching in the cloth as the canoe rose high into the air before crashing down again, "and I command you, Tangaroa, god of the great sea, to take back your heart!"

There was a bright flash of lightning as Moana held to her ropes, only to gasp at what had suddenly formed before her. It was made completely out of dark foam and water, staring at her through soulless eyes as it's long limbs spread from the wave itself. To Moana (who had very little experience with Maui's world), it looked similar to the light Rongomai sent by Auahitūroa. Except, this one was made of her own element,

"Why do I suddenly have a bad feeling about this?!"

Moana gasped as the creature turned to face her, mouth open and face staring as it's hand reached out towards her canoe. Mini Mo was panicking on her shoulder as Moana let loose her sails,  "abandoned ship!"

Jumping into the dark water, Moana swam away as her canoe was destroyed by a large hand of water, sending it careening down into the depths. Paddling uselessly against the waves, Moana avoided another large hand as it tried to grab hold of her. Preoccupied, the drowning wayfinder barely noticed how her heart glowed and vibrated against her skin, illuminating the blackwater as her lungs burned with a need for air.