AYDA

Te Kä

We sail in the smoky water, silent.

Maui taught me how to wayfind, and since then I'd found yhe stars comforting, as I knew exactly where I was.

But in the smoke obscured sky, the stars were impossible to see.

Maui's hair was up in a man-bun, making me swoon slightly every tine I looked at it.

"Well... This is it, huh?" I ask him, smiling weakly.

He's silent for a few seconds. "If we don't come out of this alive..."

"Don't be silly - " I started, only to find myself stopped by Maui's lips, soft on mine. I gasped slightly in surprise, staying completely still.

He pulled away. "At least I got to do that one more time."

My face was red. And over Maui's shoulder, I could see the barrier islands of Te Fiti.

But I couldn't see the island herself. We got closer, and the smoke drew away to the easy, and I still could not see the Mother Island.

"Maui where's - " I start.

Suddenly, a humanoid figure, massive, rears out from behind the barrier islands, screeching in rage as it sees our canoe.

I clutch the Heart in my hand before slipping it back into the necklace.

I hand the necklace to Maui, who takes that and his hook and, in a flash of light, transforms into a giant hawk.

I gasp in shock as he shoots away, straight towards Te Kä. The spiral in the beasts chest catches my attention suddenly as it flickers green for a moment. And then it clicks in my head.

Te Kä is Te Fiti.

I wave frantically, screaming Maui's name. But nobody seems to hear as Maui uses his hook to slice Te Kä's hand off.

It explodes back to life in a shower of magma and knocks Maui into the water.

Maui doesn't come back up. I dive into the water, leaving the canoe, and see Maui's form in the water.

I flick my hand in a come here motion, and Maui's limp form shoots through the water to float next to me.

I swim back to the canoe, dragging the demigod. I hear Te Kä's screeching just before a fireball sinks into the water where I just was, burning my back.

I clamp my jaw on a scream, crawling into the boat and taking the Heart from Maui.

"Te Fiti!" I scream at the top of my lungs. "This is not you! You need your Heart!" I hold the necklace up, popping it open to reveal the Heart. The Ocean parts to let the huge fire God cross the dry land to get to me.

I am afraid. The sand that the monster claws up flies in every direction, and their face is absolutely terrifying.

I take a breath, closing my eyes, and imagine Te Fiti, walking towards mr kindly with massive green arms open.

And I'm not afraid anymore. Te Kä halts inches from me, hand poised to strike me. I dart under the hand, pushing the pulsing Heart into the center of the spiral.

Te Kä freezes mid motion, turning to hard black stone.

And bit by bit, Te Fiti breaks through the igneous rock, in her full glory.

She walks back across the divided water, lying down and assuming her place as the Mother Island once again.

"Maui?" I say.

Maui is awake, staring at me like I just conquered the world. "Yeah?"

"Let's go home." I finish, turning the tiller towards Motunui.