Moana: World Darkness

Tamatoa

The golden cavern shimmered around Moana. Mountains of gold coins, dazzling jewels, and artefacts of unimaginable beauty filled the vast chamber. It was a treasure trove beyond anything she'd ever seen. The walls themselves shimmered, an intricate mosaic of seashells of every colour imaginable.

 Gone were her familiar island garb. Instead, she was adorned in a dazzling outfit seemingly fashioned entirely from the cave's glittering bounty. A shimmering seashell swished around her body, and a seashell crown rested precariously on her head. Maui's plan to preoccupy Tamatoa, while risky, had given her an idea. Picking up the drum, she hefted it with surprising ease. Taking a deep breath, she raised her arms and hammered out a beat on the smooth surface.

Moana couldn't help herself. A sarcastic snort escaped her lips. "Wow!" she drawled, raising her voice to be heard over the pounding beat. "The shiny, glittery cave. It's just like me, it is covered in sparkly treasure." She punctuated each word with a sarcastic bang on a smaller seashell drum that had inexplicably appeared in her lap. "Sparkle, sparkle, sparkle," Moana kept up the beat, her heart pounding in her chest. She knew the risk, if she failed to keep Tamatoa distracted, the consequences could be dire. But she also knew this was her chance. This was her opportunity to turn the tables on the greedy crab and reclaim Maui's hook.

Maui, who had been lurking in the shadows, materialized behind her with a groan. "You're not selling it," he whispered, his voice laced with amusement and exasperation. 

Frustration bubbled over in Moana. "This is stupid!" she declared, tossing the drum aside. "I'm just going to walk up and get it!" With a determined glint in her eyes, she marched towards the mountain of shimmering gold, Maui's hook practically calling to her.

But before her foot could even graze the treasure pile she saw Maui, surprisingly calm, shake his head. "You go up there, he will kill you. Just stick to the plan." Moana banged the drums in response, skepticism etched on her face. "Oh, and when he shows up, keep him distracted. Make him talk about himself. He loves bragging about how great he is, and wouldn't shut up about it when I first met him." Maui continued in a hushed tone

Moana snorted. "You two must get along swell," she said sarcastically, returning to the abandoned drum. With renewed purpose, she started banging a lively rhythm, her frustration fueling her performance.

"No, not since I ripped off his leg." Maui trailed off, his eyes darting around nervously.

Moana's curiosity gnawed at her. "You ripped off his..." she began, her voice trailing off as Maui disappeared in a puff of smoke. Literally. One moment he was there, offering dubious advice about Tamatoa's narcissistic tendencies, the next, a wisp of lavender smoke lingered in the air. Moana stared at the empty space, a cold dread settling in her stomach. This wasn't part of the plan. Panic clawed at her throat. "Maui?" Just as she called out, her voice echoing eerily in the vast cavern, the cavern floor lurched beneath her feet.

The mountain of gold wasn't a mountain at all. With a horrifying lurch, it shifted, a massive golden carapace rising from the depths. Moana stumbled back, a scream tearing from her throat as the ground beneath her disappeared. She plummeted through the air, the glittering chaos below her blurring into a kaleidoscope of fear. Then, a monstrous claw, the size of a small hut, scooped her up with an effortless swipe. Moana's scream turned into a strangled gasp as she was lifted above the shifting golden mass.

Only then did she see it, the true form of Tamatoa, the legendary crab. His monstrous body, a grotesque caricature of a crustacean, was dwarfed only by the sheer size of his shell, the very same mountain of gold she had been standing on moments ago. His beady eyes, glittering with avarice, fixated on her with predatory hunger.