Moana: World Darkness

Restoring The Heart Together

"I told you to turn back," Maui spat, his voice laced with a bitterness that surprised even him. The pain in his shoulder throbbed with each beat of his heart, a constant reminder of his failed attempt to protect them.

Moana pushed herself to her feet, her head throbbing with a dull ache. Shame burned in her gut, a counterpoint to the lingering fear. "I thought we could make it," she mumbled, her voice barely a whisper.

"We?" Maui echoed, a harsh edge to his tone. He whipped around to face her, his one good eye blazing with a mix of anger and dejection.  Moana flinched at his words, the sting of his accusation sharp. Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill. But before she could respond, Kai stepped forward, his voice firm.

"Yeah," he interjected, his gaze unwavering as he met Maui's glare. "We. As in me and her. We both thought we could make it. We both believed in the plan."

A tense silence descended upon the canoe. Maui's anger seemed to simmer beneath the surface, a storm waiting to erupt. Moana, tears blurring her vision, looked down at the deck, overwhelmed by a wave of conflicting emotions. Shame, fear, and a flicker of defiance warred within her.

"But we can fix it," Moana insisted, referring to Maui's hook. Her voice shaking slightly but her chin was held high. Despite the throbbing pain in her head and the weight of Maui's anger, a spark of defiance ignited within her.

"Made by the Gods," Maui roared, his frustration boiling over. "You can't fix it," His voice boomed across the waves, laced with a bitterness that stung Moana more than any physical wound.

"Next time we'll be more careful," she stated, her voice firm despite the tremor in her hands. "Te Ka was stuck on the barrier islands, it's lava, it can't go in the water. We can find a way around." Maui remained silent, a stark contrast to his usual boisterousness. His back was turned, his gaze fixed on the horizon where the embers of Te Ka's rage still flickered.

"I'm not going back," he finally muttered, his voice heavy with defeat.

Moana refused to let his negativity deter her. "We still have to restore the heart," she countered, her voice laced with a quiet determination.

"My hook is cracked," Maui said, his voice barely a whisper. "One more hit and it's over." He finally turned, revealing the mangled weapon, a symbol of his shattered confidence.

"Maui, you have to restore the heart," Moana reminded him, urgency creeping into her voice.

A flicker of anger sparked in Maui's eyes. "Without my hook," he said, his voice initially calm but laced with a dangerous edge, "I am nothing!"

"That's not true," Moana protested, her voice rising above the storm brewing within Maui. "You're Maui, the demigod. You're brave, you're cunning, you're..." Her voice trailed off, searching for the right words.

"Without my hook, I AM NOTHING!" Maui roared, his pent-up fear and frustration exploding. The force of his voice sent a shiver down Moana's spine, a flicker of fear momentarily replacing her resolve.  She took a cautious step back, the raw pain in his voice echoing the devastation within her.

"Stop!" Kai's voice boomed across the canoe, silencing the simmering argument. "The enemy is over there, not each other!" He pointed towards the distant glow on the horizon, a stark reminder of the destruction they narrowly escaped.

Maui, his face etched with despair, opened his palm and with a dull thud, the heart of Te Fiti landed at Moana's feet. It pulsed faintly, a beacon of hope amidst the wreckage of their plan. Without a word, Maui turned and retreated to the stern of the canoe, his broad back a wall of isolation.