Moana: World Darkness

The Journey Begins

-I'm just gonna skip to the part where Grandma Tala was on her deathbed as she gave Moana the task. On the way, she met someone who might be an extra help to her and Maui to restore Te fiti's heart. Just read the story, enjoy!-  

"Chief Tui!" A villager's voice, frayed with panic, shattered the calm night. "It's your mother!" 

 Moana's heart lurched, a cold dread slithering down her spine. "Grandma?" she gasped, the basket of coconuts dropped to the floor with a forgotten thud. Without a word, she sprinted towards their hut perched on the hilltop, her father, Tui, at her heels.

Bursting through the doorway, Moana's breath hitched. Tala lay on a woven mat, a damp cloth clinging to her forehead. Her usually vibrant skin was pale, almost translucent, and a raspy cough wracked her thin frame. Sina, her mother, stood beside her, eyes red-rimmed and filled with despair that mirrored Moana's own growing fear. The familiar scent of herbs and spices, usually a comfort, now held a bitter tang of illness.

"Mother," Tui said, his voice thick with worry as he rushed to Tala's side. Moana followed close behind, her vision blurring as tears welled in her eyes. She squeezed her eyelids shut for a moment, willing them back. 

"This can't be happening," she thought desperately. Placing her cane carefully against the wall, Moana knelt beside Tala on the left. Tui and Sina stood at the foot of the mat, their faces etched with concern, as the village healers approached. The healers' expressions were unreadable, their silence heavy in the air.

"What can be done?" Tui, his voice laced with a desperation that mirrored Moana's own. The female healer shook her head, a single tear tracing a path down her weathered cheek. 

 "I don't know, Chief Tui," she replied softly.

Sina, her usually strong voice cracking, pleaded, "There must be something you can do! Anything!"

Tala, her breathing shallow, reached out a hand, her touch surprisingly strong despite her weakened state. Moana flinched as Tala's cool fingers grasped hers. "G-Go," Tala rasped, her voice barely a whisper.

Moana leaned closer, her heart pounding a frantic rhythm against her ribs. "Grandma?" she choked out, a torrent of questions threatening to spill over.

"Go," Tala repeated, her voice gaining a hint of urgency. Moana squeezed her eyes shut, the image of her grandmother's frail hand clinging to hers seared into her mind. A fierce internal battle raged within her. How could she even think of leaving when her grandmother needed her most? 

 "Not now," she whispered back, tears blurring her vision. "I can't leave you."

Tala's voice, though weak, held an undeniable urgency. "You must, Moana," she rasped, a fit of coughing wracking her frail frame. "The ocean chose you. It's always been in your blood, in your heart." She reached into her tattered tunic and pulled out a worn necklace, a single greenstone pendant carved into the shape of a fishhook hanging from it. Moana recognized it instantly - a cherished family heirloom. A tear rolled down Tala's cheek, tracing a path through the deep lines etched on her face. "Follow the fishhook," she whispered, placing the necklace in Moana's trembling hand. "And when you find Maui, you grab him by the ear. You say 'I am Moana of Motunui. You will board my boat, sail across the sea, and restore the Heart of Te Fiti." With a shaking hand, Tala removed from her own chest a small, intricately carved stone that pulsed with a faint green light - the heart of Te Fiti. Silently, she placed it within the fishhook pendant, then closed the clasp with a soft click.

Moana stared at the necklace, the weight of responsibility crushing her. Tears streamed down her face, blurring her vision. "I-I can't leave you," she choked out, her voice thick with despair.