Moana glanced up to see Maui just as his soles reached the sand, trudging pensively towards her, his head down and his eyes lost in thought. She noticed his hook wasn't beside him and raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Did it get lost in the storm?" She called out, worriedly. He looked up, his mouth in an 'o' of surprise, like he'd forgotten she would be there.

"No, no. Just didn't feel like bringing it." He told her as he stepped onto the canoe, not meeting her eyes. She snorted. "Please. Just this morning you were swiniging it around like some kind of wild man, telling the kids that it was 'more a part of you than your own two arms.' I really wish you'd brought it, I like feeding Iguana Maui fruit. Speaking of fruit, where is our food?"

He looked down at each of his empty hands and cursed, "Sorry. Slipped my mind between here and there. I'll go back--"

"No, don't worry about it. There's a whole grove of fruit right over there. We can just grab whatever we can carry and fill the compartments. A light lunch will make dinner much more satisfying." She smiled at him, trying to ease whatever was weighing so heavily on him that it made his shoulders slump. He smiled back, and mini-Maui rubbed Maui's chest affectionately.

Once their canoe was filled to the brim with nuts, berries, and coconuts (for water), Maui pushed the canoe into the tide, Moana standing proudly on the stern. She closed her eyes and let the salty air blow through her hair, fluttering her clothes and and permeating her pores. She took a deep breath, and felt at peace. Home. This was home.

She looked back to see Maui sitting down on the bow, staring hard at the Ocean, as if communicating telepathic anger straight into the current. Moana walked in front of him and fell to her knees, taking his large hands in her small ones. "Maui...what's wrong?"

He shook his head a fraction of an inch, not looking at her. She did the only thing she could think and grabbed his ear, pulling his face right to hers. His eyes widened and they fell directly into her gaze, mesmerized. Unable to look away.

"Ow."

"What. Is. Wrong. You can tell me anything, Maui."

Maui was silent, just staring into Moana's shining brown eyes like he was looking at the sun.

"Maui!"

"Alright! Alright, my hook is broken."

"I already knew that. It still work--"

"No, broken broken. Like broken. Like when we faced Te Ka."

"What? What did you do to it?"

"I didn't do--never mind. I know why it's broken, and there's nothing I can do to fix it."

"We can ask Te Fiti for another one."

"I don't think so."

"Why not?"

"Because this time is a little different."

"How so? Because it wasn't broken by a lava monster?"

Maui snorted. "It's never been broken by a lava monster."

He stopped in his tracks as Moana blinked, and he was finally able to tear his eyes from hers, with some effort. She fell back onto her heels and folded her hands in her lap.

"Do you not...remember...?"

"Of course I remember. I may be thousands of years old, but I will always have the body and mind of a 30 year old. I think. GAH, just, never mind. I don't want to talk about this anymore."

Moana scooted back, giving Maui more space.

"Okay...well, you hungry?"

"Not particularly."

They sat in silence for a moment, both of them peering around, neither steering the boat. A wave of saltwater raised up curiously, tilting its 'head' to the side. Moana smiled at it, but it seemed to be looking at Maui.

Unceremoniously, it spat a jet of water at Maui's face. Maui didn't budge, but mini-Maui tapped his foot, gesturing between Maui and Moana, like he was impatiently waiting for Maui to tell her something.

"Is there something I need to know?"

"No."

"Everyone else seems to think so."

"Everyone else is a tattoo and a body of water. You sound crazy."

Moana pursed her lips and raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms patiently...knowing damn well he was stalling.

Maui sighed in defeat, standing up and turning his back on Moana, looking out at the horizon behind them, where Montenui was still visible.

"Te Ka never broke my hook. It broke before it even made impact with her. Both times."

Moana sat silently, listening. Her arms still folded across her chest, just to give her something to do with her hands.

"Remember, how I told you...years ago...that to become a demigod you have to have a selfless heart?"

Moana nodded, though Maui could not see.

"Well, I did something very selfish. So self-centered and arrogant, the Gods took away my powers. Te Fiti replaced my hook because I told her I would not be joining you in Montenui. Once I considered doing so again this year, my hook began to crumble. Piece by piece, so small and insignificant no one would notice. But I did. I noticed my shape-shifting being less fluid, my hawk form had bad eyesight, my shark form, dull teeth. I've been losing my powers for months, Moana. But I couldn't bring myself to leave."

"Leave...Montenui? Is it the island's fault?"

"No. Not the island's fault."

"Is it...my fault?"

The question hung in there air like turpentine, thick and acrid, making Moana's skin crawl as time seemed to slow down to a near stop. Even the ocean was still. Moana's eyes filled with silent tears, and she closed her eyes against the onslaught, willing them to disappear.

She felt a large finger wipe a drop from her cheek, and she turned her head, keeping her eyes closed. Maui tucked his finger under her chin and angled her face up, forcing her to open her eyes.

"No. It isn't your fault. If anything I blame your pride, your strength, and your charisma. I blame your leadership, and your ability to learn foreign tasks quickly and effortlessly. I blame your endless love and loyalty to your people, and your beautiful, beautiful soul."

"Maui...what?"

"I blame all of those things, for making me fall in love with you."

Thunder clapped above them, ripping them both from their reverie. They looked up just as rain began to fall.

"Where did this come from? I didn't see any storms when we left!" Moana shouted above the wind, pulling the sheet to turn them around and sail back home. Maui stepped forward, putting his hand on her arm to stop her. "This isn't a storm."

"What?" She shouted, "I can't hear--"

"Get down."

"What?"

"GET DOWN!"

Maui pushed her suddenly, sending her flailing right off the side of the canoe. The water was choppy, and despite the water in her ears she could hear the heavy rain hitting the ocean's surface. She came up for air, only to be pushed down again by a swell. As if the ocean was telling her to stay down.

Suddenly, as if it had never happened at all, the rain stopped. The ocean lifted her above the water, holding her above the canoe where Maui lied on his front, unmoving. Smoke wisping from what appeared to be a burn mark on his back where the tattoo of his mother tossing him to the ocean once was.

"MAUI!" She screamed, kicking and paddling, trying to get out of the water swell that held fast to her. It gently set her onto the wood and she ran to Maui, shaking his shoulders.

"Maui? Maui, can you hear me? Wake up. Wake up! This isn't funny. You just got struck by lightning, how could that hurt you! Come on, please wak--MAUI!"

He coughed, opening his eyes slightly to find Moana. "I'm alright, Curly. Just a minor burn. Nothing I can't take."

He coughed again, spitting out blood.

"Maui! What happened? Are you okay?"

"Mo, I'm fine. See? Breathing. Heart beating. Teeth radiant. Fine."

She was not all convinced, and stood up to help pull him to his feet. He wobbled a little, caught his balance, and straightened. "See? Fine. Right little buddy?"

He looked down to his tattoo of mini-Maui, palm forward for a high five.

Mini-Maui stayed still, holding up the sky. Unblinking.