Maui

Chapter 5

Many days have passed. Maui had no idea how long he had been flying, but he didn't pay attention. He felt his exhaustion weighing him down, and soon he began faltering. Maui drifted towards a small island dotted with bushes and a dozen of palm trees, deciding to land there. Shapeshifting to human form, Maui grunted painfully after he collapsed on the island's shore. The spot where Kuahana blasted him was black and smoky, the wound now flaring up after his rough landing. Maui was lucky he was a Demigod. Had he been a ordinary mortal, Kuahana would've obliterated him in one blast. Maui grumbled loudly, leaning on a boulder. Thinking about the entire encounter with Kuahana and the loss of Akari, Maui felt anger welling within him. Shooting up from the ground, Maui screamed with rage, grabbing the boulder and tossing it far into the ocean. Maui then proceeded to punch the heck out of a palm tree. Mini-Maui sheepishly poked Maui's pectoral, earning a angry glare.

"WHAT IS IT?!" Maui demanded. Mini-Maui shrunk back fearfully at Maui's yell. Maui sighed, sitting down.

"I'm sorry, Lil' buddy... It's not your fault the temple's gone and... Akari's dead..." Maui consoled, patting the tattoo. The bushes near Maui suddenly began rustling, causing Maui to grab his hook and go on the defensive. Out of nowhere, Tamatoa scurried out of the foliage, raising his pincers nervously.

"IT'S ME! IT'S ME!" Tamatoa exclaimed. Maui rolled his eyes, dropping his hook.

"Look, as much as I am flattered by your compliments about my tattoos, I'm not in the mood, okay?" Maui said.

"Oh... Oh, no. I'm not... I watched the whole thing go down at that temple. Jeez, what a mess." Tamatoa said. Maui stayed quiet, looking at the ocean.

"You don't look so well." Tamatoa observed.

"..... Yeah, well... I... I'm not going to talk about it." Maui said, lying down and turning his back to the crab. The sun was setting and it was getting dark already. Tamatoa looked over at Maui, cocking his head to the side.

"So what's up with your tattoos? How are they able to come alive?" Tamatoa asked. Maui stayed silent for a long while, but finally decided to answer.

"They're magic and they all tell stories of my deeds. Each tattoo represents a feat I've accomplished." Maui explained.

"So, it's like reaching a milestone?" Tamatoa asked.

"You can say that." Maui replied. The two remained silent for a while. After a half hour, Maui noticed Tamatoa had been too silent and turned over to the side. The crab was fast asleep, smiling as he dreamt happy dreams. Maui flipped over on his back, staring at the newborn night. Mini-Maui tapped Maui's pectoral again. Maui looked down at the tattoo.

"Trust me, we're gonna take that demon down. For Akari." Maui said, staring at the multitudes of stars now glimmering in the night sky. Maui swore they formed a constellation in the shape of his hook. The Demigod watched in awe as the sky was covered in stars. He had never seen so much beauty in his life before.