...
Third Person P.O.V
(Y/N) stands next to Ari, grabbing his arm with a small gasp as the visions stop. The torches behind them go out with a strong breeze, Ari's gaze focused on the sail.
"Ari?" She questions in concern, lightly shaking his arm. "Hello?"
(Y/N) waves her hand in front of his face, snapping him out of his daze as his face lights up.
"We were voyagers..." He breathes out, looking over the sail before shakily laughing. "We were voyagers!"
Ari laughs, (Y/N) yelping with laughter in her voice as he picks her up by the waist and twirls her around.
"We were voyagers!"
"Yes! We were!"
"We were voyagers!" He continues yelling, setting her down and grabbing her hand as they run to the exit.
"Tala! We were voyagers!" (Y/N) shouts, slowing to a stop next to her as they exit.
Ari continues running from excitement, whooping and jumping up and down. "We were voyagers!"
Tala smiles as she watches him, a laugh escaping (Y/N) at his child-like actions. He skids to a stop, turning back to the two and rushing over.
"Why'd we stop?"
Tala's smile falls, her gaze shifting to the sea as she scowls. "Maui."
...
Maui smirks at the heart in his palm, the green glow lighting his face.
"When he stole from the mother island, darkness fell."
Te Ka appears, roaring at Maui.
"Te Ka awoke."
Dozens of monsters swim through the seas, nothing stopping them now. They spot voyager ships, darting to them.
"Monsters lurked and boats stopped coming back."
Ships were moved into the hidden cave past the waterfall for safety.
"To protect our people, the ancients chiefs forbid voyaging..."
Men hide the entrance with large rocks, grim expressions on their faces.
"And now we have forgotten who we are."
...
(Y/N) looks back to the cave, Ari's eyebrows furrowing as he looks towards the ground.
Tala's gaze hardens as she rises, slamming her cane on the floor, "and the darkness had continued to spread..."
She leads the two to the edge of the island, "chasing away our fish... Draining the life... From island after island."
(Y/N) gasps with wide eyes at the sight of an odd darkness traveling up the side of the island, slowly spreading.
"Our island..." Ari lowly says with wide eyes, Tala nodding and turning back to them with a smile.
"But, one day... two will journey beyond our reef, find Maui, deliver him across the great ocean..." Tala grabs Ari's hand, gently placing something in his palm. "To restore the heart of Te Fiti."
(Y/N) looks at the small green stone, lightly tracing her finger on it with recognition.
"I was there that day," Tala continues, tapping the stone. "The ocean chose you two together!"
The ocean begins to swirl, gently rising up and curving to meet the three as Ari gasps, (Y/N)'s eyes widening as she faintly recalls that day.
"I thought it was just my imagination..." Ari breathes out, the ocean seeming to wave to (Y/N).
"Nope!" Tala grins.
She laughs and waves back, smiling widely. "I still have the shell you gave to me. I never really thought about how you got it."
"You still have it?" Ari questions with a light chuckle, making her look back with a nod.
"Duh! You gave it to me. Of course I do." She replies with a raised brow, grinning as she shrugs.
Ari's amused expression falls to a genuine smile, the ocean twirling around before rising up higher and splashing onto him.
Tala howls with laughter, Ari wiping some of the water away and pushing his bangs back with a blank expression as (Y/N) laughs.
"Our ancestors believe Maui lies there," Tala informs after a moment, using her cane to point to the stars forming a fish hook. "At the bottom of his hook. Follow it... And you will find him."
"But... Why would it choose us?" (Y/N) questions, tilting her head as she looks up at the stars.
"I couldn't even get us past the reef," Ari mumbles bitterly to himself before gasping. "But we both know who does! Your dad!"
"Ari, wait!" (Y/N) yells, sighing with a quiet laugh as he takes off running towards the village.
Tala smiles fondly, her hand shaking lightly on her cane as she grunts in pain.
"Tala?" (Y/N) questions in concern as she sits, Tala panting lightly.
"You must help guide him, (Y/N)." Tala gently speaks, taking the girl's hand and patting it. "He needs you at his side, as you need him. This is who you are meant to be."
"Me? But why..." (Y/N) trails off, her brows furrowed in concern as Tala weakly smiles.
And collapses.
"Tala!"
...
..
"The crops are turning black."
"What about the fish?"
Tui sighs heavily, a meeting taking place in the main hut. He picks up a dried up blackened crop, inspecting it.
"This is happening all over the island!"
"Please! Please, settle down." Tui implores, his eyes noticing his friend's worried expression. "(F/N)? Does something else trouble you?"
"Something is wrong," (F/N) speaks with worry, (M/N) glancing up at him in concern as he shakes his head.
"We can stop the darkness!" Ari shouts, rushing through the people and panting lightly. "Save our island!"
He presents the heart of Te Fiti, (M/N) looking at it with a small gasp when she recognizes it from a story she read, the small stone glowing a faint green.
"There's a cavern of boats," he continues, Tui's eyes widening. "Huge canoes. We can take them, find Maui, make him restore the heart!"
The people look at one another in confusion, (M/N) and Sinna anxiously looking at one another.
"We were voyagers! We can voyage again!" Ari finishes in excitement, Tui's gaze hardened as he stares at his son.
(F/N)'s eyes narrow as he looks between Ari and Tui, quickly following as Tui swiftly rises.
"Tui--"
"You told me to help our people." Ari firmly says as he follows his dad, presenting the stone once more. "This is how (Y/N) and I will help them!"
"(Y/N)?" (F/N) questions with a raised brow, Tui grumbling in anger as he grabs a lit torch and pulls it from the ground.
"Dad?" Ari nervously questions, Tui shoving past him. "What are you doing?"
"I should've burned those boats a long time ago!" Tui growls, Ari gasping with wide eyes.
"No!"
"Tui, you can't," (F/N) quickly disagrees, shaking his head. "They belonged to our ancestors!"
"And we have to find Maui. We have to restore the heart!"
"There is no heart!" Tui bellows, grabbing the heart from Ari. "This... This is just a rock!"
He throws it aside, Ari rushing after it. (F/N) follows, pushing aside some of the bushes to help Ari find it.
"Here," he says as he picks up the small green stone, handing it to Ari as he sighs in relief.
Ari pauses, his eyes noticing something on the ground.
Tala's cane.
He picks it up, holding it as (F/N) gasps. Tui's eyes widen as he rushes forward to them, a horn sounding off.
"Chief! It's your mother!"
...
The three bolt back to the main hut, Ari throwing open the drape and staggering inside.
(Y/N) was besides Tala, holding her hand with Sinna on the other side. (M/N) layed a rag over her forehead, her expression pained.
Tui rushes in a moment later, (F/N) at his side as he puts a hand on his shoulder sympathetically.
"Mother..."
Tui kneels besides Sinna, wrapping an arm around her as (M/N) walks over to (F/N), shaking her head as he takes her hand.
Ari kneels besides (Y/N), setting his hand over hers and Tala's as he sets her cane down.
"I'm... I'm so sorry Ari," (Y/N) speaks quietly, his grip tightening slightly. "I got her here as fast as I could."
Tui looks up at (Y/N) with gratitude and sadness before rising and approaching (M/N).
"What can be done?"
Sinna follows after him for support, (M/N) remaining silent for a moment before speaking indistinctly.
Tala shakily grabs her necklace, managing to drape it across (Y/N) and Ari's hands as she pushes them away.
"Go..." She whispers weakly.
"Gramma?" Ari questions in a broken tone, leaning down to hear her.
"Go."
"No," (Y/N) shakes her head, taking the necklace with tears in her eyes.
"Not now," Ari agrees, tears threatening to escape his eyes. "We can't."
"You must!" Tala disagrees firmly. "The ocean chose you both. Follow the fish hook."
"Tala..."
Tala coughs weakly, continuing. "(Y/N)... When you two find Maui... I want you to grab him by his ear as Ari says..."
"We are Ari and (Y/N) of Motanui. You will board our boat, sail across the great sea... And restore the heart of Te Fiti."
Tala takes the heart from Ari and the necklace from (Y/N), safely securing the heart inside the necklace before handing it to Ari.
"But..." (Y/N) trails off, wiping her eyes as Ari lets out a quiet sob.
"I can't leave you." His voice breaks, (Y/N) looking at him in pain as she sets a comforting hand on his back.
"There is nowhere you could go that I won't be with you," Tala gently says, leaning forward and setting her forehead on her grandson's.
She smiles fondly to (Y/N), gently cupping her cheek for a moment before lowering her hand with a weak cough.
Other healers arrive, forcing Ari and (Y/N) away as they try to do anything they could to save Tala.
Ari backs away while taking shuddering breaths, gripping (Y/N)'s hand tightly and clutching the necklace in his other hand.
"Go..." she urges once more softly, nodding.
The two look up at the image of Maui hanging over Tala, (Y/N) wiping away her eyes one last time and nodding with determination.
Ari releases her hand, securing the necklace around his neck before nodding to (Y/N) before they both race out of the hut.
...
Ari enters his hut, grunting as he starts packing things for their journey.
"There's a line where the sky meets the sea..."
(Y/N) rushes in a moment later, Ari gasping when he sees Sinna, (M/N), and (F/N) behind her.
"And it calls us..."
(F/N) walks swiftly to Ari, packing in some more stuff he took from their house and looking up at Ari with a firm nod.
Sinna tearfully says goodbye, handing Ari their supplies as (M/N) hugs (Y/N) tightly. (F/N) does the same, gripping his daughter close in fear before pulling away with a sad smile.
"But no one knows... How far it goes!"
Sinna hugs Ari, pulling away and doing the same to (Y/N) as (M/N) and (F/N) say their farewells to Ari.
He promises to return her home safely, (M/N) smiling reassuringly and (F/N) nodding with confidence.
"All that time wondering where I need to be is behind me..."
Ari jogs to (Y/N)'s side where she waited, both sprinting to the cave as she carries a bag supplies while he holds the rest.
"We're on our own... To world's unknown!"
...
He holds up the heart to a smaller ship, knowing the boat was made for this trip from the sail having the heart's design.
"Every turn we take..."
The two pack the boat, tucking the supplies into the hidden compartment.
"Every trail we track..."
Ari adjusts the sails, (Y/N) tying it down and hopping into the boat as Ari starts pushing it into the water.
"Is a choice we make, now we can't turn back!"
He races after the boat as it hits the water, jumping inside.
"From the great unknown where we go alone, where we long to be..."
The boat sails past the waterfall, the two looking back to the village. The lights go out in the hut Tala rested in, a rush of wind fluttering in the trees.
The water lights up a bright blue, Tala's spirit swimming towards the two.
(Y/N) gasps with a smile, knowing Tala was indeed right about her tattoo as Ari chuckles with tears.
"See her light up the night in the sea! She calls us!"
Tala swims under them, showing them the path and steadying the waves for them.
"And yes, we know!"
"That we can go!"
Tala swims over a wave, leaping out of the water for a moment to show them how to do it.
"There's a moon in the sky and the wind is behind us!" Ari uses the oar to paddle quicker, (Y/N) untying the sail and opening it.
They easily go over a wave, steady.
"Soon we'll know..."
A larger wave comes towards them, (Y/N) and Ari both prepared.
"How far we'll go!"
They follow Tala's path, making it up and over the wave with no trouble this time.
(Y/N) smiles widely, looking back at Ari. He chuckles in disbelief, grinning at her before the two continue on their journey.
...