Fellowship & Fairydust

As much as I wanted to leave with my prize, I decided to stay and watch the fight. It had proven to be amusing to watch that moron get his butt handed to him by a giant crab with a golden back. But for the girl and Muscle Man to step in and save him… that had made the event better. What I still couldn’t believe was that she could use a Keyblade too, and it seemed to be amplifying the magic skills she had. If I wasn’t careful, she might become a threat. Unlikely, but not impossible.

Looking at the locket, I opened it up to see there were seven slots inside it. That couldn’t be a coincidence. This was the answer to my problem of how I was going to carry around the hearts. Now I had to go and get them. Reopening the Corridor of Darkness, I entered it and left this primitive world behind. 

 

***

 

CLAIR’S POV

I’m going to be honest. Riding a geyser through the ocean to get out of the realm of monsters may not have been the safest way, but it was sure a lot of fun. As we crashed against the sand, I looked around still amazed at what I did. “We survived the realm of monsters, and took down a giant crab.”

“That, kid, is an accomplishment right there. Knowing you did something you didn’t think you could,” Maui said. “Keep it up, and you might make a good hero someday. And this is coming from a professional Hero to All.” 

I looked at Maui but gasped at what I saw. One of his tattoos was waving at me! A tattoo of himself was no longer lassoing the sun but was jumping up and down like it was congratulating me. “Uh, Maui? Your tattoo.” 

Looking down, the demigod rolled his eyes before flicking his tattoo. “That’s enough, tiny. Let’s not give her a big ego.”

Jason was looking away sullenly, in a way that someone would think he lost a pet of his. Which given how Uncle Kendall is, I wouldn’t put it past him. He must be sour about losing a fight that I had won. That was strange because I thought he’d be proud of my accomplishment. 

“So you survived a realm of monsters, and came out stronger for it.” A voice said. Turning, I gasped as I saw someone in a black cloak standing up on the rocks. 

“Who are you?” I asked, though there was something familiar about the voice. 

Looking at me, the figure said, “That is not important. What’s important is how much this world echoes the cosmos itself. Places of light where gods dwell and protect mortals, and pockets of darkness where nightmares roam. Such complexity when mankind is still so simple.” 

Taking up her oar, Moana asked, “What do you want?” 

“You are Moana, chief of Motunui, are you not?” The figure turned her way. “I’ve come to offer you a deal. Bring me the Heart of Te Fiti within ten days, and your parents will be returned to you. Refuse, and they shall become Heartless themselves. And you will watch as they destroy your island and your people.”

 

***

 

JASON’S POV

We were all sailing in silence three days later, and I had a feeling most of us were thinking about the deal the person in black offered Moana. Well, that was only part of what was on my mind. The rest of it was thinking about that dumb fight with Mortem and that monster Tamatoa, and how I couldn’t do a worbazz thing against them. I was hurting, and not just physically. Was it always going to be like this? Opponents I couldn’t beat? 

I could hear raised voices from the other boat. Maui and Hina’s. Surprise surprise. A married couple arguing. Who thought?. Arguing about who was right, complaining about each other’s faults, treating everything that went wrong like a cataclysm. Reminding me of why I did not want to get involved in that lifestyle. 

“You thrive on this sort of trouble.” The moon goddess was saying. 

“Oh, come on.” The demigod groaned. “I don’t thrive on this kind of trouble.”
“Every time you brag about how great you are, you talk about this dangerous incident or that dangerous incident. What makes it worse is you talk about them like you managed them all by yourself.” 

“I did do them all by myself. I caught that sun with my hook.”
“Using a rope made from MY hair.” 

“I killed Te Tunaroa when he was eyeing you.” 

“While I had him distracted. And if I hadn’t shown you where to bury his guts, humans never would’ve had the coconuts they do now.” 

“Oh, come on. I would’ve figured it out.”
“Like you figured out how to steal my face?” 

“Enough!” Moana snapped at them. “This isn’t about you two. My parents are gone and my people are in danger, and the only way I can save them is to put the entire world in danger.”

Looking at the divine couple, Scrooge added, “Aye, I agree with the lass. What’s on her shoulders is more important than your little squabble. Whatever issues you have can wait until after we stop this maniac.” 

The chief looked at him. “Maniac?”
“Someone crazy.” 

“Then yes. That person is a maniac.” 

“Right now we know we don’t want them to get the heart of…” I trailed off unsure of how to say the name.

“Te Fiti.” 

“Te Fiti, yeah.”

Scrooge looked at me. “What are you saying?” 

“That we need a plan.” 

 

***

 

By the time night had fallen we had spent most of the day coming up with a plan to save Moana’s parents. It seemed like a good plan, but there was still a lot that could go wrong. No. Couldn’t think like that. This plan had to work. It had to!

Staring up at the night sky, I found myself thinking about each star. What was the story behind each one? Were they all as primitive as this world and Agrabah, or did some of them advance beyond even Harthyn? Why was I wondering this stuff? It shouldn’t matter to me one bit. So why were these questions popping into my head?

I heard water moving to the side in the manner that reminded me it was alive in this world too, which annoyed me. “Okay, you’re alive, ocean. I get it. Can you leave me alone?” 

“I wanted to speak with you.” For a second I thought it was the ocean speaking before I realized it was Moana. I watched as the ocean placed her on the boat I was on before receding back into itself.

Looking at the chief, I asked her, “What is it?” 

“We’re taking a risk with this plan.” She explained as she approached me. “If anything goes wrong, I could lose my parents and my people. Given how you acted three days ago I don’t believe I can trust you with this.”
“Hey, I helped make the plan!” 

“And I thank you for that. But you’re rash, and don’t think things through. If something goes wrong my people could suffer for it, and as the chief that is something I cannot allow. My home and my people must come first.”
“At least you can go home!” 

She was silent at that. “What do you mean?”
“Clair and I… we were kind of blown away from home. We had a way to get back, but it was destroyed.” Looking at her, I continued, “Right now the only way I know of to get back home is to find the one responsible and make him pay.” 

“Have you asked the gods to guide you home?” She asked me. 

That made me smile a little. “Our people don’t really give any thought to the divine or faith.”
The expression on her face… you’d think I told her I killed her favorite pet or something. “How could anyone live life without faith?” 

“That’s not the point, is it? To this conversation.” Looking into her eyes, I said, “You don’t want me to help with the rescue at all.” 

“Because I can’t trust you to work with us. You act like you’re the only one who’s been wronged. One of the things I learned about being the chief is everyone has problems, but they will often look to their leaders for guidance and solutions. You shouldn’t be afraid to share the burdens you carry with those you trust.”
“If I have any burdens, it’s due to having to face things I’m not used to. A living ocean, talking monsters, goddesses, and demigods. At least back home I can live with what I know.” 

“Is that your only reason for going home?” Moana asked me, and when I looked into her eyes I didn’t see contempt or pain. What I was was genuine concern. “Do you have anything else waiting for you back home?”
“Just… my parents. My mom.” Looking down I thought about her, and my father.

 

Eight years ago (84 KA)…

Harthyn…

“Kendall, no! That was years ago! This is his future we’re talking about!” Mom was protesting against Dad.

Dad’s voice echoed through our apartment. “Joan, he needs to be strong, and everything he’s been into is not helping him be a man.”

“He’s only a child! Barely over six!” I heard Mom pleading with him, before I heard her trying to block Dad’s way. “You can’t make him something he’s not!”
“Watch me!” Dad shouted. There was a heavy shuffling of feet followed by a thud, and I heard Mom cry out in pain. “I said this is not open for debate!” I heard him leave his room and march down the hall. Grabbing the robot toy Uncle Thomas gave me, I held it close as he entered my room. “Put that thing away, Jason. Training starts now.”
“Training? For what?” I asked him.

“Boot camp. Later the army.”
“I don’t want to train for boot camp.”
“You need to. It’ll be the best course for your future, and then you’ll show what we Normans are made of.”
“No. I don’t–.” At that everything happened in a flash, but my cheek stung and felt hot while I ended up sprawled on the floor while Dad stood over me, hand raised. My toy fell out of my hands and I reached for it, but Dad got it first.

Looking at me, Dad said, “Jason Duncan Norman. When I say you’re going to train for your future, you’re going to train for your future. That means you can’t bother with childish nonsense like Robo-Man here.” As he raised it up I screamed for him not to, but before my eyes, Dad banged it against the wall again and again until it was broken into a hundred pieces that could never be reassembled. “It’s time you became a man, Jason.”

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