Fellowship & Fairydust

Just when I thought I couldn’t hate my dad anymore, he went and took complete control of my life. True to his word he cleared out my room and replaced it with his idea of decor, and playtime was replaced with training. My clothes ceased to be comfortable as they were replaced by itchy tight workout uniforms. Even my hair, which had been growing back these last few months, was always cut so short I might as well have been bald. He would even wake me up after a few hours of sleep just to get in several hours of hard training. He always said this was for my good, but I never felt good about it. My childhood was taken from me and I had been unable to do anything about it. To this day I still hate that man. 

“What about your father?” Moana asked. 

My expression must’ve told her off because she started to back away. “… I’m not exactly close with him.” I found myself admitting. Why was my mouth on autopilot? “He’s… done nothing but mold me into a mindless drone for eight long years.” 

“What’s a drone? Is that bad?”

“Yes, it’s bad! A drone is some person or object that does nothing but obey every order given without question. They are taught not to have minds or personalities, just obedience. He took away everything I liked, and forced me to like what he thought was good for me even when I told him I couldn’t stand it! I’ve never been allowed to discover things for myself. I was told to do things a certain and if I didn’t…” I trailed off, unable to finish that sentence because it brought back so many painful memories that I hated. Turning, I sat down on the edge of the boat and stuck my feet in the water. 

I didn’t look up as I heard feet approaching me, but I did notice the chief take a seat next to me.  “If you hate him that much, then why didn’t you go to your chief for help?”
“… It’s not our chief’s responsibility to handle problems like that.”
“Then you have a poor chief. But if you can’t get help with your father, then why are you even trying to get back?”

“It’s the only place I know that makes sense. And… my mother…” 

“Your people don’t make much sense to me, but I can see your mother means so much to you if you’re willing to go back for her,” Moana said as she looked at the horizon. “One thing I’ve learned is you can’t help the people you’re responsible for until you’ve figured yourself out. Maybe, for now, you’re not supposed to go back. I think it may be the will of the gods that you were blown away to find out who you are.”

I couldn’t help but think about her words. Who am I? I thought I knew, but what she said was making me think I didn’t. For all these years even though I went through with the training Dad wanted, Mom still provided some ways to fight back with my music. Even though I got into fights all the time, I knew that wasn’t what I wanted to do forever. But how could I find out who I was? “What if… what if I don’t know what it is I want? What if I don’t know who I am, as you put it?” 

“Then… I say you should find the answers to those questions.” Getting up, she added, “I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

 

***

CLAIR’S POV

Umi 21, 92 KA…

As we returned to the island of Motunui, I couldn’t help but feel nervous. We wouldn’t be coming back to a warm reception. We were going to be negotiating with someone who made me feel like a kaiju was going to step on me. But I had to be strong. Moana was counting on me. 

The closer we got to the island, the more my angst grew. I could see a village in the distance, with people starting to get up to go about their activities for the day. But on the shore, a black oval appeared on the sand, and out stepped the figure from before, dragging two people that could only be Moana’s parents. 

As the boats landed, we proceeded to get off but the figure spoke. “The child chief only.” I waited for Jason to protest, to argue with the person. After a few seconds, when Moana stepped off the boat and onto the sand, I realized something: he wasn’t going to say anything. That wasn’t like Jason at all. What happened to him?

“My parents,” Moana said. 

“The Heart of Te Fiti.” The figure said as some of the Heartless we faced before appeared around the hostages. “Or your parents become monsters.” 

Opening the seashell necklace around her neck, Moana took something out and held it in her hand. Approaching the figure, she was stopped by one of the Heartless. “Give the Heartless the heart.” The figured ordered her, which she complied. Once it had it, the Heartless stepped back and the figure released the grip on her parents. Taking the heart from the Heartless, the person looked at it. “Fascinating. Who would’ve thought something so bland could be so powerful.”
“Bland? You have no idea.” The item in the figure’s hand said as it changed back into Maui with a mighty “Cheeehooo!” Grabbing one of the Heartless with his hook, the demigod threw it into another, knocking them down before he swung at the figure. The cloaked person leaped back, and as they did Maui grabbed Moana’s parents and tossed them at us. Hina had to use her powers to make sure they landed softly. 

With a growl, the figure asked, “You dare?” 

“I am Moana of Motunui. I sailed across the ocean to restore the Heart of Te Fiti. I’m not going to put my people in danger again.” The chief said as she held up her oar. 

Turning to her, the cloaked figure growled, “You just did.” With a snap of their fingers… oh no. Not a big one. This Heartless was huge, almost kaiju size. It seemed to resemble an eagle, but with a serrated beak, and… four legs? What? “Chaos Eagle, destroy the island and all who dwell on it.” 

With a cry, the Heartless took off from the ground and began soaring to the village. Grabbing her oar, Moana took off towards the village with Maui not far behind her. I won’t lie, that Heartless scared me unlike any others I had faced before, but I knew what I had to do. Summoning my Keyblade, I ran with Scrooge to face the monster. 

As the Chaos Eagle flew towards the village, Maui let his “Cheehoo” battle cry, and with a swing of his hook changed himself into a massive hawk. As I watched the demigod flew up to the Heartless and changed himself back into his regular tattooed form. With a huge swing, he sliced off several feathers from one of the wings, sending it crashing to the ground while he changed back into a hawk. 

As he flew down, the rest of us charged forward and began to attack the Heartless while it was on the ground. Scrooge leaped on top of the back of the Heartless and began whacking it with his cane while Moana hit it with her oar. That thing was more effective than I would’ve believed, as it did some damage to the Heartless. Changing back into his human form, Maui brought his hook down on the monster and from the screech, it gave I knew the attack was effective. 

Taking a breath, I ran forward with my Keyblade, and began to unleash my attacks on the monster. Jab, jab, slice. Jab, jab, slice. Then, without warning, the Chaos Eagle spread its wings and knocked us off its back. As I crashed against some sort of palm tree, the Heartless turned towards me, and raised its head. Oh no. Was this it?

As the beak came towards me, someone tackled me from the side, knocking me out of the way. As we rolled, I gasped while the beak made contact with the tree I was leaning against not too long ago. As I looked, I was surprised to see it was Jason. “What are you doing here?” 

“Keeping you safe.” He said as his Keyblade appeared in his hand. “I think it’s time I tried working with others.” 

“I thought I told you to wait on the boat,” Moana said as she looked at us. 

Looking at the chief, my cousin said, “Last I checked the plan didn’t take into account the giant avian Heartless threatening your people, and us.” 

“He’s got a point,” Maui said, which earned him a glare from the chief. “What?” 

Looking at Moana, I said, “Can we argue about this later? Like when this thing isn’t a threat to your people?”

Nodding in understanding, Moana readied her oar while we were all prepared to continue fighting this thing. As it screeched, it reached out with its sharp talons and attempted to slice us with them, but we managed to dodge while Maui changed himself into a shark of all creatures. Sinking his teeth into the foot of the Heartless, it flapped its wings while it tried to shake the demigod off. 

Leaping up, Moana jabbed the tip of her oar into the monster’s foot, earning a cry as it tried to shake her off. Charging forward, Jason sliced into a leg, leaving a large cut on it while I cast a Fire spell at the Heartless. Leaping and running up its back, Scrooge managed to reach the head of the Chaos Eagle, and with a grunt jabbed his cane into its eye. 

I expected some sort of counterattack while we continued to fight it, but instead, it folded its wings around it and began to curl up into a ball. I thought it was giving up… wait. What’s that strange sense? Oh no. It was darkness gathering around the Heartless. “It’s going to attack!” My warning came too late as it let out a blast of darkness that hit all of us, sending us flying back while the trees creaked and groaned, bending over like they were trying to break themselves. 

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