Chapter Text
Hina scurried along the river, looking between all the undergrowth and bushes for any sign of her beloved little boy.
Sadly, she heard his sniffs before he came into sight, his arms around his legs, curled into a ball as he looked over the water and the mana swirling within.
Her boy seemed so small and fragile compared to the divine company they’d been in before, even if he was already bigger than any human his age.
Once more, her heart broke. He usually wasn’t like this - he was so effortlessly cheerful - such delightful company - and the best son she could have ever asked for. But sometimes, he was nothing but sadness and melancholy for the way he’d been abandoned and the way he didn’t fit in.
She would not forgive Nalo for breaking her little boy’s heart this way, and sat down by her son’s side, and he immediately started wiping his tears away the moment he noticed her.
“Maui,” she said kindly, her voice like honey. “I told you not to talk to Nalo - he’s always mean.”
“I didn’t talk to him!” he protested in a high voice, his gaze indignant as he looked at her, huffing slightly. “I listened to you! But he talked to me still!”
She ran her hand over his soft hair. He had come to her seven years ago - and they had managed to live a wonderful life together so far - but one could always trust Nalo to be hateful about anything human, and that included her sensitive Maui.
“What did he say this time?”
Maui took a rock from the river bank and skipped it over the water.
“He said I’m a pet, not a son.”
Hina frowned. “That’s a stupid thing to say. You are most definitely my son.”
“He said I’m human, not a god, and that there are turtles that live longer than me!”
Raising an eyebrow, Hina looked at him. “Turtles, really? Are you sure he didn’t say tortoises?”
Maui’s eyes grew large in his round face. “So there are turtles that will live longer than me?”
Scooping him up in her arms, she held him close.
“You’re not a pet to me, my son. I love you very much.”
He was still pouting as he looked at her, tears in his eyes.
“But I’ll be dead soon, Nalo said. He said I wouldn’t live very long at all, compared to the gods, and then in a few hundred years you would forget my name completely! He said I’d be lucky to reach the age of seventy, while gods go on forever!”
She hugged him a little tighter.
She’d thought about this herself, plenty of times. She never wanted to say goodbye to her son, and she’d considered granting him some powers before, just to keep him around for much longer than a human. But he was still so young, still just a child. He could not handle the responsibility of powers, not yet, not fully, but keeping him in agony over his future was also a cruel thing to do.
“I didn’t want to tell you this yet, my son… But I think you will live much longer than that. Much longer than any tortoise too, really.”
His mouth dropped and his eyes were all hope and light now. “Really?”
“Really! When you’re a little bigger, I’ll give you some powers.”
He blinked briefly, then stared at her in amazement.
“Wow!”
He hugged her close, and she could feel the relief wash over him.
“And then I won’t die soon?”
“Not at all.”
“And we can be together forever?”
“If not forever, then at least for very long,” she assured him kindly.
He was smiling, imagining this future.
“So I’ll be a God?”
Hina sucked in her lips for a brief moment, but that was enough for Maui to realize he would not be a God after all.
“Mom?”
“You would be a demi-God,” she explained quickly, keeping her voice light and cheerful so she wouldn’t worry him. “Half human, half god. You’d live much longer than humans would, but you would still age, though very slowly. We could almost have an eternity together then.”
His eyes grew a little sadder once more.
“But then… I still wouldn’t be a God… And I also wouldn’t be a human?”
It was hard to keep anything from him sometimes - especially these sorts of things - he knew too well that he was different from the other Gods and their children.
“You’d be a bit of both.”
“Are there others?” he asked curiously. “Demi-Gods?”
“You would be the first,” she said, trying to make it sound like it was a perk, but he wasn’t fully buying it, pouting again now.
“But then the Gods still wouldn’t care very much about me, right? Nalo would still hate me.”
Hina sighed.
“I think he would always hate you, my love. And he would always be wrong to do so, and frankly, an idiot too. By hating you, he is blind to the amazing things you will do - to how brave and kind and smart you are! You’re going to be wonderful, and Nalo won’t be impressed, but the humans will be, I’m sure of it. And I most definitely will be impressed!”
His tears were gone now, and he seemed quite happy with this vision of the future she painted for him. He hugged her close once more and she savoured the feeling of him in her arms, so small and warm and loving - she knew these times would pass too fast, but that made them extra precious.
“I wish I had a friend that was like me,” he said softly. “Someone to play with and spend time with, who didn’t hate me for being different.”
“One day,” Hina promised. “I’m sure you’ll find someone to call your equal. Nothing happens for no reason at all - the world and all lives within, they rhyme. Even for humans and gods, there’s magic that flows through everyone, that binds us all together, and that will make it all make sense. You just have to be patient, all right?”
“All right,” he said bravely, smiling so she could see the cleft between his teeth, and she put her forehead to his, breathing together for just a second while she put her hand on his heart.
He looked curiously at this gesture, and when she removed her hand, she mysteriously said: “Until then… Maybe he can be your friend?”
Maui’s eyes went large as he saw a little tattooed boy on his chest, looking around in confusion.
“What?!” he sounded amazed as he saw the tattoo move, and when the little figure waved a hand, he cried out in joy. “He’s waving at me!”
Hina chuckled. “He can’t talk - but he can listen.”
As the little tattoo nodded eagerly, Maui got up from Hina’s lap.
“I’m Maui!” he said eagerly. “You are like a mini version of me! Hey - you want to see me climb a tree? I hardly ever fall down anymore! Or wait! We could have a dance battle! Or we can have a dance battle on top of a tree! Let’s go!”
Hina got up and watched Maui as he ran off along the river, incessantly chatting to his new friend.
Unfortunately, it was all she could do for now and she hoped it would be enough for the time being. He had so much love to give, she was certain that he would not be alone for the rest of his life. She just hoped that whoever was meant to be his equal would not stay hidden forever.