gsmith1030

[gsmith1030]

Weaving a Legend part 4

This part was supposed to be a lot longer than I planned, because I wanted to wrap up what I would call "arc 1" for weaving a legend. But well, that did not happen, so that will likely now happen in Part 5, which will more likely be a kind of "transition" part, where the first arc is being resolved, and the second arc starts up. This is also the last part where we have such large time skips, since we are now coming into the present.

Also, there's a tiny little surprise under the cut that I think you will not expect. So I hope you enjoy.

Edit: I know I mentioned this at the bottom of the story. But in case anyone is confused. The title change "Weaving a Legend" is the title for the MoanaXAvatar AU that I've been posting on here. No story content (as of now) has been changed. I just updated the post titles to reflect the official title for the AU. I hope this clears up any potential confusion as to why there is a title change.

Oh, and I promise, they will meet each other soon, just wait a little longer. I want to try to write dialogue between them.

More under the cut

Just like the tide, rising and falling, time flowed on.

The going-ons around Motunui were pretty routine; many got up shortly before the sun rose up fully, cooking and eating breakfast, before getting ready to tend to their respective roles, whether that be husking coconuts, weaving mats or baskets, tending to the fields, fishing out in the shallows, and much more. For most people, this is usually how they spent their days.

For the children of the village, depending on where they are in age, they either helped out with tasks in the village that were not overly dangerous, or, you might even see them in one of the fales that was typically used for either telling stories and legends, or for holding lessons. Otherwise, like kids do, you can always find them playing with each other often while the parents worked. Given the tight-nit nature of the village, everyone looked out for each other, which included making sure that the littlest ones in the village remained safe, and making sure that no one caused any trouble, though the latter was usually pretty rare. For the ones who were not yet old enough to walk or to start attending lessons would usually either remain with their mothers while they worked, or sometimes were placed into the care of the older members of the village, whether another family member, or another respected elder.

By the time that they were teenagers, they would usually start in taking on, or helping with a lot of the same tasks as the adults did, sometimes apprenticed under a more experienced person who knew the ropes.

(Of course, that did not mean that socializing did not happen. More often than not, for those who did the same tasks in groups, they would usually talk about anything and everything under the sun while they worked, especially if the work was slow. Sometimes, small conversations (and occasional disputes) would happen as people would pass each other by while on their way to another part of either the village or the island.)

As the day started winding down, and the fires were being lit for the night, most would retreat to their own fales where dinner would be eaten around a fire, usually a family affair. Afterwards, everyone would start turning in for the night (the youngest children often turned in early at the behest of their parents.) Sometimes though, there would be feasts, meetings, or ceremonial gatherings that would sometimes would go on into the night, and it’s times like these that usually brought everyone together.

More or less, everyone has a role on the Island.

For Moana, this was no exception.

Even if her role differed from that of everyone else.

As she got older, she started taking on more duties around the village as a sort of “chief-in-training,” typically under the guidance of her father. She’d either shadow him while he went about performing his duties, and explaining to her about the workings of it all, or sometimes, even would be allowed to make some decisions in leeway of him. She’d also would start attending council meetings alongside him, where she was also encouraged to give her own opinions about various matters. Most of the times, they were about regular things, such as crop rotations, matters related to fishing, disputes popping up that needed the assistance of the chief to resolve, and other matters in and around the island.

Part of her duties also involved making rounds around the island, and checking up on everyone as they worked, and occasionally, even helped out when needed if she did not have any pressing matters requiring her attention.

Her days as of late were often pretty filled, which meant that her trips to the beach did not happen as often as they did when she was younger. When she could, she would still spend time with her grandmother, either in the village, or at the beach if time allowed. On the days that they would spend at the beach, they would either dance along near or in the shallow of the ocean, or try to practice sea weaving.

Since that day when Moana had attempted to practice her sea weaving all those years ago, her grandmother discovered…or rather suspected, and then knew, that Moana had a strong affinity to the ocean, and as such, started teaching her everything she knew about sea weaving, the mechanics and concepts of it, even though, for the most part, she could not actually weave, except for that one time that she swore that she’d managed to do it, but not exactly recalling how.

Because of her increasing responsibilities of becoming the next chief, left her little time or room for Moana to practice or explore her weaving in earnest.

Throughout the years, she’d learned of stories of the ancients that had the ability to weave one of the four elements of the natural world, as well as their accomplishments.

But, if there were people who could weave, then why have she’d not seen anybody else that could weave besides herself and her grandmother?

That’s because, for the past thousand years, as time went on, people born with the affinity to one of the natural elements started to become less and less. Until there were only a few left; Moana and her grandmother were the only ones who had an affinity for the sea, and it was her grandmother who was the only one who could still sea weave, and even then, her power was never at its full potential.

If something was not done about this, then the art of weaving, sacred to the world, would be lost forever.

All because of the actions of one man.

Or…to put it more precisely, a demigod.

--

Life was not the only thing that the heart of Te Fiti granted to the world.

But also, the connection needed for humans to successfully weave their natural element, and maintain the delicate balance of energy that flows within the natural world.

The key to weaving for humans lies in their ability to be able to draw upon the connection from the heart.

Because of the incredible power it possessed, it meant that there were some who sought it out.

Usually, ones who wanted its power all for themselves.

There was one who is said to be the most daring one of them all.

He was a powerful wind weaver, who is said to be able to command impressive gusts of wind.

A warrior who never showed fear in front of his enemies.

A trickster, clever and mischievous.

A shapeshifter, with the help of his magical fish hook, he could transform into any creature that you can imagine.

A demigod of the wind and sea.

His name was Maui.

The one who managed to remove the heart from the mother island.

Except, when he tried to escape with it, he did not get far.

For the moment he removed the heart from the mother island, the energy became unbalanced, and a darkness started to bloom.

Overtime, corrupted spirits and monsters lurked within the seas, causing havoc, while at the same time, draining the life out of anything living that crosses its path, slowly but surely, the islands started dying.  

Some say that he battled some of the these revengeful spirits, while others say that it was other creatures that were also after the heart.

Whatever the case is, he lost the battle, and both the heart and his fishhook were both lost to the sea.

As for Maui himself, he just simply just…vanished.

(Some say, as punishment for attempting to steal the heart.)

Since then, no demigods have been seen for a thousand years.

The connection that once allowed us to weave our energy into the elements of the natural world began to wane. Those born with the ability to weave saw their power weaken. As time went on, less and less people were born with the affinity for weaving until only a few remained.

Where, eventually, the art of weaving will cease to exist.

But maybe, just maybe, not all hope is lost.

--

All she wanted to do is to see if there were more fish beyond the reef.

Except….

Instead of fish, she currently finds herself washed up on the beach, the canoe she had taken out wrecked, and one of her beloved animal companions, a pig named Pua scrambling away from the sea in fright.

Turning around to sit, she winced slightly before looking at one of her feet to find a dark, purple blemish—on the foot that had gotten stuck in some corral when her canoe had capsized after getting overpowered by a wave that she could not outrun.

“Whatever just happened, blame it on the pig.” A familiar voice quipped.

Uh oh

“Grandma”, Moana quickly righted herself up, and crossed her leg behind the other in an attempt to hide her foot.

However, her grandmother, Tala used the top part of her wooden cane to pick up the leg, revealing the injury on her foot.

Though she could hide from her parents (not always successfully), she can never hide from her grandma.

She was so in trouble if her dad found out.

“Are you going to tell dad?”

With her foot still on the cane, Tala lowered it back to the sand, before returning to using it the way that it was intended for.

“I’m his mom, I don’t have to tell him anything.” She whispered conspiratorially.

Ensuring that no others were around to see them, she beckoned for Moana to follow her to another part of the island. Not very far per se, but enough for some privacy from potential eavesdroppers.

Moana, clearly confused by this, could only go along with her.

Stopping at a more secluded part of the island, she than instructed Moana to step closer towards the ocean. Once again confused, she’d did just that.

Putting her cane in the sand, and entering into a kind of meditative state, Tala waved her arms towards the ocean, before gracefully summoning a small blob of water from the sea, and directing it towards Moana, before it gently caressed the injured foot, letting out a subtle glow.

For Moana, when the water initially touched her foot, she’d tensed at the initial cold-stinging sensation when the water made contact before transitioning into a cooling, soothing sensation, easing the pain in that area.

As if on cue, the water retreated back into the sea.

Moana looked down at her foot once more to find…that the bruise that she previously had there was no where to be found, as if it was never there in the first place, and the pain associated with the injury just simply…vanished, as if it never happened.

How could this be? What the…?

Normally, an injury like that would take at least a few days for it to fully heal.

But somehow, her grandmother used the sea to heal her foot instantly.

She’d wanted to know what her grandmother did exactly, but did not get the chance to ask.

What other things are sea weavers capable of doing?

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Did you like the surprise? Cool right?

I'll see when I can get part 5 out. Real world events have really been stressing me out as of late.

In case you are wondering, yes, the argument between Moana and Tui still did happen. I just did not include it here because it plays out pretty much the same as the movie. I might reference it in the next part, and there's possibly an extra element that I might want to add to Tui's arc (very small) that explains why he's not exactly a fan of the ocean. Lets see if I end up adding this in or not. I'll have to work some things out.

Oh yeah, I've also updated the titles to the now official title "Weaving a Legend"

Link to Part 3

Link to Part 5 (Coming soon)

[gsmith1030]

Why do ppl on youtube keep saying maui is moana's dad

This is like those braindead conspiracies matpat would make so annoying

Yeah, I don't understand why people keep spreading that theory around, even though it does not hold any water at all.

A lot of the "videos" that you may be seeing as of late is mostly AI slop. So, it's people talking about it again in an attempt to gain views and clicks.

If you are going to come up with a theory, at least make sure that it holds at some water.

[gsmith1030]

A while ago i saw this moana 2 poll that said "do u think maui still woukdve been mourned moana if he had his tattoos" and the choices were yes or no. um what do u think? Lol

I think that Maui would still have mourned for Moana regardless of whether or not he lost his tattoos.

(And no, I'm not saying this to be shippy lol.)

[gsmith1030]

While moana 2 can seem a bit confusing in some scenes. I was interested in why it seemed like maui didn't visit for 3 years. Is it because he was avoiding?

Yep, I think you are right on the ball.

So, there's kind of a line in Moana 2 where Maui says that he does "not want to get attached...in case they..." (Yeah, it was kind of framed as like a joke.) This was around the scene where he meets Moana's crew for the first time in that Giant Clam.

Understanding that humans have a shorter lifespan compared to demigods, it can be assumed that he does not want to get deeply attached to humans because, eventually, they will pass on, and the grief that would come with having to deal with that.

Remember the scene where he found Moana lifeless at the bottom of the sea?

But, the movie 2 novelization kind of does provide a more concrete reason as to why he did not visit Moana's home at all within the three years.

Remember this line?:

"I could pull up a thousand islands, but if you're not there to land on them..."

In the novel itself, we get that exact line (well, its a bit longer.), as well as some more extended dialogue that was not in the movie.

Right before they go off to face Nalo, Maui tells her that the reason that he did not visit her for all these years was because she inspired him to want to change...to become better, and needed time to do that (and even telling her how she deserved the whole ocean and wanted to give it to her.) There's even a bit of a tiny reference in "Can I get a Cheehoo."

"Because of you, I'm a better me, and I didn't think that was a possibility."

I think that depending on how you view things, you could come up with perhaps a few more reasons as to why Maui never visited Moana in the three years between movies. Depending on how one interprets things.

[gsmith1030]

Hey Moana fandom, here's a prompt that someone must jump on because it just has so much angst potential.

"No, you don't know what it's like to have to always have to say goodbye to everything that you know and love every time I come out here, knowing that this could be the last time that I might see them.

"So, stop pretending to understand how I feel, when you've never been there yourself!"

[gsmith1030]

If I laid down on the floor, what are the chances Moana would step on my back?

I mean...

I suppose you never know. Anything is possible.

[gsmith1030]

Based on Maui's reace to moana searchi for motufetu. When she got hit with ancestor lightning and the ksjamora thing i think he would've had a heart attack. Bonus mosna and crew were outside the clam he was stuck in lol

I suppose so, but how would he have heard about the ancestor lightning striking Moana on Motunui, or them being attacked by the kakamora thing if he was quite literally stuck in a giant clam? Unless he would have heard about it from Matangi.

XD

This could possibly be a really funny (perhaps also a bit angsty) headcannon/canon-divergence thing to explore.

[gsmith1030]

Little update for the MoanaXAvatar AU

Hi all, sorry, no new part right now because I have not started on it, but I do have a couple of updates I want to share regarding the AU.

First off, the title is going to be called simply "weaving a legend." When I get ready to post the fourth part, I'll go in and update the titles I currently have with the new title.

Also, the universe name for this AU is simply called "The Weavers."

(lol)

(If you don't know what weaving is, please read the starting note on part 3, as I kind of explain what it is. If I see that a lot of people are confused with the concept, I may create a clarifying post on what exactly it is.)

I think that's all I have for now.

Hope to get part 4 out soon, once I start writing it.

[gsmith1030]

I wonder what they were gonna do with the talking to the siapo idea

Like did maui hear moana talking to his siapo while he was in the clam?

Hmm, so regarding the Sipao idea.

I don't think Maui would have been able to really hear her in the clam (and if he did, well, due to him being kind of stuck there at the time, he would have not been able to really respond (aka, kind of going there.)

So, in the original deleted scene with the Sipao, Maui had originally dropped by Moana's Island because somehow, she had apparently called him (through the Sipao), only to discover that she was not there, and had taken off on her own to Motufetu. Promptly leaving the island (presumably to search for or after her.)

(How did Maui even know that she had apparently called him?)

Though, I will admit, this would be a really cool element that could perhaps be explored in fanfiction, fanart, or other fan creative works as one so chooses.

[gsmith1030]

Weaving a Legend part 3:

Hi all, as promised, here is part 3 of the AU. This one took a bit longer to post because 1, I wanted to spread the posting of things out a bit, and I wanted to take a little break from writing (mainly because I had a test coming up), but also, I wanted to fix some little errors that were bugging me.

Some context to be aware of before jumping in: The term "Weaving" is the term that I'm using to refer to "bending" in this AU:

So, weaving is the art of element manipulation in this AU, there are four elements here like there are in avatar.

The people that can "bend" elements in this AU are known as "weavers" and the singular term for weaving is simply "weave."

Also, once more, a quick shout-out to @zabchan for helping me to come up with the term, as well as helping me hammer in some of the other things with this AU. Whispers loudly: You're so amazing!

Anyway, as always, everything under the cut.

______________________________________________________________

Moana learned a lot of things since that day.

She’d known of the stories and legends surrounding her people…of past chiefs, warriors, and more.

However, as she would soon discover, there was still so much that she hadn’t known.

As her grandmother explained to her that day, she is a sea weaver.

She did not understand what that was.

Apparently, in this natural world, energy was one of the most important keys to weaving, and it flows through all living things; humans, animals, and even gods and demigods.

Wait? Demigods?

Yep, they are not fully a god, but are also not fully human either. Half-human, half-god. Whose responsibility is to keep the world in balance.

There are only a few that exist in this world.

Except that no human has ever seen, or heard of a demigod ever since…

--

She learned that, yes, there are people in this world who are able to use their energy from within themselves, and sometimes, even, from around the natural world, and use it to manipulate, or weave into, one of the four natural elements.

First off, are the sea weavers, who are able to intertwine their own energy into any liquid that is derived from the ocean itself. Their ability to weave is said to be stronger at night when the tides are high.

Most of them, though, typically prefer to weave near or on the sea.

(There are some very skilled water weavers that are said to be able to pull water from out of the air itself, but that’s really rare, and it has not been seen in such a long time.)

Then there are wind weavers, who, using their own energy to make, and even direct the currents of the wind. Wind weaving is considered to be one of the more versatile arts of weaving, since air is all around us, whether on the land or sea.

(but, one has not been seen in a while, at least among humans.)

There are land weavers, who is said to be able to move anything deriving of the earth around them, whether that be sand, soil, or rock. People who are land weavers tend to prefer to stay on their island, where they are at most connected and able to weave.

And finally, there are fire weavers, who, according to legend, is able to draw upon the warmth of the fire, or sun, and either manipulate existing sources of fire, or can even create fire itself deriving from their own energy within themselves. Like how sea weaving is strong at night when the tide is high, fire weaving is said to be strong during the day when the sun is high.

But, not every human was blessed with this gift.

In fact, most humans do not possess the affinity to be able to weave at all. Which is something you are born with.

But, for generations, weavers, and non-weavers lived alongside each other, building communities, families, and homes.

They even traveled together, discovering new islands, places to call home.

(Or, like many do, when they wish to return home, they always knew where to go.)

--

Once more, Moana is out on the beach again, but for more than just being curious about the sea.

Standing just a bit closer to the ocean, the moist part where the sand and sea meet, she goes through the dances that she’s learned from her grandmother so far, remembering to try to meet with the natural rhythm of the sea; its push and pull motion.

Unlike before, her movements have gotten more steady, sure, smooth.

Still not perfect, but improving by leaps and bounds.

Energy is the thing that flows not only within living things, but also around the natural world.

But, what did that mean exactly?

Remembering the seemingly meditative…as if her mind was somewhere else kind of state that her grandmother was in the last time she’d remember seeing her. Moana, in the midst of her dance, attempted to place herself in a similar type of state.

Blocking out everything around her.

Except for the ocean, the coolness she’d felt as it grazed across her feet shallowly, the very soothing sound it makes, and even imagining the push and pull motion that’s been ingrained in her mind for a long time.

Something within her grows, like the warmth of the sun on her skin. It was unexpected, but not unpleasant. The tug in her mind and heart stirs, familiar and grounding, gradually growing stronger, and stronger.

What does this mean?

Without realizing it, Moana grabs onto that familiar feeling, tracing it to the source like a rope leading to something, and draws upon it.

The pool of something….’energy’, she realized, unraveled and started to bloom outside, flowing into every part of her within, and even starting to flow outside of her seemingly through her fingertips.

To the ocean below.

As if trying to grab onto it somehow.

Pull up, and down, push and pull.

She’d felt something pull, this time, from the outside, as if something had latched onto something else.

Could this be?

Without her realizing, a little tiny crest of water had responded to her call, trying to follow the tug…the will of its owner, as it tried to pull it in towards her, to manipulate it towards her will.

But, just as it seemed that the tiny crest of water was going to move anymore than it had, the connection to it just…snapped, as if someone had taken a knife, and simply cut the rope.

The water went down quickly with a splash.

Moana had lost her focus.

--

(Without her realizing, someone had been watching this whole scene. Saw how the tiny crest of water had had nearly responded to Moana’s call to her will. Weaving her own energy into the ocean itself.

Or, trying at least.)

--

She’s a sea weaver as well.

Just like her grandmother.

(or, at least, she think she is.)

The thing is, ever since that one time where it seemed that Moana could weave her own energy into the sea. She’d been wanting to practice it and develop it a bit more.

Which was the main reason why she had come out onto the beach, whenever she could of course.

She’d had to be careful, for she knew that her parents were not exactly fond of their daughters call for the sea.

(They do not know of their daughter’s ability to potentially sea weave. Moana never really thought of telling her parents about this, besides not wanting her to be too near the sea, believing that she might take a boat and sail off, but also because, ever since that day, Moana was not able to really replicate what she’d thought she did that day. If she were to tell anyone in the village that she could weave one of the four natural elements, or rather, feels like she can, no one would believe her, for no one believed that weavers still existed anymore.)

Of course, when Moana told her grandmother how she might be one, she believed her.

For she is one of the very few people on the island who believes that they still exist, and in the legends and myths of long ago.

And would even tell them to the children, including Moana herself when they gathered in one of the many fale’s on the island; this one in particular was usually used for both telling stories and teaching lessons to the children.

As time went on, she’d made very little progress on her sea weaving abilities due to her inability to grab onto the connection required to successfully weave one’s energy into their natural element.

(Little does she know, this is no fault of her own, for she has a strong affinity to the sea.)

Any time, she attempted to sea weave once more, she’d end up disappointed.

What is wrong with me?

(perhaps also a bit frustrated with herself too.)

--

(After Moana had left the beach after one of her failed attempts, once again, a little crest of water, smooth as stone, rises up from the vast body of ocean, as if once more saying “hello.”

Also

“Sooner than you think, you will know and understand who you are…and who you are meant to be.”

Just a bit longer.)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well, for once, I don't have anything else to say other than if you have any questions about this AU (or comments), you can either ask me here on tumblr or on discord if you know me.

Link to Part 2

Link to Part 4

[gsmith1030]

So many things to put in a mosna 2 rewrite so little time

Moana 2 rewrite?

I'm assuming that you are referring to the fact that Moana 2 was originally supposed to be a Disney+ series before it got turned into a film.

Yes, I did (still do) enjoy Moana 2, but I also recognize that yes, due to things being pretty rushed (as in, the creative team was not given enough time in my opinion to really flesh things out.) It resulted in some issues with the writing at times not making sense, some obvious plot holes not making sense, etc.

While I never expected Moana 2 to quite reach the heights of the original one (given that sequels rarely do), I think that if given more time to really develop and flesh things out, we perhaps could have gotten a more robust film. But I suppose we will never know.

Lets just hope that things will improve for Moana 3 if it ever comes to pass.

[gsmith1030]

Weaving a Legend part 2:

Hi all, as promised, here is some more for my MoanaXAvatar AU. This one is not as "heavy" on the avatar elements as the last one, but it does build things up, and gives a bit of background on Tui (Moana's Dad) here. Plus, just a bit of little Moana growing up. All in all, it's more an an exploration with Moana and her family (mainly her parents though.) This scene takes place after the very first scene (after we see Tala holding baby Moana at the beach), and before the scene where Moana runs into Tala at the beach, where she witnesses Tala "Waterbending" by the ocean XD (Again, that's not what bending is called in this AU.)

Anyway, scene under the cut

Moana.

That’s the name that she had since birth, given to her by her grandmother.

For as long as she can remember, she’s always felt like she had a sort of…calling towards the sea, like a gentle nudge towards it that resides in her heart. She’d always dreamed of the day that she would take one of the island’s boats, and finally set sail beyond the reef of the island, to explore the ocean’s vast expanse, see how far it goes, and discover what’s really out there.

Except, she can’t.

“Because it’s dangerous out there.” Her dad would say.

But why?

He’d never elaborate on it when she’d ask.

--

Of course, that’s only just a part of her, the one that she wished that she could embrace.

For a while, she understood that someday, she will have to take on an important role:

Becoming the next chief of Motunui, just like her dad currently is.

She, of course learns all she can about her home.

From the history of Motunui spanning hundreds of years, to the names and positions of her ancestors, including those who were previous chiefs. To the day to day activities of everyone on the island, to the rituals, traditions, and so much more.

She’d always pick up what she’d learn pretty quickly, even if the subject in question did not sound exactly interesting to her.

She, of course, was still a kid. Which meant that she’d sneak away towards the beach when she got bored, or wanted to sate her curiosity of the ocean.

It was not always successful, for when her parents would find out where she went, she was either carried (or sometimes dragged) back to the village.

But, like a little minnow, as her mother would call her, she would always find her way back to the sea.

--

(If only she knew that, like her once, her dad also had a love for the sea as fiercely as she did, and longed to go beyond the reef, to see what’s really out there.

He’d even had the same exact “tug” in his heart towards the sea, just like her.

Had that feeling inside really just been towards the ocean? Or something more.

But when he answered the call within, tragedy struck. The one he once called his best friend, whom he had stowed a boat with in the middle of the night, was lost to the sea.

Permanently.

Its here where he learned how unforgiving the sea is.

Not realizing, or perhaps forgetting that the sea can be just as beautiful as it is unforgiving. Just like the world is.

Since then, he stopped going towards the sea, the very thing that took away his best friend. Never answering the call again.

And never stepping foot in a boat.

Instead, fully embracing his role as the chief to his people, where he’s meant to be.

The memory of that night has stayed with him since.

Now, he hopes that he can keep not only just the village, but also the ones he loves, including his daughter, safe.

So that he won’t lose her to the sea in the same way that he’d lost his dear friend all those years ago.

Perhaps, even protecting her from the grief of loosing someone she cared about to the sea in the same way he had.)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Again, more coming soon, and if you have any questions about this AU you can contact me here on tumblr, or on discord. Also, I'm likely going to add links to the first (and previous and next parts) for easy access, so that you don't have to be scrolling in my blog to look for a particular part that you may want to read.

Link to part 1 (this is the beginning of the AU)

Link to part 3

[gsmith1030]

Moana and Maui's bantering is so Katara and Sokka coded lol

I suppose I can't argue with that. 🤣

The banter can actually be coded in a few ways I suppose depending on one's interpretation of their relationship.

[gsmith1030]

Weaving a Legend (Moana X Avatar)

Surprise everyone! I'm working on an ATLA/Avatar inspired AU for Moana. (Yes, I said inspired because this is not a crossover.)

Under the cut are a few drabbles (well, scenes) related to the AU.

(and I have more coming up, so be on the lookout for it.)

A few things to know for now.

In this AU, Tala and Moana both has water manipulation powers (I'll reveal the term for the act of bending and whatnot a little bit later.)

Except, for Moana, she's supposed to have the ability to manipulate water except...she can't at the moment (Spoiler, she eventually is able to manipulate water.)

Last thing, I'm leaning more into Moana than in Avatar, which means that for the most part, the way that I have the AU framed is pretty much almost the events of Moana 1 but with elements from ALTA/Avatar infused into the mix.

Okay, enough yapping from me (for now at least), more little short story things under the cut.

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Long ago,

There was a time where there were only the sea and sky, sun and moon. But then, something amazing happened. An island emerged.

But it was not just any island, it was the mother island, Te Fiti. Who brought about life over the world (well ocean), and from this, humanity emerged.

Alongside the precious gift of life also came the gift to manipulate one of the four elements of the natural world: water, earth, fire, air. However, only a precious few were gifted with this ability.

Life itself, as well as a human’s connection to their natural element lied within her heart.

The world flourished, and people started voyaging, exploring the vast seas, discovering new islands, building communities on ones they called home.

Then came the emergence of demigods, who could not only manipulate one of the four elements that humans can, but also command great power of their own, and are gifted with a long life. They are the bridge between the physical and spirit world.

With great power comes great responsibility; the duty to ensure that the world remains in balance. There are only a few demigods in existence.

For thousands of years, the world remained in balance.

Until one demigod went astray.

His name was Maui. A demigod who is said to be able control the air around him, as well as shapeshift into any creature that you can imagine using his magical fish hook. Who’d once given a lot to humanity.

And, was also a trickster.

There were many that sought the heart, and he was no exception.

He’d stolen it from the mother island.

But, a terrible darkness started to bloom. Corrupting spirits, and slowly draining the very essence of life as it spread across the sea, hitting island after island.

Maui vanished. His hook and the heart both lost to the sea.

Once, where many had the affinity to manipulate one of the four elements became fewer and fewer, it’s connection weakening slowly over the years, until today, where only a few remain.

But there is still hope to make things right.

For someone will journey out there to locate him, and together, they will travel the seas to return the heart back to it’s rightful owner, and restore balance to the world.

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Little waves of foam gently crash against the quartz sand, pushing, and retreating in its own rhythm. The sun’s rays reflecting across the body of the teal-blue ocean.

The wind gently blowing in from across the sea, and caressing the palm leaves of some coconut trees, swaying softly, yet keeping the beach below untouched.

A woman, advanced in her years, yet still holding a bit of a youthful spirit, stands on the beach with a clear view of the vast ocean, observing it with a sense of familiarity and peace. In her arms is a baby girl who is no older than a year, not quite old enough to walk on her own.

The day remains young, yet radiant.

The baby girl is currently looking out to the sea, pointing and cooing to it, as if saying how beautiful it looked, how it never seems to end the farther one looked.

As if understanding her granddaughter’s curiosity, she took a few more steps towards the water, close enough for the water to touch against her feet, but not submerge it, so that her precious little one can get a better view of the vast body of water.

Just like her elder counterpart, she holds a curiosity and awe towards the ocean. Day-by-day developing a love for it.

Encouraged by her grandmother, she holds a wide-eyed inquisitive gaze towards it, memorized by its beauty.

The ocean had always been an old friend of hers; beautiful, large, vast, and a constant companion.

(it can also be deadly and unforgiving if one’s not careful.)

Perhaps it can also be the same for her granddaughter, as she grows up.

The baby girl’s feet finally touch the ocean by the time she’s three.

When no one’s looking, the ocean, holding a sentience of its own, finally rises out in a small, smooth crest, as if saying “hello.”

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In spite of the tension with her parents with regards to her love for the sea, she still loves them all the same.

However, her bond with her grandmother was something…unique, special.

Unlike her parents, who’d discourage her from running to the sea…

Today, was one of the days that she managed to sneak off away from the village without her parents noticing.

(Or, she hopes that she did.)

Along the path that she ran, was a clearing that led to the beach. Once there, she’d noticed that she was not alone this time.

A bit farther off, where the ocean and the sand met, was her grandmother, dancing in rhythm near the vast body of water, moving in and out as the water pushed and retreated. Her arms moving gracefully in spite of her approaching in age.

This, itself was not new to Moana, as she had seen her grandmother dancing by the ocean before, and would even join her, clumsily trying to copy her movements.

(These, are just one of the many moments that she’d always cherish when spending time with her grandmother.)

But this looked different.

She could just not place where it was though.

Normally, when she’d find her grandmother at the beach, dancing near the ocean, she’d normally stop when she’d noticed Moana having arrived, and would smile mischievously, throwing a knowing look her way. Moana usually took this as an invitation to join her.

However, this time, it does not appear that her grandmother is aware of her arrival. Or, if she is, has not made any indication of such.

That’s weird.

Wanting to get a better look, she’d sought out a tree to hide behind its bark and low-hanging leaves. Curiosity getting the better of her, Moana observed her a bit more intently.

It appears that the ocean itself had a bit of a glow to it. Almost a white to its already bright, blue, clear surface.

But, that’s not the only oddity.

As her grandmother continued to dance, Moana noticed that little bobs of water appear to be moving in sync to the way that she moved, as if…

As if she were literally “pulling” the water, like a rope, and commanding it to her will.

(The thing is, from afar, she would have not noticed any of this had she’d not been paying attention, for the bobs of water that she saw were not really flashy or grand, but subtle, as of its one with the waves itself.)

What?

Moana blinked a few times, to see if she was simply seeing things.

Nope, the subtle glow to the ocean and the water blobs moving in time to her grandmother’s movements were still there.

Upon realizing this, she can’t help but think: “What exactly is grandma doing?”

The scene before her was both bizarre…yet also beautiful.

The water seemingly moving in time with her.

Moana, captivated by it all, continued to observe her grandmother for a bit more.

When once again, she’d felt that ‘tug’ in her heart from the ocean, this time a lot stronger and more persistent than she remembers. She retreated from behind her hiding spot, and joined her grandmother’s side once more, trying to copy her exact movements.

Except…

Nothing was happening.

The water did not move in time to her movements as it did her grandmother.

She tried the same thing a few more times with similar results.

Why wasn’t this working?

She cried out in frustration of it all.

Which was enough to bring her grandmother out of whatever spell she’d been seemingly under.

Once again, she looked at Moana with the same, mischievous, affectionate, and knowing gaze.

“Grandma.”

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Like I said, more coming soon. Oh, and a pretty huge thank @zabchan for helping hammer out some things about the AU, and overall for putting with me when I was just lore dumping about this thing. They are pretty awesome.

Oh, and of course @cartoonjessie for putting this (ATLA April fools day) event together. This was a lot of fun.

The AU is currently still being developed, so some things might get changed around.

(oh, and of course, I did leave the AU open to potentially expand kind of into like a sequel type thing. But I'm not quite there yet.)

Lets see how far I can go to take this AU.

Link to next part

[gsmith1030]

When moana gets killed by nalo's lightning and maui grieves and prays to the ancestros to revive her. The whole thing gave me vibes of the end of crossroads of destiny. After azula shoots aang woth light ing and katara uses the spirit water to revive him. (Platonic way tho)

Get out of my head! I literally just thought of this parallel as well.

In fact, there are some elements that are pretty similar, and literally parallel each other.

Both characters (Aang and Moana) end up fatally wounded/dead from a lightning strike from an enemy (Azula and Nalo.)

The scene(s) where Katara and Maui respectively hold them are composed pretty similarly (I'm mostly referring to the pose, and the mood of the scene's).

Both are revived from the dead through spiritual means; Aang is revived by Katara using water that was infused with spiritual energy (the water from the spirit oasis), and Moana was revived by her ancestors (after Maui had sung that prayer.)

Water is involved somewhat in some way.

You can see both Katara and Maui grieve over the death of the other.

I wish I had some gifs to demonstrate some of these parallels, but I don't have them at this time. Perhaps I might edit this post with some gifs of some of the parallels.

[gsmith1030]

Accepting asks

Hi everyone.

In case it is not already obvious, I'm currently accepting asks for Moana, and of course Kung Fu Panda (KFP).

Pretty much anything is free game with only one rule:

Nothing NSFW please, as I want to keep my blog open to all.

Obviously, any sort of harassment will not be tolerated, and will result in your ask being ignored, deleted, and the originating account getting blocked (You all have been really sweet so far, so I really just wanted to give a heads up.)

Depending on how much time I have, I will go through my asks and answer them when I can (Keyword: Can), this means don't expect an immediate response, and they will not be answered in any particular order.

I can't wait to see what you all come up with.

Final note: Please don't send any asks requesting donations, or other monetary assistance. There are other blogs on tumblr that can assist with this, but mine is not one of them.

Edit: Forgot to mention, asks can be either Anon, or with your own tumblr blog. Though, this does not mean that you can send any sort of harrasement or spam my way, or this will be turned off.

[gsmith1030]

If you had to sort Moana characters into nations from Avatar the Last Airbender, where would everyone be? - love, the hookedwayfinder blog

Yay, an Avatar and Moana combined related ask. What's funny is that it still answers the ask while also turning into something that I had not originally intended for it to be. But here we go. (Psst, it was kind of hard to put everyone in all of the four nations, so I hope this is a good one still *wink*.)

Water Tribe(s) or Kyoshi Island

Moana

Moana’s family (Tui, Sina, Simea, Tala)

Majority of Motunui

Moni

Loto

Kele

Some of these characters could also be moved around for them to fit in either the Fire Nation or the Earth Kingdom (since the fire nation also has some islands surrounding the mainland.)

Characters that I don’t see living in really in any nation and/or their origins are unknown:

Maui

Matangi

Spirit World:

The spirit world is not one single place, but is simply a plane of existence that’s separated from the physical (or human world), there are locations that kind of sit at the kind of “line” between the 2 planes. For an example, think of Te Fiti’s island and Lalotai (which is located under the sea in this case.) and of course, there are many more locations that are like this. This would mean

Yes, if Lalotai is technically part of the spirit world, then, Tamatoa would live here as well.

If there are multiple locations of these spread across (well, the world or ocean), then there’s a chance that Matangi would currently live at one of these locations (like I said, there are multiple of these locations) and perhaps Maui may have lived at one of these locations briefly when he was younger (given that he was raised by the Gods). Of course, he has not really “lived” here in over a very long while (like hundreds of years or even more.)

Not surprisingly, demigods can easily cross between these two planes easily. Which I suppose would kind of make them a sort of “bridge” between the two planes, giving the name of “Demigod” a little more literally here.

Oops, this is kind of Maybe turning into an avatar inspired Moana AU? (which is totally not my intention.)

Not tagged under any ship tags since there's really no shipping in here.