Hi there, I'm Moana and I'll start by telling you the best advice I've ever been told: forget everything you thought you know.

Now with that said, if you're reading this it's too late...

Just kidding you're never too late to find out who you are in life. I came here thinking that I'd be exactly what was written for me but life happens and things change there's no controlling that. But what can be controlled is my destiny and who writes it. Not some thirty-something year old who's probably bald looking for a way to shove half-hearted messages (but pretty good stories) into the minds of people. It's me.

I get to choose. I get to write and I get to be whoever I want to be.

It was only a few days ago when I thought that after the credits rolled in that was it, it was all to my story and everything was set in stone. I'm here to say that if you feel like your life is set in stone, throw the whole thing away and get a boulder and start chiseling whatever the heck you want.

But I'm getting way ahead of myself, so I'll start from the beginning... well it's technically the end but you know the saying- every end has a beginning. And little did I know what lies ahead for me.

-

I stood before two sky-high double white doors. I couldn't tell what it guarded (the walls stretched above my seeing range) but all around everything was glistening white clouds which only let a sprinkle of sunshine in. Shakily I approached the golden buzzer on the wall.

After a buzz, an angelic voice came through the speaker. "Who's there?"

"M-Moana from Moana."

There was feedback ringing through the air as the gates glided open. I stepped through with nothing in my possession and nervousness on my face.

You think the site of the gates was grand.

It was like everything magically appeared. There were buildings of all sizes and purposes (malls, schools, offices,); there were cars AND carriages along a massive roadway, and that's just what I saw from here. The sun was no longer hidden but it shone brightly down on the characters which occupied the place illuminating the already golden glare of the buildings.

I began to take a few steps forward unknowing of where I'm headed.

"Hi."

I whirled around at the sound of the same voice from earlier. "Um hey."

There was this outrageously beautiful girl with smooth porcelain skin perched up on a shiny black motorcycle. Her hair was thrown in an updo but the striking green mixed with a very blue-black was all that really caught my attention. "I'm Snow White but everyone calls me Snowy and welcome to Disney's Happily Ever After."

She jumped down from the creature and landed in a spot next to me. Sure she was very petite and left little to the imagination with the leather shorts that hung to her body like a second skin, the sleeveless crop top which exposed her pierced navel and a tattoo of a snake biting a stark red apple.

Snow White lifted the arm with the inking and laughed when she saw how I gawked at it.

"Pretty dope right?" She twisted her arm around to show how the forest green serpent wrapped completely around her arm, the head ending right on her shoulder where the bitten apple rested. "You ever saw one before?"

"None like that."

"Most people usually get ones with meaning."

I paused once again to admire the artwork. "Do yours have a meaning?"

Once again she laughed. Snow White leaned against her bike, "Let's just say all good things start with an apple and a snake." She swung her leg over the ride then patted the space behind her. "Hop on."

Following her suggestion I clumsily climbed on, barely keeping my balance. Snow White laughed at my lack of coolness then rared up the silent beast. "Hold on Princess."

Before I could take heed to her warning she pulled back on the throttle and started to spank along the smooth tar roadway. Snowy was swerving in and out of traffic going at miles that you'd only see in movies or on a race car track. When she pulled up to a red light, there was another motorist alongside her. I couldn't tell much from the person but I knew that their hair was a peek of light purple hair which flowed out from underneath a purple helmet; they sported some killer chunky heel boots with sharp diamond studs and both skin tight leather jacket and pants. The other motorist revved the engine simultaneously with Snowy and as soon as the light turned green both took off with a wheelie.

After another few minutes of death greeting driving Snowy pulled up into a community with the number 2000's written on a gate.

She turned the bike off and looked back at me. "This is where I leave you. Your welcome committee should be waiting."

I placed my two feet on the floor and thanked Disney I was alive, "What about you?"

She waved her hand dismissively, "My job is done, sweetheart. To bring you safely here."

I scoffed, "Safely?"

"Hey, you're in one piece right? I'd say that's mission accomplished." She winked and hopped back on her toy. "Just a heads up, one of them can be pretty... assertive." Snowy started the engine, "Good luck and welcome."

With that she sped back down the street she came.

After walking a very long brick paved road I arrived to see sets and sets of well... castles. Granted that they were acres apart but you could see the shadows of others even in the distance. I walked up to the first building I saw- a luxury coffee house named "Pumpkin Spiced".

There was this girl with a crazy curly red mohawk sitting on the porch. Her head was down on her cellphone and her legs were outstretched in front of her. She was clad in sport-inspired joggers and a bomber jacket paired with really fashionable hightop sneakers.

Her head perked up when she heard me nearing. "Greetings, you must be the new girl." Her accent was thick and heavy in her voice.

"Yeah, I'm Moana. You're the welcome committee?"

"Just a sec." She turned back and yelled through the cracked door. "Girls get in here!" She turned back to me, "I'm Merida by the way." She stood up extending her hand.

Two other girls came strolling out of the coffee house.

One was a beautiful tattoo covered dark skin princess with her hair in a bob and dressed down in a halter top and an embezzled skirt.

The other was completely different though. Her skin was clear white with tints of pink on her cheeks. Her jet black hair was slicked back down on her neck. She wore a curve-hugging green t-shirt dress with low-top sneakers and a black choker.

"Hi." The second girl said.

"Hey." Said the first.

"Moana this is Mulan and Tiana." She pointed at each of them. "There's one more mi-"

Just as she said it someone came pulling through on a similar motorbike to Snowy's. The figure swung her blonde hair around as she hopped off and yanked off her purple helmet. Beneath it was shoulder length platinum blonde hair with yes, light purple at the ends.

"Speak of the daredevil," Mulan said as she rolled her eyes.

"You're speaking of me?"

Merida spoke up, "New girl this is Rapunzel."

"Call me Raps."

"Isn't your hair supposed to be longer?"

"Extensions." She paused and her blue eyes glistened in the sun, "Wait I saw you earlier on the back of Snowy's ride. You looked ridiculous."

"Umm..."

"Excuse her, she's still learning to control her tongue," Merida said.

"No, I'm not. I say what I want if you can't handle it then too bad for you."

"I thought princesses were polite and nice."

They all looked at each other, then looked at me and burst into a fit of laughter.

Tiana stepped up to me, "Listen, island girl. Forget everything you thought you know. Cause it's a whole different world when the lights go down."

"We're gonna be your best friends here. The 2000's princesses... and Mulan." Raps said once she stopped laughing.

"There was no more space in the 1900's era for me so they squeezed me here and boy am I glad. And once you get to meet Elsa and Anna you'll love them too."

"Who?"

"The ice queen and her sis... they magically got out of welcome duty but needless to say they're pretty dope."

Merida cut in, "Anyway... we're supposed to help you figure out who you are or who you want to be."

"What you mean?"

"Meaning if you didn't already notice none of us are what our movie pin us to be. It was a job and now it's done, so we spend the rest of our lives here deciphering who we want to be."

"Guys," Raps looked at her watch which started beeping. "It's time to go."

"Go?"

As the girls walked off for the exit Merida turned back to me, "We usually have these prank wars with some of the guys."

"And this one will be epic!" Tiana said.

They all stopped by the gate and turned to me.

"You coming island girl?"

-

We were trotting along a cobblestone path to a very large mansion. The grass was low-lying and the hedges were perfectly trimmed. Merida led us to the backyard where an enormous pool and crates of supplies were waiting for us. Coming to a halt in front of the crate with streamers I stubbed my toe on the end letting out a shriek of pain.

"Shh."

"Brave what are you shushing us for they're not even here." Raps said rolling her eyes.

Merida looked around and smiled sheepishly, "Oh yeah right." She picked up the first crate and began barking orders, "Just take these and begin damage."

"What?!"

They all looked back at me.

"You gotta excuse us, forgot you're still a newbie."

Tiana sighed loudly and picked up the crate filled with containers, "Trust us. After all, we're your besties for happily ever after. Would we get you into any trouble?"

"Somehow I don't believe you."

"And that's the gut instinct that will help you survive." She winked at me as she passed.

"Or get killed."

"Tiana, Mulan quit it. You're scaring the little sheep." Rapunzel teased.

"Aww but she's so cute when she has her eyes all bulged with fear. Like a little bear." Merida joined in on the joke.

"No wonder people call the earlier princesses classics..." I spat out under my breath but unfortunately, they still heard me.

"Ooh."

"Yikes."

Tiana turned around and gave me a smirk, "So she has a spine after all. Not bad island girl... not bad at all."

The other princesses gave me a curt head nod and went off carrying the crates.

Inside of the mansion was glorious. Everything was neat and in its place, the granite countertops and marble floors were glistening; the high ceiling and perfectly off-white walls complemented the brown designs of the furniture. This place was too beautiful to only exist in another world. Maybe that's why it was so beautiful.

But it wasn't like this for long, at least just until we got through with it. The girls and I have spent the past two hours perfectly thrashing this place with party decorations. Now we were in the middle of spray painting something on the wall of the foyer.

Merida was on the ladder in the left corner, Tiana was on the one in the right corner. Mulan and Raps were on the ground level and I was in the middle adding some very specific details to our masterpiece.

I stepped back to admire our handiwork. "It's a uhh..."

"Yep," Rapunzel said as she appeared on the side of me.

"It's quite large..." I trailed off again.

"Uh huh," Mulan said on the other side of me.

Tiana and Merida jumped down from the ladder and stood around us.

"Biggest one I've ever seen," Tiana said laughing.

"Ditto."

"So what now?" I asked.

Merida shook the empty can of spray bottle and replied, "Now we wait."

After packing up we headed out to a clearing between the bushes and huddled together.

"Moana, listen I know you may be nervous about the whole coming here thing but don't feel like you're alone. We all were afraid when we first came here. I know I was."

"Really Merida?"

"Heck yeah! I was so scared that my accent went missing for two whole days. And when it finally came back everyone thought it was an evil twin or something." She started to laugh.

"Yeah don't be so hard on yourself island girl. Coming here is the best and most terrifying thing I've ever done."

I scooted closer and asked, "What made it better?"

"Honestly, Naveen." She paused, "We came here separately but I was so glad when I saw him again. He stood by me, he was always that one thing I had what kept me pretty much rooted."

Her eyes gleamed when she talked about him. It was like he was the most precious thing in the world to her.

"So what happened to him?"

"Nothing. Some things here rarely are forever after. Like Naveen and I. We just sorta clicked ya know."

"Well E and I," Rapunzel started, "decided to go our separate ways, explore our options ya know. But we're still really good friends." She winked.

Mulan gently squeezed my shoulders. "Not all of us need a man in our lives."

"Oh please Mulan... get your hand off her before I call Elsa."

She shot her hand back like my shoulder was made of fire. "Okay geez, Raps."

"Shh guys listen." Tiana held her hand up as the sound of motorbike engines slowly became louder. "It's them."

The noise was soon replaced by deep voices in laughter and the stomping of shoes on the ground. I guessed that the guys were now inside because there was a loud slam of a door and the yelling of each of the girls' name.

"NOW!"

On Merida's mark, we each jumped out of the bushes and ran for one of the five bikes that were parked.

Tiana looked at me as she flipped the kickstand up, "You know how to ride?"

"No ." I shook my head frantically.

Raps laughed and stomped down on the starter, "Well it's never too late to learn."

"GIRLSSSS!"

We looked up at the doorway of the house and saw five very handsome and burly men with looks of fury on their faces.

Merida, who was on the side of me, showed me the different controls on the machine. "But right now all we know is throttle."

The men were making their way down the path. Fast.

I quickly started the machine and flipped the kickstand up, almost falling under the weight of the bike.

"LET'S GO!" With that Rapunzel led the way pulling out onto the street at lightning speed.

Tiana looked back at the brown-skinned male who's muscles were ripping through his tight t-shirt. "Bye babe." She blew him a kiss just before she yanks out.

The last view I got was the men fuming.

We were zooming in and out of lanes, flying past cars, trucks and other bikers. I've never felt so free so happy. I've never had a sense of actual reality before this moment. To ride at the speed of sound with the wind blowing through your hair and adrenaline coursing through every inch of your body is magical.

Raps led us to a cliff that overlooked the countryside of town. We all hopped off the bikes and sat there with our feet hanging off the edge. It had been quiet for a while, just letting the rush subdue and enjoying the sunset.

Until Mulan spoke up, "Moana welcome to your new home."

"Thanks. It's just that I thought I already knew who I was... now I have no idea who I want to be."

Rapunzel nudged my shoulder with hers, "Don't worry so much about that. We're still figuring out who we are just like you. The important thing is that you have fun and make memories while you do."

"Raps' right." Merida agreed, "There's no rush for anything." +

Tiana chimed in. "Besides... we have the rest of our lives."

"Doesn't seem so long," I said.

She smiled. "Maybe longer than you think. After all... we're timeless." 

Congratulations and thank you for a great read bodyfullofsass_X