Most relevant story sections for my design

..."Do you see that?" Koro Pat pointed out to sea. Two black triangular wings broke the surface, slapping down on the orange coloured water.

"It's a stingray!" yelled the kids in unison, running to the water's edge. Kimi picked up a stone ready to throw but Koro Pat stopped her short.

"Hoi, you wouldn't throw a stone at your Mum would you?" Kimi looked confused, she dropped her stone.

"Haere mai, noho mai," Koro patted the driftwood log. Kimi, Jason and Marama came and sat next to him.

"I'll tell you about a stingray, a kaitiaki of this place."

"Our own one that looks after us?" Marama asked.

"Āe, yours, mine, our marae, all of us. We look after the water, this land, and our kaitiaki looks after us."

Kimi used a stick to pull her pāua, cooking in its shell, from the fire. The others followed suit, crouching over the stones, listening. Koro began...

..."Whaitere was a stingray, from the black wings whānau, who lived in a small bay, at the head of the fish of Māui. Her parents raised her as others were raised – gathering food and playing with her fish friends in the weed and around large rocks...

...Hinemoana came to Whaitere in the form of a wave, a deep blue wave of enchantment. With encircling arms Hinemoana picked Whaitere up and carried her away. Away to the deepest parts of the ocean they flew, finally descending through the darkness, past the gates of Hinenuitepō and into Rarohenga, the home of all who die.

"This is Rarohenga, the underworld – your parents now dwell here," Hinemoana said...

 

...With that, Hinemoana disappeared back towards the way they had come and Whaitere swam into a sea, tinted with the colours of the rainbow and surrounded by the dazzling creatures of Rarohenga.

Whaitere didn't recognise her parents at first, but could tell by their shape that they were whai. Their black wings had been transformed into the colours of the pāua shell, intricate patterns woven into their skin...

...After travelling for some time, they came to a cavern branching off to one side, illuminated with a deep green light reflecting from its walls. In the centre of the cavern was the source of the green light – a large flat piece of pounamu was suspended just below the water's surface, rippling with magic...

...Whaitere cautiously drifted down to rest as she was told. When her underbelly touched the surface of the pounamu she was instantly transformed, weaving pāua shell colours into her dark skin. Layer upon layer of magical power surged through her body, gifts from her creator, Papatūānuku.

"The overworld and the underworld are inherently connected, without one there will not be the other," said her father.

"You've been chosen as a guardian for the overworld, teach others to respect your home as you do." said her mother.

"But I want to stay here with you!" Whaitere complained.

"Your magic will allow you many things, including the ability to come and go from both worlds as you wish," her father replied...

..."Teach them to respect your home."

Whaitere could hear the words of her parents echoing in her mind.

Whaitere looked into the eyes of the people fish, then spoke to him in a language he could understand.

"Go back to your people and teach them to respect this place. Our bay will be an example for all your kind and a safe place for ours."...

...'Is that why we only get enough pāua for us to eat?" asked Marama.

"That's why." Koro said.

"And Whaitere is real because we saw one, eh Koro?" Jason asked.

"That's right, and when you're old like me, you'll tell this same story to your mokopuna, won't you?" Koro asked.

"That's for sure." Kimi answered.

And the three children sprung to life, spread their arms and chased each other like enchanted stingrays in a magical underwater world...