MΛ'ƬIЯI | ΛVΛƬΛЯ

goodbye

The pale beaches were practically shining in the first hours of morning.

The reef was a light green, but mostly see-through. The screech of an ikran brought all the by-stander's attention to it.

The people still hadn't gotten used to seeing the colorful dragons near their home. Some stared in awe, some in intimidation.

The ikran landed on the sand, its tail swishing the low waves behind it.
Neytiri jumped off its back, and then Te'rani.

They both walked together into the village, holding hands. The two were walking besides eachother when a familiar voice stopped them.

"Te'rani!" Both their ears and head turned in the direction of the sound, only to find Tsireya on an ilu beside them.

"Mother wanted to see you" she informed. Te'rani lightly squeezed her mate's hand.

"Has she been waiting?" She asked. Tsireya shook her head, no.

Te'rani turned to Neytiri. She'd rather stay away from the ocean itself than to be without Neytiri. That's just what it's like with a newly mated couple.

Tsireya looked at her aunt one last time before diving her ilu back into the water and leading the way.

"I'll see you after" Te'rani affirmed placing a quick kiss on her mate's cheek. Neytiri fought the urge to take her hand and stay as close to her as possible.

Te'rani clicked and whistled to get the attention of a nearby riderless ilu, and jumped into the water before grabbing on and swimming away.

She followed Tsireya's ilu whilst dodging all the poles and coral in their way.

"Olo'ekytan" Someone called. Tonowari saw two familiar faces. The messengers who had informed him a month ago about the nearby Ta'unui village being burned down.

The three of them were on their tsuraks, meeting at a place at equal distance from both villages.

"I see you" He motioned, bowing his head a little as they did. "Sky people?" He asked.

One of them nodded slowly.

"There is another demon ship now. It still roams beyond the reef" The other informed.

Tonowari sighed in frustration. "They are looking for tulkun" he stated.

"Then it is good we sent our spirit brothers and sisters away. Eywa forbid something happened..." one of them shuddered.

"No, they are safe as long as they aren't under their watch" Tonowari stated. It was his job after all to keep calm in situations like these. He couldn't have the entire village panicking again. Sending the Tulkun away was perhaps the best decision they had made. It wasn't safe for them to roam near Sky people.

"What of the dream walkers?" Tonowari asked.

"None have been seen. But the villages are all told to be alert" He said.

Tonowari nodded. "Thank you"

Ronal paced in her marui, her new born tied to her chest securely as she picked up a small bowl of trinkets. Ao'nung stood facing away from the entrance, doing something that Ronal was too unfocused to see.

Tonowari was seated, weaving together what looked like a wrist band.

Ronal saw Te'rani climb onto the netted path off her ilu and walk to her from her peripheral. Tsireya came following behind. Tonowari stood up, and Ao'nung turned to them.

"I see you" She greeted both of them. Ronal turned to her and motioned it back. Te'rani had a warm smile on her face as she neared Ta'la, whose hands were out and looking for something to hold.

She cooed when Te'rani's hand came into sight, and grabbed onto her finger.

Te'rani giggled at her cuteness. Babies were the best thing Eywa could give women. They brought joy to everyone around them.

"She's growing quickly" Tsireya commented, a smile on her face. Te'rani smiled back at her and softly caressed Ta'la's hand.

Tsireya's ears faltered when her aunt looked away. She tried not to get emotional about what was happening. Ronal noticed this and extended a hand to her.

"Te'rani." Ronal started, drawing her sister's attention back to her.

"Ta'la's songcord needs a bead for you" she said. Te'rani looked down as her ears flattened. She remembered what was going to happen. She was going to leave, and though that was for the greater good, she still had to say goodbye to her family.

Ronal placed her hands on Te'rani's arm. "..she will remember you with it" she said slowly, as if she didn't even want to utter those words. She didn't like that her daughter was not going to be raised by her sister as her two other children were. Ta'la wouldn't have Te'rani to shelter and love her.

A tear escaped Tsireya's eye and she brought a hand to wipe it away.
Te'rani touched her shoulder. Her niece pulled Te'rani in for a hug, making her wrap her hands around her and hug back with the same force.

A tear escaped Ronal's eye. She wiped it away immediately, only Her son and her mate noticing. Ao'nung watched sadly.

Te'rani made eye contact with Tonowari, both of them sadly looking at eachother before she began rubbing her back soothingly.

Tsireya finally pulled away and wiped her still flowing tears. Tonowari placed a comforting hand on her shoulder to help her calm down.

"I'll be okay" Te'rani said, looking into her niece's eyes. "It'll be okay. Eywa is with us". Tsireya nodded furiously, calming her breathing.

Te'rani placed her hand on Tsireya's shoulder, on top of which she kept her own. She turned to Ao'ung, who stood beside Ronal and gave him a reassuring smile.

Ao'nung wouldn't show it openly, but he was teary eyed. Te'rani could barely see it, but she knew. So she smiled for him. She knew that showing them that she was okay and that she was happy would help them come to terms with this.

Te'rani looked at Ronal.

"Ta'la will have something to remember me by"

Te'rani spent her time with her family. They all helped in choosing a trinket to represent the day Te'rani would leave.

Ao'nung picked a piece of coral which looked a lot like the tattoos on his aunt's back. And it was in her favourate color, purple.

The family sat together and talked as they normally would. No crying, no sad goodbyes. They only smiled and stayed strong for eachother.

After all, that was the least they could do. After everything Te'rani had done for them over the past twenty years.
Now they all had a shell or a bead in their songcords to remember.

Neytiri tied the bag of her arrows closed. She looked around the marui. They were almost done. Spider and Lo'ak sat on the floor, having finished their work. Kiri was helping Tuk and Neteyam was collecting his own things.

Neytiri looked around the almost empty marui. It almost looked just the way it did when they first came here.

A loud breeze shifted into the house, making the water below them ripple. The sound of wind reminded her of the forest, of her flights on her ikran.

She looked at her arrow. Her father's arrow. She smiled at it softly, taking it up in her arms.

' I'm coming home, sempu ' she thought.

"We're coming home"