Little Miss Perfect | Neteyam¹

Chapter 17: Cove of the Ancestors

The group continued as it grew darker and darker, and Marali had to wait for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. She gaped at the bioluminescence that was in the water below them. The more she explored the Metkayina clan, the more she grew to love it.

"This is it," Tsireya announced as all of them got off their ilus and swam to a specific location. Marali looked down at a giant tree below the water. "This is our spirit tree." She told them as she motioned to the tree below.

Kiri smiled as she looked at the tree below them. She was finally going to be able to see her mom again.

As they continued to swim under the water, she knew that she was going to have to thank Tsireya again for teaching her the breathing technique that she was using. When she reached the spirit tree, she felt a sense of peace wash over her. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Rotxo helping Tuk connect her queue.

She loved her dad and the Sully family, but when she connected to the spirit tree, she felt like she truly belonged. It was one of the reasons she and Kiri got along so well because Kiri felt the same way.

As Marali connected her queue, she closed her eyes, and all she saw was a white light.

Marali smiled as she saw she was back at the home tree Neytiri often told her stories about. Anytime she came to see her dad, this was where she would see him. It was his favorite place in the entire forest.

She walked through the home tree and saw her father making an arrow. Marali recognized it as one of her most prized possessions that she had made into a necklace and never took off.

"Dad?" She called out.

The girl's father looked up at her and ran over to pull her into a hug. "My daughter." He said. Her father pulled back from the hug and looked at her to take in her appearance.

"You've grown." The man said. Marali nodded as she laughed.

As the man looked at his daughter, his smile dropped. "Dad? What's wrong?" Marali asked. He seemed happy to see her at first, but it was like a switch was suddenly flipped. Her father grabbed her hand and pulled her along with him as they went through the home tree.

"Dad! Where are you taking me?" Marali asked again, hoping for an answer. However, the man still decided to ignore her as they made it out of the home tree. When they made it out of the home tree, Marali saw a woman kneeling and looking at the plants.

The mysterious woman looked up at Marali and then over to Marali's father. After Marali saw her father nod, the woman got up and walked over to Marali. The woman brought her hand up to Marali's face and closed her eyes.

"Marali?" She spoke.

"W- Who are you?" Marali stuttered, confused as to why someone she'd never seen before was touching her.

"Do you really not recognize me?" She asked. Marali looked the woman up and down and noticed the birthmark on her left wrist. It was the same as Marali's. "Mom?" Marali questioned.

The woman smiled at her daughter in confirmation. Marali jumped into the woman's arms and started to cry. "I missed you so much. Why have you never come to see me before?" Marali choked out between sobs.

"Shh. That will come in due time, but I need to talk to you, Marali." Her mother soothed. Marali's mom pulled away from the hug and sighed. "Marali." The mother says as she looks at her daughter. "You need to be careful, okay?"

Marali laughed at her mom's warning. "I'm always careful." She said with a grin. Marali's mother shook her head and sat her daughter down. "No, you need to be careful, okay? Something's coming. Protect yourself and everyone you love. You are more powerful than you know." Her mother continued.