Te'rani was patrolling around the reef to look for Lo'ak. Neytiri had gone in another direction to look for him.
Te'rani was very close to the outskirts of the reef.
She was with Ayu'te, looking out into the opening outside the reef.
She stared at that place, and saw something big splash in the water. And if that wasn't enough, she heard a loud whistle. One only a tulkun could make.
She squinted her eyes, and made Ayu'te go closer, only to find a boy swimming towards her, but behind him something much larger seemed to swim away.
Te'rani recognized it immediately. Payakan.
So it was true.
For some reason, Te'rani was still shocked. It was Payakan himself, swimming away and from the reef.
Lo'ak swam towards her and waved his arms.
"Hey!" He tried to get her attention.
Te'rani shook her head and led Ayu'te closer to him.
She reached her hand out to help him, which he took and got onto Ayu'te's back.
"Are you alright?" She asked him. Lo'ak nodded. "Yeah"
"Hold on" she told him before speeding back towards the village.
She didn't speak at all, she was lost in her thoughts.
Her visions were true. They were actually true.
So he and Payakan did meet. And they were becoming friends.
Her heart was telling her that Payakan wasn't a mindless killer.
Her vision didn't show him hurting Lo'ak. Eywa had showed her that Payakan wasn't who everyone believed him to be.
People saw Te'rani and Lo'ak behind her.
"The Forest boy has returned!" Someone shouted.
Te'rani stopped Ayu'te right infront of a platform leading to the mauries, where many other Metkayina people were there.
She let Lo'ak get off first. He placed a hand on her shoulder to get up and looked at her.
He motioned "I see you" to and Te'rani did the same before he turned.
Lo'ak looked around at the people till he saw Ao'nung.
Lo'ak looked like he was going to go straight to pounce on Ao'nung when Neytiri stepped in out of nowhere.
She grabbed his shoulders and looked around him for any injuries. When she found none, she hissed.
"I pray for the strength that I do not pluck the eyes out of my youngest son" She said and motioned her hand to scratch his face, to which he just leaned away lazily with a roll of his eyes.
"No, this is my son's fault" Tonowari spoke from behind her.
He held Ao'nung's neck and pushed him down on his knees.
"The blame is his" Tonowari finished.
Neytiri looked at the boy. She sighed and nodded, probably just wanting to get this over with. They were in a tough situation. They were guests here.
Neytiri looked at Lo'ak before beginning to get on the bouncy path to the mauries.
But Lo'ak began speaking.
"...No, it is my fault, this was my idea, Ao'nung tried to talk me out of it, but I didn't listen, really" He said.
Te'rani stood infront of him, below her sister with a totally confused face.
She turned to Neteyam, who bent down next to Tonowari. They shared a confused look.
"Lo'ak!" Neytiri glared in warning and he followed her this time.
They walked with Neteyam a little further away.
Te'rani now stood beside Tonowari, still looking back to where Neytiri took her sons.
"Is this true?" Ronal asked Ao'nung, who only looked down in silence. He shook his head slightly.
Ronal hissed in frustration.
Tonowari looked at his Ao'nung.
"You disappointed me, boy" He said with a sigh.
Te'rani was still looking at Neytiri, Lo'ak and Neteyam.
She saw Lo'ak walking away and Neytiri looking at Neteyam.
She said something that Te'rani couldn't hear. Neteyam hung his head low after that.
He was probably being blamed for this.
Te'rani felt bad for him. It wasn't his fault that this happened, not at all.
The person's who's fault it was walked past her to Lo'ak, Te'rani caught his wrist before he could leave.
Ao'nung turned.
"Apologize to him and his siblings. You do not want to know what happens if these things are repeated"
Ao'nung nodded wordlessly.
Te'rani let go of his hand and saw him walk to Lo'ak.
_________________________________________
The next day, Te'rani went to see Neytiri in the morning. All her children were off with Tsireya and Ao'nung now.
Te'rani was on Ayu'te, she was at the spot where she had talked to Kiri the other day.
"Tiri!" She called.
Te'rani saw Neytiri peak her head Out of the walls of the mauri curiously.
"T'ani?" She smiled and got up. She began walking to where Te'rani was.
"Hey" Te'rani smiled when Neytiri got closer.
"Come on, I want to show you something" she looked up at Neytiri from her seated position on Ayu'te.
Neytiri smiled at her and bent down to get on Ayu'te's back.
Te'rani immediately sped off, causing Neytiri to hold her thigh for support.
Sparks flew in her chest and her eyes flew from one direction to another, Which was a reaction Neytiri didn't fully notice.
Neytiri moved her hands away and instead placed them on Her shoulders with a little smile on her face.
Te'rani's heart beated quicker than her ilu swam.
She stayed above the water on Ayu'te, leading her to the little pools of water on the reef barrier.
She loved going there, it was a great place to go to with friends.
It was also the place where a particular group of friends were. Neytiri's children, Tsireya, Ao'nung and Rotxo were there too.
Te'rani had no idea about that as she kept going towards the pools.
She felt warm inside because of Neytiri's simple grip on her shoulder.
Neytiri looked around till her eyes landed on the large area. Bright blue pools of water were leveled above and below eachother.
She recognized this place from when she first flew over with her family on the ikrans.
"We're here" Te'rani smiled and turned a little to see Neytiri looking at the place in wonder.
Her bright yellow eyes flickered from one direction to another, taking in the area.
Te'rani looked at Neytiri with hearts in her eyes.
She knew she stared for a little too long when Neytiri looked at her. Te'rani smiled and averted her gaze back to the front.
Ayu'te slowed down and made a few loud clicks.
Te'rani disconnected her queue from the ilu and got off her back.
"Come" She said to Neytiri before diving into the water to swim to the pools.
Neytiri took in a breath before following.
Once Te'rani reached a little rock she could stand on, she got to her feet and looked at the pool infront of her. It was empty, but it wasn't where she wanted to go.
She stepped into the pool, but continued walking forward.
Te'rani turned and saw Neytiri copy her actions.
"Just a little ahead" Te'rani said and began walking up carefully.
Neytiri placed her leg firmly on the thin wood that divided the pools.
Te'rani turned and gave her a hand.
Neytiri looked at her for a second. She smiled greatfully at her and took it, lifting herself up.
But Te'rani's grip wasn't strong enough and lost her balance, falling into the pool with a loud yelp, taking Neytiri down with her.
In the water, Neytiri fell next to her and air bubbles kept escaping her mouth as she laughed.
Te'rani immediatly pushed her head out of the water and gasped for breath, Neytiri copying her actions.
Neytiri was laughing loudly. Te'rani looked at her before covering her face with her hands in embarassment and laughing too.
"Are you okay?" Neytiri spoke in na'vi. Te'rani easily understood and nodded her head.
"Yes" Te'rani laughed.
Te'rani placed her hand on Neytiri's shoulder. She had a habit of adding physical contact to any apology she made.
"Sorry!" Te'rani apologized with a sheepish smile.
Neytiri shook her head with a smile, silently telling her it was okay.
She got up and Te'rani did too. They continued on their way.
Te'rani kept walking up and up, she wanted to go all the way up to where the end of the pools were, because from there she always got the best view.
Neytiri began to walk and head up faster. This was an advantage the forest na'vi had, being able to climb, run and swing on just about anything.
Te'rani turned to find Neytiri right next to her. She was fast on her feet.
They shared a smile and continued racing up to the end.
As they went, they didn't notice two pairs of eyes on them.
Kiri and Neteyam saw them from afar. They and the rest of the group was here, talking about a Tulkun that Lo'ak had met.
Kiri saw it first, she noticed her mother and then her eyes landed on Te'rani. She smiled.
Neteyam seemed to notice it and turned to see what she was looking at while the rest were invested in listening to what Lo'ak was saying.
Neteyam recognized Te'rani immediately. His mother climbed next to her, a smile on her face.
He noticed how happy she made his mother. Even at home when they'd eat and the end of the day, Neytiri would be in a better mood after spending time with her.
It was like he was seeing this side of His mother that was almost cut off from their family for so long.
Climbing up the pools reminded Neytiri of climbing around trees back in her home.
Te'rani stopped once and let Neytiri go infront of her. Both Kiri and Neteyam could see the absolute heart eyes She gave their mother.
Te'rani watched Neytiri go ahead a little and turn. She smiled at her and waited for te'rani to catch up.
Neteyam was pleasantly surprised, Kiri too noticed him watching and smiled.
Neteyam saw as Te'rani began to race Neytiri up. She was quick at climbing for a Metkayina, but of course, not as fast as his mother.
Still, Te'rani too knew how to climb relatively well.
Very quickly, Neytiri reached the top.
Neteyam took his eyes off them and smiled softly at Kiri, who did the same.
Now Neytiri lended Te'rani a hand to lift her up.
They were on the top edge of the pools.
From there, they could see the dark blue ocean. It was vast.
Neytiri gasped softly as she took in the view.
Te'rani smiled at the ocean and then at her.
From where the kids sat, Lo'ak and Tsireya now also saw Te'rani and Neytiri.
It was hard to not notice a dark blue figure amongst the other light green.
Tsireya smlied slightly. Lo'ak stared at his Mother and Te'rani for a while.
Tsireya had just told Lo'ak that Payakan was a killer. No one believed him when he said otherwise.
Neteyam placed his hands on Lo'ak's shoulders with a smile.
"My baby bro...a mighty warrior who saw a killer tulkun and lived to tell the tale"
Lo'ak looked down and pushed Neteyam's hands off his shoulder.
"You guys are not listening"
"Lo'ak I'm listening!" Little Tuk said.
"Lo'ak come back" Kiri called him.
Lo'ak walked away, glancing at his mother and Te'rani, who still had no ides of their presence.
As the sun went down, Te'rani went back to Neytiri's mauri and spent some time with her, listening to her talk about the forest.