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It had been a day since Kiri's seizure. Neytiri had explained everything to Koänä and Lo'ak that next morning and both siblings couldn't help but feel guilty they weren't there to be able to help Kiri or Neteyam in such a stressful moment. Their parents had to continue to reassure that it was not something they needed to feel guilty about since they had no idea of what happened. Jake did quiz Koänä on where the two were but she simply told her father that her little brother and herself needed time together since they have not had it lately. He bought it. So she spent the remainder of the day with Tonowari, Trítön, and a couple of the Metkayina warriors, training.
It was the day after that when all of the Sully family were in their pod. The family stayed close to Kiri, all of them were scared something would happen but Kiri kept silent the whole time.
A horn blasting outside brought them to a stop. Koänä and Neteyam looked at one another with confused looks. She heard yelling and walked out with Tuk and her parents trailing behind her.
" The tulkun have arrived!" Tsireya was swimming throughout the water, yelling at her people while waving. " Everybody! Our brothers and sisters have returned!"
Koänä and Neteyam looked at each other again with matching grins, both of them saying, " Wicked."
They watched as Lo'ak got onto the back of Tsireya's ilu, completely smitten. Koänä smirked before Neteyam called an ilu. One came swimming up and both of the oldest Sully siblings got on. The ilu started to go away as Koänä yelled at Tuk to tell Kiri and get her out to see.
Koänä was admiring all of the gorgeous tulkun swimming into the reef and meeting with their spirit brothers and sisters. Something grabbed her hand from under the water and dragged her under.
Koänä yelled in surprise before landing in the water and looking to see Trítön widely smiling at her. She smiled back immediately.
" Come. I want you to meet my spirit brother, Riko." He signed to her and she nodded, getting on the back of his ilu. She wrapped her arms around his torso tightly and he gripped her thigh with his hand, speeding off.
One of the prettiest tulkun came into her view. She assumed it was Riko by the way Trítön was practically shaking with excitement. They both got off of the ilu and swam towards the tulkun.
" I need to get air first . Have your moment with him." Koäna signed. Trítön nodded and swam toward Riko. What Koänä said was a lie. She did not need air. The girl simply wanted Trítön to encounter his tulkun before she met him.
Back under water Riko was eyeing Trítön watching a dark blue girl swim back up. Once Trítön turned to his spirit brother, he rolled his eyes.
" Riko! It is good to see you brother!" He signed. He talked with his tulkun a while.
" So there's this girl."
Riko now gave all of his attention to Trítön. He watched as his spirit brother had grown a bit red in the cheeks and his eyes dazed over as if he was talking about a dream he had.
" She's gorgeous. Her eyes are like no other I have seen before. She...She has this personality that I cannot begin to express in words. Loyal, protective, loving, funny, fierce, all that. She has five fingers. You can tell it is something she is insecure of but she'd never admit that. I love them though. It makes her all the more special. And her heart, bro, she has the most gorgeous heart ever. She's kind. A warrior too." Trítön rambled on about the girl, not noticing how his spirit brother was trying to say something back.
"You are in love."
Those words hit Trítön like an akula coming at him full force. Was he in love with her? I mean, sure, he loved every single thing about Koänä. Who wouldn't? The girl was truly a gift sent from Eywa. He loved the way she'd smirk when she won a fight. The way she protects her family with such a passion. The way her eyes lit up when she got to go under the water and see the ocean. He loves the way she smiles at him.
Koänä swam back down to Trítön and Riko. She smiled at Riko before signing her name and telling him how it was an honor to meet him. She didn't notice the way Trítön was looking at her when she'd communicate with his brother. But she did notice how he seemed to be in a daze when she swam to them. It scared her. Did he not want her to meet Riko in the end?
Koänä's attention was taken away from Riko and Trítön when she saw Kiri and Tuk on a fin of a tulkun with Rotxo. Her heart swelled with joy as she encountered her sister's giant smiles. She looked around and noticed Lo'ak with Tsireya and her spirit sister. Neteyam was with Ao'nung, meeting his spirit brother. The moment was one Koänä was bound to never forget.
Jake and Neytiri were going by on an ilu, watching all of their children with someone from the Metkayina clan. Jake would never forget the image of Trítön's arm around their eldest daughter's waist while she was talking to Riko. Neytiri also saw this and smiled gently. She saw the way both of them looked at each other, it was the way she'd look at Jake and Jake would look at her. It was a love that has been unnoticed by the people in it.
Koänä noticed a tulkun by herself, floating a bit farther away from the group. She frowned before tapping Trítön's hand that was on her waist. He let go and she began swimming toward the tulkun. He watched with a smile on his face.
" Hello." Was the only thing Koänä could think to say.
" You are not from here." The tulkun assumed right away and Koänä nodded.
" I am from the forest. My family and I have been seeking uturu here. My name is Koänä."
Koänä grinned.
" I am Meinu."
Koänä brought her hand to her forehead and back down. " I see you, Meinu."
Meinu flicked her fin up a bit, signaling for Koänä to get on. The girl swam and gently grabbed onto it and suddenly she was being brought around the water with a smile. They surfaced and Koänä caught her breath, inhaling the air. She saw Neteyam and yelled his name. He swam over, introducing himself to Meinu. The two siblings had grabbed on tightly and they went back under water. Koänä couldn't remember when Tuk and Kiri joined them but they did and the four were soaring through the ocean. Lo'ak grabbed onto the flipper at the end and they all shared smiles. Meinu continued to swim above and under the water, having the time of her life with the new people.
Tuk, Kiri, Neteyam, and Lo'ak all left their older sister with the Tulkun as the sky began to get darker so they went to eat. Koänä did not feel done with being with Meinu. They now were above the water with Koänä swimming beside Meinu's side.
" So there must be a boy."
Koänä chuckled and signed, " Maybe there is."
" Do not leave me like that, Koänä."
" His name is Trítön-" Koänä was interrupted by Meinu blowing water out of her blowhole, excited. The girl jokingly rolled her eyes. " Anyway, I think there is I feel something for him."
" Tell me more."
" I don't know where to start. I love his smile. It makes me feel really warm inside and like I never want to go without seeing it. He has this look when he's happy, I can kind of just tell he is, but his dimples pop out a lot when he is. I love how he isn't afraid to fight for anything. If he knows it is right, he will use his knowledge to fight for it. He's very wise. Do not get me started on his looks. Great Eywa, I nearly faint when he looks at me with that stupid smirk on his face."
Koänä continued and continued, not recognizing Meinu letting out a happy wave of air from her blow hole.
Time had passed since Koänä was with Meinu. She truly loved that tulkun. Meinu told her how there has been no one to become her spirit sister but it felt like that changed today. Koänä did not pick up on the fact Meinu meant her. Now Koänä was walking back to her pod.
Trítön was sitting with his mother back in their pod. " You should've seen her with Riko, mother! He loved her, he doesn't love anyone!"
Ronal chuckled. It was true, Riko was one of the few tulkun to not like anyone beside his spirit brother. It was a near miracle to Ronal that Riko liked Koänä.
" And she swam over to Meinu and they spent hours together. At one point I think I saw all of her siblings on Meinu's fin." Trítön mentioned Meinu and Ronal's head snapped to her son.
" Meinu?" She sharply asked.
It was known that there has been no one able to connect with Meinu on such a level that the tulkun to stick around for hours. She was shocked once again by the Sully girl.
Trítön had continued talking about the day before his mother silenced him with her hand. He looked at her confused.
" Trítön, what do you feel for this girl?" Her simple question made him freeze slightly. He just stared at his mother, not knowing what answer will please her. Ronal sighed.
" Take her to the Tree of Spirits tonight."
" What?" Trítön asked.
" Allow her to connect with Eywa. It seems to be that you two have some things that you need to notice. May Eywa help you see them, my boy." With one final smile, Ronal gestured for him to go away.
Trítön went to Koänä's pod in hopes of finding her but when he saw it was empty, the boy couldn't help but wonder where she had gone. He began to walk away when he saw her walking toward it.
" Koä!" He called her. The girl looked at him with a grin. He gestured her toward him.
" You up for an adventure?"
Koänä looked at him confused, she looked at the sky before pointing to it. It was nearly completely dark. Trítön only smiled and grabbed her hand, tugging her away. They passed Lo'ak and Tsireya on the way.
" Where are you going?" Lo'ak stood in front of them with his arms crossed, looking at Trítön with a glare once he saw their interlocked hands.
" Lo'ak, leave them be." Tsireya giggled from behind him. The boy rolled his eyes before walking again with her by his side.
Koänä chuckled before Trítön tugged her forward again. The girl's eyes widened as she nearly lost her footing. She slapped his arm and he looked down at her with a smirk.
" Guess you nearly fell for me." Was all he said, choosing to ignore the panicked look on her face.
Jokes on you...
Koänä thought. The two neared a beach where Trítön called for ilu's. The animals slithered toward them and Trítön got on one first. The girl gave him a questionable look, which he only gestured for her to hurry up. She huffed before getting on Nala, the ilu diving in the water after Koänä instructed her to follow Trítön and his ilu.
Once they came above water for breath, Koänä finally asked, " Sea boy, where are we going?"
Trítön gave her a look at the new nickname to which she only laughed back at him.
" You trust me?"
" More than I'd like."
" Then trust me with this."
Once again the two were back under the water. They neared a cave and Koänä looked at the sky, seeing it was completely dark now. She took a deep breath as nerves shot through her body. Koänä didn't understand why all of the sudden she was so nervous to be alone somewhere with Trítön but she was.
" We're here." His voice was soft now as he glanced back at Koänä.
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this chapter made me sweat.
what.the.shit
IM NERVOUS NO ONE IS GOING TO LIKE THE NEXT CHAPTER EITHER BECAUSE I BUSTED MY ASS OFF FOR IT