Leaving the forest wasn't as hard as Imala thought it was going to be.
Knowing she didn't have any close relationships, or family, to say goodbye towards made it so much easier.
Imala also reminded herself that moving to Awa'atlu meant she had plenty of chances to finally make friends, and learn more skills that will help better and protect herself.
Flying on Tswal, Imala could sense the tension from Neytiri. Neytiri had never liked Imala, she thought Imala was a nuisance and bad influence on her children. Without parents, Imala had nobody to control and teach her. Neytiri only put up with Imala because Jake had a strong connection with the girl.
It had took so much influencing from Jake, and her children, to allow Imala on their moving — one in which she finally agreed to.
The flight was long and Imala felt as if she was going to die of dehydration, or exhaustion.
However, all those feelings washed away once Awa'atlu came into sight.
Awa'atlu was filled with colours of yellow, blue and green. The water was extremely clear, showing the colourful reef beneath the surface and the many rocks attatched to the ocean ground. "Wow," Imala breathed out, looking around her before following Jake as she landed onto a patch of free sand.
Jumping from Tswal, Imala couldn't help but giggle when her toes satisfyingly dug into the sand beneath her. "This is fun!" Tuk announced, leaving Neytiri's side and holding onto Imala's hand instead.
Neteyam and Lo'ak inched towards Imala and Tuk, Neteyam settling his hand to rest on Imala's lower back.
She flicked her eyes to him, noticing he was too busy staring at the Metkayina people.
"Be nice," Neytiri told them all. Imala nodded her head, feeling as Neteyam released his touch on her to place his arms into the air, copying Jake. "Is that necessary?" She asked Lo'ak before the boy sighed, nodding his head.
Imala looked down at herself, feeling insecure as the Metkayina's judged them all. She moved her white skirt, making it cover her entire legs.
Neteyam noticed this, his face dropping before his eyes narrowed towards the Metkayina children that began to circle them because he knew that made Imala more uncomfortable. "Look, what is that? Is that supposed to be a tail?" The smaller one asked as he stared at their tails, noticing a significant size difference between them.
Imala curled her eyebrows, grabbing her tail to hide it from the two boys.
"Stop," Imala told them, watching as the two backed off. However, she couldn't help notice the stare coming from the taller one.
A girl inched towards them, Imala noticing her pretty appearance instantly. "Do not, Ao'nung — Rotxo," She warned them, slapping their skin to keep them from mimicking their body anymore.
"Hey," Lo'ak spoke to her, Imala watching as she chuckled and smiled in response. "You like her. . ." Imala teased Lo'ak, playfully pushing him with her arm. Lo'ak glared at Imala, ears dropping before he smiled and looked away again causing Neteyam and herself to snicker.
Suddenly, Jake looked at the laughing Na'vi's as the chief — Tonowari — landed atop of the patch of sand before walking towards them.
"I see you, Tonowari."
"Jake Sully."
They all moved their hands from their forehead, a classic sign for 'I see you.'
Imala watched as another Metkayina inched closer to them, seeing the small and barely noticeable bump that was on her stomach. She frowned, knowing it was Ronal and she wasn't afraid to be tough on them if it meant keeping the reef people safe.
"I see you, Ronal, Tsahìk of the Metkayina's," Jake introduced before Ronal squinted her eyes, staring at the family before her. "I see you," Neytiri told her.
Imala stood awkwardly, knowing that the confused look at Ronal's face didn't mean good.
Tonowari began to speak: "Why do you come to us, Jake Sully?"
Tuk's hand tightened around Imala, making her pick Tuk up and rest on her hip. Tuk buried her face into Imala's chest, her nerves running higher with every second.
"We seek Uturu!" Jake announced as his arms reached the air, Imala sucking in a deep breath before Tuk whimpered slightly. "Uturu?" Ronal questioned in complete shock.
Nothing about this seemed good.
"A sanctuary for my family," Jake told them, Ronal moving closer to them so she could inspect their different appearance. "We are reef people, you are forest people. Your skills will mean nothing here. . ." Tonowari explained before Ronal met Imala's face, inspecting and nodding to herself once realising Imala wasn't even their daughter. Tuk looked up at Imala, eyes scanning her features.
Jake turned to look at them all: "We will learn your ways, right?"
Ronal picked up Tuk's arms and showing it to herself. "Their arms are thin. Their tails are weak. You will be slow in the water," Ronal looked at Kiri's hands before showing them to the other Metkayina's, "These children are not even true Na'vi!"
Imala sighed, stepping back into Neteyam's body and resting her head onto his flesh as Ronal began to inch closer to them.
She placed Tuk onto the floor, Tuk immediately running towards Neytiri and Jake.
Ronal saw Imala rest on Neteyam's body, noticing how they weren't afraid to show affection to one another. "Yes, we are!" Kiri responsed to Ronal.
The Tsahìk pulled Lo'ak's hands into the air, spreading his fingers apart. "They have demon blood!" Imala heard as they all began to hiss at Lo'ak, noticing his head being hung to the side to avoid ashamed eye contact.
"Look," Jake held his hand out to Ronal to show his unusual amount of fingers, "Look! I was born to the Sky People and now I am Na'vi. You can adapt, we will adapt, okay?"
"My husband was Toruk Makto. He led the clans to victory against the Sky People," Imala smiled at Neytiri's proudness towards Jake. Although, Jake didn't feel the same as he pulled his expression into a cringe.
Neteyam's fingers stroked against Imala's skin, his palm resting on her waist once noticing Ao'nung staring at them.
Imala didn't even realise, too intrigued in the commotion before her. "This you call victory? Hiding amongst strangers? It seems Eywa has turned her back on you, Chosen One," Ronal explained which caused Neytiri to hiss at her, something she returned.
Imala pulled away from Neteyam, glancing up at mine because of his mother's actions. He pulled his bottom lip into his teeth, chewing slightly. "I apologise for my mate—" Jake began to talk.
"Do not apologise for me," Neytiri interrupted him.
Jake turned to look at her, ears falling down at her words, "—She has flown a long way and is exhausted." Neytiri stared at him with daggers: "Jake!"
Imala sighed as she watched Tonowari look at his mate, feeling slightly embarrassed over the situation that had just happened. "Toruk Makto is a great war leader! All Na'vi people know his story but we, Metkayina, are not at war. We can not let you bring your war here," Tonowari explained as Jake picked Tuk into his arms. She was clueless, too young to understand what was happening within this conversation. For now, all she had to do was trust the small group of Omatikaya surrounding her.
Jake protected Tuk's head: "I'm done with war. Okay? I just wanna keep my family safe."
"Uturu has been asked," Neytiri said.
Tonowari and Ronal talked through their expressions. Imala couldn't tell what the answer was going to be, and it made her more nervous.
The Chief turned to his people, stabbing his weapon into the sand, "Toruk Makto and his family will stay with us. Treat them as our brothers and sisters, but they do not know the sea. So, they will be like babies taking their first breath. Teach them our ways so that they do not suffer the shame of being useless!"
Relief covered Imala after hearing those words fall from Tonowari's mouth. Knowing she didn't have to suffer in treating another bullet wound again, or any serious wound for that matter.
They were all finally going to be safe.
"What do we say?" Jake asked them all, making them all reply with: "Thank you."