"Everybody. Our brothers and sister have returned" Tsireya called out from the ocean.
Tuk came running to Kiri and I, pulling the two of us along, trying to get us to see what all the commotion was.
Massive sea creatures started to fill into the reef, Na'vi of all ages rushing to meet them.
In the distance I could see Ao'nung. To me he stood out like a bright flower in a dark forest.
Ever since my revelation of my liking towards him he had stood out.
"Come on" Tuk shouted. Kiri dove into the water, Tuk and I were not far behind.
I called Grace and rode off after seeing Tuk holding on behind Kiri.
I couldn't believe my eyes. The creatures were beautiful. These were the Tulkun that my siblings and I had been told so much about.
As I sat above the surface, I felt the water ripple below me from all the commotion. So much so that I couldn't feel or hear Ao'nung sneak up behind me, is spirit brother in tow.
What I didn't see was how he pointed and spoke so fondly of me. How he told his spirit brother about who I was. What he felt towards me. He laid his heart out to the Tulkun, leaving no feeling out.
×××
One thing that did stand out to me was the way the Metkayina Clan and the Tulkun bonded. How they spoke to one another. How they sang and dance together. How they would not leave any detail out.
It was true bondage.
It was why animals were just...better than anyone else.
They were pure and loving and they weren't afraid to show it.
So when the Tulkun had to leave, it was a sad time.
Not knowing who would still be there in the next visit or who would be gone. Not knowing if it would be the last goodbye.
My family and I sat in our Marui, watching as the people of the Metkayina Clan slowly made their way home in the dark. Some cried as they left their spirit sister or brother.
"Well. I almost feel bad to celebrate your birthday tomorrow" Jake said, walking to his mate, looking to Kiri and I.
I was quite nervous for my birthday. I had always stressed about the present I was to be giving Kiri. Worried she wouldn't approve of it. Might not like it.
I had shown Ao'nung the finished product just a few hours earlier while the Na'vi were singing and dancing around fires, the Tulkun joining in the water.
He was amazed at it. Holding it in his hands carefully. "It's beautiful, Monkey lover... She will love it"
Ao'nung had never been able to let go of calling me 'monkey lover'. I had caught on calling him 'fish lover' purely to mock him with his stupid made up names.
"What will we do. It's not like I can do our normal tradition" Kiri mumbled, wrapping her knees in her arms, hiding her face from her family.
"Maybe do something I want" I whispered, hoping no one heard my complaint.
On birthdays we would always head to the The Tree of Souls and connect with the tree. We would spend hours there. It was Kiri's favourite thing to do.
But she could no longer connect to the spirit tree in case she were to have another seizure.
She was feeling quite down about it actually. And no one knew how to cheer her up.
In all honesty, I wished to yell at her. Tell her off.
Every birthday we had to go and connect. Do what she wanted. Spend all the time she wanted with the tree of souls.
She knew I couldn't connect with Eywa but we still spent half of our birthday there. Never once considering what I wanted to do.
"Well we can always make new traditions" Tuk called out, trying to comfort Kiri.
"Maybe we could swim out to the ocean and all commune with Eywa together. Or in the forest" Neteyam said, patting Kiri's back before heading to our mother to help set up our beds.
"Or maybe do something together. Where we can all talk and celebrate together...like we normally do" I said quietly. This time, however, was a little too loud. Kiri had heard.
"What's that meant to mean?" She asked, looking up, a mean and annoyed look in her eyes.
Everyone was looking now. Everyone looked mad. Upset for Kiri.
"Nothing" I mumbled back. Standing up and leaving the Marui. The hate in the room was too much. The anger in everyone's eyes for upsetting Kiri more.
Of course that wasn't true at all. Everyone was just concerned for Kiri and confused at why she was angry at me. They just wanted more information on the situation.
×××
I had woken up on my birthday alone. Well not entirely. I had Iggy next to me.
Grace in the water not far off.
I had left the island that night. Too annoyed at my twin.
Everyone felt sorry for her. Everyone worried for her.
So she couldn't connect with the spirit tree. Welcome to my life.
At least she could still feel the great mother. At least she could sense she was real.
At least she knew she was real.
But I woke up with a new state of mind. I was going to leave it all behind.
Other than the hours spent with Eywa, Kiri and I actually spent time together. We had our own traditions. And I planned on keeping it that way.
I flew back to the familiar beach, landing down and heading to the Marui where I hoped Kiri would be feeling better.
Even though I was angry with her, I still hated seeing her so upset.
I walked up and into the Marui, my whole family sitting together, chatting happily. Kiri did seem to be a little better.
"Seze" my mother jumped up and wrapped me in her arms, a smile on her face. "My birthday girl." She whispered , stroking my hair.
"Happy birthday Seze" my siblings chanted, ignoring my missing whereabouts.
I looked to Kiri. She gave me a small smile, placing her hand in my ankle as I walked closer to her.
"Happy birthday sister" she said with a smile. I nodded back at her, crouching down beside her, squeezing her arm in return.
I felt the day just might go well.
Not long after our big birthday breakfast, Kiri grabbed my arm.
"How about we go for our ride?" Kiri asked, standing and holding her hand out to me. I let her pull me up and we headed to the ikran.
Kiri flew straight while I weaved and swerved around her. We would call out together. We would laugh together.
But soon that happiness was over.
We landed down on one of the branches of the large trees by the Clan. Alone.
"I'm sorry about last night. I'm just upset we can't connect with Eywa"
"You mean you" I replied.
And there it was. That anger.
We. What did that mean.
It wasn't as though we connected to Eywa.
I connected to the tree of souls but nothing every happened. I never felt anything.
Usually I would sit alone while watching Kiri connect for what felt like hours on end.
"I mean we" she snapped back.
"You do know that when I connect nothing...happens, right?"
"Yeah, but you still connect-"
"What don't you understand, Kiri. I don't feel anything. There is nothing. Dark." I snapped back.
She looked shocked at my tone. My words. She needed to hear it. But I felt I had spoken too much. Been too rude. I didn't want her to be upset with me for the rest of our birthday.
"At least now maybe we can spend more time together" I spoke quietly, hoping she would take my words the right way.
She did not.
"Seriously?" She asked, her voice laces in pain and betrayal. "You are being so selfish. All you can think about in my time of pain is yourself."
I said nothing. I couldn't. My sister had never been so angry at me.
It was almost as though it wasn't her sitting next to me.
"Just leave alright." She mumbled, turing in her spot so her back was facig me. "I can't look at you. Not when you are being so selfish."
×××
I placed the small bag on Iggy's saddle. My few special belongings hidden inside.
Was I over reacting.
Probably.
Did I care.
No.
My sister - my twin - was angry with me.
The one person I cared for more than life itself. She was upset with me and I didn't know how to react.
She told me to leave so that is what I was doing.
"Going somewhere?" A voice called out. My head snapped up to Ao'nung. He was walking over slowly, his hands behind his back. He was holding onto something. "Happy birthday" he smiled.
He was so clueless.
I smiled at him and nodded low. It was so easy to smile at his happiness. His calm feel he brought with him.
"I um...well..." Ao'nung couldn't get his words out. He wanted to say something. Do something. But he didn't know how.
Eventually he let out a sigh and dropped in his head, quickly bringing his arms around to show a beautiful arrow.
I looked up to him in shock.
"Happy birthday, Seze" he mumbled, much less confident. I took the arrow out of his hands and examined it.
It had a twisted wood body. Carvings of my Metkayina story. A stone arrow head. String and beads decorating it.
In the end, a big red, orange and yellow feather. The exact colours of Iggy.
"Did you make this?" I asked, taking a closer look at the carvings.
"Yeah. Tsireya helped me carve out your story but I made the rest"
I looked up to him. He looked worried. Unsure if I would like it or not.
"Ao'nung...thank you." I looked down at the arrow again. I couldn't believe it.
"You like it?"
"Like it? I love it" I replied.
It was the first present and probably the only present I would receive for this birthday. And I wasn't complaining. The fact that Ao'nung had gone out of his way to make this for me made me like him even more.
"You are going somewhere aren't you" the smile previous on his face had dropped when seeing Iggy.
I said nothing, just continued to stare at the arrow he had given me.
"Where are you going?" He asked. He sounded panicked. Angry even. "Seze, where are you going?"
He looked down to me, holding onto my shoulders as though he wanted to shake me out of the idea.
I had hoped not to be confronted by anyone, knowing I wouldn't be able to explain.
"Please don't try to stop me" I whispered once finally working up the courage. "I need to do this"
I looked up to him. I could see the disappointment. I could see the upset. I could see the worry.
I could see it all.
The feeling.
Identical to mine.
×××
Ao'nung POV:
As I walked past the Sully's Marui, I saw Kiri. She was alone in their home, knelt on the floor, something in her hands.
I slowed and stood at the entrance, waiting for Kiri to realise I was there.
"Ao'nung." She whispered, turning around to look at me.
There in her hand was a beautiful arrow. The one I had watched be created with care and love.
"Where is she?"
"...Gone"