The clan stood around my family as we boarded our Ikran.
I laughed while Tsireya attempted to mount her Ikran. She had bonded with her Ikran, 'eylan, just a few months ago. And she was still getting used to flying.
"safe travels" Tonowari called out, my father nodding back to the olo'eyktan with a smile.
Tonowari and Ronal were to travel with us, but there had been accidents with a hunt a few days before we were supposed to be leaving.
We were heading back to the forest, back to the Omatikaya clan. We had received word from the clan, hoping to see us and to catch up for a few days.
We had not been back to the clan for over 2 years.
I turned to see Ao'nung who was comfortably mounted on his Ikran. He had named her Suki. He seemed much more comfortable flying than his sister was.
I watched while Ao'nung was given his son. He looked at him with a smile before tucking the baby away in the cloth he had wrapped around himself.
Ao'nung was just as scared as I was when I had told him. He was quite upset about the whole thing to start with. Denying it over and over till he was told about the 20th time by both me and his mother.
Then he was angry. Not at me but himself. He continuously asked how he could allow it to happen. It wasn't apart of his plan yet. Sure he wanted kids but not so soon.
But his mother was right. He did not leave my side once and he never intended on making me raise the child myself.
It wasn't until a good month after he found out that he had actually accepted it.
It was his after all.
He had woke up in the middle of the night and shook me awake. He was almost in tears.
"we are having a child" he whispered. A smile just appearing on his lips.
He spent the rest of the pregnancy excited about what I was going to be bringing into the world. Rotxo had told me that my mate constantly told him how excited he was to be a father.
We still had our worries of being as young as we were and having a child, but we both had families that we knew would help us through just about anything.
I smile to myself before turning to my father, awaiting his order to leave. Once rotxo had mounted onto his Ikran, we were ready
xxx
The journey back to the Omatikaya clan was certainly different to when we were heading for the Metkayina clan.
For one, I was very much conscious and not at all battered and bruised like I was on the way over. Second, I was closer to my family more than I ever had before. I even had my own small family.
However there was one missing on the trip back to the forest. Neteyam.
I had spent many nights looking to the stars. 2 in particular.
The one I had always associated with my mother, and the newly shining star I had seen on the night of my brothers funeral.
After my son was born, Ao'nung and I spend the night under the stars with him. It was a clear night. And as much as I felt crazy for doing it, I introduced him to Neteyam and Grace.
Ao'nung never seemed to judge me for finding comfort in the stars. He knew I couldn't do it through Eywa. He actually encouraged it knowing it helped me with their deaths.
xxx
I felt myself start to get butterflies when we saw the cave where we used to live.
I was positive I wasn't going to be coming when we were asked.
My grandmother never liked me. And I had never really liked home. The thought of my old home didn't bring much joy.
But it was the right thing to do.
We landed down in the cave, and straight away we were bombarded with people. Everyone yelling out calls and battle crys and holding up their weapons as though we had just won a battle.
the first off were my parents. My mother ran straight for her mother while my father embraced Norm before hugging his mates mother.
Kiri was soon after, followed by Lo'ak who introduced Tsireya. Ao'nung and I hung back.
I had of course told my mate of my relationship with my grandmother, so he wasn't very excited to meet her.
But Tsireya pointed him out when she saw the old woman looking his way.
"that is my brother Ao'nung, the future olo'eyktan of our clan" she said with a smile.
he hopped off of his ikran and walked to his sisters side, next to Kiri, doing the polite thing and greeting the woman with respect.
"and who is this beautiful baby" the old woman looked closer at my child that was strapped to Ao'nungs chest.
"this is your baby, yes?" the woman asked, looking between my mate and sister.
Kiri backed away quickly, knowing that what my grandmother had just said had offended me.
I let out a sigh and jumped off of Iggy.
"This is the son of Seze, your other granddaughter." Ao'nung said. we could all hear the anger in his voice which Tsireya didn't quite understand. She didn't know of the terrible relationship we had.
To say my grandmother was suprised was an understatment.
"what?" she asked, watching as I took my son from Ao'nungs chest, holding him close to me. "your child...but how will that work if he is the future Olo'eyktan? you can not have a Tsihik that can not connect with Eywa."
Of course she was still on this.
"and what if she passed it?"
"if that happens then we will love this child just the same as we do our daughter." my mother said, stepping forward, knowing that if her mother spoke any more about the matter that I would not take kindly to it.
Another thing had changed from when we left the Forest. I was much more protective of both me and my son. I was much better at sticking up for myself then I used to be.
But I also learnt how to be the bigger person.
"You can hold him if you would like" my mother turned around almost shocked at my words.
My grandmother was confused at first but soon nodded, holding out her hands.
once I placed him in her arms she started to sway a little.
"what is his name?" she asked, looking down at her great grandson.
"Neteyam" Ao'nung announced, placing a hand around my shoulder, comforting me as much as he could. He knew that it was hard for me to watch the woman who had hated me most my life hold someone so close to me.
The woman looked up to the 2 of us. It was as though she finally realised that I did in fact have a heart, despite not being able to feel Eywa.
xxx
Ao'nungs pov:
A big fire was burning in the centre of the communion area. People were singing and dancing. A celebration of the Sully's return.
Seze had never spoken fondly of her old home. But it was her roots. It was clear to me she missed it in her own way.
Not the physical place or the people present.
But the memories.
The memories of Neteyam. She had told me they used to be close when they were much younger.
The memories of her mother. Grace. Not that she ever knew the woman, but that these people were the people her mother knew and formed relationships with.
And she enjoyed her time.
Lo'ak's old friends had come to him all seeming very surprised but supportive of his relationship with Tsireya.
They tried their best to embarrass him though.
They were convinced that he was slowing down with the forest animals now that he was a part of the reef clan.
There was a race that was to take place the morning after our arrival.
It was a race done by the younger warriors of the clan. Competed every year. And it was decided that this year's would be held earlier just so Lo'ak could try to prove he hadn't lost his touch.
That morning the clan made their way to the trees. The olo'eyktan stood on the ground with young men and women surrounding him. Explaining the course for any new contestants.
They were to first race on pa'li till they reached the lake. Then they would have to climb up to the top of the large tree that sat at the waters edge.
Once up there they would call their ikran and fly from there to the big mountain and back to the starting point.
The race was minutes from starting and Seze was nowhere to be found. She had seemed quite interested in the race and thought that watching her brother would be fun.
Either to show his friends he still had it or to see her brother loose, I wasn't quite sure which one it was yet.
I stood on the large branch looking around trying to find my mate when Jake landed down next to me and dismounted his ikran, pointing to the group of young warriors taking part in the race.
Among them was my mate.
Lo'ak and his friends seemed very surprised by this.
Sezes siblings had mentioned a few times that they had never really seen her skills before and always wondered how good she might actually be.
They were going to find out.
The race started and all set out on the Pa'li. Jake told me to follow him while he ran along the branches.
We could see she was close to the front behind Lo'ak, one of his friends and another warrior I had not met before.
They reached the lake and dismounted, running into the lake and getting across as quick as they could. This put the siblings in front.
Then the climb. A few others caught up and even over took the 2.
They soon got lost in the trees.
"Come on" Jake said, calling his ikran. I followed suit and called Suki.
We flew up to a higher tree, landing down on a large branch that gave us a good view of where the contestants were to call their ikran.
There were 2 others ahead of Lo'ak and Seze.
They called their ikran and stopped at the edge of the highest branch for their ikran to reach them. Lo'ak soon joining them.
But not Seze.
She ran and did not stop. She called Iggy and just as the other ikrans were arriving, she leaped off of the branch.
The others panicked and went to dive down after her. But none we're as quick as Iggy.
He swooped down towards the girl, she grabbed her brade and made the bond in mid air. Quickly and swiftly, she and Iggy were in sync, ahead of the group by meters.
There was no chance of catching up now.
Jake and I hoped back onto our ikran, making our way back to the starting point.
We hadn't even landed down when Iggy went flying past.
They dodged trees and vines and even other animals while making their way back to the finish line.
But they made it without a scratch.
Calls sounded from everywhere and the first one to greet her was her mother who ran towards her with her arms high in the air, battle cries leaving her throat.
Jake and I landed down next to each other, calls leaving our own throat.
"That's my daughter!" Jake yelled over and over, hoping everyone would hear him. It seemed even he didn't know her talent.
Soon after she landed came the 2nd place winner, one of Lo'ak's friends. And just a few seconds after landed Lo'ak.
"I still got it" I heard him yell to his other friends once they landed.
Neytiri hugged her son tightly once he was down safe in the ground.
The race was quite close, the last few people all finishing almost exactly at the same time.
Mo'at walked towards her granddaughter with nothing but guilt on her face.
I climbed down to the ground and made my way over to my mate.
"I never realised just how well you connect with the creatures" the older woman said. "You have a bond stronger than most"
Seze seemed taken back by this comment but eventually a smile rested on her face.
"How I have treated you over the years because of your difference was wrong." The woman was clearly upset with herself.
"If all it took was for her to see her ride Iggy then shd should have done it years ago" Lo'ak whispered. Jake slapped his son in the arm.
"Seze..." The woman stepped closer to my mate and reached for her hand, taking it on her own. "I see you, now" Seze nodded in a very respectable way, a very adult way.
xxx
Seze's pov:
Our time was up with my mother's old clan too soon in most people's opinion.
But we were all glad to be home. Where when we arrived, friends greeted us with smiles.
The forest almost felt foreign once I layed my eyes on home.
I turned to Ao'nung with a smile.
That night Ao'nung and I had dinner with our familys combined.
Kiri held my hand tight as she looked at the smile on my face.
Everyone was there.
My mother and father, tonowari and ronal. Tsireya and Ao'nung. Rotxo. Kiri, Lo'ak and tuk. Neteyam on my lap.
And when I looked up to the sky, Neteyams star was shining bright.
What I did see, was that everything was just as it should be.