Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here is chapter thirty-nine of "Gone in the Dark." This chapter features the interior of the Cove of the Ancestors and the first appearance of the Spirit Tree. It has plenty of Lo'ak/Tsireya. Smut involving them will be in the next chapter. Stay tuned for chapter forty.
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Chapter 39: At the Spirit Tree
Three white-spotted dolphins swam underwater twenty minutes later. They rolled three times while going toward the surface. They broke it, spinning in midair. They landed on their back with big splashes. They moved to their backs as they returned to it. They flicked their tails in which they threw water upward. They slipped underwater, bubbles escaping their blowholes. They opened their mouths and wiggled their tongues.
Just then, Lo'ak and Tsireya came up beside the dolphins on June and Meena. The dolphins glanced at them, as did the lovebirds with them. They did rolls on their sides. They waved their flippers at them. Lo'ak and Tsireya responded with waves of their own. They looked ahead and willed their ilus to go a little faster. June and Meena complied eagerly. They emitted loud squeaks while moving their heads from side to side.
Lo'ak, Tsireya, June, and Meena spotted the floating rocks coming into view. They headed for the surface, breaking it underneath one. They kept their heads low to keep themselves from hitting it. They headed into the center of the Cove of the Ancestors. Lo'ak and Tsireya straightened their postures. They could see Polyphemus peaking out from behind the largest rock formation. Its eye seemed to be staring down at them.
"I forgot how beautiful this place was at night," he said in amazement.
"After the eclipse, nighttime is the best time to be here," she responded with a smile.
"I love how all the markings on the rocks glow so brightly," Lo'ak whispered while gesturing toward the formation. "This is especially true for this one."
"I remember when I showed it to you a few days after Kiri's seizure. You were so amazed at the sight of the whole area," Tsireya said and patted Meena's neck. "I told you the arches act as a welcoming mechanism for anyone who comes here."
"I cannot help but wonder how long it took for those arches to form," Lo'ak commented.
"Believe me. It took thousands of years," Tsireya responded, touching his shoulder. "They were formed through—what was that word again?"
"Weathering," Lo'ak answered with a loud snap of his fingers.
"That's right," Tsireya said and giggled softly. "I wish I could snap my fingers like you can."
"If you had a hand like mine, you could," Lo'ak said while petting June's side. "Of course, not every human or avatar can snap their fingers. Dad is really good at it. Kiri has tried for years, but she could never get it."
"Some people are good at painting and drawing," Tsireya murmured and snorted in a quiet way. "Some are only good at making moss stew. It goes on and on—"
"And on and on and on," Lo'ak finished, a big smirk crossing his lips.
"You really shouldn't finish my sentences," Tsireya teased and tickled his neck.
"You shouldn't tickle me when I am riding on my ilu," Lo'ak responded, grabbing her wrist and pulling her hand away from his neck. He placed it on her leg. "Nope, nope, nope."
"Maybe I should honk your nose and pull your loincloth over your head," Tsireya teased.
"If you do that, I will do the same to you," Lo'ak responded and pinched her cheek. "Yep, yep, yep."
Lo'ak and Tsireya looked down. They saw the Spirit Tree coming into their sight. They observed its branches moving in the current. They whispered inaudible words to the ilus. June and Meena came to a stop right over it. They flicked their back flippers. This threw water into the air.
"The Spirit Tree is like the Tree of Souls in every way," Lo'ak whispered and let out a soft exhale. "The biggest difference is you have to swim underwater to get to it."
"The roots are denser. The connection to Eywa is stronger," Tsireya added and twirled a strand of hair around her finger. "It has oxygen for prolonged periods underwater."
"Kiri is too scared to try to connect to it again. I do not blame her one bit. I hope she manages to overcome that fear," Lo'ak murmured in sympathy. "I felt so sorry for her when she fell into that coma after her seizure. She just wanted to see her mother."
"I know," Tsireya agreed.
He rubbed his throat. "Norm and Max said she could die if she tried to connect to it again. I do not know about that. I've managed to connect to it just fine every time. So has Tuk."
"I do not think we will ever know why she had that seizure," Tsireya said, giving a shrug.
"Me neither," Lo'ak commented and cleared his throat.
"We shouldn't push Kiri to do it if she does not want to," Tsireya answered and blew hard.
"Yeah," Lo'ak murmured with a slow nod. He opened and closed his hand to flex his fingers. "It will just piss her off."
"It is funny piss means both making someone mad and taking a leak," Tsireya squeaked and giggled to herself.
"Mm-hmm," Lo'ak said and rubbed his hands together. "Anyway, let's go see Rishi."
She nodded in a rapid manner. "Yes."
Lo'ak and Tsireya disconnected from June and Meena. They inhaled deeply before slipping underwater. They swam downward toward the Spirit Tree. They came to a branch near its middle. They looked at each other. She took his hand into hers. She gave it a gentle squeeze. They grabbed their queues and moved them to the branch. The tendrils wrapped around it eagerly. They closed their eyes and concentrated deeply. They began to feel themselves go elsewhere.
Lo'ak and Tsireya walked along another part of the beach. They looked toward the sky, seeing it was daytime instead of nighttime. Waves came up around their feet. They retreated out to sea. More came in, going slightly past them. They receded rather quickly. Lo'ak and Tsireya returned their attention to the sand. They spotted several crabs crawling around.
The couple came to a stop when they heard what sounded like a Na'vi's laughter and a dolphin's chattering. They came upon a hill that extended out to the ocean. They slowed down their pace, their hearts skipping a few beats. They went around the hill, coming upon Rishi throwing a blue ball to a black-backed dolphin named Kaylee in the surf.
Kaylee knocked the ball back to the girl with her nose. She chattered happily at her catching it easily. She was of average size for her species. Her sides contained two scars starting from behind her eyes and ending just past her dorsal. Her right front flipper had a small chunk taken out of it. The right back flipper had one as well, though it was a little larger. Her eyes were green. She opened her mouth as Lo'ak and Tsireya came to a stop.
"It's Kaylee, Lo'ak," Tsireya said, happiness lining her voice.
"I remember her very well. She was known for hanging around the village. She loved playing with the kids, especially Rishi and us. I always got hit in the head with a ball hit by her," Lo'ak explained with a roll of his eyes. "It annoyed the shit out of me."
She frowned as a tear fell from her eyes. "Unfortunately, we found her dead on a rock when we visited Three Brothers to see Payakan two years ago. She had injuries consistent with bites from an akula."
Lo'ak sighed heavily. He could never forget seeing Kaylee's body laying on the rock his girlfriend mentioned. He recalled seeing deep teeth marks across the middle of her body. He believed she managed to escape the akula's grasp, but her injuries were too severe for her to survive. The current carried her to the rock. Waves threw her onto it. They decided to bury her at sea far from any island or rock.
Lo'ak snapped out of his thoughts when Tsireya screamed alarmingly. He looked up to see the ball flying toward him. He held up his hands, catching it easily. He glanced at Kaylee, who was tailwalking in place. He couldn't help but smile in great warmth. He and Tsireya heard a clearing throat. They spotted Rishi coming their way. The wind blew past them, making her hair go back and theirs forward.
"You got nearly hit by the ball like you always do, Lo'ak," Rishi teased.
"Unfortunately," Lo'ak said with a nervous chuckle. He presented the ball to her and smiled. "Here you go."
Rishi took it from him. "Thank you."
Lo'ak blinked three times and shed several tears. Tsireya mimicked his actions. Some of their tears landed on the sand. Rishi became a little concerned. Kaylee came back down.
"Why are you two crying?" Rishi wondered.
"We are happy to see you after you died," Lo'ak responded and sniffled softly.
Rishi perked up her ears. "I died?"
"You gave your life to save Rotxo from a Green Spear who was trying to get him. That's not all. Neytiri and Mom became victims of the war. Neytiri was severely wounded and is fighting to stay alive. She is pregnant with twins. Mom was wounded, but it was nowhere near as badly," Tsireya explained and pressed her lips together.
Lo'ak let out a shuddering cry. "This war keeps getting worse. There seems to be no end in sight. We hate it so much."
Rishi breathed deeply. She couldn't believe she was dead and that Neytiri was carrying twins while fighting for her life. She recalled talking about being horrified if she saw the warrioress with severe wounds. She felt fortunate to have not seen her that way.
"I understand how frustrated you both are with the war. I felt the same way when I was with you and the others," Rishi said softly.
"You seemed more at ease with everything than we were," Tsireya responded, swallowing hard.
"Yes," Rishi agreed. "It will continue to be hard, but you have to keep going. Everyone is counting on you, especially those patients."
Lo'ak sniffled. "We know, but our little group won't be the same without you. The emptiness will not fade away for a while."
"I see that, Lo'ak, yet you, Aonung, Rotxo, Riri, Tsireya, Spider, and Tuk are a strong bunch. You will get through this. Drawing strength from each other will make it easier to do so. If anyone joins the group, tell them about me. They deserve to know who I am," Rishi explained.
Tsireya nodded at her. "We will. Thank you so much."
Rishi smiled. "I will always be here when you need someone to talk to."
Rishi put the ball down and held out her arms. Lo'ak and Tsireya walked up to her to hug her. Rishi gave them bigger hugs. They stayed this way for thirty seconds before breaking apart. She picked up the ball.
"How about we play some ball?" Rishi suggested.
Lo'ak nodded. "Okay."
Lo'ak, Tsireya, and Rishi waded into the surf. Rishi gave the ball to him, seeing him roll it in his hand. He focused on Kaylee, who lifted her head. He moved his arms far back. He heaved the ball as hard as he could. She dove underwater, her tail slapping on the surface. She shot upward, hitting it back to him. He held up his hands, catching it easily.
"Nice catch, Lo'ak," Tsireya complimented.
"Thanks," Lo'ak replied and presented the ball to her. "You want a turn?"
She giggled as she took it from him. "I don't mind if I do."
Tsireya glanced at Kaylee, who tailwalked in place. She heaved the ball as hard as she could. It flew over the dolphin's head. It landed in the water. She dove downward with a squeak. She surfaced underneath it, getting it on her nose. She ducked and tossed it into the air. Tsireya caught it easily. Rishi emitted a delightful laugh.
"Wonderful catch," Rishi said and took the ball from her friend. "Now, it is my turn."
Rishi tossed the ball very hard. Kaylee headed underwater, slapping her tail on the surface. She jumped upward, hitting it with her nose. She landed on her back with a big splash. Rishi held up her hands, but she got hit in the head instead. It dropped next to her.
"It looks like you are the one getting hits by balls here," Lo'ak teased.
"Oh, shush!" Rishi said with a snort.
"No. You shush," Lo'ak said and picked up the ball as it floated to him. He proceeded to continue the game of catch.