Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here is chapter fifty-two of "Gone in the Dark." This fic has one chapter to go before it reaches its end. The glimpse of the tulkun celebration is featured. This will be the final appearance of many characters. Stay tuned for chapter fifty-four.
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Chapter 53: Sweet Tulkun Interaction
Neytiri observed the tulkun celebration from the Sully marui's pier in the late afternoon. She had her legs under her since she felt the most comfortable that way. She narrowed her eyes at the tulkuns leaping out of the water and receiving gentle petting from the Metkayina. She listened to the whooping, hollering, squeaking, and squealing. She folded her hands and laid them in her lap. She felt her heart skip a beat or two.
Neytiri spotted Lo'ak tossing a red ball to Payakan near the edge of the crowd as he sat on June. Payakan lifted his head and hit it with his crest. Lo'ak held up his hands, but it sailed over his head. He looked over his shoulder, seeing La leap upward and give a hard hit with her nose. He caught it easily. She came back down to her head. She opened her mouth and wiggled her tongue. Tsireya surfaced beside her on Meena.
"Nice hit, La," Tsireya complimented.
"Thanks, Tsireya," La responded and spouted air from her blowhole.
"For sure," Payakan agreed.
"Here comes the bomb!" Lo'ak shouted, throwing the ball. He laughed at his girlfriend catching it easily. "Great catch!"
Neytiri couldn't help but smile as Tsireya tossed the ball to Payakan, who knocked it back to her with a upward throw of his tail. She was so glad that her clan was able to finally have this joyous moment. She wished she could be out there herself. She recalled the first celebration she took part in. She was mesmerized by all the mother tulkuns, especially Roa and her son. She thought the tattooed tulkuns were the most majestic. She had no doubt they received their tattoos from their spirit siblings.
Neytiri licked her lips before taking a deep breath. She closed her eyes and concentrated deeply. She saw herself petting a mother tulkun and her calf. She imagined signing to a young tulkun that she was sorry when she saw he had a large scar on his left front flipper due to an akula's bite. She made a greeting sign in the form of a wave when a playful adult tulkun nudge her in the back so gently that it seemed he didn't even do that at all. She showed off her muscles, making him squeak in amusement.
Neytiri was startled when she heard joyful squeaking. She opened her eyes and looked down to see Riti and Novik lifting their heads. She could see Ronal sitting on her spirit sister's back. Riti opened her mouth and wiggled her tongue. Novik mimicked her mother. They closed their mouths before spouting air from their blowholes.
"Riti, what are you, Ronal, and that little one doing over here?" Neytiri asked shockingly. "I thought you were celebrating with the others."
"Riti wanted to see you and introduce her calf to you, Neytiri," Ronal responded warmly.
"Really?" Neytiri asked, perking up her ears.
"Yes," Ronal said, nodding in a slow manner. "She felt bad about you being hurt in the war and not being able to be part of the celebration. She does not want you to feel alone."
"Oh," Neytiri replied. She curled her hand into a fist as she made eye contact with Riti. She touched it against her chest and uncurled it. "Thank you, Riti."
"You are welcome, Neytiri," Riti squeaked sweetly. She glanced toward Novik, who blinked twice. "This is my daughter, Novik. Novik, this is Neytiri."
"Hello, Neytiri. It is nice to meet you," Novik said, letting air escape her blowhole.
"It is nice to meet you too, Novik," Neytiri said, putting her hand over her heart and moving it outward. "She is beautiful, Riti."
"Thank you," Riti commented, nodding at her. She looked up at Ronal, who touched the sides of her head. "Off, Ronal."
Ronal climbed off her spirit sister, who turned her body until she was parallel to the pier. Riti rolled on her side, exposing her flippers. She laid her front flipper on the edge. Neytiri moved over to her in a careful manner. She petted it very lightly.
"Lo'ak is right. A tulkun's skin feels very rubbery," Neytiri whispered with a giggle. She jumped slightly when water hit her in the face. She looked toward Novik, who was spyhopping and spitting some out of her mouth. "Novik, you naughty girl."
"You are the naughty one, Neytiri," Novik responded with a playful squeal.
"No, you are," Neytiri said, shaking her finger at her.
"No, you are," Novik said, coming down and shaking her head.
"No, you are," Neytiri shouted and blew a raspberry.
"No, you are," Novik said.
"All right, you two," Ronal said, swimming over to the calf. She waved her hands inward and outward. "Cut it out."
Neytiri held up her hand while Novik raised her body higher and waved her front flipper. The former laid it in her lap. The latter came down to her head, a click coming from her. Riti moved her flipper off the pier. She rolled right side up. Neytiri eyed Ronal, who petted Riti behind her eyes.
"You were lucky to find another spirit sister quickly, Ronal," Neytiri commented honestly.
"I may have a strong bond with Riti, but it was never be as strong as the one I had with Roa," Ronal admitted, giving Riti a hug.
"I feel the same way regarding Artemis and Seze," Neytiri said and winced painfully. "Darn. The pain is coming back."
"Do you want me to get your mother's medicine?" Ronal wondered.
Neytiri nodded at her. "Sure."
Ronal licked her lips. "Great."
Ronal swam over to another part of the pier. She placed her hands on it to pull herself upward. She rose to her feet and went into the marui. She came out with a medicine-filled bowl two minutes later. She came to Neytiri's side. She handed it to her. Neytiri drank all the medicine. She winced at the somewhat bitter taste. She looked at Ronal, who seated herself beside her. She touched the back of her head.
"Thank you," Neytiri said gratefully.
"You are welcome," Ronal replied, taking the bowl from her and laying it next to her.
"The medicine is already taking effect," Neytiri said with a relieved sigh. She pulled her braids behind her neck. "I will never get used to its bitter taste, no matter how old I get."
"Every medicinal plant has its own way of healing. Some treat infections. Some manage pain. Some heal injuries," Ronal pointed out truthfully.
"I have seen enough injuries to last me a lifetime," Neytiri whispered while looking down at her bandaged thigh. She formed a small frown. "I never thought I'd end up like this."
"There is a first time for everything," Ronal said and rubbed her nose. "That's for sure."
"Walking back to my family's marui was hard, despite Jake was helping me along," Neytiri admitted.
"You will be benched for a long while," Ronal commented.
"I hate that, but I do not have a choice. My injuries need to heal. The twins need to be protected," Neytiri murmured while rubbing the back of her neck with both hands.
"You are not one for being waited on hand and foot," Ronal said, her eye ridges raising.
"Neither are you," Neytiri said while motioning toward her.
"That's true," Ronal agreed, giving a nod. "One thing is clear. This war changed us even more."
"I never thought I would kill one of my own people. I did not want to, but I had to. That Green Spear would have killed Jake without a second thought," Neytiri said, sighing heavily.
"Sometimes, we have to make decisions in the heat of the moment. It can mean the difference between life and death," Ronal whispered, her ears moving back.
"I know," Neytiri said. "I will always be grateful to you for stopping my attacker from killing me. Thank you."
"You are welcome," Ronal said, folding her hands and laying them in her lap. "Jake was right. The twenty-four hours you spent in that coma were the longest ever in our lives."
"If only I could have gotten a chance to say goodbye to Rishi," Neytiri mumbled, sadness showing in her voice. "I can't believe she died while I was away."
"We did not want to tell you while you were in such a horrible condition. It would have impeded your recovery," Ronal said, blinking twice.
Neytiri wiped tears from her eyes. She emitted a soft sniffle before looking down at her lap.
"When you are fully recovered, Neytiri, how about we go to the Spirit Tree and visit Rishi within Eywa?" Ronal suggested.
"You'd do that for me?" Neytiri asked in surprise.
"Yes. You deserve to see her and say goodbye," Ronal replied, a small smile crossing her lips.
"Okay," Neytiri said, nodding. "Thank you so much."
"No problem," Ronal said. "What are friends for?"
Neytiri wiped more tears from her eyes. She closed them and breathed deeply. She released all the tension from her body.
"Ronal, was there ever a time when you had to sit out a tulkun celebration?" Neytiri asked while opening her eyes.
"I did that twice. I had a leg injury in the first case. I was bitten by a dolphin that got too eager to interact with me. I was sick with a lung infection in the second case," Ronal explained.
"So, you know how I feel," Neytiri commented, her ears perking up.
"Yes, I do," Ronal admitted with a slow nod. She touched her thigh right over the injured area that was already healing. "This leg injury was not as serious as the other one was. I was already walking normally after four days. It was six days before that happened with the other one."
Neytiri bit her lip as she looked at the tulkuns and the Metkayina. "I won't walk normally for some time. At least I can watch the celebration from here."
"You got to meet Riti and Novik," Ronal added.
"That's right," Neytiri agreed, chuckling to herself. "I got to pet Riti."
Ronal ran her tongue all over the inside of her mouth. "She liked that very much."
Neytiri and Ronal turned to Riti and Novik with soft sighs. They proceeded to speak baby talk to them.
