𝕱𝖔𝖗𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖗 - 𝕷𝖔'𝖆𝖐

𝕾𝖎𝖝

The soft yet mighty sound came from a horn, awakening Naya'il. She hears the whole clan, cheering in joy and excitement.

Confused, she gets up and goes to take a look for herself. She then sees that the Tulkun have arrived.

Overjoyed with excitement, Naya first runs over to the Sully's Marui. She knocks on the wood of the walls built around it and everyone looks at her.

"How is Kiri?" She asks, worried. While Lo'ak and Naya'il were spending time with Payakan the other day, the Sully family were connecting to their spirit tree. Kiri, all of a sudden, had a sort of seizure which could have killed her. Naya felt tremendous guilt for the girl as she was not there to help her.

"I am okay." Kiri reassures, getting up. Naya had already apologized the previous night, when she had found out. Kiri gives the girl a smile as she walks over to her and holds jer hands.

"Please don't be mad at yourself. This was not your fault." Kiri smiles. Naya looks down and nods.

"Hey, what was that horn?" Tuk comes running up to Naya and holds her left hand.

Naya smiles down at the girl.

"The Tulkun have arrived." Naya'il explains and Tuk's face lights up. "We can go meet them."

"Really?!" She squeals, jumping.

"Mom, Dad! The Tulkun are here!" Tuk explains to her parents. "Can we meet them? Pleeeeease?"

"Of course, Tuk. But take one of your brothers." Neytiri smiles at Tuk.

"I can go!" Both boys say, getting up. Naya giggles as Neytiri gives them a knowing look.

Neteyam and Lo'ak share a look, Neteyam smirking at his younger brother and Lo'ak annoyed at his older brother.

"Why don't you both just come?" Naya suggests with a smile.

"As long as my baby brother is fine with it." Neteyam chuckles, rubbing Lo'ak's head. Lo'ak swats away his brother's hand.

"Please Lo'ak?" Tuk pouts at her older brother and he sighs.

"Fine. Whatever." Lo'ak's answer was short.

"Yay!" Tuk cheers and starts dragging Naya to the water. "Wait! Kiri, you come too!"

"Yeah, come on, Kir." Naya smiles at her. Kiri sighs before also getting up.

"Come on, come on!" Tuk starts running, while holding both Lo'ak's and Naya's hand.

Naya takes Tuk and Kiri on her Ilu while Lo'ak and Neteyam take their own.

Naya swerves through the many Tulkuns while looking for her spirit sister. Finally she spots her.

Naya's face lights up as the Ilu speeds up towards it.

"Sister!" Naya exclaims, disengaging off of the Ilu. She swims up to the Tulkun and places her hand next to her eye.

The Tulkan rubs up against Naya and she giggles.

"I missed you too," she signs. The Tulkun then noticies the Sully family behind her.

"Who are they?" She asks Naya. Naya signs quickly, explaining the arrival of the Sullys to all of their lessons.

"She's so pretty," Tuk admires and Naya smiles. "You can touch her, if you want."

Tuk giggles as Naya leads her closer to the Tulkan. The Tulkan lets out a happy noise as Tuk rubs her hand against her.

The Tulkun then says something to Naya which causes her to look back between Neteyam and Lo'ak.

Naya looks back at the Tulkun and signs something nobody could catch.

Naya spends almost the whole day with her Tulkun, the girls talking about everything from their family to boys to the sky people.

She swims around until Lo'ak meets her again. He has a solemn look on his face.

"Lo'ak?" Naya questions the boy. "What is wrong?"

Lo'ak just sighs. "Don't worry, I'm fine."

Naya then realizes it. "You miss Payakan, don't you."

Lo'ak slowly nods at her and she swims closer to him and takes his hands in her own.

"We can go and meet him, if you want." She offers and he shakes his head.

"Nah, that's okay. I don't wanna ruin your time with your sister." He reassures.

"Thank you then, why don't you go to Payakan. I'll cover for you, just be back before eclipse." She tells him.

"You'd do that for me?" He was shocked.

"Of course," she brings him into a quick hug before letting him go. "Now go, jungle boy."

"See you, Fishy."

Lo'ak was gone and Naya was left with her sister.

"You like him." She observes.

"I do not!" Naya argues. "He's just very nice. And cute. And sweet."

"You do like him!" Her Tulkun says and Naya sighs.

"Okay, maybe I do." Naya says. "But I know he doesn't like me like that."

"He likes you. Can't you see the look on his face when yiu are with him?" Her wise sister explains. "He really likes you. He was staring at you the entire time."

"Okay, maybe he does." Naya admits. "But nothing could ever happen between us. Mother doesn't already like the Sullys in the first place and neither one of them would like me to be with someone of the forest."

"I am sorry, sister." The Tulkun says.

"It is alright." Naya tells her.

Naya'il really did like Lo'ak. He was so sweet and kind, so protective and caring. She had never felt this way for any boy before. She wasn't sure if Lo'ak even liked her like that. And if he ever found out who she really was, why would he ever be with her? There were so many other amazing girls out there, like Tsireya. Naya was a second option for the boy, she was sure.

But alas, Naya didn't know that Lo'ak feels the exact same way for her.