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12

The next day, Aponi didn't see Neytiri or Jake. Though, that didn't bother her– she was busy getting ready for the Dream Hunt. 

Today was the day she would become one of the people. A warrior, just like her grandmother had told her she would be. 

The thought of her grandmother made Aponi's chest pang with longing, and she rubbed it as she held the necklace she had scavenged from her human body after waking up in her new one for the first time. 

That seemed like so long ago. When she was freshly dead, and then suddenly not. She snapped out of her thoughts as Tsu'tey grasped her arm, looking at her with understanding eyes. He lead her to a section of the tree that all the people used to paint themselves, sitting her down in front of him. She looked around for her two beloveds, a small frown on her face when she realized they were not there yet.

"What is on your mind, tsumuke?" Tsu'tey asked quietly, precise fingers drawing white lines against the skin on her cheeks. She took a moment to think before speaking, shivering slightly at the cold feeling of the paint on her face and neck.

"How did you know you loved Sylwanin?" Aponi asks, and Tsu'tey stops for a moment before resuming his ministrations. Her yellow eyes follow his face as he pauses thoughtfully, before speaking again.

"Her problems started to become my problems. I found myself wanting to be around her every second of every day, and I often thought about becoming a mated pair and having children with her." He spoke softly, tenderly, the same way he always did when he talked about her. "Loving her was the same thing as breathing, and just as easy." He finished, pushing her head up so that he could map out the markings on her neck and chest. 

Aponi simply hummed, scratching her wrist. They didn't speak again as Tsu'tey painted, and once he was finished she stood. She went to walk away, and was stopped in her tracks by Tsu'tey's hand on her shoulder. "Don't make any stupid decisions. You are no longer my student, I cannot take the blame anymore." His words were harsh, but Aponi knew he meant well. She smiled cheekily at him before flicking his ear, turning away from him and walking towards a group of women who came to dress her. She didn't say anything back, but she didn't need to. 

It was time. 

Aponi was stood in front of Eytukan and Mo'at, Jake by her side as they were brought towards an opening near the base of Home Tree, and their trek underground began. Soon enough, they were surrounded by candlelight as Mo'at told them where to sit. The elders of the tribe were there, too, along with Neytiri and Tsu'tey. Aponi felt her skin burn as her two lovers stared at her, and she paid them no mind, staring straight ahead.

Mo'at was chanting, and the elders were singing. She watched as Mo'at picked two worms off of a root, walking towards the two and placing them on their tongues. Aponi swallowed it quickly, taking a deep breath in as Eytukan came up behind them with two scorpion-like insects. She was quickly stung and closed her eyes, feeling the pain set in.

The next time she opened her eyes, she was surrounded by water. Aponi began to panic, looking around and seeing nobody around her. She let out a breath and was suddenly under the water, holding her breath as she frantically swam around.

She saw it soon after. It was quick and fast in the water, swimming directly towards her with an open mouth. It looked like a shark, but so much bigger. Aponi grabbed her knife and readied herself to fight, before growing confused again as the animal stopped in front of her and slid in between her legs. Its tswin was held out in the water, inviting her in, and as she connected her own with it she was thrown back into the present.