𝗂𝗇𝗏𝗂𝗌𝗂𝖻𝗅𝖾 𝗌𝗍𝗋𝗂𝗇𝗀, 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙮𝙖𝙢 𝙎𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙮

𝗑𝗑𝗂.

𝘛𝘞𝘌𝘕𝘛𝘠－𝘖𝘕𝘌

        VISITING THE SPIRIT TREE WITH the boy or girl you intended to mate with was a treasured tradition the Metkayina clan held. It was right to mate before Eywa, and Eywa held the most energy in the Cove of the Ancestors, and the Spirit Tree.

        Seylu never imagined what it was like to journey to the Spirit Tree with someone you cared about so much. It was a feeling she couldn't describe, especially as she turned around and was able to slightly see the amazed look Neteyam held as he sat behind her on Ouali, holding her firmly by the waist.

        If he wanted to mate with her, then they would be together for life. Seylu had chosen him. She had completed her Iknimaya, and had been prepared for the act of mating since she had turned eighteen.

        Neteyam wanted to mate with her, he wanted to be with her. He was hers for the taking, and he wished more than he had ever wished in his life that they were going to be together. His emotions were all over the place, and hers were too. Neither could decipher what the other was feeling.

        Ouali stopped swimming just before the Spirit Tree, the bright lights allowing Seylu to see clearer than she normally could. She sighed, taking in the sight before her. Neteyam reached forward, gently brushing her hair behind her ears, feeling goosebumps litter her skin in the wake of his touch. "You ready?" he whispered against her ear, and she inhaled.

        "Yes. Follow me." Seylu said, sliding off of Ouali and into the dark sea. It was a struggle for her to move in the night, so Neteyam held her hand, smiling at her as they dove beneath the surface, kicking down towards the Tree.

        Neteyam let Seylu lead him, not towards the long, lit branches of the tree, but into the heart of the energetic being, a large air pocket available in the area. It was a beautiful place for long reflections with memories, or just to sit and ponder. Every step taken illuminated the soft surface with a soft pink hue, purple and turquoise tendrils extended around the two.

        Seylu smiled, holding Neteyam's hand as she spun around, looking up at the Tree branches, softly moving with the water above them. "You can breathe down here. This spot is only available to those who have come of age."she explained, watching as Neteyam took in the views around them.

        "It's incredible. Thank you for bringing me here." Neteyam said as Seylu held a purple tendril between her hands, running her fingers along it with her eyes closed.

        She nodded, breathing slowly and serenely. "I wanted to speak to you. About our connection." Seylu began, ears rising as Neteyam walked next to her, examining a turquoise tendril.

        "What of it?" he asked softly, hoping she wasn't about to tell him she didn't want to be with him anymore.

        "I can feel your nerves, Teyam. You do not need to be nervous. I have not brought you here to walk away from all that we are." Seylu said, opening her cloudy, scraped eyes to look at him. He smiled, hearing her use a different form of his name.

        Neteyam exhaled quietly, dropping the tendril he held. He faced Seylu entirely, his fingers touching the orange flower in her hair. "What about our connection? Have you learned something more?" the boy asked again, and Seylu turned her head away, picking up another tendril, this one matching the color of her skin.

        She shook her head. "I want to deepen it. To be with you, completely." Seylu spoke quietly, voice shaking slightly as Neteyam's hand caressed her face, moving down her arm to grasp her hand.