Aching Heart ☆ Neteyam

𝔠𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔯𝔱𝔢𝔢𝔫

Me and Lo'ak continued to talk until we were called back. He told me about what happened today, how he almost died but then was saved by a big sea creature. He spoke of the creature as a friend, he told me how they understood each other and it sounded beautiful the connection they had with each other. I was glad that he was okay and I was seriously struggling to not beat the shit out of Ao'nung but Lo'ak was begging me not to do anything, so I didn't.

Lo'ak also gave me an insight of how he was feeling with everything, the move, his dad, Tsireya and it felt great that he could finally let someone in and trusted me enough to confide in. But Netayam had come to find us to bring us back to the tent, walking in the middle of the two of us to make sure we actually went back.

"I'm gonna run ahead" Lo'ak grinned as he looked between the two of us before running off. "Don't go missing on the way back" Neteyam shouted back but he kept on running. "Hey, go easy on him" I smiled, smacking his arm slightly. We walked in silence for a while but soon enough it was broken with Netayam asking me the question that I could tell was playing on his mind.

"Are you okay?" He asked and my smile faltered slightly. "Yeah... I'm okay" I responded with a tight smile. "You know that's not what my dad meant, you are as much family as I am" He said sincerely, stopping to look at me for a second. "But it's not true, it's not your fault Neteyam for whatever happens with Lo'ak he's a big boy and if he wants to blame you then he has to blame me too unless I'm not real family" I sighed, rubbing my face slightly.

He pulled me into a tight hug, wrapping his arms around my neck as I buried my face into his chest. "Lo'ak knows about me and you 100% by the way" my words were muffled due to my face being smothered. "Huh" Neteyam stated, an amused smile on his face at the cluelessness of my words. "I said... it's 100% definite that Lo'ak knows about us" i stated with a scrunched nose at the thought of what I accidentally told him earlier.

"And what exactly are we?" He questioned as we continued walking. "Good question forest boy" I smiled as he put his arm around my waist. "Don't think there is really a word for us" i laughed slightly and so did he. "All I know is that you are my person Neteyam and I could swear that under Eywa that you will always be my person" I smiled as I looked up at the only person I would ever love.

.　 . • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ☆

"The Tulkun have not returned yet, and no Tulkun is ever alone" Ao'nung explained, telling us about the creature Lo'ak befriended as we all sat in a circle together. I was still furious with Ao'nung but Lo'ak seemed to like him so I wasn't going to cause any more shit.

"But this one was" he sighed, looking to Tsireya as he began to talk. "And he had a missing fin, like a stub" he continued, pointing to his arm as he explained but once he did Tsireyas face morphed into one of worry. "Payakan, it's Payakan" she sighed, looking to her brother.

"Whose Payakan" Kiri asked what we were all thinking. "A young Tulkun that went rogue, he's an outcast with a missing fin" Rocky explained, telling me and the Sully's who this animal was. "He is a killer" Tsireya said in warning to Lo'ak. "No, no he's not" he defended but it seems the Metkayina clan knew about this Tulkun.

"He killed other Tulkun" Ao'nung builded upon what his sister said. "He's no killer" Lo'ak continued to defend his new sea friend. "You are lucky to be alive" Tsireya said, holding Lo'ak's hand as she spoke sincerely. "No I'm telling you guys, he saved my life, he's my friend" Lo'ak spoke towards the sea Na'vi around us.

"Okay, any thing that saves Lo'ak's life is a friend to me" I said light heartedly to back the youngest male Sully whilst also sending an aggressive glare towards Ao'nung who looked apologetically back to me.

"My baby brother, who lived and faced the killer Tulkun" Neteyam jested, rubbing his brothers shoulders patronisingly. "You guys aren't listening to me" Lo'ak raised his voice slightly, pushing his brother off him and standing up. "No Lo'ak were listening" both me and Tuk said at the same time but he just shook his head and ran off, getting on his Ilu and disappearing under the ocean.

I stood up and took a step towards where he went but Neteyam placed a hand on my shoulder to stop me. "He needs some space" Neteyam said lightly, bringing me back to the group slightly and I could see Tsireyas crest fallen face.

"I have an idea" Tsireya said, her expression brightening as she said it. "Follow me" she said, practically skipping towards the edge of the ocean, calling her Ilu. We all followed her, calling after our Ilu's, I grabbed Tuk taking her with me as we rode off under the ocean, following Tsireya.

It didn't take long for us to get to our destination, none of us apart from Ao'nung and Roxto but we followed anyway. Soon Tsireya surfaced with the rest of us close behind her and from above the surface it was revealed where we were.

"We are here" she smiled, continuing forwards on the surface. "This is the cove of the ancestors, our most sacred place" she grinned as we were all captivated by its beauty. "It's amazing" Tuk squealed from behind me. "It really is" I smiled, unable to take my eyes off what I was seeing.

Eclipse began as we followed Tsireya further into the cove and towards something emitting a large blue light. "This is it, this is the spirit tree" she stated as if introducing us. "It's just like the tree of souls but in water" I grinned at the familiar tree, one of the only things that made me feel at home.

Without wasting another second we all began to swim down to the glowing tree, running our fingers over it before connecting our ques. I gazed up at the light pouring from it before closing my eyes and allowing the link to happen.

Instantly I was taken into a place filled with light yet there was no one there, just a voice. "My child" the voice whispered, it was so familiar yet I could not place where I had heard it from before. It sounded as if the voice was my own, the one that runs in the back of my head.

Before I could ask it showed me an image,
Neteyam. There were two people, their backs turned to me but I could tell one of them was him and I couldn't help but smile until the two turned to face me. The other person was not me, it was another woman and in their hands they held a child, a child that was not mine.

"No" I whispered, looking at them holding a child that was not mine. "No!" I yelled, pain radiating from my chest. "What is this supposed to mean" I screamed and the two looked at me, the woman had a look of confusion upon her face but an older Neteyam instantly recognised me.

"Arelliya" he whispered as instant tears came to his eyes but before i could move any closer to him they both disappeared and the light was back. "No wait, come back" I yelled, turning in my spot to look for someone, anyone and that's when I saw myself. Me and a man I had never seen before were laying on the ground in front of me, holding a small child that had my skin and his eyes. What no! No!

Horror flooded through me at the thought of having a child with someone other than Neteyam and I was scared, scared at what I was being shown as the image disappeared just like the one before. "What is happening?" I desperately asked the voice. "These are you're fates" she whispered, her voice no where but all around me at once.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I questioned, not truly understanding what she meant. "You will know when the time comes" he voice thinned out into silence as the light began to disappear. "No! Please tell me more!I chose Neteyam, I don't want to live without him" I yelled but that was it and I was pulled out of my link with the spirit tree.

As soon as I was back in my usual surroundings I could feel a sharp pain in my head and their was a slight trace of red in the water near my face. Blood. I put my fingers to my nose, and looking at them to see remanence of blood on my finger tips. But I didn't think about it a second more as someone screamed under the water and I turned to see Kiri's body convulsing in the ocean.