MΛ'ƬIЯI | ΛVΛƬΛЯ

no more hiding

The metkayina people gathered on the shores of their village. The sun was stuck at the center of the sky, making the water shine a bright green and the sands a pale white.

People gathered to see Neytiri and her children leave. With Te'rani. Ronal stood by her mate's side, her two children behind her and her youngest in her arms.

Te'rani held her father's spear in hand. Over the years it had become a beautiful bearer of beads and feathers. She looked at Ao'nung and handed it to him.

His eyes widened as he took it. Never had he imagined a day like this. His aunt smiled at him. "Use it with honor. Protect your people" She told him, a proud look on her face. She, on the contrary, had always dreamt about this day. The day when she could give hee most impressive weapon to the next generation of her family.

It was big, and he hadn't yet earned the rite to a traditional Metkayina spear, but when he would, he'd have a weapon of much greater importance. Te'rani's spear. The stories that one staff held was unimaginable. It hadn't been used for long, but that didn't mean it had no value.

Ao'nung looked down, tear falling through his eye. Te'rani began to tear up at the realization of what this meant to him. He was losing the one who helped raise him. His aunt, who had been such a big part of his life. She was leaving.

Te'rani always had a deeper connection with Ao'nung. She would praise his rights and correct him at his faults, but above her role as a teacher and aunt, she was practically his mother. She still remembers helping him calm down when he would cry non-stop as a baby. She still remembers feeding him for the first time. She still remembers teaching him how to hunt. Because in her eyes, he would always be a son to her.

Tears threatened to spill down on her face as she remembered these things, embracing him for the last time.

Neytiri and her children stood a little further away from her, waiting by their ikran.

Being mated with someone meant that you became one with everything they loved as well. You learnt to understand and see everything that they did. Neytiri now could see things from a different perspective, Te'rani's perspective. And that's why she felt sorrowful when her mate said goodbye to her nephew. Because she knew how much they meant to Te'rani.

She watched her embrace Tsireya, and finally hold Ta'la in her arms. She kissed her baby niece's forehead as a goodbye, and gave her back to her sister.

Te'rani hugged her brother in law firmly, finally calming down a little. When she let go, she looked at her sister.

"I will come back" she said. Ronal closed her eyes, tears falling. She nodded. Tonowari carefully took his baby daughter from her arms and let the sisters embrace.

"I'll be okay. I'll be okay" Te'rani repeated, soothing her sister, and herself. She let go of Ronal first, because she knew her sister wouldn't do it herself.

She forced herself to turn away. Seeing the faces of her family in so much sadness was too hard for her to handle. She couldn't let them see her cry too.

Neytiri stepped forward, holding her mate by the shoulder. She nodded at her kids to mount their ikran.

Te'rani got on with the help of Neytiri. She held onto her waist, hugging her close with one hand and wiping her tears with the other. Time was passing slower than ever now.

Te'rani tried to remind herself of why she was leaving in the first place.

Neytiri's ikran lifted itself off, flying above the metkayina people to gain height. The last thing Te'rani saw of her people were her friends and family looking at her disappearing figure.

' No more running. No more hiding '

One of Neytiri's hands went to hold her mate's thigh and rub it comfortingly. Te'rani looked beside her, seeing the vast ocean.

The wind dried her tears as the flew above the place she once called home.

She closed her eyes, feeling and hearing the sound of the breeze. As she inhaled, she remembered Eywa's voice.

' one life ends. A new one begins '

' and you have nothing to fear '

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ANOUNCMENT :

the second book of this fanfiction will be out soon !
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