Chapter 9 - Nightmare

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That night Neteyam went back to his hut, his mood elated. He hadn't felt that happy in a while and if he was being honest he doesn't actually remember ever being that happy. Except, of course, when he made his bond with his ikran, Kalin.

His mind wandered now. Somehow he had completely forgotten about visiting her. But he knew why he had forgotten, a certain reef na'vi had been the only thing to occupy his mind recently.

Still, he felt awful for not going to see her. So now, as he led in his bed, he couldn't stop thinking about her as he tried to drift into sleep.

Once he was able to sleep, the thoughts had followed him. They terrorised him in his sleep. The thought of leaving Kalin alone for so long and without a word to her pained his heart. Hurt so much that he was awoken by the nightmare, unable to breathe properly, grabbing at his chest.

He couldn't sleep any more as he quietly stood up from his bed. He walked towards Aonung's hut, hoping the boy wouldn't be too annoyed at him if he woke him up.

He silently crept to Aonung's side, shaking him out of his sleep by his shoulders. The boy in front shot up in panic, looking around his hut, trying to find the reason he awoke.  His eyes almost immediately landed onto Neteyam, his face screwing into a confused look.

"Teyam? What are you doing here?" The boy was whispering, trying to be as quiet as possible. "I uh wanted you to come with me to um see my ikran?" Neteyam's voice shook slightly as his face became distressingly more sorrowful. "See your ikran? Teyam what's wrong? I mean it's the middle of eclipse for eywa's sake. Why do you need to see your ikran now?"
"Well I couldn't stop thinking about her and how I haven't visited her since we came here. It kinda got to my head and I had a nightmare about her being hurt or even dead. And now I need to see her Aon." The boy had tears that started to fall as he almost began to sob. "Oh Teyam. It's okay. Come here." Aonung opened his arms to the boy.

Neteyam crawled into the bed with him, Aonung wrapping his arms around the boy, he began stroking a hand through his hair, trying to soothe the boy. "We can see her in the morning. For now you need to sleep."
"But-"
"No buts, she is fine and you need some rest. Now sleep Teyam."
"Okay Aon."

The two boys led down in Aonung's bed, both drifting into sleep.

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The next morning the boys awoke before the rest of the Aonung's family. They both rushed through the green area of the island, Neteyam pulling Aonung along with him.

When they had reached the ikrans, Bob, his father's ikran, looked over to them as they walked over to Kalin.

"Kalin, my beautiful girl." Neteyam placed his hands on the side of her face, bringing their foreheads together. Aonung stood awkwardly in the back of the scene, smiling at the two.

Neteyam turned around to the boy, extending his arm to him. "Come closer Aon." The reef boy listened grabbing his hand as he stepped forward. "Kalin, this is Aon. Aon, this is Kalin."
"It's nice to meet you Kalin." Neteyam brought the boy's hand up to place it on Kalin's head and the ikran nodded into the touch. "She likes you Aon."

The boy smiled at the ikran in front of him, then looking over to the forest na'vi and smiling to him as well.

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The translation for the na'vi word 'Kalin' is 'sweet'! I wanted the name to match her personality as I did with my other book where his ikran's name meant pride.

Also I'm changing my upload schedule to every two days instead of everyday just so it's less stressful for me. It's also because I haven't been enjoying trying to write a chapter for every day. But I did enjoy writing this chapter and I hope you guys liked it too.

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