"You have a strong heart~"
"If you've ever seen in a dream that my eyes no longer look at you with love, you can be sure that I no longer live~"
"The thing about happiness: it can vanish in a heartbeat~"
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Neteyam became a major part of my life. He was just a baby but he was brilliant. The amount of love I had for him was immeasurable. I could only imagine what I'd feel for my own children.
Until I could.
A baby girl clung to my pinky as I held her against my damp chest. My eyes watered as I gazed upon her face. She was dazzling. She looked identical to her father. She had his eye sharp, his high cheek bones, his flat nose. The one thing she got from me was the full head of hair.
She grew; It happened so quick. Time pasted so quick. One minute she couldn't breathe without me and the next she was off running along with Jakes sons. Her name was Aëya. She was tall for her age and incredibly smart.
I knew I'd hate having a girl. Not because she was 'the weaker sex.' But because my urge to be involved in her life and protect her would be stronger. Tsu'tey was surprisingly calm. He had his moments but it seemed he was nothing in comparison to me. I wasn't strict, I just wanted her to have all the knowledge she could. Whether it be culture, language, science, battle strategy, or healing, I wanted her to be versed in it all.
Tsu'tey held a strong bond with her. He taught her it all with the help of Mo'at. I taught her English and science, specifically about Earth and how I got here. The only other thing I taught her was Earth fighting skills.
I dodged her punch and pushed her arm away. She went to strike with the other arm when I held it in my grasp. I copied the action when she attempted to fight me with the unoccupied hand. I twisted so her own arms would be caging her. "Stay vigilant." I lectured. She huffed as I released her. "Again." I demanded.
She got the hang of everything I threw at her. I was most likely her least favorite parent but I did what I thought was best. Perhaps it was my paranoia, or PTSD that kept invading my mind or pure instinct but I refused to not continue training. Both with Aëya and myself.
Tsu'tey was her favorite. He taught her everything he taught me. She was 14, the same age as Lo'ak Jakes youngest son, yet she was already a hunter. Though Tsu'tey loved everything about her, there was one thing he hated.
Neteyam. He didn't hate Neteyam as a person but he hated how attached him and Aëya were. They were attached at the hip since they said their first words. I loved Neteyam as I did Aëya. He was a son to me and he treated me like a mother. He came to me when Jake scolded him.
The bonds I held built within the Omaticaya clan were irreplaceable. Tsu'tey and I were inseparable and knew each other like the back of a hand. I was happy, fearful of change, but happy. Until the night Jake spotted an extra star in the sky. They came rushing home and we all witnessed how the sky people once again brought disaster and destruction onto Pandora.
Jake began leading attacks against the sky people. They were brutal and merciless. Tsu'tey and I always rode with him. Tsu'tey stayed on the ground with the direhorses as I flew with Jake on ikran. Sometimes Aëya flew with me in more than just battles. We ventured into the forest for hours on end on the backs of ikran. She was like me personality wise, and it annoyed me to no end.
