Through The Valley • Ao'nung

Chapter XXXV

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̶̶̶̶  «̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ «̶ ̶̶̶        Mandela         ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ »̶ ̶̶̶  

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The water was darker and cold, but little light had caught on the shell. It almost signalling where it was for the girl to come collect it.

The bio-luminescent fauna and flora under the water kept her vision steady as the current stole her one belonging she was so attached to.

Ao'nung couldn't keep up with the girl as she voluntarily let the ocean pull her down. He grew scared as the storm was only above them and the current now would only worsen.

The rope with the shell escaped back around the corner of the sea wall, but the girl couldn't care about the status of the position where the jewellery was going as she only followed it.

The little air in her lungs and her high pulse alarmed her she needed to hurry and she did once she caught a boulder and pushed herself off of it, stretching her hand as her fingers grazed the material before her ankle was glued, caught in place.

The girl looked down at her limb which was engulfed in the solid coral, its sharp material making small cuts in her skin as the adrenaline muffled the pain. In her vision she saw movement and once again flinched as the boy had followed her.

Ignoring the hand reaching for her to pull her back up she pointed at the shell that had been caught around algae itself. But Ao'nung shook his head blindly, pulling on her arm again as she wouldn't budge.

The girl hit his shoulder and pointed at the glimmering object as he needed to squint his eyes to see where he needed to look at. Ao'nung caught the sight and looked at the girl who he had never seen as desperate towards him.

Ao'nung tilted his head in aggravation, but swam towards the necklace anyway.

The reflux pushed him back, but he fought it as the shell was only a hand away.

At'anau's chest began burning, but she tried fighting it until her throat closed off, head ringing as she kept scratching at the coral that imprisoned her.

At'anau saw Ao'nung returning in her vision, but was too distressed in getting to break the stone material around her foot.

Seconds were passing for her that felt like hours and her hands were raw from clawing at her feet before Ao'nung caught the commotion and pushed the girl's hands away.

Ao'nung panicked, swimming down and trying to pull her foot out of the trap, but it would not budge. The girl's tried not to grunt and release the air she desperately needed. 

He held on the girl for leverage and used his foot to trample on the coral, with no means as he only hurt himself. Ao'nung felt the girl's grip on him as he looked at her just when she released the last air she had filled in her cheeks.

He had never seen despair as present in her eyes as she gave him as only pain screamed out her face. At'anau shook her head, too stubborn to let water fill her lungs, but was growing tired.

she wasn't aware of the hold she had around Ao'nung hand that held her shoulder as he looked around desperately for anything that would grant them something but concluded there was no time to be wasted.

The boy held the girl's cheeks between his fingers and placed his lips on hers, opening her mouth with one hand before blowing enough of his remaining air in her lungs.

At'anau couldn't describe the feeling as it wasn't fresh air entering her body which had been the only thing she had lived on, but accepted it as it was more than enough and she would live. Just like her home in Awa'atlu. Just like she needed to learn to live with.

The kids looked around, but were only met with whirls or water, pieces of algae and troubled fish as the ground was a dark abyss.

At'anau looked up at the boulder she was attached to and pulled herself up with the caught foot, turning her body and thrusting the ball of her ankle against a piece of rock sticking out.

A piece of the matter dropped down and the girl reached for it just before it would drop too low, but the sea had pulled them under again before jabbing them in the back, making At'anau's spine roll before collapsing her against the solid rocks.

The sharp edges cutting the back of her head and shutting all lights off.

Ao'nung held himself attached to the boulder, nails digging in it's body before recollecting himself and turning back to the girl whose figure only followed the waters current calmly.

Ao'nung frowned at her lack of response and swam towards her, holding her by her shoulder and waving her braids back. Red crimson liquid danced in the waters from her nose as her mouth released a pair of small air bubbles.

Ao'nung's heart throbbed almost out his chest as he watched the girl's still body under his hands.

His chest started to burn as well as adrenaline pumped through veins. He copied the girl's action, using his foot to cut off a piece of rock of the boulder and used his hand to pull it off completely as it didn't go fast enough.

He swam down, smashing the material against the coral, making it splinter apart as he turned a blind eye to whether he was hurting the girl's foot along the coral or not.

With another hand he pulled on the foot, releasing it out of the sea's grip and dropping everything in his hands.

Without looking around him, the boy held At'anau in his arms and swam up, his sole purpose to break the surface and let air hit her face.

Slowly but steadily the boy broke the surface, getting pulled down immediately by the big waves and jinxing them of what was up and what was down.

Ao'nung was scared for his life, feared of the sea for once and its damage it would do to the forest girl in his arms.

But he needed to continue. He swam towards the sea walls once more like they did before and tried holding the girl up as much as he could.

With burning muscles he held up a part of his body when he grasped the rocky floors and lifted the girl's numb body on the ground.

He went to stand next to her and carried her up further where less water would disturb them from the broken waves behind the two.

Ao'nung turned the girl on her side, making water seep out of her nose and mouth. He touched the back of her head and held his fingers out. The colour coating his skin as he grew nervous.

"c'mon," he repeated, shaking the girl lightly before hauling her up and putting her head over his shoulder before hitting her cold back repeatedly.

He dropped her back down, not knowing what to do as his head was in a scramble and the only thing he could think was about this being completely his fault.

He reached his hand out for her neck and checked her pulse, panicking once he couldn't feel it over his own fast one.

The boy placed his ear on her chest but only listened to silence as the girl stayed unresponsive.

"no," his voice whispered shakily "no, no," Ao'nung wiped all the hair out of her face and neck before holding her head between his hands "don't do this, forest girl, c'mon."

He sniffed before flexing his shaking fingers and placing both hand on her chest and straightening his back and arms over her heart.

Back at the island, the Sully family stayed in their marui as rain poured down on the village. Their daughter hadn't returned yet and neither did the chief's son, but the adults were sure they would be soon enough.

That was until the twin brother's gut twisted before voiding his heart in Eywa's words. 

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