Chapter Text
Falling into line : To conform, adhere to, or agree with that which is established or generally accepted, such as rules, beliefs, modes of behavior, etc.
When Ao’nung came to life, his parents received a message from Eywa. According to the Great Mother, their firstborn’s love would fall from the sky.
It was a strange prophecy. The Metkayina clan were reef people, ocean folks. Their kids learned the way of water from their youngest age and, even if they felt connected to all beings and natural forces like all the Na’vi, the sky wasn’t their territory. The sea was their home.
But Ao’nung’s prophecy it was. Everybody in the clan knew it, since it was quite rare for Eywa to communicate such a strong and precise presage. There were whispers, from time to time, about the future mate of the Olo’eyktan heir. People had even started to call this mysterious being Zupta’em’aw, the one falling from above. Ao’nung hated that name. He hated that prophecy. No, he hated that he had a prophecy. Why didn’t his sister have one? Why weren’t his friends burdened with such a thing? It was like his future was set for him and he couldn’t choose his future mate.
However, Ao’nung was only fifteen, and love was one of the last things on his mind. He had a packed daily life: hunting, free diving, taking care of the ilus, composing songs for his tulkun, playing with friends, learning the arts of leading with his father, and many other tasks. Zupta’em’aw, whoever it was, wasn’t showing up, and great for them. Let this skxawng fall from the sky infinitely for all he cared. The days and the years passed, and Ao’nung slowly started to forget about his prophecy. It didn’t matter what ‘falling from the sky’ could mean.
That is, until one day six Omaticayas Na’vi fell from the sky on the fair sand of Awa’atlu beach.
-🍃🌊-
The Metkayinas sure were strange people, Neteyam thought. They would stare and scold him and his family, blaming them for their long slim tails and slender limbs, but they weren’t any better. What were those flat arms and tails? How could their skin be so light? It was beautiful, though, he had to admit. This luminous shade of blue that blended with the color of the water they emerged from really was a wonder to the eyes.
Uturu had been granted but still the Sully family were strangers. Some parts of this situation annoyed Neteyam to a great point. His father had been the mighty Toruk Makto, and his mother was the most ferocious and skilled warrior he knew. Surely people should feel impressed, or at least respectful. It didn’t matter if they had so-called ‘demon blood’, or if two of his siblings had five fingers instead of four. He wished the Metkayinas could understand that.
However, they weren’t here to prove to them that they had to accept their difference. His father’s words were engraved in his mind. They had to learn, they had to adapt. As it turned out, it was easier said than done.
The first lesson with the ilus was pure chaos. It was the day after the day they arrived. They had already understood how difficult the task that laid ahead of them was going to be, since their first time diving with the Metkayina kids revealed their flaws. The next morning, the Chief’s daughter - her name was Tsireya, Neteyam recalled - came to their marui. Jake and Neytiri had already left with the clan leaders and the kids found themselves alone with the young girl, looking awkward and unsure about what to do next. Tuk was giggling around and jumping on the nets, but Lo’ak and Kiri exuded warriness, glancing around at the Metkayina people that stared at them every time they had to pass by. Fully knowing the snappy tendency of those two when they felt threatened, Neteyam’s anxiousness only grew. They had to stay polite, just like their father told them.
Luckily, Tsireya didn’t miss a bit in their day schedule:
“Come, I’ll call my brother and we’ll show you the ilus!”
Great, call that prick . When you’re in the middle of the forest and everything turns suddenly still and silent, when the buzzing and the singing stop and the whole jungle is holding its breath, that’s when you know there is a threat around. Neteyam didn’t like that moment, when he had to glance around, fully knowing the attacker was near but not being able to locate it during the first beating seconds. And then, the enemy would reveal itself, and you’d be able to know that what you have before your eyes is going to want to kill you. That’s exactly what happened with Ao’nung.
When Neteyam saw those two eyes fixed on him on the beach the day before, blue like a calm sea and yet full of venom, he knew that Ao’nung was that threat. Except this time, if the attacker wanted to get rid of him, he couldn’t just kill it and come back home with a hunting trophy. He had to be the bigger person here. He had to be respectful. So, even if Ao’nung hadn’t answered his polite salute and behaved like an arrogant jerk the whole day after, Neteyam disciplined himself: he would remain pliant and be a good student. No matter what this skxawng had in store for him and his siblings.
-🍃🌊-
“We’re gonna have so much fun”, smiled Ao’nung.
They were all on the beach: the newcomers, his sister, Roxto and himself. Tsireya wanted to teach them how to tame an ilu. Roxto giggled at his friend’s remark, but Tsireya heard and quietly hissed.
“Be nice, brother. You had to learn one day too. Rotxo, take care of Kiri and Tuk. Ao’nung, you teach Neteyam.”
“Why are you the one giving the orders? What if I don’t want to teach that freak?”
“I don’t want you near Lo’ak and Kiri. You’ve hurt them enough already. Besides, don’t you prefer to train the oldest son, firstborn of his clan’s chief, who might know what it is to have the pressure not to disappoint his par-”
Ao’nung interrupted her by clicking his tongue.
“I see where you’re getting, Tsireya. I’m not dumb.”
Why did his sister have to be both annoying and clever at the same time? The oldest Metkayina turned back and took in the tallest Na’vi. He was entering the water with caution, his many braids shining in the sun. Ao’nung bared his teeth. What an idiot. It was going to take forever to teach someone who didn’t even look at ease in a fifty centimetres depth.
“Come here, forest boy, let’s see if the ilu will like your scrawny legs.”
All he got was a flat look, and he didn’t know why, but it puzzled him. Why wasn’t Neteyam reacting? When Ao’nung called an ilu, Neteyam got closer. He still looked warry even though the ilu approaching looked friendly enough.
“He’s not going to bite you, you know. He’d know better.”
“Why is that? Doesn’t demon blood taste good for ilus?”
Ao’nung couldn’t hide his surprised look. He didn’t expect the other boy to allude to his taunts. But still he looked at him calmly, with those piercing yellow eyes and clever stare, and Ao’nung literally didn't know what to answer. He looked away and patted the ilu.
“Hop up.”
Without a word, Neteyam complied, and connected his queue with the ilu’s. Ao’nung rectified his position while giving him advice, but still the other Na’vi looked uncomfortable. You’ll fail , Ao’nung wanted to tell him. And to his surprise, there wasn’t any joy in him as the thought hit him. He knew what it was to fear failure. He should feel triumph at the thought of seeing someone else fail, but weirdly enough, he didn’t.
Indeed, Neteyam failed, getting thrown off his mount almost immediately after it started to swim. But he started again, and again, and again, asking Ao’nung for more advice, and with a determined look in his eyes. After a while, the Metkayina kid called another ilu and jumped on it. This time, he went, and Neteyam followed. They dove, and Ao’nung was careful of his student’s stamina and breathing, checking on him regularly.
In the water, Neteyam’s braids floated around him like a crown, and when Ao’nung turned his head towards him, he was stricken with the view. A small smile escaped despite himself. So he did have some guts, in the end. Ao’nung rode further down, Neteyam followed. They went down and down, swimming around the reef. At first, it was a kind of competition, but Ao’nung couldn’t refrain from showing the other boy the most beautiful flowers, the most astonishing fish, the strangest plants. Neteyam looked and saw, those big eyes of his shining with interest, but soon enough, he gestured to Ao’nung that he had to come back to the surface to take a breath.
When they emerged, the world seemed more vibrant.
“Well forest boy, it was a good lesson. Show up tomorrow and I’ll teach you about breathing.”
-🍃🌊-
Days passed and Neteyam learned.
It was hard, and he thought he was going to drown more than one time. The good thing was, his siblings seemed to learn faster than him. He loved to look at the wonder on Tuk’s face whenever they were to work with the ilus, how quickly she got attached to them, and how easy it was for her to pick up the language the Metkayina used when they were underwater. Kiri seemed in her element, as she had always lived there. The sea seemed to be attracted to her as much as she was attracted to it, and it didn’t last long before she started skipping the lessons to explore on her own. He was always a little bit afraid about that part but she seemed to be so happy that he let her. Even Lo’ak didn’t seem to have a hard time like he did. His younger brother spent hours breathing alone with Tsireya on their favorite rock. Neteyam could only watch from afar and feel grateful for the situation. No matter how much of a sorry sight he must look next to his siblings, no matter how much he missed home, as long as his siblings felt good here, nothing else mattered.
It didn’t matter if it’d take time for him to learn the way of water. He would tolerate Ao’nung’s taunting, the water penetrating in his nose trying to choke him and the lack of air restricting his lungs every day if it meant his family was safe and happy. It would be hard, but he would do it. He would fall into line and become a Metkayina clan member.