Chapter Text
Your hands grasped at the cool metal surface of the now sinking ship, but to no avail. It was slick as oil as you felt an arm yank you up. Nails dug into your skin so deeply you could feel the warmth of blood spreading down your arm.
"Let go of me!" you hiss before being cuffed to a rail.
The man laughed and then tossed Kiri down next to you, her face crestfallen when your eyes met.
"Talk to me, Corporal. This ship's goin' down and your girls with it. Your boy didn't have to die."
You flinch at that, feeling a chill run down your spine. Neteyam was-
An arrow flew by interrupting your thoughts before you were uncuffed and felt a sharp sting on your neck.
Hissing you struggle against the arm holding you down, but it only made the knife dig deeper into your throat.
"Runnin' out of time here Corporal," Quaritch said, his grip tightening.
"You already lost one kid today. You really wanna lose another?"
Jake grunted as he moved forward, his knife held out.
"Do not test me," Quaritch seethed, his eyes narrowing in anger.
"Just kill him, dad!" Kiri shouts, as you flinch.
He moves the knife closer to her throat, "Weapons down."
Hesitating Jake tosses the hatchet and knife to the ground as Kiri shouts, "Don't!"
You barely register the next words out of the man's mouth when a boy comes out from behind a pillar.
"No! No, don't hurt her!" he shouts as rushes in front of him.
"Stand there! Don't move," Quaritch shouts, his voice filled with anger as he takes the knife away from your throat.
You can already feel a warm and steady trickle flowing down your throat as Kiri looks at you and gasps, "Your nec-"
But she is interrupted as Neytiri leaps forward and grabs the boy, holding her knife to his throat.
Quaritch flinches as she speaks, "Release. Or I cut."
"What you think I care about some kid?" he laughs.
"He's not mine, we're not even the same species."
"Jus- please don't! Don't hurt her!" the boy sputters as Kiri pleads for her mother not to kill him.
Your eyes fall to the knife on your thigh, so carefully concealed they hadn't even noticed it when cuffing you. Taking advantage of the Colonel's distraction you reach down and grab it, hand shaking on the hilt.
"A son for a son," Neytiri hisses as you unsheathe the blade, the shell hilt cool in your palm.
She cuts his chest, "I cut," and you strike. Slashing upward you cut the Colonel's face.
And that's when you feel it, the cold metal of the Colonel's blade in your chest, the warm liquid sprouting forward and Kiri's hand on your arm as you fall backward.
Neteyam watched as the Metkayina emerged from the ocean, her long hair dripping wet and her eyes sparkling in the sunlight. He couldn't help but feel his heart skip a beat as she smiled nervously in his direction. Giving a small wave he took a step toward her as he waited for Tsireya and the others to join him.
"I don't think I've seen you around here before," he said as he approached her, stopping a few steps in front of her in the sand.
A look of melancholy washed over her as she smiled sadly, "I-"
Before she could answer the sound of a throat clearing interrupted him, "What are you doing here?"
Turning back, he could see Ao'nung and Tsireya standing behind him. Ao'nung's voice was cold as ice, his expression angry, while Tsireya's was twisted in a mix of confusion and concern as she reached out to the girl.
Her expression shifted to one of discomfort as she glanced at Ao'nung before turning her gaze back to Neteyam. "I was just taking a swim," she replied, her voice soft and subdued.
Neteyam could sense the tension between Ao'nung and y/n, and he felt a protective instinct kick in. "Is there a problem?" he asked, his voice firm.
Ao'nung snorted dismissively. "No problem. We were just wondering what a sänui is doing here," he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
She tensed beside Neteyam, but before she could respond, Tsireya stepped forward, placing a hand on Ao'nung's shoulder. "That's enough, Ao'nung. Let's go we have lessons to teach," she said firmly, her gaze flickering between Neteyam and the girl.
"Neteyam," Tsireya said, her voice strained as she walked into the waves, "Come, join us, you will learn nothing if you stay on the shore," her hand gestured for him to follow.
Glancing back in the girl's direction he gave a quick wave and leapt in with the others.
As he swam alongside Tsireya and Ao'nung, Neteyam couldn't help but wonder about the girl he had just met. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was something different about her, especially with the way Ao'nung and Tsireya had treated her. And the words Ao'nung had thrown at her stumped him too, he had called her a sänui, a failure. They seemed close, yet distant at the same time, as if they were holding her at arm's length for some reason.
The lessons that day were intense, what with it being their first day in the ocean. His arms felt sore as he followed his siblings back to their mauri.
Your hands rang the water from your hair as you stepped into your family's mauri, the room tense as your Mother set down a basket and grabbed an herb from your sister.
"Tsireya tells me that Toruk Makto's children have seen you," her voice is harsh and cold, but her gaze never meets yours as you stand in the entryway.
You feel a pang of guilt as your mother's words hit you. You knew that you shouldn't have been seen with Neteyam, or any of Toruk Makto's family, but you couldn't help it. You were curious and there was something about him in particular that drew you in, something that made you feel alive.
"I- I'm sorry, Mother," you stammer, looking down at your feet. "I didn't mean to cause any trouble."
Your mother snorts, turning to face you with a scowl on her face. "You never mean to cause trouble, but trouble always seems to find you," she says bitterly her hands now holding a mixing bowl.
You feel the weight of her words, the same words she's said to you countless times before. You know why there is malice in her voice, and her eyes every time she sees you, and it cuts your soul. Honestly, it wouldn't be half bad if she would pretend you didn't exist, but your Father put a stop to that.
"I'll be more careful in the future," you say softly, hoping to diffuse the tension in the room.
Your mother nods, but her expression remains stern. "You're getting older now, y/n, and it's time for you to start thinking about your future. You can't keep running around the clan, you need to stay out of sight, and the way. It is what Eywa has willed."
You feel a lump form in your throat at her words, knowing that she's right, but don't want to give up the feeling that deep down she's wrong. That Eywa would never will such a thing, that she would never will your Mother to cast you aside the moment you took your first breath, that there was some reason you were the way you were.
"I understand Mother," you say, your voice barely above a whisper.
She gives you a curt nod before turning back to her work, signaling that the conversation is over. You take one last look around the mauri before silently slipping out, feeling the weight of your mother's gaze as you walk.
But before you can fully exit the mauri, you bump into someone who exhales deeply. Flinching you glance up to meet your Father's eyes, full of melancholy as he gives you a tight smile, "My daughter," his hand lands on your shoulder.
Biting your lip you greet him, "Father," his eyes look down at the small basket in your hands, and they grow concerned.
"Where are you going so late?"
His eyes search yours for an explanation while you try not to frown, "Just for a swim."
He sighs in relief, "Be back before eclipse," and with that he heads inside, calling out to your mother, "Ronal," his voice trails off as you walk to the shore.
As you make your way toward the shore, you can't help but feel a sense of unease. Your mother's words still linger in your mind, and you know that she's right. You can't keep running around the clan, it's time for you to start thinking about your future. But the idea of conforming to the clan's and Eywa's expectations feels suffocating, and you can't help but wonder if there's more to life than just following the will of Eywa and listening to the people gossip in hushed tones when you pass them by.
Shaking your head you reach the shore and take a deep breath, feeling the cool breeze on your face. You can taste the salt in the air and the water is calm, as you wade in slowly, feeling the gentle waves lap against your ankles. You close your eyes and let out a sigh, feeling a sense of peace wash over you. Hearing a snap you turn to see one of the Sully children standing not too far behind you on the shore. You freeze as he waves and takes a step closer.
"Hey," he whispers as the waves pick up in pace.
Feeling a chill run down your spine you quickly dive forward, the cool water engulfing you, the taste of salt on your tongue. As you swim further out, you can hear the distant chatter of the clan behind you, but you feel a sense of freedom being out here on your own. The water is your sanctuary, your escape from your troubles, and yourself. You dive deeper, feeling the pressure in your ears as you go. You know you should surface soon, but you can't help but stay down, enjoying the weightlessness of being underwater. Suddenly, you feel something brush against your leg, and you startle, quickly kicking back up to the surface.
Gasping for air, you look around, but there's no one there. You try to shake off the feeling of being watched, but it lingers, and you can't help but feel uneasy.
Neteyam stands dumbfounded on the beach after your curls disappear in the waves, the inky blackness of the waves obscuring the fact that you had ever been there in the first place as he turns to leave. Walking through the sand he wonders what you were doing out so late, and then he stops in his tracks.
In front of him stands the Tsahìk, her eyes foreboding and cold as she steps past him and towards the sea. Greeting her he quickly heads back to his family's mauri and lays down on his bed, his head swimming with thoughts of the strange girl.
The next morning he woke early to begin lessons with the ilu. Ao'nung took the lead on lessons while Tsireya demonstrated how to make Tsaheylu with them. It was just as Neteyam was about to take off with his ilu when he saw you. Your hair was now adorned with a scattering of orange and blue seashells, matching your top, and your eyes pointedly looked at the water as you called for an ilu.
As the ilu came forward you tossed it a fish, and patted its neck gently, smiling he urged his ilu to slowly move toward you. When he was mere inches from her he opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by Ao'nung,
"Again today," he seethed as he swam forward on his ilu.
She jumped back startled at his approach, falling over her feet and taking in a mouth of seawater as she fell. Neteyam's hand shot out and pulled her up as she rubbed her eyes.
"What are you doing here again?" Ao'nung asked, his voice harsh as he regarded her.
"I-," she paused as she looked down in thought, her eyes clouding with tears.
Stepping in between the two Neteyam sent a glare at Ao'nung, "Why can't she be here?" he hissed as he helped you gather the scattered contents of your bag.
"And who is she to you any way that you care so much she's here," his voice is stern as he looks to Ao'nung for an answer.
Your face pales as your younger brother's eyes lock on you and he laughs, "Tsmuke is just as useless as you all are."
Neteyam looks at him warily, "What do you mean? Why insult your own sister?" his voice is heated and a wave of confusion washes over him as he steps towards him.
You were their sister? It didn't make any sense to him, why treat you so coldly and call you a sänui, and worthless. Ao'nung feigns surprise, "You don't know?"
Biting back a laugh, he continues, "Oh, of course, you wouldn't, you're from the forest, so it might be difficult to understand," his finger points at you in accusation, "She has no spirit sister. No Tsaheylu. No connection to Eywa. She is worthless."
Neteyam's eyes shot to you, his eyes concerned as you stumbled back in the waves, "Your sister?"
He could feel his blood boiling as Ao'nung laughed and Tsireya turned away, her eyes locked on the sand.
He couldn't believe that anyone, let alone her own brother, could treat her so cruelly just because she didn't have a Tsaheylu. He could see the hurt and pain in your eyes as Ao'nung's words sunk in.
Turning to face Ao'nung, he spoke firmly, "That doesn't give you the right to treat her that way. She's still your sister-"
He's cut off by your shout, "No, he's right," a sad look washes over your face as you mount the ilu, and dive forward, disappearing underneath the waves.
Feeling his anger rise his hand clenches into a fist as he turns to Ao'nung and punches him.