Chapter Text
Ao’nung startled awake to the smell of moss and blood. His heart was squeezing and his fingertips felt blades of grass.
The smell of moss and metal seemed to permeate the air that breezed in through the entrance of his Marui. The smell was brief, but the remnants of it seemed to stain his nose. The memories that came after, proved to not be as quick and fleeting as the wind.
The night was warm, and so insanely quiet. The only sounds that travelled around him were the sloshing of waves from under him. His fingers gripped the blankets that lay beneath him, and briefly, he could picture it as the sand that he had once ran his fingers through from a shared night from so long ago.
A night, that was quite similar to this one. Except, tonight there lacked a distinct presence of a boy whose eyes looked like fresh leaves.
The silence stretched out, and ever since that shared night, the long silences that he had never batted an eye to, began to bother him. Although, it had never bothered him as much as it had him.
Ao'nung groaned. He flung the blanket over his body, as if trying to hide from a piercing stare, in a futile attempt at trying to go back to sleep.
It took until the next eclipse for sleep to consume him.
---
"Fuck!" he hissed. The insistent tapping of the small needle like contraption only stopped a brief moment before continuing to ink black into his turquoise skin.
Lo'ak rolled his eyes at him. "Honestly, ' Nung ,” -he shot him a scathing look- “if you're that much of a wuss getting a tattoo, I truly worry for the safety of the village."
Ao'nung shot the boy a murderous glare. "Yeah? Well I'll show you what a wuss is when I-"
"Ao'nung!" The exasperated voice of his younger sister scolded. She entered the Marui with a flick of her hair, and came to stand beside Lo'ak who only stuttered out a greeting. Ao'nung rolled his eyes so far into his head he might have seen his brain.
"Honestly, when will you two start to get along?"
Her hand came to rest on Lo'ak's shoulder as she checked him over to make sure he was okay; as if he was the one getting repetitively stabbed a million times, but no Ao'nung is fine. The snickering from the man inking black into his skin wasn't helping his mood.
Lo'ak, clearly catching onto his growing agitation, proceeded to stick his tongue out at him like a child. Tsireya tsked, her face clearly displeased. "Mature, Lo'ak."
The ever annoying boy began to laugh and Ao'nung would have joined him if he wasn't deathly afraid of having a hidden scratch line within his tattoo. This one had to be perfect.
Once Lo'ak's laughter finally calmed, the boy finally asked, "What brings you here, Tsireya? I didn’t think you'd want to listen to his whining ?"
Oh he better pray to Eywa for the speed he's going to need.
Tsireya shook her head, but Ao'nung still caught the smile she tried to hide. It was kind of hard to miss when he was literally looking up at it.
Traitor.
"I'm here because Mother and Father wanted to see you two. I'm not sure what about, but it seemed a little serious," her fingers fidgeted with the beads of her song cord.
Ao'nung and Lo'ak shared a look.
"I'm sure it's nothing..." but the Omatikaya didn't seem too sure; and to have requested both of them...
They must have found out about something the two boys had done. The problem? They couldn't pinpoint what exactly they were in trouble for.
"Hey, Tsireya?"
She hummed in response.
"Did mom, uh, perhaps seem a little, well how do you say it..."
"Angry?" Lo'ak so helpfully supplied. Ao'nung even sighed to show his appreciation!
Tsireya looked between the two boys. "Guys!" she moaned, annoyed; having clearly picked up on their thoughts of mischief long passed.
At least Lo'ak had the decency to look sheepish. All Ao'nung could do was hiss in pain.
"No," she sighed. "She wasn't. If anything, she actually looked almost, grim ."
His eyebrows furrowed. A grim Ronal was never a good Ronal.
"That's..."
"Odd." Lo'ak finished. They nodded in agreement.
"Did it seem urgent?"
"No. I didn't seem like it was. Although it seemed to be something important." She entwined her fingers together out of nervous habit. “I’m pretty sure I heard mom say she was retrieving the Sullys for it, as well…”
Ao’nung bit at his lips. Whatever it was, he was going to be so screwed, he was sure.
There was a sigh from behind him as the last of the tapping ceased. Kamea, the man who had been insistently stabbing a needle into Ao’nung’s bare chest for the last age, spoke, "You're done. Go . Rid me of your voices, please.”
He didn't have to tell them twice. The three Na’vi were outside Ao’nung’s family Marui in record time, -although the older boy had not been living there for some time- because if there was one thing they learnt, it was to never keep his mother waiting when she was ready to murder them.
The waves crashed into the mangrove roots below them, spraying their feet with salty, clear water. Ao’nung could smell the scent of seaweed and the hunts that were being prepared around the village in each Marui.
Lo’ak stood just outside the door. “After you, Ao’nung” He brandished his five fingered hands as he stood back and smiled at him as if he wasn't sending him straight to his death.
“Oh no, after you, Lo’ak. You deserve the pleasure of going first.” He smiled back at him, a faux kindness rolled off his tongue.
Lo’ak gritted his teeth. “Not at all. After you. I insist."
“No, I couldn't! After you.”
“After you .”
“After you!”
“I said, after you!-”
He was cut off by a growl from inside, “Would you two just get in here already?”
Lo’ak and Ao’nung shared a look with each other before following a previously amused Tsireya inside. That had been the voice of Toruk Makto: Jake Sully, Lo’ak’s father and previous Olo’eyktan, the very man who had led the forest and reef Na’vi against the Sky People.
Upon entering, they were met with the sight of a very full Marui. Inside housed the entire Sully family on the right, alongside Ao’nung’s own who took the left of the Marui. This was more serious than any of them had originally believed…
His eyes rushed to count each head, his gaze scanning for injuries or missing persons. He finally let himself breath when he found nothing physically wrong with any of them.
“Mother, father,” he greeted. “Sully family.” He took his place seated beside his father, eyes glancing around wearily.
He studied the faces of both families as the silence grew to a volume he didn't know existed: from what he could tell from the mix of confused and tight faces, this was a matter previously discussed by the elders of the group, and only as of recent, became a matter that the children could be entrusted with.
His mother placed a hand on his father’s knee, urging the Olo’eyktan to speak. “There has been news from the forest.”
Dread pooled his stomach. His eyes flicked towards Lo’ak who resided on the edge of his family beside his sister, Kiri; and from Lo’ak’s expression, it pooled in his too. In truth, Ao’nung didn't know which one he dreaded more; bad news, or good…
“Ever since the battle at Three Brothers two years ago, there has been a steady decline in Sky People activity within the forest.”
Jake Sully nodded. “Scouts report a decrease in numbers. They've stopped expanding further into the forest.” He paused, his face masking his true emotions, though he spoke as if suspicious of his own words, “They’ve actually begun to recede back to their cities…”
Normally, this would include celebration. It should include celebration; whoops and yells of joy as they embraced each other over the fact that their greatest enemy was retreating; yet, the room remained silent, bodies still; Just waiting for the pin to drop.
He watched as both sets of parents shared a private conversation between themselves through looks alone. They appeared to have some non verbal fight, mostly led by Ronal and Neytiri. Ronal seemingly lost said battle... “The forest is beginning to regrow,” she stated, “The forest Na’vi are winning the war, which means-”
“-we can go back to the forest…” Kiri interrupted. Her eyes were stuck to the floor, and he could see her jaw clenching from across the room.
Tuk gasped as she turned towards her mother, leaping into her arms full of smiles. “We get to go home?!”
Neytiri tried to shush her daughter, but it was almost inaudible over Lo’ak’s voice. “We can't just pack up again!”
He thought about all the Sully’s had in the village now, and yet, all he could really come up with was their relationships between Ao’nung and Tsireya, and the few friends they had made in recent months. Their only real tie to the reef being Lo’ak and Payakan. And him.
How easy it would be for them to leave. To pack up and leave them all behind.
“Lo’ak!” Jake hissed.
“No! You can't expect us to destroy our lives again! We’ve finally been accepted here! This isn't-”
“Lo’ak,” Tsireya’s calm voice quietened him. Her gaze was unwavering against their parents’. “There’s more to it than that, isn't there...” It wasn't a question. It was a fact.
All their eyes turned back towards The Olo’eyktan and his Tsahik. Ao’nung felt like he could hardly breathe.
Tonowari nodded. “We're not asking you to move. You are Metkayina now,” he assured. “Your home will continue to be the ocean should you wish it. All that we are asking, is that you bring word to the Omatikaya clan that we are to be their allies in this war-”
Ao’nung’s eyes widened. Allies? His father had finally decided to join in the war, then. It was not Metkayina nature to go to war. They were peaceful clans, but if he was declaring allyship? If he was directly joining the war efforts? The Olo’eyktan was clearly done with the meddling and harm of the Sky People.
“-and that you will lead us in proving our support.” His eyes came to find his childrens’. “Tsireya, Ao’nung, will you follow the Sully’s to the forest and learn the way of the Omatkayina?”
Ao’nung searched his father’s eyes for any hint of hesitance, of any hint that the words he just spoke was some joke. He should know better by now than to hope.
“But father, why? ”
“If we are to ally ourselves with the Omatikaya, the leaders of the resistance against the Sky People, we need to learn their ways. We would not be able to fight alongside them within the forest otherwise.” He placed a hand on his shoulder. The contact stung the fresh tattoo that swirled over his shoulder and down to his chest, finishing in a jagged spiral just above his heart. “Which is why I send you two. My children. You will go and find out whether it is possible for us to learn their ways. If it proves possible, then we will send more of our warriors to join alongside them, to set up our own base there and to continue to provide support and aid to the Omatikaya.”
So Ao’nung was to be their piece offering. Their show of good faith.
“But what of my duties here? Of Tsireya’s?”
Tonowari’s lips pressed together. “They will be taken care of.” His hand squeezed his shoulder tighter. “This is only temporary, son. Once the allyship has been established, and we have set up our base of action, you shall return home here. Understand?”
Ao’nung averted his gaze and nodded. “I understand.”