"𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭."
in which fei'uey, firstborn daughter of ronal and tonowari, finds herself entangled with toruk makto's eldest son in a time of sorrow and peril.
(neteyam x fem! metkayina! oc)
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Neteyam opened his eyes to find an empty beach with endless water and warm sand under his feet. His hands went up to his heart, feeling around for the gunshot that killed him. There was no blood. There wasn't even a scratch. He glanced around in shock.
"You're here," a voice said from behind him.
When he turned around, he found the woman he loved. She was older. Wiser. Dressed in white. "Fei?" He asked, despite knowing it was her by the tattoo over her heart.
She smiled softly. "I didn't think this could be possible until Eywa gave me a dream." She looked around at the island before turning her attention back to him.
"I'm dead," he said. "I died in front of my family and you, why am I here?" Everything was so confusing for him. One moment, he lied there, thinking about the dream of Sylwanin, and the next, he was here.
"You were," Fei declared, choosing her next words carefully. "But I have this opportunity." She sighed and gazed longingly at the sea. Her home. "Just before you died, I had this vision of myself, standing here."
Neteyam furrowed his brows. "And?"
She looked back at him. "Before I tell you, is there anything you want to know? Any questions?"
He had loads, but he chose the biggest one he had. "In the dream you showed me and the vision I had, I was alive. But now, I'm dead." He motioned to the island around him. "Why?"
"I suppose even I don't know the answer," she stated truthfully. "I guess it was just... what I wanted."
He hated how vague she was being. It made him frustrated. He just wanted to go back to Fei and live peacefully with their daughter in the future.
"Why did we name her Sylwanin? Mom never talks about her sister."
The woman chuckled and looked down. "It was my idea, actually." She pursed her lips. "You told me about her one day in the grove. I remember thinking about it, then telling you in the Cove of the Ancestors. I thought, since your mother's sister died so young, we should give her name a second chance to live."
The Fei in front of him was smarter. She was calm and stable, much different from the younger Fei he had seen grow as a person. The girl he knew was a time ticking grenade. But Neteyam had to know more about his death.
"Why am I really here?"
She sighed, shoulders dropping slightly. "You can pass on to the afterlife. Your spirit will lie with Eywa."
He narrowed his eyes. "There's another option, isn't there?"
She bit her lip. "Or, you can go back to living. You will cheat death only once."
His eyes widened. "That's possible?"
"It's not the right time, Neteyam," she breathed deeply. Something was holding her back. "This is the chance to bring myself happiness."
He looked around. "What happens if I pass on? If I don't go back?"
She smiled. "Every day, I will visit you at the tree. You will live forever in my heart. But if you go back, you can save me from self destruction." She pulled away the white cloth that was draped over her shoulders and chest. Underneath, a string of shells covered the more intimate parts.
He hadn't noticed it before when he saw the tattoo, but the scar of a knife tainted her skin. His breath hitched.
"Years ago, when you first died and I was in mourning," she drew in a shaky breath. "I tried to end my life. I could not bear to live the rest of my years without you. Your father stopped me before I died. I was left with the memory of the night."
It had felt all too real now. Of course Neteyam should have seen it before. Fei was unstable already from the pressure of her parents. If he truly died, she would never be the same.
"I want to live," he declared. There was a glint of determination in his eyes. He would do whatever it took to save the woman he loved.
He needed to bring Sylwanin to life. He needed to be there with her as she became the chief, when she peaks, and when she falls. He needed to dedicate his existence to his love, his life, his Fei.
"You are sure?"
He nodded. "Yes. I want to go back now."
Fei furrowed her brows. "If you do this, you will never be able to come back here. You will never have this chance again. Doesn't this place feel happy? Special?"
He shook his head. He knew what she was doing. It was a test to see what he really wanted. The thing was, Neteyam had never been so sure in his life. "I know. But I must go back. I need to see my daughter while I am alive."
She nodded and backed away. "I understand." She looked back at the water one last time. "Make her happy. For me."
The world had started spinning. In an instant, he could feel the wet, cold rock on his back. The waves crashed over his legs. He could smell smoke. By the twitching of his fingers, he could tell he was back in his own body.
In some form of a miracle, he had been brought back from the brink of death.
His eyes flew open, hands reaching up to his heart as he sat up. The wound was healed, leaving a scar among his own blood. He sighed and threw back his head. A chuckle erupted from his throat.
He was back in his body. He was alive. He was living and breathing. From the side, Tsireya was frozen in shock, lips parted and eyes wide.
"Neteyam?"
y'all should know i wouldn't do you guys like that
also this wasn't even the og plan i was actually so set on killing him off until you guys were threatening me so this one is for all of you ily <3
