Intertwined [Neteyam x OC]

Chapter 13

I like shiny things, but I'd marry you with paper rings
Uh huh, that's right
Darling, you're the one I want, and
I hate accidents except when we went from friends to this
Uh huh, that's right
Darling, you're the one I want
- 'Paper Rings' by Taylor Swift

"We're going on a dangerous mission, Aliyah. Stay here with the rest of Jake and Neytiri's children." Her father warned her, knowing she often disobeyed his orders.
She rolled her eyes, "Don't worry, dad, I won't leave."
Her mother gave her a quick embrace, "We will see you soon, my darling." Aliyah watched her parents prepare themselves along with the other warriors, who all shouted war cries as they left the camp and set out for battle. A smirk appeared on her face as she saw the last warrior disappear from her sight, and after waiting a while, she swung her bow around her and started running after them. She used a different path and made sure to keep some distance so that she wouldn't get caught. She desperately wanted to see the warriors fight with the Sky People, so she decided to hide in the thick forest growth to observe from a distance. She heard gunshots and arrows being released from bows, striking their opponents in vital areas.
Her eyes widened as she saw several Sky People collapsing, and a couple of them shouted, "We're under attack!"
She saw her mother take out several people with her bow, while her father used a spear to impale others. This was one of the first missions against the Sky People since they returned to Pandora, and she felt proud that her parents were fighting for their home. Aliyah decided she had seen enough and wanted to leave before they noticed she was there. As she turned around, gunshots were heard, followed by an excruciating scream. Her head whipped around to the source of the sound, seeing her father clutch his chest before stumbling back. Her breath escaped her as she watched her father collapse on the ground, and heard her mother scream his name. The distraught woman killed the person who shot her mate, and fell down on her knees next to him, frantically searching for a sign of life. Aliyah found her air again and a scream unintentionally escaped from her throat. Her mother's eyes flicked toward her and she got up, moving toward her daughter. But suddenly, the woman's body shuddered and she stopped walking. Her eyes went wide as they trailed down to her stomach, seeing blood drip down to her feet.
She fell on her knees again, holding out a hand to her only daughter, "Run away, Aliyah!"
Aliyah was frozen in shock as she witnessed her mother use her last powers to strike down her attacker with an arrow to the heart.
The woman turned to her yet again, her voice now even more panicked, "Go!"
More Sky people were arriving, and Aliyah regained control of her body. Casting one last glance at her parents, she ran away as quickly as she could, hoping the Sky people did not follow her. Tears were streaming down her face, but she was too scared to allow herself to break down now. Every noise around her started to fade, as she realized her world would never be the same again.

Aliyah woke up, panic flowing in her veins. She quickly scanned her surroundings with wild eyes, a wave of relief washing over her as she noticed she was laying in a dark hut with Neteyam. She sighed, biting her lip as she felt dried-up tears on her cheeks. She had been crying in her sleep again, which hasn't been happening a lot lately. She got up and left the hut, careful not to wake Neteyam. She walked a while on the beach, breathing in the fresh ocean air as the waves softly crashed into the sand. A cool breeze ruffled through her hair and graced her face, drying up any new tears escaping her puffy eyes.

Suddenly she felt two gentle hands on her shoulders. She didn't have to check to know who they belonged to. She felt herself break and turned around to crash into Neteyam's chest. She let out all her tears, her body shaking violently from the emotions. His arms were tightly wrapped around her, his fingers tracing circles on her back. He slowly rocked her side to side, and her crying simmered down after a while.
His quiet voice broke the silence, "Did you have a nightmare again?"
She nodded, her face still buried into his chest, "It was my fault, Neteyam. My mother died because of me."
His hands left her back and cupped her face, forcing her to look him in the eyes.
He spoke clearly now, and a bit louder, "You have to stop blaming yourself, Ali. There was nothing you could have done."
Her eyes fluttered, "I should never have gone after them. And I should have never left her to die, I should have stayed and fought."
He hugged her again tightly, and she closed her eyes to absorb his peace, "You would have died too if you'd stayed. There were too many people."
She let out a sob, "Maybe I deserved to die there."
He squeezed her, "No, never say that. You deserve so much more than you think." A silence fell between them.
She mumbled, "I wasn't able to talk to them yesterday."
He kissed the top of her head, "You're going to see them again soon, just have faith. Eywa won't abandon you."
She pulled her head away from his chest, "There's something else I saw though. Something really bad."
He raised his eyebrows, "What did you see?"
She frowned, "It was weird. There was a girl crying and holding somebody. She was sitting on a rock in the middle of the sea, but there was fire and destruction all around her." She hesitated as she bit her lip nervously, "And ... the boy she was holding was ... dead."
He brushed a strand of hair away from her face, "Who were they? Did you see that?"
She felt new tears arriving, and her breath stoked, "It was us. I was holding you, you were dead."
His eyes widened as he looked deep in thought.
Aliyah shook her head, "I don't know what this means, Neteyam. But I can't lose you too. I won't survive that."
He soothed her, "Hey, no, don't say that! You won't lose me, I'm here to stay." He kissed her lips softly, before sighing, "I think we have to tell my parents. This feels important."
She felt relieved that he believed her, and that he didn't dismiss it as a 'bad dream' or something. She nodded, and her eyes wandered his face as if she was trying to memorize every inch of it before she lost him forever. She couldn't bear to think about her vision any longer, her heart shattered into pieces just imagining a life without him.
He smiled gently, "Do you want to go back? I'll hold you until you fall asleep."
Aliyah's voice sounded exhausted, "Yes, I would like that." She felt herself calm down after being comforted by Neteyam, and soon slipped into a more peaceful sleep.