𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍 • 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐲𝐚𝐦 𝐒𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲

tear stained face¹⁵

chapter fifteen
[ tear stained face ]

Neteyam carried Nakili's body in his arms as he stepped onto the sand. tears stained his face as he watched the Metkayina people's faces. they said all they needed to.

Aonung stepped through the people. the minute he saw his sister, tears began to swell in his eyes. "my sister." he watched as Neteyam lay her down. "what have you done?" Ao'nung pushed Neteyam. Neteyam didn't fight back, as a few more tears fell down to his lips.

"Ao'nung-" Neteyam shook his head.

"no." Ao'nung looked down at his sisters scratched and roughed body. she was actually gone. "no!" Ao'nung yelled. he fell down to his knees beside her. "my sister. i'm so sorry." Ao'nung pulled what once was Nakili into his chest rocked her to and fro as he cried into Nakili's hair.

Ao'nung knew he wasn't a good brother. in fact, he thought he could've done better. but he made a choice. he chose to leave her out there with Tsireya while knowing all of the possibilities in which could happen to her. he let this happen to her.

as he sobbed into her unavailable body, he only felt regret, remorse, and lastly grief. somewhere deep inside of Ao'nung, he wanted to go back in time to correct all of his wrongs. but as most would say... two wrongs don't make a right.

to start, the first wrong he made was only listening to what Nakili had to say and not actually listening to what she had to say. Nakili was practicing giving him all of his answers in poems and riddles, and he hadn't even noticed.  she gave him the answers of her connections with Eywa and her knowing she'd die eventually.

and secondly, bringing up Eywa when he should've known sooner.

the only right Ao'nung could've made was keeping her alive. yet, he couldn't even do that. and why couldn't he? he couldn't because Ao'nung hadn't fully opened his eyes until Nakili's didn't open at all and would never open again.

-

"can i speak to you, Neteyam?" Ao'nung said as he stepped in the doorway of the Sully's hut. Neteyam sat with his siblings as they all dwelled on the death of Nakili. it had been only the morning since she passed.

Neteyam nodded and followed Ao'nung outside of the hut. "what?" Neteyam asked the boy.

"Nakili didn't want to love you," Ao'nung hesitated to speak these words, but Neteyam needed to know.

Neteyam only havoc blinked a few times before inhaling. "oh." he breathed out.

"but, you must know that she had a reason." Ao'nung assured. Ao'nung was more than upset. more upset at the fact that he didn't get to tell her goodbye.

Neteyam shrugged his shoulders. "tell me." he insisted as he looked down at his now crossed arms, exhaustedly.

"she never told anyone, but she was created and birthed by Eywa; the reincarnation of her mother." Neteyam looked up. now he knew what Nakili had meant when she said 'i have see what i needed to see.' Neteyam furrowed his eyebrows. "in other words, she was only here to see what her mother couldn't." there it was. Neteyam's conformation.

but why? Neteyam asked himself this. why did she have to go out like that. it Eywa created her for said reason, the why just make her leave. see, Neteyam didn't understand, so he said just that. "i don't understand-" Neteyam started.

"Nakili was destined to die. she thought that dying was her only purpose." Ao'nung said to the boy. Neteyam sealed his lips and swallowed harshly. "you gave her a purpose. without you, she would've gone out thinking she was only created to meet sky people."

Neteyam only looked at Ao'nung. not only did Neteyam give Nakili a purpose, but she gave him a purpose. he now knew that.

there were so many words left unsaid in her years. so many words that they got clogged at death. almost as if the world had stopped spinning, but allowing the moon to shine on her gray eyes anymore.

"i don't expect you to understand. trust me, i didn't either. i didn't even get to apologize for bringing up Eywa. but if you do understand, just know that i thank you." Ao'nung nodded and began to walk away.

"Nakili wanted me to tell you something." Neteyam's voice and words stopped Ao'nung in his tracks.

Ao'nung almost immediately turned around. "what is it?" his body completely faced Neteyam now.

"she was sorry." Neteyam raised his eyebrows only to rest them again.

"did she say why she was sorry." Ao'nung held his hand out with upturned brows.

"no, man." Neteyam looked down. all he wished now was that he could tell the concerned brother. it was just another thing he couldn't do.

Ao'nung watched his face. "did you tell her you love her back?" Ao'nung had no other expression on his face as Neteyam looked back up at him.

Neteyam was confused. "how do you know what she said?" he could only blink a few times.

"she's never told anyone that she loved them. she loved you. i know she said it. so tell me, did you say it back?"

Neteyam smiled as his eyes burned. "yes." he said. he shouldn't have been smiling, no, however just the thought that he was the last person to hear her voice warmed his heart, making him only miss her even more.

"one last thing." Ao'nung sighed. "we want you and Kiri to give her back to Eywa with us." Neteyam nodded slowly. "i know you're not blood, but you were her family. we insist."

"okay." Neteyam mumbled under his breath.

a/n
y'all remember when i said that Ao'nung will have development? okay well this is that <3

also when i first started writing this... i hadn't planned to kill of Nakili but honestly i'm glad i did.

xoxo-birdie