Not So Perfect [Avatar The Way Of Water]

27

Teungyi's pov:

"Aonung!" I shouted at the top of my lungs as I desperately searched for the tall boy. I now knew the truth, the full truth and so I had to find him, "Aonung!"
I had to discuss with him how we we're going to bring justice to Oimliän and Niokä for hurting Yrritsyo and blaming it on him. Aonung and I might've never really gotten along with each other, seeing as he used to bully me growing up and never even really apologised for that, but he did that when we were children and we all know how cruel children can be. I always thought that he stayed that cruel. No, I actually thought he became worse after I thought I knew the truth about Yrritsyo but all this time it wasn't his fault. All this time he took the blame for something he didn't do because he believed he could protect Miyara like that. He bottled that up for over a year, just to keep her safe regardless of how he would feel, as long as Miyara was safe. He might've been a bad person growing up but his heart was always in the right place when it came to her. I never realised how much she really meant to him until now.
"Aonung!" I shouted as I saw him on the rock Miyara told me about, the rock they had their date, the rock where he told her that it was allright if she wanted to explore her feelings for Neteyam. After all this time I was beginning to see another side to Aonung, realising that I, like many others, had misjudged him from the start.
"Leave me alone!" He shouted enraged as he pulled his legs up to his chest, wrapping his arms around his legs and placing his chin on his knees. Not once had I seen him broken like this and I had known him since I was four years old, I knew the guy even longer than Miyara.
"I know the truth!" I exclaimed as I jumped off my Ilu and climbed onto the rock, "I know why you took the blame!"
"I know you figured it out," he spat out, "so did Niokä and Oimliän."
"What do you mean?" I asked him frowning as he looked over to me with a hateful glare in his eyes.
"Why don't you go to Miyara and see what I mean by that, why don't you see what they did to her," he sneered and my eyes widened in realisation.
"Did they.." I stammered, guilt washing over me.
"Almost," he said as he got up and looked down at me, "she's bruised, bloodied and broken, Oimliän carved her arm open.. their hands left bruises all over her body, they tore her top apart, they ripped her loincloth down.. had Neteyam and I been there a second later Niokä would've forced himself inside of her. He was only a few inches away from doing so."
"So, why are you sitting here crying? We need to prove to your parents what they are, we need to get them banished," I stammered and Aonung squinted with his eyes, scoffing at me as I saw tears roll down his face.
"She thinks I played a part in it," he said, his voice cracking, "do you hear me? Miyara thinks that I helped Niokä and Oimliän with this attemptive rape."
"You could never," I said his eyes widening when he realised that I of all people believed him, "you might've been a real jerk growing up but you've always done everything in your power to make her happy and safe. I would never believe that you could do anything to hurt her." It was true, he was cruel to everyone else growing up but nit to her, sure he teased her but not once in his life had he offended her.. until the break up that was.
"I don't care what you believe," he said, a numb look washed over his face, "she believes that I did."
"So, what's stopping you from telling the truth now?" I asked him as he looked at me dumbfounded.
"The truth doesn't matter anymore, she got hurt because of it," he said, "you went digging and she got hurt."
"I didn't know they were going to do that to her until I talked to Kìeytxar, I wish I knew but you didn't tell me," I said.
"I told you to let it go, did I not?" He asked me angered, "but you were stubborn enough to continue your search after I told you to let it go."
"I'm sorry that happened to her, and I will apologise to her for my part in it, I will pray to Eywa for Miyara's forgiveness but I will not sit by and let them get away with hurting Miyara, Yrritsyo and you!" I shouted determined, "so you can cower away here but I will get justice, one way or another. With or without your help!"
Aonung stayed silent as he stared at me, trying to read me, trying to see if I was lying to him.
"Why would you? I bullied you for years, I don't deserve your help," he said.
"Everybody makes mistakes, you don't bully me anymore so I guess you made some personal growth," I scoffed and rolled my eyes, "I was so convinced I knew everything about your love for Miyara when in reality you've sacrificed everything to protect her, and here I was thinking that the love you two shared was forced and fake."
"My love for her was never and could never be forced," he said softly, "it has always been and always will be Miyara for me, never anyone else but her."
"I realise that now," I said with a sad smile, "what do you say? Shall we get justice for her?"
All those times I told Miyara that Neteyam's love was pure, which it was, but now I saw that the love Aonung had for her was much deeper than I could've imagined.. it was like all this time I had only seen the tip of the iceberg and now the rest of it below the surface was slowly brought to light.
"How do you even plan on doing that? You can't even prove that Oimliän was the one to cut your boyfriend," Aonung sighed defeated.
"I can actually," I smirked as he looked at me confused, "I've found a witness and should that not be enough you just made it perfectly clear that Oimliän had cut Miyara open with his own dagger. We have prove."