Something's Changed Because of You

|| Epilogue ||

*10 years later

Neyudia's POV

Agreeing to come with Neteyam was the best decision of my life. I was introduced to another way of life, the Omatikaya people. The forest was beautiful, the scenery and the wildlife. It was a lot to learn but worth it.

I realized more about my past. My dad was half Omatikaya and half Metkayina and that's how I gained access to a bow because it was his. He then moved to the Metkainya where he met my mother as rest is history.

To let go of my past they gave me a new bow from the Hometree as I earned my place as one of the people. It may not be home but my home was my family.

Neteyam and I made a beautiful family of four. A 8 year old boy, Ku'mat and a 6 year old girl, Zumba. Even with my fear of becoming a mother as long as Neteyam was by my side I would learn along with him.

"Mom! Mom!," yelled Ku'mat as he ran in with his arms in the air.

"What happened?" I asked.

"I shoot a fish after loads of practice! Ask dad, ask dad!"

Neteyam then came in as he kissed my head.

"Our son shot his very first fish," said Neteyam.

Zumba then comes in all disappointed as she throws her arrow on the floor. She then comes to me as she lays her head on me.

"What's wrong Zumba," I said as I put her wavy hair behind her ear.

"I still haven't shot anything," said Zumba.

Ku'mat then comes as he hugs his sister.

"It took me a while, you'll get there. How about we go play!"

"Mom, can we go play with the other kids!," he asks.

"Be back by eclipse!" I shouted as they ran off.

"Those kids are something else," said Neteyam.

I prepared the fish Ku'mat caught as I was not responding to Neteyam.

"What's wrong," he said as he put his hand on my leg.

"Nothing," I lied.

"You're a horrible liar, tell me what's wrong," he said as he massaged my shoulders.

He knew me too well and I hated it sometimes.

"We know that Zumba is different," I said.

"She's not different, she just doesn't look like the forest people," he said.

"She feels left out Neteyam like she doesn't belong here. She's like me."

"She needs to find her purpose just like you did. She just needs her loving family to help her along the way."

I got up as I peeked outside seeing my kids playing around.

"I just don't want any of them to be like me," I said.

"Nothing is wrong with being you. You were just someone who had no one to look up to and was misguided."

Neteyam always had a way of words and knew what to say at the right moment which made me fall more enthralled by him.

He walked up to me as he put his arms around my waist as I leaned into him.

"I think I know a way to cheer you up."

"And what's that," I asked.

"We could always make another child," he said, smirking at me.

"Oh my Eywa," I said as I shoved him off laughing.

"It's been a while since we have had time for ourselves," said Neteyam.

"What are you implying," I asked as I crossed my arms.

"That we have a little date night without the kids."

"Where are they going to stay? I'm not gonna leave them alone."

"We can leave them with my parents for the night. It will be fine."

I eventually agreed as he took me flying on his ikran. I choose not to bond with an ikran still maintaining my roots. He took me to all sorts of places and saw them from above. It reminded me when he took me flying the first time trying to win me over.

How young we were.

He then landed as we were near the river.

"Would you join me for a swim Ma Neyudia."

"Of course," I said as I smiled and dived in.

Swimming with him was how I fell in love with him and reminded me of those memories. We got out of the water as we sat at one of the trees. I had my head on his shoulder while his arms were around me. As I was falling asleep I heard machines.

What was that noise?

I heard it again as I got up. I saw from a distance machines coming cutting down trees.

There was no way.

What I saw in the sky those months ago that light wasn't nothing. It was the sky people. They were here again. Neteyam then got up as the machines came closer to us.

"Neyudia come on!"

I froze as I heard it again.

"They are coming again."

"The past will repeat."

"Run Neyudia.

"Run!"

"No, no, no," I said screaming as I fell to the floor.

Neteyam came running to me as he tried to calm me down.

I saw the trees falling hearing the thumps. Fire spreading as animals came running. The voice was back. History was repeating itself. It was rock bottom again.