In the Stars

Chapter 1

Inspired song: (Isn't She Lovely by Stevie Wonder)

I was born on Pandora, and my life truly began when Uncle Norm opened his heart to adopt me as his niece. His kindness and love gave me a sense of belonging. Uncle Norm introduced me to Pandora as he took me under his nurturing care. He taught me about the vibrant world of Pandora, how the plants thrived, and the creatures' ways of survival. Everything on this planet was interconnected through Eywa, the spiritual force of life. Our group grew close to the Omaticaya clan after years of studying their culture.

As a child, I'd escape the lab and explore the jungle with my friends, Lo'ak, Spider, Kiri and Neteyam. Jake and Neytiri would watch over us. Over time, I realised my feelings for Neteyam went beyond friendship. Something was much deeper than friendship even though we've known each other since we were kids. Time would cut off though as he and Jake would go and he would teach his son the ways of being the oldest son. Learning his ways and warrior. Learning how to hunt and fight. 

Now, in the present, the sky people have returned. Their ships scorched the forest, killing thousands of tribal members across Pandora's forest, and forcing the remaining Na'vi to seek refuge in the floating mountains. It's been three months, and the Na'vi have found a new way to plot their vengeance. Unfortunately, I'm not a part of the plan. I have to stay and help out in case of any injuries.

As I searched for Neteyam, I spotted his Ikran. Its green-coloured skin is covered in yellow and brown stripes, similar in appearance to Seze.

Just behind the Ikran stands Neteyam, adorned in war paint and a headdress, I can't help but sigh in exasperation; he's handsome. He sees me just a few meters away and calls me over. I look at him with worry in my eyes. What happens if I never see him again? He would never know how I feel about him. He gently pulls my hands to his. Looking down into my eyes, he politely asked me if I would like to wish off his war paint. Without any hesitation, I take the paint bowl from his hands and place the tips of my fingers into the wet paint. He takes a seat, now at eye level with me. I can't help but feel a trance come over me. Trailing patterns around his face sends butterflies throughout my entire body. I guess he could sense it, considering how close we were. Our breathing is in sync. There's so little space between us, and he begins to pull me closer. This makes me blush even harder. Now we're just staring into each other's eyes. His wide, yellow eyes look down at my dark chocolate eyes. Before I know it, Lo'ak calls him over, and I pull away from the trance. He chuckles and thanks me before hopping onto his Ikran, connecting to its tsaheylu. Neteyam's gaze stays on me. A cute smirk crosses his features, highlighting his dimples and displaying the sharp edges of his teeth. 

Neteyam and Lo'ak are on sight duties while Jake and the others plan to throw a high-powered explosive to prevent the train from entering the sky people's base camp. Uncle Norm is also there helping out with a load onto the helicopter, taking all they can and carrying it back to base.  

I haven't heard anything from them for a while now, and I'm getting worried. As I walk over to Kiri, we start to listen in on the radio. The radio starts to go off when Jake starts to speak. The radio slightly cuts off when Jake tries to speak. He repeats himself much clearer the second time. Jake explains how Lo'ak and Neteyam both entered the danger zone, and an explosion happened. Jake found Neteyam, whose body lay limp before him. Jake panics and starts searching for any serious injuries but is relieved when he realises the injuries aren't serious. Coming back with the war party back to base. They're coming home.

Once they arrived back at the base, I could see how wounded Neteyam was. I rush up to him with his eyes. I quickly examine his back before looking into his eyes and asking if he's okay. He gently places his hand on my upper arm. 

"I'm okay," 

He says, and relief washes over me. He looks over me to see his dad storming towards him and his brother. Neteyam gently pulls me to his side as he faces his father.

"Dad, it's my fault-" 

Jake snaps at his son, clearly frustrated.

"Didn't I tell you to watch your brother? What happened down there?" 

I have never seen the chief so intense. It's almost like I had to take a step back. I wanted to express my opinion but know it's not my place.  

Before he could argue anymore, Neytiri stepped out of the tent, lightly pushing her husband back. 

"Your son is hurt, let him go." Neytiri is annoyed at Jake's words. 

"Neteyam, go with y/n and get yourself patched up. Lo'ak, no more parties for a month. I entrusted you with one mission and you disappointed me." 

Lo'ak always feels like a downcast, and Jake makes sure that he's disappointed in both. Neteyam has more to say, but I rest a hand on his back, gently guiding him away from the scene. They walk back to the tent in silence as Mo'at patches up his wounds. I, however, hold his hand through all of it, even though he winces a bit. It's still adorable.

"You were worried about me?" 

He asks, his cheeky smile evident. If I wasn't so close to him right now, I wouldn't have reacted the way I did. I can't help but chuckle at the question, and I might be blushing at the same time.

"What is that supposed to mean? of course, I was worried." 

I reply. He chuckles a bit before placing his hand on my cheek. At this moment, I can feel the electricity running through my veins. I look up to gaze into his deep, wide yellow eyes. There's something strong between us, but I come to my senses. This could never work out, so I pull away from his gaze and look down to pick at my fingernails.

"Hey... what's wrong"

He asks gently. He could see the sudden change in my body language, moving his hands slightly towards me to stop me from picking my fingernails.

"I'm okay"

I say reassuringly and can't help but let out a sigh. As I lift my head, he notices the tears in my eyes. I'm grateful for the empty tent, unsure if I should tell Neteyam how I feel.

"If you're worried about today, just know that my father has defeated the sky people once before, and he will do it again. We will be victorious, but for now, we're taking it slowly and trusting in our elders."

Neteyam truly believed in this matter. I know this because... He had a look of determination on his face, which encouraged me to believe in his words.

"It's not that."

I speak softly, shaking away the tears that were about to stream down my face. I take a big inhale and then slowly exhale.

"I just wanted to tell you-" Just before I could finish my sentence, Kiri walked in.

"Hey, y/n I was wondering if you could- Oh! Did I interrupt something?"

"No."

I say, and Neteyam says "Yes" at the same time. I look at him, and he looks at me, questioning my "no interruption" response. His ears are now pinned to his head.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt... I just want to know if you wanted to hang out later tonight but it seems like you are busy." 

Kiri looks at me from across the room. I smile politely towards Kiri and nod. I begin to stand up, and Neteyam does too. He looks at me in confusion. He just saw me vulnerable, and now I'm acting as if nothing happened.

"Neteyam..."

I say as I grab his hand. I smile and reassure him.

"Just so you know, I'm not done with this conversation,"

 I say before pulling away from his touch. 

"I'll see you tomorrow?"

I say, unsure of his response or how he's going to act.

"Goodnight y/n."

He says as the space between us becomes more noticeable. He sounded more disappointed than he looked. 

"Goodnight Neteyam."

And with that, I was out of the tent.