Unexpected Surpise

Chapter 1

If anyone had asked Ao'nung about his relationship with the Sully children, he would have said 'thank you, we're fine'. They had managed to discuss the incident a few days ago, when Ao'nung and his friends had successfully left Lo'ak outside the reef. Ao'nung's only luck was that the boy was unharmed and able to return safely. He apologized to all four of them and well... They were okay. As it were. You couldn't say they became friends, but they didn't want to tear each other apart every minute, nor did Ao'nung have insults coming out of his mouth every minute. They tolerated each other and that was more than enough.

But this only extended to Ao'nung. His friends haven't changed a bit. When there were no adults around, they insulted the two Omatikayans as much as they could. And it only made the situation worse that Ao'nung did nothing. He didn't think for a second that he should intervene, that he should stop his friends. No. He just stood there and laughed with them.

Ao'nung did not feel that he was a part of what was happening, that they should be stopped.

After lunch, Ao'nung started looking for Neteyam, as the ilu lessons had already begun, but Neteyam was still nowhere to be found. He didn't exactly feel like looking for the forest boy, but after a few minutes of searching, Ao'nung found him on the shore not far from the edge of the village. Neteyam stood at the edge of the water and looked at the horizon with his eyes. Ao'nung stopped as he saw Neteyam's face more clearly. His stomach clenched at the sight of the boy's lost face. He must miss his home , that was Ao'nung's first thought. Of course, he misses it, he doesn't belong here. But as much as he didn't belong here, he had to learn the way of water, because whether he wanted it or not, Awa'atlu was now his home. And luckily for Ao'nung, the golden boy wasn't exactly the best at mastering it. Neteyam's technique still had a lot to polish. After taking a deep breath, Ao'nung forced himself to step closer to Neteyam and finally dragged him to where he should be.

"Hey, forest boy, lessons have started." Ao'nung said while trying to touch Neteyam by the shoulder to shake the other from his homesickness. But just as he was about to touch it, Neteyam suddenly and strongly slapped his hand, as if he knew what he was about to do. He turned rudely towards him, and Ao'nung was surprised to notice that Neteyam's eyes were looking angrily into his. "Don't touch me" was his only answer. Ao'nung did not understand this sudden change in the forest boy's behavior towards him. In the last few days, they got along, it might even be a strong exaggeration to say that they became friends.

"Oh, come on! I thought we'd get along!" There was mockery in Ao'nung's voice. He didn't like that the other was reacting so hostile to his help. He was the one who tried to teach the other the way of water. He was trying to help him fit in with the Metkayinas. He was the one who made the other person feel less useless. To not feel like a newborn.

Neteyam only menacingly moved closer to Ao'nung, who did not understand the other's out of nowhere anger. Due to the unprecedented movement, Ao'nung staggered back and looked with a little fear into the eyes, in which he saw nothing but pure hatred and contempt. He had never seen Neteyam so troubled and tense. He could have sworn that he didn't even look that upset when he and his friends left Lo'ak outside the reef.

"Then what did you do? Oh sorry ." a bitter laugh left Neteyam's lips. "What you didn't?"

"What are you-"

"Specifically, you just watched your friends harass my brothers! You just stood there and watched it all! You didn't want to stop them for a second. You laughed with them there. After all the shit you did, you promised to finish it!" with each sentence, Neteyam's voice only rose higher, his tail moving uncontrollably behind his back. He kept his eyes on Ao'nung the whole time, not looking away for a moment.

"I have nothing to do with it all. I promised not to say anything to them. I did it! I did not do anything!" as Ao'nung reached the end of the sentence, he felt a fist slam into his face, Neteyam could no longer contain his anger. Too much had happened lately, and this was the last thing he wanted to hear.

And at the same time, Ao'nung couldn't do anything. He was caught off guard by the perfect golden boy's reaction. Neteyam never started a fight. He never batted first. He never provoked anything. Whenever they started fighting, he was never the first to start it. Maybe he continued, but he never started. He would never have thought that one day he would be the one to bring Mr. Perfect out of the mess. Maybe Neteyam wasn't so perfect after all.

When Neteyam finished, he just violently grabbed Ao'nung by his necklace and pulled his already bruised and battered face closer to his own. Ao'nung was just surprised by what happened, he didn't have time to take things in from the initial shock. Everything happened too fast.

"Do you think this will save you?" Neteyam just looked down at him and angry tears began to appear in his eyes. He wasn't trying to find the right words now. He had enough. He had enough of everything. But most of all, he was fed up with Ao'nung's childish, irresponsible and arrogant behavior. Like he thought he could do anything. That nothing has consequences. In the last few days, there was hope in him that maybe he had changed. That Ao'nung is a good person.

"Doing and watching are the same!" at this moment, he could only shout at Ao'nung. He felt duped. It was as if every word and sentence the other had told him had been a lie. "You're still the same cowardly loser I thought you were from the very beginning." Neteyam wanted Ao'nung to prove him wrong, but all hopes were in vain.

"I still don't understand why it's all my fault! But if you want so much, I can talk to them!" Ao'nung shouted back. He was starting to lose his patience with the other. He didn't want to stage another scene after what he had done, but Neteyam got on his nerves. Mainly because he knew deep down that the other was right. That he could do something. But he doesn't because he's a coward. Unlike Neteyam, he belongs somewhere and wants to belong somewhere. The other's words hurt him. Neteyam did not know him and had no right to criticize the other. He was still considered an outsider on the island. He didn't belong here. Demon blood ran through his veins, he wasn't even a true Na'vi. And that was what Ao'nung hated most about him.

Neteyam's grip on the necklace began to loosen and his angry expression turned to one of despair. His golden eyes only looked hopelessly into Ao'nung's sky blue eyes. He did not say anything. He was speechless and the silence between them was suffocating. Ao'nung wanted to scream at the continued sensation, but he didn't because he felt that if he moved, Neteyam could explode at any minute.

To Ao'nung's surprise, Neteyam only slowly got off him and stood up. As their eyes met again, Neteyam's eyes were glassy and emotionless, yet Ao'nung sensed contempt and hatred in them. "I don't care what you do. I give a shit. You're just a coward. You're worth nothing." with that, Neteyam turned and started to where he should be. At the ilus where he should practice with Ao'nung.

All Ao'nung could do was watch Neteyam's receding form, the same sentence going over and over in his head that he thought he would never hear again. ' You're worth nothing .'