𝐓𝐎𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐔𝐍 | neteyam

𝟎𝟎𝟑 | 𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐒

THE WAVES FLOATED AROUND AY'YEIVA'S BODY AS SHE RESTED ON THE SURFACE OF THE WATER, COMPLETELY STRESS-FREE. Well, besides the fact that she's outside the reef; It's not like she hasn't dealt with that before. So, almost completely stress free.

The ceremony that would make her an adult was only a few weeks away and, per her parents' pleas, Ay'yeiva is taking these last few weeks as a child to do things she may not have time to when she's an adult.

Lan swam around her in circles, both under and above the surface. She swam down to the bottom of the ocean floor and found a shell, nudging it around with the tip of her nose before it finally came off the sand. She swam it up to Ay'yeiva and waited for her to grab it, splashing her with water when she didn't notice.

Ay'yeiva, now upright as she floated, took the shell and threw it off into the distance. The girl watched in anticipation of Lan's venture, but Lan didn't go to retrieve it. Instead, she swam beside Ay'yeiva and took her under the water when her cue was attached.

Not a moment later they heard screeches in the distance; ones they hadn't heard before.

The water was quite clear, and looking up Ay'yeiva was able to see blurs of colour flying over them, heading in the direction of her village.

Wasting no time Lan darted ahead back to the reef, following under the mysterious newcomers flying above. They jumped over a narrower part of the reef, creating a splash that startled some of the airborne, closing in on the shore moments before the strange newcomers landed.

Before walking up the sandy shore to where a crowd was growing, Ay'yeiva grabbed her spear from off of Lan's saddle. Tonowari and a few of his closest warriors flew their skimwings over the new arrivals, landing in the water where Ay'yeiva had left Lan.

Her father acknowledged her before walking up the sandy shore himself. Ay'yeiva followed in behind her father's footsteps, standing behind him as she turned to see her mother walking over. She felt a figure by her side, turning to notice Zoru standing beside her. He smiled hesitantly at her, the two of them having a complicated relationship. Ay'yeiva turned back to her father and the new group in front of her, forcing herself to focus on them.

As Tonowari started talking to the group Ay'yeiva took a closer look at them, taking in the way their body's looked in comparison to her own, as well as the animals they had flown in on. She glanced at each of their faces, only one looking back at her. It was a boy, one Ay'yeiva could only assume to be the oldest by how much taller he was than the rest of the three kids in the small group.

He stared at her, creating an uncomfortable feeling in her stomach. She didn't like that kid already.

Ay'yeiva's attention was brought away from the staring boy as Tsireya appeared next to her, giving the shorter of the two boys a smile in return to the one she was given. Ay'yeiva slightly furrowed her eyes due to her sister's interaction, taking a moment to glare at the boy, making his smile disappear. Tsireya discreetly nudged Ay'yeiva, as to ask her not to do that.

Ronal and the woman had gotten much closer, Ay'yeiva's mother walking around the group of newcomers as she examined them.

The tallest of them, who Ay'yeiva came to know as the former Toruk Makto, stepped forward trying to plead their case, explaining how he was a human but then became a Na'vi and learned how to live like them.

Ronal had returned back to her original spot next to Tonowari, two two of them having a silent conversation to determine whether or not to grant the newcomers with what they wished,

Oturu,

Sanctuary.

Ay'yeiva turned her head to face her parents, watching how their expressions changed as they finally came to a decision.

Her father spoke up, "Toruk Makto and his family will stay with us." There were gasps in the crowd that had gathered, "Treat them as our brothers and sisters. Now, they do not know the sea. So they will be like babies taking their first breath. Teach them our ways so they do not suffer the shame of being useless." Tonowari looked sternly at the other man.

Ay'yeiva watched as the shorter boy's face fell at those words, finding her father's way of explaining the help everyone would be providing to them rather amusing.

"Okay, now what do we say?" Toruk Makto looked to his family, the youngest of them saying thank you as the rest did the same.

Tonowari spoke again, "My children," he glanced to the three kids standing next to him, noticing how Ay'yeiva's demeanor changed, "Aonung and Tsireya, will show your children what to do"

She used the bottom of her spear that was previously resting on the sand to nudge the side of her father's foot, a simple, yet meaningful, gesture for them that allowed her to say 'thank you'.

Aonung, who was stood beside Ay'yeiva, went to protest that he shouldn't have to help, but was silenced by his older sister before their father could do it himself, "Aonung, do not start"

Tsireya walked in front of her two siblings, facing the newcomers, "Follow me, I will show you where you'll be staying!"

Ay'yeiva gave Aonung a small shove so he would follow Tsireya and help bring their belongings to their new home. When the newcomers had followed and the crowd dispersed back to whatever they had been doing before, Ay'yeiva was left alone. Or at least, she wished she had been.

Zoru waited patiently behind her, where he had been for the entire encounter, "Ay'yeiva, can we please talk?" He asked as she began to walk away, "I asked for forgiveness, I've said I'm sorry. What more do you want?" He reached out to grab Ay'yeiva's hand, but she pulled hers away and turned back to face him, "What you have done is unforgivable, Zoru." She glared up at his eyes, watching the hidden fear in his as she continued to speak, "You should be glad I haven't gotten my father to banish you off the island," she thought for a moment, "You should be glad I haven't killed you yet."

She used the end of her spear to hit him in the side of the leg. It wasn't as harsh as she wished she would have hit him, but it was enough to let him know he needed to stop.