Counting Stars - Aonung x Neteyam

Part 1

That by fleeing the nightmare that had been my home since the demons in the sky had attacked, I had now found my place. What if they had never had to flee? It was as if his mother was always right. She had been right when she said that even though the demons had brought death and destruction, they had also brought her father. And now she was right again when she said that perhaps leaving home had brought him to his destiny.

I don't even remember closing my eyes, but I do remember Kiri's high-pitched voice in my ear the next morning, yelling at me what the hell I was doing sleeping on the floor. Being a smart girl, she didn't say anything about the detail that Aonung was asleep next to me, lying against my chest and with the most relaxed expression I had seen him make ever.

Neteyam didn't really like to think about those days. He didn't like to think about the past in general. He was a guy who liked to live in the present and often a bit in the future. He didn't understand how anyone could waste time trying to change something that was in the past. What was done was done. But there were days when scenes from the past would unintentionally come to his mind.

Perhaps as a reminder of all that had changed, perhaps to make him grateful for where he was now. The boy didn't often wonder why certain memories came back to him, but recently he had been trying to give an explanation for everything that happened to him. Trying to find a reason for all the pain, death and destruction his family was going through.

Sometimes he realized it was a desperate action to try to survive, but he liked to do it. He liked feeling as if Eywa had a perfect plan for everyone and this was just another part of his destiny. So, when he remembered the first few days when they came to the reefs, he told himself it was for a reason.

- You did what? - I shouted almost grabbing him by the neck. - Where is he? Where is my brother? - He raised his hands, more to defend himself than to attack and it took all the energy I had not to hit him again.

- I don't know...it was just supposed to be a joke. That we would come back and he would be in the same place with his Ilu. - Aonung answered me in a trembling tone. So many things went through my head, from my brother helpless in the middle of the sea with nothing I could do to all the horrible things I wanted to do to this stupid boy.

I grabbed him and pulled him without listening to his complaints. His friend stood nearby but said nothing. I dragged him to his parents' marui, who at that moment were talking to my father. On the one hand, I was glad he was already there, but on the other hand I knew what he would tell me when he found out.

- Tell them what you've done! - I shouted, pushing him forward. My father looked shocked for a moment at my actions.

- It was just a joke, I swear. - he said looking only at his father. For a second I could see in his eyes that he was really scared. That this whole thing had really gotten out of hand.

- Speak up. - his father forced him in a dangerous tone.

- We just wanted to play a joke on him, take him to the open sea and make him think we had left him. We came back right away but he was gone, it was just...- his father grabbed him by the arm with more force than necessary and pushed him towards the door.

- You are a disgrace to this family. - he murmured to him as they left the marui. A part of me felt guilty, as if it was my fault that this idiot had killed my brother. But soon that feeling was gone, overshadowed by fear.

- One of the Sully children are missing! I ask for your help to find him, brothers and sisters, we are afraid he is hurt! - Tonowari shouted to the other villagers. Some looked at him strangely and others jumped into the water at once. His wife, Ronal, put a hand on my mother's shoulder, who was already walking towards Aonung with an unmistakable expression.