i hate you - (aonung X neteyam)

pt.16

Aonung's Pov:

"Aonung!" I heard my father's voice call, I instantly went to their den, I stopped when I saw rotxo was there. "What's going on?" I ask stepping forward cautiously. I looked to my mother for explanation but she stared at the ground, away from me.

Rotxo looked at me worriedly.

"Aonung" the father said. "Are you certain you want him to become leader instead of you?" Tonowari asked, I looked at him confused before nodding my head. Of course I do.

"You want that to be your future" my father pressed on, i understood now. No I don't want this to be my future. But...

"It's the way it is dad" I tried to say calmly, I could hear my mother start to cry. Rotxo looked at me sadly. "You're supposed to be a warrior" my father said glaring over at rotxo. "Not him"

I could see rotxo shrink under tonowari's gaze. "Rotxo would make an amazing leader!" I snapped. "Sit down!" My father shouted, I did as I was told there was no point in making him angry.

He glared down at me. "Rotxo leave" he hissed, rotxo did just that, I could tell he was sorry for me.

"I don't want him as leader" Tonowari told me, I lowered my head. "You will still take on the roll as leader, like it or not" Tonowari said.

"Dad i can't-" I tried to speak but he cut me off, I could see my mom start to cry harder.

"You've disappointed me as my son aonung" I felt my tail and ears lower, it hurt to hear those words.

--time skip.

Aonung's Pov:

I sat in my den stressing about everything that happened today. I want to be leader but I don't think I should be.

I frowned staring down at my shielded knife. I have to prove that I can do this.

I grabbed the knife, standing up and walking out of my den. I was fixing the knife onto the clothes when I heard my name be called.

I turned around to see tsireya with lo'ak. "What are you doing?" Tsireya asked me, walking closer and lo'ak followed behind.

"Umm" I tried to think of something to say. "Just a walk" I said nervously. Tsireya nodded slowly. "Would you like company?" She asked, smiling. I instantly shook my head. "Nah, no" she nodded in understanding patting my shoulder before taking lo'ak's hand and passing around me.

I sighed with relief, going back on my way to the beach to find an ilu.

Once I had gotten there I called for an ilu, the constant reminder that my real one would never return.

I sighed letting the thought go.

I loaded up my cross bow and knife and got the ilu ready. Prove yourself. I told myself, the ilu setting off.

I quickly saw the reef up ahead and I felt that feeling prickle in my chest. It felt like my whole body was screaming at me to turn back. But I didn't I kept going and when I passed the reef nothing happened.

No gunshots.

No screaming.

No clicking.

And no sky people.

It felt like a huge weight was lifted off my chest that I didn't even know was there.

I pulled the ilu back to the surface, getting my cross bow ready to go, I dived in the water. Time to test it out.

Thanks to neteyam I might have found a new way to swim, my tail paddled at the same speed and my good leg was swimming, I pushed my arms through the water easily and I think it was working. Im swimming.

I wasn't going to catch anything yet so I tested to see if I could swim all the way to the surface.

It was a bit tricky but eventually I could feel the fresh cold air on my face, I couldn't help but smile and laugh, almost forgetting that I needed to paddle.

"Aonung?" I heard a voice say, I could hear the splashing of an ilu and I turned to see neteyam. I instantly grabbed onto the ilu I took out as well.

Neteyam just stared at me in surprise. "What are you doing out here?" He asked confused, he glanced around the outside reef and for some reason I could feel a smile grace across my face.

"Hey neteyam wanna race?" I asked, he looked utterly surprised. "Race?" He asked confused, I nodded my ilu diving into the water.

I could hear his ilu quickly behind my, we raced back to the shore, neteyam's ilu soon catching up with me.

Our ilu's burst out of the water once we had gotten closer to the shore, this aloud neteyam to catch ahead.

I couldn't help but smile as we pulled to a stop, neteyam had a goofy smile on as well. "I followed you out just for us to race back?" He laughed, I nodded getting off my ilu, he quickly got off his too, walking besides me.

"Hey aonung" he said, I glanced over at him. "Are you feeling okay?" I asked him. I wanted to say 'fine' but I didn't feel like that would be a real answer "I think I'm going to live again" I smiled happily, neteyam had a confused smile on his face. "What do you mean?" He asked, I smiled happily. "The water!" I cheered.

"I no longer fear the water!" I told him, touching his arm.

He smiled at me. He had a beautiful smile. "I'm really happy for you aonung" he told me and I felt like smiling brighter.

I think everything was going to be okay.

Aww okay I have a love hate relationship with this chapter but  yeah 😭💓
Word count: 965