Once upon a lie- Neteyam Sully

Chapter Five

*Bold= Na'vi language*

*Neteyams POV*

Today is the day I start training Amelia. It's not that I hate her. Im sure if she wasn't a sky person I would not mind her presence.

But she is a sky person.

I don't understand why everyone is so quick to trust her, to allow her into our home. For all we know this is just another trap. My dad was a trap. He was sent here to learn everything about us, to gain our trust so that when the time came he could destroy us.

Who's to say she isn't doing that with us?

It was so odd to see her and Tuk interacting. I wanted to yell and scream at my family, why are they so quick to love? Especially my mother, how can she be so accepting when the day before she was threatening her with a knife?

I shake away my thoughts as I walk out of my room. The second my mom sees me, she stands up and grabs my face. I roll my eyes but allow it to happen. She smiles at me and it automatically makes me feel better. While Kirri and our dad have a special bond, my mom and I have always been closer.

"Here- eat this." She walks back to the small table in the room and throws me some fruit. "Now hurry my child, you don't want to be late for your first day with Amelia."

I roll my eyes and scowl at her. "Don't remind me."

She walks up to me and grabs my shoulders firmly and looks at me with a pointed look.

"Be nice."

I smile at her before walking out of the hut, mentally preparing myself for the day.

★★★

My parents wanted Amelia to be close to us just in case of emergency's, so the walk over there is fairly short.

"If you're looking for the new girl she's not in there."

I look back at the voice in frustration. Then where the hell did she go?

"Did you see where she went?"

Aononi points in a general direction telling me that she took off in that direction this morning and hasn't been back since. I take off in that direction, towards the forest. Eywa, why do you do this to me?

I hope she runs into a palalukan. Maybe then I'll be able to get out of this stupid babysitting job.

After ten minutes of walking I start to give up. Maybe this is Eywa's way of telling me to turn back. Just as I was about to return, I hear someone to the right. I quickly run trying to catch up to the sounds, I swear if this isn't her I'm going to be pissed.

Finally I see her. She's half running, half limping, with the biggest smile on her face. She's spinning and laughing with the nature of Pandora. She looks so playful and calm in comparison to yesterday.

Still out of sight, I watch her as she limps arounds the large coral colored flowers that shrink at her touch. Each one that falls makes her laugh more and more.

For a moment she almost make me smile.

Stop it Neteyam.

I step out of the trees and clear my throat, notifying her that I am here. She quickly looks up at me, smiling wide. I give her a quick nod and motion for her to follow me, she complies reluctantly, obviously not wanting to leave.

I slow my pace down for her, knowing it must be difficult to walk with a healing wound.

"It's so beautiful here." I look at her briefly, it is not often a sky person feels that way. They see our culture and nature as expendable.

"It is. Too bad your people destroyed half of it." She looks down in shame. She's obviously not proud of what her people have done, but it's no excuse. Everyone else may be able to pretend she isn't human but I can't. We have lost too much.

"Today you will learn basket weaving, a Na'vi tradition. Later we will explore, I will teach you the places you can and cannot go. When you are better we will build your strength and teach you how to hunt."

"Wait you're the one that's going to be training me."

"Unfortunately." I mutter under my breathe.

She groans in frustration, clearly unpleased with this information. I grab her shoulder stopping her in her place. Her glare matching my own.

"Believe me, I don't want to do this anymore than you." For a moment she looks at me with a blank stare.

"Believe me, I don't wanna do this anymore than you.'' She mocks my voice bringing her own multiple octaves deeper, she sounds ridiculous, "Good god how dramatic can you be? I'm not that bad, jesus.".

Who the fuck is jesus? Is she going insane?

"See this- this," I point at her, "is exactly what I didn't want to deal with."

"You don't even know me, you fucking psycho-"

"I don't need to know you. I know where you've come from, I know the people who raised you. The apple never falls far from the tree." She looks at me with venom in her eyes, she is angry, rightfully so. I am not dumb. I know I am being harsh but I truly don't care.

"So what about your dad then Neteyam. In case you forgot he was a sky person. He grew up on earth, he went so far as coming to Pandora to destroy it. But you see the whole difference between me and your father is that he had a choice. He chose to come her, he chose to be part of this, I did not. I was forced into hyper sleep when I was five. So don't give me the apple doesn't fall far from the tree bullshit. You don't know me Neteyam." She's breathing heavy now, obviously I struck a nerve.

I scoff at her and return to walking, her still following close behind. "You and my father are very different."

"How would you know that if you don't even give me a chance?" I clench my jaw, trying not to let her words affect me. I know that she's right. I still can't find it in me to try.

We fall into an angry silence not long after. We walk to the river, where the materials for weaving are and I start instructing her. She clearly wants to learn because she puts away the petty fight and listens to each word I say. She starts making her own basket as I sit back and skip rocks.

My dad taught me how to skip rocks before our relationship went to shit. I guess that's why mom and I are closer now.

★★★

"Are you almost done? It's been like an hour. This is the easiest style I could have taught you."

"Oh shush, you explained it to me in like 5 seconds, I could barely understand what you were saying.''

I look at her work, judging it. She excelled, especially for her first time. There are a few spots she messed up on but it looks alright. She looks at me for approval, whether it be subconsciously or not, I give it to her. I may not like her but I'll give her credit where it's due.

I look at her while she finishes up. I wonder what she looked like as a human. Were her features similar? I study her face for a moment, her avatar body is beautiful. When I came into her hut a few days ago she was crying while looking at her reflection. I guess I would cry to if I were put into a human body.

"Neteyammm..." She waves her hand in front of my face.

"Hm?"

"I finished. You like?" She smiles when I nod.

"It looks good for your first time."

Amelia scrunches her nose and looks at the ground, obviously proud of herself. It's almost enough to make me smile but I quickly remember the look of venom in her eyes only hours before. I shake my head and tell her that it is time for lunch.

"After we will explore."