Worlds Apart: Volume I

The After: Preparing

Ney'ite didn't know what made her finally move towards her brother's body, but she crawled on her knees towards Neyetam. She knelt by his side. Her eyes widened as she saw what was in front of her. She could see the wound the bullet had tore through her brother's chest. She placed her hand on the wound before putting it towards her chest. This was the spot she felt searing horrible pain. Ney'ite heard a whimper make it's way out of her throat.

Ney'ite felt her family's presence around her. She saw her mother and Tuk surround Neyetam's body. Neytiri held Neyetam's head in her lap. Tuk put Neyetam's hand up to her cheek. Ney'ite couldn't be here anymore. She stood up and started to back up. She ran right into someone's chest. Ney'ite knew exactly who it was. Ao'nung wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. Ney'ite closed her eyes and turned away. Ney'ite would not fall apart now. She couldn't. She had her siblings to look after. Ney'ite didn't know how long Ao'nung had been holding her for, but eventually, she was lead onto an ilu and she made her way back to the reef. Back to the place they had started to call home.

When they arrived, Ney'ite watched as members of the clan took Neyetam's body away. Ney'ite took a few steps towards her brother before she stopped herself. The shock of everything seemed to prevent her from moving. Her brother had finally gone on a journey that she couldn't follow. Everyone around her was talking, but she had no idea what they were saying. She couldn't hear anything. Ney'ite was lost in her own grief with no idea how to escape it. She felt someone take her hand and lead her away. Ney'ite could only follow them.

Ney'ite was lead back to her family's home. Ney'ite looked at the spot where her and Neyetam used to lay back to back. She quickly turned away from it. She didn't want to look at the spot. Ney'ite walked over to the wall and grabbed Neyetam's bow. She sat with her back at the wall as she studied the piece of wood in her hand. Her fingers brushed over the curve of the bow and the taunt string. Ney'ite thought back to when he had carved his bow. Oh, how different times were back then. She could hear sniffles and cries in the corner, but, for once in her life, Ney'ite couldn't comfort her siblings. She didn't even know how to comfort herself.

"Ney'ite," her mother's calm voice broke through the silence in her mind. Ney'ite looked up at her mother. Neytiri's cheeks were tearstained.

"I have to take him back," Ney'ite looked back down at the bow. "He should be buried with the others."

"It's too dangerous," Jake said. Ney'ite looked up at her father. She had never seen him so small or heartbroken before. "We bury him tonight in the ways of the Metkayina."

"What?" Ney'ite drew her brows together. "We can't do that. Neyetam's heart belonged to the forest. He needs to be buried at the roots of Home Tree." She tightened her grip on Neyetam's bow. She looked towards her mother for help. Neytiri just looked down.

"I'm not losing any more children," Jake said. "We are burying him here."

"This shouldn't be your decision to make," Ney'ite's voice was barely more than a whisper, but she knew that her parents could hear every word. "I know..." The word caught in Ney'ite's throat. She could no longer know her brother's mind. All she could do now was to think of the memory of him. "I am his twin. You are his parents. You want to keep him close as all parents do. I want him to be buried in the place he would want."

"Ney'ite," Jake knelt in front of her. "Don't make me fight on this. Not now. Not today."

"What else am I suppose to do?" Ney'ite cocked her head to the side. "He can not say what he would want his wishes to be. I must speak him for him now." She felt tears start to slide down her cheeks. "Let me take him back home. Mom, Dad, please. He needs to go home. He needs to be in the forest. He needs to be surrounded by the people. He needs to be buried in our traditions. Don't make me bury him. I'm begging you. Please, don't do this."