Esmyrie doesn't know how long she has been walking. She just needed to get away from Neteyam, she was pretty sure if she stayed there a minute longer she would of done something she would regret.
Getting away from Neteyam meant walking though, and technically, Esmyrie still has four days left of bed rest. She will have to ignore that for now and hope that her wound doesn't reopen. And she needs to prepare herself for the talking she is going to get from Jake and Lo'ak when they find out she has been walking.
Lo'ak. It seems as if her mind always goes to the boy.
She is always wondering what he is doing. Hoping he is being safe. Praying to Eywa that she protects him.
Lo'ak.
Lo'ak.
Lo'ak.
His name is like a musical symphony in her mind, having the perfect chords and stringing the perfect melodies.
He is constantly in her mind. She thinks of what his hair is like today. Wonders if he has found a flower for his hair. Thinks about his contagious laugh that always makes her blush. How his eyes always light up when he talks about something he is passionate about, like the stars -specifically the one Jake is from-, or his Ikran. Just everything about him is imperfectly perfect. He can make any mistake and she still thinks he is perfect, that he was sent down from Eywa herself to give happiness to the world.
Her thoughts on the boy help ease the pain from her side but can't ease the pain in her heart.
The more she thinks about her argument with Neteyam the more it hurts.
They have only fought three times before, and none were as intense as the last.
The first was when they were six.
"Stop being mean Netty!" Esmyrie yells out, her hands at her side, clenched in fists in anger.
"I'm not being mean! You're being mean!"
"Nuh uh.. You're the one that said purple is an ugly color!" Esmyrie sniffles.
"Because it is! Haven't you ever wondered why we are blue and not purple? Because blue is superior to purple!"
"No! That's rude! You're rude!"
The second argument was more heated, months after the sky people returned.
"I'm just saying it's a bad idea." Esmyrie shrugs out, grabbing Neteyams shoulder, her hand easily slipping off of his shoulder as he shakes it off.
"It's not stupid."
"Okay, maybe not stupid, but dangerous." Esmyrie corrects herself.
"So what if its dangerous. My dad has trained me to be a warrior like him. I won't just wuss out now that the sky people are back." Neteyam says, continuing to walk away but Esmyrie keeps following him.
"The hornets nest has already done three attacks. There are no survivors. I can easily get on my Ikran, keep the hornets calm until I decide for them to attack. Then, with my command call them off. The sky people should be injured enough that they decide to head back to home base, and I'll follow from above. It would help us get all the information we need to take them down!" Neteyam repeats his plan, hoping maybe if he repeats it Esmyrie will understand.
"But what if something goes wrong, Netty!? What if you can't calm the hornets nest and you get in the middle of it. It could take you down with the aircraft. I can't have that. I can't have my brother going out trying to prove himself when it could end up with you getting killed!" Esmyrie yells out, her voice raising in concern and anger.
"Esmy, I'll be fine. You have to trust my judgement more." Neteyam says, his mind set on the plan.
"Neteyam I can't have you do this!"
"Well you can't stop me! I want to be like dad and to do that I need to prove myself!" Neteyam yells.
Neteyams plan in fact didn't work. He never even had the chance to try the plan out because Esmyrie ended up telling her father who ended up telling Jake.
Neteyam was mad at her for a week, but not because he couldn't do it, but because she was right.
Jake Sully liked his plan and so Jake Sully tested the plan out himself. Let's just say it didn't go to plan and he had multiple scratch wounds from Ikran that didn't see him during their attack on the aircraft.
But this fight, this fight was the worst by far.
"You aren't blood." Keeps replaying in her head, and each time it clenches at her heart a little tighter.
Neteyam is right, she isn't. But technically, neither is Kiri, but Neteyam sees Kiri as a sister. So what is it that is different with Esmyrie than Kiri?
It is the fact the Sullys raised Kiri as their own?
or was it that Neteyam was done with Esmyrie and just wanted her out of his life?
It seemed like the latter option was the most logical to Esmyrie, because although the Sully's didn't raise Esmyrie, she was there more than three nights a week. The Sully's home was practically a second home to her.
What did she do that caused Neteyam to want her out of his life? Was she that annoying? Was she that hard to get along with? Was she too much to handle?
She doesn't know. Maybe she will never know. At this rate she highly doubts there is a chance of her and him talking again.
"You aren't supposed to be up." A voice speaks up, causing Esmyrie to flinch, she didn't hear anyone following her.
When she turns around she was half expecting Neteyam. Hoping it was Neteyam so they could talk things out, but he is stubborn, just like her sometimes. To her surprise it is Ao'nung, which confuses her because last she heard Lo'ak was hanging out with him.
"Huh?" Esmyrie asks, holding her side and putting her weight on her leg opposite of her wound to try and ease the pressure.
"You're walking. You aren't supposed to be. My mother wants me looking out for you since I was part of the fight." Ao'nung says, going to the girl and wrapping one of her arms around his shoulders so she isn't having to have so much pressure to her wound.
"Why are you helping me? Wasn't I a freak?" Esmyrie asks, silently thanking the appreciation from the boy.
"I have learned recently that it should be okay to look different. I'm positive if I traveled to your previous home I would be seen as the freak. And I have realized how uncomfortable that must feel. And for that I apologize." Ao'nung says sincerely.
"Thank you, Ao'nung. I'm sorry for all of our parts in the fight... we tend to get angry pretty quickly." Esmyrie jokes out, causing Ao'nung to roll his eyes but chuckle in agreement.
"You and your friends may get angry quickly but you got mad for a good reason. And I apologize for the fight that broke out as well. None of us wanted anyone serverely hurt." Ao'nung apolgizes again, which confuses Esmyrie even more.
Maybe it was Esmyrie's poor judgement but she always thought Ao'nung would be the type of guy to think he is always right. He is the chiefs son after all.
"Thank you for your apologies. They are forgiven." Esmyrie says kindly, holding onto Ao'nung a little tighter as the pain in her side worsens.
"May I ask then why it is you are up walking? When my mother specifically said to stay with bed rest for a week. It's been three days must I remind you."
"Oh, me and Netty got in an argument. He was on babysitting duty, suppose to be taking care of me but after the argument I had to get away, even if it meant walking." Esmyrie replies simply not wanting to go into detail as it would pain her to do so.
Ao'nung can sense her sadness, and although he isn't close with the girl, he always gets super awkward and uncomfortable around those who are upset, so he tries his best to make her laugh.
"Netty?" Ao'nung jokes.
"It's Neteyams nickname."
"Ahh... well I bet he just loves it." Ao'nung sarcastically says, causing Esmyrie to laugh and roll her eyes.
Neteyam has been searching for Esmyrie for hours. After he calmed down he realized the extent to their argument and also realized that Esmyrie was out of bed, when she isn't supposed to be. She is supposed to be healing, and yet here she is walking around with no one knowing where she is with a fresh wound.
So, when Neteyam see's Esmyrie with Ao'nung his eyes widen in shock, before turning into jealousy.
Esmyrie cares so little for Neteyam that she would now rather walk with a boy who caused not only her but Kiri emotional pain, and got into a fist fight with him and Lo'ak than hangout with him.
It was making Neteyams anger rise again and it didn't help when he realized something. Lo'ak.
He isn't back yet, but Ao'nung is. and Neteyam knows Lo'ak. He would be talking Neteyams ear off about how he had to be the bigger man and apologize for something he shouldn't and then he would go into a long rant about how stupid Ao'nung and the boys were. But Lo'ak hasn't had that conversation with Neteyam, because his baby brother isn't back yet.
Neteyam is walking up the duo in long strides, anger on his face, trying to mask the worry for his little brother.
When Esmyrie sees Neteyam approaching, she sighs out, not liking the deadly glare he is giving her way and the anger on his face.
"Where is he?" Neteyam asks out, not even caring that he has stepped inf ront of him, stopping Ao'nung and Esmyries movements.
"What?" Ao'nungs, his shoulder moving to try and get in a better position for where it is supporting Esmyrie.
"I asked where my brother is. He was with you. He went to apologize to you. And now you are back but he isn't here. So I ask. Where is he?" Neteyam says, his voice stone cold.
"Oh. I left him." Ao'nung shrugs, causing Esmyrie to hiss in pain from his shoulder moving.
Left him. He left Lo'ak. And to think that Ao'nung was actually being nice to her.
Esmyrie pushes herself away from Ao'nung but Ao'nung tries to grab her, mistaking her trying to get away as her falling. But Neteyam knows Esmyrie, and when trust is broken the last thing she wants is to be near the one that broke it.
"Back. Off." Neteyam says, pointing a finger at the boy while his other hand goes to wrap around Esmyries waist, protectively holding her, trying his best to ease the pain.
Even though Esmyrie and Neteyam are arguing, they will always look out for eachother. That's just who they are. They have too big of hearts, and will always help the other, even in times of anger.
"You left him... Left him where? Why?" Esmyrie says, now for the second time today getting her frustration and anger out.
"We went passed the reef with him."
"You what?!" Neteyam and Esmyrie both ask in shock.
Not soon after Neteyam is dragging Ao'nung into his families hut with his right arm while his left helps support Esmyrie, easily setting her down on her bed a second after.
"Now tell him what you told me!" Neteyam urges, making Ao'nung confront to Jake what he did with his youngest son.
All that can run through Esmyries mind is Lo'ak.
Is he okay? Is he hurt? Is he afraid?
Does he know how to get back here? Will she ever see him again?
Lo'ak, Lo'ak, Lo'ak. Like a prayer she can't get out of her head.
He will be the death of her, she knows it.
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Shorter chapter to show what Esmyrie is feeling and to have a little Ao'nung and Esmyrie interaction as I know that has been asked.
I think its so cute that even though Neteyam and Esmyrie are in the worst fight they have ever been in together, they still look out for eachother.
Poor baby Lo'ak didn't deserve to be abandoned. But I am glad he met Payakan.
I hope 2 chapters in a day makes up for missing an update yesturday. Also, I have a four day weekend so I should be posting maybe two chapters a day! Also college starts back up tuesday and I want to cry.
Do you want me to write Lo'aks interaction with Payakan or would you rather I just skip to where he makes it back home?
Please comment if there is anything you specifically want to see and I will try and add it in.
Also I have decided to make a Neteyam fic after this one is done with the second picture I had posted on my author notes, so please leave suggestions for what you want to see in the Neteyam fic and what tropes you want. I wont start writing it until I finish this fic though.
I think we have about 20 chapters left.... I have the last 2 chapters and the Epilogue completely planned out too.. and all I can say is bring tissues.