twenty six. a hole that you fill
THE SULLY SIBLINGS SAT AROUND EACH OTHER WITH AO'NUNG, ROXTO AND TSIREYA AS LO'AK EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED OUTSIDE THE REEF. He told them how he had been saved by a Tulkun from an Akula. Le'ah never felt fear like she did when Lo'ak continued with his story, trying to avoid his twin's worrying eyes. She had a frown implanted on her face, taking in the information that she had felt Lo'ak drown, yet Kiri smiled, "I wish I'd been there. The ocean blessed you with a gift, brother."
Le'ah scoffed to herself, inaudible to the people around her except for Neteyam. He saw the stressed look in her eyes, crossed with guilt, and held an arm out for the girl from where he was perched against a tree. Le'ah hesitantly glanced up at Neteyam, taking his hand with a thankful smile as Ao'nung spoke beside them.
Since Lo'ak had taken the blame for Ao'nung, the boy was beginning to warm up to the family, yet Le'ah couldn't rid of the irritated feeling she'd get from just seeing his face, "the Tulkun have not returned yet. And, anyway, no Tulkun is ever alone."
"This one was," Lo'ak informed. Le'ah gazed at her twin, seeing the desperation in his eyes for someone to believe the words he was saying, "he had, uh—a missing fin. Like a stump on his left side," Tsireya's eyes filled with recognition as a second went past, gazing back at the other Metkayina in the group, "Payakan! It's Payakan."
Hearing the anxious tone of Tsireya, Le'ah frowned and asked, "who's Payakan?"
From beside Tsireya, Roxto spoke up, explaining the Tulkun's story, "a young bull went rogue. He's outcast. Alone. And he has a missing fin," Le'ah knitted her brows deeply. The way they were describing Payakan linked with Lo'ak. And it made her chest heavy as Tsireya added to Roxto, "they say he is a killer."
Lo'ak was quick to protest against the matter whilst Ao'nung inched forward, "he killed Na'vi. And other Tulkun," Le'ah couldn't help the worry building inside of her, though she knew that Lo'ak was telling the truth and wanted someone to believe him. Le'ah put her trust in her brother, "not here, but far from the south."
Lo'ak shook his head, "no. He's no killer," Lo'ak gazed at Tsireya, finding comfort as they linked arms. He also switched his line of sight to Le'ah, hoping that at least if one person was going to believe him ... it'd be her. Tsireya's voice tore him out of his thoughts, "Lo'ak, you are lucky to be alive."
Lo'ak widened his eyes, his ears perking down as he peered around the group as he persisted on the fact that Payakan was no killer, "I'm telling you, guys. He saved my life. He's my friend," Le'ah briefly smiled at Lo'ak's words, feeling the comfort it brought him to say that he had a friend after feeling like such an outcast.
Neteyam sighed, letting Le'ah's hand go as he got up from his crouched position, "my baby bro," Le'ah frowned at Netayam's antics when he placed his hands on her twin's shoulders, leaning down slightly, "the mighty warrior. Who faced a killer Tulkun and lived to tell about it," The older boy chuckled whilst Lo'ak ripped away from his grasp, abruptly standing up.
He met eyes with Le'ah before he scoffed to himself, shaking his head, "you guys aren't listening," When Lo'ak walked away, the group called out for him, asking him to come back. Le'ah sighed heavily to herself, standing up before following Lo'ak.
The girl called out for him before he could reach the water, yet even with her yells, Lo'ak didn't bother to turn around. Le'ah felt annoyed, "don't just walk away, Lo'ak!" This seemed to get the boy to pause in his place, leisurely turning around to meet his twin's figure, "I felt you in trouble. Like—like I couldn't breathe. And I was scared. So, don't you dare say that I think you bring shame to this family, or—"
Lo'ak cut the girl off, staring at her incredulously, "no, you just think I'm lying like everyone else, don't you?" Le'ah scoffed at her brother's words. But Lo'ak's mind was set. If she believed him, why hadn't she said anything back to the group?
Le'ah sighed, "I don't," The girl shook her head, her gaze pleadingly staring at Lo'ak, "I don't know why you'd ever think I wouldn't believe you, Lo'ak. You're my twin brother, and I know when you lie. You're not lying. You're not a liar. Yeah, you can be reckless—but so can I. We're the same person."
Lo'ak dipped his head and felt ashamed of the words that left his mouth. If anyone understood Lo'ak the best, it would be Le'ah—it had always been like that. He glanced back up at Le'ah when an idea clicked into his head, "would you want to meet him?" Le'ah knitted her brows which Lo'ak took notice of, explaining his question, "Payakan. Would you wanna come to meet him with me?"
Le'ah thought for a moment, hesitant about the idea. No matter how much she believed Lo'ak, she was still wary of the words that came from the Metkayina. Yet, as she stared at her brother, seeing the discouragement laced in his eyes, she nodded her head and softly spoke, "yeah. I'll come with you to meet him, Lo'ak."
The group smiled at the beauty that the cove possessed as Tsireya announced, "we are here," Neteyam smiled widely at the floating mountains, the sun beaming down on them, "this is the cove of the ancestors, our most sacred place," The Sully family's eyes gestured around the place, taking the new environment in. As the sun began to fall, its light becoming harsher, Neteyam and Kiri put their hands in front of their eyes, "eclipse is the best time of day to be here."
By the time the sun had fully set, and the moon placed over the star, they had made it to the secret tree deep within the cove of ancestors. Neteyam observed the tree, reminding him of back home when his parents would take him to the tree of souls. They told him stories of how the tree was their gateway to their ancestors—to Eywa. Where answers were heard and sometimes answered.
Unmounting their ilus, the children of the Omaticaya and Metkayina dived into the water, using the breathing techniques they were taught. Neteyam gazed at the children, watching as they gestured for him to connect his queue. He felt the sensation run through his body, his blood pumping faster. The boy closed his eyes gently, feeling himself being sucked in.
A white light flashed before his eyes, and he felt his surroundings change. He wasn't in the water anymore with his siblings and the friends he had made since arriving at the Metkayina clan, but, instead, he was back home. The smell of the plants filled his nostrils, bringing a warm feeling to his chest.
Of course, Neteyam missed his home. He just never said anything. He wasn't one to complain as he had to remain the comforter of his family and live up to the expectations given by his parents. A smile immediately littered his face, inspecting the place in front of his eyes. The sun drew down on in, his eyes seemingly glowing against the sunlight. His skin wasn't cold, yet filled with the warmth of the forest.
He walked forward, a grin remaining on his face as he progressed through the place he missed dearly. The place where he and his family had grown up. Yet, a frown plastered his face as he realised he was alone. There wasn't a sight of anyone—nor could he hear the whispers of Eywa.
At least ... he thought he was alone.
Within the branches, a girl leaned forward to take in the sights of the boy. She had never seen him, yet there was a sense of familiarity when it came to inspect him. The girl kept her body low, her footsteps light and quick as she manoeuvred through the forest, making sure to keep hidden within the leaves and bushes.
Neteyam felt a shift inside of him from feeling free to having the paranoia that he was being watched. The girl noticed the change in his behaviour and decided to leave her hiding spot. Neteyam's eyes continued to wander around, trying to take sight of what was watching him. Rustling from behind him caused the boy to swiftly spin around. His mouth went agape when he took in the presence of the girl standing in front of her, glaring him down.
Her eyes held a sense of danger yet tranquillity. As if she were debating whether he was an endangerment to her. Neteyam held his arms up by his side, his three fingers extending slightly. Neteyam didn't say anything, and neither did the girl—what was he to say? The girl seemed to calm her nerves down a bit as she bent her knees, placed her hands on the floor and crawled towards him.
The Sully boy placed his hands by his side, his eyes carefully watching the girl creep around his figure. Neteyam frowned at the unknown girl as she stood up and began to walk away. He flayed his arms around in confusion, his shoulders slightly shrugging. He called out for the girl to come back, yet wasn't met with an answer. He grumbled deeply to himself, a slight smirk plastered on his face, and took it upon himself to catch up with the girl.
As they managed through the heights of the branches, he noticed the bow in her grasp that she had to pick up somewhere. Or maybe he was completely oblivious to the weapon in her hold previously by being entrapped by her appearance, "hey, just wait a min—"
As Neteyam went to reach out for the girl's arm, hoping to get her to stop. The end of the bow within her grasp met with the side of his face, causing him to collapse. He groaned at the suddenness of the action, the part of his face where the impact had landed was stinging. Neteyam grasped his face, going to stand up, yet the girl hissed at the boy, her voice picking up, "what are you doing here? You should not be here."
Unbeknownst to both of them, they felt the awareness of finding each other familiar. They didn't know what drew them closer to each other, yet they felt the bond. Neteyam managed to hop on his feet, keeping his body low as the girl hovered her bow at him, "I don't know why I'm here, but there has to be a reason by Eywa."
The girl knitted her brows, "'by Eywa'?" Recognition seemed to be expressed on the girl's face, her bow slightly faltering, "the tree of souls?" The knowing smile that lit his face gave the girl her answer. Her brows knitted, "why would you be here?"
Neteyam was now fully standing in front of the girl, taking in her features. He noticed the way her tail swayed behind her anxiously, the pads of her fingertips rubbing together as an act of solace. He shrugged his shoulders, "the Great Mother must have her reason," He said, and the girl dipped her head in a nod in agreement.
Without words being spoken, the air around them became tense—the situation at hand became awkward. The girl lightly switched feet that put her weight on, turned around and walked away. Neteyam furrowed his brows, questioning why she was walking away again. Once again, Neteyam was following after the girl as they managed through the forest, "wait, what's your name? Why are you here?"
The girl abruptly stopped in her place, causing Neteyam to halt behind her. The girl heaved a breath, slowly turning to face the boy, "go back. You should not be in this place," Her voice was harsh, although there was a hint of care laced into it. Almost like she didn't want this boy to be trapped here like she was.
Neteyam couldn't help the questions begging to be asked, his frown deepening, "'this place'? What is this place?"
The girl visibly rolled her eyes at the boy, "you are like a child," She hissed, taking Neteyam by surprise, "if you don't know of this place, then why would you be here? Why would Eywa send you here?" Neteyam couldn't answer her questions as he didn't know himself.
Yet, a feeling badgered him that the girl in front of him was the reason. Once again, Neteyam ignored her questions and asked his own inquiry, "what's your name?"
The girl paused, her glare faltering. Even though it was brief, Neteyam saw her eyes soften before they hardened once more. She inhaled sharply before stiffly answering, "Juniper."
Neteyam's expression contorted from a frown to pure shock. He stared at the girl, taking in every feature he could. He saw the dots littering her face, seemingly glowing despite the sunlight hitting her. Her yellow eyes beamed with confusion as she saw the surprised expression. His mouth went agape, and all he could do was remain frozen. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know if he could speak. However, Neteyam forced his words out, coming to a whisper, "... my dad told me about you. He told all of us about you. You saved him."
For what was once that Neteyam was frowning, it had switched up to Juniper knitting her brows, "you're dad?" She questioned. Recognition lit up the girl's face, but Juniper shook her head, almost in denial, "no, that—it can't be," She firmly stated, not wanting to get her hopes high from the high coincidence it would be. She gulped down her nerves, her voice shaking as she gently spoke, "Jake?"
The boy nodded, giving confirmation to Juniper's question. Neteyam watched as the girl's tense body language loosened, her eyes brimming with tears. She took a shaky breath in, and her lips quivered up to a brief smile, a breathless chuckle releasing. Neteyam felt a smile of his own being plastered on his face, watching with sincerity as the girl blinked the tears back. When she gazed back at Neteyam, her stare wasn't rough but soft.
A softness that brought heat into Neteyam's chest, his stomach flipping. Juniper sniffled, "what did he say?"
"That you were the girl who saved his life," He immediately answered. Night after night, Jake would share the same stories as Juniper. He tried to fit in as much of the good times the two shared as he could—being brought back into the memories as if he were living them once more, "his little girl. He wouldn't have been a father to us if it weren't for you."
Juniper couldn't help the sob that escaped from the back of her throat, a single tear trailing down her cheek. Neteyam watched the girl, wanting to bring her into his chest and embrace her in his arms for some unknown reason. Yet, he remained to stand where he stood, gently observing Juniper as she picked herself up, "I'm sorry," She apologised, and Neteyam's brows furrowed, "for how things started. I guess I'm just not used to talking to other people," Juniper glanced to the ground, "it gets lonely here."
Neteyam cautiously took a step forward to the girl, watching her shrug her bow over her shoulder, "you're alone here?" The girl merely nodded in response, not knowing what to say as her throat closed in on her. She couldn't trust her voice as she knew if she were to speak, her voice would crumble and shake. Neteyam sighed sympathetically, "I'm sorry. I know that this doesn't change anything, but I am sorry."
I know I'm not him and that this doesn't change anything, but I am sorry. Juniper chuckled at the memory of the two when Juniper had openly shared what Tom Sully inflicted on her with Jake. She gazed at Neteyam, taking the boy in, "you're a lot like your dad. And your mother. I see a lot of her in you," She paused, "you didn't tell me your name."
Neteyam snickered at the question and took in her words. He was like his parents—as the older sibling, that's all he wanted along with keeping his siblings safe. He opened his mouth, about to give Juniper his name, yet was ripped from the scene and awoke back in the water with his queue disconnected from the tree.
He gazed at Tsireya with confusion, and slight anger as he had just been torn away from something that he dreamed of: to meet the girl who was known as his father's saviour. The girl who was a sister to the Sully children that they've never met, but for Neteyam ... she was more. And when his eyes laid on the girl, he felt something inside of him that had been empty for so long begin to fill. He hadn't known what or why, but he wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
However, those thoughts were quick to vanish when he saw Kiri seizing as Tsireya ripped her queue of the tree of souls, tightly grasping the girl by her body and began to swim up. And for a moment—just for the quickest second, he forgot about Juniper, heading to Kiri.
authors note.
this is the longest chapter i've wrote, i think anyways, but i'm so happy with how it came out ( hopefully y'all do too 😭 ). NETEYAM MET JUNIPER AHHH !! my little heart is pounding with excitement and sadness for the plots i have in mind as we continue the story. but it was amazing to write juniper again after being a while without my girl. the mentions here and there in chapters are seriously not enough for me not to miss her any less.
i never ask, but if you are enjoying the book, please comment and vote as there is a lot of silent readers. i love to read your guys' comments and interact with you guys. but, for now, see you until the next chapter 🫶