Neteyam
We join the clan in the center of the village, hand in hand, and I see that my dad is attempting to reason with everyone but they're not listening.
"ENOUGH!" Caya yells authoritatively and steps up in the middle of everyone.
"Aneti'Caya..." Tonowari growls angrily as he furrows his brow at her in disbelief.
"Masempul, please... I need you to listen to me. I need everyone to listen to what I'm about to say." She holds her hands up and turns to look around at everyone. I look over, making eye contact with my dad and he gives me a puzzled look, but I give him a reassuring nod.
"You do not speak here, forest girl!" A man yells furiously. In retaliation I snarl at the man but then I watch as her whole family is ready to pounce at him.
"She has every right to speak here, she is MY daughter." Tonowari growls, his eyes wide with ferocity.
In the moment it makes me happy to know that she is so loved and protected by her family, because if it was up to me his head would be severed from his body.
"Please, you must listen to her everyone. It's very important." I chime in with my hands out trying to calm them down.
Tonowari relaxes and goes back to Ronal as she's looking around angrily and horrified. But who could blame her... she lost her spirit sister and I empathize with her emotions. Caya shows no emotion and is very graceful with how she continues to talk to the clan. The amount of respect and love I feel for her in the moment is unmatched.
"Eywa has gifted me with knowing exactly what happens this day. She showed me in a vision... a very long, traumatizing vision. I know what the Sky People are planning."
Ronal cries out in disbelief. "Is this true?"
The rest of the clan gasps in shock. "She's telling the truth; she showed me my own death that happens today if we don't listen to her." I say sternly.
"Neteyam..." I hear my mother whisper. I look at her and purse my lips. "It's true mom."
Caya proceeds to explain what happened in her vision and she looks over at my dad who's holding the tracker.
"Did you already tell everyone to warn the Tulkuns that they are marked for death if they're hit with one of those?"
My dad's jaw drops. His gaze shifts from us to Tonowari and back. "I- I was just about to say that. Alright kid, I believe you. What's the plan?"
Tonowari steps down and puts his hand on Caya's shoulder. "Maite, we're listening. Tell us what we need to do." He smiles.
Caya's face lights up as she begins to formulate a plan with both of our fathers' help. Once we established what we were doing, everyone begins shuffling around, gathering weapons.
As the clan prepares for the impending attack, I take a deep breath and look around. It's a strange feeling, knowing that Caya has the power to change the course of events with just a few words. But I know it's a heavy burden; knowing that the lives of so many people depend on her. I can't even imagine how she's feeling right now. We run to our Marui and prepare our weapons as well, but before we call to our Ikrans, I turn her towards me and look deeply and seriously into her eyes.
"What is it Teyam?" She furrows her brow worriedly at me.
"You're going to save us all. You know that right? You've been chosen." I beam a big smile down at her as I lightly caress her cheek with my thumb.
She takes a deep breath. "We have been chosen, Neteyam."
My eyes widen at her as a devilish smile creeps over my face. She raises her brow at me teasingly.
"Remember that part in your vision where we were in the water, and you killed the Sky People as you were sitting on my lap?" I huskily whisper.
She nods slowly up at me.
"Well... do you also remember what I said to you after that?" I growl as I lift her up.
"Can you remind me?" She whispers under her breath as she gazes down seductively at me.
"I told you after this is all over that I was going to fuck you senseless. Except in this version, it's going to happen. In fact, when this is all over, we're going to fuck off to some remote island for a while just to spend some time together, make love, and be as loud and filthy as we want." I grab the back of her neck and pull her face down to mine, kissing her hard and deeply. She moans into my mouth and I bring her even closer, kissing her fiercely. We pull away slowly and she smirks down at me while nuzzling her nose to mine.
"Just wait, I'm going to suck the soul out of you, mate." She groans.
Hearing her say those words drove me crazy. I give her a smoldering look as I bite my bottom lip, breathing in deeply... inhaling her sweet scent.
I move my hand under her and lightly graze the wet spot that was forming. "Fuck... you have no idea how bad I want to take you right here, right now. I'm going to destroy the Sky People and after that, I'm going to destroy that pretty little pussy."
She grabs my face and kisses me roughly. "God... I fucking love you Neteyam. Let's get this done."
"I love you too... so fucking much, mate."
I give her a cheeky smile and put her down. We both call to our Ikrans and they arrive swiftly, we mount them and look down as everyone awaits our instructions.
"MAKTOKO!" Caya screams out, raising her fist in the air. Everyone else follows along with their war cries. I can't help but feel all these emotions as everyone is looking to us for guidance.
Caya
I look over to Neteyam as I listen to my clan. He's beaming proudly at me, and I've never felt more confident in my entire life. I move my visor down and take off.
"MAKTOKO!" I hear as Neteyam takes off behind me.
We make our way to Three Brothers Rocks as we begin our ambush on the Sky People's ship. As the battle ensues everything goes off without a hitch for the most part. Payakan played his part well as Lo'ak got to him before he was hit with the tracking device. He became a vital role in our defeat against them. Somehow Neteyam and I still made it on the ship, but this time we knew where everyone was, and we were out for blood. However, we were joined by Jake and Neytiri this time. I was awestruck watching them in action, I see where Neteyam gets his great skill from now. As I was fighting a demon, I see them yanked away in front of me and hear bones crushing. I look up to see Lau. He gives me a heart wrenching look, I can't believe I almost forgot about everything that happened with him. When this is all over I have to talk to him, tell him I forgive him. I can't let go of how he would have been there for me if Neteyam did die.
"Thank you, Lau." I smile at him. He nods and a look of relief washes over his face.
"Come on, let's get out of here." His voice firm. We're met up by Neteyam and we make our way killing everyone in sight. Suddenly a demon aims his gun at him, I pull my bow out quickly but Lau pushes Neteyam out of the way, taking many bullets to the stomach and chest.
"LAU!" I scream out as my arrow pierces the demons face.
"FUCK! NO, no, no! Why did you do that?!" Neteyam yells as he holds Lau up from falling.
"All clear, everyone's dead." Jake says over the comm.
"No, no Lau!" I cry as I crouch down next to him, picking up his hand and holding it to my heart.
"Caya... Neteyam... I'm so sorry for everything." He chokes out as tears begin to fall from his face.
"NO! You can't leave us! I forgive you; I love you. You were my best friend. Please stay with us... Fight, please Lau!" I hyperventilate uncontrollably as the sobs were hitting my throat. This is not what was supposed to happen. We were all supposed to make it out alive.
Neteyam is looking down at Lau. "Brother, please just hold on, we're going to get you some help." His voice is trembling as he pleads with him.
I feel Lau's heartbeat begin to slow and his breaths become shallower, and it's sending me over the edge.
"Neteyam... t-take good care of her brother." Lau gasps between breaths. Neteyam lets out a sob as he holds him closer and nods down at him. Lau looks over at me and gives me a smile, his eyes begin to close, and I feel his hand go limp in mine. And just like that... he's gone. Neteyam wraps his arms around Lau's lifeless body and we both sob uncontrollably.
"I'm so sorry I couldn't save you! I'm so sorry I failed you Lau." I choke out as I kiss the back of his cold hand.
My parents along with Jake and Neytiri find us, and their faces drop immediately.
"I am so sorry." Jake whispers softly as he places his hand on Neteyams shoulder.
"He sacrificed himself for me, dad! Why Great Mother?!" Neteyam wails as he cries uncontrollably.
"Oh, my boy..." My father says under his breath. I look up at him and see his face contorted in the most pained expression I've ever seen. I know how much he cared about Lau. He must be gutted right now. He leans down and holds Lau's other hand as tears begin to well in his eyes. He's sniffling, trying to hold his composure.
"We must take him back to the village and clean him up, his poor parents are going to be devasted..." My mother mumbles.
We look over to her and nod.
Jake and my father begin to pry us off him slowly and pull his body into the water to take him home.
"He died with honor today." My father says firmly as he stares down at Lau's body. Neteyam and I sit there on the ship in silence watching as our parents take Lau away. Once they're out of view we look at each other for a moment before he pulls me in tight.
"I'm so sorry, love." He mumbles as he places his hand on the back of my head. I don't say a word. I just let him hold me for a while before getting up.
"Come on, Teyam... we have to go prepare for the funeral." I wipe my tears and we both jump in the water and head back to the village as fast as we can.
The rest of the night was quiet. His family allowed us to swim out with him as we placed him in front of the Spirit Tree. I look over and see Neteyam burying his face in his hands, ready to rip his braids out from the pain and guilt he was feeling. I look back down as Lau is slowly being swallowed up by the anemone and reach my hand out as I scream in anguish. We watch as his family link their kuru's to the tree and swim down to join them. Neteyam holds my hand we as link at the same time. Now I know why everything had to be this way. Even though Lau is gone, I will always have the precious memories that Eywa gave me for both of us to have, forever. Even though they may not be real, the life I lived in that vision was as real as my waking life to me. I share my vision with him, and I hope that it brings him a sense of peace and happiness as he moves on to his next life within Eywa. I understand why everything had to be this way. The Great Mother protects the balance of life, a death was inevitable today...The way of water has no beginning and no end. The sea is around you and in you. The sea is your home before your birth and after your death. Our hearts beat in the womb of the world. Our breath burns in the shadows of the deep. The sea gives and the sea takes, the way of water connects all things, life to death, darkness to light.