the place of + the waters
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"Is she okay with her braid?" Flounder asked, Ariel was leaning against Scuttle while Tsahik tended to her braid.
"Yes, just a little dizzy and with a clear conscience, but not so much, she could faint every second" replies Mo'at as he hands her the last cloth.
Ariel hissed softly in pain and snuggled into Scuttle's soft feathers.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there at the time Ariel, Jake informed me and Sebastian not to go there," Scuttle sighed sadly, Ariel patted her lightly.
"You must have been in a lot of pain at that time girl, I'm so sorry for what happened to you, there was nothing we could do" Sebastian said he was in Scuttle's head, Ariel gave a nod smiling slightly.
"But it was so scary, I passed out on the way home when I went to ride the ikran" Flounder said as he shuddered at the memory.
"If you were scared, imagine me" Scuttle looked at Flounder with a funny face.
Ariel got up slowly, still with trembling legs, walked slowly outside, looking at the sky, still night, sighed tiredly and leaned back on the maruí.
In a moment, she was in his thoughts, her braid was ripped off, what harm did it do her?
She felt jolted, waking up to reality, she looked up to find him, Neteyam.
"Hey dear, are you okay?" Ariel nodded yes and hugged him, he did the same, hugging her a little tighter.
"I'm sorry for not protecting you at that moment, I thought I had lost you" He looked into her eyes, placing his hand on her cheek, she gave a slight smile...
She nestled her head into his chest and he sighed, running a hand through her braids before speaking.
"We are leaving"
Ariel looked at Neteyam confused
"We're getting out of here, we need to move," Neteyam said.
Ariel shook her head, not believing what she was hearing, were they leaving her own house? Where they lived so happily.
"We need to hide, protect ourselves from them, they want my family and even you" Ariel looked at him in shock "We also have to take you and your friends to protect yourself too, I also really want you to come with me"
Ariel thought for a while before laying her head on his chest and starting to cry softly, he crouched down to her size and hugged her once more.
"I know honey, sorry but we need to do this, what if something bad happens if we're still here too? What if I lose you.." he placed his hands on her face, looking "I don't want anything to happen to you, I I want to protect her all my life, are we even?"
Ariel nodded quickly and hugged him, the two having a warm moment in their embrace.
"Let's go tomorrow"
It was horrible for the Sully family, Ariel watched their pain for what she was doing, being taken out of the house, Ariel walked with them to the ikrans, she looked back giving her last moment with her legs in the area before riding Scuttle, along with Sebastian and Flounder.
Neteyam was beside her, riding his ikran and looked at her, he reached out, moving her hair up to her face, he gave it a squeeze before taking it off and putting her things on.
Then everyone flew away, Lo'ak looked at the forest, Kiri looked at the forest, Ariel looked at the forest, all sad for the good memories they lived in the wild paradise..
"I feel terrible" Scuttle cried a little, Sebastian gave him a reassuring pat on the head.
Ariel looked ahead, with her hair flowing and her braid also bandaged, feeling the strong winds hit her face again as she flew, she once again resisted the forest in the distance, she also felt very sad for having spent so few days inside that beautiful Paradise.
Everyone flew for hours, in any case, wet rains and very strong waves, which certainly Ariel would not be able to swim normally, would be pulled and hit by the water stones.
Flounder was being protected by the hair, Sebastian was also inside, and Scuttle had a blanket over his face, not reaching his face to stop the water running down his face.
When dawn came, they were in the ocean, Flounder woke up and looked around, it was day and it was still oceanic, but without a storm, it was so beautiful, Flounder smiled with emotion when he saw the fish and other bigger ones, and certainly everything inside, the water was very clear and he could see anything.
They crossed where the other clan was, which is from the water, attention from below and swimming to the beach, Ariel looked curious seeing the different people swimming to the water, which by the way are very fast like her.
They landed on the edge of the sand, Ariel put Flounder on the ground and he ran to Tuk, she hugged him as they both looked forward curiously, Flounder looked around seeing other children, he tilted his head in confusion.
Ariel got out of the Scuttle and motioned for the two of them to be quiet here, putting Sebastian on top of him.
"Wow, I wanted to go!" Scuttle complained.
"Idiot, you want to be food for them, because I don't want to be food for these weirdos" Sebastian went to Scuttle's head to observe everything.
Ariel stood beside Neteyam who was waiting for his hand to take hers, she immediately placed his hand in hers, the two walked looking around.
The water people were more focused on Ariel too, her big hair, her longer fish tail, her skin colors, some were delighted with her appearance, others strange...
Ariel looked curiously at the new people in the village, she looked at each one and looked at the children, they smiled and pointed at her tail, she shook it a little startling them, but then they laughed.
Soon two Metkayina teenagers emerged from the crowd, looking at the family, scrutinizing each one, Ariel, they followed them only to look at their tails, then landed their eyes on Ariel's tail.
The largest caught her by the caudal fin and then by the tail, Ariel felt a great shiver and quickly turned around, the largest faced her with a malicious smile, Neteyam without hesitation, approached only for them to release her tail, Ariel treated her tail and looked at the ground in shame.
"Look at their tails, is that really supposed to be a tail?" The smaller sneered.
Ariel looked away to look at the ocean, a girl had caught her attention, she jumped into the water and resurfaced through the sand, she tied her hair back and gave a slight smile, which the Lo'ak became shy and looked away.
"It's too small, how are they going to swim?" They continued teasing, the girl appeared beside them, hitting both of them "No! Rotxo, Aonung!" She scolded them.
She then faced Ariel, the two had a contact, Ariel gave a smile and waved, The girl laughed softly and waved too.
As soon as the leader of the Metkayinas arrived, he greeted the Sully family with his slight smile, Ariel who looked at what Neteyam was doing with her fingers, it must be a greeting, she then did it too, with a little difficulty.
Then a leader also arrived, Tsahik of the Metkayinas, she watched the whole family and set her eyes on Ariel, wondering why she was different, and also on Flounder.
"Why did you come to us, Jake Sully?" Tonowari asked.
"We're looking for Uturu" Jake said.
"Uturu?" Ronal spoke looking at her husband.
"A sanctuary for my family," Jake stated.
Ronal approached the Sully family to analyze him, Tonowari looked at Jake "We are the reef people, you are from the forest, your skills will not be useful here"
"We're going to learn your ways, aren't we?" Jake looked at Neytiri who nodded.
Ronal grabbed Neytiri's tail "The causes are weak" She grabbed Tuk's arm "And the arms are thin" Tuk ran to his father "They'll be slow in the water" Ronal looked at Flounder who looked a little embarrassed.
She grabbed his arms, his hair, his face, his arms had a lot of strength for water, but he didn't have a tail, she was too small.
"He doesn't seem to have a tail, but his legs and arms have a very strong advantage in the water" she released him, Flounder moved his arms a little painfully, he looked at Tuk.
Ronal went to Ariel, she followed her tail and looked, very colorful and very formal, like a fish tail, she let go and looked at her hair, but saw her braid, it was tied up and a little small, she went to her in the in front of Ariel wue and on the ground.
'this girl... I've never seen a Na'vi like her' Ronal thought as he looked at Ariel's face, before turning to go to Kiri, she took her hands and looked at her intently.
"Those kids aren't even real na'vi!" Ronal informed the people, who gasped in surprise.
"Yes we are!" Kiri growled, pushing the woman's hands away. Ronal went to Lo'ak and took his hands.
"They have demon blood!" People hissed in anger and Tonowari looked at the family with a guilty look.
"Look look! I was born of the sky people and now I'm a na'vi, right? We adapt" Jake showed his hand to Ronal who started to walk back in his seat.
"My husband was Toruk Makto" Neytiri went to Ronal's front "He led the clans to victory against the sky people"
"You call that a victory? Hidden among strangers" Neytiri looked down, Ronal approached "It seems that Eywa has turned her back on her chosen one"
Neytiri immediately hissed at Ronal, who reciprocated, Jake looked awkwardly at Tonowari who eyed him nervously.
"I apologize for my mate" Jake wailed.
"Don't pity me"
"She is exhausted"
"Jake!" Neytiri barked.
The two walked away, then Tonowari went to Jake "Toruk Makto is a great war leader, the na'vi people know his history, but we Metkayina, we are not at war"
"We can't let them bring their war here" Tonowari faces Jake who was with Tuk in his arms.
"I finished the war ok? I just want to keep my family safe" Jake stated, Ariel walked over to Neteyam who moved his hand on her arm beside her.
Tonowari then faced his people "Toruk Makto and his family will stay with us, they should be treated like brothers and sisters, they don't know the sea so they will be like babies, breathing for the first time, teach them our customs so they won't be ashamed to be useless"
The sullys thanked him and Flounder ran towards Ariel, stopping beside her, Ariel put an arm around him, Tsireya walked towards them with her beautiful smile.
"Come, I will show you our village!" She waved, Ariel gave a smile to Neteyam, he waved smiling slightly.
"Maybe it's not so bad here"
Publication on 6.14.23